Gender,Sexuality and Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gender,Sexuality and Diversity - Essay Example This paper shall critically discuss the post-feminist argument that in Western societies, women are empowered to choose whether or not to engage in beauty practices. A discussion on the various manifestations of women empowerment will be included in this paper. Body Western societies are now seemingly perceived to be post-feminist, which may mean that structural elements negatively affecting women have already been managed and that any lingering differences between men and women are being attributed to the manifestations of individual choices (Jeffreys, 2005). Writers acknowledge that choice has become the battle cry of the post-feminist era; under these conditions, as long as the actions of women are based on their own choices, there is no need for further assessment of their actions and choices (Braun, 2009). Beauty practices are very much related to such post-feminist ideas and arguments. Even if the use of beauty products have been subjected to feminist critique, practices like p utting on lipstick or shaving one’s legs do not any more represent issues for feminists (Stuart and Donahue, 2012). Third-wave feminists express that women’s power to choose the engagement in these beauty practices is a welcome element of feminism (Baumgardner and Richards, 2000). However, even with much support attributed to various choices, and even with the entry of women into areas in society where they were not previously included, women’s bodies are still made part of high surveillance and discipline (Jeffreys, 2005). The chances given to women to increase their achievements which were not available to them before has not been coordinated with the power to do away with the oppressive elements and practices of femininity. Scholars argue that the discarding of traditional female roles in the workplace has been matched with a greater focus on feminine bodies (Gill, 2007). Gill (2007) points out that femininity for the current western culture has followed the suggested trajectory laid out by Bartky (1990), Bordo (1993), and Wolf (1990) where social applications relating to femininity are not anymore directed towards the manifestation of traditional gender roles, but are leaning more towards practices which strongly highlight the management and beautification of women’s bodies. Postfeminist marks of liberation via empowerment and choices are placed within the context of harsh beauty requirements and images which Western women are compared to and judged against (Gill, 2006). In effect, with all the apparent choices, the contemporary western culture puts a very harsh and intense evaluation of women’s bodies. Contextualizing femininity within the post-feminist conditions is a major focus of contemporary feminist work (Evans, et.al., 2010). Feminine beauty practices were a clear focus for the second-wave feminism with a more critical assessment made on the means by which such practices have impacted on the reification of the dis parities between men and women, as well as the objectification of women (Bartky, 1990). By the end of the 1980s, as feminism secured more success in the liberation of women, the negative reaction against the second wave feminism caused new restrictions on women’s liberties (Jeffreys, 2005). The conditional message has been suggested relating to women gaining a more liberated status, for as long as such status is not made at the cost of their femininity. Such message is seen in

Influence of Tv Violence to the Behavior Essay Example for Free

Influence of Tv Violence to the Behavior Essay Thus, the influence of TV violence to the children particularly in the Cebu can cause negative changes in their behavior. An experiment shows that children when exposed to televised violence, exhibited the aggressive behavior they have observed – hitting, kicking and using hostile language. Prior to that time, the prevailing theory was that televised violence drained aggressive impulses. This is also the reason why television has become a growing source of parental anxiety where parents worry about the amount and kinds of program their children watch. This study aims to talk about TV violence and its effects on the behavior of the children and the ways to handle it. In order to achieve this goal, this paper is organized into three sections. The first section helps us know about the children’s understanding of television. The second section discusses the influence and effects of TV violence to the behavior of Filipino children which is the main concern of this study. And the third section offers suggestions in handling and regulating TV violence. Chapter II Presentation of Data Children’s Understanding of TV According to research, before age seven, children have difficulty integrating separate scenes into a continuous story line. Instead, they treat each scene as an isolated incident and are unable to relate a TV characters behavior to its prior motives and eventual consequences. Thus, young children cannot see the connection between violence and its consequences if the perpetrator of violence gets to be punished only at the end of the program. Studies show that young children recall little information that is central to the plot of a story. Their difficulty ranges from their inability to differentiate what is essential to the plot and what is nonessential. Character actions, especially those showing physical actions and confrontations, are remembered better than scenes offering explanations for their actions. Children find it hard to recall scenes recounting inner feelings that explain previous events. Young children also have a hard time distinguishing make-believe from reality. A five-year-old child wondered why an actor who died in one TV program came back to life in another show; and if Superman can fly, why cant he (the child) even if he wears a Superman cape. Children observe that cartoon characters manage to recover from severe violent acts almost immediately. This kind of exposure could lead them to interpret that in real life, people who are victims of violent acts do not really get hurt at all. A conversation between an author and a six-year-old clearly illustrates the kind of message a child gets from a cartoon program: Why is GI Joe your favorite show? Because it has a lot of fighting. Who would you like to be like when you grow up? I want to be like Rambo because he has a big gun. What happens to the bad guys you shoot? They die. And what happens to you? Nothing. Young children who watch a lot of television tend to believe that it is all right to hit someone if one is angry and have a good reason. (Source: http://www. childprotection. org. ph) Influence and Effects of TV Violence Upon meeting Snow White at Disneyland, a preschooler said to her, Youre not Snow White, you know. Why do you say that? asked Snow White. Well, th e child replied, if you were real, youd be a cartoon. And this is how powerful the media is in shaping childrens images of reality. (http://www. stanford. edu/dept/bingschool/research_dsl_1999bandura. html) The Influence of TV Violence to Children’s Behavior; 4 Child psychologists point out that it is a misconception to consider cartoons as harmless just because they are funny. The theme of cartoons such as Popeye is that any problem can be solved by brute force which one acquires by eating spinach. In being funny and fast paced, cartoons may tend to reduce a childs perception of danger, pain, and suffering. TV violence can produce at least four effects. First, it teaches aggressive styles of conduct. Second, it weakens restraints against aggression by glamorizing violence. When good triumphs over evil violently, viewers are even more strongly influenced. Third, it habituates and desensitizes reactions to cruelty. And finally, it shapes our images of reality; for example, only 10% of major crimes in society are violent, but on TV, 77% of major crimes are violent, which has the effect of making people more fearful of becoming crime victims. Psychologist have speculated that watching televised violence might be emotionally arousing, making it more likely that viewers will react violently to frustrations in the environment. Televised violence might also provide models that viewers imitate, particularly if the violence is carried out by attractive, powerful models (Bernstein, et al, 284). The Social Learning Theory considers that people learn from one another, including such concepts as observational learning, imitation, and modeling. The ten-year old boy, Sergio Pelico who died after watching Saddam’s execution in TV must have imitated it. (Lucas, et al, 103) This theory together with other theories was used to explain a great many social problems such as crime, suicide, divorce and alcoholism. Furthermore, there are some people who could easily be influenced by propaganda and they would through themselves into new mass organizations in an effort to find some sense of belongingness. Stark, 21) The mass media especially the television, also contributes heavily to adolescent nonconformity in three ways. First, they stereotype all adolescents whose grooming and clothing do not reflect approved adult standards as nonconformists and attribute the behavior characteristic of nonconformity to them. If society labels its adolescents as â€Å"teen-agers† and expe cts them to be rebellious, unpredictable, sloppy, and wild in their behavior, and if the picture is repeatedly reinforced by the mass media such cultural expectations may very well force adolescents into the role of rebel. The mass media contribute to adolescent nonconformity by making real life appear unsatisfying and dull. (Hurlock, 124) A survey was conducted concerning the influence and effects of TV violence to the behavior of the children in Cebu City. The survey aims to know how children are linked to television and how it affects them and their parents. The results of the survey are shown on the next pages. . Survey results The percentage of the parents’ answers based on the following questions: Question # 1: Does your child love to watch suspense movies that involve killing? Question # 2: Does your child watch television for more than 8 hours? The Influence of TV Violence to Children’s Behavior; 7 Question # 3: Are you worried about the kinds of television program that they watch? Question #4: Have you noticed any negative changes in your child’s behavior after watching television? The Influence of TV Violence to Children’s Behavior; 8 Question #5: Does your child spend more time watching television than other necessary things like studying? Question # 6: Do they pay more attention to the television than to you? The Influence of TV Violence to Children’s Behavior; 9 The survey shows that most children pay more attention to the television than to their parents. A mother even commented, â€Å"Maayo pa sauna nga wala pay TV kay ang mga bata buotan† (It was better before the television came because children are still kind and obedient). Most children that are 8-12 years old spend more time in front the TV than doing other necessary things like studying. And what’s the bad thing is that if children are used to watching television, they will be exposed to violence that might influence their behavior. Although not all children are watching television for more than 8 hours, the effects of television are still prone to children. Some parents even admitted that they have observed some negative changes in their child’s behavior after watching a television show that has some bad scenes in it since children tend to imitate the things they have seen from the show without knowing that it might be wrong. Several scholars have pointed out that as media content has increased in violence in the past few decades, violent crimes among youth have declined rapidly. Although most scholars caution that this decline cannot be attributed to a causal effect, they conclude that this observation argues against causal harmful effects for media violence. Regulating TV Violence Parents worry about the kinds of television programs that their children watch. The urgency and seriousness of this issue on media violence has reached global proportions. A worldwide concern has prompted parents, educators, advocacy groups, and mental health professionals to launch protest activities and public discussions on how children can be protected against harmful media influences. Influence of TV Violence to Children’s Behavior; 10 A number of bills were filed to mitigate the negative effects of televised violence. House Bill 19183 proposes a ratings system for TV programs. House Bill 10183 provides that cartoons featuring violence and unethical conduct should be aired only during times when young children are not usually watching. The Kapisanan ng Mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas has its code and internal guidelines. Relevant sections pertaining to responsibility towards children are: Childrens programs shall not present violence, whether physical or psychological, as a means to resolve conflicts and problems. Childrens programs shall not emphasize perverted sex and undue violence. Penalties have been stipulated for violations of these rules. These include fines ranging from P5, 000 to P15, 000, suspension of KBP privileges, expulsion from KBP membership, to recommendation to the National Telecommunications Commission for suspension of station lease for the fourth offense. Consequently, The Department of Education are monitoring television channels through a project aimed at reducing violent content that might be watched by children. The campaign involves TV shows between 6 a. m. and 10 a. m. , which the DepEd claims to be the period where more children watch TV. Their goal is to have stations comply by reducing violent or vulgar shows by as much as 20 percent. The campaign also encourages parents and concerned citizens to send reports or file complaints to NCCT regarding TV shows that may be harmful for children. Influence of TV Violence to Children’s Behavior; 11 Television is not merely bad since it is used as a means of communication and as a means of educating but what makes it wrong is the way people abuse its use and the way some of them used television to expose violent actions without even thinking how it could affect the viewers. The effects of TV violence are no doubt harmful especially to children. These may cause negative changes in their behavior one of which is being aggressive. That is why children should be guided by their parents or guardians so that will not be influenced by the words they hear and the things they see. When viewing together, they can discuss how the conflict could have been solved without the violence. They should explain to the child how violence in entertainment is faked and not real. Such interventions, whether at the personal or family level can moderate the impact of violent scenes on children. Adult explanation improves childrens understanding of plots, characters, and events. Co-viewing with children can provide occasions for parents to discuss values, beliefs, and moral issues. Parents should also set clear guidelines on the time and length of television viewing. Perhaps the most effective approach in dealing with this problem of television violence should be systemic and multilevelchanges must take place at the home, school, and industry levels. Though researches have all pointed to the association between televised violence and aggression in children, what a child learns from television may be a product of the broader relationship among medium, child, and parent Thus, active, responsible parental involvement in the childs television viewing does make a great difference. Influence of TV Violence to Children’s Behavior; 12 Chapter III Conclusion Television has become a potent agency of socialization because like the family, school, and peers, it directly provides the child with experiences which shape their attitudes and influence their behaviors. Children that are exposed to TV violence can experience negative changes in their behavior. First, it can teach aggressive styles of conduct. Second, it weakens restraints against aggression by glamorizing violence. Third, it habituates and desensitizes reactions to cruelty. And finally, it shapes our images of reality. In order to handle this, a number of bills were filed to mitigate the negative effects of televised violence. Parents can also encourage their children to find pleasure in other mass media, such as books and newspapers. Perhaps the most appropriate solution in dealing with this must take place at home, school and industry. Thus, active, responsible parental guidance is very necessary. The power to initiate change for the prevention of the harmful effects of TV violence should come from the market not a market that passively laps up unhealthy and disturbing programs that assault young, sensitive minds, but a market that is critical, enlightened, and imbued with a strong resolve to protect childrens well-being and right to wholesome entertainment. Influence of TV Violence to Children’s Behavior; 13 Chapter 1V Bibliography Books Lucas, Maria Rita and Corpuz, Brenda. Facilitating Learning: A Metacognitive Process. Quezon City: Lorimar Publishing, Inc. , 2007. Stark, Rodney.

Seminole Indians :: essays papers

Seminole Indians Effects on European Settlers and The United States. Timeline of Seminole History 1528-Spain lands in Florida for first time (Cabeza de Vaca), 1817-First Seminole War. 1819-Spain cedes Florida to the United States. 1832-Second Seminole War begins. 1835-Osceola is captured by Andrew Jackson. 1838-Osceola dies in Federal Prison. 1842-Second Seminole War ends. 1845-Third Seminole War. 1907-Oklahoma Enters the union with most of the residents from the southeast part of The United States. In June of 1528 Cabeza de Vaca and the Spanish came to what is now known as Florida for the first of many trips. They came capturing the women and children along with one governor of the Seminole Tribe. The Seminole asked for their tribe member’s back. Spain gave them the women and children but not the governor. Spain responded by attacking and chasing the Indians across the swamps killing only one Indian. The Spanish attacked once again and only killed one Indian again. The Spanish fled to their boats escaping Florida. The Seminole had mounted their first of many defenses against European Settlers that would wreak havoc on The United States of America in the 19th century. Who are these light skinned people who come tour land They arrest our chief and take away our women and children We ask for our people back, and they gave us our women and children, but not our chief Then they attack us, not defeating us; they flee in terror, killing one man They say our land and our people are poor They attacked us once more but our strong warriors held up They fled to their ships and departed These light skinned men were foolish to try to push us around on our land They killed two of our tribe members and a Spanish commander in battle This poem was called Foolish White People and was inspired by Alvarez Nunez Cabeza de Vaca from Relation of Alvarez Nunez Cabeza de Vaca. Seminole is a word that means "wild" or "those who camp at distances." It is equal to the American word "frontiersman." The Seminole were a tribe that broke off from the Creek civilization of Georgia. The Seminole were from the southeast region of the United States. The tribe lived in houses called chickees (see drawing one) When white people came to colonize, as time went on, they referred to the Seminole tribe as part of the "Five Civilized Tribes." The other four tribes were the Choctaws, the Chickasaws, the Creek, and the Cherokee.

Book Report for Maniac Magee

Zachary Roderiques Book Report on Maniac Magee Which of Maniac’s activities do you think are impossible? Why? Which do you think are possible but not probable? I don’t think any of Maniac’s activities are impossible because he is capable of learning how to do every single one of them. I think the one activity that may be possible but not probable is the tying of Cobble’s Corners knot, because over many decades no one else could ever accomplish this feat. Would you like a friend like Maniac? Why or why not? No, I would not like a friend like Maniac because he would be better than me at everything and I don’t think I would feel like I was good at anything if I hung around him. Another reason is because all of the friends he had in the story were only his friends for a short amount of time. He always seemed to leave his friends behind and I would not like it if left me behind. Do you think maniac is a good nickname for Jeffery? Why or why not? Would you like that nickname? Why or why not? I think Maniac is a good nickname for Jeffery because he can do almost anything and everything he does cannot be done by others. I would not like that nickname because I would not want to be known for doing everything like a maniac. I also think that everyone thinks a maniac is a crazy person, so I would not want people thinking I was crazy! In which of Maniac’s homes would you most like to live? Why? Least? Why? n what ways can people be considered to be members of a minority group? People can be considered members of a minority based on the colorof their skin, their ethnic background, the religion they practice, their income, their gender, how old or young they are, if they are handicapped, their marriage status, their education level, and their sexual preference.

Explain How to Manage Disagreements with Children, Young People and Adults Essay

Very often in my life I have found myself in the middle of the conflict. We have to be very wise, diplomatic and try to help to solve the problem if somebody asks us to. Many times people know how to sort it out or what must be done to solve the problem but they are too emotionally involved and at that moment and they simply are not able to do anything. If such a situation happened it is good to listen and give them time to calm down. It can take just few minutes or longer period of time. Important thing is to keep patient; this may be hard to do but it is important to keep a cool head. At times I am required to mediate discussions over a period of time until both parties feel that the issue has been resolved to their satisfaction. Might be conflicts at work, between husband and wife, among friends, among children at school or at home. 1. Firstly when we want to manage disagreements the skill of listening to both sides of the conflict and assessing the whole situation is required before making any decisions. I Also checking their non-verbal communication and make sure I am aware of what caused the conflict in reality. Working with Roma children I found out that sometimes they bring their conflicts from previous disagreement. Verbal conflicts are easier to manage than physical disagreements. 2. Secondly I must be completely sure that both sides want and are ready to resolve the conflict. If the children stay angry or refuse to communicate helping them to negotiate will be impossible to do. Few days ago one Roma boy was hit by another friend. They kept saying different stories what happened to them as they were looking at this problem from their own point of view. Other children witnessed the incident and helped by explaining what happened. Sometimes I ask both sides separately as this gives more of a clearer picture and I make sure they are honest. 3. Next important issue during the whole process of helping to manage disagreements is that I will act as a helper for resolving the issue but allow them to have some responsibility in sorting the problem out. They must do it by themselves. I can lead the discussion or help them to find resolution this will encourage them to sort differences and enable them to feel proud. We have to know the personalities of children or adults involved. Otherwise, not knowing the weakest points can cause barriers and this will result in the problem not being solved. 4. Another very important point is win/win resolutions. This means that both parties will gain once the disagreement has been resolved. Once I feel that I have identified the real issue, I will point it out to them and ask them if they agree. This will end the disagreement and will also dismiss any future problems that may occur. When any disagreement happens be creative solving it. Try to think of as many different solutions to the problem as you can. The mediator and the parties involved should try to think through the conflict before any meetings, and then again when you get together and begin your discussion. Allow your discussion to flow in as many different directions as they can, as long as emotions don’t get too heated, in order to resolve the conflict effectively. The most important thing is to take other peoples feeling into consideration.

Cigarette Should Be Banned Essay Example

Cigarette Should Be Banned Essay Example Cigarette Should Be Banned Essay Cigarette Should Be Banned Essay Cigarettes Should be Banned Smoking cigarettes has been a worldwide habit for a long time. According to the World Health Organization report, about 2 billion people smoke all over the world, 48% men and 12% women and even a number of child smokers. Everyone knows the harm of cigarettes and many countries have published smoking bans. The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan was the first one to forbid tobacco sales (BBC News). I strongly approve of the cigarette ban because cigarette is bad for people’s health and the litter will cause environmental pollution. I do not smoke, so I have no idea how exactly people feel when they smoke. Some people smoke to keep their weight, others need cigarettes to focus on something, and some believe smoking is pleasant and refreshing. There is a funny saying that Chinese heavy smokers always say, â€Å" smoking after dinner is more than living god. † No matter the reason that people like smoking, they should not ignore the disadvantages of cigarettes. My grandfather died from lung cancer in 2008. He had smoked more than fifty years. I would not say that he died because of smoking, but we cannot deny that lung cancer is indeed a tobacco-related disease. Smoking speeds up the process of aging and each cigarette smoked costs smokers six minutes of their life (HubPages). Every year, tobacco kills almost six million people, which includes five million users and ex users and even more that 600,000 nonsmokers affected by second-hand smoke. â€Å"Approximately one person dies every six seconds due to tobacco and this accounts for one in 10 adult deaths,† According to the World Health Organization (Tobacco, Media centre). Beside lung cancer, many other diseases caused by smoking such as blockage of the arteries, which causes strokes, heart attacks and impotence (Health Canada), high blood pressure and chronic bronchitis. Cigarettes contain nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide. Nicotine is highly addictive, and if people stop smoking temporarily then that person will become lethargic. According to research, nicotine from one cigarette can kill a mouse. To nonsmokers, even though they do not touch any cigarettes they might get some diseases as well. For instance, a father smokes a lot, a mother does not smoke, and their baby may have congenital malformation or even worse: die young. You cannot blame anyone but the cigarettes. Some families come apart because of smoking. Sometimes, teenagers learn to smoke because they see some adults doing it, or someone passes the cigarettes to them. Thus, cigarette smoke not only causes diseases, but also misguides young generations. No matter the smokers or nonsmokers, as long as they got diseases resulted from cigarette use, they would pay the medical fee to cure their diseases. So, another bad effect is spending unnecessary money for curing diseases result from cigarette smoke. Everyone cares about his or her healthy problems caused by cigarettes. But is there anyone concerned about the continuing pollution of the environment? Cigarettes do have a big effect on that pollution. Air pollution is one of the most important topics that people pay attention to. No matter the cigarette smoke or second hand smoke, they all belong to indoor air pollution. Tobacco Control once reported, cigarette smoke emits 10 times more air pollution than any diesel car exhaust. In addition, when cigarettes burn, they release nicotine, carbon monoxide, particulates and 4,000 different types of chemicals, which are bad for people’s health into the air. Also, the cigarette butts thrown on the ground or on the beaches can release the harmful chemicals into the air and water. Besides air and water pollution, deforestation happened in order to increase farmland for tobacco growth and cure tobacco plants. â€Å"An estimated 200,000 hectares of forests and woodlands are cut down each year because of tobacco farming,† According to Bellagio statement in June 1995 (Environmental issues). There is even more deforestation today than before. Tobacco plants leech nutrients from the soil also causing environmental deterioration just like fertilizers and pesticides pollute the environment. The tobacco factories produce a huge amount of waste almost everyday as well. The global tobacco industry produced about 2. 3 billion kilograms of waste and 209 million kilograms of chemical waste in 1995 (Environmental issues). Numbers do not lie and these numbers do not even include the immense amount of litter resulting from non-biodegradable cigarette butts. Cigarette butts indeed are a curse. People throw cigarette butts anywhere including some places that have inflammable material such as forests. Cigarette butts cause about 100,000 U. S. and 1 million global fires per year. And cigarette fire causes an estimated 30% of U. S. death because of fire and 10% of global death burdens by fire (Davis). In 1987, the Greater Khingan Range in China, which is a huge forest, burned by fires for 28 days. Since that day, people in China finally noticed that the power of fires. Fewer and fewer people throw cigarette butts into forests any more. But there are still some who do not remember the lessons and litter cigarette butts in hotels, schools and theatres. Almost every year has news reported about fires caused from cigarette butts in public places. Also, cigarette butts affect society’s appearance, and there is not anyone who likes to live around cigarette butts. In addition, the cigarette industry spends billions each year on advertising and promotion. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are $9. 94 billion total spent in 2008 and $27 million spent a day in 2008 (Smoking and Tobacco Use). Tobacco use cost the United States billions of dollars each year, of what cigarette smoking costs above $193 billion and secondhand smoke costs more that $10 billion (Smoking Statistics). Besides that, every state in America spent a lot of money on tobacco control. Every cloud has a silver lining. Federal cigarette tax increases will raise additional revenue of government and strengthen development of economy. As long as economy develops, it will push tobacco marketing forward. As the economy grows, agriculture will expand, and help increase employment opportunities. Nowadays, more and more people want to quit smoking. Among adult smokers, approximately 69% of smokers want to quit completely and about 52% of smokers attempted to quit in 2010 (Morbidity and Mortality). People become politically awakened little by little, and this is a good start to help government ban cigarettes. People should begin from every aspect of their daily life. For example, stop passing cigarette to another people; stop smoking at home or in front of children, and find something else to divert attention on cigarettes. Health is the most important in our life. Do not let cigarettes/tobacco ruins our beautiful life. Bhutan Forbids All Tobacco Sales. BBC News. BBC, 17 Dec. 2004. Web. 12 Sept. 2012. http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/south_asia/4012639. stm. 30 Tips For Younger Looking Skin (Part 2). HubPages. N. p. , n. d. Web. 12 Sept. 2012. http://ingenira. hubpages. com/hub/30-Tips-on-How-to-Have-a-Younger-Looking-Skin-2. Tobacco. WHO. N. p. , May 2012. Web. 12 Sept. 2012. who. int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs339/en/index. html. Impotence and Smoking. Health Canada. N. p. , 16 Feb. 2009. Web. 12 Sept. 012. hc-sc. gc. ca/hc-ps/tobac-tabac/body-corps/disease-maladie/infertilit-eng. php. Environmental Issues. WHO. Bellagio, June 1995. Web. 12 Sept. 2012. who. int/tobacco/research/economics/rationale/environment/en/index. html. Davis. Fire Injuries, Disasters, and Costs from Cigarettes and Cigarette Lights: A Global Overview. National Center for Biotechnology Information. U. S. National Library of Medicine, 31 Aug. 2000. Web. 12 Sept. 2012. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmed/10938207. Morbidity and Mortality. Centers for Disease Control and

Analysis of essays

Analysis of essays Maya Angelou has been one of the most ground-braking poets in American history. Being a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, Dr. Angelou continues to travel the world making appearances, spreading her legendary wisdom. She captures her audiences lyrically with vigor, fire and perception, and is recognized as one of the great voices of contemporary literature as well as an extraordinary Renaissance woman. Ms. Angelou travels the world spreading her legendary wisdom, captivating her audiences lyrically with strength, fire, and understanding. Through her books of poetry and her autobiographies, she has the unique ability to shatter the concealed prisms of race and class. Highly regarded by presidents and cherished by scholars, Maya Angelou's life is a collection of great achievements as well as personal tragedy. Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928 in Saint Louis, Missouri. She was born with the name Marguerite Johnson. The daughter of Bailey and Vivian Baxter Johnson, Ms. Angelou acquired the name Maya from her beloved brother Bailey Jr., who preferred "Maya" to "my sister". When Maya was about three years old their parents divorced and the children were sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. Maya claims that her grandmother, whom she called "Momma, had a deep-brooding love that hung over everything she touched." Growing up in Stamps, Maya learned what it was like to be a black girl in a world where boundaries were set for her by whites. As a child she always dreamed of waking to find her nappy black hair changed to long blonde hair because she felt life was better for white girls than for blacks. Despite the odds, her grandmother instilled pride in young Marguerite, with religion as an important element in their home. After five years of being apart from their mother, Marguerite and her brother, Bailey, were sent back to ...

Its Not The Ox-Bow Incidence

Its Not The Ox-Bow Incidence Its Not The Ox-Bow Incidence Its Not The Ox-Bow Incidence By Maeve Maddox Have you ever heard someone say: Ive experienced a couple of incidences like that now. The word wanted there is incidents, not incidences. Incidence is one of those words, like disinterested and percentile, that tends to crop up where it doesnt belong. Both incident and incidence derive from a medieval Latin word with the sense of to fall into, to fall upon, or happen to. Look up both words in the OED and you will find numerous meanings. All that need concern us here is the most common use of each word in modern English. The title of the movie, by the way, is The Ox-Bow Incident. As a noun incident means an occurrence or an event. It can be something trivial. That reminds me of an incident that occurred while I was walking the dog. Foreign travelers are warned against behavior that might provoke an incident. Here the meaning is an event that could lead to political difficulties between two governments. Incidence has a mathematical meaning. In geometry it means The situation of one locus with respect to another when they have a common point or points, but do not completely coincide; e.g. of a point to a line on which it lies, of a point or a line to a plane in which it lies, or of two intersecting lines to each other. Its a term used by airplane pilots: The pilot is able to increase or decrease the lift by altering the angle of incidence. Ibid., As the angle of incidence increases, the lift also increases and the aircraft is able to climb, but if the tilt is made too large the flow on the upper surface separates and eddies are formed. The most usual non-specialized meaning is Manner of falling upon or affecting in any way; the range or scope of a thing, the extent of its influence or effects. We can speak of the incidence of poverty in depressed areas of the country, or the incidence of disease in a given population. Best advice: Dont say incidence if all you mean is event, happening, or occurrence. Thats an incident. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Examples of Passive Voice (And How To Fix Them)How to Punctuate Descriptions of ColorsCaptain vs. Master

US Government and Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

US Government and Terrorism - Essay Example It is important to think how the three branches of our Federal Government can help us evaluating our capacity to fight against terrorism either. This paper will also analyze the US scope of collaborating with Russia in this regard and what if such mutual understanding is not possible. The 3 branches of the government, Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary play an important role in evaluating the capacity of the country to fight against international terrorism. Representatives from each of the states constitute the two houses of the legislative, and hence they can collectively make laws for protecting public interests. The President is elected by the entire country and being the head of the Executive branch makes laws official. The Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995 and the shocking attack on the World Trade Centre in New York on September 11, 2001 were extremely disastrous and the most remarkable among all terrorist attacks happened in the US till date. Soon after the September 11 attack the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 was signed by the President with a title of Uniting and strengthening America by providing appropriate tools required intercepting and obstructing Terrorism. The PATRIOT Act had made certain changes to the US laws. Arguably, the powers granted by the law were effectively utilized by the agents that there has not been any severe terrorist attack since the PATRIOT Act came into force. However, in the ever changing scenario, laws enacted once may not be sufficient to address the issue. For instance, many a time the threat is in new forms and the vagueness blurs the strategy as well. It is the responsibility of the legislature to review the effectiveness of the measures taken so far to curb the issue. The war against terrorism has already been proved ineffective. There should be more comprehensive measures to address the issue. It is possible only if the threat is defined on the grounds of most recent developments and events. Legislature has to anal yze the effectiveness of the nation’s collaborative efforts on intelligence, law enforcement, military, financial, and diplomatic channels with other nations in addressing terrorism. Russia supported the US during their war in Afghanistan against terrorism but was disappointed of the US foreign policy after 9/11. Russia’s coalition against US in Iraq war created problems between the two countries. The disputes were due to the gap in understanding what the International terrorism is and also the partnership between Russia and US was not based upon the coordination of interests or approaches (Sursolve, n. p.). Measures must be taken to improve the understanding between the two nations in terms of growing terror threat. Strong alliance between these two powerful nations can suppress terrorism to a great extent. The fight against terrorism should be a positive agenda of Russia-US relations in upcoming years regardless of all disputes. Since the fight against terrorism is h igh on NATO’s policies, US allies and the German government together invoked Article 5 of the Charter which says an attack on any member shall be considered to be an attack on all, and NATO greatly supported US during the September 11 attack. Germany considers the Islamic terrorism as their primary threat and therefore they had responded to the 9/11 event by offering military and other assistances and also has supported and contributed to US in many ways in fighting against international

Determinants of Plasma Retinol and Beta-Carotene Levels Statistics Project

Determinants of Plasma Retinol and Beta-Carotene Levels - Statistics Project Example The statistical analysis demonstrated that for this showed that sex was significant at the .000 level. Additionally, the research should that the strength of the connection was .045. Regarding the first hypotheses, the research showed conclusively that the null hypothesis could be rejected. As such, the research hypothesis -- Sex would not have the same impact on the occurrence of Plasma Retinol (ng/ml) levels as it does on Plasma beta-carotene (ng/ml) levels – was accepted. Regarding the second hypothesis, the research showed that the null hypothesis could not be rejected and that research hypothesis that a correlation exists between the occurrence of Plasma Retinol (ng/ml) and Plasma beta-carotene (ng/ml) in the body could be rejected. The first test that was carried out was a regression analysis. This regression analysis examined the correlation between sex and plasma Retinol (ng/ml) levels. As noted, this test demonstrated that there was a significant correlation between the two variables. The second test that was carried out was also a regression analysis. This test instead examined the connection between sex and plasma beta-carotene (ng/ml) in the body. This test demonstrated that there was not a significant connection between the variables. Finally, the third test that was carried out was an independent samples t-test. This test examined whether or not a correlation existed between plasma retinol (ng/ml) levels and Plasma beta-carotene (ng/ml). This research showed that a connection did not exist between these two

A Practical Approach to Overcoming the Omnivore Essay

A Practical Approach to Overcoming the Omnivore - Essay Example The result is that Americans have many choices of processed foods, but they are mostly based on the same crop (corn) resulting in the "omnivores dilemma". But what are the alternatives to a diet of mass-produced food? Does not have to become a hunter or gatherer to resolve the omnivore’s dilemma? With conscious choices and determination to find the origins of one’s food, one can overcome the omnivore’s dilemma and eat a balanced diet. The thesis that Pollan has posed in his book is "we eat by the grace of nature, not industry, and what were eating is never anything more or less than the body of the world" (Pollan 411). It means that we eat because we need to exist as part of nature, and whatever we eat comes from nature. However, if that had been the case, America would not have been faced with the omnivore’s dilemma. Burgers, soda and ice cream are all mass produced in America. It is difficult to distinguish the natural sources of these foods. Pollan describes an American meal as "the myriad streams of commodity corn, after being variously processed and turned into meat, converge... at KFC or Pizza Hut or Applebees" (Pollan 109). To meet this challenge, Pollan has decided to investigate a meal he has prepared for a group of people and discovered that it is not just industrialization that is on trial. The food producing chain of various farms and industries, to the supermarkets that sell them and the media that airs so-called intelligent nutritional wisdom, all influence the way Americans perceive food. Pollan is of the view that the average American largely depends on fast food for meals and does not care where that food comes from. People eat Subway’s salads because the company markets them as healthy. People eat McDonald’s meals because they are convenient. But what guarantees do people have that the ingredients of these meals come from ethical, healthy or

Lateral violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Lateral violence - Essay Example Many theories have been put forward to explain the phenomena in nursing but low self-esteem plays a major role in perpetrating lateral violence. This paper discusses lateral violence in nursing. In nursing profession, Kramer (1974) defines lateral violence as unsuitable behavior or aggression between fellow nursing colleagues. Lateral violence occurs between nurses working on the same level of nursing hierarchy. A nurse who uses this kind of violence usually intends to inflict psychological pain to the other colleague. The violence manifests itself differently and Griffin (2004) indentified ten forms of lateral violence including non-verbal innuendo, withholding information, verbal affront, undermining activities, infighting, and sabotage. In addition, scapegoating, backstabbing, broken confidences and failure to respect privacy are other forms of lateral violence between nurses (Griffin, 2004). Lateral violence is a serious problem in nursing and many research studies indicate an in creasing trend of the vice in health care institutions. A study conducted by Institute of Medicine (2004) established that 65% of the nurses in the United States healthcare institutions often observed lateral violence behaviors in their colleagues. ... Consequently, these effects enhance professional disengagement, job dissatisfaction, increased turnover and absenteeism, which reduce their performance and productivity in the work places. In this case, patients pay the heaviest price of lateral violence because they receive poor services that expose them to greater health and safety risks (Stanley, 2010). According to Longo and Sherman (2007), lateral violence distracts cognitive abilities of the nurses undermining their concentration at work, leading to increased injuries and errors. Moreover, Griffin (2004) notes that the affected nurses suffer from heightened psychological and physical problems that expose their patients to greater risks. According to Stanley (2010), 67% of nurses in an Australian hospital admitted to making errors when angry about an aggression incident. Kramer (1974) attributes lateral violence to increased nurse turnover in the Unites States’ health care institutions. This trend imposes heavy economic b urden to health care institutions. A study conducted by Stanley (2010) in United States acute care hospitals established that turnover expense of one registered nurse cost the institutions from$62,000 to $67,000. In 2007, Stanley (2010) established that the turnover costs of one registered nurse in the country ranged from $82,000 to $88,000 in the whole year. The costs represented a 32% increase in a 5-year period, from 2002 to 2007. Researchers attribute lateral violence in nursing to various factors. Griffin (2004) argues that the aggression results from oppressed group behavior. The profession demands a lot from the nurses and yet they are not given enough

Mike Daviss Fortress Los Angeles The Militarization of Urban Space Essay

Mike Daviss Fortress Los Angeles The Militarization of Urban Space Summary and Reaction - Essay Example Entire neighborhoods are being sealed-off, pedestrian traffic on predominantly minority-used walkways such has Old Broadway are being "redirected", former public recreation spaces such as parks are being privatized, the list goes on. The author, Mike Davis presents a number of salient points as to where cities such as Los Angeles, where capitalism, wealth, and commodification are the driving force for everything, are heading. Because the poor do not have a huge stake at this capitalistic market, their interests are relegated to the background. The city government has a hand in perpetuating this trend. More importance is given to privatization of space, and funds that are supposed to be allocated for public recreational spaces are being appropriated to private, white-collar redevelopment ventures. Wealthy communities are physically separated from the rest of the city, the perimeters converted to a kind of military "fortress", with its arsenal of high-tech gadgetry and gated enclosures. The private "security" industry is a thriving business, ready to answer to the ubiquitous slogan of "Armed Response". Even the police are being integrated to these grand scheme of securing the city from "unwanted" elements, where their watchful eyes are omnipresent. In addition to this, they control neighborhoods where minorities, Blacks and Latinos dwell. Even residential architects are getting their design inspirations from the military. The creation of these "fortress" cities, with the constant surveillance cameras, the gated walls, private security contractors, ground as well as on-air watchers, advances the progress of the social fragmentation, a polarization that serves to destroy the society's natural hegemony at the cost of the underprivileged. Davis also talks about how this same militaristic tactic is used to lure investors and retailers into opening their establishments in abandoned commercial areas. The concept of "security" taken to the extreme is the key to securing this potentially lucrative market as evinced in the case of the "Panopticon Mall". Highlighting the social barriers even more are the measures being done to rid the streets of the vagrants and "undesirables". These include the installation of outdoor sprinklers and barrel-shaped bus benches to discourage them from sleeping in public areas. Also, public toilets are being lessened, if not completely eradicated, in favor of the "quasi-public restroom" in establishments and offices where the poor and homeless would not be admitted. For the most part, I agree with Davis's opposition to these acts of militarization and abolishment of public space. In the eradication of accessible spaces, the sense of community and social interaction is also annihilated. While it seems that these changes improve the quality of life and the sense of security for the common white-collared worker, this is done at the cost of those who have little purchasing power. Access to supposed public places are dictated by those with the money. This violates the very essence of those areas being "public". This, in a sense, tramples upon our very sense of democracy, one that does not discriminate against race, class, or social stature. This kind of physical segregation underlies the concept that people belonging to different social groups should not interact or mingle. The need of the moneyed class to separate themselves is the root

In your opinion, what creates magic in an essay What is effective, how

In your opinion, what creates magic in an What is effective, how and why - Essay Example Its benefit is a life of reflection that would allow one to â€Å"suck the marrow of life† or to be able to understand the essence of life. The message of simplicity and reflection that emanates from the works of Thoreau teaches us on how to create magic in an essay because the readers are able to relate what we are trying to say as it came from our hearts. After all, the magic of an essay depends on how it touches its reader and the best way to touch the reader is to write from the heart as what Thoreau’s writings teach. Also, the values of simplicity and reflection that are present in Thoreau’s works are now seemingly gone with pervasive materialism, insecurity and skepticism. Thus, Thoreau’s works are like a charm because it remind and ground students about the lost value of simplicity, reflection and self-reliance. It makes a good reminder to students about the essence of life by engaging us to a work of genius that reflects about what really matters in life. By truly understanding Thoreau and his work, we may realize that life is really not that complex and in fact can be better lived if we live in simplicity and reflection. This understanding helps us create our own magic in our own compositions because we are able to move our readers in a manner that Thoreau moved his readers albeit ours may be to a lesser degree. To be able to understand Thoreau’s magic in writing, it would be necessary to know him and examine his influences. This would enable us to know and understand where the magic came from, and with this understanding we may develop our own sense of magic in our writings. Thoreau’s Walden is a product of a social experiment of how life would be in one is to live an ascetic life. This social experiment is consistent with the writing of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s â€Å"Self-reliance† who was Thoreau’s teacher

Mike Daviss Fortress Los Angeles The Militarization of Urban Space Essay

Mike Daviss Fortress Los Angeles The Militarization of Urban Space Summary and Reaction - Essay Example Entire neighborhoods are being sealed-off, pedestrian traffic on predominantly minority-used walkways such has Old Broadway are being "redirected", former public recreation spaces such as parks are being privatized, the list goes on. The author, Mike Davis presents a number of salient points as to where cities such as Los Angeles, where capitalism, wealth, and commodification are the driving force for everything, are heading. Because the poor do not have a huge stake at this capitalistic market, their interests are relegated to the background. The city government has a hand in perpetuating this trend. More importance is given to privatization of space, and funds that are supposed to be allocated for public recreational spaces are being appropriated to private, white-collar redevelopment ventures. Wealthy communities are physically separated from the rest of the city, the perimeters converted to a kind of military "fortress", with its arsenal of high-tech gadgetry and gated enclosures. The private "security" industry is a thriving business, ready to answer to the ubiquitous slogan of "Armed Response". Even the police are being integrated to these grand scheme of securing the city from "unwanted" elements, where their watchful eyes are omnipresent. In addition to this, they control neighborhoods where minorities, Blacks and Latinos dwell. Even residential architects are getting their design inspirations from the military. The creation of these "fortress" cities, with the constant surveillance cameras, the gated walls, private security contractors, ground as well as on-air watchers, advances the progress of the social fragmentation, a polarization that serves to destroy the society's natural hegemony at the cost of the underprivileged. Davis also talks about how this same militaristic tactic is used to lure investors and retailers into opening their establishments in abandoned commercial areas. The concept of "security" taken to the extreme is the key to securing this potentially lucrative market as evinced in the case of the "Panopticon Mall". Highlighting the social barriers even more are the measures being done to rid the streets of the vagrants and "undesirables". These include the installation of outdoor sprinklers and barrel-shaped bus benches to discourage them from sleeping in public areas. Also, public toilets are being lessened, if not completely eradicated, in favor of the "quasi-public restroom" in establishments and offices where the poor and homeless would not be admitted. For the most part, I agree with Davis's opposition to these acts of militarization and abolishment of public space. In the eradication of accessible spaces, the sense of community and social interaction is also annihilated. While it seems that these changes improve the quality of life and the sense of security for the common white-collared worker, this is done at the cost of those who have little purchasing power. Access to supposed public places are dictated by those with the money. This violates the very essence of those areas being "public". This, in a sense, tramples upon our very sense of democracy, one that does not discriminate against race, class, or social stature. This kind of physical segregation underlies the concept that people belonging to different social groups should not interact or mingle. The need of the moneyed class to separate themselves is the root

Wireless Networking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Wireless Networking - Essay Example Individuals with desktop computers connected to Wide Area Networks (WANs) and Local Area Networks (LANs) in their places of work may need to be connected while away, which is literary impossible with the concept of wiring. Here is where wireless networking comes in. A wireless network is a system that receives and transmits radio signal through the air from one point to another. The term wireless network often refers to a Wi-Fi or 802.11 networking, from the protocols that control the wireless network concept (Kumar, Manjunath & Kuri 2). Wireless networks are consistently proving their worth in today’s world, with coverage of important services like FM radio, AM radio, satellite television, broadcast television, and satellite internet, which all form a basic part of our lives. The history of wireless networking discovery takes us back to 1888 when Heinrich Herz discovered the first radio wave. In the years that followed, other scholars were further developing the radio frequen cy concept. Marconi was the first known man to successfully transmit and receive a message using radio waves in a distance of two miles, labeling him the â€Å"father of radio†.... The resultant second generation WLAN was upgraded and was four times faster, with an operational speed of 2Mbps. Further developments led t the design on the third generation WLAN, which are in use currently (Kumar, Manjunath & Kuri 23). The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802 committee in 1990 set up the 820.11 Working Group that would be the foundation of the WLAN standard. Among the specifications of the standard was an operating frequency of 2.4GHz ISM band, and consequently approved the IEEE 802.11 to be the first WLAN standard with frequency of between 1and 2 Mbps. Building a wireless network will require an access point, which receives and sends radio signals, as well as acting like a repeater. Another vital device required in all the devices in the wireless network is the wireless network card. A desktop computer usually has an internal card, and may or may not have antennas. Notebooks have a PCMCIA extension slots for the card, if not installed from t he manufacturer. There are two basic forms of configuration for a wireless network: infrastructure and Ad-Hoc. An infrastructure wireless configuration constitutes more than one access point connections to an already existing single wireless network. This will enhance the sharing of resource among the devices in the network, like the internet and printers. Here, a computer acts like a hub that provides connectivity for the other computers in the network, hence connecting a wireless LAN to a wireless LAN (Kumar, Manjunath & Kuri 54). On the other hand, an Ad-Hoc wireless network configuration connects one device directly to another device on the network, hence the common reference to peer-to-peer network. All devices can connect directly to each other, but there must be one that is

Stephen King the Dead Zone Essay Example for Free

Stephen King the Dead Zone Essay What The Future Holds While Stephen King has rightfully garnered a reputation as a horror writer, some of his best fiction revolves around stories of everyday humanity affected by elements of the supernatural, such as the Dead Zone. After awakening from a five-year coma, John Smith has come back from the ether with a clairvoyance to see certain futures and hidden pasts of others by touch alone. Opting to use his powers for good, John is alled upon for such tasks as helping the police to catch a elusive rappist. hen he shakes hands with a political candidate at a rally, he sees a future where the candidate will start a nuclear holocaust as president. Leading John to the ultimate dilemma of potentially altering the future, and perhaps even losing his life in the process. While this is a novel about a supernatural ability, and how John lives after his accident as well as how other people around him react to him and his new ability s the theme of the novel. A reader feels for him because he comes out of his coma an altered man, alternately awed and feared by those who cannot understand what it is to receive an unwanted gift for psychic vision.. He wrestles with the possibly that assassinating the politican will lead to his probable death or his incarceration. Is the future he glimpsed even certain. The Dead Zone tackled issues to do with predestination, and what the future holds. Were things happening Just because Johnny was drawing attention to them because he thought they were going to happen, or would they have happened anyway? Should he tell people, or let nature run its course? And when he is driven to act on a vision that he thinks will affect the greater population, the big issues roll out. even if precognition probably isnt something we all need to dwell on, because King brings up other conundrums about human nature and other things for the reader to chew over.

Characteristics of a Good College Student Essay -- essays research pap

My name is Joshua I am a 20-year-old college sophomore at Georgia Perimeter College. I eat very well, which I have found is in complete contrast with my college peers. According to the National Health Awareness, has an overall average 30% for US colleges and Universities college students tend to skip one meal a day. Most college students don't even know what a healthy diet is, and a large percentage of students who are aware of proper nutrition choose to ignore it. One must have a good diet, learn to plan a good diet by sticking to a consistent routine, and stay away from fast food diet. At Georgia Perimeter College students are unaware of what exactly a good diet is, bad eating habits are unavoidable. The first step to a good diet is eating regular, well-balanced meals. So I found out that the Food Pyramid Guide is the simplest way of balancing my meals. It separates foods into groups and graphs the amount of each group needed in an average person's diet. Students who desire to improve their bad eating habits should study the Food Pyramid Guide. Along with the Food Pyramid Guide, proper consumption of water, vitamins, and minerals is a very important part of a good diet. The Food and Drug Administration recommend 8 glasses of water a day equal to about 1 pound a day. I, along with most of my peers, have a problem consuming this massive amount of tasteless water. Tea and juice can help fill this quota. One of the major problems I have found at my college students diets, as far as beverage consumption, is coke and greasy food. College students are attracted to coke be cause it is easily accessible, cheap, and tasty. Coke may be convenient, but it is not part of a good diet. It is full of sodium, sugar, and caffeine. Dehydration i... ...students have is with fat-free snacks. All low-fat foods have something to replace the fat. That replacement is usually made by sugar, which is high in calories. So, snacking on Snack Well's Devil Chocolate Brownies rather than Chips Ahoy Chocolate Chip Cookies is not watching the diet. Or maybe Mac Donald or Pizza either one is increasing your chance of staying unfit and unhealthy. One tip that I have found that works well for my college life is that I only keep healthy snacks in my locker. Granola bars, baked chips, and fat-free popcorn are a few examples. My favorite module is if I do not have it, I cannot consume it. A second tip- before I eat I think about it. I also ask myself am I really hungry. I often avoid impulse snacking by simply asking myself these two questions. These are just a few easy steps that college students can use to avoid bad eating habits.

Attitude Towards Love in Valentine and The Flea Essay -- Poetry Poems

Through Close Analysis of Language, Structure and Theme, Compare and Contrast the Poet's Attitude Towards Love in Valentine and The Flea. The two poems "Valentine" and "The Flea" are about the two different ways in which the poets portray their views about love, however the poems are still linked in a few ways. "The Flea was published in the seventeenth century and was written by 'John Donne'. "Valentine" was published in 1983 and was written by 'Carol Ann Duffy'. Both poems are addressed to an unknown lover. The poem "Valentine" is written in free-verse form. Carol Ann Duffy could have used this irregular pattern because of the irregular present that she is giving to her lover. "Not a red rose or satin heart. I give you an onion." When you first read the poem you think that an onion is an absurd present to give to a lover but after analysis, you realise that she is trying to portray a message to us: It is not what is on the outside that counts. Duffy uses quite a lot of imagery in her poem to explain her message to the reader. "It is a moon wrapped in brown paper." This could be referring to the moon as a pure object that you first have to unwrap and explore before you can find the real meaning of it. It is also linking back to her point that it may look a bit unromantic from the outside but it is really what is inside that counts. She could be saying this because of her lover's attitude towards women. Maybe the lover only thinks about what the people look like, not what they really are is like inside. Duffy then comments on the emotional feelings that love could bring into a relationship. "It will blind you with tears like a lover." When you cut an onion it makes you cry, and usually... ...lood from his lover and that is what all fleas do. Donne then again emphasises the idea that now because of the flea's death some life has been taken from his lover. "Will waste, as this flea's death took life from thee." This puts forward the idea of some life being taken from his lover because part of her was contained inside the flea. At first the two poems appear very different but after close inspection links can be established between the two poems. I think Carol Ann Duffy's poem is the more serious of the two as she is using an unusual item to portray her feelings for her lover. John Donne is just worried about getting his lover into to bed using the idea of the flea instead of wanting to portray his feelings towards his lover. He is too overconfident with himself that he will get the girl into bed with him when in the end he doesn't succeed.

Fiji Water Analysis Essay

Introduction Corporations like FIJI Water are forced into having Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Corporate Social Responsibility is the idea that businesses need to give back to society as much as they take away. Although companies like FIJI Water produce some type of product for consumers, in this circumstance water, they are compelled to give back as much as they take away. The issue companies have to deal with is whether they really have CSR, or if they are just green washing to make people believe they are socially responsible. â€Å"The 10th Edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary recognizes the word â€Å"greenwash,† defining it as, â€Å"’Disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Environmentalist make it their job to eliminate any green washing by bringing to light companies negative impact on society and proving outrageous claims to be over exaggerated or completely false. Environmentalists compel companies to reduce, if not eliminate their carbon footprint on society through exposing how wasteful they are to society. Every company in order to be successful has to recognize this issue and do their best to resolve it, otherwise their company will tank. Companies like FIJI Water have to walk the fine line of CSR and green washing. FIJI Water LLC, has proved to be a tough competitor in the market of selling bottled water. They have overcome trials and set-backs and have kept their image of a premium quality brand of water. They have done their very best to become socially responsible over the years and had to use the idea of green washing to exploit their product. How FIJI Water Came to Be FIJI Water was started in 1996 by David Gilmour, one-time partner in Clairtone Sound Corporation Limited. FIJI Water is a U.S.-based business and brand of bottled water derived, bottled, and shipped from the Fiji Islands. It is available in 330ml, 500ml, 1 liter and 1.5 liter bottles.  According to marketing materials, the water comes from an artesian aquifer in the Yaqara Valley of Viti Levu. A good way to identify what FIJI Water is all about is in their mission statement which reads, â€Å"FIJI Water, the world’s finest water, is committed to quality and excellence in our product, people, profitability, and strategic partners. We are dedicated to communicating the passion and unique properties of our brand to consumers worldwide and continuing to invest in the future while preserving and cherishing the pristine source.† They have marketed their product towards wealthy people who could afford to pay more to drink water. Their main marketing drive was that the product was far from pollution, acid rain, and industrial waste in the island nation of Fiji. The way their product differed from other water bottling companies is that the FIJI Water was drawn from an artesian aquifer that lies hundreds of feet below a primitive rainforest. The idea being that distance and isolation is part of what makes FIJI Water so much purer and richer in taste than other bottled waters. Corporate Social Responsibility FIJI Water has a few marketing and CSR campaigns to help address the issue of social responsibility and to give their product more attention. FIJI water was seen as being extremely wasteful. To take a naturally occurring product like water and use the resources to ship it half way across the world was thought to be â€Å"water insanity†. â€Å"In response to this protest, the company launched a new promotion campaign under a slogan â€Å"every drop is green,† only to be immediately accused by environmentalist groups of engaging in green washing activities.† At the same time that this was happening, FIJI focused on its contributions to the local communities in Fiji. As environmentalists’ criticism increased over the years, FIJI Water LLC launched a â€Å"carbon negative campaign, claiming that it was the first bottle water company to release carbon footprint of its products.† This was part of their push towards the slogan â€Å"every drop is green†. The Company estimated its total annual carbon footprint at 85,396 metric tons of CO2eq.  They were also able to calculate their carbon emissions at each stage of the product from production to distribution. They started at the production of raw material to running the plant, to getting it to the markets, to even refrigerating the product. It did this to try and eliminate as much carbon footprints as possible. The VP of the company, Mooney, argued that, â€Å"the only way consumers can turn their environmental intentions into good decisions is to give them the information they need regarding the emissions with the products they buy.† This made customers aware that they were actively looking at their operations and doing something about it. To most people, it didn’t really matter what, as long as they were trying. Sustainability The results of their work were impressive. They were able to accomplish the following: reduction in packaging by 20 percent, supplying 50 percent of the energy used at its bottling plant with renewable energy, optimizing logistics to be more carbon-efficient in transportation, restoring grasslands in the Yaqara Valley by planting trees, and supporting recycling programs for plastic PET bottles. With their new image as a socially responsible company they were more sustainable in the fact that they were giving back. They summed up their operations in a PR pitch: a sale of every bottle of FIJI Water would result in a net reduction of carbon in the atmosphere! The question remains, are they giving back enough? To ship a naturally occurring product half way across the world seems pretty ridiculous to those who care about our earth’s resources being wasted. Green Washing Conservation group didn’t buy it. This absurd claim, along with â€Å"every drop is green† was green washing at its finest so they thought. In Section 53 of the Commonwealth Trade Practices Act 1974 it prohibits a corporation from representing that â€Å"goods or services have sponsorship, approval, performance characteristics, accessories, uses or benefits they do not have.† They were in direct violation of this. The Greenwash Brigade were some of the most professional environmentalist that were known for exposing this kind of  behavior. In June 2008, they published an article titled â€Å"Fiji Water by the numbers,† which summarized the terrible environmental impact of the company. Some facts that came out of that were that there were 5,500 miles per trip from Fiji to Los Angeles, 46 million gallons of fossil fuel, 1.3 billion gallons of water used, 216 million pounds of greenhouse gases emitted. These were staggering amounts of energy, water, and fuel being used, especially for something that is naturally occurring! The Impact of the Nay-Sayers These conservationists had a big impact on the company in forming who they are today. Without bringing this information to light, nothing would be changed. They would just fly under the radar without being criticized. We need the nay-sayers to motivate companies to change so they won’t use up our limited resources. The fact of the matter is that every drop of FIJI Water is not green, every drop is imported! These environmentalist help prevent green washing and provide important research behind their accusations of companies. In 2007, Pablo Paster, an engineer and MBA, undertook a thorough and exhaustive study of the cost of bringing a liter of FIJI Water to America. His study found that, â€Å"In summary, the transport of that one kilogram bottle of Fiji water consumed 26.88 kilograms of water (7.1 gallons), .849 kilograms of fossil fuel (one liter or .26 gallons) and emitted 562 grams of Greenhouse Gases (1.2 pounds).† One can only imagine the effect that has on our en vironment. Conclusion Overall, Fiji was able to show flexibility in changing for the times. They established credibility among the community through addressing concerns of others. At first they tried to hide from the answers needed by consumers and conservationists and even used some green washing to help get their product through the tough, trying times. They used the idea of green washing to their benefit by making outrageous claims that had to be proven false initially, but in time they held to it as best they could. They had to be vague at first, but later specified their goal in operations. Comparatively to most companies, FIJI Water has a great Corporate Social Responsibility in that they have done significant things to try and eliminate their carbon footprint through efficiency and planting more trees. Going forward, the company will have a hard time living up to becoming a carbon negative company. They need to keep on their path of fulfilling promises made to invest in renewable energy equipment and to off-set that with continuing to plant trees abroad. FIJI Water has especially helped the local community surrounding Fiji. They have established good CSR with the five neighboring villages. They have supported children’s educations in helping them get a good start. In pre-schools they have provided equipment, educational material, teacher training and other support. In March 2002, the company voluntarily established an independently administrated community development trust fund and allocated FJ$275,000 to it. That is a great use of their resources. They also support village projects to improve hygiene and sanitation as well as provide portable drinking water. FIJI Water is a benefit to society as a whole. They have used their resources to give back to our planet and help others in need. More ——————————————– [ 1 ]. James McMaster and Jan Nowak, â€Å"FIJI Water and Corporate Social Responsibility – Green Makeover or â€Å"Greenwashing†?, May 2009, Ivey Management Services. [ 2 ]. N.A., â€Å"FIJI Water,† http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji_Water#History, 2012. [ 3 ]. N.A., â€Å"Mission Statement,† http://www.fijiwater.com/company/company-timeline/, N.D. [ 4 ]. Ibid. [ 5 ]. James McMaster and Jan Nowak, â€Å"FIJI Water and Corporate Social Responsibility – Green Makeover or â€Å"Greenwashing†?, May 2009, Ivey Management Services. [ 6 ]. â€Å"FIJI Water Becomes First Bottled Water Company to Release Carbon Footprint of Its Products,† April 9, 2008, www.bevnet.com [ 7 ]. Ibid. [ 8 ]. Ibid. [ 9 ]. â€Å"FIJI Water Becomes First Bottled Water Company to Release Carbon Footprint of Its Products,† FIJI Water Press Release, Los Angeles, April 9, 2008, www.bevnet.com. [ 10 ]. James McMaster and Jan Nowak, â€Å"FIJI Water and Corporate Social Responsibility – Green Makeover or â€Å"Greenwashing†?, May 2009, Ivey Management Services. [ 11 ]. Heidi Sigelbaum, â€Å"Fiji Water by the numbers,† June 6, 2008. [ 12 ]. www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/pablo_calculate.php [ 13 ]. McMaster and Nowak, â€Å"Natural Waters of Viti Limited – Pioneering a New Industry in the Fiji Islands.†

Abortion Subject

The topic of women having abortions can be an intense subject. This subject has always been a debate because the people of society cannot agree on weather â€Å"abortions† are right or wrong. In this paper I will give multiple reasons why abortions should be legal for women to have. Abortions are legal and should remain legal because women should have the right to decide what happens with their bodies; some women that become pregnant are not ready emotionally or financially to be mothers; and abortions is the best answer for an unwanted pregnancy. It’s a woman choice I agree abortions should be legal because not all women can afford to take care of a child or give them the necessities they need. I also believe this choice should be up to women. This is the same with any medical procedure, if a person was to have a tumor while pregnant and it was life threatening, what you will choose to do save the baby or the woman. This is where abortions come in. People need not to look at this like a disease and start treating abortions like any other medical procedure. According to the Washington Post NBC/WSJ polls find that, on the 40 anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, 70 percent of Americans want the landmark abortions rights ruling to stay (Weiner, 2013). Indeed, as we learned from study there are more people who agree to keep this order in place for woman. This alone says it is a safe procedure if done right by experienced physician. Keeping abortions legal is the right choice because this is something that helps women have a choice on what to do with unwanted or unsafe pregnancies. While abortions can offer ways to help women with any kind of issues they may go through while pregnant, another important information women need to know is be safe and observe the physicians to ensure they are well qualified physicians. Pros of an abortion There are plenty of pros when it comes to this topic. Abortions are not as negative as everyone might want to think. Abortions are done in the case of women being raped; there are very few women that really want to keep their child in cases like this. Is abortion such a terrible thing in this situation? I do not think so. Doing research on this topic there are pros to legal abortions, study show A woman’s right to choose abortion is a fundamental right† recognized by the U. S Supreme Court. The landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade was decided on January 22, 1973, and remains the law of the land (ProCon. org, 2013). Certainly, there are people that do not agree with abortions and never will, but one person’s opinions should not affect other decisions. Although people say abortions are wrong and it’s killing another human being, it’s also important to remember why abortions are necessary. In cases abortions are not done for malicious intent, but in some cases they are done to save the life of women. Cons of abortions Where there are pros there are cons to any subject or topic. On the topic should abortions be legal, many say there are some cons that others do not believe. With this topic people will never be 100 percent comfortable. The only con I believe is getting the procedure done wrong by an unprofessional doctor that will lead to death and not by an experience doctor, nurse, or physicians to ensure your health. For example, study says† women should use contraceptives not abortion, to avoid unwanted pregnancies. A center for Disease Control and prevention study show that 19-25% of women who received abortions in 2006 had previously had one or more abortions. If abortions were not available, women would use preventable measures (ProCon. org, 2013). Having a negative attitude about abortions will lead to not looking at the positive sides of having a abortion. Seeing these kinds of negative impact puts a negative influence on others and confuses others about what is right for them and their body. After reading study, I have to say I disagree, just because woman have abortions and they are available does not mean all woman abuse the system. For example if a woman is raped she should have used protection to prevent her from getting pregnant. That does not make sense. Whose to say why women have abortions, society just follow the number of abortions and studies which can be misleading at times. What’s the risk of abortions? I personally believe in abortions but I also know there are health risks when having abortions. Currently in the United States over the years there have been a number of abortions happening. There is risk at everything we do, like including abortions. To avoid such risks according to study† currently in the United States, a patch work of state regulations determines who can provide abortions with several states specifically prohibiting non-physician clinicians from performing the procedure (News RX, 2013). Indeed, having educated nurses and other health physician handling patients that has had or is contemplating an abortion is the safest thing to do to ensure all women are cared for correctly while having this procedure. If people don’t take abortions seriously then people can have false information about this issue. This will lead to unsafe conditions do to abortions. Increasing the types of health care professionals who can provide early aspiration abortions care is one way to reduce this health care disparity (News RX, 3013). While there are risks to having an abortions the rate of abortions has fell 29% between 1990-2005 from 27. 4 to 19. 4 this is not counting the level cut from 2005-2008 (ProCon. org, 2013). With this being said the rate of abortions are continuing to fall which is a positive thing. Abortions help saves lives According to (Planned Parenthood) legal abortions protect women’s health. For tens of thousands of women with heart disease, kidney disease, severe hypertension, sickle cell anemia and severe diabetes, and other illnesses that can be life threathing, the availability of legal abortions has helped avert serious medical complications that would have resulted from childbirth (Planned Parenthood, 2006). Reasons why abortion should be legal If abortions were not legal, than women would have no options for an unwanted child. Let’s talk about unwanted children. For one every child wants to be wanted, and loved by someone. If women are forced to carry unwanted pregnancies to term, the outcome would be society has unloved, unwanted children having abandonments issues. This is another problem of its own. Again this is why I personally believe abortions should be legal. What abortion does is help some women who are not ready to be mothers financially and or emotionally. We all know that women have abortions for many different reasons even if society disagrees on this issue of abortion. Also abortions are a way to keep some of our children from having to grow up financially and emotionally deprived. Everyone looks at abortions as if it’s an easy task,† don’t want the child go have an abortions†. For some it’s not that easy and the reasoning behind having an abortion is not that easy either. It’s important not to judge someone for their actions and to not really know the reason as to why some women have made this choice. Reasons As I said before women have abortions for many different reasons. One may be because it wasn’t planned, â€Å"what some would call an accidental pregnancy†. Another reason could be in the case of rape. Majority of women would not want to be reminded of that kind of experience so abortion should be an option. Another reason is what if the baby had a birth defect that caused harm for the baby and the mother. Again abortion should be an option or even in the case of incest. I don’t think any women would want to keep a baby by someone from their own family they have known them their whole lives and that has raised them as a child. You have to be a very strong woman to go through these things, and there are plenty in our world. Having a child and being a parent are two different things if you look at it. Being a parent is someone who is going to guide you, nurture you, and loves you unconditionally, who provides and protects you. Now having a child any woman can do that. But for some they do not want or cannot do for their child/children. Having a child is a major responsibility financially, psychologically, and morally. Raising a child demands time, patients, effort, a sane mind and can’t forget money.

Differential Pricing and Segmentation on the International Hotel

Differential pricing and segmentation on the Internet: the case of hotels Rama Yelkur Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Eau Claire, USA Maria Manuela Neveda DaCosta A Professor of Economics, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Eau Claire, USA Hotels, Service industries, Pricing, Segmentation, Loyalty, Internet Keywords Introduction In the 1950s, marketers discovered that, if they gave their customers what they wanted Abstract and did it better than the competition, their In the ever-changing electronic sales grew.With the advent of the Internet, environment of the twenty-first marketers have access to the technology to century, price is one of the key customize products and communicate strategic elements that is often overlooked by firms. The paper directly with smaller target markets. The addresses differential pricing in Internet is now firmly established as a business-to-consumer electronic marketing tool. It serves as an integral part commerce, in particular of the marketing mix, serving as a digital differential pricing for hotel services sold on the Internet. istribution channel as well as an electronic Hotels are able to take advantage storefront. of differential pricing for various When a firm establishes a presence on the segments because the market for Internet, its marketing activities, including hotels can be divided into narrow customer segments. An overview advertising, pricing, and distribution, should of e-commerce and Internet reflect characteristics unique to the medium marketing is provided. The to help consumers realize the value added characteristics of products sold over traditional methods. online and differential pricing are discussed.Pricing policies for onConsumers in the Internet medium are line marketing are examined with more than just passive recipients in the a special emphasis on differential marketing process (Hoffman et al. , 1995). The pricing, customer loyalty and Internet is an interactive medium as opposed segmentation. With the help of secondary data, online pricing to traditional marketing which usually strategies used by hotels on the allows only one-way communication (Peters, Internet are evaluated.Finally, 1998; Sandelands, 1997) from marketer to conclusions are drawn and implications for the hotel industry consumer. re discussed. Many diverse vendors, from florists to manufacturers of durable goods, as well as service providers such as airlines and hotels have rushed to do business on the Internet. In order to effectively market on the World Wide Web (the Web), companies need to evaluate the basic components of the marketing mix: product, price, place, and promotion. In the ever-changing electronic environment of the twenty-first century, firms must identify and sustain competitive advantage in order to survive. Price is one of the key strategic elements that is often overlooked by firms (Yelkur and Herbig, 1997).In the on-line setting, companies have the oppo rtunity to utilize price to build competitive advantage by enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty by meeting Management Decision 39/4 [2001] 252 ±261 # MCB University Press [ISSN 0025-1747] The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at http://www. emerald-library. com/ft the demands of specific segments which have the potential to improve the firm's profit position. How much impact is the Internet really having on the market mix, especially pricing?Is it changing the approach to pricing or is it merely complementing traditional pricing practices? Our paper addresses differential pricing and segmentation in business-to-consumer electronic commerce, in particular differential pricing for hotel services sold online. The consumer segments in the hotel industry are based on usage, situation, and frequency of use. Hotels are able to take advantage of differential pricing for various segments because the market for hotels can be divided into specific custom er segments (Awh, 1998; Yelkur and Herbig, 1997).The more specific the segment, the easier it is to estimate demand; the knowledge of demand is essential to adopting a differential pricing strategy. This paper is organized as follows: An overview of e-commerce and Internet marketing is provided. The characteristics of products sold online and differential pricing are discussed. Pricing policies for online marketing are examined with a special emphasis on differential pricing. The importance of customer loyalty and segmentation and their relationship to differential pricing on the Internet are emphasized.With the help of secondary data, online pricing strategies used by hotels on the Internet are evaluated. Finally, conclusions are drawn and implications for the hotel industry are discussed. The growth of e-commerce Business conducted over the Internet is commonly referred to as electronic commerce or e-commerce. E-commerce is changing the way firms do business. In 1999, e-commerce t ransactions accounted for over $150 billion in sales and it is predicted that this amount will increase to $3 trillion by the year 2003 (The Economist, 2000). E-commerce [ 252 ]Rama Yelkur and Maria Manuela Neveda A DaCosta Differential pricing and segmentation on the Internet: the case of hotels Management Decision 39/4 [2001] 252 ±261 transactions come in many forms. Table I displays an e-commerce matrix that illustrates the difference among these various types of transactions by giving examples: Business-to-business transactions still account for 80 percent of all e-commerce business but consumer-to-consumer, consumer-to-business, and business-toconsumer (the object of this study) transactions are expected to grow astronomically in the next decade.According to an Internet consulting firm (Forrester Research, as cited in The Economist (2000)), business-to-consumer trade in the USA amounted to about $20 billion in 1999 and could reach $184 billion by 2004, which is about 5 percen t of USA's retail trade. Product characteristics that facilitate Internet marketing Some areas of retailing and commerce may be particularly well suited for the Internet, given certain characteristics (see Table II). For business-to-consumer marketing, as proposed by Peterson et al. 1997), products and services in the context of the Internet can be classified on the basis of: . cost and frequency of purchase; . value proposition; and . differentiability. Products can vary from low cost, frequently purchased goods (ex: coffee), to high-cost, infrequently purchased goods (ex: car). In general, for goods for which purchase fulfillment requires physical delivery in a short time, the Internet is not an appropriate mode of delivery (Peterson et al. , 1997).For an industry such as hotels, where a transaction can be completed without physical delivery of the product and the frequency of purchase is relatively low and the cost is relatively high (when compared with consumables such as coffee ), the Internet is a more efficient medium for firms to use to conduct business. The suitability of the Internet also depends on the tangibility of the product. Internet marketing is practically well suited for certain types of services. For example, it is now widely used for banking and other financial services.When the value proposition is intangible and the frequency of use higher, the greater is the advantage of the Internet as a transaction and distribution medium. The transport and delivery of the goods are an important consideration. Clearly, it is easier to sell lighter goods over the Internet than bulky and heavy ones. Then, there are those that can be delivered electronically like software, music, and certain services like banking, insurance, travel and hotels. The 1999 top-ranking products in the US market in terms of online transactions were computer hardware/ software, travel, financial brokerages, and collectables.In fact, intangible or symbolic information products su ch as airline tickets or hotel reservations gain tangibility on the Internet medium. Internet marketing can result in extreme price competition when products are similar, because other factors that moderate competition (ex: store location) are absent. However, when products and services are capable of significant differentiation, the Internet can serve as a method of segmenting consumers and directing them toward the appropriate product or service, as is the case Characteristics of Internet marketingThe Internet represents an extremely efficient medium for accessing, organizing, and communicating information. As such, the Internet subsumes communication technologies ranging from the written and spoken word to visual images. Internet marketing is one of the newest distribution channels marketers use to reach the customer. It is different from traditional channels in that it is also a communication network. Like all communication networks, the Internet is all about establishing and re inforcing connections between people.The Internet has been growing rapidly in the second half of the 1990s and today it is available in approximately 38 percent of US households (Nielsen Media Research, 2000). No medium including television has reached the 50 million-user mark in four years (Strauss and Frost, 1999). The integration of the Internet as a technological tool as well as a delivery medium with traditional marketing has transformed the processes firms use with which to conduct business. Table I The e-commerce matrix Business Business B2B GM/Ford EDI networks C2B Priceline Accompany Consumer B2C Amazon E*trade C2C EBay QXLConsumer Source: The Economist, 2000 [ 253 ] Rama Yelkur and Maria Manuela Neveda A DaCosta Differential pricing and segmentation on the Internet: the case of hotels Management Decision 39/4 [2001] 252 ±261 in the hotel industry. The â€Å"hotel† product is relatively expensive, infrequently purchased, has an intangible value proposition, and rat es high on differentiation from competing products. As a result, sellers are able to charge a higher price based on the match between the buyer's needs and the nature of the product offering.In a traditional setting, such personalization would turn out to be relatively expensive. Yelkur and Herbig (1997), are explained below: Select a target market The broad target market for a business is already chosen when the product is positioned. The firm needs to divide its broad target market into smaller segments. Differential pricing The model of price discrimination or differential pricing used by Cannon and Morgan (1990) provides an important analytical insight into many discriminatory pricing practices.The prices charged by a firm practicing differential pricing are usually not proportional to the marginal costs incurred in producing the service. When firms adjust their prices according to customer, location or product, they are said to follow the strategy of segmented pricing or differ ential pricing (Strauss and Frost, 1999). It is not unusual for businesses to offer varying prices for consumers by age group, for example, senior citizen discounts. In addition, customers can be differentiated based on customer type, for example, the business customer versus the individual customer.Businesses can also offer different prices for products based on location; for example, the pricing of a hotel room in San Francisco, California, would be different from a similar room in Phoenix, Arizona. Finally, firms frequently price products differently not necessarily based on cost, but rather on the willingness to pay. For example, firstclass airline tickets are always priced much higher than economy fares (Strauss and Frost, 1999). In summary, segmented pricing can be based on three major factors: customer type, location of product or service, and product or service offering.It is also possible to customize prices based on the profile provided by the customer, as is the case for hotel services sold online. The five steps a firm must take to achieve a differential pricing policy, as illustrated by The essence of any customer service strategy is to segment the customer to be served. It is important to differentiate between market segmentation and customer service segmentation. Customer service segments differ from traditional market segments in significant ways. Customer service segments tend to be narrower (Davidow and Uttal, as cited in Yelkur and Herbig (1997).In addition, the narrower the segments, the more homogeneous they tend to be, making it easier to estimate consumer demand for each segment. Another factor that cannot be overlooked is the usage situation. Segmentation needs to take into account the what, where, how and why of demand. As demand is a result of the interaction of a person with the environment, a segmentation perspective that includes both the person and the situation is needed to explain the demand. In service industries such as hotels , distinct lines can be drawn, say, to divide different types of customers such as the vacationer or the business traveler.The usage situation thus gives the firm a guideline for customer service segmentation. Once customer segments are identified, the next step is to estimate the demand for each of these segments. Divide the target market into smaller customer service segments Steps for differential pricing Table II Product characteristics matrix for hotels Cost and frequency of purchase Relatively high cost Infrequently purchased Value proposition Intangible Service-related good Degree of differentiation Significant differentiation possible Source: Based on the Peterson et al. (1997) model [ 254 ]Customer demand can be estimated by a method suggested by Oren et al. (1984), which proposes that there are many customers in a target market, each with different characteristics summarized in an index, say, t, indicating customer type (based on the customer service type). Assuming that t here is a continuum of types with indices in the interval t0 t t1. The fraction of the population whose types are less than an index t is given by a distribution function H(t) (which forms the customer segment as described in the previous section) that is assumed to be continuous and strictly increasing. It implifies notation to let s = H(t) be this fraction so that t = H(s), and s is uniformly distributed on the interval 0 s 1. One can use s to denote a customer rank or customer type. Although this method is more suited to physical goods markets, it can be applied to service markets as well. In Estimate demand for each customer segment Rama Yelkur and Maria Manuela Neveda A DaCosta Differential pricing and segmentation on the Internet: the case of hotels Management Decision 39/4 [2001] 252 ±261 practice such estimations should be substantiated with both historical and estimated market data.Reservation price indicates the maximum amount a customer is willing to pay for a good or s ervice (Guiltinan, 1987). The reservation price of the customer indicates her willingness to pay and is the underlying benchmark for setting different prices for different customer segments. Classifying customers by the value they place on the service provides a rough estimate of the cost of satisfying them as well as the price they are willing to pay. Firms operating in service industries can use differential pricing only if they can estimate the distributions of the reservation prices.The amount by which the reservation price exceeds the actual price is the consumer surplus. The reservation price (Rp) would therefore depend on the value the customer places on the service (V) and the number of different firms offering the service (N). That is, Rp = f(V,N). The greater the number of firms offering the service, the lower will be the reservation price of the consumer. Whereas, if the customer has only a limited number of choices (substitutes), then her reservation price becomes higher ; that is her willingness to pay increases (her demand becomes more inelastic).The final price is determined for each customer segment based on customer type, location and product/service offering. Thus, though there is no change in marginal cost, different prices are charged depending on the type of customer segment and the reservation prices for each segment. Among the goods and services that are sold online, hotel services appear to be particularly well suited for differential pricing because of the ease of segmenting customers at a relatively low marginal cost. Determine reservation prices (which indicate willingness to pay) for each segmentRosen and Howard (2000) provides examples of improved transaction efficiency for service industries such as banking, travel, and stock brokerage. Table III illustrates the reduction in transaction costs for service firms because of delivery via the Internet. Traditional pricing strategies such as differential pricing, discussed in the previou s section, are particularly well suited to ecommerce. We will focus primarily on differential pricing for online services, also referred to as segmented pricing.A new and unique method of pricing called dynamic pricing, which is easily facilitated by the electronic medium, enhances differential pricing for online services. The Internet enables marketing managers to update product databases instantly and continuously, as new product features are developed and price adjustments are made (Strauss and Frost, 1999). Dynamic pricing allows Internet customers to receive up-todate price information on demand from product databases. This information changes with time and by user.For example business customers may receive different prices than individual customers. Business customers may receive different price information based on volume ordered. Thus, dynamic pricing allows further customization by target customer and further enhances the traditional segmented or differential pricing in the online environment. Determine prices for each segment Online presence of hotels Hotel services seem to be particularly suited to sale on the Internet. They can be delivered online and, once in place, benefit from tremendous economies of scale and scope.One firm can design a Web site and then just differentiate from locale to locale and from hotel to hotel at very low cost. In fact, the marginal cost of adding one more line to the Web site or another site for a new hotel is practically negligible. Despite these advantages, the hotel industry seems to have been relatively slow at â€Å"going digital† and using the Internet as a marketing tool. Hotel transactions in the USA account for less than 5 percent of the US total volume of e-business transactions. However, there is some indication that this is likely to increase significantly in the near future.Table IV shows that online travel business transactions increased from $2. 2 billion in 1998 to $6. 5 billion in 1999, a 200 pe rcent increase. Furthermore, when we disaggregate the total online travel bookings by travel product, it is interesting to note that lodging Pricing policies on the Internet E-commerce is likely to have a significant impact on pricing, as it creates a more competitive environment in which firms may sell. The Internet is able to generate different pricing mechanisms, particularly by allowing customers to make instant price and product comparisons.The Internet offers significant opportunity for reducing operating costs, particularly for service firms (Rosen and Howard, 2000). A study by Andersen Consulting (as cited in [ 255 ] Rama Yelkur and Maria Manuela Neveda A DaCosta Differential pricing and segmentation on the Internet: the case of hotels Management Decision 39/4 [2001] 252 ±261 increased from 13 percent in 1998 to 16 percent in 1999, a trend that is likely to continue. Table IV Total online travel bookings by travel product 1998 $2. 2 billion market (%) Air Lodging Car Cruis e/tour 80 13 7