Inclusion of Students with Disabilities into Regular Education Classrooms

The American Community Survey (ACS), which is conducted by the Census Bureau, estimated that about 6. 3% of the children between the age of 5 and 15 years had some form of disability in 2007. 1 The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which was legislated in 1975, requires all public schools in the U. S. to provide ‘all eligible children with disabilities a free public education in the least restrictive environment appropriate for their needs. ‘According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, about 6. 7 million children  and youth, between the ages of 3 and 21, received services under IDEA in 2006 – 2007. 2 The issue of inclusion and mainstreaming of children with disabilities has always been controversial. While it is wrong to differentiate and isolate children based on their abilities, most regular schools are ill equipped to take care of children with certain disabilities and that can be disadvantageous to the disabled child as well as the regular children in the class. So, although every eligible child should have a right to go to any educational institution that he  or she wants to, it is important to make individualized decisions about inclusion.Teachers, doctors, therapists, parents and students should work together and decide what is best for all the children in the classroom. The National Dissemination Center for children with disabilities has defined inclusion as the philosophy, process, and practice of educating students with disabilities in general education classrooms in neighborhood schools with the supports and accommodations needed by those students.However, different researchers and educators have different opinions about what ‘inclusion' can actually mean. Some researchers like Lewis and Doorlang consider a child with disabilities ‘included' if he spends any part of the school day with general class peers in â€Å"common instructional or social activities with additional instructio n and support from a special educator† while Friend & Bursuck believed that inclusion generally occurs when a student with disabilities can meet â€Å"traditional academic expectations with minimal assistance.†Until the late 1960s, there was no help for children with disabilities at public schools. In fact, most schools had the right to refuse admission if the child was severely disabled while children with mild problems had struggle by themselves to cope with the school curriculum. All of that changed in 1969, with the passage of the Children with Specific Learning Disabilities Act, when it became mandatory for public schools to provide support services for students with learning disabilities.The Congress enacted the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975 which intended to support states and localities in meeting the individual needs of children and youths with disabilities. This law was later renamed as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or ID EA. 2 As more and more kids started receiving special education, it was observed that such children were not taught the general curriculum at the schools. This led to the reauthorization of IDEA in 1997 and access to the general curriculum  was added to the statute.Ever since its formation, IDEA and the concept of inclusion were contentious. The supporters of the act believed that since disabled children have to live in the same society as the general population when they grow up, it is better to start early. This will help the general children also to develop into more understanding and compassionate individuals. The opponents of inclusion, on the other hand, believe that if the handicapped children are sent to  regular classrooms, they would be denied the ‘small-group, multi-sensory, carefully sequenced instruction, integrated with their various physical therapies, now provided by skilled certified teachers' while the non-handicapped children may miss their regular lesso ns.Some critics of inclusion believe that mainstreaming is a better option. Mainstreaming refers to selective placement of special education students in one or more â€Å"regular† education classes. The students are introduced to few regular classes based on each student's individual potential  and they follow a Individualized Education Plan (IEP) under the guidance of a specialist. The students are thus, exposed to the outside world but at a slower pace. The purpose of mainstreaming is specialized academic learning while the purpose of inclusion is to prepare for an independent life as an adult. Inclusion is less restrictive and allows a child with disabilities to be a part of a regular classroom and follow the regular curriculum with assistance of a specialist.Full inclusion, on the other hand, refers to elimination of special education  altogether and instructing all students in the same classroom with same curriculum. The proponents of full inclusion believe that all children are equally worth and hence, should be treated equally. Several models have been proposed to implement inclusion in classrooms across the United States. Some of these models include the Consultant model, the Teaming model and the Collaborative or Co-teaching model. In the Consultant model a special education teacher is made available to the students and will help to reteach a difficult concept or skillThis non- intrusive approach is effective in case of low incidence of special needs students and overall low student population. In the Teaming model special education teacher is assigned to a team and the teacher provides student several strategies to deal with assignments and tests. The team meets on a regular basis, establishing consistent communication among the team members. All team members work together and broaden their knowledge in various areas, whether they are from general education or special education.On the other hand, the Collaborative model involves general ed ucation and special education teachers working together to teach students with or without disabilities in a shared classroom. Students receive age-appropriate academics, support services, and possible modified instruction. Collaborative teaching can be organized in a number of ways like one teacher and one support, parallel teaching design, team teaching, alternative teaching design etc.The kind of model that a classroom might adopt depends on a variety of factors like the  requirements of the students and the number of resources that the teachers have at their disposal. Whichever model it adopts, an inclusive classroom is student-centered and students have a major role to play in deciding the academic and social activities of the day. There is a lot of social interaction with each student doing their own individualized curriculum under the guidance of a special education teacher. The classroom may have different centers that focus on different skills like language, math etc.Child ren are allowed to use many different kind of learning tools like books, computers, taped stories and music. One of the major advantages of a inclusion classroom for regular students is that it helps them develop compassion and sensitivity at a young age. Children get an opportunity to experience diversity in a small classroom setting and it also boosts their self-confidence as they develop an ability to make a difference and to help others. All students have the benefit of having two teachers in the class.Also, inclusion classrooms focus on peer learning and that can have immense impact on most children. Inclusion classrooms can also be beneficial to the teachers as it gives them an opportunity to be a part of a multi-disciplinary team that faces new challenges everyday. The teachers also learn to appreciate the fact that each child has his own strengths and weaknesses and get an opportunity to understand the benefits of direct individualized instruction. Children with special need s can benefit immensely by going to regular schools.It gives them a sense of belongingness in the community. It enhances their self-respect and enables them to develop friendships with same-age peers. A regular school exposes the child to a more stimulating environment and may make it easier for them adjust to the outside world. Thus, the supporters of inclusion believe that all students will benefit from being in an inclusion classrooms in the long run. In spite of all these advantages, inclusion classrooms are controversial and that is because  these classrooms can often be disruptive and under productive. In practice, children pursuing individualized curricula with aides, under the supervision of the teacher who is attempting to teach the whole class may lead to commotion and confusion.The critics also believe that there is no scientific basis for the belief that handicapped children benefit by being placed with non-handicapped children. In fact, some research shows that handic apped children feel more isolated in the regular class, as it imposes greater psychological pressure on them and  they become more aware of what their peers can do and what they cannot. Some research has shown that in Texas, Missouri and Minnesota, special-education students are suspended at roughly twice the rate of regular students, state reports indicate.Also, for children with disabilities in a regular environment, socialization becomes more important than academics and hence, can be detrimental to student's education. Some school districts have reported higher teacher turnover and classroom commotion due to mainstreaming.Many teachers are often uncomfortable with an unorganized classroom. Most teachers lack special training and support to deal with inclusion and can lead to frustration. Inclusion can also be viewed unfavorably by regular students. They may find it disruptive to their own education. Also, if not implemented properly, it can lead to resentment among regular stu dents towards their disabled peers and can lead to unpleasant atmosphere in the classrooms. Even the proponents of inclusion have to agree that it is not for everyone.â€Å"Inclusion without resources, without support, without teacher preparation time, without commitment, without a vision statement, without restructuring, without staff development, won't work. † says Mara Sapon-Shevin, professor of inclusive education at Syracuse University. So, before starting any new inclusion program, it is important to analyze the situation and check for all the available resources. Every body involved in the education system including students, teachers, special  education teachers and parents should be involved in the decision.It is also important to make a smooth transition in a gradual step by step manner that is not overwhelming to the handicapped children as well as their non-handicapped peers. Also, good communication between the teachers, students and the parents is key to the s uccess of inclusion education and thus, schools should have clear strategies and plans before introducing inclusive classrooms to their system.Inclusion is a disputable issue and proponents on both sides of the theory are equally passionate about their cause. It a great concept of education that is based upon the principle of compassion and equality for all. If implemented properly, the inclusion classrooms can be great models for an ideal society. However, it is a difficult concept to implement. Most teachers lack the appropriate training and resources to manage an inclusion classroom and that can be overwhelming to all the individuals involved.

I Have a Dream Too Essay

32 years and 364 days before my birth, at Lincoln Memorial over 275,000 people gathered and listened to Dr. Martin Luther King deliver his speech â€Å"I Have a Dream.† During this time, racism was a huge issue in the United States, especially towards African Americans. Among those African Americans was Dr. Martin Luther King, a prominent civil rights activists who inspires our world till this day, especially with his speech â€Å"I Have a Dream.† He spoke about the injustices of segregation and discrimination of African Americans that was taking place in our nation. The reason for â€Å"I Have a Dream† massive impact is due to the tense social mood of the time and giving African Americans a vision for the future. Hitting home for many African American people but what made â€Å"I Have a Dream† so fascinating that even a 16 years Asian American can relate to? I believe it is King’s use of rhetoric and how he is able to appeal to his audiences’ everyday lives. King uses the structure of his rhetoric to appeal to his different audiences and supporting his ideas by using quotations and allusions, repeating key theme words and phrases, and â€Å"grounding† his arguments. The syntax of a speech can be very important, something that King utilizes really well appealing to all three types of people in his audience; the average blacks who are discriminated against, the average whites who harbor thoughts typical of that time who argue that blacks are evil and the civil rights movement is violent, and radical blacks who think the same. He first starts by making the white realize how blacks are in such a terrible positions and make them feel bad of what they have done, but at the same time hitting home in the hearts of blacks. He goes on explaining problems â€Å"One hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years..† Striking home for many African Americans but at the same time causing the whites to be uncomfortable. King then brings in issues about the Declaration of Independence by saying â€Å"This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the â€Å"unalienable Rights† of â€Å"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.† Then goes on saying that America has denied us of these right. His ability to appeal to his audience really amazed because when you put into perspective of how the people of the time interpreted the speech and to me the message was loud and clear; segregation must end. King also perpetrates his speech with careful thoughts and analysis, a key example of this was King’s utilization of quotations and allusions. He starts out the his speech by invoking the presence of Lincoln, not just with his location but with this â€Å"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the emancipation proclamation.† This is a strong appeal to ethos and using Lincoln’s credibility to create credibility for himself. Then he moves on to the Constitution with â€Å"Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness† this is also and an appeal to ethos that relates to every American. His use of allusions and quotations didn’t just revolve around the 16th president and the constitution it also reached out in a biblical manner as well. â€Å"for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no wa ter.â€Å" he evokes Jeremiah 2:13. Similar to this the other biblical terms enhance his credibility and builds a relationship with the common whit population that reads the bible. As for me the text was not as powerful but when King delivered the line â€Å"No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until â€Å"justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.† the idea of freedom in my mind became privilege and made me cherish it much more. King like many other juniors in the 21st century learned a rhetorical device known as anaphora, a skill that only King can make history with. King uses this device 8 times throughout his speech but the most memorable of all is near the end of the speech where he starts with â€Å"I Have a Dream†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The line that will stick with generations to come and may have been the reason why Dr. King was assassinated. Though we can grieve over Dr. King’s death but I would rather take the time and analyze why his use of anaphora was so powerful. I believe the lines he used in the formation of his anaphora: â€Å"One hundred years later†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , â€Å"Now is the tim e†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , â€Å"We must†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , â€Å"We can never be satisfied†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , â€Å"I Have a Dream†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , â€Å"With this faith, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ , and â€Å"Let freedom ring (from) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ , can tell us much of King’s stories and the emphasis through repetition makes these phrases more memorable, and, by extension, make King’s story more memorable. What King also did was the repetition of â€Å"theme† words such as freedom (repeated 20 times), nation (10 times), and America (9 times). This style of writing will be one of the many lessons I will be taking away from this speech. The last I think the most important rhetorical device that King used was his ability to â€Å"ground his arguments. King accomplished this by making numerous geographic references throughout the speech. Including Mississippi, New York, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Colorado, California, and Tennessee. King uses Mississippi in many occasions to evoke emotions in the blacks because African Americans in Mississippi where treated the worse among all the states and I believe the best line king used was this â€Å"We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.† Encouraging and informing all American citizens of the predicament tha t is occurring in the great nation of America. This created reliability among the people and connected them even more. Although racism isn’t as large an issue today Dr. King’s speech â€Å"I Have a Dream† managed to inspire a generation of blacks to never give up and made thousands of white Americans bitterly ashamed of their actions, forging a new start for society. Even now, it continues to make generations of people, not just Americans, to give up their racist beliefs and advocate social colorblindness. King’s speech not only had amazing content, but the structure and king’s effective uses of quotations and allusions, use of repeating key theme words and phrases, and â€Å"grounding† his arguments. Taught me a very valuable lesson in both rhetoric and life. Thus from now on I have a dream as well. it is to develop myself and my rhetoric device using.

Inflation in Indonesia

Article about Inflation Subject: Economy Submitted: Thursday, 29 November 2012 By: ID: 014201000039 Name: Joseph Amos P President University, Cikarang Baru, Bekasi, Indonesia 2012 Economics is the most important aspect of a country. The reciprocation of a country is seen in terms of economy. Economics also become a benchmark of development and prosperity in a country. Why does the economy become vitally important in a country? The word â€Å"economy† you hear about in everyday life and are never separated from our activities. Everything we do from opening the eyes to close my eyes again is inclusive of economic activity.Someone who is able to manage the economy well, it will be seen by other people because of management's ability. Likewise with a country, a country will be seen by other countries through the economy. So what about the Indonesian economy itself? Definition of Inflation Inflation is the tendency of the general prices for general ascending and continuous or sympt oms can also be said of a continued rise in the prices of goods and factors of production general continuously within a certain period. Keep in mind that the increase in the price of one or two items not called inflation.Causes of Inflation, can be divided into Demand Side Inflation, which is caused by an increase in aggregate demand exceeds aggregate supply increases Supply Side Inflation, which is caused by an increase in aggregate supply exceeds aggregate demand Demand Supply Inflation, inflation is caused by a combination of an increase in aggregate demand which is then followed by an increase in aggregate supply, so prices rise higher into Suppressed Inflation or a cover-up, the inflation at a time will arise and show themselves as the official prices increasingly irrelevant in reality Classification of Inflation . Based on the Presence of Severe Inflation Inflation Lightweight (under 10% a year) Inflation Medium (between 10-30% a year) Inflation weight (between 50-100% a year) Hyper inflation (over 100% a year) 2. By The reasons for the beginning of Inflation Inflation demand, because the demand for various goods too strong Cost Inflation, due to rising production costs 3. Based on the origin of inflation Domestic Inflation, inflation stemming from domestic Imported Inflation, Inflation overseas Impact of Inflation PositiveIf inflation is mild, it has a positive effect in terms of stimulating the economy could be better, which is to increase the national income and get people excited to work, save and invest. People who rely on income based benefits, such as employers, are not harmed by the inflation. So it is with employees who work in companies with payroll following the rate of inflation. For people who borrow money from the bank (debtor), inflation is beneficial, because when debt payments to creditors, the value of money are lower than at the time of borrowing.Instead, the lender or the lender will lose money because the value of the refund is lower than at the time of borrowing. For producers, inflation can be profitable if the income is higher than the increase in production costs. When this happens, the manufacturers will be forced to double its production (usually occurs in large employers). Negative Impact of Inflation In the event of uncontrolled inflation (hyperinflation), the state of the economy went into chaos and felt sluggish economy.People become excited about work, savings, or investments and production as prices rise rapidly. The fixed income earners such as civil servants or private employees, and the workers will also be overwhelmed bore and offset the price so that their lives are wasting away and fell from time to time. For people who have a fixed income, inflation is very detrimental. Let's take the example of a retired civil servant in 1990. In 1990, his pension is enough to meet their needs, but in the year 2003-or thirteen years later, the purchasing power of money may only live a half.That is, retiremen t is no longer enough money to make ends meet. Inflation also causes people reluctant to save because the value of the currency goes down. Indeed, savings earn interest, but if the inflation rate on the interest, value for money is still declining. If people are reluctant to save money, businesses and the investment will be difficult to develop. Due to growing business needs of the bank's funds earned from savings. Conclusion Indonesia's economy had experienced the ups and downs of the early proclamation to the reform era as it is today.Various strategies have been adopted by the Ministers of Indonesia's economy in order to build a strong economy. Peak, Indonesia experienced a dramatic decline during the economic crisis that caused the inflation rate rising so rapidly at the end of the New Order era. The unemployment rate increased rapidly causing poverty increased rapidly as well. However, with each passing era into the era of economic reform Indonesia gradually showed improvement. Nurfaidah, R (2010). â€Å"Perekonomian Indonesia 2010. † http://kandankilmu. blogspot. com/search/label/Articles [Accessed 27 November 2012] Sadli, M (2006). Inflasi dan Pertumbuhan Ekonomi di Indonesia† http://kolom. pacific. net. id/ind/prof_m. _sadli/artikel_prof_m. _sadli/inflasi_dan_pertumbuhan_ekonomi_di_indonesia. html [Accessed 27 November 2012] Bayutube86 (2009). â€Å"Makalah Tentang Inflasi dan Dampaknya† http://cafe-ekonomi. blogspot. com/2009/05/makalah-tentang-inflasi-dan-dampaknya. html [Accessed 27 November 2012] Aryati, S (2010). â€Å"Pertumbuhan Ekonomi Indonesia Sangat Kuat† http://fararirureroduty. blogspot. com/2010/11/pertumbuhan-ekonomi-indonesia-sangat. html [Accessed 27 November 2012]

Industry Best Practices Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Industry Best Practices - Research Paper Example This essay intends to describe one of the best practices in retail industry in relation to remote connectivity solution. The objective of the essay is to describe the advantages and disadvantages of remote connectivity solution. Furthermore, the essay would also discuss about the opportunities of improvements in remote connectivity solution (SonicWall, Inc., 2007). Best Practice for Remote Connectivity Solution In Retail Industry Traditionally, remote access was enjoyed by only a certain number of people in a retail organization such as executives or sales force. However, intense progress of mobile devices along with introduction of high speed internet connectivity have increased the expectations of organizations in retail industry to ensure better and safe access to various networks and services. Retail industry nowadays demand accelerated information transmission and real time information processing in order to enjoy remote access of organizational information. In fact, there are s everal best practices for remote connectivity solution in retail industry. One such practice is introduction of ‘Virtual Private Network’ (VPN) technology (Kouroubali, Starren, Barrows, & Clayton, 1997). Advantages VPN technology is a rational solution for remote access in retail segment. This system provides secure access to the organizational resources in retail segment by establishing an encrypted channel in an online environment. VPN technology permits retail organizations to reach their internal network in cost effective and secure manner. VPN technology can provide great flexibility to the employees to access the organizational network from any place and at any time. In this way, this technology helps employees to perform their job effectively. By implementing VPN solution, employees can conduct the regular business activities such as communicating through e-mail or using customized network program rapidly. The VPN solution can also enhance the productivity of ret ail organization as they will be capable of providing suppliers or business associates to access the required information without compromising the security (Lee, Hwang, Kang & Jun, 2000). The major advantages for applying VPN practices for remote connectivity solution are: It can provide secure communication with access authority by customizing the network system according to the information requirement for each user such as employee, suppliers or business associates It can improve the productivity by improving inner organizational network and applications It can minimize the communication expenses and enhance the flexibility of employees to perform regular activities (Cisco Systems, Inc., 2008) Disadvantages Although VPN provide solution to remote connectivity in retail industry, it also has quite a few disadvantages. VPN technology helps to extend the organizational network which at times makes the organizational resources more accessible for network invaders. They can disclose se nsitive information of organization to the public network. VPN technology is quite vulnerable, because any sort of fault or error in the system can result in security breach of organizational network. Except encryption technology, VPN system does not use any kind of security layer as a primary defense. Hence, it poses a threat for retail organization as people can access organizational information by bypassing the outside

Nursing research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Nursing research - Essay Example In line with this, the role of determining the quality of care provided by nurses is dependent on the quality of education that nurse educators provided to nurses. Hence, the rewards and the benefits arrive once trained nurses engage in practice using evidence from research, which they were taught by nurse educators. On the other hand, nurse educators benefit from the wealth of information that they gain while teaching and preparing nurses for practice. The nursing practices, just like many other professions, rely on knowledge from research in order to develop solutions to problems during practice. In line with this, it is crucial to point out that nursing is increasingly relying on evidence-based practice in order to provide care that was high in quality and was obtained while using the current standards and technology. Nonetheless, introducing evidence-based practice in the clinical environment is essential in ensuring that quality was achieved while providing care. In the clinical setting, evidence-based practice can be introduced in various ways. Nurses can introduce evidence-based practice in a clinical environment by ensuring that the care that patients were given was based on the most appropriate approaches that are grounded in research. On the other hand, it is important to point out that incorporating evidence-practice in a clinical setting can be achieved through the process of developing projects that sought to cause cha nge in practice while using research to develop and implement plans that brought changes in practice. Throughout the practicum project, I valued the efforts of one individual who helped me achieve success in this project by the guidance he provided throughout the process. In line with this, it is essential to point out that I had never thought about the important role of a mentor before my practicum project. However, the practicum project helped me appreciate the role a mentor played and

Norse Religion and Mythology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Norse Religion and Mythology - Research Paper Example This mythology is the study of the Germanic myths (Iceland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Faroe Islands and Denmark). The Norse societies later adopted Christianity because the Norse religion was not as strong as other religions. Lindow says that this mythology developed slowly over the years and the importance of different heroes and gods kept varying with time and place (45). They worshipped different gods and did not have any proper organization, as religion was not institutionalized. The absence of priests and temples meant that religion was part of their ordinary lives as they could worship from anywhere they wanted. The Gods and Goddesses of the Norse Religion The Gods and Goddesses of the Norse religion were divided into two major categories: the Vanir and Aesir. The former were referred to as the Earth Gods and symbolized fecundity, riches and fertility. They controlled the earth and the sea and had to be consulted on everything that falls in this category. The most important gods in this category are Freyr, Freya, Njord and Aegir. The Aesir on the other hand were the gods of the sky and they symbolized wisdom, power and war. They lived for relatively long periods and were very powerful but mortal. People could therefore pray to different gods when faced with different situations and their prayers were answered and their wishes granted. Odin Odin is the son of Bor and Bestla; he is the father and leader of all the other gods and men. He is the king of Asgard (the great citadel of the gods) and the ruler of Aersir. He had magical skills and could travel to all the nine Nordic worlds to exert his powers. He had two ravens, Huginn and Munin that could traverse the world on daily basis and inform him on everything that is happening in Midgard. He has magic, wit and wisdom that help him in making key decisions. He is also the lord of knowledge, war & death and could travel the world without being noticed. He rides on an eight legged horse during battles and has unrivalled military intelligence (O’Donoghue 24). He only has one eye because he traded the other one for wisdom. He is married to Frigg but occasionally flirts with Rind and was the god of poetic inspiration. Together they have three children namely, Thor, Baldur and Vali. He interfered a lot in the affairs of men and was believed to be the cause of the occurrence of many misunderstandings between people. These misunderstandings often led to war as men differed on different issues that were of strategic importance to all parties. Therefore, they turned to him for prayers during wars so he could help them win and humiliate their enemies (Lindow 78). He won his wars mostly through his cunning ways and not force because his wits, guile and stratagem were unequalled on earth. This made him to be a very important member of the god family and could be consulted by kings and other leaders for help before they could venture into any war. His willingness to accept both pain and loss made him gain advantage over men and other gods as he could venture into anything he was interested in. For example, he had to part with one of his eyes in order to be allowed to drink from the Urd. This shows that he could offer to do anything in order to get what he wanted in order to gain advantage over all the others. Through this, he was able to gain wisdom, and became a lot wiser than the others, making him to outwit them with ease (Skye 14). Everything he did was therefore for a purpose and with specific objectives that were of strategic importance to him as a god. He gained knowledge through pain as he was forced to hung and be

Krafts Marketing and Sales Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Krafts Marketing and Sales Strategy - Assignment Example Kraft’s respond to the macro-environment of China is through research of the different demography of Chinese consumers, their capacity to purchase, and their eating patterns.   This led Kraft to reinvent the traditional Oreo cookies to Chinese style cookies; from cookie form to wafer and lesser sweet, the packaging and the content of the package (wherein the original content is 14 Oreos which costs 72 cents reduced to fewer pieces of Oreos and costs only 29 cents), and the Chinese style Oreo can withstand the extreme climate of both Northern and Southern region of China.   In the micro-environment, Kraft responded in dealing with the management team, wherein all the members of the management team were replace by entrepreneurial team of local Chinese managers thus, creating positive output of introducing Oreo to Chinese consumers.   Kraft also outsourced marketing teams, in the form of students to become ambassadors of Oreo wherein, the job of these local students is to c ampaign the Oreo to 300,000 consumers cents reduced to fewer.   These ambassadors also campaigned the Oreo through basketball wherein, introducing the Oreo being dunked in the milk.This type of strategy also helped Kraft to be responsive to global environment’s opportunities.   They also studied the eating habits and preferences of different countries and were able to produce Kraft products according to the preferences of the consumers in different countries.  ... Kraft considered other alternatives to make Chinese consumers patronize Oreo cookies. OREOS AND MILK, CHINESE STYLE 4 Discussion In 1996, Kraft Foods introduced Oreo cookies in China in the form of the original top-selling Oreo cookies of the U.S. However, even a lot of marketing effort has been done, the sales of the Oreo cookies in China remained flat. This statement is supported with my aforementioned discussion in the research. The study is limited to Kraft Food and its marketing strategy in selling Oreo cookies in China. Kraft’s respond to the macro-environment of China is through research of the different demography of Chinese consumers, their capacity to purchase, and their eating patterns. This led Kraft to reinvent the traditional Oreo cookies to Chinese style cookies; from cookie form to wafer and lesser sweet, the packaging and the content of the package (wherein the original content is 14 Oreos which costs 72 cents reduced to fewer pieces of Oreos and costs only 29 cents), and the Chinese style Oreo can withstand the extreme climate of both Northern and Southern region of China. In the micro-environment, Kraft responded in dealing with the management team, wherein all the members of the management team were replace by entrepreneurial team of local Chinese managers thus, creating positive output of introducing Oreo to Chinese consumers. Kraft also outsourced marketing teams, in the form of students to become ambassadors of Oreo wherein, the job of these local students is to campaign the Oreo to 300,000 consumers. These ambassadors also campaigned the Oreo through basketball wherein, introducing the Oreo being dunked in the milk. This type of strategy also helped Kraft to be responsive to global environment’s

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 3

History - Essay Example The insufficient labor supply in America should actually be solved by considering immigration for people with different skills from other places to foster technology and development. The immigration system in America involves state, labor and justice federal departments. The labor department certifies that the immigrant’s employment shall not be of negative effect to the working conditions, salaries and employment in America. The justice department implements the laws in regards to the immigrants in America. The state department is responsible for distribution of applications to people in search for employment in the US. This also involves administering the immigration law. After immigration, most immigrants seek naturalization, after working in the US for over five years. Over the years, many immigrants have been granted legal status, but recently barriers have been put because of the rising numbers of immigrants. The immigration controversy brings out the conflict between the desires for growth and that for stability. In both cases, the proponents and opponents have their arguments based on the cultural and economic aspects, or status. The recent increase in the number of immigrants is the main reason for the immigration controversy in America. The origins of immigrants also pay a major role in their behavior and this adds to the existing controversy. The massive increase in the immigrants is a threat to the English-speaking heritage, because of the numerous ethic groups changing the ethnic composition of the population. Immigration controversy has been agitated by people especially leaders, who view immigration as a threat to the American culture and the English language. Religion has also been one of the major issues addressed along with the anti-immigration forces. The economic impact caused by immigration is one of the arguments brought forward against immigration in

Best Orientation Practices For Nurses Term Paper

Best Orientation Practices For Nurses - Term Paper Example In the nursing profession, one of the problems facing nurses involves the retention of nurses. A methodical investigation cited by Kiel (2012) indicates that approximately thirty percent of newly registered nurses abscond from the nursing profession before the end of the first year at the job. Additional investigations showed that a quarter of newly licensed or registered nurses leave their jobs before the end of two years at the job (Kiel, 2012). This has necessitated the need for the introduction of effective orientation programs geared towards equipping these newly licensed nurses with skills and competency to remain at the job. In other words, the main challenge faced by these nurses during orientation is transitioning from being a student to a nursing professional. An article by Brown and Pillar (2014) brings out the fact that health organizations are faced with difficulties relating to how to successfully orient nurses in a bid to help them be accustomed to the daily running of the organizations. According to Robitaille (2013), "An effective orientation process is crucial to help ensure an individual's competency to perform his or her role and familiarize the oriented with an organization's culture, policies, and procedures, and unit-level protocols" (p. C7). In some cases, nurse managers assume the newly employed nurses will orient themselves in the course of their duties. Additionally, some nurse managers fail to ensure orientation of new nurses due to the high costs involved in such orientations.

Bioaccummulution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bioaccummulution - Essay Example One of the foci in the issue of bioaccumulation is the lack of intensive research and accumulated knowledge specifically in terms of the bioaccumulation of hazardous chemicals and their long-term effects in humans. One of the main reasons for the said lack of knowledge and efforts for research is the fact that the understanding of the concept is â€Å"superficial† which means humans are detaching themselves to what is happening in the aquatic ecosystem though there is a great probability that the effects of accumulated toxic materials would be more potent for terrestrial organisms. The superficial view on bioaccumulation lessens the impact and the urgency for in depth study. In addition, as explored by the study conducted by Kim and Kim, the concept is at a certain degree lost in translation specifically in non-English speaking nations. This is also related to the issue that the lack of in depth exploration on the subject causes educational institutions to disseminate misconce ptions that can cause escalation of more misconceptions to students as well as the other members of the general population (Kim and Kim, 2013). Gobas, F.A.P.C., Mackintosh, C.E., Webster, M.I., Parkerton, T.F. and Robillard, K. (2003). Bioaccumulation of Phthalate Esters in aquatic food-webs. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, 3 (Q): 201-225. Doi:

Color Band Resistors Essay Example for Free

Color Band Resistors Essay RESISTOR A resistor is a component of a circuit that resists the flow of electrical current. It has two terminals across which electricity must pass, and it is designed to drop the voltage of the current as it flows from one terminal to the other. Resistors are primarily used to create and maintain known safe currents within electrical components. Resistors are coated with paint or enamel, or covered in molded plastic to protect them. Because they are often too small to be written on, a standardized color-coding system is used to identify them. The first three colors represent ohm value, and a fourth indicates the tolerance, or how close by percentage the resistor is to its ohm value. This is important for two reasons: the nature of its construction is imprecise, and if used above its maximum current, the value can change or the unit itself can burn up. †¢ RESISTANCE In physics, resistance is defined as the ability of a substance to prevent or resist the flow of electrical current. A substance resists electrical current because of a collision between electrons and atoms, which slows the electrons down and converts some of their energy to heat energy. In some cases, the energy is also converted into light. German physicist Georg Ohm (1789-1854) is credited with discovering the effect of a materials make up, length and thickness on its resistance. In fact, the standard unit of measuring resistance, the ohm, is named after him. Ohms law became publicly known in 1827 and states that a circuit’s resistance is 1 ohm if a 1-volt voltage make 1 amp of current. According to Ohms law, a circuits resistance is equal to its voltage divided by the amount of current. †¢ RESISTIVITY The measure of the potential electrical resistance of a conductive material. It is determined experimentally using the equation [pic] = RA/l, where R is the measured resistance of some length of the material, A is its cross-sectional area (which must be uniform), and l is its length. It is measured in ohm-meters. Resistivity of a material remains constant whether it is taken about 1 cm..or 1km (on a constant temperature and other physical conditions remains the same) The Resistivity of a material depends on temperature( and other physical conditions such as air pressure) and the nature of the material (avaibility of free electrons.number of free electrons are same in an element atoms). †¢ TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT The temperature coefficient is the relative change of a physical property when the temperature is changed by 1 Kelvin. In the following formula, let R be the physical property to be measured and T be the temperature at which the property is measured. T0 is the reference temperature, and ΔT is the difference between T and T0. Finally, ÃŽ ± is the (linear) temperature coefficient. Given these definitions, the physical property is: [pic] Here ÃŽ ± has the dimensions of an inverse temperature (1/K or K−1). This equation is linear with respect to temperature. For quantities that vary polynomially or logarithmically with temperature, it may be possible to calculate a temperature coefficient that is a useful approximation for a certain range of temperatures. For quantities that vary exponentially with temperature, such as the rate of a chemical reaction, any temperature coefficient would be valid only over a very small temperature range. Different temperature coefficients are specified for various applications, including nuclear, electrical and magnetic. 1. What are the uses of resistors? †¢ Resistors are essential in electronic circuits, as they control the amount of current that runs through them. Without resistors voltage would be too great for individual components to handle and would result in overloading or destruction. The principle by which resistors work can also be applied to heating elements in irons, toasters, heaters, electric stoves and hair dryers, which dissipate voltage as heat. Variable resistors may function as sensors, switches or voltage dividers. Specialist end uses, such as new generation automotive LED light clusters, demand a specialist resistor solution. Aluminum clad wire wound resistors provide high power dissipation in a limited space, and are designed for direct heat sink mounting, using thermal compound to achieve maximum performance. The resistors work as a ballast to augment the resistance in the LED, mimicking that of a conventional 2. What is the difference between 4 color, 5 color, and 6 color band resistors? †¢ 4 Color Band Resistors- These resistors have two bands for the resistance value and 1 band for the multiplier and 1 tolerance band. This is the most common variation. †¢ 5 Color Band Resistors- These are with high precision and have an extra band to indicate a 3rd significant digit. The 1st three bands indicate the significant digits, the 4th band is the multiply factor and the 5th represents the tolerance. There are exceptions to this. For example, sometimes the extra band indicates failure rate or temperature coefficient. †¢ 6 Color Band Resistors- These are resistors that are usually for high precision that have an additional band to specify the temperature coefficient (ppm/k). The 1st three bands are for the resistance value, the 4th for the multiplier, the 5th for the tolerance and the 6th for the temperature coefficient. Sources: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-resistor.htm http://www.wisegeek.com/in-physics-what-is-resistance.htm http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100627073410AAvDj3T http://www.thefreedictionary.com/resistivity http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperature_coefficient http://www.rapidonline.com/infozone/resistors/applications.htm

Meaning of Justice in Islam Essay Example for Free

Meaning of Justice in Islam Essay Meaning of justice in islam In the Islamic worldview, justice denotes placing things in their rightful place. It also means giving others equal treatment. In Islam, justice is also a moral virtue and an attribute of human personality, as it is in the Western tradition. Justice is close to equality in the sense that it creates a state of equilibrium in the distribution of rights and duties, but they are not identical. Sometimes, justice is achieved through inequality, like in unequal distribution of wealth. The Prophet of Islam declared: â€Å"There are seven categories of people whom God will shelter under His shade on the Day when there will be no shade except His. [One is] the just leader. †(Saheeh Muslim) God spoke to His Messenger in this manner: â€Å"O My slaves, I have forbidden injustice for Myself and forbade it also for you. So avoid being unjust to one another. † (Saheeh Muslim) Thus, justice represents moral rectitude and fairness, since it means things should be where they belong. The importance of justice The Quran, the sacred scripture of Islam, considers justice to be a supreme virtue. It is a basic objective of Islam to the degree that it stands next in order of priority to belief in God’s exclusive right to worship (Tawheed) and the truth of Muhammad’s prophethood. God declares in the Quran: â€Å"God commands justice and fair dealing † (Quran 16:90) And in another passage: â€Å"O you who believe, be upright for God, and (be) bearers of witness with justice! † (Quran 5:8) Therefore, one may conclude that justice is an obligation of Islam and injustice is forbidden. The centrality of justice to the Quranic value system is displayed by the following verse: â€Å"We sent Our Messengers with clear signs and sent down with them the Book and the Measure in order to establish justice among the people†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Quran 57:25) The phrase ‘Our Messengers’ shows that justice has been the goal of all revelation and scriptures sent to humanity. The verse also shows that justice must be measured and implemented by the standards and guidelines set by revelation. Islam’s approach to justice is comprehensive and all-embracing. Any path that leads to justice is deemed to be in harmony with Islamic Law. God has demanded justice and, although He has not prescribed a specific route, has provided general guidelines, on how to achieve it. He has neither prescribed a fixed means by which it can be obtained, nor has He declared invalid any particular means or methods that can lead to justice. Therefore, all means, procedures, and methods that facilitate, refine, and advance the cause of justice, and do not violate the Islamic Law are valid. Equality in justice The Quranic standards of justice transcend considerations of race, religion, color, and creed, as Muslims are commanded to be just to their friends and foes alike, and to be just at all levels, as the Quran puts it: â€Å"O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even if it be against yourselves, your parents, and your relatives, or whether it is against the rich or the poor † (Quran 4:135) According to another Quranic passage: â€Å"Let not the hatred of a people swerve you away from justice. Be just, for this is closest to righteousness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Quran 5:8) With regards to relations with non-Muslims, the Quran further states: â€Å"God does not forbid you from doing good and being just to those who have neither fought you over your faith nor evicted you from your homes † (Quran 60:8) The scholars of the Quran have concluded that these rulings apply to all nations, followers of all faiths, as a matter of fact to all humanity. In the view of the Quran, justice is an obligation. That is why the Prophet was told: â€Å"†¦If you judge, judge between them with justice†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Quran 5:42) â€Å"We have revealed to you the scripture with the truth that you may judge between people by what God has taught you. † (Quran 4:105) Furthermore, the Prophet was sent as a judge between peoples, and told: â€Å"†¦Say: I believe in the Scripture, which God has sent down, and I am commanded to judge justly between you † (Quran 42:15) The Quran views itself as a scripture devoted mainly to laying down the principles of faith and justice. The Quran demands that justice be met for all, and that it is an inherent right of all human beings under Islamic Law. The timeless commitment of the Quran to the basic standards of justice is found in its declaration: â€Å"And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. None can change His Words. † (Quran 6:115) To render justice is a trust that God has conferred on the human being and, like all other trusts, its fulfillment must be guided by a sense of responsibility beyond mere conformity to set rules. Thus, the Quran states: â€Å"God commands you to render trusts to whom they are due, and when you judge between people, judge with justice†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Quran 4:58) The reference to justice which immediately follows a reference to fulfillment of trusts indicates that it is one of the most important of all trusts. Justice and the Self The Quranic concept of justice also extends justice to being a personal virtue, and one of the standards of moral excellence that a believer is encouraged to attain as part of his God-consciousness.

Canadas benefits of globalisation

Canadas benefits of globalisation Throughout many years the issue of Globalization has been around and has only been uprising to a broader term. Globalization has impacted everyone from Europe too North America, everyone around the Globe. However, even though the term globalization in modern times is distinct from what it may have been years ago, it has still been around. One country in particular that has been coming more into familiarity with globalization is Canada and many Canadians have debated whether globalization is good or bad for the country. By definition globalization is the growth to a global or worldwide scale. Globalization describes an ongoing process by which regional economies, societies and cultural have become integrated through a globe spanning network of communication and trade. The term also refers equally to political, social, cultural, and environmental interdependence. Within the political aspect, globalization means that the governments are increasingly implicated in events that occur well beyond their own borders. When looking at the cultural aspect, globalization can mean the connection between us and learning other cultures by traveling and learning other languages. The Term globalization has many meaning to it but this is because it is a very important factor that has and will continue to affects us all. Globalization affecting everyone around the globe, and Canada is no exception. Communication technology is only improving in our time and will continue to do so in Canada especially. More Canadians are getting use to the new forms of keeping in touch with each other. Lastly, over the past 20 years Canada has been benefited from globalization politically, economically and culturally through the infinite opportunities and new life style we have been adapting to. Globalization by definition refers to the process of increased interconnectedness among countries around the world, which is noticeable mainly through the areas of economics, politics and culture. It is affecting everyone around the globe, and Canada is no exception. Canadians, have been up to date with the latest technology, news updates and are also showing new movies that have been produced and filmed in other countries, in our theatres. When studying and trying to break down globalization it is important to know that there are a variety of aspects to it. The many spheres consist of Globalization and workplace, politic, social, culture and environment. Globalization and Workplace means that many Canadians work for companies with operations in a number of countries around the world. Politics globalization means that governments are increasingly impacted in events that occur well beyond their own boarders. Next we have the Social sphere. The social sphere of globalization means that friendships and family ties extend around the world and that our neighbors come from half a dozen different countries, speak different languages, and worship different religions. An example of this is when Canadians shop they are typically more than likely purchasing things that have been imported from other different countries around the world. The culture sphere is yet another form of globalization. Here it means that some Hollywood movies are as popular in Europe as they are in Los Angeles. The culture sphere also refers to more communication and contact with each other and our cultures, through doing activities such as; vacationing and travelling, reading magazines and books from around the world which also may be in different languages. A modern example of this is when people use Facebook. Facebook allows us to keep in touch with each other from around the globe. Lastly, is the environment sphere. We are increasingly aware that how we use natural resources-air, water, land, mi nerals, trees, and fish in one corner of the world has significant implications for the rest of the planet. For example a quick spread of a disease such as HIV or AIDS, can affect us quickly in any part of the world. (Skinner, 278-280). As the years go by communication technology has played a vast role in globalization. As described previously globalization is the interconnection between people, countries, around the world. Communication Technology does that exactly, it keeps Canadians and others around the world interconnected through the lasted technology inventions/developments. According to the article Globalization provides a better life for all globalization is a beneficial process that has been in our lives through any years. Mainly because of the positive and long term benefit it provides. This includes prosperity, security and enrichment. It transformed North America from an agrarian to an industrial society and is the primary reason why Canadians enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. (Graham, 1-2) This is exactly the form of how Canadians keep in touch with one another and others around the world in modern times. Web sites such as; Facebook, MySpace, Hotmail and so on, are all a much r eliable way for Canadians to socialize with friends and as well as find out the latest news about events occurring within the country and outside. An example of how interconnect Canadians have become through the years is the fact that one in four of them having Facebook. Nearly 8 million Canadians more than one in four have a Facebook profile page. (Sorensen, 1). This is according to a study done by Toronto-based Solutions Research Group. This shows just how Canadians are becoming more and more reliable yet interconnected by the new communication technology, through Facebook a global socializing website. This makes Canadians between the most connected in the global socializing site in the world. In addition, since there are countless new technologies in the communication field, Canadians are discovering that it is much easier to communicate faster and more efficiently. Some individuals are finding ways to put into practice new communication technologies in a fraction of their lives. For example, students at school are using devices such as scanners, web cameras, and various networks to increase their own interest and skills. In the business and working field society is using devices such as the Internet, e-mail and fax machines to become more productive. Meanwhile the individuals who are at home are using communication technology devices such as television with satellites and cell phones, in an exaggerated way to be entertained. Globalization has also affected Canada politically, economically, and culturally. Canada has been considered to be a much stable democracy; it has been ranked the third most self-governing nation in its democracy index. However because Canada is such a democratic country it is important for the government to use the means of communication to help run the nation whenever there are any issues or in terms of immigration and imports from other countries. Canada has also been known to help out other countries that need help in times of need. An example of this is when the earthquake of January 2010 hit Haiti. The Canadian government sent out thousands of Canadian soldiers and funds to help out Haiti, showing just how politics do play a role in globalization as well. Globalization in the economical aspect is the understanding of a worldwide general market, based on the freedom of exchange of goods and resources. The interconnectedness of these markets, however, meant that an economic subside in one area could impact other areas. With globalization, companies can produce goods and services in the lowest cost location. This may cause jobs to be moved to locations that have the lowest wages, least worker protection and lowest health benefits. For manufacturing activities this may cause production to move to areas with the least pollution regulations or worker safety regulations. One Canadian article states the following; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦only those countries that have opened their economies to international trade, capital flows and competitions have experienced economic progress. (Graham, 1). It is beneficial to the Canadian economy, as well as the world economy, because it is allowing Canadian corporations to spread business around the world, in othe r countries for cheap and at the same time it allows closure for Canadian made products. Finally, within the cultural aspect of globalization it is evident that here is where mainly everyone can connect with each other not only through communication technology but through the different types of culture. An obvious example of this is when individuals take place when we travel to different countries on vacations and when we practice different cultures in our nation, or learn and speak different languages from other countries and cultures. Furthermore, once again globalization refers equally to political, economical, social, cultural, and environmental interdependence. It is affecting everyone around the globe, and Canada is no exception. Contact with one another through the new communication technology is only improving in our time and will continue to do so, especially in a country that has high luxury standards like Canada. More Canadians are getting use to the new forms of keeping in touch with each other. Lastly, over the past 20 years Canada has been benefited from globalization politically, economically and culturally through the infinite opportunities and new life style we have been adapting to.

Native American Tradition And Religion Essay -- essays research papers

Due to the wide range of habitats in North America, different native religions evolved to match the needs and lifestyles of the individual tribe. Religious traditions of aboriginal peoples around the world tend to be heavily influenced by their methods of acquiring food, whether by hunting wild animals or by agriculture. Native American spirituality is no exception. Traditional Lakota spirituality is a form of religious belief that each thing, plant and animal has a spirit. The Native American spirituality has an inseparable connection between the spirituality and the culture. One cannot exist without the other. The arrival of Europeans marked a major change on Native society and it’s spirituality. Native Americans have been fighting to keep their spiritual practices alive. Right from the beginning, Native American religious practices were misunderstood and forbidden. The United States government tried to force Christianity upon the Indians in a desperate attempt to destroy their traditions and to assimilate them into white Christian society. Many of the Native Americans were forcibly converted to Christianity. Some would agree that freedom of religion is one of America's most important laws. When it comes to Native Americans, however, freedom of religion was almost non-existent. Native Americans have had to struggle to survive in a country that has discriminated against them and persecuted them for hundreds of years. The tribes in North America just want one thing from the United States government and that is respect: of sacred sites, the sacramental use of peyote, and the use of eagle feathers and plants for cultural practices. The United States stole from the Indians in the past and has never kept promises they made to the Native Americans. The one aspect of the Indian’s lives that has kept them going has been their religion. The Native Americans will have to endlessly fight for complete freedom of religion and for respect. Many Native families today have been devoted Christians for generations. Others, particularly in the Southwest have retained their aboriginal traditions more or less intact. The Native American Church is a continuation of the ancient Peyote Religion combined with some teachings of traditional Christianity. Native American Church practices centre around the religious use of peyote, a small cactus which when eaten gives people a fee... ...ssion. It is often richly decorated. The bowl and stem are always stored separately with the stem facing east when not in use. At the end of the 19th century the Lakota people were fighting to maintain control of their way of life and their homelands. In the 20th century the Lakota were granted by the American Indian Religion Freedom Act of 1978 the right to preserve and protect their Lakota religious freedom. Prior to this the Lakota were forbidden to practice their spiritual beliefs. But even today we can see racism against Native American. But it is a topic that does not make the nightly news on regular bases and is of little concern to most. This attitude amazes me. How can we overlook a race that has been on this continent far longer than anyone else. Native Americans are the part of our history and culture. Reference: http://home.istar.ca/~whatsup/sundance.htm http://www.digiserve.com/gaia/articles/saced_pipe.html http://tradecorridor.com/rosebud/spirit.htm http://www.religioustolerance.org/nataspir.htm http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/browse-mixed?id=SchSiou&tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/lv1/Archive/eng-parsed http://www.csp.org/nicholas/A57.html

Japanese culture Essay -- Essays Papers

Japanese culture The small island country of Japan is rich in a culture that has developed over thousands of years. It is very difficult to analyze another culture without some knowledge of that culture first. During my two year residency in Japan, my eyes were opened to the culture of Japan and its people and I grew to love it as much as my own. (The ideas expressed in this essay mainly consist of my own knowledge and observations of Japan). The Japanese are a very traditional people. But this should not be confused with a primitive people, because the Japanese are not primitive by most dictionaries' definitions of the word. Japan has been changing in recent years in its view of its own economy, in its social interactions, in its thoughts about religion, and in its overall view of its place in the world and among other nations. For the past decade, the Japanese economy has been one of the strongest and most stable economies in the world. In analyzing why it has been so successful, several factors must be considered. First, the education system of Japan is one of the highest ranked in the world. The reason for this is that Japanese children go to school and study more than students in most other countries. The school year lasts for 240 days and each school day is very long. Furthermore, most students go to "cram schools" to study even more after the regular school day is over. This is all in preparation for the college entrance exam (Morton, 251-255). Some people have also said that this prepares Japanese youth for their future in companies with jobs that require great dedication and 80 to 90 hour work weeks. This dedication of Japanese employees to their work contributes greatly to the strength of the economy of Japan. They feel like they are part of a big family (the company). Employees work together for the benefit of the company as a whole. They truly feel that their hard work and success contribute to the company's success and growth. Companies also have special programs and classes for the employees, who are the children, to make them feel at home. There are company athletic clubs and cultural classes, such as flower arrangement and the tea ceremony. Since everyone is a member of the "family" in Japan, decisions that the company must make are circulated among the lower echelons of the work force for their opinio... ...a well-organized priesthood. Although its view of the world is quite different than that of Shinto, the optimism that the two share causes them to mesh well. Christianity is also present in Japan, but only about 1% of the total population is of the Christian faith. In spite of the low percentage of Japanese Christians, many people have Christian weddings in Japan now. Finally, comparing Japanese culture to American culture is a very daunting task. Japan is a country which is thousands of years older than the United States. Although one might think the Japanese seem to be nothing like Americans, they are outwardly very much the same. For example, the Japanese listen to music, watch movies, play sports, and go to work and to school the same way Americans do. But it is the "kokoro," which is the mind and soul, of a Japanese person that is truly different than that of an American. This "kokoro" is something that can not be easily explained or understood. It is an awareness which one slowly receives as he or she is truly immersed in the culture of the rising sun of Japan. Bibliography Morton, W. Scott. Japan, Its History and Culture. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994

The Wonderful Bedroom Essays -- Descriptive Essay Examples, Observation

The Wonderful Bedroom Have you ever wondered how something so simple as your bedroom could have so much meaning? How a place where one usually just sleeps and doesn't return until the next night, could be so special to someone? It does make one think, once stopped and thought about. To some, it means as much as a gym does to a basketball player or as much as a tree does to a monkey. But then there are also those who still think of their bedroom as just a place to sleep and prepare themselves. I guess things have different meanings for each person, but for many including myself, their bedroom ranks near the top of the list. A bedroom is meaningful because often it is where one grows up, where lots of time is spent, and where one can bring out there inner-most self. A bedroom is not something that changes from day to day, but rather something that is pretty permanent. Many people grow up in the same room that they spend the first part of their life in. It is something that people grow attached to and become accustomed to, like a college student becomes accustomed to studying. For this factor, change is not so much a good thing but rather a thing of frustration. It is nice to have a place to call home, and better yet, a place to call one's own bedroom. Once one is settled, it is usually of best nature to stay settled. Through this settlement, it is easiest to see how much of importance one's bedroom may mean to them. My bedroom has meant a lot to me due to the fact that I have been in the same place for the majority of my years. Another important reason on this subject is that there is usually a lot of time spent in one's own room Besides the ten hours of sleep everyone gets a night in their room, there is often a gr... ...all sorts of things to do and eventually time slips away along with the boredom. A bedroom is full of wonderful surprises and often has much more meaning than one may imagine. In just a simple little corner of a house, it can tell you so much about a person. Is the person a pack rat, organized, and clean, or are they simple-minded, just waiting to open their eyes and explore? Perhaps there are things that go far and beyond the word "special". A room can tell ones whole life story, but yet again maybe it is just thought of as a place to catch some Z's. No matter what the case, this simple little place they call one's bedroom can and usually does have much meaning. So, next time you're lying in bed trying to fall asleep, ask yourself, does my room really have much meaning to me, and if so, how much, or am I just thankful for this comfortable bed to sleep on? Â   The Wonderful Bedroom Essays -- Descriptive Essay Examples, Observation The Wonderful Bedroom Have you ever wondered how something so simple as your bedroom could have so much meaning? How a place where one usually just sleeps and doesn't return until the next night, could be so special to someone? It does make one think, once stopped and thought about. To some, it means as much as a gym does to a basketball player or as much as a tree does to a monkey. But then there are also those who still think of their bedroom as just a place to sleep and prepare themselves. I guess things have different meanings for each person, but for many including myself, their bedroom ranks near the top of the list. A bedroom is meaningful because often it is where one grows up, where lots of time is spent, and where one can bring out there inner-most self. A bedroom is not something that changes from day to day, but rather something that is pretty permanent. Many people grow up in the same room that they spend the first part of their life in. It is something that people grow attached to and become accustomed to, like a college student becomes accustomed to studying. For this factor, change is not so much a good thing but rather a thing of frustration. It is nice to have a place to call home, and better yet, a place to call one's own bedroom. Once one is settled, it is usually of best nature to stay settled. Through this settlement, it is easiest to see how much of importance one's bedroom may mean to them. My bedroom has meant a lot to me due to the fact that I have been in the same place for the majority of my years. Another important reason on this subject is that there is usually a lot of time spent in one's own room Besides the ten hours of sleep everyone gets a night in their room, there is often a gr... ...all sorts of things to do and eventually time slips away along with the boredom. A bedroom is full of wonderful surprises and often has much more meaning than one may imagine. In just a simple little corner of a house, it can tell you so much about a person. Is the person a pack rat, organized, and clean, or are they simple-minded, just waiting to open their eyes and explore? Perhaps there are things that go far and beyond the word "special". A room can tell ones whole life story, but yet again maybe it is just thought of as a place to catch some Z's. No matter what the case, this simple little place they call one's bedroom can and usually does have much meaning. So, next time you're lying in bed trying to fall asleep, ask yourself, does my room really have much meaning to me, and if so, how much, or am I just thankful for this comfortable bed to sleep on? Â  

Business Environment in China

Every country has its own rules and regulations according to the needs, requirements and environment of the business in that country. So for any company, thinking to expand the span of business to another country and wants to invest for long term in that country, especially where production in that country involves, it is very important to understand the business environment, government policies, restrictions and future perspective of business in that country. The business has to assess whether the company has ability to incorporate most of the business needs and it should also be considered that whether the culture of the company can be integrated with the culture of that country. So the business operations will be different in different ways which have been discussed below: Import/export restrictions: There are certain types of goods and services which may be prohibited in the country where the business has plan to expand. For example, in Islamic countries like Dubai, Saudi Arabia etc, it is prohibited to expert or import alcoholic products except in some situations. Certain types of quality measurement might be imposed on the companies in order to import goods in the country. Another aspect of restrictions regarding export are the restrictions regarding the quantity which is being exported by the company. Governments can restrict the quantity of any specific product or service to be exported in order to avoid shortage in home country. China has imposed custom levy on the import as well as export of the goods. In addition to this levy, china has fixed a quote for imports of different types of products in the country. These restrictions on imports allow the home countries to produce more for the residents of China and less amount will be spend on imports and hence improve trade surplus for China which will help China to increase foreign reserves and hence make the economy of China more strong. Recently, China has imposed different types of restrictions on the export of 17 metallic elements which are important for different types of manufacturing good which also includes inputs for automobiles as well as wind turbine. It has made a big issue in the world. Other export restrictions include export duties which comprises of three types; regular, temporary and special, export quota for certain types of goods including mass consumption goods. Export license is required to be the exporter (Ambler, T. , Witzel, M. & Xi, C. , (2008). So if MNE has planned to come into the China for long-term investment, cost-benefit analysis should be carried out. However on the other hand, china support different types of exports and give reliefs for home productions which makes the business in china more attractive. Labor relations: It can be described as the relations between employers and employees, which are either unionized or non-unionized. Under the umbrella of labor relations, employees protect their labor right. Different countries have given authority to employees for their rights to different extents and as a result in some countries, labor has more power. So it should be considered while moving to another country that what are the conditions of labor relations in that country and hence how much the employees are powerful and how they can exert their power. It will help the companies to carry out stakeholder analysis as well as stakeholder mapping and hence can improve working conditions as well as can improve business operations. China has implemented labor relations law in 2008 (China Enacts Labor Relations Law, Effective in 2008, 2007). It has given more power to employees within the country. It has been made harder to lay off employees now. For the company like ACME or other MNE, it is very important to be noted that during last year, there was a strike by employees within factories in order to increase their wages. It was said by the employees at that time that companies are making huge profits and they are the people who are working behind the success of companies so their share must be increased and aligned with the profits of the company. So companies should understand the risk that low production costs, which are due to low wages, will no longer be attractive in future. Companies should make strategy to deal with the employees in a way which provides them job security, human rights protection, motivation along with the level of work required by the company. China’s manufacturing market is very feasible for labor intensive industries at the moment. Good relations between employers and employees can be made by providing good working conditions whether they will feel satisfied with their work. Supplier financing: It is the finance management in the situation where the products are being exported. All the credit terms are included in the contract between importer and exporter and credit agencies play their role in the process and reasonably insure that the contract terms will be fulfilled by importer and exporter will be able to receive payments. At the same time it also ensures that importer will not be liable, to the agreed extent, to pay the risks which can be the political risk or economic risks. Companies while trying to operate in other countries must think how much it is sure that they will be able to meet the contract terms and if own company or other company will not honor the contract then what will be role of supplier financing in it how the laws and regulations of countries will support to force the either company to honor the contract. Tax rules: Tax rules and policies play an important role in order to make the strategy for the business. Countries might have tax treaties with each other as a result company can have the benefit from it. Tax rules applied to foreign firms are sometimes stricter than for their home firm. Such type of tax rules decides that how the finance will be arranged and how the income distribution will be managed in order to increase the business for the company. Policy for deferred tax and tax policy for the export of products from china should also be considered. Many countries have higher tax rates which may also impact on the financial statements of the business. Tax treaties play an important role in the implications of taxation policies. If home country and the country where company wants to invest have tax treaties then it would be beneficial for the company as it will not have to face double taxation. China has incentivized companies by in regards of taxation. Tax rules have to be followed but they are not very strict. There are many companies which are enjoys tax rates as low as 15%. Many other companies have also lower tax rates by increasing the exports from China (CCH Tax Editor, 2008). Overall, China is an attractive market in regards of the incentivized tax rules. And hence it is feasible to invest in China. Depreciation Schedule: Depreciation has its impact on the financial statements of the business especially when the companies have high value for their fixed assets. Some countries allow capital allowance on depreciation and hence which becomes the source of tax savings. Straight line method and reducing balance methods etc are permitted methods in IFRS and IAS. China has flexibility in choosing the method of depreciation. However whichever method company has chosen, it will not be able to change the method in future. Depreciation will become the source of tax savings so company can choose any method which will provide more tax savings to the business. However it should be noted that companies are required to assess the suitability of depreciation method before selecting it. At the same time, companies are also required to check if depreciation needs to be revalued. All the information, regarding revalued depreciation amount and if new asset has been purchased, should be submitted to tax authorities. Minimum depreciation period in China is 20 years for land and buildings and for other types of fixed assets; it is 10 years (Yan, X. & Pitt, D. , 2002). Companies have to think the time period for which the company is going to work in China. Currency properties and restrictions: It is the control over the inflow and outflow of cash by imposing different rules which are set in monetary policy of the country. It is also the control of fluctuations in currency rates within country using different ways like interest rates and money printing etc. These restrictions might impact on the business as they will not allow the company to export money from their country above some predefined level. It might affect the cashflow statement of parent company which is basically a foreign company. Currency properties restrictions might restrict the company to own properties in their country where the company is going to invest. Such types of consequences increases the risk of business as for a huge size factory, it might be required for the business to have its own premises as moving from one land to another land even within the same country is not an easy task (Riedel, J. , Jin, J. Gao, J. , 2007). China’s policy to keep its currency undervalue is the point of concern for most the countries in the world. China keeps the currency undervalued in order to support exports. It helps exporters to export for more Yuan for the export of one dollar. On the other hand, it discourages imports in China. So companies have to consider this type of currency control and should make policy regarding the restrictions by china on currency. Sources of long-term and Short-term debt: Companies are required to arrange finance for the expansion of business and to run the activities of the business smoothly in the long run. This finance can either be arranged either by raising equity of the company or it can also be arranged by debt as sometimes equity financing sometimes consume more time and shareholders’ WACC for the company is relatively high as compared to debt in most of the cases. Short term or long term debt includes loan from commercial banks or financial institutions and it will be measured that what is the interest rate for that short term finance and whether it is feasible for the company to arrange finance in foreign country or not. China is an attractive market because of easy sources of arranging debts. However china is going to make more strict changes in its short term debt policy. Treasury bills have been proved to be one of the most effective short-term debt tools in china. China has been proved to one of the most efficient market for long term debt especially in aisa. It is relatively easy to obtain long term debt at a competitive rate. Government of China is still working for more efficiency in long term debt market. Bonds are one of the most powerful long term debt tools for the companies working in China. Ethics: There must be integrity in the information provided to CEO. I will include the information about condition of human rights, labor welfare as well as all other information which belongs to the business. It is ethically necessary to provide the information because it will also help to protect the employees when company will start operating in China as company will already knew that what are the conditions are there and how these conditions can be improved (Norton, A. & Hughes J. , 2009). Although it might have a bad impact on CEO but for the purpose of integrity as well as honesty, I will include all the information. However I will also include the outline solutions to the problems.

Panasonic and Japans Changing Culture Essay

In Japan in 1918 Konosuke Matsushita founded Matsushita Electric a consumer electronics company which is known today as Panasonic. Panasonic has offices in 58 different countries and is regarded as one of the world’s largest electronics companies. (Panasonic, 2013) Panasonic alike many other Japanese companies was established on a Confucian value system. The Confucian value system consists of three main elements; reciprocal obligations, honesty and loyalty. These elements form a majority of traditional Japanese values. (Smits, 2010) Hofstede, even though his work has been criticised, recognised some significant aspects of Japanese culture. These aspects included high uncertainty avoidance, high masculinity and a swing towards collectivism. These aspects also contribute largely to traditional Japanese values. These values were represented in such policies as lifetime employment and generous retirement bonuses. (Hofstede, 2013) However cultures are dynamic, they change over time. The major shift in Japanese culture occurred during the 1990’s, which was mainly attributed to the change in perspective of the generation born after 1964. This change was evident in 1999 when Panasonic gave its new employees a decision between different employment packages. The first package gave the employees a large retirement bonus, subsidised housing and services and company social events. The second package gave the employees the same perks except instead of a retirement bonus a larger starting salary. The third package gave the employees an even larger still starting salary however none of the other benefits. In contradiction to traditional values 41% of new employees chose the second package. (Hill, 2011) This shows a move away from high uncertainty avoidance which was triggered by an increase in average wealth and a move towards individualism. The primary criticism of this generation was their lack of commitment to traditional Japanese values in comparison with their parents. One of the more perceptible changes was a switch from a collectivist culture to a more individual culture. (Hill, 2011) It has been theorised that there is a correlation between economic development and a shift towards an individualistic society. This theory correlates with the article which states that a cause for the shift is the fact that the generation born after 1964 grew up in an economically richer society. This shift also affected organisational loyalty in the form of people changing jobs with greater frequency than ever before. (Reiner, 1991) This shift in the paradigm of Japanese cultural values has an effect on traditional values. The ‘modernised’ value system in effect is polar opposite to traditional values which were achieved by a complete cultural shift. Which in turn insinuates that the further the culture evolves the less tradition is left in the value system, if trends current stay constant. This shift in cultural dynamics changes the undercurrents of doing business in Japan. A major change is going to be retention of employees. This is due to the switch from collectivism to individualism and the decrease in personal identification based on company strata in conjunction with decreased company loyalty. The implication of this is companies are going to have to build their HR departments and find ways to lower employee turnover to reduce training costs. However if trends continue the average worker is going to have an increased understanding of a wide range of markets due to numerous career changes whic h allow firms access to a greater number of ideas to cope with increasingly dynamic business conditions. If companies want to optimise the new cultural principles of lowered uncertainty avoidance and the shift towards individualism they are going to have to encourage new product development and add funding to research and development. (Reid, 1999) Panasonic have already identified this and moving towards a greater number of policies in this area. Panasonic have also identified the lack of traditional aspects in the business environment and have implemented policies such as; bonuses based on performance and the new employment package plans. (Hill, 2011) If uncertainty avoidance and individualism continue to increase to Western levels there may be an increase in start-up companies which would increase competition in the market and possibly decrease the market share of existing companies. These changes could also have been influenced by a greater presence of western culture within Japa nese society. However there could be the adverse effect of decreased productivity attributed to a decrease in the number of employees having a personal identification with the company, decreased loyalty as well as a move away from reciprocal obligation and towards entitlement. This also works in the opposite direction and companies may not feel loyalty or obligation to Japanese employees and instead off-shore operations to lower wage countries in order to increase margins. (Reid, 1999) Between 1986 and 1989 there was a rapid acceleration of asset prices in Japan. This also caused uncontrolled credit expansion and money supply in addition with overheated economic activity. Due to speculation and overconfidence of asset prices, the asset prices began to drop in 1991 and collapsed by 1992. The asset bubble collapse lasted for more than 10 years and was generally referred to as the lost decade for Japan. This also led to economic stagnation and as result of lower net income Japanese families decided to pay off debts which caused a deflation spiral. (The Economist, 2010) Since these events the Japanese economy has struggled to recover. Even though recent decisions by the Japanese government has caused the Nikkei to recover slightly it is currently roughly a third of the value it was in 1990. Currently the cash rate in Japan is 0% which means that changing monetary policy cannot increase GDP. This means that for Japan to obtain a substantial increase in GDP it has to increase its goods market. Japan has a debt to GDP ratio of 214% which is the highest in the world. (US CIA, 2013) Therefore an increase in consumption, investment or net exports is needed to advance Japans economy. Panasonic as well as a number of other companies have realised this and has moved to encourage individualism. Individualism encourages entrepreneurship which currently could boost the Japanese economy if successful new product development takes place. (Saito, 2000) The traditional Japanese culture was a benefit to Panasonic during the period of 1950 to 1980. A group orientated culture assisted with strong teamwork between employees allowing greater productivity within the workplace. Due to the element of reciprocal obligation in the Confucian value system policies such as lifetime employment and cheap housing were seen as gifts and in reciprocation of these gifts employees worked harder. Loyalty played a large part in building strong business performance, this is because employees would stay in a business for the entirety of their career so they were able it learn all aspects of the business and better manage it. This amongst other factors also lead to identification with the business by employees, instead of saying â€Å"I am a web developer† they would say â€Å"I am from Panasonic†. This identification encouraged employees to work harder so that their company would succeed. A high uncertainty avoidance allowed managers to only take a calculated risk when the needed to, which reduced the companies liabilities. (Strath, 1996) However even though the traditional Japanese culture was a benefit to Panasonic in the period of 1950 to 1980 it was a liability post 1989. Even though Confucian values encourage team work and other positive attributes it discourages individualism. During this time period due to the economic crisis in Japan Panasonic would if benefited more from an entrepreneurial drive towards new product development. A high uncertainty avoidance also meant that managers were not willing to take risks unless they knew what the outcome was going to be, due to the economic pressures and heightened pace of change within the business community managers were less likely to change things in an environment where the only way to survive is change. During this time period business was becoming more dynamic due to globalisation and increased competitors which meant that Panasonic needed to change its strategy, however managers did not know how to do this because they had only ever worked in the one company an d only knew one way of doing things. Panasonic alike other Japanese companies eventually had to lay people off and cut benefits due to economic conditions. These acts were seen as a dismissing employee’s loyalty and to a point betrayal due to the strong identification with the company which caused productivity changes. (Huffman, 1997) In the last financial year Panasonic recorded a loss of 754 billion dollars and forecasts a loss of 765 billion dollars next financial year. Even though there is no best culture for a business environment, Japanese companies including Panasonic are move towards integrating the current cultural changes into their practices in order to achieve greater efficiency and productivity. The question is will Japanese culture continue along its current trends or do an about face? (Panasonic, 2013) References Hill, Challes. 2011. Gobal Business Today. 7th Edition. McGraw-Hill. Pp 125-128 Hofstede, Greet. 2013. Japan – Geert Hofstede. [ONLINE] Available at: http://geert-hofstede.com/japan.html. [Accessed 24 August 2013]. Huffman, James. 1997. Modern Japan: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Nationalism (Garland Reference Library of the Humanities). Edition. Routledge. The Economist (US). 2010. Japan syndrome, the future of Japan. ISSN 0013-0613 Volume 397, Issue 8709, p. 18 Reiner, Thomas. 1991. Legacies and Ambiguities: Postwar Fiction and Culture in West Germany and Japan. 1 Edition. Woodrow Wilson Center Press. Panasonic. 2013. Annual Report. [ONLINE] Available at: http://panasonic.net/ir/annual/. [Accessed 26 August 2013]. Panasonic. 2013. Global Network – Panasonic. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.panasonic.com/global/global-network.html. [Accessed 22 August 2013]. Reid, David. 1999. Changes in Japan’s Post-Bubble Business Environment: Implications for For eign-Afflilated Companies. Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 38-63 Saito, Mitsuo. 2000. The Japanese Economy (Economic Ideas Leading to the 21st Century). Edition. World Scientific Pub Co Inc. Smits, Gregory. 2010. Economic Thought in Early Modern Japan (Monies, Markets, and Finance in East Asia, 1600-1900). Edition. Brill Academic Pub. Strath, Bo. 1996. The Organization of Labour Markets: Modernity, Culture and Governance in Germany, Sweden, Britain and Japan (Routledge Explorations in Economic History). annotated edition Edition. Routledge. United States Central Intelligence Agency. 2013. The World Factbook, Public Debt. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2186rank.html. [Accessed 22 August 2013].

Away From Her †A Film Review Essay

The film Away From Her, is a screenplay adaptation from the short story Bear came over the Mountain by Alice Munro. The story focuses around the relationship of Fiona and Grant, an Ontario couple married over 40 years. The couple is forced to face that fact that Fionas forgetfulness is actually Alzheimers disease. After Fiona wanders away and is found after being lost, she realizes that she can no longer live at home. Fiona has too much self-pride for herself, and too much pity for Grant, to subject him to her deteriorating mind. She makes the decision on her own to check into a comfortable nearby nursing home. The nursing home they choose has a no-visitors policy for the first thirty days of the patients stay, to let them adjust to their new settings. When Grant visits Fiona after the first month of her staying in the nursing home, he finds out that not only has she forgotten him, but Fiona has transferred her feelings to another man. The other man is Aubrey, a wheelchair bound mute patient at the nursing home. His wife Marian later moves Aubrey out of the home. As the distance between Grant and Fiona increases, Grant must sacrifice his own happiness for Fiona. This moving story, was told from the perspective of the director and screenplay writer, Sarah Polley. I believe that she used the films focus of Alzheimer, humour and intimacy between the characters to show an honest relationship of a forty-year marriage. Objectively the film is the struggle of relationship with a women suffering from Alzheimers. I think that the director, Sarah Polley used role of Alzheimers in the film as a metaphor for how memory plays out in a long relationship: what we choose to remember what we choose to forget. At a point in the film, where Grant drove Fiona, we get a glimmer that their marriage wasnt all like it seemed to be. Fiona mentions a younger woman, a student of Grants who somehow had an impact of their marriage. Although Fiona doesnt come out right and say it, the film implies that Grant may have cheated or at least was tempted to cheat on her. After that incident, he swore he would do anything for her. Grant retired from the university and they moved out to the cottage on the lake, where the two have lived ever since. It is interesting to see that memory is selective, and that through the whole disease she still seems to remember the things she wishes she would forget. Polley explores the dynamics of the survival of a long  marriage, managing to do so without having to rely on flashbacks of a romantic past. The only flashback we see in the film is a screen shot of Fiona as a young woman smiling, no dialogue, just the image. I think the image isnt mean to represents a romantic past of their younger years, but an ideal of health that Grant wishes he had back. He is attempting to cope with a new Fiona he doesnt recognize, nor who recognizes him. I think the film shows Grant discovering himself after being married to somebody for so long, realizing what unconditional love meant at the end of their marriage. In this case Grant reaches out to Marian, Aubreys wife to convince her that Aubrey come to visit Fiona. Sarah Polley also uses subtle humour in her film. The humour in film provided relief to the tension of the film and also gave insight to the bigger perspective of life itself. The film focus is surrounding a debilitating disease and its impact on others, so it is important for comedic relief. For example, Fiona jokes with Grant about not remembering where he was going, later adding in a just kidding. Although the films humour is not very substantial, I think it represents the idea that life goes on. I think that this is also characterized through the relationship that develops between Grant and Marian. Marian is a pretty witty older lady, and the dynamic of her and Grant is hilarious. Marian is straight to the point, strong spoken, while Grant is more passive in his speaking. I think that this dynamic may have been similar to of Grants and Fionas relationship, although Fiona appears to be more classy than Marian. Fiona used humour subtly after learning of her condition. Even her appointment with the doctor, she was using humour in some form to answer the doctors question. I think the use of humour is a coping mechanism for Fiona, but also shows her strength of character. Fionas acceptance of her diagnosis is shown through her swift actions and her positive behaviour such as humour, proves her strength of character. I think that this adds to the proof of her real courage and strength, which helps to give evidence to her and Grants marriage being able to last over forty years. The last item that I believe the director wanted to address was the idea of a sexual relationship among older adults. In a few parts of the movie, there  are intimate encounters between Fiona and Grant, and Grant and Marian. Many films, for example the Notebook, and others that deal with people in their 60s and 70s, give off the idea that they are very sweet and sexless. Although it is somewhat seem as taboo that elderly dont engage in sexual activity, I think that Polley used this as part of a way to show the true honesty of the relationship. We are not given some cookie cutter idea of the marriage. Polley used the opportunity of showcasing intimacy among older people, as a sign that there is a reason why people are together for so long. There arent just meaningful conversations; there is actual chemistry still there between two people after all those years. There is truth to the relationship, whether it be their apparent intimacy level, or the trials and tribulations they have go ne through over the years. After watching the film, I could see why it received so many awards. Julie Christie, played her part brilliantly, with the ability to balance a person with Alzheimers enough so that it is clear her mind is deteriorating, but not too much that she comes off as crazy. You see a significant change in her mannerisms and speaking from the start of the movie from the end of the movie. I think her role impeccably shows the disease of Alzheimers in a way that is real, and gives meaning to the clear changes that the family has to go through. I found it interesting that after thirty days she had forgotten Grant, and never retained any memory of him. I longed for her to show some glimmer of memory, whether it be a song and scent, but that day never came. I was very much moved by the relationship between Grant and Fiona. The relationship seemed very realistic, the dynamics between the two did not seemed forced by anyway. I appreciated the fact that there was truth to their long span of marriage, such as the altercation between Grant and one of his students. Even though this happened, the two stuck together for better and for worse. The fact that among the beginning of her disease Fiona still had memory of this, shows the significance it had on their marriage. I also thought that it was important to show that they still were intimate, and had chemistry between the two. It signified how important they were to one another and how difficult it was for Grant to accept Fionas condition, but his willingness and persistence to stay by her side. This movie gave a  true portrait of real life couples, struggling with day to day life, a marriage isnt one huge love story, it takes a mutual commitment. The whole aspect of Alzheimers is quite foreign to me. One set of my grandparents are deceased, while the other I am not super close to. There is a language barrier between my grandmother and I, making it difficult to communicate. She has begun to show some forgetfulness, but it hasnt really progressed into anything serious. I think that the if I was more aware of the effects of Alzheimers on a personal level, I may be more effected by the film and Fionas condition. I think that Alzheimers would be the most horrifying diseases for me. In the beginning, between episodes of memory and no memory, I think I would really struggle with dealing with the disease. When I was coherent of what was happening, that I was not remembering things would probably really upset me. I like that feeling of being in control, so not being able to remember simple things would really bother me. As time goes on through the film, I really start to feel for Grant, because at this point I dont think Fiona realize what is going on. Although it is sad for Fiona, she is unaware what is going on, while Grant is forced to deal with the disease as well. I think that it was sad to see Grant become aware that the Alzheimers disease is the beginning of the end and will ultimately result in his wifes death. I think that as he sat in the dining room hall watching the patients, he observed various stages of Alzheimers, becoming aware of what was to come in the near future. Another impact of the film on me, was the budding relationship between Grant and Marian. I found it difficult to understand the timeline of the film, because it seemed to switch back and forth between the past and present. However, I think it was important for Grant to develop a relationship with Marian. I think he needed that support from somebody who knew what he was going through. It also gave hope the notion that there is something for him to look forward too, despite of his situation with his wife. He had somebody he could rely on, be intimate with and share a connection with. It shows that all human strive for that connection with people, and he had lost that with his wife due to her disease. The biggest problem I had was with the ending of the film. In the end, Grant convinces Marian to bring Aubrey back to the nursing home to visit Fiona. The connection that bonded Fiona and Aubrey together everyday was ripped apart, when Marian took Aubrey out of the home. Fiona seemed to miss Aubrey, but the mention of him decreased as time went on. However, Grant convinced for the meeting to happen. However, in the end when Grant tells her that Aubrey was there, Fiona had forgotten who Aubrey was. This was the end of the movie, and it was truly heartbreaking. The effort that Grant put in for this to happen didnt even matter in the end. Although it gives justice to the true effects of the disease, I had wished for a happy ending. Whether it be Fiona remembers Aubrey or Grant. However, Polley stayed consistent with her depiction of a real life relationship right until the end of the film. In conclusion, I overall enjoyed the film Away from Her. The film focused around the story of an elderly couple, Grant and Fiona, who are forced to deal with Fionas diagnose of Alzheimers. The director, Sarah Polley used a combination of humour and human intimacy to depict a true honest relationship of a long lasting marriage. I found the movie somewhat moving, enjoying the dynamic relationship of Fiona, Grant, Aubrey and Marian. I would have been more impacted if I had a personal experience related to Alzheimers, but still found the film moving. I wish the film had ended differently, in a way that she would somehow recognize Grants efforts for his love for Fiona. Bibliography: Opinion Piece about FilmAway From Her. Film (2006)