Coca Cola in India

Cultural Impact on Business: A Case Study on Coca Cola’s Cultural Issues in India admin August 20, 2012 Blog No comments Socio Cultural barriers faced by coca cola in India Coca – cola, the world’s largest selling soft drink company had established its strong presence in the world since 1886. Coca-Cola is the first international soft drink brand to enter the Indian market in the early 1970’s. Till 1977 Coca-Cola was the leading brand in India; later, due to FERA (Foreign Exchange Regulation Act), they left India and didn’t return till 1993.Coca-Cola had to face many issues regarding its quality, resource exploitation and market exploitation along with price-quality trade-offs. People all over India are challenging Coca-Cola for its abuse of water resource. Coca-Cola had affected both quality and quantity of ground water. Due to its waste extracts, Coca-Cola was criticized for polluting the nearby fresh water and ground water and soil; because of thi s issue, farmers are suffering from water scarcity. Despite all these social and cultural issues, customers are using Coca-Cola due to its strong brand reputation all over the world.This is because Indians are now using more soft drinks and the youngsters are more in this category. However, with many studies and policy changes, Coca-Cola will be able to establish its brand reputation and increase its market share in the near future. This report is prepared from an organizational point of view. The point here is to prepare a report from a consultant point of view, as Coca-Cola has hired us to do a market study and analysis on the cultural factors the company is envisaged to face in the Indian Market.Read further to gain better understanding about the impact of culture on business processes and activities, and also on the business performance. 2. TERMS OF REFERENCE? Our company is the leading consultant in India which focuses on Indian market studies. We conduct market surveys on comp anies and their products. We do market survey based on the present and future market situations. We help our client to have a proper stand in Indian market against their competitors, and help them with strategies to enter the market, market segmentation, product segmentation and sales techniques.It is possible by analyzing the past and present conditions of the company, and by learning their past actions in the society and the economy.? Our client is of United States origin which is a leading soft drink company in entire world. Coca-Cola has got a strong brand image through out the world. Our client is the first company which introduced soft drinks in the world. Public has already accepted its taste and quality all over the world.? Our client would like to know about the present condition of Indian market so tat they can start their business according to that.They also want to know about the culture of the Indian people to know about their consuming nature. The client needs to know whether they can survive in Indian market and what are the drawbacks that they may envisage during their operations in India and that they should consider before starting up the business in India. 3. CURRENT SCENARIO? There has been a great competition between refreshment drinks in Indian market. Coca-Cola is the world’s largest and first soft drink manufacturer. As part of the Globalization program, India has made it easy for multinational companies to enter the Indian market.Globalization has made the whole world into one market by reducing the trade barriers and minimizing the risk. It is noticeable that many multinational companies had failed in Indian market. This failure is mainly due to improper knowledge about the country and the national culture. It is very important to know about the people and their consuming behavior. Culture plays an important role in consuming behavior. Coca-Cola is mainly associated to the issues related to the brand, reputation and Corporate S ocial Responsibility (CSR).?Present situation of the country is favorable for multinational companies to start their business in India. As we had already seen that Coca-Cola is the largest selling soft drink in the world, they do have direct opportunities in the Indian market. Even though it is facing some social problem in India, Coca-Cola has got good market in India. The main target customers are youth who has already accepted the taste of the drink.? Coca-Cola should give more importance for the culture of the people because culture is a major element which decides the consumer behavior and purchasing patterns.India is a country where people are keener towards the culture. Considering Geert Hofsted’s cultural dimensions here in this case, it is clear that, uncertainty avoidance India is less and people are not so flexible to adopt the sudden changes. In India uncertainty avoidance is indexed at 50, which shows that people are sensitive and emotional towards exploitation a nd invasions from other people or culture; so that before entering to the Indian market, it would be a good strategy to avoid such issues by planning the re-entry as a step by step process.According to Geert Hofstede (2001), â€Å"culture is the collective programming of human mind that distinguishes the members of one human group from those of another. Culture in this sense is a system of collectively held values. † It is quite understood from the bellow given chart that the US and Indian culture had got vast difference. So it is not easy to cop up with the Indian market. Therefore, it is important to have a detailed analysis on Indian market so that they can initiate a fail proof and systematic market entry.Source: Geert Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions? 4. ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION? The present situation can be analyzed by SWOT analysis which clearly shows the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats which the client is envisaged to meet. India is a country wh ere the cultural diversity and linguistic differences make it difficult to identify how the company is going to be traded while they enter the Indian market. Indians are those who give more value to trust , value, quality and so on.Therefore, it is very important that they should give importance for Price, Quality and Quantity; which means, Indian consumers have more purchasing power for products like high level of quality with less price; therefore, it is clearly states that the company should not entertain any price quality trade-offs in Indian market.? The below section explains the SWOT analysis of the company. The analysis shows where the company is more powerful in the market compared to its competitors and where it is week and how to improvise them to get more market share in present market.? 4. 1. STRENGTH? †¢ Reputed brand? Global brand recognition? †¢ Bottling system? †¢ Technological advancement? †¢ Efficient management system? †¢ Good marketing k nowledge 4. 2. WEEKNESS? †¢ Lack of knowledge about Indian culture in detail? †¢ Uncertainty avoidance? †¢ Lack of marketing expertise in the Indian conditions? †¢ Hazardous by products and health issues? †¢ Facing issues with water exploitation and resource exploitation all over the world 4. 3. OPPORTUNITIES? †¢ Huge market? †¢ Advancement in technology? †¢ Growing Indian market? †¢ Good brand name? †¢ International trade barriers has been reduced? †¢ Youngsters’ tendency to adapt to the western culture 4. . THREATS? †¢ Threat of substitutes? †¢ Health consciousness of Indian consumers? †¢ Cultural habits? †¢ Price war? †¢ Unstable political condition? †¢ Uncertainty avoidance? †¢ Difference in management styles? †¢ Indian tendency to avoid foreign products The above mentioned are the strengths, weaknesses, Opportunities and threats of Coca-Cola’s operations in India. It is very clear from this SWOT analysis that there is good opportunity for Coca-Cola in Indian market because most Indians have accepted the taste, so that it is very easy to penetrate the market and to earn more market share in the Indian market.However, this needs to have clear cut ideas about promotion techniques and public relation activities since the competitors have strong grounds in India market and needs to overcome the pressure raised by socio-cultural barriers.? 5. SOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS? Coca-Cola need to concentrate in many aspects so that they can grab more market share and earn respect from the community members. The company’s brand reputation and brand recognition is not enough for them to grow in the Indian soil. Indians take business so seriously and their approach is entirely different when it comes to purchasing patterns and habits.Therefore, Coca-Cola has to adopt alternate branding and promotion strategies to develop its fan base in India.? 5. 1. PUBLI C RELATIONS? The main and foremost solution is that to communicate openly with the key constituents; including the public, media, employees, trade channels, state and national government and suppliers. They should do an open and honest communication to resolve the problems so that issues can be identified and resolved. An honest and open approach is always appreciated in the Indian society. Communication is the best method through which consumers can have proper and clear picture about the company and its product.Efficient public relation is very much equivalent to a smart and efficient promotion, which eventually make the consumers to buy our products. Communication has its roots in a person’s behavioral aspects. Behavior is directly linked with culture. As Smith et al. , (2002), states, a person’s behavior, cultural values and personality can directly affect a business and the managerial behavior. Therefore it is important to communicate with the customers in accorda nce with their cultural status and values. Without proper public elations and communication there are chances that public may not get good knowledge about products and they may be left unnoticed.? 5. 2. ENHANCE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOVERNMENT? In India, it is widely known that the government systems and procedure lack transparency in its operations. Therefore it is very important to have very close relation with the government. This can be done by actively participating in Government driven charity operations and government initiated infrastructure development. Indian people and government always appreciate any true effort towards the development of the country.This also helps in building reputation among the people. India is a country, where reputation and relationships are valued to the core. They believe in qualitative elements than quantitative elements. (Lothar Katz, 2008). Therefore it is important to keep good relationship with the government. Ethical issues like water resource exploitation etc. are believed to be hyped by the media and not the general public. However, it is important for the company to generate and implement a corporate social responsibility system in India, and operate within the guidelines of that system, which will prevent any such unwanted situations.? . 3. LAUNCH MARKETING CAMPAIGNS? Marketing campaigns are the best way to push a product into Indian market. This will create awareness among the general public which makes the sales easy. Indians would like to have more details on everything they choose; let it be soap, or even a television, they would like to know more about the product. If the product is of optimum value in terms of price and quality, they would definitely go for it.? 5. 4. LISTEN TO THE CUSTOMERS? Consumer behavior is an important part in any business. In order to find the differences and their demands, it is very imp0ortant to listen to the consumers.This can be done by initiating a survey or a feedback system. List ening means, the identification of areas and aspects where the company is lagging. If the company can make the customers feel that they are valued and considered, then they would come back to those particular products. Therefore, it is very important to listen to their comments, make necessary adjustments on service and products and creating a strong customer base. 5. 5. MANAGING STYLE? Management style and its efficiency decide the quality of management in a particular country.Multinational companies are believed to have many managing styles and organizational culture. However, t is important to have a management style tailored to the hosting country’s cultural and social value. Having an alien management style may create issues with the domestic employees in the long run. Also, developing a country specific management style will help in delivering quality and on demand services to consumers and general public; which will eventually help the company in the future. This will also make the employees feel that they are considered and their opinions are welcomed.? 5. 6.PULL BACK PRICE- QUALITY TRADE –OFF PLANS? Indians are those who give more importance for quality and trust. It is practiced in India for many long years. Indians rely more upon quality of the product with lower prices. So India is not a place to follow up with Price – Quality Trade – Off. Even if the prices are higher, Indians may consider this product due to its quality. Indian society and the culture are very much vulnerable to quality tradeoffs.? The above mentioned are the important solutions and suggestions that company should concentrate more in Indian market in order to sustaining in this competitive market.It is too important for a company to have a long life in market; so to attain this they should study the market at first in detail and the culture and purchasing power of the public. 6. SUGGESTIONS? According to Robert Tannenbaum and Warren H Schmidt â€Å"ma nagement styles are characteristic ways of making decision and relation to subordinates†. Different management styles can be applied based on the nature and culture of business, the nature of task, the nature of work force and skills of the leader. This definition is given to understand management style in general.Every country has got its own style of management. It is necessary that they should have a correct view about the management style of particular country. As seen in definition, management varies from business and their task; so it is very important to understand the task and the business at the most and then decide the appropriate method of management. As Elenkov and Manev (2005) suggests, it is the responsibility of top managers to coordinate with the subordinate and innovate in management styles and thereby improving the efficiency of the system.?India is the country where people give more importance to culture. Based on Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimension i n India uncertainty avoidance and long – term orientation is more. Uncertainty avoidance means Indians are too slow in accepting the sudden changes and they follow up with traditional styles so it is more important for the company to do a proper analysis on the consumer behavior and product requirement. Another important factor which should be taken into consideration is Long- Term Orientation. India is the place where this is followed more because Indians are more towards tradition and their customs.It is not easy to make them accept the sudden changes. So there should properly take consideration of long – term orientation also (Geert Hofstede, 2001).? They should also give more importance for Price – Quality Trade- Off issues. Indians are those give more value for trust, value and quality. They are keener towards more quality with fewer prices. They give more value for quality rather price. So it is more important for the company to give more importance for th e quality and their pricing strategy which need to be favorable for their business too.?In business it is not enough to keep present condition safe to have a long life and they need to study the market properly in every moment because the nature of market changes as new competitors come in. So to overcome these fluctuating conditions, they should always keep an open eye on how the market goes in next moment. For this the company needs to establish a market analysis team who can conduct on demand analysis of the market or outsource the task to us.? These are all the solutions and recommendations for the company which should be followed.It is not easy for a company to run business smoothly without considering the issues, especially if the company is of foreign origin. Therefore they need to understand the market and key trends in order to sustain in the market.? 7. FORECASTS AND PREDICTIONS? The company can definitely establish their presence in Indian market once again, because it ha s already got a strong good brand image for long years. As Indians are those who give more importance for trust and quality, this brand image from past will help for its sustainability in Indian market. As India’s population is high, they can get a good customer base.Apart from this, in Indian customers include large number of youngsters who is adopting the modern cultural values and supporting westernization. Thus, it is easy for the company to make them as target customers. Due to globalization, many multinational companies had entered Indian market and Indians had accepted many of those companies which clearly say Coca-Cola still have large potential and scope in the Indian market. As India is in the stage of modernization and economic reform, the consumption of soft drinks has been increased so it is a good opportunity for Coca-Cola to make a proper stand in Indian market.After considering the above mentioned solutions and recommendations it is sure that the company can m ake a proper stand in Indian market and re-establish their operations for ever. 8. CONCLUSION? Conclusion is the important part of a case study. After doing a detailed study on socio-cultural barriers of Coca-Cola in India, the most noticeable factor is the company is not following and considering the social and cultural trend and factors. The main drawback which Coca-Cola is facing is it is going against environment or exploiting environment.The company is using fresh water in such a large quantity where there is a crisis for fresh drinking water; apart from that, due to its waste discharge they have been spoiling the water and soil. Therefore farmers are facing numerous problems with their crops. Because of these reasons Coca-Cola is facing problems in India. These problems are indirectly affecting the life of the people staying near by to the manufacturing plant. Apart from this culture is the most important factor which company should keep in mind for further development.?From t he above given recommendation, suggestions and analysis, it is clear that the cultural and economic conditions in India is stable and favorable for the company, but the environmental problems are making g issues among the public and government. Therefore, as suggested, the company should employ an efficient corporate social responsibility team to monitor their operations in the Indian sub-continent and make policies to overcome any such instances. With the help of these suggestions, Coca-Cola can make a brilliant come back to the market. . REFERENCES? 1. Robert Tannenbaum and Warren H. Schmidt, The continuum of Leadership Behavior. [online] Available at: http://www. stewart-associates. co. uk/leadership-models. aspx Accessed on 11th January 2011? 2. PETER B. SMITH, MARK F. PETERSON and SHALOM H. SCHWARTZ, 2002. CULTURAL VALUES, SOURCES OF GUIDANCE, AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO MANAGERIAL BEHAVIOR – A 47-Nation Study. JOURNAL OF CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY, Vol. 33 No. 2, pp. 188-208? 3. Lothar Katz, 2008. Negotiating International Business – India. [online] Available at: http://www. lobalnegotiationresources. com/cou/India. pdf Accessed on: 11th January 2011? 4. Detelin S. Elenkov and Ivan M. Manev, 2005. Top Management Leadership and Influence on Innovation: The Role of Sociocultural Context. Journal of Management, Vol. 31 No. 3, pp. 381-402? 5. Hofstede, G. , 2001. Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.? 6. Geert Hofstede, Cultural Dimensions of India, [online] Available at: http://www. geert-hofstede. com/hofstede_india. html Accessed on 11th January 2011? 7. Casestudy. co. in, New Coke: A Classic Brand Failure, [online] Available at: http://casestudy. co. in/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Classic_Failure_Coke. pdf Accessed on: 10th January 2011? 8. SWAMINATHAN S ANKLESARIA AIYAR, 2001. What makes MNCs quit India. The Times of India, Published on: 4th November 20 01, [online] Available at: http://timesofindia. indiatimes. com/business/india-business/What-makes-MNCs-quit-India/articleshow/1602986123. cms Accessed on: 11th January 2011

Culture of Jamaica

The first settlers of Jamaica called the land â€Å"Xaymaca† which means â€Å"Land of springs† (Pillai, 2013). It is said that this is where the name of the country came from. Jamaica is known for many things like its beaches, wildlife, and reggae music. Jamaica has a mix of people from different races, religions, and countries so its culture is varied. Christopher Columbus discovered Jamaica in 1494, but people have in habited the island for thousands of years before.The Arawaks and Tainos are said to be the first ribes to settle on the island, between 4000 B. C. AND 1000 B. C. (Pillai, 2013). From 1494 to 1655, Jamaica was a Spanish colony. It was a British colony from 1655 to 1962. Jamaica was granted a new constitution in 1944 and gained universal suffrage. The country gained independence August 6, 1962 (Purcell, 2013). The population of Jamaica is 2,909,714 (FindTheData, 2013). 16. 5% of the population lives below the poverty line. Africans make up most of the Jam aican population. After Africans, many of the Jamaicans are multiracial and from Indian or Chinese decent (Pillai, 2013).English is the official language of Jamaica (Purcell, 2013). Jamaican Patois is the de facto national language of Jamaica, which is a Creole language (Pillai, 2013). It is the most commonly spoken language in the country. Many religions are practiced in Jamaica. Tainos, the first settlers, worshipped forces of nature like plants and animals. They believed in the God Yucahu and Goddess Atabey. They also worshipped good and evil spirits to prevent natural disasters (Pillai, 2013). Christianity made its way to the island with the colonizers. About 80% of Jamaicans are Christians.Rastafari developed in the 1920s in Jamaica. It is a â€Å"blend of Old Testament Christian faith, mystic beliefs, and African fundamentalist ideology. † The Rastas keep their hair long in dreadlocks, reject western society, and use marijuana spiritually (Pillai, 2013). Jamaicans have certain traditions and beliefs. A common birth rite is to bury the umbilical cord of a newborn baby, and usually a tree is planted over it, signifying that they are always connected to their birth place. Funerals are an important ritual to the Jamaicans. A big funeral is a sign ofa good life (Purcell, 2013).Nine Night is a Jamaican ceremony or funeral where friends and family sing, dance, and drink for eight nights then sing farewell songs on the ninth night. They rearrange the room of the deceased so their spirit will not recognize it and return. A last meal is set out under the silk-cotton tree, a hiding place for the spirits, for the diseased spirit (Pillai, 2013). Jamaican weddings are big, lavish, and family-oriented. Both families of the bride and groom meet before the wedding and friends start sending gifts like eggs for the cake (Pillai, 2013). Jamaican foods are usually hot and spicy.Their strong spices and herbs make heir dishes popular around the world. The national dish is the Ackee and Saltflsh. Spicy Jerk pork and Jerk chicken are very popular Jamaican cuisines. The national drink is Jamaican rum (Pillai, 2013). Rice is a ceremonial food. Curried goat meat is the main meal at parties, weddings, and tunerals (Purcell, 2 Jamaican attire is a combination of European and African style. Jamaican women wear brightly colored outfits of a skirt, top, and headscarf. Men wear brightly colored western-style clothes with short sleeves. Due to the humid weather, Jamaicans don't wear heavy clothing; they prefer cotton clothing.Rastafarians wear clothes made of natural fibers. These clothes are always in their sacred colors of red, yellow, and green. â€Å"According to the Rastafarians, Red signifies the blood of the black people, Yellow stands for the gold that was stolen from Africa, and Green symbolizes the lost African lands† (Pillai, 2013). The also wear a tam or hat to go over their dreadlocks. The official currency of Jamaica is the Jamaican dolla r (FindTheData, 2013). Manufacturing and services are the main sources of economy. Service includes tourism, which is a great contributor to the economy.Jamaica's main trade allies are the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Caribbean Economic Community. Major imports are consumer goods, construction hardware, electrical and telecommunication equipment, food, fuel, machinery, and transportation equipment. Jamaica's major exports are bauxite and alumina, apparel, sugar, bananas, coffee, citrus and citrus products, rum, cocoa, and labor (Purcell, 2013). Jamaica's gross domestic product (GDP) is $25,620,000,000. Their GDP per capita is $8,900, which is also the world average. Jamaica has a high inflation rate of 6. 9%.They also have a high unemployment rate of 14% (FindTheData, 2013). The country is in a bad economic situation. Jamaica has a bicameral parliamentary legislative system. They are a member of the British Commonwealth. The British monarch, the governor genera l, the prime minister and deputy prime minister, and the cabinet make up the executive branch. The Senate and the sixty members elected to the House of Representatives make up the legislative branch. The Judicial branch is the Supreme Court and lower courts. The main political parties are the People's National Party and the Jamaica Labor Party Purcell, 2013).Sociologists would need to know about Jamaican custom to know what not to say or do around Jamaicans to not offend them. They would need to know some of Jamaican history which would let them know that there was much slavery and oppression during the colonial period. Jamaicans might get offended if this subject is brought up in the wrong manner. It would be wise for sociologists to know that the Jamaican Patois language is a symbol of defiance from European cultural authority (Purcell, 2013). Their Jamaican identity is very important to them. Their identity ncludes many things like their religion traditions and customs.

Affirmative Action And Refugees Of Color

PRO-AFFIRMATIVE ACTION What is it? Well affirmative action is, in plain text, the consideration of your class, race, gender, color, ethnicity, national origin, and disability when deciding who gets a certain job or admission into a school. If you are amenity applying for a job and there are other people that are applying as well then you will be considered for the job over one of the other people, even if they have more experience. It is not only for jobs, it is also used in any situation†¦ This African American study will define the fairness of Affirmative Action in not allowing poorer whites the same availability of jobs than are offered to persons of color. The argument of class inequality of poor white workers has often been used as a premise to argue in favor of preferential treatment of Africa-Americans in the labor markets. In these cases, the problem of low employment opportunities is falsely being exploited to blame African Americans for taking jobs from poor whites. Poor†¦ Affirmative action was signed by President John F. Kennedy it was first put into play on March 6, 1961 it called to ensure that applicants are employed, and employees are treated during employment, without concern to their race, creed, color, or national origin. Forward to 2016 where it has become a problem within college applications where colleges are now more focused on having a diverse student body rather than the quality of the student themselves. While some colleges believe that affirmative†¦ Affirmative Action In Shaw’s article he gives four arguments for affirmative action that are counter arguments to others. In this paper I will talk about one of his responses and why I disagree with it. I plan to argue that many companies do not want to hire people of other races, ethnicities, or genders because they may not trust these people for various reasons. According to Shaw, affirmative action is designed to make the hiring process of companies more fair. It is supposed to make the process†¦ access to higher education. Affirmative Action started in 1965 in hopes to grant minorities more access to jobs , but has grown to also encompass ensuring that minorities are allowed admittance to higher education facilities. The goal was to equalize the population in terms of opportunity, and also be equitable in how people were treated. Since its implementation, many people have opposed it and have given reasons for why the system is flawed. However, Affirmative Action is a policy that needs to be†¦ Affirmative Action Affirmative Action first began in 1961 on March 6 from The Executive Order 10925 signed by President John F. Kennedy. In 1964, the Civil Rights Act made discrimination illegal for employment regarding to race, cultural background, color, or religion. Over the course of time, this began to become beneficial to a lot of people especially if they wanted a job because of discrimination and enforced diversity and giving minorities opportunities or chances. Even though this is such†¦ Affirmative Action University of Phoenix Susan E. Ricard Since the beginning of affirmative action, there has been controversy about the program being an effective tool to eliminate discrimination in education and the workplace. Even though the numbers with affirmative action plans seemed to have improved the percentage of minorities in schools and workplaces, it does not work to mandate that people change. Once the mandates disappear the numbers begin to decrease. In its conception in†¦ The Case for Affirmative Action: An Open Letter to Five Justices In the article â€Å"The Case for Affirmative Action: An Open Letter to Five Justices† by Dave Malcolm states that a great informal affirmative action program going for decades. What is exactly is affirmative action? Affirmative action means an action or policy favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination, specially in relation to employment or education (dictionary.com). Affirmative action is one of the most controversial concerns†¦ Affirmative Action If one is to discuss and problem solve an issue, he or she must first know what the issue is truly about. Affirmative action is defined as the equal opportunities given to women, minorities, and small groups so they will have the same tools, education, and allotment to achieve their goals in life. Since affirmative action came about, debate arises daily about if it is truly equal and fair. Was it a word made as a cushion to the people so they will feel equal? Another interpretation†¦ Affirmative Action: Is it still needed in Today’s World? Table of Contents Abstract †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.3 What is Affirmative Action †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3-4 History of Affirmative Action †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...4-6 Legal History of Affirmative Action †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.6-8 The People for Affirmative Action †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8-9 The People against Affirmative Action †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...10 The Benefits of Affirmative Action†¦

Japanese Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Japanese Economy - Essay Example An important indicator of that achievement is that Japan continues to be the only non-western nation to have had the ambition of ruling the world and the only non-western country to have implemented a policy of attempting to subjugate the whole world in modern history. Japanese economy has been described as a success in 1980s but the decade of the 1990s was a lost decade. However, data indicate that situation may have to be more accurately described. For instance, in Figure 1, we see that if gross domestic product or GDP per capita figures are not adjusted for inflation, it would appear that Japanese economy appears to be alright until the mid-1990s. However, beginning in the mid-1990s, the Japanese economy appeared to have plunged downward and started to recover sometime at the beginning of the 21st century, if not for the Fukushima nuclear and tsunami disasters of 2011. Figure 1 is a graph from the website of the Intellectual Takeout while Figure 2 is my own reconstruction of Japan’s GDP in $ at current prices based on data set of the International Monetary Fund. At least for Japan, the insight that can be obtained based on the GDP per capita in $ is that the key insight that can be developed from Figure 1 is correct: Japanese economy was on a steady rise from 1980 to around 1995 but nose-dived before slowly recovering upward. Figure 3 compare the GDP per capita in current US$ of select countries and compare them with Japan. It is worth noting that Figure 3 suggests that in terms of GDP per capita, the overall context is that Japan still belongs to the bigger league of strong nations although Japan has been weaker in the last several years. In contrast, China may be a big economy (and some report the economy as the second biggest economy) but in GDP per capita dollar terms, the citizens of Japan appear to be in a better situation than China. Meanwhile, the key insight that can be derived from Figure 4 is that globally, the

New Business Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

New Business Development - Essay Example ervice 28 7.3.Personal and personnel position 29 7.4.Financial Controls 29 7.5.Marketing Controls 30 Marketing control is a vital step for any organization. The Sale objective of the firm is estimated in this process and depending on that the Sales Forecast and Quotas are set for next year budget depending on that. Proper evaluation of the marketing plans is very crucial to set the budget. For this evaluation time to time marketing activities are done like data collection and doing market research on the existing plans how they are implemented and how much effective they are in the market. Depending on the survey results the budget for the next year is calculated. The Venetian Macao should do market research for their plans and find the quality of their services provided to the customer and keep track of every possible problem that can create a problem in the business (Kotler, 2008). 30 Reference 31 A. Assignment I 1. (Company / Business / Service) Description 1.1. The Concept Leisur e industry has become one of the attractive industries in the global market. This industry includes the sectors like tourism, hospitality, entertainment and recreation, and with the changing lifestyle of people, the popularity of leisure services are growing significantly. This paper will attempt to present a new business development of ‘Venetian Macao’ in the UK leisure industry. Venetian Macao is popular hotel based in Las Vegas, and it offers a range of services like accommodation, entertainment, casino dinning etc. leisure and casino industry has been playing an instrumental role in UK’s economic development as it attracts a large number of visitors in UK for leisure purposes (PWC-UK, 2011). 1.2. Developmental Perspective 1.2.1. Strategic Perspective Venetian Macao is a premium hotel group that offers leisure services, and hence it primarily focused on very niche market of segment. In the UK leisure industry, the hotel groups will attempt to follow the same s trategy. The following model shows it provisional generic strategy, Figure 1: Generic Strategy (Source: Eldring, 2009, p.7) Therefore, Venetian will focus on focused differentiation strategy by offering high premium leisure and entertainment services to UK people and inbound tourists in UK. By following this core generic strategy, Venetian can be able to develop a competitive advantage. However, in this process it needs to prepare an overall business development strategy. 1.2.2. Marketing Perspective In order to gain competitive advantage in the UK leisure industry, Venetian will focus on the value creation of its customers as well for the UK economies. Venetian is famous for its

Outline on the benefits of distance learning Essay

Outline on the benefits of distance learning - Essay Example The second main topic was to present a look at distance learning from the standpoint of being independent, but not isolated. It was meant to provide a glimpse of its structure. The third main topic was in reference to the cost. This is often a major obstacle to education and I wanted to end the presentation with it. By this point they will have gotten an interest in distance learning and it was a natural next question to answer. I concluded by summarizing the main topics and highlighting the most relevant issues. I then closed by indirectly referring back to the Twain quote. This will leave the audience back on familiar ground, comfortable with the presentation, and will smooth the transition to a question and answer period. Taylor, T. H., Parker III, G. D., & Tebeaux, E. (2001). Confronting cost and pricing issues in distance education. Educause Quarterly, 16-23. Retrieved October 27, 2006, from http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eqm0131.pdf

TARGET CORPORATION FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION Essay

TARGET CORPORATION FINANCIAL ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION - Essay Example The  ratio  is  mainly  used  to give an idea of the companys ability to pay back its short-term liabilities (debt and payables) with its short-term assets (cash, inventory, receivables). The higher the current ratio, the more capable the company is of paying its obligations. A ratio under 1 suggests that the company would be unable to pay off its obligations if they came due at that point. Target is 1.32 suggesting that it would be able to pay its debt .32 more than is owed. However, Wal-mart size require much more debt to finance it operations. Wal-Mart .85 is not the best financial position, buy it may be because the company has a longer inventory turnover than Target. Wal-Mart is by its very nature a company with huge warehouse of inventory and other current asset. Target, on the other hand is a smaller operation. Asset Turnover reflects a company’s ability to use its assets to generate sales and is an important indication of operating efficiency. It tells the analyst how many dollars of sales a company generates for each dollar invested in assets. It is computed by dividing net sales by average total assets. As we can see, Asset turnover ratio for Target Corporation has gone up from 1.43 to 1.52 mostly due to increase in Net Sales. It is a good indicator of the efficiency in utilization of the assets and should be viewed positively by investors when comparing Target Corporation with its competitors like Wal-Mart

Reply to this student post Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reply to this student post - Coursework Example cked by the current healthcares systems considering the efforts she made in trying to make healthcare accessible and affordable to all without biasness. I agree with this statement. The current healthcare system is wanting and only takes care of the interests of financially capable in the society. That notwithstanding, not many can afford health insurance and therefore resort to seeking services at hospital in the event that they need medical assistance. As indicated in the post, Wald managed to create a relationship between public heath care nursing and healthcares insurance. I particularly agree with the fact that this move led to reduced hospital visits and if the same scheme would be implemented today, hospital visits would certainly be reduced as well. This initiative would go a long way in transforming the current healthcare system that is marred with prejudices. However, I fail to agree with the fact that patients need to be educated to ensure their compliance with their care plans. Mush more needs to be done apart from education alone. It would be needless to educate the patients if the healthcare system itself does not have the goodwill to give the patients a chance to be compliant with their care plans and meet their healthcare

The Nurse' Responsability in the Prevention of Medical Errors Essay

The Nurse' Responsability in the Prevention of Medical Errors - Essay Example In its report titled To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System (2000), the Institute of Medicine (IOM) noted that between 44,000 and 98,000 Americans die annually in U.S. hospitals owing to preventable medical errors. A medical error infers an adverse event that can be avoided given the current state of medical knowledge. IOM working definition of medical error details the failure of a planned action to be concluded as proposed or the application of a wrong plan to attain the aim. Errors in this sense incorporate problems in practice, products, procedures, and systems. There is no single unanimously acknowledged method of classifying medical errors. However, there are five distinct categorizations of medical errors. These include forms of healthcare given such as medication, surgery, and diagnostic imaging; severity of the injury encompassing minor discomfort, death, and serious injury. Other categorizations include legal definitions of issues such as negligence and malpractice ; the setting encompassing hospital, emergency room, nursing home, and intensive care unit, and persons involved such as a physician, nurse, pharmacist, and patient. Medical errors impede therapeutic outcomes and can cause severe illness or death. In addition, medical errors may lead to litigation against healthcare providers. Causes of Medical Errors The core causes of medical errors are multifaceted, and no single factor can be demarcated to be the principal origin of medical errors. However, medical errors mainly flow from factors like communication errors; for example, misinterpretation of the doctor’s prescription may lead to instances of medication mix-up, where the administered drugs detail closely similar names. In addition, medical errors may emanate from human errors stemming from overwork and burnout. Some medical errors are attributable to the long working hours that medical professionals cover. The onset of managed care has heralded the reduction of size of nursi ng staff, while compelling others to work mandatory overtime shifts. Other causes include increasing specialization and fragmentation of the healthcare sector. The number of people involved in patient’s treatment is commensurate with occurrences of medical errors. Furthermore, medical errors emanate from manufacturing errors, equipment failure, diagnostic errors, and poorly designed buildings and facilities (Westrick & Dempski, 2009). Steps or Measures that Nurses can take in order to Prevent Medical Errors Healthcare professionals such as nurses should guarantee the quality of treatment, although a significant share of responsibility lies with patients in avoiding medical errors. The single most significant way in which nurses can aid in prevention of medical errors is being active members of their healthcare team. Healthcare providers must work successfully in collaborative teams in order to enhance patient safety. Nurses should adopt stricter standards of acceptable error rates. This will be crucial in making significant strides in enhancing safety and minimizing error. The commitment towards enhancing the quality of medical care and associated processes is one of the steps that nurses should adopt to reduce errors. Nurses should also report medical errors in order to improve the process. Reporting of medical errors plays a crucial role in abating further errors

Theory Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Theory - Term Paper Example In considering each claim it is important to look into what democracy actually means. This paper looks into democracy and its claims from both Marxism and Leninism perspectives. Practical use of democracy will form the centre stage in elaborating the meaning of democracy and whether it is an end in itself or a means to an end. Democracy literal meaning is People’s Rule meaning that it is the populace that should bear a nation’s sovereignty. This definition is quite the opposite of autocracy and oligarchy which connote forms of dictatorship perpetuated by one person or a number of people respectively. Therefore, democracy is a situation where people exercise political power through choosing leaders or participating in governance. The latter statement has little strength but its claim is indisputable as an inherent attribute of a democratic establishment. These definitions raise a number of arguments one being that some government systems are more democratic than others ( Lenin 177-215). An absolute democracy will therefore demand that people’s wishes are incorporated in the governance system. Wishes of the people even in the modern democratic institutions are basically achieved through elections. In this case people’s representatives are elected to various levels of government where they are expected to represent the views and wishes of their electorates. Utilitarian theorists hold the belief that democracy offers a channel for people’s will to be done. Elections in the case are an agent of people’s will since electors choose those who are closest to their ideals. Although this is not a strong justification as to the establishment of democracy, it goes further to elaborate the representation of the will of the people in governance. This utilitarian approach to democracy and general will of the people is however not accurate. It is basic fact that a society is comprised of people who hold different views on issues. Consequ ently, it is hard for all to agree on one thing especially on matters pertaining to public policy. This argument of elections as a symbol of democracy does not necessarily bear people’s will (Loo and Peter 45-80). Majoritarianism is used widely in elections debate since those who end up in government are the most popular candidates and this translates into ignorance of the minority’s interests. This loophole in democracies has been overcome by establishing systems that facilitate proportional representation although their viability has proved questionable as factions are forced to join forces to acquire considerable majority. Britain is an example where tyranny of the minority is experienced. This has been the trend after the 2nd World War where only two parties have dominated the political arena. In winning elections these parties need to work hard to woo voters who are indecisive. In so doing the parties find themselves ignoring their ideologically based supporters i n order to appeal to the few undecided ones. This scenario is clearer after looking into democracy as a means to an end. Democracy depicts a situation where people are ruling themselves meaning that a state is incapable of coercing an individual citizen (Lenin 277-313). Freedom is therefore a pillar expected to be upheld by a democratic system more than in others. The degree of equality among people also forms the

The Code of Ethics for Nurses Essay Example for Free

The Code of Ethics for Nurses Essay This paper discusses the code of ethics of nurses. The nurses are sometimes found in very challenging situations that call for proper decision making. The action taken should not be against this code of ethics. Nurses are guided by a set of laws that are meant to assist them in their duties to offer medical services and at the same time satisfy their patient’s requirements. The code of ethics for the nurses rejects any attempt to perform activities that are contrary to the patient’s rights. These include the right to life, to self esteem and the right to respectful treatment (International Council of Nurses, 2006). In the case study situation the surgeon made a wrong recommendation for the patient. Mr. B was wrongfully scheduled for a tumor resection procedure yet the most appropriate course of treatment for him was a palliative treatment or limited intervention. Subjecting the patient to a tumor resection was an act that subjected the aged patient to a higher risk of postoperative recovery (Strang, Strang, Hultborn, Arner, 2004). With the problem of bed space the patient deserved to be treated equally with other patients despite his age, the health condition and his limited chances of survival. The human rights stipulate clearly that the life of one individual is equally important as the other and therefore should not be undermined (Tschudin, 2003). The nurses should have acted by the principle of the first patient to be admitted the first to be served and in that situation the other patients younger than Mr. B should have been directed to other facilities. By all ethical standards, nurses should always value the lives of their patients regardless of the situation since all the lives are precious and none can be substituted for another one.

Effect of pollution on heritage structure Essay Example for Free

Effect of pollution on heritage structure Essay This write up is a synopsis to the dissertation ,‘Effect of pollution on Delhi heritage structure Jantar Mantar. ’ It gives an overview of the contents that the final research paper is likely to cover the effect of different types of pollutions like air ,light, sound etc. pollutants on the materials used for construction of Jantar Mantar also the different techniques to prevent pollution in that area. Keywords : Effect, pollutants, techniques, Introduction: Heritage structures are known as identity of our nation as citizens of this country it is our duty to protect them. Jantar Mantar is one of the important heritage structures in Delhi. We generally use electrical devices or books to get information about time , astrological data, year calendar, position of sun, moon at particular days but in Jantar Mantar this data is conveyed directly through instruments placed their. Aim : To study effect of pollution on Delhi’s heritage structure Jantar Mantar. Objectives: †¢Study of different types of pollutants their effect on structure. †¢To study the different types of pollution level in that particular area. †¢To findout various techniques to preotect the structure from pollution. Scope of study: †¢Population in that area its effect on structure. †¢Climatic conditions of Delhi . †¢Study of different types of pollutions like sound pollution ,light pollution their effect on structure. †¢Materials used for structure 1. Properties of materials 2. Amount of usage †¢Timeline †¢Ways to prevent the structure from this damage Limitations of study: †¢To study the materials used for construction of â€Å"Jantar Mantar†. †¢Properties of materials . †¢Study of different pollutants their effect on structure. †¢Different types of pollutions affecting structure. †¢Different ways to control the pollution. Research Questions: †¢What is effect of population on the structure? 1. Due to increasing population daily usage of vehicles is increased that is increasing the air pollution level tremendously. †¢What are the materials used for construction? 1. White marble which is used at the top of red sandstone on which scale is Ingraved. †¢What are the different types of pollution affecting structure? 1. Air pollution 2. Sound pollution †¢Different types of pollutants affecting building 1. Sulphur dioxide, sulphates. 2. Nitrogen oxide, nitrates. 3. Chlorides, Carbon dioxide Ozone. If the level of carbon dioxide in atmosphere is increased as much as the most pessimistic predictions, the increase in rainfall acidity this gas will cause is relatively minor. It is the reactions of other pollutant gases, such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, that produce the more acidic rainfall. Sulphur dioxide reacts with water in the atmosphere to produce sulphurous acid (H2SO3). This is what is popularly referred to as ‘acid rain’. †¢What are the different techniques to reduce the pollution? Methodology : Refrences: (n. d. ). Retrieved 09 12, 2013, from buildingconservation_files: www. buildingconservation_files. com

The School Community Relationship

The School Community Relationship Education is an important tool in the development of communities and nations at large. The provision and management of quality education lies not only at the heart of central government but remains a shared responsibility of all stakeholders and the building of good working relationship among these stakeholders with particular emphasis on improving the school-community relationship . This stems from the fact point that education is seen as a social enterprise requiring the support of all stakeholders so that its contribution can benefit the entire society. (Addae-Boahene et.al,2001). For the attainment of quality education, there is the need for the community in which the school is situated to work in collaboration and harmony with the school not only in the upbringing and welfare of the pupils but must go beyond that to offer support in the provision and maintenance of the school infrastructure as well as playing a critical supporting role in the effective management and administration of the school. The school, similar to other facilities such as the community market, community borehole, is situated in the community belonging to the entire community members. The community therefore has a role to play in shaping the policies and finances of the school just as the school in turn must function to meet the social needs of the community by turning out a literate population and transmitting culture of the community to the youth. Improving the school-community relationship is key because both bodies are interdependent and failure on the part of either body to play its role can lead to a collapse of the education system with its consequent effect on the society as a whole. Again, though formal education is said to have been introduced in Ghana by the Europeans who provided not only the curricular but the infrastructure inclusive, the schools were not cited initially enough to cover all the communities in Ghana. It is against this background that some communities desirous of having formal education took it upon themselves and established basic schools, willingly recruited teachers and contributed to support them with the resources needed for their work including remuneration. As the process continued these schools were later absorbed into the public school system. (Addae-Boahene, et.al.2001).The management and financing of these schools then shifted from the communities to the central government; this created a situation that witnessed less community involvement in the management of schools, hence the beginning of poor school-community relationship. The Ministry of Education (MOE) and The Ghana Education Service (GES) recognized the importance of reciprocal partnership of school-community leaders and local school authorities in effecting changes in the school. Under the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (fCUBE), MOE, and GES, who have committed themselves to building a systematic approach assisting community organizations (SMC and PTA) to play a major part in the regeneration of their schools. It is the belief of the MOE and GES that communities have an important role to play in enforcing standards, developing and maintaining school infrastructure, and creating partnership between teachers, pupils and the district authorities to bring about needed changes. In conclusion the school and the community rely on each other for mutual benefit. The need for both to operate on a cooperative atmosphere cannot therefore be overemphasized. (Addae-Boahene, et.al.2001). RESEARCH PROBLEM It is very necessary that in all communities, both the community and the school operate closely and co-operate with each other as the ownership and management of the school is gradually becoming community-based, a situation in which the head teacher and the circuit supervisor should see the members of the community as partners in the educational development of the child. The significance of this relationship includes: The motivation of the school to function with the interest of the wholesome development of the society. Both the school and the community working in the same direction for the proper development of the children and the community supporting the school financially, among others. However, the central government control and management of education delivery system over a long period has had an adverse effect on the relationship between the school and the community. The kind of relationship in which the school and the community exist as separate entities. Both are seen as performing different functions and hence need not interfere with each other. The school officials run the school while the Community look on. What happens by way of development or information flow in the community is not the concern of the school and vice versa. Members of the community do not care to find out what goes on in the school nor does the school develop interest in what goes on in the community. Each of them feels the other has nothing to offer, and no effort is made for cooperation. (Amofa, 1999). This kind of relationship also called the Closed System, is very prevalent in rural areas, (Annoh, 2003). This has contributed to less community involvement and commitment in the quality m anagement of education in Ghana and the Tolon/Kumbungu District of Northern Region in particular. These poor school-community relationships in the Tolon/Kumbungu District manifest itself in several ways including; On August 1, 2009, the head teacher of Gbrumani Primary School was beaten by some community members citing the head teachers effort at settling a quarrel between two pupils in the school as interference in community affairs. May, 2010, Nyankpala community members turned Nyankpala D/A Junior High School classrooms into community toilet facility. Again, Chirifoyili community encroached on the school land, turning it to a farm land in 2008 with the argument that they will not spare their land to the school and suffer insufficient farmland.(circuit supervisors report).These incidents signal to the level of strained relationships that prevails between the school and the community in the district. These acts are impacting negatively on the delivery of education in the district. quality of education continues to fall in the district as reflected in the BECE results released by WAEC year after year. (GES Tolon, 2006,2008,2009). There is high illiteracy rate in the district, coupled with low enrolment and high drop-out rates in the schools. (Tolon/Kumbungu District profile; 2004). It is against this background that the researcher finds the research problem of this study being, the lack of improved school-community relationship in the Tolon/Kumbungu District of Northern Region, as very necessary and worth undertaken. MAIN RESEARCH QUESTION Arising from the research problem stated as, the lack of improved relationship between the school and community, the main research question for the study is; what strategies can be put in place in order to build an improved relationship between the school and the community? SUB RESEARCH QUESTIONS What is the importance of building an improved relationship between the school and community? What is meant by improved school-community relationship? What are the causes of the lack of improved relationship between the school and community? What roles can both the school and the community play towards promoting an improved school-community relationship? What are the principles underlying school community relations? MAIN RESEARCH OBJECTIVE To recommend strategies that can be put in place to promote an improved school-community relationship. SUB RESEARCH OBJECTIVES To highlight the importance of building an improved relationship between the school and community. To explain the concept of improved school-community relationship. To identify the causes of the lack of improved relationship between the school and community. To identify the roles both the school and the community can play towards promoting an improved school-community relationship. To highlight the principles underlying school community relations. LITERATURE REVIEW Conceptual Framework In this study the concepts that will be reviewed include; school, community, the school community, school management, community stakeholders, relationship, and improved relationship. In the research process, the researcher will review literature from secondary sources as this will help the researcher to; Make use of results of existing studies that are closely related to the study being conducted (Croswell, 1998: 20). Locate methodologies previously used to conduct studies in phenomenon similar to this study and to identify contrary findings (Mcmillan, 1992: 44). The researcher will employ the use of literature review in conducting this study since it will provide an understanding of the phenomenon of improved school-community relationship. It will also help to provide an analytical and theoretical framework for analyzing the findings of the research. In this; textbooks, published papers, newspaper publications, containing subjects related to the research problem will be reviewed. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Design This research design is basically qualitative in nature and to achieve the purpose of the study, the following methods have been employed; participant observation, interviewing, focus group discussion, review of secondary literature, interview guide, and purposive sampling. The tools that will be used to facilitate the data collection are field notes, tape recordings and manual recordings. The data analysis will involve the use of coding, transcribing tape recording, and decoding the data transcribed. According to Strauss and Corbin (1990), qualitative research is a type of research whose findings are neither arrived at by means of statistical procedures nor quantitative means. According to Nachmias and Nachmias (1996:28), qualitative approaches facilitates our understanding of behavior through knowing the persons involved and their rituals, beliefs, values, and emotions. Qualitative approach is necessary in this study because it allows the researcher to typically investigate an aspect, thus, the lack of improved relationship between the school and the community, as it pertains to the Tolon/Kumbungu district. Again, Mcmillan and Schumacher (1993), state that qualitative research presents facts in a narrative form with words and also concerned with understanding social phenomenon from the perspective of the participants. Furthermore, the researcher will be able to gain first hand information from the people involved including head teacher/teachers, School Management Committees(SMCs), Parent Teacher Association(PTA), circuit supervisors, chiefs and assembly members, on their knowledge regarding the lack of improved school-community relationship in the district, why there is lack of improved relationship between the school and the community, the role they can play to improve the relationship, and the strategies to put in place to promote and sustain improved school-community relationship. The use of multi-method strategies in gathering data is very necessary in qualitative research. For the purpose of this study, the methods to employ in gathering data are; interactive methods and non-interactive methods. A combination of these two approaches presents to the researcher an advantage of systematically observing, interviewing, and recording processes as they take place naturally. The appropriateness of these activities to the researcher emerges from the point as explained by Miles and Huberman (1994), that they are carried out in close proximity to the local setting for a sustained period of time. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH METHODS TO USE FOR THE STUDY Participant Observation In participant observation, researchers join the group they intend to study and observe it from inside (Legewie, 1991). Subjects usually change their behaviors when they know that they are being observed, so researchers may take measures to prevent them realizing that they are being studies, and hence eliminate the effects of reactivity (sarantakos, 2005; 221) Unstructured observation will be used in the study. Unstructured observation is loosely organized and the process of observation is largely left up to the observer. Participant observation will be used in this study. The researcher will visit the community schools in the Tolon/Kumbungu District and participate in both school ceremonies and community ceremonies and note all issues that reveal the lack of improved relationship between the school and the community, including; SMC/PTA meetings. The school annual open day ceremony . The celebration of the annual Damba and Fire festival. This approach will provide an opportunity for open discussion during which certain challenging issues will emerge. Interviewing In the perspective of Maykut and Morehouse (1994;80), an interview refers to a discourse shaped and organized through the asking of questions and the supply of answers, through which the interviewer and the interviewee are able to talk about the study focus; and this brings out thoughts and perceptions. On the other hand, Gillham (2000; 1) describes interview as a conversation that usually goes on between two people, the interviewer asks questions and seeks response from the interviewee. Interviews can be conducted face-to-face, through the telephone, or other means, but according to Gillham (2000: 62), the overwhelming strength of face-to-face interview is its possibility of making the communication rich. Interviews, according to Bogdan and Bilklen (1992:96) are used to gather descriptive data in the subjects own words. Through this, the researcher is able to develop insights on how subjects interpret some piece of the world. The researcher will employ semi-structured interview method for this study. Semi-Structured Interviews This method has been chosen for use for a number of good reasons. According to Borg and Gall (1989; 452), semi-structured interview facilitates a more thorough understanding of the respondents opinion and the reasons behind such opinions than what could be achieved if mailed questionnaire is used. Also, this method is good because it makes it possible for the expression of opinions by the interviewees. Again Robson (1993;231) states that, when using semi-structured method, the interviewer has the advantage of being able to modify the order of questions based upon the context of the conversation, change the wording of the question, give explanations and can avoid particular questions that appear inappropriate with a particular interviewee. Semi-structured interview has been chosen by the researcher because it has the ability to provide in-depth, objective information that account for the lack of improved school-community relationship. Though semi-structured interview will be used, the interview guide will still be used to keep the interviewer and interviewee on focus. Focus Group Discussions Focus group research can best be described as a loosely constructed discussion with a group of people brought together for the purpose of the study, guided by the research and addressed as a group. Due to the use of interviewing techniques, it is also referred to as focus group interviewing (as e.g. Bergaddresses it because and ;( ­ 1995, the group rather then specific members, it is also known as group discussion, (H. Kruger, 1983). Given that more then one group is usually included in the study, and each group constitute a separate sample of respondents, focus group can be seen as a multi-sample study. In most common application, this method entails, first the selection of people with a particular interest, expertise or position in the community, second, the formation of the group by bringing these people together in the same venue; third, the introduction of the discussion topic by the researcher, who acts as a facilitator and arbitrator, fourth, guiding the discussion so as to address the research topic, fifth, encouraging discussion among the members of the group rather than between them and the researcher, and sixth, observing and recording the discussion (sarantakos, 2005): The focus group method appears in two forms, the unstructured or semi-structured form and the structured form, which are employed by qualitative and quantitative researchers respectively (Stewart and shamdasani, 1990). Focus group discussing is employed to bring about changes in the group and its members, as a result of the direction and intensity of the discussion. It can further provide valuable information about group processes, attitude changes and manipulation, the attitudes and opinions of group members, the group or public, the effectiveness of certain methods and so on. It can also enable the testing of group strategies in solving problems (flick, 1998). Finally, the study of focus group can generate diversity and differences either within or between groups, and so revealà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. the dilemmatic nature of everyday arguments; (Lunt and Livingstone, 1996:96) This approach will be used to promote brainstorming and debate among the participants on key issues affecting school-community relationship in the district. Again focus group discussions promote the sharing and learning of new ideas among participants. The researcher will be part of the group discussion and moderating the process as well to keep the discussion on track. A total of 30 focus groups made of 15 people each will be engaged in the study (these are the PTA and SMC members of the 30 selected schools). How To Collect The Data For the purpose of data collection, the researcher will use the following tools; Interview Guide, Field Notes, and Recording. Interview Guide This will be very useful in this study. According to Borg and Gall (1989; 451), interview guide is a list containing questions mostly asked in a desired manner in the interview process. It serves as a guideline to the researcher on what to say, as the interview commences and ends. It is regarded as a checklist of topics to be covered by Dooley (1990:288), and it includes reminders of researchers interest arranged in an orderly manner to promote intercourse. In general terms, it is a guide but allowing actual questions to be framed during the interview to fit the natural tone of the intercourse between the interviewer and the interviewee. This helps to ensure that the interviewee remains unbiased in responses given. This also allows the researcher to select topics in advance but determines the sequence and wording of the questions during the interview process. (Mcmillan and Schumacher, 1993:426). The guide equally enables the researcher not to rigidly control the interview content such that the interviewee will not be able to tell the story in his own words. (Bogdan and Biklen,1992;97). For the purpose of this study, the researcher will promote flexibility by allowing the respondents to explain issues in their own words and language. Again, there will be instances in this study that the interviewer will not follow a specific order of the questions, but will rather link one response to another question not necessarily next in order as the need arises. Field Notes This will be used for noting information that may not be captured by the tape recording. This will serve as a buffer to remind the researcher during data analysis. According to Mcmillan and Schumacher (1993; 418), field notes are written at the end of each observation and describes in details the settings and activities of each subject. This will only be used for the participant observation. RECORDIING The most common methods of recording are: writing down information verbatim, in summary or in key words; tape recording conversations; video recording events; taking photographs, (sarantakoss,2006:229). For the purpose of this study tape recording, manual recording and coding will be used Tape Recording Tape recordings will also be used. Tape recordings are easier and certainly more efficient. The tapes can be listened to as many times as required, using more then one observer if desired, and this produces more accurate and more valid records (Sarandakos, 2005:229) The researcher will employ tape recordings during the interview process to record the intercourse that occurs between the interviewer and interviewee. The recordings will be played back later and the words transcribed for the purpose of data analysis. The interviewees permission will be sought by the interviewer before the use of tape recordings. The use of tape recording will help minimize possible errors that may result from forgetfulness on the part of the interviewer during the interview process. It can equally minimize the time spent in the interview. Manual RECORDIING Manual recording will equally be used, whereby two leaders will be used, with each of them taking notes in turn or one recording the data and the other acting as facilitator (sarantakos,2005). This will be transcribed later. Where circumstances do not allow for note taking, the observer will write down key words or phrases as a guide, and complete the notes after observation. CODING Codes serves as symbols, a shorthand recording, where actions and behaviors are replaced by numerals or keywords. This makes recording easier, particularly when there are many items to be recorded and many people to be observed. (sarantakos, 2005:230). SAMPLING Under qualitative designs for example where unstructured or participant observation is employed, the subjects are often chosen by means of purpose or theoretical sampling (sarantakos, 2005:224) The researcher acknowledges that the problem under study may be prevailing in other districts in the Northern Region; however the study will be limited to the Tolon/Kumbungu District of the Northern Region because there is high illiteracy rate in the district, coupled with low enrolment and high drop-out rates in the schools. (Tolon/Kumbungu District profile; 2004). Sampling is used for the study because the district has a large population size of 132,338 inhabitants (2000 population and housing census), therefore a focus on a small distinct group of participants (SMC, PTA, head teachers, circuit supervisors, chiefs, and assembly members), will enable the researcher to get an in-depth understanding of the problem of lack of improved school-community relationship in the Tolon/Kumbungu district. Purposive sampling will be the main sampling technique to use in the study. It is also the expectation of the researcher that the selected participants will be information-rich, because they are knowledgeable in terms of the phenomenon being studied. Purposive Sampling The researcher will select and interview community stakeholders in education such as PTA and SMC members, head teachers, circuit supervisors, chiefs, and assembly members. Responses and contributions of these people can form a good basis for carrying out analysis and stating findings of study in the district. There has been consensus by Gillham (2000); Mcmillan and Schumacher (1993:378); and Patton (1990:169) that purposive sampling involves selecting people with in-depth knowledge of the problem being studied, while keeping the number of interviews to a minimum for adequate representation. The people that will be selected for this study should have good ideas regarding the problem being studied. (Mcmillan and Schumacher, 1993; 378). Sample Size The district has 150 basic schools (Tolon/Kumbungu District Profile, 2004). A total of 70 people will be interviewed. This includes; 30 head teachers drawn from 30 schools out of a total of 150 basic schools in the district, 30 assembly members of the communities where these schools are located and 10 circuit supervisors supervising these schools .Study Area Tolon/Kumbungu district is chosen as the study area. The district covers a land area of 2,741 square kilometers and forms about 3.9% of the total land area of Northern Region. The district is one of the 45 new districts created by the erstwhile Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) Law 207 in 1988 and has Tolon as the Capital. The district is characterized by high illiteracy rate, coupled with low enrolment rates and high drop-out rate in schools. (Tolon/Kumbungu District Profile, 2004). DATA ANALYSIS Unlike quantitative research, where analysis is conducted after data collection, in qualitative research the timing of analysis varies. In some cases it follows the same path as in quantitative research, but in most cases it is conducted during data collection. A combination of both models is also possible (sarantakos, 2005:344) For the purpose of this research, data analysis will be done both, during and after data collection. While collecting data, the researcher will conduct some basic analysis, record the data, and further intensify data analysis after completing the study and focusing on more specific aspects of the research question as contained in the research. In a number of cases, analysis during data collection serves to guide research in the right direction, and to facilitate a more effective treatment and coverage of the research topic. The actual analysis is conducted after data gathering is completed (sarantakos, 2005:346). Computer-Aided Data analysis (CADA) will be used to analyze data. Computers can be, and are being used in qualitative research in the context of both pure qualitative research, where analysis is done the traditional way, and the so-called enriched qualitative research (contrad and Reinharz, 1984; Fielding and Lee, 1998; Fisher, 1997, Richards, 1986; Richards and Richards, 1987,1994; Weitzman and Miles, 1994). Computer aided data analysis (CADA) is used in many forms and allows the qualitative research to process data in a way parallel to that in quantitative research (Huber, 1991; Madron, Tate and Brookshire 1987; Ragin, 1987), (Sarantakos, 2005:357) A major data analysis instrument that will be employed in this study is concepts and indicators. Indicators are concrete data, such as behavior patterns and social events, which are observed or described in documents or interview texts. They indicate the presence of a concept which the researcher develops, at first provisionally and then with more confidence. (Sarantakos, 2005:347). Analysis will be done by thoroughly examining the field notes of what will be observed by the researcher and the responses of every participant that will be interviewed. In line with Maykut and Morehouse (1994: 135), the following data analysis steps will be adopted for the study; Recording the interview conducted, making a reflection of the process, and carrying out further observations and writing notes, comments, as well as memos. Transcribing what has been recorded in the exact words. This will be done immediately after the interviews of the day. All additional comments will be placed in brackets. Reading through the data that has been transcribed and stating clearly in writing, the meaning of the transcribed data. Coding the data and identifying the code meanings in line with research question. All key items or categories (the main ideas, words,or phrases) will be listed. The researcher will then go through the literature to find out whether responses of interviewees bear common grounds with the research topic as well as other respondents conclusions in similar research works. This is done for the purpose of testing the validity of the study. Data presentation Certainly, tables and graphs are useful tools of presentation in qualitative research, but the structure of presentation does not seem to adhere to any strict rules and procedures. TIME FRAME The researcher plans to spend a period of 5 months in carrying out the study including the compilation and presentation of the report.

Biography of Plotinus :: essays research papers

Plotinus was born in Upper Egypt, more specifically in Lycopolis in 204 CE. When he was twenty-eight he moved to Alexandria to study philosophy. While in Alexandria, he was tremendously influenced by Plato and Aristotle and therefore studied their works immensely. Subsequent to working under Ammonius for approximately ten years, he joined the Emperor Gordian’s campaign against the Parthians (Persians) in 243 AD. He joined the campaign, partly because he was somewhat intrigued by the Persians’ philosophies, but mainly because he was greatly interested in the philosophers of India and Persia. Plotinus’s plan failed: the emperor was assassinated in Mesopotamia and he was coerced to escape to Antioch in order to save his life. In 244 AD, he made his way to Rome and started his own school of philosophy. He was such a distinguished teacher, that he received rave reviews from highly eminent people, including the Emperor Gallienus and his wife Salonina. Not long after the school was founded, he thought up the idea for a model city, Platonopolis, in a city called Campania in Southern Italy. His idea was for the city to live according to the laws of Plato. Even though Gallienus was completely supportive of this plan, the other "imperial counselors" were not; therefore, the idea did not go any further. He continued to teach at his school in Rome until 268 AD. From that point, he retired to a rural estate of one of his disciples in Campania. During the last few years of his life, he began to put down in writing, his responses to the most common questions that were raised during his seminars. These responses were written in essays, primarily because the extent of most of the answers could not

In The Beginning :: essays research papers fc

In the Beginning The theory of evolution, formalized by Charles Darwin, is as much theory as is the theory of gravity, or the theory of relativity. Evolutionary theory is a scientific theory dealing with scientific data, not a system of metaphysical beliefs or a religion (Wilkins). Biological theories, and especially evolution, unlike the theories of physics, have been argued long and hard in social and political arenas. Even today, evolution is often not taught in primary schools. However, evolution is the binding force of all biological research. It is the unifying theme. Living organisms evolve through genetic changes over generations, and planets evolve through the processes of erosion and deposition. In paleontology, evolution gives workers a powerful way to organize the remains of past life forms, and better understand the one history of life. The history of thought about evolution in general, and paleontological contributions specifically, are often useful to the scientists of today. Science, like any iterative process, draws heavily from its history. We live on an ancient planet. In the Western world, however, people have long believed that Earth had a relatively recent beginning. In 1650, James Ussher, estimating from his close study of the Bible, calculated that Earth was created in 4004 B.C. (Feder 12). Although not everyone agreed with his calculations, until the nineteenth century most people in the Western world shared Bishop Ussher's view that Earth was relatively young and that its entire history was chronicled in ancient texts. During the nineteenth century, geologists and biologists accumulated evidence that Earth was much older than previously suspected. Their evidence for an ancient Earth came primarily from the fossilized remains of organisms found in sedimentary rocks. The geologists' guiding concepts were simple: Rocks form slowly by piling up of sediments, and younger rocks are deposited on top of older ones. A great canyon carved into sedimentary rocks may have a visible record of more than a billion years (Levin 4). Preserved within some rocks were fossils - the remains of organisms that lived while the sediments were accumulating. When older rocks are compared with younger ones, slight but significant differences can be observed among similar fossil organisms. The most famous example is fossil horses. The animals show an increase in size and a reduction of side toes †¦ an increase in the height and complexity of teeth, and a deepening and lengthening of the skull (Levin 318). In The Beginning :: essays research papers fc In the Beginning The theory of evolution, formalized by Charles Darwin, is as much theory as is the theory of gravity, or the theory of relativity. Evolutionary theory is a scientific theory dealing with scientific data, not a system of metaphysical beliefs or a religion (Wilkins). Biological theories, and especially evolution, unlike the theories of physics, have been argued long and hard in social and political arenas. Even today, evolution is often not taught in primary schools. However, evolution is the binding force of all biological research. It is the unifying theme. Living organisms evolve through genetic changes over generations, and planets evolve through the processes of erosion and deposition. In paleontology, evolution gives workers a powerful way to organize the remains of past life forms, and better understand the one history of life. The history of thought about evolution in general, and paleontological contributions specifically, are often useful to the scientists of today. Science, like any iterative process, draws heavily from its history. We live on an ancient planet. In the Western world, however, people have long believed that Earth had a relatively recent beginning. In 1650, James Ussher, estimating from his close study of the Bible, calculated that Earth was created in 4004 B.C. (Feder 12). Although not everyone agreed with his calculations, until the nineteenth century most people in the Western world shared Bishop Ussher's view that Earth was relatively young and that its entire history was chronicled in ancient texts. During the nineteenth century, geologists and biologists accumulated evidence that Earth was much older than previously suspected. Their evidence for an ancient Earth came primarily from the fossilized remains of organisms found in sedimentary rocks. The geologists' guiding concepts were simple: Rocks form slowly by piling up of sediments, and younger rocks are deposited on top of older ones. A great canyon carved into sedimentary rocks may have a visible record of more than a billion years (Levin 4). Preserved within some rocks were fossils - the remains of organisms that lived while the sediments were accumulating. When older rocks are compared with younger ones, slight but significant differences can be observed among similar fossil organisms. The most famous example is fossil horses. The animals show an increase in size and a reduction of side toes †¦ an increase in the height and complexity of teeth, and a deepening and lengthening of the skull (Levin 318).

The Great Pyramid of Giza :: Ancient Egypt Egyptian History

The Great Pyramid of Giza The pyramids of Ancient Egypt are as fascinating and intriguing, as they are breathtaking. Egyptologists and historians have long debated the question of who built the pyramids, and for what reason. There are many different and often conflicting theories in regard to the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. When turning back the pages of history, it is discovered that a number of theories have been developed to explain the presence of such a significant historical landmark. "Theories vary from a tomb for a king, to a special chemical factory, a beacon for extraterrestrial aircraft's, a stone form of the Bible, a possible way to contact a Higher Being and a stone announcement of the second coming of Christ..." (Schillings, M. : 1999 : Sheet 1). Such examples of varying controversial theories have sparked a number of speculations to the mystery of the Great Pyramid of Giza. According to traditional Egyptology, the Great Pyramid of Giza was built by Egyptian pharaoh Khufu during the Fourth Dynasty around "...the year 2560 BCE..." (Schillings, M. : 1999 : Sheet 1). It has been suggested that the Egyptian civilisation succeeded in establishing a complex and organised work force of people to create and build an astonishing burial tomb for the pharaoh in aid of his journey to the afterlife. However, contrary to this suggestion, one must ask why the modern Egyptians continue to rely on traditional beliefs and attitudes to explain the presence of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Could this be the prefect example of nationalistic views? It could be argued that as a result of the continual spread of Egyptian hearsay, the Egyptians obtained the understanding that the entire civilisation - past and present - is somehow superior in status to that of the average mortal man. Undoubtedly, in modern times, the world has gained an increased awareness of the uncertainties that surround investigations into such a distant past. Despite several emerging historical puzzles and conclusions, modern Egyptians continue to adhere to the theory presented by traditional Egyptology. The sheer size, the huge proportions and the amazing geographical positioning of the pyramid have greatly contributed to the rise of uncertainty as to it's origin and purpose. The construction of the pyramid was no mean feat, regardless of the creator. Considering the fact that the pyramid is "...thirty times larger than the Empire State Building.

Harry Potter’s Influence on Society Essay

â€Å"It’s important to remember that we all have magic inside us.† (J.K. Rowling, scholastic book fair promotion, October 1999) One of the most influential novels of this generation is the Harry Potter Saga. Since the first book was published in 1997 these novels take you on a breath-taking adventure through witch-craft and wizardry. How has this saga written by J.K. Rowling been an influence on society you ask? Come explore how Hogwarts the school of witch-craft and wizardry made its way from a small fantasy school in England to a worldwide phenomenon. It all starts with the author; J.K Rowling is the master-mind behind these magical books. Born on July 31st, 1965 as Joanne Rowling she decided to go under the name J.K for her books. She chose this because her key target readers were young boys and she thought that they would not want to read a book by a female author although she was mistaken. The idea came to her while she was on a four hour delayed train trip from Manchester, England to London. She saw a young boy sitting across from her and started to create a story for this him. She decided his name would be Harry and he was on his way to attend his first year at a school as a wizard. This is what started the successful journey that would change reading for our generation. The Harry Potter saga is made up of seven novels. (Listed below in order) * Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone ( Sorcerer’s Stone) * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix * Harry Potter and the Half –Blood Prince * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows These books follow the life of Harry Potter a young wizard who has been through something you cannot imagine. Both of his parents were murdered when he was just a baby by Lord Voldemort ( who plays the villain in the story). Harry Potter was present while this happened but he survived the killing curse with only a minor scar on his forehead. He survived because mother’s love for him was so powerful that it somehow protected him from the curse that took his parents lives. Since he was orphaned he was living with his aunt, uncle and cousin just outside of London, England. When he turned eleven years old he received an invitation to attend the Hogwarts school of Witch-craft and Wizardry because he was wizard. While on his way to Hogwarts he comes to learn that he is famous for the events that lead him to have just mere scar on his forehead and being the only wizard to survive a killing curse. On the Hogwarts express he meets two young wizards who eventually become his best friends, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasely. Each book is a new school year which comes with new tasks and new level of maturity. Throughout the novels we come to understand that Harry Potter has the same problems as a everyday teenager but there is extra level of responsibility because along with magic comes consequences. There is two ways that magic can be used. There’s good magic but there is also dark magic and both of these are seen within the Harry Potter novels. Voldemort being the villain is constantly in a fight with Harry. This is where the theme of the story comes in. The theme of the Harry Potter novels is good vs. evil. Harry represents the good character and Voldemort represents the evil. The only way for Harry to be free of the evil spirit is to kill him. Harry uses dark magic to do so but uses it in defense. Along every step of the way Harry’s two best friends where there to help. When he needed advice or someone to lean on the both Ron and Hermione were always there. Without them Harry Potter would never have been able to demolish the evil character and enjoy his life to the fullest. That is the moral of the story, love can overcome evil and if you have support system you can do anything. That is something as human beings we should keep with us for all time. Morals are something we can learn from reading but because sometimes we get distracted by technology and materialistic items we forget that. J.K Rowling was taking on a generation that was attached to technology and attracting them back to reading. This may be the largest impact the Harry Potter Saga has had on society. Reading is somehow lost in this generation and many people do not realize the importa nce of reading. Reading enhances vocabulary, helps speech, and really broadens a person’s understanding and tolerance. Reading always teaches you something, from Harry Potter we learn that evil cannot stand in the way of love, and no matter what has happened you can always get through it if you have people to support you. J.K Rowling also focused on one other important detail, imagination. Reading allows you to use your imagination to come up with scenarios for you self. It allows you to build your artistic ability and creativity by doing so. Creativity stems from imagination; this means without an active imagination there would be no creativity whatsoever. Imagination allows you to transport into a fantasy world and experience things you would not be able to in reality. One important thing about imagination and creativity is that is undefined. Every single person views it differently and there is no right or wrong answer. J.K Rowling took this into consideration while writing her books and many people think because she created such a conversely topic that it opened the public up to the books. But one thing everyone can agree on is that this book changed our generation. Michelle McMorrow Ramsell the director of Tuscarawas Public Library says in a news paper article that: â€Å"The popularity of the Harry Potter series made reading a cool thing and made reading a cool thing to talk about with friends. The time that Harry Potter was released was is when technology started to become a major part in our generation. Harry Potter books got millions of people involved from the middle-school age level and up.† This is one of the reasons Harry Potter is such an influential book. Not only did it bring people back into reading but it also has characters that people can relate to. J.K Rowling started to write because she was an English major and it was a passion of hers but as she got more into depth with the books she started to make all the characters relatable. She started writing the book when her mother fell ill, but quickly after her mother passed away and that is when she decided she would use this idea for the book. She knew what it felt like to lose someone who was so important so that is where she came up with the idea for Harry to lose his pare nts. Many people know what it is like to lose someone important to them and when someone else dealing with the same thing it makes you feel like you are not alone. J.K Rowling was diagnosed with clinical depression in 1993, she needed a way to escape real life and she chose this with Harry Potter. She decided to add the dementors, the creatures who are known as the soul-sucking creatures who are constantly after Harry because of the way she felt. She thought that a good way to come out of depression is to be sidetracked in a way, and Harry Potter was her way out of reality and she took that into consideration. She also tried to relate most of her characters to people she knew when she was younger. J.K Rowling says that she sees a lot of herself in Hermione. Hermione comes off as a know it all sometimes and J.K says that’s how many people saw her when she was young. The Wesely’s were a poor family that did not have much, she was able to relate to this because before Harry Pot ter she was in that place for a long time. Ron was also based on J.K Rowling’s best friend Shane Harris. She also saw herself as Harry because there was always something she was trying to fix and she was not a quitter. She was never going to give up in what she believed in and it helped her get through many hardships she faced throughout her life just like him. Reading books can allow you to escape reality and maybe even sometimes solve a problem which is what she was trying to accomplish. The Harry Potter books were such a success that they were turned into a film series starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. The entire film series made 7.7 billion dollars and is also one of the top highest grossing films of all time. The first movie premiered in 2001 and the last being in two parts finished in 2011. Over the last ten years J.K Rowling worked closely with the script writers because she wanted it as close to the books as possible. The movies success made the young actors Hollywood superstars and it al so had a huge impact to our generation. The movies and books are translated into 67 different languages, so no matter where you live or what language you speak you can get a taste of the magic. It was a family movie that everyone can enjoy together and seeing the magic come alive on screen really touched people all over the world and that also made an impact on society. Many things have evolved from the novels and the movie is not the only one. On June 18th 2010, Universal Studio’s opened up a new Theme park named: The Wizarding world of Harry Potter. Here you can experience the magic of Hogwarts in real life. You can you visit the Hogwarts castle, Three-broom sticks diner, Honeydukes sweet shop, Ollivander’s wand shop, Zonko’s joke store, and dervish and banges quidditch equipment store. These are all places that are in the movies and books and after ten years there finally a reality. â€Å"I used to leave set wishing I was at Hogwarts and that Harry Potter was real life. I got to experience the magi c of it but normal kids didn’t and now because of the theme park they can, and it’s wicked.† – Daniel Radcliffe( interview in 2010 about the Theme Park) This is a huge impact on society because there is not anything like this visting the theme park gives you the full experience and your imagination really comes to life. Daniel Radcliffe believes that â€Å"The wizarding world of Harry Potter has the potential to be a fantastic memory that kids will take with them, that will be something that stands out with them for a long time.† ( interview about the theme park 2010) This is a true fact and everyone who visits seems to capture some of the joy and take it with them where ever they may go. Pottermore is also another place to experience the Hogwarts school of witch-craft and wizardry. A website created by J.K Rowling in order to keep the Harry Potter Saga alive after the seventh book and the eighth movie being completed. She did this in response to her fan base being so strong. â€Å"So I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you because no author could of asked for a more wonderful, diverse readership. I’m thrilled to say that I’m now in a position to give you something unique. An online reading experience unlike any other and its called Pottermore. It’s the same story with a few crucial editions; the most important one is you. Just as the experience of reading requires the imagination of the author and reader work together to create the story, so Pottermore will be built in part by you the reader. The digital generation will be able to enjoy a safe, unique online reading experience built around the Harry Potter books. Pottermore will be the place where fans of any age can share, participate in and re-discover the stories. And I will be sharing additional information that I’ve been holding for years about the world of Harry Potter. I hope to see you soon.† (J.K. Rowling on Pottermore.com) By visiting this website you can go through journeys of the books and through every chapter you visit you learn something new about the wizarding world. Like the books and movies you get sorted into a house: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin, here you get to experience life as if you were a student. Just like the book you earn house points, make friends from many houses, brew positions, casts spells, attend quidditch matches , take journeys through diagon ailey ( located in London where the shops are), visit the wizarding bank and really experience life as a virtual Hogwarts student. As you can see the Harry Potter novels really do influence society. There has been over a million copies of the books sold, eight successful films translated into 67 languages, a enchanting theme – park, amazing websites, and even merchandise which includes, shirts, stickers, hats, sweatshirts, wands, anything you can think of. It is a spectacular story that has transformed reading. Most people before the Harry Potter series thought reading was boring and that TV. and the internet were more entertaining, but after reading it they changed their mind. J.K Rowling created an imaginary story that was still relatable and people will remember this book for years to come. â€Å"There’s always room for a story that can transport people to another place, and I feel I completed this task with Harry Potter.† ( J.K. Rowling on the success of her novels.)