People Pleaser

Ethics And Values Assignment Monisha Chandar. B Sometimes we take exception to a decision, yet we nod in agreement, or we simply let it pass. we justify our acquiescence as keeping the peace, or knowing when to pick our battles. But something else is going on. we worry about saying no. About ruffling feathers. Or worse. So we keep mum. Or we say yes. Sometimes we hear ourself saying yes and we wish dearly that  no  would roll off our tongue, but it seems so much harder, more frightening, capable of unleashing a string of consequences that don’t bode well. Anger. Resistance. Disapproval.And now  yes  is the habit of a lifetime, the habit of our relationships, the habit of our role at work. If we always say yes, where do we put  no? Anxiety, migraines, sleeplessness, the nightly glass of wine, the cigarettes, the growing depression? Sometimes, we spend so many years accommodating – everyone – that we forget to accommodate ourself, wondering when â€Å"yo u† got lost in the mix. our life is filled with many good things, but something doesn’t quite fit. You  don’t quite fit. You’re not unhappy exactly, but nor would you say you’re happy. But then  no one’s  happy, right? Or so you tell yourself, seeking solace.But There’s absolutely nothing wrong with pleasing people, including ourselves. If we’re willing to make sacrifices for the sake of another, who are we to say that’s wrong? But the fact is, people pleasing isn’t about pleasing others, but fending off our fear of rejection. Those of us who would consider themselves people pleasers are generally individuals who feel the need to be accepted by the world around them. And not just a general acceptance, but that of each person they come in contact with. And to maintain this madness, we seek to please with abandon. Let me just start by saying that I’m one of the biggest people pleasers out there.Show me a possible moment of displeasure and I’ll jump in and fill the need as fast as I can in hopes of both harmony among those involved as well as positive feelings toward little old me. I’m not a saint by any stretch, I just have the disease to please. In the long run, we’re pleasing nobody. One of the great misconceptions among people pleasers is this idea that we’re ‘good people’ who are just trying to make everybody happy. As I stated before, it’s not so much our great concern for another human being, but our obsession with the way others may perceive us. As a result, we tend to say yes to everything and rarely stick up for ourselves.Even if someone blatantly wrongs us, we are usually the ones who absorb the hurt and then stand in the corner, fuming to ourselves. It’s not a pretty site. The fact is, when we try to please everybody, we end up pleasing nobody. Tired from the burnout that comes from the over extension of ourselves an d frustrated by the fact that we keep letting others take advantage of us,  we quickly become ineffective in helping others and often times end up resenting everyone around us. Then, when we finally run into a situation where our help is truly needed, we are too depleted to help out.Also, our ability to decipher a real need from that of someone trying to take advantage of our people pleasing nature, is quite skewed. In our minds, every ‘need’ is a requirement for us to act and in time, this wears us down to worthlessness. Different people pleasers Among Us :-! Its often said that people pleasing is a  woman’s issue? Think about it. Who do you know that’s most likely to capitulate, to compromise, to self-sacrifice – even to step into the doormat role on a regular basis? Who puts everyone’s needs before her own, believing that it is the better path – or the only path?Do these behaviors begin in our homes as children? Do they find rew ard in the classroom, in the adolescent dating waters, and then the workplace? Are you rewarded for pleasing, but at great cost to self-esteem, and even, ultimately, earning power? Do we eventually learn to use our people pleasing behavior in ways that benefit ourselves? The typical People Pleaser is someone who lacks an internal compass to gauge the value of their own actions, â€Å"As a result, they spend their lives looking for validation from others. † The Child’s Desire for Validation What child doesn’t seek the comfort and approval of a parent?Who among us doesn’t remember wanting to please those we loved, those in authority, those we admired? â€Å"Often,  parents  will simply tell kids what to do and never encourage them to assert themselves,† he says. â€Å"When the kids obey, the parents give them conditional love. † And when parents are physically or emotionally abusive, when they are absent, when they are erratic in doling ou t love or approval – the seeds of people pleasing behaviors are planted early, and reinforced. Not only does the child seek validation, but avoidance of pain, or the foreboding sensation that disapproval promises dire consequences.A Society of Silent Women? Silence as tacit consent can be destructive. Compliance, as a way of life, can be demeaning. People Pleasing, taken to an extreme, undermines an ability to function independently, or to direct our lives according to  our  goals rather than those of others. Women who suffer from people pleasing behaviors may not be  literally  silent, but – and I include myself here as a recovering People Pleaser – we are silent in voicing our true expressions of self. And in acting on them. We know ourselves as the tireless team players, the volunteers who rarely (if ever) say no, the cheery jugglers who are admired by others.But we fall into bed at night depleted, feeling as though the day’s accomplishments ar e insufficient, even if we ticked off items on an endless list. And incidentally, as the years wear on, frequently those items only peripherally involve  us. Parent Pleasers My own bouts with people pleasing derive from early training, absorbed in childhood. I was a Parent Pleaser. My father was often away, and my mother was the textbook narcissist – an imposing, even frightening force. Pleasing her meant greater likelihood ofnot  incurring her wrath – her booming voice, her verbal lashing, or any other form of punishment for stepping out of line.And stepping out of line generally meant doing or saying whatever displeased her at a given moment. I learned the necessity of  yes –  to anything she asked. Thus, my parent pleasing was less about the carrot than the stick. I was conditioned to avoid pain, and educated as the â€Å"good girl,† occasionally garnering reward in the form of parental approval. Is People Pleasing – a Syndrome? I have s pent my life in the pursuit of goals and simultaneously seeking to please those around me. Is there any crime in wanting a pleasant environment? A cooperative team? A tranquil household?I find nothing inherently wrong with a desire to please others or give pleasure. The problem arises when the scales constantly tip in favor of choices that are not in our own best interests. Or even, when behaviors are laden with motivations (conscious and otherwise) that drive us to please others in ways that are compulsive, that obscure our own needs and wants, or obliterate them altogether. Should we coin another syndrome, another personality disorder? Might we have a brave new pharmacological solution for this condition, , and a pill to miraculously restore our psychological balance of power? I suspect that’s already been done.And yet People Pleasing is not so simple, and nor is it always  a disadvantage. But taken to an extreme, the behaviors set us up for being benignly or maliciously exploited. People Pleasers are prime targets for narcissists, often gravitating toward each other, playing out subconscious scenarios that go unrecognized at the time. Pleasing Ourselves Must we toss away our people pleasing talents altogether? And they  are  talents, finely honed skills, and useful. Our most charismatic personalities are People Pleasers – successful motivational speakers, sales people, fundraisers, PTA organizers, celebrities, and politicians.There’s nothing wrong with people pleasing; in fact, there is much that is right. It is a matter of impetus and of degree. It is a matter of how you feel – about yourself, your actions, your purposeful inaction. Even for those of us who have tumbled into the trap of a lifetime of people pleasing, we can learn to transform some of these behaviors into advantages. We use them to make friends, to network professionally, to be conciliatory when it is truly required. We learn to please bosses and spouses an d those in the public arena whose help we may need. The problem comes when we don’t dare to  displease.How to Stop Being a People Pleaser At a certain point, the light bulb goes on. We may think –  it’s too much, I want to find myself again, I want something for me. The People Pleaser  personality  may be one thing, but the skills are quite another. We needn’t cease pleasing people; we need to moderate our diet. Just as the narcissist might seek to curb her excessive ways. Or, the socially anxious, to interact with less fear. When it comes to people pleasing, it is not about stopping altogether; it is about awareness, and management of feelings and behaviors.My experience tells me that modifying any behavior is a slow process, a matter of practice, and determination. I continue to work at this precarious and essential balance, daily. Learning to say  yes –  to what is most important – by saying  no. Conclusion As individuals, w e all have our own personal flavor. Some are sweet, some salty and others plain bitter. But as a people pleaser, because of our skill of going with the flow at all costs, we lose our flavor all together. We try to blend with every personality we come in contact with and as a result our own personality fades.What makes you, YOU, is your own blend of Yes’s and No’s. It’s our beliefs and values and preferences that give us our spice. Lose this and you lose yourself in the process. Before long, you end up forgetting what you’re all about. This can be a scary realization and one that should be harnessed to help push us out of our people pleasing ways. We need to figure out for ourselves what needs we should be addressing and then go out and address them. Stop waiting for the world to dictate our attention and start attending to the needs we were meant to address.

Miranda warnings Essay

Miranda warnings were created to protect individuals and their rights against coercive or threatening questioning methods by police officers from Miranda Warning.org(2013). Everyone has heard the â€Å"you have the right to remain silent† speech, so on and so forth. These rights do not just apply to adults but juveniles as well. In the case of the young boy who was arrested standing outside someones home there are four issues that need to be addressed. To the new officer I would address the situation as follows. So during your first arrest there were a few things that need to be addressed as to how it went about. When you were dispatched to the home burglary you approached a young boy outside the home. You arrested him. I would not have just arrested him. Asking him if he lived at the residence, his age, name or who his neighbors are could have given you a good idea if he belonged there. As it seems also without speaking to him until you came to the police station realizing he did not speak English. According to E-how (2013), in order to arrest someone you must have probable cause. You had no evidence or probable cause to believe this boy had anything to do with a past, current or future crime to be committed. It was never indicated the boy had any weapons or tools to access the home. Without probable cause or evidence any kind of information or statements from the boy would not be allowed in a prosecution case. The next issue was that you arrested the boy whom you still have no name or age for and took him to the station without clearing the scene. Protocol for these types of situations is that once either an alarm system is set off or even dispatched from a concerned citizen call you always make sure the home is secure. If that means calling for backup then do so. You secure the person in the squad car, wait for backup and check to see if anyone is home. Check the doors, windows or basement access to ensure nothing is, isn’t broken or open. If something is accessible you announce yourself, make entry and clear it for any other suspects. If dispatch is able to contact alarm company or homeowners you wait until they arrive from Protection1 (2013). You do not know if that boy was a lookout or the 3 burglar. If he was the lookout, the other accomplice got away. Or the other person could remain in the house continuing to burglarize and could run into the homeowner. This creates a dangerous situation for each person that we do not need for it could cost lives. When the two of you arrived at the station you could see that the boy did not understand English because you tried to question him. You did know and understand to read the rights to him but failed to get any type of help with a translator. According to Fox News Latino (2013), a court ruled that Miranda Rights were to be read in the accused first native language. You could have requested to use an application from a cell or internet source. You also could have asked to try to locate someone who speaks his language (mandarin).Nothing was done to find a way to translate the warning to get an understanding of the situation. The last issue with the Miranda warnings is that once the family member who came for the boy who spoke English no Miranda Rights were read to either of them. Getting the family member to translate, give information such as a name and age of the boy could be crucial also. You did not read either of them rights or asked if they understood what their rights were before speaking to the family member on behalf of the boy. So this comes back to any information given will not be able to be used in court. The case was handed over to a follow up investigator. Supreme Court (2013) ruled that â€Å"Under federal law, a suspect taken into custody must be read his or her Miranda rights by law enforcement. Certain uses of restraint — handcuffs, a prolonged interrogation, certain surroundings — add up to custody.† How do you think the prosecution will be able to use any information given if you didn’t read them their rights? These issues could have been resolved by following home burglary protocol. Checking, clearing the scene for safety issues, hazards or other people. Secondly when going to arrest someone you must follow the law that in regards to probable cause. There must be intent or physical evidence of a crime 4 going to be or already committed. Make sure you have this key element and when in doubt ask for advise. Thirdly it is a federal law to read a suspect his rights before any type of questioning. Failing to do so can result in dismissal of the case and all charges dropped. Even if the boy is a juvenile his rights must still be read if in custody. You arrested him and brought him to the station, hes in custody. Lastly when having an issue of translation with someone who doesn’t speak English contact a higher up to see what should be done. You could have tried using an application on a cell phone or internet source to translate his words and yours. Using the family member is a risky chance because they could tell them or you wrong to get the issue dropped. It could steer the investigation in the wrong direction. Letting it slide will not help the situation any nor a possible case against the boy. When ever in doubt reach out for help or advise from another officer, investigator or supervisor. 5 References Arrested without Probable Cause Laws (2013). Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/list_6806016_arrested-probable-cause-laws.html Fox News Latino (2013). Court Rules Miranda Rights Must be given in Correct Spanish. Retrieved from http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2013/07/16/court-rules-miranda-rights-m ust-be- given-in-correct-spanish/ or http://www.us-english.org/view/124 How Do Police Respond to a Burglary (2013). Retrieved from http://homesecurity.protection1.com/police-respond-burglary/ Miranda Warning Facts (2013). Retrieved from http://www.mirandawarning.org/mirandawarningfaq.html Supreme Court Rules Against NC in Juvenile Miranda Rights (2011). Retrieved from http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/06/16/115919/supreme-court-rules-against- nc.html#.UjYT9MPD_IU

HISTORY (1861-1992) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HISTORY (1861-1992) - Research Paper Example Du Bois used mostly his own experiences of being an African-American in an American society to develop the essays and illustrate the conditions of the souls of those African-American and outline how their living conditions felt. In the forethought to the book where Du Bois offers a brief introduction, he says, 'Herein lie buried many things which if read with patience may show the strange meaning of being black here in the dawning of the Twentieth Century.' (Du Bois, Forethought). This book was an essential insight into the souls of the black folk, standing not only for its time, but perhaps holding true even today, despite considerable progress and change. This essay aims to examine that proposition and prove that it is indeed true. In the aforementioned forethought, Du Bois laid down the foundation of the theme the rest of the book was to focus on, and through which he explains the conditions of those African-Americans. He does so by referencing to a certain Veil (with the V capita lized to indicate its being an entity of its own and not just a commonplace divide) that divided or partitioned the African-American man from his American surroundings. He compares the veil to a certain line that divides color, or a color line, as he also calls it, and says that every African-American lives within it and views his world in reference to it. Elaborating on this veil, he further goes on to say in the following chapter, when relating an experience as a little boy where he was forced to acknowledge his being different, and where he realized the existance of this veil first, that â€Å"... it dawned upon me with a certain suddenness that I was different from the others; or like, may-hap, in heart and life and longing, but shut out from their world by a vast veil. I had thereafter no desire to tear down that veil, to creep through; I held all beyond it in common contempt and lived above it†¦.† (Du Bois, Chapter 1). But he goes on to say that even though he in h is own vision had decided to keep all beyond it in contempt and beat them all, he realized that he could not, for everything was theirs to own, and he could merely desire to own it from them. With a poverty rate that's almost double than that for white Americans (O'Hare, 2009) is that not something many under-privileged African-American youths of today can also relate to? Du Bois further remarked at how it felt to be an outcast, or a 'problem', or to be viewed as one, and how as a result of it, he found his peers withdrawing to within this Veil and wasting themselves away in bitterness. Du Bois also says that the reason racism exists and continue to block the inhibition of the African-American man is because of this Veil and the distance and isolation they feel beneath it, a feeling, that despite the democracy and progress is still applicable to and experienced by many (Alexander, 2008). Towards the second half of the book, Du Bois, in his position and time, aimed to minimize this d istance and aura of isolation around the common African-American man living in an American society and says, 'The present generation of Southerners is not responsible for the past, and they should not be blindly hated or blamed for it.' (Du Bois, Chapter 3). He also references the achievements of Booker T. Washington, and said that while he had done much to bring about harmony among the African-American and white American folk, his policies of encouraging African-Americans to give up their political power, civil rights and higher

Housing economics (Housing Studies) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 1

Housing economics (Housing Studies) - Essay Example There is no government intervention in this economy (Grant & Vidler, 2000, p. 19). The free market system consists of four main categories of actors. They are â€Å"consumers, producers, owners of private property (land and capital) and government† (Economics, 1977). Each actor in the pure market economy is motivated their own self-interest and they take every decision based on their private gain. In this context we make an assumption of rationality. It is a very important assumption that considers that the market actors are rational in the sense that they are both consistent and transitive in the choices that they make. If a person chooses a basket of commodities ‘X’ over a basket of commodities ‘Y’ at a particular point of time, she would choose the same basket of commodities an instant later provided that there are not any alterations made in the baskets. Secondly, if a person chooses ‘X’ over ‘Y’ and ‘Y’ over ‘Z’, he would prefer ‘X’ over ‘Z’. It is a lso to be noted that a rational individual would want more of a normal good (increases consumption of which gives increased utility) than less of it. In the free market economy, any stability issue is resolved without external intervention and it is made possible through â€Å"consistent maximization of a well-ordered function, such as a utility or profit function† (Etzioni, 2010, p. 142) by the two main forces of the market; the consumers and the producers. According to the famous proposition by Adam Smith, an invisible hand works in the free market economy. The housing system in the United Kingdom is a large and complex system and includes a range of relationships between the owners and occupiers of the homes. The houses might e occupied by the owners or might involve various rental tenures in the private sector including the â€Å"not-for profit and local authority sectors† (Diacon, Pattison & Vine, 2009, p. 6). This market consists of millions of existing

Risk Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Risk Management - Case Study Example The first concern area is the president and founder decision to hand shareholding to family members. This may be seen as a measure to safeguard the company’s interests and those of the main shareholders, it also poses significant threat as it limits the company’s access to additional capital, the assumption here being that any amounts that the company may have at the time are already committed to improving the business. Another eminent risk is the exposure of the company’s assets; as presented in the case, the company’s total assets are valued at 52.6 million dollars. In case these assets are destroyed by any type of occurrence, it would cost the company about $73.5 million to replace them. It is definite that such loss would also translate to a loss of significant information stored in the equipment. Other costs that the company should consider is through disruption - in any case, that there is such an eventuality the company’s operations will defi nitely be disrupted. The entire period of disruption represents a significant loss of company revenue. Yet another major point of concern is the company’s revenue. The case indicates that the company’s revenue has been on the rise for the past two years and dipped in the third year by a significant amount - 15 million. A quarter of this revenue is generated by a single employee, which implies that the firm is overly reliant on a single or a few individuals. This implies redundancy as well as inefficiency which are significant risks. The greatest risk in this case is the fact that if this individual leaves the company, then this hugely affects the company’s revenue stream (Hamilton, 2004). This will definitely have a spiral effect as the company operations rely on the revenue generated by its activities. The last significant threat to the company is loss of market share. The case indicates that the firm

Introduction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

Introduction - Essay Example Such as enhancing my vocabulary, encouraging powerful writing skills and ensuring wide-ranged career opportunities and advancement options so that I could become stable in the future. Personally, I was keen on improving my command on English language, and the course offered me this opportunity. Emails are extremely important nowadays at any workplace since communications by email are conducted daily. Reading and Writing emails is an essential tool in my company too. Writing email is itself an art and effective writing skills are necessary to write eloquent emails. However, I would primarily focus on improving not just my written but verbal communication skills in English language too so that getting along with others effectively becomes possible for me. I find it difficult to convey my ideas in a clear and precise manner both on paper or during speech and listeners/readers cannot correctly comprehend what I am trying to express and deliver through my thoughts. It has been pretty challenging for me to communicate effectively in written and/or spoken English writing or speaking because it is my second language. However, I plan to overcome this language barrier as it causes a dilemma for me every day. I have taken too many courses to help me out in this context, and I plan to learn more in this class. I am sure it will take a lot of time and dedication to accomplish that, but I am looking forward to it. My main focuses in life are school, work, and most of my free time is spent reading. If I find the title and the theme interesting, I just read it without caring about who is the author. My favourite reading materials are the ones that have some underlying message such as which teach me how to become a better person. Topics like etiquette, human relationships, and personal fitness are some of my preferences. I have always believed

Role of geography in shaping life and evolution Essay

Role of geography in shaping life and evolution - Essay Example Geography as a discipline refers to the study â€Å"variations in phenomena from place to place† and explains the spatial features of a place (including climate, topology, land and water elements) that distinguishes it from other places (Holt-Jensen, 2009:9). The influence of a land’s geographical characteristics and the life forms that develop therein have been commonly known in a general way, in the manner that polar bears are known to inhabit glacial areas and elephants are known to naturally thrive in Africa and Asia. There is a need, though, to more profoundly appreciate the impact of geography to the development of animal and plant life, and vice versa, in order to effectively address sustainability. Biogeography involves the junction among biology, geography and history – that is, a merging of the study of the distribution of a species in location and time. Many authors have cited a host of factors that affect the evolution of life forms through time in re lation to geography: speciation, extinction, continental drift; glaciation and changes in water forms; landmass areas and isolation; available energy supplies; adaptation, and adaptive radiation Schluter (2000). Adaptation and adaptive radiation are closely related, but not the same. ... There are several links that may be drawn between biology and geography. The spatial attributes transcend the mere physical characteristics but also impact upon the subtle changes in the chemical constitution of the place. A causal link has been established, for instance, between the calcium levels of a place and the clutch size of birds and other life history traits. This is a relatively new finding, in that avian clutch size (i.e., the number of eggs/ nestlings produced by one female at one time) used to be linked only to food availability, predation and seasonality. It was found, however, that active females consume supplemental calcium during the breeding season and throughout egg formation, which they do not otherwise do during the off-season. This tends to support the observation that calcium availability is a factor that limits reproduction (Patten, 2007). A similar development is the change in the permafrost caused by the interaction between atmosphere, and snow cover in plac es such as the Swiss Alps, that impact upon the life cycles and survival prospects of snow-bound species (Luetschg & Haeberli, 2005). Biogeography has been described as â€Å"a science that is not only about islands but about the whole fabric of the natural world† (Kanigel, 1996). This definition appears to separate â€Å"man-made† from nature, that anything man-made upsets the natural balance. If that were held to be true, then the very existence of man would be unacceptable. The alternative position should therefore admit the viability of the anima urbis, or the role of nature in defining human-animal relations in the context of city life. There has been a resurgence of interest in exploring animals and the urban moral

Management Consulting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management Consulting - Essay Example To put the above question into perspective it is important to examine what qualifies these assertions in the following two broad ways: Consulting as a Method which is Fashionable Consulting involves a scientific methodology of solving problems or providing a theoretical framework of solving or creating a model of solving a particular problem according to Kubr (2000). In terms of methodology, any new framework is normally created by the process of induction i.e. through making generalizations and doing comparative analysis based on studies that were previously done. The approach is thus pegged on product consulting as a ‘fashion’ that tailors on theoretical framework which is based on expert based knowledge. Tuomi and Naarmala (2010) state that when making generalizations about a theory, it is important to do so from a position of theoretical propositions in the form of concepts. Consulting as a Product which is Fashionable The process of developing new consulting product s makes avenues for string concepts and models that define goods and services which customers enjoy and which are accessible to them. In a sense this ensures that products which would otherwise not be ‘seen’ get to be noticed and the positive sanctions as well as incentives about it are illuminated by way of service so that buying them becomes faster and convenient (Brotheridge and Power, 2007). This assertion authoritatively is what consulting is all about. Literally, consulting is ‘a situation in which one person has a problem or difficulty and seeks help from someone with special skills’’ (Kipping and Engwall, 2002; Greiner and Poulfelt, 2009). However, consultants do not always decide for their customers the way forward. Instead, they provide advice without necessarily asserting themselves to a formal authority situation where they necessarily insist that their clients choose a particular way. Consulting has also been defined as ‘activity, recommending appropriate action and helping to implement those recommendations’ (Tuomi & Naarmala, 2010). In the end, this is important since it provides an avenue for development of new and probable systems that justify changes to be made in an organization or a business entity as well as offering training for managers and other employees. It also in a significant way addresses issues regarding problem identification and recognition and ultimately its assessment and solutions (Biswas and Twitchell, 2002). Further consulting within the prism of methodology also creates the ground for an outsider to offer both competent, non-partisan discussion about the problem. Further, consulting culminating to a fashion ushers in more resources in respect to developing a product or a project and does more in providing information and availing opportunities for social networking. Indeed, scholars and experts have often suggested that the use of consulting in a problematic situation enhances the number of possible solutions to look into and thus increases the holistic view and approach to management. The products thus become, in a sense, a fashion out of a scientifically oriented approach. Thommen and Richter (2004) state that in the work place the issue is increasingly examinable in two ways: One is that the employment of consultative way of working in various departments in any organization is

How pets help college students cope with stress and anxiety Assignment

How pets help college students cope with stress and anxiety - Assignment Example It has been observed that music therapy, art therapy and pet therapy have been able to decrease the mortality rate and increase the chances of living. According to a study conducted in 1977, pet therapy has been found to be the most efficient form of treatment for patients suffering from psychological distress (Moorhouse, 2009). In the year 1990, Dr. William Thomas used pets in a long-term care facility and the significance of animal usage was clearly visible. Animals helped people to recover fast because they were amused with the presence of animals. The anxiety, tensions and frustrations automatically reduced with the presence of animals. This shows that animals have tremendous effect in coping with psychological distress of patients. An experiment was conducted in the United States by involving fourteen adults with clinical depression in a farm animal-assisted intervention. The patients were allowed to work in the farm fields with animals as well as they were allowed to stay in contact with dairy cattle. Each patient was video-recorded twice during the sessions. After a 12 week session, reports were absolutely in favour of pet therapy. The patients showed improvements tremendously. Their depression and anxiety decreased and self-efficiency increased. Pet therapy has also been found to be effective during the treatment of cancer and chronic illnesses (Pederson, Martinsen & Berget, 2011). This shows that pet therapy is very important form of treatment for a variety of illnesses including depression and anxiety. Pets allow patients to reduce their stress and feel hopeful and happy. This factor helps in the treatment of patients who suffer from depression and they recover fast. Dogs have been used for therapeutic purposes in medical settings. It has been observed that the activities by dogs entertain people, which amuse them. Dogs play a very important role in the

High-School Classes on English Composition Essay

High-School Classes on English Composition - Essay Example To play it safe, I always ended up writing something in the third person, recounting events and human experiences as if they are affixed permanently to the past. As these exercises were also for the evaluation of how well I have assimilated the grammatical concepts of the language, there was not much protest from my part and I never felt restricted regarding the expression of my thoughts and feelings through language. However, as I was exposed in due course of time to some of the great literary works our times, I noticed how language had been appropriated by many creative writers who have contributed to the evolution of language itself, over the centuries. Needless to say, my writing also has undergone a sea-change, especially with the help of the course that I have taken. Hemingway’s prose, which most people found in the beginning as an unacceptable, fragmentary one appealed to me as something that carries the raw and fresh force of a de-romanticized life. I have tried to create my own rules, which I confess would not have been possible without a clear understanding of the ways in which the language operates. Hence, as I am not wholly resentful of my high school teacher who made it sure that I learned all the tricks of the languages the conventional way, I have also ventured to explore the unfamiliar realms of it use. I have realized that I cannot set any norms in my writing pattern. There is no hard-and-fast rule as regards the writing-schedule in a day or the quality or quantity of writing. Though the writing exercises have been immensely useful to me, there had been times when I realized that writing systematically, ostensibly under deadlines, may not bring out the best from me. They may help me direct better, focus on my own weaknesses and strengths and lead to some sort of proactive self-research.

Indoor Tanning Versus Outdoor Tanning Essay Example for Free

Indoor Tanning Versus Outdoor Tanning Essay Tanning in itself can mean several things, one being an activity which utilizes animal skins by making it to useful things, which improves the lifestyle of human beings. Tanning can also mean an activity in which one takes in leisure time to tan his or her body or rather it seems to look like an activity that is physical exercise in nature, as we are going to discuss later in our discussion. Some may even tan to make their skin darker and attractive. This means that, tanning has so many dimensions and those doing it may have different goals of their own to get from it. Everybody likes to vacate the usual daily tiring duties and longs for whether he or she can seek time to relax his or her body and mind for other beneficial activities. There are so many activities that one can take to relax and benefit but depending on what makes one comfortable and at the last minute what they gain and get satisfied. Some people would choose watching movies, playing physical games or video games and other leisure activities. Tanning in itself involves keeping your body skin under sun rays while applying devices to gain something. It can be done in two ways; indoor and outdoor. Under indoor one remains within ones protective premises and uses the indoor devices available for tanning. Sometimes indoor tanning is not advisable as it is risky and can lead to negative effects as will be outlined below. This does not mean outdoor is the best. However it has very many advantages. Outdoor involves going out for example touring other countries or even going to leisure places such as beaches and utilize the tanning facilities available for a proper achievement of ones tanning goal. To start with, indoor tanning creates a big risk to those who do it since it has an ability of causing melanoma the most serious skin cancer in the world. This is most prone when one uses indoor tanning devices in the wrong way. Take for example; a person who uses an indoor tanning bed, raises their probability of developing melanoma to above 74 percent. Though the use of the bed as a device bears the highest chances, it is worth noting that it does not mean the others are the best. Note that the higher the number of frequency of use, the higher the probability of inheriting the cancer. The cancer mainly does not have a target group and all the groups of people either children or adults-young and old face equal dangers. The number of cases of this has been on the increase in the United Kingdom and the drug sector is even discouraging the practice of tanning indoors. Though there have been various methods of indoor tanning like the use of UVB and the use of UVA, research shows that neither method is safe (Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention). More so, it is important for members of the family to gain enough information on how to carry out indoor tanning because, though devices used carry risks, a recent research shows that there are better ways to use them and that can reduce the risks (American Training Institute). Take for example; the use indoor tanning lotions, which provides clients with more beneficial results and therefore improves indoor tanning. The research verifies this (American Training Institute). However it is worth to note that, the results are the best if the lotion is used in a combination of a professional tanning device. But it does not mean that indoor tanning carries the entire side of negatives. In comparison with the outdoor tanning, indoor has a privilege in that, it provides control and one feels comfortable and this creates experience. This is because of the absence of protocols and regulations to govern somebody compared to outdoor. However, some governmental organizations in some countries are trying to introduce control measures on this. Outdoor is what majority of the world population rely on. Many of them visit the beach for tanning. A normal exposure to the sun during outdoor tanning will never give any good results. It is therefore advisable to try and learn the dos and the don’ts of outdoor tanning. Outdoor utilizes different devices from the indoor ones. Some people may happen to buy products to use during their outdoor tanning and at sometime after their tanning they harm them or even cause harmful reaction over their bodies. The difference may be caused by the change in environment for instance the sun rays or even allergic reactions. This adds to the fact that protective measures should be taken into consideration for one to get excellent results after outdoor tanning. When basking on the sun one needs to consume a lot of water to avoid dehydration of the skin, since during this time a lot of it is being lost in the atmosphere unlike in indoor where there are not sun rays. Dryness of the skin results to a rough and a cracked skin, which might be a problem and unwanted to everyone who visits the beach for tanning. It is evident that, under indoor one realizes that it is possible to tan any time. Outdoor has a limitation in that at times, it is not good to bask in the sun during some hours like between 11. 00 a. m. and 2. 00 pm (Angela para. 3). This is when the sun is burning to its maximum. Otherwise one will need to take a lot of water and wear a better sun lotion. It is also good to avoid drinks which might be alcoholic as this will only lead to speeding up the dehydration process. In conclusion, any of them can be better for anybody and its better for one to consider the repercussions and the benefits of whatever choice. Indoor tanning exposes one to very dangerous effects and a lot of knowledge is required before one runs to it. Changing from one to the other is what seems to bring the very best results as limiting oneself to any of them is harmful. In most cases the indoor tanning should be done very carefully. Knowledge of what to do and not is portrayed as the key factor to get the best results. Neither of them is better than the other since, whether indoor or outdoor, the outcome will be the same (Indoor tanning versus outdoor tanning). It is is important to be aware that outdoor sometimes is not reliable since one can get sunburns instead of what he or she wanted. Indoor wins an advantage here since there is the control of the sun rays. It is also important to have the knowledge of your skin, in order to be able to choose the better of the two.

Lab Scale Preparation of Gypsum Wallboard

Lab Scale Preparation of Gypsum Wallboard STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM AND SIGNIFICANCE OF PROPOSED RESEARCH (State succinctly the problem which is to be addressed. Clearly outline the importance of the problem, the originality of the approach and the impact it may have on the field if successful. Give an overview of the broader significance as well as the immediate impact of this research.) The main purpose of this research is to create a gypsum wallboard with enhanced fire resistant property. Gypsum owns a property of combined water content, is a noncombustible and acts as effective fire proofing material. When heat from fire comes in contact with a plaster wall (or gypsum wallboard), it begins to lose combined water as steam thus making the hemihydrate form of gypsum (stucco) rehydrated and it reverts back to dihydrate. Wide range requirements such as fire resistant, increase moisture resistant can be achieved by the use of different calcining methods and additives. The wide applicability of gypsum is in construction. It is also used in the chemical industries In producing the fire resistant gypsum wallboards, the various properties of GWB like thermal, physical, chemical and mechanical characteristics are to be studied which plays a major role in controlling the spread of fire in buildings. Gypsum wallboard consists mainly of gypsum i.e. calcium sulfate dihydrate, CaSO4.2H2O. Calcium sulfate in nature is mostly available in two forms: Calcium sulfate dihydrate is commonly referred as gypsum, which is one of the oldest construction materials. It naturally occurs in sedimentary deposits from ancient sea beds. The most distinguishing feature of Gypsum is that it is moderately soluble in water at room temperature and exhibits a special feature of retrograde solubility i.e. gypsum becomes less soluble at elevated temperatures. Another form of calcium sulfate is the calcium sulfate anhydrite. At a temperature of 58 ËÅ ¡C Gypsum and Anhydrite coexist, also the anhydrite exhibits the strong retrograde property but it does not revert back to gypsum as its solubility decreases with increasing temperature. Gypsum wallboard is used to make interior walls and ceilings in residential and commercial applications that often require specific fire rated assemblies. Various types of gypsum wallboard are manufactured, with the most common variety and specialized varieties such as fire resistant, water resistant, and plaster lath. Combination of beta hemihydrates stucco, water and other additives form slurry which is used in the manufacture of the gypsum wallboard. Additives such as asphalt emulsion, vermiculite, chopped fiberglass and paper fiber impart to the wallboard characteristics such as water resistance, fire resistance and strength. The fire resistance property is mainly attributed to the absorption of energy related with the loss of hydrate water going from the dihydrate (CaSo4.2H2O) and from the hemihydrates to the anhydrous form (CaSo4). Impinging heat of gypsum wallboards initially operates to reverse the hydration reaction resulting in controlling the spread of fire and penetration of flame through set gypsum structures. Fire resistance can be achieved by using appropriate additives such as fiber, glass textile fibers, vermiculite, which expands when heated, which acts against the gypsum shrinkage. Because of its worldwide occurrence and huge potential reserves, however its uses are not considered basic to survival in a national emergency, gypsum is not considered a strategic mineral. This has permitted natural economic factors to prevail in the development of the mineral worldwide, which overall is a healthy situation that should continue to prevail. PLAN OF PROCEDURE (Outline the initial approach to the problem and its feasibility. Point out innovative features, relate it to previous work including pertinent references, and indicate how this plan may contribute to the solution of the broader problem proposed.) Gypsum manufacturing process consists of three main steps (1) rock preparation, (2) calcining and (3) formulating and manufacturing. Though we start with buying the gypsum material from one of the providers so the next important step ahead is the calcination process. Gypsum is usually referred to be CaSO4.2H2O. Calcium sulfate dIiydrate undergoes calcination to form hemihydrate (CaSO41/2H2O) or anhydrous form (CaSO4). Initially the calcination process was achieved by heating the raw gypsum material in an open environment, later on with the development in science calcination was achieved by heating the gypsum material in a kiln. Kinetic studies of calcination process plays an important role in determining the gypsum product parameters. We are interested in knowing the time, temperature and rate at which the calcination process can be achieved. Initially a small amount of the gypsum material is taken and X- Ray diffraction studies are conducted on it to know its composition i.e. CaSO4. 2H2O or CaSO41/2 H2O or CaSO4 .Later after determining the form of gypsum material, thermogravimetric studies (used for the determination of weight change at different temperatures and time) are conducted on the CaSO4.2H2O to determine the temperature and time required to convert from dihydrate form to hemihydrate and anhydrite form. Again the obtained product is first subjected to XRD and SEM studies to investigate the state of gypsum i.e. dihydrate, hemihydrate or anhydrous form. This can be studied by interpreting the obtained results with the earlier established results. Later gypsum powder is subjected to different temperatures at different time intervals to determine the time and temperature required for the calcination process to finish by using Thermogravimetric Analysis Instrument also Differential Scanning Calorimetry (which determines the melting and boiling temperatures) studies are also conducted to know the melting temperatures of the product Until now the calcination process is studied by using a very small amount of the sample in a laboratory environment, the obtained results from these experiments is used to correlate with the calcination process which is done in hot air oven by using a large amount of samples. The temperature obtained from the thermogravimetric studies is used as basis for the calcination process in hot air oven. These studies are done to know the reproducibility for large scale samples. This encompasses the first step in our research. The importance of these kinetic studies related to calcination is very useful to determine the conditions for achieving the hemi hydride from calcium sulfate which undergoes rehydration process i.e is addition of water molecules to the hemi hydride form to form the gypsum wallboard. Calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CaSO41/2H2O) or Calcium sulfate anhydrite (CaSO4) undergoes rehydration in the presence of water. Rehydration plays an important role as it allows to add the additives such as glass material, vermiculite etc. to the slurry which is referred as stucco. Chemically stucco is referred as the hemihydrate form of CaSO4. These additives are added to increase the fire resistant property in addition to the strength of the wallboards. The kinetic studies related to the rehydration process are studied similar to the calcination step. These kinetic studies gives us scope for better understanding the process of gypsum wallboard. i.e the amount of water required for rehydration and also the amount of additives that can be added to the gypsum mixture to retain the chemical stability of the gypsum composition required for the wallboard manufacturing. Similar to the first step this step is studied for the time, temperature and rate of reaction in the open environment and later in the laboratory environment by using kettle. In the kettle the hemihydrate and hydride forms of calcium are reacted with the water and the obtained product is subjected to the XRD and SEM studies to determine the state of product. This is the second step in our research. The final step in our research is the lab scale preparation of gypsum wallboard which involves the dihydrate form of calcium sulfate react with the sufficient amount of water to form slurry. Theoretically about 18.6 parts of water is required to react with the 100 parts of gypsum but to get a slurry, excess of water (about 80 to 85 parts) is reacted with 100 parts of gypsum. In this step water along with 10-30 wt. % of starch such as corn starch is added to obtain milk of starch. Next about 0.1 -1.5 wt.% of amolytic enzyme such as ÃŽ ± amylase based on the starch is added and heated to the decomposition point of the starch with stirring. After the heating is stopped enzyme deactivating agent based on the starch is added in the range of 0.8 to 1.0 wt. % and mixed with water to obtain a starch paste. To the prepared starch material the calcination product is added along with water and vermiculite, glass materials which improve the fire resistance property of the gypsum wallboard. This mixture is agitated in slow motion to obtain a slurry. This slurry form of gypsum is poured into a paper sheets such as paper boards. The edges of the paper is folded upwards to retain the slurry form of gypsum. The other end of the product is covered with another paper material which helps to retain the structure of the gypsum board. This mixture is subjected to heating by using hot air press which is useful to remove the excess water and to obtain a specific structure of the gypsum board. This process is continued until all the excess water is removed. It is dried in the temperature range of 50 ËÅ ¡C-200 ËÅ ¡C. Starch paste such as denatured starch and dextrin is used as an auxiliary adhesive to prevent calcination of the crystal of gypsum dihydrate and dehydrated to give a gypsum hemihydrate in drying at high temperatures. Also to prevent separation of the gypsum core member from both paper board, hardening modifier are added to the raw material of the gypsum core member. It is effective that starch paste along with water in the gypsum core member and both paper boards migrate during drying at high temperatures, and cover the crystal of gypsum dihydrate due to water retention capability of the starch paste which developed into the fiber of the paper boards so as to prevent the calcination and dehydration of the crystals. The obtained wallboard is subjected to different analytical techniques such as Thermogravimetric analysis, Thermomechanical analysis, XRD, SEM and Differential scanning calorimetry as discussed in the calcination and rehydration step. BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION LAB SCALE PREPARATION OF GYPSUM WALLBOARD: Materials and supplies: A minimum of 50 pounds of raw gypsum is required to make the gypsum wallboard and test its fire resistant property by adding the additives such as starch, dextrose, glass fibers. Initially a wallboard is made without adding any additives and for that about 5 pounds of the powder is used and tested for its properties. Similarly by adding the additives wallboard are made and tested for its properties. If the properties observed are similar to the standard fire resistant properties, variations in the additives is done and another wallboard is made to test for its fire resistant property. This procedure is followed until a wallboard with improved fire resistance is observed. REFERENC5 ASTM C1396/C1396 M-01. Standard specifications for gypsum board. ASTM International: West Conshohocken, PA, 2001. Yu, L.; Brouwers, J.H. Thermal properties and microstructure of gypsum board and its dehydration products: A theoretical and experimental investigation. Fire mater.2012, 36,575-589. Baux,C.; Melinge , Y.; Lanos , C.; Jauberthie,, R. Enhanced gypsum board panels for fire protection. J. Mater civil eng. 2008, 20, 71-77. Isa, K.; Oruno, H. Thermal decomposition of calcium sulfate dehydrate under self-generated atmosphere.Bull. Chem.Soc.Jpn. 1982, 55, 3733-3737. Borrachero, M.V.; Paya, J.; Bonilla,M.; Monzo, J. The use of Thermogravimetric analysis technique for the characterization of construction materials-The gypsum case. J.Therm.Anal.Cal.2008, 91, 503-509. Anderson, L.; Jannson, B. Analytical fire design with gypsum: Atheoretical and experimental study. Lund, Institute of Fire Safety design, 1987. Green, G.W,; Sundberg, D.G. Fire resistant gypsum- core wallboard. U.S.Patent 3,616,173.1971. Freyer, D.; Voigt.W. Crystallization and phase stability of CaSO4 and CaSO4 based salts. Monatsch chem.2003, 134, 693-719. Sultan, M.A.; Roy, P. Gypsum board fall off temperature in floor assemblies exposed to standard fires. 11th International fire science engineering conference, London, UK, 2007, 979-991. Thomas,G. Thermal properties of gypsum plaster board at high temperatures. Fire mater, 2006, 26, 37-45. Benichou, N.; Sultan, M.A. Thermal properties of light weight framed construction components at elevated temperatures. Fire Mater.2007, 31, 425-442. Wakili, G.k.; Hugi, E. Four types of gypsum plaster boards and their Thermophysical properties under fire condition. J.Fire Sci. 2009, 27, 27-43. Beard, A.; Carvel, R. The hand book of tunnel fire safety, ed.; Thomas Telford publishing; Heron Quay, London, 2005. Elliott, C. Plaster of Paris Technology. Chem. Trade J. 1923, 72, 725-726. Manzello, S.L.; Gann, R.G.; Kukkuck, S.R.; Lenhert,D.B. Influence of gypsum board type (X or C) on real fire performance of assemblies. Fire Mater.2007, 31,425-442. BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION 1

Business Model Of Zara In The Fashion Industry Commerce Essay

Business Model Of Zara In The Fashion Industry Commerce Essay Established in 1975, Zara is one of the most successful retailers of todays world. Their clear focus and vision has made them to tap the power of the fashion. Operating in 62 different countries it has nearly around 2500 stores all over the world. Zara under the flagship of Inditex, (a holding company located in Northwest Spain) is a fashion imitator, it comprehends what its customers desire and then designs and manufactures according to their expectations. Zaras business working model is quite diverse from the other retailers; this makes them set out in the market. It has promoted the message of high fashion at a lesser cost across all countries through its unique and different selling techniques. The Sustainability of Zara Understanding and comparing the Business strategy and the financial differences of Inditex and its major competitor will help in understanding the sustainability of Zara in the international apparel market. Gap which is one of Zaras major competitors sells the same range of merchandise with a less trendy style. HM (Hennes and Mauritz) a threatening competitor too has been quick to internationalize, which allows them to gain sales in countries outside their native Sweden. HM also is more attentive when entering new markets and tends to enter one country at a time, as opposed to Zara who multitasks globally. Furthermore its been known that HM has 85% current assets in its business where as Zara has only 50% of current assets. This shows that Zara has more of fixed assets and its current assets are quite fast moving as seen in its business model. Spains well-liked brand Zara, aims to offer the latest catwalk style at the most affordable price. Zaras women and mens collection is divided into three categories. With a unique product strategy Zara comes up with 14,000 designs per year, with new designs appearing in the stores globally, twice a week.  It generally focuses on performing key activities differently in its supply chain which is 2-2.5 months that makes it sustainable and sets challenges for its competitors. The key factor that makes Zaras design sustainable is the wide assortments of whisking budget interpretations of catwalk products as customers these days prefer spending on education, healthcare, electronics and travel, then on clothing due to recession. Another factor that makes Zara prolonged is its store location and layout. Although products are at inexpensive rates, their aristocratic stores layout makes it feel exclusive as they are large, swish and centrally located. The company doesnt spend much on advertising as it believes to give the added value to their customers rather than spending on brand promotion. While its rivals start planning their lines on average nine months before they hit the shelves, Zara has a reputation for instant reaction to fashion trends and rapid restocking of stores. Zara can make on new line, from the initial concept to when it arrives in the shop, in just three weeks. In addition the  Zara technology makes the designers in daily contact with store managers, discussing which items are most in demand and which are not. (Bmelie, 2006). Zara recruits talented young designers and trains them to take swift decision. This way it has re-thought the fashion business and developed into a concept of its own and its efforts are therefore focused on reducing the time between design and sale which means that its production cycle is entirely different from fashion sector norms. The focus on market changes means that 85 percent of products are manufactured in the season they are sold. The Retail Environment In the retail environment, the cycles of products, sales volume and analysis and direction of locations are conveyed to the designers by store manager and sals associates so that Zara designers in Spain can quickly respond to customers preferences during seasons. Moreover, no stock holding concept has seen to be the most outstanding idea of Zaras retailing strategy while rest of fashion retailer keep conducting traditional function of buying and holding stock. This strategy indicates that Zara requires a speedy interaction with current fashion trend. All new items are introduced twice a week and presented in store shelves in only two weeks. Reducing the cost by controlling stock improved Zaras earnings and retailing efficiency. In terms of manufacturing, Zara sources grey fabric to get the most flexible in-season updating, and to turn it into various kinds of garments very easily. In addition, the best benefit is that grey fabric suits for its basic black collection. Additionally, Zara buys fabric: un-coloured and semi-processed one based on the immediate their designers need which colours up close to the selling season, couple with making the clothes itself. These help Zaras manufacturing fast, no more than few days, while other competitors companies take up to months (Dutta, 2002). Thus, Zara is competent to develop a new product line within three weeks. (Michael A. Hitt, 2008)(Ghemawat, 2003). Zara has excellent international strategies both in manufacturing and retailing which been organized and conducted well leads Zara become one of most successful case in fashion industry.   Customer orientation and the paramount suppleness form the bases of Zaras business model. Its 480,000 square meter centralized distribution system is capable of handling 60,000 garments per hour. The market clothing is always in development and movement. The distribution channel is the network which links producers with users yet international distribution strategies are difficult to manage since distribution structures differ from one country to the next (Keegan Green, 2003). Below is the model depicting the factors on which one can determine the sustainability of Zara. The Win- Win Strategy Discussed below are the ways in which Zara has shown its influence on the retails brands and the fashion market. These impacts can be seen as affirmative as well as negative. In the high-speed racing with fashion industry, there is no one that is better than ZARA. So what makes Zara a true winner amongst others? The answer is: Zara has highly affected the fashion industry in a short span of time. It has fashioned a position for itself in the middle of the crammed full retail market. There are a number of key positive influences of Zaras model in fashion industry. Firstly, Zaras highly effective supply chain can get product to store in a week, whereas traditional clothing retails spend more time, usually one or three months. This provides customers with latest collections each time they visit the store and also more options to pick from. Secondly, Well-developed IT syste has certain benefits: it increases productivity, which accelerates to improve quality, increases the work intensity and the complete IT system provides the software support for the successful operation in the fashion industry. Zaras successful business model not only maximizes the profit and saves time but also they provide an excellent business example for the whole fashion industry. Finally; Zaras successful business strategy provides as a study example for the other fashion companies around the world. For example, Chinas famous fashion brand -Metersbonwe, follows Zaras model. In 2009, Metersbonwe costumes opened Terminal Direct-oriented work, which was a huge adjustment to their retail network and for which they spent nearly one billion Yuan in a nationwide purchase. As the proverb goesevery coin has its two sides, there are some unconstructive impacts of Zara in fashion industry. First of all, confronted with such a thorny issue, Zara has been accused of flagrant pricy, which it denies. And theres perhaps a certain amount of snobby in the implication that a company from an obscure corner of northern Spain has no right to ape catwalk styles (Mark Tungate, 2005). In addition, Zaras design, they directly collect and copy the new fashion information all over the world through the network. Zara might require paying a large compensation due to Plagiarism problem. This has seriously affected the integrity of the fashion industry. US market poses as a big unique challenge for Zara, as its not able to have the same impact over America as it has on the rest of the world. In the present highly fragmented nature of fashion retailing it has become necessary for Zara to differentiate itself from its competitors in the North American market. All these difficul ties oppose Zara to establish themselves in the culturally diverse background and to have an impact on the US market. Conclusion Giving a tuff competition to the luxury brands such as Dior, Channel, Armani and many others Zara is entering into the luxury brand market through its branding and marketing strategy. It dresses women, men and kids in a sexy retail environment which might appear to look quite expensive and exclusive than what it actually is. A well-known U.S publishing institution; in one of their releases referred to a very remarkable concept: fast fashion, and predicted that Zara will be the consumer trend for the next decade. Nevertheless, under the economic crunch, Zara is facing unprecedented competition and challenges in global fashion market. It truly is a global fashion brand and the day is no far when it will be considered as a fashion icon in the fashion industry. Journal Articles from electronic source Expansià ³n-Empresas. 2003. Spains Best Brands. Available at http://www.brandchannel.com/features_effect.asp?pf_id=197 [Accessed on 9th January 2010] Baiidu. 2010. Available at: http://baike.baidu.com/view/ [Access on 7 January 2010] Virki, T., 2009. World teens cutting spending on clothes, games. Available at http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE58E6CQ20090915 [Accessed on 10th January 2010] Books Jackson, T. and Shaw, D. (2001) FASHION BUYING AND MERCHANDISING MANAGEMENT. PLGRAVE Publish. Pp: 114-115 120 -127 134 174-176 Hines, T. and Bruce, M. (2007) Fashion Marketing Contemporary issues. Elsevier Ltd. pp 28-33 40-50 55-61 Keegan, W.J. Green M.C. (2003) Global Marketing 3rd edition, New Jersey, Prentice Hall. Journal Articles Ying,F., Carmen, L. 2009. Internationalization of Spanish brand Zara. Emerald Journal article, Vol.13 No. 2 Mazaira, A., E. Gonzalez, Avendano. R. The role of marketing communication on company performance. Emerald Journal Article, Vol 10 No.3 Online Newspaper Articles James.H. 2008, Zara is now bigger than Gap, Telegraph [Internet] 17th August. Available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/2794912/Zara-is-now-bigger-than-Gap.html [Accessed on 10th January] [emailprotected] 2002 The Speed of Fashion [online]. Available from: http://www.3isite.com/articles/ImagesFashion_Zara_Part_I.pdf [Accessed 13 January 2010] CNN. 2001 a Spanish success story [online]. Available from: http://edition.cnn.com/BUSINESS/programs/yourbusiness/stories2001/zara/ [Accessed 14 January 2010] ICMrinda organization. 2006. Available at http://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Operations/OPER055.htm. [Accessed on 8th January 2010] Images http://alwaysnewmistakes.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/zara.jpg http://lh5.ggpht.com/vincent.vanwylick/SBb7__KLLnI/AAAAAAAAAlo/40-BFhhw2U8/Zara%20versus%20HM.jpg publications Inditex. 2008. Annual report 2008 Zara. Available at http://www.inditex.com/en/shareholders_and_investors/investor_relations/annual_reports [Accessed on 11th January 2010] Marketing good businesss even better. 2008. The story of Zara. Published by Sister Pblications. Available at http://www.uniquebusinessstrategies.co.uk/pdfs/case%20studies/zarathespeedingbullet.pdf [accessed on 5th January 2010] http://www.shoppingnsales.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/20090624-zara-sale.jpg http://vuesociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/zara.jpg http://www.techo.com/media/gallery/original/Zara_CZ_04_001.jpg

The Louis Armstrong Discography :: essays research papers

about the discography -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SIDEMAN 1923-25 HOT 5 & 7 1925-28 STARDOM 1929-32 THE 30'S 1932-42 WAR YEARS 1942-46 ALL-STARS 1942-56 PURE GOLD 1956-63 TWILIGHT 1963-71 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Evolution of the All-Stars feedback credit where it's due other links to louis (c) 1999 scott johnson The Louis Armstrong Discography Most historians agree; when it comes to influential musicians in this century, one name stands above the rest. Not Gershwin or Porter, Lennon or Presley. It is, indeed, Louis Armstrong who blasted the music of the world out of a tired tradition of classic orchestra and mundane Tin Pan Alley pop into the exciting era of hot jazz and swing. Not single-handedly, admittedly; but Armstrong set standards of originality and spontaneity that are yet to be surpassed. Equal parts singer, soloist, and personality, Louis' recordings cover an astounding range of styles and trends. And at every single stage of his career, he produced work of such staggering quality that it was never possible to dismiss this musical icon. Born in 1900, his life paralleled many of the twists and turns of the middle century. In the twenties, he stunned his jazz peers with an instrumental originality they had never imagined. The thirties saw him rise to the top of the pop music echelon, as his peerless personality swept up admiring listeners of all colors. The forties brought both a sinking of fortunes, with a ban on recording during the war, and a bold resurgence at the end of the decade. By the fifties, Louis' voice mellowed into an evocative instrument of its own, capable of elevating a novelty like "Mack the Knife" or a ballad like "That Old Feeling" into timeless mementos. Even in his final years, though deprived of the facility to make his famous cornet produce the kind of stirring sound that first brought him recognition, Louis Armstrong had the clout to create his most famous hits.

My Teaching Philosophy Statement :: Education Educational Educating Essays

My Philosophy Statement Methods of how to educate individuals have been studied by many different philosophers in many different ways. I formed my view of method, curriculum, nature of students, nature of knowledge, and the purpose of public education, as well as my person career goals from those philosophers. I took different aspects of the philosophies of Plato, Rousseau, Sophistry/Foucault, and Pragmatism/Progressivism to create my own philosophy of education. My first view of method is an idea formed by Pragmatism/Progressivism. Being student centered is one method of effective teaching. I believe that students should enjoy their classes. I think part of being a good teacher is making the students want to learn. The most important person in the classroom should be the student. Teachers should base their lessons around the needs of their students. One way in which a teacher could do this is through group work sessions. If one child were behind in a subject the other students in the group might be able to help them. Another idea that I agree with is Rousseau's idea that students should learn through experience. I believe that instead of lecturing, students should learn through experience. The students could bring in leaves and study them, instead of just learning about them in their Science books. I think having variation in the classroom is also an important method of teaching. Instead of their usual Friday spelling test have a Spelling Be e instead. These are all ways to keep the students interest. The main method I chose for my philosophy is student centered. All other methods I have discussed fall into this category, in which the main focus of the classroom is the students. My next philosophy is on curriculum. I agree with Pragmatism/Progressivism. I believe that the purpose of a teacher is to teach their students how to think. Not what to think. There are several ways to go about doing this. One way is through math, students can be taught how to think through reading problems. One reason schools have many subjects is to make their students well rounded, another is to help students develop ways to reason. I agree with Rousseau's idea that students should be taught reason so that they can care about and respect others. Through out ones life they need reason to make decisions. I think students should be taught history so that they do not remake the mistakes of the past.

The Grapes of Wrath - Questions and Answers :: The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck

Grapes Of Wrath: Questions and Answers What are the chief reasons for the mass migration to California? Â   I think that the chief reasons for the mass migration to California where based on a few different reasons. The first reason was because everyone was poor. They didn't have enough money to have the most basic necessities in life. They would even go to such lengths as to steal a neighbors house. No body was happy living in Oklahoma. They all had such hard lives that no one had time to do what they wanted to do. It was farm from sun up to sun down. That is what everyone did, and they didn't even get that much compensation for all the devotion that they put into their work day, after day, after day. If I worked at something for twelve hours a day, and just made hardly enough money to keep living, I would get quite frustrated and not be very happy at all. Â   Another reason that people moved to California was so they could move on to a better place. Living in Oklahoma, really wasn't all that good for the Joad's. They couldn't be very happy at what they had. They where a very proud family and wanted to get away and show everyone that they could do some good in this world for themselves. Â   Who are the members of the Joad family unit that set out for California? Briefly state what happens to each of them. Â   Ma, Pa, Ruth, Winfield, Uncle John, and Rose of Sharron all where in the barn. Rose of Sharron was breast feeding a old man, after her baby died. I think she was doing it for personal pleasures. I don't think that she was sincere about the feeling to prolong the mans life. She was always selfish, and I still think she was at the end. I don't blame Connie for leaving her. Al left with his fiancee named Aggie, to start a new life with her. Tom left to become another Jim Casey. He knew what the power of groups could do, the listed to Jim, and knew that he could make a difference. Grandpa died, of natural causes, and they buried him in a field, tore a page out of the Bible and wrote how he wasn't killed, and he died of natural causes.

Juno Formalism Essay

Juno’s pregnancy started her process of coming of age and showed how certain incidents start the process earlier then others. How the movie was constructed together by the leading each stage of Juno’s problems through the mood or tone of one of the four seasons, starting in fall, is parallel to how Juno blooms into the rebirth of new, mature person. Beginning in fall, Juno finds out that she is pregnant. The mood in fall is quiet and calm. Just like fall, Juno is also quiet about the whole incident. Instead of being open she went to the abortion clinic without anyone knowing to find more information about pregnancy. This also shows her immaturity due to her hiding her mistakes without telling the truth. This has made her begin her adulthood at an early stage than her peers. In winter, Juno has found a couple to take care of her baby and has become close to them. During this season is when Mark is beginning to have â€Å"cold-feet† about the baby and Vanessa and everything Juno has wanted to happen has gone wrong. The mood winter brings is that of sadness and depression. Similar to winter, Juno feels the same and feels a whirlwind emotions due to the Mark and Vanessa issue and he pregnancy . The problems she is dealing with can compare to â€Å"grown-up† problems that she needs to start to solve as she goes through adulthood. During spring, Juno gave birth. The mood in spring is relief. Relief from the dangerously cold air that winter has. Juno feels this relief when she gives birth. It is a sign of her completing her coming of age into adulthood. In the transition into summer, Juno and all her problems perceive to be gone. The pregnancy and adoption problems are over and she and Paulie are in love. The mood in summer is happiness. In the ending scene, the mood is evident when they are singing in the early summer mourning without care of anything. This is also shown by Paulie’s ending devotion to track. Juno’s experience, though she wasn’t prepared for it, actually helped her become a more mature adult.

Development of children Essay

The social and emotional development of a childs identity and self image starts from birth. In the first five years of a childs life , children learn how to interact with others, learn what is acceptable. Every child is unique and they all develope at their own pace. Birth to 3 years- As a baby a child will overcome lots of obsticles such as hand to hand co-ordination, learning to sit up and stand, learning to feed themselves, learning to put words together. Children learn to play alongside instead of with other children, they test behaviours as they learn what is right and wrong. They need lots of emotional support from their parents. Ages 3-6 years- At this age the children will have a short attention span, They are learning self awareness and imagination, what is socially acceptable behaviour and what is not. The child will start to develope more language and communication skills and they will be starting to assert their own identity. Age 7, They will be identifying feelings and emotions, identifying dangerous situations and who to go to for help. They will be learning to identify the difference between ‘needs’ and ‘wants’. Age 8, The child will be able to express emotions in appropriate ways i.e appreciation, anger. Calm themselves and control strong emotions. Eight year olds will be proud of the fact they are able to do many things on their own and will express a desire for privacy. At the same time they will still need guidence and support from their parents.They may compare themselves to their friends and peers. Ages 9-12 , Children should have good communication skills, i.e communication care consideration and respect. Identify personal skills, recognise the difference between positive and negative friendships and understand the importance of family. Ages 12-16- this is a time where children reach sexual maturity and form an adult identity. During adolescence , physical changes in height and weight are usually a noticable change. Mood swings are common due to the increase in hormones. Between 12 and 16, they begin to imagine the possibilities life holds and start to set personal goals. Influences which may affect development in children include- -Stress -Negative experiences -Genetic illnesses, disorders and allergies -The childs background and where they may live -The influence of adults around the child -Religious social and economic factors. How might adults within a school setting encourage pupils to recognise and express thier own emotions? What are the possible signs and possible causes of emotional distress? Within school teachers can encourage children to recognise and express their emotions through role playing, art & design, drama, music, poatry and stories. These can provide an important opportunity for developing self confidence. An example of this is circle time sessions, these provide social and emotional learning. The class of pupils sit in a circle, exchanging ideas and feelings on different topics which are important to them . As they are sat in a circle, there is no leader, they are all equal and all have the opportunity to speak. Pupils can bring their own ideas or concerns to the circle and offer encouragement to others. Most schools have a school council where pupils can take part in desicion making. Students can bring up school improvement issues or issues affecting the classroom. Possible causes of emotional distress- -Problems at school, bullying or struggling with the work -Feeling left out and lonely, or having trouble making friends -Problems at home i.e parents not getting along and arguing. Maybe the parents have split up or the child has a new family member. -Death of a pet or relative -Abuse Possible signs of emotional distress- -Refusing to go to school -Difficulty learning -illness -Sad, frequent crying -Nightmare, difficulty sleeping -Moody and temper tantrums -Anxeity and panic attacks -Unable to concentrate -Unable to eat In teenagers some other signs could include -Alcohol/drug abuse -Violence/thefts -Not looking after themselves or over-concern with thier appearence -Self harm. Task 7 , Describe your expected role in the care and support of Individual pupils. A teaching assistant would provide care & support by encouraging the child to concentrate on what has been asked of them. Some children will require more one on one attention to help them to understand. This could involve repeating and explaining instructions from the teacher in a more simple manner. Some pupils may need extra help finding thier way around the school and getting to class rooms on time. In younger children, assisting them in the bathroom, and helping them to get dressed. Helping disabled children with physical activities such as swimming or P.E. The teaching assistant may be required to support children outside of school too, such as educational visits. Good quality relationships between children and teachers are very important when providing support, whether the relationship is through a single lesson or over a number of lessons. To gain a good relationship the teaching assistant should use good communication skills, such as friendly body language, eye contact, listening and showing respect. Greet the children by name, even out of class. Show some interest in their interests. Celebrate their achievements and display their work. What possible problems may you encounter and briefly describe how you might deal with each case? Through day to day contact with pupils, staff have an important role to play in noticing indicators of possible problems, Such as peer pressure and internal group dynamics. This could result in misunderstandings, strong emotions and class disruptions.The teaching assistant should recognise uncharacteristic behaviour patterns in pupils and deal with any difficulities which could damage the relationship with the pupil. Some problems a teaching assistant may encounter could be a disruptive pupil questioning authority, unhappy with marks they have been given on there work. A student may be emotionally unstable and become aggressive towards the staff. Constant disruptions prevent other students from concentrating on their work. Teaching assistants should always act within the policies and codes of conduct so they do not put themselves into situations that could lead to misunderstanding or accusations. When responding to these situations , the teaching assistant should remind the pupils of class room rules. The pupil may want to back track on what has been said. This should be honoured but remind the pupil that these disruptions will not be tolerated. If the problem is repeated the student should be removed from the classroom and the problem discussed with a supervisor. These incidents should be recorded. What is your role in responding to accidents and aliments? The teaching assistant does not have the sole responsibility for the safety of pupils and staff but if an emergency should arise the teaching assitant will need to act fast- – The teaching assistant should report any changes to a childs well-being to the teacher immediately. – Alert the emmergency services if necessary and obtain medical equipment for the first aider. – Reassure the pupil and make them comfortable. – Comply with the schools policy about recording a childs health. -Once the situation is stable , the parents should be notified. List common childhood illnesses and briefly discribe how you would recognise the symptoms of those illnesses in the children that you support

Gay Marriages Essay

When newer lifestyles creep into our society, inline with our thoughts and liberties, guardians of the older versions are likely to be taken back. These lifestyle changes happen in every sphere of life, like the way we eat or work. In getting along with it, we may have to abandon our traditional ways. Sometimes these may go unnoticed, as it may be beneficial to all, having none to worry about it. But other times the issues in question may be very important and fundamental, and there would be a social debate. Homosexuality and gay marriages is one such issue, which is still being debated widely. With homosexuality and gay marriages becoming increasingly present in our society, it is important that the subject be well debated and all issues projected so that it helps people to take appropriate decisions. The issue of homosexuality is not just relevant for the partners, but also to the families they are a part of, and to the society as a whole. It is therefore important that the society be well informed of the legal and social aspects of gay marriages, while being alive to the fact that evolving lifestyle issues could knock at anyone’s door. The media has a very important and responsible role in helping the larger part of the society to come to terms with evolving lifestyles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is perhaps what the film ‘The Wedding Banquet’ has attempted and succeeded. ‘The Wedding Banquet’ is a thoughtful and touching Chinese film revolving around homosexuality and family ties. The film brings into focus the perception of modern lifestyles, from the traditional point of view, and the difficulties and experiences involved in coming to terms with it (Don). The film projects homosexuality in a wider perspective. A gay relationship, in the midst of a heterosexual marriage and parenting, shows the wider realm of homosexuality and gay relationships. The film brings into focus a gay relationship between a Taiwanese expatriate Wai-Tung and his doctor boyfriend Simon. When Wai-Tung’s parents pressurize their son for his marriage, he plans to buy time by putting impossible conditions for his bride. However a dating company succeeds in finding a suitable match, when Wai-Tung strikes into a convenience marriage with his tenant Wei Wei. The marriage would help Wei Wei from being deported. It is when the parents of Wai-Tung reach America for the wedding banquet of their son, does they know of the developments in the family. The film has several turning points like when Wei Wei seduces an inebriated Wai-Tung and becomes pregnant, leading to deterioration in his relationship with Simon. Wai-Tung’s father approves of the actions of Simon, who he takes as his adopted son . His mother on the other hand is drawn affectionally to her daughter-in-law, whom his father considers as a business participant. At the end the father and mother leave for Taiwan, without any discontent. The movie definitely seems to address the issue of homosexuality in the family context. Bringing the issue of homosexuality face-to-face with traditionally heterosexual cultures, gets everyone on their toes to accept the reality. Lifestyle choices are here to stay and traditions must pave way to it and coexist. This low budget film won recognition for its director Ang Lee, who himself makes a short appearance as a banquet guest. It also won the Golden Bear award in the Berlin Film Festival of 1993 and the best film and best director awards at the 1993 Seattle International Film Festival (Berardinelli, 1993).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The rights of homosexuals are increasingly gaining support with time. Homosexuals are being more welcome in our society and their rights are becoming more obvious. Gone are those days when homosexuality was considered a serious crime and homosexuals looked upon as people with sick minds. Although there are societies which still consider homosexuality a crime, it isn’t as dreadful as it once was. These developments indicate the growing perception that homosexuals are a part of our society and therefore should be accorded equal rights, equal protection and equal support from all welfare activities. The favorable trend towards homosexuals may be attributed to the general liberalization of policies in most parts of the world, broader thinking among people and the mixing of cultures and mingling of economics. But it is indeed sad that this never before support, is not extended to gay marriages. A major part of this support and backing, of homosexuality stops short of gay marriages. This indifference to gay marriage, particularly from among supporters of homosexuality stems from their perception of marriage and homosexuality. Gays are generally thought to have multiple partners and that therefore their relationships cannot be deep or emotional. The gays are considered as uncommitted and not being capable of forming lasting relationships. This description of gays cannot be challenged, as gays do have such relationships too. However, it should be noted here that such relationships also exist in heterosexual or straight society too, maybe to a small extent and that too mainly among the youth. What most people need to understand about gays is that, as gays grow and mature, they too like their straight counterparts begin to value and seek committed lasting relationships.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is important to realize the basics behind the emergence of homosexuality. Homosexuality is a naturally developing phenomenon. However, most ignorant people attribute it to a defiance of heterosexual norms and an intention to experiment.   Some people feel that gays could choose being a heterosexual if they wanted, but that, only a very few consider that they have a choice. It is only like heterosexuals being asked to choose the sex they are attracted to. It should be understood that being a gay is natural and not selected. Several gay people, both men and women recall being attracted to people of their own sex from a very young age. The sexual orientation in most people emerge at a very early age like early adolescence, even prior to any sexual experience. Homosexual orientation is a complex subject and cannot be explained by any single or a simple, plain model. No consistent results have been found from research undertaken for homosexual orientation. Despite studying evolutionary and hormonal pattern in homosexuality, scientists have not yet understood the development of homosexual orientation in an individual. Therefore it is improper to assume that homosexuals have a choice, which they have chosen to bypass. Today however, most scientists agree that sexual orientation results from an influence of environment, cognitive and biological factors. Genetic and inborn hormonal traits play an important role in deciding a person’s sexual attitude. Psychologists and psychiatrists believe that homosexuality is not due to emotional or mental disorders; and it was in 1973, when the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its official list of emotional and mental disorders, after appropriate research (APA, 2008). Research based on twin studies also indicate that male homosexuality is genetically mediated. A study with about 76 gay brothers and their families in 1993 by Dean Hamer found that gay men had more gay uncles and cousins on the maternal side compared to the paternal side. One of the most reliable finding in homosexuality adoption was reported by Blanchard and Klassen in 1997, which suggested that the odds of an individual being a gay increased by 33% correpondingly for each older brother. It has been implied that the male foetus causes a maternal immune reaction which is increasingly stronger for each successive male foetus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gay marriages are wrongly perceived by many people to alter family environment. The customary saying that marriage is an institution between a man and a woman holds no water, as there is no real and moral judgement behind it. Such definitions of marriages only raise questions on the eligibility and authenticity of the defining person or institution. Who should be the one to define marriage?. They feel that same-sex couples cannot provide the necessary environment for children’s normal growth. In continuation of this, many consider same-sex marriage as a deterrent to births and continuation of species. They don’t realise that marriages are not just directed to bearing children, as even infertile couples choose to marry or heterosexual couples sometimes choose against having children. Marriage is more about sharing, love and commitment and less about bearing children. It should be realized that gay couples are capable of raising children as much as any straight couple. The fact that there is no significant difference between the children of gay and straight couples, has been proved by research. Psychologists are of the opinion that the gender of the parent is not important in raising the child; it’s the love and commitment on the part of the parents that matter. As for the continuation of species, human species are in no danger of dwindling due to reproductive failure. In fact the population explosion is really disturbing and serious issues are at stake for the oncoming generations. Gay marriages can only help in slowing the rate of population increase, than adding to it. Gay marriages have seen results, since it has already been experimented. Denmark legalised gay marriages in 1989. Several Dutch cities have had same-sex marriage rights for many years. The clergy at first offered opposition to the Danish law and a survey conducted at that time indicated that about 72 percent of the clergy opposed the law. However another survey conducted in 1995 revealed that 89 percent of the clergy supported the law. Gay marriages have been experimented and proved to strengthen the institution of marriage and contribute to the society. Any doubts on the success of gay marriages are fully vacated and its positive impact on the society acknowledged.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The interpretation of gay marriage in religion should not be ignored when considering gay marriages. Given the binding of religion and its influence on every aspect of life, people consider religious beliefs above all contemporary issues associated with gay marriages, when deciding on them. Some religions are against homosexuality and gay marriages while some do not consider it as something important to be preached upon. In the Old Testament only two passages are referred to homosexuality, among the several thousands (Piazza, 2007). Buddhism in fact attracts several homosexuals, as there isn’t any homophobia preaching in it. The Theravada Buddhism considers all relationships i.e.; gay, lesbian or straight as being personal matters bearing mutual consent (Robinson, 2008). Therefore all relationships are considered constructive and acceptable as long as both partners are happy. Many people, who believe in Christianity, oppose homosexuality and gay marriage, on the basis of the bible. It should primarily be noted here that the bible was written at a period when there was no understanding of homosexuality or psychosexual orientation. The bible therefore does not recognise people as lesbians or gays. The inference was only directed to homosexual acts committed by persons who were considered heterosexual. However, the bible has been successfully used to interpret the views of both advocates and opponents of homosexuality whenever homosexuality is deliberated. According to the Roman Catholic Church, any sex that does not lead to procreation should be avoided and thus the use of condoms and masturbation is condemned. However, it should also be noted that the church approves sex among sterile couples and sex during pregnancy, which do not lead to procreation (Corvino, 1997). An important aspect of bible interpretation is that, many Christians interpret all texts with much flexibility except when it comes to homosexuality, where  Ã‚   all references to homosexual acts are taken literally. The bible actually pays very little attention to this subject and most importantly Jesus speaks nothing on this topic, in the New Testament. This apart, most instructions and recommendations of the bible are of lesser relevance today, like avoiding pork. The teachings are subconsciously breached casually, as we go about our everyday lives. For instance, there was a prominent woman once spoke at length against homosexuality, in the course of which she broke several Biblical laws by Levitical standards (Piazza, 2007), namely speaking in church, she taught men and wore a cotton and polyester dress. The Bible interestingly has a few example of same sex love. David’s love for Jonathan was implied to be greater than his love for woman, Ruth’s deep love relationship with Naomi and Ruth’s words of pledge are used in most heterosexual weddings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even though gay couples are now socially accepted like never before, they are far from equal civil rights. The withholding of civil rights to gay couples can sometimes be life ruining and even life threatening. The inconvenience and sufferings of gay couples as a consequence of these unequal rights can be endlessly said. In most American states, gay couples are not given the right to make medical decisions for their partners, during emergencies. State laws stipulate that the hospitals should reach out to the families of the hospitalised partner, thereby ignoring the gay partner’s concern. Very often, the families are not in good terms with the gay couple, and may even be without contact for a considerable long time. It is obvious that the decisions taken by such families would not be in the best interests of the couple. It is sad that the hostile family even have the right to exclude the partner from the treatment room. Even upon death, the will of the gay partner can be easily challenged and custody decisions overturned by the family (Bidstrup, 2004). Families have the right to deny the surviving partner, even a visit to his partner’s grave. There are several cases where gay couples had been extremely careful in drafting their will, which however were overturned, leaving the surviving partner literally penniless. Whenever arrested, gay couples are forced to provide evidence and testify against their partners. Most gay couples, particularly the older ones have numerous such stories of injustices meted out to their friends or acquaintances. The testimony of a gay partner is as irrelevant as the testimony of a complete stranger, in most courts. In case the partner is jailed, the right to visit the partner is denied in most cases. In matters of law, arrest or imprisonment, the whims of a hostile family and the cooperation of a homophobic judge can have devastating effects on the gay couple. The discrimination is pathetically extended even to the children of gay couples, as gay parents are not able to get parenting rights when children are brought into their family, either by birth or through adoption. These are some civil rights issues, which are in no way connected to the nature of marriages. State laws, which provide for the rights of legally married couples, are denied for gay couples.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gay couples are definitely not accorded equal rights, although the situation is improving and would one day catch up with those accorded to heterosexual couples. One must not forget that African-American marriages were not allowed, till the end of civil war. Until 1967, there were at least 15 states that prohibited interracial marriages. It required a US Supreme Court decision that year to ensure inter-racial marriages throughout the United States (Robinson). Same sex marriages are recent happenings, which were earlier not permitted anywhere in the world. The law is often the deciding factor in the fate of homosexuality like in November 2003 when the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court termed the ban on gay marriage as unconstitutional. Legislators have indeed played an important role in the acceptance of homosexuality and gay marriages. However there is a lot more for them to do. There are many states in the US, which have yet not legalized gay marriages. Apart from US, there are only a few countries that have recognized homosexual relationships. Social acceptance is a major struggle for homosexuality, which however can begin only after its legalization. Given the progress in acceptability of homosexuality till now, it is evident that all constitutions should and one day, would legalize homosexuality. It should be noted here that the European Union had demanded Turkey to form more liberal laws on sex, as a condition for its membership. Once homosexuality and gay marriages are legalized, the law should provide for the rights of gay couples, and for individual partners. Gay couples should be allowed to live peacefully like any other family, raise children and plan for their future. Homophobic attitudes should be better identified and punished when it attempts to hinder the rights of gay couples. Gay couples too have the responsibility to stand up against victimization rather than suffer alone in silence, fearing social stigma. It is rightly appropriate here to mention the fact that Brendan Fay had lodged a complaint against the Polish president for using his marriage images to warn his countrymen against gay marriages. Fay’s marriage to his partner Tom Moulton, and their marriage certificate was shown in his televised address to the nation. Fay said he considered it to be an insult and has complained to the Polish Consulate in New York (Salazar).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The debate on providing equal rights to same-sex couples would go on. The public support for gay couples, would gradually translate to more support for marriage rights. However it is the law, which ultimately dictates on the right to gay marriages. The right of the individual to exercise his choice on his personal matters would ultimately be given to him, to enable him to select the gender of his partner. When South Africa’s highest court recognised same-sex marriages and decided to extend legal marital rights to gay couples, it became the first country to do so in a continent, which condemns homosexuality. It must be noteworthy to mention here that South Africa’s constitution is one of world’s most advanced and progressive constitutions. Constitutional reforms are important for any society to meet its trends and demands. Conservative societies should recognise and be willing to accept newer trends and passions. Just like racist discrimination was ruled out, a new dawn awaits the universal removal of discrimination to gay marriage; a dawn when all gay couples can live happily with all rights and liberties, without any fear or discrimination. â€Å"Although we cannot find that a fundamental right to same-sex marriage exists in this state, the unequal dispensation of rights and benefits to committed same-sex partners can no longer be tolerated under our state constitution,† said New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Barry T. Albin, while offering equal rights to same-sex couples.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Education too has an important role to play in understanding homosexuality. Understanding the demands and options of today’s lifestyle, is very crucial for any individual, and one should have the relevant education to take appropriate decisions. Our traditional educational policies should be revamped with the realities of today. Educators must let people know to what extent the law currently permits one to select the gender of the person he or she wishes to marry. Educators must be prepared to transform individuals as responsible persons capable of loving, marrying and raising a family, irrespective of the gender of the partner he or she would be married to. Recognition of same sex relationships as being equal to traditional marriages would drastically redefine the meaning of family (Knight, 1997). Educational policy makers should realize that they hold a sacred duty of imparting education and social skills incorporating relevance to homosexual society too. As the legalization of homosexuality and gay marriages are slowly but steadily gaining ground, one thing is clear; these steps will always progress in the same direction. Therefore education must also keep up closely in the same direction for the welfare of its beneficiaries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The legislators have a moral responsibility to provide and ensure proper implementation of the marriage rights of gay couples, as civil and partnership laws cannot provide the same benefits as that of marriage (Johnson, 2007). The educators have a responsibility of not only transforming the society to be receptive of gay marriages, but also ensuring that gay couples succeed in every aspect of life. The society as a whole should not only integrate gay couples into its fold, unconditionally, but also be fully prepared to welcome newer lifestyle changes of tomorrow.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   REFERENCES Don Willmott (2004) The Wedding Banquet [Electronic version]. Retrieved on March 19, 2008 from http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/reviews/The-Wedding-Banquet Berardinelli, James (1993) The Wedding Banquet [Electronic version]. Retrieved on March 19, 2008, from http://www.reelviews.net/movies/w/wedding_ban.html Salazar C. New York man files complaint against Polish president for anti-gay marriage speech. International Herald Tribune (19 Mar, 2008) [Electronic version] from http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/19/europe/EU-GEN-Poland-Gay-Rights.php American Psychological Association. Sexuality [Electronic version]. Retrieved on March 19, 2008, from http://www.apa.org/topics/orientation.html#whatcauses   2008 Piazza M.S. Homosexuality and Christianity [Electronic version]. Retrieved on March 20, 2008, from http://www.cathedralofhope.com Robinson B.A, (2008). The Buddhist religion and homosexuality [Electronic version]. Retrieved on March 18, 2008, from http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_budd.htm Corvino John. Why shouldn’t Tommy and Jim have sex? A defence of homosexuality. Same Sex: Debating the ethics, Science and Culture of Homosexuality, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers. (1997). Bidstrup Scott, (2004). Gay Marriage: The arguments and the motives [Electronic version]. Retrieved on March 18, 2008, from http://www.bidstrup.com/marriage.htm Knight Robert,. How domestic partnerships and Gay marriage threaten the family. Insight bulletin, Family Research Council. (1997) Johnson, Ramon. (2007) Gay marriage around the world. [Electronic version]. Retrieved on March 20, 2008, from http://gaylife.about.com/od/samesexmarriage/a/legalgaymarriag.htm