An Artist of the Floating World Essay

Today, we are going to talk about â€Å"The comparison of the English TV programs for adults and children†. As the objects of a comparison, we chose four programs: â€Å"㠁ˆã â€žÃ£ â€Ã£  §Ã£ â€šÃ£  Ã£  ¼Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"ã‚ »Ã£â€š µÃ£Æ'Ÿã‚ ¹Ã£Æ'ˆãÆ' ªÃ£Æ' ¼Ã£Æ'ˆâ€  are for children; â€Å"ãÆ'ˆãÆ' ©Ã£Æ'Æ'ãÆ'‰ãÆ' »Ã£â€š ¸Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ'‘ãÆ' ³Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"ï ¼â€œÃ£Æ' ¶Ã¦Å"ˆãÆ'ˆãÆ'ӋÆ'Æ'ã‚ ¯Ã¨â€¹ ±Ã¤ ¼Å¡Ã¨ © ±Ã¢â‚¬  are for adults. We would like to talk about five things in our presentation. First of all I will introduce each TV programs; next Ayaka will talk about the â€Å"Entertainment†; next Keiko will talk about â€Å"Output/Input†; then, Risa will talk about â€Å"pronunciation†, finally, I would like to conclude our discussion. Before going to the main topics, I would like to show you the detail of each programs briefly. â€Å"㠁ˆã â€žÃ£ â€Ã£  §Ã£ â€šÃ£  Ã£  ¼Ã¢â‚¬  is an English education program for preschoolers and younger primary school children; it broadcasts on NHK educational channel. The program has started since 1990. In 2010, the program marked its 20th anniversary. This program is aired from 8:45 a.m. to 8:55 a.m. weekdays, Monday to Friday. (Now I will show you this movie for a little.) â€Å"ã‚ »Ã£â€š µÃ£Æ'Ÿã‚ ¹Ã£Æ'ˆãÆ' ªÃ£Æ' ¼Ã£Æ'ˆâ€  is an education program for children produced and directed by an American non-profit TV production office called ‘Children’s Television Workshop’/ ‘Sesame Workshop’. This program has been popular among more than 140 counties and regions since its debut in 1969 on American TV. â€Å"ãÆ'ˆãÆ' ©Ã£Æ'Æ'ãÆ'‰ãÆ' »Ã£â€š ¸Ã£Æ' £Ã£Æ'‘ãÆ' ³Ã¢â‚¬  is showing the Japanese culture in English for foreigners. This is a program that people can become to understand the professional English and to speak succinctly and clarity. This program has started since 2009, and you can watch it from 6:00 a.m. to 6:20 a.m. on every Tuesday. (I will show you this program.) â€Å"ï ¼â€œÃ£Æ' ¶Ã¦Å"ˆãÆ'ˆãÆ'ӋÆ'Æ'ã‚ ¯Ã¨â€¹ ±Ã¤ ¼Å¡Ã¨ © ±Ã¢â‚¬  is a language program aired from 10:00 p.m. to 10:20 p.m. on every Wednesday on NHK educational channel. This program has 3 months period for each topic. For example, ‘è © ±Ã£ â€"㠁 ¦Ã¨ Å¾Ã£  Ã¥ â€"ã‚‹ï ¼ Ã£Æ' Ã£â€š ¤Ã£Æ'†ã‚ £Ã£Æ'â€"ç™ ºÃ©Å¸ ³Ã¥ ¡ ¾Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ and ‘ãÆ'ˆãÆ'Æ'ãÆ'â€"ã‚ ¤Ã£Æ' ³Ã£â€š ¿Ã£Æ'“ãÆ' ¥Ã£Æ' ¼Ã£  «Ã¥ ­ ¦Ã£  ¶Ã¯ ¼ Ã¨â€¡ ªÃ¥Ë†â€ Ã£â€šâ€™Ã¨ ªÅ¾Ã£â€šâ€¹Ã¨ ¡ ¨Ã§  ¾Ã¨ ¡â€œÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ etc. From these topics, we chose ‘è  ´Ã£   è ª ­Ã£â€šâ‚¬ ã‚ Ã£ â€¹Ã£â€šâ€¹Ã¯ ¼ Ã¨â€¹ ±Ã¦â€"‡å ­ ¦Ã£  ®Ã¥  Ã¤ ½Å"Ã¥   ´Ã©  ¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ for today’s presentation. [Conclusion] Through these discussions, we could find various inventions of each program. For children, the programs are produced to focus on the purpose to make children have some interests to English. Therefore, the producer especially tries to reinforce its entertainment using songs, games, pictures etc. We found that children imitate the teacher’s pronunciation, sentences, phrases, and words more easily than adults. So, it is important to teach the second language by the interaction of instructors and learners. As a result, the English knowledge that children could acquire by these TV programs will help to open many opportunities for them in the future. On the other hand, the programs for adults are produced to focus on the purpose of flexible contents. As a result, they can choose the field what they really interested in; they are able to acquire the topic thoroughly. We thought there is interactive effect as well: like conversation with native speakers. The conversations with native speakers speaking in English enable the learners to be generally fluent in speaking English. Basically, it is important to make the learner have interest to English; however, the most important thing is to create programs tailored for each target.

Explore the Ways Strong Feelings About Love Are Presented

Poems are commonly used to convey strong feelings about the true nature of love. However, these feelings can take many different shapes which articulate positive as well as negative perceptions of love. The four poems that embody these different features are ‘Hour’ by Carol Ann Duffy, ‘Sonnet 116’ by William Shakespeare, ‘In Paris with you’ by James Fenton and ‘Quickdraw’ by Carol Ann Duffy. Two poems that share similar feelings about love are ‘in Paris with you' and ‘Quickdraw' as they both explore the theme of conflict and emotional pain instigated by love.Fenton makes it clear in the first stanza that the speaker has been hurt in the past, claiming that he was ‘one of your talking wounded' which is a pun on the phrase ‘walking wounded'. However, this phrase is pursued by a. Use of neologism ‘maroonded' which serves to create an apparent carefree tone carried on through-out the poem. However, as the p oem progresses it becomes apparent that the light-hearted mood hides a deeper subtext and is a cover for the speaker's true feelings.Similarly Duffy makes use of an extended metaphor ‘a western stand-off', using the slightly chilidish image to to conceal her true feelings and the more serious emotional pain which results from love. She makes use of lexical choices from the semantic field of battle or a western style stand-off â€Å"guns, trigger, Sheriff, last chance saloon† to reflect how she is feeling in the relationship as well as avoiding the reality of the issue. Despite the light-hearted tones of the poems, the reader's attention is drawn to the subtle darker subtexts which reveal the speakers' true feelings in both poems.Fenton indirectly adresses the speakers true feelings about love by using an ambiguous phrase ‘in paris with you' repetitively. However, towards the end of the poem it soon becomes clear that â€Å"paris† is a euphemism for love. Lo ve is really what the speajer is trying to convey but in a cautious way clearly due to a phobia of rejection or further emotional pain experienced in previous loving relationships. Duffy makes the speakers feelings know in a slightly indirect way as well by the use of enjambment in the phrase ‘you blast me†¦ hrough the heart', the sudden break in the line highlights the effect te lovers words have on the speaker by enabling through ‘through the heart' to stand alone consequently stand out. With ‘heart', being the main of love and ‘blast', related to warfare, being married together, they significantly emphasize the true pain the speaker is experiencing from the lovers' use of weaponry ‘your voice a pellet' as well as a real depth of her vulnerability. In addition, the two poems make use of structure to convey their strong feelings about love to the reader by manipulating the form and layout of the poems.Duffy uses sonnet structure in ‘quickdra w', which is a structure traditionally used for romantic poetry. A sonnet consists of 4 stanzas, each stanza containing four lines, also known as a quatrain which are reminiscent of Shakespeare. However, the sonnet structure in ‘Quickdraw' doesn't quite reflect the common structure of a sonnet as it is brocken up by the use of enjambment and caesuras ‘blast me (stanza 2)†¦ throught the heart (stanza 3)' and ‘another one's(stanza 3)†¦ oncealed(stanza 4)' which can be enterpreted in different ways, perhaps it is used to symbolize the breakdown of communication in the relationship or maybe it was used to highlight important words. ‘Quickdraw' is also wiritten in free verse, so there is no order to the poem as a result it is effective as it replicates the subject of a western ‘stand-off' or ‘showdown' which similarly have no order to them and are generally chaotic. Correspondingly, ‘in paris with you' is also manipulated so that the st ructure and form of the poem emphasizes certain elements of the relationship.The third stanza is indented and contains nine lines as opposed to the other stanza's which contain five lines. The evident change in structure in stanza 3 is imposed to highlight the speaker's rejection of all the cliches of love by using colloquial language ‘can we say sod off to the sodding Notre Dame', which juxtaposes the classic image if Paris:the city of love. Therefore, an idea of the speaker's clear fear of having to commit theirself to a relationship, after being ‘bamboozled' by the ‘mess' of the previous ones, is suggested.Nonetheless, despite the speakers in both poems' reluctance to admit the emotional pain and conflict they are suffering, the true extent of their feelings towards their lovers is made very clear by their poignant last lines. â€Å"In paris with you† ends with the speaker directly adressing their subject of their affection by saying ‘I'm in Paris w ith you', thereby making it clear to the reader that they are in fact ‘In love with you' if you replace ‘paris' with ‘love'.The phrase is repeated several times through-out the poem and suggest that no matter how much the speaker denies their feelings, they are unable to hide them. The extra line in stanza 5 suggests the speaker is breaking free of their old thoughts about love and opening up to new ones. Similarly the speaker in â€Å"quickdraw† ends the poem with the ambiguous phrase â€Å"take this†¦ and this†¦ and this†.The breakdown of language and the use of ellipsis and repetition could be interpreted in different ways, it could suggest that the speaker has been left defensless against the blows of her lover. Alternatively it could be that she finally succumbed to her feelings and is showering her partner with kisses as the bullets are described as ‘silver', so precious and expensive. The last lines of Quickdraw are effective as they are very much open to interpretation so the reader is left with different ideas about how the speaker is feelings.Conclusively, the strong feelings about love presented in â€Å"In Paris with you† and â€Å"Quickdraw† are highly interesting and evocative with Duffy's use of extended metaphors and Fenton's use of repetition and euphemism. Both of the speaker's ability to get the reader to empathise with them indicates the clear effectiveness of the poem's language, structure and context. The layered deeper meanings and subtexts, hidden beneath the light-hearted tones of the poems, are especially effective.

Abstracts 4 Articles Decision Making

which in tern routinizes administration. These tools cannot be used appropriately to manage of incalculable entities. The functional rationality approach is when activities precisely planned and estimated to reach some goal. This method is unlikely to be used by top managers because another important factors are involved such as ego or personal altitude. If there is no special procedure for a particular problem, manager should focus on how to turn a situation into the right way in accordance with expectations from their boss. Some managerial people cannot make their own judgments. Instead, they are looking up and looking around for someone else’s opinion and finally they rely on it because of personal fears or inexperience. Another example of it is the mid-level decision-making paralysis in many American companies when a manager is trying to avoid of making a decision. In the case of inevitable decision, he or she would engage as many colleagues as possible for self-protection. Many examples of recent administrative and economic problems within American companies have showed the tendency that managers are oriented to the short-term period when making decisions. This is due to the fact that MBA programs provide tools which are focuses mostly on a short-term attitude. The second reason would be that managers are under pressure for annual, quarterly, monthly and daily results and these factors push they out of thinking about the future, even though they realise that today’s minor difficulties could be tomorrow’s big crises. Managers are also aware of blame time and when things go wrong it is necessary to be protected from consequences. This is the reason why they gravitate towards this fear being punished rather than reflecting critically. Bureaucracy disrupts working processes into parts and the results of the work therefore disconnected with the decisions, which had been made. Manager’s productivity depends on the position within management circle or their supervisors. There is no codes or systems for tracking personal responsibilities to be established. To be successful manager means to move quickly within the levels of managerial hierarchy. It protects from going into problems too deeply at every level. Example I worked for four years as an instrument engineer in the Natural gas industry in Russia. I was involved into the decision making process associated with planning resources and finances for further projects and discussions about engineering-related difficulties. Firstly, when the question was complicated and involves financial resources, I checked the parameters of equipment many times and sent the results to my boss. When I received the confirmation from him, I printed it out and managed the necessary signatures on it. I did not want to be responsible for any inconvenience because my boss has to carry out this kind of responsibility. It was extremely important for me as a lower-level manager to have the document that proves that all things are done in time and approved by middle-level manager. In case of inconveniences such as the late commissioning phase of facilities I showed the documents that all the steps were completed by me on time. Reading 4. 2 Â  Reason, J. (1990) The general view on accident’s causes within complex technological systems includes theoretical framework which is not only provides the data on how dangerous factors could be combined themselves, but also where and how to predict these tendencies and take necessary measures beforehand. There are many elements of production, which are also involved into accident causation. Fallible high-level manager’s decisions are a major contributing factor to an increase in risk, followed by the lack of line management, which in turn causes dangerous preconditions and unsafe acts (intended and unintended). The latter are based on human’s psychological characteristics and conditions and are described as a combination of both potential hazards and errors, which could cause injury or damage. Likewise, a trajectory of an opportunity includes all these factors plus safeguards and productive events. Each of these has a window of opportunity in terms of an accident incidence. Therefore damage is highly possible when this trajectory is crossing all the windows at all the stages of production. The safe operation control consists of two features – feedback and response. The theory points out that the most successful approach to manage the safety is by taken into consideration the failure types rather than the failure tokens. According to Westrum (1988) there are three groups of auctions – denial, repair and reform. The successful organization is taken actions in responding to safely data from the reform (bottom level). The fundamental distribution error relates to a personal incompetence of employee while on the other hand the fundamental surprise error is the situation when personal observation differs to a reality. Thus, taken into consideration these terms and experience from the past major accidents such as Chernobyl, the nature of a malfunction has to be considered not only as pure technical but also as socio-technical. The people’s contribution to accidents is dominating the machine failure risk. Example I investigated many serious accidents related to the natural gas transportation process. For instance, one emergency stop of the 3. 2-megawatt gas turbine was caused by the malfunction of a frequency meter. After an analysis of reports I concluded that technical maintenance of this device was conducted improperly. A responsible worker forgot to finish one procedure related to the metrology accuracy of this piece of equipment. Another example is when other gas turbine was stopped by alarm during normal working cycle. The reason for that was unplanned and uncoordinated upgrade of its automatic control system (ACS). From my point of view, the modern technology is very reliable and ACS is highly faultness but social factors as well as poor decision making are of the major reasons for emergency situations. For instance, social factors in Russia are included a low salary and the lack of a proper education. Reading 6. Beach (1993) A descriptive Image theory focuses on people’s individual decisions rather than group ones, and it is directly opposite to prescriptive classical theory of making decisions. There are also three decision-related images (structures), which have to be possessed by a decision maker. The value image is based on personal principles, behavior and beliefs. These are the sou rce for generating goals. Thus, the ultimate criteria for this is when the decision maker consider the values to be relevant. Therefore potential goals and actions, if they are inconsistent with the relevant principles, will be refused. The second image, which is called the trajectory image, includes potential goals, which have to be set and the third one, the strategic image, focuses on actions and plans that have to be performed for achieving targets. The important parts of the third image are tactic and forecast, which would be a crucial factors for monitoring a realisation progress of a particular goal. Decision-making process consists of two types of decisions such as adoption and progress which include the implementation of the compatibility and profitability tests. The compatibility test is based on both types of decisions and compares candidates to three images, whereas in contrast the profitability test relates to the adoption decision only and uses the outcome after performing the compatibility test. For instance, the compatibility test selects few candidates, who successfully crossed through a selection criteria and the profitability test therefore chooses the best candidate from the previous sorting. Another important part of the Image theory is the process of framing decisions which is the action when the goal is identified and the plan is alled back if one exists. The data from the practical research suggests that it is unlikely that the decision maker tend to change the selection criteria without changes in principles, goals and plans. Example I was involved into the process of interviewing new workers within the Natural gas industry. I had to employ personnel with sufficient technical knowledge and skills because they have to work with in hazardous areas and on potentially dangerous equipment. As a team leader I was hoping to find highly qualified workers with extensive experience for an average amount of salary. After performing several meetings and consultations with potential staff within this salary category I concluded that no one was able to pass the criteria and possess theoretical knowledge and practical achievements from previous work experience. Because of that I decided to change the working images by changing the criteria. Therefore, I focused on workers who possess theoretical knowledge with engineering ideas in complex. Although they did not have extensive experience, they satisfied basic criteria and were able to perform tasks within their role (maintenance and repair). And after this correction of principles I recruited staff for my team successfully. Reading 7. 3Â  Janis (1971) Groupthink is a way of thinking when members behave with a high level of concurrence and tend to adopt a soft line of criticism on colleague’s ideas or even on every critical issue. This is why they make inhumane decisions easily with serious consequences such as the huge number of people’s deaths. The more cohesive the group, the more the risk that the decision will be proposed without the deep analysis of other choices. There are eight major symptoms of groupthink such as invulnerability, irrationality, ignorance of moral principles, stereotyped and unrealistic positions, group pressure against any critical views, member’s self-censorship, unanimity tendency within a group and the mind guard which is to protect the decision from any kind of the feedback. These indicators are typical for a bad decision making process which in tern may results the inhumane decision with serious consequences. Several steps could be adopted to prevent any group from group thinking. In this case criticism should be accepted not only by members but also by a leader. Wide range of alternatives should also be taken into account as possible options. In a case of vital decisions several groups with different leaders should be established to work on the same problem. Before the final decision is made each member should discuss considerations in its unit of organisation and then provide a final response to the group. An outside expert should be invited to all meetings. One decision-maker within the group should criticise a position of the majority. In the case of consensus the group should organise the final meeting for listening and discussing any doubts against the final decision. Although these actions have also drawbacks. For instance, when growing crisis requests an immediate solution there is no time for discussions and implementing many steps for decision making. Another example might be that the risk of the leakage of vital information would significantly increases when outside specialists are involved. All in all, it seems to be clear that top priority should be given in the prevention of any policymaking unit from the group thinking. Behavioral scientists should also be involved into these processes. Example During my work in Russia a groupthink was played a crucial role because of many factors. Firstly, my colleagues were really close to each other and the company’s social policy was developed for this purpose. Therefore, we spent some days playing games and sports altogether. This resulted in the number of small close-connected teams within the group. Another point is that my boss had a top role during all the process of discussion. Therefore, I had een many examples of bad decision-making. For instance, the only criticism from experienced and old colleagues was taken into account despite obvious things that were given by young professionals. Another factor is that the small teams did know how to play games within this environment and how to speculate. From my point of view, taking into consideration the long-term period, most of the final decisions were satisfactory but insufficient. It means that the p rojects were performed according to the rules and practices within timelines. But it can be clearly seen that due to the lack of criticism, for example, the total cost of the projects was increased. This way if the rules and steps of good decision practice were implemented, the cost and efficiency would significantly increase. Reading 8. 2Â  Callon (1987) The development of the technology has been explained by many social scientists using different available methods but they have not taken into account the point that the issue of the technology itself can also be represented as a sociological tool for an analysis. This also leads to the changes in understanding the dynamics of technology. There are two sociological views on the dynamic of consumption, which were developed by sociologists Touraine and Bourdieu. Touraine showed that French consumers’ behavior mostly dictated by large monopolies and industry, whereas in contrast Bourdieu pointed out that competition between social classes within French society taken the first place in terms of consumption of goods and services. Therefore these theories were shown by battle between engineers of two powerful French companies in the early 1970s: Electricite de France (EDF) and Renault. Despite the fact that both of them successfully proposed the concept of an electric car (VEL), the EDF’s theory failed because of unsolved technological difficulties related to the area of science and economy of the VEL, but the Renault did survive in the market because it focuses on not only the technological factors but also on rational views. This is the controversial result, because from the sociological point of view Renault’ specialists won this battle by a chance nor by implementing genius technological ideas. This experience of engineers-sociologists is possible to use as a new methodological tool for exploring large sections of society as well as researching within the value of role of social movements in the progress of consumption. There is also a helpful tool which is named the actor network. It is the case when company’s technological strategy supported by many sections of society. It describes the dynamics of society in completely different way without using sociological explanations. Firstly, in the case of implications of radical innovations within a technological sector engineers must mix technical and scientific analysis with sociology. Secondly, the actors network approach is efficient because it takes into account outside factors, which are related to common concepts of systems. Example I was responsible for implementing the concept of using compressed natural gas (CNG) as fuel for private cars and municipal buses instead of regular petrol. I was focused on the public transport such as buses because of the potential reduction of pollutions as well as the decrease of the total cost of fuel consumption. Moreover, it was easier to install the necessary equipment on buses because the government agreed to subsidise the cost of these modifications. Whereas in contrast I concluded that private car owners would not agree with this idea because the Siberian region in Russia is a large area and the number of CNG filing stations was limited to only 7. Thus, it was clear for me that using CNG fuel people could not travel between major cities which is crucial factor. This approach was based on social behavior of people and their habits. Therefore, the main target for our new policy was a municipal transport within major cities. Abstracts 4 Articles Decision Making which in tern routinizes administration. These tools cannot be used appropriately to manage of incalculable entities. The functional rationality approach is when activities precisely planned and estimated to reach some goal. This method is unlikely to be used by top managers because another important factors are involved such as ego or personal altitude. If there is no special procedure for a particular problem, manager should focus on how to turn a situation into the right way in accordance with expectations from their boss. Some managerial people cannot make their own judgments. Instead, they are looking up and looking around for someone else’s opinion and finally they rely on it because of personal fears or inexperience. Another example of it is the mid-level decision-making paralysis in many American companies when a manager is trying to avoid of making a decision. In the case of inevitable decision, he or she would engage as many colleagues as possible for self-protection. Many examples of recent administrative and economic problems within American companies have showed the tendency that managers are oriented to the short-term period when making decisions. This is due to the fact that MBA programs provide tools which are focuses mostly on a short-term attitude. The second reason would be that managers are under pressure for annual, quarterly, monthly and daily results and these factors push they out of thinking about the future, even though they realise that today’s minor difficulties could be tomorrow’s big crises. Managers are also aware of blame time and when things go wrong it is necessary to be protected from consequences. This is the reason why they gravitate towards this fear being punished rather than reflecting critically. Bureaucracy disrupts working processes into parts and the results of the work therefore disconnected with the decisions, which had been made. Manager’s productivity depends on the position within management circle or their supervisors. There is no codes or systems for tracking personal responsibilities to be established. To be successful manager means to move quickly within the levels of managerial hierarchy. It protects from going into problems too deeply at every level. Example I worked for four years as an instrument engineer in the Natural gas industry in Russia. I was involved into the decision making process associated with planning resources and finances for further projects and discussions about engineering-related difficulties. Firstly, when the question was complicated and involves financial resources, I checked the parameters of equipment many times and sent the results to my boss. When I received the confirmation from him, I printed it out and managed the necessary signatures on it. I did not want to be responsible for any inconvenience because my boss has to carry out this kind of responsibility. It was extremely important for me as a lower-level manager to have the document that proves that all things are done in time and approved by middle-level manager. In case of inconveniences such as the late commissioning phase of facilities I showed the documents that all the steps were completed by me on time. Reading 4. 2 Â  Reason, J. (1990) The general view on accident’s causes within complex technological systems includes theoretical framework which is not only provides the data on how dangerous factors could be combined themselves, but also where and how to predict these tendencies and take necessary measures beforehand. There are many elements of production, which are also involved into accident causation. Fallible high-level manager’s decisions are a major contributing factor to an increase in risk, followed by the lack of line management, which in turn causes dangerous preconditions and unsafe acts (intended and unintended). The latter are based on human’s psychological characteristics and conditions and are described as a combination of both potential hazards and errors, which could cause injury or damage. Likewise, a trajectory of an opportunity includes all these factors plus safeguards and productive events. Each of these has a window of opportunity in terms of an accident incidence. Therefore damage is highly possible when this trajectory is crossing all the windows at all the stages of production. The safe operation control consists of two features – feedback and response. The theory points out that the most successful approach to manage the safety is by taken into consideration the failure types rather than the failure tokens. According to Westrum (1988) there are three groups of auctions – denial, repair and reform. The successful organization is taken actions in responding to safely data from the reform (bottom level). The fundamental distribution error relates to a personal incompetence of employee while on the other hand the fundamental surprise error is the situation when personal observation differs to a reality. Thus, taken into consideration these terms and experience from the past major accidents such as Chernobyl, the nature of a malfunction has to be considered not only as pure technical but also as socio-technical. The people’s contribution to accidents is dominating the machine failure risk. Example I investigated many serious accidents related to the natural gas transportation process. For instance, one emergency stop of the 3. 2-megawatt gas turbine was caused by the malfunction of a frequency meter. After an analysis of reports I concluded that technical maintenance of this device was conducted improperly. A responsible worker forgot to finish one procedure related to the metrology accuracy of this piece of equipment. Another example is when other gas turbine was stopped by alarm during normal working cycle. The reason for that was unplanned and uncoordinated upgrade of its automatic control system (ACS). From my point of view, the modern technology is very reliable and ACS is highly faultness but social factors as well as poor decision making are of the major reasons for emergency situations. For instance, social factors in Russia are included a low salary and the lack of a proper education. Reading 6. Beach (1993) A descriptive Image theory focuses on people’s individual decisions rather than group ones, and it is directly opposite to prescriptive classical theory of making decisions. There are also three decision-related images (structures), which have to be possessed by a decision maker. The value image is based on personal principles, behavior and beliefs. These are the sou rce for generating goals. Thus, the ultimate criteria for this is when the decision maker consider the values to be relevant. Therefore potential goals and actions, if they are inconsistent with the relevant principles, will be refused. The second image, which is called the trajectory image, includes potential goals, which have to be set and the third one, the strategic image, focuses on actions and plans that have to be performed for achieving targets. The important parts of the third image are tactic and forecast, which would be a crucial factors for monitoring a realisation progress of a particular goal. Decision-making process consists of two types of decisions such as adoption and progress which include the implementation of the compatibility and profitability tests. The compatibility test is based on both types of decisions and compares candidates to three images, whereas in contrast the profitability test relates to the adoption decision only and uses the outcome after performing the compatibility test. For instance, the compatibility test selects few candidates, who successfully crossed through a selection criteria and the profitability test therefore chooses the best candidate from the previous sorting. Another important part of the Image theory is the process of framing decisions which is the action when the goal is identified and the plan is alled back if one exists. The data from the practical research suggests that it is unlikely that the decision maker tend to change the selection criteria without changes in principles, goals and plans. Example I was involved into the process of interviewing new workers within the Natural gas industry. I had to employ personnel with sufficient technical knowledge and skills because they have to work with in hazardous areas and on potentially dangerous equipment. As a team leader I was hoping to find highly qualified workers with extensive experience for an average amount of salary. After performing several meetings and consultations with potential staff within this salary category I concluded that no one was able to pass the criteria and possess theoretical knowledge and practical achievements from previous work experience. Because of that I decided to change the working images by changing the criteria. Therefore, I focused on workers who possess theoretical knowledge with engineering ideas in complex. Although they did not have extensive experience, they satisfied basic criteria and were able to perform tasks within their role (maintenance and repair). And after this correction of principles I recruited staff for my team successfully. Reading 7. 3Â  Janis (1971) Groupthink is a way of thinking when members behave with a high level of concurrence and tend to adopt a soft line of criticism on colleague’s ideas or even on every critical issue. This is why they make inhumane decisions easily with serious consequences such as the huge number of people’s deaths. The more cohesive the group, the more the risk that the decision will be proposed without the deep analysis of other choices. There are eight major symptoms of groupthink such as invulnerability, irrationality, ignorance of moral principles, stereotyped and unrealistic positions, group pressure against any critical views, member’s self-censorship, unanimity tendency within a group and the mind guard which is to protect the decision from any kind of the feedback. These indicators are typical for a bad decision making process which in tern may results the inhumane decision with serious consequences. Several steps could be adopted to prevent any group from group thinking. In this case criticism should be accepted not only by members but also by a leader. Wide range of alternatives should also be taken into account as possible options. In a case of vital decisions several groups with different leaders should be established to work on the same problem. Before the final decision is made each member should discuss considerations in its unit of organisation and then provide a final response to the group. An outside expert should be invited to all meetings. One decision-maker within the group should criticise a position of the majority. In the case of consensus the group should organise the final meeting for listening and discussing any doubts against the final decision. Although these actions have also drawbacks. For instance, when growing crisis requests an immediate solution there is no time for discussions and implementing many steps for decision making. Another example might be that the risk of the leakage of vital information would significantly increases when outside specialists are involved. All in all, it seems to be clear that top priority should be given in the prevention of any policymaking unit from the group thinking. Behavioral scientists should also be involved into these processes. Example During my work in Russia a groupthink was played a crucial role because of many factors. Firstly, my colleagues were really close to each other and the company’s social policy was developed for this purpose. Therefore, we spent some days playing games and sports altogether. This resulted in the number of small close-connected teams within the group. Another point is that my boss had a top role during all the process of discussion. Therefore, I had een many examples of bad decision-making. For instance, the only criticism from experienced and old colleagues was taken into account despite obvious things that were given by young professionals. Another factor is that the small teams did know how to play games within this environment and how to speculate. From my point of view, taking into consideration the long-term period, most of the final decisions were satisfactory but insufficient. It means that the p rojects were performed according to the rules and practices within timelines. But it can be clearly seen that due to the lack of criticism, for example, the total cost of the projects was increased. This way if the rules and steps of good decision practice were implemented, the cost and efficiency would significantly increase. Reading 8. 2Â  Callon (1987) The development of the technology has been explained by many social scientists using different available methods but they have not taken into account the point that the issue of the technology itself can also be represented as a sociological tool for an analysis. This also leads to the changes in understanding the dynamics of technology. There are two sociological views on the dynamic of consumption, which were developed by sociologists Touraine and Bourdieu. Touraine showed that French consumers’ behavior mostly dictated by large monopolies and industry, whereas in contrast Bourdieu pointed out that competition between social classes within French society taken the first place in terms of consumption of goods and services. Therefore these theories were shown by battle between engineers of two powerful French companies in the early 1970s: Electricite de France (EDF) and Renault. Despite the fact that both of them successfully proposed the concept of an electric car (VEL), the EDF’s theory failed because of unsolved technological difficulties related to the area of science and economy of the VEL, but the Renault did survive in the market because it focuses on not only the technological factors but also on rational views. This is the controversial result, because from the sociological point of view Renault’ specialists won this battle by a chance nor by implementing genius technological ideas. This experience of engineers-sociologists is possible to use as a new methodological tool for exploring large sections of society as well as researching within the value of role of social movements in the progress of consumption. There is also a helpful tool which is named the actor network. It is the case when company’s technological strategy supported by many sections of society. It describes the dynamics of society in completely different way without using sociological explanations. Firstly, in the case of implications of radical innovations within a technological sector engineers must mix technical and scientific analysis with sociology. Secondly, the actors network approach is efficient because it takes into account outside factors, which are related to common concepts of systems. Example I was responsible for implementing the concept of using compressed natural gas (CNG) as fuel for private cars and municipal buses instead of regular petrol. I was focused on the public transport such as buses because of the potential reduction of pollutions as well as the decrease of the total cost of fuel consumption. Moreover, it was easier to install the necessary equipment on buses because the government agreed to subsidise the cost of these modifications. Whereas in contrast I concluded that private car owners would not agree with this idea because the Siberian region in Russia is a large area and the number of CNG filing stations was limited to only 7. Thus, it was clear for me that using CNG fuel people could not travel between major cities which is crucial factor. This approach was based on social behavior of people and their habits. Therefore, the main target for our new policy was a municipal transport within major cities.

Be An Anthropologist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Be An Anthropologist - Essay Example This may have resulted from the existence of independent sub-fields within the subject. This paper will, therefore, investigate anthropology from a physical anthropologist perspective. The paper will also examine evolution based on cultural anthropology. The discussion within this paper seeks to establish the relationship between the two different points of view and its implications towards the subject. Physical anthropology is both a social science as well as a biological science. Physical anthropology deals with adaptations and variations in the human species as implied by biological principles and theories. The social aspect of physical anthropology seeks to establish the implications of human variations and adaptations on human behavior and culture. Human evolution stands out as a major subject within physical anthropology since it determines human developments and relations. Physical anthropologists consider evolution as accumulation of changes within consecutive generations. Th is implies that evolution results from the heritage of inheritable factors from successive generations. Although there are several inheritable characteristics within the human species, not all potential characteristics contribute to evolution. The desirable character within a population dominates the undesirable characteristics within a successive generation in a given population. ... Physical anthropologists analyze DNA to study human evolution, and this indicates the importance of biology in the subject. DNA is a substance contained in all living cells of an organism. Biologists claim that this substance contains or carries hereditary materials (gene) from parents to their offspring. Studying the DNA enables anthropologists to define the relationship between people. DNA analysis enables physical anthropologists to study successive changes within humanity that constitute evolution. The analysis, therefore, enables a physical anthropologist to validate the existence of evolution. Differences within humanity resulting from geographical disparities can also be explained through DNA analysis. DNA analysis is important to a physical anthropologist; however, it does not sufficiently explain the origin and evolution of the human race. Physical anthropologists also consider cultural analysis to be an important aspect of the discipline. To study evolution, physical anthro pologists study the relationships between culture and biological characteristics of humanity and rely on knowledge and theories developed by other academic discipline. Biological theories and principles on DNA enable physical anthropologists to study human evolution and evolutionary differences. Studying different languages among different communities also contributes to evolution knowledge among physical anthropologists. The book Man, Mind and Science by Leaf is a very useful resource in anthropology. The resource contains relevant information on physical anthropology. According to the resource, evolution is a continuous process that depends on various aspect of humanity. The source proves that evolution theories can only be validated through a

Lab rebort Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lab rebort - Essay Example The mass of the substance in this experiment is water while its specific heat is the quantity of energy needed to heat one gram using a temperature of 1 degree Celsius. Through the application of this formula, the original temperature of heated water was obtained by calculating the difference in cold water temperature, hot water temperature and the final temperature. During this calculation, it was considered that the hot water temperature would be the summation of the cold and mixed water. Considering that the heat moves from the heated water to cold water, there is an equal distribution of temperature. Arguably, this method can be applicable using the first law of thermodynamics. According to this law, energy cannot be created or destroyed. Materials needed for the experiment include a coffee jar containing hot water, ice, thermometer with a capacity to measure up to 40 degrees Celsius, burets, pipets, cold water, and graduated cylinders. Other materials include styrofoam cups, balances and different metal samples. Styrofoam cup was filled with hot water (about 100 grams) obtained from the coffee pot. The exact quantity of water was determined by first finding the weight of the styrofoam cup without water, then finding its weight after adding hot water. Cold water was prepared by changing ice to tap water through heating. Its temperature was then measured. Similar quantity (100 grams) of both hot water and cold water was transferred to the styrofoam cup and stirred. After some time, the temperature of the mixture was less than 40 degrees Celsius. To obtain the quantity of cold water added, the mixture of heated water and cold water was weighed. The following equation was then used to obtain the original hot water tempe rature. To obtain the original hot water temperature, hot water temperature difference was added to the ultimate temperature of the concoction of hot and cold

Will be privided on Friday July 1st after 6pm Essay - 1

Will be privided on Friday July 1st after 6pm - Essay Example Acting in such a manner shows how one puts his heart in his work and usually results in satisfactory jobs as others may not be able to demand for more when they see the seriousness of a responsible person. Of course, physical efforts are much needed to accomplish responsibilities because just thinking about things and planning one’s actions are not the same as doing them. One has to perform his duties to be considered responsible. In our world, whatever part of the world we live in, I think responsibility is present and comes in many forms but still are the same though different in some ways. This is so because of culture and beliefs. For instance, for some cultures, it is still widely accepted that mothers should stay at home and do the household chores, bear children and take care of them while the father is expected to do the more difficult tasks like farming or being the bread winner, going to the office and bringing home his paycheck to his wife. To them, women are expected to budget whatever amount the father brings home for all the needs of the whole family. For other cultures, women are now allowed to work alongside the men in offices, competing with them and even becoming bosses in a world that used to have been dominated by the stronger sex, as we have always known. However, the women’s responsibilities in such cultures in the house are not passed on to the men, though there are some cases of which, but that their working outside of the house is but an additional responsibility. If they are not able to perform their functions as housekeepers and babysitters, they then have to hire someone to do the task so that their primary responsibilities will not be forsaken. In another angle, there are other responsibilities we have to perform and that would be our social responsibilities. As they say, no man is an island. Indeed no man is and we can not survive without the help of the other no matter how much we hate having others help us. Men have been made

Legal Environment Surrounding Sale and Purchase of Goods Essay

Legal Environment Surrounding Sale and Purchase of Goods - Essay Example According to Crose & Miller (2011), in any legal undertaking it is good to understand about what is legally right and what is legally wrong in any kind of legal issue. Therefore, it is advisable that Winston understand where his rights were infringed and where he might have failed during contract signing so that he can lay out a base for his legal arguments. This would enhance his chances of winning the case and thus enabling him to obtain compensation. As a plaintiff in this case he also need to understand the courts that will be involved if the case reaches litigation stage and the procedures involved in this stage so that he can prepare adequately. This paper plays a very significant role in explaining these issues and thus it would be of great assistance to Winston. Any kind of legal environment or undertaking is influenced by various factors. According to Meiners et al (2011), some of the factors that influence the legal environment are the needs and demands of the business comm unity, consumers, and the government. In this paper, we start by explaining the issues surrounding these factors. These issues are like the difference between express and implied terms, sales of goods act, difference between consumer and non-consumer sales, and process and procedures involved in the litigation stage of a case. ... These terms are rigid and cannot change to implied term whatever the case that interpret them. They also do not have further categories and we cannot have very many of them in a contract. However, each contract must have several of those terms clearly understood by both parties before signing. All other terms found in a contract, which are not express term, are regarded as implied terms. Unlike the express terms, these terms are subdivided to those implied primarily by factual circumstances of the agreements and those implied primarily by the law (Klass 2010). Also unlike the express terms, the terms implied by the factual circumstances of the agreement can change to express terms depending on the situation that interpret them. They are also found in larger number in any form of a contract. However, these two terms have one similarity, which is that they have to be included in any form of a contract and each party must read and understand them before signing the contract. According t o Klass (2010), when interpreting a contract, a court gives more priorities to express terms as compared to implied terms. This is merely because of their characteristics and their ability to explain the contract and the situation in which the contract was made. The express terms can also reveal some of the factors that made either of the parties to sign the contract. Therefore when signing any form of a contract one should be very careful with the express terms because they can play a very great part in making a case ruled to your advantage in case of any dispute arising from the contract. Sales of goods act The sales of goods act deals mainly with the sales contract

The role of Design and Technology in the curriculum Essay

The role of Design and Technology in the curriculum - Essay Example This model has spread to other countries like Australia, America, South Africa, and many more. The module for this subject is broken into segments according to the age of the pupils. This subject has historically developed along the development of UK schools curriculum. The program had been implemented in the curriculum since the enactment of the Education Reform Act of 19898 which saw the government gain more control of what is taught in the curriculum. This was aimed at ensuring the education system became more focused ton the needs of the society and that it produced competent individual who could address these needs by the society. It has slowly been integrated in the curriculum to address the changing need in the technology world as well as the changing needs of educations in order to respond with the demands in the society. At all levels of development, design and technology has responded to various changes that had to be made in the curriculum in order to fit the changing the world. The aim of any education curriculum should be to prepare the student for their later life not only in what they learn but also in other matters of life affecting them. This is usually achieved by integration of different spheres of education in one curriculum in order to address the different spheres of life. The British National Curriculum has been designed to address these various spheres for human development. Growth in technology is currently one of the most important spheres of development in the history of humankind development. To address this need, the British Curriculum has integrated various subjects in the curriculum. The subjects that address the technological sphere of human development comprise design and technology. (Department of Education, 1990) The curriculum has been designed to achieve some very needs of an education program. It is designed to meet some basic

Reflective journal on management skills Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Reflective journal on management skills - Article Example They were possibly held by unavoidable situations elsewhere. Secondly, I also thought that at least having made an effort to make it to class, they should have been allowed to go over the whole session before seeing the lecturer in camera to explain themselves. Nowadays as a manager I have come to understand that everything happens for a reason and that man is prone to error. What is important in whatever situation as a manager is to have a listening ear. It is important to allow subordinates to express themselves every time there is a crisis. This helps one to first have a grasp of the reasons behind whatever action has been taken by employees. Listening is a human virtue. It is central to managerial principles and has thus been central to my managerial style too. As per Hamilton (2010: Pg. 12 ) allowing two-way communication in organisation also helps forestall potential fallouts in future as one is able to come up with preventive mechanisms One thing I know for sure is that listening works miracles even in situations that seem so bad. Dialogue is the key for survival in the current competitive world. It is what all the business moguls have used across all ages. Dale Carnegie has advocated for it so have Henry ford and Andrew Carnegie among many others. So as manager I know I have discovered my tool and I can attest to the enormous impact this has had on my operations. I now shun highhandedness and value dialogue and respect for my subordinates. The commonwealth bank Australia is one of the largest and most versatile financial institutions in Australia. It has been in operation since 1912. It currently boosts of over 1000 branches plus an equally large distribution of ATMs. The bank offers a number of customer-tailored services and solutions key among tem being a number of affordable mortgage options and foreign funds transfer services. In of the programs aimed at encouraging diversity, the Commonwealth Bank Australia has set up a special intranet site

A Manager's Ethical Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Manager's Ethical Dilemma - Essay Example A new commission component was added to the compensation of mechanics. The mechanics after the changes were paid a base salary and could earn more based on commission incentives. This new system instead of helping the company it brought lots of troubles because the workers at the firm began to act in an unethical manner. Ethics can be defined as a system of moral principles that leads to decisions between right and wrong (Dictionary, 2012). In 1992 the California Department of consumer affairs accused Sears of violating the state’s Auto Repair Act. The agency threatened to take away the firm’s license to operate. Soon thereafter other states began to take similar stances against Sears. The managerial changes at Sears created an unhealthy working environment that negatively impacted the actions of the workers. The mechanics at Sears began to act unethically because they saw an opportunity to cheat the system and earn more money based on the incentive plan the company cre ated. The mechanics at the auto centers had been systematically misleading customers and charging them for unnecessary repairs. The investigation made by the California department of consumer affairs concluded that the reason that the irregularities and consumer abuse occurred was based on the new compensation system. The actions of Sears leave a lot to be desired from this business entity. Sears created an undesirable working environment that gave incentives to the workers to cut corners and lower the quality of the service to the customers. The mechanics at the firm were a bit corrupt and they decided that their personal well being was more important than satisfying the auto repair needs of the customers. The mechanics would overcharge the customers in order to increase their overall level of compensation. Sears should have prevented this behavior by providing adequate training and development in ethical manners. The company could have also prevented the unethical actions by estab lishing penalties to the mechanics for customers that are not satisfied. An unethical mechanic would think twice about overcharging a customer if the person knows that doing so might result in an economic penalty. Sears could improve the ethical conduct of its employees by applying deontological ethics to its business operations. Deontological ethics deals with obligation as deriving from reason or as residing primarily in certain specific rules of conduct rather than in the maximization of some good (Thefreedictionary, 2012). In order to implement the use of deontological ethics Sears must develop a new code of ethics for its employees. The code of ethics will establish what is acceptable behavior by the employees and what it unacceptable behavior. The code of ethics will also incorporate rules that the employees must follow in regards to their ethical conduct. The changes made by the Sears following the revelation of the scandal were not adequate due to the fact that the firm incl uded within its new pay structure an incentive component that could be exploited by an unethical employee. The firm claimed it eliminated incentive pay, but following the changes an employee of the firm made a complaint to a senator that the firm was still using incentive pay to its mechanics and that the policies were hurting his ability to provide quality service to the customers without overcharging them. The eight steps of Trevino and Nelson decision making framework can help Sears revolve the problem. The firm

Wake Up America! Essay Example for Free

Wake Up America! Essay Nowadays the issue of food is very important in American society as many people suffer from obesity, whereas others suffer from stomach pains and indigestion problems. Therefore, Americans should pay more attention to their everyday meals. As it is claimed, â€Å"the destiny of nations depends on the manner in which they are fed†. So, the popularity of slow food is increasing among nation because fast-food meals make people sick and, consequently, national character is changing as well. Eating shouldn’t be simply fueling up; moreover, it shouldn’t be done quickly and anonymously. People should refuse from French fries, fried beef and, certainly, Coke as all these products are health killers. Our food decisions influence us personally and even globally. Fast-food affects the country not only environmentally, but also politically and culturally. Eating health food shouldn’t be only elitist preoccupation; the government should pay more attention to make health food affordable for all people. (Walker 2006) It is interesting to note that even Presidents don’t pay attention to the food they are eating. The picture of Dixon when he pours ketchup on his cottage cheese is terrifying. In his turn, Bill Clinton instead of paying attention to doctor’s advises, neglects them and eats Big Macs. Our Presidents should be our example and they should be the first to promote health slow food. Maybe, we still lack awareness of the inevitable consequences of eating fast foods. (Trillin 2006) Meanwhile, there are people who suffer from hunger, while we are talking about fast food and slow food. They don’t have such choice as they can’t afford to but food, though they are provided with right to eat and to live. Brazil government feels responsibilities for these people and they have declared the health food course.America should do the same to improve the overall health situation in the country. (Lappe 2006) References Lappe, France Moore. (2006, August 24). A Right to Food? Retrieved October 29, 2007, from http://www. thenation. com/doc/20060911/fmlappe Trillin, Calvin. (2006, August 24). Presidential Eating Preferences. Retrieved October 29, 2007, from http://www. thenation. com/docprem. mhtml? i=20060911s=trillin Walker, Alice. (2006, August 24). Slow Food Nation. Retrieved October 29, 2007, from http://www. thenation. com/doc/20060911/waters

Harley Davidson Essay Example for Free

Harley Davidson Essay Mission Statement Our diversity mission is to foster a culture that integrates diversity and inclusion into all aspects of the business in order to further fulfill dreams through the experiences of motorcycling.   Vision Statement Harley-Davidson values, embraces and celebrates diversity in order to develop and continuously improve mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders to fulfill dreams and provide extraordinary customer experiences in an increasingly dynamic, diverse and global market. Objectives   Create a viable brand that would effectively compete within the Non-Menthol, Lo-Fi category. Attract more young adult (25-49) male smokers into the Lorillard family.   Develop a highly targeted â€Å"Niche Brand’ that would generate modest share goals.   Build strong brand awareness and imaginary.   Gain trial and repeat purchase.   Create consumer confidence. Strategies   MARKET PENETRATION Get some more market share from the existing market, like U. S, U. K, and Japan etc through more marketing techniques like advertising. Harley-Davidson has a good brand name so it’s easy for them to eat up the competitor market share if they can provide some more customer benefit. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Younger generation and female are now coming to this segment so expand the motor cycle segments to younger generation and females.   MARKET DEVELOPMENT Harley-Davidson can bring in their vehicle to Asian countries like India and China, because these countries have a high population and the market potential is also high.   DIVERSIFICATION Bring new bikes to attract customer and market. INVESTING IN THE BRAND The Company is reinforcing its support of the Harley-Davidson brand, accelerating its ongoing marketing efforts to reach out to emerging rider groups, including younger and diverse riders. In addition, the Company will continue to focus on product innovations targeted at specific growth opportunities with its strong core customer base and new riders.   ADJUSTING THE COST STRUCTURE Consolidate its two engine and transmission plants in the Milwaukee area into its facility in Menomonee Falls, Wis. OBTAINING ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR HDFS The Company said it is evaluating a range of options to provide the necessary liquidity for the wholesale and retail lending activities of Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS)   Recommended Mission To be branded as the best motorcycle available in the world. Recommended Vision The best quality motorcycle, motorcycle products and financial services will be provided worldwide is the commitment of Harley-Davidson. Customer satisfaction is our motto and the Harley-Davidson customers can experience the taste of reality of motorcycle dreams by relaying their satisfaction on us. Harley- Davidson is dedicated to use the advanced technology to produce the most superior motorcycle in domestic and international markets. Stay competitive and continue growth worldwide remain profitable and survive is our philosophy. Employees of Harley-Davidson are the foundation of the company and they are the driving force behind the Harley-Davidson name. The total team effort of Harley-Davidson employees is devoted to fulfilling dreams of customers and we believe that there is not a motorcycle riding experience like a Harley-Davidson’s. Excellence is our push though our Harley-Davidson bar and shield logo that says superior quality. Honesty and customer loyalty and these morals are the heartbeat of Harley-Davidson organization. Harley-Davidson do our part in supporting all environmental laws in every country we do business. Determination and commitment is the place where Harley-Davidson intends to stay.   External Opportunities The European demand for Harley Davidson is the highest in the international market and represents the single largest motorcycle market in the world Women and younger riders are increasing becoming interested in bikes The international heavy weight market is growing and is now larger than the U. S. heavyweight market Market share increasing in Europe and Asia for the last two years   Increasing demand in US markets for bike. Customers value quality parts   External Threats   Harley’s ongoing capacity restraints caused a shortage supply and a loss in domestic market share in recent years.   Harley’s average buying age is 42 years old and increasing.   The European Union’s motorcycles noise standards are more stringent than those of Environmental Protection Agencies in the U. S and increased environmental stand. Some competitors of Harley Davidson have larger financial and marketing resources and they are more diversified.   Environmental protection laws. S customers to the Asian customers they can increase the sales.   PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Younger generation and female are now coming to this segment so expand the motor cycle segments to younger generation and females.   In Europe they can increase or expand the Buell’s market share by introducing new motorcycles.   MARKET DEVELOPMENT   Harley-Davidson can bring in their vehicle to Asian countries like India and China, because these countries have a high population and the market potential is also high. The cost to bring in the old vehicles (old product) to India is so much difficult because there are so much environmental laws are there which won’t allow that type of vehicles to come to India, and its difficult that taxes and levis are high in India so starting new plant in India can solve this problem. Negotiations with the Government can solve these problems. DIVERSIFICATION Bring in new vehicles to new markets like India and china is a good choice, but it’s too costly.   Bringing new types of recreational vehicles is a best choice.   Recommended Long-Term Objectives. Establish Harley-Davidson as a recognized leader in the development and participation of its people, to maximize each employees potential. Grow and maintain demand by providing exceptional product styling, performance, quality, reliability and customer service at prices our customers can afford.   Meet the demand by expanding our existing distribution and manufacturing capacity, and, where necessary, adding new production and retail distribution points.   Improve information services capabilities to enable all stakeholders to easily do business with Harley-Davidson, through the creative integration of information technologies. Drive financial results to the levels achieved by acknowledged high-performing companies.   Recommended Procedure for Strategy Review and Evaluation   Review underlying bases of strategy   Once again prepare all the internal and external analysis.   Compare the already prepared analysis with the one which will be prepared after the new strategy implementation. Measuring organization preferences Analyze all financial ratios current and the future.   If any advantage, then implement the new strategy, otherwise continue with the present one.

The effect of BRIC countries on the Triad

The effect of BRIC countries on the Triad The United States, Japan and the European Union have long been regarded as the leading economic powers in the world. Referred to as à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¹Ã…“The Triadà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢, this group of nations represents the largest economic power bloc in the world. With strong economic controls, they are able to grow their economies in measured steps. This is in stark contrast to the growth of many BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries whose growth is rapid and often uneven in both tempo and regional development (Dhaval 2010). The United Kingdom, traditionally allied with the Triad, has both opportunities and threats from the emerging BRIC nations. These include challenges to existing industries within the United Kingdom itself and also in competition with usual export markets for their goods, prompting GDP growth. However, with the competition also come expanded markets and niches where the United Kingdom may be able to compete to sell goods. The different sectors of the United Kingdom will be affected by the power shift in different ways. The main sectors will have to compete for raw materials in an increasingly competitive market, which will cause prices to rise. However, the services and technology sector, especially in the areas of software development and higher education may well experience a boom, as they are in high demand, require an educated work force and do not rely on primary resources (An Overview of the BRIC Economies 2010). The well educated middle class demographic could do well from such a boom. Overall, however, the BRIC economies represent a rising threat to the stability of the global economy and to international trade. While the Triad have undergone their own trials, with the Global Financial Crisis, Greek bailouts and Japanese à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¹Ã…“Lost Decadeà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢, they have at least managed to some degree. With the possible exception of China, the rest of the BRIC lack sufficient controls over monetary and fiscal policy to correct the problems that might befall them. You may think that it is good to see the BRICs gaining power. It means that as these nations become more prosperous nations they can help to address global problems. Who wouldnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t like it if China, India, and Russia started to clean the oceans and feed the starving nations of Africa? That however is the problem with the emerging BRICs. These countries usually do not find it in their best interest to assist in solving global problems. They prefer not to get involved in things that do not benefit themselves. Many of the BRICs prefer to use old Cold War methods of operating. They find it easier and more profitable to say they are like the United States and care for their citizens in public, and oppress them in private; than to generally make life for the average citizen better. Nations such as China send their citizens to work camps for tweets, and are some of the biggest non regulated polluters in the world (Associated Press 2010). OVERVIEW: The United Kingdom business environment is beginning to change. The current global economic troubles are starting to affect business within the UK business community. There has been a power shift from the established Triad of the United States, European Union, and Japan; to the emerging economies (BRICs) of China, India and several smaller nations. It is hard to say if this power shift is good or bad. Some growth for the BRICs is a good thing. The increase in the economic power of emerging nations will allow them to help their own countries and to increase the trade of global goods. This is beneficial to the world as a whole. However, the current rapid growth they are experiencing today is very dangerous. With the BRICsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ rapid growth and less need for international trade, nations such as the UK can be facing tough times. The business environment in the United Kingdom especially is at a great risk due to the declining powers of the current Triad. The Triad of economic power; that has held the economy in not only the UK but the whole world together since the end of the Cold War, is starting to lose its grip on the world economy. The growth in foreign economic power is leading to increasing strain on global prices on raw materials. This then leads to strain on every business in the UK. Due to this increasing stress and uncertainty in the markets, the UK is rapidly approaching uncertain times. Industries such as airlines and other transportation services are already suffering due to high global oil prices. It is possible to see why there is concern for a loss in trade that can be brought about by the growing BRICs. This is all being compounded by a decrease in growth and a troubling global economy. While the current forecasts for the United Kingdom business economy look bleak, there is still time to turn things around. The governing power of the UK may be able to do something to stabilize the economy, and protect the business infrastructure. But, with the government struggling to sustain the economy with massive bailouts, and economic manipulation; things are not looking good for business in the UK. MAIN REPORT: With emerging economies (BRICs) such as China, India, Brazil and Russia; it may seem like there are new world powers that can assist in the stabilization of the global economy. However that point of view is only for the short-sighted, who neglect to see the economic strain that is placed on the global economy. With the recent bail out of Greece and the massive 85 billion euro bail out of Ireland, the UK is in a tough economic predicament (Davis 2010) (Irish Republic 85bn euro bail-out agreed 2010). This predicament is caused by the unstable and rapid growth of these BRICs. The growth of these emerging economies is not regulated and controlled like the Triads, and this leads to a dangerous and unstable economy. Countries such as China which plans to raise their GDP from 1.54% to 2.5 % by 2020, is one of the most dangerous (Narendra 2010). China as one of the fastest growing economies in the world can be seen as a threat to global stability. With their highly unstable growth, and unregulated economy, it is only matter of time before China starts a ripple effect that will devastate the UK economy (Dixon 2010). With the shifting of power from the US and UK toward China at an alarming rate, China is quickly becoming a massive economic force. With the shift in economic power, nations such as China have far less need to export goods to outside nations and less need to purchase imports from other nations. This is leading to economic troubles in the United States. This in turn, causes economic troubles for the UK. With BRICs increasing their self reliance and lessoning their dependence on foreign nations, the economic strain will drastically increase in the UK in the long run. This can be seen in various goods that have recently seen high prices not seen in decades, such as the price of raw sugar (Plummer 2009). This increase in raw material prices leads to increased prices for processed materials, which causes increases in the cost of living (Verma 2010). [See Figure 1] With the increased cost of living and the economic power shifting to unstable foreign powers, the UK is quickly approaching uncertain economic times. With the increase in price of raw materials, business in the UK is starting to suffer. While it may seem that the worst is over, the UK auto industry is reporting an estimated increase of 160bn euro in the cost of vehicle components by 2020. While the increase in demand for components will increase, it is only a matter of time before China, with its unregulated cheap labour begins to out produce the UK, which will lead to greater economic troubles (Berret, Bernhart 2010). The future of business in the UK looks bleak with the budget balance expected to expand to a dangerous -13% of the GDP. [See Figure 2] This would increase the public debt of the UK to over 70% of the GDP. It would cause the borrowing rates of the UK to rise and make banks less likely to loan to new businesses (UK Economy 2010, Economic Forecast). [See Figure 3] With no new loans, an increase in the cost of raw materials and increases in the cost of living; local businesses will began to suffer greatly which will lead to higher unemployment rates. With the loss of local business, unemployment is expected to climb. Unemployment that is estimated by some to increase to 4 million by 2012. In addition to climbing unemployment and rising costs, growth in the UK is expected to be a mere 2% by 2012. This will cause a domino effect where businesses cannot hire new employees, and out of work citizens cannot afford goods, causing more business to collapse thus leading to greater unemployment (Hopkins 2009) (Inman 2010). [See Figure 4] This shift from power to the BRICs is going to cause troubles with not only the UK economy but the global economy as well. While it may be harsh to say that growing economies on the emerging world is bad, it is a fact. While the rest of the world grows at a rapid and unsustainable rate, the larger nations and the United Kingdom will face tough economic times until the BRICs collapse under their own weight. While it is certain the BRICs will remain dominant for the foreseeable future, it is inevitable that they will become unable to sustain themselves and have to turn by to the Triad for help; one must just hope it is still there (Ionescu, and Oprea). With the loss of business and the increase in unemployment, UK business as a whole will suffer greatly. [See Figure 4] The transportation industry which is already suffering due to high fuel cost and the threat from global terrorism will suffer even greater when they see huge deceases in travelling Europeans. The loss in traffic will not only hurt the transportation industry but the tourism industry as well; which in turn hurts local businesses even more. This chain reaction of a crumbling economy and loss in growth will lead to panic and strife among neighbours that will threaten the European Union as a whole. All of this will happen while nations such as China increase in both economic and military strength. With a powerful nuclear armed China and an increasing Russian economy, it is possible to see a threat of a renewed Cold War. (Pop 2006) This may seem farfetched for a younger population that does not remember the great threat and fear felt throughout the world. It is not the case for an older population that knew all too real the threat of the Soviet Union. One may think this is never going to happen, as this is the modern world. It is always the modern world, and the threat is all too real. Russia, China, and other BRICs are gaining power, and nations such as North Korea are starting to stir up trouble. One just has to look at the fact to see that not just the UK but the whole world is quickly approaching a change. It is a change that for better or worse will be here in our lifetime and in the near future. Whether you are a UK business owner or a possible investor; you can not overlook the changing times, where the Triad is no longer the most dominant economic power. CONCLUSION: The United Kingdom will face many challenges in the future. There is significant risk in relying on the BRIC economies to generate economic growth, as this growth is unplanned and relies on many unpredictable factors. In addition, many businesses in the United Kingdom are already under pressure. It is therefore likely that standards of living are set to fall and unemployment is going to rise. The nations of the BRIC, unlike the nations of the Triad, lack sufficient fiscal control and monetary policy to effectively police their economies. When this is combined with the decline in the Triad, it will spell uncertainty for many of sectors within the United Kingdom. In particular, it will be very difficult for the manufacturing sectors to compete against the low labour costs of the BRIC nations. Additionally, without environmental regulation, a minimum wage or an educated populace, it will make it even harder for manufacturing to survive. This is in addition to rising raw material costs, which will in turn raise living costs. It is unfortunate, but the BRIC economies represent the introduction of even more people into the global market place. The small population and many main market sectors being challenged by their competitors in the BRIC means hard times ahead for the business environment in the United Kingdom. References An Overview of the BRIC Economies. URL: (http://www.selloverseas.co.uk/overview-bric-economies.html [29 Nov 2010]. Associated Press. (2010) Chinese women sent to labour camp for retweeting. 18 November 2010. Available from: [Accessed 28 November 2010]. Berret, M. and Bernhart, W. (2010). Growth in China, but Stagnation in Europe, North America and Japan. Key Topics going forward are electronics and power strain. URL: http://www.rolandberger.com/company/press/releases/Key_topics_Electronics_and_Powertrain.html [28 Nov 2010]. Davis, A. (2010) Rescue of Ireland Dwarf Greeceà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s Bailout on Cost of Shoring up Banks. Bloomberg. 22 November 2010. Available from: . [Accessed 28 November 2010]. Dhaval, S. Brazil BRIC Economic Growth and China Retail Sales Analysis. URL: http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article20220.html [29 Nov 10 2010]. Dixon, J (2010). USA-China-Europe: Tomorrowà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s New Triad? 5 March 2010. Available from: http://www.atlantic-community.org/index/Open_Think_Tank_Article/USA-China-Europe%3A_Tomorrows_New_Triad%3F [Accessed 28 Nov 2010]. Hopkins, K. (2009). Unemployment could Peak at 4m in 2012. The Observer. 10 May 2009. Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/may/10/unemployment-figures-to-peak-2012%20%5B28. [Accessed 27 Nov 2010]. Ionescu, R. Oprea, R. (n.d.) Global Economy and the Triad. Inman, P. (2010). OECD Slashes UK Growth Forecast to 1.7%. The Guardian. 19 November 2010. Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/nov/19/oecd-slashes-uk-growth-forecast%20%5B28 [Accessed 28 Nov 2010]. Irish Republic 85bn euro bail-out agreed. (2010). BBC. 28 November 2010. Available from:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11855990. [Accessed 28 November 2010]. Narendra, C. (2010). China Challenging US, Europe, Japan in RD. 12 November 2010. Available from: 27 November 2010]. Plummer, R. (2009). Sugar Rush for Hyperactive Brits. BBC. 2 September 2009. Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8231287.stm [Accessed 28 Nov 2010]. Pop. A. (2006) Globalization, Regionalization and the EU-Japan-U.S. Triad, Romanian Journal of European Affairs, 6(3). UK Economy 2010, Economic Forecast. URL: http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/united-kingdom/uk-economy-2010-forecast.html [28 Nov2010]. Verma, S. (2010). Rising Food Prices trouble Households. TopNews. 3 November 2010. Available from: http://topnews.us/content/228446-uk-rising-food-prices-trouble-households [Accessed 28 Nov 2010].

Brave New World: The Key to Happiness :: Brave New World

Brave New World: The Key to Happiness The novel, Brave New World is like no other, it predicts a future overpowered by technology where the people have no religion. Has Huxley written about a degrading way of life or has he discovered the key to a perfect world that should be called Utopia? The society presented in the novel is as completely rational as our own and all the precautions that are taken are needed to preserve their lifestyle. However different and horrible as the lives of individuals seem to be, in actuality they are much better than ours are. While many believe that the government controlled word, religion, the strict class system, the restraint of history, culture, the arts and books, and the obsolete need for parents and love are contradictory to Utopia, these aspects of society are actually conducive to Utopia. The first argument that would contradict the fact that Brave New World is a Utopia is the government controlling the world, causing the loss of freedom and liberty of the people. Is it really that bad that one government controls the world? Does the current structure of world government meet the needs of the people? Are millions starving? Do millions more search in vain for work every day? In Utopia, the people don't have to worry about having a job. One must remember that most people on our planet today have very little freedom – the exception being the population of western societies. Freedom is only important if it leads to happiness, and if one already possesses happiness, then there is no need for freedom. Religion plays an important role in people's lives today. Religion embodies societies theoretical principles and values. Religion guides us, gives us something to believe in and a set of rules to live by. However, every society has their own religion and the majority of the people in our world pray to gods with names that we cannot even pronounce. Our current practice of worshipping hundreds of different gods is not conducive to a peaceful society and, in fact, results in hundreds of wars being fought every year on our small planet. The current system must be replaced. Mustapha Mond when referring to the Holy Bible says that "they're old; they're about God hundreds of years ago, not about God now" (Huxley, 237). Mustapha Mond is saying that with the evolution of time the many gods worshiped before have been replaced by the worship of one God, Henry Ford.

The Environmental Disasters of War Essay -- Iraq War Environment Damag

The Environmental Disasters of War The war in Iraq is a battle that will have many aftereffects. The land, air and water will no doubtingly be targeted. It is inevitable that the war will tale no toll on the environment. The use of weapons of mass destruction is one of the causes for the disastrous outcome that may occur from the war. They contain many hazardous chemicals that will target the environment and cause waste products to be contained in the atmosphere. Weapons of mass destruction will also destroy the layout of the environment, as bombings will destroy many of the earth’s natural resources. These events are the two major effects that will stir from the battle for peace in Iraq. It is fairly expected that these problems cannot be avoided with the manner that the war is being executed. Damage to the earth will occur, and the harm will be enormous. One of the most prominent problems that can have major impact on the environment is that Iraq contains many oil wells around the country. These oil wells have the potential to be seized and used as a large scale destruction device. Should the oil wells be destroyed, there will be a massive disaster area, which can span for miles and miles, and still have effect on other countries. The worry is that because there are so many targeted wells, the effects will be on a extremely larger scale than the oil damage that happened to Kuwait in 1991, as it â€Å"left some parts of Kuwait still lifeless more than a decade later† (Keefe, 2003). An oil spill will target the two main rivers in Iraq, the Tigris and Euphrates, and there are fears that â€Å"Saddam will divert oil into the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, rendering them useless†(Vallis, 2003). These rivers are the main source of fresh... ...ks Cited Cevallos Diego. â€Å"Iraq: Environment Would be Another Victim of War.† Tierramerica. Mar. 5, 2003: 4pp. Lexis Nexis. Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA. March 29, 2003. http://web.lexis-nexis.com Keefe, Bob. â€Å"War In The Gulf: Scene in Iraq: The Environment.† Cox Washington Bureau. Mar. 21, 2003: p.9A . Lexis Nexis. Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA. March 29, 2003. http://web.lexis-nexis.com Pianin, Eric. â€Å"Environmental Damages a Concern: Experts Fear Effects of War on Persian Gulf could be Irreversible.† The Washington Post. Mar. 20, 2003: p.A21. Lexis Nexis. Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA. March 29, 2003. http://web.lexis-nexis.com Vallis, Mary. â€Å"Disaster in the Desert.† National Post. Mar. 21, 2003. : p A18. Lexis Nexis. Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA. March 29, 2003. http://web.lexis-nexis.com

Lee Essay -- essays research papers

Robert E. Lee "They say you had to see him to believe that a man so fine could exist. He was handsome. He was clever. He was brave. He was gentle. He was generous and charming, noble and modest, admired and beloved. He had never failed at anything in his upright soldier's life. He was born a winner, this Robert E. Lee. Except for once. In the greatest contest of his life, in a war between the South and the North, Robert E. Lee lost" (Redmond). Through his life, Robert E. Lee would prove to be always noble, always a gentleman, and always capable of overcoming the challenge lying before him. Robert Edward Lee was born on January 19, 1807 (Compton's). He was born into one of Virginia's most respected families. The Lee family had moved to America during the mid 1600's. Some genealogist can trace the Lee's roots back to William the Conqueror. Two members of the Lee family had signed the Declaration of Independence, Richard Lee and Francis Lightfoot. Charles Lee had served as attorney General under the Washington administration while Richard Bland Lee, had become one of Virginia's leading Federalists. Needless to say, the Lees were an American Political dynasty (Nash 242). Lee's father was General Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee. He had been a heroic cavalry leader in the American Revolution. He married his cousin Matilda. They had four children, but Matilda died in 1790. On her death bed she added insult to injury upon Henry Lee by leaving her estate to her children. She feared Henry would squander the family fortune. He was well known for poor investments and schemes that had depleted his own family's fortune (Connelly 5). Henry Lee solved his financial problems by marrying Robert's mother Anne Carter, daughter of one of Virginia's wealthiest men (Nash 242). Henry Lee eventually spent his family into debt. Their stately mansion, Stratford Hall, was turned over to Robert's half brother. Anne Lee moved with her children to a simple brick house in Alexandria. Light Horse Harry was seldom around. Finally, in 1813 he moved to the West Indies. His self-exile became permanent, and he was never seen again by his family (Thomas). Young Robert had other family problems. His mother became very ill. At the age of twelve he had to shoulder the ... ...nd). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Works Citied Brasington, Larry, The American Revolution-an HTML project. Http://odur.let.rug.nl~usa/B/relee/htm, 11/23/97. Brinkley, Alan, American History. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1995. Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia. Computer Software. Compton's NewMedia, Inc,1994. Connelly, Thomas L. The Marble Man. New York: Knopf, 1977. Davis, Jefffers, The Papers.http://www.ruf ..edu/~pjdavis/lee/htm, 11/6/97. Grimsley, Wayne. "The Differences Deepen." Starkville, MS, 11 Nov. 1997. (Class lecture delivered at Mississippi State University.) Kelly, Brian. Best Little Stories From The Civil War. Charlottesville, VA: Montpelier Publishing, 1996. Nash, Roderick, and Graves, Gregory. From These Beginnings. New York: HarperCollins, 1995. National Park Service. Http://www.nps.gov/gwmp/arl_hse.html., 11/6/97. Redmond, Louis. He Lost a War and Won Immortality. Http://www-scf.usc.edu/~herron nva.html, 11/6/97. Thomas, Emory. Robert E. Lee. Http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/LEE.lifle.html, 11/17/97.

Osama bin Laden

Qaeda terror group. Initially the group denied involvement, but then as time went on they admitted to having been behind the attacks. Some of the reasons the listed for the attacks were: Us support of Israel, because of attacks against Muslims in Russia, Somalia, and the Middle East, and against the US troops in Saudi Arabia, and the US sanctions against Iraq. This led to one of the largest manhunts in the world, for AY-Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden.The manhunt lasted for ten years before he was caught and killed. This was an attack that would change the United States forever. It created a reason for the security and anti-terror measures that we have today. It is the reason why planes are so heavily guarded, and why so many counter-terror measures are in effect today. It was the cause of 2996 deaths including the hijackers. The attacks led to FBI operation PENITENT, which is the largest military investigation still to date. It also had an impact far beyond any security or civil ones mentioned.It had a cultural impact the started thousands of hate crimes against Muslims, or perceived Muslims. It started multiple wars, and triggered thousands more deaths. It was a catalytic event. It is and will be remembered in American history. But different people remember this incident with different memories and reactions. I was four at the time. I can remember a big fuss and something happening, but don't remember any actually details of the attack. My dad however, remembers the incident quite clearly. He talked about having no idea that it would be any day different than normal.He was teaching High school at the time at COB. My mother called to tell him to turn on the radio or the TV and see what was happening. They watched for the next few hours until the towers collapsed and all the information was revealed. The attacks on 9-11 were the worst ever in history. All though thousands died and were injured, it also provided something to rally around. It became a cry to come b ack to God and good values and change the nation. It was one of the biggest events even to happen in our age.

Ethnic Background Essay

My name is Stephanie Flowers and until this descriptor assignment I never thoughtfully dole outed what my actual heathenish background was. after(prenominal) looking up the meaning of my brook name I found it to be of Welsh origin. This means that I could hap trace my family roots back to outstanding Britain. After reading chapter one of travel rapidly and Ethnic Relations I spy that being a smash of a certain pagan background does not mean that you bear to be better of that race, just outright you slang to practice the customarys pagan customs dutys of that subculture. So based turned of my name some deal office think that I was English.I grew up with a few household usances that I consider to be a part of my ethnic background. To begin with, I would consider my family to practice Irish traditions. We al federal agencys waste huge St. Patricks Day c e truly(prenominal)er at my house that turns into an all-day drinking and have celebration. I might not agni se all the reasons behind this celebration and what I consider a part of my family tradition, but it is silent a part of my ethnic background in my opinion. Drinking is a big part of being Irish and in my family most celebrations do hear up some type of intoxicant.In Irish culture it is normal to introduce alcohol to children before the actual drinking age, I think this is good because we grow up with this around us and never output consumption of alcohol to extremes because it such a part of everyday life. I am would also consider myself to be of German ethnicity. My family has a good luck tradition for New Years. We eat porc jest at and sauerkraut in hopes that the next year allow for be filled with lots of bliss and joy. I personally love this tradition and get upset when I sometimes only get to eat this repast once a year.It is one of my light up five meals to eat that my grandma cooks. macrocosm from the United States of America I do think that I have picked up so ma ny different traditions from all of the friends that I have had throughout my life. This is why I love living in this country I get to visit so many different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. My boyfriend is of the Catholic religion, his family keep an eye ons this culture by attending mass for Christmas, Easter, and whenever they feel the necessity strengthen their relationship with god.This is the way that they main(prenominal)tain their ethnic background. They are a common group of people who believe the cerebration that they all share the share cultural heritage. This stems from his Irish background where Catholicism is the main religion practiced in that country. So to me this is the way to stay in relate with being from Ireland even though they now live in America. My cousin Rachael is fractional Mexican. Her ma was an immigrant and came to this country to start a better life. I love get to go to their house in Texas her mom makes the best Mexican dishes.What I have n oticed from her Mexican culture and ethnicity is that fare is a way of bringing the family together, it is a time of bonding in their household. I believe that by cooking conventional Mexican food it keeps her in march with her roots and makes her feel better affiliated to her homeland. After doing this assignment I am very interested in doing to a greater extent(prenominal) research on my family roots and discovering more about who and where I came from. Like it says on the Ancestry. com commercial, you dont have to whop what youre looking for you just have to start looking. So thats what I am going to start doing. Also, I would like to conduct interviews with the elderly people in my family and possibility start fill up out my family tree, which would be an easy way to connect the dots of my family history. I will still continue to maintain my Irish and German background by drinking on St. Patricks Day and eating pork roast and sauerkraut. I am very proud to be an American and I wish I didnt take all of the rights that I have in this country for granite.