The Keepers of the House Essay Example for Free

The Keepers of the House Essay There is an interesting part of history that goes unnoticed. The treatment of blacks in the South during the time of slavery plays an intricate part of America’s history, which gets frequently overlooked. The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau sheds light on this time period, following a family, living in rural Alabama in the 1960’s. Grau explains this family: â€Å"All in all the Howland’s thrived. They farmed and hunted; they made whiskey and rum and took it to market down the Providence River to Mobile (Grau 12). The story follows three generations of the Howland family living in a community that ultimately turns on them. Grau takes inspiration from the time period along with having multiple themes to craft an interesting and impactful Pulitzer Prize novel. The Howland’s were a family that lived in the same area for many years. William Howland, the fifth, lost his wife, leaving him to take care of his young daughter Abigail and a son William who dies shortly after. Abigail then marries a man who leaves her with her own daughter Abigail. William’s daughter dies and leaves him with a granddaughter to take care of. Soon after, William hires an African American, Margaret, woman as a housekeeper. Abigail talks of the lasting affects William and Margaret left on her: â€Å"I am caught and tangled around by their doings. It is as if their lives left a weaving of indivisible threads in the air of this house, of this town, of this county. And I stumbled and fell into them† (Grau 6). Around town, she became know as his mistress and mother of his other children. In secret, they marry for the children’s sake. Later, after the children grew up, they were sent up north so they could live as normal white citizens. Abigail later marries a man named John Tolliver who aligns with the Klu Klux Klan during his run for governor. Robert, the eldest of the Howland brothers was outraged by this and released an article hurting Tolliver’s cam paign. Tolliver and Abigail end their marriage near after. Back where the Howland’s live, the town is still outraged about the marriage between William Howland and the African American homemaker Margaret. Even though both of them had died, the town gathered and lit the barn on fire and killed many of their livestock. Grau writes, â€Å"The Howland they wanted was dead. His Negro wife was dead. Their children disappeared. And so they were wrecking the only thing that was left of him, of them. First the barn and then the house† (Grau 285). The novel comes full circle when Abigail gets revenge on the town’s people and ruins the entire local economy along with the town. It seems as though Shirley Ann Grau took inspiration from the history of this time period along with what it may have been like growing up at that time in that place to set a scene of exactly what this time period may have looked and felt like. Showing what the Howland family went through, along with the way they were treated set a scene for not only a family struggle but a national struggle as well. The way she describes the scenery, puts you there in at time. Grau writes, â€Å"November evenings are quiet and still and dry. The frost-stripped trees and the bleached grasses glisten and shine in the small light (Grau 1). As well as the scenery, Grau uses her deep characters in the story to highlight how people were affect by this issue. Abigail is the main character narrating this story. Grau tells the happenings of this time through her eyes as well as through the actions of William Howland, Margaret, John Tolliver and Robert Howland. Each of these characters makes an impact on this story, as well as the main character Abigail. For example, Abigail’s husband John Tolliver shapes her character into a tough skinned woman. He treats her unfairly as a wife but she learns from that and takes it with her. Grau writes, â€Å"I knew what John meant: I was the perfect wife for a candidate. He had chosen and trained me well (Grau 257). This marriage helps toughen up Abigail for the future as she fights for her family. There are two main themes taken from this novel: racism and family. Racism is a clear theme throughout this novel given the time period and scenario that takes place with a secret African American maid, wife and mother. Racism is shown through the scenario when Tolliver bashes blacks during his campaign for governor. Tolliver talks about African Americans in vulgar and horrible ways. When talking about William and Margaret’s children he says, â€Å"He couldn’t let his children be bastards, even if their mother was a Negro† (Grau 271). This is just one example of the way African Americans are talked about at this time. Also, the area where the Howland’s live, do not take the news of William marrying Margaret lightly just because she is African American. Family is another theme portrayed in this novel. The Howland’s go through trials and tribulations that test their family as a whole. For example, like stated before, the town completely turns on the Howland’s when they find that William and Margaret had married. Abigail takes a stand for her family and fights back. She stands up for her family and the house they have lived in for so many years. Grau shows just how much Abigail cares for her family and home. She writes, â€Å"Child, I thought you don’t even know, its possible to love a house and land that much (Grau 274). These two themes play a role in teaching readers about the time period and the struggles it caused. The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau sheds light on an issue sometimes forgotten about in society today: the treatment of African Americans in the 1960’s. Using things like history from this time and family themes, Grau establishes that this issue was serious and did exist. Abigail Howland ultimately stands up for what she believes in and protects her family but also puts a small dent in this civil rights movement. As her journey comes to an end she says, â€Å"I stood on that cold windy grass and saw what I had done. I saw that it wasn’t bravery or hate. It was, like my grandfather said, necessity. And that’s pretty poor comfort but at times its all you’ve got† (Grau 290). Abigail’s narration of her family’s story along with the use of strong and deep characters, shape for a wonderful Pulitzer Prize novel.

European Attitudes Towards Benin Bronzes

European Attitudes Towards Benin Bronzes The Art of Benin Read Reading 2.3 On the British loss of antique works of art from Benin in AA100 Book 3, Chapter 2 and look closely at Plate 3.2.25 Display for Benin bronzes at the Horniman Museum, London, 2007 and Plate 3.2.26 Display of Benin bronzes at the Horniman Museum, detail, 2007 in the Illustration Book. Drawing on your understanding of these sources, discuss the ways in which European attitudes to the Benin bronzes have changed over time. To discuss the ways, in which Europeans attitudes to the Benin bronzes have changed over time, we need first to go back to the period when they first were discovered, in 1897, following the British invasion of the Benin kingdom. We will also look into how the Victorian viewed the bronzes, and their craftsmen. Since the discovery of the artefacts, the bronzes have caused lots of debates and different opinions. It has been debates who produced the bronzes, when and for whom, and as a consequence museums and anthropologists have debated how they should be displayed. The Benin bronzes were discovered in 1897, during the time period, when the great interest in the British empire was flourishing, and stories of the imperial adventures around the world were very popular by the people in Britain. In the 1880s and 1890s, when Africa was heavily and brutally colonised by the Europeans, a new trend developed back in Europe. The deeper the colonists expanded into Africa, missionaries, civil servants, capitalists were not far behind. Letters, pictures and unusual objects were sent home to Britain, to later be shared and reproduced in books, newspaper and museums. Tales of estranged encounters and experiences with the natives, in particular primitive rituals, involving sacrifices and cannibalism, were very much on the agenda at the time. When the Kingdom of Benin was conquered by the British in 1897, it resulted in a traumatic end of the centuries-old kingdom and their ruler, Oba, the god-king. The news travelled fast about the British invasion, and the frontline journalists arrived just a few days later after the conquest. The weekly illustrated newspaper The Illustrated London News (ILN) was particularly interested in reporting stories that created a sense of drama. Artists along with journalists were at the frontline to convey in pictures about the events within the British empire. There were lots of eyewitness accounts of the events around the conquest. However, it needs to take into consideration, that they are somewhat biased as they were written by the British for the British, which resulted in a style of reporting that portrayed scenes of savagery and brutality by the natives. In the extract from the ILN, written in March 1897, for example, Benin is described as a city of blood having its pit full of dead and dying; human sacrifices were strewn about on every hand (Reading 2.1 in Loftus and Wood, 2008, p. 79). Taking those eyewitness accounts into consideration, with the findings of the artefacts, it is not strange the bronzes were described as having the most grotesque appearance (Reading 2.1 in Loftus and Wood, 2008, p. 79), and that the Africans were seen as dark and dangerous people (Loftus and Wood, 2008, p.45), a stark contrast to the white civilised Europeans. As a result, the significance of the bronzes was somewhat tainted by the preconceptions of the primitive and uncivilised African culture that little attention was given how the bronzes had been displayed or used before they were removed from the scene as the photograph shows (Figure 2.2 in Loftus and Wood, 2008, p. 50). Afterwards, the artworks and objects were brought to Britain, to the frustration of Henry Ling Roth, anthropologist who wrote in his book; and sold for a few hundred pounds a large number of castings which had cost thousands to obtain, as well as much blood of our fellow countrymen. (Reading 2.3 in Loftus and Wood, 2008, p. 80). But, it did not take long for collectors, scholars and art historians in Europe and America to realise the pure craftsmanship and the value of the Benin bronzes, thus tried to obtain the finest pieces. Roth points out; From what I can ascertain, the bulk of these bronzes has been secured by the Germans (Reading 2.3 in Loftus and Wood, 2008, p. 81) suggesting if the British government have had the proper knowledge of the study of anthropology, the Bini articles would be represented at British Museum, instead of the Royal Museum for Ethnography, in Berlin where the largest collection of 580 Benin artworks was acquired. Art historians and scholars were at first somewhat dubious that the bronzes had been produced by the craftsmen of Benin. Instead they were looking for other explanations, even so far as whether there was a possible link between Benin and ancient lost civilisations such as the Gnostics. The British Museum had to rush and to produce research about the Benin artworks as the popular interest in the African culture corresponded with the growing debates about the history of the human race. The debate about the origin of the Benin bronzes was considerable. Questions were raised about how the aesthetic qualities shown in the bronzes could possibly been created by a society such as Benin, which was perceived backwards and primitive, with stories of human sacrifices and brutality. When the British Museum held an exhibition of the Benin bronzes in September of 1897, the Times wrote a report, that no evidence or links, between Benin and lost ancient civilisation had been found, and the report concludes unexpectedly, with a surprise, that the magnificence bronze work was made by negro craftsmanship (Reading 2.2 in Loftus and Wood, 2008, p. 79) and not by any ancient lost civilisations. Subsequently, this new information caused somehow confusion for the British Museum, as the Benin plaques did not fit into the chronology of events as first presumed, and therefore the choice to display the Benin bronzes in the Assyrian basement can only be seen as an alternative option, given the difficulty of placing them among already existing artefacts with established chronological narrative. The Times describes the choice of display; An exhibition of a remarkable kind has been arranged in the Assyrian basement in such uncongenial surroundings (Reading 2.2 in Loftus and Wood, 2 008, p. 79). Consequently, when the Benin bronzes entered museum collections, both anthropologists and museum curators had difficulty to explain how these uncivilised primitives could produce something equivalent, in technical mastery, like the sculptures from the Italian renaissance for example. The way the artefacts and objects are displayed and described in museums are important for communicating the skilled knowledge about history and art to the general public. However, it is always difficult for the historian to know how the material has been interpreted by the viewer. Even tough, the facts about the new knowledge of the Benin artworks had been presented, it did little to change the racists ideas. Artworks were seen as evidence of civilisation, something Africa did not demonstrate in terms of progress, and therefore was seen as backward by the Europeans. The ethnographic museums, were likely to put together the display of what we regard today as artworks, together with functional items; like tools and weapons and utensils, which used to represent ideas how the primitives lived. Non-western objects were seen as scientific evidence and provided cultural knowledge, but not as art. One of the biggest changes that the modern movement brought, was the way art was displayed. One can probably say for certain, that the change evolved naturally, as art is always receptive to outside influence. Ann-Christine Taylor says in the interview about the exhibition in Paris; French museums with large ethnographic collections, were deserted by the public. Nobody knew what to do with these collections anymore. (Taylor, A. speaking in The Art of Benin, 2008). The problem they had on their hand, developed into the idea, to create a brand new cultural institution. Their aim was to try to capture peoples attention and interest by using visually spectacular objects. Their idea resulted in the exhibition, Benin, Five Centuries of Royal Art, shown in Musee de Quai Branly, in Paris. The museum made use of space and lightning, to emphasise each of the objects artistic quality in its own rightful way. There is some anthropological information about the plaques, to not solely adopt an aesthetic route. Nevertheless, many anthropologists were angry, as the exhibition was presented as works of art, emphasising on the visual impact rather than testimonies of cultural diversity (Taylor, A. speaking in The Art of Benin, 2008) While the debate how to best display the Benin bronzes continues, many museums were adopting the cross-referencing, bonding the gap between art and anthropology. However, some museums, such as The Pitt River Museum in oxford for example, has resisted and deliberately kept the traditional way of displaying objects with explanatory labels in glass cases. (Figure 2.9 in Loftus and Wood, 2008, p. 72). The Horniman Museum on the other hand, decided to take a step further and changed their display of its Benin bronzes, and incorporated both anthropological and aesthetic aspects. (Illustration Book, Plate 3.2.25 and Plate 3.2.26) Most significantly, it does not stop at the moment of aesthetic contemplation, it continues deeper into the entire culture of Benin, in the past and present. Making use of a variety of texts and photographs with new information based on contemporary research by Joseph Eboreime, a Nigerian historian. (Loftus and Wood, 2008, p. 75) The controversial views of the Benin bronzes have undergone a natural evolution since the discovery in 1897. But it is not only the bronzes, it is the whole transformation of western views towards Africa that has taken place. The Benin bronzes were mystifying for the Victorian anthropologists, and not easy to fit into a racist representation of primitive ways of life. Later throughout the twentieth century, the works of art started to become almost solely of aesthetic admiration rather than as a kind of historical evidence. There are signs, like those, that can be seen in The Horniman Museum, that the world of art is in for a new movement. Primitive art has become world culture, and the Benin bronzes stands as evidence of a shared human history. (word count 1633) Bibliography AA100 Illustration Book: Plates for Books 3 and 4 Loftus, D. and Wood, P. (2008) The Art of Benin: Changing Relations Between Europe and Africa II, AA100 Book 3, Chapter 2. The Art of Benin (2008) AA100 DVD ROM

Online Technologies: Opportunities for Charities

Online Technologies: Opportunities for Charities Information Technology and developments in non profit organisations:  How online technologies offer new opportunities for growth to the charity organisations Table of Contents (Jump to) Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Aims and Objectives 1.3 Overview Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Charities Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction As Sergeant and Jay (2004, p.2) have commented, the concept of charity and their mission of raising funds to help the poor and needy has been around for centuries. However, both the numbers and complexities of charity organisations have multiplied significantly over recent decades. Sargeant and Tofallis (2000) confirmed reports from the NCVO that in the UK as of 1998, the number of NGO’s exceeded half a million, of which 40% could be designated as Charity based organisations., This group was then reported to have a collective estimated turnover of approaching  £20 billion. Both of these statistics will have grown dramatically over the past decade. The main mission of charities is to deliver practical and constructive assistance to those in need; providing information on issues such as health problems and disability or promoting the message for fairer laws. These missions can be related to human activity, preservation of the natural world environment and its wildlife or seeking justice for those that are oppressed. However, currently charities have to face up to a number of obstacles in effectively performing the task for which they have been set up, most of which arise in two particular areas. Firstly, with the increasing growth of needy causes, there is a rise in the number of charitable organisations emerging to address these issues, increasing the competition for funds proportionately. Secondly, there is little doubt from the level of research that has been undertaken, that the charity giver is becoming increasingly discerning about the impact of their donations. This concerns centres around the desire to ensure that the gi ft has the maximum impact. Therefore, it is important to the donor that the minimum amount of that gift is used for the charity’s internal administrative purposes. Despite the fact that the â€Å"mission† of a charity has in the past often been deemed more important than â€Å"economic intentions† (Hussey and Perrin 2003, p.200), the current climate within this sector is requiring them to become more efficient if they wish to sustain the objectives of their cause. This means that thy have to look for ways in which they can improve the effectiveness and the efficiency of their operations. In this regard, although somewhat belatedly when compared with the move by commercial corporations, the charity sector is increasingly studying the benefits of using information technology processes as a means of achieving the efficiencies that are required. However, as Hackler and Saxton (2007), although some charities are incorporating information within their organisations, the extent, areas of the business covered and effectiveness of these developments has not yet been perfected in a significant number of cases. In fact, in some it is considered that with some charities it can be reducing efficiency. Indeed the research conducted by Sargeant and Tofallis (2000) concluded that â€Å"the performance of many charities would appear to fall well short of the efficient frontier with no immediately obvious explanation forthcoming for why this might be so.† Indeed, they could also find no pattern to the causes of these failures either. It is the issue of information technology in particular its effective and efficient use in charity organisations that inspired this research project. Of specific interest is the intention to assess the impact that this technology has upon the duel targets of increasing financial efficiency and improving the delivery of the main services and missions of the charity. 1.2 Aims and Objectives As stated previously, the aim of this research is to identify the ways in which information technologies can be used to improve the efficiencies of charity operations. In this regard it is intended to focus the research upon the usage of IT in the online environment. Thus the research question or hypothesis that has been set for this study is as follows: â€Å"Online information technology processes can offer charities opportunities for growth and expansion in terms of the revenue and message and mission generating areas of their operations.† To assist with the achievement of this goal the research will use the following framework of objectives: Growth and maximisation of revenue It is intended to determine the extent to which a charity can make use of the IT opportunities available using the Internet to grow its revenue base and the methods by which this can be achieved. Cost reduction and efficiency Using the same premise as that included within the previous objective it is also the intention of this paper to address the issue of the appropriate IT methods that can be employed for increasing the efficiency of the charity organisation in terms of cost control and reduction where appropriate. Mission and programmes Bearing in mind the unique purpose of the charity format, which is that it has a mission to serve a specific cause, the research will also be ensure that, in addition to the financial objectives outlined above, the information processes examined are compatible with the enhancing of the message that charities need to communicate. This will be applied to both the potential and recipient of their services. The research itself will use a mixture of data to address the research question. This will include reference to the extensive range of financial statements which are available from individual charity websites or the Charities Commission (2008) online resources, although only a sample of these reports will be utilised. To address the issues and concerns of the individual charities more directly, individual interviews will be conducted with a number of representatives from this sector. 1.3 Overview The management and presentation of the research paper has followed a logical format. Chapter two presents a review of existing literature that is available and that relates to the issues being addressed by the researcher. This includes publications and comments by academics, professional observers and other interested stakeholders. Following this critical review, in chapter three it is intended to concentrate upon the methodology that has been applied to this project. It will provide an overview of the available methods and the reasons for the method that has been adopted in this instance. Chapter four provides the in-depth results of the research findings, both that which has been gathered from primary and secondary resources and these will be analysed and discussed in more detail in chapter five. Finally, the research project will reach a conclusion in chapter six and, where considered feasible and appropriate, the researcher’s recommendations will be presented and explained . Included at the end of this study, although separated from the main body of the study, will be additional information. This will include a biography of the various resources that have been referred to or used to assist with the development of the project. In addition, in attached appendices, information that is considered of further value in understanding the issues raised and the examinations undertaken, including the transcripts of interviews, have also been included. Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1  Introduction To assess the issues of the charity use of online information technology, it is important to perform a critical review the existing literature that is available relating to various elements. In this case that will include providing a brief understanding of the charity environment. In addition, it will include a review of the information technology processes and their advantages as well as the areas where charities have been found to have deficiencies either in the usage of these technologies or the extent to which they have availed themselves of the technology itself. The chapter has been sectioned in a manner that appropriately addresses these areas. 2.2  Charities As many academics have observed, in comparison with commercial organisations, the charity is a complex organisation, not least because of its structure and mode of operations (Wenham et al 2004, Hussey and Perrin 2003 and James 1983). There are even different to the other types of non-profit organisations referred to by Hackler and Saxton (2007), such as those that are often form for regulating the decisions and objectives of various parts of nation and international political policies. An example of these would be the various organisations that have been set up in the UK to deal with the reduction of carbon emissions such as The Carbon Trust. The differences attributable to the charity organisation can be observed in many areas of the operation. For a start one of the main intentions that is needed for the organisation to qualify as a charity is for it to have a non-profit making objective (Hurray and Perrin 2003). Secondly, its mission that in the corporate sense would be classed as strategic objective is directed to the service of the external stakeholder or user (Hussey and Perrin 2003). In other words, where the purpose of the commercial organisation is to achieve financial success that will enable it to return additional value to the shareholders and potential investor, the charity’s financial aim is to utilise its funds specifically for the benefit of those whose demands and needs it is intending to address. Often, because of the break-even requirement, the charity will take on projects that are of no immediate benefit, but will have the effect of helping them to subsidise other, more highly valued activities (James 1983, p.351). Another difference in organisational processes is that the charity revenues generating activities relies heavily upon the volunteer donor (Wenham et al 2004), therefore making it difficult to predict. In addition, this places constraints upon administrative expenditure in areas such as computers and other modern equipment (Sargeanr and Jay 2004). Furthermore, because of the purpose of the charity and the need to concentrate its expenditure upon projects that are determined within its mission statement, together with the fact that funds may be limited, many charities are heavily reliant upon the efforts of voluntary employees. Many of these employees might have limited knowledge of the operational processes that are required for an efficient organisation, which can be a disadvantage (Galaskiewicz et al 2006, p.338). This is especially true if there is a sizable organisation to manage. Irrespective of these differences, to remain true to its mission statement and stated aims, every charity still has to create a strategy that allows it to address three specific operational procedures. These are the maximisation of incoming funds, minimising administrative costs to ensure the recipients of its objectives, in terms of projects and services, receive the maximum benefit and effective marketing, which is designed to attract donors and service users (Wenham et al 2004). Therefore, it is important for the charity to be organised in terms of its mission, which means having the right strategies in place (Hussey and Perrin 2003, p.215 and 218) and assessing their appropriateness. As Hackler and Saxton (2007) acknowledge, it is in these areas that the use of information technology can be considered. All charities have to be registered with the Charities Commission (2008) irrespective of their size. An integral part if this registration is the need to provide regular financial statements which Holistic Nurse Prescribing: A Case Study Holistic Nurse Prescribing: A Case Study Introduction 1 the patient and their presenting symptoms. Mr Pickles presents an interesting, complex and therapeutically challenging problem. In essence he is a gentleman with multisystem pathology who presents with an almost incidental finding which he was clearly reluctant to discuss. It is a common finding amongst experienced healthcare professionals that in any consultation it is the last 30 seconds which is the most important. As the patient stands up to go, there is the just while Im here moment when they can bring up an issue that really troubles them and may not be the real presented reason for the consultation. In this essay we shall discuss the various aspects of this situation and the measures we can take to try to help him. (Parker and Lawton 2003) 2.a holistic assessment of the pt, including any relevant medical social and psychological issues. If we start with the initial presenting symptom under discussion the impotence it is easier to work backwards from that to discuss the possible pathophysiology that can be relevant. Impotence is said to occur whenever the male fails to get an erection when it is required. This, in itself is neither unusual nor necessarily pathological. It becomes a significant symptom when the male repeatedly fails to get an erection that is sufficient for intercourse. It is quite possible to get full spontaneous erections and yet still be impotent. This is one of the major diagnostic features that distinguishes the psychogenic impotence from the purely physical. (Ackerman MD, Carey MP. 1995) There are a number of obvious physical causes of erectile dysfunction that are relevant to Mr Pickles (see on), but equally there are a number of possible psychogenic causes that may be either primary factors or possibly secondary contributory factors in the aetiology of his problems. The fact that he has recently undergone major cardiac surgery is a very relevant factor. Patients will frequently suffer from a major change in body perception when they have come to a close realisation of their own mortality. If we add to this the fact that, as the major breadwinner in the family, it is likely that Mr Pickles would have felt a major blow to his self-esteem when he was made redundant from a responsible high esteem job and forced to become a taxi driver with long working hours. This is quite apart from the anxiety and fatigue that such a job would engender.(Beck J. 1995) It is possible that the medication that Mr Pickles is taking may have a bearing on his erectile dysfunction as the male erection is dependent on the hydrostatic pressure of the blood for its maintenance. Any medication that reduces the average blood pressure, will effectively reduce the capacity to acquire and maintain an erection. In addition to this the adrenergic beta-blocker group will also selectively block the sympathetic pathways that are vital to the neurovascular control of the mechanisms of erection. Pathophysiology of diabetes and impotence Both of these topics are huge subjects, so in this essay we will restrict out considerations to those aspects which are relevant to Mr Pickles and his problems. We know that Diabetes Mellitus affects about 2% of the UK population with a specifically higher incidence in both the Asian and Afro-Caribbean communities(Nathan 1998). There is also a marked genetic component in the development of Diabetes Mellitus. Mr Pickles has Type II diabetes mellitus which is associated with a number of factors including a high BMI and increasing age. At 56 yrs. old he is currently at the peak incidence age for Type II diabetes mellitus (Gregg et al. 2003). Diabetes Mellitus is known to be associated with a number of complications. The prevalence and incidence of the complications, in general, tends to increase with the length of time that the patient has been diabetic. There is also an independent variable for complications that is directly proportional to the degree of control (as measured by the HbA1 levels). In general terms, the better the control the lower the incidence of complications (Kissebah et al. 1999) As far as Mr Pickles is concerned, there are two major complications of Type II diabetes mellitus that are directly linked with impotence and they are cardio-(macro)vascular disease and neuropathy. (Wagner et al. 1998) We can deduce that Mr Pickles has macrovascular disease by virtue of the fact that he his recovering from a CABG. And this may well be a very relevant factor in his erectile dysfunction but also there is the question of neuropathy which typically occurs in about 2.4% of the general population, but this figure rises to above 8% in the diabetic patient over the age of 60 yrs. ( Hughes 2002) Impotence tends to occur, in varying degrees, in about 10-15% of men under 40 yrs. Its incidence increases with age to the extent that 40% of men at the age of 40 yrs report a degree of impotence and this prevalence rises to 70% at the age of 70 yrs. (Gregoire 1999). If we add to this basic clinical picture the fact that there are other factors such as hypertension, smoking, cardiac neurosis, loss of self-confidence, depression and iatrogenic causes (medication etc.) all of which may well be relevant to Mr Pickles, then it can be seen that there are a plethora of potential causes of his erectile dysfunction. (Barnes, DE. 2004) Both of the first two causes (hypertension and smoking) are independent risk factors for impotence, quite apart for the fact that they are also risk factors for the development of the macrovascular complications of Diabetes Mellitus (Bowering 2001) Mr Pickles diabetic state has been recently well controlled (HbA1 of 6.5%). This is important as the incidence of development of diabetic complications is reduced by between 34-76% (depending on the particular study) for every 10% reduction in the average HbA1 reading. (Bowering 2001). In addition to all of these considerations, atherosclerosis is also a major complication of Type II diabetes mellitus, which, presumably is relevant to Mr Pickles because of his CABG, and this may be a major factor in the development of his erectile dysfunction. Management plan 3.a plan/strategy based on critical understanding of physiological and pharmaceutical issues. Any management plan must firstly be based on an accurate diagnosis. At this point in time we do not have this luxury. As we have discussed, there are anyone of a huge number of possibilities in the aetiology of Mr Pickles erectile dysfunction problem. When confronted with a problem such as this, any experienced healthcare professional may reasonably chose to manage the problem by making a rational judgement of the probabilities of any one particular cause being relevant. Implicit in such a management strategy is the fact that there are some causes that my be correctable (iatrogenic, psychological, and life style related) and there are some that may not (macrovascular damage, neuropathy and atherosclerosis). It is reasonable, in such circumstances, to discuss the situation openly with Mr Pickles and discuss with him the various treatment options. Patient empowerment and education is a vital strategy to adopt in circumstances such as this as Mr Pickles is far more likely to comply and respond if he understands the rationale behind the treatment plan.(Howe and Anderson 2003) We would suggest that an appropriate strategy would be to initially tackle the situation on two fronts. The psychological aspects of the erectile dysfunction are probably best discussed with an experienced psychologist or councillor who has expertise in this particular area. This is important because there is a considerable skill in eliciting the relevant factors from the patient. Many patients are reticent about talking openly about their imitate sexual details and there has to be a careful build up of trust and empathy on both sides. Factors such as good eye contact and a non-judgemental body stance are essential on the part of the healthcare professional if the optimal result is to be obtained Not only can the issues that are relevant be explored, but also any one of a number of psychological treatment techniques can be employed. This is a matter of considerable clinical judgement and skill and therefore probably best done by an experienced healthcare professional in that area. The pharmaceutical area can also be addressed as Atenolol is clearly not the best anti hypertensive to use as, not only will it reduce the blood pressure (which it clearly is important to do) but it also produces a counter productive beta-blockade which will not help the erectile dysfunction problem. The difficulty is that, after the CABG, Atenolol does have a degree of action on the suppression of ectopic electrophysiological foci in the myocardium which is a recognised complication of the procedure. It also is thought to have a cardioprotective effect post-myocardial infarction. It is probably a good idea to change his anti-hypertensive medication, but in the circumstances, it is probably better to seek the advice of the surgical team who performed the CABG. before making the transition. The question of Viagra has been raised by Mr Pickles. This is not as straight forward as it might initially appear. Viagra has been shown to work well in these circumstances. It has the downside that it allows sexual intercourse which is associated with increased peaks of blood pressure. As Mr Pickles is still in the postoperative recovery phase (16 weeks) it would again be sensible to consult with the surgical team as to their advice on the issue. The other problem with Viagra is that if it transpires that the long term aetiology is actually psychological rather than purely physical, then the prescription of Viagra will often breed a feeling of psychological dependence which may firstly be both inappropriate and unnecessary and secondly, very hard to break. It is probably therefore inappropriate to consider such options at this stage in the management. 4.legal and professional accountability should be discussed. The legal and professional issues are largely covered in the making of a management plan. In any area of professional competence, the best defence against criticism or censure, is the fact that a healthcare professional works from a rational evidence-based plan. It is for this reason that we have set out the rational and reasoning for the plan that we have chosen to adopt. It is actually quite permissible (legally) for a healthcare professional to be wrong on any given issue, as long as they have come to a reasoned and rational decision based on the facts that were placed before them. And behaved in a way that the majority of their professional colleagues believe is reasonable in the circumstances. It is, of course, central to these considerations, that all actions are carefully and fully recorded in the patients notes Prescribing decisions 5.a critical discussion of influences on prescribing decisions. The area of prescribing for Mr Pickles is clearly important. To some extent, we have covered the reasoning behind the change of prescription earlier in this essay. There is a common misconception amongst many members of the public (and indeed many of the less experienced healthcare professionals) that the solution to every problem comes in the form of tablets on a prescription. The whole area of patient empowerment and education is often filled with issues of lifestyle change, healthy living, self care and positive thinking which can frequently be more effective that simply giving the patient a prescription. (Boule NG et al. 2001) In the context of the NHS, it is a common observation that sometimes a prescription is given because it is the most expedient short-term measure in a given situation, (Dawes RM et al. 1974), however, time invested in an explanation to a patient as to why other measures might be equally as important is rarely time wasted., (Corrigan B. 1974) Future management 6.consider your future prescribing activity based on experience gained from this case study. In any professional area of activity, the author likes to use the mechanism of reflective practice to allow a critical assessment of a past course of action to modify future actions when faced with a similar situation. (Gibbs, G 1988) On careful reflection of this case, I believe that I may have acted rather rashly in stopping the Atenolol as a first choice. On reflection, I believe that the Atenolol did need to be changed for any one of a number of other anti-hypertensive agents but I feel that, in retrospect, I would have been wiser to take advice from the surgical team before I made that decision. Further reflection and discussion with other healthcare professionals (Marks-Moran Rose 1996), suggested that another appropriate course of action would have been to stop the antihypertensive medication altogether for a short period. This is on the grounds that his hypertension was not severe and was hitherto well controlled. If the erectile dysfunction was simply a reflection of the fact that the medication was holding his blood pressure down to a level where erection could not easily occur, a few days off the medication may allow a transient increase in his blood pressure to the point that erection could occur. As long as one was careful to monitor his blood pressure to ensure that it did not rise too far, I have been advised that this would represent a reasonable therapeutic trial to establish whether the underlying causes were mainly physical or physiological.(Wagner G et al 1998). On the face of it, this does seem reasonable but I believe that I would have to take further advice before I was fully comfortable with that decision. It follows from what has already been discussed, that I also feel that I may have been too quick to consider the pharmacological interventions before making a complete holistic assessment of the patient. There are clearly a number of lifestyle adjustments that may be relevant here such as weight loss and increasing exercise and looking for a new focus in life (to minimise any element of depression) which would be comparatively easy to achieve with appropriate empowerment and education of the patient. (Funnell R et al 2004) All in all, this is not a straight forward case. There are many elements which require careful and considered assessment. I believe that it is one of those cases that helps to point out that although there is a huge emphasis to be placed on modern scientific understanding and application of medical principles, there is also a very large element of human understanding and caring that is so very important to the successful management of patients such as Mr Pickles (Waterlow J. 1998) References Ackerman MD, Carey MP. 1995 Psychologys role in the assessment of erectile dysfunction: historical precedents, current knowledge and methods. J Consult Clin Psychol 1995; 63: 862-87 Barnes, Darryl E. 2004 Action Plan for Diabetes Copyright 2004 ISBN: 0736054596 Pub. Human Kinetics Illinois USA Beck J. 1995 Hypoactive sexual desire disorder: an overview. J Consult Clin Psychol 1995; 63: 915-927. Boule NG, Haddad E, Kenny GP, et al. 2001 Effects of exercise on glycemic control and body mass in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials. JAMA 2001;286:1218-27 Bowering (2001) Diabetic foot ulcers. Pathophysiology, assessment, and therapy. Can Fam Physician. 2001 May;47:1007-16. Dawes RM, Corrigan B. 1974 Linear models in decision making. Psychol Bull 1974;81:95-106. Funnell, and Robert M. Anderson, (2004) Empowerment and Self-Management of Diabetes Clinical Diabetes 22:123-127, 2004 Gibbs, G (1988) Learning by doing: A guide to Teaching and Learning methods EMU Oxford Brookes University, Oxford. 1988 Gregg, R. B. Gerzoff, C. J. Caspersen, D. F. Williamson, and K. M. V. Narayan (2003) Relationship of Walking to Mortality Among US Adults With Diabetes Archives of Internal Medicine, June 23, 2003; 163(12): 1440 1447. Gregoire 1999 ABC of sexual health: Assessing and managing male sexual problems BMJ, January 30, 1999; 318(7179): 315 317. Howe and Anderson 2003 Involving patients in medical education BMJ, Aug 2003; 327: 326 328. Hughes RAC. 2002 Regular review: Peripheral neuropathy BMJ, Feb 2002; 324: 466 469. Kissebah AH, Freedman DS, Peiris AN. 1999 Health risks of obesity. Med Clin North Am 1999; 73: 111-138 Marks-Moran Rose 1996 Reconstructing Nursing: Beyond Art and Science London: Balliere Tindall October, 1996 Nathan D. (1998) Some answers, more controversy, from UKPDS. Lancet 1998; 352: 832-833. Parker and Lawton 2003 Psychological contribution to the understanding of adverse events in health care Qual. Saf. Health Care, Dec 2003; 12: 453 457. Wagner G, Seanz de Tejada I. 1998 Update on male erectile dysfunction. BMJ 1998; 316: 678-682 Waterlow J. (1998) Prevention is better than cure. Nurs Times 1988; 84: 69-70 Appendix

The History Of Arts And Crafts Essay -- essays research papers

Ø  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The distinction between ‘Craft’ and ‘Design’ can be at times problematic explain what you understand these terms to mean, and illustrate their application in relationship to the work of one practitioner. The definition for craft is, the making of decorative or functional objects, generally by hand. Hand and power tools may be used, however, in making some craft items. The term crafts also refers to the objects made. The function of crafts is generally concerned with crafts as creative hobbies, practiced primarily in the home with a minimum of specialized equipment. Crafts as so defined, have certain functions. In a world that is becoming increasingly mechanized and standardized, they give people the opportunity to work with their hands and to express their individuality. Crafts also are often used in occupational therapy; for example, a patient might be taught a craft to develop weakened muscles or to help in gaining use of an artificial limb. An emotionally disturbed person might be taught a craft that would serve as an outlet for feelings. Craftwork also provides the disabled with purposeful activity that diverts attention from their handicaps. Many hobbyists find themselves going into business. A craftsperson who perhaps has at first sold craft items only to friends or at local bazaars may find that increased demand leads to a wider clientele and sales by mail order, at crafts fairs, or through a shop. There is a fine line of distinction between crafts produced by amateur hobbyists for their personal satisfaction and crafts that in the hands of gifted artisans approach or can be considered art forms, generally made with a view toward the use and enjoyment of others. The difference between hobby-produced crafts and formal decorative art objects lies in the degree of innovation in form and technique and in the intention of the artisan. Crafts can be grouped by technique or medium. Under the headings that follow are brief descriptions of some of those crafts most popular with hobbyists today, with indications of the degree of skill and basic equipment required. The type of craft that I will be studying is known as handicraft. Strictly speaking, handicrafts are occupations that involve making usable or decorative products by hand. Before the Industrial Revolution all such products were handmade, often in the home. The age of... ...anization and mass production. It had its basis in the ideas of Pugin and Ruskin, the most influential of the writers who deplored the effects of industrialization, but it was left to William Morris to translate their ideas into practical activity. His hand-made products (books, furniture, textiles, wall-paper, and so on) were successful aesthetically, but his ideal of producing art for the masses failed. Nevertheless, he influenced craftsmen, teachers, and propagandists (such as C. R. Ashbee, who founded the Guild of Handicraft in 1888), and in the early years of the 20th century the ideals of the Arts and Crafts Movement spread abroad, notably to Germany, Austria, the Low Countries, and Scandinavia, where the Danish silver designer George Jensen was one of the key figures. After World War I the movement was transformed by the acceptance of modern industrial methods, but it has had an enduring legacy on 20th-century design. Acknowledgements: CNN, Arts Report 1987 summary Britannia, Oxford, and Compton’s Interactive Encyclopaedias The Book of Art Design The Modern Arts Movement WWW.Encarta.Com The Essential William Morris The Industrial Design Guide 1992 Crafts and Designs Today

Educational Philosophy :: Philosophy of Education Teaching Essays

Educational Philosophy For some, it is an occupation – a means of earning a living. For others, it is a skill performed with great ability and proficiency. What is it? It is teaching. Teaching, as defined by Webster’s New World Dictionary, is to â€Å"show or help (a person) to learn (how) to do something; to provide with knowledge, insight, etc.†(Webster’s, p. 605). Since the beginning of civilization, teaching has encompassed people’s lives. Building on the knowledge learned from his beloved teacher, Socrates, Plato created his own school to encourage others in their pursuit of knowledge. Even though the styles and philosophies of teaching have changed greatly since 2000B.C., the concept of an ideal teacher remains the same. Excellent educators inspire their students to reach for the stars. Our public education system in West Virginia is due to the valiant efforts of our forefathers. Fighting for a training arrangement applicable to ALL students, these pioneers provided the groundwork from which we have expounded. Our ancestors appreciated the importance of an adequate education, and now, it is our responsibility as present and future educators to continue the tradition. Providing equal and superb instruction to all students should be the number one priority for us teachers. Public educators have the greatest opportunity – to touch a child’s life for the better. As a public school teacher, I would set the expectations for my students at ceiling level, but then provide them with the ladder and walk them through each wrung to ensure accomplishment. I want to instill in my students that each child has the capacity for success (keeping in mind that each person has his own definition for success) and a lifelong thirst for knowledge. Children are like clothing. Some are â€Å"ironed† and â€Å"clean† from a childhood of love and true nurturing. Some are â€Å"wrinkled† and â€Å"worn† from a childhood of abuse and neglect. Some appear â€Å"irregular† as a result of a handicap or disability. Sadly, many are â€Å"labeled†, whether positively or negatively, before they complete their years in school.

Geely Company Analysis

Geely Company Analysis When globalization becomes a circumstance, many companies try to open oversea market. Here, we’d like to take a look at a Chinese private-own automobile company Geely. As china’s top car maker, Geely abstracted the world’s eyes recently. In 2004, Geely plans to export 5,000 vehicles to the Middle East, South America and North Africa after shipping 1,000 cars to Syria in the fourth quarter of 2003 at US$4,000-$6,000 each. This year, Geely wants to open US market. But with many strong competiters in car manufactory in US, with weak reputation around chinese product, How does Geely find an appropriate approach to develop its business? This paper will try to find the answer. First, we will introduce Geely background to help reader know its history and present situation. Then we will do SWOT analysis and Entry mode comparison toward its current status to find a better approach for Geely to enter in US. We will cover chapter 4 and chapter 14 in this paper. Company opportunity Although it’s hard for a new automotive manufactor enter in US market, which is roughly saturated and full of strong competitors, Geely still has its own advantages and oppotunities. Its super-low price becomes a brick to knock the door of US low end vehicles market. Some other famous and successful brand bulid a good model for Geely in car image, design etc. Also, US market is huge and American people have a high consumption, if Geely can catch the oppotunities, the chance to success will be great. Now, let’s take a look at its company background. Company background Geely automobile company was found on March, 1997 in Zhe Jiang China. It is a private own automobile company. The registered capital of this company is RMB 20 million. In 2001, Geely automobile became the first approved private company in terms of automobile manufacture in mainland China. The chairman of the company is Li Shu Fu. He has good relationships with the Chinese government leaders and Zhe Jiang province government leaders. China has high economic growth rates since 1980s. Many Chinese people make a lot of money every year. Most of them want to own cars or need cars for many easons. So the Chinese car market become bigger and bigger. It provides a good opportunity to Li Shu Fu and his employees to realize their dream: â€Å"Make the best Cars, ordinary People Can Afford. † Geely automobile company hires many workers to produce different styles cars in Zhe Jiang province and operates big business in mainland China, Middle East, southern America and Africa. The operatio n of the company can affect the economic growth of Zhe Jiang province. So, Geely automobile company always gets support from the Zhe Jiang province government. Gerry automobile company is focusing on low-income market in mainland China. In the first half of 2003, Geely Company produced 34360 units of cars and renews the lowest prices of its products in the automobile industry, so the company shared 3. 84% of the total Chinese car market. At the same, the company made technical cooperation agreement with German Rucker Company. The cooperation agreement helps Geely automobile to improve its products’ quality quickly. This company gets success in domestic market after its first car launched off in Linhai City Zhejiang Province. On June, 2003, the one hundred thousand Geely care launched off in Zhejiang Province. This company has import & export license and the ISO 9001 quality system certification, so it is very easy for the company to export its products to other countries. Gerry Company tries to enter in international market since its foundation. The company sells its products or establishes extensive trading relationship in different countries and areas since 2003. It seems to get success in Middle East, Southern American and Africa because the company exports large quantities of products to those areas per year. This company is looking for the opportunities to enter the U. S. market now. S. W. O. T Analysis Since we have assumed that Geely has its potential to open the automobile market in American, then the next step is to analyze the company and automobile industry environment. One of tools is provided by our text book called â€Å"S. W. O. T† analysis which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (Sulivan, 2002). * Strength A strength could be defined as something a company is good at doing or a characteristic that gives it enhanced competitiveness. It may include aluable physical and/or human assets, an achievement or attribute that takes the company in a position of market advantage, alliances or cooperative ventures, and so on(Thompson & Strickland, 2001, p117). For Geely Automobile Company, low cost of physical and/or human assets is one of the major strengths. As we know, although Chinese labor cost is not the lowest in the world, its cost is still much lo wer than lots of industrialized countries. Besides, the average cost of raw materials, plant, and land is also cheaper than some western countries. Moreover, Geely does not only have low cost labor but also has lots of valuable human assets. In 2003, Geely recuited some experienced managers into their team including former the General Manager of SAIC Volkswagen, Vice President of FAW Volkswagen Group, President of Dongfeng Automobile Institute Research, Chief Representative of German BMW and General Manager of China region after service company of Benz Company. These lower-cost advantages make Geely achieve its low price strategy among other competitors. On May, 2003, Geely sparkplug automobile popularization and renovate the newest and lowest price of automobile in the automobile industry. For instance, Geely makes some low-priced sedans. One of those is under the brand name, Haoqing minicar which is the cheapest on the Chinese market, at just 32,000 yuan which converts to $ 3,867 U. S. dollars. Some company’s alliances or cooperative ventures also build up its strength. On Dec. , 2002, Geely made contracts with Daewoo International Co. , Ltd and Maggiora S. p. A, a famous Italy automobile project group with respectively to develop CK-1 and CI-1 automobile project. On June,2003, Geely made a technical cooperation agreement with German Rucker Company. * Weakness A weakness is defined as something a company lacks or does poorly or a condition that makes the company at a disadvantage. A weakness may include lack of financial support, poor brand image or reputation and so on (Thompson & Strickland, 2001, p117). As we mentioned that Geely is a private owned company in our company background section, it is more difficult for them to get financial support in order to expand market or R&D. Furthermore, even though it made strategy corporation with several Shanghai and Zhejiang commercial banks, from an international perspective, â€Å"the lack of a strong relationship with a large bank with lobal connections† (Sulivan, 2002, p512) seems to be a big weakness for them. The second weakness is the reputation of Chinese products. For example, every time we, including Europeans, Americans even Asians, mention made-in-China products, we probably are talking about most of toys, shores, textiles or cheap electronics, but fewer of high-tech products. It is true for Chinese automobile manufacturers such as Geely that in order to open western markets they still have a long way to build their product images. * Opportunity It is no doubt that America has one of the most favorable automobile markets in the world. The political and businesses environment such as regulation are stable and well-developed. The income per capita is also ranked at top. Besides, its infrastructures such as freeways and national transportation network are also well built. For automobile manufacturers, they can either open luxury car markets or focus on mid-income or lower-income consumers. For foreign car makers especially from Asia, Japanese opened American market in 70’s and Korean opened in 90’s; the next might be from China. Threats Like opportunity, a threat is also viewed at whole industry level rather than each single company. In the automobile industry, the most common threat is a lot of competitors. There are not only many worldwide well-known brands such as General Motor, Ford, Toyota, Martz-Benz which produce different kinds of luxury automobiles for high-or-mid income consumers but also lots of small m anufacturers such as Hyundai, Geely, or Chery (another Chinese automobile company) which focus on lower-income market. Another threat is fueling fears. Since Asia economy boom, the demand of natural resource such as petroleum is increased dramatically. However, nowadays, the oil reserve is decreasing. Due to the high demand and short supply in oil, consumers start to consider not only the prices of automobiles but also the ability of gasoline saving while they purchase the cars. The change of consumer purchase behaviors will directly affect automobile manufactures’ market strategy and R&D. In sum, S. W. O. T analysis is very helpful for both domestic-oriented and international-oriented companies to analyze internal or external economic environment. However, after finish this analysis, there is another analysis to do – country analysis before we choose an appropriate entry model. US Country Analysis In US, automobiles play an important role in our daily lives. We can not finish our duties without driving a car. According auto Automotive News, there are 16 million cars in US. Most of the car sales are not made US car companies. US made cars sales is around 44. 9 %. That means 55% of cars sales in US are from foreign company. Japanese cars are the most sales cars in US. There are a lot of reasons why the Japanese cars are popular in US market. First, Japanese cars are better quality and lower price than US cars. Second, the Japanese cars saves their customers in gasoline cost. Because gasoline price increases so quickly, the US economy is experiencing a inflation problem. The daily life product prices are in a rise. People have less spending power than before. The market for cheap cars will increase year by year. On the other hand, people who have higher income still want to buy an expensive car. Most of the rich people want to buy Europe cars, such as BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Audi. As for the cheap car market, Korean cars are taking over most of the sales. China automobiles may have a good chance to break into US market, because China may be more competitive than Korean cars. The car come from China also consume less gas. It is may have a good opportunity to break into US market. Entry mode Since the objective for Geely Automotives is to eventually dominate the U. S. low end vehicles market, the most appropriate way for Geely automotives to do this would be through the direct exporting along with sales subsidiary method of entry. Geely will start out by selecting markets that are more susceptible to buying Chinese vehicles such as California and certain parts of Texas. Additionally, this process is set up to allow Geely to move carefully, develop a good foundation in the U. S. markets and if the future looks favorable then Geely may eventually grow and expand from there. Since China already has some of the lowest labor costs in the world, Geely automotives may be able to leave their manufacturing plant in China and the cars will then be directly exported to the U. S. from China. Once the cars arrive then Geely U. S. subsidiary will be responsible from there on and transport the vehicles to the dealerships for sale. To augment the exporting process, Geely will open up sales subsidiary dealerships in the selected locations in California and certain parts of Texas. The function of these sales subsidiaries will be sales, customer support and along with repair and maintenance on the vehicles. The management team will be also be imported from Geely’s headquarters in China, whereas sales, customer support and mechanics can be hired locally, since there is a good supply of well trained car salesmen in U. S. already. While a sales subsidiary dealership may be more expensive to set up in the U. S. than a simple sales branch, the sales subsidiary will be better for long term growth and the expenses should be off set by higher revenues earned from the subsidiary. According to Dr. Sullivan in Exploring International Business Environments, a sales subsidiary will also be better for long term growth because a sales subsidiary will allow Geely to â€Å"1. Be closer in touch with end-user needs. 2. Have more control over distribution channels, And 3. Being perceived by customers as more committed to the market. † ( 263). Dr. Sullivan also notes that the major disadvantage of a sales subsidiary is in finding sales personal with the right mix of experience, language skills and willingness to work for foreigners. However this should not be a big issue for Geely since there is a large Chinese population in California and many well trained sales people. (263). The major thrust behind Geely’s entry mode is to expand through economies of scale even if it means sacrificing short term profits. Lawrence Ang, executive director of Geely describes it clearly when he said in a recent news update: â€Å"We're the most aggressive market player in pursuing price-cuts and economies-of-scale strategies,† Ang continues by explaining that â€Å"Market share is relatively more important for us in the near term than profit margin because China's auto industry will experience a trend of declining profit margins in the next couple of years,† Furthermore, Ang concludes that â€Å"†We need a critical mass. Then we can push down our per-unit costs, leaving room for maneuvering on pricing. † (china. org. cn) Case study†¦ Hyundai Motors To understand the effectiveness of this entry mode better, let us look at Hyundai as an example. Hyundai first entered the U. S. market in 1986, their timing was perfect because it was a time when most automobile manufacturers were striving to dominate the higher-end markets, and this left plenty of room in the low end vehicles market. Hyundai took advantage of this by providing affordable cars for college students and lower income families. Hyundai also started out by exporting to Canada and later to the west and east coasts of U. S. where these markets are more liberal to foreign cars. Hyundai’s success was immediate, setting a record by selling their 100,000th Excel in just seven months of their first appearance. (Hyundai. com). With the American car manufacturers slowly loosing market share and Hyundai moving up in their target market, this could be the perfect opportunity for Geely to enter the U. S. market and reproduce Hyundai’s astounding results. Conclusion Eventually, as U. S. has huge demand of automobile, and slowly looses its market share to the Asian automobile manufacture, and as Hyundai moves to higher-end markets, this presents an opportunity for Geely. According to S. W. O. T analysis, Geely has its strength on low cost of natural resource and labor, and opportunity on focusing large demand of low-income consumers but the threat on powerful competitors, and weakness on poor reputation. Thus, if Geely could fully utilize its strength and opportunity, and build up its reputation by improving its qualities, we strongly believe that Geely could successfully enter U. S. market, and has high chance to capture part of U. S. automobile industries.

Human Activities In Causing Climate Change Environmental Sciences Essay

Climate is altering in a horrid manner. The alteration is influenced both by natural ground and human activities. El Nino, the Earth surface temperature increased, acerb rains and many phenomenons are damaging the environment. Experts are worried about the rapid altering clime, because the alteration may bring people many large catastrophes. Worldwide people are seeking to happen the solution and salvage humanity. This essay will discourse how human activities contribute to climate alteration, and give some advice how to forestall the Earth.Human activities in doing clime alterationIt is clear that human activities accelerate the clime alteration. The first portion of essay will poll 2 human activities that consequence clime alteration.( 1 ) Burning fossil fuelsThe Earth surface temperature increasing owe to greenhouse gases, because they carry the short-wave radiation from the Sun to the Earth ( NSW Department of Primary Industries, 2008 ) . Obviously, more nursery gases mean terrib le clime alteration. Before demoing the grounds of nursery gases growing, people need to understand what nursery gases are. The ground why people call these gases greenhouse gases is because they work like a glass nursery that heats up with the radiation trapped by the glass ( NSW Department of Primary Industries, 2008 ) . Greenhouse gases are non merely one sort of gas, really it includes ‘water vapour, C dioxide, methane and azotic oxide ‘ ( NSW Department of Primary Industries, 2008:2 ) . Obviously, because of the high-ranking nursery gases concentration, the temperature became higher than earlier. However, firing fossil fuels are the arch-criminal of lifting nursery gases in atmospheric has accelerated. Excessive human emanations besides caused 1.4 & A ; deg ; F gone up in the past century ( Pew Centre on Global Climate Change, 2008b ) . Burning fossil fuels non merely do nursery gases to lend to climate alteration, but besides sulphur dioxide and N oxides. Sulphur d ioxide and N oxides contribute to climate alteration because of their ability to make acerb rain. Acid rains which have deadly influences on edifices, trees and animate beings are besides bad for clime ( John, S et Al. 2006 ) .( 2 ) Overexploitation of the natural resourcesApart from firing fossil fuels, the ground why clime alteration in such a fast manner is overuse of the natural resources. The natural resources on the Earth are limited, no affair non-renewable resources or renewable resources. It seems that the turning population of world does non recognize the facts ; people ever exploit more resources than people ‘s demand to do certain the tendency of growing. Conspicuously, overuse the nature resources becomes one portion of causing led to climate alteration. Peoples knows that many day-to-day supplies made from wood, such as documents, some apparels and furniture, ordered more and more trees felled. As antecedently mentioned, nursery gases are bad for clime, and one o f the methods to diminish is more workss. Braid can absorb C dioxide, and extenuate the consistence of nursery gases. However, the bad intelligence is that the solution is dissatisfying for overdriving the natural resources. As a consequence, deforestation exacerbates the clime. On the other manus, deforestation besides conduces to desertification which contributes on clime alteration. Land debasement can besides take to environmental debasement, poorness, migration and the rhythm of struggle, but besides frequently affected states and parts, political stableness hazards ( UNCCD: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, 2009 ) . Peoples who live here need to disforest to gain money to do unrecorded.Outline farther impairment may be preventedAfter discoursing the human activities, the 2nd portion of essay will convey frontward 2 solutions that may protect the environment.( 1 ) Government governmentAs mentioned above, firing fossil fuels is one of the human activities that contribute to climate alteration. Factories create electricity by firing fossil fuels. To work out the jobs, authorities government seems to be an indispensable method. Nowadays, there is an effectual policy that is accepted in Australia and some European states, which named ‘cap and trade ‘ ( Minter-Ellison, 2007 ) . The government relate to ‘electricity coevals, conveyance, industrial procedure, forestry, agribusiness and waste ‘ ( Minter-Ellison, 2007 ) . The policy means authorities will crest the nursery gases emanations for every mill or else. For case, a mill has to pay for the emanations if it emit more nursery gases than the cap, besides a mill can sale its emanations if it emit less nursery gases than the cap. With authorities government, people and mills are encouraged to cut down the step of firing fossil fuels. This is a good illustration for authorities to represent some policies, order emitters prevent environment on their ain inititiative.( 2 ) Exploit new energy and happen how to utilize the new energyThe 2nd solution is to work new energy, and happen how to utilize the new energy. Because people is used to fabricate some fuels by wooden, deforestation is difficult to avoid. Account for the job, to work new energy is at hand. Actually some new energy like air current and solar power have been found for many old ages, but for the bound of scientific discipline, people can non utilize the new energy good. For illustration, people have no thought approximately solar power when it is nebulose. Fortunately, PSEG Global, a company found the method to utilize air current and shop air current. Harmonizing to their proclamation, when air current power beyond the demand of consumer, they will hive away the air current in belowground caverns or in armored combat vehicles. During the peak hours, the stored air current will let go of and go energy ( Davidson, P. 2008 ) . Besides, scientist besides exploited some other new energy an d found how to utilize. E-Coal is one sort of new energy which substitutes for coal. E-Coal was called no nursery gases emanation fuel, because it was made by biomass, though E-Coal liberate C dioxide when combustion, E-Coal can absorb equal C dioxide during their life ( Davidson, P. 2008 ) . In decision, human activities like firing fossil fuels and overdriving the natural resources changed climate a batch. Merely nowadays people are cognizant of the importance of environmental, and get down to work out the jobs. Government and scientists have been working to happen the solution. Everyone lives in the Earth, so everybody has to make their best to protect environment. ( 950 words )