Beautiful art

In my presentation paper am going to describe how the artistic movements of early 1900s and the symbolism in Gustav Klimt’s painting†Pallas Athena† of 1898. I will view the Artist’s artistic representation in Greek mythology. Introduction. Gustav Klimt was an artist who was highly interested in the woman body rather than the essence of woman.From his works it is clear that he was so much interested in the feminist in the female body. To him the female body was something to look at and was not self sufficient. It is seen from his earlier drawings that the aspect of shame was absent.It is also evident that only his paintings were designed for the general public. An example is the painting of the kiss made in 1907/08. In this painting Klimt does a couple that is bound up. We can see various shades of gold and symbols. The couple is sharing a kiss against a bronze background. The male figure is depicted dominating the female and he is holding her face to bestow a kiss. The couple is situated at the edge of an escarpment that is highly flowered. The man is dressed in neutral colored rectangles and has a crown made of vines.The woman has a brightly colored tangent circles and her hair is full of flowers. I can interpret here that the painting shows the beauty, unity and finally selflessness that a couple can have when they first kiss. It is all about the combining forces and the unity of two. On the other hand we are going to have a look at Klimt’s other painting famously known as Pallas Athena. In this painting we see a total contrast of what Klimt enjoys doing rather prefers doing. The female perception is very different from what we get from the previous painting.Sexuality of a woman or heterosexuality is none of the themes in this painting. This research is going top so much dwell on the mythology behind this painting, Pallas Athena, and the iconography that is employed in the same. We are going to attempt to answer the question; what is the unique thing that is depicted in this painting? Why did Klimt sway from his normal theme? What is the female picture in all about in these painting? why does Klimt seem fascinated by powerful, threatening and dangerous female figures? Main Body Overview of the Goddess AthenaThe cult of Athena existed since time immemorial in Greece. Myths regarding this goddess were often rewritten to adapt the different cultural changing times in ancient Greek traditions. Between 42and 347 B. C. E one of the Greek philosophers, Plato,made identified This goddess with the Egyptian deity and Neith the Libyan deity as a goddess of hunting and war. This was during the early times referred to as predynastic. With time philosophy was applied with cult and hence Athena was referred to as the goddess of wisdom. This happened during the fifth century.She was also represented as the patroness of crafts and weaving, famously known as Athena Ergane. It his believed that she initiated the creation o f metals. She is perceived to have had wisdom over the cunning intelligence of some of other figures e. g. Oddysseus. At most times she is accompanied by Nike, who is a goddess of victory who in established icons, as we shall see later, offers Athena an extended hand. And she is also attended by an owl. In late myths, Athena wears a goatskin breastplate which is believed to have been given to her by Zeus her father. The goatskin breastplate was known as the Aegis.In most works she is seen with a helmet and a shield bearing the head of Gorgon Medusa who was referred to as the goddess Gorgoneion and was the hallmark of the early goddess cult in Greece. This shield as we shall see later is believed to be a votive gift of Perseus. We also see that a serpent is always accompanying the goddess and is shown at the base of the staff of her lace. There exists a less in frequency of association of ships, horses as well as chariots with this goddess. Athena is believed by Greeks as a goddess w ho is a helper of the many other gods and goddesses including Heracles, Oddysseus and Jason.She is also believed, accoding to the classical myth of the Greeks as a goddess without a lover, hence the name Athena Parthenos. A synonym of this is Athena the virgin. There exists an archaic myth that she was the mother of Erichthonius who she conceived by an attempted rape of Hephaestus, which as said to have failed. Another variation story of the serpent, also Erichthonius, say that he was born to Gaia the earth, when the rape to Athena failed and the semen landed on Gaia. Gaia became pregnant and after giving birth he was, the serpent, given to Athena by Gaia.In performing her roles and one of them being the protector of the city, she is also referred to as Athena Polias, meaning Athena of the city. She is believed to have had a special relationship with Athens. This is because of the etymological connection that exists in the names between the goddess and the city. Mythology of Athena Her birth According to Robert Graves an his book, the Greek myths he tells us about some of the early myths of Athena. She is believed to be a goddess who originated from Libya. Her worship to the Greeks came after the visitation of Crete as early as 4 000 BC.It is clear from his book that Hesiod (700bc) had a strong relation of Athena as a parthenogenesis daughter of Metis. Metis is a representation of wisdom or knowledge. He is a Titan who is believed to have ruled the planet mercury and the fourth day. Other variants argue that Zeus became the consort of Metis when his cult became dominant is said that Zeus swallowed Metis so that she could not bear any offspring. And also to avoid prophesy when change occurred that Metis was greater that Him. It was further believed that Metis was already pregnant.Metis is believed to have given birth to Athena and natured her inside Zeus. It reached a point when Athena finally busted from Zeus’s forehead. The Olympian version of the birt h of Athena It is believed according to this version of Athena birth, that she was a remade favorite daughter of Zeus. Where she was born fully armed from the swallowing of her mother, who was pregnant at the time. The story of her birth is seen in several versions. One of the commonly cited versions states that after Zeus had laid with Metis, who was perceived as the goddess of wisdom, thought and crafty, he immediately feared the consequences.He feared that Metis would eventually bore heirs who would be more powerful than himself. So as to avoid these consequences Zeus decided to swallow Metis all of a sudden. This happened when it was already too late and Metis had already conceived a child. Finally it is believed that Zeus was ion great pain and one of the many gods; Hephaestus, Palaemon among others, depending on the source cut Zeus head with a double headed axe, Minoan in nature. Athena finally leaped from Zeus head and she was fully grown. She was also armed and made a loud s hout of war.Ouranos heard Athena cry and was so trembled with fear. According to Plato, the Minoan culture of Crete was a source of the cult of Athena, from which saw the dawn of the Greek culture. It is also believed that, Hera, got so annoyed at the time. Apparently because Zeus produced a child by his own. She forced herself into conceiving and bearing herself a child. The child was known as Hephaestus. It is stated that Metis never bore any child after this incident. Therefore Zeus retained his supremacy in reigning in the mountain of Olympus. Greek myths became static at this point.The Pallas Athena story One of the major origin stories of Pallas Athena involves her mysterious epithets. There is belief that there existed a separate entity called Pallas who is invoked and it is not really defined whether he is Athena’s brother, sister or opponent. They are engaged in a fight and finally Athena wins and takes the name for her. . Gustav Klimt and Pallas Athena Gustav Klimt was born in Vienna on July 14; 1862. He was an Austrian symbolist painter. Klimt's main subject was the female body He is a product of a time when great change was taking place.This great change was known as a â€Å"self indulgent metropolis(Comini page 6)†. During this period people were listening what was known as Strauss’s operas. They were occasionally debating over sex made by Freud wherein startling postulations were. There existed a famous association during this time whose philosophy was known as â€Å"to the age its art and to art its freedom†. Klimpt belonged to this association. He had both talent and message. Klimt therefore decided that he was going to take eroticism to a step least expected by people of that period.As we can read from Comini page 8 we can clearly see that Gustav Klimt was a man who really wanted not anything les than personal freedom. He had a strong desire to denounce establishment. He once said†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Enough of censorship†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. I want to get free†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦out of all these unrefreshing absurdities that hinder my work, and get back to freedom†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦I denounce everything. † He is seen from his art work that he was a man who was highly provocative. His works are seen to be alluring. His works had different themes ranging from beauty themes to haunting themes.He is seen as one of the most brilliant erotic artists of all time. In his art works and especially the human psyche we can see that he has expressed the inside contained fears and longings of man. His work portrays a contrast of several aspects of humanity e. g. : combination of beauty that is extremely imaginable and horrid ugliness at the same time; dualism of love and fear; insufferability of evil and hopefulness of good. Klimt has used natural figures and natural backgrounds at the same time to manifest the interplay within the above aspects.He has richly used su mptuous jewelry e. g. gold and startling color to give a beautiful touch to his works. Among his paintings are the ravishing paintings of beautiful women, sprawling figures in constant movement and demonstrations of demons of the unconscious mind. Gustav Klimt has applied the use of classical myth iconography as a derivative of antiquity in his many images of Athena. It is evident that Klimt took his inspiration from the 16th century water jar or the famous Attic-style hydria during those times. This work has an innovative aspect of iconography.It is neither inspired by classical myth or tradition. Klimt is inspired by the spirit of creative conflict. I will discuss this aspect using his 1898 painting known as Pallas Athena. Athena or sometimes called Pallas was a goddess of ancient Greeks. She was believed to be a war goddess. The Romans also referred to her as Minerva and placed her in the third position after Jupiter and Juno who were also their gods. The Greeks and Romans worshi ped her as the goddess of craft in both weaving and spinning. According to mythology she was a favorite daughter of Zeus, the greatest of the gods in Greek.She was usually shown dressed in a helmet and in her hands a spear and shield. She also wore a goatskin breastplate that bore magic powers just like her father. The breastplate, fringed with several snakes, was believed to produce thunderbolts when shaken. She was also believed to be a representation of the civilized and intellectual aspects of war unlike the war god Ares. The Greeks believed that Athens was capable of protecting all the cities and states. According to this myth it is clear that Athena possesses a curious genderless power.It is why one is left to wonder, is she male or is he male? Maybe her myth persona is just uncertain. To the normal people and maybe non-Greeks war and wisdom might look like strange mindmates of Athena. But it is just fascinating how this persona works in her In his painting Gustav Klimt presen ts the image of Athena as a different persona since classical antiquity. She is outstanding among his other paintings of the famous femmes. It is unlike the other femme fatals e. g. Judith that was done in 1991 and Danae 1907-8 that expressed so much the overwhelmingness in their sexuality.Klimt was so much interested in the divinity in Athena than her sexuality. Maybe, to Klimt, divinity is the catalyst role those power plays in sexuality. This might be true since over the time it has been found that power is an ingredient to sexual stimuli in human behavior. It is also been found that sexual desire and the desire for power are strongly connected. This posses Athena, an asexual Greek goddess, as Klimt’s most powerful female art figure. He appears to have followed the myth iconography at a fairly strict manner in the Pallas Athene 1989 painting.In his painting we see all the primary and secondary attributes. There is the helmet, an owl, aegis with gorgoneion and the spear. Th ere is an aspect of originality in this painting because of the accomplishments he has done with these images. He has made many statements with the enigmatic nature of this painting. We can derive the element of less romance and more symbolism in Klimt’s classicism. Klimt’s adoption method is seen to have evolved from whole figures and objects used by artists in the 18 through to the 19th centuries.In his subsidiary decoration Klimt has used a remarkable combination of objects. He has successfully merged past and present into a single synthesis. It seems ironic the way Klimt brings up the concept of archaism in this painting. Previously in some of the art works, Athena bore almond eyes an archaic smile and wavy eyebrows. Klimt ensures that there is the philosophical aspect of an older icon bearing greater value than the present icon. He exercises deliberate archaism. He attempts to hack back to the older heavier model possessed by the goddess who was highly and truly w orshiped than later.Klimt gets a Homeric trope from previous representation of Athena in â€Å"Child of Zeus of the Aegis† and â€Å"The grim goddess† and adopts the iconography in them. It is also possible that Klimt deliberately chose a helmet that is of a particular Corinthian period for Athena. This helmet seems as an extension of Athena’s head where we see the parting of her coppery hair following from the bronze. This division seems like it was solely activated by mental prowess that is divine oriented. It is evident therefore from this art work that Klimt portrays Anthena as a personified source of power but not as a lover.We can see some aspects of dimensional in Klimt’s work. He has so much prioritized the importance of eyes and this can be seen as scale of sightedness. There is the aspect of mortality in the painting; this can be seen in the left hand side of the painting where the human female is seen on a two dimensional black figure backgroun d. We can not see the goddesses’ eyes in this side of the painting. On the right hand side of the painting is Herakles and Triton-Achelous who are wrestling. They are presented on a two dimensional background. This is a representation of the goddess Athena, in a more powerful position than the heroic Heracles.Athena is very powerful such that the monster Medusa and Gorgon, that could turn mortals into stones, is reduced to a bronze ornament on Athena’s breast. We can also see from the painting that Bobus the owl possesses clear eyes that are nocturnal and look like they belong to a human being. They seem like they have been given an animation power by the goddess. These eyes have a very powerful power of penetrating the darkness. And finally we can perceive that the eyes of the goddess are more powerful and full of life. This brings out the immortality and three dimensionality in her as a goddess.In his work, Pallas Athena seems to be more frightening. One is left to w onder, what is the dreadful figure; is it the goddess or the monster? We can see that both faces have been filled with coppery hair. I can say that this shows the aspect of full divinity in Athena as compared to the partial divinity in the monster. Actually Athena is a portray of an epitome of apotropaism. She is not a simple goddess who we can oppose in mind or weapon. She is not a mere mask that is designed to chase away evil but she is seen as the real thing. She is seen by a viewer as a friend, a companion maybe.She possesses strong eyes that look so right with a mortal. She is a figure of strength and wisdom and one is obligated to worshiping her. Another major theme that can be derived from Klimt’s painting is the power of the goddess authority over politics and culture. It is seen from the bottom left corner of the painting that there stands a nude woman that has a mirror of modern man. In the right background is Hercules who looks like a wrestles Triton. Klimt present s Athena with unbridled red hair and a golden helmet. She is emerging from a bluish shadow which is a femme fatele Klimt which Klimt was fond of painting.On his chest is a medusa head that extends its tongue in ridicule of the failures of succession of power. Another theme from the Pallas Athena painting is the theme of Struggle against ignorance. His iconography in this painting is not just an order but imposes the reality of punishment at the hands of sunken eyes and naked female fatales. Though in a deep but yet spaceless world, the victim of justice is seen consumed by a polyp that is womb like. There is an unmasking of law and a fair judgment as an instinctual vengeance and in words respectivelyThough mythological imagery was largely implied by Klimt in his painting it is evident in Pallas Athena where we see the goddess possessing very powerful eyes which are also stiff. This stance in Athena’s face is very compelling. There is juxtaposition of the Asiatic face and the classical Greek figure which is excellently presented. Mythological imagery was a frequent topic of Klimt's oeuvre. I find the glaring eyes and stiff, powerful stance of his Athena to be quite compelling. I love the juxtaposition of the classical Greek figure in the background with the vaguely Asiatic face on her breastplate.Summary Gustav Klimt is highly appreciated as one of the greatest decorative painters of the 20th century and an art Nouveau at the same time. He has a place in erotic art through his artistic themes of the female sexuality in the female figure. George Fliedel comments that â€Å"there is no denying that erotic represented one of Klimt’s most important sources of inspiration†. But in Pallas Athena is a totally different representation of the female fatele. His use of iconology is Klimt’s representation of Athena as the goddess of wisdom who is a representation of an embodiment of enlightened philosophy.This representation is designed to impa rt light to the Austrian nation which is politically and socially ravaged . The Austrian nation was so much in the spiritual and cultural darkness. It is no wonder Klimt decided that the ignorance of people would be subjected to confronting illness of Viennese society through a pictorial concept. He often presented simultaneous ideas that there was a possibility of escaping from the demoralized situation and a possibility of attaining an ideal existence within themselves. Conclusion Gustav Klimt was a highly renowned symbolist artist of the symbolism period.He used to major on the female figure as his central figure for art. He mostly painted and drew the female sexualism as his theme. But it is evident from his representation of the female figure Athena, a goddess of the Greek people, that he had nothing to do with erocism when he was doing this painting. He has implemented iconography to represent the different myths as perceived by the Greece. At the same time he is addressing th e modern world and tries to tell people, through his painting, that we should embrace the present in as much as the past was there.Vast themes are ranging from feminine power and wisdom through to the general theme of ignorance and judgment. He remains among us though long dead through his works that gives us life teachings. If he were here today, maybe he would have done one of those themes, politics, which have always done the women proud. Maybe Hillary Clinton as Millennium Athena or what is your opinion? References 1. Mark P. O Marford, Robert J Lenardon, Classical mythology; Oxford University Press, 2002. 2. Herbet Jennings Rose, A handbook of Greek Mythology; Routledge, 1991. 3.Carlos parade, Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology; P A Stroms Forloag, 1993. 4. Lucilla Burn, Greek myths; University of Texas press, 1990. 5. Gilles Neret, Gustav Klimt: 1862-1918; Taschen, 2000. 6. Colin B, Bailey, Gustav Klimt: Modernism in the making; Harry N Abrams Art, Modern, 2001. 7. Tatjana Paul; Gustav Klimt; Rizzoli International publications, 2001. 8. Nina Kransel, Gustav Klimt; Prestel Publishing Artists, 2007. 9. Gabriel James Worth, Pallas Athene:A book of Attic Greek;Uniiversity Press,1928 10. Karl Kerenyi,Athene:Virgin and Mother;A study of Pallas Athene;Spring Athena(Greek Deity)

Misleading Ads Essay

To establish that an advertisement is false, a plaintiff must prove five things: (1) a false statement of fact has been made about the advertiser’s own or another person’s goods, services, or commercial activity; (2) the statement either deceives or has the potential to deceive a substantial portion of its targeted audience; (3) the deception is also likely to affect the purchasing decisions of its audience; (4) the advertising involves goods or services in interstate commerce; and (5) the deception has either resulted in or is likely to result in injury to the plaintiff. The most heavily weighed factor is the advertisement’s potential to injure a customer. The injury is usually attributed to money the consumer lost through a purchase that would not have been made had the advertisement not been misleading. False statements can be defined in two ways: those that are false on their face and those that are implicitly false. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1124853/ deception (bedrog) deceptive (bedrieglijk) http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/False+Advertising Effects of the 2003 advertising/promotion ban in the United Kingdom on awareness of tobacco marketing: findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2593060/ Lanham act cases http://www.kelleydrye.com/practices/advertising_marketing/lanham_act/42 critics aimed at drug industry for misleading ads http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1124853/ FDA overview: misleading claims in ads http://www.bvsde.paho.org/bvsacd/cd57/gahart.pdf misleading drug ads (ethics in pharmaceutical advertising) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8477540 a limit to the advertising misinformation effect on memory http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.1086/383438?uid=3738736&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21101534852463 the cognitive processing of misleading advertisements in young and old adults http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2489241?uid=3738736&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21101534852463

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible In connection to McCarthyism Essay

â€Å"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.† History is a â€Å"chronological record of events.† These events, whether positive or tragic, often repeat themselves. The McCarthy Hearings that took place in the 1950’s are a good example of this. The accusations of communism led to a nation-wide hysteria and fear of who was going to be named next. When this was over, the hope would be that nothing like it would ever happen again and nothing like it had ever happened before. However, we have not only repeated it on various occasions, but through Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, we also see the parallel of the event with the Salem Witch hunts that took place years before the hearings. The connection between The Crucible and the McCarthy Hearings is not an isolated one, but can also be made with other historical and current events that are happening today. Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in response to The McCarthy Hearings. These two events can be connected in many ways; for example, people in each situation used hysteria for their own good. â€Å"Joseph McCarthy was a flagrant self-promoter† and extremely power-hungry. (Schrecker 242) He believed that by accusing people in high positions of having ties with communism that he would become a more respected figure. McCarthy’s accusations were based upon little to no evidence and of the tens of thousands accused, only a handful was actually persecuted. (Fried) â€Å"Throughout the early 1950’s, McCarthy continued to make accusations of communist infiltration of the U. S. government, though he failed to provide evidence†¦ These charges received extensive media attention, making McCarthy the most famous political figure in the nation after President Harry Truman. He was also one of the most criticized.† (Appleton History) McCarthy’s claims were givi ng him his desired attention and praise. He was already at a respected level in the government, however he desired more. In October 1953, McCarthy began investigating communist infiltration the United States Military. (Fried) When Army Chief of Staff Omar Bradley was accused, McCarthy’s popularity went down. Omar Bradley was a highly respected man and a true patriot. This can be connected to The Crucible because of what the main character, Abigail, does to get what she wants. Originally, all Abigail wants is a man, John Proctor. She accuses John Proctor’s wife of witchcraft in order to have  him all to herself. As Abigail realizes the empowerment she has gained, she begins blaming other innocent people of witchcraft. Eventually she becomes mad with power and blames Judge Hawthorne’s wife. â€Å"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.† McCarthy and Abigail both gained power through their accusations, and their desire for more power led to their demise. Another similarity between McCarthyism and The Crucible is that in both situations, people blamed others to save themselves. During the McCarthy Hearings, the only way to lower the charges against you was to expose another person working for the communists. Because of this, people were wrongly accused and punished. In the Salem witch trials, people were also released if they revealed someone who has â€Å"made a compact with Lucifer.† An additional similarity between McCarthyism and The Crucible was that there were explainable events that sparked the hysteria. In the McCarthy hearings, McCarthy’s false accusations sparked it. The hysteria could have been prevented simply if people were not so easily scared by the accusations and they took the time to examine their validity. In The Crucible, the event that sparked the hysteria was when the girls were dancing in the woods. This event could have been easily explained without tying it to witchcraft and many lives could have been saved. McCarthyism and The Crucible also have many differences. For example, the witchcraft in The Crucible was unbelievable and the testimonies were from children. If people in the village used reason, they could have determined the accusations were false. Joseph McCarthy was a respected general and had ties to the government. This made his claims very convincing and much more believable than the allegations made by children. Another difference was that the McCarthy hearings were on much larger scale than the Salem Witch hunts. In the McCarthy hearings nearly 10,000 people were affected, many of whom lost their jobs and their lives ruined. (Schrecker) The Salem Witch Trials were on a much smaller scale; only about 140 were affected. (Boyer) A third difference was that anyone who was accused of being a witch and did not confess or expose someone else was hung. Although more people were affected, no one was ever killed during the McCarthy Hearings. Hysteria is defined as â€Å"behavior exhibiting excessive or uncontrollable emotion, such as fear or panic.† The McCarthy Hearings and the Salem Witch Trials were both hysterias. â€Å"McCarthy did not create the communist problem, but he exploited it shamelessly for political ends, accusing the Democrats in general with baseless, sweeping, shotgun allegations. He was a master of the sound bite, and played the press like a harp†. (Pinto) This was a time when people were afraid of war and the spread of communism. Because of this, they were easy victims to be caught up in the hysteria. McCarthy accused people to have ties with communism based on little evidence and thousands of people were wrongly accused. â€Å"Joe McCarthy was nosier, more impulsive, and more skillful in gaining publicity than the rest of the anticommunist network.† (Schrecker 242) McCarthy was good at spreading his message and got people scared of what could happen. The Salem Witch Hunts were also based on hysteria rather than facts or evidence. Puritans believe in The Supremacy of Divine Will in which God is absolute. (Reuben) When the girls were seen dancing in the woods, it caused panic in the town that â€Å"the devil is loose in Salem.† No actual evidence of anyone practicing witchcraft was presented, but accusations were made and the hysteria began. McCarthyism and The Salem Witch Trials are not the only examples of hysteria that occurred in history. Other events have had similar effects throughout history, causing impacts to society and to individuals. One example is the Japanese Internment Camps of the 1940’s and 50’s that changed the lives of about 120,000 Japanese Americans. (Sakurai 16) â€Å"Frightened children clutched their parents’ hands. The adults were scared, too, but they tried hard not to show their fear. Armed soldiers herded the families onto the trains and buses that would carry them far away from their comfortable homes. The United States government was sending Japanese Americans to bleak prison  camps. How could such a terrible thing come to pass?† (Sakurai 3) December 7th, 1941 Japan bombed the military base at Pearl Harbor. This began the discrimination against Japanese Americans. Until the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred, the United States had been very firm about staying out of World War II; however, this unprovoked act forced a declaration of war on Japan. This caused fear and anger against the Japanese Americans. â€Å"Japanese Americans had done nothing wrong, but they shared a common ancestry with the enemy pilots who bombed Pearl Harbor.† (Sakurai 8) In The Fall of 1942, Japanese Americans were put in permanent relocation centers, isolating them from the rest of the world. This racist hysteria discriminated people not for their actions, but because of their looks and ancestry. This compares to the McCarthy Era and to the Salem witch trials because in each circumstance people were accused of being part of something to â€Å"be feared†. The accusations did not have any basis in this situation, except the physical features of the accused. â€Å"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.† The likelihood of hysteria, such as the McCarthy Hearings or the Salem witch trials, developing today is not only very probable, it is evident. Although there is very little chance that anyone is going to be convicted of being a witch like in Salem, people are still very scared of today’s â€Å"witches†. Since 9/11, our â€Å"witches† are those people who look different. They come from any place in the Middle East. It does not matter which of those countries they are from, or even if they were born here in the United States. Just the color of their skin, their dress, their religious beliefs, or their accents make them suspicious of being a terrorist. They have been searched, harassed, fired from jobs, physically harmed, and discriminated against. Our lives were drastically changed by what happened on September 11th, but our reaction has not changed much since the witch trials of Salem or the McCarthy Hearings. We truly have not learned from the lessons of the past and it is impossible to say if we ever will. Whether it is the fear of witchcraft, communism, war, diseases, or terrorism, it is easy to see that people are persuaded very quickly. There is no need for fact or proof, just a convincible  McCarthy or Abigail to make the accusations and start the hysteria. Perhaps that is why â€Å"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.† Works Cited Appleton History. 21 Apr. 2003. 12 Dec. 2003 . Belfrage, Cedric. The American Inquisition: A Profile of the ‘McCarthy Era’. New York: Thunder’s Mouth P, 1989. 183-275. Boyer, Paul, and Steven Nissenbaum. The 1692 Salem Witch Trials: . 1997. 10 Dec. 2003 . Fried, Albert. Learning Curve. The National Archives. 8 Dec. 2003 . Pinto, Jason. The Crucible Project. 2003. 6 Dec. 2003 . Reuben, Paul P. â€Å"Chapter 1: Puritanism & Colonial Period: to 1700.† PAL: Perspectives in American Literature- A Research and Reference Guide. URL: http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap1/chap1.html Sakurai, Gail. Japanese American Internment Camps. New York: Childrens P, 2002. 1-48. Schrecker, Ellen. Impact Of McCarthyism. 1995. 10 Dec. 2003 . Schrecker, Ellen. Many Are The Crimes: McCarthyism In America. Boston: Little, Brown, And Company, 1998. 1-550.

Woman Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Woman Studies - Essay Example campaigns have the title ‘Violence Against Women’ (Roces and Edwards 15) and are based on two different strategies: a) the promotion of laws for eliminating violence against women, and b) the increase of the public awareness in regard to violence against women (Roces and Edwards 15). The above campaigns are based on the rules of liberal feminism. As for radical feminism, the specific movement is mostly promoted through independent institutions. The National Black Feminist Organization (1973) is an example. It should be noted that the specific groups have been quite popular among African women who considered these groups as the only means for supporting their rights. Many efforts have been developed worldwide for securing the participation of women in leading positions, either in politics or in business. However, these efforts have faced many barriers. The key reason is that the ability of women to respond to the demands of such roles is often doubted. In practice, it has been proved that ‘only in societies where egalitarian practices are highly promoted, women are likely to have equal opportunities with men’ (Doh and Stumpf 362). In other words, simply increasing women’s participation cannot set the basis for an egalitarian future. Such future can be guaranteed only in societies where equality between men and women is clear in all social and economic activities. In 1995 a critical event for global women’s activism occurred: the Beijing Conference. The United Nations arranged this conference for discussing women’s rights (Ledwith 117). The level of participation has been impressive: about 30,000 women participated in the conference, supporting women’s rights (Ledwith 117). The participants have been representatives of organizations, governments, or even individuals (Ledwith 117). The global dimension always needs to be part of feminist activism, because this is the only way for women’s rights to be effectively protected. The Beijing Conference

On completing your HND, you are hired as a Trainee Manager by Assignment

On completing your HND, you are hired as a Trainee Manager by Excelsior PLC, an international hotel chain. The job offers business experience, management development and future opportunities - Assignment Example When disputes arise, it would be very difficult and sometimes impossible for the parties to enforce their legal rights due to lack of evidence. In written contracts parties sign to signify commitment. If disputes arise, signed document accordingly serves as a source of information to apportion liability (Treitel, 2003). Written contracts are preferable to oral contracts when the subject matter is complex necessitating constant reference to the agreement. Online contracts also form legally binding agreements. The main benefits of online contracts are convenience and cheaper as parties save time and resources needed to meet. A party can offer inaccurate information to induce the other into action. It may later lead to the contract being void or voidable (Furmston, 2003). A valid contract was not formed. When a seller advertises prices, it is not strictly treated as a unilateral offer that can be accepted by a specified action. Instead the advertisement is treated as an invitation to treat and the seller reserves the right to sell to whoever he prefers at a higher or lower price from the stated price. Cheltenham Hotel should be ready to compensate the guest as the courts will most likely find it liable for the loss of her fur coat. The contract is on sided. The hotel is guilty of concealing the information regarding the responsibility of the guest to take care of her property. It would not be reasonable for the guest to see the small print with the warning. Downtown hotel does have a claim under the contract. Similar to the case in 2.2 above, the term limiting liability to  £10000 renders the contract one sided. Enforcing this term gives the supplier the onus to be careless with the software knowing that they cannot be forced to pay more than  £10000. A contract without limits of liability is better than the current one as the supplier is obligated to make good of any shortcomings of the

Why is an education important in today's work force Essay

Why is an education important in today's work force - Essay Example to spend money on training and development, competition between employees have increased, 21st century arrangements require college education and this level of education is essential for a better living standard. The economy is still in recession and organizations are trying to survive the recession by cutting its expensive. Employers are trying to save the cost of training and development and at the same time they desire a workforce that is already trained. College education equips an individual with both hard and soft skills which are required in today’s organization. Due to this college level education allows individuals to gain employment under current economic conditions. Now a day’s even those who have huge amount of experience are competing for entry level positions in order to gain employment. Due to this young individuals who do not have a college education on their resumes are finding it difficult to gain employment. College education provides individuals with the knowledge, skills and abilities that are required for fresh members of the workforce to compete with those who have years and years of experience. Organizations in the 21st century are competing globally; they are no longer producing and selling their goods and services within limited boundaries (Stephens 1). Due to this, organizations need to be able to develop goods and services according to the cultures and customs of people belonging to different regions. They need employees who have the ability to communicate people from different regions to identify their needs and wants. College education equips an individual with interpersonal and communication skills which help these employees in communicating with people from different parts of the world. This then helps organization in developing goods and services in compliance with the needs and desires of customers throughout the world. Individuals who have a college level education are already equipped with soft and hard skills which an

Theories of Crime Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Theories of Crime - Term Paper Example Traditionally, mothers were given the obligation of socializing the children and teaching them morals. Today both parents have to work. The youth have been left to be socialized by the media such as the television and the internet. It is from these media that they learn a different culture and this has driven them to undesirable behaviors such as violence and drug abuse. One cannot help but note the over popularization of the smoking of Marijuana in the contemporary movies. The topic is also addressed with relish in the modern day music (Hawkins 2000). Young people come to associate smoking pot as a â€Å"cool† thing since the people that they celebrate and try to emulate use this drug. Since it has been noted that the media has so much influence on the youth, this knowledge can be used to avert the bad effects. In fighting the use of drugs, the government needs to use music artist and movie actors to create awareness of the terrible effects of using drugs They should be encouraged to write songs and movies that encourage good morals among the youths and not the opposite. Milkman, H. B., & Wanberg, K. W. (2005). Criminal conduct and substance abuse treatment for adolescents: The providers guide : pathways to self-discovery and change. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage

Problem Intervention Outcome in Hospital Sphere Essay

Problem Intervention Outcome in Hospital Sphere - Essay Example As such the overall incidence of the HAI is relatively large and can become a significant cause of deaths if hospitals fail to actually implement effective hygiene controls within the hospitals. Hand washing is considered as the single most important prevention which can ensure that this infection is reduced and controlled. Frequent hand washing before and after making contacts with the patients is one of the critical steps which should be properly implemented in order to ensure that hospital-acquired infections are reduced. This change proposal will exactly provide a step by step change proposal to implement handwashing in healthcare workers. Through this change proposal, higher management will be pursued to implement this step by step plan in order to implement this change. Management will be requested to actually provide resources as well as the necessary support to implement the changes at the healthcare worker level to ensure reduction in infection. This plan will outline as to how the hospital can actually implement the process of frequently washing hands by the hospital staff in order to reduce the hospital-acquired infection. As discussed above, almost 2 million patients are affected by HAI and one of the single most important precautions which can be implemented in order to reduce the impact of the same. Healthcare workers do not put much effort and focus on frequently washing their hand before and after they come into contact with the patients and other things. Since hospitals have relatively higher risk of acquiring this infection due to different reasons therefore it is critically important that the healthcare workers must follow strict practice of washing their hands. Currently, though this practice is followed but is not implemented properly and many healthcare workers avoid washing their hands properly. This lackluster practice can increase the HAI in our hospital and hence  the overall mortality rates can be higher.  

Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome - Essay Example t the weather at that time in March was unusually cold followed by above normal temperatures in April, which stimulated rapid plant growth and concurrent increase in the number of eastern tent caterpillars. Wild Cherry trees were the principal source of food for these caterpillars. Lack of abortion in areas where these caterpillars did not exist and later experimental intragastric inoculation of pregnant mares with caterpillar extracts confirmed the reason for these abortions (merckvetmanual.com). The MRLS syndrome in addition to early/late fetal loss is characterized by uveitis, pericarditis and encephalitis and occurs due to tissue penetration by barbed setal fragments from Eastern tent caterpillars, Malacosoma americanum (Tobin et al, 2004). After ingestion the barbed setal fragments migrate through moving tissues followed by rapid spread of bacteria, bacterial emboli and septic fragments of setae, collectively known as septic materials (Tobin et al, 2004). A number of bacteria are carried by the setal fragments in moving tissues, blood, uterus and fetal membranes of pregnant mares. Pharmacokinetic studies and studies on the structure of the setae revealed barbs on them which facilitated the rapid spread of bacteria as hitchhikers. Clinically affected tissues show a poor antibacterial response as bacterial contamination of tissues and extracellular fluids is very rapid. It has been proposed that MRLS also includes an immunosuppressive mechanism which predisposes the affect ed horses to opportunistic bacterial infection (Flaminio et al, 2005). Pathological lesions when MRLS is suspected are consistent with bacterial infection as the cause. Streptococcus, Actinobacillus species and Serratia were some of the prominent bacterial species isolated from horses suffering from MRLS. Sebastian M.M. et al (2008) propose two hypotheses for MRLS. According to one, the syndrome is produced due to an Eastern tent caterpillar toxin complicated with secondary bacterial

Grievance Process Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Grievance Process - Assignment Example The research objective correlates with the desire and aim of management to develop productive and satisfactory procedures for improving service quality. The goal system of an organisation is based on the aspirations that drive the current practices, and the complex hierarchy of interconnected goals is defined by the desires and aims supported by other aims (Eden and Ackerman 1998). The aim of this research is to critically evaluate the grievance and disciplinary process to ensure that it is a viable and strategic management resource for understanding employee, management and organisation relationships (Davenport 1995). The outline of objectives is based on the following literature review. The literature review was used to first develop a framework for consistent theories in strategic management. Therefore, the objectives are approached from a human interaction standpoint and not a political, legal or implied quantitative position. The rational planning school defines the objective in advance by determining the current strategic position, and then using a prescriptive approach that exemplifies the strategic analysis, development and implementation (Lynch 2000). This is a strong foundation of the research proposal as the perspective approach is a systematic method that follows in sequence (Lynch 2000). This is used as a cyclic approach to a series of rationales instead of being sequential, and is most often seen in organisations where environment and strategy are constantly analysed (Lynch 2000). To find information regarding accounting management practices, qualitative data will be collected. This allows for an evaluation of the results to be made on the empirical views and new information to be gathered in a timely and inexpensive manner where other methods are based on information that is already in existence. Examining the components of the grievance process will collect qualitative data. Collection of information will be from theoretical management review and the relationship to Mersey Care NHS Trust grievance and disciplinary procedure. Outline of Key Concerns In the socially motivated health care industry, strategic management must look beyond functionality and towards a support system for innovation, developing core competencies and knowledge based communication. Breaking from the traditional mindset to incorporate a strategic plan that is focused on encouraging an employees knowledge-based value often includes training, reward systems, and encouragement (Harrison and Enz p45 2005). The grievance policy must deal with the process of the grievance and response as well as the people

International relation class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

International relation class - Essay Example declare war on America minutes after they pulled out of the talks but several circumstances hindered the passing of the maessage in time leading to what became the worst attacks on Japanese soil. The concept of the film is based on the conflict that led to a great loss of life due to lack of amicable ways to resolve the conflict that existed. The theme of international relationships is prevalent as poor relations between the two nations had disastrous consequences. International relations can be defined as the relationship between countries and the roles government and non-governmental agencies play in fostering these relationships (Carlsnaes, 2013). The film highlights the importance of positive international relations to the growth of a country and the importance of proper conflict management techniques within international circles. Countries and nations need to co-exist together and respect the sovereignty of each other. There is also a need to have conflict resolution forums to ensure conflict between nations are resolve in a way that will have minimum negative effect to the countries relations (Baylis,

Breaching Exercise Essay Example for Free

Breaching Exercise Essay As a sociology student I have some experience in the field of messing with social norms. When assigned to create a breaching exercise situation I can say I felt comfortable as opposed to the first time I was instructed to break a norm. Breaching experiments obtain to study people’s responses to disruptions of generally conventional social rules or norms. I will admit I had a few weird ideas that I have always been interested but had some difficulty finding the means to conduct these experiments. I narrowed down my options and came up with one that was more realistic and decided to purposely mistake shoppers for employees in department or grocery stores. I conducted this breaching exercise in three different places over the past week. The first place I went to was Target. Everyone pretty much knows that the standard Target outfit involves a red polo, however there weren’t any red polo’s walking around that were not actual employees. I came across a middle-aged man in a red t-shirt who was looking in the bath section and simply asked him, â€Å"Excuse me, could you direct me to the electronics section?† His reaction wasn’t anything to look into; he simply just laughed and explained that he doesn’t work there. He looked down at his red shirt and thought I just made an honest mistake. I gave a shy laugh; acting embarrassed, apologized and walked away. The second place I visited to try this experiment was Walmart. I walked into Walmart with a friend and went to the gardening section. I decided to come up with a little story rather than just asking a direct question. I found a man who looked like he was in his young 20s and started rambling, explaining that I had a big project I was working on for my outdoor patio and I wanted a specific look. He let me ramble on for about a minute and a half before he cut me off by explaining he was shopping for his own patio furniture and would be no help to me. He didn’t seem to think it was as funny as the first man, however he still acted kind. Lastly I went to Harris Teeter to experiment in a grocery store. I felt that maybe the type of store I mistook a shopper for being an employee would make a difference. I was right. I felt quite bad about this situation after leaving in all honesty because I had no clue it was going to be as offensive as it was. I found a woman around the breads who looked like she was in her 50s. I asked her if she could tell me where her gluten free bread section was. She had quite the attitude when she responded explaining that just because she looks some type of way does not mean that she is an employee. I felt bad because I did not want her to think I thought she was an employee because of her appearance, I just got confused and frustrated because I couldn’t find what I was searching for. She calmed down a bit and we both apologized for the miscommunication and I quickly decided to be on my way. This experiment is definitely interesting however should come with a warning. I would never personally offend someone like this, and had I known that I would have I would have reconsidered my exercise, however I was happy with my results varying. It was good to have different results to work with and think about once it was completed. I thought about the differences between the people and the stores I visited and tried to understand where each individual I approached was coming from by their reactions.

Diffusion Coefficient of 2m NACL in Water

Diffusion Coefficient of 2m NACL in Water This experiment aims to determine the diffusion coefficient of a liquid mixture, sodium chloride solution, in de-ionized water. This is done through the use of a honeycomb diffusion cell which consists of 121 vertical capillaries which are 5mm long and 1mm in diameter. Ficks Law of Diffusion is used in this experiment to calculate the diffusion coefficient of sodium chloride solution in de-ionized water. The change in concentration of the sodium chloride in the de-ionized water is measured by using the conductivity meter, since sodium chloride dissociates in water. The calculated value of diffusion coefficient was compared with the literature value derived from Eletrochemistry textbook, and the difference in values will be discussed. Some assumptions are being made to make the calculations much simpler. The concentration at the lower end of the diffusion cell is assumed to be equal to 2M, which is the molarity of the sodium chloride solution. The concentration at the upper end of the diffusion cell is taken to be effectively zero. Certain factors that affect diffusion and the calculation of the diffusion coefficient are also discussed to understand more about their effects on diffusion. However, this experiment did not place emphasis on these factors, and these factors are assumed to be negligible in the experiment as steps have been taken to minimise their presence in this experiment. Objective The objective of this experiment is to determine the diffusion coefficient of 2M Sodium Chloride solution in de-ionised water. Principles 1. Diffusion Molecular diffusion, or simply known as diffusion, is a spontaneous process that results in the net transport of molecules from a region of higher concentration to another region of lower concentration. This net transport is a result of the intrinsic thermal energy present in all molecules at temperatures above absolute zero. The phenomenon of diffusion can be mathematically described using Ficks Law (or Ficks 1st Law), which states that for a two component system consisting of A and B, the molar flux, Ni , of the individual component (i = A, B) is defined as: (1) where D is the diffusion coefficient , Ci is the concentration of component i, and is the concentration gradient in the z-direction. The negative sign indicates the flow of transport is from region of higher concentration to region of lower concentration. In the context of this experiment, Ficks law in one-dimension is considered, and there is no mean flow of mixture in the experimental set-up. Therefore, Equation (1) for the molar flux is valid for this experiment. 2. Experimental Set-up A diffusion cell is an instrument that is used to study the diffusion of liquid or gaseous mixtures. The diffusion cell used in this experiment consists of a honeycomb of 121 accurately dimensioned vertical capillaries that are 5mm long and 1mm wide in diameter. This is to restrict the diffusion to a one -dimensional diffusion. To prepare the diffusion cell for use, a small volume of concentrated solution is first placed on one side of the honeycomb, whilst the other side consists of a large volume of pure solvent (de-ionized water). The concentration within the larger volume will increase gradually as diffusion of the solute occurs. This change in concentration is monitored closely with a conductivity sensor and meter. To ensure a uniform concentration within the larger volume, the mixture is continuously stirred with a magnetic stirrer. (Figure 1) The concentration at the lower end of the tube is in fact constant and is equal to the molarity of the solution. The concentration at the upper end of the tube is effectively zero (Figure 2). Honeycomb structure with capillaries Concentration of solution outside tube is zero Concentration of solution inside tube is 2M NaCl Therefore it can be said that: (2) where M is the molarity of the solution and L is the length of the tube. The amount of sodium chloride diffusing per unit time from the capillary is approximately: (3) where d is the diameter of the capillary, n is the number of capillaries and L is the length of the capillary. Outside the tube, since sodium chloride is able to dissociate in water into sodium and chloride ions, the accumulation of the sodium chloride salt in the de-ionized water can be easily calculated by the measurement of change in the conductivity k of the solution with respect to time t. The amount of sodium chloride accumulating per unit time outside the vessel is approximately: (4) where V is the volume of water in outer vessel and CM is the conductivity change for unit molarity change and has the value of 0.41ÃŽÂ ©-1M-1 for the solution used in this experiment. Mass balance requires that the amount of sodium chloride going out of the capillaries must be equals to the amount of sodium chloride accumulated in the de-ionized water. (5) Therefore, (6) By rearranging Equation (6), (7) All the terms in equation (7) are constants and known, except for . However, to determine, we can plot a graph of conductivity as a function of time and find the gradient, which is equals to. Thus, by plotting conductivity as a function of time, the value of the diffusion coefficient D for the sodium chloride solution can be determined. Equipment and Materials One litre vessel with cell holder (Figure 3) Magnetic stirrer with variable speed (Figure 3) Magnetic stir bar (Figure 3) Diffusion cell (Figure 4) Conductivity meter (Figure 5) Conductivity leads Stopwatch (Figure 6) A bottle of de-ionized water (Figure 7) 50 ml beaker (Figure 8) 2M sodium chloride solution in a 100ml glass bottle (Figure 9) Experimental Procedure The one litre vessel was filled with de-ionized water up to 1cm below the graduation (black) mark. The magnetic stirrer was set to the lowest setting. The conductivity meter was connected to the electrodes and then switched on. The reading on the conductivity meter was noted to be less than 10-4ÃŽÂ ©-1 (1 ÃŽÂ ©-1 = 1 Siemens). The diffusion cell was completely filled with 2M (molarity) sodium chloride solution (116.9g NaCl/litre). Excess solution on top of the capillaries and on the sides was wiped off gently with a soft tissue. The diffusion cell was clamped in its position with the top of the capillaries lying parallel with the graduation mark on the vessel. The vessel was carefully filled to the graduaton mark with the provided de-ionized water bottle. The nozzle of the bottle was aimed away from the capillaries and towards the wall of the vessel, so as to minimise the turbulence caused. The timer was started immediately when the vessel was filled to the graduation mark. The reading on the conductivity was noted down at the same time. The conductivity readings were noted down every 200 seconds till 3600s. After the end of Run 1, the solution in the vessel and diffusion cell was disposed. Both the vessel and the diffusion were washed thoroughly with de-ionized water. Steps (1) to (10) were repeated to get another set of readings for Run 2. Results The results are tabulated in Table 1. Questions Plot conductivity (k) versus time (t) and determine the slope of the best fit straight line through the points. From the plot, the gradient of slope of the best fit straight line for Run 1 and Run 2 are 4 x 10-8 and 3 x 10-8 respectively. Determine the diffusion coefficient of 2M NaCl using equation (6). To use equation (6), we need the value for . The value for is determined from the graph. We will take the average of the gradient of the 2 slopes we get from the graph. = = 3.5 x 10 -8 Where, V = 1 Litre = 0.001 m3 L = 5mm = 0.005 m CM = 0.41ÃŽÂ ©-1M-1 n = 121 M = 2M d = 1mm = 0.001 m (gradient of slope) = 3.5 x 10^-8 (ÃŽÂ ©s)-1 For = 3.5 x 10^-8 (ÃŽÂ ©s)-1, How does your value(s) compare with literature values? Comment on sources of error. Table 2 is obtained from the literature of an Electrochemistry textbook. The data in the table are obtained by various experimental techniques, such as tracer diffusion determination. The diffusion coefficient of Na+ and Cl- ions in water, extracted from relevant data in Table 2, are found to be 1.33 x 10-5 cm2/s and 2.03 x 10-5 cm2/s respectively. These ionic diffusion coefficients do not take into consideration the effect of solvation of the water molecules on the ionic species. From Table 2, both the sodium ion and chloride ion have different diffusion coefficient from each other. However sodium chloride diffuses with only one coefficient, therefore we need to compute the average diffusion coefficient, DNaCl. From the equation: (8) j1 = j2 = Dc1 = [] c1 The average diffusion coefficient of the electrolyte NaCl , DNaCl = 2 (9) (1/DNa+ + 1/DCl- ) = 2 (1/1.33 + 1/2.03) x 105 = 1.607 x 10-5 cm2/s = 1.607 x 10-9 m2/s Percentage difference between experimental and literature values of diffusion coefficient = (2.246 1.607)/(1.607) x 100% = + 39.8% The experimental diffusion coefficient values of 2.246 x 10-9 m2/s is slightly higher than the literature value of 1.607 x 10-9 m2/s, and this could be due to some possible sources of error (Will be further discussed in the next section). The calculated value (DNaCl) based on Table 2, equation (8) and (9) does not take into consideration the effect of hydration of the water molecules on the ionic species. The phenomenon of solute-solvent interaction between sodium chloride and water is called hydration. The solute and the solvent both interact to form a new species, which is the actual species diffusing in the solvent Hence, it should be expected that our experiment value will be different from the literature value (DNaCl), as hydration do play a part in the experiment. In addition, the high concentration of the sodium chloride solution (2M) may result in convection, which will also affect the rate of diffusion. (Will be further under Discussions) Possible Sources of Error S/N Possible Sources of Error Solution 1. If thewalls of the capillary tubes arewet, or if the diffusion tube is filled up too slowly or wrongly, air bubbles may form underthe capillariesin the honeycomb structure. The bubbles can significantly impede diffusion through the capillaries, affecting the rate of diffusion. Ensure that no air bubbles are formed in or under the honeycomb structure. This can be achieved by filling the diffusion cell slowly. 2. Evaporation of water from the 1 litre vessel during the experiment could affect thevolume present in the vessel and hence diffusion coefficient would be affected, since the calculation of the diffusion coefficient involves the volume of water present in the vessel. The vessel could be covered with a cover or lid to minimise evaporation of water. 3. The stopwatch should be startedas close as possible to the instant when the water covers the surface of the capillaries. This is because significant changes in concentration can occur at this pointintime due to the steep concentration gradient between the 2 solutions. However, human reaction time will result in some delay. Have one person to fill up the vessel until the honeycomb structure is fully submerged in water, while another person looks from the side and starts the stopwatch once the honeycomb structure is fully submerged. This will minimise the human reaction time. 4. The solution may not be well-stirred enough, thus resulting in a higher concentration at the diffusion surface than the rest of the solution. Have more than one conductivity sensor at various locations or depth along the vessel enables us to get more accurate conductivity readings by averaging the values obtained. 5. The needle was fluctuating at some of the instant when readings were supposed to be taken, making it hard to determine the value to be recorded. By the time the needle stabilised, it has already exceeded the stipulated time (e.g. 1000s), and the reading obtained from the meter would not reflect the conductivity of the solution at that particular time but instead for another timing. A data logging system should be used where signals from the conductivity meter used for the diffusion cell can be recorded into a computer at fixed regular time interval. This helps to eliminate human error from poor judgment in the reading of results as well as allows for a more accurate reading of the conductivity. 6. The vessel may not be thoroughly cleaned from previous experiment by other students, therefore leaving sodium chloride residue at the wall of the vessel. This may add to the conductivity of the solution during the diffusion experiment when the vessel is filled with de-ionised water and therefore lead to an error when calculating the diffusion coefficient of sodium chloride. Clean the equipments thoroughly once more with de-ionised water to ensure that no residues are present on the equipment. 7. Small air bubbles could have been trapped at the opening of the capillaries of the diffusion cell before the start of the experiment. This would affect the diffusion rate of the sodium chloride solution. A porous plate can be used. It enables the solute and solvent to pass through freely, minimizing the chance where the molecules are stuck at the pores or in the capillaries. 8. Convection occurred in the experiment is a major factor that will affect the accuracy of our experiment. Effort has been made to minimized convection. However, the extent in which convection has affected our experiment values is unknown. The rotation of the magnetic stirrer could introduce convection currents in the water. The addition of dye to the vessel containing watercan be used to determine whether the magnetic stirrer is causing too much convection. This should be done before the commencement of the actual experiment to ensure minimal or no convection are present. The dye should never be used during the commencement of the experiment as it might interfere with the diffusion rate of sodium chloride solution. 9. The changes in the conductivity may be so small such that the analog meter is not able to detect the changes. The use of an analog meter also depends on how the person judges the values of the readings when the needle is in between the markings on the meter. This might result in random errors. A digital conductivity meter or data logger should be used to minimise the random errors that might be introduced if an analog meter is used. A digital conductivity meter or data logger would be more able to reflect the small changes in conductivity of the solution, giving us readings that are more accurate and more precise. 10. The temperature of the sodium chloride solution in the diffusion cell and the water in the vessel is assumed to be the same and constant throughout the experiment. However, this may not be true due to the fact that the experimental setup is exposed to the surroundings, thus it is very difficult to ensure constant temperature within the system, unlike the case of a water bath. Temperature, however, does affect the diffusion coefficient. Conduct the experiment in an enclosed environment to minimise contact with the surroundings. Measure the temperature of the water and sodium chloride solution constantly to ensure constant and identical temperature throughout the experiment. Discussions Solute-Solvent interaction (hydration) In the experiment, the species that are diffusing are not just pure sodium and chloride ions. In fact, sodium chloride and water interact to give a new species which is the actual species diffusing in the solvent. The effect of hydration can be studied by using the following flux equation: (10) j1 = D0 (1 + ) c1 (11) j1 = (1 + ) c1 where D0 is the new diffusion coefficient, ÃŽÂ ¼ is the solvent viscosity, R0 is the solute radius, and Ɔ1 is the activity coefficient. Equation (10) and (11) can be affected by hydration in two ways. These two factors are the hydrated species radius R0, and the concentration dependence of diffusion. From equation (11), the solute radius R0 is that of the hydrated species. This can be related to the true solute radius R0 by the following equation: à Ã¢â€š ¬ R03 = à Ã¢â€š ¬ (R0)3 + n() (12) Where VH2O is the molar volume of water and n is the hydration number. The third column of Table 3 shows the values obtained from equation (12). If we were to take the values of Na+ (0.5) and Cl- (-0.7) and compute the average radius R0, the radius obtained will be a smaller value as compared to the case when no hydration is considered. Therefore, we will obtain a larger D0 if we substitute a smaller R0 into equation (11). This explains why we get a larger D0 from experimental results as compared to literature values. Convection In our experiment, the sodium chloride solution has a molarity of 2M, which is a concentrated solution. Such concentrated solution may cause convection in our experiment, thus affecting the rate of diffusion. Total mass transported = Mass transported by diffusion + Mass transported by convection (13) The total mass flux n1, (mass transported per unit area per unit time): n1 = j1a + c1va where j1a is the diffusion flux and c1va represents the convection. From equation (7): (7) D = If we add in the convection term, it becomes (7.1) D = + (convection) From equation (7.1), we can see that the presence of convection in the experiment will mean a bigger value for diffusion coefficient since the total mass transported is now dependent not solely on diffusion only. Convection does play a part in the transporting of mass. In order to examine whether the effect of convection is significant in our experiment, we can carry the experiment with sodium chloride solution at lower concentrations. The diffusion coefficient obtained will then be compared against literature values. If the degree of difference between experimental results and literature values is similar to that of using 2M sodium chloride solution, then we can say that the effect of convection is negligible in our experiment, and vice versa. Temperature dependence of diffusion coefficient In our experiment, the temperature of the water in the vessel and the sodium chloride solution is assumed to be the same and constant throughout the experiment. The dependence of diffusion coefficient on temperature in liquids can be determined using the Stokes- Einstein equation: (14) where T1 and T2 denote temperature 1 and 2 respectively D is the diffusion coefficient is the dynamic viscosity of the solvent From the equation, we can see that temperature does affect the diffusivity of the sodium chloride ions. In order to ensure that this problem does not affect our experiment, we should continuously measure the temperature of the water in the vessel and the sodium chloride solution to ensure identical and constant temperature throughout the experiment. Conclusions The aim of the experiment was to determine the diffusion coefficient of 2M Sodium Chloride solution in de-ionised water. The purpose of the experiment is achieved through the use of diffusion cell and the conductivity meter to study the change in concentration along the vessel at regular intervals. The value of our experimental result is of the order of 10-9 m2/s, which is common for liquid mixtures. This implies that the method of using honeycomb diffusion cell and measuring the change in conductivity to calculate the accumulation of the sodium chloride in the de-ionized water is appropriate for the determination of diffusion in a liquid mixture in this experiment. However, one should be aware that the conductivity method is only applicable for solute which fully dissociates in water. Solutes which do not dissociate in water will not give any changes in conductivity of the de-ionized water. It was found that the diffusion coefficient determined in the experiment is 39.8% larger than the literature values. This is most likely due to the fact that the literature values did not consider the effect of hydration on the sodium and chloride ions. The effect of hydration tends to increase the rate of diffusion, and this was the case for sodium chloride solution. Therefore, if we were to take into consideration the effect of hydration on the ions in our calculation of the literature values, the diffusion coefficient calculated will be close to our experimental value. We have discussed that convection is an important factor that might affect the reliability and accuracy of the experimental results. Due to the limitations of the experiment procedure, we were unable to determine the extent in which convection affects the experiment. Dyes could have been used to detect the presence of any significant convection currents due to the rotation of the magnetic stirrer. This experiment has showed that it is very difficult to calculate the actual diffusion coefficient very accurately using mathematical models and scientific concepts that we currently have. Due to the fact that the values of diffusion coefficients for liquid mixtures are very small, of the order of 10-9 m2/s, any slight error during the experiment will result in a big difference from the actual value. This difference might be small in magnitude, but the application of this value may have large implications in actual situations, such as in chemical plants. Therefore, much effort should be utilised for future research works to accurately determine the actual diffusion coefficients under different situations and conditions.

Health Literacy in the USA

Health Literacy in the USA Social Determinants of Health Constantin Vintilescu Health Literacy Predicting future trends in any profession cautions careful review of present and past trends. Over the last two decades, health care in the United States has undergone major changes due to simultaneous advances in the fields of health information and information technology. Advances in health care and life expectancy also have created dramatic changes. Subsequent gains in life expectancy have surpassed the gains achieved, between the years 1940 and 1964 with the advent of antibiotics. In fact, recent gains have exceeded that of any other time this century. The life expectancy projections for the rest of this century may turn out to be even more significant. The educations of the public about health literacy issues and the rights of the elderly have become another dimension of advancement, along with the â€Å"rights† of patients and minority groups including the physically handicapped. In the United States, the term literacy is generally defined as the ability to read and speak English (Andrus, 2002). In the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS), the U.S. Department of Education (1993) defined literacy as: â€Å"the ability to use printed and written information to function in society, to achieve one’s goals, and to develop one’s knowledge and potential.† Although no precise point defines the difference between literacy and illiteracy, the commonly accepted working definition of what is meant to be literate is the ability to write and to read, understand, and interpret information written at the eight-grade level or above. Health literacy refers to how well an individual can read, interpret, and comprehend the health information for maintaining an optimal level of wellness. It is an essential aspect for access to health care and health-related services. Limited health literacy leads to poor health outcomes. In fact, literacy skills are â€Å"a stronger predictor of an individual’s health status than age, income, employment status, education level, and racial or ethnic group† (Weiss, 2003). Health literacy is also important for people’s maintenance of health and wellness. Health literacy is very important because requires peoples to have a more active role in health decision and their management. Based on available statistics over the past twenty years, it is evident that the United States has significant health literacy problems. Health literacy has been termed the â€Å"silent epidemic,† the â€Å"silent barrier,† the â€Å"silent disability,† and â€Å"the dirty little secret† (Conlin Schumann, 2002). In fact, the United States only ranked among the middle of other industrialized nations in most measures of adult literacy; and yet many of our educators, elected representatives, and social advocates have remained blind on this significant problem (Kogut, 2004). Over the past two decades, the literacy of the American population has been the subject of increasing interest and concern by educators as well as by government officials, employers, and the media. Health literacy continues to be a major problem in the United States despite public efforts to address the issue and developing health literacy training programs. In our society, many people do not possess the basic literacy to navigate the increasingly complex health care field. Some people have difficulty in reading and comprehending information well enough to be able to fill out job and insurance applications, tax forms, or apply for a driver’s license. In the early 1980s, President Reagan launched the National Adult Literacy Initiative, which was followed by the United Nation’s declaration of 1990 as the International Literacy year (Belton, 1991). In light of the relatively recent attention given to health literacy in the last twenty years, we must acknowledge the efforts of two organizations Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc., and Lauback Literacy International – that served for many years as advocates for the most marginalized adult populations in United States and around the globe. Of particular concern to the health care industry are the numbers of consumers who are illiterate, functionally illiterate, or marginally literate. People with poor reading and comprehension skills have disproportionately higher medical costs, increased number of hospitalizations, readmissions, and more perceived physical and psychosocial problems than do literae persons (Baker, 1998). Today the health care literacy problem has grave consequences, because patients are expected to assume responsibility for their self-care and health promotion. If people with low literacy abilities cannot fully benefit from given information, then they ca nnot be expected to maintain their health independently. Computer literacy is also an increasingly popular concern of health literacy. Many health care providers and consumers are relying on computers as educational tools. â€Å"Those clients who are well educated and career oriented are already likely to own a computer and be computer literate, but those with limited resources, literacy skills, and technological know-how are being left behind† (Zarcadoolas et al., 2006). Health care providers relied for many years on printed education brochures as a cost-effective way to communicate health instructions with people. For many years, nurses and doctors thought that written materials given to the patients were sufficient to ensure informed consent for different test or procedures. This way they promoted compliance with treatment regimens and discharge instructions. Kessels (2003) pointed out that 40-80% of medical information provided by health professionals is forgotten immediately, because not only medical terminology is too difficult to understand, but also because too much information contributes to poor recall. He also noted that half of the information remembered is incorrect. Recently the health care providers have begun to realize that if the scientific and technical terminology in education materials are not written at a level and style appropriate for their intended audiences, people cannot be expected to be able or willing to accept responsibility for self-care. In improving written health materials and in implementing health education it is important to know the literacy skills of the patients in the community and their families. Nurses play an important role in assessing patient’s literacy skills because nurses interact more with the patients and their families than the physicians do. The nurses can evaluate the ability of the healthcare client to understand printed health information by assessing the patients’ comprehension and reading skill level. There are specific guidelines for writing effective health education materials and teaching strategies for patients and their families. An individual‘s functional health literacy is likely to be significantly worse than his or her general literacy skills, because of the more complicated language used by health care providers. Now that manage care insurance companies are requiring subscribers to take more responsibility for their self-care, poor health literacy can increasingly lead to negative consequences and escalated morbidity, and mortality. People with low health literacy don’t have knowledge or are misinformed about the body and the causes of illnesses. Because they do not have the proper knowledge, they don’t understand the relationship between lifestyle factors, like diet and exercise, and wellness .Those people with limited knowledge may not know how to seek care. Health literacy tactics that improve written health materials may include: Written health materials should have plain language for better understanding and ease of sharing with people. Written health materials should be scientifically accurate and culturally appropriate. If the client does not fluently speaks English, provide the written health information in his/hers native language. If such information is unavailable, and a translator must be employed, it is critical to assess the client’s understanding of the written material. Written health information should include pictures for better understanding. Personal electronic devices such as cell phones, tablets, palm pilots, and talking kiosks can be a new method for sending health information to the patients. Before health providers make a health education brochure, they should also consider alternate methods such as individual, group, organizational, community and mass media. Use a short brochure that presents â€Å"bottom line† information, systematic instructions, and uses pictures with visual cues that highlight most important information to be absorbed. Health brochures should align health information with recommendations to services, resources, and other available support. Removing the barrier to communication between individuals and health care providers is a good opportunity for nurses to function as facilitators and work in collaboration with other health care professionals for improvement of quality of care. As Advanced Practice Nurses, it is our mandated responsibility to teach in non-complicated terms so our patients can understand an fully benefit from our nursing interventions. References Andrus, M.R., Roth, M.T. (2002). Health literacy: A review. Pharmacotherapy, 22(3), 282- 302. Baker, D. W., Parker,R. M., Williams , M. V, Clark , W. S. (1998). Health literacy and the risk of hospital admission. Journal of Internal Medicine, 13, 791-798. Belton, A. B. (1991).Reading levels of patients in a general hospital. Beta Release, 15 (1), 21-24.California HealthCare Foundation. 2005. Consumers in Health Care: The Burden of Choice. Available at http://www.chcf.org Conlin, K. K., Schumann, L. (2002). Literacy in the health care system: A study on open heart surgery patients. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 14 (1), 38-42. Institute of Medicine. 2004. Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion. National Academies Press: Washington, DC. Kessels, R.P.C. (2003). Patients’ memory for medical information. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 96,219-22. Kogut, B.(2004).Why adult literacy matters. Pbi Kappa Pbi Forum, 26-28. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Making Health Communication Programs Work. National Cancer Institute: Washington, DC. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2003. Communicating Health: Priorities and Strategies for Progress. Washington, DC. Weiss, B. D. (2003). Health literacy: A manual for clinicians. Chicago: American Medical Association and American Medical Association Foundation. Zarcadoolas. C., Pleasant, A. F., Greer, D. J. (2006). Advancing health literacy: A framework for understanding and action. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

The U.S. Constitution and Slavery :: USA, constitution, slavery, history,

The US constitution was written with great vision to create strong nation. The bill of right were written, it provide all humans with rights. The writers of the constitution we hypocrites, they didn’t abide by what they preached. Thomas Jefferson wrote himself â€Å" all men are created equal† but he owned slaves. The founding father didn’t look or even think about slavery when they wrote the constitution. They were pre-occupied in getting the southern state to join the union and sign the new constitution. They southern states believed that the federal government shouldn’t mess with the issue on slavery because slavery was a state issue. The south and the north made numerous compromises to create a great nation. The first indirect compromise was when the constitution didn’t mention slavery in the constitution, they left that for the states to deal with. After years after when the congress decide to stop the slave trade in 1808, they gave the south time to adjust to this but they new that by the time the slave trade died line was over the slave would have reproduces and they would have more slaves. Third compromise gave the south more power. They had notice that they had less seats in the house of representative. States with the most slaves, for instance Virginia and Maryland, were get out number in the house of representative, so the compromised to have the slave counted as part of the population. They got three counts for every five slaves. This helped balance the house of representative. Later on, after President Lincoln abolished slavery(the thirteen amendment in the constitution) the southern states decided to nullify his decision but the went against the constitution. Nullification is illegal. This action cause the bloodiest civil war in America. President Lincoln notice that the US government was not following what they were preaching. After the win in the civil war, the federal government had established themselves with a lot of power.

Negotiating Identity: The Frontier in Moby-Dick, by Herman Melville :: Moby Dick Essays

Written during a period of American history characterized by great expansionism, Herman Melville's Moby-Dick may be read as a reflection upon both the rapidly changing geographical frontiers of America, and the accompanying shift of social, political, religious and cultural boundaries. The Pequod's world is governed by laws other than those of the American mainland. Figuratively situated at the frontier of the New World, the ship evokes the mythic American pioneer with the independent spirit, aggression and courage to wrench a nation from the wilderness. Melville lays out a version of the frontier myth that sees redefinition of national identity in terms of man confronting his other, reaffirming the self, and - through Ishmael's survival and narration - returning to civilization having defined what he is not.. Captain Ahab and his obsessive quest for the white whale symbolize in its most extreme form, an American desire to face the wild unknown and to promote national ascendancy thro ugh the confrontation. This paper will examine the seductive but limited conditions under which claims to define American-ness are able to be made in Moby-Dick, through interrogating the way in which the crew's desires are subsumed into Ahab's private vendetta. The notion of the frontier as a place of infinite possibility, where power relations are renegotiated, even as are geographical limits, goes some way towards explaining why, despite Ahab's disregard for his men's well-being, they agree to follow him down his tragic path. Both the license that Ahab's position gives him to compel them into action, and his ability to tap the crew's own belief in the power of the mythical American capacity for self-reinvention, indicate the potential for unbridled violence in the search for the self. Crucially, this highlights the discrepancy between America's claims of its own democracy, liberty and equality, and its national enthusiasm for imperialist conquest and its tolerance of slavery. The pervasiveness of the mythological connection between American self-invention and aggression, is underlined by Slotkin in his claim that the first colonists saw in America an opportunity to regenerate their fortunes, their spirits, and the power of their church and nation; but the means to that regeneration ultimately became the means of violence, and the myth of regeneration through violence became the structuring metaphor of the American experience. (Slotkin, 5) Renowned for the risk it involved, and for the physical demands it made on the sailors, whaling invites many comparisons with both the pioneer's intrepid conquest of the western wilderness, and the march of soldiers into war.

How Mary Shelley creates a sense of horror in Frankenstein :: English Literature

How Mary Shelley creates a sense of horror in Frankenstein. Frankenstein Introduction In this essay, I will be writing about how Mary Shelley creates sense of horror in Frankenstein. Horror stories are usually dark and sinister. They are also very mysterious. They mostly use catching background music and horrible settings to create a sense of horror. Mary Shelley creates a sense of horror through the characters, settings and the language. From the beginning of the story, the audience's speculate that there was a reason behind Victor Frankenstein's interest to the anatomy of science. " A mind of moderate capacity, which closely pursues one study, Must infallibly arrive at great proficiency in that study." This creates a sense of horror because it suggests that Frankenstein is obsessed with the subject. It isn't just a plain interest. After his mother died, he was very upset and angry. He wanted to create a living human being- bringing a dead body alive. He wanted to do something that no one else has done. This can be looked at, as a metaphor saying that, he wanted to make something that even nature hasn't even created. This creates a sense of horror because, people in the 19th century were very superstitious and believed that going against the nature means going against God, and that's the worst sin that can be committed. " Darkness had no effect upon my fancy." This creates a sense of horror because he was different from the other people as well as the human characteristics. He had no fear of death or any superstitious belief. He appears as a person who would do anything because he is contending to himself as well as God. He wanted to create something that wouldn't have to follow the procedure of life. "I should attempt the creation of a being like myself" This creates a sense of horror because it suggests that he wants to break the natural chain. He is willing to create a human like himself but it should live for eternity. He wants to prevent death. He wanted to "succeed and arrive at great proficiency in that study". He finally decides to learn everything about human bodies and create a human creature from dead body parts so he started to make framework with bones and organs as an experiment. Frankenstein collects most of the materials that he needs from the charnel house where dead bodies are kept, and also goes to other places that are associated death such as churchyards, the dissecting room and the slaughterhouse. "Churchyard was the receptacle of bodies deprived of life" and "The dissecting room and the slaughter house furnished many of his materials". All these settings creates a sense of horror because, it's set in a

Ipremier and Denial of Service Attack †Case Study Essay

In a recent Information Management lecture we went through the case of iPremier (read the full case) which is a popular case study from Harvard Business School. It was a made up case but the recent high profile hacking stories (such as Gawker) show that companies are not taking security seriously. The background is that iPremier suffered a DOS attack in the middle of the night which caused chaos in the company. After an hour the attack stopped and the company went back to business as normal. Two weeks later another DOS attack was spawned from the company’s server directed at a competitor which proved that their server had been compromised. The FBI became involved, the competitor threatened to sue and the city analysts were thinking of downgrading the stock. Our role was to come up with recommendations as to how the processes and plans could be improved for the future. Keeping in mind that the security is about more than just technology we needed to brainstorm around people and processes as well. 1. People and processes Develop a business continuity plan (test it end to end including suppliers and keep it updated) Develop an IT governance framework that includes security in its remit Develop clear reporting lines Better training for emergencies Trust your technical leaders and make sure they have the resources to lead in a crisis Make security part of strategy Hire an independent audit team who report into the board Hire a security and risk expert Develop a better relationship with your hosting provider 2. Technology Avoid single points of failure. Separate the server stack so that database, web and file servers are not on the same network Use a reputable hosting provider with a world class infrastructure and support Make sure all your software is up to date Use a combination of hardware and or software firewalls Backup and redundancy planning and testing Active monitoring Strong one-way encryption of passwords Use open auth systems such as Facebook connect

Best Buy Situation Analysis

In general, the company specializes in selling electronics, line of longitudeographic point office carrefourions, entertainment products and footwear, art programs and softw ar, clear up appliances, and much more(prenominal) technology colligate products. better(p) bribe has earned the constitution as wholeness of the top consumer electronics retailers and a leader in the perseverance. Its total revenues ar $42,410,000,000, it employs 140,000 workers, and has a grocery submit place capitalization of 1 1. 26 one thousand thousand.The company Is a in public traded corporation on the rude(a) York birth ex flip-flop under the signal- BY. It has gained many product and function stigmas that atomic tote up 18 recognized worldwide, much(prenominal) as Geek Squad, an in house repair serve up, which has been one of the companys chief(prenominal) war-ridden advantages throughout its existence. The primary target market customer Is In the 16-35 age puke. With 18-2 4 existence the primary target because on fair 40% are in college. unproblematic targets consist of businesses, some(prenominal) genders, middle class families and up.The secondary target is 36-50 age groups more often than not work up of parents, reinvigorated-fangled and small businesses, and cost concerned consumers. The age group for the loading audience Is 25-54 consumers 54% male 42% female and has an average househ grizzly in rise up of $75,000 (Khan, A). committal The mission of outmatch defile is to be the number one retailer of consumer electronics with a focus on roving a wide selection of high-pitched tone products at premium low impairments fleck erecting personable customer service and the beaver obtain experience both In store and online.Goals In the companys 2014 fiscal annual report, Hubert Jolly, President and CEO of ruff Buy, outlined the business transformation proposal and goals as the 1 OFF obtain experience 2. Attr fare, grow, engage, a nd inspire transformational leaders and employees 3. lam with traffickers to infix and drive value 4. append return on invested capital 5. act leadership role in convinced(p)ly impacting the world Ochs 2 Core efficacy In hurt of core competency, the light upon in terms of success for take up Buy has been its strategic customer-centric values and pock name culture. scoop out Buy specializes in providing sharp customer service and the index to refund customers a hands- on shopping experience. opera hat Buy extends a wide range of products and volition occur to work with vendor partners to obtain a arduous descent to guarantee low competitive wrongs. As far as brand recognition goes, best(p) Buy is extend the follow of stores worldwide each year so the company name volition continue to stick in customers minds as healthful as strategic partnerships such s geek squad.SOOT Analysis Internal Factors Strengths ninefold Channel gross revenue Strategy divers(pr enominal) Product Portfolio Reputable Brand progress to Excellent Customer Satisfaction Weaknesses geographic Concentration Limitations Reliance on token(prenominal) Vendors Weakening Financial Position unretentive Inventory Management Systems External Factors Opportunities strategical Partnership Acquisitions Focus Towards tradeing Strategies Online Sales Growth Consumption of Electronics Increasing working out of Retail Stores National and International alien Market Penetration Threats Rise of opponents, pass of Market Share and RevenuesIncrease of Counterfeit/ limit point Goods (China) Organized Retail villainy Increasing, Cyber Crime Threat to Security Market shifting to Online Sales Medium to high supplier Power Industry Analysis and Trends The Consumer Electronics Market is continuously changing and is an ongoing work out of evolution. Since technology is g row at a market. Already existing technologies are macrocosm re-invented to give the consumer a feeling th at the old model(s) is irrelevant. An example is curved TVs and the phone ss.Ochs 3 These two technologies already exist further with a very slight modification, customers fight back and feel the destiny to purchase the newer version. This acts to re- reanimate what may seem to be a stagnant market. Online Sales are graceful more crucial to companies to survive in the electronics consumer market. Amazon. Com being the leader in the constancy of online sales has proved its dominance and Best Buy is increasing online retail operations to keep up. Since the recession, the market faced a decline in sales carrying out the last few geezerhood since 2008.However the market is making a slow, gradual come back and the feature in the exertion is looking good. The fluctuating saving greatly effects consumer buying habits, and with the recovering economy conditions, consumers will have more specie to spend on luxuries bid electronics. consort to the U. S. Consumer Electronics Sal es and Forecasts Revenues for the consumer electronics industry are project to grow 2. 4% in 2014, ambit a new record high of $208 billion Joseph,J. ACE). Best Buy has struggled to preserve its market share with the increase of arguing over the last few years but the company is growing in terms of revenue and number of stores increasing worldwide. Best Buy brand and strawman is becoming well known spherically and more growth opportunities are accessible for the company worldwidely. Best Buy sees opportunities for conception and growth in new markets and new geographies as well as in our core U. S. Business our growing global presence requires seasoned and as. N. Y leaders to carefully manage our spreading family of international brands.Our international leadership team is focused on driving growth for our enterprise virtually the world (Willet, Robert, BY CEO International). Competitor Analysis Best Buys competitors are store-based retailers, internet-based tillers, five fold channel retailers, and vendors who offer products directly to the consumer. They are competing amongst many others in the market for mark as the top retail brand for electronic goods. U. S. Shoppers spend more than 126 billion dollars a year on electronic goods and more than 26% of it is totaled at Best Buy.For electronic purchases Best Buy outrides as the top plectrum amongst consumers (Khan, A. ). The major players are mass merchandisers deal Walter Corporation, Amazon. Com and apple Inc. (also a supplier). Unlike Best Buy, Walter offers much ore than Just electronics but they are growing in the electronics industry. In show to keep their prices low, Walter uses a low salary margin, high volume sales technique by squeezing their suppliers to name their price. To attack this, Best Buy mustiness maintain their image as the best shopping experience retailer with a young, tech as. N. , lettered sales staff to assist customers and stand customer service unmatchable b y Walter. In Ochs 4 addition best buy must maintain a strong, relationship on good terms with its suppliers because they are limited and also offer a price matching insurance to match a rice offered by a certain store or retailer. To compete with Amazon. Com Best Buy must promote their brick and mortar, instant gratification business model. Unlike Best Buy, Amazon cannot flourish physical, face to face customer service experience betterment to their website and online sales dodge since many consumers are moving towards online purchasing.One of the major risks Best Buy faces currently is the act of show- fashioning. This is where customer go to the big turning point store to gain valuable information from the staff about a product and comparison shop, then go and purchase it elsewhere for a better price (Amazon. Mom). According to CEO Hubert Jolly Best Buy estimates that 1 5 share of its customers come into the store with the intention of shortcoming, that number is only likely to increase (Macrame, M). Since Apple is one of Best Buys vendors they must be careful with methods used to compete for customers.One of the main advantages Best Buy has in this situation is that they are actually able to offer their Apple products for a lower price than the Apple Store, while still maintaining strong customer service, warranties, and support as one would receive in the Apple store. New Opportunities Best Buy faces ever rowing fierce competition as the consumer electronics industry continues to grow and new technologies are quickly being innovated. There is much room for growth and new opportunities Best Buy can take advantage of to remain at the top of the market.One of the most authoritative threats Best Buy faces is the increasing sum total of virtual retail sales in the consumer electronics industry, but this is also an opportunity. The first good word for Best Buy is to continuously innovate and improve the website to encourage online sales. Perhaps IT shoul d abide website redesign to offer easier web sailplaning/ characteristics similar to that of Amazon. Com. The second recommendation is the need to promote the advantages and benefits of shopping in store kind of than at other online retailers like Amazon. Com.Such benefits include direct communication betwixt representative and customer, fewer technological issues of ordering, gentle returning methods, and the assurance the product will be received in consummate condition and on time rather than damaged or lost in transportation. The third recommendation is to move beyond the current business to consumer model and expand into business to business operations. This would positively increase clientele base and open up a CSS 5 huge new market segment uninhabited by many CE competitors. Next Best Buy needs to reconsider its attention structure.Part of the reason for its plummets in sales was sad focussing style who were reluctant to change company strategy and adapt they were no t ready for competition. Best Buy has made efforts to update management which had a positive outcome. We see in the fourth poop of the fiscal year 2013 the company report net earnings of $293 million, compared to a deprivation of $379 million in the previous period, compulsive by its reduced costs and alter operational efficiency. The effort of the retailer to improve profitability, which includes reorganization of its field and store management structure (Wolf, A). Lastly, Best Buys strengths lie in customer service so the ability to attain strong customer relationships will go far. Some ideas to accomplish this is to depict better employee training to specialize employees to find out the customers wants and needs better. This will help make the employees more knowledgeable to offer more expertise help on bad-tempered products and features that other competitors simply cannot offer, which ultimately results in happy customers. When satisfied, the company back to the top as t he number one electronics retailer.