Perodua †Csr Essay

Periods – Advertising with social dimension Executive Summary Periods was set up as a national car project in the year 1993. In the initial years of its inception the company operated in a protected environment marked by both tariff and non-tariff barriers. By the year 1998 leveraging on its high local sourcing strategy the company, along with Proton, managed to capture up to 90% market share. In 2001 the company set up a Joint venture with Dadaists Motor Co. And Mitosis & Co. , the Japanese partners being responsible for manufacturing and engineering operations. Operating in an open economy post AFT in year 2006, Periods has found its niche in the small car segment and completely dominates the sub-1000 c motor vehicle segment. Periods has been extensively using â€Å"cause related marketing approach† treating Government, suppliers and dealers, employees and customers as stakeholders in its business. It also has 2 different kinds of ad programs, product ads promote individual brands, whereas corporate ads carry social message and promote the company. 2 different departments handle the designing and positioning of these different ad types. There are obvious benefits to using corporate ads with emotional appeal; studies eave established that companies tend to realize enhanced relationship with their agencies. However on the flipped designing these ad campaigns is very complicated as sensibilities of all sections of the society have to be taken into consideration. A major downside to Persona’s corporate ad campaign is that no evaluation model has been adopted to measure the effect of such advertising on company’s short term goal I. E sales or long term goal of being a responsible corporate citizen. The company should immediately adopt both qualitative and quantitative measures to understand the benefit of its campaign. Depending on results obtained Periods can decide on how to continue with its corporate ad campaign. Industry Overview The ass and the ass were the decades of â€Å"Industrial Nationalism† in Malaysia and the Government set up the national automotive programmer. Prior to 1985 Malaysia was an importer of automobiles and the aim of the programmer was to build a nationally owned and controlled automotive industry. Proton was the first of the 2 national cars and was established in 1985. It was a Joint Perusal Automobile Asked Sad Bad (Periods) was established in 1993 and was the 2nd National car project. The Government also established a heavy vehicle company â€Å"Malaysian Bus and Truck (MAT) in 1994, a motorcycle manufacturer â€Å"MODERNS† in 1995 and a light commercial vehicle manufacturer â€Å"MIGNON† in 1997. In order to protect the domestic industry the Malaysian Government imposed substantial import duty on all completely built-up imported cars or completely knocked down vehicles. Apart from the import duties, non-tariff barriers such as licensing and import quotas were also enforced. The 1980 â€Å"Mandatory Deletion Programmer† (MAD) made local sourcing of components, between 45-60%, compulsory pending on the cubic capacity of the car. In 2005-06 under the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (KEPT) scheme Malaysia was required to dismantle both tariff and non-tariff barriers. The applicable KEPT rate depending on the country of origination is shown below: The most obvious consequence of implementing the KEPT for Malaysia’s car producer is the minimization of protective automotive policy and disappearance of price advantage. This will open up the market for greater competition from companies from other SEAN countries like Japan and South Korea which are major automobile producers in the region. See Exhibit 1 for breakup of vehicles produced and assembled in Malaysia) Periods – A background Perusal Automobile Asked Sad Bad (Periods) was established in 1993, this was the second national car project of Malaysia after Proton was set up in 1985. Periods was a Joint venture between Dadaists, Missus, and other Government controlled companies with Malaysian equity amounting to 68%. See exhibit 2 for Persona’s shareholding structure in 1993). Operating in a protected environment Periods was able to leverage on the MAD programmer and made use of up to 75-90% local content in its cars. This gave the company a significant price advantage over its competitors. Both national cars exploited the pricing advantage and accounted for 90% of vehicles sold in 1998. In 2001, Periods set up a Joint venture, with Dadaists Motor Co Ltd. And Mitosis & Co. Ltd. , called the Periods Auto Corporation Sad Bad (BPCS). As per the Joint venture agreement, the Japanese partners would control the manufacturing and engineering operations whereas the Malaysian partner would have the largest stake. Persona’s strength is in the small car segment and the company aims to serve the coal and overseas market’s demand for compact, affordable and reliable vehicles with excellent standards and quality. As of June 2009, the company employed about In order to enhance efficiency and cost competitiveness the company has introduced Toyota Production System (TIPS). TIPS is driven by the concept of â€Å"Good Thinking Meaner Good Product† and comprises of 2 main systems â€Å"Just in Time† and â€Å"Kodak†. The TIPS aimed to eliminate excessive lead-time, lower inventory levels and reduce costs. Persona’s Joint venture with Dadaists gave Periods an opportunity to get in shape or liberalizing of auto industry post-AFT. In 2006 the company overtook Proton to become the biggest car seller in the Malaysia. The liberalizing campaign has presented Periods with a mixed big. Persona’s expertise in manufacturing small cars has opened up new export markets for the company. At the same time big players with sophisticated technology and competitive production techniques now have access to Malaysian car market, thereby increasing competition for Periods in its own backyard. Marketing communication and advertising process Cause related marketing approach A marketing communication program can be successful only when all the departments of the company are actively involved in the marketing plan. All company departments and personnel should communicate the same message to the target audience. Periods places Corporate Social Responsibility (CARS) at the heart of all its business activities. So naturally the company’s CARS activities form the central theme of its â€Å"cause related marketing†. As part of the strategy, Periods follows a 4 pronged approach where the Government, suppliers and dealers, employees and consumers re all treated as stakeholders in the business. (see exhibit 3 for Persona’s stakeholder structure). Some of the activities undertaken by the company to engage stakeholders are: * Government Periods engages with the Government by contributing to local man power training. In-spite of having the option of importing foreign workers, the company spends substantial amounts on training locals and employing them at its plants. The company also helped develop the local auto component and parts industry. * Suppliers and dealers Periods has developed a quality audit system to optimism local vendor’s performance ND to assure the quality of components’ supplied to the company. During the Asian financial crisis the company allowed vendors to increase prices to ensure they had sufficient working capital. Credit terms were reduced from 30 to 60 days. Employees Periods believes in an inclusive work environment and allows employees to grow invests in its work force through training, counseling and providing healthy and conducive work environment as well as employment benefits. * Consumer & public Persona’s strength lies in the small car segment. It intends to provide more affordable vehicles’ for lower income level and rural people. In add ition to providing quality products at affordable prices, the company through its corporate ads also works to increase social awareness about safe driving practices and other positive social values. The company has also designed and implemented a training programmer for youth living in the locations that Periods operates in. It also supports various causes, financially as well as in kind, responding to the needs of less audits to ensure Advertising process privileged. The company conducts stringent environmental environmentally safe practices have been adopted. Periods has 2 kinds of ads: * Product ads – These are designed with the objective of communicating the product range, features of the product etc. To the end user. Such ads are handled by the marketing section of the company. * Corporate ads – With the express desire of becoming a socially responsible corporate citizen these ads with social dimension have been launched. The public affairs section is responsible for these ads. Marketing, sales and manufacturing department departments are involved in the design of these ads. See exhibit 4 for advertising matrix) Periods operates in a multi-cultural society and the main objective of the corporate ad is to transcend the racial boundary and get close to the target buyer. The company understands its consumers are realists who do not relate to superficial messages; they consider things in real terms and are practical in life. In order to connect to these â€Å"real people†, the ads always portray Periods as part of the society and the ad message always reflects existing social phenomenon. The main objective of these corporate ads is to create awareness amongst the general public about oral values the company believes in. Some of the social messages or issues that the company has worked with, is based on elements like driving etiquette, nationalism, inter-racial harmony and family reunion. One unique aspect about Persona’s ads has been its use of the individual as focus to bring out the social message; both negative and positive emotional appeals are used in the ads. The company has used both television and print media to carry its corporate ads. Newspapers are used as supplementary coverage medium to reach specific ethnic groups. Strengths of Persona’s advertising campaign: The company has been associating itself with elements like driving etiquette, family harmony, nationalism, racial harmony etc. These are emotions that middle class and rural people of Malaysia immediately connect with. Constant exposure to such ads will lead consumers to perceive the company as being â€Å"good†. * Medium of advertising The company uses television as the primary medium of advertisement. Images work quicker and convey meaning at once. Weakness of Persona’s advertising campaign: * Sensibilities in multi-cultural society The company operates in a multi-cultural society; perceptions and attitudes of people from different ethnic back ground towards all aspects of life might be very different. For example black in Chinese culture has neutral meaning, whereas Hindus usually consider black as a negative color. So when designing ads the company will have to be careful to ensure sensibilities of particular ethnic groups are not offended. * Enforcing/reinforcing racial stereotypes Racial stereotyping is a bane of multicultural societies. Any ad that might inadvertently reinforce such stereotype will definitely create backlash and lead to active publicity, which Periods can do without. Uncertain impact No actual evaluation has been conducted to measure the effect of the company’s corporate advertising program. Effect of such ad on company sales or perception of general public about Periods is unknown. Exhibit 1: Breakup of vehicles produced and assembled in Malaysia Exhibit 2: Persona’s shareholding structure in 1993 Exhibit 3: Persona’s marketing communications stakeholders Exhibit 4: Advertising matrix of Periods [ 1 ]. Periods corporate website – h ttp://www. Periods. Com. My/corporate/company

Reverence for Life Essay

At the height of his career, Albert Schweitzer was considered one of the most influential men of his time. He inspired millions of people with his speeches of revelations of life and how fulfilling a human’s life can be. Decades later after his death, we look at the world and what is taking place. Amongst the some good on this planet, we still see destruction, death, and corrupt politics [at the very least in the United States]. In 3rd world countries where there are war motivated nations, along with other countries potentially bad ethics, perhaps it is time to reflect on Schweitzer’s words and thoughts during his life. In Africa, where humans and animals fight for their lives, is when Schweitzer had a revelation and came up with a philosophy that would change the way we look at the world. He accomplished this with 3 simple words, Reverence for Life. After coming up with this phrase on a boat journey up stream through the hearth of Africa, he came invented an entirely new philosophy. In its simplest form, Reverence for Life means that we as living creatures on planet Earth, are only sure that we want to live and keep on living. This is something that we share with everything else that lives whether it be, plants, animals, insects, etc. Because of this, anyone or animal or plant that lives on this planet is connected by this one amazing thing. Nothing, whether be race, skin tone, religion, should be more important than this will to live. The world has evolved through millions of years to bring and support life. Every living thing on the planet or even non-living is supported by the Earth. The difference between humans and the rest of all the living organisms is that we humans are the only species that recognize this. This revelation is very important to humans since we have the ability to destroy life or neglect life, even to cause suffering and death. Needless to say, humans have some responsibility here. It is true that some suffering and death is unavoidable. For example, killing cattle for food, or trees for wood. Even vegans or vegetarians must kill living plants for food. Reverence for Life is simply saying we must be aware of what we are doing. We must be aware of what we are doing, 9 simple words that have such a deep and meaningful impact on everything and anything we humans are doing. Politics has good and negative impacts on society. How we change the environment can have positive or negative impacts on not only humans, but the entire living world as well. Sometimes, we can be blinded on the bigger picture when we alter environment, for simple reasons such as shelter, money or greed. One very clear example of this is clear cutting. It is true that humans need shelter. But we must be conscious when we begin clear cutting millions of acres of trees in rainforests or other places. After taking classes like environmental science, one really gains an appreciation for the environment and how even minor changes to a small environment, can have detrimental consequences to the rest of the world. In the case of clear cutting, not only are thousands of species dying but surrounding environments change as well. Less oxygen for the world, more co2 in the atmosphere due to lack of trees eating the co2 is just one example of how the entire planet can be affected. This is just one tiny example but raises good points. When humans make a decision to say, clear cut trees, we must look at the bigger picture on how this is going to affect us. And we can learn from these decisions as well, maybe find an alternative source to wood to build houses or build desks made of wood. For Schweitzer, even the smallest form of life is incredibly important. The ethical person goes out of his way to avoid injuring anything that is living; he doesn’t tear leaves from trees or step on insects. He rescues worms stranded on a sidewalk after a rain. Schweitzer ethics say a person should be reluctant and think before going and do something simple as shatter ice. As some may say these ethics are a little extreme, but possibly we could learn from this to help us think of the bigger picture before humans go on with an action or a decision. This can apply in not just nature but in other aspects as well. Aspects such as governments, in Africa for example. Africa is one the most devastated continent on the planet. Suffering from war, famine, murders, genocide, and more one can’t help but think why it is like that and how it can be fixed. For one, before humans got there none of this was going on. We can only blame ourselves as humans for the action happening overseas. As governments are the leaders and decision makers of countries in Africa, it is there responsibility along with the rest of the human population to be aware what is happening in Africa and start working more aggressively to fix these problems. This being said, I agree with Albert Schweitzer Reverence for Life ethics. We must take responsibility for what we do when we take water from a stream, cook and clean with the water being taken, when we kill an animal, or when we as humans kill other humans. The key concept here is being aware of what is going on in our surroundings. Life is tender and amazing. Science tells us that the Earth is a very powerful yet sensitive planet. When we alter the planet or take form the planet, it is vital to be aware of re-actions to our actions so to speak. After all this floating ball of rock in space is providing everything we need to support life. Perhaps it is wise to take care and protect the limited resources and re-newable resources this planet provides us. Whatever it maybe, we have good reason to feel reverence for each other, other living things, and our planet and its contents.

To what extent has the credit crunch contributed towards a downturn in Essay - 1

To what extent has the credit crunch contributed towards a downturn in UK house prices - Essay Example A trial is being made to relate the trends in the housing markets and the financial crunch to the theories of economics. The credit crunch and the national and international economic developments have had substantial impact on the country’s real estate market. Before analysing the present situation of the market, it would be ideal to have an overview of the historic developments in the housing market of the United Kingdom. After the downfall of the housing industry in early 1990, there had been a steady growth in the UK housing market. From the stage of disaster, the industry had dramatic growth resulting in the average house price to touch  £163,000 in the year 2005. The quantum of the growth is reflected by the fact that this price was the double of the average house price in the dawn of the millennium. (Cameron G, 2005,). Interestingly the trend was similar in the international scenario as well. The downfall of the US economy and the recession which began in early 2007, catalysed a chain reaction in the international economy as well. This resulted in serious credit crunch in most of the leading economies. The UK economy was no exception. There were serious negative responses in the economy which led to acute credit crunch. The finance flow was seriously affected. Real estate was one of the first industries to be affected by the credit crunch and the allied economic developments. The post recessive period observed critical economic outcomes in the housing industry of United Kingdom. In comparison with the previous year, the house prices were 7.4 percent lower in October 2008. (DCLG, 2008). The average house price in UK in October 2008 was  £203,539. At the same time the house prices paid by the first time buyers were almost ten percent lower than that in the previous year (DCLG, 2008). Meanwhile while

An Individual decision making process analysis project Essay

An Individual decision making process analysis project - Essay Example This business project involves the provision of catering service to people who intend to hold parties at their houses. This might involve anybody from young children, teenagers and adults. Also all sorts of catering services required will be made available via the workforce available from the company. The reason why the ‘time to party’ project looks viable is that many people like to have parties in the present time. However, most of these people do not have the time and manpower to organize and execute such a celebration. However, they might have the cash to pay for the service and that is where this project fits in. however, there is one unique feature about this business that separates if form the others. Time to party will prepare the ordered food away from the party venue and transport it there. This will help to avoid privacy invasion and will reduce the amount of activities in the venue. This will also help utilize other resources that are not in the venue but are available in the company. This is therefore an investment with a bright future. Business objectives There are two main objectives that the ‘time to party’ project aims to achieve. I. Make good profits from the catering services provided. II. Become the biggest home catering services in Sheffield The enlisted objectives provide just but the big picture. All will agree that much profits means expansion of the business. When the business expands and the name is well established, there will be much room for development in this project. In addition, becoming the biggest catering company will allow room for capacity to hold many events at once without breaking a sweat thus better profitability. Competitors In the world of business, there will always be other businesses to battle with for the market share and reputation. This greatly affects not only the profitability of the project, but the ability to run efficiently and stay in the same market segment. There are seven cater ing service providing companies in Sheffield I. Organic fusion II. The tiffin company III. Carols catering service limited IV. The milestone on the move V. Hazels catering limited VI. Coco catering limited VII. Deli venture catering limited The largest competitor for the ‘time to party’ project is the coco catering limited. This is a well-organized and well-funded business institution. They have a high profile physical and online presence and consumer preference. This is due to their flexibility and the high quality services they provide. They also have a well-developed website that gives all their information and allow for special bookings. However, they do not offer an online payment and ordering system for home deliveries on a daily basis and this is one of the loopholes that ‘time to party’ will exploit. In addition, time to party will offer a new service that is not on their service list. With these two major issues, ‘time to part’ has the power to stand against coco catering. Target audience This project mostly targets people who have the desire to celebrate many events, have the money to do it but lack the time, resources and man power to ensure a successful execution of an event. This will include adults that work and university students that hold celebrations such as birthday or any other. This is the majority group that falls among the top desired clients. However, the company will

The cultural effect of automobile on Americans in the 1920 Essay

The cultural effect of automobile on Americans in the 1920 - Essay Example The automobile had come a long way by then from the era of the Model T Fords that looked like square boxes mounted on wheels. The assembly line manufacturing method of Henry Ford had become the norm in car manufacturing and allowed the people to afford the automobile at lesser than the usual price. Now, no place was too far for the public to reach. Everything was only a car ride away. However, the road infrastructure still needed to keep up with the rapid growth of the automobile economy. The affordable cost of the new range of factory line produced automobiles helped to give rise to the era of American consumerism. Americans no longer purchased goods simply for consumption. Due to the effective advertising campaigns of automobiles, first as print ads and then as commercials on radio and television, the American psyche was awakened to a new and powerful type of happiness. A happiness that lay in their ability to buy things such as automobiles which, according to the sales pitches, was guaranteed to bring them hours, days, months, or even years of happiness with their family members and friends. Now, Americans purchased a lifestyle instead of an item. They now spent their hard earned cash with the knowledge that the purchase would bring them a sense of happiness. The automobile was the greatest expression of the happiness a person could find in his rising social status. From the era of 1910 to 1950, Americans began to develop a special relationship with their cars in part due to the influence of the automobile advertisements and the cars ability to provide a freedom of movement to a person. Customizing the car also became the ultimate in personal expression for young people. The automobile had a tendency to reflect the character of the owner. There was a sense of dependence on the automobile that could often be misconstrued as an

E-commerce in Arab Countries, What are the Benefits Article

E-commerce in Arab Countries, What are the Benefits - Article Example According to the paper findings since there are several countries in the Arab region, data related to e-commerce and internet usage in some of the important Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Egypt etc. will be mentioned and interpreted in the research report. Once a clear idea is obtained about the e-commerce in Arab countries, the findings will then be compared with the present situation of e-commerce in UK. After this comparative analysis, the research will aim at finding various obstacles to e-commerce in Arab countries. In addition to that research will also endeavour to find out the basic concepts and the major benefits of e-commerce. The major aim of this research is to gain an insight of current situation prevailing in Arab countries regarding the e-commerce. The current situation can be evaluated by finding out the total value of e-commerce in these countries, number of users, extent of involvement of people and business house etc. Furthermore the research also tries to analyse the present e-commerce situation in UK for comparing it with the situation in Arab countries. In addition to it, this research also aims to identify the factors that act as obstacles in Arab countries. E-commerce has several benefits which are expected to have significant effects on the people and the economy of a particular country. This research is conducted with the purpose of identifying the benefits of e-commerce and their effects on Arab countries. This is the major objective of this research paper apart from the others that are mentioned above.

The Effectiveness of The Bank of England Policies in Overcoming the Essay

The Effectiveness of The Bank of England Policies in Overcoming the Crisis - Essay Example This essay offers a comprehensive analysis of activities, that the Bank of England realizes to manage the inflation, with a focus on effectiveness of the Quantitative Easing Programme, which is among the mechanisms applied by the bank to stabilize the economy. It is argued in the paper, that the use of the Quantitative Easing of may cause higher inflation in future. The BOE applies both monetary policy and Quantitative Easing mechanism as the inflation management tools, to ensure that the inflation level does not surpass the lower or the higher limits as predetermined. The concept of inflation refers to a situation where there is a general rise in the prices of goods and services in an economy, within a specified period of time. Monetary policy refers to a mechanism applied to reduce the inflation rate, through the BoE introducing a period of higher interest rates, which targets to reduce both the consumer and the investment spending, and thus lower the quantity of money that is circulating in the economy. The Quantitative Easing mechanism is an unconventional method of managing inflation, which is applied under circumstances where the monetary policy does not generate the desired effect, in enhancing the stability of the economy The risks associated with the Quantitative Easing mechanism is its potential to cause future inflation, through capital flights and the stagnancy of production of goods and services, since the mechanism does not affect the interest rates, which in turn determines the production in the economy. ... In doing this, the Bank of England applies various mechanisms, which include: Monetary policy This refers to a mechanism applied to reduce the inflation rate, through the Bank of England introducing a period of higher interest rates, which targets to reduce both the consumer and the investment spending in the economy, and thus lower the quantity of money that is circulating in the economy (Griffiths & Wall, 2007 p22). This way, the general prices of goods and services in the economy will be lowered, considering that there would be less money in the economy, which cannot support the higher prices. The change of the official interest rate by the Bank of England is applied in the situation where the amount of money that is being spent in the economy has grown at a higher rate, compared to the volume of the output produced, in terms of the goods and services (Qfinance, 2009 p249). Thus, the Bank of England sets an interest rate, at which it lends to the other financial institutions withi n the UK, which in turn affects the interest rates at which such financial institutions, which include the commercial banks, the building societies or the insurance companies, will attach to their loans and mortgages, which they advance to their customers. In addition, the change in the interest rates also affects the prices of other financial assets such as the shares and the bonds, while also influencing the exchange of the country’s currency against those of other countries (Mishkin, 2010, p77). All these changes serve to influence the demand by consumers and businesses, thus affecting the spending that such consumers and businesses make in

Green Buildings in Hong Kong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Green Buildings in Hong Kong - Essay Example Energy competence and ecological with the aspire to endorse energy protection and improved building design. The study of "greener" and additional energy proficient buildings was also activating by the quest for improved recital and excellence in the construction industry. A demanding task of building designers and professionals today is to endorse green and energy competent buildings in a cost effectual and environmentally reactive way. This research shows Hong Kong Government is scheduling to set up a green building label system as a way of using market power to endorse ecologically aware buildings. In this regard a several-month consultancy study to expand the technique, identified as "complete ecological recital appraisal system for Buildings". It is supposed the knowledge of the obtainable appraisal methods against barriers will form a helpful surroundings of this study. At the similar time, appraisal of the building regulations is being conducted with the aim to take away barriers to original and green building designs. These initiatives focal point not only on latest buildings but also on redevelopment of old and decrepit buildings in the urban restoration process (ASHRAE. 2001). Barriers against energy efficiency in buildings are serious to attain sustainable development in a so

Add one more page to the essay and grammars check

Add one more page to the and grammars check - Essay Example Usually professional soccer players lift their T-shirts on their heads after scoring a goal. Practice it in front of the mirror, as well. However, it would be better to invent something special, for instance, a motto that you will shout after leading your team to the victory. For example, the motor can be â€Å"No less than the best†. This is a perfect inspiring motto, because no matter how good you team may be, there is always room to improve. The best way to win is to try to be the best. It is not very easy as every new season brings new gifted players, thus it is always necessary to be ready to everything. You may win the game during one season but the next season can bring surprises. Therefore, it is important to train all the time in order to play better and better. This will allow not to be afraid of new gifted players or old ones which used new approach to training. â€Å"No less than the best† is a motto that can help become and remain champions. Another thing that every professional soccer player should know about is falling beautifully. You can practice this on the bed. However, be careful and do not break the bed – until you are not a professional player, you may not afford buying a new one. You should also remember that the ground is not as soft as a mattress, be ready to have bruises in the future. After falling, you should always touch any part of your body as if it is badly injured even if it is not and have an in-pain expression on your face. This will allow you to be ready to any result and learn how to withstand the pain. When you are a professional soccer player, you should be ready to be treated like a thing. At any time, another club may offer several millions and buy you: the more it offers, the more successful you are. A good soccer player is an expensive soccer player. The destiny may lead you to any place of the globe. Be ready to be able to digest any kind of food and memorize hundreds of foreign words as

Sample Media Interview Q&a Essay Example for Free

Sample Media Interview Qa Essay Sample Media Interview QA Internal Question Answer (QA) documents are often developed to prepare media spokespersons for interviews and include tougher questions than FAQs. Internal QAs also include areas of vulnerability (e. g. who is to blame and could the medical response have been quicker? ) Use the sample QAs below as a guide to create your own during a crisis event. Q: What happened? (Examples: How many people were injured or killed? How much property damage occurred? ) A: At approximately XX:XX, an incident was reported at (location). The details at this point are unknown, however we are working very closely with local emergency response agencies to ensure that the safety of the surrounding community remains the number one priority. Q: Was this a terrorist incident? A: An investigation is taking place and we will update you with details from that investigation as we receive them. Right now, however, our greatest concern is for the welfare of the victims and their families. Q: When did it happen? A: Early reports indicate that the incident happened at approximately XX:XX. Q: Who is to blame? A: The details at this point are unknown. An investigation is taking place and we will update you with details from that investigation as we receive them. Right now, our main focus is on rescue efforts and on the well-being of the victims and their families. Q: Has this ever happened before? A: I will be happy to research that and get back to you, right now we are focused on the incident at hand, and on making sure that members of the surrounding community are safe. Q: Who was involved? A: In order to protect the privacy of those involved, we are withholding the release of victims’ names pending notification of family members. Q: Why did it happen? What was the cause? A: Those details will be investigated. Right now our primary concern is for the welfare of the victims and their families. Q: Will there be inconvenience to the public? A: That information will become available once the damage is assessed by local emergency response agencies. If we gather future information, we will be sure to pass it along. Q: When will we find out more? A: Our company, along with our local emergency response agencies, will be providing updates throughout the day. We encourage you to check our website at www. xxxxxx. com for up-to-the-minute information.

Antivirus Is Protective Software Computer Science Essay

Antivirus Is Protective Software Computer Science Essay Antivirus is protective software designed for protecting your computers system smart cell phones against Virus, Trojans Hijackers etc. These all Viruses, Trojans Win32 etc are called Malicious Software in computer world. All Antivirus software run in the background at all times to protect defense your computers system smart cell phones some antivirus are automatically updated through internet some antivirus are needs manual updated through internet to protect your systems against Malicious software. Introduction: Antivirus software provides an many essential layer for multitude of the Virus, win32, Trojans worm etc. The first document removal of the computer viruses was written by Bernd Fix. There are two types antivirus application in the computer world so that the time of the Atari ST platform designed in 1987 the first one was G Data second was UVK 2000 made by Bernd Fix in 1987.The word Antivirus is come from the word Antibiotic which means implies combat with an invading force of the programs. Fred Cohen designed the strategies relative to an Antivirus software program in 1988 to solve the virus problems. The old previews years Antivirus software are not so good because those software only detected the Virus Spyware etc remove it from your computers system damage your some operating system files inside your computers now AntiVirus software much better than old ones because it detected the virus remove it without deleting your operating system files inside your computers it als o fight against new malicious software which come from internet network. Well in the preview years Antivirus software are not completely free downloadable on the internet means you could only find some antivirus software with trial version now Antivirus software are completely free download without trial version . New Antivirus also checked the incoming outgoing mail, email attachments etc. It also have internet security for internet threats. Advantages and Disadvantages: Antivirus software is very useful in the preventing, controlling, virus many more viruses program, which can damage the computers components from inside operating system files to. Antivirus software are used for the methodologies for searching killing Viruses some of the well knows patterns of computer data programs. Antivirus programs are very effective against the viruses program, whose is the biggest threat for your computer systems. Antivirus program has some limitations drawbacks on the other hand, which effect on the computer system performance. In the computer world, inexperienced users can have many problems with the antivirus programs or software such as inabilities to understand, threats of the software success of the antivirus programs software are dependent on the ability of the user to understand Or knowing the right kind of balance between the positives negatives things in the computer world. Antivirus software or programs can cause problems during the installation window in the computer system or upgrade the Windows Service packs in the computer system. Antivirus software can be hampered some few software programs because it used it own firewall to block application to store in the computer system. e.g. True Crypt. Some Antivirus program will not knowing by the policy assessment before make it own policy when it install in the computer system. There are three major types of detection which is used to identify the potential threats in the computer system such as: Signature based, Heuristic based File emulation method. Signature based detection: In this method, you can identify the viruses malware virus software. Antivirus software can also compare the content files of the computer system to dictionary files of virus signatures because viruses are embed into themselves in the files shape or in pieces shape to infect the computers. Heuristic based detection: In this method, you can only detect malicious activity relative to viruses identify unknown viruses in the computer system. File emulation: In this method, it has using the heuristic type approach which it executing the program in a virtual environment which effect the action of the program performs it also carries out the disinfection actions relative to the programs which run in the computer. What is a Virus? Viruses are the category of malicious program code software, viruses are used for attempted to breach security value break them damage data of the computer system display unwelcome messages on the display screen when the antivirus program for gabbing user passwords on a networks are called LOGIN.EXE. These real LOGIN.EXE programs which have intruder or infect the user programs are called Trojan Horses when viruses program fall into the Trojans category than these viruses program have the ability to reproduce themselves again again until users computer systems slow down performance processing to any application it infected the your operating system . Why Do Viruses Exist? Now-a-days every computer virus programs are written by someone who wanted it to infect damage other peoples computer systems smart cell phones our world. So these Viruses program coding pass from computer to other computers system these viruses may be not have direct effect on the some computers but it affects on the other resources like(Disk space Memory) thats why these viruses are harmful it coding are very complex it also contain some serious bugs which damages the computer system pretty badly. How do I know if I have a virus want to protect my computer systems? If the someone computer systems are very running slower, freezing it displaying error messages again again than you should have the viruses in yours computers or operating system than u must install Antivirus software scan your computer system with latest internet updated of the Antivirus programs security to clear your computer with viruses. How did I get this horrible viruses on my computer system or operating system? Computer systems can be infected by viruses because: User using the Internet without having the latest updates of the Antivirus programs security installed into your operating system. User using the Internet without having a working firewall on the operating system or Antivirus software. User who opening the email attachments without knowing that whos will send him or her. User visiting unreliable website pages than viruses automatically stored into your computer because these website pages contains the infected viruses programs. How do I get rid of the virus? To get rid of the Viruses you should used latest Antivirus software or latest Antivirus program security updates now-a-days many new Antivirus software are able on the Internet free cost with one yeas updates free e.g. Norton Antivirus, McAfee Antivirus Kaspersky Antivirus etc. What are types of Virus in the computer world? There are several types of viruses in the world which your computers your operating systems for examples: Worms, Trojan horses, Logic bombs, Mutated viruses, Polymorphic viruses, Bounty hunters, Boot sector viruses Macro viruses etc. Worms: Worms Viruses are used to spread over a network of the internet hacks the computer system or operating system which connects with internet networks. Trojan horses: Trojans viruses are used to create a security hole in the computer programs or operating system infected the system files inside. Logic bombs: Logic bombs viruses are used to trigger the specific event means computer systems date programs of remote activation etc. Mutated viruses: Mutated viruses are used to rewritten by hacker users to change the behavior or signature of the programs made the multiple versions of the same viruses that infected the computer programs or operating system. So these viruses are also called variants. Polymorphic viruses: Viruses which are used to automatically change their appearance, like a chameleon by giving the virus a signature of the programs in encrypt-decrypt function so virus can only be recognize its own signature of the program. This kind of virus is called Polymorphic viruses. Bounty hunters: Bounty hunters viruses are used to modify signature program stored by Antivirus program in order to render them inoperable in the operating system. Boot sector viruses: A boot sector viruses are used to infecting the boot sector of a hard drive of the computer system.(just like MBR Master boot record) it also have infected the speed of the processer. Macro viruses: Viruses which came from email, email attachments etc to damage the operating system or hack the computer system . What is Firewall Spyware? Firewall: Firewall is software or program which have security tool to help limit internet network traffic with hackers or viruses to getting in your computer system. Firewall helped protects your computer from future hackers new incoming viruses. Spyware: Spyware are used to a multitude of malicious software programs which access your computer system. When Spyware viruses infect your computer system or operating system than it will slow down your operating system speed performance your computer system going to hang again again. Issues relative with the Antivirus software: Unexpected renewal costs: Some of the commercial antivirus software which includes end-user license agreements which effect on the subscription automatically renewed it, cost so much which you not expected. False positives: Antivirus software can used to identify non-malicious files which having the viruses so that it will be cause serious problems for the computer system because false positive make operating system files very unstable because of the viruses. System interoperability related issues: When the multiple antivirus programs running on the computer or operating system than it will degrade the performance of the operating system create conflicts in every programs running on the operating system. So this concept is called Multiscanning If the functionality of the few software programs can be hampered by the active antivirus software on the operating system. Effectiveness: The effectiveness of antivirus programs have been decreased in the previews year because of new good Antivirus software launch on the markets computer threat going dropped from 40-50% to 20-30% in this preview year. Rootkits: Rootkits are major challenge for antivirus programs on the operating system it had admin area access to the system to control, invisible hidden the EXE from the running processes of the task manager on the computer system. What is Cloud antivirus method? Cloud antivirus method is a technology that used the lightweight agent software to protect the computer system or operating system it also used for analysis the data with providers infrastructure. To implement this Cloud antivirus method we used the multiple antivirus engines which scanning suspicious files from the operating system this concept is called Cloud AV. Cloud AV was designed to send programs on the internet network where detection programs are used to improve the detection rates with multiple antivirus behavioral on the internet network. Online Scanning: Some of the Antivirus provides maintain of websites with free online scanning on the internet with the entire computer such as like local disks, critical area files relative to the computer systems. Well as you know that internet becomes the vehicle for communication in this world people using digital communication on the internet with very fast speed scope so that new kinds of viruses are increasing spread all over the world of the internet network. If someone will not want to install antivirus on his or her computer than he or she can easily scan his or her computer online this is quickly possible solution. What do u means by the birth rate death rate of the viruses? The Birth rate of the viruses: The birth rate of the viruses depends upon the one infected computer system or operating system which can spread this infection to other computer system or operating system. The Death rate of the viruses: The death rates of the viruses depend upon the infection found on the computer system or operating system destroy that computer system.

Hawthorne’s The Ministers Black Veil †Solitude of the Protagonist and the Author :: Ministers Black Veil Essays

â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† – Solitude of the Protagonist and the Author  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Isn’t it more than coincidental that the protagonist in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† and the author himself are both given to solitude and isolation?    Literary critics seem to come to a consensus on the subject of Hawthorne’s preference for solitude. Edmund Fuller and B. Jo Kinnick in â€Å"Stories Derived from New England Living† state that â€Å"Hawthorne was essentially of a solitary nature, and group life was not for him. . .† (30) Sculley Bradley, Richmond Croom Beatty and E. Hudson Long in â€Å"The Social Criticism of a Public Man† say that â€Å"a young man engrossed in historical study and in learning the writer’s craft is not notably queer if he does not seek society. . . .† (47) Stanley T. Williams in â€Å"Hawthorne’s Puritan Mind† states: â€Å"Soon after Hawthorne’s birth in 1804, circumstances intensified his innate Puritan characteristics: his analysis of the mind, his somber outlook on living, his tendency to withdraw from his fellows† (40). According to A.N. Kaul in his Introduction to   Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, the themes of isolation and alienation were ones which Hawthorne was â€Å"deeply preoccupied with† in his writings (2).    At the outset of the tale, â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil,† the sexton is tolling the church bell and simultaneously watching Mr. Hooper’s door, when suddenly he says, ``But what has good Parson Hooper got upon his face?'' The surprise which the sexton displayed is repeated in the astonishment of the onlookers: â€Å"With one accord they started, expressing more wonder. . .† The reason is this: â€Å"Swathed about his forehead, and hanging down over his face, so low as to be shaken by his breath† is a black veil. The 30 year old, unmarried parson receives a variety of reactions from his congregation:    ``I can't really feel as if good Mr. Hooper's face was behind that piece of crape'' ``He has changed himself into something awful, only by hiding his face''   ``Our parson has gone mad!'' Few could refrain from twisting their heads towards the door. . . . . . . more than one woman of delicate nerves was forced to leave the meeting-house.    Hawthorne, after exposing the surprised people to the sable veil, develops the protagonist through a description of some of his less exotic and curious characteristics:

Albert Einstein :: essays research papers

Albert Einstein   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Einstein was a German/American physicist who contributed more to the 20th century vision of physical reality than any other scientist. Einstein's theory of RELATIVITY seemed to a lot of people to be pure human thought, as did his other theories. LIFE Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany, on March 14, 1879. Einstein's parents were nonobservant Jews. They moved to Munich from Ulm when Einstein was an infant. The family business was to manufacture electrical equipment. When the business failed in 1894, the family move to Milan, Italy. He decided to officially give up his German citizenship. With in a year, still not having completed secondary school, he failed and examination that allow him to follow studies that would lead to a diploma in electrical engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (the Zurich Polytechnic). He spent the following year in Aarau where there were excellent teachers and an excellent physics facility. In 1896 he returned to the Zurich Polytechnic, there he graduated in 1900 as a secondary school teacher of math and physics. Two years later, he acquired a post at the Swiss patent office in Bern. While he was employed there from 1902 to 1909, he completed an extraordinary range of publications in theoretical physics. Most parts of there were written in his spare time. In 1905 he submitted one of his many scientific papers to the University of Zurich to obtain a Ph.D. degree. In 1908 he sent another scientific paper to the University of Bern and became a lecturer there. In 1914 Einstein returned to Germany but did not reapply for citizenship. He was one of only handful of German professors who was opposed the use of force and did not support Germany's war aims. After the war, the allies wanted the removal of German scientist from international meetings, but Einstein was a Jew and traveling with a Swiss passport, he remained an acceptable German delegate. Albert Einstein's political views as a pacifist and a Zionist placed him against conservatives in Germany, who labeled him a traitor and a defeatist. In Germany there was a rise of fascism, so he moved to the united states in 1933 and abandoned his pacifism. He unwillingly agreed that the new danger (the Germans) had to be brought down by force of arms. In 1939 he sent a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt that urged America to continue to develop an ATOMIC BOMB before the Germans did. This letter was one of many exchanges the White House and Einstein had. This contributed to Roosevelt's decision to fund what became the MANHATAN PROJECT.

The Causes of the Revolutionary War Essay -- essays research papers

There were many events that took place in the 1760’s and 1770’s that led to the Revolutionary war. During these years the British did many things that upset the colonists. These upset colonists would eventually get sick of all the British ways and fight for their freedom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many events crucial the Revolutionary War took place in the 1760’s, such as the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Declaratory Act. The Sugar Act of 1764 set an import tax on foreign sugar, molasses, and rum entering Britain’s American colonies. Colonial merchants, ship owners, and rum distillers who profited from foreign trade angrily protested the law, but that did little of anything. The Sugar Act was the answer to the British’s question of how to raise revenue for their war debt. Laws had been made before that placed an import tax on sugar, but this was the first time they were seriously enforced. Royal inspectors would search ships, warehouses, and homes for smuggled goods. The Quartering Act of 1765 forced colonists to house and supply British troops. Another important event of the 1760’s was the Stamp Act of 1765. The Stamp Act placed a taxed on all printed matter such as newspapers, advertisements, and playing cards. Many didn’t m ind paying the tax because it was not an extreme amount, it was more about the principle of things. The Stamp Act made people angry because they thought that they should not have to pay taxes on items such as newspapers. The Stamp Act’s purpose was to e...

Introduction for Dengue Virus Essay

Dengue fever, also called dengue, is a potentially serious disease caused by a virus. There are four types of dengue virus that can cause illness in humans. Dengue viruses are transmitted between humans by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Dengue is rare in the U.S., but is common and a serious public health threat in warm sub-tropical and tropical areas of the world. These include areas of Central and South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, China, India, the Middle East, Australia, the Caribbean and the South and Central Pacific. Dengue fever is most common in urban areas and outbreaks occur commonly during the rainy season when mosquitoes breed heavily in standing water. The incidence of dengue fever is on the rise worldwide, and in some areas of Asia, complications of the disease are a leading cause of serious illness and death in children. Mosquitoes pick up a dengue virus when they bite a human who is already infected with the virus. The mosquito then carries it in its own blood and spreads it when it bites other humans. After a dengue virus enters the human bloodstream, it spreads throughout the body. Symptoms appear in about eight to ten days after a bite from an infected mosquito. Symptoms are flu-like and can include high fever, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and headache. Most people can recover from dengue fever, but some cases can progress into a life-threatening complication called dengue hemorrhagic fever. Symptoms of this disease include severe, uncontrolled hemorrhage and shock. For more information on symptoms, refer to symptoms of dengue fever. Making a diagnosis of dengue fever begins with taking a thorough personal and family medical history, including symptoms, and completing a physical examination. Recent travel to sub-tropical or tropical areas of the world is an important clue that may increase the suspicion of a diagnosis of dengue fever.

Privilege: Racism and Jim Crow Laws Essay

The essay â€Å"White Privilege and Male Privilege† written by Peggy McIntosh was enlightening and controversial. It was enlightening because she shows you how certain groups of people can have privilege over other different groups, and be unaware or in denial over it. Peggy’s story was controversial because it talked about the privilege that very few have the courage to talk about. The white and male privilege and the fact that it is looming over our heads as a society. Throughout history there’s a superior and inferior race and sex. The superior race is the white race, opposed to the African Americans who are considered the inferior. Additionally men are the superior sex opposed to women. Race is a sensitive subject when discussed due to the painful history of our country, most notably the plight of African Americans. African Americans have had a painful background of slavery and inequalities along with unjust rights they had to endure. They were not considered humans, but were property of their white slave owners. Racism has been social constructed for many decades. It is possible that the racial hierarchy can control many aspects of the human life. It can control what kind of jobs you receive, politics, media, insurance, and even your place of residence; this is reminiscent of the Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow laws were not only anti black laws but a way of life predominantly for southern people. The Jim Crow laws were constructed to keep African Americans from climbing higher on the social ladder. Education, transportation and work were kept at a bare minimum for African Americans. Under no means necessary was any African American to act as if they were equal to the white race. It ultimately controlled where they were allowed to go and what they were allowed to do. If for any reason this law was broken, consequences were normally enforced by physical force consequences for challenging whites and their authority. This was a way for the whites to maintain dominance and ensure the African Americans stayed at the bottom of the racial hierarchy. This was the cost for being born black. For being born into a society where your race was the ultimate factor in your social status, and rather than being born into a world of acceptance, you were born into a world of exile. This portrays in the United States the black and white color lines that have been imbedded into our minds and enforced due to the dominance of the white race for so long. Men also have advantages over women, especially politically. Even though times have changed and women are able to vote, men still are the dominating force in politics. Women have to fight longer, harder and be three times more qualified than a man to get some positions or to even qualify for jobs over a man. When some women are appointed higher positions over men they get criticized and sometimes even degraded because of it. Some men don’t even see or recognize when this occurs. Many white people are in denial of preconceived notions that they might have on a certain person or group because of their race. I myself have been a victim of racism at work. People choose to believe the color of your skin indicates your worth. Some expect you to fail and not succeed because of this. They expect you to meet the standard of the person they have seen on TV, in a movie, or on the radio. However, what they don’t realize is that these are stereotypes that the media portray of a certain group and that perception is not always accurate. They also take a bad experience with one individual, and deem an entire race that way. No one knows why we come in so many shades sizes and variations. However, we do know that the social concepts of race deprives from the history that one has come from. Race as well as the sex of a person was once used as a tactic of fear, fear that was instilled in a person to make them powerless and inferior to another race. Although many things have changed for the better in our society, racism and the sex of a person is still a dominate factor.

What is a Cultural Anthropology

Cultural Anthropology is a term that is in everyday lives and topics. When one thinks of anthropology they think of the study of old remnants commonly referred to as archaeology. This, however, is not the only form of anthropology. There are four types of anthropology and they are archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, and linguistic anthropology. However, Cultural anthropologists are every where and study people of all walks of life. One can find a topic and find some type of study that an anthropologist has conducted on the matter. The following are five articles that explain how anthropologists are every where. Chapter: Corporate Anthropologists, page 24 The article talked about how anthropologists play an important role in the corporate environment. Anthropologists have been working with businesses since the 1930†³s, however in the 1980†³s this field experienced significant growth. This was due to the â€Å"globalization of business activity and the increased awareness of the importance of culture for business,† (Laabs 24). Cultural anthropology is the study of existing people and corporations find this information useful in trying to understand human behavior within their own organization. Business anthropologists have been studying the corporate world for years, on such varied topics as how to encourage more creativity or how best to integrate multicultural learning techniques into an organization†s training program,† (Laabs 25). Most anthropologists who work in the corporate environment do not use the title of anthropologist. There are currently over 200 anthropologists working in this field. The article then gave an account of one anthropologist†s experience in the corporate environment. The article concludes by saying what corporations think of the value that anthropologists add to the companies and that the role will continue to grow. The anthropologist that contributed to this article was Lorna M. McDougall. She works at Arthur Andersen†s Center for Professional Education, which is located in St. Charles, Illinois. McDougall is â€Å"studying why people from some cultures learn best from lectures, although others learn best through interactive learning,† (Laabs 25). McDougall has played a large part in developing Arthur Andersen†s Business English Language Immersion Training (ELIT) program. This program builds a language skill that allows for communication between two parties where English may be a second language. This program also provides an awareness of each culture†s business ethics. â€Å"The results of her work have helped instructors, who train Andersen consultants working in 66 countries, be better teachers,† (Laabs 25). McDougall is the first onsite anthropologist employed by Arthur Andersen and continues to be a great resource for the corporation. McDougall used an â€Å"anthropological methodology† by listening in on classroom sessions and conducting interviews. From the information that she gathered she noticed that â€Å"people from certain cultures are used to two-way communication in the classroom, although others just sit quietly while the ‘professor lectures†,† (Laabs 26). McDougall also teaches some of the management development classes and also contributes to the training classes. Her main areas of concentration for anthropological study include a technique where sometimes a management team proposes an idea and at other times she will propose an idea. She has also studied the meaning of gestures and colors for different cultures. She discovered that white in some cultures means marriage and in others, white means death. All her anthropological work has played a major part in Arthur Andersen†s company. I did my presentation on anthropologists and the role that they play in corporations. Until recently I was aware that culture played a defining role in companies that participated in globalization. I did not however know the role that anthropologists contributed to this topic. I recently worked a Technological Symposium for my company and this was a huge event where people from all parts of the world attended. It was at this convention that I learned that other cultures do business differently than Americans. It is not just a language barrier but a culture barrier. I am also aware of the work that anthropologists contribute to the development of web sites that are viewed worldwide. The anthropologist†s experience and mine are vastly different. She is quite a bit more experienced in the topic of corporate anthropologists. However, she and I both realized that language is not the only barrier that corporations face when expanding the operation globally. As the awareness of this field becomes known it will continue to grow. Chapter: Culture and the Evolution of Obesity, page 92 The article provides â€Å"a cross-cultural and evolutionary analysis of how both biological and cultural factors in obesity evolved. This analysis explains the sociological distribution of obesity today. It also emphasizes that peripheral body fat (characteristic of women) is a small health hazard compared to abdominal fat (characteristic of men),† (Brown 92). Peter Brown, the anthropologist who wrote the article, gave his perception on obesity. He believes that â€Å"an anthropological model of culture has significant advantages over the commonly used undifferentiated concept of ‘environment† for generating hypotheses about behavioral causes of obesity,† (Brown 93). Brown states that the problem of obesity and overweight is that today†s industry thrives on the culture belief about having the perfect body and sexual attractiveness rather on the medical perspective. Obesity and being overweight is not just a psychological issue but a serious health issue. Brown claims that there are four facts about the social distribution of society that must be addressed. They are: â€Å"1) The gender difference in the total percent and site distribution of body fat, as well as the prevalence of obesity; 2) the concentration of obesity in certain ethnic groups; 3) the increase in obesity associated with economic modernization; and 4) the powerful and complex relationship between social class and obesity,† (Brown 94). He goes on to further state that â€Å"human biology and behavior can be understood in the context of two distinct processes of evolution,† (Brown 96). The two processes are natural selection and historical changes in the structure of cultural systems. Furthermore, Brown states â€Å"Because the concept of culture is rarely considered in medical research on obesity, and because I am suggesting that this concept has advantages over the more common and undifferentiated term environment, it is necessary to review some basic aspects of this anthropological term,† (Brown 97). He provides a diagram that explains culture in relation to obesity. He concludes that fatness is â€Å"symbolically linked to psychological dimensions, such as self-worth and sexuality,† (Brown 99) but continues to state that this is not a consistent symbol. In some cultures fatness symbolizes wealth and health. Lastly he concludes that culture and its relation to obesity can be concluded practically and theoretically. â€Å"First, recognition of cultural variation in beliefs and behaviors related to obesity needs to be incorporated into health programs aimed at reducing the prevalence of obesity. The second conclusion regards the need for more research on the role of culture, as it interacts with genes, on the etiology of obesity,† (Brown 101). As a woman in today†s American society I am very aware of the problems and hype about obesity and overweight. I am constantly trying to lose weight or maintain it. I am never satisfied with the way I look. Every where we look thin women are displayed on pedestals and obese and overweight people are shunned. I personally consider somebody who is overweight lacking in sexual appeal and self-confidence. The thinner that I am the more desirable I feel. I know that other cultures do not view obesity in this manner. For example I am sure that a person in South Africa who is overweight is considered to be of great status. I just hope that one day nobody will be looked at or judged on their weight. I really enjoyed the anthropologist†s point of view on the obesity issue. The only thing that I disagree with is that such important issues such as bulimia, anorexia, and other eating disorders were not addressed. In an article in which weight is discussed these issues go hand in hand. For every person who is obese there are three that are fighting an eating disorder, and this is prevalent in all cultures. Peter Brown only once touched basis on the dieting craze that floods the world and this was very brief. Then he states that it is only wealthy women who are obsessed with dieting and this is incredibly false. Chapter: White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, page 134 The article begins by the anthropologist explaining that men have privilege over women. â€Å"Denials which amount to taboos surround the subject of advantages which men gain from women†s disadvantages. These denials protect male privilege from being fully acknowledged, lessened or ended,† (McIntosh 135). Then the article proceeds to discuss how whites, whether they realize it or not, have a considerable advantage over other races. She lists twenty-six ways that whites have the upper hand. She then concludes with her personal analysis her experiences. McIntosh explains that as a white person she had been sheltered from the privileges that she had. â€Å"I think whites are taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege,† (McIntosh 135). She compiled a list of things that she encounters daily that are a privilege to white people that may not come so easily to a person of a different race. For example one item states that she â€Å"can turn on the television or open the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented,† (McIntosh 135). She then claims that if all these items are true that we are not living in a free country and that certain opportunities are available to whites. She concludes by stating that she hopes that social systems need to be redesigned. I am a white female so I was able to place myself in the anthropologist†s shoes. I grew up in an upper middle class neighborhood went to private school and I was still taught all about the different races. There is an entire month dedicated to Black History in schools. Thus, I experienced reverse discrimination, not a privilege for being white. When applying for scholarships upon entering college I was repeatedly turned down only to see a fellow student of a different race, with lower grades, less academic activities, and lower rank receive the scholarship because of their race. Affirmative action allows for a less qualified candidate to receive the job so that the company can have a certain number of ethnic people employed. There is a black Ms. America and a Black Ms. America, yet the former Ms. America was black. There are sororities that are specifically for particular races yet regular sororities can not discriminate on race but the race specific ones can. The anthropologist and I have very different opinions on being white. She claims that it is a privilege and that other races suffer, I strongly disagree with her. Where was her research done? Did she not look into such issues as reverse discrimination, affirmative action, and the privileges that are granted to others based on their race? The article was completely absurd. What was her basis for such an article? White people have to prove themselves where as others have doors opened for them because of the way our ancestors treated them. McIntosh needs to do a lot more exploration into the topic. â€Å"Lee Cronk discusses possible cultural misunderstandings that were involved in the creation of the unfortunate (and racist) term Indian giver. These misunderstandings were offensive to both Native Americans and whites. Europeans thought that gifts should be freely given and that the gift is less valued when there are strings attached,† (Cronk 143). Due to the before mentioned when anthropologists study gift giving rituals they are more interested in the relationship between the giver and the receiver than the actual item being given. The article makes several references to past situations and gives several examples of anthropologist†s point of view. The anthropologist†s experiences came from first hand knowledge when trying to give gifts to the people that they were studying. One anthropologist by the name of Richard Lee, from the University of Toronto, had an experience with the ! Kung hunter-gatherers. He gave the tribe an ox as a token of good will but all the ! Kung did was complain about how scrawny the ox was. â€Å"Only later did Lee learn, with relief, that the ! Kung belittle all gifts,† (Cronk 144). According to the ! Kung ridiculing gifts â€Å"is their way of diminishing the expected return and of enforcing humility on those who would use gifts to raise their own status within the group,† (Cronk 144). Another example from an anthropologist was by Rada Dyson-Hudson, from Cornell University. Dyson-Hudson gave the Turkana†s of Kenya pots, maize meal, tobacco, and other items. Much to her dismay it was less than appreciated. â€Å"A typical response to a gift of a pot, for example, might be, ‘Where is the maize meal to go in this pot? † or, ‘Don†t you have a bigger one to give me? † To the Turkana, these are legitimate and expected questions,† (Cronk 144). As a child and as an adult the whole gift giving process is different. I can remember getting a gift and never thinking anything of it. As an adult if I get a gift that is quite elaborate I always want to return a gift even better the giver. It is as if I want to one up the giver, as if it is going to make me a better person to give the better gift. As a child I remember receiving items from childhood friends and when a fight would occur the friend wanting the gift back, and this was referred to as Indian giving. Now as I get even older gift giving rituals such as Christmas has become consumer warfare. I think that gift giving is a touchy topic in all cultures. The similarities between the anthropologist†s experience and mine are amazing. It just goes to show that gift giving is a process that will never be fully grasped no matter how much research is done on the topic. Chapter: society and Sex Roles, page 159 Ernestine Friedl (Human Nature, 1978) The article begins with the anthropologist giving two contrasting examples of the roles men and women play in different cultures. Following this introduction the thesis is given that the roles will never be clearly defined as long as examples from other cultures are used in the argument. The article continues to site examples about how men are the dominant sex because they are the hunter†s and provide the resources. Several examples of tribes are given to support his hypothesis that as long as men provide the resources than they will have the upper hand. He concludes by stating that as women continue to gain positions in roles that allow them to provide the resources than they will be able to make demands to change the sex roles. Friedl makes the argument that to understand society and its sex roles one must not â€Å"toss examples from the world†s cultures at each other like intellectual stones,† (Friedl 160). He states that the differences, biologically speaking, can be â€Å"clarified by looking at known examples of the earliest forms of human society and examining the relationship between the technology, social organization, environment, and sex roles,† (Friedl 160). Friedl claims that the factors in a society that cause male dominance need to be researched because once these factors are understood than one can apply this knowledge to the constant changes in the sex roles due to the modern society. Through Friedl†s observations he learned that â€Å"The male monopoly on hunting unites men in a system of exchange and gives them power,† (Friedl 161). â€Å"Women do not hunt, I believe, because of four interrelated factors: variability in the supply of game; the different skills required fore hunting and gathering; the incompatibility between carrying burdens and hunting; and the small size of seminomadic foraging populations,† (Friedl 161). He also believes that another reason are not the dominant sex is because it is difficult to provide resources when one is pregnant. I grew up in school learning about how women†s roles in society have evolved over time. I realize that women were not and still are not the dominant sex. This is partly because it is still difficult for women to be in positions of power. I once tried for a position in a spirit organization at Texas Tech University. It was a male organization thus I was declined membership. Even in dating the men pay, open the doors for the women, and play the dominant role. I agree with Friedl in that the dominant sex is the one that provides the resources. His research was done by past observations and my experience came from personal experience in such areas as dating, work, and school. The times that I was unable to provide resources I was not dominant, but the times that I did provide the resources I had the upper hand. As we continue to grow as a society than women will be in such positions of power and than maybe an equality between the sexes can exist. My favorite article was the article titled â€Å"White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack†. This was because it is such a controversial topic that gets a rise out of me and makes my temper flare. I would really like to argue my point of view with the anthropologist that wrote the article. It is a topic that is extremely controversial and will be around as long as there are people and different races. In conclusion, I now realize all the studies and broad range of topics that are discussed by cultural anthropologists. They play an important role in every day activities that I take for granted. As long as there are people and at the rate the world changes there will always be a need for cultural anthropologists.

My holiday †I visited Paris in France Essay

I visited Paris in France. When I there arrived I was astonished because the city seemed very modern ceque I did not await. She has seems very clean and she had aà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½galement a lot of different stores. On the way à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½mon hotel I traveled by the north of the France that seemed very silent. When I arrived to my destination I was very hour. It was very hot. The Trip I travelled by France. I had to go to Douvres. It was a long boring trip we left Douvres at 10 o’clock and arrived in France at twelve o’clock. Lodging I’S remained in a hotel with my family. I have partagà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½une room with my brother and my parents had a separated room. The hotel was situated close to the local city but it was again silencie ux and calm. The hotel had a swimming pool and the stores was very dear. My room was small it had a television and one bathroom. Activities of the day The day it was very hot thus I tried to do the activities that were interior. I played Badminton then I played au ping-pong that was very good. I also went swimming in the swimming pool in the hotel, after swimming I played mini-golf. Activities in the evening The evenings it did sometimes froid.La most of the time in evenings my family went out for a repas.Quand there was recreations we remained at the hotel because it was comedy and my younger brother really assessed demonstration. They etait drole but certain French à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½taienten. Equally my sisters participated in the spectacle our last one harms. Before we left went to do ourselves emplettes in the next city to do which quesachats. In order to view this essay, you either need to log in or contribute one your essays or courseworks. Please submit one of your own essays below to be taken the essay that you requested. Please make sure that you upload a complete coursework. If the coursework is not complete, you will be denied access to the essay that you are requesting.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of a relaxed coorporate culture on the Research Paper

Evaluation of the effectiveness of a relaxed coorporate culture on the employees within a travel leisure industry - Research Paper Example Offering employees opportunities for free expression, the ability to offer their own innovations related to changes in the corporate environment, and improving the social networking opportunities with peers and managers are often the human resources activities that have become paramount to building a more cooperative and loyal organisation. However, despite these changes related to giving employees more opportunities within the business, there are problems with decentralisation efforts in business when decision-making is taken away from senior executive leadership and given to lower-level employees. Without tighter controls in areas of job role function and line management, employees have opportunities to become too focused on their own individualized reward systems and can potentially create competition between peers rather than creating a team-focused environment dedicated to meeting long-term strategic goals. Especially in a travel leisure industry, where customer lifestyles and d emands for service are extremely diverse, lack of organisational controls might lead to negative brand word-of-mouth or provide customers with a less-organised service experience that can ultimately lead to lost profitability and diminished customer loyalty. The question is then asked as to whether a relaxed corporate culture can be effective in this industry where emotions and psychological behaviours drive the majority of customer decision-making. Are there advantages, in this dynamic industry, in having a relaxed culture? Literature Review Decentralisation of business is designed to give more insight to employees and help them become more motivated by giving them autonomy and developing them as decision makers in the business. It is often the foundation of the relaxed corporate culture where controls are minimal. This section describes advantages and disadvantages, potentially, of the relaxed corporate culture. Companies with a relaxed culture that focuses on individual self-expr ession and job role autonomy often have a strong human resources focus that helps build more team methodology and improvement of communications and social networking with diverse employee groups. According to Chow (2009) people who work in organisations that have a wide social network filled with influential peer and management relationship are able to develop trust, respect and seem to perform better than those who cannot draw on social networks in a more controlled environment. The nature of the service delivery concept in travel leisure businesses demands a team philosophy to ensure that customers receive an optimized service experience and improve the reputation of the hospitality company. It would seem that focusing on more socialization in the organisation improves total group function and makes it a more collaborative organisation so as to provide customers with top notch service delivery. However, there are those in the business environment that would disagree, suggesting th at there are more important dimensions than simply giving workers more autonomy and decision-making control in order to be successful. Phipps & Burbach (2010) identify that in order to achieve the organisation’

Software Engineering - 56D Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Software Engineering - 56D - Research Paper Example The architecture may have to be designed before specifications are written to provide a means of structuring the specification and developing different sub-system specifications concurrently, to allow manufacture of hardware by sub-contractors and to provide a model for system costing. Object-oriented development helps to reduce these problems as it supports the grouping of entities (in object classes) so therefore simplifies program understanding. It also provides protection for entities declared within objects so that access from outside the object is controlled (the entity may not be accessible, its name may be accessible but not its representation or it may be fully accessible). This reduces that probability that chances to one part of the system will have undesirable effects on some other part. A consistent user interface may be impossible to produce for complex systems with a large number of interface options. In such systems, there is a wide imbalance between the extent of usage of different commands so for frequently used commands, it is desirable to have short cuts. Unless all commands have short cuts, then consistency is impossible. An example of such a system is an operating system interface. ... It may also be the case in complex systems that the entities manipulated are of quite different types and it is inappropriate to have consistent operations on each of these types. An example of such a system is an operating system interface. Even MacOS which has attempted to be as consistent as possible has inconsistent operations that are liked by users. For example, to delete a file it is dragged to the trash but dragging a disk image to the trash does not delete it but unmounts that disk. Section 22.2: A program need not be completely free of defects before delivery if: Remaining defects are minor defects that do not cause system corruption and which are transient i.e. which can be cleared when new data is input. Remaining defects are such that they are recoverable and a recovery function that causes minimum user disruption is available. The benefits to the customer's business from the system exceed the problems that might be caused by the remaining system defects. Testing cannot completely validate that a system is fit for its intended purpose as this requires a detailed knowledge of what that purpose will be and exactly how the system will be used. As these details inevitably change between deciding to procure a system and deploying that system, the testing will be necessarily incomplete. In addition, it is practically impossible for all except trivial system to have a complete test set that covers all possible ways that the system is likely to be used. Section 22.4: Program inspections are effective for the following reasons: They can find several faults in one pass without being concerned about interference between program faults. They bring a number of people with different experience of different types of

Service(hospitallity) Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Service(hospitallity) - Term Paper Example Assessing the people who had served our stay, it seemed to me that the people there genuinely love their job and was not doing it for the sake of work to make a living. It may be a cultural thing because Filipinos were really known as hospitable evident with the survey that they are one of the world’s happiest and friendliest people (despite widespread poverty in the country) but I am sure that management has contributed to it. There are many factors that contributed to the pleasant experience of our vacation. Foremost of those, I really felt that the people who attended to us were genuinely pleased to have us around. Not that they are desperate to have customers because they also had significant numbers of guest nor did they charge exorbitant rates. To sum these factors, its a combination of culture, good management and highly motivated workforce. Of these factors, I will only tackle good management and its effect to workforce because these are relevant to the course. The factors contributed to excellect customer service delivery were a) employee expectations were met b) employees were empowered c) guest loyalty. The workforce delivered an excellent service to their guests because their expectations in terms of monetary remuneration were met. Not that they are concerned with money alone nor is motivated solely by pay, but being in an island with few jobs made them appreciate the opportunity that their jobs gave to them. I noticed this when I had an ocassional talk with the bar tender when I had an afternoon drink (its pretty hot there) and he narrated that their jobs pay very well compared to other jobs. Meeting employees’ expectations are very important in hospitality industry because it directly relates to their motivation to do the extra mile that would please a customer. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs also mentioned this that in any organization, meeting the physical needs of employees

The Impact of the Nursing Shortage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Impact of the Nursing Shortage - Essay Example The long-term impact of the nursing shortage will become increasingly more significant in several areas. The primary concern will be the impact it has on the ability of nurses to provide quality health care. With fewer staff, nurses are required to work longer hours and assume additional responsibilities. Overworked nurses, burdened with fatigue and job stress, are more prone to accidental errors and a reduction in timely medical attention. A survey of registered nurses indicated that 79 percent of hospital employed RNs believed that short staffing contributed to a reduction in the quality of patient care. A long-term and escalating nursing shortage could contribute to the 98,000 deaths per year due to medical errors as reported by the Institute of Medicine in 2000. Aside from the important issue of the quality of patient care is the factor of rising health care costs. As the labor supply of qualified nurse's shrinks, the competition for nurses increases. A wage war may result from the shortage and will contribute to the rising costs as hospitals increase the wages and compensatory packages for their staff. Costs associated with temporary hiring practices have also increased due to the shortage. While an increase in wages may seem to benefit the nurses, increased demands may not be worth the cost. Nurses working extended shifts and longer hours may come under increased scrutiny from administrators and government regulators struggling to eliminate the human errors and the increased cost of malpractice insurance.

Budget and sponsorship Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Budget and sponsorship - Assignment Example Manchester United is one of the most famous world’s soccer teams. Established in 1878 in Manchester, it has found it ways to stock market in 1991. It chief source of revenue originates from sponsorship agreement that amounts to 31.4 % of the total revenue (Statista, 2015). Some of the Manchester United sponsors include ION, AIG, Chevrolet and Adidas. This is done by placing the logos of the sponsors on the sporting clothes. The second largest source of income for Manchester United is revenue obtained from broadcasting deals Manchester United signs with the Internet and cable companies as MUTV and BSkyB. The broadcasting revenue amounts to 31. 3 % of the total revenue. Thirdly, the primary source of income comes from match day revenue that amounts to 25% of the total revenue (Statista, 2015). The club expenditure mainly comes from money used to service contracts that the company has entered with the players they have signed. Besides, there is the recurrent expenditures such as payment of staffs and maintenance of the assets owned by the club (Garcia†del†Barrio & Pujol, 2009). In case of writing a proposal, the key aspects that should be included are how the sponsors will benefit from the investment they have made through sponsoring the club. Statista. (2015, June 23). Total revenue of Manchester United from 2005/06 to 2013/14 (in million euros). Retrieved from The Statistic Portal:

Reward strategy- case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Reward strategy- case study - Essay Example The key issues that will be discussed include the retention, recruitment, employee benefits and performance management. Moreover, the theoretical concepts will be used to discuss the issues from theoretical perspective. Finally the recommendations will be provided to Chalmers to resolve the identified problems. In short, this report will assist Chalmers in identifying the ways through which current challenges can be faced in a better manner. The current situation of the company reflects that business strategy of the company is customers-oriented, which is especially perfect in this kind of business. However, I believe that the major issues which the company is facing are as follows: The labour market issues in Slough are not only faced by Chalmers but most of the companies in Slough are facing tightening of labour market. The major reason of the tightening of labour market is the significant recruitment problems. â€Å"Slough businesses experiencing recruitment difficulties (25% of businesses with vacancies) when compared with the South East (18%) and England (17%). There are also higher levels of hard-to fill vacancies (13% compared with 8% and 7% respectively) (Askew & Ormiston, 2008).† This report also identifies the skill gap in Slough market because 32 percent companies in the city employ staff, which is not fully proficient as compared to 18% (SE) and 16% (England). Finding a qualified people in Slough is difficult as compared to other regions of Britain. Moreover, the identified problems in Slough labour market through survey in this report include the lack of skills in the residents of Slough according to the opportunities available and the prior ities of employers reflect the growth in value added services, English language skills acquisition issue and lack of motivation issues (Askew & Ormiston, 2008). The statistics of labour markets of

Digital Business Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Digital Business Management - Essay Example The firm that is analyzed in the paper is Prada Group, a retail store operating in Milan Italy, which started operating way back in 1913 by Mario Prada. Prada is a luxury store which sells leather hand bags, leather accessories, travelling trunks, luxury accessories and beauty cases. It is because of the designed goods which are handcrafted with fine materials and through sophisticated techniques, the store rapidly grew to be the shopping point for most of the European aristocrats and the elegant members of haute bourgeoisie in Europe. Prada is an official supplier of the Italian Royal family and has been serving since 1919. The turning point came when Miuccia Prada, granddaughter of Mario launched a partnership with Tuscan business man, Patrizio Bertelli. The partnership created a new era with creativity and new business ideas. In 1977, Bertelli set up I.P.I spa in order to consolidate the production and in the year 2003 I.P.I spa was merged with Prada spa. It opened up a new store in 1983 in the prestigious Via Della Spiga in Milan. A new brand named Miu Miu was launched in the year 1993. In the year 2003 the store entered into a ten year licensing agreement with the Italian eyewear Luxottica, one of the leaders in eyewear industry. In the same year Prada went into joint venture with Spanish cosmetic PUIG beauty and fashion group and launched a new women’s fragrance by the end of 2004. Prada became the official partner of Italian Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo in the year 2010 and in the same year it launched its collection and eyewear postcard. (Prada Group, p. 15). Apart from the offline stores the company also operates through online mode of business. Business Model E-business is often defined as transformation of some key business through the use of the web and internet technologies. Business model is architecture for the products and services and of the information flow which also includes the description of the business partners along with t heir roles (Hiltz, Murphy & Sigala, p.454). Business models are the most discussed topic and also the least aspect of the web which is understood. The web has changed the traditional business model of business. In the basic sense, business model is the method of performing business through which a company can sustain and generate sufficient revenue. A business model is essential and it shows how a company can make money by specifying its place in the value chain. Some of the business models are quite simple whereas others are complex. Internet has given rise to new kinds of business models. But at the same time the web is also reinventing tried and true models for online business. Business models have been defined and categorized into many different ways. Internet business model continuously keep on evolving and thus new as well as interesting variations can be expected in the near future (Rappa, â€Å"Business Models on the Web†). Prada Group had developed a business model w hich takes into consideration the value proposition and the revenue model. The reason behind the success of Prada group is the adoption of the business model. Figure 1: Business Model . (Source: Hiltz, Murphy & Sigala, p.454) Online value proposition (OVP) The first and foremost step in online business model is the value proposition for the relative business. Value proposition is mainly required for three things which are to target segmentation, focal the customer benefits and key resources of the business which can help deliver the benefit package in a much better way than its competitors. Value proposition is often considered as one of the smallest benefit package that a business offers to the customers. But the value cluster approach has helped the online business to address the multiple customer segments and at the same time offer a variety of benefits to its targeted

Commentary on Tash Aws Harmony Silk Factory Essay Example for Free

Commentary on Tash Aws Harmony Silk Factory Essay The extract from the novel The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw, seems to serve as an introduction within the larger context of the complete novel. The central theme of the extract is the concept of appearance VS reality; some things are, in reality, not what they appear to be. Through the use of characterisation and setting, the author manages to bring out this theme. In addition, the use of setting and characterisation creates a degree of tension within the extract, and draws the reader into the story. Characterisation plays a major part in the extract. The main character of the extract is also the narrator. The narrator is characterised through the use of many literary devices; through his narration, aspects of his personality are revealed to the reader. We find that the narrator has two sides: the face he shows the world around him and the side that the reader is introduced to through his narration. The side that the narrator shows to the world around him and the side of him revealed to the reader are two different personalities. His external appearance is one of a quiet, non-existent, seemingly inconsequential person as can be seen from the fact that none of the visitors ever noticed [him]. However, this quiet exterior belies the fact that he observes all the comings and goings within the silk harmony factory. From my upstairs window, I saw everything unfold. Without father ever saying anything to me. The narrator is fully aware of all his fathers smuggling activities opium and heroin and Hennessy XO and bribing of the Thai soldierswith American cigarettes and low-grade gemstones but never lets his father catch on to that fact. The narrator also states that he is only of modest intellect and this is supported by his fathers belief that he would always be a dreamer and a wastrel. We find however, that his quiet demeanour conceals an observant, keen intellect. Contrary to his self-deprecating statement, we notice that he displays an extraordinary sense of awareness in a child of his age, suggesting that he is extremely intelligent. Even as a child he was aware of what [his] father did. His action of lifting the linoleum and pressing his ear to the floorboards to listen into his fathers Safe Room reveals to us his ingenuity and is a reflection of his intellect. While he does not mange to discern any information, he is sharp enough to realise that the low, muffled rumble was the tipping of diamonds onto the green baize table. While the narrator may appear to be of merely modest intellect, it seems that in reality he is incredibly intelligent for a young child. His self-deprecating statement also serves to highl ight his actual cleverness and quick mind. The theme of appearance VS reality can also be seen in the characterisation of two minor characters: the general and the young lady in the car. The narrator tells us that the general didnt look much like a soldier, but he had a Mercedes-Benz with a woman in the back seat, which would indicate a fairly high level of affluence and power which comes with the rank of a general in the army. With his cheap grey shirt and gold teeth, the man may not have looked like a general, but other indications would have exposed the reality of what he really was. This is similarly echoed in the characterisation of the young woman in the back seat of the car. The narrator describes her as having fair skin, almost pure white, the colour of salt fields on the coast. The narrator then goes on to state that she was young and beautiful, and when she smiled I saw her teeth were small and brown. This contrast between the state of her teeth and the colour of her skin further highlights the theme of appearance VS reality; while she appears to be pure and white on the outside, her teeth are dirty and decayed. This contrast is highlighted also by the use of visual imagery salt fields when describing the colour of her skin. Furthermore, the contrast between the general and the young woman also emphasizes the theme of appearance VS reality. The general wears a grey shirt, while the young woman is described as having white skin. Where the generals teeth are gold in colour, hers are small and brown. From this we can see that outward appearance does not seem to be a very good indicator of what the reality really is. Finally, the setting also contributes back to the theme of appearance VS reality. The name of the factory The harmony silk factory, which becomes synonymous with the house, gives no indication as to the activities of vice conducted there. Both physically and figuratively, the narrators house seems to be hiding behind the factory. The theme of appearance VS reality is manifested in the physical setting of the Harmony Silk Factory. The characterisation and setting, besides bringing out the theme of the appearance VS reality, also serves to create tension in the story and cause the reader to want to read on. The setting of the house, with its small mossy courtyard which never got enough sunlight gives the location of the extract an air of mystery; the lack of light and dampness of the place (as can be seen by the growth of moss) further builds upon the mysteriousness of the setting. This description appears in the first line of the extract, and the readers curiosity is pricked as to what actually goes on within the Harmony Silk factory. Also, the characterisation of the narrator serves to lead the reader on to read the rest of the novel. How is this achieved? Firstly, the narrator is a nameless, 1st person narrator. The use of the 1st person narration serves to give the tone of the extract a feeling of intimacy, or closeness to the subject matter. At the same time, his lack of a name distances him from the reader, again creating an air of mystery which surrounds him. Secondly, the tone of the narrator is very matter-of-fact. He describes somewhat shocking, illegal proceeds with the same tone one would use to describe everyday activities. He matter-of-factly states Mainly he smuggles opium and heroin and Hennessy XO and I knew what he was up to and whom he was with. The narrator describes theses happenings with a certain detachment which seems nonchalant or could be due to the fact that he is already used to this sort of behaviour. In fact, the narrator comes across as unfazed by all his fathers wrongdoings and does not seem affected in any way. This matter-of-fact tone is further highlighted by the narrators use of literary devices such as verbal irony. The use of verbal irony is evident throughout the extract. One of the first instances is in the 2nd paragraph in which the narrator describes the type of people who visit his house. He describes his Fathers clients as if they were guests or VIPs. Entry was strictly by invitation with privileged few being granted access; he states that only the liars, cheats, traitors and skirt chasers of the highest order are allowed in. These individuals have been seemingly elevated to a position of importance but by describing them in this way, the narrator has revealed them to be merely the scum of society. Another instance of verbal irony is in the line Now I would give everything to be the son of a mere liar and cheat. The irony is in the fact that the narrator views his father is so vile that he would rather be the son of someone who only cheats and lies. Also further irony can be found in the line my crime-funded education to good use. We find that he is now using his education, paid for by his fathers crimes, to uncover his fathers crimes. The use of verbal irony builds upon the narrators characterisation, as parts of his personality are slowly revealed to the reader. The narrator also uses an extremely convoluted and verbose way of narrating known as periphrasis. His manner of speaking is roundabout and elaborate. He uses ellipsis to interrupt his own narrative, partly for convenience the only people who came partly because my fathers varied The narrator constantly interjects his own narrative with interruptions and unnecessary lines such as gold, real solid gold. The use of unnecessarily long paragraphs to say a simple thing also add on to his convoluted manner of narration. The second last paragraph could have been shortened by saying I am now at peace and am not ashamed to reveal the story of my fathers life. However, he instead says there is another reason I now feel particularly well placedI am at peace. The use of periphrasis also heightens the melodramatic way the narrator leads the reader on. Phrases such as that wasnt all he was and I have searched for this all my life. Now, at last, I know the truth and I am no longer angry. In fact, I am at peace serve to heighten the tension within the paragraph. He describes his fathers past as terrible and the title he gives to his tale, The true story of the infamous Chinaman called Johnny, seems to elevate his fathers story to one legendary importance. The use of the phrase true story also lends a sense of credibility to his account. The revelation of the title to the reader is the climax of the tension that has been building in the last few paragraphs, albeit a somewhat anti-climatic one. This climax (or anti-climax) serves to leave the reader wanting more and leads the reader on to continue reading the rest of the story. The narrators self-deprecating and quirky way of narrating serves to endear the narrator to the reader. We also discover certain facts about his childhood through his narration. At no point in the extract does a narrator mention his mother. This may only be a conjecture, but the lack of a motherly figure in his life, a lack of love, may have contributed to his strange and unusual way of narrating and also his self-deprecating attitude. Also, we find that he may have endured physical abuse as a child from the line I had become used to this kind of punishment in response to his father twisting his ear. This makes the reader increasingly sympathetic to the narrator as the narrative progresses. Thus, when the narrator begins using melodrama to capture the attention of the reader and lead the reader on to the rest of the novel, the reader follows with little resistance. This characterisation and narration, coupled with the mysterious atmosphere created by the setting, creates a sort of tension which compels the reader to read on. It engages the reader and draws the reader into the world the author has created. As we have seen characterisation and setting both have a dual purpose. If this extract is the beginning of the novel, then the author has succeeded in drawing the reader into the novel. By using both characterisation and setting to bring out the theme and simultaneously create tension, the author has succeeded in creating a world with characters that engage readers and has successfully written an effective and exciting beginning to the novel.