Elements of Marketing Essay

There are several views and definition of marketing. The most widely accepted definition is that of the American Marketing Association, the professional organization for marketing practitioners and educators, which defines marketing as â€Å"the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational objectives† Elements of Marketing Marketing Research Marketing is by definition a process of planning and executing to meet consumer needs. It understands what are actual consumer wants and needs. Marketing research is the process in which collection of data by systematically helps to identify consumer’s needs. The Four Ps The heart of marketing strategy is the development of a response to market palace. Marketing by definition explains the concept of execution, pricing, promotion and right placement of goods, ideas and services. To respond to customers, a good organization develop product according to willingness of its purchaser, identify appropriate place for availability and finally and promote its product to create familiarity in its customers mind. Product, Price, Place and promotions are four Ps of marketing which are use many organizations to define its marketing strategy. Product: Product represents goods, services, or ideas offered by a firm. Price: Price focuses on what customers are willing to pay for services. What price actually suits to consumer to buy goods? A company provides good or services and a customer willing to exchange dollars to satisfy its needs. Place: Place represents the way or specific area in which company will distribute its goods or provide services to its customers. This decision company takes after careful and effective marketing research. Promotion: The final P represents promotion. Historically it is renowned with advertisement which is mean marketing. Promotions activities involve creating awareness in consumers mind to understand how they can meet their needs. Second approach is to define STP’s STP (segmentation, Targeting, Positioning) Segmentation: It is Process of dividing the market according to similarities that exist among the various subgroups within the market. The similarities may be common characteristics or common needs and desires. One of the main reasons for using market segmentation is to help companies to better understand the needs of a specific customer base. Mass marketing assumes that all customers are the same and will respond to the same advertising. By looking at ways in which potential customer groups are different from each other, the marketing message can be better targeted to the needs and wants of those people. Market segmentation strategies that meet these criteria can cover wide range of consumer characteristics. Subsets may be defined by basic demographics like age, race, or gender, for example. Other qualities, like educational background or income can also be used, as can location. Some of the potentially most powerful variables by which to segment a market are behavioral ones, including social class, lifestyle, and interests.

Death penalty †capital punishment

  Death penalty has begun a long time ago, perhaps since Eighteenth Century B.C.   And a hundred or maybe even thousand numbers of murderers and criminals have been sentenced of it.   But the question still remains and is always debatable whether it is just right to have death penalty or not.I may not be directly affected by this capital punishment. But at the back of my mind, I also ask why there must be death penalty or not.   And as I balanced my views and ideas about this, the thought that there should no death penalty weighs more.Now, let’s take a look on the history of death penalty. This punishment has long been practiced since the times of King Hammurabi of Babylon for 25 different crimes. Death penalty was also made as the only punishment for all crimes according to Draconian Code of Athens, Hittite Code and Roman Law of Twelve Tablets.   The punishment of death is carried through drowning, hanging, burning alive, crucifixion, beating to death, and beheading .   And take note of the crimes they considered punishable by death penalty: not confessing to a crime, treason, cutting down and tree and stealing. (Death Penalty Information Center, 2007)America was then influenced by Britain during the colonial period.   And the offenses punishable of death includes stealing grapes, killing chickens, denying the â€Å"true God† or striking one’s parents.Seeing that these are only minor offenses if taken into considerations, abolitionist movements were formed. Some became successful of abolishing the death penalty like in Austria and Pennsylvania except for murder and treason. However, it progress again in Twentieth Century and five out of six abolitionist countries reinstated their death penalty as the America enters World War I.   The good thing is that the number of executions decreased as other nations agreed that the death penalty be limited if not abolished.So even at that time, there are movements of abolishing death pen alty.   Although at some point, others see it as a necessary social measure. Still, as many others do so, I don’t agree of this capital punishment. As I believe that no one has the right to take one’s life for whatever reason.Others argue that death penalty deters crime. But is practicing it not another crime where you also kill a human?   And as always, two wrongs will never make a right thing.For the past years, hundred numbers of prisoners were found to be innocent and released from the death row.   Imagine how they would face the society again.   They may perhaps be damaged inside, having to fear death, disbelieving the justice and all.   And then there were people who have received the death penalty and in the end were found not guilty.   The deathly penalty is really a cruel punishment and yet was not taken carefully by those in authority.   How can one accept it then?I also believe that one can still change.   One can still start a new life. One can have a new life with his family.   And death penalty deprived them this chance.The time they would spend inside the prison would at least let them think about their offenses and realized their mistakes. Sentencing them to death would just make their life easier.   But if they will stay in jail, they would suffer the consequences of their wrongdoings and realize how much prettier life is outside if they didn’t commit the crime.Now this is my opinion.   And this topic of death has always been debatable for the past centuries.   It is then up to you whether you would agree with me or not.   But maybe we should always look at the facts and not merely standing out with our immediate ideas not only about this capital punishment but with all other issues. Be critical.References: College Net Forum. (2007). Retrieved August 26, 2007, from College Net:http://www.collegenet.com/elect/app/app?service=external/Forum&sp=1882Death Penalty Information Center. (2007). Retrieved August 26, 2007, from Death PenaltyInformation Center: http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?scid=15&did=410#IntroductionoftheDeathPenalty

The Negative Side of Use from CIBC Bank on Social Media Research Paper

The Negative Side of Use from CIBC Bank on Social Media - Research Paper Example    Apparently, the continuously changing business environment and customer needs for a more convenient banking system have altogether motivated CIBC to inculcate social media as a key innovation in its customer services network. Use of Social Media by CBIC In its recent endeavors, CIBC has been rendering a varied range of banking services to its customers using social media in multiple linguistic forms, such as conveying its messages both in English and in French to the Twitter accounts. This, in turn, helped the organization in eradicating the barriers of cultural conflicts or segregation in delivering equal care to its customers in a global context. It is worth mentioning in this context that with the rapid changes taking place in the technology sector worldwide, the need for carrying the business through the social media has become very important for CBIC in achieving its goal of international competency. Subsequently, CIBC uses the most preferred social media in the worldwide c ontext, such as Facebook and Twitter, with the intention to advertise its new offers directly communicating with the targeted customers and also with the aim to deliver online services more effectively and in an informed manner (CIBC Mellon, 2013). In precise, CIBC opted for the inclusion of social media in its customer service network, with an intention to learn about the varied needs of the customers and also to attract a new range of customers towards its technology aided services. Strategically, the main aim of using the social media by CIBC is to preserve its efficiency in customer relationship management with the aid of direct-to-customer approach. The effectiveness of using social media by CBIC A critical examination of the organizational performance reveals that the social media was much effective for CBIC in the initial stages of its implementation. The strategy helped CBIC to attract a new range of customers and stay connected with the customers in the global platform, irr espective of the persisting cultural differences. However, after some years, there was a major problem observed in its usage, which indicated towards the inefficiency of the organization in continuously updating and managing its developmental strategies (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, n.d). To be illustrated as a case example, the bank had engaged many Twitter and Facebook accounts with the purpose of delivering different services to its wide-ranging customer groups. However, owing to the managerial limitations of the bank, an involvement of many Twitter and Facebook accounts created confusion among the customers in availing the services of the bank as information sources became vibrant and multiple. Additionally, customers were also facing the huge problem in the searching the appropriate social media page on its website for availing the intended banking service owing to the deficiency of the bank to manage the technology resources efficiently. In order to mitigate such obstac les in customer service deliverance, the bank adopted the policy of greeting its online customers through Wikipedia.  Ã‚  

Electronic Healthcare System Issues Research Paper

Electronic Healthcare System Issues - Research Paper Example This paper is a report on electronic healthcare system that analyzes and assesses the challenges that are part of the electronic system. It will also explore ways that can be appointed to overcome the challenges will also be addressed in the report. The paper is assisting managers in the healthcare dealing with information and data management operations. It will guide the professionals to manage their healthcare system in an effective way. Body Content Risks and Opportunities involved in sharing Clinical Data In healthcare there are several risks involved in patients’ exchange of information. There are some external and some internal risks involved in client’s data sharing. There are risks of patient’s identity exposure, identity mismatch or conflict, and data stealing which could result through clinical data exchange. Similarly, there are simultaneous risks involved of identity fraud, distortion of patients’ healthcare record, and distortion of patientsâ €™ medication record through healthcare data exchange (American Medical Association, 2013). The responsibility and obligation lies on healthcare organizations, that they protect patients’ personal information by making their electronic health system protective and secured. If information systems are highly protective, they can ensure the safety of patients’ personal records and data. For healthcare organization, information is an asset which if gets managed is a value to the organization and if gets lost or detracted is a complete threat to the organization (American Medical Association, 2013). In healthcare information integration is an essential thing required which is achieved by means deliberated data exchange. Exchanging patients’ personal clinical information links all the departments together. The departmental coordination makes patients’ care highly qualitative. This is one major opportunity that lies with clinical information sharing (America n Bar Association, 1994). On further, data pooling (sectional data sharing) comes out valuable for research departments of the healthcare organization. This operation is made possible through sectional information sharing. Looping information from one period of patient trial to another is enabled through data exchange. Conducting a clinical research gets easier when pooled information is available on the research desk. Information sharing provides data to researchers which can further be used for scientific argument (American Bar Association, 1994). On further, information sharing keeps departments proactive. When the information required for patient’s treatment is available at the right time, the treatment gets effective as it is done on the real time basis. This is an opportunity which usually most healthcare organizations avail through sectional data sharing. According to Deborah Zarin (the director at the National Library of Medicine), information sharing brings transpare ncy in health care operations (National Academy of Sciences, 2013, p. 4). It brings transparency on how well the patients are provided treatment and care. Information sharing also gives the opportunity of patient’s retrospective analysis as it allows the data exchange of patient’s past record of trials. Opportunities are there on the line with electronic health information sharing but it is on the organization’

Enlightening Experience from the Childhood Personal Statement - 8

Enlightening Experience from the Childhood - Personal Statement Example For the other game, we would chase each other around and whoever was ‘it’ had to touch the other one so he would be ‘it’ until we were chasing each other around in a circle. For the other game, we would chase each other around and whoever was ‘it’ had to touch the other one so he would be ‘it’ until we were chasing each other around in a circle. One day we were playing ‘run’ and I was winning.   I was running so fast I thought I was flying.   But Toby wasn’t very far behind me.   I could hear him breathing, so I was putting all my effort into it.   I could feel my face getting all scrunched up so I knew I was running all out just to stay ahead of Toby.   One minute, Toby was breathing down my neck and the next I heard him yelp and no more breathing.   I looked back and some strange man was holding Toby up in the air, his legs still kicking and with a surprised look on his face.   I was so surprised I almost ran straight into the fence.  Ã‚   The man was yelling something that I couldn’t hear at first because Toby was hollering and blood was pounding in my ears from the race and I was breathing heavy.   Then the words came in crystal clear. â€Å"†¦ black boy.   What do you think you’re doing chasing that white boy like that?   Don’t you know your place?   I’ll be giving you a sound beating for this one.   You just wait till I get my belt off, you’ll get a beating like you never have seen before.   You no account †¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

Origin and History of Celtic Knots Research Paper

Origin and History of Celtic Knots - Research Paper Example Computer Science is interested in generating knots through special software. Religion is interested in Celtic knots because of its symbolic structuring of doctrine, the illumination of scriptural texts and the inscription of sacred architecture. My thesis is that the cross, the circle and the Tree of Life are archetypal images which provide a foundation for understanding the history and origin of Celtic Knot art forms, and the elemental meaning is a call to unity, renewal and balance. Body. There are a variety of types of Celtic knots and they are, and have long been, used in jewelry, fabricated in metal, carved from stone and bone, and gracing stone pillars, as protection symbols over doorways, used to illuminate scriptural texts, and for magic and divination. The Trinity knot is quite famous, symbolizing water, fire, earth for nature-based spirituality or, for the Christian Church, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The spiral is a common pattern and dates back to 2500 BCE. It is thought to represent growth and the cycle of life.There are key and labyrinth designs, and zoomorphic designs, the latter involving birds and animals as part of the interwoven design.Here are images of the main two I am choosing to focus on: the Celtic Cross with a circle, and the Tree of Life. ... Modern day aficionados think of the ancient Celtic peoples as inherently spiritual, nature-connected, intuitive, in touch with alternate realms. This answers a longing in contemporary people.17 This results in a lot of speculative information about the Celts, their art, its meaning and its origin. Celtic knots first appeared in the British Isles during the 7th century, suddenly became extremely popular, and remained the primary art style through the tenth century.18 It was used in decorating sacred books, the most famous of which are The Book of Kells, The Book of Durrow, and the Lindisfarme Gospels.19 A fifth century copy of the book of Acts is considered to be the piece that links Middle Eastern and Celtic knot work.20 Some scholars believe that Celtic knots were adopted originally from Egypt.21 A primary symbol, the cross with circle, can be traced back to ancient Egypt, The Ankh is an Egyptian symbol, a cross with a circle above. It is a symbol still sacred to Egyptian Coptics.22 The cross represents intersection and opposition.23 The Circle represents eternity, continuity and infinity.24. Together, the symbol is one of regeneration.25 The circle is a rough approximation of the female reproductive organ, and the cross is a rough representation of the male reproductive organ.26 In Egyptian imagery, the Ankh is held in the hands of gods and near the lips of pharaohs, as though giving them breath.27 The cross and the circle are both archetypes. Archetypes, a core element in the psychology of Carl Jung, are a common pattern of image structures and shared meaning which can be identified in dreams, myths, legends, symbols, and are channels for psychic energy.28 As archetypes, the circle and cross have deep and ancient meaning. Their

Create a research portrait of a well-known artist, explain how his or Essay

Create a research portrait of a well-known artist, explain how his or her work responds to particular social issues - Essay Example ject, requiring the artist to spend years painting in wet plaster rather than working on his sculpture or other projects, some might wonder what prompted Michelangelo to undertake this project rather than allowing some other artist the dubious honor. Just how much freedom Michelangelo had in this decision is an often discussed topic. It might also be wondered whether the subject of the painting was determined by Michelangelo himself or the Pope who commissioned him for the project. To more fully appreciate the process that contributed to the creation of the Sistine Ceiling, it is necessary to understand the details regarding the commission of the project, why it was commissioned, why Michelangelo accepted the commission given the difficulties involved, how he met these challenges given the media and subject involved as well as his final assessment of the results. It is widely accepted that Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling as none other had the power and authority to force the artist back to Rome. Michelangelo had fled the city only two years earlier after the Pope first commissioned him to create approximately 40 sculptures in the most lavish Papal tomb designed to date and then refused to honor his portion of the contract. In addition, the work being requested of Michelangelo was painting rather than sculpture which he preferred. Other accounts indicate the idea of having the ceiling completed by Michelangelo was the idea of Donato Bramante, who intended to discredit Michelangelo’s daunting reputation. â€Å"In Michelangelo’s eyes, Bramante had persuaded the pope to abandon the project [of the tomb] by warning him that it was bad luck to have one’s tomb carved during one’s lifetime, and had then proposed an altogether different commission for the sculptor, a task at wh ich he knew Michelangelo could not possibly succeed† (King, 2003, p. 11). Work commenced on the project in 1536 under Pope Paul III and was

Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 8

Portfolio - Essay Example The presence of such awards represents me as a student as well as a learner. My professional involvement in different nursing programs and activities are also found in the portfolio. This is an indication that I am a nursing professional as any professional must be involved in different nursing programs. My portfolio also has thank you cards from the managers, colleagues and patients. This is a typical representation of a nursing professional. The use of academic papers as evidence of subject is important in term of representing me as a learner. It is also possible to understand my professional strengths through the analysis of the professional artifacts. It has all the information about my membership in different professional organizations. All the academic achievements are also found in the portfolio which is a representation of the professional strengths. My Nursing philosophy as well as the professional nursing statement is present on the portfolio and hence highlighting the major professional strengths. During the progression of my program, I was faced with different challenges. Balancing the time for the program and family issues was a challenge. This is considering that the family issues required a considerable amount of time. On the other hand, there were challenges in terms of support from the other stakeholders and colleagues. Time management during the program was a challenge as the program was detailed and yet the time was not enough. It is also important to note that some of the challenges were also from the external sources. All the challenges had negative important on the program and it lead to personal frustrations at times. The challenges were overcome by dividing the time for the program and the family. The family was allocated 4-6 hours while the program was allocated about 8 hours. A lot of family time was scarified in order to meet the demands of the program. On the other hand, the faculty was approached for support. This is

DISCUSSION BOARD PART 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DISCUSSION BOARD PART 2 - Essay Example It is actually claimed, â€Å"Medicare fraud costs the U.S. government approximately $80 billion a year† (Stefanacci, 2010, p. 1). The federal government as well as healthcare legislative bodies in the healthcare industry find it extremely difficult to address this problem adequately since the healthcare industry relies heavily on health and billing records to track Medicaid fraud (Krause, 2010). More notably, tracking of fraud becomes difficult since reimbursement formulas are not appropriate. Additionally, technological advancement especially in information systems has not been fully utilized to address the issue. However, hope in addressing this issue is still overwhelming as research that is more rigorous and fruitful continues to find interest in policy implementers. Healthcare industry is continually benefiting from technological advancement. However, integrating technology and information systems that are more reliable to address Medicaid fraud has not yielded a lot since the specific problem has not yet been addressed. Therefore, the main point of concern for this research is to find the most appropriate and appealing use of technology and information systems to solve the menace of Medicaid fraud. Whereas it is a basic and constitutional human right to have access to affordable and appropriate healthcare, Medicaid programs are heavily compromised by Medicaid fraud. More specifically, approaches to address the issue of Medicaid fraud are yet to yield meaningful results since they rely heavily on traditional methods of health records. The problem becomes even more complicated when reimbursement formulas have not been harmonized and information systems have not yet been fully optimized to address this problem. From a perfectionist point of view, healthcare industry needs a near-perfect system of tracking Medicaid fraud for there to be meaningful

Analysis the case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis the case study - Essay Example â€Å"The second phase of the research was based on short personal interviews with members of the public, carried out in the streets of Central Manchester† (Peter W. Tumbull, Sheena Leek and Grace Ying, (2000), p.152)A mixture of open and closed-ended questions were used for this purpose. The above research philosophy succeeded in bringing out some statistics about the customers confusion over buying a mobile phone. The research was successful in establishing the earlier findings about the customer confusion once again. Because of the over dependence of secondary data, there may be some errors in the statistics. Most of the companies will never submit original data to the government agencies and The research succeeded in predicting a bright future growth to the mobile the mobile phone industry. It provided important statistics about the different age group preferences in purchasing mobile phones which will be useful for the manufacturers to change their designs to target specific segments in the consumer industry. Among the percentage of users, the result finds that users are still inclined to be younger age groups, with a peak among 25-34-year-olds. In addition, the findings also found that there are differences in the buying criteria and the usage amongst consumers (See Table 6.1). This infonnation could be used to produce specific market strategies for different types of consumers. The results further support the applicability of past research (Peter W. Tumbull, Sheena Leek and Grace Ying, (2000), p.161). The research failed to collect data about consumer’s confusion over the usage of mobile phones with respect to health related issues. The fear about the dangers caused by the mobile phone and tower radiations is growing among the public. At least a small percentage of the public is reluctant in using mobile phones due to their fear about the health issues. This research failed to address such people. The main objective of the research was to

Assessment Essay Example for Free

Assessment Essay 1:1 Functions of assessment Initial assessment- the starting part, used to decide what is known, what needs to be taught and what can be assessed. Formative assessment- this stage is where the learner is still in training and requires feedback on how they are progressing. Summative- used to judge completion. Whether you have passed or not. Holistic- clustering of assessments based on the grouping of a work role, rather than stand alone. Functions of assessment in training Identify the skill gap Design the training Deliver the training Plan the assessment Assess Feedback Either move on to the next part of training or go back and re do the previous assessment. This starts from the minute you get a new learner signed on. I do this by, setting out a training plan, giving the training, deciding with the learner when we both feel they are ready to be assessed and then do the assessment. With Sonya, she came from another salon where she had already done her level 2, she was about to be signed on to level 3. Before we got her signed on we done an assessment on a colour and a cut to make sure she was competent at level 2. 1:2 Key concepts and principles of assessment Reliability: By using the criteria and qualification and credit framework any assessor working independently should come to the same decision when assessing a learner. The learner should have been given the appropriate training and be competent to do the assessment. Validity: Is the work valid to the unit? The learner should be watched at all times to make sure the work is authentic. Assessments show us, what the learner is capable of and where further training would be required. It would also show if the learner needed any extra help. 1:3 Responsibilities of the assessor Make sure the candidates logbook is marked of when an assessment has been passed. Provide opportunities for assessment and make sure you book time out in your column. Be fair to all candidates, avoid any discrimination, comparing one against the other. Assess the learner against the national occupational standards and not your own opinion of what the standards should be. Consider the needs of the individual candidates; one might have a different learning style to the other. Learning difficulties should also be taken into account and help appropriate given where needed. Plan and assess assessments with candidates. Make sure learner and assessor think it is the right assessment to be done and that the learner is capable of doing the assessment. Place the learner under no undue pressure. If the candidate does not feel good about doing the assessment you should encourage them, if as an assessor you think they are capable of passing the assessment. But do not apply pressure as this could make the learner worry or feel stressed out by this. Check and ensure all the evidence is valid, authentic, current, sufficient and reliable. Make sure the work is valid to the unit and accurate, the learners own work, the work is consistent and of the appropriate nvq level criteria and is not a fluke. The work should also be current, i.e. if the learner has transferred salons and had some assessments already signed off you should make sure they are currently competent. Give constructive feedback. Using â€Å"complement sandwich† Positive comment Critical comment Positive comment Make sure you include the learner to give self assessment so you know how they think they have done. When giving your feedback always start with â€Å"how do you think you did?† Always give feedback promptly and record all assessment decisions and evidence clearly and fully so that everyone can always look back and see what has been said and done. Also in case there are any disagreements on the outcome you can look back at the records. Agree future action plans with the learner so that both the learner and assessor know what the next stage will be. Any discussions with the learner should be carried out in a professional manor. During meetings with the learner you should review the progress of assessment plans and determine where additional learning and training is required. I have recently had an issue with one of my trainee’s, she did not want to be taught anymore, and just wanted to be assessed on her cutting. She felt she had had enough training , although I didn’t. As she felt very strongly about this I allowed her to do a model we were going to use as training as an assessment, I did this so she would understand that she needs more training. Once she had completed the assessment I checked the cut, and explained to her where she had gone wrong, and also explained to her that with a little bit more practice she would be able to be assessed on models similar to what she had done and would be able to be marked off on them. She has agreed to have a little bit more training and agreed we will decide together in future when she will be assessed so as not to waste models. 1:4 Regulations and requirements relevant to assess hairdressing. Realistic working environment. Must develop realistic management procedures that incorporate a ‘salon image’. All assessments must be carried out under realistic commercial pressures and on paying clients. Assessments should be completed within the commercial timescale. Candidates must be able to achieve a realistic volume of work. The space per working area conforms to health and safety legislation. The range of services, professional tools, products, materials and equipment must be up to date and available for use. A reception area for clients to be greeted must be available. It must also include a payment facility. A retail facility must be provided.

Personal Reflections on the Self Essay Example for Free

Personal Reflections on the Self Essay I  certify that  the attached  paper is my original work and has not previously been submitted by me or anyone else for any class. I further declare I have cited all sources from which I used  language, ideas, and information,  whether quoted  verbatim or paraphrased, and that any assistance of any kind, which I received while producing this paper, has been acknowledged in the References section. I have obtained written permission from the copyright holder for any trademarked material, logos, or images from the Internet or other sources. I further agree that my name typed  on the line below is intended to have, and shall have, the same validity as my handwritten signature. Students  signature (name typed here is equivalent to a signature):   Marjorie Neal When we talk about self, it is generally meant to be a reflection of an individual’s identity and separate from others and the environment (Huitt, 2009). The most widely used concepts when it comes to self are the self-concept and self-esteem. Self-esteem is the sense of self worth and dictates how we feel about ourselves where self-concept is dictated by how an individual answers the question â€Å"who am I? †(Myers, 2008). Research has shown that self-concept is the basis for all motivated behavior because self-concept that provides individuals with possible selves and those possible selves create the motivation for behavior (Huitt, 2009). Self-concept is built through the process of taking action and reflecting on the action one has taken as well as what others tell him about what he has done (Huitt, 2009). We are not born with a self-concept. Self-concept is developed through interaction with the environment and one’s reflection of that interaction. Self-concept has four parts: self-image, self-esteem, ideal-self and self-efficacy My sister had all the friends that my parents approved of, she got the good grades, she was not in special education classes and at home report cards and progress reports were constantly compared. I never heard that I was doing a great job or that I had improved on this subject or that it was always how wonderful my sisters grades were compared to my C’s that I worked very hard for in the early years. By the third grade I was behind in reading and math so I had to go to special classes to get help on those subjects. I not only felt inadequate at home but the other students in school made me feel very stupid and not good enough. I was picked on at school and called all sorts of names from stupid to Margarine to Rhino. Looking back it was kids being kids and picking on me because they could see that it bothered me. I used to come home in tears and all my parents said was to ignore them and they would stop but they did not stop. I was in the â€Å"loser† group and there was no getting out of it. By third grade I believed them. When I entered Junior High School, I started off in the lowest group for my classes, the one that all the troublemakers were in and all the â€Å"stupid† kids. I got tired of being lumped with those kids and decided I could do better so I decided I was going to work hard and talk to my teachers about moving up a group. In sixth grade I went from group four to group three at the half way point in the year. This gave me a bit of a boost but I still was not happy. I wanted to be one of the smart kids like my sister was so that my parents would be proud. So in seventh grade I worked harder and talk to my teachers and I was moved from group three into group two. I was feeling better about myself and continued to push harder until I was finally in group one by the end of the eighth grade. Being in group one meant I could take the college level classes I wanted to take in High School, it also meant that I was just as good as my sister was but that did nothing for me at home because I was struggling to pull C’s and my sister was still pulling A’s. Nonetheless, I was proud of my accomplishment and myself so I tried college level classes in High School. I did fine in college English but not so good in Math. I found that high school was very difficult for me and after all those years of trying to be as good as my sister I still could not pull the same grades no matter how hard I worked at it. I gave up and stopped taking college level classes with the hope that the other classes would be easier for me and I could pull the A’s and B’s that my parents were so proud of my sister for getting. When I continued to struggle my freshman and sophomore year I gave up and decided that I was going to do what it took to get those C’s and nothing more. I became very discouraged. Then my parents separated and we moved from my hometown to the Cape with my aunt so I had to change schools half way through my sophomore year. I was happy with that, a new group of kids to meet and different expectations by the kids I already knew in that school so this was going to be easy and that was my easiest semester ever. I finally got the good grades that I was looking for and my mother stopped criticizing me for my choice in friends. She actually approved of most of my friends. My sister at that point became the problem child. Then it all fell apart. My mother decided that she was going to take a job in Boise, Idaho and my sister and I had to move with her across the country. I had finally adjusted to the idea of my parents getting a divorce and now she was going to take me away from all of my life long friends and everything I knew. My attitude, self-esteem and everything went right down the toilet. When we got to Idaho I didn’t care anymore. I was going to do what I had to do to graduate and get out of my mother’s house so I could go back to Massachusetts where I knew people and I was home. I made poor choices in friends, poor choices in behavior, and poor choices in my schoolwork all because the only thing I could see was anger. I was so angry with both of my parents, my mother for making me move to Idaho and my father for not fighting to keep us in Massachusetts. It was like my opinion did not matter and once again my sister was the queen. All the good I had done in junior high and down the Cape did not matter anymore. I graduated from high school, turned down a military career and moved back to Massachusetts where I met my first husband. It was a marriage destined to fail. My first husband was very abusive verbally and emotionally. He constantly made me feel like I was not worth the dirt I walked on. I was diagnosed bipolar two years after we got married and he never took the time to learn about it, said he didn’t believe in mental illness and did not help me find the help I needed so it was a very rocky ten-year marriage. I did get two wonderful children out of the marriage though, of that I was thankful and challenged. After my first husband and I divorced, I met my current husband. He is the exact opposite of my first husband. We have a very good relationship. It was the relationship with my first husband and all the abuse that I went through in the ten years we were married and my childhood experiences that made me who I am today.

An Ethnographic Study of Well- being of Dinka Refugee Women

An Ethnographic Study of Well- being of Dinka Refugee Women Qualitative Critique Article Title: Well-being of Dinka Refugee Women of Southern Sudan Salima Shams Introduction: This paper would critique qualitative article title â€Å"Well- Being of Dinka Refugee Women of Southern Sudan† (Baird Boyle, 2012). Primary author of the study Baird is professionally an ARNP/CNS (Advance Registered Nurse Practioner/ Clinical Nurse Specialist), and also CTN: Certified Transcultural Nurse. Second investigator is also a nurse and has done MPH following her RN and both of the investigators had owned PhD degree. The major strength of the study is that researchers have evaluated cultural themes in their study of the cultural sharing group. According to (Le Compte, Millroy, Preissle, 1992 cited by Creswell 2007) â€Å"themes may include such topics as enculturation, socialization, learning, cognition, domination, inequality, or child and adult development† (p.71). Moreover, they have interconnected these themes with participant well-being; therefore, it has held my interest into it. Moreover, language of the article is easy to follow. The majo r area of improvement is that at many instances, I feel article lacks clarity and factual accuracy. The Problem: Research problem seems significant to nursing as it is concern with individuals’ (refugee) health and well- being. Moreover, significance of the problem to nursing has also been mentioned by researchers. Authors have mentioned study participants, and study questions. Purpose of the study is also stated by the authors but they haven’t mentioned key study variable â€Å"well-being† in it (Polit Beck, 2012). Problem statement of the study has been progressively developed through highlighting (problem identification/ introduction, Background, scope and consequences of the problem, knowledge gap, and proposed solution). The benefits of present study were stated clearly that is it will help in improving current nursing practices offered to refugee women (literature review section, para. 6). Authors haven’t mentioned any limitations of their study in the article. General assumptions of the theoretical framework have been utilized in the current stud y. Moreover, philosophical assumptions of qualitative and ethnographic research can easily be viewed in the article (Polit Beck, 2012). However, at few instances I have to infer such as whether phenomena has been viewed holistically or not. Review of the Literature: Literature has been comprehensively reviewed, synthesized well and logically presented by the researchers. The authors have summarized studies that address phenomena of well-being in refugee women. However, it would have been better, if further empirical literature specific to African refugee women would have been added. Authors have identified knowledge gap in the literature (Literature Review section, para.6). Moreover, majority of literature shared in the article was paraphrased and taken from primary sources. With that, majority of literature in literature review section except one, is recent that is within 10 years’ time when current study would have been started. Theoretical work has also been included by researcher in the article. However, theoretical work should have been further expanded; for example, conceptual definition of well-being should have been added. Additionally, another question could also be generated from literature review, such as, evaluation of the study participants’ social factors (Literature Review section, Para. 5) that hinder in refugee women resettlement and on their well-being. Theoretical/ Conceptual Framework: Middle range theory of transitions has been used as a theoretical guide for the current study (refer to appendix A and B) but no conceptual framework has been illustrated in the article. Qualitative studies utilize framework to create boundaries for the study, and framework helps in literature review, data collection, analysis and presentation of findings (Ryan, Coughian, Cronin, 2007). Though, framework has not been adequately utilized and described by authors in their research. For example, they have not integrated pattern and properties mentioned in the physical model in their study. Moreover, they have only talked about three type of transition in present study (developmental, situational and health- illness) but have not talked about organizational transition in present study. Justification has been provided for the use of specific theoretical framework â€Å"Three types of individual transitions†¦. as well as after their settlement† (Baird Boyle, 2012, pp.15-16). Furthermore, it is evident from the research article that the framework has guided researcher in identification of study population, main themes for data analysis and presentation of findings (Ryan, Coughian, Cronin, 2007). Population and Sampling: Authors have clearly defined target population â€Å"refugee women †¦. asylum to the United States† (Purpose of study section, p.14). Although it is one of the qualitative study design (ethnography) in which researcher describes and interprets shared and learned patterns of values, behaviors, belief and language of culture sharing group (Creswell, 2007, p. 68) and purpose is not the generalizability but to fully identify the pattern. So, adequate data collection is an important factor, in present study there were 10 study participants. According to Creswell (2007) â€Å"An ethnographer is interested in examining theses shared patterns and the unit of analysis is larger than the 20 or so individuals† (p.68). To maintain variability of the sample, subjects with diverse characteristics were included in the study (Refer sample section). Yet, researchers haven’t encountered any negative case and they have also not described participant se lection criteria. The method of sampling for the (subject) selection was through church, and by snowball. Following it purposive sampling for subject selection has been done and it is aligned with qualitative study design. Purposive sampling method provides opportunity for â€Å"theoretical sampling†. Theoretical sampling means selecting subjects who represent the important characteristics that researchers consider of interest to the study (Pidgeon Henwood, 1996) or intentionally adding of ‘outliers’ case in the study (Barbour, 2001). However, sampling method for the setting has not been described and majority of interview took place at participants’ homes and observations at church. Research Design: Ethnography study design has been used in the study. Study Design seems appropriate in regard to purpose of study as it is looking at behavior modifications/ value transformation in study participants and interpreting these modifications in relation to participants own culture. Webster dictionary define behavior as â€Å"anything that an organism does involving action or the way in which something functions or operates†. These behavioral (function) modifications have occurred in study participants because of the shift in their value system and individual learn values through their family/ society culture, socialization and through cognitive advancement. In nutshell, if we understand individual behavior, then we ultimately understand individual culture. Additionally, study is also highlighting intra- family and intra- community issue of power, resistance and dominance. However, I feel that questions that have been formulated are not according to study design. T hey are more providing understanding for phenomological research. Authors have describe participant characteristics and the context of study; hence, study is transferable/ replicable (Konradsen, Kirkevold, Olson, 2013). Data Collection: Interview, observations, field notes have used as a data collection strategy. Researcher have mentioned that the data collection methods are in accordance with ethnographic research (Baird Boyle, Method section, 2012, p. 16); however, haven’t rationale the use of selected method. Interview method of data collection seems appropriate in relation to study question; as study aimed at understanding experience of resettlement of refugee women. However, if other method (artifacts) of ethnographic data collection has been added, then it would have further enriched the data (Creswell, 2007, p.120). Protection of Human Rights: Authors have taken permission from University institutional review board. It is mentioned in the article that the participants were approached through church congregation and by snow ball sampling technique. Therefore, it indicates that people might had come forward and participated voluntarily into it. Although the researchers haven’t overtly said informed consent was taken but they have mentioned that approval has been taken from the board, it implies that informed consent would have been taken place. Study doesn’t appear to be a case of deception. It is not mentioned in the article the time at which individual participant consent would have taken place but site agreement was obtained prior to review board approval. Since the sample size is small; therefore, one can easily identify participant who is divorced or USA citizenship holder. Maximum benefit to participant has been maintained by researcher through participatory action research (PA R) project. Moreover, time provided for the study was compensated with money. Analysis: Researchers have generally explained method of data analysis which gives impression that â€Å"editing style of data analysis† have been used (Polit Beck, 2004). Nevertheless, they should have provided details of raw data; so that theoretical connectedness of data to themes could have been evaluated (Burns and Grove, 2001). Method of data analysis fit with level of inquiry, but since middle range theory of transition was used as a framework. Therefore, they should have used deductive approach for content/ data analysis following editing style of data analysis. Authors have in-cooperated participant words to support themes but haven’t inco-operated field notes along with participants transcriptions’. However, at few instances explanation provided under the themes titled ‘standing on our own two legs† and â€Å"Hope for the future† is not coherent with its title. For example, ‘several of them identified role models on televisionà ¢â‚¬ ¦.woman† (Baird Boyle, Finding section, 2012, p. 18). Rigor: The data collection methods are reliable and verifiable as interpreter and audiotaped have been utilized. Moreover, time allocation for interview was appropriate, longitudinal, with the interval of 2-5 month apart. However, adequate details of the interview questions (structured/ unstructured) have not been provided. It has been mentioned in the article that reliability was established through consensual validation with an experienced qualitative researcher. Moreover, validation of analysis is also done by study participants and primary interpreter. There is no notification of discrepant result in the article. Very scarcely researchers have present (etic) perspective in the article. Moreover, researchers haven’t shared their reflexivity in the article. Conclusion and Recommendation: All three themes that have emerged at the end of data analysis were discussed in finding section in relation to study questions. Conclusion that has been presented in the article is stated as â€Å"refugee women as strong, resilient, and capable of being responsible for their own and health and well-being† and this is justifiable to the findings of the study. The recommendation for nursing practice includes providing culturally competent interventions to promote health and well-being of refugee women and for future research studies authors have suggested to evaluate the phenomena in voluntary immigrants or undocumented workers. Recommendation for nursing practice is supported by the study results. I feel that transferability of the findings in Pakistani setting greatly depends on the geographical location because there is high inter and intra province variations in women status throughout the country. Appendix A Retrieved from, http://www.adolescenciaesaude.com/imagebank/images/en_v9n3a04 Appendix B Retrieved from http://jsn.sagepub.com/content/17/6/300/F1.large.jpg

Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - Gay Teenagers and the Internet Essay

Gay Teenagers Need the Internet      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Internet serves as a platform for gay teens to express their feelings and concerns about being gay. Beyond the pornography on the Net there are also valuable and useful resources that gay teens can take advantage of. But why are these teens t using to the Internet for support? Most of the teenagers questionned for this discussion indicated that parents are not supportive of a homosexual way of life.    Most people would agree that adolescent years are some of the toughest in a persons' life. Teens are getting to know themselves sexually and learning about the world around them. While participating in a gay teen chat room, it was obvious that many g ays teens felt isolated and confused about their sexuality and turned to the Internet for advice. Unfortunately, most of the information on the Net pertaining to the gay community consists of pornographic pictures and chat rooms with dialogue full of gra phic sexual detail. Just type the word "gay" in any search on the Net it hundreds of links to x-rated sites will appear. This, of course, is not suitable for a young gay teenager in need of support. Fortunately, amongst all the porn there are wonderful sites that provide support, answer questions, and provide links to other helpful resources.    Many organizations and support groups use the Internet as their main source for posting information about gay and lesbian issues. Organizations like PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesb ians and Gays) provide education and support for gay teens, as well as gay adults. Branches of PFLAG can be found all over the United States. Each of these branches can be accessed through the PFLAG Web site. The site is full helpful links ... ...y to turn to for support.    Works Cited Bell, A.P. and Weinberg, M.S. "Homosexualities: A Study of Human Diversity". New York: Simon & Schuster, 1978. Conroy, Theresa. "Gay Teen Fights to Educate Tormenters." Philadelphia Daily News. 2 Jan. 1996. http://www.critpath.org/rhea/bmurray.htm (23 Apr. 1998). Gibson, P. "Gay Male and Lesbian Youth Suicide, Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Youth Suicide", U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1989. Parents, Families, and Freinds of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). Home page. http://www.pflag.org/ (22 Apr. 1998). Remafedi G. "Male Homosexuality: The Adolescent's Perspective." Pediatrics, 79: 326-330, 1987. We Are Family (WAF). Home Page. http://www.waf.org/ (22 Apr. 1998). Youth Assistance Organization (YAO). Home page. http://www.youth.org/ (27 Nov. 1996).         

The Perfect Woman: Rousseau and Wollstonecraft Essay --

If scholarship is done right, it is that which is done impartially. The topic of this paper, the perfect woman, written by a man, may give those with prejudgments a ready answer to it; without the due analysis required by it. Reading both authors now, it is easy to bash Rousseau with sexism and stamp Wollstonecraft with feminism. But such was not my task, rather I examined both with an unprejudiced eye to the best of my ability. Thus, I hope the same is reciprocated by my reader, and take my interpretations and criticisms with the same impartial mind. To begin, then, my argument, I assert that although Rousseau and Wollstonecraft effect disparate views on the best education for women, the supposed disagreement of their model of the perfect woman is specious; their concept of the human species and its purpose is truly in contention. It is imperative to outline such mode of education regarded by each as the best to raise a woman. Since Wollstonecraft critiques much of Rousseau’s, I begin with his model. â€Å"Everything is good as it leaves the hands of the author of things; everything degenerates into the hands of man,† is the first line of Book I in Rousseau’s Emile or On Education (161). Emile is not a book for a social system of education, but one specifically for the â€Å"tender and foresighted mother, who [is] capable of keeping the nascent shrub away from the highway and securing it from the impact of human opinions†(162). Therefore, the mother is advised to â€Å"observe nature and follow the path it maps out to you† in the education of her children, the same nature which Rousseau has taken to educate the imaginary Emile and Sophie: the man and the woman; the future husband and wife. Therefore, in educating the perfect woman, the futu... ...o a role of mother and wife in both), but in their account of humanity. The charge of sexism on Rousseau and the badge of feminism on Wollstonecraft render their arguments elusive, as if Rousseau wrote because he was a sexist and Wollstonecraft because she was a feminist, which is certainly not true. Their work evinced here by the authors questioned the state of man and woman in relation to their conception of what it should be, what its purpose, and what its true species. With an answer to these questions, one concludes the inhumanity of mankind in society, and the other the inhumanity of mankind in their natural, barbarous state. The one runs from society, to the comforts and direction of nature; the other away from nature, to the reason and virtue of society. The argument presented may be still elusive, and the work in vain, but the point not missed, perhaps.