Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Marketing Spotlight HSBC Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Marketing Spotlight HSBC Case Study - Essay Example The essay "Marketing Spotlight – HSBC Case Study" presents a marketing spotlight on HSBC in the form of answers to the questions asked in the exercise and also some discussion points pertaining to HSBC global branding & marketing strategy. The primary success factor of HSBC has been their emphasis on localization of the HSBC brand.Their strategy of localization has helped them to build local competitive advantages in the regions of their operations such that they could compete effectively with the local players of the region. A deeper insight into this strategy reveals that the efforts are directed towards becoming the consumer’s expert on cultural knowledge of the nation thus getting deep visibility into financial opportunities in the country hidden in the personality & motivation of the end consumers that are normally invisible to other outsiders. The localization model of HSBC is supported strongly by their global technology system called Hexagon Infrastructure havin g foundations laid way back in 1983 and subsequently key enhancements implemented in 1987, 1989, and 1994. HSBC owns one of the most sophisticated & efficient banking transactions & customer service management systems of the world. Internet Banking is a powerful mean of enhancing competitive advantages that should be informative, communicative & transactional as per the local customer needs. HSBC is one of the few foreign banks that are able to compete effectively with the local banks in Malaysia & Thailand.
Monday, October 28, 2019
Tram Accident and Alcoholic Beverages Essay Example for Free
Tram Accident and Alcoholic Beverages Essay Car accidents happen every day, and while some are inevitable, many are preventable. Although, in recent years, a number of innovative campaigns have been arranged to avoid car accidents, car crashes occur frequently. Mostly, car accidents occur due to rash and careless driving. Road accidents also happen sometimes due to disorderliness and lack of patience. So how can you prevent a car accident? The answer is very simple, use common sense and obey the rules of the road. First step in order to avoid car accidents is not to drunk because being in under the influence of drugs or alcohol affects vision, reaction time and attention. the best decision is to Choose a designated driver, Decide who is going to drive before you go out, and make sure that person do not drink any alcoholic beverages. Furthermore you should call a taxi. . If nobody in your group is sober, take alternate transportation. Many of the fatal accidents are because of drunk driving. However, drunk driving is completely preventable. Another important thing that should be considered is to put on seat belt while driving. Wearing seat belt would be annoying for many people. But, this is highly vital, as wearing seat belt would reduce the chances of road accidents. Not only drivers, passengers including adults and kids are also recommended to put on seat belt. This will reduce the risk of a serious injury if you are involved in a car accident. These tips are all just common sense. They seem like such simple actions, but they can cause or prevent an accident. It just depends if the driver of the car, follow the rules of the road.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Ginkgo Biloba :: Botany
Ginkgo biloba The oldest known living fossil, more than 5,000 years old is native to China. Ginkgo, maidenhair tree, has an average life span of 1,000 years. The oldest trees are serving in the temples of the Chinese's and Japanese Buddhist monks. These trees are considered to be very sacred to their way of life. One of the traditions is the leaves and fruits have been used as a herbal medicine for over a thousand years. The female tree's fruit is a delicacy in food preparation also. Another reason for their stature in civilization is their ability to withstand many outside influences of nature. A tree in Hiroshima survived the atomic bomb of World War II in 1945 on the 6th of August. A 1 km distance from the center of explosion, it was the first to bud in September of the same year. The tree is now known as the "bearer of hope" for the people of Hiroshima. The temple was built around this mighty tree. The front stairs are divided in half to surround and protect the tree. "Engraved on it "No more Hiroshima" and people's prayers for peace." (1) Also in Japan, a shimenawa (cord of rice straw) is tied around the trunk of the tree to keep off evil spirits, showing how sacred these trees are to their civilization. Ginkgoaceae is dated back to the Paleozoic era. That is over 200 million years ago. The highest diversity of gymnosperms took place during the Cretaceous. The ginkgo was at one point found in numerous places in the world. Fossil records show a decline in the trees around the Tertiary. This is thought to be because of the extinction of dinosaurs, which were the main distributors of the seeds. The first mention in Chinese herbal medicine was during the Ming dynasty in 1436. Ginkgo is recorded as being introduced to the U.S. in 1784. It is considered to be the sole living link between the ferns and conifers. However two species, Ginkgoites and Baiera, of the genera ginkgo are extinct. Ginkgo biloba is the only living species. Although, one of the species thought extinct was found in Vantage, Washington near the Columbia River Gorge. The ginkgo beckii, after George Beck, lives in the Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park. Structure Ginkgo can grow to be 20 to 30 meters in height and 9 meters wide with a trunk size up to 4 meters.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Relationships between Satisfaction with Life Essay
 Abstract            Satisfaction with life is a concept highly valued in today’s society. In an effort to understand mechanisms behind the life satisfaction, present study investigated the relationships between social network size, optimism and conscientiousness and the outcome variable, satisfaction with life. The four variables were measured through the use of a survey. Participants were students from California State University, Fullerton. A correlational analysis of the data showed a significant positive relationship between optimism, and conscientiousness and satisfaction with life. It was also found that individuals with large social network size were more satisfied than those with small social network size. These findings imply that improving levels of optimism and conscientiousness and increasing one’s social network can insure greater life satisfaction. Relationships between Satisfaction with Life, Social Network Size, Optimism, and Conscientiousness            Satisfaction with life is most often one of the greatest concerns of an individual’s life. There is a general belief that an inability to achieve satisfaction with one’s life indicates an unsuccessful life. Because of this socially generated drive for satisfaction with life, one is made to wonder. What factors are related to the experience of life satisfaction? What variables are good predictors of life satisfaction?            One suspected variable that would act as a good predictor of satisfaction with life is social network size. A social network refers to an individual’s link or relationship with other individuals. This link can cause certain social behavior to be explained (Mitchell, 1969). Quinn, Gavigan, and Franklin (1980) defined social networks to be the social units an individual is placed in contact with. Quinn et al. (1980) studied the effects of social network interaction on life satisfaction in older adults. The findings indicated that social network interaction was not a good predictor of satisfaction with life.            Another study conducted by Bowling, Farquhar, ands Browne (1991) indicated that social network size is a poor indicator of life satisfaction. The study involved the participation of two types of individuals – those who lived in rural neighborhoods and those who lived in urban neighborhoods. Bowling et al. (1991) noted larger reported social network sizes for individuals in the urban areas as opposed to those in the rural areas. Despite this difference in reported social network sizes, life satisfaction between the two groups was not found to be different. This may, however, have been a result of difference in the levels of interaction available to individuals residing in the two areas. The insignificant findings may have been a result of the inherent differences between neighborhoods and therefore not representative of the social network size of a given individual.            Optimism is a second variable deemed to be related to feelings of satisfaction with life. A greater sense of optimism allows one to maintain an outlook on life that allows for the consideration of the world as a generally positive place. Research exploring the life satisfaction felt by retired physicians showed that greater optimism resulted in a greater satisfaction with their life. (Austrom, Perkins, Damush, and Hendrie, 2003) In retired individuals, especially, optimism may be an essential variable for achieving life satisfaction as it may also be a coping mechanism to the sudden change in lifestyle for the said individuals. The retired physicians felt that the greatest challenge going against their satisfaction with life was in the loss of their professional roles, thus, optimism might have served as a form of mediation between the two stages of the transition. Having a positive outlook on the way their lives was going allowed these physicians to better accept the end of their professional careers and to look forward to the beginning of their retired life. The probable importance of optimism as a mediator was also evidenced by the fact that in the same study by Austrom et al. (2003) it was found that optimism didn’t play as significant a role in determining life satisfaction when it came to the physician’s wives. This may have been due to the fact that they did not need to maintain a positive outlook to boost a sudden change in life roles.            Optimism and not pessimism, which involves having a negative outlook on life, is found to be a greater predictor of life satisfaction. This was specifically found by a study conducted by Chang & Sanna (2003). Thus in the present study, only the variable of optimism will be taken into consideration and not its counterpart, pessimism.            Another variable that may show a relationship with an individual’s satisfaction with life is the personality trait of conscientiousness. Conscientiousness has been investigated by many researchers in terms of how well it predicts an individual’s life satisfaction. This trait refers to an individual’s tendency to be organized, diligent and reliable in their behavior. (Chapman, Duberstein, and Lyness, 2007) Conscientiousness may have a role to play in satisfaction because conscientious individuals are able to have more mature defenses and are also able to have a quality of life that is considered by most to be above par as they are able to have more responsibility and control over their health, their social interactions, and their general well-being (Chapman et al, 2007). It may well be that the same link can be found between conscientiousness and life satisfaction. If higher levels of conscientiousness indicate higher quality of life, it may also indicate greater degree of satisfaction with life as a result of the same mechanisms.            A study by Lounsbury, Saudarga, Gibson, and Leong (2005) examined just this relationship. Through an inspection of the personality characteristics accounted for in the Big Five, it was found that conscientiousness along with extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, and openness to experience account for 45% of total perceived life satisfaction. Is conscientiousness, then, as a variable independent of the other personality traits in the Big Five, significantly related to satisfaction with life?            The present study aims to investigate the relationships that exist between satisfaction with life and the three variables stated above: social network size, optimism, and conscientiousness. Based on the empirical evidence provided by past literature, it is predicted that satisfaction with life will be significantly correlated to optimism and conscientiousness. A greater level of optimism and conscientiousness in an individual will indicate a greater satisfaction with life. Also, social network size is hypothesized to have no significant difference on satisfaction with life. The last hypothesis is based on the findings of past literature. However, due to the questionable nature of past studies and how these measured social network against life satisfaction, the present study’s hypothesis may turn out to be negated. It is hypothesized, then, that the variables of optimism and conscientiousness will have a significant and direct relationship with satisfaction with life while that of social network size will have no significant difference on satisfaction with life. Methodology Participants            The participants of the study totaled 91 students, 23 (25.3%) of whom were male and 68(74.7%) of whom were female. (See Table 1 in Appendix for tabulated figures) All the participants were enrolled in Research Method in Psychology classes at the California State University, Fullerton. The ethnicity break down of the participants is the following: African American – 1.1%, Asian (Pacific Islander) – 3.3%, Caucasian – 49.5%, Hispanic – 27.5%, Middle Eastern – 2.2%, Southeast Asian – 2.2%, multiethnic – 11%. 3.3% of the participants reported to having other types of ethnicity. (See Table 2 in Appendix for tabulated figures) The range in ages of the participants was from 19 years to 46 years. The mean age was 23 years old. (See Table 3 in Appendix for tabulated figures) None of the participants received incentive for their participation. There were no extra credits or monetary compensations given in exchange for their contribution to the study. Materials or Measures            Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988). The PANAS measures trait negative affect or the affective well being of the participants. It is composed of a 10-item scale designed to measure typical experiences of negative affect. Participants are able to rate the extent to which they experience certain mood states such as distressed, upset, scared, and irritable. They are able to do this through the indicators of a 5-point scale (very slightly or not at all, a little, moderately, quite a bit, extremely). The participants were asked to indicate to what extent they felt each feeling or emotion listed during the past two weeks from the time of the survey.            Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin, 1985) The SWLS is a global measure for subjective well-being and life satisfaction. Diener et al (1985) defined life satisfaction as a conscious cognitive judgment life. This entails an individual’s comparison of their own life experiences with a self-set standard. The scale is composed of 5 items and utilizes a 7-point Likert-type scale (1-strongly disagree to 7-strongly agree).  The items of the test included statements such as â€Å"The conditions of my life are excellent†and â€Å"If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing.†Possible total scores range from 5 to 35. A resulting score ranging from 5 to 19 signifies dissatisfaction while scores between 21-31 signify satisfaction.            Life Orientation Test (LOT-R; Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994) The LOT-R measures generalized optimism. The test is made up of 10 items. Participants will indicate the extent to which they agree with the 10 statements in the test through a 5-point Likert-type scale (0-strongly disagree to 4-strongly agree). The statements involved sentiments like â€Å"in uncertain times, I usually expect the best†. A participant can achieve a score from 0 to 24 with a higher score indicating greater levels of optimism.            Big Five Inventory (BFI; John, Donahue, & Kentle, 1994) The BFI was used to assess the personalities of the participants with regards to the five aspects included in the big five namely extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience. The BFI consists of 44 items that ask the participants to rank themselves on a 5-point Likert-type scale (1-disagree strongly to 5-agree strongly). The 44 items deal with different types of behavior related to the Big Five. For the present study, the BFI will be used to measure the variable of conscientiousness. BFI items related to conscientiousness included â€Å"perseveres until the task is finished†, â€Å"is a reliable worker†, and â€Å"does things efficiently†. Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6; Lubben &Gironda, 2003) The LSNS-6 is a test of a set of questions establishing ties with relatives and ties with non-relatives. Examples of these questions include â€Å"How many relatives do you see or hear from at least once a month?†and â€Å"How many friends do you see or hear from at least once a month? The participant chooses one of the options available for each question. These answers have corresponding points. Total scores of the participants may range from 0 to 30. A higher score indicates a higher level of social network. For this research, the LSNS-6 was used to measure social network size. A high score in the LSNS-6 was taken to signify a larger social network size while a low score meant a smaller social network size. Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; Rosenberg, 1989) The RSES measures global self-esteem. The test is composed of 10 items. Responses are given on a 5-point Likert-type scale (1-strongly disagree to 5-strongly agree). A sample question is â€Å"At times I feel like I am no good at all.†Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS; Lyubominsky, and Lepper , 1999) The SHS measures global subjective happiness. The test consists of four items. Responses are given on a 7-point Likert-type scale (1-7). A sample question is â€Å"Some people are generally very happy. They enjoy life regardless of what is going on, getting the most out of everything. To what extent does this characterization describe you?†Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ; McCullough, Emmons, and Tsang, 2002) The gratitude questionnaire is a self-report test measuring global gratitude. The test consists of six items. Responses are given on a 7-point Likert-type scale (1-stronlgy disagree to 7-strongly agree). A sample item is â€Å"If I had to list everything that I was grateful for, it would be a very long list.†Tendency to Forgive Scale (TTF; Brown, 2002) The TTF is a test measuring global forgiveness tendencies. The test consists of four items. Responses are given on a 7-point Likert-type scale (1-strongly disagree to 7-strongly agree). A sample item is â€Å"I tend to get over it quickly when someone hurts my feelings.†Procedure Questionnaires were handed out to all participants in their respective classrooms of Research Method in Psychology at the California State University, Fullerton. Participants were given instructions as a group and were told that participation in this study would be anonymous. It was also stated that they may voluntarily choose to participate and could withdraw at anytime. The whole session took about 15-30 minutes. Participants were provided informed consent prior to the administration of the test and were debriefed after they finished. Results The results showed that individuals’ with a smaller social network size (mean=4.10) were significantly less satisfied compared to those with life larger social network size (mean=5.05; t(89)= -3.79, p.001). There was a noted positive correlation between optimism and satisfaction with life (r = 0.543, p = 0.01). A positive correlation was also found between conscientiousness and satisfaction with life (r = 0.222, p = 0.05) Discussion            The main purpose of this research was to establish whether a relationship existed between satisfaction with life and optimism, and satisfaction with life and conscientiousness. Another purpose was to establish whether social network size made a difference to satisfaction with life. The original hypothesis of the study stated that a significant positive relationship would be found between satisfaction with life and optimism as well as between satisfaction with life and conscientiousness. It was also hypothesized that social network size would not have a significant difference on satisfaction with life. The hypotheses of the present study were based on the findings of past researches. (Quinn et al, 1980; Bowling et al, 1991; Austrom et al, 2003; Chang and Sanna, 2003; Chapman et al, 2007; Lounsbury et al, 2005) The results of the current study show that there is a significantly positive relationship between satisfaction with life and two variables it was compared against, namely, optimism and conscientiousness. Results also showed a significant difference with social network size and satisfaction with life. The initial hypotheses for optimism and conscientiousness were supported. The hypothesis regarding social network size, however, was rejected by the statistical results. The findings on optimism and conscientiousness validate past research findings. These showed that greater optimism in life contributed to greater satisfaction with life (Austrom et al., 2003). Optimism was also found to be a good predictor of life satisfaction (Chang and Sanna, 2003). Past findings established conscientiousness to be a contributing factor to life satisfaction (Lounsbury et al, 2005) as well as a variable directly related to higher quality of life ratings (Chapman et al., 2007). The findings on social network size, on the other hand, disagree with past research findings where social network interaction was not found to be related to life satisfaction (Quinn et al., 1980) and where the size of the individual’s social network was determined to be a bad predictor of life satisfaction (Bowling et al., 1991). Optimism may be able to affect life satisfaction positively due to the fact that a positive outlook on life can also cause a better assessment of past experiences not just of present circumstances. If one is able to achieve a better disposition towards life, the tendency to overlook the negativity that will detract from satisfaction felt towards life will be greater. This shows that the statistical significance of optimism (r=0.543, p=0.01) with satisfaction with life is warranted. Conscientiousness, on the other hand, was also positively correlated to (r=0.035, p=0.05) with satisfaction with life. This may be due to the fact that conscientiousness indicates a better ability to handle life experiences. Conscientiousness, as defined in the Big Five Inventory (Donahue et al., 2001), entails caution, dependability, organization and responsibility. These characteristics when applied to the everyday behavior and experiences of an individual are most likely to indicate an individual who achieves success. People who are more cautious, more dependable, more organized, and more responsible are the ones who are achievers in human society. It may be that the success and achievement linked with conscientious people is also the link that sustains their satisfaction with life. This is not to say that individuals deemed to have low conscientiousness are not likely to feel satisfaction with life. The findings only suggest that a high level of conscientiousness predicts life satisfaction to great extent. The discussion of how social network size is related to satisfaction with life should be done with care. The fact that previous research found no significant difference between social network and life satisfaction may have been due to the inadequacy of measurement with the past research. Quinn et al. (1980), for example, concentrated on the interaction that occurred in social network and not size. This meant that Quinn et al. (1980) focused on the quality of the individual’s social network and not on the quantity. Bowling et al. (1991), on the other hand, compared two different localities and this is what might have caused the inconsistencies in their findings concerning social network size and life satisfaction. Inherent characteristics of urban and rural locations could have played into action and caused the insignificant findings. For the present study, however, the significant difference between social network size and life satisfaction makes sense especially because social network size is also an indicator of an individual’s degree of social interaction as well as sources of social support; both of which are essential in an individual’s development. The findings of this study are limited because of the small sample size used. A bigger sample that is more representative of the general population should be used in future research. In addition, only a few variables concerning satisfaction with life were investigated. Future research should incorporate more variables that may affect life satisfaction into the study. The variables of social support, social interaction, and pessimism are a few of the factors that should be investigated. The significant relationship between social network size and life satisfaction should also be validated by future studies as the results in this study are not in agreement with previous works. The implications of the study are far-reaching. Establishing the relationships existing between life satisfaction, optimism, and conscientiousness allows different clinicians and practitioners in the healthcare system a chance to improve their handling of clients with low satisfaction with life. This may most likely involve older adults. Because satisfaction with life in itself is a concept that health-care workers find hard to deal with, finding other personality traits and variables that are related to it enables these workers an alternative in aiding these types of patients. Increasing optimism and improving conscientiousness in an individual can help to increase their satisfaction with life. In addition, increasing the size of the client’s social network will improve their satisfaction with life. The present study’s findings can also be expanded to teachers in the field of education. Satisfaction of their students can be increased by allowing them to feel more optimistic about their activities also by guiding them to be more conscientious in their behavior. Also, increasing opportunities for students to enlarge their social networks can also help these students improve their feelings of satisfaction with life. References Austrom, M.G., Perkins, A. J., Damush, T. M., & Hendrie, H. C. (2003). Predictors of life satisfaction in retired physicians and spouses. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 38, 134-141 Bowling, A., Farquhar, M., & Browne, P. (1991). Life satisfaction and associations with social network and support variables in three samples of elderly people. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 6, 549-566 Brown, R. (2003). Measuring individual differences in the tendency to forgive: construct validity and links with depression. Society forPersonality and Social Psychology, 29, 759-771 Chang, E.C., & Sanna, L. J. (2003). Optimism, accumulated life stress, and psychological and physical adjustment: is it always adaptive to expect the best? Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 22, 97-115. Chapman, B., Duberstein, P., & Lyness, J. M. (2007). Personality traits, education, and health-related quality of life among older adult primary care patients. Journals of Gerontology: series B psychological sciences and social sciences, 62B, 343-352 Diener, E., Emmons, R., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The Satisfaction With Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71-75. John, O. P., Donahue, E. M., & Kentle, R. (1991). The â€Å"Big Five†Inventory – Versions 4a and 54.  Technical Report, Institute of Personality Assessment and Research, Berkeley, CA: University of California, Berkeley. Lounsbury, J. W., Saudarga, R. A., Gibson, L. W., & Leong, F. T. (2005). An investigation of broad and narrow personality traits in relation to general and domain specific live satisfaction of college students. Research in Higher Education,46, 707-729 Lubben, J. E., & Gironda, M. W. (2003a). Centrality of social ties to the health and well-being of older adults. In B. Berkman & L. K. Harooytan (Eds.), Social work and health care in an aging world (pp. 319-350). New York: Springer Lyubomirsky, S., & Lepper, H. S. (1999). A measure of subjective happiness: Preliminary reliability and construct validation. Social Indicators Research, 46, 137-155. Mancini, J. A., Quinn, W., Gavigan, M. A., & Franklin, H. (1980). Social network interaction among older adults: implications for life satisfaction. Human Relations, 33, 543-554 McCullough, M. E., Emmons, R. A., & Tsang, J. (2002). The grateful disposition: A conceptual and empirical topography. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 112-127. Mitchell, J. C. (1969) The concept and use of social networks. In Social Networks in Urban Situations: Analysis of Personal Relationships in Central African Towns Ed. J.C. Mitchell. Manchester: Manchester University Press Rosenberg, Morris. (1989). Society and the adolescent self-image. Revised edition. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press. Scheier, M. F., Carver, C. S., & Bridges, M. W. (1994). Distinguishing optimism from neuroticism (and trait anxiety, self-mastery, and self-esteem): A reevaluation of the Life Orientation Test. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 1063-1078. Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54,1063-1070.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Research Paper on Office Etiquette
Midterm Research Paper on Office Etiquette BUSI 472 Organizational Ethics Dr. Jack Brown, Professor Bill Williams Stop University April 17, 2010 As I get close to graduation, I think more about the skills I've developed here at Liberty University which one of most important skills is respect and consideration for coworkers. Office etiquette fosters leadership, quality of your business and enhances your career. Without proper office etiquette, you risk your image, limit your potential, and jeopardize relationships, which are fundamental to business success. Office etiquette is formally perceived as good manners, business executives have found that office etiquette enhances their success because it differentiates them in an aggressive market. Good office etiquette will allow you to be confident in a variety of situations. Before going any further in the discussion of the importance of office etiquette we should clarify the question. â€Å"What exactly is office etiquette? †This question can differ from person to person because of the perception of what office etiquette is. After reading the text I have come to the conclusion that office etiquette is about how to conducting yourself respectfully and courteously in your office. Some things to come up with that people overlook when it comes office etiquette. The first impression is probably the most important, because you are the ambassador of your office. You always should act professionally and honestly, wearing appropriate office attire, and being neat, clean and as conservative as the office requires. The attributes of office etiquette and good manners is to be respected and courteous at all times and everybody, good office etiquette is easily achieved with a little forethought and in practice.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Urban Gentrification and Urban Morphology Essay Example
Urban Gentrification and Urban Morphology Essay Example Urban Gentrification and Urban Morphology Paper Urban Gentrification and Urban Morphology Paper Urban Gentrification and Urban Morphology The term ‘gentrification’ has myriads of interpretations from different geographers, and sociologists. Ever since, there has been protracted debate on its methodology, consequences and whether it constitutes a dominant or residual urban form. The term ‘gentrification’ was first coined by the Marxist urban geographer Ruth Glass (Glass, 1964) to describe the influx of wealthier individuals into cities or neighbourhoods who replace working or lower-classes already living there by using London districts such as Islington as her example. On the other hand, Smith and Williams (1986, p. 1) define gentrification as â€Å"the rehabilitation of working class and derelict housing and the consequent transformation of an area into a middle-class neighbourhood. †Whilst Hamnett (2003, p. 402) builds on Glass’s definition of gentrification as a process involving class connotations and offers a more comprehensive definition incorporating economic views when he defines gentrification as a â€Å"social and spatial manifestation of the transition from industrial to a post industrial urban economy based on financial, business and creative services, with associated changed in the nature and location of work, in occ upational class structure, earnings and incomes, life styles and the structure of the housing market†. Smith (1987) supply side (which focuses on investments within urban structure) and offers his ‘rent-gap’ theory of gentrification whereas proponents of the Feminist perspective consider the notion of patriarchy, changing gender relations and feminisation of labour markets. (Dutton, 1998, p. 32) Therefore, with the myriads of interpretations by various authors (simultaneously enlarging the gentrification literature), it is evident that gentrification means differently to individuals depending on which school of though one ascribes to. Curran (2008, p. 37) correctly points out the sentiments of this author that vast literature on gentrification presents the challenge for students to â€Å"figure out who are the true giants in the field†. Dutton (1998, p. 32) is right when he said that gentrification has become a â€Å"contested boundary zone between radically different theories and explanations†. This essay began by explaining the different definitions of the term ‘gentrification’ by different theorists and identifying the various analysis of gentrification. It also attempts to outline the consequences of the emergence of gentrification. Finally, using the various examples, it also attempts to utline the correlation of gentrification and urban morphology. There are two distinctive theories explaining and justifying gentrification as an economic process and social process that transpires when the young middle-class are tired of the commuting and their dependency of the city lifestyle. Thus, young professionals from the capital moved to the poorer communities with startling period houses in convenient locations that are in need of restoration. As explained by Smith, (1987, cited in Bridge, p. 237-238) gentrification is an economic process resulting from the relationships among capital investments and the production of urban space. The gentrifiers maybe most attracted by the ‘rent gap’, i. e. the difference between ground-rent levels at various locations in a metropolitan area (Smith, 1979 cited in Zukin, 1987, p. 137). The low rents in the suburban encouraged continuous development of housing capital for the development of suburban areas and the expenditure of city money on suburban areas. Consequently, it provoked the economic abandonment of the city in favour of upcoming or new properties outside the city which cause the price of inner-city land decreased dramatically comparing to the gentrified area. The revalorization takes the form of gentrification of already existing neighbourhoods (as opposed to redevelopment or commercial development) it results in the spatial displacement of labour. (Bridge, 1987, p. 238) The revalorization of the inner city is employed to close the rent gap utilising the real estate capitalists’ profit boosting intention. When the gap is sufficiently wide, inner-city properties will be reinvested and redeveloped for new tenants in closing the rent-gap, leading to higher rents, mortgages, and lease rates affordable by the new tenants, but not by the original lower income tenants. Bridge, 1987, p. 239) In an alternate view, the landlord can be driving force too in influencing the process of change. Beauregard, (1981, cited in Smith and Williams, 1986, p. 52) points out that â€Å"landlords, developers and real-estate agents, both large and small, play an important role in ‘steering’ the potential gentry to a neighbourhood, buying proper ty and speculating, and preparation for sale or for complete rehabilitation. †It can also be argued that drawing on economic analysis in connection with economic concepts of gentrification (e. . housing price increment, interest rates, lending willingness and expansion of labour market) is a more holistic approach to understanding changes in urban Britain. Economists consider the cause-effect relationship between the economies and how each economic agent interacts (e. g. money and financial markets, demand and output, cost and prices). Robert Wiedemer (2009, in an interview with journalist Seidenberg) said â€Å"the stock market, housing sector and the dollar are all interrelated and helped build the other and the economy. In another word, even the demand of residences may increase, gentrification would not be possible without financial aid from financial constitutions. This is purported by Beauregard, (1981, cited in Smith, 1986, p. 53) â€Å"property interests, nonetheles s cannot operate without the assistance of financial entities able to lend large sums of capital. †The Bank of England website too supports, â€Å"the different aspects of economy are not independent of each other. Everything is inter-related. The critique from this tool of analysis is again the challenge of information overload from looking at each single factor affecting gentrification therefore making it more complex to conceptualise gentrification. Also, the limitation of research funding can affect the quality, accuracy and credibility of academic’s findings, speed to publication and research methodology problems. Hence, the potential resulting in bias research findings, if used by local government when intervening in determining housing policies in gentrifying stagnant towns and cities may be wrongly misguided. The analysis of economic driven gentrification is clearly illustrated in London beginning from the 1950s. This process began in the Canonbury area of Islington; spread to Barnsbury and other parts of Islington, as well as Camden, Notting Hill, Primrose Hill, Kentish Town, Holland Park, and West Greenwich in the 1960s; and reached as far as Hackney in East London and parts of South London like Lambeth, Battersea, Clapham, and Fulham in the 1970s. (Moran, 2007, p. 01) Before the 1950s, the North London Borough of Islington was at a broken area, its once grand Regency and Victorian houses split into poorly maintained, multi-occupation tenements. As gentrification began from 1960s onwards, middle-class newcomers started buying up slum properties and ex-rooming houses and transformed them into appealing residences. (Moran, 2007, p. 102) The transformation was vast and it was described as major restoration of grand architecture values of the Georgian places and the rebuilt houses stand out â€Å"like good teeth among bad†. Pitt, 1977, p. 7 cited in Moran, 2007, p. 103) The houses were architecturally salvaged to the middle-class designs that were comparatively of high standard in highlighting modernism and freedom. The middle-class homeowners were the major force behind the amenity societies, sponsored by the Civic Trust, which proliferated in urban areas in the 1960s. For example, the Barnsbury Association, formed by middle-class Islingtonites in 1964, used professional planners to formulate its manifestos and forged valuable links with the local council. They persuaded the council to pay for changes in their neighbourhood including tree-planting, restoring cast-iron streetlamps and railings granite setts to give the roads a cobblestone look, implementation of a traffic scheme that closed off a middle-class neighborhood to through-traffic and redirected cars along streets full of working-class tenement blocks. Alongside other gentrifies, they campaigned against replacement of old terraced houses and squares with new housing scheme. (Moran, 2007, p. 103-105) It was morphology of urbanisation when the gentrifiers revolutinised their residences and demanded a system to achieve their requirement. There is another analysis of gentrification that is influenced by economic paradigms that accentuating on production, taking into account social reproduction and consumption. Ley’s theory suggested that transition in economics, politics and culture instigated urban gentrification. (Hamnett, 1991, p. 176) With modernisation up-scaling, there is a major focus economic shift since 1960s, of recentralising or corporate investment in selected metropolitan cores. (Fainstein Fainstein, 1982, Smith 1986 cited in Zukin, 1987, p. 38) Deindustrialisation of a city reduces the number of blue-collar occupation available to the urban working class and is fundamental to the escalation of a divided white-collar employment tertiary sector of industry – focusing on professional and managerial positions that follow the spatial integration of the capital. Headquarters and ‘back offices’ no longer share space; each stratum of white-collar work generates in its proximity the am enities that suit its status, salary levels, and office rents. Industrialisation and blue-collar residences are displaced beyond the heart of the city. (Zukin, 1982 cited in Zukin, 1987, p. 39) Ley linked this to the shift from a goods-producing to a service-producing society, and to the decline of manufacturing industry and the rise of office work. (Hamnett, 1991, p. 176) The second proposition of Ley was that post-industrial society is distinguished from industrial society by the active role of government. Consequently, Ley (1980, p. 241 cited in Hamnett, 1991, p. 176) argued that â€Å"decision making and allocation of resources is now referred to the political arena and not only to the market place†¦ The politicization of varied interest groups is challenging the formerly hold of business lobby on political decision making. Governments are creating manifesto to help stabilising the economy which inevitably causes gentrification. For example, in Shanghai when Chinese govern ment is developing housing which is directly connected to the fundamental processes of urban economic, political and geographic restructuring. Residential reorganisation, which promoted housing commoditisation and promotion of home ownership, has significantly inspired the development of a real estate market, consequently altering the primary forces of urbanisation and prompted modern precedent of neighbourhood. Against the backdrop of market transition, the Shanghai local state engages an active role in commencing and assisting the gentrification process. They are motivated by the state’s decentralizing policy in fiscal and administration system to offer an important role to local state in urban morphology and economic growth. Moreover, the free market enables the local authorities to pursue of rapid economic expansion and revenue boost. (He, 2007, p. 174-176) This is exemplary of Bailey and Robertson (1997, p. 63) in their research pointing out the importance of the â€Å"role of the state, particularly the impact the state can have in shaping or redirecting the process of change. †Finally, Ley (1980, p. 241 cited in Hamnett, 1991, p. 176) contended that the reassertion of individualism and the growth of a more sensuous and aesthetic philosophy is growing among the middle class, particularly on the American West coast. This further piloted to another factor of gentrification , focusing on the post-industrialised world creating a livable city. Ley (1980, p. 239 cited in Hamnett, 1991, p. 76) argued that there is a new ideology of urban development, an â€Å"urban strategy seemed to be passing from an emphasis on growth to a concern with a quality of life; the new liberalism was to be recognised less by its production schedules than by its consumption styles. †People are demanding for more facilities, for greater beauty and a better quality of life in the arrangement of our cities. This progressivism has made way for commercial exploitation of urban lifestyle. In May 1964, Terence Conran opened the first Habitat; that branched out into the entire United Kingdom. Moran, 2007, p. 108) In London as elsewhere, gentrifiers often differentiate themselves as people who make different choices in life. Amplifying individualism notion, they want to be unique, edgy, cosmopolitan alternative to supposed conventionality and homogeneity of the suburbs. Habitat exploited this ethos, promoting itself as classless and egalitarian that was completely anti-suburban, Conran tied this lifestyle revolution to a general atmosphere of societal attitude advancement and ethical consumerism reflecting its middle-class ambiance. (Moran, 2007, p. 08-110) It was altogether a new phenomenon as this perception contrasts their previous trend and residential choice were in the less traditional area with potentially profound impacts for the deprived and lower paid households in such areas. It is normally associated with less affluent, often working class, inner-city communities which are transformed into more affluent, middle or upper class, communities by the upgrading and modernisation of buildings, resulting in increased land values and the removal of less affluent residents. (Atkinson, 2002, p. ) However, according to the Real Estate Board of New York Inc. , (New York Times,1985 cited in Smith, 1996, p. 30), â€Å"We believe that whatever displacement ge ntrification causes, though must be dealt with public policies that promote low and moderate income housing construction and rehabilitation and in zoning revisions that permit retail uses in less expensive, side street locations. We also believe that New York’s best hope lies with the families, businesses and lending institutions willing to commit themselves for the long haul to the neighbourhoods that need them. That’s gentrification. †Is this mission statement completely classless? Theoretically, using the media for the benefit for public but in reality, possibly the middle class reaches the source. A more cynical interpretation of this advertisement can be said that the advertisers were hired by those indirectly or directly benefiting from gentrification to justify their actions. Their creative advertising language is used to paint positive and downplay the negative connotations associated with emotional word, gentrification. A few considerations are worth noting here. Is there anything wrong with upgrading a residential area by meeting the demand? To one person, it means improved housing, safer streets and new retail businesses. To another, it means unaffordable housing and regimenting of a diverse neighbourhood. In other terms, gentrification is the upgrading of housing and retail business in a neighbourhood with an insertion of private investments. This process and its consequences however are complex. Conclusively, gentrification is a process of physical, social, economic and cultural changes in inner-city communities resulting from the influx of new people. Slater (2004) comments that gentrification is a highly complex issue that is very difficult to define precisely. It is observed that middle class gentrifiers are part of a much larger picture but limitations in gentrification research methodology interestingly points out that that gentrifiers are easier to find and interview than other agents of gentrification. Displaced residences are somewhat ‘unreachable’ especially those at risk of being displaced. (Slater, 2004, p. 1142 and Smith, 1986, p. 3) The theories developed above were able to shed some light on the root of gentrification but yet, they merely examine the first fold of the broad issue, i,e, why has it happened? In my opinion, gentrification is somewhat like the chain of demand and supply and it is seldom balance. It exists as an essence in the equilibrium of society facilitating the economic, political and societal growth. The need to create the market for demand, then supplying the demand and it runs in a cir cle that never ends, gentrification.
Monday, October 21, 2019
The Role of the Hippocampus in Learning and Memory essays
The Role of the Hippocampus in Learning and Memory essays The role of the hippocampus in learning and memory has been examined for many years. Studies have used rats, monkeys, and other animals and given them a variety of lesions to the hippocampus and other parts of the brain. These were followed by a variety of tests that involved learning and memory. Although most of the tests showed a correlation between injury to the hippocampus and affliction to learning and memory, the extent of the testing and the detail to which is has been studied gives a much larger picture of the possibilities for human comparison. Olton, D.S. rats. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behaviour Processes, 2(2), Olton and Samuelson completed six experiments for their study of rats and spatial memory. All experiments used a radial arm maze for testing. The first three involved placing the rats in the maze to explore and search for food. A variety of changes were made in each experiment to test spatial memory. The results of these tests showed that one the rats began to run into the arms of the maze, changes had no effect on the accuracy of choice. Experiment four was concerned with the memory element of which arm had been chosen previously. The authors made changes in the maze, and they studied the data from a number of angles. The rats memory processes while problem solving was studied. Experiment five increased the number of choices, resulting in a reduction in accuracy, and experiment six tested the sequence of changes made in the maze and whether the rats could quickly recover choice accuracy. Overall results show that rats can remember which arm of the maze they have already chosen, but this is affected by both the increase in the number of choices and the length of time between repetitions of choices. The rats treated each arm as a separate space and stored the information in the same manner. ...
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Valleys and Gullies
Valleys and Gullies Valleys and Gullies Valleys and Gullies By Mark Nichol A variety of words serve to describe geographical features characterized by low-lying terrain between higher elevations of land. This post lists and defines many of these terms. Valley, ultimately from the Latin term valles by way of Anglo-French and Middle English, most generically describes such an area, a length of the surface of Earth or any other solid planet or natural satellite that separates hills or mountains or through which a river system often flows. The word may also describe an artificial feature resembling a valley, such as the line along which two sloping portions of a roof meet, or may be used figuratively to refer to a low condition or point, often part of the phrase â€Å"peaks and valleys.†Vale is a variant with the same etymological origin, used more in poetic contexts than prosaic ones, such as when it is employed as a metaphor for the world in the phrase â€Å"vale of tears.†Canyon, occasionally seen with the spelling of its Spanish source caà ±on (probably from an obsolete Spanish word derived from the Latin term callis, meaning â€Å"path†) refers to a deep, narrow, steep-sided valley or something suggesting such a feature, such as a street passing between two rows of tall buildings. Cirque, meanwhile, from the Latin word circus, meaning â€Å"circle,†is such a feature in mountainous terrain forming a basin at the end of a valley. A combe (the word is also occasionally spelled coombe or coomb) is a deep, narrow valley or a basin adjacent to a hillside. The word, used mostly in British English, is of Celtic origin; in Welsh, it is spelled cwm. Dale and its similar-looking cognate dell, both of which derive from Old English, describe a small grassy or forested valley; the word is delated to Old High German tal, which, as part of the name of a location where German coins were minted, inspired the word dollar. Both dale and dell are used primarily in poetic or archaic usage, such as in the phrase â€Å"hill and dale,†although the use of dell in the traditional song â€Å"Farmer in the Dell†likely stems from an unrelated Dutch word. Dene, also from Old English, is a British English term for a low-lying area, and dingle shares a language origin and a definition with dale and dell. Old Irish, meanwhile, contributes the word glen, meaning â€Å"valley.†From the Latin term gurga comes gorge, which refers to a narrow area such as a canyon floor or part of it. (Gorge has several additional meanings, such as â€Å"throat or stomach†and â€Å"something that chokes a passage,†and as a verb it alludes to the former sense, meaning â€Å"eat or partake of in large amounts.†) Gulch, probably from the Middle English word gulchen, refers to a steep cut in the land, as does gully, which likely stems from the Latin word gula by way of the Middle English term golet, from which gullet is also derived. (Gully may also refer to a small water-formed natural trench.) Hollow, from the Old English word holh, from which hole is also derived, describes a small basin or valley. In American English dialects, it is sometimes pronounced (and spelled) holler. The Latin term rapina, meaning â€Å"rapine,†is the source of ravine, referring to a steep-sided valley between a gully and a canyon in size. The connection between the name of the geographical feature and a word associated with assaulting and plundering is the sense of rapina of â€Å"sweeping away,†in reference to the action of water rushing through it. One type of valley is a rift valley; the term rift, from a Scandinavian word for â€Å"fissure,†describes the low-lying area between two roughly parallel geological faults or groups of faults. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Structure A Story: The Eight-Point Arc40 Synonyms for â€Å"Different†Comma Before Too?
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Organizational Communication Concepts and Skills Assignment
Organizational Communication Concepts and Skills - Assignment Example Therefore, if the organization tends to neglect socializing the employees, then in such cases the employees must themselves socialize. There are two distinct communication network taking place in organizational environment. They are formal as well as informal network. The formal network is making communication following the hierarchical structure of the organization. On the other hand, the informal network comprises communication following the grapevine (Cairo University, 2012). It is a well known fact that successful communication in an organization enhances the efficiency, minimizes the turnover of the employees and also helps in the development of the office atmosphere. The chief objective of this discussion is to propose a new communication structure for an organization. The five different concepts that the discussion shall evaluate are active listening, organizational culture, and conflict resolution, leadership strategies as well as formal and informal communication. Analysis o f the Concepts Important For Successful Communication within an Organization Active Listening It is a well known fact that effective listening is significant for improving communication. However, the managers are not always found to be listening since active listening is not considered to be a natural procedure. Mental as well as physical efforts are needed on part of the listener. Intra-organizational listening can be considered as an influential competitive tool (Helms & Haynes, 1992). In the context of the business world, listening is considered to be a significant element of effectual communication in an organization. While communicating with the members of the organization, listening will assist in avoiding any kind of confusions, comprehending the work lucidly and thus creating a positive connection with whom the communication is initiated. The communication experts have agreed to the fact that active listening as a major factor which comprises behaviors such as empathetic bod y language, posing useful questions, validating employee expression via considerate conversation turn-taking along with rephrasing for ensuring mutual understanding. Active listening generally comprises the focus of the consultants upon the clients with an indication that they are listening closely to the issue presented and the client’s interpretation of this aspect (The University of Maine, 2012). For a communication to be effective and successful, it is vital for the listeners to motivate themselves to listen. They are supposed to decide precisely why they are listening. Active listening offers numerous advantages to the organization. It leads to save in time by means of people’s defenses and gain significant information without repeating the same conversation always. It permits the organization to evaluate a situation accurately (Kuboto, Mishima, & Nagata, 2004). However, one of the facts regarding active listening is that it is not an easy skill to be attained. It might as well require alterations in one’s own basic attitudes. Active listening carries an element of personal risk. Creating an attitude of sincere interest in the speaker is not an easy task. It can hence be created by being willing to risk viewing the world from the speaker’s point of view (Rogers & Farson, 2010). Organizational Culture Organizational culture is considered to be a significant component in the context of organizational communication. Culture is generally comprehended as how people make sense of
Team Work Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words
Team Work - Research Paper Example As the discussion stresses departmental teams are also long term since they ensure proper manning of their lines of responsibilities at all times to encourage efficiency. Short term teams are self managing and handle frequent system challenges for instance addressing employee discipline issues. During this implementation time, members of the team hold formal and informal meetings where they freely interact with one another. This is the time they evaluate their performance and find out if indeed they are within the set deadlines. Teams play a pivotal role in the workplace and are lauded as the best human resource practice since it acts as learning time for employees. The members present their incomplete ideas in a discussion, and they humbly argue out the case, the strongest option is later adopted by the team as findings. These resolutions are binding upon every member, and the team is wholly accountable for them. This paper outlines that un the article, â€Å"How to Build a Teamwork Culture†by Susan Heathfield, she says that teamwork is core to organizations which value cooperation when handling office tasks. Employees trust that all issues pertaining to planning, decision making and task execution are best undertaken together, this helps in ensuring accuracy since input from different minds reduces risk factors. For instance, decision making on product diversification requires input from the marketing team who roll out campaigns to gauge market response. The finance and accounting team also computes the right prices to offer the new product in the market. These two and other relevant departments get together by holding frequent meetings where they all share their points and areas of concern.Â
Friday, October 18, 2019
Effective Assessment Practices Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Effective Assessment Practices - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the definition of assessment as the process that is employed to identify gather and interpreted information related to a student’s learning. The core purpose of learning is to provide true indicative information on the student’s progress and achievement and enable the setting of appropriate direction for the ongoing learning and teaching. Assessment and grading practices based on the classroom environment have a greater potential to measure, report and promote learning. Research on the effective assessment has documented the possible benefits that accrue to regular users of diagnostic and formative forms of assessment as a learning feedback The following examples are among the specific assessment practices that have been effectively used to enhance teaching and learning. Rubrics are the multipurpose scoring tool guide that describes the best criteria for performance to learners at various levels. It is employed mainly to assess a studentâ⠂¬â„¢s product and performance. For the effective development of a rubric to optimize workability, The Journal for Effective Teaching provides three main rubric designing steps. Identifying performance criteria requires that the instructor determine the quality of the work prior to giving an assignment. The performance criteria require that the assessed performance should be observable and measurable. Setting performance level -the assessor needs to decide on the number of appropriate performance levels of assessment.Â
English Eassy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
English Eassy - Essay Example Undue influence is a major disastrous tool employed by authority and those in top position to block masses from thinking rationality. The possession of tools of transformation, analysis and evaluation by a rational thinker form the basis upon which a creative and critical thinker should be rated. Such features as inquisitiveness to ascertain finer details based on the analysis of a particular issue on questions are regarded as tools amplifying the ability by people to make independent decisions. This calls for a proper identification and understanding of a particular environment a person lives in terms of people and cultural practices. Culture has led to determent in decision made based on stereotype and superstition as people infer from deeply-rooted culture. The is mind cornered and enclosed thus blocked from developing open-mindedness to see solutions behind every challenge. The results are that people fall into circumstance motions. Foster rates real freedom as a conglomeration of attentiveness, exposed, discipline, caring to oneself and others as well as appreciating the need to sacrifice for others through own effort. In his book, â€Å"This is Water†, Foster illustrates; essential lonesomeness of a person, the significance of being positively adjusted and the difficulty of empathy as hindrance to attain freedom of mind. Wallace attaches high education to consciously think about meaning, perception of others and defines how to act when faced with situations. Based on this revelation, the researchers self-evaluation indicates that he is still cannot be rated as a conscious human. Education is viewed as a vessel to redefine individual culminating into sympathy and consciousness making one rated to have climaxed true freedom. Wallace alludes to three fish and water to explain the meaning of liberal arts as making one understand the importance of environment to freedom of mind (Wallace, 167). He calls for
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Nutrition Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Nutrition Research - Essay Example in the United States. Data obtained from the 1998 Supplemental Children's Survey involving 5,559 children aged birth through 9 years old were also included in the study. These surveys involved 24-hour-recall of food intake for one or two nonconsecutive days. The consumption for two days and appropriate weighting factors were used to calculate the average daily intake of beverage for individuals aged birth through 18 years old. The beverages are categorized as: 100% fruit juice (citrus juice plus non-citrus juices and nectars), total fluid milk, total carbonated beverages (regular and low-calorie), and total fruit drinks and ades (not 100% juice; regular and low-calorie). Breastfeed Infants and children were excluded from the analysis. The total sample size of the study includes 10,648 individuals 50.5% of which are male and 49.5% female. As far as cultural classification is concerned, there were70% white, 15% black; and 17% were of Hispanic origin). Descriptive statistics were calcul ated using SPSS (Version 10.1, 2000, SPSS Inc, Chicago,IL). T-tests were used to compare the mean differences of the data. The study presented the... Based on AAP groupings, the average intake of 100% fruit juice were 0.9, 4.6, and 3.4 oz for the children aged_6 months, 6 months to 6 years, and 7 to 18 years, respectively. Considering the recommended AAP levels for this type of beverage, the last two age groups are within 73% and 94%, respectively. For ages below 6 moths, giving 100% fruit juice was not recommended but the result show about 22% of the population surveyed consumed the beverage. Although it was not recommended for that age group there were no proven detrimental effects to the infants. Trend analysis of the data showed that 100% fruit juice consumption is highest at 2 years, declines steadily, and plateaus around age 7 years. For other beverages consumption, fluid milk is consumed highest, about 2 cups/day, at age 1, but by age 18 it decreases to 3/4 cup/day. Carbonated drink consumption increases as children grow, with a highest increase by age 8. One important findings of the study was that based on the data the consumption of other beverage such as carbonated soft drinks and other fruit drinks and ades which contained artificial sweeteners and flavors were higher compared to the consumption of 100% fruit juice. Disparity even increases from 4 years onwards for other fruit drinks while 8 years onward for carbonated drinks. The consumption level for 100% fruit juice also increased within 94% of AAP recommendation among older children. However, the increase consumption of carbonated beverages as the children mature is an alarming trend as far as the nutrient requirements and the choice of beverage for the children is concerned. Conclusions As far as consumption of 100% fruit juice for infants below 6 months old is concerned, the authors suggested that although there was no conclusive evidence
Female Rural-urban Immigration in China Research Paper
Female Rural-urban Immigration in China - Research Paper Example The main reason why China aimed at establishing such a market system is to enable links to rural, urban, domestic as well as international markets. The intended market system would also promote the efficient resource allocation (Meng, 77). The establishment of a security system would ensure social stability as well as the development of the economy. In 1997, the Chinese government emphasized on the importance of private sectors in the social economy of China with the claim that they encourage the profitability of factors of production such as capital, labor and technology. It was until 2001 when major achievements were realized in the various fields and reforms were then running smoothly. At the present China has established a market system that plays the role of ensuring efficient allocation of resources. Future plan include establishing a fully developed market economy by the year 2020 (Meng, 78). As an already developed country, China’s economy is now characterized by huge infrastructural developments such as roads and industries. It is also characterized by advanced technology which has come to replace human labor in their work places, good education and health facilities whose working conditions are hygienic. Workers in various institutions in the country especially in the urban areas are paid high wages. Roads, industries, agriculture and health facilities such as pharmaceuticals all contribute to the Gross Domestic Product of China which is continuing to increase. Population increase has also been realized in China. Population statistics of China indicate that the female population is less than the male population. Over the past decades, birth rates included eighty girls out of... This paper stresses that the major elements included in the reform of China’s economy included: agricultural sector, enterprises owned by the state, price system, financial sector, infrastructure and the welfare system at large. As from 1984, the restructuring of the China economy was moved from rural regions to the urban areas. The major aspects in the reform of the economy in China included developing the economic elements while placing the economy’s public sector in a major position. The requirements of the market economy had to be met and this had to be strictly ensured by changing the enterprises owned by the state to fit in the modern system of enterprise. The main reason why China aimed at establishing such a market system is to enable links to rural, urban, domestic as well as international markets. This essay declares that migration in China before 1978 was rampant and this resulted to high population flows especially in the urban areas. Population movement then became an issue of concern by the Chinese Government. After the Chinese war, most people were moved back to their villages and other moved to cities to look for jobs. Urban cities were magnets for the rural residents who aimed at benefiting from the state. Later, the Government realized that there were a huge number of people moving into cities and it criticized the blind population flow. Later on, the government introduced the Ho Kou system which checked and regulated the movement of people.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Nutrition Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Nutrition Research - Essay Example in the United States. Data obtained from the 1998 Supplemental Children's Survey involving 5,559 children aged birth through 9 years old were also included in the study. These surveys involved 24-hour-recall of food intake for one or two nonconsecutive days. The consumption for two days and appropriate weighting factors were used to calculate the average daily intake of beverage for individuals aged birth through 18 years old. The beverages are categorized as: 100% fruit juice (citrus juice plus non-citrus juices and nectars), total fluid milk, total carbonated beverages (regular and low-calorie), and total fruit drinks and ades (not 100% juice; regular and low-calorie). Breastfeed Infants and children were excluded from the analysis. The total sample size of the study includes 10,648 individuals 50.5% of which are male and 49.5% female. As far as cultural classification is concerned, there were70% white, 15% black; and 17% were of Hispanic origin). Descriptive statistics were calcul ated using SPSS (Version 10.1, 2000, SPSS Inc, Chicago,IL). T-tests were used to compare the mean differences of the data. The study presented the... Based on AAP groupings, the average intake of 100% fruit juice were 0.9, 4.6, and 3.4 oz for the children aged_6 months, 6 months to 6 years, and 7 to 18 years, respectively. Considering the recommended AAP levels for this type of beverage, the last two age groups are within 73% and 94%, respectively. For ages below 6 moths, giving 100% fruit juice was not recommended but the result show about 22% of the population surveyed consumed the beverage. Although it was not recommended for that age group there were no proven detrimental effects to the infants. Trend analysis of the data showed that 100% fruit juice consumption is highest at 2 years, declines steadily, and plateaus around age 7 years. For other beverages consumption, fluid milk is consumed highest, about 2 cups/day, at age 1, but by age 18 it decreases to 3/4 cup/day. Carbonated drink consumption increases as children grow, with a highest increase by age 8. One important findings of the study was that based on the data the consumption of other beverage such as carbonated soft drinks and other fruit drinks and ades which contained artificial sweeteners and flavors were higher compared to the consumption of 100% fruit juice. Disparity even increases from 4 years onwards for other fruit drinks while 8 years onward for carbonated drinks. The consumption level for 100% fruit juice also increased within 94% of AAP recommendation among older children. However, the increase consumption of carbonated beverages as the children mature is an alarming trend as far as the nutrient requirements and the choice of beverage for the children is concerned. Conclusions As far as consumption of 100% fruit juice for infants below 6 months old is concerned, the authors suggested that although there was no conclusive evidence
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
PowerPoint slides, and videos of Topic 3, selected ONE issue of Essay
PowerPoint slides, and videos of Topic 3, selected ONE issue of significance and relevance to our time - Essay Example Fighting on behalf of God in the event that one is wronged makes the religion to be viewed as intolerable to the human race that are bound to do wrong. In the video interviews with Hamza Yusuf, it is evident that the Islamic religion has gone through a number of changes as it tries to fully entrench itself in the Western countries such as the United States. After the happenings of 11th September 2001, the view of Islamic religion has been changed to that of a religion marked and characterized by war and terror which has also been witnessed recently in other parts of the world. However,-Hamza Yusuf (1/6, 10mn)-Hamza argues that acts of terrorism should not be limited to those who profess the Islamic religion only hence the Muslims need not to be subjected to such accusations. It is a known case that people who profess other religions such as Christianity, have also lead to the death of many people such as the 1994 Rwanda genocide in which both communities involved were
Monday, October 14, 2019
AP Euro FRQ on Renaissance Essay Example for Free
AP Euro FRQ on Renaissance Essay Even though the renaissance had begun in main Italian city states by 1347, the rest of Europe was still basically Medieval in culture and outlook. Analyze how the Black Death put an end on to this medieval culture and hastened the development of the renaissance.†The Bubonic plague, also known as Black Death invaded the bodies of 50% of the English population, flourishing them with welts, 104-degree temperatures, bruising, wretched stench, coughing and death within 24 hours. This awful disease forced an end to the medieval ages, creating a new way of political, economical and cultural thinking, which today we call the Renaissance. Through the inflation on silver, diminishing use of knights and castles and imposing parliaments on the king Europe was brought to a dawn of a new era, the Renaissance. When the Bubonic plague came to an end, the demand for peasants was at an all time high. This in turn gave the peasants an idea to demand more money for their work. The king had no problem paying more since his plan was to fill silver coins with half lead and lead peasants into inflation. Money would soon become worth less than it had and the amount of coins would not make up for the item being purchased. This kept the peasants stuck giving more money to the king to be grant more coins. Inflation on coinage in Europe leads to a surplus of money back into the royal family. Thus leading to the development of a renaissance lifestyle where the king traps peasants into giving more money to the throne and leading to a continuation of inflation for the next 6oo years. The loss of population from Black Death and the new ways of protection and modern thinking from the 100-year way lead to modernization for Europe. France and England were fighting over the right of the French throne. A critical turning point was The Battle of Ageneout in 1415. The French had 1,750 knights compared to England’s 46 archers. When the battle had begun the French proceeded to get stuck in the mud from the rain the previous night and the English archers killed, injured or captured all the Frenchmen. This battle marked the importance of archers over knights and a less amount of men in an army. Another idea taken out of medieval times was castles. Cannon balls were being made to be able to crash down a castle, therefore making these structures useless to the now more modern European. Modernization began to come to use after the Black Death forced Europeans to change their way of living through the renaissance by removing use of knights and castle and alter to a more modern lifestyle of using archers in military force and living in gunpowder fortification rather than castles. After Black Death had wiped out nearly half of the peasant population in Europe, the king had to establish a new way to bring in revenue. His thoughts directed towards taxing the rich considering the poor had nothing to give. This idea angered merchants, clergy and nobles and gave them an idea to make in turn with the king. If the king were to tax the merchants and clergy, they had the right to form parliaments. These parliaments took away the power of the king and stopped him from abusing his throne through taxation and government decisions, thus destroying the medieval way of power and leading to a modern way of governing typified by the Renaissance.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
The Cause and Effect of HIV in Africa Essay -- Biology Medical Biomedi
The Cause and Effect of HIV in Africa The ubiquitous acronym HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is a virus that gradually weakens the immune system until the body cannot fight off common infinitesimal infections such as pneumonia, diarrhea, the â€Å"flu†, and other illnesses. All of which can be part of the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, the final stage of HIV that usually develops between 2 to 10 years after the infection. This infection is frequently transmitted through unprotected intercourse with someone who has already been affected with HIV and is an increasing problem in Africa. This study focuses mainly on the causes and effects of this virus in Africa. HIV is an ongoing battle in many different parts of the world, but it has not affected any other country as strongly and perniciously than in Africa. Out of the 3 million AIDS deaths worldwide, 2.2 million deaths have occurred in Africa. Although the condom is an effective way to prevent the infection of HIV, in many African societies, women are expected and taught to subordinate their own interest to those of their partners. Because of this, many African women feel powerless and give in to having sex for the fear that, if they refuse, they will be raped anyway. Results show that in most African countries, 40% of the young women in Kenya and in Cameroon are coerced or tricked into sexual intercourse. Since wife abuse is widespread, many women do not dare to bring up the topic of condoms for protection against HIV infection for the fear that they would be physically abused. (Women’s Status. July 29, 2005: www.infoforhealth.org/pr/112/112boxes.shtml) In many African cultures, a strong emphasis is placed on having children. This leads to childhood marriage ... ....shtml) 2. (Marriage Practices. July 29, 2005: www.infoforhealth.org/pr/112/112boxes.shtml) 3. (HIV Transmission from Mother to Child. July 29, 2005: www.infoforhealth.org/pr/112/112boxes.shtml) 4. (Rites of Passage. July 29, 2005: www.infoforhealth.org/pr/112/112boxes.shtml) 5. (Sexual Practices. July 29, 2005: www.infoforhealth.org/pr/112/112boxes.shtml) 6. (Assessing Condom Effectiveness. July 29, 2005: www.infoforhealth.org/pr/112/112boxes.shtml) 7. (Aids Orphans Growth. July 29, 2005: www.infoforhealth.org/112/112boxes.shtml) 8. (Children Orphaned by AIDS: A New Challenge. July 29, 2005: www.infoforhealth.org/pr/112/112boxes.shtml) 9. (The Impact of Food Shortages on the Lives of AIDS Patients. July 29, 2005: www.hivafrica.org/article_story.php?indexnum=15) 10. (Social and Economic Consequences. July 29, 2005: www.infoforhealth.org/pr/112/112chap6.shtml)
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Essay --
The movie Sherrybaby depicts a young woman struggling to pick up her life where it left off after being released from prison. She tries to rebuild her life but encounters many obstacles along the way. She tries to rekindle the relationship with her daughter Alexis, while battling to stay clean from her heroin addiction. She also seems to have a difficult time forming relationships with people in her halfway home and using her sexuality to get her way in the work field. She is in over her head as she tries to jump right into where she left off three years ago. Despite her positive attitude, we witness the challenges she faces with low self-esteem, substance abuse, and the guilt of leaving her daughter Alexis to be raised by her brother and sister in law. In the very beginning of the film when trying establish the fundamental things necessary to get her life back on back, we see how she uses her sexual appeal to get what she wants. When speaking with her parole officer, Sherry tries to use her good looks in persuading him to see her family in New Jersey. After he quickly picks up on this, dissatisfied Sherry sulks using the excuse that she hasn’t seen her daughter in years. â€Å"Indeed family contact was the key motivator stated by participants for maintaining their recovery†(Duffy & Baldwin, 2013). Perhaps her parole having dealt with similar cases to Sherry saw the effects family isolationism had on recovery. It is clear that he is not in on her game but still, he allows her to go see her brother and daughter. Arriving at her new home Sherry is introduced to the director of the halfway home where we find the two of them in the basement sexually involved. Once again, we see Sherry using her good looks when try ing to ge... ...ug use, recovery from use and personal identity†(Brener, Hippel, & Hippel, 2012). Sherry does acknowledge her addiction and does want to get clean. This theory could be useful in predicting future drug use among people who are attempting to quit and who is likely to complete treatment. She soon discovers things are not so easy or as expected. Sherry realizes during her first true parenting experience that she is not quite able to handle life on her own just yet. In order for Sherry to have a chance at rekindling her relationship with daughter Alexis, she must be willing to accept her weaknesses and accept the past. As the film unravels, it is evident she has issues from her past that are kept at bay reflecting on where she is in life. It is Sherry’s desire to change that will ultimately determine whether she gets second chance at life.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Emission Testing Essay
With this paper I hope to gain a better understanding of emission pollution and the emission testing process. With my research and my visit to the local Clean Air Car Check site, I have compiled information that will prove valuable. I will define emission pollution and the major contributors. I will answer the why we have to emission test. I will also take you through the testing process. My overall goal of this paper is to ascertain whether or not emission testing is an effective way to reduce or prevent emission pollution when one owns a vehicle. Emission Pollution Emissions describe the gases and particles that are released into the air by many different sources, including vehicles. According to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) web site, the sources of emissions are put into four categories: point, mobile, biogenic, and area. Point sources include factories, mobile sources include vehicles, biogenic sources include gas seeps, and area sources include dry cleaners (EPA, 2006). For this paper, we will focus on mobile sources. Driving is the most polluting thing that we can do. The National Safety Council (NSC) states that motor vehicles release millions of tons of pollutants, classified as toxics, into the air each year. These toxics cause around 1,500 cases of cancer every year. Car emissions also contribute to acid rain and global warming (NSC, 2006). Vehicles emanate three major pollutants: hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide. The Coalition for Clean Air (CCA) web site states that hydrocarbons are defined as compounds containing various combinations of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Nitrogen Oxides pertain to compounds of nitric acid, nitrogen dioxide, and other oxides of nitrogen. They are typically created during combustion processes, and are major contributors to smog and acid deposition (CCA, 2007). The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) website displays the text book, Chemicals, the Environment and You. They define carbon monoxide as a colorless, odorless poison gas produced by incomplete combustion of organic matter (NIEHS, 2000). The Clean Air Car Check (CACC) web site says, â€Å"Cars and light duty trucks contribute 30-50 % of the pollution that cause harmful ozone and also contribute significantly to the amount of air toxics and particulate matter in the environment†(CACC, n. d. ). They also state that if our vehicles are properly maintained, there will be less contamination released in the air and ground water (CACC, n. d. ). What effect does emission pollution have on our environment? The Clean Air Car Check answers this by stating, Hydrocarbons are unburned gasoline particles that contribute to the formation of ground level ozone, often referred to as smog. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas formed from partially burned fuel that can adversely affect mental function, visual focus, alertness, and can even cause death. Nitrogen oxides, when mixed with other compounds, can contribute to ground level ozone, acid rain, water quality deterioration and global warming. Ozone is an irritant produced from emissions from gasoline powered vehicles. It can cause eye and throat irritations, respiratory distress, and damage breathing passages, making it difficult for the lungs to work. Ozone is formed near the ground in a photochemical process: 1) Gasoline, paints and solvents evaporate, thereby releasing hydrocarbons. 2) Cars and factories burn fossil fuels, releasing nitrogen oxide and reactive hydrocarbons. 3) Heat and sunlight trigger a photochemical reaction between these emissions, transforming them into ozone (CACC, n. d. ). Emission Testing The time is here again; time to take the car in to be emission tested. What a pain in the neck! You might think that emission testing is a waste of time, and an inconvenience. What some people may not realize is that motor vehicle manufacturers are required to meet more and more severe pollution emission standards, and it is our responsibility to maintain our vehicles (CACC, n. d. ). Recognizing faulty emission control systems and having them repaired has reduced ozone emissions by more than 4,000 pounds each summer day. Testing is just part of the 1990 federal Clean Air Act. The goal of the act is to improve our quality of air by reducing hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides (CACC, n. . ). The testing procedure may differ slightly depending on the age of the vehicle being tested. All vehicles, however, will get a gas cap pressure check. This test is used to see if the vehicles gas cap is keeping fuel vapors from escaping (CACC, n. d. ). Vehicles made from 1996 or newer will receive the on-board diagnostics test (OBD). This tests the vehicles on-board computer to make sure there ar e no malfunctions. The next test is the inspection and maintenance test (I/M 93). Vehicles made from 1981-1995 will be put on a treadmill, called a dynamometer. The exhaust is captured to evaluate the effectiveness of the emission control equipment (CACC, n. d. ). The last test is for vehicles from 1976-1980. A metal probe is inserted into the tailpipe while it is idle and a sensor is put on the hood to measure the engine speed (CACC, n. d. ). Vehicles that were made in 1975 or older are not required to be emission tested. I recently took a trip to my local Clean Air Car Check site to watch the testing procedure. A man told me that having people stand outside the waiting area is not usually allowed, but since I was doing research for school he allowed it. He also did not want his name to be used in my final paper. He did not want me to be in the way so he asked me to stay as far away as possible and he offered me a face mask. The first vehicle to be inspected was a 1990 Ford Ranger. The inspector walked around the vehicle with a long mirror, making frequent stops. I asked him what this step was for and he replied that it was to check for fluid leaks, holes in the exhaust system, or any modifications that may cause a safety hazard. Once the Ranger was inspected, the driver was asked to leave the vehicle and sit in the waiting area. The inspector checked the Ranger for a catalytic converter and then attached a device to the gas cap. This was the gas cap pressure check that makes sure that no fuel vapors are escaping. After that, the inspector drove the Ranger onto a treadmill device and had attached a large hose to the tailpipe. As he watched a screen he drove the Ranger as if he were driving it on the road. Accelerating and braking when necessary. The large hose collects the exhaust to check for emissions. The inspector let the driver return to the Ranger while he gathered the results. With a smile he politely said, â€Å"Congratulations, you passed†. The next few vehicles went through the same process. There was a different test, however, performed on a 2000 Chevrolet Blazer. After the inspector performed the gas cap pressure check, he plugged something into the bottom of the dashboard. I asked him what this process was and he said it was a scan tool and it is plugged into the OBD connector on the Blazer. He said it will read the Blazer’s computer and analyze whether or not the OBD system is working properly. I was at the Clean Air Car Check site for a little over an hour. Unfortunately, I did not see any vehicles that were from 1976-1980 so the probe test was not performed. Before I left, I asked the inspector why diesel engine trucks do not have to be tested. He said, â€Å"Unlike regular gas exhaust, the exhaust from a diesel engine has really low levels of the carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. They just aren’t as polluting as regular cars†. Not necessarily agreeing with his last statement, I asked him how long he had worked there. He said with a smile, â€Å"10 long years. I have learned a lot, almost too much†. Effectiveness How effective is emission testing? It is effective enough to reduce emission pollution by 4,000 pounds every summer day. I asked the emission test inspector his opinion on the effectiveness of emission testing. â€Å"If our cars were not tested, the air would be much worse. †He said, â€Å"I think that having your car tested and repaired is keeping that much more crap out of our air†. My friend, who we will call Jan, said, â€Å"Emission testing is a big pain in the butt, and only three counties in Indiana do it, and I think THAT alone is bull. Doesn’t make sense. I think that if they are going to do it, it should be in all fifty states, and all counties. †She continued, â€Å"But, â€Å"if it is helping reduce the pollution in the air we breathe, I guess I will have to put up with it†. I think that testing is effective because if a vehicle does not pass, it has a time period to be repaired or it will not be able to get registered. This car will not be allowed to drive on the road, and that is less emission toxics flowing into our air. Conclusion Emission pollution is a major issue in not only Indiana, but the rest of the country. If these toxics are released from our vehicles, and emission testing can help reduce the flow, then I strongly believe it is a step in the right direction.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Marketing and Variable Cost Variances Essay
(a) Refer to the Kinkead templates provided on the unit website. Template (A) calculates the market size, market share, sales mix, sales price and variable cost variances for each product and, Template (B) calculates the market size, market share, sales price, and variable cost variances for each product. Which analysis is most appropriate for Kinkead? A or B? Give reasons. Templete (b) What strategy is electric meters and electric instruments pursuing? ‘Dog’, ‘Cash cow’, ‘Star’, or ‘Question mark’. Analysing the relationship between the BCG matrix and the product of Kinkead, market share and market growth are the considerable reason to measure. Kinkead’s products are grouped into two main product lines which are electric meters(EM) and electric instruments(EI). First, for the EM product, according to template, the variance of the size of the market is unfavorable, the size of the market because their budget is 800000, but the actual market size of 650000, it does not implement the expectations. The EM market share difference to 0, with 10% constant of the actual and budgeted position, it will not change. Therefore, they are a cash cow. Therefore, EM is the Cash Cow. Additionally, the Kinkead has been a leading Australia firm, and EM is the older but still dominant technology. Followed by EI table EI of the variance of the size of the market for 374,464 budgets, the size of the market for 250,000, lower than the actual market size of 363,500, more than expected. The market share variance is 241,321 Unfavorable which has decrease from 10% to 8%. Therefore, EI is question mark. In addition, EI’s future is uncertain, because from the case it says EI technology is new and still experimental. (c) What aspects of performance are important for a product pursuing each of those strategies and which variances reflect those aspects of performance? (d) Critically evaluate the performance of the two divisions.
Christology of Jesus in the Book of Colossians Essay
Introduction      As hints from the book’s internal evidences point (Col.1:4, 23; 2:1), the church at Colossae was not founded by the Apostle Paul, but rather the fruit of one of his associates’ labor – namely, Epaphras. His words like â€Å"we heard of your faith,†â€Å"the gospel which you heard,†and â€Å"for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh,†indicate clearly that these people to whom he was writing were known by him only through means other than himself. Nevertheless, they are close to him since they are the result of Eparhras’ bringing of the Gospel in their place (Aid to Bible Understanding 1971). Epaphras was Apostle Paul’s son in the faith much like Timothy and Titus. He had come to know the Lord through the preaching of Paul in Ephesus and eventually carried the message with him back to Colossae and the result was the founding of the church there. Like any father would feel of significant accomplishments of his son, the Apostle was exhilarated simply by reflecting on such achievement wrought by his son in the faith (Henry 1998). Indeed, it’s quite a feat. To the eyes of a true apostle of Christ who have grasped the vision of the Lord of the harvest, nothing more and none else bears the mark of indisputable success than the authentic surrender of previously rebellious sinners to the Lordship of Jesus (Walvoord & Zuck 1997). The church in Colossae is yet another landmark to the progress of the Gospel and the advancement of the kingdom of God as well. In Biblical perspective, this is true success. This letter, therefore, was Paul’s response to the report he received from Epaphras regarding the spiritual condition of the Colossians. The details of the report, however, are not thoroughly positive. Concurrently, the whole scenario was one of good prospects, with regard to what they are already enjoying being in Christ, and the possibility of some of them being dragged away to religious nonsense because of the presence of false teachers among them who actively engaging them into a kind of doctrines that sidetrack them from the right focus. These false teachers are so subtle in their approach that caught the Colossians off guard. The presence of these cultic teachings in their midst brought them to a situation that is very dangerous, and Paul had to write to them a polemic on the fundamentals of the Person of Christ and what He achieved on the cross for them (Duncan p.1 â€Å"The Incomparable Christ†). Historical & Cultural Background     It is interesting to note that Phrygians are one among the many peoples present in Jerusalem during the Feast of Pentecost at the time when the promised Holy Spirit descended upon the first band of disciples in the upper room (Acts 2:10). These people were there at the very center of God’s activity when He was mobilizing His first band of missionaries to reach the first of the target geographic spheres – Jerusalem. Earlier, Jesus pronounced that his disciples would become His witnesses in â€Å"Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.†At the brink of this massive missionary activity, a people who would eventually become direct beneficiaries of an apostolic letter were present – witnessing a poignant presentation of the gospel by Apostle Peter. The city of Colossae was once known to be a great city and was hailed by famed historic figures such as Alexander the Great and Herodotus. Both spoke, in their respective times, of Colossae as â€Å"a great city.†However, at the time of the writing of the Apostle Paul of his letter to the Colossians, the city was not as celebrated as Laodicea and Hierapolis (Smith The Letter To The Colossians, New Testament Introduction) in comparison. However, along with these greater Phrygian cities, Colossae was famed for its textile industry. In the ancient world, a variety of cloth called â€Å"Colossinum†with its purple wool was one of the exquisite that it was very much valued. Thus, Colossae was among the triad of known center of the textile industry. Geographically, it was positioned along the banks of the Lycus River, and was 160 kilometers travel to the east side of Ephesus. It’s easy to think of a Christian disciple from Ephesus to have gone to this nearby city to extend the gospel; and indeed, it might have been Epaphras who blazed the trail of evangelistic work there and probably since then holding the reins of pastorate there. Since Colossae was in the regions of Phrygia which was itself part of Greece, the population was naturally Phrygians, Greeks, and considerable number of Jews. In his book, â€Å"The Antiquities of the Jews,†Josephus Flavius recorded that during the reign of Antiochus the Great (223-187 B.C.), he banished into exile from Babylonia 2,000 Jewish families and relocated them into the districts of Phrygia and Lydia (Antiquities 12.147-153). The probability was high that the descendants of those Jews who immigrated there two centuries earlier, were without a doubt still living in the same region, and in Colossae particularly were rooted and settled by the first century A.D. Culture’s Influence      The mixture of population in Colossae undoubtedly contributed to the difficulty in determining decisively what kind of philosophies or false teachings have crept into the fellowship of Christians at Colossae. The manner through which the problem is identified in the book makes scholars conclude that it was syncretism. Because these false teachers have never outrightly denied Christ in their instructions, if looked at the surface, they appear to be Christian teachers in the eyes of the new converts whose level of understanding of the Christian doctrines was at this time not yet thorough strong. False teachers used Christ only as their launching station to bring these people into the true substance of their belief. For example, it would only disturb the Colossians if these teachers uncunningly had presented themselves as Gnostics, or Judaizers, or some pagan gurus propagating their paganistic philosophies (Bauer et al. 1979). Therefore, they stealthily conducted themselves among Christians and apparently they have successfully injected some of the important features of their doctrines into the forefront among the biblical truths which the Colossians were previously oriented to focus their minds on, namely, the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. Paul elaborated on the implications of everything that the Person of Christ stood for. From unveiling the majestic Person of Christ to the natural ramifications of what it means he went on in scrupulous details. The confusion that these false teachers created among the Colossian church was very dangerous that it threatens the very character of their identity as Christians (i.e. disciples who follow Christ’s teachings). And besides, it endangers the spiritual lives of the believers at Colossae. Gospel truths will lead to true godliness while half-truths or the Gospel mixed with other philosophical elements which are not found in Christ will always lead to the destruction of life in general. According to Paul, it’s not possible for them to practice Jewish religious rituals, and embrace paganistic beliefs and philosophies, and still retain the true nature of Christianity. As can be seen, the cultural background through which Colossians was written played a huge role on how Paul developed his themes in the book. They could not have escaped the applications of Paul’s teachings since he made everything clear to them. The structure of Gnosticism’s philosophy was based on presuppositions such as, God is the Supreme Being who is spirit and good in nature. He is the unnamed Father, and out of the core of His being flows a series of emanations/aeons or mediators, and the material world is evil. Reading Paul’s letter in the midst of a culture that is so familiar with the Gnostic teachings, one would not miss the images he was using and its implications (Shelley 1982 pp.52-54). To the things advocated by these Gnostics, like for instance, that they needed â€Å"mediaries†to be able to tap to that special wisdom which alone could be received from God, Christ is the â€Å"wisdom of God.†The advocacy of Jewish traditions which are also present and rampant among these believers were just as attractive as all these Hellenistic philosophies in that it lay claim to the very roots of Christianity (Gaebelien 1998). To those who find the arguments of Judaizers logically appealing, the Apostle would say: â€Å"They are but a shadow of things to come.†All of the legitimate practices of the people of God as sanctioned by the Old Testament Scriptures were all types and only a shallow of the real thing (Gill 2000). They all pointed to Christ and when Jesus came all of them were done away with because the whole substance of those things is Christ. And Christ was manifested in the flesh. To the Gnostic who does not believe in the incarnation of the Christ in literal physical body, Paul’s word is: â€Å"In Him (Jesus) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily†(Col.2:9). To those Jewish Christians who constantly were being â€Å"Judaized†by the Judaizers wanting them to incorporate certain elements of their tradition, Paul’s message is: â€Å"You were circumcised by the circumcision of Christ.†He made it in the spirit â€Å"without hands.†â€Å"God has forgiven all your trespasses because Christ has wiped out everything that the righteous requirements of the law have been demanding from you.†Christ neutralized all the incriminatory proofs written in the Jewish canon that would declare Christians guilty, whether Jews or Gentiles, before the bar of God’s justice (Metzer 1975). In Paul’s own words, â€Å"He (Christ) has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross†(Col.2:11-14). The Colossians were reminded of the all sufficiency of Christ (Wenham et al 1994). Overall Message of the Book     Since what is under attack is the very Person of Jesus Christ, and because this assault has far-reaching effects and naturally hit the Colossians at different fronts of their faith, Apostle Paul saw it necessary to concentrate his treatise on the Person and the work of Christ. For instance, as it was the assertion of certain teachers inside the church that the fullness of spiritual experience which until then had not been realized in their lives could be attained only through means other than Christ (e.g. worship of angels), Paul had to stress the distinctness and the exclusivity of the role of the second Person of the Godhead in salvation and in securing the fullness of experience of every believer in their relationship with God. The completeness and the comprehensiveness of Christ’s Person and work have covered everything that the Colossians could ever imagine. There is no angel, no religious practice/rituals, and no tradition could ever surpass Christ. Christ is supremely preeminent. The Colossians, contrary to what these false teachers wanted them to be convinced of with their teachings, has the fullness already in Christ. They needed only to realize this through the clear elaborations of an Apostle. Epaphras discovered the significance of this role of Paul, hence he asked for his reinforcement. During this time of the church’s history, Christ’s teachings were still significantly guarded by legitimate apostles. In Colossians 1:1, Paul opened his letter with this salutation: â€Å"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. . . to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse. . . .†He has not yet by this time visited the church at Colossae and therefore has not known personally many of them. They might have heard of him though through Epaphras. And so, his first words reflect the assertion that what will follow are instructions coming from the one who has been sent directly and authorized by Jesus Christ himself. Paul said, â€Å"I am an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.†This introduction stands in sharp contrast to the false teachers in their midst who go along professing to be spiritual elites who were privies to God, and possibly, Jesus. Therefore, the first few words of Paul are crucial and their force is carried through the entire letter. It bears the mark of apostolicity and hence it is not just an ordinary epistle. Paul was one of the privileged few in his time, like Peter and the rest of all the twelve authentic apostles, who had seen and were commission by Jesus personally. And at the time of his writing, there were many still living apostles who could attest to his claim, although it was not necessary. His apostleship was widely known among the first generation of Christians, and at Colossae, Epaphras was there as direct result of Paul’s apostleship – and the Colossians the indirect product of Paul’s commission. In setting forth very clearly the fact of his authority, what he had to say to them in this letter were not opinions or just lofty guesses coming from a person who mustered enough of his noble thoughts about Christ. His teachings were at that time the standard teaching of true apostles of Jesus (Clarke 2003).     Another paganistic element in the teachings of these false teachers was the contention that insights into spiritual powers – demonic powers – that could protect and shield the Colossians could be acquired through certain observances and rituals. In particular, rites that were thought of as effective in restraining the flesh from engaging even in legitimate use of the body in marriage between husband and wife, and lawful consumption of food and use of things were put forward as necessary for superior spirituality. Again, to battle these cultic emphases on the superficial appearance of spirituality among the Colossians, the apostle Paul presses over and over again the theme of Christ’s overall sufficiency. The absolute preeminence of Christ has overarching cosmic implications. To know Christ is to know God. To know Christ is to know the Creator who not only created the universe and all of the planets, but also by His power hold these things together (Col.1:15-20). If Christ is, as the Apostle’s Creed faithfully declares, â€Å"very God of very God,†then they have all good reasons to trust in Him alone. No religious leader should dare to compare Him to angels nor to spiritual mediaries because He Himself is God. â€Å"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him†(Col.1:15-16). Themes of the Book      One of the pressing concerns that had seriously affected the demeanor of the Colossians was their fear of the â€Å"stoicheia†– Greek word for â€Å"elementary principles.†The source of the heresy that Paul was battling among the Christians in Colossae was the philosophy that had successfully sneaked into their consciousness. It was very unfortunate to see an apostolic congregation being victimized by this philosophical nonsense (Balz & Schneider 1990). Paul would have to tell them in his letter of the utter rubbishness of what they are entertaining in place of Christ. They were playing with â€Å"philosophy†which amounts to â€Å"empty deception†because it comes from â€Å"the tradition of men†(Col.2:8). In the ancient times, stoicheia means many things. But basically, it means, as it is translated in English, â€Å"elementary instructions.†These include the physical elements like earth, water, fire, and wind. Also, the ancient people would have meant it to be â€Å"elemental spirits.†These elemental spirits are believed to be those powerful beings that control nature. These are evil spirits and therefore hostile in nature. They command the respect and allegiance of human beings because they rule over the fate of humans. They can cause â€Å"sicknesses, effect a curse, bring in poor crops, plagues, earthquakes, and natural disasters†(DeWaay â€Å"Colossian Heresy†p.1). The Colossians find this kind of teaching so attractive. Their problem however was that in this kind of hodgepodge religion, they had already fallen into idolatry from whence they had been delivered when they believed the Gospel. In the first chapter of Colossians, Paul established the reality of Jesus’ divinity. Jesus Christ is the one who is truly in control of the â€Å"elemental spirits†because He is in fact the Creator of everything â€Å"seen and unseen.†In Colossians 2:15, Paul presented Christ as one who through His death on the cross, â€Å"disarmed principalities and powers,†and by the power of His resurrection, â€Å"He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.†The culture where they happened to be living in has much influence on their lives that they never have suspected. This sinister influence had been there all along and just biding time, and had found the occasion through the false teachers. It was observed that this belief in â€Å"elemental spirits†had been characteristic of ancient Pagans and Jews. It could be that some of the initiates to the Colossian church were looking for help in Christian religion to avert the spell of stoicheia in their lives. This belief in â€Å"evil forces†in the air might even be their common background. They were brought up from this superstitious environment. Paul, therefore, had to remind them of what has transpired when they surrendered and have put their trust in Christ. They â€Å"died with Christ from the basic principles of the world†(Col.2:20). There’s the word â€Å"stoicheia†again. The Colossians should have totally forsaken any trace of this paganistic reservation. If Christ rules the universe, why fear the evils that these sinister spirits could inflict them? And if Christ is the Creator and for whom all things were created, including â€Å"invisible elements,†and all the spiritual hierarchy in the heavens, then He must be Supreme and Sovereign. The Colossians did not have to subject themselves to useless regulations. Conclusion      The understanding of the Person of Christ is crucial to the establishment of the Christian’s faith. After this elaboration of Paul on the majesty of the Person of Jesus Christ in his epistle to the Colossians, there should be none any more room for any additives to the faith and practice of the Christian life. Christ’s Person and His redemptive work are sufficient source of unshakeable confidence. Thinking about the Person of Christ, of who He really is as portrayed by Paul in Colossians, how could possibly anyone who knows all these things concerning Jesus add to Him the philosophies of mere men? What is it there that innovative human beings can add to Christ? False teachers of Paul’s day would say that if one wanted to be freed from the dominion and powers of darkness, even if he or she has Christ already, there needed to be certain things to be added. To this, Paul would retort: â€Å"Christ has saved us from the powers of darkness and there’s nothing to be added. He is enough and we are complete in Him.†To look for â€Å"fullness†somewhere else and other than Christ is to doubt His Person. All things consist in Him and in Him all the fullness dwells. In Christ we received redemption and the forgiveness of our sins. Works cited: Anonymous. 1971. Aid to Bible Understanding. Brooklyn, NY: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. (Aid). Bauer, Walter; Arndt, William; Gingrich, F. Wilbur; Danker, Frederick. 1979. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Second Edition. Chicago, Ill: The University of Chicago Press. (BAGD). Balz, Horst and Schneider, Gerhard. 1990. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament. 2 Volumes. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. (EDNT). Barnes, Albert, Notes on the Bible. Electronic E-Sword Files. E-Sword copyright 2000 – 2003 by Rick Meyers. www.e-sword.net Beveridge, William A Short History of the Westminster Assembly. Revised, edited, and introduced by J. Ligon Duncan III. Greenville: Reformed Academic Press, 1993. Clarke, Adam. Commentary on the Bible. Electronic E-Sword Files. E-Sword copyright 2000 – 2003 by Rick Meyers. www.e-sword.net Duncan, Ligon. Christology, Soteriology, and Eschatology. Orlando: RTS Media Ministries, 1993. [with accompanying audio tapes].Ligon Duncan III. Greenville: A Press, 19911,  19932, 19943. Cunningham, William An Introduction to Theological Studies. Edited and introduced by J.Ligon Duncan III. Greenville:   A Press, 19911, 19932, 19943. DeWaay â€Å"Colossian Heresy†p.1. Retrieved March 20, 2008 Douglas, J.D. and Comfort, Phillip. The New Commentary of the Whole Bible: New Testament: Based on the Classic Commentary by Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown. Electronic STEP Files. Cedar Rapids, IA: Parsons Technology (JFB). Gaebelien, Frank, editor. 1998. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Electronic STEP Files. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. (EBC). Gill, John. Exposition of the Entire Bible. Electronic E-Sword Files. E-Sword copyright 2000 – 2003 by Rick Meyers. www.e-sword.net Henry, Matthew. 1998. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible. Electronic STEP Files. Cedar Rapids, IA: Parsons Technology. Metzger, Bruce M. 1975. A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament. 3rd Edition. Stuttgart, Germany: United Bible Societies. The Holy Bible, New King James Version. Power BibleCD Version 3.3 Copyright 1999, 2000, 2001 Phil Lindner, Online Publishing, Inc. Shelley, Bruce. Church History in plain language. 1982 pp.52-54. Walvoord, John and Zuck, Roy. 1997. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament. Electronic STEP Files. Cedar Rapids, IA: Parsons Technology. (BKC). Wenham, G.J., Motyer, J.A., Carson, D.A. and France, R.T. 1994. New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. Downer’s Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press. (NBC). Â
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