The Religious Roots of the Festival of Halloween Essay Example for Free

The Religious Roots of the Festival of Halloween Essay Halloween is an extremely enjoyable festival that occurs every year on October 31st. It is mostly celebrated in the United States and Britain and my talk today is associated with the British version of this holiday. Today many people see Halloween as a pleasurable holiday, for both adults and children. The celebrations of the ancient Celts are still evident in modern festivities as you can see from the old traditions still practiced today. October 31st today is a time for dressing up, eating sweets, scaring both ourselves and each other and holding parties. Many people consider it to be their favourite holiday of the year. Modern Halloween is all about dressing children in their favourite costumes, walking from house to house, collecting sweets and treats. Many families also decorate their homes and gardens with cobwebs, skeletons and jack-o-lanterns. However, the true origins of Halloween have become almost unrecognisable in todays celebrations, although they do include many traditions that I will outline.  ·Costuming The Celts wore these to ward of evil entities that were believed to be roaming the earth on that night. They could also be worn in some ceremonies as a symbol of becoming closer to their Gods. Later, when the festival turned to the Christian All Hallows Eve, people were still extremely superstitious and continued to disguise themselves by dressing in costume to confuse the spirits. Today, costumes of modern themes are worn on Halloween by children going trick or treating and by adults seeking fun and amusement. Many parties that are held in honor of this festival are themed and ask for the guests to dress in costume.  ·Trick Or Treating Our modern custom of trick or treating may have originated from several similar old customs. I will just concentrate on one of these, a ninth-century European custom called souling. Children would walk from village to village begging for soul cakes, made out of square pieces of bread with currants. For every cake that a child collected, he or she would have to say a prayer for the dead relatives of the person who gave the cake. At the time, it was believed that the dead remained in limbo for some time and that a prayer, even said by a stranger, could send the soul to  heaven. Today, children walk from house to house asking for sweets, but not in exchange for prayers.  ·Bobbing For Apples In Celtic tradition, apples were associated with female deities who controlled the ways of love and fertility. This may have had something to do with the pentagram (a star with five points) shape that you see when you slice an apple in half. The pentagram was an important shape for the Celts and it was largely recognised as a Goddess symbol. The pentagram today is still used in fortune telling and spell casting. The apples were used by the Celts in fortune telling in two main ways. The first is where we got the modern tradition of apple bobbing from. It was for young unmarried people, who would try to bite into an apple floating in water. The first person to bite into the apple would be the next one to marry. Peeling an apple was also a way to predict your life expectancy. If you cut off one long peel, you would live to an old age. If you only cut off a small peel, you would die young. Apples are still a big part of Halloween celebrations. In addition to apple bobbing, people also drink apple cider, make candy apples and hand out apples to trick or treaters.  ·Pumpkin Carving or Jack-O-Lanterns Although the Celts would bring home and ember from the communal bonfire in a hollowed out turnip, the direct tradition of jack-o-lanterns dates from 18th century Ireland. As told in a very popular Irish folk tale, the originator of the modern Jack-O-Lantern was a character named Stingy Jack. The story goes that that he convinced Satan to climb up a tree for some apples, and then cut crosses all around the trunk so that the devil couldnt climb down. The devil promised to leave Stingy Jack alone forever, if he would let him down out of the tree. When Jack eventually died, he was turned away from heaven, due to his trickery and life of sin. But, in keeping with their agreement, the devil wouldnt take Jack either. He was cursed to travel forever as a spirit in limbo. As Jack left the gates of hell, the devil threw him a hot ember to light the way in the dark. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed-out turnip, and wandered off into the world. Folk Tradition held that they would ward off Stingy Jack and Other Spirits on Halloween, and they also served as representations of the souls of the dead. Later, when Halloween festivals  were brought to America by the Irish, turnips were replaced with pumpkins which where much more plentiful and easier to carve. People began to cut frightening faces and other designs into their Jack-O-Lanterns, as they still do today. The festivities of modern Halloween are thought to be a combining of two separate celebrations. The first is a pre-Christian Celtic feast associated with the Celtic New Year. The second is the Christian celebration of All Saints Day (November 1st). The Celtic Feast of the New Year was celebrated on what would be November 1st on our calendar. This festival was known as All Hallowtide and was held to celebrate the New Year and would also signalize the close of the Harvest and the initiation of winter. But this Celtic festival was also a celebration to commemorate Samhain, the Feast Of The Dead. It was known as the Feast of The Dead because the Celts believed that on the last day of the year, (October 31st) the souls of the dead could return to their familys homes. It was believed that evil spirits, demons, ghosts and witches were also free to roam around on this night and could be mollified with a feast. These frightening creatures would also leave you alone if you dressed like them and thus appeared to be one of them. The Christian Feast of All Saints transpired as a result of the many martyrs who died for their faith in Jesus Christ due to the persecutions of the Roman State against the Church. The most renowned of these were honored locally by the preservation of their relics and by the celebration of the anniversary of their death, as a feast in honor of their birth into eternal life. At the end of the third century the martyrs became so many that in some places it was impossible to commemorate even the most significant of them. The need for a common feast of all martyrs was becoming evident. Beginning with Gregory III the celebration of a feast of All Saints was commemorated at St. Peters on November 1st. Halloween today is widely regarded as one of the most enjoyable ( if not frightening) festivals of the year.

Application Of Leadership Knowledge To Health Visitors Practice Nursing Essay

Application Of Leadership Knowledge To Health Visitors Practice Nursing Essay 1.1This report will provide evidence of the application of leadership knowledge to the role of the Health visitors practice. The report will look at my leadership style and skills in relation to developing and implementing an evening well baby clinic. When implementing this clinic I will aim to address and discuss past leadership experience and how I will use this within my team to achieve the best outcomes for families within my practice area. Attention will be made on relating this to improving the quality of care as highlighted in the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards of proficiency for specialist community public health nurses, 2004. The standards also state that I, as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurses (SCPHN) must work in partnership with all team members and clients. I will apply my existing and newly developed leadership skills when managing my evening well baby clinic (NMC, 2004 and DOH, 2009). This report will include a discussion on my best practice and the use of evaluation and reflection in learning from experiences. The report will also include issues related to the quality of care and how my leadership can maintain or improve it. The aims and objectives of this report are to provide a clear expression of the quality issues in clinical care. To analyse my understanding of the process of change and my leadership styles can influence the quality of care. I will then look at change theories, management and leadership styles within my practice area and consider what the strengths and weaknesses are. Consideration will also be given to conflict management and my style of leadership within the team in order to promote effective working. 2 Critical analysis and review of own individual knowledge and competence of leadership practice within health visiting practice. 2.1Whilst undertaking the SCPHN course I have had many opportunities and experiences to developed my leadership, and reflect on the kind of leader I aspire to be. There are two types of leaders, transformational and transactional. I feel that I am currently a transformational leader as I try to motivate staff members, encourage vision and ideas and inspire team members and clients to achieve the best possible outcomes. As identified by Huber (2010) Vision is a key aspect of any leadership activity. I feel that my evening well baby clinic has shown my vision through the ideas and implementation of activities within the group. I shared my vision with fellow team members, this promoted motivation and inspiration. Transactional leadership is a more direct approach setting out clear goals and offering rewards to staff members in order to meet objectives (Hartley and Benington, 2010). I adapted aspects of this approach but felt that a transformational approach was more appropriate for my t eam and my practice. Whilst the transformational model of leadership may be seen as dynamic and therefore appeal to change agents, in this scenario the proposed change is largely transactional. The evening clinic will not provide staff with new skills or knowledge and it is unlikely to be seen as a particularly innovative as it is simply expanding an already existing service within the practice area. However, it is important to recognise the need for transactional change, in this instance practical concerns of an evening well baby clinic are being addressed. The evening clinic will not only benefit service users, it will improve service delivery and help achieve both local and national requirements. 2.2 I feel that in order to look at management and leadership theories, it is important to understand the differences between them. Warren (2005) differentiated between management and leadership by stating that the main difference is vision. Leadership is concerned with vision, communication and values whereas management is primarily concerned with analysis, planning and problem solving. Kotter (1990) also suggests that both leadership and management are needed within complex organizations in order for them to run smoothly. This is supported by Marquis and Huston (2006) who state that the roles of the manager and the leader can and should be integrated and that it is essential for both approaches to be present within nursing. I believe that it is vital for leaders to have the ability to be both managers and leaders at the same time in order for quality of care to take place. It is important to remember that management and leadership are very different but have overlapping functions ( Ellis and Hartley, 2005, Gopee and Galloway 2009). To have aspects of leadership and management skills are an essential part of the SCPHN role. Gopee and Galloway (2009) support Huber (2010) about the key importance of a visionary approach to leadership. It is important to reflect on the differences between leadership and management, to have the ability to utilise management in order to enhance my leadership and promote flexible, positive and appropriate team development. Christian and Norman (1998) build on this by arguing that management and leadership are so different that they sometimes can be conflicting. 2.3In my leadership experience I believe that having an effective working relationship with you team can influence the outcomes of a project this is identified by Hartley and Benington (2010), as being a key leadership quality. Kotter (1990) states that leadership is about setting directions, motivating people, inspiring people, having the ability to adopt a visionary position, setting a direction, and anticipating as well as coping with change. I have adapted this approach by undertaking regular team meetings where ideas and goals were set. Then time was given for the team to feedback there own personal vision which promoted self esteem and ownership of the project to enhance team motivation towards a common goal. Team members through this feedback time were able to identify there own strengths and interests to bring to the project, any areas of weakness that were identified were discussed and any relevant training was given. Cooperation and collaboration from other agencies was res ourced to provide the best quality service for staff and service users alike. This enabled learning from each other where any potential conflict would be avoided due to staff working within there capability within there role and recognising that each member of staff is accountable for there own practice. This links with Malcolm et al (2003) who argues that leaders within the clinical area should stay focused on quality of care and professional issues and not cross over to the other side, which is management. 2.4 I believe, as dose Mulally (2001) that leadership for nurses is essential for the success of the Department of Healths NHS plan (2000). Over the past decade accessibility has been a consistent factor in governmental policy. The white paper; The New NHS: Modern Dependable (DH, 1997) advocated improvements to the quality, range and accessibility of services available within the community. Shortly after the Acheson Report (Acheson, 1998) highlighted that within primary care it is important that services are not only effective but readily accessible. Acheson concluded that the NHS should be aiming to provide equitable access to effective health care for all. The project that I have implemented is aimed to improve the quality of existing services. Research into inequalities in health and anecdotal evidence from parents who have or are due to return to work has highlighted a current deficit in service provision. Service users have indicated general dissatisfaction at there being no cli nic available at a time accessible to working parents. When discussing inequalities it is easy to focus on disadvantaged families living in deprived areas, however, it is important to acknowledge that working parents experiencing difficulties accessing services only available during the working day are also experiencing inequality. Therefore as a leader I have identified a gap in service provision and an opportunity to reduce inequalities in health by providing this service. The NHS Plan continued the trend of encouraging a greater range of services and recommended that primary care providers offer services from shared modern premises (DH, 2000). Recently, Our health, Our care, Our say (DH, 2006) was published which aims to improve services in the community, it promised more co-ordination between services and greater consistency across the health service in order to reduce inequalities. It also advocated more flexible services to increase accessibility and recommended involving serv ice users and the local population in decision making. 3. Critically analyse leadership styles and apply them to the complexity of the delivery of care. 3.1 In the last year as a SCPHN I have been able to observe many different leadership styles, on reflection I believe that I have chosen aspects of these styles to develop my own style. One theorist suggests that leadership in a clinical setting influences followers to bring about improvements in care (Welford, 2002). Through research I have found that there are many different leadership styles, Hersey et al (2008) identified these styles as authoritarian, laissez-faire and democratic. Within my career I have encountered many of the leadership styles, this has enabled me to choose aspects of these styles within my own practice. I found the laissez-faire approach of no interference and lack of decision making and a lack of structure to be confusing and unclear. The advantages of this approach with groups are that they are fully independent and promote professionals working together (Huber, 2010). The authoritarian approach from previous leaders has been very directive and not team foc used. I found this approach did not encourage togetherness and therefore I would not want to promote this within my team. In conflict situations I can see how it would be an efficient approach. I aim to be a democratic leader who works with there team, sharing responsibility and decision making although this may be a long drawn out process I believe it will facilitate an improved project. Huber(2010) stated that the challenges of a democratic style are getting people with different professional backgrounds to work together and decide on a plan of action. To overcome this I ensured that the team shared common goals. I created motivation within the team to examine working practices. This was confirmed to me as many of the staff showed their interest by their offering of ideas to meet this challenge. By tapping into the moral dimension of a proposed change i.e. promoting the need to contribute in order to protect the safety and health inequalities for those children and families who wo uld not otherwise be in a position to attend a well baby clinic during the day. It was also recognised that there may be resistance to working unsocial hours. As two health visitors will be required for each clinic and there are currently in excess of 20 health visitors employed by the trust they may only be expected to cover one clinic every 10 months. Some staff may even volunteer to work more often providing relief for those staff who arent keen to cover the clinic while providing a benefit to themselves if they can start work later in the day, therefore demonstrating that the democratic leadership style further inspired staff to change by motivating followers to transcend their own self-interest for the sake of the team and organization (Bass 1985). 3.2 Situational leadership was developed by Hersey and Blanchard (1977) and assumes the leader adapts their style according to a given situation. Encouraging team input and facilitating problem solving are key features of the supportive behaviours exhibited by the situational leader (Northouse 2004). This style has two main types of intervention: those which are supportive and those which are directive. The effective situational leader is one that adjusts the directive and supportive dimensions of their leadership according to the needs of their subordinates (Northouse 2004).As most team members were highly motivated in the project, freely offering suggestions and ideas, a directive role was not needed. The supportive behaviours I employed encouraged a participative approach characterised by the use of finely tuned interpersonal skills such as active listening, giving feedback and praising (Marquis and Huston 2000) which can be likened to a Skinnerian approach of positive reinforceme nt. 3.3 I can identify my correct use of the democratic leadership style by working with and alongside team members encouraging participation. This is achieved by assessing workers competence and commitment to completing the task. The member of staff that appeared to take little interest and was not able to offer ideas displayed a lower developmental level compared to other team members and hence I directed her more using the coaching behaviours advocated by Hersey and Blanchard (1977). This coaching promoted inclusion and participation by: giving encouragement, soliciting input and questioning the participant on what they thought of the proposal and the changes they would like to see. This was done to increase levels of commitment and motivation (Northouse 2004) and thus integrate that team member into the change process. On reflection this can also be identified as an example of reducing the resisting factors to the change within the force field as by adapting to the needs of that team member, she was encouraged to take part and share ideas rather than hinder progress and potentially thwart the change. I aim to develop my leadership style further by gaining feedback from my team members and by reflecting on what have been positive and negative experiences, whilst maintaining a link with best evidence based practice. 3.4 When implementing my evening well baby clinic and introducing my new leadership style, it was important to remember that change would be needed. When proposing change it must be recognised that if a structured process is not used the process could easily fail (Keyser and Wright,1998). It is important therefore, to acknowledge the complexity of the process. Lewin (1951) identified three stages in the process of change, these were unfreeze, move and refreeze. Within this scenario, theunfreeze process would include communication and planning with both staff and PCT management in order to gain their backing and support for the evening clinic. The move process would involve trying the evening clinic for a period of six months, and observing its effectiveness during this time. If the evaluation of the service proved it to be successful it would ultimately result in the clinic becoming established concluding the refreeze process. Through implementing the clinic I gained peoples thoughts and opinions and what they felt was needed, in Kassean Jagoos study (2005), they identified the unfreezing stage as that of facilitating peoples thoughts on the current situation. Sheldon and Parkers (1997) research found that people can only be empowered by a vision that they understand and that it is paramount that strategies are used to foster inclusion and participation so that all team members are fully aware of the impetus for change. 3.5 When improving care, two potential obstacles have been highlighted by Tait (2004), these were limited resources and the pace of change. With these in mind, a force field analysis (Lewin, 1951) has been completed to try and identify potential barriers. The issues I have identified are that it must be established early in the process the arrangements for the remuneration of staff time. Possible options are overtime payments or time owing. Staff will display individual preferences depending on their individual perception of the benefit of each option. As the decision on how time will be paid will lie with the PCT management team it is important to establish their response early as this issue is likely to be raised by the health visitors very early in the change process. Another issue identified was Health and Safety. As the building is already used for a family planning Clinic, any health and safety issues are already likely to have been addressed. I however considered it to be good practice to revisit and review the risk assessment. I identified a training issue around securing the health centre at the end of the evening, these locking up and safety procedures could be addressed with a short in house training session. After identifying the above issues it was my responsibility as a leader to consider resources and budgets available in order to achieve all my aims and objectives. 4. Identify and evaluate areas of leadership that enhance and benefit the quality of client care. 4.1 The Government has clearly outlined the need for nurses to develop leadership skills at all levels within the workforce in order to deliver the NHS modernisation programme (DH 1998; DH 1999). The leadership role expected of community practitioners is evident in Shifting the Balance of Power (DH 2001a) and Liberating the Talents (DH 2002) with the expectation that health visitors will lead teams which will deliver family-centred public health within the communities they work (DH 2001b). I strongly believe that by collaborating with other agencies when setting up my evening well baby clinic I have improved the quality of care for clients within my practice area. 4.1When implementing my project I took into consideration the felt and expressed needs (Bradshaw, 1972) of service users, and in line with both local Primary Care Trust (PCT) and government policy (Sec 2.3) regarding accessibility to services, it is proposed that an evening clinic be introduced for a trial period of six months. I made this decision as a leader of my team to ensure quality care and provision was implemented. To enable ongoing quality and evaluation change will be audited and evaluated in order to inform future practice and service delivery. In health visiting I believe that the emphasis should be placed on quality of care, providing and promoting access to health information and helping people make sense of the information so that they are able to make informed lifestyle decisions (DH, 2000). 4.2 A study investigating parents preferred sources of child health information found that when parents required advice on their childs general health care needs, the child health clinic was the second most popular source of information and advice (Keatinge, 2005). Child health nurses were identified as a good source of information, parents felt comfortable talking to the nurse and advice was seen to be reliable. Attendance at the child health clinic was viewed as an opportunity to obtain regular information and advice (Keatinge, 2005). A study of parental satisfaction with the health visiting service found that approximately two thirds of health visitor contacts took place in the clinic and routine weighing and general advice accounted for a high percentage of recent contacts in one year old infants. Again the health visitor was viewed as an important source of advice (Bowns, Crofts, Williams, Rigby, Hall and Haining, 2000). The National Service Framework (NSF) for Children, Young P eople and Maternity services (DH, 2004), contains several standards. Standards 1-3 are particularly relevant when considering a well baby Clinic, they focus on promoting health and identifying needs, supporting parents and having services centred around the family. Each of these standards can be addressed in a well baby clinic. The NSF is intended to lead a cultural shift which will result in services designed around the needs of the family, not the needs of the organisation, thus resulting in quality of care for all (DH, 2004). 4.3As a leader it is essential to have an awareness of clinical governance to ensure health care organisations can develop cultures and ways of thinking in order to improve quality of care (Tait, 2004). I have considered the culture of the organisation within which the proposed change will take place as I felt it was important. In my experience of the health visiting service, individual health visitors cover individual caseloads and generally work independently. This is not to say that a team culture does not exist but communication is essential, and as a leader I can facilitate this as part of my role. In addition to this regular health visitor meetings and annual away days encourage communication and help foster the wider team spirit. Clinical governance attempts to provide joined up policy development (Tait, 2004) so it is important to note that the issues highlighted are high on both local and national agendas. As a result of this it is hoped that the proposal, attempting to impr ove service provision with minimal resource implications is likely to be given serious consideration by service providers. Initial consultation with the management team was sought to identify if there is managerial support for the proposed evening clinic. Once this was achieved the process of consultation with health visitors and administrative staff began. It is hoped that by encouraging shared governance and shared leadership the proposal will be both practitioner owned and organisationally supported (Scott and Caress, 2005). 5.Demonstrate a dynamic and flexible approach to leadership issues. 5.1Within the project there is a mixture of cultures that have proved beneficial when planning the expansion of the well baby clinic. Managerial support was established early in the process, so that the change would be less opposed. However in addition to this staff were encouraged to contribute their ideas and concerns the change process may progress more smoothly. The implementation of this strategy reduced the risks of potential conflict. Barr and Dowding (2010) state that by being a dynamic and flexible leader who is able to resolve conflict effectively, high quality patient care can be achieved. Change can sometimes be viewed as a negative thing. A percentage of the team who will be affected by this change are established health visitors. There can at times be apathy to change and a tendency to continue with a certain practice because it has always been done that way or because something has been tried and failed before. 5.2 If conflict was to arise within my team I would use a conflict resolution strategy as identified by Barton (1991). This approach can be adapted by leaders to help improve team moral and productivity (Huber 2010). I believe the important factors for the leader to implement are effective communication, assertiveness and empathy. If this technique is delivered effectively I believe can be resolved quickly and with minimal upset. If conflict arises and a leader avoids confronting an issue or withdraws from the situation this can be beneficial as it allows for a cooling off period between team members but I believe that this is not a solution as it will not resolve the conflict. Marquis and Huston (2006) support Hubers research by saying that a leader should address conflict but also needs to recognise and accept an individuals differences and opinions. Therefore a flexible leadership style should be adopted whenever possible. 6 Conclusion and Summery. 6.1 In conclusion I feel that a model which places great importance on the needs, values and morals of others is transformational leadership (Northouse 2004; RCN 2005) and elements of this could be identified in my leadership. The goal of transformational leadership is to create a vision change what is into something better. Although transformational leadership did not originate within the nursing profession, its usefulness is in its application towards implementing the proposed change in practice. Transformational leaders are accustomed to sharing power, using influence and developing potential and are seen as the only leader likely to implement lasting change (Marriner-Tomey 2004). 6.2 Before completing the process I was inclined to believe that a large proportion of change was dictated to staff by managers and that as an individual member of a large work population I had a relatively little influence over work practices and few opportunities to lead other staff. The positive outcome of compiling this report has been gaining insight into the process of change and that different types of change and leadership are equally important. I have also benefited from actually completing the process and analysing the potential problems that may occur when trying to introduce a change in practice. I feel that the knowledge gained has influenced and inspired me to strive to become a motivational and beurocratic leader. 6.3 The negative points have been seeing how much work is required to bring about a relatively small change in practice. This process has taught me that in my career I will be unable to change everything I want to. It has also been difficult gathering the evidence base which has been frustrating as this appears to be a fundamental indicator in ensuring a proposal within practice is taken seriously. In the future I hope my new confidence in my ability to lead and empower will make me a valuable contributor to the health visiting service. I will carefully study those working practices I would like to change, ensure there is a good evidence base for any proposals and follow a structured process in order to maximise the potential success of future ventures. 6.4 Evidence based practice- leadership-SCPHN. AND CONTINUING REFLECTION OF SELF AND SERVICES.adapability and flexability.values

The Somewhat Scary Progression of Technology :: Computers

The Somewhat Scary Progression of Technology Technology has carved the path of human existence since our humble origins. It is our curious nature and ever present ingenuity that leads us to create technological wonders of perplexing magnitude. As the first Neanderthal man sharpened a spear and tempered it in lightning born flames he sealed man-kinds future; a future as certain as our past. The pendulum of human dominance started its undulation and science was conceived to replace the ignorance of our times of yore. With our undying fortitude our achievements soared to the sky within heavens reach, surpassing even our own expectations. Although, with this progress also came the burdens of responsibility, and our technology soon outreached the length of our control. Controlled or not, technology has shaped our fate in ways that are unfathomable by the human mind. The future of technology is difficult to foretell, and can only be prophesized by the study of our past. Technology as it exists in current times has taken the digital for. With a matrix of binary number systems; computers process information at speeds mystifying the more appreciative of our race. Our innocence and simple life style has been traded for the raw technology that subsidizes our every day existence. The evolution of technology has spurred the loss of culturally identifying characteristics of our society. Par example, labor has become less skilled and more monotonous in structure. The development of computers destroyed many talented workers who created superior goods with a level of quality unmatched by computerized mass production. Also, technology has lead to the ignorance of much of our youth. Video games have prevented scores of people from experiencing life and its awesomeness. They use false fantasy worlds created in the minds on game designers to replace their scanty reality. This spawns drab people without the necessary experiences to live life. With the advent of technology also came mankind’s loss of privacy. There are many things that the masses do every day that are being recorded and analyzed without our knowledge or consent. The purchases you make, such as beer, are recorded by servers to analyze the effects companies marketing strategy is having on your subconscious (cnn.

Reading and Typography Essay -- Typography Reading Research Papers

Reading and Typography Reading is unavoidable. Students read textbooks; fathers read newspapers; engineers read manuals; technicians read webpages; politicians read bills; Christians read the Bible, and the list goes on. Everyone reads something. Seeing, perceiving, and recognizing lines and dots as a form of language is a process that is extremely complicated yet necessary. Scientists have researched many aspects of the visual reading process, and one of the most immediately applicable areas of concern is in the field of typography. Researchers are attempting to answer two questions posed by publics such as graphic artists, magazine editors, rà ©sumà © writers, and even standardized test publishers: What typestyle is best for what situations?, and How do different characteristics of a font affect different audiences? The term font is a generic word used to express the general computer category of typewritten characters. Similarly, a type or typeset refers to a complete family of sets of characters having a certain fundamental design or structure. For example, the Courier type may include the variations Courier New and Courier Bold. Other typesets are Caslon, Quill, and Old English. Typestyle is used to categorize types by attributive similarities. Two of the most recognizable, and most researched, typestyles are distinguished by the presence or absence of serifs and by fixed width (FW) and variable or proportional width (PW) pitch. Types which display the serif feature add short, decorative lines to the tips of the characters; this line of print (12pt PW) is in Garamond and has serifs. Types such as Arial, as in this line (12pt PW), do not have the serif addition and are thus called sans serifs. A fixed width font may be like... ...STRACT. Keller T. (1997). Choosing the right type translates into cash for your cause. Nonprofit World, 15(6), 18-19. Leat S.J., Li W., & Epp K. (1999). Crowding in central and eccentric vision: The effects of contour interaction and attention. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 40, 504-512. Mansfield J.S., Legge G.E., & Bane M.C. (1996). Psychophysics of reading XV: Font effects in normal and low vision. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 8, 1492-1501. Orton V. (1993). Why Johnny can't read. Zip/Target Marketing, 16(6), 11-12. ABSTRACT. Regan D. & Hong X.H. (1994). Recognition and detection of texture-defined letters. Vision Research, 34, 2403-2407. Yager D., Aquilante K., & Plass R. (1998). Rapid communication: High and low luminance letters, acuity reserve, and font effects on reading speed. Vision Research, 38, 2527-2531.

A South Korean Company that Operates in China Essay -- Asian Economics

A South Korean Company that Operates in China This report address’s the requirements at hand to select a South Korean company that has operations in China Executive Summary: In 1992, Samsung Electronics adopted the form of a wholly owned subsidiary as the entry mode into China. It’s entry into China was in order to maintain growth due to the tough competition in Korea. China was selected in order to take advantage of its low wages for the mass production of low to medium priced products. The initial manufacturing ground was at Tianjin due to its costal location hence making it easy to export abroad and to major locations in China. The original focus of producing low cost products resulted in a cheap image of Samsung in China and led to a loss of US$210,000 in 1998 for its Suzhou division. The 1997 Asian economic crisis led to Samsung shifting its focus towards higher quality products. Samsung realised they could not compete with the Chinese manufacturers in terms of low priced products. In order to remain competitive in China, Samsung shifted its marketing strategy to one based on â€Å"selection and concentration†. After 1997, the focus was on the 10 major cities in China including Beijing, Tianjin, Suzhou, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Samsung came up with the â€Å"5% strategy†, targeting their products at the top 5% earners in China. The intensity of their Research & Development (R&D) in China grew with the expansion of their plant at Suzhou. Recently, there appears to be a shift in their operations from the Pearl River Delta to the Yangtze River Delta. This allows Samsung to take advantage of the better skilled personnel and infrastructure available for R&D. Samsung also set up a second Headquarters in Beijing which is responsible for marketing, personnel recruitment and for shaping of Samsung’s long term ambitions in China. Introduction: The Samsung group has 116 subsidiaries in 67 countries and received sales revenue from local subsidiaries of US$29billion. Over the last 5 years sales and net income have increased 1.6 times and 45 times, respectively. Sales in 2010 are anticipated to be 1.9 times that of 2002, with pre-tax profits expected to increase 2.1 times. Samsung is a heavily diversified company, and in order to best demonstrate its market entry to China, the report will look at the electronics arm to demonstr... ...eman, E., 2003. "Can the Pearl River Delta region still compete?", in The China Business Review, 30(3): 6-17, pages 53-63.  · Skopal, A. and C.J.Zhu, 2002. "An evaluation of entry strategy development in China?", in The 4th International Symposium on Multinational Business Management Proceedings, Nanjing, China, May 19-21, pages 65-73  · New York Times, 1991, (cited 9 May 2005) ‘Korean Companies in China’, late edition (East Coast), New York, pg. D20,  · Christian Science Monitor, 1992, (cited 9 May 2005) ‘High-Tech Giant Gears for Future The president of Samsung Electronics Company’, pre-1997 Full text, Boston, Mass, pg. NOPGCIT,  · Strategic Direction, 1999, (cited 9 May 2005), ‘Samsung Electronics play the China Card’, Bradford: Jul/Aug, Vol.15, Iss. 7, pg. 24  · Sender H., 2003, (cited 9 May 2005) ‘World Business (A Special Report); Back From the Brink: Samsung Electronics got into trouble by being like many Asian firms; It survived by being different’, Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition), New York, Sep. 22, pg. R.5  · Lee, B. J., 2004, (cited 9 May 2005) ‘Gotta Be Chinese’, Newsweek New York: Jun 28, Vol. 143, Iss. 26, pg. E8

Blanche Dubois

Peoples 1 Tashana Peoples Professor Johnson English 201- 9E3 May 18, 2012 Final Research Paper: A Streetcar Named Desire Draft Blanche Dubois is a character in Tennessee William’s play A Streetcar Named Desire. She is a rather important person in the play, as the plot is largely centered on her and Stanley Kowalski. Her character is challenging and controversial because she has a shocking past but portrays herself to be a classy and sophisticated woman. Blanche arrives at her sister Stella’s apartment in New Orleans, Louisiana on a streetcar named Desire (symbol).The urban, somewhat grimy atmosphere is a shock to Blanche. Blanche then starts to look down on her sister’s apartment as well as her husband: Blanche: No, now seriously, putting joking aside. Why didn’t you tell me, why didn’t you write me, honey, why didn’t you let me know? Stella: Tell you what, Blanche? Blanche: Why, that you had to live in these conditions! (Scene One) She acts as if she’s better than everyone else and too good to be living like they are. Even after she insults her sister’s living conditions, Stella still welcomes her sister with open arms.Blanche starts off in the very beginning of the play lying to Stella about her work situation: â€Å"Blanche: I was so exhausted by all I’d been through my- nerves broke. I was on the verge of- lunacy, almost! So Mr. Graves- Mr. Graves is the high school superintendent- he suggested that I take a leave of absence. † (Scene One) Blanche tells Stella that her supervisor allowed her to take time off because of her nerves when in fact she has been fired for having an affair with an underage student. This is just one instance showing her interaction with the opposite gender.Later in the play readers find out that she has also been very promiscuous with numerous men when Stanley receives this information from a colleague. This along with many other things leads to her wanting to esc ape Laurel. Stanley doesn’t like Blanche and he makes it known that he’s onto her lies. In Scene Ten he begins to tell her that she acts classy and has fancy items but not once does that fool him. He even buys her a ticket to go home and tells his wife that Blanche has to leave on Tuesday. Towards the ending of the play, Blanche claims that she received a wire from a man who invited her to go to the Caribbean with him.He is supposedly a wealthy man and she tries to show off by bragging to people about it. Both the wire and the invitation turn out to be another one of her hallucinations. Blanche has had a disturbed life, including a marriage that ended because her husband committed suicide after she discovers him having a homosexual affair. This leads her into a world where fantasies and illusions blend with reality. Everything she tells Stella and Stanley are lies and figments of her imagination. The play ends with her leaving not on a bus back to her hometown, but to a mental hospital with a doctor.

Boston Beer Company Essay

1. Evaluate the attractiveness of the craft beer segment relative to the market space occupied by the traditional â€Å"Big Three†. (tip: use the Five Forces framework). a. High Threat of new competition: over 600 of specialty beer companies were founded over the past five years, approximately 40% growth each years. In addition, the existence of contract brewing companies lead to low entry cost. b. High substitution: The attractiveness of craft brewing industry are majorly based on unique styles and flavors of beer. there are many different brands and styles of beer so the actual threat of substitutes is high. c. The intensity of competitive rivalry is also high: while there is a major growth of new entry, the market size shows little growth. This creates tremendous competitive pressures among the industry. d. Bargaining power of buyers: Switching cost for buyers are low, as there are many different substitution and options. companies has to consistently maintain high quality in order to retain customers. e. Bargaining power of suppliers: switching cost for suppliers are high for the traditional Big Three, as their supplies are tied to their own brewies. Craft brewing companies has the option of switch breweries in a relatively low cost, as the suppliers know they have options to supply other breweries. This allows them to charge higher prices than the big three. 2. Evaluate Boston Beer’s business model relative to Redhook and Pete’s, comparing their business models with respect to specific activities such as procurement, brewing, distribution, and marketing. BBC’s strategy of producing the highest quality of products, the company pursued four initiatives: high quality standards, contract brewing, intensive sales and marketing, and product line innovations. Unlike BBC and Pete’s, redhook relies on its own breweries. Redhook also established a strategic alliance with Anheuser-Busch whereby Redhook products were sold through the nation-wide network of 700 distributorships in exchange for a 25% equity stake in the company. Similar to BBC, Pete’s operates on a contract brewing basis and stress heavily on marketing. In retrospect, BBC intended to remain a contract brewer exclusively, capitalizing on lower overhead and transportation costs while continuing to invest heavily in its branded products. Redhook believed that its long-term growth and profitability were best served by assembling the largest company-owned production capacity of any domestic craft brewer, guaranteeing production capacity in more than one geographic region of the United States. Redhook also made a substantial investment in distribution, gaining access to Anheuser Busch’s nation-wide network of resellers. Pete’s, on the other hand, appeared to be following a combination of these two strategies by producing its products at both company-owned and third-party breweries. 3. How realistic analysts’ long-term growth forecasts (25% to 40% for the craft-brewing segment)? Based on the porter five forces analysis, the craft brewing segment has many advantages over the traditional big three, which explains the 40% growth rate. However the large number of new entries companies has already created a tremendous amount of competitions among its own, which retard the long term growth in my opinion and makes the forecasts of 25% to 40% seem unrealistic. 4. What do you recommend to Boston Beer? a. While the US market size remains somewhat stable. By exporting globally, will introduce BBC to new markets and additional sales b. Forming strategic alliance will help combat the increasing competition among industries.