Are You Looking For Buy Electronics Online - 1348 Words

Are you looking to buy electronics online? There are a lot of different factors to consider. The best price is probably the first thing on your mind, of course. But there are also the issues of shipping cost, reliability, rewards programs, temporary sales and coupons ... it s enough to make your head spin! This guide to eight of the top online electronics retailers breaks down their different strengths and will help you determine which retailer is the best fit for you. 1. Best Buy Best Buy is best known for their network of over 1,400 retail stores in the United States, but they are also one of the largest online sellers of electronics as well. In fact, Best Buy s growth in 2015 was driven almost entirely by Web sales. One of the primary advantages of shopping at Best Buy is their Price Match Guarantee. This policy applies to local retail competitors for individual stores, but online shoppers can match prices at most of the popular electronics retailers such as Amazon and Newegg. You simply have to contact a customer service specialist online and provide the Web address of the item in question. If the price drops during the return and exchange period, you can also get Best Buy to reimburse you for the difference! It is important to note that competitor s coupons are not matched, however, just their base online price that is currently listed. If delivery to your home is an issue for some reason, another big Best Buy advantage is that you can use the network ofShow MoreRelatedBest Buy Co. Company Overview1688 Words   |  7 PagesMartinez March 21, 2016 MKTG 410 Best Buy Company Overview Best Buy Co., Inc. is one of the world’s leading companies that operates as a retailer of consumer electronics, home office products, entertainment software, appliances and related services in the United States, Canada, China, Europe and Mexico. It controls retail stores and websites under 11 brand names: Best Buy, Five Star Appliances, Future Shop, Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, The Carphone Warehouse, Best Buy Mobile, and Audio visions, NapsterRead More Electronic Commerce Essay915 Words   |  4 Pages Electronic commerce   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the fastest growing industries today is electronic commerce. Almost anything can be purchased, traded, or sold all via the Internet. A person sitting in their living room dressed in pajamas on a rainy Saturday morning in mid December can hookup to the internet and place their bid on a new chess set for the holidays without ever setting foot in the department stores. They can pay for it with their credit card through a secure transaction and have it deliveredRead MoreDesigning An E Commerce Solution Evaluation Essay1624 Words   |  7 Pagesshown that after implementing an e-commerce system into their companies, sales have increased immensely. Sneaker Joe’s is a small family run business that is looking to expand their business after the sneakers they sell have shown to be very popular locally, after a picture of them was spotted on a social networking site. I have been looking at some of the most popular websites that consumers use to purchase their goods and what kind of commerce system they have in place, but first, I have writtenRead MoreIntegrating A Multi Billion Dollar Industry1531 Words   |  7 PagesDo you want to be apart of the fastest growing area in retailing? Do you want to be apart of a multi-billion dollar industry? Well, if anyone answered yes to both of the questions they can now joined the sweepstakes of taking their business to the next level by introducing Web based retailing or other nontraditional methods of retailing. Web, non-store based any other forms of nontraditional retailing is adding to businesses repertoire everyday. Any individual or company who sells products or giveRead More E - Commerce Essays1637 Words   |  7 Pageshaving the customer go to the store and buy products, he or she can buy them online and have them delivered to his or her doorstep in the comfort of home without having to take a step outside. In the future this is how buying and selling will be done in the business world. In fact, many companies today, are solely web based such as Amazon.com. Amazon.com’s site was launched in July 1995 with the main aim of selling all types of books online. Today, due to the boom of the InternetRead MoreLouis Wynn D2 Comparing different payment systems I’m going to write a report on different payment1100 Words   |  5 Pagesbe that you easily send funds in a matter of seconds via an internet payment service. This means that cuckoo gets the money straight away to their bank account and then within that same day they can ship the item out. Another advantage of having a payment would be convenience as online trading provides a 24/7 business .Having electronic payments means that cuckoo will be open 24/7 so they can receive payments at any time from customers A major advantage of electronic payments (online payments)Read Moree-Commerce Essay889 Words   |  4 Pagesalso known as Electric Commerce and it would consist of buy and or selling anything electronically over the internet and other networks. â€Å"The use of commerce is conducted in this way, spurring and drawing on innovations in electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least atRead MoreLooking For Books For Business Classes1351 Words   |  6 PagesI went to the school store to buy books and I approached one of the student sellers and asked for help. She first asked me how she could help me. I then told her I was looking for books for business classes, so she directed me to the business section of the store. She then asked me what the CRN was. I to ld her the CRN and she found the book. She then asked if I was buying the book today, but I could not buy the book because it was more expensive than I thought. I told her not today because of thatRead MoreAmazon s Major Competitors Are Divided1086 Words   |  5 PagesAmazon’s major competitors are divided in two parts. The first part is physical stores such as Walmart or Target. The second area of competition is through the online market eg; EBay and BestBuy. As opposed to Amazon, customers in a physical store could have more comprehensive experience, especially for specific products like clothes and electronic devices. Some customers need to be able to see and try the product themselves before feeling comfortable enough to purchase it. Secondly, although Amazon hasRead MoreA Report On Micro Center1028 Words   |  5 Pageswe live, the selection and prices keep us coming back. Micro Center is an electronics store that opened in 1979 by two former Radio Shack employees (Wikipedia, 2015). With 23 stores across the United States, Micro Center had an estimated annual revenue of $1.84 billion in 2012 (Eaton, 2014). The company primarily focuses on selling computer parts, computers, televisions, monitors, software, accessories, and other electronics. Although it’s considered a â€Å"chain,† Micro Center prides itself in slow

The Prisoners in Platos Allegory of the Cave - 1116 Words

At the worker level, there are many hardships. They are forced to work and pay taxes. Like the prisoners in Platos Cave, they dont know what is capitalism and consumerism. They might have heard of the word but the level above them have kept a strict circulation of information about it. Happiness is success to them. They think of success as being promoted to the upper level. It could be done by producing an heir that helps them escape or through their own hard work. Platos Cave refer to this level as the people who have yet to start questioning society. They will live in this cycle until they find a way to escape. Education is merely feeding information into them by those of the upper levels. Love and compassion are things they indulge in but its only superficial. They love in order to temporarily escape from their reality. The prisoners of this level blindly believe in their religion as right. The next level are the bourgeoisies. Within Platos Cave, they are still prisoners that are chained up. They have merely won several guessing game. They do have a sense of what is capitalism and consumerism. They benefit from this system. They dont really understand this system but they know that this system gives them what they want. Happiness and success to them is continuing to play the guessing game and winning against the others. Love is a pleasure-seeking adventure. It serves to satisfy their basic needs. Compassion is a mask they wear while pretending to care for others.Show MoreRelatedThe Allegory of The Cave, by Plato Essay856 Words   |  4 PagesPlato’s logical strategy in the allegory of the cave is of deductive reasoning. Plato uses a cave containing people bound by chains which constrict their neck and legs in such a way that they are unable to turn around and there is a fire roaring behind them casting shadows on the wall. Since the prisoners cannot turn their heads to see what is casting the shadow the only thing they can perceive are the shadows and the sounds that seem to becoming from them. This is what Plato argues in the allegoryRead MoreAllegories of Life1682 Words   |  7 PagesAllegory’s of Life In The Allegory of the Cave, Plato uses a vast spectrum of imagery to explain ones descent from the cave to the light. While Plato uses this Allegory to explain his point through Socrates to Glaucon. This allegory has many different meanings. The Allegory can be used in many different ways, from religion to politics to ones own intellectual enlightenment, or it can be interpreted as the blinded person in a colt like reality. Are we all prisoners in a world that is forced onRead MoreAnalyzing Plato s Allegory Of The Cave874 Words   |  4 PagesI’ll be analyzing Plato’s Allegory of the Cave through my own interpretation. An allegory is defined as â€Å"a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.† In Plato’s Republic the short excerpt The Allegory of the Cave can be viewed through multiple perspectives. Plato’s image of the cave is known as the â€Å"theory of forms†¦ The theory assumes the existence of a level of reality inhabited by ideal â€Å"forms† of all things and concepts (Revelations:Read MoreAnalysis Of Platos Allegory Of The Cave864 Words   |  4 PagesOn the surface of Plato’s â€Å"Allegory of the Cave† it is just a simple piece, but the main purpose of the piece is to explain people living in a world of face value and having individuals break free from the main idea to create a new sense of what the world is truly about. In here, Plato uses the writing style of allegory to encompass the use of imagery and symbolism to explain his purpose. He also uses very clever dialogue with constant repetition to represent a bigger idea about the philosophy withRead MoreThe Main Elements Of Plato s Cave1152 Words   |  5 PagesPlato In this paper the main elements of Plato’s cave will be described along with a short explanation of Plato’s theory of forms, which is what the cave allegory is attempting to address. A brief description of the plot of the movie â€Å"The Island â€Å"will follow. This will be followed by an explanation of how the movie correlates to the elements of Plato’s cave. Finally, the conclusion will discuss what Plato was hoping to achieve with the cave allegory. Over the course of many yearsRead More Allegory of the Cave vs The Matrix Essay1473 Words   |  6 Pagescompletely bound and facing a reality that doesn’t even exist. The prisoners in Plato’s â€Å"Allegory of the Cave† are blind from true reality as well as the people in the movie â€Å"The Matrix† written and directed by the Wachowski brothers. They are given false images and they accept what their senses are telling them, and they believe what they are experiencing is all that really exists. Plato the ancient Greek philosopher wrote â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave†, to explain the process of enlightenment and what true realityRead MoreEssay about Platos Allegory of the Cave1305 Words   |  6 PagesPlato’s â€Å"Allegory of the Cave† is the most significant and influential analogy in his book, The Republic. This thorough analogy covers many of the images Plato uses as tools throughout The Republic to show why the four virtues, also known as forms, are what create good. The â€Å"Allegory of the Cave†, however, is not one of the simplest representations used by Plato. Foremost, to comprehend these images such as the â€Å"divided line† or Plato’s forms, one must be able to understand this allegory and allRead MoreComparison of the Matrix and the Allegory of the Cave Essay1240 Words   |  5 PagesThe Matrix and the Allegory of the Cave What if one were living through life completely bound and facing a reality that doesnt even exist? The prisoners in Platos Allegory of the Cave are blind from true reality as well as the people in the movie The Matrix. They are given false images and they accept what their senses are telling them. They believe what they are experiencing is not all that really exists. Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher wrote The Allegory of the Cave, to explain theRead More Dantes Inferno Essay888 Words   |  4 Pages Dantes use of allegory in the Inferno greatly varies from Platos quot;Allegory of the Cavequot; in purpose, symbolism, characters and mentors, and in attitude toward the world. An analysis of each of these elements in both allegories will provide an interesting comparison. Dante uses allegory to relate the sinners punishment to his sin, while Plato uses allegory to discuss ignorance and knowledge. Dantes Inferno describes the descent through Hell from the upper level of the opportun ists toRead MoreEssay on Examining Reality1144 Words   |  5 Pagesin another incubator till death although they cannot recognize they live in the incubator. Plato’s allegory of the cave is analogous to the story line found in ‘The Matrix.’ People live in a cave, looking at their shadows reflected on the cave wall. They never realize they are in a cave. Plato’s allegory of the cave assumes key words leading the story such as chained prisoners, a puppet handler, and a prisoner trying to find a light. These terms are comparable to John Updike’s characters in his novel

Education And Egalitarianism In America (4737 words) Essay Example For Students

Education And Egalitarianism In America (4737 words) Essay Education And Egalitarianism In AmericaEducation and Egalitarianism in America The American educator Horace Mann once said: As an apple is not in any proper sense an apple until it is ripe, so a human being is not in any proper sense a human being until he is educated. Education is the process through which people endeavor to pass along to their children their hard-won wisdom and their aspirations for a better world. This process begins shortly after birth, as parents seek to train the infant to behave as their culture demands. They soon, for instance, teach the child how to turn babbling sounds into language and, through example and precept, they try to instill in the child the attitudes, values, skills, and knowledge that will govern their offsprings behavior throughout later life. Schooling, or formal education, consists of experiences that are deliberately planned and utilized to help young people learn what adults consider important for them to know and to help teach them how they should respond to choices. This education has been influenced by three important parts of modern American society: wisdom of the heart, egalitarianism, and practicality. .. the greatest of these, practicality. In the absence of written records, no one can be sure what education man first provided for his children. Most anthropologists believe, though, that the educational practices of prehistoric times were probably like those of primitive tribes in the 20th century, such as the Australian aborigines and the Aleuts. Formal instruction was probably given just before the childs initiation into adulthood the puberty rite and involved tribal customs and beliefs too complicated to be learned by direct experience. Children learned most of the skills, duties, customs, and beliefs of the tribe through an informal apprenticeship by taking part in such adult activities as hunting, fishing, farming, toolmaking, and cooking. In such simple tribal societies, school was not a special place. .. it was life itself. However, the educational process has changed over the decades, and it now vaguely represents what it was in ancient times, or even in early American society. While the schools that the colonists established in the 17th century in the New England, Southern, and Middle colonies differed from one another, each reflected a concept of schooling that had been left behind in Europe. Most poor children learned through apprenticeship and had no formal schooling at all. Those who did go to elementary school were taught reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion. Learning consisted of memorizing, which was stimulated by whipping. The first basic textbook, The New England Primer, was Americas own contribution to education. Used from 1690 until the beginning of the 19th century, its purpose was to teach both religion and reading. The child learning the letter a, for example, also learned that In Adams fall, We sinned all. As in Europe, then, the schools in the colonies were strongly influenced by religion. This was particularly true of the schools in the New England area, which had been settled by Puritans and other English religious dissenters. Like the Protestants of the Reformation, who established vernacular elementary schools in Germany in the 16th century, the Puritans sought to make education universal. They took the first steps toward government-supported universal education in the colonies. In 1642, Puritan Massachusetts passed a law requiring that every child be taught to read. And, in 1647, it passed the Old Deluder Satan Act, so named because its purpose was to defeat Satans attempts to keep men, through an inability to read, from the knowledge of the Scriptures. The law required every town of 50 or more families to establish an elementary school and every town of 100 or more families to maintain a grammar school as well. Puritan or not, virtually all of the colonial schools had clear-cut moral purposes. Skills and knowledge were considered important to the degree that they served religious ends and, of course, trained the mind. We call it wisdom of the heart. These matters, by definition, are anything that the heart is convinced of so thoroughly convinced that it over-powers the judgement of the mind. Early schools supplied the students with moral lessons, not just reading, writing and arithmetic. Obviously, the founders saw it necessary to apply these techniques, most likely feeling that it was necessary that the students learn these particular values. Wisdom of the heart had a profound effect of the curriculum of the early schools. As the spirit of science, commercialism, secularism, and individualism quickened in the Western world, education in the colonies was called upon to satisfy the practical needs of seamen, merchants, artisans, and frontiersmen. The effect of these new developments on the curriculum in American schools was more immediate and widespread than its effect in European schools. Practical content was soon in competition with religious concerns. The academy that Benjamin Franklin helped found in 1751 was the first of a growing number of secondary schools that sprang up in competition with the Latin schools. Franklins academy continued to offer the humanist-religious curriculum, but it also brought education closer to the needs of everyday life by teaching such courses as history, geography, merchant accounts, geometry, algebra, surveying, modern languages, navigation, and astronomy. These subjects were more practical, seeing as how industry and business were driving forces in the creation of the United States. Religion classes could not support a family or pay the debts. By the mid-19th century this new diversification in the curriculum characterized virtually all American secondary education. America came into its own, educationally, with the movement toward state-supported, secular free schools for all children, which began in the 1820s with the common (elementary) school. The movement gained incentive in 1837 when Massachusetts established a state board of education and appointed the lawyer and politician Horace Mann (1796-1859) as its secretary. One of Manns many reforms was the improvement of the quality of teaching by the establishment of the first public normal (teacher-training) schools in the United States. State after state followed Massachusetts example until, by the end of the 19th century, the common-school system was firmly established. It was the first rung of what was to develop into the American educational ladder. After the common school had been accepted, people began to urge that higher education, too, be tax supported. As early as 1821, the Boston School Committee established the English Classical School (later the English High School), which was the first public secondary school in the United States. By the end of the century, such secondary schools had begun to outnumber the private academies. The original purpose of the American high school was to allow all children to extend and enrich their common-school education. With the establishment of the land-grant colleges after 1862, the high school also became a preparation for college; the step by which students who had begun at the lowest rung of the educational ladder might reach the highest. In 1873, when the kindergarten became part of the St. Louis, Mo. school system, there was a hint that, in time, a lower rung might be added. Practicality allowed this change in the high school system. Schools now needed to ready the students for college an even higher form of education instead of preparing them to immediately enter the work force. Americas educational ladder was unique. Where public school systems existed in European countries such as France and Germany, they were dual systems. When a child of the lower and middle classes finished his elementary schooling, he could go on to a vocational or technical school. The upper-class child often did not attend the elementary school but was instead tutored until he was about 9 years old and could enter a secondary school, generally a Latin grammar school. The purpose of this school was to prepare him for the university, from which he might well emerge as one of the potential leaders of his country. Instead of two separate and distinct educational systems for separate and distinct classes, the United States provided one system open to everyone a distinctly egalitarian idea. As in mid-19th-century Europe, women were slowly gaining educational ground in the United States. Female academies established by such pioneers as Emma Willard (1787-1870) and Catharine Beecher (1800-78) prepared the way for secondary education for women. In 1861, Vassar, the first real college for women, was founded. Even earlier, in 1833, Oberlin College was founded as a coeducational college, and in 1837, four women began to study there. In the mid-19th century there was yet another change in education. The secondary-school curriculum, that had been slowly expanding since the founding of the academies in the mid-18th century, virtually exploded. But the voice of practicality cried out again. A new society, complicated by the latest discoveries in the physical and biological sciences and the rise of industrialism and capitalism, called for more and newer kinds of knowledge. By 1861 as many as 73 subjects were being offered by the Massachusetts secondary schools. People still believed that the mind could be trained, but they now thought that science could do a better job than the classics could. The result was a curriculum that was virtually saturated with scientific instruction. The mid-19th-century knowledge explosion also modestly affected some of the common schools, which expanded their curriculum to include such courses as science and nature study. Burial Practices Of The Ancient Egyptian And Greco Essay The purpose of the school, however, is not to re-create an environment of relatively random activity but to create an environment where activities are carefully chosen to promote the development of intelligence. Carefully selected and guided, they become nets for gathering and retaining knowledge. Instead of presenting children with an already packaged study of elementary science, Dewey might well have recommended that they study life in an aquarium. The childs natural curiosity should lead to such questions as, Why does the fish move his mouth like that? Is he always drinking? His search for the answer will lead his intelligence in the same direction as that taken by the scientist the direction of formulated conclusions based on observation of the phenomenon. He will be learning the method as well as the subject matter of science; learning to think as a scientist does. Moreover, the inquiry process need not be confined to one narrow area of knowledge but can be guided naturally by the teacher into investigations of fishing and then, conceivably (depending on the maturity of the young learner), of the role of the sea in the life of man. The barriers between subjects thus break down as the childs curiosity impels him to draw upon information from all areas of human knowledge. Books, films, recordings, and other such tools serve this end. Learning the skills reading, writing, spelling, and arithmetic can be made meaningful to the child more easily if he is not forced through purposeless mechanical exercises, which, he is told, are important as a preparation for activities in later life. He should be led to discover that in order to do something he recognizes to be important right now, he needs certain skills. If he wants to write a letter, he must know how to spell; if he wants to make a belt, he must know how to measure the leather correctly. Of course, Dewey was not suggesting that in order to learn an individual must restate the whole history of the human race through personal inquiry. While the need for a background of direct experiences is great in elementary school, as children get older they should become increasingly able to carry out intellectual investigations without having to depend upon direct experiences. The principle of experiencing does apply, however, to the elementary phase of all subjects even when the learner is a high-school or college student or an adult. The purpose is to encourage in the learner a habitual attitude of establishing connections between the everyday life of human beings and the materials of formal instruction in a way that has meaning and application. The measuring and comparative grading of a students assumed abilities, processes that reflect the educators desire to assess the results of schooling, are incompatible with Deweys thinking. The quantity of what is acquired does not in itself have anything to do with the development of mind. The quality of mental process, not the production of correct answers, he wrote, is the measure of educative growth. Because it is a process, learning is cumulative, and cannot be forced or rushed. For Dewey, the educative growth of the individual assures the healthy growth of a society. A society grows only by changes brought about by free individuals with independent intelligence and resourcefulness. The beginning of a better society, then, lies in the creation of better schools. At about the same time that a few pioneering schools of the 1920s were trying to put Deweys theories into practice, the testing movement, which started in about 1910, was working up steam. The child had first become the object of methodical scientific research in 1897, when experiments conducted by Joseph M. Rice suggested that drill in spelling did not produce effective results. By 1913 Edward L. Thorndike had concluded that learning was the establishment of connections between a stimulus and a response and that the theory of mental faculties was nonsense. Alfred Binet, in 1905, published the first scale for measuring intelligence. During the 1920s, children began to be given IQ (intelligence quotient) and achievement tests on a wide scale and sometimes were carefully grouped by ability and intelligence. Many of the spelling and reading books they used, foreshadowing the 1931 Dick and Jane readers, were based on controlled vocabularies. After the shock Americans felt when the Soviets launched the first space satellite (Sputnik) in 1957, criticism of the schools swelled into loud demands for renewed emphasis on content mastery. The insistence on cognitive performance and excellence accomplished four things. It increased competitive academic pressures on students at all levels. It stimulated serious and sustained interest in preschool education, which manifested itself in various ways from the revival of the Montessori method in the 1960s to the preschool television series Sesame Street in 1969. In addition, it created a new interest in testing, this time in such forms as national assessments of student performance, experiments with programmed materials, and attempts to gauge when children could begin to read. And it stimulated interest in the application of technology and instructional systems to education as a means of improving student instruction. It was practical to open up new avenues of education the United States was in competition with the Soviet Union. The Space Race was well on its way and America needed to change the way they learned. And practicality was the key. From the 18th century onward, as knowledge of the world increased, new subjects had been added and old ones split up into branches. Later, new combinations of courses resulted from the attempt to put the scattered pieces of knowledge back together again. The purpose was to make knowledge more rational and meaningful so that it could be understood instead of mechanically memorized. It also encouraged young learners to begin to think and inquire as scholars do. In other words, many of the new programs developed for use in the schools, particularly in the 1960s, stressed the inquiry approach as a means of mastering a body of knowledge and of creating a desire for more knowledge. Resistance to the 1954 United States Supreme Court decision terminating segregation placed the schools in the middle of a bitter and sometimes violent dispute over which children were going to attend what schools. By 1965, when a measure of genuine integration had become a reality in many school districts, the schools again found themselves in the eye of a stormy controversy. This time the question was not which children were going to what schools but what kind of education society should provide for the students. The goal of high academic performance, which had been revived by criticisms and reforms of the 1950s and early 1960s, began to be challenged by demands for more humane, relevant, and pressure-free schooling. Many university and some high-school students from all ethnic groups and classes had been growing more and more frustrated some of them desperately so over what they felt was a cruel and senseless war in Vietnam and a cruel, discriminatory, competitive, loveless society at home. They demanded curriculum reform, improved teaching methods, and greater stress and action on such problems as overpopulation, pollution, international strife, deadly weaponry, and discrimination. Pressure for reform came not only from students but also from many educators. While students and educators alike spoke of the need for greater relevance in what was taught, opinions as to what was relevant varied greatly. The blacks wanted new textbooks in which their people were recognized and fairly represented, and some of them wanted courses in black studies. They, and many white educators, also objected to culturally biased intelligence and aptitude tests and to academic college entrance standards and examinations. Such tests, they said, did not take into account the diverse backgrounds of students who belonged to ethnic minorities and whose culture was therefore different from that of the white middle-class student. Whites and blacks alike also wanted a curriculum that touched more closely on contemporary social problems and teaching methods that recognized their existence as individual human beings rather than as faceless robots competing for grades. Alarmed by the helplessness and hopelessness of the urban ghetto schools, educators began to insist on curricula and teaching methods flexible enough to provide for differences in students social and ethnic backgrounds. In this way, egalitarianism entered into the education system. Rather than keeping whites and blacks segregated in the schools, egalitarianists provided a way for the two groups to co-exist equally. In this case, the standards were raised instead of lowered in order to promote this new equality. Previously, whites and blacks studied on very different levels. Unfortunately, blacks were not given the same opportunities as whites were and they did not receive the attention needed to improve the environment in which they studied. Things changed, however, when egalitarianists raised the standards to promote equality. Clearly, the American education system has changed drastically over the years. From one-room schoolhouses to acres of college campus.. . from Pestalozzi to Dewey from simple religious studies to graduate programs, education has been influenced by many different factors, such as egalitarianism, wisdom of the heart, and most importantly, practicality. Necessity is the mother of invention, they say Just as practicality is the mother of educational reform.Education Essays

Marriott International Hospitality Company Management

Marriott International is an international hospitality company with broad portfolio of  hotels  and related  lodging facilities; its headquartered at Bethesda,  Maryland United States.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Marriott International Hospitality Company Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Currently, the facility has approximately 3,150 lodging properties located in the United States and 68 other countries and territories; the structure at the United States is slight different with the model the company has adopted in the international markets (Marriot Official Website). In the United States, human resources management is centralized at the head office; when someone has an issue, the issue is passed through the outlet manager to the head of human resources without passing through regional heads. As a policy, the company ensures that staffs in a certain location understand the culture, wa y of life model of operation that can best suit the market. In the international outlets, the company adopts an international human resources management structure, under the model human resources issues are delegated to line or departmental managers who are answerable to head office human resources management team. International human resources management structure looks into issues like cultural differences, cultural intelligence issues, culture literacy are highly advocated for. The supply chain adopted in the United Kingdom is slightly different with the structure that the company adopts in other nations; in the United states, the focus is mostly on domestic suppliers while the international branches makes supply decisions with the directions of the head office. The kind of products to procure is highly determined by the people or the customers’ expectations; depending with the type of customer and the culture there in, the company decides the products and services to offe r. For instance, in the United States, the lodgings are made in such a manner that represents the culture of the people. The American style is different from the British style so the company makes decisions on the outfit and structure with such factors in mind (Yueh-shian 89) Customer relationship style also varies with the nation of operation; the company always aims at giving such quality services to customers that can resemble their organisational beliefs or religious orientation. For example Americans greatest population are Christians, the company has structured the facility to resemble the Christian styles in issues that the food served, employees service, and the general structure of the facility.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When dealing in a country with a different culture, the management is sensitive to the cultural beliefs and religion of the people. For instance when in a Muslim country, the company offers services that are in line with the beliefs of the religion; this is in the way rooms policy has been implemented/organized to the kind of food and service offered in the joints. Although most of the outlets resemble each other, Marriot is sensitive to colour, drawings, and interior designs in different countries. The Americans favour bright colours thus the company has taken the initiative and made its interior and the outside environment to have such colours. When dealing in a county that has a different colour theme than that of the United States, the company is sensitive enough to make such adjustments. Marketing and sales policies/strategies adopted in the United States are different with those adopted in other nations. When developing the strategies, the company considers the expectations of the consumer; with the expectations know, it them designs the best approach for a particular region (Adler and Graham 56) Works Cited A dler, Jan, and Graham, James. â€Å"Cross-cultural interactions: The international comparison fallacy.† Journal of international Business Studies 20. 1(2006): 510-547.Print. Marriot Official Website. Marriot. Marriot Hotels. 05 Dec. 2011.Web. Yueh-shian, Leah. Developing International Human Resources Firms.  International Journal Of Business Social Science  2.1 (2001): 37-41.print. This assessment on Marriott International Hospitality Company Management was written and submitted by user Alexandria Torres to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sworn Virgin free essay sample

This essay is about one of the third gender roles. â€Å"Sworn Virgins† While researching I came across very interesting sites that talked about these woman that became men in their society. These Albanian women were from the northern and southern parts of Balkans. This essay will talk about their lives living as a man, the process of it and the reasoning for their choice. Here are the sites I gathered my facts from: www. slate. The common reasons were; at her birth if the family has no male heir and knows they never will, at the death of the familys only male, or at her refusal to marry the man her family wish her to accept as a husband. Often when these women take on this role it will transform who they are instead of being a woman with no rights or powers. She will become a â€Å"Sworn Virgin† a man. We will write a custom essay sample on Sworn Virgin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page And with this status she will be granted all the rights of a man and also the responsibility of a male role as well. Such as being head of household and working. In the process of becoming a â€Å"Sworn Virgin† The Albanian woman will take a celibacy vow to remain chaste for life. In order to complete this transition she will cut off her hair, wear male clothing, and sometimes might even change her name. Traditionally she will do this in front of twelve witnesses. They also pledge to remain virgins and absolutely no sexual interaction of any kind. While doing this research I came across this NY Times article titled Albanian Custom Fades: Woman as Family Man where a woman who was a sworn virgin had been interviewed. When she was sworn in she had done it because there had been no male heir after her father passed away. So it was her duty to become a sworn virgin and live as a male, and even avenge her father’s death. She said that now in today’s world she would not make that same choice. Here is what she said verbatim She says she would not do it today, now that sexual equality and modernity have come even to Albania, with Internet dating and MTV invading after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Girls here do not want to be boys anymore. With only Ms. Keqi and some 40 others remaining, the sworn virgin is dying off.

The Necklace Essays

The Necklace Essays The Necklace Essay The Necklace Essay Many people, more often than not, are obsessed with riches and obtaining the material items they come to believe they deserve. When one examines this, it takes but a moment to realize that most people strive to live above and beyond their meaner. For instance, that shiny new vehicle that came with payments that can barely be scraped together every month, was viewed as a necessity when it was purchased rather than the luxury it really is. Another point of fact is the extremely nice and prominent new home that thousands of people build each year has payments so enormously high that it takes nearly all of their monthly income to make the monthly aments. Many times people have misunderstood what is real and what is not real in life, thereby creating a false sense of security that eventually has destructive consequences. But the lure of having the best of the best for all to observe, in reality, clouds the Judgment and thereby causes much personal distress and financial destruction. In modern times, this is often referred to as keeping up with the Joneses. For most people being known in ones community as beautiful, charismatic, interesting, and wealthy is often ingrained very deep in the recesses of he human mind and the character, Nathalie, in the short story, The Necklace written by Guy De Unpleasant, is certainly no exception. In The Necklace, the author has very quickly painted the character of Madame Nathalie as a very unhappy woman because of her position in society, her desire to be above the common people, accepted and admired among the titled, and her love and lack of riches. The author tells a story of a woman born into a family of clerks, with no dowry to offer and therefore no meaner of ever being wed to a rich and distinguished gentleman, and she let herself to be married too little clerk (68). Mr De Unpleasant also states that Madame Nathalie suffers ceaselessly from the poverty of her dwelling; she is depicted as tortured and angry because she feels that she was born for all the delicacies and luxuries (68). He further describes Madame Mediated as having no dresses nor Jewels and that she loved nothing but that. He tells us that Madame Mediated would so have liked to please, to be envied, to be charming, and to be sought after (68). We also learn that Madame Mediated had a friend that was rich, and whom she did not like to go see anymore because she suffered so much when she came back (68). Madame Nathalie is so preoccupied with who she wants to be and the life style of the rich and titled among her that she has come to love nothing and no one. Her life has seized to exist in any normal fashion as she is totally fixated on what she does not have that she has failed to see how blessed she truly is. Madame Mediated has become so lost in her own world of have-onto that she rejects her friend and has stopped visiting her because Madame Jeanne is wealthy. Madame Mediated has actually quit visiting her friend because she feels the stark truth of her reality upon returning to her own home. It appears that Madame Mediated is Jealous f her friends wealth to the point that she actually dislikes her. In any event, one would have to assume that Madame Mediated is most certainly allowing her love for wealth direct her heart in the matter of her friendship with Madame Jeanne. Madame Matisses husband appears to be content with what he has in life as he is dinner. Mr Eloise uncovered the soup tureen and declared with an enchanted air, ah, the good pot-AU-fee! I dont know anything better than that (68). Mediated cant keep herself from dreaming of riches, not even at the dinner table, the author tells us that she thought of dainty dinners, of shining silverware (68). She thought of delicate dishes served on marvelous plates, and of the whispered gallantries which you listen to with a sphinxes smile, while you are eating the pink flesh of a trout or the wings of a quail (68). Mediated is portrayed as a person who obviously has a deep-rooted love of money and all the material things that accompanies it, to the point that it has consumed her thoughts and actions from within. While Madame Matisses husband is so proud of the stew that he is served, Madame Mediated feels she should be served rich and fancy meals on a silver platter with real silver adorning the table while tinting among the aristocrats and lords. Madame Mediated has engulfed herself in a non-existent world and feels slighted because she was born into a family of commoners. It is very likely that Madame Mediated will destroy herself and her husband with her deep seated dreams of being rich. Madam Mediated seems to have lost her grip on reality because she seems to hate her life to the point that she is suffering severe unhappiness due to the lack of wealth. Madame Matisses husband attempts to bring her happiness when he secures a highly sought after invitation to a party at the palace of the Ministry. The Invitations were issued to very few clerks and all the upper class was to attend this party. But instead of Mediated being delighted, as her husband had hoped, she threw the invitation on the table with disdain (69). Even as her husband gives up his planned purchase of a gun and his savings to buy her a new dress she still isnt happy. She begins to become uneasy and anxious because she is annoyed that she doesnt have a single Jewel, not a single stone, nothing to put on. I shall look like distress. I should almost rather not go at all (69). Whereas Matisses husband suggests she wear flowers, however, she was not invoiced. No; theres nothing more humiliating than to look poor among other women who are rich, at which time her husband suggests she ask her friend Madame Jeanne Forrester, to lend her some Jewels (70). At this point Madame Mediated is more concerned about how the wealthy party attendees would view her above all else. It is very important to Madame Mediated to appear to be wealthy to others at the party. Money cannot buy happiness and neither can anything one purch ases with money add one iota to who you are on the inside. She never appeared to give any thought to spending a lovely and fun filled night at the party with her husband. Her thoughts were totally consumed and controlled by her desire for riches. One of Madame Matisses worst fears is to appear poor. It never occurred to her that she is her own worst enemy and she will be the cause of her own poverty. It obviously never occurs to her to question why she feels the way she does when it comes to money and power. Had she analyzed or stopped to think about why she is so attracted to wealth, she may have avoided the awful existence that soon came. Madame Mediated has decided that she cannot attend the ball with no Jewels to wear, her husband then suggests she ask Madame Jeanne to lend her some. So taking her husband suggestion, Mediated visits her friend Madame Jeanne Forrester and explains her distress at not having any Jewels and asks her to lend her some Jewels. Madame her heart began to beat with an immoderate desire. Her hands trembled as she took it. She fastened it around her throat, outside of her high-necked dress, and remained lost in ecstasy at the sight of herself (70). The day of the ball arrived and Madame Mediated Eloise made a great success, she was prettier than them all, elegant, smiling, gracious, and crazy with Joy. All the men looked at her, asked her name, endeavored to be introduced. All the attaches of the Cabinet wanted to waltz with her. She was remarked by the Minister himself. She danced with intoxication, with passion, made drunk with pleasure, forgetting all, in the triumph of her beauty, in the glory of her success (70) Madame Mediated was living her ultimate dream and the despairing fragments of true reality was nothing more than a distant memory lost long ago in another world. As reality always does, it came sweeping in at about four oclock in the morning when it was time to leave (70). Her husband threw over her shoulders the wraps which he had bought, modest wraps of common life, whose poverty entreated with the elegance of the ball dress. She felt this and wanted to escape so as not to be remarked by the other women, who were enveloping themselves in costly furs (70) Once again as she hastily left her dream life, she instantly became sad and unhappy. All was ended, for her (71). Madame Mediated fears being looked upon as poor so much that she immediately begins to worry about what people will think of her if they observe her wearing common clothing. She has not a worry for neither her own nor her husbands health as she rushes into the freezing cold morning without a warm taxi awaiting them. Madame Mediated was willing to risk both of their well-being to keep up her well laid appearances of the previous night. She is unwilling that anyone see her clothed in anything less than what she considered perfect, after all, appearances of wealth is all that Madame Mediated loves. Appearances is very important in her world. Madame Mediated immediately became unhappy as she was leaving the ball because she was leaving her coveted dream world. For once in her young life, she has lived the way she has dreamed of all her life. Just the thought of leaving that life, no matter how brief it was, became so overwhelming to her that she t once hated her old life with a passion so deep that it caused immediate sadness. In her sadness Madame Mediated momentarily lost sight of how beautiful she looks in her new ball gown and how sophisticated she looks wearing the diamond necklace. The necklace is soon to take control of her life in a way that she nor her husband would have never dreamed possible. Upon arriving home she discovers that she has lost Madame Foresters necklace. Madame Mediated is so stunned over losing the necklace that she Just sits there without doing anything for several hours. She is now ginning to realize that what she had loved more than anything else in her life was becoming a living nightmare. After searching extensively for a week to locate the lost necklace, Mr Eloise goes about borrowing money to purchase a replacement necklace to return to Madame Forrester. The replacement necklace cost 36000 francs; Mr Eloise used all of his inheritance and borrowed from loan sharks and illegal lenders to secure the funds to replace the necklace. At which point he and Mediated began working extremely long hours and very difficult Jobs to pay the loans back. Madame Mediated Eloise now knew the horrible existence of the needy. She took her part, moreover, all of a sudden, with heroism. They dismissed their servant, they took them ten long years to repay all the debts, at which time Madame Mediated appearance had drastically changed, she looked old now. Gone was the beauty of ten years ago and in its place she had become a woman of impoverished households, strong and hard and rough (72). Ironic that poverty had taken its toll on her due to her own love of the riches and Jewels that she so coveted. Madame Mediated vowed to help repay that debt incurred because of her love of riches. One can assume by Madame Matisses actions that she has realized the folly of her prior actions and thoughts. Her days are now spent with long hours of heavy labor. The deep lines etched upon her face and calloused on the palms of her hands tells the story of the toil and depressing poverty that had become her life during the years of repayment. She gave up her preoccupation with what she didnt have and day dreaming of what might have been and replaced them with the reality of the commoner. The author now tells us that Madame Mediated has a chance meeting with Madame Forrester hill taking a walk one day. Madame Mediated decides on the spot to tell Madame Forrester about the lost necklace and the replacement that both she and Mr Eloise worked ten long hard years to pay off, only to be told in the end that the necklace wasnt real at all! It was fake, Just Paste, not worth more than 500 francs (73). At times people learn the hard way that appearances are deceiving and very little is actually what it appears to be. It is perfectly acceptable and honorable to want a better life and obtain wealth, nevertheless, it is not smart to live ones life in anger ND unhappiness, nor to allow Jealousy and greed to control ones life. Madame Mediated learns that she has worked her whole life in a fake world made real only by her thoughts which turned her beliefs toward Jealousy, envy, and discontent with what she had before she lost the necklace. The Lesson that Madame Mediated has learned as she stands there in front of Madame Forrester is that she has caused them serious and real poverty for what she deemed to be real and admirable, was in fact fake and Just an illusion, not all things are what they appear to be. One decision can change ones whole life.

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Business - Essay Example In the context of the above statement, the firm’s operational activities have been aligned, as possible, with the principles of the Global Compact (U.N. Global Compact, The Ten Principles). Particular emphasis has been given on the 8th and 9th principles of the Global Compact, i.e. the development of initiatives to promote environmental responsibility, 8th principle, and the encouragement of the development of technologies that are environmentally friendly, 9th principle (U.N. Global Compact, The Ten Principles). ... ing units that use CO2 as a refrigerant’ (PepsiCo, Climate Change) and b2) the firm has promoted green building in all its facilities internationally (PepsiCo, Climate Change). 1. Lessons Learnt The application of the above practices has helped towards the promotion of the 8th and 9th principles of the Global Compact. An indication of the success of the firm’s efforts in the specific field is the following fact: in 2009 the firm was given a series of awards from ‘the U.S. Green Building Council’ (PepsiCo, Climate Change) for its facilities – built in accordance with the green building standards, as set by the above Council. On the other hand, the use of rocks in India for advertising reasons, an initiative, which set the local ecosystem in risk, proved that not all the firm’s practices are aligned with sustainability (The Peninsula 2002). However, the firm’s major competitor, Coke, which also used a similar practice, has also failed in fully aligning its practices with the principles of sustainability (The Peninsula 2002). It should be noted though that the practices of Coke in the area of sustainability, have resulted to important environmental benefits: for example, in 2009 the carbon footprint of the firm was reduced at 11.5% compared to 2007; also, the promotion of green building policies in the firm’s facilities worldwide (Environmental Leader 2010). 2. Recommendations The firm’s current policies in regard to sustainability (referring especially to the promotion of the 8th and 9th principles of the Global Compact) would be further improved through the following practices: a) development of sustainable-related programmes which will be supported by the locals (Ritchie 2000, 51) ; reference is made to community-based sustainable initiatives

New Media and Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

New Media and Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example This paper provides a critical discussion of how the presence of social media influences or shapes consumer behaviour with real-world examples of social media as a contemporary marketing and relationship-building tool. The dynamics of social media and consumer psychology Smith (2009) identifies that blogging, video-sharing and social networks are entering mainstream and are no longer a niche market activity in multiple demographic groups. User-generated content materials have improving the ability of consumers to publish their opinions about products and services and also improve the relationships with the global and local communities. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter allow for instant publication of thoughts and ideas whilst also providing consumers with a new visibility, especially related to video-sharing, that fulfils their needs for affiliation. Bainbridge (2009) informs that consumers are also demanding portability with their electronic devices, thus advance ments in smart phone development and similar devices give portable access to social networking to serve as a form of diary for their current thoughts and impressions on a variety of different subjects and social commentaries. This contemporary access to new media is effective in satisfying consumers of many different socio-cultural and socio-economic backgrounds due to inherent needs and motivations that are shared by virtually all consumers globally. â€Å"A whole range of psychogenic drives stems from our social environment, culture and social group interactions† (Evans, Jamal & Foxall, 2009, p.5). These psychogenic drives are status-related needs or simply finding a sense of serenity regarding one’s place in the social stratification system. According to psychologists, one of the basic motivational drivers is the establishment of a sense of belonging, believing that one must be recognized by peers and general society through group affiliation. Under most models, est ablishment of higher-order psychology cannot be established without this affiliation. â€Å"The satisfaction of the need for esteem produces self-confidence, prestige, power and control† (Gambrel & Cianci, 2003, p.146). People in global society also need to feel as though they are having an impact on their environment as it relates to power and control (Gambrel & Cianci). These inherent needs for recognition from society and peers are also present in youth consumer markets. According to Berten & van Rossem (2008) adolescents are especially influenced by peer relationships and feedback with whom they have strong interpersonal connections as well as their desired reference group. This is important to understand as it relates to youth markets since they are considered to be â€Å"one of the most cynical, fast-moving and fragmented markets brand owners can hope to crack† (Forsey, 2009, p.21). Usually trend conscious, the youth market is a concentrated user of social media and thus understanding their psychological make-up is important to critically assess the role of social media for modern marketing practices. Therefore, it should be said that social media is not just a recreational past-time anymore for youths and older target markets, but represents a lifestyle activity that is mainstream and a conventional social outlet. Through the use of

Literature review on competitive advantage Essay

Literature review on competitive advantage - Essay Example The concept of competitive advantage has evolved over the past few decades and has now become an integral part of strategic management of any organization. Much research has been conducted on the attainment of competitive advantage and effective ways to sustain it. This literature review aims to explain the concept of competitive advantage in the light of different authors, along with their proposals of effective strategies to sustain it. Few examples have been chosen from the available literature to highlight the practical implementation of the concepts of competitive advantage. 2. Literature Review The concept of competitive advantage was introduced in the study of strategic management by Ansoff (1965). His ideas and propositions are known to form the basis of vital aspects of the development of growth strategy of any organization. Lowy and Hood (2004) quoted Ansoff (1965) and stated that his extensive experience and research in the field of diversification planning, highlighted re levant aspects and issues that should be considered for an effective growth strategy. Hindle (2008) also discussed the contributions of Ansoff and stated that some of the valuable contributions of Ansoff’s work in the field of strategic management are related to the attainment of competitive advantage and core competencies. Priemand and Butler (2001) pointed out that Ansoff’s work seemed to stress on the relevance of industry-based factors (threats and opportunities) more than the resource-based ones (weaknesses and strengths). Dix and Mathews (2002) provided a basis of strategy formulation and explained the attainment of competitive advantage; he stated that the development of strategic decisions involve the analysis of the core competencies and resources of the company. Prahalad and Hamel (2003) also considered the identification of core competencies as an important aspect of competitive advantage. The core competencies, that are unique and distinguishing from the co mpetitors, can serve to become the competitive advantage if they are availed in the presence of good opportunities in the market. The concept of competitive advantage was further researched upon by Porter (1998). Porter explained the formulation of a competitive strategy as the broad plan of how businesses should compete in the market (in the presence of various environmental factors) to meet their goals. It also involves the policies according to which goals and objectives of the organization can be met. Porter also stated that competitive advantage can be explained as the combination of having low expenses, differentiation value for the company and a strategy that enables the company to focus on their main objectives. Porter (1998) accumulated all the aspects that might be related to the attainment of competitive advantage onto a single page. He described it as the ‘Wheel of Competitive Strategy’. The underlying bases of the strategy are the basic goals that are aspir ed to be achieved by the company and the vision which is set as the main direction of the company. Various aspects on the rim of the wheel, like marketing, product line, finance and control etc have to be considered to attain competitive advantage in the market, while being influenced by the main vision of the company.

Strategic Management Crafting And Executing Strategy

Strategic Management Crafting And Executing Strategy You are required to perform strategic planning for your organisation or one you are familiar with in your country or region and: Develop a vision statement, mission statement and statement of values, and explain their appropriateness Undertake and internal analysis of the organisation and analysis of its external environment, using several appropriate models like an industry five forces analysis. Craft strategies and explain their appropriateness You do not need to develop implementation processes. But you should mention the critical importance of implementation, execution and evaluation of strategies you come up with for this assignment. Word count Executive summary Strategic Management has come to be recognized as an inherent part of management in all organisations. This paper surrounds the development of a vision statement, mission statement and statement of values, and the explanation of their appropriateness while taking into consideration the SWOT analysis and the crafting of strategies for the AP Fishing Company which can lay a solid foundation for sustainable future business growth. Explanations will be surrounding the critical importance of implementation, execution and evaluation of strategies. Table of Contents Introduction 6 Background 7 Vision statement 8 Mission Statement 8 Statement of Values 9 Appropriateness Vision, Mission and Statement of values 10 SWOT ANALYSIS 10-11 Porter Five forces analysis 12 Pestel Analysis 13-14 Craft strategies and explain their appropriateness 14-16 Importance of implementation and execution strategies 16 Importance evaluation of strategies 17 Conclusion 17 References 18 1. Introduction The aim of this paper is to craft strategies for the AP Fishing Company which I have understudied, develop a vision statement, mission statement and statement of values, and explain their appropriateness while taking into consideration the SWOT analysis. Firstly I will explain and develop a vision statement, mission statement and statement of values. Secondly, I will undertake an internal analysis of AP Fishing Company and analysis of its external environment, using several appropriate models like PESTEL analysis and Porters five forces. Finally, I will explain the critical importance of implementation, execution and evaluation of strategies. In addition, meaningful conclusions will be drawn from the discussions arising from Strategic Management issues. The relevant information and content for this paper were gathered from books, lectures and internet research. I wish to acknowledge the assistance of my wife and colleagues for their valuable contributions toward this paper. 2. Background Located on the East Bank of the Demerara, in Guyana, AP Fishing Company is Guyanas pioneering fishing industry in Snapper, for both local and export market. The company has eleven trawlers which are equipped with cold storage facilities for deep water fishing and turtle excluding devices (TEDs) to avoid entrapment of turtles in the trawler nets. All trawlers are registered and are licensed by type; these trawlers would go fishing in pairs and they would spend approximately twenty one days and then return with their catch. The superior quality catch would be packaged and sold to the international market, while the remaining catch would be sold to the local wholesale markets. 3. What is a vision statement? According to (Arthur A.Thompson, 2010) A strategic Vision Statement points an organization in a particular direction, charts a strategic path and moulds the organizations identity. In other words, a Vision Statement defines where the organisation wants to be in the future and how it will achieve it and what kinds of human resources it needs to achieve this. A P Fishing does not currently have an established Vision Statement. An ideal Vision Statement would read as follows: We are concerned with providing superior quality Snapper fish for local and export market without significantly sacrificing natural resources. Our business is always focused on long term viability of this industry through safe, responsible and sustainable practices. 4. What is a Mission Statement? A Mission Statement defines the goals and objectives the organisation wishes to achieve presently. According to (Arthur A.Thompson, 2010), a Mission Statement identifies who we are, what we do and why we are here. Present Mission Statement reads as follows: To satisfy our customers needs by providing the best snapper An ideal Mission Statement would read as follows To acquire, process and market quality Snapper at competitive prices in the local market and to establish A P Fishing as the leading exporter in the country. To implement and maintain more environmentally friendly processes by the utilization of bio degradable packaging components without sacrificing company brand and competitive advantage. 5. A Statement of values According to (Arthur A.Thompson, 2010), A Statement of Values consists of the beliefs, traits and ways of doing things that management has determined should guide the pursuit of its vision and strategy AP Fishing Company has the following values of which the employer and employees have recognised, reiterated from time to time and implemented throughout the company since its inception. Core Values Accountability: We must be held accountable for our actions. We make and support business decisions through experience and good judgment. Customer Service Excellence: We are dedicated to satisfying customer needs and honoring commitments that we have made to them, both locally and internationally Teamwork: Our team is supportive of each others efforts, loyal to one another, and care for each other both personally and professionally. Balance: We are flexible, helping team members strike a healthy work and life balance. Community and environment: We strive to help and improve the communities where we work and live. We are concerned about the environment and promote the use of recyclable products and renewable energy. Integrity: We act with honesty and integrity, not compromising the truth. Respect: We treat our team members, customers, partners and suppliers with mutual respect and sensitivity, recognizing the importance of diversity. We respect all individuals and value their contributions. Open Door Communication: All team members are encouraged to openly share their opinions and views. 6. Appropriateness of Vision, Mission and Statement of values The vision, mission and values statement of company are very important, since the vision defines the companys future, where the mission defines the present goals and objectives of the company which are measurable and values are the core values, which the company has built its reputation on, so it is very essential to have these statements established early in any company to have a competitive advantage. 7. What is SWOT ANALYSIS? SWOT means Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Strengths and Weaknesses are considered to be internal factors over which the company has some measure of control. Opportunities and Threats are considered to be external factors over which the company may have essentially little or no control. 7.1. Internal 7.1.1. Strengths The internal strengths of A P Fishing Co. are as follows: It provides opportunities for employee professional growth and personal achievement. It provides training in all diversified areas of the fishing profession so that employees are versatile and multi-skilled and are equipped to effectively handle any job on the trawlers out at sea. Highly skilled and experienced employees in the fishing profession. Markets: to penetrate or create new markets. The fishing industry is a thriving industry. The possibility for market growth is high and A P Fishing Company has the ability to increase its market share. This type of industry is obviously an industry with a long life cycle and will not become obsolete unlike other technologically advanced products with relatively short life cycles. In addition, A P has opportunities to diversify into production and packaging of other types of fishes in order to establish versatility, higher profitability and competitive advantage. 7.1.2 Weaknesses The internal weaknesses of A P Fishing Co. are as follows: Managers and staff are not competent in other functions of the company such as accounting and human resource management. Employees are somewhat affected by seasonal unemployment when the trawlers are grounded and fishing season is closed. Key employees in management positions are nearing retirement. 7.2 External 7.2.1Opportunity Good market demand both locally and internationally. Growth in demand for more organic and healthy food . The noticeable change in food preferences of people can only boost the fishing industry. The growing preference of fish over chicken as a major source of protein and as a healthy combination of any diet has tremendously contributed to the immense growth in demand for fish. 7.2.2. Threats There is always threat of new entrants to the snapper fishing industry which threatens the availability of this resource to all relevant stakeholders. There is always the threat that snapper, albeit a renewable resource, will not replenish itself as fast as it is utilized by current fishing industries. There is no regulation that currently seeks to promote sustainable development in these industries. There also exists the threat of poaching by foreign vessels in the snapper areas due to the lack of adequate and experienced coast guards to protect and prevent alien invasion in local waters. 8. Porter Five forces analysis 8.1 Rivalry among sellers Fish wholesalers are competing assiduously for business. When fish wholesalers are similar in size and capability, they can usually compete on a fairly even footing. When fish is scarce, it usually results in increase in the fish prices. When competitors see opportunities to satisfy customer in a unique way or are under pressure to improve performance, they will compete tirelessly to win customers confidence. 8.2 Threat of new entrants Despite the absence of stringent regulations restricting the number of companies in the fishing business, the threat of new entrants may still be relatively low because of the high initial capital investment, know how, fishing and export licence requirement and the relative large sizes of existing fishing businesses which benefit tremendously from economies of scale. 8.3 Threat of Substitute products There are many alternatives to Fishsuch as chicken, pork, beef etc and these alternatives are exploited when fish is scarce. However, the growing emphasis on healthy eating may mean that some customers may be willing to pay premium prices when the product is scarce and some may revert to substitutes which are more affordable. 8.4 Bargaining power of Suppliers In the fishing industry, the supply of fish is not dependent on human intervention so much but on various forces out at sea. Therefore, water pollution through oil spillages, pouching by foreign vessels are some things which may affect the bargaining power of suppliers. In the fishing industry there are many alliances and partnerships which are focused on protecting and improving the fishing industry. 8.5 Bargaining power of customers Wholesalers are one of the important competitive forces in the fish industry; they can often dictate prices by buying in bulk. The wholesalers benefit from economies of scale and as such fishing companies make very small margins on such sales. The wholesalers, however, can demand premium prices from retail customers who are health conscious and not price sensitive. 9. Pestel Analysis 9.1Political The Guyana Government is encouraging deep-sea fishing activity and is supporting this development by way of granting small loans, grants, adequate incentives, infrastructure and training programmes. Future development is expected to focus on further expansion of fresh and processed fish products and related manufacturing activities, catering for both domestic and export market needs. 9.2 Economical According to (Anon., 2008) The fisheries sector is a significant contributor to Guyanas economy, with 3% of total GDP accruing from the sector. The fishing industry employs around 6,500 people in harvesting and a further 6,000 people in processing, with many more benefiting indirectly through fishing related industries such as boat building and gear supply and repair. 9.3 Social AP Fishing Company has created many jobs for the locals and also increase their spending power by paying these persons a relatively good salary and also bonuses on every trip depending on the catch. AP Fishing Company has taken a personal interest in developing the community and keeping it clean. 9.4 Technological Technological advancement has tremendously affected A P Fishing Industry inclusive of innovative improvements in fishing processes, packaging and the development of products. It has also improved administrative functions such as the dissemination of information, receipt of orders, and delivery of products or services. 9.5 Environmental The increasing emphasis on environmental protection and waste disposal has led A P Fishing to change its current packaging to more bio degradable components. It is also foreseeable that A P Fishing will continue to make its processes more environmentally friendly in the future. 9.6 Legal The Government does not have the capacity to set sustainable Total Allowable Catches because of insufficient human and technical capacity. Commercial fishing is a regulated business and must be licensed to operate. In addition, the company must have an export license before it can enter the international market. Present Strategy The present strategy of the company has worked well over the years, but this research has found that this strategy does not have any long term viability for the company and thus would be not able to give AP Fishing Company the competitive advantage it needs for long term viability and profitability. Craft strategies and explain their appropriateness AP Fishing Company strategizes to target both the local and international markets with its focused differentiation strategy on quality snapper. Operational Strategy AP Fishing can improve its order taking process by use of bespoke software, internet ordering and an efficient switchboard system. This would reduce costs and bureaucracy. Marketing Strategy Because of its international presence, web marketing is imperative. Internet marketing goes beyond geographical boundaries and can be personalized and interactive. Export market is a major part of the business, and where more of AP Fishing Company revenue is generated. The World Wide Web: AP Fishing Company should launch an interactive website to target the export market, where potential customers can ask various questions and feed back given. Customers can place new orders online and can even track the current status of their orders. Other options include Brochure: AP Fishing Company has advertised in the country tourism brochure, this is to target mostly visitors and the international market so they know what kind of product the company offers. Newspaper advertising when feasible: this is appropriate for the local market: both wholesalers and retailers. Sales Strategy The objective of proposed sales strategy is simply to sell quality and well packaged snapper fish to wholesalers at affordable prices, and to maximize the free trade agreement in Caricom market. . To help realize our goal, we will implement the following: The customer is the king. We make sure we connect professionally and personally both with our local and international customers to ensure their wants and needs are satisfied. Ensure staffs are well trained and knowledgeable in the companys products. Discounts are offered to new wholesalers based on referrals system. Importance of implementation and execution of strategies According to (Arthur A.Thompson, 2010)implementation and execution of strategies are primary operational-driven activity revolving around the management of people and business purposes. Strategy implementation is the process of translation of strategies and policies into action through the development of programs, budgets and procedures. It is typically conducted by the middle and lower level management but is reviewed by the top management. Unless the corporation is appropriately organized, programs are adequately staffed and activities are properly directed, these operational plans fail to deliver the goods. To be effective, a strategy must be implemented through the right organizational structure and appropriate management practices. In addition, management must also ensure that there is progress towards, objectives according to plan by instituting a rigorous process of control over important activities. It is critical that Executing strategy is done successfully so that the companys performance targets can be met. It is a job for the whole management team, and the process typically affects every part of the company. 11. Importance evaluation of strategies Strategy Evaluation is as significant as strategy formulation because it throws light on the efficiency and effectiveness of the comprehensive plans in achieving the desired results. The managers can also assess the appropriateness of the current strategy in todays dynamic world with socio-economic, political and technological innovations. Strategic Evaluation is the final phase of strategic management. The significance of strategy evaluation lies in its capacity to co-ordinate the task performed by managers, groups, departments etc, through control of performance. Strategic Evaluation is significant because of various factors such as developing inputs for new strategic planning, the urge for feedback, appraisal and reward, development of the strategic management process, judging the validity of strategic choice etc. 13. Conclusion In conclusion, it is appropriate to say that AP Fishing Company needs to revolutionize its present strategy to be able to enjoy competitive advantage in the fishing industry by utilising technology to gain more access to customers globally. The company needs to address its weaknesses urgently to avoid any major decline in profit. A P Fishing Co. is undoubtedly equipped with human resources in its core competencies; however, other peripheral aspects of management such as accounting, marketing and even recruitment can be outsourced to specialist entities. It is already established that one of the weaknesses of A P Fishing is its inability to manage other functions of the company. Outsourcing will benefit the company in many ways such as decreased overheads and fixed costs (salary costs), access to specialized services, increased focus on core competence. In addition, A P Fishing should consider the option of diversifying into other categories of seafood such as prawns and shark. If and when snapper becomes an exhausted resource due to bad sustainable development strategies, A P Fishing should be able to maintain its customers and current market by offering suitable alternatives to its customers. Focused diversification is necessary for continued survival if a cost leadership strategy is unfeasible.

Animal Testing is Animal Cruelty :: Animal Testing

Animal Testing is Animal Cruelty We, as humans, have made numerous advancements in the world. We have firmly established the scientific evolution, but in doing so, it seems that our ethics and morals have failed to progress as well. The knowledge we have acquired is remarkable, but with it comes responsibility to use it wisely and ethically. We torture and heartlessly kill creatures that we arrogantly consider lesser beings simply at our disposal. For something as simple as eye makeup animals are tortured and blinded by tests performed at the laboratory. Where they are hardly fed, often forced to live in filth, and sometimes have their vocal cords removed to keep them quiet (CAAT). We are systematically cutting down the last forest that provides their shelter to farm cattle; we dump toxic chemicals and sewage into the waters in which they live; we wear and display the tusks of the last few of their species in our homes, and we pour cosmetic products into their eyes and body parts to determine the harmful effects the y might cause on humans, even though the physiological differentiation between humans and the animals they use is drastic. On a daily basis most people do not see their own degree of unintentional support towards this global dilemma, but when compiled on paper one must question how mankind can, with conscience, commit these acts which shame us as human beings. Animals possess the same kinds of feelings and emotions as human beings, and without anesthesia, they are subjected to the pain as well. Mankind often fails to give animals the respect and rights they deserve, they are treated as lifeless, unfeeling scientific specimens and items that we may manipulate at our own convenience and for vanity’s sake. The Facts of Animal Tests - Laboratory research involving animals is cruel and merciless treatment of helpless creatures. No law requires that cosmetics and household products be tested on animals. Nevertheless, every day hundreds of animals will have had their eyes, skin or g astrointestinal systems unnecessarily burned or destroyed (PETA). Two of the most common animal tests are the Draize, or eye irritancy test and the LD50 (Lethal Dose 50). The Draize test is performed almost exclusively on albino rabbits, such as the Forida White, because they are cheap, docile, and are not â€Å"equipped† with tear ducts to wash away the chemicals. During the test the rabbits are immobilized in a stock with only their head protruding and a solid or liquid is placed in the lower lid of one eye of the rabbit; substances vary from mascara to aftershave and even oven cleaner.

Tree of Knowledge

The Tree of Knowledge It is important for society to find a reliable source of knowledge, as it is a powerful factor which helps society to attain success. As a good example of the significance of knowledge for society, the Tree of Knowledge from the Garden of Eden represents, not just a source of absolute knowledge, but how desperately human nature seeks that perfect source. However, the Tree of Knowledge does not exist in the real world.Thus, society is facing a problem of finding the most effective way to produce accurate knowledge because mistaken knowledge has no value. In his essay â€Å"The Hive,† historian and writer Marshall Poe points out two sources for knowledge: social consensus and experts. In the past, it was hard to gather knowledge efficiently due to equivocation, and experts were considered to be the most reliable source of knowledge. But today, the Internet has provided society with the convenient environment for finding and storing information.In his essay, Poe discusses the phenomenon of the web-site Wikipedia as an example of a successful effort in collaborative knowledge, which is produced during the process of communication and negotiation by society and experts concerning the information regarding an object of study. A professor at Harvard University and author of â€Å"Reporting Live from Tomorrow,† Daniel Gilbert suggests relying on the experiences of others, whom he calls â€Å"surrogates,† in order to obtain more reliable knowledge. Collaborative knowledge is based on society’s collective experiences.It is meant to accumulate and constantly update information from society. On the other hand, experts are a key for progress in society as they perform deeper research about a subject. Therefore, in order to produce reliable knowledge, society must consult with experts, while experts should consider the experiences of other people when conducting their research. It might seem at the first sight that the only r eliable source of knowledge are experts, as they have more intense and prolonged experiences through practice and education in a particular field.Therefore, it is a common belief that in order to obtain true knowledge, society has to rely on the competence of experts. In his essay, Poe says that one of the criticisms of Wikipedia in its early stage was the point that â€Å"unless experts were writing and vetting the material, the articles were inevitably going to be inaccurate† (Poe 275). However, human history provides evidence that refutes this statement by proving that what once was considered as absolute knowledge was later questioned.For example, in the 18th century, Isaac Newton’s laws of motion became a revolution in a scientific world and for the next 200 years they remained incontestable until Albert Einstein introduced his ideas that revealed shortcomings of Newton’s theory. Thus, society cannot blindly rely on the conclusions of experts because, at th eir core, they are like all other people who â€Å"pass along [their] beliefs in an effort to create people whose minds think like [theirs]† (Gilbert 171).According to Gilbert, â€Å"almost any time we tell anyone anything, we are attempting to change the way their brains operate – attempting to change the way they see the world so that their view of it more closely resembles our own† (Gilbert 171). Experts attempt to do same thing, but their reputation in society gives their ideas an advantage to be successfully transmitted and accepted as knowledge. Still, accuracy of this knowledge might be questionable in the future. In order to understand how society decides if a certain idea or belief can become knowledge, it is important to look at the process of producing knowledge.Individuals generate personal beliefs from their own views. However, these views are based on already existing socio-cultural knowledge. Afterwards, using shared language, individuals bring th eir ideas and beliefs to society by making public statements. Further, these beliefs may become knowledge through social interaction, communication, discussion, clarification, and negotiation. According to Gilbert, â€Å"any belief †¦ that increases communication has a good chance of being transmitted over and over again† (Gilbert 173). Therefore, social interaction is a medium that allows ideas to become a part of collaborative knowledge.However, in his essay, Gilbert points out that while â€Å"accurate beliefs give [society] power, which makes it easier to understand why they are so readily transmitted from one mind to another,† false beliefs have a great chance to be propagated if they â€Å"happen to promote stable societies †¦ because people who hold these beliefs tend to live in stable societies, which provide the means by which false beliefs propagate† (Gilbert 173). Thus, even false ideas may become knowledge if society decides so. Such decisi ons might lead to absurd conclusions that have no value for society.According to Poe, â€Å"the community decides that two plus two equals four the same way it decides what apple is: by consensus †¦ [but] if the community changes its mind and decides that two plus two equals five, then two plus two does equal five† (Poe 275). In other words, society has an ability to make judgments of truth and falsehood, and knowledge produced by social consensus can be misleading and inaccurate. Nevertheless, inaccurate knowledge, sooner or later, will be revealed and questioned by society because the primary purpose of knowledge is to serve the needs of society and help it to improve and grow.Individuals, as well as the whole society, can only attain success and progress if they have a reliable source of knowledge. It is a strong incentive that makes people search for truth. In his essay, Poe points out that people who contribute into Wikipedia have â€Å"no interest other then truth in doing all this work† (Poe 277). Today, the vast interconnectedness of the Internet makes it possible for individuals from all over the world to share their experiences and ideas on the global level.Thereby, collaborative knowledge can be constantly negotiated, updated, and renegotiated, and its quality may improve just like â€Å"the quality on articles [in Wikipedia] generally increases with the number of eyeballs† (Poe 276). As the process of producing collaborative knowledge improves its reliability, efficiency, and fecundity with the new era of Internet technologies, it creates a very valuable database for experts, who can use collaborative knowledge as a resource of information and experiences collected by society for expertise.According to Gilbert, â€Å"humanity is a living library of information about what it feels like to do just about anything† (Gilbert 171). Every individual possesses a great deal of unique accumulative knowledge that he or she gai ned throughout life. That is why experiences of other individuals should be taken into account by experts in order to produce more accurate and objective knowledge. Today, in the Internet environment, it has become much easier to find surrogates with particular experiences.Experts should consider these experiences during their research and constantly update their data and information based on collaborative knowledge. On the other hand, the fact that the Internet has gained so much popularity in society might make people neglect the role of experts in the process of producing knowledge. Since it has become relatively easy to find surrogates in the virtual environment and ask them directly about their experiences, collaborative knowledge might be sufficient enough to fulfill society’s needs as a dependable source of knowledge. In his essay, Poe points out that given the right technology, large groups of self-interested individuals will unite to create something they could not p roduce by themselves† (Poe 267). Wikipedia is a good example of this phenomenon. â€Å"Instead of relying on experts to write articles according to their expertise, Wikipedia lets anyone write about anything† (Poe 264). Based on a large number of individuals who are constantly working on improving articles and people’s tendencies to strive for truth, Wikipedia could become the end of the search for a reliable source of knowledge. However, it is important not to underestimate the role of experts in society.In his essay, Gilbert noticed that, if you ask a child what to do when an individual is hesitating about making some decision, the child will say that â€Å"[he or she] should ask the teacher† (Gilbert 170). Throughout all human history, experts were called in for advice on their respective subject because of their extensive knowledge or ability based on research, experience, or occupation in a particular area of study. Their knowledge and experiences are already unique, simply because experts spend more time studying the subject than an average person. It explains the fact that most innovations in human society were made by experts.Moreover, by collecting and systematizing experiences of other individuals, experts serve as surrogates for society as well. Overtime, results of their research projects accepted as knowledge become a part of social consensus. Thereby, expertise is still very important and must be taken into consideration by society as a source of knowledge. In order to be completely reliable, knowledge requires absolute certainty, as opposite to belief or opinion about which there is more doubt. However, as a process of social communication, knowledge is never absolute.Although its character is to be taken as final truth, knowledge remains as a subject of possible future questioning, reinterpretation, and negotiation. The Tree of Knowledge, as a source of true knowledge, is an unattainable aim for society. Neither exper tise nor collaborative knowledge alone can be considered as the best way to produce knowledge. Only their collaboration can bring the most reliable results. Today, the Internet helps to speed up the processes of communication, storage, and negotiation of information that play a significant role in producing collaborative knowledge and positively affecting its quality.Thus, referring to society’s collaborative experience, experts can produce more objective and reliable knowledge. Works Cited Gilbert, Daniel. â€Å"Reporting Live from Tomorrow. † Emerging: Contemporary Readings for Writers. Ed. Barclay Barrios. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 169-189. Print. Poe, Marshall. â€Å"The Hive. † Emerging: Contemporary Readings for Writers. Ed. Barclay Barrios. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 264-277. Print.

Free Essays on A Worn Path

Life’s Journey Every person, living and dead, has a story to be told. Phoenix Jackson is no exception. Some may perceive the story on Phoenix’s journey to town in a sad light. Each journey however, must have some trials and tribulations just as Phoenix does during her trip. Phoenix’s difficult journey to town seems to indicate that the struggles she has endured throughout her life enable her to possess the wisdom to overcome many obstacles. Throughout her journey Phoenix endures a number of problems not allowing any of them distract her from her goal. Before she gets very far she finds herself entangled in a thorn bush that with some persistence she frees herself from. This seems to indicate the difficulty of the impending travel ahead. The path soon comes to a small creek only to be crossed by walking the log that makes the path. This is obviously no easy feat for an old woman walking unsteadily with a cane. Yet Phoenix makes it across safely. Through barred wire and after a tumble into a ditch she finally makes it safely and unharmed into town. Even the younger more capable hunter exclaims â€Å"Why, that’s too far† when he hears of her destination (McMahan 292). Phoenix does make it to town despite the difficulty of the journey and proves she has the persistence and wisdom of her years to enable her to survive. Three times during her trip Phoenix shows her wisdom by obtaining things from various people along her way. She shows her abilities first by managing to obtain money from a hunter who claims â€Å"Id give you dime if I had any money with me† (McMahan 294). To accomplish this she must distract the hunter from realizing he lost this valuable commodity. She pretends to be interested in watching his dog chase a cur and he subsequently goes off to do just that. She then quickly assumes possession of the fallen nickel. Secondly, she comes across a woman who obviously look down at Phoenix. T... Free Essays on A Worn Path Free Essays on A Worn Path You Can’t Trick Me Death is always lurking around us. Nobody really knows when death will come knocking at his or her door. In her short story, â€Å"A Worn Path,† Eudora Welty uses many different symbols that convey an underlying meaning that death is lurking around every corner and around every bend in the road. Some of these symbols include the title itself, â€Å"A Worn Path,† the rustling in the bushes, Phoenix Jackson’s dress catching in the bush, and the scarecrow and the black dog. All of these symbols represent death in one way or another. The first symbol is the title of the story and how it brings Phoenix Jackson to her journey of â€Å"A Worn Path.† This path is familiar to Phoenix, for she has traveled down it her entire life. As Phoenix starts her long journey through the deep ominous woods, she knows anything could happen if she is not careful. With her ears and senses alert, she makes slow but steady steps into the woods. Phoenix hears rustling in the bushes as she makes her way along the path. Phoenix does not see anything, but she thinks the wild animals might try to get her, so she says â€Å"Out of my way all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals!† (87). The path Phoenix takes is the path of her life. She knows death lurks behind every shadow and can take on any form or shape. The rustling in the bushes represents the evil that could cross her path and interrupt her way of life. People can sense when their time of existence is near the end. They will take painstaking care to look presentable when entering Heaven. Phoenix’s â€Å"long dark striped dress† gets caught on a bush, and to her this is not acceptable. She says, â€Å"Thorns, you doing your appointed work. Never want to let folks pass† (87). Phoenix finally frees herself from the bush. Death plays many games, and this is one more that Phoenix has endured and overcome. At times people feel like the devil has a hold on them. The ... Free Essays on A Worn Path A Vital Path Life is full of purposeful journeys. These journeys are often taken to overcome, to succeed, or to protect. In Eudora Welty’s short story â€Å"A Worn Path,† the elderly Phoenix Jackson sets out on one of these voyages. Her trip down the path is a vital part of her life and essential to the survival of her grandson and herself. Beginning her perilous trip to town, Phoenix confidently exclaims, â€Å"’Out of my way all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons, and wild animals!†¦I got a long way.’† Phoenix knows what trials she must face, and she is determined to overcome them. When her eyesight fails her and she is caught in brambles, she works intently to remove them from her tangled skirts and continues along her way. Phoenix encounters even more challenge when the initially amiable hunter becomes unpleasant and disrespectful and tries to frighten her into going home. Needless to say, Phoenix is not deterred; she says, â€Å"’I bound to go on my way, mister,’† and continues down the path. Surmounting these challenges keeps Phoenix determined to complete her journey. Phoenix’s trip down the path is crucial to her sick grandson. Her love for him runs deep and she knows that she must make this journey for him. Without Phoenix’s resolve to repeatedly travel to town for medicine, her grandson’s illness may take his life. If that were to occur, because of Phoenix’s old age, she may no longer have the will to keep living. Phoenix also makes the journey for herself. The old woman’s name alludes to the fabled Egyptian phoenix that, after five hundred years of life, consumes itself in flames and is resurrected from its ashes. Like the bird, Phoenix Jackson periodically makes her journey and is, in a sense, reborn from her experience. When she skillfully crosses a log over a creek and says, â€Å"’I wasn’t as old as I thought,’† it is clear that the trials Phoenix faces on the path g... Free Essays on A Worn Path Life’s Journey Every person, living and dead, has a story to be told. Phoenix Jackson is no exception. Some may perceive the story on Phoenix’s journey to town in a sad light. Each journey however, must have some trials and tribulations just as Phoenix does during her trip. Phoenix’s difficult journey to town seems to indicate that the struggles she has endured throughout her life enable her to possess the wisdom to overcome many obstacles. Throughout her journey Phoenix endures a number of problems not allowing any of them distract her from her goal. Before she gets very far she finds herself entangled in a thorn bush that with some persistence she frees herself from. This seems to indicate the difficulty of the impending travel ahead. The path soon comes to a small creek only to be crossed by walking the log that makes the path. This is obviously no easy feat for an old woman walking unsteadily with a cane. Yet Phoenix makes it across safely. Through barred wire and after a tumble into a ditch she finally makes it safely and unharmed into town. Even the younger more capable hunter exclaims â€Å"Why, that’s too far† when he hears of her destination (McMahan 292). Phoenix does make it to town despite the difficulty of the journey and proves she has the persistence and wisdom of her years to enable her to survive. Three times during her trip Phoenix shows her wisdom by obtaining things from various people along her way. She shows her abilities first by managing to obtain money from a hunter who claims â€Å"Id give you dime if I had any money with me† (McMahan 294). To accomplish this she must distract the hunter from realizing he lost this valuable commodity. She pretends to be interested in watching his dog chase a cur and he subsequently goes off to do just that. She then quickly assumes possession of the fallen nickel. Secondly, she comes across a woman who obviously look down at Phoenix. T... Free Essays on A Worn Path In Eudora Welty’s "A Worn Path" the conflict was not apparent at the very beginning. What was a poor, elderly sick woman doing gallivanting in the forest during the dead of winter? The reason became clear towards the conclusion of the story as the action revealed that the conflict was obtaining the necessary medicine for her grandson. When this conflict became obvious, another question came to mind. What kind of society did this woman live in that she had to go all the way from her home in the countryside to the city by herself to get the medicine? The conflict being illustrated is that of an individual versus society and the four problems that Phoenix faces as a result of this was her old age, her health, her grandson’s health and her state of poverty. "Her eyes were blue with age. Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles†¦" (paragraph 2). This quotation was one of many indications of Phoenix Jackson’s old age. Normally, in society there are benefits for the elderly and those of the golden age. There are various organizations that help people who are over the age of sixty-five. They also provide various services towards them such as meals on wheels. Was there not someone who could have delivered the medicine to this woman of nearly 100 years of age? Perhaps Phoenix Jackson was too shy or had too much pride to ask for a service of that nature. The doctors from the medical building knew about the condition of Phoenix’s grandson and did nothing to try and help. This showed the lack of respect that was present in the society. In today’s society, someone of that age commands and deserves the proper respect. The next conflict that plagued her is that of her health. "She carried a thin, small cane made from an umbrella, and with this she kept tapping the frozen earth in front of her," (paragraph 1). In the preceding quotation, there was one important note that readers should take into consideration... Free Essays on A Worn Path I need a Summary of the Worn Path:A Worn Path by Eudora Welty It was December- a bright frozen day in the early morning. Far out in the country there was an old Negro woman with her head tied in a red rag, coming along a path through the pinewoods. Her name was Phoenix Jackson. She was very old and small and she walked slowly in the dark pine shadows, moving a little from side to side in her steps, with the balanced heaviness and lightness of a pendulum in a grandfather clock. She carried a thin, small cane made from an umbrella, and with this she kept tapping the frozen earth in front of her. This made a grave and persistent noise in the still air that seemed meditative, like the chirping of a solitary little bird. She wore a dark striped dress reaching down to her shoe tops, and an equally long apron of bleached sugar sacks, with a full pocket: all neat and tidy, but every time she took a step she might have fallen over her shoelaces, which dragged from her unlaced shoes. She looked straight ahead. Her eyes were blue with age. Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles and as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead, but a golden color ran underneath, and the two knobs of her cheeks were illumined by a yellow burning under the dark. Under the red rag her hair came down on her neck in the frailest of ringlets, still black, and with an odor like copper. ...