Employment Benefits in the Fast Food Industry Essay

Employment Benefits in the Fast Food Industry The fast food industry has been expanding rapidly over the past years. It has become a part of our culture. In the book Labour Relations in the Global Fast-Food Industry, Robin Leidner quotes from Eric Schlosser who wrote the popular Fast Food Nation , â€Å"According to one estimate, there are approximately 2.5 million fast-food workers in the United States, making them the country’s largest group of low-paid workers (Leidner 11). Those 2.5 million fast-food workers are now working at Subway, McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, KFC, etc. The American fast food industry was built on the promise of low prices and fast services. Therefore, the corporations have to keep the†¦show more content†¦It is difficult to work in this highly demanding world with no education and no skills. In order to support their families and themselves, these unskilled people need to have jobs, regardless of the benefits. However, it is not right for these hard workers not to have the full benefits as other employees in other fields because they are workers who contribute a lot of energy to the industry; they receive less when the company earns more. According to the book: Labour Relations in the Global Fast-Food Industry, Robin Leidner indicates: Low wages, minimal benefits, tight staffing, and efforts to intensify labor are the predictable results of strong competitive pressure in a legal and cultural setting that grants employers remarkable discretion and does not guarantee workers a voice in influencing employments conditions†¦The jobs are designed so that they can be learned quickly and carried out competently by people with little work experience. Nonetheless, they are high-pressure jobs that require work under frequently stressful conditions. (15-16) It does not seem right for these employees to work more but receive less. The only way for these workers to have at least average wages and full benefits is to form a union. Labor union is one of the best protections that workers want to retain. It helps employees with a voice to protect themselves from being overworked while ensuring thatShow MoreRelated The Sociat Costs and Benefits of a Fast Food Industry Essay687 Words   |  3 PagesThe Sociat Costs and Benefits of a Fast Food Industry There are many social benefits to a fast food industry. Firstly, it’s the accessibility and convenience of having the fast food restaurants – they’re located practically everywhere. The service is also fast, hence â€Å"fast food† and therefore maximizing the convenience of them to consumers. Most of the time, the products of the fast food industry are cheap, tasty and therefore have good value for the product. The existenceRead MoreDisadvantages Of Fast Food1094 Words   |  5 PagesEverywhere you look, on every major corner, what do you see? Fast food. 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In â€Å"Working at McDonalds,† Amitai Etzioni argues that high school students working in the fast food industryRead MorePest Analysis on Fast Food Restourants796 Words   |  4 PagesTable of Contents Introduction to Fast Food Industry in Bahawalpur 1 PEST ANALYSIS 1 POLITICAL 1 ECONOMICS2 SOCIAL / CULTURAL 2 TECHNOLOGY 2 SOURCES OF INFORMATION3 Introduction to Fast Food Industry in Bahawalpur Today, eating out definitely is part of modern lifestyle, or can be said as necessity of modern age. Fast food is mainly targeted to youngster who is providing the fast food Restaurant the most revenue. The high fat foods taste good to these youngsters, which in turnRead MoreFast Food Industry Essay724 Words   |  3 PagesIt is not a surprise that fast food has become a way of life in America. Every day about a quarter of the adult population n United States visits the fast food restaurant. Every month about 90 percent of children aged 3-9 visit McDonalds. 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The brand will have an established presence in Asia, South America, and AfricaRead MoreThe Economic Effect Of A Minimum Wage Increase On The Fast Food Industry Essay2389 Words   |  10 PagesMinimum Wage Increase in the Fast Food Industry A question plaguing economists in the news the last couple of years is what would the effect of an increase in the fast food industry minimum wage be for the workforce. Better yet, how would it effect the fast food industry itself. There have been certain areas of the country that have already increased fast food workers minimum wage, but the debate is would it work elsewhere. With the increase in the demand from fast food workers for a minimum wage increaseRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Increased? Essay963 Words   |  4 Pagesblack young adults suffer four times more employment loss from a minimum wage increase than their non-black and more educated counterparts. Losses to small business owners from minimum wage increases may be direct losses, such as cutting jobs or hours, or indirect losses—such as rising numbers of job Vacancies, profit declines from increased costs, and price increases by small firm owners. Depending upon the stage of the business cycle, and specific industry/area conditions, these price increases

Farah Ahmedi And Tanim Ansarys The Other Side Of The Sky

What drives you to undertake a mission? Better yet how does a mission make you feel? Although undertaking a mission would result in never losing hope, responsibility, and working hard. With this in mind believing you could do it and accomplishing a goal is very important. On the event that this relates to my thesis statement because this is a result of never losing hope. With the intention about this also being related to my thesis statement because this proves responsibility accomplishing a mission and completing it. Seeing that also working hard could be undertaking a mission and make you feel amazing. Sooner or later many people think that undertaking a mission is very complicated and they don’t think they could accomplish†¦show more content†¦Maya Angelou has wrote a quite a meaningful story about her grandmother Annie Johnson about her life and having a turning point and everything changed. It all starts by having a huge conflict about splitting her marr iage in 1903 and ended she later became fully aware on what she put herself into. There for Annie Johnson and African-American women has to work her hardest in order to help her two small boys and make harder choices in life. According to the text on paragraph seven it states â€Å"Although business was slow, those first days Annie was determined. She balanced her appearances between the two hours of activity.† This explains how Annie was dealing with some conflits. There are more conflicts but a successful ending into the next story â€Å"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi†. So now that I have explained to you these tragic conflicts into accomplishing a mission the story â€Å"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi† by Rudy Kipling has more issues to face and a wonderful successful just like all these books have. It’s shortly happens when Rikki-Tikki-Tavi a mongoose gets adopted by a British family in the 19th century colonial India. Further on the mongoose spent its day roaming around th e house checking for any other animals or predators later on at the same night there was nursery where Rikki-Tikki-Tavi was awake watching the baby protecting it. Sooner or later the next day who knew but trouble started to

The Dowry System Free Essays

My beloved girl, I love you†¦ I care you†¦ I want you†¦ I am constructing these high walls so that you will be secured†¦ You stay in this kitchen that no one else would stare at my beloved†¦ I will look after you well because your father has paid me well and full†¦ You are my great treasure. So I am locking you up in these heavy chains that no one will take away you†¦ Don’t move. I will protect you†¦ Because, You are my beloved wife†¦ FOR SALE India is a great land that has its rich heritage from the Vedic culture. We will write a custom essay sample on The Dowry System or any similar topic only for you Order Now From the very beginning of civilizations itself women had a great prominence in the society. She was worshipped as a deity, she was given respect and even the nature or the ‘prakrithi ’ was considered to be a woman. The later period witnessed a gradual transition and a gender discrimination occurred leading to the marginalization of women. We see in the epic, Ramayana saying that woman has to be protected by her father in her adolescent period, husband in the youth and by her son in her old age. The woman does not deserve freedom any time. There were customs that ‘bought’ beautiful young bride to the family after ‘paying’ a good amount to bride’s parents. Even in this cyber century we see this being followed deliberately in the educated society and the greatest, disgusting evil that comes out of this marginalization is the â€Å"dowry system† or as it is presently called ‘The gift system’ . An embryo formed with two X chromosome is hunted from the very stage when it is called ‘she’ or ‘girl’. And then it is what Simon de Bouveire said, â€Å"A WOMAN IS NOT BORN. SHE IS MADE†. A girl child born to a family often hears,’ look, you are a girl’. This is how the stereotyping occurs. She is taught certain ‘norms’ that society constructed, forced to do certain assigned duties and is brought up to be a good wife and good mother. She is expected to be caring, loving, passionate, sacrificing, and hardworking and express the so called ‘feminine qualities’. She is then sold and bought to another family†¦ Marriage is the happy blending of two individuals with the vows made to love and take care of each other. It is the harmony between two families too. Earlier woman was made to sit at home and look after her husband and children. Dowries were given as an asset or help to the family in case some tragedy occur to her husband. It was a help. In the later stages it began to be a ‘demand’. Now it is the matter of ‘pride’. When the dowry prohibition acts imposed tried to halt these it was the birth of the â€Å"GIFT SYSTEM†. Marriage is considered to have occurred in the heavens. It is wished to be happy. But sometimes it becomes a lifelong chain to woman. From time the girl child is born, her parents often think about her marriage. The price to be offered and the jewels to be bought are calculated equally among the rich and the poor. The poor and the middle class suffer mostly due to this system. The Dalit woman has to undergo double marginalization, the caste and the gender. The parent has to work hard to find ways that can ‘marry of’ the girl and the families often get into heavy debt once the ceremonies get over. The stage were dowry became a demand was the most ‘tragic period’ were girls married were slaughtered by their merciless â€Å"destiny†. Even after the marriage money is demanded again and again by the husband and the in laws. They are threatened that the girl would be send back to home at the failure of the demands. After the ceaseless suffering the bride finally is killed or commits suicide. This was called ‘Bride burning’. This was often ignored by the society calling it a suicide. It is in this background that the Dowry prohibition act came into existence to ensure the equality and rights promised by the Indian constitution. When the law imposed limitations this was modified and known as The Gift System. Luxury car, Gold showered and the pocket money are ‘gifted’ to their daughter and her husband. There is a clear cut violation of the law with the permission of the ‘accused and the victims’. It is now matter of the Pride of the family. This shows how deeply this is rooted in each Indian. The wedding ceremonies take an amount more than a development scheme of a slum takes. Can a change be brought to this system? Earlier we could say that this was due to ignorance. But now how could educated women in a well developed society be a part of this? Feminism movements could not make a change to this evil. It’s each of us that encourage these. It’s ironic that woman who are on the boy’s side are more vicious to the bride. It should be understood that it’s not part of pride but Vanity. Each has their own role to do in this matter. The bride and her parents should pay respect to themselves and keep their dignity. She is not a commodity FOR SALE. Boys should be bold enough to say that they are stubborn to look after the family without the dowry. It should be the girl that they should marry. The ones who go for dowry should be ashamed to put a price tag on their wife. The girl should have the freedom to come to her home at any circumstance and get divorce at the worst. Pay respect to each other and keep up individuality. Make relations healthy and happy. Let them no more be in tears. How to cite The Dowry System, Essay examples

Derivatives and Risk Management Delta Risk and Reward

Question: 1. Calculate the delta hedge updates, adjustments and forward contract valuations in Appendix 2. 2. Do you think Scout Finch would view delta hedging as more or less risky for Dayton than an ordinary forward contract or purchased option hedge? Justify your answer with reference to literature. 3. How would you respond to the accusation that delta hedging is very subjective in its approach to viewing both the direction of an exchange rate movement and the proportion of hedge cover? Discuss with reference to literature. 4. If you were Scout Finch, what recommendation on the use of delta hedging would you make to your CFO? Justify your recommendation.? Answer: 1. Delta hedge updates, adjustments and forward contract valuations As per the case the data related for the scenario 4 is as follows. Exhibit 1: Inputs Inputs Spot Price in $/euro 1.3309 Strike price $/euro 1.3350 volatility (annualized) in percentages 10 domestic interest rate (annualized) 3.30 foreign interest rate (annualized) 2.00 time to maturity in days 92 Put option value $/euro 0.0265 Calculation for the value of Delta as a put option Here delta is calculated using the formula Here d1 is as follows: S0: Spot price. X: Strike price. r: domestic price. q: foreign exchange rate. Sigma: annualized volatility. t: time to maturity in years. The formula for Delta calculation is as illustrated by Jorion, (2009) in Financial Risk Manager Handbook. The seed/initial value of delta using the above formula is (-0.4859). The delta for a put is negative. Using the seed value of delta, proportionate hedging is done with forward contracts, while remaining part of portfolio is kept uncovered. Using the new spot price and time to maturity at 86 days, the delta value is recalculated and portfolio hedging recalibrated. The process of updating in continued every week till maturity. Exhibit 2 lists the deltas with forward contracts at different updates of delta. 2: Daytons Delta Hedging updates US Dollar /Euro Spring 2005 Update number Number of Days to maturity Spot Rate Delta Optimal hedge Hedge adjustments Remaining uncovered Sold or bought Forward Forward rate Forward proceeds. 1 92 1.3309 -0.4859 -485900 0 514100 -485900 1.3353 648822.27 2 86 1.2956 -0.6986 -698600 -212700 301400 -212700 1.2996 276424.92 3 78 1.2893 -0.7455 -745500 -46900 254500 -46900 1.2929 60637.01 4 71 1.2908 -0.7501 -750100 -4600 249900 -4600 1.2941 5952.86 5 64 1.2926 -0.754 -754000 -3900 246000 -3900 1.2956 5052.84 6 57 1.3068 -0.6784 -678400 75600 321600 75600 1.3095 -98998.2 7 50 1.2919 -0.7917 -791700 -113300 208300 -113300 1.2942 146632.86 8 43 1.2834 -0.8594 -859400 -67700 140600 -67700 1.2854 87021.58 9 36 1.2643 -0.9513 -951300 -91900 48700 -91900 1.2659 116336.21 10 29 1.2555 -0.9817 -981700 -30400 18300 -30400 1.2568 38206.72 11 22 1.2568 -0.9909 -990900 -9200 9100 -9200 1.2578 11571.76 12 15 1.2227 -0.9992 -999200 -8300 800 -8300 1.2234 10154.22 13 8 1.2128 -0.9996 -999600 -400 400 -400 1.2132 485.28 14 1 1.2239 -0.9999 -999900 -300 100 -300 1.2239 367.17 15 0 1.2200 Using the value of covered and uncovered proceeds from exhibit 2, we get the delta hedge results as in Exhibit 3. Exhibit 3: Hedge results Delta hedge results Net Proceeds from forwards 1308668 Proceeds from uncovered 122 Total dollar Proceeds 1308790 Using the forward contract as reference the performance for the 4 strategies are listed in Exhibit 4: Exhibit 4: Comparison if different strategies Hedging Alternatives Comparison with Simple full forward covered Remained uncovered 1220000 -115300 Forward covered 1335300 0 Put Option Cover 1308500 -26800 Delta Hedge 1308789.5 -26510.5 Performance results of different strategies for Dayton manufacturing: Exhibit 5: Potential Dollar movement scenarios and performance: Dollar Stable Dollar Strong Dollar Strong Dollar Strong Strike Rate 1.75 1.75 1.9 1.335 Volatility 5.06 5.06 10 10 Domestic interest rates 6 6 3.30 3.30 Foreign Interest rates 8 8 4 2 Forward Rate Range 1.754 1.7612 1.754 1.7371 1.905 1.8286 1.3353 1.2239 Spot Rate Range 1.764 1.7618 1.764 1.735 1.9111 1.8311 1.3309 1.22 Remained uncovered 1761800 2792 1735000 -10522 1831100 -41577 1220000 -88789.5 Forward covered 1754000 -5008 1754000 8478 1904960 32283 1335300 26510.5 Put Option Cover 1734625 -24383 1734635 -10887 1863818 -8859 1308500 -289.5 Delta Hedge 1759008 0.00 1745522 0.00 1872677 0.00 1308790 0.00 Assumption: Delta hedge is reference for all the calculations. The above exhibit compares the performance of the 4 strategies. The green cells indicates the strategy performed better than delta hedging , while red indicates, that strategy performed bad with respect to delta hedging. The outcome is based on the 4 scenarios given in the case. Case1: Dollar to pound stable exchange rates In case of Stable dollar with respect to pound or euro, the forward contract loses money as entire portfolio was 100% forward hedged at forward rates at the starting of the period, and benefits of weaker dollar during the term of contract could not be taken. Second for Put option a hefty sum is to be given as option price as discussed by John H, (2013), hence the strategy looses the highest in this case. Here the value of portfolio at the end of term for delta hedging is the closest to the spot rate at the time of opening that is why hedging is done, to have minimum uncertainty with respect to current positions as discussed by Longo J (2009). For uncovered strategy for stable dollar, the exchange rate moves around a predefined pegged value only. Thus uncovered strategy makes the profit, but there is no certainty to this case and strategy may lose a lot of money too. Case2: Dollar to pound and euro exchange rates going weak (Dollar strong) For scenario 2 in the case study the dollar to pound and dollar to euro for scenario 4 the exchange rates are going weaker, this means that dollar is going strong and Dayton loses money in this scenario. Taking a full forward position is the best strategy for such predicted strong dollar case. Delta hedge being a modified version of Forward hedge looses little money in this case. While the put option and uncovered strategy looses the maximum amount in this scenario. 3. Dilemma of Increase in Risk in Delta Hedging for Dayton Manufacturing: The 4 strategies are compared on the basis of their rankings in 4 different scenarios given in the case. As can be seen, the Delta hedge strategy was the second best performer for all the cases. Other strategies have worked with varied level of performance for different scenarios. Exhibit 6: Rank wise comparison of the 4 strategies: Scenario 1/ Dollar stable Scenario 2/ Dollar Strong Scenario 3/ Dollar strong Scenario 4/ Dollar Strong Remained uncovered 1 4 4 4 Forward covered 3 1 1 1 Put Option Cover 4 3 3 3 Delta Hedge 2 2 2 2 Justification in favor of delta: The Scenarios that the case discussed, in that 3 out of 4 scenarios were showing a dollar strengthening trend, and for that case, forwards cover is always a very good strategy for an exporter in U.S. , to get money in foreign currency. Delta strategy does not perform that well, to increase its performance, the number of updates needs to be increased. Delta hedging a special case of forward contract: As per Giovanni B (June 1987), forward contract is a linear hedging technique with underlying moving in almost a linear fashion. This technique is used in delta hedging. Delta hedging finds an optimal delta value making portfolio risk free, and the part of the portfolio equivalent to the delta proportion, has to be hedged using forward contract. Delta used here is the same delta used in black Scholes model to make the portfolio risk free. Thus it can be said that Delta hedging is a special case of forward contract hedging technique. More updates required for increasing the performance: Delta needs to be updated, as the spot rates - the underlying, changes. For new value of spot rate, the portfolio is no longer a risk free and hence a new value of the delta needs to be found. Portfolio needs to be aligned with covered and uncovered parts using new delta values. With increase in the number of the updates the performance of the portfolio improves, and in fully dynamically updated delta hedging, the portfolio delta is changed many times in a day. As discussed by Rajiv S. (2014) a dynamically updated delta hedging produces the best result. Hedging cost is reduced: Hedging comes with a cost, as premium is to be paid for hedging. Now for full forward contract and Put option, an upfront price is to be paid for hedging 100% of the portfolio. While in case of Delta hedging every time only part of portfolio is hedged that makes the portfolio risk free. This makes the hedging cost to minimum. Flexibility in management of portfolio: During the course of entire period, the hedgers have full flexibility in updating and reorienting the portfolio and change what part of the portfolio needs to be hedged through forward contract. The loss in this strategy in some of the cases for delta hedging is worth for the level of flexibility the strategy provides. Conclusion: For exchange rate taking a random walk with no fixed direction of movement, the delta hedging is the best strategy. When the number of updates is increased the performance of the delta hedging improves. Delta hedging makes the portfolio independent of the movement of spot price, thus the volatility in the spot price only matters for deciding the portfolio performance. Delta hedge is subjective in its movement for changes in exchange rates in either direction and same is true for hedged covered. Delta hedging uses forward contract as the underlying hedging technique. The delta value controls the portfolio to be kept under forward cover. To compare the delta movements on either side changes in underlying spot exchange rate, let us consider the graph, which plots the put delta values against the underlying price. Figure 1: Put Delta values Vs underlying Price. For either side changes in exchange rate the curve is a symmetric, the value of delta changing the most in the middle and saturates at either ends. The curve is taken from Dynamic Hedging. (2015) from riskencyclopedia.com. The curve shows that, the delta moves equally for either side changes in exchange rate. Delta hedging uses these values of Delta for reorienting the delta and hence delta hedging is symmetric for either side changes in Exchange rates or portfolio under hedge cover is also symmetric for either side changes in spot exchange rate. Thus it is clear that delta hedging is not subjective to either side movements in spot exchange rates. On observing the delta movements with change in the spot rates, sometimes it seems that delta moves more in one direction with change in the spot rate, while changes very little or do not change at all with opposite movement in spot exchange rate. The reason for this one side movement is, Delta is a function of spot exchange rate, time and underlying volatility also. So, Delta tends to move in one direction as time to maturity decreases, towards -1 in case of dollar getting stronger and 0 in stable dollar case. The movement by time curtails the movement of delta in opposite direction due to exchange rate moving in opposite direction. Thus it can be said that delta hedging moves symmetrically on both the sides with either side movements in exchange rates. 4. Strategic Recommendations to CFO of Dayton manufacturing: A scenario based hedging strategy needs to be followed to achieve the best results for Dayton manufacturing. The 3 strategies for different kind of movements of underlying spot rate is as follows. Dollar/Euro and Dollar/Pound rates falling (Dollar getting stronger): For an exporting firm like Dayton manufacturing with large part of receivables in foreign currency, should use a full covered forward contract, whenever it is predicted that dollar is going to get stronger. Banks (2006) suggests that whenever the macroeconomic parameters like interest rate differential between domestic and foreign interest rates etc indicates that domestic currency is going to be stronger; a fully covered forward contract works the best. The 100% hedged portfolio using forward contract clips the loss to the forward rate at the time of the signing the contract. As the spot rate is bound to fall further, this strategy pays the best in such cases. Bounded Random movement of exchange rate around a pegged value: When exchange rates are stable with small random movements around a pegged value, delta hedging technique provides the best result. The portfolio is hedged in such a way that makes it risk free every time. Frequent updates are done to re align the portfolio making it risk free. With increased number of updates the, the performance of the portfolio improves. Moreover, Delta hedging makes the portfolio independent of the underlying spot rate, as with delta hedging the portfolio is made risk free. But the volatility in spot rates decides how fast the delta needs to be changed. So Delta hedging becomes a function of volatility of underlying spot rate. As discussed by Antonio C. (2009) higher the value of volatility of spot rate, faster and larger is the movement of the spot rate and more delta updates are required. An option Greek called Vega helps to monitor, how frequent delta changes need to be made. Dollar /Euro and dollar/Pound rate increasing (Dollar getting weaker): Whenever the macroeconomic parameters show that dollar is going to be weak with respect to the currency of inflow, than it is most advisable to keep the portfolio fully uncovered. In this weak dollar case, all the exchange rates movements is going to be beneficial for Dayton, with larger dollar income every time. Thus Dayton manufacturing should use all the strategies. References: Suma John. (2015) Options Greeks: Delta Risk and Reward. [Online] Available from: https://www.investopedia.com/university/option-greeks/greeks2.asp [Accessed: 7th June 2015]. Rajiv S. (2014). Derivatives and risk management. New Delhi: OUP India. Alok D, Surendra Y, P.K. Jain. (2012). Derivative Markets in India: Trading, Pricing, and Risk. India: McGraw Hill Education. Jorion, Philippe (2009).Financial Risk Manager Handbook(5 ed.). John Wiley and Sons. Greeks/delta. (2015) Option Delta. [Online] Available from: https://www.optiontradingtips.com/greeks/delta.html [Accessed: 7th June 2015]. Derivative pricing. (2015) Currency options pricing explained. [Online] Available from: https://www.derivativepricing.com/blogpage.asp?id=22 [Accessed: 7th June 2015]. John H, Sankarshan B. (2013). Options, Futures and other Derivatives. India: Pearson. Dynamic Hedging. (2015) Dynamic Hedging. [Online] Available from: https://www.riskencyclopedia.com/articles/dynamic_hedging/ [Accessed: 7th June 2015]. Longo J, Cfa. (2009). Hedge Fund Alpha: A Framework for Generating and Understanding Investment Performance. World Scientific Publishing Company. Antonio C. (2009). FX Options and Smile Risk (The Wiley Finance Series). John Wiley Sons. Derivative pricing. (2015) Currency options pricing explained. [Online] Available from: https://www.derivativepricing.com/blogpage.asp?id=22 [Accessed: 7th June 2015]. Jorion, Philippe (2009).Financial Risk Manager Handbook(5 ed.). John Wiley and Sons. Giovanni B, Robert E.W. (June 1987).Efficient analytic approximation of American option values.Journal of Finance42(2) Alok D, Surendra Y, P.K. Jain. (2012). Derivative Markets in India: Trading, Pricing, and Risk. India: McGraw Hill Education. Banks, Erik, Siegel, Paul (2006). The options applications handbook: hedging and speculating techniques for professional investors. McGraw-Hill Professional

Fahrenheit 451 & Brave New World Essays - Social Science Fiction

Fahrenheit 451 & Brave New World For more than half a century science fiction writers have thrilled and challenged readers with visions of the future and future worlds. These authors offered an insight into what they expected man, society, and life to be like at some future time. One such author, Ray Bradbury, utilized this concept in his work, Fahrenheit 451, a futuristic look at a man and his role in society. Bradbury utilizes the luxuries of life in America today, in addition to various occupations and technological advances, to show what life could be like if the future takes a drastic turn for the worse. He turns man's best friend, the dog, against man, changes the role of public servants and changes the value of a person. Aldous Huxley also uses the concept of society out of control in his science fiction novel Brave New World. Written late in his career, Brave New World also deals with man in a changed society. Huxley asks his readers to look at the role of science and literature in the future world, scared that it may be rendered useless and discarded. Unlike Bradbury, Huxley includes in his book a group of people unaffected by the changes in society, a group that still has religious beliefs and marriage, things no longer part of the changed society, to compare and contrast today's culture with his proposed futuristic culture. But one theme that both Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451 use in common is the theme of individual discovery by refusing to accept a passive approach to life, and refusing to conform. In addition, the refusal of various methods of escape from reality is shown to be a path to discovery. In Brave New World, the main characters of Bernard Marx and the "Savage" boy John both come to realize the faults with their own cultures. In Fahrenheit 451 Guy Montag begins to discover that things could be better in his society but, sue to some uncontrollable events, his discover happens much faster than it would have. He is forced out on his own, away from society, to live with others like himself who think differently that the society does. Marx, from the civilized culture, seriously questions the lack of history that his society has. He also wonders as to the lack of books, banned because they were old and did not encourage the new culture. By visiting a reservation, home of an "uncivilized" culture of savages, he is able to see first hand something of what life and society use to be like. Afterwards he returns and attempts to incorporate some of what he saw into his work as an advertising agent. As a result with this contrast with the other culture, Marx discovers more about himself as well. He is able to see more clearly the things that had always set him on edge: the promiscuity, the domination of the government and the lifelessness in which he lived. (Allen) John, often referred to as "the Savage" because he was able to leave the reservation with Marx to go to London to live with him, also has a hard time adjusting to the drastic changes. The son of two members of the modern society but born and raised on the reservation, John learned from his mother the values and the customs of the "civilized" world while living in a culture that had much different values and practices. Though his mother talked of the promiscuity that she had practiced before she was left on the reservation (she was accidentally left there while on vacation, much as Marx was) and did still practice it, John was raised, thanks to the people around him, with the belief that these actions were wrong. Seeing his mother act in a manner that obviously reflected different values greatly affected and hurt John, especially when he returned with Marx to London. John loved his mother, but he, a hybrid of the two cultures, was stuck in the middle. (May) These concepts, human reaction to changes in their culture and questioning of these changes, are evident throughout the book. Huxley's characters either conform to society's demands for uniformity or rebel and begin a process

History of Algebra Essays - Ancient Greek Mathematicians

History of Algebra Essays - Ancient Greek Mathematicians History of Algebra Algebra is defined by Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary as a generalization of arithmetic in which letters representing numbers are combined according to the rules of arithmetic. This is not a good definition of algebra. It would take a thick book to really explain it. In fact, to this day it is still being added to. There are always new things to be discovered about it. It has been added to by many different people over the centuries. Algebra has a long interesting history. The first work describing algebra was called Arithmetica, a treatise by Diophantus of Alexandria. It was a collection of 130 problem and numerical solutions. Only 6 of the 13 books have been found, the others were believed to have been destroyed soon after their creation. Diophantus was known as the father of algebra. The way he solved problems algebraically was know as Diophantine analysis. He lived from about 200 AD to about 284 AD He was the first to use an algebraic symbolism, in which symbols and letters represented the unknown. He refused to believe that there was any such thing as a negative number. He reasoned this by saying it is impossible to have negative four objects. He did much work with quadratic equations and even equations with variables to the sixth power. Diophantus also seemed to know that any whole number could be written as the sum of four squares. Pierre de Fermat did some work with this but it was not proved until later when Joseph Louis Lagrange worked with it. Despite all of Diophantus's work algebra had a long way to go before general problems could be written down and solved. There were many other influential people in the history of mathematics. One such man was named Theon of Alexandria. He wrote commentaries on many other works of mathematics in his time. In many cases he added extra steps into others proofs. He never really did anything original but he added much to other mathematicians works. His daughter Hypatia grew up around mathematics. As she grew she picked up on it and eventually she even helped her father on several works. She became the head of a Plotinost school in Alexandria. There she lectured on subjects such as mathematics and philosophy. Platonusts believed that there was an ultimate reality in which humans could never fully understand. Hypatia only lived to be about forty five because she was brutally murdered by Christians who felt threatened by her scholarship. One of the works that she helped her father critique was that called Almagest by Ptolemy. This was a thirteen page treatise. This is the earliest of all of Ptolmey's works. It describes the mathematical theory of the motions of the Sun, Moon, and the planets. Ptolmey was an interesting man. He believed in the geocentric theory, that is the Sun and other planets revolve around the Earth. It was proposed by Aristotle. Another belief at the time was the heliocentric theory in which the Earth and all of the other planets revolve around the Sun. Along with this he also figured out the seasons. He discovered that every day was about 1/300 of a year. Later the exact number of days in a year, 365 1/4, was determined by Hipparchus. Ptolmey also started studying the motions of the moon. He discovered using an inscribed 360-gon that pie was 3 17/120 which is really close to pie's true value. Also using this 360-gon he discovered that a 60 degree chord with the length of radical 3 is 1.73205. Another important figure in the history of Algebra is Pythagoras of Samos. He is often described as the first pure mathematician. Pythagorus founded a philosophical and religious school. It's many members had no personal belongings and they were vegetarians. He believes that at it's deepest level, reality is mathematical in nature. He believes anything about nature relates to a mathematics law. Pythagorus had a rather odd belief that each number had it's own individual personality and the number 10 was the best number because it was the sum of the first 4 numbers. Pythagorus was best known for his famous geometry theorem. It stated that the sum of the squares of the lengths of the two sides of a right triangle is equal to the square of the length of the hypotenuse. He also discovered that the angles of a triangle add up to 2 right angles. Pythagorus is also credited with the discovery of irrational numbers. Irrational numbers are numbers that are non-terminating non-repeating decimals. Pythagorus is a very important figure when it come to developing algebra and mathematics. One of

Othello - Character Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Othello - Character Analysis - Essay Example With this dark side he is also very extroverted, and not very bright. He isn't observant and the schemes of Iago work well on him. Though he doesn't brood too much on his past, except occasional ventures of wars fought, he does let his emotions run his life. "Othello's condition as a black man--whatever shade of blackness he was--is further complicated by his condition as a colonial subject who wishes to adopt western culture. The play dramatizes the apparently unlimited possibilities of self-fashioning available to man in the Renaissance, only to deconstruct this optimistic self-fashioning or self-creation when race issues come into play. It is Iago's exploitation of the politics of colour and of Othello's double nature (proper to a colonial subject) that brings about Othello's downfall." ( Ana Mara Manzanas , Miscelnea: A Journal of English and American Studies Vol. 17 ,1996) For all the dangers and encounters he has been involved in, this man is still naive of the corruptness of people around him. Othello has a trusting nature in which he gives it all. He put all his trust in Iago during times of war and during Othello's marriage to Desdemona. This wasn't very wise of Othello, even if he wasn't trusting or more corrupt he still wouldn't realize Iago was lying. Everyone considered Iago as honest, and would be out of character for Othello to believe any different. One Othello's strong characteristic is the ability to take control over any situation. For example, when Barbantino comes to kill him he shows astounding power by saying: "Hold your hands, both of you of my inclining and the rest. Were it my cue to fight, I should have known it without a prompter" (I, ii, lines 80-3) Through the whole first act he is portrayed as a man with so much power and natural leadership and the drastic change in his personality towards the end is unbelievable. For example, when Lodovico had witnessed Othello hit Desdemona, he said: "Is this the noble Moor whom our full Senate Call all in all sufficient Is this the nature Whom passion could not shake whose solid virtue The shot of accident nor dart of chance could neither graze nor pierce" (IV, i, lines 264-8) Another place where Shakespeare shows Othello taking control over a situation is when Cassio and Montano are fighting after Roderigo antagonized him. You must feel sorrow for Othello because with all the power he has and the endless trust he gives, you try to reach out and show him the truth. Taylor makes an apt comparison with King Lear and Hamlet as follows: "There is no ferocity in Othello; his mind is majestic and composed. He deliberately determines to die; and speaks his last speech with a view of showing his attachment to the Venetian state, though it had superseded him. Schiller has the material Sublime; to produce an effect, he sets you a whole town on fire, and throws infants with their mothers into the flames, or locks up a father in an old tower. But Shakspere drops a handkerchief, and the same or greater effects follow. Lear is the most tremendous effort of Shakspere as a poet; Hamlet as a philosopher or meditator and Othello is the union of the two. There is something gigantic and unformed in the former two; but in the latter, everything assumes its due place and proportion, and the whole mature powers of his mind are displayed in admirable equilibrium". ( COLERIDGE, SAMUEL TAYLOR, 1822, Table Talk, Dec. 29). Othello had a dominant streak of jealousy in him. He was told

Attitudes,values and job satisfaction Research Paper

Attitudes,values and job satisfaction - Research Paper Example This becomes a problem when the recruited personnel are unable to deliver on their mandate or bring the organization (Robins & Judge, 2013). Financial accounting, reporting and advising are perhaps the areas plagued the most by the problem of dishonesty. Accountants fabricate financial statements in bid to either cover up for the company money they have used on personal spending, or for money they want to rob the organization. On the other hand, audit firms are bought into covering up a company’s dishonest or fraudulent financial deals hence reporting inaccurate information to regulatory agencies and authorities such as Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Some financial advisers collude with organizations in influencing potential clients to join their investment deals even when they would have objectively advised against them. Dishonest financial accounting, reporting and advising can affect negatively on organizational attitudes (Wilson, 2004). Dishonesty has adverse effects on job satisfaction. Rationalization makes dishonest employees justify their dishonest conduct on a cost-benefit analysis. The rewards that come with dishonesty are short-lived and they haunt when the person enjoying realizes that these rewards would have gone into helping other deserving people. Additionally, dishonesty affects job satisfaction when a person in the workplace, especially one in a senior position, unfairly denies an employee some benefits and gives them to another person. This is what happens when promotion opportunities are given to people undeservedly and unequally. Employees are dissatisfied with their work when dishonest conduct brings strife and wrangles amongst them (Robins & Judge, 2013). An issue that contributes to the propagation of dishonesty in the workplace is the lack of elaborate oversight measures. When incumbents are not assessed for dishonesty, it leaves a leeway for them to flout an organization’s culture and values.

GDP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

GDP - Essay Example Measuring GDP is a bit complex, but the most basic form of the calculation can be done in two ways: this is through adding up what everyone earned in a year (income approach) or adding up what everybody spent in a year (expenditure method) (Baumol et al 69). Both methods can give you roughly a similar total. With the income approach, which is also known as (GDP) I is calculated by adding the total compensation to gross profits, employees for both incorporated and non-incorporated firms in addition to taxes without any subsidies. On the contrary, the expenditure method is a more usable or common approach and is calculated by adding investment, total consumption, government spending and net exports. Introduction GDP is termed as the market value of all the final goods and services that are produced domestically in one year. It is also regarded as the single most important measure of macroeconomic performance. It is closely related to the measure of the economy’s total output of products known as gross national product (GNP). This is regarded as the market value of all the final goods and services produced by a nation within a year. The difference between GDP and GDNP is a bit complex. In much more simpler terms, GDP involves only goods and services that are produced by a nations’ own people and their corporations. ... A person can either use statistics to calculate the overall macroeconomic activity. Measuring GDP: The expenditure and income approaches There are two distinct ways of measuring GDP, the income and expenditure approach. In the expenditure approach, we add up the market value of all the domestic expenditure that was made on the final goods and services in a single year. The final goods and services are known as the goods and services that have been purchased for the final use or the goods and services that will not be used in production or resold again in that specific year. On the contrary, the intermediate goods and services are those that can be used in the production of the final goods and services. This type of foods and services are not included in the expenditure approach to obtain the GDP. This is due to the fact that expenditures on intermediate goods and services are included in the market value of expenditures that are made on the final goods and services (Mankiw 89). There fore, including both intermediate and final goods and services using the expenditure approach will lead to double counting thus and exaggeration of the true market value of GDP. The total expenditure of the final goods and services can be broken down into four large types of expenditure categories with reference to the types of goods and services that are purchased. The average total of the four types of expenditure adds up to give us the GDP. These include: a) Investment expenditure: this can be divided into two groups: expenditures on fixed investment goods and that on inventory investment. The fixed investment goods are those that a regarded as useful over a long period of time. Examples of fixed investment

A Successful Tourism Marketing Plan Tourism Essay

A Successful Tourism Marketing Plan Tourism Essay Jamaica is one of the greatest island to visit in the Caribbean. Surrounding Jamaica are other islands such as Cuba, Haiti, and Puerto Rico, but none of them can compare to this land of beauty. This wonderful country is 80 kilometers in width and 234 kilometers in length and contains about 4,300 square miles, making it the third largest island in the Caribbean. Some of the wonderful features that Jamaica posses are: reefs that are filled with natural wild live; beaches that have crystal clear water and white soft sand; a broad coastal plan; and mountains that are filled with greenery. It is important for a country to make people from all around the world be aware of the things it has to offer that cannot be found anywhere else so they are attracted to go there over and over again. Five tools or techniques that could be used by the Jamaica Tourist Board to effectively manage and market a destination such as Jamaica for visitors appeal. Jamaica is marketed using the AIDA principle. This is the process of influencing customer to visit destinations through marketing affords related to the AIDA principle. A- Awareness. I- Create an interest. D- A desire for your product. A- Action These are: Identify target market Market mix (price, place, promotions, products) Incentives Brand Ambassadors Product development 1) Identify target market- This means that the tourist board have to identify a specific target market, for which they are trying to sell their service to. For example, if they are going to target Eco-tourism, families, couples, inclusive tourism, and adventurous people, etc. With this clear objective of knowing who their target is, they can proceed accordingly. In any business, one has to figure out whom, why, what, how their target market is and focus on that group when they are marketing the destination and make it appealing and attractive. 2) Market mix- (price, place, promotions, products, people and planning) Price: make the price match the quality of service that is being offered. For example, the price should reflect on the service, infrastructure and experience. Therefore, it should not be costly to at a low end motel that has poor quality service, old infrastructure, no air condition in the rooms, and hot water available, etc. Place: the place should be easily accessible. As Jamaica being the destination targeted by North Americans, Canadians and Europeans, it can be accessible by land, sea, and air. Also, being cost effective and near proximity to North America, makes it Jamaicas biggest market. This is very important to tourists because they like countries that are easily accessible. Promotions: Jamaica can be marketed by using the above line promotion method- this is used in connection with advertising of the product/ service through the media. This can take the form of advertising via: television, virtual slides on the Internet, magazine, cinema, sales promotions, brochures/ leaflets, as well as public relations showing off what Jamaica has to offer. Products: the Jamaica Tourist Board would have to let the targeted destination know what Jamaica offers and what sets them apart from the other Caribbean countries. The other Caribbean counties also offer land, sea, sun, and resorts. The Jamaica Tourist Board would have to ask the question what makes Jamaica so different, and market it. For example, Jamaica is famous for its culture, known for the Great House of Annie Palmer Estate, Port Royal, Blue Mountain, coral reefs, having over a hundred and eight rivers, the famous Bob Marley king of reggae music and so on. People: the people of Jamaica should be welcoming to the tourist. This in particular employees, and managers of the resort, while maintaining the culture of the organization. Planning: the Jamaica Tourist Board should set clear objectives of what they hope to achieve. Therefore, asking themselves, what are we trying to achieve? For example- cut competition, enhance profits, etc. Incentives- This means a positive motivational influence, a selected hotel that tourist stays at will get appraisal. For example- buy a dinner over x amount and get a free meal; stay for five days in a luxurious suit and get two free night; visit in September to December 1st and get half price on rooms and so on. 3) Brand Ambassadors Using famous people to advertise the Jamaica destination. For example- using Usian Bolt as the face behind tourism. Images will be displayed showing Bolt relaxing, sipping Martinis on the north coast, shirtless, sun-bathing on the white sandy beaches, with the surrounding lush greenery of the mountains highlighted in the background. The image will also include illustrations of Rastafarians splashing in the ocean, shaking their dreads, and with female models passing in their two-piece bath suits, staring at Usian Bolt in awe. 5) Product development- enhances the infrastructure of the destination and the quality of service being offered by training staff in the customer care department. According to an unknown source, It is very important the needs for the destination be the focal point for any plan. This will determine the type of tourism that will be developed. SWOT analysis of the techniques used in question one. SWOT analysis means; S- strength, W- weaknesses, O- opportunity and T- threat Target market/market research- S- You will get to know the needs of your customers, so you know exactly what they want. You do not offer something that does not appeal to them. W- expensive to conduct research. People always know what they want but sometimes they are indecisive. O- Greater market share. T- It takes time and it is costly to do a market research. Market mix- S- People will know about the product. W- It cost money to create awareness about Jamaica and the things it offers. O-people who do not know they want it will buy greater market share. T- Builds expectation in people that the company cannot meet. This leave customer dissatisfied. Incentives- S- Its very attractive to people. W- If not managed properly can increase cost more than customer base and lessen profit. O- Encourage more shares. T- People get incentives without spending. Brand Ambassador- S- Increase attention about Jamaica. W- Only people who like the ambassador will be attracted. O- Increase market share. T- The person (Usian Bolt) personal life affects the company and also lack of money to carry out the activities. Product development- S- Better satisfactions, more customers, more profit. W- Cost. O- Greater market share. T- New developments do not meet customer needs. The value of a Tourism Marketing Plan and the processes involve in developing the plan Tourism Marketing Plan is an outline of a strategy that seeks to maximize the sale of a particular product or service. A Tourism Marketing Plan helps to minimize the risks associated with the launching of a new product, or service that consumers may not have any interest in. However, a Tourism Marketing Plan can be a written document containing a strict description and guide lines for an organization or destination, products, marketing strategies and programs for offering their products and services over the define planning period which is often a year. A successful tourism marketing plan includes Be honest about your market. For example, if you state that your destination has nine miles of beautiful white sand beach on the north coast, make sure when the tourist comes, its not two miles of white sand beach. This means, be honest when youre marketing the destination. Testimonials. For example, all negative and positive testimonials are important. This enables the developer of the destination to enhance the quality of service and make changes where necessary. Therefore making consumer happy while making a profit. Sell your strengths (sell the destination). For example, Jamaica possesses reefs, beaches and extensive coastal plan, surrounding a backbone of mountain traversing the length of the island latitudinal, the king of reggae music the famous Bob Marley, water falls (YS Falls Dunn River Falls), culture, history (the great Port Royal), historical buildings (The Great White House of Annie Palmer), sports (Reggae boyz), Jazz and Blue Festival, night life, Hedonism hotel, etc. Target major efforts to major market. For example North America, Europe, and Canada are Jamaicas major markets. North America is the top market for Jamaica, this is due to the fact it is in close proximity to the island, its cheap and it accessible by sea or air. Therefore, its safe to say that more money can be spent in North America to market the island. Focus on unique attractions. For example the sceneries, town, cities, villages, historical and heritage sites, theme parks, resort and hotels. The value of a Tourism Marketing Plan is how they will (a) develop the country (b) offer quality service to the guest and (c) manage the destination. The country can be developed by collecting more room taxes and departure tax from tourism, give potential investors initiatives to invest in the country, export more and reduce imports, educate the citizens, make business loans at a lower percentage rate and so on. In addition, this will allow the country to grow and eliminate poverty among the citizens. Furthermore, the standard of living will increase. Therefore, with all the taxes the government will be collecting, it will help in the creation of theme parks, attraction, eco-tourism, fixing of infrastructures, such as roads, bridges, buildings, etc. The quality of service offered to guests is very important because tourism is service oriented. The quality of service offered to guest should match the value of their money. For example, you cannot expect the same quality service of high end hotel verses a low end hotel. Nevertheless, whether its a low end hotel or a high end hotel the service should be good because this can reflect either negative or positive attribute on the organization, depending on the service the tourist received. The service attendance should be responsive and attentive to guest needs. Information should also be readily available and accessible for tourist. Entertainment should be accommodating a variety of genre. By managing the destination, there will be more tourists to the island and this will increase revenue for the government. Therefore, if the destination is managed well and promoted properly, there will be an increase of tourist arrival to the island. The tourists should feel safe and comfortable to explore the environs. With safety not an issue, there will be a high level of return visitors to the island. In addition, this will create jobs, reduce poverty, increase the knowledge of the citizens about the importance of tourism to the country, fixing and building of infrastructure, like roads, schools, hospitals, etc. Three processes involve in developing such a plan The three processes are: the mission statement, vision statement and the strategies, theses will be discussed below: Mission statement- The mission statement is aim at creating customer awareness about Jamaica. Increase sales with overseas partners. Increase use of new technologies Target visitors outside normal market Improve communication strategies Increase sales with overseas partners Vision statement- For Jamaica to be the number choice for vacation for all types of people around the world. Strategies- To create awareness of tourism in Jamaica, it would have to be promoted by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB). The JTB will inform the tourist/people about the hot spots on the island and market the island by advertising and promotion. The funding will come from the government. The government uses the money that they collect from room taxes, departure taxes and so on, to fund the promotion of the destination. Establish contact with a network of travel advisories to optimize efficiencies in accessing information. The Jamaica Hotel Tourist Association (JHTA) can be used to develop the hospitality industry and to represent the interest of its member in all forums. In conclusion, the value of a tourism marketing plan and the process involved in developing such plans are vital to the destination. Marketing the destination creates awareness, hence resulting in a high number of tourists to the island. The high levels of tourists will create revenue for government, in return will create jobs and alleviate poverty. External players and organization that assist the CVB with implementation of a Destination Marketing Plan and two economic significant of that assistance. Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Tourist Enhancement Funds (TEF) Jamaica Hotel Tourist Associations (JHTA) United Nation World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Jamaica Vacation (JAMVAC) The two economic significant that could asses in the implantation of the destination marketing plan is: the Tourist Enhancement Funds (TEF) and the United Nation World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). These two can help assist the CVB by helping save money or help financially. The Tourist Enhancement Funds (TEF) is a fund that is setup to advance the tourism project. They offer project tourism seminars, tourism training, etc. The TEF funds finance the programs. The TEF gets their money by charging all incoming visitors, ten dollars by air (plane) and two dollars by sea (cruise ship). This money is used to help develop man made attraction, enhance tourism experience, and eradicate poverty by employing citizens, both directly and indirectly. With the development of tourism project around the island of Jamaica, there will be a high influx and returning tourist to the island. The development and sustainability of man-made attraction will keep revenue and community standard of living stable. With the areas and attraction being properly kept, tourist will be more drawn to those areas. Therefore, the tourist will be enjoying themselves and scenery sites, learning about the people, the culture etc. Therefore, tourist will spread the experience they had in Jamaica, and this will create free advertising while more people become intrigue to visit the island. When tourists return home, they will share their experience with friends and family. This will make people wanting to visit the island. In addition this will create revenue for the government. The enhancement of tourism experience will help to promote sustainable development. Local communities must play a major role in defining, developing and managing the tourism experience so that they take ownership of the industry. The success of the industry depends on the visitors experience, so they much experience the best vacation they ever had. Planning should be bottom-up, not top down. With the citizens supporting tourism experience, the foreign currency will help boost the economy. Eradicating poverty is every countries main concern. Tourism is one of Jamaicas main source of income and the first choice of any Caribbean destination. Therefore, with the high influx of tourist to the island, either by air or sea, the tax associated with it can help to develop the infrastructure of the country, help in primary and secondary education, hospital equipment, research, security and so on. According to (McDonald, 2001) World Tourism Organization (WTO) is involved in the removal of barriers to tourism and the liberalization of trade in tourism services. WTO also contributes to improvement of tourism health and safety requirements and the development of measures to make tourism more accessible to the handicapped. Moreover, UNWTO setup regulations and advisory for CVB such as, the Jamaica Tourist Board. They go around different countries around the world to get information to assist countries in tourism development, tourism research and act as a lobby body/ power. The UNWTO get downers from various countries and companies around the world to fund the projects. Economically, the CVB would end up saving money to do research. In addition, the CVB ends up saving to do research because the UNWTO people/group end up doing the research for free. If the CVB did not have the UNWTO to lobby on their behave, it would cost them money to employee people/groups to travel around the world to gather information and create awareness about the Jamaican brand. Therefore, these create awareness to the world by offering free publicity. The UNWTO acts as a positive outcome due to the fact that the CVB did not have to do advertisement or any promotional activities. The UNWTO also find new and creative ways to find o ut new ways that Jamaica can be the premiere destination of the world by looking at how other top destination promote themselves. The economic assistance of the UNWTO allows for the removal of tourism barriers, and this helps with the free influx of tourism to the island. This in return allows more and more free flow of tourist to the destination. However, with this being done, the government will collect more and more revenue that will be used to develop the destination. Hence, with the attraction and security, tourists will be safer within the environment and the surrounding areas. With safety not an issue, the destination will have high return tourist rate to the island. With the great influx of tourists, room tax and departure taxes will be collected. In addition, with the tourism removal barriers, the economy will grow within the destination due to the fact that tourist can visit from around the world without wondering if they can visit the destination but knowing they can without having to have a visa. Conclusion Tourism is very essential for Jamaica because its the main economic contributor to the island. With new development and marketing style, using the AIDA principle (A- Awareness, I- Create an interest, D- A desire for your product and A- Action) with no dough, tourist will influx the island. When using a SWOT analysis (S- strength, W- weaknesses, O- opportunity and T- threat) it helps to look at all the things that could be a possible outcome, either negative or positive. Therefore, its important before venturing in a new business to do a SWOT analysis. A Tourism Marketing Plan is important, because it gives you a stand point. For example, where are you now? Where would you like to be? How do we get there? How do we make sure we get there? How do we know we got there? Hence, with this knowledge and questions applied based on the result you got, it will determine if the marketing plan process worked or not. For example, the; amount of visitors coming into the island, number of awareness in the market, increase in demand, amount of revenue being made, etc. Tourist Enhancement Funds (TEF) and the United Nation World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) are very helpful with the implementation of a Destination Marketing Plan. They both help the CVB by saving money and giving money to help develop and promote the Jamaican brand as a must see destination. With the implication of good tourism planning and development, tourism will be sustained within its destination for years to come. .

Free Essays: Oedipus Rex and Antigone :: comparison compare contrast essays

Oedipus Rex and Antigone  Ã‚   There is no curse on the house of Oedipus. Because of the many terrible things that happen to the members of Oedipus's family, a reader might be led to believe that there is such a curse. However, if that person examines the stories of Oedipus Rex and Antigone more closely, he or she will find that the reason so many tragedies happened to Oedipus's family is not because of some curse, but rather because of one common thread. Each person in the line of Oedipus tries to defy authority in one way or another. Oedipus and Jocasta both defy the authority of the gods by trying to run away from a prophesy of theirs, which results in Jocasta's death and Oedipus's dethroning and downfall. Antigone defies the authority of the king by violating his edict, which results in her death. In Ismene's case, the authority that is defied is that of the moral law, and for that she has to live out her days with guilt and regret. The authority which Oedipus and Jocasta defy is the same. Both the king and his mother defy the authority of the gods by trying to evade their edict. The edict states that a son would be born to Jocasta who would marry his mother and kill his father, as Oedipus says, â€Å"How mating with my mother I must spawn a progeny...having been my father's murderer.† (OEDIPUS, Oedipus, 44). When Jocasta hears of this, she attempts to kill the baby Oedipus, thus trying to escape the prophesy. Similarly, when Oedipus, as an unmarried adult, hears that he would kill his father, he runs away from his home town, Corinth, never to return. Oedipus and Jocasta both defy the gods' authority, which in this case comes in the form of running away from a menacing prophesy. In the end, however, Jocasta dies and Oedipus is overthrown and ruined. Like her parents, Antigone defies a powerful authority. Unlike her parents though, that authority is not of the gods, but rather of a person who thinks he is a god: Creon, Antigone's uncle, great-uncle, and king. He proclaims that the body of Polyneices, Antigone's brother who fought against Thebes in war, would be left to rot unburied on the field, â€Å"He must be left unwept, unsepulchered, a vulture's prize....† (ANTIGONE, Antigone, 192). Antigone, enraged by the injustice done to her family, defies Creon's direct order and buries her brother.

Mystery Man of Stonehenge

Archeologists were finishing excavating in Amesbury (planned development of housing) in spring, 2002. It is necessary to admit that Amesbury is situated in the southwest of England. During excavation the small Roman cemetery was uncovered by archeologists and thus that finding was considered fairly common. Nevertheless, two skeletons were discovered and one of them was important as it was interred in grave made up of timber. The position of a mystery skeleton was rather common for burials in Bronze Age – skeleton’s legs were in a fetal position. Furthermore, skeleton had a hole in a jawbone proving that he had an abscess. The mystery man also sustained an injury as he had heavy limp as well as bone infection. That mystery skeleton was Amesbury Archer. Mystery man appeared to be a wealthy dweller of cool region in Central Europe having relation to vanguard. (Stone 2005) Firstly, it is necessary to claim that a mystery man was rather wealthy archer. According to archeologists he was between 35-45 years old and was buried â€Å"with a black stone wrist guard on his forearm of the kind used to protect archers from the snap of a bowstring†.   (Stone 2005) Sixteen flint arrowheads were scattered across his body and it was assumed that mystery man had certain relation to Stonehenge. The evidence was that massive stone monument was near the burial place. Furthermore, it was apparent that archer was wealthy, because the grave was filled with wrist guards, arrowheads, copper knives, a cache of flint tools as well as metalworking tools. Additionally the grave was arranged with stone shaped like a sofa serving as an anvil. The next evidence of wealth was a pair of gold ornaments, clay pot. Indeed the archer died rich.(Rubinstein 2005) Secondly, archer was born in a cool region in Central Europe. This fact was revealed due to archers’ mouth. Archeologists stated that tooth enamel of a person was the best way to point out his place of birth. Tooth enamel consists of oxygen, calcium and phosphorous and other elements. Actually â€Å"the composition of the oxygen molecules in apatite depends on the water a person drank as a child, and that, in turn, can reveal a great deal about where he grew up—from the temperature of rain or snow to the distance from a coast and the area’s altitude†.   (Stone 2005) The makeup of the oxygen found in archer’s teeth was scanned and thus it was determined by geoscientist Chenery (British Geological Survey) that archer was born in a cool region in Central Europe. Possibly, the archer encountered â€Å"a rural setting of round timber houses with conical thatched roofs†. (Stone 2005) Thirdly it was stated that the archer had certain relations to trade and metalworking. In those times metalworking was the most important skill. And in about 2300 B.C metal implements completely replaced stone weapons and tools which defined the era of Stone Age. The Bronze Age started in the southwest of Europe in about the 4th century B.C. as it was mentioned the grave was filled with different copper knives being used as a weapon and for eating. Cushion stone proved that archer knew how to use and why to use metal instruments. There were some suggestions that the archer belonged to the vanguard of the flashy trade producing metal items used in different shows. (Rubinstein 2005) According to archeologists the metal tool found had to be buried only with his owner. Therefore archer was skillful to move from one community to another having his knowledge in his head. It is possible to suggest that he had unique and exceptional skill for those times, because archer was similar to magician. It was revealed that the arrival of the archer completely coincided with the arrival of the metal implements to the British Isles. Thus the archer is likely to be a pioneer in the new Bronze Age. In conclusion it is necessary to outline that the mystery men was considered to be the archer who lived in the Central Europe and was busy with producing metal tools and instruments for shows. Furthermore, the time of his arrival was the beginning of the Bronze Age.   (Archaeologists Figure out Mystery 2005) References Archaeologists Figure out Mystery of Stonehenge Bluestones. (2005, June 24). Western Mail, 16. Stone, Richard. (2005, August). The Mystery Man of Stonehenge. Retrieved October, 26, 2006, from http://www.kidscastle.si.edu/issues/2005/august/stonehenge.htm Rubinstein, William. (2005, November). Mystery Identities. History Today, 55, 11, 28-34.      

The Problem of Class Identity in the Society

The Problem of Class Identity in the Society Class Identity Many scholars have paid a lot of attention to class identity recently. Apparently, class identity plays a very important role in every individual’s life. It considerably shapes people’s behavior. Admittedly, people pertaining to different classes differ in their habits, preferences and opportunities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Problem of Class Identity in the Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, class can shape (and does shape) the way people eat, speak, etc. Of course, class is a less apparent characteristic feature than race or ethnicity. However, it is still manifested in many details. Thus, it is possible to define the class when paying attention to the way an individual speaks, the clothes he/she wears, etc. It is also important to note that people pertaining to working class often experience certain kind of alienation. For instance, the way these people talk is co nsidered to be abnormal. Therefore, people of this class often work out different behavioral patterns when they become a part of another class (e.g. middle- class). Interestingly, many researchers deal with such notion as mobility which is regarded as a myth. Admittedly, even in the American society, which largely relied on the American Dream, people can hardly penetrate another class. Thus, it is really hard to shift upwards in any society. All these factors show that class identity can be placed in the one row with ethnical identity, national identity or gender identity. It is also important to note that people’s behavior is shaped by multiple identities. Racial Identity Racial identity is considered to be a phenomenon largely discussed in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Interestingly, people started talking about differences concerning race in the 16th century when the era of discoveries started. In the 18th century Europeans tried to decide whether Blacks could be regarded as animals. Notably, the development of technology has enabled people to find the answer to this question as it is proved that only fifty-five genes (out of three million) distinguish different groups of people. In fact, many people now are more concerned with cultural differences. For instance, Brazilians do not differentiate people in terms of their skin color. However, in the USA people still differentiate whites from nonwhites. In this country racial identity plays an important role and it shapes intercultural communication to great extent. It is important to note that whites tend to acknowledge their whiteness. They often report that they feel uncomfortable as they are often prejudged as racists only because of their skin color.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Remarkably, whites feel uneasy when they find themselves in the minority. Therefore, race, be ing one of the most salient features, shapes people’s behavior. It is also important to note that racial identity influences people’s perception. Thus, the American society is overwhelmed with various prejudices based on the issues concerning race. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis was developed by Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf. The two researchers argue that language shapes people’s perception of the world around them. According to Sapir and Benjamin language depicts people’s experience. Thus, the linguists studied peculiarities of Native Americans’ languages and compared different European languages. The researchers supported their hypothesis by many instances. For example, it is possible to think of the way the Dine define colors. Thus, these people have the same word for green and blue, and at the same time, have two words for black. Admittedly, this illustrates the way people perceive the world. However, the hypothesis ha s been criticized. Some researchers have argued that the hypothesis is two formalistic. Thus, some have tried to prove that language does not influence people’s perception. Some argue that not knowing some language or some particular words does not prevent people from understanding some phenomena. Nonetheless, it is verified that language helps to understand these phenomena more quickly. Admittedly, language does shape the way people see the world. One of the best examples to support this assumption is a person learning several languages. Thus, when learning another language, people understand other people’s culture. In other words, they obtain other people’s experience. Thus, it is possible to conclude that the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis reveals one of peculiarities of languages, i.e. people are able not only to communicate some ideas with the help of language but to understand the world better. â€Å"Power Effect of Labels Admittedly, labels play an important rol e in human societies. In fact, people tend to describe people using some sort of labels. These labels usually reveal racial and ethnical identity, gender, job, physical characteristics, etc. Some people argue that it is unfair to put labels. Of course, it is necessary to note that labels are often based on prejudice and misconceptions. Nonetheless, people are not ready to abandon labels as labels help people differentiate others. It is also necessary to note that labels can shape people’s behavior. Thus, those in power can use labels to pursue certain goals. One of the brightest examples of such power is Hitler’s demagogy. He used labels to evoke negative feelings in German people. Notably, not only politicians should be regarded as those in power.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Problem of Class Identity in the Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This phenomenon can be manifested in interpers onal communication as well. Thus, parents or educators (intentionally or unintentionally) can influence children’s perception of the world. Fortunately, many people have acknowledged the power of labels and try to use them in a thoughtful way. In fact, it is important to teach young people to understand the power of labels as this can help them to accommodate in different settings. Code Switching Code switching is the phenomenon of changing language, accent or dialect during communication. Code switching may happen due to different reasons. Thus, people who want to accommodate others can switch language (dialect, etc.). On the contrary, if a person wants to emphasize that he/she is different, code switching can happen. Sometimes people switch language to exclude other people from the conversation. However, sometimes code switching can happen unintentionally. For instance, bilingual people may find it easier to speak certain language and switch to it unintentionally. Of course , irrespective of the reasons for code switching, this phenomenon plays a very important role in intercultural communication. Thus, people can feel comfortable or uncomfortable in different situations. Some people have the power to decide whether they want to accommodate others, or whether it is unnecessary. At the same time, others do not have such an opportunity and have to rely on their interlocutors. Such kind of dependence does not contribute to the effective communication. It is necessary to point out that the role of the phenomenon has already been acknowledged and now it is much more important to understand when it is appropriate to switch codes. This knowledge will help people to effectively communicate with each other avoiding any misunderstanding and any negative emotions.

Lifeline of Rivers essays

Lifeline of Rivers essays The Lifelines of Rivers deals with a wide array of rivers. It also looks at the animals that live and depend on the rivers. Another important aspect covered in this chapter is the pollution and problems we have with the rivers. The first part of the chapter looks at the vital needs served by the rivers. Anything living needs water, and the rivers are the water supply of the earth. The rivers move water from mountains, forests, grasslands, deserts, and lakes all of the way back to the ocean. Our rivers supply around half of our nations drinking water. The riparian or riverfront is what feeds all of the water nourished plants that grow along the rivers. These plants are very important to 70 percent of all land-based wildlife. In North America, there are over 790 species of fish that live in our freshwater that depend on the rivers. Today we have a lot of problems with our rivers. There are unhealthy rivers all over the world. Roughly 40 percent of the streams surveyed failed to meet standards for swimming. Half of our nations streams also failed the biological health test. Due to the Clean Water Act in 1972, most cities and industries have made big steps in trying to reduce pollution. The countries overall water health is poor. A lot of this is due to polluted runoff, farms, chemicals, and the electronic age. Polluted runoff accounts for 78 percent of the pollution. This is very tough to control because it not only deals with the water, but also how we use the land as well. One of our biggest problems today might be the hog business. Due to lobbying by agribusiness and farm organizations, federal laws dont require treatment for the waste they get rid of. The hog waste is 150 times more in volume than human waste and ruins 35,000 miles of river. One of our biggest errors we made when trying to deal with floods is that we went out and built more dams and levees. All these dams and levees do is giv...

Summary of ONE article for Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Summary of ONE article for Rhetorical Analysis - Essay Example He also mentions the anti-immigration groups, residents on the border, and business owners who have resisted the bishops and any treatment that resembles â€Å"amnesty.† Kavanaugh’s piece tries to culminate with his argument that a nation that identifies itself as â€Å"Judeo-Christian and humane† should follow biblical teachings, higher law, and the courageous example of leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. in challenging unjust laws. Admitting that unrestrained immigration would help nobody, Kavanaugh exhorts the country to move constructively towards legal status to anyone who contributes to other people’s common good. He further suggests a radically new solution to this problem. He suggests that the country needs a citizen panel for the review of an immigrant’s legal status. He finally concludes by stating that turning away undocumented immigrants is an immoral act whose motive is self-interest

Distribution Plan and Promotions Strategy Assignment

Distribution Plan and Promotions Strategy - Assignment Example External distributors will majorly carry out distribution of the smartphone. The phone is being sold globally and there will be a need to liaise with several distributors from several countries to get the product to the market. The distributors will supply the phones to retailers in their regions. This is an effective way of ensuring that the buyers all over the world can access the product. Other than using distributors, the company also intends to sell the phones on an online shop. This way the busy and young target group can purchase the smartphone and have it delivered to them saving them from the trouble of personally going to the shops. One recommended sales strategy is the use of sales people to sell the products directly to wholesale shops and door to door. This will enable the product to get to people who did not know about it and enable a significant number of wholesales to get hold of the product. Using wholesale outlets may also be a helpful strategy. Potential buyers can buy the product directly from them in bulk at a cheaper price or they can buy them from a retailer who is supplied by the wholesaler. Another applicable and effective channel of distribution is through the internet. Online shopping is the current trend in many households. Marketing products through the internet can be effective in reaching out to the targeted population. Selling the product online entails posting the specifications of the product, including the price and link or address through which a potential buyer can access the distributor. Finally, the use of telemarketing may be as well effective in marketing and distributing the product (Mullin & Cummings, 2008). It involves soliciting the target population to purchase a product through a phone call or through face-to-face video conferencing. It may is relevant in marketing my product and seeking a prospective buyer in that during the call, a promoter entices the targeted individual

Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Writing - Essay Example Not that she was interested, she always told herself, but it felt nice that even the chubby seventeen-year-old Roger was all calf-eyed around her. Brian was the tall, wiry sort with a passion for rock-climbing and biking. After a whole day spent rafting on the river, he was leading the pack on to what he called a little jaunt on the rocks. Lisa had always been afraid of heights, but never let on in front of Brian or the others. The group of reckless youngsters kept climbing, and she followed. Brian was way ahead of her, exhorting the group to keep going. "Come on, you all, we haven't got all day!" she heard him say. Lisa could hear the river gurgling below, and the hill seemed somehow empty of air. She kept going, until suddenly the root she had gripped with her left hand slithered out of the loose earth like a clumsy snake, with nothing else around to grasp, only sheer, smooth, rock. She was hanging on to the trunk of a sapling with her right hand. When Lisa glanced down, she realized that in climbing up a short incline of a few feet, she was actually hanging above a gorge a few hundred feet deep with her feet on loose rock. She choked, and the sound made Roger, w... Lisa could hear the river gurgling below, and the hill seemed somehow empty of air. She kept going, until suddenly the root she had gripped with her left hand slithered out of the loose earth like a clumsy snake, with nothing else around to grasp, only sheer, smooth, rock. She was hanging on to the trunk of a sapling with her right hand. When Lisa glanced down, she realized that in climbing up a short incline of a few feet, she was actually hanging above a gorge a few hundred feet deep with her feet on loose rock. She choked, and the sound made Roger, who was puffing ahead of her, look down. "Hold on', he said, "I will come fetch you". Lisa could barely breathe, her ears ringing, and she merely nodded her head. Her muscles screaming under the strain, she held on, not daring to move an inch. She wanted to cry out for Brian, but he was nowhere in sight. Roger was calm, all reassurance: "Give me your hand, don't worry, I won't let you go". Fear squeezing her heart, she put her left hand in his and with a wrench let go of the sapling and gave him her right hand as well. She felt a sharp, half decaying tang of mortality in her breath, and then Roger had pulled her up. "Are you alright" offered Roger, and she nodded, drawing in long shaking breaths, "Thanks, I'm alright now.. thanks to you." As she sat ona rock on that sun-dappled afternoon, she did not feel quite so invincible, and realized that this is perhaps why the human race is given fear, pain and death. She thought of that intense, spontaneous burst of prayer that issued from her soul as she let go of her grip on the hill, a prayer of surrender into hands more powerful than her own, than Roger's, more powerful even than those of even the strongest man on earth. It

Group Pressure Essay Example for Free

Group Pressure Essay Groups influence the behavior of their members, often promoting conformity. The tendency to match one’s behavior to that of others is called conformity. Some amount of group conformity provides a secure feeling of belonging; group pressure, however, can be considerable and sometimes unpleasant. Even groups of strangers can foster conformity, as a classic experiment by Solomon Asch (1952) showed. This empirical study is a classic investigation that revealed the power of group conformity. It’s always been known that our social world not only involves making attributions, it also involves our tendency to conform to or not to conform to the attitudes and behaviors of others. The story of Okiki is one of the reasons why further study is needed in this field. She’s a thirteen-year-old honors student at a Lorain, Ohio, middle school. She sat in class, her arms and legs shaking nervously. In her book bag she had a twelve-inch kitchen knife. Her plan was to wait for the bell to ring and then rush to the front of the classroom and, with the help of another student, stab her teacher to death. Why?  To settle a grudge against the teacher and to show her classmates (at least a dozen of whom placed bets as to whether or not she would â€Å"chicken out†) that she was worthy of their respect. Hearing about the plot, an assistant principal broke up the plan only minutes before it was to be carried out (Gregory, 1993). The fact that young teens are anxious about fitting in surprise no one, although many people might be amazed at the lengths some will go to gain acceptance. Sociologists have confirmed the power of group pressure to shape human behavior and found that it remains strong in adulthood as well as in adolescence. Hence further study regarding this problem is needed. Another reason is that, more people nowadays, conform by adopting the social norms or customs of the larger group. Changing fashions in dress and hair style illustrate conformity. I t would have been extremely unusual in the 1950s, for example, for a young man to wear an earring, but it is commonplace today. Most people feel pressure to go along with the fashion trend that is operative at the time for their group. Hypotheses Solomon Ach conducted this classic study with the hypothesis that: There would be little yielding to group pressure. Hence the hypothesis being tested is that group pressure affects perceptual judgments. Specifically, the study seeks to answer the following questions: 1. Could anything persuade a person to choose others` choice other than what the person have selected is the correct choice? 2. Do opinions of the majority have an extremely powerful influence on an individual? Type of research A controlled experiment was conducted by Asch in his famous study. The controlled experiment allows the researcher to manipulate an independent. The experimenter forms an experimental group, which will experience a change in the independent variable (the â€Å"treatment†), and a control group, which will not experience the treatment but whose behavior will be compared with that of the experimental group. It is important to take note that the control group is similar to the experimental group in every other way. ) This type of experiment is especially characteristic of studies at the micro level of sociological research. Participants The participants are college students recruited by the researcher. Asch`s control participants/group consisted of subjects who looked at the lines in a room where they were seated together but were allowed to make their judgments independently. In this group the subjects invariably matched the correct lines, just as you no doubt have. But in the experimental group a different result was produced by the introduction of an independent variable: group pressure. Procedure Solomon Asch (1952) conducted a classic investigation that revealed the power of group conformity. He formed groups of six to eight people, allegedly to study visual perception. His technique required the use of confederates, all of whom stated an obviously incorrect judgment prior to the turn of the individual whose behavior was being investigated. He arranged with all but one member of the group to create a situation in which the remaining subject would be pressured to accept conclusions that were quite unreasonable. Asch asked group members, one at a time, to match a â€Å"standard† line on â€Å"Card 1,† to one of three lines on â€Å"Card. † Anyone with normal vision could see that the line marked â€Å"A† on â€Å"Card 2† was the correct choice. Initially, everyone gave correct answers. Then, Asch`s secret accomplices began responding incorrectly, making the naive subject bewildered and uncomfortable. Results and Conclusions So what happened? Asch found that more than one-third of subjects placed in this awkward situation chose to conform to the others by answering incorrectly or they went along with the incorrect group judgment. His study suggests that many of us are apparently willing to compromise our own judgment to avoid the discomfort of being different from others, even from people we do not know. The independent variable in the study was group pressure. Asch varied the degree of group pressure experienced by the subject. The independent variable (group pressure) thus produced more â€Å"errors,† or choices (dependent variable) of the wrong line (Asch, 1966). Methodological or ethical flaws Yes, an ethical flaw in the study is evident. In Asch experiment, the subject is duped and may feel embarrassed. Since this is a sociological research, it deals with the personal lives and inner thoughts of real human beings. Although this research seems relatively innocent, there are many times when the question asked or the behaviors witnessed may be embarrassing or even more damaging. Moreover, the study did not mention informed consent. So, the researcher did not take precautions to protect the fundamental rights of human subjects. More or less, the study has good internal validity as it clearly measures what it intends to measure. Moreover, external events and contamination may cause causal conclusions of the study to be invalid. For example, when the experimental group was interviewed, something might happen which is unrelated to the result or something in their surrounding might influence the subjects in answering the questions and thus might affect the result of the survey. On the other hand, external validity is not measured in the study. Alternative Explanation An alternative explanation for the results found in this research, not related to the effects of an independent variable is the foot-in-the-door technique (Dillard, 2001). This technique can produce extraordinary degrees of compliance. Here, the experimental group will conform to the confederates not by group pressure but by voluntarily conforming to the incorrect response. This is best explained by self-perception theory, which assumes that we infer our attitudes from observing our own behavior, and provides an answer. Here, if someone freely comply with a small, worthwhile requests, the person will somehow his self as someone who has positive attitude toward worthwhile requests. As one wish to be consistent with his self-perception, he may be more likely to comply with other requests. But supporters of this alternative explanation have been mixed (Dillard, 2001). One variations of the Asch experiment suggest that the social impact of the group varies as a function of its size, the degree of unanimity in the group, and the degree to which one’s nonconforming behavior can be hidden from scrutiny. People evaluate their opinions and behavior against the standards of a reference group. If they find major differences, they feel pressure to conform – or to change reference groups.