Reading Skills Essay

Introduction Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols in order to construct or derive meaning (reading comprehension). It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas. Like all language, it is a complex interaction between the text and the reader which is shaped by the reader’s prior knowledge, experiences, attitude, and language community which is culturally and socially situated. The reading process requires continuous practice, development, and refinement. Readers use a variety of reading strategies to assist with decoding (to translate symbols into sounds or visual representations of speech) and comprehension. Readers integrate the words they have read into their existing framework of knowledge or schema. Reading is a process very much determined by what the reader’s brain and emotions and beliefs bring to the reading; the knowledge/information (or misinformation) strategies for processing text, moods, fears and joys—all of it. The strategies one uses  vary according to one’s purpose, including whether one is reading for oneself only (still the purposes vary) or for somebody else, such as reading to answer comprehension questions, reading to perform for listeners (including the teacher and classmates), and much more. Of course these social factors may generate confidence, fear, anger, defiance, and/or other emotions—it just depends. In sum, reading is both a psycholinguistic process (involving the mind actively processing the text) and a sociolinguistic one (with multiple social factors that can affect how one reads, how much one gleans from the reading, and more). Even word identification itself can be affected by these factors, because reading is as much or more a brain-to-text process as a text-to-brain process. For strong readers, the reading process may take only milliseconds. For beginning readers the process may be slower, yet rewarding, and over time will become automatic. For readers who are challenged, this process can be tiresome and frustrating. 2 Importance of Reading Process It is a well-known fact that when there were no televisions or computers, reading was a primary leisure activity. People would spend hours reading books and travel to lands far away-in their minds. The only tragedy is that, with time, people have lost their skill and passion to read. There are many other exciting and thrilling options available, aside from books. And that is a shame because reading offers a productive approach to improving vocabulary and word power. It is advisable to indulge in at least half an hour of reading a day to keep abreast of the various styles of writing and new vocabulary. It is observed that children and teenagers who love reading have comparatively higher IQs. They are more creative and do better in school and college. It is recommended that parents to inculcate the importance of reading to their children in the early years. Reading is said to significantly help in developing vocabulary, and reading aloud helps to build a strong emotional bond between parents and children. The children who start reading from an early age are observed to have good language skills, and they grasp the variances in phonics much better. Reading helps in mental development and is known to stimulate the muscles of the eyes. Reading is an activity that involves greater levels of concentration and adds to the conversational skills of the reader. It is an indulgence that enhances the knowledge acquired, consistently. The habit of reading also helps readers to decipher new words and phrases that they come across in everyday conversations. The habit can become a healthy addiction and adds to the information available on various topics. It helps us to stay in-touch with contemporary writers as well as those from the days of yore and makes us sensitive to global issues. Fluent reading: During the reading process, there is interplay between the reader’s preexisting knowledge and the written content. Fluent reading is an active process in which the reader calls on experience, language, and prior knowledge to anticipate and understand the author’s written language. Thus, readers both bring meaning to print and take meaning from print. The nature of the reading process alters as person matures in reading. In the early stages of reading, word identification requires a reader’s concentration. Eventually, however, readers are able to use their reading ability (ability to interpret written language) for pleasure, appreciation, knowledge acquisition, and functional purposes. Thus, reading competence has many faces. Proficient, fluent readers locate materials and ideas that enable them to fulfill particular purposes, which may be to follow directions, to complete job applications, or to appreciate Shakespearean plays. In addition, fluent readers adjust their reading style as they move from narrative to expository content. 3 Three Stages of Reading: In order to achieve your goals regarding flexible and fluent reading, you must learn certain reading behaviors and then practice them until they become automatic. We call this practicing to the point of automaticity. In this way you will learn to increase your reading rate, maintain your focus and concentration, and enhance your comprehension. Reading process organizes itself most naturally into an examination of three phases: * Pre-reading. * Active reading . * Post-reading. * Pre-reading: It involves following functions: * Get the big picture – overview skimming * Identify the main idea/thesis. * Read headings and sub-headings * Read captions accompanying pictures/graphics * Active Reading: * Think as one reads; read for ideas and concepts. * Visualize patterns. * Actively construct meaning. * Anticipate upcoming information. * Verify the main idea and identify significant details. * Consciously add to or modify schema integrating old and new knowledge. * Self-monitor; assess one’s understanding. * Evaluate comprehension. * Employ fix-up strategies as appropriate. * Post Reading: * Evaluate understanding/ comprehension * Evaluate one’s reading processing. * Did one choose an appropriate mode? * What changes do one needs to make in his/her reading? * What did one do well that he/she wants to repeat in future reading? 4 Types of Reading Following are the types of reading: * Scanning type of reading * Skimming type of reading * Light type of reading * Word by word type reading * Reading to study type of reading * Sub-vocalization †¢ Scanning Type of Reading: This type of reading involves running the eyes over quickly, to get the gist. For example, scanning a telephone book: * You are looking for it quickly. * You know what you are searching for (key words and names). * You ‘see’ every item on the page, but you don’t necessarily read the pages – you ignore anything you are not looking for. Thus, when you discover the key words being searched for, you will be unable to recall the exact content of the page †¢ Skimming Type of Reading: When you read quickly to gain a general impression as to whether the text is of use to you. You are not necessarily searching for a specific item and key words. Skimming provides an ‘overview’ of the text. Skimming is useful to look at chapter/section headings, summaries and opening paragraphs. Looking over the text quickly to get a general idea of the content. Your eyes move quite fast, taking in titles of chapters, their beginnings and ends, and the first sentences of paragraphs. The purpose of skimming: * To check relevance of text. * Sets the scene for the more concentrated effort that is to follow, if the text is useful. †¢ Light Type of Reading: Reading for leisure tends to be ‘light’. For example: * Read at a pace which feels comfortable. * Read with understand. * Skim the boring, irrelevant passages. 5 An average light reading speed is 100-200 words per minute. This form of reading does not generally require detailed concentration. This is reading fairly quickly without concentrating too hard or worrying about every single word. We often use it when reading an enjoyable novel. †¢ Word by word Type of Reading: This type of reading is time consuming and demands a high level of concentration. Some material is not readily understood and so requires a slow and careful analytical read. People use this type of reading for unfamiliar words and concepts, scientific formulae. It can take up to an hour just to read a few lines of text. †¢ Reading to Study Type of Reading: A method of reading for with the aim to understand the material in some depth. The method involves five simple steps; Survey, Question, Read, Recall and Review. Study reading involves thinking about what is being read so that it is understood and can be recalled. It needs to be worked at, with time for reflection, thought, analysis, criticism, comparison, notes made, points highlighted and emphasized, arguments followed and evaluated, the whole summarized. * Survey: skim through to gain an overview and not key points. * Question: devise questions you hope the text will answer. * Read: slowly and carefully. * Recall: from memory, write down the main points made by the chapter. * Review: revisit your questions – compare these to your recall and establish how well the text has answered them; fill in any gaps by further reading and note-taking. †¢ Sub-vocalization: This is reading very slowly and methodically, either saying the words out loud or at least with a ‘voice’ in your head. It is painstaking but very slow. We tend to use it when trying out a recipe for the first time, or carrying out instructions as to how to assemble something we’ve bought. 6. Reading Skills Reading involves a combination of skills used simultaneously. Children begin with basic phonics but soon learn fluency and comprehension skills to make their reading experiences meaningful. The main goal of reading understands. If students can pronounce words but do not understand what they are reading, they are merely reciting word. Some of the important reading skills are: * Decoding * Fluency * Comprehension * Critical reading skills †¢ Decoding Skills: Decoding (also known as Word attack skills) is an early reading skill students learn in kindergarten and first grade. Decoding (sounding out) words are the foundation of reading instruction. Phonics is the method teachers use to instruct students. Letter-naming and recognition is taught along with initial sounds. Children must understand that each letter is represented by a corresponding sound before they can read text. Once children know sounds, they learn to blend them into words. This skill, phoneme segmentation, should be practiced daily along with alphabet and sound fluency until decoding becomes an automatic procedure. †¢ Fluency Skills: Fluency is the ability to read accurately and expressively while maintaining a rate of speed that facilitates comprehension. Students learn fluency in a variety of ways. Teachers model fluent reading in the classroom, and students listen to books on CD. Students receive direct instruction in fluency through guided practice using methods like choral and repeated readings. Teachers assess fluency with timed readings that give a score in words read per minute. Students who fall below the average score for their grade level receive additional, individual help. †¢ Comprehension Skills: Comprehension is the ability to understand what has been read. Comprehending involves strategies that students learn to use when reading independently. Teachers focus on several key comprehension skills. These are inferring, predicting, comparing and contrasting, sequencing and summarizing. Students usually learn how to use these strategies in a small group guided by the teacher who demonstrates their use. Students then practice comprehension techniques with a partner by discussing what they read, making connections with prior knowledge and identifying the main ideas in the story. 7 †¢ Critical Reading Skills: Critical reading skills are the ability to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize what one reads. They are the ability to see relationships of ideas and use them as an aid in reading. As readers make sense of what they read, they use various relationships of ideas to aid recognition and fluency. Critical reading as a goal includes the ability to evaluate ideas socially or politically. 8 Reading Strategies Reading is not just pronouncing words—it requires understanding. Most experienced readers use a variety of strategies to understand texts. Reading strategies are used many times rapidly, in unison with one another. Therefore, most reading strategies are evident before, during, and after reading, although not necessarily with the same emphasis. Some of the reading strategies are: * Predicting * Connecting * Inferring * Synthesizing * Visualizing * Self-Questioning * Skimming * Scanning * Determining Importance * Summarizing/Paraphrasing * Re-reading * Reading On * Adjusting Reading Rate * Sounding Out * Chunking * Using Analogy * Consulting Reference The following descriptions of each strategy give some indication of when in the reading process they are generally employed. Different texts and different contexts require readers to use different reading strategies at different times. For example, â€Å"synthesizing† is used during and after reading while â€Å"scanning† is typically used before close reading. Here are the major reading strategies associated with the process of reading: * Predicting: Predicting helps readers to activate their prior knowledge about a topic, beginning the process of combining what they know with new material in the text. Predictions are not merely wild guesses, they are based on clues within the text such as pictures, illustrations, subtitles, and 9  plot. Clues for predictions will also come from readers’ prior knowledge about the author, text form, or content. Readers can be encouraged to make personal predictions before and during reading. During reading, effective readers adjust and refine their earlier predictions as new information is gathered and new connections are made. They tend to rehearse what they have learned and move on with some expectations of what comes next. * Connecting: Efficient readers comprehend text through making strong connections between their prior knowledge and the new information presented in text. The type of connections made by efficient readers can be categorized into: * Text-to-Self Connections: Involves readers thinking about their life and connecting their own personal experiences to the information in the text. * Text-to-Text Connections: Involves readers thinking about other texts written by the same author or with common themes, style, organization, structure, characters or content. * Text-to-World Connections: Involves readers thinking about what they know about the world outside their personal experience, their family, or their community * Inferring: Efficient readers take information from a text and add their own ideas to make inferences. During the process of inferring, readers make predictions, draw conclusions, and make judgments to create a unique interpretation of a text. Making inferences allows students to move beyond the literal text and to make assumptions about what is not precisely stated in the text. Efficient readers also can infer the meaning of unknown words using context clues, pictures, or diagrams. * Synthesizing: When comprehending text, efficient readers use synthesizing to bring together information within a text. Synthesizing involves readers piecing information together, like putting together a jigsaw. This activity encourages them to keep track of what is happening in the text. During the process of synthesizing, readers may be connecting, inferring, determining importance, posing questions, and creating images. * Visualizing: Efficient readers use all five senses to create images continually as they read text. The created images are based on their prior knowledge. Sensory images created by readers 10 help them to draw conclusions, make predictions, interpret information, remember details, and assist with overall comprehension. Images may be visual, auditory, olfactory, kinesthetic, or emotional. * Self-Questioning: Self-questioning is the strategy effective readers use to draw on existing knowledge, to investigate a text as it is read, to analyse the beliefs and motives behind the author’s surface meaning, and to monitor comprehension. Whether posed in-head, sub-vocalized or noted in writing, self-questioning is critical to maintaining connections between existing and new knowledge. Self-formulated questions provide a framework for active reading by directing the reader’s attention to key information. Efficient readers continually form questions in their minds before, during, and after reading to assist in comprehending text. Often these questions are formed spontaneously and naturally, with one question leading to the next. Questions may relate to the content, style, structure, important messages, events, actions, inferences, predictions, author’s purpose, or may be an attempt to clarify meaning. Self-formulated questions provide a framework for active reading, engaging readers in the text as they go in search of answers. * Skimming: Skimming is glancing through material to gain a general impression or overview of the content. It involves passing over much of the detail to get the gist of a text. Skimming is the most common strategy used by a reader to assess quickly whether a text is going to meet his or her purpose. Effective skimming lets a reader know in general terms how difficult a text is, how long it is, how it is structured, and where the most useful information can be found. Effective skimming strategies are critical for adolescents due to the volume of electronic text they read. Websites, CD ROMs, and multimedia texts are designed for, and subject to rapid reading practices where the reader gets the gist from sub-headings and key points, determines difficulty and usefulness, and assesses the content flow. Skimming is often used before reading to †¢ assess quickly whether a text is going to meet a purpose; †¢ determine what is to be read; †¢ determine what’s important and what may not be relevant; †¢ review text organization; †¢ activate prior knowledge. * Scanning: Scanning involves glancing through material to locate specific details such as names, dates, places, or some particular content. For instance, readers might scan a contents page or index to find the page number of a specific topic. They may scan a dictionary or telephone book in search of a particular word or name, or they may scan as they re-read 11 a text to substantiate particular responses. Like skimming, scanning is particularly important for comprehending selected parts of websites, CD ROMs, and multimedia texts. Readers may also scan a text looking for picture clues that may help them to identify any unknown words. * Determining Importance: Efficient readers constantly ask themselves what is most important or what the main idea is of what they are reading. They benefit from understanding how to determine the important information, particularly in informational texts. Factors such as purpose for reading, knowledge of topic, prior experiences, beliefs, and understanding of text organization help readers to identify important information in a text * Summarizing/Paraphrasing: Linked closely to the strategy of determining importance, summarizing/paraphrasing is the process of identifying, recording, and writing the most important information from a text into one’s own words. The ability to reduce a larger piece of text to its most important messages is done through summarizing. The re-statement of the text is referred to as paraphrasing. Summarizing/paraphrasing involves using key words and phrases to capture the general gist of a text. * Re-Reading: Efficient readers understand the benefits of re-reading whole texts or parts of texts to clarify or enhance meaning. Reading or hearing a text more than once benefits all readers, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of the text. Re-reading can also be used as a word-identification strategy. Efficient readers sometimes re-read to work out the meaning of difficult words using context clues. The opportunity to re-read a text also helps to improve fluency * Reading On: When readers cannot decode an unfamiliar word within a text, they can make use of the â€Å"Reading On† strategy. Skipping the unfamiliar word and reading on to the end of the sentence or the next two or three sentences often provides the reader with sufficient context clues to help determine the unknown word. Once the unknown word has been determined it is important for students to re-read that section of text. â€Å"Reading On† also refers to continuing to read in an attempt to clarify meaning that may have been lost. * Adjusting Reading Rate: It is important that students give themselves permission to adjust their reading rate and to recognize when this may be necessary. The purpose for reading will often dictate the 12 most appropriate rate. Readers may slowdown to understand new information, to clarify meaning, to create sensory images, or to ask questions. Readers may also speed up when scanning for key words or skimming to get an overall impression of a text. * Sounding Out: When adolescents meet new and unfamiliar words, they will use their knowledge of letter/sound relationships to identify them. * Chunking: As readers encounter greater numbers of multi-syllabic words, it is important to encourage students to break words into units larger than individual phonemes or single sounds (/b/). Readers might chunk words by pronouncing word parts such as onset and rime (spr-ing), letter combinations (ough), syllables, or parts of the word known as morphemes which carry meaning (ed, ing). * Using Analogy: When readers manipulate or think about words they know in order to identify unknown words, they are using analogy. They transfer what they know about familiar words to help them identify unfamiliar words. When using analogy, students will transfer their knowledge of common letter sequences, onset and rimes, base words, word parts that carry meaning, or whole words. * Consulting Reference: The use of word-identification strategies such as â€Å"sounding out† or â€Å"chunking† may unlock both the pronunciation and meaning of words. However, if the word is not in a reader’s meaning vocabulary, the reader may not be able to understand the meaning of the word. Consulting a reference is an additional strategy that supports students to unlock word meaning. Being taught how to use a dictionary, thesaurus, reference chart, or glossary will help students locate the meanings, pronunciations, or derivations of unfamiliar words. 13 Conclusion: As the discussed topics demonstrate, the process of reading for meaning has bottom-line commonalities. Among these, perhaps oddly, is that at any given moment, one cannot reliably predict what a reader will do next. Eric Paulson (2005) has drawn an analogy between eye movements and the weather, both of which can be described in terms of chaos theory in physics, he argues, but neither of which is exactly predictable. And he writes: â€Å"When looked at through the lens of chaos theory, reading is clearly not a process of plodding along the text at some regular, predetermined rate but is instead a process that ebbs and flows† (p. 355). We set our purposes (or not), begin to read, perhaps question what we are reading, maybe return and reread, sometimes read ahead, go back again, maybe skim or skip some, occasionally decide not to finish reading whatever it is, maybe go ahead and read at least the headings (of an informational selection) and the conclusion, or  the final chapter or page (if a novel or short story)—all the while using strategies that are universal among proficient readers, but uniquely applied. Metaphorically, during any reading event, reading ebbs and flows, like waves. We might think of waves crashing upon the beach as meaning achieved (and perhaps examined critically), the end product of reading a stretch of text. But with such achievement, the reader is simultaneously and near simultaneously processing other parts or aspects of text and the ideas in ways that are unpredictable at the micro level. This is akin to what we often see on a beach: different waves, and different aspects of the reading process, forming, swelling, cresting, crashing, and ebbing. While one part of the reading process and event crashes and ebbs—with something processed into short- or even long-term memory, perhaps—other facets of the process are just beginning again, increasing, coming to a head, collapsing into memory (or not), and receding from the reader’s immediate attention. Yes, while I often speak of the reading process, as if this cognitive and constructive process were totally uniform, during any given reading event, whoever the Although, reading means different things to different people and skills vary with every individual, reading is a skill that can be improved. Students from various backgrounds are in reading courses for a variety of reasons. Weaknesses in vocabulary, comprehension, speed, or a combination of all three may be the result of ineffective reading habits. Active reading is engaged reading and can be achieved through comprehension regulation strategies. We should never take reading for granted, for many, these skills come slowly and with a great deal of difficulty. It is important to use a multi-sensory approach whenever possible, some memory training, tap into previous knowledge before moving forward and make it meaningful. 14 References * http://en. wikipedia. org * http://www. heinemann. com * http://www. palomar. edu * http://ababasoft. com * http://www. scribd. com * http://www. sil. org * http://www. ehow. com * http://www. stepspd. com * http://www. palomar. edu.

Marketing Plan for Sierra Nevada Brewery

The purpose of this document is to create a marketing plan for Sierra Nevada Brewery (SNB); specifically, developing a plan to expand the product line depth by launching a new product variation that incorporates Sierra Nevada’s traditional ale, with the flavor of blackberry. First, objectives are clearly established, followed by a situational analysis using a SWOT protocol. A market analysis is performed based upon the STP procedure, which directly leads to the marketing strategy. Financial projections are provided, along with strategy to implement the marketing plan, which leads to the final segment; evaluation and control metrics, which will be used to analyze the efficiency and effectiveness of the marketing plan.SNB is a financially strong company, as represented by research and their ranking as the #2 producer of craft beer in the United States. They have positioned themselves as being an elite craft beer producer by using high-quality ingredients, producing esteemed beer s, being socially responsible and ethical, and focusing on a niche market. The need and desire to be innovative, in conjunction with SNB’s goal to have a brewery on the East Coast in order to enhance their supply chain management, led to the proposal to introduce the of Blackberry Ale; their first flavored ale. Since SNB has effectively marketed all of their beers, adding the Blackberry Ale followed a similar strategy.The target consumers are educated, middle-to-upper-middle class professional men that refer to themselves as beer connoisseurs, and revere artisanal brewing. Blackberry Ale will be packaged and marketed as a premier craft beer and placed in urban areas with an upscale atmosphere. Pricing will be set competitively at $9.59 for a 6-pack of 12oz bottles. Based upon research, trends, and SNB’s history, the  recommendation is for SNB to launch Blackberry Ale in the first quarter of 2014, mirroring the grand opening of the new East Coast brewery in North Caro lina. Blackberry Ale is expected to increase SNB’s profitability and value; thereby, helping to continue the increasing strength of the SNB family brand. Marketing Plan for Sierra Nevada BreweryCompany OverviewSierra Nevada Brewery (SNB) was officially founded in 1979, in Chico, California. This small, college-town, located 90 miles north of Sacramento, sits at the foot of the Sierra Nevada foothills, for which the brewery is named after. What makes this brewery unique is its history. Ken Grossman, the founder and master brewer of SNB, started experimenting with homebrew in 1970, under the tutelage of his friend’s father; this is where his passion for brewing beer began to flourish.In 1976, Ken partnered up with Paul Camusi to take home brewing to a higher level. Since hops were scarce for home brewers in the 1970’s, Ken traveled to Yakima, Washington, to obtain whole-cone Cascade hops, which produce a citrus-pine flavor and aroma that makes SNB distinct. SNB is renowned for its illustrious beers, specifically for the hop-forward brewing method, which adds distinctive flavors and aromas to the beers. As the demand for SNB’s esteemed beers rapidly began to outpace supply, Ken expanded into a local warehouse, brewing out of defunct stainless steel tanks that he recovered from dairy farms in California and Oregon. Since 1980, SNB has continued to expand and capture a larger portion of the market share.Objectives and GoalsSNB wants to provide high quality beer to consumers throughout the United States; furthermore, they want to introduce new specialty products, such as flavored beers. With the determination and resources that SNB possesses, they have positioned themselves into becoming the top-rated premium brewery in the U.S. According to McCurry (2012), â€Å"Sierra Nevada is the No. 2 U.S. craft brewer in terms of sales behind Sam Adams. It plans to have an initial capacity of 300,000 barrels and will employ 90† (para. 2). An increasing demand for SNB beer in the Eastern U.S., combined with additional transportation costs has necessitated the establishment of an East Coast brewery.A major objective of SNB is to build a brewery on the East coast,  allowing them to efficiently market their premium beers to include all states east of the Mississippi River, while adding value to the overall organization. McCurry goes on to state: For a decade, Sierra Nevada served eastern markets very efficiently, using a lot of piggyback rail with refrigerated containers. Bottle-aged beer has to be refrigerated, and it's expensive to run across the country, but the company did it very successfully. As the market grew in the East and capacity constraints started to be reached in Chico, it became obvious that what is needed is a new brewery and it should be built in the East to address cost and service issues. (para. 9)The addition of an East coast brewery should strategically position SNB above Sam Adams, therefore claimin g the number one spot in craft beers, and further increasing the SNB brand. Specifically, the objective is to expand their product line and break into the growing flavored ale market. Situational AnalysisSNB holds a relatively strong position in the beer industry. Their strengths are perhaps the organization’s greatest asset. SNB’s state of the art, on-site R&D Department, has positioned them to be an elite brewery, by providing pristine and innovative beers. This allows them to differentiate themselves from competitors. â€Å"The investment in the science of brewing made Sierra Nevada widely regarded as one of the most sophisticated research and quality focused breweries in the world† (Sierra Nevada, 2013, para. 23). Additionally, SNB prides itself as being a progressive-green and socially responsible company; the nation’s largest private solar array provides 1.5 megawatts of electricity, while the on-site auditorium houses community events.Strengths Wea knesses Opportunities Threats On-site R&D #2 craft brewery Expand to the East coast where SNB has a small presence. Intense competition from other craft breweries Strong brand name Small company; limited resources for promotions and advertising Enhance supply chain management Anti-drinking campaigns Green and socially responsible; sustainability One manufacturing location Growing preference of consumers for higher quality craft beers and flavored ales. Health concerns of consumers about beer consumptionOne key element that adds value to SNB is Ken Grossman’s continuous concern for the environment and the community: Their installation of four 250-watt co-generation fuel cells earned them a visit from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. They have long had the first largest private installation of solar panels in the nation. They engage in heat recovery, CO2 recovery, water recycling, bought their own cows to eat their spent grains, and they don’t believe in buying carbon off sets.And now, they have a new composting system—all presented with â€Å"again, it’s not the greatest ROI† from Grossman, â€Å"but it’s the way we want to do things around here, it’s part of our story.† (Chang, 2010, para. 4) SNB sets the bar high for organizations in being ethically and socially responsible. Although SNB can save money by cutting corners, they continue to take the high road and focus on the well-being of the community, as well as the environment.Market AnalysisCurrent trends and data indicate craft breweries are gaining market strength. The long term dominance by large beer manufactures is declining. According to Ciccone (2012), â€Å"In 2011, all top 25 craft breweries experienced increases in revenues. Craft breweries recorded 15 percent growth in volume of barrels shipped, compared to a 1.5 percent decrease in the beer industry overall† (para. 2). SNB received second place honors during 2011 in Best-Selling Craft Beers. #2 – Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.Location: Chico, Calif. Barrels Sold in 2011: 858,000 — 9.2 percent increase since 2010 Popular Brands: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Ovila Abbey AlesJulia Herz, Craft Beer Program Director for the Brewers Association, stated,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A light American lager no longer satisfies every taste. Americans have developed a discerning palate, so if it's not world class quality, it won't survive† (Ciccone, 2012, para. 3). The market for craft beers is growing, and SNB is positioning itself to dominate the craft beer market. SNB’s strength is becoming more apparent, as they continue to gain market share every year. Clarke (2012) stated that a 2011 study indicated craft beer grew by 16.3%, the largest growth by any beer category; furthermore, 11% of craft beer’s growth arose from new drinkers in 2010, compared to an astounding 46% in 2011. An import element for SNB to consider it that Millennials account for 46% of new craft b eer drinkers.The market for craft beer continues to grow at a rapid rate; additionally, all of this growth is occurring during difficult economic times. The overall success of SNB can largely be attributed to its marketing strategy. They segmented the market by focusing on beer drinkers in the U.S. market. SNB further segmented the market down to craft beer consumers. The craft beer segment does not include low-income, uneducated, party-oriented beer drinkers. SNB targets male craft beer consumers, as marketing strategies have indicated that targeting woman can have an adverse effect. Clarke (2012) goes on to say that women are apt to project contemptuous ridicule towards beers that are marketed as being women-friendly, especially if the beer is specifically targeted to them.Specifically, SNB targets College educated, middle-to-upper-middle class professional men, ages 21-44 years old that refer to themselves as beer connoisseurs, and revere artisanal brewing. â€Å"By volume, 80% of craft beer was enjoyed by white (non-Hispanic) consumers, over half of them in the 21-44 year age bracket. More than 75% earned at least $50,000/year, and 43% were college-educated Craft beer connoisseurs, as they prefer to be called, savor the distinctive taste and aroma of craft beers† (Clarke, 2012, para. 6). With the target consumer being established, SNB can effectively position themselves.Craft beer connoisseurs are already aware of the prestigious SNB image; therefore, positioning the new craft beer innovation will ensure that consumers perceive the product as a premier, black berry-flavored craft beer, created for the affluent craft beer connoisseur. Marketing StrategySNB’s product, a blackberry flavored ale, is the first flavored beer that  they will produce. â€Å"There are a lot of new flavors out there, and beer drinkers are willing to try brands they haven't tried before because they trust the category, Gatza says.† (McCurry, 2012, para. 62). By offering flavored ale, SNB strategically appeals to its current consumer based, as these consumers will want to try the latest creation, while increasing market penetration by acquiring new consumers who are intrigued by the new product and want to try it.The new product is Blackberry Ale; an amber colored light ale with the subtle flavor and deep notes of blackberry. This premier brew will be packaged in dark glass bottles. Tastings (n.d.) emphatically encourage the use of dark glass bottles, as they inhibit the photochemical effect produced by daylight, specifically, the ultraviolet spectrum, which can create â€Å"off flavors† and degrade the freshness of the beer. Additionally, twist-off crowns don’t protect beer against oxidation as well as pry-off crowns; therefore Blackberry Ale will include pry-off crowns. An adhesive label, containing product information and displaying the illustrious SNB logo, will be applied to each bottle. Finally, the label will display t he brand-Sierra Nevada Blackberry Ale; thereby, using a family name brand strategy. Distribution StrategyBlackberry Ale will be distributed strategically through select retailers as to protect SNB’s premier image, while increasing market penetration: Taprooms Upscale restaurants High-end bars and clubs Gourmet specialty stores Beer and wine bistros Prosperous grocery storesIndirect distribution using established partnerships will facilitate the placement of Blackberry Ale into the selected retailers. This link provides a list of all established distributor partnerships throughout the U.S.: http://www.sierranevada.com/distributors/ Pricing StrategySNB’s price will reflect a premium price as their products are known for being high-quality and in accordance to the product positioning. They already benefit from having an effective pricing strategy; therefore, Blackberry Ale will be priced in-line with SNB’s current beers that are  already on the market, while bein g competitively priced with SNB’s strongest craft beer competition, Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier. Therefore the price for Blackberry Ale will be set at $9.59 for a six pack of 12oz bottles.Promotion StrategyIn order to promote the latest addition to the Sierra Nevada line, a multitude of media and promotions will be used to facilitate the product’s introduction into the market: Advertising PromotionSocial media including Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Google+ Advertising in key magazines: The Beer Connoisseur, DRAFT, Ale Street News, Northwest Brewing News, The Celebrator Beer News, Great Lakes Brewing News, Yankee Brew News, Brew Your Own, Beer Advocate , Ask Men, Maxim, Esquire, GQ, Details, and Sports Illustrated Sales PromotionFree 4oz sample coupons (limited time only-90 days)Free 4oz samples when product is only available on-tap (limited time only) $2.00 off introductory coupons (expires after 90 days)Buy 3, get 1 free (buy any 6-pack of SNB beer, get 1 free 6- pack of Blackberry Ale-90 day promotion) All promotions will terminate after 90 days of product introduction to assess the effectiveness of the promotions and determine future courses of action. Financial ProjectionsThe chart below, provided by the Brewers Association, clearly illustrates the continuous growth of the craft beer industry. Based upon research and the strong financial position of SNB, adding the Blackberry Ale brand to the organization can only increase the profitability and value of the organization. Each time SNB has added depth to the Sierra Nevada line, the company has only prospered financially, and in terms of gaining exposure, which adds value to the organization. Additionally, the community has benefited from SNB’s success, as SNB has been proven to be a strong player in social responsibility.SNB anticipates the production of a new, East Coast brewery in 2014, will support its objectives, and while increasing the profitability of the organization. The ad dition of a second brewery strategically adds value to  the organization as it enhances supply chain management, increases awareness, while potentially doubling production and capacity. it is estimated that after introduction sales of Blackberry will grow, reaching 1% of SNB beer sales after 1 year. Blackberry Ale is expected to break even and become a profitable product, based on expected sales and costs of introduction into the market. Implementation PlanBlackberry Ale has already passed all necessary guidelines established by SNB. As the fourth quarter quickly approaches, SNB will continue its successful strategy of producing Celebration Ale; a highly demanded brand that is synonymous with the holiday season. SNB is fearful that launching Blackberry Ale during this time would conflict with the established and successful release of the seasonal Celebration Ale; therefore, the launch of Blackberry Ale into the market is planned to coincide with the grand opening of the new brewer y, under construction in North Carolina, which is the first quarter of 2014.Evaluation Metrics and ControlSNB has determined it will analyze the addition of Blackberry Ale, ninety days after the launch of the product into the market. All introductory promotions will terminate after ninety days to access the future profitability of adding flavored ale to the brand line. Additionally, Blackberry Ale will be analyzed again each month, for the next three months to determine how the new product sales without added promotions. After six months, a thorough analysis focusing on sales, market share, brand recognition and profitability will be used as evaluation metrics, to determine the profitability, and future of Blackberry Ale.

Philippines: No Other Place But Up

The Philippines is considered one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia. As of 21st century, the country is a member in several international organizations’ including the APEC, Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and World Trade Organization (WTO). In addition the Philippines also have a lot of trading partners and trade agreements. Though, the Philippines have suffered negative balance of trade for many years. In January of 2013, the Balance of Trade for the Philippines registered a deficit of $714 million from $1. 10 billion deficit in the same period last year. This was due to the 8. 0 percent downward trend of total imports from $5. 134 billion to $4. 725 billion in January 2013. Furthermore, the country’s total merchandise imports for January 2013 declined by 8. 0 percent compared to same month a year ago from $5. 134 billion to $4. 725 billion. Accounting for 24. 4 percent of the aggregate import bill, payments for Electronic Products in January 2013 amounted to $1. 150 billion. Imports of Mineral Fuels, Lubricants and Related Materials in January 2013 ranked second with 19. percent share and posted the highest negative annual growth rate of 30. 0 percent among the top ten imports for January 2013. This shows that the Philippines trade deficit has narrow. Under the new Aquino administration, the government plans to open up the country to more foreign investment in industries such as business processing operations, mining and tourism. The Philippines liberalizing its trade can attract many foreign investors that can open many doors of opportunities to the Philippines citizens. With countries investing more in the Philippines there would be many job openings that will be a great help to support the welfare of the people. Though, the Philippines can also suffer, due to the Philippines accepting the investment of other country their products would also be sold in our local market that can weakened the demand for our local products. In addition because factories would also be established in the Philippines territory the waste from those factories can affect our environment. In 2010, the Philippines have acquired debt totaling to US$60. 048 million dollars. With that like any other government the budget that is supposed to be for education, health, agriculture and other development program of the Philippines is being spent to pay those debt. A great hindrance for the country’s sustainable development because those money are properly use in investing in the welfare of the Filipinos and not through paying the debt are country have the dependency of the citizens to the government may lessen. If the government would spend more money to the education of the youth in the Philippines they would be able to find easily or create their own welfare. But we should not forget that the Philippines will not attain sustainable development just focusing on one sector. Philippines should also ensure to strengthen its funding in the health sector of the country, because without a healthy body how can we study and work. Given these reasons the Philippines is losing so much money that can help the Filipinos welfare. A report conducted by Moody’s Investor service, they reported that the Philippines credit rating has risen from two notches to just one notch. With a new rating from Moody’s Investor Service, the Philippines expects to make the last step toward investment grade soon says Remo. Moody's said the improved assessment of the creditworthiness of the Philippines was based on its healthy pace of growth, improving fiscal performance of the national government, stable banking sector and projected ability to keep a robust pace of economic expansion over the medium term. Purisima noted that Moody's decision was the ninth positive action that the Philippines got from various credit rating agencies since President Aquino took office in 2010. Moody's said the latest credit rating of the Philippines, which applies to debts denominated in local and foreign currencies, was assigned a â€Å"stable† outlook. With the reserves, higher than the combined foreign debts of private firms and government entities, the Philippines can pay debts to foreign creditors as they come due. The rise of the peso and the decline in interest rates, both of which are credited for improved investor sentiment, helped cause the decline in the government's debt stock over the years, according to finance officials. The upgrade in credit rating came following the 10-notch jump in ranking from 76th to 66th out of 144 countries by the Philippines in the global competitiveness report that the World Economic Forum released last month. Even though the Philippines were able to acquire these outcomes the Philippines should not relax. The government must ensure that we won’t repeat history again as what happened to Thailand that brought forth the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997. Foreign Investors should not suddenly back out from their investment like what happened to Thailand. Given these the government must also ensure that local produce from the country should not be completely ousted by foreign products from the country’s import because it may be a hindrance to the Filipinos instead of it helping them. Lastly, the government should also take measure on the country’s environment not just the country’s economy. Foreign direct investments (FDI) breached the $2-billion mark last year, the first time it did so in the past five years, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported yesterday. FDI register a net inflow of $2. 033 billion last year, up by almost 10 percent from $1. 52 billion the previous year. â€Å"The country continued to benefit from strong foreign investors' confidence in the resilience of the domestic economy, given strong economic growth amid low and stable inflation as well as strong external payments dynamics,† the BSP said in a statement. Figures showed this segment reversed to a net outflow of $373 million last year from a net inflow of $311 million. The Aquino administration targets reaching investment grade this year in a bid to lower debt interest payments and attract more foreign investors to the country. Though the Philippines benefits from TNC’s there is also the other side of the coin. Many Filipino workers for these TNC’s tend to exploited by not paying them the right amount of wage and not providing them sss, health care and other worker’s needs. Also as I always say the government should not endangered the Philippines environment just to make our economy stable this in regards in our trade agreement with Japan. The Philippines continues to rank relatively higher in human development than other ASEAN member countries and is also making progress in the attainment of the millennium development goals (MDGs). The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) cited the 2013 Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Program ranking the Philippines 114 among 187 countries, with a medium Human Development Index (HDI) at 0. 654 as of 2012. Wherein, the country is enjoying a satisfactory result of the literacy rate in the Philippines with 97. 8 % of the youth were able to read and write as of 2008. In addition access to clean water in rural area where almost 92 % percent indicating that almost all Filipinos were able to drink clean water. In 2010 it is recorded that the life expectancy of the Filipinos is 69 years old. The government war able to achieve these feet because of the good governance our current government is implementing. A good example for this is P-NOY’s action in eradicating corrupt officials like former Chief Justice Corona removal and former Pres. Arroyo pending case. With the government’s money being used properly to aid those in need. The good name left by former Pres. Corazon Aquino and the governance his son is showing foreign investors tend to invest in the Philippines. To conclude, even though the Philippines is somehow at its peak in attaining a stable economy. We should still be careful on trade agreements we sign because a lot of these more beneficial to our counterpart in the agreement. Though it provides the Philippines job openings we also acquire imports that endangers our local produce. Also for the Philippines to continue on going up the marginalized sector should also be able to feel it, because with foreign investor investing on things most likely only the rich can afford how would the marginalized people appreciate those investment. That’s when the marginalized people benefited from these investment I can say that the Philippines has reached sustainable development.

Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strategic management - Essay Example Income has increased especially in the higher social classes. Due to this, the luxury good market has witnessed a rapid global expansion. In 2009, the luxury market recorded an incredible expansion that amounts to $229 billion (Choo and Yoon 81). Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (LV), is a fashion house based in France and founded by Louis Vuitton. It is the leading luxury brand in the world. It belongs to LVMH Group which possesses a portfolio of more than sixty prestigious brands. The Group works in various sectors such as fashion and leather, wines and spirit, cosmetics and perfumes, watches and jewellery and other selective retail segments (LVMH, â€Å"LVMH GROUP†). Louis Vuitton originally started its business as a trunk maker and gradually became the legend by creating innovative bags, luggage and accessories that were practical, elegant and redefined the art of travel (LVMH, â€Å"Fashion & Leather Goods†). ... In this context the group aims to fulfil the following mission that is reflected through the five priorities defined by the fundamental values shared by the group stakeholders (LVMH, â€Å"Group Mission and Values†). Innovative and Creative The company grows and nurtures its creative resources. The secret behind their long-term success is deeply rooted in the amalgamation of technological innovation and artistic creation. Creation has been its main motto and will remain so forever (LVMH, â€Å"Group Mission and Values†). Product Excellence The company pays careful attention towards their products to ensure that the products are created with utter perfection. They denote perfection and aristocracy in the traditional craftsmanship. Each and every item that the customer buys and uses, speaks about the tradition of the brand and all products aim towards impeccable quality (LVMH, â€Å"Group Mission and Values†). Passionate Determination The company enjoys an extraord inary reputation. This reputation would not have been sustained if it were not supported by exceptional quality of their products and creative superiority. Without this aura Louis Vuitton would not have been Louis Vuitton. The company established a rigorous control over every smaller detail of the product in order to retain their brand image (LVMH, â€Å"Group Mission and Values†). Act As a Tycoon Louis Vuitton follows a decentralized organizational structure that nurtures creativity, productivity and efficiency. This type of organizational structure provides a high level of motivation and dynamics to the employees. It always encourages initiative taken by the individuals, and also offers real

Class Size Does Not Affect Learning Outcomes Essay

Class Size Does Not Affect Learning Outcomes - Essay Example    Learning outcomes can be enhanced by ensuring that appropriate management practices are adopted in a class setting. If the teacher employs better strategies for handling the class, the class size may not affect the student achievement. However, if the strategies are flawed, even in a small class setting the students may fail to meet the specific learning outcomes. Consequently, resource allocation is a fundamental instrument for ensuring learning outcomes. If the small and larger classes receive the necessary requirements, the learning outcomes may be improved significantly.  Impact of a reduced class on learning outcomes It has been argued that small classes have a positive impact in influencing the learning outcomes of the students. However, positive learning outcomes cannot only be pegged on class size because of the varying dynamics. For example, for a student to perform exceptionally, the attitudes of the teacher and students must be positively inclined. A teacher may hav e a small class but confronted with certain challenges that impede learning outcomes. The curriculum employed in teaching the students may not have the appropriate establishments that improve the student's achievement.Consequently, the students may not have the interest to learn, hence being in a small class may not have the remedies.  Class size has limited impact on the learning outcomes of a student. For example, in the universities, some of the classes have a huge population of students yet some of them graduate with better grades.

Zoo Activity at The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens Essay

Zoo Activity at The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens - Essay Example 1. Gorilla - Gorilla gorilla They are regarded as the largest of all living primates. They have been found to confine largely to the forested regions of central Africa. Two varieties: highland and lowland. They show marked SEXUAL DIMORPHISM. Males weigh up to 400 pounds and females at 200 pounds. Weight makes them semi-QUADRUPEDAL knuckle walkers and majorly terrestrial. Family groups comprise of one or more large silverback males, a few females and sub-adult offspring. They are gentle and shy vegetarians. However, when provoked males will attack to defend their group (Groves, Wilson, and Reeder, 123-129). The majority of gorillas in zoos are western gorilla Gorilla gorilla. The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens had a gorilla with brownish-gray pelage color with reddish highlights. The male weighed around 140 kilograms while the female weighed around 75 kilograms. Its locomotion was quadrupedally, with a special kind of quadrupedal gait called knuckle-walking (Fleagle, 148). The gorilla has a polygynous mating system and unimale social system. Both the female and male gorillas emigrated from the NATAL GROUPS (Larsen 124). Immature gorillas spent much of their time playing, resting and GROOMING each other showing true ALTRUISM for about 20 minutes, although they tended to groom direct siblings. The silver-back male made roars to show stress or threat making the group to hide.

The Violation of Joe Public's Procedural and Substantive Due Process Essay

The Violation of Joe Public's Procedural and Substantive Due Process - Essay Example In addition, it is mainly decided upon through the assessment of deliberation of error and analysis of interests. The substantive due process explains how the justice is depicted in the law and its link to the perception of legality. It offers a source of fairness and justice beyond the Constitution, which is determined through basic rights and persuasive requirement tests. However, an individual, fundamental rights and equal protection may be violated in the course of justice. Selective incorporation involves the explicit protection of essential and fundamental rights of an individual. This is similar to equal protection; however, equal protection clause is not present in the Fifth Amendment. Equal protection concerns discrimination allegations, therefore, from a selective incorporation viewpoint; the case can be filed as a discrimination claim under the Fifth Amendment. Joe Public can file his case in the federal courts. The case is involving the Fifth Amendment and Fourteen Amendm ent of the United States Constitution, and the federal courts handle most cases that may concern or challenge the Constitution. Moreover, the case can challenge and argue that there were some outlawed procedures that were violated, and the entire procedure substantively desecrated the doctrines of essential and fundamental justice. This will prompt a shift in the load of evidence to the State to demonstrate the compelling need. The case can be filed within the jurisdiction of the state courts and specifically in the state in which the health institution is location. The state courts can also handle cases involving the U.S Constitution, the state law and the state constitution. According to the Fourteenth Amendment, as a United State citizen, Public has a right to access all the privileges that belong to the citizens of United States. There is no law in the State in which Public resides, and went to seek medical treatment that was enforced which prevents Public from accessing the nee ded requirement. Therefore, he was denied his right as a United State citizen to quality and efficient medical care without any discrimination. This violated his procedural due process. Under the Fifth Amendment, Public has the right to quality life, which is possible through access to medical care that also provides relevant information regarding the social, health and cultural needs. The medical facility deprived him of this information, thus violating his fundamental rights and substantive due process (Stephens and Scheb, 2007). According to Holt (2010), the Fifth Amendment was only to apply to the federal government initially, thus the federal courts. However, the Fourteenth Amendment makes the Fifth Amendment binding to the states and their jurisdiction, hence the state courts. The violations of Public rights as a patient and a citizen are extensively covered with the Fourteenth Amendment. The case can be filed in both federal and state courts. However, Public is best suited fi ling the case in the State Courts since it is still in its jurisdiction and authority. The equal protection of Public’s rights was also violated. The right to access to emergency services was denied to John Public. This led to deterioration of the symptoms that Public was experiencing at the time. In addition, the hospital did not provide information that was relevant to the disease. This would have provided insight into the management of the disease. Mckenzie et al (2011) argue that without this information, understanding

Investors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Investors - Essay Example Monetary policy, in the broadest sense, includes all the tools enforced by the government to control the quantity of money in the economy. The quantity of money or the supply of money then affects the overall price level, exchange and interest rates, unemployment rate, and level of output. According to the Case and Fair (2007), U.S. monetary policy is formally set by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which sets goals concerning the money supply and interest rates as it directs the Open Market Desk in the New York Federal Reserve Bank to buy and/or sell government securities or debt and equity instruments. The capital market then is a market for securities where the government can raise long-term funds to finance its own projects usually regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to protect investors mainly against fraud. To give a quick summary of how monetary supply directly affects output or income, assume that there is an excess supply of money in the market. This will lead households, firms and buy bonds with their extra money so that it earns interest. This however will put downward pressure on the interest rate because many people will be investing their money in interest earning instruments. Investors, on the other hand, borrow money from the banks with the very same interest rate that households and firms determine. A low interest rate means more incentive for investors to borrow and put up their own businesses using their low-interest borrowings from banks. This, in conclusion, increases output and, in the long-run, stimulates output growth. According to Mankiw (2007), in recent years, the Fed has used the federal funds rate as its short-term policy instrument and when the FOMC meets every six weeks to set its monetary policy, it votes on a target for its interest rate and then directs the Fed Bond traders in New

Dressing Standards Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dressing Standards - Research Proposal Example Convenience sampling, a non- probability sampling is one where the sample is drawn on the convenience of the researcher, i.e. the most convenient location, time etc. After a thorough literature survey the questionnaire will be formulated and personally distributed to 300 participants, from international organizations, and then when collected back the result will be organized and interpreted to answer the research questions. The questionnaire will be a combination of nominal, ordinal and interval scale according to the nature of the question and the information required to refuted or confirm the hypothesis. While nominal gives absolute answers, ordinal and interval scale allows the respondents to express the relative magnitude between the raw responses and the absolute difference between each scale point, respectively. This combination will enable the accuracy in measurement (reliability) and measurement of the right thing (validity). Questions design will focus on organizations with a modern structure so that the effect of environment can be critically analyzed. Moreover, a combination of different measurement scales would enable a cross examination of the issue thus providing enough evidence to support or negate the hypothesis.

The war on drugs and the United States criminal justice system Essay Example for Free

The war on drugs and the United States criminal justice system Essay Compiled by Drug Policy Alliance. August, 2001. Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a mans appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded. Abraham Lincoln The link between racial discrimination and the war on drugs exists not only in the United States but also throughout much of the world. In one country after another racial and ethnic minorities are targeted and persecuted in the name of the war on drugs. Criminal laws often focus on psychoactive drugs used by minority populations, while other more commonly used drugs are legal, and their abuse properly treated as problems for health care providers, not criminal justice systems. In most countries, racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately targeted, arrested, prosecuted and punished for drug offenses. The reliance on incarceration as the principal means of punishment in the United States has escalated to the point that there are now more than 2 million Americans in the countrys state and federal prisons. The United States imprisons more of its citizens than any other nation in the world. Blacks, Latinos and Native Americans are over-represented throughout the U. S. prison system. However, nowhere in the criminal justice system is the disparity between the arrest, detention, conviction and sentencing of people of color and Whites more brutally obvious than in the case of the war on drugs. Racism Permeates Drug Law Enforcement. Unequal treatment of minority group members pervades every stage of the criminal justice system. Racial profiling, street sweeps, buy and bust operations and other police activities have targeted people in street level retail drug transactions in low-income communities of color. Blacks and Latinos are victimized by unfair treatment by police; by racially skewed charging and plea bargaining decisions by prosecutors; by discriminatory sentencing practices and by the failure of judges, elected officials and other criminal justice policy makers to redress the inequities that have come to permeate the system. The rate of drug admissions to state prison for black men are thirteen times greater than the rate for white men. A recent report by Human Rights Watch found that while drug use is consistent across all racial groups, Blacks and Latinos are far more likely to be arrested and prosecuted and given long sentences for drug offenses. Blacks constitute 13 percent of all drug users, but 35 percent of those arrested for drug possession, 55 percent of persons convicted, and 74 percent of people sent to prison. (1) Nationally, Latinos comprise almost half of those arrested for marijuana offenses(2) and Native Americans comprise almost 2/3 of those prosecuted for criminal offenses in federal courts. (3) The racial bias of the drug war is exemplified by the 100 to 1 disparity in prison sentences for crack versus powder cocaine. As scientists and courts alike have declared, there is no rational basis for distinguishing between crack cocaine and powder cocaine. Nonetheless, in 1994, 90 percent of persons convicted of federal crack cocaine offenses were Black, six percent Latino, and less than four percent White. Federal powder cocaine offenders were 30 percent Black, 43 percent Latino, and 26 percent White. (4) Domestically, U. S. drug policy is fueled by historical bias against racial minorities used to justify their disproportionate presence in the penal system. The impact these policies have had on social structures and political power in Black and Latino communities has been devastating. As a result of the war on drugs poor communities of color have been politically weakened by laws that disenfranchise voters for felony convictions and provide economic incentives for rural communities to embrace prisons as a form of economic development. The prevailing theory about prisons in many locales is If we build them, they will come. There is a self-perpetuating, cyclical quality to the treatment of Blacks and Latinos in the U. S. criminal justice system. Much of the discrimination visited upon these groups stems from the perceptions of criminal justice decision-makers that (1) most crimes are committed by minorities, and (2) most minorities commit crimes. Although empirically false, these perceptions cause a disproportionate share of law enforcement attention to be directed at minorities, which in turn leads to more arrests of Blacks and Latinos. Disproportionate arrests fuel prosecutorial and judicial decisions that disproportionately affect minorities and result in racial disparities in incarceration. The accumulated effect is to create a prison population in which Blacks and Latinos increasingly predominated, which in turn reinforces the misperceptions that justify racial profiling and punitive drug policies. Recommendations Affluent predominantly white suburban communities have long recognized that the drug war need not be fought only on the incarceration front. Alternatives such as drug treatment and education are mainstays of white, middle-class efforts to reduce drug abuse in their neighborhoods. A strategy centered on such demand reduction efforts makes sense: The Rand Corporation has estimated that investing an additional $1 million in drug treatment programs would reduce by fifteen times more serious crime than enacting more mandatory sentences for drug offenders. (5) But when it comes to the presence of drugs in poor communities of color, the response of policymakers is to build prisons rather than treatment facilities. If the government of the United States is truly committed to eliminating racial discrimination in the criminal justice system and fulfilling its responsibility as a party to CERD, there must be an end to racial profiling, mandatory minimum drug sentences, and civil disabilities for felony convictions. Police, prosecutors and other criminal justice decision-makers must be held accountable for their discretionary decisions. Moreover, there must be clear acknowledgement on the part of the U. S. government that the war on drugs is a failed policy that is doing more harm than good, particularly to people of color. Notes: 1. Human Rights Watch Report: Punishment and Prejudice: Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System, May 2000 Vol. 12, No. 2 (G). 2. John D. Couriel, Keep It Real: Recasting the drug debate in terms of accountability and opportunity.3. U. S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, American Indians are Violent Crime Victims at Double the Rate of the General Population, news release, Feb. 14, 1999 4. 1. 4 million black men or 13% of the black male adult population are disenfranchised, reflecting a rate of disenfranchisement that is seven times the national average. 5. Jonathan P. Caulkins, et al. , Mandatory Minimum Drug Sentences: Throwing Away the Key or the Taxpayers Money, Rand, Santa Monica, 1997, p. xxiv.

Causes of the Financial Crisis

Causes of the Financial Crisis Introduction Financial crisis occurs when there is instability in the finance systems which pose danger to the economic, political, social and international affairs leading to decisive changes. It will reveal perspectives on the functioning situation of monetary economies. Financial crisis does not affect only the country itself; it is like a contagious disease that spreads to neighbouring environments and across to its partners especially in this modern time where the world is interconnected. It is financial mismanagement which leads quickly to economic destruction, diminishes individual and national wealth, lost growth, etc. It is an interruption to financial markets which is connected with falling asset prices that will result in the inability to pay debts among debtors and intermediaries that spread out through the financial system. By this happening it will cause disorder to the flow of markets capacity to pump capital within the economy. On the basis of international crisis, this commotion will overflow into national borders, causing disorder to the market’s ability to allot capital internationally. When this happens, no one takes blame or at least will admit that they foresee it coming. It causes a lot of violent changes around the country and across the globe with devastating consequences. On the aspect of Private and individuality; this will result to unemployment; people will not be able to find work, loss of properties, families will lose their homes to foreclosure process and many will be in arrears on their mortgage payments. Household wealth worth a lot of billions of Euros will disappear, life savings, retirement accounts all will go down the drain. Business and commerce; large and small businesses will feel the sting of the economic recession. Manufacturing will decline, global trade will diminish, and some will file for bankruptcy and be forced out of business (Angelides and Thomas, 2011) People will become angry about what is happening. Some people who have worked hard all their lives, obeyed the law and played by the rule will probably find themselves out of work and about to lose their family homes will not know what the future has in store for them. The segment who is mostly affected by any financial crisis is the private people and the communities. Businesses will move out of communities, banks will stop lending money; there will be shortage of cash flow, consumers reduce their spending and practically everything is at a standstill. The after effects/impacts of the crisis stays on and will be felt for decades to come, and rebuilding the economy takes a lot of hard work and dedicated efforts. In this research paper I will discourse the causes of financial crisis; what are the reasons why from time to time there is an economic recession, and enumerate why certain financial crisis are contagious. I will use the 2008 financial crisis as case study to illustrate my answer, and finally conclusion. Causes of financial crisis The causes of financial crisis could be a little complicated and not a very straight forward explanation could be given. It is a crisis on one hand that could be blamed on government action, and on the other hand, it could be blamed on government inaction (is not doing enough) but the bottom line is that it is a problem cause by human beings. It is not caused by nature or computer error. Financial crisis have occurred dozens of times since the seventeenth century (The Economist, Jan., 2009). Understanding financial crisis is crucial in avoiding them, but that leaves the question; why financial institutions and their agencies/bank regulators never see the possibility of crisis coming? The crisis that occurred in 2008 which was the most recent and will not most probably be the last was the most severe and the most global since the Great Depression of the 1930s. I must not fail to point out where this crisis started from or its origin. Financial crisis is always associated with the financial systems of global powers, and the one that happened in 2008 was no exception. Since the collapse of Soviet Union, United States has been the dominant superpower and while momentarily being the most influential and extremely powerful nation was full of assurance that economic liberalization and the rapid growth of communications technology would give the world economic expansion. The move towards integrated global economy has been instrumental in the amassing of wealth by a few individuals which has created inequality. In the process of the government trying to bring down the gap between the haves and have not’s in the US; some of the policies gave rise to the financial crisis. We human beings have always been obsessed with money, and have the excessive desire to acquire more of it. And generally people tend to spend more than they have; banks are willing to give loans and these loans some will be paid back and some will not be paid back, by so doing this is creating huge debts that have the potentiality to cause a dramatic effect to the financial set up of the country. This is part of the reasons why from time to time Central banks pumps money into the financial system so as to have enough money in circulation. Before the start of the crisis financial institutions (mortgage brokers and bankers) were high spirited and excited about the financial bubbles that they became very optimistic and began to take huge financial risks. The professionals put in charge to manage public finance tend to ignore warnings and fail to ask questions, and not able to manage evolving risks. Failures in the financial regulation and the lack for proper supervision: When it comes to finance, there must be laws and rules put in place to govern the procedures. These principles must be adhered to irrespective of personality or circumstances. Financial experts put in charge of all financial institutions must discharge their duties effectively and professionally by acknowledging that they are there foremost to protect public money and to regulate the financial system if possible overhaul them from time to time. Financial institutions should not regulate themselves. When financial institutions regulate themselves, security protection that ensures safety and avoid sudden and widespread disaster of public money could be removed or not followed strictly. With this approach trillions of dollars will be vulnerable. By governments allowing financial firms the choice to select their own preferred regulators to work with always results in the supervising being weak. In the financial system, regulators have lots of powers in different areas to protect it (the financial system) but out of their own reasons they do not do so, that is oversight. The collapse of the housing bubble: The financial crisis of 2008 which started in the US as the result of a downturn in real estate values caused primarily by rising defaults in subprime mortgages. The government encouraged financial institutions to make mortgage loans available to low income earners and the underprivileged in their various communities under the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) in an effort to bridge racial equality and increasing homeownership by lending one hundred percent loans for mortgages with no down payments. In the past there had been charges of racial discrimination with regards to not approving housing loans to minorities and the low income earners. To facilitate the granting of this mortgage loans a lot of times did not require all necessary documentations from the borrower and their income details. In this case a lot of this underprivileged income earners were paid on cash basis, so there was no official evidence of verifying there actual income. But a l ot of subprime lending did not take place under CRA sponsorship. Instead the majority occurred with Countrywide and New Century rather than commercial banks such as Wells Fargo, Citibank, and JPMorgan Chase (Friedman, 2011) There were lots of little programs developed by the US government at both the federal, state and local levels intended to encourage more people to buy homes, thereby channelling more artificial demand into the housing sector like The Pro-ownership Tax Code. Developers were frequently receiving hand outs, free land, new roads and tax privileges to build new homes. First-time homebuyers in some areas received thousands of dollars tax credit. There were special treatments in agreement to buy a home as an investment, for example if a couple bought a house for half a million dollars and sold it for one million they will not pay capital gains tax, but if that couple invest in business that same money in stock or any other business that is not real estate and later sell that business for profit they will pay capital gains taxes of fifteen percent. Woods Jr. (2009) in his publication said â€Å"it is not to suggest that any of these tax breaks are undesirable or should be repealed; a tax break is an oasis of freedom to be broadened, not a loophole to be closed. Instead they should be extended to as many other kinds of purchases as possible, in order not to provide artificial stimulus to any sector of the economy.† America’s Federal Reserve started the boom by increasing the supply of money through the banking system with the purpose to reduce interest rates. This system stimulated growth in the production of longer term projects such as construction, raw materials and capital goods. So this low interest rate made construction and real estate flourish vigorously in the early 2000. Real estate is not a common category of products that all consumers demand because of affordability in terms of credibility and finance. In order wards not enough consumers out there could afford to purchase expensive homes. So the Federal Reserve (Fed) came up the idea to increase money supply through banks, and banks with loose lending principles made home purchases went beyond the usual, and the notion of living the American dream was not far-fetched. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (Federal National Mortgage Association and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation) including the Federal Housing Administration were all backed and sponsored by the Fed to be lending money to people who wanted to purchase houses. Criteria for lending were lowered and loans were approved at a record breaking level. All the new money that the Fed created was being routed into the housing market through their representative agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This stimulus was the biggest that gave unnatural rise to the housing prices. Housing prices went up quickly instead of taking a gradual rising process supposedly with the rate of inflation or the rise in average incomes; the bubble eventually busted and the housing prices went down and this caused the housing market to collapse and recession followed; borrowers were prone to increasingly rising interest rates and falling home values, and could not be in a position to refinance their mortgages leading to higher monthly payments and constant failures to meet financial obligations resulting in foreclosures. Because of the causes arising from these defaults substantial amounts of low investment grade-rated mortgage-backed securities to default and the highest rated securities to be downgraded. The US government refusal to rescue the Lehman Brothers and eventually filed for bankruptcy was also another fall in abundance of hope. Financial institutions holding mortgage –backed securities started writing down their relative worth which made them to become more financially vulnerable, as a result causing concern over counterparty risk and as such organisations started withdrawing from doing business with them (Kolb, 2010) Financial institutions inclination on risk taking could cause financial crisis. There was a view that instincts for self-preservation inside major financial firms would shield them from fatal risk-taking without the need for a steady regulatory hand, which the firms argued, would stifle innovation (Angelides, Thomas, 2011) when financial institutions act recklessly by taking too much risk something is bound to happen, especially when institutions are involved in trading, and in trading, money can be made as well as lost, example, large investment banks and bank holding companies tend to centralise their activities more on risk trading activities that bring in heavy profits. They expose themselves to danger in acquiring and making loans to borrowers with poor credit rating. Some of these institutions grew competitively as a result of poorly executed acquisition and integration strategies that made effective management more challenging Financial institutions and some credit rating agencies are adopting mathematical models to be used as reliable predictors to predict risks, by so doing replacing judgement in a lot of occurrences. Before the financial crisis of 2008, the Republic of Ireland enjoyed a long period of economic boom, both in credit growth, bubbles in real estate, excellent and educated workforce, and an attractive location for inward investment especially from the US firms. These attracted people from all over the world to come and live in the country. Because of the rise in population there was urgent need for more houses to be built which brought growth to the construction industry and Ireland recorded the highest number of employment in the history of the state. All these led to the boost in the banking sector. The banks were willing to lend, in fact banks were literally forcing people to take loans even if they didn’t need them. Credit cards were being issued to customers as long as there was weekly income coming into their account despite the fact these customers did not request for credit card. Home owners mortgaged their homes. A lot of people were encouraged to buy houses; incentive s were given to fist time buyers so as to motivate them. At the bust, the economy collapsed, companies started folding, people were made redundant, unemployment rose, banks started feeling the heat and government came to their rescue and bailed them out. A lot of money was pumped into real estate and prices of homes went up. As a result of banks’ lending money anyhow to people personal debts were rising faster than income and foreclosures everywhere. Banks stopped lending, and prices in the market dropped. The 2008 financial crisis was contagious spillover resulting from the United States subprime market. The cross-border processing was moving with great speed because of the close connections inside the financial set up and the powerfully organised supply chains in global product markets. Financial crisis of 2008 was contagious because we are now in a global market. There is evidence of significant increases in cross-market correlations in the more recent times. Global market, social media plays an effective roll, stock markets, single currency such as the Euro and the Eurozone, all trading at international level. What happens to one affects all. Conclusion Judging from a lot of the information surrounding the 2008 financial crisis and its causes, it was more like it happened mainly because of government oversight to supervise and monitor the financial experts and their institutions to constantly make sure they are in alignment with the regulatory systems is not appropriate; that seem to miss the whole point, but rather too many loans were issued on risky basis to unqualified customers that were not credit worthy, and the government fully aware of this encouraged and kept on pumping money into circulation for their political gain. The old ways of scrutinising applications for loans were abandoned by the lending institutions for a riskier method so that everyone get to live the American dream. Bibliography Angelides, P, Thomas, B (2011) The financial crisis inquiry report: Final report of the  National Commission on the causes of the financial and economic crisis in the  United States, Government Printing Office. Barton, D., Newell. R., Wilson, G. (2002) Dangerous markets: Managing in financial crisis  John Wiley Sons Publishers Buckley, A. (2011) financial crisis, context and consequences, Financial Times Prentice Hall Ciro, T (2013) the global financial crisis: Triggers, responses and aftermath  Ashgate Publishing limited Foster, J. B., Magdoff, F (2009) the great financial crisis: Causes and consequences  NYU Press Friedman, J (2011) what caused the financial crisis, University of Pennsylvania Press Goldstein, M (1998) The Asian financial crisis: Causes, cures, and systemic implications  Peterson Institute Gordon, G. B (2012) misunderstanding financial crisis: Why we don’t see them coming  Oxford University Press Kindleberger, C. P., Aliber, R. Z (2011) Manias, panics and crashes: A history of financial  Crisis, sixth edition, Palgrave Macmillan Publishers Kolb, R. (2010) lessons from the financial crisis: Causes, consequences and our economic  Future, John Wiley Sons Publishers Portes, R., and Swoboda, A. K. (1987) Threats to international financial stability  CUP Archive The Print Edition (Jan.17, 2009) the financial crisis, The Economist Woods, Jr. T. E (2009) Meltdown: A free-market look at why the stock market collapsed, the  Economy tanked, and the government bailout, Regnery Publishing.

The Solution is More Discipline, Not Vouchers or School Choice Essay

The Solution is Discipline, Not School Choice Charlie is a problem child by any definition of the word.   He hasn't done anything horrific, like shooting another student or attacking a teacher. It's the annoying games he plays that drive everyone crazy. His favorite game is throwing scissors at the chalkboard when the teacher's back is turned.   He likes the screeching noise he can make if he throws the scissors at just the right angle.   And when he gets caught, he loves cursing at the teacher.   His biggest thrill is telling her to "mind her own f---ing business" while his classmates giggle or snicker. Charlie's teacher, Mrs. Anderson, spends her class time frustrated and powerless to stop Charlie's constant disruptive behavior.   At first, she looks him in the eye and asks him to stop.   Finally, she points her index finger toward the door and says, "Get out!" Charlie's classmates breathe a sigh of relief.   Mrs. Anderson does not.   She knows that tomorrow Charlie's father and mother will storm the principal's office demanding that she be fired or reprimanded.   Mom and Dad think that Charlie's personal rights have been violated; that he has a right to learn and not be disciplined by anyone, except by his own parents.   Due to this precedent, Charlie grows up with little educational discipline or accountability.  Ã‚   As Charlie's parents watch him grow into adulthood, they are forced to admit that their son is actually poorly educated, disrespectful and far from perfect. This story is all too familiar in America's public schools today.   Children in need of discipline have suddenly become the victims and their teachers, the oppressors.   As a result, America's school children are sorely under-educated and undiscipline... ...wer than 25 in a year. Implementing this change throughout America, especially suburbia, will not be easy.   This is where every American must recognize that in order to educate all our public school children we must deny a part of our own "self interest".  Ã‚   In order to make the change, America's parents and politicians must recognize that this "greater cause" can be public education.  Ã‚   Charlie's parents, along with many other parents, need to be encouraged to recognize that sometimes a little tough love is in their child's best interest. The next time Charlie's parents seek to confront school officials on behalf of their disruptive child, they need to be met with the empowerment of authority.   More importantly, Mrs. Anderson should be able to provide a healthy learning environment for all the children, if possible with Charlie, but if necessary, without him.

Essay --

Introduction Apart we know, dividend payments had been conducted over 300 years ago and yet, it is still continue acceptable until now (Frankfurter, Wood, & Wansley, 2003). In the 19th century, the dividend had become a kind of symbolic liquidations. However, dividend policy is contradicting because the view of each researcher is different. According to Black (1976), he ever stated that â€Å"the harder we look at the dividend picture, the more it seems like a puzzle, with pieces that just don’t fit together†. From this statement, we can truly make an assumption that the researchers’ arguments on it never stop as the understanding from each of the researchers is different and it is still questionable among financial field. Plenty of answer show that why dividend policy should be made. However, many empirical studies have shown that the result is not standardized and yet, it is different as each of the researchers has their own opinion on it. But, it is undeniable that the div idend payments have become symbolic liquidations solely determined by the directors. The companies pay dividends i...

Ineffective and Effective Leadership Styles :: Leadership

Countless books and articles have been written about leaders, who made decisions that played significant effects on our country and the world. Leaders from the military, business world and sports have all played crucial impacts on the way we live our lives. Their legacy’s live on in giving others the inspirational and motivational drive to become great leaders. One of the most influential and highly regarded leaders during World War II (WWII) and the Korean War was General Matthew Bunker Ridgway. Ridgway was a man who made countless sacrifices in order to prevent future impeding conditions. In 1928 he anticipated being on the Army’s pentathlon team to compete in the Summer Olympic Games in Amsterdam, but decided it was more important to prepare himself in becoming a better leader. "I could not reject so bright an opportunity to prepare myself for any military-diplomatic role that the future might offer," according to Patterson (2006). By the time WWII had begun Ridgway was a Brigadier General in command of the, newly developed, 82ND Airborne Division. He did a combat jump, jumping out of a plane by parachute, with his troops into battle on June 6, 1944, which happened to be Normandy according to Patterson (2006). Afterwards, he was awarded his second Distinguished Service Cross for his actions. According to Headquarters, First U.S. Army (1944) the citation states â€Å"Major General Ridgway jumped by parachute at approximately 0200 prior to the dawn of "D" Day and landed about 3/4 mile northeast of *****, France, to spearhead the parachute landing assault of his Airborne Division on the ****. Throughout "D" Day, he visited every point in the then surrounded area in order to evaluate the opposition and to encourage his men. He penetrated to the front of every active sector without thought of the personal danger involved. He exposed himself continuously to small arms, mortar and artillery fire; as, by his presence and through words of encouragement, he greatly assisted and personally directed the operations of one of his battalions in the important task of securing the bridgehead across the ***** River, which required a frontal assault against strongly entrenched enemy positions. His persona l bravery and his heroism were deciding factors in the success of his unit in France. Major General Ridgway's gallant leadership, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 82d Airborne Division, and the United States Army.

Daniel Defoe

Gallery's Barbarians The alma of Susan Van Canteen Gallagher article, â€Å"Torture and the Novel: J. M. Cotter's ‘Walling for the Barbarians'† Is to untangle further what the book Walling for the Barbarians is saying about the human psyche and how the novel analyzes imperialism. By finding its fear on the issues about ethics and violence and discovering the bounds of human brutality, Waiting for the Barbarians tests humankind and imperialism in several ways. Offering a psychoanalytic debate of Waiting for the Barbarians, this reading concentrates on the Influence of fear in unman psyche and Imperialism self-destructive Influence.How far-offer and anxiety can go and how far affiliates of society can follow a blind power Is the mall fear of this essay. As Cotter's Waiting for the Barbarians is a figurative novel, this essay will try to understand the symbols created in relative to the pressures raised in the novel. The analysis of the accounts raised in the book, may be b roken down into the following mall modules. After gang brief evidence about the writer and the book In the overview, the essay will carry on with observing the characters as targets of theEmpire, which symbolizes the imperialist system. The first object is the barbarian girl, one in which will be studied in relation to her individualism as an outsider and as an enemy of the Empire. The Magistrate as the second victim and his self-journey will be perceived in relative to his calculation to come to be the other. Then in the next section, the Empire as the prey of itself and its self-destructive power will be recognized. At the conclusion, the knack to challenge Issues will be discussed.J_M_ Cottage Is a South African writer born In Cape Town In 1940. In relative to the writers experience, it is important to note that, this essay takes in thought Cotter's objection against imperialism and makes an examination of Waiting for the Barbarians depending on his defiance towards it. I think i n his novel Cottage disapproves of the imaginary unknown Empire and by doing this actually he takes away from Imperialist systems. Waiting for the Barbarians Is a novel about the impression of the torture chamber on the life of a man of principles.The man of principles Is the main hero of the novel who Is an elderly Magistrate living In a two order township which is remote from other words, of an indeterminate Empire. He has accountability and authority of keeping the outpost for the provision of the Empire but then loses his authority when the Empire sent armed forces to defend the town from the barbarians. The protagonist disputes the unjust conduct of the barbarians even though the Empire perceives them as a hazardous tribe getting ready to attack the base and clash against the Empire.When he returns an arrested barbarian woman, he expresses sympathy and cares to her people, but is blamed for reason and imprisoned like the barbarians. He becomes the subject of cruelty, shame and suffering. What is stimulating in the novel is that, the leading protagonist, at the end of his story, also turns out to be the other likewise the barbarian girl he cherished and aided In the beginning of his story. The Magistrate questions the power of the Empire's in which by this action, his process of otherness begins.To unite the girl with her tribe he reaches a decision to make an excursion and pass through the remote desert to the barbarians which is thought to attack the outpost. Through the journey in the desert his limits to the Empire comes loose and when he enters the realm of the other lots of things change in his mind. Similar to this subconsciously hard Journey, he also concludes a complex psychological Journey of unraveling himself from the Empire and from its ethical understanding.After his return, his otherness is completed while he is now viewed as a traitor and he is look upon as guilt-ridden as the barbarians without any doubts since the other is always the guil ty one. The Magistrate is essentially comfortable with his arrest while his otherness plaits his destiny and responsibility to the Empire and as the other and as the focus of torture and humiliation, the purification of his soul starts which he longs for. The Magistrate not once closes his eyes to the ferocity the Empire is expressing on the barbarians like the other members of the society.Although he knows that he will receive misfortune, he never acts as if he is assisting the act of torture. Therefore because of his ethics, he is corrected to be the other in his society. Nobody but the Magistrate is sore to the violence exemplified by the man of the Empire, Colonel Joel, UT Magistrate makes his ethical standpoint. As a consequence it can be said that, the system drives every character, individual and idea different than its prejudice, to its limits and penalizes every struggle to its self. Even if the struggle is against violence.I think by displaying how a group of people, with the authority to put fear in people's souls, can direct what is right and wrong, Cottage critiques the submissive and sightless members of the civilization. In the novel, how people can Just go with the crowd without even thinking once, is demonstrated very clearly. Even though people of the town knew for years that the barbarians were kind and mild people and even though Just like the Magistrate they know that truly they would not attack the town while it is not their style, they all watched the viciousness of the Empire's army embodying on them.More amazingly, although the crowd appreciated and liked the Magistrate when he was in the power and although he is one of them, they overlooked the agony he experienced. Furthermore they watch his suffering; the hanging, like observing a theatrical performance. Moreover they laugh. This clearly wows that fear from the other, results in carelessness and blindness. The novel in fact portrays the psychological self-journey of a man. His mind is like the antiquity of the town. The Magistrate's pastime is to excavate the skeletons of ancient houses and remains.He tries to comprehend the characters on wooden slips he found. Throughout the book, the pre-symbolic figures are always a mystery for him the same way his unconscious state of mind is a mystery. I think his diggings and findings of some ancient origins which he does not understand their meanings of, is symbol of self-discovery through his own past and mind. The ancient civilized society can signify his unconsciousness and the external; yet the reality he is living can symbolize his consciousness.Similarly, in the old characters, he believes he finds some hints about himself in his dreams. The olden writings are not available to his conscious as well as his unconscious. Through his dreams and his relationship with the barbarian girl. The Magistrate attempts to track the altered and tortured figure of the barbarian girl both in his dreams and in his washing ritual. I n accord to the Magistrate, the barbarian girl's body is a script to be deciphered in the same way the characters on the wooden slips he had excavated had been deciphered.Through her body and the ancient script he found, he actually touches on himself and his own longings, uncertainties and suppressed feelings. The matters observed and the pressures raised in Waiting for the Barbarians, cannot be cast off so effortlessly. Throughout this paper, I did my best to focus on how Cottage tests imperialism without even declaring its name through describing the self-journey and the inner self of a man of ethics.I reason that Cotter's use of torture chamber and his complete account of viciousness, agony and terror is the rebellious side of the book. The effect of terror and viciousness, both portrayed psychically and mentally in the story by the tortured figure of the barbarian girl and the account of the Magistrates mental state. Expressing torture to the narrator of the book is the way, wh ich makes the reader to observe the cruelty of the system. Cottage in reality creates a satirical comment about imperialism at the end of the novel by exposing the Empire's self-destruction.I would like to end my essay by giving the message that the Magistrate gives to Colonel Joel at the end of the book, in which I believe sums up the books missive which the author is giving to all societies and civilizations. I am saying all societies because in the book the location, the period or values of the Empire and the outpost is not stated. Likewise, excluding Colonel Joel, the characters in the book do not have names. Even the Magistrate, the main protagonist, is without name. He is the Magistrate. I reflect that by not centralizing and not naming the characters, theEmpire gives the reader a casual look to recognize with that culture and with the characters of the story more effortlessly. This vagueness styles the book to expose to all kind of imaginings and creates an accessibility to a ll civilizations. Correspondingly, as Cottage makes the story of fear and distress, he calls on every individual one by one, and therefore calls out to every society and culture. The Magistrate: â€Å"The crime that is latent in us we must inflict on ourselves,† I say. I nod and nod, driving the message at home. â€Å"Not on others, â€Å"l say: I repeat the words, pointing my chest, pointing at his. Daniel Defoe Gallery's Barbarians The alma of Susan Van Canteen Gallagher article, â€Å"Torture and the Novel: J. M. Cotter's ‘Walling for the Barbarians'† Is to untangle further what the book Walling for the Barbarians is saying about the human psyche and how the novel analyzes imperialism. By finding its fear on the issues about ethics and violence and discovering the bounds of human brutality, Waiting for the Barbarians tests humankind and imperialism in several ways. Offering a psychoanalytic debate of Waiting for the Barbarians, this reading concentrates on the Influence of fear in unman psyche and Imperialism self-destructive Influence.How far-offer and anxiety can go and how far affiliates of society can follow a blind power Is the mall fear of this essay. As Cotter's Waiting for the Barbarians is a figurative novel, this essay will try to understand the symbols created in relative to the pressures raised in the novel. The analysis of the accounts raised in the book, may be b roken down into the following mall modules. After gang brief evidence about the writer and the book In the overview, the essay will carry on with observing the characters as targets of theEmpire, which symbolizes the imperialist system. The first object is the barbarian girl, one in which will be studied in relation to her individualism as an outsider and as an enemy of the Empire. The Magistrate as the second victim and his self-journey will be perceived in relative to his calculation to come to be the other. Then in the next section, the Empire as the prey of itself and its self-destructive power will be recognized. At the conclusion, the knack to challenge Issues will be discussed.J_M_ Cottage Is a South African writer born In Cape Town In 1940. In relative to the writers experience, it is important to note that, this essay takes in thought Cotter's objection against imperialism and makes an examination of Waiting for the Barbarians depending on his defiance towards it. I think i n his novel Cottage disapproves of the imaginary unknown Empire and by doing this actually he takes away from Imperialist systems. Waiting for the Barbarians Is a novel about the impression of the torture chamber on the life of a man of principles.The man of principles Is the main hero of the novel who Is an elderly Magistrate living In a two order township which is remote from other words, of an indeterminate Empire. He has accountability and authority of keeping the outpost for the provision of the Empire but then loses his authority when the Empire sent armed forces to defend the town from the barbarians. The protagonist disputes the unjust conduct of the barbarians even though the Empire perceives them as a hazardous tribe getting ready to attack the base and clash against the Empire.When he returns an arrested barbarian woman, he expresses sympathy and cares to her people, but is blamed for reason and imprisoned like the barbarians. He becomes the subject of cruelty, shame and suffering. What is stimulating in the novel is that, the leading protagonist, at the end of his story, also turns out to be the other likewise the barbarian girl he cherished and aided In the beginning of his story. The Magistrate questions the power of the Empire's in which by this action, his process of otherness begins.To unite the girl with her tribe he reaches a decision to make an excursion and pass through the remote desert to the barbarians which is thought to attack the outpost. Through the journey in the desert his limits to the Empire comes loose and when he enters the realm of the other lots of things change in his mind. Similar to this subconsciously hard Journey, he also concludes a complex psychological Journey of unraveling himself from the Empire and from its ethical understanding.After his return, his otherness is completed while he is now viewed as a traitor and he is look upon as guilt-ridden as the barbarians without any doubts since the other is always the guil ty one. The Magistrate is essentially comfortable with his arrest while his otherness plaits his destiny and responsibility to the Empire and as the other and as the focus of torture and humiliation, the purification of his soul starts which he longs for. The Magistrate not once closes his eyes to the ferocity the Empire is expressing on the barbarians like the other members of the society.Although he knows that he will receive misfortune, he never acts as if he is assisting the act of torture. Therefore because of his ethics, he is corrected to be the other in his society. Nobody but the Magistrate is sore to the violence exemplified by the man of the Empire, Colonel Joel, UT Magistrate makes his ethical standpoint. As a consequence it can be said that, the system drives every character, individual and idea different than its prejudice, to its limits and penalizes every struggle to its self. Even if the struggle is against violence.I think by displaying how a group of people, with the authority to put fear in people's souls, can direct what is right and wrong, Cottage critiques the submissive and sightless members of the civilization. In the novel, how people can Just go with the crowd without even thinking once, is demonstrated very clearly. Even though people of the town knew for years that the barbarians were kind and mild people and even though Just like the Magistrate they know that truly they would not attack the town while it is not their style, they all watched the viciousness of the Empire's army embodying on them.More amazingly, although the crowd appreciated and liked the Magistrate when he was in the power and although he is one of them, they overlooked the agony he experienced. Furthermore they watch his suffering; the hanging, like observing a theatrical performance. Moreover they laugh. This clearly wows that fear from the other, results in carelessness and blindness. The novel in fact portrays the psychological self-journey of a man. His mind is like the antiquity of the town. The Magistrate's pastime is to excavate the skeletons of ancient houses and remains.He tries to comprehend the characters on wooden slips he found. Throughout the book, the pre-symbolic figures are always a mystery for him the same way his unconscious state of mind is a mystery. I think his diggings and findings of some ancient origins which he does not understand their meanings of, is symbol of self-discovery through his own past and mind. The ancient civilized society can signify his unconsciousness and the external; yet the reality he is living can symbolize his consciousness.Similarly, in the old characters, he believes he finds some hints about himself in his dreams. The olden writings are not available to his conscious as well as his unconscious. Through his dreams and his relationship with the barbarian girl. The Magistrate attempts to track the altered and tortured figure of the barbarian girl both in his dreams and in his washing ritual. I n accord to the Magistrate, the barbarian girl's body is a script to be deciphered in the same way the characters on the wooden slips he had excavated had been deciphered.Through her body and the ancient script he found, he actually touches on himself and his own longings, uncertainties and suppressed feelings. The matters observed and the pressures raised in Waiting for the Barbarians, cannot be cast off so effortlessly. Throughout this paper, I did my best to focus on how Cottage tests imperialism without even declaring its name through describing the self-journey and the inner self of a man of ethics.I reason that Cotter's use of torture chamber and his complete account of viciousness, agony and terror is the rebellious side of the book. The effect of terror and viciousness, both portrayed psychically and mentally in the story by the tortured figure of the barbarian girl and the account of the Magistrates mental state. Expressing torture to the narrator of the book is the way, wh ich makes the reader to observe the cruelty of the system. Cottage in reality creates a satirical comment about imperialism at the end of the novel by exposing the Empire's self-destruction.I would like to end my essay by giving the message that the Magistrate gives to Colonel Joel at the end of the book, in which I believe sums up the books missive which the author is giving to all societies and civilizations. I am saying all societies because in the book the location, the period or values of the Empire and the outpost is not stated. Likewise, excluding Colonel Joel, the characters in the book do not have names. Even the Magistrate, the main protagonist, is without name. He is the Magistrate. I reflect that by not centralizing and not naming the characters, theEmpire gives the reader a casual look to recognize with that culture and with the characters of the story more effortlessly. This vagueness styles the book to expose to all kind of imaginings and creates an accessibility to a ll civilizations. Correspondingly, as Cottage makes the story of fear and distress, he calls on every individual one by one, and therefore calls out to every society and culture. The Magistrate: â€Å"The crime that is latent in us we must inflict on ourselves,† I say. I nod and nod, driving the message at home. â€Å"Not on others, â€Å"l say: I repeat the words, pointing my chest, pointing at his.