Introduction to American Politics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Introduction to American Politics - Term Paper Example The low precedence Americans give to members of the interest groups are used as foundations of social action. The small powerful minorities are usually concentrated in fragmented government. It is not incompetent but not necessary for whole classes to assemble when members are often pleased and pressed in piecemeal fashion. The experiential evidence bolstering this doctrine of pluralist is overwhelming (Reynolds). In a Pluralist Democracy, the Government’s role is to safeguard and endorse diversity. This theory talks about human nature which is acquisitive and selfish. In the past, political scientists asked whether it was necessary for Developmental democracy to persist. These scientists noticed that most of the people are indifferent about politics. These scientists realized that politicians and party leaders handle everyday issues of government and citizens do not affect them at all. Therefore, according to this theory, authority stays in the hands of some people only. This is also called as â€Å"iron law of oligarchy† (Reynolds). As most people are uninterested in politics, it has its advantages as well. Great interest is parallel to extreme partnership and membership and it may end in strong fanaticism that can devastate the democratic procedure if it is made general for the whole community. Small effect towards election propagates declaration of many political dilemmas. Votes can be sorted out in two party systems rather than into uneven several parties. This low interest gives direction for political shifts mandated for an intricate society. Some people are highly interested in political issues and they should be, but everyone should not be a part of it (Reynolds). Pluralist politics need a foundation of social diversity to succeed. Pluralists believe that even thought every individual does not want to raise his or her voice; several interest groups will be able to represent will of all the people. These interest groups have far more knowl edge regarding the Government than normal citizens do and that is why they are capable of channeling the democratic voices of the power to politicians in authority more efficiently. A Pluralist Democracy will be a special interest group for every varying decision which is held by populous so even though everyone is not participating; people’ representation will be accomplished in the long run. Therefore, most politicians try to make the special interest groups happy considering that it will lead to much more support among general public (Janda, pg 23-30). Everybody in a Pluralist View of Power identifies political power when they actually see it. In a Pluralist Democracy, power is not certain property which humans hold in permanent amounts. It is because people are authoritative as they can control several resources. Resources are the assets which can be utilized to force other people to do what they want. They are controlling because they usually command the resources which people respect or fear. List of possibilities is an endless one as prestige, money, skill, legal authority, legitimacy, charisma, public support, free time, celebrity, and experience. Most of the Civil rights activists in 1960s mainly focused on the legitimacy and numbers of their source to find their way, however companies often depend on their admittance to control of information, officeholders, and to contributions of the campaign. Whichever the

Profile of Honda Motor Company Ltd Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Profile of Honda Motor Company Ltd - Essay Example Japan was a fuel and transport starved nation after the Second World War. Soichiro Honda seized this opportunity to provide cheap transport from small two-stroke motorcycle engines developed in the Honda Technical Research Institute in Japan. (History). This resulted in the launch of Dream D 98cc motorcycle in 1949 (Honda). From then on there has been no looking back for this multi-national company leading to a wide range of products, and a presence in nearly every part of the world. It is the leading manufacturer of motorcycles in the world, and an automobile manufacturer of repute. The name Honda in the modern era has been equated with value for money. The business activities of Honda Motor Company Ltd. include the development, production and manufacture of motor products in many places around the world. The motorcycle business activity consists of the manufacture of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, and personal watercraft. The engine capacities of the motorcycles manufactured by Honda have a range from as low as 50cc to as high as 1800cc cylinder displacement. The models of Honda motorcycles consist of sports, business, and commuter models. Passenger cars in the automobile range of Honda consist of the Legend, Accord, Civic, City, and Acura brands. Honda also offers multi-wagons, sports utility vehicles, sports coupes, and mini-vehicles under different brand names. Financial services to customers and dealers also form a part of the business activities of Honda. This activity facilitates the purchase of vehicles by the dealers and the customers. Honda also manufactures a range of other power products, which include power tillers, portable generators, general-purpose engines, grass cutters, outboard engines, water pumps, snow throwers, power carriers, power sprayers, lawn mowers, and lawn tractors. The products of Honda are made available to its customers through various outlets, wholesalers, and independent retail dealers (Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (HMC)).

Larval Cyathostomes in Horse: Case Study Report

Larval Cyathostomes in Horse: Case Study Report A two-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding presented with extreme weight loss and diarrhoea in December. The horse had been at pasture with seven others for the last three months with daily supplementary hay. The horse was rugged and had not been closely examined for six weeks however had been observed eating on a daily basis. On the day of admission to the hospital the horse had been seen standing alone, in-appetent with severe diarrhoea. On arrival to the hospital the horse was quiet, alert and responsive, body condition score 1/9 (284kg bwt). There was faecal staining down the hindquarters and tail. The heart rate and respiratory rate were elevated (76 beats per minute and 20 breaths per minute). Mucus membranes were pink and moist with a capillary refill time of 2seconds. Gastrointestinal sounds were increased. Skin tent was extremely prolonged, indicating significant dehydration. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a fluid filled colon and caecum with good SI motility and no evidence of bowl thickening. Although no abnormalities were detected per rectum, upon completion of the examination a large number of cyathostome larvae were visible on the rectal sleeve. Faecal analysis was negative for strongyle eggs. The significant clinicopathological abnormalities are presented below: Fibrinogen 6.3g/L (1.8-3.7g/L) Serum Amyloid A (SAA) 180mg/L ( Haematocrit (HCT) 45.1% (24-44%) Albumin 15g/L (31-38g/L) Blood lactate 3.1mmol/L (0.2-0.7mmol/L) Problem list Acute weight loss Poor body condition Diarrhoea Dehydration Differential diagnosis for diarrhoea Infectious: Samonellosis, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridia difficile, Lawsonia intracellularis, Parasitic: Strongylosis, larval cyathostomiasis Toxic: NSAID Miscellaneous: carbohydrate overload, sand enteropathy Due to the horse’s age, number of horses at pasture and poor worming history the most likely diagnosis was a larval cyathostomosis. Although the faecal worm egg count was negative this does not take into account the encysted burden of worms and therefore cannot rule out infection. The presence of red worm larvae on the rectal sleeve following rectal examination indicates the presence of larvae. An intravenous catheter was placed and maintainance fluids were administered to rectify the dehydration. 4L of plasma (Hypermune, Veterinary Immunogenics) was also given to provide anti-endotoxic and colloidal support. Dexamethasone (Dexadresson, Intervet) 0.05mg/kg IV every other day was administered initially. The horse was also started on fenbendazole (FBZ) (Panacur Guard) 7.5mg/kg SID for 5days. Additional supportive therapy included free access to palatable feed and fresh water. The following day, the horse was quiet with a moderate appetitite. Faeces became more watery so treatment with di-tri-octahedral smectite (Biosponge, Platinum Performance)1g/kg q6hrs per nasogastric tube and codeine phosphate (Codeine Phosphate, Crescent Pharma) 1mg/kg PO TID was started and adjusted daily according to faecal consistency. On day 3 the horse appeared slightly colicky and appetite reduced. Treatment with a single dose of flunixin meglumine (Finadyne, MSD Animal Health) 1.1mg/kg improved signs of abdominal pain. The following day the horse was brighter and appetite improved. The intravenous fluids were discontinued. At this point dexamethasone was replaced by oral prednisolone (Equisolon, Boerhinger Ingleheim) 1mg/kg PO SID. The diarrhoea improved over the following two days and on day 6 the codeine and biosponge were also discontinued. On day 7 of hospitalisation the horse was given moxidectin (MOX) (Equest, Pfizer) 0.4mg/kg to treat any parasites resistant to the fenbendazole therapy. A further blood sample on day 10 revealed improvement in HCT, fibrinogen and SAA. The albumin remained low at 15g/L but considering the horse’s dehydration on admission, this was slightly improved and would be expected to take weeks to return to a normal range. The horse was discharged. At this point the horse had a good appetite, was very bright and was passing normal droppings. Weight had increased from 284kg on admission to 305kg. Discussion Strongylid round worm, subfamily Cyathostominae, and infestation may affect up to 100% of pastured animals (Tolliver et al, 1987, Lyons et al, 1999, Lind et al, 2003). In adult horses, the disease is usually asymptomatic or observed in sub-clinical forms however in horses, which have not been treated, treated infrequently or are on heavily grazed pasture can reach hundreds of thousands (Chapman et al, 2003, Gasser et al, 2004). The most common clinical manifestation of cyathosome infection is associated with acute larval cyathostomosis (Murphy et al, 1997). The poor worming history, minimal pasture management and heavily grazed pasture in this case indicated that this was likely. As with this case larval cyathostomosis is usually diagnosed in horses of 1-3years of age and is most commonly associated with severe weight loss, weakness, acute or chronic diarrhoea, subcutaneous oedema, pyrexia and colic (Lyons et al, 2000). In the UK age ( The blood results in this case alongside the diarrhoea and weight loss indicated a protein losing enteropathy. A decrease in total protein levels, particularly albumin, and neutrophilia are common presentations of horses infested with cyathostomes (Steinbach et al, 2006). The synchronous reactivation of the encysted larvae (EL3) into the gut lumen can cause extensive bowl inflammation which can not only result in enteral protein loss and impaired nutrient absorption, but also entrance of bacterial toxins into the tissues (Abbot, 1998, Giles et al, 1985 and Reid et al, 1995). This can be fatal in up to 50% of cases (Love et al, 1999). The plasma administered in this case aimed to provide colloidal support due to the reduced albumin, and act as an anti-endotoxic agent (Tennant-Brown, 2011). The debilitated condition the horse was in in this case led to consideration of the most appropriate treatment. There is a concern over worsening of a horses condition following administration of anthelmintics, however there is a balance between this and a delay in treatment leaving sufficient time for recovery following anthelmintic treatment (Johns, 2014). Johns (2014) describes the potential for using fenbendazole in severely emaciated horses. The concern with determining treatment is that the mucosal stages constitute the major cyathostomin burden, which is not particularly susceptible to most anthemintics (Love and Mckeand 1997). Chemotherapeutic strategies are not always successful in severe cases however the main two drugs licensed treatments for encysted larvae are FBZ or MOX. The initial treatment used in this case was Fenbendazole 7.5mg/kg bwt administered daily for 5 consecutive days. It has been shown to provide >95% efficacy vs. total mucosal larvae, including >91% efficacy against inhibited EL3 (Duncan et al, 1998). A single dose of moxidectin 0.4 mg/kg bwt was administered on day 7. This has been shown to have a persistent effect and be effective against all life cycle stages, including 90.8% efficacy against EL3 (Reinemyer et al, 2003). There have been limited reports of resistance and as such is recommended for the treatment of larval cyathostominosis (Reinemyer et al, 2003 and Molento et al, 2008). The reason for this follow treatment with moxidectin is due to the world wide prevalence of FBZ resistance, and even 5day courses at 7.5 or 10mg/kg bwt cannot overcome this resistance (Tarigo-Martinie et al, 2001). Although there is little research to support it, clinicians often choose to treat larval cyathostomes with a 5day course of fenbendazole followed by moxidectin. Reasoning behind this maybe due to FBZ killing larvae at a slower rate and therefore avoids a severe anaphylactic reaction associated with larval death. Also due to the resistance seen with fenbendazole, it leads to a ‘belt and braces’ approach to remove the encysted parasites. A concern with moxidectin is the risk of toxicity in severely-debilitated horses. Because of its highly lipophilic nature, moxidectin can become highly concentrated in the serum of animals with little body fat, such as this case, which increases the risk of neurotoxicity as it able to cross the blood-brain barrier, which is described in the literature (Johnson et al, 1999 and Muller et al, 2003). In many reported cases clinical signs have been evident following treatment of affected horses, a syndrome thought to be due to the inflammatory reaction associated with parasite death. A study performed by Steinbach et al, (2006) found a five-day course of fenbendazole caused extensive inflammation and ulceration of the intestinal wall associated with parasite death. However moxidectin treatment led to disintegration of larvae without the severe inflammatory response which supports the use of the latter drug in treatment of clinical cases, and questions the treatment protocol used in this case (Steinbach et al, 2006). Anthelmintic treatment is often administered alongside steroid therapy, which is important if heavy larval loads are suspected as with this case. The inflammatory reaction created by parasite death is often managed with corticosteroid treatment. Often treatment is started prior to larvicidal medication particularly if heavy larval loads are suspected. This aims to prevent acute exacerbation of the disease by rapid death of encysted larvae (Church et al, 1986). Church et al (1986) found that the administration of steroids alongside the anthelmintics lead to a synergistic drug effect. The corticosteroid lessens the immune mechanisms contributing to larval arrestment allowing the mucosal larvae to resume maturation and therefore more susceptible to the action of anthelmintics (Church et al, 1986). Although there has been no further evidence for its use, in clinical practice there appears to be a therapeutic advantage with cyathostomosis cases in giving oral corticosteroid concurrently w ith anthelmintics (Love and McKeand, 1997). As this was a concern in this case corticosteroid treatment was used alongside anthelmintic therapy. Codeine Phosphate although not licensed in horses, was used in this case to provide symptomatic relief of diarrhoea. It works by reducing gastrointestinal secretions and delaying intestinal transit. There was improvement seen in faecal consistency after 48hours and the dose was altered accordingly (Murphy et al, 1997). Studies are currently underway to develop a diagnostic assay to allow the detection and quantification of mucosal cyathostomes to allow for targeted treatment (Proudman and Matthews, 2000). FEC underestimate the true parasite burden when larval populations predominate and luminal adult burdens are low (Dowdall et al, 2002). This was seen in this case where the FEC was negative however the clinical signs and presence of larval on the rectal sleeve all suggested larval cyathstomiasis. The successful outcome in this case supported the treatment protocol used. However after consideration of the literature it would be prudent to question whether moxidectin alongside corticosteroid therapy would provide less intestinal inflammation, reducing the severity of clinical signs alongside ensuring the death of the encysted parasites.

The Miracle of A Dolls House :: A Dolls House Essays

The Miracle of A Doll's House      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the play A Doll's House, Nora fits in a role of the little helpless wife whose husband takes care of everything.   During the play, she keeps a secret from her husband that eventually leads to the destruction of her marriage.   When the secret surfaces, Nora finds out just what kind of man she was married to.   Maybe she always knew but now wants something different in her life.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A few years earlier her husband was terribly sick and needed to get away for a while, possibly go south.   With no money, he was unable to go. Nora wanted to do everything she could for her husband to help him get well. In order to do this she needed to borrow money.   Unfortunately she made the mistake of borrowing it and forging her father's signature.   This is the secret that she hides all through the play from her husband.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nora believes Helmer will try to take the blame for what she has done.   She thinks he will keep being the man that takes charge and fixes all problems that may come about.   What she doesn't realize at this point is that Helmer does not truly care for her the way she has brought herself to believe throughout the years of their marriage.   Nora tells Dr. Rank, a family friend: â€Å"...You know how deeply, how passionately Torvald is in love with me.   He would never hesitate for a moment to sacrifice his life for my sake.†      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Later in the play Nora made the same mistake with Kristine Linde as she did with Dr. Rank.   In the following line Nora expresses   her belief of what Helmer may do:   â€Å"Then you must testify... And I tell you this: nobody else knew anything, I alone was responsible for the whole thing. Remember that!†      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These are two of the most important lines in the play because they signify the whole relationship's meaning and underlying imagery.   What Nora thinks will happen when her husbands finds out is completely opposite of what really happens.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Helmer reads the letter and calls out to Nora, she answers back almost like she was expecting him to come running to save her.   When she says: â€Å"... Let me go! Let me out!...You mustn't try to save me, Torvald!† , she clearly wants him to try and save her, playing the role of the damsel in distress.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nora begins to doubt her husbands faithfulness when she tells him how much she loved him and he responds with:   â€Å"Don't come to me with a lot

English Reflective Statement

I participated in an interactive oral discussion; about the novel by Nawal El Sadawi named ‘The Woman at Point Zero’. From the interactive oral, I was able develop a new idea which I had never thought of. The idea was that the characters in the novel were two dimensional, so that the main character Firdaus is able to change, which she is not. The idea stemmed from what Ashleigh said about how Firdaus has the power of rejection using her physical body.So I said that it was a delusion for women and what Firdaus does have, is the power to change. I developed it into the concept of change for the better, i. e. the ability to change and move forward in society. For example if Firdaus looked at the situation where she was being abused by her uncle and aunt, reviewed all the problems and then found a way to make the next situation better, which would the be domestic violence received from her husband Sheikh Mahmood.All in all, in a society like Egypt in the 1970’s, fear was the most dominant way to have power, but its not removing the fear that allows the courage to change, it’s the knowledge of fear and moving forward anyway. Talking about fear, Brad brought up an interesting idea of Firdaus not being afraid of what normal people would be afraid of, but of something so delicate, eyes. He said something about how she was cautious and self conscious about being looked down upon and being watched over. Which made me ask the question, why she didn’t have the courage to change her fate, up until the moment she killed her pimp.

Health and Safety Essay

Explain how health and safety is monitored and maintained and how people in the work setting are made aware of risks and hazards and encouraged to work safely. In my placement we have a safeguarding policy but we don’t have a health and safety polices that I am aware of but the safeguarding polices is available on the schools website. Anyone is able to get on to the website and their policies. We have a sigh by the sink in the staff room say warning hot water and we have a sigh in the classrooms letting children and staff knows that the water in the tabs is drinking water we also have fire safety sign around the school. They always have meeting every month on health and safety but it is only for the main teachers. We have a fire drill twice a year so all the children and staff know where to go in case of a fire they had a fire drill last week which was good cause I did not know where to go if a fire happens so it help me cause now I know where to go if a fire happens. We always tell the children not talk to strangers and when the children are going home they are not allowed to leave an till the adults tell them that they can go cause we need to make sure that the right people are picking the children up and that they are not going off with strangers or with someone they are not meant to go home with.

Leaf Scorch Tree Disease - Prevention and Control

Leaf Scorch Tree Disease - Prevention and Control Leaf scorch is a noninfectious condition caused by an unfavorable environment - there is no virus, no fungus, no bacterium to blame. It can not be helped by chemical control so you will have to discover the underlying causal factor which can be drying winds, drought, root damage and other environmental problems. Still, infectious diseases can attack the tree and make the condition even worse. Major target trees are Japanese maple (plus several other maple species), dogwood, beech, horse chestnut, ash, oak and linden. Symptoms Early leaf scorch symptoms commonly appear as yellowing between veins or along leaf margins. The problem is not often recognized during this early stage and can be confused with anthracnose. The yellowing becomes increasingly severe and tissue dies at leaf margins and between veins. This is the stage at which injury becomes easily noticeable. Dead tissue can often appear without any previous yellowing and restricted entirely to marginal areas and tips. Cause Scorch usually is a warning that some condition has occurred or is occurring that is adversely influencing the tree. It could be that the tree is not adapting to the local climate or has been given unsuitable exposure. Many of the conditions are the result of water not making it into the leaves. These conditions could be hot, drying winds, temperatures above 90 degrees, windy and hot weather following a long wet and cloudy period, drought conditions, low humidity or drying winter winds when soil water is frozen. Control When leaf scorch is noticed, leaf tissue has usually dried past the point of recovery and the leaf will drop. This will not kill the tree. Several steps can be taken to prevent more severe damage. Deep watering will help with moisture uptake. You need to make sure lack of water is the problem as too much water can also become a problem. Spring application of a complete fertilizer may help but do not fertilize after June. If the root system of a tree has been injured, prune the top to balance the reduced root system. Conserve soil moisture by mulching trees and shrubs with rotted leaves, bark, or other material.

Binge Drinking Among College Students

Binge Drinking Among College Students Free Online Research Papers Introduction Many studies have shown that the age of onset of heavy drinking has been strongly linked to the formation of harmful drinking habits later in life (Berkowitz, 1990; Glassman, 2010). The increased levels of binge drinking and alcohol abuse reported among university students within one year of entering college may possibly point to increases in alcohol-related public health issues in the future (Kim, Chan, Chow, Fung, Cheuk, Griffiths, 2009). Research and theory have provided pertinent information about binge drinking and how prevalent the issue is among college students. Binge drinking among college students has been identified as the number one threat to campus life (Wheeler, 2009). College students today are drinking more frequently and in greater amounts than ever before (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, 2007). Dangerous amounts of alcohol consumption are simply not safe, and will most likely produce negative outcomes. The p urpose of this paper is to discuss how binge drinking is defined and measured. It will also review several studies on binge drinking and how it correlates with college students. Additionally, original research was conducted to examine the binge drinking trends of Texas State University Students. Literature Review Operationalizing â€Å"Binge Drinking† Conventionally, the criteria for assessing high-risk drinking includes: five or more drinks for males and four or more drinks for women during one sitting, event, or occasion within the previous two weeks (Glassman, 2010). Although, some research simply states five or more drinks in one sitting, which does not include the gender variable. Also, asking respondents to recall specific time frames from a night of heavy drinking may also compromise the validity of research data. Further, the five or more/four or more drinking criterion does not adequately assess the intoxication levels or more extreme levels of alcohol consumption (Glassman, 2010). Yet, others in the field recognize that men metabolize alcohol more efficiently than women and distinctions should be accounted for when measuring this behavior. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) National Advisory Council attempted to clarify the issue by defining a binge as: a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 gram percent or above. For the typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming 5 or more drinks (male) or 4 or more drinks (female) in about 2 hours† (National Institute on Alcohol and Abuse, 2004, p. 357). Prevalence of Binge Drinking Data from multiple surveys indicate that the majority of college students consume alcohol (Presley, Meilman, Lyerla, 1994). College students drink more frequently and in greater numbers than their peers who do not attend college (Johnston, O’Malley, Bachman, 1997). Defined as five consecutive drinks for men and four consecutive drinks for women within a two-week period, binge drinking occurs among 44% of college students, which has remained constant over time (Glassman, 2010). On average, college students consume 9.6 drinks per week. White, Kraus Swatzwelder (2006) conducted surveys at a moderate-sized state university in the northeast United States via flyers, announcements, and a web site maintained by the Psychology Department. Participants completed the anonymous surveys in exchange for credit toward completion of a research-participation requirement for introductory psychology courses. The results showed that 41% of males and 34% of females consume alcohol at or a bove the binge drink threshold. Many different environmental and social factors can influence a college students’ behavior. For example, the presence of a Greek system, student involvement in athletics, students’ residence (dorm or apartment), size of the university, alcohol outlet density and alcohol prices are all variables that can influence decisions of a student (Wheeler, 2009). Research indicates that when college students drink at these levels, their risk for alcohol related consequences increases significantly and suggest that the term â€Å"binge† is justified based on scientific evidence (Glassman, 2010). According to the Harvard School of Public Health College Study, which was conducted on 89% of the first year entrants of college, 53% of all alcohol-related injuries occurred from people who consumed one to five drinks, whereas 21% occurred from those who consumed eight or more drinks. This data was gathered from anonymous questionnaires that were sent to all students prior to the fall semester registration. Also, there is almost universal agreement among college administration and health professionals that alcohol abuse is the most widespread recreational drug used by college students, and that binge drinking is a major health problem (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 1995). Faced with this issue, and no apparent immediat e solution, in the summer of 2008, 200 college presidents proposed that lawmakers consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18 years. Their efforts were dubbed the Amethyst Initiative, an idea based on the assumption that the current laws and prohibitions against drinking may actually be encouraging students to binge drink (Deas Clark, 2009). Most literature gives little evidence that lowering the drinking age will solve the binge drinking problem. However, there is considerable evidence that this action may actually intensify the issue. For example, high school students 18 years old and younger seem to be keeping pace with college peers in terms of alcohol consumption. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (2004), 62% of tenth graders and 72% of twelfth graders have used alcohol and 41% of tenth graders and 55% of twelfth graders have been drunk. Also, 65% of college students who drink alcohol began drinking in high school and only 13% of college students began drinking after entering college. This data was collected from a study that was conducted in two stages. The first stage selected 148 institutions, half two-year and half four-year, with probability proportional to undergraduate enrollment. The second stage randomly sampled undergraduates in the 136 institutions that chose to participate, targeti ng 72 students from each two-year school and 56 from each four-year school. The questionnaire was mailed to 7,442 students for self-administration and completed by 4,814 (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 2007). Finally, lowering the drinking age seems to negate research on neurobiological development. The data suggests that cognitive functions, such as impulse control and decision making, are still developing into early adulthood (Wheeler, 2009). During this period of critical development major regions of the young adult’s brain is at risk due to the neurotoxin effects of excessive alcohol consumption. Obviously, a better alternative to lowering the drinking age is to increase research efforts designed to give a better understanding of why so many students engage in such self-destructing behavior. In seeking some answers to some of these questions, researchers have conducted studies on the motive and expectations underlying excessive drinking in the college population. Some believe that college students just do not see an issue with binge drinking. This may be because students tend to identify hangovers as the most serious consequence of excessive drinking. Others suggest that students drink in order to obtain valued outcomes or as a means of coping with stress (Crundell, 1995). Berkowitz (1990) insists that the satisfaction of social needs and peer influence are the most important factors leading to binge drinking. Research on peer influence has shown that individuals who have friends who drink are more likely to begin drinking, and that individuals who binge drink are likely to have friends who drink (Wheeler, 2009). Duncan, Biosjoly, Kremer, Levy Eccles (2005) state, â€Å" as long as individuals are free to choose their friends, it is possible that someone’s substance abuse behavior or personal characteristics associated with substance abuse are affecting his or her choice of peer group† (p. 376). According to Wheeler (2009), young adults are the heaviest drinkers in the United States. College students drink more often and in heavier amounts than people who do not attend college. This seems consistent with Crundall’s (1995) notion that alcohol consumption is a major part of the culture of college life, a so-called rite of passage into adulthood. Drinking alcohol is typically perceived by most students as part of the college experience. The college culture undoubtedly plays a role in student drinking, but some researchers may have exaggerated its effects. As Wheeler (2009) reports, â€Å"While the heaviest drinkers are at greater risk for harm, they are relatively few and generate proportionally small amounts of all drinking harms† (p. 174). This idea is supported by Weschler, Lee, Kuo, Seibring, Nelson Lee (2002), who used factor analyses and IRT analyses while conducting their studies, found that the top 17% of students in a sample of 353 undergraduate drinkers who drink alcohol heavily and frequently, consume 68% of the alcohol drank by college students. There also other shortcomings associated with the traditional high-risk drinking measure. Glassman (2010) proposes combing the five/four drinking measure with the frequency of engaging in the behavior (3 or more times in a one week period), a term he describes as â€Å"heavy and frequent† (Glassman, 2010). The research indicates that this group is most at risk for experiencing the negative consequences associated with alcohol use. Another area in which specialized research is needed involves event-specific drinking occasions among college students. For example, on a college football game day, drinking alcohol takes place for an extended period of time (usually before, during, and after a game). For these types of events, the term, â€Å"Extreme Ritualistic Alcohol Consumption† (ERAC) was created. ERAC, defined as consuming 10 or more drinks in a day by males, and 8 or more drinks for a female, constitutes an event or context-specific drinking pattern in which peopl e drink more than they would under normal circumstances (Deas et al., 2009). Methods Secondary data was used during the original research of the binge drinking trends of Texas State University students. Information was gathered in Spring of 2009, as part of a Research Methods in Criminal Justice course at Texas State University. Convenience sampling was used, which means that the sample group in the study was comprised of TSU students who were, basically, given the surveys at the convenience of the researcher. The surveyed students were anonymous, meaning there is no possible way to link the answers to any one survey to any specific student. They surveys, which were IRB approved by Texas State University, were self-administered by the students. Overall, the ending sample size was 146 Texas State students, which may limit the data due to the low number. This small sample size may not be completely representative of the Texas State University population. The survey questions vary in type, but the data gathered portrays an accurate depiction of the studentsâ€℠¢ binge drinking habits. The survey consists of 74 questions total, 11 personal drinking behavior questions, 14 binge drinking questions, 11 questions covering the survey taker’s attitude towards drinking, 9 background questions, 5 demographic questions, and 23 personal attitudes and behaviors. The possible answers varied from simply â€Å"Yes or No† to Gottfredson and Hirshi’s Low Self-Control Scale (Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree). Results The sample size of this study was 146 Texas State University students. The majority of the sample, 58%, was Caucasian. Another 29% were Hispanic. The remaining 13% were another race. The sample consisted of 45% male participants and 55% female participants. The majority of the sample was 21 years and older (70%). Of these participants, only 26% are Criminal Justice majors. Juniors and Seniors represented most of the sample size (74%) of the sample, as opposed to only 26% Freshman and Sophomores. Surprisingly, only 11% of the sample stated they were a member of a traditional fraternity or sorority, and only 17% indicated they were an athlete at the university. For the purpose of this paper, fiver questions from the survey were selected, and those results were analyzed. Twenty-four percent of the surveyed students indicated they have attended school while drunk. Additionally, 80% of the participants admitted to binge drinking at a house party at some point. Only 29% of the sample indicated they have engaged in sexual intercourse after binge drinking and later regretted it. Thirty-five percent of the surveyed students have blacked out (become unconscious after consuming a large amount of alcohol) due to binge drinking. Finally, 61% of the sample did not believe the drinking age should be lowered to 18 years. The questions were also analyzed by the demographic, sex. It was found males were significantly more likely than females to attend class while drunk, binge drink at a house party, have sex with someone after binge drinking and later regret it, and black out after binge drinking (p

Analysing Descartes Meditation On First Philosophy Philosophy Essay

Analysing Descartes Meditation On First Philosophy Philosophy Essay Renà © Descartes, in his work of Meditation on First Philosophy, sets the foundation for modern philosophy. Through the distinct style of writing in first person narrative, Descartes introduces radical skepticisms, proves the existence of God, distinguishes the soul from the body, and establishes levels of certainty in knowing the material world. With the Meditations intending to be a guide to exercising intellectual understanding and practice, there is a strong connection between the literary form and philosophical content, as one supplements the other. The use of meditation and narrative is especially important in delivering and emphasizing Descartes’ arguments on first philosophy because it offers an epistemological journey for the reader to undertake and experience along with the narrator. Meditation is an introspective process that involves the mind turning back in and upon itself, withdrawing from the material world and focusing attention inward. Traditionally, works o f meditation are meant to be guides for spiritual exercises, especially in the Christian religion, and not for intellectual or philosophical purposes. However, Descartes departs from this tradition and employs meditation as a way to detach the minds from external influences, to think and analyze philosophy from the original foundations. This is emphasized in the preface to the reader, where Descartes writes â€Å"I do not advise anyone to read these things except those who have both ability and the desire to meditate seriously with me, and to withdraw their minds from the senses as well as from all prejudices† (52). This leads into Meditation One, with the introduction of method of doubt to free the mind and demolish deception. As well, meditation is aimed to achieve self-transformation, and this is demonstrated throughout work as Descartes transforms the readers’ ways of thinking and understanding. Descartes uses first person narrative to engage and relate to the read ers. As the narrator and guide, Descartes is the embodiment of the general audience, sharing many of the same characteristics and motivations as the readers. For instance, the readers can easily identify with events such as dreaming and questions such as the existence of God. With this, Descartes can take on the challenge of demonstrating how the process of self-transformation in thinking and understanding unfolds through his own experiences. He writes, â€Å"I will first of all narrate in the Meditations the very thoughts by means of which I seem to have arrived at a certain and evident knowledge of the truth† with the intention that â€Å"the same arguments that persuaded me can be useful in persuading others† (52). Therefore, the readers, when reading the Meditations, will be able to experience a similar psychological and epistemological journey in understanding first philosophy. The Meditation begins with the introduction of the method of doubt in Meditation One. R ealizing many of his former opinions are falsehoods, and how subsequent opinions are built upon them, Descartes notes the need to doubt the truth of everything, and â€Å"raze everything to the ground and began again from the original foundations, if I wanted to establish anything firm and lasting in the sciences† (59). This architectural metaphor of razing and establishing serves to introduce Descartes’ purpose in building a firm groundwork for rational scientific inquiry and modern philosophy that cannot be further doubted. Since it is not practical to show all opinions are false individually, it is sufficient to â€Å"attack straightaway those principles which supported everything,† â€Å"because undermining the foundation will cause whatever has been built upon them to crumble of its own accord† (60). And Descartes does this through three levels of doubt: perception, dreaming, and God’s deceive.

Toyota Management Strategic Choices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Toyota Management Strategic Choices - Essay Example Great encouragement arose from the Japanese government that needed domestically produced vehicles. Toyota Motor Company was established in 1937 as a stand alone and separate company. The name of the company was changed because it was believed by the Japanese that Toyota, eight is believed a luckier number(Black & Miller, 2008). Moreover, the first car and truck by the company was produced in 1935, the model A1 and G1 respectively. An era of rapid expansion overtook the Toyota Company in 1945 when the company was permitted to sell to the United States military. At the post war times, the company made trucks for war to the military and in 1947 it made the model SA, Toyopet. The car was designed to be cheap and handle the rough terrain of postwar Japan. In the preceding two years, an SD model was successfully made and the Toyopet SF became the first popular Toyota car. In 1955, Toyota Company made the RH model with a 48 horse power and during that time, a year round closure of 8,400 car s was produced (Liker, 2004). In addition, Toyota started producing the Land cruiser, a civilian truck, in the same year. The start of Toyota international sales was characterized by the philosophy of making the production and designs of its products local, building the vehicles in the destined countries to adapt them and also stem up the long term relationships with local labor and local suppliers (Magee, 2008). The company produced the Corona, that had a relatively large interior space and extremely comfortable and had a low price and improved quality however rust was a serious drawback In business there are a category of schemes developed to analyze, maintain, and achieve competitive advantage. Two fundamental decisions accrue: to start with is whether to primarily compete on price, cost, or provide distinctive features that justify higher prices. Secondly, how broad the competitive scope or the market target is.(Pearlson & Saunders, 2010) To commence, the price (cost) leadership strategy was used, has been used and will be used in times to come for Toyota Company to obtain a competitive advantage over its rivals or competitors as Honda Motor Company and General Motors Company Limited to mention a few while maintaining profits in its business operations. The strategy advocates for the vehicles produced by the Toyota Company to always appeal to a broad section of the market at a lower cost. For instance, the Corona was lowly priced to suit the needs of the market and cover a range of customers ( Hoch, 1998) In an attempt to implement this strategy successfully, the company used exceptional efforts to reduce costs without an exclusion of features considered essential by buyers. This was by an establishment of Greenfield operations in the new countries. However, a critical cost advantage method was designed to ensure that the vehicles were so hard a task for the competitor to copy and match what Toyota Company produced. This strategy has a number of benchmarks : the marketplace is always dominated by forms of price competition and very high sensitive buyers, there are many buyers and the bargaining power is in their reach, there is a low switching cost for customers, there are few ways to achieve product differentiation that has more value to consumers and the product in the industry is the same by all sellers. (Pearlson & Saunde

It is a fundamental principle of English Law that the courts will not Essay

It is a fundamental principle of English Law that the courts will not enforce an illegal contract. Explain the law in this area - Essay Example Acceptance, on the other hand, is the agreement to the terms of an offer that transforms the offer into a legally binding contract. Acceptance involves an action on the part of the offeree. It is vital to emphasise that minors and mentally disordered people lack the capacity to enter into a legally binding agreement. Although a contract exists in many different forms, there are also some illegal contracts. These illegal contracts are those to which the principle applies. This may occur where the law forbids the contract, or where there is a violation of public policy at common law where the contract is for an illegal purpose (The Law Commission 2011). With the English law in place, the courts are not supposed to enforce any contract that is contrary to the policy of the law. The reasons for this are that the performance of a contract, as stated earlier, does not involve the breaking of a legal provision and it is not essentially a good reason for regarding the contract as invalid. Ad ditionally, there are cases where a contract does not involve the breach of any specific legal provision. The aim of the legal restrictions on contracts is varied. It is at times aimed at protecting the weaker parties against exploitation from the stronger parties. This leads to a commonality in force that is laid out to both parties (Youngs 1998, p. 378). Illegal contracts are defined as contracts or agreements that are prohibited or forbidden by a statute or illegal at common law based on the public policy (Haigh 2004, p. 158). Pritchard and Hinds (2008, p. 1) define an illegal contract as one which is based on or entails criminal wrongdoing. For instance, in the United Kingdom (UK), gaming contracts (contracts created in respect to gambling) cannot be enforced. Another important class of illegal contracts are those contracts or agreements which can be defined as unconscionable or unfair in relation to the legislation of the nation, i.e. the laws that govern the contract. For inst ance, in UK employment contracts, parties may not eliminate liability for severe injury (Haigh 2004, p. 158). In addition, the majority of employment contracts implying illegality entail schemes to defraud Inland Revenue or workers who lack the rights to work in the United Kingdom (Pritchard & Hinds 2008, p. 1). Performance of Contracts The common rule is that a party must execute what they undertook to attain the contract. However, the contracts can vary based on the mutual agreement. Alternatively, where an entity approves an appeal of the other entity, that second entity is said to have waived their right to demand performance in a way that was originally agreed. The entities are then put within the terms of the waiver, and there is the absence of consideration to support it (Haigh 2004, p. 158). Illegal Contracts It is important to state that illegality is the most puzzling area in the law of contract, and this is attributed to the fact that it lacks structure. Some authors have indicated that the law in this section is full of contradictions and altogether unsatisfactory. As aforementioned, there are contracts rendered illegal by the common law or a statute. A contract can be expressly prohibited by a statutory provision. Certain contracts or agreements are rendered illegal at common law based on the fact they would be harmful or dangerous to the society and thus contrary to public policy. The following are some of the contracts that are rendered ille

Appraising and Developing Staff Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Appraising and Developing Staff - Essay Example It should be clear to the parties involved in the appraisal process that the outcome of the appraisal process may be positive or negative, but the intention is usually positive for the employees. In essence, performance appraisal is meant to help the employees to evaluate their previous year’s work and also develop strategies for improvement. They are empowered to overcome the challenges faced in the workplace for improved performance. It is important to ensure that anxiety among the employees is controlled by ensuring that the appraisers demonstrate supportive and positive intentions for the employees. This is accomplished through positive criticism. Credibility is also a significant aspect of effective employee appraisal. The technique applied for the appraisal should not be weird (Harris & DeSimone, 1994). It is important to develop performance goals, which are significant in employee motivation. The goal theory of motivation explains the significance of managers who are able to enhance the pursuance of a common purpose. When the employees are aware of the goal that they are intending to achieve, they are motivated to be effective in the accomplishment of tasks. The experienced employees ensure that they maintain good performance and are encouraged to make the right decisions that can facilitate realization of the goal. Appraisers who encourage creativity are able to maintain a competent workforce. Employees derive enthusiasm from coming up with workable ideas that can be attributed to their ability to think critically. Failure to get such a chance to demonstrate inventiveness may cause low spirits in the workplace especially when the employees are used to rely on the leader for decisions (Aguinis, 2009). Managers who promote creativity in the workplace also promote organizational lea rning since workers are able to learn from the diverse inventions. They also learn together with the workers. Clients are usually attracted to the

Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 15

Project Management - Essay Example Key project obstacles include scope, quality, budget, and time. Other secondary obstacle would include more ambitious challenges like fairly allocating the necessary inputs and integrating them in order to achieve the set objectives and goals. There are various ways of approaching project management activities. Regardless of the methodology employed; project managers should put a lot of considerations on the overall project objective, time, cost, and also the responsibilities and duties to be played by members and stakeholders in the project. PRINCE2 and Agile project management methodology are examples of the methodologies available for project managers (Keith 2010). PRINCE2 is a well-structured approach used in project management. It combines the original PROMPT methodology with IMB’s MITP methodology. PROMPT methodology had earlier evolved into the present day PRINCE2 methodology. PRINCE2 offers a platform for project management with clearly spelt out structure. It was developed by the United Kingdom government Office of Government Commerce (OGC). The United Kingdom expensively uses this methodology in its management duties of public projects in the country. PRINCE2 encompasses the control, organization and management of a given project. It puts a lot of focus on not only definition of products but also their delivery, especially the quality requirements (Gerard 2008). Because of this, it defines a successful project as being output oriented but not activity or action oriented. This is through creating products agreed upon as well as defining the intended scope of the project. It also helps provide a platform for control and planning. Project chiefs would be able to coordinate the project participants. Additionally, they will be able to know how to supervise and design product delivery and what to do if the project fails to meet the originally set goals. In the PRINCE2 methodology, all the different processes involved are clearly specified with

Reflection on the The Political Morality of Race Work Essay - 1

Reflection on the The Political Morality of Race Work - Essay Example Having ‘racial label’ do shape the way people think of themselves. As stated with the same source, â€Å"what people can do depends on what concept they have available to them; and among the concepts that may shape one's action is the concept of a certain kind of person and the behavior appropriate to that kind†. Helping one person think he is inferior among others may add more insult to injury and this indeed will result in final self-breakdown. How devastating that would be! Culture and civilization also became an object in Kwame Anthony Appiah’s essay. These two has a function in further dividing individuals globally by racial differences. He defined culture as â€Å"the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought†. There have been Orientals, Africans, and Chinese people that were to adopt a culture and civilization different from their traditional one such as th at of Americans but still there the differences are noticeable. It is said that every race has its own common culture. Like black Americans have their own common culture on â€Å"values and beliefs and practices that they share and they do not share with others†, as stated in the essay. It is true that each nation and race has its own culture. This may lead to some racial gaps in our global society. Yet, it is not simply a hindrance in having a good relationship with them. Unless they wouldn’t do something terrorist act, what is wrong with dealing with them? All of us are both humans. We do need respect and equality. What is the United Nations for but to supposedly bring peace and equality globally? Why can’t other people bridge the differences and go on living life to the full together in accord? Civilization may play a great role in stereotyping minority race. However, it is not always good for some nations that view their race inferior to others. Countries th at are well-developed economically were viewed by many as greater than anybody else. To mention some, the USA and Britain are viewed as masters of the land. They run the world market.     

Appraising and Developing Staff Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Appraising and Developing Staff - Essay Example It should be clear to the parties involved in the appraisal process that the outcome of the appraisal process may be positive or negative, but the intention is usually positive for the employees. In essence, performance appraisal is meant to help the employees to evaluate their previous year’s work and also develop strategies for improvement. They are empowered to overcome the challenges faced in the workplace for improved performance. It is important to ensure that anxiety among the employees is controlled by ensuring that the appraisers demonstrate supportive and positive intentions for the employees. This is accomplished through positive criticism. Credibility is also a significant aspect of effective employee appraisal. The technique applied for the appraisal should not be weird (Harris & DeSimone, 1994). It is important to develop performance goals, which are significant in employee motivation. The goal theory of motivation explains the significance of managers who are able to enhance the pursuance of a common purpose. When the employees are aware of the goal that they are intending to achieve, they are motivated to be effective in the accomplishment of tasks. The experienced employees ensure that they maintain good performance and are encouraged to make the right decisions that can facilitate realization of the goal. Appraisers who encourage creativity are able to maintain a competent workforce. Employees derive enthusiasm from coming up with workable ideas that can be attributed to their ability to think critically. Failure to get such a chance to demonstrate inventiveness may cause low spirits in the workplace especially when the employees are used to rely on the leader for decisions (Aguinis, 2009). Managers who promote creativity in the workplace also promote organizational lea rning since workers are able to learn from the diverse inventions. They also learn together with the workers. Clients are usually attracted to the

Reflection on the The Political Morality of Race Work Essay - 1

Reflection on the The Political Morality of Race Work - Essay Example Having ‘racial label’ do shape the way people think of themselves. As stated with the same source, â€Å"what people can do depends on what concept they have available to them; and among the concepts that may shape one's action is the concept of a certain kind of person and the behavior appropriate to that kind†. Helping one person think he is inferior among others may add more insult to injury and this indeed will result in final self-breakdown. How devastating that would be! Culture and civilization also became an object in Kwame Anthony Appiah’s essay. These two has a function in further dividing individuals globally by racial differences. He defined culture as â€Å"the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought†. There have been Orientals, Africans, and Chinese people that were to adopt a culture and civilization different from their traditional one such as th at of Americans but still there the differences are noticeable. It is said that every race has its own common culture. Like black Americans have their own common culture on â€Å"values and beliefs and practices that they share and they do not share with others†, as stated in the essay. It is true that each nation and race has its own culture. This may lead to some racial gaps in our global society. Yet, it is not simply a hindrance in having a good relationship with them. Unless they wouldn’t do something terrorist act, what is wrong with dealing with them? All of us are both humans. We do need respect and equality. What is the United Nations for but to supposedly bring peace and equality globally? Why can’t other people bridge the differences and go on living life to the full together in accord? Civilization may play a great role in stereotyping minority race. However, it is not always good for some nations that view their race inferior to others. Countries th at are well-developed economically were viewed by many as greater than anybody else. To mention some, the USA and Britain are viewed as masters of the land. They run the world market.     

Financial Analysis of Sainsbury PLC Essay Example for Free

Financial Analysis of Sainsbury PLC Essay This report will focus upon the financial performance over a two year period of a FTSE 100 company. It will seek to ascertain how well the company has performed by scrutinizing profitability, liquidity, efficiency, gearing ratios and working capital. In addition to the aforementioned points, it will dwell upon economic factors to discuss the impact they have had upon the performance of the business. The FTSE 100 started in the year of 1984 and was based upon the 100 largest companies on the London Stock Exchange, and it is seen as an emblematic indicator for the strength of the British economy (iforex, trading section). FTSE 100 companies represent about 81% of the market capitalization of the London Stock Exchange (Nationwide Building Society, glossary section). Within it lies a substantial contribution to the UK economy and the economic power of these firms mean they would have a fairly large ripple effect upon the nation’s economy should there financial performance reach a state of discontentment. Subject company and history The subject company for this report will be J Sainsbury Plc which was founded in 1869 by John Sainsbury and his wife, Mary Ann Sainsbury in London (Sainsbury Plc, history section). The organization has grown to be one of the UK’s most eminent supermarkets. Some of its remarkable aspects include launching TU clothing in 2004, launching Try Something New Today in 2005 to promote healthy eating, and becoming the world’s largest fairtrade retailer in the year 2010 (it is understood that almost one in every four pounds spent on fairtrade products is at Sainsbury), in 2012 the organization became the proud sponsor to the Paralympic games (this will be diligently examined later in the report to see what effect, if any it has had upon the company’s revenue) (Sainsbury Plc, history section). In an industry predominantly owned by Tesco (a market share of 29.9% as of January 2012 according to BBC Business News), Sainsbury has had to work hard to stay in competition. Its persistency has been a key component to its contrivance in the industry and other ventures to which Sainsbury has embarked upon, namely, its banking venture (a 50/50 venture with Lloyds TSB) which commenced trading on the 19th day of February 1997 (Sainsbury Bank plc). The firm lost its position as market leader in the year of 1995 to its rival Tesco and subsequently dropped to third in market share after ASDA experienced a 5% rise in profits (BBC, Business News section). As at March 31 2012, Sainsbury’s has a total number of 440 convenience stores and 572 supermarkets which is currently due to increase (Sainsbury, Store Portfolio section). The question is, how much has its expansionary policy supported its profits whilst maintaining equilibrium with costs? Profitability Within this report, diligent focus will be shown to the financial year of 2010 and the final year of 2011 as the profitability, liquidity, efficiency, gearing ratios and working capital is examined. The profit from disposal of properties in 2010 was  £27m and  £108m in 2011 which shows a dramatic appreciation in profit when compared. Moreover, the company also showed an increase in combined profit from  £585m in 2010 to  £640m in 2011 (Sainsbury, Income Statement 2011 section). This shows that the company’s overall performance has improved over the course of 12 months by 9.4%. Further to the aforesaid points, the greater percentage of revenue was derived from the sale of products and services, standing in at  £22,943m in 2011 (Sainsbury, Income Statement 2011 section). This shows an increase in product purchases and an increase in market share (an increase of 16.1%, Telegraph, September 2011) leading to more sales, demonstrating that the firm’s strategy has worked for the financial year when compared to the sales of 2010 of  £21,421m (Sainsbury, Income Statement 2010 section). Return on Capital Employed can be defined as follows: â€Å"Return on capital employed is a fundamental measure of business performance as it compares the operating profit with the total capital used to generate that profit.† (Black, 2009, p.212). For Sainsbury, this figure was 11% in the financial year of 2010 and 11.1% in the year of 2011 (Sainsbury, Annual Report 2011 section). Such a minor change doesn’t manifest a huge degree of progress. In the annual report for 2011 p4, the company does give an account for this and state that growth was lower than the previous year due to the cumulative effect of its accelerated investment in space growth which started June 2009. The company also holds seventh place for volume market share in the clothing industry and now has clothing sales growing faster than food, 17% to be exact with year on-year growth (Sainsbury, Annual Report 2011 section). Celebrity fashion icon, Gok Wan has been a huge support in inciting growth of the TU brand by launching a clothing range at Sainsbury in 2011 which has been the main source of sales boost. (gok wan, Sainsbury TU section). In addition to the appreciation of sales, the cost of sales rose from  £19,964m in 2010 to  £21,102m in 2011. Prominent contributing factors towards the rise in costs are the variation in Fiscal policy (Sainsbury’s, Directors report 2011 section) which increased the rate of VAT from 17.5% to 20% on the 4th day of January 2011 (HM Revenue and Customs, 2011) along with the increase of the company’s workforce due to its addition of 1.5 million square feet of space from 2011-2012 (The Independent, news section). As the profitability of the organization is scrutinized, it is important to look deeper into what has resulted in an increase in profit from the year 2010 to 2011. From an economic perspective, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (hereinafter referred to as MPC) changed the discount rate to 0.5% on the 5th day of March 2009, positively influencing public spending and reducing the cost of borrowing (Bank of England, 2009). The concept upon the reduction in the cost of borrowing is that more customers have resorted to using credit to fund their purchases (According to a study conducted by Visa Vanquis, consumer spending on credit increased by 3% in September 2011 when compared with statistics for 2010). It is understood that the variation eluded to above has been of support to the company in its financial borrowing, enabling it to fund its expansion referred to in the above paragraph. The downside is that it has had a fundamental impact upon its banking venture namely, profits attained are not what they could be if the discount rate was higher, notwithstanding the fact that, the bank reported a 9% increase in profits in 2011 (This is money, news section) possibly due to the abovestated research on consumer spending. A higher base rate would mean higher priced loans leading to greater profits accrued (other factors being equal). Taking into consideration the above-mentioned point, the company had the opportunity to utilize the reduced interest rate in support of its expansion and other purchases to aid the loss of profit (due to low interest rates) from the sales of loans and credit cards. In criticism of the 0.5% base rate set by the MPC, Sainsbury’s Chief Executive stated it was the wrong decision to reduce it, the small businesses that supply Sainsbury were struggling to borrow and this of course had a substantial ripple effect upon the company’s financial performance (Daily Telegraph, news section). This gives a clear indication that the profit accumulated for 2011 could of been higher without the economic discontentment. It gives some direction to why the cost of sales were high due to the purchasing price of products from smaller businesses to which supply Sainsbury. Having analyzed the profitability of Sainsbury, its within good reason to compare this data with that of its main competition, namely, Tesco for which happens to be a pivotal comparison due to them standing within similar grounds in terms of business models and future company goals. Tesco UK gained  £56,910m in sales for the financial year 2010 and saw an increase for year 2011 with sales in at  £60,931m (Tesco, Annual Report 2011 section). There is a substantial difference in sales, however Tesco have 3,054 UK stores in comparison to Sainsbury’s combined 1,012 stores, in addition it has the greater market share (Tesco, storefinder section). Tesco’s Return on Capital Employed for 2010 stood at 12.1% and 12.9% for the financial year 2011 (Tesco, Annual Report 2011 section) and according to the directors report the company has set itself a target to increment this to 14.6% by 2014/15. This, together with its sales exhibits better performance than that of Sainsbury and epitomizes the comprehension to why the company holds the greatest share of the market. It shows clarity that Tesco did better with capital than that of Sainsbury, however Sainsbury used a large amount on expansion which the results of will be shown at a later date. Liquidity With liquidity being the second focal point, it is necessary to look at the credit facilities available to the organization in question. ‘Sainsbury has overall debt and credit facilities of  £3 billion at its disposal’, the principle element of Sainsbury’s core funding comprises of two long-term loans of  £1,069m due 2018 and  £840m due 2031, secured over property assets (Sainsbury Annual Report 2011). Further to the previous stated loans, the company has unsecured debt of  £180m and  £50m due between 2012 and 2015 along with  £190m of convertible bonds due July 2014 (Sainsbury Annual Report 2011). The Current Ratio for Sainsbury in the financial year of 2010 was 0.64 and 0.58 in the financial year 2011. A Current Ratio may be defined as a measure of an organization’s ability to pay its shortterm debts, ideally it should stand in at 2:1 (Atrill McAllen, 2008). The ratio for 2010 indicates that the company would be in a better position at paying off its obligations if they were due at that point in time. However due to the ratio for both years being under 1, it shows the company is not in a good position. Ironically however, having ascertained the available credit to the organization, this states otherwise. In comparison to its competition, Tesco had a current ratio of 0.73 in the financial year 2010 and 0.65 in the financial year 2011. This is somewhat similar with Sainsbury as there is only a gap of .2 in difference. Both companies figures look worrying, however the ability to turn stock into cash is another focal point to which will be later scrutinized. Having revisited the company’s balance sheet, its Net debt stood at  £1,549m in 2010 and  £1,814m in 2011 (an increase of  £265m). This difference quintessentially indicates that the company has been expanding over the course of a year. In the firm’s annual report for 2011 it shows the increment was due to rapid estate development (the addition of new Sainsbury Convenience stores) which was to an incontrovertible extent funded by the sale of leasebacks and advanced working capital (Sainsbury Annual Report 2011, p5). The appreciation in debt manifests the fact that Sainsbury hans’t cleared its existing debt, yet only continued to borrow more. Astonishingly however, the amount borrowed has been put to positive use in funding the expansion of the organization’s convenience stores. According to the Independent in March earlier this year, the company grew its market share of the convenience store market in 2011 with sales up 20% following the opening of 15 new stores. Further to the above-mentioned points, the company pursued further borrowing to enhance its profitability by expanding (proven to be a remunerative venture), enabling the firm to pay back its source of funding when required to do so. The idea of this long-term investment is that Sainsbury will gain a larger market share (forcing other less competitive companies to abdicate there share of the market) and increased profits both short and long-term. In criticism of the technique, the company should take into consideration the unforeseen changes in the market, namely demand for its products and services and of course future economic changes. How does it justify itself financially should there be a decrease in demand? The epitome lies with XL Airways, according to BBC News in 2008, the company hit financial discontentment after failing to secure further funding (up until that point it was in the process of expanding) due to unanticipated changes in the economy. Efficiency With regard to the organization’s efficiency, it is difficult to ascertain the overall effectiveness of performance without conducting in-depth research as it can be fairly arduous to gather enough data from ratio analysis. However, the business’s average inventory turnover (calculated by sales divided by inventories, Agyei-Boapeah, 2012) for the financial year 2010 was 30.5 (Sainsbury’s Income Statement 2010, p16), compared with 28.2 for the financial year 2011 (Sainsbury’s Income Statement 2011, p18) shows a minimal difference. The figures imply a poorer performance from the company in 2011, yet sales had subsequently increased in that year, furthermore, it was part of the organization’s goals to increment the sale of non food products which gives an account for the less frequent replacement of inventories (Sainsbury’s Income Statement 2011, p2; Sainsbury’s Annual Report 2011, notes 16). In order to gain a greater interpretation of the company’s efficiency its necessary to look at other ratios. Asset turnover (calculated by revenue divided by total assets, Agyei-Boapeah, 2012) for the financial year 2010 was 1.83 and 1.85 for the financial year 2011 (Sainsbury Group Income Statement 2011, p1). The higher the figure, the better. Having scrutinized these figures, it is clear to see a slight inclination in sales generated from assets for 2011. Although, the company has only seen a small contribution of profit accrued from the sale of assets. This may be understood by reviewing the firm’s growth policy once again and recalling that they have spent more on expanding and accumulating assets than selling assets (Sainsbury Annual Report 2011, p5). A comprehension of the above-mentioned points give clarity that the company’s management have conducted there duties efficiently. The prominence lies within sales performance and the ever growing multitude of stores to which the firm has within its ownership. The increased space exhibits a positive rate of expansion (15.9% according to Sainsbury Income Statement 2011, p2), furthermore, only a small percentage in change on the sale of assets and a lower inventory replacement. Further to the aforesaid point referring to replacement of inventories, it could be interpreted that as the firm sees a continuity of expansion, more goods are purchased through economies of scale (greater sized orders at lower prices, meaning less reordering) as is it the case that the company is introducing further non food products, namely televisions which aren’t everyday purchases. Yet of course it is likely to be the latter having previously identified company intentions (Sainsbury Annual Report 2011, p2). Finally it is prudent to take the ratios and compare them with that of Tesco. In the financial year of 2010, 20.8 was Tesco’s inventory turnover ratio and 19.2 in the financial year of 2011 (Tesco Annual Report 2011, p94). Again these figures represent an even poorer performance, but Tesco as do Sainsbury, sell a number of non food-products, 22% of sales are non-food products and the company is the UK’s largest non-food retailer (Tescopoly.org, Our Business section). Asset turnover for Tesco in the financial year of 2010 was 1.56 and 3.18 for the financial year 2011 (Tesco Annual Report 2011, p106). This shows some disparity in business efficiency and shows the company performed better in the year of 2011 when compared with 2010 and it also performed much better than Sainsbury (however it is mandatory to consider the company’s goals in comparison to that of Sainsbury). Asset Turnover comparison of Sainsbury with Tesco. Gearing Ratios The gearing ratios (Long-term liabilities) for Sainsbury on the 20th day of March 2010 were 32.86 compared with 30.79 on the 19th day of March 2011 (Telegraph shares, p1). This implies the company’s rate of borrowing to fund its activities was higher in the year of 2010 and as a result of the increase in profit for 2011 as eluded to above, activities were self-funded more often. The ratios referred to in the above paragraph doesn’t have the greatest of difference, meaning there was still a substantial amount funded by borrowed funds in 2011. A contribution to the high rate of borrowing is carefully examined by looking at the Office of National Statistics for 2010 and 2011. According to the Office of National Statistics, Consumer Price Index (hereinafter referred to as CPI) in the 12 months up to September 2010 saw a 5.2% increase in alcohol and tobacco products, a 5.1% increase in food and non-alcoholic beverages, 4.4% increase in communication and a 2.5% increase in other goods and services, including fuel (Office of National Statistics 2010/2011 Report, p1). Such increases may have caused customers to abstain from certain purchases or make less frequent purchases, this as a ripple effect would significantly impact upon the organization’s functioning. Ironically however, in 2011 CPI was at 5.2% in September, compared with 3.1% in September 2010 (Office of National Statistics 2011 Report, p1). A significant increase would anticipant further borrowing, yet this isn’t the case due to above-mentioned facts in this report. Sainsbury’s strategy to invest in expanding has given support to its profits for 2011 and enabled the business to reinvest these into its activities. This therefore negates the argument/concern over economic impact upon trading for 2011 and shows a return on investment when compared to company sales and profits with an amalgamated comparison of 2010/2011 financial performance (Sainsbury Income Statement 2011, p1-p5). Working Capital Management Moving on to the final focal point in this report, working capital. This is the measure of both a company’s efficiency and its short-term financial health (Agyei-bopeah, 2012). The working capital of the organization has seen a substantial increase in the financial year of 2011. The firm’s working capital increased by  £78m for 2011, which it states was primarily due to increased inventories which is  £110m higher than that at March 20th 2010 (Sainsbury Annual Report 2011, p1). An examination of ratios will help to ascertain the effectiveness of the firm’s working capital management, however it appeared difficult to derive this information from Tesco due to discrepancies to way in which data was laid out. Working Capital to Sales ratio can be calculated by taking working capital and dividing it by sales X 100 (Agyei-Bopeah, 2012). In the financial year of 2010 this figure was 1.5.7 and 1.2.8 for 2011. This manifests a less appreciated rate of performance for the year 2011, however the company did introduce a substantial number of non-food products. The company successfully managed to make cost savings of  £50m in the year 2011 (Sainsbury Interim Results 2011, p1). In an argument against this successful business practice, is it ethical for the company to pay farmers the minimal amount per gallon of milk to keep its customer want’s satisfied? Herein lies a problematic issue to which the organization faces in its ever growing desire to reduce costs. As a result it has led to pragmatism in critics of the firm’s fairtrade brand image and to what extent it coincides with the image. British farmers are forced to pay the price of supermarket price wars (The guardian, Saturday 2 July 2011, p48). With such concern over how much the firm should be saving on costs to attain a better position with working capital, it fails to take into consideration its ethos on fairtrade. It transpires to be the case that in order to make huge savings to support its growth in working capital, the company must continuously force its suppliers to drive the price of their products down as other factors change (cost of production, economic variations, energy/fuel prices and the cost of raw materials). On a more positive note, the company has managed to increase its working capital from the financial year of 2010 to 2011, this indicates positive changes in its business activity and demonstrates that it has good working capital management. As a result of the increase,  £12m in debt was paid off in the year of 2011. Yet as this section happens to coincide with efficiency, it epitomizes the effectiveness of the company strategy for 2011. Conclusion Sainsbury has set itself a fair number of targets to which are laid out in the company annual report for 2011. One being to increase space growth of 15% in two years set in the year of 2009 (Sainsbury Annual Report 2011, p1). The company exceeded this target percentage by .9% (Sainsbury Annual Report 2011, p1) which indicates its able to meet its targets, yet it also indicates more capital was spent on expanding and possibly more than it intended. As eluded to in the above sections, Sainsbury’s decision to rapidly expand has proven to be a remunerative venture and shown a slight increase in company profits for short-term comparisons between the financial years 2010 and 2011 where sales have grown by 9.4% (Sainsbury’s Income Statement 2011, p1). Such developments in the business will only give adequate comparisons after a greater interval enabling the researcher to comprehend as to how much the accelerated growth has had on the firm. In addition to the company’s growth in size it saw a huge appreciation in demand for its clothing brand, TU. It is understood that since fashion icon Gok Wan introduced a range of clothing, sales saw a growth of 17% as a year on year comparison for 2011 (Sainsbury’s Media, Latest Stories, p1). It is likely that this will continue to grow and complement the company’s expansion. Further to the above points, the liquidity ratios of the company are poor at this point in time which is due to accelerated growth (therefore negates the argument of poor performance). However when the firm finishes its expansion it is highly likely that the ratio will improve which is subject to no further large projects. Further to information ascertained from the company Annual Report of 2011, the company should be capable of repaying its loans as of there due dates thanks to its increased number of stores accumulating further profit. In addition to aforementioned points in the beginning of the conclusion, Sainsbury’s have five focus areas, great food at fair prices, accelerating the growth of complementary non-food ranges and services, reaching more customers through additional channels and growing supermarket space (Sainsbury’s Annual Report 2011, p3). Having already acknowledged the prosperity of its space growth, this also happens to coincide with its focus on reaching customers through additional channels as 37 new convenience stores were opened in the latter part of 2010 to the beginning of 2011 (Sainsbury’s Media, Latest Stores section). Since analyzing the company gearing ratios and how much it has in long-term debts, it is clear to see it could be a perilous problem for Sainsbury. The firm has made an audacious decision to invest in expanding in the hope for substantial returns in the not to distant future, yet this is not guaranteed income. If demand falls for the company’s products and services or there is a problem to which later impacts upon its brand image (the company is disproved to be a fairtrade retailer for example) the firm may find itself being liquidated if it is unable to repay the loans. Points eluded to in the above paragraph are a matter of deep concern to the organization and from research administered it doesn’t transpire to be the case that the firm has a contingency plan to support them with potential depreciation in demand. A contingency plan and in addition, a contingency fund is something to which Sainsbury should take into the highest of consideration should one not have already been devised (yet it is unlikely this would be the case). It will be of support to the firm in planning for unforeseen changes. References In this report the following sources were dwelled upon for guidance in ascertaining facts, extracting data and for the purpose of comparison. Books Atrill, P., McAllen, E. (2008) Accounting and Finance For Non-Specialists. Sixth edition. Prentice Hall. Harlow. Datta, S. (2011) Economics, Making sense of the modern economy. Third edition. Profile Books. London N, Gregory Mankiw. (2001) Principles of Economics. Second Edition. Harcourt College Publishers. Images James Blake (2012) Sainsbury Supermarket. [image online] Available at: http:// www.jbiwebdesign.co.uk/website-marketing/7-marketing-tips-we-can-learn-from-sainsburys [Accessed: 12 December 2012]. Lecture Notes Agyei-Boapeah, H (2012). Financial Statement Analysis 2. Lecture notes distributed in the topic BMAIE001AZ2012/3 Managing Finance. Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool on 02 November 2012. Agyei-Boapeah, H (2012). Working Capital Management 1. Lecture notes distributed in the topic BMAIE001AZ2012/3 Managing Finance. Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool on 09 November 2012. Agyei-Boapeah, H (2012). Working Capital Management 2. Lecture notes distributed in the topic BMAIE001AZ2012/3 Managing Finance. Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool on 16 November 2012. Websites BBC News (2004) Sainsbury Loses Out To Rivals. [ONLINE] Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/ hi/business/3682544.stm [Accessed: 24 October 2012]. BBC News (2012) Tesco Market Share Dips Below 30%. [ONLINE] Available at: http:// www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16817254 [Accessed: 18 October 2012]. BBC News (2008) Thousands Stranded By XL Collapse. [ONLINE] Available at: http:// news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7611639.stm [Accessed: 21 October 2012]. Bank Of England (2009) Statistical Interactive Database Official Bank Rate History. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/boeapps/iadb/Repo.asp [Accessed: 19 October 2012]. Guardian (2011) British Farmers Forced To Pay The Cost Of Supermarket Price Wars. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jul/02/british-farmers-supermarketprice-wars [Accessed: 23 October 2012]. Gokwan (2011) Sainsbury Collection Press . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.gokwan.com/ goks-video-blog/sainsbury-collection-press-launch/ [Accessed: 23 October 2012]. iforex (2012) FTSE 100. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.iforex.com/ftse-100 [Accessed: 18 October 2012]. Independent (2012) Small Store Openings Boost Sainsburys Profits. [ONLINE] Available at: http:// www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/small-store-openings-boost-sainsburysprofits-7579664.html [Accessed: 20 October 2012]. J Sainsbury (2012) About Us, Store Portfolio. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.jsainsbury.co.uk/about-us/store-portfolio/ [Accessed: 25 October 2012]. J Sainsbury (2011) Annual Report 2011. [ONLINE] Available at: http://annualreport2011.jsainsbury.co.uk/downloads/pdf/sainsburys_ar11_note_26_notes_to_the_cash_flow_statements.pdf [Accessed: 18 October 2012]. J Sainsbury (2011) Financial Statements, Annual Report, Balance Sheet. [ONLINE] Available at: http://annualreport2011.j-sainsbury.co.uk/financialstatements/balancesheets.shtml [Accessed: 18 October 2012]. J Sainsbury (2011) Financial Statements, Annual Report, Cashflow. [ONLINE] Available at: http:// annualreport2011.j-sainsbury.co.uk/financialstatements/cashflow.shtml [Accessed: 18 October 2012]. J Sainsbury (2011) Financial Statements, Financial Review. [ONLINE] Available

Regarding Facts as Truth

Regarding Facts as Truth In order to address the specific question, first, the word fact needs to be defined. Often associated with information and knowledge, a fact is a truth that has been verified and is supported by objective evidence. This being said, facts are limited by the scope of human ability and reality. Therefore, factual disputes can occur and will examined within the areas of knowledge of art and history. Regarding facts as a truth, individuals can mention the theory of relativism which states that there is no absolute truth, so truth is considered relative to culture or the individual; essentially, what is considered true for some, is considered false for others. Therefore, relativism allows both views to be valid. On the other hand, some can argue that truth is considered what an individual believes to be true. It is the use of our judgement, which stems from reason, that ultimately allows us to reach a conclusion. Therefore, facts as an aspect of truth can be subject to disputes; even if the facts are clear, judgements may differ based on reason, emotion, sense perception, and language. This leads to the knowledge question, to what extent is reason reliable in obtaining knowledge in history? History is the study of present evidence of the past. Using primary or secondary sources, historians try to understand the past using these records. In history class, different historians perspectives are examined on one specific event. For example, regarding German foreign policy, intentionalist historian Hugh Trevor- Roper stated Hitler was a man of ideas that had clear strategic objectives in foreign policy and war. On the other hand, structuralist AJP Taylor argued Hitlers foreign policies were essentially a continuation of imperial German motives and aimed to overturn the terms of the Versailles Treaty. These two historians can have differing views since they use reason to reach a different conclusion. Therefore, it is the methodology of history as an area of knowledge which requires the use of reason by which individuals not only analyze and construct their own ideas, but also, in which people can collectively create meaning by exchanging and improving these ideas. It is through reason that the legitimacy of knowledge claims can be questioned and answered. When disagreements occur, not only do the facts and subject of the matter need to be questioned, the evidence which allow facts to be accepted or valid need to be questioned. As individuals seek to determine the validity of facts, other issues will arise, such as reliability, and will allow them to consider the purpose of analysis in the framework of history and the issue of truth defined in the context of history. The interpretations and perspectives of individuals based on their process of reason will invite analysis. In one case, Historian R.G Collingwood (1889-1943) drew attention to the importance of going beyond the study of the actual historical event and understanding the motives and reasons behind those involved to understand the event as a whole.[1] This involves using emotion, imagination, and reason in order to evaluate the actions and thought process behind an event. However, if may difficult to sympathize with certain events or historical figures like Hitler, Pol Pot, etc.; this may cause an overload of emotion and instead cause social bias. Poor ability to reason can cause ignorance and prejudice, which in certain cases in the methodology of history, can be a limitation. A counterclaim to this is that reason is limited to the human ability and therefore, there may be certain things we, as humans, do not have the capacity to comprehend. Another way of knowing that comes into mind when mentioning reason, is language. So, to what extent do reason and language work together to achieve certainty in history? As the framework of history depends on language and the communication of information, we need to understand the meaning of language before truth can be analyzed. In history class, our class held a discussion in which we discussed the demands of the French revolutionaries which were satisfied by 1794. Depending on how the word, demand, was interpreted, students came up with different responses. For example, I interpreted the word demand as the social, intellectual, economic, and religious goals of the revolutionaries. Therefore, different people reason the meaning of language differently which can cause disagreement despite access to the same facts. However, it is important to keep in mind that there are aspects of truth that cannot be described adequately with language. Moving on to the second area of knowledge, art, is focused on sense perception and emotion. We can call something art because the intentions of the artist are known; something is a work of art if the maker intended it to evoke an aesthetic response. We can call something art as the intentions of the artist are known and was intended to evoke some sort of response. Another individual can call something art by assessing the quality of the work. According to the methodology of art, art relies upon the personal knowledge of the artist and is meant to interact with the audience on an emotional level. Therefore, art and the response to art may change over time and differ between individuals because art relies on sense perception and emotion as ways of knowing. Therefore, it is accepted that there are certain standards to judge art by, but different people have different tastes based on their perceptions and emotions towards a specific piece of art. This leads to the knowledge question, to what extent are sense perception and emotion reliable in interpreting reality in the arts? Upon viewing Jackson Pollocks Convergence painting, I personally thought the painting looked like a child could have painted it, but my sister loved the painting. For both my sister and I, we first used our sense perception and based on these senses, we constructed a basic understanding and meaning of what we were seeing. This was affected by the emotions that were sparked from what we sensed. EssentiallyÂÂ ¸ we were using our perception and emotion to understand what we were sensing. From this basic understanding, we built on it by drawing on past experiences or encounters. Therefore, based on these aspects, it is possible that my sister and I could reach different conclusions on how this piece of art was viewed. In this way, depending on the response evoked by each individual, art can influence our views and perceptions of the world. This can lead to confirmation bias and willful ignorance as we tend to favour the interpretation that coincides with our own interests and experiences. However, the emotions that are provoked can influence decisions and actions and it may challenge us to question our assumptions. A counterclaim is that despite the different perspectives and emotions that are evoked, truth is not guaranteed. Despite the interpretations and the response of the individual, the certainty of truth is not whole. Therefore, it is possible that experts within a discipline can disagree despite having access to the same facts as seen in history and the arts. These facts are reliant upon reason, sense perception, emotion, and language. I view disagreements similarly to perspectives; according to the cubist theory of truth, the more perspectives you have, the closer you are to the truth. Even though truth can vary with perspective, this does not mean there is no truth at all. In fact, different views can enrich our understanding of the truth and different interpretations give meaning to the facts. Furthermore, this allows us to avoid the error of dogmatism, mistaking a half- truth for the truth, as well as the error of relativism. [1] Boucher, D., 1989, The Social and Political Thought of R. G. Collingwood, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Americanization of the Australian Media Essay -- miscellaneous

Americanization of the Australian Media The Australian television and media have become americanised through the influence of American media and television programs in Australia. This research will only concentrate on the extent of Americanisation in Australia through the influence on television and the film industry as the aspect of Americanisation covers a wide range from fashion to language. To fully understand the topic of the hypothesis, proper exploration of the definitions of ‘identity’ and ‘culture’ are of relevance. ‘Identity’ and ‘culture’ play an integral role in what an Australian represents as well as how the world views Australians. The meaning of ‘identity’ can be summarized as; ‘The collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a thing is definitively recognizable or known’ as well as ‘the set of behavioral or personal characteristics by which an individual is recognizable as a member of a group’ (Meriam-Webster 2003). Culture one the other hand, can be simply coined as ‘the way of life’, language and traditions that are common amongst a group of people (Meriam-Webster 2003). The Australian identity and culture is something that is unique and exclusive to its people, word like ‘barby’, ‘g’day mate’ and ‘tinnies’ immediately refers to Australia. Australians pride themselves as hard-working, humourous and jovial people, who love the outdoors and good food. But in recent times we notice that Australians, are not being ‘Australian’ enough. Gone are the days where men wore rabbit-fur and trusty leather work-shoes. New York Yankees caps worn backwards and polished white Adidas Superstar sneakers coupled with denims worn below the hips instead have replaced these. Ten years ago, the mentioned situation could only exist in the United States of America. Today we see it happening in almost all major cities and suburbs in Australia (Mengel 2001, pers. comm., 11 Aug) Throughout the years, we have heard the term Americanisation frequently invoked but seldom defined. Originally, ‘Americanisation’ was the label used to define the assimilation of immigrants and other minorities seeking citizenship in the United States of. In most cases, ‘Americanisation’ was defined broadly as ‘The process by which an alien acquires our language, citizenship, customs and ideas’. (Bell & Bell, 1998:2) The overall term ‘Americanisation’ is most of t... ...sed, as cultural absorbtion not necessarily means that America is exerting dominance over Australia. A somewhat fairer comment on Americanisation would be,â€Å"What’s new about American culture invading Australia? Nothing. Australia might look, absorb, then move on to its own beat† (Mengel 2001, pers. comm. 11 Aug.) According to Mengel, this may be exactly what Australia along with the rest of the world is experiencing. There is no doubt that USA has managed to spread just about everything from fashion to fast food to hip-hop music throughout the world creating a popular culture. Australians may enjoy and appreciate this popular culture, but this by no means making them any less Australian (people still prefer watching cricket to professional wrestling e.g. WWE Smackdown) (Bennett 1999, p.208). An interesting fact is that the USA has its own cultural dilemma, it should be recognized that the US has likewise absorbed diverse cultures and traditions leading to many people to question who or what is a ‘real American’ (Bumbrey S. 1999). The idea of Americanisation should not be ignored but rather regarded as part of the cultural assimilation of the world leading towards globalization.