English Coursework

Think before you ink†. I read the article with an open mind so as not to judge. Clearly you did not have the same sentiment. Within the subtitle you decided to slate tattoos, and a variety of celebrities with them. I was amazed that you said â€Å"doesn't make it classy,attractive or wise† since it was a very strong and unfounded opinion. I was equally appalled by the rude and negative language towards these people, the things that were said about them were extremely offensive.I don't think it's appropriate for the article to contain such a negative attitude especially to these celebrities who have achieved great things. An opinion is one thing, but judgment is another. Firstly when you mention tattoos as † body graffiti† its like you associate it as unlawful vandalism-let makes the reader feel as though they are performing an illegal or public act of crime when they get a tattoo,whereas they are expressing themselves through a form of art. However, when you mention it as â€Å"a form of art† its very hypocritical, contrasting when it isn't derogatory. Graffiti † is usually described as vandalism art, which generally is all the same. This is stating that you think that all tattoos and body art are all the same and is a crime. Your opinion is incorrect and shows your lack of knowledge about tattoos. Your extremely sexist towards women. You slate mostly females for example: Amy Whininess, Victoria Beckman, Madonna and Angelina Coli etc. You have criticized each and every one of these females for either their tattoos or their image.This can be proven in the subtitle when it says â€Å"among celebrities such as Angelina Coli and Amy Whininess† These are both females, which is presenting tattoo think its only females that have tacky tattoos and a poor image. Why not include equal amounts of males to females? Why just insult females in which are clearly successful for a reason? It seems like your jealous of their fame, so are trying to downgrade them at your advantage. When you say â€Å"beautiful women has been anything but blighted† it seems as though its your attitude of class judgment.Its an old fashioned attitude, showing how narrow minded you are. The word â€Å"blighted† is referring to disease, which is rude,offensive, and a lexical choice. TTS a sexist response, judging women by their looks. let makes women feel insecure and negative about themselves. They can be extremely sensitive and take things personally which can cause many issues and problems with confidence, self esteem and so on . This could of been prevented by your attitude in your article;elf you wouldn't of been so negative towards females and tattoos many problems wouldn't be apparent.You marks a judgment that you think that tattoos are â€Å"cheap plumage of the attention seeker† meaning that you think they are tacky, and brightly colored o make them more visible to others and to draw attention to themselv es. You also state that people with tattoos are desperate to be noticed on which is shown when it says † last-chance barflies and aspiring † as the word â€Å"aspiring† is referring to an ambition be another person in which in this case is by having a tattoo. That is totally an incorrect statement, hence not everyone with a tattoo has an incentive or desire to be on TV, and people don't aspire to aim to be on TV.Your clearly stereotyping celebrities, making them out to be attention seekers without talent. As many people know the rate of anorexia is increasing and more patients are being diagnosed with different forms of anorexia. There are many comments about Amy Whininess's' body which will cause offence among many people but mainly anorexia sufferers. It says † the ugly marks that covered her emaciated body'. Firstly the comment about her tattoo being â€Å"ugly† is very inconsiderate, but the irrelevant and trivial comment was calling her body â₠¬Å"emaciated†, since its stating she looks malnourished and abnormally thin.People don't realism how offensive it is to call someone thin ND they think aims only rude to call someone fat. They are both opposites and are very disrespectful to people. Some people have extremely high metabolisms and can't help being extremely thin, so making them feel ashamed of something they can't help is wrong. Also on the other hand anorexia is a mental illness which is something that they couldn't help. Slating someone whom might have this illness is the wrong thing to do and most likely make things worse. Did you take any of the public into consideration? What are they going to think when they read this, and how this may effect hem?Offending and criticizing Amy Whininess because of her weaknesses and problems is insensitive. Rape is a very sensitive topic, which many people are victims of rape. It is wrong to use rape in the wrong context, as people don't understand the severity of sexual v iolence. The reason it's so wrong is because it causes either flashbacks of rape or brings back memories of rape or people they know who have been raped. No one should ever have to go through rape and when they try to forget about it so they can carry on living life it shouldn't be brought back up into their minds.Joking and using rape out of context shows how oblivious you are of the effect rape has on people and how immature your thought can be to be so stupid to use that to describe something you don't agree with. This can make people anxious about rape- thinking they can be raped by a needle which clearly isn't the case, and that the action taken to get a tattoo is life changing and very violent. Using violent vocabulary to scare people to not getting tattoos isn't the right way to approach it and will only annoy people.You try to joke about tattoos being on â€Å"hyperactive five-year old† which have men â€Å"let loose with a rainbow pack of sharpies†. This is qu ite a stupid and immature thing to say. The fact you would associate tattoos being like â€Å"hyperactive five year old† as if they have designed and drawn the tattoos shows your dim and negative attitude to them. You don t however, need to assault people with them as if there tattoos are badly drawn and not to a high quality. The fact you bring religion into the subject of tattoos is unnecessary. Some people are extremely sensitive to things about religion so that was an extremely risky thing to bring up.Comparing tattoos and saying that Victoria Beckman thinks her tattoos are â€Å"dead spiritual†¦ Like scented candles and Madonna albums† and incorporating religious sarcasm is insensitive. Why compare scented candles with Madonna's albums, that just makes you come across as stupid. Furthermore, why compare or relate any of that with tattoos? What right do you have to say Madonna body a â€Å"holy war of Hindi Sanskrit, Hebrew Latin and Roman numerals† You can't mix religions and you can't associate her tattoo with a mix of different tattoos, without you knowing it by fact.This is very â€Å"old school† in the sense that your picking different religions which go against each other. Why pick these religions? Why not others? Its a fundamental misunderstanding of terrible atrocities in History and belittles these tropic events. This makes you seem discourteous and a condemnatory act. Think this article should be removed from media to stop animosity to people affected by rape, anorexia, insecurities etc. In future I don't think there should be articles with such strong negative opinions. The effect these articles have on people is huge.It leaves people with negative attitudes especially those who have suffered with mental health issues and rape. One point I didn't include was that Tattoos are also used for pigment for breast surgery etc. This can be hurtful to those who have had surgery and a tattoo to correct the issue. This arti cle will end up leaving innocent people feeling bad for having tattoos, and all the other rude and negative remarks. Hope you see the effect of this article in another light. I'm sure many people agree with me and I hope something will change from now on.

MythBusters: Walking on Water Essay

Adam and Jaime are to conduct an experiment to see if it is possible to walk on water, but before they could begin their experiment they must have completed some research. They began by looking back into the history of the ninja and ancient Japanese myths, and then continued on to search for a modern day ninja. They discovered the â€Å"mizugumo†, which is a circular flat wooden disc that might have helped the ninjas stay afloat as they walked over the water. Description of experiment – Kelsey Alvarez (Ms. Garrity) The mizugumo is said to distribute the ninja’s weight evenly on the surface of the water because of the wide surface area. Due to this, the ninjas would not be able to sink. To make the mizugumos Adam decided to measure and cut 2 circles of pine wood. They were then each sliced into 4 pieces. Later, he painted the 4 pieces a shade of brown. When this was completed he sanded the paint off. When the 4 pieces of wood had that worn look color he proceeded to adding a rectangular block in the middle of the 4 pieces. He tied the 4 pieces and the block in the center with twine, repeating this step for each one. Adam has now created an exact replica of the mizugomos. When the footwear was complete they proceeded to the actual experiment. The twine that was left over was used to tie the mizugumos on to Adams shoes. Adam was now ready to â€Å"walk on water†, however, after taking his second step into the pool he sank right down. Jaime then explained that in order for Adam to walk on water he would have to be able to take very fast steps across the water. In Adams second trial at attempting to walk on water he decided to increase his momentum like Jaime suggested, and even with this done, he still sank right after the second step. Adam and Jaime then concluded that Mizugumos were actually a myth and were never actually used to walk on water. However, the team did not give up yet. Adam decided to make a pair of modern ninja shoes to test what it would take to actually walk on water. This time he used aluminum, a packing foam, and snow boots. In order to make this work he used the principle of water displacement. This principle states that an immersed object is maintained above water by a force that is equal to the weight it displaces. Adam continued to cut the shape of the boot on the packing foam boards and glued 4 layers of packing foam together with the snowshoes in the middle. In order for the foam shoes to not fall apart he covers them in aluminum sheets and tapes it on. He also adds a light rail in order to keep it firm. Before testing them out Adam paints the shoes entirely black. Using his aluminum shoes Adam is ready to test and see if he can walk on water. On his first trial with the shoes Adam walked too quickly and ended up sinking. On his second trial however, Adam gently stepped on the water and tried to gain his balance; he was finally standing! Although he was standing on the water, it was impossible to move forward. The team then concluded that the shoes could not be used to walk across the water. < Jaime’s cornstarch solution

Essay on Marketing Strategies

http://www. intel. com/jobs/careers/marketing/ http://blog. hubspot. com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/5256/Sales-Vs-Marketing-Whose-Job-is-it-to-Generate-Leads. aspx Content:  The decision content includes market opportunity analysis, brand development, advertising, pricing and basic sales force management decisions. It also includes a simplified profit analysis. Decisions by Quarter Quarter 1: Setup your company, evaluate market opportunities and prepare for test market. †¢ Determine desired image of company Designate a company name †¢ Analyze market opportunities—evaluate segments, geographic markets, and potential competition – Evaluate market survey results in End User Profile †¢ Establish corporate goals and strategic direction – Select target segment – Establish strategic direction †¢ Select test markets – Open sales office Quarter 2: Go to market to test your strategy and market assumptions. †¢ Create customer value—m atch components to benefits desired (quality function deployment (QFD)) – Design 1 or 2 brands Marketing strategy—evaluate tactical options and choose marketing mix – Brand price – Price promotions – Sales priority †¢ Develop media plan and budget—ad copy design, media selection, and ad frequency – Place advertisements in media †¢ Sales force management—number employed, and training – Hire salespeople assign to service or target segments – Open new sales office (optional) Quarter 3: Evaluate test market performance and revise your strategy, become a learning organization. †¢ Evaluate performance – Financial performance—profitability analysis Market performance—customer opinion of brand designs, prices, advertising, and sales force – Competitor tactics—segments targeted and selection of marketing tactics †¢ Revise marketing tactics as needed and continue test m arketing Quarter 4: Evaluate your position in the market and adjust your strategy. †¢ Evaluate performance – Financial performance—profitability analysis – Market performance—customer opinion of brand designs, prices, advertising, and sales force – Competitor tactics—segments targeted and selection of marketing tactics †¢ Adjust strategy—make incremental changes in tactics use activity based costing (ABC) to evaluate profitability of brands – evaluate profitability of division – conduct demand analysis to estimate brand, price, advertising, and sales force elasticity Quarter 5: Monitor, improve, and execute. †¢ Evaluate performance – Financial performance—profitability analysis – Market performance—customer opinion of brand designs, prices, advertising, and sales force – Competitor tactics—segments targeted and selection of marketing tactics †¢ Skillfully adju st strategy †¢ Improve brands, pricing, and sales forceQuarter 6: Monitor, improve, and execute (continue). †¢ Manage strategy †¢ Skillfully adjust strategy to unanticipated competitive moves †¢ Continuously improve brand features, pricing, and sales force Final Quarter: Report to the board. †¢ Evaluation of financial and market performance †¢ Review of business – Comparison of actions taken against your marketing goals – Review of significant events that affected the company and/or market †¢ Assessment of current situation and market (Also, how is the current market different than it was in the early quarters? ) – Customers Competition – Company strengths and weaknesses – Major problems/opportunities to be dealt with in next year http://marketing. about. com/ Marketing  Careers By  Laura Lake, About. com Guide A career in marketing can take you in several different directions. Marketing is comprised of many f acets and activities. You will find that there are many opportunities in marketing, is there a career path that is right for you? Explore the different career opportunities and decide which one fits you best. 1. Overview of Careers in Marketing 2. Careers in Advertising 3. Careers in Brand Management . Careers in Market Research 5. Careers in Public Relations Overview of Careers in Marketing There are many options to careers in marketing, but how do you know which one is right for you? Marketing can be defined as being the intermediary function between product development and sales. Think of it as the storehouse for such things as advertising, public relations, media planning, sales strategy, and more. It's the marketing professionals job to create, manage, and enhance brands. †¢ Breaking Into the Career Field of Marketing †¢ Marketing vs. Advertising: What's the Difference? How Do You Know if a Marketing Career is Right for You? Ads Careers in Advertising In Advertising y ou will work with all aspects of marketing from strategy to concept to the execution of the strategy. You will find that most jobs on the business side of advertising include Account Management, Account Planners, and Media Buyers. †¢ Advertising Manager †¢ Advertising Sales Director †¢ Account Executive †¢ Account Coordinator †¢ Media Director †¢ Media Coordinator †¢ Media Buyer Careers in Brand Management Brand management is the career track you hear about most often.It is the key function in the consumer products industry. Brand managers are often likened to small business owners because they assume responsibility for a brand or brand family. They are always focused on the big picture. It is their job to distill the brand's essence, map out their competitors in their brand's category, identify marketing opportunities, and be able to effectively communicate the unique benefits of that product or service. †¢ Brand Manager †¢ Product Manag er †¢ Product Development Manager Careers in Market Research Market Research involves researching the intended target.That target can be companies or individuals. In order for a company to capture a market it must first be able to understand that market. Research involves the first process of understanding the consumer, what their needs are, what their purchasing habits are, and how they view themselves in relation to the rest of the world. †¢ Market Research Director †¢ Market Research Manager †¢ Market Research Supervisor †¢ Market Analyst Careers in Public Relations It is the responsibility of the Public relations department to manage the communication with the media, consumers, employees, investors, and the general public.They are considered the spokespeople for the company. They will often write press releases to promote new products or to keep the investment community informed of business partnerships, financial results, or other company news. If they are based out of media relations they will spend their time responding to information requests from journalist or pitch stories to the media. †¢ Public Relations Specialist †¢ Public Relations Director †¢ Corporate Communications Manager †¢ Book Publicist †¢ Press Secretary

Diabetes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Diabetes - Essay Example Type II diabetes, also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes or adult-onset diabetes is the most common form. Diabetes is an internal disease, which is caused due to the build up of glucose in the blood and insufficient glucose provided to the cells in the body. Living organisms need energy to survive and for this they intake food. The food that they eat goes through a lot of internal processes to be converted into energy. The hormone that plays the main role in this conversion is insulin, which is secreted by pancreas. It takes glucose from the blood and provides to all the body cells and this is how it is turned into energy. A person suffers from diabetes because his pancreas either fails to secrete sufficient amount of insulin or because the body does not utilize the already secreted hormone accordingly. He or she is seen to have high blood sugar levels or hyperglycemia. Causes of Type II Diabetes: Type II diabetes is mainly seen in people who have crossed 45 years. But with the modern lifestyle and the way the world works nowadays, even children and youngsters have started being affected by it. The percentage of youth suffering from diabetes is increasing steadily. To be safe from this disease, one needs to know the different factors that lead to it. Research has shown that â€Å"genetic susceptibility† (Causes of Diabetes para 9) and â€Å"environmental factors† (Causes of Diabetes para 12) such as obesity, lack of physical activity, metabolic syndrome, beta cell dysfunction etc, are the main reasons behind type II diabetes Often at times, genes play a very important role in placing a person under high risk or low risk of being prone to diabetes. This means that a person, whose parents and siblings suffered from this disease, stands a greater chance of falling prey to it. Inheriting such genes, especially â€Å"variants of the TCF7L2 gene† (Causes of Diabetes para 24) leads to restriction in the amount of insulin that is produced, wh ich causes the blood sugar levels to rise abnormally. Ethnicity also accounts as a factor and mostly â€Å"African Americans, Alaska Natives, American Indians etc† (Causes of Diabetes para 22) are seen to have diabetes. Certain genes also bring about the tendency in people to become obese. Obesity, mainly the one where the individual has excessive belly fat, along with absence of exercise cause a lot of cardio vascular problems and ultimately lead to diabetes. Metabolic syndrome is seen in people who have insulin resistance, due to which the cells of the body become unable to absorb the glucose present in the blood. Beta cell dysfunction causes substantial difference in the amount of insulin that is secreted. When glucose is produced in huge amounts, a condition called glucose toxicity occurs in which the beta cells are vitiated. Other factors include over secretion of glucose by liver, hindrances in communication among cells etc. Complications of Type II Diabetes: Type II di abetes is a very serious disease since one of the main hormones, insulin, which controls the blood sugar levels as well as the major activity of the body, that is converting glucose into energy, is tampered with. Diabetes itself is caused by factors that are quite harmful for the body, and when these factors along with diabetes together are present, the person suffering definitely runs the risk of being affected by other diseases. Type II diabetes is thus, associated to certain other diseases which prove to

Two kinds by Amy Tan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Two kinds by Amy Tan - Essay Example She struggles to mould her daughter into fame but her efforts fail as her daughter is rebellious and lacks interest in her mother’s initiatives. The narrator however believes that she can only be her personality and not her mother’s dreams (Tan 132- 143). The narrator and her mother have a strained relationship that exists in two scopes, maternal and mentorship scopes, and identifies their conflict. The narrator’s mother plays her parental role of establishing a basis for her child’s future but the narrator does not appreciate her mother’s efforts. She instead believes that she can only be herself and is rebellious to her mother’s initiatives. At the peak of their conflict, her mother hints to the possibility of a worse interpersonal relationship when she explains that there are â€Å"only two kinds of daughters,† â€Å"those who are obedient and those who follow their mind† (Tan 142). She then declares that Jing, the narrator, can only live in the house if she is obedient and Jing regrets, in her mother’s face, being her daughter. The narrator’s strained relationship with her mother is further identifiable in her domestic orientation in which she does not help her parents when called upon to do domestic chores, a behavior that her mother identifies as a problem (Tan 132- 143). The narrator also identifies a poor relationship with her mother in the mentorship role. She does not appreciate her mother’s ideas and even though she communicates her feelings and attitudes, her mother ignores these and insists that Jing must follow her path to success. This generates a conflict that the two characters fail to resolve amicably (Tan 142). The strained relationship between the narrator and her mother develops from the mother’s high expectations in her daughter and her desire that the child attain fame. The mother’s strong belief that all achievements are

Profile of a Theorist (Edward T. Hall) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Profile of a Theorist (Edward T. Hall) - Essay Example olars, among them the famous Marshall McLuhan who came out with the mantra, â€Å" the medium is the message†, and with whom Hall had a long and fruitful correspondence. Hall is universally acknowledged to be the founding father of studies on intercultural communication, because it all started with his early work in the 1950s for the United States State Department in order to coach foreign service personnel survival skills in intercultural communication. He realized that a majority of the communication gaps between people from different cultures could be because of different perceptions they had about the same thing, based on their cultural background. Intercultural communication is usually defined as any direct communicative interaction between individuals or groups of individuals belonging to different cultures. In other words, the term denotes interpersonal communication between "strangers" on the micro-level of face-to-face interaction. In a wider sense, however, the term is also but less frequently used to refer to direct or indirect interactions or contacts between ethnic groups, nations or cultures, thus denoting culture contact and cultural exchange on the meso- or macro-level. ( Roth, Klaus, 1999, p.206 ) The formal beginnings of intercultural communication are usually traced to the 1959 publication of â€Å"The Silent Language† by Hall. In this book, he defined culture as a concept, and described its role in setting expectations during the process of communication. He contradicted the prevalent natural assumption that communication styles and core values can be universal for all cultures. Instead, he proposed that a majority of human communication is actually non-verbal, mostly subconscious, and is determined to a large extent by cultural and linguistic backgrounds. In this book, he came up with the theory that not only does peoples cultural background act as a medium of communication, it also forms a subconscious part of the communication method.His

Martin Luther King Jr. and the Philosophy of Civil Disobedience in Research Paper

Martin Luther King Jr. and the Philosophy of Civil Disobedience in Todays World - Research Paper Example Until his assassination in 1968, Dr. King championed civil rights movements and was dedicated to the course of justice and freedom through nonviolent means. There are many ways in which the oppressed deal with their oppression. According Martin Luther king Jr., there are three basic ways through which the oppressed deal with their oppression. These include acquiescence, physical aggression and hatred and nonviolent opposition (Warner and Hilliard 311). When the oppressed resort to use acquiescence, they basically become submissive and acclimatize to oppression, thus becoming accustomed to the oppression (Warner and Hilliard 311). Not all people are willing to break free from oppression. Some individuals usually prefer to stay under oppression. Such people become used to oppressive situations in a way that they give preference to maintaining their slavery status quo than subject themselves to uncertain freedom. People who chose acquiescence as a means of dealing with their oppression are usually engulfed in their suppression that they simply fail to think beyond their current predicament. In such a situation, the oppressed adopts the system of the oppressor and is as wicked as his master. One current example is the case of Syria where Bashar-al-Assad’s administration is tactically scheming to erode the influence of opposition parties and making multitude of Syrians to absolutely depend on the government support and continue living under oppression by the Syrian government. Just like Martin Luther King Jr. acknowledged, no oppressor will ever grow a rational emotion and award his slaves their much desired freedom. As such, this approach is quite immoral and futile way of dealing with oppression. Physical aggression and sheer hatred is the second way through which the oppressed may prefer in dealing with their oppression (Warner and Hilliard 312). Like Martin Luther King Jr. argues, the oppressor is never in a position to grant freedom voluntarily and the o ppressed must demand for it. Violent confrontation of oppressive regime has been used by many nations to win their freedom. For example, in 2011, the rebels in Libya resorted to capture and assassinate Muammar Gaddafi over claims of long time oppression of the Libyan people. Great masses rejoiced from his death because they perceived the execution of Gaddafi as the onset of their freedom. However, violence is not the best way of attaining freedom. It never brings eternal peace, offers no solution to social problems, but only pile many more challenges to the society. Lastly, the oppressed can resort to nonviolent approach to end their repression and achieve their desired freedom (Corlett 32). This approach reconciles acquiescence and physical aggression approaches to obtaining freedom. Nonviolent opposition seeks to find a balance point between the oppressor and the oppressed by eliminating the vices that characterize the current situation and creating friendship between the two (Lon g 104). It consciously seeks to foster equality among all people. For example, in Lebanon, approximately one-quarter of the country’s population convened in Beirut in 2005 to protest the killing of a famous politician and demanded the termination of the oppressive government led by Syria together with withdrawal of Syrian military. This is the best approach because it tackles the challenges of the oppressed and seeks to make things better for them unlike acquiescence and

Kurds and they are Stateless Nation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Kurds and they are Stateless Nation - Essay Example This final element of independence or sovereignty is definitive of the modern conception of a state and makes the ultimate difference between being a state and being stateless. It is a common misconception to regard a nation and a state as synonymous but this is a product of a statist bias which gives partiality to recognized states over stateless nations including national minorities. There must be recognition of the presence of a plurality of states in relation to â€Å"stateless nations and their diaspora† (Baubock 310). The stability of states is an important aspect in ensuring the peace and order within a nation. The history of a state must be well-defined and transcend the co-existing history of certain regimes. This will provide for a thorough grasp to differentiate regimes from the actual state. Boundaries are equally susceptible in determining stability as those in power are usually the ones who impose themselves to take over public office. Support from the internatio nal community is necessary in order to preserve territorial integrity. Frequently, it is those states recognized in international affairs that enjoy support from other nations (Meadwell 273). The reality of the existence of substates that configure the entire dimension of understanding what a state is has been around for many generations. Most have been cultivated and subsisted for generations that dates back even prior to the establishment of the state as recognized in international world affairs. The comprehension of nationalism and belongingness cannot be delineated to a clear sense of limiting nationality to the constrictive term as defined by the United Nations in its quest to avoid statelessness. This was extensively discussed by the body of nations through the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to tackle the problems that are encountered by refugees in conflicted areas (Balaton-Chrimes 2). But this concentrates on a more personal level through a discourse in the dilemmas encountered by individuals because of their condition as stateless. In a broader sense, nationalism entails a certain degree of belongingness and a commonality in culture and identity that simply declaring one to be a citizen of a particular country by birth or by blood does not equate to its full appreciation by the essence of what it implicates. This recognition from the international community gives the very life to the existence of the state. It also provides the creation of a country and its consequent statehood as well as affords it the capacity to partake in the international forum and exercise its rights as a nation. On the contrary, without the elements to make up a state certain groups that fundamentally comprise a state become dubbed as stateless for comparative purposes. These groups of people who generally have a stake in a particular territorial portion and with accompanying leaders lack sovereignty because they have no independence and are often assimilat ed in recognized states. This is where the Kurds as a stateless nation has been enduring their status as a massive group of people moving toward the elusive autonomy that they have been elusively seeking for decades and had made them among the most pronounced stateless nation in the world. The Kurds have been

Select one of your favorite brands that is involved in licensing Research Paper

Select one of your favorite brands that is involved in licensing. Write one page on why or why not it works for the brand - Research Paper Example 529). Acne Studios is a part of the Creative Collective Acne. The Studio was founded in the year 1996 in Stockholm, Sweden. Acne Studios is a fashion manufacturing brand that designs fashion apparels and jeans. The operations of Acne Studio are not only limited to Sweden. In fact, the operations are expanded across the world. In order to expand its operations, the company relies on licensing agreements. With the help of licensing agreements, the company has successfully expanded its operations in Europe and Asia. The Swedish company is also planning to expand its business in London, Paris, and Japan. The effectiveness of licensing for Acne Studios can be realized from the fact the company has successfully expanded its operations in 35 locations with the help of licensing agreements (Okonkwo pp. 353). Under the licensing agreement, the company sells its licenses to other companies. Those companies use the brand, design, and IP of the parent company. The licenses can be sold to several companies in the same market. The licensing agreements have also allowed Acne Studios to exercise control over how the brand is used. This has allowed the company to maintain the standard of its products (Okonkwo pp. 353). Hagedoorn, J., S. Lorenz-Orlean, and H. van Kranenburg. â€Å"Inter-firm Technology Transfer: Partnership-embedded Licensing or Standard Licensing Agreements?† Industrial and Corporate Change 18.3 (2008):

Sports injury. Lumbosacral disorder acquired during military training Essay

Sports injury. Lumbosacral disorder acquired during military training in 1998 and now preventing participation in sports - Essay Example One common type is stress fracture. This may occur in as much a twenty percent of military trainees (Jansson, et.al., 2004) This type of fracture may leave a scar which can still be evident in the future. The next paragraphs will be a narration of the author’s personal experience regarding a lumbosaccral injury incurred nine years ago during military training. This is a hindrance to the author’s willingness to participate in sports at present. The pain is worse when I tried to lean back while standing and gets a little better when stooping or during recumbency. At first. I did not mind the pain. I thought that I just got tired like the previous days of training. During the night, however, I did not feel comfortable. The pain was bothering me and I could not last fifteen minutes in one position. It was as if something heavy was on my back. Initially, I would grade the pain as 3/10 in the pain scale. However, during the night, the pain progressed to 6/10. I then took Mefenamic Acid, 500 mg capsule to relieve the pain. The medicine was able to relieve the pain for a while. However, the relief only lasted for an hour. It came back after an hour. When the pain came back, it ws 8/10 on the pain scale. Although I just took the Mefenamic Acid an hour before, I decided to take another capsule of Mefenamic Acid, 500 mg. The pain was again relieved. At that time, the pain became 5/10 on the pain scale. I then decided to seek consult from the physician in our infirmary. Note: To aid in the quantifications of my pain, the Visual Analogue Scale or the Pain Scale was used. This is based on a visual chart developed by Wewers (1990). Below is a copy of the Visual Analogue Scale. A V.A.S. card was printed by on a piece of cardboard in the infirmary. I have included the VAS score of the pain I felt during that time. I did not feel tingling

Government subsidies Essay Example for Free

Government subsidies Essay An agricultural subsidy can be defined as a grant offered to farmers for their products. These subsidies are provided in order to add-on to farmers incomes, to control the costs of agricultural products in the market and to regulate supply of these products. The US government is required by the law to provide farm subsidies and is required to grant about twelve products. Some of the products that the government of US has subsidized include; corn, maize, wheat, barley, cotton, peanuts, milk, sugar among other products. (Robert, 2004) Agricultural subsidies have been in place ever since the early twentieth century. In the 1930s, farmers were very vulnerable to price fluctuations. This vulnerability caused them to strike in order to get the governments attention. A law was passed to protect them through tariffs. This was not very successful because it caused the international market to fear imports from the US. Years later, the government introduced another law that facilitated the control of goods produced by farmers, purchase of excess products and provisions for minimum payment to farmers. These changes that were made in the 1950s are still in place today. Some slight modifications have been made but the basics have been retained. Agricultural subsidies have had a lot of changes over the past decades in the country. In the early twentieth Century, there was a large chunk of the country’s population that engaged and resided in farms. At that time in history, farmers took up a large portion of grants. In the recent years, this has dramatically changed largely due to the fact that the number of farmers has reduced dramatically consequently reducing the amount of funds spent on them. A subsidy normally focuses on a particular product. This entails price considerations in that farmers are granted a certain amount of cash for a specific weight of product. On top of that payment, farmers expect a fixed price for any subsidized crop. So if market prices are lower than what farmers were promised, then the government compensates farmers for this balance. Payments are obtained from taxes meaning that the rest of the country’s population is involved on this matter Part 1: Government subsidies There are scores of subsidies that re currently offered by the government. But they can all be placed under certain groupings. These are what will be examined in detail below; (Robert, 2004) Export subsidies can be described as a settlement between the government and farmers regarding crops or agricultural products that will be exported or sold internationally. It was initiated in order to ensure that farmers have adequate funding when exporting their products. This kind of subsidization can sometimes result in farmers having extra finances. This implies that they can be able to sell their goods in target countries at a price that may be lower than cost of production. Consequently, farmers in those host countries maybe out competed. This has caused developing countries to raise an alarm. The United States has taken its exports to many countries some of which include South American countries. Some of the proponents of this type of subsidy claim that it perpetuates low prices for commodities in developing countries. This means that locals in those importing countries can be able to purchase agricultural goods at low prices. Complaints have been registered about cases of dumping in these countries: Where agricultural dumping is the sale of products at unfairly low prices that exceed their cost of production. This is propagated by availability of extra funds from export subsidies. Conservation payments are also another type of subsidy offered by the US government. The subsidies are normally done in support of the environment and for conservation purposes. The two plans under which this subsidy is implemented are the Conservation Security Program and the Conservation Reserve Program. It normally targets farmers that use environmentally friendly methods for their practices. This program was initiated after it was observed that agricultural activities cause immense pollution to the country’s resources. In the year 2003, the government spent close to two billion dollars on payments related to this scheme. Supporters of this type of subsidy claim that it protects the environment through promotion of environmentally friendly practices. These include issues like growth of nutrient-rich crops like beans rather than those that consume nutrients like corn, use of contour stripping and other methods that eradicate soil erosion.

Cognitive and Emotional Intelligence paper sample Essay Example for Free

Cognitive and Emotional Intelligence paper sample Essay DECLARATION I declare that this assessment is my own work, based on my own personal research/study . I also declare that this assessment, nor parts of it, has not been previously submitted for any other unit/module or course, and that I have not copied in part or whole or otherwise plagiarised the work of another student and/or persons. I have read the ACAP Student Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct Policy and understand its implications. I also declare, if this is a practical skills assessment, that a Client/Interviewee Consent Form has been read and signed by both parties, and where applicable parental consent has been obtained. Organisational Behaviour Assessment 1 Two important differences in organisational behaviour are cognitive intelligence and emotional intelligence. The following essay evaluates theoretical and practical strengths and limitations of both intelligences and discusses the application of each in modern organisations. Modern organisations face differing challenges to those of the previous century, high turn-over, globalization and the rapid development of ever changing technology all require special attention. It has never been more important to find the right person for the right job. General mental ability does not give the whole picture. There is a link between cognitive and emotional intelligence, each being important contributors to modern organisations. Cognitive intelligence (CI) has traditionally been the indicator of successful job performance (Bosco, Nathan, Allen, 2012). Organisational psychology uses cognitive ability to predict workplace success (Neisser et  al., 1996). Cognitive intelligence can be generally defined as academic ability, IQ or general mental ability, including the ability to critically think and reason logically, to analyse and problem solve, as well as individual aptitude in reading and writing (Sternberg, 2006). CI is a valuable asset in employees, particularly in some specialist fields where critical thinking, logic and reason are required, occupations such as scientific researchers, accountants, economists etc. The capacity of all workers to engage cognitive intelligence in quick and effective decision making serves as an important basis for achieving successful outcomes in the most workplaces. Patton (2003) found a consequence of the developing business climate is the global economy and the Internet, each necessitating an increased speed of communications in business transactions. Decisive leaders are forced to make timely decisions without consult and all the data on hand, such an environment necessitates in the need for higher levels of general mental ability in order to achieve both increased levels and faster acquisition of job knowledge, thus leading to greater levels of job performance (Schmidt Hunter, 2004). CEO of Southwest Organisational Behaviour Assessment 1 Airlines, James Patton, displayed the importance of quick and effective decision making when facing a crisis on September 11, 2001. When planes where grounded and millions of passengers stranded, Patton decided that customers and staff would come first. No employees were required to stand down or take pay cuts, and passengers were given hassle free refunds, furthermore, Southwest employees were encouraged to take passengers to a movie or bowling to pass the time while awaiting news. In the aftermath of 9/11, while most airlines were reducing their workforces by 20% Southwest announced a $179.8 million profit sharing program for employees and managed to retain all staff (Gittell et el, 2006). Other examples of CI are literacy skills, such as reading and writing which are major tools of modern day  businesses: emails, documents and various other item of paperwork require high levels of accuracy for effective communication, efficiency on computers and an ability to learn new technolog y is important in this information world. McKenney, Copeland, Copeland and Mason (1995) propose that the revolution in communications and information technology should be considered as a dominant force in recent social and economic change. Although CI is undeniably important in establishing an efficient workforce it is not the whole picture. The value of cognitive intelligence is irrefutable however some limitations apply. Validities of predicting outcomes in real life are low. According to Viswevaran and Ones (2002), general mental ability accounts for only 25% variance in work performance. Furthermore, they suggest that intelligent behaviour is more than just the result of what intelligence tests measure. A practical example of the limitations of cognitive intelligence can be referred back to the other airlines effected by the 9/11 crisis. While Southwest airlines triumphed against adversary other airlines suffered greatly. There is no denying that the CEO’s of these struggling airlines were people of high cognitive intelligence, however, this personal asset alone was not enough to avoid financial losses, perhaps other ingredients such  as emotional intelligence and adequate policies are still required in order to retain consumer trust. Other CI limitations include measurement, particularly IQ testing which ma y result in adverse impact against minorities (Viswesvaran Ones, 2002). Tests presented in a language other than an individual’s primary language as well as differing cultural approaches make the result of such tests weighted in favour of the culture that produced it. High IQ does not guarantee adequate function in the  workplace. Highly gifted people are often underestimated and misunderstood by peers and society (Nauta Corten, 2002). They may make ineffective leaders as staff may not appreciate their intensity, perfectionism, questioning, and being â€Å"too smart† Heylighten (n.d.). Furthermore, CI does not guarantee a good team player. Elkin and Burke (2008) report Steve Jobs, while an example of a successful individual with extremely high cognitive intelligence, is reputed to have been a tyrant to work for. Critics claim he took credit for ideas that were not his, was not a team player, and was impatient, domineering and obsessive, behaviour which is inducing of high staff turnover or low employee retention rates. They also suggest Jobs strengths such as vision, magnetic charisma, perfectionism, all drove him to be a great CEO but are also the same drives that placed his company, staff and investors at risk. Highly intelligent individuals may have issues with delegation, trust, admitting error or asking for help. When compared to autonomous work, good teamwork enables tasks to be accomplished faster and more efficiently, reduces workloads, work pressure and improves staff relations (Kelly, 2004). Some highly intelligent people, such as those with Asperger’s Syndrome, may have low social skills. Individuals with Aspergers may test very highly on a CI tests but often their communication with others is blunt, awkward, stilted or odd (Shea, 2009). Saaty (1999) suggests that primary language expresses affections rather than ideas or thoughts. An inability to effectively communicate with consumers may result in difficult social relationships. While CI is indeed an important consideration in e mployee ability it is not a stand-alone measure of success. Emotional Intelligence (EI) is increasingly being viewed as having a significant influence on job performance and effective leadership in the workforce. A commonly referred to definition of EI was given by Mayer, Caruso and Salovey (1999) â€Å"Emotional intelligence refers to an ability to  recognise the meanings of emotions and their relationships and to reason and problem solve on the basis of them. Emotional intelligence is involved in the capacity to perceive emotions, assimilate emotion-related feelings, understand the information of those emotions and manage them† (p. 267). EI reflects one’s capacity to cope with daily challenges and may assist in predicting both personal and professional success in life. Assets in any working relationship include social awareness, social networking, relationship management, self-awareness and self-management. While small business has long relied on understanding the importance of social networking and keeping healthy relations hips and positive reputation in their community, new technology, globalization and social media now take social awareness and social networking to a whole new level. According to Qualman (2009) global connectivity now results in both positive and negative messages regarding products and services becoming immediately, permanently and easily accessible to the whole world. EI is a valuable asset in employees, particularly in some specialist fields where charisma and empathy are required, such as, sales and marketing, counselling or nursing. Effective leaders, as part of their role in managing relationships, should embody competent levels of respect, empathy, courtesy, motivation and be able to inspire others. The importance of empathy can be illustrated by an American business called Toro who manufacture commercial lawn equipment. The nature of the product results in around 100 serious injuries annually, prior to the appointment of CEO Ken Melrose, Toro faced an average of 50 law suits per year, resulting in massive financial losses to the company. However, Melrose added empathy. Injured workers and their families where meet by company representativ es, sympathies where expressed, investigations made and any needs were meet at the onset. This change in policy has reduced the number of lawsuits from an  average of 50 per year to only one since 1991 when the policy was introduced (Rainey, Chan Begin, 2008). Furthermore, leaders need teams who are energetic, innovative, creative and passionate (Sloane, 2007). Understanding individual drives and motivations enables management to get the best results from their team. Effective management must be self-aware and have the ability to self-manage, including being aware of and managing moods, adapt appropriate emotions and behaviours to appropriate situations. Jack Welsh, Chairman of General Electric states that A leaders intelligence must have a strong emotional component. He has to have high levels of self-awareness, maturity and self-control.’ (as cited in Balakrishanan Mouli, 2011, p. 44). EI allows managers to get the best out of their employees. Perks (2007) advises that successful leaders are high in emotional intelligence; they maintain positive working relat ionships and employ adequate coping strategies in all areas of life. Leaders, ideally, should possess emotional intelligence to encourage the best of their team. Emotional intelligence, however, has its limitations. Cherniss (2010) even suggests that EI has produced the highest level of controversy in the social sciences of recent years. More clarity in regard to theory is required. Roberts, Matthews and Zeinder (2010) propose that EI models do not adequately address theory. Furthermore, Roberts suggests that emotional intelligence definitions lack clarity and questions the criterion of which qualities should belong under the banner of emotional intelligence. It seems necessary to adopt one clear common definition. Measures of EI are currently underdeveloped in this relatively new field, more research and the creation of better measures may improve construct validity (Cherniss, 2010). This may result in the development of greater understanding and respect for the field. There is no guarantee that a person high in EI, will use this asset in a positive manner. Individuals with high emotional intelligence may manipulate people or situations for personal gain. Saaty (2001) suggests that decisions are not always based on the greatest idea  but on a person’s ability to persuade others to accept the idea. More exploration and clarification is required to address some of the limitations of emotional intelligence. Modern organisations face fundamentally different problems from those of the in the past, globalization, increases in technology and staff turnover are just some of the issues being confronted. The belief has been held for around a century that higher intelligence in individuals is more valued due to their higher task performance (Viswesvaran Ones, 2002). Modern organisations provide services, and are organised according to a blend of individual’s, information and communication technology, social capital and recognized talents (Schoemaker Jonkers, 2005). The measuring of CI enables modern organisations an affordable and speedy way of evaluating an employee’s general mental ability. General mental ability has been related to occupational level on both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies (Schmidt Hunter, 2004). CI measures allow employers to apply specific cognitive abilities to valid and appropriate positions within the business with a view to discovering the bes t person for the job. According to Holloway (2003) employing the â€Å"right person for the job† or job fit is more essential now than ever. Job fit can be described as â€Å"the degree to which a person’s cognitive abilities, interests and personality dynamics fit those required for the job† (Russell, 2003, p.27). This is where the importance of emotional intelligences comes into play. A constant balance between understanding the individual drives and motivations of workers and ensuring staff remain engaged, enthusiastic and valued has many rewards for modern organisations. Incorporating a balance between both intelligences gives employees the greatest chance of achieving appropriate job fit. Holloway (2003) states that positive job fit, results in increased job satisfaction, increased productivity and reduced staff turnover. Furthermore, research by O’Reilly, Chatman and Caldwell (1991) suggests newly hired staff whose with values that fit in with the culture of the organisation tend to adjust quicker, remain longer with the company and are overall more satisfied. While Hollaway,  (2003) states th at understanding of workers in regards to work/life balance, personal goals and drives may encourage loyalty reducing turnover, saving on retraining and downtime. Furthermore, EI combined with CI addresses the gaps between management and workers through understanding of positive leading by example management that can result in emulation by employees resulting in a ripple effect throughout the organisation. There is a strong link between emotional intelligence and cognitive intelligence and the combination of both intelligences has become necessary for successful business relations in modern organisations. Cognitive intelligence and emotional intelligence are each important factors in regard to individual differences in the field of organisational behaviour in modern organisations. While general mental ability accounts for many valuable employee assets such as efficiencies in regard to knowledge acquisition and technological aptitude, limitations to validity and measurement of testing and relevance mean that cognitive intelligence is not the only measure of a successful employee. Emotional intelligence also plays a key role in individual success in modern organisations. Effective leadership, self- awareness, social networking, empathy, self-management are all are assets of the emotionally intelligent. Modern organisations benefit from the combination of both intelligences by finding the best fit for the position resulting in higher job satisfaction, higher retention of staff and greater profits. References Balakrishanan, L., Mouli, S. (2011). Emotional Intelligence – A Key for Effective Employee Management. Amet Journal of Management,1(1),44. Retrieved from http://www.ametjournal.com/attachment/Amet-journal.pdf Bosco, F. A., Nathan, B., Allen, D. G. (2012, July). Higher validity and less adverse impact! Using â€Å"Executive Attention† to measure cognitive ability. Paper presented at the meeting of the International Personnel Assessment Council, Las Vegas, NV. Cherniss, C. (2010). Emotional intelligence: Toward clarification of a concept. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 3(2), 110-126. doi:10.1111/j.1754-9434.2010.01231.x Elkind, P., Burke, D. (2008). The trouble with Steve. Fortune, 157, 54-63. Retrieved from http://personal.bellevuecollege.edu/llum/GBUS101/09WSteveJobs.pdf Gittell, J. H., Cameron, K., Lim, S., Rivas, V. (2006). Relationships, layoffs, and organizational resilience airline industry responses to September 11. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 42(3), 300-329. doi:10.1177/0021886306286466 Heylighen, F. (n.d.). Gifted People and their Problems. Retrieved from http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/Papers/GiftedProblems.pdf Higgins, D. M., Peterson, J. B., Pihl, R. O., Lee, A. G. (2007). Prefrontal cognitive ability, intelligence, Big Five personality, and the prediction of advanced academic and workplace performance. Journal of personality and social psychology, 93(2), 298. doi:10.1037/00223514.93.2.298 Holloway, P. (2003). Job Fitness Series: The Right Person for the Job. AboutPeople. Retrieved from http://www.aboutpeople.com/PDFFiles/The%20Right%20Person%20For%20the%20Job.pdf Kelly, B., (2014). Importance of Teamwork in Organizations, Demand Media retrieved March 8, 2014. Retrieved from http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/importance-teamworkorganizations-12033.html McKenney, J. L., Copeland, D. C., Copeland, D. G., Mason, R. O. (1995).Waves of change: Business evolution through information technology. Harvard Business Press. Boston, USA. doi: 10.1080/08109029608632025 Mayer, J. D., Caruso, D. R., Salovey, P. (1999). Emotional intelligence meets traditional standards for an intelligence. Intelligence, 27(4), 267-298. doi:10.1016/s0160-2896(99)00016-1 Mayer, J. D., Roberts, R. D., Barsade, S. G. (2008). Human abilities: Emotional intelligence. Annual Review Psychology, 59(1), 507-536. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.59.103006.093646 Nauta, N. Corten, F. (2002) Tijdschrift voor Bedrijfs- en Verzekeringsgeneeskunde Journal for Occupational and Insurance Physicians, 10(11), 332-335. doi:10.1007/12498.1876-5858 Neisser, U., Boodoo, G., Bouchard Jr, T. J., Boykin, A. W., Brody, N., Ceci, S. J., Urbina, S. (1996). Intelligence: Knowns and unknowns. American psychologist, 51(2), 77. doi:10.1037/0003-066x.51.2.77 OReilly, C. A., Chatman, J., Caldwell, D. F. (1991). People and organizational culture: A profile comparison approach to assessing person-organization fit. Academy of management journal, 34(3), 487-516. doi: 10.2307/256404 Patton, J. R. (2003). Intuition in decisions. Management Decision, 41(10), 989-996. doi:10.1108/00251740310509517 Perks, J. (2007, September). The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Business. Computer Weekly.com retrieved from http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240082956/The-role-of-emotionalintelligence-in-business Qualman, E. (2009). Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way we Live and do Business. Hoboken, USA. John Wiley Sons. doi:10.5860/CHOICE.48-1576 Rainey, M. B., Chan, K., Begin, J. (2008). Characterized by conciliation: Heres how business can use apology to diffuse litigation. Alternatives to the High Cost of Litigation, 26(7), 131-134. doi: 10.1002/alt.20237 Roberts, R. D., Matthews, G., Zeinder, M. (2010). Emotional Intelligence: Muddling Through Theory and Measurement. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 3, 140-144. doi: 10.1111/j.1754-9434.2010.01214.x Russell, C. (2003). Right Person, Right Job: Guess or KnowThe Breakthrough Technologies of Performance Information, (2nd ed.). Amherst, USA. HRD Press Inc. Saaty, T. L. (2001). Decision Making for Leaders: the Analytic Hierarchy Process for Decisions in a Complex World (2nd ed.). Pittsburgh, USA. RWS publications. doi: 10.1080/00137918308967693 Schmidt, F. L., Hunter, J. (2004). General Mental Ability in the World of Work: Occupational Attainment and Job Performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86(1), 162173. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.86.1.162 Schoemaker, M., Jonker, J. (2005). Managing Intangible Assets: An Essay on Organising Contemporary Organisations Based upon Identity, Competencies and Networks. Journal of Management Development, 24(6), 506-518. doi: 10.1108/02621710510600964 Shea, S.(2009). Capstone: Communications Difficulties Among Individuals With and Without Aspergers Syndrome. Retrieved from: http://www.asdjobsink.com/CommunicationDifficulties.pdf Sloane, P. (2007). The Innovative Leader: How to Inspire Your Team and Drive Creativity. Philadelphia, USA. Kogan Page Publishers. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com.au/books?id=fb1vXOzjIBYCprintsec=frontcoversource=gbs_ge _summary_rcad=0#v=onepageqf=false Sternberg, R. J. 2006. Intelligence. Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science. doi: 10.1002/0470018860.s00555 Viswesvaran, C. Ones, D. S. (2002). Agreements and Disagreements on the Role of General Mental Ability (GMA) in Industrial, Work, and Organizational Psychology. Human Performance, 15(1/2), 211-231. doi:10.1207/s15327043hup150102_13

Fashion and Culture in India

Fashion and Culture in India Language disguises the thought, so that from the external form of the clothes one cannot infer the form of the thought they clothe, because the external form of the clothes is constructed with quite another object than to let the form of the body be recognized (Calefato 2004. p 13). The western culture is cultivating a grand love affair with the distinctive fashion style in India. Along with Indian music and spirituality, Indian clothing is seeing a huge impact on main stream identities of western style and culture. The main intention of this essay is to demonstrate how this emerging trend relates to the changing face of Indian fashion. Fashion is the style and custom prevalent at a given time. To some its an art form, to others its like a part of their culture and religion but to most it is a method of utilizing cloth to show or hide something about themselves. Fashion can be used to serve as an extension of ones own personality or to disguise ones own true self. One of the major points here is, how does art, culture and industry, the three aspects of life, relate to fashion? The English dictionary states that, art is a human skill opposed to nature. There are various for and against argument on whether fashion is an art form. One view that favors the argument is, art is a visual medium whose creators respond to the same stimuli as painters and sculptors and like art, it involves immense creativity as well as mastery of technique and materials. The view against it is, artists supposedly are not concerned with selling, they are consumed with creating works of art, not producing a collection for regularly scheduled s howings (Rhodes, 2003). Culture on the other hand is basically an intellectual development at a certain time and a certain place and refers to certain human behavior and activities that conclude to significance and importance whereas; industry is a segment of economy, concerned with the production of goods and service. It is an essential component of most societies and fashion is a huge contributor to it. The major fashion cities have continuous competition between each other and due to their different strategies become known as the cultural industries. The history of costume, Barthes (1983) says, has a general epistemological value. By history of costume, he means a socio-semiotic reading of the phenomenon of clothing as an articulate language through which it is possible to analyse a culture, as system and process, institution and individual act, expressive reserve and significant order. The nature of fashion, however, constantly changes and focuses on newness, or the illusion of something new which means that signs and symbols are transient. According to Woodruffe-Burton fashion is a visual commentary on the excess of a postmodern culture, the perfect foil for a world of fragmented and commensurate identities and personage, offering a dynamic procession of free floating signs and symbolic exchanges (Woodruffe-Burton 1998, page 302). Choices made in relation to new clothes are usually controlled by the current fashion look as defined within the fashion system and realized by the availability of fresh goods (Alexandra, 2004). According to Barthes (1983), the concept of new lifestyle and fashion styles is signified while the fashion commodities become signifiers. He also points out that the present form of fashion commodities decrease in value and are subsequently relinquished when the new signifier readily provides a replacement for the previous signifier. In addition, Baudrillad (1981) referred to fashion as a compulsion to innovate signs apparently arbitaray and perpetual production of meaning a kind of meaning drive. The meanings drive individuals, to seek out those new commodities that could signify them. According to Vinken, The discourse on fashion is constructed by the articulations of three major conceptual articulations: the division of being and mere appearance; the division of the sexes; and inseparab ly linked to the latter the division of the classes. In modern times, there has been a marked tendency for the first of these conceptualities whether it appears in its philosophical form or in its ethical application to be incorporated into the sociological variations of the divisions of gender and class. This phenomenon of compression has been compounded by the fact that the paradigm of the division of the sexes has allowed itself to be grafted onto the discourse on class, dominant until the eighteenth century, with the same ease that, in traditional thought, the moral condemnation of vanity let itself be combined with the philosophical suspicion of mere appearance(Vinken, p4) India during its earlier days to be clothed in fashion was seen as a mark of privilege enjoyed exclusively by upper class. The lower end of the society didnt have the access to it due to the dominance of traditional clothing which followed intensively during that time. But now it has changed for the better and is being enjoyed by almost everyone at every social level because of the democratization of fashion which has helped in mass production during the Industrial Revolution. The appearance of avant-garde designers from Japan in the early 1980s was believed to be the beginning of the postmodern phenomenon in the field of fashion. It allows openness to a great variety of styles and genres and the acceptance of Asian designers which was considered as the breakdown of the racial boundaries among designers who were largely white. Post modernity allows ethnic minorities, from women, lesbians and gay men to state find or retrieve an identity (Wilson 1994). The definition of what is fashionable was gradually decreasing in its nature with the beginning of postmodernism which eliminated differences and with the end of the autonomous sphere of fine art. What was usually worn as underwear now could be worn as outerwear. What used to be a hole for the neck could be worn as an armhole. Contents of fashions have become diverse and have redefined themselves implying the breakdown of the clothing system, itself that is, of sartorial conventions. The emergence of the new modern India seems to be the buss word for the new younger generation exposed to the vision of the new millennium as India opened up its doors to the west, there came a need to create a new identity. Thus was the idea of taking Indian traditional fabrics and styles and combining them with western cuts and lines, to appeal to larger segments and masses. Due to these developments, fashion gained in acceptance out of selected cities into the most conservative households. The new emerging trend catered way to the concept of Indian fashion boutiques, due to which women started moving out of the house and those typical tailor master were out of fashion. When more and more women started doing job, the online boutiques proved to be of great help as they can find everything under one roof, from fabric, designing, stitc hing and accessories (Chawla, 2006). Earlier to have a desired design, effort was needed to be put on to run from shop to shop to buy the fabric. Once the fabric is bought, the matching colour of laces and buttons need to bought and all these need to be given to the tailor for completing the stitching of the garment. Now, all these headaches are been taken care by the boutiques which keep a complete range of stitched and unstitched garments from casuals to party wear. The mall culture and family stores has dominated and is steadily growing in India. These are the places which are starting to become a favorite fashion hub for upper and middle class people. These stores sell fashion garments of all age groups and sexes and are considered as shopping destination. Most Indians express a great deal through their clothing. Their quench for the ultimate perfection plays a great deal in their choice of beautifully colored dramatic and sensuous garments. Highly lively colors woven in to signify the ornate designs can be found resonating through the whole of India. Lot of western influences has created modern designs which has been included into the basic structure of Indian outfit and that are the dresses that we find these days. So that makes us wonder, what was Indian fashion actually like when there were no designers displaying their haute couture to pamper a luxurious line of clientele? Well the answer to it is, India had its own kind of customs and traditions followed from generation to generations, the presence of it are even felt today. A surprising fact about ancient Indian fashion was that the clothes were not stitched together at all because most of the clothing was ready-to-wear, as soon as they left the loom. The ancient Indian fashion did not really have garments that were sewed together. The examples of these are the dhoti, the sari, the turban and the scarf. The practice of wearing dhoti by men and women were seen as a familiar site since India always go through hot and humid climatic conditions and these were made with cotton which suits the condition. The traditional Indian Dhoti, the Scarf or Uttariya and the popular Turban are still seen visible in India as people continue to wear them and hence remains as an integral part of Indian culture. Indian dressing styles are marked by many variations, both religious and regional with a wide choice of textures and styles (Tirthankar, 1999). One of the most commonly worn traditional dresses, the sari, is essentially a rectangular cloth measuring about 6 yards long. It passes through the legs around the body and tucked in at the back. Its worn in varied styles and is made from materials like pure silk or other fabric woven in different textures with different pattern s. It is worn by women as the lower garment combined with a Stanapatta (a thin band that wraps horizontally around torso) which forms the basic wear. This consists of garments that do not have to be stitched, the stanapatta being simply fastened in a knot at the back (Osella, 2000). Although the saris and the dhotis have never gone out of fashion, with the Persian influences in Indian fashion, women started wearing long tunics that went down to the knees with trousers that were known as  churidars. It also includes the very popular, versatile, comfortable and stylish  salwar-kameez. The  salwar  is a loose pajama like trouser whose legs are wide at the top and narrow at the ankle whereas kameez is a long tunic that goes down till the knees, the sides of which are left open below the waist-line, giving the wearer great freedom of movement. The basic design of this has been modified in various ways since ancient days (Jessica Pudussery, 2009). Apart from clothes, Gold plays a major role in Indian fashion and the use of it has been a tradition, long enjoyed by Indian women since early ages. Ornaments made of gold, combined with precious and semi-precious gems and beads, are the most popular ones. As the story goes on, it is said that traditionally Indian or naments had an economic value for women. The ornaments given to her at her wedding constituted a daughters inheritance from her father (which was earlier referred to as Dowry). Though this no longer holds true, a brides ornaments is considered as a financial security for her throughout life. In India the appearance of dressing styles is more towards a cosmopolitan way rather than region specific; the cause of this change can be reflected back to the early days of Indian Independence. Later on globalization bought about huge changes and this can be considered as one of the major factors witnessed in Indian fashion industry, were significance noticeable changes in styles have happened in connection with Indian dressing. Indias rapidly expanding economy has provided the basis for a fundamental change, the emergence of what is called a new vanguard increasingly dictating Indias political and economic direction (India child, 2000). There can been seen an increasingly popularity towards western mode of dressing styles among the urban youth of both sexes. Some young women are trying to incorporate the latest fashion trends within their wardrobe while still following some of the traditional Indian dressing customs. The women youth market is significant not only because of it she er size and the spending power but since they are the trend setters for rest of the population. Young women generally pay more emphasis on their appearance than older people and thus clothing occupies a more central position. They are more likely to be fashion conscious and hence are frequent buyers and they usually prefer wearing casuals (Gowswamy Roy, 2007). Although traditional dress is still worn in India, according to V.P. Sharma, an Indian worker working as a weaver in the traditional handloom sari industry in Bihar since 1988, blames the trend in womens changing tastes for handloom saris, a simple cotton sari that many Indian women wear daily. The plain designs and less appealing colors, plays no significant role for a new modern woman like Rashmi Raniwal who is a 22 year old sales assistant. Sari? she says giggling, I never wear it casually, only for formal occasions. She further adds that women in India welcomes change as it is seen as a mark of progress. There is a common view that people would consider, a woman clothed in western formal wear is more empowered than her traditional counter parts. (Time Magazine 2009). In globalized modern India mens fashion hasnt changed significantly from season to season whereas business clothing has undergone few changes but its more of being professional than being fashionable. Personal hygiene is part of the success equation, freshly scrubbed wins out over heavily fragranced. The finishing touch for Indian business professionals is his choice of accessories like briefcase, portfolio and pen but when it comes to sealing the deal, a top of the line suit, a silk tie and a good pair of leather shoes would make things perfect and professional. Its all about presenting themselves in a way that makes the business clients feel comfortable and confident on them. Dressing for success is still the rule that is being followed. It was during the late 1970s and 80s the importance of women in work place began to have a prominent role than ever before. They gradually moved into positions that had been traditionally held by men. Many of them even thought that they need to imi tate males business clothing to look appropriate for the position; the outcome was, women seen dressed in skirted suits and jackets with tailored blouses. While the business women now wear trousers to work, she does it with the intention to look professional. (Doris, 2005). Like the men the same overall rules apply to womens work atmosphere as well, business clothing is not a reflection of the latest fashion trend but it is to notice herself as a professional. They think that they should be noticed for who they are and their professional skills rather than the fashionable clothes they wear. The business wear should be appropriate for the industry and the position they hold within the industry. In the 1960s and 70s, this whole bit of buildup of wealth in India was still suffering from a Gandhian hangover. Even though there were a whole lot of families who were wealthy all over India from North to South, all their lifestyles were very low key. They were not exhibitionist or were not into the whole consumer culture. The trend has now changed completely and we can see a complete lifestyle transformation on spending habits from cell phone, holiday destination to latest fashion, which earlier would have triggered a sense of guilt that in a nation like India a kind of vulgar exhibition of wealth is contradictory to its own values. Consumerism has now become an Indian value and the new Indian middle class is making its voice heard everywhere. The middle class is hard to define precisely, is bracketed on either side by the upper and lower echelons. It is not a single stratum of society but straddles town and countryside. It encompasses prosperous farmers, white-collar workers, busi ness people, military personnel and myriad others, all actively working towards a prosperous life (Fernandes, 2006). Members of the upper class which is around 1 percent of the population, are owners of large properties, members of exclusive clubs and vacationers in foreign lands, and include industrialists, former maharajas, movie stars and top executives. Below the middle class is perhaps a third of the population who are ordinary farmers, trades people, artisans and professional workers (Britannica 2009). In todays fashion conscious society, with numeral number of designers, it would be a difficult to note down some of the top fashion designers all over the world. The superiority of designer clothing gives one the satisfaction of owing a designer piece that is unique in every way. The emergence of western concepts of displaying fashion shows has now become a common event in India. The so called catwalk models started displaying collections of designers on ramp. It was in 1932, the first fashion catwalk was organized in India by Catherine Courney. Now it can be seen as a common every day event with many conceptual and theme based shows. Indians have started exploring new avenues with their modern hybrid fashion trends which is a blend of the old traditional and the new modern and is gearing up to International exposure. This fact can be proved by the existence of eighty plus fashion schools in India were young vibrant designers are trained to face the international arena. Recently, som e of the worlds famous fashion designers like Armani, Fendi and Myiake all have been fascinated and drawn by the elements of the exotic Indian culture and traditions (Mark 2008). India, which perfectly mixes the spirit of adventure, the sense of mystery and majesty with the principles of elegance, sophistication and modernity, has long been a wonderful source of inspiration for many internationally acclaimed fashion designers. In Paris, Dries Van Naton, (The Telegraph, 2009) one of the new fashion leaders and the member of the so- called Belgain Four presented a collection of layered chiffon raps dresses saris and kurtha looks alikes. The color palettes of these modern western designers are drawing from the colors of vibrant Indian Rajasthan Desert at sundown using rich golds red and green. Fashion designers are credited for their mastery in embedding their creations with works of art that embellish the beauty of a woman. Its a fact that all of us are different from each other and seldom have the perfect figure and elegant personality that should be flaunted. Its also a truth that nobody is perfect, we all vary in height, color and characteristics. Its the magical hands of the fashion designers that transform one through intelligent smart dressing. They shape up the body in the most modest manner and make people look stunning and sensuous. There is something unique about every designer, one might focus on ethnic styling while the other on hottest western collections. The Indian movie industry has contributed and provided inspiration for the gloriously rich Technicolor summer fashion. Asia had a huge influence on the spring/summer 2002 designer catwalks and this resulted in the high street awash with bright turquoise, fuchsia, brocade and emerald tops, skirts and trousers (Colin 2004). With the changing time, the Indian fashion designers have brought about a storm in this glamour world with their commendably fabulous variety both internationally and locally. A huge chunk of latest fashion is made out of expensive designer clothing. These range from expensive saris to other traditional outfits which are stitched with semi-precious stones. These are exclusively made to cater the taste and preference of particular individuals to be worn during special occasions. Some even focus on modern expensive western fashion brands to make their presence felt. All these trends can be seen in Indias growing class of the super-rich which constitutes the maharajas and other like leading movie stars and industrialists. According to CapGemini Merrill Lynch Asia Pacific Wealth Report 2008, the number of Indians with more than $1 million in assets has grown since last year by 22%, to 167,000, more than in any other Asian country. Finally, Indian fashion beauties on the world stage canno t be ignored or left out of fashion since its the women beauties of India who bought about major changes in outlook of fashion, though they were left behind in the early days. Lara Dutta (Miss Universe 2000) and Priyanka Chopra (Miss World 2000) are the few to name as the world renowned Indian beautys who contributed to these changes. Indian fashion got International exposure and acclamation through the medium of such beauty contests. Unlike uniforms, the way we dress of our own accord involves a number of subconscious decisions. There is a concept in fashion that nothing is new, in a sense everything has been done before. This is coming closer to obvious reality, although the direction is not yet decided, it is almost certain that women will use fashion as an extension of their freedom and being no longer limited by the boundaries of class. Now people like to dress in style which is accepted globally and has become an aspect of ones identity and personality.

Domestic Violence :: Family Violence

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Domestic violence include sex abuse and intentionally or unintentionally use of physical force such as slapping, hitting and causing other injuries to your partner, children, friends, etc. A psychologist and law school professor, Mary Ann Dutton, who is an expert in domestic violence described it as "a pattern of behavior in which one intimate partner uses physical violence, coercion, threats, intimidation, isolation and emotional, sexual or economic abuse to control and change the behavior of the other partner." (Taken from an article in www.womenslaw.org, by Valerie Despres)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These are actions considered as domestic violence:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  DOMESTIC VIOLENCE is a pattern of abusive behavior which keeps one partner in a position of power over the other partner through the use of fear, intimidation and control. PHYSICAL ABUSE: Grabbing, pinching, shoving, slapping, hitting, hair pulling, biting, etc. Denying medical care or forcing alcohol and/or drug use. SEXUAL ABUSE: Coercing or attempting to coerce any sexual contact without consent, e.g., marital rape, forcing sex after physical beating, attacks on sexual parts of the body or treating another in a sexually demeaning manner. ECONOMIC ABUSE: Making or attempting to make a person financially dependent, e.g., maintaining total control over financial resources, withholding access to money, forbidding attendance at school or employment. EMOTIONAL ABUSE: Undermining a person's sense of self-worth, e.g., constant criticism, belittling one's abilities, name calling, damaging a partner's relationship with the children. PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE: Causing fear by intimidation, threatening physical harm to self, partner or children, destruction of pets and property, mind games or forcing isolation from friends, family, school and/or work. (Source from womenslaw.org) What are the causes of domestic violence? There are many factors that lead people to use violence. They use violence when they are stressed, angry, feeling hatred, drink too much alcohol, use drug. Children are more likely to grow up as violent men if they are influenced by their parents, brothers, sisters and friends, all of whom use violence. Culture plays an important role in domestic violence. For example in Asian culture or Asian American, parents usually hit their children when the children make mistakes or do not obey the parents’ orders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Men are much more likely to use violence than women. In the USA, women are the victims of violence at rate of 5 times more than men. â€Å"About 95% of victims of domestic violence are women. Over 50% of all women will experience physical violence in an intimate relationship, and for 24-30% of those women, the battering will be regular and on-going.

Faust :: essays papers

Faust This Book has many shady characters, only Gretchen is the one character you can feel sorry for, that is what makes this tragedy so horrifying yet gratifying .Her and Faust running around makes you happy, but you anticipate them to fall desperately into love with one another and finish their lives indulging with Mephisto. But this pure untainted soul is tricked into leaving behind the innocence of her youth and subsiding to the evil one for the promise of riches and a better life. So once again you have no one to root for, because although you understand Faust’s predicament he’s getting what he wanted. Next you really begin to hate Faust because once he has seen and had all that Gretchen has to offer his love becomes an infatuation spurred by his newly found youth. Then who are you left with; Gretchen a now pregnant charlatan desperately hoping her â€Å"lover† who has poisoned her mother and slain her brother will come save her from prison, and Mephisto th e Devil himself. The entire Gretchen Tragedy is there to invoke a feeling of temptation. A sort of â€Å"What if†, really what would you do if a good looking member of the opposite sex who has more money than anyone you have ever heard of approached you describing their love to you like a cheesy Julia Roberts movie. This proves the point that Mephisto made to God in Prologue in Heaven â€Å"If only it were grass he could repose in! There is no trash he will not poke his nose in.†(Prologue In Heaven p. 85). We must keep looking for better things, if Gretchen were to realize what a small price she was paying to sacrifice life on earth for life eternal in heaven. She was without sin until she allowed human nature to take over. Gretchen upon her entrance into the play is stereotypical of a peasant woman of that time; she works all day, lives with her parents, and hopes to one day marry above her class so her daughter will not have to endure as she has throughout her life. But, she begins a metamorphosis when she meets Faust. First, she finds jewels that she can’t begin to describe, so she gives them to her mother typical of the times.

Public Private Lives and Emersons Clairvoyant Solution :: Education Teachers Teaching Essays

Public Private Lives and Emerson's Clairvoyant Solution My intelligence was sparked when exceptional people opened doors in my mind I didn't know needed light. And while my parents played a part in this I remember more strongly the hand that my teachers played in expanding my mind. Generally there are certain aspects of school that a student remembers but always there is a teacher. For me there were several, and I know I was lucky. I do remember some of the lessons, a few specific classes, but what I remember more is how they acted as people and not just as teachers. I recall the way they taught me silently through the examples they set in their lives. Teachers, by the sheer nobility of their positions, have this responsibility whether they desire it or not. The historical nature of teachers was to educate with an enormous focus on the morality of the students. Education often came directly from the bibles of the students and the religious doctrine the church had decreed. Teacher's primary goals were to create good and moral citizens. Churches many times were the origin of the school doctrine. Horace Mann states that one of the three most essential elements of being a teacher is "the ability to manage and govern a schoolroom and to mold moral character" (Spring, 127). Emma Willard was of a similar opinion. Spring writes, "Willard believed that development of character was the first aim of education and placed a great deal of emphasis on that and on moral virtues" (Spring, 126). At this time moral education was held superior to the "standard", non-moral education of a child. These "standard" subjects were taught only second to religion, which in turn produced a very narrow education and a narrow view of the world. The strict view of morality forced the teacher, the classroom's 'moral example', to fulfill all of the scrupulous principles society demanded. Teaching was in the past, as it is in the present, a public position that leaves educators with limited security of privacy. This is easily exemplified through the boarding of teachers with the families of their students. The teacher would live for designated amounts of time with families in the communities. Is there any less private manner for a teacher to live their life? Teachers were constantly under the eye of scrutiny. Since that time many laws limiting the aspects of a teacher's life have been abolished.

Corporate Social Responsibility (Csr): Bangladesh Perspectives Essay

Corporate means formed into an association and endowed by law with the rights and liabilities of an individual. Social responsibility is an ethical ideology or theory that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act to benefit society- at- large. This responsibility can be passive, by avoiding engaging in socially harmful acts, or active, by performing activities that directly advance social goals. To find a universally agreed definition of CSR is difficult if not impossible. Rather than adding to the futile debate on what elements constitute CSR, we choose to focus on the broader principles upheld by CSR. We view CSR as a universal business strategic imperative that can be ‘localized’ to suit organization’s business objectives. It is not a question of ‘one size fits all’. A definition of CSR has come up in Bangladesh as â€Å"a set of business practices based on ethical norms and transparency that contributes to the sustainable development of internal and external stakeholder in the best interest of business, society and environment†. While debate continues regarding elements that define CSR, few can deny that CSR practice improves operational efficiency, increases standards and reliability in the supply chain, and positively affects employee motivation and loyalty which, in turn, leads to greater productivity. Other drivers for companies to engage their stakeholders include the fact that CSR practice strengthens a business’s license to operate. By facilitating services needed in the community in which a company is seeking entry, CSR practice often enables the company to gain popularity with its customer base, which, in turn, leads to increase sales or retention of market share. It is important to note, however, that CSR practice is not exclusively for the large companies; neither is it only for those whose concerns are in the export business. Such prevalent misperceptions need immediate rectification, particularly in Bangladesh, where all businesses, both large and small, can enhance their competitiveness through greater adoption and implementation of CSR. By embracing the values of CSR, the Bangladesh private sector can send a strong signal to the global market that they are discharging their commitments to society. Failing to do so voluntarily inevitably leads to adverse external pressure, often with more strict guidelines and under extremely tight timelines. The Centre will help the private sector be more proactive rather than reactive. CSR practice in Bangladesh is a relatively new phenomenon and is often misperceived as philanthropy or charity. Also, very often, there is a clear lack of integration of CSR with core business strategy. Perhaps the greatest challenge in CSR implementation is the fact that CSR practice is perceived by many as a cost – a threat – rather than as a business opportunity. There is also a lack of quality data and resources to develop a business case for CSR and enable the private sector to relate better by learning from peers. It is these observations and learning that led us to develop the CSR Centre Concept. Through the Centre, we hope to make available better products and tools that will increase awareness on CSR practice benefits, and will also help quantify the intangibles of CSR. By championing CSR under a specialized institutionalized framework, we hope that the CSR Centre will have greater economic impact and value addition that have so far eluded business in Bangladesh. It is very true that few of us have the luxury of committing additional resources to new initiatives. That is where the benefits of CSR come to the fore. CSR is about partnerships and sharing resources, and is not limited to just financial commitments. Partnerships based on equity principles, where businesses can reach out to others with complementary strengths, is a cornerstone of good CSR practice. Through such resource collaborations, businesses can find long term win-win solutions to complex problems, expand their network and find new business opportunities in an increasingly competitive world, and, more importantly, free up resources to concentrate on core competencies. Strategic CSR practices, consistently applied in Bangladesh, will improve the general competitiveness of the private sector vis-à  -vis global competition, as well as develop Bangladesh’s international image as a responsible global manufacturer and service provider. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as defined by the CSR Centre is a set of business practices based on ethical norms and transparency that contributes to the sustainable development of internal and external stakeholders in the best interest of business , society and the environment. While debate continues regarding elements that define CSR, few can deny that CSR practice improves operational efficiency, increases standards and reliability in the supply chain, and positively affects employee motivation and loyalty which, in turn, leads to greater productivity. Other drivers for companies to engage their stakeholders include the fact that CSR practice strengthens a business’s license to operate. By facilitating services needed in the community in which a company is seeking entry, CSR practice often enables the company to gain popularity with its customer base, which, in turn, leads to increase sales or retention of market share. It is important to note, however, that CSR practice is not exclusively for the large companies; neither is it only for those whose concerns are in the export business. Such prevalent misperceptions need immediate rectification, particularly in Bangladesh, where all businesses, both large and small, can enhance their competitiveness through greater adoption and implementation of CSR. By embracing the values of CSR, the Bangladesh private sector can send a strong signal to the global market that they are discharging their commitments to society. Failing to do so voluntarily inevitably leads to adverse external pressure, often with more strict guidelines and under extremely tight timelines. The Centre will help the private sector be more proactive rather than reactive. CSR practice in Bangladesh is a relatively new phenomenon and is often misperceived as philanthropy or charity. Also, very often, there is a clear lack of integration of CSR with core business strategy. Perhaps the greatest challenge in CSR implementation is the fact that CSR practice is perceived by many as a cost – a threat – rather than as a business opportunity. There is also a lack of quality data and resources to develop a business case for CSR and enable the private sector to relate better by learning from peers. It is these observations and learning that led us to develop the CSR Centre Concept. Through the Centre, we hope to make available better products and tools that will increase awareness on CSR practice benefits, and will also help quantify the intangibles of CSR. By championing CSR under a specialized institutionalized framework, we hope that the CSR Centre will have greater economic impact and value addition that have so far eluded business in Bangladesh. It is very true that few of us have the luxury of committing additional resources to new initiatives. That is where the benefits of CSR come to the fore. CSR is about partnerships and sharing resources, and is not limited to just financial commitments. Partnerships based on equity principles, where businesses can reach out to others with complementary strengths, is a cornerstone of good CSR practice. Through such resource collaborations, businesses can find long term win-win solutions to complex problems, expand their network and find new business opportunities in an increasingly competitive world, and, more importantly, free up resources to concentrate on core competencies. Strategic CSR practices, consistently applied in Bangladesh, will improve the general competitiveness of the private sector vis-à  -vis global competition, as well as develop Bangladesh’s international image as a responsible global manufacturer and service provider. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) when defined at this age of changes world over is a set of business practices based on ethical norms and transparency that contributes to the sustainable development of business and society where environment is being built-in as an essential element. While debate continues regarding elements that define CSR, few can deny that CSR practice improves operational efficiency, increases standards and reliability in the supply chain, and positively affects employee motivation and loyalty, which, in turn, leads to greater productivity. For such reasons the term â€Å"stakeholders† is being redefined to include all the apparent external stakeholders. Because of the inclusion of environment into CSR, even the bottled water businesses are now under threat to abandon the plastic bottles and the petroleum companies are under threat to find out alternative energy sources. For companies to engage all their stakeholders, internal and external include the fact that CSR practice strengthens a business’s license to operate. By facilitating services needed in the community in which a company is seeking entry, CSR practice often enables the company to gain popularity with its customer base, which, in turn, leads to increased sales or retention of market share. Business Executives and leaders are being encountered in Talk Shows as to how they are reinventing their corporate missions to combat climate change, give back to local communities, communicate in an age of Facebook, blogs and they cannot opt for the option to remain unspoken. In Bangladesh, a global food conglomerate Nestle has some operations but zero stakes in bottled water business though this particular company has about 50% share in this particular business in some of the countries of the world. Under their CSR practice in Bangladesh, as it is understood they have drilled a Deep well in Gazipore, Dhaka and built a water storage tank in order to serve the local habitation with water. By providing free water to the surrounding community, from a deep tube well they are virtually laying the foundation of their future bottled water business. Therefore, this free supply by a company is not free in fact. Same Nestle was assailed by environmental activists on Facebook and Twitter globally for business practices that contribute to deforestation; within weeks, Nestle had announced a partnership with an independent non-profit, somewhere in the world to eliminate its dependence on unsustainable forest products. Internet with social media facebook and twitter already revolutionized our social communications not only at local level but also globally for day-to-day changes in a complex reality of urbanization, globalization, commercialization together with reshape-up of regulations world over. In this age of gradually reducing Government stake in businesses world over, businesses are taking up the responsibilities by way of commercialization of public goods. Alongside tap waters, people are taking bottled waters; alongside Ramna Park, people are using Nandan Park; alongside free roads, people are being pursued to get prepared for Toll Roads, instead of partly export oriented units investors are being motivated for setting up cent percent exporting units. Instead of 100% local investments a free flow of factors of productions including both labour and capital (such as inflow and outflow of Foreign Direct Investments) world over is in demand which would gradually help a reduction of dependence upon the systems of Governments. With development of a consumer-base, investors are being motivated to invest in locally marketable products with surplus only to export. Moreover, there is a growing concern over environmental degradation world over endangering human habitation on the earth so the emerging comparative systems of economics and social transformations are incorporating environment as an important element for socio-economic proportion. Bangladesh as well as whole of the deltaic region on the southern side of Himalaya is under a threat due to changing water flows in the down streams of Himalayas caused by increased melting of ice in Himalayas as well as landslide causing movements of billions of tons of silts towards downstream. Tectonic plates in the north and south of Himalayas are in clash at the point in line of Himalayas, which is threatening habitation in entire South Asia, down not only flow of silts and changing flows of water streams, but also series of earthquakes ranging from mild to severe are going to take place. It is not a threat to a particular country like Bangladesh but to the whole region. Therefore, it will have to be addressed in CSR practices. In Bangladesh, the companies are directly, involved in CSR practices alongside independent organizations formed by volunteers who are being aided by the corporate. National budget of Bangladesh of fiscal 2011-12 created provisions for tax-deductible contributions under CSR. Similar provisions exist in countries around the world. CSR activities are always non-partisan around the world to help advancement of holistic and free play of thoughts and actions in a pluralistic social framework. It is important to note, however, that CSR practice is not exclusively for the large companies; neither is it only for those whose concerns are in the export business. Such prevalent misperceptions need immediate adaptation, particularly in Bangladesh, where all businesses, both large and small, can enhance their competitiveness through greater adoption and implementation of CSR. By embracing the values of CSR, the Bangladesh private sector can send a strong signal to the global market that they are discharging their commitments to society. Failing to do so voluntarily inevitably leads to adverse external pressure, often with more strict guidelines and under extremely tight timelines. This is a situation, in which the private sector needs to be more proactive rather than reactive. Particularly in the area of housing/habitation in industrial cluster zones, the CSR should contribute by building high-rise dormitories through trade bodies. This will help strengthening of local Bangladesh Taka in view of the demand for wage-hikes. CSR practice in Bangladesh is a relatively new phenomenon and is prone to frequent misperceptions as philanthropy or charity. In addition, very often, there is a clear lack of integration of CSR with core business strategy. Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s case has shown this but others are yet to follow the same. Perhaps the greatest challenge in CSR implementation is the fact that CSR practice is perceived by many as a cost, a sort of threat rather than as a business opportunity. Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s case as enunciated is a good example of CSR. From which it is clear that CSR does not only implies cost but also lays the foundation of business. There is a lack of quality data and resources to develop a business case for CSR and enable the private sector to relate better by learning from peers. It is necessary for businesses to assimilate data from all over such as the one of Nestle. Global changes in post Washington consensus era are giving the messages of corporate leadership for societal changes as the days of governments, on the points of views are over. It is very true that few of us have the luxury of committing additional resources to new initiatives. That is where the benefits of CSR come to the fore. CSR is about partnerships and sharing resources, and is not limited to just financial commitments. Partnerships based on equity principles, where businesses can reach out to others with complementary strengths, is a cornerstone of good CSR practice. Through such resource collaborations, businesses can find long-term win-win solutions to complex problems expand their network and find new business opportunities in an increasingly competitive world, and, more importantly, free up resources to concentrate on core competencies. Strategically drawn CSR practices, consistently applied in Bangladesh, will improve the general competitiveness of the private sector vis-à  -vis global competition, as well as develop Bangladesh’s international image as a responsible global manufacturer and service provider.