History of British Theatre

The earliest forms of theatre in Britain were the religious ritual performances of the native Britons. The first theatre in Britain that we may recognize as such was that of the Romans. While we know a great deal about the Roman theatre its effect on Britain seems to have been limited – theatres were small and not particularly numerous (and may have been used for sports, gladiatorial contests and other mass spectacle entertainments more than for classical theatre). The ruins of a Roman Theatre in St. Albans still remain as a tourist attraction in Britain today. After the Roman pull out the chief performances in Britain came from travelling bards, or Scops, who provided entertainment to crowds at feasts, at events, or in nobles’ courts, usually in the form of epic poetry. Caedmon’s Hymn and the saga of Beowulf are two of the very few surviving stories that were performed during that time. Organized theatrical performance would soon supplant the Scops, thanks in large part to the spread of Christianity and the rise of the trade guilds in British towns. In the churches the liturgy was increasingly dramatized throughout the Middle Ages, with the architecture of the Churches themselves being used to great effect, with choirs of â€Å"angels† being flown in from the lofts and other spectacular special effects. Soon plays like â€Å"Everyman† were being written by anonymous priests who recognized the power theatre had to convey the Church’s teachings to the masses. And though the church dramas played an important role in nurturing mediaeval drama (and a very important role in developing the playwriting talents of the clergy) a much more immediate and visceral theatre was being forged outside of the churches in the mediaeval towns, in the form of the Cycle Plays. The Cycle Plays were given at the feast of Corpus Christi, and were performed on wagons that could be pulled to several different stations throughout a town. Over 40 individual plays could make up a cycle, with the shows beginning early in the morning and ending as darkness fell. The plays were anonymously written (probably by clergymen) and were dramatizations of the major events of the Bible. After the Cycle Plays waned in the later Middle Ages the wagon-based performances remained, with troupes of actors travelling from town to town performing in courtyards, taverns and wherever else they could secure a paying audience. These travelling players were likely the first taste of live theatre for a young boy from Stratford-upon-Avon named William Shakespeare. The years between Shakespeare arriving in London up until the closing of the theatres in 1642 can easily be called the Golden Age of British drama, for Shakespeare and his contemporaries composed a body of work during that time unequalled in British (and arguable world) theatrical tradition. The plays of the English Renaissance are unrivalled in their rhetorical might. They are, at their best, compelling stories of individual struggle and grand national narratives. But in 1642 the Puritans banned all theatrical performances in the heat of misguided religious fundamentalism. Until the Restoration in 1660 theatre went underground, performed in secret and devolving into less sophisticated entertainments. There is comparatively little written about the British theatre of the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries for good reason – next to the Renaissance what came after is of vastly inferior quality, almost always concerned with financial success more than any artistic, aesthetic or literary merit. There are exceptions – Sheridan was a playwright of some note, and John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera a seminal moment in the birth of British musical theatre. But no one could even come close to rivalling Shakespeare until the last years of the 19th century, with the arrival of the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. His plays are too polemical to supplant Shakespeare’s universality, but they did sweep away the centuries of mediocrity moving realism onto the English stage. The rise of Naturalistic drama dove-tailed perfectly with the rise of the director as the creative head of play production. With the passing of The Theatres Act in 1968 British Drama was finally freed from the last shackles of the past, when the powers of the Lord Chamberlain to license all plays was abolished. With the birth of the Royal National Theatre in 1963, the discovery of the remains of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and the widespread embrace of theatre by Britons in the 20th and 21st centuries the conditions are ripe for another Golden Age of British drama in the years to come. The White Bear theatre The White Bear Theatre Club is a fringe theatre venue, established in 1988 in the White Bear pub in Kennington. It is run by Artistic Director Michael Kingsbury. Theatre practitioners who have worked at The White Bear include Joe Penhall, Hugh Allison, Mark Little, Emily Watson, Tamsin Outhwaite, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Vicky Featherstone, Torben Betts, Lucinda Coxon, Adam Spreadbury-Maher (Associate director 2008 – 2009) and Chris Loveless (Associate Director, 2009 – ). It is said to be one of the most interesting fringe theatres due to its small size and the intimacy of the acting space. Previous productions include: Bodyclock (Time Out Critics Choice), Cosi, Dracula (A new musical by Alex Loveless adapted from the original story by Bram Stoker), Life's A Dream, Feathers, The Return of the Soldier, The Card Index, Spin and I Only Want To Be With You. The theatre has been described by London review magazine Time Out as ‘Fringe Theatre of the first order, The White Bear must be saluted for staging such work' and Michael Billington from The Guardian was quoted as saying ‘Fringe theatre at his best. ‘ The White Bear has received numerous awards including Time Out Best Fringe Venue, Peter Brook Empty Space Award for Best Up and Coming Venue, Carling London Fringe Awards for Best Actor and Best Production. Southwark Playhouse Southwark Playhouse Theatre Company was founded in 1993 by Juliet Alderdice, Tom Wilson & Mehmet Ergen. They identified the need for a high quality accessible theatre which would also act as a major resource for the community. The theatre quickly put down strong roots in Southwark, developing an innovative, free at source, education programme. It has worked closely with teachers, Southwark Borough Council, businesses and government agencies to improve educational achievement and raise aspirations. This programme is in great demand and attracts substantial funding each year. The theatre's primary objectives are †¢ to produce high quality, cutting edge theatre in both traditional and non-traditional theatre environments †¢ to offer a fully resourced and wholly integrated education and community programme, providing opportunities for people of all ages in Southwark to engage with the borough's rich heritage and cultural potential to support the work of emerging theatre practitioners and companies by providing a well-equipped venue at an affordable cost, with appropriate resources and guidance †¢ to intertwine the artistic, education and community programmes so that fresh insights and opportunities are offered to broad sectors of users within the Southwark community The Drill Hall With a national and internation al reputation, The Drill Hall is the local theatre and arts centre for Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia in London's West End. Since 1977, The Drill Hall has produced, developed, nurtured and supported over 10,000 artists and productions. We have toured award-winning shows and events all over the world. Through our highly praised education programme we tackle homophobia and bullying and tour to schools, work with teachers, run youth theatres specifically for LGBT young people and have an artist-development programme. Our community theatre troupe, The Drill Hall Darlings, is now in its fourth year. It always welcomes new members and performs at The Drill Hall throughout the year. We have a wide-ranging workshop programme, a free Sure Start drop-in for local children under five and their families, and a regular programme of shows and storytelling for 7 to 11-year-olds. The Drill Hall is a major hub for the arts and media communities, providing some of the most sought after central London rehearsal facilities and radio and television recording spaces. We also offer low-cost meeting space for local community groups. The Drill Hall is one of The Theatres Trust's new Ecovenues. Through this prestigious scheme we aim to make The Drill Hall more ‘sustainable'. Alexander Grant It is quite easy to make a case for Alexander Grant's being the greatest male dancer ever produced by a British company. He was a character dancer of infinite variety: technically strong enough to dance Symphonic Variations in his younger days, but remembered principally for the huge number of roles he created (particularly for Ashton), and for the new life he gave to characters he took over from others. For several years in the 70s, Grant directed the Royal Ballet's educational group, Ballet for All, and in 1976 he left the company for a seven year stint as director of the National Ballet of Canada. These days he is still occasionally to be seen on stage with ENB, and he also coaches and produces – he was responsible for the recent successful Scottish Ballet revival of Fille. A close friend of Ashton's, he is still an irreplaceable source of information and advice. But his name conjures up, for those who saw him, spectacular dancing – with no trace of ‘look at me' – and above all the wonderful range of characters he brought to life before our eyes.

Morality the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay

For example, throughout the novel â€Å"Huckleberry Finn â€Å", Mark Twain depicts society as a structure that has become little more than a collection of degraded rules and precepts that defy logic. This faulty logic manifests itself early, when the new judge in town allows Pap to keep custody of Huck. â€Å"The law backs that Judge Thatcher up and helps him to keep me out o’ my property.† The judge privileges Pap’s â€Å"rights† to his son over Huck’s welfare. Clearly, this decision comments on a system that puts a white man’s rights to his â€Å"property†Ã¢â‚¬â€œhis slaves–over the welfare and freedom of a black man. Whereas a reader in the 1880s might have overlooked the moral absurdity of giving a man custody of another man, however, the mirroring of this situation in the granting of rights to the immoral Pap over the lovable Huck forces the reader to think more closely about the meaning of slavery. In implicitly comparing the plight of slaves to the plight of Huck at the hands of Pap, Twain demonstrates how impossible it is for a society that owns slaves to be just, no matter how â€Å"civilized† that society believes and proclaims itself to be. In addition, childhood has been described by the author, as an important factor in the theme of moral education: only a child is open-minded enough to undergo the kind of development that Huck does.† It was a close place. I took†¦up [the letter I’d written to Miss Watson], and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I know it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: â€Å" All right then, I’ll go to hell†Ã¢â‚¬â€œEm dash intended here? and tore it up. It was awful thoughts and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming†¦Ã¢â‚¬ It, describes the moral climax of the novel. Jim has been sold by the Duke and Dauphin, and is being held by the Phelpses spending his  return to his rightful owner. Thinking that being at home in St. Petersburg, even if it means Jim will still be a slave and Huck will be a captive of the Widow, would be better than being in his current state of peril far from home, Huck composes a letter to Miss Watson, telling her where Jim is. When Huck thinks of his friendship with Jim, however, and realizes that Jim will be sold down the river anyway, he decides to tear up the letter. The logical consequences of his action, rather than the lessons society has taught him, drive Huck. Huck decides that going to â€Å"hell,† if it means following his gut and not society’s hypocritical and cruel principles, is a better option than going to everyone else’s heaven. This is Huck’s true break with the world around him. At this point he decides to help Jim escape slavery once and for all, and he realizes that he, Huck, will not be re-entering the civilized world: he has moved beyond it morally. Since Huck and Tom are young, their age lends a sense of play to their actions, which excuses them in certain ways and also heightens the profundity of the novel’s commentary on slavery and society. Huck and Tom know better than the adults around them, but they lack the guidance that a proper family and community should have offered them. Furthermore, Huck and Tom encounter individuals who seem good (Sally Phelps, for example), but Twain takes care to show us that person as a prejudiced slave-owner. â€Å"Preacher be hanged, he’s a fraud and a liar†. The shakiness of the justice systems that Huck encounters lies at the heart of society’s problems: terrible acts go unpunished, yet frivolous crimes, such as drunkenly shouting insults, lead to executions Sherburn’s speech to the mob that has come to lynch him accurately summarizes the view of society given in this book: rather than maintaining collective welfare, society is marked by cowardice, a lack of logic, and profound selfishness.

Action And Necessity For All Human Beings Marketing Essay

Action And Necessity For All Human Beings Marketing Essay CHAPTER 1 Eating is observably a daily action and necessity for all human beings. Depending on individual’s reason for eating at restaurants, individual intentionally or instinctively assess a multifarious set of attributes ahead of choosing a restaurant. The significance involved to these restaurant attributes is ultimately evaluated in the customer’s mind, leading to a decision of purchasing. Some factors, like age, company and even social division come into take part in to amplify these attributes as the customer makes a decision of dining (Johnson and Champaner, 2004). The restaurant industry has undoubtedly not been free from either augmented competition or from increasing customer expectations regarding quality. In the greatly competitive food industry, large operators chain have a propensity to gain competitive gain in the course of cost leadership, likely only due to standardization and economies of scale beginning from large market shares, while smaller, indep endent restaurants on the other hand endeavor to gain benefit through differentiation (Lowenstein, 1995). Branding keeps on gaining importance in the marketing of restaurants services and marketers have spent lot of money to create and give support to brand images. This have seen in the marketing of strong and well defined brands like Mc Donald’s and Kfc fast food restaurants which attracts the customer through their marketing , service and by making brand loyal customers of their products. This increases the retention rate due to satisfied and loyal customer. Particularly, there is lot more to discern about customers perceive restaurant brands and the comparative weight these links get during purchase decision as there is lot more to discern about customers perceive restaurant brands and the comparative weight these links get during purchase decision. According to the Kaplan and Norton (2001), the importance of the perceived quality in order to get the retention effect in re staurant industry is always considered as a main element to retain in the customers and the business. The main reason behind that in this industry entry barrier are usually low and any one can easily enter due to investment required that is not on the higher side. So the point is that when ever consumer is satisfy from the arrangement by the management, the quality of the food provided by the staff members with the positive attitude than this result in increasing the loyalty towards the particular restaurant and increases the retention intensions of the customers. 1.2 Problem Statement To identify the process to gain customer retention to the services and what are the factors that influence the customer retention. The primary problem is to identify the customer retention in the detail that includes factors of dining attributes and customer satisfaction in context to Food restaurant industry. Thus these factors leads to consumer behavior and customer revisit the restaurant 1.3 Resear ch Hypothesis Assessment of service quality has a significant effect on the customer retention. 1.4 Outline of the study The purpose of study fold in two parts: one suggests that how important is dining attributes in term of Re-patronage intentions and second part suggest the customer satisfaction which leads Re-patronage intentions in restaurants. The role of dining attributes and customer satisfaction is very important for knowing the customer intentions, would they will visit to that restaurants again or not. There has been a strong support for the espousal of consumer retention in restaurants as one of the key performance indicators. It has found that there is a high association between customer retention and the profit earn by the industries. The fragmentation of media choices and the active nature of the marketplace, tied with an enlarged number of additional demanding and prosperous consumers, brought bigger challenges to marketing practitioners in keeping hold of their regul ar customers.

WRITE A REPORT in which you investigate the planning and control Essay

WRITE A REPORT in which you investigate the planning and control processes, and evaluate the supply chains including MRP and JIT systems in relation to Morrison - Essay Example The main purpose of supply chain management is to enhance quality and pace of all activities throughout the supply chain, so that products and services are supplied in the right quantity, to the right location, at the right time. Actually it is the series of links and shared processes between suppliers and customers. The links and processes cover all the activities from the purchasing raw materials to the delivery of final product. The whole process of supply chain as depicted above is controlled by a chain of command to facilitate best and profitable end product. The importance of planning and control of supply chain can not be denied. It plays a vital role in effective management of mass production factory. The complications allied with manufacturing systems value chains have not been resolved yet. It is because of the fact that the value chain may consist of many suppliers located in various areas. There are certain methods used by supervisor on plant floor to coordinate the processes in supply chain. One person dominated supervision: In this method one person takes direct responsibility of whole floor and control and monitors every move on the floor. This method is not considered very effective as it has its own pitfalls. Interdependent Supervision: In this method many person are involved in supervising and monitoring process by openly communicating and advising each other on a floor of plant. This method is considered more flexible and adaptable. Systemization: In this method a sophisticated system is evolved and every worker is assigned the job individually or in-group. Although this is a good method but it is only useful in automated plants. There are various other methods used to control the day to day performance on the floor of plant. But the methods mentioned above are more common. Traditionally most manufacturing control was done using reorder-point/reorder-quantity methods

Medical Report for Pancreatitis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medical Report for Pancreatitis - Essay Example Use of the stethoscope revealed an elevated heart and respiratory rate. Findings suggested an acute case of pancreatitis, so the patient was sent for further testing. Laboratory tests showed elevated blood amylase, serum blood amylase, and urine amylase levels, as well as confirming the patients report of hyperlipidemia and hypertriglycerdemia. An abdominal CT scan returned positive results of an inflammation of the pancreas, and ERCP was used to conclusively confirm the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. The scan eliminated pancreas divisum as a cause for the condition. CT scan was inconclusive in determining if gallstones have formed as a result of the condition, so an endoscopic ultrasound or ERCP of the gallbladder will be performed. Patient was admitted to in-patient care and given pain medication and an IV drip. Patient is to take no oral food or drink until the condition improves. If pain increases regardless, nasogastric suctioning is indicated to remove the contents of the stomach and further reduce pancreatic function. Furosemide was prescribed to reduce inflammation; azathioprine is not indicated in this case due to lack of evidence of autoimmune problems. Patients calcium levels should be monitored in case of the patient developing hypercalcemia as a result of the reduced pancreatic and liver function until the pancreatitis attack is resolved. Prognosis is generally good in this case, as there appears to be no necrotic tissue on the pancreas and there is no evidence of hemmorhaging. However, case must be taken to watch for complications to include kidney failure, respiratory distress, fluid buildup or ascites, and pancreatic pseudocysts, abscesses, or further inflammation. Patient has been warned to reduce alcohol consumption in the future to reduce the risk of recurrent attack, and to improve his diet to reduce his triglyceride and lipid levels. Repeated attacks increase the possibility of acute pancreatitis becoming chronic. Eventually,

Prototype Interface Design Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Prototype Interface Design - Coursework Example The paper gives the details of a web browsing interface that will improve and enhance user’s web browsing in three dimensions; through automatically generating a mobile site for browsing, utilization of orientation sensor information to detect text to speech and natural interaction and offering a speech interface to simplify navigation and support iterative task’s dialog programming. The nature of the interface that a cell phone has can be an issue when the user finds it difficult and cannot accomplish a task effectively. User interface design refers to designing of the mobile phone interface with the primary focus on ht user’s interaction and experience. The primary objective of designing a user interface is to come up with the interface that will ensure that the user interact with the device with a lot of simplicity and efficiency in regards to accomplishing a task. Designing a good interface entails ensuring that the interface enables the user to finish the ta sk at hand without any ambiguity. Introduction According to Pew (2010), more that 80% of UK adult citizens has a mobile phone. More than 30 percent of these uses their mobile phones to access and browse the internet. The leading market researcher projects a drastic increase of mobile phone internet users in the next five years. Although different web browser have been standardized such that the user can access information on different platforms on the web, it has not been the case for some phones like unbranded small format keyfob phone. A survy that was carried out on 20 unbranded small format keyfob phone. The key contributing factor includes limited screen size, difficult navigation, finger issues and the ability to switch between different web locations. To facilitate a better user interaction and experience, web site developers have developed web site for mobile phones, which time-consuming and pricy (Bigham, J et al, 2008). Though the web site can be customized to be used by m obile phone browsers, there some features which cannot be effectively displayed in some phone due to navigation difficulties and limited screen size. In addition, the mobile users switch between browsing and other activities. The fat finger problem still becomes an issue when the user is carrying out multiple tasks in the phone. The paper tries to assess the issues that the unbranded small format keyfob phone users face and come up with a prototype web browsing interface that will solve the issues in three dimensions. First, the idea of recreating a website for mobile phones is replaced by developing gadget based interface that automatically transform any web site to fit the mobile phone using the web content. Second, is to solve the issue of lack of focus on the screen or the buttons when walking or driving using audio-to-text mobile comprehension (Vadas et al 2006). A combination of orientation sensor information with text to speech is also proposed to support the need for mobile phone web browser context switching. Third, is a speech interface integration to support dialog programming for repetitive task and ease web navigation. I will design a mobile web browser that will integrate all the above solution for an unbranded small format keyfob phone. A survey on unbranded keyfob phone usage Apart from mobile web browsers, there are other applications that can be used to access

Weather, Hurricanes, & Solar Radiation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Weather, Hurricanes, & Solar Radiation - Essay Example There are hurricanes that first appear on June or July and that means they will stay a little longer than those hurricanes that appear in August (Elsner, 2009, p. 61). Generation of hurricanes begins to cool with the cooling of the water in late autumn. At this time, the weather pattern fails to favor the development of tropical development. North Atlantic seasonal cycle pronounces its peak activity during August and September where only 17 percent of activity happens beyond the three months duration of august to October (Elsner, 2009, p. 65). The examination of North Atlantic took into account the mean number of for all hurricanes in a year’s time and for total. North Atlantic experienced hurricanes every season due to the presence of the budget heat and seasonality effects. Budget heat effects influence the hurricanes to occur mostly from June through to December. During this time, there is perfect balancing of heat that earth absorbs inform of radiation. If this absorption did not occur, then the earth would have extremely high or low temperatures. The seasonal variability has many, but important parameters associated with the North Atlantic Hurricanes. One such parameter is the El Nino that is helpful in determining, through analysis, whether the season would be active. El Nino takes into account a number of atmospheric variables. El Nino has a characteristic of warm sea temperatures on the surface especially over the equatorial pacific. The temperature relates to westerly winds of up to 200-millibar on the sea. The El Nino also has a link with the Caribbean surface pressure and the western Atlantic. When El-Nià ±o occurs, stronger Westerlies bring fourth fleeing over the hurricane producing areas of the western Atlantic as well as generating higher surface pressure. These occurrences suppress the hurricane development especially if it occurs earlier than October to November. El Nino southern oscillation, therefore, plays a vital role in

How self-concept, perception, and emotion impact interpersonal Essay

How self-concept, perception, and emotion impact interpersonal communication - Essay Example a brief overview of the theories that are relevant in interpersonal communication, analyze how these theories are relevant in producing effective interpersonal communication, and how interpersonal communication as a process can be manipulated to produce better communication outcomes. Interpersonal communication is the process of interacting between two different individuals, which can be done either face-to-face or through other forms of mediation. It can be studied in four different perspectives: relational or qualitative; situational or contextual; quantitative; and functional or strategic. In the relational perspective, interpersonal communication is seen as a shared process between the sender and the receiver. There is simultaneous interaction between the sender and the receiver, with the aim of creating meaning. In the situational or contextual perspective, interpersonal communication is viewed as part of the specific context to which the sender and the receiver belong. The quantitative perspective is unique from the other perspectives in that it also encompasses not only dyadic interactions as is but also impersonal communication. Functional or strategic perspective emphasizes interpersonal communication as a process to achieve a certain purpose, particula rly, to achieve interpersonal goals (Honors, 2001). Interpersonal communication has four basic elements: the sender—the person from whom the message comes from; the message—the information being sent by the sender to the receiver; the receiver—the person to whom the message is being sent to from the sender; and the feedback or the response of the receiver to the message sent by the sender. Emotion is a complex concept that refers to the mental state that provokes a physiological response, positive or negative (Emotion, 2003). It is differentiated from feeling in that emotions are physiological responses and does not arise from any conscious effort. Theories on Interpersonal Communication usually

What Customer Service Means To M Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

What Customer Service Means To M - Term Paper Example So I then contacted the customer service at Bank of America to assist me in correcting this error or cancel it. After speaking to not one, but several customer service reps. I still got the same answer from each one, â€Å"sorry you had plenty of time all week to correct it, it’s now in the system and will be processed†. So then I called the customer service dep’t at PSE&G to explain what’s happening and see if they can help stop this train wreck. Well, guess what, I practically got the same responses from their customer service reps, but with even a bigger attitude. They told me â€Å"well when we get the check we’ll going to process it because it’s our money†. Now this is after they’ve confirmed that the bill was only for $195.89. So after being on the phone with both companies for about 3 hours total on a Friday night, I immediately stopped all of my current transactions for the rest of the month with the online bill pay system. The very next day, Saturday, I went to the local bank branch, sat down with the branch manager and explained what I went thru the night before, and what’s happening. He calmly looked at my account, saw what was happening, and called the main office or dep’t that handles the electronic bill pay services to inform them to correct or cancel that particular transaction. To his shocking surprise he was told he doesn’t have that authority to instruct or direct anyone in that dept. to do so. As he hangs up the phone, he looks at me and says he’s sorry that he cannot do anything either and that it has to go thru the system to be processed, when PSE&G submits the check for payment. But he did tell me â€Å"don’t worry about it, I can see it’s an simple error and it’ll be rejected because I didn’t have enough funds to cover it, and that he’ll just bounce it back to them for insufficient funds, I should keep my eye on my account to inform him as to

Alcatraz Prison Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Alcatraz Prison - Research Paper Example In the current context, National Park Service operates Alcatraz as a historic site, lying within the domain of Golden Gate National Recreation Area (Wellman, 2008). Hence, Alcatraz is open to all tourists interested in visiting an exploring this historical landmark. Tourists can board a ferry from San Francisco to reach Alcatraz. It is not without a reason that Alcatraz prison has often featured in a range of cultural expressions like Hollywood movies, literature, TV programs, games and comics (Oliver, 1998). In a broader perspective, Alcatraz prison commands significant historical and cultural significance. Thus, it will be quiet interesting to delve on varied aspects of Alcatraz prison. The Name It was in the year 1775 that the Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala passed the Golden Gate bay area in the ship San Carlos (Wellman, 2008). On coming across the island under consideration, Juan named it Isla de Las Alcatraces or ‘The Island of the Pelicans’ (Wellman, 2008). Ironically, going by the history of Alcatraz, pelicans are the last thing one conjures up while thinking about this prison. Juan named it so after being inspired by the large Pelican population residing in the area (Wellman, 2008). With the passage of time, the original name of this island got Americanized to be Alcatraz. As long as the Spanish held sway in this area, they did not use this island for any civil or military purposes, because of it being barren and inhospitable (Wellman, 2008). Military Base It was sometime in 1827 that the US military identified Alcatraz as a potential military base, considering its strategic location on the West Coast (Stuller, 1999). After a series of geographical and topographic surveys, the US military started constructing a fortress and a lighthouse at Alcatraz in 1853 (Stuller, 1999). In 1840, with the onset of Gold Rush, people from all around the world started crowding the West Coast to try their luck at finding gold. Thus, it became evident t o the United States government that it needs to seriously protect its land and mineral wealth from the coveting foreign powers and populations. It was with much hard work and toil that Alcatraz, garrisoned with impressive artillery and firepower, began to be recognized as an icon of the American military power (Stuller, 1999). Though, Alcatraz never saw real action throughout its existence as a military base, its stature as an intimidating army base continued to stay for many years (Stuller, 1999). With the coming into vogue of the modern weaponry, the military significance of Alcatraz gradually dwindled over time. Military Prison Later on the American military came to the conclusion that the island could serve as an excellent military prison, courtesy its disheartening isolation, and the unfriendly freezing waters surrounding the island, home to some of the most insurmountable water currents. In 1861, the army incarcerated several Civil War prisoners at Alcatraz (Wellman, 2008). Th e prisoner population at Alcatraz further augmented during the 1898 Spanish-American war (Wellman, 2008). The 1906 San Francisco earthquake further added to the Alcatraz prison population, as a large number of Civil War prisoners were transferred there for safe confinement (Wellman, 2008). The framework and structure of the Alcatraz prison was further expanded by the US military in 1912 (Wellman, 2008). This was not without a reason. By 1920, this prison was already running to its full capacity (Wellman, 2008). Again,

Cathay Pacific Essay Example for Free

Cathay Pacific Essay HistoryIn 1946 two ex air force pilots Roy Farrell and Sydney de Kantzow founded Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong. Both of them contributed HK$1 so that their new found airline could be registered. Even though at first it was based in Shanghai, both founders shifted to Hong Kong where they established Cathay Pacific. According to Gavin (1988) 1960 was a good and prosperous year for the airline as they bought their rivals Hong Kong Airways. By 1964 it had more then a million customers. The and by 1967 they were unlimited customers. In the same era it also bought its first jet engined aircraft. It was the Convair 880. It seemed as if here was success after success because soon after buying the new aircraft they introduced their international flights. Cathay Pacific seemed to be soaring high as in 1999; a new head office was established in Hong Kong International Airport. They called it the Cathay City. Till today Cathay Pacific holds his head up high when it comes to quality service and success in the airline industry (Ashok 2003 p110)Part 2SuccessCathays success has based on her wide-range of service all around the world especially in Asia, and modern management orientation and employees from over ten countries. In every country their service is considered as quality service as they always make the customers journey pleasant one. The reason why Cathaywas so successful is that it has always believed in quality customer care and new strategies. They know what those successful in the past may not make them successful again as the world keeps changing. They believe that is their employees and human resource which make them successful. Their success lies in the airlines corporate philosophy which is service straight from the heart and determination for constant improvement (Chan 2000 p473). They believe that they have to deliver the best service and fulfil all the requirements of the passengers so that they have a pleasant journey Part 3 Company StructureLike in most organizations here too top management, technical support staff , middle management, administrative  support staff and technical core are interrelated and serve more then one function.(Daft 2007 p27) The company structure of Cathay Pacific is not a complex one. The head of the organization is the chairperson this case it is Chris Pratt he joined the company in 1978. Then is the Tony Tyler the executive director. He directly reports to the chairpersonAll heads of the all the departments report reports directly to both the chair person and the executive director. John Slosar is the Chief Operating Officer he is the head of the most important department which is the operations departmentAfter the operations department the next important department is the Corporate Development department. The head of this department is Ian Shiu,The next important department is the Finance department. The director of this department is James E. Hughes-HallettThe next most important department is the Flight Operations department Nick Rhodes is the director of this department. The next most important department is the Sales and Marketing Department. James Barrington is the head of this Department. The next most important department is the Personnel department. The head of this department is William Chau. The next most important department is the Information Management department. Edward Nicol is the head of this department. The next important department is the Cargo Department. Rupert Hogg is the director of this department. Another important department is the corporate Affairs department. Quince Chong is the head of this department. Yet another important department is the service delivery department Ivan Chu is the head of this department. Last but not least is eth engraining department. The head of this department  is Christopher Gibbs References Ashok Ranchhod (2003); CIM Coursebooks 2002-2003 Diploma Case Study Book: Analysis and Decision (CIM Workbooks 2003/04) Butterworth-Heinemann; Revised edition p110Chan D (2000); Air wars in Asia: competitive and collaborative strategies and tactics in action Journal of Management Development , Vol 19 : 6 Pp473 488Daft, B.L. (2007); Organisation Theory and Design, 9th. Ed., South-Western p27Gavin Young (1988) ;Beyond Lion Rock: The Story of Cathay Pacific Airways Hutchinson Radius.

Origins of Quinceanera Essay Example for Free

Origins of Quinceanera Essay Quinceanera cerebrations history is mainly found in the Aztec and Mayan cultures of the Latin American people with the roots in the ancient Mexican society. A girl approaching her fifteenth birthday would be taken from her home to be prepared on how to transcend from girlhood to womanhood and marriage. During this time, she would be taught about her traditions and history as well as being given instructions and guidelines through which she would learn to be a responsible adult and a good wife in her community. By the time she was returning to her family, a great celebration was launched that marked her womanhood (sexual maturity) status. The celebration is still held to this date in Latin and Hispanic families all over the world. However, the girls are no longer taken from their families but they rather get involved in group discussions and classes where they learn issues such as family, adulthood, and religion. In many cases, this goes on for a period of six months or even more as adopted by different communities around the world. Preparations for the major quinceanera celebrations often begin about two years before the actual date of the wonderful occasion. The major purpose for the quinceanera is to act as a right of passage or social initiation that is intended to teach as well as reinforce the important and valuable cultural values of the community. These days, the ceremony is conducted to acknowledge the young girl’s rite of passage to womanhood. Since many societies that practice this ceremony have turned it into a religiously oriented activity, the ceremony acts as reaffirmation of the baptismal vows the parents made on behalf of their daughter(s). The ancient Mexican quinceanera is equivalent to the sweet sixteen in many United States societies. At the age of fifteen, boys traditionally became warriors. This therefore necessitated the need for girls to be presented to their communities as a vital force of community’s future in the sense that their power to become mothers would ensure continued provision of more warriors for the tribe (http://kufflynx. com/historyofquinceanera. aspx) The history of quinceanera, unlike the sweet sixteen, has many religious components that make it more or less the same as the Bar Mitzvah which is held in the Jewish culture when their youth turn thirteen (Lankford, 1994, pp. 18). Before the celebrations commence, family members and guests accompany the quinceanera to a church service. The delivered sermon by the clergy is usually one whose main theme is the importance of growing up to be a responsible woman in the society. In the process, the young lady is given an opportunity to share her future hopes. Other family members and guests may also be allowed to speak too. After the service is over, people proceed to the party where under normal circumstances plenty of food, games, dance, and music take the order of the day. Quinceanera parties usually require a lot of preparation and planning. It is as thus a very big occasion for the young woman and sometimes it takes many years of saving to make the girl’s fifteenth birthday dream a reality. Due to the value attached to this event, it is very common to have live bands, catered food, superb location reservations, and photo sessions. The quinceanera girl will often have a lavish gown and the guest of honor will sometimes have one as well. This makes the birthday as elaborate as a wedding. The most crucial aspect of the quinceanera is invariably a thanksgiving Mass (Karen, 1996, pp. 76). Traditionally, the King conducted the girl’s exhortation, giving the relevant instructions related to the duties of the woman. In the Aztec tradition for example, if a woman died during child birth, she received funeral honors equivalent to the ones accorded a warrior who died in battle. During the whole session of the Mass, the girl remains specially seated at the altar’s foot. When the Mass ends, bolos or commemorative favors are passed out by cousins, younger sisters and close friends to those who have attended, while the quinceanera girl deposits her bouquet in a niche or on the altar honoring the Virgin Mary (http://kufflynx. com/historyofquinceanera. aspx) There is a traditional provision that the quinceanera, depending on the economic strength of the parents and the godparents, can further the celebration opulence by opting between a journey to a fancy city and a party with live band music. Today there is a general tendency of women from all social strata to opt for the later. Regardless of the magnitude of the opulence involved in the quinceanera celebrations, the highest goal of the event is to strengthen the social fabric and bonds that should remain firmly cemented not only among families but also at the societal level. This postulates the spirit of communal cohabitation, togetherness, and cohesiveness that must be maintained at all times. One uncertain thing is how far this norm is maintained in our â€Å"electronic† global community (Lankford, 1994, pp. 40). Learning from the importance that was, and to some extent is still associated to quinceanera or the sweet sixteen in most parts of the United States, we need to realize the significance of the social bonds that persist in our societies from ancient times to date. Beyond any reasonable doubts, there are certain stages and rights of passage that each one of us passes in life and which are given some form of communal responsibility, however little it may be compared to earlier times. These include similarly shared social functions such as child birth, the first marriage, parental responsibility, and lastly the final stage which is death. These are considered in different perspectives in different cultural backgrounds but the truth of the matter is that they are present in all communities in the world. Furthermore, the quinceanera topic is significant in the sense that it portrays the gender differentials were and are still seen in our societies today. Not many years have passed since women stated involving themselves in the disciplines which were traditionally regarded as masculine oriented. Examples of this can be found in cases where women were considered as child bearers and home keepers who were expected to be submissive to their husbands. In academic arenas, mathematics and science oriented subjects were gender-roles meant for men (Karen, 1996, pp. 45). The trend has fundamentally changed from women being submissive child-bearers, cookers, and weavers to equally productive citizens in the world. The political climate has also significantly changed since women engaged in politics. Further lessons from the quinceanera topic advocate for personal growth and development. The major reason I postulate this is because by learning of our cultural heritage and social institutions we find ourselves in, one is able to critically reflect on what needs to be reinforced and what should be abolished from our systems. On example is the fact that in many Mexican communities, women are still regarded as second-class citizens, even with the known fact that they are the best family maintainers as compared to their male counterparts (Karen, 1996, pp. 64). Some of these outdated opinions should be addressed with the most appropriate urgency if we are to claim of freedom from social segregations and inequalities. References: Karen Mary (1996). La Quinceanera: Making Gender and Ethnic Identities. Frontiers: A Journal of Women’s Studies, Vol. 16, pp. 45, 64, 76 Lankford, Mary D. (1994). Quinceanera: a Latina’s Journey into Womanhood. Brookfield, Connecticut: Millbrook Press, pp. 18, 40 The History and Meaning of Quinceanera.

Gillette Fusion Case Study

Gillette Fusion Case Study Introduction Gillette holds leadership market share which is 70% within the razors market (PG 2008). The companys success has been created by regular product innovations and prestigious campaigns in order to boost the sales. However, one product namely Fusion, which is the first five bladed razor has captured 55% of all new razor sales in the US just four weeks after launch (Datamonitor, 2008). What is more, Fusion was expected to be Procter and Gambles fastest ever product to reach a US$1 billion in sales (Datamonitor, 2008). This paper will focus on why it is so important to move customers to Fusion and how to attain and promote this migration. Why Gillette is so desperate to move all customers to Fusion The Boston Consulting Group matrix provides a framework for allocating resources among different products. This technique is useful for multi-divisional and multi-product companies such as Gillette since it allows them to compare different products and decide where to invest the money. As can be seen above single blade razor is a dog which means that this product has a low market share and low growth rate and it do not generate large amount of cash. However, dogs can turn out to be a cash trap since Gillettes money can be tied up there with no potential for the future increase. Furthermore, Mach 2 double blade razor is between being a dog and question mark but due to market saturation and product advancements Mach 2 soon will be a dog with low market share and growth. Mach 3 triple blade razor on the other hand, is between a question mark position which is low market share but high market growth rate and a star. Star can generate large sums of money because of its strong market share but at the same time can consume a lot of resources due to high growth rate. Mach 3 has the potential to gain market share and become a star however, Gillette found out that when Mach 3 did not become a market leader there was a possibility that it would become a dog with a little market growth. As a result, Gillette focused all its attention on Fusion which is between being a star and a cash cow that gives greater return on assets than the market growth rate. Consequently, Gillette analysed the BCG matrix and decided that the company needs to persuade all the customers to buy Fusion in order to achieve a status of cash cow for this product and bring continued profit with relatively little investment in the future. Furthermore, according to Armstrong and Kotler (2008) the best way for Gillette to achieve that position was to introduce new product in this case Fusion that outdate the existing ones Mach 3 Mach 2 and single blade razors. Therefore, Gillette is using positive cannibalization practice. This means that the company is focusing its marketing resources on switching its own customers from Mach 3 to more profitable Fusion line instead of trying to gain more market share from competitors (Ritson, 2009). In the long run this is more effective strategy as it is cheaper for Gillette to market to existing customers and easier to covert them than anyone else (Holland 2008). The marketing plan Marketing mix is a part of marketing plan that involves different techniques to influence perception favorably towards the product (Keller Kotler, 2006). The main parts of marketing mix are four Ps which are known as Product, Price, Place and Promotion: Product: Gillette Fusion is the first shaving system for men that combines revolutionary blade technologies on the front and on the back (Gillett, 2008). Price: The next part of the marketing plan is the pricing strategy as this will indicate what kid of ROI (Return on Investment) the company will have (Dewhurts Burns, 1989). However, the charge has to be competitive but still allow the company to make a reasonable profit (Barrow et all 2005). In this case reasonable will depend on the customer. Gillette charges 40% price premium over Mach 3 and to persuade its customers to switch for a Fusion the company needs better communication. This means by educating existing consumers on product advancements and improved shaving performance, only then higher price can be justified. Place- Distribution as shown below Instead of selling directly to the consumer Gillette sells through an intermediary such as a wholesaler and retailer who resell companys products Fusion razors. Promotion Marketing communication which is a different term for promotion constitutes part of the marketing mix. It is not a single entity but rather, involves a wide range of activities that aim to convey marketing messages to target audiences (Pickton Broderick, 2001). Those activities can be classified into four overlapping heading. To promote the migration from older Gillettes products to Fusion the company can use sales promotion. That means launch an introductory promotional discount joined with a competition with entry via product purchase. This could grab the attention of male consumers and encourage existing to switch. Another idea to convince existing consumers to use Gillette fusion is to advertise it for different parts of the body and not only for the face. The advertisement can be supported by online campaign (interactive videos) which will encourage the clients to use Gillette razors to shave for example their armpits. Finally, new form of public relations should be used to spread the word via blog. Gillette could create a shortlist of influential bloggers that are male between 18 and 35 years of age. Then, the company would send them a gift pack including Fusion razor, shaving gel and aftershave with some background details of the product. Further, Gillette could influence them to use it for a short period of time and write about their experiences on their blogs. As a result, this could promote migration of companys existing customer base to Fusion from the older razor products. Conclusion After detail analysis it can be concluded that Gillette wants to migrate companys existing customer base to use Fusion. Since Fusion is perceived as a cash cow which brings continuous profits with relatively little investment in the future. Furthermore, the best way to attaining a massive migration to Fusion will be by sales promotion, online advertising and writing blogs. Consequently, massive migration to Fusion will be achieved. References: Armstrong, G. and Kotler, P. (2008) Principles of marketing 13th ed., New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall Aaker, D. A. (1995) Strategic Market Management, 4th ed. John Wiley Sons, New York. Barksdale H. C. and Harris C. E (1982). Portfolio analysis and the plc Long Range Planning, 15(6): 74- 83. Barrow.C.Barrow.P.,Brown,R.,(2005) The Business Plan Workbook, 5th Ed, Cambrian Printers, Wales. Burns.P. (2007) Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2nd Ed, Palgraive Macmilla, New York. Datamonitor, (2008) Gillette Fusion case study: developing a US$1 billion brand available from http://www.market-research-report.com/datamonitor/CSCM0171.htm (accessed 2 December) Dewhurts.J.Burns.P.,(1989) Small Business Planning Finance and Control , 2nd Ed, Macmillan Education, London. Gillette (2008) P G Annual Report available form http://www.scribd.com/doc/5892225/PG-2008-Annual-Report (accessed on 2 December). Holland A. (2008) Sherpa Blog: Quick, Easy Step to Increase Repeat Buyers (Profits) Real-Life Marketing Story available from http://www.marketingsherpa.com/article.php?ident=30687 (accessed 3 November). Keller K.L. Kotler,P (2006) Marketing Management, 12th Ed, Pearson Education, New Jersey. Kotler P. Armstrong G. Saunders J. and Wong V. (1999) Principles of Marketing, 2nd European edn, London: Prentice Hall Europe. P G (2008) Annual Report overview 2008 available form http://www.pg.com/annualreport2008/financials/mda-overview.shtml (accessed 3 December) Pickton D. W. and Broderick A. (2001) Integrated Marketing Communications, London, Financial Times Prentice Hall. ch. 1. Ritson M. (2009) 5 Reasons Gillette Is The Best A Brand Can Get available from http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2009/06/5-reasons-gillette-is-the-best-a-brand-can-get.html (accessed 3 December) Shimp T . A (1997). Advertising and Promotion and Supplemental Aspects of Integrated Marketing Communications, 4th ed, Fort Worth: Dryden Press.

A Complete Turnaround Essay -- essays research papers

A Complete Turnaround   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sharon Old’s poem, â€Å"The Victims,† deals with an underlying theme of abuse. Old’s illustrates this theme through the tone of the poem, which is achieved by imagistic language, rhyme and rhythm. In this poem the speaker is illustrated through two points of view, first as a child then as an adult reflecting back on a troublesome childhood experience. As the speaker’s point of view changes so does the use of poetic devices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The poem opens with the speaker remembering the behaviors of an abusive father when she was a child. The tone at this point was one of disgust, hatred, spite, and taking joy in her father’s failures. This was due to the fact that she was taught to feel this way by her mother. As a child she was not aware of this. It was not until adulthood that she realized her feeling of resentment towards her father were evoked by her mother. The speaker, herself, was not the victim of her father’s abusive behavior nonetheless she still hated him because that’s the only way she knew how to feel. These feelings are shown through the imagistic language used to reveal the acts of revenge on the father. When the mother finally divorced the father, â€Å"her kids loved it† (3-4). When the father was fired from his job, â€Å"we grinned inside† (5-6). The pleasure that the entire family took watching their father’s demise was quite vivid. â₠¬Å"We were tickled to think of your office   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   taken away, you’re secretaries taken away† (7-9). The finality of the father’s loses was shown by the taking away of his pencils and reams of paper at his job (11). The images used in the first 16 lines are very dark and gloomy and are associated with death. This is as if to represent the family’s way of â€Å"killing him through his loses. The suits that belonged to the father were depicted as â€Å"dark carcasses that hung in your closet† (13) and Olds specifically pointed out that even the noses of his shoes were black (14). After the first 16 lines of the poem, the feelings of hated by the spea... ...;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   poem reflects the speaker’s dissent and hatred of her father. She was expressing her anger, and when one is angered they tend to speak abruptly and choppy. As the speaker’s attitude towards her father changes, so does the punctuation in the poem. From line seventeen until the end of the poem there are no stops. There is only one period and that occurs in line 26. The poem definitely proceeds at a smoother pace. It shows that the speaker is calmer, and more relaxed. Her words flow together. Her feelings of rage and resentment to her father have subsided and feelings of sympathy and remorse have taken over. During the course of this poem the speaker has done a complete turnaround. The point of view she once held as a child has given way to a different one later in life. Her anger and hatred have turned into sympathy and regret. Olds effectively uses imagistic language and rhyme and rhythm to portray the speaker’s shift in tone. What she was taught as a child was not who she truly felt inside. Not only was her mother a victim, but her father was as well. She is able to overcome her hatred, and find her true feelings for her father later in life.

Child Abuse and Neglect Essay -- Violence Against Children

Child abuse consists of any act or failure to act that endangers a child’s physical or emotional health and development. A person caring for a child is abusive if he or she fails to nurture the child, physically injures the child, or relates sexually to the child (Robins). Child abuse is broken down into four major categories: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. Aside from the abuse itself, the cost of the tragic events costs the United States billions of dollars each year. Every day, approximately 4 children in the United States die resulting from child abuse and the majority are under 5-years-old (Fromm). There are many organizations that promote preventative measures in reducing child abuse. If nothing is done, child abuse will continue to rise with many consequences in the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Child abuse falls into four main classifications: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. Physical abuse is defined as any non-accidental physical injury to a child (Robins). This can result from beating, whipping, paddling, punching, pushing, shaking, burning with cigarettes, scalding with hot water, or other hot objects. Unfortunately, sexual abuse is rising today. This is any sexual act between an adult and a child, which includes: fondling, touching, or kissing genitals, intercourse, incest, rape, penetration, or oral sex, exposing child to adult sexuality, and child pornography (Robins). Emotional abuse is the most common abuse due to how easily it can be hidden. Emotional abuse is any attitude, behavior, or failure to act on the part of the caregiver that interferes with a child’s mental health or social development (Robins). Many parents who continually yell or scream at his or her child in a way of threatening or showing no signs of affection turn to this so it will not be picked up on as quick as physical abuse. Unfortunately, this type can be the most harmful because it can cause serious emotional and mental problems later on in life. Lastly, neglect is a form of abuse and is defined as the failure to provide a child with basic needs (Robins). This is seen when parents fail to provide children with food, shelter and clothing. Also, caregivers who leave children unattended, fail to provide education, and fail to give children psychological needs are all types of emotional abuse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is estimated that child abuse co... ...ss to hotlines, family resources, self-help groups, publications on abuse prevention, an volunteer opportunities (Mulryan 54). National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information gives information on prevention, identification, and treatment of child abuse and neglect (54). There are many other organizations that help children and families prevent and help cope with child abuse. With these specialized organizations there is hope that child abuse will decrease and more information will be delivered to the society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited Adams, Caren, and Jennifer Fay. Helping Your Child Recover from Sexual Abuse. Seattle: Washington UP, 1992. Crosson-Tower, Cynthia. When Children are Abused. Boston: Pearson, 2012. Fromm, Suzette. â€Å"Total Estimated Cost of Child Abuse and Neglect in the United States.† Statistical Evidence. Web. 14 Feb. 2015. Mulryan, Kathleen., et al. â€Å"How to Recognize and Respond to Child Abuse.† Nursing 2014. Web. 13 Feb. 2015. Ramamoorthy, Saraswathy., et al. â€Å"Talking to a Child Who Has Been Abused.† Purdue University. Web. 12 Feb. 2015. Robins, P. â€Å"Recognizing Signs of Child Abuse.† KidsHealth. Web. 13 Feb. 2015.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Road Less Traveled :: essays research papers

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED DISCIPLINE The Discipline section of M. Scott Peck’s The Road Less Traveled first deals with life’s difficulties. He makes it clear that we all have problems and pain but we have to deal with it to get by and to make life less difficult. "Life is difficult... Once we truly know that life is difficult--once we truly understand and accept it--then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters."(p.15) The four main points of the Discipline section are delaying gratification, acceptance of responsibility, dedication to reality and balancing. These four points are referred to as tools to solve life’s problems. By using these tools one is able to overcome anything that life throws his or her way. Delaying gratification as Peck puts it is "a process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with."(p. 19) I feel Peck’s point is to save the good things for last so that you can always have something to look forward to and an incentive to finish whatever task is at hand. Good scheduling skills and the lack of procrastination are very important in delaying gratification. Responsibility is very important in solving life’s problems. Peck says that we must accept responsibility for a problem before the problem can be solved. This is a fairly self-evident statement; however, many people feel if they put the blame for all their problems off on other people that the problems with miraculously go away. Perhaps they are scared of the pain that the problem will cause, or maybe they just can’t handle the stress of the problem. Peck goes on to make it clear that these unresolved problems with eventually catch up to you. Peck then discusses how neurosis and character disorders deal with misplaced responsibility. This misplaced responsibility is either one extreme or the other. "The neurotic assumes too much responsibility; the person with a character disorder not enough."(p. 35) I feel that responsibility can be directly tied into delaying gratification. The three main problems I see with responsibility are people either denying the fact that a problem exists, taking too much responsibility for the problems that do exist, and knowing the fact a problem exists but putting of solving the problem. The latter of the three main problems is directly related with delaying gratification because it involves putting off the difficult things.

Corporate Social Network Essay

Corporate Social Network – Final Project MIS 535 Managerial Applications of Information Technology Lou Ann McElyea June 16, 2013 Abstract Many organizations have suggestion boxes. One can find a suggestion box in a gas station, a restaurant, and even a work place. It’s an easy and mostly anonymous way to express ideas or concerns regarding an organization and/or its structure. Through the use of a suggestion box, either client or employee would be able to express opinions and make suggestions according to the various attributes of an organization without a high pressure environment such as meetings and superior/employee one-on-one sessions. With access to so much information technology and data collection resources, many organizations can take their ‘suggestion box’ out of the hallway and to the employee or client through their computer screen. The easy accessibility of the electronic suggestion box would not only encourage more users, but promote on the spot ideas at the time a suggestion is originated. For example, at Chili’s the restaurant they have an interactive module where you can play games and pay your bill. After a short visit to the bathroom, you think of a game they can add to their interactive board. Wouldn’t it be nice if instead of flagging down a waitress or trying to find a manager, you could put that suggestion right on the interactive board that goes straight to the manager in a message? Organization Background Opening in 2000, the fully accredited Advanced Academics Inc. partnered with schools and districts all over the United States to provide online  learning opportunities for students who needed an additional educational option available. Offering access to certified teachers 24 hours a day, 5 days a week and 24/7 student technical support on an innovative virtual classroom platform, Advanced Academics Inc. made a point to equip students with all possible resources to assist in achieving a high school diploma. With students in the most rural corners of Oklahoma, where the organization is headquartered, were unable to get to school. Buses didn’t run that far and methods of transportation were slim. More and more students in traditional classrooms were not finding the environment to be conducive to their academic success. Students who need more time with their teacher or doing their homework or tests can fall between the cracks of customary school systems. There had to be another option, surely, there was another way. Now a subsidiary of DeVry Inc., Advanced Academics Inc., is one of the most regarded online learning institutions in the country. Offering educational opportunities not only to those of high school age but to those who are younger, older, and in need of an accredited high school diploma, Advanced Academics is a sought after institution. This online learning option truly lives by their mission to help students succeed and graduate with a high school diploma. Problem Advanced Academics Inc. has free state-based programs in 10 states not including the international tuition-based program. Each of these programs requires specific criteria to be met in order to attend, as well as different contacts for counselors and student assistants and an outsourced general information and initial enrollment customer service. According to their LinkedIn page, Advanced Academics Inc., or AAI, has upwards of 500 employees across the footprint and headquarters with approximately 80% of their corporate employees able to work remotely utilizing the popular cloud computing system Salesforce. With all these national, and mobile, employees within the organization, AAI can experience a lapse in communication amongst their program directors, admissions, and enrollment. This lack of communication has led to a multitude of issues within the organization such as programs changing criteria or dropping out of AAI, misinformation being  provided to students and employees, and website update and repair. Because company-wide face to face meeting are near impossible, AAI has a heavy reliance on a chain of command and technology in order to make any updates or changes effective in the organization and for the information to spread accordingly. They lack a system or software that is accessible to all employees of the organization to be able to perform their jobs effectively. Halverson and Tirmizi (2008) state that organizations â€Å"have to find means, as they utilize global communication tools, to adjust their ways of communicating and understanding† in order to maintain effective communication (p. 185). AAI needs to make some adjustments so that all facets of the organization can work cohesively, providing the students the flawless service they ne ed to succeed. Solution Since most of AAI has access to the same databases as well as utilize the same resources to perform their various job functions, it is a safely drawn conclusion that most employees are inept at accessing different technologies on a daily basis. I propose that all of the employees access a form of social networking technology that enables employees and team members to share ideas, suggestions, opinions, and news/updates with those in the AAI â€Å"community†. This site created specifically for this purpose, will pose as a forum divided into applicable sections and accessible to everyone to receive information and updates in real time, instead of waiting for it to be handed down the chain of command. In this idea management database topics such as software and hardware issues, updates, and suggestions can be discussed as well as any organizationally related announcements regarding meetings, open houses, closures, and changes to any program. From each post, employees and team members will be able to vote on each post, elevating its importance (i.e. the more ‘likes’ a post has, it elevates to the top/front of the forum). They will also be able to re post to any smaller sub groups created in the organization. The AAI corporate office as well as group/subgroup leaders will be able to track the usage of the website to determine that all are using it to gather information and as an agreement/acknowledgement of any important policy or procedure changes. AAI  could also provide a discussion feature regarding any new changes, such as commentary on any other social media. Any proposals or changes, lower level employees will be able to communicate with the upper level management in order to ask questions or address any concerns. This feature can provide the communication the organization would need in order to provide proficient service for students. Benefits Aside from the obvious of supplying superior service to the students and parents, this social forum or virtual suggestion/announcement page provides many benefits to the AAI staff and employees. On The Spot Ideas AAI meetings for most of the departments are unintentionally sporadic and have to be spread throughout the footprint and calendar in order to ensure proper coverage for students. By then, team and staff members have to record and remember facets of their job functions that are affected and could be changed. Because not everyone is accessible throughout the organization at all times, it can be hard to utilize AAI’s open door policy. With the forum’s implementation, staff will be able to post questions right away, as it occurs to them. It would be open for other staff members to answer and vote on, to show its importance. This would also give upper level management opportunity to read and respond to any questions straight from the source, as opposed to second hand emails and meeting topics. Lost In Translation Because of the lack of formal information, the organization can suffer from procedural changes being lost in translation. Associates are able to misconstrue and confuse information that is being passed down to them through the chain of command. This game of telephone can lead to providing misinformation to students/parents, misinformed staff members, ebb and flow of communication lines between educational institution and organization, and  overall bad employee morale. When there are several lines of communication between student/parent and AAI, they could get several different answers to one question they may ask. For example, a student requested an application for the online program in Arizona for the next school year. The student then received a letter a week later from the program in Arizona stating they were not participating in an online program for the next school year and provided information on the traditional charter school they offered. Confused, the student called their admissions advisor who was unaware Arizona’s school was not participating next year. It was then that it was revealed that Arizona’s school had backed out of AAI’s virtual program. Had there been a more open communication forum, Arizona would have been able to communicate this to all formally. Ending any confusion that the student was caused. Slow Moving Communication Train It can take days, weeks, or never for certain information to be made available to everyone throughout AAI’s organizational structure. Information would have to be relayed from the state programs, to AAI’s upper level management and further down. Because there are so many cooks in the kitchen, AAI suffers from being able to relay information organization wide on a more time efficient basis. The information may be deemed as irrelevant to certain departments, however, if they were presented with a problem, they may be unable to assist the parent or student properly. Most communication within the organization occurs via email or by phone. With conflicting schedules and time zone’s, it’s very hard to relay information efficiently when dealing with so many people. With the forum, employees will be able to check it every day, all day during their working hours. This constant and consistent flow of communication allows for information readiness and could be referr ed to, before tapping on the shoulder of fellow associates or calling around departments. Business/Technical Approach Implementing this forum would enable the organization to communicate on a highly effective level. This form of information technology will enable  upper level management to put forth different and more effective business practices, allowing for a better rate of return in the organization. With better communication, the organization could run more smoothly. Frit-enz (1997) likens a useful information technology system to that of the body’s circulatory system stating that â€Å"when valid useful information is blocked, the system goes into a form of cardiac arrest† (p. 93). An effective organization needs to absorb and use what information is being presented and decide what is needed in order to make the organization the most successful in the industry. This forum would allow upper level management to actively participate in a collaboration with all employees by sharing resources, information, and making themselves accessible when needed. It is within large corporations and organizations that colleagues and associates become so involved in their own daily job functions, they have no direct relation to what may occur within other departments or areas in the organization. Collaboration and working closer together is one basic necessity of a successful organization and one that seems to fall out of practice with other organizations. It should remain a focus and when other ideas of maintaining that communication fails, a new one should be introduced and put into practice, such as the forum. Business Process Changes Currently, there is a ‘chain of command’ associated with AAI’s communication structure. This would have to be basically removed and replaced. Reason being, AAI would have to use the forum in its entirety, and on a consistent basis, in order for it to become effective and useful. The information technology team in the organization would be in charge of handling the forums structure and functionality. Each department, as it does currently, has a leader in which all information must be relayed and filtered through. From here each department lead will be responsible for providing information on the forum for everyone. Upper level management will be able to determine, via regular virtual or in person meetings, to discuss what topic(s) are applicable to what department. As not everything within the organization is necessary for all departments, these meetings and their consistently are crucial in the development and maintenance of the forum. Other departments  will be required to view and participate in the forum on a regular basis, depending on department determines frequency. From there, each department lead can determine whether or not the participation can determine agreeance/acknowledgement of certain procedural and policy changes as well as could serve as topics for in person meetings or huddles. These changes, although fairly subtle since most communication in the organization is electronic would prove to provide a faster return and feedback on any information presented. Technology/Business Practices Used With the implementation of a social media type forum in AAI, some best business practices will need to be agreed upon and enforced. Current moral and ethics practices and processes can continue to be used. Maintaining professionalism in this seemingly informal form of communication is key. Only professional and proper language will be used and enforced in the forum. Any language and behavior to the contrary will not tolerated and disciplinary action will be enforced. Within the IT team, they will work to monitor the forum’s functionality, and maintain its ability to run efficiently. It’s reliability is allows AAI to â€Å"feel confident in its own capabilities and start assuring the rest of the business of continued service availability and performance† (Addy, 2007 p. 165). The IT team will perform routine maintenance on the forum to ensure its functionality and will be able to access and view feedback as well, adjusting the forum to create and maintain high usability throughout the organization. High Level Implementation Plan In order to properly implement the forum, it’s blue print must first be created. The IT team can create the forum and all functionalities presented, and bring it to the associates and employees who would benefit from its usage the most, being the end users. The end users would then provide the IT team feedback regarding what needs to be added or changed, based on the uses they would need the most. The agile process would make the end users a team who are more focused on the use and ease of accessibility of the forum. From  there, the IT team can take the feedback and create a forum. The end users at that time will perform tests on the system, under the monitor of the IT team, to ensure all of the functionality the end users need is present. Based on the feedback received from the testing phase, the IT team will be able to create and present the forum from there to upper level management, or provide the tweaks needed in order to make it more functional and run more tests. Once it’s put into effect, the forum will start in a probationary time frame to slowly introduce the forum into the daily lives of AAI employees. Another survey will be taken after said probationary period to determine if the forum can be of the utmost use to everyone, or if it works for certain departments only. From there, the forum will be put into play permanently, or if AAI would need to return to the drawing board. Conclusion It is with the introduction of this forum that I feel AAI would earn an immense amount of benefits for all. Everyone would be able to communicate, in real time, effectively. By building this information technology based community, AAI will be able to connect, collaborate, and share resources with all the associates and colleagues they interact with on a daily basis. Allowing for this open flow of communication, according to Cross (2010), will help everyone â€Å"network and build relationships, and then sustaining those connection and conversations in an online community in which a broader audience can participate† (p. 5). In this open door and open door community, AAI can see success grow by leaps and bounds inside and outside the organization. References Addy, R. (2007). Effective IT Service Management : To ITIL and Beyond!. Berlin: Springer. Austin, E., & Pinkleton, B. E. (2000). Strategic Public Relations Management : Planning and Managing Effective Communication Programs. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Cross, R. L. (2010). The Organizational Network Fieldbook : Best Practices, Techniques, and Exercises to Drive Organizational Innovation and Performance. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Fitz-enz, J. (1997). The 8 Practices of Exceptional Companies : How Great Organizations Make the Most of Their Human Assets. New York: AMACOM. Pell, A. R. (1999). The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Managing People. New York, N.Y.: Alpha Books. Tirmizi, S., & Halverson, C. B. (2008). Effective Multicultural Teams : Theory and Practice. [Dordrecht]: Springer. Walton, D. N. (2007). Media Argumentation : Dialectic, Persuasion, and Rhetoric. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. http://www.linkedin.com/company/advanced-academics

Discrimination and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 Essay

The South was racially biased for years after the Civil War. The Southern states would create legislation to enact â€Å"Jim Crow† laws upon the black community. Segregation was at its peak in the United States and the black community had been oppressed long enough. Conforming to the segregated South only caused hostility. The government that recognized blacks as members of society ignored them. In fact, the government that could protect the black community from the violence incurred by terrorist groups was often members of the groups themselves. Rebellion was the only and final option. In order for the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to be ratified by Congress, the black community needed to rebel against the â€Å"Jim Crow† laws of the South, the violence invoked by hate organizations, as well as (with assistance from white college students) the hypocrisies of the United States government. Jim Crow became a general term used in the South to refer to the segregation and discrimination laws that affected African-American life. The name originated from â€Å"an 1832 song called Jump Jim Crow by Thomas Rice† (Hillstrom 9). The song may have been named after a slave that Rice knew or from the expression â€Å"black as a crow†. The main purpose of Jim Crow laws was to segregate and disenfranchise the black community. During the Jim Crow era, â€Å"various states passed laws that banned blacks from hospitals, schools, parks, theaters, and restaurants† (Hillstrom 9). In all cases, the facilities marked colored  were noticeably inferior to the whites. Many cities and states would ratify their own specific Jim Crow laws. Some laws such as blacks having to cross the street when a white woman, on the same sidewalk, was walking toward them or â€Å"maintaining a separate building, on separate ground, for the admission, care, instruction, and support of all blind persons of colored or black race† (Bell 4) were absurd. In the summer of 1955, a 14-year-old boy was brutally beaten and killed for allegedly whistling at a white woman. The husband and brother-in-law of the woman were charged with murder but were acquitted of all charges after only sixty minutes of deliberation. In an interview months later, with protection from the Constitutional clause of double jeopardy, both brothers openly admitted, without remorse, to maiming and killing the boy. The quick deliberation and acquittal outraged the country and helped to energize the Civil Rights Movement. The Jim Crow laws were progressively getting worse for the black community. Lawmakers needed to be black, or abolitionists, in order for the laws to change. Rebellion by way of the ballot box was the answer. In The United States, the democratic process is supposed to allow voters a chance to correct social injustices. Citizens within the black community should have the ability to vote black candidates into office. Blacks could elect city council members, mayors, judges, and even state representatives. But in Mississippi the people in power, all of whom were white, denied blacks the opportunity to vote. The white community believed that if blacks achieved the right to vote, they would make up the majority. The black majority would force out the racist whites from power and change the social injustices. Mississippi Senator Eugene Bilbo stated, â€Å"If you let a few (blacks) register to vote this year, next year there will be twice as many, and the first thing you know, the whole thing will be out of hand† (Aretha 20). The black community needed to vote in order to achieve change. Without the right to vote, segregation and the disenfranchisement of African-Americans would cease to change. The southern-white lawmakers created a complicated system to keep African-Americans from voting. â€Å"White local and state officials systematically kept blacks from voting through formal methods, such as poll taxes and literacy tests† (Summer 1964). The literacy test prevented even educated African-Americans from achieving voter registration. The test required voters to â€Å"read and interpret a section of the state constitution to the â€Å"satisfactory† of the registrar† (Aretha 21). This allowed â€Å"white registrars to decide whether or not a person passed. Most blacks, even those with doctoral degrees, failed† (Cozzens 1). Fear was a constant tactic for the racist south. Black applicants â€Å"had to give, under oath, information about his or her address, employment, and family members. This information would then be given to the applicants employer, the KKK, and other organizations† (Let Freedom Ring 149). Having the bravery to rebel against society, by registering to vote, caused many blacks to fear retaliation from the KKK and their employer. In the post-Civil War era many white Southerners resented the changes imposed by the Union. In the years during Reconstruction, terrorist groups sprang up all over the south. The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and the White Citizens Council, â€Å"the uptown Klan†, which was often made up of sheriffs, doctors, lawyers, and even mayors, quickly gain thousands of members across the south. The KKK had four explicit tactics in their war against blacks, â€Å"First was cross burning, second would be the burning and dynamiting of houses and buildings, third was flogging, and the Fourth was extermination† (Watson 143). In 1964, a single Mississippian county had â€Å"37 churches and 30 black homes and businesses were firebombed or burned, and the cases often went unsolved† (Summer 1964). Hate crimes were becoming increasingly common and extremely brutal throughout the South. The black community needed and sought change. After many years of brutality and hatred, many blacks believed they were inferior to whites. To combat the inferiority thought, Bob Moses created â€Å"Freedom Schools† and community centers open to the black community. â€Å"The community centers would offer facilities limited by the Jim Crow system: libraries, arts and crafts, daycare, and literacy classes† (Burner 124). Freedom Schools taught students African-American history and current events. Moses saw the Freedom Schools â€Å"as an opportunity to teach the â€Å"politics of Mississippi† and begin to build a core of educated leadership in the state† (Burner 124). Members of SNCC and CORE believed that rebellion was a necessity, and rebelling with nonviolent methods would allow the nation to see the atrocities inflicted in the south. In order to gain momentum, the black community needed assistance from the federal government and the national media. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) came to the forefront for reform. In 1961, seven blacks and six whites tested the federal law, which called for the desegregation on interstate travel. Called the Freedom Riders, thirteen people â€Å"rode buses into the south, daring the federal government to enforce the law. The Freedom Riders were arrested in North Carolina, beaten by mobs in South Carolina, and saw their buses fire bombed in Alabama† (Watson 24). The thirteen men rode into the south with whites sitting in the back of the bus, the blacks in the front, and would use the same facilities at bus stations as stated by federal law. James Farmer, one of the thirteen riders and the director of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) stated, â€Å"We felt we could count on the racists of the South to create a crisis so that the federal government would be compelled to enforce the law† (Cozzens 1). The rebellion of the thirteen brave men to ride into the south created the national media attention the activist desperately needed. The national media started to show the country how hypocritical the United States had become. Men of many races fought for their country in a time of war, but came home to a country that was at war within itself. In the early 1960’s, the black community rebelling for equal rights began to capture the attention of Americans across the country. 1964, a presidential election year, was a pivotal time to rebel for the African-American right to vote. For generations the south held a dominant Democratic Party. Rebelling against the injustices set by the â€Å"whites-only† Democratic Party could only be changed by use of the ballot box. Bob Moses, a member of SNCC, decided to send volunteers into Mississippi to register voters. The voter registration drive came to be known as â€Å"Freedom Summer†. Bob Moses outlined the goals of Freedom Summer as to increase black voter registration and to organize a legally constituted â€Å"Freedom Democratic Party† to compete with the whites-only Democratic Party. Moses instructed recruits, â€Å"Don’t come to Mississippi this summer to save the Mississippi Negro. Only come if you understand, really understand, that his freedom and yours are one† (Aretha 41). To achieve the attention of the national media, Moses and other members of SNCC decided to recruit white college students from the north. â€Å"Violence against Northern Whites would at least get Mississippi on the nightly news† (Rachall 173). Children of the dominant social class, rebelling against their parents and the accepted society of the south, in fact attracted national attention. Moses stated, â€Å"These students bring the rest of the country with them. They are from good schools and their parents are influential. The interest of the country is awakened and when that happens, the government responds† (Aretha 30). Rebelling against the hypocrisies of their nation, their parents, and even society, white college students came by the hundreds to volunteer for â€Å"Freedom Summer†. Volunteers went to Oxford, Ohio, currently the campus of Miami University, for a weeklong orientation. Volunteers were not going to be paid and would need to support themselves. They were told to bring money for living expenses, bail, and even medical bills if necessary. The volunteers had to be prepared for death. James Forman, of SNCC, told the volunteers, â€Å"I may be killed, you may be killed, the whole staff may be killed† (Cozzens 3). The students were told that if arrested, go to jail quietly. The authorities would have cause to react violently if volunteers were to resist. The national media and the south would exploit the aggression and discredit the actions of a nonaggressive rebellion. Rebellious college students used Hitler and Mussolini’s ideologies, fascism and the idea of a united master race, as a direct correlation to what was happening to blacks in the South. World War II was only twenty years prior and the Cold War was just beginning. Many Americans still held hostility towards Germany and the idea of racial class distinctions. The spread of communism and Nuclear War were constant backdrops to every evening newscast. If the United States could announce to the world their â€Å"Policy of Containment† then the world should hear about hypocrisy within the United States. The Blacks and volunteers used the memories of the war to prove how fascist ideas were being entertained. Rebelling and protesting would allow the world to see the deceitful ways America. In June 1964 rebellion against hate crimes, voter rights, and the segregation of blacks was underway. A Michigan State student said of their arrival in Mississippi, â€Å"The greyhound bus dropped us off on a residential street, we had no idea where we were. Almost immediately we found ourselves being circled by pickup trucks with rifles and big dogs in the back† (Aretha 47). Jane Adams, Southern Illinois University, stated, â€Å"Mississippi had geared up for war. They saw us as invaders coming in for a complete assault on their way of life. Everybody on both sides expected that there would be a bloodbath. We all expected we could die† (Aretha 47). Two white men and a black man rebelling against southern society were easy targets for police. Two white men, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, as well as a black volunteer James Chaney were last seen going to a bombed out church to offer their condolences to the congregation and to offer their assistance with the investigation. The men disappeared after being singled out by the racist authorities. The next day, staff called police when the three men failed to check in at their headquarters. The police, often members of the KKK, often used their authority to invoke fear into both black and white volunteers. KKK pamphlets declared, â€Å"We are now in the midst of the long, hot summer of agitation which was promised to the Innocent People of Mississippi by the savage blacks and their communist masters† (Watson 142). After the disappearance of Schwerner, Goodman, and Chaney, President Johnson and the FBI became involved. The story of the missing, as well as the peaceful rebellion, quickly gained national attention. Two of the men’s skin color became a key factor for the instant media. Rita Shwerner declared, â€Å"We all know that the search with hundreds of sailors is because my husband and Goodman are white. If only Chaney was involved, nothing would have been done† (Rachal 168). The media may have not paid much attention if only a black man went missing. The media told the story of the missing men on nationally televised nightly newscasts and public outcry immediately followed. Finally the south received assistance from the federal government. Lyndon Johnson sent hundreds of men from the military to search for the three men. As the search went on, the Mississippi Governor and a member of the White Citizens Council exclaimed, â€Å"Of course I don’t approve of murder, but those kids were asking for trouble† (Aretha 50). The shot and beaten bodies of the missing men were found after a month. It later surfaced that the local police arrested the three men for speeding. After dark, the police released the men to the KKK. Eighteen men were originally arrested but only a few were convicted and served light sentences. Finally in 2005, 41 years after the murders, Edgar Ray Killen was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to three life sentences, without the possibility of parole, to be served in succession. After the deaths of Schwerner, Goodman, and Chaney was the perfect time for blacks to rebel louder. To achieve the voting rights for the segregated community, the rebellious blacks and whites created a stronger alliance than ever before. By coming together, the black community showed America that the rebellion would not end until equal rights and the ability to vote was achieved. The summer of 1964 became the high water mark for equal rights in America. â€Å"Freedom Summer† along with nonviolent protests across the south lead to the signing of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act â€Å"prohibits voting practices or procedures that discriminate on the basis of race, color. Discrimination to voting applies nationwide to any voting standard, practice, or procedure that results in the denial of the right of any citizen to vote. Section 2 is permanent and has no expiration date† (Section 2). Rebellion was a necessity to end the disenfranchisement of the African-American community. Rebellion for the black community was not to conform to the racist south, but to consciously do the opposite. Without rebellion and bravery the south may have never changed. Volunteer Bruce Hartford professed, â€Å"We used to say: If you don’t like the history they’re teaching you in school, go out and make some of your own† (Aretha 35).

The Link Between Sanitation and Child Life Expectancy in India Critical Analysis

â€Å"The expectations are different†, is a statement that Perri Klass makes in her essay entitled â€Å"India†(1986). This observation refers to the difference in child life expectancy between Klass’ home in North America, and her current home in India, where she is practicing paediatric medicine. In North America, every child is expected to surpass their parents in life expectancy. Meanwhile, in India, the possibility that children will die young is very real and happens more than necessary. In 1998 alone, approximately 2. 5 million children under 5 died in India (Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2000,). What makes this number even more astonishing is that almost all the deaths were preventable. The lack of sanitation leading to deadly water-borne disease in India is the main factor contributing to these extremely high numbers. This essay will explore the role that sanitation has in relation to child life expectancy in India. A base root to sanitation is human hygiene, particularly access to clean water and toiletries. The cost to install a toilet in India is 200 USD (Agoramoorthey&Hsu, 2009). This, to an average American, does not seem like very much money at all. However, when you are a farmer working in rural India making an average of 150 to 225 USD per year (Agoramoorthy & Hsu, 2009), this is a tremendous amount of money. This minimal income is barely enough to maintain basic survival (food, shelter, and clothing), let alone buy a toilet. The government of India, at one time, contributed up to 80% of the cost of purchasing a toilet to promote sanitation, but now the subsidy offered is only 20% (Agoramoorthy & Hsu, 2009). An overall lack of funds is the main contributing reason that only 34% of Indian households have access to a toilet (Agoramoothy & Hsu, 2009). The other 66% of the population is forced to defecate and urinate in public. The amount of people that do not have access to toilets in India is 638 million (UNICEF India, Water, environment and sanitation, 2011), which is more than 10 times the entire population of Canada (Stats Canada, 2010). The amount of public defecation in India poses massive health endangerment, especially to the most vulnerable population, children, through water contamination. The majority of Indian households do not even have access to running water. Water is mostly brought in to the homes from wells or unsanitary ponds, mainly by women. Proper storage of water is also a massive problem causing contamination, as most containers don’t even have handles. 67% of the residents of India do not treat their water, even though it most definitely is chemically or bacterially contaminated (UNICEF India, Water and environment and sanitation, 2011). As displayed in the below chart (Figure 1), the majority of the slum and rural parts of India rely on waters other than piped water for washing themselves and cleaning cooking supplies( Nath, 2003), leading to cross contamination. Figure 1: Sources of Water for Washing according to Different Population Sectors in Calcutta India (Nath,2003) Sewage control is also quite poorly maintained in India, hence becoming yet another water- related issue. With a total of about 4000 towns in India, only approximately 200 of them have partially covered sewage systems, resulting in poor drainage for storm waters leading to frequent flooding of defecated in waters (Nath,2003). Monsoon season is often the worst for defecation contaminating the waters due to the immense amount of rainfall and resulting in overland runoff. Contaminated waters are common in India; therefore the water is difficult to avoid especially for kids. Children inadvertently consume defecation in pond water as they are playing, resulting in illness. In the developing world 24,000 children under the age of 5 die every day from preventable diseases caused by contact of unclean water (water. org, 2011). That is almost a quarter of a million lives that could be saved alone by something as simple as clean water. 21% of all disease in India is water-related (UNICEF India, Water, environment and sanitation, 2011), and yet preventable. With the prevalence of water-related diseases in India, one would think the government would step in and vaccinate the children against rotavirus. Currently, children in India are not vaccinated against rotavirus, which is the leading cause of diarrheal illness. (UNICEF India, Water, environment and sanitation, 2011) A child here in Canada can get diarrhoea and be given over the counter medicine such as Pesto Bismal and be fine in couple hours or, at worst, be hospitalized for dehydration and be out the next day. In India, in 1996 there were a staggering 1600 deaths a day from diarrhoea, resulting from water contamination. Unicef India, Water, environment and sanitation, 2011). Something as preventable and treatable as diarrhoea should not cause as many children to die as it does. Only 39% of children that get diarrhoea in India receive the recommended treatments (UNICEF/WHO, Diarrhoea: Why children are still dying and what can be done? ). If these children had received proper treatment, or had a vaccination to prevent this in the first place they would most likely still be alive. Aids was once thought to be the most targeted killer of children in developing countries, but now, a preventable and curable illness like diarrhoea has taken the lead. Diarrhoea now kills more young children than AIDS, malaria measles combined. (UNICEF/WHO, Diarrhoea: Why children are still dying and what can be done, 2009) As illustrated below in Figure 2, cases of diarrhoea did appear to decline briefly from 1992-1993 only to rise quickly again by 1998 (Nath, 2003). Figure 2: Reported Data on Diarrhoea in India from 1989 to 1998 (Nath,2003) As noted in Klass’ essay (India, 1986) expectations are different in India and North America regarding child life expectancy. In North America what seemingly are simple things like clean water, and toilets, are rare in most parts of India. We, in America also expect the government to readily step in with immunization programs and funding if needed. In India there are immunization programs but they are not readily implemented. We expect our children to live longer and not die from preventable disease due to unsanitary conditions. In India, it is expected that children may precede their parents in death, due to preventable illness caused by lack of sanitation. With millions of children dying yearly in India from sanitation related illness, maybe it is time something was done instead of just being said.