Saturday, August 31, 2019

Mini Marketing Plan- Organic Food Essay

I. Executive Summery Sunny Farm Organic Food Company is a small start-up company which is located in Dalian and now mainly focuses on the market of Northeast China. Sunny Farm sells many kinds of organic food which include grain, vegetables, fruits, dairy, spices, tea, and animal products. Nowadays, organic food’s share of food market is low, but it has a huge potential for development. How to compete and how to gain competitive advantage in this emerging market become the biggest challenges to the company. The primary marketing objectives are to improve the market channel, which can help goods flow more smoothly and reach more audience, and to maintain a good relationship with customers. Since Sunny Farm engaged in food market, which is indispensible in daily life, it is currently considered a business-to-customer marketer. The plan calls for Sunny Farm to engage and capture 20 percent of the Northeast China (three provinces) organic food market. II. Environmental Analysis Sunny Farm Organic Food was founded two years ago by entrepreneurs Calais Chen and Lizzie Zhang. Sunny Farm’s products reflect Calais’s and Lizzie’s passion for high-quality food and those products catch up with the trend of green life. Sunny Farm now has many counters in supermarkets and food shops of main cities, Northeast China. A. The Marketing Environment 1. Competitive forces. The competition in organic food is relative weak in northeastern region compared to middle and southern regions because only a few competitors exist. The competition within the food industry is intense but still, it’s a market with great potential. Ordinary food is the primary competitor and also the leader; it takes up more than 90percent of market share due to its lower price and mass production. And the less than 10percent market is divided among the existing firms. However, the new industry is developing and full of vigor, more and more competitors are expected to enter the market in the near future. 2. Economic forces. The whole economy environment is quite well. The former economic crisis had little impact on northeast China. People have more money to spend to live a higher standard life. Organic food may be a good choice. Even though its price is at least 30percent higher than same kind ordinary food, it has many incomparable advantages. Recent years, with the change in people’s concept of consumption, they are much more willingly to spend money related to health. 3. Political forces. No. 4. Legal and regulatory forces. In recent years, more attention has been paid to food safety due to negative news. Much legislation has been published to cope with such problems. However, the restrictions put on organic food is much strict than those put on ordinary food. COFCC (China Organic Food Certification Center) is responsible for certification, management, and inspection of organic food, supports for fostering organic food market. 5. Technological forces. Organic food is strong dependent on environment – soil, weather, sunlight, and artificial intervention. The quality of organic food is not as stable as mass produced industrial production.. A major emerging technological trend involves ecological agriculture model, which includes ecological farming, contract farming, food processing, clean energy, organic fertilizer, etc. 6. Sociocultural forces. In today’s society, people earn more and concern more about higher standard of living. Organic food starts getting popular and that fits an overall trend among middle-class Chinese toward buying high-quality products with greater nutritional value and better taste. Organic food also fits in other societal trends: a good choice of giving presents and the need of substantial development, for example. B. Target Market(s) As a company which has an advantage in the location, Sunny Farm must adapt to change and market dynamics, segment the market, enforce deep-processing and high-processing to satisfy the needs of personalized market. First of all, we should recognize who are willing to buy such expensive food, love to eat the foods, and take delight in talking about the foods at this stage. Nowadays, women take the responsibility for purchasing family food in most families and they dominant where does the market go. However, we divided organic food’s target market into women, children, vegetarian, elderly people, and gift markets. In these segmentations, women still play an important role because it’s women who usually buy food for children or elderly people. C. Current Marketing Objectives and Performance Sunny Farm’s main distribution channel is retailers, which include supermarkets and food shops. Currently, most of our customers learn our products by advertisements on local websites, magazines, or foretaste of our product on the counter. Sunny Farm offers discounts to members who buy products in the long-term. Customer relationship is crucial because customer has the publicity effect that advertisements couldn’t match. Most women are glad to share shopping and life experience; we found that part of our customers is introduced by friends or colleagues who bought our products. The company collects cash from retailers monthly and implements cash on delivery to online-ordered customers, thus our company has good control over cash flow currently. Sunny Farm takes up 10 percent of organic food market now and desires to double it in the following two years. Higher revenues and profits can help company improve products and services, thus attract more potential customers. III. SWOT Analysis A. Strengths 1. Sunny Farm Organic Food Company is located in Dalian, with organic farms in all three provinces, where have the most appropriate weather for plants/ fowls to grow (Three River Plain and Songnen Plain). Goods are delivered directly from farms to supermarkets, food shops, or customers to minimize pollution. 2. Organic food of our company has a high level of safety and quality. Pesticide, chemical fertilizers are strictly forbid to ensure its purity. Organic food will be prevailing in the food market in the foreseeable future. 3. Sunny Farm has a website that is designed concise and convenient. Online-ordered products could be sent within 8 hours within urban areas. The operation to order is very easy and we also offer telephone ordering. 4. Sunny Farm opens several of its organic farms to customers. Customers can have a deeper acknowledge of our products by seeing how we produce. B. Weaknesses 1. Organic food is prohibiting from addition of preservative, which gives Sunny Farm a great challenge to transportation because the freshness is very important for food. 2. The Sunny Farm’s food has higher price for is high cost which includes scientific research, transportation expense. The extremely strict regulation forced us to be accurate during the whole producing process. 3. Most of our foods are not as good-looking as those which contain many pesticides, fertilizer, and growth regulating hormone. Organic fruits and vegetables may have worm stings and smaller than ordinary ones. C. Opportunities 1. Organic food is gaining recognition from customers because increasing number of people is now aware of the importance of environmental protection. Recent issues of food safety, including melamine-tainted milk, tonyred egg, and clenbuterol pork, deepen consumer’s interest in organic food also. 2. Sunny Farm has already have 10percent of market share and those customers are precious. They can help company explore new customer resources. 3. Imported organic food is very expensive and many customers buy them before China’s local market has been developed. Sunny Farm’s products are not losing to imported food. D. Threats 1. Many customers choose vitamin pills or albumen powder to add nutrition to diet. These goods are easy to carry and have longer shelf life. 2. The cost of many links in the production chain is increasing, varying from production, collection, storage, to package. 3. Recent years, the cultivated area is decreasing sharply. Organic farms need enough lands to produce because they have to be far away from polluting factories. E. Matching Strength to Opportunities/ Converting Weaknesses and Threats 1. To maintain a desirable profit, Sunny Farm puts substantial effort on scientific research and helps company be more efficient. Price is an important criterion for customers. 2. Based on existing customers, who have a fine opinion of Sunny Farm’s product, we can explore potential customers to earn greater share of markets. 3. Sunny Farm plans to develop new product to meet with the changing needs with customers. For example, further process fruits/vegetables into dried one and satisfied the needs of office lady. IV. Marketing Objectives Sunny Farm Organic Food Company is in the business of helping people live a greener and healthier life. It has to overcome increasing cost and continue to improve the quality. Sunny Farm’s objective is to capture 20 percent of market share in the following two years and to have 80 percent of its customers indicate that they love the product and are willing to buy again. The following two years is extremely important for Sunny Farm’s future development. To accomplish the objective, we have more to do with scientific research to minimize producing cost, and improve the distribution channel to eliminate inefficient transportation. At the same time, we should increase sales by holding a public relations activity, and do sales promotions weekly in supermarkets. A good way to promote is to make our products more outstanding in the supermarket; sales force could negotiate with supermarket officials. Another good way is to contact an opinion leader and persuasive him/ her to give positive statement to our products. V. Marketing Strategies A. Target Market(s) Target Market 1: pregnant women. Their bodies are very sensitive to artificial chemicals and organic foods are safe and nutritious that would be great to help them go through the pregnant period and have healthy babies. Target Market 2: children. They are the hopes of family, parents and grandparents always try their best to afford a better living environment. The quality of food directly affects the children’s living quality and physical development. Target Market 3: young lady. Most Chinese young ladies are focus on whitening, losing weight, and they would spend much money on them. Organic product is natural and helps body eliminate toxicant. Target Market 4: gift market. Sunny Farm offers boxes loaded products which are aim at gift market. Organic food is the new trend. They are environmental-friendly and taste that donors will have â€Å"face† and recipients will feel novel. B. Marketing Mix 1. Products. Sunny Farm sells many kinds of organic food: grain, vegetables, fruits, dairy, spices, tea, and animal products. At the same time, Sunny Farm sells the idea of green life and sustainable development. 2. Price. Sunny Farm charges a comparative high price for is high-quality products. Our products worth that much. Once customers become aware of and experience the benefits of organic food, they would be generous to purchase. 3. Distribution. Sunny Farm use dual distribution. Customers can buy products from retailers like supermarkets and food shop and they can also order product online. (SunnyFarm. com. cn) 4. Promotion. Currently about 50 percent of customers reorder each month. Sunny Farm sent text messages or email to members monthly and members could accumulate points by buying product and redeem gifts in the year end. We should make sure that our new products can get enough attention. Holding a public relations activity is helpful. VI. Marketing Implementation A. Marketing Organization Sunny Farm is a customer-centered company and focuses its marketing efforts on satisfying customer’s needs. The company mainly has three teams: research team, sales team, and promotion team. Research team is responsible for uncovering new needs and develops new products. Also, this team should adjust existing system according to customers’ feedback. Sales force is responsible for increasing sales; they mainly focus on negotiation with market officials and shopkeepers. Promotion team is responsible for advertising and deals with customer relationship. Sunny Farm is a harmonious company. B. Activities, Responsibility, and Timetables for Completion All implementation activities begin at the start of 2013. By March 31, develop Customer Relationship Management. By April 30, survey existing customers and members to get more information and analyze the results. By June 31, start to contact with new customer for the current products. By August 31, develop a new product according to the former survey. By December 30, develop a plan that adjust the system and minimize unnecessary costs base on the yearly performance. VII. Evaluation and Control A. Performance Standards and Financial Controls A comparison between budget and actual expenditures will be included in the project report. The following performance standards and financial controls are suggested: The administrative expense should not greater than 5 percent of total expenditure. Each team is responsible for its own purpose as well as the common goal of company. Each team report financial expenditures quarterly of their project. The sales of new products will be evaluated to determine its future prospect. Cash flow should always be smooth. B. Monitoring Procedures A comparison between Sunny Farm’s actual performance and company’s objective is important to evaluate effectiveness. Following are monitoring procedures: Monitor click throughs, web page visits, and time spent on SunnyFarm. com. cn. to evaluate the online service. Monitor the effectiveness of member programs by assigning unique, customer-specific codes to each membership card. Track their buying. Compare budgeted and actual expense monthly within each team and company evaluates each team and the team director.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Culinary art Essay

1. Executive Summary This report is a discussion about a bad review posted by John Trevallin on The Morning Post after his disastrous dinner at the Abbey Restaurant. John had some serious expectation from The Abbey as is considered a premier restaurant with great location and world renowned chef Marcus Vesty who owns the restaurant. This report consists of firstly the immediate stakeholders, who are answerable for the bad review, secondly analyzing the issues that led to the bad review, thirdly suggestions and recommendations on how to tackle the issue so as to live up to the expectations of the owners and saving the Radicor Hotel Darling Harbour as the owners are planning to divert its interest from one of the hotels in this chain. Later in the report discussions on how to live up to the expectations of the loyal guests as well as how to attract new customers after this bad review is considered and finding possible solution to maintain the glory of Radicor as well as The Abbey. 2. Introduction The Radicor Hotel Darling Harbour Sydney is a premier hotel in the heart of the city. Darling Harbor is one the most visited place in Sydney and is the key area of which has a convention center, an exhibition center and many other tourist attractions such as shops cafes. The major attractions for tourists are the Sydney Aquarium and the Chinese Garden. According to the video the total number of visitors in darling harbor last year was 27.9 million out of which 3.8 million visitors is on transit and the remaining 24.6 million are from interstate or overseas. The location of the Radicor hotel attracts both business travelers as well as tourists. Considering the number of visitors it is comprehensible that competition between hotels, cafes and restaurant would be very high. Hotels have to go beyond excellence to attract customers as in such a location with so varied visitors it is a challenge to meet the expectations of everyone and maintaining the customer service level. The Radicor Ho tel takes pride in providing quality and excellence to its guests and stakeholders. Marcus Vesty the world renowned chef runs the Abbey restaurant located on the ground floor of the Radicor Hotel and is considered the leading restaurant in Sydney providing a fusion of flavors from east and west. Marcus leases the restaurant from the Radicor Hotel on a profit share basis. There are a number of issues that the Radicor Hotel is facing and to top that up John’s shocking feedback about The Abbey is now really a knock on the door for them. To make things worse the parent company Simcom Group is certain about selling off one of the Radicor chain Hotels as a result of global financial crisis and Radicor Darling Harbour is on the list. 3. List of Stakeholders The stakeholders that are concerned with this case are Marcus Vesty – the executive chef and owner of Abbey restaurant, Mr Loyd Chan – major shareholder of the Simcom , John Trevallin – The morning post reviewer, Tom Mc Laren – General Manager Radicor Hotel Darling Harbour, the devoted customer’s of Radicor and Abbey restaurant as well as the restaurant team members both front of house and kitchen. 4. Analysis and Recommendation The key issues that need some highlight in this case can be categorized in terms of front of house and kitchen that are not living up to the expectation of customers and shareholders. Firstly we will discuss about the problems in the kitchen which lead to such a bad review. 4.1 Absence of Marcus: One of the major reasons to this is the absence of Marcus in his own restaurant. He being involved too much in doing TV shows, promoting his cookbook and other media appearances is undoubtedly affecting the quality of food served in the restaurant. Marcus coming to the restaurant once or twice fortnightly is not acceptable. Marcus needs to be more involved in the restaurant. He is required to sit with the General Manager, Maitre-d hotel, and sommelier to discuss about the issue and find effective ways to get the reputation of the hotel and the restaurant to its glory. He needs to have a through training session where he is required to clearly convey the target they desire to achieve. Being the executive chef he needs to motivate his employees by providing training, recognition, and bonus(Carroll, 2012). 4.2 Menu planning: Menu planning is a process of creating a menu that suits both management as well as customers taking into account all the characteristic of food service system. Menu in a restaurant for a guest is not just the list of available food but it’s an representation of the procedure and contributes to the overall dining experience by creating a mood and excitement about the experience(Gordon-Davis and Van Rensburg, 2004). The balance between all the food items on the menu is very important so that each course or dish suits the palate(Mc Vety et al., 2008). In the case study as highlighted by John that the some of the dishes were too fragrant and some have an odd after taste. This shows that the menu was not properly balanced and the composition of menu was not up to the mark. 4.3 Standards Recipe not followed: Though Marcus is a very renowned chef and is known for its amazing cooking there could be various other reasons why the food was not up to the mark such as it could be the chefs employed by Marcus that are not doing their job properly. Standard recipe for each dish not being followed by the chefs. So the chefs need to follow the standardrecipe and every time a particular dish comes should be the same. This leads us to the next problem which is lack of staff training. 4.4 Lack of training: It’s clear from the review that there is a lack of training in the kitchen. It’s surveyed that the most important issue the hospitality industry is facing is the training of staffs. Employee training is a vital necessity to generate quality experience for both staffs as well as guests as well trained employees are more likely to deliver high quality service(Kusluvan, 2003). As per the review the food provided was not up to the standards that should be in such a premier restaurant. Clearly the chefs at the Abbey need more training on how to follow the standard recipe and maintaining the consistency. This will eradicate the problem of food being not up to the mark and as a result avoid the negative reviews from guests about food. This will rather help for both the restaurant as well as Marcus to get back the reputation and glory back. Also catering to the guest requirement as much as possible can be taken into consideration to go that extra mile and meet the guest expectation. 4.5 Uniformity of staff: According to the video the front of house staff is employed by the Radicor Hotel except the chefs, sous chef, maitre-d hotel and sommelier which are employed by Marcus himself. This leads to deficiency of control of operational aspects such as training, staff selection, and lack of dedication among staff(Mull et al., 2009). Since Marcus does not have much authority to choose the front of house staff for his restaurant he cannot do much about training and selecting his employees. Since the front of house staff are a part of Radicor Hotel they lack dedication towards the restaurant and don’t take much effort in doing things right. 4.6 Lack of Menu Knowledge: The front of house staff according to the review has very less knowledge about the food. This again is a serious issue of lack of training and dedication of the staff. The knowledge about the menu is a ver y important aspect of a food and beverage staff as they are the ones who are actually dealing with guests and are in direct contact with them. It is expected from every food and beverage staff to know the menu and also about the food (Swanson and Toledo, 2008). The above issues may not be that big when we talk about restaurant failing as a whole but in terms of a fine dining restaurant with such a goodwill these things do matter a lot. As said earlier as well the expectations of guest become so high that it isdifficult to meet them unless each and every detail is looked after. This issue can be easily solved by training the staff; the best way to train the front of house staff about the menu is to have session with chefs. Conducting tasting sessions for staffs and asking them to comment is a very effective way of gaining knowledge about the food (Andrews, 1980). 4.7 Poor ambience of the restaurant: Though the restaurant is located in the famous hotel Radicor Darling Harbour which is in the heart of the city, the ambience inside the restaurant according to John is not like a fine dining restaurant should be. The reasons of this could be overbooking(Gagnon and Gagnon, 2011), location in terms of where the restaurant is in the hotel as well as its in the busiest area of Sydney. In a fine dining restaurant overbooking the location could lead to some very unhappy customers as they expect a quite place so that they can e njoy the experience of high quality service and food and can relax while dining. In fine dining restaurants only that number of booking should be taken which suits the ambience and may be the restaurant could be made partially soundproof so that outside noise does not bother the guests(Baraban and Durocher, 2010). Conclusion The Radicor Hotel Darling Harbour being a reputed hotel with a world class restaurant needs to focus on maintaining their reputation. It’s not only the restaurant that has received a bad review but the hotel as a whole has a lot of loopholes that needs some serious and immediate action so as to stay in the hunt in such a location. The review by John Trevallin is just a mere wake up call for the hotel and the restaurant as the customer satisfaction track record clearly states the failure to meet the targets and shows the downfall of the hotel. The General Manager of Radicor Tom Mc Laren and executive chef Marcus Vesty with the other managers of the hotel needs to start from the scratch and analyse each and every issue and take necessary steps in getting the lost glory back in track and ensuring Mr Lyod Chan that Radicor still has the potential to be the best in the market which as a result will save the hotel from getting sold off. References I. ANDREWS, S. 1980. Food and Beverage Service Manual, McGraw-Hill Education (India) Pvt Limited. II. BARABAN, R. S. & DUROCHER, J. F. 2010. Successful Restaurant Design, John Wiley & Sons. III. CARROLL, C. 2012. Leadership Lessons From a Chef: Finding Time to Be Great, Wiley. IV. GAGNON, R. & GAGNON, E. 2011. Appetite for Acquisition: The We Sell Restaurants Guide to Buying a Restaurant, Tate Pub & Enterprises Llc. V. GORDON-DAVIS, L. & VAN RENSBURG, L. 2004. The Hospitality Industry Handbook on Nutrition and Menu Planning, Juta. VI. KUSLUVAN, S. 2003. Managing Employee Attitudes and Behaviors in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Nova Science Publishers. VII. MCVETY, P. J., WARE, B. J. & WARE, C. L. 2008. Fundamentals of Menu Planning, Wiley. VIII. MULL, R. F., BEGGS, B. A. & RENNEISEN, M. 2009. Recreation Facility Management: Design, Development, Operations, and Utilization, Human Kinetics. IX. SWANSON, N. L. & TOLEDO, T. U. O. 2008. Knowledge and Beliefs of School District Superintendents and Food Service Managers in Michigan Toward Childhood Obesity and the Wellness Policy, The University of Toledo. | Assessment feedback | Assignment no. and Title Name: Rudranil Das ID: 110129132| Key components of this assignment| Performance on this component| Comment| | Excellent| Good| Fair| Poor| Very Poor| | Content: clear understanding of the topic and concepts; adequate coverage of the topic and relevance of the material; application of material| | | | | | | Research: evidence of adequate depth and breadth of research| | | | | | | Reasoning: a logical argument and discussionNote: In an academic essay you are expected to demonstrate to your reader that you have a position and perspective on the topic.| | | | | | | Presentation: Essay format and structure only, with Harvard (Author Date) style referencing and correct Reference List. (An additional Bibliography is not required but a Reference List is essential.)| | | | | | | Summary comment| The Graduate qualities being assessed by this assignment are indicated by an X:| | GQ1: operate effectively with and upon a body of knowledge| | GQ5: are committed to ethical action and social responsibility| | GQ2: are prepared for lifelong learning| | GQ6: communicate effectively| | GQ3: are effective problem solvers| | GQ7: demonstrate an international perspective| | GQ4:can work both autonomously and collaboratively| | | Assignment grade/mark|

Thursday, August 29, 2019

A Fans View on Angelina Jolie

She is a person of admiration. Which is known globally with partner Brad Pitt has adopted children from Africa. In my view, many people may not be able to do the same. She is a very assertive and open. She is a member of the charitable foundation that provides assistance to all who need it. Although very popular, not so presumptuous as all stars. It behaves as if the world outside of the show. Angelina Jolie is a film actress and television. Born in Los Angeles in 1975. Throughout her career she has received numerous awards for his acting achievements, including an Academy Award and three Golden Globes is considered one of the sexiest women in the world and this is the focus of the entertainment press. In mid-2009, Angelina Jolie was ranked first in the list of Forbes magazine among the highest paid actresses in Hollywood, according to data released by the publication. It has three biological children with her partner, fellow actor, Brad Pitt. In 2001 he was appointed ambassador to the United Nations, actively participating with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Angelina uses its popularity to the media attention devoted to the case of refugees and the terrible conditions in which they live. She has visited many refugee camps and centers in countries like Tanzania, Cambodia, Pakistan, Namibia, Thailand and Ecuador. For his charitable work has been awarded grants humanitarian immigration program for refugees and Church World Service. Angelina Jolie and partner Brad Pitt have donated a million dollars each to two organizations dedicated to helping the disadvantaged, Global Action for Children and Doctors Without Borders. The organization provides aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters, for emergency medical assistance to help victims of the Haiti earthquake. Asked what she hoped to accomplish meeting with refugees and internally displaced persons in more than 20 countries, she stated, â€Å"Awareness of the plight of these people. I think they should be commended for what they have survived, not looked down upon. † (Jolie 2003). As seen in previous paragraphs Angelina Jolie is a very bold and sociable. she has always shown love to everyone around the world an example of some publications that are published on the Facebook page: â€Å"On World Humanitarian Day we remember the aid workers who have lost their lives in the line of duty and we honor the extraordinary courage and dedication of humanitarian workers around the world,† she wrote. â€Å"I had the honor and the pleasure of meeting one of these brave individuals before his murder during a visit to Pakistan, where I witnessed first-hand the incredible devotion of a very kind and gentle man. His name was Mr. Zill-e-Usman. † (Jolie 2012) Angelina Jolie has spent many years helping the poor. The actress feels very fortunate to work as a member of UNHCR and refugees. According to the couple of Brad Pitt said about this: â€Å"It is true that they are the most vulnerable in the world, but paradoxically also the most resistant. They are survivors who have been forced to leave their homes and go without any possession thousands of miles to seek a better life. † (Jolie 2012) No doubt this woman is an example for many people who only care about the physical appearance and not help others. A Fans View on Angelina Jolie She is a person of admiration. Which is known globally with partner Brad Pitt has adopted children from Africa. In my view, many people may not be able to do the same. She is a very assertive and open. She is a member of the charitable foundation that provides assistance to all who need it. Although very popular, not so presumptuous as all stars. It behaves as if the world outside of the show. Angelina Jolie is a film actress and television. Born in Los Angeles in 1975. Throughout her career she has received numerous awards for his acting achievements, including an Academy Award and three Golden Globes is considered one of the sexiest women in the world and this is the focus of the entertainment press. In mid-2009, Angelina Jolie was ranked first in the list of Forbes magazine among the highest paid actresses in Hollywood, according to data released by the publication. It has three biological children with her partner, fellow actor, Brad Pitt. In 2001 he was appointed ambassador to the United Nations, actively participating with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Angelina uses its popularity to the media attention devoted to the case of refugees and the terrible conditions in which they live. She has visited many refugee camps and centers in countries like Tanzania, Cambodia, Pakistan, Namibia, Thailand and Ecuador. For his charitable work has been awarded grants humanitarian immigration program for refugees and Church World Service. Angelina Jolie and partner Brad Pitt have donated a million dollars each to two organizations dedicated to helping the disadvantaged, Global Action for Children and Doctors Without Borders. The organization provides aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters, for emergency medical assistance to help victims of the Haiti earthquake. Asked what she hoped to accomplish meeting with refugees and internally displaced persons in more than 20 countries, she stated, â€Å"Awareness of the plight of these people. I think they should be commended for what they have survived, not looked down upon. † (Jolie 2003). As seen in previous paragraphs Angelina Jolie is a very bold and sociable. she has always shown love to everyone around the world an example of some publications that are published on the Facebook page: â€Å"On World Humanitarian Day we remember the aid workers who have lost their lives in the line of duty and we honor the extraordinary courage and dedication of humanitarian workers around the world,† she wrote. â€Å"I had the honor and the pleasure of meeting one of these brave individuals before his murder during a visit to Pakistan, where I witnessed first-hand the incredible devotion of a very kind and gentle man. His name was Mr. Zill-e-Usman. † (Jolie 2012) Angelina Jolie has spent many years helping the poor. The actress feels very fortunate to work as a member of UNHCR and refugees. According to the couple of Brad Pitt said about this: â€Å"It is true that they are the most vulnerable in the world, but paradoxically also the most resistant. They are survivors who have been forced to leave their homes and go without any possession thousands of miles to seek a better life. † (Jolie 2012) No doubt this woman is an example for many people who only care about the physical appearance and not help others.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

SUPERIOR STRATEGY EXECUTION Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SUPERIOR STRATEGY EXECUTION - Assignment Example The recruitment will assure that you get the right talent for the job and experience. During the broadcast of the program ask people to apply for the job. Most applicants will be fans of the program who know of its history and feel they need to be more involved in the program. This will ensure that one gets the correct talent that he is looking to add to the team. The best way is to look for potential employees on electronic blog site. Then post the opening at the site. The members of the blog will get automatic emails informing them of the available vacancy. The applicants will be qualified and have a good knowledge of the electronics being sold. The best ways to recruit a Dj is to wlcome djs for auditions in the club. The announcement of the audition should be broadcasted in all radio stations and posted on the clubs face book page. This reduces costs of a recruitment agency and gives the chance to get the best dj by judging the clubs audience to the Dj songs. Since the club business is competitive this recruitment will give produce the best Dj for the customers. The job requires someone who understands the stars well and the best way is to post the vacancy at the stars social media pages. The applicants will be those who are familiar with the stars and have the stars interest at heart. The way they dress to the interview will also determine who is the best for the job. The best way is to post the Ad in a platform that hosts IT specialist guys without displaying that the employer. Many people at the forum will apply for the position and through the interview process the most qualified candidate will be chosen. The best way is to use referral from employees to advertise for the position. This will save costs. A reward of cash is awarded for each referral given. This will encourage the employees to give more referrals. The best way is to post the advert on movie discussion forum. This will reach only

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

1990 Dial Soap Vintage Ad-Rough Daft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

1990 Dial Soap Vintage Ad-Rough Daft - Essay Example This paper discusses the website of an advertising agency to find out what effects the company has employed in the website to make it attractive to the customer. The choice of colour gives the first impression of the website to the customer. The advertising agency has to employ a basic, but professional design such that the website will have a moral and attractive layout (Plummer et al, 2007). The colours must have a strong contrast. This website has employed proper mixture of colours, which make the website have an attractive, classic design (Plummer et al, 2007). The colours that the website uses are three brown, white and black. The only different colour that the website employs is where the advertisements are displayed at the centre of the page. These colours are separated appropriately so that the contrast is valid to the function of the site. The website has employed the classic moving images that flow in with the advertisement. This brings in effect of a quality website design. The images move in a manner that indicates professionalism, this is such that images are not nagging the customer as he/she browses through the website (McGrath, 2008). The images are also hyperlinked so that when a customer likes an item in display he or she just has to click on the image and is switched to the webpage that has the items details (McGrath, 2008). The website employs the use of a suitable font that enables a customer to read whatever is on display without any hindrance (McGrath, 2008). One should not have to struggle to read thing that are displayed in a website, the website designers have to incorporate an appropriate font that will make the website use without requiring magnification. This website is an excellent example of a website that has employed quality fonts to pass across the message (McGrath, 2008). The use of appropriate colour, images, and font has a drastic effect on the customer’s impression of the

Monday, August 26, 2019

Should there be a minimum age for driving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Should there be a minimum age for driving - Essay Example Statistics show that teenagers have higher chances of being involved in car accidents and the rates are equally high for death rates caused by such accidents. America, for example has the highest number of teenagers in car accidents. Therefore, the government made it a policy that teenage drivers should have more practice hours, attend seminars about driving and take a written exam before they get licensed. Drivers aged 15-17 are also required to drive with an adult who knows how to drive however, it is known that this is not always practiced. There are teenage drivers who insist on driving alone because they want to reiterate their abilities and capabilities. Most often, parents would give in because they cannot control their children or simply because they are very busy that they do not have time to attend to their children-- which is actually the reason why they are letting their children drive, so that they do not have to drive them to and from school. Left alone in a car, the teenage driver is also left with decisions he oftentimes immaturely acts upon. For instance, once a teenage driver is left with the freedom to use the car, he could also let his friends ride with him which can eventually lead to drinking and doing drugs. These are dangerous paths for teenage drivers because it is known that alcohol and drugs alter a person’s perceptions. Considering that they do not drink or do drugs, driving with a group of friends can lead to joking or even fighting which will affect the driver and could lead to a dangerous accident. Moreover, there is the issue on the use of cellphones among teenagers. Since they oftentimes communicate with their friends, there is a greater tendency for teenagers to be texting or calling while driving. This increases the risk of teenage drivers to be involved in a car accident. One might argue that such circumstances can also be true among adults. Indeed. However,

Sunday, August 25, 2019

International Political Economy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Political Economy - Assignment Example The labor product in this case was alien from the producers themselves (Mandel and Marx 69-72). The introduction of capitalist system opened trade to global world with the employment of huge masses of people to work in industries. However capitalist still remains exploitation of the workers by the ruling class the wealth produced by the workers is of benefit to the ruling class. Working in industries has exposed workers to poor working conditions. With the increase in market competition the workers who are viewed as commodities are turned to work under strict rules. This has had an adverse effect to human beings who in turn are subjected to harmful chemicals in the industries, which may lead to contraction of diseases (Scott 71-75). It is impossible to prevent some circumstances in capitalist. The overgrowing use of machines enhances high productivity of goods which creates employment opportunities for workers to work in those industries. It will however be difficult to avoid the use of child labor to work within these industries. Huge gap of social inequalities has also continued to widen further. The exploitation of the workers has constantly resulted into wars and crises which has been difficult to prevent (Scott 81-82). The division between the owners of production and the workers meant there is likelihood of war eruption which in this case is inevitable as a result, impairing the development of a capitalist economy. With huge concentration on capital whereby small retail units had to pave way for the enlargement of wide markets agriculturalists had to suffer. It should however be noted that this system of capitalist makes it very difficult to control the economic crises. Transition to communism is related with the struggle of class. Whether it is a violent or peaceful transition, it cannot be achieved through reforms that are isolated.

MANAGEMENT IN THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MANAGEMENT IN THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMY - Essay Example However, I feel that the most important quality in a successful manager is the ability to communicate effectively. Communication is a barrier that hinders management activities and it is involved in every action. The manager decides to perform an action, but it has to be communicated to the team members before it can be implemented. Furthermore, a manager would be effective and efficient if the subordinates are comfortable working with the manager. The subordinates should be able to discuss their problems freely with the manager. Moreover, a manager has to lead by example. A manager has to take responsibility for his subordinates' actions and has to act as a role model for the employees. Taking responsibility would help the employees to build trust in the manager and this way, they would give their all to perform to the best of their ability. Also, a manager has to be a quick decision-maker. In today's ever changing global economy, managers are faced with numerous problems and many o f those problems require a quick solution. Therefore, I feel that an efficient and effective manager has to be a quick decision-maker. Also, an efficient and effective manager should have the technical know-how of the processes used in the organization, and should have ample knowledge in his/her field. A manager cannot be successful if he or she lacks professionalism. Being professional in your profession is the key to being efficient in a particular profession. In short, an effective and efficient manager is one who can take the most out of employees, and achieves the objectives of the organization by the using the optimum level of resources. Portfolio Tasks Week 2 Question 3: What is a psychological contract A psychological contract is an informal contract between the employer and the employee. This type of contract involves tasks and duties not included in the employment contract for both the employer and the employee. According to Wikipedia, "a psychological contract represents the mutual beliefs, perceptions, and informal obligations between an employer and employee." (n.d.) Question 4: Compare and contrast the personality and affect approaches to motivation. Are there specific personality traits or affective states that influence performance more than others Several people attempted to analyze the factors that motivate humans. Some of the most famous are Frederick Taylor, Abraham Maslow, Douglas McGregor and Herzberg. Taylor's scientific management and McGregor's Theory X are somewhat similar because both believe that people are motivated only through money. Both theories emphasize that workers dislike work and would have to be controlled to make them work. On the other hand, Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Herzberg's two factor theory are also similar because they identified elements other than money that could motivate people. Other elements suggested by both Maslow and Herzberg are recognition for work, esteem needs, chance for promotion etc. All theories are inter-related to each other because all theories were presented in an era different than today, when managers didn't interact too much with

Saturday, August 24, 2019

How would Frederickson recalculates the definition of 'self-evident Essay

How would Frederickson recalculates the definition of 'self-evident truths' - Essay Example Based on his research, he recalculates self-evident truths in race topics based on the four models of ethnic relations: hierarchy, assimilation, pluralism, and separatism and found out that among the models cultural pluralism is the appropriate one. Hierarchy Thomas Jefferson believes that it is a self-evident truth that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. This is an opposition to Fredrickson’s reinvented definition of these self-evident rights. Historical findings postulated that even during the period of Renaissance and Reformation, Europeans already distinguished human race into superior and inferior classifications (Fredrickson, White Supremacy 8). Even Aristotle himself explained that certain groups of people are bound to be â€Å"natural slaves† as in the conquest of the Spaniards to Indian territories (Fredrickson, White Supremacy 9). Aside from Indians, Asians were also viewed as unfit to be part of the civilized society of the U.S. wherein there is a grant of equal rights and protection (Fredrickson, The Black Image 634). ... However, that is not the case in many instances when a dictator became an icon for annihilation and wiped away thousands of people because of radical ideologies. That happened during the Nazis when Jews were wiped out at the time of Adolf Hitler. Therefore, Fredrickson viewed self-evident truths based on real scenarios, wherein there is hierarchical structure: a classification of powerful and weak races. Assimilation Assimilation of the minority group to the dominant group was a characteristic of Fredrickson’s racial concepts. This concept enables the alteration of the minority’s culture to that of the majority. In essence, it is called â€Å"cultural genocide† because it aims to influence or eradicate Native Americans’ way of life (Fredrickson, The Black Image 636) while completely abandoning their own that is observed by the dominant culture as barbaric and uncivilized. Jefferson believes that people have unalienable rights: the right to life, liberty, h appiness, among other things. Yet, in Fredrickson’s views, certain submissive races are bound to assimilate with the majority, simply because they are weak and have no territorial power over a country such as the United States. Liberty is hard to achieve, evident during the period of slavery, up until the discrimination towards African-Americans in modern times. In the history of the African-American civilization, slavery as a form of gradual assimilation, proves to be oppressive and futile because it took from them their own race and ideology. Establishment of Black community was one way of establishing a â€Å"singularity of national formation† (Glaude 79). Pluralism Cultural pluralism means that a culture has its own distinct identity, and that allowing it to exist with other cultures is

Friday, August 23, 2019

Epicurus Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Epicurus Paper - Essay Example As a result, these good and bad aspects in life are what contribute to pleasure and pain respectively. Epicurus went ahead to describe what exactly pain and please were in his understanding. He mentioned that a person may decide to choose between pain and pleasure. As a result, if an individual selects pleasure over pain in their lives, then they are prone to endure only the pleasurable things in life. Else, an individual will only endure all the bad and/ or sad events in their lives. It should be noted that Epicurus was advocating for pleasure in both dynamics- that is pleasure in the body as well as the mind together with satiety and freedom from fear of death (Epicurus 128-129). As cited from the Epicurus Reader, pleasure in happiness was all up to the individual. â€Å"Do you want to be happy? Of course you do! Then what’s standing in your way? Your happiness is entirely up to you. This has been revealed to us by a man of divine serenity and wisdom who spent his life amon g us, and showed us, by his personal example and by his teaching, the path to redemption from unhappiness† (Hutchinson, â€Å"Introduction to The Epicurus Reader†). Based on that, he added that the only aspect that could hinder our happiness was based on our feelings. For example, if an individual was extremely nervous or anxious, then their pleasure in happiness would be distorted. Another example that was projected by Epicurus was based on rich people and healthy people. That is, if a rich person gets extremely anxious to be richer, then that individual will lack happiness and pleasure in their life since their mind is optimally focussed on what is not readily available in their lives. In addition to that, if an individual would get anxious about their eating habits as well as their health, then they could as well get sick, all because of what their mind is focussed on. The best advice that Epicurus put forward was that people should enjoy what they currently have and be glad that they do have it. This is due to the fact that there are those who have nothing in their lives and they are extremely happy for whatever little it is that they have – â€Å"You can't be happy in this life if you're worried about the next life... But you can be happy if you believe in the four basic truths of Epicureanism: there are no divine beings which threaten us; there is no next life; what we actually need is easy to get; what makes us suffer is easy to put up with.† As a result, Epicurus terms this as the â€Å"Epicurean remedy† to all the problems that people face in their life (Hutchinson, â€Å"Introduction to The Epicurus Reader†). According to Yapijakis (2009), the same concept of pleasure and pain was also introduced into the field of medicine. This was done by Asclepiades of Bithynia who was an Epicurean doctor and Greek medicine practitioner. For example, for individuals who were insane, Asclepiades of Bithynia proposed that a n atural cure to their illness would be to treat them in a human manner as compared to showing such people acts of suffering and pain by treating them badly. Through such humane acts, insane patients would have the feeling of pleasure and happiness. This methodology by Asclepiades of Bithynia turned out to be a success and a major solution to a number of illnesses, mental illnesses being one of them. As a result, he became one

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Bullying and Harassment Among the Lgbtq Youth Essay Example for Free

Bullying and Harassment Among the Lgbtq Youth Essay Adolescence is a difficult stage in life because it is a time for many when social status is seen as very important and self-esteem can be fragile. One’s social status can directly affect one’s self esteem and overall happiness. Unfortunately, many of those who possess a higher social status in middle and high school use it against those who are deemed socially inferior to them, whether that is due to race, attractiveness, intelligence or sexuality. In other words, the adolescents at the bottom of the social pyramid are often subjected to bullying and harassment from their socially â€Å"superior† classmates. Bullying and harassment have become a widespread problem in schools all around the United States and have proved to have serious implications, such as problems in academics for those who are victimized by bullies. Victimization from bullying and harassment can be linked to lowered self-esteem, anxiety, depression, avoidance of school, and suicide (Hawker Boulton, 2000). Unfortunately, one of the most victimized groups of students subjected to bullying and harassment is the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and queer youth. According to the National Youth Association, 9 out of 10 LGBT students have experienced harassment while at school. It also states that LGBT teens are bullied two to three times as much as straight teens. These high rates of bullying may explain why more than one-third of LGBT kids have attempted suicide (Hawker Boulton, 2000). Specific harm aimed towards LGBTQ community, known as gay bashing and gay bullying can be defined as verbal or physical abuse against a person who is perceived by the antagonist to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. This also includes those who are actually heterosexual but may appear to be non-heterosexual due to stereotypes. The three main types of bullying the LGBTQ youth is most subjected to are verbal harassment, physical assault, and cyber bullying. The first main type of bullying, verbal harassment may be hard to detect because it leaves no physical proof, but rather mental and emotional trauma. However, it is still a popular and damaging tactic used by bullies to hurt the LGBTQ youth everyday. In fact, according to River’s study in 1996, it is the most popular tactic among bullies. Also, according to bullyingstatistics.org, many victims of verbal bullying experience lowered self-image, and can have lasting effects in emotional and psychological ways. This type of bullying can lead to low self-esteem, as well as depression and other problems (Hawker Boulton, 2000). According to River’s study in 2001, many LGBTQ adolescents report being exposed to verbal harassment and stigmatization. River’s recent survey shows that 82% of the LGBTQ youth in schools are subjected to verbal slurs (Rivers 2001). According to another study from the Mental Health of America in 1998 on verbal abuse, students hear anti-gay slurs such as â€Å"homo†, â€Å"faggot† and â€Å"sissy† about 26 times a day, which would be about once every 14 minutes throughout their school day. Anti-gay language used on a regular basis in school settings is creating an unfriendly and unwelcoming atmosphere for the LGTBQ students, which may be causing them to be isolated and socially withdrawn (Swearer, Turner, Givens, Pollack, 2008). Although not all anti-gay slurs heard in school are meant to be malicious, it is still hurtful for the gay youth to hear. Many adolescents who use gay slurs may not be homophobic, but more ignorant to LGBTQ issues. Obviously not all homophobic name-calling is directed at young gay and lesbians. For example, researchers found that terms such as ‘‘gay’’ and â€Å"homo† are often used to refer to anything unmasculine or ‘‘uncool’’ (Duncan, 1999). Regardless of intention, the constant degradation of these words causes a hostile and uncomfortable environment for the LGBTQ youth (Thurlow, 2001). Homophobic slurs such as â€Å"That’s so gay,† or â€Å"no homo,† are popular among adolescents and often go unpunished due to the heteronormative atmosphere dominating schools (Thurlow, 2001). Many students may feel hesitant to speak out against anti-gay slurs out of fear of being persecuted themselves. In the U.K. a series of surveys commissioned by Stonewall reported that as many as 93 percent of young gay, lesbian and bisexual people who are ‘‘out’’ at school suffer verbal abuse (Thurlow, 2001). It is evident that it is not a coincidence the LGBTQ youth face the most harassment of any minority at school. Along with verbal abuse, LGBTQ youth also experience physical violence in schools across the country everyday. Back in the 1980’s and 1990’s sociologists such as Joyce Hunter thought that much of the physical abuse happening towards the LGBTQ population stemmed from the stigma and fear that came from the AIDS epidemic that was spreading rapidly among the gay community in that time. In a study as recent as 2003, 60% of LGBTQ youth had reported being assaulted physically due to their sexual orientation (Chesir-Taran, 2003) These phy sical actions towards the gay and lesbian youth has caused many to fear going to school. In fact, many LGBTQ students avoid school in order to escape the physical harassment. This drop in attendance has detrimental effects on the student’s academics (American Educational Research Association). According to StopBullying.gov, since LGBTQ students are more likely to avoid school they are at a higher risk for decreased academic achievement, including lower GPA and standardized test scores—and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school as well. LGBTQ youth that have been subjected to physical harassment, or youth perceived†¨as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, are more are also more likely smoke, use alcohol and drugs, or engage in other risky behaviors (Rivers 2001). This also causes lesbians, gays or bisexuals to be twice as likely as their peers to be depressed and think about or attempt suicide (Russell Joyner, 2001). This high rate is physical abuse may be one of the reasons why the American Educational Research Association reported that LGBT teens are 3.3 times more likely to think about committing suicide than heterosexual teenagers, as well as three times more likely to actually commit suicide. These victims of physical abuse also have higher rates of unexcused absences from school (American Educational Research Association). According to the social comparison theory, anti-gay violence, such as hates crimes tend to occur due to heterosexuals wanting to make a distinction between themselves and homosexuals. Meaning that the bullies are not acting on their own, but in a group. Some research implies that heterosexuals preform violence upon homosexuals to create a negative evaluation of LGBTQ’s, which in return creates a larger separation between homosexuals and heterosexuals. In other words, heterosexuals wants to make a clear distinction between themselves and homosexuals, and therefore violence is used to create this differentiation (American Educational Research Association). Since the LGBTQ is such a small minority group in most schools it is easy for heterosexuals to make the homosexuals the out-group, whereas other heterosexuals benefit from in-group biases and tr eatment (Herek, Berrill Berrill, 1992). What is so important about the social comparison theory and gay violence is that violence is one of the most effective and obvious way to create a differentiation between the in and out-groups. Interestingly, Herek Berill found that most crime related violent acts usually only involved one victim and one perpetrator, however when these violent acts were considered hate crimes, especially among gays and lesbians, the number of perpetrators averaged around four. Herek Berill also found in their research that boys are at a high risk for being both the perpetrator and victim, most likely due to bullies wanting to assert their sexual superiority and masculinity over homosexual boys (Herek Berill, 1992). In contrast to being pushed into lockers or being called homophobic slurs while walking down the hallway to class, LGBTQ students are subjected to a new form of harassment nowadays, which takes place outside of the classroom, and more specifically on the Internet. According to stop bullying.gov, Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place via electronic technology. This includes devices such as cell phones, computers, social media sites, text messages, web chat, and websites. O ne reason that this type of bullying is on the rise is because as technology advances, adolescents become more exposed to it, while adults become more disconnected. This discrepancy in culture between adults and adolescents causes many parents to become unaware of what their children are doing on the Internet, which may put them at a risk for being harassed, or even preforming the harassment (Keith Martin, 2005). One of the most recent and well-known cases of anti-gay cyber bullying is the story of Tyler Clementi, a gay Rutgers University student. Clementi was a victim of cyber-bullying because his roommate, Dharun Ravi, spied on his make-out sessions with a hidden webcam and outed him online. This caused Tyler Clementi to kill himself by jumping off the George Washington Bridge in 2010.Studies show that LGBTQ youth who are bullied online were more likely to have skipped school, to have detentions or suspensions, or to carry a weapon to school (Ybarra, Diener-West, Leaf, 2007). In this same study, the majority of the participants who admitted to being the perpetrators of cyber bullying attributed anonymity for feeling more comfortable harassin g others online due to the fact they had little fear of repercussions or of being traced backed to crime. This leads aggressors to threaten, harass, or abuse others and to even assume a new persona or character online (Ybarra et al, 2007). The victims in this study reported that they felt more helpless when they were attacked via the Internet, than in classroom. One student from another study related to cyber bullying stated that said that she felt like there was no point in telling an adult about cyber harassment because there is no proof who actually did the bullying, simply because the perpetrator could easily say, â€Å"that wasn’t actually me, it was someone pretending to be me† (Keith Martin, 2005) Although one study found that cyber bullying is the least common type of bullying (Wang, Nansel Iannotti, 2010,) the fact that these cyber bullying victims feel as though they cannot seek help or end the victimization may explain this study found that these students had the highest rates of depression and helplessness. Some studies, such as one in 2003 say that the high rates of suicide and depression among LGTBQ youth are proof of internalized self-homophobia (van Wormer Mckinney, 2003). In other words, the LGBTQ youth are so exposed to homophobia that it has caused them to become self-hating and prejudiced against their own-selves. Hiding in the closet, not fitting in, and living in fear has caused a melting pot for self-hatred, and self-embarrassment. Findings from this research stated that those who are considered to be experiencing self-hating are at a higher risk for reckless and self-destructive behavior. The findings from this research even go as far as crediting the high rates of AIDS among gay communities to self-hatred. The results state that many gay men fail to use protection due to a subconscious belief that they feel guilty for being queer and are unable to deprogram the negative stereotypes they receive for being queer. The same researcher also found that high rates of might be due to high drug addiction rates among queers that may be brought on by self-hatred (van Wormer Mckinney, 2003). Although the recent suicides and murders of LGBTQ youth such as the death of Matthew Shepard in 1998 are unwarranted and tragic, they have started paved the way for protection of all students institutionally, regardless of sexual orientation. Promptly after the death of Shepard the organization known as PFLAG implemented 150 chapters in the U.S. schooling system (van Wormer Mckinney, 2003). These chapters helped raise press for non-discriminatory policies in schools, support straight-gay alliances, donate LGBTQ literature to libraries, and to train teachers in crisis interventions. GSA clubs in schools have been credited as one of the major factors in helping teenagers create openly gay lives with peers and relate and support them (van Wormer Mckinney, 2003) According to the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, there are over 3000 gay-straight alliance programs in high schools across the country. Van Wormer Mckinney describe harm reduction principals as a guide produced by the U.S. Department of Education and Justice to minimize violence against students. Recently, the state of Massachusetts was the first state to enforce teachers to discuss homosexuality as well as heterosexuality in age-appropriate ways to prevent students from feeling left out. According to the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network, there are three different federal laws protecting LGBTQ students from bullying and harassment in schools. The first type of law that prevents bullying and harassment of LGBTQ students is known as the Enumerated Anti-Bullying Laws. The states that have implemented this specific law include: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. With this law LGBTQ students can feel safer at their schools and know that these laws will protect them and there will be repercussions for those who do not follow them. The second type of law protecting LGBTQ students is known as the non-discriminatory law. The following states have implanted this non-discriminatory law: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. With this law implemented LBGTQ students cannot not be denied basic fundamental rights, and are guaranteed the same opportunities as heterosexual students. Unlike the first two laws, the third law may harm or stigmatize LGBTQ students. This is because this law bans LGBTQ students from receiving extra or special protection, even though it is proven they are at a higher risk for being harassed and bullied. No promo homo laws, local or state education laws that expressly forbid teachers from discussing gay and transgender issues. The states that allowed this law to be implanted are: Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. Apart from the government and organizations pushing for protection of LGBTQ youth in schools, public figures have also reached out to the young gay community to remind them how important they are. In 2010 the famous gay author Dan Savage created the â€Å"It Gets Better Campaign,† in response to the suicides of teenagers who were bullied because they were gay. The website consists of LGBTQ people posting videos directed towards others struggling with their sexuality and who might be contemplating suicide. According to Savage, the website was an overnight success with a claim of 30,000 video entries between 2010 and 2012, including videos from celebrities and respected public figures, such as Barack Obama. This campaign is helping to raise awareness of the injustices and prejudices plaguing the American school systems, which are having detrimental effects on the LGBTQ youth. Another recent and popular campaign that has been gaining much attention recently is known as â€Å"The Trevor Project.† This non-profit organization is also helping raise awareness of the recent LGBTQ youth suicides and according to the gay affiliated magazine, The Advocate; the organization offers the â€Å"Trevor Lifeline,† which includes a telephone number, which will connect people with suicidal thoughts to professional counselors. Because the LGBTQ youth is such a small minority in schools across the country, it is to no surprise that they are at the highest risk of being subjected to bullying and harassment in school. This harassment includes, verbal abuse, physical assault and cyber bullying. Therefore it is no surprise studies that were previously mentioned show that 9 out of 10 LGTBQ students have reported some sort of bullying in school. With the extremely high rates of depression, fear and suicide among the gay youth, it is important that there is a social reform implemented across the country, especially in the schooling system. Regardless of personal opinion and beliefs on homosexuality, everyone deserves to feel safe and happy in their classroom. Thanks to anti-discriminatory and anti-bullying laws implemented in some states, many LGBTQ youth have been working towards equality. However there is still much progress needed. With positive organizations such as â€Å"It Gets Better,† and â€Å"The Trevor Project,† hopefully the rates of bullying, harassment and suicide among the LGTBQ youth will drop, allowing these young students to witness history for themselves and their queer allies. As Ellen DeGeneres once wisely said, â€Å"Things will get easier, people’s minds will change, and you should be alive to see it.† References Scholarly Research 1. Jing Wang, Tonja R. Nansel, Ronald J. Iannotti, Cyber and Traditional Bullying: Differential Association With Depression, Journal of Adolescent Health, Volume 48, Issue 4, April 2011, Pages 415-417, ISSN 1054-139X, 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.07.012. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X10003435) Keywords: Cyber bullying; Traditional bullying; Depression 2. Thurlow, Crispin, Naming the â€Å"outsider within†: homophobic pejoratives and the verbal abuse of lesbian, gay and bisexual high-school pupils, Journal of Adolescence, Volume 24, Issue 1, February 2001, Pages 25-38, ISSN 0140-1971, 10.1006/jado.2000.0371. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140197100903713) 3. Rivers, I. D’Augelli, A.R. (2001). The victimization of lesbian, gay and bisexual youths. In D’Augelli, A.R. Patterson, C.J. (ed.) Lesbian, gay and bisexual identities and youth: Psychological perspectives, New York: Oxford University Press. pp.199-223. 4. Russe ll, S.T. Joyner, K. (2002). Adolescent sexual orientation and suicide risk: Evidence from a national study. American Journal Public Health, 91, 1276-1281. 5. D’Augelli, A. R., Pilkington, N. W., Hershberger, S. L. (2002). Incidence and mental health impact of sexual orientation victimization of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youths in high school. School Psychology Quarterly, 17, 148-167. 6. Herek, G. M., Berrill, K., Berrill, K. T. (1992). Hate crimes, confronting violence against lesbians and gay men. Sage Publications, Inc. 7. Ybarra, M.L., Diener-West, M., Leaf, P.J. (2007). Examining the overlap in Internet harassment and school bullying: implications for school intervention. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41(6 Suppl 1),S42-50. 8. Van Wormer, K. , Mckinney, R. (2003). What schools can do to help gay/lesbian/bisexual youth: A harm reduction approach. Adolescence, 38(151), 409-501. 9. Keith, S., Martin, M. (2005). Cyber-bullying: creating a culture of respect in a cyber world. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 13(4), 224-228. 10. Chesir-Teran, D. (2003). Conceptualizing and assessing heterosexism in high schools: A setting-level approach. American Journal of Community Psychology, 31, 267–279. 11. Hawker, D. S. J., Boulton, M. J. (2000). Twenty years’ research on peer victimization and psychosocial maladjustment: A meta-analytic review of cross-sectional studies. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 41(4), 441-455. 12. Vaillancourt, T., Hymel, S., McDougall, P. (2003). Bullying is power: Implications for school-based intervention strate- gies. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 19, 157-17 6. 13. Swearer, S. M., Turner, R. K., Givens, J. E., Pollack, W. S. (2008). â€Å"You’re so gay!† Do different forms of bullying matter for adolescent males? School Psychology Review, 37, 160-173. 14. Duncan, N. (1999) Sexual Bullying: Gender conflict and pupil culture in secondary schools. London, RoutledgeNon-Scholarly Research 15. Tyler Clementi, a gay Rutgers student, was a martyr to cyber-bullying; his roommate, Dharun Ravi, spied on his make-out sessions with a hidden webcam and outed him online. (2012, March 19). National Review, 64(5), 10. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA282583085v=2.1u=vol_b92bit=rp=ITOFsw=w 16. Stonewall. (1999, 21 April). Stonewall News: 77% of Gay Pupils Suffer Homophobic Bullying. Available (03/06/99) at 5http:www.stonewall.org.uk/news 17. Gay bullying. (2010, November 07). Retrieved from http://www.nyaamerica.org 18. StopBullying.gov. Home | StopBullying.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2012. 19. American Educationa l Research Association (2011, October 12). Education research shows LGBTQ-identified students at higher risk than straight-identified students. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 7, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com ­ /releases/2011/10/111012151507.htm 20. Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (2008). 2007 National School Climate Survey: Nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT Students Harassed. Retrieved December 5, 2012, from

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Ecologically Sustainable Development In Australia Environmental Sciences Essay

Ecologically Sustainable Development In Australia Environmental Sciences Essay Introduction The realities of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) are emerging issues that are impacting on commercial property sector worldwide. The world today uses ample of natural resources which radically polluting the earth and destroying the natural environment. Over the past decade, green buildings and ecological sustainability began rising throughout the world.], and have emerged in the Australian property sector as a vigorous movement to create high-performance as a sustainable investment. One of the earliest general definitions of sustainability was adopted in 1987 by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), which defined Sustainable Development as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their own needs (Muldavin 2010). Australian property sector is obliged to play a major role in meeting the ecological sustainability which improves occupants comfort and well-being. It als o minimizes environmental impacts whilst gives a good investment returns. The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) was formed to highlight the principles and practices of ecological sustainability through the Green Star Rating System. Kato et al. (2009) demonstrated that investors appetite is on the rise in which the sustainability is now set to become much more rampant in the property sector. Researchers have showcased those properties with a five-star National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) accreditation is expected to have an increased value up to 9 per cent whilst Green Star ratings accredited to a premium of up to 12 per cent. It also illustrates that energy efficient buildings leads to occupancy, sale price and rental premium. According to Beder (1996), sustainable investment has an increased significance in the property sector among all the relevant stakeholders to help save the environment, increases property values and ensures the economic growth to be continued in the future. Hence, it is vital to incorporate green features because it has great investment benefits gives an opportunity to use the resources effectively and efficiently while generating healthier and improved environment s for its occupants to live in over the entire life cycle of the building (Choi 2009). The evolution of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) in Australia The concept of sustainable development has been evolved primarily with the establishment of Our Common Future report which is published by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WECD). The report, constituted as an important turning point for the concept of sustainable development which is comprehensively produced with partnership forged around the global. The report has been the catalyst for the evolution of the other conceptualization efforts. The chronology of sustainable development in Australia proximately relates to the evolution of the sustainable development at the international level. The policy statement on the environment entitled has been released by then Prime Minister following the release of the Brundtland report. This release began the Commonwealth Governments process of adapting the concepts of sustainable development for Australian conditions (Fisheries Management Paper 2002). To emphasize the importance of the environment in sustainable development, the Australian government adopted the term Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) to make sure that there is a balanced approach to dealing with economic, social and environmental issues. In 1990, the release of Ecologically Sustainable Development: A Commonwealth Discussion Paper and the formation of nine ESD Working Groups has further established the concepts, definition and principles of ESD. Thus, the National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development or NSESD has been established with the development of the reports from these groups, along with deliberation of the relevant international plans and reports. Today, NSESD is still being the major policy document for sustainable development in Australia. The NSESD, which was endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in 1992, includes the official definition of ESD, a set of core objectives and a number of guiding principles. The related regulations are NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, NSW Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991, The NSW Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), The Natural Heritage Trust of Australia Act 1997, and The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The definition listed in the strategy is that, ESD is development which aims to meet the needs of Australians today, while conserving our ecosystems for the benefit of future generations. In fact, the NSESD itself fulfils Australias obligation entered into in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 to implement Agenda 21 which has been the basis for the policy making (Fisheries Management Paper 2002). Each action implemented by Environment Australia was closely related the same basis as the NSESD and the COAG were from courses of action that aim to protect forests, the ocean, water, biological diversity and a greenhouse strategy. Australias policies were based on international strategies based from the 1992 Rio Earth Summit in which Australia through the federal government led by John Howard at the time was a signatory. The Green Building Rating Tools The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) launched the Green Star rating system for buildings in 2003. The Green Building rating tool is an important attribute of the GBCA, as it helps the building occupants, owners and investors to monitor and measure the sustainability and environmental impact of their buildings, hence to improve the buildings performance toward ecological sustainability. It leads the property sector to achieve real cost savings, improve occupant health and productivity, showcase innovation in sustainable building practices and reduce the environmental impact of buildings. Green Building rating system uses stars to rate the environmental performance of a building. Green Star is a comprehensive, national, voluntary environmental rating system that evaluates the environmental design and construction of buildings. Green Star was developed to set a standard of measurement for green buildings. Also, it promotes integrated, whole-building design, recognize environmental leadership, identify building life-cycle impacts and raise awareness of green building benefits. Buildings are evaluated based on nine environmental impact categories. The nine categories of Green Star Rating Tools are; Management, Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ), Energy, Transport, Water, Materials, Land Use Ecology, Emissions and Innovation. Within each category, points are awarded for buildings that have met the overall objectives of Green Star. The implications of Green Buildings in Property Investment Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) has been a paradigm favourable change towards green buildings practices in context of property investment, becoming progressively more prominent with each passing year since late 1990s. The Property Council of Australia and the Australian Property Institute are recently giving more importance to Ecologically Sustainable Development and Green building concepts and practices. Many well-establishes principles of ESD have been embraced in Australian Federal and State Government Legislation for a number of years now. The Property Investment sector has been showing a balanced concern towards the environment where they live, work and play, placing a balanced value to the well-being and integrity of the ecological system and the environment on top of the economic well-being, health, education, law and order, infrastructure. The Property Investment sector has been continually shifting towards sustainable development. This shift towards sustainability is due to the drives for profits and also building an image for the property sector. There are many implications in embracing the concept of green buildings in the context of property investment. These are some of the most prominent implications for the operational functions, both now and in the future. With the green building practices, there is a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and reduction in wastage of valuable scarce resources such air, water and energy in the usage of commercial buildings thus provides greater recyclable usage. Also, it gives a reduction in polluting activity and toxicity levels, pertaining particularly to the use and management of industrial buildings. This is because there is a need for a greater emphasis on eco-friendly over the full life-cycle of commercial buildings and a need for greater energy efficiency in general, where commercial buildings are concerned. Besides, there is a change over from old-fashioned, highly polluting-based fuel and energy sources, to newer, cleaner, more eco-friendly and eco-efficient alternatives such as solar-based, wind-based and hydrogen-based sources. Green buildings are inexpensive to operate as they are built for water efficiency and high energy. There is a reduction in operating cost as they can save up to 20-30% of energy savings compared with industry standards. Green buildings delivers a higher return on investment and have a greater tenant attraction where it provides a healthy, environmental friendly and productive workplace that shows their obligation to corporate social responsibility. There is an enhanced marketability as green buildings have many prospective tenants in the waiting list. Green buildings have a greater comfort and productivity compared to non-green buildings in terms of fresh air, access of views of outdoors, natural light and has the control on individual workplace lighting and t emperature which directly affects the productivity. Moreover, green buildings have a reduced risk and liability. In addition, it gives a competitive advantage, command higher capital values with shorter vacant periods, slower depreciation, ultimately trading at a rental premium. Overall, as demand increases for ecological sustainability, it is seen as a more secure investment as shown by vacancies in green buildings as it offers better investment returns. Conclusions In respect to all of the ecologically sustainable development (ESD)-related legislation and the principles and practice of green buildings which has been adopted in Australia, it is now clear that buildings take responsibility in providing comfortable, safe, and prospective living or working environment for its occupants. This is because; comfort, productivity, functionality and energy efficiency are essential elements for ESD, not only for future generations, but also a necessity for current generations. Crook (2001) indicates that the term sustainability must embrace environmental, economic and as well as the social objectives. In the recent years, green buildings have captured serious attention and awareness. The current demand shows that a trend favoring green buildings are moving like hotcakes compared to those buildings that are not in terms with the principles and practice of ecological sustainability. Robinson (2008) states that getting a green rating is certainly an intelligent option in the context of Property Investment. In the rush to draw in environmentally conscious tenants, many building are promoting their green star certificates, often with no understandings of the green star rating system, how they work and what are the actual implications does the concept of green buildings have (Carter et al. 2007). The industry first of all needs to educate itself on the true meaning of Green and Ecological Sustainability. Developers and architects tries to create buildings or structures that are deemed to be iconic, but the new trend is for this status to be conferred by innovative design or sustainability rather than sheer size, as very tall buildings approach their use by date. According to Gomez (2006), green buildings have higher relative investment returns, higher market value for asset, increased productivity, higher rents and marketing advantage. Integrating Green building features into the construction of a building promises a good investment. However, further studies highlighting areas of perceived deficiency and flaws in green buildings and a more targeted effort in meeting the needs and expectations of investors in terms of workplace satisfaction, and areas that require specific attention in transitioning to green buildings are important. Ecological sustainability goals are possible to achieve but at a cost that involves a large amount of research, funds and commitment. Despite further study and data limitations and, the findings of this report concludes that building green is considered to be of great importance within the Property Investment sector because the growth and development of our communities has a large impact on our natural environment over the entire life cycle of the building.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Violence Against Women Criminology Essay

The Violence Against Women Criminology Essay Gillespies, Richards, Givens and Smith sought out to uncover if the media, with its strong presence in influencing ones perception on certain social concerns, enclose stories of femicide within the context of domestic violence because minimal research has been carried out to examine femicide within the framework of violence against women. These four theorize their research in a deductive fashion; they understood the way that the news media worked and that this same media can choose to structure domestic violence in a way that could provide evidence to show the important ramifications on manipulating societys perception on domestic violence, as well as, solutions and public responsibility. From 226 cases, they match up to 113 newspaper articles that defined murder as domestic violence contrasted with the other 113 cases that had no exposure defining the femicide as domestic violence through applied research. This study was intended to expand our awareness concerning the medias depiction of femicide and the medias strong grip on the conception of violence against women as a social dilemma. The level at which the researchers collected data was on the micro level. Women were the case in this research study; they were the victims of violence. Also the news reports on women as victims in domestic violence cases were measured. The population of interest was media frames from North Carolina spanning a six year period assessing 113 cases that classified the femicide as domestic violence to 113 cases that did not. This sampling is not seen to be representative of the population. The researchers only contrasted media frames in North Carolina, no other states. The rate or likelihood of domestic violence differs upon the region, victims age, income and if it is reported. Based on that this research study has only been conducted from inside the walls of North Carolina, it cannot be fully representative of the population and the other 49 states. The researchers used purposive sampling and simple random while conducting their study. The purposive sampling is the 113 cases that fit the specific criteria of those cases of femicide from North Carolina spanning a six-year period that contained at least one news article defining the femicide as domestic violence. The other 113 cases that were contrasted were selected at random. The sampling ensured diversity. The state was chose purposively and the cases were chosen randomly. The design of this experiment comes from secondary analysis, the concern was for the behavior arising among specific group of people, and this behavior is domestic violence against women. The participants stayed the same but the setting change. The study purposely examines the use of frames in media reporting of femicide stories. the media routinely utilize neighbors who may not know the victim and/or perpetrator particularly well, rather than close friends or family members, as sources in instances of domestic violence. The new research question by Gillespies, Richards, Givens and Smith was based on prior research of the representation of femicide in the news and its use of frames used in media coverage making the data quantitative. There are five media frames specifically associated with domestic violence, which include (1) focusing on the behavior of the victim, including blaming the victim or excusing the perpetrator; (2) normalizing the event as commonplace; (3) suggesting the incident was an isolated event; (4) indicating the victim and/or perpetrator are somehow different from the norm; and (5) asserting that domestic violence perpetrators are disordered and should be easily identifiable. The researchers examined the validity of these existing by examining the components of additional media frames-the sources used, language and word choice, and the context of the incident-in a sample of North Carolina newspaper stories. This research study used the time dimension of trend logical study for articles that present the femicide as domestic violence and those that do not. The researchers used reports, within a six year time span, from newspapers to carry out their study 2002-2007. The basic sign of this study meets the three criteria for establishing causality. The negative correlations of the study are four things; the more the media chooses to do these four things the more the issue will be swept under the rug. Most news sources underutilize those with an educated opinion and informed background in the problem of domestic violence, and then journalists habitually shun victim advocates and academics for trepidation of bias. Journalists word choice or speech also manipulates the framing of domestic violence; Word assortment in both the title/headline and all through an article can potentially sway the general publics understanding of an incident and the partakers involved. As is often the case with intimate violent behavior, the relationship amid victim and offender is highly multifaceted and turbulent. The number one issue connected with intimate partner homicide is previous accounts of domestic violence. Sorry to say, all too often information pertaining to a couples history is either gone astray or downgraded to the end of an article. For temporal order the change media has to structure domestic violence in a way that will provide evidence to show the important corollary of societys perception on domestic violence, and solutions to fix this problem also to note that this is not personal but the publics responsibility because in many cases the media fail to notice the occasion to use their power to portray femicide as an issue worthy of public outrage and intensified policy development. Gillespies, Richards, Givens and Smith eliminated other rival hypothesis the findings may be influenced by the social climate and level of activism in the state from which the data were derived. The North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCCADV) may create higher levels of awareness in North Carolina than domestic violence groups in other states by reaching out to local media outlets and law enforcement agencies. The interpretations presented here cannot be wholly free from potential researcher bias. However, to minimize that potential one specific threat to internal validity was selection bias because the study relied heavily on previous research to guide coding and ensuing interpretations of the results. The concepts in the study were femicide, frame analysis and mass media. The index used 7 composed frames were identified while only 4had been identified in previous research. : (1) A commonplace frame, (2) an isolated incident frame, (3) a frame that blames the criminal justice system, and (4) a victim blaming frame. (5) a frame blaming perpetrator loss of control or moral breakdown, and (6) a frame that minimized the femicide by focusing on a crisis in the lives of the victim/perpetrator(7) a domestic violence as a broader social problem frame. The results of the study are externally valid if there is more awarnees to domestic violence and it is brought to the light then e that research in this area will continue to encourage meaningful partnerships between researchers, advocates, and the media and that best case practices for reporting on violence against women will be developed and disseminated on a national level. A specific threat to external validity is sample selectivity. First, it is essential to think about that the findings may be subjective by the social climate and level of activism in the state from which the data were derived. The North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCCADV) may create higher levels of awareness in North Carolina than domestic violence groups in other states by reaching out to local media outlets and law enforcement agencies. It is reasonable to suggest that the prevalence of DV defined articles framing the femicide within the context of a broader social problem (about 25% within DV defined articles and about 12% of the overall sample) may be influenced by the partnership that has developed between the NCCADV, law enforcement, and the media. Therefore, the findings reported here may not be generalizable to other states.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Affirmitive Action :: essays research papers

Have you ever wondered who gets to attend the country’s selective colleges and universities? The really smart kids, the hard workers, star athletes, artists, singers, mathematicians, writers, alumni children? Of course universities want them all. But what about when it comes to race? Suddenly the stakes of getting in are raised. How many African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Whites should there be in each class? Should acceptance to a school depend on a person’s race?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Well I believe that acceptance to a school shouldn’t be depended on the race of a person. I believe this because it’s like judging a book by it cover, it doesn’t always work out. Let me give you an example just because you’re Asian doesn’t mean that you’re going to be smart, know how to fix a computer, or be a crappy driver. Actually we should all be thought of equals and our race shouldn’t matter in being accepted into a college. Colleges shouldn’t administer students onto there campuses to keep diversity, but let their capability determine their entrance. College admissions should be determined by academic performance/capabilities instead of one’s ethnicity just to increase diversity in the college atmosphere.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However, there is another side to this raging debate over affirmative action. There are a more then a handful of minorities that are qualified for admission, but need that extra help affirmative action grants in order to get admission into that top tier university. Some of these people come from economically challenged backgrounds, they meet the requirements that universities require, but do not excel as some of more competitive students that apply. In these type of situations affirmative action, grants admission to the economically challenged student, rejecting the more qualified one. But who are we to say that the kid from the wrong side of tracks, that was raised with seven brothers and sisters, most of whom haven’t been to college; doesn’t disserve his chance to be the first in his family over the pure bread tutored child?

Persecution of Hispanics Exposed in David Hernandez’s Pigeons Essay

Persecution of Hispanics Exposed in David Hernandez’s Pigeons The word â€Å"outsider† is typically used when describing someone or something that just does not fit in. An outsider is different and distinct, but not always valued or appreciated for its diversities. Quite the opposite of being appreciated, the outsider is usually castrated from whatever society it might have appeared in, and looked down upon for its differences. Sadly, outsiders are frequent in humanity. Whether the purpose for their outsider status relates to gender, race, religion or even economical standing, the fact is that there are outsiders in today’s society. When one is made into an outsider, the bias they experience is terrible and unjust, and they are unable to prosper where most so- called â€Å"insiders† would be more likely to flourish. When people are made into outsiders, their metaphorical wings are clipped, and they are unable to â€Å"take flight† and honestly reach their true potential as human beings. David Hernandez, a poet from Chicago, wrote â€Å"Pigeons,† a poem that addresses this issue of discrimination, and I agree with all of his various claims about insiders and how they are prejudiced against outsiders. In the poem, Hernandez uses the imagery of pigeons and doves to compare and contrast the treatment of ethnic outsiders (Hispanics in particular) and Caucasians in American society. Hernandez details the many struggles that pigeons must deal with in order to function in their society, calling pigeons â€Å"the spiks of Birdland† (1023). Why are the pigeons labeled as â€Å"spiks,† though? â€Å"Spik† is a derogatory term used when addressing people of Latin American descent. â€Å"Spik† is also one of the many labels that American s... ... discrimination, but it is not the outsiders who need to change. It is the insiders who persecute the outsiders for their differences that need a transformation. The insiders need a lesson in acceptance and tolerance. The doves should take a look at the pigeons and see a race that is proud of its heritage, even though they are oppressed because of it. The pigeons, in spite of being deemed the â€Å"spiks of Birdland,† should always celebrate who they are and be dancing in the streets (Hernandez 1023). To dance is to fly, and as long as the pigeons keep on dancing, their wings will forever be intact and they will always be able to fly, in spite of their persecution. Works Cited Hernandez, David. â€Å"Pigeons.† Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000.1023-24.