Sexual Violence

We all know that our prisons are the final point for the socially rejected criminals and violent transgressors. We know that our prisons are so overcrowded that the Supreme Court of California issued a court order to reduce the number of inmates. We know that since there are more inmates in prison the chance of getting rehabilitated are very slim to none. And we also know that the ratio of supervision of guard to inmate is extremely high. But do we know what goes on in our prisons and jails? We know we have prison gangs, drugs, assaults, robberies, and even murders in prison. But what happens when you mix an overcrowded prison or jail with violent, drug using, angry, abusive, gang related men with the average person who is in prison or jail for the first time. The result is an aggressive sexual act known as inmate rape. The fight against rape in our communities is doomed to failure and will continue to be so as long as it ignores the training grounds for rapists: our prisons, jails and reform schools. For too long, we have turned away from the rape crisis in these institutions, which now hold 1. 3 million men and boys. In most of them, rape is an entrenched tradition considered by prisoners a legitimate way to `prove their manhood' and to satisfy sexual needs and the brutal desire for power. The exact number of sexually assaulted prisoners is unknown, but a conservative estimate, based on two decades of surveys, is that â€Å"more than 290,000 males are sexually assaulted behind bars every year. By comparison, the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that there are 135,000 rapes of women a year nationwide, though many groups believe the number is higher. â€Å"(Mezey and King, 1995).

Is Addiction a Brain Disease? Essay

Addiction, it is all around us, affecting people from all walks of life, it is not limited to certain social classes or lifestyles. It is found in every ethnic group, regardless of gender or age. It affects our neighbors, our friends, and our family either directly or indirectly. Although substances such as alcohol and illegal drugs are two of the most common addictions we hear about, there is a wide range of substances and even activities such as gambling and shopping. There is some debate whether addiction is a brain disease or a choice. This controversy has been going on for years and a decision whether or not addiction is a brain disease has yet to be reached. According to a publication Is Addiction a Brain Disease? (1998) , by two psychiatrists, Sally Satel, M.D., and Frederick K. Goodwin, M.D., both argue â€Å"the virtues of thinking about addiction as a primary, though modifiable, behavioral phenomenon, rather than simply as a brain disease†. That is, addiction is a function of a person, rather than simply a physical state† (Satel, Goodwin, 1998, p. 3). According to a publication by the National Institution of Drug Abuse (NIDA, 2007), â€Å"addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences as well as neurochemical and molecular changes in the brain† (NIDA, 2007). For the purpose of this paper the focus will be on the substance of drugs of abuse when discussing ‘addiction’, but before getting into the two controversial sides another definition we can look at outside of these two opinions is taken from textbook, Psychology 10th Ed, by David G. Myers: â€Å"Addiction is a compulsive drug craving and use, despite adverse consequences† (Myers, 113). PRO: Drug Addiction is a Brain Disease. The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) explains that addiction is a brain disease. The initial decision to take drugs is a person’s voluntary choice. However, once a person takes that drug of abuse it can effect â€Å"the pleasurable area of the brain† (NIDA, 2007), in which, addiction takes over the person’s capability of self control, which can result in harmful actions. Thus, when a person uses drugs over a long period of time the brain structure and the way it operates changes resulting in harmful effects and actions. Addiction is tied to changes in brain structure and function, basically making it a brain disease. Furthermore, all drugs of abuse have common affects one way or another within the brain, which activates â€Å"the pleasurable area of the brain† (NIDA, 2007). Drugs of abuse reward our normal actions, therefore, if the brain gets a lot of stimulation it produces pleasant feelings, which drives a person to continually use drugs over and over. NIDA also points out that from science research â€Å"brain-imaging studies from drug-addicted individuals have shown physical changes in areas of the brain that are critical for judgment, decision making, learning and memory, and behavior control† (NIDA, 2007) which indicates that once those areas of the brain are disturbed so is a person’s capability of freely choosing not to take drugs, leading to negative actions. Additionally, science research shows that these changes alter the way the brain functions, which may explain the uncontrollable and negative actions of a person. Furthermore, according to NIDA addiction can be treated and managed successfully since it is a chronic disease and research has shown that combining behavioral therapy with medications is the best way to ensure success for most patients with this chronic disease indicating that it is a treatable and manageable similar to other brain diseases. CON: Addiction is not a Brain Disease. According to a publication retrieved from Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) â€Å"Is Addiction a Brain Disease?† two psychiatrists, Sally Satel, M.D., and Frederick K. Goodwin, M.D., they do not agree with NIDA’s claim that â€Å"addiction† means compulsive drug-taking driven by drug-induced brain changes. They believe â€Å"addiction is a function of a person rather than simply a physical state and a person is in voluntary control of their decision and actions† (Satel, Goodwin 3). If a person can make the choice to take drugs then they can also make the choice to stop taking drugs, especially during those times in between when they are not taking drugs. For a person to voluntarily continue taking drugs of their own accord then they should be held accountable for their addictive behavior and not use brain disease as an excuse. Further, circumstances such as economical, health, or personal issues resulting in a person’s choice to take drugs ironically can be the same reasons for them to either change their pattern, stop taking drugs, or get help versus the unavoidable, involuntary effect of a diseased brain. Additionally, those that choose to continue being addicted over a long period of time illustrates that by making that choice they are not helpless compared to a person who has a chronic disease. â€Å"Rather than being the inevitable, involuntary product of a diseased brain, these actions represent the essence of voluntariness. The addict’s behavior can be modified by knowledge of the consequences. Involuntary behavior cannot (Satel, Goodwin, 1998, pg. 5). As a result of that knowledge the addicted person is in control and can take be in charge of their actions to change the cycle and make a deliberate effort to change. My Position: My position is optimistic on the subject Is Addiction a Brain Disease? Addiction is a primary, progressive, and chronic disease of the brain, which creates physical, emotional, and spiritual impairments. I have seen this disease affect people close to me and can only have hope that someday there will be a treatment. First hand, I have seen three families, with different backgrounds, affected by addiction. Two lost a loved one to the overdose of drugs and the other is struggling along with their loved one, who is addicted, to defeat it. One mother wanted to know how this could have happened to her son, how he could lose control of his life and eventually lost the battle of addiction. I do not believe that a person voluntarily WANTS to be addicted, or that they even realize what addiction truly is prior to becoming addicted. However, I do agree with both sides that a person does voluntarily make the choice to take a drug of abuse. But have given more thought into it about why a person can’t just stop taking the drug when they know it is harmful and changes their behavior. My conclusion is that addiction is caused by drugs that are induced with one or more certain types of chemicals that travel through the brain and have an effect on the area of the brain where we feel pleasure and joyful feelings. Also, some people are more susceptible than others to becoming addicted to drugs of abuse than others because their brain reacts differently to the chemical(s) in a drug. Furthermore, addiction has signs and symptoms and a predictable progression and it is apparent that the characteristics of the disease and the approaches to treatment is not any different from other chronic brain diseases. Addiction is a brain disease since its causes are complex but its results are clear. I’m in agreement with NIDA that an 6 addicting substance changes the way the brain works over a long period of time, which leads to the activities of what we recognize as addiction and like most other brain diseases, addiction can be treated. Although treatment can be long and diff icult and there are often relapses, it can be successful if people acknowledge it as such and treat it accordingly. Multicultural Application Addiction affects, if not to all, most countries and cultures. According to the annual report of the UN International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the estimated number of drug abusers worldwide in 2009 was between 172 million and 250 million people. Varying by different narcotics, the 2007 report national rates range from 0.8% to 11% overall with the highest rates in Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom and the lowest rates recorded in Romania, Malta, followed by Bulgaria, Greece and Sweden (INCB, 2007, pg. 98). Although we come from different cultures, most of the world shares common diseases and since most countries are affected by addiction the sharing of awareness, knowledge, and research information between cultures could have a huge positive impact on the world. Critical Literacy NIDA’s position of â€Å"Yes, Addiction is a brain disease† is based on their commitment of continued studies and research into drugs of abuse, addiction, backing up their argument that addiction is within the brain not the individual. Satel and Goodwood’s position of â€Å"No, Addiction is not a Brain Disease† is based on their conclusion, according to their research into other’s researches and their knowledge in the positions they hold as psychiatrists that addiction is an individual’s choice not a disease within the brain. Both are able to support their claims by information provided through research. Civic Literacy Besides the known fact that millions of people around the world are directly or indirectly affected by addiction, it has a huge impact on our society. Not only with the economical costs involved for medical and healthcare, there is the cost of crime as a result of consequences from addiction, loss of productivity in the workforce, and many deaths that result from complications of addiction and overdose. By being aware and informed of addiction, citizens can be supportive and helpful to those battling addiction and help prevent others from getting the disease. They can also help by being understanding and supportive to those who are addicted and encourage them get the treatment they need to battle it. Another way to lend a hand is citizens can get involved within their community and promote physical and social activities for all age groups. Citizens can make a difference just by starting somewhere instead of doing nothing and thinking â€Å"oh that’s their problem† or â€Å"it will never affect me† or worse â€Å"it is their fault they are addicted†. It is happening, it can happen to anyone directly or indirectly, and it isn’t anyone’s fault. We need stricter laws on drug making and trafficking to help our society, otherwise we will become an addictive society. Our leaders can invest in continued and advanced scientific research for prevention and treatment. Values Literacy Clearly with as much research as there has been on this topic there is a huge interest and concern of what is happening in our society. By upholding moral values we can consider others opinions with an open mind on topics such as this knowing that while we carry our own values, we must encourage those values as a society to help combat addiction and by being open to the opinions of others we can all come together to battle this disease. With NIDA’s investment into research and treatment it shows they have a special interest and concern on the value of life and  our society. It appears the opposing side would rather dispute the issue and disregard it as a disease, but rather the behavior of a person. Scientific Literacy NIDA is known as being one of the largest supporter’s of the world’s research on drug abuse and addiction. Government funds are used for scientific research by tracking emerging drug use trends, understanding how drugs work in the brain and body, developing and testing new drug treatment and prevention approaches, and disseminating findings to the general public and special populations (NIDA, 2007). They claim that the Science of Addiction has evidence backing up their argument that addiction is a disease of the brain. Psychiatrists Satel and Goodwin, claim that based off biological studies and scientific findings there are not sufficient facts to back up NIDA’s claim that addiction is a brain disease, supporting their argument that addiction is not a brain disease. Conclusion After completing my research, it was not a surprise to find there are differences of opinion on this topic and understandably so. This research and my experience of having observed the affects of addiction first hand have not only driven my passion to understand addiction and the brain, but strengthen my position that addiction is a brain disease. By keeping an open mind allows me to learn and recognize the views of others. Addiction is a common disease we all share directly or indirectly, it is an International problem. The more people know and understand addiction the chances they will be open to looking at it differently. Knowledge and understanding are two biggest parts of moving forward in taking this disease more seriously. It does no good to blame the abuser My hope is that people will look at addiction and take it more seriously if it is considered a brain disease and put more time and money into further research to find out what is actually causing the addiction in the brain and why some people are more susceptible than others. One may lean more toward the idea of addicts choosing to be addicts and that they have complete control over their actions; however, if the addict chooses a path to moderation, they face medical complications associated with withdrawal. The physical effects of withdrawal can become severe enough to cause death and require medical treatment, thus suggesting addiction is a form of disease. No matter what side you choose on this debate, you should expect to run across supportive evidence of the alternate side while arguing your point. It is a choice to try a substance, but it is not a choice to become addicted. Although this brain disease does not remove an addict from their responsibility for their behavior it does explain why many addicts cannot stop using drugs by strength alone. References 1. Satel, S., & Goodwin, F.K. (1998). Is Drug Addiction a Brain Disease?, (9th edition). Upper Saddle River, N.J. Pearson Prentice Hall. Retrieved from http://www.eppc.org/publications/bookID.19,filterID./book_detail.asp 2. National Institute of Drug Abuse. (2007). Is Drug Addiction a Disease? Unknown. Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/topics-in-brief/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction 3. Myers, D.G. (2011).Psychology. (10th edition). New York: Worth Publishers 4. International Narcotics Control Boars (2011). Report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 2011 Unknown. Retrieved from http://www.incb.org/incb/en/publications/annual-reports/annual-report-2011.html

Stereotypes of Gender, Race and Class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Stereotypes of Gender, Race and Class - Essay Example The ages of women mostly depicted in the show are those in their 20s and 30s, and the ideal look is someone who is sexy and sleek. The black American woman was, however, once treated inferior to the white woman, and was once associated with slavery, especially in the early 20th century even years after the Civil War, and that their black hair is even â€Å"part of the legacy of slavery† (My Black is Beautiful, Episode 3). Aside from these, no other such comments are given regarding African-American women, as the whole show seems to be one that empowers them. In fact, although neither the host of the show or the panelists said it, the show was somehow aimed at African American women in the United States who somehow still have the inferiority complex due to their skin color. The show is actually almost 99% positive, praising the Black American woman in every way possible – through their intelligence, physical appearance, and natural charm. Nevertheless, the mere presence of a special video presentation as this means that there is actually stereotyping of African-American women. Admittedly, the stereotype of an African-American woman, especially outside the United States, maybe that of someone who is inferior not only because of skin color but also because of both the dark skin color and the fact that they are women. Black American women, therefore, although they do not explicitly say it, may actually be facing discrimination all the time from those who look down on both women and dark-skinned people. This may even actually be the ma in reason for having such a TV show on empowering black women. In fact, the show is full of comments which are  geared to uplift the status of black women. Most of these comments like â€Å"We make any color work regardless of what color that is,† or â€Å"We come in different shapes and sizes,† are actually also true of any other race of women (My Black is Beautiful, Episode 1).

Nonreligious bases for nonviolences Research Paper

Nonreligious bases for nonviolences - Research Paper Example n in use for a long time, mainly by pacifists and non-pacifists, as a means of acquiring a social change and expression of resistance to any kind of oppression. In the past, the thought of non violence had made large numbers of people think and had attracted many followers. However, most non violent forms or cases have been in response to events of violence (PPU, n.d.). Non violence has usually been dived into two distinct parts or methods. The first one is the abstention from violence on religious grounds, while the second is the actions of people who neither start nor respond to any type of violence. Such kind of behavior has usually been linked to pacifism and abstinence of violence on grounds of principle (Riff, 1990, p. 166). Historically, western belief had an idea that non violence is something which can only be practiced by the educated masses, but this had been proved wrong in India, where the followers of Mahatma Gandhi were largely the poor farmers and uneducated masses (G regg, 1959, p. 184). In the following pages the various forms of non violence, apart from religious grounds, have been discussed. Also discussed are the contributions of some of the greatest preachers of non violence in the history of mankind. In this paper, the discussion has aimed to show how historically non violence had persistently fought the various types of violence on grounds which were not related to religion and the various forms of non violence prevalent in the world. The discussion also shoes how great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King had contributed to world peace through their non violent methods. Various cases of non violent action have been found in many countries over time, but it was only in the 19th century that non-violent action started to take different names and forms. The term ‘strike’ as devised at he beginning of the nineteenth century in the United States of America and it meant an organized form of stoppage of work or withdrawal of

Ethics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Ethics - Coursework Example The ethical dilemma I have encountered in the clinical setting is deciding between quality and quantity of life. Some therapy subjected to a patient may affect the quality of life of the patient. The quality of life addresses how good the life of the patient will be, and quantity is how long the person will live. Step 1: Before making any decision, the objective must be identified. Decide whether the therapies will prolong the patient’s life. Step 2 Look into different available choices apart from the therapy that can improve the Patient’s condition. His/her quality and quantity of life (Gastmans, 2012). Step3: Identify the values at stake. If the patient is aware of the possible side effects of the therapy, he/she may choose not to undergo these. Choosing to hide the possible side effects may lead to mistrust by the patient. Step 4: Check whether the decision you are about to make is viable, it must not be a decision that will waste patients time, energy and money without producing good results. Step 5: Give the decision importance and enough time before execution. Wreckless decisions have led to the loss of life and resources (Gastmans, 2012). Step 6: Choose the best decision-making strategy that will guide you in making a better decision.

Applying Microeconomics to Business Research Paper

Applying Microeconomics to Business - Research Paper Example on, Tisdell and Hartley (2001) states that businesses managers could take advantage of knowledge of government microeconomic policy as well as its economic impacts in a number of ways. For instance Tisdell and Hartley (2001) explains that they apply it to project how the economic situation of their businesses or the industry may change as a consequence of a change in the microeconomic policy, for example with removal or cuts in tariffs or subsidies previous enacted to protect the industry. Secondly, a lot of countries have regulation prohibiting certain trade practices. In particular situations, governments may prohibit mergers of firms or acquisitions of companies supposing they could reduce competition within an industry to considerable levels, or lead to monopoly. Thus, it is essential for business managers to be aware of these laws and regulations and this requires that they understand microeconomic concepts (Tisdell and Hartley, 2001). It is also beneficial for business managers to understand economic arguments and concepts that might be used as a counter argument for a business merger or acquisition if the government opposes it. Certainly, there are several other areas of government economic policy that require business managers to have a good understanding of microeconomics. These areas include economic concept of science and technology, specifically the economics of intellectual property laws. As Kahneman and Tversky (2000) explains intellectual property rights entail patents, copyrights and plant variety rights and trade marks. Mumbo adds that public policies to control and exploitation of environment and natural resources have recently become more widespread ad these normally have an economic justification. Microeconomic effects of industrial relations policies, international business, investment polices and public finance aspects usually have a critical consequence for the economic performance of a business. Managers can as well use

Arab Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Arab Culture - Essay Example Along with religion even the culture travelled out wards from Arab lands. They left strong mark on almost all fields of human endeavour: architecture, literature, painting and even technology. Arab land is not only rich in oil, it is rich in iron ore, cobalt, lead, magnesium. What was the ancient culture of mankind Culture means a way of life and a way of thinking. Since primitive man was busy cultivating and managing livestock and hunting the first explored art forms were tool making: tools made with pebbles, Ubaid sherds and flints too have been recovered from archeological sites in Egypt and Arab nations. They were used to hunt, make dwellings, sculpting. Colours were made from tree extracts, flowers and vegetables and used for painting. Ancient Arabic literature is rich in lyric and poetry. The Quran, word of God, is one of the ancient written sacred book. Later Arabic literature has gifted the world with 1001 Arabian nights which is even now one of the best sold books world over. Story-telling was one of the major art form. All the three religions which branched out from the philosophy of One God brought discipline in the land: For if you didn't listen to command of God you are condemned. In the name of God magnificent monuments were built.

Policy Alternatives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Policy Alternatives - Essay Example Due to the financial effects that are projected in the future, the current administration came up with a suggestion that the retirees of the defense department should cater for health care services instead of being provided for free. The government gave a proposal of the retirees paying about $200 per annum towards their health care. As per the calculation of the administration, the country will save approximately $6.7 billion. The other proposal that was also given said that soldiers are supposed to pay into a retirement plan instead of a pension plan (NPR.org, 2011). This shift of perspective will contribute in cutting down the expenses of the defense department. The impacts of this cut are, for instance, the impact of retirees paying $200 per year towards their medical care will save around $6.7 billion for the state. On the other hand, these proposals were not received with acceptance by the defense department. For instance, the protection of military benefits should not in any case undercut the military’s capability to fight and win the war. Despite the impacts, the cuts of the military benefits are seen to be very effective in achieving the goals of the administration. For example, the cutting of health care benefits seems to be effective in that the country will save around $6.7 billion per year (NPR.org, 2011). The paying of soldiers towards their retirement plan instead of the pension plan, will contribute a lot to the reduction of military benefits. The reduction of the military retirement benefits is very effective in the fact that it will assist the country to reduce the expenses towards the defense department (Washington Post, 2015). It will reduce the risk of the country becoming unable to pay the troops in the near future. From the text, it is evident that military retirement benefits cost the Pentagon around $50 billion per year. The expense is more than the

Macbeth Essay Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Essay Essay This puts Macbeth at a loss for words , they then look at banquo and tell him his sons will be king someday aswell but not him. â€Å"All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis/ All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor/ All hail, Macbeth, Thou shalt be king hereafter! † (1. 3. 50-53). This is the first set of prophecies the witches made and the start to Macbeth’s downfall. What the witches done to Macbeth with these prophecies to make him commence his downfall was they filled his head with these positive flattering things that made him want to go to extreme measures just to become what the witches proclaimed would happen. Proof that this first set of prophecies commenced his downfall is once king Duncan had named malcom to be king apposed to Macbeth, Macbeth then considered the idea that he should murder Duncan to become king. The second set of prophecies given to Macbeth appeared as apparitions by the three witches and each apparition gave Macbeth a different prophecy. The first prophecy is an armed head which tells Macbeth to beware of Macduff â€Å" Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff. Beware the thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough. † (4. 1. 74-75). The second apparition appeared as a bloody child who tells Macbeth the only person who can harm him is a man not born of a woman. â€Å" Be bloody, bold, and resolute. Laugh to scorn/The power of man, for none of woman born/Shall harm Macbeth. † (4. 1. 81-83). The final apparition summoned by the witches was a crowned child holding a tree that states Macbeth will not be killed until the woods of birnam are at Dunsinane Hill. Be lion-me ttled, proud, and take no care/Who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are. /Macbeth shall never vanquished be until/Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill/Shall come against him. † (4. 1. 94-98). These summons created by the witches are a big part in Macbeth’s downfall because they gave him more confidence that he would not be killed. Macbeth believed that these prophecies were ridiculous and that it was impossible for him to happen although he did not think them through because all of these prophecies came true in the end. Although the witches gave Macbeth these prophecies making him over confident and giving him the idea to kill Duncan they are not the only ones to blame, Macbeth’s wife Lady Macbeth also played a big role in the downfall of Macbeth by persuading Macbeth to kill King Duncan. She did this by telling him that if the witches prophecies were to come true and he were to become king he must kill those who stood in the way. She then proceeds to question his manhood and makes him feel guilty for her when she says she would kill her own child if she had promised it to her beloved to do it. What beast was ’t, then, That made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place Did then adhere, and yet you would make both. They have made themselves, and that their fitness now Does unmake you. I have given suck, and know How tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me . I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this. † (1. 7. 47-59). Lady Macbeth was fully capable of killing the king herself, she had made a good plot to kill him but she never killed him herself because she claimed King Duncan reminded her of her father. â€Å"Had he not resembled/My father as he slept, I had done ’t. † (2. 2. 12-13). If Lady Macbeth would have performed the murder herself Macbeth would not have been driven mad. After Macbeth killed King Duncan the guilt he felt was taking over his mind, saying that there was blood on his hands that would not come off. Lady Macbeth could maybe have comforted him in this time of need but instead she called him mad nd put him down. Although both the witches and Lady Macbeth were contributors to Macbeth’s death they cannot take all the blame for Macbeths death, Macbeth himself plays a big role in the his tragic death. Macbeth knew killing King Duncan was wrong he was always loyal to the king and Duncan trusted Macbeth greatly but he let the witches get into his head and let their prophecies corrupt his mind without no proof saying he had to kill Duncan to become king. Although Lady Macbeth gave him guilt and questioned his manliness he could have told her no he could have told her no and went with what he knew was best. Macbeth’s ambition to hold his spot on the throne was another good reason as to why he died, after killing Duncan Macbeth decided that he should also kill Banquo because Macbeth thought Banquo would suspect him after the prophecies the witches made. This was a mistake by Macbeth because this only made Macbeth more aggressive and his desire to kill stronger. The main mistake Macbeth made was the faith he had towards the prophecies made by the witches, he felt he was invincible. Even once the prophecy about the Birnam Woods reached the castle he belived he could not be killed by anyone because he thought all men were born of a woman. â€Å"Fear not, till Birnam wood/Do come to/Dunsinane†; and now a wood/Comes toward Dunsinane. ’(5. 5. 43-45) â€Å"Thou wast born of woman. /But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn,/Brandished by man that’s of a woman born. (5. 7. 13-15). This confidence followed Macbeth right to his fight against Macduff, once he began to fight with macduff we learn that macduff was actually ripped out of his mothers stomach and not born from the womb making him not born bt a woman. â€Å"Despair thy charm,/And let the angel whom thou still hast served/Tell thee,/Macduff was from his mother’s womb/Untimely ripped. (5. 8. 13-17). Macbeth then accepted his fate and fought Macduff and lost his life. Although there was multiple factors that led to Macbeths demise such as evil witches and a power hungry wife the one who played the biggest role in his death was Macbeth himself. Even though all of the witches prophecies came true there no proof saying they were destined to come true but only that Macbeth caused these prophecies to be true. If Macbeth would have did what he knew was right he would have saved the lives of a lot of people including the wife he loved so dearly.

Compare and Contrast Presentation Outline Essay Example for Free

Compare and Contrast Presentation Outline Essay While spending time thinking about the goal in my life, the only one answer coming up in my mind is to achieve success. But what exactly the word ‘success’ should be defined? Thinking considerably, there are at least two fundamental achievements in life that inspire people. One is to be rich, while another one is to be famous. Though these two words are somehow closely related if you think about the celebrities who are famous and rich at the same time, there are some others who only have high recognition but not rich, such as Mother Teresa who devoted her whole life doing charity for the poor. Therefore, the topic that I am really interested in is about whether to be rich or to be famous is the key word for success. Being famous does not necessary mean bring rich, and vice-versa. Both generally bring satisfaction if brought to one in a positive manner, or in a way he/she intended it to. Because being famous and being rich are both signs leading to success, which in most cases, is the human’s ultimate goal. Being just either rich or famous, other than being a positive thing, could produce highly negative and unwanted end results too. A huge percentage of people are famous as a result of all sorts of negativity, such as criminal acts and negative politics. At the same time, a good part of the world’s drug lords and terrorism-driven groups are fairly rich too. So when does being rich or famous become a good thing? Usually, a combination of being rich and famous, surprisingly, doesn’t do as much harm to coexisting peers, as the former would. Although criminals who fall under lists such as ‘FBI’s Most Wanted’, turn out to be rich and famous, regardless of how they got to where they are. But a bigger portion of the ‘rich and famous’ category are occupied by highly paid movie stars and sportsmen, neither of whom does much harm to the society. What I expect from contrasting their difference is that the readers will realize being famous is the sustainable way to achieve success rather than being rich. In other words, money cannot be used to buy the fame. Though being rich is another sign of success, without being famous, one can be forgotten easily. On the other hand, being famous is eternally recognized by people. Even if they died, the world still praise and remind of their accomplishments. By standing on this opinion, people will not just look forward to making money, but will try themselves on inventing new things, creating beautiful arts, and doing whatever they are interested to become well-known by others and then succeed in their lives. The key word to success should start from being famous and will prove that it is true by giving examples about people who were quite poor but famous and successful in their lives. The contrast presentation will be controlled differently in each slide depending on famous area of those people. As a result, this presentation is worthy to compose because it will be such a good lesson to teach everyone, including myself, to understand the regular basis of being successful in life. Trying to be famous is the first step to achieve sustainable success.

Do Opinions on Immigration Change Over Time?

Do Opinions on Immigration Change Over Time? Samantha Clarke Table of Contents (Jump to) Abstract Introduction Hypotheses Null Hypothesis Aim Method Design Participants Apparatus Procedure Results Inferential Statistics/Treatment of Results Discussion Conclusion Appendix Appendix A – Sample Questions Appendix B – Sample Results Table Appendix C – Sample Questionnaire Completed Appendix D – Raw data from both conditions Appendix E Scatter graph Appendix F – Shows Increases and Decreases by Percentage Appendix F – Descriptive Statistics References Abstract The experiment set out to prove or disprove that over a set period of time, opinion regarding immigration changes significantly. Twenty participants took part in the experiment and were asked to complete a questionnaire, repeating the same questionnaire a week later. The questionnaire used the Likert attitude scale, offering responses from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Five positive and five negative questions were asked where the score was reversed. The results proved that over time opinion does alter. Introduction What impacts our social perspective, which is how we analysis and perceive, (individuals or groups) using varies methods of analysing body language, tone of voice, facial expression, behaviour and is how we makes sense of our surroundings. This is social cognition, the human brain’s ability process information associated with other humans, (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-social-perception.htm). How would an individual perceive actions of another, if they were to put them down all the time? What if then it’s established they are a couple. Perceptions are distorted or have a bias if there is a link, favouritism. This is called in-group bias. Trait concept is the social perception of how other traits can impact behaviour. If our surroundings or environment encourage and influence us to be of a certain social behaviour i.e. angry or helpful, then our tendency as humans is to mirror this expected behaviour. Attitudes can change by the need for humans to comply. Compliance is when behaviour changes to or appears to change based on the situation the individual is in, be it a group conversation or debate, the need or peer pressure to comply with others or to influence the outcome. Where compliance has been reverted to, it doesn’t mean that the individual has genuinely changes their opinion on the subject or changed their belief, but have complied with the environment they are in. This is evidenced in the Asch experiment. Attitudes can be influenced by targeting the individual’s emotion. An individual’s attitudes could have been influence in the last decade due to the 911 terrorist attacks, all the political campaigning and TV programmes about Eastern Europe. This can scare humans especially if they feel their own lives are threatened, as the news reports have suggested. The role which individuals play can impact attitude. We have seen with the Milgram experiment that someone seen to be in a position of authority can influence individuals and caused them to give a seemingly lethal electrical shock to another human being. The participants may be influence by what they believe is socially acceptable. Their opinion might be that they think immigration is bad for sociality, but because they believe this is not socially acceptable they might answer the questions differently and wish to be seen to be unprejudiced. The topic of immigration one that falls into the category of being heavily affected by social desirability, (McLeod; S( 2009) in http://www.simplypsychology.org/saul-mcleod.html, http://www.simplypsychology.org/attitude-measurement.html). Perceptions, attitudes and stereotypes can developed from the individuals parents or guardians as these are the individuals who nature them in the early stages. If you have encountered an issue with a Eastern European person, it might be that you stereotype all Eastern European to be the same. For example, all Eastern Europeans are terrorists. Once the stereotype is believed by that individual, any further encounters with Eastern Europeans and them disconfirming the stereotype, the individual will categorise them as not being the typical Eastern Europe person. Perceptions are expectations the individual might have. For example, the expectation that an Eastern European person will conduct themselves in a certain way. This decision is made by recalling the stereotype and disregarding the Eastern European which didn’t fall into this category. This thought process take seconds and can be used to quickly identify how to behave, respond and predict what will happen next. Prejudice could be reduced if the group of individuals are on equal statuses, authority and interact on different social levels. Hypotheses Opinion towards immigration alters significantly when asked the same questions twice over a set time period of time. There will be significant different in the correlation between participants’ attitude in score 1 and 2. Null Hypothesis Opinion towards the topic of immigrations does not alter when the individual is asked the same questions twice over a set time period. Therefore no significant correlation between participants’ total attitude score 1 and total attitude score 2. Aim To evaluate how time influences opinion on the prejudicial topic of immigration. Method Design The chosen design method is observational method; this allows the study of the participant’s behaviour using a varied level of control. Repeated measures will be used, so the same participants take part in both conditions of the experiment. This reduces the number of participants as they same are used for both conditions, it is more convenient also and cost effective. Repeated measure designs disadvantage though is the participants know what they will be asked the second time round. Therefore their attitude might change to influence the results, consciously or unconsciously. They may be very driven the first time they answer the questions, then have lost interest the second time. Therefore their opinions might change towards the questions asked and might not be as strongly opinionated in the second round of questions. Time sampling will be the main independent variable in this study. Observing participant’s attitude towards immigration at two different points in time. Time sampling is where for a set period behaviour is observed, in this case the duration of the experiment time slots for the questionnaire. WE aren’t using event sampling in this instance as this is observing all the time, and noting when behaviour changes. The independent variable is what the experimenter has control over, in this instance it is time, which will provide the results or dependant variable and the questions being asked. The questions asked as the same in both conditions, are the same for all participants and comply with the Likert attitude scale to have five negative and five positive questions. Other variables in this experiment will not be controlled. For example, the exposure to information relating to the subject of immigration i.e. TV, news, discussions they might have after the experiment with others and therefore be influenced by other participants answers. The experiment must have considered the code of conduct outlined by the British Psychological Society. Ethical considerations to not cause offence with the questions asked, gain consent once the full experiment has been explained, outline the purpose and procedure. Participants will be offered a copy of the results and an option to be personally debriefed. If the participants start to converse with the experiment regarding their opinion on the subject of immigration, the experimenter must not personalise this in anyway, nor discuss their own opinion on the subject as this may influence the participants. Steps which will be taken: Discuss with the participants the purpose of the experiment, process, expected outcome and what will be done with the results. Explain that the condition will be repeated with a period of a week between tests. Explain that the participants have a choice not to participant. They can leave at any point and stop the experiment and can ask questions. Ethical considerations taken when planning the experiment. Gain written consent. Agree a date and time for both conditions. Conduct condition 1. Repeat a week later with condition 2. Gather and analysis results. Present results back to the participant if they wish to do so. Participants Participants are list below, recording their age, gender and nationality. The names, address and contact details are no recorded for confidentially. Apparatus The Likert scale will be used. Ten questions relating directly to the hypothesis above will be presented to each participant. Five positive and five negative questions. Each question with have a scale of five responses, ranges from strongly agrees right through to strongly disagree. The overall score, for the five positive questions the scoring system will provide a higher score the more the participant agrees. It is the reverse for the negative questions. The questionnaire will be completed by each participant one week, and then repeated the following week. The date and time will be agreed, and the set rest period between the conditions will be fixed. The overall scores from each will be compared to measure and provedisprove the hypothesis. Procedure The twenty participants will each completed the questionnaire and then repeat the same questionnaire the following week. Repeated measures will be used, so the same participants take part in both conditions of the experiment. Each participant will have the same information regarding the experiment, understanding of the purpose, the fact that they will be required to complete the questionnaire twice over a two week period, what the results will be used for and consent sourced before processing. They will be informed that they can stop the experiment at any given time. This will ensure the code of ethics is met and it is a fair and equal experiment. Each participant will be time boxed to complete the questionnaire within 30 minutes. Each participant will be given the same questionnaire shown in Appendix A – Sample Questions. Each participant will be thanked for their time and if they so wish can have a copy of the results. The results will be gathered over the two week period and recorded in a raw data table as shown in Appendix B – Sample Results Table. This data can be used to provedisprove the hypothesis. Results The results as explained below prove the hypothesis is correct. See Appendix D – Raw data from both conditions. This outlines each participants score for condition 1 and condition 2. All calcualtions shown in Appendix F – Descriptive Statistics highlight that condition 2 has higher scores or outputs that condition 1. The results are displayed in a scatter graph in Appendix E Scatter graph. This is a graphical view showing that the second condition in most cases gave a higher score. Data for the above pie chart can be found Appendix F – Shows Increases and Decreases by Percentage. Inferential Statistics/Treatment of Results In this experiment, parametric statistics are used. This is because parametric statistics facilitate the study of an interval scale rating like the Likert questionnaire. It allows the point scale to be used in this questionnaire, from strongly agreeing to strongly disagreeing to be scored and the results interrupted to give a mean or standard deviation as an example. Using a variety of information to correlate the results provides more accurate and more powerful display of the results. Discussion Opinion towards immigration alters significantly when asked the same questions twice over a set time period of time. There will be significant different in the correlation between participants’ attitude in score 1 and 2. The results shown in Results conclude that if asked the same set of questions twice leaving a week in-between, that opinion towards immigration changes. Therefore proving the hypothesis correct and the null hypothesis incorrect. 75% of scores changed over the two conditions either negatively or positively but change nun the less.  ¼ of the scores did not change. The results shown are a reflection of the general population that opinion changes over time. The fact that the high percentage means the participants opinions scored higher would mean the chosen approach to repeat the questionnaire using the same participants didn’t cause them to become bored or uninterested, but the opposite was in fact expressed in the results. This however may be the result of the participants wanting to influence the results and therefore provide evidence towards the hypothesis. The experiment could have more smoothly if there was an easier way to calculate the results. Reviewing and scoring each participant twice was very inefficient. If this experiment were to be done on a larger scale, this would need to be considered as an area to be improved. The participants varied in nationality, were a sample of the population. The experiment could have explored this area more. Nationality might have a big impact on the results. Were individuals are born or where they parents and grandparents originate from could have a big impact on their opinion to immigration. Further control over the variables, i.e. what they read, watched and discussed throughout the week could have been controlled to genuinely see if it was just time as the independent variable impacts the dependent variable. An idea to improve the experiment further is to increase the independent variable of one week between the conditions being repeated to several years. Opinion relating to the topic of immigration could change from 20 year old to 40 year old. Conclusion The experiment set out to confirm that individual’s opinion of immigration changes over time. This experiment had only a week between the two conditions and the results show that opinion (increase or decrease) significantly changes over time. With the increased score being the more dominant figure. Appendix Appendix A – Sample Questions Appendix B – Sample Results Table Appendix C – Sample Questionnaire Completed 5 immigration has negatively impacted the UK Strongly Agree Agree Neither Agree or Disagree Disagree somewhat European cuisines: UK and Spain European cuisines: UK and Spain Introduction This assignment will focus on the cuisine of Europe and more specifically on the cuisine of Spain and the cuisine of the British Isles The report will critically evaluate European cuisines using sufficient reliable sources together with evidence in the form of dishes recipes. I have produced in the college kitchen and in different kitchen I worked while on my kitchen industrial training. In addition to these dishes and my practical performance will be assessed and evaluated critically. An appropriate explanation and justification will be applied to each dish to explain to the reader in great deal the reasoning for the use of specific commodities methods and equipments used while preparing and cooking them. Cuisine It can be termed as a specific set of cooking tradition techniques, which are practice often associated with a specific culture. It can be termed after a region or a place where it is practiced over and over again and where its underlining culture is still present. The ingredients that are locally available or a mix of through trade primarily influences a cuisine. European cuisine The European cuisine as a whole is a mix of vivid, completed, compelling; challenging gives a lot of space for experimenting and playing with the different ingredients available all over the European continent. It provides a lot of scope of learning about a wide variety of countries, physical geography, religious and cultural practices, locally available ingredients, climate, demographic, political, economic, and geological influences. Before explaining about the European cuisine we have to know about the Europe and its characteristics that are very diverse. Europe on the whole is very much divided on the basis of its Diverse physical geography, Climatic changes ,Geology of the continent ,Varied bio- diversity And most important is the mix of its Demographic variances, political stability, economic conditions, industrial growth, the cold war era (1945-1990), rise of the E.U. (European union) 1991-07, current economic recession (2008-09). The above stated plays an important role in the common European persons life. All these are based on the late 18th, 19th, 20th century changes that took place in Europe due to the modern invention, wars, and immigration of people for better life. Source: (http://europa.eu/abc/european_countries/index_en.htm) All the above mentioned some where or the other influenced the eating habit of the persons thus improving and spreading and making the food cooking techniques and practices unique and others recognized them as a specific cuisine. Europe Division is based on the diversity of cuisine Eastern European cuisine Scandinavian cuisine Russian cuisine German cuisine Cuisine of British Isles Iberian cuisine (known as Spanish+ Portuguese cuisine) Greek cuisine Italian cuisine French cuisine Spain Spain is the third largest nation and occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula at the southwestern edge of the European continent. The basis of the history of Spanish food is very much influenced by its geographical situation. First of all Spain is located on the Iberian Peninsula and almost entirely surrounded by the waters. Due to its location seafood forms on of the main ingredients of the Spanish gastronomy and categories the country as having a Mediterranean diet. Apart from covered by the sea the rest of Spain is a diverse terrain made up of mountain ranges, lush pasture, fertile farm grounds and an extensive coastline, which contributes as a main source of providing quite a variety of fresh products. Regional and cultural division throughout the history of Spanish cuisine. There is a very interesting history of Spain as various people, including the Phoenician, the Romans and the moors, have invaded Spain over the centuries, Jews later integrated the elements of their own cooking into that of Spain. As there is a vast and complex ingredient available throughout Spain for cooking and as different methods are used to cook them there is one similarity in all the regional cuisine that is garlic and olive oil. The culinary regions of Spain The north of Spain This region is mainly considered for its specialties of sauces and seafood, such as regions of Galicia and Asturias. The eastern region The most famous delicacy known as paella valenciana comes from this region in this region the primary dishes are rice based The central Spain This includes the region of Castilla-Leà ³n. This region is famous for its roast meats and cocidos or stews. The Pyrenees This region is home of the chilindrones, sautà ©ed peppers, garlic, tomatoes and onion are the ingredients that accompanies primarily in all the regional dishes Cataluà ±a region This regional cuisine reflects a wide characteristic of land and people casserole or cazuelas makes the region famous and last but not the least cooking in the clay pots that gives the dishes a distinctive aroma. Andalusia It is the sub region classified, as the staple diet is fish and tapas is the other specialty no bar serve a drink without a tapas to munch on. Andalusia is one of the worlds major producers of olive oil. It has a long coastline full of seafood and a hot Mediterranean weather to compliment. The climatic and geographical characteristics have given the regional cuisine its primary features, the refreshing gazpachos, the fried fish, and the style of cookery generally easy to prepare and accompanied by richly flavored wines. Source:(Solomon H. Katz, encyclopedia of food and culture, New York: gale group ltd.) The Legacy Of The Moors The Moors were renowned for combining meat and fish with fruit and this practice is still common in parts of Andalusia today. The hot climate of the region is ideal for growing a large variety of fruit and vegetables. Spanish regional foodhas many local variations and Andalusia cuisine has a wide variety ofdishes, which have originated in specific areas. Being the last bastion of the Moors, Andalusia food has a strong Moorish influence, kebabs are very popular and the mixture of meat and fruit. The Mediterranean coast offers an abundance of seafood and there are lots of seafood restaurants up and down the Costa del Sol. Parillada is a mix of grilled seafood with garlic, parsley and a few wedges of lemon. Fritura is an assortment of small fish, which have been coated in flour and fried in olive oil with garlic and parsley. Source: (http://www.apartrent.co.uk/REGIONS/ANDALUCIA/food.htm) Essential ingredients that make Spanish cuisine different from others are olive oil, garlic, fresh tomatoes, and variety of paprika powder as well as saffron. Rest of the ingredients differ from kitchen to kitchen operations and preparation of meats and availability of fish and seafood. Source:(Pepita, A (2004) Spanish food and cooking) Baking in salt is a popular method of cooking fish in Andalucia. The fish is encased in a salt mixture, which sets hard during baking. Special saltpans are available for this type of cooking. The salt case is broken away before serving. Far from being salty, the fish becomes moist and tender. Paella is the national dish and is traditionally eaten on Sunday lunchtime when all the family troop down to their local restaurant and spend most of the afternoon eating and drinking. Paella varies from region to region. Paella originated in Valencia and Valencian paella is still regarded as the authentic version. An unusual and tasty seafood dish from Andalucia is a combination of clams with white beans or Alubias blancas con almejas. Andalucian Ham Dried ham is one of Spains most famous specialty foods and can be found on the shelves of most supermarkets. A few areas are noted for the excellence of their hams, especially Extremadura and some of the mountainous regions of northern Spain. Another area producing the most sought after air-cured hams are the villages dotted around the slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The climate in this area is supposed to be the best for giving the ham unique flavours. The pigs special diet in the pasture and a unique curing process contribute to the fine flavours of these hams, which are classified as Serrano (plain cured) and bellota (acorn ham). The ham is dried in specially constructed sheds, which are a common site in the village. The hams are cured for a minimum of twelve months. Source: (http://www.apartrent.co.uk/REGIONS/ANDALUCIA/food.htm) Equipments and commodities used in set up of any Spanish kitchen Commodities Spanish cuisine Vegetables, wild food Variety of olives, tomatoes, fresh peppers, dried chilies, potato and squashes, beans, aubergine, garlic, wild variety of mushroom, dried beans, lentils, cabbage, turnips, cardoons, capers, dandelion, garbanzo, leafy green spinach, asparagus, honey. Herbs and flavourings Saffron, cumin, coriander seeds, black pepper, salt, paprika, bay leaves, fennel, lemon verbena, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, sherry vinegar, aniseed Fruits Apricot, dates, plums, dark picot cherries, golden grapes, red fleshed figs, pomegranate, orange, variety of melons, strawberries, passion fruit, banana, pineapple. Fish, shellfish and Preserved fish Hake, cod (bacalao), Gallo, sea bass, turbot, monkfish, gilthead bream, swordfish, sea trout, salmon trout, carp, tench. Scallops, mussels, clams, cockles, prawns, shrimps, lobsters, crabs, squid, cuttlefish, octopus, crayfish. Preserved fish: blue fin tuna, sardines, anchovies, and variety of fish caviars (black herring roe, grey mullet Meat, poultry and game Pork, suckling pig, beef and veal, the fighting bull, lamb, Capons, guinea fowl, goose, duck, turkey, hare, rabbit, venison, quail, pigeon, woodcock, pheasant. Preserved meat Sausages(black, red, white), morcillas, chorizo, white botifarras (Blancas), embutidos. Lomo embuchado(cinta), jamon Serrano,cecina. Dairy products Milk, butter, Variety of cheese about 200. Cabrales, menorcan mahon, san milon, idiazabal, manchega. Bread and cakes Traditional breads-hogaza,pan de cebada. Cocas- hot from bread oven like pizza. Variety of cakes and buns- magdalenas(butter cakes), sobos pasiegas. Being so diverse with a wide range of ingredients available to prepare and cook a Spanish cooking does not need anything special, it requires a basic, well-equipped kitchen. Bottle opener- for wines and bottled vinegars Source:(http://images.google.com/images?) Tough bottle openers are used in the entire kitchen all over the world but it is necessity to have one because it comes very handy when using bottles of wine, vinegars and oil in Spanish cooking as it is needed so often. Ceramic or clay pot – Widely used for oven baked casserole dishes and for cocidos. It is used in different regions of Spain as they cook casserole dishes every single day. Ceramic or clay pots take time to cook the food as well as maintain its nutritional value and gives a distinctive flavours to the food. Espresso pot- for coffee After every meal Spanish people prefer to have a cup of coffee as it is widely used in every household as well as in any Spanish restaurant. Source:(http://images.google.com/) Garlic press- one designed to press cloves without having to peel them. Garlic is the main ingredient in the Spanish cuisine and cleaning a garlic pod is very tiring job when it has to be done in bulk. It is always good to have a garlic press in the kitchen. Source:(http://images.google.com/images?) Mortar and pestle-it is commonly used to grind herbs and spices and making fresh dipping for the various tapas dishes.It is also used to grind saffron and salt together to get a distinctive flavour in paella dishes. Source:(http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/3983806/?cm_src=rel) Heavy Mason jar- It is used for storing leftover oil. Spanish cooking use the frying method either for fish or making garlic prawns. After preparation of every meal there is a leftover of oil that is always stored in the Heavy Mason jar for its reuse Source:(http://images.google.com/images?) Paella pan- for cooking paella Paella is best prepared over an open fire,gas operated or charcoal BBQ. Use a round kettle-style BBQ the reason for this is so that the heat is evenly distributed and because the heat should gradually decrease as you are cooking it. First, the fire must be very hot to brown the meat, and then it should be lower to simmer the rice Source: (http://spanishfood.about.com/od/maincourses/a/paella.htm) Source:(http://images.google.com/images?) Pressure cooker- It is interesting as now days to speed up cooking example- stews a lot of Spanish restaurants are using pressure cookers. Source:(http://images.google.com/images?) Roasting trays- for oven roasting Commonly used for cooking large joint of meats or simple fish and poultry. Ramekins-a large number of small baking equipments are used in order to make desserts ramekins are specially used in preparing flans. Source:(http://images.google.com/images?) Salt-pans – for cooking fish The fish is encased in a salt mixture, which sets hard during baking. Special saltpans are available for this type of cooking. The salt case is broken away before serving. Far from being salty, the fish becomes moist and tender. Source: (http://www.apartrent.co.uk/REGIONS/ANDALUCIA/food.htm) Source:(http://images.google.com/imgres?) British cuisine The cuisine of Britain, Ireland, Scotland and Wales combined together provide the basis for a cooing style that is known as British cuisine although this cuisine is widely influenced and diversified by the history of its colonization. Significant sub regions: Scotland England Ireland Wales Britain on a whole is blessed with a distinctive temperature, climatic conditions, fertile land a range of geographical diversity and a long coastline. Many streams of fresh water and river provide a variety of fresh ingredients to consume. British Cuisine is prà ©cised tradition of food followed from their ages and which are ultimately associated with the United Kingdom. British cuisine consists of dishes made from the ingredients and food products locally produced. British food is widely influenced by the people settled in Britain. As now Britain calls out â€Å"Chicken Tikka Masala† as their national dish. Source:(http://news.bbc.co.uk, http://www.channel4.com/food/on-tv/river-cottage/) Scottish cuisine: It has its own characteristic hat makes it different from rest of the cuisine and is immensely appreciated by people all over the world. A traditional Scottish cuisine features of an extensive use of freshly grown or produced ingredients in other terms locally available or local produce. The local produce includes oats, salted meats; oatcakes smoked fish are the standard items that are used in Scottish style of cooking. Someone talks about Scottish cuisine one should remember that on any good or bad occasion one cannot forget about the whisky as the Scottish whisky is worlds famous and they are the largest producers of finest spirits Haggis is considered to be the delicacy of the Scott Sheep offals is the chief ingredient in the preparation of Haggis. The Scottish nation food product is haggis was originated by carrying the low quality meat in pigs or sheeps stomach. The Norse invaders who would preserve their food during for the long journey from Scandinavian introduced this. Source: (Lawrence, S.(2002) Sue Lawrences SCOTTISH KITCHEN, London: headline.) Influence on Scotland: There was French influence over the Scottish cuisine in late middle ages and early modern era this was because of the cultural exchange brought Mary, Queen of Scots when she returned to Scotland brought in back French chefs who brought in change in the Scottish unique food and also resulted for the change in terminology. Scottish traditional delicacies are Scotch broth, Colcannon, Scotch Pie, and Porridge. Apart from these dishes Kale, cabbage and many more root vegetables are widely used; Shellfish is very popular, Scottish salmon and world famous Scottish Angus beef. Special food for special occasion in Scotland Traditionally there are special food that are prepared and served in Scotland during the festivals they were specially prepared; they often had ingredients with a certain significance (such as flour from the last sheaf) or were made with certain ingredients that were expensive, difficult to obtain round the year, or not eaten at other times of the year. Source:(Solomon H. Katz, encyclopedia of food and culture, New York: gale group ltd.) Scottish area and their specialty of food and dishes. Area of Scotland Food and dishes Edinburgh and the Lothians Midlothian oatcakes Edinburgh rock (sugary confection) Angus and fife, Forfar Bridies (pastry filled with steak),Dundee marmalade, Dundee cake, arbroath smokies, pitcaithly bannock Glasgow, Clydeside. Ayrshire Borders Glasgow broth Cheese and ayrshire shortbread Selkirk bannock, Eye mouth fish pie Dumfries and Galloway North-east Galloway beef Butteries, finnan haddock, Aberdeen angus steak, skirlie Highlands and inner Hebrides Fried herring, game soup, tatties and crowdie (potatoes and soft cheese), highland oatcakes, atholl brose (whisky mixed with oatmeal). The outer Hebrides Whelk soup, barley bannocks, kale soup Orkney and sheftland Oatmeal soup, fried herring and onions, potatoes with milk, beremeal bannocks Method of cooking- Smoking: For fishes like Salmon, Haddock, Trout Boiling: vegetables Baking: Pies The specialty about the cuisine is that it consists of a full breakfast includes of eggs. Bacon, black pudding, porridge, fat sausage, Ayrshire bacon Lunch and evening meal consists of soup. Meat and at least to vegetables followed by a dessert. English/(Britain): English cuisine as a hole has a wider influence as their history goes. Their cuisine is influenced by the ever-changing settlements from different regions of Europe to this place. The so-called Celts, Romans, Danish and Norwegian Vikings, The arrival of Norman that provides French influence in the cuisine. By the late 16th Century till 18th century England explore and invade colonies that widely developed this cuisine as a whole. All together this factor primarily bought further new dimensions to the cuisine and has become an intrusive part of English cuisine. The English eating habit mainly includes breakfast, fried bacon, eggs, black pudding, sausages, baked beans, grilled kidney, kedgeree; bread followed by lunch and afternoon tea or so called high tea. Consists of cakes, savory, biscuits, scones, variety of sandwiches and tea follow by the main meal in the evening. The interesting thing about the British cuisine as a hole is that it has a large scope of experimentation as people here are very much keen to experiment on trying different food and adopt different food styles which includes Asian, Italian and they can be converted to the British palate. Thus there is no hard and fast rule whatsoever. Currently Britain is giving more importance towards the production of organic foods as people have become health conscious and have restricted their diet. The organic food are therefore easily made available in shopping malls, food courts, some restaurants are serving only organic food products. Also United Kingdom is been recorded for most advance ways of animal farming and welfare. Source:(http://www.channel4.com/food/on-tv/river-cottage/) The British cuisine traditionally in the modern era consists of the traditional Sunday roast that consists of meat; choice of fish or pork, chicken served with gravy Yorkshire pudding, potato mash or roast potato and minimum of to vegetables. The chips shop or the take always are also very popular making fish and chips their renowned specialty. The other important thing, which cant be missed in British cuisine, is the Anglo- Indian version of the Indian dishes. The Famous Food Culture of Britain: Traditional English breakfast Traditional Lunches English Traditional Favourite for Super or High Tea Traditional Fish and Chips: and Snacks Traditional Afternoon Tea Traditional Sunday Roast Source:(www.greatbritishkitchen.co.uk) Irish cuisine Geographically Ireland has very diverse climatic conditions in the Europe and thus shows the impact on its cuisine significantly. The Irish cuisine is very well known for its good wholesome food made up from locally grown/reared produce. Potato feature prominently in todays diet and old time delicacies like Irish stews and Dublin caddle. Northern Ireland is also renowned for apples. There are common crops grown all over Ireland, as the climate conditions are same all over Ireland. Irish is also famous for cheese farming as they have one secret ingredient for the exceptional quality of the milk. Traditional Irish cooking the most commonly used equipment was three legged iron pot, Griddle for cooking oat cakes, Iron pan for frying of pan cakes and bacon rashes also eggs and fish. They also made use of potherbs for boiling potatoes, meats and fish. Source: (Lennon, W.B (ETA), (2004) The Irish heritage cookbook, London) Irish people eat meat as well as they are fish and shellfish lovers. Fishes like Atlantic salmon, sea trout, mackerel, haddock, sea bass, monk fish, Dublin bay prawns, scampi, scallops and mussels, Irish Galway of oysters. Also were smoked and cured foods like smoked mackerel, salmon, eel and kippers. A full Irish breakfast consists of eggs, sausages, white pudding, black pudding, fresh fruits, toast and scones with butter or preserves. Lunch and evening meals consists of meat, vegetables and potato. The Irish are famous for their soda bread and Irish spirit and Guinness. Irish use spirits as well in their cuisine in order to produce good flavor and distinctive taste and aroma. Irish food is a complex as the many cultural, political and economic forces that have shaped Irelands existence Welsh cuisine Geographically welsh has a diverse terrain together with rivers and coastline abundance of seafood, welsh people always yield a bountiful of fresh foods in particular the wild animals and the variety of seafood. The cooking methods use in this cuisine is very interesting as these were used back in history. The tradition of the Wales was to survive into the 20thcentury in the rural parts. The- welsh cuisine traditionally was to satisfy the appetite of the hard working farmers, coal miners, quarry workers and fishermen. In 21st century Wales later gained international recognition for its fresh beef, lamb, fish and seafood. Cooking on the open hearth: this is carried from prehistoric times where the food is cooked on open fire in iron pots. Then there were griddles and bake stone introduced in 18th and 19th century and later came in the Dutch ovens. Wales is known for its extensive use of baked stones and griddles Wales has also ample amount of shellfish supply cockles, crabs, limpets, lobster, mussels, prawns, razor fish, scallops and winkles. Oysters were found first in plenty on the Grower Peninsular but now the supplies are spare and they have become expensive too. The seaweed-dried laver is used up to make the Welsh delicacy laver bread. Also known as ‘Welshmans Caviar this is seaweed boiled to make soft dark green mass seaweed is used in breakfast with oatmeal, and cooked in fat as little cakes. Source: (Yates, A(2007). Englands heritage food and cooking, London: anness publishing ltd.) Bake stone: it got its name as a stone was suppressed with metal and iron bake stone are still in use in many welsh kitchens. Stewing and boiling: A lot of welsh dishes are made up of stews meat, this cooking style gives rise to the recipe â€Å"cawl† it is also considered as welsh national dish. The cuisine of Wales always reflects the need of the substantial and filling food. Eating habit here is commonly three meals a day are traditional breakfast consist of bacon, pork sausage, eggs, fried laver bread or oats. Lunch and evening meals traditionally consist of meat or fish with the side vegetable followed by desserts. The British kitchen There is a range of ingredients produced in Britain is varied- from its lush green fields, orchards and hedgerows to its hillsides and lowland pastures; the seasonal and regional qualities of these ingredients to boost British growing economy and reputation for good food, and their diversity and it encourages the chefs to prepare delicious dishes, both traditional and modern. Equipments and commodities used in set up of any British kitchen Commodities BRITISH CUISINE Vegetables, herbs, wild food Carrots, parsnip, turnips, potato, swede, onions, leeks horseradish, Jerusalem artichoke, beetroot, celery, cauliflower, Brussels sprout, spinach, peas and beans, chard, watercress, tomato, lavender, chives, mint, parsley, elderflower, dill, sage, tarragon, chamomile, nettles, wild garlic, dandelions, wild fungi, chestnuts, honey, elderberries, kale, rose hips, hazelnuts. Fruits Apples, variety of berries, rhubarb, quince, meddler, variety of plums, pears Meat, poultry and game Variety of sausages,( Cumberland, black pudding, haggis). Pork, bacon, ham. Mutton, lamb, Beef. Goose, duck, turkey, pheasant, venison, pigeons, partridge, rabbit, hare. Fish, sea food and smoked fish Mackerel, herring, cod, haddock, salmon, white bait, turbot, hake, Pollack, pilchard. English mussels, oysters, crayfish, and brown shrimps. Smoked haddock, smoked salmon, smoked herrings. Smoked kippers. Milk is plentiful in all the regions, a variety of cheese (Cheshire, Lancashire, cheddar, double Gloucester, derby, Windsor red, Cornish- yarg, sage derby, stilton, dove dale, oxford blue) Methods of Cooking in Great Britain: Poaching Poaching of salmon is the traditional dish. This method uses water; milk, stock or wine is the cooking medium the food product is gently simmered in the liquid. This method of cooking dose not includes any fat. Roasting Traditional Sunday roast. Cooking pork belly, leg of lamb, black pudding stuffed turkey. Frying Mostly in Great Britain fish and chips are coked using this method this method also give a crispy and crunch crust to the product. Stewing The use of Lancashire hot pot is all over Great Britain. This pot consists of lamb or mutton, onions and potatoes it dose not matters if the trimmings are used of the above food products this all is left to bake in the oven in the heavy pot at a very low heat. This was originated in Lancashire in the north west of England. Grilling, Char Grilling, Barbeque/Grill Roasting, Grill Braising, Pan Grilling and Salamander Grill Very commonly used in all the modern as well as traditional rest. all over Britain for cooking different cuts of meats and vegetables. Braising This method is also referred as pot-roasting. Some of the food products cooked in this style are Braised ox cheek, braised pork spare ribs with preserved mustard greens and braised baby artichokes Baking Preparation of breads, cakes, pastries and pies, tarts, quiches and cookies. These all products are classified into bakery products. This cooking method is also used for baking potatoes, baked apples, baked beans Methods of Preservation prevail and practiced commonly in British Isles. Food while in seasons and stocking them for further use. Drying: The food may be sun dried or air dried smoking or wind drying. Mainly fishes like cod, kipplers are sundried Salting of foods Dry method of food preservation by addition of dry salt. . Examples are dried and salted cod salt cured meat. Smoking Food is cooked, flavored and preserved by smoking the food by burning some plants and woods. Smoking is done for many food products cheese, fish, meats and vegetables. The food is smoked in smoke rooms keepers, salmon and many other fishes are smoked Pickling Using preservative agent in this can be salt-water vinegar. Pickeled beetroot, salsify, fennel, preserved lemon are very common to the British cuisine Sugaring Making jams and marmalade, gooseberry, elderflower, apple, plums etc are preserved and used throughout the year Vacuum Packing This is very popular method, which is practiced in modern British pubs, and restaurants. Practicing methods of sous-vide For better quality of food, texture, taste. Source:(http://news.bbc.co.uk, http://www.channel4.com/food/on-tv/river-cottage/) Cuisine of British isles not only used the known methods of cooking that is baking, poaching, roasting or grilling they preserve a lot of food that is available in a specific season by using a various methods of preservation so that they can enjoy them later when it is not in season. Traditional Equipments used in British cuisine are: Traditional Ceramic; stoneware source:(http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/Collections/) A traditional kiln for Smoked fish Source:(http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.fao.org/wairdocs) Casserole Pans A casserole dish usually a deep, round, container with handles and a tight-fitting lid can be glass, metal, ceramic or any other heatproof material. Use in making stews casseroles ingredients can include meat, vegetables, beans, rice and anything else the cook desires. Often a topping such as cheese or breadcrumbs is added for texture and flavor. Source:(http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.oldandinteresting.) Moulds for baking pies and tart This is and traditional utensils used for making beef pies this dish may be oval or

Change in Perspective :: Personal Narrative Abercrombie Papers

Change in Perspective Saturday morning, time to blow through Friday's paycheck at the mall.After entering through the massive glass doors into Summerset Plaza, I am overwhelmed with the sheer size and exquisite detail of the structure.Marble covers the walls and flooring while the ceiling is masked in a network of geometric arcs that support the giant pieces of glass creating a gigantic skylight.Walking further towards my favorite store, I pass through the center of the mall where lies an elegant marble fountain with perfect symmetry pouring water off in all directions.From here all three main wings and the three stories on each wing are visible.There are more stores than I would ever want to enter, filling up every inch the mall has to offer.Now, still walking and within one hundred feet from my destination I can begin to hear the music radiating from within, over powering the mall's choice of songs.Getting closer to the store I can now see the blue awnings over each window and the words Abercrombie & Fi tch that rest just above the oak boarded glass doors.Before entering the store I take time to examine the newest styles that clothe the mannequins in the windows.From here I can easily hear each lyric of the song that echoes out the store, I am intimidated.After giving myself an idea of what there is to buy I proceed into Abercrombie. Now inside and completely intimidated by my surroundings, I do my best to get what I want and get out.Unfortunately that is not as easy as I had planned.The music is disorienting, coming very loudly from all angles, and I have not the slightest clue as to who is behind me or what he or she is saying.Then I begin to realize how bright the environment is, and I can actually feel the heat of the bulbs on the back of my neck.Feeling completely uncomfortable and out of place, I take a look around to observe how others are acting in the same situation.Peering around, I see primarily all teenagers who look identically like the mannequins on the tables.Every guy is tall, handsome, and dressed perfectly and all the girls are slender, pretty, and again dressed in the latest fashion.Now that I have developed an inferiority complex, I try to take my eyes off the people and onto the merchandise.Browsing around I see the countless stacks of perfectly folded pants covering every wall, and every swe ater, button-down, t-shirt, and hooded sweatshirt meticulously placed into stacks of ten or twelve.

Improving Language Acquisition in Bilingual Children Essay -- learning

For most bilingual speakers, the English language is hard to navigate. Like an unknown street, not natural to them, they stumble to find the words to say what they want to say; they trip over cracks of pronunciation, taking wrong turns over careless misuse, out of context phrasing, as they attempt to follow the rules of ambiguous signage established by others. â€Å"Uh, um, hmmm, how do you say†¦?† A long pause follows. The image that comes to mind is of a student scratching at their head, hesitating before finally delivering the â€Å"right† word. It’s a matter of translating it to convey the correct meaning. Many bilingual speakers think out a process of word sorting that allows them to think through their vocabularies, sort, and choose a word that sounds right and is easy to say. A significant amount of bilingual speakers make every effort to learn how to say pronunciations that do not always readily translate from their native language; thus they struggl e to express themselves correctly in everyday conversations. Today in the U.S., The Department of Education reports that 21% of school-age children between the ages of 5 and 17 speak a language other than English at home. Studies have shown that students that first learn to speak languages other than English often face neurolinguistic challenges, especially with the formation of organized thoughts for pronunciations and syntax. It is important that bilingual speakers in the U.S. become more comfortable and confident speaking English, but this can only be carried out and developed correctly if done at the right age and in the right environment. What makes for better bilingual speakers? It all depends on timing. Widely acclaimed linguistic psychologists like Patricia K. Kuhl and Steven ... ...go: College-Hill, 1984. 27-41. Print. Hatch, Evelyn M. "Introduction: A Perspective on Psycholinguistics." Psycholinguistics: A Second Language Perspective. Rowley: Newbury House, 1983. 1+. Print Hatch, Evelyn M. "Phonology." Psycholinguistics: A Second Language Perspective. Rowley: Newbury House, 1983. 12+. Print Badger, Emily. "Where 60 Million People in the U.S. Don't Speak English at Home." The Atlantic Cities. The Atlantic Cities, 6 Aug. 2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. Kim, K. H., Relkin, N. R., Lee, K. M., & Hirsch, J. (1997). Distinct cortical areas asso- ciated with native and second languages. Nature, 388(6638), 171–4. "Fact Sheets: Languages Spoken in the United States According to the 2000 U.S. Census." U.S. English. U.S. English, 200. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. Kuhl, Patricia. â€Å"The Linguistic Genius of Babies.† TEDTalks, Feb. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

Managing Multinational Strategic Alliances of Airlines

The study will be performed using qualitative and quantitative methods using structured interviews and survey instruments. Redshaw (2007) reiterates that not all questions are theory based. She further argues that quite concrete practical questions can be addressed without placing the study in one of the theoretical frameworks and the methods of qualitative enquiry stand on their own as reasonable ways of fining what is happening in human settings. Carnall (1990) has pointed out that quantitative analysis is more likely to be secondary and exploratory (or descriptive) in nature, summarising data in the form of charts, tables, percentages and averages. Diefenbach (2007) has suggested that when a survey is carried out, the data obtained would mostly be categorical, hence is likely to be ranked across a scale. This data might be represented in terms of frequency, central tendency or dispersion. It is highly unlikely the research might require the necessity of inferential data analysis. The survey instruments included multiple sets of Questionnaire and these can be regarded more as quantitative research. As suggested by Bordens (et all, 2005), a properly designed instrument allows for the research to be valid, reliable and accurate. According to Bordens, questionnaire is used in instances where a general interrelation between different variables is studied, ‘in situ’, meaning that there is no attempt to find out how changing one variable would effect the other. The questionnaires are of multiple-choice questions and scoring has been done as per the Liker 5 point scale. Please refer to Appendix. Table 1. Scoring System for Questionnaire 1  Ã‚   (Trochim, 2006). For the study, a number of primary and secondary sources have been used and these include published literature, websites, company financial reports, interviews with key people and others. Respondents for the survey would be identified as per their role and job functions. References Bordens, Kenneth S., & Abbott, B. (2005). Research design and methods: a process approach. (6th ed.). New York; McGraw-Hill Carnall, C A (1990) Managing Change in Organizations, Prentice Hall, London Diefenbach Thomas (2007), The managerialistic ideology of organisational change management, Journal of Organizational Change Management, 20 (1), pp: 126-137 Redshaw Sue, Mandable Terence E, (July 2007), Managing the people side of major change at WMATA, Journal of Strategic Communication Management, Volume 11, Issue 4, pp: 28-32 Trochim William M.K. (2006). Liker Scaling. Retrieved 17 January 2008 from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/scallik.php                           

H&M in Fast Fashion: Continued Success Essay

Q1) Evaluate the external environment in which H&M operates in. External environment refers to the challenging and complexity in which the firm operates. It is important to highlight the factors of the external environment because it is very critical to the success of the firm. PESTEL model and Porter’s 5 Forces (P5F) models will be used to evaluate the external environment of H&M. These models will determine how challenging and attractive the environment is for H&M. 1. PESTEL PESTEL highlights 6 environmental forces namely political, economic, social, technological, ecological and legal (Johnson, et al. 2014). This model analyses the general environment that influences the industry and the organisations in it as well as how challenging the environment is to operate. 1.1 POLITICAL H&M is subjected to political pressures from the labour rights movement especially in low-wage countries. H&M has outsourced its manufacturing line to low-cost countries. H&M has no or little control over the operation in those countries. Hence, the firm would be closely scrutinised by the labour rights movement to spot any abuse in the rights of employee e.g. poor working condition. Government expansion and international trade policies would greatly impact the growth of the industry and increases competition. Threat 1.2 ECONOMIC H&M will not be spared from the increase in cotton prices and rising product cost in Asia. Economic downturn will have an impact on all the stakeholders in the environment especially the customers. Demand for luxury goods would decline for customers who are price-sensitive. They would then consider H&M competitors that offers similar goods which is are much cheaper than H&M or  go for substitutes. Threat 1.3 SOCIAL Due to the ‘fast fashion’ business, customers taste in high fashion is constantly evolving. Customers are now more educated and their demand for good quality products at low prices have increased. H&M could meet the needs of the customer as it has the advantage of being a first mover in the fast fashion business. Opportunity 1.4 TECHNOLOGICAL The emergence of technologies such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube allows organisations to reach out to its customers more quickly and effectively. H&M uses these online social platforms as a way to be closer to their customers as well as sharing and updating its activities to its fanbase. Opportunity 1.5 ECOLOGICAL Due to education and high awareness of the importance of conserving and going ‘green’, H&M has created a special collection of clothing line using sustainable or eco-friendly materials. Opportunity 1.6 LEGAL Legal refers to the restriction or liberalisation of legislative and regulatory constraints or changes. Organisation in the environment would not be able to avoid this particular external environment factor therefore organisation has to embrace this legal aspect. Liberalisation of the international trade has resulted in an increase of the number of suppliers globally and hence intensifying the competition among manufacturers in low-wage countries Threat From the PESTEL analysis, H&M is in a moderately competitive environment where both threats and opportunities factors are in equal balance. Therefore, H&M has to exploit the opportunities available in social, technological and ecological factors. As for the threats, H&M has to embrace them and develop strategies to overcome or steer away from them too. 2. Porter’s 5 Forces (P5F) P5F helps to identify the attractiveness of an industry in terms of 5 competitive forces namely; threat of entry, threat of substitute, power of buyers, power of suppliers and the extent of rivalry between competitors (Johnson, et al. 2014). 2.1 THREAT OF ENTRY Factor H L Case evidence Effect (High/low) Scale of experience Needs large capital to compete with the incumbents in the environment. Low Access to supply /distribution channels Plenty of suppliers available to choose from. High Expected retaliation Costly to compete with incumbent as they have the economies of scale. Low Legislation or government action Liberalisation of international trade has resulted in the increase of number of suppliers. High Differentiation There is differentiation in style and concept of the apparel industry. High High threat of new entries would indicate that the industry is attractive and and could decrease the profit margin of H&M e.g.UNIQLO. However, these competitors must have sufficient financial resources to compete with the current incumbent in the industry. These new entries would have to build up experience over time in order to be on par with existing competitors. The competitive rivalry is moderately high because the market is fragmented and there are few major incumbents in the industry. With intense rivalry e.g. Zara, each competitor is vigorously competing against the rest in order to have a market share in this apparel industry. From the P5F analysis, H&M is operating is a highly attractive market where the threats of entry is high, threats of substitute is low, power of buyer is high, power of supplier is low and high rivalry. Overall, H&M is operating in a highly competitive and attractive external environment. Therefore H&M must take steps to look into its resources and identify its strategic capabilities in order to stay ahead of the competition. Q2a) Identify and discuss the strategic capabilities of H&M. Strategic capabilities refer to the capabilities of an organisation that contributes to its long-term survival or competitive advantage (Johnson, et al. 2014). The components of strategic capabilities are resources (what the firm has) and competences (what they do well). The table below lists down all the resources and competences of H&M. This table also identifies the type of capabilities for each competences namely threshold and distinctive capabilities. Threshold capabilities refer to competences that are needed for the organisation to meet the necessary requirements to compete in a given market; and distinctive capabilities look into competences that are required to achieve competitive advantage (Johnson, et al. 2014). Resources Competences Type of capabilities Organisational resources Competent leader who has a good business acumen Distinctive Physical resources Stores position in the best location Threshold Rapid expansion into other countries and new markets Threshold Has 2206 stores in 43 countries Distinctive Ability to deliver collection within a month of initial design Distinctive Efficient integrated logistic team Distinctive Technological resources Owns its own clothing line and trends Distinctive Human resources 200 talented designers and pattern makers Distinctive Empowerment of store managers with autonomy Threshold Collaboration with famous designers to produce new collection Distinctive Innovation resources Building creative window and store displays Distinctive Created a special collection using sustainable materials (CSR) Threshold Reputational resources Pioneered in ‘fast-fashion’ business Distinctive Emphasize ‘cheap and chic’ business model Distinctive Strong branding Distinctive Culture Instils the importance of core values in employees Threshold Strong corporate culture (spirit of H&M) – Encourages experimentation, trial and error learning, decision making, initiatives, try new ideas Distinctive Information technology (IT) Efficient reporting of sales Threshold Establishment of strong social media presence Threshold Effective information sharing software Threshold Based on the table above, H&M has more distinctive capabilities than threshold. H&M now could recognise the different types of capabilities and which are the ones the organisation should focus on and turn them into sustainable competitive advantage generating above average returns. H&M has to put more effort in the distinctive capabilities such as competent leadership, physical assets such as stores, its ever-changing collection of designer clothes, integrated logistics function, its talented employees, successful collaborations, creative window display, its fast-fashion business model, strong branding and lastly its strong corporate culture. With the SWOT analysis, H&M has to continue its efforts strengthening its strength so that it would give the organisation an advantage over its rivals. As for its weaknesses, H&M could either eliminate or work on weaknesses by turning them into strengths. H&M should seize the opportunities when the time is right. Lastly, threats should be avoided or steer away from them. Identify the key issues, challenges and opportunities facing H&M. The key issues of H&M are whether their existing resources, capabilities, practices and knowledge are sufficient to keep up with competition. Another key issue is the threat of new and vigorous entrants. The answer to these is yes, H&M could keep up with the competition due to substantial resources, strategic distinctive capabilities, strong value creating activities, strong practices and knowledge. H&M challenges would be revitalising and redefining its strategic capabilities in order to be sustainable in this apparel industry. H&M has to keep up with the latest fashion trends and continue to explore other avenues to create value to its value chain activities. Another challenge is to stay ahead of its competitors especially the threats by new and vigorous new entrants, by moving fast and reaching large market based by applying a simple business model – ‘cheap and chic’. The opportunities would be v enturing into new areas where H&M has yet to explore e.g. online shopping, opening the largest store in the world on Fifth Avenue, New York. H&M has to evaluate if these opportunities could give them the competitive edge against its competitors and generating an above average returns. Based on preceding analysis, formulate and discuss appropriate strategies that you would recommend to H&M in order for it to achieve above-average returns in the future. H&M is now operating a cost leadership strategy. This strategy involves becoming the lowest-cost organisation in the industry (Johnson, et al. 2014). Cost leadership strategy is an integrated set of actions taken to produce goods or services with features that are acceptable to customers at the lowest cost (Ireland, Hoskisson and Hitt 2013) Based on preceding analysis, it is timely for H&M to review its business level strategy. Cost leadership strategy is not always the best strategy for H&M as there will always be the risk of being undercut on price especially during the economic downturn. Secondly, low cost has always been associated with cheap quality goods where products barely meet the market standard. H&M should be considering using the lock-in business strategy. This strategy is where customers become dependen t on H&M and are unable to use another supplier without substantial switching cost. With this lock-in strategy, copycats and substitutes of H&M products would have a hard time attracting customers. With customers securely locked in, H&M could charge prices which are well above cost. Lock-in strategies can be achieved in two ways mainly controlling complementary products/services and creating a proprietary industry standard (Johnson, et al. 2014). Another strategy which H&M could consider is differentiation strategies. Differentiation involves uniqueness along some dimensions that are sufficiently valued by customers to allow a price premium. Based on H&M’s strategic capabilities, one of its competitive advantage competences is having its own clothing line and trends. The fashion house could use this competency to carry out the differentiation strategy. With H&M’s large pool of over 200 talented designers and collaboration with famous top designers, customers would be willing to pay more for the latest style and fashion. With the unpredictability of the fashion industry, H&M has to be able to stay well ahead of its major competitors by reviewing its strategic capab ilities from time to time. Capabilities need to change and evolved into dynamic capabilities. Only dynamic capabilities have what it takes to be the key driver towards strategic change. Like what fashion model, Heidi Klum, from the fashion industry always said, â€Å"Today you are in but tomorrow, you might be out!† The same goes to the chosen strategy of H&M, cost leadership might  work today, but it won’t be the correct strategy tomorrow. Bibliography Ireland, R. Duane, Robert E. Hoskisson, and Michael A. Hitt. The Management of Strategy. Australia: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2013. Johnson, Gerry, Richard Whittington, Kevan Scholes, Duncan Angwin , and Patrick Regner. Exploring Strategy. Harlow: Pearson, 2014.