A beginners guide on how to become a teacher

A beginners guide on how to become a teacher Few people have the power to affect others’ lives as much as teachers do. From childhood classrooms to continuing education programs (because it’s never too late to be a student), teachers bring that educational expertise and commitment to their own career paths, choosing a profession that may not make them millionaires, but can bring incredible fulfillment. If you’re thinking about this profession as a student or as a career changer, we’ve got the tools you’ll need to get started- and to succeed once you become a teacher. What do you want to teach?First, it’s important to think about what you want to teach. Are you better with young kids or are you more into subjects better suited to high schoolers or college students, like advanced math or English? Sometimes picking that specialty is easy- maybe you’ve already got a passion for conjugating French verbs or are a whiz with kids who are just learning how to do the basics. If you know yo u want to be an educator but aren’t sure yet what path to take, it can’t hurt to start with a little quiz and some background info about different kinds of teaching careers.What Grade Should You Teach Based on Your Personality?10 fulfilling teaching jobs that pay more than $60k per yearHow to jumpstart your career in educationHow to become a paraprofessionalHow to become a substitute teacherHow to become a kindergarten teacher10 teaching jobs you can get outside the classroomOr maybe you’re not trying to figure out what you want to teach, so much as the why. What does the teaching field look like? What can you expect once you get in the classroom? Is it even a good fit for you? Now is the time to figure that out.A quick guide to understanding what it takes to be a teacher5 reasons teaching might not be for youWhere are the best paying teacher jobs?Once you’ve decided, â€Å"Okay, this is what I want to do,† it’s time to pick the where. Teach ing can be totally different depending on where you are- an urban classroom in Chicago may have very little in common with a rural classroom in Texas. There’s also the matter of salary. The common saying goes that teachers are chronically underpaid for everything they do, but the pay can vary pretty widely depending on where you are. If you have some geographic flexibility, it’s worth looking around the country to see where you can make the most out of your teaching salary, looking at factors like the pay itself and the cost of living. And don’t discount the â€Å"where will you be happy?† factor. If you pick Alaska due to the crazy high teacher salaries, but hate the cold, then that impacts your quality of life, and ultimately your career as well.One of the best things about teaching is that the skills are transferrable- the main difference between teaching in one place and another is that each state has different requirements, so when you’re scop ing out a place to stake your teaching career, be sure to check out what kind of training and certification are necessary for the level you want to teach.The top-paying cities for teachersThe teacher job searchThe first step on your teaching job hunt, as with any job search, is getting your resume and cover letter in order. Because education and certification are so important for future teachers, it’s important to make those elements shine in your application package, even if you don’t yet have a ton of teaching experience.Check out the following information on creating your best possible resume.Strategies for writing an ideal teacher resumeHow to write a perfect teaching resume (examples included)Does your resume pass this key checklist?Resume summaries- how to write and use themPowerful Action Verbs That Will Make Your Resume Look Like a Million BucksAnd here are some tips for writing a cover letter to get you noticed:Cover letter guide: Writing your best cover lette r for 2017How to Write a Perfect Teacher Cover Letter (Examples Included)Preparing for the interviewAnd it’s not just the resume and cover letter you need to prep- the interview is a key part of the process, whether you’re looking at your first in-person interview for a teaching job, or an interview to help you move up a level in your career.Top 5 School Administrator Interview QuestionsThe ultimate guide on how to ace any job interview8 interview strategies for introvertsDon’t underestimate the power of your interview outfit- as a teacher, you’ll be expected to look respectable and professional in the classroom and out of it. For teaching jobs, it’s best to err on the side of a conservative outfit. You don’t want to scandalize the interviewer, and make them think that you’ll show up at school in something inappropriate for kids.The 5 types of interview outfitsAs a teacher, it’s also important to have an elevator pitch beyond à ¢â‚¬Å"I’m a teacher,† or â€Å"I’m a recent grad who wants to teach.† Your elevator pitch can help you craft the narrative of who you are as a teacher, and what you value most as an educator.How to create your elevator pitch and get hiredIn the classroomOnce you’ve gotten past the job search and are thinking ahead toward settling in the classroom, there are also some tips and insights you should keep in mind even before day one of teaching.10 tips all new teachers should know10 TED Talks to inspire teachersWhatever you encounter on the road to becoming a teacher, remember: you’re choosing a path that many people are just not willing or ready to take. We want to do everything we can to help you achieve your own goals as you take on the joys and challenges of teaching. Good luck!

Market report for Dubal

Market report for Dubal Introduction The US is renowned for its rich democratic space, strong consumer power, and business astuteness. However, its economic downturn and high cost of business may impede success there.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Market report for Dubal specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A company needs to look into the external and internal factors that will affect it when it enters the international market. The purpose of the report is to determine whether Dubal, a UAE aluminium manufacturer, should enter the US market. Macro business environment political The Unites States of America is a federal state, in which the head of state is the president and the constitution is the supreme protector of citizens’ rights. It has a strong judiciary headed by the Supreme Court and is backed by an equally influential parliamentary system. Therefore, the three centres of power are the executive, the Judiciary and Con gress. Two parties dominate the country’s politics; that is, The Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The latter part depends on business donations for campaign funding while Democrats get it from organised labour. Consequently, parties in office may make policies that protect the interests of their funders. Dubal’s ability to safeguard its needs will depend on the ruling party and their affiliations. Nonetheless, the country is a strong democracy and has a stable political environment. It is unlikely that Dubal will experience cases of war or civil conflict in this nation. Trade restrictions and protectionism exist, albeit at low levels. Constraints exist regarding the legality of a business; Dubal will have to go through a long process before being recognised as a legal entity. Additionally, zoning restrictions exist on firms that can bring goods into the country. Copyright and patent laws are quite severe in this country. Dubal may find difficulties in competi ng with older aluminium companies as they may possess patents over certain business processes.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, the country has several requirements on training workers, and licensing is a lengthy process for foreign businesses. Employers are obligated to pay for medical insurance as well other policies, so this may increase Dubal’s labour costs. The UAE and US do not have special trade agreements; however, substantial business still occurs between these two countries. As of 2011, the US had exported $15.8 billion worth of merchandise while the UAE imports about 2.4 billion worth of goods. Since the UAE is not in NAFTA or other trading groups with the US, then trade restrictions on products need to be expected. Minerals are not protected goods, so Dubal will need to pay a huge amount for its raw material-bauxite- if it c hooses to produce in the US (US Department of Energy 13). Macro business environment-economic The US has the second largest economy in the world. As of 2011, its GDP stands at $ 14.82 trillion. This implies that Dubal will have a large consumer market to sell its products to. Additionally, the country recorded a 1.5% increase in the economy. Statistics also indicate that the US is the biggest importer of goods in the world. It allows approximately $2.314 trillion worth of merchandise into its borders. If Dubal opts to enter the market as an importer, then it will have a conducive environment for doing so. The most significant contributor to the economy is the managerial sector while manufacturing accounts for only 0.7%. Dubal will not be entering into a manufacturing zone, and this could prove to be quite useful to the organisation. The US economy is still underperforming thus implying that key product markets, such as the automobile industry, have diminished demand for aluminium pr oducts. The US has several resources such as oil deposits. However, it does not have bauxite, which is the primary raw material for production of Aluminium. Dubal may, however, save on costs by sourcing its supplies from the South American market. Some bauxite-rich nations in this region include Venezuela and Brazil (CRU International 54).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Market report for Dubal specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Unemployment rates are at an alarmingly high rate for a country of such a level. It now stands at 9.1%, and is ranked 105th. This is still an all-time low for the nation. Consumers may be hesitant to buy new commodities like cars and houses, yet these items are made from aluminium. The US’ budget deficit is also at an all-time high; it now stands at $599.9 billion while its external debt to the world is $14.71 trillion. This makes it the second most indebted nation in the world . If Dubal plans on entering such a nation, it needs to prepare for constrained buying habits and rigid monetary restrictions as the government is trying to do as much as possible to cut down on expenditure. Even loan negotiations from banks might be challenging as financial institutions are dealing with the backlash for encouraging this over expenditure. Financial institutions have created high financial obligations and losses that must be paid by consumers. Failure to honour these responsibilities could cause the entire financial sector to go bankrupt. Transport, communication and other infrastructural facilities are already set up in the country. The level of development in the US implies that most of these needs will be easily catered for. Dubal, which depends on a steady supply of electricity, will not suffer from intermittent supplies. It will also not be necessary to invest in back-up generators as the nation’s electricity suppliers are dependable. Additionally, it is relatively easy to get credit in the nation as the country is ranked 4th in the world. Enforcement of contracts is taken seriously in the US, so Dubal will be protected from contract defaults by its business partners. Furthermore, the country does not have complex business networks such as the Chinese system of family ties. Therefore, Dubal can do business with organisations from the business directory. Minimal restrictions exist among the population concerning trade. Macro business environment-social The US is a culturally diverse country, and since the UAE also possesses this trait, then it will be easy to do business there. English is the US official language, and most residents of the UAE are now familiar with it. While individuals are religious, they tend to separate religion from business life. Additionally, most individuals do not pay attention to family ties when doing business, so this will favour Dubal.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Micro environment-competition Several aluminium producers already exist in the US, such as Alcoa, Century Aluminium, RUSAL, Alcan, and Chalco. Alcoa accounts for 54% of market share in the target market, and has a presence in other parts of the world. In fact, these dominant players will minimise Dubal’s capability to operate successfully in the market. RUSAL is one of the most formidable aluminium producers in the international aluminium industry, it controls 16% of the world market and has integrated various aluminium-based firms. Some of them are producers of bauxite while others manufacture aluminium (Aluminium Industry Association 15). Furthermore, some of them even produce packaging material and electricity products. Alcan is a Canadian firm, and has an advantage over other players owing to its high product volumes. Chalco on the other hand is a Chinese-owned firm that dominates is domestic market as well as a substantial portion of the US market. Foreign competitors fr om China are a force to reckon with. The entrance of Chinese players in the US market leads to market surplus hence price declines. The market for aluminium products is highly accessible. Companies need to choose the best strategies for entry, and they have a chance at succeeding. Most equipment and resources needed to manufacture the product are found in the country, but Dubal would be better of it imported these products from its cheapest markets. Nonetheless, it is likely that, in the long run, the growth potential for this company will be quite low since the US is saturated with aluminium smelters. Approximately 12 companies are responsible for performance in this industry. However, in the next five years, it is likely that domestic demand will grow if the economy improves. Projections indicate that the US aluminium industry will increase by 12% in 2013. Such changes will stem from better energy supply, government support, and cost efficient technologies. Furthermore, consumersà ¢â‚¬â„¢ need for sustainable construction practices is likely to increase the demand for Dubal’s product (Green 46). Profitability in the aluminium industry has not been very promising. In 2009, some 6 aluminium smelters closed their businesses. The biggest problem for most organisations is high production expenditure. These organisations need to pay a lot of money to use electricity. Additionally, the US lacks bauxite resources, so many firms need to import their own resources and this costs them considerably. If Dubal opts to take production into the US, then its profitability could be substantially diminished. However, if it only treats the US as a market, then chances are that it will have a greater competitive edge. Consolidation is now a reality in the industry and could be used as a source of competitive advantage for Dubal. The most powerful player in the world-RUSAL is using this strategy to remain a market leader (Bloomberg 40). Likewise, Dubal ought to borrow and customise that approach. The firm can merge with large aluminium purchases in order to foster cost management. Vertically integrated firms in the global aluminium industry are generating their own electricity. Access and prices of power can substantially reduce if Dubal has control over them. In fact, this explains why many aluminium firms are choosing developing nations as new target locations. They can produce electricity cheaply and efficiently in those areas. If Dubal chooses to generate its own electricity, then it ought to do this in the UAE rather than in an expensive country like the US. The organisation can also instate strong governance structures that emphasise strong environmental performance, human rights, and community relations. Additionally, the firm may focus on low cost energy sources since these would cut costs and secure better prices for the product. It should also have a green innovation strategy. Dubal should consider importation as a strategy for entrance int o the US market. This will protect the organisation from the high production costs that stem from operating in the US. All processing should occur in the UAE, so that it can have a ready-product to bring into the US. The US has fewer import restrictions on aluminium than it does on bauxite. Microenvironment-customers The principal type of consumer in the US aluminium market is the manufacturer. Therefore, Dubal Aluminium should consider using B2B partnership models to do business. Some of the frequent buyers of aluminium include automobile manufactures, bicycle, motorcycle, railways and aircraft firms. Beverage manufacturers such as Pepsi and Coca Cola need to the product to make cans and foils. US consumers are generally known for their impulsiveness. However, because Dubal sells intermediary products, then the same psychology cannot be applied to their products. Many B2B approaches work by initiating a strong relationship with the targeted enterprise. Dubal needs to demonstrate th at its products are superior or that they come at a lower price with no compromise on quality. These factors will set them apart from other retailers. American firms focus on product quality more than affordability so Dubal would be better of if it focused on the first approach. In addition to these differences, it may be imperative for the company to sharpen its negotiation skills as American buyers are astute bargainers. Culture has a positive impact on business in this nation because most people are individualistic. They are highly competitive and always do due diligence before getting into a business arrangement. Furthermore, it is the most qualified person that wins a contract rather than the most affable one. As such, Dubal needs to focus on its tangible advantages and business numbers if it wants to get a market there. Conclusion The purpose of the report was to establish whether the US is a feasible target market for Dubal. It was found that the cost of production is too hig h, owing to absence of the main mineral ore and high electricity costs. Additionally, there is stiff competition from local players. However, the US ranks well in terms of ease of doing business. Dubal should produce in the UAE and consider exporting its finished products to the USA. Aluminium Industry Association. The versatile metal. London: McMillan, 2005. Print. Bloomberg, Jerry. â€Å"Short run demand and supply elasticities in the West European market for secondary aluminium.† Resources Policy 26(2005): 39-50. Print. CRU International. Report in the aluminium and alumina industry. London: CRU International, 2008. Print. Green, Samuel. Aluminium recycling and processing for energy conservation and sustainability. NY: ASM International, 2007. Print. US Department of Energy. US energy requirements for aluminium production. Washington DC: DOE Press. Print

Strategy mapping & the learning and growth perspective Essay

Strategy mapping & the learning and growth perspective - Essay Example There has been a significant revolution in the business environment attributed to formulation and implementation of strategy mapping. On the other hand, prosperity in process of formulating and implementing strategy mapping in organizations has been facilitated by application or incorporation of Balance Scorecards In this case, strategy mapping has been applied in processes of facilitating learning and growth in various organizations, while balance scorecard is used in implementation and evaluation process (Sharma, 2012). Nevertheless, this paper explains processes involved in formulation and implementation of strategy mapping, its relation to performance management, thereby establishing value propositions; in fact, this discussion will be established theoretically. The ultimate purpose of implementing strategy mapping in an organization is to bridge learning and growth gap. In this case, strategy mapping offers sets of guidelines, which facilitate increased performance management in an organization. Besides, Armitage and Scholey (2006) explain that strategy mapping offers these guidelines in a systematic format. Strategy mapping has also been considered a reference, based on four principle interest groups. Strategy mapping based on learning and growth point of view resonates around employee capabilities and other success factors. In this case, Sharma (2012) explains that employees’ capabilities relate to their levels of skills, access to transactions, continuous training and development programs. In addition, it also focuses on employee satisfaction, which has been regarded as precondition for facilitating employee productivity and level of quality in services offered to customers. Other growth factors facilitated by strategy mapping include information system capabilities, motivation and empowerment of employees in an organization (Sharma, 2012). Numerous organizations have been seeking guidance and directives to supplement effort required in implement ation of maps and scorecards. Therefore, strategic mapping and Balance Scorecards has become solutions to organizations’ problems, whereby they serves as a bridge between theories gathered from different literature and processes of implementation. On the other hand, other organizations are seeking certain consultants, which can offer benefits based on framework in strategic mapping guidelines. Furthermore, Armitage and Scholey (2006) assert that other organizations stand chance of benefiting from strategic mapping by becoming consultants. Strategy mapping facilitates communication of strategies in organizations, given that they provide guidelines, which in turn describe model applied in implementation process. The strategy map developed through this model is helpful to managers in organization (National Institute of Standards & Technology [NIST], 2012). In this case, these strategy maps become solutions to problems faced in processes of executing a strategy. Besides, these ma ps help organizations to attain desired results, through a substantially developed strategy meant to improve and align various functions in an organization. Some of these functions include, strategy planning, budgeting, compensating employees and monitoring their performance (Armitage & Scholey, 2006). In addition, strategic mapping offers ways to improve chances of implementing learning and growth strategies in organizations in order to facilitate effective operating and financial performance. Nonetheless, this paper will also focus on conducting analysis, which presents actual comparison and contrast between BAA’

Consumer Behavior. Answer 4 Questions Coursework

Consumer Behavior. Answer 4 Questions - Coursework Example All over the globe, the use of these status goods is observed and its abuse is also rather evident. Medieval ages definitely did not have status symbols, however their emergence rather proceeded from the 19th century (Denselow, 2010). Now in 2013, the idea of a status symbol somewhat differs from the one before it, and correspondingly 2012 showed an additional side of these symbols and as far as we can go, every year the ranks of these symbols changed, from nice ties, pleasant coats, gold rings to posh cars and houses. Even braces today are a part of the status symbols! Crazy as it sounds, that’s how it goes. Every year brings new modifications which also alter the current trends and fashion proceeding into newer trends every season. Yes, these symbols have no end to their existence. They have existed for years and years, if today wearing a Rolex watch and owning a sumptuous car is the idea of a status symbol, tomorrow maybe a nice villa in Miami would be the part of an ideal lifestyle. It has now become a matter of prestige to own these goods; their fewer occurrences in somebody’s life depict the non-existence of money and low status, which by the upper classes is exceedingly detested. According to them, a person without these status symbols should be led to a scaffold to be punished. It is tormenting to observe such detestation for the people who cannot afford these things. But people even believe in running around in ugly clothes, bad shoes, live without food but NOT without these luxuries. By these explicit reactions, it is rather a matter of prestige now and the denial of this statement by a few would not really matter. The universities, colleges and schools have become a status exhibiting conventional area where people come and compete to win the rank of the classiest, rich and elite person in the whole vicinity. Aren’t these places meant to increase educational programmes; they surely are but the current inclination towards status ha s changed this course into a posh museum of ranking. Modern generation sermonizes this stuff to look more up-to-date, rich and stylish. It is a matter of perception though. To look stylish and gain confidence, you can also get yourself educated, be honest and not practice chicaneries observed by a huge lot: ‘The cult of luxury shopping is spreading’ (Day, 2011). But if the youth prefers to hold on to the status symbols and not the dignified ways, then it is clearly their choice. 1) Do you believe that your peer group value â€Å"status symbols†? Status symbols are the objects of luxuries which are preached all over the world for their high demand. Definitely, with no doubt, not just my peers value them but people all over the world with access to money, or even the ones who aren’t that wealthy, are in a hunt for them to flaunt their monetary status in the society and build a brawny influential image in front of the ones around them. Status symbols do not m ake sense on any intellectual level but they have a lot to do with the social hierarchy. Society here is divided into two sectors the haves and the have-nots. Possessing a status symbol is considered to be a must have and the ones who fail to do so is considered insignificant in today’s age. It is very imperative in today’s world, because the possession of a status symbol signifies your social status, that whether you have crossed the dividing line between rich and poor and how well suited you are to the current

Obama or Romney Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Obama or Romney - Essay Example Firstly, this brief essay will consider Romney. Romney claims to have a very different view from the President with regards to the Affordable Health Care Act of 2009. However, the fact of the matter is that while governor of Massachusetts, Romney instituted a healthcare plan statewide that served as the very inspiration for the later adoption of the Affordable Health Care Act. As such, Romney continues to attempt to distance himself from this and claim that if he is elected president he will do all in his power to overturn the legislation. Obviously, such a disconnect from action/practice and actuality does not help Romney to appear as a steadfast candidate with regards to this particular issue. Similarly, much the same is true with regards to Romney’s stance on abortion. While campaigning for the gubernatorial race of Massachusetts, Romney went out of his way to emphasize that he was a pro-choice candidate. Similarly, most of the issues that involved abortion he masterfully d odged without coming down too hard in either direction. Yet, as he is running for a nationwide audience now and not merely for the gubernatorial candidacy of a small moderately liberal northeastern state, Romney has tracked to the right significantly and now claims that he will make it a policy directive to use his power to enforce the â€Å"sanctity of life†. Such a disconnect from his prior positions begs the question to what degree Romney is merely playing to the base of the Republican/conservative movement and what degree he actually espouses such a newfound believe in the sanctity of life. The case with Obama is somewhat different. Due to the fact that Obama is a sitting president, it is much easier to measure his actions against the words that he spoke back in the 2008 presidential election cycle. Although like any politician, Obama has embellished a bit and claimed to be able to perform feats that no president be reasonably expected to perform, the fact of the matter i s that in regards to the main issues, Obama has remained decidedly issue oriented and issue focused. With respect to his campaign promise to engage with Congress to create a lasting and historic solution to the issues that face many Americans in regards to healthcare, Obama, with the help of a Democratic controlled Congress, enacted the Affordable Health Care Act of 2009. Additionally, Obama has also made good on his campaign promise to cease military operations within Iraq and bring the majority of combat troops stationed there back home. This campaign promise and its ultimate implementation was an important step due to the fact that it allowed him to take an increased role of tracking al Qaeda and in helping the United States to locate and kill Osama bin Laden; the mastermind of the September 11th attacks that killed over 3,000 United States citizens. It should be noted though that this author does have a strong issue with the President’s foreign policy. Whereas he campaign ed on a platform of military non-aggression and sought to bring the majority of US combat troops home as a function of ending the pointless Iraq war, he entirely failed to keep the

Sources of stress in elite football players

Sources of stress in elite football players Sources of stress in elite football players. Abstract In this piece we shall look at stress, its definition, and its potential occurrence in the world of the professional football player. We will examine the possible sources and use current literature sources to support our assertions. Having done that we shall examine in detail the case of Mr Vasey, a youngster who embarked on a professional football career but did not make it onto the elite circuit. We shall examine his personal account for evidence to support or refute our assessment. If you read some of the tabloid newspapers, you could be forgiven for thinking that an elite footballer’s life is little more than huge amounts of money, fast cars, a succession of pretty women and endless adulation from mindlessly adoring fans when performing on the football pitch. Some of the more disreputable papers may also dwell on a slightly different (but generally equally false) aspect of their life, the drink, drugs, sordid sex romps in hotel rooms and gambling. The truth of the matter, in the vast majority of cases, is that the elite footballer is a finely honed athlete at the peak of his training. He is required to perform daily in training routines and in the gym, less frequently on the pitch, and put himself at risk of career threatening injuries on a regular basis. All this is done in the full knowledge that he has worked his way up a professional ladder to a comparatively short window of elite performance and that there are always many more hopefuls who are climbing up behind him either waiting to push him off or to watch him as he falls. You may regard the introduction as rather melodramatic, but it is intended to illustrate the very different perceptions that are commonly held about the lifestyles of the elite footballer. In this piece we are going to review the stresses and pressures that are commonly experienced by this elite group and also how they (generally) manage to cope with them. We also intend to illustrate the theoretical problems faced by the elite footballer with a real case study of a young man, Mr Peter Vasey who has gone a long way to becoming one of the elite group and then, for various reasons, which we shall discuss, decided not to pursue it further. Stress and Stress management We all think that we know what stress is and that we can easily recognise it. It actually proves to be a very hard item to define as firstly, it is important to distinguish between physical (biological) stress and psychological stress. The two are clearly related but fundamentally different. Secondly, stress is a multitude of different responses to a multitude of different potential causes. In this piece we are going to consider the various causes of psychological stress on elite footballers. In this context we can look for a definition of stress in a particularly informative article by Crampton et al. (1995) . She reviews the various definitions of stress. â€Å"Hans Selye (1956), a pioneer in stress research, has defined stress as the non-specific response of the body to any demands made upon it (Kreitner Kinicki, 1992, p. 597). It is considered to be an internal state or reaction to anything we consciously or unconsciously perceive as a threat, either real or imagined (Clarke, 1988). Stress can evoke feelings of frustration, fear, conflict, pressure, hurt, anger, sadness, inadequacy, guilt, loneliness, or confusion (Cavanagh, 1988). Individuals feel stressed when they are fired or lose a loved one (negative stress) as well as when they are promoted or go on a vacation (positive stress). While many individuals believe they must avoid stress to live longer, Freese (1976) argues that it is the salt and spice of life and that to have no stress we would have to be dead.† Selve defines the basic â€Å"biological† interpretation of stress while the Kreitner definition starts to incorporate the possible psychological elements that generate the biological responses. Clarke adds to our understanding by considering the psychological responses that can be produced by various stresses and Cavanagh modifies the definition further by introducing the concept of positive and negative stress. Freese makes the very perceptive comment that stress is an integral and inevitable feature of life itself. This particular insight can be taken rather further insofar as there are some individuals who find stress hard to cope with (non-copers) and others who appear to positively thrive in stressful situations (copers) In terms of our footballers under consideration, we must accept that stress can, and does affect performance as we shall discuss (see on). Basic psychological   theory shows us that individuals who are less than optimally stressed may not make enough effort to achieve their designated goal whereas those who are overstressed may not be able to concentrate on the task in hand and perform to their maximum capacity. In either eventuality it is clear that optimal performance is impaired. Equally it follows that there is an optimal amount of stress to achieve optimum performance. In practical terms, that â€Å"optimal amount† is only really possible to quantify in retrospect, and that is why many would describe the work of the team manager, coach and trainer as an art rather than a science. Haspels (2004) looked specifically at the levels of stress in pre- and post-match footballers. Unsurprisingly, he found that the highest levels of stress were found pre-match in an International game. One of the standard measures of stress in the resting subject is the cortisol level. Unfortunately physical activity also puts up cortisol levels so one of the major predictors of stress was rendered useless in this study. Haspels also found that the players performed best when their stress levels were controlled before the game   Work by Anshel (2001) looked at the causes of acute stress on the playing field and came to the rather surprising conclusion that the major causes of stress in that particular situation was consistently found to be receiving what was perceived to be a bad call from the referee and making a major physical error (missed kick etc.) When these eventualities occurred, the athletes concerned tended to make negative cognitive appraisals followed by an avoidance coping strategy. The same study also found that approach coping was most commonly seen after positive appraisals. These observations clearly support the transactional coping model. The use of appraisals and coping strategy was directly dependent on the perceived nature of the stressful event. Stress is an inherent part of football. It may, in part, be added to by the unrealistic expectations of the coaches, managers and the fans. Every team in the league is told that â€Å"this year the cup will be ours† at the beginning of the season and all the training, playing and motivation will be directed towards winning it. The reality, of course, is that only one team will win it. Continued stress has been cited as the main reason for many of the younger players (including our study subject) for their lack of enjoyment and subsequently leaving the game. It is interesting to note that many sources cite youth as one of the causes of acute stress on the grounds that the youngster may not yet have developed the physical sports skills and coping strategies that the older, more experienced players have. We will not consider this element further as our concern in this piece is primarily the elite footballer who, by definition, has already mastered his game. In broad terms, according to Lazarus (1999), coping with stress consists of a person’s conscious attempt at managing the demands and intensity of events perceived as stressful or improving ones personal resources (e.g., positive affect, confidence, self-control) in attempting to reduce or manage ones perceived stress intensity. He also observes that one of the critical factors in an athlete’s adoption of a particular coping strategy is their cognitive appraisal of the stressful event or situation. Lazarus sums up his appreciation of the coping response as an athlete’s ability to accurately appraise the situation and the subsequent use of an appropriate coping strategy as the critical factor in explaining an athlete’s physiological and psychological adaptation to stress in sport.  Ã‚   Method Our method of investigation falls into two parts. In terms of the stresses faced by elite footballers and their coping mechanisms, we have consulted, appraised and quoted authoritative literature on the subject. In terms of the real problems faced by Mr. Vasey, we have interviewed him and the results of the interview are appended to this piece as appendix I Sources of potential stress Clearly there are a great many sources of potential stress that our hypothetical elite footballer may face. Broadly speaking they can be categorised into:- Sport related stress.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Performance anxiety  Ã‚  Ã‚   Alpha male problems in a team game  Ã‚  Ã‚   Age  Ã‚  Ã‚   Competition stress   Ã‚  Ã‚   Constant motivation  Ã‚  Ã‚   Exercise dependence   Ã‚  Ã‚   Constant levels of fitness  Ã‚  Ã‚   Injury concerns   Ã‚  Ã‚   Dietary concerns  Ã‚  Ã‚   Drug monitoring concerns  Ã‚  Ã‚   Premature retirement Financial  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Living up to a perceived lifestyle  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Transient nature of   income  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Income dependent on continued performance Publicity related  Ã‚   Media attention  Ã‚   Family intrusion  Ã‚   Privacy intrusion Direct stress-related problems  Ã‚   Drink  Ã‚   Drugs  Ã‚   Relationship problems   Ã‚   Cognitive functioning   Let us consider each one of these potential stresses in turn Sports related stresses Performance anxiety In a well written and comprehensive article, Poczwardowski and Conroy (2002) discuss the stresses and coping mechanisms of elite performers. They categorise the various coping mechanisms into 36 sub-categories on the basis of direct interviews. The standard categorisations of problem-focused, emotion-focused, appraisal-focused, and avoidance-focused etc. were amplified and extended to cover a greater rang of detected strategies. For example   greater motivational changes after failure was reported by one athlete as a stimulus to train harder so as not to fail a second time. Stress can affect different sportsmen in different ways. Some appear to thrive and perform well, others find that it is a bar to optimum performance. Those elite footballers in the first category do not need any intervention as far as their performance in the game is concerned but an interesting study by Solberg et al. (2000)   looked at the use of different relaxation techniques pre- and post performance in elite athletes. They found that athletes who practised meditation-related relaxation techniques had their blood lactate levels returning to normal quicker than their non-relaxed counterparts. Contrary to expectation however, they found no significant difference in their levels of pre-exercise anxiety. Alpha-male problems in a team game This is an anecdotally reported phenomenon which does not appear to have been investigated from a scientific perspective. The typical alpha-male personality type is over represented in the elite footballer community. Aggression, speed, firmness of decision making, independence and rapid responses are all prized attributes of the elite footballer. These are seldom attributes that are seen in the personality types that are happy playing as an integral part of a team. Football, by its very nature, is played by a team of eleven on the pitch and off the pitch, a very much larger team is involved. Prima Donna behaviour, typical of the alpha-male, cannot be easily accommodated in such circumstances. It may be tolerated as long as the player concerned is delivering the results, but it can be an enormous cause of stress when the results stop being delivered. Age Footballers get older. In terms of their professional use, they age perhaps faster than professionals in other fields. There is a very narrow   â€Å"window of opportunity† for them to be at the top of their chosen field. To play at elite level for more than a decade is considered to be quite unusual. Part of the reason for this is the natural ageing process which is present in every other individual, but also there is the ever-present problem of both career threatening injury and also the huge wear and tear on the joints (see on) which can give rise to significant health impairment in later life. Turner et al. (2000)   examined this problem in some detail and their results make impressive reading. Their cohort were all professional footballers. 32% of whom reported having surgery on at least one occasion. Of those, over half had knee surgery and a quarter of those had complete joint replacements. 15% reported having hip surgery with another 9% awaiting surgery. Others in the group were having non-invasive treatments. Nearly half had physiotherapy in one form or another for injuries sustained during their career and over a quarter were having some form of analgesia or anti-inflammatory drugs for pain associated with football injuries. Osteoarthritis (OA) was diagnosed in at least one site in nearly half of the respondents and the vast majority of those were hips and knees. Significantly nearly 10% were registered as disabled due to OA and, very significantly, 72% of all respondents agreed with the statement   I am concerned with how OA may affect my body in the future, clearly a major source of potential stress.(Barlow et al. 2000) Although joint problems were, predictably, seen as the most common pathology, other morbidity was found. Neuropsychological problems were not uncommon, presumably related to episodes of concussion or repeated trauma such as heading the football. 10 of the group reported problems such as memory complaints, dizziness and headaches. Sport related problems included early retirement, enforced reduction in working hours or even a change to a sedentary occupation. Not only can all of this be viewed as a major source of stress to those who are suffering because of it, but also it must be stressful for the still-active player who may know what may be in store for him. Competition stress This is an area that has been extensively studied. Competition stress can be an enhancer for some players but equally it can be an inhibitor for others. There is a distinction to be made between the trait of anxiety and the state of anxiety which is quite significant and, to a large extent, is a reflection of the ability of the individual to cope with and handle the stress levels. Sanderson and Reilly (1983)   did the classic study in this field. Their target group were elite athletes. They found that the group of athletes who had the anxiety trait correlated highly with those who had high pre-race anxiety states and this correlated highly with the actual race performance. Very significantly, the greatest reduction in post-race anxiety levels was seen in those runners who performed well in their races. Constant motivation In order to maintain elite footballer status a player must find a source of constant motivation. Initially, in his adolescent training days, the motivation may be personal glory and the goal orientated drive that comes with wishing to achieve professional status. Having achieved that goal however, the player must then find other motivational drives to maintain his progress. For some, it drive comes from considerations of status and wealth, for others it could be the need for adulation and fame, others may have personal goals of achieving the pinnacle of their chosen profession, these are the achievement-junkies that are seen in any professional walk of life. Whatever the motivation, success invariable comes at a cost. Decisions, and therefore usually sacrifices, have to be made along the route of attainment and achievement. In this piece we are considering specifically the elite footballer who, by definition, has managed to achieve the peak of his career. We should perhaps also consider the   other athletes who by virtue of circumstance, situation, lack of motivation or perhaps even random differences in pre-natal myelination patterns, do not actually achieve the top of their profession. We shall discuss one such case in the case-study at the end of this piece. For every elite footballer, there are many who do not make the top echelon of players. There are arguably even more stress factors in this group who what to achieve but for one reason or another, cannot. As far as motivation is concerned, this is a major concern of every coach and manager in the country for reasons that we have set out above. Most premier teams will have psychologists who are motivational   specialists. Motivational theory is evolving at a rapid rate and reversal theory is the current â€Å"idea of the moment†. A particularly good book on the subject is edited by Apter (2001) . It deals with not only the current thinking on the subject but also the actual evolution of the reversal theory from its conception in the 70’s through to the applications of the present day. Significantly it also deals with the specific subject of stress engendered by the motivational process. It is a highly technical book and therefore we do not propose to enter into detail about its contents, but it highlights the psychological issues of burn-out, apathy and depression that are commonly seen in constantly ( and inappropriately) motivated players. In the context of elite footballers, there is a fascinating and short article by McNair (1996)   which looked at the effect of verbal encouragement on maximal effort output.   The game of football is anecdotally renowned for the aggressive verbal abuse beloved by many trainers, coaches and managers. One may argue that it is only a manifestation of their own frustrations and stresses that causes them to behave in this way and it is certainly a cause of stress to the players (clearly it is intended to be). McNair’s paper produces a cast-iron rationale for this â€Å"encouragement† as he found, by means of a very simply designed study, that verbal encouragement does increase the maximal output of skeletal muscle. Interestingly, while measuring the actual power output, he also measured the EMG tracings of the afferent nerves supplying the relevant muscles and found that verbal encouragement did not change the EMG readings, so the actual cause of the improvement was not ascertained but it was nonetheless real. Constant levels of fitness Constant levels of fitness are clearly a pre-requisite for an elite footballer. There may well be periods of injury where the fitness levels fall, but they must be quickly re-established in order to achieve optimum performance levels. Fitness, in general terms equates with earning power and job security for a elite footballer, so the overriding goal must be to achieve peak fitness at all times. This, in certain circumstances, can become an obsession (See on – exercise dependence) Exercise dependence Many studies have shown the exercise can give rise to demonstrable health benefits – both chronic and acute. There are some people for whom exercise actually becomes an obsession (Hurst et al. 2000). This is a real disease entity resulting in behaviour patterns that compel an individual to exercise despite the presence of obstacles. It also can produce both psychological and physical symptoms of withdrawal, if exercise cannot be taken (Pierce, 1994) ( Veale, 1995) (Thaxton 1982). These patterns are commoner in women and often associated with eating disorders but they are also seen in male athletes. Bamber et al. (2000)   has authored a paper which   produced a qualitative analysis of the whole issue. She found that elements of an eating disorder were always present to a greater or lesser degree, but that this was hard to quantify as many athletes will pursue closely monitored dietary regimes in any event. This syndrome is commonest in women, but does occur in men, particularly   it seems in those who have low self-esteem or a poor self-image. It may be thought that such traits are unusual in the context of elite footballers but perceived body image does not always reflect the true physique. Any experienced healthcare professional will tell you about the anorexic or muscle dysmorphic who perceives something quite different when they look in the mirror. It is commonly believed that such conditions are a result of compensation syndromes. People may have a need to try to excel in one area if they feel that they are in some way failing in another.(Bamber 2003) Injury concerns Injury is the footballer’s constant fear. Football is a fast and occasionally violent game with frequent body contact being an intrinsic part of the game plan. Injury can vary from trivial to catastrophic or even life-threatening. Most injuries will have an impact on the elite footballer either at the time of the injury or, as we have seen above, at a later stage in his life. We have referred earlier to the comparatively short earning window of the elite footballer and clearly there will be considerable stresses involved if that window is cut short for any reason. Because of the huge investment that the average elite footballer represents to any club, a huge amount of energy and resources are employed to get an injured player back onto the field of play. It has to be said that the vast majority of professional clubs act responsibly in allowing injuries to heal properly before returning the player to training, but there will be the inevitable pressure on the less-than-scrupulous coach to get the player back on the field before full recovery has taken place. This has costs to the player in terms of impaired performance and also in terms of long term problems arising from an incompletely healed injury. Ekstrand et al. (2004)   looked at the problem as a result of the 2002 World Cup. They cite one of the major reasons for injury as being the frequency of the matches in a packed calendar for the top players. Injuries which would normally be regarded as comparatively minor did not get the usual chance to heal completely before the next game was due to be played. This resulted in a rising accumulative total of injuries above what might otherwise be expected over a comparatively short period. The study found that, over the ten months of the World Cup games the average player played 36 matches. The top players form each team played, on average, 46 matches over the same period. The survey showed that the players who played in the World Cup matches sustained 29% more injuries than players from the same teams who did not play. 32% underperformed when compared to their normal standard. These players had played statistically more matches than those who were felt to have played better than expected. One major finding was that 60% of the players who had played more than one match in the week before a World Cup match were either injured or underperformed during the World Cup game. The clear inference from this study is that tiredness and physical burnout affects performance in elite footballers. At the highest levels, players, clubs and coaches should be aware that this is a real phenomenon. And, at the very least, is a considerable cause of stress to the players. Orchard and Seward (2002)   Took this concept a stage further and looked at the injuries sustained by the entire Australian Football League over seasons from 1997-2000. Their findings are a major source of concern to the elite footballer world. In a season each team of 40 players would expect to receive 39 separate injuries. Clearly some players would be injured more than once (The major predisposing factor for injury is a pre-existing injury). The injury prevalence of players missing through injury in a week was 16% with a recurrence rate of 17%. They found that the commonest injury was to the hamstrings, followed by ACL strains and then groin injuries. For an elite footballer who depends upon his ability to play for his income, these figures represent a great cause of potential stress. Before leaving this area, we should consider one other area of injury which we touched upon earlier, and that is the sequelae of concussion. Bloom et al (2004) looked at this particular problem in great detail with particular reference to the psychological changes that were observed to occur after the injury. After suffering a concussive injury, the elite footballer was found to suffer from a greater incidence of symptoms of isolation, pain,anxiety, and disruption of daily life as a result of the injury. The investigators found that a source of added stress was, unexpectedly, from other team members who appeared to be giving support but were subliminally putting pressure on the injured athlete to return to play. The investigators found a worrying number of unexpected psychological symptoms including anger, denial, depression, distress, bargaining, and shock. Clearly this needs to be both recognised and addressed if the impact of the injury is not to be a further source of stress to the injured footballer Dietary concerns The elite footballer must always be at peak fitness and as a result his diet must always be under scrutiny. Fitness generally needs a BMI in the region of 20-23. Significant weight gains beyond this range not only reduce performance levels but also increase the wear and tear on the joints. We have already discussed the extent to which the knee joint is stressed during football training and playing. Adding weight to this joint is clearly only going to add to the degenerative changes that occur. An elite footballer needs to be able to accelerate his body mass rapidly in a given direction. It follows that the greater the body weight, the greater effort is needed. He will know this both at a cerebral level and also at an instinctive level. He will know that if his weight goes up significantly then it becomes harder for him to run as fast and to turn as efficiently. The average elite footballer is therefore very careful with regard to his diet. The average man in the population can afford to go out for an occasional extravagant meal or the odd evening or two at the pub without worrying too much about the consequences. The consequences for the elite footballer are that, in doing such things he would have to reduce his calorie intake over the next few days in order to maintain the status quo. This again can become a major source of stress for many. As the years go by, the average male tends to become slower and to put on weight as a natural process. This insidious reduction in the body’s efficiency is obviously a concern to a footballer who will often try to combat this trend with ever more aggressive training programmes and dietary regimes – again another source of stress. Drug monitoring concerns A number of elite footballers have hit the headlines lately as a result of random drug tests, either through failing or missing them. Doping and drug-enhanced training is a fact of professional football life in the current climate. It follows that the regulatory powers have to be ruthless in their quest for a drug-free sport. The fact that some players do gamble against the odds and take performance enhancing medications and drugs is a reflection of the stress and pressure that they feel under to constantly perform. It equally follows that they must feel that their performance is not good enough if they need to resort to such measures. The problems do not stop at performance enhancing drugs. Stress and other factors may tempt a player to use drugs of a different sort. Recreational drugs are common in elite footballer circles. In support of this statement we would consider the paper by Turner (2003)   In which he states that a recently retired elite footballer claimed that 80% of elite footballers in Australia had either been offered or used recreational drugs. This statement was extensively reported in the Press and other sources quoted the figure as being nearer 30%. The truth of the matter will clearly never be known but it can be contrasted with the figure from the UK which shows that over 18% of all the positive drugs screening tests done on athletes are currently for recreational drugs. This can be put in perspective against the 35% positive findings for stimulants and 25% for anabolic agents Premature retirement Retirement is a fact of life for all workers.   As we have discussed earlier, retirement from active playing – and therefore from a high earning capacity tends to come at a much earlier age for a footballer. It is therefore a major incentive to keep playing at a high level for as long as possible. Retirement through the natural ageing process is something that the elite footballer obviously has to come to terms with. It is comparatively unusual for a top rank footballer to be playing into his forties. He may have the experience to play well, but he is always judged on his results, and the fact of the matter is that there will always be younger players who will generally be faster and filled with raw enthusiasm ready to jump into any vacant slot at the top. The elite footballer therefore knows that his playing days are always numbered. We have discussed earlier the problems faced by the elite footballer in respect of the ever-present danger of injury. Clearly a career-ending injury can come at any time. It can be career-ending because of a dramatic incident such as a major fracture of a major bone or it can be a more subtle process, a bad tackle gives rise to an ankle injury which, in turn gives rise to an unstable ankle that does not allow the pivoting action necessary for efficient play. It becomes obvious that the player is not performing as well as another player in the squad and therefore he is replaced with greater frequency and then he becomes dispirited and eventually dropped from the team. The end process is just the same in either eventuality – cessation of an active playing career and the concurrent loss of high earning capacity. The result can be devastating for a man who, in order to achieve elite footballer status, may well have devoted a substantial proportion of his adolescent and adult life to improving and perfecting his football skills. He finds himself effectively out of a job at an age where most men are still looking forward to at least twenty more years of productive work. The immediate openings for him are limited to training, coaching or managing, all of which are highly competitive as they have been filled by his footballing predecessors and generally, they are not as well paid as his previous career. The stresses and psychological traumas are all too easy to see if the elite footballer has not been particularly level-headed in his approach to the profession. The unlikely body of Windsor Insurance Brokers Ltd. published a study of an investigation into the career-ending incidents of professional footballers in the UK (1997)   which makes interesting reading. They did not analyse the actual levels of stress that we are concerned about in this piece, but their findings make sobering reading to the current generation of elite footballers.   It would appear that few elite footballers actually reach retirement age without a significant injury. That injury is responsible (either directly or indirectly) for the eventual d

Nature: A Tool of Society Essay examples -- Natural Advertising Essays

Nature: A Tool of Society William Cronon says in the Epilogue of Natureà ­s Metropolis, à ¬Much as I say I love à ¬natureà ® that word usually remains an abstraction in my daily lifeà ³a non-urban quality of aesthetic or sacred beauty to be looked at and à ¬appreciated,à ® not the gritty web of material connections that feed, clothe, shelter, and cleanse me and my community.à ® (Cronon 384). This can be said for most of the population of urban areas. It is this ambiguous view of nature that makes us susceptible to otherà ­s interpretations of nature. This susceptibility makes nature a powerful force in society. This is especially evident in advertisements, which mold nature into the image that is favorable to portray the product being advertised. The Sony advertisement from Esquire magazine is for the Wega flat screen television, and is a good example of how advertisements use nature to sell a product. This ad shows two very contrasting images, one of the black and white desert, and the other of the television set showing pictures of children playing in the water of a fire hydrant. The use of the television to frame the picture of the children shows very distinctly that these are two very separate and different images, because as Leonardo da Vinci said à ¬There are no lines in natureà ®. In this ad through the use of colors, or the lack there of, this cultural icon is shown to be more favorable than the image of nature. The ad offers the viewer a sense of escape from the dull, monotone world outside by offering a more vibrant, playful world experienced through television. While the link between the images shown in the ad and the offer made by the advertisement seems very surreal, it is a natural link. The reasoning behind this link as being ... ...rural hinterland. We fool ourselves if we think we can choose between them, for the green lake and the orange cloud are creatures of the same landscape. We can only take tehm together and in making the journey between them, find a way that does justice to them bothà ® (Cronon 385). According to Cronon the nature-culture dichotomy that we believe in is incorrect, because nature is just as much a part of culture as culture is a part of nature. Works Cited Cronon, William - short selection from Epilogue, Nature's Metropolis Norton 1991 pp. 384-5. Marlboro Lights. à ¬Esquireà ® January 2001. back cover. Nash, Roderick - 'Old World Roots of Opinion,' Ch 1 from Wilderness and the American Mind 1982 Yale Univ Press pp. 8-22. Sony Wega. à ¬Esquireà ® December 2000. pgs. 17-18. Timberland. à ¬Maximà ® December 2000. pg. Yahoo! Email. à ¬Esquireà ® January 2001.

Should Human Cloning Be Permitted

In her article â€Å"Should Human Cloning Be Permitted? ,† Patricia Braid (2000) argues against human cloning. Human cloning is a new type of reproduction, specifically asexual reproduction. With this new technology, people have a choice instead of just a chance to have a biological child. Human cloning is rejected by the majority of people from different countries because most are not scientists and don't have a deep understanding of it. People can however, make judgments about complex issues.There are advantages for those that agree with cloning humans because of personal reasons, such as an infertile couple wanting a child of their own, lesbian or gay couples that want to make a family, or a couple wanting to save a dying child. She states that â€Å"[in] these scenarios, there are other options available to form a family' (Paragraph 4). For the cloned humans, she emphasizes on the possible physical and psychological harm that can occur to them.Patricia Braid questions the risks ND dangers of cloning humans in the future because it not only impacts people that choose to use it but also for society and future generations. She describes cloning as creating a product, not a human and says that it will change the way we think of children that have been cloned. Cloning could become marketable, change laws and most importantly, people may be able to control human evolution. In her conclusion, she accentuates the significance of it being a collective decision on whether or not human cloning should be permitted.

Hotel Rwanda Essay Example

Hotel Rwanda Essay Example Hotel Rwanda Essay Hotel Rwanda Essay The film Hotel Rwanda should be used in a world history program because it accurately depicts a significant historical event that people should be informed about and reflects several major themes of world history. The movie begins in Rwanda in the early 1990’s, when racial tensions between the two major ethnic groups, Hutus and Tutsis, have led to a civil war. After the Hutu president is killed, Hutu extremists begin a mass-slaughter of the Tutsis. Paul Rusesabagina, who is the manager of the Hotel des Milles Collines, is a Hutu, but his wife is a Tutsi.Tutsi neighbors run to Paul for shelter from the extremists, and at first, Paul is reluctant to provide them protection in the Milles Collines, but as the massacring intensifies and more and more innocent people need protection, Paul opens up the hotel to over 1,000 refugees. Paul struggles each and every day to protect the people living there, which include his family. The UN is unable to protect them, since they aren’t allowed to try to stop the genocide. But with help from UN officer Colonel Oliver, Paul is finally able to leave the hotel with the refugees and enter into safety.This film was fairly accurate. The characters behaved in ways that were fitting for the situations they were in, and the movie paid attention to details that were crucial to the events of the genocide, such as the RTLM â€Å"Hutu Power† radio broadcast, which â€Å"brainwashed† ordinary citizens into participating in the killings. The most important historical inaccuracy was the relationship between the Hutus and the Tutsis. The film made it seem as though there was very little social friction between the two groups, when in reality, they were very much divided.Before Europeans ruled in Rwanda, the Hutus and Tutsis were very loosely divided, but when the Germans came, they â€Å"†¦heavily favored the Tutsis and exacerbated and codified the formerly flexible divide between the two groups† (Carnegi e Council). After the Hutu revolution in the 1960’s, Hutus gained governmental control, and began discriminating against the Tutsis out of spite for the years they had been looked down on. The film took 30 years of rising tensions and condensed them, making it seem as though there had only been tension for a few months.However, it would be difficult to get the full scope of the history, due to the nature of movies, which typically focus on one specific aspect of an event rather than a more broad approach. Hotel Rwanda shows that this time period was a time of turmoil and chaos in Rwanda for the entire country, not just certain individuals. Obviously it was especially difficult for Tutsis to survive, but Hutus who were either married to Tutsis or didn’t take a firm political stand in either group also struggled. The situations the characters were in inspired immense fear, confusion and hopelessness, which left the audience feeling the same emotions.It is made very clear that many citizens had nowhere to turn for help, and those that did had to literally fight for their lives each day to get to safety. The movie also made it very clear that the rest of the world had closed its door on the Rwandan people. â€Å"Journalists, radio broadcasters, and TV news reporters covered the events live from Rwanda, until the violence escalated to fanatical levels and all foreigners were encouraged to evacuate. In short, the world knew of the genocide from its first day up until its conclusion† (World Without Genocide).Very little effort was made by more influential countries in the world to prevent the massacres. Overall, this film does justice to the genocide in its portrayal of it and leaves audiences feeling compassion for Rwandan people and wanting to do something to help prevent future genocides from occurring. Hotel Rwanda is a film that deserves to be used in world history programs. The first reason is that is raises awareness about one of the most tragic events to occur in the 20th century. Nearly 800,000 people were killed along with almost 2 million forced into refugee camps, all within a matter of 100 days.Many generations who didn’t grow up in the 1990’s aren’t well informed about this especially tragic event, and even more know nothing about the history that led up to it. This film encourages viewers to research more about the historical aspect of the social divisions in Rwanda and also magnifies just how damaging this genocide was. In addition to shedding light on an important event, the events in this film represent several recurring themes of world history, such as exploration and colonization and cross-cultural exchange. The most important of these themes is social stratification.Rwanda was divided into Hutus, Tutsis and Twa. The Tutsis were favored by European colonists because they believed the Tutsis â€Å"had more European characteristics, such as lighter skin and a taller build† (Abou t. com 20th Century History). This angered the Hutus, leading to even more social separation, and eventually a Hutu revolution and a civil war. These patterns are seen everywhere in world history, such as middle ages Europe, Ancient Greece, and the United States. Using this film in a world history class would reveal to students how prevalent social stratification is around the world, both in ancient and modern times.

Chinese Cinema and the American Counterpart essays

Chinese Cinema and the American Counterpart essays One large difference between Chinese and American cinema is the governments' involvement with the production and releasing of a film. Generally speaking, the Chinese directors that choose to touch on sensitive subjects execute their scripts so sincerely that the government feels the need to interfere and come between the filmmaker and the audience. The films become more serious because of this censorship since they are dealing with real life issues. Conversely, in America, filmmakers tend to either poke fun at the lives of Americans or portray their leaders as noble and courageous as a form of silly propaganda. When Deng Xiaoping took over after the death of Mao Zedong, he set in motion the reopening of the Beijing Film Academy. The three top students, Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou and Tian Zhuangzhuang, would go on to create the next wave of controversial Chinese films. Yellow Earth, directed by Chen Kaige and shot by Zhang Yimou, was one of the first movies created by this young group of filmmakers, known as the Fifth Generation. It was banned due to its portrayal of 1930's China. The movie touches on old traditions versus the new customs. Brother Gu is a soldier, sent to collect old folk songs to bring back to the troops. Giving the old bitter songs new words to sing is a metaphor for the changing of the role of women in China. Brother Gu explains to Cuiqiao how the women are allowed in combat, allowed to cut their hair, allowed to chose their husbands and generally lead less strict lives than the northern women. Brother Gu is a form of hope for Cuiqiao, as well as Hanhan. Their fa ther, elderly and old-fashioned, appreciates him in their home for his efforts, but not in the same manner as the children do. The children will live and not much will change; they will follow their ancestors' footsteps, continuing the work they have carried out their entire lives. The father says that when a boy marries, it is happiness, b...

Monopolistic Competition versus Monopoly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Monopolistic Competition versus Monopoly - Essay Example Monopolistic competition is comprised of a group of producers with identical products. The competition between the producers is not determined by the prices of the goods they supply but rather by how differentiated their products are (Salvatore, 2006, p.238). In this kind of competition the producers that are involved take the price that the rival producer is charging and use it on his own product not considering the consequences of the price. The scenario is different in a monopoly. Here, a single firm is the sole supplier of a given product as is the case when Wonks bought up the individual competitors and joined them to make up a single firm. The main characteristic of a monopoly is that the producer has a higher market share than that which is expected within a perfect competition. Another characteristic of the monopoly set up is the lack of substitute products in the market denying the consumers a choice. In this paper, we are going to analyze the consequences of a monopolistic competition being transformed into a monopoly. The hypothesis developed is; analyzing the effect that transforming a group of companies in a monopolistic competition into a monopoly will have on consumers, government and the company. Discussion In order to better understand the transformation, a closer look at the characteristics of both a monopolistic competition and a monopoly is required. In so doing, one can then draw parallels and differences that arise. In a monopolistically competitive market, a firm acts as a monopoly does in the short run, however in the long run, the market resembles a perfect competition since there is entry by more competitors and the gains accrued by having highly differentiated products diminish as does the possibility of the producers gaining economic profits. Consumers are very aware about the qualities of the products that the rivals offer since the differences are not evidenced by price. This model therefore is characterized by well informed custom ers and the producers rely on brand uniqueness to trigger a brand loyalty in consumers. In this model, there is no barrier to entry or exit. The model can thus be attractive to a large number of producers with identical products as there are no rules against entry. Likewise, there are no rules that may hinder a producer exiting the market when it is no longer attractive. Lastly, producers exercise a certain degree of control over the prices they charge. Although the control they have is limited, a producer can decide to price his products differently from the market price. The government can usually intervene in a monopoly in order to accomplish a determined goal or simply to cushion the consumers against extortion. Otherwise, when a monopoly is not coerced to perform in a certain way, the most typical goal is to maximize profits. The producer accomplishes this by producing few goods and charging them at a high price. The producer is thus a price maker in contrast to one in a monopo listic competition Monopolies often have barriers to entry where other sellers find it extremely hard to enter the market (Burkett, 2006, p. 155). This may be due to the structure adopted by the monopoly that discourages competition or may be sanctioned by the government. The major characteristic of a monopoly, however, is the fact that only a single producer is present in the given market. Here, it is assumed that

Create a marketing plan for the next year from a case study Essay

Create a marketing plan for the next year from a case study - Essay Example Because of high sugar content, governors may remove status of 5-a-day from fruit juice and smoothies (Mintel, 2014).There are several governmental initiatives undertaken in order to reduce the amount of sugar people consume. However, until the 5-a-day guidance in relation to fresh juices and smoothies is not removed, the companies can use it as powerful marketing tool (displaying 5-day-logo on packaging) (Keynote, 2015). In 2014, Public Health England published a guidance on sugar consumption and policy â€Å"Sugar Reduction: Responding to the Challenge†. This publication addressed the problems of sugar consumption between 2008 and 2012, including fruit juice, and other food and drink items. This publication outlined some actions, including: launch of national-wide digital marketing campaign addressing the problems of sugar consumption; necessity to conduct analysis and evidence reviews on different subjects, including advertising of food and drink to children. Also, the PHE informed about a necessity to consider imposition of taxes on sugar-sweetened drinks (Keynote, 2015). GDP in the UK has shown year-on-year growth between 2010 and 2013. Taking into consideration uncertain economic conditions across the globe, the UK’s economy demonstrates stability and continuous recovery after financial crisis (Keynote, 2015). This trend positively impact consumer’s purchasing confidence. Since 2013 consumer confidence in the UK has continued its rising. Moreover, it is forecasted that consumer confidence will continuously grow during the next five year (Mintel, 2014). It means that consumers will have greater psychological freedom to buy more, including fruit juices, juice drinks, and smoothies. The purchasing behaviour of the UK population has changed towards more healthy foods and drinks. As people become more health conscious, they