Differences in ethnic experiences of criminal justice system Essay Example for Free

Differences in ethnic experiences of criminal justice system Essay Ethnic minorities, afro-Caribbeans and, to a lesser extent, Asians, are vastly over represented in official statistics for criminal offending, and convictions, but these statistics are not necessarily representative of what is real. An example of these statistics is that black people make up 2. 7% of the British population, and Asians 4. 7%, but black people make up 11% of the prison population, and Asians 6%. Experiences amongst different ethnic groups who interact with the criminal justice system are still very diverse. Whilst self-report studies show that whites are more likely to offend than blacks and Asians even less likely (Indians 30%, Pakistanis 28% and Bangladeshis 13% according to Graham and Bowling) this does not represent the experiences of said ethnic groups. The criminal justice system consists of a number of steps which include policing, stop and search, arrests/cautions, prosecutions, trials, convictions, sentencing and prison and at each stage it appears that blacks, and more recently Asians, are much more likely to face injustice, abuse or negativity within the criminal justice system. Phillips and Bowling note that since the 1970s many allegations of oppressive policing towards ethnic minorities have been put forward with mass stop and search operations excessive surveillance, armed raids, police violence. With policies such as the Stop and Search and the Terrorism Act (2000), police officers may stop at any time or place, any vehicle or person and search them for any or no reasons, but the patterns of how these policies put to use are disproportionate towards ethnic minorities; black people are 7 times likely to be stopped than whites, and Asians 3 times as likely. Police disproportionately using stop and search techniques against minority ethnic groups may be the result of police racism, which the Macpherson report of 1999 highlights. Institutional racism within the police force and its individual members may make officers more suspicious, weary and paranoid about ethnic minorities. This could also be the result of demography, ethnic minorities are over-represented in the social groupings most likely to be stopped and search, such as young, unemployed, working-class males. However this could simply reflect the differences in offending between ethnic groups. But more evidence for institutional racism towards certain ethnic groups appears when we investigate more, white people are given cautions for crimes much more often than blacks or Asians, arrest rates for blacks are 3. 6 times higher than for whites. This again indicates some kind of unfair or racist treatment; however it could be the result of blacks or Asians being more likely to deny an offence and look for legal advice out of mistrust for the police, leading to an eventual arrest, as we have already noted that these minorities are more likely to be unfairly policed by officers. The mistrust of the system may also result in ethnic minorities who go on trial opting for a jury. Although in contrast, 60% of white defendants found guilty as compared with only 52% of blacks and 44% of Asians, and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) more likely to drop cases against ethnic minorities. This suggests that police are bringing weak cases against ethnic minorities to court, thus being abandoned. Although this suggests a more fair treatment in regards to prosecution and conviction, it indicates police racism in forcing ethnic minorities into court for frivolous crimes. Ethnic groups such as blacks and Asians possibly have a much harder and more negatively perceived experience of the criminal justice system because they are subject to a lot of discrimination, for instance in self-report studies when asked for the perpetrators ethnicity, many people would often guess black even if they arent sure, reinforcing the negative ethnic stereotype. Since the 9/11 attacks suspicions about Muslims have risen greatly, even though they cannot be justified on the large scale discrimination and prejudice they experience, this prejudice can often lead to over policing in ethnic minority areas, thus adding to the disparity in the criminal statistics, it may not be that these ethnic groups are committing more crime, it could just be that there are more police acting in a vigilant way around and towards these groups, so they are punished more harshly. It could be argued that if the same amount of vigilance and over-policing was applied to white communities equally, the statistics may equalize. Whilst it is clear that Blacks and Asians are overrepresented in criminal statistics, the extent of this remains to be seen, it is possible that the reality is that those ethnic groups, on average, do commit more crimes than others, it is also possible this is false.

The Topic Of Applied Management Project Education Essay

The Topic Of Applied Management Project Education Essay Reflection is the key that opens the door to understanding ourselves in relation to core ethical values (Beland, 2003, p.15). Indeed, reflective thinking is very important since it helps us to critically evaluate our own behaviour and behaviour of others. Being able to critically think and reflect on our work enables us to gain self-knowledge, to demonstrate our understanding of learning progress and take on the perspective of others. However, reflective thinking is most important in identifying the ways of problem-solving. By stepping back and reflecting on our experiences, we are able to think how to solve the problems, choose apropriate strategies and consider consequences of actions. The process of writing the Applied Management Project (AMP) has also incorporated various components to prompt my reflective thinking. It provided me with an opportunity to gain further insights from my own work through deeper reflection on my research and writing experiences. Thus, the following paper is structured to produce the critical evaluation of my own learning. It is a recollection of my own experiences during the process which I was engaged in producing AMP towards the completion of MSc. This major piece of individual work was structured to address appropriate strategies for corporate managers that would guide them on how to sell to the developing countries while at the same time reducing poverty rate. For this purpose, I was required to conduct, analyse and present.. by employing sound research methods to generate a 12,000 word research project report. Thus, the following report looks back on my thoughts and feelings, including mistakes and achievements. It also identifies successful aspects of the experience that might be usefully applied in the future and points out the lessons I should adopt in the long run. By the end of this report, I hope to be able to improve my future performance as an individual or as a member of the group. Recollection of Experiences Since the aim of AMP was structured to explore how multinational companies can become involved in the pursuit of poverty reduction while selling to the poor, it was necessarry to obtain a strong understanding about the issue at hand. For this purpose, an in depth review of the literature was undertaken to present a thorough analysis of the key elements involved in serving the poor. As such, the following section of the report recalls the development and key stages in search for the in-depth literature. Development of Literature Review One of the most important and crucial things that proceeded writing a report was to precisely define the problem I wished to address. Thus, I started off by establishing a mission statement that guided me throughout the whole process. Having a purpose for my literature review helped me narrow the scope of what I needed to look out for when I was researching. Once the problem was defined, my literature review involved two stages: the research process and writing process. 2.1.1.Research Process: I started my research process by brainstorming ideas for my subject at hand. I determined the questions I was attempting to answer and scanned the articles which helped me refine the topic. Using keywords from abstracts and descriptors, I performed a broad and general survey to orient myself to the field, to find out the main theories, the key scholars, and their principal publications. This pointed me to the key studies I should read. Thus, a more detailed, selective list of books, journals and articles was narrowed down as most relevant. Secondary Research Only secondary research was employed in the AMP which involved processing data from previous studies and findings in order to come to conclusion. The secondary research was undertaken through to focus on a deeper and more insightful level of investigation of certain areas, such as BOP proposition, buyer behaviour, marketing strategies and others. It was important to conduct secondary data as it played a substantial role in the exploratory phase of the research when the task at hand is to provide recommendations for improvement. The assembly and analysis of secondary data almost invariably improved my understanding of the topic problem. Note Taking Note taking was essential with a long assignment of this nature.  In order to concentrate on and understanding the information I was reading, summarising the ideas and arguments were necessarry. Thus, I used a sytem of grouping notes in categories such as theories, findings, opposing views and other aspects of the topic. This approach allowed me to focus on the points relevant to my purpose. A track of notes of all the references I wanted to use, including a detailed bibliography, was also kept. Such well-organised notes made the writing process much more efficient. It made it easier to analyse and evaluate the information and to synthesize it to find patterns, connections and trends. Note taking was essential to provide me with the necessary evidence to inform and develop the argument. Thus, I tried to manage my notes from the start of my research to the editing of the final version of the project. Evaluation of Literature Review The sources used in my report were carefully chosen based on their relevancy. Indeed, it was very important to focus on the relevancy of the relevant material used otherwise this could decrease the credibility of the paper. As such, evaluation of literature was essential thus, authors credentials, expertise, date of publication, reputation of the publisher and other evaluating material points were taken into consideration. The literature review spanned the body of journals, abstracts, books, websites and references from articles across the works of business approach towards poverty alleviation. Peer-reviewed journals served as the main adequate sopport material for my report. These articles reviewed by experts in the field provided me with more in-depth studies and explorations. The availability of journals online helped me greatly with my report, as they were easily searchable.  Ã‚  However, it was quite difficult to select the most reliable ones as a great deal of irrelevant and incorrect material can be found online. Thus, the advice from library staff was taken on how to access relevant material in a variety of formats.  They advised me to avoid using particular websites where the information provided was not based on the reliable and veracious sources.  I also tried to avoid newspapers, magazines and non-peer reviewed journals. 2.1.2. Writing Process Writing process included couple of stages. Brainstorming was the first stage to get me started. Using notes I noted down the ideas, wrote sub-topics I wanted to include in my report. I then wrote down these ideas without concern for conventions. Drafting was the preliminary stage of my written work where I did not think about word-count, grammar or spelling; some of the sentences did not even fit too well. At this stage I also organized the layers of subheadings. I selected notes to each section, arranged them according to themes, types of literature, main findings, contrasting perspectives. Using subheads to guide the organization made it easier to write and to follow. Revision was another important step in the process of writing where I reviewed, altered and amended the information from the draft. At the editing stage I removed sections, rewrote paragraphs and added in information. When adding, I tried to take into account what the reader would want to hear and presented only points directly relevant to the reviews focus. In many cases, I needed to rearrange my sections for the report to flow better. Finally, I produced the final report. Throughout the whole report I tried to use clear topic sentences and transitions to help the reader follow ideas. I also used summary sentences in each section that underscores the significance of what I had synthesized. Finally, I summarized main points for the topic, by pointing out existing gaps and directions for future research and practice. Time Management In order to boost my performance and to deliver the report on time, management of my time was of a great importance. Thus, a number of activities needed to be set. These included strategies such as planning, allocating, setting goals, analysis of my time spent, organising and prioritizing. I started off by making a list of everything I wanted to do regarding report writing. Such list included things like background reading, additional research, samples of other dissertations and other key elements that helped me to enhance my report sufficiency. I reviewed the list and prioritised the work that needed to be done first. Using a calendar, I then tried to ensure that   my research effort is aligned with the way in which my dissertation would be structured. To do this, I drew a typical weeks timetable on a large sheet of paper, on which I  wrote down my activities and other regular commitments such as part-time work and regular social events. When drawing timetable, I took into accou nt of the time and place I was best to get on with my work. I also mapped out a timetable of sub-tasks and assignment deadlines. Personal Feelings and Learning from Experience The Applied Management Project has demonstrated my abilities to use the knowledge and skills that I learned during the course. I was contsantly required to combine knowledge and increase my understanding in a variety of ways. In particular, in search for literature allowed me to gain appreciation for the practical applications of knowledge. By stepping outside my classroom, I was able to learn about the theories, tools, resources, and ethical issues that scholars and professionals encounter on a daily basis. In addition, I learned how to formulate questions, design plans to find answers, collect and analyze data, produce creative solutions, and share my findings with others. Most importantly, it made me an informed consumer, so that now I will be able to evaluate the information presented and make informed decisions about business approach towards poverty reduction. Nevertheless, since there was an abundance of literature available, it was hard to select which information to use. I felt confused and was not sure which direction to take. I felt demotivated and was not interested in continuing with the report. Fortunately, I received a great support from group members. They gave me a friendly advise on the issue at hand which clarified my doubts and confusion. I also felt quite anxious at times working effectively in time constrained situation like this. For such a major undertaking, it was essential that I manage my time well throghout the whole process of writing. Thus, organizing my activities in a sequence that best utilized my time was critical. With the help of previously mentioned calendar, I managed to meet the deadline. I also tried to make sure that I got a reasonable number of study sessions in each week however at times, it was quite dificult to study accordingly to my plan. Unexpected social events made it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ However, I tried to use every trick ro persuade myself to stay committed to my plan. Group Dynamics and Learning from Experience Not only did the Applied Mangement Project enabled my adaptation of appropriate methods for the unique focus of this project and enhanced my individual creativity, but it also gave me an advantage of working in a diverse group. Throughout the year of the Masters course I experienced many benefits the multi-cultural group can bring, thus, I was extremely happy to work as part of a group this time. Our group started off using what we learned of core values and creating the main goal to help guide us through the project. We established a set of values and mission statement during our first meeting. This helped us to remain motivated and stay on task. Group discussions involed everyones active participation which was a very effective learning method for all of us. All of us shared experiences and feedback, pooled ideas, generated insights, and developed an arena for analysis of experiences. This approach allowed for the utilization of the different skills, knowledge and experiences that team members had. As such, a great diversity of ideas were developed and I found the energy of the group participation made me feel even more energetic about contributing to a team. Thus, I tried to share all the relevant information I found about the project. My input was well aknowledged by others and I felt appreciated. In fact, each of us kept updated each other about the changes thruoghout th e whole process, which led to a greater understanding of the topic about poverty reduction. Since we were working together for a week only, we did not encounter any big arguments or problems. Some debates however occured whenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. We worked all together to clearly defined the problem, tried to thoroughly explore and understand what is expected from us. Some of us collected additional information and analyzed it to understand what to do further. Such group dynamics helped in clarifying doubts, confusions and misconceptions. In particular, this task gave us an opportunity to connect with the staff at the University of Bedfordshire. They were very helpful in directing us what we should include in our reports. It was amazing the amount of friendship was created in our team. Many times team members went extreme lengths to help each other. Everyone knew they can rely on each others support and encouragement. Such mutual trust facilitated through open, honest and collaborative environment.All in all, working together was extremely important to the success of my indivdual work. I received so much advice, support, new ideas that helped to enhance my report and improve effectiveness. Lessons for Future The skills and knowledge gained during the Applied Management Project can be usefully applied on my future projects. Research skills à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦along with group work will make me achieve my future goals. Nevertheless, I have not sufficiently learned how to manage my time. Thus, develop good study habits and time management skills without procratinating would be my next step to improving my performance. During this assignment I learned that I need to make more careful and effective use of my time than ever before. I was responsible for planning and organising my work and therefore responsible for managing my own time. And even though it offered me a good opportunity for developing this skill as well as providing a new challenge, I found myself distracted from it many times. Therefore, in future I will try to concentrate on the important elements of my tasks and stop working frantically with no accomplishments. I believe that finishing my essential tasks as they arise can prevent a tremendous loss of time and help me to stop procrastinating. Next time, I would also start preparing as soon as I receive the task. When I give myself enough time to plan effectively, I will save time and avoid stress. Therefore, proper scheduling, planning, deciding on objectives, looking at the components of the task and sorting out the different skills will be key elements of report writing. Finally, even though I achieved a successful outcome, but to improve my achievement for future, I perhaps would need a supervisor or mentor to help encourage and advice me. Conclusion The Applied Management Project gave me the opportunity to demonstrate my knowledge and constantly stimulated the environment where I was able to use my understanding in different areas. During its process I went through many thoughts and feelings which this reflective report was aimed to explore. It looked back at my experiences of mistakes as well as successful aspects that migh be usefully applied in the future. Indeed, reflecting on and learning from this experience, including my mistakes, will help me to avoid repeated mistakes and, at the same time, identify successful aspects of an experience and principles which might usefully be applied to other situations. Reflection has provided the opportunity to make sense of and learn from any experience and handle similar situations appropriately another time. For instance, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦It gave me the chance to explore thoughts and feelings, work through difficult or painful experiences, develop self awareness and fresh insights. Indeed, reflection on my own experience help you to make links between theory and practice, integrate new knowledge with previous knowledge and develop your understanding. I believe that It  prepared me for the world beyond university by honing my independent thinking and creativity, time-management and budget skills, and confidence in my academic and career goals. This knowledge is fundamental to my future, which I attempt to continually develop and reflect.

Consumers Behaviour Shaped By The Media Advertising Media Essay

Consumers Behaviour Shaped By The Media Advertising Media Essay The mass media in todays society has shape the way we act, think and react to certain outcomes in our lives. It has such an impact on the choices we make and the choices that are available for us to make, that we sometimes dont even know its there. This often creates an awareness of the roles and attitudes we are expected to react to through commercialism. Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they dont have for something they dont need (Rogers, 2004 ) and these desires of wanting these certain products are largely the results made by the mass media. Perhaps, marketers should look at a different way of targeting consumers without having to mould their minds in such a way that has changed our uniqueness as an individual living in todays global world. Consumer behaviour is often described as the way we make decisions in purchasing specific products. Factors such as economic, demographic, psychological and social influences have played a major role in influencing our behaviour as consumers (Quester McCarthy, 2001). However, as we go into depth, the long term consequences of commercialism are much more serious than we imagine. So are we to blame the firms and organisations for manipulating our minds as consumers? Or are we too fragile to resist such temptation. According to the American Marketing Association (AMA), consumer behaviour is defined as the dynamic interaction of affect and cognition, behaviour, and environmental events by which human beings conduct the exchange aspects of their lives (American Marketing Association 2006). While another definition has defined consumer behaviour as The study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use to select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society (Hawkins, Best, Convey Koch, 2004). So we ask, is this definition still effective in this scenario, especially when our attitudes and perceptions are being tampered with? Some people feel that they are not affected by advertising, but they are. The media not only advertises directly, but they also try to appeal to people on an unconscious level Its harder to persuade them when theyre thinking (The Ad and the Ego, 1997) shows just how manipulative the media can be. For example, in 2001 the tobacco industry tried persuading its customers by using terms such as light to mislead smokers into believing that those brands are safer. They also made it seem like smoking is a part of everyday life. In many ads that promote tobacco, smoking is introduced as a natural part of having a good time. This as a result encourages consumer into supporting tobacco companies by purchasing their light cigarettes. Advertising is the means by which goods or services are promoted to the public (Petley, 2003). The advertisers goal is to increase sales of these goods or services by drawing peoples attention to them and showing them in a favourable light (Petley, 2003). According to (Arens in Ayanwale, Alimi and Ayanbimipe, 2005), the mission of advertiser is to reach prospective customers and influence their awareness, attitudes and buying behaviour. They spend a lot of money to keep individuals interested in their products. To succeed, they need to understand what makes potential customers behave the way they do. Advertising is a marketing function, and Kotler (in Bokor, Werner and Richardsson; 2004) claims that advertising can have a number of different, possible objectives. One objective can be to inform customers about new product or a price change, while another objective can be to persuade. In this sense advertising is a phenomenon that aims to persuade or influence people (Bjurstrà ¶m, 199 4). Most of the critics today believe that the use of commercialism has dramatically changed the way consumers behave and the way they carry out their lifestyle. Looking at the examples present in todays society, its possible to say that these theories may be pretty accurate. For example, Advertisers often emphasize sexuality and the importance of physical attractiveness in an attempt to sell products. They often emphasise thinness as a standard for female beauty, and the bodies idealized in the media are frequently atypical of normal, healthy women. You are continually competing with everyone around you to be noticed, to be seen, to be admired, to be successful. Ads urge us to become what we behold. It is advertising which defines physical beauty for women. Modern advertising conditions women to strive for an unattainable standard of beauty all in the service of selling products. Women frequently compare their bodies to those they see around them, and researchers have found that exposur e to idealized body images lowers womens satisfaction with their own attractiveness (Magazine Models Impact Girls Desire to Lose Weight, Press Release, 2008). As a result, the depiction of thin models has adversely impacted womens body image, which has led to unhealthy behaviour as women and girls strive for the ultra-thin body idealized by the media. Advertising images have also set unrealistic ideals for males, and men and boys are beginning to risk their health to achieve the well-built media standard. Advertising that pushes people to be small and eat large supports eating disorder thinking and behaviour. The continual onslaught of emaciation, body surgery, and diet publicity actually convinces many people that the lifestyle being portrayed is normal. Such media portrayal validates starvation, cutting behaviors and binge and purge cycles. Plus, this portrayal can delay recovery work. If a person with an eating disorder is subjected to a barrage of images and messages celebrating the symptoms of her illness, she may believe she is living well and wisely and will not seek treatment. This is a cultural phenomenon that is tragic. It contributes to people taking pride in their illness, proselytizing eating disorders, destroying their health, ruining relationships and, in far too many cases, shortening their lives. So do advertisers see such an impact theyve done to consumers? The main objective of advertising is to convince the consumer to behave in a certain manner which is most favourable for the advertiser. It may influence the consumer in different ways, because the advertiser spends an enormous amount of money to sell his product in the most creative and persuasive manner possible. Before 1900 advertising was mostly informational. Ads described products and appealed to consumers logic and judgement. World War I and the 1920s saw advertising shift from text to more emotional and image-centered modes. Advertising became less about products and more about the emotional and social lives of the people buying the products. The growing industrial economy dictated that not only goods but also markets for goods needed to be mass-produced. Soon, advertisements began to promote anxiety, discomfort, and inadequacy among the population. Youre not OK the way you are, You need help. You need salvation Ads generate anxiety and doubts making us feel uncomfortable in our skins. This we call the production of discontent (Hawkins, Best, Convey Koch, 2004). Advertising sells more than products, it sells values, images, concepts, and above all, normalcy it tells us who we are and who we should be. Advertising teaches us above all to be consumers. It teaches us that happiness can be bought, that there are instant solutions to lifes complex problems, and that products can fulfil us and meets our deepest human needs. We live in a consumer culture, saturated with mass media images. Much of our physical, informational, and cultural space is for sale billboards, TV, magazines, newspapers, even the area behind home plate. All of these spaces pitch products promising to improve our lives. We are all, sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously, affected by this advertising, often in very subtle ways. Whats important is not our experience of any one ad but that of living in an advertising environment which repeats certain messages again and again. We dont see it very well because we re-surrounded by it all the time. Like Richard Pollay (in Pollay, W; 1979) explains that just as a fish dont think about the sea, we dont think much about ads because we are surrounded by this ad environment from birth to death. He argues that one of educations goals ought to be to get the fish to think about the water. In order to understand modern society, he concludes, advertising is the best place to look. Humans are meaning-making creatures, always wondering who i am? and why do things work the way they do? After a century of experience, advertisers understand the power of symbolism and strive to discover symbols that make people react in predictable ways. Advertisers try to create stimuli to make individuals salivate if you can grab people their emotions, you can get them to follow. We have a cultural disposition to believe what we see. The human brain processes images and words differently. What we reflect on, consider, and even argue with logical appeals built on words, but we dont talk back to images. Advertisers realize that people are more easily influences by images than words. Seeing advertisements on the television, billboards or hearing them on our favourite radio stations has become a part of our daily lives whether we like it or not. Being exposed to numerous advertisements do affect our behaviour in some way what so ever. As a consumer myself, I strongly believe that advertising has a detrimental effect to peoples behaviour in many ways. We tend to follow our primary instincts and forget the real values in life. By acting on our insecurity and self-consciousness advertising makes us more inclined to products we are once happy with. We covet and envy our friends. We become greedy and are never satisfy with what we have. Advertising has created consumerism which affects our ability to communicate with each other. Most people nowadays prefer sharing their thoughts through electronic mail or latest cell phones than personal contacts. We have definitely become more distant from one another and consumerism is probably the main cause of this social alienatio n. On the other hand, while advertising have a negative impact on our personality it may also have a positive impact on economy. The fewer commercials we see, the less amount of money we spend. For a large company and its competitors, advertising has become the only way of introducing products to the customers and for us sometimes it is the only way to learn about what they sell. One of the main indicators of a healthy and strong economy is the money flow or how much money is spent, in other words how much money advertising has succeeded to get out of our pockets. This results in low unemployment rate and increase in our standards of living. Despite the fact that advertising will be thriving on our weaknesses in the years to come, we should try not to become slaves to material things and do our best to retain core values which after all distinguish us as human beings.

Dress Codes and School Uniforms Essay -- Education Clothing Essays

Dress Codes and School Uniforms The ringing of the alarm clock that is placed conveniently beside your bed wakes you. The sound startles your brain into getting out of your warm, cozy bed. It is time to go to school. You must wake up now in order to make it on time. If you are late again, your teacher will probably give you that nasty look of dismissal. What are you going to wear? Is this a dilemma you face each morning? Do you have trouble wanting to get out of your bed, and then you are faced with the troubling question of what cool, clean, unwrinkled outfit you should wear that day? Do you think your life would be easier if you could just throw on a uniform? This way you might not have to think so hard in the morning, right after that bellowing alarm clock frightens you into facing the world. Or do you like being able to express your individuality? This is an important question to think about. The first amendment gives each person in this nation the right to free expression. You should be able to dress as you wish and not feel pressured to dress in a uniform manner, with the rest of you student body. Right? I agree with this latter statement. "Currently 20% of the nation's school districts use uniforms, most of them voluntarily" (Portner, 2001). The states included in this percentage are: California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia. Long Beach, California was the first to enforce voluntary school uniform policies into their schools. There are 60 elementary schools, 15 middle schools, and one high school in Long Beach that have introduced this policy. There are over 72,000 students wearing school uniforms in Long Beach, California. Of these 72,000 students, on... ... In case you missed it: Some thoughts about school unfiroms. (26 April 2001). WWW: http://www.middleweb.com/INCASEUniforms.html Judge says school's dress code is legal. (1 September 1999). WWW: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/99/09/st090125.html Marchant, V. (13 September 1999). Time Magazine: Dress for success. WWW: http://www.time.com/magazine/articles/0,3266,30497.00.html Portner, J. (26 April 2001). Schools ratchet up the rules on student clothing. WWW: http://www.edweek.org/ew/vol-8/35teens.h18 School Uniforms: Where they are and why they work. (26 April 2001). WWW: http://www.edgov/updates/uniforms.html Seigel, L. (1 March 1996). In Congress: Point of view: School uniforms. WWW: http://www.alcu.org/congress/uniform.html Those disgusting school uniforms. (1 October 1998). WWW: http://www.optionality.net/mag/oct98a.html

Finding True Freedom in Kate Chopins The Awakening Essay -- Chopin A

Finding True Freedom in The Awakening   Kate Chopin's novel, The Awakening details the endeavors of heroine Edna Pontellier to cope with the realization that she is not, nor can she ever be, the woman she wants to be. Edna has settled for less. She is married for all the wrong reasons, saddled with the burden of motherhood, and trapped by social roles that would never release her. The passage below is only one of the many tender and exquisitely sensory passages that reveal Edna’s soul to the reader. "The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, dancing, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation. The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace."(32) When Edna's one chance for change; her only hope, Robert, deserts her, she realizes that her dreams are unachievable.   It is this grim acceptance that steals our heroine's last shard of optimism from her. Edna Pontellier's suicide is completely believable, justifiable, and understandable. This world was too cruel for her tender spirit; this life too stifling for her to bear. None of this surprises me. How many women (or men, for that matter) go through life with their eyes closed? How many find it easier to simply shut out the ugliness and horror that surrounds them? Finally seeing the loathsome existence they are a part of can simply be "too much" for many to sustain. Utter despair and hopelessness soon devour that fragile soul, with frailty too great for this existence. Mr. Pontellier's thoughts reveal much about Edna's nature to us, and perhaps most of her mistakes as well. He feels that "his wife... ... The social roles she was trying to break away from would never really have released her. "Leonce and the children†¦were a part of her life. But they need not have thought that they could possess her, body and soul" (137). I find myself wishing that she had never opened her eyes; that she could have lived out her days blissfully ignorant of the circumstances which bound her. This being impossible, even more than the idea of a life of her own, Edna chose the only possible option to escape from an existence full of unfulfilled desires and unhappiness. Edna re-enters the sea; scene of her first taste of power and emancipation. She returns because it offers her the only other possible freedom she is allowed; the freedom of death. It is not an act of weakness, or romanticism†¦it is that of a woman claiming her liberty, her strength†¦and her self†¦one last time.    Finding True Freedom in Kate Chopin's The Awakening Essay -- Chopin A Finding True Freedom in The Awakening   Kate Chopin's novel, The Awakening details the endeavors of heroine Edna Pontellier to cope with the realization that she is not, nor can she ever be, the woman she wants to be. Edna has settled for less. She is married for all the wrong reasons, saddled with the burden of motherhood, and trapped by social roles that would never release her. The passage below is only one of the many tender and exquisitely sensory passages that reveal Edna’s soul to the reader. "The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, dancing, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation. The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace."(32) When Edna's one chance for change; her only hope, Robert, deserts her, she realizes that her dreams are unachievable.   It is this grim acceptance that steals our heroine's last shard of optimism from her. Edna Pontellier's suicide is completely believable, justifiable, and understandable. This world was too cruel for her tender spirit; this life too stifling for her to bear. None of this surprises me. How many women (or men, for that matter) go through life with their eyes closed? How many find it easier to simply shut out the ugliness and horror that surrounds them? Finally seeing the loathsome existence they are a part of can simply be "too much" for many to sustain. Utter despair and hopelessness soon devour that fragile soul, with frailty too great for this existence. Mr. Pontellier's thoughts reveal much about Edna's nature to us, and perhaps most of her mistakes as well. He feels that "his wife... ... The social roles she was trying to break away from would never really have released her. "Leonce and the children†¦were a part of her life. But they need not have thought that they could possess her, body and soul" (137). I find myself wishing that she had never opened her eyes; that she could have lived out her days blissfully ignorant of the circumstances which bound her. This being impossible, even more than the idea of a life of her own, Edna chose the only possible option to escape from an existence full of unfulfilled desires and unhappiness. Edna re-enters the sea; scene of her first taste of power and emancipation. She returns because it offers her the only other possible freedom she is allowed; the freedom of death. It is not an act of weakness, or romanticism†¦it is that of a woman claiming her liberty, her strength†¦and her self†¦one last time.   

Dabur Brand Revie

The brand name Dabur is derived from the words ‘Da' for ‘Daktar’ or ‘Doctor’ and ‘bur' from Burman. From those humble beginnings, the company has grown into India's leading manufacturer of consumer healthcare, personal care and food products. Over its 125 years of existence, the Dabur brand has stood for goodness through a natural lifestyle. An umbrella name for a variety of products, ranging from hair care to honey, Dabur has consistently ranked among India’s top brands. Its brands are built on the foundation of trust that a Dabur offering will never cause anyone slightest of harm.The trust levels that this brand enjoys are phenomenally high. Dabur had a turnover of approximately US$ 750 Million (Rs. 3390. 9 Crore FY 09-10) ;amp; Market Capitalisation of over US$ 3. 5 Billion (Rs 15500 Crore), Ner income of : (INR) 425 Crore (2008-09)with brands like Dabur Amla, Dabur Chyawanprash, Vatika, Hajmola and Real. The company has kept an eye on new generations of customers with a range of products that cater to a modern lifestyle, while managing not to alienate earlier generations of loyal customers. The company's growth rate rose from 10% to 40% Dabur Foods, a subsidiary of Dabur India is expecting to grow at 25%.Its brands of juices, namely, Real and Active, together make it the market leader in the Fruit Juice Category Value: Mass market value For money The brand trunaround† why? Overall slow down in FMCG Stiff competition To target young india – largest consumer Modernize old brand equity-â€Å" intangible asset† Dabur also has reinvented the mother logo Enter new category; innovate offerings Repositioning as FMCG company Moved away from Umbrella branding strategy Retaining Dabur as corporate brand identity Dabur’s New Brand Architecture 5 Power Brands Umbrella brand for juice and other foods; aimed at p market consumer Product to be launched is Lemon Juice: Branded fruit beverage market in I ndia is estimated to be worth Rs. 1,200 crore (nectars, drinks and juices combined)The fruit drink market Juice accounts 30%,Nectar:10%, Fruit drinks:60% COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS Pepsi co: Nimbooz has grown 29% Coca Cola : Minute Maid Nimbu Fresh- pulp based drink Parle : LMN this has grown 30% Market size of Lemon Juice in India in Organized sector: The unpackaged nimbu paani market in India is very large; to put it in perspective, it is twice the size of the total carbonated soft drinks industry. India’s Parle Agro, the name behind the LMN brand which launched a year ago, has outperformed the market growing 30 per cent. Of the 600m-case juice market, lemon juice drinks have a 44 per cent share. According to an industry report 120bn litres of beverages are consumed annually in India with 55 per cent of sales of Indian soft drinks during the summer months of March to May, and companies are keen to maximise growth in this season.If next year’s summer is as hot as this one, a nimbu paani drink or three will definitely be in order Target market: 1) Primary and secondary market SEC A and SEC B * Recreational * Fitness * Health Lifestyle * Sports Primary Market: * Teens – More experimental * Youth – Experimental and more buying power Working People who travels a lot * Secondary Market Secondary market: Travel Industry – Airlines, Railways and Local Transport Systems ,Recreational – Movie Theatres, Malls, Amusement Parks, school, collages, hotels, restaurants Market Segmentation: * Metropolitan Cities, major cities of the states, and towns. * Density of Area: Urban, Semi-urban, Rural. Climate: Tropical * Age – 8 and above * Users perceive Lemon juice as a healthy drink. * Users drink fruit juice as a refreshing alternative to carbonated drinks.Users willingly spend on products related to health and lifestyle. Users enjoy Lemon juice not only as a means of healthy life, but as an intrinsically enjoyable Marketing strategy of Dabur: Dabur should reinforce the authentic â€Å"homemade† taste through aggressive marketing campaigns and have tried to appeal to the increasingly health-conscious Indian consumer by making them without artificial ingredients. Product Type: lomon Juice Features: Lemon Juice is a 100 percent Lemon juice which will be produced and marketed by the Dabur ltd. Brand Name: Lemon Juice Product Life Cycle: Our product lie in introduction period Low sales * High costs per customer * Negative profits * Innovator customers * Few competitors Objective: to create awareness and trial * Offer a basic product * Price at cost-plus * Selective distribution * Awareness – dealers and early adopters * Induce trial via heavy sales promotion * Place Distribution Channel Product location availability Modes of transportation * Pricing Provide Lucrative discounts, deals and schemes Adopt sales oriented objective Have one price policy [email  protected] 8 Rs/ 200Ml * Promotion Promotiona l Tactics Provide free samples in the market for the brand awareness Advertising:To our target audience by using the message showing a glass full of Lemon juice â€Å"Drink this much every day â€Å" Tie up promotional strategy with: PVR, In film advertising Hero Honda: Hero Honda Motors Limited, based in Delhi, India is a joint venture between the Hero Group of India and Honda of Japan[2][3] It has been referred to as the world's biggest manufacturer of 2-wheeled motorized vehicles since 2001, when it produced 1. 3 million motorbikes in a single year. During the fiscal year 2008-09, the company has sold 3. 28 million bikes and the net profit of the company stood at Rs. 1281. 7 crore, up 32% from the previous fiscal year. verification needed][3] Hero Honda has been the largest two wheeler company in the world for nine consecutive years. The company had a market share of 41. 35% in the year 2008-2009 and over a 25 year span it has crossed the 15 million unit milestone. Hero Honda s ells more two wheelers than the second, third and fourth placed two-wheeler companies put together. [4] The company's most popular model is the Hero Honda Splendor, which is the world's largest-selling motorcycle, selling more than one million units per year Hero† is the brand name used by the Munjal brothers for their flagship company Hero Cycles Ltd.A joint venture between the Hero Group and Honda Motor Company was established in 1984 as the Hero Honda company,India. During the 1980s, the company introduced motorcycles that were popular in India for their fuel economy and low cost. A popular advertising campaign based on the slogan ‘Fill it – Shut it – Forget it' that emphasised the motorcycle's fuel efficiency helped the company grow at a double-digit pace since inception. Hero Honda has three manufacturing facilities based at Dharuhera and Gurgaon in Haryana and at Haridwar in Uttarakhand.These plants together are capable of churning out 3. 9 million bi kes per year. [citation needed] Hero Honda's has a large sales and service network with over 3,000 dealerships and service points across India. Hero Honda's customer loyalty program,[clarification needed] the Hero Honda Passport Program, claims to be one of the largest programs of its kind in the world with over 3 million members Launch of New Prodcut: Honda Cart: A three Wheeler Cart will be a . 75 ton truck in the commercial vehicle segment which is dominated by large trucks. It can be called India's next generation mini truck .The sub one ton loads were transported by the three wheeler goods carriers. Although the quality and performance of these three wheelers are less than desirable there was still huge demand for these vehicles. It is this market where TATA Ace is the only leading competitor . It is the transportation at the † last mile† market that Ace has captured. Honda Cart will have all the qualities of a winner. It will be cute, the engine would be good inter ms of mileage and performance, the comfort factor can very much there and more over it is a Truck and not an Auto.Priced competitively at 2. 00 lakh to 2. 20 lakh, which is below Ace is a value proposition that no one can refuse. The brand will launched at a point where there was a need for transportation of good speedily and conveniently and in a cost effective manner. Need for the Honda Cart: Honda Cart will be cost-effective means for local transport of small cargo in the long run. Previously, customers had to incur additional charges by renting vehicles with a much larger payload for small cargo movements. Due to pradhan mantri gramin sadak yojana , Road onnectivity is expected to greatly improve in rural areas ?It is envisaged that higher tonnages vehicles will be not allowed in cities ?In both the cases, all last mile distributing will be covered by large vehicles ?The exciting production in this category is cumbersome , coupled with safety, pollution ;amp; comfort etc.. issue s Market Research : To understand the potential customer better. It found that there were two types of customers for Honda Cart : cost sensitive customers, and others who valued return on investment (ROI).The company targeted ROI customers who were willing to pay a higher price but wanted low operating costs. Comparative analysis :The Honda Cart would provide excellent economy with oil change required only for every 10,000 km when compared to three wheelers which required it for every 2,500 km. Evne TATA ACE required at every 9,000KM. The vehicle traveled at a top speed of 70 km per hour and had a mileage of 20 km per liter with a high payload capacity in compare to TATA ACE which has speed of 65 km per hour and 18km per liter as mileage. This enabled the owners to make more trips in less time.Bajaj Auto, Force Motors, Eicher, Piaggio and Ashok Leyland are very much on their way to entering the one-ton four-wheeler space. † The official further added, â€Å"Players like Eiche r and Swaraj Mazda, which are already present in the 1. 5-ton truck space, will now shift their focus to one ton. † Product: Honda Cart. PLC- Entry stage. Brand Name: Honda Cart Price: 2. 00Lakh-2. 20Lakhs Place : Tier II and III cities. Rural and semi urban. Promotion: The company could offer a range of additional accessories such as vehicle protection system, music systems and even Ganesha idols.Apart from the hygiene quality Honda will also look at the aspects of delight and value enhancers * Giving one Honda cart in free in large villages and in big town give one Honda cart per free per 5 km sq feet area to goods carrier * Reduce pollutants as compared to 3 wheeler from 21 % to 40% Market scenario: TATA ACE has captured 65% of the small commercial vechile segment Target Segment: The target segment are those who want to upgrade from these three wheelers and one who carry/ upload tons of goods

Online education Essay

The tremendous growth in technology has changed our lives in many aspects. One of these aspects is online education, also called electronic learning. Online education originated from distance education, for those students, which plan to acquire knowledge through Internet. Today, there are so many universities that impart knowledge through online platforms. One good example of such platform is blackboard learning commonly known as bbvista, used in Drexel University. Students have a stereotypical image that traditional courses are better than online courses, but that’s not true. This image is quite impractical in this technology era. Online education opens new horizons for students to apply even in the universities that are far from their place. The students don’t have to drive to the school to attend a lecture and rather watch the slides online and do the required assignment for that topic. But there’s one drawback in this type of learning is that the student is missing valuable words of lecturer. The words of the lecturer is the extra knowledge that only those students can gain which are attending the lecture. The flexibility of online courses enables students to take their lessons whenever and wherever they want. Especially in Drexel University that has co-op system, the students can take online courses while they are on their co-op, from any part of the world. Another advantage of online course is that the assignments are open for a certain period of time, so the student has plenty of time to complete the assignment and submit it by just one click on the computer. Drexel University is one of the best examples that impart knowledge in good proportions of online education and traditional in-classroom education. They uses online platform Blackboard Vista to post syllabus of the course, lectures, homework, and grades. As we are in the generation of modern people, they also want technology to be a key part of their education. Another feature of Drexel is their library. In my opinion, Drexel’s library is no less than GOOGLE. It is a great source of books, articles, journals, and encyclopedias. Technology is one of the key features of Drexel. Gilbert said, â€Å"A Course is not a Pizza†. I believe course is very similar to pizza. Why do people order pizza for delivery? To save time of going there and eating. One of the main purposes of online courses is to save time only. Traditional classrooms are like going and eating the pizza in the restaurant itself. Does the taste of the pizza changes if we are eating it in restaurant or at home? Yes, at restaurant the pizza is hot and fresh whereas at home pizza might be cold, but we can reheat the pizza. The point is face-to-face interaction we get fresh knowledge means easy to understand whereas; in online education we have to make an extra effort to grab the knowledge that is like making an extra effort of reheating the pizza. An article in ‘The Chronicle of Higher Education’ by Jeffrey R. Young refers to an example that an educator can deliver his teachings without even going to any school or university. One such educator is Salman Khan who delivered his lectures from a bedroom closet. He made short videos of his lectures and posted on youtube. The videos weren’t like typical classroom lectures; rather the lectures were short, low-tech and bad drawings of Mr. Khan. But, these videos were helpful to some students and those students even donated few bucks via paypal. Mr. Khan named his collection of videos as †Khan Academy† and the subject that he can’t teach; he gives a crash course and prepares himself to teach other. Today, in the contemporary world so many parents can’t even afford education of their children. At this point these free videos can make lives of their children, as something is better than nothing. Even, Mr. Khan’s biggest goal was to deliver things the way he wished. In this way technology benefitted the educator as well as the students. Moreover, Online education improves communication and interaction between the instructor and the students. Communication technologies, such as E-mail have been a great benefit for especially shy students that are reluctant to ask question directly face-to-face with the instructor. So, students feel confident while expressing their feeling in writing rather than orally expressing them. Also, online education eliminates problem of time-delayed communication. For Example, the instructor poses a question, the student responds to it, and finally the instructor comments on it and grade it. So, the conversation ends here, student gets his grade and comment on his work, and finally the students are off to new topic. This technology era of smartphones and laptops has invaded our life and changed the way we think, live, communicate and learn. One of these changes is online education that was changed from time to time to improve the quality of education. Transitions are the part of nature. Today, sitting in a small room bounded by four walls and trying to gain knowledge seems old school. It doesn’t matter whether a course is taught in the classroom or online, what matters is, how the course is set up and taught by the instructor. So, any method of delivering knowledge can be successful, it’s just, how we acquire it.