Behavior Systems Family and Teaching and Learning Activities

Teaching is one of the most difficult jobs, because teachers do not just teach subjects, they teach people, who have different personalities, learning styles, and interests. The behavior systems family of teaching models can help a teacher create an effective learning environment through mastery learning, direct instruction, simulating.The behavior systems family of teaching models focuses on the behaviorist theories of Skinner, com/b-f-skinner-and-albert-bandura/">Bandura, and others. Their theories showed that behavior can be conditioned or created. Teachers can use these theories to cultivate productive and successful classrooms.Mastery learning takes place when material is broken down into small sections that are easy to understand. According to Weil and Calhoun (2008), at the end of each unit, a test is administered to see if the students understood that section. Those who did can move on to the next phase, and those who did not can spend more time on the current section until t hey have. Direct instruction means that the activities and lessons are teacher directed. The students are in a less participatory role, often taking notes or listening to the teacher lecture.Students are given direct instruction for tasks and time to work independently. It is most helpful for teachers to use praise during this time to illicit good behavior and focused study. Simulation is when students role play real life situations in order to gain understanding. Tasks that are realistically complex can seem less so in a classroom setting. According to Mafune (n. d. ), students assume roles of people in various situations, and they are able to understand their motivation and actions. They can simulate a courtroom trial, and focus on specific parts of testimony, or the jurors.The behavioral systems family of teaching models can aid teachers a great deal. Teachers can use behavior theory to achieve their desired results through mastery learning, direct instruction, and simulations. R eferences Mafune, P. Teaching and learning models. A reflection on the work of Bruce Joyce, Bev Showers, Marsha Weil and Others. Retrieved May 22, 2009 from http://hagar. up. ac. za /catts/learner/patriciam/B3a. htm Joyce, B. , Weil, M. , & Calhoun, E. (2008) Models of teaching. (8th ed. ) Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Chapters 1

THE NEWSPAPER HEADLINE GLARED AT ME FROM a little metal vending machine: SEATTLE UNDER SIEGE – DEATH TOLL RISES AGAIN. I hadn't seen this one yet. Some paperboy must have just restocked the machine. Lucky for him, he was nowhere around now. Great. Riley was going to blow a gasket. I would make sure I wasn't within reach when he saw this paper. Let him rip somebody else's arm off. I stood in the shadow behind the corner of a shabby threestory building, trying to be inconspicuous while I waited for someone to make a decision. Not wanting to meet anyone's eyes, I stared at the wal beside me instead. The ground floor of the building housed a record shop that had long since closed; the windows, lost to weather or street violence, were fil ed in with plywood. Over the top were apartments – empty, I guessed, since the normal sounds of sleeping humans were absent. I wasn't surprised – the place looked like it would col apse in a stiff wind. The buildings on the other side of the dark, narrow street were just as wrecked. The normal scene for a night out on the town. I didn't want to speak up and draw attention, but I wished somebody would decide something. I was real y thirsty, and I didn't care much whether we went right or left or over the roof. I just wanted to find some unlucky people who wouldn't even have enough time to think wrong place, wrong time. Unfortunately tonight Riley'd sent me out with two of the most useless vampires in existence. Riley never seemed to care who he sent out in hunting groups. Or particularly bugged when sending out the wrong people together meant fewer people coming home. Tonight I was stuck with Kevin and some blond kid whose name I didn't know. They both belonged to Raoul's gang, so it went without saying that they were stupid. And dangerous. But right now, mostly stupid. Instead of picking a direction for our hunt, suddenly they were in the middle of an argument over whose favorite superhero would be a better hunter. The nameless blond was demonstrating his case for Spider-Man now, skittering up the brick wal of the al ey while humming the cartoon theme song. I sighed in frustration. Were we ever going to hunt? A little flicker of movement to my left caught my eye. It was the other one Riley had sent out in this hunting group, Diego. I didn't know much about him, just that he was older than most of the others. Riley's right-hand man was the word. That didn't make me like him any more than the other morons. Diego was looking at me. He must have heard the sigh. I looked away. Keep your head down and your mouth shut – that was the way to stay alive in Riley's crowd. â€Å"Spider-Man is such a whiny loser,† Kevin cal ed up to the blond kid. â€Å"I'l show you how a real superhero hunts.† He grinned wide. His teeth flashed in the glare of a streetlight. Kevin jumped into the middle of the street just as the lights from a car swung around to il uminate the cracked pavement with a blue-white gleam. He flexed his arms back, then pul ed them slowly together like a pro wrestler showing off. The car came on, probably expecting him to get the hel out of the way like a normal person would. Like he should. â€Å"Hulk mad!† Kevin bel owed. â€Å"Hulk†¦ SMASH!† He leaped forward to meet the car before it could brake, grabbed its front bumper, and flipped it over his head so that it struck the pavement upside down with a squeal of bending metal and shattering glass. Inside, a woman started screaming. â€Å"Oh man,† Diego said, shaking his head. He was pretty, with dark, dense, curly hair, big, wide eyes, and real y ful lips, but then, who wasn't pretty? Even Kevin and the rest of Raoul's morons were pretty. â€Å"Kevin, we're supposed to be laying low. Riley said – â€Å" â€Å"Riley said!† Kevin mimicked in a harsh soprano. â€Å"Get a spine, Diego. Riley's not here.† Kevin sprang over the upside-down Honda and punched out the driver's side window, which had somehow stayed intact up to that point. He fished through the shattered glass and the deflating air bag for the driver. I turned my back and held my breath, trying my hardest to hold on to the ability to think. I couldn't watch Kevin feed. I was too thirsty for that, and I real y didn't want to pick a fight with him. I so did not need to be on Raoul's hit list. The blond kid didn't have the same issues. He pushed off from the bricks overhead and landed lightly behind me. I heard him and Kevin snarling at each other, and then a wet tearing sound as the woman's screams cut off. Probably them ripping her in half. I tried not to think about it. But I could feel the heat and hear the dripping behind me, and it made my throat burn so bad even though I wasn't breathing. â€Å"I'm outta here,† I heard Diego mutter. He ducked into a crevice between the dark buildings, and I fol owed right on his heels. If I didn't get away from here fast, I'd be squabbling with Raoul's goons over a body that couldn't have had much blood left in it by now anyway. And then maybe I'd be the one who didn't come home. Ugh, but my throat burned! I clamped my teeth together to keep from screaming in pain. Diego darted through a trash-fil ed side al ey, and then – when he hit the dead end – up the wal . I dug my fingers into the crevices between the bricks and hauled myself up after him. On the rooftop, Diego took off, leaping lightly across the other roofs toward the lights shimmering off the sound. I stayed close. I was younger than he was, and therefore stronger – it was a good thing we younger ones were strongest, or we wouldn't have lived through our first week in Riley's house. I could have passed him easy, but I wanted to see where he was going, and I didn't want to have him behind me. Diego didn't stop for miles; we were almost to the industrial docks. I could hear him muttering under his breath. â€Å"Idiots! Like Riley wouldn't give us instructions for a good reason. Self-preservation, for example. Is an ounce of common sense so much to ask for?† â€Å"Hey,† I cal ed. â€Å"Are we going to hunt anytime soon? My throat's on fire here.† Diego landed on the edge of a wide factory roof and spun around. I jumped back a few yards, on my guard, but he didn't make an aggressive move toward me. â€Å"Yeah,† he said. â€Å"I just wanted some distance between me and the lunatics.† He smiled, al friendly, and I stared at him. This Diego guy wasn't like the others. He was kind of†¦ calm, I guess was the word. Normal. Not normal now, but normal before. His eyes were a darker red than mine. He must have been around for a while, like I'd heard. From the street below came the sounds of nighttime in a slummier part of Seattle. A few cars, music with heavy bass, a couple of people walking with nervous, fast steps, some drunk bum singing off-key in the distance. â€Å"You're Bree, right?† Diego asked. â€Å"One of the newbies.† I didn't like that. Newbie. Whatever. â€Å"Yeah, I'm Bree. But I didn't come in with the last group. I'm almost three months old.† â€Å"Pretty slick for a three-monther,† he said. â€Å"Not many would have been able to leave the scene of the accident like that.† He said it like a compliment, like he was real y impressed. â€Å"Didn't want to mix it up with Raoul's freaks.† He nodded. â€Å"Amen, sister. Their kind ain't nothing but bad news.† Weird. Diego was weird. How he sounded like a person having a regular old conversation. No hostility, no suspicion. Like he wasn't thinking about how easy or hard it might be to kil me right now. He was just talking to me. â€Å"How long have you been with Riley?† I asked curiously. â€Å"Going on eleven months now.† â€Å"Wow! That's older than Raoul.† Diego rol ed his eyes and spit venom over the edge of the building. â€Å"Yeah, I remember when Riley brought that trash in. Things just kept getting worse after that.† I was quiet for a moment, wondering if he thought everyone younger than himself was trash. Not that I cared. I didn't care what anybody thought anymore. Didn't have to. Like Riley said, I was a god now. Stronger, faster, better. Nobody else counted. Then Diego whistled low under his breath. â€Å"There we go. Just takes a little brains and patience.† He pointed down and across the street. Half-hidden around the edge of a purple-black al ey, a man was cussing at a woman and slapping her while another woman watched silently. From their clothes, I guessed that it was a pimp and two of his employees. This was what Riley had told us to do. Hunt the dregs. Take the humans that no one was going to miss, the ones who weren't headed home to a waiting family, the ones who wouldn't be reported missing. It was the same way he chose us. Meals and gods, both coming from the dregs. Unlike some of the others, I stil did what Riley told me to do. Not because I liked him. That feeling was long gone. It was because what he told us sounded right. How did it make sense to cal attention to the fact that a bunch of new vampires were claiming Seattle as their hunting ground? How was that going to help us? I didn't even believe in vampires before I was one. So if the rest of the world didn't believe in vampires, then the rest of the vampires must be hunting smart, the way Riley said to do it. They probably had a good reason. And like Diego'd said, hunting smart just took a little brains and patience. Of course, we al slipped up a lot, and Riley would read the papers and groan and yel at us and break stuff – like Raoul's favorite video-game system. Then Raoul would get mad and take somebody else apart and burn him up. Then Riley would be pissed off and he'd do another search to confiscate al the lighters and matches. A few rounds of this, and then Riley would bring home another handful of vampirized dregs kids to replace the ones he'd lost. It was an endless cycle. Diego inhaled through his nose – a big, long pul – and I watched his body change. He crouched on the roof, one hand gripping the edge. Al that strange friendliness disappeared, and he was a hunter. That was something I recognized, something I was comfortable with because I understood it. I turned off my brain. It was time to hunt. I took a deep breath, drawing in the scent of the blood inside the humans below. They weren't the only humans around, but they were the closest. Who you were going to hunt was the kind of decision you had to make before you scented your prey. It was too late now to choose anything. Diego dropped from the roof edge, out of sight. The sound of his landing was too low to catch the attention of the crying prostitute, the zoned-out prostitute, or the angry pimp. A low growl ripped from between my teeth. Mine. The blood was mine. The fire in my throat flared and I couldn't think of anything else. I flipped myself off the roof, spinning across the street so that I landed right next to the crying blonde. I could feel Diego close behind me, so I growled a warning at him while I caught the surprised girl by the hair. I yanked her to the al ey wal, putting my back against it. Defensive, just in case. Then I forgot al about Diego, because I could feel the heat under her skin, hear the sound of her pulse thudding close to the surface. She opened her mouth to scream, but my teeth crushed her windpipe before a sound could come out. There was just the gurgle of air and blood in her lungs, and the low moans I could not control. The blood was warm and sweet. It quenched the fire in my throat, calmed the nagging, itching emptiness in my stomach. I sucked and gulped, only vaguely aware of anything else. I heard the same noise from Diego – he had the man. The other woman was unconscious on the ground. Neither had made any noise. Diego was good. The problem with humans was that they just never had enough blood in them. It seemed like only seconds later the girl ran dry. I rattled her limp body in frustration. Already my throat was beginning to burn again. I threw the spent body to the ground and crouched against the wal, wondering if I could grab the unconscious girl and make off with her before Diego could catch up to me. Diego was already finished with the man. He looked at me with an expression that I could only describe as†¦ sympathetic. But I could have been dead wrong. I couldn't remember anyone ever giving me sympathy before, so I wasn't positive what it looked like. â€Å"Go for it,† he told me, nodding to the limp girl on the ground. â€Å"Are you kidding me?† â€Å"Naw, I'm good for now. We've got time to hunt some more tonight.† Watching him careful y for some sign of a trick, I darted forward and snagged the girl. Diego made no move to stop me. He turned away slightly and looked up at the black sky. I sank my teeth into her neck, keeping my eyes on him. This one was even better than the last. Her blood was entirely clean. The blonde girl's blood had the bitter aftertaste that came with drugs – I was so used to that, I'd barely noticed. It was rare for me to get real y clean blood, because I fol owed the dregs rule. Diego seemed to fol ow the rules, too. He must have smel ed what he was giving up. Why had he done it?

Breastfeeding A Natural Act That Women

Since the start of 2016, increasingly more stories and news articles have appeared about women liberating themselves and their families. These women are choosing to breast feed in public, regardless of society’s ideas on its appropriateness. Why is a woman feeding her child seen as an inappropriate act in society? Woman are sexualized. A person sees a breast and it is immediately sexualized. Breasts are not sexual organs though, they are on the human body with the intent that they will be used to†¦ Breastfeeding is recognized as the best source of natural nutrition for most infants. It provides all the energy and nutrients that the infant needs for the first months of life. It continues to provide up to half or more of a child’s nutritional needs during the second half of the first year. Breastfeeding offers numerous health benefits to both the mother and infant. The infant continues to reap the many benefits of being breastfed well into adulthood. Breastfeeding lowers rates of developing†¦ one of the most prevalent problems in America. Violence against women can be in the form of physical, sexual, verbal, stalking, financial and other ways in which men use their power, given by the society, to harm women. In the past, this problem was called domestic violence but has recently been changed to violence against women because the term domestic violence does not demonstrate that all cases of domestic abuse are men injuring women. Male domination and patriarchy have been under challenge by†¦ masturbation would serve as a countermeasure against teenage pregnancy and the transmission of sex-related diseases, but when politics enters the discussion, everything rational gets tossed out the window (Canino, J. T., 2003). The act of masturbation is a natural act, familiar to all males and females. But for some silly and profound reason, society as a whole believes that masturbation is a topic that should not be discussed in our schools, within our families or even in public (Canino, J. T.,†¦ equality is harmful to women. â€Å"Feminism Has Harmed Women by Eliminating Natural Gender Roles†, by Nicole M. Kooistra states that â€Å"Women have bought into a feminist mystique that has left them more alone and conflicted in their pursuit of fulfillment than ever before.† This mentality that women cannot fulfil themselves unless they get married, have children, cook, and clean is a disastrous mindset. Women no longer feel obligated to pursue the ‘1950’s housewife’ character. However, women are still criticized†¦ Breastfeeding is a natural way of providing food to infants. It is an important part of motherhood, and it is the first major decision that is made when it comes to feeding a child. Breastfeeding is an issue of gender because when a women is seen breastfeeding, in public or not, she is usually shamed and accused of indecent exposure. This is because our society has been shaped to see breast only as sexual objects as well as an insufficient amount of educating on breastfeeding being done. We could†¦ Breast are Best Breastfeeding serves as a connection or bond between a mother and child. Mothers experience feelings of joy as they nurse their newborn. This is the case because of the far that hormones are released that cause a peaceful like sensation. (â€Å"Benefits†). Psychological benefits arise from breastfeeding as well. Children who are breastfed tend to cry less and have a better band with their mother versus children who were not breastfed (Sloan). Nursing children is affordable and beneficial†¦ Knowledge, attitudes and practices of breastfeeding among rural and urban women. CHAPTER - I INTRODUCTION Breast milk is the effective way of ensuring child health, Breast feeding is widely accepted as a optimal feeding for the infants due to health benefits it offers to the child. Lack of breast feeding contributes to one millions of death each year globally.1A study conducted in U.S.A revealed that breast feeding can cut cost of government and saves 3.6 billion $ and also saves the lives†¦ Breastfeeding is the most natural way to feed your child. Not only is breastfeeding the most natural way to feed your child, it also saves money because the new parents don’t need to purchase nipples and bottles to bottle feed their child. Also, they get a better bond with the baby by breastfeeding, by getting that skin to skin touch often throughout the day. Breastfeeding a child can help them with their intelligence when they get older and because they were breastfed, they at a reduced risk of†¦ Sex should be a natural and free act. The reality seems to be that even sex may be out of our control. Often sex and sexual situations are forceful, with extreme pressure to conform to the archetype. One can not blame Jayanthi or Solomon, or say that they have the freedom to say no. Jayanthi was in a dangerous situation, where saying no could dig her into a deeper hole, while undermining the identity she has. For Solomon, a similar pressure to prove his masculinity and sexuality but him in a position†¦

Health Care Legal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Health Care Legal - Essay Example Further, in some cases errors, which rendered harm to the patients, are not reported which in the later stage turn out to produce adverse circumstances that becomes difficult to be managed. Again, the medical staffs fail to provide required information about errors and adverse circumstances for the fear of being proved guilty and duly punished. Programs made to encourage the healthcare employees to come forward with such information by evading fear from their minds have also failed to counter significant changes (Griffin & Haraden, n.d.p.246, 250). The healthcare practices with a view to reduce the incidence of fatal occurrences can look forward in designing effective systems for rendering effective health services. In that, the healthcare concern can arrange for proper training of the medical staffs to render effective and flawless service to the patients. The healthcare employees working in critical areas like operation theaters, emergency departments, and intensive care units must be trained in teams to reduce the incidence of errors. Working in a team helps an individual to perform more effectively. Modern healthcare systems incorporate newer technological developments. However, more number of innovations promoted in healthcare result to making the process more complex, which in turn leads to errors. Induction of newer technologies must be conducted with due care to help the medical team perform efficiently. Technological processes as automated order entry would help the medical team to identify expired medicines and right ly destroy them. The use of efficient monitoring instruments helps to judge the condition of patients subjected to strong medications. The healthcare organizations must take resort to increased bar coding practices to reduce the incidence of wrong medications. Machine readable bar coding systems must be put to render accuracy in the system (Griffin & Haraden, n.d.pp.257-258; Kohn, Corrigan & Donaldson, 2000.pp.173,

Mare Parker Follett Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mare Parker Follett - Research Paper Example She attended Braintree’s Thayer Academy in Massachusetts. It is in this academy that her later ideas were inspired by one of her teachers. In 1885, September, Follett enrolled for studies at Society to Encourage Studies at Home in Anna Ticknor (Soylent Communications Para 1). She also studied at Radcliffe College, although she was on and off the college and graduated later in 1898. She sought to pursue her doctorate degree in Harvard, but was denied on grounds that she was a woman. Follett began her work in Roxbury in 1900 as a volunteer social worker. She was later to hold a number of prestigious and highly coveted leadership positions, including: being the chair person of the Women's Municipal League Committee on Extended Use of School Buildings (1908), being the vice president of the National Community Center Association (1917). She also founded or contributed in opening a number of social and educational institutions , including the East Boston High School Social Center an d many other Boston social centers . Contribution to the Field of Management Mary Parker Follett pioneered a number of theories relating to organizational behavior, industrial management, organizational theory and conflict management which she communicated through her books, articles, speeches and essays.

Female Bisexuality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Female Bisexuality - Research Paper Example An article in the New York Times discussed the concept of attraction as it relates to women. According to the article women were not as stimulated by the sight of men without clothes as women. Sensuality is more relevant to sexual arousal than is gender. What women find erotic is not based on the male nude form but the sensuality of the subject matter. Scientists have discussed the nature of attraction for women and have connected it to bisexuality in women. Researcher Meredith Chivers states that for women who are heterosexual â€Å"looking at a naked man walking on the beach is about as exciting as looking at landscapes.† Proving this point, she showed participants in her study landscapes of the Himalayas and naked men doing yoga or tossing stones in the ocean. Both sets of footage had the same response, but women doing calisthenics in the nude increased blood flow at a significant rate. The discussion in the article sought to explain how bisexual behavior has become a more common experience in female interactions. Newman (2008) writes that â€Å"Dr. Chivers’ work adds to a growing body of scientific evidence that places female sexuality along a continuum between heterosexuality and homosexuality, rather than as an either-or phenomenon†. Josephine Decker who directed a documentary called â€Å"Bi the Way† about the frequency of bisexual behavior in women states that women are more fluid in their sexuality. In contrast, when men who were identifying themselves as bisexual were given the same type of test by Dr. Chivers it was determined that they were more attracted to naked men than women. This suggests that there is a distinct difference between the way in which women and men are aroused from a visual perspective and that the concept of bisexual activity is likely founded through different perspectives on arousal. Even though female bisexual be havior is a trend in

City Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

City Sustainability - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that environmental conservation is the key to a successful life. Effective environmental management leads to a sustainable future. The biophysical environment experiences degradation due to population pressure and change in technology. Conserving the environment is the responsibility of every individual in the society. Environmental conservation encompasses education, legislation, and ethics. In most cases, these factors play an important role in influencing personal-level environment, national-level environmental decisions, and behaviors. Environmental conservation emphasizes on waste management strategies, recycling of used materials, and avoiding pollution. Sustainability has been a controversial and challenging issue to the government and the society. Despite the measures taken to conserve the environment, cases of environmental pollution and degradation still exist in the society. Rapid population growth has posed a major challenge in the conservation of the environment. Urban centers have been the main sites of rapid population growth thus facing problems in conserving the places. Cities as industrial areas depict most cases of pollution whether air pollution, water pollution, or even land pollution. Strategies have been each passing day innovated and invented to reduce cases of environmental pollution. The city authorities have been given a hard task of managing the ever-growing city areas.... Overcrowding in cities leads to water shortages, air pollution, land pollution, and mismanagement of the available natural resources. This leads to epidemic diseases that turn out to be the government’s responsibility. As the major places for income sources, it becomes hard for the government to control immigration of people to the city centers. Different people have different perceptions of life and thus different views on environmental conservation. Some people view environmental conservation as burden given unto them rather than an added advantage on their health and safety (Hyyppa, 2010:139). Environmental conservation has led to a decline in the country’s economy as the government tries to reduces cases of environmental pollution and enhance sustainability. FACTORS THAT DETERMINE THE METHODS USED BY CITIES TO ADOPT SUSTAINABILITY Invention and innovation Through innovation and invention, the city council is able to improvise new machines that used in sustaining the city. Moreover, the technology used in a particular city determines the level of sustainability of the city. For efficient sustainability, the city ought to invent high technological machines that are environmental friendly rather than those that cause hazardous effects to the city. Responsibility Responsibility is a main factor of consideration when planning for environmental sustainability. In order to enhance a city’s sustainability, the residents should take it as responsibility. The sustainability of any city requires devotion and concern. Lack of consciousness in maintaining the city’s sustainability both for the present and future generation, it becomes hard and impossible to implement the measures required to make the city sustainable. Sustainability of

Plato vs Aristole Political Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Plato vs Aristole Political Philosophy - Essay Example Philosophers were prominent people to those societies since they were influential to the people. Plato and his student Aristotle are well known for their efforts and contribution to the society on matters concerning governance and leadership. This paper will therefore, analyze the views of Aristotle and Plato towards governance. The essay will focus on their views towards self-interest and property. Philosophers around the world consider Plato as the greatest philosopher of western civilization. Although western civilization was characterized by a by democracy and capitalism, Plato considered communism government and lifestyle as the most appropriate. According to Plato, democracy and capitalism were just experimental ideologies that were not practical (Benardete 134). Plato considered communism as the most applicable lifestyle in people’s lives. According to his utopian society, the success of a government can only be defined by the success of its people. Plato also considers that a society is best governed by its best minds. A society can only be ruled by its best mind when there is limited competition or self-interest within the society. In such society, people would be working towards the realization of a common goal. This is the basis of communism according to Plato. The best minds of a society are the kings or philosophers within that society. Plato considers a socialist society as a society that is governed by wisdom and proved knowledge. A society that is different from Plato’s society is governed on un-established knowledge. The philosopher considers a socialist society to be better than a capitalist society. A communist society as described by Plato is a selfless society such society people work towards the realization of common goals. According to Plato, a utopian society can only be realized if people adapt knowledge. Plato acknowledges that people in an ideal society have no desire for power and common interests and goals drive them. People need knowledge to tame their desire for power and self-interest. According to Plato, people with self-interests are uneducated and therefore, quality education will eliminate people desire for power. Educating people will make them change their attitude towards the community and the country and, this will eliminate their desire for power. Application of knowledge is power; an educated person will be able to visualize the relationship between power and knowledge. According to Plato, relevant education will make the people understand the relationship between power and knowledge. This will make people compete for power based on their knowledge. People with less knowledge therefore consider themselves less appropriate to take leadership positions The love for the public is the second strategy that Plato proposes to use in order to tame people’s desire for power. Plato proposes that creating the love towards the nation among people makes them have an obligation towards the nation. This is followed by a separation of self-interests from national issues. People who have love for the nation assume responsibility over the nation and, this eliminates their desires for power. People who are hungry for power cannot establish an ideal nation that Plato proposes. People can only live satisfactory lives if they establish a gap between their self-interests and national interests (Allen 76). Plato is confident that acquisition of knowledge can tame desires for power and sel

Hedging An Equity Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hedging An Equity Portfolio - Essay Example 7 Reference: 9 1.0 Introduction A US equity fund manager holds â‚ ¬100m in a portfolio comprising the largest US stocks which perfectly replicates and benchmarks the S&P 500 index. The US Federal Reserve indicated that the programmed quantitative easing of purchasing $85 billion is not going to be carried out. The quantitative easing is used to stimulate the price when the corresponding interest rate decreases to 0%. The non execution of the quantitative easing is set to correct the equity market. The fund manager predicts that the reluctance of the US Federal Reserve to perform a quantitative easing is going have a profound effect on the performance of the portfolio. For this reason the fund manager as such wants to hedge the portfolio using option instead of futures. 2.0 Advantages and disadvantages of using options to hedge this scenario compared to using futures only Fund managers use both futures and options to order to hedge their portfolio. Though there are some marked diff erences in the two types of hedging tools. The choices of the hedging tools depend on the fund manager as well as the objective to hedge. In the present scenario, the fund manager has decided to use the options instead of futures (Reilly and Brown, 2000). This is because of the reason that the options provide certain leverage in comparison to futures. The most basic advantage is that an option gives the option holder the right and not an obligation. In case of the futures both the parties have equal obligations. The second advantage is that the amount of loss is limited to the buyer of option while in futures the losses can be unlimited. Option and future both provides same opportunity to the holder to minimize loss and at same time make profit. The US Federal Reserve has decided to stop quantitative easing. The quantitative easing techniques are supposed to create a stimulant which helps to ease the pressure on prices of funds. The price decreases when the interest falls or drops s harply. The sharp drop of interest is associated with a corresponding decrease in the price level. This means if the fund manager wants to invest in various funds, then the increase in the price of the various funds will limit the ability of the fund manager to invest effectively (Hearth and Zaima, 1998). The fund manager is not sure what will happen in the future but the non execution of the quantitative easing program indicates that the fund manager can only invest in limited fund with the present value of the equity portfolio, since the price of the funds have increased. If the fund manager anticipates that the share price will increase then he can buy a future. The sudden growth in the share price of equity may not find enough buyers. The problem with buying a future contract is that if the price of the funds drop then the fund manager is obliged to sell the future at the decreased price. So the future holder is in a risk, if the anticipated increase in price does not take place and instead of that the price actually decreases. So on one hand there is chance to make profit while on the other hand there is chance to incur loss. There are no restrictions to the limit of profit or loss. This is one of the greatest disadvantages of using the future contract. The advantage of the options with respect to future can be explained with the help of an example. As already explained the find manager is anticipating in increase in the p

Second Hand Smoke Essay Example for Free

Second Hand Smoke Essay Second hand smoking has become a major problem in today’s society, and it must be changed. Although there are multiple solutions to second hand smoke some solutions include establishing separate ventilation systems in each and every restraint, planting more trees, and establishing more oxygen rich sources in areas where smoking is engaged and to ban smoking in outdoor areas. Every day between 70% and 90% of non-smokers in the American population, children and adults, are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke. It is estimated that only 15% of cigarette smoke gets inhaled by the smoker. The remaining 85% lingers in the air for everyone to breathe. (University of Minnesota, 2003). Every year tobacco use kills more than five million people every year, more than HIV, AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria combined. (World health organization, Dec 2009). But it does not have to be this way, with a few simple changes thousands of lives could be saved. Smoking causes an estimated 90 % of all lung cancer deaths in men and 80 % of all lung cancer deaths in women (CDC, 2012). Smoking is also estimated to increase the risks of coronary disease and strokes by two to four times. CDC, 2012). But smoking also harms second hand smokers too, it is estimated that second hand somek contains over 4000 chemicals including more than 40 cancer causing agents and 200 known poisons (university of Minnesota, 2003). But should the innocent by stander really have to put his or her health at risk in order to allow the smoker to have stress control or satisfy their nicotine craving? Every day millions of families dine out at restraints across the country. Most of them having small children. Most restaurants have adopted a non smoking policy, but some still have not. For the restaurants that have not adopted a smoke free facility, they should have to implement separate ventilation, and separate sealed rooms, so the non smokers can still enjoy a fresh meal, and not have to worry about what is in the air they are breathing in. If separated sealed rooms so the non smokers can still enjoy a fresh meal, and not have to worry about what is in the air they are breathing in? If the separate ventilation systems were established, the major costs would be filters to maintain the system and ensuring smokers remained in the smoking section of the building. Other countries such as Ireland, Spain, New Zealand, Italy and Uruguay have all adopted smoke free establishments, and have had great success (World Health Organization, 2007). There is also no evidence that these bands have a negative economic impact on the hospitability sector (world Health Organization, 2003). The smoking section would have to be indoors to ensure that patrons that are outside of the restraint do not have to inhale cigarette smoke, many restaurants have a smoking area in front of their restraint, usually on a patio, but unfortunately smoke still lingers near the front entrance. And in most cases smoke still enters the inside of the restraint through sliding glass doors or tether non sealed entrances. My proposal would eliminate this problem by requiring sealed entrances, separate ventilation systems and not allowing smoking outside of the restraint entrances. One study has been conducted on separate ventilation systems removed some of but not all of the gas particles. (CDC 2012) The study also showed that ventilation systems did not remove all of the gas and particles from the cigarette smoke, but improved the air quality by 50 %. (CDC 2007). The substantial improvements from incorporation this would improve workers health, and the patrons that eat and or visit there. And in many ways it could improve the business for many establishments by catering to all patrons needs. Another proposal would be to establish smoking areas, and establish more oxygen rich sources such as trees, or plants around them. And in areas that this is not possible, I would propose to position an air filter in that area. To establish more oxygen rich sources such as trees, I would propose planting trees in the vicinity of the making areas, and issue grants encouraging businesses to plant more trees. And in places where this is not possible I would propose positioning massive air filters in the vicinity to recalculate the air, and clean out all the toxins. Thus smoking areas would be vastly improved. The only disadvantage of such proposal could be the cost of filters, cost of maintained and the possibility depending on the air purifier the noise coming from such filter. But the advantages would outweigh the disadvantages in the fact that something is being done about the second hand smoking. My last proposal would be to ban smoking in public all together. The benefits of such proposal would be enormous to not only the health of people but the environment. The health benefits of such proposal include better air quality, encouraging fellow citizens to quit smoking if they are smoking and decreased consumption of tobacco products (world health organization, 2003). According to the world health organization, only 100 % smoke free environments provide effective protection from second hand smoke (world health organization, 2003). Other benefits include lower medical costs, decreased risk of fires, higher productivity in the workplace and lower insurance premiums (world health organization, 2003). To enforce the ban on smoking fines could be implemented to discourage fellow citizens from smoking in public. The fines would have to be hefty enough to encourage smokers not to light up in public, and to encourage a healthier lifestyle. The fine would be between 250-300 dollars. And would be enforced by local police departments and other law enforcement. Such as substantial fine would discourage smokers from engaging in smoking in public places, and would also be steep enough to be taken seriously. Because most of the citiziens would not take a law seriously if it did not take from their pocket. Contrary to the belief, smoking bans do not infringe upon anyone’s rights as they are protecting peoples rights by regulating where to smoke, and where not to smoke. (World health organization, 2003). And they cost very little helping businesses and personal alike. In fact most smokers actually prefer a non smoking environment, and choose to eat at a smoke free environment (world health organization 2003). And once a smoker chooses to quit, it makes it easier to dine out at a smoke free restraint because it encourages them not to light up again. In conclusion smoking in public would dramatically increase the health of the nation as a whole. It has been shown that second hand smoke causes multiple health problems, and by encouraging a healthier lifestyle ti could dramatically improve the lives and health of all citizens involved. It has been shown that most smokers prefer a non smoking environment, and many smokers are encouraged to stop smoking after living in areas where smoking is banned. Most people in the world are non smokers and should not have to be exposed to second hand smoke, and smokers should have every opportunity afforded to them to quit.

Depictions of Dragons in Different Cultures

Depictions of Dragons in Different Cultures With the integration of global economy and technology, multicultural situation is inevitable. Culture exchange in various countries has become extremely important. Under its shadow, all culture becomes significant factors in this international environment. Today, in the information-crash society, the cultural has not merely be seen as separated signs but seen as a cross-cultural communication behavior. For a long time, people are keen to argue about superiority and inferiority among Eastern and Western cultures. However, in fact, we lack sufficient recognition of essential aspects on cultural differences and clashes. We should see through the appearance to the essence and take culture views to closely observe the tendency of global cultural development. H.L.Menken once said, Culture itself is neither education nor law making, it is an atmosphere and a heritage. Dragon culture, as a core culture reflects typical differences. Different countries have different cultural norms values, su ch differences lead to communication problems in Western thought, resulting in misunderstandings and conflicts. This article focuses on analyzing the Dragon Culture budded from two culture branches,  and from a philosophical point of view to outline the ideology that reflects from two cultures. Dragon was one of the totem worship images in remote ancient times when people liked using the images of creatures or plants which they held in awe as symbols of their tribes. Loong seems a combination of numerous animals, such as snakes body, pigs head, deers horns, bulls ear, goats beard, hawks claws and fishs squama. One alternative view said in remote times of clanship, the Huaxia Clan which symbolized by snake totem in the Yellow River drainage area, conquered other clans and then grew into a big clan union by integrating others together with their totems. The other legendary figures like Nà ¼wa, Fuxi are depicted as having snake bodies. Some scholars report that the first legendary Emperor of China Huang Di (Yellow Emperor) used a snake for his coat of arms. Every time he conquered another tribe, he incorporated his defeated enemys emblem into his own (Li Rong, 1999, P14). The exact origin of the dragon in Chinese culture remains elusive, though its earliest depictions can be traced back to the totems made by various ancient Chinese tribes. And we, Chinese people often consider ourselves as the descendents of the loong. From that time, loong has been the most important totem in Chinese traditional culture. Ancient people admire loong has magic power. It could change the length of its body as it wishes; it can either fly or swim and even bring rainfalls. 1.2 The symbolization of loong in feudal period When Chinese went into primeval society, loong had begun to be caved on the bronze containers, designed in jewelry, and embroidered on cloth. Gradually, people who honored loong as almighty God, hoping that caving this special image on daily necessities can bless them well and bring them good fortune. People in ancient China often offered sacrifices to loong to celebrate favorable weather and good harvest. With the deification of loong, it was gradually monopolized by the imperial lineage, making these images embalmed the federal Chinese empires. Loong were a symbol of power, strength, success, luck and honor, and it was no surprise that they emerged as a representation of the imperial power of emperors. It was believed that loong was able to race across the sky with its divine power, and the emperors regarded themselves as exclusively entitled to the dragons attributes. Chinese empires thought they were real loong, so they addressed themselves as son of heaven, which meant they were chosen by the destiny to dominate the world. They held power over peoples lives and property, and had staff in their hands. Emperor became the most honorable person on the earth. Also loong became the symbol of imperial power. Thus, the imperial clothes were known as dragon gowns and their thrones were dubbed dragon thrones. , the descendents of empires were titled as son or daughters of loong, the health of an emperor was called loong ti, the bed they sleep named loong bed. In the Zhou Dynasty the 5-clawed dragon was assigned to the son of heaven, the 4-clawed dragon to the Zhuhou (seigneur), and the 3-clawed dragon to the Daifu. Up to Qing Dynasty, the 5-clawed dragon was assigned to represent the Emperor while the 4-clawed and 3-clawed dragons were assigned to the commoners. In the Qing Dynasty, the country even preferred to embroider Loong as a symbol on national flags. Carvings of loong adorns on the steps leading to many ancient palaces and tombs, most notably, the Forbidden City in Beijing. And it is still taboo to disrespect or disfigure any depiction of a loong in China. 2 The origination of western dragon 2.1 The development of western dragon in early time About 11th century BC, the Hebrews made the concept of Seraphim, which was close to the concept of the dragon. Not only in Western mythology, religion, but also significance, the seraphim were the most consistent of loong in china. Seraphim was a constrictor in ancient Rabbinic which is the Seraphs plural. There is other saying it was followed with a suffix on the meaning of the flame or burning and so. In the early Rabbinic language, because no dragon word, so often used constrictor to represent dragon. However, religious portraits and sculptures of the Seraphim have become a type of person now which is translated into Seraphim (Blazing Angels) generally. The appearance of dragon is much later than the Seraphim, which is the object of Celtic worship, standing holy. The early middle ages, the Virgin caved ships like dragons to explore a new path on the Atlantic Ocean, hoping dragons to bless themselves with endless power. While in Britain, the dragon is more commonly associated with Wales due to the national flag has a red dragon as its emblem and their national rugby union and rugby league teams are known as the dragons. This dragon may originate in Arthurian Legend where Myrddin, employed by Gwrtheyrn, had a vision of the red dragon (representing the Britons) and the white dragon (representing the invading Saxons) fighting beneath Dinas Emrys. The red dragon was linked with the Britons who are today represented by the Welsh and it is believed that the white dragon refers to the Saxons who invaded Britain in the 5th and 6th centuries. This particular legend also features in the Mabinogion in the story of Llud and Llefelys. (http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Seraph) Specific reactions to alarm calls identifying several of predators have mately local cultural manifestations, maintaining to this day its shape and mature. Though we glimpse the dragon in the world of the ancient bandsmen-it does not spring into life from the murky depths of the primate brain until a particular point in cultural evolution-specially that point where a multiculturic-or loosely organized-polity moves toward centralization and ultimately statehood. (David E. Jones , 2001 ,P 107) The birth of Christianity made the fate of dragons an earth-shaking change that to some degree became synonymous to Satanas. Dragon is regarded as the symbol of devil in the Christian which comes from Mesopotamia. In mythology Mesopotamia, the dragon is the horrible life of the ocean, the scourge of people, the fate to be destroyed by God. In Babylonian myth, the heros opponent Tiamato and Hittite myth Illuyankas, are all examples. Living in the Mesopotamia region nearby Jewish also affected, and inherited down such a concept. Dragon in Judaism and Christianity gradually became the symbol of the devil. 2.2. The image of dragon in western society in movies and novels Western dragons arent necessarily evil, but they often are. At least, they tend to be greed, evil and solitary, which may represent the dark side of human natures. Quite different between Chinese Loong, the Western dragon is a huge, winged, green scaly skin, fire-breathing, and dinosaur-resembling creature. An alternative name for dragon is Wyrm, a word clearly related to worn, this name is more commonly used for serpentine, water dwelling dragons but can be used for any of them, Wyrms are to be especially common in Britain. In the traditional myths, fairy tales and legends, dragons live in caves, mountains, or virgin forests. They have vicious power to destroy buildings, cause catastrophe. They are the mindless monsters that know nothing but killing people, animals, and hoarding gold and silver, and treasure. All these images create an evil black reflection into the Western consciousness. Also, dragons can be found in many literatures and films, those quite significantly different b etween Chinese loong. In medieval legend, the highest merit of a hero was to slay of a dragon. In the Beowulf, the national epic of the English people, Beowulf fights against a fire dragon with single-handed. At last, the dragon is killed, but Beowulf is hopelessly wounded too. Maybe, it is the first complete dragon appears on the paper of English literature. The Bible, Satan is a fallen angel who rebels God Jehovah. And Satan changes in to a image of a snake (dragon) to beguile Adam and Eva to eat the apple in the Eden. In the Bible story, Satan also is into a red dragon whose tail swept a 1 / 3 of the stars. it has seven heads, each head crowned, greedily devouring the new-born baby. The Learned Adventure of the Dragons Head in Lord Peter Views the Body (London: Gollancz, 1928), in which a character refers to having seen hic dracones on an old map [spotted by both Andrew S. Cook and Benjamin Darius Weiss]. (Chales Gould ,1998, ,p126) Thus, the Western dragon from the miser degenerated into the most evil, described as representatives of evil, cunning and cruel. With the Christianity spreading and European expansion, the Satans notoriety shadows dragon in Europe, even in the world. 3. Comprehensive analysis on the clashes of loong and dragon 3.1 Analysis from literature background With the development of science, people gradually get rid of ignorance, the West has finally recognized that dragons only exists in imagination, and not fear it. But dragons in western culture still become a derogatory terms. In Western literature, the dragon has become a vivid description of the evil words. British writer Charles Dickens in his masterpiece Hard Times criticizes Mrs. Si Base is a evil dragon of keeper bank. In Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet, when Juliet heard her cousin was killed by Romeo, she said sadly:ah, flower face hides a wild snake heart! Which dragon was perched once in this elegant heart? Nowadays, it could easily observe the trace of dragon in some kinds of legendary novels, like Harry Potter.  Ã‚   3.2. Explaination in social profounding of loong and dragon. With a few centuries going on, the Chinese loong has crystallized the unique culture profundity. Till now, Loong is still superior to any of the mythological in peoples mind. Loong, this word have been extensively used in our daily life. For example, Long tou qi ye, of course, we cant translate it word by word. In our China, this is an honor given by the local government to a company that achieves highest income through the commercial business. Here Loong means, leading the top, being first. So we can put it into the leading enterprise. In the eyes of our ancestors, loong ,since it is held sacred, of course, also contacted with the good fortune together. With good metaphor, the image of the dragon goes into all aspects of social life. Such as lobster, longan, lichee, asparagus, Longjing tea, the noodle of Long Xumian, etc. The name of the foods are plenty from their shapes, while others are propitious meanings. Another example is the Seasonal Eating Custom, from the early Yuan Dynast y, it has been recorded on Lunar February 2, loong flys up to heaven. To express the hope of the harvest, people in many places are prevalent of eating noodle this day. Noodles made this day is called noodle of Long Xu pancakes called Interfax, dumplings called fossil teech. (Ji Chenming, 1998, p58) And China has a lot of festivals about culture of Loong, such as dragon boat. Dragon boat racing which originates in China over 2000 years ago. For competiton events, dragon boats are generally rigged with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails every annual Duanwu Festival. In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary-dragon lady means an overbearing or tyrannical woman, also glamorous often mysterious woman. However-the Collins Cobuild English language Dictionary explains that if you call a woman a dragon-you mean she is unpleasant and fierce. In the famous Chinese TV play A Couple of Chivalrous Swordsmen and their Supernatural Eagles, there is a girl named little dragon maid. Maybe when the foreigners head dragon maid, the image appearing in their mind is ferocious instead of holy and pure. Whats more, the same characteristic of two kinds of dragons is that they have been interpreted as symbols of the power to control the nature. They often are associated with weather, like rain, lighting, thunder. Meanwhile, people in China regard Loong as controllers of weather. Thus, in folk, they are honored as the king of Loong. Negatively, dragon in western, this greater power of nature frequently carries a malign or destructive quality. When the character Loong appears in the words and expressions, we always refer it to the analogical meanings, which are formed by the profound civilization of China. Above, we have explained two dragon cultures by analyzing the origination, development, and connotation, differences. Culture is a rich multi-dimensional extension, including value systems. Values are the essence spirit of national culture to decide the characteristics and style of culture. According to cite the difference of metaphors and symbolizations between Chinese loong and western dragon, we will explain the origin of Philosophy. 4. Explore the West dragon philosophical roots of cultural differences 4.1 The Chinese monism unity of Nature and man 4.1.1 Living environment affect the Chinese values Different ways of thinking led to the different Dragon metaphor, which leds to cultural misunderstanding. China is monistic of unity on nature and man, while Western mains dualistic. At an atmosphere of living on plain of farming growth, Chinese people have always focused inward-looking on Heaven, internal intermediation of national character. 7 Chinese people believe that nature is a loop. Everything is an element in cycle of nature .Of course, people also belong to the natural world, rather than the relatively isolated unit element. Therefore, people return to nature, to maintain harmony. Cultural identity is stick to the local community, calm solid, plain thick, peace. Chinese culture believe that people and nature, spirit and matter, subject and object, which both into one with God, focusing on both the interdependence and unity. In the relationship between human and nature, Chinese advocate the harmony between human and nature. 4.1.2. View of nature and the dragons supernatural forces in nature In China, relationship and humans to nature is: harmony with nature, as follows: live according to the rhythms of nature; everything has its own character; be balanced. Chinese traditional medicine shows the cultural value of harmony with nature. Chinese people are deeply affected by the Confucian and the ideology in I Ching or Chouyi. They think that the more conducts a person makes in his life, the more meaning reflects. Therefore, people who has the largest political vision are affected by such a unitary value of life, most people do not want to be the one who is interested in Natural Science, which were trapped in the embryonic stage of scientific. Also, people have the wisdom to concentrate on political power, so that can create a real political culture super-solid model in a unique world. In this particular model, the Chinese will have a unique historical phenomenon. When the ancients could not fight against the natural or supernatural phenomena, they raise the imaginary loong for the ideal solution to be deified. At the stage of no loong exiting, snakes, crocodiles, lizards and other reptiles are related to water, and even some on the living in the water. People who live on the land t are all produced mystery on crocodiles submerging in water, water snakes swimming fast in the water, no feet but can be free movement of snakes. This the mystery became to awe, and the myth. Into the real dragon time, people decided to give the loong their homes in the water. People have them lived in the water in order to let loong control water for the needs of agriculturing water. (Yang Rong Liu Zhixiong , 2002,P106) Therefore, the loong in Chinese legend would have exceeded the forces of nature. For example, loong could control clouds, rain, thunder, etc. Last loong gain the sanctity in peoples mind. 4.2. The western dualism of Host-guest Western awareness of the environmental background Western culture is restricted by the narrow scope on the island. In order to survive, for economic and cultural development, people often face an independent nature, fighting the sea, which develop the character of novelty, change, curiosity and hyperactivity and the view point of separation between heaven and nature. Western culture thinks that people and nature, spirit and matter, subject and object, where the uniform of God into two distinct lines, emphasizing the coexistence and the opposite binary. The mainstream of Western cultural values is dualism of Host-guest, the spirit of fighting for self-satisfaction. As if the destruction of the dragon cannot be too thorough for the human spirit-the dragon next appears to metamorphose into a palpably unreal character of fantasy. (David E. Jones , 1984, p237 ) Western culture publicizes personality, emphasizes the protection of individual interests, focus on the potential of independent individuals and strengthens the awareness of individual rights. The famous Greek physicist Archimedes once said: Give me a fulcrum and I can turn the entire universe. Vivid demonstration of this sentence reflects a mans spirit of bold exploration and transformation in the natural world. 4.2.2 Dragon culture derived from the western values From old time to now, Westerners has a tendency to split into two different worlds universe, the separation of man and nature, ever against. Westerners self-awareness on the original sin is to enable them to atonement and perseverance to conquer nature, and transform them to be divine power, to achieve One God. Western culture emphasizes the playing of individual potential, personal goals and pursuing personal interests. Individual-based consciousness is the deepest core of Western culture, with the highest value. Western culture of individualism makes a analogy to the rule of survival of the fittest. Individuals only make through their own efforts, and ability to explore their potential, to protect their interests, to choose a place in society. Individual character in Western culture is extremely important value. The development of individual potential, personal hobbies, interests and personal rights are often paramount. The Western experience of human life separated from nature can be found in the Bible story of creation. As masters of nature .humans are encouraged to control it and exploit it in any way they choose to master the natural world. People need to study and explore it to figure out how it works, to figure out how a machine works before using it. Westerners prefer to show their power to control, transform, and dominate nature. Therefore, in the legend, the dragon changes into a wicked body, the embodiment of greedy, then brave knights fought for victory. All show that human stress the independence of the individuals awareness; so they need some kind of evil forces to contrast out of peoples unlimited potential. Be crucial, unity of Nature and man and Host-guest the two different world view and values in the construction of Chinese and Western thinking way .And almost national character plays a decisive effect on the communication behavior. Conclusion Culture is a kind of social behavior, which is correlated with peoples customs and habits.  With the intercultural communication, we should recognize the condition of our unique culture; acquaint other cultures to avoid unnecessary culture clashes and misunderstanding as far as possible. Loong and dragon cultures are very important parts to nations. Each nations special culture gives owe special cultural connotation. Western dragon and Chinese loong culture obviously have differences, which exactly result in the obstacle of cross-cultural social intercourse. If there is no communication, there would be no culture. The two cultures reflect the national characteristics, not only including historical and cultural background of that race, but also the position in nature, containing competitive viewpoint to life styles and the ways of thinking. Therefore, to comprehend the different culture, we have to explain the origin of philosophy. We not only need to have culture exchanged-but also need to value culture in the cross-cultural social intercourse process. Only we set out to analyze cultural differences, we can hold the deep contact of culture effectively.

Essay --

From my professional experience I have worked with different managers and supervisors. Most of who are academically sound and well experienced in the medical field. It is important for me to be able to differentiate between managing and leading, because these are two distinct ways of organizing people. Leadership is basically setting a new vision/ direction for the organization or group that they follow. On the other hand, management controls and direct people, resources in the organization according to the values, ethics and principles that has been established by that organization. From our previous readings I concluded that people make choices to naturally and willingly follow a leader for various reasons e.g. their charisma, personality and management style, whereas a manager gives directives and are obeyed due to the authority and power given to them. For these reasons, people more often become loyal towards leaders than managers. The leader I have chosen to talk about is the Director of Pediatric Department and I would consider her to be an effective leader and a manger. I hav...

The Affects of the Human Genome Project on Society Essay -- Genetics S

The Affects of the Human Genome Project on Society Today’s society has an ever growing thirst for knowledge as we have for many hundreds of years now. Scientists work around the clock studying the affects of nearly everything they can think of to conduct experiments on. This quest for knowledge is the supposed start to a better life for man kind and ultimately a world without disease or hunger. The human genome project is one that has been going on for about 20 years. This project set out to map, down to the last detail, every part of the human DNA structure (â€Å"Human†). The project has recently been completed and the scientists are now starting another project with their newly found information, to cure mankind of its ailments. Although there are many positive things that can come of this recent discovery, there are many adverse affects that society is not yet fully aware of and as the experiments and test results come in, more and more will society be blinded to the downsides of genetic research because of the glitz, glamour, and promises provided by the corporations and universities This paper will not just hone in on the recently completed human genome project but will also take a look at the many adverse affects of what is now possibly to come if the science of human perfection is to continue unchecked. The possibilities for this new science are great, but without the general public guiding it every step of the way, the universities and corporations will be free to do as they wish. With the power to change life on this planet as we know it, the teams of scientists may ultimately one day have the ability to control what is happening through nearly every second of our life: what we eat, what we drink, what happen... ...uman Being, The Medusa and the Snail: More Notes of a Biology Watcher. New York: Viking Press, 1979. Thomas, in his book of short stories explores many different issues of human nature and in this book gives his viewpoint on many well known topics and some unknown yet still interesting topics alike. Although this book is somewhat dated, the articles present are still applicable to a lot of the situations we are facing in this current day and age. The author of the book is quite refreshing in the way that he is able to look at both the light and dark of a situation yet keep a positive attitude towards most of the nearing innovations in science. Reference List †¢ Human Genome Project Information. US Department of Energy. April 20, 2003. http://www.ornl.gov/TechResources/Human_Genome/home.html †¢ Clinton, Bill. Whitehouse Press Conference. June 25, 2000.

Disciplinary Spanking Is Not Child Abuse Essay -- Effective Use of Cor

Child abuse is an issue within society that effects the lives of not only the victims but also the lives of many people in the social order. Child abuse is any mistreatment or neglect of a child that results in non-accidental injury or harm and which cannot be logically explained. There are several forms of abuse and neglect and many state governments have developed their own legal description of what constitutes child maltreatment for the purposes of removing a child and prosecuting a criminal charge. Child abuse consists of different forms of harm including physical, emotional, sexual, and neglect. Physical abuse is any non-accidental physical injury to a child. Physical abuse is an injury that results from physical aggression. Types of physical abuse can consist of beating, whipping, hitting, pinching, biting, or spanking. Spanking is the most used, traditional form of physical punishment, consisting in a beating applied on the buttocks. It involves striking the buttocks repeatedly, usually as a physical punishment, with an open hand. Spanking can also be implemented including belts, whips, rods, paddles, or any other household item. Educators and parents usually administer spankings to children. Spanking usually refers to a child lying, stomach down, across the educator's lap and the parent or teacher repeatedly swatting the child's backside. The issue of spanking is whether it is justifiable or an act of child abuse. Some child specialists, such as Christine Walsh and Michael Boyle, argue that if a parent must administer a spanking, it should not be through anger and only as a last option when other forms of discipline have been deemed unsuccessful. They say that for a spanking to be instructive it must be... ...their child while obviously angered, that emotion is likely to be very noticeable to the child. Unfortunately, that anger is all too likely to become attached to the punishment, resulting in the unwanted link of: mad parent = pain. A serene, calm parent is very much less likely to turn out to be an active part of the negative memory. Obviously, this is completely up to the judgment of the parent, but I have a tendency to concur that not only is spanking less likely to be abused if lightly applied, but also it maintains a better influence when it is applied. I would declare only when there clearly doesn't seem to be any other way of getting through to the child. Spanking is unquestionably not the only effective punishment, and perhaps not even the best, nevertheless I consider it to be effective, when applied carefully, in relation with other teaching mechanisms.

7 Proven Pieces of Entrepreneurship Advice for Students

7 Proven Pieces of Entrepreneurship Advice For Students and Interns Right now there are millions of college students sitting in a college class or a dorm room. They are not even realizing that the cost of the school they are at is going to eat away at their budget for years to come. As the student debt and tuition continue to mount, students also have a great deal of benefits that many others didn’t, and therefore these Millennials may be the world’s next biggest entrepreneurs. That’s where the following 7 pieces of entrepreneurship advice come into play. In a world where money makes the world go round, the reason why they are ripe for jumping into these grounds is that they end up working for or interning at tech companies. Many are interested in high tech jobs, but even larger numbers want to do something on their own, and be independent. Not everyone in college today wants that 9 to 5 job after they graduate. These millennials have some incredible ideas, that only get bigger as they go through their college life and gain experience thru internships. There is a lot of advice out there for the Millennials, but honestly, only a few things resonate with some proving grounds. Here are the 7 proven elements that students may want to learn right now which would help them with their entrepreneurship career.Meet New People and Network School is a proving ground where you can meet other people. Don’t let yourself stay in one place and not meet others. Network, talk to others, befriend people and get a mentor. You may find that the people you meet in college are going to stay with you for years, and could help you succeed down the line. The more you can communicate and stay in touch, the better your chances are for getting success after you graduate, as the real world is full of people that â€Å"know someone†, etc.The Opportunity Or The DegreeTake a note from big time basketball players, jump at the chances of a lifetime, don’t stay in school. This may not make your parents happy, but it’s something that you have to think about in the long term. Yes, you could fail in the big leagues, but what if you don’t? You can use your financial status to go back to school and get that degree later. You have an option to get a degree in your lifetime, but you don’t always have a chance at the majors, in tech, or in sports. If you get a once in a lifetime opportunity, take it, don’t sit in school. Degrees don’t mean success, they only prove to an employer that you can learn a particular subject and therefore, it helps, but you can get them when the time is right. Just remember that as entrepreneurship Advice.Eat With Others When You Can Building relationships is tough when you are not around people. Just like the tip above, take time to sit with others including your supervisor and talk to people. If you see someone sitting alone, go talk to them. Ask to sit with them, and just spark a conversation. This is going to be uncomfortable at first glance, but if you keep doing this, you’ll eventually talk to more and more people and you’ll build relationships and network far easier over time just like big companies.Don’t Fear FailureYou’re going to need to take a few risks in your life. That includes college etc. You don’t necessarily need to skip school and risk your life, but there are times when a questionable option could lead you down some great experiences. You may find that if you push the limits a little, you may very well see a great option moving forward for your career path.Look Around and Explore Your AreaDo not stay in one place. Travel as much as you can. If you don’t have a lot of money, that’s ok, travel around your campus, see every part of it, explore and keep going forward. Do not let yourself be isolated and stuck in one area. Learn to walk, learn to talk, and start to explore every nook and cranny of the buildings and offices that are around you. Your actions and attitude including nonverbal communication can have a great influence over your social environment, so be mindful. Also, be aware of your learning style, you will find that this can help you with dating, and networking alike. You will also find niches and hidden areas that you would otherwise not see.Ask Many QuestionsThe biggest thing that entrepreneurs do that others don’t is that they ask questions. You need to ask questions all the time. Whether you’re in class, or you’re in a meeting, if there is an option to ask questions ask them. Even if you know the answer, ask. This helps in two ways. The first is simple, you are going to be remembered. When your professor and those lecturing know your name, they are going to show you favor and will help you out more often than not. The second thing is that you’re going to be able to get clarification and even explore new avenues that others won’t. The more questions you ask, the better you are going to do in school, and in life. Ask questions that others don’t, and you’re going to find that you’ll get valuable answers, every single time.Become The Most Valuable Person (MVP)Whether you’re in an office setting, working with a team, or just trying to get through another class, become helpful. To become an entrepreneur means is to become a servant and understand how to cope with cultural challenges, for example understand British vs. US culture, if you are an international student. As an Entrepreneurship advice, look for ways to help your teacher, students, and even your school. The more you can help, the more you are going to be thought about, and that could lead to offers that others don’t get. Some individuals, for instance, may get called back from an internship to work full time. Others may get work study programs, or offered premium housing because they are helping with certain events, cleaning, and so much more. Your goal is to always be a valuable asset to anyone that is around you, so start in college and you’ll garner a great deal of attention down the line. As you can see, there are 7 major things that you can do as an intern or a student. These will help you gain the upper hand in whatever it is you want to pursue, and will help you succeed in life. Just don’t be stagnant, that’s the worst thing you can end up being whether you’re a student or chasing a career. Are you an entrepreneur at heart and need some inspiration, go ahead and read our site story? If you are worried that you need to survive the University, head over to our site and let our expert writers help you write a top class essay, on time and to the highest possible quality.

Simone Weil’s Love of Neighbor

Simone Weil’s â€Å"Waiting for God† have discussed the implied love of God through the reiteration of love and compassion as an answer or remedy for affliction and as a step in able to restore justice. Simone Weil was a wealthy French political activist and philosopher who have strived to argue about the â€Å"universal goodness of men†. She maintains that the world in which we lived in is generally composed of inequalities. In such case, there are some people who catch our attention while there are those â€Å"others† who are often regarded as the collective unknown. Since there was a lack of attention, otherwise of circumstance and/or affinity, these people remained to be unidentified. She further argues that those people who are with power acts in â€Å"mechanical ways†. This is because they are blindly under the assumption or thinking that they are obligated to enact their power over others in able to defend or protect themselves. They believe that if they do not act in such a way as imposing their power over other people, they might end up being slaves or being objects themselves. Those who do not have power are reduced to â€Å"mere items or objects† who functions as property and quantities obviously does so because they do not have the capability to command other people and they are viewed by those who are in power as means to their ends. This was largely reflected on wars, as soldiers are deployed in   combat areas, those who held government power are deciding which troop would be sent first or which troop would be in this or that position. To further understand her point, she tries to demonstrate the mechanical aspect of power through the ideas of affliction and slavery.   She renders that affliction is a mark of slavery; it is when the soul becomes blind and numb through the mechanical violence perpetuated by power that they exist only as things. Human’s primary task is to give attention to those who are afflicted or to those people who were possessed by power.   Since other afflicted person’s are hardened by the feelings and experiences that they posses, it is then the human being’s task to love our neighbor’s as much as we love ourselves. According to Weil, most people do not understand what the pain that the afflicted persons are feeling. It is quite impossible for unequal things to feel equal or the same, in such, people who are unequal cannot feel the same feeling, cannot understand the same thing that other people is experiencing. She argues that what connects everything is a link with what she renders as an â€Å"outside reality†. She clarifies that this â€Å"link† can be manifested through the presence of â€Å"injustice† which is the damage caused in the private sphere of an individual. Weil’s conception of Justice is base on a religious aspect of a universal obligation to â€Å"remedy the damages done in any body or soul†.   According to Weil, the universality of this obligation is in such form that disposing it would make one a â€Å"criminal†. Justice for Weil is reflective of compassion with the acknowledgement that there must be no harm done to other people most specifically to our neighbors. It is through justice that those who are in power would be compassionate to those who does not posses power for they would not treat those other people merely as objects or as indifferent persons but as reflections and extensions of themselves. They would then remove the mechanical ways that follows from their possession of power for this ways would not be recognize or at least utilize. In my opinion, Weil’s ideas are too idealistic, for although people may indeed love their neighbors as much as they love themselves, nonetheless, this could only happen if all would indeed subscribe to this kind of philosophical thinking. It is quite inevitable for people to dominate other things, and this is something that Weil herself recognizes, as she states that indeed inequality is something that we cannot demise. Yet she proceed on implying that humans can in some way become compassionate to other people or feel and share the pain of other people. This is simply implausible even if she argued that there is a universal link that determines compassion as an obligation to other people, still it is deeply imbedded in human being’s nature and personhood that he/she must strive for him/herself with or without the regard for other people. Her ideal morality and universal justice cannot be attained in our society and is only possible in a hypothetical realm where people may indeed recognize his/her obligation to other people. It might also work well in particular instances upon a serious contemplation and dedication to religion or to a morality that corresponds to the same ideals. For example, in instances like those done by Christ, helping other people without the regard of what will happen to yourself, is something that can indeed be treated to be an instance in support of Weil’s claims. However, one must not forget to take into account the fact that somehow there can be personal interest involved or such and such actions are only plausible in certain circumstances and not in others. Thus, my assessment of Weil’s philosophy is implausible and too idealistic. Works Cited: Weil, Simone. Waiting for God. New York: First Perennial Classics. 2001.      

Educational Program on Tobacco Abuse and Addiction Essay

Tobacco is a farming produce that is used for smoking through the form of a cigarette. It normally contains nicotine as well as harmane. Tobacco causes so many diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and lung diseases. Generally tobacco is smoked, sucked, chewed and snuffed. They contain a very high addictive psychoactive ingredient called nicotine. Tobacco is even worse compared to other drugs. Nicotine is also a very addictive substance clearly known by man and it is very strong and acts very fast. Nicotine is a drug which has many different effects within the body and it stimulates one’s system, even if it makes one feel more relaxed. Nicotine also affects the chemicals in the brain and immediately after the puff one begins to feel high for a second and that is the reason why so many smokers look at smoking as stress relief since they are under pressure. Nevertheless, the program is designed purposely to motivate and educate teenagers and young adults between ages 23-30 the major effects one experiences after tobacco abuse. The program will address the effects of tobacco abuse and it is aimed at increasing the adult’s knowledge of the major effects of tobacco use. The adults between 23 years and 30 years will experience so many activities that will permit them to keep away from using tobacco. During the presentation, all the aforementioned adults will be able to know the effects of nicotine and alcohol cancer being one of them. On the other hand, nicotine tends to cause short-term chances of high blood pressure, heart rate, as well as the flow of the blood right from the heart. Carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen that the blood carries. The long term effects of smoking causes persistent lung disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke, with cancer of the larynx, lungs, mouth, esophagus and bladder. It goes ahead and forms cancer, cervix and the kidneys. The educational program is going to address all this effects of tobacco such that all the adults will be aware and stop taking tobacco.

Microeconomics and the Laws of Supply and Demand Simulation Essay

Based on Webpedia (2014), microeconomics is the interaction and behavior of individual components within an economic system. About the flip side, yet, he claims that macroeconomics examines the market as an aggregate. While microeconomics has a slim viewpoint of the market, macroeconomics examines the market from a wide standpoint. In the University of Phoenix simulation (n.d), for instance, Atlantis metropolis is a little and pleasant town with sufficient infrastructure, rendering it acceptable to custom. This is often considered as the macroeconomic view of the town because the investigation covers a wide spectrum. The simulation more signifies that there exists a low-traffic and hardly any pollution and low-crime rate. This confirms a more narrow outlook of the metropolis, looking at individual elements of the city which makes it conducive living environment. Acceptable infrastructure can be a generalized notion making it a macroeconomic view of the town. The reference of the parks and home narrows down the area into two sublets of infrastructure, in other words, home and recreational services. A change to the right of the supply curve would suggest that there’s been a subsequent rise in the offer of 2-bedroom flats. This was due to a growth in demand impacted by the truth that a brand new firm, Lintech, moved to the town, and there was consequently a population increase along with a subsequent boost in demand of 2-bedroom flats. The entry of new residents had an in earnings, which produced them favor detached houses. Goodlife went farther and converted 400 flats from their 3200 into condos. Equilibrium is the level where the demand and provide curve fulfill in the center. The equilibrium value was initially at $1050 , along with the amount provided was 2000 flat units. A change to the proper in the demand curve, occasioned by means of a growth in populace from Lintech, raises the cost of the models supply staying persistent. W hen it comes to decision making, it’ll be wise for the provider to raise the supply. Yet, change in the tastes of the customers occasioned by means of a rise in income amounts meant demand would fall. A  reduction in need of the 2-bedroom flats on account of modify in tastes lead into a drop in supply, and thus, the demand and also the offer curves would switch to the left. The shift in provide were more compared to the shift in-demand, for instance, it might imply that there will be a deficit in the equilibrium rental fee significance that supply is going to be lower than what’s needed. Meaning, the business will need to offer fewer flat units compared to the potential client is prepared to invest to them. The rental rate would need to increase therefore the amount needed reduces until there exists a decrease in deficit. This technique goes on until a brand new equilibrium point is achieved. These forces are at the mercy of different variables to the side of both consumer and provider. For instance, a growth in demand will likely be at the mercy of not only cost, but additionally taste and tastes, the income degree of the customer marketplace and also the size of the marketplace. Growth of supply can be impacted by several other variables for example cost of associated items, dimension of populace and others. In the telephone sector, for instance, the desire is principally geared by pricing, but other variables should be placed into play. Why really would one consider purchasing an iPhone when it’s deemed really pricey? It really is just since the Apple telephone organization has arch out a market in supplying outstanding quality telephones which are user-friendly. Hence it is imperative to think about the marketplace tendencies to ensure one’s merchandises are almost always useful. Microeconomics, as mentioned before, deals and intermingles together with the individual models of the market. In the real-estate business, microeconomics will take a look in the many living conditions of distinct portions of the town and ascertain who dwells there. Microeconomics might assess the person facets which could change an industry, for instance, growth in income, populace designs and client preferences in real-estate. An rich place may have fewer lodging components directly proportionate to the few who make high wages, and not as wealthy places could have more folks because of the exceptionally affordable housing components. Equilibrium in essence will be a culmination of cost and amount ascertained in the micro-level. Price elasticity of demand stems from customer’s responsiveness or sensitivity to changes in price (Colander, n.d, ). In the simulation, a rise in cost caused a reduction in the need of flats. The simulation  advocated the purchase price ought to be optimized to attain maximum gains, while in exactly the same time making sure the pricing would be advantageous to the client. That is the stage of equilibrium. Costs above this level would result in excess and costs beneath would cause a deficit. The simulation continues to be powerful in establishing the potency of the powers of demand and supply. In the simulation, a rise in cost caused a reduction in the need of flats. The simulation advocated the purchase price ought to be optimized to attain maximum gains, while in exactly the same time making sure the pricing would be advantageous to the client. That is the stage of equilibrium. Costs above this level would result in excess and costs beneath would cause a deficit. The simulation continues to be powerful in establishing the potency of the powers of demand and supply. References Colander, D. C. (n.d). Microeconomics ninth edition (9th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database PRICE ELASTICITY OF DEMAND. (2014). In Webpedia. Retrieved from http://www.amosweb.com/cgi-bin/awb_nav.pl?s=wpd&c=dsp&k=price+elasticity+of+demand University of Phoenix. (n.d). Applying Supply and Demand Concepts [Multimedia]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, ECO365 website.

Tesco Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Tesco Analysis - Essay Example At first an extensive background of the company is given, providing the data on the past of the corporation. Tesco walked through a considerable number of obstacles on its path with a single principle: price is the most considerable factor in retailing. While using 'pile it high, sell it cheap' strategy the firm has made its name on the three main notions: perfect use of online retailing, perfect meeting of customers' demands, and perfect pricing policy. More detail to these factors is given in the next part of the report. After that the report dwells on the market environment surrounding Tesco. Interestingly, another company that used strategy similar to Tesco is also a top retailer in its domestic market environment - it is Wal-Mart. The comparison between Tesco and Wal-Mart is drawn next. The report concludes with forecasting what strategic options Tesco will have in its nearest future. Tesco was founded in 1924. However, the real history of Tesco began in 1931 when the first store was opened. At first the company specialized only in food retailing, which already had some major players, e.g. Sainsbury - a leading company of that time. Despite many differences, such as family issues in controlling businesses both companies had similarities. Both Tesco and Sainsbury families were very influential, however unlike Sainsbury, where all the managerial control belonged to the family, Tesco always had non-family board of directors (Morelli 2004). At the same time, both Tesco and Sainsbury based their success on regional strategies placing their stores in highly concentrated South Western and South Eastern parts of England. In fact, this was one of the reasons of imperfect competition between these tow companies. Tesco became a public license company in 1949. The company has been noted for a rapid and effective use of its investors in compare with its competitors. While Sainsbury's growth was incremental through the use of retained earnings for investment in new stores (Williams 1994), Tesco has been known for the effective use of share floatation to gain the necessary capital for takeovers (Morelli 1996). Sainsbury became a public licensed company only 24 years later in 1973 - the unwillingness of the company to utilize leasing was one of the reasons why Tesco has become a new market-leading company. Meanwhile the industry of retailing was developing rapidly. Upcoming trends of those days were integrated supermarkets, allowing its customers to buy everything they need within one building and self-service, which granted lower expenditures on the retailing personnel. Later, "from the adoption of still larger superstores, computerisation, stock control systems and sub-contracting out of warehousing and distribution in the 1980s, the modem supermarket retailer has been prepared to rapidly develop new organizational approaches" (Morelli 2004, p. 771). Tesco began selling non food goods in 1964. Introducing innovative techniques, such as loyalty cards, banking services, one-stop shopping, etc. has also given Tesco some advantage, although all these methods were quickly imitated by other companies. Pricing was always one of the most important issues in retailing. Being similar among all the major players of the UK retailing industry, prices were hardly anyone's advantage. There were some ways to attract customers, though. For instance, one of

Unit VII Collective Bargaining Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Unit VII Collective Bargaining - Essay Example Since 1975, ESOPs have been on the growth because it has significantly played a big role in supporting the trade unions. For instance, it has a hand in allowing unions to have partial ownership. This means that it has offered the trade union with an incentive of becoming weaker bargainers hence leading to a reduction in the rate of labor disputes and strike incidences (Block, 2006). Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) have assisted the employee to strategically plan for the operation of the organization and coming up with outsourcing solution. On an employee perspective, it has allowed room for integration of the model with other existing plans to be able to provide high quality service and maintain a consistent customer satisfactory plan operation. The employers would experience a reduction in their business equity in the events of leveraged ESOP. During the valuation period the ESOP is most overvalued hence subjecting the employer penalty tax of 15%. It affects the value of an organization hence deterring employer from making the investments (Sloane, 2001). In addition, Employees would be affected due to the poor performance of an organization that is, they would encounter a loss of the long-term investment. Lack diversification of the ESOP investment would lead to the loss of the employees’ retirement funds (Aidt, 2002). Question 2: Describe the two major forms of no-strike provisions agreed upon by managements and unions. Outline and explain the series of remedies that employers have available when these provisions are violated (including any union-generated action that interfered with production). The management and the unions agreed upon provision that would guide the members of the union to raise their grievance without going for any strike within the period of the agreements. Among the provision agreed upon is the no-strike clause. It bonds the union along with the management to promise that their

Virgin Atlantic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Virgin Atlantic - Essay Example Also, deregulation has resulted in a multitude of other airlines whom are able to provide low fares. That said, their strengths, which includes providing luxuries such as Samsung Galaxy tablets and high speed Wi-Fi, plus extra creature comforts such as flat bed and comfortable chairs, in addition to other value-added services, such as express security check-in for business customers. However, for the future, Virgin should continue to invest in higher end luxuries, and continue to keep their fleets small, and this is the best way to compete in any market. The Value Chain The value chain is one of the ways that the Virgin Airlines will be strategically examined. Porter (1985) described how firms can be broken down by their activities, and how a firm may obtain a competitive advantage by identifying these strategic activities and finding a way to perform these activities cheaper and better than its competitors (Porter, 1985, p. 34). Porter explained by the value chains may go upstream, which is the supplier delivering to the firm, and downstream, which is the firm delivering the product to the customer. Moreover, Porter states that the value chain must take a holistic approach, which means that the discrete components of its value chain must fit into an overall value system, therefore they all must be integrated. Porter goes on to explain ways that a firm might obtain a competitive advantage over other firms, such as targeting to a niche market, which would allow the firm to tailor the value chain to this niche, which results in lower costs; competing in related industries with coordinated value chains; or firms may also gain a competitive advantage by widening or narrowing their geographic markets. Porter also states that firms may gain a competitive advantage by affiliating themselves with other entities, such as mergers, joint ventures, licenses and supply agreements (Porter, 1985, p. 34). How this relates to Virgin Airlines is that, as will be explained, it is gaining a competitive advantage, through its value chain, by appealing to a niche market, which is the high-end market who is patronizing an airline because of its amenities and luxuries. As it is tailoring its strategy to this niche, as opposed to attempting to appeal to a broader market, it has been able to keep its costs down by keeping its fleet small, and diversifying only by expanding into other markets through subsidiaries. It has therefore chosen to eschew another way that Porter states that companies may gain a competitive advantage, which is through affiliating themselves with other entities. Above illustration available at: http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&newwindow=1&biw=1067&bih=489&tbm=isch&tbnid=Q095X0MX-AyACM:&imgrefurl=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/9354561/Porter-Value-Chain-Template&docid=gBEEIrN13AnqTM&imgurl=http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/orig/9354561.png&w=1500&h=1125&ei=YhDyT6faFuio2wWBkaTSCg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=276&vpy=4&dur=6408&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=1 36&ty=162&sig=111730839532732020329&page=2&tbnh=127&tbnw=169&start=10&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:10,i:113 According to Oster (1999), the value chain is one way that an organization may be competitive by identifying where, on the value chain, they can improve upon the competition by improving or differentiating themselves from their competitors. For instance, a firm may improve its method of procurement, distribution or inventory (Oster, 1999, p. 131). Or, in the case of an airline, the airline may look at its