Intro Black Diaspora Research Paper free essay sample

Galena Western society left an imprint in the African American culture within the Americas, it affected the religious practices, music, and language of enslaved Africans used from the moment they stepped foot In the Americas. These affects are even felt In present African America culture within the music that we listen to, the foods we eat, and the way our churches function. Even though the main goal of the white slavers was to completely subdue African culture, they were not successful.The transformation that the African culture went through allowed for Africans incorporating their indigenous cultures in the force fed western culture they inhabited. The main thing that was affected by western society was the African religious practices. With the Invasion of the Europeans and the Americans, Judo- Christianity and Catholicism were sure to follow. Africans were not allowed to hold onto their traditional spiritual practices forcing them to accept the ideas of the Judo- Christian and Catholic faiths. We will write a custom essay sample on Intro Black Diaspora Research Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Africans did not give up their own faith but blended their faiths into the religion being pushed onto them. From this new form of partiality that they created within their communities, African Americans had covertly continued to practice the key aspects of their Indigenous traditions; as shown through the practices of Voodoo in New Orleans and within the traditions of the Black Churches of today. They used spirituals, formally named Negro Spirituals, to communicate messages and to sustain them, through the harsh treatment.According to Jesus Couch Garlics article Demystifying Africans Absence in Venezuelan History and Culture, African cultures In the Americas, rather than unit but superficial folklore, are cultures of resistance based on African philosophical principles that we must rediscover. That persist and reshape themselves as time passes and as changes occur in our communities. (this may need to be fixed) Garcia describes the African culture as a culture of resistance meaning the Africans that entered did not give up their culture but disguised their culture underneath that of the western culture so that it would live on and survive.Religion is still a major aspect in the African American community. The black church has always played a major role In sustaining the African community as well as resisting the oppression of whites, from the Negro spirituals of slavery time to the organization of the African American community during the Civil Rights era. The black church has aspects of it that speak of its African past. Speaking in tongues, funeral rites and rituals, and catching the spirit, are all aspects of the African culture that was preserved in the Judo-Christian practices.This spiritualism Includes the practice of Condonable and Sanitaria that allowed for Afric ans to retain their ultra. Through religion was a major cultural aspect that was affected by western society, the development of African music and languages were also affected by western society. One of the most notable aspects of African culture that was affected by western society is music. Even in the churches, music played a major role in the sustaining of their communities and resisting oppression. In Joseph E.Harris article The Dynamic of the Global Diaspora he explains how music had the effect of unifying and organizing Africans saying, Neither the Middle Passage nor the slave raciest (Condonable and Sanitaria especially), songs, and oral traditions. Their culture and aspirations for freedom were expressed in different forms (songs, poetry, religion) and were sometimes employed to solidify mass followers in resistance movements.. . The impact that western society had on the music and oral traditions of Africans, was the complete opposite of what it set out to do.Instead of taking away these aspects of the culture, whites only succeed in inspiring a form of music that held messages of freedom and rebellion. Music and other forms of artistic expression such as poetry were very effective during slavery in rebellion against the oppression of slavery but also during the civil rights era and even today in the 21st century. Music is a universal form of communication; it was used to send messages to maroon societies, autonomous slaves that escaped captivity, and to bring the communities together.During the civil rights era music was used to unite, speak the feelings of the community, and to inspire the community, while they fought against the inequality that prevailed in the U. S. Modern African Americans influence in the USIA industry does still show the use of lyricism to express the unequal experiences within the African American community, as shown in rap when the speak about urban life, or in rhythm and blues when the speak of heartaches and love. The progression of African influenced music may not be created in the same context as they were originally developed but the ideas and effects are the same.Religion and music are only two aspects of the African culture that was affected by western society; language was also affected by western culture. Being so removed from the elites of slaver and the Africans that were enslaved, many African Americans of today do not realize that the use of Ebonies, or slang as it is called, is the evidence of western societies affects on African language. Ebonies to many people it is viewed as uneducated and a sign of illiteracy, but it is really a way of talking that is shortened and simple.This language is still prevalent in todays society among the African American community creating a common understood form of speaking within the community that unifies the African American community. The affects that western society has had on African culture are still widely seen in the African American community. It can be seen in our religious practices, the way that we speak and the music that is made. Even though they have an affected these aspects of the African American community I am not, I any way, shape or form giving them credit for those aspects of African American culture.I am stating that because of the conditions of western society Africans had to creatively merge their own culture with that of their oppressors. Through this pressure placed on them to forget their traditions and ultras, these Africans decided to bury important aspects of their culture in the beliefs and traditions of western society. They buried their warrior spirits in the music and their spiritualism in the Christianity and Catholicism, and their language in the English.So, yes they affected the African culture but it in turned created another culture, the African American culture that still keep African Americans linked to that African culture. The author gave a As it relates to music and the cultural impacts that western society has had on African musical traditions. How were the rotational rhythms and beats and how are those beats rhythms and vocal styles still, in this modern age being reflected in the musical genres dominated and largely Even with the development of hip hop music in todays modern society; hip-hop still has traces of its West African origins.As stated by the author of the article History of hip-hop, The roots of hip hop are found in African American and West African music. The grits of West Africa are a group of traveling singers and poets, whose musical style is reminiscent of hip-hop and who are part of an oral tradition dating back hundreds of years. The author of the article explains that hip-hop, like other African American dominated genres of music, they have roots in the grits oral traditions of West Africa.The ways in which the African American musical influence has impacted pop cultured and various other aspects of the American culture. Hip-hop, rap and other forms of African American music influenced music. Were not Just staples of American culture, it influenced and set the tone for many trends within pop culture as well as impacted varies social movements within America. As stated by the author of the article Black Music and social change in America, Elvis Presley, a strikingly handsome and emotive white singer, was the deliverer.In 1956 when he appeared on television singing many songs that were originally performed by blacks, he sparked like Little Richard, Fats Domino, and Sam Cooke became household names and inspired legions of followers, both black and white. The author of the article explains that music from African Americans during the time of the civil rights movement, their music had an impact in how people looked at them, and it started with one man trying to make a preference by singing a different song.It was when Elvis Presley started singing songs that were originally African Americans songs, when people of all colors began to listen and fall in love with, the black feel for music. As it pertains to religion speak on the topics of the various traditional African religious belief (briefly not too long) and the presence of these aspect s in the modern African American church and the ways in which African American spirituality has developed and evolved due to western influence. Most of the Africans that were forced or came to America came room these 6 religions in West Africa.Voodoo/Miami Watt, Voodoo, baobab, Kong, Sugar Asset society. Within the United States the presences of these various six religious practices are still impacting the various cultures in southern states within the country. Areas such as New Orleans, Louisiana have prominent histories of practicing voodoo that have a lot of negative stigmas that go along with it. Voodoo originally based off of its West African roots was meant to be a religion that worshiped the ancestors and animism. Voodoo beliefs spread from Africans shores to America on slave ships.

The Effect of Drug X on Self

The Effect of Drug X on Self Introduction Anxiety forms part of an individual’s body mechanisms in which it communicates that something or an act is wrong and hence, there is need to undertake corrective measures (Aleksovski, 2009). This sign has been categorised as one of the essential human survival tactics as it ensures individual wellbeing. An anxious individual can describe the act as jittery, nervous, jumpy, confusion, and nervous, among other feelings.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on The Effect of Drug X on Self-Reports of Anxiety in a Sample of Undergraduate Psychology Majors specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other hand, stress is a behavioral mechanism that occurs to the human body as a result of the change in either internal or external environment of the individual (Aleksovski, 2009). A student who is preparing for examination can be subjected to stress. Drugs have been developed with the aim of suppressing an individu al’s level of stress thus reducing anxiety levels among patients or students (Putwain, 2005). The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of a new drug on perceptions of anxiety in order to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety in college students during scheduled exams. There are a number of past studies that have been carried out by psychologists in a view to study stress, anxiety, their relations, major causes, and how they can be prevented. In a study carried by Dr. Susannah Murphy, a neuroscientist in the University of Oxford found out that there is a closer relationship between antidepressants and anxiety (Nauert, 2010). The study also revealed that the use of antidepressants had an immediate effect on the neurotransmitters in the brain. However, it was concluded that some drugs responded faster than others in the reduction of anxiety among human beings. Studies that have been carried on animals (mice) which have artificially been induced to stress and th en given the antidepressants drugs have shown that the drugs reduce stress (Ito, Nagai, Oikawa, Yamada Hanawa, 2011). Students waiting for exams are induced to artificial stress and as a result, they are prone to anxiety. This conclusion can be made based on past studies in order to support the current research paper. The emotional wellbeing of students plays a great role in ensuring that students do well in their school tests and examinations. On the other hand, stress is believed to cause perceived anxiety among school children which is an emotional feeling (Putwain, 2005). Research studies have been carried to determine the drugs that are often used suppress stress as a step towards the reduction of stress anxiety on students.Advertising Looking for proposal on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is important to note that prolonged stress can cause clinical depressions among students (National Institut e of Mental Health n. d.). This results from pressure to pass exams and from parents and teachers who also expect better grades from their children and students, respectively. Students can go for a very long time without ever knowing that they are stressed out. The research study hypothesis is that that experimental drug X will produce an increase in the perceived anxiety on students. The dependant variable which is the experiment research outcome is the behavioral effect that the experimental drug produces when injected on the students. On the other hand, the independent variable of the hypothesis is the experimental drug X which is injected to the subjects under the study. The research study aims at proving that indeed the new drug X can be used to suppress educational stress thus leading to anxiety reduction. The unique aspect of the study is that it projects the application of the use of antidepressants on students rather than health adults. Previous studies have dealt largely o n family people, patients, and workers. In contrast, this study specializes on undergraduate students of the ages between 21 and 25 years old. Another aspect worth of consideration is that it derives its foundation on the studies that have already been carried out, making the expected outcomes more reliable and dependable. The previous studies have been based on placebo and specific drug tests; however, this particular study applies the specific drug while the control group is not subjected to any form of drugs. Lastly, past researches have been carried in laboratories or hospitals but this one is carried on a classroom setting. The study offers an educational and psychological breakthrough in establishing the relationship that exists between examinations and perceived anxiety among students. It would be possible to use the results in future consultation for the purpose of averting stress among students. Method Participants The proposed research study intends to use human participan ts from the undergraduate psychology class population. A sample of 30 students would be enough for the study. The students will have special characteristics as they are supposed to be of between 21 and 25 years old. The students will be from the same year of study and the issue of race and color will be considered.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on The Effect of Drug X on Self-Reports of Anxiety in a Sample of Undergraduate Psychology Majors specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This would ensure that data from different demographical backgrounds and statuses is collected. They also need to have been studying very hard towards their examination. Out of the 30 students 15 will be male and 15 will be female. The students will voluntarily participate in the study and to get their attention, a notice will be placed in the psychology class notice board and the school website. It will also be passed on through Facebook and Tw itter as they are easy means of communication and interaction. The message will entail the expected benefits of the drug X one used. It is believed to reduce anxiety and stress among students. The drug X has been found fit by the national bureau of food stuffs and drugs. Supposing the participants respond rate is more than 100% or over 30, for example 60, then systematic sampling will be used. Their names will be arranged alphabetically before subjecting them to selection. The 60 subjects will be divided by 30 to get 2, where every second, fourth, sixth up to thirtieth subject is reached and recorded. The sequence will be followed, recording the subjects until a sample of 30 participants was reached at. Upon the approval of their consent and that of the institution to carry out the study, the subjects will be ready for the experimental study. No form of motivating the students to participate in study shall be applied as the study is purely voluntary. Lastly, all participants will be provided with an informed consent that must be completed in order to participate. Apparatus Based on the nature of the study, the research will require questionnaires, drug X, drug delivery mechanism, and examination papers. The applicability of these apparatus is discussed more in a precise and elaborate manner under the design and procedure. Design and Procedure Because of the requirements and the nature of the study, the researcher has deemed it necessary to make use of experiment study design. The study will be carried by a single researcher who is me using the theoretical framework and learning gained from the psychology class.Advertising Looking for proposal on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, research assistants will be used when the need be and where necessary. The proposed study involves two levels of independent variables. The two levels of independent variables that will be used include a control group where no drug tablets use and specific dose of drug X. The study will use two groups where one will be a control group (Group B) and the experimental group (Group A). To make the study simple and viable, the two groups will be divided on the basis of gender parity. For the control group, 8 females and 7 males will be used while 7 females and 8 males will be used in the experimental group. The study will be carried on the same time simultaneously. However the subjects will be placed in different rooms. Group A will be given the tablet of new drug X and placed in an examination room with a 10 minutes exam. The subjects can swallow or chew the drugs. However, in this case, the subjects will be required to chew the tablet to allow quick absorption in the blood mai nstream. They will be issued with issued with a test after a period of thirty minutes to ensure that the drug has been absorbed in the blood mainstream. They will be observed for any form of anxiousness so as to aid in supporting the collected information using the survey tools. After the exam they will be administered with a self report survey to measure the effects of the drugs on the participants’ anxiety and stress levels. The same procedure will simultaneously be carried on the control group (Group B) only that they will be not be given drug X. it should be noted that the experiments will be carried in the same time to avoid any participants interactions (from the two different groups). This would reduce the chances of having Hawthorne effect which subjects study to biasedness. Data collection To collect data under the self report survey, survey tools will be used. A well designed questionnaire will be distributed to each participant in the two research experimental grou ps. The questionnaires will have well structured questions that are not leading and ones that would require easy and simple answers. The reason why questionnaire will be used is because of its applicability in terms of efficiency and effectiveness, it is also cheap, reliable, and it collects data which can be used for in depth analysis. Surveys allow reliability and validity because of their standardized nature. The collected data will be compiled and responses that will be similar in either wording or implications will be grouped together. The grouped data and information will then labeled using digits that would be easily subjected to SPSS for analysis. The data and information was later evaluated. Data Analysis The survey data will undergo thorough analysis process. The raw data that has undergone weighting and labeling will be recorded and stored in a computer ready for analysis. Using different data analysis software, the data will undergo SPSS analysis. Descriptive statistics will be generated where the similarity in collected data will be found. The measurements of the data will be expressed as measures of variability and those of tendency. On the measures of central tendency, mode, mean, and median will be calculated in order to describe the data distribution. On the other hand, measures of variability will be subjected to standard deviation and variance calculation. This will determine the spread of the scores of the collected data on the certain behaviors under the study. Lastly, the final data will involve, hypothesis testing is conducted using inferential statistics. The hypothesis testing will determine whether the hypothesis is supported or nullified. It will be carried based on the different variables used in the study. This will form a basis from where discussion of the results and conclusion will be made. Reference List Aleksovski, G. (2009). Anxiety symptoms. Web. Ito, N., Nagai, T., Oikawa, T., Yamada, H., Hanawa, T. (2011). Antidepressant- like Effect of l-perillaldehyde in Stress-induced Depression-like Model Mice through Regulation of the Olfactory Nervous System. Web. Nauert, R. (2010). Some antidepressants work fast for anxiety. Web. National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Depression and College Students What do these students have in common? Web. Putwain, D. (2005). Researching academic stress and anxiety in students: Some methodological considerations. British Educational Research Journal, 33(2), 207-219.

The Role of Food in Understanding Chinese Culture Assignment

The Role of Food in Understanding Chinese Culture - Assignment Example Hierarchically, culture is a significant factor that divides food variability. Individuals’ with the same culture share same eating habits. As a result, they share the same food variables assemblage. Individuals belonging to distinct cultures share different food variables assemblage (Chang 1). This is a clear proof that food choices vary from culture to culture. Within similar cultures, food homogeneity is not mandatory. As a matter of fact, there exist a small range of food variable manifestations in various social situations. Individuals belonging to distinct occupations or social classes eat differently. People in mourning, on festive occasions or on routine occasions consume differently. Different eating codes are upheld by different religious sect. In various life stages, women and men eat differently. The eating differences might be as a result of taste preferences, but some are determined by an individual culture. Explaining these differences, identifying and relating them to other social life facets are of great significance. The availability of natural resources determines the food style of a culture. That is the main reason why the Chinese food is characterized by the animals and plants assemblages that have existed in their land for a long period of time. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to elucidate the role of food in understanding Chinese culture. Role of food in understanding Chinese culture Chinese cooking involves the combination of food stuffs. For example spices, meats, fruits, vegetables, legumes and starch staples. In the category of spices we have the ginger, red pepper, cinnamon and spring onion, for meats we have dog, pork, mutton, beef, chicken, goose, venison, fishes and pheasant, with fruits we have the apricot, peach, plum, apple, pear, jujube date, mountain haw, orange, litchi and longan, under vegetables we have Chinese cabbage, amaranth, malva, turnip, mushroom, radish and mustard green, legumes consists of broad bean, s oybean, mung bean and peanut and lastly starch staples comprises of rice, millet, maize, wheat, sweet potato and kao-liang. Given the fact that ingredients varies from culture to culture, Chinese foods have a local attribute due to the used ingredients. It is not efficient and effective to use ingredients for purposes of characterization; however, they can be used as a good start. With regards to food, Chinese are not that nationalistic as they do not resist imports. This is evidenced by the presence of foreign foodstuffs adoption since the beginning of history. Goats, sheep and wheat were perhaps brought into China in the prehistoric time from Western Asia, whilst many vegetables and fruits came into the country from Central Asia. Furthermore, sweet potatoes and peanuts originated from the coastal traders (Jacques 135). As a result, all these ingredients became part and parcel of Chinese food. Up to date, dairy products and milk have not occupied a place that is prominent in the Ch inese cuisine. In comparison to other food traditions, the Chinese culture of preparing food from ingredients that are raw to morsels that can be eaten involves the combination of interrelated and complex variables. Shopping for fresh fruits on daily basis is significant for all the cooking in China. Unlike the United States fast food society, live sea food, vegetables and seasonal fruits are often selected to ensure freshness. In that case, snappy crabs,

John Lasseter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

John Lasseter - Essay Example This artist has been developing his skills of drawing cartoons from his childhood. His mother was an art teacher and John has often tried to incarnate his vision in animation. When he went to the church together with his family, he drew cartoons. He was amazed by Chuck Jones cartoons on TV and rushed home after school in order to watch these cartoons. In high school John was interested in reading the book â€Å"The Art of Animation† by Bob Thomas (Paik, 2007). Thus his decision to become an animator was growing in his heart for years. Finally, he entered California Institute of the Arts and was a student of a new animation course. He was taught by Disney’s outstanding masters, such as Eric Larson, Frank Thomas and others. His first animation films were Lady and the Lamp (1979) and Nightmare (1980) (Paik, 2007). Lasseter won prizes for his first animation films. He joined Disney but after 101 Dalmatians Lasseter claimed that it was the largest masterpiece of this Studio and suggested to introduce some innovations. In the beginning of 80s Lasseter became interested in computer graphics. Lasseter felt a great potential of computer animation and propagated the idea that computers could be helpful in making movies with three dimensional backgrounds. His guidance was the book by Thomas Disch â€Å"The Brave Little Toaster† (Paik, 2007). â€Å"Where the Wild Things Are† was the first project where Lasseter and his followers decided to introduce computer graphics innovations. Unfortunately, producers saw no benefits and Lasseter was fired from Disney. It is possible to note, that all geniuses were not acclaimed at once. A process of acknowledgement requires time and patience and hard work from genius. Lasseter followed this line and step by step reached the heights in the sphere of his dream, short film animation. Lasseter rushed into searching of co-thinker, followers and professionals from computer industry. His first animation film â€Å"The

Engineering and Construction. Four Categories of Construction Research Paper

Engineering and Construction. Four Categories of Construction - Research Paper Example Therefore, construction would encompass activities such as site clearance and preparation, excavation, and landscaping that are related to the construction work. Among the structures that are often constructed are buildings, walls, masts, towers, structural cable, bridges, highways, and telecommunication structures (Hornbostel, 1991). Moreover, public facilities, infrastructures, and underground works such as tunnels and pipelines are also some of the structures that are constructed. Depending on the activities and processes involved and the type of structure developed, construction is categorized into residential, industrial, engineering, and building construction (Auer et al., 2007). For instance, the industrial category of construction entails the installation of industrial plants and facilities such as oil refineries and sugar factories. On the other hand, the residential category of construction refers to the construction of family homes and other family projects. However, there are other minor categories of construction such as infrastructure, institutional, and pre-engineered categories of construction. A vital point to note is that each category of construction has specific requirements in terms of plans, designs, materials, and funding. This paper explores the four main categories of construction, which are residential, industrial, engineering, and building construction. ... Nevertheless, in situations where property owners are experienced and conversant with building construction, careful and detailed planning has always ensured positive outcome of building construction projects. In the building construction of commercial buildings, private or public procurement methodologies such as cost estimation, price negotiation, management contracting and design-build bridging are applied (Hornbostel, 1991). An important characteristic of building construction is that it entails the assembly of structures for the provision of shelters. The construction of building is in fact, an ancient activity that man has undertaken since time immemorial. The adverse effects of harsh climates on man are perhaps the origin of building construction since man had to moderate or eliminate these effects of climate. Building construction is thus a means by which man seeks to adapt to the environment. The different climatic zones that people inhabit on earth have led to the designing of different buildings by man. In addition, there are the economic aspects of building construction and design that have greatly influenced the building construction industry in the world. Just like any other economic products, building construction materials and products command certain ranges of prices/costs and values to customers or clients. The other economic or cost-related elements of building construction are the security systems and protection requirements. Most important in this regard is the physical security of a property. In recent times, it has become a necessity, due to the increased security technologies, for property owners and

Influences of Japanese Design on Western Architecture

Influences of Japanese Design on Western Architecture In what ways did the Traditional Architecture and Design of Japan Influence Western Architecture at the turn of the Twentieth Century? Japanese architecture was begun in 57 B.C. Before this time period the majority structures were pit dwellings. In early times Japans architecture was influenced by Korean architecture. The Korean historian have given evidence at time of 57 and 665 B.C in creating original buildings. At that time they built stones which includes Iksan and Miruka. Timber buildings were also made at that time. They were found in underground caves of Samschlich-ong, Yodongsonachong, and Yaksuri. The Japanese architecture tradition is based on the wooden structures of timber, for making Japan attractive they have used little stones for carving. The Japan in the fifth century was fully developed of wood. Architects have designed with gables, saddle roofs, styles and designs. Because the Islands of Japanese architecture are of volcainic origin. The best examples of Japanese architecture is the shrines of the Shinto . After every twenty years they rebuilt these shirnes , the most famous shrine is The Ise Shrine (55 x 127 yards) of the Shinto shrine. Its columns made up from cypress trees , four concentric fences, and the traditional thatched roof, it conveys the message of simplicity and purity. The styles of shrines shows both modern and domestic architecture , the Western architecture were fully influenced from Japanese Architecture. The history of architecture is interesting ,but the Tadao Ando designs forced to undergo Japanese architecture. The westerns has followed their way of structure. 1. WOODEN SINGLE STOREY STRUCTURE: The Japanese architecture is characterized from wooden single storey structure. The main lacking of this tradition is the cave dwellings and stone walls, the nation has not changed their traditional style . In the mid of sixth century ,the Buddhist architecture entered in Japan from China and Korea. The shrine architecture is regarded by the Buddhist architecture which represents the typical wooden single storey structure. The wooden structure is based on posts and beams, its structure from inside is dark that does not suits the human being, the Japanese architecture allows light and breeze, so that there outside area is opened. REFERENCE LIST: http://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp http://iainmasterton.photoshelter.com CANTILEVER PRINCIPLE: According to the western techniques, material and the styles into Meiji Japan was based on steel and concrete structure. In modern sky scrapers, Japan played an important role because of its familiarity with the cantilever principle to support the heavy tiled temple roofs. Frank Lloyd Wright was fully influenced by Japanese arrangements ideas of interior and exterior spaces, the opening walls of Japan are made up from sliding doors. In the twentieth century the domestic and religious architecture was in Japenese style. The beauty of modern cities sky scrapers was crowded by Tokyos skyline and the total process reflects the western modern forms. After the world war two the urban planning and reconstruction has produced the major architects such as like Maekawa Kunio and Tange Kenzo. Maekawa, the first person who supported Maekawa concept was Charles LeCorbusier , who has full command on modern works.Tange also supported Maekawa and inspire them on Japanese aesthetic ideas into contemporary buildings and the concept of tatamai flooring (sleeping mats) and the textures they were using was brightening the existing ferroconcrete , steel , gardens , sculptures into designs. In a pillar and beam system Tanga has used the cantilever principle for awakening the ancient palaces, the pillar -a hallmark Was a foundation of Japanese historical tradition which is built on timber construction. New city planning was thought by Maki Fumihiko who gave suggestions on the principles of cocooning around an inner space(oku) ,the needs were adopted from urban side. He backed the ideas of Buddhist which is based on the Japanese aesthetic principle and also favored to use the empty spaces (ma). Japanese aesthetic principle was supposed to be based on the Maki designs, which puts attention towards the view of garden and on the sky lines. The architectural concept was changed in 1970 on the metabolism of exchange , they understand the functions of parts of buildings which strongly influenced them. In 1970s and 1980s, the architect Isozaki Arata was a student of Tanga but his theory was focused on LeCorbusier traditions , turned his attention towards the geometric shapes and cubic silhouettes. He formed western technology building to modernize Japan with new styles. In 1980s again a change came to influence their designs and extend it. In the end of 1970s and 1980s they introduced the metaphycisal concepts to reexamine the geometrical shapes to produce fancy architectural designs. They made experiments on Ando Tada style of structure and balanced to modern formula. The building provides a variety of things ehich includes light soruces , glass bricks and opening up of spaces to the outside air. The inner courtyards was adopted by traditional Osaka houses, the urban architecture uses open staircases,and bridges for good atmostphere and standard living. In 1980s his ideas were existing, the buildings were built on open courtyards with terrace spaces, pedestrian walking and built bridges to connect buildings. The third Architecture was awarded, Frances Prix de lAcadà ©mie dArchitecture in 1989 . Japanese architecture was liked by all over the world , because of its modern techniques and styles . Japanese architecture also introduced industrial materials, and a developed awareness of ecological and topographical problems. Tatamai Mats paper doors REFERENCE LIST: http://gojapan.about.com U.S. Library of Congress http://countrystudies.us/japan/82.htm HORIZONTAL AXIS: The large roofs of Japanese architecture is built on horizontal axis and its low profile of shows its presence. It is an achievement of japan that these types of roofs are also present in Asia. In Japan this trend is not because of its climate but ,because of its building structure. In the nineteenith century Japanese were living in single -storey , but when they saw that western are living in two -storey houses .They also started to live in two -storey houses and taller houses. The architects also turned towards facades. In the early twentieth century it was a wake up call for European countries to turned towards Japanese architecture which is based on horizontal axis . The tradition of European architecture was based on vertical axix through facades , but to modernize themselves they started to develop both vertical and horizontal axis. In twentieth century the most prominent architect Kenzo Tange (1913-2005), merged Japanese architecture and mordernism ,which was acceptable by all over the world . It was traditionally composed on the columns and beams for making paintings. Fumihiko Maki, Arata Isozaki, Kisho Kurokawa and Yoshio Taniguchi were the successor of building new designs on horizontal and vertical axis with modern Japanese architecture. At present time Toyo Ito and Tadao continues to take Japanese architecture in new directions. REFERENCE LIST: http://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/ GARDENS: HISTORY: The definition of garden is where flowers , fruits and vegetables are cultivated but Japan is more forwarded. In 592 A.D during the reign of Empress Suiko, it is evident that the early gardens were very well developed comprises of artificial hills, ornamental pools and many more . In the Nara period (646-794 AD), the major development occured when japan started trading with China. Chinese changed the culture of Japan and execute the gardens in the elite class of Castles. The nobleman arrange their parties in these gardens where animals, birds and fishes provide movement. In the Heian period (794-1185 AD), the people who can afford gardens they built gardens with Japanese tradition, styles and customs. The Shinden garden is the mixture of Chinese and Japanese style, in ancient Chinese lore, the East was the source of purity and the West was the outlet of impurities. There was no change in kamkura period in Shinden garden, Buddhist priests Zen has created garden for meditation not for entertainment. The decoration of garden was fully favor the meditative qualities which includes: stones, water and evergreens, remaining constant throughout the year. There are few types of gardens which are given below: Flat gardens Tea gardens Hill gardens FLAT GARDENS: Flat gardens are built without hills and water and flat garden is also known as Hira-niwa, the garden is filled with pebbles, raked in circles , they also contains stones , trees , lanterns and many more. stones are symbols of islands. During the Edo period flat gardens are popular for their height. These types of gardens are also found in Buddhist temples. Modern flat gardens are having wells and lanternsfor the purification of gardens. These gardens are built on wood and have a system for passing water . Stones lanterns are working at night but they are not ornamental. The Western Japanese garden Daichi shown as a flat garden. 2. HILL GARDEN: Hill garden is also known as Tsukiyama-sansui which means water and hill .this garden is constructed on three dimensional shapes. These gardens are constructed on traditional and modern designs. Water is essential for hill gardens, they are made on two large stones for the appearance of distance. They are colourful because of its bushes and trees.Japanese hill gardens are the symbol of islands. These islands are built on stones and rocks and plants grow at its top. The designer has built a bridge on the island so they can worship on these objects. According to the philosophical point of view this garden have the essence of nature. The Katsura garden exhibits some characteristics of a hill garden. 3. TEA GARDEN: Tea garden plays an important role in performing tea ceremony, this ceremony is continuing for many years. Tea garden has two parts : the soto-roji (outer garden) and the uchi-roji, (inner garden). The outer garden consists of waiting area where guests waits, and the inner garden where tea is served to guest. Tea garden is built same as hill garden. The tea garden contains wash basin , resting place for the guests who attends the tea ceremony. The outer portion of garden is decorated with trees and plants which shows the symbol of peace. At present time tea garden contains flowers stones and elegant designs which attracts towards the people. The Japanese tea garden is famous all over the world . The tea house of Shugakuin is the heart of the gardens design.

Comparing the College Cafeteria to Dinning below the Poverty Line :: Compare Contrast Comparison

Comparing the College Cafeteria to Dinning below the Poverty Line At the beginning of every school year I have to decide whether to get the $6000 carte blanche meal plan or the next smallest $5900 meal plan because I am required to have one of these two options as an on campus student. It's not a tough decision to go with the carte blanche because it is only $100 more for many more meals. The worst part is writing the check and imaging the money being moved from my account. But for the people of Jubilee Partners, a Christian intentional community in rural Georgia, meals have a much different focus. The people of Jubilee Partners intentionally live below the poverty line so that they will not have to pay federal taxes, a portion of which goes into the defense fund. This is just one of the many ways that they choose to live differently from the rest of the world. The thirty residents take turns to make the food that is eaten at their communal meals. During my stay I helped three Central American girls prepare an evening meal. As it was an evening meal, we were allowed to make something new rather than just use leftovers. Lunch always consisted of the preceding nights leftovers, fresh salad from the garden, bread, cheese, and peanut butter. If there were no leftovers, as there often were not, we only ate salad, bread, cheese, and peanut butter. As I looked around the small, simple kitchen, I wondered where were the large stainless steal pots and shiny stove that I was familiar with. The girls instructed me in broken English that I should make bread. With flour-covered arms I mixed and kneaded the dough in an old plastic bowl and smiled as I listened to the excited laughter and rapid Spanish that I could not understand. As Gabby showed me how to roll and form the loaves, I watched as the others make lasagna with synthetic meat from a government surplus. Meat was rare at Jubilee as it was expensive and much of the food they ate came from a food bank. Meat night, which was held once a week, was a special occasion anticipated by many. Standing in line in the Goshen College cafeteria, I examine the array of food spread before me trying to decide what I want. I had glanced at the menu board as my id was scanned but still am not sure what I am hungry for.

Rhetorical Analysis the Gigantic Society Mirror : Media.

ENL 101 Essay # 2 Assignment Prof. M. Ryckebusch. Final Draft 03/26/12 Luis Serrano Word Count : 820 The Gigantic Society Mirror : Media. Living in a society with a fierce hunger for capitalism generates an active promotion of companies' services and products which incites people to spend money on them. Advertisements and publicity have a strong influence on the companies’ marketing process, where creativity and innovation are the keys of attracting new customers, but the intrigue preserves on where should the limits for this advertisements be bounded in order for society not be exposed to things like violence through the media .In her essay, â€Å" Two Ways A Women Can Get Hurt†, Jean Kilbourne – an award-winning author and educator who is best known for her works about media images effects on young people- emphasizes how violence ( specifically sexualized violence ) in our culture is present through the media, which she recognizes as a powerful mirror in which society is somehow shaped by. Kilbourne’s analysis suggests that erotism in advertising promotes pornography, which main goal , according to her, is to embraces the idea on people minds that women are objects used to fulfill men’s sexual desire ( Kilbourne 459).The use of the images in the essay serves as evidence to support the author’s message, where she invites the audience to interpret her arguments by applying appeals to reason while they visualize how inhuman and violent some advertisements are. In addition to her thesis, the author emphasizes that some advertisements foster the belief that women reward men with sex when they wear or buy their products ( Kilbourne 459 ). An equally significant aspect mentioned is that these advertisements produce a collateral damage that aims both genders, where individual ideas/actions coming from the images mentioned can be self-harming (Kilborne 467).As mentioned before, Kilbourne explains in one of her paragraphs that certain advertisements are not only harmful to women, but also to men. She adds that our economy system has developed new markets that had targeted men as sex objects in advertisements. Evidence for in support of this position, can be found in the image of an almost naked man making a advertisements of Calvin Klein Jeans, which is shown to sustain her idea of how pornography is invading the media and the negative effects it has on humans by promoting violent aspects (Kilborne 467).Even though she mentions that men don’t feel targeted the same way women do, nor they feel threaten by this advertisements, the objectification of any human being is a dangerous thing and its never good. Furthermore, it can be seen from the above analysis, that if a man grows up seeing advertisements that encourage them to mistreat women, there will be a high possibility that he will perform such acts of sexism and violence. The images that bombard us daily influence us to think and behave in certai n ways, profoundly affecting the way we see ourselves and others.In this manner, men are also victims of the publicity in the media because they might find themselves in legal accusations and problems because of their lack of understanding how a women should be treated. The author earn’s the attention from a different audience, appealing to pathos, since she mentions how men are also targeted from the media. In order to support her claim and bridge the controversy the author involves some images, through the essay, in order to bring logos to her thesis. However, there is no shortage of disagreement with the judgements of some images as the main encouragers for a man to mistreat a woman.In the pictures provided – corresponding to men’s cologne advertisements- the author induce that the admonition behind the publicity infers that ignoring and mistreating a women is a way a men can get her attraction. It is quite obvious that these advertisements she shows are targ eted for men customers and the main goal of these advertisements sponsoring products like colognes, is basically to show how effective they are among women. Moreover , it is important to mention that we live in a materialistic society where what what we wear or use is a form of expression that is intended to attract our peers, and in this case the opposite sex.So when men are wearing a fragrance , they expect women would like the smell of it, since the main purpose of it’s use is attracting women . So on most pictures of cologne , you will always expect a man surrounded by women, indicating the effectiveness of the fragrance instead of men’s supremacy over women. In such declarations, the author show weakness on her credibility by applying excess of emotions when she describes this images, it is apparently clear that the authors feelings lead her to a misconception of some pictures which discredits her ethos.In writing this essay, Kilbourne faced a challenging task: to write an impressive and brief essay about two of the most broad topics in our society which are media and gender stratification. The problem of people being indifferent toward advertisements is a matter of fact that only few have been aware of. Even if the main purpose of Kilbourne was to target (by different emotional appeals and some biased feminist thoughts) women as her main audience, this essay embraces the idea of how dangerous the media can be in our society and how offensive it can be . not only women, but buy any human being.

Luxury Sectoral Analysis

Luxury Sectoral Analysis Introduction This paper will present a detailed sectoral analysis, which focuses on the luxury wine industry in the US. Russian River Ranches Chardonnay is the luxury wine brand that will be analyzed. The brand is manufactured and distributed by Sonoma-Cutrer in the US.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Luxury Sectoral Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Russian River Ranches is a luxury brand because it is made of high quality grapes and advanced brewing technologies (Sonoma-Cutrer 2014). As a premium product, Russian River Ranches is sold in luxury restaurants and hotels in the US. In addition, it was the second most expensive among the top 20 luxury wine brands in the US in 2013 (Sonoma-Cutrer 2014). Porter’s five forces model will be used to analyze the competitiveness of Russian River Ranches in its industry. Other elements of the brand that will be analyzed include price aesthetics, product, communi cations, and branding. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Suppliers’ Bargaining Power The luxury wine industry has several suppliers, which include manufacturers of packaging materials, producers of labeling materials, producers of grapes, and shipping companies. The suppliers have a high bargaining power due to the following reasons. First, there are more wine producers than suppliers of key inputs such packaging materials. In the last five years, vineyard acreage reduced significantly as famers used their land to produce more profitable crops such as almonds. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that there are no substitutes for grapes in luxury wine production (Demeter Group 2013).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The demand for grapes has significantly increased as producers of high-end wine increase their production capacities. The resulting shorta ge of grapes has significantly increased farmers’ bargaining power. Second, differentiation of inputs is a key determinant of the quality of luxury wine. Producers of high-end wine must consistently use the best grapes and packaging materials to attract customers (Sonoma-Cutrer 2014). Third, most suppliers in the industry have low switching costs since there are many buyers for their products. For example, suppliers of packaging materials also sell to manufacturers in the soft drinks industry. Thus, they give priority to buyers who are able to offer high prices and to make bulk purchases. The high bargaining power of the suppliers means that they can easily increase their prices, thereby reducing the competitiveness of Russian River Ranches and other brands. Buyers’ Bargaining Power The buyers (consumers of wine) have a high bargaining power due to the following reasons. First, brand loyalty is very low since customers are interested in trying new products (Brun Caste lli 2013, pp. 823-847). This limits the ability of producers of luxury wine to retain their customers. Second, nearly all manufacturers of wine are focusing on product differentiation. This increases the number of products that are available in the market, thereby increasing buyers’ bargaining power. Third, buyers of luxury wine have low switching costs. Thus, they can easily change brands in order to satisfy their needs. The high power of consumers of luxury wine means that producers have to focus on product differentiation and aggressive marketing to retain their customers.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Luxury Sectoral Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The producers of luxury wine have a moderate bargaining power. One of the factors that improve their bargaining power is ability to make bulk purchases. This enables producers to negotiate for favorable prices for their supplies. The threat of back ward integration is also high since companies such as Sonoma-Cutrer produce grapes on their own (Sonoma-Cutrer 2014). The main factor that reduces the bargaining power of wine producers is the mismatch between the demand and supply of their inputs (Demeter Group 2013). Specifically, undersupply limits manufacturers’ ability to bargain since the available inputs have to be rationed through high prices. Threat of Substitutes The main substitutes of luxury wine include soft drinks, beer, and spirits. Luxury wine also competes with the regular wine brands. The threat of substitutes is low due to the following reasons. To begin with, luxury wine performs better than other alcoholic drinks in terms of quality. Specifically, the people who drink alcohol prefer wine because of its superior taste. Consumption of luxury wine is also associated with high social status in the society (Brun Castelli 2013, pp. 823-847). Apart from taste, wine has several health benefits that cannot be enj oyed through consumption of other alcoholic beverages. Specifically, moderate consumption of wine helps in prevention of heart diseases, stroke, anxiety, and lose of memory in old age (Brun Castelli 2013, pp. 823-847). These benefits make wine the best option among consumers of alcohol.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, excessive consumption of wine can have negative health effects. Moreover, some religions prohibit consumption of alcohol. These factors reduce the competitiveness of luxury wine as customers opt for soft drinks. Generally, luxury wine is more expensive than other alcoholic beverages and soft drinks (Brun Castelli 2013, pp. 823-847). However, the high price does not have negative effects on the demand for luxury wine, especially, in the affluent market segment where customers are not price sensitive. Since Russian River Ranches has a superior quality, it is likely to overcome the low threat of substitutes in the market. Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrants is low because of the following factors. First, the cost of entering the luxury wine industry is prohibitive. New companies that intend to establish production plants require significantly high financial capital, which is not easily available. Second, the incumbents have high economies of scale (Demeter Group 2013). In the last decade, major producers of luxury wine focused on consolidation through mergers and acquisitions. This has enabled them to achieve â€Å"economies of scale in production and distribution† (Chevalier Mazzalovo 2012, p. 56). As a result, they have high production capacities and cost advantages that make them more competitive than new entrants. Third, the incumbents have control over the distribution channels. In the last five years, distributors of luxury wine such as wholesalers, specialty restaurants, and retailers embarked on consolidation to strengthen their market power (Demeter Group 2013). The incumbents in the wine industry have long-term distribution contracts with the available distributors. This means that new entrants will have to incur high costs to access the distribution system. Finally, access to inputs such grapes is difficult, since the incumbents have long-term supply contracts with famers. The low threat of new entrants is a growth oppor tunity to Russian River Ranches as demand continues to rise. Threat of Competitive Rivalry High competition in the US luxury wine market is explained by the following factors. First, the industry is highly concentrated. In 2013, the top 4 largest producers of luxury win accounted for 70% of the market share (Demeter Group 2013). This means that only 30% of the market is left for the remaining producers. Second, the industry is characterized by high fixed costs. Specifically, the cost of labor and warehousing is on the rise, thereby reducing the profits of producers of luxury wine. Third, there is overcapacity in the industry. This is explained by the fact that liberalization of the US wine industry has resulted into an increase in importation of luxury wine from countries such as China, Italy, and France (Demeter Group 2013). Wine products from countries such as China are sold at low prices since their producers have production cost advantages. Although the industry is characterized by high competition, it is still experiencing strong growth. In the last three years, the market for luxury wine in the US grew at an average annual rate of 12% (Demeter Group 2013). This strong growth is expected to continue in the next four years as economic growth improves. The implication of the high competitive rivalry is that Russian River Ranches must be able to satisfy customers’ needs in order to maintain its competitiveness. Specifically, the marketing mix strategy that is used to market it must be aligned to customers’ needs. Success of Russian River Ranches The factors that account for the success of Russian River Ranches in the luxury wine market include the following. First, the brand is successful because of its unrivaled quality. Since its inception, Sonoma-Cutrer acknowledged the fact that high quality is one of the major factors that determine the success of luxury wine brands. Consequently, the company strategically chose to produce its own grapes. This enables it to improve the quality of Russian River Ranches by selecting the best grapes to manufacture it (Sonoma-Cutrer 2014). Moreover, the company focuses on incremental product innovation to improve the quality of its wine. As a result, it has been able to produce several flavors that meet the expectations of its customers. As a premium brand that is known for high quality, Russian River Ranches is able to achieve high sales despite being one of the most expensive brands in the market (Sonoma-Cutrer 2014). Second, Russian River Ranches is successful because of its strong brand image. It has been rated as the most popular luxury wine brand in the US for over ten consecutive years (Sonoma-Cutrer 2014). The brand personality of Russian River Ranches reflects the attributes that customers in the luxury wine market look for. These include authenticity, premium quality, good reputation, and excusive brand history (Brun, Castelli 2013, pp. 823-847). These attributes have enabled R ussian River Ranches to command a high brand loyalty in a market where customers are constantly shifting to new products. High brand loyalty enables the brand to overcome competition from other luxury brands and substitute products. Third, Russian River Ranches owes its success to the multi-level distribution channel that is being used to distribute it in the US. As the most popular luxury brand, all high-end restaurants and hotels strive to serve Russian River Ranches to maintain their competitiveness (Sonoma-Cutrer 2014). The wholesalers also have the incentive to distribute the brand because its premium price enables them to earn a decent profit margin. This enables Russian River Ranches to overcome competition by denying its competitors access to third-party distribution channels. In addition, Sonoma-Cutrer has its own retail and online stores that it uses to distribute the brand. This enables its sales team to offer excellent customer service, which in turn improves brand loyal ty and sales. Finally, Russian River Ranches is successful in the luxury market because of the marketing strategies that have been adopted by its producer. The brand’s premium positioning strategy has been reinforced through innovative marketing communications initiatives. The brand is marketed through digital platforms such as the social media, the internet, and smartphones that allow its marketers to convey personalized messages to a niche market segment rather than the mass market (Sonoma-Cutrer 2014). This enables customers to identify with the brand and to recommend it to their colleagues, thereby increasing its sales and brand credibility (Reyneke, Pitt Berthon 2011, pp. 21-35). In addition, Russian River Ranches is marketed based on value rather than price. Although most companies are trying to gain market share by reducing the prices of their wine, Sonoma-Cutrer has focused on marketing the benefits that are provided by its brand. As a result, Russian River Ranches h as been able to overcome brand dilution in the market. Key Elements of a Luxury Brand Price Pricing has a significant influence on the way customers perceive luxury brands. Consciously or sub-consciously, customers often develop a psychological luxury image based on the price range that is used to market a brand (Chevalier Mazzalovo 2012, p. 78). Most consumers of luxury brands believe that price has a positive correlation with value. This explains the high price of Russian River Ranches in the luxury wine industry. Specifically, the high price is meant to protect its brand image from being compromised. Undoubtedly, consumers of luxury brands are interested in obtaining high value for their money (Brun Castelli 2013, pp. 823-847). They will not pay more for a product that has no superior functionality. As a result, the high price of Russian River Ranches is justified by its premium quality and good reputation. Apart from compensating producers for the high product quality, pricing in the luxury wine industry is used to ensure exclusivity. This perspective is based on the fact that consumers of luxury products focus on maintaining their self-esteem by purchasing products that others cannot afford. Since Russian River Ranches targets affluent customers, its high price serves as a mechanism for excluding the mass market from consuming it. Product A luxury brand must have a high quality (Brun Castelli 2013, pp. 823-847). This requirement is justified by the fact that a luxury brand must achieve superior performance at the product level and experiential level. This explains Sonoma-Cutrer’s focus on product innovation to maintain the high quality of Russian River Ranches. At the product level, the brand satisfies functional and utilitarian attributes of wine in terms of taste, packaging, alcohol content, and acidity. As a luxury brand, Russian River Ranches also performs at the experiential level by creating an emotional appeal to customers. The emotional appeal distinguishes the brand from the regular brands of wine. The high quality of Russian River Ranches has to be maintained because its consumption signifies high status. The affluent customers consume the brand partly to express their status in the society (Brun Castelli 2013, pp. 823-847). For instance, the brand is often bought as a special gift for loved ones or during special occasions such as weddings as a way of expressing appreciation. Communications Luxury brand communications must be dynamic and versatile in order to attract the attention of the market without hurting brand image (Reyneke, Pitt Berthon 2011, pp. 21-35). Adopting a dynamic marketing communications strategy is justified by the fact that a luxury brand must retain its pedigree status while keeping up with contemporary trends and newness. In a nutshell, the brand must adjust to emerging tastes and preferences without compromising its original attributes that make it unique. This enables the luxury brand t o remain desirable and inspirational. Russian River Ranches has been able to maintain its brand relevance because its adverts focus on conveying emotional and sensual messages. This creates a distinction between the brand and its competitors that target the mass market. In addition, the adverts focus on creating an aura that is genuinely exceptional to the brand image. In the digital marketing platform, Russian River Ranches is advertised using long-form commercials to attract customers’ attention. The main strength of this strategy is that it improves brand awareness and motivates customers to take action by purchasing the wine. Branding In the luxury market, brand presence focuses on creating memorable shopping experiences. A luxury brand has to be retailed in a high-end store that reflects its superior attributes. Every customer touch-point has to enhance the brand experience to strengthen the aura of luxury (Chevalier Mazzalovo 2012, p. 98). In this regard, the marketers of Russian River Ranches utilize great aesthetics and craftsmanship to improve the ambiance of the stores where the wine is sold. Public relations also â€Å"plays an important role in branding luxury brands† (Chevalier Mazzalovo 2012, p. 102). The use of public relations is justified by the fact that it enables marketers to influence public opinion favorably in order to strengthen brand image. In addition, it helps in enhancing the credibility of luxury brands, especially, if the brands are reviewed by renowned public figures. As a result, the marketers of Russian River Ranches use celebrity endorsements to influence public opinion about the brand. Specifically, the public associates the brand with the superior qualities of the celebrities that endorse it. This strategy has significantly improved customers’ confidence in Russian River Ranches, thereby making it the luxury brand of choice in the US. Conclusion The main threats to the competitiveness of Russian River Ranches are the high bargaining power of suppliers, high bargaining power of consumers of wine, and high competition in the luxury wine industry. The suppliers have a high bargaining power because of the shortage of key inputs such as grapes and the large number of producers of wine. The consumers of wine have a high bargaining power because of their low switching costs and access to a variety of brands. Competition is high in the market because of the high concentration of the industry and increased importation of luxury wine. The opportunities that are available to Russian River Ranches include the strong growth of the luxury wine market, as well as, the low threat of substitutes and new entrants. The factors that account for Russian River Ranches’ success include its high quality, strong brand image, and access to established distribution networks. In order to overcome competition in future, the quality of the brand should be improved consistently through product innovatio n. References Brun, A Castelli, C 2013, ‘The nature of luxury: a consumer perspective’, International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, vol. 41. no. 11, pp. 823-847. Chevalier, M Mazzalovo, G 2012, Luxury brand management, McGraw-Hill, New York. Demeter Group 2013, State of the wine industry. Web. Reyneke, M, Pitt, L Berthon, P 2011, ‘Luxury wine brand visibility in social media: an exploratory study’, International Journal of Wine Business Research, vol. 23. no. 1, pp. 21-35. Sonoma-Cutrer 2014, Our craft. Web.

How to Be Healthy and Happy Essays

How to Be Healthy and Happy Essays How to Be Healthy and Happy Essay How to Be Healthy and Happy Essay Do you want to die at an early age and be unhappy all your life? If not then you need to fallow these steps described in the process and change your life and be healthy. The steps are Eating Healthy, Working Out, Keeping Yourself Clean and Not Harming Your Body in Any Way. There is no order for them the can be done in any order. Fallowing these steps will make you healthier, live longer and overall have a better quality of life. Being healthy will make you happy. The first step is going to the gym and working out. You have to work out at least 3 times a week and do it for one to two hours. The first thing you do at the gym is stretch for five minutes, and then you want to do twenty minutes of cardio. Cardio can be anything from running, using the elliptical, jump roping or any thing that gets your heart rate up. The next thing you are going to do is weight lifting. You want work on all your muscles not just your arms or your chest. It is simple to do this because all of the machines at the gym have instructions on how to use them and they have a machine for just about every muscle in your body. Make a pattern of working out your upper body one day and lower body the next at the gym. Doing this will get you in great physical shape and health. The second step is eating right, this is the most important step because you can work out all you want but if you’re not eating the right things you’re going gain weight. You should eat five to six small meals every day instead three big ones, because doing this will increase your metabolism and burn calories faster. Try to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, they are high in vitamins and the fill you up with low calorie intakes. You should avoid all fast food restaurants because most of the food is oily and greasy and that stuff is not good for you body, and the food there is really high in calories Eating too much is bad but not eating is worse so make sure your eating enough to maintain a healthy weight (you can find out your healthy weight online by checking your BMI). So eat enough to maintain a healthy weight and don’t eat too much so you gain weight. The next step is keeping yourself clean. This means bath or shower everyday unless you have dry skin problem then you can do it every other day. Brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly. Try not to get sick in anyway, use common sense about germs. Wash your hands after you use the bathroom and before you prepare food. Use condoms (and good judgment) when you have sex. Don’t get crazy about the germs and become a germ phobic. Along with the do’s theirs is also a lot of do not’s in this process. There are a lot of things can bring harm physically even mentally but these are the main things you need to stay away from. Don’t not drink is ruins your liver and you might lose it, but more than that when you drink it impairs your judgment and you can do a lot of dumb things that injure you fatally. It is okay to drink a little bit here and there but it is the excessive drinking you have to worry about. Next, do not smoke cigarettes you can get all kinds of cancer and diseases. Also in studies it is estimated that one cigarette kills seven minutes of your life and you’re knowingly killing yourself. Also stay away from all drugs like Cocaine, Marijuana, heroin or any other drug that’s out there. These drugs are really harmful and can kill you if you overdose. Being healthy isn’t hard you just have to be motivated to do the work and fallowing the steps described above you can achieve it easily. The step are working out, keeping yourself clean, eating right and not harming your body. Doing this will make you healthy and being healthy will make you happy.

Controversy within Human Resources Research Paper

Controversy within Human Resources - Research Paper Example This essay paper seeks to explore controversial behavior of one human resource manager of a U.S company that sought anonymity to avoid court cases on the ground of defamation (Bach p120). However, not all people disagree with the way he discharges since some professionals believe that he is impartial in his work. Hiring of staff It is the mandate of any human resource department to get new employees for a company. Hiring is due to needs that have risen in operations or gaps that need to be filled either due to resignations, quitting from job, dismissal, promotion and staff getting new jobs in other companies among other reasons. Firing comes in when management cracks the whip on certain undisciplined personnel or unproductive staff. However, this is not implemented with immediate effect but is preceded by series of warnings that are on record. It is done when a company can’t tolerate a certain employee anymore, and the only option remaining to explore is firing. In the company under scrutiny here, the human resource manager is charged with putting job adverts across, conduct interviews and confirms hiring of any new staff after the process is duly followed (Price p29). Though every job advert put across says that this company is an equal employer and discourages canvassing, this seems to be done differently. An important point to put across here is that the manager in question is a black American and is known to act in favor of management to avoid being reprimanded. Hiring policies in this company have been drafted to favor the company whereby he prefers to hire female employees even though a certain job is more inclined to the masculine gender as opposed to the feminine gender. Not all female applicants go through the full process of hiring since some canvass on the way by the manner of sexual favors to this human resource manager. This is, however, not for applicants who are American citizens since American citizens usually get first priority in any jo b advert regardless of qualifications. No enough reasons can explain why this is done this way yet management does not raise an alarm over his conduct causing employees to conclude that management as well has racial discrimination. Firing of staff Firing, on the other hand, is done in an awkward manner since no due process is put in place to show an employee why he got fired. The policies that this human resource manager found in place were said to be aged and thus the need for change. The change that followed was not practical since many clauses, which sought to strike a balance between Americans and non-Americans were phased out. This was done to make it difficult for non-Americans to get hired in this company and this has happened at the reign of this human resource manager. Several staffs who are not U.S citizens have been fired under undue grounds cited by human resource manager. Staffs are also required to carry with them their national identity cards to show their nationality and make it easier for human resource to do his duty ‘well’. This has led to total controversy and staff unrest and some American staff have even gone ahead and expressed dissatisfaction on the conduct of this human resource manager. Some of the Americans who have complained against his conduct are furnished with strict warnings though they have continued to show solidarity with

Impact of Social Web on Society Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Impact of Social Web on Society - Research Paper Example Te people using social websites are able to distribute/share private information, such as blog entries, photographs, and videos. There is an example of a social website that is MySpace. This social website is very famous equally with music groups and individuals, who want to share information about their tour dates, and distribute their songs on their profile pages (Bowles, 2010; Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005; Kulshreshtha, Kumar, & Sehgal, 2011). In addition, one of the most important advantages of social websites is that they are very supportive and useful method to stay in touch with many people (friends, relatives, colleagues etc.). In this scenario, if an individual has interesting news which he/she desires to share with other people (friends, relatives or community), with social web it turns out to be very simple since he/she can add/enter it on his/her personal bulletin board and it will be distributed or transferred to the people to whom he desires to share. In this way, the social networking sites play a major role in meeting with new people, whatever the purpose of it (a business deal or friendship) (Parrack, 2012; Dubai School of Government, 2011; Schultz, Schwepker, & Jr, 2012).