Research proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Research proposal - Essay Example With this virtue, the research proposal presented here shall provide a specific structure to the ultimate research work mentioning the aim and objectives to be amended in the final discussion of the research. It will also intend to suggest an appropriate research methodology, apparently highlighting the importance of the research topic and evaluating its future scope. Table of Contents Abstract 2 1. Introduction 4 1.1. Research Problem 4 1.2. Background 4 1.3. Research Aims and Objectives 6 2. Literature Review 8 3. Research Methodology 10 3.1. Types of Research 10 3.2. Research Approach 12 3.3. Data Collection Process 13 3.4. Data Analysis 14 3.5. Limitations of the Research Methodology 15 3.6. Recommendations 16 References 18 Bibliography 21 1. Introduction 1.1. Research Problem Research problem is referred to the area of interest identified in the research work. It is termed to be an important element for a research work as it provides a purpose to the research which again signifi es its ultimate objective. The research problem also provides certain specific research questions which in turn simplify the research process specifying the focal point of the research. 1.2. Background Sodexo is an international company which was set up in 1966 by Pierre Bellon. By its origin it is a service based company and renders its customers with a wide range of services. However, the company mainly focuses on its catering services to general public and fine dining customers as well. To be mentioned, the major objectives of Sodexo are attaining a sustainable growth of at least 7% per annum, reaching 6% operating margin, gaining the recognition as a global leader, developing the employee base and increasing its brand awareness and brand image at large (Sodexo, 2010). To encourage its virtues, Sodexo has also been recorded to be the first company to enter the contract of catering with the 2012 UK Events Industry Fair Pricing and Practice Charter. According to this contract, Sode xo Prestige, the catering group of the company is entitled to serve the chief customers in 2012 Olympic Games. This indeed is a great opportunity for the company to move ahead in accomplishing its optimum objectives (Sodexo, 2009). Therefore, the research problem which can be identified is to develop a well-designed uniform with key consideration to the aspect of the brand image of the company in representing 2012 Olympics and its employees’ perceptions. With this concern, the suggested research questions can be stated as follows, 1) What is the Brand Philosophy of Sodexo? 2) What are the Ethos and Values of the company? 3) What kind of uniform look would represent the company in the best possible way? Based on these research questions, certain significant research aims and objectives have been suggested in the following discussion. 1.3. Research Aims and Objectives Being an active participant of the service industries, fashion industry provides an utmost priority to the aspe ct of client satisfaction which enhances the possibility of client retention in future. Hence, it rewards the designer a long-term benefit. In this milieu, it shall be quite supportive to determine the research aim and its objectives focusing on the perception of both the primary and secondary customers (Dickerson, 2004). The primary aim of the research work shall be focused in

Argumentative Paper (Logical Fallacies) on Why Smoking is good for you Essay

Argumentative Paper (Logical Fallacies) on Why Smoking is good for you - Essay Example It instills a sense of brightness in you and the aromatic flavor it exudes will truly lift your sprits and make you feel better. Many of my friends, when feeling dejected and demoralized, resort to smoking in order to rev themselves up and I’ve seen that it works. Really, a smoker never feels lonely as he or she becomes capable of maintaining an intimate relationship with this indulgence. It’s like a courtship and it revitalizes your soul. Bad habit, they say. But believe me; they’re just incapable of recognizing the best and extracting it. Every human being will feel lonely at some point of time in their lives. Your friends may abandon you, your loved ones too. But believe me, your habit never does. So, any time you are lonely, you can depend on your cigarette. Just do not forget to carry a packet and a lighter in your pocket. I guarantee your habit will never desert you. I’ve seen people with such dependence, and the habit of smoking has come to their rescue every time they feel lonely and dejected. People make a big hue and cry about the negative sides of smoking and believe that cigarette causes cancer. They do propaganda and conduct campaigns against this habit to create awareness in youngsters. Tobacco companies are forced to carry statutory warnings on their packets that ‘Smoking Kills’. To me, this is absolute nonsense. How can cigarettes cause such a dreadful disease as cancer? Also, are all cancer patients smokers? Not at all! If you take the case 10 patients and analyze it, you will see that the majority of them are nonsmokers. If a person who smokes happens to have cancer, that doesn’t mean that all smokers will have cancer. It’s really a pity that we lay the blame on this harmless habit while the actual cause may be genetical or physiological. One of my near relatives has died of cancer but she has never so much as touched a cigarette in her entire life. There are many smokers who never had cancer. I know hundreds of them. So

Analysing The Consumer Behaviour Concept

Analysing The Consumer Behaviour Concept Solomon, Bamossy, Askegaard and Hogg (2010) described consumer behaviour as a study of why, how, when and where consumers make purchases of a particular product and it tends to understand the decision making process of consumers. Also, Hannah and Wozniak (2001) revealed that consumer behaviour seeks to focus on the consumption related activities of individual as well as investigate the reason behind and the forces influencing the selection, purchase, use and disposal of goods and services in other to satisfy personal needs and wants. Furthermore, Hannah and Wozniak (2001) revealed that consumers behaviour encapsulate activities like influencing others, being influenced by others and complaining about and returning product and exposure to the media. Finally, in this report, the concept of consumer behaviour as well as marketing communication, customer satisfaction and reference group influence with regards to consumers or visitors in Newarke house museum and New-walk museum will be analysed using some theories. Antonides and Van Raaij (1998) revealed that consumer behaviour is concerned with the following namely; Mental and physical act (behaviour) Including the motives and causes Of individuals and (small) group Regarding orientation, purchase, use, maintenance and disposal (consumption cycle) And house hold production (Do it yourself) Of (scarce) goods and services From the market, public and household section Lending of functionality and achievement of consumer goods and value And to satisfy Take into account short term and long term effect And individual and societal consequences However, Solomon, Bamossy, Askegaard and Hogg (2002) regarded consumer behaviour as a process and it involves many different actors. In the quest of trying to understand the consumer behaviour concept it was revealed by Jobber (2010) consumer are involved in a sequence or process of consumption. Figure 1 described the consumption process of consumer for product or services Figure 1; Consumption Process of Consumer For Product Or Services Need Recognition/Problem Awareness Information Search Evaluation of Alternatives and Purchase Post-Purchase Evaluation of Decision Sourced from: Jobber, D. (2010) Principles and Practice of Marketing Need Recognition/Problem Awareness This is the first stage of the consumer decision making process (Solomon et al 2010). This stage involves when a consumer recognises that there is a difference between his true self (that is, the current state) and his ideal self (the desired state). This fact was supported in the first visit when the ladies revealed that they had to go somewhere because they were on holiday, However, Jobber (2010) revealed that there are two issues that determine the intention of a consumer to solve his problem namely; the magnitude of the discrepancy between the desired and the present state and the relative importance of the problem (Neal, Quester and Hawkin2 2007). Also, Jobber (2010) further revealed that in a situation where the difference between the present state and desired state is small, the consumer might not be motivated to move to the next stage of the process (that is, information search) Furthermore, O`Shaughnessey (1987) suggested that a customer must be aware of the need to solve a problem as well as being aware of the need inhibitor and a need may arise as a result of stimulation which can be caused by advertising campaign. Information Search Jobber (2010) revealed that information search involves the identification of alternative ways to solve a problem. Information search might be carried out internally or externally (Jobber 2010). This was supported in the first visit when the 2 ladies revealed that they searched the Internet as well as ask friends about the museum. However, internal search involves a consumer reviewing relevant information from his memory bank in which the information will include reference to personal experiences and marketing communication. While, external search involves searching from personal sources like friends, co-workers, neighbours as well as commercial source like sales people and advertising (Jobber 2010). Recently, consumers tend to use the internet as their major information search tools using search engines like Google and Yahoo (Jobber 2010) This was also suppoted in the first visit when the two ladies revealed they searched the Internet for more information before coming to the museum. Furthermore, Solomon et al (2010) revealed that the major aim of information search is to create an awareness set that involves several brands that can solve the consumer`s problem. Evaluation of Alternative and the Actual Purchase Consumers tend to be open to several alternatives in the process of decision making. This several alternatives will be evaluated and filtered to produce an evoked set (Jobber 2010). This evoked set includes several brands which a consumer is considering to purchase, in which the consumer tend to use fewer criteria to select the brand of choice because information search has already taken place (Kuusela, Spence and Kunto 1998) Furthermore, Solomon et al (2010) suggested that consumers tends to evaluate product or service using the knowledge about the product or service, hence allowing the consumer to group product or service in accordance to their belief and attitude about different brand of product. This was supported However, Schiffman, Kanuk and in the second visit to New Walk museum when the people observed to be chatting to each other said they decided to come to the museum instead of going to the Caribbean because of what their fried had told them. Wisenblit (2009), suggest that the purchase stage is when the customer actually make up their mind and purchase the product of service after information has been searched and several alternative evaluated. The first stage of the categorisation is the basic level of category. This level tends to group product or service with common attribute or character while the second level is the subordinate category which includes grouping of individual brands; and the third category id the super- ordinate category Figure 1.2 depicts the three stages involved in evaluating and categorising of brands Figure 1.2: Evaluating and Categorising of Brands Tourism Museums Caribbean European Country Vacation Africa New Faces Arts and Painting History Newark House Museum/ New Walk Museum Adapted from: Solomon et al (2010) Consumer Behaviour Post- Purchase Evaluation of the Decision Jobber (2010) revealed that the aim of an effective marketing is to create customer satisfaction and acquire customer loyalty. Customers tend to experience some post purchase issues in which the issue tends to be form or arise as a result of uncertainty in the consumer decision. The consumer tends to ask himself if he made the right decision or not? This issue according to Kotler et al (2008) is referred to as cognitive dissonance. This was supported in the first visit when I concluded that anyone in the museum at that time could conclude that two female from the group of 8 were enjoying themselves. However, the result of post purchase evaluation of product or services are based on the quality of service or product, as well as the role of the sale-person which act as a problem solver. This factors tends to reduce the cognitive dissonance in the consumer (Jobber 2010) Marketing communication of the museums Marketing communication can be described as messages and media used to convey information to the market or target consumers (Baines, Fill and Page 2008). However, the collective means of communicating with target consumers is referred to as the Marketing Communication Mix (Baines, Fill and Page 2008). The marketing communication mix comprises of five tools which can be used collectively at different level in other to intensify communication with the audience or target consumers, namely; advertising, personal selling, public relations, sales promotions and direct marketing. (Baines, Fill and Page 2008) Figure 1.3: Marketing Communication Mix Tools Personal Selling Public Relation Advertising Sales Promotion Direct Marketing Adapted from: Baines P, Fill.C and Page K (2008) Marketing Advertising According to Baines et al (2008) they described advertising as a non personal form of communication where a clearly identifiable sponsor pays for a message to be transmitted through media. Also, they further revealed that advertising tends to engages the target consumers impersonally and its a tool used to communicate an organisation marketing offer(s). Furthermore, Baines et al (2008) suggested two ways in which advertisement could be used namely; It can be used to influence demand for product and services It can be used to manage perception and understanding about the organisation. Types of Advertising There are two major types of advertising namely; Digital advertising- This type of advertising includes the use of television advertising, music in advert, infomercial (this involves product demonstration and features as well as testimonial about product) radio advertising, product placement, and online advertising (McCarthy 2002) This type of communication mix(that is, Internet) is been used by both museums as informations about the museums could be found on the museums website Physical advertising- This includes mobile billboards advert, in-store advertising, celebrity branding and press advertising (McCarthy 2002) Sales Promotion Sales promotions are used commonly in consumer market especially during the launching of a new brand and its mostly in a matured market where market growth is limited and when prices and sales promotion work are the only means of causing brand switching behaviour in consumers as well as improving performance (Baines et al 2008). Also, sale promotions are majorly concerned with offering additional value to customers in order to enhance sales. Public Relations Baines et al (2008) described public relations as a marketing communication mix tool that influences the perception of various group of consumers or stakeholder about an organisation. Also, Bruning and Ledingham (2001) described public relations as the tools that manage the relationship between an organisation and the public. Finally, Baines et al (2008) defined public relations as a management activity that attempt to shape the attitude and opinion held by organisations stakeholders. Personal Selling This can be described as an activity carried out by an individual or group of individual representing an organisation to potential customer in order for a sale or transaction to be made (Baines et al 2008). This form of activity is different from the other types of marketing communication mix because personal selling carry out transactions directly with customers and feedback are gathered from consumers in other to measure and aid improvement (Baines et al 2008) Direct Marketing According to Jobber (2010) Direct Marketing is the distribution of products, information and promotional benefits to target consumers through interactive communication in a way that allows response to be measured . Direct marketing seeks to acquire and retain customers by contacting them without the use of an intermediary (Jobber 2010 pp 547). Furthermore, Jobber (2010) revealed that direct marketing tends to use several methods such as; direct mail, telemarketing, direct response advertising, catalogue marketing, mobile marketing, electronic media like the internet, door-to- door leafleting. An Investigation on the Impact of Reference Group on Consumers or Visitor in Newark House Museum and New Walk Museum Cohen, Joel and Ellen (1972) described reference group influence as an actual or imaginary individual or group conceived to having significant relevance upon an individual evaluation, aspiration or behaviour. Also, Bearden, William and Etzel (1982) indicated that direct and verbal interaction are not the only means of influencing a customer instead observing the reference group will suggest the choice of brands a customer will choose. Furthermore, Interdependent cultures like china, Korea stress the need to conform to group norms and social acceptance (Gurhan-Canli and Masheswaran 2000). Also, Wong and Ahuva (1998) suggested indicated that consumption or use of luxuries conspicuously which translate to wealth or social status by consumers from east Asia are as a result of cultural influence. However, past research by Park and Lessig (1977) identified three reference group namely; informational influence, utilitarian influence and value expressive influence Informational Influence Park and Lessig (1977) reveals that, in this type of influence the individual seek information about various brands from an association of independent group of expert. His could be supported in the first visit when I asked the two ladies and I was told they searched on the Internet as well as asked their friend. Also, Kelmar (1961) revealed that in this type of influence, individual are more likely to accept information that will broaden and improve knowledge and ability to cope with environment. Furthermore, Park and Lessig (1977) revealed that individual will seek information from whom they see as professional as well as observe what expert do (such as brand of television a repair man buys). This information will influence the individual in the aspect of the type of television brand they intend to purchase. Also, individuals tends to be influenced by observing a seal of approval of an independent testing agency as well as seeking brand related knowledge and experience from friends and neighbours who have reliable information about brands (Park and Lessig 1977). Utilitarian Influence Kelmer (1961) suggests that this type of influence influences an individual to satisfy a certain group expectation in other to obtain the praise or avoid punishment form group. Furthermore, this type influence affect the decision of an individual to purchase a particular brand as well as the individual decision to purchase a brand is as a result of influence from family member. Value expressive Influence This influence make individual feels that the purchase or use of a particular brand will aid the image of people have on them (Park and Lessig 1977). Also, this influence make an individual feels that the purchase of a certain brand would help show others what they would like to be. For example, an individual wanting to be like an athlete, a good parent (Park and Lessig (1977).This was supported in the second visit when the white male believe to be in his 20s was taking note of everything in the museum so as to become a renowned poet like Geoffrey Chaucer. Furthermore, Park and Lessig (1977) reveal that this type on influence make the individual feels that it would be nice to be like a type of person on an advertisement of a certain brand. Customer Satisfaction According to Oliver (1997); satisfaction is the consumer fulfilment response; its a judgement that a product or service feature or the service itself; provides a pleasurable level of consumption- related fulfilment. Also, Zeithaml and Bitner (2003) defined satisfaction as customer evaluation of a product or service in terms of whether the product or service has met their need and expectation. They further stated that failure to meet the needs and expectation could be regarded as dissatisfaction with product or service. Furthermore, Zeithaml and Bitner (2003) indicated some factors that influence customer satisfaction towards a product or service namely; Product and Service Features- Evaluating the product or service significantly influences customer satisfaction (Oliver 1997) for example, I was amazed when I discovered that New Walk museum also cater for children also in the second visit when some of the visitors were a bit noisy because they were amazed by the creatures Consumer Emotions- Oliver (1997) revealed that customer emotions can affect their perception of satisfaction with product or service. These emotions can be stable, pre-existing emotion (Oliver 1997). Also, Zeithaml and Bitner (2003) suggest that some emotion can be as a result of consumption experience of a particular service. Liljander and Strandvik (1997) also revealed that negative emotion like depression, guilt and anger tends to have a strong effect on customer dissatisfaction ratings towards a service or product. Attributions for service success or failure- Folkes (1988) described attributes as the perceived cause or causes of event which can influence perception of customer towards a product or service. This type of influence was revealed in the first visit when the lady told me she was expecting to a lot of people in the museum. Perception of Equity or fairness- This can also influence customers satisfaction (Clemmer and Schneider (1996). This type of influence occurs when a customer asks his or herself Have I been treated fairly compared to other customer? (Zeithaml and Bitner 2003) Also, this perception can create a notion of dissatisfaction as well as satisfaction or fairness. Other consumers, family member and co- workers- This influence tends to affect satisfaction in terms of if their needs or expectation has been met compared to what their family member received, (Zeithaml and Bitner 2003). Recommendations In other to enhance satisfaction in customers visiting the museums, it is imperative that museum tries to maximize visitors satisfaction by avoiding any form of disappointment, for example, in the second visit to New Walk museum, some visitors were disappointed because they only came to see the dinosaurs and the geology gallery but the gallery was closed due to renovation also, in the first visit to Newarke museum when the lady was complaining that she was expecting to meet a lot people in the museum, which was quite different from her expectations. However, in my opinion, this low turnout of people might be attributed to the communication strategy used by the museum. Hence it is suggested that that the museum (both New Walk and Newarke museum) should utilise three marketing communication mix that is, the advertising, some Public Relations as well as Direct marketing to home schools as well as foreign schools which includes universities. Also, the museums should ensure that visitors are completely satisfied with the quality of service they provide in order to build a loyal customer base. For example in, the first visit when the two ladies told me that they were informed about the museum by friends which invariably support the revelations by Jones and Sasser (1995) which states that completely satisfied customers are likely to become apostle and recommend the service six times more than very satisfied customers Also, it is suggested to the museum to bring in more history about legends because in the second visit a white male revealed he came to the museum so as to make note of what could have inspired poets like Geoffrey Chaucer. References Bruning S.D and Ledingham J.A (2000), Perception of relationship and evaluation of satisfaction: an exploration of interaction; Public relations review 26, 1. 85-95 Baines P, Fill.C and Page K (2008) Marketing; Oxford university press inc, 1st edition p471-503 Armstrond and Kotler (2005) Marketing; an introduction. International edition 7th edition pearson prentice educational inc USA Solomon. M, Bamossy.G, Askegaard (2002) Consumer behaviour; A European approach. Pearson educational limited 2nd edition USA p 302 Park, W and Lessig P,(1977); Student and housewives: differences in susceptibility to reference group influence; journal of consumer research 4 Cohen J.B and Golden E(1972) Informational social influence and product evaluation; journal of applied psychology 56. Hanna,N and Wozniak.R (2001) ;Connsumer behaviour; an applied approach prentice hall inc 1st edition. Antonidee. G. and Van Raaij, W (1998) Consumer behaviour: a European approach; John Wiley and Son ltd. West sussex , England. 1st edition Neal,C.P Quester and D.I Hawkins (2007) consumer behaviour: implications for marketing strategy. Boston mass: Irwin O`Shaughnessey, J (1987) Why people buy, New York: Oxford University Press pp 161 Kuusela, H ,M.T, Spence and A.J Kanto (1998) Expertise effect on prochoice decision processes and final outcomes: a protocol analysis, European journal of marketing vol 32, no 121 pp 37 Jobber D (2010) Principles and Practice of marketing: the ultimate learning resource; 6th edition. McGraw-hill companies UK Clemmer, C and Schnieder (1996) fair service in advances in service marketing and management; vol5 edited by TA Swartz, Brown and SW brown (Greenwich CT; JAI press) pp 109-26 Oliver (1997) Satisfaction, a behavioural perspective on the consumer Ney York McGraw hill Folkes V.S Recent attribution research u=in consumer behaviour; A review and new direction journal of consumer research 14pp548-65 Liljander V, and Strandvik T emotions in service satisfaction international journal of service industry management 8 no 2 pp 189-69 Lessig, V.P. and Park, C.W. (1978) Promotional perspectives of reference group influence: advertising implications, Journal of Advertising, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp.41-47 Kelman, H.C. (1961) Processes of opinion change, Public Opinions Quarterly, Vol. 25, pp.57-78 McCarthy, Michael (2002-10-17). Digitally inserted ads pop up more in sports GÃ ¼rhan-Ganli, Z. and Maheswaran, D. (2000) Cultural variations in country of origin effects, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 37, pp.309-317 Wong, N.Y. and Ahuvia, A.C. (1998) Personal taste and family face: luxury consumption in confucian and western societies, Psychology and Marketing, Vol. 15, No. 5, pp.423-441. Schiffman, L.G. and Kanuk, L.L. 2004. Consumer Behaviour. 8th Edition. USA: Prentice Hall Solomon M, Bamossy. G , Askegaard, S and Hogg.M (2010). Consumer Behaviour: A European Perspective. 4th ed. England: Pearson Education Bearden, William O. and Michael J. Etzel, (1982) Reference Group Influence on Product and Brand Purchase Decisions Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 9, No. 2. (Sep.,1982), pp. 183-194. Cohen, Joel and Ellen Golden (1972), Informational Social Influence and Product Evaluation, Journal of Applied Psychology, 56, 1, 54-99. Zeithaml V.A and Botner M (2003). Service Marketing: Integrating customer focus across the firm. 3rd ed. Ney Yory: McGraw Hill publishers Jones, T.O. and Sasser, W.E. Jr (1995), Why satisfied customers defect, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 73 No. 6, pp. 88-99

Essay --

Taylor Gehrcke Talat Rel 314 2/17/14 Reflection and review of Bruce Lawrence’s â€Å"The Qur’an, A Biography† In the book â€Å" The Qur’an, A Biography† Bruce Lawrence, takes the reader on a journey through the book all Muslims believe sacred, the Qur’an. It was a very unique read in the sense that it depicts the complexity and importance of the Qur’an, however never shares a specific Qur’anic message. The text is a fairly simple read that allows individual with entry-level information to understand. Lawrence’s use of background information provides great insight and understanding in the text. Something unique to point out is that this text is that it is considered part of the ‘books that shook the world’ Series. Meaning, it has provided essential insight to what can be understood about such a sacred text. This is unique, because as we live in a society that has a lack f understanding, more people should be immersed in this novel. Lawrence dedicated this text to a friend Dr Ibrahim Abu Nab (acknowledgments), who Lawrence recognizes as a key component in writing this text, alongside wit...

A Book That Changed My Life Essay

We have to admit that some great books have the power to heal our souls and make us better people. Around The World in Eighty Days is just such a book to me. This book is a fiction story written by a French writer, Jules Verne. In this story, an Englishman, Phileas Fogg and his new French valet Passepartout attempt to travel around the world within eighty days just because he had a huge wager with his friends at the club. Mr Fogg wants to prove his contention that one can travel around the world in only eighty days. During their journey around the world, they met many friends and faced tons of challenges and difficulties. Besides the interesting and vivid plot of the story, this inspiring book has taught me three things when facing difficulties in life: never give up, caring others, and do something meaningful in life. First of all, of the many things that I learned from this book, one of them is overcoming difficulties. Traveling around the world in eighty days is a daydream for many persons but Mr Fogg made it successfully because he insisted and did not give up. Even though this book is a fiction, from the author’s perspective, the tools that we need for success is perseverance. Throughout the whole book, I learned that there are many difficult problems we need to be confronted with in our real life. But if you try hard to conquer it and you may find a way to be success. Therefore by the end of the book I decided to study a very tough course that I never studied before. I was really interested in this course and I want to challenge myself. Many friends laughed at me about my impulsion. But I never regret this decision. Instead, I thought it was the best decision of my life because I learned a lot from that tough process. People in the world usually like to criticize and judge others. By l earning from Mr Fogg, I realized that I should not care of those criticisms. Finally, I passed this tough course with my effort. I think it is this book makes me a much stronger person. Secondly, this book also made me understand it is more important for us to give than to receive. In the story, Mr Fogg is a very punctual and serious Englishman. And after he fights with Indian  in America, he found that his valet Passepartout was missing. Other people asked Fogg to hurry on with his journey because of the wager, but Mr Fogg refused to continue his journey without his valet. At that moment, Mr Fogg has shown his humanity and kindness. I was impressed about Mr Fogg’s selfless personality to his companion. I realized that sometimes I am a little bit self-centered. Therefore I need to be more considerate of the needs and feelings of the other people. Indeed, this book has totally changed my personality traits from a person with a negative life attitude and a little self-centered to a person with a positive life attitude, and a considerate heart. Last but not least, this book stimulates my mind to start thinking in a different way. In the story, Mr Fogg was a typical Englishman who was stubborn, punctual and serious. But he finally realized that the essence of life should be more colorful and meaningful. People need to try different ways of life. I remembered that when I was taking Asian American class, the professor told me that 99% of the people are living in a pretty boring life. They go to the same restaurant every day, sitting in the same seats and ordering the same food. If you jump out of the box and try something new or think in a different way, you will get totally new experiences and ideas that may surprise you. Mr Fogg was just a normal people before his great journey, until one day he made a bet with his friends in the club. And he did what he boasted and finally became a hero. I realized that I did nothing meaningful in my past life. So I decided to do something which can make my life more challenging and meaning ful. I joined couple of volunteer work and groups. Through that process, I gained both new life experiences and happiness. It is true that some books can greatly change our life. I learned many valuable personalities from Mr Fogg such as determination, perseverance, and selflessness. It also taught me that I need to think in a different way and do something meaningful in my life. Overall, this inspiring book has altered my behavior and changed my mind. I highly recommend this great book.

Communication in the Virtual Workplace

Wal-Mart is number one in the Retail Giant Corporation across United States of America, and is the leading retail store in fifteen other countries. Wal-Mart continues to seek new and innovated ways to reach its customers on a daily basis. The store believes its success has been base upon its customers and being able to reach them with the new technologies of this Modern Age. The wave of the internet shopping has open just another door for customer that are unable to get out and shop are that are just too busy. Wal-Mart’s website is the Wal-Mart store but virtual and the website as well has lower prices that fits everyone’s budget. Wal-Mart has the slogan of rolling back prices with Smiley the Happy Face. The Wal-Mart motto is to save money and live better. The website carries an advantage over the store because a person of any age can navigate the website. Every customer can do his or her one-stop shopping from home, work or wherever there is a computer, and receive free delivery to the nearest store, let’s compare that to Target. Reflection of Wal-Mart Image and Values: Wal-Mart’s website is a great reflection on the company’s brand image. The store is a one-stop shop store and the company has designed the website as a direct duplicate of the store. In the store the customer can actually see an item unlike the website where the customer has to rely on a picture of the item. The website also carries an advantage over the store because a customer can do his or her one-stop shopping from home, work or wherever there is a computer, which is easy shopping during the holiday season. The website is worthy on the company because the website allows the customer to see what is in stock either online or at a store near the customer. Wal-Mart’s website offers their customers free shipping from website to a store near the customer unlike Target’s where the customer have to spend $50 to get free shipping. Navigation, Visitor Friendly: The website is as easy to navigate as a child learning to speak. The customer can find every department online as in the store. Wal-Mart’s focus came from its founder Sam Walton who was cheap and focused on lower prices everywhere and everyday. Mr. Walton made lower prices everyday his motto and that have been Wal-Mart’s message since 1962 and it is that very message that gives even low income families an opportunity to shop in the store and now online. Up To Date Information: The Wal-Mart web page is current and kept up-to-date with what is going on in stores around the country. The Wal-Mart motto is â€Å"Save Money, Live Better†, (Wal-Mart, 2007). A customer can utilize Wal-Mart’s website to his or her advantage by receiving better deals than the store. While analyzing the website there was one thing that stood out this was toys and video games. Wal-Mart knows the interest of its customers and understands some parent visits the stores and the website simply because of he need of new video games and toys. So Wal-Mart emphasizes video games and other toys on its website to attract children whom will alert the parents about new things. Wal-Mart then works the other angle and caters to the parents with things of interest. One of the best features about Wal-Mart’s website is the help link it offers. The help link will remain on the web page regardless of what page the customer is and it assist the customer at anytime. Evaluation of the graphic elements: The evaluation of the graphic elements of the Wal-Mart website is great. It is very eye catching for the customers like me who do not like to read. The picture’s Wal-Mart has takes you to whatever you want to look into buying. The website is designed very effectively because it assists the consumer with even purchasing the items. When a 72† plasma screen is all colorful and looking at you for a good price all you need to do is input your credit card number, address, and receive your confirmation number and within four to six weeks you will have a special delivery. Then you do not have to worry about leaving the comfort of your home and finding someone to assist you with the weight of a 72† plasma television. There are plenty of different links to help you make your final purchase and also they are in the right places at the right time. There is also a 1-800 telephone number at the bottom of some of the links to also help you with your purchase if you get a little confused or if you purchase too much when the total comes up and you may need to remove several items. Although the use of color and the multimedia is throughout the website, I do not believe it is too much. The color helps attract the customers who claim they are just looking and pulls them in to be regular customers online. Things about the website: Wal-Mart’s slogan is, â€Å"In everything we do, we’re driven by a common mission; and that is to save people money, so they can live better† (Wal-Mart, NA). That slogan is one of the many reasons why customers want to stay, rather than move on to another site. There are several reasons why customers are loyal and stay with Wal-Mart such as the straight forward facts that the customer could get news updates about Wal-Mart, the customer could download music, gift cards, and a whole lot more. The customer is able to access corporate information on Wal-Mart, employment opportunities, stock information, and the history of Wal-Mart on the website. To shop for a quality products for a low price, shop on Wal-Mart’s website! What draws the attention of the customer to the website the first time will allow the customer to return to the website many more times. â€Å"SAVE MONEY, LIVE BETTER† (Wal-Mart, NA).

The History of Elevators From Top to Bottom

The History of Elevators From Top to Bottom By definition, an elevator is a platform or an enclosure raised and lowered in a vertical shaft to transport people and freight. The shaft contains the operating equipment, motor, cables, and accessories. Primitive elevators were in use as early as the third century B.C.E. and were  operated by human, animal, or water wheel power. In 1743, a counter-weighted, man-powered personal elevator was built for King Louis XV, connecting his apartment in Versailles with that of his mistress, Madame de Chà ¢teauroux, whose quarters were one floor above his own. 19th Century Elevators From about the middle of the 19th century, elevators were powered, often steam-operated,  and were used for transporting materials in factories, mines, and warehouses. In 1823, two architects named Burton and Homer built an ascending room, as they called it. This crude elevator was used to lift paying tourists to a platform for a panoramic view of London. In 1835, architects Frost and Stuart built the Teagle, a belt-driven, counter-weighted and steam-driven lift was developed in England. In 1846, Sir William Armstrong introduced the hydraulic crane and by the early 1870s, hydraulic machines began to replace the steam-powered elevator. The hydraulic elevator is supported by a heavy piston, moving in a cylinder and is operated by the water (or oil) pressure produced by pumps. The Elevator Brakes of Elisha Otis In 1852, American inventor Elisha Otis moved to Yonkers, New York  to work for the bedstead firm of Maize Burns. It was the owner of the company, Josiah Maize, that inspired Otis to start designing elevators.  Maize needed a new hoisting device to lift heavy equipment to the upper floor of his factory. In 1853, Otis demonstrated a freight elevator equipped with a safety device to prevent falling in case a supporting cable broke. This increased public confidence in such devices. In 1853, Otis established a company for manufacturing elevators and patented a steam elevator. For Josiah Maize, Otis invented something he called an  Improvement in Hoisting Apparatus Elevator Brake and demonstrated his new invention to the public  at the Crystal Palace Exposition in New York  in 1854. During the demonstration, Otis hoisted the elevator car to the top of the building and  then deliberately cut the elevator hoisting cables. However, instead of crashing, the elevator car was stopped because of the brakes that Otis had invented. While Otis did not actually invent the first elevator, his brakes, used in modern elevators, made skyscrapers a practical reality. In 1857, Otis and the Otis Elevator Company began manufacturing passenger elevators. A steam-powered passenger elevator was installed by the Otis Brothers in a five-story department store owned by E.W.  Haughtwhat Company of Manhattan. It was the worlds first public elevator. Elisha Otis Biography Elisha Otis was born on Aug. 3, 1811, in Halifax, Vermont, the youngest of six children. At the age of twenty, Otis moved to Troy, New York and worked as a wagon driver. In 1834, he married Susan A. Houghton and had two sons with her. Unfortunately, his wife died, leaving Otis a young widower with two small children.In 1845, Otis moved to Albany, New York after marrying his second wife, Elizabeth A. Boyd. Otis found a job as a master mechanic making bedsteads for Otis Tingley Company. It was here that Otis first began inventing. Among his first inventions were a railway safety brake, rail turners for speeding the making of rails for four-poster beds and the improved turbine wheel.Otis died of diphtheria on April 8th, 1861 in Yonkers, New York. Electric Elevators Electric elevators came into  use toward the end of the 19th century. The first one was built by the German inventor Werner von Siemens in 1880. Black inventor, Alexander Miles patented an electric elevator (U.S. pat#371,207) on Oct. 11, 1887.

Algea essays

Algea essays Algae are simple water plants. They contain chlorophyll and photosynthesize (retain water, light and carbon dioxide to produce food and oxygen). They are eukaryotic having a full fledged nucleus, and contrary to prokaryotic cells, they have cell walls usually composed of cellulose. Algae come in different colours, shapes and sizes (10-25 Um to 200m); some are unicellular, or found in simple to complex colony style endeavors and even in multicellular structures. Some are mobile; propelled by their flagella, and some have specialized cells called holdfast to get a grip on things. Reproduction can be both asexual and sexual for these simple, yet abundant plants. Algae are amongst the most important food producing groups in the world, and are by far responsible for over 90% of the oxygen in this world. They are found in just about any type of environment though they are dependant on light (photosynthetic) and water for most of their basic needs. The most important factor of survival for algae is their immediate habitat. Since algae are photosynthetic they cannot survive without light, thus they must live in the presence of light. Because algae are simple plants and lack the complexity of having a thick and vascular assembly, they are constantly in need of water for structural support and to prevent them from drying out. Most Phylum Chlorophyta algae (green algae) live in fresh water: places such as lakes, ponds and streams. Chlamydomonas, a genus of green algae, are common in ditches, pools, and other bodies of standing fresh water and in soils. Chlamydomonas are more likely to be found in gentle environments to compensate for their simple structure. Moving on, we have the slightly more complex green algae, such as Oedogonium, Ulothrix and Spirogyra, which can adapt to both running and standing fresh water. Rarely some types of green algae are found in marine habitats (salt water, oceans). The Ulva for instance, lives in a somewhat shal...

How to Prepare a Sodium Hydroxide or NaOH Solution

How to Prepare a Sodium Hydroxide or NaOH Solution Sodium hydroxide is a common and useful strong base. Special care is required to prepare a solution of sodium hydroxide or NaOH in water because considerable heat is liberated by the exothermic reaction. The solution may splatter or boil. Here is how to make a sodium hydroxide solution safely, along with recipes for several common concentrations of NaOH solution. Amount of NaOH to Make Sodium Hydroxide Solution Prepare solutions of sodium hydroxide using this handy reference table which lists the amount of solute (solid NaOH) that is used to make 1 L of base solution. Follow these lab safety guidelines: Dont touch sodium hydroxide! It is caustic and could cause chemical burns. If you do get NaOH on your skin, immediately rinse it with a large volume of water. Another option is to neutralize any base on the skin with a weak acid, such as vinegar, and then rinse with water.Stir the sodium hydroxide, a little at a time, into a large volume of water and then dilute the solution to make one liter. Add sodium hydroxide to waterdo not add water to solid sodium hydroxide.Be sure to use borosilicate glass (e.g., Pyrex) and consider immersing the container in a bucket of ice to keep the heat down.  Inspect the glassware prior to use to make sure it is free from any cracks, scratches or chips that would indicate a weakness in the glass. If you use a different type of glass or weak glass, theres a chance the temperature change could cause it to shatter.Wear safety goggles and gloves since there is a chance the sodium hydroxide solution could splash up or the glassware could break. Concentrate d solution of sodium hydroxide are corrosive and should be handled with care. Recipes for Common NaOH Solutions To prepare these recipes, start with 1 liter of water and slowly stir in the solid NaOH. A magnetic stir bar is helpful if you have one. M of solution Amount of NaOH Sodium Hydroxide 6 M 240 g NaOH 3 M 120 g F.W. 40.00 1 M 40 g 0.5 M 20 g 0.1 M 4.0 g

Famous People - Jorge Luis Borges, Georgia OKeeffe, Zdenek Pesanek Research Paper

Famous People - Jorge Luis Borges, Georgia OKeeffe, Zdenek Pesanek - Research Paper Example Although Borges was an Argentinean writer, as well as a philosopher, he spent many years in Geneva; he was sickened by the continuous failure of politics, leading to his fiction that delved into real ontological mysteries from the viewpoint of an evolutionary (Alazraki 12). The Google Doodle illustrates a complex image of an ageing man overlooking illustrious architecture in the rear of the glass. A close study of this illustration portrays a library on the right, as well as views from â€Å"The Garden of Forking Paths,† which a short story is written by Borges describing the future in a number of ways. Considering that Borges had never benefited from the marvels of a digital computer, his illustrations of a far-flung future tend to contain a patently retro feel. According to Borges, the nature of space, reality and time tend to realms with enormous possibilities, leading him to question the idea of life as being either a linear process or just a singular path in time (Bloom 7 9). Borges goes ahead to suggest that every decision is at the core of a system of recursive splitting paths, an ever-persisting moment, as well as the place of choice with intense future impact and connects to all precedents, thereby making history impenetrable and the future incomprehensible. In 'The Garden of Forking Paths', the book deals with decision making, as well as the discovery and accumulation survival 'know how' by the creating and testing ideas in reality, along with the imagination. According to Borges, people learn through the investigation of the legacy of ancestors, innovate through imagining future opportunities but either survive or die here and now. Although there is a mystery concerning the meaning of time, as well as diversity, through ignorance, people are driven to making choices between the forks, competing alternatives, if they are to survive; this story is concerned with choice and not time. Apart from that, intelligent design tends to be an experiment ra ther than a solution since truth can only be disclosed in the future. Therefore, generating, as well as testing in the imagination entails real physical arrangements in life, the brain and dreams, and not in different books; hence survival depends on people’s imaginative experiments! Question 2: Georgia O’Keeffe Georgia O’Keeffe was born on November 15, 1887, in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and was a female artist, an icon of the twentieth century, as well as an early avant-garde artist of American Modernism (Keeffe 3). The works of Georgia O’Keeffe and her cultural impact are preserved by the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This museum is the only research center globally which dedicated to intellectual study in American Modernism.

Performance Measurement Methods Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Performance Measurement Methods - Assignment Example Consequently, it is important to have a form of performance measurement tool or method that matches the exact form of performance variable being measured. It is against this background that different types of performance metrics have been devised. Likierman (2009) attempted to discuss some of the key performance measurement methods by focusing on things that organizations must avoid if they do not want to fall into the trap of wrong performance measurement. One of these traps was mentioned to be describing against yourself. This is the process of looking to one’s organization alone when measuring performance. As this is seen to be a trap, it means the best method for growth is to measure performance by having benchmarks that makes an organization look beyond itself. In my current organization, there are several ways that performance can be improved with we are to set benchmarks in our performance measurement. Very specifically, it is important for the organization to look at some of its key competitors and the output of work that comes from these companies. Based on such figures, out organization may also set its own goals so as to make it an industry leader rather than focusing only on its internal efforts. In another instance, Likierman (2009) makes mention of looking backwards as a major trap that defeats the goal of achieving effective performance measurement. Reviewing the annual reports of most companies, it would be seen that the companies quantify their output of work based on what was achieved in the previous year. Likierman (2009) however refuse to see this as an effective way of measuring performance. This means that the right method is to forecast by making projections of what the company wants to achieve. This method can clearly be applied in my current organization to ensure its growth and development. To do this, it would be important for the

Columbian Cartels Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Columbian Cartels - Essay Example The cartels have also developed new threats within familiar threats, this has led to the difficulties in applying traditional security methods in addressing cartels, the cartels have developed new threats that the national security cannot identify and prevent. They have also advanced their ways of evading the local government. Cooperation has increased among the cartels due to the lessening of restrictions between international borders, this has made difficult for law enforcers, and also the increasing global network has greatly helped the cartels to make more profits which have led to stronger cartels. Cartels have used their economic power to corrupt law enforcers and judges and assassinate those who do not corporate, also an example in the Russian Mafia people believe that the cartels are more powerful than the government and therefore people will turn to crime leaders for protection because they feel that the government cannot provide protection or even stop organised crime. The increased cooperation between the cartel leaders and political leaders and law enforcers has also made it possible for this cartels to exist and grow, they also threaten those who do not cooperate through assassining those who do not cooperate therefore people

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 39

Case Study Example Therefore, it created a barrier of entry to any other interested investors. This made it easy for the competitors to penetrate the market, an aspect that could have reduced its market share significantly. One of the major strength of Electra is its strong financial base. Since its inception, the company has accumulated a lot of money. This has enabled the firm to create a strong business empire despite having a shaky start. In addition, the finances have enabled the firm to stage a strong marketing campaign, thereby making it easy to expand its operations in different parts of Mexico. Moreover, the company has been using the money to develop new product lines that have enabled it to increase its sales and attract a diverse market. This has been instrumental in ensuring that the success of the business is base on different pillars. Electra has an experienced workforce. Through opening different subsidiaries, the employees have gained experience on how to deal with customers who emanates from diverse cultural, religious, and racial backgrounds. As a result, the subordinates have been playing an important role of dealing with varying challenges that affect the business in the market. This has ensured that the business remains stable even in tough economic conditions. Another major strength by Electra is its strong brand. Over the years, the company has been setting a huge budget towards marketing. This is to remind the customers of the existence of its products and services and to persuade new customers to purchase their products and services. Through the use of audio, visual, and print media, the company has created a strong brand name, an aspect that has played a significant role in attracting customer loyalty. Furthermore, this strategy has been significant in retaining the loyal customers. This continuity coupled with high products

HUMAN RIGHTS ACTORS AND ACTIVITIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

HUMAN RIGHTS ACTORS AND ACTIVITIES - Essay Example These rights, which can be found in full on the website UN.org, were as follows: 1. Personal rights: Personal rights include the right to live, to have a nationality, to be recognized before law as a person, to have protection against inhumane treatment, punishment, or torture, and for protection against various racial, ethnic, sexual and religious discrimination. 2. Legal rights: These include provisions for addressing the crimes in cases where basic rights have been violated. Articles 8 through 12 have provisions for ensuring that fair and impartial public trials take place, that families of the arrested are protected, and that there is no interference by the legal system with anyone’s family, home and reputation. 3. Civil liberties: These include the right to freedom of speech, thought, conscience and religion. Everyone has the right to hold an opinion, express their point of view even in published works, movement, residence, peaceful assembly and association. Also included in civil liberties is the right to seek safety from persecution by leaving the country. 4. Subsistence rights: These include provisions for having the right to a certain standard of living. ... 6. Social and cultural rights: These include the right to have a social life, to participate in community activities, to marry only by choice, and to have children. Additionally, the declaration makes provisions for the right to obtain a free primary education. 7. Political rights: These include the right to vote, to take part in government activities, to periodic and general elections with universal and equal suffrage. This list was the basis for the later declaration, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which was submitted on 16 December 1966 and entered into force on 23 March 1976 (United Nations, 1976). Human rights declarations have been passed by the United Nations covering topics such as genocide, political rights of women, racial discrimination and torture. These rights have been further extended and explained upon from the Universal Declaration document, and thus we can safely say that the norms of the regime are consistent and coherent (Office of the U nited Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2007). It is generally agreed that these rights are interdependent and in complete synergy. They form a cohesive whole from which any nation or individual can pick. However, the existence of these treaties does not guarantee the rights will be given. They are binding international standards for the signatories of the treaties, but their implementation is not compulsory. It is up to the lawmakers of each nation to decide if the treaty is to be followed within that country. This is stated in Article 2, Section 7 of the UN Charter, which states that â€Å"Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or

Business information system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business information system - Essay Example In this report, the key problems being faced by the school system were identified. Some of the main issues included delayed processing of administrative tasks, duplicated purchasing of equipment, difficult access to information for teachers, poor interpretation of documents, and poor resource management. To tackle those problems, a business information system was proposed and discussed in detail using concepts from authoritative sources. In the end, the implementation plan was also given to help the management of the school in the implementation of the proposed system. 1. Introduction (Proposed System) Improved access to information is the key to success in today’s business world. Every company belonging to any particular industry needs information to excel and take critical decisions regarding different business matters (Earl, 1996). The importance of using information systems in businesses can be known from the fact that they help managers and employees in processing of info rmation, as well as in doing business analysis. Using an information system, users can retrieve required information in the form of well-structured reports. Moreover, they can also perform their job related tasks quickly and efficiently using information systems. ... 2. Literature Review As Oz (2009, p. 9) states, â€Å"information is the lifeblood of any organization†. It is impossible for the management of a school or any other company to run business and administrative matters without information. For good organization and management of information, business information systems offer proper solutions. In general, business information system refers to the management of information in such a way that it can be used by the staff easily to run different business activities. According to Abel (2008), information system is an important software application that makes use of information technology tools to help people in information processing and management. The main thing is that this system helps users in retrieving right information in a timely manner. Improved access to information is one of the most attractive features regarding the use of this system. Business information systems are able to perform all tasks related to management of in formation some of which include storing of data, editing of data, processing of data into required information, organizing information in a proper format so that it do not get duplicated, and generating relevant reports based on the stored data. This system also helps companies in inventory management. A business information system is a valuable part of internal business control system that helps staff in managing inventory, supplying required systems, and managing information and procedures (Martin, 2010). The importance of business information systems in businesses cannot be denied. According to Stahl (2008, p. 1), information systems improve accuracy, reliability, safety, efficiency, and optimal control of business processes. if we talk about the

HUMAN RIGHTS ACTORS AND ACTIVITIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

HUMAN RIGHTS ACTORS AND ACTIVITIES - Essay Example These rights, which can be found in full on the website UN.org, were as follows: 1. Personal rights: Personal rights include the right to live, to have a nationality, to be recognized before law as a person, to have protection against inhumane treatment, punishment, or torture, and for protection against various racial, ethnic, sexual and religious discrimination. 2. Legal rights: These include provisions for addressing the crimes in cases where basic rights have been violated. Articles 8 through 12 have provisions for ensuring that fair and impartial public trials take place, that families of the arrested are protected, and that there is no interference by the legal system with anyone’s family, home and reputation. 3. Civil liberties: These include the right to freedom of speech, thought, conscience and religion. Everyone has the right to hold an opinion, express their point of view even in published works, movement, residence, peaceful assembly and association. Also included in civil liberties is the right to seek safety from persecution by leaving the country. 4. Subsistence rights: These include provisions for having the right to a certain standard of living. ... 6. Social and cultural rights: These include the right to have a social life, to participate in community activities, to marry only by choice, and to have children. Additionally, the declaration makes provisions for the right to obtain a free primary education. 7. Political rights: These include the right to vote, to take part in government activities, to periodic and general elections with universal and equal suffrage. This list was the basis for the later declaration, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which was submitted on 16 December 1966 and entered into force on 23 March 1976 (United Nations, 1976). Human rights declarations have been passed by the United Nations covering topics such as genocide, political rights of women, racial discrimination and torture. These rights have been further extended and explained upon from the Universal Declaration document, and thus we can safely say that the norms of the regime are consistent and coherent (Office of the U nited Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2007). It is generally agreed that these rights are interdependent and in complete synergy. They form a cohesive whole from which any nation or individual can pick. However, the existence of these treaties does not guarantee the rights will be given. They are binding international standards for the signatories of the treaties, but their implementation is not compulsory. It is up to the lawmakers of each nation to decide if the treaty is to be followed within that country. This is stated in Article 2, Section 7 of the UN Charter, which states that â€Å"Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or

Race by the Numbers Essay Example for Free

Race by the Numbers Essay In his article, â€Å"Race by the Numbers†, Orlando Patterson argued about the misinterpretation of the census results and that this misinformation is having negative effects on the perspective of the people. The misinterpreted part of the census, according to Patterson, was the idea that the population of the Whites is becoming the minority in many areas of the country. Thus, Patterson offered arguments and ideas to disprove the validity of the interpretation. However, the question is whether or not Patterson was able to persuade the readers, the citizens, that the interpretation of the census report was indeed incorrect. Patterson’s article is full of information especially statistical and quantitative information that helped him in establishing ground for his arguments. Patterson statement that â€Å"48 percent of Hispanics classified themselves as solely white† (p. 83) adds to his persuasive argument that is also supported by the next sentence in the article, â€Å"Hispanics can be of any race† (p. 83). These statements clearly supported the fact that the total percentage of Whites in was decreased as interpreted by the census report. Patterson also included studies that affirm his claim including recent census result. Patterson stated that, â€Å"whites will constitute 74. 8 percent of the total population in 2050, and that non-Hispanics will still be 52. 8 percent of the total† (p. 83) as indicated by the recent census. With such facts indicated in the article, it can be said that Patterson was able to build a strong evidence and supporting detains and information regarding his assertions. Thus, his argument, regarding the population of white Americans in the country, is a â€Å"gross distortion† (Patterson p. 83) is not a mere point of view but is supported by facts and relevant information. By establishing the facts and the arguments, it can be said that Patterson’s main purpose of writing the article was to show that the population of whites in America is still and will continue to be the majority; disproving the assumption that â€Å"non-Hispanic whites will cease to be the majority† (Patterson, p. 82). By doing so, Patterson aims to encourage the whites that they still are the majority and will continue to be. In this case, Patterson was able to do great job through his article. However, Patterson also indicated in his article the idea that â€Å"each group in the new minority-majority country has longstanding grievances against whites†, thus, Patterson may also want to claim the invalidity of this assertion through his article. But in this case, was Patterson effective? Basing from the article, Patterson was really able to encourage the whites and take away the doubt that they will cease to be the majority. However, Patterson was not able to take away the idea that minority groups in America have grievances on whites. On the contrary, it even points out another idea, that whites does not see minority groups as to be equal to them. Thus, instead of disproving the issue of minorities having grievances on whites, the article may even fuel the said issue. The article can trigger grievances against whites since the article establishes the idea that whites are and will continue to be the superior race in the country. Therefore, this may cause insecurity and rebellion against the white race since others may wish to see the downfall of a superior race. Patterson also included historical developments in regarding some issues such as the classification of races. Patterson stated that, â€Å"In 1930 Mexicans were classified as a separate race by the Census Bureau – which reclassified them as white in 1940, after protests† (p. 84). Patterson also mentioned 2 other related issues in history. In this case, Patterson was able to convince the readers regarding the misclassification done that lead to the misinterpretation of the census result. Thus, Patterson once again established a ground for his ideas and arguments by nullifying the classification made by the census bureau on the issue of which races are to be included as whites. As mentioned earlier, the author was able to establish the supporting facts about his claims. However, there are some instances that the author failed to mention relative and important information. Patterson adapted a study stating that, â€Å"Recent studies indicate that the second-generation Hispanic whites are intermarrying † (p. 83). However, Patterson did not mention what particular study reaches that conclusion. Therefore, readers in doubt of that particular argument have no means of verifying the claim. Patterson should have indicated all the necessary information about the research to enable the readers to locate the particular study, otherwise doubts will remain doubts in the minds of the readers. Although the article has its strengths, i. e. the use of statistical information, the weakness of the article is readily available to the readers. The main weakness of the article was that the author, Mr. Patterson, was obviously one sided in writing the article. The bias can be seen from the very beginning of the article. Thus, this limits the trust of the readers and the integrity of the writer. Showing personal biases is will really lead to doubts and disbeliefs of the author’s claim since the readers are aware that he or she is arguing for or against one side. Thus, in persuading the readers about a certain action or issue, one must show personal biases for this will weaken the arguments and the ideas presented by the author. In order to establish a ground proof about an argument, a writer must not show biases as much as possible. It would be better to show the different arguments of both side and show relative information, facts and evidences and let the readers decide which arguments weigh more basing from the given evidences. All in all, Patterson did a great job in laying the arguments and he was able to fulfil his main objective, to encourage the whites. However, as mentioned earlier, the article has its own weaknesses as well. Thus, the article would only be effective if the reader is taking the same side as Patterson’s, otherwise, the article would seem very racist of which whites are considered incomparable to others. The validity of the claims is thus, very subjective on the personality and side that the readers will take.

Symbolic Interactionism Blumer

Symbolic Interactionism Blumer The essence of society lies in an ongoing process of action- not in a posited structure of relations -Blumer, 1969,(p.71) Although symbolic interaction theory is often applied primarily to the micro level, the structuring of interdependent lines of behavior at the meso and macro levels also involves shared definitions developed through interaction. The overall culture of a society is the objective outcome of these shared social definitions whereby subjective meanings are created, often expressed in material artifacts of various types, and either sustained or transformed through interaction. Symbolic Interaction-Process Versus Structure Many of the core ideas of symbolic interaction theory are grounded in the pioneering work of George Herbert Mead, particularly his perspective regarding the close relationship between the mental processes whereby people make sense of their environment and their interaction with one another. This relationship is manifested in the patterns of collaboration among people as they seek to develop shared interpretations of the situations they face. It is also reflected in how ones self-concept develops through awareness of the perspectives of others. In addition, contemporary symbolic interaction theory draws on Charles Horton Cooleys analysis of how ones feelings about oneself (pride or shame, for example) reflect ones sensitivity to the positive or negative reactions of others, especially in primary group settings. This is consistent with his often-cited concept of the looking-glass self. Symbolic interaction theory is comparable in some ways to Georg Simmels focus on the forms of interaction, but symbolic interaction theory goes deeper than Simmels perspective in emphasizing the symbolic medium through which interaction takes place plus the subjective mental processes that accompany it. This focus on the subjective level may be compared to Webers emphasis on understanding the subjective meanings of individuals actions. But while Weber moved well beyond the level of individual actions and subjective meanings to deal with broad patterns of institutional and cultural change, many symbolic interactionists resemble Simmel in their strong micro-level focus. Human beings relate to one another and to their environment in terms of interdependent roles they create and sustain. At the center of this process are the self-concepts or identities of the individuals involved as they interact and adjust to one another in face-to-face encounters. Human beings are thus transformed into students and teachers, friends and lovers, husbands and wives, team players and college graduates, customers and sales people, celebrities and deviants, soldiers and social workers, lawyers and police officers, members and outsiders, and so on. Social definitions are crucial even for defining the meaning and social relevance of human beings biological characteristics, such as sex, age, and weight, for example. The socially contrived character of large-scale institutional structures may not be as obvious as in small group relationships or childrens micro-level play worlds, but macro level social institutions are also socially constructed through widely shared subjectiv e definitions that are developed and sustained through interaction. This implies that when subjective definitions and interpretations undergo widespread change, institutional transformation may occur, which then changes the context of subsequent interactions at the micro level. The divisions between micro, meso, and macro levels of analysis are not rigid distinctions. From r various micro-level social circles, networks of social relations extend outward, thus providing an opening to meso and macro levels of the social world. The heritage one share as members of society also includes enduring cultural products and artifacts that have been constructed or reproduced by countless other people far beyond the range of ones own limited social circles or personal knowledge. Language obviously transcends personal micro-level social settings, even though language is actually reproduced regularly in the context of face-to-face interaction as well as in mass media communication. Even ones adaptation to the objective physical reality of the natural world (like the food one eats) is mediated through the symbols used to define and interpret it. All symbolic interactionists emphasize the micro-level linkages between the subjective consciousnesses, interpersonal interaction, and identity formation, as well as the symbolic and socially constructed nature of the larger social world. Symbolic interaction theory today differs from the pioneering social behaviorism emphasized by Mead in the early part of the twentieth century. Blumers Theorey: Symbolic interaction theory, under the influence of Herbert Blumer, was in large part a critical reaction to macro level types of analysis, particularly as reflected in functional theory, and the strong emphasis on the notion that peoples behavior is largely determined by social structures. For symbolic interaction theorists, the strong emphasis on culturally scripted norms and institutionalized roles was misplaced. This focus seemed to leave little room for individuals to make choices or to improvise as they interpret and adjust to the specific situations they face. For symbolic interactionists social structures do not exist as an objective reality that is independent of the actions of its human participants. Instead, all aspects of the social world are negotiated, constructed, and reproduced or sometimes transformed through ongoing processes of interaction and subjective interpretation whereby people mutually shape one anothers perceptions, definitions, and responses to their envir onment. Within this general framework, several different areas of emphasis can be identified within symbolic interaction theory. Symbolic interactionist perspective serves as a general framework for role theory, reference group theory, analyses of social perception and person perception, self theory, and dramaturgic theory. Of the various versions of symbolic interactionism, Herbert Blumers (1962) perspective expressed the strongest skepticism regarding macro-level theories such as functionalism. As he put it: By and large, of course, sociologists do not study human society in terms of its acting units, instead, they are disposed to view human society in terms of structure or organization and to treat social action as an expression of such structure or organization. Thus, reliance is placed on such structural categories as social system, culture, norms, values, social stratification, status position, social roles and institutional organization. (Blumer, pp.188-189 in Rose, ed. 1962) Blumer coined the term symbolic interaction and promoted Meads strong emphasis on the interrelated processes of mutual role-taking, interaction, and subjective interpretation that occur as people adjust their actions to one another in dealing with the particular situations they face. This emphasis on the need for people to improvise their responses to their environment and to one another seems to downplay the habits and memories that individuals bring to situations that they encounter over and over. It also seems to push the cultural and institutional framework that might influence their interpretations into the background. Even though social organization, culture, roles, and other structural features of the social world may not determine peoples behavior in a strong sense, such features may nevertheless be taken into consideration, especially in familiar situations. When people repeatedly face similar types of situations, they may employ ready-made responses with only a minimal amou nt of negotiation or reflection. This does not mean that social organization determines peoples behavior as an external force. It does suggest, however, that patterns of interaction and interpretation are not always as fluid as Blumer seems to suggest. People do indeed sometimes face novel situations that are unstructured and ambiguous and so will need to make a conscious effort to make sense of them as they explore with one another how to cope. In other situations, they may each have their own distinctive ideas on how to respond and so will need to negotiate their differences. But in many routine situations they already share an implicit understanding of its salient features and know how to respond. This means that very little negotiation is required if any. Regardless of these variations, patterns of social organization, including written rules and established authority or power structures, are never automatically self-enforcing. Instead, these structural factors become relevant only to the extent that people remember them and decide how to apply them. Sometimes there may be discussion and debate regarding whether or how an established rule or custom should apply. If there are large differences in power and authority, the negotia tion actually may be quite minimal, as those with relatively less power realize the futility of trying to get those with greater power to see things their way. By pushing social organization, culture, and similar concepts that transcend particular situations into the background, and by emphasizing the fluid and indeterminate nature of the immediate social world, Blumers approach makes it difficult to establish principles of social behavior that apply across different situations or to move from the micro to the macro level. However, other symbolic interaction theorists give more emphasis to stable structural categories than Blumer did. These structural influences do not determine behavior from the outside, as external or objective forces, however; instead, they are encoded in individuals subjective consciousness and shared memories and expectations. Although they may be interpreted to apply in unique ways in different situations, they are nevertheless reflected in participants predispositions regarding how to respond to the specific situations they face. The contrast between Blumers view of the fluid and undetermined nature of the social world versus a more structural version of symbolic interaction theory can be illustrated through the process whereby individuals self-concepts are developed, maintained, and changed. The relation between individuals self-concepts or identities, their social roles, and the reactions of others can be traced back to the pioneering work of Mead and Cooley. Contemporary symbolic interactionist theory offers several different strategies for exploring how individuals self-concepts or identities are expressed through the different roles they perform. The following section will deal in more detail with the relation between peoples role performances and their identities. Blumers image of the fluid and negotiated character of the social world implies that identities and social roles are not fixed but instead are largely improvised in each encounter as individuals seek to align their own self-concepts and intentions with the expectations of others. In contrast to Blumer, a more structural version of symbolic interaction theory puts greater emphasis on the standardized and routine expectations and behaviors of various roles. With this alternative focus social life is viewed as having a higher level of predictability than implied in Blumers perspective, especially in routine situations. Although behavior is not determined by social roles, with no room for individual variations, this structural version is closer to the conventional forms of sociological analysis that Blumer criticized. While roles may not be scripted in detail, there are definite guidelines and expectations that people tend to follow. Peoples self-concepts are multidimensional. They may r eflect roles associated with various personal characteristics as well as with the social positions they occupy. These roles include, for example, those associated with gender, age, family status, occupation, race or ethnicity, residential location, leisure time pursuits, general lifestyle preferences, and so on. Such roles are likely to be partially structured by general cultural expectations as well as by specific expectations that develop among people who interact on a regular basis. Even so, there is room for considerable improvisation in most cases as individuals express their own unique individuality and seek to satisfy their current needs and concerns. There are three fundamental premises underlying a symbolic interactionist perspective; and it is to Blumers great credit that these premises receive emphasis in his work. All are in fact central to Meads arguments, even while none of them originates with Mead. The first of these premises holds that an adequate account of human behavior must incorporate the perspective of the actor and cannot rest entirely on the perspective of the observer alone. The second of these premises asserts the priority of social interaction and the derivative, emergent nature of both self and social organization from that social process. The third argues that self, or persons reflexive responses to themselves, serves to link larger societal processes to the social interactions of those persons. The first and last of these premises contain between them the justification for insisting that socially formed meanings that are aspects of the subjective experience of persons are not only legitimately but are necessarily part of observers accounts of the social behavior of human beings. Contrary to Blumers position would be the emergent character of social life as well as ignoring the reality in experience of the dialectical relationship of what Mead called the I and the me. However, working from Blumers perspective on these matters does not require that one must retreat to phenomenologies of individual minds, or forgo attempts to develop theoretical explanations of social life that have some general applicability. If one accepts interaction as the source and substance of society, i.e., accepting the foundational character of the social process, it will surely be the acceptance of Blumers emphasis on the emergent character of self and social organization. This acceptance in turn implies the recognition of some degree of indeterminacy in attempts to foresee what will be from what is at any given moment of that social process. Further, such indeterminacy is principled and not merely a recognition of the incompleteness or inadequacy of present knowledge. The central role of self in mediating the relationship of social process and social behavior, one of the basic premises of symbolic interactionist thought whose emphasis in Blumers work need to be emphasized. Without invoking a concept such as self, attempts to come to grips with obvious variability of persons behavior in the face of apparent constancy of circumstance-biological, ecological, cultural, or social-are likely to founder similarly in a complementary way the concept of self permits dealing with that variability in specifically social terms. Meta-theoretical Conceptions of Blumer: The metatheoretical ideas proclaim the impossibility of general, predictive sociological theory as a consequence of the centrality of meanings and definitions in the production of human behavior. For Blumer, all social life is actively constructed by participants in the very process of interaction itself because this micro-constructivist process is taken to be descriptive of social life in general, it is also taken to be descriptive of the meanings and the interpretations applying those meanings assumed to be critical for each next step in the processes of interaction. Meanings in that sense are truly emergents, subject to literally continuous reformulation on a moment-to-moment basis. If meanings are indeed central, and if meanings are constructed in and particular to the experience of individual actors, emergent from their ongoing experience, it follows for Blumer that the generality required of the predictive, theoretical concepts in terms of which theoretical arguments are couche d cannot exist. Preexistent concepts cannot match the emergent interpretations of actors constructing their lines of social interaction. Given all of this, Blumer concludes, sociology can expect to be able to develop after-the-fact understandings of behaviors that have occurred, but cannot anticipate the development of general explanatory sociological theory in a predictive sense. Methodological consequences of Blumer: His metatheoretical argument has methodological consequences. For one thing, it implies the futility of a research enterprise that is initiated by a priori theory, or that anticipates behavioral outcomes via hypotheses arrived at deductively from such theory. For another, it suggests that research methods that fail to focus directly upon actors interpretations by setting up prior procedural or substantive constraints on how issues are formulated or are attacked-experimentation and survey research methods are cases in point-necessarily lack va1idity and the capacity to generate meaningful data. And for yet another, it underwrites the condemnation of the application of mathematical or statistical manipulations of data in efforts to draw from those data their sociological implications, on the grounds that numerical data are necessarily bereft of the meanings that define the essential character of sociological phenomena. Thus along with denying the possibility of explanatory sociological theory, Blumer severely restricts the legitimate range of investigatory (data gathering) techniques as well as analytic methods.Apparently, in his own mind only participatory observation meets his strictures but even that method would not survive a thorough logical analysis of its fit to Blumers methodological arguments. It is important to note that Blumers ideas which are fundamental to defining symbolic interactionism do not necessarily lead to the metatheoretical and methodological ends at which he himself arrives. Actors perspectives, the definitions of situations they call into play that are critical to the course and the content of interaction, are not unconstrained. Both the meanings those are possible to invoke in the course of defining situations, as well as the particular meanings from the range of possible meanings that are likely to be invoked, are not random events. They are, on the contrary, subject to the constraints of extant social and cultural systems. Further, there is some reasonable stability over time to the meanings attached to social objects. For practical purposes these do not change willy-nilly or from moment to moment in a way that signifies great change in behavioral outcomes. If there were no such stability, if meanings did not in general entail relative constancy from mo ment to moment, from day to day, even from year to year, there is no way that social life could have the predictability that enables people to live their lives as they do. The fact that meanings can change radically and precipitously does not argue that in general they do change radically and precipitously. This implies that one can indeed formulate general statements or theoretical propositions that go beyond the phenomenologies of single individuals, statements or propositions that are not subject to a priori rejection, whatever their fate may be at the hands of empirical evidence. To recognize that social life is constructed via definitional or interpretive processes and that there are few limits on what constructions are possible does not require one to abjure reasonably strong predictions, or to anticipate that predictions, when based on solid theoretical grounds, will lack credibility or validity. Neither does it obviate the recognition that the social process sometimes, perhaps even frequently, crystallizes and stabilizes in a manner that permits the theoretical recognition of selves and social structures that they themselves operate to constrai n and limit the possibilities for emergence in social life, that operate to transform possibilities into probabilities. Substantive ideas in Blumer: In substantive terms, it is Blumers treatment or lack thereof of social organization and social structure are both nonessential and highly problematic. For Blumer, society consists of the congeries of lines of individual action, the fitting together of these lines. Individual action is a matter of persons guiding their own action by interpreting the significance of things for that prospective action; group action is a matter of aligning individual action through a process of role-taking, i.e., searching out the meaning of others acts by ascertaining what they are doing or intend to do (Blumer 1969, p. 8). Social organization and social structures enter action only by shaping situations and providing the symbols used in interpreting situations, only as they enter into the process of interpretation and definition out of which joint actions are formed; and, in any event, they are less important in modern society than in stabilized, settled societies precisely because in the former there are fewer situations calling for previously regularized and standardized actions. Conclusion There obviously exist a number of very different senses of what symbolic interaction is substantively and what it implies methodologically. The problem is not that these different senses exist; the problem rather lies in the artificial and unnecessary oppositions among them created by the polemics that have historically characterized the literature of symbolic interactionism-the polemics of social movements and embattled minorities, the polemics that define orthodoxies and heterodoxies in seeking to recruit adherents to the banner being waved by the pure. The fact of multiplicity of alternative viewpoints in itself is healthy: self-control, choice, freedom and various other good things spring from alternatives symbolically represented in human experience. But multiplicity of views can be unhealthy if there is no communication across differences, if either structural or cognitive barriers prevent the alternatives from in fact entering the experience of persons, for then each person be comes the prisoner of his or her preferred -perspective. One is then used by perspectives rather than using them and the perspectives themselves are likely to ossify, to become unquestioned Truths and not potentially fallible ideas subject to logical and empirical examination and reformulation.

Exley Chemical Case Analysis Essay -- Business Analysis

Exley Chemical Case Analysis Introduction The purpose of this analysis is to offer insight into difficulties experienced by Exley Chemical Company. Case analysis will provide an objective view of the identified problems (both macro and micro), the causes, affected systems, alternatives and recommendations. In a collaborative effort, this report reflects multiple observations and opinions regarding the case analysis. Analysis I. Problems A. Macro • Lack of coordination within the companies operations • Decrease in sales and profits. • Operational conflicts within the major departments • This type of structure is inappropriate for this company • There is no uniformity of command B. Micro • The coordination between marketing and the new product development department was insufficient. • The Product development had problems with marketing. • The Product manager quarrels with the marketing department • Product manager was unsuccessful in coordinating the activities. • The company was having difficulties in producing a team concept within the departments. II. Causes: • Implementation of separate division to handle product development has disrupted the previous cohesive interaction between prior existing divisions. New product development division has taken on a life of its own, opting to market its new developments instead of passing the new products to the other divisions to handle their usual responsibilities. • In spite of its independence of other teams with regard to product development and marketing, the new division still need... ...the training and developments (Brown & Harvey, 2006). In this situation, every manager needs to have dialogue with the marketing department. This action, alone, will set into motion changes that would be expected to aid the sales and revenue of their respective products (Blanchard & Thacker, 2004). References Brown, D. & Harvey, D. (2006). An experiential approach to organization development. (seventh edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. McNamara, C. (1999). Business planning. Retrieved on 26 October 2006 from www.NonProfitOffice.com Dagmar & Oliver Recklies. (2006). Themanager.org. Retrieved on 26 October 2006, from http://www.themanager.org/Strategy/Change_Phases.htm Blanchard, P.N. & Thacker, J.W. (2004). Effective training: systems strategies and practices. (2nd Edition). Upper Saddle River NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Benefits and Costs of NAFTA Essay -- NAFTA International Economics Ess

Benefits and Costs of NAFTA Works Cited Not Included As long as NAFTA has been in existence, there has been controversy over its benefits and costs. Since NAFTA is viewed as a neoliberal trade and investment agreement, supporters and critics alike are able to expand its validity to a grander scale when dealing with the question of whether free trade itself is beneficial or harmful. During the life of NAFTA, many valid arguments for and against free trade have been brought to the forefront. Many economists argue neoliberal trade is superior due to allocational efficiency benefits. ?By lowering trade barriers, the agreement has expanded trade in all three countries. This has led to increased employment, more choices for consumers at competitive prices, and rising prosperity? (NAFTA at Eight 2). This rising prosperity mentioned is a result of rising efficiency that pro-neoliberal economists believe develops through specialization. If a country is better than another at producing a certain good, then that country is said to have an absolute advantage over the other in that particular industry. When both countries have higher productivity rates in different industries and they concentrate their efforts in those respective industries, then both countries benefit through neoliberal trade as they are not wasting their time and efforts producing goods that the other country can produce faster. As a result of trade through countries with different absolute advantages, total world production and therefore productive efficiency will increase. Even when a country is more efficient in all industries, both countries can still benefit from trade by comparative advantages. ?Some lawyers are better typists than their secretari... ...stitutions are more responsive to the poor, to the environment, to the broader political and social concerns that I have emphasized is to increase openness and transparency? (Stiglitz 227). These international economic institutions should possess substantial transparency considering their policies directly affect the public. Instead, the IMF and similar institutions have no accountability to the public of which it is supposed to serve. Through lack of transparency, countries with major influence in the IMF such as the U.S. can indirectly impose its own investment agenda upon the country in crisis. If actions of the IMF were directed through a democratic process, more logical and productive policies would develop. If the IMF promotes transparency through the policies it imposes on developing countries, it should set an example through its own governance.

Of mice and men Essay

Crooks is an educated black cripple who tends horses on the ranch. He has been prey of oppressive violence and prejudice and has retired behind an exterior of detachment and reserve, his natural personality deadened and suppressed by years of hostility. He has known better times and, unlike most southern blacks at that time, was brought up on a small holding run by his father. This is the type of home longed for by Lennie, George and Candy and, despite his initial cynicism, Crooks also becomes caught up in their dream of escape. Crook’s automatic rejection of friendship or companionship has more to do with the torture of his loneliness than with anything else. Once encouraged to do so, he reveals that he has an intelligent awareness of life. He has thought hard during his long hours of solitude. His new found confidence and self-respect encourage him to try to counter the intrusion of Curley’s wife, but he is humiliated by her vicious threats. His new optimism is finally defeated by George’s dismissive attitude to the suggestion that he might participate in the running of the â€Å"Dream Farm†. Crooks loses out on a lot of things because he is not part of the white community. He loses out mainly on friendship, which causes Crooks to feel isolate and lonely throughout the novel. Crooks is a very lonely man and so he reads a lot, if he was to mix with the white community he would be out enjoying himself. He has no one to talk to and is segregated from the rest of the ranch community having his own room in the barn. I think if Crooks were to have a choice he would enjoy mixing with the white men but at the first sign of trouble he would return to the protectiveness of how own room in the barn. Crooks loses out mainly on respect from the ranch community because he is willing to do anything in which he is told to do. He still receives no praise or respect form the ranch community. I think Crooks has drawn himself into a false sense of security, he has hidden himself form the rest of the world, afraid to show his true personality. Crooks I’m sure is a kind and generous person but because of the years of torment and segregation he is forced to remain hospitable to the white community. Crooks is a smart and educated person who is not able to show his thoughts and emotions to anyone. He does not complain about the insults and racial remarks which Curley’s wife makes because he knows if he does his new found confidence will be shattered with an extreme racial remark. Crooks although he loses out greatly also gains a lot from being segregated from the rest. He keeps himself to himself giving him plenty of time to think things through. I think Crooks imagines that if he were to mix with the white community he would only receive abuse. An example of this was when Crooks got into a fight when he was allowed into the ranch at Christmas. This is also why Crooks gains a lot form not being apart of the white community ie not being there for them to abuse or to make racial remarks towards. Nicholas Toland 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE John Steinbeck section.