Japanese Martial Arts Essays - Japanese Martial Arts, Combat Sports

Japanese Martial Arts The Martial Arts of Japan The hand to hand fighting have impacted Japan from numerous points of view. A considerable lot of these expressions have been passed down from old occasions are still even rehearsed today. In my report, I will look at the significant Japanese expressions and tell how they have affected Japan. To start with, in any case, I will give a little foundation for these expressions. The first word for Japanese hand to hand fighting was bujutsu, or craft of the military. This had more to do with physical procedures than philosophical and mental. The physical, mental and philosophical procedures were joined to make budo, or method of the military. Budo was additionally used to depict the code of the samurai in primitive days. Karate is really a Japanese word importance void hand.(Nakayama 80) This applies no weapons other than the hands are expected to assault or protect. Karate is arranged into four sections - physical molding, self-preservation, mental molding, and game. A common Karate competition would incorporate exhibitions of breaking, weapons use, self-preservation methods, custom and open structures and the most energizing rivalry, fighting. No one is very certain when Karate was made, however we do realize that an Indian cleric, Daruma, a splendid specialist, Hua T'o, and a well known general of the Sung Dynasty, Yuen Fei, are viewed as its progenitors. We additionally realize that it was created in Okinawan islands from Chinese methods and neighborhood developments as an arrangement of self-preservation. In the 1920's, Gichin Funakoshi, an Okinawan teacher trained a technique for karate to Japan which got on. Figure 1 - Sumo Warrior seen ruminating before a fight Sumo in its initial days would in general be fierce without any holds banished. During the rule of Emperor Saga (r. 809-23) the act of sumo was empowered as a military workmanship and rules were built up and strategies developed. It is difficult to decide if the craft of sumo is a totally local game or whether comparable types of catching from different pieces of Asia and Eurasia affected it. Hooking is a fairly fundamental, natural game rehearsed for the most part by men. Indeed, the principal hooking match at any point depicted went as in this way, 'humble humans caught for a long time until one at long last rendered some staggering kicks to the next's stomach and sun oriented plexus. The person who was kicked was mortally injured, and the victor went cheered.'(Newton 103) The soonest composed notice of sumo is found in the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters), a book from the year 712. As indicated by the book, around 2,500 years prior, the divine beings Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata hooked along the Japan Sea coast in what is presently Shimane-ken, until the last at long last lost. Takemikazuchi, who is said to have built up the supreme family from which rulers could follow their underlying foundations, gave control of the archipelago to the Japanese individuals. The Japanese didn't keep any put down accounts until the eighth century. This implies it is difficult to know, beside the legend, precisely when the specialty of sumo previously created in Japan. Be that as it may, antiquated divider works of art demonstrate the inception is old. Jujitsu is a 3,000-year-old military workmanship. It started from a mixing of local sumo and battling procedures in Japan with the delicate parts of Kung Fu from China. Jujitsu fuses void hand barrier and offense just as bone setting and mending methods for use by the educator to fix any wounds happening during preparing. It is additionally the ancestor of Aikido and Judo. One mainstream style of jujitsu is Danzan Ryu (the Cedar Mountain System.) Seishiro Okazaki established Danzan Ryu Jujitsu. He got tuberculosis and tried to assemble his quality in hand to hand fighting. Influencing a fix because of the 6 days out of every week exercise, back rub and mending by his sensei, he devoted his life to investigation of Budo and recuperating. Another style of jujitsu is ninjitsu. Ninjitsu is the specialty of imperceptibility. Alongside its jujitsu foundation, it can likewise be followed back to Chinese spying methods. Ninjas were utilized in the 6th century to pick up data about the adversary and harm his activities. In any case, we presently call ninjas anyone who rehearses this workmanship. Ninjas can be both male and female, however should have three capacities. They should be a tracker, a wizard and a warrior. As with

Character of Prospero in Shakespeares The Tempest :: Tempest essays

Whirlwind Character Analysisâ â â â â â â William Shakespeare's last play The Tempest is a tale about Prospero (the legitimate duke of Milan). He is sold out by his sibling Antonio and left on a boat with his little girl Miranda to kick the bucket. Just things are not working out as expected and Prospero and Miranda show up on an island. Prospero is looking for his vengeance. Returning from a wedding in Africa a boat containing Prosperos adversaries is assaulted by the whirlwind and disperses its travelers about the island. Prospero shows three significant character attributes: forcefulness, defense and pardoning. Prospero is an exceptionally incredible individual and utilizing his spell books he can evoke some compelling enchantment. Perhaps the most impressive thing he controls is Ariel (a soul). A case of this is when Prospero says Hast thou, soul, Preformed to point, the whirlwind I bade thee.(718) Ariel had the ability to make an incredible ocean tempest and Prospero had the ability to control Ariel which gave him extraordinary force. Another motivation behind why Prospero is incredible is a result of his insight into Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculos plot to slaughter the ruler. So when Prospero recovers his place in Milan again he'll have some relentless extortion simply incase he needs any favors or they attempt anything idiotic. Along these lines they'll reconsider before conflicting with Prospero. Particularly thinking about that Miranda will become sovereign. These are the reasons why Prospero is incredible. Prospero is defensive of the individuals who are near him particularly Miranda. All through The Tempest Prospero gradually ensures Ferdinands and Mirandas love wont faid rapidly. Prospero even considered Ferdinand a trickster just to make Miranda appear to be more enthusiastically to get. Thusly the couple wouldn't turn into an act of futility. When Prospero says They are both in either's forces. Be that as it may, this quick business I should uncomfortable make in case too light winning make the prize light (726) he is uncovering his actual arrangement to Ariel that he needs to make Miranda harder to get. This is on the grounds that Prospero feels their affection will be more grounded on the off chance that it is more enthusiastically to get. Prospero is additionally defensive when he says the most grounded vows are straw to th' fire I' th' blood(764) this was said to Ferdinand after Prospero makes him vow not to engage in sexual relations with Miranda before they are hitched. He is shocked to see that after his guarantee Ferdinand is messing with Miranda.

Happy Valley and the Sandusky Scandal

Happy Valley and the Sandusky Scandal Two weeks ago, while visiting my family in State College, I got to see some images in Old State Clothing Co. that probably seem sad and ironic to an outsider. “Believe deep down in your heart that you are destined to do great things, a quote from Joe Paterno, sewn in white into a dark blue pillow in the store window, just below a tie-dyed Happy Valley t-shirt. Photos of Paterno, the football team, and Beaver Stadium, signed, framed, and displayed outside the store. A post-it note on one of them kept flying away, and each time it did someone ran over from wherever they were standing to reattach it, only to have it fall off again a minute later. The photo was of Beaver Stadium, filled to capacity during a white-out game, titled, “The Greatest Show In College Football.” I used to see Penn State, and still see Penn State, as a large research university. That and football were what people usually mentioned when I said I was from State College, the town surrounding Penn State’s main campus, or when I said I went to Penn State for a year. Now theres a sudden, gossipy thrill not far beneath some expression of shock, and that’s it. State College has never gotten as much attention as it has over the past seven months. It’s sad to me that the Sandusky scandal has enveloped the world’s perception of what I know as a good town. What is now State College was originally farmland and forest. When Penn State was founded in 1855 it was called the Farmers High School of Pennsylvania, and then the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania in 1862. The town is still surrounded by farms: two blocks from our street, suburbia melts into farmland, and then farmland melts into purple mountains. We buy milk directly from a family-owned dairy farm. Most of our vegetables come from the farmers’ market. Penn State’s campus fits perfectly into the land it sits on. There are immense green lawns, interrupted by trees and wide red brick streets. There are old, grey buildings from the 1850s and just as many new buildings, made of the same red brick. Mountains surround the town and campus. The land glows from within itself, especially after the rain, and there is no smell to the air but that rain. State College residents value their community. In the five years that I lived here I saw what I thought were unusual amounts of kindness and thoughtfulness, and I saw, more than I’ve seen in Chicago, Moscow, or Cambridge, people seeing each other in a trusting, positive light. The result is a strong, cohesive community and a remarkably low crime rate. State College has been ranked one of the least stressful places in the United States, the safest small city in America, and one of the best places to live or start a business. There are huge community-centered, community-run events, including the third largest 4th of July fireworks in the U.S., the summer Arts Fest, and THON, a student-organized fundraiser, culminating in a two-day dance marathon, that this year raised more than 10 million dollars toward pediatric cancer. People here are kind, upbeat, and genuinely optimistic. It’s contagious. Every time I come home I return a revitalized, happier person. It’s important to know that there are families in State College with multiple generations of Penn Staters. Students start out in one of eight geographically separated elementary schools and advance to two geographically separated middle schools. Finally the entire student population merges into one high school with a graduating class of 570 students. Most State High graduates move on to Penn State, which consists largely (69% of main campus students) of their peers from other Pennsylvania high schools (â€"which does not result in a bad education. Penn State is ranked 64th worldwide by The Center for World University Rankings, and the high school has been rated a top high school by Newsweek). After college, enough Penn State students stay put and raise families here to renew the cycle. 56% of Penn State’s living alumni are still in Pennsylvania. Of the 6% who are in Centre County, many have parents, grandparents, or children who also grew up here. Moving here from Chicago in 8th grade felt like settling into Leave It to Beaver. The town is largely shielded from the recession by Penn States economic bubble, and the region is often called Happy Valley or Pleasant Gap. The population is 83.2% white, mostly middle class, and largely Christian. The style of dress is more homogeneous than it is in cities. Land is relatively cheap, so many people live in suburban-style homes with large lawns. I remember asking a boyfriend in high school why he didn’t want to move away someday. He told me that there’s a feeling of safety from being surrounded by the mountains, and that he would never want to be without it. I don’t think I ever understood football, though I do feel connected to the town. I watched a football game once, on television, at a party. There were lots of adults in Penn State jerseys and there was a lot of food. I remember thinking it was awfully boring, but that it was still exciting because other people thought it was exciting. During football weekends, the town population seemed to double. Traffic downtown became awful. There was suddenly litter on the streets. I could hear the cheering at Beaver Stadium from our house, four miles away. From what I understand, to many people, especially the rooted alumni that make up the cultural core of the town, football in State College represents a moral coming of age, an iconic American transition from boyhood to manhood. It represents the absorption of the values, especially hard work, integrity, and service to the community, that make a safe town like Happy Valley possible. As you might imagine, these values don’t actually play out on the football field. They happen through coaching. What we watch when we watch football is the result. It makes sense, then, that the coach who instills those values in the football players would become a role model to the bulk of the community that watches. For the past 61 years, through three generations, Joe Paterno was that coach. He became the personification of the values we strive to achieve in ourselves and to see in our town. And he didn’t seem undeserving of the role. He and his wife donated $4 million to Penn Stateâ€"funding scholarships, faculty, a spiritual center, and the expansion of the Pattee Libraryâ€"and another $1 million to the Mount Nittany Medical Center. When one of his players left to care for his five-year-old son who had terminal brain cancer, Paterno donated money to him anonymously, through his church, on a monthly basis. (A clerical error by a secretary revealed that Paterno was the anonymous monthly donor.) His modesty, hard work, attention to detail, and valuing internally defined excellence over externally defined success became known as the Paterno way. Over decades Joe Paterno the idea became much bigger than Joe Paterno the person. He was like family to the entire community. Seven months ago State College fell apart. It came to light that Jerry Sandusky, Joe Paternos assistant coach, had, over 15 years, raped young boys hed met through the charity he founded for underprivileged and at-risk youth. He was later found guilty on 45 of 48 charges. The media flooded the town. Joe Paterno was fired. Students rallied against the media. Joe Paterno was diagnosed with cancer and died. The town felt sadness, anger, and loss. The NCAA retroactively discounted over a decade of wins under Paterno, fined Penn State $60 million, limited Penn State football scholarships for the next four years, and banned Penn State from bowl games for the next four years. The legacy of Paterno, of Penn State, and of State College began slipping away, in the hands of a child rapist and people who have never even been here, many of whom had never heard of State College or Joe Paterno before last November. Meanwhile the community was and still is grasping at the moral, peaceful way of life we’ve grown used to. Joe Paterno did not deserve the burden of the things he symbolized. It’s terrible that someone who turned out to have potentially concealed and enabled child rape simultaneously captured our hearts and embodied our moral compass. But he did. I hope you can understand why many people are in disbelief, why many people in State College continue to support him, cherish him, and view his legacy in a positive light, and why the community of State College is in turmoil: because the values that Joe Paterno symbolized, that we trusted him with, have and continue to hold the community together, have made and continue to make it great, and cannot be let go of. Voices from the community: I’m not a child abuse survivor, but I’ve lived through other forms of abuse, and I’m still trying to deal with the fallout in terms of my mental health. This town is not a safe space for me right now. There’s so much triggering and offensive language being tossed around cavalierlyâ€"people referring to themselves as “abuse victims” or “another victim of Sandusky” or talking about being “victimized” by the mediaâ€"it just seems like people are thinking about this from an incredibly entitled and privileged standpoint, without the firsthand experience necessary to understand the gravity of the word “abuse”. That’s never something which should be used lightly. I’ve lost so much faith and trust in my community over the last couple of weeks, and this is a place I really care about. I wish people would think twice about the fact that Sandusky’s victims are not the only survivors living in this communityâ€"and by that I really, really don’t mean residents who aren’t going to be able to watch bowl games, I mean other child abuse survivors, people who’ve been raped, been emotionally abused, experienced physical domestic violence. I’d be much more likely to respect and sympathize with people who have a problem with the NCAA sanctions if they were talking about them and reacting to them in a measured, respectful way, without drawing weird and completely inappropriate rhetorical parallels between them not being able to watch bowl games and abuseâ€"but most of what I’ve seen has just made me realize how many people in my community still just don’t get it, and made this town into a really uncomfortable and unpleasant place to be. â€"Anonymous State High graduate and lifelong State College resident We live in a rape culture. We live in a culture in which one of six boys is a victim of sex abuse and one of four women is a victim of rape. We live in a culture in which the leaders of one of America’s largest universities believed it would be “more humane” to tell Jerry Sandusky to seek counseling than to report him to the authorities. Where leaders believe that giving a pedophile the chance to reform himself is more important than stopping him from raping more boys. We live in a society in which the experiences of victims of child abuse are ignored and their voices unheard. Where the average victim of child abuse must tell nine different people before their abuse is reported to the police. Where reporting suspected child abuse to the authorities is not recognized as a basic moral obligation. Where many people claim that were they in Paterno’s position they would have done the same thing. That they too would have enabled rape. We live in a rape culture. If we are lucky enough to have never been raped, its survivors are all around us. But usually, they walk unknown among us. How can they make themselves known when their perspectives and feelings are routinely ignored? How can they make themselves known if we tell them that we revere a rape enabler? When we revere Joe Paterno there is a good chance we are hurting someone we hold dear, telling them that their pain is insignificant, that the enabling of rape is a small mark on an otherwise exceptional life, that the pain of rape victims is less important than our feelings about the man. We are creating a space that is unsafe for them, a space in which they cannot feel comfortable sharing their feelings and experiences. We live in a rape culture. But we can change this culture. By insisting that no rape enabler is worthy of statues, tributes, or reverence. By thus sending the message that reporting the rape of children is a basic human obligation. By seeking out the voices of survivors of rape and sex abuse. By listening to what they say about how the symbols and discourse of rape culture affect them rather than drawing our own misguided conclusions. By educating ourselves about the fact that while children almost never lie about being sexually abused, they are routinely disbelieved. By committing ourselves to communicating allegations of sexual abuse directly to the police. By insisting that the prevention of the rape of children is a central goal of our society. And finally and most importantly, by listening to its survivors and according their feelings, experiences and requests the upmost weight in what we say and do. â€"Ben G., State High graduate and lifelong State College resident I grew up in a home that loved footballâ€"Penn State Football. I had a PSU barbie cheerleader and my mom taught me all of the cheers: I say blue; you say white. BLUE. WHITE. BLUE. WHITE. I say JoePa; you say Terno. JOEPA. TERNO. JOEPA. TERNO. The chorus of The Nittany Lion (Hail to the Lion) was my lullaby growing up. I loved Penn State. PSU football meant family bonding, good food, and a good game. So of course when the time came for college, PSU was where I wanted to go. It had a lot of majors and I was undecided, my family was close, and how could I be loyal to any other football team? I didnt think PSU was always the best team, but they are always MY TEAM, and State College is MY HOME. There is nothing like going downtown on a football Saturday and seeing all of the people, or in June when all of the college students are gone and campus is peaceful. So naturally, when disaster was revealed in our Happy Valley this fall, I was torn to pieces. State College was ranked the safest U. S. metropolitan area by the Congressional Quarterly (City Crime Rankings 2009-2010). Nothing had ever happened like this. Not Here. I was heartbroken as I read what Sandusky had done in the Grand Jury Report. Seeing all of the news trucks around campus for weeks was like rubbing salt in the wound. When Joe was fired, I saw my town, my home, get destroyed by students in the streets. I went downtown that night; I saw my peers tearing light posts out of the ground. It broke me to see that the only response to our anger was destruction. I knew a lot of people were planning on going home that next weekendâ€"they wanted to get away. I had nowhere to go; this is my home and the walls seemed to be crumbling around me. No one knows exactly what Joe knew or didnt know about Sanduskys actionsâ€"Yes I read the Freeh report, but in this world anything can be fabricated or altered. Regardless, I cannot judge Joes actions. I have never had my coworker, a friend, accused of raping children and in all honesty I would probably tell my superior to give them the benefit of the doubt. Especially when the last time they were investigated, they were seen by Child and Youth Services as innocent. I have made mistakes before. I am human. I also know that we have a just God, who is the only Judge, and that it is not my place to say Joe is or is not innocent. Looking back, everything that Joe has done for my town and university is almost overwhelming. Without our football program, we would not have funding for almost any other sports. We would not have the library that I study in. We would not have the new church that is about to open on Park Ave. We would not have many of the businesses downtown that thrive ONLY because of football weekends. We would not have the motels and hotels in the area for local jobs. I also know, if PSU gets the death penalty, State College will get the death penalty. Our Happy Valley will be crushed economically. My town will become a ghost town as businesses go out, and sports teams dont get funding. When money stopes coming in from the football program, we will have to get it from other places and possibly cut back on researchâ€"like the research PSU is doing to find the cure for cancer in Hershey. Lift for Life will not get the $100,000 dollars next year that the football team raised for kidney cancer. Football is more than just a game here at Penn State; but it is not the villain. â€"Tricia T., Penn State junior and lifelong State College resident I was born and grew up here in State College. I went to school with the Paterno kids and graduated from State High with the oldest daughter. I also graduated with one of the Sanduskys adopted sons. Joe Paterno did a lot of good for the university and this community. He was more than just a coach but he was not a saint. He was just a man. I belive that if he knew anything about what Sandusky was doing (per the Freeh report) it was just speculation or rumor and you cant fire a person or call the police with that. When McQueary told Joe about what he saw, Joe told his bosses. He didnt hush it up. He didnt call the police either. How do you call the police and tell them about a crime that you didnt witness? That was 28 year old McQuearys job. Maybe Joe should have told McQueary to call but my belief is that Joe couldnt believe what was being told to him. From what I understand, pedofiles groom not only their victims but the parents and anyone else that may find out the truth. Until this past year Sandusky was an upstanding member of the community who was supposedly helping young boys with his charity, the Second Mile. He had the community fooled. Was Joe fooled as well? He was just a man. The community will get through this. My thoughts are with the victims AND the Paterno family. The media needs to understand that Sandusky is the criminal and he is now convicted, in prison and awaiting sentencing. They can now leave us to make the changes we need to make and let our community start healing. â€"Bob E., lifelong State College resident and father of two current Penn State students Personally, I think this entire thing circulates around people wanting to be superior. And Im kind of sick of people using this to feel better about themselves, as if they WERE in Joe Paternos position, and they actually CHOSE to do something different. Because now, when I defend the school that I love, its like im a supporter of child abuse. The students are caught in this, and we are all going to have to carry the weight of this universitys mistakes on our shoulders. When we are really the last people to have done anything about all of this. Of course Im proud of my school, of course Im going to defend it. Joe Paterno made things possible for my friends and fellow students in an academic sense, he changed this university for the better. I wouldnt have what I have to do in many cases if it werent for him. For me its not about football, and it never was about football. Thats really what Ive been having trouble communicating to people. Joe wasnt the only one fooled by Jerry Sandusky, all of the failed investigations, the counselors in schools, we all were fooled. And Im feeling pretty fooled right now, and disappointed. In most cases Joe was an exemplary citizen of centre county. its too hard for me to forget about those things, but its not as if Im not mad at him. Mostly, I just feel personally targeted by the media, and this crazy expectation that Paternos family should turn its back on him, as if someone could do that to their father. Its very unfortunate that most of what I have worked for and what thousands of other students have worked for will be completely undermined by this. Also, Id like people to know just how deeply this affects us. Im near tears almost every day about this. Not a day has gone by since that day in November that I havent thought about it. The students ARE hurt, deeply, and no one really seems to want to give us any hugs. â€"Emma G., junior at Penn State Schreyer Honors College, member of the Morale Committe for THON, fundraiser for THON, and lifelong State College resident He made his bed and now has to sleep in it, but something made me sad that Sandusky will live the rest of his life in jail. I cant believe that all this could have happened over 15 years and nothing came of it until now. All that pain built up over that much time has exploded into something that no one connected to this town cant feel. I feel bad that Sandusky made the decisions he did to be in the situation hes in, I feel bad that because of this he will suffer until the end, but I feel worst for the children and men who Sandusky abused. Justice was served yesterday, but that doesnt take away their pain. I mourn for the beautiful people who are affected by people like Sandusky and I hope that healing will come to them. â€"Ashley E., Penn State senior and lifelong State College resident Paterno for me is a life long legacy of a cohesive group of academics and atheletics at a very large university. I continue to support him because he bestowed upon the university hopes, dreams, and gave us keys to knowledge that will last forever. I personally just dont see it wise to condemn a man for another mans actions, especially when the man himself has made numerous contributions financially and emotionally to the organization as a whole. â€"Colton P., senior at Penn State Although we may have been let down, we can’t forget what “The Paterno Way” stood for when it was still pristine in the eyes of the world â€" excellence in the classroom, honorable ethics, and a simplistic, selfless, and all-business approach to being successful at the task at hand. We don’t need Joe Paterno to exemplify those ideals â€" we are perfectly capable of exemplifying them ourselves. I hope those principles continue to live on as fundamental Penn State ideals. â€"Ian K., Penn State senior and drummer in the Penn State Blue Band A poem that was posted on the Penn State Memes Facebook page. Unfortunately I dont know who the author is. Every Penn Stater down in Happy Valley, the tall and the small, Was cheering! Without any program at all! He HADNT stopped the love of our University from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same! And Dr. Emmert, with his Grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling: How could it be so? It came without JoePa! It came without goals! It came without scholarships, statues or bowls! And he puzzled and puzzled, till his puzzler was sore. Then Dr. Emmert thought of something he hadnt before! Maybe Penn State, he thought, isnt just a football store. Maybe Penn State… perhaps… means a little bit more. For more information: The Kickstarter page for No Act of Ours, a 2013 documentary on the Penn State communitys reactions to and relationship with the scandalâ€"in particular, the trailer, which starts at 2:22 in the video at the top of the page Jay Paterno eulogizes his father, Penn State College of Communications (video) Grand Jury report (graphic) Report by Louis Freeh, former director of the FBIâ€"in particular, the timeline on page 19 of the report Former Penn State President Graham Spaniers letter to the Board of Trustees, which challenges conclusions in the Freeh report A letter from Joe Paterno written shortly before he died Penn State’s Facebook page The Facebook page of Onward State, a student-run, independent Penn State blog The woman who stood up to Joe Paterno, CNN, and student response through Onward State Airborne banner: Take down Paterno statue, CNN NCAA Announces PSU Sanctions: $60M, bowl ban, ESPN 40 Reasons to Still be a Proud Penn Stater, by Onward State Changing Campus Culture Beyond Penn State, Huffington Post #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }

Using Satire in A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift

â€Å"A Modest Proposal† by Jonathan Swift, is an essay that uses satire. Merriam-Webster defines satire as: a way of using humor to show that someone or something is foolish, weak, bad, etc.: humor that shows the weaknesses or bad qualities of a person, government, society, etc. â€Å"Satire may make the reader laugh at, or feel disgust for, the person or thing satirized. Impishly or sardonically, it criticizes someone or something, using wit and clever wording—and sometimes makes outrageous assertions or claims† (Cummings, 2012). Swift, best know for â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels†, originally wrote this piece as a pamphlet in 1729 under the full title †A Modest Proposal: For preventing the children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their†¦show more content†¦You are, after all, what you eat. He then goes on to explain the peak season for infant, obviously nine months after Lent. The many ways it can be prepared, â€Å"st ewed, roasted, baked, or boiled† (Swift, 2013), and the useful things that can be done with the leftover skin. Knowing how soft a babies skin is this should make for a fine pare of gloves. Swift does not stop there; he offers up six key areas this will be helpful. First, reducing the number of Catholics, a benefit for sure to any proper Protestant. Second, giving the meager some significance. They are a burden to the whole of Ireland. Third, increasing the nations income, with fewer mouths to feed, and a cash crop so abundantly sourced. Fourth, mothers would no longer have to raise their children beyond one year. (A mothers dream) Fifth, introducing a new dish to the markets for the culinary world to refine and charge as much as they see fit. Finally, it would gain women the same level of respect as the farm animals when they are pregnant. Offering up reasons of objection, Swift suggests that it may impact the population, and then retorts with, that was kind of the idea. Cull the Irish heard and allow the English to continue thriving with little or no effort on their part. He then explains how the infant flesh would not stand up to preservation to allow for the greedSh ow MoreRelatedAnalysis of A Modest Proposal873 Words   |  4 Pages Jonathan Swift, the writer of the satirical essay A Modest Proposal, grew up and lived in Ireland during times of famine and economic struggles (Conditions). Growing up with a single mother and no father, Swift knew what hard times and struggles were like (Jonathan Swift: Biography). His essay proposes an easy solution to the economic problems going on in Ireland for both the wealthy ruling classes and the poorer classes, although his intentions and the meaning behind his words are not what wouldRead MoreA Modest Proposal For Preventing The Children Of Poor People1458 Words   |  6 PagesSatire is a method used by multitudes of authors and other artists for a plethora of different reasons. The ways that this method of literature is used is varied, and it is always interesting and somewhat difficult to find out exactly why these texts are written. A specific author who is known for utilizing satire in his works o f literature is Jonathan Swift, whose hard-hitting essay â€Å"A Modest Proposal For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland, from Being a Burden on Their Parents orRead MoreLiterary Analysis : Jonathan Swift1425 Words   |  6 PagesComp. II Oct. 27, 2015 Literary analysis The author I decided to write about is Jonathan Swift for he had a keen sense for effective sarcasm. As Jonathan Swift said â€Å"The proper words in the proper places are the true definition of style.† Though he was known in different ways, he was mostly popularized through his gift in writing, particularly his satire, or his use of humor and irony, essays. Through out swift life, there has been plenty of events where I believe shape the way he was, hence hisRead More Self Representation and the Self-Defeating Speaker in Jonathan Swift1735 Words   |  7 PagesBecause Swift constructs a speaker who is meant to be seen as himself in â€Å"Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift, D.S.P.D.†, his approach to the satire changes, taking on a more playful approach. The poem is more personal than political, and is more comedic in the sense that he satirizing himself as well as other people groups. The self-defeating rhetorical approach is embodied in this poem in the way that he pu ts himself down and exposes his own follies throughout the poem. While this is no doubt somewhatRead MoreA Modest Proposal1096 Words   |  5 PagesAssignment 1: Swift’s â€Å"A Modest Proposal† Dr. Anthony McCormack Strayer University World Culture II Gladys A. Reyes July 25, 2015 In the satire â€Å"A Modest Proposal’, Jonathan Swift expresses his feelings of frustration with regard to the aggravation and political issues in Ireland. He describes being frustrated with the indifference of Ireland politicians, the wealthy, the English tyranny, and the degradation and poor conditions in which many poor, Irish women and children have been forcedRead MoreAnalysis Of Jonathan Swift s A Modest Proposal And Li Ruzhen s Flowers994 Words   |  4 PagesThere are many uses of satire in Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal and in Li Ruzhen’s Flowers in the Mirror. Both of these readings address social issues during the 17th and 18th century and address them with various uses of satire to help emphasize their thoughts of dislike and carry that to their readers. Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal proposes using poor bastard children as food to help the poverty level along with other social issues that come with poor women carrying children and h avingRead MoreA Modest Proposal By Jonathan Swift1647 Words   |  7 PagesSatire in â€Å"A Modest Proposal† and Different Articles Jonathan Swift, author of â€Å"A Modest Proposal,† tries to present different ideas in order to change the situation of Ireland. Through his proposal, he is able to get people’s attention, and the way he uses satire throughout the article made his argument more successful. He wrote this essay to show how ignored and bad the state of Ireland and its social classes are. In â€Å"A Modest Proposal†, Swift effectively uses rhetorical exaggeration to expressRead MoreAnalysis Of Swift s The Sun Of The Eighteenth Century 825 Words   |  4 Pagesrestoration work, patterned after early Greek and Roman Cynics, author Jonathan Swift Calls the British Isles to action with an unprecedented solution to the problem of poverty; and exemplifies neoclassical literature in satirical style, sordid subject, and solid structure. Satire is one of the distinguishing marks that makes â€Å"A Modest Proposal† a classic example of Neoclassical Literature. In his use of Satire Jonathan Swift was undoubtedly influenced by Greek and Roman cynics who criticized theRead MoreModest Proposal by Jonathan Swift Essay1490 Words   |  6 PagesIn one of Jonathan Swift’s most well-known works, A Modest Proposal, he is proposing a change in Ireland. By using symbols and outrageous language, Swift displays what he is trying to get across to people since no one will listen to basic facts about Ireland’s poverty; he throws in the eating of children. The proposal starts off by discussing the extreme poverty that has taken over Ireland and explains that no one will make changes and England is of no help. Swift’s tone could best be describedRead MoreEssay about A Swift Change Is Imminent1714 Words   |  7 PagesAt a first glance, a misogynist’s paradise is apparent when perceiving Jonathan Swift’s The Lady’s Dressing Room and a cannibalistic one in A Modest Proposal. However, Swift’s intricate feelings do not depict Ireland’s crude social convention, but rather for Swift’s revolutionary vitriolic satire, which permeates humanity’s blindness through political stand points. By using grotesque metaphors, to open the figurative eyes of the public, Swift’s poetry forced society to analyze the ways of living

The Wife of Bath from Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales...

The Wife of Bath from Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales In Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, a collection of tales is presented during a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral. The pilgrims on the journey are from divergent economic and social backgrounds but they have all amalgamated to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas. Chaucer uses each pilgrim to tell a tale which portrays an arduous medieval society. The values, morals and social structures of the society can be examined through the fictitious tales, unravelling a corrupt, unjust and manipulative world, a world that is based around an ecclesiastical society. Society was closely associated with the Church. Chaucer was clearly unhappy with the way members of the Church†¦show more content†¦However, he didn’t give a plucked hen for that text (l. 177 (translated)) and he also went hunting but hunteres been nought holy men (l. 178). The monk is very similar to the Prioress, as he does not want to live the life that he has vowed to live and is better-suited livin g in the higher classes. The Friar and the Summoner also exhibit non-conforming behavior which again highlights the wrong in the Church. The Friar is a member of a religious order that is completely poor and has to beg to survive. The Friar, though, did not like the vow of poverty and is somewhat praised by Chaucer for knowing who to ask for money and where to go; He was the beste beggere in his house (l. 252). The Friar’s dubious manipulations earned him enough money to become a landowner. This did mean though that he is completely dishonest. The Summoner, on the other hand, is blatantly dishonest. He works for the ecclesiastical court, his job is to bring offenders to the court for justice. Chaucer is extremely critical of the Summoner, giving him a fir-reed cherubinnes face (l. 626). Children were even afraid of his visage (l. 630). His gruesome appearance is ironically correspondent with his afflicted soul. The Summoner was really a blackmailer who played on the fears of sinners so if they paid him enough money, he would not pursue them. The Summoner and Friar outline the huge flaws of the Church as does the Pardoner. The Pardoner isShow MoreRelatedGeoffrey Chaucers Use of Characterization Essay1308 Words   |  6 Pagesattain any work fame or shame. Geoffrey Chaucer, a pioneer of English Literature’s works carried mass appeal. His best known works appealed to those of all walks of life. Chaucer’s work resulted in mass appeal because it used many forms of characterization to present the characters to the reader. In Geoffrey Chaucer’s Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses thoughts and actions, his word, and satire to characterize The Squire and The Wife of Bath. Geoffrey Chaucer is well known for his useRead MoreThe Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Essay1115 Words   |  5 Pages The Canterbury Tales is a set of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the fourteenth century. The stories were told by a group of pilgrims traveling to Canterbury Cathedral, in hopes to see a shrine of Saint Thomas Becket. To make time go by the host recommended each pilgrim tell a tale. The tale that each character gives, reveals that person’s background and life. Some pilgrims matched their stereotype of that time but most do not. The Prioress, Madame Eglentyne, and Wife of Bath, Allison, areRead MoreChaucers The Canterbury Tales1381 Words   |  6 PagesThe Canterbury Tales serves as a moral manual in the Middle Ages. In the tales, Geoffrey Chaucer portrays the problems of the society. For instance, Chaucer uses the monk and the friar in comparison to the parson to show what the ecclesiastical class are doing versus what they are supposed to be doi ng. In other words, it is to make people be aware of these problems. It can be inferred that the author’s main goal is for this literary work to serve as a message to the people along with changing theRead MoreGeoffrey Chaucer s Impact On Literature1231 Words   |  5 PagesGeoffrey Chaucer’s Impact on Literature: English poet Geoffrey Chaucer is acclaimed to be one of the best and most influential poets in history. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote several famous literary works in what is called middle English. Geoffrey Chaucer was born in 1340 in London, England. Over the course of Chaucer’s life, he entered and exited several different social classes. He began to write his most known pieces when he became a public servant to Countess Elizabeth of Ulster in 1357. He diedRead MoreThe Worldview Of Society In Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales793 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Time and tide wait for no man† (Chaucer). Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400) was a man of creativity, a mind for artful thinking, and a soul full of poetic writing. Chaucer attended St. Paul’s Cathedral School where poets such as Virgil and Ovid strongly influenced Chaucers’ writings (Britannica). Chaucer in his book The Canterbury Tales depicts society as being corrupted and morally declined. Chaucers l ife of events such as his time as a prisoner of war (Biography.com) had impacted his outlook on theRead MoreThe Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer1582 Words   |  7 Pages Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the Canterbury tales a collection of short tales in the 14th century. The compilation of stories are told by different characters within the narrative as part of a game proposed by the host. Each individual must tell two stories on their journey and two stories on their way back. Each story tells some aspects of English life during the time and often added satire like qualities to the English life. In particular Chaucer often tells stories with elements of the relationshipRead More Character Analysis of The Wife of Bath of Chaucers Canterbury Tales1623 Words   |  7 Pages Character Analysis of The Wife of Bath of Chaucers Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales is Geoffrey Chaucers greatest and most memorable work. In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses a fictitious pilgrimage [to Canterbury] as a framing device for a number of stories (Norton 79). In The General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer describes in detail the pilgrims he meets in the inn on their way to Canterbury. Chaucer is the author, but also a character and the narrator, and acts likeRead More Chaucers Canterbury Tales Essay - The Powerful Wife of Bath1099 Words   |  5 PagesThe Powerful Wife of Bath   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Geoffrey Chacers The Canterbury Tales we are introduced to 29 people who are going on a pilgrimage to St. Thomas a Becket in Canterbury. Each person is represented to fit a unique type of behavior as shown by people during the medieval ages.   My attention was drawn to the Wife of Bath through which Chaucer notes the gender inequalities.   Predominantly, women could either choose to marry and become a childbearing wife or go intoRead MoreGeoffrey Chaucers Experiences In the Canterbury Tales Essay1130 Words   |  5 PagesIn the Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer describes the journeys and life lessons of thirty fictitious pilgrims. Scholars explain that only one of the thirty pilgrims was indeed Chaucer, but other characters in the Canterbury Tales represent the struggles of Chaucer as well. Although the pilgrims’ tales were pretend, they were based on actual events that Chaucer experienced throughout his lifetime. He represents his own insecurities and flaws throughout the array of the characters’ tales. SituationRead MoreWomen And Male Authority Figures1507 Words   |  7 Pages In the fourteenth century, women were merely seen as subject to male authority figures. A wife was not seen as a competent adult because they were seen as so dependent on their husband (Bennett 104-105). After a marriage anything she owned became possessed by her husband (Bennett 104-105). Women who manipulated their husband and gained control of his assets defied the norm of women’s position in the fourteenth century. The church was a major part of Medieval England and controlled many peoples lives

Assignment Petition Letter Free Essays

March 15th, 2013 Dr. the Honourable Peter Phillips Minister of Finance and Planning The Ministry of Finance and Planning 30 National Heroes Circle Kingston 4 Jamaica Re: Appeal letter for intervention in the financial regulations Dear Sir: This is with reference to the new regulatory regime for financial institutions. The Laguna Group is a small collection of financial establishments that are not regulated by the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) and have been self-regulated for the past sixty years. We will write a custom essay sample on Assignment: Petition Letter or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, with the implementation of the new financial regulations, it is of strong belief that this will greatly impair the operations of the group. It is with this effect that we are calling upon your high esteem to intervene in this urgent matter. The Laguna Group has been vigorous investors in the country’s financial sector and the collective strength of the industry. As a result, the group currently controls fifteen (15%) and eighteen (18%) percent of the country’s total deposits and personal loans respectively. The unwillingness of the BOJ to enter into negotiations threatens the stability of the funds controlled by Laguna. Minister, this is of grave urgency, the members of the group are willing to meet with you and BOJ to arrive at a mutually beneficial agreement to best serve the group’s existing one million working class clientele. The Laguna Group will seek to strengthen relationships with the government and the central bank; as such your collaboration would be vital in creating specific regulations that would serve the best interest of the group, the central bank, the government and the people of Jamaica. Again, with regards to the aforementioned, we are strongly beseeching your immediate intervention in the course of these regulations. The matter has already been discussed and deliberated among the group’s members; however it is your diplomacy that will yield absolution from this regime. We eagerly await your response. Thank you. Respectfully, Frances Hibbert Frances Hibbert Group Corporate Executive Officer Laguna Group of Financial Institutions How to cite Assignment: Petition Letter, Essay examples

Sense of Self free essay sample

Society has placed various stereotypes on genders, ethnicities, and so on. There is yet another standard for women and men. John Gray’s assertion, â€Å"A man’s sense of self is defined through his ability to achieve results†¦ A woman’s sense of self is defined through her feelings and the quality of her relationships† is partially incorrect. Through sources the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy, and Professions for Women by Virginia Woolf, it will be shown that women are defined by their achievements just as much as men are, and men are defined by their relationships just as much as women are. In the novel, the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, one of the main characters, Amir, proves Gray’s assertion that men do define themselves through their ability to achieve results to be true. In desperation to finally achieve his father’s attention and approval, Amir devotedly states, â€Å"I was going to win, and I was going to run the last kite. Then I’d bring it home and show it to Baba. Show him once and for all that his son was worthy† (Hosseini, 56). In the end, Amir triumphed in the tournament as he had hoped. Even later on in the novel, Amir is proud of himself as he became a writer even though Baba didn’t consider writing as manly profession. In contrast, Hassan, the second main character, proves that Gray’s assertion about women also applies to men. Hassan demonstrates his complete and pure loyalty to Amir throughout the novel. Hassan built his sense of self not through his athleticism but through his friendship with Amir. Hassan continuously demonstrated his devotion to Amir, trying to get his approval even when Amir didn’t deserve Hassan’s friendship. In the beginning of the novel, Hassan states, â€Å"Would I ever lie to you Amir Agha? † Amir answered, â€Å"I don’t know, would you? † â€Å"I’d sooner eat dirt† (Hosseini, 54). He had also sacrificed himself when he didn’t give the blue kite to the malevolent Asef. Later on in the novel, Hassan saves Amir once again when Amir had falsely accused him of theft, â€Å"Then I understood: this was Hassan’s final sacrifice for me. If he’d said no, Baba would have believed him because we all knew Hassan never lied. † (Hosseini, 105) Hassan had constantly put Amir first; even when Amir was rude and selfish, Hassan never fought back. In Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, Frank also proves that Gray’s claim of women applies to men as well. Frank defines himself through his relationship with April. He concerns himself more with how April feels towards him or if she loves him at all than other things such as business. When April shows signs or actions of dislike toward Frank, he becomes extremely angry. â€Å"So now I’m crazy because I don’t love you, right? † April said. Frank responds, â€Å"No! Wrong! You’re not crazy and you do love me. That’s the point April. † â€Å"But I don’t. I hate you. † â€Å"F*** you, April! F*** you and all your hateful, goddamn—[He breaks a chair against a wall]† (Yates) It’s obvious that Frank can’t handle the thought that April doesn’t want to be with him. However, April is the opposite. She concerns herself through achievements rather than her feelings toward Frank. She wants to act, travel, and a whole bunch of other things but she didn’t do it. Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy is a perfect example that shows that women define themselves through feelings and quality of relationships. â€Å"Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: You have a great big nose and fat legs So she cut off her nose and her legs and offered them up† (Piercy). Even though Piercy wrote this metaphorically, it exemplifies the harsh reality that women try to change themselves in order to gain the relationships and feelings they wish to have. The girl could have let it go but instead she went ahead and changed herself. In the second stanza, the girl is described as healthy, intelligent, and strong yet the girl was still insecure. She couldn’t accept the way she is because her physical appearance wasn’t the same as everyone. The desire to be accepted is powerful and overcomes people. Gray may believe that men are defined through his ability to achieve results, but Virginia Woolf believes that women are not only defined by relationships, but are also defined by their success. In Professions for Women, Woolf talks about the many struggles that women face through her own story and experiences. Woolf represents the image of a â€Å"perfect† Victorian woman as Angel in the House. She discusses how Angel in the House constantly tormented and bothered her. Yet, in the end, Woolf triumphantly states, â€Å"Though I flatter myself that I killed her in the end, the struggle was severe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  demonstrating her achievement. Because it wasn’t easy, Woolf’s major achievement of getting past and not letting stereotypes stop her from writing, defines who she is. Stereotypes are going to be everywhere. Gray’s assertion that â€Å"A man’s sense of self is defined through his ability to achieve results†¦ A woman’s sense of self is defined through her feelings and the quality of her relationships† is partially incorrect. Virginia Woolf and April Wheeler have proven that women could also be defined through achievements, not just men and Hassan and Frank Wheeler proved that men could be defined through relationships like women. Amir and Marge Piercy demonstrated that Gray’s assertion is true as well. Stereotypes are inevitable but the most one can do is prove them wrong.

How Helium Works Essay Research Paper How free essay sample

How Helium Works Essay, Research Paper How Helium Balloons Work There is something improbably particular about He balloons! If you buy one at the circus or carnival, you can keep its twine and it will sit along above you. If you let travel of the twine it will wing off until you can non see it any longer. If you have of all time wondered why it flies off, the transitions below can assist you to calculate out the enigma. Helium flotation Helium balloons work utilizing precisely the same jurisprudence of perkiness. In this instance, the He balloon that you hold by a twine is drifting in a # 8220 ; pool # 8221 ; of air. The He balloon displaces an sum of air ( merely like a empty bottle displaces an sum of H2O ) . Equally long as the He plus the balloon is lighter than the air it displaces, the balloon will drift in the air. We will write a custom essay sample on How Helium Works Essay Research Paper How or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It turns out that He is a batch lighter than air. The difference is non every bit great as it is between H2O and air ( a litre of H2O weighs about 1,000grams, while a litre of air weighs about a gm ) , but it is important. Helium weighs 0.1785 gms per litre. Nitrogen weighs 1.2506 gms per litre, and since N makes up approximately 80 % of the air we breath, 1.25 gms is a good estimate for the weight of litre of air. Therefore, if you were to make full a one-liter sodium carbonate bottle full of He, the bottle would weigh about 1 gm less than the same Chan 2 bottle filled with air. That doesn # 8217 ; t sound like much – since the bottle weighs more than a gm the bottle will non drift. However, in big volumes, the 1-gram per litre difference between air and He can truly add up. This explains why balloons are by and large rather big – they have to displace a batch of air to drift. So why is He so much lighter than air? It # 8217 ; s because He atoms are lighter than a nitrogen atom. It has fewer negatrons, protons and neutrons than N atoms do, and that makes it much more lighter. Approximately the same figure of atoms of each of the elements fills about the same sum of infinite. Therefore, the gases made of lighter atoms are lighter. If you put helium in a balloon and allow travel of the balloon, the balloon rises until it pops. When it pops, the He that escapes has no ground to halt # 8211 ; it merely keeps traveling and leaks out into infinite. Therefore, in the ambiance there is really small He at any given clip. The He comes from alpha atoms emitted by radioactive decay. Since the decay of uranium emits tonss of alpha atoms and a natural gas pocket tends to be a certain container resistance. Helium is so carefully distilled out of natural gas to bring forth the He we put in balloons. Helium is safe for balloons pumping because it is a really stable gas ( Noble Gas ) . However, since the cost of extraction of He is so expensive, this explains why a He air balloon costs you quite a luck when you buy it.

Referencing Translated Sources (APA, MLA, and Chicago) - Proofed

Referencing Translated Sources (APA, MLA, and Chicago) - Proofed Referencing Translated Sources (APA, MLA, and Chicago) Poor translators. Without them, we English speakers wouldn’t be able to read sources written in other languages. But are we grateful? Not if the reference lists we see are anything to go by, as most people forget to include translators’ names. So, whether you’re reading Nietzsche, Proust, or Sun Tzu, join us for a quick look at how to reference translated sources in APA, MLA, and Chicago referencing. APA Referencing In APA referencing, if citing translated sources, you need to include the translator’s name in the reference list. This involves giving their name plus â€Å"Trans.† after the source title: Foucault, M. (1977). Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison (A. Sheridan, Trans.). London, England: Penguin Books. (N.B. We’re using bold text to highlight the translator in these examples, but you don’t have to do this in your own work!) MLA Referencing For translated sources in an MLA list, you should give the name of the translator after the words â€Å"Translated by† before the publication information. For instance: Foucault, Michel. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Translated by Alan Sheridan, Penguin Books, 1977. If you are focusing specifically on the translation of a text, you can even give the translator’s name in the first position: Sheridan, Alan, translator. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. By Michel Foucault, Penguin Books, 1977. However, you should only do this if you are primarily interested in the translation. This will usually be because you’re discussing two translations of a single source or writing about translation itself. Chicago Referencing (Author–Date) The format for translated sources in Chicago referencing depends on the referencing style you’re using. With author–date referencing, you only name the translator in the reference list. The format here is: Foucault, Michel. 1977. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Translated by Alan Sheridan. London: Penguin Books. Chicago Referencing (Footnotes and Bibliography) With Chicago footnote citations, you need to name the translator in the first footnote and in the bibliography. For the footnote, the format to use is as follows: 1. Michel Foucault, Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison, trans. Alan Sheridan (London: Penguin Books, 1977), 91-93. Repeat citations use a shortened footnote, which doesn’t include the translator’s name. But the translator should be included in the bibliography at the end of the document. The information here is the same as in the first footnote, although the format is slightly different: Foucault, Michel. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Translated by Alan Sheridan. London: Penguin Books, 1977. Whichever system you’re using, though, remember to get your work checked by a professional before submitting it. This will make sure that all sources are referenced correctly!

Is early recognition of deterioration in vital observation effective Dissertation

Is early recognition of deterioration in vital observation effective in identifying critically ill patients in hospital - Dissertation Example y evaluate research that describes or appraises the nursing practice of taking and recording physiological observations (Vital signs) in the detection of deteriorating hospital patients. Background. Nurses are required to recognise early clinical deterioration in patients and call emergency support. However, there is increasing recognition that indicators of deterioration in acutely unwell patients are being missed and referral delayed. The reasons for this are unclear and require exploration. Failure to recognize or act on deterioration of hospital ward patients has resulted in the implementation of early warning scoring system and critical care outreach teams. Design. A comprehensive review of the literature. Methods. Critical review as the research methodology was used as the dissertation topic required a comprehensive collection of research evidence. The literature was searched using different sources: such as electronic databases, reference lists, key reports and experts in the field. Medline, CINAHL, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched from January 2001–2011. Ten papers were selected that most clearly reflected the research aim. Each paper was critically appraised and systematically assessed. Major themes and findings were identified for each of the studies. Result. Early warning systems and physiological monitoring processes help ensure the early detection of critical illnesses among patients. Conclusions. Early warning systems with appropriate applications of vital signs and other physiological monitoring processes are crucial tools in the early assessment of critical care patients. Relevance to clinical practice. The studies establish the importance of using early warning systems and physiological monitoring processes to detect symptoms which... The paper tells that vital signs are significant components in monitoring the patient’s progress during hospitalisation as they allow for the timely detection of delayed recovery or adverse events. These vital signs, or patient observations, usually consist of blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate and respiratory rate. While the measurement of vital signs has become an accepted component of any hospitalisation, the optimal practice is yet to be determined. A preliminary search of the literature indicated that there were a vast number of published articles relating to this topic; however there had been few previous attempts to review critically this literature. This review was initiated to identify and summarise the best existing evidence relating to the use of vital signs by nurses to monitor hospital patients. The dissertation starts by highlighting and discussing the particular issues surrounding early recognition of deterioration using vital observation by other studies. This has assisted the writer to clarify the dissertation aims, objectives and methods further. The methodology section has provided details of a robust strategy deployed in collecting, organising and analysing secondary qualitative data. This has been followed by the result section where collection of data and discussion of results was carried out in the light of the writer review objectives. Finally in the conclusion section, a summary of the overall findings of the review and implications for NHS policy and future research will be provided.

Jones Soda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Jones Soda - Essay Example These two companies are actually selling their brands and have already expanded globally through their manufacturing and expansion strategies. Compared with Jones Soda, Coke and Pepsi have gained remarkable market share in the worldwide market for beverages. What these two companies are trying to enhance as of the moment is in line with preventing customer erosion. In this regard, they always would want to emphasize the uniqueness of their taste and so consumers would always differentiate them from another product brands. Although Jones Soda is not that far from this strategy, but eventually its entire entry into the market together with its highly differentiated products are a bit experimental in their forms. In modern times, websites are the most convenient means to reach potential customers. In the case of Jones Soda, its website could actually serve substantial contribution to its operation. For instance, in its website consumers could freely address their concerns with Jones and its product offerings. Consumers for instance could actually suggest for product development, cross their voices over to Jones especially regarding matters about customer service, retailing and distribution, and many others. At the end of the day, the information gathered from the customers via Jones’ websites and if assessed, could pave the way for its competitive advantage in the future. Product differentiation strategy of Jones is something different from its industry. Jones Soda having at some point weird tastes for its soft drinks that some consumers appreciate is a remarkable advantage. The major benefit of this strategy is the opportunity for recognition of Jones Soda as another brand and key players in the soft drinks manufacturing industry. However, at some point, this differentiation may substantially lack focus especially in acceptability of the product in certain situations or occasions,

Self Directed Work Team (SDWT) Advantages and Disadvantages

Self Directed Work Team (SDWT) Advantages and Disadvantages A Briefing on Self Directed Work Team (SDWT) by Group 5 Self Directed Work Team is a powerful concept since the ancient Roman legion and today approximately 68% of fortune 1000 companies implement SDWT concept including Ford, GM, PG, FedEx, etc. (Lawler, Mohrman, Ledford ,1995). Definition Vecchio (2003, p.107) defined Self Directed Work Teams (SDWT) as â€Å"a highly trained group of six to eighteen employees that is fully responsible for creating a specific product†. And according to an article in Entrepreneur Connect   (Anon, 1995) â€Å"self -directed teams are small groups of employees who have responsibility for managing themselves and their work†. Success in todays challenging competitive environment is based on employee empowerment and team work (Boyett Boyett, 1998). This could be closely related to Herzbergs motivating factor which was later simply defined by Barbara (n.d.) as â€Å"what makes you work well†. Many companies are attracted to this innovation because of the prospect of flattening the organizational structure in these times when downsizing, flattening and work process reengineering are so crucial (Coates and Miller, 1995). SDWT leads to increased organizational effectiveness and employee satisfaction (Forsyth, 1999) which in todays business is being the competitive advantage (Ron Williams, n.d). Advantages of SDWT General Motors, Proctor Gamble Xerox by implementing SDWT resulted in approximately 30-40% improvement in productivity (Bruce,n.d.). In Kodak customer assistance centre SDWT resulted in 100% increase in profits (Anon, n.d.).FedEx improved their service by reducing the loss of packages and incorrect billing by 13%. Rubbermaid increased sales by 50% above projections Quality improvement. Increased productivity and reduced cost. Highly flexible. Simpler job classification and each member know every process through job rotation which will reduce dependency one person. Better innovation and creativity. Team members are motivated by job satisfaction, empowerment, trust, feel of ownership personal growth which in turn benefit the company as a whole. SDWT is being a vehicle for bringing in the Total Quality Management concept in an organization (Vecchio,2006,p.112) Following statistics based on a review of organization that transferred to SDWT (John Cotter, n.d.) well prove the positive impact. 93% reported improve productivity 86% reported decreased operating cost 86% reported improved quality 70% reported better employee attitudes Given the above advantages and success stories there are consequences and problems in challenging the success of SDWT and even driving to the opposite direction to failure. Consequences of SDWT Elimination of supervisory position. The need for shift from holding the decision making power to delegation and allowing autonomy. In other words supervisor should act as a facilitator and provide guidance to teams especially outside the teams areas of expertise. Supervisors should manage communication and monitor the effectiveness. Leaders promote team work and corporation (Brillhart, 1983). The key in supervisory role is to motivate â€Å"Self-Direction†. In an interview with Sterling Health USA, employees often quoted that â€Å"Before, the group leader made all the decisions. You didnt know why the decisions were madenow we do† (Peter, 1999). But is the team leader ready to accept the transition from holding the power to delegation? Is S/He ready to improve the skills to qualify as a facilitator? Requirement for heavy investment in training. Training needed for both supervisors and team members in building various skills. Cloke and Goldsmith ( 2002, pp 205-214 ) identified ten skills those are essential for members of the work teams to develop self management, communication, leadership, responsibility, supporting diversity, feedback and evaluation, strategic planning, shaping successful meeting, resolving conflicts and enjoyment. Williams (n.d.) mentioned â€Å"It is not uncommon for self-directed work teams to spend 20% of their time in ongoing training†. Organization willing to implement SDWT should have a clear training strategy including cross training opportunity and resources. Top management should design the training policy and budget for it. Need for more flatter and flexible organizational structure. The decision making authority is transformed to the team members to eliminate waste of time relying on approvals from managers. Self-direction, autonomy, empowerment are the key players in success of SDWT which is facilitated only on flat structures. Responsibilities assigned to workers in GM clearly indicate the need for flat structure.(William,1999,p.11) Responsibility for quality control. Responsibility for maintenance and small repairs. Responsibility for safety. Responsibility for capital budgeting and operational budgeting. Responsibility for staffing. SDWT to begin performing takes long period. As per William (1999) SDWTs cannot be created instantly; it can take 2 to 5 years to fully implement. Some companies might not have the time or resources to go through this process Stages of forming SDWT: Stage one: (Start-Up) Goal preparation, explanation of purpose, member selection and building trust (6-9months). Stage two: (State of confusion) Technical assistance, feedback, implementing procedures to support self direction, and training. (6-9months). Stage three: (Leader centered team) Encouraging leadership activity among team members. (6-12months). Stage four: (Tightly formed teams) Resolving conflicts, start managing on own, communicating resource requirement and goals.(6-12months). Stage five: (Self direction) Maintain self confidence and self esteem of others. Strong partnership with internal and external customers. Consequently, if you look at the time and training involved in SDWTs it might not be suitable for an environment with a high employee turnover. Need for greater leadership development. As the organization would no longer function in a traditional manner the leaders or managers need to build their ability to allow and encourage such a high level of empowerment, which can be tackled with specially created programs (Coates and Miller, 1995). Problems of SDWT Team members approached the saturation point of learning through job rotation and would have achieved the maximum level of earning i.e. plant rate where no more room for psychological or financial boosts (Vecchio, 2006, p.113). Again while talking about pay as a motivator does it really matter? Can rewarding and recognition be the motivator to ensure continuing performance of the employees (Vecchio, 2006, p.84).   Also the performance measurement system should not create any competition within team members which will reduce co-operation and affect the success of SDWT. Another major challenge is getting people to remain committed to the improvement of the processes when they realize that they may be working themselves out of a job. The employees involved in self-directed work teams must have a great deal of trust so that employees are not concerned about their job security (Anon, 1995). Conflict management would be another critical and sensitive issue. Again each team member has different personalities and perceptions. Here comes the importance of required skills from facilitator. A culture of knowledge sharing has to be built in. Another question is that, are employees ready to be self directed? Whether they have capacity and skills? Of course proper training would be in place but still some employees prefer managers direction on what to do rather than deciding on their own. Here comes the need for selecting appropriate team members which is again depending on the talent of facilitator. Is the organization policies and culture is supportive in transferring power and authority to team members? Other problems would be signs of overconfidence which lead to members willing to take extra ordinary risk, members ignoring the ethical consequences, collective rationalization and underestimating capabilities of other groups which may lead to failure and financial losses.(Craig, 2005, p.219) Given the fact empowerment is a key to succeed in SDWT; will all the managers support this? Foegen (1999) stated on the loss of control: If one individual makes all the decisions in a given department, for example, his or her control is all-encompassing. Focus is obvious and unequivocal. But when authority is delegated, that focus becomes blurred, decision making is diffused, and responsibilitys locus is often less certain. He also stated delegation and empowerment can decrease the self image of the managers. The other pitfalls of empowerment would be lack of clarity, managements view as shared control / loss of control etc. Finally it would require numerous changes in processes and procedures and require a lot more time to make SDWTs successful in a unionized department. Conclusion Before a company can decide to implement self directed work teams, Coates and Miller (1995) point out certain situations or job fields in which this method may not work. These include: When there is a requirement for direction or supervision. This is often needed for jobs which may be unpleasant, arduous, fast paced or risky. When minimal team interaction is required. In jobs such as these employees may find it difficult to lead each other. When a lack of professional maturity exists among team members. An unwillingness to make the effort exists. The inability to meet regularly as a team. Work groups with any of these five characteristics would find it difficult to function effectively and may have to resort to the traditional method of management. Statistics shows that empowerment has about a 50% success rate and it is found that major reason for this is lack of management commitment to the change process. One of the companies failed by using SDWT is The Airline peoples Express. (Fisher, 2000, p.26). References: Anon. (1995) Taking the Mystery Out of Self -Directed Work Teams, Entrepreneur Connect [Online]. Available from:  http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/17227174.html   (Accessed: 21 August 2009). Anon (n.d.) Teams, the good, the bad and the ugly [Online] Available from: http://faculty.css.edu/dswenson/web/TDlearnCo/gains-lossesofteams.html (Accessed: 22 August 2009) Boyett, J. Boyett, J. (1998) The guru guide: The best of the top management thinkers. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Brillhart, J.(1983) Effective group discussion. 5th ed. Dubuque, Iowa: William Brown Co. Bruce K.Bernard (n.d) Preparing for Self-Directed Work Teams [Online] Available from: http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:rEhTVduzfRMJ:www.ux1.eiu.edu/~bkbarnard/preparing2.ppt+self+directed+work+teams+pptcd=7hl=enct=clnkgl=ae (Accessed: 21 August 2009). Cloke, K and Goldsmith, J (2002) The End of Management and the Rise of Organizational Democracy. Questia Online Library [Online] Available from: http://www.questia.com/read/111621737?title=The%20End%20of%20Management%20and%20the%20Rise%20of%20Organizational%20Democracy (Accessed: 21 August 2009). Coates, D. Miller, M. (1995) ‘Self Directed Teams: Lessons Learned for Local Government, Public Management, 77 (12), p. 16, Questia Online Library [Online]. Available from: http://www.questia.com/read/5001654373?title=Self-Directed%20Teams%3a%20Lessons%20Learned%20for%20Local%20Government (Accessed: 21August 2009). Craig E. Johnson. (2005) Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership. 2nd ed. USA: Sage Publications Inc. Ed Rose Steve Buckley. (1999) Self Directed work Teams, A Trainers Role in the Transition. USA: Intersil Coporation. Foegen, J.H. (1999) Why not empowerment, Business and Economic Review, Apr-Jun 1999  Ã‚  [Online]. Available from: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5313/is_199904/ai_n21437565/  (Accessed: 22 August 2009) Forsyth, D. (1999) Group dynamics. 3rd ed. New York: Brooks/Cole-Wadsworth. Jeffrey Christopher Bauer (2002) A Longitudinal Evaluation of The Impact of Organizational Structure on Role Ambiguity and Work Group Performance [Online] Available from: http://www.ucclermont.edu/~BAUERJ/JCBauerDissertationFinal.htm (Accessed: 21 August 2009). Kimball Fisher. (2000). Leading Self Directed Work Teams, A Guide to Developing New Team Leadership Skils. USA: McGraw-Hill. Peter B.Grazier (1999) Living with a self directed work team why self-direction works: A review of Herzbergs Concepts [Online] Available from: http://www.teambuildinginc.com/article_selfdirected.htm (Accessed: 21 August 2009). Robert P. Vecchio (2006) Organizational Behavior, 6th ed. Mason, OH, USA: Thomson Corporation South-Western. Robert T.Howell (2001) Fostering Self-Directed Team Members [Online] Available from: http://www.teambuildinginc.com/article_selfdirected.htm (Accessed: 21August 2009). Williams, R. (n.d.) Self-Directed Work Teams: A Competitive Advantage [online] Available from: http://www.qualitydigest.com/nov95/html/self-dir.html (Accessed: 20 August 2009).

Chinese nurse-client relationship Essay

The Chinese perspective of nursing Nursing is to understand the health status and concerns of a person, to devise interventions with appropriate health knowledge and skills. There are four Chinese characteristics of epistemic concerns. Qing (? ) is emotion. Li (? ) and zhi (? ) means knowing what is good and right in practice through scientific or systematic studies respectively. Xing (? ) is action. The chinese perspective of nurse To nurse, Chinese people generally argree that the role of the nurses is to report their conditions rapidly to doctors. A Confucian principle of hierarchical relationship between doctor and nurses shows that nurses should know their place, defer to their superiors anf know when to call doctors. Solution to chinese implication Some Chinese cultures like belief, value, attitudes and taboos may act as barriers of clients and nurses. It can be tackled by reminding the nurse to be cultural sensitive in caring process. For instances, nurses may consider characteristics of Chinese people. Chinese always avoid the word dead which is a symbol of unauspicious. They can tacit communication approach like euphemism which is indirect words using the end of life. Nurses may apply therapeutic communication strategies: -To be client-focused, problem-oriented and situational based -Classified as supportive-expressive, analytic and consultative -Directive and educationally focused The Chinese culture is conflicts between Chinese culture and health belief of western medicine. To solve it, we nurses acknowledge of culturally specific nature of problem. Another Chinese culture is the tradition perceive problem as family affairs. To solve it, we nurse can build up nurse-client relationship with strong bond of trust by more communication.

Example Solution Manual Essay

PESTEL analysis is a useful starting point for environmental analysis, encouraging students to think wide. Exhibit 2.2 provides an initial PESTEL analysis of the airline industry, giving students the general idea. The first question asks for additional elements in the analysis. For example, under Political, you might add subsidies for local airports; under Economic, you might add the rise of Asian economies; and under Legal, you could add the trend towards airline privatisation. A key danger to highlight is of long lists of forces or influences that are too unwieldy for practical action. So the second question challenges students to assess which of the forces are likely to be of most significance in driving industry change. Here students should justify their views in terms of the evidence from the past and the likely impact in the future of any particular influence. The end-chapter case example on the European brewing industry also asks students to do a PESTEL analysis. Illustration 2.2 Scenarios Scenarios help students think long term and very broadly: here the World Economic Forum and its members are looking a decade ahead, and thinking about geo-economics in general as well as just the market in a narrow sense. The question asks about whether companies have more influence over government policy or geo-economics. It then goes on to ask about how companies might influence government. This also obviously touches on issues of corporate social responsibility, pursued in Chapter 4. Companies probably do have more influence on policy coordination, but the issue is which governments they should be talking to (the United States, China?) and whether it is only governments that matter (United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organisation?). They should also consider how they can best influence governments, individually or collectively through, for example, the World Economic Forum or the Business Roundtable, the group of CEOs of leading American corporations. To some extent, the power is likely to be exercised negatively: through lobbying against and criticism of  proposals for financial re-regulation. It is worthwhile also asking about the influence these corporations can have themselves on geo-economic shifts: some Western company headquarters are shifting away from their home-countries, for example, the global headquarters of American civil engineering conglomerate Halliburton moved to Dubai and Swiss/Swedish engineering company ABB moved its global robotics business headquarters to Shanghai. Illustration 2.3 The Steel Industry The steel industry provides a fairly easy-to-understand case of rapid structural change, and one led by industry actors. Understanding how the leading companies are making an impact helps to counter a risk of ‘determinism’ in Porterian analyses; in other words, a sense that structures are given rather than changeable. The first question particularly invites a comparative analysis using the radar-plot introduced in Exhibit 2.5. The radar-plot might look roughly like the following, with the continuous lines indicating rough positions in around 2000 (10 years earlier than the illustration) and the dotted lines indicating positions in 2010. The comparative positions highlight the increasing power of suppliers such as the iron ore producers (negative); the high power of sophisticated buyers, somewhat mitigated by the declining power of the Big Three (mildly positive perhaps); and the beginning of decreased rivalry (positive) as the larger steel companies such as Mittal try to consolidate the industry. It might be said that the new entry threat has stabilised and even reduced, though continued investment by Chinese players may increase rivalry especially if they turn to overseas markets. Overall, comparing the size of the two radar plots over time suggests only a marginal change in favour of the steel producers. With regard to the second question, the acquisition strategies seem driven by the desire to reduce rivalry by reducing the number of players and even capacity. You might ask students what is necessary to make this work: here you might highlight the importance for reduced rivalry of both simultaneous cuts in capacity investments by, for example, the Chinese and strong barriers to new entry. With regard to the third question, success in raising barriers to entry (e.g. through technological change) and in  reducing rivalry (through continued consolidation) would make the industry more attractive. Vertical integration strategies into sources of supply (e.g. iron ore) would help too. A potential negative is significant progress with substitute materials. This depends on technological progress, hence providing a useful link between the Porter 5 Forces and PESTEL. Illustration 2.4 Chugging in the Charity Sector The aim of this Illustration of course is to show that industry structure analysis is relevant to not-for-profits as well. Indeed, charities appear ruthlessly competitive – hence the High Street chuggings. The first question points to at least three of the Porterian forces as causing problems: (i) There are low barriers to entry, with ‘constant refreshment’ of the industry by new charities; (ii) there is strong buying power on the part of local authorities commissioning services; (iii) there is intense rivalry because of the number of competitors and tendency towards overlap and duplication of charitable services. In addition, they face substitutes in the form of local authorities and other agencies performing services in-house, but at this point the trend in that respect was in their favour. The suppliers of funds – donors – have many alternative charities to give to. The mergers and increasing concentration levels (the largest are growing fastest) imply growing industry consolidation. At the moment, the industry structure might be described as highly competitive, but there may be widespread advantages to it moving towards a more oligopolistic situation. Illustration 2.5 Cycles of Competition The ‘wisdom’ in strategy theory has been that competitiveness is about building up a long-term competitive advantage and then defending it against competitors. The idea of cycles of competition takes a more dynamic view as to how competition in an industry will work its way out over time. It also highlights the potentially destructive nature of competition (at least from the point of view of industry players) and the value of trying to avoid it. Indeed, a key point is that these competitive cycles are not inevitable. Signaling to competitors, and interpreting the signals of others’  competitive moves, can help avoid head-on competition. Retaliation (Section 2.3 under barriers to entry) is a key principle here, as are the basics of game theory (Chapter 3). With regard to question 1, Francotop might have slowed down or rebuffed entirely Deutschespitze’s invasion of the French market by retaliating hard against its initial move: even though the youth niche was not so important to Francotop, a determined response there would have signalled the likelihood that attacking the core French market would be so fiercely opposed that it might not be worth Deutschespitze’s while even to try. With regard to question 2, Francotop would have been hard-pressed to avoid escalating competition in the business market. However, one possibility might have been for Francotop to focus on a particular neglected niche (say the small firms segment). By signaling clearly through advertising or similar that this niche was the extent of their ambitions, Francotop might have encouraged Deutschespitze to concentrate on its best opportunities, leaving the French get on with their specialism in peace. Illustration 2.6 Key Debate: How Much Does Industry Matter? This debate addresses an enduring source of controversy in strategy research, and allows students to review the importance of the contents of Chapter 2 (particularly the ‘five forces’), at the same time as introducing the more internally focused issues of Chapter 3 that follows. For Porter, industry matters a lot. The sceptic might argue ‘he would say that, wouldn’t he’? After all, this is exactly what his training in industrial economics and the standard products of his consulting firm would favour. However, the important thing here is to recognise the extent of the research he (and collaborators such as Anita McGahan) draw upon to make their case. It is worth pointing out to students that strategy theories are more than ‘just theories’: there is solid empirical research involved too. When meeting a new theory, students should get used to asking: where is the research evidence? What the research seems to suggest is that an industry is no t the be-all and end-all, but that choosing an attractive industry is a very good starting point in strategy: industry accounts for about two-fifths of the explained variance in the Porter and McGahan study (leaving aside control variables etc.). Turning to the precise question, the kinds of industries  that influence members’ profitabilities more than others seem generally to be service industries (explaining the greater industry effects in the Porter and McGahan study than in Rumelt’s). But to go on from here, industry influences are most likely to be strongest in highly competitive and mature industries. In such industries, sources of firm-specific differentiation are likely to be few, easily imitated and easily competed away, so making it hard to earn above-normal profits. At the same time, standard recipes for competing would have been established, so only the incompetent would perform substantially below the norm (and competition should have eliminated most such incompetents by the industry maturity stage). These conditions would probably prevail in service industries such as hotels, restaurants and retail. Newer industries are likely to offer more scope for innovation and differentiation, and have fewer commodity competitors and suppliers, so allowing persistent variability in profitability. Video Questions Hiscox Hiscox is a specialist insurer in the Lloyds of London insurance market. The company specialises in niche areas such as property and casualty insurance for high net worth individuals and companies, as well as cover against such risks as hacking, kidnapping and satellite damage. The video case is quite complicated, so best viewed after a thorough working through of the chapter material. 1.The industry is facing more buyer power, with the rise of online price comparison sites. On the other hand, there is a process of consolidation with the rise of ‘consolidators’ (companies such as Resolution), who are acquiring weaker companies in order to build position. This is likely in the long term to reduce rivalry. Major failures such as that of the American giant AIG (American Investment Group) are likely to reduce rivalry too. It is clear that general recessionary pressures are also influencing the market at the time of the video, reducing demand and likely to make it more price-sensitive. 2.Hiscox has a specialist position, aside from companies like AIG or the general insurers that Resolution is trying to buy, and its power in its niche is reinforced by its brand (well known in the United Kingdom). It also has the advantage of having both an underwriting (issue of insurance policies) and investment business, which mean that Hiscox is protected from short-term cycles or crises in one part  of the business, probably helping to buffer it from price competition in the short term too. Assignment 2.1 PESTEL Analysis PESTEL analysis is a useful starting point for environmental analysis. Illustration 2.1 provides a model. A ‘blank’ of the basic template of illustration 2.1 can be provided to students who can then be asked to complete it for the forces at work in a particular industry. The danger is that long lists of forces or influences can be generated by this device. So the second question challenges students to assess which of the forces are likely to be of most significance in driving industry change. Here students should justify their views in terms of the evidence from the past and the likely impact in the future of any particular influence. See the discussion of the PESTEL for the end-chapter case on the European brewing industry for an example. Assignment 2.2 Building Scenarios Assignment 2.2 requires students to focus on change in industry characteristics and competitive forces through the construction of scenarios. Guidelines for the construction of scenarios are given in Section 2.2.2 it is recommended that students follow these, building either two or four scenarios for a given industry. The work done in Assignment 2.1 should provide the bases of identifying the key industry forces or influences which will enable them to do this. Some of the problems of scenario building should be emphasised to students: Students may try to build in too many factors and, therefore, not be able to limit the number of scenarios. They may find difficulty in generating scenarios with a coherent and compatible set of factors. Some may be wary of having to exercise judgement; and others will confuse judgement with hunch. Try to encourage a realistic debate that tests out assumptions and projections against known facts and trends. A particularly useful exercise is to ask stude nts to build scenarios for an industry for which there is a company case (or for their own industry/company if possible) and then to assess the company’s strategic position in the light of the different scenarios (e.g. see the notes above on the brewing industry). One of the issues that might surface is the ease  or difficulty with which scenarios can be constructed. It usually emerges that scenarios are much easier to construct where the number of key forces at work in an industry is relatively few. They are less easy to construct if the number of important forces is high because the number of variables the student is trying to handle becomes too great. This, in turn, raises another issue. Scenarios are of particular use in uncertain environments as a means of helping managers to think through possible futures. However, uncertainty may arise for a number of reasons. If uncertainty arises because of the unpredictability of a few forces, then arguably scenarios may be very helpful, but what if uncertainty arises primarily because there are a large number of forces at work: to what extent are scenarios of use in such circumstances? There are a limited number of very important forces at work in the brewing industry: but what of fast-moving hi-t ech industries where there are many different forces at work? Assignment 2.3 Five Competitive Forces Five forces analysis is an absolutely fundamental technique in strategy. Section 2.3 should give students the ability to carry out a basic five forces analysis of any industry. They should be encouraged to consider all of the elements of each of the five forces: so for example, under barriers to entry, scale and experience effects, channels, retaliation and so on. The radar-plot technique of Exhibit 2.5 should only be used as a summary once the full analysis is complete; the danger is of it being used to short-circuit the analysis. Students should be expected to do more than simply list elements; they should clearly identify the implications (positive or negative) of each. The second question about conclusions for industry attractiveness should underline the importance of drawing out implications, rather than just listing. Assignment 2.4 Comparisons between Industries and Over Time This assignment allows students to build on Assignment 2.3 in order to consider the investment implications of differences between industries and change over time. The assignment is a substantial one if relying on students’ own research. However, time can be saved if two case studies are used (e.g. brewing, pharmaceuticals or hi-fi, perhaps looking backwards at  change over the past three to five years, rather than change in the future). Similarly, students may save time by using the radar-plot technique (Exhibit 2.5), as in the discussion of Illustration 2.3. It is important to note the two follow-up questions. Explicitly asking for justification helps students avoid the superficial analysis which is easy to do with five forces. Asking the question about investment helps students think about concrete implications, again something that five forces analyses often neglect. By looking over time, students will learn to be cautious about investing in industries with declining attractiveness. By comparing industries, students can also consider industry attractiveness in their diversification decisions, an issue picked up in Chapter 7. At the same time, it is worth countering the implications of five forces analysis with two thoughts: Industries that are highly attractive are likely to have high barriers to entry, so the costs of entry may outweigh the benefits of entering. An industry that is becoming relatively unattractive may be neglected by competitors, and, if you enjoy a strong competitive advantage in that industry, it may still be a source of profit to you. Assignment 2.5 Strategic Groups This assignment builds on the notion of strategic groups and strategic space outlined in Section 2.4.1 in the text. Figure 2.8 provides an example of how the exercise could be carried out. This could, for example, be applied to the European brewing industry: Key strategic dimensions might come under either of the scope or resource commitment characteristics in Section 2.4.1 – for example, product range or extent of vertical integration. Possible key strategic dimensions in the European brewing industry might include geographical coverage, strength of brands, diversification, size of firm, type of distribution, and so on. Students are encouraged to draw more than one strategic group map if they believe that more than two dimensions are important. It is useful to ask them to consider the extent to which different bases of such maps give rise to similar or different configurations. They might find, for example, that however the maps are drawn up, some companies always tend to end up in the same groups. In other words, some companies may have a very similar set of strategic characteristics along many dimensions. Students are asked to examine the  strategic group maps to see if there are any under-populated ‘white spaces’ in the industry. For example, in brewing, is there an opportunity for a giant specialist in making ‘own brand’ beer for the large retailers? However, students should assess carefully why there are few competitors in any such white spaces. White spaces can often turn out to be dangerous ‘black holes’ rather than attractive opportunities. Assignment 2.6 Critical Success Factors and the Strategy Canvas It is very likely that students will concentrate on success factors that are salient to them as consumers – for example, the product ranges of a clothing retailer. Less visible elements, such as ownership by a diversified parent company, may be neglected. However, for a short assignment, this need not matter too much: the essence is comparison in order to identify areas of (potential) competitive advantage. The key insight of a strategy canvas is to encourage competitors to compete where it is relatively easy to secure a significant advantage (Blue Ocean), and not necessarily to compete fiercely over the top-rated success factors if advantage can only be obtained at very considerable cost (Red Ocean). You can introduce less visible, but strategically significant elements after they have done their basic analysis. Integrative Assignment Full Analysis of an Industry or a Sector This assignment would be a demanding research project over a significant part of the course. It is however a very good test of students’ ability to apply tools to real data appropriately, as well as developing their research skills. Students will see it as practical and, if allowed a choice of sectors, relevant to their own interests. Good research resources are essential. As well as free web-based resources such as company reports, trade association statistics and some government or supra-governmental (EU, UN) reports and statistics, students would likely need limited-access resources such as the business press and journals available through BusinessSource Premier, Factiva or Proquest, and reports from organisations such as Euromonitor, Key Notes and Mintel. Your institution’s librarian will advise you on what is available to students and how proficient they are likely to be in using such sources. You would also want to guide students  on which industries or sectors to choose. Very broad industries – for example, the world airline industry – are likely to overwhelm students with data. It might be helpful to encourage focus – for example, the airline industry in India, or similar. Industry focus also reduces the risk of plagiarism. There are many student assignments of a similar nature available for a fee on the web, and it would definitely be wise to avoid allowing students to research the same industries in successive years. Requiring a specific focus on particular themes (e.g. internationalisation) or some less common concepts (e.g. the strategy canvas, cycles of competition etc.) can also reduce plagiarism. Insisting on precisely citing sources for key data and points (through an end-note system or similar) makes simple plagiarism harder too, as well as being good practice. If allowed, students will find very helpful a couple of example assignments from previous years to guide them roughly on what they are supposed to do. A report length limit of around 2000–2500 words would encourage students to focus on what is really important. Requiring an ‘executive summary’ would also force students to consider what is really important and what are the key implications. Over a two semester course, this assignment could be stage one of a two-part assessment regime; the second semester could have as an assignment asking students to consider implications of the first part for the strategy of a particular company in the original industry or sector. Case Example The European Brewing Industry This case focuses on the key techniques of PESTEL and five forces analysis that are central to this chapter. Full cases such as the pharmaceutical industry can be used develop students’ skills in seeing trends in industry data and drawing conclusions as to the likely impact of those trends on particular companies in an industry. PESTEL Here it would be helpful to ask the students to draw on wider knowledge or research (you may have beer drinkers from many countries in your class). Depending on how extensive students’ additional research and thinking are, a wide-range of issues may be raised. To highlight some for the purposes of illustration: Political: government campaigns against drink driving Economic: the rise of the Asian economies Social: rise of beer consumption in southern Europe Technological: few clear in the case, but innovations around products such as ice-cold lager might be raised Environmental: few clear in the case, but packaging issues are likely to be important Legal: few clear in the case, but changes in licensing laws and permitted alcohol limits for driving are relevant. PESTELs can often seem somewhat inconclusive, so it is important to pull out key issues and conclusions. The increasing hostility to drinking (under P and L) and the rise of Asian economies and southern Europe (under E & S) seem particularly important trends. One way of drawing some simple conclusions is to assess the overall balance (positive or negative) under each of the PESTEL headings: in the case of the European brewing industry, most of the headings are likely to be negative. The Five Forces There has traditionally been a wide variation of industry structures across Europe. The United Kingdom is fairly competitive. Denmark, Holland, Italy, Belgium and France, on the other hand, have been in near monopoly situations. However, with increasing exports and imports and cross-border acquisitions, national markets are becoming less protected. An interesting issue, then, is at what level to conduct industry structure analysis. If at a European level, the broad issues to consider under each of the five forces are as follows: Buyers: With more than one fifth of beer sold through supermarkets, and increasing resort to ‘own-label’, these buyers are increasingly powerful (underline that buyers are not the ultimate consumers). Suppliers: The high concentration of the packagers suggests that these are becoming increasingly powerful. Substitutes: Wine is clearly a dangerous substitute. New entrants: Internationalisation through M&A and increased trade is introducing new entrants into previously protected markets: most countries see increasing imports (Table 2). Anheuser-Busch and SABMiller are two obvious new entrants into Europe. Students might be alerted to the potential threat of TsingTao and the other Chinese brewers. Although not prominent in the case, there is still the potential of small new brewers entering using micro-breweries or contract brewers (e.g. Cobra). Rivalry: falling demand,  international entrants and over-capacity obviously increase the scope for rivalry. However, note that sales values are rising, that innovation and branding can mitigate price-competition, that there has been a history of price-fixing cartels, and that leading players are attempting consolidation through M&A. It might be useful to ask the students to compare industry concentration ratios in 2000 and 2009: that is, the share accounted for the top three or five players (Tabl e 3). As ever, it is important to draw conclusions. On balance, the European brewing industry does not seem attractive, and unlikely to become more so until the current round of consolidation is completed and brewers achieve greater leverage against their buyers and suppliers. Impact on Particular Brewing Companies The three companies are chosen to represent different types of ‘player’. A–B InBev is the largest player, after a succession of spectacular mergers. It is remarkable how the company is withdrawing from fast-growing China and Eastern Europe, however. Greene King is tiny in comparison to A–B InBev, with just one key domestic market, the United Kingdom. However, domestic focus and its own pubs may be giving it a strongly defended local position. You might ask whether there are competitors who might be tempted to buy such a company. Tsing Tao is the wild-card here. It is strong in its booming home market, but it is also interested in moving overseas. But would it make Europe a priority region for expansion, or choose another market?