Bend it like Beckham; Food Symbol

Beckman is a movie directed by Grinder Chad. It revolves around listener, a teenage Indian girl who's passion is for playing soccer. This film explores many important themes such as racism, sexuality, stereotypes, breaking gender barriers and culture. The theme that I will be focusing on Is culture. The main symbol for ‘culture' is food. Food is a recurrent theme of the film that is constantly repeated in scenes but only subtly. It has surprisingly Important significance to do with both the Piston and Bahamas families.. Women are typically in the kitchen both Western and Indian culture.The character Mrs. Bahamas is an excellent example of this practice. She is almost always seen cooking, eating or Just being around Indian food. She is constantly trying to teach Jess how to cook, but when Jess shows no desire to learn how to cook. Jess Is removing herself from the traditional ways of a Sikh woman. Sikh women are traditionally housewives, and by Jess refusing to learn to cook goe s against the ways of Sikh culture. In contrast to Mrs.. Bahamas, Jess is going against he ways her parents have taught her, becoming less integrated in Indian culture and bringing shame to the family.She Is bringing shame to the family, because her family believes no man will want a woman who can't cook. This worries Mrs.. Bahamas because she wants nothing more than her daughters to be married off. An Important scene expressing Jess' opinion towards cooking is, when she Is learning how to cook a full Indian dinner. While her mother stands at the stove, Jess defiantly bounces a capsicum from knee to knee. Despite being forced to learn how to cook, sees still obsessed with soccer and will even incorporate it in the kitchen!It is a metaphor for how Jess feels learning to cook Is Just another way for her parents to control her future. Another example of a key scene demonstrating Mrs.. Bahamas opinion of Jess, is when she finds out she has Joined a women's football team. Jess is sitting on a couch with her parents looking down on her. Chad has used a low angle shot, demonstrating the vulnerability of Jess and the power of her parents. Mrs.. Bahamas shows she Is concerned about the future for her daughter: â€Å"What family ill want a daughter-in-law who can run around kicking football all day but can't make round chapattis? Once again, she includes a reference to food, and how Jess needs to submit to the stereotypical role of a woman in order to get a husband. This brings me onto my next point about how cooking Is expected from women In Western culture too. In the Piston household, Jules' mother is similar to Mrs.. Bahamas in the way that she believes playing sport Is masculine. Mrs.. Piston Is constantly reminding her daughter that, â€Å"No boy's going to want to go out with a girl who's got bigger muscles Han him! In desperation to stop her playing football. Even more ridiculous than 1 OFF Jules' for the first time Mrs.. Piston's only comment is, â€Å"You k now, I cooked a lovely curry the other day. † She immediately resorts to talking about food because that is all she knows about Indian culture. She believes she is associating herself with Jess, but is actually only associating with the stereotypical Indian woman, not Jess. In continuation of this scene, Jules' mum is bringing up a tray of cheese and tea, when she hears the two girls quarrelling.Having missed the beginning of their argument (over Joe) she believes them to be lesbians and retreats downstairs. She is so horrified by her daughter she can't bring herself to speak with Jules. Mrs. Piston is holding tea at this time. Tea often represents comfort and a sit-down chat, but Mrs.. Piston is so appalled she can't even face her own daughter. Once again, the mother figure can not, or does not want to understand her daughter's perspective. Paula (Mrs.. Piston) attempts to understand football, literally by using food. The scene begins with Alan (Mr..Piston) explaining the rul es of soccer by using various condiments by stacking them around the table like soccer players on a soccer field. When Jules arrives home she notices her mother has read a stack of soccer magazines. Paula says, â€Å"That way, we can all enjoy football as a family. † Mrs.. Piston researches some professional female soccer players, and finds one that is happily married with a baby. This is not the point where she accepts her daughter's career choice, but mainly points it out in an attempt to encourage Jules' to break up her ‘relationship' with Jess.In conclusion, food is a major aspect in Bend It Like Beckman. It links the two cultures in the film together. In the end both mothers accept that their daughters want to become professional soccer players. Jess and Jules both managed to ‘bend' gender rules and the will of their mothers in order to pursue their dreams. This is the meaning of the title, Bend It Like Beckman. When Mrs.. Bahamas finally accepts her daughter 's career choice she finishes off with a quote food related: â€Å"At least I taught her full Indian dinner, the rest is up to God. †

Allure Cruise Line

Since the days of antiquity, Seas and Oceans have always fascinated the human being as the great wide open to explore for the unknowns. Many a miles have been sailed, many oceans have been crossed, and now at this hour humans are circling ocean for leisure tours using the most advanced and sophisticated water transport industry, the Cruise Liners. The history of this industry has three folds as Early, Jet and Modern Age. It started with the introduction of the Ocean Liners as humans plunged into the adventure of exploring new lands and further propelled by the foreign trade of the early time.Following the suite; in 1818 the Black Ball Line operating from New York became the first scheduled passenger service provider shipping company sailing from the United States to England. During I and II World War the cruise industry has done the task of transporting troops and displaced refugees too. Post war the industry recovered rapidly as the US government offered heavy subsidies in cruise sh ip building operations (Cruiseworking, 2009).In this Case Study of Allure Cruise Line (MS Allure of the Seas), the sister ship of the world's largest passenger ship, the Oasis of the Seas, the expansion plan of the â€Å"Project Genesis† will be addressed by the paper with study of dynamics, major players and the challenges of this industry in detailed subdivided structure (Asklander, M. (2008). Today the cruise liners are no more just passenger carriers or voyage ships, rather floating hotels of its own kinds; owned by various companies across the world. They are the off shore version of the hospitality management.To focus on the case, the major players of the North American Cruise Industry take the first 20 places in no time. But some of them are the flagship operators to be reckoned on. They are Royal Caribbean International, Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America, P&O, Cunard, and Norwegian Cruise Line (Pain, 2006). To look deep into the business specification of the players; their statistics of the profile reveals a comparative understanding of the expansion measure to â€Å"Allure†.To ponder on Allure’s own player, Royal Caribbean International is a Miami, Florida based brand owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. whose organisation type is Public. It also holds the subsidiaries of Azamara Cruises, founded by the Greek Chandris Group (Plowman, 2006). As on 2007, the company asset listed as Revenue: USD $6. 149 billion, Operating Income: USD $901. 3 million, Net Income: USD $603. 4 million. It has a fleet size of 21 ships, names ending with â€Å"of the sea†. Consisting of 6 different classes the total passenger volume is 69,736.The passenger to crew ratio of this liner company varies from 2:4 to 3:7. The organisation Headquarter is flagged at 1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, Florida, USA (Reed Business Information, 2009). Among all the other players, Carnival Cruise Line (Carniv al Corporation & PLC) is the biggest of all, including 11 other cruise operators in it. It is a British-American-Panamanian corporation that includes other cruise brands like, Carnival Cruise Lines itself, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line and Seabourn Cruise Line in North America.P&O Cruises, Cunard Line and Ocean Village in the United Kingdom; AIDA Cruises in Germany; Costa Cruises in Italy and P&O Cruises Australia; in Australia. Combining all brands of the organisation it has a mighty fleet size of 88 ships, touching more than 1,60,000 passenger volume and as an expansion plan 18 more ships due to deliver by 2012. The total asset size as on 2007 are, Revenue: $ 13,033 million, Operating income: $ 2,725 million and Net income: $ 2,408.The organisation type is public dual listed company, listed to NYSE: CCL, LSE: CCL, NYSE: CUK with Headquarters flagged in Miami, USA and London, UK. Though Carnival Corporation and PCL are separate listed companies having separate list of stak eholders, but own all its operating companies jointly in the group (Carnival Corporation & PLC, 2006). The crew to passenger ratio of this organisation is 1:1 (EDGAR Online, Inc. , 2009). Among other players; Disney Cruise Line is an American cruise line company, property of The Walt Disney Company.Its Headquarter is flagged in Celebration, Florida that operates 2 ships reaching a combined passenger volume of 4800, with a passenger to crew ratio 1:9. To its existing fleet, company is adding 2 more ships, which are two decks taller than the existing ones; thus expanding the business by four folds (Ship Facts, 2009). This private organisation runs by President Tom McAlpin as part of the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division is counting a Revenue: $ 35. 51 billion, Operating income: $ 7. 827 billion and Net income: $ 3.832 billion, as on 2007 (The Walt Disney Company, 2007). Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) with the daughter company NLC America, jointly owned by Star cruises and Apollo man agement has 50% of NLC. It is a private company flagged in Miami, Florida. The company is famous for its freestyle cruising concept with no fixed time for meal, sitting arrangement or any formal dress code. 1 Its fleet size is 11 with a passenger volume of 24,807. Under expansion plan one more ship is set to sail by 2010 (Ward, 2006).As per observation, Royal Caribbean International, Carnival Corporation and PCL and Norwegian Cruise Line are thre main major players, have unique operational strategies that make them different to one another. Royal Caribbean retains a very compact business with large ships but small fleet size. In contrary Carnival has a huge brand basket with medium ships and deeper penetration. And NLC has a moderate market and fleet with no exceptional expansion. It is hard for Caribbean to overtake Carnival, but the concept of mega size ships of the former is creating extra niche.These cruise ships follow the Shipboard Structure with following positions: Commandin g Officer – CO, Executive Officer – XO, Command Master Chief – CMC, Department Head – DH, Division Officer – DO, Leading Chief Petty Officer – LCPO/Leading Petty Officer – LPO, Work Center Supervisor, Damage Control Petty Officer – DCPO, Command Career Counselor – CCC, Ship’s 3-M Coordinator, Ombudsman, Financial Specialist, Drug and Alcohol Program Administrator – DAPA, Quality Assurance Coordinator, Medical Department, Safety Officer, Divisional Safety Petty Officer and Security Manager (King, 2009).According to maritime law cruise ship are to follow the laws like, Maritime Statutes, Treaties, and Conventions, Medical Issues on Cruise Ships, Passengers with Disabilities, Injuries, Accidents, and Physical and Sexual Assaults on Cruise Passengers, Cruise Ship Fires and Collisions, Vessel Safety, Illegal Dumping, & Unsanitary Conditions (Cruise Law, 2009). For the cruise liner industry law is same in all the water body. As the cruise ships have become floating hotel, as leisure activity the industry is booming with more expansion plans despite of the economic slowdown.The only hindrance is the political instability that creates tension in regions and the companies have to cancel the port of calls for passenger’s safety, which makes many active crews inactive in affected zones. For Allure it is a big step ahead to compete, if not in numbers, but in size. One more sea will join the â€Å"Amada†. Reference Asklander, M. (2008). â€Å"M/S Allure of the Seas (2010)†. Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved February 24, 2009, from http://www. faktaomfartyg. se/allure_of_the_seas_2010. htm. Cruiseworking. (2009). The History Of The Cruise Line Industry.Retrieved February 23, 2009, from http://www. cruiseworking. com/history. shtml Carnival Corporation & PLC. (2006). Corporate Information. Retrieved February 24, 2009, from http://phx. corporate-ir. net/phoenix. zhtml? c=200767&p=irol-p rlanding Cruise Law. (2009). Links to Maritime & Cruise Line Related Sites. Retrieved February 24, 2009, from http://www. cruise-law. com/links. html EDGAR Online, Inc. (2009). Edgar Pro. Retrieved February 24, 2009, from http://sec. edgar-online. com/carnival-corp/8-k-current-report-filing/2006/11/07/Section12.aspx King, K. (2009). SHIPBOARD ORGANIZATION AND ADMIN FUNDAMENTALS. Retrieved February 24, 2009, from http://members. tripod. com/~Motomom/104ship Plowman, P. (2006). The Chandris Liners and Celebrity Cruises. Rosenberg Publishing. Pain, J. (2006). Royal Caribbean orders $1. 24B cruise ship. The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 24, 2009, from http://www. boston. com/business/articles/2006/02/06/royal_caribbean_orders_large_cruise_ship_1139250670/ Reed Business Information (2009). Ships operated by Royal Caribbean International.Retrieved February 24, 2009, from http://www. search2cruise. com/cruise-operator-list-7043. html Ship Facts. (2009). Disney Cruise Line. Retrieved Feb ruary 24, 2009, from http://disneycruise. disney. go. com/dcl/en_US/onboard/about/listing? name=ShipFactsListingPage&bhcp=1 The Walt Disney Company. (2007). â€Å"The Walt Disney Company 2007 Annual Report†. Retrieved February 24, 2009, from http://amedia. disney. go. com/investorrelations/annual_reports/WDC-AR-2007. pdf Ward, D. (2006). Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships. Singapore: Berlitz

The challenges in the 21st century and where the trade unions Essay

The challenges in the 21st century and where the trade unions currently lie - Essay Example The essay has various elements including the way unions work and the purpose of the initial unions to the purpose of these unions today along with the external influences such as privatization and globalization which have had a huge impact on the unions. Trade unions and how they operate Trade unions or labor unions are labor organizations which aim for the betterment of the labor force. Various employees join the trade union and are known as its members. Basically, the union focuses on achieving the common aims and goals by the employees such as higher wages and better working conditions. Solely, a worker or an employee has almost no control over the employer and therefore, he/she has a very less control in the work that he/she is doing. For example, if an employee asks the employer to increase the wage, the employer is likely to reject this demand put forward by the employee. However, a trade union has a greater say and a greater power against the employer as there are several members attached to the organization. The aim of this essay is to point out the key reasons for the fall in the importance of labor unions. Also, the reasons for a constant trade union membership decline are discussed. There are several problems which the unions face in the 21st century which are due to globalization and these changes and the reactions needed by the unions are disxussed. A trade union leader has the power to negotiate with the employer. However, the decision will not be totally in the favor of the union but the laborers will be better off through bargaining. Usually, the issues put forward by the union leadership include higher wagers, better working conditions, fringe benefits, safety at work, promotion policies and policies for firing the employees. The trade unions received a lot of popularity in the 18th century after originating from Europe as a hope for the employees. It started developing after the industrial revolution. The initial was to make the laborers better off but this quickly changed as trade unions started developing for professional employees and for skilled employees. The unions usually call for a strike when their demands are not met by the employers. "Trade Unions Towards the 21st Century ; European Trade Union Institute." Transfer : European Review of Labour and Research. 3.3 (1997): 464-605. Print. Trade unions were initially required for the low skilled workers, however, the basic focus changed and it became a community for the people who are working in a similar company or in a similar field. While representing the different types of employees, the unions grew in numbers and the movement started in several different countries. The old rules applied to the older trade unions and the 21st century changed the entire foundation for the unions. Even though there are several unions still available for professional skilled employees and for unskilled laborers, the old policies don’t apply the new era. The industrialization age has been long gone and today, a different set of rules apply for both, the employers and for the employees.. The challenges in the 21st century and where the trade unions currently lie The main thing that needs to be understood is that there in the current era, businesses and employers no longer come under the same old strategies by the unions. They need to lower their costs and they will do so by keeping a low wage for the employees. The unions, today, have a relatively less power in negotiating against the employers. As the number of members decreases, the unions’ power to bargain falls with it. They no longer have the potential to face the employees for the interest of the

Health Education Plan on Obsity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Education Plan on Obsity - Assignment Example From the essay it is clear that  initially the goals to cope with childhood obesity should be small, so that the child doesn't get scared or discouraged. Every school should aim to address physical activity and nutrition through a Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP). Management should designate a school health coordinator who can maintain an active school health council. Modest decrease in food intake accompanied by physical activity can result in large weight loss over time.This study declares that  Both the child and the family should aim at the nutrition education; including the components of a healthy diet and the understanding of food labels and calories distribution.   Parents need to have stimulus control that includes limiting the amount of fattening foods in the house, eating all meals at the dinner table and at designated times, and serving food only once before putting it away.  Family sedentary habits like television-viewing patterns should be reviewed and mo dified. Mothers should be taught to understand the importance of breast feeding and delaying the introduction of solid foods in infants that decreases the risk of   weight problems in future. Following is the data on health statistics provided by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.  Educator should try to design an educational tool that is interactive and entertaining in delivering nutrition education to children.  ... Family Involvement Both the child and the family should aim at the nutrition education; including the components of a healthy diet and the understanding of food labels and calories distribution. Parents need to have stimulus control that includes limiting the amount of fattening foods in the house, eating all meals at the dinner table and at designated times, and serving food only once before putting it away.  Family sedentary habits like television-viewing patterns should be reviewed and modified. Mothers should be taught to understand the importance of breast feeding and delaying the introduction of solid foods in infants that decreases the risk of weight problems in future. Following is the data on health statistics provided by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (Kopelman, 2005). 10 calories extra per day results in 1 lb of weight gain ( 3,500 calories equals 1 lb; there are nine calories per gram of fat and only four calories per gram of carbohydrate or prote in ). 150 calories extra per day = 15lbs/year. Cut out one cookie a day and lose 15 lbs in a year. Why should a child face embarrassment when his clothes fit too tightly due to overweight. Implement a high-quality course to study health and physical education. Educator should try to design an educational tool that is interactive and entertaining in delivering nutrition education to children. Fruits and vegetables questionnaires, and organizing ‘Nutrition Jeopardy’ like television shows in early childhood settings will help students learn nutritional properties of food.Moreoover, child should be encouraged by their health instructor to set weekly goal to perform physical activities and help determine the reward for reaching the

Mainstreaming students with disabilities Into regular classrooms Assignment

Mainstreaming students with disabilities Into regular classrooms - Assignment Example Some of the benefits coming along with the mainstreaming include higher academic performance for the mainstreamed students, improved self-esteem by the disability students and improved socialization skills on all the students among others (de Boer, Pijl, & Minnaert, 2011). 3. Unlike fully included disabilities students, those mainstreamed for some class sessions may feel socially isolated and more conspicuous that those fully included. Most of the mainstreamed students, research shows, would rather be in an environment where the students are at almost the same academic level and with the same needs. 4. The schools with mainstreamed programs are required by law to provide additional specialized services to suit these students and therefore a higher cost of education. The problem with this requirement is that they are not provided with additional funding to help in the support of this program. The average cost of educating a student with a single disability, for example, has been estimated to be up to 1.6 times that of the regular student. This estimation however does not cater for students with multiple learning disabilities that may require more specialized learning services. 2. If the idea of mainstreaming is one that is fully embraced, professional training and regular seminars and sessions can be offered to regular teachers to help them be well equipped to handle the needs and academic needs of the children with disabilities. 3. To deal with social isolation, the level of support accorded to mainstreamed students should not be so exclusive the aides should also be available to help regular students to remove the stigma and conspicuous nature of this added attention. 4. The ministry in charge of education and special education should be able to come up with ways to increase funding to cater for the mainstreamed students. Equally, the parents should be encouraged to

History of american stock car racing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

History of american stock car racing - Essay Example In fact, the sport started off with extremely inauspicious beginnings, and only later evolved into the multi-billion dollar enterprise of the 21st century. This essay examines the history of American stock car racing and considers the factors that contributed to its evolution from an event associated with bootlegging to one of the most watched sports in the United States. Although stock car racing is more popular today the ever it can be traced back to inauspicious beginnings during the 1920s. From 1920 to 1933 the Prohibition Period made it illegal to produce, sell, and drink liquor, so a prosperous bootlegging industry developed. Many people called bootleggers would illegally run whiskey to market places often racing at high speeds to outrun the police. In an effort to increase their efficiency and limit their chances of being apprehended bootleggers began to develop enhanced, or ‘souped-up’, engines and suspensions for the cars they drove. As the faster vehicle greatly increased the chances of evading the United States Department of Justice these drivers were termed ‘moonshine runners’.1 David â€Å"Turbo† Thompson, an associate professor at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, who also raced stock cars stated, â€Å"Runners built their reputations by outsmarting and outdriving the law.†2 As much of the alcohol w as produced in the Appalachian region this primarily became a southern activity. In 1933, when the prohibition ended, stock car racing was becoming very popular. After Prohibition was repealed a great deal of the runners’ business halted, but soon many regions developed an affinity for moonshine alcohol. Moonshine running soon became a recreational activity and races along dirt roads and similar tracks began occurring throughout the southern states, most notably the Wilkes County region of North Carolina. The cars continued to improve and eventually races on Sundays were organized. A number of moonshine runners gained great acclaim,

Why did i choose to study anesthesia technician Essay

Why did i choose to study anesthesia technician - Essay Example What I have finally determined and realized is that I would like to be directly involved in working within a health care environment, as opposed to the previous business organizations that I have served. As long as I can remember, I was always intrigued by facets relating to medicine and health care; and my shelves are filled with medical books that perfectly coexist with other literary works; among which are Practical Doctor Dictionary and Jane Eyre, Avicenna, Castaneda. The working experiences I had for various organizations such as an auditing firm, the Rublev and K, the Bryansk Federal Environmental Protection Agency, the Bryansk Branch â€Å"Turboremont† Gazprom, and the TA billing office UMUC in Germany, all focused on my competencies within the finance and accounting functions. Although I acknowledge my responsibilities as crucial in ensuring that the internal funds of these organizations are appropriately in order and properly managed, the fulfillment that I long to experience within a health care environment is not achieved. I felt that there remains a void to needs to be filled and the quest for changing direction in one’s profession would satisfy this need. My search for entry to the health care endeavor has been addressed as I looked closely in the which promises to develop my skills in the areas of preparation of much needed medications, setting up of equipment, as well as maintenance of anesthesia supplies. I am actually looking forward to having hands-on experiences working with patients who need to be prepared for anesthetic procedures. I recognize that my contribution would be beneficial for the treatment of patients seeking improvement in their health conditions and overall wellbeing. Eventually, I see myself as seeking higher personal and professional goals using this career path to obtain additional certifications and the opportunity to

Law of Equity and Trusts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Law of Equity and Trusts - Essay Example The first determination of the presence of a trust is with regards to a written declaration of it. There is no written declaration for the purposes of s. 53(1)(b) of the Law of Property Act (LPA) 1925 with regards to the home. The only written declaration of the trust is Uncle David’s Will. Thus, if Lorraine has to establish an interest, it must be under the rules ofPettitt v Pettitt(1970) later affirmed by Lloyds Bank v Rosset(1991), by way of resulting or constructive trust. This would result in an equitable interest for Lorraine. Resulting trusts are formed when there is a contribution made to the purchase price, which, in this scenario is not the case.The facts do not say whether she actually contributed to the purchase price by way of outright sum or through mortgage payments, both of which are accepted ways of establishing an interest in the house, and thus, it is presumed that Jonathan was the sole proprietor of the house. Lorraine joined him as a young girlfriend, and for that reason, her interest has to be established by way of constructive trust, which is formed in the presence of an oral assurance on which reliance has been made by the claimant to her detriment (see Lloyds Bank). The promise made by Jonathan can be easily evidenced as it was in the presence of witnesses. In 2009, he declared, â€Å"all of my property including our lovely barge home is as much yours Lorraine as it is mine†. This takes the form of an oral promise, and judging from the fact that it was made on several occasions, Lorraine can establish that it amounts to an interest of some kind in the property (Ungarian v Lesnoff (1990) and Eves v Eves (1975)). Thus, the second step for Lorraine in order to establish her equitable interest in the property would be to prove that she relied upon the promise to her detriment. Lorraine spent a considerable amount on structural repairs and decoration, to the tune of 65000 pounds and contributed half of her salary to

G-Star Visual Merchandising Store Directive Essay

G-Star Visual Merchandising Store Directive - Essay Example Geographic Segmentation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...4 SWOT Analysis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 Designers †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.5 Trends and Fashion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..6 Visual Merchandising...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...6 References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..10 Executive Summary Christmas season is considered to be the busiest season in terms of shopping. Bardot Retail Store of garments and clothing has planned to launch a new range of designer collection under the brand name of G-Star especially for Christmas season. This collection encompasses products such as apparels, accessories, shoes and other related items for men, women and children. The launch is being commenced particularly for the season of Christmas and will be off in other seasons. By doing the cost-benefit analysis, it is expected that like all previous subdivisions and clothing lines of Bardot, G-star will also prove to be a successful retail business in the fashion industry. It is catering not only current market but is also pre-planned of tapping into the future generation’s choice. ... The store will serve both adults and young. Fresh and new collection prepared and organized by renowned designers will be exhibited. G-star is pursuing for established clothing line business, striving to give tough competition to other retail clothing stores. In addition to local consumers, tourists will also be benefited by the wide variety of garments offered by G-star. Urban clothing line has always been of great interest to consumers and they never hesitate in buying and trying new style of clothes. Target Market Target Market for G-star Apparel brand is selected on the basis of demographic, psychographic, behavioral and geographic features. Normally, in the season of Christmas there comes no major classification of target market as Christmas is an equal opportunity to celebrate for everyone especially in European countries. Further description of target market is given in the subsequent paragraphs i. Demographic Segmentation Demographics cover the variables such as income, gende r, age group, occupation etc. G-star is mainly focusing people who come from an average income group. Individuals who can afford to spend 20% of their income on clothing, accessorizing and personal care are selected as the primary target market. Both the gender, male and female will be part of selected target market. Age groupings that are mainly focused consist of age bracket of 15 to 40 years in order to cater the maximum number of customers. However, special segment of kids’ garments will also be available under this brand. Demographics also cover the type of occupation of the potential customers. This section is covered under the head of income level. ii. Psychographic Segmentation Psychographic segmentation is based upon the psychological aspects

Economics System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Economics System - Essay Example They ensure that the limited resources are prioritised and allocated accordingly. In a traditional economic system, society takes precedence over individual interests. Resources are shared equally and individuals work together. Australia is a region that uses this type of system, among the aboriginal communities. In the mixed economic system, most decisions are made by individuals in the market. The United States is an example of a nation that uses this system. In market economies, decisions on the economic standing of a region are made by individuals. The interaction of people and organizations determines how resources are allocated, for example, Brazil. In the command economic system, the government is in charge of the economic status of the region. The distribution and allocation of resources is determined by the state (Myers 2012, p. 83). Socialism is the perfect type of such a system, an example being Cuba. Free market economy A free market system is an economic system in which the state’s government does not interfere with businesses. The exchange of goods and services between individuals is voluntary. ... All factors of production are owned privately. Mixed economic systems on the other hand have regulations that need to be followed. There are price guidelines stipulated by major parties that control the movement of goods and services in the economy (Ertuna 2012, p. 76). The basic principle that surrounds this system is that the means of production are carried out by private owners as well as government agencies. Self-interests run the objectives of free markets, but they do respond to the needs of the consumers in the market. Mixed markets have the opposite objective as they aim to give everyone; consumers, the government, and even workers, what they work for in the region. No price mechanism runs the mixed economic system as with the free market system. Things change from time to time, but it is often done for the overall good of all individuals (Cowie & Ison 2010, p. 37). The free market system advocates for prices that only benefit privately run resources in the economy, which som etimes weighs on the poorer individuals in the region. How free market economy is more effective than mixed economy The free market system is believed to be more effective than the mixed economic system because more players are involved in the economy. This is because all that is offered through a free market system comes from all around the world. The free market pricing system makes the availability of goods and services from all around the world a welcome phenomenon. Entrepreneurs and business minds are given the largest scope and opportunity to risk their capital in a bid to offer resources that satisfy the needs of consumers (Cowie & Ison 2010, p. 48).

Way of Knowing Essay Example for Free

Way of Knowing Essay Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) once said that The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing, meaning that emotion is irrational and unreasonable. Emotional expression provides powerful communication between people, especially in the early childhood stage of our lives, before language even develops. A baby’s glowing smile invites love and care in its surrounding; the pounding cry of an infant can send one running instantly to attend to its needs. After this, voice, posture and facial expressions and gestures occur, developing our ability to control our emotions, which does not always happen. Emotion affects our thought-process, and in the heat of the moment, emotion often makes us do and/or say things that we don’t necessarily mean, and makes us more vulnerable to temptations, without thinking of the outcome/consequence. They can cloud our judgment, leading to irrational external behavior, however, emotion is not all bad, and is what drives us to do so many things, like making scientific discoveries, perseverance to lose weight, no matter how tired you feel. Emotions consist of passions, moods, perceptions and senses which create internal feelings that are sometimes expressed externally. Reason is part of formal logic, and pure reason is unbiased, taking all variables into account. Emotion and the resulting behavior of emotion vary in intensity, and is one of the ways of knowing. To a great extent, emotions can affect other ways of knowing, especially reason. The James-Lange theory states that emotion is purely physical in nature, meaning if you get rid of the external/physical outcomes, the emotion ceases to exist, but in fact, emotion has both a physical and mental dimension. If emotions were purely physical, then when a person smiles, they automatically feel happy or joyful, but people sometimes hide their emotions, that is, not necessarily show it externally, for all one knows, that person smiling could be filled with sadness inside. For example, British comedian/actor Peter Sellers was said to be â€Å"the greatest comic genius this country has produced since Charles Chaplin. By Filmmakers the Boulting brothers, and Turner Classic Movies called Sellers â€Å"One of the most accomplished comic actors of the late 20th century.†, so this surely would mean that he must have been a real great guy to hang around if he made so many people laugh, but internally, that is, off camera, Peter was a very troubled man. He often behaved erratically and compulsively, and had a huge problem with drugs and women, but that wasn’t seen on screen. Sellers would smile, be funny in his movies, but that didn’t automatically make him happy when he would smile or laugh, inside he was severely depressed, and though many would say he accomplished many things, he felt like he had no identity, therefore emotion is not just a physical, but largely a mental state as well. Reason is unbiased, rational thinking, were all the variables are taken into consideration before stating a claim or making a decision, and our emotion often interferes with our rational thinking. Formal logic is described as â€Å"reasoning from known premises or premises’ presumed to be true to a certain conclusion.†, either deductive or inductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning is where reasoning moves from a general claim to a particular claim, for example, all teachers are human, Mrs. Smith is a teacher, therefore Mrs. Smith is human. Inductive reasoning is the opposite, it moves from a particular claim to a generalized one, for example, I’ve met two racist Japanese, therefore I assume all Japanese are racist.† Emotion can cloud our reasoning process in the sense that our opinions on a certain situation are or become biased. For example, Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus is known as the â€Å"Father of Taxonomy† in classification of different organisms, and one study he did was on how to divide Homo sapiens, us. Native Americans were classified as copper colored, happy, yet angered easily and stubborn. Asians were classified as an unhealthy yellow color, greedy, easily distracted, and Africans as black, crafty and negligent, just some of the characteristics he used to classify these different â€Å"groups†. However, Europeans were classified as white, gentle, innovative beings, which is odd because Carl came from Sweden in Northern Europe, coincidence? Not likely, it’s obvious Carl was biased when classifying the different â€Å"racial groups†, as with Africans, Asians and Native Americans, all the traits listed were negative, while those placed upon Europeans were not only positive, but slightly filled with praise as well. It’s clear that Carl’s perception, part of emotion, favored where he fit in, thus clouding his judgment and giving a very biased classification result. Sometimes our beliefs and emotions affect each other in such a way that reasoning tak es over from emotion. A change in our belief can correspond to a change in emotion, where reasoning can take over again, for example, if you see a mysterious shadow in your room, you feel immediate fear, but when you turn on the light and realize it was your fan blowing your curtains around, that feeling of fear leaves you’re your belief has changed, and logic has taken over your though process. However, our beliefs can be so intense that they may enhance our emotions as well, even if we know that there is nothing to feel so intense about, our reaction can still be irrational, for example, I have a fear of spiders, and if a see one, I feel immediate discomfort and fear. I was watching a horror film with giant black widow spiders, and though I knew It was just a movie, I put my feet up on the couch and watched the room for any spiders, because even though I knew no giant spider would come and take me away, the intensity of my fear clouded that reasoning, and consumed all my rationality. Although emo tion can consume our reasoning, it can also drive it to success. Emotion is linked to intuition, where sometimes we just have a gut feeling that we are on the verge of something great. Intuition combined with social emotions such as ambition and gratitude, can actually help us succeed. In the fields like biology, physics, math, and logic, uneducated intuition is dangerous and will often lead us towards the wrong direction, so to be educated is very important. Being taught how to reason things out instead of just making random guesses, or claims that one can’t back-up because the argument isn’t valid, this is where reasoning comes in, and is how we make scientific, mathematical, and many different conclusions. Still, so many scientific and mathematical breakthroughs would never have occurred without passion. To have the ambition to do something comes from passion and without it, reasoning alone would deny us of so much knowledge that we have acquired. For example, Nobel-prize winner Sir Peter Medawar was a Brazilian/British biologist, who discovered in 1951, that skin graft rejection was the result of an acquired immune tolerance, this was fundamental in order to practice tissue and organ transplants. Peter estimated that about â€Å"four-fifths of his time was wasted, adding glumly that ‘nearly all scientific research leads nowhere’†. But with Peter, it did, it may have taken him a long time, but if he didn’t have passion and ambition to find out why skin grafts were being rejected, much of today’s modern skin grafting would arguably be less effective. Some think emotion clouds our judgment, some think it helps drive us to what is great or perhaps right, but instead of thinking of them playing against each other, why not see how they work together? Emotional outbursts are common and part of human nature, and whether we label them or not, we sometimes have internal feelings that we may over express, and in some cases, under express externally, like for example, someone gave you strawberry cheesecake instead of blueberry, and all of a sudden you shout at the waiter and call him an idiot for getting the order wrong, losing your self-control. Aristotle said, â€Å"Anyone can be angry – that is easy. But to be angry with the right person to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way – that is not easy.† This sounds reasonable, as emotion is part of being human, and funny enough, deductive reasoning to this claim does not sound rationale, for example, Ella is my friend, I am angry at my friend, therefore I am angry with Ella, which could be true, you may be angry with a friend, but is that friend Ella? Are you angry with her for the right reasons? Was you reaction appropriate? Deductive reasoning helps us make decisions and come to conclusions, but without emotions, what is driving us to do so? Emotion can affect reason in both good and bad ways, enhancing and undermining it, but without emotion, although it does make us become biased and irrational sometimes, we would not have passion to do anything, or ambition to spend as long as it takes to achieve what you have been working for. Emotion can be hard to control for some, and slightly easier for others, and maybe life would be easier if we had an off switch for emotion, but it would be boring. Emotion will always be there, it’s part of our lives, and what makes life exciting and worthwhile, and working with reason, humanity has accomplished so much. Although it can block reasoning, emotion can also enhance it, and as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel once said, â€Å"Nothing great is accomplished in the world without passion.† Bibliography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Medawar#Early_research http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/linnaeus.html en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Sellers http://www.markedbyteachers.com â€Å"Theory of Knowledge for the IB Diploma† by Richard van de Lagemaat Oxford Biology Course Companion by Andrew Allot and David Mindorff Essay Word Count (Excluding title, name and bibliography): 1,586 By Nasim Tekie

Analysis Of Indira Gandhis Leadership Style Politics Essay

Analysis Of Indira Gandhis Leadership Style Politics Essay Indira Gandhi-one of the first female prime ministers in the world (preceded only by Sirimavo Bandaranaike who became prime minister of Sri Lanka in 1960), as well as the longest serving prime minister of India, the most populous democracy in the world-was an ideal candidate for this assignment. An exceedingly complex individual, Indira Gandhi was frequently perceived as a shy, aloof young woman. And yet her behavior as Prime Minister was engaged and aggressive, climaxing in her declaration of a State of Emergency in 1975. Born into Indias most prominent political family in 1917, Indira Nehru was immersed in politics from an early age. Stepping into the void left by her mothers untimely death in 1936, as a young woman she became her fathers hostess, a role that expanded into confidant and advisor over the ensuing years. After her fathers death in 1964, she accepted a minor portfolio in the Shastri government. Lal Bahadur Shastris subsequent death, two years later, made her the compromise choice of the ruling Congress Party hierarchy for the post of the prime minister, since she was thought to harbour no political ambitions of her own. Over the next 11 years, she proved to be a formidable political leader, consolidating her control over the party and the country, winning the 1971 war with Pakistan that saw the creation of Bangladesh, and declaring a State of Emergency in 1975. This latter action, a culmination of bitter relations with the opposition, led to her political defeat in the 1977 elections. Out of power for the next three years, she returned triumphantly in 1980, and ruled India with an increased determination to maintain herself in office. Not above manipulating communal grievances to stay in power, ironically she, herself, eventually fell victim of one of these crises. In 1984, she was assassinated by her own bodyguards, members of the Sikh community, thus ending a remarkable political career. Leadership Style: A New Synthesis While every scholar seems to have his or her own definition of leadership style, the underlying concepts appear to be similar-how the leader carries out the responsibilities of his or her office; more specifically, the leaders work habits, and how they relate to those around them. After reviewing various studies of presidential leadership style Hermann and Preston (1994) distilled five common leadership style variables involvement in the policymaking process, willingness to tolerate conflict, motivation for leading, and preferred strategies for resolving conflict. Kaarbo (1997, pp. 561-563) adopted and modified these five variables and added two variables from the literature on organizational leadership style-relations with members of the cabinet and task orientation. This study adapted five of the variables (motivation for leading, task orien- tation, cabinet management strategy, information management strategy, and rela- tions with the party) developed by Hermann and Preston (1980) and Kaarbo (1997, pp. 561-563), and added another five variables that examine the prime ministers relations with personnel, opposition parties, the media, and the public, and his/her investment in job performance. These have been grouped into three spheres of activity: first, the leader and his/her motivation, task orientation, and investment in job performance; second, the leader and the executive-cabinet and information management strategies; and third, the leader and relations with other personnel, caucus, the party, the opposition, and the media. Leadership Style of Indira Gandhi This section examines the empirical evidence of Gandhis leadership style: motivation for leading; task orientation; investment in job performance; management style, both with the cabinet and in the realm of information gathering; and her interpersonal relations with her associates, the caucus, the extra-parliamentary party, the opposition, the media, and the public. Results showed that she was motivated primarily by pragmatism and power, focusing on goals rather than process. With her cabinet, she functioned largely as an advocate for her goals and preferred to rely on independent sources of information. In her dealings with personnel, the party caucus, the extra-parliamentary party organization and the opposition parties, she was largely demanding, domineering, competitive, controlling, and oppositional. She was capable of being both accessible and friendly to the media as well as being hostile and closed, depending on the time period. It was only with the public that Indira demonst rated a consistent pattern or openness and warmth. Motivation The first leadership style variable centers around the question of a prime ministers motivation for leading. A survey of the literature has suggested that a variety of needs and incentives induce individuals to assume leadership positions in politics (see Kaarbo Hermann, 1998, pp. 251-252). The leader may be motivated by pragmatism (a belief in an obligation to the party to shape government policies along incremental lines); by personal validation (the wish to be popular and to be accepted); by an ideological agenda (a coherent system of political beliefs that shapes government policy); or a desire for power (dominance and control). In the area of motivation, it can be observed that notwithstanding a brief flirtation with socialism, Indira Gandhi was a decidedly non-ideological leader. Investment in Job Performance The amount of energy and time that a prime minister brings to the office is another variable of leadership style (Barber, 1972/1992). It demonstrates whether the leader places limits on the extent of the commitment to the office or whether there is a tireless outpouring of energy. Prime ministers may be interested primarily in the process of government, the building of concurrence, and the development of good relations among the members of cabinet, or they may be more goal oriented, focusing on specific ends and their implementation. Indira Gandhi was heavily involved in her role as Prime Minister. Politics took over her life as she travelled extensively crisscrossing India with extraordinary energy (Gupte, 1992, p. 331). A 16-hour or longer working day was the norm with very little time for family, friends, or relaxation (Frank, 2001, p. 355). Task Orientation The way in which the prime minister organizes the composition of and manages the decision-making process within the cabinet is another facet of leadership style. How are policy dilemmas resolved? To what extent is there involvement in the policy process? Who becomes part of the locus of decision making is also something the prime minister decides. In these activities, the prime ministers style may run the gamut from being largely uninvolved, to a consensus builder, to an arbitrator, and finally, to a strong advocate The empirical evidence indicates that Indira Gandhi was overwhelmingly concerned about task implementation and little concerned with the issue of building concurrence among her cabinet. Rather, she treated many of her cabinet colleagues as potential challengers, and if any grew too powerful, she saw to it that their powers were curbed, even if it meant dismissing capable individuals. Cabinet Management Although information in a cabinet setting is usually channelled through the various ministries, prime ministers will differ as to how they choose to review such information and how they relate to their close advisers. The same, of course, is true for presidents in a presidential system (George, 1980, 1988; George George, 1998; Hermann, 1978, 1987; Hermann Preston, 1995; Kaarbo, 1997). They may want all the facts about the problem or situation and do the interpretation themselves, or they may only be interested in seeing summaries and policy options. Of interest here is how much input the prime minister wants into the way problems and issues are framed and get onto the agenda. Strategy Indira Gandhis dealings with her cabinet demonstrated overwhelmingly that her preferred role was to act as an advocate, rather than a consensus builder, or arbitrator between various government ministers. But advocacy only partly captures the extent to which she dominated her colleagues; she dismissed those who might have challenged her and placed her favourites in senior government posts. Her advocacy was, in fact, an authoritative, peremptory exercise of power. Information Management Strategy In managing the flow of information that comes to the office, does the prime minister use a system of individuals to filter information and minimize direct involvement, or is close scrutiny more likely? Closely related is the question on which the prime minister relies for information. Does the prime minister prefer to receive policy relevant data from his cabinet and senior civil servants, or is there a reliance on other sources? As part of her overall activist stance as Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi demonstrated a high degree of involvement in the management of information, prefer- ring to search out what she wanted to know, rather than waiting for it to be presented to her. Relations with Personnel The final cluster of leadership style variables focuses on the prime ministers interpersonal relations with those with whom he/she works, i.e., state-level., governmental officials, members of the judiciary, etc., with his or her own party, with the opposition, the media, and the public. The prime minister interacts with a number of individuals on a daily basis. The extent of the involvement may be high or low; stylistically it may encompass patterns ranging from solicitous, to polite, attention seeking, demanding, and even exploitative. With both the caucus and the extra-parliamentary party organization, the prime minister may behave cooperatively or be competitive or combative and overbearing. Since conflict is a very pervasive element in cabinet life, especially in highly factional single party cabinets and in coalition cabinets (see t Hart, 1994), the management of party relations by a prime minister is extremely important. Indira Gandhis dealings with her aides, advisers, and members of other branches of government were coded for the degree of involvement and the type of behavior exhibited. Relations with other stakeholders Analysts have also focused on how the leader carries out or implements decisions, the way in which the leader mobilizes, orchestrates, and consolidates support for his or her policy decisions (Renshon, 1996a, 1996b). Does the prime minister attempt to sell policies by going beyond the party and parliament to appeal to the public at large? Does he or she try to educate or manipulate the public? Or does the leader display little direct engagement with the public, preferring government officials to articulate and defend government policy? Those prime ministers who focus on policy achievements are more likely to use the office of the prime minister as a bully pulpit, while those who stress the policy process will be less inclined to try to generate additional support among the attendant public. I . Party Caucus and Extra-Parliamentary Party Organization Indira Gandhis relationship with the party caucus-and more particularly her cabinet colleagues-was overwhelmingly contentious from 1966 until 1970. From 1970 on, as power shifted from the Cabinet to the Prime Ministers Secretariat, her relations with the party caucus became manipulative/exploitative. Later, power would shift even more to the Prime Ministers house next door (Frank, 2001, p. 354). The party caucus and the cabinet increasingly assumed a rubber stamp function and the cabinet no longer operated as a center of policy making. Indiras relations with the party organization largely mirrored those with the party caucus. Given the nature of her competitive and controlling relationships with both her caucus and the Congress party organization, it is hardly surprising that Gandhi would manifest the same type of behavior with the various opposition parties. Born into Indias most prominent political family in 1917, Indira Nehru was immersed in politics from an early age. Stepping into the void left by her mothers untimely death in 1936, as a young woman she became her fathers hostess, a role that expanded into confidant and advisor over the ensuing years. After her fathers death in 1964, she accepted a minor portfolio in the Shastri government. Lal Bahadur Shastris subsequent death, two years later, made her the compromise choice of the ruling Congress Party hierarchy for the post of the prime minister, since she was thought to harbour no political ambitions of her own. Over the next 11 years, she proved to be a formidable political leader, consolidating her control over the party and the country, winning the 1971 war with Pakistan that saw the creation of Bangladesh, and declaring a State of Emergency in 1975. This latter action, a culmination of bitter relations with the opposition, led to her political defeat in the 1977 elections. Out of power for the next three years, she returned triumphantly in 1980, and ruled India with an increased determination to maintain herself in office. Not above manipulating communal grievances to stay in power, ironically she, herself, eventually fell victim of one of these crises. In 1984, she was assassinated by her own bodyguards, members of the Sikh community, thus ending a remarkable political career. Born into Indias most prominent political family in 1917, Indira Nehru was immersed in politics from an early age. Stepping into the void left by her mothers untimely death in 1936, as a young woman she became her fathers hostess, a role that expanded into confidant and advisor over the ensuing years. After her fathers death in 1964, she accepted a minor portfolio in the Shastri government. Lal Bahadur Shastris subsequent death, two years later, made her the compromise choice of the ruling Congress Party hierarchy for the post of the prime minister, since she was thought to harbour no political ambitions of her own. Over the next 11 years, she proved to be a formidable political leader, consolidating her control over the party and the country, winning the 1971 war with Pakistan that saw the creation of Bangladesh, and declaring a State of Emergency in 1975. This latter action, a culmination of bitter relations with the opposition, led to her political defeat in the 1977 elections. Out of power for the next three years, she returned triumphantly in 1980, and ruled India with an increased determination to maintain herself in office. Not above manipulating communal grievances to stay in power, ironically she, herself, eventually fell victim of one of these crises. In 1984, she was assassinated by her own bodyguards, members of the Sikh community, thus ending a remarkable political career. II. Media and Public Lastly, in relations with the media, the prime minister may be accessible and informative or inaccessible and hostile. Prime ministers who emphasize the implementation of significant policy changes are more likely to generate greater opposition, which in turn will be reflected in some parts of the media, than those who are more concerned with maintaining the political process with incremental changes. In the face of hostility on the part of the media, the Prime Minister is more likely to become less accessible and more hostile. Gandhis relations with the media vacillated between being accessible, informative, and friendly to being uninformative, inaccessible, and unfriendly after the imposition of Emergency Rule in 1975. However, in her relations with the public, Indira Gandhis leadership style was extremely open. The Indian crowds seemed to energize her, and she felt a special bond with the Indian masses who loved the combination of her aristocratic background and her simple down-to-earth manner. Over the next 11 years, she proved to be a formidable political leader, consolidating her control over the party and the country, winning the 1971 war with Pakistan that saw the creation of Bangladesh, and declaring a State of Emergency in 1975. This latter action, a culmination of bitter relations with the opposition, led to her political defeat in the 1977 elections. Out of power for the next three years, she returned triumphantly in 1980, and ruled India with an increased determination to maintain herself in office. Not above manipulating communal grievances to stay in power, ironically she, herself, eventually fell victim of one of these crises. In 1984, she was assassinated by her own bodyguards, members of the Sikh community, thus ending a remarkable political career. Conclusion Analysis shows Indira Gandhi as strongly goal-oriented, tireless in the exercise of her job, an advocate within her cabinet with a preference for receiving information from independent sources. As well, the type of involvement she exhibited with associates, the caucus, the party organization, and the opposition, which was largely competitive and controlling, also fitted expectations for the Ambitious, Controlling, and Contentious leader. Indira Gandhis leadership behavior in the selected categories revealed that her leadership style patterns strongly indicate toward her Ambitious, Dominant, and Contentious personality as well as Reticent, Retiring, and Aggrieved personality patterns. Although, Indira Gandhi demonstrated some Reticent personality traits when she assumed the office of the Prime Minister, the demands of the job and the initial hostility she encountered from the Congress elites-the Syndicate-seem to have galvanized the Ambitious, Dominant, and Contentious dimensions of her personality into action. Compensatory narcissism allowed Indira to appeal over the heads of the Syndicate and establish a strongly personal and very effective relationship with the masses that bolstered her self-esteem and fueled this aspect of her personality.

Economic Business Strategies of Ryanair

Economic Business Strategies of Ryanair Ryanair Introduction The economics of business vary, both depending upon the industry where they operate and the style and strategy adopted by the management. Within this paper it is intended to assess those economic factors as they relate to the â€Å"low-cost† airlines. To assist with this assessment Ryanair, one of the leading â€Å"low-cost† airline operators in Europe, will be used as an example. Existing Corporate Strategy Following the liberalisation of the airline industry, the consumer demand for air travel began to increase. However, when operators such as Ryanair, an Irish based company, was one of the â€Å"first-movers† (Faulkner and Campbell 2006). in adopting a â€Å"low-cost† strategy for Europe, similar to the model successfully introduced by Southwest Airlines (2007) in the US, the levels of demand increased dramatically. As can be seen from the numbers of passengers using UK airports (see table 1). Table 1 Airline passengers Year Passengers (m) 1980 50 1990 90 2000 180 The demand for airline seats is also forecast to more than treble by 2030 to around five hundred million UK passengers. Ryanair is an Irish airline operator that commenced business in the mid 1980’s with one 15-seater aircraft, has grown to a business that now has a fleet of over 150 aircraft and carrying over two million passengers (About Us 2007). Since the beginning of the century, the company’s growth rate has improved substantially, to a position where it is now supplying air travel to around forty million passengers (see figure 1), with an expectation of this rising to seventy million within the next few years (Ryanair 2007). The company has achieved this growth by supplying consumers with consistently low prices. It maintained these low fares by creating a â€Å"no frills† price advantage (Pettigrew et al 2002), which differentiated its service from the established airline competitors (Porter 2004, p.207 and Kotler et al 2004, p.407). In other words Ryanair offered cheap fares with lower levels of service. For example, free in-flight meals were eliminated. At one stage the no-frills policy included not providing ice for in-flight drinks (Creaton 2004, p.169), although this was reintroduced following complaints. However, to sustain this position, as Lynch (2006) and Faulkner and Campbell (2005), who submitted that to achieve and maintain low price in the market place, the business itself had to be structured in a way that provided a limited cost base. Ryanair has achieved this situation by taking a number of measures, which include: Maximising use of resources by using one aricraft type, increasing employee roles and reducing airpot turnaround times. Ticketless and direct selling via the Internet or phone, which served to reduce administrative costs. Use of secondary rather than main airports. This move enabled the business to negotiate lower airport fees. Single class travel, elimatiion of free inflight services and seat reservation helped reduce business costs. All of these measure have given Ryanair the flexibility to be able to maintain a flexibility of price, from 99p owards, and service and helped it to react effectively to industry changes. In terms of profit and the financial contribution that Ryanair’s strategy has achieved, as can be seen from the following financial data taken from the relevant company’s website, shows how successful Ryanairs appraach was in 2003, when compared with its main competitors (See table 2 below). Table 2Net profit percentages Company Percentage Ryanair 17.81% Easyjet 7.98% British Airways 7.28% Challenges There are significant future challenges facing the low-cost airline industry in general, and Ryanair in particular, which will need to be addressed. Amongst these are the following: Competition It increased regional and global harmonisation and development of air travel; Ryanair is bound to face increasing competition within the next five years. This could materialise from developing nations within Europe, where there is significant scope for new entrants (see figure 2) It could also result from the recently signed â€Å"open skies† agreement between the EU and US (Milmo and Gow 2007). Both of these actions could result in loss of market share to new entrants, which would impact adversely upon Ryanair’s current level of success and financial results. Similarly, Ryanair’s own growth predictions could reduce its profitability levels. Whilst growth brings economies of scale, it can increase management costs, which is counter-productive to efficiency (Creaton 2004, p.250). Taxation At present the airline industry is heavily subsidised. As identified with the Bized (2004) report, this benefits the industry players by around  £6 billion annually. These benefits include zero VAT, capped landing charges and fuel tax exemption. It is anticipated the removal of these benefits, by introducing the relevant takes could reduce passenger levels by over 22% as a result of the increase in prices. Whilst it is not expected that all these subsidies will be eliminated at once, there is little doubt that for political, treasury and environmental reasons some adjustments will be seen in these areas will be seen within the next five years. Environment The major challenge facing Ryanair relates to its impact on climate change. Following recent IPCC, the EU are becoming increasingly concerned with the airline industries contribution to this global issue. As a result, these organisations have developed industry targets that are expected to be met within the next 5 years and beyond (see table 3). Unless Ryanair adapts its corporate strategy to take into account these targets, the result addition costs, or reduction in service will impact severely upon its ability to remain cost efficient and to maintain its present levels of profitability. Future Strategy As has been advised by a number of researchers (Lynch (2006) and Faulkner and Campbell (2006)) every business needs to review its corporate strategy to address future challenges. There are two ways that Ryanair can address the challenges that have been outlined in the previous section of this paper In terms of reducing the impact of competition, and making it more difficult for new entrants, the business needs to continue to seek ways to sustain its cost reduction programme. This not only means that it has to ensure that the internal management structure efficiency of the business needs to be as efficient as it has been in the past, but also that the business needs to seek new measures of cost reductions. For example, expanding its automatic check-in processes through all its locations would greatly reduce the business human resource cost. It can also sustain its lower price policy by transferring the cost of flying from ticket cost to other aspects of the travel, for example luggage. This specific action could also offset any potential airport cost increases. However, the most effective strategy to adopt in order to address all of the challenges is to develop a plan that increases the supply to meet anticipated demand, whilst at the same time reducing the cost of that supply and the effects of increased taxations and meeting its environmental commitment. The most effective plan for this achievement is the conversion of the current fleet to higher passenger capacity aircraft. For example, the introduction of a significant number of Airbus models would double capacity on those flights. From an economic viewpoint it would also reduce costs. For example the maintenance and servicing costs would remain the same because aircraft numbers have not been increased, but will reduce as a percentage of the ticket cost. Similarly, airport costs and other taxes, such as fuel tax would also be reduced per passenger capita. Finally, because of the increased load, and higher efficiency of these aircraft, the emissions level per passenger km would also see a reduction, thus helping the business to meet its environmental targets. Conclusion As has been seen from this research, over the past two decades the business economic strategies that Ryanair has employed have been successful in helping it maintain competitive advantage, achieve passenger growth and fulfil its objective of increasing business value. However, with the future challenges facing the business from increased competition, rising taxation and environmental concerns, the business will need to adopt a that is flexible to change, whilst at the same time enabling it to continue to sustain and achieve the successes of the past. This will mean combining cost reduction with a production and supply system that reduces the impact of potential tax increases, whilst at the same time enabling Ryanair to meet the increasing demands of reducing its environmental impact. Bibliography Bized (2004). Low Flying Fares: An End to Cheap, No Frills? Retrieved 27 July 2007 from http://www.bized.co.uk/current/leisure/2003_4/010304.htm Brassington Frances and Pettitt, Stephen (2006). Principles of Marketing, 4th edition, Pearson Education Ltd. London, UK Channel 4 News (2007). If you care about the environment, you should fly Easyjet. Really? Retrieved 16 May 2007 from http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/environment/factcheck+how+green+is+easyjet/509642 Creaton, Siobhan (2004). Ryanair: How a Small Irish Airline Conquered Europe. Aurum Press Ltd. London, UK. Faulkner, David and Campbell, Andrew (2006). The Oxford Book of Strategy: A Strategy Overview and Competitive Strategy. New ed. Oxford University Press. Oxford, UK. De Groote, P.D (2005). The Success Story of European Low-Cost Carriers in a Changing Airworld. GaWC Research Bulletin 174. Retrieved 27 July 2007 from http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb174.html Kotler, Philip. Wong, Veronica., Saunders John A and Armstrong, Gary (2004). Principles of Marketing, 4th European edition, Pearson Education Ltd. London, UK. Lynch Richard (2006). Corporate Strategy. 4th edition. Financial Times Prentice Hall. Harlow, UK. Milmo Dan and Gow David (2007). EU Open skies deal. The Guardian. London, UK. Pettigrew, Andrew M. Thomas, Howard and Whittington, Richard (2002). The Handbook of Strategy and Management. Sage Publications Ltd. London, UK. Porter, Michael E (2004). Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analysing Industries and Competitors. The Free Press. New ed. The Free Press. New York, US. Report (2007). The Environmental Effects of Civil Aircraft in Flight. Royal Commission of Environmental Pollution. Retrieved 29 July 2007 from http://www.rcep.org.uk/avreport.htm Ryanair (2007). About us. Retrieved 14 May 2007 from http://www.ryanair.com Southwest Airlines (2007). About SWA. Retrieved 28 July 2007 from http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/airborne.html

Raptor Red :: essays research papers

1. The novel I read was "Raptor Red" by Robert T. Bakker. Published by Simon & Schuster, in 1995. Rapotor Red is a female raptor struggling to survive in a kill or be killed world on her own after losing her mate. 2. The setting changes all throughout the book as Raptor Red migrates from one place to another. In somesettings she is in thick rich mossy forests looking for plump Iguanadons to eat, to other desert like lands where the sun is so hot she must sleep through the midday and hunt late afternoon when the heat is bearable. Setting is a very important because the authour must reconstruct the crustacoius period setting and all the vegitation ,lust forests, muddy salt flats, sandy beaches, and dry temperate valleys. These settings are all very vital to the book because it creates the prehistoric atmosphere and brutal planet these giants once inhabited. One of the key elements to the book to make it more realistic is how the author describes in detail all the other animals that Raptor Red hunts and runs into in the book. The author puts great detail in how Raptor Red stalks her prey and kills her victims. Once you start reading this book and you see how intelligent raptors once were you really can't decipher Raptor Red's thinking to a modern day human hunter. 3. This book follows the life of Raptor Red and all the troubles a raptor would face in it's life from good times to bad. The book starts off with Raptor Red hunting an Ultrasaurus with her mate. They carefully select the dinosaur they will single out to kill. They look for faults in their prey, like injuries, preoccupation with someting elese, stragglers who want to rest for a while, just about anything to help assure a safe victory without any injuries to themselves. Raptor Red and her mate single out an Ultrasaurus who is preoccupied with trying to mate rather than pay any attention to the fact that it was being stalked by predators. Raptor Red and the mate kill the Ultrasaurus on a mud flat, and the Ultrasaurus falls on it's knees and dies. While Raptor Red and her mate are gorging on the larg animal her mate detects a scent of another kind of smalled raptors in the area that want some of the kill. Raptor Reds mate lets out a fierce roar

Abortion Essay - GOD is Pro-life :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Abortion: GOD is Pro-life The reason I am pro-life, and oppose abortion, is because GOD is pro-life, and opposes abortion. Scriptural evidence of this is abundant; consider the words of Ps. 139:13-14: "For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well." God then forbids the taking of innocent life [viz. a life not guilty of a capital crime, according to the law of God]. This is evident from verses such as Ex. 23:7, which says this: "Keep yourself far from a false matter; DO NOT KILL THE INNOCENT and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked Next, we ought to address our second question: Why not sit on our hands, and wait for the Lord to take us out of the wicked world? This is a very pertinent question today, and it directly affects a large percentage of evangelical Christians in America. Many are silent on abortion (and other abominations) because they believe that they can do nothing, and that the darker the days become the closer the coming of the Lord. In other words, "Why shine the rails on a sinking ship?" This view, though prominent, is perverse and anti-Scriptural. Christ our Lord commanded that we go into the world and spread the Gospel of grace, and in so doing bring about real change, and the extension of the kingdom of Jesus, our Risen Sovereign. Here are Christ's words to us, from Matt. 28:19-20: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Our third query is related to what we just observed, but it has its own nuance to it: "With the whole world against us, why put up a fight at all?" This is a faithless point of view, and it denies the ultimate power of God over the universe. On top of that, how would we have liked it if God took an attitude and approach like this to our salvation: "Since they're such wicked sinners--I'll just send them all to Hell!?

Genetic Engineering: Genetic Research and Gene Therapy :: Persuasive Argumentative Essay Examples

Genetic Research and Gene Therapy The human genome is the key to gene therapy, genetic diagnosis, and even to genetically engineer human beings. The human genome is a map of the entire DNA sequence, a blue book, of the individual, which is currently being mapped by the Human Genome Project. Knowing where and which gene controls what trait and causes what genetic disease will armed doctors with a powerful tool to treat their patients in the molecular level. On the other hand, people can jump at the opportunity to manipulate genes to create the perfect baby or enhance a specific trait. One of the few ways of achieving these goals is through research on human embryos. Genetic research on human embryo has two implications. One in therapeutic research (to detect, and hopefully correct gene flaws), which is more practical, and the other is parents deciding how their child should look (or an extreme word, eugenic). The latter, which in the present is wishful thinking but will be a reality in the future if the technology becomes feasible. This paper will mainly discuss the therapeutic research (the medical practice and technological aspect of genetic engineering on embryos) to show what can be done medically and its implications. The consequences, moral and ethical issue of genetic research on human embryos will not be discuss in length here, for it is a topic in other groups and within my group. Currently in therapeutic research, one of the things that can be done is a process call Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD). PGD is a new medical treatment that incorporates the technology of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and the ability to genetically removed a single cell from an 8-cell embryo to detect any genetic abnormalities (Forbidden Knowledge). In this way, "couples at high genetic risk [will have the] opportunity to start their pregnancy knowing that their baby will not have a lethal inherited disease" rather than stress by deciding whether or not to undergo a prenatal test such as amniocentesis, which requires the pregnancy be at least 15 weeks (Forbidden Knowledge). Some of the major genetic diseases that can be detected are Cystic Fibrosis, Huntington's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, some form of cancers (Carmosino), aneuploidy chromosomes for chromosome 13, 18, 21, X, and Y (Jones), and sickle-cell anemia (Henig, 58). Gene therapy, which is in is early stages will greatly benefit from embryo research.

Culturally Competent Paper Essay

Introduction Cultural competence care is borrowed from the aspects of cultural competence in any other work or personal environment. Cultural competence refers to the aspect of developing awareness of the personal existence, thought, sensation as well as the environment, without letting this knowledge have any form of influence on other people’s backgrounds, thoughts and opinions (Murphy, 2011). This means that one has to respect the cultural aspects of those around them, by accepting and appreciating their differences without any form of prejudice. When this element of cultural awareness is introduced in the nursing field, cultural competence care thus can be said to refer to the ability of the registered nurse to offer highly specialized care, with complete knowledge and appreciation of the patient’s cultural beliefs and attitudes in mind, with respect to disease, pain, healing, diet, religion, communication and death among others (Douglas et al., 2014). Due to our society consisting of people from many diverse backgrounds, the registered nurse is always faced with new challenges as they meet and interact with patients from differing backgrounds (Taylor, 2011). The most important aspect of health care delivery that is centered on the patient is that the nurse needs to respect the decision of the patient (Douglas et al., 2011). This aspect is due to the fact that, the patients are supposed to be incorporated in every other decision that the nurse and other members of the health care team have to make over the life and treatment of the patient. With close reference to the aspect of cultural differences, there are patients that will be particularly cautious of their cultural beliefs and in most of the cases will want these beliefs to be respected and maintained at all times. As mentioned earlier, these beliefs may range from, diets, clothing, gender of the attendant, religious observations to matters relating to pain, healing and death (Peterson-Iyer, 2014). As such the nurse has to work with the patient and the family to come to an understanding and  agreement on the best way forward. In an example, it is common for registered nurses to be faced with patients who do not want to be attended by nurses of the opposite sex. It is important that the nurses understand that this is not the patient’s way of saying that they do not need help. They just want help that coincides with their cultural beliefs, which they are entitled to at all time (Murphy, 2011). Guidelines for Registered Nurses For the registered nurse to be in a position to offer the best care on the ground of cultural competence there are a few guidelines that can help them achieve their goals with much ease. It is important, that guidelines are implemented across the board, such that all the nurses from the different sections integrate them into their practices (Douglas et al., 2014). This way there will be uniformity in the provision of care among all the nurses and thus streamline the nursing practice culture in the health care facility involved. a. Personal Reflection For a nurse to understand the beliefs of the patient that come their way, they would have to first evaluate their own beliefs. The term cultural self-awareness comes to mind in which one objectively examines their own beliefs, values, practices and family experiences (Taylor, 2011.) Cultural self-awareness is important, that way the nurse can create the same level of self awareness that the patient has. Much like the nurses have their own preferences that are culturally related, the patients too have the same and would want to be understood and respected not judged on these grounds (Peterson-Iyer, 2014). This is the first step towards enhancing the nurse’s ability to provide culturally competent care. b. Gaining Knowledge of the Cultures Ideally this means that the nurse should take their time to gain understanding of the cultures of the patients that they are attending. The registered nurse should take interest in learning the traditions, perspective, values, family systems and practices among other culturally relevant material of the patient (Douglas et al., 2011). Different patients will have different beliefs that they observe and it is important for the nurse to stay ahead of the curve, by familiarizing themselves with the  different cultures around them. c. Involve the Patient Patient empowerment and advocacy is one of the crucial pillars of any health care practices that put the patients at the center of their practices (Douglas et al., 2014). When treating the patients, registered nurses should make sure that they include the patient, family and friends in the decision-making circle (Murphy, 2011). Making health decisions is crucial to the patient, and it has to be done in manner that, the patient is actually involved in the process. d. Communicating Cross-Culturally Communication is very important in any relationship, but it is particularly important in the patient/nurse relationship. In this case, it is crucial that the registered nurse learns how to communicate with the patients. Communication is defined as the process of exchanging information and generating and transmitting meanings between two or more individuals (Taylor, 2011). Communication is not limited to verbal but also spreads to the ability to interpret nonverbal language cues (Murphy, 2011). This is essential as it indicates that the nurse actually respects and dignifies the patient. Miscommunication between nurse and patient much like in general conversation between any two strangers can cause a lot of controversies. It is important that the nurse understands the information being transmitted and looks at their patient’s response before making a rushed judgment. Incorporating culturally competent care in nursing practices Self-awareness is the initial step that every regist ered nurse should take before trying to understand their patients. By becoming self-aware, it is much easier for the nurse to understand the beliefs and the values of their patients (Peterson-Iyer, 2014). To integrate this aspect in their practices, registered nurses need to get in touch with their inner values and reflect on them, before making any assumption on the part of the patient. By doing this the nurse will be in a position to challenge their assumptions and personal believes as they dispense personal practices and professional ones. It is also important to note that this is a practice that should start at the student nurse level and go into the professional levels. Building on one’s cultural knowledge, can help the nurse go along way into the aspect of understanding the patients and their needs. Registered nurses should never  make assumptions and generalize the patients and their beliefs. Different patients will have different sets of beliefs and it crucial to understand the specific details, creating the differences. Nurses should use their knowledge of the cultural differences to understand the impacts they will have on values, behavior and attitudes of each patient. They will also use this knowledge to establish the impact they will have on the health care policies and the resources at the hospital (Douglas et al., 2014). At the center of the cultural awareness and health care provision is the ability of the nurse to communicate with patients and other medical team members. One of the basic aspects of integrating proper communication skills in their work, registered nurses should understand the essence of quality communication (Douglas et al., 2011). This means that they need to value the basic rules of communication. At the same time they also need to have a wealth of understanding with reference to the verbal and nonverbal communication elements. It is advisable that the nurse try and pick up some of the common phrases used by the patient’s culture. In the example, when a nurse asks their patient whether they are having any pain, in the patient’s language, there is the element of the patient feeling appreciated. While it may be taken as a light gesture, it is actually very strong and creates a strong between the patient and the nurse (Murphy, 2011). The idea of having patient-centered care that is culturally nourished cannot happen if the patient is not actually involved in their own care (Peterson-Iyer, 2014). In the implementation of the patient-centered care, the registered nurse needs to understand that, whether all the other guidelines are observed, if the patient is not involved in their health care decisions, the program is doomed to fail. Understanding the patient’s language, values, practices and preferences are not enough if these are not recognized in creating a platform where the patient is involved in the decision-making process. The Importance of Incorporating Patient’s Cultural Needs Health care has made some very, major leaps since the 60s. It is no longer a practice associated with helping the patient heal and go back to their lives, but it is much more complex and patient-centered. In the past, the doctors and the nurses made the decision and told the patient when they felt the need to inform (Douglas et al., 2011). Due to the level of  globalization, nurses now get to treat patients from across the globe while at the same time they also get a chance to work in different areas of the world. Learning to interact with the different cultures across the globe is crucial to the development of the patient-centered health care services. For nurses, it is very crucial to ensure that they understand the various cultures to deliver quality care. By understanding the various communications cues in a certain language, whether verbal or nonverbal, it reduces friction between the nurse and the patient. This means that the nurse is able to establish a cordial relationship with the patient and their families. At the same time the nurse also understands the barriers that can inhibit their delivery of care and avoid them or work to refine their skills. When a registered nurse incorporates cultural awareness in their care, they give the indication that they are respectful to the patients. Patients recovering in a hospital are not only battling with physical illness, rather they are also having social and emotional difficulties to deal with. When the nurse shows that they understand, it makes the patient feel much better and this increases the chances of recovery, physically and mentally. For a nurse, incorporating the cultural awareness aspect into their care delivery ensures that they are liberated from social stereotypes (Douglas et al., 2014). By learning the different cultures across the cultural divide, the nurse is skilled with the right knowledge to work anywhere in the world. It is not possible to work across borders if one is still affected by cultural prejudice and preferences (Murphy, 2011). By making sure that one understands their culture, they adapt an open mind, where they are able to relate to the different cultures. It also means that the nurse is able to work with different nurses from varying backgrounds. Cross cultural skills are not limited to the nurse-patient relations, due to the fact that the workplaces are now multicultural. Cultural Practices in Health Care Cultural needs have to be incorporated in the delivery of quality health care where possible. The different aspects that demand patient needs are incorporated in the health care services. Diet is one of the major aspects that has to be incorporated in the health care services. Different cultures have different diets that they observe, and these have to be maintained even  at the hospital (Peterson-Iyer, 2014). Patients that are of the Muslim faith do not eat pork and as such cannot eat meals containing the same in the hospital. Dietary teaching must be individualized according to cultural values (Taylor, 2011). Some cultures also do not allow nurses of the opposite sex to attend to them (Douglas et al., 2011). It is also common that patients will have some form of preferential clothing that they would want to wear. At the time of death, some cultures have rituals that may involve the services of spiritual/religious leaders and traditional healers. Some of the most common rituals in the Hispanic culture include prayers, placing candles in the room, picture of saints in the room, cleansing the body and inviting priests. It is also common to find that some patients may not support some of the medical practices such as cloning, blood transfusion (Murphy, 2011). Understanding these differences creates the balance between the nursing practices and the cultural practices. Incorporating the cultural practices in medical care is crucial for the benefit of the patient and their families. Where possible the nurse can try and suggest alternatives such electric candles for safety issues among others. It also streamlines the delivery of health care services with minimal friction among the patients and their nurses (Douglas et al., 2014). Culturally Competent Nursing Care The Hispanic community consists of very religious people and follow their culture quite closely. As such when providing care to Hispanic patients, it is crucial for the nurses to take note of their beliefs and respect their wishes. They place a lot of faith in the Virgin Guadalupe and place a lot of emphasis on the traditional means of healing (Peterson-Iyer, 2014). According to the Hispanic traditions that are borrowed from the Greeks, when one is sick, their balance of the four humors is out of place. The four humors include black bile, yellow bile, blood and the phlegm. Ideally when one is sick from any disease including the chronic diseases, they have a form of imbalance in these humors or they may have too much cold or heat (Taylor, 2011). Some parts of the Hispanic community also believe that there are supernatural powers responsible for diseases. In some cases, chronic diseases are believed to be caused by the supernatural powers and cannot be cured using medicine. Sensory impairments, according to the Hispanics are  sometimes caused by supernatural powers while witchcraft is also attributed to patients losing some of their senses (Murphy, 2011). During the end of life care, the Hispanic community believe that a death is just an extension of life. Many may perform cleansing rituals as they prepare their relatives for the next life after their death (Douglas et al., 2014). Nursing care considerations As a registered nurse, it is important to understand the cultural believes of the Hispanic patients and the community in general to make sure that the health care delivery is highly improved. In the case of the chronic diseases, most of the families are going to prefer the use of herbal medicine for treating patients at all ages (Peterson-Iyer, 2014). In the case of the children it is important to try and explain to the families with a lot of understanding, the benefits of the modern medical practices. This also means that, one has to be careful not to look like they are bashing their cultural beliefs. Families can be asked to try the modern medical practices while at the same time they may decide on the traditional practices they are comfortable with. This also goes for the elderly patients, given that like children they are more susceptible to injury or illness and may give in to the treatment or the disease (Murphy, 2011). When it comes to the impairment of sensory organs, most of the time, the Hispanic community will take that the patient has been bewitched, or a supernatural power is responsible. This mostly cuts across the age divide, for the children, youngsters and the old (Douglas et al., 2011). Communicating the importance to the families or the patient to try the modern medical practices is important. This is due to the fact that it can be difficult to convince an asymptomatic patient that they are ill (Taylor, 2011). The end of life experience takes different shapes across the age divide. In the case of the children, the families may believe that their child has been bewitched and may require performing cleansing rituals. At the same time, the rituals are also directed at helping the diseased join their next life and find peace, whether old or young. Conclusion Nursing practices have been revolutionized over time, and delivery of care to the patient is no longer the mandate of the medical teams alone (Murphy,  2011). Patient-centered care is the baseline for most of the health care services across the globe. With reference to the globalization levels and the multicultural interactions, nurses have to develop cross-cultural competency skills. Culturally Competent Nursing Care skills are crucial for any one that wants to be a registered nurse (Douglas et al., 2011). References Douglas, M. K., Rosenkoetter, M., Pacquiao, D. F., Callister, L., Hattar-Pollara, M., Lauderdale, J., & †¦ Purnell, L. (2014). Guidelines for Implementing Culturally Competent Nursing Care. Journal Of Transcultural Nursing, 25(2), 109-121. doi:10.1177/1043659614520998. Douglas, M., Pierce, J., Rosenkoetter, M., Pacquiao, D., Callister, L., & Hattar-Pollara, M. et al. (2011). Standards of Practice for Culturally Competent Nursing Care: 2011 Update. Journal Of Transcultural Nursing, 22(4), 317-333. doi:10.1177/1043659611412965. Murphy, K. (2011). The importance of cultural competence. Nursing Made Incredibly Easy, 9(2), 5. Peterson-Iyer, K. (2014). Introduction to Culturally Competent Care. Scu.edu. Retrieved 24 September 2014, from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/medical/culturally-competent-care/introduction.html. Taylor, C., Lillis, C., LeMone, P., & Lynn, P. (2011). Cultural Diversity. In Fundamentals of nursing: The art and science of nursing care (7th ed.). P hiladelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.