Thursday, October 31, 2019

Social Psychology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Social Psychology - Assignment Example The writer in this piece acted the way she did due to many reasons. The reason she got married probably was she was pregnant. However if society had not made her feel bad about being single and pregnant, she might have acted differently. The consensus between her and Simon was an agreement to get married. The writer tried to consistently get along with Bernice, but distinctively left her husband after he refused to take up for her. Simon acted the way he did because he did not want either his wife or mother mad at him. It is true he cannot control his mother’s actions, but he can control his. If he wants his mother to stop abusing the writer verbally, Simon could speak up. It is his mother. All the situation would have taken was a â€Å"Mom this is not the time† at the wedding or birth of his son. A â€Å"I was there when she got pregnant too† would have also worked. Simon is apparently too scared to say these things. Bernice probably acted this way due to feelings of abandonment, or control issues. When a man gets married a mother can feel like she is losing her son. Most mothers deal with it, but some do not. Bernice was out of line. She was being self centered and not thinking of the happiness of her son or grandson. The solution to this problem is Simon stands up to his mother, or the writer gets a divorce. The sad part is divorce is more likely. It is hard for a child, even grown, to stand up for themselves.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Romanticism in American Literature Essay Example for Free

Romanticism in American Literature Essay Within this paper will be an explanation of the ideals of Romantic writers in Early American Literature. We will also look at some aspects of Romanticism that were uniquely understood by the writers and artists in the United States. There will be a brief discussion of â€Å"bright† and â€Å"dark† Romantic writing and it is there that we will look at the lives, and one poem each, of Henry David Thoreau, a â€Å"bright† romantic writer and Edgar Allan Poe, a â€Å"dark† romantic writer. Romanticism began in Germany sometime around 1770. From there it spread to the rest of Europe including England and then finally to the United States. In the late Eighteenth Century people’s ideas about themselves, their religion, their world and the art and literature in it were evolving rapidly. This was mostly due to a re-examination of priorities and beliefs because of constant new scientific discoveries and an enthusiastic embrace of the uniquely human abilities of storytelling using ones imagination and a kind of rejection of reason and logic. For the first time since the concepts of religion and rulers began to regulate the spirit and creative energy of humankind people looked more to nature and within to define themselves and their humanity rather than to their Churches or to their Kings. The Romantic period of American Literature is from about 1830 to 1860 and it interestingly overlaps the period which is said to be Victorian (1830 to 1880) in the United States. Romantic writers believe in the natural goodness of man and also that what is special in a particular man should be highly valued. They indulge heavily in introspection and self-analysis. Some finding their deity within themselves while others found their religion in the beauty of nature. Nature was food for the soul that provided their inspiration and was a resource for their wisdom. Indeed, for some of the Romantic writers nature was their muse; however, others found their inspiration in the dark corners of their human desires. As mentioned above the citizens of the United States were in a unique position to embrace the tenets of Romanticism through a political movement that focused more on the individual. By shedding the oppressive monarchy of old England they were well on their way to forming what Emerson called â€Å"a Nation of men† who were following Jacksonian democracy. â€Å"By most historical accounts, (President Andrew) Jackson is seen as largely responsible for effecting this political and cultural transformation of the United States from a republic, governed by an elect few, to a democracy. Jackson persuaded Americans that sovereign power resided in them—that they would control the governing process by deciding questions of constitutionality, law, and representation through the ballot box. Many writers, philosophers, and activists were also convinced by Jacksons rhetoric of democracy, believing that more concern for the rights of common individuals would yield a more inclusive political and cultural environment receptive to the ideals of a younger generation of Americans,† (Didion). One can easily see why the material that writers in the United States were putting out fell into line with the musings, literature and poetry of Romantic writers all over the world. By being exposed to the political aspects of the culture here they were in a position where their art reflected the lives of their patrons. Why, though, were some of the writings about the nature all around us and bright beauty found within it and some of it was about the dark nature of mankind and the sorrow found there? Bright Romantics used a merging of science and nature to allow both to work together. Meanwhile they would put emphasis on the individual’s ability to take themselves out of society to live in nature away from the rat race. A good example of a bright Romantic writer would be Henry David Thoreau. He is famous for having written, among many other works, Walden which is about living simply in nature. Thoreau was an abolitionist and his essay Civil Disobedience is a piece that inspired Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. to engage in peaceful civil disobedience to protest unjust governments. He also wrote Nature, a poem we will look at more in depth later in this paper. Henry David Thoreau (born David Henry Thoreau) lived from July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862. He was attending Harvard during Andrew Jackson’s second inauguration. He was a freelance writer who tried but was unsuccessful at becoming a fulltime professional writer. Having not been quite as successful at his dream of writing as he is posthumously was a bit of a disappointment to Henry. He had grown up the son of a storekeeper and liquor salesman in respectable poverty and had his share of other sorrows as well having seen two of his beloved siblings die. His brother John died of typhus which he got while shaving. His younger sister Sophia died in 1846 at the age of 36 of the same affliction that would claim Henry’s life, tuberculosis. Thoreau loved the outdoors and would rather live of the land than any other way. He enjoyed waling in the outdoors so much he had said while hunting never did he find his rifle to be too heavy. He held many odd jobs to support himself while traveling and writing but he was very well known in his father’s later business of pencil making. Biographer Robert Sullivan writes that while in the employ of the pencil company â€Å"Thoreau studied various graphite hardnesses [sic] and invented a machine that manufactured a finer grind. The centerpiece was a cylinder, in which the finer graphite settled to the bottom for ready collection. The new invention pushed the company ahead of its rivals,† (142). While his dreams of being a professional writer went mostly unfulfilled he found great joy and contentment as mentioned above in nature. He was well thought of in his life but revered as a writer after his death. In The Life of Henry David Thoreau, Sanborn writes, â€Å"Thoreau had various missions in this world, some of which he fulfilled, and passed beyond them; others he did not live long enough to complete, and only approached perfection at remote intervals. Versifying was one of these latter; though the poetic perception and ideal nature was not only brought to a high point of excellence in his last twenty years, but he exhibited in his youth and early capacity for good writing, which his devotion to the art developed into what may easily pass for perfection in his best passages. † (51). Dark Romantics wrote about how a person views their world and how their mind has the power to change the world they live in. They have a tendency to reject science for fiction and be very involved in the macabre. They are also very introspective. Arguably the best Dark Romantic writer was Edgar Allan Poe who lived from 1809 to 1849. Born December 9 to thespians David and Eliza Poe, who would both die two years later in 1811, Edgar was raised by John and Fanny Allan of Richmond Virginia. John and Edgar never got along due to John’s disdain for how he viewed Edgar’s existence. Until John inherited great wealth, which he eventually kept from Edgar, he viewed Edgar as a drain on his hard fought earnings. Poe faced a lot of tragedy at a very early age and lived a life that was filled with challenges, some self-imposed. He had a lot of unrequited and lost love; therefore, women in some form or another filled pages of his poetry. â€Å"Poe believed that the goal of literature was not to mirror reality but instead to pursue Beauty in its highest and widest sense. As Poe put it, ’A poem in my opinion, is opposed to a work of science by having for its immediate object, pleasure, not truth,’† (27) writes James Hutchinson in his book Poe. For Poe writing was at the very center of his existence. He wrote for some time before becoming celebrated but it did happen while he lived. Poe did make his living through words though poetry prose and becoming the chief editor at several monthlies as well as writing pieces for magazines. Later Hutchinson notes that â€Å"The Raven was an instant success and Poe woke up to find himself famous. † (165). Though famous he seemed forever tragic. Peter Ackroyd writes of his alcoholism saying that after a particularly strong binge in PA, Poe acknowledges that â€Å"the whole experience in Philadelphia became for him a phantasmagoria of suffering, brought on by what he described as ‘mania-a-potu,’ or alcoholic madness. It is the first indication that he realised [sic] the nature of his true condition. † (185). Although feverish Poe had left Richmond VA to visit friends in Baltimore MD, days later, he was found unconscious in a tavern in Baltimore. His previous whereabouts were a mystery and Poe died in a hospital on October 7, 1849 at the age of forty, reminiscent of one of the characters in his works. Both men died young and that was all too common in those times. Their lives were quite different. It is not a surprise that both men lived what they wrote, for Thoreau of the beauty of the outdoors and the nature there was his refuge from life and he died enjoying the Woods at Walden that he enjoyed so much. Although he married the daughter of his paternal Aunt when she was just thirteen, for Poe the love he searched for he never really found. It was maternal in nature and he would never fill that void through drugs and alcohol. The tragedy of his writing was told in his biography. The following are one poem each by Thoreau and Poe. They are similar in their rhythm and their rhyme scheme; however, their symbolism and mood are very different. Poe’s poem is about a beautiful valley where many people died in battle and they haunt the valley still. Thoreau writes about the beauty of the outdoors and how he longs only to commune with his beloved nature and pass his days in the great outdoors. One does not need to be told who wrote which poem that is obvious by their content.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Homeless Youth Facilitators and Barriers

Homeless Youth Facilitators and Barriers When considering the problem of homelessness, we may think of the stereotypical skid row bums, drug addicts, or perhaps the mentally ill living on the sidewalks begging for change from passerby (Letiecq, Anderson, Koblinsky, 1996). All people that are homeless do not live on the streets. Homeless people can be someone who stays with a friend or a family member, someone living in overcrowded conditions, someone living in poor conditions that may affect their health, someone living away from their loved ones because of certain conditions. Many of these people are youth who lacks proper shelter. Homelessness among young people is a major social concern in the United States. Youth homelessness is not a new phenomenon and it has become more and more severe over the years. We ask what youth homelessness is. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, homeless youth are individuals under the age of eighteen who lack parental, foster, or institutional care (2008). Homeless youth i ncludes runaways, throwaways, and street youth. They are also referred to as unaccompanied youth (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2008). ÂÂ  Homelessness for youth has been an ongoing issue and is at greater risk due to the greater vulnerability due to the background factors related with their life style. Homeless youth can be found anywhere throughout the U.S. and most of these youth are age 18 or below. Many of these homeless youth comes from low-income communities or from dysfunctional families. Although the prevalence of youth homelessness is difficult to measure, researchers estimate that about 5 to 7.7 percent of youth- about 1 million to 1.6 million youth, under the age of 18 experience homelessness each year (Pope, 2013). As an estimated report by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in the US Department of Justice, there are about 1,682,900 homeless and runaway youth (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009). ÂÂ  Children and youth identified as homeless by the Department of Education in FY2000, only 35% lived in shelters; 34% lived doubled-up with family or friends, and 23% lived in motels and other locations (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009). These children and youth may not immediately be recognized as homeless and are sometimes denied access to shelter or the protections and services of the McKinney-Vento Act (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009). Youth that are homeless can become this way for a variety of reasons. Many youth become homeless as a result of family problems and financial difficulties. Some of the causes of homelessness are due to physical or sexual abuses, family that has a drug addiction, or because of parental neglect. Often the young people experience more than one of these factors in their homes. For example runaways usually leave their home without letting their parents or a legal caregiver know about their whereabouts. They often tend to have a history of hardship in school and behavioral problems with other peers. Children from families that have always been poor are likely to be worse off than children in families that experience sudden hardship due, for example, to the recession and foreclosure crisis (NCSL, 2103).ÂÂ   Parents are the majority of the time a primary reason these youth becomes homeless. A dysfunctional family can be one of many reasons why these youth would leave their home. The youths become homeless due to some disruptions of their families caused by divorce. If the families break up, the youths are forced to search for new places to live and this becomes very difficult for them. They may lack suitable places to go or stay as they may lack the required funds.ÂÂ  The number of homeless youth has been growing and it has become a serious problem in our society. In a study, 46% of runaway and homeless youth had been physically abused and 17% were forced into unwanted sexual activity by a family or household member (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2007). Some of these young people becomes homeless when their families suffers financial crisis resulting from lack of affordable housing, no job opportunities, no medical insurance or inadequate welfare benefits. ÂÂ  They are not only in need of money, but they are also in need of attention and support. Youth homelessness face gets involve in a high-risk survival behaviors in order to meet their basic needs. Youth on the streets fall prey to substance abuse, develop mental illness, and victimization. Young homeless people are most likely to have high-risk behaviors in such like engaging in unprotected sex, having multiple sex partners and gain access to substance abuse. Some of the homeless youth are forced to involve themselves in prostitution in order to obtain their daily bread and survival. For instance, they participate in unsafe sex in the exchange of basic necessities such as food, shelter and money. This is so because the greater percentage of the youths is sexually active at the average age of thirteen and fourteen years.ÂÂ   Homeless youth use prostitution as ways to survive, in which it can cause lots of unwanted pregnancies. Chronic health conditions, including asthma, other lung problems, high blood pressure, tuberculosis, diabetes, hepatitis, or HIV/AIDS, are prev alent among homeless youth (Pope, 2013). To obtain money, food, or a place to sleep, homeless youth may panhandle or resort to extreme measures such as theft, drug sales and abuse, prostitution, or survival sex (Pope, 2013). Homeless youth can also become mentally unstable. Mental health problems may develop as a result of violence or other trauma experienced while homeless (Beharry, 2012). Homeless youth can be face with traumatic and stressful events which can cause them to be in constant fear or become mentally unstable. They have a greater risk of severe anxiety and depression, suicide, poor health and nutrition and even low self-esteem. Drug and alcohol use are often seen by homeless youth as self-medication for depression and other mental health issues, as a social outlet for connection with peers, or as an otherwise adaptive coping strategy for survival on the streets (Christiani, Hudson, Nyamathi, Mutere, Sweat, 2008). These mental problems can or most likely interfere with their activities such as learning and communicating in school. ÂÂ  Homelessness can lead to an interruption of their education and therefore affects their future ability to live comfortably and independently. These youth that lacks education can set them to experience s evere financial and emotional challenges as not being able to secure any employment in the United States of America. The presence of uneducated and unemployed homeless youths affects the development processes of the societies. Homelessness can affect their educational opportunities for future success. Homeless children and youth who are able to enroll in school still face barriers to regular attendance: while 87% of homeless youth are enrolled in school, only 77% attend school regularly. (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009). Youth that are from families who are struggling seems to move around a lot in search of something that is affordable for them such as housing and for employment. These children or youth experiences changes of school messes up their education because their family has to find a place where shelter is affordable for them. According to the Institute for Children and Poverty, homeless children are nine times more likely to repeat a grade, four more times more likely to drop out of school, and three times more likely to be placed in special education programs than their housed peers (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009). ÂÂ  Homeless youth need access to services that will help them regain stability in their lives, such as obtaining a job and affordable housing. What does homeless youth need? They would need housing which includes shelter, transitional living programs, and supportive housing that is permanent for youth with mental illness. Homeless youth benefit from programs that meet immediate needs first and then help them address other aspects of their lives.ÂÂ   States can provide homeless youth with access to educational outreach programs, job training and employment programs, transitional living programs, and services for mental health and life skills trainings (NCSL, 2013). There are many programs run by government and voluntary organizations that are aimed to help homelessness by providing advice, financial support, a place to stay and other assistance. There are programs such as housing subsidy, local or federal government assistances. When there is no shelter it becomes a problem for these youth. A lack of affordable housing and limited scale of housing assistance program have contributed to the current housing crisis and to homelessness (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009). Income and housing-related factors continue to play a significant role in the growth of homeless families (Anderson Koblinsky, 1995). When parents cannot provide for their kids, these youth are also affected as well. Housing is the key to ending homelessness to help these young people and their families. There are only a small percentage of all homeless youth that seek shelter (Pope, 2013). There are ways to help house these youth. Youth housing programs include group homes, residential treatment, host homes, shared homes, youth shelters, and community-based transitional living programs (NCSL, 2013). As according to LaKesha P. Pope, there are the five strategies to house homeless youth (2013): Develop stable housing without time limits specifically designed to meet the needs of youth which link services for future independent living. Include set-aside unites for youth in existing or newly developed mainstream affordable housing. Allow youth to be integrated into the local Continuum of Care planning and implementation process and as consumers of affordable housing stock. Market housing resources in places where youth will see them. Educate private landlords about the special needs of homeless youth and the existence of programs willing to offer supervision and assistance to youth tenants. These strategies can bring in some positive attitudes to these youth when they know that there is some kind of help or assistance that is set up. What homeless youth need the most is a home. Programs are out to help these youth but it can be a challenge to get the services. It can be a challenge for homeless youth to find help and assistance shelters. They can lack transportation to get to their destination for help. Many youth feel that agencies favors are usually with people who need help the least. Connecting youth to resources is a critical service and especially when a program that lacks funding to provide shelters. A barrier that homeless youth can experience in accessing housing are (Pope, 2013): No rental history Age discrimination No job or not enough income to afford market-rate rents Lack of standing to sign lease Trouble with mobility due to few public transportation options Exposure to domestic violence, sexual assault and adults who solicit youth for illegal activity in exchange for housing Teen parents Past abuse and trauma resulting in mental or cognitive disabilities Failure to find housing with proficiencies in various youth cultures Youth often find themselves homeless because of family breakdowns, system failures, and marginal resources (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2013). Homeless youth who are not able to live with their families, other options should be made available for them to contribute and take care of themselves. However, we cannot change how people treat their youth, but we can try to change the outcome of a youths life. There are many risks that these youth can face being on the streets with no shelter or help. Some youth may never want to find help or look for assistance but we as human service worker, should try to reach out the best we can.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Michèle Roberts’s The Looking Glass Essay -- Michele Roberts Looking G

Michà ¨le Roberts’s The Looking Glass The understanding of history as a linear and unproblematic narrative, dominated by kings and queens, warriors and heroes, has long been denied by women writers. As Linda Anderson argues, these events ‘take on a different meaning, a different configuration when we begin to see through them – in both senses – to women’s concealed existence in the private sphere of family and home’ (Anderson, p.130). Women have little place in traditional linear history and have come to deny its authority and question its dominance. Frieda Johles Forman, in her introduction to a 1989 collection of essays on women’s temporality, argues that women suffer from a lack of history, an unrecorded past, and that this ‘absence strikes at odd, unsuspecting moments’ (Forman, p.8). But this absence of history is changing, as women begin to write their own stories and their own conceptions of the past. Women’s time and the political implications for femini sm of feminist historiography have spawned a wealth of writing in recent years. Even in the academic world of history, reliance upon major events as the narrative of history has been undermined by the possibility of a narrative of everyday lives, of everyday events and occurrences.1 However, this re-recording and re-making of history is fraught with danger, as Anderson warns: The ‘reclaiming of history’, the discovery of how our foremothers preceded and even anticipated us, can help to assure us that, despite the evidence, we do in fact exist in the world; yet if we ignore how that existence is textually mediated we end up simply reconstituting ‘reality’ as it is. (p.134) Anderson argues that, despite the development of a critique of history’s claim to objectivity a... ... and Sowton, Caoran, eds., Taking Our Time: Feminist Perspectives on Temporality (Oxford: Pergamon, 1989) Heath, Stephen, Flaubert: Madame Bovary (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992) Irigaray, Luce, Sexes and Genealogies, trans. Gill, Gillian C. (New York: Cornell University Press, 1993) Michaud, Guy, Mallarmà ©, trans. Collins, Marie and Humez, Bertha (London: Peter Owen, 1966) Millan, Gordon, Mallarmà ©: A Throw of the Dice (London: Secker and Warburg, 1994) Oliver, Hermia, Flaubert and an English Governess (Oxford: Clarendon, 1980) Pearson, Roger, Unfolding Mallarmà ©: The Development of a Poetic Art (Oxford: Clarendon, 1996) Roberts, Michà ¨le, The Looking Glass (London: Little Brown, 2000) Spencer, Philip, Flaubert: A Biography (London: Faber and Faber, 1951) Steegmuller, Francis, Flaubert and Madame Bovary (London: Constable, 1993.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Too Much Delegation In Nissan

Good communication skills can help a manager successfully delegate responsibility to subordinates. It is a process of good thing that spreads the workload, rewards subordinates with decision making power, develop subordinates capabilities and allow decision to be made. By practicing delegation process, an organization can do achieve their set of goal. Nissan, a renowned Japanese automaker is the best example of practicing delegation. From the case study â€Å"Too much delegation at Nissan†, we have got some findings that how Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan, did apply to get success by practicing delegation.Question 1: What are some advantages that Carlos Ghosn can expect to obtain from retaining decision-making authority at the CEO level? What are some potential pitfalls that he must be aware of? Answer : Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan joined in 1999. Nissan, Japanese automakers vehicle that is 44% own of second largest car company in Japan namely Renault. Before joining Carlos, Niss an was near bankruptcy. They had unappealing models, low market share and declining profitability. At this crucial moment, Carlos took responsibility in Nissan to safe its sink.Skilled Carlos think â€Å"what people think about him and which approach should apply? †. He did not apply traditional approach even he did not convince the people. Ghosn laid off employees who acted as advisors but had no operational authority. He consulted his subordinates, then made decision own. He hired hot designer from rival firms and gave them authority over new product development resulting slew of innovative, award winning designs such as the Xterra and the updated stylish new altima.As a CEO, Carlos can expect to obtain from his subordinates- To get more work following a team based work – To help him burden by doing major portion of the organizations work. – Designer will do provide high range car design. – To solve any existing problem and innovate of new idea.  œ Subordinates will operate and monitor all about operational activities. As Carlos, got all type of supported from his subordinates, He did able to revive new model. Although he had aware of some pit falls. – Actually, he did follow boldness and risky approach where as all other Nissan Manager followed Caution and slowness.As cost cutting approach had lead to success all other divisions of Renault, Carlos did reduces expenses. – And most important his hidden inspiration. He inspired the designer hired from china for their special design. Upon his successful guide and delegation, Nissan profits and sales are up substantially. With eight new models in 2003 and four more in 2004. Nissan has the potential to surpass Toyota currently number one automaker in Japan and the innovation is continue. Question 2: Give at least three example of decisions that can be most effectively made with a decentralized process.Give at least three examples of decisions that can be most effect ively made with a decentralized process. Do not use example from the case above. Explain your choices. Answer : Decentralization and its example: Decentralization refers that, decision making is not only restricted to top management. Decision are also made by lower level employees because they are more towards the action of performance. They can quickly solve the problem and more people are involved in giving decision. Decentralization make employees feel that organization is trusting on them and giving right to make decision.Example 1: As the company X is suffering from loss for two years, the employee concluded that as the company is closed for 5 to 6 days per month in a year due to strikes in country, productivity is low. So to achieve the productivity, employee will do over time. Example 2: Franchise company like KFC, control most product development and marketing strategy at the top, but they give franchise owners a great deal of independence in running their individual stores. Franchise owners make staffing decisions, decisions on hours of operation and compensation decisions completely on their own.Example 3: Sainsbury`s, the second largest retail shop in across the UK, the CEO Justin King have given their store manager considerably more discretion on what merchandise to stock in their store. Today in modern world, most organization is following decentralization. It makes organization more flexible and responsive. Centralization and its example: Centralization refers that decision making in the organization can be done by only top management. It is the formal authority that top management will give decisions which will be followed by everyone without any changes.When only top managers take decision without any option of lower level employees, the organization is centralized. In simple word, top manager has right to take decision without any view of lower level of manager is called centralization. Example 1: Top management of Company X decided that the m edical facility of the employees will not be provided for six month because the company is suffering from loss for two years. Example 2: A manager of a trucking company makes all operational decisions, sending information to the individual drivers through dispatches.Example 3: The central bank of Bangladesh monitoring and evaluating all other govt. owned bank and private bank in Bangladesh. They published rules and regulation for other bank and every bank followed this rules. Those decision are taken by only top management without any recommendation of lower level employee. Question 3: Japanese management system depends on high specialization. Dose a high level of specialization typically lead to decentralization? Why or Why not?Answer: The Japanese management system depends on high specialization and this lead  to decentralization. We know that, specialization typically related with decentralization. Specialization is the degree to which the overall task of the organization is br oken down and divided into smaller component part where as the decentralization is the process of systematically delegating power and authority through the organization to middle and lower level organization.That means, when specialization follow its every steps like rotation, enrichment, enlargement etc. every employees got some power to achieve the selected target i.e. some systematic delegation has been practiced . An example like Pin factory, improved its productivity using specialization. One man drew the wire, another straight tended, a third cut it and a fourth ground the point and so on and thus on ten man produces 48,000 pin in a day, where as a man alone could produce 20 pin per days. Here, we see that the systematic delegation has been followed in every lower level employee to do work independently as well as the employee did team work that completely reflected decentralization process.From the case study we have known that, all most all business firms in Japan, are tradi tionally team based structure and a consensus approach to decision making which clearly reflected decentralization. The management system in Japan allows a lot of participation from employees at all levels. The management expertise understand the consumer, understand the people they are dealing with and they understand the government and they need in the market place. Based on need they hire high ranking manager who guide the employee as well as give them power to achieve target and they are getting success.The above description of specialization and decentralization, it is clear that both are the same pattern and interrelated. For success in any business not only in Japan but in all across in the world it is essential to follow decentralization a well as specialization. I am strongly agree that high level of specialization lead to dencetralization. —- Question 1: What are some advantages that Carlos Ghosn can expect to obtain from retaining decision-making authority at the C EO level? What are some potential pitfalls that he must be aware of? Answer :Nissan, Japanese automakers vehicle that is 44% own of second largest car company in Japan namely Renault. Before joining Carlos, Nissan was near bankruptcy. They had unappealing models, low market share and declining profitability. At this crucial moment, Carlos took responsibility in Nissan to safe its sink. Ghosn laid off employees who acted as advisors but had no operational authority. He consulted his subordinates, then made decision own. He hired hot designer from rival firms and gave them authority over new product development resulting slew of innovative, award winning designs such as the Xterra and the updated stylish new altima.As a CEO, Carlos can expect to obtain from his subordinates- To solve any existing problem and innovate of new idea. – Subordinates will operate and monitor all about operational activities. – To get more work following a team based work – To help him b urden by doing major portion of the organizations work. – Designer will do provide high range car design. As Carlos, got all type of supported from his subordinates, He did able to revive new model. Although he had aware of some pit falls. – Actually, he did follow boldness and risky approach where as all other Nissan Manager followed Caution and slowness.As cost cutting approach had lead to success all other divisions of Renault, Carlos did reduces expenses. And most important his hidden inspiration. He inspired the designer hired from china for their special design. Question 2: Give at least three example of decisions that can be most effectively made with a decentralized process. Give at least three examples of decisions that can be most effectively made with a decentralized process. Do not use example from the case above. Explain your choices. Answer :Decentralization: Decentralization is the process of systematically retaining power and authority throughout the or ganization to middle and lower level manager. They can quickly solve the problem and more people are involved in giving decision. Decentralization make employees feel that organization is trusting on them and giving right to make decision. Example 1. As the company X is suffering from loss for two years, the employee concluded that as the company is closed for 5 to 6 days per month in a year due to strikes in country, productivity is low.So to achieve the productivity, employee will do over time. 2. Franchise company like Pizza Hurt, control most product development and marketing strategy at the top, but they give franchise owners a great deal of independence in running their individual stores. Franchise owners make staffing decisions, decisions on hours of operation and compensation decisions completely on their own. 3. Wal-Mart the largest retail shop in across the USA, The higher authority have given their store manager considerably more discretion on what merchandise to stock in their store.Centralization: Centralization is the process of systematically retaining power and authority in the hand of higher level manager. When only top managers take decision without any option of lower level employees, the organization is centralized. In simple word, top manager has right to take decision without any view of lower level of manager is called centralization. Example 1. Top management of Company X decided that the medical facility of the employees will not be provided for six month because the company is suffering from loss for two years. 2.A manager of a trucking company makes all operational decisions, sending information to the individual drivers through dispatches. 3. The central bank of Bangladesh monitoring and evaluating all other govt. owned bank and private bank in Bangladesh. They published rules and regulation for other bank and every bank followed this rules. Question 3: Japanese management system depends on high specialization. Dose a high level of specialization typically lead to decentralization? Why or Why not? Answer : The Japanese management system depends on high specialization and this lead to decentralization.We know that, specialization typically related with decentralization. Specialization is the degree to which the overall task of the organization is broken down and divided into smaller component part where as the decentralization is the process of systematically delegating power and authority through the organization to middle and lower level organization. That means, when specialization follow its every steps like rotation, enrichment, enlargement etc. every employees got some power to achieve the selected target. An example like Pin factory, improved its productivity using specialization.One man drew the wire, another straight tended, a third cut it and a fourth ground the point and so on and thus on ten man produces 48,000 pin in a day, where as a man alone could produce 20 pin per days. Here, we see that every lower level employee had some power and authority to do work independently as well as the employee did team work that completely reflected decentralization process. From the case study we have known that, all most all business firms in Japan, are traditionally team based structure and a consensus approach to decision making which clearly reflected decentralization.The management system in Japan allows a lot of participation from employees at all levels. The management expertise understand the consumer, understand the people they are dealing with and they understand the government and they need in the market place. Based on need they hire high ranking manager who guide the employee as well as give them power to achieve target and they are getting success. I am strongly agree that high level of specialization lead to decentralization.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Camps essays

Camps essays In Russia Bolsheviks established concentration camps for suspected counter revolutionists in 1918. During the 20s, criminals were held in the Northern Special Purpose Camps in the Solovetskie Islands in the White Sea and near Arkhangelsk; while in the 30s and 40s a system of corrective camps were situated in the Soviet Union. These people were arrested in the privacy of their own home and then taken to these camps. During Stalins reign, he initiated something very similar to the holocaust on the entire professional and educated population. These special people were then deported to forced labor camps in Siberia along with more than one million seven hundred innocent civilians of Poland. These people included farmers, Volga Germans populations deported from Polish and Baltic territories, Axis prisoners of war and Russians returning from German captivity. They were victims of arrest and werent killed on the spot, but were then transported to a prison camp (one that was called Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp (SLON). They realized that the prisoners could be used for labor at practically no cost to the state. These workers required no pay, and suffered sub-standard living conditions. They were forced to work until they passed out of exhaustion or would just die. As in the case of Ivan Shukov, he was working 15-hour shifts on little food, wasnt getting paid and was in awful living condition s. He would almost freeze to death every night. Camps were usually in isolated areas, many in the vast expanses of Siberia, where the climate and the land were brutal. This is clearly depicted in Ivan, especially when he is outside and you can actually feel how cold he is. After Stalins death in 1953, many inmates were released and the camps continued on a smaller scale. This was a difficult time for these people. These prisoners didnt deserve to be through all that hard workin...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Polaroid Market Analysis Essay Example

Polaroid Market Analysis Essay Example Polaroid Market Analysis Paper Polaroid Market Analysis Paper Market Analysis 1-People – Target market Polaroid digital-imaging products are targeted to mostly middle and upper income bracket consumers, mostly young adults regardless of age or cultural background that invest in these product for personal use. They are also geared to attract photojournalist, professional photographers and business such as; real estates and advertising agencies. 2-Product: Digital-imaging products market exploded in 1994 and the demand was rapidly expanding to include various models of individual product. Some digital-imaging include, digital camera where photos can be stored on a hard disk and process and retrieve through computers and software, the film camera and scanner which comprise of a magnetic disk that is use to print photos from a computer. There is also the video camera and frame grabber that works with a compact flash, memory stick and magnetic diskette which allows photos to be transmitted via internet, in addition, this product has an optical disk to show images through projectors. However, the product that seemed to attract more attention and demand is the digital-camera also refers to as the filmless camera. Although Polaroid had begun investing in research and development in digital-imaging in the 80s, it wasn’t until early 1990s that their first product called Helios Medical Imaging entered the market but started fading by 1996 mainly due to poor marketing strategies. With new entrants by competitors, such as: Kodak and Fuji, Polaroid was forced to reinvent its marketing strategies to maintain its presents in the digital-imaging market. PRODUCT POSITING Polaroid has always been successful in positioning its products in the market due to the following strategies: Continuous investment in Research and Development thereby maintaining awareness of new needs and behavior of its customers. Invest in recruiting professional staff whenever a new product is identified. Polaroid has been a household name for decades. A very innovative company, that always seeks to develop new electronic products to meet the needs of the population. FIVE PRODUCT LEVELS These are as follows: Core – Manufacture digital-imaging cameras to meet the needs of target customers. Basic Provide additional capability to store photos on hard disk to be viewed on computer. Expected As the core and basic levels became routine products offered by all digital-imaging companies, customers begin to expect more extended services. For instance, the increase in storage memory of digital camera, the production of film camera and scanner with magnetic disk to enable photo-printing to printers. Augmented – A level where competitors become an issue, therefore, this is where the Polaroid procure to enhance the quality of current product and procure new and unique ones to offer customers. For example, video camera and frame grabber with memory sticks and optical disk to enable photo sharing via internet and projectors. Potential – In the near future, Polaroid will need to find solution to difficulties facing the digital-imaging market, such as; making it more user friendly digital cameras and improving on the quality of photo-printing. PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION Polaroid has been in the electronic manufacturing business since 1937 and enjoyed tremendous success for decades making brand positioning easily among customers. Polaroid is equipped with competent and experienced electronic imaging groups to develop lasting and reliable products. Capacity to develop unique product, such as, the Helios Medical Imaging, a revolutionary chemical-free, dry imaging system for radiology, which intended to replace X-ray machines. Polaroid is famous for its technological strength nationally and internationally. Invest in mass-market retailers such as Wal-Mart and Kmart, thereby steering from direct competition with other competitors who use specialized stores to sell their products. PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE Polaroid digital-imaging products entered the Decline Product Life Cycle during late 1996 and early 1997, where sales dropping rapidly which led to an additional overall decline in profit and market share. Efforts to revive its image in this rapidly growing and highly competitive market proved futile. 3-PRICE PRICE POSITIONING The digital-imaging marketplace currently has considerable competition in providing various products to the target population, but there are opportunities to promote broader competition by lower prices and higher quality services. This is the approach adopted by Polaroid in positioning price whenever possible. PRICING STRUCTURE In setting on new products Polaroid took into consideration prices currently offered by competitors while ensuring that the company maintains its major quantitative goal of profit maximization. An affordable price offered to customers would lead to increased sales and hence increased cash flow. PRICING METHOD AND ACTUAL PRICE Pricing method is based on uniqueness of product. If similar product is unavailable on the market, pricing is set based on product cost and consumer perception of value.   Otherwise, pricing is set taking into account the current market price offered by major competitors for similar product and pixel (image size). For instance, the PCD-2000/40 with 1,200 x 1,600 pixels digital camera was priced at $3,700 in 1996, a relatively good price compared to similar products from other companies. 4-DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL CHANNEL STRUCTURING Polaroid distribution channel is at O level, where the products come from its warehouse and shipped to the retailers, they go through a packaging process and then delivered to the relevant distributors on a timely manner. PRODUCT FLOW Physical Flow- All products move from the warehouse to retail distributors, such as Wal-Mart, Kmart, food stores and pharmacies among others. Title Flow – Once the product is bought it becomes the property of the buyer. Payment Flow – Once retailers received payment from customers, the agreed amount after commission is deducted and sent to Polaroid through their bank. Information Flow – Initial information on the products flows from Polaroid to target customers via advertisements or sponsored promotional events. Promotion Flow The demand for a particular product is created by the customer due to his/her needs but it is management of Polaroid that decide if, how and when to make such product available to the market. In most cases, the company’s decision is highly influenced by the status of the market pertaining to the products. 5-PROMOTION Polaroid invests mainly in advertisement through promotional magazines on electronics, and direct marketing campaign targeting customers while they shop at the retail stores that carry their products. Public relations promotional tools via internet/ websites, sponsored trade shows are also used in marketing their products. Personal sales flyers/ letters sent directing to potential customers are not common with Polaroid. Conclusion: Critical Issues: Polaroid’s failure in the digital-imaging was mainly due to its inability to compete with strong competitors, like Kodak, Fuji, Sony and Casio, who are new entrants to the market and continue to be profitable in the industry. Need to make their products and marketing positioning clearer nd be more market segment focus. There is notable lack of effective leadership within the various key sections of the company, especially in the customer service area. Financial situation of the company is alarming and bankruptcy is probable if management does not act immediately. Recommendations: Need to create three main working groups/ task force: Create a team comprising of key managers as a ‘think group’, to explore new ideas and product suitable for the market, and to focus more on ways to increase revenue rather than cost-cutting. For example, ensure payroll expenses do not exceed revenue. Develop a competent marketing team to focus exclusively on current and potential competitors and developing strategies to stay ahead in the industry. Enhance customer service team by offering some incentives in order to achieve increased marketing awareness and loyalty. This team needs to constantly monitor customers’ satisfaction. Need to partnership with other companies, such as; internet companies, to enhance its goals and objectives.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Free Essays on Book Review Of “The Pueblo Revolt Of 1680”

Book Review of â€Å"The Pueblo Revolt of 1680† Discovering the past of North America has been an twisted and dark story of inhumanity and self indulgence. The treatment of others by the European powers has recently been uncovered as a degrading time for the Native Americans. Nobody else in the past five hundred years has faced genocide of this power; albeit, the forces of the Spanish people have created the most horrific stories of domination by one race. To say all the Spanish people were horrible is in fact a nasty thing to say; there were some people under the Spanish crown that wanted fair treatment of the natives. Andrew L. Knaut explores these sides of the Spanish crown during the seventeenth century of their claim to New Mexico. The native peoples of the New Mexican territory would struggle to maintain or gain power back from the Spanish peoples; but the Spanish would find every outlet of exploitation and force new ideas upon these Pueblo Indians. The books intention was to shine new light on the external and interna l struggles of both the Spanish and the Pueblo Indians. The following is a critical review of the facts stated in his book. This is followed up by a review of the book itself. The Native Americans of the New Mexican area before the seventeenth century would face very little outside conflict from foreigners, but by the early 1600’s their freedom would radical change. The Pueblo Indians is a culmination of five major groups: Piro, Hopi, Zuni, Tano, and the Keresan. These groups of people faced challenges everyday living in the conditions that they inhabited, but when the outside force of the Spanish got involved all hell broke lose. The natives faced many power struggles as a nation, both internal and external factors played roles in their every day live style. Disease, famine, and Catholicism all were factors in destroying the Pueblo nation of the southwest. When the Spanish explor... Free Essays on Book Review Of â€Å"The Pueblo Revolt Of 1680† Free Essays on Book Review Of â€Å"The Pueblo Revolt Of 1680† Book Review of â€Å"The Pueblo Revolt of 1680† Discovering the past of North America has been an twisted and dark story of inhumanity and self indulgence. The treatment of others by the European powers has recently been uncovered as a degrading time for the Native Americans. Nobody else in the past five hundred years has faced genocide of this power; albeit, the forces of the Spanish people have created the most horrific stories of domination by one race. To say all the Spanish people were horrible is in fact a nasty thing to say; there were some people under the Spanish crown that wanted fair treatment of the natives. Andrew L. Knaut explores these sides of the Spanish crown during the seventeenth century of their claim to New Mexico. The native peoples of the New Mexican territory would struggle to maintain or gain power back from the Spanish peoples; but the Spanish would find every outlet of exploitation and force new ideas upon these Pueblo Indians. The books intention was to shine new light on the external and interna l struggles of both the Spanish and the Pueblo Indians. The following is a critical review of the facts stated in his book. This is followed up by a review of the book itself. The Native Americans of the New Mexican area before the seventeenth century would face very little outside conflict from foreigners, but by the early 1600’s their freedom would radical change. The Pueblo Indians is a culmination of five major groups: Piro, Hopi, Zuni, Tano, and the Keresan. These groups of people faced challenges everyday living in the conditions that they inhabited, but when the outside force of the Spanish got involved all hell broke lose. The natives faced many power struggles as a nation, both internal and external factors played roles in their every day live style. Disease, famine, and Catholicism all were factors in destroying the Pueblo nation of the southwest. When the Spanish explor...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Synopsis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Synopsis - Assignment Example foreign policy after the events of 1848, was just a continuation of â€Å"Metternichian† tradition of working for peace, balance of power within Europe and for the greater interests of the continent. His assertion is that it was not Prussia, but Austria that was endangering European security overall; one more proof he offers to his claim of influence the Habsburgs had. As a result of that, he sees the last Emperor, Franz Joseph as a tough ruler, one that always believed that the honor of his dynasty must be implemented by force only. Franz Joseph showed his willingness to do so in the conflict with Italy when he was a young ruler, as well as in the case of Serbia in 1914. The case of Serbia and the assassination of Archduke and heir apparent Franz Ferdinand, in reality triggered the events that started the World War I, one in which Habsburg Empire dissolved and disappeared giving room to new countries of Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria and Yugoslavia. The second major issue Sked deals with in his book, is the issue of nationalism within the borders of the Empire. Habsburg monarchy incorporated numerous ethnic groups, each of which felt burdened by the rule from Vienna and wanted to achieve some sort of independence. Sked claims that those separatist movements were essentially weak while forgetting that regimes not based on popular satisfaction and feeling, eventually disappear. Sked saw separatist movements as a collective phenomenon, however failing to look on it from different viewpoints. Most noticeably, he fails to look more critically upon nationalism in the Habsburg Empire from psycho-sociological and economic aspects. Sked also, discusses the Compromise of 1867, in which the monarchy was, de facto, divided into two parts, Austria and Hungary, with separate parliaments and prime ministers, but with, de iure, one central ruler. Sked contends that the Compromise was made after the rising nationalism in the Empire threatened its future. The Compromise

Friday, October 18, 2019

Cancer Chemotherapy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Cancer Chemotherapy - Essay Example The nature of cancer is one that has been the easis of much research and even scrutiny. Cancer is a chronic, metabolic disease...that is obvious. It isn't an infectious disease, which is caused by bacteria of viruses. It is a disease that is metabolic in origin. A metabolic disease is a disease that is linked with our utilization of food. Most metabolic diseases have as their basis specific vitamins and minerals. Let me give you a categorical or axiomatic truth to take with you. One that is totally uncontradictable, scientifically, historically and in every other way. This is that no chronic or metabolic disease in the history of medicines has ever been prevented or cured, except by factors normal to the diet or normal to the animal economy. There have been many erstwhile fatal devastating diseases that now have become virtually unknown. They have been prevented and cured by ingesting the dietary factors and thereby preventing the deficiencies, which accounted for these diseases. (Kr ebs) Cancer is a chronic, metabolic disease...that is obvious. It isn't an infectious disease, which is caused by bacteria of viruses. It is a disease that is metabolic in origin. A metabolic disease is a disease that is linked with our utilization of food. ... There have been many erstwhile fatal devastating diseases that now have become virtually unknown. They have been prevented and cured by ingesting the dietary factors and thereby preventing the deficiencies, which accounted for these diseases. . (Krebs,) science brings us face to face with a lot of things we do not like to face. We have become over-civilized. We are inclined in out delusory thinking to feel that here and there must be a magic out. That there must be a simple way, a short cut, that somehow or other medical science or some other man-made forces beyond our comprehension will do for us those things we must do for ourselves. And it is slowly dawning on us, perhaps too slowly that this thinking is fraudulent; that it is unsound. (Budwig) With new computing power and knowledge, scientists hope to develop lifesaving drugs more quickly and with better results (Sheridan) It took 115 years from the first description of blood cancer in 1845 until the discovery of a genetic abnormality instrumental in the disease. Now, 41 years later, a new drug, Gleevec, seems to be the first to offer promise as a treatment. powerful drugs just beginning to be tested for similar glimpses of potential will join Gleevec and hundreds of other drugs in the years ahead. But where do these drugs come from To the public, it may seem like a trial-and-error process of chemical guesswork, but cancer drug discovery has come a long way," says Nouri Neamati, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences in the USC School of Pharmacy and the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. "Drug discovery has entered a new era, with not only better

Wk2 Journal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Wk2 Journal - Assignment Example The company relies on its brand reputation to market its internet services. To meet the needs of different consumers, the company has various subscriptions depending on the type of data connection a customer wants (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2008). With shops in almost all major cities in the US (Place), customers can be sure to get internet connections whenever they want. Additionally, customers can visit the shops during working hours or call the company’s customer care lines for home connections. Verizon Wireless acknowledges that pricing (Price) is a critical factor in marketing and as such, the company provides internet connections at varying rates depending on the needs of consumers and their financial capability. In so doing, the company targets both low income earners and high-income earners. Pricing is also made with consideration of the company’s competitors (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2008). Equally, the company promotes (Promotion) this service through advertising on TV, radio and billboards. This ensures that it remains competitive in the market and that potential customers are reminded, continuously, of the company’s

Indonesian Islamic Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Indonesian Islamic Law - Essay Example I felt peeved at the manner in which a lady is being shoved out of a hotel lobby, where she was having conversation with two of her lady friend, and the male colleagues standing nearby kept laughing and booing at them. Nobody thought it fit to reason out with the police officials that they are not doing anything illegal in the hotel lobby. What is more troubling is, what message is being sent out about Islamic laws by such an action?3.  Identify cultural values specific to your own culture that impacted upon how you reacted/responded to this article. My culture has given me the values and teaching which do not allow ill-treatment of the female members of the society for the simple reason that they are born as female. Equality in the society is the norm as far as I’ve learnt. I sincerely feel that laws are meant to protect the humanity and not to torture them in the name of religion.4.  Analyze how ethnocentricity can impact the way in which you reacted to this article.Ethn ocentricity implies that an individual tends to focus more on the specific ethnic group he or she belongs to. In general it can be considered as a normal human tendency, but in this case we have a nation which has to take care of so many issues at home for development of its citizens, reconstruction of the infrastructure destroyed during the Tsunami disaster, political issues etc. But focus is being given to the age old Shariah laws instead. When a port city it raises doubts about the capability of the government to take the nation ahead.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Sixth Annual Message of George Washington Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sixth Annual Message of George Washington - Essay Example The laws of the US were opposed and were too powerful to be suppressed by general judicial proceedings or by the powers vested on the marshal of the district (Podell and Anzovin). Therefore, he sought to subdue and weigh the best option for the crisis. Washington urged the Congress to support his taxation laws so that the public debt would be reduced. Further, he urged the Congress not to procrastinate the issue since the fiscal measures had commenced (Podell and Anzovin). Washington was geared to foreseeing favorable international relations and therefore urged the Congress that the intercourse with foreign nations would be mandated to the Congress. Washington described the people who participated in the rebellion as enemies of order who were bound to start an insurrection. He also described them as an embittered and prejudice artifice of men whose passions promoted riots and violence (Burns and Dunn). In my opinion, it was not a fair assessment because democracy entails the will of the people. Therefore, he would have engaged the citizens in dialogue and explain to them reasons behind the new taxation measures to curb public

Introduction to Digital Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Introduction to Digital Marketing - Essay Example All corporations in one way or the other ensure the use of digital marketing techniques in their firm for creating awareness amongst the target market. The primary reasons that it is the best option for creating awareness amongst the customers are that it is cost-effective provides the opportunity of reaching the customers globally and marketing activities can be easily personalized to meet the demands of the customers (Jae et al., 2008). It has even allowed the organizations to build effective relationships with the customers by developing a marketing mix compatible for online consumers. Social Media nowadays, Internet has become a vital part of everyone’s life and people are using it to run errands, contact friends, read the e-mails, gather information about various things and conduct various other activities online. From the Internet, everyone is expecting to have instant access to valuable and accurate information quickly. According to Zarella (2010), if a consumer is unab le to find information about a firm online, then it will be harmful to the firm as it will lose a potential customer for its business. With the rapid development of communication and information technologies, various new communication channels have emerged that are presenting a variety of alternatives to the firms for building long-lasting relationships with the customers. According to Harline, Mirrokni, and Sundararajan (2008), the majority of the organizations are becoming multiple channel operators which implies that they are extending their availability from single channel i.e. their websites to social networking sites i.e. social media.   This report stresses that in order to maintain the competitive edge in the market, it is vital for every organization to understand the changing dynamics of its target audience. In the last few years, the digital marketing has become an integral part of the marketing strategy and the marketing plan that does not incorporate it has difficulty in achieving its targeted goals. The organizations that do not cater the area of digital marketing tend to lose a huge chunk of potential target customers for their business. Since the customers are looking for information about the company’s products and services online, it is vital for the organization to enhance its presence on various platforms on the Internet and develop a well-thought and strategically designed social media marketing strategy that will help it in influencing both existing and potential customers. This paper makes a conclusion that as social media will keep on evolving in the future, it is mandatory for the organization to monitor the developments happening in this area and ensure that it is present on all online platforms so that it is instant access by the customers. It can be observed that at a gradual pace new social networking sites are emerging and organizations need to ensure that they have their online presence on all the social websites. With the help of an effective social media strategy, many organizations have been able to successfully expand into other areas and even develop long-lasting relationships with customers so that they remain loyal to the brand and the company.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Indonesian Islamic Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Indonesian Islamic Law - Essay Example I felt peeved at the manner in which a lady is being shoved out of a hotel lobby, where she was having conversation with two of her lady friend, and the male colleagues standing nearby kept laughing and booing at them. Nobody thought it fit to reason out with the police officials that they are not doing anything illegal in the hotel lobby. What is more troubling is, what message is being sent out about Islamic laws by such an action?3.  Identify cultural values specific to your own culture that impacted upon how you reacted/responded to this article. My culture has given me the values and teaching which do not allow ill-treatment of the female members of the society for the simple reason that they are born as female. Equality in the society is the norm as far as I’ve learnt. I sincerely feel that laws are meant to protect the humanity and not to torture them in the name of religion.4.  Analyze how ethnocentricity can impact the way in which you reacted to this article.Ethn ocentricity implies that an individual tends to focus more on the specific ethnic group he or she belongs to. In general it can be considered as a normal human tendency, but in this case we have a nation which has to take care of so many issues at home for development of its citizens, reconstruction of the infrastructure destroyed during the Tsunami disaster, political issues etc. But focus is being given to the age old Shariah laws instead. When a port city it raises doubts about the capability of the government to take the nation ahead.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Introduction to Digital Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Introduction to Digital Marketing - Essay Example All corporations in one way or the other ensure the use of digital marketing techniques in their firm for creating awareness amongst the target market. The primary reasons that it is the best option for creating awareness amongst the customers are that it is cost-effective provides the opportunity of reaching the customers globally and marketing activities can be easily personalized to meet the demands of the customers (Jae et al., 2008). It has even allowed the organizations to build effective relationships with the customers by developing a marketing mix compatible for online consumers. Social Media nowadays, Internet has become a vital part of everyone’s life and people are using it to run errands, contact friends, read the e-mails, gather information about various things and conduct various other activities online. From the Internet, everyone is expecting to have instant access to valuable and accurate information quickly. According to Zarella (2010), if a consumer is unab le to find information about a firm online, then it will be harmful to the firm as it will lose a potential customer for its business. With the rapid development of communication and information technologies, various new communication channels have emerged that are presenting a variety of alternatives to the firms for building long-lasting relationships with the customers. According to Harline, Mirrokni, and Sundararajan (2008), the majority of the organizations are becoming multiple channel operators which implies that they are extending their availability from single channel i.e. their websites to social networking sites i.e. social media.   This report stresses that in order to maintain the competitive edge in the market, it is vital for every organization to understand the changing dynamics of its target audience. In the last few years, the digital marketing has become an integral part of the marketing strategy and the marketing plan that does not incorporate it has difficulty in achieving its targeted goals. The organizations that do not cater the area of digital marketing tend to lose a huge chunk of potential target customers for their business. Since the customers are looking for information about the company’s products and services online, it is vital for the organization to enhance its presence on various platforms on the Internet and develop a well-thought and strategically designed social media marketing strategy that will help it in influencing both existing and potential customers. This paper makes a conclusion that as social media will keep on evolving in the future, it is mandatory for the organization to monitor the developments happening in this area and ensure that it is present on all online platforms so that it is instant access by the customers. It can be observed that at a gradual pace new social networking sites are emerging and organizations need to ensure that they have their online presence on all the social websites. With the help of an effective social media strategy, many organizations have been able to successfully expand into other areas and even develop long-lasting relationships with customers so that they remain loyal to the brand and the company.

Focus Group Essay Example for Free

Focus Group Essay Qualitative research Definition- it is a research, which is undertaken using an unstructured research, approach with a small number of carefully selected individuals to produce non-quantifiable insights into behavior, motivations and attitudes. Qualitative and quantitative research as two distinctly separate bodies of research – many studies encompass both approaches, with qualitative research being used to explore and understand attitudes and behavior, and quantitative research being used to measure how widespread these attitudes and behaviors are. Qualitative research can be used when managers need exploratory research. Managers use exploratory research to understand customer attitudes, emotions, preferences and behaviors. It can also be used in new product development or creative development research. Individual depth interview It is an interview that is conducted face-to-face, in which the subject matter of the interview is explored in detail using an unstructured and flexible approach. As with all qualitative research, depth interviews are used to develop a deeper understanding d of consumer attitudes and the reasons behind specific behaviors. This understanding is achieved through responding to an individual’s comments with extensive probing. The flexibility of this probing sets this interview approach apart from oter questionnaire-type interviews. Although there is an agenda of topics to be covered, the interviewers will use their knowledge of the research objectives, the information gained from other interviews and the comments of the respondent to select which parts of the dialogue with the respondent to explore further, which to ignore, and which to return to later in the interview. Not only is the depth interview flexible, it is also evolutionary in nature. Focus group Focus groups are depth interviews undertaken with a group of respondents. It is different to individual interviews in the number of respondents and interaction between participants. Several factors affect focus group Recruitment is a very critical element of group discussions and has long been a major quality-control issue in the UK marketing research industry. Group discussions are unlikely to achieve their research objectives if the wrong types of participant are recruited. The research proposal will set out the type of participants required for a group discussion. For example, if Colgate is researching a new type of toothpaste for a sensitive teeth. Their specification may request respondents who regularly purchase toothpaste with sensitive protection function. Respondents age (for example 25-64), living area, etc. Managers can also use Screening questionnaire to identify suitable respondents for its group discussion. The area that respondents are recruited normally should be in street or telephone interviews. The location that group discussions were held should let respondents feel comfortable. Locations such as viewing rooms or hotels for business should have no special facilities apart from audio type recorder. Food or snacks will also be provided to assist in relaxing the atmosphere. Time to hold the discussion should be well scheduled. Times should be available to target group. For example, outside working hours, times of available public transport etc. The number of groups should be 3-4. As the 3rd and 4th group can used to exam atypical views. * There are problems involving focus groups. For example in the case of overlapping dialogues from different speakers which may affect the transcript. * Moderators must learn to control such people and encourage those less willing to speak up and let their opinions be heard. Comparing to traditional group discussion, online group discussion or chat room is becoming popular. Apart from lower cost and possible time-saving, it can allow more people to be involved in observing the research, particularly if it is being carried out in a different region or country. However, a cheaper version of online group discussion or chat room where a group is recruited who are willing to discuss a subject online usually using text. It can be difficult to develop any real group dynamics and it is impossible to see people’s facial expression. Even with webcams, the video picture is usually so poor. Participants may also be distracted by events within their own office or home, as the environment is not under the control of the moderator. However, it may be useful with people who could be unwilling to attend a group discussion because of their geographical dispersal or their introverted nature. Projective techniques Projective techniques are techniques used in group discussions and individual interviews to facilitate a deeper exploration of a respondent’s attitudes towards a concept, product or situation. They enable respondents to express attitudes that they find difficult to verbalize. Projective technique projective techniques may gather ‘richer’ data than do standard questioning and discussion. There are many types of projective techniques. The most common three techniques are projective questioning. It is a projective technique that asks the respondent to consider what other people would think about a situation. An example of this could be â€Å"What do you think people in your street would think if they saw a BMW parked in your driveway?† The advantage of projective questioning is that it usually reflect the opinions of the respondent without causing them any embarrassment. Managers can get more objective answers. Word association tests It is a projective technique that involves asking respondents what brands or products they associate with specific words. In marketing research, word association is typically used in conjunction with brand names or celerity endorsers. This can assist marketers in developing communication objectives and strategies to position or differentiate their brands from those of competitors. In addition to the direct outputs of word association, the technique is also very useful as a way of warming up a group by getting everybody contributing and involved. Brand personalities Brand personalities involve respondents imagining a brand a person and describing their looks, clothes. Lifestyles, employment etc. For example, if ‘Nokia’ was a person, what type of person would he or she be? The answer could be such as a modern, relatively young slightly quirky male. This could compare with other brands. Developing brand personification can help to verbalize the imagery and vocabulary associated with the brand. Sentence completion Sentence completion involves providing respondents with an incomplete sentence or group of sentences. Respondents are then asked to complete them. For example, ‘Tesco, as a supermarket, is†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ in many way, sentence completion is similar to word associations, although it can enable researcher to put the respondent’s thinking process into a proper context. Observation research Observation is a data-gathering approach where information on the behavior of people, objects and organizations is collected without any questions being asked of the participants. Observation can take a quantitative format where a large number of events or people are observed and the outputs are analyzed using statistical method. The major advantage of it over surveys of respondents is that the data collected do not have inaccuracies as a result of memory error or social desire bias. The data recorded reflect the actual behavior that took place. For example, video record gives a true representation of rental behavior. Observation overcomes the high refusal rates that may exist for some survey research. However, observation cannot investigate reasons behind behavior. Also, only public behavior is observed. Examples of what can be observed are consumers behavior in store, family consuming behavior at home, comments on the internet. Typical methods of observation are internet monitoring (club card, cookies), in-store observations (CCTV), mystery shopping(researchers participant into observation to look at process not the outcome of number of satisfaction), content analysis(how many time that the word appear in the article), ethnography(could be costly and have ethical issues). Ethical problem Questionnaire A questionnaire is the research instrument designed to generate the data necessary for accomplishing a project’s research objectives. Questionnaires have advantages over some other types of surveys in that they are cheap, do not require as much effort from the questioner as focus group, and often have standardized answers that make it simple to compile data. However, questionnaires also have many of the same problems relating to question construction and wording. The effect of questionnaire might also limited by the location that respondents do the questionnaire. For example, respondents who did questionnaire in high street could be affected by noise. There are many types of questionnaire. There are open-ended question, closed question, scaling questions. There are many factors when comparing Focus group, depth interviews, projective techniques, observation and questionnaire. In terms of degree of structure, focus group are relatively high as managers will guide and control the whole discussion until all tasks are finished. In terms of probing of individual respondents, depth interviews are high and focus group and questionnaire are low. Moderator bias in depth interviews are high and others are medium. Observation has none effects in terms of both probing of individual respondents and moderator bias. Focus group is also high in discovering innovative information. Projective techniques and observation are high in uncovering subconscious information and obtaining sensitive information. Questionnaire and projective techniques are involving unusual behavior or questioning.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Education Via Facebook Benefits And Challenges Education Essay

Education Via Facebook Benefits And Challenges Education Essay As many teachers might attest, students diligently clicking away at their laptops during class are not always taking notes or interacting with class material. If their minds are wondering, chances are they are browsing the Internet. Though the internet provides many options for diversion, statistics show that one of the most likely places students are spending a portion of their class time is on Facebook. As likely as Facebook is to be a distraction in the classroom it also has the potential to be a teaching tool when used strategically and creatively. Social Media is an emerging technology with growing popularity. Most students and educators are familiar with Facebook. Some argue that Facebook isnt a reliable mean to transform knowledge between educators and students and is viewed as rather distracting than beneficiary. In this paper, I will review findings by some researchers to understand the relationship between Facebook and education, and whether it could be a reliable mean to b e used in Education by educators and students as nowadays, people are divided into two major groups in terms of familiarly with technology: digital immigrants and digital natives (Siegle 2011). Digital natives are those who have always relied on technology as a way of life where Digital Immigrants are people who live in two worlds, one of which technology is overlooked. In the second world, it dominated our lives and became a recognized necessity (Siegle 2011); e.g. while digital immigrants prefer to use emails; digital natives prefer to use text messaging. Conventional media such as radio, television, and newspapers are associated with many challenges related to high costs and access limitations. Social media, on the other hand, is highly accessible anytime and anywhere the internet can reach (Tiryakioglu and Erzurum 2011). Conventional media cannot be changed after production, whereas social media can be immediately changed and/or updated via comments, likes, and dislikes. According to researchers, social networks can help developing communication skills and encourage participation and social commitment (Tiryakioglu and Erzurum 2011) Facebook can be defined as an online platform where users can create profiles, generate and share content and information, and interact with other known and unknown contacts (Boyd and Ellison 2007). Following its launch in 2006, Facebook has grown rapidly in terms of the number of users and the amount of time its users spend browsing compared to other websites. Facebook is now considered to be the dominant network of all the international social networks and has led people to abandon other websites like MySpace, which some have gone so far as to refer to as the ghetto of social networks (Siegle 2011). In this paper, I will present and discuss what other scholars have concluded from their research on the use and effects of social networks (i.e. Facebook) in education. The studies used in this paper were conducted on teachers, university professors, college students, and high school students to understand and assess the usage of social networks in the light of education and its effect on students academic achievements as well as fulfilling the desire of promoting knowledge and maintaining effective and efficient student interaction with educators. This paper will eventually answer the following question: does Facebook usage by students and educators improve the interaction between both parties to promote knowledge? The objective of this essay is to present the benefits and challenges that face students and educators in practicing their role in education in the light of using Facebook. Communication through Facebook is different from traditional face-to-face communication. First, friendships through Facebook are explicit, where traditional friendships usually tend to be implicit. Secondly, conversations through Facebook are persistent. They are permanently stored and easily retrieved at any point in time. Finally, Facebook conversations are shared with all friends who can access someones profile (Siegle 2011). While Facebook enhances the process of communication, it is important to perceive it as a possible threat to its users privacy, which may in turn cost them educational and career opportunities (Siegle 2011). Fortunately, this threat can be avoided by a simple application of personal judgement before sharing private matters a person does not desire to be shareable with anyone at any point in time. Before I discuss the usage of Facebook by college students, lets take an overview on the first time Facebook is used by young users (teenagers, for example). Unlike the past, teens dont need to physically leave the house to socialize. Facebook is used as a primary communication activity through which they post, comment, and share information with each other. To preserve this tool, young users ought to be advised from the beginning as to how to use social networks responsibly and be aware of all the issues that might arise from such activity including exposed privacy. Facebook can provide a window into anyones life. Given that fact, it is the responsibility of the parents to monitor and provide guidelines to their children once they start using Facebook. The use of Facebook by students entails education-related interactions, while some use it to obtain information on a missed class, others may use Facebook to engage in humorous comments about their own and their teachers actions. Todays classroom lexicon contains words with different meanings, including post, message, tag, poke, and inbox (Fewkes and McCabe 2012). No one can deny the fact that Facebook broke down the barriers between students and educators because the informal learning that occurs in the context of sharing media offers important opportunities for increased student involvement in formal learning settings (Fewkes and McCabe 2012). Psychologists have argued that a learning community would perform its best if the characteristics of connectedness and trust have been established amongst the learners (Fewkes and McCabe 2012). For this reason, education remains one of the areas most heavily impacted by technology. Although some argue that technologies like Facebook could involve some challenges for students, that is, when implementing new technologies in classrooms, it is important that teachers focus on promoting knowledge rather than simply being a source of information (Siegle 2011). Moreover, the nature of multimedia can captivate students easily; too much multimedia stimulation can interfere with the deeper cognitive processing that is critical to learning (The American Psychological Association). Aaron M. Fewkes and Mike McCabe conducted a survey on a sample of students at Waterloo Regional District School Board after the latter had made a decision to embrace the growing popularity of Facebook to verify if their vision of using Facebook in schools aligns with the actual behaviour of the students. The results show that 48% of students do log on to Facebook at least once during class time, moreover, the research exposed a possible disconnect between school board and students due to improper implementation of this policy. Facebook, however, can be a powerful communication tool that could serve as a professional resource for educators. ( Pilgrim and Bledsoe, 2011). Educators can respond to the use of technology in their classrooms in five ways: 1 1. Ban it: This has been deemed ineffective due to the fact that technology is becoming a part of our life that we constantly use. Typical workarounds are hiding devices behind books and texting from pockets. 2. Do business as usual: I disagree with this behaviour of educators as it is the educators responsibility to engage the students in their classrooms 3. Limit the use of Technology: a clear guideline indicating what is to be tolerated and what would be unacceptable. 4. Enhance traditional practice: Technology is dependent on users. 5. Use the technology to restructure the educational process: encourage students to use technology for inquiry, problem solving and/or instruction. If I was an instructor, my choice would be the fifth option, as it is the most effective and efficient according to the studies conducted by Pilgrim, Beldsoe, and Siegle, who all have concluded in their studies the importance of learning how to incorporate Facebook into the education process. The use of technology allows students to use social media websites like Facebook to engage in formal or informal discussions with their instructor as well as their fellow students. There are many ways educators and students can connect using Facebook. For instance, the teacher can post comments for the students, students can post their final work for their peers to review and provide feedback, and also students can use the wall feature to ask questions and respond to each other. In addition, I would set up a central page where all classroom mates can join to participate at any time of their choice to exchange knowledge and understanding of the subject being studied. Using social media should be, however, accompanied by some important precautions which educators should adhere to when using Facebook as a tool for educating students:2 1. Teachers should consider setting up a separate Facebook account 2. Educators should obtain signed parental consent prior to interacting with young students on Facebook. 3. Teachers should refrain from installing any applications on their page that would negatively affect their professional image. 4. Educators should remind students that they need to transfer the respectful tone teachers expect in class to their online interactions with them and ensure that students are aware that a teachers ethical responsibility will continue online. According to some studies (Seigle 2011), educators who relied on Facebook to follow professional organizations were more knowledgeable than those who did not (Pilgrim and Bledsoe 2011). We live in an age in which we are fully dependent on instant updates and information, the rationale behind using Facebook as a tool for professional learning adopts the idea that the internet is this generations defining technology for literacy (Pilgrim and Bledsoe 2011). Facebook is indeed an important source of information for educators who seek to continue their learning. According to a study conducted on university instructors in Turkey, all instructors who participated in the survey somehow use Facebook in their courses; even the instructor with the lowest frequency had used Facebook to make announcements about the course by creating a group. The study concludes that instructors have adopted Facebook and they are using it intensively, with a greater tendency toward its use for educational purpose s. According to my cited sources, the studies recognized Facebook as a reliable source for academicians because it is flexible and user friendly, in addition, the sources emphasized on the role of Facebook as a medium between students and instructors and argued that Facebook can neither be solely dependable for conducting courses nor can it be ignored. After I have explored the usage of Facebook by educators as well as students and identified the benefits and challenges of such usage by each party, I can assert that Facebook is a dependable, reliable, and popular medium through which both educators and students can interact appropriately. In order for this medium of communication to work in its most effective and efficient way, students need to be trustful and self-regulated, that is, to refrain from the over- use of Facebook and eventually the addiction to it leading to damage to their potential academic achievement. In conclusion, Educators and students use Facebook; the education process should be focused on the interaction of each party with the other and not the technology itself. Facebook opens new doors to students and allows their knowledge to grow. Facebook also allows them to learn about themselves from their peers. It is my belief that social networks like Facebook will continue to evolve and optimize the education channels in the context of human communication. Educators should consider Facebook as a mean of enhanced communication that provides traceability to what has been discussed and a source of feedback and/or evaluation on whether the discussion has fulfilled what it is mandated for or not.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Personal Narrative - A Journey :: Personal Narrative Writing

A Journey I am by myself wearing my blue jeans and an old flannel shirt. It is cool outside but I decided to leave my gloves at home, feeling comfortable with my warm shirt and my sturdy boots. It is just me and the woods. I take nothing with me when I leave, because I know that I won't be gone too long. It is early fall so it is cool outside but not cold. I am back on teh east coast walking through the woods of the Appalachins. The leaves have begun turning colors so there is a beautiful aray of oranges, yellows, greens, and reds. The red colors of the leaves remind me of the maple trees that used to be outside of my house. I remember looking at the red leaves on those trees the evening of our homecoming football game when Paul came over. The floor of the forest is damp but not muddy. There are moss covered stones that litter the path I am walking. Some of them are loose, and others are firmly embedded in the ground. For the most part they are the rocks that you have to watch out for when your are running a cross-country race so that you do not sprain your ankle. They are the type of rocks that are annoying at picnics and camp fires because they are not big enough to sit on and too big to move. I keep walking because I know that ahead of me is a small stream where I can quietly sit and listen to the water. It is small enough that some rocks portrude above the water and I could walk across if I wanted to. As I walk towards the stream I see a bottle that is empty and crushed. At one point it had been a bottle filled with mineral water for someone who had been hiking through the woods on a health trip. When I see it I don't stop to pick it up, but I make a mental note of its locations so I can grab it on my way back. Once I reach the stream I sit on a rock and watch the water tumble over and around the stones in the creek bed. As I sit there a deer appears on the other side of the stream. Not a buck, but just a standard doe.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

American reporter said to be ?OK? :: essays research papers

it sucksPOLICE IN Karachi told NBC News that Saeed’s arrest was a â€Å"major breakthrough† and that he disclosed Pearl was still alive during an initial interrogation. Separately, Jamil Yousuf, head of a citizen-police liaison committee, quoted Saeed as saying of Pearl, â€Å"He’s alive. He’s OK.† However, NBC’s Robert Windrem reported that while the United States believes Saeed â€Å"played a central role in the kidnapping,† officials are not sure whether he knows the whereabouts of the reporter. Saeed, a British-born Islamic militant, was arrested Tuesday afternoon in the eastern city of Lahore and sent to Karachi for questioning, ministry secretary Tasneem Noorani told The Associated Press. Saeed’s arrest was announced one day before Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is to meet President Bush in Washington. The kidnapping embarrassed the Musharraf government, which is seeking U.S. aid as it attempts to combat Muslim extremism in this predominantly Islamic country of 147 million people. Relations between the United States and Pakistan have warmed up significantly since the Islamabad government agreed to support the U.S. war on terrorism in Afghanistan, where Pakistan had been a staunch supporter of the hard-line Taliban regime. Advertisement RELEASED AFTER HIJACKING Saeed, a 27-year-old British born Islamic militant, was freed from an Indian jail in December 1999 in exchange for passengers of an Indian Airlines jet which was hijacked on a domestic flight to Kandahar, Afghanistan. The son of a clothes merchant from Wanstead in east London, Saeed studied at the London School of Economics. Lonnie Kelley, spokesman for the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, said they had no word on Pearl’s fate and were trying to confirm that Saeed has been arrested. â€Å"We are looking into it, but nothing on Daniel yet,† he said. Steve Goldstein, a vice president and spokesman for Dow Jones, the Wall Street Journal’s parent company, declined to comment on whether the arrest revealed new information about Pearl’s abduction. â€Å"We continue to remain hopeful,† Goldstein said in a telephone interview. He also declined to comment on specifics of the case. NOT A CAR CHASE A team of police officers from the southern province of Sindh had been in Lahore searching for Saeed for the last few days, the government-run news agency Associated Press of Pakistan reported Tuesday. Police did not reveal the circumstances of Omar’s arrest, but said they had been rounding up his associates and raiding their houses in recent days.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Early Christian Architecture Essay

Early Christian Architecture We have spoken of how one style of architecture develops from another, and we are now to look briefly at a form which is chiefly important as being a link in the chain of styles. There are not many important buildings of the Early Christian style. It came into being at a time when not much building was going on that is, during the early centuries of Christianity, and what good examples there are, are nearly all churches. During the first three centuries of the Christian era Christianity was under the ban of persecution, and there was not much chance for it to manifest itself in great architecture. But, early in the fourth century, Constantine became Emperor and was converted to Christianity. He made Christianity the State religion. Constantine founded three large basilicas in Rome, all of which have been buried or destroyed. The chief objects to be thought of in these churches was to build without too much cost, to do it quickly, and to accommodate large congregations. A great structural principle which they used in roofing, or spanning spaces, is the truss. This is a frame of beams, or of beams and rods, so disposed and fastened as to make a continuous support or bridge across an open space. The truss was used by the Romans in roofing their basilicas. CHIEF FEATURES As the great Romanesque style grew out of this early Christian architecture, let us look at the main features of the earlier and simpler style. Some of the most important of these features are preserved also in the Gothic church and we shall wish to see, as we very easily can see, how they grew out of this first early Christian style. The buildings of this style were simple in form, but of noble proportions, and, though very plain without, they were often gorgeous within. A notable circumstance about the early Christian work is the fact that its monuments were built largely from ruins and fragments quarried from earlier Roman work. No doubt much beauty was ruthlessly destroyed in this way. Before the Christian era Cato borrowed from the Greeks their hall of justice; the first one being erected in Rome about 190 years before Christ. These basilicas usually had a large hall connected with a portico, and encircling galleries often enclosed the whole. When Christianity became a State religion these buildings came to be used for religious purposes. The basilica always had a central aisle; and this nave or central portion was usually separated from the side aisles by rows of columns. At the further end of the nave was the sanctuary or apse, in front of which stood the altar. In front of the whole was usually an atrium or fore-court, surrounded by a covered arcade. The exterior was extremely plain, and the interior resplendent with marbles and mosaics. A wooden roof covered the edifice. Figure 29 is the ground plan of a basilica which will show us the general arrangement, although this basilica does not happen to be an old Roman example. Above the columns that surrounded the nave there usually arose another story called the clerestory (clear story), the walls of which were pierced with windows. This is a feature which persists through later styles, and it is interesting to see its simple and plain beginning. Some of the Egyptian temples had clerestories, but the European examples date back only to early Christian architecture.