Far from the madding crowd Essay

1. Chronicle the relationship between Bathsheba Everdene and one of the three men (Oak, Boldwood or Troy) in her life. Who was the most to blame for the difficulties encountered in the course of their relationship? (One or both? ) I will begin by giving an account on the relationship between Bathsheba Everdene and Gabriel Oak. After completing this I will come to a conclusion on who was most to blame for the difficulties encountered in the course of their relationship. When Farmer Oak and Bathsheba first encounter in the book, Oak sees a carriage with Bathsheba sitting on top, the carriage is full with furniture. This lady interests Oak and as the carriage is about to leave he â€Å"followed the vehicle to the turnpike gate some way beyond the bottom of the hill, where the object of his contemplation now halted for the payment of the toll. † It is noticeable that Oak is interested in this woman but the scene unfolds as Bathsheba refuses to pay the turnpike keeper the two pence he would like. â€Å"Let the young woman pass,† is what Gabriel said as he draws near and hands the keeper the money. This meeting introduces the two characters to the reader for the first time, but they do not know that they will both play an important part in each other’s lives. Not long after the meeting, Gabriel sees Bathsheba from a â€Å"birds eye view†, this is when he realises that he feels something towards Bathsheba. â€Å"Having for some time known the want of a satisfactory form to fill an increasing void within him, his position moreover affording the widest scope for his fancy, he painted her a beauty. † This is the moment when Oak sees Bathsheba riding a horse on her back in a way she would not have if she knew she were being watched. Bathsheba does not know that Oak is watching. This is when Oak knows that he is in love with her. As she rides back he approaches her and brings up the fact he saw her earlier, this makes her blush as she apprehended that he had seen her. Oak has became so in love with her that he would wait for her to come past the hedge every day, he â€Å"had reached a peak of existence he never could have anticipated a short time before. † Oak chooses to marry Bathsheba but he is mislead by Bathsheba’s aunt told him that she has many sweethearts already. Bathsheba finds him to tell him that the statement was not true. This leads him to think that she wants to marry him and tells her that his is doing well in life and that Bathsheba may have her own piano. â€Å"Would hate to be thought men’s property in that way,† is Bathsheba’s reply, meaning she likes the idea of marriage but does not like the outcome of all the responsibility afterwards. Also Bathsheba is not totally stunned by Gabriel’s property and is not impressed by the idea of having a â€Å"little piano. † Later on in the book, after Oak hears that Boldwood has proposed to Bathsheba she asks Oak to deny all rumours about her getting married but Oak refuses. He goes on to say he will give her his point of view about her actions. Oak re-approaches her and she decides to take serious measures. â€Å"I cannot allow any man to – to criticize my private conduct! † â€Å"Nor will I for a minute. So you’ll please leave the farm at the end of the week! † As soon as Bathsheba dismisses Oak she once again needs him as the sheep are in trouble and will die unless Oak can help them. Bathsheba knows the sheep are at stake so even though she was reluctant to call back Oak at first she does so. At first he does not want to come back as Bathsheba was impolite in the way she asked for him to stay, but in the end he does. Gabriel then realises that Bathsheba may need him more than he thought, as she does not no how to run a farm properly, this gives Gabriel the thought that he may be able to have a relationship with her. Gabriel’s chances of a relationship with Bathsheba are ruined when Troy arrives in the book. Oak warns Bathsheba that she should not get involved with him, but she is already in love and does not take any concern to what is being said. Bathsheba later goes off to Bath with Troy where Oak believes she is going to turn down Troy but instead they come back as a married couple. Oak still loves Bathsheba though and shows her his devotion to her one night when a storm is brewing; he helps save the hayricks while Troy and the rest of the village are drunk. After accounting the relationship between Bathsheba and Oak, I will now who was the most to blame for the difficulties encountered in the course of the relationship. I cannot see how Gabriel Oak was the most to blame for the difficulties encountered in the course of all the mens relationships with Bathsheba. I believe that it is a combination of both Boldwood’s and Troy’s. This is because if Boldwood was not so desperate for love he would have realised that the valentines card Bathsheba sent him was simply as a prank, â€Å"What fun it would be to send it to that silly old Boldwood. † Instead Boldwood takes this seriously as he searches for love, he continuously approaches Bathsheba saying that he is in love with her, and that they should get married, â€Å"My life does not belong to me any more, Miss Everdene, but to you. I’ve come to propose marriage to you. † I believe that if Boldwood had accepted the fact that the card was actually only sent as a prank, then he would never have asked Bathsheba to marry him. Therefore some of the difficulties encountered would never have happened. I also believe Troy has a part to blame in the difficulties encountered, as his flirtatious ways and seduction techniques begins to make Bathsheba fall in love with him. Troy only likes Bathsheba as she happens to be a very pretty lady, he would never have treated a women he did not find attractive in this manner. This is shown in the way he speaks to her upon their first encounter â€Å"Thank you for letting me see such a beautiful face! † Before Bathsheba and Troy get married he tells Bathsheba how he has seen a women far more beautiful than her, this is only an attempt to make sure he marries her. Again if Troys trickery and flirtatious ways were not to have happened some of the difficulties would never have happened. I cannot see how Gabriel was to blame for any of the difficulties, as when Bathsheba was with either Boldwood or Troy he simple let whatever to carry on, he did not get in the way. This is because he thought that aslong as Bathsheba was happy with the man she was with, then that would make him happy, even though he would not be able to be with her. So to conclude I believe that both Troy and Boldwood are to blame for the difficulties encountered in the course of Bathsheba’s relationship with all three of the men.

Understanding and Applying Adult Development Theory

Understanding and Applying Adult Development Theory 1 Understanding and Applying Adult Development Theory John Smith Nyack College Life is so busy these days that sometimes we don’t stop to think how we got to this point or realize some of those key factors that played a role. I think it is fair to say that most people take a lot of things for granted but when you pause and analyze life’s events it can be an eye opener and really get you thinking about how certain career decisions have created a pathway for your career and at life-space. Gets a little scary when you think back on how one or two decisions could have really swayed your career. I think we can all think back to an event in our adult development that either went our way or one that didn’t that. I think back to my first few years as a working adult and how some of those early influences really set me on a path forward I spent a good amount of time reviewing Donald Super’s theory of career development and the life-span/life-space theory. I am naturally a skeptic, especially when it comes to most of these types of theory’s I read about but I feel that Super was Understanding and Applying Adult Development Theory 2 right on and it is hard to find areas of disagreement. I especially agree with the point that career decisions are not isolated from other aspects of our lives. When you talk about career development it starts off as a very broad subject and people take all kind of different paths to develop their careers. In my case I started working at UPS right out of high school and it was just a â€Å"job† at first and that is all I expected. The word â€Å"career† never entered my thinking, alls I knew is that I had graduated high school and my Mother old me that I had to get a job so off to UPS I went. That decision was the first major influence in my adult life, what I didn’t realize back then was that going to UPS instead of, let’s say getting a job at a small business was a huge factor in my career development. UPS is obviously a very big company and they tend to hold onto the one’s they want to develop which was very important to me. If I decided to work for a small family owned business as my first job things could have been very different. I am always very thankful for that decision I made and the people at UPS who took me under their wing and helped develop my career at UPS. A major factor in one’s career development is to put themselves in a position to grow and or be surrounded by good people or good companies that will help you grow. Easier said then done, when you are young sometimes you don’t realize or are not looking into the future but for me that a critical decision which started my career. My first couple of years with UPS I was still just a kid, but by the time I turned 20 Understanding and Applying Adult Development Theory 3 I was what they called a part-time supervisor which was another critical decision/influences in my career. I can remember back to that day when I almost turned down the job because I had long hair and didn’t want to cut it off. UPS had a, no hair past you collar rule for men and I really almost turned down the position because of this. Once got past the long hair issue things really started taking off the next few years as I moved around in different management roles to build my skill set. The most influential director I ever worked for was a lady by the name of Mary Finnigan, I still remember her name, she use to hound me all the time about school and when am going to enroll in college. That is what I mean by good people around you, good companies have good people and they will give you that extra push when you need one. Not sure I ever would have gone to college if she wasn’t all over me about it all the time. Again, she was looking at the big picture regarding developing my career and I was still just looking at it as a job. All of this was happening during Super’s Exploration stage of career development. I was trying to understand what I wanted to do as far as a career. I was part of the union for year which I did not like very much, I was part of management for about four years during this period and really enjoyed the challenges of the job but still had a hard time with the style of management and people telling me what to do all the time, looking over my shoulder all the time, and just the overall â€Å"The beatens will Understanding and Applying Adult Development Theory 4 continue until morale improves† management style. UPS use to have something called MBO’s which was â€Å"management by objectives† but the joke was that it was really MBI, â€Å"management by intimidation†. As I moved toward the end of my exploration stage I realized I had to make a career decision/change. Although I very much enjoyed the high pressure atmosphere and the thrill of success I knew that I didn’t respond well to that sort of management style as it was very draining for me and started having a negative effect. As I moved into the establishment phase of Super’s theory I made a bold move and agreed to start college as per Mary’s request. Once I finished my second semester UPS granted my approval to move from the operations to sales which was huge for me and where I excelled. For the first time I started thinking of UPS Sales as a career and not just a job. I also got married, bought a house, and had a child in the first few years of this stage. As my career in sales got going it create a lot of stability in my live, somehow in operations you never had the feeling of security do to the management style but now I did. Career and personal lives are very much integrated together, the feeling of a career and not just a job somehow settles you down and you start looking at live in a different perspective. Although I owe a lot to UPS and people like Mary I made the decision to leave UPS and to join FedEx. That was the hardest but most important career decision I have ever made. With UPS I had 10 years in, I was doing well, had security, things were going well. I Understanding and Applying Adult Development Theory 5 I also had a lot of responsibilities including a mortgage and family. Making career changes not only affected me but all affected my family and it was scary leaving something you knew was there for something unknown. But it all worked out very well, FedEx is a much younger company, a sales driven company, which fits my style better. I have not entered the maintenance stage yet and won’t for another 5 years but if I had to disagree with any of Super’s five stages this would be one that I would disagree with somewhat. If your goal is to just holding onto an achieved job I think you are going to fail in today’s world. The world is very different today and if you are past 45 in corporate America sitting still and just holding onto a job that means you are going backwards. Maybe when you hit 60 I could understand that thinking but not in your mid-40’s or 50’s. Corporations are very aggressive these days and wouldn’t allow someone to just to hold onto an achieved job. Maybe this is where a smaller company would think or act differently then a large corporation who has to answer to shareholders each quarter. There are many different roads people travel, for the last twenty years mine has been in corporate America working for Fortune 500 companies, I expect that I would continue down this road hopefully with FedEx. For me personally, I would belief that I will not settle into a holding pattern once I enter my mid-forties. I still feel very young in my career and am still learning new things everyday and I think that will continue for some time to come. With my position there are always larger corporations to sell to or manage Understanding and Applying Adult Development Theory 6 and as I continue to move my career forward I will work with larger and more complex corporations which will keep me moving forward and not settling. Understanding and Applying Adult Development Theory 7 References Bjorklund, B. , & Bee, H. (2008). The Journey of Adulthood, Sixth Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall

Succubus Shadows Chapter 2

I tossed and turned the rest of the night. Being visited by a weird supernatural force will do that to you. Besides, I had never fully recovered from the time an ber-powerful entity of chaos had merged with me in my sleep and sucked away my energy. Her name was Nyx, and last I'd heard, she was imprisoned. Still, what she'd done to me – and what she'd shown me – had left a lasting impression. The fact that Roman couldn't identify what had happened tonight was a little unnerving. So, I woke up bleary-eyed, sporting a massive headache that was probably equal parts hangover and sleep deprivation. Succubi had the rapid healing that all immortals possessed, which meant I must have seriously screwed myself up to have these lingering effects. I knew the headache would pass soon, but I took some ibuprofen to help the process. The condo was quiet when I shuffled into the kitchen, and despite my efforts to clean up the food last night, I was still surrounded in the tattered and worn-out feel that followed most parties. Godiva, curled up on the back of the couch, lifted her head at my arrival, but Aubrey continued sleeping undisturbed in her spot on an armchair. I started some coffee and then wandered over to my patio, staring out at the sunny day and the Seattle skyline on the other side of the gray-blue water stretching off before me. A familiar sensation suddenly swept me, like brimstone and red-hot needles. I sighed. â€Å"Kind of early for you, isn't it?† I asked, not needing to turn around to know Jerome, archdemon of the greater Seattle area and my hellish boss, stood behind me. â€Å"It's noon, Georgie,† he replied dryly. â€Å"The rest of the world is up and around.† â€Å"It's Saturday. The laws of time and space are different today. Noon qualifies as early.† I turned around at last, largely because I'd heard the coffee-maker finish. Jerome was leaning against my kitchen wall, immaculately dressed as always in a black designer suit. Also, like always, the demon looked exactly like a circa 1990s version of John Cusack. He could appear as anything or anyone he wanted in this world, but for reasons he kept vague, Mr. Cusack was his preferred shape. I'd gotten so used to it that whenever Say Anything or Grosse Pointe Blank came on TV, I always had to pause and ask myself, â€Å"What's Jerome doing in this movie?† I poured a cup of coffee and held up the pot by way of invitation. Jerome shook his head. â€Å"I suppose,† he said, â€Å"your roommate is also being a sloth and isn't actually out running errands?† â€Å"That'd be my guess.† I doused my coffee liberally with vanilla creamer. â€Å"I used to kind of hope that when he wasn't around, it meant he was out looking for a job. Turns out I was just setting myself up for disappointment.† Honestly, I was glad it was Roman that Jerome had come to see. When Jerome was looking for me, no good ever came of it. It always tended to result in some traumatic, world-threatening event in the immortal underground. I trudged back across the living room, noting that the cats had disappeared upon Jerome's arrival. Coffee still in hand, I headed to Roman's room, knocking once before opening the door. I figured as landlady, I had that right. Also, I'd found Roman had a remarkable ability to ignore knocking for large amounts of time. He was sprawled across his bed, wearing only a pair of navy blue boxers that gave me pause. As I'd noted before, he was terribly good-looking, despite the prickly attitude he'd had since moving in. Seeing him half-dressed always gave me a weird flashback to the one time we'd slept together. Then, I'd have to remind myself that he was probably plotting how to kill me. It went a long way to stifle any residual lust. Roman's arm covered his eyes against the sunlight streaming through his window. He shifted, moving the arm slightly, and peered at me with one eye. â€Å"It's early,† he said. â€Å"Not according to your exalted sire.† A few seconds passed, and then he grimaced as he too sensed Jerome's immortal signature. With a sigh, Roman sat up, pausing to rub his eyes. He looked about as exhausted as I felt, but if there was one force in this world that could drag him out of bed after a late night, it was my boss – no matter Roman's bold claims from last night. He staggered to his feet and moved past me in the doorway. â€Å"Aren't you going to get dressed?† I exclaimed. Roman's only answer was a disinterested wave of his hand as he headed down the hall. I followed him back and discovered Jerome pouring himself a mug of some vodka leftover from last night. Well, it was five o'clock somewhere. He arched an eyebrow when he saw Roman's scantily clad state. â€Å"Nice of you to dress up.† Roman made a beeline for the coffee. â€Å"Only the best for you, Pop. Besides, Georgina likes it.† A moment of heavy silence followed as Jerome's dark eyes studied Roman. I knew nothing about Roman's mother, but Jerome was the demon who had fathered him thousands of years ago. Technically, Jerome had been an angel at the time, but making the moves on a human had got him fired from Heaven and sent off to work for those down below. No severance package. Roman occasionally made snide comments about their familial relationship, but Jerome never acknowledged it. In fact, according to both Heaven and Hell's rules, Jerome should have blasted Roman from the earth ages ago. Angels and demons considered nephilim unnatural and wrong and continually attempted to hunt them to extinction. It was kind of harsh, even with the sociopathic tendencies nephilim tended to have. Roman had been instrumental in saving Jerome recently, however, and the two had struck a deal that allowed Roman to live peacefully in Seattle – for now. If any of Jerome's colleagues found out about this illicit arrangement, there would literally be hell to pay – for all of us. A good succubus would have told on her rule-breaking boss. â€Å"So what brings you here?† asked Roman, pulling up a chair. â€Å"Want to toss the old football around?† Jerome's face remained impassive. â€Å"I have a job for you.† â€Å"Like one that pays the rent?† I asked hopefully. â€Å"Like one that ensures I'll continue to allow him to live in the lifestyle he's accustomed to,† replied Jerome. Roman had an amused, devil-may-care smile on his face that was typical of him, but I wasn't fooled. He knew the threat Jerome represented and also knew that part of their deal involved Roman doing errands for his father. Still, Roman made a good show of acting like he was the one doing Jerome a favor. The nephilim gave an unconcerned shrug. â€Å"Sure. I've got nothing else going on today. What's up?† â€Å"We have a new immortal visitor in town,† said Jerome. If Roman's attitude annoyed him, the demon was just as good at masking his feelings. â€Å"A succubus.† My removed, psychological study of father and son dynamics came to a screeching halt. â€Å"What?† I exclaimed, straightening up so quickly that I nearly spilled my coffee. â€Å"I thought we were set after Tawny.† I'd worked the succubus scene solo around here for years until Jerome had acquired another one several months ago. Her name was Tawny, and while she was annoying and pretty inept as succubi went, there was still something rather endearing about her. Fortunately, Jerome had sent her off to Bellingham, keeping her a comfortable hour-and-a-half drive from me. â€Å"Not that it's any of your business, Georgie, but this one's not here to work. She's here†¦as a visitor. On vacation.† Jerome's lips twisted with bitter amusement. Roman and I exchanged looks. Immortals could certainly take personal vacations, but clearly, there was more to this. â€Å"And?† asked Roman. â€Å"She's really here because†¦?† â€Å"Because I'm sure my superiors want to check up on me after the recent†¦incident.† His words were delicate, with a very subtle warning not to elaborate on said incident. It was the one Roman and I had rescued him from – a summoning that had imprisoned Jerome as part of a demonic power play. Letting yourself get summoned was embarrassing for a demon and could call his territorial control into question. Hell sending someone to survey the situation wasn't that crazy. â€Å"You think she's spying to see if you can still run things?† asked Roman. â€Å"I'm certain of it. I want you to follow her around and see who she reports back to. I'd do it myself, but it's better if I don't appear suspicious. So I need to stay visible.† â€Å"Lovely,† said Roman, voice as dry as his father's. â€Å"There's nothing I want to do more than trail a succubus around.† â€Å"From what I hear, you're pretty good at it,† I piped in. It was true. Roman had stalked me invisibly a number of times. Lesser immortals like me couldn't hide the telltale signature that wreathed all of us, but Roman had inherited that ability from Jerome, making him the perfect spy. Roman shot me a wry look, then turned back to Jerome. â€Å"When do I start?† â€Å"Immediately. Her name is Simone, and she's staying down at the Four Seasons. Go there and see what she does. Mei will relieve you off and on.† Mei was Jerome's second-in-command demon. â€Å"The Four Seasons?† I asked. â€Å"Is Hell paying for that? I mean, we're in a recession.† Jerome sighed. â€Å"Hell's never in a recession. And I didn't think your droll commentary started until after you'd finished your coffee.† I showed him my cup. It was empty. Jerome sighed again and then vanished without warning. He apparently had no doubts that Roman would follow his orders. Roman and I stood there for several quiet seconds, during which both cats resurfaced. Aubrey rubbed against Roman's bare leg, and he scratched her head. â€Å"Guess I should shower and get dressed,† he said at last, rising to his feet. â€Å"Don't trouble yourself,† I said. â€Å"And won't you be invisible anyway?† He turned his back to me and walked off down the hallway. â€Å"I was thinking of dropping off some job applications when Mei gives me a break.† â€Å"Liar,† I said. I don't think he heard. It wasn't until the shower kicked on that I realized I should have asked Jerome about that weird sensation last night. It was so odd; I didn't even know how to describe it. The more I pondered it, the more I wondered if it had been alcohol-induced. Admittedly, Roman claimed he'd sensed something, but he'd drank as much as me. And speaking of jobs†¦my kitchen clock was telling me I needed to head off to mine. One thing about this condo was that the skyline view had come at the cost of work convenience. My old apartment had been in Queen Anne, the same neighborhood that Emerald City Books and Caf? ¦ resided in. I used to be able to walk to work, but that was impossible from West Seattle, meaning I had to allow commuting time. Unlike Roman, I had no need to physically shower and change – not that I wouldn't have liked to. I found human routines comforting. A brief burst of succubus shape-shifting cleaned me up, putting me in a work-appropriate peach sundress and arranging my light brown hair into a loose bun. Roman didn't surface before I had to leave, so I grabbed another cup of coffee and left him a note asking if it would kill him to take out the garbage before he went off to play secret agent. My headache and the last effects of the hangover were gone by the time I walked into the store. It was abuzz with late afternoon shoppers, people out running Saturday errands and tourists who had wandered over from the Space Needle and Seattle Center down the street. I dropped my purse off in my office and then did a managerial sweep of the store, satisfied that everything was running smoothly – until I noticed we had a line of eight people and only one cashier. â€Å"Why are you alone?† I asked Beth. She was a long-time employee and a good one, answering my question without even looking up from her customer's order. â€Å"Gabrielle's on break, and Doug isn't†¦feeling well.† Memories of the vodka competition came back to me. I grimaced, feeling both guilty and smug. â€Å"Where is he?† â€Å"Over in erotica.† I felt my eyebrows rise but said nothing as I turned away and walked across the store. Our small erotica section was bizarrely stuffed in between automotive and animals (amphibians, to be precise). And crammed in between the two shelves of the erotica section was Doug, sitting on the floor with his head resting facedown on his knees. I knelt beside him. â€Å"Hair of the dog time?† I asked. He lifted his head and brushed black hair out of his face. His expression was miserable. â€Å"You cheated. You're like half my size. How are you not in a coma?† â€Å"Older and wiser,† I said. If only he knew just how old. I took hold of his arm and tugged it. â€Å"Come on. Let's go to the caf? ¦ and get you some water.† For a moment, he looked like he'd resist, but a valiant effort soon followed. He even managed not to stagger too much as I led him to the store's second floor, which was half books and half coffee shop. I grabbed a bottle of water, told the barista I'd pay for it later, and started to drag Doug to a chair. As I scanned around, I nearly came to a halt, causing poor Doug to stumble. Seth was sitting at a table, laptop spread open in front of him. This was his favorite place to write, which had been nice when we dated and now was†¦awkward. Maddie sat with him, purse in hand and light coat on. I recalled that we started at the same time today. She must have just arrived. They waved us over, and she gave her brother a chastising look. â€Å"Serves you right.† Doug took a long gulp of water. â€Å"Whatever happened to sisterly love?† â€Å"I still haven't forgiven you for the time you shaved my dachshund.† â€Å"That was like twenty years ago. And that little bastard had it coming.† I smiled out of habit. Doug and Maddie's bantering was usually must-see TV for me. Today, Seth held my attention. It had been easier to ignore him last night while in the throes of alcohol, easy to pretend I'd grudgingly accepted him moving on to Maddie. But now, in the cold light of sobriety, I felt that old ache stir within my chest. I swore I could smell the scent of his skin, his sweat mingled with the woodsy apple soap he used. Sunlight from the caf? ¦'s large windows infused his messy brown hair with copper, and I could perfectly recall what it had been like to stroke the lines of his face, the smooth skin of his upper cheek and stubble on his chin. Looking up to his eyes, I was surprised to see his attention on me as the siblings continued their playful bickering. I'd almost convinced myself last night that he only thought of me as a friend, but now†¦now I wasn't so sure. There was something warm there, something considering. Something I knew shouldn't be there. I suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that he might be remembering the handful of times we'd had sex. I was thinking of it too. My powers had been shut off when Jerome disappeared, and Seth and I had been able to have â€Å"safe† – by which I meant, no succubus side effects – sex. Except for one. He'd still been dating Maddie at the time, and cheating on her had tainted his soul with sin. That was worse than if I'd sucked his energy away. As of this moment, Seth was a Hell-bound soul. He didn't realize that, but regret for betraying her was part of what had spurred him to a hasty engagement. He felt he owed her. The guilt forced me to look away from him, and I noticed then that Maddie and Doug had stopped their arguing. Maddie was glancing over at the coffee counter, but Doug's eyes were on me. They were bloodshot and weary, with heavy dark circles. But in the midst of that miserable, hungover look†¦there was a glint of something puzzled and surprised. â€Å"Work time,† said Maddie cheerfully, standing up. She poked her brother's shoulder, making him wince and turn his attention from me. I was glad. â€Å"You going to survive your last couple hours?† â€Å"Yeah,† he muttered, drinking more water. â€Å"Go count inventory in the back,† I told him, standing as well. â€Å"I don't want customers thinking our staff can't hold their liquor. They'd be over at the chain stores so fast, it wouldn't even be funny.† Maddie's lips quirked into a smile as her brother wearily rose to his feet. â€Å"Hey, Georgina. Do you mind if Doug and I switch shifts on Tuesday? I need to go run some wedding errands during business hours.† Doug cut her a look. â€Å"When were you going to ask if I minded?† â€Å"Sure,† I said, trying not to wince at the word â€Å"wedding.† â€Å"You can work the night shift with me.† â€Å"You want to come along?† she asked. â€Å"You said you would.† â€Å"I did?† â€Å"Last night.† I frowned. God only knew how many promises I'd made and had now forgotten, thanks to vodka and weird magical forces. Vaguely, I recalled her showing me wedding pictures. â€Å"I think I have some errands of my own to run.† â€Å"One of the places is right around the corner from you,† she urged. â€Å"Maddie,† said Seth hastily, clearly as uncomfortable with this change of topic as I was. â€Å"If she's busy – â€Å" â€Å"You can't be busy all day,† Maddie begged. â€Å"Please?† I knew it was disastrous, knew it would be courting heart-ache and trouble. But Maddie was my friend, and the pleading look in her eyes did something to my insides. It was guilt, I realized. Guilt over how Seth and I had betrayed her. Her expression now was full of such faith and hope in me – me, the best friend she had in Seattle and the only one she believed could help her plan this wedding. Which is why I found myself agreeing, just as I had last night. Only this time, I had no alcohol to blame. â€Å"Okay.† Guilt was probably the worst culprit of all when it came to stupid behavior.

Aspects of happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Aspects of happiness - Essay Example One can expect little obstacles that life throws about since we cannot expect to live each minute with a smile. The upward trend, in this case, s advisable since it has long-lasting results that can be seen over decades if one decides to stay happy. Another premise used in the essay is that of empirical research. Another form of the survey carried out was to determine the effect that education has on happiness. The aim was to determine how it feels like when one thinks of educational achievements and if that can facilitate happiness. The survey-based the findings on both the amount of time taken in education as well as the levels attained. However, this empirical analysis yielded fewer instances of correlation between education and happiness. Argyle found out that even though certain levels of educational achievement made people happy, it also raised their expectations of better life with higher incomes, which tends to disappoint people if things do not work according to plan. So in the pursuit of happiness, the main point in which one can achieve it from success in education is when an individual gets a well paying job after finishing up with education. Another matter that was brought up for scrutiny of its effect on happiness is marriage.     However, most people start experiencing a downward trend when they get children, especially if these kids become teenagers, as that is the stage in their lives when they are quite hard to deal with, and that may lower the level of happiness previously witnessed.  Ã‚  ... d that the things that matter most to people in terms of happiness are practically not just what is felt at the moment but also involve the recurrent patterns of these items of happiness. The premise of experimentation further got results to indicate that people prefer sad situations that take long but get less sad with time than to experience sad moments that end abruptly but leave behind a mark. The conclusion arrived at indicated that from the experiment, the happy lives are those that end well or better yet, the ones that display an upward trend. The contradicting aspects to this finding indicated that a downward trend yields unpleasant outcomes. The speaker asks the audience the kind of life they would opt to have only to end up with enormous disappointments. It is, therefore, advisable to seek for an upward trend in pursuit of happiness if an individual wants an easy life that is sort of stress free. One can expect little obstacles that life throws about since we cannot expect to live each minute with a smile. The upward trend in this case is advisable since it has long lasting results that can be seen over decades if one decides to stay happy. Another premise used in the essay is that of empirical research. Another form of survey carried out was to determine the effect that education has on happiness. The aim was to determine how it feels like when one thinks of educational achievements and if that can facilitate happiness. The survey based the findings on both the amount of time taken in education as well as the levels attained. However, this empirical analysis yielded fewer instances of correlation between education and happiness. Argyle found out that even though certain levels of educational achievement made people happy, it also raised their expectations of

Self-Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Self-Analysis Paper - Essay Example It is a relatively common understanding that adjustment to society is different for each individual and, based on each person’s unique life experiences, people have created different coping mechanisms to deal with complicated life events or situations. With the aforementioned in mind, the pursuit of a counseling degree seeks to satisfy a personal need to take an individual who is confused, frustrated, concerned or otherwise unable to cope and help them to rationalize the specific reasons as to why others in society behave the way they do or why the individual requiring counseling should learn self-reflection to achieve their maximum capabilities. The end result of both casual and intensive counseling will only serve to provide society with a well-adjusted individual who is able to contribute successfully in areas of business, marriage, academics or in general society as a whole. Being able to take an individual who is experiencing life difficulties and assist them to become a well-rounded and thoughtful person is the very nature of counseling and is the largest rationale for the pursuit of this degree. From many viewpoints, this is the very nature of counseling: To create positive relationships and establish, within the individual , a sense of self-understanding which helps them to achieve in a variety of situations. This is what making a difference is truly all about. According to McCarthy and Leierer (2001), an ideal counselor consists of an individual who is dedicated to serving the public welfare and is willing to create deep, meaningful relationships with people who require a helping hand. Additionally, an ideal counselor maintains nurturing traits which involves a wide variety of listening skills, mature and thoughtful discussion, and remains focused on dedicating time and resources to a single individual in the pursuit of assisting in their own self-development. The very nature of seeking this

ECONOMIC institution and policy(British economy) Essay - 1

ECONOMIC institution and policy(British economy) - Essay Example Globally, the manufacturing sector of UK is the sixth largest in the one and is one of the largest exporters of heavy industrial products1. The table underneath hints towards the growth of UK manufacturing and service sectors, between 1970 and 1994 compared to other nations. The base year being considered in this case is 1970 and the growth rate is found to be rather low over the years in relation to those for other nations. The progress of the sector is found to be quite low in contrast to the domestic service sector2. The present paper addresses the progress of the manufacturing sector over the years between 1970 and 2010 through illustrating its economic and social contribution to the economy of UK. It makes use of secondary quantitative data to draw a comparison over time and analyses on the basis of the same. Economic Contribution of UK’s Manufacturing Sector The following figures help in evaluation of the degree to which the manufacturing sector of UK has evolved over th e years since 1970 till 2010. ... Between 1970 and 2008, the percentage of contribution of industry behind national production has receded fast. The downfall had been the highest towards the end of 1970s as could be noted from the large difference in the statistic between 1970 and 1975 continuing to that in 1980. The diminishing contribution however, is not much reflected if gross fixed capital formation as percentage of GDP is considered. As the corresponding graph shows, the rate of capital formation had remained more or less stable over the years. Since capital formation is held identically equal to investment in capital, it could be implied that UK manufacturing sector did not contribute proportionally to the amount being invested in it. In other words, manufacturing sector suffered from a diminished productivity over time. Inward investment in UK manufacturing sector of UK is found to be fluctuating over time, as it falls down to a lower value from 1986 to 1991 and then improved to a positive value from 1991 to 1996 and to a further higher value in 2001. However, the downfall had been stark between 2001 and 2006 when growth rate of inward investment had been approximately equal to 60 percent. This only implies the erratic behaviour of the manufacturing sector of UK which over the years has lost its previous glory on account of a number of unavoidable reasons. Growth in industrial production too had been quite low over the years. To be precise, as the diagram below shows, UK manufacturing sector did not come across a consistent period of positive growth since 1970. Post 1970, the sector saw an entire decade of negative industrial growth. However, it gained momentum as growth rate surged up from 1980 to 1985 by 5.14 percentage points. But the following period of 15 years saw modest growth

Summary and Personal Opinion on Peter Lynch and John Rothchild Learn Essay

Summary and Personal Opinion on Peter Lynch and John Rothchild Learn to Earn - Essay Example economics, mathematics and literature, but are not taught the roles that innovations and companies have played. "Every school child learns (only about) how the pilgrims risked their lives to find religious freedomin a tiny ship The Mayflower" (page 25) Following the 'Preface' and the 'Introduction' are the main chapters. Chapter One traces the history of capitalism. "For much of human history capitalism was an alien concept, for the bulk of the world's population never got their hands on money" (pg 21). We find how stocks got started in Europe centuries ago. We also learn how, more than a hundred years ago, Europeans invested in the then emerging market: The United States. "While optimists paid higher and higher prices for the shares of the Dutch East India Companypessimists bet against the stock through a clever maneuver called shorting". The optimists proved right and made unimaginable profits. Alexander Hamilton, father of the financial system, realized that the country couldn't get along without money, and to have money, it needed banks. Adam Smith understood the basics of how a free market works. Whenever there's a demand for a new product, competitiveness enters the scene. This competition is very good for all consumers, bec ause it forces the product makers to improve their product and cut prices. Without competition, complacency would set in. History of capitalism also speaks about the American economy which alternately moves from ecstasy to panic and back again. "In the euphoric periods, when prices were rising and jobs were plentiful, speculators would spend their last paycheck, hock their jewelry, go into debt, do anything to buy stocks, or bonds, or land, and get in on the action. Then, in the panics, collapses, and depressions, the speculators got their come uppance and people sobered up". We have seen many such stock market crashes in the great depression of 1853 and again in 1857, 1929, 1973, 1981 and 1987. One interesting description here is about what Lynch terms the robber barons. The robber barons were not robbers or lawbreakers in the traditional sense. They were high-end speculators, who struggled, connived, and strong-armed their way to the top of American industry. When you are an owner of a company, you only make money if the company succeeds. This is the risk of buying stocks: The Company you own may turn out to be worthless. It is for tacking this risk that people are rewarded so handsomely if they pick the right companies to invest in. This is also the most humorous chapter in the bookAfter an elaborate first chapter, Chapter Two covers the basics of investing. The discussion here is mostly intended for people who can invest money for a long time. The basic points here are that you should start invest early, and that stocks are the best performers among various investment options. Lynch proves how investors and corporations are true heroes of our great American Republic. Chapter Three outlines the lives of a company. It helps the investor to begin to think like the owner of a company. Chapter Four tells the stories of many companies which he calls the invisible hands. The Invisible Hand keeps the supply and demand of everything from bubblegum to bowling

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

Thoughts - Assignment Example The combination of various psychological characteristics builds their identity and difference among others (Maltby et al., 2013; George & Jones, 2012). Based on the TypeFinder MBTI Profiles analysis, I found certain similarities in my characteristics that indicate a fall in the category of Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving (INFP) personality people. I do not appear to be naturally inclined about the category in which I belong too. I can develop various skills to do well in building my own personality with a lot of effort. My personality reflects that I am idealist in looking for the good and the bad about particular people and events. Even my survival amid various individuals could be a challenge, as I am always looking towards making things in a better ways. The overall result obtained from the TypeFinder analysis reveals the fact that I possesses a goal-oriented passion with moderate independency, conscientiousness, innovativeness, adaptability with inner flame and passionate about shining. The result also reveals that people who are like-minded spend their time with me and feel extremely perseverant, curious along with be ing interested in learning new things from me. Besides, they feel the sentiment of inspiration and joy. In the way of moving forward rather than thinking in logical, exploratory or sentinels manner, I utilise my own judgemental style to pursue things. The result also signified that I always listen to many individuals but interact with lesser number of people. My idealistic, open-minded thinking, creativity, passionate, energetic, dedication, flexibility and hardworking capabilities are the true strengths of mine. On the other hand, different factors that include idealistic, altruistic, impractical behaviour, taking thing on the personal ground and difficulty in dealing with some situations are the major drawbacks I possess due to my personality. Moreover, my

Airplane Accidents, who is Responsible, and do the Victims deserve Annotated Bibliography

Airplane Accidents, who is Responsible, and do the Victims deserve Compensation - Annotated Bibliography Example The article was published on a reputable and as such, it went through a review process, which makes it a credible source for information. Hence, this article is useful in the analysis of who should be held accountable for the airplane accidents. Additionally, it has given some valuable information on the major causes of the airplane accidents compared to other sources in this annotated bibliography. Furthermore, the article is reliable because it gives information about a practical airplane accident, with reference to the Ethiopian airline case. Moreover, as a member of the British Investigation Board, the author has first-hand account and information regarding the causes of airplane accidents and human issues involved such as compensation. The article is very objectives as it explains in detail what the persons responsible for the accident planning to do for the victims of the accident. The article fits the research because it provides the information about the causes of the airplane accidents. It engages in conversation with other sources as it argues about the same issue of the causes of the airplane accident. In addition, it raises the issue of compensating the victims, which is the main focus of my research. The source presents the accident of Boeing737 airplane and focuses on its safety records from the time it was manufactured, as well as the design integrity of the manufacturing company. It gives details on several incidences where the Boeing 737 showed various weaknesses that could have resulted in its accident. Such integrity is demonstrated in areas such as the fuselage skin and the engine design. It further gives the history of the design model since 1960s and how the Boeing manufacturing company had been using the same models, which could have been the cause of the accident.  

Lab identification of Clostridum difficil Essay - 1

Lab identification of Clostridum difficil - Essay Example Antibiotics are common in altering the colonic flora, thus the correlation. Today, the infection has attained a global threat level, with deaths in large economies such as the United States estimated at above 14,000 per year. Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile is usually complicated since its outcomes are similar to those shown by other bacteria such as Campylobacter spp., Clostridium perfringens, or Salmonella spp. Several diagnostic methods exist, such as Colonoscopy, stool assays, and medical imaging, vary in their level of efficacy. This study will expound on the several diagnostic techniques of Clostridium difficile with regards to their effectiveness towards its assessment and treatment. Several indicators may lead indicate that one has the Clostridium difficile infection. Common symptoms include excessive recurrent dehydration, fever, tenderness in the lower abdomen, fever in some cases, general body discomfort (malaise), cramping abdominal pain, and diarrhoea that might be watery or in rare cases, bloody. Further suspicion might arise if these symptoms occur in patients who have received antibiotic treatment within three months’ time. Additionally, patients who are hospitalized also stand higher chances of contracting the Clostridium difficile infection. Finally, the diagnosis for the infection might be necessary if a hospitalized patient has recurring diarrhoea for about forty-eight hours. Although most of the mentioned cases are mostly within hospital settings, Clostridium difficile is also common away from medical centres. The risk of infection by Clostridium difficile depends on two factors; the exposure to the bacteria and exposure to antibiotics. The occurrence of Clostridium difficile is highest in infants, accounting for about 84.4%. Residents in long-term care facilities come second with about 57% occurrence, while occurrence in healthy adults accounts for about 5-15%.

Data Analysis for Business Decision Making Essay

Data Analysis for Business Decision Making - Essay Example Table1: Time needed in minutes on electronic devices Internal modem External modem Circuit board CD drive Hard drive Memory board Available minutes per week Test device1 2 3 5 6 4 8 9000 Test device 2 1 5 3 2 5 5 7800 Test device3 5 2 3 3 3 2 6600 Test device 4 3 4 2 1 2 3 6120 Next calculation will involve determining of the mathematical relationship for describing the constraints given in the problem. One relationship that is general is the quantity of resource that is utilized should be less than or rather equal to the quantity of resource that is available. The decision variables should also be greater than zero. First constraint: Test device 1 time used Test device 1 time available 2a+3b+5c+6d+4e+8f 9000 Second constraint: Test device 2 time used Test device 2 time available a+5b+3c+2d+5e+5f 7800 Third constraint: Test device 3 time used Test device 3 time available 5a+2b+3c+3d+3e+2f 6600 Fourth constraint: Test device 4 time used Test device 4 time available 3a+4b+2c+1d+2e+3f 6 120 Fifth constraint: a, b, c, d, e, f 0 All these constraints do represent the restrictions of the capacity of production, and have an effect on the total profit. The constraints display a linear programming aspect in which certain specific interactions would exist in between the given variables. Increasing the number of units produced by a company would reduce the production of other products. Response to question c. Solution. The decision variables in this problem are a, b, c, d, e, f. This problem was solved using the excel solver that is displayed the worksheet. Microsoft Excel 12.0 Answer Report Worksheet: [Book3]Sheet1 Report Created: 20/07/2012 10:52:29 Target Cell (Max) Cell Name Original Value Final Value $B$7 z 0 545568 Adjustable Cells Cell Name Original Value Final Value $B$1 a 0 168 $B$2 b 0 0 $B$3 c 0 984 $B$4 d 0 0 $B$5 e 0 936 $B$6 f 0 0 Constraints Cell Name Cell Value Formula Status $B$8 c1 9000 $B$8=0 Binding $B$5 e 936 $B$5>=0 Not Binding $B$6 f 0 $B$6>=0 Bindin g From the table, the maximum profit for Northern H-Tec E. Ltd Company is ?545,568 as displayed in the work sheet. Where c1, c2, c3, and c4 represents the constraints involved in the problem. Response to question d. Constraints that are biding are those constraints that limit the output of profit where as the non binding constraints do not always have a limitation in the overall profit. This implies that changing the non binding constraints do not affect the profit so long as the changes in this kind of constraints are within the allowable decrease and increase indicated in the sensitive report. Changing binding constrain

How Do Artists Use Symbols in the Meaning of Their Work Essay Example for Free

How Do Artists Use Symbols in the Meaning of Their Work Essay Artists use symbols in different ways in their works to define their true feelings and to illustrate ideas and experiences. The three artists I will use to demonstrate how symbols can be used to gain different meanings are, Joseph Cornell, Salvador Dali and Rosalie Gascoigne. Cornell uses symbols to represent his fantasies and dreams, Dali also uses surrealist symbols to represent his desires and dreams and Gascoigne uses symbols to represent the landscape where she lived and decay. Joseph Cornell is an American sculptor and filmmaker. He was born on the 24th of December 1903 and died on the 29th of December 1972. Bebe Marie was created in the early 1940’s. It is made from a papered and painted wooden box that contains a doll in a dress made of cloth and a flower made also of cloth. If you look closely you will notice the intricate detail on the doll that has been placed behind the cluster of twigs. Because there is a doll in this sculpture, it perhaps has something to do with childhood and the numerous dark twigs suggests that the childhood portrayed was not a very delightful or happy one. Cornell likes to depict fantasy inspired and illusory images in his works, like in his work The Hotel Eden. Because Cornell lived in New York, he found many interesting and strange objects. He was also interested in second-hand bookstores, so he found a way to incorporate that in his work. Salvador Dali is a Spanish painter, sculptor and filmmaker. He was born on May 11th 1904 and he died on January the 23rd 1989. The Persistence of Memory was made in 1931. It was created by using oil on canvas. The work mainly features melted clocks and sky above the horizon. The clocks in this particular work are what give it a meaning. These symbols represent the facts that dreams can change and become strange and distorted. This work revolves around dreams and personal psychological fantasies. In fact, all of Dali’s work is based around dreams and psychological fantasies and generally things that simply do not occur in reality. For example, Dali’s work Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bumblebee around a Pomegranate a Moment Before Awakening. This work also goes back to the idea of reality and fantasy because of the tigers attacking the nude woman and the elephant hovering above the ocean. Rosalie Gascoigne is an Australian artist and sculptor. She was born on the 25th January 1917 and had died on the 23rd of October 1999. Regimental Colours was started in 1990 and finished in 1991. It was made using sawn soft drink crates on plywood. The work features various brands of soft drinks such as Schweppes. The main symbol in this work is the worn down surface. Many of her works are created around her interest in her surroundings. She likes to use older, worn down materials and signs that show age and have a history. Just like show has shown in Regimental Colours and also her work Sweet Lovers, she does this to show the memories and experiences through the aging material. In conclusion, symbols used in artworks are a very great way to express your inner feelings and emotions. Artists use this to their advantage so they can make their works more interesting and in depth.

Reflection On Care Of Surgical Drains Nursing Essay

Reflection On Care Of Surgical Drains Nursing Essay The use of drains continues to be an important aspect in the management of patients postoperatively. While drains serve an important function, they are also associated with complications such as haemorrhage, tissue inflammation, retrograde bacterial migration, and drain entrapment (Walker 2007). It is therefore very essential for nurses to provide adequate monitoring and care of surgical drains and provide measures to ensure prevention of complications from arising. While working in the surgical ward, I have been exposed to patients with surgical drains. This reality pushed me to know more about surgical drains and to gain more competence in the management of these patients. In this essay, I would be reflecting on my experiences as I worked to achieve my learning outcome of becoming proficient with surgical drains. I would be utilising Gibbs (1988) model of reflection which consists of 6 stages, namely: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan. DESCRIPTION In the past, I have been exposed to patients in the surgical intensive care unit with surgical drains. I have known how to monitor care for the drains and have seen the surgeons remove these drains. But, I have never tried removing surgical drains before. Only surgeons and surgical resident doctors were allowed to remove drains in the country where I have trained before. Thus, when I started my adaptation program in the surgical ward, I was impressed with how skilful the nurses are with surgical drain removal. This gave me the urge to become proficient with the care of drains. During the first week of the adaptation program, I started my quest for knowledge by doing a literature review about the indications, importance of drains, the different types and the risks complications involved with drains. I gathered information from my mentor about the hospitals protocol and procedures for the care of drains as well as the different surgeons preferences in the care of their patients drains. It was then that I found out that surgeons always prefer the drains of orthopaedic patients (hip and knee replacements) to be taken out after 24 hours. As cited by Tucci, et al (2005), closed suction drainage systems are commonly used in orthopaedic surgery, the rationale for its use is to theoretically reduce wound haematoma and infection. Knowing that I was already well equipped with knowledge, I then focused on enhancing my skills in this aspect. I worked hand in hand with my mentor as I observed how she monitored, re-vacuumed, and removed the drains. I observed the techniques and principles that she utilised and noted the different materials needed for each procedure. FEELINGS When I already felt ready to remove the drain for the first time, I was feeling a little bit anxious that I would do something wrong especially that my mentor would be supervising me as I perform the procedure. I knew that time that I was well prepared knowledge wise and I exactly knew what I was about to do, but there is always that feeling of nervousness when you do something for the first time. My anxiety was lessened when my mentor reassured me as she told me not to worry as she will guide me all throughout the procedure. I had all the materials ready and was all geared up with personal protective devices. After obtaining informed consent from the patient, I removed the drain without any difficulty while making sure that aseptic technique was observed. Aseptic technique is very important to prevent surgical site infections. According to the NICE guidelines (2008), the development of an SSI depends on contamination of the wound site at the end of a surgical procedure and specifically relates to the pathogenicity and inoculum of microorganisms present, balanced against the hosts immune response. Thus, proper hand washing and maintaining sterility are very important when handling drains. Aside from removing drains, I have gained more confidence in re-vacuuming drains, monitoring drainage output, documenting and watching out for complications. While taking care of these patients, I ensured that complications are prevented by providing health teachings about hygiene, proper hand washing, measures to prevent complications and early detection of any complications. EVALUATION With the entire learning process, I was able to achieve my goal of attaining positive learning outcomes. I had been more proficient with handling surgical drains. I have improved my knowledge and shared these with my patients for them to have a safe recovery. I had been very keen with minimising complications and had been more watchful of the danger signs. I have known and practiced infection control by heart as well. There was one negative incident that occurred during my adaptation experience. This incident made me more cautious whenever I took care of patients with drains. We had a patient who underwent a major breast operation who had four astra drains in situ. She developed a haematoma during our shift because of the fact that all of her drains were all clamped from the previous shift. The surgeon himself discovered the nurses error and noticed the haematoma as well. He was not happy with what happened and told us to be very cautious with his patients drains. We made an investigation and found out that the nurse who re-vacuumed the drains from the previous shift failed to unclamp the drains. We made an incident report and informed the ward sister about the incident. We regularly monitored the patients haematoma and regularly massaged the affected area. ANALYSIS This incident made me realise how quickly complications arise when a single error is done. It taught me to be more cautious when re-vacuuming drains. Ever since that incident occurred, I always double check that all the drains are unclamped and patent before leaving the patients rooms. I always check the wound drain site for any haematoma or other unusualities as well. CONCLUSION Although it was not my error that the drains were clamped, I could still say that I do have a fault in that incident. If I could have checked the drains and the wound initially at the start of the shift, that haematoma might not have occurred or if not, be minimised. I was too busy taking care of other postoperative patients and kept saying to myself during that time that I would check the drains the wound after I am settled with the other patients. If I could have managed my time well and spared a little of my time to assess that patient, the incident might not have occurred. This incident served as a lesson for me the other staff nurses in the surgical ward and taught us the importance of drains thus, they should not be taken for granted. ACTION PLAN Based on this entire experience, I plan to widen my knowledge about surgical drains by doing more research work about other types of surgical drains that I am not familiar with to enhance my knowledge and to be prepared when the time comes that I would come across these types of drains. I also intend to be always updated with my knowledge by reading recent articles from journals or other sources and grab any opportunity of attending seminars/ trainings for continuing professional development.

Modern Communication Technology And Acculturation Of Children Education Essay

Modern Communication Technology And Acculturation Of Children Education Essay Over the last several years, as new waves of African immigrants and their children have continued to enter the United States, researchers have considered the impact of semiotics of modern communication networks and technologies on acculturation and cultural identity, as well as the effects of immigration on the nations economy and society. However, the way immigrant children adapt to American values by using social networks and technologies has been mostly ignored. McDonnell Hill (2008) explained that children entering the United States today represent a particularly diverse range of cultures, and most importantly, some have had little or no formal education in their native countries. Little is known about how cultural conflicts evolved from the use of these technologies and became integrated into core American values in communications, behavioral skills, attitudes and finally understand the norms of American society and the cultural semiotics that are prevalent. Another overlooked factor is generally the impact the act of using modern communication technology has on the adaptation process and the psychological consequences that emerge as these new young African immigrants learn a new culture, new social norms and values, and most importantly, a new cultural language. Relevance of this research Kristin McCarthy (2010) confirms that immigration and the subsequent acculturation process results in enormous stress for children. McCarthy (2010) clarified how experts agree that being connected and accepted is an important component of adolescent development, and the inability to have this connection and behave as Americans could result in an increased risk of depression, suicide, bullying, alienation, school failures and drop-outs. Failure to connect could also lead to misinterpretation of societal values leading to criminal activities. Most importantly, the language barrier may bring about rejection from the society. Redfield, Linton Herskovits (1936) showed that there is growing attention on the role of acculturation, the complex process of change that individuals experience as a result of continuous contact with another culture in behaviors of immigrants residing in the United States. Evidence is mixed as to whether acculturation using Social networks and modern communication technology helps or harms African immigrants who make America their new home. This study will be the first to evaluate the relationship between acculturation and modern communication technologies amongst African immigrants. This study should provide a foundation for further cross-cultural research on social communication networks, acculturation and the physical and psychological functioning of African American children Significance of the Problem The influx of African immigrants and their children to the United States in the last two decades has been phenomenal. The number of African immigrants to the United States more than quadrupled in the last two decades (Immigration and Naturalization Services, 2009;, Jo, 1999). We are aware of the correlates of social activity behavior of African American children (Chandler et al, 2002), However, little is known about the social activity behaviors and unique personal, social and environmental correlates of social activity in African immigrant children use of social networks and communication technologies in their adjustment to a new society. Thus, it is important to identify the influence of acculturation process using social networks and modern communication technologies, in addition to commonly examined correlates of social activity on African American childrens social activity behavior. Objective of this study The purpose of this study is to examine how the use of Internet social communication networks like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and modern communication technologies like smart-phones instant messages, multimedia (online gaming), blogging and discussion forums called Social Activity, have impacted the acculturation process of young African immigrants(18-25 years) to the nation. The larger goal is to increase understanding of cultural conflicts, semiotics of language differences, and adaptation process in order to promote diversity and enrichment in American society. Research questions The proposed research will answer the following questions What are the social activity behaviors of young African immigrants using social networks or modern communication technologies? What are the metrics of young African immigrants potential strategies to be pursued within their adaptation process correlated with their use of social networks and modern communication technology? Is there a direct effect and/or indirect effect of acculturation on social activity behavior through intrapersonal correlates of social activity using social networks and modern communication technology? What are the relationships between acculturation (multidimensional [young African immigrant and American acculturation] and proxy [language, length of stay in the US, age at immigration]) and other background correlates of social activity (use of social network sites, communication with peers on Internet and communication technologies serving as status symbol), interpersonal correlates of social activity and social activity behaviors of young African immigrants. Conceptual Framework The conceptual framework used to guide this study will be adapted from Anthony Giddens structuration theory of interaction of groups and organizations with information technology called Adaptive Structuration Theory (DeSanctis, G., Poole (1994) modified this model and used it successfully and criticized the technocentric view of technology use and emphasized social aspects. DeSanctis, G., Poole, M. S. (1994) emphasized that groups and organizations using information technology for their work dynamically create perceptions about the role and utility of the technology, and how it can be applied to their activities. These perceptions can vary widely across groups. One major assumption of this model is that the role and utility of technology and how it can be applied influence the way and how technology is used and hence mediate its impact on group outcomes. To understand and give validity to these perceptions by DeSanctis Pooles theory (1994), Gordon (1964) concept of Assimilation in American life will be evaluated to determine changes in behaviors pattern of immigrants based on use of technology. Literature reviews This research will present a comprehensive literature review on acculturation of young African immigrant into americans social-cultural pattern in their use of social technologies. An in-depth look will be provided into the aspects of web-based social technology associated phenomena including languages, interactions, cultural influences and status quo of these technologies as modern wave of new generation acceptance. Amongst specific literatures to be reviewed will be based on the following model lists. Social change and Acculturation Social activity enables psychology of social change and acculturation, which showed that many psychological characterizes become altered as individuals experience changes in their socio-cultural milieus (Berry, J. W., Poortinga, Segall Dasen, 2002). These changes can be as a result of social changes that are taking place from within a society (Georgas, 1993), or may result from contact with other cultures (Feldman et al, 2002). Berry et al (2002) also concluded that these changes have been identified as economic changes that move people away from traditional pursuits and norms towards new forms of employment and empowerment, alteration in social relationships including intergroup and interpersonal relations, and cultural changes that involve the alteration of traditional institutions and the replacement of these with imported ones. Socio-cultural values of technology assimilation by young West African immigrants Information technologies are both a by-product of the socio-cultural environment within which they evolve as well as a substantive and strategic sub-system of that environment (Elmandjra, 2001). McGinn (2006) explained that the significance of understanding a new cultural environment is to accept the invasion of technologies and their products or to opt for an active stand and for the elaboration of strategies and policies to ensure social relevance as well as cultural coherence. Steward (2009) believed that cultures do not change according to some inner logic, but rather in terms of a changing relationship with a changing environment even with technology. Americanism and Social Networks The Internet has fundamentally changed our communication patterns in which peoples interactions are increasingly dependent on electronic communication channels and less confined by territorial gaps. Such change has shrunk the distances between physical location significantly and thus brought about a brand new view of space and time (Miller, 2002; Watson et al., 2002). As the need for adaptation of African immigrant children into American way of life continues, the need for study of the cross-cultural adoption and use of IT has been souring which is evidenced by the surging number of pertinent research papers published and presented. Computer networks have been used to support information and knowledge exchange among geographically dispersed users and distributed social interactions (Ahuja et al., 2003). Social-cultural adaptation of modern communication tools Blau (1964) showed that social exchange theory positing that individuals engage in social interaction because they expect to receive some type of reward whose form does not necessarily confine to monetary value but also emotional values including approval status and respect. Wasko et al. (2005) clarified further that one potential way an individual can benefit from active participation is the perception that participation enhances his or her personal reputation in the society. Therefore, reputation, acceptance and status symbols are assets that young West African immigrant can leverage to achieve and maintain assimilation within a collective environment (Jones et al., 1997). RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The research methodology consists of three phases to leverage the strengths of qualitative and quantitative methods. The first phase will review extant research literature related to the influential factor of web-based social networks as a form of communication technology participation. The picture of the semiotics of cultural interaction will be evaluated as an adaptation process of young West African immigrants. The objective of this exercise will be to identify explanatory constructs from academic works across disciplines including social network theory, cultural dimensions, and individual level technology acceptance as evidence amongst selected young West African immigrants to the United States. The second phase will allow researcher to conduct in-depth interviews of young West African immigrants that meet the minimal requirements for web-based social network usage on one hand and other physical communication tools such as cell phones, blogging and multimedia. These interviews will be guided by a qualitative interview instrument, which contains a series of open-ended questions for the interview process. By engaging in the interview will allow the researcher to further elicit driving factors of user adoption of both social networks and the social activity involved in the use of the physical communication tools. The final phase, along with indicators generated in phase one and two will allow researcher to gather data from these interviews to create a 100-page quantitative survey that will be distributed to a random population of young West African immigrant in 25 states in the United States of users of both social networks and communication tools. In this way, empirical evidence can be obtained through analyzing users ratings of indicators that pinpoint the significance of social communication technology to acculturation of young West African American immigrants. The instrument will be subjected to content validity analysis, the sampling frame will be identified to enable the broadest generalization, and the instrument items will be assessed for discriminated validity. Work plan for data collection In order to maintain both social and material properties, it is important to adopt a triangulation concept which could establish legitimate ground to reduce the methodological conflict between qualitative and quantitative research approaches (Orlikowski and Robey 1991; Yin, 1994). McGrath (1982) justified the use of both qualitative and quantitative method in three methodological dimensions namely generalizability, precision and realism. Researcher intends to incorporate the three dimensions in his research work plan for data collection. Sample Frame Researcher intends to select research subjects before the research design can be carried out for data collection. The sample frame for pre-test and large scale survey will be drawn from two distinct areas. The first will be from college students whose ages range between 17 to 24 in United States and new West African immigrants who recently won the DV Visa lottery. In order to justify using this frame, the researcher will revisit the focal issue of this research and explain how it would be difficult to conduct meaningful research without studying young west African immigrants who are both new and young web-based social communication tool users or adopters. Data Collection Since this research will include technology study, survey and controlled experiment are considered widely adopted to establish causal relationships between observed variables. Each of them bears advantages and disadvantages and it is contingent upon various factors to decide which one has better fit with the research context. Lyberg and Kasprizyk (1991) explained that expected quality of collected data, estimated costs, expected level of errors and length of the data collection period are major reasons for controlled experiment. Bailey (2002) agrees that this will explain why lab experiment are not as popularly used in social science as in other disciplines such as natural science. In addition to survey, other content analysis techniques including secondary data sources, archive data exploration, objective measures or tests, and semi-structured interviews are used to compensate for some limitations of quantitative data analysis. Qualitative Data Collection The qualitative data collection to be used will range from interviews, observational techniques such as participant observation and fieldwork, through to archival research. Both primary and secondary sources of data will be used exclusively in this research. Insights into social networks and web-based communication tools will be generated based on a wide range of discovery of industrial reports, newspaper stories, national statistics and descriptive research. The primary sources of data will refer to those data which are unpublished and which the researcher has gathered from the subjects or organization directly. The interview process will involve interviewees from US and from 25 states primarily at selected colleges. Written permission will be obtained with the application for IRB approval from each college. The screening process will consider subjects commonalities and cohesion of traits including culture, education and social communication tool activity in a web-based environment. Guidelines will also be incorporated into the interview design to elicit the subjective, contextual, and spontaneous information concerning web-based socializing activities and consistent use of modern communication tools. Quantitative Data Collection Selltiz et al., (1976) explained that when using the explanatory survey approach that makes logical inferences from non-experimental data, the researcher does not need to manipulate predicting variables or make assignment of groups because the variables are observed in their natural settings. Newsted et al., (1996) further clarified that epistemologically, surveys provide one way of obtaining and validating knowledge and raised the question whether surveys had outlived their usefulness and concluded that surveys are appropriate in certain conditions and less useful in others. Selltiz et al. (1976) argued that an explanatory survey is applicable when studying complicated social phenomena in which causal patterns contain multiple factors and more than one predicting variable is found. Cronbach (1971) explained that the main purpose of conducting the survey is to move from observations to theory validation by using an instrument that captures necessary data in an unbiased manner. It is suggested that by doing this will require a clear understanding of the concepts of constructs and their relationships which are important to make sense of human behavior involving information systems use. Scales Development The researcher will use psychometric response scales, a five point Likert scale will be selected: Strong Disagree/Disagree/Neutral/Agree/Strongly Agree. Researcher chose this type of response scale because of its good balance between parsimonious design and room of response. Researcher did not use the most popular wider range of scale such 7 or 10 because of its ambiguity in transformation data. Dawes (2008) found that data from 5-level, 7-level and 10-level items showed very similar characteristics in terms of mean, variance, skewness and kurtosis after a simple transformation was applied. He further explained the lack of precision regarding the differences between somewhat disagree and somewhat agree. Dawes (2008) further clarified that in order to avoid response bias which poses challenges in collecting effective data that accurately reflect the social facts, it is important to use a scale with balanced keying, such as a five point scale that has an equal number of positive and ne gative statements which can mitigate the problem of acquiescence bias because acquiescence on positively keyed items will balance acquiescence on negatively keyed items (pg. 79). Proposed Instrument Researcher will cover three general areas of structuration theory of interaction of groups and organizations with information technology called Adaptive Structuration Theory and pertinent hypothesis are rooted in research literature of IS and socio-cultural theories that would help to answer the research questions suggested in this research. The areas to be covered will include the use of technology and social communication tools, social behavior motivation to acculturation and cultural conflict influence of the immigrants Pretest Researcher will engage in pretest which refers to a research process/experiment that precedes a full scale study to examine whether operational constructs or variables are appropriate for further analysis. Researcher will use various forms of experiments and aims to replicate the formal experiment but on a smaller scale. Hunt et al., (1982) An important rule of thumb in conducting pretest is to use sampling subjects who have the closest characteristics with those of full scale data collection. For this research, both groups of college students and DV lottery winners in the U.S. will be selected to complete the questionnaire to provide further feedbacks in terms of appropriateness of items, length of time required to finish, and overlooked dimensions. This feedback will be considered in the process of finalizing the instrument that will be distributed to a large scale sample target. The research methodology will also include content validity, measurement equivalence, common methods bias, and non-response bias. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS Researcher will describe data collection procedures and also present data analysis results using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Researcher also plans to use supportive empirical finding which will be explained along with how statistical assumptions are satisfied. These statistical evidences will be used to examine any hypotheses generated from literature study and inferences. Researcher will also provide both descriptive and interpretive data analysis using the structural equation modeling techniques. Researcher will also answer most research questions from a confirmatory perspective, links theoretical assumptions and conclusions and completes the research methodology Qualitative Data Analysis Researcher will use narrative style and open ended interview questions rather than retrieving answers based on fixed options multiple choices. Shim et al., (2002) explained that qualitative data can reveal the realism aspect of investigated subjects. So this section will be used to interpret perceived data obtained from interviewees in a focus group environment Method Description Focus Group Researcher believed that it is important to understand what motivates subjects of this research and the understanding of user behavior in the use of social communication network and tool when they find themselves in a different cultural environment. Researcher will use focus group method by selecting a group of interviewees (in this case, less than 30), which consist of individuals that meet the pre-screening requirements (Morgan 1998). The group will participate in the discussion whose topic is designated by the researcher. As a validated approach in behavioral sciences, focus groups are administered in US. All participants are selected social network and communication tools users including rejecters (used Social network and communication tools and decided to discontinue usage). Researcher intends to have a table list of profile of interviewees in the United States. Quantitative Data Analysis Researcher will analyze perceptional data statistically to discover interesting patterns hidden behind human behaviors. Respondents will be asked to report their true opinions according to a structured survey that contains items generated in literature review and qualitative data analysis. Method Description Large Scale Survey Lee (1999) argued that surveys are particularly useful in determining the actual values and interactions of variables. Researcher will use an approach which would be seen to have the following strengths: compared to interpretive methods, it will be easy to administer; it will determine the values and relations of variables and constructs; generalizability and replicability will also be tested; it will be capable of testing theoretical propositions in an objective fashion. Selltiz et al. (1976) argued that an explanatory survey should be adopted when studying complicated social phenomena in which causal patterns contain multiple factors and more than one predicting variable is found. Cronbach (1971) emphasized that the main purpose of conducting the surveys is to move from observations to theory validation by using an instrument that captures necessary data in an unbiased manner. Researcher will use both paper based and web based survey instrument. The selection of sample subjects will be strictly based on how well the characteristics of the target population can be represented. Data Collection Analysis Researcher will use analysis that would demonstrate respondents social background that is consistent with the research design, namely, young African immigrants with appropriate social network and communication tool use experience. Researcher will also use a pilot study that will examine initial content validity of the collected data. Straub (1989) explained that non-response bias is a major threat to the validity of the survey method. Demographic Statistics Researcher will use a demographic statistics of respondents that are categorized in four dimensions: age, gender, web or Internet experience and modern communication tools. Researcher will use high level of homogeneity of domestic nature within one group young west African immigrants and a high level of heterogeneity across groups Structural Equation Modeling Researcher will use the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) which is a statistical technique widely used in social science research. Byrne (2006) indicated that this consists of two major parts: a measurement model and a structural model. This technique is similar to multiple regressions; however, SEM is a powerful technique in constructing and examining causal relationships using measurement error and model fitness. The justification for using SEM is that it employs a confirmatory rather than exploratory approach to test models. Therefore, it is an ideal selection for theory verification instead of development, even though in reality SEM does carry some exploratory nature. Chin (2008) suggested that SEM enables IT researchers to achieve the goals including: evaluate and control measurement model errors of latent variables, simultaneous analysis of multiple paths relationships, and flexibility of testing theoretical assumptions. DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS The core issue of research is to examine how the use of Internet social communication networks like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and modern communication technologies like smart-phones instant messages, multimedia (online gaming), blogging and discussion forums called Social Activity, have impacted the acculturation process of young African immigrants(18-25 years) to the nation. Most of the research questions are expected to be answered in this research and findings discussed to explain different related behaviors in acculturation of young west African immigrants. Using mixed methods of both qualitative and quantitative, the researcher will be able to reveal context-oriented insights that are complement empirical findings which are statistically inferred to large population of samples. With this in mind, researcher will divide the discussion of findings into two aspects of quantitative and qualitative including further justifications of research methodology, the implications of these findings, future research directions and conclusions.

Free College Essays - Quest for Freedom in Robin Hood :: Robin Hood Essays

Robin Hood – Quest for Freedom   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Robin Hood, by Paul Creswick, is a story of great triumph.   Many people    know the myth of Robin Hood, but they do not know the life of Robin Hood.   It is a    good novel to read if the reader likes stories of a true legend.   Also, it is a novel that    deals with friendship, motivation, action, bravery, and love.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The novel is primarily based on friendship.   The friends that Robin makes    and the camaraderie they share makes this a terrific book.   Living in the forest, away    from the law, they are all outlaws and they are all there for each other when trouble    presents its self.   One example is when one of the outlaws, Little John,is about to be    hung, the rest of the crew risked life and limb to save his life.   A few of the    members even died trying to help Little John escape, but they all knew that was the    meaning of friendship.   When one of the outlaws was sick or wounded, someone    always stayed with them and made sure he got better.   With their friendship came    trust.   All of the outlaws knew that they could trust each other, no matter what the    situation presented.   If one of the outlaws went into the city to buy goods, the others    knew that he would not run off with the money or tell the Sheriff where they were    hiding.   A good example of that is when Will Stutely had a falling out with the    gang. He went and worked in the sheriff’s kitchen as a cook, and even though he    had left the gang and was employed by the law, he still kept the hiding place secret    and told noone the where abouts of Robin Hood.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another reason the novel is good to read is the motivation the gang has.      Their primary motivator is freedom.   Everything they do is to try to gain freedom    from the crooked king.   They live in caves throughout the woods and sleep on the    hard ground because they are just glad to be free there.   In the forest, they make    their own laws and obide by them strictly.   If someone does not obey the laws set by    the gang, then they are kicked out of the forest and must live in the non-democratic    city and give up their freedom.   Once the gang leaves the forest though, they have

Hofstede?s Value Dimensions Essay -- essays research papers

Hofstede's value's system Dimensions of Values The affect the four dimensions, Power Distance, Uncertainty avoidance, Masculine/femininity and Individual v. Collectivism have on organzational behavior shows in all cultures and cross cultures. As with power distance when dealing with other cultures you have to adapt your company values to that of the society in which you live and the people that you employ and the public that you deal with. In organizational behavior you have to be able to adapt or willingly participate and follow through on those culture beliefs of society. So your management structure has to follow the structure of that society while understanding uncertainty avoidance knowing that certain cultures like to have rules stressed, want work regulated and are willing to work hard, conform to standards and are very secure in their jobs. While some other cultures don't have as many rules or less conforming, security is not as stressed and hard work is not seen as normal life, although if you are willing to stand out by doing a job that is not expected or coming up with an idea this is more valued because it is seen as taking a risk. In addition to power distance and uncertainty avoidance affecting organization behavior there is also the Masculinity/Femininity cultures. In this area you will find certain cultures that are clearly masculine, where the dominance of men is supported and economic success is based on the men being in charge while at the same time so...

Just War Theory as Applied to Operation Just Cause Essay -- American F

Since its inception as a country in 1776 the United States has carried a tainted record in conducting just operations involving regime changes to achieve the goal of timely creating a minimally just political community. For example, on one hand the U.S. has been a part of one of the most just, successful, and commendable regime changes in history when they helped defeat and reconstruct Japan and Germany after World War II. On the other hand the U.S. has been a part of one of the worst and unjust operations conducted in history involving Cuba and the Bay of Pigs invasion. Between these two extremes there are many other operations which focused on the goal to change a regime where their rightness has been called into question based on one or more aspects of the just war theory. Just war theory is explained best by author, Brian Orend, and states that, â€Å"sometimes, it is at least morally permissible for a political community to go to war and features a goal to restrain both the in cidence and destructiveness of war† (Orend, 31). One of these operations where the rightness of the invasion was called into question is Operation Just Cause. Operation Just Cause was the invasion of Panama by the United States in December of 1989. The operation was spearheaded by President George H. W. Bush and its goal was to replace the current leader of Panama, General Noriega, with the rightfully elected new leader, Guillermo Endara. Manuel Noriega had close ties with the United States throughout the years by serving as an informant and asset to the U.S. against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. His efforts included sabotaging the Soviet supported governments in both El Salvador and Nicaragua, which helped reduce Soviet control in Central America (... ... to war under jus ad bellum, the question must be answered as to whether the United States followed the principles of jus in bello, which is adhering to the right conduct in the midst of battle (Orend, 105). Jus in bello is divided into two types of rules—internal and external, and the responsibility of following these rules rests in the hands of a state’s armed forces, rather than its political leaders. Internal rules concern how a state during war should treat its own citizens, while external rules concern how a state should conduct itself in the midst of war regarding the enemy state and its civilians (Orend, 106). In assessing if the U.S. followed the principles of jus in bello, a focus will be placed on the external rules rather than the internal rules because the invasion was not a serious war and was ultimately limited to one day that was limited to Panama.

Ducati Paper

Margaret DeWitt Ducati Turnaround The turnaround success of Ducati was the direct result of Federico Minoli’s implementation of a differentiation strategy. As a company that was heading towards bankruptcy, Ducati was saved and revamped by Minoli’s specific vision for the company that were precisely presented in an extremely realistic manner. These goals for the company included double-digit growth for Ducati and equaling Harley-Davidson’s profit level. After reading the success of this turnaround, one point that I found very interesting and contributed to the company’s success is Minoli’s staffing method for Ducati.Not only did he strive to acquire intelligent and qualified workers, but also he emphasized passion and creativity in the workplace. The article refers to this â€Å"structured chaos† as the primary source of creativity. Another unique staffing method using by Minoli was that none of the new staff had previous experience in the mot orcycle industry. According to Minoli, even though they had no previous experience they were still capable of becoming passionate about this company and its products and would therefore be a successful management team.It is apparent Minoli views everyone involved in the production of Ducati’s products as a key success factor in its turnaround. In choosing the right strategy for Ducati, Minoli debated between standardizing the engine, which would result in better efficiency, or to remain true to what the motorcycle represented. He wanted the brand name to appeal not only to extreme motorcycle riders but also so other segments of buyers. By implementing a differentiation strategy, Minoli was able to position Ducati in a way that showcased its uniqueness as a motorcycle.It was also a way to separate it from other motorcycle companies such as Harley-Davidson and Honda. The specific features of their product are so unique to the brand name that it would be difficult and expensive for competitors to try to mimic. The company has moved from a â€Å"product-centered† company, as many of its competitors are categorized as, to an â€Å"experience-centered† company. It is not only focused on producing and selling motorcycles, but also focused on selling the lifestyle benefits of owning a Ducati motorcycle and being part of the Ducati organization.This was a smart move on behalf of Ducati for two main reasons: to increase sales due to product uniqueness and the building of customer loyalty through repeat customers. As customers buy into a lifestyle, they are more likely to continue to purchase that product. Two of the factors that Ducati possess that contributes to its differentiation from other companies are its top engineering team and increased investment in research and development.As a result of the company ‘s product development and research and development sectors become more open structures, there have been tremendous cost savings and qu icker product launches. Also, as technology is a growing asset to the motorcycle industry, Ducati’s success can be a direct result of the expertise taken from their racing division. Another attribute that supports the differentiation strategy of Ducati motorcycles is the creation of the â€Å"World of Ducati† in addition to â€Å"Ducati Stores†.Through the several activities including racing, advertising in specialized magazines, the Ducati museum, Ducati owners clubs, and Ducati special events, the company successfully built an atmosphere unique to Ducati that customers can buy into. This not only creates brand loyalty for the product but also gives the owners of Ducati motorcycles the feeling that they have something special or unique that cannot be purchased elsewhere. By using the differentiation strategy to position itself as â€Å"the sport bike company†, Ducati, in my opinion, will be able to sustain its position in the market.By strictly competing in the sport bike segment of the market, Ducati makes it difficult for threats by all other competition. Even though companies such as Honda and Harley- Davidson also produce motorcycles, they are not specialized in sport bikes and do not sell â€Å"the lifestyle† of having their particular product. I think by sticking to one specialty, Ducati has more power over its customers than all other competing companies. This does not however eliminate rivalries between companies altogether.Even though Ducati may have the advantage of differentiation, this particular industry is continuing to grow and with that comes more competition for customers. I think that one tradeoff that Ducati has to face is staying focused on the sport bike segment rather than branching off into other segments of the market. Even though branching into other product lines may be beneficial in the short-term aspect, I think that by sticking to what they have already successfully built and expanding their curr ent market segment will eventually lead to higher long-term profitability.They could possibly achieve this by expanding distribution. Ducati can offer its product and all of the benefits that come with purchasing one in more locations. The only thing Ducati should be careful of is that they do not over-expand. They want to make their product more available for new customers but not in a way that makes the lifestyle of owning a Ducati as â€Å"normal† as owning maybe a Harley-Davidson. They need to make sure they still have the advantage of having that differentiation factor that sets them apart from the competition.Overall, Minoli’s implementation of the differentiation strategy was critical to the turnaround of Ducati. By focusing in on what they are good at and building a brand upon those elements, this company was able to go from almost bankruptcy to an extremely profitable company in the sports bike industry. Also, by distinguishing itself from just a motorcycle co mpany to an â€Å"experienced-centered† company that offers customers a particular lifestyle and the chance to be part of a community also plays a role in the success of its turnaround.This important element brought in new customers and increased the likelihood of repeat customers. Even though competition in the motorcycle industry is tough and continues to get even more competitive, Ducati will continue to set itself apart from the rest with it’s ability to sell not only a sports bike but a product lifestyle as well. I think that if Ducati continues to successfully use its resources in the future, they will sustain their share in the market and have the opportunity to even expand it.