Slavery During the Antibellum Era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Slavery During the Antibellum Era - Essay Example He highlighted the agenda of the South to spread slavery to the rest of the nation. The standard of living of the Negro slaves of the South in real terms was good, according to him. Their family life was free from tensions and the aged and infirm were properly taken care of. Women could look forward to the protective umbrella of their masters against the highhandedness of their husbands. He made an interesting observation about the conditions of labor in the North. â€Å"We do not know whether free laborers ever sleep. They are fools to do so; for, whilst they sleep, the wily and watchful capitalist is devising means to ensnare and exploit them. The free laborer must work or starve. He is more of a slave than the Negro, because he works longer and harder for less allowance.†(George Fitzhugh)This line of thinking was his original contribution to the issue of slavery. Abraham Lincoln possessed the inherent capability to gauge the public opinion, one of the greatest traits of a successful politician. He had the good measure of the issues that divided the North and the South and personally he was not an abolitionist. He advocated that the nation cannot remain half-free and half-slave, on a permanent basis. Supreme Court Ruling, 1857 in the Dred Scott v. Sanford case sealed the fate of the black race. It read thus. â€Å". . . [t]here are two clauses in the constitution which point directly and specifically to the negro race as a separate class of persons, and show clearly that they were not regarded as a portion of the people or citizens of the government then formed.† (Roger B. Taney)The struggle for abolition slavery turned more intense with the legal position clarified by the Court. The court opined that Negro race was a separate class of persons. Denied of legal protection for getting equal status the Negro leadership and society turned cynical and began to adopt violent alternatives to secure their rights. Fitzhugh argued,

The Good Life Essay Example for Free

The Good Life Essay What is the good life? This ambiguous idea differs for everyone. Americans may believe that to live the good life is to live the American Dream and achieve freedom, equality, and prosperity. Others may believe that the good life involves being very wealthy or famous. Over all, the definition of the good life varies for everyone. There isn’t one specific way that a person should live in order for it to be â€Å"good†. However, although the definition of the good life is very diverse and open to multiple interpretations, in order to live the best life possible, one should concentrate on doing whatever makes him or her happy, listening to his or her conscience and doing what it right, and establishing good relationships with family and peers. The most key piece to living the good life is doing whatever makes one happy. For most adults, this could mean having a job in their dream career field, and actually wanting to get out of bed to go to work in the mornings. Or, it could mean not having a job at all. Nonetheless, most adults would be happy by achieving success in their chosen careers, and having stable and loving families. However, a small number of adults actually achieve this ideal happiness. Regardless, the good life is still attainable. In order to live the good life, one has to strive to find happiness in whatever he or she does. According to Ralph Waldo Emerson in his essay â€Å"The Over-Soul†, one can achieve happiness through God and religion. He states that God is accessible to everyone, religious or not, and that religion is essentially the key to all happiness. For Christians, Emerson’s point of view may be correct. Many Christians believe that God can bring happiness to anyone who believes in Him. For non-Christians on the other hand, Emerson’s idea is irrelevant. Still, religious or not, people should strive to find happiness in whatever they do, and they should learn to accept their lives as they are. Even though no one lives a perfect life, people should aim to make the most out of their lives, and learn to find happiness in even the smallest situations. Doing so would allow one to become closer to attaining the good life. Another important part to living the best life possible is listening to one’s conscience and doing the right thing, and actually feeling good about the decisions that are made. If one’s life consists of doing bad things, he or she will ultimately feel bad about them, and many regrets will be left behind. However, if one does a lot of good deeds throughout his or her life, there will be minimal regrets and he or she will be able to work towards living the best life possible. Listening to one’s conscience is also an effective way of avoiding regrets. Many times, when one doesn’t listen to his or her conscience, regrets occur, because one looks back on the decisions made and realizes that they should have done something differently or listened to their conscience. Even though listening to one’s conscience might not always be the right thing to do or yield the best results, it will allow for one to live with few regrets. And, by living with few regrets, doing what is right, and listening to the conscience, one will become closer to achieving their good life, in whatever way it is defined. The last way to live the best life possible is through establishing good and meaningful with one’s family and peers. A lack of friendships and substantial relationships will most likely leave one feeling very lonely and outcast. However, if one can form positive relationships, they will be more social, happy, and closer to achieving the good life. In Gary Eberle’s text, The Geography of Nowhere, Eberle states that electronics and the media are preventing many people from establishing good, intimate relationships with others. Electronics are causing us to be very disconnected from each other: â€Å"The people spend so much of their lives connected electronically to someplace else that most of the time they hardly seem to be there, or anywhere at all, for that matter† (Eberle 2). Here, Eberle is showing how electronics and the media have caused society to be very disjoint, and they have hindered meaningful relationships from forming. So, in order to live the best life possible, we should strive to overcome the power of electronics and try to continue to make successful relationships with others, as healthy friendships are one of the most important pieces to living a good life. Still, working past the power of electronics is not the only way to secure good relationships. In addition, one ought to be a trustworthy person. Trust is essential to all relationships, and if one is trustworthy, he or she will have more satisfying relationships with others. Along with trust, in order to form good relationships, one could be understanding, generous, comforting, and more. Doing so will allow one to develop healthy relationships with their friends and family, and the good life will then be more reachable. Over all, the good life remains a very unclear idea, and there is no concrete definition on what the good life is, nor is there a definite way on how one is supposed to live it. Still, one can work towards living the best life possible by striving to find happiness in his or her life, as well as listening to his or her conscience, doing what is right, and establishing valuable relationships with peers. If one can do all of these things, they will be closer to achieving their definition of a good life.

No Work, No Food :: essays research papers

"No Work, No Food† 83 Hyakujo, the Chinese Zen master, used to labor with his pupils even at the age of eighty, trimming the gardens, cleaning the grounds, and pruning the trees. The pupils felt sorry to see the old teacher working so hard, but they knew he would not listen to their advice to stop, so they hid away his tools. That day the master did not eat. The next day he did not eat, nor the next. â€Å"He may be angry because we have hidden his tools,† the pupils surmised. â€Å"We had better put them back. The day they did, the teacher worked and ate the same as before. In the evening he instructed them: â€Å"No work, no food.† In life, people take many things for granted, whether it is how we play with our children, or what kind of job we do, or just simply having fun. For the older generation, taking things for granted wasn’t an option. In this simple passage, trying to convince someone to take it easy proved to be a very valuable lesson for some youngsters. When life gets to ruff, normally we tend to slow down a bit. Often the younger generation, healthy and strong, perceives that the older generation should take it easier than normal. However, in China, the Chinese Zen master doesn’t seem to fit this scenario. They seem to carry the philosophy that each carries their own weight no matter what the consequence. The younger pupils felt the Master was working extremely to hard and knew that he would not to a break. Having this information, they concocted a plan to hide his work tools so he would have no choice but to take a break. As the day slowly elapsed into darkness, they realized the Zen master hadn’t eaten. This carried into the 3rd day and finally the pupils felt he was angry so they returned them to their original place and that evening, they noticed the master eating again.

Gender Bias in Education Essay

â€Å"Sitting in the same classroom, reading the same textbook, listening to the same teacher, boys and girls receive very different educations.† (Sadker, 1994) In fact, upon entering school, girls perform equal to or better than boys on nearly every measure of achievement, but by the time they graduate high school or college, they have fallen behind. (Sadker, 1994) However, discrepancies between the performance of girls and the performance of boys in elementary education leads some critics to argue that boys are being neglected within the education system: Across the country, boys have never been in more trouble: They earn 70 percent of the D’s and F’s that teachers dole out. They make up two thirds of students labeled â€Å"learning disabled.† They are the culprits in a whopping 9 of 10 alcohol and drug violations and the suspected perpetrators in 4 out of 5 crimes that end up in juvenile court. They account for 80 percent of high school dropouts and attention deficit disorder diagnoses. (Mulrine, 2001) This performance discrepancy is notable throughout Canada. In Ontario, Education Minister Janet Ecker said that the results of the standardized grade 3 and grade 6 testing in math and reading showed, â€Å"†¦persistent and glaring discrepancies in achievements and attitudes between boys and girls.† (O’Neill, 2000) In British Columbia, standardized testing indicates that girls outperform boys at all levels of reading and writing and in Alberta testing shows that girls, â€Å"†¦significantly outperform boys on reading and writing tests, while almost matching them in math and science.† (O’Neill, 2000) However, the American Association of University Women published a report in 1992 indicating that females receive less attention from teachers and the attention that female students do receive is often more negative than attention received by boys. (Bailey, 1992) In fact, examination of the socialization of gender within schools and evidence of a gender biased hidden curriculum demonstrates that girls are shortchanged in the classroom. Furthermore, there is significant research indicating steps that can be taken to minimize or eliminate the gender bias currently present in our education system. The socialization of gender within our schools assures that girls are made aware that they are unequal to boys. Every time students are seated or lined up by gender, teachers are affirming that girls and boys should be treated differently. When an administrator ignores an act of sexual harassment, he or she is allowing the degradation of girls. When different behaviors are tolerated for boys than for girls because ‘boys will be boys’, schools are perpetuating the oppression of females. There is some evidence that girls are becoming more academically successful than boys, however examination of the classroom shows that girls and boys continue to be socialized in ways that work against gender equity. Teachers socialize girls towards a feminine ideal. Girls are praised for being neat, quiet, and calm, whereas boys are encouraged to think independently, be active and speak up. Girls are socialized in schools to recognize popularity as being important, and learn that educational performance and ability are not as important. â€Å"Girls in grades six and seven rate being popular and well-liked as more important than being perceived as competent or independent. Boys, on the other hand, are more likely to rank independence and competence as more important.† (Bailey, 1992) This socialization of femininity begins much earlier than the middle grades. At very early ages, girls begin defining their femininities in relation to boys. One study of a third grade classroom examined four self-sorted groups of girls within the classroom: the nice girls, the girlies, the spice girls and the tomboys. Through interviews researcher Diane Reay found that ‘nice girls’ was considered a derogatory term indicating, â€Å"†¦an absence of toughness and attitude.† (Reay, 2001) Furthermore, the girlies were a group of girls who focused their time on flirting with and writing love letters to boys, the tomboys were girls who played sports with the boys, and the spice girls espoused girl-power and played ‘rate-the-boy’ on the playground. Reay’s research shows that each of the groups of girls defined their own femininities in relation to boys. (2001) The Reay study further demonstrates how socialization of girls occurs at the school level by tolerating different behaviors from boys than from girls. Assertive behavior from girls is often seen as disruptive and may be viewed more negatively by adults. In Reay’s study, the fact that the spice girls asserted themselves in ways contrary to traditional femininity caused them to be labeled by teachers as â€Å"real bitches†. (2001) This reinforces the notion that â€Å"†¦girls’ misbehavior to be looked upon as a character defect, whilst boys’ misbehavior is viewed as a desire to assert themselves.† (Reay, 2001) A permissive attitude towards sexual harassment is another way in  which schools reinforce the socialization of girls as inferior. â€Å"When schools ignore sexist, racist, homophobic, and violent interactions between students, they are giving tacit approval to such behaviors.† (Bailey, 1992) Yet boys are taunted for throwing like a girl, or crying like a girl, which implies that being a girl is worse than being a boy. According to the American Association of University Women Report, â€Å"The clear message to both boys and girls is that girls are not worthy of respect and that appropriate behavior for boys includes exerting power over girls — or over other, weaker boys.† (Bailey, 1992) Clearly the socialization of gender is reinforced at school, â€Å"Because classrooms are microcosms of society, mirroring its strengths and ills alike, it follows that the normal socialization patterns of young children that often lead to distorted perceptions of gender roles are reflected in the classrooms.† (Marshall, 1997) Yet gender bias in education reaches beyond socialization patterns, bias is embedded in textbooks, lessons, and teacher interactions with students. This type of gender bias is part of the hidden curriculum of lessons taught implicitly to students through the every day functioning of their classroom. In Myra and David Sadker’s research, they noted four types of teacher responses to students: teacher praises, providing positive feedback for a response; teacher remediates, encouraging a student to correct or expand their answer; teacher criticizes, explicitly stating that the answer is incorrect; teacher accepts, acknowledging that a student has responded. The Sadkers found that boys were far more likely to receive praise or remediation from a teacher than were girls. The girls were most likely to receive an acknowledgement response from their teacher. (Sadker, 1994) These findings are confirmed by a 1990 study by Good and Brophy that â€Å"†¦noted that teachers give boys greater opportunity to expand ideas and be animated than they do girls and that they reinforce boys more for general responses than they do for girls.† (Marshall, 1997) Beyond teacher responses, special services in education appear to be applied more liberally to boys than to girls. Research shows that boys are referred for testing for gifted programs twice as often as girls, which may be because, â€Å"†¦giftedness is seen as aberrant, and girls strive to conform.† (Orenstein, 1994) Boys represent more than two-thirds of all students in special education programs and there is a higher the proportion of male  students receiving diagnoses that are considered to be subjective. While medical reports indicate that learning disabilities occur in nearly equal numbers of in boys and girls, it may be the case that, â€Å"Rather than identifying learning problems, school personnel may be mislabeling behavioral problems. Girls who sit quietly are ignored; boys who act out are placed in special programs that may not meet their needs.† (Bailey, 1992) Gender bias is also taught implicitly through the resources chosen for classroom use. Using texts that omit contributions of women, that tokenize the experiences of women, or that stereotype gender roles, further compounds gender bias in schools’ curriculum. While research shows that the use of gender-equitable materials allows students to have more gender-balanced knowledge, to develop more flexible attitudes towards gender roles, and to imitate role behaviors contained in the materials (Klein, 1985) schools continue to use gender-biased texts: Researchers at a 1990 conference reported that even texts designed to fit within the current California guidelines on gender and race equity for textbook adoption showed subtle language bias, neglect of scholarship on women, omission of women as developers of history and initiators of events, and absence of women from accounts of technological developments. (Bailey, 1992) Clearly the socialization of gender roles and the use of a gender-biased hidden curriculum lead to an inequitable education for boys and girls. What changes can be made to create a more equitable learning environment for all children? First, teachers need to be made aware of their gender-biased tendencies. Next, they need to be provided with strategies for altering the behavior. Finally, efforts need to be made to combat gender bias in educational materials. A study by Kelly Jones, Cay Evans, Ronald Byrd, and Kathleen Campbell (2000) used analysis of videotaped lessons in order to introduce teachers to their own gender-biased behavior. Requiring in-service programs to address gender bias in the classroom will make teachers more aware of their own behaviors: â€Å"As a teacher, I was struck by the Sadkers’ research on classroom exchanges and was forced to acknowledge the disproportionate amount of time and energy, as well as the different sorts of attention, I give to male students.† (McCormick, 1995) Once teachers have recognized their gender-biased behaviors, they need to be provided with resources to help them change. In their study focusing on how the effects of  a gender resource model would affect gender-biased teaching behaviors, Jones, Evans, Burns, and Campbell (2000) provided teachers with a self-directed module aimed at reducing gender bias in the classroom. The module contained research on gender equity in the classroom, specific activities to reduce stereotypical thinking in students, and self-evaluation worksheets for teachers. The findings from this study support the hypothesis that â€Å"†¦female students would move from a position of relative deficiency toward more equity in total interactions†¦.† (Jones, 2000) This demonstrates that teachers who are made aware of their gender-biased teaching behaviors and then provided with strategies and resources to combat bias are better able to promote gender equity in their classrooms. However, beyond changing their own teaching behaviors, teachers need to be aware of the gender bias imbedded in many educational materials and texts and need to take steps to combat this bias. Curriculum researchers have established six attributes that need to be considered when trying to establish a gender-equitable curriculum. Gender-fair materials need to acknowledge and affirm variation. They need to be inclusive, accurate, affirmative, representative, and integrated, weaving together the experiences, needs, and interests of both males and females. (Bailey, 1992) â€Å"We need to look at the stories we are telling our students and children. Far too many of our classroom examples, storybooks, and texts describe a world in which boys and men are bright, curious, brave, inventive, and powerful, but girls and women are silent, passive, and invisible.† (McCormick, 1995) Furthermore, teachers can help students identify gender-bias in texts and facilitate critical discussions as to why that bias exists. Gender bias in education is an insidious problem that causes very few people to stand up and take notice. The victims of this bias have been trained through years of schooling to be silent and passive, and are therefore unwilling to stand up and make noise about the unfair treatment they are receiving. â€Å"Over the course of years the uneven distribution of teacher time, energy, attention, and talent, with boys getting the lion’s share, takes its toll on girls.† (Sadker, 1994) Teachers are generally unaware of their own biased teaching behaviors because they are simply teaching how they were taught and the subtle gender inequities found in teaching materials are often overlooked. Girls and boys today are receiving separate and unequal educations due to the gender  socialization that takes place in our schools and due to the sexist hidden curriculum students are faced with every day. Unless teachers are made aware of the gender-role socialization and the biased messages they are unintentionally imparting to students everyday, and until teachers are provided with the methods and resources necessary to eliminate gender-bias in their classrooms, girls will continue to receive an inequitable education. Departments of education should be providing mandatory gender-equity resource modules to in-service teachers, and gender bias needs to be addressed with all pre-service teachers. Educators need to be made aware of the bias they are reinforcing in their students through socialization messages, inequitable division of special education services, sexist texts and materials, and unbalanced time and types of attention spent on boys and girls in the classroom. â€Å"Until educational sexism is eradicated, more than half our children will be shortchanged and their gifts lost to society.† (Sadker, 1994) References  Bailey, S. (1992) How Schools Shortchange Girls: The AAUW Report. New York, NY: Marlowe & Company. Jones, K., Evans, C., Byrd, R., Campbell, K. (2000) Gender equity training and teaching behavior. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 27 (3), 173-178. Klein, S. (1985) Handbook for Achieving Sex Equity Through Education. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press. Marshall, C.S. & Reihartz, J. (1997) Gender issues in the classroom. Clearinghouse, 70 (6), 333-338. McCormick, P. (1995) Are girls taught to fail? U.S. Catholic, 60, (2), 38-42. Mulrine, A. (2001) Are Boys the Weaker Sex? U.S. News & World Report, 131 (4), 40-48. O’Neill, T. (2000) Boys’ problems don’t matter. Report/ Newsmagazine (National Edition), 27 (15), 54-56. Orenstein, P. (1994) Schoolgirls: Young Women, Self-Esteem and the Confidence Gap. New York, NY: Doubleday. Reay, D. (2001) ‘Spice girls’, ‘Nice Girls’, ‘Girlies’, and ‘Tomboys†; gender discourses. Girls’ cultures and femininities in the primary classroom. Gender and Education, 13 (2), 153-167. Sadker, D., Sadker, M. (1994) Failing at Fairness: How Our Schools Cheat Girls. Toronto, ON: Simon & Schuster Inc.

Digital Television †Is It Advancement?

Digital television is becoming a global trend with a startling velocity. Following the lead of North America and Western Europe, a host of countries in East/South Asia, South America, and Eastern Europe are also hastening the epic shift from analog to digital television. It is predicted that approximately 1 billion people will be viewing digital broadcast television by the end of this year. At the current pace, nearly 38 percent of the world's TV households will be receiving digital signals by 2010 (Informa Telecoms & Media, 2007, p. 2).Underlying this technological gold rush is an array of remarkable features that digital broadcasting presents: interactivity, multichannel capacity, immunity to interference by other signals, superb audio-visual qualities, and quasi-universal interoperability with other media that recognize digital language. These outstanding qualities are founded upon the quintessence of digital technology: the binary codification (comparable to the dots and dashes o f the telegraph code), which converts data into â€Å"a bitstream of zeros and ones† (Owen, 1999, p.151).Since digital technology can break down virtually any type of information (print, painting, music, sound, photography) into a uniform code of bits and bytes, it is now possible to establish universal compatibility among various media. As Timothy Todreas (1999) observes, â€Å"text, graphics, audio and video used to be within the purview of separate industries: print, radio, and television respectively. Once digitized†¦ bits can commingle effortlessly. Content can travel down the same distribution path and can be used interchangeably† (pp.78-79).Paradoxically, the atomize-ability of digital technology precipitates digital convergence, in which all the sophisticated traditional media taxonomies and typologies will become muddied and eventually obsolete. Aside from the universal connectivity of digital television with neighboring media, there are a few other prope rties of digital television: audio/visual excellence, multichannel capacity, and interactivity. The digital television is capable of delivering superior audio/video quality compared to its analog counterpart.However, the enhanced audio/visual fidelity of digital television is best exploited in a combined use with the Hi-Definition television system, an advanced method of injecting televisual signals onto the screen in a much more precise fashion than that of its predecessors, the NTSC and PAL systems. Contrary to common belief, HDTV is not an immediate offspring of the digital television system, although electronics makers, broadcasters, and policymakers of the digital television excitedly promote it as digital television's headliner.There are multiple, significant reasons behind the deliberate â€Å"passing† of HDTV as the figurehead of digital television, especially in a Japanese context. Compared to analog signals, digitized information takes much less bandwidth, i. e. , m uch less channel capacity to distribute content per unit of time. This technical â€Å"thriftiness† is an end result of the compression technology that can filter out redundant data and squeeze more data into a given bandwidth. The economic use of bandwidth means greater space to fit more channels, which ends the â€Å"distribution bottleneck† (Todreas, 1999, p.79) common to analog formats.The sudden abundance of bandwidth leads to an explosion of channel outlets, metamorphosing the television industry structure. The interactive function of digital television is yet another benefit of the efficient use of bandwidth. A broadened bandwidth not only increases the volume of channels and the velocity of information but also enables â€Å"two-way† traffic. With expanded two-way interactions between sender and receiver, digital television could transform the modality of broadcasting from a linear, unilateral communication to a cyclical, bilateral one.Apparently, the le vel of control for the user is strictly limited by the choices provided by the software programmer. However, the interactivity of television will incrementally open new modes of socio-economic and cultural interactions (Video-On-Demand and T-commerce, for instance) among the user (Swann, 2000). Still, all the perks of digital television don't come without costs and shortcomings. The multiple channels of digital television could inspire program diversification and perhaps contribute to a socio-cultural diversification.In fact, critics and viewers have already become disillusioned by the promise of channel multiplication, for it has impoverished, rather than improved, the program quality and originality in a way similar to what cable television did in the U. S. Likewise, the interactive functions of digital television could turn into a blight rather than a blessing. Tony Feldman (1997) posits that interactivity â€Å"runs the risk of giving the users so much power in determining thei r own experiences of content that the only message conveyed is the one the user chooses to receive.The freedom to chart your own course, therefore, can emasculate as readily as it can liberate† (p. 18). Development of HDTV The question of high definition television came up in the early 1970's when Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK), the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation, raised the possibility of HDTV. The technology was first developed by the Japanese to produce a better quality picture than previously available, and in 1978 NHK came up with two new HDTV systems. One of them was an 1,125 line system, the other a 2,125 line system that was transmitted by satellite (Fisher & Fisher, 1996).Japan started the HDTV movement in 1970 and spent over one billion dollars on its development by mid-1990 (Dupagne & Seel, 1998). In the early 1970's the major players in the effort to produce HDTV were Sony Pictures, Panasonic, Ikegami, and NHK. Most of the engineering was undertaken by Sony and NHK te sted the concept over the air. Panasonic and Ikegami (along with Sony) developed cameras, video tape recorders and other equipment needed for an entire HDTV package. Philips, the Dutch equipment manufacturer, developed a new HDTV system called Eureka in the early 1970's.The system scanned 1,250 horizontal lines at 50 frames per second, with the same 16 to 9 aspect ratio as the Japanese system. This system was sometimes referred to as Vision 1,250 (Gross, 2000). The American television industry was finally waking up and coming out of the doldrums it had been in since the early 1970's. The Japanese production had already taken over television, VCR's, and the stereo business. It looked as if they would also become world-leaders in the development of HDTV (Fisher and Fisher, 1996).The US was behind in the development of HDTV over Europe and Japan. The Defense Department pledged to spend $30 million dollars on the technology. The Defense Department sanctioned the spending of this money p artly because the superior picture quality would have application for military reconnaissance and pilot training (Hart, 2004). The House Telecommunications Subcommittee held a hearing with the intent to insure that this new technology would flourish in the United States (Gross, 2000).The electronics industry is in a high stakes race. A 1989 government report stated that the United States stood a chance to lose 2 million jobs, and suffer a $225 billion dollar annual trade deficit by the year 2010 if the US does not produce a coherent strategy to compete in the HDTV and associated industries (Dupagne & Seel, 1998). During the Reagan era an industrial consortium known as â€Å"Sematech† wanted to push the United States to become the leading technological manufacturer of the computer chip. This chip is used in HDTV.Chipmakers are of vital importance to the overall well being of the electronics industry. They represent the USA's largest manufacturing business, with revenues for 19 89 of $300 billion dollars. This is a business that is larger than the steel industry, aerospace, and the automobile industry combined (Dupagne & Seel, 1998). The American Electronics Association (AEA) wanted funds in US government loans, grants and loan guarantees to further produce and improve HDTV. They felt once the government committed itself that deeply it could not pull out (Hart, 2004).The AEA's attempt to persuade the government to enter into a government-industry consortium failed. It was an ambitious program to form a consortium to develop the next-generation of HDTV sets. The plan attracted only nominal support in Congress. The Bush administration actively opposed the idea. It received vocal support from the industry but no financial commitments (Hart, 2004). The Bush administration wanted to pull the plug on the high-tech industries. Washington was determined to cut the $10 million dollars pledged for research and development of HDTV in 1989.It also wanted to cut all fe deral support including the $100 million dollars it pledged for research and development in 1991. The Japanese manufacturers of semiconductors are encouraged by their government to spend 50 percent more on research and development of the chip. This is often subsidized by the Japanese government. This is more money spent on chip development than its US counterpart (Hart, 2004). In 1977 the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) formed a study group to investigate HDTV in the United States.As early as 1973 an 1,125 scanning line HDTV system was shown to engineers with CBS supporting the system. By 1980 SMPTE recommended using a system of about 1,100 scanning lines per frame and an interlace system (Fisher & Fisher, 1996). Since the US decided to take the lead in HDTV development the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sponsored the movement by creating â€Å"The Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service† (ACATS). This was headed by former FCC Cha irman Richard Wiley (Schreiber, 1999). ACATS declared an open competition to help create a usable HD service for the US.The FCC requested those involved with this project to submit their proposals to the FCC for approval. Shortly after that 23 proposals were turned in to the FCC. All of them were in analog format (Schreiber, 1999). Many of the inventors felt that digital would not become available until the 21st century. Also many broadcasters were not interested in creating a new system that was not compatible with their existing system, since that would require them to invest heavily to create a new market form (Fisher and Fisher, 1996). CBS was the first network to actively pursue HDTV (Hart, 2004).This was unusual since at that time the broadcast networks had less money to invest in high cost programming. In part some of this was due as a result of the viewing audiences shifting over from the broadcast networks' programming to the cable stations. The loss of viewers to home VCR playback and rental movies, satellite delivery of Direct-TV, DBS and pay cable services also accounted for viewer erosion (Hart, 2004). In 1981 the Japanese company NHK was prodded by CBS to come to the United States to demonstrate their HDTV system.Members of CBS and SMPTE met with the Japanese in San Francisco, California, at the St. Francis Hotel at an annual television conference. The demonstration was very successful. The viewers were impressed with the NHK's system's â€Å"extraordinary resolution, rich saturated color and wide screen monitors and projection television displays (Hart, 2004, p. 92). † The general feeling of the people attending the conference was that the HDTV system broke all constraints of television picture quality imposed on them by the aging NTSC color standard.In 1983, based on what they saw at the conference, the Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC) was formed. Their goal was to improve the quality of video and develop new standards in tech nology. They were also instructed to come up with a recommendation for a usable HDTV standard for the United States by the spring of 1985. They were to present this standard to a subcommittee of the International Consultative Radio Committee (CCIR) which would set a world standard (Hart, 2004). The ATSC is a committee largely made up of engineers. In 1984 it had a yearly budget of $250,000.They decided to work on three parallel ideas to help improve the overall picture performance of US television. One group called the â€Å"improved NTSC† group headed by RCA Laboratories' Kern Powers, worked to improve the present standard by improving studio and transmission equipment and the television receivers. Another group called the â€Å"enhanced group† investigated new production and transmission systems that still used the 525 scanning lines and a 4 to 3 aspect ratio. They also sought to produce a better picture through different signal formats (Fisher & Fisher, 1996).The th ird group worked on HDTV at the CBS Technology Center and closely examined the Japanese NHK type of HDTV. This system would produce twice as many horizontal and vertical scanning lines as the NTSC system and would have an aspect ratio of 5 to 3 (Fisher & Fisher, 1996). Their goal was to have an HDTV standard that they could present to the FCC by the spring of 1985. Their standard would be compatible with NTSC, PAL and SECAM and they could transfer their video to 3 5 mm film for theatrical release (Dupagne & Seel, 1998).By March of 1985 ATSC did have a standard they felt they could present to the FCC. They picked 1,125 scanning lines as their standard because it was a compromise between twice the 525 NTSC standard, which equals 1,050 and twice 625 lines (used in Europe) which is 1,250. The system would also have a two-to-one interlaced scanning, a 5 to 3 aspect ratio and scan at 80 fields per second. This scanning rate was the only source of controversy, since the NTSC used 60 per se cond and most of Europe used 50 per second (Fisher & Fisher, 1996).The Europeans felt it could not be used by them because conversion could not take place without some degradation of picture quality. The Japanese approved of it since most of their experiments were conducted in a 60 field per second rate (Hart, 2004). By January of 1988 the ATSC voted on an HDTV system of 1,125 scanning lines, 60 hertz HDTV, 16 to 9 aspect ratio production standard. The vote approved of this standard 26 for and 11 against, with 8 abstaining. The Association of Maximum Service Telecasters (AMST) and the National Association of Broadcasters voted against the new standard (Dupagne & Seel, 1998).Late in 1987 the FCC steering committee submitted a list of five proposed guidelines in which to raise, or solicit, the funds from the participating companies involved with the development of HDTV. The most important guideline of the proposal was that â€Å"no one source contributes more than 15 per cent of the total, private funds raised,† according to the FCC (Hart, 1994, p. 216). In 1989 the American Electronics Association predicted that HDTV would reach the mass market by 1999 and that it would take until the year 2002 to reach 10 percent market penetration.They stated that HDTV would be megapixel, doubling the horizontal and vertical resolution of present television, with around 1,200 scanning lines by about 800 points across and close to a million pixels per screen. It was believed at this time that early HDTV sets would be expensive, large, projection TV's that would find their way into sports bars before they are accepted in private homes (Helliwell, 1989). It was the dawn of the digital age. â€Å"The leap from analog to digital could be as striking as that from black and white to color. † (Dupagne & Seel, 1998, p. 67).By 1990 General Instrument Corporation claimed it had perfected the first all-digital method of transmitting an HDTV signal that would be compatible w ith conventional broadcast channels. That year the FCC announced that it would select the new United States HDTV standard after extensive testing from applicants from six systems including European, Japanese and American companies (Hart, 2004). On May 24, 1993 the â€Å"Grand Alliance† was formed. The four leading pioneers of USA's quest for a high definition picture joined forces. General Instruments-DSRC, AT+T/Zenith, Thomson/Philips, and MIT were the companies that formed this alliance.The purpose of the Grand Alliance was to combine the various parts of their four separate systems into one complete system. This way they would produce a single, all-digital HDTV transmission system. The four HDTV systems that each company produced separately (before the alliance) had a good picture in a 6 Mhz channel, but none of them were deemed good enough to be considered the single acceptable standard (Dupagne & Seel, 1998). The new Grand Alliance systems comprised 1080 active scanning lines with 1920 pixels per line, interlaced at 59.94 and 60 fields per second, and a 720 active line with 1280 pixels per line, progressive scanning at 59. 94 and 60 frames per second. Both formats operated in the progressive scanning mode at 30 and 24 frames per second.The system used MPEG-2 video compression and transport systems and Dolby AC-3, 384 Kb/8 audio. It also used the 8-VSB transmission system developed by Zenith. This system was overwhelmingly approved by the ATSC membership. The old analog NTSC television will someday cease to exists as we know it. In its place high quality digital TV and HDTV will capture a larger and larger share of the market (Dupagne & Seel, 1998).The ATSC believed that its HDTV standard would rule the land-based-over-the-air broadcast not only in the United States but in the northern hemisphere, and even in a few Asian countries as well. Europe, Japan and Australia are going to have a different HDTV standard from the USA. America's standard uses a n eight-level vestigial sideband (8-VSB) 6- Mhz modulation for its over-the-air transmission. The European, Japanese, and Australian systems use an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) system (Strassberg, 1998). But politics intervened and a world wide standard was not to be.Different parts of the world will all have their own high definition standards. All the different formats will have more scanning lines than the present NTSC system, but they will not have the same number of scanning lines as each other. Therefore, conversion will be necessary between each country's systems (Hart, 2004). When the people involved in trying to set up a standard for HDTV moved from the chaotic to a more organized collaboration the marketing strategies did not keep pace with the development. There was a consensus among the manufacturers that HDTV would never happen, or at least it would be on a smaller scale than predicted.In Japan their HDTV development was stunted because of a lack of attractive programming. In Europe HDTV was abandoned because there was no consensus among programmers, signal providers, and the public (Hart, 2004). Both Mexico and Canada have refused to sign off on the channel assignments granted to the US stations in bordering areas. This will lead to a clouding up of the signals in those parts of the states. Detroit had to delay its planned digital/HDTV delivery launch on November 1, 1998, because of signal mix-up (Stern, 1998). The Thompson Manufacturing Company emphasized that the success of HDTV will largely depend on the broadcaster.Though HDTV sets are being manufactured it will depend on the number of hours of high definition signal that is being transmitted out there, to pull the audience to the television screen (Hart, 2004). . The FCC and HDTV By 1990 the FCC decided that the HDTV signal would have to fit into one channel. The Japanese were suggesting that the US use their MUSE (Multiple Sub-Nyguist Encoding) system. This system would use one channel for the picture and another channel with information to boost it to HDTV level (Schreiber, 1999). By Congressional order the FCC has assigned a second TV channel to each of the nations 1,600 television stations.Each of these stations will now be able to offer digital signal service to the public. It will be up to the broadcasters as to what kinds of services to offer and in what format they wish to transmit in (Hart, 2004). Originally then FCC Chairman, Reed Hundt, wanted to auction off the HDTV channels. The proposal for this auction was then introduced to Congress by Senate Majority Leader, Bob Dole. But, heavy lobbying by the broadcasters quickly killed the bill (Schreiber, 1999). Regulators were considering adding 30 Mhz, or channels 2 to 6, to the spectrum that broadcasters will be using when the shift to digital TV is completed.By the year 2002 the analog channels will be returned to the government. The FCC will then auction these returned channels off to pros pective buyers. Congress and the White House expected this auction to raise somewhere around $5. 4 billion dollars. If broadcasters are given this additional 30 Mhz this would set the FCC back by about $2 billion dollars (Schreiber, 1999). When the analog channels are no longer in use by the broadcasters and they are auctioned off, they will be used for non-broadcast use such as mobile phones, two-way paging, and wireless Internet access (Schreiber, 1999).The broadcasters will transmit both the existing NTSC analog signal on one channel and the new HDTV signal on another channel. This way the existing analog TV sets will not be rendered useless immediately. The FCC adopted this simulcast plan where each existing television station would be assigned a second 6-Mhz channel for the analog TV and a channel for HDTV service (Schreiber, 1999). On Thursday April 3, 1997, the FCC approved by 4 to zero the biggest advance to broadcasters since the 1950's when color was introduced to televisi on.The government announced that it was giving away to broadcasters free air-space. Critics of the FCC felt that giving this free air-space, without having the stations pay for it, was the biggest government give away of the century. To the 1,600 stations in this country this is an estimated $70 billion dollar gift of free channels (Schreiber, 1999). To create the necessary channels needed for HDTV the spectrum space was taken from UHF stations of channels 14 or higher. The government has had a history of setting aside unused channels in the past for the broadcasters.The government will be taking these channels back and making them available to fire, police, rescue, and other public safety groups (Schreiber, 1999). By November 1, 1998 the FCC ruled that the networks must begin to broadcast a digital signal. At first only the top 10 markets will get any of the new ATSC digital signals. Only about 5 hours of broadcast high definition signal will be available. The stations will be free to broadcast as little, or as much HDTV signal as they deem possible. By 1998 the first true high definition television sets were available for sale on the open market (Hart, 2004).The roots of HDTV lie in a 1996 decision by the FCC to require broadcasters to transmit two signals, one in analog (NTSC) and one in digital. The FCC required that broadcasters continue broadcasting the analog signal until the year 2006, although the deadline can be extended if digital grows too slowly in popularity. The FCC gave each TV station a second broadcast channel for digital signals used for the new HDTV programming (Schreiber, 1999). There has been some indication that the HDTV signal does not work as well as it was predicted, or promised, to work.The November 1, 1998 launch date for HD signal was to deliver crystal clear images and CD-quality sound. And it did, but only 40 percent of the time. After a test in Washington, DC, in 1998 it was found that a majority of the time the televisions usin g indoor antennas could not display a high definition image. It was an all or nothing at all thing with over-the-air digital signals. Test results stated that with terrestrial transmission, broadcasters and set manufacturers will be even more reliant on cable operators to reach their potential viewers (Schreiber, 1999).For someone who sets up their HDTV receiver during the winter months when the leaves are off the trees, there are some who did not receive a signal in the spring when the new leaves appeared. Often the first time a potential customer views an HD television set they have to become accustomed to some surprising effects. As a result of the image compression techniques that are used to squeeze such a high-resolution picture into a 6 Mhz channel there are no noticeable defects in the picture until there is motion on the screen.The motionless backgrounds appear in stunningly clear detail, but when an object moves the picture momentarily blurs and develops a â€Å"block lik e† image around the moving object (Strassberg, 1998). The bugs are still being worked out, but as it stands the first person to purchase a high definition TV set will not be sure it will work with an antenna, and they won't be able to connect to cable (Strassberg, 1998). Industrial Policy, Politics and HDTV In October 1988, the American Electronics Association (AEA) released a report forecasting the effect of HDTV on the U. S. economy and technological prowess.This report heightened fears of foreign threats to the domestic consumer electronics industry. A string of Congressional hearings followed. In May 1989, the AEA issued a second report, which included a recommendation for $1. 35 billion in government assistance (Hart, 2004, pp. 157-9). This was necessary, argued the report, to make American companies competitive with their international competitors. The resulting political fall out could have hardly been anticipated. The second AEA report was the proverbial â€Å"last st raw† in a very heated ideological battle over American industrial policy.One side of the argument feared that U.S. firms were unfairly disadvantaged against international competition because many foreign companies enjoyed generous subsidies from their governments, which often had much more cohesive industrial policies than that of the U. S. The other side argued that the best way to ensure American success could only be accomplished through the competitive process of a free market, which is what drove the American innovative spirit—not government mandates and funding. These differing positions were soon became part of a political battle between Capitol Hill and the Bush Administration (Bingham, 1998).The position of the latter was influenced by a stand against industrial policy taken by Bush during a campaign speech, where he declared, â€Å"I oppose the federal government's picking of winners and losers in the private sector. That's known as ‘industrial policyâ € Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ (Hart, 1994, p. 221). The debate had been percolating for some time. Just prior to the second AEA report, Senator Al Gore (D-Tenn. ) had been the most recent of a list of legislators to introduce yet another bill designed to spur HDTV development and push the Whitehouse towards a more proactive domestic industrial policy.The bill was motivated in part by Gore's unhappiness with Secretary Mosbacher, who had refused to attend a hearing by his Science Subcommittee (Bingham, 1998). Not all within the industry favored the Congressional push for government assistance. The Electronic Industries Association (EIA), whose members—unlike the AEA—included foreign owned companies as well as U. S. companies did not support government subsidization for fear they might not get a piece of the proverbial pie (Bingham, 1998). Philips and Thompson lobbied vigorously against this legislation.They argued that their system shouldn't be put at a disadvantage just because they wer e European companies. After all, their American subsidiaries provided American jobs just like their American owned counterparts, and their system, if chosen, would benefit the American public just like the other systems (Hart, 2004). This illustrates the problematic nature of industrial policy: provided you do decide that it is even in America's best interest to subsidize companies, how do you then rationalize subsidizing those very competitors all over again?Yet, if you do subsidize U.S. and not foreign owned companies, you still risk disadvantaging American workers (Bingham, 1998). As a consequence of the political battle over industrial policy, the Bush Administration developed an anti-HDTV policy. Secretary of Commerce Robert Mosbacher, who had initially supported the promotion of a strong HDTV policy, became a critic of such policies as a result of the political fallout. In one Congressional hearing, he criticized the industry for holding back research in hopes that it might ge t funding from the government (Hart, 1994, pp.221-222).The second AEA report came at the climax of the battle. A focal point of the battle was DARPA, which had begun an initiative to fund HDTV technology in the public sector for â€Å"dual use† purposes (i. e. encourage technologies that provide significant benefits to both the defense and civilian sectors) (Bingham, 1998, p. 110). By the end of May, the White House had ordered a halt to pro HDTV industrial policies, and Craig Fields, a vocal supporter of DoD funded HDTV development, would eventually be dismissed in April of 1990.Interestingly, in the midst of all this fallout, Al Sikes, former head of the NTIA and a big proponent of HDTV, became the new Chairman of the FCC in August of 1989. However, the nomination had actually been submitted before the political battle over HDTV had escalated (Dupagne & Seel, 1998, p. 184). The introduction of digital helped alleviate the conflicting goals of progress versus compatibility, by offering an option so significantly advanced that it superseded the goal of compatibility.The conflicting goals reflect the much broader conflict between the FCC's dual mandates to promote and police. It is interesting to keep in mind, however, that new technology was not the only factor in this move. After all, the FCC actually chose to pursue an HDTV approach vis-a-vis a more compatible EDTV approach at least two months before, GI revealed its digital system (Hart, 2004). It might be very easy to lay the problems of adoption that have resulted from choosing a digital system, which was not compatible to NTSC, at the feet of the FCC.We could speculate that commissioners were unable to grasp the complexities and significance economic principles or the staff was to rigid in its thinking to find a truly innovative solution to the problems already discussed. However, the fact remains that the move towards DTV was also made by industry participants. The FCC could not force manufacture rs to propose a system they did not want (Hart, 2004). Once full digital HDTV had been achieved, many manufacturers voluntarily scrapped their analog systems in order to pursue digital systems. In making this choice proponents were at the mercy of economic forces beyond their control.They could not afford not to choose a digital system following GI's breakthrough: the risk that the public and officials would perceive such systems as technologically inferior was too great. Digital threatened the successful adoption of any analog system, regardless of the outcome of the contest. In the end the analog systems failed to compete adequately with the digital systems anyway (Hart, 2004). Conclusion Now era of analog broadcast television in the United States will end as the nation completes its transition to an all-digital system, which is set on February 17, 2009 (dtv.com).The veneration of HDTV as the single source of spectacular televisual experience and as the epitome of digital televisi on is a necessary mythology for the joint endeavor of the broadcasting industry, HDTV manufacturers, and the MPT to move digital broadcasting in the world forward. HDTV is, by definition, a specific type of television receiver that provides higher resolution than the NTSC standard by way of compressing, storing, and delivering a greater amount of image and sound information than previous transmission systems.There are a number of competing HDTV standards, and unlike common mis/conceptions, not all HD televisions are digital. Nor does the digital HDTV necessarily guarantee a better audio-visual fidelity than the analog HDTV. Additionally, HDTV is not the sole foundation of the audio-visual grandeur of the digital television system. Technically, not all HDTV can assist or accommodate diverse functions (e. g. , interactivity) that the digital broadcasting service would normally offer. Nor can all digital television receivers, likewise, convey as good a picture quality as a HDTV would p roffer.As the digitalization of broadcasting became an irreversible national policy of U. S. in 1990s, electronics companies tended to blend the two technical specifications, manufacturing only digital HDTV sets. And as the digital HDTV becoming a norm in the industry, digital television and HDTV are often used interchangeably, regardless of their technical and conceptual differences. Digital TV alone could enhance audio-visual quality to a considerable degree, since it involves no mediation of transmission towers or ground cables, thereby decreasing the chance for the deterioration of broadcast signals.Accurate or erroneous, the adoration of HDTV as the end-all and be-all of visual excellence would place the entire edifice of digital broadcasting in U. S. on a pedestal. More specifically, it is expected to have a dramatic impact on the viewer's awareness of digital broadcasting, and consequently, adoption of more advanced, multifunctional digital TV sets. As the audience is exposed to the crisp, vivid images of HDTV, they will see a compelling reason to switch to digital broadcasting. A wide and speedy diffusion of digital HDTV is a prerequisite for the energetic growth of digital broadcasting and a barometer to measure such growth.Second, digital HDTV sets are considered an axial item for the reinvigoration of U. S. ‘s economy led by the three engines: the AV equipment industry, electronics manufacturing, and online business. With many years of rigorous R&D endeavors, U. S. begin to claims its share of the global HDTV and associated A-V equipment market. HDTV is no longer a plain â€Å"household appliance† but a core IT technology, equipped with cutting-edge apparatuses, ranging from memory chips, mobile transmitters, and LCD, PLP monitors, to various paraphernalia that enable interoperability with other digital devices.Conclusively, odd it may sound, U. S. ‘s development of HDTV is infused with what might be called â€Å"techno-nationali sm† that has intensified throughout its competition with the Japan for economic and technological supremacy. The four-decade long endeavor of promoting HDTV as the global standard has been at once a medium and a theater of the techno-economic contest between the two techno-egos. HDTV is, after all, as much a political game as a business matter; as culturally intense a project as a technology-intensive battle.But this battle is not over. As the latest news report, â€Å"the electronic company Sony will debut a flat-screen t flat-screen television powered by organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) that require less power and space. The OLEDs result in a television picture with stronger colors and a faster response time in pixels. The television will be introduced in Japan but will not be available in the U. S. for several years. † (Berhie, 2007)

South Africas Black Consciousness Movement

South Africa's Black Consciousness Movement The Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) was an influential student movement in the 1970s in Apartheid South Africa. The Black Consciousness Movement promoted a new identity and politics of racial solidarity  and became the voice and spirit of the anti-apartheid movement at a time when both the African National Congress and the Pan-Africanist Congress had been banned in the wake of the Sharpeville Massacre. The BCM reached its zenith in the Soweto Student Uprising of 1976  but declined quickly afterward. Rise of the Black Consciousness Movement The Black Consciousness Movement began in 1969 when African students walked out of the National Union of South African Students, which was multiracial but white-dominated, and founded the South African Students Organization (SASO). The SASO was an explicitly non-white organization open to students classified as African, Indian, or Coloured under Apartheid Law. It was to unify non-white students and provide a voice for their grievances, but the SASO spearheaded a movement that reached far beyond students. Three years later, in 1972, the leaders of this Black Consciousness Movement formed the Black People’s Convention (BPC) to reach out to and galvanize adults and non-students. Aims and Forerunners of the BCM Loosely speaking, the BCM aimed to unify and uplift non-white populations, but this meant excluding a previous ally, liberal anti-apartheid whites. As Steve Biko, the most prominent Black Consciousness leader, explained, when militant nationalists said that white people did not belong in South Africa, they meant that â€Å"we wanted to remove [the white man] from our table, strip the table of all trappings put on it by him, decorate it in true African style, settle down and then ask him to join us on our own terms if he liked.† The elements of Black pride and celebration of black culture linked the Black Consciousness Movement back to the writings of W. E. B. Du Bois, as well as the ideas of pan-Africanism and La Negritude movement. It also arose at the same time as the Black Power movement in the United States, and these movements inspired each other; Black Consciousness was both militant and avowedly non-violent. The Black Consciousness movement was also inspired by the success of the FRELIMO in Mozambique.   Soweto and the Afterlives of the BCM The exact connections between the Black Consciousness Movement and the Soweto Student Uprising are debated, but for the Apartheid government, the connections were clear enough. In the aftermath of Soweto, the Black People’s Convention and several other Black Consciousness movements were banned and their leadership arrested, many after being beaten and tortured, including Steve Biko who died in police custody. The BPC was partially resurrected in the Azania People’s Organization, which is still active in South African politics. Sources Steve, Biko, I Write What I like: Steve Biko. A Selection of his Writings, ed. by Aelred Stubbs, African Writers Series. (Cambridge: Proquest, 2005), 69.Desai, Ashwin, â€Å"Indian South Africans and the Black Consciousness Movement under Apartheid.† Diaspora Studies 8.1 (2015): 37-50.  Hirschmann, David. â€Å"The Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa.†Ã‚  The Journal of Modern African Studies. 28.1 (Mar., 1990): 1-22.

Brave New World,different look essays

Brave New World,different look essays The youth of Brave New World draw a startling conclusion when compared to that of todays; However the programming used was much more direct then the techniques used in present day society. At a very young age, the children of Brave New World are taught to not only accept and embrace death but eventually become indifferent towards it. They have death conditioning where they are rewarded, with chocolate or various other treats, for watching people die. While certainly nothing of this sort happens in today's culture, the effects seen on the youth are still the same. Currently, the young minds of the world are compounded with scenes of violence, that will eventually numb them to the savage images of human tragedy. By showing violent images constantly, the children become distant to it; Indeed, the concept is foreign. A perfect example are the attacks on the World Trade Center. Many youths have said, I dont feel thats its real, or It feels like a TV show. The days of massacres or unspeak able crimes have gone. The entertainment industry has raised the public's shock value to an unprecedented level. The result is a feeling of apathy. It seems twisted, but to them, it is simply reality. Nevertheless, a warped reality. However, the twisted illusion doesn't stop there. In Brave New World, the children are programmed to believe that no one belongs to anyone else. Consequently, everyone is shared with everyone else. Every one works for every one else ... (136) The biggest lesson, however, is the teaching that no person is different from any other. By training them to focus on this, the government denies them a very human right, the right to be an individual. While the individual is certainly understood here in today's society, it is far from accepted. By spending time alone, a young man obtains the title of a loner or a freak among his peers. It is...

Radiography Dissertation Topic Samples and How to Write an Introduction

Radiography Dissertation Topic Samples and How to Write an Introduction Radiography Dissertation: Topic Samples and How to Write an Introduction Selecting a topic for a Radiography dissertation is one of the most difficult steps in the academic career. The topic should cover 2 tasks: on the one hand, it should be interesting to you, on the other hand it should be significant for the general research of the field. This article contains a few pieces of advice on how to come up with good ideas, choose the best topic and start writing the Radiology dissertation. Radiology Dissertation Topics In the past, radiology mainly involved X-Rays, but today, there are many forms of radiology. The following are the directions in which you can find a really interesting and unusual dissertation. As you can see, these topics discuss new technology, their relevance, and their pros and cons. History of Radiology Definition of Radiology Forms of Radiology Radiography Angiography Tomography by Using Modern Technology Magnetic Resonance Imaging Nuclear Treatment Pros of Radiology Introduction to Radiology Choose your own direction, dig into it, and you are sure to come up with an engaging topic. Key Points on the Introduction for a Radiology Dissertation An introduction provides for a clear foundation for your topics, thesis and later, your research project. A draft of the introduction for a Radiology dissertation should be written early enough. This should be done when you hand over your research proposal. A proposal aims to tell the readers your extensive outline of ideas, why you seek to look into this subject and what you expect to find and establish. An introduction should be updated as many times as possible as your ideas evolve throughout paper writing. An updated preface will ensure that the dissertation remains on the right track. An excellent preface contains a statement of the research question and what you aim to find in your research. It should introduce and partly review the literature that is listed in your dissertation topic. This helps in highlighting what is known and explaining its framework. If your research is an argument, then the start is the best place for a researcher to give his or her own opinion. The introduction is supposed to show how your dissertation will enhance the theory behind your topic. The Proposal The introduction of your thesis will mostly come from your research proposal. The introduction should set the framework for the work to do later and highlight your point of views and research that was done before yours. It is supposed to emphasize why you decided to look into the area, what is expected to be found in the literature and what you hope to find out. Since you have now completed all the work at this stage, your introduction should be crystal clear by showing what you chose to investigate and your scope of practice. Some of the ideas that will help you in creating a strong dissertation introduction should include the following. Firstly, you should have a series of capturing sentences that grabs readers’ attention; Secondly, do not try to highlight broadly your whole dissertation in your introduction. Only outline the specific aspects of your thesis and points of view; Third, only promise what you are sure you have delivered; And lastly, keep your language simple and straightforward. It is essential to do this in your introduction and throughout the research.

Organization experiencing challenges with its compensation and benefit Research Paper

Organization experiencing challenges with its compensation and benefit system - Research Paper Example This research paper describes the compensation practices undertaken in organizations have far reaching effects on the competitive advantage of the firm. In order to develop competitive advantage of a firm in the global market, the compensation plans developed by the firm must align with the strategic plans and actions of the same. Apart from the attainment of competitive advantage compensation practices also have influence over recruitments, turnover, productivity of labour, etc. in firms. Thus it is crucial that firms make thorough analysis of how people perceive about the firm’s compensation and how these perceptions consequently affect their behavior. A substantial amount of job satisfaction of employees depends on the amount of compensation that he receives as well as the benefits he derives from the organizations. The financial compensations complemented with adequate benefits such as insurances, sick leaves, paid vacations, discounts, pension plans etc. impacts on the sa tisfaction level of employees and subsequently their behavior and commitment towards the same. The American Airlines (AA) confronted with serious compensation and benefit issues due to the restricting of their compensation plans for employees. Due to the great losses incurred by American Airlines, one of the world’s largest airlines, the management had to undertake massive cost cutting and restructuring campaign with the purpose of restoring profitability. This resulted in massive job cuts of employees. The policy only invited random resistance from employees which further aggravated the amount of losses incurred by the company. ... The problem would be supported by presentation of critical literature which would include various arguments presented by researcher, practitioners and author and also empirical evidence on the subject. Thesis statement Following is the thesis statement developed for the study; Due to the critical role played by compensation and benefit plans on employees’ job satisfaction, commitment and productivity, companies need to strive to exploit full potential of their human resources through adequate compensation and benefit structures. Review of the Literature As organizations continue to be confronted with increased competitive pressures, they seek to achieve more using fewer resources. Along with the rise in emphasis on such aspects as sales volume, innovation, profits, quality etc, many cases have revealed tight control over employments with substantial employment cuts. The idea to manage human resources effectively using fewer employees has evolved over the years. Subsequently th e emphasis has shifted towards the system of employee compensation with the view to manage human resources better (Gerhart, Minkoff & Olsen, 1994, p.1). Employee compensation and benefits play a key role as it lies at the heart of employment relationships having critical importance for both employers and employees. The financial compensation paid by employers in the form of salaries and wages comprises of the main income of the employees. On the other hand benefits account for the health and other security of employees. A large proportion of employee’s job satisfaction and performance depends on the combination of both the compensation and benefits he receives. From the perspective of the employer, the compensation decisions undertaken influences the costs associated with doing the

Should overweight passengers be charged for two seats when flying Essay

Should overweight passengers be charged for two seats when flying - Essay Example This is already happening in the United States. The argument is raised since this is discrimination against passengers with obesity. To be charged by the kilo is quite embarrassing for somebody with twenty kilograms above the limit. If an individual is 20kg above the limit and is a regular flyer, they will actually suffer both emotionally and financially. Having to meet the fat tax expenses will be rather embarrassing (Sullivan 6). The majority of obesity and health organizations are supporting this suggestion claiming that it is only fair since the airline will need to carry extra weight. A number of airlines as an alternative make passengers who can not fit into one seat pay for two seats, for twice the cost of the journey (Appleton). Those who require extra seatbelt extension will have to buy a new an update or purchase an extra seat. America has for a long time taxed and charged to discourage some manners. Taxes in cigarettes are increasing, taxes in liquor are rising in various states, seatbelts are now mandatory by law and some particular areas are currently charging obese workers more for health insurance. For better or worse, the tendency to transform behavior through economics is upon us. As medical expenses rises the debate over charging for obesity is indeed only going to grow. Airlines are too increasingly subject to customer grievances and even losing court cases over travelers being injured by fellow obese passengers. Using two seats uses twice the fuel. This actually sounds nice even though this may not be true. The space which a passenger takes does not affect the amount of fuel used but the weight may affect (Appleton). It sounds good even if it is not actually true. The space you take does not impact on fuel, the weight does. The question arises as to whether a weight lifter weighing more and has more mass of muscles must also be charged more. This could be just a technique used by the airlines to get more money from the passengers. There are writings seen in one of the American airlines. It said something to the effect that if you can not fit into the seat, you will have to pay for a second seat and that if the seats are not fully occupied; you will only pay a child's fare on the second seat (Kate) There are some necessities regarding the seat being a window seat or something of that sort. The airlines prerequisite is that if an individual can not fit in the seat without hanging over the arm rest then he will be charged twice and it sounded like a fair rule. The airline companies should come up with a practical means of determining who is overweight and who is not. It is even better to argue that an individual is overweight due to medical reasons other than the notion that one is lazy and overweight. The airlines must not be forced to give an individual a free extra seat since he or she can not fit in one. The person has to pay for his or her seat, likewise to overweight individuals. That is prejudice and another effort by the airlines to make more money. The airline seats are actually too small period. Tall individuals, overweight individuals and skinny individuals are all not comfortable in a flight. The airlines in their effort once more to make more money squeezed in as many seats as possible at the expense of comfort of passengers. People complain that they don not want to sit next to an overweight passenger as a trick to get bumped

Is the Texas Prison System cruel and unusual Research Paper

Is the Texas Prison System cruel and unusual - Research Paper Example Most of the challenges facing the prison system emanate from overcrowding as inmates population have maintained an exponential growth in national levels over the recent past. A law suit has been filed against Texas Prison system after ten inmates succumbed to excessive heating over the summer. In Texas prison, elements of discriminations are evident when former inmates of the prison discuss their ordeal. Some former inmates have asserted that prison warders in Texas prison despise inmates to an extent that they do not value inmates as human beings. They claim that some of their fellow inmates have died out of treatable illnesses that the warders ignore. Some have continued to affirm that Texas prison system have in many occasions prevaricated on the information of murder concerns that are related to the prison system. In Texas prison, inmates are continually committing savage of acts of violence that goes unquestioned. The eminent evidence that these acts of violence are committed in the prison shows that prison officials are perpetuating and condoning the acts. Prison officials have the capability to eliminate all sorts of unethical deed in Texas Prison and which is a commonplace for behaviors such as rape. Texas prison system is suffering from lack of accountability to abuses bestowed to inmates. Lack of accountability is perpetuated by punitive prison policies that have provided a safe haven to breed lawlessness. Most of these policies diminish people’s self-worth, self-esteem that is required to propel an individual to change behaviors in the positive ways that develops productivity once the individual re- enters the society (Clear 270). George Cole is an acclaimed professor majoring in Political Science at the University of Connecticut. He has received a lot of credit in the field of criminal justice. He has received a lot of credit for carrying out research that has led to

Students' Rights to Their Own Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Students' Rights to Their Own Language - Essay Example Considering America is an English-speaking nation, the language of teaching, writing and giving any education instruction is preferably English. Immigrant Parents advocate for their children to learn the English language because it is the language of opportunities in America, where they reside (Goode Web). They argue that teaching the students in their native languages will jeopardize the student’s chances in the job market where the English language is dominant. This notion is however, facing criticism with some parties arguing that students should reserve the right to their own patterns and varieties of language while writing their academic work. Therefore, there have been arguments and counter arguments for and against the policy statement adopted by the National Council of Teachers of English in 1974, Students Right to Their Own Language. This paper briefly discusses pros and cons of National Council of Teachers of English policy on language and then supports the statement . The use of one’s language in communication is a complicated phenomenon. The way we speak and the way we write our academic works is largely different. In recent times, uniformity manifests between the two although much success is in the offing in accommodating communication in diverse dialects as proposed in the statement. The use of the written English faces criticism from the inclusive American minorities who have proposed a shift from this norm. A dialect is a language used by a defined group of people. The diversity in dialects is because of different age or educational groups that people belong (CCCC 5). As such, most speakers profess more than one dialect, which pose a great challenge to America’s education sector. Since a dialect closely relates to a culture, accepting a new dialect is like accepting a new culture and the reverse is true. Thus, switching a dialect is a complicated issue. A rejection of any dialect in favor of the American dialect is an act of discrimination and exertion of dominance over less prevalent dialects. Indeed, the success of any speaker cannot be defined by dialect. Undeniably, the right to student’s native dialects deserves respect. Additionally, as individuals tend to maturity, they incline to their language patterns, which are difficult to change (CCCC 7). In fact, the idea of forcing an adolescent to learn the Standard English dialect is a hard assignment that might work against them while competing with students who are naturally fluent in the English language. For the purposes of fairness, the students should use their own dialect in academic work. Similarly, no dialect is good to dismiss others in general use. Therefore, the plural student society will require multiple languages to address the education curriculum needs. Another challenge that resides in the Edited American English (EAE) is the ability to write. The EAE requires a lot of precision in writing, spelling, punctuations, and interpreta tion. It warrants competence to learn how to speak and write a different dialect fluently. Hence, students should use the dialect they are fluent in speaking, writting, and interpreting in their academic work. Additionally, the dialect that students use in reading does not affect the interpreted meaning of any piece of an academic work since reading involves decoding the meaning and not decoding the utterances (CCCC 9). Hence, the adoption by National Council of Teachers of English in 1974, on the Students Right to Their Own Language, was relevant (NCTE Web). To achieve

Development and career Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Development and career - Essay Example More often in psychology and education, the process that combines cognitive, emotional, and environmental influences and experiences in order to acquire, enhance or to make any kind of changes in an individuals’ knowledge and values all around the world is known as learning. The process of learning focuses on the result of learning and their explanations are known as learning theories. The learning theory describes the way in which the people and the animals learn and it helps us in understanding the complex process of learning. The two main value of learning are mentioned below.1.It provides us with vocabulary that helps us in interpreting the various examples of learning. 2.It also suggests solutions in order to solve practical problems. The learning theory does not actually give theories but they direct us to find solutions.The three categories in which the frameworks of the learning theory falls are behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism from which behaviorism focuses mainly on the objectivity of learning while the cognitive theories look beyond the behavior of an individual, however, the contructivism sees learning as a practice in which the learner constructs new ideas and concepts. (Huselid, 1995).Many people have also criticized the learning theory because it focuses on the traditional educational practices and the critics have said that there is no such need of this theory and it has created more problems than the solutions.

Communication Development in the Early Age and Negative Impacts on Essay

Communication Development in the Early Age and Negative Impacts on Personal Relationships - Essay Example Today in my studies, I read about 12-year-old James whose condition provided a case study for the author. James had a congenital motor disorder in the form of mild cerebral palsy. I learned from this case study that children with cerebral palsy not only had their movements uncoordinated but also suffered from learning and communication development disabilities. Due to their limited control of facial expression, gesture and speech, James words are slurred and often unrecognizable. Communicating with a person with the motor disorder is quite complicated as the typical response to questions is a confused gaze. If a trained person like me finds it difficult to manage the situation, then what about untrained people? The research of Michellin & O’Brien (2005), Levine & Nourse (1998) and Seo et.al. (2008) have shown that people who have motor disorders, in general, are less likely to find good opportunities in personal relationships and employment. They also require special types of education which are costly to bear. Children with cerebral palsy or other motor disorders interact with their communication partners differently from children who are undergoing typical development. Communication with a familiar partner occurs only to meet a particular purpose rather than for general conversation or chatting. It has also been observed that communication partners such as parents and siblings often take control of the conversation in an effort to prevent communications breakdown resulting from the difficulties in understanding the child’s signals.

Development and career Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Development and career - Essay Example More often in psychology and education, the process that combines cognitive, emotional, and environmental influences and experiences in order to acquire, enhance or to make any kind of changes in an individuals’ knowledge and values all around the world is known as learning. The process of learning focuses on the result of learning and their explanations are known as learning theories. The learning theory describes the way in which the people and the animals learn and it helps us in understanding the complex process of learning. The two main value of learning are mentioned below.1.It provides us with vocabulary that helps us in interpreting the various examples of learning. 2.It also suggests solutions in order to solve practical problems. The learning theory does not actually give theories but they direct us to find solutions.The three categories in which the frameworks of the learning theory falls are behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism from which behaviorism focuses mainly on the objectivity of learning while the cognitive theories look beyond the behavior of an individual, however, the contructivism sees learning as a practice in which the learner constructs new ideas and concepts. (Huselid, 1995).Many people have also criticized the learning theory because it focuses on the traditional educational practices and the critics have said that there is no such need of this theory and it has created more problems than the solutions.

Abstraction Reaction Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Abstraction Reaction - Assignment Example My expectation changed throughout the project because I gathered confidence as I progressed with the activity. Initially, I doubted I whether I could make a rational sketch without looking at the paper. However, I was surprised of the sketch that I produced after the project because the figure was excellent. Interestingly, I realized that I positioned some of the components of my subject accurately in my sketch. Abstract sketches promote creativity because they provide the artist with the opportunity of employing a diverse range of expressions. This is because abstract sketches should not necessarily represent reality. Moreover, abstract sketches are more personal because they provide a person with an approach of seeing more into a specific artist’s psyche (Cramer 28). I liked the experience after realizing a wonderful collage that I was able to make after the project. The project provided me with good experience that developed my skills. I was conscious about my original subject throughout my sketching activity. For example, I utilized information from my source material when designing an outline of my work. This included using the material in determining the size, and the appropriate color to apply at each section of my work. My expectations increased as I progressed with the project. This is because successful completion of each activity motivated me into working more on the piece in order to make it better. This because I realized I had the potential of producing a masterpiece as I progressed with the project. In abstract sketches, artists can describe all values and concepts that they have about the world in a single sketch. Furthermore, abstract sketches are visually powerful because they combine many aspects of art including color, texture, composition and

Chiquita Banana Overview Essay Example for Free

Chiquita Banana Overview Essay Chiquita Brands International, Inc. is one of the most important international marketers and distributors of food products derived from bananas, as well as other fruits and healthy snack products. Chiquita Banana revenues for about $3 billion dollars a year and employs more than 21,000 people and operates in about 70 countries worldwide. Chiquita Banana  together with Dole, Del Monte and Fyffes control about 80% of the global banana market. In 1993 the EU created the Common Organization of the Market in Bananas (COMB) to deal with the harsh competition between these companies. They would allow duty free access to the EU but subject to quotas to bananas from the Africa’s, Caribbean and Pacific, while bananas from Latin America were subject to an import tax of 176 Euros per ton and a quota of 2533 t. As an American company we have decided to take advantage of the new treaty restricting Latin American and ACP countries from exporting bananas to the EU. It will not be an easy task because we still have to compete against European banana producers, but we are an established company and we are determined to benefit from this event and gain market share in the European Union. PESTEL analysis for the European Union POLITICAL: †¢The European Union is composed of 28 member states. †¢The EU has created a single market by standardizing laws within the member states. †¢Some of the objectives of creating this union is to create a better flow on the circulation of goods, capital, people and services within the union. Once a good or service is accepted within the union it is protected from customs, taxes and import quotas as long as they remain within the union. †¢Free movement of capital is intended to allow investment of properties between countries, something that could help banana growers since they can look for more fertile land in neighboring countries. †¢The monetary policy is the Eurozone and is governed by the European Central Bank. ECONOMIC: †¢The European Union’s GDP is ranked as number one in the world accounting for $16.58 trillion dollars. †¢Export goods account for $1.687 trillion, some of the main export partners of the European union are: oUS 17.3% China 8.5% Switzerland 7.9% Russia 7.3% Turkey 4.5 % †¢Food, drinks and tobacco account for 5.9% †¢Import of goods account for $2.302 trillion dollars and the main import partners are: China 16.2% Russia 11.9% US 11.5% Switzerland 5.8% Norway 5.6% †¢Food, drinks and tobacco account for 5.2% of import goods. †¢The service sector is the most important one in the EU making up 69% of the GDP followed by the manufacturing industry with 28.4% GDP and agriculture for only 2.3% of GDP †¢The agricultural sector is supported by subsidies from the EU and currently represents 40-50% of the EU’s total spending. SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS: †¢There is limited data on European children’s fruit intake, but the data shows that the average fruit intake is about 141 g per day. Fruit intake is highest in Austria and Portugal and is the lowest in Iceland and Spain. †¢Girls and women consume more fruits and vegetables and boys and men do, there is no simple explanation to this but it’s believed to be because women in general are more concerned about their weight and keeping a slim fit figure. †¢Children tend to eat less fruit as they age, but it’s the exact opposite with adults. Intake levels increase with age, possibly because income and knowledge increases and one becomes more aware of the benefits of good eating habits. †¢Men once they are married have an increase in fruit intake. Women seem to have an impact on their husband’s fruit intake as well as the variety of fruits eaten. Women tend to handle ‘health-related’ issues more commonly than men so they tend to buy and cook more food than men. †¢Children’s fruit intake levels directly correlate with how much their parents consume. But pressure to eat fruit does not positively affect children’s intake, but it is enhanced when parents are good role-models and encourage them to eat fruits and vegetables. †¢People with self-efficacy tendencies have a higher fruit intake in adults, also people with a high self-esteem tend to eat more fruits and vegetables because they take their health into account. TECHNOLOGICAL: †¢The EU is funding a project for pesticide free fruits and vegetables by removing the threat of fruit flies. Helping farmers meet customers’ demands for safe fruits while being environmentally conscious. oThe project pretend to use an insect attractant to draw insects and pathogens such as: infectious micro-organisms, virus, fungus that cause diseases in fungus. oThis attractant will be applied in the form of an insect trap near plantations to take bugs away from plantations, this will be a long-lasting and biodegradable baiting station. †¢Europe is becoming more conscious about maintaining a cleaner environment, the EU is committed to providing a better future for the next generations. So they specialize on clean energy, from turbines in Germany to solar panels in Spain, and countries across the EU are using natural resources of sustainable energy bringing investment to businesses and citizens. LEGAL: †¢With the birth of the Single European Market in 1993 the Common Market Organization for Bananas was put into effect (COMB). COMB is concerned on the importation, sale and distribution of bananas. †¢A policy was set in motion allowing EU suppliers to export duty free bananas to all EU states. Also quotas were set for African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) imposing import licenses for a fixed rate of volume of bananas, and limited imports through excessively high tariffs. oA quota of 857,000 tons for duty free access from ACP countries †¢Three types of licenses were issued in order to regulate this quota to ACP countries †¢Third countries that were not considered in the quota are subject to a tariff of Ecu 850 per ton. †¢In order to prevent any loss of income by EU banana producers a compensation of payments for 850,000 tons were granted in case the prices fell below the production costs. ENVIRONMENTAL: †¢Flat-free water chargers are common in some countries in Europe. This does not encourage efficient behavior to households and agriculture according to a report from the European Environment Agency (EEA). †¢The EEA is considering water pricing in the following countries: Croatia, England and wales, France, Germany, Netherlands, Scotland, Serbia, Slovenia and Spain. †¢In most countries, farmers are allowed to use as much water as they want  for a flat rate. By charging the amount of water used in Europe it prognosticated to cut down on water used by agriculture for about 10 – 20 %. This will push farmers to not only cut down on their water consumption but to invest on better irrigation system as well as fixing water leaks. †¢The general population in the European Union seem to support this motion to cut down water overuse, about 84% of the population agree with this principle. Marketing Mix In order to better penetrate the European market we have to better understand our own products, so a marketing mix was created to see what we can offer to the market and this will help us to better oversee our operations in the European market. PRODUCT: Chiquita banana takes pride in their first class bananas. But banana consumption vary from country to country so they have other products to fulfill the change in each countries demand. They always keep in mind the environment and consumer’s health, so they have products that meet these two qualifications, products such as: readymade salads, fruit snacks. An independent survey was conducted about people’s preferences and attitudes about bananas, and the poll indicated that the taste of Chiquita bananas was better than competing brands and people preferred it 2 to 1 to the leading brand. The bananas by Chiquita banana are 100% organic approved and certified by the USDA which means that they adhere to the requirements and meet the organic standards of growing bananas. PRICE: These are the prices for bananas per metric ton for the last few months. Bananas prices vary depending on the location where they are being sold. In France the average price for a kg is about $2.00 dollars. In Spain is about $1.00 per kg. But these prices tend to fluctuate with the seasons as well, and some variables take place to why this happens. One of the reasons is that bananas grow in tropical areas so they need hot weather to grow, but it’s harder to maintain them fresh during summer. PLACE: Chiquita banana sells its products internationally to about 70 countries worldwide. The majority of the products grown come from South America and the Caribbean which are then sent to distribution centers. Europe is the largest consumer and importer of bananas in the world, so this would be the best place for the largest banana producer in the world to invest and tap into this gold mine. In the year 2011 people living in the European Union consumed an estimate of 5 million tons of bananas and about 4.6 million tons were imported. Europe would be the best market to try to penetrate and take market share from. Sweden, UK, Denmark, Finland and Portugal are the main consumers of bananas in Europe (see Appendix A). These are the countries within the EU for Chiquita banana to penetrate first. PROMOTION: The way that Chiquita banana promotes their product is very innovative. They have sticker contests and they encourage people to send drawings for possible logos for their stickers. But their latest promotion is endorsing the charismatic minion characters from the movie Despicable Me, they have even worked on an app game available for apple and droid. The point of this game is to run and get as many bananas as possible without running into any obstacles. There is no record for the increase in sales of Chiquita bananas yet because the game is recent, but it’s safe to say that this gamification strategy will work well for the company. Also, as a part of their promotion they attend school lunches, celebrate major anniversaries and sponsor Olympics. They use the slogan â€Å"quite possibly, The World’s Perfect Food† SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS: †¢Chiquita Banana is number one in the fruit market in the world and sells its products to more than 70 countries worldwide. †¢The company had a $3 billion dollar revenue last year. †¢Its net income is about $405 million dollars. †¢The company is committed to being socially responsible A decade ago they implemented social accountability 8000 which has helped improve their practices to better serve the community. â€Å"SA 8000 provides standards based on national laws, international human rights norms and the conventions of the International Labor Organization. Management system  requirements ensure that these standards are consistently implemented over time, and independent audits and certification help measure progress and identify areas for improvement.† WEAKNESSES: †¢The company has not been able to reach out to consumers in Europe, they had a $2 million profit during the last quarter, better compared to the previews year where there was an $11 million loss. †¢Sales fell 2% from $793 million to $774 million in one year. †¢There was an 18 an article was published of ‘Chiquita secrets revealed’ by the enquirer, where the company had been accused of mistreating workers in Central America, polluting the environment and allowing cocaine to be brought to the US in its ships. OPPORTUNITIES: †¢With the new regulations from 1993 the European market has opened for banana companies that do not belong to the ACP countries and Latin America. †¢Our opportunities go hand in hand with the highest consumers of bananas in the EU. According to appendix A, they are: oSweden UK Denmark Finland Portugal †¢These are the first countries that we must try to focus our internationalization efforts into, since they are the highest consumers of our product. †¢Even with the new regulations by COMB Chiquita banana has no real competition from European banana growers, European countries are not optimal for banana growth. Chiquita banana can bring larger quantities at competing prices. THREATS: †¢Some of the threats come from competing companies like: Dole, Del Monte and Fyffes. †¢The analysis of this figure shows Chiquita’s market share shrinking from 1966 to 1995 and then remaining constant at 25% market share. †¢We can also observe that for the year 2007 Dole Company had a bigger market share than Chiquita. †¢Chiquita has to be attentive of the existing competing brands but also the new incoming brands that are stealing market share from the company. Internationalization Strategy and Viability As already stated before, the European Market is the biggest consumer and importer of bananas. Which is why we are interested in creating an internationalization strategy in order to visualize which cities in the European market target more specifically. There is a map in appendix A portraying the European Countries and an estimate of banana consumption, we can see that the northern countries together with Portugal enjoy eating bananas the most. Then we can see a ranking list with the countries that consume the most bananas in Europe, with Sweden being on top of the list. Chiquita banana Co. gets their product from the countries with a yellow dot. Since these are countries that have hot and humid temperature, adequate for banana growth. This map shows us that that in order for the bananas to be shipped from this countries to the EU they have to be shipped in a boat that has to travel the Atlantic for about 6,000 miles. These bananas are stored and refrigerated. This crossing of the A tlantic takes an average of 5 days and the bananas are refrigerated to a temperature between 13.5 and 15 C stalling ripening. Even though flavor and consistency remain virtually intact, this voyage shortens the shelf life to be 7-10 days. Portugal would be a strategic point for the company’s internationalization strategy. A logistics platform could be set up in Porto, a northern city in Portugal, this way we can kill two birds with one rock. We re-fuel the ships and get them ready for their journey to Sweden (our top priority in terms of distribution) and unload some containers to distribute Portugal’s banana demand. Aside from Portugal the countries with the highest consumption of bananas per capita is in Northern Europe, so another logistic platform would be convenient as a final stop before the final destination in each country. Le Havre, France would be a convenient location since it is south of the UK and it is cheaper to have a distribution center there because the euro is not as strong as the sterling pound. Once we have our logistics platform set up in Le Havre we can make accommodatio ns and agreements with companies and retailers that handle fruits and vegetables belonging to the countries that have the highest banana consumption. We would deliver to the following  terminal or ports: †¢Gothenburg, Sweden †¢Brighton, UK †¢Skagen, Denmark †¢Finland is a little more inaccessible through the Baltic Sea, so we would ship Finland’s required bananas to Gothenburg, Sweden as well. From Sweden we could work another logistic route to get to Finland by truck. †¢Porto, Portugal †¢Le Havre, France CHANCE: Iceland is Europe’s top producer of bananas with their world of the art greenhouse installations, even though they rely on their technology they have to constantly monitor their products and create the proper environment for the bananas. This is where Chiquita banana has an opportunity since they don’t have to worry about creating the right conditions for banana growth, the company looks for a convenient location for banana growth and plants the fruit. This enables the company to worry solely on cropping and shipping. Another advantage that the company has over the biggest European banana producer is that, Chiquita banana can acquire bananas in massive quantities while Iceland’s producers have to create the environment to grow more bananas. This is unless the COMB sets a tighter quota. Incoterm An incoterm is a made up word composed of three words. ‘in’ means international, ‘co’ commerce and ‘term’ means term. Incoterms are used to describe the type of relationship between buyer and supplier and they type of contract they use to deliver and receive a product. POSSIBLE INCOTERMS FOR THE COMPANY As a seller the most optimal incoterm for the company would be to agree with the buyer of working with ‘Ex Works’ since the buyer would have to assume the transportation costs and the risks of brining the goods to their stores. I believe this to be very one sided and not efficient, since in order to maximize profits a business deal has to be long-term. Sooner or later one of  the competing brands could offer our buyers a better agreement and we would be out of business, so I would call this a ‘lose-lose situation’. Another option would be the exact opposite from ‘Ex works’ where the seller mantains most of the obligations and expenses while there is minimum for the buyere. This would be a DDP, here the â€Å"seller is responsible for delivering the goods to the named place in the country of the buyer, and pas all costs in bringing the goods to the destination including import duties and taxes. Seller is not responsible for unloading.† t his is also very one sided. My belief is that if we are going to have a long lasting relationship with our business partner we have to compromise, and here we would be taking all most of the bourden of the business deal. Solution As already stated before, in order to create a long lasting relationship with our business partners and maximize profits we have to compromize. Chiquita Banana is trying to gain marketshare in Europe, so the best thing we can do with our business partners is to share the transportation burden and costs. Deliverd at Terminal (DAT) incoterm would be the best viable solution for Chiquita and our buyers. We can promise to deliver the product fresh, safe and sound to the following city ports: Gothenburg, Brighton, Skagen, Porto and Le Havre. We can accept all costs and risks (except for import clearance costs) and from each terminal they can send the bananas to their respective distribution centers or directly to the retailers. That is up to our business partners to decide. It is safe to say that we are taking most of the costs, since it is expensive to cross the atlantic with ships and maintain the fruit at a certain temperature to keep it fresh. But in order to have our buyers support, we have to go the extra mile. This strategy at the same time will speed up the process of internationalization and market share gain for Chiquita Banana. Works Cited European Union. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2013 Economy of the European Union. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2013 Economy of the European Union. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Intelligent Approaches to Achieving Pesticide-free Produce. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. CHAPTER 3 BANANA IMPORTING COUNTRIES AND TRADE POLICIES. The World Banana Economy, 1985-2002. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Water: Charging Full Cost Can Encourage More Efficient Use. —. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Chiquita.com Chiquita Organic Bananas: Organic Food. Chiquita.com Chiquita Organic Bananas: Organic Food. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Europe Largest Banana Importer Worldwide. Europe Largest Banana Importer Worldwide. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Chiquita.com Social Responsibility Is How We Conduct Business. Chiquita.com Social Responsibility Is How We Conduct Business. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Chiquita Banana Sales Remain Weak in Europe. Chiquita Banana Sales Remain Weak in Europe. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013 Chiquita Brands International. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Banana. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Martin Stott. Iceland: Europe’s Biggest Producer of Bananas. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Economy of the European Union. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.