Management Accounting – Setting Prices

cco Management Accounting Tutorial 5 15-3. List and briefly describe 4 major influences on pricing decisions Customer Demand: the demands of customers are of paramount importance in all phases of business operations, from the design of a product to the setting of its price. Product-design issues and pricing considerations are interrelated, so they must be examined simultaneously. For example, for a higher quality product; you need higher quality materials which will affect a higher cost and needs more time and this will lead to a higher pricing on a product.Also, a manager must not price its product out of the market price range. Actions of Competitors: companies must keep an eye on its competitors. If its competitor reduces its pricing on a product, they might have to follow suit to avoid losing its market share. However, one must not follow the actions of its competitors’ blindly as a company has to predict competitive reactions to its product-design and pricing strategy. Th e company must also be careful to properly define its product, such that if they increase the price of the product; will the consumers continue purchasing the product?Costs: some prices are determined almost entirely by market forces. Industries such as agriculture; where most products are market-driven. To make a profit, farmers must produce at a cost below the market price. This is very risky as it is not always possible to produce at a price lower than the market price and this will inevitably lead to losses for the farmers. In other industries, prices are set by adding a markup to production costs so managers do have some latitude in determining the markup. Therefore, both market forces and cost considerations heavily influence prices.No organization or industry can price its products below their production costs indefinitely. And no company’s management can set prices blindly at a cost plus a markup without keeping an eye on the market. Political, Legal and image-related issues: managers must adhere to certain laws. The law generally prohibits companies from discriminating among their customers in setting prices. It is also forbidden in collusion in price setting between major firms. Political considerations also can be relevant.For example, if the firms in an industry are perceived by the public as reaping unfairly large profits, there may be political pressure on legislators to tax those profits differentially or to intervene in some way to regulate prices Companies also consider their public image in the price-setting process. A firm with a reputation for very high quality products may set the price of a new product high to be consistent with its image. 15-11. Write the general formula for cost-plus pricing, and briefly explain its use. Price = Cost + (Markup % * Cost) 15-12. List the 4 common cost bases used in cost-plus pricing.How can they all result in the same price? – Variable manufacturing cost + (Markup % * Variable manufacturing cost) – Absorption manufacturing cost + (Markup % * Absorption manufacturing cost) – Total cost + (Markup % * Total cost) – Total variable cost + (Markup % * Total variable cost) Several different definitions of cost, each combined with a different markup percentage can result in the same price for a product or service. 15-13. List 4 reasons often cited for the widespread use of absorption cost as the cost base in cost-plus pricing formulas. – In the long run, the price must over all costs and a normal profit margin.Basing the cost-plus formula on only variable costs could encourage managers to set too low a price in order to boost sales. This will not happen if managers understand that a variable cost-plus pricing formula requires a higher markup to cover fixed costs and profit. Nevertheless, many managers argue that people tend to view the costs base in a cost-plus pricing formula as the floor for setting prices. If prices are set too close to variable manufacturing cost, the firm will fail to cover its fixed costs. Ultimately, such a practice could result in the failure of the business. Absorption-cost or total-cost pricing formulas provide a justifiable price that tends to be perceived as equitable by all parties. Consumers generally understand that a company must make a profit on its product or service in order to remain in business. Justifying a price as the total cost of production, sales, and administrative activities, plus a reasonable profit margin, seems reasonable to buyers. – When a company’s competitors have similar operations and cost structure, cost-plus pricing based on full costs gives management an idea of how competitors may set prices Absorption-cost information is provided by a firm’s cost accounting system, because it is required for external financial reporting under generally accepted accounting principles. Since absorption-cost information already exists, it is cost-effective to use it for pricing. The alternative would involve preparing special product-cost data specifically for the pricing decision. In a firm with hundreds of products, such data could be expensive to product. 15-14. What is the primary disadvantage of basing the cost-plus pricing formula on absorption cost? The primary disadvantage of absorption-cost or total-cost pricing formulas is hat they obscure the cost behavior pattern of the firm. Since absorption-cost and total-cost data include allocated fixed costs, it is not clear from these data how the firm’s total costs will change as volume changes. Another way of stating this criticism is that absorption-cost data are not consistent with cost-volume-profit analysis. CVP analysis emphasizes the distinction between fixed and variable costs. This approach enables managers to predict the effects of changes in prices and sales volume on profit. Absorption-cost and total-cost information obscures the distinction between variable and fixed costs . 5-15. List 3 advantages of pricing based on variable cost – Variable-cost data do obscure the cost behavior pattern by unitizing fixed costs and making them appear variable. Thus, variable-cost information is more consistent with cost-volume profit analysis often used by managers to see the profit implications of changes in price and volume – Variable-cost data do not require allocation of common fixed costs to individual product lines. – Variable-cost data are exactly the type of information managers need when facing certain decisions, such as whether to accept a special order.This decision often requires an analysis that separates fixed and variable costs 15-16. Explain the behavioral problem that can result when cost-plus prices are based on variable cost. If the managers perceive the variable cost of a product or service as the floor for the price, they may tend to set the price too low for the firm to cover its fixed costs. Therefore, if variable-cost dat a are used as the basis for cost-plus pricing, managers must understand the need for higher markups to ensure that all costs are covered. 15-17. Briefly explain the concept of return-on-investment pricingA common approach to determine the profit margin in cost-plus pricing is to base profit on the firm’s target return on investment 15-18. Explain the phrase price-led costing. Target costing sets the target cost by first determining the price at which a product can be sold in the marketplace. Subtracting the target profit margin from this target price yields the target cost, that is, the cost at which the product must be manufactured. This simple, but strategically important, relationship can expressed in the following equation:Target cost = Target price – Target profit 15-19. Why is a focus on the customer such a key principle of target costing? To be successful at target costing, management must listen to the company’s customers. Management needs to aggressivel y seek customer feedback and then the products must be designed to satisfy customer demand and be sold at a price they are willing to pay. In short, the target costing approach is market driven. 15-25. Describe the following approaches to pricing new products: skimming pricing, penetration pricing and target costing.Skimming pricing; which the initial product price is set high, and short-term profits are reaped on the new product. The initial market will be small, due in part to the high initial price. This pricing approach often is used for unique products, where there are people who ‘must have it’ whatever the price. As the product gains acceptance and its appeal broadens, the price is lowered gradually. Eventually, the product is priced in range that appeals to several kinds of buyers. Penetration pricing; which the initial price is set relatively low. By setting a low price for a new product, the management hopes to penetrate a ew market deeply, quickly gaining a la rge market share. This pricing approach often is used for products that are of good quality, but do not stand out as vastly better than competing products. Target cost; where the company first uses market research to determine the price at which a new product can be sold. Given the likely sales price, management computes the cost for which the product must be manufactured in order to provide the firm with the cost for which the product must be manufactured in order to provide the firm with an acceptable profit margin.Finally, the engineers and cost analysts work together to design a product that can be manufactured for the allowable costs. This method is used widely by companies in the development stages of new products. It is projected long-run cost that will enable a firm to enter and remain in the market for the product and compete successfully with the firm’s competitors. 15-27. Briefly explain the potential negative consequences in pricing decisions from using a traditio nal, volume-based product-costing system. Use of a traditional, volume-based product-costing system may result in significant cost distortion among product lines.In many cases, high-volume and relatively simple products are overcosted while low-volume and complex products are undercosted. This results from the fact that high0volume and relatively simple products require proportionately less activity per unit for various manufacturing support activities than do low-volume and complex products, yet a traditional product-costing system, in which all overhead is assigned on the basis of a single unit-level activity like DL hours, it fails to capture the cost implications of product diversity.

Poverty-a Social Evil Essay

Poverty is the cause of all social Evils This universe is replete with innumerable masses who are unable to afford the bare minimum necessities of life. They live below the poverty line and even face the problem of getting a square meal. They lack in food, clothes and shelter. Generally they live in slums and jhuggis. They move from pillar to post in search of food but return in the evening empty handed. They even spread their hands before all but remain devoid of alms. Poverty leads to criminal activities like robbery, thefts, Murder, kidnapping and looting. Now and then one can find headlines in the papers about their criminal activities. We often come across reports about whole family committing suicide by taking poison as they cannot afford a square meal. Even the parents do not hesitate to sell their children for just Rs. 1000. These are such a people who kill their small wards because they cannot provide them the minimum necessities of life. Woman you can be even seen selling their bodies or working as sex-workers. When people are unable to get their livelihood by honest means, they are bound to turn into criminals. Very often people find criminals living only in slums. Poverty is the cause of all social Evils This universe is replete with innumerable masses who are unable to afford the bare minimum necessities of life. They live below the poverty line and even face the problem of getting a square meal. They lack in food, clothes and shelter. Generally they live in slums and jhuggis. They move from pillar to post in search of food but return in the evening empty handed. They even spread their hands before all but remain devoid of alms. Poverty leads to criminal activities like robbery, thefts, Murder, kidnapping and looting. Now and then one can find headlines in the papers about their criminal activities. We often come across reports about whole family committing suicide by taking poison as they cannot afford a square meal. Even the parents do not hesitate to sell their children for just Rs. 1000. These are such a people who kill their small wards because they cannot provide them the minimum necessities of life. Woman you can be even seen selling their bodies or working as sex-workers. When people are unable to get their livelihood by honest means, they are bound to turn into criminals. Very often people find criminals living only in slums.

Source Review for the article The touch screen generation Essay - 1

Source Review for the article The touch screen generation - Essay Example Most of the parents are following the strict on screen rules. In the article â€Å"Touch Screen Generation†, â€Å"Hanna Rosin† discusses the positive as well as negative aspects of the digital media. Rosin believes that parents should restrict the children to use digital media improperly. Rosin argues that parents should make rules at home about the amount of time children spent on digital media. American Academy of Pediatrics published a report in 1999 in which the organization enlightened the good and bad aspects of the digital media on the toddlers and younger children. Social and professional organizations such as American Academy of Pediatrics should continue make suggestions about the amount of screen time children should be allowed. Social and professional organizations are helping the society in understanding the social and educational facts by compiling the facts and figures. American Academy of Pediatrics is of the professional organizations that are helping the parents to better understand the needs of the children and how to restrict the children from using digital media. Parents should keep in mind that they should properly make strict rules at home for the children about the screen time. The organization prohibited the parents to allow their children to watch televisions or other form of digital media less at than 2 years of age. However, the report published by American Academy of Pediatrics encouraged the parents to allow their children older than 2 years to watch education programs. The educational programs have positive impacts on the children (Rosin, 2013). The updated report was published in 2011 and it has lesser impact on the parents, as about 90% of the parents have allowed their children less than 2 years old to used electronic media. In 2011, the report was updated and took the previous stance of discouraging the children to use â€Å"smart phone† and new screen technologies but in this report, the organization did not

Sex, leisure and commodity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sex, leisure and commodity - Essay Example enough that it stands parallel with time and social revolution.’ Guess advertising, in its crucial role to tap the mainstream of commerce, knows exactly the heart of what more than meets the reality, as essentially flowing and easy to engage public’s good opinion in view and feel of inevitable trend, wherein buying attitude is thereafter induced, following a ‘natural desire to possess’ at depth. Hence, the key to the best consequence may convincingly be placing nature on the very spot and everything else just magnifies into it and makes certain so, the shape of a profitable commodity. human nature, openly confessed to be a conventionally tolerated idea of ‘sexy and fabulous clothing.’ Breaking through the initial layer or impression, however, a more profound aspect of human nature, of lust and sex, every so often implicit by norm, is revealed. At first encounter, the picture makes a viewer critical of the correct statement of fashion (based primarily on the mutual notion about the brand) eyeing details on how pleasant or striking coordinates ought to accumulate in harmony with reference to each model’s garment pieces and accessories. Altogether, the quiet story is such that the trousers, or the fashion core at the lower half bears attraction to be perceived at the upper half. One may undeniably infer that while each pronounced object flashes from its place with intensity, the more enticing element takes form from beyond the attention to social confidence as the obvious matter. In the middle of consciousness, overall gestures provoke, first holding still then snapping into a moment fluid with so much passion, that the observation evolves ‘fetish’ from ‘plain’, setting the viewer to read the message on an imagining dimension where further reflection of the label’s means proceeds libidinously. It is conspicuous that the

Commercial Law Master Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Commercial Law Master - Case Study Example For the first dispute of withholding payments due to Gilfil plc, the company can proceed against Tryan in the England & Wales High Court (commercial) without approaching the respective county court since value of claim would exceed 25,000. See relevant case Dalkia Utilities Services Plc v Celtech International Ltd [2006]1 Civil cases at first instance are heard in the County Courts (for minor claims) or the High Court, which is divided into three divisions: Queen's Bench, Family and Chancery. Cases may be appealed to the Court of Appeal (Civil Division). Cases may be appealed from the County Court to the High Court2. For the third issue of Gilfil plc having found their suppliers Eliot Electrical contractors infringing their exclusive and patented design of Phoebus brand. in the name of Pharos, they may file a suit against them in the respective Patent County court. See case 3 Gilfil plc may also implead Barton and Tryan for having sold duplicated version of their Phoebus brand. For the issue of negligent delivery of goods by the carriers, Gilfil plc may file a suit against them in the county court or High court depending up on the value of the claim. In the event of claim exceeding 25000, they can be made a party in the case they are filing against Tryan. Dispute resolutions As for withholding of payment for bills for which goods have been satisfactorily supplied, clause 3(2) of the contract says that order shall be placed on a monthly basis for the entire duration of the contract. The buyer having failed to do so, the seller had every right to repudiate the contract for the reasons of breach. But the seller has not given 30 days notice of its intention to cancel the contract as provided in clause 11 (1) of the contract. It only says 'may" and not "shall" which means notice is not mandatory in the event of a breach. Clause 11(2) will not apply since it is attracted only if there has been no breach in which case notice is construed as mandatory by the words "shall". Clause 5(6) of the contract says that payment shall not prejudice the right of the buyer. In the first place there was a breach on the part of the buyer by failure to place orders because of which the seller later declines to supply for having up other contracts. The breach though may be due t o restructuring, the buyer can not invoke "force majeure" clause nor had they notified the seller about their intention not to place orders temporarily. Where as clause 5(6) payment of any bill does not affect buyer's right under the contract, they have no case to withhold payment of the bills duly supplied. Even if it happens to be the bill goods of which have been damaged in rain, the buyer has no right to do so due to insurance clause. And even otherwise, they failed to receive the goods when it arrived and carriers have done the best possible option available to them, though

Government Agency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Government Agency - Essay Example They are supposed to help each other especially in the absence of the other person since he is the nearest one in the area. One post man was sick for one week so he was not able to deliver the mails. While the other knows it, he deliberately did not finish he tasks of the other post man, leaving some mails undelivered. Upon the return of the sick postman, he discovered that not all mails were delivered and some of them are urgent. It has caused the conflict between the two postmen so that the Postmaster had to intervene. As a judicial authority, the Postmaster has pushed for a truce between the two postmen, giving a proper sanction to the one who failed to deliver the mail such as asking him to deliver the remaining mails, while helping the sick post man to deliver the recent mails. The Postmaster has also created a rule that the postman at the adjacent county should be responsible for all the letters left by a sick postman-partner so that he is liable for any loss or

Influence of blood donation on levels of water-soluble vitamins Research Proposal - 1

Influence of blood donation on levels of water-soluble vitamins - Research Proposal Example This study shall aim at getting full information on the influence of blood donation on soluble mineral salts in the body. There shall be some approaches used to achieve the intended purpose of the study. There shall be twenty participants in this study. Ten of them shall be donators of blood in the previous two months while the other ten shall be controls since they will not have donated blood in the previous two months. This study design will help to get the comparison between the health of the people who donated blood in the area and those who did not donate blood. The participants will be randomly picked from the population sample. This is advantageous because it will make the results to be more reliable. A general research will be done to determine the number o people who had donated blood in the previous two months. This will be done through quantitative analysis to establish the real number of people who had donated blood in the area. A questionnaire shall be availed to the twenty participants to be filled. This shall be quantitative to determine personal issues pertaining the donation or non-donation of the blood. A medical test shall be done for the twenty participants in this study. This will need medical professionals so that they can provide real results on where the soluble mineral salts were been lost by those who donated blood. In addition, an interview shall be carried out to determine the diets that were been used by the participants who had donated blood. Some problems are likely to occur in this study. One of them is that it shall be hard to get the right sample for the study. In addition, some of them will not be interested in the study and this will mean that the results may be invalid or outdated. In addition, many of the respondents shall be in fear of the tests and this may even lead to some refusing the test. The solutions that shall be approached in this issue shall aim at making the whole

Concert Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Concert - Assignment Example But let us prove such a general line of current musical opus with some evidents, sure, along with â€Å"aura† analysis. Total duration of the opus is 8:30. First part is till 5:18. Second part is from here until the end, approximately 8:15. First part is slow, weak (â€Å"dark† Capitalism), melancholical, full of classical allusions, and repetative. I think, as it was already suggested beforehand, that this weak, slow, and repetitive movement, full of classical allusions, depicts a character of Western and American late capitalist society, as it was viewed by Shostakovich. So, first part is extremely â€Å"dark.† Its aura is â€Å"black† and fantastic one, in terms of German romantism in music.That is why this â€Å"nature† (initial one) of the opus is ruled over by another one, light and strong, like a sun of the rising Communism over the world. Second part gets a victory over the first one after a bright and powerful culmination, which begins at 5:18. Classical movement of the opus (its first part) is overwhelmed by an â€Å"epic† nature of Communism victory. As a composer, Shostakovich suggested that this victory would be very hard and full of efforts (victims?), but its â€Å"light future† is determined, in general. Therefore, fierceful movement of powerful victory of Communism depicted in terms of its ideological strength. To conclude with, â€Å"classical† nature of oldish Capitalism is ruled over a bright revolutionary musical movement of young Communism in the epic battle over the future of the world. Capitalism is weak because of its lack of ideological dominants and motivational strength. This idea was depicted by Shostakovich in his No. 8 in C minor Largo and Allegro Molto. Again, as for the â€Å"aura† analysis, first part of the performance was extremely moody, black and dark as a night. As it was stated, this â€Å"nature† was taken over by a â€Å"sunny† and â€Å"fierceful† (to its enemies) day of rising Communism.

Is investment in green or environmentally friendly activities of Essay

Is investment in green or environmentally friendly activities of benefit to a small business - Essay Example And, a sufficient number of scholars necessitate that managers to consider the natural environment more as a subjective or a strategic problem than as an ethical or normative one (Aragon-Correa et al., 2004; Banerjee, 2001; Cordano and Frieze, 2000; Sharma, 2000). Consequently, they support a strategic mindset and approach to promote change from within the organization (Clemens, 2001). For SMEs, it is in their organizational interests to pursue such environmental policies that make them a responsible part of the environmentally responsible organizations; more importantly, the SMEs do not exist always to be identified with this term, they need growth and economic prosperity on a very strong footing; their entire future growth is largely associated with their current outlook seen and observed by the stakeholders; they need to invest in environmentally friendly activities. However, it is and will not be an easy task for SMEs as they face many problems such as limited financial resources , under-developed organisational structure, raw management style and so on are those factors that do not help SMEs to introduce a positive outlook denoting them as ‘an environmentally friendly entity.’ In the subsequent parts of this paper, first, it is argued for the topic and followed by argued against the topic; subsequent to that a conclusion is provided. Every organization always wants to grow particularly SMEs. And, nowadays, growth requires more social and environmental investment as a way to promote their name as an environmentally friendly entity. Most of the larger organizations have been enjoying growth in their net profit figures by providing the annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports along with their annual reports. In these reports, they account for such economic, social and environmental investment either that have been

Bureaucracy and self-government Essay Example for Free

Bureaucracy and self-government Essay When a government creates policies, regulations, laws and guidelines, it rigorously and astutely applies them through what is called an act and service of public administration. Public administration is then implemented within an organizational structure. The bureaucracy that this structure operates illustrate the various operatives and/or personnel and/or leaders that makes the decision and leads the methodologies, tactics and strategies to implement the said policies, regulations, laws and guidelines. The bureaucracy is likewise responsible in ensuring the efficient and effective ways and means for such act and service. In executing its mandate, public administration must be dynamic. It must have a natural course of evolution and appropriate change and improvements that responds to the multifarious and complex demands of public service; constituent needs and demands and expectations. â€Å"Bureaucracy and Self-Government†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is a book that gives enlightenment and on how concepts of public administration renders its appropriate service to the American people. The Book’s Insights Bureaucracy in its principle is the rational and academic structure of the organizational process in rendering service and implementing policies and procedures of any institution – like the government. The positive principle of bureaucracy has however evolved into a negative context in the modern time wherein red tape and other forms of inadequacies. It is because the bureaucracy in rendering public administration operates within two types of concepts. It is therefore very important and interesting that Dr. Cook laid out in his book that public administration in American politics is operated both within the instrumental concept and in the constitutive concept. The instrumental concept believes that the job of bureaucracy in public administration is to execute the instructions of public officials. Within the simplicity of this concept there lies the insufficiency of complete rendering of public service. That is the reason why Dr. Cook has outlined that the past two centuries of America is a struggle to create life and meaning and expectations of the instrumental concept of public administration and service. The constitutive concept believes that the job of bureaucracy in public administration is to shape and characterize public policy and political community. This concept allows formative methods that bring shape and structure to laws and policies of government. Creativity and dynamic insights and foresights of government officials and public administrators are exercised in using this concept. The concluding insight of Dr. Cook in â€Å"Bureaucracy and Self-Government†¦Ã¢â‚¬  outlines principles of responsible public administration. Firstly, with proper responsibility in governing and administering comes along an unlimited ability. A complete and consummate commitment to adherence to the law must be characterized in the proponents of public administration. Government leaders and officials must take the rule of law as their way of life. Secondly, within the rule of law â€Å"an adequate sphere of constitutionally legitimate independence must be carved†. (Cook, 1996, page 177). This principle is coherent with what government administrators have sworn to in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities. It is important that discretion of the law is carried out with integrity. The Book’s Presentation The book is presented in a very scholarly format. He extensive experience of Dr. Brian J. Cook in the study of politics and public administration render authority on the subject matter. The book is seemingly passionate in pursuing ways and means for public administration to still attain its ideals. The book traced well established historical background that served the impetus on how American government administration and management has evolved – thus providing the foundation of the conduct and manner of public administration of modern day. Whatever the course of history and evolution American politics and public administration may have tracked and traced, the book offers confidence and hope that the better of valor shall surface in public administration in America. The Book’s Author Dr. Brian J. Cook is presently a Professor in the Center for Public Administration and Policy in the School of Public and International Affairs of Virginia Tech. He earned his BA degree in Political Science in 1977 from Cleveland State University with magna cum laude honors. His further education in government and politics earned him is masters in 1982 and doctorate in 1984 – both from the University of Maryland. He has taught; lectured and done research on politics and government since 1979. Dr. Cook has been endowed with numerous foundation and university grants and government sponsored research. He has written and published three books: â€Å"Bureaucratic Politics and Regulatory Reform: The EPA and Emissions Trading† (1988); â€Å"Bureaucracy and Self-Government: Reconsidering the Role of Public Administration in American Politics† (1996) and â€Å"Democracy and Administration: Woodrow Wilson’s Ideas and the Challenges of Public Management† (2007). In addition he has written and published numerous book chapters; peer reviewed and non-reviewed articles; book reviews; conference papers and reports covering a very wide array of thoughts, principles and theories in American politics, government, administration policies. (Brian J. Cook Curriculum Vitae, 2008, pages 1-2) Works Cited: Cook, Brian J. Bureaucracy and Self-Government: Reconsidering the Role of Public Administration in American Politics John Hopkins University Press, 1996 Brian J. Cook Curriculum Vitae, September 2008 http://www. cpap. vt. edu/doc/BJC_Curriculum_Vitae_09-08. pdf [accessed 2 June 2009]

literature Review of Hate Crimes

literature Review of Hate Crimes Abstract Hate crime is a term that was born in the 1980s from journalists and policy advocates who were trying to describe crimes of bias against African Americans, Asians, and Jews. From there, the term hate crime expanded and an act was passed that required the tracking of hate crime statistics. These statistics can often be misleading due to the underreporting of hate crimes and the strict requirements surrounding what constitutes a hate crime. Gender based hate crime is the most prevalent, with African Americans being the largest racial group targeted by hate crime. Trends develop in the amount of hate crimes as seen by the recent upswing in hate crimes against Middle Easterners following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Police have responded to hate crime by changing their policies and creating new units to specifically target hate crime. There have been new laws created regarding hate crimes and an enhancement of their punishment in an effort to combat hate crime. Possible solu tions to try to decrease hate crime focus on the early identification of young adults and juveniles who may be prone to commit these acts and the intervention and education of offenders. There must also be a focus on the tactics of law enforcement officers if hate crime is to be reduced. 3 A Study of Hate Crime To better determine how to respond to and handle hate crime, it helps to understand just what hate crime is. An example of hate crime from Shively and Mulford (2007) is, In December 2000, in Brooklyn, New York, Mohammad Awad punched Chaim Spear while yelling obscenities and anti-Semitic remarks (para. 1). This is a very basic example of what can be a very complex criminal act. Specific statistics on just how many hate crimes are committed can be a bit murky due to reporting methods, but one thing that can be gathered from the statistics is that hate crime is not going away anytime soon. Since hate crime is not going away, the appropriate response to hate crime from police and courts is more important than ever. The response of police and courts should also work towards solving the problem of hate crime. That can mean targeting hate crime in youth offenders and possibly preventing it or changing the tactics of law enforcement officers. When studying any problem, a good place to start is determining the origins of the problem. With that being said, hate crime has most likely been around as long as there have been people with differences in religion, race, or sexual orientation trying to live together. But, as pointed out by Shively and Mulford (2007), The term hate crime was coined in the 1980s by journalists and policy advocates who were attempting to describe a series of incidents directed at African Americans, Asians, and Jews (para. 26). The collection of statistics regarding hate crimes began in 1990. It was at this time that the Hate Crime Statistics Act was passed by Congress. The act as defined by Bartol and Bartol (2011), Known as the Hate Crime Statistics Act, it requires data collection of violent attacks, intimidation, arson, or property damage that are directed at a person or group of persons because of race, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity (p. 17). During the 1990s, the act was expanded to i nclude disabilities, both physical and mental, as a tracked bias. The Hate Crimes Sentencing Enhancement Act was also passed during the 1990s to lengthen sentences for perpetrators convicted of hate crimes. While studying hate crime it is apparent that there can be trends in hate crime. African Americans usually top the chart in being the target of hate crime, but a trend that started after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 were an increase of hate crimes against people from the Middle East. One of the more surprising finds from Steinberg, Brooks, and Remtulla (2003) was, Gender-based hate crimes, or crimes against women, are perhaps the most prevalent form of hate crime in general, but the most socially acceptable and prevalent type of hate crime among teenagers and young adults is that targeting sexual minorities (para. 28). This find was surprising to read at first, but after reflection, the find makes sense. In many countries, women are still seen as second-class citizens with less rights and privileges than their male counterparts. Among teenagers and young adults, there is still a negative stigma around being homosexual as seen from some of the slang still used. An examp le of this is hearing a group of students describe something they deem to be bad as gay. The impact these hate crimes have on the victims can be overwhelming and lasting. As described by Bune (2004), Sometimes they blame themselves for being victimized, although they are innocent victims. As a consequence of their victimization, victims may isolate themselves from others and possibly develop strong mistrust of other people (para. 10). The impact on the victims makes it very important to get a clear picture on how prevalent hate crime is. But, because of underreporting, it is very hard to have accurate statistics on just how prevalent hate crime is overall. As stated above, two of the problems with statistics regarding hate crimes is determining what constitutes a hate crime and victims not always reporting the crimes against them in fear of either retaliation or shame. According to research from Shively and Mulford, the FBI found 7,163 hate crime incidents with 8,795 victims in a 2005 study. But, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) using victim interviews and including times when the offender either used hateful symbols or language found 191,000 incidents affecting 210,000 victims. As they explain, The disparity in these two estimates stems, in part, from an important difference in the data collected: the FBI counts only crimes that are reported to the police. For the NCVS, BJS collects information from victims, who are asked if they think hate played a role in the crime (para. 8). This is a huge gap in the two numbers and more than likely, the true scope of the problem lies somewhere in between the two numbers. A specific look at s ome of the groups from the research of Steinberg, Brooks, and Remtulla shows, In 1999, there were 7,876 hate crimes reported, of which 4,295 were motivated by racial bias, 1,411 by religious bias, 1,217 by sexual orientation bias, 829 by ethnicity/national origin bias, 19 by disability bias and 5 by multiple bias (para. 24). With over half of reported hate crimes that were reported being motivated by racial bias, it is clear that race is still an issue in the United States. These statistics can help in responding to hate crime by determining where efforts should be focused. Two main entities focused on hate crime right now are police departments and the court system. Police departments have begun to deal with hate crime by altering their policies regarding how hate crimes are handled and by creating units specifically to deal with hate crimes. One of these policy changes according to Bune is, Establish clearly that the department has zero tolerance to any form of hate crime, regardless of apparent seriousness (para. 6). By doing this, the community will begin to understand that hate crime will not be tolerated and as mentioned above, the penalties for hate crimes can be more severe. The units as described by Shively and Mulford, Many jurisdictions have established hate-crime units in their police departments, and some regional task forces are devoted to investigating hate crime (para. 13). These units have the time to focus on hate crimes specifically and implement strategies in dealing with and hopefully eliminating hate crime. The court system has a t ough balancing act regarding hate crimes. There are many acts that are racially motivated, but because of first amendment rights are protected. One example is cross burning. As explained by Harr, Hess, and Orthmann (2012), Without more evidence to prove a hate crime, cross burning is deemed a protected form of speech (p. 151). The court cannot interpret what is meant by the acts involved even if they are implied. Even without that, there is still the positive regarding hate crime legislation and laws. According to Shively and Mulford, The Federal Government and all but one State (Wyoming) have specific hate-crime laws (para. 10). Even though these laws vary in what they encompass or the enhancement of the penalties, having the laws in place is a step in the right direction regarding handling hate crime. After getting an idea about what hate crime is and tactics to try to combat it, there is another question that must be answered. What can be done to get rid of hate crime or at least significantly reduce the number of hate crimes? One idea from Steinberg, Brooks, and Remtulla is, To prevent future hate crimes, law enforcement agencies, state and federal agencies, public interest groups, and schools have been working together to identify and track hate crimes and to mitigate the conditions that foster them (para. 44). It is not surprising that there is a large amount of hate crimes perpetrated by young adults and juveniles. That developmental period lends itself to trying to fit in and struggling with peer pressure. That is why there must be a focus on young adults and juveniles if hate crime is to be decreased. Three ways this can be accomplished is by tracking the crimes that are being committed and identifying the causation behind them, stopping the recruitment of juveniles to hate groups, and using the data from tracking and identifying the causation of hate crime to intervene and educate at risk juveniles and young adults. Another way to try to reduce hate crime is to alter law enforcement tactics. This can be accomplished in a number of ways, such as police leadership ensuring that departmental policies are followed regarding hate crimes and assisting prosecutors in getting convictions of hate crimes by providing accurate information. A major tactic regarding victims as explained by Bune is, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦recognizing the particular fears and distress typically suffered by victims, the potential for reprisal and escalation of violence, and the far-reaching negative consequences of hate crimes on the community, the department will attend to the security and related concerns of the immediate victims and their families (para. 28). There should be a focus on healing and the rights of the victim after a hate crime has taken place. It not only helps the victim a nd their family, but the community as well to see that there is support and that it is okay to report crimes with fear of retaliation. Hate crimes definition has expanded since the 1980s. Even as different groups are added, the importance of focusing on hate crime will not change. Statistics regarding hate crime are very hard to track due to the underreporting of them as well as strict definitions on what the FBI determines to be a hate crime. Over the past few years, police departments and the court system have responded to hate crime by changing their policies, creating new units, and enacting laws centered on hate crime. Some possible solutions to decrease hate crime are to focus on young adults and juveniles and by changing law enforcement tactics regarding hate crime. A final example of hate crime and just how heinous and serious it can be comes from June 1998 in Jasper, Texas. James Byrd, Jr. was a 49-year-old African American man who was walking home from a family party when he was offered a ride home by three known white supremacists. They took him to a remote road and beat him and then dragged him behind th eir truck. The rest of the story as described by Bartol and Bartol, Police found Byrds head, neck, right arm, torso, shoes, a wallet, and other personal items scattered along the route. A mile-long blood trail on the road marked the gruesome scene (p. 18). A scene like the one described is not just another murder. It is the perfect example of the type of hate needed to commit a crime of this magnitude and why there needs to be such a focus on hate crime and its prevention. 9

Road Not Taken :: Free Essays

Critical Interpretation of â€Å"The Road Not Taken† by Robert Frost As a poem, â€Å"The Road Not Taken† is a great source of inspiration and able to be understood by all readers from an intuitive reader to a novice poem reader. A short poem with 4 sections, Robert Frost has given the main theme of the poem in its title, â€Å"The Road Not Taken.† Depending on the reader, the â€Å"road not taken† can ultimately imply any journey in life in which a decision between two paths must be made. â€Å"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood† provides the introduction and gives the main idea that a path must be chosen from two roads. Frost has further added to the drama of the decision in that both paths are desirable with â€Å"and sorry I could not travel both.† Frost implies that the path to be chosen is a personal decision in â€Å"and be one traveler.† In describing the two paths, Frost uses reverse language to describe. The first path was â€Å"bent in the undergrowth,† meaning it was well worn with no opportunity for overgrowth. The second path was â€Å"grassy and wanted wear† meaning it was overgrown and lacked wear (or a path). Frost foreshadows his decision by his use of language in describing those two paths. With both roads or paths equal, ultimately a decision must be made with no regret is the meaning Frost is providing in â€Å"And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black.† As Frost has made his decision as to which path to pursue, he introduces another idea that after traveling the selected path perhaps he can come back to the philosophical fork in the road and chose the other path. But then he reminds himself that as one decision leads to other decisions and time moves on, he will more than likely never be able to get back to this point in his life or journey. Road Not Taken :: Free Essays Critical Interpretation of â€Å"The Road Not Taken† by Robert Frost As a poem, â€Å"The Road Not Taken† is a great source of inspiration and able to be understood by all readers from an intuitive reader to a novice poem reader. A short poem with 4 sections, Robert Frost has given the main theme of the poem in its title, â€Å"The Road Not Taken.† Depending on the reader, the â€Å"road not taken† can ultimately imply any journey in life in which a decision between two paths must be made. â€Å"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood† provides the introduction and gives the main idea that a path must be chosen from two roads. Frost has further added to the drama of the decision in that both paths are desirable with â€Å"and sorry I could not travel both.† Frost implies that the path to be chosen is a personal decision in â€Å"and be one traveler.† In describing the two paths, Frost uses reverse language to describe. The first path was â€Å"bent in the undergrowth,† meaning it was well worn with no opportunity for overgrowth. The second path was â€Å"grassy and wanted wear† meaning it was overgrown and lacked wear (or a path). Frost foreshadows his decision by his use of language in describing those two paths. With both roads or paths equal, ultimately a decision must be made with no regret is the meaning Frost is providing in â€Å"And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black.† As Frost has made his decision as to which path to pursue, he introduces another idea that after traveling the selected path perhaps he can come back to the philosophical fork in the road and chose the other path. But then he reminds himself that as one decision leads to other decisions and time moves on, he will more than likely never be able to get back to this point in his life or journey.

Eating Disorders: A Feminist Issue Essay -- Health Bulimia Anorexia Fe

Eating Disorders: A Feminist Issue What is a feminist approach to understanding eating disorders? Not all feminists have the same understanding of eating disorders. There are many different theories that are prevalent in feminist literature today. This web page will explore some of the different feminist perspectives about the cause of eating disorders in our culture. Power Control and obedience In her book Unbearable Weight, Susan Bordo (1993) makes the argument that the fear of women's fat is actually a fear of women's power. Thus, as women gain power in society, their bodies dwindle and suffer. She states that "female hunger--for public power, for independence, for sexual gratification-- [must] be contained, and the public space that women be allowed to take up be circumscribed, limited... On the body of the anorexic woman such rules are grimly and deeply etched" (Bordo, 171). Naomi Wolf (1991) has a similar explanation of the origin of eating disorders in her bestseller The Beauty Myth. She states: "a cultural fixation on female thinness is not an obsession about female beauty but an obsession about female obedience" (Wolf, 187). Women who remain thin are being obedient; it is another way for patriarchy to control women. "If women cannot eat the same food as men, we cannot experience equal status in the community" (Wolf, 189). Sexuality Sexuality is another issue that feminist Naomi Wolf explores in an effort to understand the prevalence of eating disorders among women. "Fat is sexual in women. . . to ask women to become unnaturally thin is to ask them to relinquish their sexuality" (Wolf, 193). Women who develop eating disorders, especially anorexia, are denying their sexuality and natural female b... ... disordered attitudes and behaviors. Psvchology of Women Quarteriv. 2-0, 2. Goodman, Ellen. (1996). The skeleton look is in fashion. The Tennessean. June 1 1. Mahowald., Mary Betody. (1995). To be or not to be a woman: anorexia nervosa, normative gender roles, and feminism. Nagging Questions. Ed. Dana E. Bushnell. Boston: Rowman Er Littlefield. Martz, D. M., Handley, K. B. Er Eisler, R. M. (1995). The Relationship between feminine gender role stress, body image, and eating disorders. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 19, 4. Morris, B. J. (1985). The phenomena of anorexia nervosa: a feminist perspective. Feminist Issues, 5, 2. Orbach, Susie. (1978) Fat Is A Feminist Issue. New York: Berkeley Press. Swartz, L. (1985). Is thin a feminist issue? Women's Studies International Forum, 8. 5. Wolf, Naomi. (1991). The Beauty Myth. NewYork: Doubleday.

Essay --

World-renowned doctor Hans Selye once said, â€Å"It’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.† When parents and adults recall their college experience they often remember it as time where they had much freedom and few responsibilities. To students currently attending college, however, this time frame is often viewed as extremely stressful and exhausting. Stress is by far the most important health issue that college students face. Stress reactions have the ability to affect our overall health, our sleep patterns, and our school performance as it prevents us from meeting our everyday goals. It is extremely important for students to be able to identify and manage their stress levels and apply techniques that will enable them to reduce their stress. Stress not only plays an important factor on your overall wellness, but it is the leading cause to weight gain and the so-called â€Å"Freshman 15.† Without parental supervision and time refrains, college students often like to take advantage of their freedom by consuming whatever foods they desire. Instead of opting for healthy choices most students would much rather run to the cafeteria and grab a quick slice of pizza, or stop at the local fast food joint rather than making a salad in their dorm room or blending up a smoothie. Not only do these fatty fast foods taste good, but also they are also extremely easy to obtain especially when students have short breaks in between classes. Unfortunately this so called â€Å"15-pound† is not only acquired from the food decision student’s make, but also from the amount of alcohol they consume on weekends. Like the iconic movie portrayals, college students often enjoy going out on both weeknights and weekends consuming an over abundance of alcoh... ...r students to be able to take a few hours or even a few minutes of their day to do things that they enjoy. Relaxation techniques are extremely valuable in terms of stress management as they make it possible for students to spend a few minutes in a relaxing state of mind. Some other de-stressors are exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy diet, reducing caffeine intake, and getting on a normal sleep schedule. Most college students often lack time management skills, and are prone to procrastinating. It is beneficial to find a balance by setting realistic everyday goals and to keep your life and health in check in order and to manage one’s stress. College is supposed to be the best years of your life, not the most stressful years of your life. Therefore it is important to recognize how to maintain a healthy balance and how to cope and deal with everyday stress.

Communication in a Care Setting Essay

There are many different ways to communicate in the care setting and it is important that you use the right type of communication to match what the circumstances are. I will be using this essay to highlight the types of communication and when they should be used, for example, one to one communication, formal and informal, between colleagues, between professionals and people using services, multi-agency and multi-professional working. One to communication can be difficult for both people involved, especially if you don’t know each other well, or if one person is in a higher position than you, as this can cause a power balance. You need to be assertive, but not in a way that can put the other person down. The first thing to do is to create a positive impression. A good way of doing this is by making a friendly gesture, like a hand shake and smiling, as this breaks the ice and then both parties should hopefully feel more relaxed, and able to carry out a positive and friendly conversation, whether it be a formal work conversation, or an informal chat with a friend, or a colleague. The way you communicate with your work colleagues is extremely important, as you could be working with the same people for a long time and need to keep a positive atmosphere in the workplace, to help both the workers and the service users, as they the service users can pick up bad feelings and make them feel unsettled. There are many different forms of communication. Some are used in both formal and informal ways, such as text messaging. They are used informally between friends, but recently they are now used by health care settings, for example opticians, to send you a reminder message the day before an appointment. This form of communication should never be used in a setting where confidential information is used, as text messaging is not a totally safe form of communication. The same goes with emailing. This may be a fast and reliable way to send and receive important information, but there is always a chance of having your files hacked. Passwords must be used to help keep confidentiality. Written communication should be used in formal situations, where important information is needed to be recorded. This needs to be kept somewhere safe and secure. Oral communication is good for formal and informal settings, but you need to be careful where about the conversation takes place, as it can be easy to break confidentiality if the conversation is overheard. The same thing applies with sign language. If  this is used in a public place, someone around you may know sign language, so this can be a confidentiality issue. Music and drama can be used in different social care settings. Drama and Music therapists are used to help people, such as children who have been abused and find it easier to communicate what happened to them through role play, mime, or movement. These types of therapists can be used in conjunction with multi-agency working, for example, the police. If someone is on trial for abusing a child, the therapists use their skills to help the child to be able to speak about what happened, so it can be used in evidence in a court of law. Interpersonal interactions take place in many different ways. This can include speech, which like I included earlier on can be used in formal and informal contexts. The circumstances can be very different though depending on whether or not you are communicating in your first language, or if you or the person you are communicating with speaks with a different accent or dialect, or uses slang that you find difficult to understand. Also in each care setting jargon may be used, which is basically a way in which professional talk to each other that they understand, but others outside of that setting may not. An example of this is doctors using the term â€Å"SATS†, which is the blood saturation level, or BP, which is blood pressure. Along with verbal communication, a large majority of the way in which we communicate is actually non-verbal, with 55% of how we communicate actually being done by body language. In some formal or informal situations, the use of reflective listening is very important. A formal example would be a psychiatrist listening to a patient explaining what has been going on with them, or informally a friend listening to another friend’s problems. Sometimes I feel that listening can be the best form of communication that someone can use, as formally or informally, it makes the other person they are listening to feel like they care and can build trust between them. For those who are deaf the use of non-verbal communication is their main method of communicating with others. As well as the use of British sign language, known as Makaton, they communicate with facial expression, finger spelling, or even the use of signs and symbols. The use of touch can be used, but in formal situations there is the matter of professional boundaries. When communicating with someone who is deaf, or blind, it is important that the  right aids to communication are readily available, to cater to their specific needs. For example in a hospital, with a patient who is deaf, an interpreter should be used, and the use of braille for a blind patient. The uses of these aids are to break any barriers to communication.

Cinderella Argument Paper Essay

From generation to generation stories are always changing. Fairy tales like Cinderella go from mean step sisters to nice sisters, fairy god mother to a tree. After reading 5 different versions of Cinderella I had to choose which I would decide to read, above the others to my favorite child. After difficult thinking I have chosen the Walt Disney’s version of Cinderella for many great reasons. I have chosen the Walt Disney’s version because I feel it is the most fitting for children over all the others which are best suitable for older teens. Walt Disney’s version is the ideal story beginning with â€Å"Once upon a time† and ending with â€Å"lived in the palace and were happy ever after, too†. The fairy tale story of pretty girl by the name of Cinderella who lived with her step mother and 2 step sisters who treat her horrible having her cook, clean, and bake, meanwhile having no rights to do anything without her step mother’s permission. A great ball was given by the king, for the prince and every young girl in the kingdom were invited, even Cinderella†¦ Although the nasty step mother told her no. Cinderella cried her heart out, until an older woman appeared in front of her telling her, I am your fairy godmother and she said â€Å"You are going to the Ball†. Before you knew it with the powers of the step mother Cinderella was beautifully dressed and a coach pulled by horses was ready to take her. Cinderella was told that at the stroke of midnight the powers would be gone and she would, means she would have to be gone. Although no one knowing who she was, she caught the prince’s eye. Forgetting to keep her eye on the clock, at 12 she rushed out losing one of her glass slippers. Every girl in the land tried hard to fit into her lost slipper, until Cinderella was forced to try it on, and it fit her perfectly. Cinderella became the prince’s bride and lived happily ever after. All similar, but yet different, In â€Å"Cinderella†, by Anne Sexton there are minor differences that pointed out to me making me not choose this particular story for my child. Besides the story being set up like a poem, I found this to be more difficult for a younger child to understand. This story starts off stating 4 extremely short but successful stories then leading into Cinderella which in my opinion isn’t needed to understand the story. As the story goes on in line 32 they refer to Cinderella looking like Al Jolson, which no kid would understand causing another story within a story about who Al Jolson is. In Walt Disney’s Cinderella, Cinderella is forced to try the slipper on, after her sisters try it on and are unsuccessful. In both â€Å"Cinderella† by Anne Sexton, and â€Å"Cinderella† by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm, the step sisters decide to cut body parts to fit into the slipper. One cutting a toe off and the other cutting part of her heel off, until not long after, with help from the fairy god mother, or Cinderella’s mother that the prince finds out. I feel that blood and cutting off body parts because you don’t fit the characteristics you want so you can be with a man isn’t a good trait to teach your children. Lastly In both â€Å"Cinderella† by Anne Sexton, and â€Å"Cinderella† by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm, the fairy (mother) were doves who pecked the eyes out of both step sisters for the way they treated Cinderella. The step sisters treated Cinderella horrible but did not deserve to have their eyes pecked out. This teaches children a bad lesson as well as giving them a horrible view to picture. Clearly you can now understand why I have chosen what I have. After reading all 5 wonderful versions, Walt Disney’s Cinderella adapted by Campbell Grant is the best for any child, especially mine. After reading a happy story there is a lot less you’ll need to explain to your child that is unnecessary to be explained to until they are older. The Walt Disney’s version I feel it is the most fitting for children over all the others which are best suitable for older teens.

SOP for International Business Management in Fleming College

Pursuing a post Graduate in International Business Management is a dream, a goal and often a path to a future career. For inc, it is also a responsibility that I owe to myself and a commitment I have to-others. I have realized in the tOday's world that originality is ofte-n sacrificed for time and money. ] want to fully explore the knowledge of Ex p-orts,Imports and Business Management, fully expand on-the insights that it provides and_get my career started. Choosing IBM (International Business Management) as'a career would help launch ray career with a decent business. hich involves interacting with people_ I like to communicate with poople, act like a mediato. r, and solve their problems whether it may relate to rec rui ti ng or dealing with employees. I would like to oversee the business of managing people in an organization. Basically. I am a Mathematics Major. Majority. of my courseivork included fundamentals, derivation, evolutioniproblems and solutions. International Business Mana. gemcnt was on6d lily favorite subject. It is this liking for the subject, which inclines me,toTursue a Post Graduate diploma in International Business Management in your college.Business Management Study Guide Moreover, it is highly in demand in today's modern and competitive world. As a International Business professional has become:important part:of successful company with a-wide-variety of responsibilities. I would consider myself fortunate enough, if. I get to become a part of the team. Additionally, I strongly believe teamwork I choose International Business Management because the current need of the present and the future depends on the placements of business in the right direction. Your program with its,tlexibility and strength of curricultirmand couisework would allow me to further my understanding in this interdisciplinary approach to these complex of business issues that people face daily in their work environment. I am confident I can enhance the scholarly debate in the discipline of conflict resolution. â€Å"We live only once, but if we live right, once is enough†. The same truth applies to one's career decision because the career you choose is going to live with you through out your life and the education you perceive was, is and will be you're most loyal friend and which will help you achieve your career goals. Moreover, education is an investment that will reap rich dividends in the future ; will never go a waste. So one has to make wise career decisions in life for which he may not have to repent in the future. International business management refers to the effective management of business transactions that are to be performed across various countries. This is done to satisfy the objectives of people and organizations. Thus a firm should he aware of various issues while entering foreign markets. There are key political, cultural, social, legal and environmental issues that every organization must fully cover to ensure the smooth running of its business in foreign shores. Failure to do so may lead to may obstacles. It is always effective to take a proactive measure while conducting business in foreign markets. MY interest towards International Business and the knowledge gathered through college at my Master's in Business administration created a passion towards business field education tempted inc to act as a entrepreneur . Since we had only few specialization in my campus j could take only Finance and Marketing. I was first exposed with sales nature were i could find lots of customer relationship activity. At present am fit in Axis Bank Pvt Ltd as a Officer. I realize it is tough for a returning student; however. I do not believe in quitting. Lastly. I always want to succeed. Success here is twofold. First, it is personal success for me in the program. Next, it is my commitment to give you my very best, by learning International Business Management theory and taking it to the classroom and beyond. If I am accepted. I am sure you will not be disappointed. You will find me to be a committed and capable student and an enthusiastic advocate of business.

Cyber Bullying, Its Forms, Impact, and Relationship to Juvenile Delinquency Essay

Technology has brought tremendous changes to human lives. It literally changes everything. The start of the new millennium has brought remarkable changes in global perspectives. The idea of unknown possibility and unexplored world landscape vanished. In a sense the huge world, which people can thought was so vast that one cannot travel from one end to the other without spending one’s generation, shrank. According to Mapue, (2006), societies grew from interactional to isolated populace where each spends most of his time sitting in front of a computer. With the advent of such revolution the concept of Cyberspace was born and with it, the lives of the people and how they interact with one another correspondingly and dramatically changed. Cyberspace has brought tremendous changes to human lives since its emergence. Gibson (1982) in his short story ‘Burning Chrome’ coined the term ‘cyberspace’ to a computer generated virtual reality. According to him, cyberspace is the name of a real non-space world, which is characterized by the ability for virtual presence of and interaction between, people through ‘icons, waypoints and artificial realities’. Through the Internet major development paves way in society. The Internet creates new ways for citizens to communicate, come together, and share information of a social nature. It is obvious that the Internet has and will continue to change the way people live. Every day, the Internet expands by the social, political, and economic activities of people all over the world, and its impact can be seen everywhere. In this present time there is no geographical separation or borders that can hinder people to communicate elsewhere. All people now can participate and contribute drawing on their experiences and resources. In cyberspace, actions and reactions are essentially instantaneous, and this is why the Internet is so gratifying and attractive. This is why it has impacted society in almost all areas of human endeavor. As in any other field in life there are the negative aspects that the Internet has brought to humans. The digital era has promised users the potential to access information anywhere at any time. When the state adopted the Bill of Rights guaranteeing that â€Å"Congress shall make no law †¦ abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press,† few people have foreseen that any person of modest means could publish something that is accessible to the entire world (via the world wide web) to be read or viewed by potentially hundreds of millions (Edlemm, 2010). The Internet now permeates the lives of all humans. With the help of it, an individual can access any information that he may want in the same way that he can post or upload anything in the cyberspace. Truly internet activity is now part of human’s life. It enables man to become powerful in a way that he can access, control, and manipulate the internet as well as the information. Ironically, while many are enjoying the benefit of the internet it also gives others the chance to abuse it and use gain personal benefits by victimizing others.

LLI Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

LLI - Research Paper Example One of my major strengths lies on my ability to innovate. Innovation is a very important skill that an individual must have. This is because an innovative person will have the capability to come up with products and services which can satisfy the needs and requirements of a customer. From the score card, I was able to gather a score of more than number 6 (NCHL, 2010). From the performance evaluation matrix, this indicates that I am competent and very capable when it comes to issues dealing with innovation. My other strength lies on my capability to gather information concerning the various health care needs of customers. Research skills are a very important element that a health care individual must possess. This is because information collected can help an individual to make good decisions that are of benefit to himself, the customer and the organization that he or she works for (Jarvis, 2004). From the performance evaluation matrix, my information gathering skills lies on an average of 7.8 (NCHL, 2010). This proves that ability to gather information is one of my major strengths. A skill that goes hand in hand with information gathering is ability to collaborate with other stakeholders in the health and medical field (Jarvis, 2004). Through collaboration, I am able to acquire knowledge that was not within my possession. I can also use this type of knowledge to advance my career, and improve on the quality of services that I give to my customers. From the lifelong evaluation score card, I managed to garner a score of between numbers 7 to 9 (NCHL, 2010). This score card denotes that I have excellent collaborative skills, and it is one of my strengths. It is within my belief that collaboration does not only entail gathering information, but also sharing of resources for purposes of achieving a common good. In as much as I have these stronger points, I also have numerous weaknesses. I am unable to

Audit Industry Report - Airlines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Audit Industry Report - Airlines - Essay Example As a comparison between two airlines, higher performance may just not be a measure of a better unit revenue as for many, the airliner may be facing a higher unit cost in contrast to others operating within the same industry. In parallel to all these factors, capital available for growth or horizontal and vertical integration of services is also a key factor to the industry’s long term success (Taneja, 1987). Many successful airliners may have to prefer long term gains and profits to measure their success and would plan to expand or integrate over a longer period of time. Specifically for the airline industry, growth may be accounted for in terms of the capacity for growth. Datamonitor.com (2007) reports that the United States airlines industry grew by more than 8 percent in 2006 which placed it at a combined value of more than $145 Billion. However, In order to grow, an airline and the industry itself would need more funding. The need for funding will be directly correlated to the performance of the company, as capital is generated form investors and for most equity investors, the airline may have to show growth in its equity over time. Moreover, apart the airline must also be a viable interest to the debt investors. For this to happen, and to conform with the debt investors, a more than reasonable ratio of debt-to-asset is required. Apart from the focus on these direct factors that influence investment, there are several other key factors that play a turning role in raising capital for the airline industry and more focus is placed on international expansion. To wage international expansion into the equity of an airline, a risk assessment factor has to be incorporated in the financial sheet of the airlines in such a way that it has to reflect more associated risks such as currency risks or political risks. These forms of risks are more appropriate

Business Plan for Cafeteria in the Food Industry Assignment

Business Plan for Cafeteria in the Food Industry - Assignment Example The food industry is a global collective of diverse and complex business supplying food energy consumed by large populations all over the world. Food industry captures almost everyone except subsistence farmers who rely on the yield of their farms. I am venturing into the food industry because of its wide scope, which will ensure maximum sales. Recent studies document that food industry is wide and consist of variety of services including regulation of food quality, lobbying activities in the industry, and food safety; nutritional education, food technology research and development, agriculture, financial services, food processing, distribution through wholesale or retail and marketing. The food enterprise will sell fast food by means of retail and food processing (Dodds, 2009). This enterprise will use many methods of food production. Some of the methods will be; one off production in which customer makes specification with every order before preparation for delivery, batch producti on to take care of the large market size with a variety of food products. Mass production method will also be used due to the mass market for the identical food products, and just in time production, where the customer chooses what they need to be incorporated in their foodstuffs and then the chefs freshly make the food according to the specifications (Gilbert, 1999). This is the kind of enterprise I need to develop a business plan for and this paper will capture all the content necessary ranging from the executive summary, product description, market and competitors analysis, marketing plan, organizational plan, operational plan, financial plan, and a critical evaluation of the industry. Hence, this paper seeks to develop a business plan for a fast food cafeteria, sole proprietorship. The name of the fast food enterprise is Rooda Cafeteria. The cafeteria will serve a wide range of people ranging from Italians, British people and tourists from Italy and other places who wish to tast e authentic Italian food in London. Rooda Cafeteria will be located at Marylebone Lane, London. This is because of the presence of various financial firms’ and brokerages and means many potential people with refined taste who visit this location over lunch and dinner hours. Business Plan Executive Summary Rooda Cafeteria is a sole proprietorship that falls within food industry in London. The cafe will develop a unique business operational model that will minimize overhead costs. The provided fast food products by Rooda Cafeteria will be fast served high quality Italian meals. The meals will cater for multiples and variety and will be freshly delivered faster than any other competitor in the industry. The domestic market, in the food industry, for fast foods is large and segmented with Italian foods representing the top most choices within the market. Rooda Cafeteria will target the central business district that gets crowded during lunch hours with high income individuals (Ha schak, 1998). There are also financial firms, brokerages, shopping malls, local businesses, weekend markets and university compasses all over the place, which will be the targets to provide potential market to Rooda Cafeteria. The owner of Rooda Cafeteria has significant qualification and experience in fields of advertising, hospitality industry, and business management. This will ensure that the management of Rooda Cafeteria is well and productive. Rooda Cafeteria has good financials and this will grow with large positive cash flow. Revenues will as well grow annually as will

Will lowering the legal drinking age to 18 have a positive or negative Research Proposal

Will lowering the legal drinking age to 18 have a positive or negative impact (could narrow it to binge-drinking by college students) - Research Proposal Example Societies form concepts from experience; what defines a chair in one culture could very well differ from the definition of a chair in another. In certain cultures, what is perceived as an adult human being often too differs from culture to culture. There is no easy, clear-cut biological answer to the question of how one is to differentiate between the pre-adult and adult stages of human development; if there were, many ethical and political dilemmas which face contemporary societies would be answered without difficulty. Nevertheless, modern Western civilization has a clear ambivalence towards the subject of what it considers to be an adequate level of maturity in a human being to make him or her an adult human being. One concern which is intimately connected with and ultimately contingent upon the dividing line between these two stages of human life is the age at which young people are allowed to consume alcohol without restrictions. Most states in the United States have set the MLDA 1 at 21 years; thus, the age which the government respects individuals as having the proper level of maturity stands at 21 years (Montgomer, Foley and Wolfson). Youth drinking beneath this MLDA represents a serious public safety risk, both to the offenders themselves and those around them. This includes large social costs which come from irresponsible behavior. Public policies in the United States either aim to reduce alcohol supply to or alcohol demand from youth. Certain factors stand in the way of state public policies being properly enforced or having their intended effect: neighboring states may have differing policies, alcohol companies may lobby against strict enforcement, and the ubiquity of alcohol in contemporary society makes the acquisition of the substance almost too easy for underage drinkers. Whether or not such policies are, or can be, enforced according to law is a question to be addressed in turn. For much time, the solution to the rising occurrences

Seismic Hazards In the Region of Japan and Indonesia Essay

Seismic Hazards In the Region of Japan and Indonesia - Essay Example ‘Seismic Hazards’ and ‘Seismic Risks’ are often confused with one another. Seismic hazards may also be defined as any physical phenomena (for example, ground shaking) that are associated with an earthquake and that may produce adverse effects on human activities. It is restricted to the study of likely earthquake ground motions at any point on the earth. Seismic risk constitutes the results of a seismic hazard analysis, including both the consequence and the probability. Seismic risk is used to describe earthquake effects that include ground shaking, surface faulting, landslide, and economic loss and casualties (Algermissen 1). The following statement may help to distinguish between a hazard and a risk: Â   Â  A building located in a region of high seismic hazard is at lower risk if it is built on the basis of sound seismic engineering principles; whereas, a building located in a low seismic hazard zone is said to possess a high risk if not built in accord ance to the seismic engineering principles applicable to that zone.‘Seismic Hazards’ and ‘Seismic Risks’ are often confused with one another. Seismic hazards may also be defined as any physical phenomena (for example, ground shaking) that are associated with an earthquake and that may produce adverse effects on human activities. It is restricted to the study of likely earthquake ground motions at any point on the earth. Seismic risk constitutes the results of a seismic hazard analysis, including both the consequence and the probability. Seismic risk is used to describe earthquake effects that include ground shaking, surface faulting, landslide, and economic loss and casualties (Algermissen 1). The following statement may help to distinguish between a hazard and a risk: A building located in a region of high seismic hazard is at lower risk if it is built on the basis of sound seismic engineering principles; whereas, a building located in a low seismic hazard zone is said to possess a high risk if not built in accordance to the seismic engineering principles applicable to that zone. Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA) PSHA quantifies the probability, rather the rate, of exceeding the level of various ground motions at a site given all possible earthquakes (Field). Cornell was the first seismologist to develop this numerical approach to PSHA in 1968. PSHA involves three steps: 1. Specification of the seismic-hazard source model. 2. Specification of the ground motion model. 3. The probabilistic calculation. Hazard curves developed through PSHA show the likelihood of exceeding the various ground motion values at a specific site; on a typical hazard curve 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years is considered as one point. Actually, there is no alternative for a hazard curve to compare hazards at different locations. These curves are crucial in helping us to understand different types of ground motions. Not only this, the hazard c urve helps to determine the expected losses. Losses can occur from both frequent smaller events or from less frequent large events. An annual rate of exceedance versus peak ground acceleration (PGA) is defined as a hazard curve plot. An example is shown below: Seismic Hazard Analysis of Japan A group of island arcs related to various subduction zones constitute Japan. These islands stretch from the Kurile Islands in the northeast to the Ryukyu chain in the south. Japan uses its own seismic scale, in units of Shindo, to measure the strength of earthquakes. The JMA scale differs from other seismic scales in the way that it describes the degree of shaking at a given point on the Earth's surface. The magnitude of JMA scale is measured between 0 and 7. The JMA reports of earthquake level are based on the peak ground acceleration (PGA). A relationship of Shindo Number along with PGA and the effects on people, Ground and Slopes and Outdoor Situations (JMA) is represented in the Table below : Shindo Number Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) People Grounds & Slopes Outdoor Situations 0 Less than 0.008 m/s? Imperceptible to people. 1 0.00

Becoming who we are Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Becoming who we are - Essay Example For instance, my mother constantly updates the photos of herself in face-book platforms, so that her friends and peers may comment on them. This has an impact of shaping her identity and values, specifically because the comments normally determine the manner in which people are able to view her. For instance, I remember that one time, she was able to post a photo on her face-book platform, and she had put on some weights. This was able to attract a lot of comments from her friends, who suggested to her on the various methods that can be used for purposes of cutting on her weight. This was one of the values that was being decimated ton her, that weight increase is not desirable. Telephones, specifically smart phones and mobile telephones play a role in shaping our values and attitudes. As a young person, I am interested in the sending of short messages, to my friends, as a mode of communication. We normally communicate on a variety of issues, ranging from sports, relationships, and po litics. This has an impact of shaping my values and attitudes, mostly because I am able to know on the values and perceptions of others regarding a topic, and reflect on it, if, they are able to reconcile with my values and perceptions. This is because every human being has some elements of beliefs and values (Steinem, 3). The personality of an individual can also be influenced through the methods used in communication. For example, mobile phone texting enables younger people to chat with each other, and these results to the passage of some information that may not be conducive. This would in turn lead to changes in the personalities of an individual, mainly because of the kind of information passed, during the process of chatting. Explanation 2: Because of the emergence of the new methods of communication, many people have replaced the traditional methods of communication with these new forms of communication. This has made it difficult for an

Synthesis Sport and Ethnography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Synthesis Sport and Ethnography - Essay Example Nancy Nerenberg uses her article â€Å"next game† to convince the society that women participation in sport is rewarding although the sports had been a culture of men. Women involved in various sports attract media coverage. This is because for a long time, few women have risen above tradition cocoon to take part in sports. Sporting makes women gain a sense of community in public places and in the entire society. This paper argues that exemplary performance of women in sports is a clear indication of women potentiality in sports. Natalie argues that penetration of women into games such as skateboarding draws attention of very many people in the society. This occurs because skateboarding has been a preserve of men. Natalie observes that when a woman makes the decision of taking part in skateboarding it goes against the common grain of a male dominated game. Women who take part and perform exemplary in skateboarding often feel confident of the identity in the society. Women pene tration into skateboarding is still low. Skateboarders argue that women culture is a factor that has contributed to this low numbers. According to Natalie, girls fear to register bruises or scars on their bodies. On the contrary, women participants in skateboarding have shown exemplary performance and won public support. Feminine passivity in sports is a factor that influences individual performance of women skateboarding. ... This was contrary to the views of her father who viewed skating as a game of men. It is evident the exemplary women performers have struggled in their communities to rise to those heights. Facing the cultural odds in the society requires motivation. Convincing the society to accept uncommon culture is another uphill task or challenge that women have to face. The skateboarding has recognized the significance performance of women. Women skaters have to endure what would rather look like intimidating experience when performing amid men. This occurs because a woman skater may fail to get women peers to take part in skate game. Largely, women skaters confess to have taken some time practicing alone because of the cultural constraints that they face in the game. Nerenberg argues that basketball game is a sport that is a preserve for men for a very long time. The number of women participants in the game is low because of the cultural practices in the game. The game is roughly played, thus a ttracting the interest of a few women. Further, feminine passivity in the society influence the choice of sport that women would play. Nerenberg illustrates in her article that notions that attribute a particular game to a particular sex complicate the role of women in the game. The norms of the game and the nature of play is another factor that deprived women from taking active role. However, Nerenberg argues that male dominance in the game illustrates the perception that women have towards the game. Other than this, it also illustrates the societal inclinations or societal perception towards women. Largely, the society viewed women as weak for the game. Courage and strength are some of the things that influence participation of women. Another reason why a few women went for the

Food Predicament Essay Example for Free

Food Predicament Essay 1. List three factors largely responsible for the significant increase in North American food production since the end of World War II. a. Population Growth b. Rising personal income 2. Describe the trends in world food production vis-a-vis population growth from 1950 to the present. There is more people to supply food than before. 3. To what extent does expanding the amount of land under cultivation offer hope for significantly increasing world food supply? Why? To permit unproductive lands to be farmed, making it possible to raise two to three crops a year on the same land. 4. List four reasons for the loss of currently productive agricultural land. a. erosion b. desertification c. salinization d. water-logging 5. What factors make it unlikely that ocean fish harvests can be increased substantially above present levels? Large predator fish, overexploitation by industrial fishing fleets has reduced stocks of some species. 6. List several changes in food-handling practices that poor countries could implement to prevent loss of harvested crops. Store grains in bins that may not be easily penetrated, have good refrigeration and have reliable transport for the food. 7. To what extent can eating lower on the food chain help to solve problems of world hunger? It will help until the population grows more and going vegetarian would not be possible. 8. Why are a number of relatively affluent countries purchasing farmland in other nations? What are the advantages and disadvantages of such purchases for the host country? Because of the productive soil their food will grow much better in each different region. Some advantages might be that they will have that food available for the consumers and some disadvantages might be that there is a climate change and loose the crop. B. Match the following deficiency diseases with the nutritional factor (shown below the table) whose absence provoked these conditions (you can use the factor or corresponding letter (a, b, .): 1. childhood blindness 2. marasmus 3. anemia 4. kwashiorkor 5. mental retardation 6. pellagra 7. scurvy 8. rickets 9. beri-beri a. protein b. fiber c. vitamin A d. vitamin Bl (thiamine) e. vitamin C f. vitamin D g. vitamin E h. niacin i. iodine j. iron k. overall calorie/protein shortage C. True/False. Indicate T or F in the space before each numbered question. If the statement is false, revise it below in the box provided to make a correct statement; focus your response on the words in bold. 1. As incomes rise, food demand increases because more affluent people eat larger quantities of food. 2. It is estimated that approximately a billion people in the world today are undernourished. 3.Within families in poor societies, adolescent boys are the most likely to suffer from malnutrition. 4. Overpopulation is the major cause of chronic hunger problems in the developing world. 5. In societies where hunger is widespread, the rate of malnutrition among children and women is much higher than it is among men. 6. Malnutrition is most harmful when it occurs among children under 5. 7. The damaging effects of childhood malnutrition are reversible if the child receives an adequate diet when he/she becomes older. 8. Malnourished women are likely to give birth to underweight babies and to produce poor quality breast milk. 9. Marasmus is responsible for more childhood deaths in developing countries than any other single cause. 10. The most common nutritional deficiency disease worldwide is kwashiorkor. 11. A swollen belly, discoloration of the hair and skin, and stunted physical development are all classic symptoms of overall protein/calorie deprivation. 12. The worlds single most important cause of preventable brain damage and mental retardation is Vitamin A deficiency. 13. Aquaculrure offers greater hope for increasing the worlds fish harvest than does intensifying efforts in ocean fishing. 14. World livestock production, which rose steadily from 1950-1990, has subsequently leveled off because of falling market demand for meat. 15. Anemia is a leading cause of high female mortality rates and problem pregnancies in many poor countries. 16. Aquaculture supplies almost all of the tuna fish found in American supermarkets. 17. Biotechnology can help reduce farmers reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides and may make it possible to cultivate lands currently too dry or too saline for farming. 18. Among species commonly raised to supply animal protein for human consumption, fish are the most efficient energy converters, requiring just 2-3 pounds of feed to gain one pound of flesh. 19. In sub-Saharan Africa, grain production has remained stagnant at about one ton/ hectare since the early 1960s. 20. Significant increases in agricultural production achieved by technological breakthroughs such as the miracle grains or genetically modified crop and livestock varieties will ensure that all the worlds people enjoy an adequate diet.

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Essay Example for Free

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Essay The research gives the patient as well as the doctors and other healthcare professionals the education to be able to make the best decisions possible with treatments for each different individual as well as the support of the Government in this research. â€Å"The economics of medical product development determines how pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies establish their funding priorities. According to industry estimates, it takes an average of $800 million and 10-15 years to develop a new drug, medical device, or biologic and bring it to the market† [ (Resnick, 2003) ] Scope The overall scope of PhRMA is to do research in improving the quality of healthcare and how to do this. With the ultimate goal being patients receiving health care that is most efficient. Making sure that the research that is done is prioritized by the needs of the patients as well as society as a whole, having the research cover not only specific treatments costs and savings, but the costs of all healthcare treatments as a whole. As well as making sure that all technologies are used appropriately in all of healthcare. Design The design of PhRMA is to make sure that the research that is done is quality research. The data needs to be sufficient in nature as well as having the studies that are done show both the opportunities to improve as well as the strengths to improve upon. Making sure that the research that is done is up to date in this ever changing field so that it is providing the best results possible. The research needs to be both of a broad nature as well as a specifically direct nature, covering aspects that are important to society and the patients. Considering both economic issues and how well patients can be productive members of society, doing additional research to get patients to that point if they are not. Application PhRMA needs to make sure that the research that they are doing shows that not all patients are equal in the needs that they have medically and that if the research is not done on a personal level and done instead on a population level then the results will not show the individuals needs. In short, research that is done on a broader spectrum is only one way that can help people and the doctors to make an informed decision on care. With all of the technology that is out in the world of healthcare people needs to be informed on the other options that they may have for treatment. The government research should consider a balance in communicating the findings of its research. Giving access to peer reviewed results so that treatment decisions are well rounded before a decision is made. â€Å"Government decisions related to the funding and conduct of health outcomes research should be made through open, transparent procedures that ensure appropriate and timely involvement of stakeholders such as patients, health care professionals and medical researchers on issues such as proposed research goals, study designs and communication of study results. † [ (Resnick, 2003) ] In this communication, keeping in mind that all people can react differently to different treatments making sure to keep the needs of the patients as well as the value in mind. Discussion The article that I read was very interesting. I did not realize with the complication of research, especially with in the healthcare industry exactly how much of it really does affect the economy. Giving patients the variety in the different treatments that they receive can have a positive effect on the economy. It can over time change pricing (costs inputs), and with additional research that is constantly done on the variety of the treatments over time will help to create medical advances over time.  In the mission statement of PhRMA it states â€Å"To conduct effective advocacy for public policies that encourage discovery of important new medicines for patients by pharmaceutical and biotechnology research companies.

Gambling Addiction Literature Review

Gambling Addiction Literature Review Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction This chapter covers a review of past literatures pertaining to the topic under study. As an opening, it brings in the limelight the backbone of gambling. Several definitions about gambling and the rationale behind are put forward as described by several authors. Following this, the different types of gambling activities adopted by the university students are highlighted; namely poker, sports wagering and lotteries for example. Furthermore, gamblers response towards the gambling activities and their problems are reviewed and contrasted. 2.2 What is gambling? Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value (stakes) on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money or goods. Three key elements in gambling are: Consideration, Chance and Prize (I. N. Rose, 2013). McGill university review refers gambling as any game or activity in which you may risk money or a valuable object in order to win money. The elements present in gambling are firstly that one needs to realize that by gambling, something valuable is being put at risk, secondly the outcome of the game is determined by chance and finally once a bet is made it is irreversible. 2.3 History of gambling: Gambling is one of mankind’s oldest doings as indicated by writings and equipments found in tombs and other places. The foundation of gambling is considered to be divinatory by emitting marked sticks and other objects and inferring the upshot, man sought the understanding of future and the aims of gods. Anthropologists have also pointed to the fact that gambling is more rampant in societies where there is an extensive belief in gods and spirits whose compassion may be sought. With the advent of legal gambling houses in the 17th century, mathematicians came to a decision to take a serious awareness in games of randomizing equipment, such as dice and cards, out of which grew the field of probability theory. Organised approved sports betting dates back to the late 18th century where there was a swing in the official stance towards gambling, from considering it to a sin to considering it to a vice and a human weakness and lastly to seeing it as a mostly harmless and even entertaining activity. By the start of the 21th century approximately four out of five people in western nations gambled at least every week. 2.4 Who is a gambler? A person who wagers money on the outcome of games or sporting events can be categorized as a gambler. Gamblers can visit gambling houses, or through any other facility, to place their bets and hope for a win. There are three common types of gambler the social gambler, the professional gambler and the problem gambler. The professional gamblers are the rarest form of gambler and do not depend on luck but much more of games of skills to make an earning. They have full control over the money, time and energy they are spending on the game. The social gambler considers gambling to be a recreational activity and they maintain control of their betting, the energy and the time they spend on the game. They consider their betting to be a price to be paid for entertainment. Problem gambler involves the continuous involvement in gambling despite negative consequences and this can lead to other health and social problems. 2.5 Gambling across the globe 2.5.1 Gambling age The gambling age across the globe varies greatly. In some countries and areas gambling is proscribed altogether, in others gambling is only authorized for foreigners. In some areas, everyone is allowed to play but the betting age requirement is not the same for citizens as for foreigners. An example of such a country is Portugal where foreigners are allowed to venture in all casinos at the age of 18, while citizens need to be 21 or 25 depending on the gaming house. The most familiar gambling age across the sphere is 18 years and more than 50% of western countries have this gambling age. There are nonetheless abundance of examples of countries that have a superior limit, such as Greece and Germany. Germany is a good model of how thorny the question of gambling age really is as Germany, just like in the USA, has different ages in different states within the nation. Most German states require you to be 18 years old, but some have placed the age constraint at 21 years instead. Generally speaking, one can see a trend of countries and states lowering the gambling age from the once dominating gambling age of 21 year to just 18 years. This trend has been going for quite some time and across large parts of the world. 2.5.2 Top of the world Certain countries are, as a whole, hot ongambling. Measured in terms of loss per capita of adults, the two top nations containing the maximum loss stand head and shoulders above the world. Those two infamous gambling Mecca’s are Australia and Singapore (American Gaming Association, 2006). The top five countries as to gambling losses per capita of the adult population comprise: Australia, Singapore, Ireland, Canada and Finland. The average net yearly per adult expenditure on gambling for these nations runs from $1,275 down to $540 (American Gaming Association, 2006). 2.6 Gambling in Mauritius: It was recently declared that the Council of Ministers in Mauritius endorsed the resolution that bookmakers operating out of the Champ de Mars racecourse are now permitted to work only on Fridays and Saturdays. Till now they were allowed to take bets upon publication of the official program of races on Thursdays. The raison dà ªtre set for this decision is that it will smooth the progress of condensing the influence of gambling on the Mauritians. Gambling has become part of the foundation of the Mauritian society over the years. This takes account of casino gambling, online gambling, horse race betting and the â€Å"loterie verte†. Althoughhorse racingis still a popular betting sport, the Lotto, since its preface on the 7th of November 2009 as the new national lottery, has exceeded it in standing. We just have to pay attention to the radio for a few minutes or take a glimpse at the billboards when driving on the public road to get to know about the jackpot for the coming draw. There are more than 500 counters across the island in supermarkets, petrol pumps, and shops facilitating customers to play the Lotto. Around 12 scratch cards have also been pioneered giving people the prospect of winning instant money. When people primarily used to place their hard-earned money on horses, now they are being ensnared into wasting it on the Lotto. A considerable number of people are already conquered by the â€Å"jackpot feverâ₠¬ , spending more than usual when the jackpot gets bigger. 2.7 Types of gambling: Gambling is a vast world which compromises of many branches from which people try their luck in the hope to make more money or just for the thrill of the game. In Mauritius you can easily find casinos, gaming houses (which is smaller than a casino but offers the same service for middle class players) and shops where you gamble. Some of the available forms of gambling present on the island are: 2.7.1 The lottery. The ‘lottery verte’ and the Lotto are the most common and most profitable types of gambling for the government in Mauritius. The ‘Lottery verte’ is a monthly lottery where you have to buy the tickets at a retailer, which can be found everywhere, and you just have to wait for the end of the month to check your results and see if you have won. The prices of the tickets are Rs10 each and you are eligible to win prices ranging from Rs 100000 to Rs 10 million. On the other hand you have the Lotto which settled itself in Mauritius more recently and now it’s the new craze for Mauritian. The idea is that you have to select 6 numbers out of 40 (each number can be selected only once) and then you just have to go to any supermarkets or retailer to validate your 6 numbers. Each ticket cost Rs20 and you can play as much ticket you want. The lottotech, the company which runs the lotto, makes a public draw, on air, on the national channel every Sa turday. The lotto is a lottery where you have a cumulative jackpot, that is if no one wins the jackpot this week then the other week they will add this to a new jackpot thus every time you have the chance of winning a bigger one if you lose, and this jackpot starts at Rs5 million and can go up to Rs70 million (biggest jackpot won till now). 2.7.2 Horse racing. Horse racing is anchored in our society for ages and it forms part nowadays in our cultural and historical heritage. It was introduced in Mauritius by the English before the independence and it is still going strong. In the beginning horse racing was more for fame and social status than for making money and gambling. Latter to make the horse industry run and thrive, the board introduced betting on the horse racing and this was also a good opportunity for government to get tax money. Horse racing is a huge event in Mauritius, every Saturday and on some special occasions on Sundays we have horse racing at the Champ de Mars which is the race tracks found in the capital Port Louis. Nowadays in every rural and urban area you can find bookmakers who will take your bets on the horses as from Friday and on racing days you have a huge crowd who converge to the Champ de Mars for the fun and in the hope of making money. 2.7.3 Casino. A casino is a facility which accommodates certain types of gambling activities such as slot machines, poker, blackjack, big or small, van lak, dice and roulette for example. Casinos are situated at strategic areas to lure more and more clients, such strategic areas might be near hotels, touristic attractions, or even a city or town which is well frequented by many people. In Mauritius you have many casinos or gaming houses, which are smaller casinos but still well frequented by the people, found in the urban areas such as Rose-Hill, Vacoas, Port-Louis and some touristic places such as Grand Baie. Most games played have mathematically-determinedoddsthat ensure the house has at all times an overall advantage over the players. This can be expressed more precisely by the notion ofexpected value, which is uniformly negative (from the players perspective). This advantage is called thehouse edge. This is why there is an adage â€Å"the house always wins† for the casinos . In Mauritius nowadays we can witness more and more casinos being offered a patent and opening their doors to the public. The government knows that this is a prolific market and if they can make gambling accessible to more tourists and people it will surely be an advantage to them since the casinos have to pay a huge tax and money to get their patent. We can see that several tournaments are being organized in Mauritius, such as the World Poker Tour National Mauritius, which lures people from all over Africa and the Indian Ocean to come to Mauritius just to play poker. The hotels now when they are advertising the island they also advertise casinos to get more tourists, a new clientele and a really good strategy that differs from other hotels as they are targeting more and more high class ‘gambling tourists’ and which is a very profitable market. 2.7.4 Scratch cards. This is the new craze among the Mauritian people. Scratch cards are simple and easily available across the whole island. The rule is simple just buy one and you have to scratch the opaque surface which concealed the information, if you get the required symbols you win, and the most attractive part of it is the opportunity to win instantly as compared to lottery where you have to wait for the draw and the prices at which they are sold and the prizes that you can get from it. Cards can range from Rs20 to Rs100 and prizes may vary from Rs200 000 to Rs1 million. The scratch cards are supervised by the Lottotech the same company which manage the Lotto in Mauritius. 2.7.5 Online gambling. Easy, availability, and affordable are the words usually associated with online gambling. Easy to log in on some betting sites, no account needs to be created and no fees to be paid. Availability because of the fact that it is all over the internet, you do not have to look far to find online gambling sites. Banner ads and pop-ups can be found on mostly every site which has a high level of traffic by people. It is affordable since some sites just let you bet for free and if you win then you have to cash in to be able to play, some allows you to choose how many you want to bet and give you live odds according to what is happening which cannot be found elsewhere. Online gambling targets most of the time teenagers, this is a strategy called ‘grooming’ whereby they make the teenagers feel acquainted with the attractiveness of the game so that when he becomes older he will still be a potential income earner and a player. 2.8 Gambling among university students Gambling is omnipresent among university students as demonstrated through researches. The vast majority of students gamble without experiencing ill effects, yet almost 8% of university students may build up a gambling problem (Derevensky, J. L., Gupta, R. (2007). Gambling was once an acceptable form of entertainment on campuses but with the new laws, it is now forbidden to participate in any kind of gambling activities, but still it can be found everywhere. However, the warning signs of developing a gambling problem are not brought forward, as is seen with other potentially addictive behaviors, such as drug use and alcohol consumption. With the swell in gambling venues, social recognition of gambling, and access to extensive and inexpensive means of gambling, it is not astounding that studies have found high rates of gambling linked adverse problems among college students. 2.9 Problem gambling Problem gambling or ludomania is an urge to continuously gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. The prevalence of problem gambling has been evaluated at 7.8% among university students which is considerably high than the roughly 5% rate found among the general population (Blinn, Pike, Worthy, Jonkman, 2006). Students facing problem gambling illustrate many signs including isolating behavior, lowered academic performance, poor impulse control and displaying extreme overconfidence, and participating in other high risk behaviors such as bringing on alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use and risky sexual behavior (LaBrie, etal, 2003), (Goodie, A.S, 2005). Environmental factors also contribute to problem gambling. The surroundings of a student are a key factor in determining whether he is prone to problem gambling. If the students live in an area where gambling opportunities and social normative beliefs that are supportive of gambling activities are available, this i ncreases the likelihood of gambling participation and of development of a gambling problem. Staffs that are conscious of environmental conditions that may contribute to problem gambling can develop policies to help these students (Wehner,M. 2007). 2.9.1 Gambling Addiction and Problem Gambling Whether you wage on scratch cards, sports, poker, roulette, or slots, in a casino or online, problem gambling can sprain relationships, impede with work, and escort to fiscal cataclysm. You may even do things you never contemplate you would, like stealing money to gamble or reimburse your debts. You may believe you can’t stop but, with the right help, you can triumph over a gambling problem or compulsion and reclaim control of your life. The first step is recognizing and acknowledging the problem. Gambling dependence is occasionally referred to as the hidden illness because there are no apparent substantial signs or symptoms like there are in drug or alcohol addiction. Problem gamblers on average refute or minimize the problem. They also go to great lengths to bury their gambling habits. For example, problem gamblers regularly depart from their loved ones, sneak around, and lie about where they’ve been and what they’ve been up to (Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., Melinda Smi th, M.A., and Lawrence Robinson, 2013).