Writing and Business Letter

Oakley Public School Content Area: English Language Arts unit Title: Types of Nonfiction: Essays, Articles, and Speeches Grade Level: Ninth Grade unit Summary: This unit will revisit the genre of nonfiction with an emphasis on the reading of essays, articles, and speeches. The unit will reinforce the premise that the concepts and evidence presented by writers of nonfiction are factual, even though the writer may include anecdotes that are fictional, ideas that are personal, or language that is poetic.As the students read the samples of nonfiction included in this unit, they will come more proficient In recognizing the techniques of narrative, reflective, and persuasive writing. Primary Interdisciplinary Connections: Social Studies Science Technology 21st Century Themes: Standard 9. 1 -21st Century Life & Career Skills: All students will demonstrate the creative, critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills needed to function successfully as both global citizens and wo rkers in diverse ethnic and organizational cultures. A.Critical Thinking and Problem Solving The ability to recognize a problem and apply critical thinking and problem-solving kills to solve the problem Is a lifelong skill that develops over time. B. Creatively and Innovation Gathering and evaluating knowledge and information from a variety of sources, including global perspectives, fosters creativity and innovative thinking. D. Cross- Cultural understanding and Interpersonal Communication Effective communication skills convey intended meaning to others and assist in preventing misunderstandings.Unit Rationale: In order to become global thinkers with an astute awareness of the world around them, ninth grade students must be provided with the tools for reading nonfiction with comprehension and fluency. Teachers should still model active reading strategies In the high school classroom In order to assist the students In meaningful reading experiences and engage them In the reading proc ess. Making connections when reading and identifying with authors and their chosen subject matter will help and science.When reading nonfiction, students must learn to separate fact from opinion and recognize a writer's bias in order to make informed decisions about what they have read. By reading a variety of essays, article, and speeches, students should learn to identify a writer's voice and recognize that authors write with a particular audience and purpose in mind. In turn, the students will learn to develop their own unique voice as they write for a variety of audiences and purposes themselves.Learning Targets Standards : Reading for Informational Text (RI): Key Ideas and Details, Craft and Structure, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas, and Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity. Writing (W): Text Types and Purposes, Production and Distribution of Writing, Research to Build and Present Knowledge, and Range of Writing Speaking & Listening (SSL): Comprehension and Collabo ration, and Presentation of Knowledge ND Ideas. Language (L): Conventions of Standard English and Vocabulary Acquisition and Use.ICP Number Cumulative Progress Indicator (ICP) Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. ERR Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. ERR Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.ERR Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e. G. , how the language of a court opinion diffe rs from that of a newspaper). ERR Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose. ERR Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether he reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning.ERR Analyze seminal U. S. Documents of historical and literary significance (e. G. , Washington's Farewell Address, the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt Four Freedoms speech, Kings â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†), including how they address related themes and concepts. ROI By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. WI valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. A.Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. B. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience's knowledge level and concerns. C. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing. E. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. WWW Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. A. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions; include formatting (e. . , headings), graphics (e. G. Figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. B. Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic. C. Use appropriate and varied transitions to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts. D.Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic. E. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and inventions of the discipline in which they are writing. F. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e. G. , articulating implications or the significance of the topic). WWW Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.WWW Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. WWW Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.WWW Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. Wool Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) ND shor ter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.SSL Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas. B. Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e. G. Informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, and presentation of alternate views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed. C. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions. D. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or Justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning resented.SSL Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e. G. , visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source. SSL Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence. SSL Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.SSL Make strategic use of digital media (e. G. , textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings , reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. SSL Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 9-10 Language standards 1 and 3 on pages 54 for specific expectations. ) Al Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. A. Use parallel structure. . Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, repositioned, and absolute) and clauses (independent, dependent; noun, relative, adverbial) to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or presentations. LO Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. A. Use a semicolon (and perhaps a conjunctive adverb) to link two or more closely related independent clauses. B. Use a colon to introduce a list or quotation. C.Spell correctly. Apply knowledge of language to understand how languag e functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more Lully when reading or listening. A. Write and edit work so that it conforms to the guidelines in a style manual (e. G. , MEAL Handbook, Turban's Manual for Writers) Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. A. Interpret Figures of speech (e. G. , euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text. . Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations. LO Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and rarer readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. Unit Essential Questions How does understanding a text's structure help me better understand its meaning? How does fluency affect comprehension?What do readers do when they do not understand everything in a text? Why do readers need to pay attention to a writer's choice of words? How do readers construct meaning from text? How do good writers express themselves? How does process shape the writer's product? How do writers develop a well written product? How do rules of language affect communication? Why does a writer choose a particular form of writing? Unit Enduring Understandings Understanding of a text's features, structures, and characteristics facilitate the reader's ability to make meaning of the text.Fluent readers group words quickly to help them gain meaning from what they read. Good readers employ strategies to help them understand text. Strategic readers can develop, select, and apply Good readers compare, infer, synthesize, and make connections (text to text, text to world, text to self) to make text personally relevant and useful. Good writers develop and refine their ideas for thinking, learning, communicating, and aesthetic expression Good writers use a repertoire of strategies that enables them to vary form and style, in order to write for different purposes, audiences, and contexts.Rules, conventions of language, help readers understand what is being communicated. A writer selects a form based on audience and purpose. Unit Learning Targets The students will . Read developmentally appropriate materials such as essays, articles, and speeches Understand literary heritage/movements as part of global tradition Analyze how arks reflect historical/social events and conditions Evaluate appropriateness of diction and figurative language Distinguish essential/nonessential information Differentiate fact vs.. Pinion Read and follow technical and instructional manuals Critique public documents Use rubric to evaluate writing of self/others Reflect on writing; set goals for improvement Critique published works for authenticity and credibility Write compelling openings and strong conclus ions Use most effective writing format/strategy for purpose and audience Use variety of organizational strategiesDemonstrate effective delivery strategies Make impromptu revisions based on audience feedback Use rubric to improve presentations Demonstrate appropriate listener response Identify propaganda and argument Evidence of Learning Summation Assessment (One day) Types of Nonfiction: Essays Articles Speeches Business Letter Editorial Formative Assessments: â€Å"Thinking About The Selection† Questions Teacher Observation of Whole Group and Small Group Discussion Response to Graphic Organizers Equipment Needed: Overhead Projector Overhead Transparencies of Graphic Organizers Chalkboard Teacher Resources:Ninth Grade New Jersey Penguin Edition, Prentice Hall Literature, 2007 Supplemental Lesson Plans Lesson Timeshare Lesson 1: Introducing Essays, Articles, and Speeches Teacher will introduce the definitions of essays, articles, and speeches and emphasize that the writer cont ributes more than information to nonfiction, but also contributes style, tone, perspective, and purpose through the writing. Teacher will explain differences among narrative, descriptive, expository, persuasive, and reflective essays. Students will read an essay and identify the author's tone and purpose. One periodLesson 2: Main Idea and Supporting Details Teacher will introduce and model reading skill of finding main idea and supporting details in an essay. Students will read an essay and fill out an anticipation guide to perform a literary analysis of the author's style. Teacher will guide students in recognition of author's style as being formed through the diction, syntax, and tone of the writing. Two periods Lesson 3: Literary Analysis: the Expository Essay Teacher will guide students in recognizing an expository essay as a short piece of nonfiction that presents information, discusses ideas, or explains a process.Students should identify the writer's technique of providing su pport as either description, comparison and contrast, or cause and effect. Teacher will guide students in reading an expository essay and ask guided reading questions to assist students in identifying main idea and supporting details. Teacher will guide students through reading a technical document and applying skill of identifying main idea and details to reading informational materials. Students will fill in a graphic organizer to identify information learned through diagrams, headings, labels, and other visual features.Two class periods Lesson 5: Biographical Writing Teacher will introduce biographical writing as a form of nonfiction in which a writer tells the life story of another person using factual information and interpreting these pieces of information. Teacher will guide students through reading of an excerpt from â€Å"A Lincoln Preface† by Carl Sandburg. Teacher will guide students in a discussion of what makes a great leader and students will analyze details fro m Lincoln life that fit the definition of a great leader.One class period Lesson 6: Writing a Business Letter Teacher will guide students in defining a business letter as a piece of resplendence that is written in the course of conducting business or professional matters. Teacher will emphasize qualities of a business letter including clarity, directness, courteousness, and format. Students will identify six parts of a business letter to include heading, inside address, greeting, body, closing, and signature. Students will read and analyze a sample business letter for these qualities.Lesson 7: Writing a Business Letter Students will brainstorm a list of purposes for writing a business letter and select an appropriate purpose for their own letter. Students will begin outlining contents of heir letter. Students will research address of company to which they will be writing and consider audience for their letter. Begin first draft of letter. Lesson 8: Writing a Business Letter Students will finish first draft of their business letter and exchange letter with a peer to proofread and edit.Peers will provide feedback on strengths and weaknesses of letter for revision purposes. Lesson 9: Writing a Business Letter Students will use feedback form to revise letter and write a final draft. Lesson 10: Persuasive Essay convince a reader to think or act in a particular way. Teacher will emphasize that the persuasive essay usually includes appeals to reason and/or appeals to emotion. Teacher will guide students through reading a persuasive essay and assist them in identifying the author's motive and line of reasoning.Lesson 1 1: Persuasive Essay Students will read a persuasive essay independently and analyze passages as appealing to reason or emotion by creating a graphic organizer. Students will compare findings in small group and then share thoughts as a whole class. Lesson 12: Persuasive Speech Teachers will guide students in identifying a persuasive speech as one that tr ies o convince listeners to think or act in a certain way. Teacher will assist students in recognizing rhetorical devices including parallelism, restatement, repetition, and analogy.Teachers will guide students through reading and listening to Martin Luther King, Jar. ‘s â€Å"l Have a Dream† speech. Lesson 13: Persuasive Speech Students will identify examples of restatement, repetition, parallelism, and analogy in Martin Luther King, Jar. ‘s â€Å"l Have a Dream† speech by filling out a graphic organizer. Lesson 14: Persuasive Speech Students will apply skills they have learned for listening to author's purpose and heterocyclic devices in persuasive speech to Franklin Delano Roosevelt â€Å"First Inaugural Address. Lesson 1 5: Humorous Essay Teacher will guide students in recognizing a humorous essay as a form of nonfiction writing intended to make the reader laugh. Teacher will emphasize the humorous writer's use of hyperbole, understatement, and comic d iction as effective techniques. Teacher will guide students in reading of â€Å"The Talk† by Gary Sotto. Lesson 16: Humorous Essay Students will apply skills they have learned for reading a humorous essay to organizer with samples of hyperbole, understatement, and comic diction found in say and share findings as a whole class.Lesson 17: Writing to Persuade: The Editorial Students will read sample editorials and recognize the format as one decisive and public way to take a stand on an issue. Students will brainstorm a list of issues that confront the school or community about which they may choose to write. Lesson 18: Planning an Editorial Students will plan an outline for their editorial to include a clear thesis statement, evidence that supports their argument and anticipates the reader's counterarguments, effective organization, and persuasive language. Students will egging first drafts of editorials.Lesson 19: Writing an Editorial Students will write first draft of editori al with focus on solid thesis statement and gathering evidence to support it, including information that contradicts or opposes position so they may acknowledge and overcome opposing viewpoints. Editorial should include both appeals to logic and emotion. Lesson 20: Editing and Proofreading Persuasive Writing Students will exchange rough drafts of editorials with peers and offer comments on strengths and weaknesses on feedback form. Meet with teacher in a writing conference to receive additional input on writing.Lesson 21: Publishing and Presenting Editorials Students will use feedback from peers and teacher to create final draft of editorials. Students will submit editorials to newspaper or post on a website. Teacher Notes: Lessons will be developed to address learning needs of students as reflected in NJ ASK scores. Teacher discretion should be used to provide appropriate differentiation of activities based on variety of learning styles and needs of individual students in the class room. Curriculum Development Resources: (Click the links below to access additional resources used to design this unit)

Realtionship Between the Media, Public Perceptions of Crime and Police Essay

Does the media and the amount of exposure to specific news media affect fear of crime? This question is examined in a survey with data collected from three universities in the United States and one in Canada; The Impact of Media on Fear of Crime among University Students: A Cross-National Comparison, goes over the results. It’s believed that fear in itself can be debilitating leading to harmful social outcomes. Vincent Sacco believes there are three dimensions to fear of crime: cognitive, emotional and behavioral. Cognitive looks at a how a person assesses their likelihood of being victimized. Emotional is how someone feels about crime, and behavioral is a person’s response to fear of their perceived likelihood of being victimized. However, in 2011, it was argued â€Å"that fear of crime ought to be conceptualized by distinguishing between generalized anxieties and more concrete episodes of fear, as well as by differentiating effects of everyday worries and anxieties† (Kohm, Waid-Lindberg, Weinrath & Shelley, 2012). This theory â€Å"is thought allow for better understanding of how people are motivated to protect themselves† (Kohm, Waid-Lindberg, Weinrath & Shelley, 2012). Despite a decrease in crime rates, citizens of both the United States and Canada still have a high fear of being victimized. One theory suggests that increased fear is a direct result of an individual’s perception of the risk to being a victim. This can occur because of one’s past victimizations or through media exposure of crime also known as indirect victimization. Individuals learn of local crime, national crime and even world-wide crime events through media sources: TV, newspapers, and internet. In 2007, the United Nations Crime Victims Survey (ICVS) showed that the United States reported the second lowest level (16%) of fear of being victims of a burglary compared to Canada who reported higher levels (25%) of fear, even though crimes rates had declined since 1989. Secondhand information (news sources) raises fear and beliefs that victimization is likely, in turn individuals become indirect victims through their fear. The cultivation theory suggests that when violent crimes stories increase so does the fear of crime. Similar to the cultivation theory, the substitution perspective states that individuals with no history of victimization will have increased fear of crime with crime related stories. The resonance perspective is just the opposite. It states that the media increases fear when the content is similar to one’s experiences. These three theories are derived from the indirect victimization model. Most individuals receive crime information from television news reports, where stories on crime are reported twice as often as political news stories. Stories involving multiple victims, use of firearms, as well as certain other crime characteristics is more newsworthy than others. The survey done on Canadian and United States university students showed that local news affected individual’s fears more than world news. Also television news reports affected fear more than other news sources such as newspapers or the internet where people can select which stories they want to read. The nature of a criminal offence and the community context in which the crime occurs determines how a story is reported. An example being, â€Å"smaller suburban and rural areas are more likely to report all homicides while large urban areas may be more selective† (Kohm, Waid-Lindberg, Weinrath & Shelley, 2012). The article states that fear if crime is directly related to demographics factors which include: gender, age, race/ethnicity, and situational factors including any previous victimization, one’s perception of their risk of being victimized, and concerns about local crime. Even though males experience higher levels of being victimized, women tend to fear crime more because they feel they are able to defend themselves against a physical attack. One study reported that Elderly are more fearful where as another study shows younger individuals are more fearful. Therefore, age as a predictor for fear of crime is inconsistent. The following universities were given a self-administered survey as part of the current study this article was based on: Colorado State University (CSU), University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), and Florida State University (FSU) and one Canadian, University of Winnipeg (UW). The campuses of UTA, FSU and UW are located in higher crime urban areas. In Florida and Texas, violent and property crime rates are higher than the national average. Winnipeg’s violent and property crimes rates are also higher than the rest of Canada’s crimes levels. Criminal Justice or Criminology majors reported a lower fear of crime compared to other majors or students who were yet undecided. The survey also showed that there was a similar rate of concern between both nations; reporting on a scale of 1-10 the average was seven, clearly showing a somewhat high concern for crime. In summary, the findings for the survey are as follows: women, whites, non-criminal justice/criminology majors reported aving more fear of crime. A general concern about crime was relatively the same between the American and Canadian students though Canadians had higher rate of fear for risk of violent victimization and Americans had a higher rate for property victimization. The media plays a substantial role in determining the amount of fear of crime that people hold. This comes from the fact that the media extensively and disproportionately cover crime stories. But how does this affect the public’s perception of law enforcement? The answer to this question is simple. The media leads people to believe that there is more crime than there actually is. Therefore, the media also plays a role in forming expectations of police. When people think that crime has increased, they more than likely will believe that the police are not doing their jobs. The problem is, is that the media has created a false image of law enforcement. According to Ronald D. Hunter and Thomas Barker (2011), â€Å"the police officers of Hollywood lore are fictional images of stereotypes that have been exaggerated to provide entertainment to a bored public† (p. 41). A few examples of entertainment media that depict these false pictures of police are: CSI, NCIS, Law and Order, Criminal Minds, and NYPD Blue. Each and every one of these portray the characters as super-cops that can perform more than just the standard jobs of real life police officers. For example, in CSI the multitude of character can perform investigative tasks as well as tasks involving forensic science. The characters of these shows solve challenging cases using their superior intelligence and expertise. Almost always, the characters solve their case in single day maybe two days. People tend to believe that these fictional images and stereotypes are true and base their perceptions of real life police off these. Aside from entertainment media, the public is also greatly influenced by news media, as previously seen above. According to Hunter and Barker (2011), Depicting the police negatively as misusing deadly force, police prejudice, or police corruption is also newsworthy. The amount of emphasis given to police actions and the media’s interpretation of these actions as either proper or improper have a tremendous effect on the public’s perception of the police. p. 41) Police agencies across the United States; deal with accusations of misuse of force on a daily basis. Justified or not, images of police using force continue to outrage the American public. However, police use of force incidents are often misinterpreted by the community due to the media frenzy twisting facts. The media undermines the authority of the police and reduces the trust that the public has in its police. What is observed in the media is largely carried out to represent police as a whole. In other words, the media magnifies situations and creates an exaggerated perspective that viewers assume is a standard of all police and police organizations as well as crime. Among the different types of stories in the media, negative stories attract a larger audience. What a person reads, hears, and observes in the media largely defines the person’s perception of the police. Whether we recognize the effects of the media or not, our perceptions of this world are heavily influenced by the information we receive from the media. The media constantly surrounds us, frequently informs us, and just as frequently misinforms us. The influence of the media is significant since media could be identified as a primary source in influencing people’s perceptions of crime and their perceptions of police. Besides the significant effect on fear of crime, the media has influenced the public’s attitudes toward police at the same time. News media may be the primary source for the public viewing the police as ineffective and incompetent. Studies have highlighted the powerful influence of media’s news coverage, there are solid justifications for us to examine the links between fear of crime and how crime news coverage influences the public’s attitudes toward police efficiency.

Demand, supply, and equilibrium Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Demand, supply, and equilibrium - Term Paper Example The amount of a product that people in a market are willing to buy is known as the demanded quantity. The existing relationship between quantity demanded and price is known as the demand relationship. The factor of supply indicates the quantity of a product or a service that can be offered by the market. The quantity supplied is the amount of any good or service that the producers are able to supply in return of a certain price. The factor of price is a reflection of the demand and supply in the market. The supply and demand relationship underlines the key decisions regarding the allocation of resources in a market. In the theories of market economy, the demand and supply theory is used to allocate the available resources in the best possible manner. The demand for a product is the representation of how much the buyers are willing to buy at different prices. Thus, demand can be defined as the existing relationship between quantity and prices while maintaining all other relevant factors as constant. The law of demand states that the higher the price of the goods, lesser would be the demand for the goods, if the other relevant factors are kept constant (Gomes, King and Stonecash 215). This means that a higher price would incur a lower demand. According to the law of demand, the factors of quantity demanded and price are inversely proportional. Therefore, a lower price would mean a higher quantity demanded. The market demand represents the total of the demands of all the individual buyers in a market. Since at a higher price, both the price and the opportunity cost of the purchase of the goods and services increase, therefore the amount purchased by buyers at high prices is lesser. People generally try to avoid buying any product o r service that will make them forgo the purchase and consumption of a product more important to them. Thus, a high opportunity cost often leads to a decrease in

'The Searchers' Film Review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

'The Searchers' Film Review - Assignment Example For example, traditional Western cowboys came from somewhat disadvantaged backgrounds and they did not occupy high position on the social ladder. However, Wayne’s character is not poor. He never had any financial problem and always seems to have a comfortable supply of gold. The Native Americans may or may not be the same as portrayed in the movie. Some Indian tribes may be vicious, but the same cannot be said for all and there is no reason to possess such racial hatred for the Indians as is possessed by Ethan in the film. There are power inequalities implied in the film between the Indians and the whites. These inequalities range from political power to employment to social relationships. The whites are certainly more privileged in all three areas than the Native Indians appear to be, hence the tension between the two racial groups grows. There is a dominant ideology of white supremacy which is depicted in the film. Through Indian warriors, backlash demonstrated by the tribes, massacres, kidnappings, and hatred towards slavery, the film shows a hegemonic negotiation

Balanced Scorecard and answer 2 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Balanced Scorecard and answer 2 questions - Essay Example They need to get a clear picture of performance in order to identify and align their initiatives. With the implementation of the scorecards they will be able to link their strategies with long term goals Governments are trying to be more business-like and are trying to use result oriented sector management tools, thus the adoption of the scorecards. Although the scorecard is not yet implemented full many government organizations have started adopting it and customizing it to fit their needs. The several organizations and governments that have already adopted it demonstrate that the balanced score card can be applied successfully to the government sector. The customer perspective should be at the top in a governments balance scorecard. However, the other three perspectives are not provided for in the order in which they should appear, but all of them eventually lead towards the customer in the balanced score

Extensive Review and Analysis of Nursing Leadership Assignment

Extensive Review and Analysis of Nursing Leadership - Assignment Example The management is boosted by effective control that is geared towards directing personnel to perform their task at the right time. In many cases, this type of leadership focuses on short-term planning. Since it involves short terms planning, they have to achieve their goals in the short terms, in order to structure other objectives. For instance, in implementing this leadership element in a long term facility, horizontal management has to be implemented. Though there is less reliance on this type of leadership, it is proving to be effective in management. In this transactional leadership, there is frequent restructuring and control of the personnel. For instance, in a long term facility, nurses have to be managed in ensuring all the queues in a facility are served. This is a short term goal that may be done on a daily basis. When the queues are seen to be in constant motion and receiving services, the management is in control. However, in instances where there are stagnant queues, it is admissible that the nurses are working at a slow pace. In such a case, many people might not get the services from the facility. In a long term facility, juniors and any other person below the leader should be obedient to the instructions. The leaders act as a formal authority designed to manage and control all the staff under the manager. As such, the people below the manager constantly obey any directive that is given. In a conservative explanation, the junior staff below the manager may be considered followers. The responsibility of creating directions, organizing responsibility, and making decisions is solely obligated to the top managers (Grossman and Valiga, 2005). For instance, nurses work under doctors in a... This paper stresses that The leaders are required to show others what should be done in certain situations. For instance, when there is a hygiene problem in a long term facility, a servant leader may come in handy. A leader that starts to clean a dirty environment while the other junior staff members are around instills some discipline. This will trigger their conscience to act appropriately. In the mean time, the junior staff members may find it hard to leave their leader to do some odd jobs. To avert the situation, they may follow suit in cleaning. In this scenario, the leader does more of a servant role than leading the people. There are various assumptions that are considered in this leadership, in reflection to long term facilities. The first assumption is that leadership is instilled through doing what a leader wants others to do. This report makes a conclusion that nursing is a vital subject in ensuring the world is healthy and stable. With diminishing quality of services in the nursing profession, people may not acquire the best from the profession. Therefore, it needs a structured leadership style that will ensure all the activities are done accordingly. For instance, in areas where they register large numbers of patients, the leadership style should ensure the nurses serve people with zeal. This will ensure all the people are served to utter optimum. Similarly, in areas where most of the work done is volunteer work, a servant leader would be appropriate. A leader who leads by example would encourage other people to do the same.

Rationale and Analysis for Agency Selected Essay

Rationale and Analysis for Agency Selected - Essay Example This law was responsible for transferring the services of INS to the department in charge of homeland security (Doak, 2012). The enforcement of immigration functions was the responsibility of the Immigration and Customs Unit. Immigration services on the other hand became the functions of USCIS. On the 1st of March 2003, INS officially ceased to operate, and the services it offered were taken over by USCIS. The first director of this organization was Eduardo Aguirre (Doak, 2012). Emilio Gonzalez became the next director of this agency, until 2008. In 2009, US president Barrack Obama nominated Alejandro Moyorkas as the next director. The main mission of this department is to oversee a lawful immigration into the country. The organization aims to achieve six important goals, name; i. Strengthening the integrity and security system of the department. ii. Provision of information concerning immigration issues. iii. To support the integration of immigrants and ensure their participation in the American civil culture. iv. Developing flexible immigration programs and policies. v. To strengthen the resources that helps the organization to achieve its mission. vi. Ensuring efficient service delivery through the promotion of talented employees, and development of a dynamic work culture. Agency Functions: The main responsibilities of USCIS include the processing of visa, naturalization, and asylum petitions. The agency is also responsible for making adjudicative decisions whose main performances are found at the service centers. This department also concerns itself with other immigration duties, apart from the enforcement of immigration laws (Berchard and Elgersma, 2012). USCIS also performs the following function; i. Determining claims in relation to the qualification of the issuance of asylum. ii. Provision of documents that authorize the employment of an individual. iii. It adjudicates over the petitions that involve temporary workers who are non-immigrant. iv. It also grants lawful permanency status to an immigrant. v. It also issues a document that proves an individual is a citizen of United States. The USCIS mainly serves the immigrants, and it focuses on two main areas in relation to the civic integration of the immigrant. That is when an immigrant becomes a permanent resident of the US, and when they start the formal process of naturalization. A legally recognized permanent resident of United States qualifies to be its citizen, only after holding a permanent residency card. The time limit is at least five continuous years. It is only after fulfilling these conditions that USCIS can issue an individual with a certicate that proves he or she is a citizen of the country. Agency News: As of March 2013 to date, the organization is currently training more than 399 new officers, for purposes of ensuring that they are efficient in whatever they do. Employee trainings are an important element in personnel management. This is because employees are able to acquire skills that will help them in efficiently carrying out their mandate. Training will also help employees to be fully integrated into the culture of the organization. This is because they will learn the mission objectives and goals of the organization, and as such, their trainers will make them to acquire such goals as their own. The organization has also hosted some coaching sessions targeting senior executives of the agency. More than 80

How memory works Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How memory works - Essay Example This is stored with the usage of three ways. First of all, the human mind changes matter into storage forms. This is done by integrating memory with known events which can be things are seen, heard or experienced. This method is referred to as encoding. The second step is storage whereby the human mind places information in the memory for storage. The final part is the ability of a human being to recall and recover the stored information in times of need that is when a person needs to utilize the memory. An interesting aspect of human memory which is unique to the human memory is that their memory functions as a multi unit. The three basic divisions include the sensory memory, the short term memory and the long term memory. The sensory memory is one which comes directly from the persons five senses. This memory is not very long lasting and stays for around 350 milliseconds. This memory does not possess ways for improvement. In 1960 an experiment was conducted by George Sperling to test this memory. According to the procedure a group of people was shown twelve letters arranged in three different rows. Different subjects were asked to repeat the different letters present in different rows. The subjects recalled what they saw but they could not remember it for a long time. The experiment suggested that the sensory memory got erased after some time and the maximum capacity of the sensory memory that a person could retain was around twelve letters. The short term memory is the next step which is reached when the events are moved from the sensory part to the area of realization and perception. This information is also short lived but the time duration of this memory is greater than that of the sensory memory. This time is around 30 seconds and this memory is used basically in short tasks. But this memory does have space for improvement by a method which is known as chunking. Chunking as the name implies means to break in to pieces. An

Enron scandal Essay Example for Free

Enron scandal Essay Enron shocked the world from being â€Å"America’s most innovative company† to Americas biggest corporate bankruptcy at its time. At its peak, Enron was Americas seventh largest corporation.From the 1990s until the fall of 2001, Enron was famous throughout the business world and was known as an innovator, technology powerhouse, and a corporation with no fear. The sudden fall of Enron in the end of 2001 shattered not just the business world but also the lives of their employees. Enron gave the illusion that it was a steady company with good revenue but that was not the case, a large part of Enron’s profits were made of paper. Their huge debts and information about hiding losses gave a big problem to the company and in the late 2001 Enron declared bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. Kenneth Lay (Founder and CEO), Jeffrey Skilling (CEO) and Andy Fastow (CFO) found that Enron wasnt making money so what they did is implemented along with the approval of Arthur Andersen the future value accounting. This type of accounting was to predict the future profit that Enron was going to make and list it as part of there future profit to the shareholders. This creative accounting lead to Fastow to create outside companies that were directly involved with Enron to hide the losses the companies made. These companies were named after Star Wars characters. As Enron announced big numbers to Wall Street, people began to take notice of this company and started to buy shares of the company. Enron even encouraged their employees to buy shares of Enron and the price of Enron was going up to as high as $90. Enron executives were bullies to the investment companies. When a financial adviser questioned their firms regarding Enron stock, Enron would pay the firm to get rid of the employee. As Enron got bigger, the company was collecting more losses and hiding them well. Enron hit the top when their stock hit $90 and then things were starting to fall apart. A writer at Forbes magazine called Enron tell ing them that she was going to release an article about Enron and not releasing their financial statements. Enron executives flew to New York telling her not to release the article but the next week, Forbes released the article questioning Enrons financial.

Religious Education Coursework Assignment Essay Example for Free

Religious Education Coursework Assignment Essay COURSEWORK QUESTION: a) (i) What is Hajj? (ii) Describe and explain why a Muslim would take part in Hajj and what this involves [40] b) (i) Explain the meaning and significance of the events of Hajj for a Muslim. (ii) What difficulties might there be for a Muslim performing Hajj? (iii) How might participating in Hajj affect the life of a believer? [35] c) â€Å"A true pilgrimage is really a journey within.† Do you agree with this statement? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Islam in your answer. [25] A (i)Hajj is the pilgrimage to Makkah, a Muslim-only city. Tourists aren’t welcome to Makkah; Hajj is for Muslims to get closer to God and isn’t meant to be a tourist attraction. It is the duty of every healthy and financially stable Muslim to complete Hajj once in their lifetime. It is a deeply spiritual journey for the millions of Muslims who complete Hajj every Muslim year, between 8 and 13 Dhul-Hijjah – the final month. Some Muslims may prefer to visit Makkah on a pilgrimage at another time in the year, but this is not considered as important as Hajj, and is called Umrah. Because so many Muslims want to experience Hajj for the first time, those who have done it before often do Umrah instead. Hajj is the fifth of the five pillars of Islam; the basis of the religion. It is meant for the sane and mature Muslim mind, and it is usually considered an honour to die during one’s Hajj, as it is widely believed burial in the city of Makkah will bring Muslims clo ser to their God, and is a good indication of their dedication to Islam. A (ii)Hajj is widely considered essential in order to be a devout Muslim. It is one of the five pillars of Islam which are the biggest and main requirements of the religion. It is considered that Hajj is something of a ticket to heaven in the afterlife. The pilgrimage is to show ones self to Allah, and let him be the judge of character. With a good Hajj comes a peaceful afterlife and paradise. It is not just a physical practice, for true meaning a pilgrim must enter a whole new mindset and way of living, at least for the days of Hajj. This was of living is called Ihram, and is the first obligatory rite of Hajj. All men must wear two white unhemmed sheets so that all look alike, and wealth, age and status in general is not even considered. Whilst in Ihram, Muslims should not argue, swear, kill (even insects!) or participate in a sexual relationship even accompanied by husband or wife. Ihram creates an equilibrium and purity for Hajj. It unites every pilgrim and crates a pure mental canvas solely ready to think about nothing but God. The physical part of Hajj is all about recreating significant and very old events in Islam. First the pilgrims all run or walk quickly around the Ka’bah seven times, if close enough they will touch or kiss it. They then pray close to the Ka’bah, near Maqam Ibrahim. Next the Muslims rush between Marwah and Safa, two hills; seven times. The hills are linked now by a corridor for convenience and safety. After doing this, the pilgrims must make their way to the plain of Arafat, around 20km from Makkah. The pilgrims stand under the sun from midday until sunset praying to Allah, and asking for forgiveness. After this the pilgrims go to Muzdalifah to pray, collect stones and camp overnight. In the morning the pilgrims go to Mina to throw seven stones at three walls. After stoning the walls pilgrims make a sacrifice, often through companies nowadays. The sacrificed animal is the either frozen for future use or given to the poor Muslim community to eat. Men then shave their heads, and women cut off a lock of hair, usually a small amount; a few centimetres or a quarter. Muslims are then allowed to exit Ihram, changing into their normal clothes. They camp at Mina for three nights, and then return to Makkah to walk around the Kabah once again. They then drink water from the ZamZam well and their Hajj is complete. They are then a male Hajji, or a female Hajjah. B (i)Carrying out the actions of Hajj is not meaningful without a proper understanding for the ideas behind each procedure. It is all about representing the past and having empathy for Muhammad (PBUH), Ibrahim his son Ismah’il and others. The Kabah is a cube-shaped building supposedly first constructed for God by the first man Adam. It was washed away in Noah’s time, but Ibrahim and his son Ismahil rebuilt it. It is covered in a black cloth called kiswah with verses of the Qu’ran stitched into it. The Kabah is rebuilt on the same foundations by the same method when it needs to be, and the cover is re-made every year, after it is cut up and given to some lucky pilgrims as a memento of their journey. The Ka’bah is the very first house of God and many prophets have visited it. It is for this reason that pilgrims feel such closeness and representation to God when they visit it during Hajj. Tawaf is the circling of the Ka’bah seven times. To begin, the pilgrims can kiss the Black Stone al-hajar-al-aswad or just raise their hands towards it (on the east corner of the courtyard) and recite a prayer. After this the Pilgrims rush around the Ka’bah seven times to represent the fact that their lives revolve around God. It is the first thing that the pilgrims do when they arrive in Makkah. Tawaf is the second rite of Hajj, after Ihram, mentioned earlier. The second event is called the sa’i, where pilgrims rush between the hills Marwah and Safa, to show perseverance and patience. This is what Ibrahim’s wife Hajar did as she desperately searched for aid as her and her thirsty son came close to death in the desert. This part of Hajj can be very tiring and difficult under the blazing sun, despite there being a modern corridor built especially for sa’i. Hajar’s patience was rewarded by God with a spring of water that appeared at her son Ismahil’s feet, which was named the ZamZam well; today it is in the courtyard of the great Mosque in Makkah. Sa’i is not a compulsory part of Hajj but is usually included in the pilgrimage, and has a deep meaning. The pilgrims travel to Mina, a city of tents near the plain of Arafat. In Ihram, the Muslims are united and equal; they sleep side by side often grouped only by language if anything. All of the pilgrims sleep in tents in their Ihram clothes, poor and rich sleep aside each other as the devout, proud and fellow Muslims of Hajj. The following day the pilgrims travel to Mount Arafat for the most important part of Hajj, where they stand before Allah and ask forgiveness for all of their sins. This is the third obligatory rite of Haj j. Mount Arafat is also known as the ‘Mount of Mercy’ and is supposed to be where God forgave Adam and Eve for their sins and reunited them, after previously separating them for wrongdoing. Here the Muslims stand before God, the wuquf. The pilgrims stand from midday to sunset praying, weeping and meditating, all under the searing Saudi sun. The afternoon of wuquf is purely concentrated on Allah, and some pilgrims have to rush to make the stand, as without it their Hajj is invalid. Everyone is expected to stand alone and analyse every wrong doing individually, and pray to Allah for forgiveness for their sins. In this rite, repent is essential, and if pilgrims are truly sorry for their sins, it is said they will be completely purified and forgiven by Allah, and can start again, as pure as the day they were born. It is an unforgettable experience and is savoured by every pilgrim. After wuquf, pilgrims travel to camp in Muzdalifah in time for prayers in the evening. Here they usually collect 49 pebbles for the ramy al-jamarat (stoning of the devil) the following day. In 2004 Saudi authorities got rid of the pillars and replaced them with long walls, to make the stoning the devil process easier and therefore safer. Hund reds of people have died in the large crowds all trying to get a good shot at the pillars. On the first day of the process, after a night in Muzdalifah, the first wall is stoned 7 times. The following days each of the three walls has to be stoned 7 times for two consecutive days. This means 49 pebbles are required, but if the pilgrims miss any shots they may need at least 21 extra pebbles to stone all three walls 7 times the following day. This seems like a strange ritual when no background is supporting it, but there is good meaning. Ibrahim was told by God one day he had to sacrifice his son Ismah’il. Ibrahim made his way to the place of sacrifice, abiding Allah’s instruction, after consulting his son who told him to do what he had to. On the way the devil appeared before him first to try and tempt him not to sacrifice his son, and the angel Gabriel, the messenger of God told him to â€Å"pelt him†. Ibrahim threw 7 pebbles at the devil and it disappeared. It soon reappeared along the way, this time representing the temptation of Hajar to stop her husband sacrificing her son to God, and Gabriel told Ibrahim to â€Å"pelt him† again. He did what he was told and threw 7 stones at the devil who once again disappeared. The devil appeared a third time along the road, to tempt Ismahil to avoid being sacrificed. Gabriel’s order to â€Å"pelt him† was followed by Ibrahim, and the devil then disappeared for the final time. Ibrahim’s loyalty and resistance to the devil was rewarded by God when Ibrahim was told to stop as he prepared to kill his son. He was told by God to sacrifice a ram instead, and Ibrahim’s resistance to temptation paid off. Ramy al-jamarat shows the pilgrim’ s dedication to God’s wishes, and rejection to the temptations of the devil. Most Muslims make a sacrifice after stoning the devil, to recreate Ibrahim’s experience as closely as possible. Because there are so many pilgrims who want to make a sacrifice, there are special companies, who make it on their behalf and feed the poor. What cannot be used immediately to feed the poor Muslim community is frozen and used later. After making a sacrifice, male pilgrims have their heads shaven by a person who is not in Ihram and women have usually around an inch cut off. Pilgrims usually change into their normal clothes and do a single Tawaf; this is the fourth obligatory rite of Hajj. After doing this single Tawaf the Muslims are now officially Hajjis or Hajjahs as a female. They can then return home but most choose to stay and visit other places such as Medina, where the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was buried. B (ii)There are many factors to prevent Muslims going to Hajj. It is said Allah excuses these factors. It is intention or niyyah that counts with the pilgrimage, and when there is something to prevent Muslims from attending it, they will be excused by Allah. The most common circumstance is poverty. There are around 1.4 billion Muslims in the world, and many live in poverty. Lots of Muslims will save up most of their life to do Hajj, and by the time they have enough money to go, they are of old age and aren’t physically able. In this case the Muslim can pay another existing Hajji to attend on their behalf, or donate their savings for Hajj to charity. If they do this they will be blessed as fully as if they had completed Hajj themselves. For those who can’t afford Hajj, they can donate their available savings for Hajj to charity. They will receive the full Hajj benefits also. If a Muslim passes away on their way to carry out Hajj, they will receive the full blessing also, they have died making a commitment to their religion, this shows devotion and niyyah if anything does! Of course there are difficulties that could occur during Hajj. Because around two million pilgrims undergo Hajj every year, and are all dressed in near identical garments, it is very likely that groups will be separated for the period of Hajj. This may seem like a panicking time but Muslims in Ihram will be very sympathetic and helpful with each other in such circumstances, and probably take on new members into their travel groups. The overwhelming feeling of closeness to God on Hajj is enough to eliminate any feelings of worry for the meantime anyhow, so separation doesn’t cause much of a fright. Those unfortunate enough to die during Hajj are proud. It is a blessing to be buried in or near Makkah, close to God. Passing away making commitments to Islam is an honour, and a will is usually written before leaving for Hajj anyway. For those who fear the physical strain of Hajj, or are encouraged not to repeat the journey if they have already, Umrah is the lesser pilgrimage which can be carried out all year round. It involves the seven rotations of the Ka’bah (Tawaf), the Sa’i (Between Marwah and Safa) and a halq or taqsir; which is to cut the hair. Taqsir is shortening hair; halqis the complete head shave. B (iii)Hajj creates equilibrium, and a sympathetic atmosphere among the pilgrims who share the highs and lows of the journey. For most, the journey strengthens and confirms their commitment to Islam. After Hajj, a Muslim is more likely to be more courteous to people in general, and more at ease with life. Once a good Hajj is completed, the afterlife should be more peaceful and happy. Some Muslims like the experience of the pilgrimage so much they move to a Muslim country if they do not live in one already, as they like the convenience and feeling of togetherness and empathy. Hajj strengthens the belief of many Muslims, and if they weren’t a very good Muslim before Hajj, they might feel the need to be more committed to their faith, and practice Islam more regularly. Although for most the pilgrimage of Hajj is a blessing experience, some may have felt let down and disengaged during the journey. For those who could not get into a good Ihram, or feel true belief in God on the mount of mercy; their belief in Islam and Allah may have been hindered. C To me, this statement means that although all of the processes of a pilgrimage are physical, the true idea is the thoughts within the pilgrim’s mind and the intention, empathy and symbolism of what they are doing in the pilgrimage. The vast majority of Hajjis find the sacred journey to Makkah nourishing and feel they have found forgiveness from Allah. As they travel around the different rites of Hajj they cherish the experience and remember the meaning of each process, going back as far as the time of Adam and Eve. They enter a new realm as they stand before God on the Mount of Mercy, are unable to hold in their tears and are swept with emotion. On the other hand, Hajj is purely a physical process for some pilgrims. It isn’t supposed to be, but some can’t get into the frame of mind which is intended during the pilgrimage. The journey is supposed to be emotional, deeply thoughtful and soul cleansing. To some Muslims, their belief may be slightly hampered by the fact they struggle to get into a real Ihram. They will get their money’s worth on the trip and see people from all different cultures following the same rituals, but not feel truly engaged in the experience. Some people might argue that if you go on Hajj, and carry out the same processes as the prophets did, that is adequate in displaying your devotion to Allah and Islam. Some may say the fact that so much is physically required of them in Hajj, that alone shows they are a devout Muslim. Personally, I fully agree with the statement, because I would say that Hajj is a journey to Makkah to carry out the rites, and a true Hajj is a deep and thoughtful journey not only to Makkah, but to the bottom of a pilgrim’s heart. Although carrying out Hajj is a blessing experience cherished by Muslims, it is not truly meaningful unless they feel a certain dedication and spiritual enrichment on their journey.

Entering the Fast Food Industry

Entering the Fast Food Industry Introduction Pull open the glass door, feel the rush of cool air, walk in, get on line, study the backlit color photographs above the counter, place your order, hand over a few dollars, watch teenagers in uniforms pushing various buttons, and moments later take hold of a plastic tray full of food wrapped in colored paper and cardboard. The whole experience of buying fast food has become so routine, so thoroughly unexceptional and mundane, that it is now taken for granted, like brushing your teeth or stopping for a red light. Eric Schlosser from the book Fast Food Nation The food that people always eat or dont it was always determined by some economical and environmental forces. And the big growth of the Egyptian fast food market occurred according to some main changes in the Egyptian society. One of the main changes was the huge entering the women the workforce, which increased the request on some service which women usually do like cooking, cleaning, and child care. And now you can see the double income of the household which make an increase of the requested fast food. Socially, these fast food chains created many changes within the Egyptian behavioral patterns as well. Cleanliness and quality allowed families to feel safe and comfortable, permitting their children to go out on their own. A cheerful atmosphere and fun promotional items and gifts available at these chains attracted children and the younger generation began to frequent them more often, meeting friends and planning parties. It gave the Egyptian youth a safe acceptable place to go to. From here was born the concept of home delivery, a hugely profitable business today. Now, one can order virtually any consumer product by telephone for delivery and thousands of young people are employed in this sector. As consumers became frequent customers, the database developed into a very important asset. Promoting sales and keeping information classified was a must, not to mention boosting an already-escalating competitive environment. Entering the fast food market can be done in several ways that each one of them differs from the other. There are two main choices; first is acquiring a franchise license from an international-branded fast food chain, the second is to create a new brand that is developed locally and independently. Each one of them has their own advantages and disadvantages, and choosing an entry strategy heavily depends on several factors which will be analyzed in this paper. Before choosing an entry strategy the market has to be assessed extensively and to do so Porters Five Forces and the PEST (Political, Economical, Social Technological) analysis models represent the perfect harmony in analyzing the heavily saturated and very competitive Egyptian fast food market. Office of government commerce, (2006) Definition of alternatives Before proceeding with the market analysis we have to understand clearly what is meant by each one of the entry strategies to avoid any misunderstandings; According to (Treas, 1973) franchising can be defined simply as a business relationship between two entities; the seller (franchisor) and the license buyer (franchisee). The franchisee buys a royalty license from the franchisor to have the permission of doing business and opening fast food chains under the brand name of the franchisor. However, the franchisees are still independent and the chains are under full supervision and management by them but they have to abide to certain quality standards and regulations set by the franchisor to help them maintain and save the brand image of their trade mark. (Treas.1973) (Kaufmann Dant, 2001) On the other hand, opening an independent (locally branded) fast food chain is the total opposite of franchising. Instead of buying a franchise license from a well known established brand, the founder decides to create a new novel brand enduring all of the associated costs and taking the risk of creating a new brand image that requires time to gain the desired reputation. Some of the successful franchises in Egypt could be: McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC, Burger King, and Sbarro. While Successful examples of independent in Egypt could be: Cook Door, Smileys, Momen, Amo Hosny, Bon Appetite, and Prego. Porters five forces analysis Michael Porter in this analysis suggested a frame that industry influenced by five forces. These forces can determine the competitive intensity and therefore the attractiveness of a market and attractiveness means the overall industry profitability. These forces represent the micro-environment side which is more specific than the more general macro-environment one; they consist of those forces close to a market that affect its shape and stability. (Figure 1: Porters Five forces Model) (Michael E. Porter 1980: 31) Rivalry among existing competitors The first component of the five forces analysis focuses on the competitive rivalry. Competitive rivalry is one of the key areas for an industry, because in many cases it may determine the marketing strategies that will be developed and implemented. The purchasing power of the Egyptian consumers is quite strong and naturally those consumers have high expectations. That is the reason why fast food chains constantly compete for better products and more attractive promotions. For instance, McDonalds was the first fast food chain in Egypt that offers toys and games with meals to trigger childrens interest and this was hugely successful where most of the children buy McDonalds happy meal in order to get the offered toy. Rivalry can be found in many familiar forms such as advertising campaigns, price discounting, new product introduction and service improvement. The more the degree of rivalry the more it becomes an obstacle for profitability, and the degree of rivalry is determined through the intensity of the competition and on how they compete. The intensity of rivalry is influenced by the following characteristics: Large number of competitors: The huge existing numbers of food chains makes the competition more intensified where they have to compete for the same customers and resources in order to gain more market share. The market includes two main categories of chains; local branded fast-food chains which include (Momen, Smileys Grill, Cook Door and El-Shabrawy), and international branded fast-food chains such as (KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Burger King, and many more) Slow market growth: If the market growth is slow the fast-food chains will fight more for the existing market share. On the other hand, if the market growth is fast, the fast-food chains will be able to improve revenues simply because of the expanding market. Egypt is considered the largest in both Africa and the Middle East in the fast-food service industry where it represents US $7 billion and is expected to reach US $10 billion over the next five years (Schaefer 2008: 1) and due to this the fast-food market in Egypt is very fast growing. Highly perishable products: Food products is considered highly perishable where it urges the seller to sometimes lower the prices and sell the product while it is still consumable, thus it intensifies the rivalry. Low switching costs: When a consumer can freely switch and choose from one product to another there is a greater struggle to capture consumers and since most of the fast-food chains meals prices are nearly similar the threat for competitors is high where consumers can switch to another competitor at any time and this creates a pressure on the fast-food chains to create a competitive edge. Low levels of product differentiation: The low levels of product differentiation tends to increase the levels of rivalry thats why fast-food chains tends to increase their brand identification to maintain their market share since they are all serving relatively the same target customers with relatively similar products. Industry shakeout: The growing market of the fast-food industry and the potential for high profits encourages new competitors to enter the market and the existing competitors to increase their size. A point is reached where the industry becomes crowded with competitors and demand cannot support the new entrants and the resulting increased supply creating a situation of excess capacity with too many goods chasing too few buyers. Exit barriers included the issue of asset specialization which can determine how easy a fast food chain can exit the market without having difficulties in liquidating its assets. Due to the fact that most of the fast food chains require some tailor-made equipments that serve their specific needs and helps in maintaining their brand image throughout their products, the degree of asset specialization is quite high in the fast food market which subsequently creates many exit barriers. (Edward 2010) (Yacoub 2010) (Hamza 2010) When a rival acts in a way that draws out a counter-response by other competitors, the rivalry intensifies. The intensity of rivalry is commonly based on the chains aggressiveness in attempting to gain an advantage. In pursuing an advantage over its rivals, a fast-food chain can choose from several competitive moves: Changing prices: Raising or lowering prices to gain a temporary advantage, and many chains try to offer money saving combo meals that sounds more economically to the consumer. Improving product differentiation: Providing innovative and new products and improving the production process itself. For example, Pizza Hut has recently introduced interesting new types of pizzas that helps them to build a strong product differentiation. Using new channels of distribution: McDonalds was the first fast-food chain to introduce the drive-thru chains that conveniently have suited many consumers helping them to co-op with the fast paced lifestyle. Threat of substitute products or services Porter describes substitute product as it is another product that can be chosen as a substitution of the required product. The elasticity of demand could be affected by more than one variable like the price, quality, availabilityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The consumer buying decision can be changed to substitute products according to the change of the price, this change increase the demand on the substitute products. Also the consumer behavior now increased to healthy food which will affect the fast food market negatively. The threat of substitutes is increased if: The substitute product offers more convenient price or performance rather than the fast-food industry because consumers always choose the alternative that offers him greater value. For example, many consumers could choose eat-in restaurants because it can provide them with more food quality rather than the fast-food chains but eating in a restaurant can be more expensive. The switching cost is low and minimal, the threat of substitution becomes higher and the consumer has the ability to switch between alternatives easily with no extra charge and this is the case in the fast-food market Bargaining power of buyers There are several types of buyer power. The first is related to the customers price sensitivity. If each brand of the fast-food chains is similar to all the others, then the consumer will base the purchase decision mainly on price which will increase the competitive rivalry, resulting in lower prices and lower profitability. For example, some consumers would choose McDonalds rather than Burger King for being cheaper. Also the more number of substitutes is available for the buyer, the more powerful he becomes. The other type of buyer power which is not strongly relevant to our market analysis is the negotiating power where larger buyers tend to have more leverage to negotiate prices. Bargaining power of suppliers The fourth part of the five forces analysis focuses on the power of the suppliers and how is it easy for them to drive up prices. This is driven by the number of suppliers available for each key input. The uniqueness of their product or service and the cost of switching from one to another determine how powerful they are. Powerful suppliers can squeeze profitability out of an industry that is unable to pass on cost increases in its own prices. The supply power in our case is represented through the people who provide materials used for the fast-food production such as bakery, poultry, vegetables and packaging. To determine how much the suppliers are powerful we have to asses several aspects; The supplier will become less powerful if he depends heavily on a certain buyer for revenues. For example, Farm Frites-Egypt supply McDonalds for their French Fries, and McDonalds represent a major revenue resource for them where they cannot afford to lose such a strong customer, and this is the case for most of the fast-food chains in Egypt where the suppliers for the materials depend heavily on fast-food chains willing to offer convenient prices for them to become his exclusive supplier for a certain material. (Aly 2010) (Eslam 2010) Changing suppliers for fast-food chains have relatively high switching costs because choosing a supplier comes after several quality tests and approvals by the fast-food chain. Also most of the fast-food chains require exclusive materials and products to be made especially for them like for instance the packaging. (Edward 2010) The supplier will become more powerful if there are no substitutes for him, but in the fast food market in Egypt each key entry has several substitutes that a fast-food chain can choose from. As mentioned before, McDonalds depends on Farm Frites-Egypt to supply them with French Fries, but at the same time McDonalds has the option to choose another supplier with the same standards of Farm Frites such as UniFood. (Aly 2010) Barriers to entry/ Threat of entry It is not only the existing rivals that represent a threat for competitors in the fast-food industry; the possibility that new firms may enter the industry also affects competition. In theory, any competitor should be able to enter and exit a market. In reality, however, there are several aspects that can represent an obstacle for entry and these are called entry barriers. Entry barriers are unique industry characteristics that define the industry; it can reduce the rate of entry new rivals, thus maintaining a level of profits for those already in the industry. These barriers arise from several sources: Government creates barriers Present days, the procedures a fast food chain under-go to open a new outlet is very excruciating, time wasting and requires lots of paper work. This includes; safety regulations, health inspections and taxation procedures. And due to the high levels of bureaucracy in Egypt, the task is never easy. (Aly 2010) (Edward 2010) (Eslam 2010) In the past, the regulatory authority of the government in restricting competition is evident in Egypt during the era of Gamal Abdel Nasser in the sixties, most of the consumer products where locally produced by governmental companies. For example, consumer durables where locally produced by the Ideal national company. Anwar El-Sadats shift of alliance from the Soviet Union to the western world in the early seventies was followed by the Open door policy, or privatization at the expense of the public sector state monopolized large scale industries. The shift from Nassers State capitalist era to full integration into the world capitalist system went hand in hand with encouraging consumerism and franchising activities in Egypt.(Oweiss1988:73-76) b. Patent rights Ideas and knowledge that provide competitive advantages are treated as private property when patented, preventing others from using the knowledge and thus creating a barrier to entry. KFC has their own patent rights for the chicken recipe which positions them aside from other competitors as the leading fast-food chain serving chicken making it hard for competitors to compete in the same market. (Hamza 2010) c. Customer switching costs It becomes harder for new entrants to enter the market if the switching costs are high because it makes it harder for the consumer to switch their decision, and since switching costs between different brands of fast-food chains is low, then it is easy for consumers to switch their decision, thus, making it easy for new entrants to enter the market and gain market share. d. Capital requirement. Since entering the market requires huge financial capital requirement therefore the new entrants will decrease. Capital may be necessary not only for fixed facilities but also to extend customer credit, build inventories and fund start-up losses. There can be two types of start-up costs in our case; the first one is the cost of starting a locally branded fast-food chain, the other one is the cost of franchising an existing internationally branded fast-food chain which sounds easier than starting a locally branded one but can be more costly. Further details will be discussed when comparing between the two market entries alternatives. PEST Analysis. While starting the franchising or broadly speaking starting an international business the new market that the company wants to start business in should be analyzed to make sure that the company operations would work effectively in this market. One of the important tools that companies uses in the analysis process is the PEST analysis which analyze the market considering four factors Political, Economical, Social and Technological factors. In the coming words the four factors will be discussed. Office of government commerce, (2006) (Figure 2: PEST Analysis Model) The Times100 (2008) PEST Analysis of Egypt. 3.1. Political factors Examining the political factors is a very important task any company should do before entering a new market while focusing on the Egyptian case we can find that Egypt is politically stable compared to many countries, however sometimes companies faces some political issues there are many incidents that we can find people trying boycotting specific company because of the home country of the brand as for example USA, In many times there are people boycotting American restaurants therefore we can find many companies as for example McDonalds building on the local identity of the brand by producing a product locally as for example McArabia, McFalafel, etc and that helps in building the feeling that it is a local brand. Waguih (2002) 3.2. Economical factors As mentioned previously the change in the economy in the period of Sadat to his open door policy and globalization helps franchisors to work in Egypt because it is a healthy economy. While starting the business franchisors were used to import every ingredient, but after several years of success, they began in building food factories licensed by the international brands. Consequently, factories became so efficient in the production of quality goods that after fulfilling the local demand, they began exporting their products to countries throughout the Middle East and Europe. Aboul Fath, (2008) In the past few years there were a growth in the Egyptian economy the figure 3 below shows the increase in the GDP per capita which shows that economically the market is attractive for investments. Ministry of Finance Macro Fiscal Policy Unit (2008) (Figure 3: Annual Percent Change %) Ministry of Finance Macro Fiscal Policy Unit (2008) The Egyptian government has identified foreign investments as a critical component to sustained economic growth. As a result, investors are given special exemptions and incentives. However, several barriers to investment remain including a high level of bureaucracy, complex tax systems and customs procedures. To overcome these obstacles, the Egyptian government is currently directing its effort to increase privatization and fiscal transparency, and to improve tax regulations thus encouraging foreign investments and easing the path for franchising. Aboul Fath, (2008) 3.3. Social factors Demographics The group of consumers in Egypt consist of low income families, middle and high income this may secure the success in Egyptian fast food market. In addition to that there is about 50% of Egyptian population young consumer which presented in figure 4. That may make an opportunity for the fast food chains as their young group becomes more targets to the American and European chains. There is also the percentage of the working age where they representing the purchasing power are nearly 62% showed in figure 4 below. The middle aged is seeking fast food as a solution for a ready meal. Awad, Zohry (2005) Shaefer(2008) (figure.4: Egyptian Population by Broad Age groups 1950-2010) Awad and Zohry (2005) Fast food expenditure and consumption patterns: In a study conducted by Fabiosa and Soliman (2008) they focused on explaining the impact of income changes on the expenditure behavior for the households, . Another study by Fabiosa (2008) shows the household food-away-from-home (FAFH) expenditure pattern in Egypt. When reviewing the life style of Egyptians, we can find that Egyptians eats three main meals, traditional Egyptians meals is made of rice or pasta and vegetables. Meat is also included depending on whether they can afford its cost or not. However in the past decade there were rapid increases in the interest of the Egyptians in the fast food especially in the American and European food. However, high class families usually are aware about healthy food and may choose products with lower fat and cholesterol. Fabiosa and Soliman, (2008), Fabiosa (2008) Average income families usually can afford to eat once a month outside, although dining outside of home is increasing in popularity among many consumers. More well-off households and single people may eat out more than once a week. The young consumer segment, especially wealthier segment, typically eats out more than it cooks at home and the consumption can reach as much as four or five times a week. Fabiosa, (2008) 3.4. Technological factors The several advancements in technology have allowed the food production to grow massively and at much lower costs than it used to be. Now, there are several ways a person can order his food; through telephone, internet, and drive-through fast-food chains. All of these ways are of course available beside the traditional way of ordering fast-food which is take-away. Due to technological advancements, buying fast-food is one of the easiest tasks a person can do nowadays. Technological advancement also reached the food itself, now with the increased health awareness, fast-food chains try to focus on producing healthy food and reducing all the harmful ingredients. For instance, KFC announces that they are using Trans-Fat free ingredients which raised many health concerns among consumers. Also technology offers wide array of flavors that can be added to make food more appealing to consumers. A.Hamza, (Branch Manager Hardees Restaurants. Personal Interview. 1st of Feb, 2010). 4. The Egyptian fast food sector Entering the fast food market in Egypt can be successfully done in two main ways according to the successful stories in Egypt which will be explain later; first is acquiring a franchise license from an international-branded fast food chain, The second is to create a new brand that is developed locally and independently. Opening an independent (locally branded) fast food chain is the total opposite of franchising. Instead of buying a franchise license from a well known established brand, the founder decides to create a new brand enduring all of the associated costs and taking the risk of creating a new brand image that requires time to gain the desired reputation. Aboul Fath ,(2008) 5. Franchising as an international business tool Internationalization became one important way of doing business allover the world.1980s shows the increasing in distribution number of international retailers. The retailers were acquired and forced to move and enter international markets as the domestic market gave them a limited option to distribute their products or services. By this increasing numbers of distributing in international markets which continued in 1990s the retailers considered developing themselves to enter new markets outside, Quinn Alexander, (2002). To enter a new market there are three main ways which are first is independent as to invest in the new market and work directly from there. On the other hand there is two ways which are distributorship and formal relationship and these two ways are to work throw another party which could be in many ways, figure 1 briefly explain this ways. Entry modes Independent Distributorship Formal relationship Joint venture Acquisition Franchising Licensing (Figure 5: Modes of entry) Distributorship theory which is having a relation with the supplier, the distributor buys in bulk quantities and sell in smaller quantities, this independent distributor can work with many suppliers and he may not receive training or support from the supplier and the relation simply is to buy the product from the supplier no more. Formal relationship: Elaborating more on the facts showed in the chart, there are other options in this case is to join another party as acquisitions, joint venture, licensing and franchising. 5.1. Franchising Concept Many people think that fast food restaurants like KFC, Pizza Hut, MacDonalds or Burger King are the only examples of franchising but already there are many types of franchising and as Mr. Sidney J. Feltenstein the chairman of international franchising association says one out of every three dollars spent by Americans for goods and services is spent in a franchised business. Homes we buy can be throw franchised business, cars we buy clean or cared also can be through franchised business. We can travel from country to another through franchised business transportation firms so there are many types of franchising. (Beshel, 2000). Beshel, (2000) defined franchising as an agreement between two parties or two independent persons which give that: one from this two parties (franchisee) get the right to trade or to work by the trade mark of the second party (franchisor) Franchisee gets the right to use the operating system of franchisor and his obligation to pay fees to the franchisor. Franchisors obligation to provide rights to support franchisee. So franchise is a continuing relation between the franchisor and the franchisee. This relation depends on the franchisors experience, history, image and success. Also franchisor technique in doing business is important point to be consider when use franchising. The agreement of franchise can be made using several arrangements. It can be by fixed fees, percentage of sum of sales or the franchisee purchasing the product from the franchisor. Rothenberg, (1976). Independent vs. Franchised Comparing between the two routes for analyzing the effectiveness of franchising on food market in Egypt, some points considered to show that. To gather such in-depth information, interviews were conducted with several fast food chains managers and supervisors (franchised and local) to help us compare and choose the most appealing strategy for market entry. 6.1. Start-up Capital To acquire a franchise license is a very difficult task, the reason is that the franchisor expects from his franchisee to be withholding a respectable amount of monetary resources that can enable the franchisee to be up to the franchisors expectations and standards. For instance, the franchisee can be subject to some strict conditions set by the franchisor asking him to open a minimum number of chains with certain quality standards or else the franchise contract will be voided. Kaufmann Dant, (2001) (Calhoun 1975) A.Aly. (CEO of Target Franchises. Personal Interview. 11th of Feb, 2010) On the other hand, starting up an independent local fast food chain can be much easier and much less in terms of cash resources required. You can start small and then expand and grow gradually without having the limitations and strict conditions of a franchise contract that can be in terms of: Huge initial franchise fees Previous experience Quality standards Size vs. time frame available for growth Thus, keeping up with the franchisors conditions and standards require huge capital investments at the beginning which can be a drawback for choosing the franchise route as an entry strategy for the fast food market. But in some cases, financing a franchise can be easier because are sometimes more likely to offer loans to buy a franchise with a good reputation. O.Eslam, (General Manager of Target Franchises. Personal Interview. 11th of Feb, 2010).H.Anis( Founder of Harris Cafà ©. Personal Interview. 28th of Feb,2010). 6.2. Established Name A franchise opportunity provides its franchisee a well established and internationally recognized brand name and image that can acquire customers. In other words, buying a franchise can be like buying a business with built-in customers. Franchising a brand also doesnt carry the same risk as building a new one because when considering the option of entering the fast food market with an independent brand chains, founder will be struggling at first to achieve a good reputation and strong brand image that can earn the trust of consumers without having any doubts related to health or quality issues because one of the most difficult things to do when starting a business is to develop a recognizable presence with customers. This usually only happens over time and franchises eliminate this obstacle which saves both money and time. Also the franchisees will capture the benefits of the parent companys national marketing campaigns and advertising. A.Aly. (CEO of Target Franchises. Personal Interview. 11th of Feb, 2010) S.Edward, (CEO of Future Franchises. Personal Interview. 13th of Feb., 2010). O.Eslam, (General Manager of Target Franchises. Personal Interview. 11th of Feb., 2010). M.Yacoub,.( Branch Manager of Cook Door. Personal Interview. 25th of Feb., 2010). (Peterson Dant, 1990) 6.3 Access to Technology and Training When buying a franchise, the franchisor gives you support usually including training and orientation to help setting up the business and they provide you with manuals telling you how to run the business and ongoing advice. Also, most of the times the franchisor provide you with all the equipment, supplies and materials needed to conduct the business so you dont have to worry about acquiring assets that include state of the art machines and equipments like you do when opening an independent new chain. (Peterson Dant, 1990) M.Telleb,. (Branch Manager Starbucks Cafe. Personal Interview. 28th of feb, 2010). 6.4 Operating cost The franchisee will be able to acquire all necessary supplies at much lower costs because the prices are negotiated by the company with the suppliers in behalf of all the franchise units. Because of the size and regular occurrence of orders, the franchisor is able to get huge discounts on supplies. This gives an advantage compared to the route of entering the market with a new local independent brand. M.Yacoub,.( Branch Manager of Coo

Music, Radio and Teens Essay -- Hip Hop Rap Essays Music Musical Essay

Music, Radio and Teens The first thing that teenagers will do when they get into their car is to turn on the radio. They flip through the channels hoping to find that latest hit that all the stations are playing. Whether it's the newest pop rock song, or that catchy country tune, everyone wants to hear it. This is an example of how powerful the radio can be in influencing what teens listen to. Here is a closer look at the specific genres and how these styles are affecting today's teens through the radio. Hip Hop Hip-Hop is one of fastest growing music genres in the United States as its trend has made hip-hop explode everywhere. Hip-Hop comes from the streets using street slang incorporated in the music. Hip-Hop music is rebellious and frightens parents due to the explicit lyrics that it uses. As any type of new generation beat that is rebellious is going to scare a parent. Parents are frightened that if their kids listen to this music it will promote violence, sex, and drugs. Parents need to know that the vibe that teens get from Hip-Hop is just like the vibe our parents got from rock and roll. As teens are influenced by the Hip-Hop culture by the way teens dress themselves wearing brand names like Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, or Polo to represent the hip-hop culture; getting away from the preppy clothes like for example Abercrombie and Fitch. Hip-Hop music has no color barrier so anybody can listen to the music. Hip-Hop has even reached magazine shelves attracting more teens to read a bout hip-hop magazines like The Source, Jive, and XXL are devoted to just Hip-Hop music. Hip-Hop has influenced a lot of teens and will continue to grow as the new generation of music the so-called ?feels good music? that teens lo... ...the car. HIP-HOP. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.csupomona.edu/~rrreese/HIPHOP.HTML Taylor, Chuck, Stark, Phyllis, Hay, Carla. Country Teens go Multimedia. Billboard Vol. 113, Issue 9. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier On the World Wide Web: http://web6.epnet.com/search Signs of New Life for Country Format, Recent Sales Successes. Billboard Retrieved from Academic Search Premier on the World Wide Web: http://web6.epnet.com/search SoulMusic (2002). Retrieved from the World Wide Web:www.davidnathan.com. All Music Guide (1992). Retrieved from the World Wide Web:www.allmusic.com. Samuels, Allison (2002). Newsweek. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.msnbc.com/news Strauss, Neil (2001, December 26). A New Look at Eminem. New York Times [Newspaper]. Retrieved from the World Wide Web:www.nytimes.com/

A Good Death :: essays research papers

A Good Death   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Death is final. Some die naturally in a peaceful manner while others suffer through tremendous pain in order to get there. Euthanasia is the only way for some people to leave all their pain behind. Euthanasia is the act of killing another person in a merciful way. Of course, euthanasia has many more meaning to it than that. A person that is suffering from a terminal illness decides that life is not worth living because there is too much pain involved and ends his own life, would that be wrong of him? That is the question that is at hand.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many supporters of the â€Å"right to die movement† can justify euthanasia. First, because terminal illness is causing pain that is unbearable for that individual. That is the main reason why people seek self-induced death. Second, the thought of a restricted life and depending on others, even for the simplest task, does not appeal to them. Aristotle wrote, â€Å"happiness is the exercise of vital powers along lines of excellence in a life affording them scope.† These people will never find happiness because they cannot live their lives out to the fullest extent that was given to them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nancy was only four years old when her grandmother died. Her grandmother had a big lump on the lower right hand side of her back. The doctors removed it, but it was too late. The tumor had already spread throughout her body. Instead of having a lump on her back, she had a long stitched up incision there. She couldn’t move around; Nancy’s parents had to help her go to the bathroom and do all the simple things that she use to do all by herself. Nancy would ask her grandmother to get up to take her younger sister, Linh, and herself outside so they could play. She never got up. A couple of months later, an ambulance came by their house and took their grandmother away. That was the last time Nancy ever saw her alive. She was in the hospital for about a week and a half. Nancy’s parents never took them to see her. One day, Nancy saw her parents crying and she have never seen them cry before. They dropped Linh and her off at one of their friendâ€℠¢s house. Nancy got mad because she thought they were going shopping and didn’t take her with them.

Genetic Engineering ethics

Genes are what code particular traits and characteristics and are the influence to health and disease. Ongoing advances are now making It available for parents to genetically modify Implanted embryos aiding In the creation of ‘designer babies'. In my essay I am going to discuss the case of a Bristles couple that will have Britain's first designer baby. I will cover the ethical Issues regarding the topic of genetic engineering and also theories of Kantian Ethics and utilitarianism to Justify If genetic engineering is morally right.A British couple has bypassed strict laws in Britain for genetic screening by traveling o America and undergoing treatment which costs 80,000 in order to conceive their desired child, in the hope to save their sick 4-year-old son who is recovering from Leukemia. Experts at the Reproductive Genetics Institute based in Chicago did IVY Treatment on the mother and then screened embryos to find a good bone marrow match for the British couple's son, should h e relapse and need a transplant.Doctors will collect blood from the umbilical cord, which Is rich In stem cells that have the ability to repopulate bone marrow. This has been a controversial case where It Is questionable If science has pushed the boundaries too much The key ethical issues explored in this case include, whether it is fair for parents to manipulate the genes of their children for particular traits when the child themselves cannot give consent, does selecting for certain traits pose health risks that would have not been apparent otherwise and will new forms of inequality arise due to genetic aristocracy.The key ethical issue I am looking at is whether it is morally right for parents to be allowed to create designer babies, is it a step towards scientific success or the pushing of scientific boundaries? Kantian ethics was a theory developed by Emmanuel Kant (1724-1804), he believed In the respect for persons, that no one should be treated as a means to an end only. As R eaches and Reaches (2010) state, the only way human beings can have a moral goodness is to act from a good will as if it is a sense of duty.Can (2002) supports this by saying that Kant considered it a duty to treat people with respect because of their freedom and to encourage the pursuit of individual's ends because it has been their free choice. Therefore treating them as an end and never only as a means, as hat is considered as manipulating and using people to get to your desires. Another important part of Kantian Ethics was the idea of an action being applied universally.Christians, Fickler, McKee, Crusher and Woods (2009) state â€Å"what is right for one is right for all† (p. 15). According to Kant he believed that before you acted you would have to question whether you would apply this action universally and allow everyone to do It as well, If so the act would be accepted and If not the act would be disallowed. Reaches and Reaches (2010) support this by saying, † being a moral agent, hen, means gulden ones conduct by universal laws – moral rules that hold without exception in all circumstances† (p. 29). Undergoing genetic engineering, it is known that Kant believed that if an action was to be Justified it should be able to be applied universally. Applying this British couples action universally would mean that it would be Justified for every family having children to genetically modify their babies genes by using embryo screening technology. In this case it would be a good outcome as it allows security for both the parents and especially the 4-year-old son who could possibly have a relapse.However Kant would not agree to apply it universally as it would allow all couples to under go embryo screening where not only you can screen for genetic disease but also determine what gender, hair type, eye color type and height levels your child would be, there would be families who would abuse this scientific technology to create the most genetically superior child. Another reason why Kant would not support the actions of this British family is because he believed that you should never treat someone as a means to an end.Kant thought it was a duty to treat people with respect because of their freedom. However in the case the designer child has given no consent in the matter in being the savior child for the older son, incase he is in need of a transplant. Instead of the parents promoting the idea of letting their newborn child have a life where the respect of its own rights are more important, it now has to live a life knowing that its own internal body parts and organs will be used incase of a relapse for the sick sibling. Consequentially this child is therefore used as a means to an end.Although the designer child is promoting its siblings welfare and putting its own needs before its own, this child has had no freedom of hooch and the parents are solely thinking about the consequences and the positive outcomes this designer child will create. Kant would conclude that the parents of the designer baby are morally wrong and their actions weren't Justified. Utilitarianism takes a very different approach to Kantian ethics as it is essentially determined by what will produce the best consequences and increase overall happiness and the least amount of evil in the world.There are two main types of Utilitarianism, one is Classical Utilitarianism and the other is Rule Utilitarianism. The preferences between the two are that Act Utilitarian's Judge an action based on the consequences of it, whereas Rule Utilitarian's Judge the action as a rule and what would happen if everyone lived by it. However both forms can be summarized into three propositions. The first proposition is all actions can be Judged right or wrong, dependent on their consequences.Reaches and Reaches (2010) state that to determine whether an action is right or wrong you should look at the results and consequences of that action, if it ha s produced the most happiness for the greatest amount of people then therefore it is right and nothing else matters. Christians, Fickler, McKee, Crusher and Woods (2009) discuss the second proposition for utilitarianism as a calculation for the consequences of each option available and then question whether there is a greater amount of harm or greater amount of good in the lives that would be affected.Once actions have been Judged we then are morally obliged to choose the option with has the greatest amount of happiness and least amount of unhappiness. The third proposition urges that everybody happiness is stating â€Å"right actions are those that produce the greatest balance of happiness over unhappiness, with each person's happiness counted as equally important† (109). Looking at this case from a Utilitarian view, its shows to have very different perspectives than Kantian Ethics.The Utilitarianism approach supports the act of the British couple with creating a genetically modified child in the aid of their 4-year-old son, as they believe that actions should be Judged on their consequences. The act of which the British couple chose to make was to genetically screen and then choose an embryo with the perfect bone marrow gene to help save their son recovering from Leukemia should he need a transplant.The consequences of which this act has are to help save the life of the young 4-year-old child and create security for the family, knowing they would have two healthy children. Another reason why Utilitarian's will support the actions of this couple is because it has created the greatest amount of happiness. In this case the people who would be truly happy are the parents, as a sense of security has been created from the designer child and also the sick four- year-old son would be very happy as well as he gets to live a healthier life knowing he as the transplants available should he need them.However the only person who would be unhappy could be the desig ner child as it is being used without giving consent but that would not matter as Utilitarian's also believe that everyone's happiness is equal, so therefore no ones happiness is more important than the others. Utilitarian's are more concerned about the consequences of an action than the motives and intentions therefore the action of the parents creating a designer child would be considered morally right as the consequences of this action leads to a greater amount of happiness than unhappiness.From a Utilitarian perspective Parents would be considered morally right in allowing to create designer babies as it can be used to eradicate life threatening diseases that are identified in an embryo and also create a more powerful race where everyone can do what they set their mind which would lead to a greater amount of good in the lives of people. In conclusion, I have explored the ethical issues surrounding this case and whether it is morally right for parents to be allowed to create desi gner babies.Through the theories of Kantian Ethics and Utilitarianism I have come to form my own opinion that signer babies are unnecessary, although they may save lives it is impossible to justify who needs the designer baby and who doesn't. Kantian Ethics would oppose the creation of designer babies because it effectively neglects an individuals freedom and is something that can't be deemed as a universal rule and Utilitarianism supports it as the consequences create the greatest amount of happiness and least amount of unhappiness for the family.