Aggression and Prosocial Behavior Essay

Social psychology is defined as â€Å"the scientific study of how a person’s behavior, thoughts, and feelings are influenced by the real, imagined, or implied presence of others. † This definition is the basis upon which aggression and prosocial behavior are built. As a human being, each of us is given a daily choice of how and if we choose to interact with others. Although aggression and prosocial behavior are at opposite ends of the scale, the general idea behind each of them is that what we see, feel, understand and believe can have a massive impact on the way in which we choose to treat other people. On one end of the spectrum is aggression, a behavior intended to hurt or destroy another person. There are multiple rationales for what causes aggression and why some are more aggressive than others. The frustration-aggression hypothesis is the concept that different sources of frustration can cause a person to act aggressively. Environmental factors, such as excessive heat or noise, can increase frustration levels and thereby illicit an emotional response of aggression on the closest object. Other modern approaches for explaining aggression include a biological predisposition and learned behavior. Biologically speaking, it is possible that some gene or genes makes certain people prone to aggressive behavior under specific environmental conditions. Testosterone has also been linked to aggressive tendencies. The commonly known, â€Å"Roid Rage† that some bodybuilders and athletes experience when using steroids, is a prime example of increased testosterone affecting aggressive inclinations. Aggressive behavior can also be learned through observation. Over the years many psychologists have proven this theory in experimentation, such as the Zimbardo â€Å"prison experiment† and the Bandura â€Å"Bobo doll experiment†. When observing an authoritative figure or peer involving in an aggressive act and being reinforced after, the tendency is that the individual will learn this behavior and act in accordance. Many experiments on the influence of media, such as TV and video games, have looked to push aggressive behavior onto observational learning of violence. These findings have not been thoroughly proven and remain a public opinion rather than factual evidence. Although consensus has not been reached, and since it may be a culmination of all ideas, it is generally the person’s own choices that permit them to act in an aggressive manor towards others. The other completely different dimension of social interaction is found in prosocial behavior. Prosocial behavior is all of the â€Å"socially desirable behavior that benefits others. † Altruism is one such behavior. To be altruistic is to help someone in trouble without concern for one’s self or expectation of reward. However there can be complications when the call for altruistic behavior sounds. When a situation is presented in which a person must make an active decision to help another individual there are five steps that come into play. Noticing, or realizing there may be an emergency, defining the emergency, taking responsibility, planning a course of action and taking action. These steps allow a person to process an incident and decide whether or not they should aid the individual involved. Two majors concerns also come into effect when prosocial behavior is necessary. The bystander effect, referring to the likelihood of a bystander to aid someone in trouble decreases as the number of bystanders increases. This is sad, but true fact in most situations. It is directly related to the diffusion of responsibility, in which a person fails to take responsibility for either action or inaction because of the presence of other people that share in the responsibility. This push of accountability allows someone to rationalize why they chose not to react to an emergency. If there are other individuals present, then they could have also done something, so the vicious cycle continues and no help is ever given. In both social behaviors, aggression and prosocial, the responsibility for a person’s actions are placed solely upon them. Even in cases of aggression where medical treatment is necessary, the individual must still take responsibility to acknowledge the problem and find a solution. As with all human interaction, people are presented with many options every day. It is how people decide to act or not act that creates the spectrum of behavior studied by psychologists today.

What is the Gospel?

The gospel means â€Å"good news†. But good news of what? The key Old Testament word with reference to the gospel is the verb â€Å"basar† which generally means â€Å"proclaiming good news†. The good news may be news of the death of an enemy or the birth of a son. In the New Testament words with reference to the gospel denote â€Å"good tidings† or technically it is a term for â€Å"news of victory†. Most people understood the gospel as about giving hope and salvation to sinful sinners through the work of grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. This paper will discuss the content of the gospel, the fallacies in the presentation of the gospel and the fallacies in stating the content of the gospel. II. The Gospel The message of the gospel is the heart of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ and of His church. Jesus is not only the author and messenger of the gospel but that in fact, He is the subject of it. Paul, after Christ ascension to heaven aggressively preached the gospel. Although Paul does not provide a single complete detailed statement of the tenets of the gospel, nevertheless there are many New Testament passages that when put together indicate what it includes. In Romans 1:3-4 he speaks of the gospel â€Å"concerning God’s Son who was descended from David and resurrected from the dead†. In I Corinthians 15, Paul stated that he delivered a message â€Å"that Christ died for our sins†¦that he was buried and raised on the third day. † Other New Testament passages clearly indicates that Paul viewed the gospel as centering upon Jesus Christ and what God has done through Him that resulted in the salvation of man. To summarize, the essential elements of the gospel are the divine Sonship of Jesus Christ, his humanity, his death in the cross for man’s sins, his burial, resurrection and future coming. II. Fallacies in the Presentation of the Gospel A. The Fallacy that the Gospel primarily concerns Other than sin The good news or the gospel concerns itself with the solution of man’s basic problem: sin. However, a person may not sense that he needed this good news unless he is aware of the presence of sin in his own life. More often than not, he only feels the lack of peace or joy in his life or the overwhelming problems that confronted him, which are symptoms of his condition of being alienated from God as a result of sin. Unfortunately, some presentations of the gospel may focus on these three areas. But man does not need the gospel just so he can be happy or have peace or find solutions to his problems, he needed it in order to be forgiven of his sin. B. The Fallacy That There Are Different Gospels for Different Age-Groups It is wrong to advocate to the idea that the gospel is not the same for all people. That is, there is a separate gospel for the children, young people, adults, unchurched people or those who go to church. The truth is, there is only one gospel for all, though its ways of explaining may not be the same for all age groups, nevertheless the content should be the same. C. The Fallacy that the Truth is in Other than the Word of God Obviously, this means that truth can be found not only in the word of God. Experience, archeology or fulfilled prophecy may be pointed out as other sources of truth. However, though these three may be a valuable source of denying or confirming truth, it does not create infallible truth. Only the word of God provides absolute truth and all reasoning should be based on it. D. The Fallacy that cleverness will convict In presenting the gospel others may falsely rely on one’s own cleverness of presentation in order to convict a person regarding the truth of the gospel. However, well prepared and well presented gospel presentation does not guarantee salvation or understanding of truth for the Bible clearly states that conviction is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is only the Holy Spirit who can bring successful conviction to acknowledge the truth whether or not a man chooses to believe it. E. The Fallacy that charm will assure results The Bible clearly warned that as bearers of good news, a person should see to it that he does not offend anyone with regards to his manner of dressing, speech or culture especially in view of the fact that the message of the gospel in itself is already an offense or stumbling block for most people ( Gal. :11). But even if man takes this warning to heart, his charming disposition still does not guarantee that the gospel will be accepted. F. The Fallacy that Procedures produce Conversions There is no argument that procedures do produce results such as the hypnotizing effect of music, the intoxicating effect of setting and the moving effect of stories. However, these results cannot be appropriately equated to resulting to conversions. What is important in the presentation of the gospel message is that whether the people were given words that they can believe in and not only to give them something to do. III. Fallacies in Stating the Content of the Gospel A. The Fallacy of adding baptism Some may wrongfully think that in order to be saved one should be baptized. However, baptism is not part of the gospel for if it is then work is added to the gospel of grace. The beliefs that baptism is required for salvation are usually taken from the following verses: . Mark 16:16. Bible Scholars debated on the original ending of the gospel of Mark so in this basis it is unwise to make verses 9-20 as an absolute guideline. But just in case these verses are originally part of the gospel of Mark, it is more safer to assume that Christ may have referred here to the baptism of the Spirit for it is most likely that these words were spoken at the same time that He was talking in Acts 1:5 about the baptizing ministry of the Holy Spirit. 2. Acts 2:38. Baptism regenerationists hold on to the belief that this verse means that both repentance and baptism leads to salvation. However, it must be understood that in Bible times the act of baptism is a public sign of one’ sincere conversion may it be to Judaism, Christianity or other sects. Therefore, this verse clearly shows that Peter told the people to repent and to follow the tradition of baptism as a proof of one’s sincerity of conversion, so that no one will doubt it. On the other hand, this verse can be also interpreted to mean that baptism follows as a result of the forgiveness of sin and not in order to be forgiven of sin. 3. Acts 22:16. This verse may be analyzed by connecting a particular participle to its imperative like the participle (a) â€Å"arise† (which is a participle, arising) with (b) â€Å"be baptized† (an imperative); and (c) â€Å"wash away your sin† (imperative) with (d) â€Å"calling on the name of the Lord† (participle). To make baptism a requirement of salvation, it would require connecting (b) and (c) which could then be read as â€Å"be baptized and wash away your sins†. But this is not to be so, for as shown, both imperatives are in fact connected to each of their own participle, therefore, it means â€Å"to arise from baptism† and to â€Å"call upon the name of the Lord to wash away your sins†. Calling on the name of the Lord would then necessitate forgiveness of sin and not baptism. B. The Fallacy of misunderstanding Repentance In Christianity, to acquire salvation means to repent. Repentance means one should not only be sorrowful about specific sins being committed and stop doing it ( as most understood about repentance ) but it must involve a change of mind about Jesus Christ and trust (have faith ) and acknowledge Him as savior. C. The Fallacy of making surrender of life a part of the gospel Many Bible scholars argue that in order to be saved one should surrender one’s life or make a commitment to the Lordship of Christ. Arthur Pink further stressed that it is a lie of the devil to think that one is saved unless he makes Christ Lord of his life. However, the Bible provided many examples of person who were saved but do not show any commitment such as Lot and the believers of Ephesus. Lot was declared in the new testament as a righteous man even though his life does not show as such. The believers in Ephesus were still regarded as born again even though it took them two years after accepting Christ to burn their magic arts and forsake their superstitious practices. The Lordship problem lies in the failure to â€Å"distinguish salvation from discipleship and makes requirement for discipleship prerequisites for salvation†. Christ in his discourse with the Samaritan woman does not ask her to put her sinful life in order for her to be saved nor does He lecture on her the changes that is expected of her in case she believed but that He simply inform her that she needed to know who He is and ask for His gift of eternal life. It may look so easy to be saved just by believing, but in a much closer introspection , it is not so, for it is hard to believe in someone that is only known through the Bible much more stake one’s own eternal destiny based on that knowledge. II. Conclusion A. The gospel is the good news of man’s forgiveness from sins through faith in the complete work of grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is therefore of necessity that man hear and understand this message. However, as with other works of man, the presentation of the gospel and stating its content may be flawed with fallacies. In the fallacy of presentation, it includes the fallacy that the Gospel primarily concerns other than sin, the fallacy that there are different gospels for different Age-Groups ,the fallacy that the Truth is in Other than the Word of God ,the fallacy that cleverness will convict ,the fallacy that charm will assure results, the fallacy that procedures produce conversions. In the fallacy of stating its content, it includes the fallacy of adding baptism, the fallacy of misunderstanding repentance, the fallacy of making surrender of life a part of the gospel.

A Report Into Consumer Behavioural Theory

Creating a psychological struggle for customers as well as curing it can be vital to increase market share and customer satisfaction. * Overcoming pre-purchase alternatives to Benecol is a great challenge due to the highly saturated market the brand finds itself in, although this is not impossible as promotion of the products health benefits can lift it. * Consumers can be conditioned to relate to Benecol both consciously and unconsciously through various marketing and production techniques. Marketing strategies can be put in place which are directly or indirectly linked to the purchase or use of the product that gain short or long term boosts in sales or customer satisfaction such as sales promotions or school giveaways to promote health in children which improves brand reputation. * Taking advantage of every point of interaction between the product and the consumer can greatly increase the likelihood that a customer will become loyal to the brand and perhaps even aid the increase of market share. Introduction Consumer behavioural theory gives marketing departments the opportunity to gain a more effective understanding of the customers they have or wish to attain. The theories attached to this subject emotional, cognitive and psychological reaction to marketing and brand management. The following is a report on consumer behaviour related to the Benecol brand with the intention to gain a better organisational understanding of marketing theories and methods relevant to the specific brand. Due to the market segmentation of Benecol, the report largely aims to focus on consumer behaviour closely linked to health and food products, as well as applying more general consumer behavioural theory where relevant. As the relevant theories to consumer behaviour in the case of Benecol are outlined, recommendations will be made in order to aid the company in customer acquisition, retention and satisfaction. Motivation and Need Recognition In assembling this report it was understood that many theories of behavioural aspects of marketing are derived from an organisation’s awareness and understand of its target markets’ needs and desires and those who utilise this most effectively are often the most successful brands. For instance, Coca-Cola has no health benefits, therefore it is marketed as hedonistic product and the more its target market become increasingly health-conscious the more Coke will play on its slogan ‘enjoy’, whilst also increasing its market share in other ways, i. e. hrough the purchase of shares in drinks companies that promote health (Macalister Teather, 2010). The need or desire that is recognised by Benecol’s products is clearly the reduction of cholesterol, the motivation for this is increased health as well as Benecol’s ease of use. The motivation for buying a product that increases the health of the consumer is self-evident in many ways. Value Theory Many researchers have suggested that consumers are ‘value driven’ and find that the enjoyment of a product is balanced between what is given and what is received (Torben, 2005). In short, this theory argues the following factors are counted when a future purchase is considered: From this, it could be argued that Benecol’s price and quality are subjective to the customer as the benefits from use of said product are only noticeable long-term and the economic cost of the range are noticeably, although not unreasonably, higher than alternatives. However, the value the product gives to the consumer from a marketing perspective will be discussed in greater details through other behavioural theories as the above chart is too rudimentary to give explicit argument to Benecol’s potential without more exploration. Information Processing Something highly intrinsic to the product value of Benecol is the emphasis on being ‘the only range of foods to contain Plant Stanol Ester, a unique cholesterol lowering ingredient. ’ (Rasio Plc. , 2011). Getting this information to the public through advertising happens through the brand website, but on television the advertising is focused on basic prompts that will motivate the audience into believing in the benefits of using the product. One example is the latest UK advert which places stress on the convenience of the product with a line in fairly small print about the plant stanol ester underneath the visual of how easy it can be to help lower cholesterol. The information of stanols is considered secondary in marketing the convenience product and therefore is only likely absorbed by those already interested in the product or the advertising. Dissonance This theory is based on a consumer’s cognitive struggle where two beliefs that are reasoned to be true are not consistent. This process of a cognitive clash brings about a motivation to come to a positive conclusion where a psychological compromise can occur to bring an end to the inconsistency, therefore ending the dissonance (Torben, 2005). By advertising the negative effects rival products can have on a consumer’s health, Benecol creates a struggle within the consumer’s mind that whilst they enjoy their regular food and dairy products, they are damaging to their health by creating large amounts of cholesterol. Benecol is then introduced as an alternative to health-damaging products that bridges the psychological inconsistencies in the consumer’s mind by offering a products that helps prevent cholesterol whilst not taking enjoyment away from eating. By offering advertisement reinforced with clinically proven information, the customer is also limited in averting the dissonance caused by Benecol’s initial information about rival product. Benecol therefore markets by initiating dissonance and then promoting a solution to end the consumer’s self-conflict. Balance Theory and Modelling This motivational theory argues that ‘people desire cognitive consistency in their drive to achieve psychological balance in their thoughts, feelings and social relationships’ (Dacko, 2008). In relation to marketing, consumer can be attracted or put off of a product due to a linked influencer even if it is not directly linked to the product, also known as modelling. For example, a woman could be attracted to an anti-wrinkle cream if she sees it endorsed by Dame Helen Mirren because she is a fan of the actress’ work and beauty. Similarly, if an organisation were thinking of using Accenture, a deal could have been negatively affected due to the unrelated infidelities of Tiger Woods, had the latter not ceased to sponsor him when they did. The theory promoted by Benecol is the trifecta of a person balancing convenience, taste and health. Ergo, Benecol is promoted as a product that does not impede on the consumer’s convenience from daily routine in preparing food, manages to taste as good as unhealthy products whilst being a product that promotes good health. Although it has done in the past with Carol Vorderman, Benecol currently does not market its product using celebrity endorsement, something that its rivals, Activia and Actimel do in the UK. Although these products are not exactly the same as Benecol, they produce many products in the same market advertising similar benefits, such as yoghurts and mini-drinks that aid well-being. Pre-purchase Alternative Evaluation This theory bases its argument on the focus that a customer makes a cognitive and emotional decision on the alternatives to the product in question before a purchase is made. Through judging the price, quality and branding of the products in question cognitively, a consumer will then make their decision based on the positive or negative effects that the previous factors will have on their life. As Benecol is marketed as an alternative to unhealthy dairy staples such as yoghurts and spreads, it is undeniable that the market that Benecol is placed in is highly competitive. Benecol spread is nearly twice as expensive as similar products including own brand olive spreads that cost under half the price for twice the weight of product (Ocado, 2011). The following is a statement from international brand analysts Datamonitor in a report for the UK dairy industry: ‘From the consumer’s point of view, dairy products may be used directly as food or beverages, or ingredients for other home-made foods. There are a wide range of foods and drinks that can be used in similar ways to dairy products, so if dairy prices raise too high, it is easy for consumers to replace them with alternatives. This reduces the pricing freedom of retailers and market players. Some of the alternatives may have advantages for retailers, such as cheaper storage or higher margins. The threat of substitutes is assessed here as strong, although dairy products are important parts of most peoples’ diet and are unlikely to be completely replaced’ (Datamonitor, 2008). From this we see that Benecol has the challenge to promote the positive effects it can have on a consumer’s life rather than any economic benefits it may possess, unless it was marketed in a way that suggested it could save customers money in the long-term as a prevention of high spending due to ill-health. This however is playing on consumer fear and would not be recommended as a means of increasing customer acquisition, retention or satisfaction. Classical Conditioning This theory refers to an argument that consumers can be programmed into acting without being conscious of their conditioning. Through classical conditioning it is argued that by stimulating different emotional states in a consumer through the use of marketing, product placement, packaging or use, the consumer’s approach to the product becomes altered to act immediately with a certain approach to a product that is involuntary (East, Wright, Vanhuele, 2008). With Benecol, it could be argued that consumers are conditioned into both positive and negative emotional reactions through our marketing. The deep mint green logo surrounded by a heart blended with soft, sky blue backgrounds in our packaging and advertising is warming and few products in the same or similar markets share the same colour scheme so not only are we unique in our packaging so when customers do see similar colours, they are quickly linked back to Benecol which aids them to buy more. As mentioned in relation to other theories of consumer behaviour, fear plays a large part in motivating one to purchase an item which promotes health. Although as a company it would not be ethical to play on fear to boost sales, there is no denying the very real possibility that consumers are motivated to purchase goods when they are conditioned to understand that not doing so could lead them to health problems down the line. A Report Into Consumer Behavioural Theory Creating a psychological struggle for customers as well as curing it can be vital to increase market share and customer satisfaction. * Overcoming pre-purchase alternatives to Benecol is a great challenge due to the highly saturated market the brand finds itself in, although this is not impossible as promotion of the products health benefits can lift it. * Consumers can be conditioned to relate to Benecol both consciously and unconsciously through various marketing and production techniques. Marketing strategies can be put in place which are directly or indirectly linked to the purchase or use of the product that gain short or long term boosts in sales or customer satisfaction such as sales promotions or school giveaways to promote health in children which improves brand reputation. * Taking advantage of every point of interaction between the product and the consumer can greatly increase the likelihood that a customer will become loyal to the brand and perhaps even aid the increase of market share. Introduction Consumer behavioural theory gives marketing departments the opportunity to gain a more effective understanding of the customers they have or wish to attain. The theories attached to this subject emotional, cognitive and psychological reaction to marketing and brand management. The following is a report on consumer behaviour related to the Benecol brand with the intention to gain a better organisational understanding of marketing theories and methods relevant to the specific brand. Due to the market segmentation of Benecol, the report largely aims to focus on consumer behaviour closely linked to health and food products, as well as applying more general consumer behavioural theory where relevant. As the relevant theories to consumer behaviour in the case of Benecol are outlined, recommendations will be made in order to aid the company in customer acquisition, retention and satisfaction. Motivation and Need Recognition In assembling this report it was understood that many theories of behavioural aspects of marketing are derived from an organisation’s awareness and understand of its target markets’ needs and desires and those who utilise this most effectively are often the most successful brands. For instance, Coca-Cola has no health benefits, therefore it is marketed as hedonistic product and the more its target market become increasingly health-conscious the more Coke will play on its slogan ‘enjoy’, whilst also increasing its market share in other ways, i. e. hrough the purchase of shares in drinks companies that promote health (Macalister Teather, 2010). The need or desire that is recognised by Benecol’s products is clearly the reduction of cholesterol, the motivation for this is increased health as well as Benecol’s ease of use. The motivation for buying a product that increases the health of the consumer is self-evident in many ways. Value Theory Many researchers have suggested that consumers are ‘value driven’ and find that the enjoyment of a product is balanced between what is given and what is received (Torben, 2005). In short, this theory argues the following factors are counted when a future purchase is considered: From this, it could be argued that Benecol’s price and quality are subjective to the customer as the benefits from use of said product are only noticeable long-term and the economic cost of the range are noticeably, although not unreasonably, higher than alternatives. However, the value the product gives to the consumer from a marketing perspective will be discussed in greater details through other behavioural theories as the above chart is too rudimentary to give explicit argument to Benecol’s potential without more exploration. Information Processing Something highly intrinsic to the product value of Benecol is the emphasis on being ‘the only range of foods to contain Plant Stanol Ester, a unique cholesterol lowering ingredient. ’ (Rasio Plc. , 2011). Getting this information to the public through advertising happens through the brand website, but on television the advertising is focused on basic prompts that will motivate the audience into believing in the benefits of using the product. One example is the latest UK advert which places stress on the convenience of the product with a line in fairly small print about the plant stanol ester underneath the visual of how easy it can be to help lower cholesterol. The information of stanols is considered secondary in marketing the convenience product and therefore is only likely absorbed by those already interested in the product or the advertising. Dissonance This theory is based on a consumer’s cognitive struggle where two beliefs that are reasoned to be true are not consistent. This process of a cognitive clash brings about a motivation to come to a positive conclusion where a psychological compromise can occur to bring an end to the inconsistency, therefore ending the dissonance (Torben, 2005). By advertising the negative effects rival products can have on a consumer’s health, Benecol creates a struggle within the consumer’s mind that whilst they enjoy their regular food and dairy products, they are damaging to their health by creating large amounts of cholesterol. Benecol is then introduced as an alternative to health-damaging products that bridges the psychological inconsistencies in the consumer’s mind by offering a products that helps prevent cholesterol whilst not taking enjoyment away from eating. By offering advertisement reinforced with clinically proven information, the customer is also limited in averting the dissonance caused by Benecol’s initial information about rival product. Benecol therefore markets by initiating dissonance and then promoting a solution to end the consumer’s self-conflict. Balance Theory and Modelling This motivational theory argues that ‘people desire cognitive consistency in their drive to achieve psychological balance in their thoughts, feelings and social relationships’ (Dacko, 2008). In relation to marketing, consumer can be attracted or put off of a product due to a linked influencer even if it is not directly linked to the product, also known as modelling. For example, a woman could be attracted to an anti-wrinkle cream if she sees it endorsed by Dame Helen Mirren because she is a fan of the actress’ work and beauty. Similarly, if an organisation were thinking of using Accenture, a deal could have been negatively affected due to the unrelated infidelities of Tiger Woods, had the latter not ceased to sponsor him when they did. The theory promoted by Benecol is the trifecta of a person balancing convenience, taste and health. Ergo, Benecol is promoted as a product that does not impede on the consumer’s convenience from daily routine in preparing food, manages to taste as good as unhealthy products whilst being a product that promotes good health. Although it has done in the past with Carol Vorderman, Benecol currently does not market its product using celebrity endorsement, something that its rivals, Activia and Actimel do in the UK. Although these products are not exactly the same as Benecol, they produce many products in the same market advertising similar benefits, such as yoghurts and mini-drinks that aid well-being. Pre-purchase Alternative Evaluation This theory bases its argument on the focus that a customer makes a cognitive and emotional decision on the alternatives to the product in question before a purchase is made. Through judging the price, quality and branding of the products in question cognitively, a consumer will then make their decision based on the positive or negative effects that the previous factors will have on their life. As Benecol is marketed as an alternative to unhealthy dairy staples such as yoghurts and spreads, it is undeniable that the market that Benecol is placed in is highly competitive. Benecol spread is nearly twice as expensive as similar products including own brand olive spreads that cost under half the price for twice the weight of product (Ocado, 2011). The following is a statement from international brand analysts Datamonitor in a report for the UK dairy industry: ‘From the consumer’s point of view, dairy products may be used directly as food or beverages, or ingredients for other home-made foods. There are a wide range of foods and drinks that can be used in similar ways to dairy products, so if dairy prices raise too high, it is easy for consumers to replace them with alternatives. This reduces the pricing freedom of retailers and market players. Some of the alternatives may have advantages for retailers, such as cheaper storage or higher margins. The threat of substitutes is assessed here as strong, although dairy products are important parts of most peoples’ diet and are unlikely to be completely replaced’ (Datamonitor, 2008). From this we see that Benecol has the challenge to promote the positive effects it can have on a consumer’s life rather than any economic benefits it may possess, unless it was marketed in a way that suggested it could save customers money in the long-term as a prevention of high spending due to ill-health. This however is playing on consumer fear and would not be recommended as a means of increasing customer acquisition, retention or satisfaction. Classical Conditioning This theory refers to an argument that consumers can be programmed into acting without being conscious of their conditioning. Through classical conditioning it is argued that by stimulating different emotional states in a consumer through the use of marketing, product placement, packaging or use, the consumer’s approach to the product becomes altered to act immediately with a certain approach to a product that is involuntary (East, Wright, Vanhuele, 2008). With Benecol, it could be argued that consumers are conditioned into both positive and negative emotional reactions through our marketing. The deep mint green logo surrounded by a heart blended with soft, sky blue backgrounds in our packaging and advertising is warming and few products in the same or similar markets share the same colour scheme so not only are we unique in our packaging so when customers do see similar colours, they are quickly linked back to Benecol which aids them to buy more. As mentioned in relation to other theories of consumer behaviour, fear plays a large part in motivating one to purchase an item which promotes health. Although as a company it would not be ethical to play on fear to boost sales, there is no denying the very real possibility that consumers are motivated to purchase goods when they are conditioned to understand that not doing so could lead them to health problems down the line.

Globalization Influence on General Electric Research Paper - 5

Globalization Influence on General Electric - Research Paper Example Ideally, GE relies on its engineers and research scientists for continued growth and given that these people are from different backgrounds, then this brings about cultural differences. Due to these cultural differences, then these experts need to be managed in a different manner. However, the management at GE feels that their well-established processes are capable of adopting all these people and make sure that they fit into the organization’s processes and hence ensure that it has continued success. However, this has not been the case and the company’s shares have been plummeting since the exit of Jack Welch, the company’s former CEO who was credited with introducing numerous management practices that insured success for the organization (Hill, 2010). Since the exit of Welch, the company has tried to come with a one fit all strategy to handle its staff. With the business environment becoming more complex in the United States, GE has been forced to turn to China where there is a guarantee of constant business for the conglomerate. However, this has not borne many fruits since the management did not try to come up with new management practices but rather adopted its traditional way of doing business in America. This was not actually what the management expected (Morrison, 2012). In order to deal with the arising changes in its Chinese firm, GE sacked all the expatriate managers since it felt like they were not performing. Naturally, when GE replaced the expatriate executives, the new ones that they exported also failed to deliver the expected results and it took so long for the company to get on its own feet. However, the Chinese firm has not been successful and in the next few years after inception, it experienced numerous unwarranted expenses that drove up the operating cost significantly.

Discipline in the Public Schools Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Discipline in the Public Schools - Assignment Example The principal disregarded Jame’s claim and subjected him to corporal punishment and on the account of this punishment, he and his parents went to US Supreme Court for justice. The kid and the parents lost the case and the case was ruled in the favor of the school. The judge ruled that the prohibitions that have been levied by the constitution of US in case of harsh punishment towards children were not applicable in the case of corporal punishments that take place in public schools. Case 2: Student Suspension Goss v. Lopez In case of Goss v. Lopex, the US Supreme Court established that students had a right to a hearing before they are subjected to suspension from the public school as if a hearing is not conducted; the student’s right to due process is violated (Osborne, 2009, p.33). In this case, nine students including Dwight Lopez experienced suspension for around 10 days as a result of school property destruction activity. Before this case, public schools principals h ad the authority to suspend students for a period of 10 days along with a notification sent to their parents within the 24 hours of the incident. Secondly the law did not allow students to appeal to the board of education in case of suspension. This law was written off as the judges ruled that such laws violated a student’s 14 amendment right of due process and a hearing before suspension was necessary. The judge even ruled that suspensions have the ability to harm a student’s ability to gain employment and career advancements. Case 3: Expelled Fuller v. Decatur Public School Board Of Education In the case of Fuller v. Decatur Public School Board Of Education, Fuller along with a number of children was expelled from the school for a period of 2 years on the account of fighting that occurred between students (Osborne, 2009, p.33). Due to being expelled, Fuller appealed to the court stating that his and his associate’s expulsion from the educational institute was on the basis of racial profiling and they were regarded as gang members and their expulsion was not justified since they did not use any weapons. Even though no weapons were used, the fighting was very severe in nature and bystanders were even injured. The court ruled the case in the favor of the school because students failed to prove that any form of racial profiling had occurred and the expulsion was justified. Opinion in Case of Corporal Punishment In case of Ingraham v. Wright the court ruled in the favor of corporal punishment being used to discipline students. Corporal punishment is a term used to refer to the act of using severe measures in order to discipline individuals and especially students in schools. Corporal punishment in any case should be completely disregarded and the constitution should put a stop to such punishments. One of the main reasons for stopping corporal punishments is that teachers and educators are socializing agents for children and children tend to o bserve and imitate the behavior of their teachers (Nanjunda, 2008, p.23). If educationalists use corporal punishment for mistakes made by students, students will even start accepting that hitting someone or spanking another individual is a way to deal with their wrong doings and they themselves will use similar methods in their life. Corporal punishment should even be abolished in US schools because no individual can make

Regulation of Advertising and Promotion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Regulation of Advertising and Promotion - Essay Example NAD examines that whether not all the claims being made in the advertisement are true. It also makes sure that the product being promoted on any platform should not mislead the audience as it can be a threat to consumers (National Advertising Division, 2013). NAD may also play an effective role during the promotion of alcohol in school. It makes sure that the sponsors are not misleading the consumers by making them think that they must start the consumption of alcohol before their legal age. NAD would also examine that the whether the claims being made by the companies regarding their alcoholic products are accurate or they are again misleading the consumers. As there are children in school the alcohol companies must keep in mind the guidelines of Children Advertising Review Unit (CARU). FTC or Federal Trade Competition makes fair competition possible between the rivals. FTC also deals with deceptive advertisement. It fosters free trade and restrains the growth of economy within any prescribed area. It oversees all the deceptive issues and then deals with it according to the Federal law. It promotes competition, restrains unfair method of competition and ensures the honest labeling of every product. This regulatory agency is also responsible for creating awareness among the companies about their rights (Protecting Americas Consumer, 2013). Federal regulation imposed during the promotion by alcohol companies can also be quite effective as it will foster healthy competition, not letting any company to practice monopoly. It will let the audience present decide the brand of their choice based on the effectiveness of promotion. No company would be allowed to promote their product unless their product features are same as they have claimed. The significance of both the regulation differs from one another. Self-regulation is imposed for the purpose of the letting the customers know that the product is

Management of Information Systems Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management of Information Systems Change - Essay Example As a key component of the business changes, Information Systems also plays a predominant role in the development of the business. Right from the information flow at internal end, to end-user levels, a lot of attention is required all through. Over a period of time a lot of dramatic and dynamic changes were envisaged in the way the information systems of many businesses transformed. In the earlier decades, Information Systems and usage of advanced technologies use to be a sophisticated development for the companies and were used by only well -established companies. But in the recent past, due to the growing competition and the advancement of technologies added to increased customer expectations of better and speedy services demanded almost all the companies of the globe to work towards reengineering the process of management and the business acumen. In business, Information Systems not only facilitates the basic processes or operations but also supports the decision making process of the Management. Bottom line management or the value maximization which is an ultimate objective of any business management precludes the effectiveness of the Information Systems used by the business. ... Observation of key aspects A detailed approach to any issue or the topic can help in gaining deeper insights. However to work on the dissertation of industry issues, a lot of ground work on the contemporary issues is needed. However when working on the key aspects, much attention has to be paid not only to the fundamental factors involved but also to the issues which are to be correlated to the same. The rest of the paper is organized as follows. The key aspect of any academic study is to deeply acknowledge the objectives of the study. The objective of this paper is to understand the role of Information systems and the new technologies in creating new ways of doing business and the strategic issues related to the same. In order to meet this objective, the role of Information Systems in today's business process is studied along with acknowledging the introduction/implementation of advanced technologies into the business processes. The technical approach to the managerial functions and the managerial approach to the technical aspects of the business process play a crucial role in understanding the scope for developing the business process and its life cycle. As a part of the study, many industrial verticals like telecom, Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Travel & Tourism, Manufacturing and Service sectors were also substantially researched and the key developments in these sectors are observed. Also the role of Information Systems and the impact driven by them on the way the business prevailed along with the current scenario were also discussed. Management information Systems - A Review Management Information

Environmental Analysis of the Eden Project Assignment

Environmental Analysis of the Eden Project - Assignment Example Opened to the public in 2001, the project took approximately 30 months to construct and now provides an interesting experience to visitors both domestic and foreign. The Eden Project, based on research findings, is a benchmark by which other organisations can replicate their operational models for the company’s consistent focus on providing relevant services and activities related to their mission and vision goals. PESTEL analysis of Eden Project The Eden Project operates in a stable political environment in which there is ample state-level and local-level support for business development. The Eden Project is even supported by an EU organisation, The European Social Fund Convergence Investment, that has partnered with the local Learning Partnership for Cornwall to deliver sustainable operations and promote training of local workforce members to support the project (Green Foundation 2013; Major 2010). Through government support both domestic and foreign, the Eden Project is abl e to sustain its operational model and achieve a variety of grants that provide adequate funding that assists in procurement, operational strategy development and even the marketing and promotional functions that give the organisation more public visibility and brand recognition. The Eden Project has also been supported by notable political figures ranging from the Queen to Prime Minister Gordon Brown in an effort to promote sustainability and eco-tourism in the country (Eden Project 2008). Political actors with considerable influence in promoting the organisation and also ensuring government funding provide the Eden Project with the marketing benefits and political networking benefits required to ensure long-run operations and sustainability of the company model. Celebrity endorsers often have a positive impact on consumer attitudes and behaviours and utilising the Queen’s endorsements is only one element of how the organisation achieves brand visibility. The economic enviro nment is also quite favourable for continued operations at the Eden Project. Admission prices for adults at the attraction range between ?19.50 and ?23.50, whilst children can enter the attraction for between ?6.50 and ?10.50 (Eden Project 2013). These are rather high prices comparatively to other local attractions, however it guarantees a higher revenue stream for the organisation. The UK is currently experiencing a recovery from the 2008-2010 recession, which is giving consumers higher disposable incomes today (Forex 2012; Reuters 2011). Concurrently, the UK Consumer Price Index has been stable since October of 2013 which represents that inflation is stabilising and currently household consumer income enhancements are rising in a faster proportion to inflation (ONS 2013). This provides an economic environment in which the Eden Project can sustain more consumer interest in disparate market segments without concern about substantial admission price discounting. The ability of consum ers to pay the higher-than-average admission costs to experience a unique attraction provides a stable and positive economic environment for the organisation. The social environment is also favourable for continued consumer interest in the attraction. There is a growing ethical awareness in many consumer groups about the importance of ecology and environmental sustainability that impacts their consumption behaviours.

Turning Points in History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Turning Points in History - Essay Example An in-depth analysis of the political scenario that was shaped by the assassination of President Kennedy suggests that for a considerable time, United States continued to suffer from political turmoil. The Vietnam War flared up and brought many displeasing results for America. Why were the events immediately preceding the turning point necessary and essential in preparing for the turning point? Events preceding the assassination of President John F Kennedy were essential because they threatened the interests of many ruling powers. President Kennedy was restructuring the CIA to deprive the capitalist cabal of the ability to spread terrorism, both locally and internationally. The ruling powers would not be able to handle the economy if President Kennedy lived and restructured the Federal Reserve System. Another potential reason of the assassination of President Kennedy was that he had resolved to quite the war in Vietnam which the ruling powers were using as a tool to make profits thro ugh sale of weapons. All of these events flared up the urge to get President Kennedy out of the way of mean ruling powers so that they may practice their malevolent plans and evil machinations.

Theory of Political Culture and Ideology Essay Example for Free

Theory of Political Culture and Ideology Essay A political culture can be defined as a framework of similar values, beliefs and attitudes shared by people in a certain nation or state. Such ideals and behaviors are normally related to the government and the politics of a country and they tend to develop with time to shape the views of that countrys citizens in regard to the world and their sense of what is right or wrong, just or unjust, possible and impossible (Ginsberg, Lowi and Weir 18). The concept of a political culture is properly explained using four major aspects of a government and politics. These four aspects include; understanding the relationship between a government and the citizens, the government obligations, limits of the governmental authority and understanding peoples rights and responsibilities. The importance of a political culture is to establish a background on which the politics of a nation or a state unfolds. It also sets limits and boundaries which are to be obeyed by all actors involved in a political realm. Every nation has its own political culture. For instance, most Americans believe that there is ultimate importance of individual efforts in achieving personal success and for this reason,they are generally opposed to generous welfare benefits (Clark and Schaffner 567). Ideology refers to the way in which cultures are structured to enable a government to exercise maximum control on its citizens with minimum conflicts. Ideology in simple terms refers to specific attitudes, ideas and beliefs which advocate for a systematic plan aimed at bringing change in the social, political and economic arenas of a country. Examples of political ideologies include anarchism, socialism, statism, libertarianism, fascism, communism, conservatism and communitarianism (Cummings 56). Political ideology is different from political culture in many ways. For instance, traditionalists are not necessarily conservatives the same way liberals are not moralists. The culture of American politics is deeply rooted and it is associated with democracy, constitutionalism and capitalism. In this case, democracy in the U. S is less direct as it is marked by extreme fragmentation of power by the governing body. Constitutionalism is concerned with law and attention to individual rights of its citizens while capitalism spells out the distinction between political and economic issues. The book Habits of the heart written by Robert Bellah et al describes the American culture in terms of its values, belief and expectations as well as strengths and weaknesses in relation to the manifestations to an individual and the community as a whole (pp. 143-145). Most of the values and beliefs which make up the American political culture originate from the Greco-Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Judeo-Christain, Native American, African as well as Asian cultures. The core values of the American culture contained in the American creed include life, liberty, equality and pursuit for happiness. In addition, it includes individualism, unity and diversity of various cultures. Ideals in the American culture originate from past experiences such as those obtained from its former colonist (Britain) as well as material circumstances. According to Ginsberg, Lowi and Weir, the presence of a political ideology in the American politics is very important since its absence is likely to lead to radical pragmatism which is bound to trigger bad decisions and ethics in the policy making of the political culture. The values and beliefs held in the American political culture assist the society in the war against racism and other ethnic differences. It also helps to shape the racial attitudes and facilitates democratic stability in the region. One of the most rampant characteristics of the American culture is consumerism. Consumerism is regarded as the new capitalism and originates from the dialectic of democracy and capitalism. The American societies are preoccupied by the ideals and values associated with consumerism as a result of numerous commodities and products fabricated under the television spectacles. In the past few decades, consumerism has led to the transformation of the American citizens into shoppers who are slowly taking away the state sovereignty from within (Wayne, Mackenzie and OBrien 65). The trends of consumerism are impacting a big blow on the nations democracy affecting the judgment, liberty and overall citizenship. Consumerism leads to a disorder known as citizen schizophrenia which divides the common citizens into opposing groups denying them the legitimate access to what is civic or public. Essay 2: Political Culture of Texas. The politics and the political culture of Texas has been a subject of debate for a long time now and there has been a base line describing it as a conservative type of culture(John 87). The political culture of Texas and its ideology has been well described using three major philosophical streams which include populism, social conservatism and classical liberalism. These three ideals are said to form the foundation of the Texas political culture on which permanent values, beliefs and attitudes are built and allowed to interact with other societal values in a complex way. The ideals have led to what is referred to as a low tax, low services political culture in the state. Although Texas government has undergone some immense growth in the last few decades, the low taxes, low services culture still remains firm in the state (OConnor and Sabato 256). In addition, Texas is known to have a tradition which serves business interests both small and large with a wide latitude in terms of their economic and political ventures. The state also provides subsidies for a variety of its industries ranging from road construction, sports, real estate development, manufacturing industries among others. The state government political culture further promotes oil extraction in those regions which are environmentally sensitive and it has outsourced the services which are related to human health and well being. The government has also started the process of selling the subsoil water rights of land owned by the state to private companies and individuals thus encouraging regional and foreign investments in the state. In an effort to shape its public policy, the state has a culture which permits extensive campaigns of the elected officials and it only imposes few restrictions regarding contacts between the executives in the bureaucracy and private entities. On the other hand, this political culture allows the government to tolerate a wide variety of disparities in the political access between individuals or ordinary citizens and people who are powerful either economically or politically in the state. In comparison to the political culture on the American nation as a whole, Ginsberg, Lowi and Weir argue that the Texas political culture is similar to that of the nation as a whole in that it puts much emphasis on values of democracy, equality and liberty. They however add that these values differ in the way they are expressed and exercised in the political institutions of Texas as opposed to those at national level (pp. 304-349). In addition, the Texan political political culture as classified by Prof. Elazar is moralistic, individualistic and traditionalistic (Patterson 34). In addition, the Texas political culture puts much emphasis on democracy and has been mainly dominated by one democratic party in the past although it is slowly evolving into a two party state. In conclusion it can be said that although the Texas political culture is relatively young as compared to the national political culture it is business focused as it shuns public expenditure on social programs while at the same time leaving room for huge contracts by providing subsidies on industries and permitting sale of state property to private business interests.

Role Of English As A Foreign Language Education Essay

Role Of English As A Foreign Language Education Essay Algeria is an African multilingual country with one official language called Modern Standard Arabic and more than two foreign languages French, English, Spanish, etc. It is a country whose contributions and all interests are now in how to improve foreign languages for specific purposes particularly English so as to prove its position as a powerful and important country across the world. Today, the role of English as a foreign language (henceforth EFL) in the world is influenced by many factors such as business, cultural, political and educational factors. The latter is the main factor which plays, now, strongly a major role to pull a lot of attention in the decision of the Algerian educational authorities to know how to deal with the positive qualities EFL has in undertaking methods and approaches as parts of reforms in order to improve English teaching and learning as it is in developed countries. Hence, the questions to be raised, here, are how to deal with the qualities EFL has with non-native speakers and what significant scientific contribution EFL gives to non-mother country (Algeria)? And what are the suggested approaches and methods the Algerian educational authorities make to improve and work with this language? Answering to the questions above, the Algerian educational leaders started to improve and hold tightly EFL by shifting from traditional methods to modern to say to the world that we are able, as a multilingual developing country, to make EFL as a second Language major and significant in our schools and university and then be present everywhere across the globe. This challenge remind us about some debate on teaching EFL in developing countries as an insignificant contribution, by African designers, to knowledge and production(Graddol 2006, Batibo 2007) and Phillipson (1996) who had observed, after the independence of some developing countries , that those who were first responsible for making English official, major, developed and significant are African leaders; For example, the case of English Language Teaching (ELT) in Algerian schools after independence. ELT in Algeria was denied and insignificant before the independence in comparison with French. Because the French language was taught in schools as SL (second language) due to the consequences of the French occupation in Algeria that was the longest period of colonization which took a long time from 1830 till 1962. Thus French became as an official language in the Algerian institutions. Andrew Freeman (1961:1) confirms what we are saying about French as SL in the following quotation  « The French, in Algeria, between 1830 and 1962; tried actively to suppress Arabic. The French influence resulted in many different levels and mainly the linguistic level. The latter reflected the impact of the French language on Algerians who were being forced to speak French and then obliged to learn it in schools, but prior to independence and after 1990s a new revolution came to the surface and the Algerian authoritarians started new relations with USA to give some importance to English as an essen tial medium to be integrated in the Algerian schools. In the beginning, English was taught in middle and secondary schools to students from the eight classes in the middle school to the third classes of the secondary school up to 2005. English at that time had not been being perfectly taught in Algeria in comparison with some developing countries. By the time, because English has become a lingua franca (henceforth ELF), which is defined functionally by its use in intercultural communication, English as a global language (e.g. Crystal 2003; Gnutvzmann 1999), English as a world language (e.g. Mair 2003) and World English (Brutt-Griffler 2002) English as an international language (EIL) becomes influencing force everywhere across the world. Due to these facts of the current situation of English, Algerian Government decides to go through changes in various fields to hold and improve this global language in higher studies. Among these changes are implementation of policies made in education related to new approaches and system were brought to Algerian institutions such as LMD System and competency based approach (henceforth CBA) in primary and secondary schools. CBA approach has been brought to the Algerian schools in 2002 as a new approach and a part of reform in the primary, middle and secondary school. It has been imposed as a primary part of reform and complimentary to LMD reform on EFL teacher. To make CBA approach successful, the education minister mobilized all responsible for schools (primary, middle and secondary) to follow the CBA implementation. Moreover, Algerian ministry contribute, morally and financially, to give all opportunities and provide all those who are responsible for helping teachers and students with materials needed and equipments to be familiar with CBA success in the classroom. Thus, inspectors spent much time and money for making seminars in all over the country to instruct and correct the teachers ways in the teaching of English language and following the planning of English curriculum. In addition to the CBA, the LMD reform is also brought to the Algerian university in 2003 to continue the correctness of the teaching of English. In this work, we shall focus on some changes of approaches and systems such as LMD to see whether it is towards a more communicative use of English as a second language and a more focus on English language teaching. ELT is not easy responsibility for EFL teachers to teaching all of the students assigned to a classroom in university. The latter becomes, now, the world question in holding English as an international language which becomes increasingly important and required in Algeria in the last decade. Nowadays, there are much debate on what is teaching and how it becomes in the twentieth century, some people say that teaching is a creative way to become joined with and support others to help all learners learn. Others say that without teaching learning is not a way to make teachers and students more efficient. McKay (2002) says, The teaching and learning of an international language must be based on an entirely different set of assumptions than the teaching and learning of any other second and foreign language. McKay (2002:1) This quotation makes us ask the following questions: 1-How should English be taught under LMD system as a challenging language in Algeria? (Our focus in this work). 2- What purpose of learning English should we achieve? (That is what we are looking for) 3- Can we be best English teachers? (This is our hypotheses to be proved) According to the questions above, we begin to analyze these issues regarding the role of English in our own lives and in our society. We first start by looking at EF L teachers role, i.e. how do they play a central role in the teaching of English language perfectly? How do they apply the instructions given to teach English and how to be responsible for motivating their students to learn? It is essential that teachers themselves are aware of the way they are following to go through the four skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing including pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and spelling all contribute to effective English communication. The much attention we give to each skill area is due to the teachers and learners competence and their needs. In addition, teachers should be adjusted in the light of the current status of English in the world. As Parker Palmer (1998: 308) points out, When I do not know myself, I cannot know who my students are. I will see them through a glass darkly, in the shadows of my unexamined life and when I cannot see them clearly, I cannot teach them well. Parker Palmer (1998: 308) It is clear to know how able we, as teachers, are to make our students understand and know ourselves in society as well as we can understand from P. Palmer the relative position and attention given to English has been considered and examined from ideological and cultural or political standpoints rather than pedagogical concerns. The latter is very important point to discuss in accordance with our situation as Algerian EFL teachers. Unfortunately, with the classical system we, cannot be adjusted in the light of the current status of English in Algeria because, up to 2005, there are many obstacles and factors make our EFL teachers incapable to make all students understand such as: 1-The number of students is overmuch in a class (40 50) 2- Insufficient communicative activities use for teaching English language skills such as reading, listening, writing, grammar, etc. 3- Inadequately equipped classrooms and the lack of ICTs use. 4- The impact of a social factor on EFL teachers as well as learners 5- Being authoritarian traditional teachers 6- Being passive traditional learners. 7- Being too shy to speak English in the classroom. 8-The impact of mother tongue (L1) on students and some teachers pronunciation too Due to some deficiencies mentioned above, the Algerian government started rebuilding the skeleton of university which is the image of the country abroad. So since 2OO1, the ministry of higher education has decided to diagnose the situation in order to provide immediate and sustainable solutions for university and here a new Algerian university system has imposed itself. Following the recommendations of the National Committee of the education reform, a reform plan was adopted by the Cabinet in April 30, 2002 and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has adopted a ten-year strategy to develop the sector for the period 2004-2013, one of whose main themes is The development and implementation of an overall and deep reform of higher education, the first step is the establishment of a new architectural educations, including an updating and upgrading of various educational programs, and a reorganization of the educational management. Thus, the choice goes towards the new BMD: Bachelor-Master-Doctorate system, or LMD ( Licence, Master and Doctorate) as it is known, to meet the expectations of society and also to be in conc ordance with the new guidelines and global trends in higher education. This system examines, evaluates and improves the way the teachers and learners are following now to better and develop their English. It also defines the ways and means to teach study and evaluate differently in higher education. It aims to motivating and enabling students across the world by allowing diplomas to be compared and become equivalent to European diplomas, developing the professionalization of higher education whilst preserving the general interest nature of the teaching, to strengthening the learning of transverse skills such as fluency in foreign modern languages and computer skills encouraging the students mobility and encouraging the students access to the world of work in Europe allowing the student to build up a personalized education plan gradually. Because English is too challenging for us and becoming the most dominant and useful language among many European languages, our governments has adopted many systems (policies) that promote ELT in Algeria. At present, English is considered as a foreign language that is offered as a required subject at all levels of higher education in university. In order to understand and recognize that the introduction of English language into the Algerian educational system lead us to have part in the globalization, our government made huge effort to change the policies that have been being followed in 1900s. For instance, at the level of university, the LMD system is about a new approach based on the Communicative Approach that has been implemented in the Algerian university almost in all subjects and specialties, as we have already said above. LMD system has been introduced into our universities by August 2003 to make changes in syllabuses and curriculum development in order to reduce and overcome the difficulties and the obstacles cited (see page 5) and make English teaching and learning successful under the new system LMD. As well, to achieve good results, EFL university teachers must be ready to change from traditional teacher to modern changing the traditional approaches into more communicative innovative activities to teaching to what extent we pay much attention to the four skills perfectly. On the one hand, the changes made and brought to universities contribute to achieve success in teaching and learning languages. On the other hand, there are many different reasons for changes, so too are there many different kinds, or levels, of change that can take place in globalization. Interestingly, in Algeria there are changes towards teaching English more explicitly, and with more of a focus on form. Furthermore, nowadays, the emphasis is on to what extent do systems and approaches impact, positively, on ELT to improve EFL students levels in order to get much knowledge and then achieve perfect English to securing their jobs through acknowledged degrees and high levels of employment because the spread of joblessness across the world particularly in Algeria have upset authorities. From the various opinions of learners, even longer studies are not an end in themselves everyone now understands that schools and universities are the first starting point for everyone desires to realize any project. Aiming to get higher studies is simply a means to access better jobs likely to lead to higher social status (profession, security, wage, etc.). For that reason, English language becomes, for EFL students, a dominant subject, an international language and a means for getting job easily. It is now required, across the globe, and important for the Algerian learners and/or job seekers. The question then is what concrete roles does English development give to the EFL LMD students in the Algerian university? Coleman (2010) addresses a similar question by reviewing the functions of English as a foreign language in development. He refers to four areas where English has often been given a role to play: 1-for employability 2-for international mobility 3-for unlocking development opportunities and accessing information 4- as an impartial language. These four points must find an answer in the implementation of LMD systems results. Thus, the present work study is devoted to overcome the difficulties and problems Algerian teachers and learners are encountering in acquiring English language for specific purpose. The latter has been conducted by many researches to discuss the various problems that Arab universities encounter and mainly Algerian university. These kinds of problems refer to their ability as teachers or their competence in transmitting skills. Mukattash (1983) divides the problem that learners of English encounter into problems of pronunciation, spelling, morphology and syntax at the level of university as well students or learners unable to express themselves that what makes difficulties spread. For Mukattash the students major difficulties arise from the fact that they cannot use English correctly and appropriately in and out the classroom when required; he says: Comfortably and efficiently either when dealing with academic topics or common everyday topics (1983:169). What we can understand by the difficulty of English efficiency is related to the students deficiencies in communicative competence and self -confidence. Consequently, to face these kinds of problems of communicative competence, Ministry and educational experts run to find solutions to these problems by changing the strategies and encourage the training abroad that gives the learners a good knowledge and culture as well as make them confident. The queries to be raised here are how universities could be developed into places where advanced knowledge was disseminated and what are the strategies and the reforms are going to be followed. It is only recently that universities have become the almost systematic pragmatics, looking for motivation and aptitude for higher and perfect studies. As a main part of this work, we have also shed light on another part of reform which is called ICT (information, communication and technology). It also impacts on our understanding in the teaching and learning of English language through changes. According to many linguists, the use and integration of ICT might indeed provide students with much information in learning E L (henceforth English language) competency as well as make better and more attractive the quality of EFL teachers and students learning under LMD and CBA experience. They approve that the use of ICT becomes an effective medium to better and develop the English language. As well, ICT helps in the use of interactive lessons through the four skills to speed up the teaching and learning of English perfectly. Moreover, the impact of the use of ICT on teaching and learning is a promising scope of interest for researchers in various disciplines such as mathematics, informatics, education and sports, literature, English studies or teaching foreign languages and so forth. The latter becomes one area where ICTs influence is widely investigated. In a special report, (International Certificate Conference, 2002), devoted to the impact of Information and Communication Technologies on teaching foreign languages and on the role of foreign language teachers in Europe, the term ICT includes technologies in which the computer or laptop plays a central role, for example, Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL), the Internet, and a variety of generic computer applications. To reinforce what has been said in (2002), in (2003) Carmen et al say that integrating ICT tools in teaching can lead to increased students learning competencies and increased opportunities for communication and it is a rapid development in the learning and teaching of foreign languages more particularly English. Nowadays, the rapid developments and the frequent use of ICTS in Algerian society is not only impact on a quick computing discourse has generated linguistic convergence it is also the focus on the use of ICT in schools and universities. The latter now require much availability of computers provided with the net/ internet because they become a support for learning and teaching any discipline and mainly languages. Thus, the use of ICT in both education and higher education becomes an important element in the Algerian governments strategy to reinforce and ensure the effectiveness of systems implementation such as LMD in higher education. Higher education goes with the ICTs use which becoming more important to contribute to the growth and development of learning and teaching in the 21st century. In this part, we highlight the effectiveness of ICT in higher education and we seek to explore how it will impact on the way courses will be given to learners and delivered in the universities. Having spoken on the whole study work, generally, leads us to think of the following: Statement of the problem Through our experience of more than 5 years of teaching English under the new system LMD at the University of Mostaganem, we have noticed changes in the attitudes of our students and teachers towards LMD system. Students come to university with no idea about LMD; the only idea they have had in mind is the CBA approach which is implemented in 2002 in the secondary school. They have already been familiar with the competency based approach in undertaking all kind of new tasks, techniques and methods given to be applied. The questions to be raised here are as follows: Is there any relation between LMD and CBA reforms? To what extent can the LMD system contribute positively or negatively to teaching and learning foreign languages mainly the English language? Does ICT contribute to enhance ELT? If yes how? Are all teachers familiar with ICT? If yes or no why? Are all teachers familiar with ICT? If yes or no why? Pragmatically speaking how is the relationship between CBA, LMD and ICT in use? Hypotheses On the basis of what have been preceded, we are going to formulate the following hypotheses: 1. In relation to CBA, would LMD system respond to the students and teachers needs in mastering English? 2. Would curriculum development in the new implementation system such as LMD and CBA fit the world demand in education? 3. Must all teachers and leaders use ICT to enhance foreign languages/ English? The organization of the research Our doctoral research revolves around five chapters. The first chapter is devoted to talk about a broad review of the relevant literature relating to the fundamental concepts of teaching and learning theories, ending up with some clarifications about what is curriculum including the various systems that have been implemented in teaching languages such as LMD system and the CBA approach . In chapter two, research methodology, we are going to present first an introduction to what is qualitative research and then describe the steps of the techniques used, starting with the review of some definitions given about the qualitative research methodology, we have read and summarized, ending with our illustration of the experience we have undertaken during our investigation. .i.e. the discussion of the importance and objectives of qualitative research methods we have undergone. Chapter Three is devoted to the main changes, LMD system and CBA approach, which took place in the educational system in the Algerian university. Chapter Four is devoted to talk about the impact of the ICTS on these changes or reforms, LMD system and CBA approach. Chapter five presents the analysis of data collected from questionnaires and then discusses the results. Finally in the general conclusion, we try to summarize all what have been preceded and said before to suggest some solutions or hypothesis to avoid failure in education and give much importance and attention to LMD, ICT, CBA and curriculum development to make higher studies successful and effective in the teaching of the English language..

Key West Essay -- Papers

Key West Key West is many people's paradise. It has dazzling waters, beautiful beaches, and a wonderful climate. This tiny island is located off the southernmost part of Florida is the only true tropical island in the United States. Thousands of people from all over the world come to Key West every year for the relaxing lifestyle and rich culture. As well as being rich in culture it is rich in history too. Key West has also been the home to many great authors and artists and is known for having a very diverse population. Initially, Key West was a home for Spanish explorers and pirates until the first settlement was established in 1822. In 1822 the U.S. Navy sent Commodore David Porter to the island. He was sent to take over the island and to eventually stop piracy. He did succeed and in 1825, Congress put forth a law that required that all ship wrecks where salvaged goods were taken must be brought to a U.S. port for arbitration. That U.S. port turned out to be Key West. It then became the wealthiest city in the U.S. (Murphy 3). Industry arrived in Key West by 1831. Industries such as, cigar-making, ship-fitting, salt manufacturing, and turtling employed many people. Soon after that the local residents discovered that their sea sponges were highly valued in the North and that spun another booming industry for the people of Key West (3). By 1850, this tiny island was populated and had schools, hospitals, and churches and was thriving on its success (4). Key West soon played a part in the Civil War and became known as the cigar capitol of the world. During the Civil War the Confederacy set up two forts that would serve as headquarters for naval blockade, Jefferson and Taylor. Key West ... ...his way back from Paris he and his family stopped on the island and fell in love with it. Soon after that Hemingway bought land and built a house there (5). Key West is a beautiful and diverse city unlike any other city in the world and even though it has had its good times and bad times it has managed to become successful. It thrives on its main industry witch is tourism, but that is what the city specializes in. Many wonderful attractions are in this city, such as rich culture and beautiful coral reefs, but this is why Key West will always be in America's hearts. Works Cited Gifford, John. "The Florida Keys". National Geographic Society, 1997. Murphy, George. "The History of Key West". www.Key West Florida. com. Wilson, M. " The Hemingway Recource Center". www.lostgeneration.com. The Hemingway Resource Center, 1999.

Human Trafficking in the United States Essay -- Modern-Day Slavery

In 2010, there were almost 30,000 Latino immigrants in Durham, ninety percent of which were undocumented immigrants (Johnson). Initially, most Latino immigrants arrived in the southwest, but since the turn of the century, more have settled in new destinations, such as Durham, and other parts of the Southeast, due to opportunities to work in low-skilled jobs. Pushing forces that lead people to migrate include better life opportunities, poverty as a result of war, political unrest and injustice, and environmental disasters. Businesses provide pulling factors for Latino migration by attracting immigrants in order to attain cheap labor. The sustained demand for cheap labor in the US gives undocumented immigrants an opportunity to work and stay in a country where they face unwelcoming attitudes. Two different situations can be identified when looking at illegal migration: people immigrating because of human trafficking, and people being smuggled unlawfully in order to find a better life. Labor trafficking is often entangled with illegal immigration and smuggling (Barrick). Traffic...

National Debt :: Argumentative Persuasive Papers Economics

National Debt The above statement suggests that the government should not make cuts in the social fabric because it can always roll over the debt, therefore, the national debt can be ignored. This statement means nothing to many Americans who would never dream of having a conversation about the national debt. Before reading about the national debt, I was one of those Americans who didn't care to realize the trouble my country, the land of the free, home of the brave, is in grave trouble. The trouble will come from the measures a government must take to reduce, or even stabilize a debt of 4.5 trillion dollars. "Taxation without representation" is a phrase found in the history books of our children. The young people of america learn about past events in hopes that history will not repeat itself. Something has failed. Those same children will feel the effects of their parents and grandparents goodtimes(running up of the national debt). The children of america are being taxed and punished. Right before their eyes, the children's future living styles aredeclining, while these children are ignorant to the fact. This is an example of taxation without representation. For the children, I believe the national debt cannot be ignored any longer. Nixon, Ford, Regan....the list of presidents who have tried to balance the national debt seems to want to go on forever. This cannot and will not happen. The national debt is eating us alive and must be balanced. No more trying, it must be done. There does however appear to be no end. The U.S. seemsto always be in someone's war, which causes recession and must run a deficit to stimulate the economy, but if our country insists on protecting

Private School Essay

Some people feel that responsibility for providing education should be borne only by the government and that private education should be banned. In recent day, private school systems become more popular day by day. In fact, there are not many parents can afford to pay for their children to study in private school. Thus, this education system should be banned or extended as public school. This essay will discuss about that. Firstly, private schools biggest disadvantage is cost. The tuition for all of private school systems is very high. This is because every physical facility comes from tuition and donations without state grants. That one of reasons why the private school is not the first choice of many parents. Secondly, the students in private school have no change to do physical activity. So the public schools are more appropriate with students have athletic ability than private schools. Thirdly, the most of students in private school lack of national history knowledge because they just focus on math, science and foreign language. On the other hand, there are many reasons exist for people to choose private schools. Learning environment seems to be the best advantage of private school. There are fewer students in there than public schools so they will likely get a better education. In addition, the facility is fully supported lead to more effective education. Moreover, private school is a good environment to improve English and students have more opportunities to study oversea. Last but not least, private schools have better discipline than public schools. Parents have paid to make sure that their children are learning in a safe environment. In my opinion, the private education should not be banned. I believe that it will bring us many benefits if we extend private education.

Iraq Backlash

The main argument in this article is that the continued involvement of the United States in the war in Iraq will lead to unforeseen and even disastrous consequences such as a civil war or even global war given the fact that the United States is ill equipped at dealing with the insurgents and in properly identifying its role in the conflict and the impact of its continued involvement in the war.The writer presents his views by first defining what backlash is and proceeding to show the escalating death toll and skirmishes that have happened in Iraq since the United States has gotten involved. The writer then paints a grim picture of future that lies ahead if the United States continues its policies and involvement in the conflicts in the Middle East and the war in Iraq.The view presented by the writer is correct to the extent that the continued involvement of the United States could indeed make them the victim of unforeseen and disastrous consequences such a rising casualties of the ar med forces currently stationed there and of the civilians. The continued involvement in Iraq could also be detrimental to the United States economy as any conflict in the Middle East causes the price of oil to rise and directly affects the economic output of any country.A prolonged war, as in this case, caused by continued United States involvement will definitely affect its economy in the long run. The writer however is too quick to point out that global war will be the direct effect of such actions. There is no substantial evidence to show that this will indeed result to a world war III or a world war IV. The other world leaders have been quick to show that the United States is acting on its own accord and have refused to lend any aid in the war in Iraq.

Hamlet Soliloquy Essay

In this essay, I am going to show how significant Hamlet’s soliloquys are in the play and how they relate with the plot, and will expose the different ideas shown indirectly by Shakespeare through Hamlet and i will explain Hamlet as a whole as he expressed through his soliloquys and how he gives the play its tragic theme. The character of Hamlet in Shakespeare’s play â€Å"Hamlet† show many strong emotions through the use of his soliloquys and shows the internal battle which he experiences throughout the play giving it it’s â€Å"tragic† theme. An example of this would be in the first of his soliloquys, where he ultimately contemplates suicide due to the despair that he is experiencing: â€Å"O that this too too solid flesh would melt†. From this, the importance and significance of Hamlet’s Soliloquys during the play show his isolation from society, suggesting the uniqueness of his character. His feelings during his soliloquys also contrast with the behaviour of the Courts, where he reveals his state of mind and the truth, where the courts are more pleasure seeking than decisive when discussing politics. This is shown by Hamlet in his discussion with Horatio where he reveals that â€Å"This heavy-headed revel east and west/ Makes us traduced and taxed of other nations†¦ though performed at height. † The power of Hamlet’s soliloquys during the play show shakespeares philosophical views to life. For example, in Hamlet’s â€Å"To be or not to be† soliloquy, Hamlet, again contemplates suicide, where he suggests that suicide is the easiest way of ending the problems and conflicts of life. He then debates this by saying that the fear of an unknown afterlife is what keeps man living. Hamlet observes religion, but it has been shown that he is hypocritical of it because he is inconsistant with his beliefs (As shown by Schlegel), for example, when the ghost enters, he believes that it truely is his father, and when it leaves, it appears to him as he has been decieved: â€Å"Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damned†¦ /That i will speak to thee. I’ll call thee Hamlet. † Hamlet, in his first soliloquy also refers to the 6th Biblical commandment â€Å"Thou shalt not kill† which he understands forbids suicide and murder:†His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter. O God, God. † Shakespeare has also given Hamlet the habit of thinking in religious terms, e. g: â€Å"For God’s Love, Let me hear! † , â€Å"Angels and Ministers of grace defend us! † Hamlet’s soliloquy before act 3 shows the audience the endless debate that Hamlet goes through, and Shakespeare delays the end to express how Hamlet is abzorbing the news and whether or not to accept the challenge. Shakespeare does this to shape Hamlet’s character in the eyes of the audience. A tragic theme is shown through Hamlet’s quotations by firstly, Hamlet having to celebrate his Mother’s marriage with his uncle, and at the same time having to mourne his Father’s death. Hamlet reveals his loneliness when his Mother asks him why his father’s death seems so important, he replies by saying â€Å"Seems, madam? Nay it is. I know not ‘seems’. † Shakespeare, here shows another source of Hamlets sadness, where he has only Ophelia, who has also rejected him due to the ‘advice’ given to her by her father. He reveals this in another one of his soliloquys: â€Å"Now I am alone. O, what a rouge and peasant slave am I! † Hamlets sorrow mulitiplys when he finds out that Ophelia had died, where he states that â€Å"Forty thousand brothers/Could not (with all their quantity and love) Make up my sum. † However, these feelings of sorrow quickly get replaced with anger, where he expresses them early on in Act 1: â€Å"I with wings as swift as thought†¦ sweep to my revenge. † He does this again in his conversation with Ophelia where he finds out that she has been lying to him, where he exposes her and commands her to â€Å"Get thee to a nunnery†, and that â€Å"I loved you once†. This speech indirectly shows his hatred for women, i. e. his mother, where Hamlet exposes Claudius’ plan of killing the Late Hamlet and dethroning him for becoming king himself. He appreciates that he needs to act out his anger by saying: â€Å"O Heart, lose thy nature, let me be cruel†, showing that Hamlet has a soft side, and that he actually wants to kill Claudius to avenge his Fathers death. During Act 3, Hamlet asks some players to act out a speech that he â€Å"Chiefly Loved†, where he reads out the first 13 lines from memory, signifying the link to his fathers death. The story that Hamlet expects is the fall of Troy and the killing of King Priam by his own son, and to Hamlet, this is what he wants to do to Polonius, where in his soliloquy after the speech, Hamlet rebukes himself for not having the same motivation and passion that Pyrrhus did: â€Å"What would he do/ Had he the motive and the cue for passion/ That i have?†¦ horrid speech/†¦ appal the free/†¦ confound the ignorant†¦ â€Å"

Old Sly Eye

One of my fondest memories of my grandfather is his favorite story he loved to tell every time he visited. Though he had many fun and exciting stories, this specific story had quickly become my favorite also. It is the story of â€Å"Old Sly Eye†. As a younger boy, Grandpa Newman was outside in a large berry patch located in their backyard in Salt Lake City, UT. As he was picking raspberries, gooseberries, and blackberries he saw something slowly stirring towards him over on the row next to him. It was the biggest porcupine he had ever seen. He noticed his eyes blood red and the quills were like small arrows the Indians used. He sat there looking mean and mad. Grandpa didn’t want the porcupine to get old Jazz, his sidekick dog, and fill him full of quills, so he hurried up to the house to get his gun. Unfortunately, his shotgun was out of shells and had to rely on the 22, the only other gun he had. With no other choice, he loaded the 22 and headed back down to the berry patch to find the porcupine. Grandpa silently went up and down the rows, but could not see him. Finally, as he approached the blackberries, there was the porcupine as if he was waiting there for him to come back. Grandpa and the porcupine were only a few feet from one another. He knew his little 22 wasn’t as efficient as his shotgun. His plan was to shoot the porcupine in the eye in hopes to hit his brain. The trigger was pulled. Grandpa had shot the porcupine in the eye but amazingly didn’t hit his brain. He squealed and twisted and ran out of the patch. A stream of blood was left behind by the porcupine. Grandpa whistled at Jazz and they followed the trail of blood that led them to a canal. The porcupine was nowhere to be found. He had escaped into the water leaving no trace of him. Grandpa and Jazz sombered back home with no porcupine. Several weeks slowly passed by with no indication of the illusive porcupine. Grandpa had almost forgotten about him until one cool evening, when a full moon showed its face over Mt. Olympus. Out watering the field, a loud splashing noise arose through the grass. Grandpa carefully sauntered closer to the sound and peeked through the grass. There he was, the big porcupine snarling and showing his teeth. Grandpa instantly knew it was the same porcupine he shot because he only had one eye. Over time grandpa had tried to stay out of the one eyed porcupine’s way, but from time to time he would appear in the field and yard. Grandpa named the porcupine, Old Sly Eye. Over the years, Sly Eye lingers around the berry patch at night, trying not to be seen. I don’t know how old I was when I realized the story I loved to hear was fictitious. As children, Grandpa Newman would take us in the dark night with flashlights to that same canal searching for that one-eyed porcupine. To this day, grandpa still repeats this story to all his great grandchildren as though he still believes these events occurred. It’s a story that will be told for generations to come.

Analyze the debate over states' rights versus national supremacy from Research Paper

Analyze the debate over states' rights versus national supremacy from the founding of our nation up until today. how has this debate changed over time - Research Paper Example As noted, it is not all the states that regard the death penalty as legal. The federal government is permitted to enforce the death penalty for various crimes. Statistics indicate that between the years 1967 and 1997, only one execution was undertaken out of every 1,600 crimes involving murder. They also go on to indicate that, out of every 8,000 convictions, less than 120 are charged with the death sentence (Rogers, 2008). Federal crimes are used to enact the death penalty by the federal government. Federal crimes include; espionage, treason, drug trafficking, just to name but a few. Similarly to what happened in the states, the federal government did not enact the death penalty for ten years, 1967-1977. It was during a time when the Supreme Court was deliberating on the legality of the death penalty. In 1988, the death penalty was re-enacted and only 3 executions have been undertaken since then. Just like the governors have the authority to grant clemency in death penalty cases, so does the president. In spite of the uniformity in the federal death penalty, states differ in their enactment of the penalty. For example, the Supreme Court in Nebraska nullified the utilization of the electric chair as a means of execution in the year 2008. The New York Supreme Court also nullified the death penalty in the year 2004. Hence, these states in reality have no death penalty (Rogers,