Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Effect of Parenting Styles and Culture on Children Essay

A newborn child is like a blank paper, whatever you write on it or whatever he sees and learns in his youth will reflect in his personality. How a child interacts with his surrounding and environment in the future is greatly dependent upon the parenting style. Darling and Steinberg define parenting style as â€Å"a constellation of attitudes toward the child that are communicated to the child and create an emotional climate in which the parent’s behaviors are expressed† (Paul et.al, 2009, p.280). Parenting style is the primary factor in devising child’s personality and attitude towards his environment. It is very important that parents create productive and caring atmosphere for a child. This will support his overall personality and behavior. Cultural background, religion, and environment are secondary factors that are equally important in affecting the child in the long run. Many parents face cultural and religious limitations and forced to follow or undertake certain parenting style that is common to their culture and country. Today, such views are changing, and parents are more willing and open minded towards their child’s brought up. They want to give him the best, may it be values, education or environment. Socioeconomic factor does have an effect on a child’s personality, but parenting style is the main driving force behind any child’s attitude and behavior. Discussion Dimensions to Parenting Different views and opinions exist in different countries, on which parenting style is best for building distinct personalities. People belonging to different countries have their own beliefs and preferences that again depend upon their cultural background. To remove confusion about which parenting style is the best, psychologist Diana Baumrind believes that parenting styles consist of following key dimensions (Janette, 2009). Disciplinary strategies Disciplinary strategies entail different types of disciplinary methods and rules. Parents follow this strategy to make children obey instructions in their daily routine. It can be related to their daily task like eating and sleeping habits or education. Warmth and nurturance All emotions and feelings of love and care come under this dimension that will help them through their tough times. It is very important that we discipline them by giving confidence and attention. Punishing is not the solution, instead it makes them more rebellious. It is always better to explain so that next time they behave more responsibly. Communication How we communicate with them is very important as that will have a deep impact on their understanding, attitude and interpersonal skills. Some parents feel that they do not need to explain things and their orders need to be followed without any excuse. Others believe in reasoning and explanation which is definitely a better approach than pointing out a child’s mistakes in a harsh manner. Parents, who are willing to go down to a child’s level of communication to make him understand, have better relationships with them in the long run. Expectations of maturity and control Parents demand a certain level of maturity and expect the child to behave in a positive manner under unusual circumstances. For instance, most parents expect children to display best manners and follow instructions in public places. Putting them under stress and pressure from every young age further aggravates things. The child is unable to understand and accept things in a difficult situation. After identifying the above mentioned important aspects of parent’s behavior, Diana Baumrind concluded that parents fall into parenting styles when analyzed on the basis of above mentioned dimensions (Janette, 2009). Parenting styles in general Baumrind came up with three basic parenting styles, however, with passing time and debate over the issue, a fourth parenting style was also identified by Maccoby and Martin (Kim, 2008). Currently there are four parenting styles in total. They are considered to be universal and common to parents all over the world regardless of their cultural background or country. Authoritarian Parenting As the name suggests, parents falling under this category want children to follow their instructions without questioning. They believe that the only solution to discipline the child is punishing them so that they remain scared and never repeat the same mistake. The child apparently follows the order but fails to understand the reason; therefore, acceptance level is naturally low. (Parentingstyles.org, 2012) Authoritative Parenting Parents belonging to this type are strict about rules and disciplinary issues as well as open to children’s issue and questions. They are willing to listen and understand if any problem exists. They want to explain why they are expected to act in a positive manner and how will it benefit them in the long run. As a result, there is maximum control and high acceptance. Permissive Parenting Such parents are passive and ignorant toward children’s attitude. They are too lenient and flexible. They do not set any rules or limitations and are more responsive towards their needs. Expectations and demands are very low, and the child is allowed to do most of the things without any checks and control. Such parents want to build friendly relationship with the child but avoid confronting him if something goes wrong. They are passive and believe that the child will learn on trial and error basis. Uninvolved Parenting Uninvolved parents believe that their job is limited to fulfilling the child’s basic needs and demands. They have no interest in the child’s life and activities as such. Children of such parents are on their own. In some situations, parents coming under this category may even ignore and overlook their basic duties toward the child. Both acceptance level and control is at the lowest level in this parenting style. Parenting Styles in Different Cultures Analysis of different literature and data regarding which parenting style is suitable in a particular culture shows that some parenting styles are not universal and may have different effects on different cultures. Authoritative parenting style is considered to be the best practice during a child’s upbringing. Even this faultless style has varied levels of positive effects when applied in different countries and cultures. Steinberg suggests that there are few basic similarities between African-American parents and Asian-American parents due to their socioeconomic values and situation. Both are conservative and protective towards their children, therefore, mostly end up undertaking authoritarian parenting behavior that does help in improving their education and academics but fail in saving children from indulging in disturbing activities and deviating attitude. In general, it has not proved very effective for an overall positive upbringing. In depth analysis of Steinberg research shows that authoritative style has an overall positive effect especially if we talk about the child’s personality development and attitude. In contrast to Asian-American and African-American parents, European and American parents mostly undertake an authoritative parenting style supported by their cultural background and living style. Even some of the American families belonging to the Catholic group follow authoritarian parenting style so that the child conforms to expected manners and behaviors without questioning them. (Masumoto and Juang, 2012) Chinese culture is also very conservative and strict when it comes to children as explained by Ruth Chao (Matsumoto and Juang, 2012). They believe in a terminology â€Å"chiao shun† which means maintaining control and strictness in training. Parent’s strict attitude towards children is normal in Japanese culture. The child must obey the rules or he may have to face punishment or penalty of some kind. Many people belonging to the Asian culture share similar beliefs. Authoritarian parenting style does have some positive effects on Chinese and Asian children in relation to academic achievement and mannerism. This style is compatible with their cultural beliefs and is easier to follow. North American culture supports both authoritarian parenting and authoritative parenting to some extent. Their emphasis is on raising children with strong personality traits and characteristics who know their family values and culture. Effects of Parenting Styles in young age and later Baumrind conducted a research study on 100 preschoolers. It clearly showed the early years of a child are very crucial for his positive upbringing and nurturing. Personality development starts from a very young age, and it depends on parents how they transfer and instill values and positive traits in them through supporting their emotional, physical and interpersonal skills. Things learned at this stage become a permanent part of their personality and cannot be undone in most of the cases. According to research by Maccoby and Baumrind, authoritative parenting style resulted in children that were happy and successful in their academics and practical life while authoritarian style produced children that were obedient and capable but weak emotionally. They lacked a sense of happiness and confidence during social interaction and in relationships. Unengaged parenting style resulted in children with the lowest rank on all scales, may it be success, emotion, happiness or relationships. Permissive parent’s children were also observed very closely. They showed problems in discipline and confidence levels. Parenting style used in adolescence and early stages of a child’s life has lasting effects and make them who they are as an adult. How they manage relationships, work, family, problems are to a large extent dependent upon how they were raised. Emotionally healthy children might not be as successful, but will always be more happy and content with what they have. They will have enough capability to achieve what he wants from life. Conclusion It is apparent from the above mentioned data analysis and researches that parenting styles have a lot to do with child’s personality and development. How parents deal with them at an adolescent age, is very crucial for positive development as a person. Emotional and social values are more important and need to be instilled in the very beginning of a child’s development. They will naturally support other traits and abilities that need to be developed later on in life. The relationship between a child and their parents is a global phenomenon. Societal limitation must not hinder the upbringing and development, if it is for good and betterment of their future. Parenting styles in different cultures do need more research and analysis. This will develop better understanding of which type of parenting is best. Parents can always alter certain parenting style in terms of the four dimensions as and when required. Parents should become a role model for their child through demonstrating positive values. Give them love, respect so they learn to do the same towards others. Developing sense of trust in children towards parents is extremely important and effective in building a strong bond.

Language and Communication Needs Essay

You are one of the support workers for a ten year old child who has learning disabilities and needs support at school. The child has language and communication needs. Describe the methods and strategies you might use to enable him to communicate with you. How to use specific methods of communication? Some children need particular help in order to communicate and interact. Speech alone may be difficult for them and they may require special methods of communication. There are several of these and usually advice will be given by a speech therapist in consultation with parents as to which one to use and how to use it. Over the past few years, the range of methods has increased and technology is increasingly being used. Voice simulation has, for example, meant that children can press a picture or type in a computer or handheld device and have ‘their voices’ heard. In the same way, for children who find in hard to write, voice recognition can put their words into writing. Below are some examples of the methods that might be used. – Visual systems Some children need visual cues in order to make sense of language. If the child you are working with uses a system of visual communication, you will need to spend time learning how to use it quickly and fluently. – Picture representations Some children benefit from using pictures to supplement communication. You may show a child a picture of an apron and at the same time say the word so that the child knows that they need to get their apron. – Picture exchange system This system, based on pictures, not only helps children to understand the meaning of words but also help them to learn about the way in which communication is a shared and a two-way process. The child takes and receives pictures and so learns how to interact. – Sign representations Some children’s cognitive development is the reason why they find it hard to talk and communicate. At first, babies learn about language through seeing the object that the adult is talking about at the same time as hearing the word. For example, an adult may point to a cat and say ‘cat’. The child than remembers the word and so eventually does not need the cat to be around to know what the word means. For some children, sounds alone are not enough and they need to have their language supported by signs. A common sigh system is Makaton. It helps children link the word to an action or object and so is easier for them to understand. Makaton is not a language in itself but a tool to help language. It is important not to confuse Makaton with British sigh language, which is not used for the same purpose. – British sign language British sign language is an alternative form of communication. It is a complete language and is used instead of speech. Users if sign language do not have learning difficulties. Most users have significant hearing loss and so need a different way of communicating. Music can be an incredibly effective therapeutic and educational medium for young children and individuals with special needs. Singing can stimulate growth in many areas of a child’s development and in several areas simultaneously. By singing with children, we may help stimulate language and communication skills, encourage interaction, assist in learning academic concepts, encourage self expression, increase self esteem, help him relax, and help establish routines. How to remove barriers in communication: A child might not be able to hear instructions or what other children are saying – Write down instructions or show pictures to help children understand what is happening. – Encourage other children to face the child so that it is easier for them to hear. – Use pictures or signs to help children to communicate with each other. – Plan games in which action is more important than hearing or talk. Useful strategies Try to: †¢ speak in clear, short, simple sentences †¢ simplify instructions †¢ support speech with visual prompts, signs or gestures †¢ use pictures/symbols to aid understanding †¢ ensure prompt referral to a speech and language therapist, or the provision of specialist speech and language intervention within the educational setting †¢ encourage regular, constant reinforcement of skills introduced at speech and language sessions. Strategies for or those with language impairment/delay It helps to: †¢ use simple sentences and instructions, reinforcing key words †¢ ask a child to tell you in their own words what they have been asked to do †¢ reinforce learning by repeating answers (from the child or others) †¢ encourage ‘good listening’ †¢ encouraging the child to (learn to) read †¢ use visual timetables/prompts gestures, signing eg Makaton or written instructions to reinforce the spoken word provide visual clues, don’t just talk about a cylinder, let them see it, feel it, play with it, find different cylinders †¢ teach word association skills †¢ teach the nuances of language, meanings of jokes, idioms, body language, facial expressions etc †¢ make use of books, role play, drama, singing, social stories to explain social situations and develop social skills and understanding †¢ play games that encourage listening and/or social skills †¢ plan the careful use of computers and ICT to facilitate learning. Types of disorders Speech disorders Speech disorders involve difficulties producing speech sounds or problems with voice quality. They might be characterised by an interruption in the flow or rhythm of speech, such as stuttering (which is called dysfluency). Speech disorders include problems with articulation (the way sounds are formed), or phonological disorders, or difficulties with the pitch, volume or quality of the voice. There may be a combination of several problems. Experiencing difficulty with some speech sounds may be a symptom of a delay, or of a hearing impairment. It can be difficult to understand what someone with a speech disorder is trying to say. Language disorders Language disorder is an impairment in the ability to understand and/or use words in context, both verbally and non-verbally. Characteristics of language disorders include improper use of words and their meanings, problems with sentence structure, inappropriate grammatical patterns, reduced vocabulary and inability to express ideas, or follow directions. One or a combination of these may occur in children who are affected by language-learning disabilities (such as dyslexia) or developmental language delay. Children may hear or see a word, but not be able to understand its meaning. Often, being unable to communicate frustrates them. The effects of language difficulties vary from mild and transient, perhaps requiring some short-term specialist intervention, to severe and long-term, requiring continual specialist input. Some children have specific language problems others have additional difficulties such as hearing impairments.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Kodak Essay

Foreword During 2011, Kodak was under intense pressure to survive in the digital imaging business. As professor Burley describes, ‘Kodak was caught in a perfect storm of not only technological, but also social and economic change’ (Neate, 2012). As of Thursday 19 January 2012, Kodak filed for bankruptcy protection (Neate, 2012) and has until 2013 to reshape its business and exit out of the bankruptcy plan (Business Spectator, 2012). Introduction Eastman Kodak (Kodak) was once a leader (Finnerty, 2000) and legendary brand in the photographic film industry (Associated Press, 2011b). It used the catchy slogan â€Å"You press the button, we do the rest† (Kodak, 2011) to successfully market its digital camera products. It employed as many as 145,300 people and sales as high as $16 billion when it monopolized the US photography industry and became number one in the industry in 1988 (Dobbin, 2011). Recently, Kodak lost 90 percent of its market value (Weiss, 2011) and is facing the threat of extinction (Associated Press, 2011b). In this case study, we propose and defend a recommended strategic direction for the company to implement in the next three to five years based on a balanced assessment of the company’s options. We first conduct a detailed analysis of Kodak’s internal and external environments to understand the opportunities and threats facing the company. Analysis Kodak has tried to transform itself from an aged old film technology business into a fast and digital cultured business but has failed as a result of decline in sales in the United States (Deutsch, 2004). It is still trying to play catch-up with rivals (Associated Press, 2011b) such as Canon, Sony and HP for the past 15 years. Its current products and services span across digital cameras, inkjet printers, sensors, retail kiosks, workflow and business process services and software through to consumer, professional photographic film, paper processing chemicals and industrial materials such  as films for printed circuit boards (Kodak, 2010). Through the help of drug and discounts stores, Kodak was able to add self-service kiosks to encourage people to print their own digital photos (Deutsch, 2004). Kodak formed strategic joint ventures with companies like Sanofi, AOL online (Grant, 2005), and most recently in 2007 Cinelabs (Beijing) Ltd (Kodak, 2007). It has tried to acquire several s maller successful companies such as Ofoto and Practice works to fill in the missing pieces of technology and markets that it did not have capabilities in (Deutsch, 2004). Strengths Kodak has several strengths to distinguish itself from rivals. Kodak has superior brand recognition (Aaker, 1992; Deutsch, 2004; Grant, 2005) as compared to rival brands such as Agfa based on US consumer reports (Simonson et al., 1994). Its brand was supported by its massive worldwide distribution presence through retail photography stores, film processors and professional photographers which provided Kodak with the competitive advantage (Grant, 2005). Kodak leads in the higher-end photo quality camera segment (Smith, 1999) where it launched its major innovations in imaging (Grant, 2005). Traditionally, Kodak has strengths in photofinishing services and consumables such as paper, ink and chemical technology (Grant, 2005). This is derived from a rich portfolio of 11,000 patents (Associated Press, 2011b) derived from a strong R&D investment during the early 1980s (Grant, 2005). Kodak was financially secure with cash flows flowing from its existing photography business during the early 1990s (Grant, 2005). Weaknesses On the other hand, Kodak has weaknesses. Kodak avoided taking risks, they were not innovative enough and relied on existing procedures and policies to maintain standards (Gavetti et al., 2005). They were slow to bring new products to market (Grant, 2005). Its retail network of stores was a depreciating asset due to the increase use of home computers, email and print technologies (Grant, 2005). Kodak focused too heavily on the extremely competitive entry-level market and failed to develop innovative products fast enough (Grant, 2005). Its product development and sales departments were fragmented and scattered over many divisions (Gavetti et al., 2005). Subsequently, Kodak’s middle managers were resistant to change and did not understand the digital world (Gavetti et al., 2005; Lucus & Goh, 2009).  Kodak managers ignored analysis work based on information gained from Kodak’s eroding market share (Gavetti et al., 2005). Kodak managers lacked vision and strategy (Gavetti et al., 2005). Opportunities A few opportunities exist for Kodak. It can build consumer trust in digital that Kodak already has in film (Smith, 1999). Kodak could focus on its core business and develop new technologies (Gavetti et al., 2005) and new products (Deutsch, 2004). Threats However, Kodak will suffer long term threats to its core franchise in the film business if it does not extend its brand name to digital (Smith, 1999). IBISWorld forecasts the demand for physical photographs would fall due to improvements in digital technology (IBISWorld, 2011). Kodak has been in battles with other competitors such as Sony over patent infringements (Deutsch, 2004; Associated Press, 2011a). It has been struggling with a price war between strong competitors such as Fuji Photo Film (Smith, 1999) in the photographic film industry. Industry analysis – Porter’s five forces Threat of Entry An analysis of the industry using Porter’s five forces shows that threat of new entry is moderate. Significant investment in capital would be required to enter a new industry (Select Knowledge, 2001) such as the digital imaging and photography industry. Printing equipment such as hardware, software, photographic paper and chemicals is estimated to be 45.7% of purchases versus wages at 26.8% of revenue (IBISWorld, 2011). New entrants would lack experience and knowledge in key areas of digital imaging and photography such as technical and business knowledge (Greenwood, 2008). Buyer power The buying power of consumers is high especially for consumer electronics (Skoloda, 2009). Buyers are given a range of differentiated digital camera products from a number of companies (IBISWorld, 2010). They expect better offerings and customization of goods and services (Fraser, 2007). Supplier power Supplier power is low. A lot of the suppliers are located around the world  both locally and internationally. Kodak has several supplier contracts spanning one to three years (Kodak, 2010). However, there are single or limited sources of finished goods manufactured and purchased by the company’s third party suppliers which may pose a risk for the organization (Kodak, 2010). Unique suppliers can reduce industry profitability (McGuigan et al., 2010). Threat of substitution The threat of substitutes is high. Companies are quick to match specifications, features and pricing (Select Knowledge, 2001). There are minimal switching costs between brands or substitutes as buyers can change to new updated models based on reasonable buyer perception (Select Knowledge, 2001). Competitive rivalry Competitive rivalry is high. Kodak’s faces intense competition from rivals such as start-ups (Grant, 2005; IBISWorld, 2010; Smith, 1999;) and major competitors are Canon, Fuji Photo Film, Hewlett Packard (HP), Nikon and Sony (Gavetti et al., 2005). Similarly, Kodak is competing in similar segments with rivals – Hewlett-Packard (HP) to provide digital printing technology to consumers and commercial businesses (Weiss, 2011). Kodak (2010) states that competitive pricing and rising commodity prices has contributed to the negative results for 2010 across its prepress solutions, digital capture and devices, and entertainment imaging (Kodak, 2010). External Analysis There are several external (political and legal, economical, socio-cultural and technological) factors which impact Kodak’s business model. Political and legal  Laws and government environmental regulations have an impact to the way Kodak operates in several different countries. For example, U.S federal legislations such as the Toxic substances control act, clean air and water act etc. impact the way Kodak manufactures products and process waste for proper disposal (Kodak, 2010). In 2003, it needed to form a committee to reduce odours which descended towards nearby neighborhoods (Kodak, 2006). Economical From an economical view, the decline in prices has made it affordable for  consumers to purchase digital cameras (IBISWorld, 2010). However, forecasts show that standalone digital cameras have reached a state of market saturation with little room for future growth (IBISWorld, 2010). Socio-cultural and Technological Digital cameras became an integrated and standard feature in mobile phones (IBISWorld, 2010). Increasing trends show that consumers are taking and sharing photos on mobile phones daily (Okabe, 2004). The archiving and exchange functions for photos have been facilitated by online communities and social practices (Scifo, 2009), such as Facebook (Upbin, 2011), and mobile social-media applications (Naaman et al., 2005). Intense competition between rivals is expected for new 3D camera technology on mobile phones (AFP, 2010). Strategy, approaches & implications In order for Kodak to sustain a competitive advantage, it needs to strategically transform its entire business model around to capture new and unique growth opportunities. There are several options which Kodak can explore to achieve this strategy. The options below focus on structural changes in the industry and resources (skills and capabilities) in the organisation. Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) Kodak can reconstruct the organisation using business process re-engineering practices. Its current traditional photographic business is vertically integrated (Grant, 2005). The organisation can be redesigned from a vertically to a horizontally integrated organisation through process-oriented organizational restructuring, offering a more low-level flat organisational structure (Wu & Li, 2011). The result gives improved efficiency and business simplification (Wu & Li, 2011) for Kodak to compete effectively in a tough competitive environment where it needs to quickly deliver innovative products out to market. Kodak can focus on its real core competencies in film chemistry, production and processing (Garrett, 2010), so that it can create new markets, products and services. BPR gives obvious benefits such as the reduction in complex bureaucracy in the organisation (Wu & Li, 2011). However, as cited by Greenberg (2002), there are limitations in BPR such as resistance to change, lack of ma nagement support etc. (Schniederjans & Kim, 2003). Rebranding Other opportunities exists for Kodak, it can change its name from Eastman Kodak Company to say Kodak Communication (Deutsch, 2004), or as Hopelain suggests, it will need to establish a separate Kodak Technology brand (Deutsch, 2004). An organisation’s strategy and operations will be potentially impacted by the scope of corporate rebranding (Burke et al., 2011). Stakeholder commitment needs to be achieved for the revised brand to be successful (Burke et al., 2011). It will involve staff in planning for proposed changes and training employees for changes (Burke et al., 2011). Any rebrand will impact the value of the brand (Davis & Baldwin, 2006). Rebranding will involve a lot of communication and stakeholder involvement (Davis & Baldwin, 2006). Poor corporate rebranding can be a high risk (Davis & Baldwin, 2006) for the organisation where core values may not integrate well into the new brand (Burke et al., 2011). Leadership and organisational learning Kodak will need to train staff, especially managers in weak areas on vision and strategy (Gavetti et al., 2005). For example, managers can be taught ‘design methods’, to generate growth, evolve, and react as the marketplace (Rahim & Rahim, 2009) and user needs changes so that the business model can evolve to bypass extinction (Fraser, 2007). Similarly, Apple evolved with the user to new opportunities, it did not live to the constraints of its current business model (Fraser, 2007). Subsequently, Kodak will need to discontinue some of its products, especially in saturated markets such as digital cameras (IBISWorld, 2010) where profit margins are low (Pride & Ferrell, 2007) and competition is fierce. It can better utilise its resources and real core competencies (Garrett, 2010) to make it difficult to imitate its products (Prahalad & Hamel, 1990) and demonstrate leadership. However, leaders would need to be able to influence teams indirectly through climate and culture in t he organisation (Kaiser et al., 2008). Technology enabled transformations will affect the importance of organisational culture (Lucus & Goh, 2009) where hierarchy and standards provides resistance to disruptive technologies (Lucus & Goh, 2009). Joint ventures and outsourcing Kodak can form joint ventures with other companies. It can create new emerging industries or new value propositions, alliances and collaboration – to be form by complementing and adding to its capabilities and resources (Camillus, 2000). It can capitalise heavily on its existing patent portfolio (Deutsch, 2004). Kodak will need to outsource a lot more of its manufacturing (Deutsch, 2004), while part-time and casual staff can lead to the reduction of labour costs (IBISWorld, 2011). Extreme care needs to be taken where processes of high strategic importance should not be outsourced (Sounderpandian & Sinha, 2007). The result will allow Kodak, to develop new competencies for future developments and sustain the importance of long-term success (Utterback, 1995). Recommendation To sustain competitive advantage, Kodak needs to strategically transform its entire business model around to capture new and unique growth opportunities. It is recommended that Kodak, take the BPR and organisational learning approach, to improve efficiency and simplify the organisation; leadership to communicate and influence vision and change (Bolman & Deal, 2008); to capture new business models and better match user needs and economic value (Fraser, 2007). Larsen & Leinsdorff (1998) research suggests that BPR and organisational learning work well together (Larsen & Leinsdorff, 1998). Though, developing a coherent strategy is not going to be easy for a digital imaging business (Grant, 2005) like Kodak. It will be Kodak’s last chance to ‘reinvigorate their human capital to get ahead of the curve’ (Fraser, 2007, p.67).

Monday, July 29, 2019

Apple vs. Samsung Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Apple vs. Samsung - Research Proposal Example The comparison between the Apple and Samsung companies is their uniqueness that makes them lead the technological market. The book value of Apple Inc. has never been witnessed in any of the corporations. After Apple trading with XOM (Exxon Mobil Corporation), its share has risen while that of XOM has fallen. This has seen Apple Inc. getting an advantage of approximately $ 200 billion. The gap created by Apple, has made it that even combination of 15 corporations’ market capitalizations cannot defeat it. On the other hand, Samsung contributes approximately 1/6 of South Korea’s Gross Domestic Product. Samsung has got into so many distinct businesses leaving only a few businesses that might be termed as irrelevant. An example of the main businesses that Samsung has ventured in includes life insurance (colossal), ship building and construction. All these are additional to what it is best known of; Samsung Electronics (McFarlane, 2015). The results of this research are to compare the companies: Apple and Samsung. The comparison will be based on the employment potential of the two companies in terms of number and quality (Edwards, 2014). The research will also help determine which of the two companies have better investment prospects (Ante and Connors, 2013). This will assist in the determining the companies that one can best invest in. It will also help in the finding of which company gives its employees the best benefits (Kasewurm, 2006; Apple, 2015; Samsung, 2015). This research will also help determine the environmental practices that are practiced by Apple and Samsung and compare them (Batra, 2013). My qualification as a writer is that I have a great experience in writing having written several reports. My writings normally focus on questions that are anticipated by the instructor and the readers. I always base my work on the data and it is always applied logic in it (Thonney, 2003). My experience will enable the

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Occupy Wall Street Movement Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Occupy Wall Street Movement - Assignment Example As the discussion outlines  the main motto behind this movement was to invoke change in today’s crony capitalism by raising worldwide awareness and calling themselves as 99%. They claimed to use the tactics of Arab Spring that was to peacefully protest against the unjust. An admirer of the OWS released a video calling the youth to join the protest by gathering at lower Manhattan and occupying the Wall Street for some moths. From there other groups including the governing body, General Assembly of NYC also started joining the protest. The word of protest soon got out through the social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. The movement soon started gaining momentum and pick up steam within a month.This paper discusses that  the protest that started on the Wall Street did not put forward any demand or grievances instead it brought some agendas to be viewed. The common agenda was the gap of 1% and 99% where 1% was considered to be the â€Å"wealthy traders and bankers at the top of the financial services sector† and the 99% was regarded to be everyone else leaving the 1% including the demonstrators or the protesters. The 1% was regarded to have a lump sum amount of money, power and wealth and was interested in conflicting with â€Å"the economic well-being of the rest of the country†.  The excessive compensation paid to the Wall Street traders aggravated income inequality and promoted excessive risk-taking. On the other hand this penalized the taxpayers whose money has gone into bailing out the failed banks.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

ALL SAINTS BRAND Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ALL SAINTS BRAND - Essay Example All of the All Saints stores bear a unique interior design which differentiated from each other. This reflects the brands image of uniqueness and non corporate culture. All Saints have associated itself with the music industry quite intimately. The company made strategic business collaboration with brands like U2, Kelis, Robbie Williams, etc. in order to enhance its brand equity. The company endorsed clothing for several music videos, thereby creating a brand culture associated with youth culture and casual lifestyle (Allsaints, 2015). According to Kotler and Keller (2011) the brand is defined as the perception of the customers regarding a particular product or individual or any other marketable entity. It is a mental image that a company wants its customers to have regarding its products. All Saints brand is best known for its uniqueness and focus on the gothic culture. The products’ design, the promotional activities and the aesthetics of the store are based on culture of matured and rough life style while wearing black, grey and white. The signature interiors of the store is characterized metal, worn off wood and exposed bricks, which indicates a rough and weathered lifestyle. The design of the clothes has been carefully selected that complements the gothic and dark nature of the brand. Thus it can be stated that the brand has been positioned to be youth centric thereby targeting the age group of 18 to 35 (Ferla, 2010). Apart from the uniquely mundane and muted appearance of the brand, the company has al so tried to blend fashion with rock music. Currently, All Saints is associated with a sense of decaying decadence and distress outlook with a taste of vintage lifestyle. It is one of those very few brands that barely follow market trend and try to initiate a trend in the industry. The company has successfully engaged the customers by building a close relationship with them, thereby creating a

Friday, July 26, 2019

Managing non governmental organizations. ,,Once inside a war zone, Essay

Managing non governmental organizations. ,,Once inside a war zone, it's essential to have a blind spot for matters of ethics ( Polman, 2010,p 91) Discuss - Essay Example In addition, NGOs operating in different countries are required to follow certain ethical standards. Such standards include not participating in political activities within the countries they operate or any other engagement that contravenes the ethical codes in providing humanitarian services globally. In most cases, the activities that NGOs participate in terms of controlling civil wars are wide and varied. Most NGOs are often called upon to offer their services in post war conflict. The services they provide may involve demobilizing soldiers, providing humanitarian services to the population and encouraging other rehabilitation activities for the civilians (Zaum 2009, p. 22). The number of international organizations offering humanitarian services has continued to grow and today there are more than 4,000 international NGOs providing their services to war-torn countries globally. NGOs are an integral part of the effort to reconstruct the war-torn countries. They are able to provide services such as relief food, healthcare, potable water and education. In addition, NGOs operating in conflict zones have done a tremendous work in terms of alleviating the suffering of civilians caught in the war. These organizations also help to prevent the violations of human rights within the war zones. However, it has to be realized that the presence of international NGOs in the warzones also presents some dark sides (Zaum 2009, p. 28). This involves criticism that emanate from the fact that some NGOs have a role in extending conflicts by enhancing the war economy. Unethical engagements involve legitimizing warlords that can occur as a result of accepting to negotiate with these warlords. The NGOs across international borders are also accused of demeaning local population’s capacity to deal with conflicts independently (Zaum 2009, p. 32). In essence,

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Managing Markering Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Managing Markering Communication - Essay Example A company will only be successful when it uses marketing to turn potential clients into consumers of its products or services. Communication is Constant It is a recognised fact that whether people know it or not, they are constantly sending messages in different ways to others. It has been estimated that marketers’ skills are only responsible for 15% of their success in attracting customers, while the remaining 85% is the result of their ability to inspire trust in potential clients through their communication methods (Gould 2004). This is the reason why companies spend so much on researching on the best ways of creating advertisements (Rossiter and Bellman, 2005). Commercials, as well as other methods of communication, represent a company’s feelings and intentions for its clients. The verbal as well as non verbal cues that are carried in advertisements are vital because they tell potential customers what how they can benefit from the products and services of a company (Zeithaml, Bitner and Gremler, 2006). Even where person to person communication is concerned, strangers will make an immediate assessment of someone upon first meeting them (Shultz 2004). This is before the person has even said a single word. Advertisements for products or billboards are unconsciously analysed in the same way by potential customers. When people first come upon a company’s products through different media, the first impression can result in feelings of distrust, or in feelings of interest (Solomon, Bamossy, Askegaard and Hogg, 2006). IMC Defined Integrated Marketing Communications basically means combining all the promotional tools of a company in an effort to reach customers with a message about the company’s products. All communications methods will have a greater impact on the student body if they are joined together than if they are each used in isolation (Kitchen, Brignell and Tao, 2004). This is even more beneficial for the company in question whe n integration also includes different levels of integration like the vertical, horizontal, external, internal, and data integrations (Kotler, Keller, Brady, Goodman and Hansen, 2009). Horizontal Integration can be extended across corporate functions as well as the marketing mix. For instance, finance, production, communications and distribution operations can be made to work together to create the most effective messages for potential customers (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). On the other hand, singular departments like advertising, direct mail and sales combine efforts in working on data integration (Girvin: Strategic Branding Blog, 2010). This calls for a marketing information structure that gathers and shares the important information across varied departments. Vertical Integration basically means that all marketing purposes have to support the higher level business goals (Malhotra, 2004). Internal Integration holds that all the personnel working in a company have to be informed at a ll times, of any fresh developments taking place; whether this means new corporate identities, strategic partners, advertisements, or service standards. Lastly, external integration holds that external partners like public relations firms and advertising agencies have to work together to generate an all inclusive and comprehensive message to potential and existing clients. IMC –

The presence of price-marked packaging has a normative influence in Dissertation

The presence of price-marked packaging has a normative influence in impulse purchase decision - Dissertation Example se 4.2.3 Price-Marked Packages and Brand Preference 4.2.4 Price-Marked Packages and Increased Traffic to Store 4.3 Summary Chapter 5: Conclusions 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Summary of Research Findings 5.3 Implications of the Research Findings 5.4 Research Limitations and Scope for future research List of Figures and Tables Figure 1: Maslows Needs Hierarchy Figure 2: Customer’s Intended Purchase Behaviour Figure 3: Initial Brand Preference of Customers Figure 4: Instore Brand Switch Figure 5: Reasons for Brand Switch . Figure 6: Income Group and Reasons for Brand Switch Figure 7: Buying Decision In the Absence of an Initial Brand Preference. Figure 8: : Buying Decision In the Absence of an Initial Shopping List Figure 9: Differences in Intended and Actual Purchses Figure 10: Reasons for Differences in Intended and Actual Purchses Figure 11: Reasons for Purchasing less than Intended Figure 12: Reasons for Brand Preference Figure 13: Brand Image of Price-Marked Products Figure 14: Cri teria for Brand Assessment Figure 15: Store Preference Figure 16: Store Preference for Price-Marked Products Figure 17: Reasons for Store Preference for Price-Marked Products Table 1: Willingness to Purchase higher priced price-marked products Table 2: Reasons for the Willingness to Purchase higher priced price-marked products List of Appendixes Appendix A: Survey Questionnaire Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Introduction and Background of Research Consumer behavior has been the subject of study for both academicians and marketers from time immemorial as understanding of why consumers buy products or services and how do they make their purchase behaviour is crucial to their selling efforts. Based on the knowledge of what the customers need and what are the features, attributes or contexts within which they judge the product or the organization gives the markers new insights about product development, product designing, packaging or promoting (Kotler and Keller, 2006). The literature on consumer behaviour therefore delves into the cognitive and the affective process by which the consumers make their purchase decisions and these insights are useful for the marketers for the promotion of their products and services. One such consumer behaviour – the impulsive purchase behaviour – is of great interest to the researcher, as it is intriguing to find that people make on the spot purchase decisions and often buy things that they do not need, or buy things in quantities that they do not require, simply due to in store factors like the point of sale displays, discounts, placement of the product on the shelf or the packaging of the product. The impulse behaviour is

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Th fed-how it manages the economy and the federal open market committe Essay

Th fed-how it manages the economy and the federal open market committe - Essay Example The fed uses its monetary policy to influence the availability and cost of money and credit to help promote national economic goals (Federalreserve. Gov). Among these functions the FOMC is responsible for the open market operations (buying and selling of government bonds to the market) function of the Fed. With the use of this tool through FOMC, the Fed manages the economy by balancing the balancing the interest rate according to the economic objective of the government. In simple language, FOMC can help expand the economy by reducing the cost of money to business by lowering the interest rates that would encourage them to expand their business operation which would in turn have a ripple effect of job creation, increased domestic spending and higher tax collection. During an overheated expansion of the economy, monetary policy can also be used to manage its ill effect which is usually inflation (too much money circulating in the economy). This can be done by raising the interest rates or cost of borrowing which would constrict the money supply and therefore arrest inflation. This function â€Å"mops out† excessive liquidity in the market to abate the effect of an â€Å"overheated† economy by raising interest rates which would otherwise led to an â€Å"overheated economy†. During a crisis such as the recent financial crisis that begun late of 2008, monetary policy was used to increase money supply by lowering the interest rates to push for an expansionary economy and abate the effect of the crisis. In the 2008 crisis, the Fed pegged â€Å"short-term interest rates to near zero† and bought â€Å"huge amounts of long-term Treasury debt and mortgages to push down long-term rates† (Wessel). The objective of adopting this monetary policy through FOMC was (1) signal that the Fed would keep short-term rates low for a long time, (2) drive long-term consumer and business borrowing rates lower

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Idealism Philosophy Using the dialectic as an instructional method Essay

Idealism Philosophy Using the dialectic as an instructional method - Essay Example One way - the Socratic method - is to show that a given hypothesis (with other admissions) leads to a contradiction; thus, forcing the withdrawal of the hypothesis as a candidate for truth. Another way of trying to resolve a disagreement is by denying some presupposition of the contending thesis and antithesis; thereby moving to a third thesis. Briefly, the term "dialectic" owes much of its prestige to its role in the philosophy of Plato, where it figures as the logical method of philosophy in the Socratic dialectical method of cross-examination. The term was given new life by Hegel, whose dialectically dynamic model of nature and history made it, as it were, a fundamental aspect of the nature of reality (instead of regarding the contradictions into which dialectics leads as a sign of the sterility of the dialectical method, as Kant tended to do in his Critique of Pure Reason). Hegel's dialectic, which he usually presented in a threefold manner, was vulgarized by Heinrich Moritz Chalybaus as comprising three dialectical stages of development: a thesis, giving rise to its reaction, an antithesis which contradicts or negates the thesis, and the tension between the two being resolved by means of a synthesis. In the mid-nineteenth century, the concept of "dialectic" was appropriated by and Engels and retooled in a non-idealist manner, becoming a crucial notion i

Monday, July 22, 2019

Career Competence Factors Essay Example for Free

Career Competence Factors Essay The essential skills and abilities associated with students’ personal learning styles are many of the capabilities hiring managers look for when reviewing applications. University of Phoenix learning goals represent another set of core competencies that can help you become recognized as an exceptional candidate or employee. Part A Complete the Personality Spectrum on pp. 66–67 in Ch. 3 of Keys to Success. Based on the results, respond to the following: What is your primary strength? My primary strengths are that I am a THINKER and an ORGANZER. How does this strength make you a strong candidate or employee? I am good at solving problems and I am responsible and reliable. What is one area of improvement?Being a giver is an area that I need improvement in. How can you improve in this area to become a stronger candidate or employee?I can improve by being more sensitive to others feelings and needs. Part B Read the University of Phoenix Material: University of Phoenix Learning Goals, included in the materials for this assignment. Fill in the following matrix with summaries of how each university learning goal can help you with career preparedness. University Learning Goal How can each goal prepare you for success in the workplace? Professional Competence and Values Having values and ethics can help you in makin important and critical decision in the workplace. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Promoting Tiffany Jewellery Line

Promoting Tiffany Jewellery Line Tiffany Co. is one of the most renowned luxury Jewellery companies over the world. As a successful brand that had entered into its maturity phase, to give it a new lease of life that based on its original values is an important point of its brand management issue. (Chevalier M. Mazzalovo G., 2008) On one hand, Tiffany needs to keep on to pay its attention on the earlier brand esthetics: unique and magnificent diamonds, legendary and groundbreaking design, timeless style and lasting value. (The Tiffany story, 2010). On the other hand, a new blood that could enhance Tiffanys brand equity and boost its sales would be acquired. This research proposal will find an opportunity to diversify and broaden Tiffanys product line, promote the brands reputation and also stimulate the demands of both exist customers and new customers. Background Charles Lewis Tiffany established Tiffany Co. in Manhattan in 1837. Nowadays, more than 220 Tiffany stores had founded around 22 countries over the world. As the second-largest luxury jewellery retailer in the world, Tiffany Co. offers a large-scale of fine jewellery (90% of revenue in 2009), along with sterling silverware, crystal, timepieces, china, stationery, eyewear, fragrances, scarves and other accessories. (Shareholder information, 2010). During 173-year history, Tiffany had created an appropriate esthetics for its products and made a brilliant success of its brand equity. However, confront of economic sea change and recessionary environment from 2008 to 2009, the worldwide sales of Tiffany had declined significantly. The bar chart follows shows the net sales of Tiffany Co. between 2001 and 2009. As the figure illustrated, Tiffanys net sales declined from $2.9 billion in 2007 to $2.86 billion in 2008 and $2.71 billion in 2009 gradually. The most important factor of Tiffanys downward sales was the worldwide range of recession between 2008 and 2009 which impact the whole category sales of Tiffany Co. significantly. More over, the fluctuations of foreign currency and precious metal price had also influenced Tiffanys sales internationally. (Annual report 2008, 2008) However, when the net sales decreased by degrees between 2008 and 2009, Tiffany Co. had taken some actions quickly. It includes reduced their staffs, slowed their pace of opening new stores, declined their manufacture and sell from suppliers and also closed their IRIDESSE stores. (CEOs annual letter, 2008). In terms of competitive strategies, Tiffany Co. expanded a wide range of its new product lines and triumphed appreciably in this area. For instance, Tiffany Co. launched the Tiffany KEYS collection in 2009, TIFFANY NOTES and METRO jewellery collections in 2008 respectively. (Annual report 2009, 2009; Annual report 2008, 2008). Moreover, extensive public relations activities and events had held successfully worldwide by Tiffany Co.. For example, the 2010-2011 Tiffany Blue Book collection event was celebrated at a marvelous square in Forbidden City of Beijing on October 23 2010. (Event, 2010) As the most representative historic site in China, chose this regal place could show Tiffanys peerless brand identity and earn glory reputation internationally. The 2010-2011 Tiffany Blue Book collection event was held in Beijings Forbidden City on October 23 2010. (Event, official Tiffany Co. Chinese website, 2010). Furthermore, although the net sales between 2008 and 2009 shows a downward trend, Tiffany Co. had never stopped to opening their new stores internationally but it slowed down their opening speed. For example, it opened 22 new stores in 2008 and 14 in 2009 respectively. (Annual report 2008, 2008; Annual report 2009, 2009). It seems that Tiffany took very careful operations in recession period but took enormous energy to resolve their problems. To celebrate the new flagship store had opened in Beijing in December 2010, an astounding 3D show was displayed onto the stores facade. (Office blog of Tiffany Co., 2010) To sum up, although a downturn economic trend was showed in recent two years, Tiffany Co. still has a great ambition in luxury jewellery industry. It seems that Tiffany focus on how to offer their products lasting value and a flawless shopping experience, as well as how to find new customers and expand their distribution worldwide and enhance its brand reputation in an extensive region. (2009 annual report, 2009) An Important point would be easy to noticed is that the proportion of wedding market accounted the whole Tiffanys market share remarkably. As the following chart which source from Tiffany Co. 2008 annual report shows, the category B which describes that diamond rings and wedding bands accounted for 18% in 2006 and 2007, increased to 20% in 2008. The average prices of this category was about $2500, $3000 and $3000 in 2006, 2007 and 2008 for total reportable segments. According this figure, it could be seen that as a famous luxury jewellery brand, Tiffany Co. has a great market share with wedding customers. Firstly, wedding market is Tiffanys target market. Not only supported from this sales category segment chat, it also could find evidence on the office Tiffany Co. website. The most conspicuous category of Tiffany, which people can find firstly when they opening a Tiffany Co. website, is engagement rather than jewellery. Moreover, the first essential topic in Tiffanys facebook or twitter is about wedding bands or engagement diamond rings. Furthermore, look at the large range of different advertisements of Tiffany Co. on magazines or websites, it also could deduction that a strong relationship between wedding people and Tiffanys products. Secondly, a large range of wedding people or Tiffany fans may want their wedding have a connection with Tiffany. When google the keywords of wedding or tiffany or together, a huge number of Tiffany styles wedding scenes that people did it themselves or wedding agencies did for them would be appeared; such as Tiffanys wedding dress, Tiffanys wedding banquets, Tiffanys wedding invitation cards and Tiffanys wedding cakes. Thirdly, this Tiffany blue wedding trend also could earn money for some particular business. For instance, some bridal gown companies named them products Tiffany wedding dress even an enterprise named itself Tiffany Bridal. (Tiffany bridal limited, 2010). Another thought-provoking example also could be found on a Chinese famous wedding magazine. A Chinese editor recommended and created a Tiffany blue wedding banquet pattern in Hotel New Otani which is one of the most famous five stars hotel in Beijing. Even Chinese have their own entrench traditional red colour wedding custom, this unique Tiffany blue wedding got an expressive successfulness of booking for the hotel when the press was released. DSC_4957 A Tiffany blue wedding released on a Chinese wedding magazine. (Zexy, 2008) As one of the Tiffanys famous tagline mentioned that Blue is the colour of dreams, a huge number of people who is engaged may think that Tiffany blue is also the colour of their dream weddings. For example, a significant number of girls discussed their dreaming Tiffany wedding in Tiffany Co. facebook website. It seems that the emotion part of Tiffany or Tiffanys blue may always about love, dream, beautiful and wedding. In terms of other famous brand such as Vera Wang or Cartier, they both have their specific target wedding market too. The former is renowned of its wedding dress firstly and is developing its brand to a integrate women fashion brand gradually. However, as a young brand which founded in 1990, Vera Wangs history is only 20 years old. (Company Information, 2010) It seems that the loyalty of customers is the most important factor of a successful brand. From this, the brand impart of Vera Wang may hardly to competition with Tiffanys. Cartier also has a great reputation of their wedding bands and engagement rings. But like Tiffany, they still not expand their wedding market widely for now. (Bridal, 2010) Decision According to a bridalwear market assessment in Key Note, the average wedding gowns that brides would pay has broken the  £1,000 in 2004 in the UK. This stood for 5.8% of the average cost of a wedding. (Key Note, 2005). Moreover, Key Note evaluates that UK wedding dress retail market was worth  £105.3m in 2009. (Key Note, 2009) Based on this huge wedding market situation, as a great luxury brand, Tiffany has their great background to launch their own bridal gowns and related accessories include bridal veils, tiaras, pins or other decorations. Hypotheses If Tiffany Co. launched their stunning wedding dress in the market, there are several benefit for the brand and business. Firstly, it is a great opportunity for Tiffany to attract peoples eyes. A huge number of different kinds of media will compete to release the first glance of Tiffanys bridal gown. Thats a free and fabulous advertise of brand. Secondly, if Tiffany only offered very limited quantities of their wedding dress, customers should book and wait for their gowns patiently and passionately. This is a good way to gain reputation and enhance brand equity. Thirdly, the expand product line will increase customers include both exist customers and new customers to increase revenue. At last but not least, as a long-term development strategy, this action will help to compete Tiffanys whole wedding product category in a proper way.

Offender profiling

Offender profiling Separating Fact From Fiction: Where Do Peoples Beliefs About Offender Profiling Come From? Chapter I: Introduction to the Study Historically offender profiling has often been seen as more of an art than a science (Muller, 2000; Ressler Shachtman 1992) leaving it prone to rejection within academic journals (Dowden 2007). However within recent years there has been a sharp increase in the publics interest due to the media spotlight offender profiling has received in the way of films and television shows. This in turn has led to more research being done within the field and can clearly be seen by the significant rise of articles published since 2001 (Dowden 2007). This explosion of interest now makes it the ideal time for research to be conducted. Well known journals are now more frequently accepting articles on offender profiling and in 2004 David Canter launched the Journal of investigative psychology and offender profiling. In spite of this the content of the majority of research published still remain discussion pieces regarding what offender profiling is and its usefulness etc with hardly any containing statistics or formal analysis. For these reason this research will focus more so on the publics beliefs of offender profiling and how it is they acquire them. The recent development and interest in offender profiling has lead to people developing false beliefs. Kocsis (1999) stated that the medias portrayal has produced a situation in which â€Å"a gross disparity has developed between profilings reputation and its actual capabilities†. This research proposes five possibilities of how people acquire their false beliefs (media, experts, reasoning error, social contagion and confirmation bias) with the objective of finding which one has the biggest influence upon forming beliefs. Chapter II: Review of the Literature 2.1 History of Offender Profiling Although many definitions have been given for offender profiling it is generally agreed that it is â€Å"a technique for identifying the major personality and behavioral characteristics of an individual based upon an analysis of the crimes he or she has committed† (Douglas et al 1986). It is not meant as a tool to identify the offender implicitly, but rather serve as an indication as to the type of person they are by focusing on their behavioral traits and personality characteristics. It is particularly useful in seemingly motiveless crimes whereby it allows the analysis of similarities and differences to take place. This in turn uncovers information on the perpetrators personality and behavior, which is essential due to the fact that the â€Å"random† crime and victim may not at all be random to the offender. The victim may have been chosen symbolically due to the fantasy occurring within the offenders mind (Ressler et al 1985). Offender profiling is used within a variety of settings and not just a tool used solely for homicides. These techniques have been used in hostage taking situations (Reiser 1982), serial rapists (Hazelwood, 1983), identifying anonymous letter writers (Casey-Owens 1984) as well as those who make written or verbal threats (Miron Douglas 1979). Due to this ability to transfer profiling techniques into a variety of situations, its methods have been used throughout the world (e.g., Asgard 1998; Collins et al 1998; Jackson et al 1993). However Holmes and Holmes (1996) stated that offender profiling is only called upon when all other leads have been exhausted. This in turn questions its popularity, is offender profiling being used throughout the world due to its effectiveness, or as a last resort? Many feel that the latter is the case and criticise offender profiling on the grounds of scientific reliability. Much of the literature published is often plagued by low levels of validity making the results found questionable. Furthermore is the difficulty in obtaining reliable and accurate data. Very few researchers rely on primary data such as interviews with serial offenders and even when they do the offenders testament should be treated as suspicious due to the known fact that offenders often lie about there behavior (Porter and Woodworth, 2007). This leads to a limitation in the literature, with very few authors publishing three or more articles and only 34% of these articles being written by psychologists (Dowden et al 2007). As well as criticism regarding literature methodology, offender profiling as a whole has also raised much disapproval. Pinizzotto and Finkel (1990) argue that many profilers do not specify the behavioural, correlational or psychological principles they rely on and it is therefore difficult to distinguish if specific profiling techniques are being adhered to, or if simple intuition and opinion are being used. However, regardless of the criticism offender profiling has received; it has still continued to grow in popularity throughout the years (Dowden 2007) resulting in an upsurge of interest and media attention. 2.2 The Rise to Popularity Offender profiling is by no means a new technique with one of the first recorded practice being in 1888 in the notorious Jack the ripper case. Dr Thomas Bond, a British physician is regarded by many to be the first offender profiler (Newburn,2007; Petherick 2005; Kotake 2001) linking together five of the Whitechapel murders and giving an eleven point profile on the personality and behavioral traits of Jack the ripper. Although this is sometimes classed the beginning of offender profiling, it wasnt until 1957 that profiling took a leap forward and grabbed the publics attention. New York Citys Mad Bomber terrorized the city for a period of sixteen years, planting a total of thirty-three bombs in public buildings. With public hysteria being high and police reaching a dead-end, Dr James Brussel (a criminologist and psychiatrist) was called in to help on the case. After reading the letters sent to the press and examining the case files, Brussel created his profile of what kind of person the police should look for: â€Å"Look for a heavy man. Middle-aged. Foreign born. Roman-catholic. Single. Living with brother or sister. When you find him, chances are hell be wearing a double-breasted suit. Buttoned† (Brussel, 1968). This profile was then submitted to the newspaper and days later the offender, George Meteky was arrested matching Brusselss description. In fact the only variation to the profile was that he lived with his two sisters. This apparent accurate profile ignited the publics interest in offender profiling. However due to the media frenzy surrounding the case, facts were often missed out and an inaccurate account was given. For example, Metesky was known to follow media reports (Berger, 1957) and so his behaviors may have been consciously or subconsciously affected. Furthermore the profile itself did not solve the case as often implied; in fact it was background checks on disgruntled employees that led to the arrest (Kocsis, 2004). And despite the popular myth that Metesky was ca ught in a double breasted suit, he was actually arrested wearing faded pajamas (Brussel, 1968). This popular and often cited case is an excellent example of how offender profiling is often misrepresented and how that in turn leads to people developing false beliefs regarding it. Nonetheless, the Mad Bomber case is often thought of as a turning point in offender profiling history and that it was at this point that both the public and law enforcement developed an interest. In the 1960s Howard Teten started to develop his approach to offender profiling, and as a special agent in the FBI during 1970 he started teaching his approach to fellow agents. In 1972 Jack Kirsch started the Behavioral Science Unit (BSU) and gave Tenten the freedom he needed to create profiles and continue his research. The word spread and soon police departments were making daily requests for profiles (Turvey 2001). The BSU underwent several changes throughout the 1990s and is now known as the National Centre for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC). However it is not just America whos interest in offender profiling was sparked. Much like Brussel it was one particular case that seemed to ignite the publics fascination with profiling within the UK. In 1985 David Canter was asked to help with the investigation into two murders and over thirty rapes, which the media dubbed as the Railway Rapist (cited in Egger 1999). Canters profile was remarkably accurate and proved a useful tool in the investigation. However yet again, the profile alone wasnt what led police to John Duffy, it was his refusal to supply a blood sample. Similar to America, the British Press reported Canters involvement in an exaggerated fashion which in turn gave Canter much publicity and recognition. Interestingly, although offender profiling gained publicity within America and UK in a similar fashion, they have completely different profiling techniques. The American FBI approach, created by the BSU, relies heavily on crime scene analysis (CSA) (Wilson, Lincon Kocsis, 1997) and is the approach that has been popularized within the media. The approach places offenders into categories according to the crime scene, either organized or disorganized. This approach has been heavily criticized by the likes of Ressler (1992) who states that the simplicity of the system was to enable police without a psychological background to understand it. The UK approach relies more on statistical analysis, obtaining facts and characteristics from solved cases to provide a general framework for each crime (Aitken et al 1996). However in more recent times Canter has developed an investigative psychology approach to profiling. This approach suggests that psychology can directly be transferred to crime, and that an interpersonal transaction is occurring between the offender and the victim. Canter created five approaches which can be used to profile criminals directly using psychology (Canter 1994). The approach that Canter has received the most attention about is that of space and time which has been empirically tested and found to be useful (Wilson et al, 1997). Although Godwin and Canter (1997) demonstrate that investigative psychology can help the police, results have to be looked at carefully since it is unlikely that Canter will contradict his previous work. Regardless of the different approaches offender profiling has, it has nevertheless reached a height of popularity. However, as widespread as profiling has now become, the public still seem to misunderstand it and hold false beliefs regarding it (Snook et al 2008 Kocsis 1999). For this reason, this research will examine the different possible reasons why the public have developed these false beliefs. 2.3 The Mass Media This brief outline of offender profiling shows that the rise in public interest has correlated with major cases, which in turn causes sensationalism within the media. With the public buying into the medias exaggerations on the role of offender profilers, a perfect springboard was provided for many television shows and films to base their premises around these â€Å"incredible† profilers. Major films such as The Silence of the Lambs and television shows such as Cracker, Wire in the Blood and Criminal Minds have promoted the myth that profilers posses some sort of superhuman skill (Egger, 1999; Grubin, 1995; Alison Canter, 1999). Fiction blurs with fantasy for the general public and they are left with false beliefs. Grubin (1995) comments that offender profiling has always had a role within fiction and has always appealed to the imagination due to its ability to invoke the image of â€Å"the cerebral sleuth relying solely on his acute powers of observation and deductive reasoning to identify an elusive and much feared serial rapist†. Many researchers (Balu, 1994; Campbell, 1976; Canter 2000; McCan, 1992; Muller, 2000) would in fact argue that this fictional image of a â€Å"super sleuth† such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes or Edgar Allan Poes C. Auguste Dupin is what inspired offender profiling to begin with. Sagan (1996) agrees with Grubin, suggesting that people are often attracted to fantasy, more so than any other genre, because they often contain characters that have powers, which normal people lack but desire. Green, Brock and Kaufman (2004) concur, asserting that people seek out fiction rather than non-fiction for the simple fact that they want to be entertained. However, unless people adopt a critical approach to the material they are viewing, their judgments regarding offender profiling will be based on the inaccurate and biased information they are being given, resulting in false beliefs (Stanovich, 1992). Second hand knowledge, such as that required from the media, rarely reflects the truth (Sprott 1996) and so this critical approach is essential. The mass media doesnt just refer to television and films, the role stories play are equally important. Those who have experience in profiling often write books about there experiences (eg Paul Britton and David Canter) which creates to the reader, a personal story. These types of literature can be very convincing as they are often vivid and memorable (Borgida Nisbett, 1977; Stanovich 1992) and assumed true in entirety by the reader. People are not trained to critically evaluate or to seek out objective facts and reliable evidence (Carroll, 2003; Gilovich, 1991; Sagan, 1996; Shermer, 2003) and take these anecdotes presented to them as truthful accounts allowing them to form the foundation of their beliefs. Even published accounts of offender profiling rely on these anecdotal evidence to convey the message that they are trying to put across and illustrate the usefulness of profiling (e.g Canter, 1994; Cook Hinman, 1999). Snook, Eastwood, et al (2007) found that out of 130 articles on offender profiling, 60% of them used at least one anecdote as a source of knowledge, such as the New York Mad Bombers case. Another problem faced is that all the portrayals regarding offender profiling convey the same message, the profiler catches the criminal and the case is solved. Although this is unrealistic, empirical evidence shows that the likelihood of people agreeing with a message correlates with how often the same message is repeated (Cacioppo Petty, 1979). So if most of the media (eg, films, television shows and books) are all conveying the same message and no critical approach is taken, then individuals will be left with false beliefs. However, are people that passive that they will believe everything they encounter in the media? This theory of a hypodermic-syringe model (Briggs Cobley, 2002) whereby viewers are â€Å"injected† with opinions and beliefs has been proven to be conceptually flawed in that it tends to ignore matters such as personal influence and interpretation (Katz Lazersfeld, 1955). Individuals are not passive creatures that are unable to form their own intelligent opinion. The media does not dictate a persons belief; in fact it can be argued that individuals use the media for their own gratification (Katz, 1959). Therefore is it unfair and illogical to blame the media solely, for the misconceptions people have about offender profiling? 2.4 Expertise Experts are individuals who after an extensive period of practical and theoretical training have developed a professional capability within a specific area (Kurz-Milcke Gigerenzer, 2004). Due to this definition, many people believe and accept the words of experts without question (Bochner Insko, 1966; Milgram, 1964) and many believe that offender profilers are indeed experts. In spite of this belief there is very little evidence to support this idea. If offender profilers are experts then they should be able to perform their job to a high standard, therefore creating accurate profiles. Snook et al (2008) conclude that any police professional could achieve the same level of success that profilers achieve, by relying on their basic criminological information. However, if this is the case why is it police still request profilers and add to the belief that they are accurate experts? One reason could be because they actually believe that offender profiling works (e.g. Copson, 1995; Jackson et al 1993; Pinizzotto, 1984) but for those police officers who disagree, calling profilers in may simply be a way of doing their job. As a police officer it is their duty to make sure that they use all the available investigation techniques and some may think they have nothing to loose by calling in an offender profiler. However the public may view the fact police use profilers as a confirmation that offender profilers are experts and this in turn will affect their judgment. An example of how the belief that experts are correct affects peoples judgments can be seen in a study conducted by Kocsis Hayes (2004). The study found that police officers, who were told that the profile they read was created by an expert, rated them significantly more accurate than officers who were told that their profile came from a non-expert. These results appear to confirm that people believe and trust the information obtained from labeled experts more so than anyone else. However this result that Kocsis Hayes found may be due to the police officers loyalty. They may believe that professional profilers are an important group that they identify with and feel loyalty towards, due to a belief that they are in the same line of work. Many studies have found that many police officers tend to develop an occupational subculture (DeMaria, 1999; Dempster, 1997; Wilson Chappell, 1996; Wilson Western, 1972) with intense loyalty shown to all those that belong to it (Chan, 1996, Finna ne, 1995; Fitzgerald, 1989; Lusher, 1981; Wood 1997). For this reason, the discrepancy shown between the measures may be down to loyalty rather than expertise heuristic. However this loyalty should only be shown by those who identify with that subculture, therefore excluding the general public. So is expertise heuristic to blame for individuals false beliefs? 2.5 Reasoning Errors People have the tendency to believe things that arent true and a lot of time and effort has been put in by researchers to try and discover why it is people believe in unproven things (Gilovich, 1991; Hines, 1988; Vyse, 1997). One of the main outcomes found is that human beings evolved to be able to identify patterns among environmental occurrences, which as a result can lead to the identification of meaningless patterns (Shermer, 2002). It is this ability to identify meaningless patterns that can be argued contributes to people thinking in things such as psychic abilities as well as their belief that offender profilers predictions are valid. People like to find order in a chaotic world and then form beliefs that can guide future behaviors (Gigerenzer, 2002; Shermer, 2003). However, beliefs are just a cognitive process that picks up on information from the environment and if the information is wrong, so is the formed belief. One form of this cognitive process is reasoning errors.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe - Misery of Slavery Exposed :: Uncle Toms Cabin

Misery of Slavery Exposed in Uncle Tom's Cabin  Ã‚  Ã‚   Harriet Beacher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin addresses the issue of slavery in close accordance with the style of Frederick Douglas' narrative. A theme that Stowe impresses strongly upon the reader is the degenerative effects of slavery upon both the slave and the master. Frequently in the novel the issue is raised . Even Mrs. Shelby recognizes the depravity and admits that slavery, "is a bitter, bitter, most accursed thing- a curse to the master and a curse to the slave!"(45). The injustices of slavery are frequently identified in the novel but, of course, the practice is continued. Many of those involved in holding slaves are sensitive to the problem. Mr. Shelby, for instance, is not contented by the idea but enjoys the benefits out of what he deems necessity. The inherent problem of slavery is again stated when John Van Trompe is being described. His worn appearance is attributed to the ,"workings of a system equally bad for oppressor and oppressed,"(105). The novel also dexterously demonstrates the absurdities and contradictions of slavery. For instance, Mr. Shelby's actions are strongly contradictory to his statements. He believes himself to be a good Christian man with a genuine respect for his slaves. Yet the fact that he holds slaves opposes all that he says and although his treatment of slaves is better than most master's, he still is not respectful of them. For example, in the first chapter when Shelby and Haley are discussing the ensuing trade, H arry enters the room and Shelby has him dance around like a clown and then tosses raisins at him. Also, Mr. Harris, a slave owner, in defense of his relocating George asserts that, "it's a free country sir; the man's mine,"(24). It is also ironic that after George invents a machine to clean hemp the employer congratulates not George, but George's master for owning such a fine slave. Another example that effectively illustrates the strong contradictions and absurdities of slavery and slave owners is the philosophy of Haley concerning the proper treatment of slaves. Haley, whose practice is to buy and sell people asserts that, "its always best to do the humane thing,"(16) and that it is good to have a conscience, "just a little, you know, to swear by,"(13). Another topic often addressed in the novel is exclusion of blacks in the law and the injustice of the entire condition.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Much Ado About Nothing Essay -- essays research papers

William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is a play involving by deception, disloyalty, trickery, eavesdropping, and hearsay. The play contains numerous examples of schemes that are used to manipulate the thoughts of other characters; it is the major theme that resonates throughout the play. Ironically, it is one of these themes that bring serenity to the chaos that encompasses most of the play. The first example of deception we see is with the characters of Beatrice and Benedick. These two characters provide the humor throughout Shakespeare's comedy; their repartees and soliloquies tend to leave the reader smiling and anxious for more dialogue between them. Beatrice and Benedick have had a relationship prior to their battles of wit to which she alludes to in Act 2: "Marry, once before he won it for me with false dice; / Therefore your grace may well say I have lost it’ (2.1.265-7). We see that at one time in the past they had a relationship that somewhere went wrong. The deception of Beatrice and Benedick comes courtesy of Don Pedro in Act 2. In this scene, Don Pedro, out of pure amusement, asks Leonato, the governor of Messina, and Claudio, a lord attending on Don Pedro, for help to bring these two together: "If we can do this, Cupid is no / longer an archer; his glory shall be ours†¦" (2.1.363-4). In Act 2.3, Claudio, Pedro, and Leonato, see Benedick in the garden and decide that that is the right moment for them to try and trick Be...

Thursday, July 18, 2019

The Last Day Of The Year :: essays research papers fc

In the poem 'The Last Day of the Year,'; Annette Von Droste-HÃ ¼lshoff uses imagery and references to God to express the coming of the end of the year. The poem, however, seems to reflect the impending freedom of women from a patriarchal society. This poem's imagery and outside references suggest that it is in fact a plea for the end of the suffering of women, and that the coming of their empowerment is near. The three things that I will use to prove this point are how one year represents the time of women's oppression, how she speaks directly to men in the poem, and how she makes divine references to represent the freedom of women. Droste-Hulshoff says in line one of this poem, 'The year at its turn'; (Droste-Hulshoff, 1). Throughout this poem, she uses the year to represent a period of time that is coming to an end. Referring to the introduction in the World Reader, Droste-Hulshoff was a woman 'yearning for the freedom to be herself'; (Caws, 2002). This forces the reader to consider that she is using the time period of the year as the time of women's oppression. She feels that the time of the oppression is coming to an end. 'I wait in stern silence, O deep night! Is there an open eye?'; (Droste-Hulshoff 5-7) is one example of how she considers the era of women's oppression at its end. Another example is the following quote: ' My life breaks down somewhere in the circle of this year. Long have I known decay. Yet my heart in love glows under the huge stone of passion'; (Droste-Hulshoff 37-42). She has felt this persecution for all of her life, but she still prospers as a individual and waits with short patience for her time to come. At one point in this poem, Droste-Hulshoff speaks to an unidentified second party. 'You, child of sin, has there not been a hollow, secret quiver each day in your savage chest, as the polar winds reach across the stones, breaking, possessed with slow and insistent rage?'; (Droste-Hulshoff 24-31). Continuing under the assumption that this poem was created to show the iniquities of sexism, one could put men in place of you in the preceding excerpt. I believe this to be a likely case because of the references to 'your savage chest'; (Droste-Hulshoff 27) and the words speaking of possession and rage, all considered by society to be very masculine traits.

The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 5

Micha There she is, the girl I used to know. It's visible in her green eyes that she's getting turned on. She was always weird like that, the speed, the danger always got her own engine burning. Then I have to slow down and all the fire dissolves. She puts on her seatbelt and mutters something about the Ella I know being gone forever, but I'm calling her out. I have big plans to bring my best friend back, whether she likes it or not. She's wearing a short skirt and tank top that's tight enough to show off her curves. It's driving me crazy that I can't touch her. â€Å"What happened to the turnout?† she asks as we drive by the spot we use to park at during small town cruising. â€Å"It looks like you can't even take the road up to the cove anymore.† â€Å"You can if you walk or have four-wheel drive and ramp the hill.† The turnout is blocked off by a large fence so that no cars can reach the dirt road that leads to a secluded area near the lake. â€Å"They blocked it off after they busted a bunch of people for drug and alcohol possession.† â€Å"Anyone I know?† she inquires, feigning indifference. I thrum my fingers on top of the steering wheel. â€Å"Yeah, you're sitting next to one of them. But mine was only for alcohol.† Her friend gasps in the backseat and I catch Ella secretly rolling her eyes. â€Å"What'd you get?† she asks nonchalantly. â€Å"Probation and anger management classes.† I return her indifference. Her head turns toward me. â€Å"Anger management classes?† â€Å"I also punched Grantford Davis in the face,† I explain. â€Å"Pretty hard. Broke his nose and everything.† Her friend gasps again and I wonder how Ella could be friends with her. She seems like a naive princess. Ella studies me acutely with her beautiful eyes that always give away what she's really thinking. â€Å"Why did you punch him?† â€Å"I think you know why.† I carry her gaze forcefully. â€Å"I asked him to drive me to the bridge, Micha,† she says it like it strangles her. â€Å"It wasn't his fault. He was just doing it as a favor.† â€Å"He should have never left you there alone.† I flip the blinker on, making a turn down a dirt road that leads into a field of tall, dry grass. â€Å"Not in that condition. You could barely think straight. In fact, do you even remember anything about that night?† She fiddles with a band of bracelets on her wrists. â€Å"I'm not sure.† â€Å"Are you not sure?† I accuse. â€Å"Or do you not want to admit it?† She starts to open her mouth, but then clamps her lips shut, and turns toward the window, dismissing me and the conversation. Ella The night I went to the bridge, I had been in a weird funk the entire day. My mom died a few weeks earlier and I couldn't seem to get rid of this vile feeling in my chest and I wanted it to go away. Badly. So I took drastic measures and decided to walk in my mother's footsteps for a night. My mom wasn't awful. She had her good moments, but had a lot of bad ones too. When she was up, she was great – a lot of fun. At least that's what I thought when I was young. However, when I got older, there was a painful realization that it wasn't normal to go on huge shopping sprees, take off in the middle of the night for a road trip, pretend she could fly†¦ But the night on the bridge wasn't the worst night I'd ever experienced. It was just the last push to my rapid decline toward the loss of control over my life. â€Å"Ella, where are you?† Micha's voice snaps me out of my own head. â€Å"You were dazing off on me there.† We're parked in front of Grady's single-wide trailer located in a field, near a junkyard and an abandoned apartment complex. I unbuckle my seatbelt, climb out of the car, and flip the seat forward to let Lila out. â€Å"No thanks.† She shakes her head, cowering back in the seat. â€Å"I think I'll wait in here.† â€Å"You're much safer inside.† Micha points to a crumbling shack in the middle of the field. â€Å"That's a crack house over there and trust me, if they see you sitting in here, by yourself, they're going to come over and harass you.† Micha's messing with her, but I let him be because this place isn't that safe of a spot. Her face pinches and she scrambles out of the car. â€Å"Who is this person's house we're at? It's not a drug dealer, is it?† â€Å"No, it's just an old friend.† I trade a secret glance with Micha and feelings rush through me like the sun and the wind. Grady was once Micha's stepfather. His mother and Grady were married for a few years and most of our happy childhood memories consist of him, camping, fishing, working on cars. Between the ages of eight and nine life was solid, not broken to pieces. I meet Micha around the front of the car and when he takes my hand, I don't object. Being here is like traveling through time and it hurts to know that the man who showed me that life can be good is dying. Lila tugs the bottom of her dress down self-consciously. â€Å"Are you sure I'm okay going in here?† â€Å"Relax,† I tell her as we reach the rickety front porch. â€Å"Grady is a good guy, he just likes living an unmaterialistic lifestyle. He chooses to live in a place like this.† She forces a tense smile. â€Å"Alright, I'm relaxing.† Micha squeezes my hand and then knocks on the door. A few knocks later and we let ourselves in. It's like I remember, and it makes me smile because it's comforting. Grady was a big traveler when he was younger and his walls map his destinations; petite nesting dolls from his trip to Russia on a small bookshelf, a painted Bokota mask from Africa hooked to the wall, a large hookah from Nepal sitting on a small fold up table. It overwhelms me and tugs at my memories. The trailer is small with a narrow kitchen connected to a boxed in living room and the three of us nearly fill up the space. Micha slides his hand up my arm and draws me to him. â€Å"Are you going to be okay?† I nod, forcing the tears away. Micha kisses my temple and I don't retreat this time, allowing myself one small moment. â€Å"It'll be okay,† Micha says. â€Å"And I'm here for you.† Time's up. â€Å"Where is he?† I take a deep breath, move away from Micha, and smother the old Ella away. He points over my shoulder. I turn around and my heart drops to my stomach. The medium build, tall man, with bright blue eyes and a head full of hair, has shifted into a frail, skeletal figure, with sunken eyes and his head shaved. His plaid jacket drowns his body and the belt around his jeans has holes added to it. I hesitate to hug him. â€Å"How are you? Are you okay?† â€Å"I'm always okay. You know that. Not even a little cancer can bring me down.† He smiles and it's just as bright as it was. Using his cane, he hobbles toward me. I meet him halfway, in front of the tattered leather recliner and give him a gentle hug, afraid I might break him. â€Å"How have you been, my little Ella May?† He steps back to take a look at me. â€Å"You look different.† I self-consciously touch my hair. â€Å"I changed my looks a little. Thought I could use a change or two.† He shakes his head contemplatively. â€Å"No, it's not that. There's something else. You seem sad.† â€Å"I'm fine,† I deny and not very well. â€Å"I feel great.† He offers me a tolerant smile. â€Å"You've never been a good liar, you know that. I always knew it was you who broke the vase.† From behind me, Micha nods concurring. â€Å"It's her eyes. They show way too much. Although she thinks differently.† â€Å"If you knew I broke the vase,† I say, â€Å"then why didn't you call me out on it?† Grady laughs and exchanges a look with Micha. â€Å"Because the elaborate story you made up won my heart over, I guess. Besides, it was just a vase.† The tension resolves, except with Lila who looks like she doesn't know what to do with herself. She dawdles near the door, fidgeting with her watch and her hair as she glances around the snug trailer. â€Å"Grady, this is Lila,† I introduce, motioning her to come closer. â€Å"She was my college roommate.† Lila steps forward and gives him a small wave. â€Å"It's nice to meet you.† â€Å"Same here.† Grady nods his head welcomingly and then arches his eyebrows at me. â€Å"So college? That's where you ran off to.† â€Å"I'm sorry I didn't tell you when I called,† I apologize. â€Å"I just needed a break. From everything.† â€Å"I'm not going to lie and say it didn't hurt a little.† He rests his weight on the cane, and his arms and legs look too thin to be moving. â€Å"You're like a daughter to me and I thought you trusted me enough to come to me if you were going through something.† His eyes dart to Micha and I wonder if he's told Grady about that night eight months ago on the bridge. â€Å"I need to make a phone call.† Micha holds up his phone as he backs for the door. â€Å"Lila, why don't you come outside with me?† Lila gladly obliges and the door swings shut behind them, rocking the house. Grady collapses into the recliner, sighing with relief. â€Å"We need to talk.† Preparing myself for a lecture, I drop into the concaved sofa across from him. â€Å"I'm in trouble, aren't I?† â€Å"Do you think you need to be in trouble?† He props his cane against the coffee table. I pull a throw pillow on my lap and slump back into the couch. â€Å"I don't know. It's hard to tell what's right and what's wrong anymore or what's up and what's down even.† He rocks in the recliner. â€Å"You've always had a good grasp on what's right and wrong. You just have a hard time admitting that sometimes you choose the wrong.† â€Å"I know that.† I gesture at myself. â€Å"That's why I changed into an Ella who doesn't do any wrong and who can keep control of her life.† â€Å"That's not what this is. This is you running from life and you can't control everything. Even if you want to.† His words send a chill through my spine. I pluck at a loose thread on the pillow. â€Å"Did Micha tell you about the night before I left†¦ did he tell you what happened – what I did?† He presses his cracked lips together. â€Å"He did.† â€Å"So then you understand why I ran away. If I don't change, then I'll turn out like her – I'll turn out just like my mother,† I admit aloud for the first time and a weight lifts from my chest, but falls right back on it, seeming ten times heavier. â€Å"I'll lose control.† He hunches forward with a sad expression on his exhausted face. â€Å"You know I knew your mother really well.† â€Å"But only because you always had to come fix everything after she had one of her episodes.† â€Å"Sweetie, you're not her. Your mother was sick – she had a mental illness.† â€Å"Bipolar Disorder is hereditary,† I say quietly. There is a higher chance that I have it just because she had it.† â€Å"But it doesn't mean you will.† With unsteady legs, he pushes up from the chair and sits down next to me on the sofa. â€Å"I think you're so afraid that you'll end up like your mom that you're hiding who you really are, but you can't control everything – no one can.† â€Å"But I can try,† I mutter and sit up, tossing the pillow off my lap. â€Å"You remember what I was like. All the crap I did. The stupid, irresponsible crap. I was a wreck waiting to happen and that night proved it. I almost†¦ I†¦ I almost killed myself.† â€Å"No, you didn't. I heard the story and you would have never gone through with it,† he says confidently. â€Å"You were just trying to sort through some stuff. You still are.† â€Å"No, I was going to do it,† I tell him, but it's a lie. â€Å"My mind may have been hindered, but I remember enough to know that when I climbed on top of that bridge, I was going to jump.† He shakes his head. â€Å"Then you don't remember what happened afterward with Micha.† â€Å"Yeah, I do.† I take a faltering breath. â€Å"I kissed him and then left him on the bridge. Then I went home, packed up my stuff, and ran away.† â€Å"No, something else happened that night.† His forehead scrunches. â€Å"Micha took you somewhere else. At least that's what he told me.† I scratch at my wrist, trying to recollect, but the events of that day are hazy. â€Å"I don't remember this at all.† â€Å"From what I understand you were out of it and pretty upset. Those two are not a good combination. Trust me, I've been there.† His fingers seek his cane. â€Å"Micha saved you from jumping, but there's more to it than that.† â€Å"When you say you've been there, what do you mean exactly?† â€Å"I mean, I've been at the place where it seems like the only way left is down.† I sift through his words. â€Å"You know, I came here to see if you're okay, and somehow all we've talked about is me.† â€Å"And that's exactly what I need,† he says. â€Å"I'm sick and tired of everyone wanting to talk about my death.† I open my mouth, but the front door squeaks open. I expect Micha, but a middle-aged woman in black sweat pants and a white t-shirt walks in. Her bleached hair is woven into a braid and she's carrying a large black bag. She grins at Grady as she shuts the door. â€Å"You're being bad again. You know you're not supposed to get out of bed.† Grady rolls his eyes, but his face lights up. â€Å"Yep, I've been bad. I guess you'll have to punish me.† I try to ignore their disturbing comments the best that I can, but it's ridiculously awkward. â€Å"Ella, this is Amy.† His serious demeanor alleviates as he says her name. I stand up from the couch to shake hands with Amy, noticing there's no ring on her finger. â€Å"Are you his nurse?† Grady starts to balance to his feet and she moves to help him, but he waves her off. â€Å"I got this. I'm not crippled yet. â€Å" She sighs and moves back. â€Å"Yes, I'm his nurse and I'm supposed to be taking care of him, but he's a stubborn man and refuses to let me do my job properly.† He growls and then chuckles. Using his cane, he heads toward the hall, his feet dragging along the orange shaggy carpet. â€Å"Ella, can you stop by tomorrow? I want to talk to you some more.† â€Å"Okay, I'll come back,† I promise as he vanishes down the hall. I turn to the nurse. â€Å"How bad is he?† She drops the bag on the counter and unzips it. â€Å"What did he tell you?† â€Å"That he has cancer,† I tell her as she takes out some baggies from the bag. â€Å"But that's all. He doesn't like to open up about himself.† Reaching into her bag, she extracts a handful of prescription bottles. â€Å"No, he doesn't, does he?† She shakes a bottle filled with clear liquid. â€Å"He has stage four bone cancer.† I nearly fall to the floor. â€Å"Stage four, but then that means that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It means that he has a hard, short road ahead of him,† she says frankly. â€Å"You're Ella Daniels, right? And your father is Raymond Daniels?† My fingers grasp the fabric of the recliner like it's a lifeline. â€Å"Yeah, why?† â€Å"No reason,† she says with a shrug. â€Å"Grady just talks about you sometimes.† â€Å"But you know my father,† I state warily. She zips up her bag and shuffles to the kitchen sink with the medication. â€Å"I was the nurse on call the night he was run over.† Because he was drunk out of his mind and decided to ride his bike in the middle of the highway. â€Å"So you take care of Grady, here at his home?† She turns on the faucet and fills up a glass of water. â€Å"I'm the home nurse he hired after he decided he didn't want to spend his last months in a hospital bed.† He only has months left? I need to regain control of the spiraling situation. I stumble for the door. â€Å"Tell Grady I'll see him tomorrow.† I trip down the steps and nearly eat dirt. Luckily Micha is at the bottom and he drops his phone to catch me. He steadies me to my feet, his fingers digging into my hips as he looks me over with concern. â€Å"Okay, what happened?† â€Å"He's dying,† I whisper, staring out at the dry field. â€Å"He's really dying.† â€Å"I know.† Micha holds onto me forcefully, the tips of his fingers touching my bare skin. â€Å"I told you this before we came over here.† My lungs restrict oxygen. â€Å"I thought when you said it†¦ well, I don't know what I thought, but not this.† I wave my hand at the door without looking at it. â€Å"Not a nurse. Not a few months left.† His hands move around to my back and he enfolds me against his chest. I rest my head against him, breathing in his comforting scent. I start to ask him what happened that night, but my fear of the truth shushes me. What if it's bad? What if it pushes me over the edge? â€Å"What do you want to do today?† he whispers. â€Å"You name it and it's done.† I pull away, blinking back the tears. My gaze travels to Lila sitting in the car, reapplying her lip gloss in the rearview mirror. â€Å"I have to take her to the shop and get her on the road.† Against my protest, Micha cups the back of my head, and lures me against him. â€Å"You could just ditch her.† I slap his arm. â€Å"Since when are you mean to girls?† â€Å"Since they keep complaining about the sheer drabness of the town,† he says in a mocking cheerleader voice. â€Å"And the bugs. It's ridiculous. Ten minutes out here with her and I want to lead her into the crack house over there and run.† â€Å"That's not a crack house and you know it.† I shake my head, forcing back a grin. â€Å"And I know you better than that. I'm sure you want to get in her pants.† He pauses, and then slowly his hand explores my back and sneaks to my ass. He grabs it, and bows my body into his, firing a heat deep inside my core and fumbling a moan from my lips. For a second, I forget where I am. â€Å"The only thing I want to get in is you,† he murmurs in my hair. I regain control and shove back. â€Å"Seriously? You're going to start this? Here of all places.† He swings a hand at the trailer. â€Å"Why not? Because of Grady? He'd be happy to finally see us together. He's been saying for years that you and I will end up together.† I cover my ears. â€Å"I can't listen to this.† In three long strides, he's in my face, nearly stepping on my toes. â€Å"You think that just because you left, it would change how I feel? Well, guess what? You're wrong. I can't help how I feel. I'm still in – â€Å" â€Å"Don't say it.† I point a finger at him. â€Å"Don't you dare, Micha Scott.† He holds up his hands, wide-eyed and derisive. â€Å"Oh, now I'm in trouble. You used my last name and everything.† I glance at the car, checking if Lila's eavesdropping, then whirl back and hiss, â€Å"You are in trouble. I've been back for less than a day and everything I've worked on concealing is falling apart because of you.† His aqua eyes are a fierce blue. â€Å"Good. You're fucking crazy if you think that you can run off and change your identity. This unfeeling, preppy girl thing you got going on,† he motions his hand at my tank top, white frilly skirt, and curly hair, â€Å"is nothing but bull shit. You can't just change who you are on the outside and expect it to change who you are on the inside.† Anger bubbles through me and I shove him. â€Å"You're wrong.† His boots scuff the dirt as he catches his balance and smiles haughtily. â€Å"Am I? Because right now that fire I love so much is burning pretty bright.† He reaches for my cheek, to touch me – entice me. â€Å"Micha, this is who I have to be otherwise I can't breathe. Please just leave it alone. That damn fire might exist, but I want it gone.† I spin my back to him, praying he'll listen to me for once, because if he keeps it up, sooner or later I won't be able to resist. But Micha has never backed down on a challenge in his life.