Politics of Recognition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Politics of Recognition - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that Taylor’s essay on â€Å"politics of recognition† was first published back in 1992. According to Taylor, there is a strong relationship between â€Å"personal identity† and â€Å"recognition†. As explained by Taylor, the term â€Å"personal identity† is all about being able to know who we really are as a human being and that the â€Å"personal identity† of each person often times can be molded by how the society would perceive our own identity including how our personal identity should be. For instance, in case the society was able to create a positive opinion concerning a group of people, then one can easily argue that this group of people would definitely develop a positive feeling about their own self. On the contrary, assuming that the society would have a negative thought about a certain group of people, then those people who are affected by the society’s negative remarks would somehow make the affected people feel bad about themselves. A good example wherein the society can cause harm to a certain group of people can be noted in the case of the African Americans. In line with this, Taylor mentioned that it is the group of white Americans who created a degrading image on most African American people. For this reason, there are some African Americans who may somehow be unconsciously affected by such negative remarks. This also partly explains why there are some African Americans who view themselves as someone who is less superior as compared to the white Americans. Taylor also considered the case of the feminist's group as an example of â€Å"politics of recognition†. As a common knowledge, the feminist's group is a group of women who aim to fight for gender equality and so on. However, one cannot deny the fact that there are quite a lot of women all over the world who have decided to accept the socio-economic limitations that were imposed on them by most p atriarchal society. Instead of fighting for their rights to have gender equality, some women are more willing to let go of more promising opportunities due to the absence of adequate self-identity.

Misuse Of Drugs And Alcohol: Effect on Children

Misuse Of Drugs And Alcohol: Effect on Children This research proposal concerns the investigation and analysis of the impact of parental misuse of alcohol on children. The perceptions of policy makers and members of society in the UK have for many years acknowledged the negative consequences of excessive alcohol consumption on health, behaviour and public safety. Such perceptions have in turn resulted in curbs on sale of alcohol to young people and to restrictions on driving under its influence. Social workers along with professionals in areas like health, medicine and law and order are also working towards reducing domestic violence and disruption on account of alcohol misuse (Bancroft, et al, 2005, p 47). The impact of parental alcohol misuse on children has however been largely ignored, even in the midst of growing concern about increasing alcohol consumption; especially amongst young people (Murray, 2005, p 7). Recent reports highlight that children numbering more than 2.6 million in the UK live with dangerous drinkers, even as more than 8 million children are adversely affected by alcohol misuse of family members. Families where parents misuse alcohol are by and large characterised by poorer functioning. Such families are perceived to lack cohesion, ritual and routines; they have (a) lesser levels of verbal and physical expression, display of positive feelings, and caring and warmth, and (b) greater degrees of unresolved conflict (Murray, 2005, p 9). Misuse of alcohol by parents is seen to be causal in (a) adverse physiological and physical outcomes for children and (b) fostering of environments that are unfit for children, both for development and for living. Such environments are marked by numerous incidences of neglect and direct or indirect violence (Harwin Forrester, 2002, p 84). There is a great deal of evidence to show that parental alcohol misuse can harm children in diverse ways and lead to behavioural difficulties in early and later life. Children exposed to domestic conditions of parental alcohol misuse are less likely to do well in the classroom and appear to be more prone to mental health problems in later life (Harwin Forrester, 2002, p 85). Evidence also suggests that a huge majority of alcohol dependent people in the UK had alcohol misusers for parents and work towards perpetuating the cycle for future generations (Kroll Taylor, 2003, p 25). There is also disturbing evidence to reveal that parental misuse of alcohol is significantly associated with deaths and serious abuse. Studies of adults, who are homeless, imprisoned or have substance misuse problems show significant association of such people with parents who misuse alcohol (Kroll Taylor, 2003, p 27). 1.2. Aims and Objectives The proposed research study aims to study the impact of parental misuse of alcohol in detail, with specific regard its relevance for social work theory and practice. The objectives of the dissertation are as under: To investigate the short and long term consequences of parental alcohol misuse on children? To investigate the relevance of the issue in current social work theory and practice? To assess the rationale, validity and effectiveness of current social work approaches in improving the situation, with regard to both results and costs To provide recommendations on improving policy and practice approaches towards improving outcomes for children of parents with alcohol misuse problems. 2. Literature Review 2.1. Short and Long Term Consequences of Parental Alcohol Misuse on Children Research reveals that children of parents who misuse alcohol consumption can suffer from a variety of physical, psychological and behavioural problems with short and long term outcomes. As alcohol problems differ in character, severity and time period, their impact upon children also varies (Murray, 2005, p 4). It is however clear from national and international studies that the children of families in which one or both parents engage in alcohol abuse have greater problems than others. Seven important features of the family lives of these children, namely (1) roles, (2) rituals, (3) routines, (4) social life, (5) finances, (6) communication, and (7) conflict could be adversely affected (Murray, 2005, p 5). Whilst parents with alcohol abuse problems cannot certainly be equated with bad or uncaring parents, research does suggest that alcohol problems adversely affect parenting quality. Excessive drinking can make individuals emotionally unavailable, unpredictable and inconsistent and result in passive, neglectful or even harsh parenting (Grekin, et al, 2005, p 15). With children learning from their parents about who they are, particularly in relation to others, children of parents who engage in alcohol abuse are likely to get ambiguous and inconsistent information, mainly because of the unpredictability on the behaviour and responses of such parents (Grekin, et al, 2005, p 18). Whilst inconsistency occurs mainly on account of the unpredictable way in which such parents behave, such impulsiveness and irresponsibility in their behaviour results in the imposition of responsibilities on children that are excessive and beyond their years, which in turn affects their education, their family life and their relationships with their peers (Murray, 2005, p 9). Such children also face high risks of social exclusion because of their urge to conceal their parental drinking from their friends. Such children sometimes carers of their parents, especially in circumstances of domestic violence and can ally with the drinking parent or against him or her. Psychologists and behavioural specialists state that children of problem drinkers could fail to internalise their feelings of worth and trust and often learn not to trust, feel or talk. They may also be worried about the abilities of their parents to safeguard them and thus find it difficult to trust others (Murray, 2005, p 9 ). Children of parents with alcohol problems are at significantly greater risk of witnessing and experiencing verbal, physical, and sexual abuse, as well as neglect. Excessive alcohol consumption plays a major role in 25 to 33 % of known child abuse cases (Kroll Taylor, 2003, p 29). Children of problem drinkers are also extremely likely to blame themselves for the difficulties experienced by their families in naÃÆ' ¯ve attempts to make their environment become better able in supporting them. Such children are also likely to carry their experiences of childhood into adulthood. Unborn children of mothers engaged in alcohol abuse during pregnancy can develop Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), involving a variety of mental and physical health problems (Kroll Taylor, 2003, p 34). 2.2. Resilience among Children of People with Alcohol Consumption Problems Whilst many of the problems described above place significant demands on social workers, especially when they continue through generations, it is also true that some children of parents with drinking problems do not seem to face as many difficulties as others. They appear to have greater resilience (Murray, 2005, p 5). Contemporary research reveals that certain protective processes and factors can reduce the adverse effect of parental alcohol difficulties on children, in the short as well as the long term. Such protective factors include high degrees of confidence and self esteem, self efficacy, ability to handle change, good problem solving skills, strong and positive family functioning, close and positive bonding with one or more caring adults, and good support networks beyond the family (Murray, 2005, p 7). Protective processes on the other hand include planning on behalf of children to make their lives less disruptive by (a) reduction of the impact of risks by altering the exposu re of children to such risks, and (b) development and maintenance of self efficacy and self-esteem and self efficacy, and (c) improving the care provided by parents (Murray, 2005, p 7). 2.3. Social Work Policy and Practice for Children of Parents with Alcohol Related Problems The national policy for dealing with adults with alcohol related problems is fragmented and approaches the issue from different angles. The main components of the governmentà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s national policy towards containment of alcohol misuse are as under (Galvani, 2006, p 3-7): The National Alcohol Harm Reduction strategy for England focused upon the requirement for services in the area of alcohol and domestic abuse to function together to address the issue. The guidance document for the delivery of alcohol strategy acknowledges the requirement for assessment of consequences of alcohol problems on children. The guidance document on alcohol misuse intervention focuses on the ways in which PCTs, along with local authorities, criminal justice agencies and voluntary agencies should understand and implement their roles in dealing with alcohol related crimes. The Drug and Alcohol National Occupational Standards appreciates the requirement for workers to be able to safeguard and reduce the risk of abuse, both by and to their clients. The vision for services for children and young people who are affected by domestic violence guides commissioners on (a) the important aspects of support for children and young people experiencing domestic abuse, (b) assessment of gaps in local services, and (c) their priorities for action. The Children Act 1989 and its subsequent amendments incorporates the witnessing or hearing of bad treatment of children by other persons to be included in parameters for assessment of harm. The National Service Framework for children, young people and maternity services focuses upon relationship conflict and alcohol and drug use as important areas where parents could require early intervention as well as multi-agency support. The 2009 Task Force Report in response to Lord Lamingà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s Report states that many children continue to be at risk of harm on from the people they should otherwise be rely on for care and love and that the government is responsible for doing everything possible to safeguard such vulnerable children (HM Government, 2009, p 29). The 2011 Munro Report on child protection states the need for abandoning the old standardised and bureaucratic approach to child protection and customising services on the basis of the experiences and needs of children Monroe, 2010, p 1). The recently elected coalition government is in the process of assessing and reshaping national policy towards social work and some refocus of attention of policy makers on the consequences of impact of parental alcohol misuse on children is expected. 2.4. Research Questions The aims and objectives of the proposed research, along with the information obtained from a brief review of literature have resulted in the formulation of the following research questions. Research Question 1: What are the short and long term consequences of parental misuse of alcohol on children? Research Question 2: How is current social work policy and practice dealing with this problem? Research Question 3: What is the rationale of existing policies and practices for improving the lives of children threatened by excessive parental consumption of alcohol? Research Question 4: What is the validity of such policies and practices and what is the extent of their effectiveness? Research Question 5: How can current policies and practices be improved for bettering the life outcomes of children at risk from parents who engage in excessive alcohol consumption? 3. Research Method 3.1. Choice of Research Method Social research is by and large conducted with the use of positivist and interpretivist epistemologies, which in turn largely call for the respective use of quantitative and qualitative methods of research (Bryman, 2004, p 43). With the issue under investigation being extremely complex and multifaceted, the use of quantitative methods is hardly likely to yield any substantial or new results. Quantitative surveys on the issue have already revealed the various problems that can stem from excessive alcohol consumption by parents on their children. The use of interpretivist methodology and qualitative research techniques should help in the investigation and analysis of the subject under issue. It is proposed to obtain relevant information on the subject from appropriate primary and secondary sources, whilst information from secondary sources will be obtained from the substantial amount of information and research findings on the subject that is publicly available. The researcher proposes to obtain primary information through the conduct of detailed one-to-one interviews with three social workers who have been closely involved in providing services to the families and children of people suffering from alcohol misuse problems. The interviews will be conducted carefully with the use of a range of open and close ended questions and will hopefully lead to interesting and relevant information. 3.2. Ethics The researcher will take all measures to follow appropriate ethical codes of conduct, with regard to informed consent, confidentiality, absence of coercion, and freedom to answer or not to answer questions. Efforts will be made to ensure that the research is totally original and devoid of any form of plagiarism (Creswell Clark, 2006, p 69).

Our Town :: essays research papers

Wilder's passionate plea in the play is to appreciate every moment of every day, for life is a fleeting thing. With troubles rapidly expanding in Europe and war becoming a looming reality, people were inundated with the negative aspects of life. To see Our Town was to escape from the negative and rejoice in the ordinary; it reaffirmed faith in the unchanging moral values of small town living. It was obviously the balm that audiences needed in the midst of a pessimistic and changing world. Through his play, Wilder tries to teach the audience to seize the moment and enjoy living. There are no guarantees about a certain life span, as evidenced by the premature deaths of Emily Webb and her brother, Wally; tomorrow may be too late. By calling the drama Our Town and portraying ordinary people and events, the people in the audience and the readers of the play can identify with the theme and apply it to their own lives. Our Town is an unusual play in structure. It intentionally contains lit tle action, in order to support the theme; nothing exciting or suspenseful happens in any of the three acts, just as nothing exciting happens in Grover's Corners. The play also ignores most dramatic conventions. In the beginning, the Stage Manager saunters on to an empty stage to talk directly to the audience; he tells them that the play is ready to begin. He then describes the appearance of Grover's Corners and its inhabitants. The play also ignores the unity of time and place. Between the first and second acts, three years pass. Then between the second and third acts, another nine years pass. In addition, the omniscient Stage Manager has repeated flashbacks to the past and flash-forwards to the future, further negating a unity of time. The play also has many locations. Although the entire play takes place in or around Grover's Corners, each act has a different and distinct key setting. In Act I, most of the action takes place in the homes of the Webb’s and the Gibbs; often the activity in both homes is seen on stage at once, in order to emphasize the sameness of things in this small town. The second act is set largely at the church, where Emily and George are married.

Does the Art of Science Vitiate the Science of Art? Essay

INTRODUCTION   Why there would be ripples in the modern art world, if a 17th century artist is found to have used an instrument to perfect his art? It all started when David Hockney, a British artist, started his research on artists, mainly of the Renaissance Period, when observed some ‘suspicious details’ in the works of Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), an artist of Holland, who, like many of his contemporaries had failed to make his rank in his time and thus struggled all along, before getting recognized and appreciated posthumously. The fact that he could master only 30 paintings indicates about the roadblocks he had before him.   However, he has been ‘rediscovered’ presently and his works are now lauded for its wonderful details, which are found to be one up in his time, mainly for their precision. The Situation It was that precision, which caught the fancy of David the researcher. Stunned by the perfect perspectives and light distortions in Vermeer’s paintings. David delved deep into matter and came out with a conclusion that Vermeer might have used a refracting device, such as a ‘Camera Obscura’, to achieve that incredible degree of precision in the details in his paintings. Camera Obscura It is one of the early optical instruments, presumed to have been invented in the late Renaissance period, around the time Galileo, the inventor of Telescope. However, Hockney`s new evidence seems to suggest that the usage of magnifying tools like Camera Obscura were there well before that. That’s a good finding. The Art of Science Camera Obscura is a light-tight box with a small whole on one side, through which an image of an outside object can be projected onto a wall or piece of paper. The resulting image will be projected upside down. This is due to the fact that the reflected rays of light, which enter the box, do not spread out but traverse and reorganize, before reappearing as an upside down reflection. The size of the pinhole determines the sharpness of the reflected image, as well as the degree of diffraction and the level of light sensitivity. The narrower the passage of light, the lesser sensitive is the image. Moreover, narrow holes result in sharper projections and a better image resolution – since the resulting circle of confusion, the distortion of bright areas caused by the shape of the pinhole, will be smaller. This situation also calls to define the resultant diffraction from a particularly small pinhole, which causes a rather unfocused projection of the image. This phenomenon can be explained by the wave theory of light, which states that light behaves like a wave. Diffraction, in this case, refers to the dispersion of waves (light) when passing through the pinhole, which produces a hologram effect. The smaller and closer to the lights’ wavelength the hole is, larger the proportion is in the diffraction pattern, compared to a larger opening. To further increase the brightness and focus of the image, artists started to use a lens instead of the pinhole. It is really heartening to imagine that some of the artists of the Renaissance Period experimented on such nuances of diffraction towards gaining unbelievably realistic, almost photographic paintings. Vermeer’s Endeavor Situations indeed indicate that Vermeer might have used a Camera Obscura to enhance his paintings. Firstly, Vermeer didn’t seem to have used any sort of sketches or preparatory drawings while on his way towards producing paintings with incredibly realistic details and perspective in them. That couldn’t have happened if such works were done manually. His work, â€Å"Soldier and Laughing Girl†, where an amazingly detailed map can be seen hanging on the wall in the background, consolidates this assumption – even after zooming, the map seems to be an exact replication of a map at the time. How could he achieve such precision at one go, if he didn’t use any instrument? Another indication is the presence of bright, round reflections on reflective surfaces. Almost all the reflections in Vermeer’s paintings have an unusually circular shape. We now believe that these round reflections are circles of confusion, which are caused by the imperfection of the lens through which the image is reflected or can occur when the lens is not focused. Such unusually round reflections are distortions of bright areas caused by the shape of the pinhole of the Camera Obscura. One of the most famous examples of such a circle of confusion is the reflection in the girl’s earring in Vermeer`s masterpiece â€Å"The girl with the pearl earring.† Thirdly most of his paintings seem to take place in the same room. A reason for this could have been the size and weight of the apparatus. It might have been too laborious and time consuming to move the optic device in those days. Furthermore, in his painting â€Å"The Music Lesson†, there is a mirror on top of the piano, which reflects the leg of an object, which could have been a Camera Obscura. Science of Art Even though the indications point towards Vermeer’s using of optical instruments, that should be seen as a bold, and nonetheless creative endeavor, which aligns with the intellectual movements of that period – considering the treatise and texts about optics circulated then – only substantiates Vermeer’s contemporary approach towards his work, when people of 17th century had been exploring the possibilities of mirrors and lenses – it was then, even with low quality lenses and bad resolution, Vermeer and his colleagues would have been able to create incredibly detailed pictures. Lastly, the use of such instrument at that time could not have lessened the value of the art. It is assumed, that the painters using a Camera Obscura, merely used the projection of the image as a foundation, a sketch, on which they would paint. Since the projection of the image would be like a movie in color and every movement of the object would distort the artist drawing, only certain features of the object could be taken down on paper, leaving the rest to be done by the artist him/herself. CONCLUSION Artists of 17th century could not be totally dependent on Camera Obscura – they had to add in their own imagination, creativity and hard, manual labor. Attaining precision was just a part of their whole aim, and the attempt to achieve that by using an instrument cannot be hyped as something demeaning in the approach of the artists who did that. It is clear that those artists simply used Camera Obscura to increase precision or shorten the sketching time. There is nothing more in this useless debate, as the choice and combination of colors, the brush strokes, the shading, the technique and much more that take to make a great image, were done all by the artists themselves. To quote Hockney – â€Å"The lens can’t draw a line, only the hand can do that†, would be enough to block this controversy for once and all. Therefore this has nothing to do with any useless debate on the ethical violation of the creative processes involved in painting. It could have been so, if Vermeer did his works with blood, or stole or plagiarize someone else’s idea.

The Effect of Part-Time Jobs on Students

Balancing a Schedule Balancing a part-time job while attending classes full-time will force a student to balance their schedule. A March 2009 study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics says students with part-time work reduce the time spent on homework, sleeping, socialization and life maintenance by 84 percent. A student employee will need to learn how to not let the decrease on time spent on studying show in her academic performance. Experiencing Workplace Culture Classroom learning is important, but the culture of workplaces and offices are hard to impart within the classroom.Holding down a regular position outside the classroom will allow students to gain firsthand experience in office culture and politics, which will be helpful upon graduation and their first full-time job. Sponsored Links University of Liverpool Boost your career with Master in Business Administration. Apply Now! www. liverpool-degrees. com It's All Who You Know In today's weak economy, it is even more crucial for students to make as many valuable connections as possible.Working part time for a campus office or off-campus organization will allow students to network outside their social circles, giving them valuable recommendations and contacts for their full-time job search. Accountability and Responsibility According to â€Å"Work on the Campus: Benefits for Student and Institution† by Mary Roark, â€Å"Values, skills, emotional maturity, personal identity and integrity are fostered through (on-campus) employment experiences. † Student-employees will learn to be accountable for their actions in a non-classroom or home environment, and experience how responsibility is delegated and evaluated in an office.Basic Skills Many on-campus part-time jobs will give students the opportunity to learn administrative skills, such as phone and email etiquette, office electronics troubleshooting, and meeting manners. Gaining such skills while in school will place a student-employee ahead of t he curve when they enter the full-time workforce. Read more: The Effect of Part-Time Jobs on Students | eHow. com http://www. ehow. com/facts_5518492_effect-parttime-jobs-students. html#ixzz2CvDLxt4w

How to Write a Novel Writing an AMAZING Book in 15 Steps

How to Write a Novel Writing an AMAZING Book in 15 Steps How to Write a Novel in 15 Steps Much like learning to ride a bike, the best way to learn how to write a novel is by just doing it. Unlike saddling up on a Schwinn for the first time, however, writing a novel can’t be accomplished in one hot summer’s day. It requires good doses of commitment and perseverance. As Octavia Butler put it: â€Å"You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.†This post will break up the 15 major steps of writing a novel into bite-sized pieces, organized in three categories - before, during, and after you write your manuscript. Those steps are as follows:How to Write a Novel: Working with readers is important, because during the writing process authors can often become blind to certain issues like plot holes, lack of continuity, exposition dumps, etc. Beta readers can help you iron these things out before you publish your novel - and you get the exact same feedback, only in a negative user review on Amazon which everyone can see.For more information on where to find beta readers and tips for getting the most out of working with them, head here. And if you're curious about sensitivity readers and what they do, go here.15. Hire a professional editorOne of the most important parts of getting a novel ready for publication is to: hire an editor. It might not be the cheapest investment, but when you think of the many hours you’ve spent getting your novel to this point, the cost of getting an expert to fine-tune and polish your story is likely worth it.Here are a few types of editors you might want to consider working with:Developmental Editor. If youâ⠂¬â„¢re planning to hire multiple editors once you finish your manuscript, it’s best to start with a developmental one. They will provide a holistic and in-depth review of your novel,   giving you feedback on everything from problematic characterization to sentence structure.Copyediting. A copyeditor has a more zero’d-in approach than developmental editor. They will make sure that the â€Å"copy† - the actual language used in your novel - is perfect, keeping an eye out for things like bad grammar, repetition of certain words, or spelling mistakes.Proofreading. Typically the last stage of editing, proofing provides your manuscript with a final polish, making sure it puts its best foot forward when it hits the presses. A proofreader will ensure that every word in your novel is spelt correctly and that every sentence is grammatically correct, clearly marking any errors they find.Learn more about what each type of editing consists of here.Now, how about that pri ce tag we mentioned? Well, the cost of professional editing will depend on a number of variables: the type of editing you need, the specific editor you hire, and your books length, to start.But to give you a general idea, here are the potential costs of editing a 60,000-word manuscript:Developmental Editing: $1,440Copy Editing: $1,020Proofreading: $600Check out our post for more information on the costs of editing - and even try out our pricing calculator by entering the word count for your novel and genre. Step by step: tackle writing a novel in bite-sized pieces And there you have it, 15 steps that will take you from â€Å"one day I’ll write a novel† to â€Å"today I finished writing my first novel.† During the process, the perfect title for your book may have come to you. If not, finding the perfect moniker for your story will likely be a last - and important! - step. But don’t worry, we’re not going to leave you hanging. Check out our book title generator and generate titles based on your genre until you find the one.What step of the process do you typically get stuck on? What advice might you have for other writers currently struggling to get their novel going? Leave any thoughts or questions in the comments below!

Safaricoms Mobile Banking

Safaricoms Mobile Banking Analyzing Summarizing the Innovation Environment  Safaricom’s Mobile Banking Introduction In 2005, Safaricom, a mobile phone company based in Kenya launched M-PESA, a mobile money transfer technique. This innovation was however a brain child of Vodafone, which is Safaricom’s subsidiary company based in the United Kingdom.Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on Safaricom’s Mobile Banking specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With funding from UK based Department of International Development (DFID), Safaricom, which is Kenya’s leading mobile service provider agreed to roll out the M-PESA on a trial basis in the East African country. The pilot program which commenced in October 2005 saw one mainstream bank and a microfinance institution partner with the mobile service provider for purposes of providing it with the banking infrastructure needed during the pilot period. Kenya as a market Kenya is an Af rican country located on the east side of the continent. The country is astride the equator and borders Tanzania on the South, Uganda and Ethiopia on the North and Somalia on the North East border. To the Southeast lies the Indian Ocean. 2007 estimates indicate that Kenya has a population of approximately 37 million people with annual growth rate estimated at 2.8 percent (Fan, 2009). Although fairly late adopters in mobile telephony, People in Kenya have caught up pretty fast. In 1999, two mobile operators, Safaricom and Celtel ventured into the Kenyan market. By the end of 1999, only 17,000 Kenyans had subscribed to mobile telephony. By December 2007 however, 11.3 million Kenyans had subscribed to mobile telephony. Meanwhile however, other mobile telephone companies had entered the market. Fortunately for Safaricom, it remains the largest mobile service provider gauged by the subscriber base. According to Omwansa (2009), the company has 80 percent share of the entire market size. W hen Safaricom launched M-PESA, it commissioned agents in different parts of the country; the agent’s work was primarily to receive deposits from customers and electronically transfer this to the client’s M-PESA account. This electronic money transfer would then be registered as a cash float on the clients phone account. The agents also allowed clients to withdraw money from their accounts by simply entering the amount they wanted to withdraw on the cell phones M-PESA menu, followed by the agent number. In a country where commercial banks are few and wide apart, this financial innovation was embraced by both the banked and the unbanked population largely due to the convenience and the ease of transaction.Advertising Looking for thesis on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Safaricom however maintained that the M-PESA account was not a bank account mainly because people could neither earn interest on money deposited nor take up loans as is the case with ordinary banking accounts. How M-PESA works Once a person opens an M-PESA account through an authorized agent, Safaricom registers this as an electronic account that one can use to receive, send or withdraw money. Any money deposited in the account is managed by Safaricom, which pools the amount in a mainstream bank in the country. By pooling the money in the commercial bank, Mas Morawczynski (2009) notes that the amount is backed as liquid deposits in the commercial bank. The agents spread through out the country allow people an easy access to money as compared to the limited number of automated teller machines or banks. Mino (2009) notes that ever since its launch, M-PESA has eased the domestic money transfer as previously people would use couriers, money orders or bank transfers to send money, which would be time consuming and often inconveniencing considering that most financial services are located in towns whi le quite a significant number of recipients lived in rural areas. Figure 1: M-PESA screen shot Source: Hughes Lonie (2009) Stage of industry evolution – life cycle The industrial life cycle model indicates that a business or an innovation like M-PESA would have four stages of growth (Shaun, 2009). They are: Start-up; growth; maturity; and decline.Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on Safaricom’s Mobile Banking specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Gauging by the events and the time-line that has passed between the trial phase and now, it is easy to place M-PESA on the growth cycle. It is obvious that the start-up period for the money transfer service was between 2005 and 2007, when M-PESA was operating as a pilot project. At this stage, it only attracted early adopters and it registered approximately 1700 users and recruited about 250 agents across the country. After the successful pilot program, M-PESA was formally launched as a mobile money transfer method in Kenya. This not only increased the consumer base and the agent numbers, but the second-mobile service provider in the country Celtel launched a similar service dubbed Sokotele to compete against Safaricom’s M-PESA. Unlike Safaricom however, Celtel lacked the infrastructure that Safaricom had laid during the two year pilot program thus meaning that Safaricom still had an advantage over its competitor. The fact that money transfer could only be done between people within the same network, who had to be registered with M-PESA, gave Safaricom another advantage. At this point in its life cycle, the company was (and still is) able to capitalize on consumers who are catching up and hence the mobile telephone company still stands a good chance to consolidate as much market share as it can. In this study’s opinion, the M-PESA product is still in the growth phase mainly because the Kenyan market still has a wide untapped mob ile telephony potential. Still, Safaricom does not appear to face much competition from the other three mobile service providers especially since Sokotele (now Zap after a change of name) lacks the penetration that M-PESA has in Kenya’s rural areas. Still, M-PESA is still venturing to new markets and in 2008, Kenyans living in the United Kingdom could use their cell phones to send money to their relatives in Kenya. In May 2010, a local bank (Equity Bank) partnered with M-PESA to allow M-PESA account holders to open a savings account (M-KESHO account) with the bank. This would in turn allow M-PESA account holders to transfer money from their mobile phone accounts to the bank’s account without having to go visit the bank physically. In view of this, it is clear that Safaricom is still venturing into new frontiers and hence is still developing the M-PESA product. As such, M-PESA is yet to hit the â€Å"maturity and decline stages of the product development life cycleâ₠¬  as defined by Bradford et al. (2000). Strategic planning in Safaricom Bradford et al. (2000) states that strategic planning â€Å"allows a firm to define its objectives, assess its internal and external environment, formulate a strategy that fits and implement the same† (p. 121). Further, a strategic plan has provisions where the firm is able to evaluate its progress and make the needful adjustments. Accordingly, a strategic planning process has five processes namely: Mission and objectives; environmental scanning; strategy formulation; strategy implementation; and evaluation and Control.Advertising Looking for thesis on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Internal Analysis Of special interest to this study is Safaricom’s environmental scan since it defines the company’s operating environment, which is of special significance to its success or failure in its business operations. To understand the internal environment, this paper will use a â€Å"Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats† (SWOT) analysis in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses facing the company. Bradford et al (2000), observes that a â€Å"SWOT analysis is essential in matching a company’s capabilities to the available resources, and the competitive environment it operates in† (p. 121). Safaricom’s SWOT Analysis Strengths According to Hughes Lonie (2009), the two representatives from Vodafone who lay the ground work and the partnership needed to roll off M-PESA, Safaricom had core competencies which made rolling M-PESA on its network less challenging The company had the systems and connectivity capabilities needed to roll the money transfer product. This meant that whatever commercial product that was developed by the innovators had to fit within the existing systems and network capabilities. The company had an already existing network of dealer outlet. Having worked with Safaricom previously, most dealers had no problem becoming M-PESA agents once they were convinced the project was economically viable. Safaricom was not the developer of M-PESA and hence the burden of innovation and implementation lay squarely on the shoulders of Vodafone. However, as Hughes Lonie (2009) notes, Vodafone is too big a company to be interested in a small market like Kenya. This means that the benefits of a successful money transfer service would be passed to the Kenyan people as well as the partnering mobile-service provider. Weaknesses Bradford et al. (2000) holds the opinion that the absence of specific strengths in business is perceived as weakness. Fortunately for Safaricom, and in this studyâ€⠄¢s observations, the weaknesses are not as many as to deter the innovative product from existence. One of the outstanding weaknesses in Safaricom is that its 80 percent market share presents both fortunes and bad-tidings at times. The former happens when the communication lines are jammed by too many calls thus jamming the communication networks. While this was initially a problem encountered in the voice and SMS products only, M-PESA also encounters such problems from time to time. Luckily, the problem never lasts for long although it inconveniences quite a number of clients whenever the problem occurs. Opportunities With Mobile money transfers gaining popularity by the day, opportunities for Safaricom abounds not only in the Kenyan Market, but also in the extensive east African Market. Omwansa (2009) observes that M-PESA has already been launched in neighboring Tanzania, and the prospects of partnering with local banks to extend the service to mainstream banks have already cau ght up. As of June 2010, three commercial banks in Kenya had already signed up with Safaricom to allow money transfers from the M-PESA accounts to their banks accounts. The banks were identified as Equity Bank Kenya Limited, Kenya Commercial Bank and Family Bank of Kenya. Loose regulations by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) have also afforded M-PESA room for growth unmatched by any other institution in the financial sector. Omwansa (2009) reports that CBK has maintained that M-PESA is not a banking account and hence cannot be regulated as commercial banks. Since it is a fairly new product that has benefited a lot of the Kenyan populace, Omwansa (2009) also observes that the regulatory agencies seems to have an â€Å"unwritten† agreement to let M-PESA be. This is largely thought to be spurred by fears that regulating it may stifle its growth. Threats Although Safaricom is the dominant mobile service provider in the Kenyan market today, one cannot rule out the possibility of more intense competition from other players in future. Omwansa (2009) for example observes that more mobile service providers are investing in the Kenyan market offering competitive rates compared to the rates offered by Safaricom for its voice and SMS products and this could change the market dynamics in the future. Industry Analysis Bradford et al (2000) holds the opinion that a company should evaluate the industry environment before venturing into the same. This allows the company to know what to expect, the barriers it is likely to face, substitute products available in the target market and the intensity and kind of industry rivalry to expect. One of the ideal ways of gauging all these is the Porter’s five forces framework, which this study uses to evaluate M-PESA’s operating environment. Rivalry According to Porter (1998), competition among rival firms has the ability to reduce profits that the firms get from their respective market shares. In Safaricomâ€℠¢s case however, the main competitor in the market was Celtel, which had no product to compete with M-PESA. This presented an advantage to Safaricom, which would have ample time to lay its mobile money transfer at its own pace without fears that the main competitor would out do it. As noted by Omwansa (2009), Celtel only tried out the mobile money transfer after Safaricom had tried it and succeeded. The lack of penetration of Celtel’s part meant that Safaricom remained and still remains the largest provide of mobile money transfer services in Kenya. As such, the would be rivalry failed to be because Celtel’s initiative did not succeed as one would expect especially in a market where it has already been proven that most people transacting on the mobile phone platform do not own bank accounts. According to Porter (1998), rivalries between firms operating in the same environment intensify for a number of reasons. They include: many firms in the same market; a slow growing market; high-fixed costs; uncompetitive storage costs; low or inexistent switching costs; low brand identification; high barrier to exit the market; diversity of rival firms; industry shakeout leading to overcrowding. Analyzing the competitive environment which Safaricom and its product M-PESA operates in, one realizes that none of the factors mentioned above are true in the Kenyan Mobile telephony market and least of all the mobile money transfer sector. This therefore means that Safaricom can only anticipate for probable rivalry in future, but is free to dominate the market presently, just as was the case when M-PESA was launched. Threats of substitutes According to Porter’s view, the threat of substitutes occur when better performing products or services are available in the market. Cheaper products or services also affect the consumer choices. Analyzing M-PESA and its core competitor Zap (changed name from Sokotele when Celtel was acquired by Zain); the latter has fair ly lower transaction costs when compared to the former. As indicated in the diagrams graphics below, Zap is much fairer in its pricing than M-PESA. While this would have given Zap a price-based advantage over M-PESA, the statistics on the ground suggests otherwise. Although acquiring statistics on Zap usage was not successful, this study easily obtained statistics from M-PESA, which indicates that the customer base for the service was at more than 2 million people in the 2007/2008 financial year, with 2,329 agents through out the country. In the 2008/2009 financial year, both the customer and agent numbers had increased with records indicating that there were over 6 million M-PESA customers and 8, 650 agents. By November 2009, the number had yet again gone up to 5 million customers and 14, 764 agents (Safaricom, 2009). Figure 2: M_PESA tariffs Source: safaricom.co.ke/index.php?id=747 Figure 3: ZAP tariffs Source: ke.zain.com/opco/af/core/home/channel.do;jsessionid=4CF576366FC37A 870DEB57F35D7EFB02.node0?channelId=-11711selectedChannels=-11704,-11711#lang=en Although this study would like to believe that Zap poses a real threat of substitute to M-PESA, it is apparent that the former would have to strengthen its subscriber base as well as its ZAP network across the Kenyan market in order to pose a real substitution threat to M-PESA. Buyer Power In Porter’s, buyer power is considered a major consideration that a firm must make when analyzing the industry environment in which they seek to operate. Buyer power refers to the impact that consumers of product and services have on the industry. Most consumers would rather have a situation where they have satisfactory products and services at low prices. However, this is only possible in a competitive environment where the there are few buyers in a rather large market share; the products are standardized; or where buyers can attain backward integration which would in turn threaten market players. In M-PESAâ €™s case, the buyer power does not seem to be such an applicable concept because Omwansa (2009) reports that the mobile money transfer services has been received and adopted by the banked as well as the unbanked population in equal measure. More to this, there seems to be a wide acceptance among the M-PESA clients of not only the appropriateness of the services in a country where banks are mainly located in town centers, but also the speed of transfer is something that is much appreciated by the Kenyan market. Upon making a deposit to one’s account through an M-PESA agent, there is an instant notification through an SMS of the money transfer. One can then choose to use the money deposited in their account to pay bills, transfer money to someone else’s account or electronically buy airtime for use of one’s phone (Safaricom, 2010). Barriers/ threat to entry According to Porter (1998), barrier or threats to a company entering a specific market can arise from different source. Key among them is barriers created by the government. Luckily for M-PESA, the Kenyan government was more than willing to create a facilitating environment. According to Omwansa (2009), this readiness by the Kenyan government can be explained that Kenya is a developing country that understands that innovation holds great potential that could aid in the country’s development. More to this, Kenya is among the African markets that are fast catching up on technology and the developments so far have only brought better prospects for the government and the population. Patents are also identified by Porter (1998) as other barriers restricting firms’ entry into a market. Fortunately for Safaricom, though the initial innovation was Vodafone’s, the latter had no patenting issues and had in fact come up with the mobile money transfer idea through the encouragement of DFID in order to take innovative banking solutions to developing countries in Africa and o ther parts of the world (Hughes Lonie, 2009). This gave Safaricom a free reign and could in turn patent this innovation hence Celtel’s adoption of the same two years after the M-PESA pilot program kicked off. Supplier power According to Porters, a firm operating within the producing industry is more prone to influences exerted on it by the suppliers. Such influence can lead to higher costs in raw materials. Being a service oriented product, M-PESA does not suffer from any pressures that could arise from the suppliers. The only contact between the service provider and the customer is the agent, and so far as Omwansa (2009) observes, the relationship between the agents and Safaricom have not suffered any major hiccups. Leadership Safaricom seems to have taken its position as the mobile telephone service provider in a fairly good manner. Gerson Lehrman Group (2010) notes that even taxi drivers know the Safaricom chief executive by name thus suggesting that the company has mai ntained a close relationship with its clients. Kenya being a fairly small market, this does not seem like such a hard task to achieve. Omwansa (2009) also notes that the company has managed to engage the media very well and as a result, it has not only kept a constant image in the eyes of the public, but has also made sure that every new development in the company is reported to the public promptly. By releasing its annual performance statistics Safaricom has endeared itself to the public not only because of its profit making, but also because it has incorporated innovation in its customer service. M-PESA is one such innovation that has indeed improved the company’s share as a market leader as Ombok (2010) notes; â€Å"The growth in M-PESA and data markets are the main growth drivers for Safaricom, and will still remain so going forward† (p. 1) Controls According to Omwansa (2009), M-PESA regulation is something the Kenyan regulators do not seem very eager to do at the moment. However, noting the expansion of M-PESA into different sectors and the links developed between the product and the financial institutions in Kenya, regulation seems like a necessary step. Apart from regulatory controls however, the money transfer system has instilled control measures that not only ensure the security of money transfer, but also ensure that users stand nothing to loose when using M-PESA. The person identification number (PIN) that one is required to have before carrying out any transaction on the M-PESA platform is one such control. Safaricom encourages the services users not to share the M-PESA pin numbers with anyone because it is the only thing that guarantees security for their money. Omwansa (2009) also notes that there have been incidences where a person transfers money to a wrong account. When this happens, Safaricom encourages people to call the M-PESA customer care services with the details of the recipient account. The customer service representati ves are then able to reverse the money to the sender’s account. However, the money can only be reversed if the recipient had not withdrawn the money already. Strategies and Tactics Delving into the strategies adopted by most Kenyan firms is not an easy task especially because such strategies are guarded as business secrets. In Safaricom’s case however, Fan (2009) observes that the company is not only intent at delivering services to the locals, but is also focused in adding the value that consumers receive from its products, while fortifying its brand at the same time. Quoting Safaricom’s CEO Michael Joseph, Fan (2009) observes that the mobile service provider has made use of the opportunity granted to interact and accompany its clients through the mobile phones. Among the principles that Safaricom seems to have adopted not only for M-PESA but for other product lines is â€Å"think globally, act locally† concept. Like elsewhere in the world, Safaricom und erstands that its Kenyan clientele needs a combination of good, efficient services at low prices, which it has worked hard to achieve. The organization has also been consistent in not only its performance but also in strengthening its brand name. Fan (2009) notes that currently, the main Safaricom’s competitor –Zain, has changed its name thrice since its inception in the Kenyan Market. Initially, it was Kencell, then Celtel and now Zain. While this change of name had no significant effect on service provisions, a cautious market like Kenya had its doubts about the sustainability of a brand that keeps changing its name. Safaricom on the other hand seems to have adopted a naming strategy that resonates with Kenyans thus giving them a sense of pride in the product. Quoting CEO Joseph once again, Fan (2009) observes that Safari is a Swahili name Journey. The PESA on M-PESA is also a Swahili derivative meaning money. As such, the firm is working hard to assure Kenyans that the firm belongs to them, a factor that has been translated to reality by enlisting the firm in the Kenyan Stock Exchange, where locals can buy shares into the company. Financials Although statistics are not quite clear about M-PESA’s contribution to Safaricom’s profit, the money transfer service is among the key growth drivers as noted elsewhere in this study. The firms CEO was quoted by Fan (2009) stating that the firm had hit the 4.5 million customer mark in 2009 and 7,000 agents through out the country. Statistics provided in 2009 indicated that peer-to-peer transactions conducted on the M-PESA platform on a daily basis were around Ksh. 160,000 ($2,133). This not withstanding, the amount of profits generated for Safaricom is quite significant considering that the lowest charge for each transaction is Ksh. 20 ($ 0.26). Above the fixed amount that attracts this rate, customers are charged 3.6 percent of the entire amount they are sending or receiving. Recommendations Conclusion Mino (2009) notes that the fact that Vodafone initially developed M-PESA as a peer-to-peer mobile money transfer method has put several limitations to the innovation. For starters, the amount of money that one can deposit in their account or transfer to another person’s account is limited at 35,000Kenyan shillings (approximately $500). This therefore means that merchants who would like to use the service to conduct payments for an amount exceeding the stated limit cannot do so. Notably, Safaricom does not hold or manage M-PESA operations rights since the M-PESA software is legally a possession of Vodafone. According to Mino (2009), this means that Safaricom, which is on the ground in Kenya, cannot create or distribute supplementary tools which would enable the M-PESA system to consider the interactions needed by merchants in order to conduct their business transactions without any limitations. Since Kenya is a vibrant developing market, it is only a matter of tim e that another person notices the opportunity that exists through the needs presented by the merchants. This is especially considering that the deposit limit is too low to many Kenyan businessmen. As such, Safaricom should seize the moment before anyone else does it and expand their deposit limits. This will not only allow merchants to hold huge amounts of money in their M-PESA accounts before transferring it elsewhere, but will also allows Kenyans to carry huger transactions on the M-PESA platform conveniently. There is also the unending challenge of agents not having enough liquid cash to meet the withdrawal requirements presented to them by M-PESA customers. Safaricom in conjunction with the agents need to find a lasting solution to this problem if indeed the mobile money transfer is to offer wholesome solutions to the financial challenges facing Kenyans. Overall however, M-PESA has been an innovation that has not only received recognition at home, but also elsewhere in the world . In 2007 and 2008, the innovation won the Kenya Banking awards, while in 2008, it won the GSMA best broadcast commercial, Stockholm Exchange (economic development category) and also won the GSMA best-mobile money service award in 2009. This however is not to mean that M-PESA is not facing challenges. The good thing however is that the leadership in Safaricom is willing to handle the various challenges through technology and innovation so as to beat the odds and make the product a lasting service in the Kenyan Market and elsewhere in the African continent. References Bradford, R., Duncan, J. Tarcy, B. (2000). Simplified strategic planning: a no-nonsense guide for busy people who want results fast! Worcester, MA. : Chandler House Fan, J. (2009). Voice from Operators- Safaricom taking Kenyans on a pleasant Safari. Win 2. Retrieved from huawei.com/publications/view.do?id=5914cid=10948pid=10664 Gerson Lehrman Group. (2010). MPESA challenges incumbents: the new payments rail in emerging markets. Retrieved from glgroup.com/News/mPesa-Challenges-IncumbentsThe-New-Payments-Rail-in-Emerging-Markets-48515.html Hughes, N. Lonie, S. (2007). M-PESA: Mobile money for the â€Å"Unbanked†: Turning Cell phones into 24-hour Tellers in Kenya. Innovations. Winter Spring, pp. 63-81. Mas, I. Morawczynski, O. (2009). Designing Mobile money services: Lessons from M-PESA. Innovations 4(2), 77-91. Mino, T. (2009). Will the real banks please stand up? Business Daily. Retrieved from businessdailyafrica.com/Opinion%20%20Analysis/-/539548/621718/-/view/printVersion/-/xmkpkxz/-/index.html Ombok, E. (2010). Safaricom of Kenya’s profit to rise 21% RenCap says (update 1). Bloomberg Business week. Retrieved from businessweek.com/news/2010-05-25/safaricom-of-kenya-s-profit-to-rise-21-rencap-says-update1-.html Omwansa, T. (2009). M-PESA: Progress and Prospects. Innovations/ mobile world Congress 107-122 Porter, M. E. (1998). Competitive Strategy: techniques for analyzing Industr ies and Competitors. Lafayette Detroit, MI: Free Press. Safaricom. (2009). Key performance statistics. Retrieved from safaricom.co.ke/fileadmin/template/main/images/MiscUploads/M-PESA%20Statistics.pdf

How to Teach the Present Perfect Continuous

How to Teach the Present Perfect Continuous The present perfect continuous form is often confused with the present perfect. Indeed, there are many instances in which the present perfect continuous can be used as well as the present perfect. For example: Ive worked here for twenty years. OR Ive been working here for twenty years.Ive played tennis for twelve years. OR Ive been playing tennis for twelve years. The main emphasis in the present perfect continuous is on expressing how long the current activity has been happening. Its best to stress that the present perfect continuous form is used for shorter periods of time to express how long that particular action has been taking place. Ive been writing for thirty minutes.Shes been studying since two oclock. In this manner, youll help students understand that the present perfect continuous is used to express the length of a current action. Compare this to cumulative length for which we tend to use the present perfect, although the present perfect continuous can be used. Introducing the Present Perfect Continuous Start by Speaking about the Length of Current Actions Introduce the present perfect continuous by asking students how long theyve been studying in the current class on that day. Extend this to other activities. Its a good idea to use a magazine with photos and ask questions about how long the person in the photo has been doing a particular activity. Length of Current Activity Heres an interesting photo. Whats the person doing? How long has the person been doing XYZ?What about this one? He looks like hes getting ready for a party. I wonder if you can tell me how long hes been getting ready for the party. Result of Activity Another important use of the present perfect continuous is to explain what has been happening that has caused a present result. Stating results and asking questions are effective in teaching this use of the form. His hands are dirty! What has he been doing?Youre all wet! What have you been doing?Hes tired. Has he been studying for a long time? Practicing the Present Perfect Continuous Explaining the Present Perfect Continuous on the Board Use a timeline to illustrate the two principal uses of the present perfect continuous. With such a long string of helping verbs, the present perfect continuous can be a bit confusing. Make sure that students understand the construction by providing a structural chart like the one below: Subject have been verb(ing) objectsHe has been working for three hours.We havent been studying for long. Repeat for the negative and interrogative forms as well. Make sure students understand that the verb have is conjugated. Point out that questions are formed with How long ... for the length of an activity, and What have you ... for explanations of current results. How long have you been sitting there?.What have you been eating? Comprehension Activities Its a good idea to compare and contrast both the present perfect and present perfect continuous when first teaching this tense. At this point in their studies, students should be able to handle working with two related tenses. Use lessons that focus on the differences to help them distinguish usage. Quizzes testing present perfect or perfect continuous use also help students become familiar with the two tenses. Present perfect and continuous dialogues can also help with practicing the differences. Also, make sure to review non-continuous or stative verbs with students. Challenges With the Present Perfect Continuous The main challenge students will face with the present perfect continuous is understanding that this form is used to focus on shorter lengths of time. I find its a good idea to use a common verb such as teach to illustrate the difference. For example: Ive taught English for many years. Today, Ive been teaching for two hours. Finally, students may still have difficulties with the use of for and since as time expressions with this tense.

Kindle Fire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Kindle Fire - Research Paper Example Indeed, there is no denying the fact that the name of Apple’s tablet computer, which is the iPad has come to replace what every other tablet computer should be called. There are hardly people who know that iPad is only a registered brand of Apple’s tablet computer because they think that is what every other tablet computer is called. Such popularity is a major brand equity that brings about massive profits for companies involved (Prosser and Wittenberg, 2007). If for nothing at all, consumers of tablet computers who have no relevance to the brand of a company’s product may just go to the shop and say they want to buy an iPad and it is apple’s tablet PC that they will be given. Stratified marketing: Another major advantage or strength that Apple Inc and their iPad have over the Kindle Fire is that the company operates a multi-stratified market. What this means is that the computer is not only into the production of table computers. Subsequently, the company is always assured of a means of gaining revenue and raising expenditure to cover up for the key account expenses of its product. To this end, it becomes almost unthinkable that the company would run out of fund to promote its products. Another thing about the stratified market is that the perceived performance and quality of Apple’s other products may be directly related to its tablet computer and this may be a major competitive advantage. Weaknesses Costing : Regard of the major advantages that have been looked at, there remain some key weaknesses that Apple Inc and its iPad suffers. Typical among these is the fact that Apple’s iPad are one of the most expensive on the market (Porter, 2010). Even though the company may have some justification for this by citing issues of the fact that their products are filled with sophisticated software and applications and the fact that the products are of high quality, it remains a fact that there continues to be a large proportio n of the consumer market, whose major selection criteria for any product is the price or cost of the product. This is a weakness to iPad, which may well come as an advantage and strength to the Kindle Fire. Stagnated market syndrome: Analysts have said that until the Apple Company comes to realize the importance and need to take advantage of what they call abandoned market, the company may hardly maximize its full financial potency (Introduction to Evaluation, n.d). Currently, Apple concentrates on North America, Asia and Europe as its major market destinations. To this end, there has been a stagnated market syndrome whereby virtually no new customers are being added. As the Kindle Fire roots for the African and Southern American markets, the stagnated market syndrome would continue to be a major disadvantage to Apple. Support services buyers of product want and need Technical specification support: Most consumers and customers of the Kindle Fire get hooked to the product not becaus e they are people with technical expertise of the functioning and

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Business Manangement - Coursework Example Social responsibility improves public relations, companies that are socially responsible tend to be more prolific as they can attract productive employees and retain quality workers, reduce bad publicity and risk from government litigation. However, social responsibility can also harm the business by interfering in the quest of profit maximization. This usually occurs because socially responsible actions can carry a very high cost, paid by the businesses indulging in corporate social responsibility. Business Ethics Business owners frequently make decisions involving ethical considerations. Contrasting decisions are made in similar situations by different managers, depending on their particular moral development, individual characteristics and the culture of their organization. In the case of â€Å"Who To Lay Off?† a questions approach can be employed according to Robbins, Coulter, and Vohra (2008) to identify ethical considerations. If the business owner asks himself questions such as â€Å"have you defined the problem accurately?† Robbins, Coulter, and Vohra (2008,p.108) He can decide as to whether or not terminating an employee is the most ethical decision.

Effects of Caffeine on the Human Body Research Paper

Effects of Caffeine on the Human Body - Research Paper Example It is widely believed that caffeine is a drug which causes addiction and has many harmful effects on the body. This paper aims to research the controversy of these effects. Some of the effects reportedly associated with Caffeine intake are rise in blood pressure, high level of alertness, affects on length and quality of sleep and stunt growth. Though it has also been observed that all individuals do not provide the same response to the stimulus of Caffeine, it nevertheless has been an issue of great concern whether there are any general and noticeable effects of Caffeine on the human body. Introduction: Caffeine is a chemical compound regarded as one of the three most used drugs of the world that affect the mood of the user. Caffeine is said to be a potent and quick-acting drug that produces the same effect on the human body as stress does (Connelly). Caffeine is present in numerous everyday intakes like coffee, tea, cocoa and energy boosting drinks. The amount of Caffeine in the ene rgy boosting drinks is dangerously high, which is one of the major contributing factors towards the hyperactivity following the intake of these drinks. These effects of Caffeine occur instantly and can prevail for 6-8 hours after the consumption. Caffeine is regarded as a drug because of its addictive nature and withdrawal symptoms. The usage of Caffeine-containing beverages and products is very common, such that it has become an everyday need for many people to carry out their day-to-day tasks properly. Research has proven that the effects of Caffeine on the body is differentiated by size (like built, weight etc.) and gender (Rhodes). However, these may not be the only factors influencing the onset of Caffeine effects. It is commonly believed that Caffeine does not affect every individual in the same way. The purpose of this research paper is also the analysis of the effects of Caffeine on the human body. Materials and Methods: Different assumptions will require different sample sp ecifications and methodologies. For analyzing the effect of Caffeine on Blood Pressure, we will need to take a sample of 6 fit individuals; 2 adult males, 1male child, 2 adult females and 1 female child. Before the start of the experiment, all 6 individuals’ Blood Pressures will be noted. Then, 1 adult male, 1 adult female and both the children will be administered with Caffeine (a cup of coffee) while the remaining 2 will be given placebo compounds (sugar). Immediately after administration, the blood pressure will be noted again for all 6 individuals and this will continue with 15minutes time span for the next 6 hours. For analyzing the effect of Caffeine on Alertness, we will require a sample of 4 individuals at minimum. Each individual will be assigned a task to perform (solve mathematics problems) under three different conditions; without the administration of Caffeine, with the administration of a certain amount of caffeine (a cup of coffee) and lastly with another admin istration of the same amount of caffeine as earlier, i.e., double the amount of caffeine (another cup of coffee) (O’Brien). For assessing the effect of Caffeine on Growth, we will require a minimum of 2 individuals. 1 will be administered with Caffeine products while the other will remain away from Caffeine. Visible effects of Caffeine will not be observable; however, we will be able to analyze the effect of Caffeine on growth by noting its effect on Calcium absorption (Ho and Provis). Observation and Analysis: In the first experiment regarding blood pressure, we will notice that those individuals who were given

Macroeconomices Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Macroeconomices - Research Proposal Example Few economists would argue that the birth of modern macroeconomics can be dated back to the upsetting incidents of the 1930s and most particularly the perspectives of John Maynard Keynes (1936) conveyed in the General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money which is basically a response to these traumatic events. Prior to the Keynesian revolution the prevailing classical assumption was that while consumerist economies would be subjected to episodic distresses, market forces would function promptly and successfully to restore complete employment equilibrium (Ahiakpor 2003). In such conditions government intervention to calm down the economy was judged to be neither essential nor favorable. The Great Depression, which bears witness to a terrible collapse in output and increase in unemployment rate, seemed to blow apart the classical theory that complete employment was the normal state of affairs (ibid). Writing in this setting, Keynes argued that capitalist market economies are intrinsically unstable and can only be stabilized at less than complete employment for protracted periods. This insecurity was for Keynes largely the consequence of fluctuations in collective demand. The Great Depression, he disputed, resulted above all from a razor-sharp reduction in the level of investment expenditure â€Å"occasioned by a cyclical change in the marginal efficiency of capital† (Snowdon & Vane 1999: 2) with the related harsh uncontrolled unemployment illustrating a state of scarce aggregate demand. The indication of Keyne’s analysis was that government intervention, in the structure of flexible fiscal and monetary policy, could assist improve such aggregate insecurity and even out the economy at full employment mode. Capitalism could be resurrected but not in accordance to the nineteenth-century laissez-faire belief (ibid). The immediate acceptance of Keynesian in the intellectual community and policy-making societies guaranteed that throughout the 1950s

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 29

Assignment - Essay Example These attributes are important because these allow the nurse to perform his or her job much more effectively in terms of the delivery of expected expert care and affect or influence the outcome of various nursing therapeutic roles such as in emotional support, spiritual guidance, information gathering and sharing with the patient, in advocacy of certain medical and ethical issues related to nursing care and patient interactions, in validation of the patient’s feelings, in patient empowerment, and psychological ventilation of the many concerns that many patients usually have, especially those already undergoing their end-stage palliative care. Taken together, all these mentioned attributes are to be directed towards one goal only which is the rendition of nursing care, and in this connection, there are several nursing theories of care which had been propounded by expert nursing practitioners over the years. Among the foremost theories are that of Swanson which relate to the aspects of knowing (the patient), being with, doing for, engaging in the enabling process, and finally, in maintaining belief (Swanson, 2010:433). There are many other similar theories of nursing care which require the same attributes of a good registered nurse like that of Jean Watson’s the Caring Moment, that of Lydia Hall’s Core, Cure, and Care, and of Ernestine Weidenbach’s nursing as a helping art. Nursing developed not only as task-based interventions but as real care (West, 2009:16). Critical thinking is the ability of a person to analyse certain facts and events in an objective manner that helps him or her to make a wise decision. It is therefore a type of reasoning that allows a person to synthesize information from observations and experiences to enable him to reach a reasonably accurate belief and combine this with reflection for an effective action. For those in the nursing profession, critical

Macroeconomices Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Macroeconomices - Research Proposal Example Few economists would argue that the birth of modern macroeconomics can be dated back to the upsetting incidents of the 1930s and most particularly the perspectives of John Maynard Keynes (1936) conveyed in the General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money which is basically a response to these traumatic events. Prior to the Keynesian revolution the prevailing classical assumption was that while consumerist economies would be subjected to episodic distresses, market forces would function promptly and successfully to restore complete employment equilibrium (Ahiakpor 2003). In such conditions government intervention to calm down the economy was judged to be neither essential nor favorable. The Great Depression, which bears witness to a terrible collapse in output and increase in unemployment rate, seemed to blow apart the classical theory that complete employment was the normal state of affairs (ibid). Writing in this setting, Keynes argued that capitalist market economies are intrinsically unstable and can only be stabilized at less than complete employment for protracted periods. This insecurity was for Keynes largely the consequence of fluctuations in collective demand. The Great Depression, he disputed, resulted above all from a razor-sharp reduction in the level of investment expenditure â€Å"occasioned by a cyclical change in the marginal efficiency of capital† (Snowdon & Vane 1999: 2) with the related harsh uncontrolled unemployment illustrating a state of scarce aggregate demand. The indication of Keyne’s analysis was that government intervention, in the structure of flexible fiscal and monetary policy, could assist improve such aggregate insecurity and even out the economy at full employment mode. Capitalism could be resurrected but not in accordance to the nineteenth-century laissez-faire belief (ibid). The immediate acceptance of Keynesian in the intellectual community and policy-making societies guaranteed that throughout the 1950s

Evolution in Law Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Evolution in Law Systems - Essay Example The initial quality is belief. The investors, the banks and the further financial institutions and mediators desire to discern that a contract is a contract. They moreover wish to identify what the accurate compulsions of the team are, the facts of the contracts, the position and process of expense, the therapy in the occasion of the instance which resolves the worth of their financial resources. The valid regulations of law have to lessen the aspects of indecision also make circumstances more convenient. Therefore, dealings are easier also inexpensive to close and execute. The quality of belief within individual dealings, guides to the quality of inevitability within the lawful also official system on the whole. Financial marketplaces in addition to trade people depend on the inevitability of the lawful structure. A conventional lawful structure plus scheme of law can forever be depended upon, within that valid rules plus lawful averages will take place also relate in the means anticipated. Therefore, organizations, person's also financial institutions are at all times competent of scheduling for the potential and venture prospects are not disturbed by the alterations within the decree. The qThe qualities of belief and inevitability within the lawful structure are always hailed also facilitates or eases the formation of burly investment prospects plus the market for venture with monetary assets. Nevertheless an evenly important rate is the aptitude of the lawful structure to facilitate the element of novelty. Modernization is assisted by elasticity within the legal structure, which is a third basic quality of a competent moreover victorious scheme of financial as well as commercial law. A flexible legal structure supports alteration within the marketplace circumstances and conditions that facilitate the capitalists, savers, investors and economic institutions to act in response efficiently and rapidly. The fourth basic quality of a flourishing and efficient system of law relating to finance is the ability of the law to support and facilitate specialized legal techniques to deal with special technical needs of the financial industry. A typical example of the capability of financial law to accomplish this intention which is the maturity of the lawful structure overriding the financial also the payment mechanisms like the cheques or bonds. Evolution of English financial law: The law of contracts is one of the most essential characteristics of the legal system, which is an indispensable circumstance for the function of some marketplaces, together with the financial markets. Evoking the fact that a contract is basically a pledge otherwise a set of pledges to execute an action or else skip to act, for the breach of contract, for which the regulation provides a remedy, and identifies it as a duty. The elements of reassurances are, certainly, all over within the financial marketplaces. The consumer might place cash within the bank. The depository pledges to give back the cash to the client upon the client's insistence otherwise to a different individual upon the client's request.

Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis (CWP) Research Plan

Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis (CWP) Research Plan MOHAMMAD FAISAL Collection of Data A.1. What were the objectives of the study? What was the association of interest? The objectives of the study were to examine the association of the prevalence of coal workers pneumoconiosis (CWP) in the USA and different contributing factors such as level of dust exposure, mine size, low seam mining and other factors. Also the regional differences in CWP were compared. The association of interest is between CWP and various contributing factors and also between different MSHA district regions. It was a cross-sectional study. A.2. What was the primary outcome (usually a disease, health condition, or other dependent variable) of interest? Briefly explain how the outcome was measured. The primary outcomes were observed and predicted prevalence in CWP prevalence in miners who participated in this study. Attfield and Morring Exposure response model was utilized to measure the predicted prevalence in CWP and the Chi-square test was used to compare the predicted and observed prevalences in CWP in miners. Radiographs were used to determine the presence of lung parenchymal abnormalities that are consistent with pneumoconiosis obtained from CWHSP. A.3. What was the primary exposure (actual exposure such as chemical, other risk factor, or other independent variable) of interest? Briefly explain how exposure was measured. The primary exposures were level of dust exposure concentration, mine size, tenure, seam height. These data were collected from CWHSP, approved by the NIOSH Human Subjects Review Board. Coal mine dust concentration and seam height data were obtained from MSIS. A.4. What type of study was conducted (study design)? This was a cross sectional study, which was done with a large number of participants from survey data. A.5. Describe the process of subject selection.   Define the source population for this study, if possible. The study participants were 12,408 underground coal miners from the MSHA districts. Participation in this CWHSP study were voluntary and study participants were 16 years and older. Due to small number of participants and different type of coal type (anthracite rather than bituminous), MSHA district 1 participants were excluded. The source population was all the underground coal miners in MSHA districts in USA. A.6. Selection bias: What are possible sources in this study? Examples: in a case-control study, how were the study subjects included? In a cohort study, is there loss to follow-up?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The study participants (underground coal miners) in this CWHSP study were stratified by MSHA districts. Since stratified analyses are important in this study, the probability of being selected in a specific stratum might be different from another stratum and thus a selection bias might have happened. A.7. Information bias: What are some of the sources of information (measurement) error, for either the exposure or outcome measurement? Are these differential with respect to the exposure or outcome of interest? For exposure measurement, the investigators analyzed the self reported tenure in mining to derive the cumulative exposures. Also current exposures were examined for CWP which may not establish temporal relationship due to lack of allowance for lag time. A.8. Confounding: Did the authors consider potential confounders in the design of the study? The authors considered the following confounders: miner age and coal rank because the effect of respirable coal mine dust can be modified by the rank of the coal.   Ã‚  Ã‚   B. Analysis of Data B.1. What methods were used to control confounding? Were these sufficient (as far as you can tell)? As mentioned in the report the investigators incorporated all of the above mentioned covariates in their exposure-response statistical models to control for confounding. No detailed description is found about controlling the confounders. B.2. What measure of association (e.g. odds ratio, risk ratio, rate difference, etc.) was reported in the study? Was this appropriate? The authors reported the prevalence of the CWP and prevalence ratio between different MSHA district regions in this study. Since this is a survey based study, prevalence ratio is appropriate. B.3. How was the uncertainty of the measure of association (effect of random error or statistical significance) reported in this study? Are the conclusions of the study consistent with the uncertainty of the measure of association? The authors did not report 95% confidence intervals to report the uncertainty of the measure. However they reported the range of measured dust concentration level, worked hours per miners and tenure median. The prevalence ratio was statistically significant (p

Essay --

Who Am I? A look inside Holden, Seymour, and Salinger from three acclaimed works. After World War II J.D. Salinger joined the ranks of the exceptionally adept authors that came about after the heinous second world war. Salinger, fueled by his experiences from the war, addressed many concerns and issues, most of which are timeless. Due to many of his astounding pieces, and his fresh outlook on society, is considered a phenomenal, classic, American author. One that is responsible for many renowned, coming of age novels, as well as a number of agonizing critiques of the society that has been cultured. The Catcher in the Rye and, â€Å"A Perfect Day for Bananafish† are two of his most acclaimed works, both wrestling with the concept concerning the conservation of innocence, a main talking point of Salinger. This is visible through many similarities between the two works. In The Catcher in the Rye, â€Å"A Perfect Day for Bananafish,† and, J.D. Salinger: A Life the characters share common internal conflicts regarding the people that they have become, thi s central conflict aids in conveying Salingers overwhelming claim that when faced with great ordeals, any figurative wounds attained, affect a person in every aspect of life. In The Catcher in The Rye Holden wrestles with the concept of the person that he has turned into. The colossal amount of struggles he has faced, and the lacerations he has gained have remained by his side, altering his everyday, mundane actions. Holden remarks on the painful transition between childhood and adulthood when he is in the Natural History Museum, he says that the, â€Å"best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was.... Nobody's be different. The only thing that would be ... ...today. Salinger gained many mental and physical wounds during his time in the army, both affected his views on innocence and affected him as a person. Both The Catcher in the Rye, â€Å"A Perfect Day for Bananafish†, and J.D. Salinger: A Life have similar views on innocence, however, the way in which the protagonists experienced their realization on the topic was utterly different. In The Catcher in the Rye and, â€Å"A Perfect Day for BananaFish† as well as J.D. Salinger: A Life, Holden, seymour, and Salinger both find themselves with similar internal conflicts regarding the people they have become, in relation to their innocence. The self exploration the three underwent was due to the accumulation of anguish and grief. both The Catcher in the Rye and, â€Å"A Perfect Day for Bananafish† share similar insights, because of Salingers similar themes and his experience in the war.

The Role of Social Class and Society Essay -- Literary Analysis

Since the beginning of time, social class and race have been paramount in society. Back in the time of caveman, roles and traditions were passed down based on gender. The man was responsible for protection and collecting food while women were responsible for cooking and keeping house. That belief has traversed time and slowly changes with each era. But throughout history, men and women have lived with preconceived notions of their duties to their families. These notions have been passed down generations and have affected how people live within their society. In the novel â€Å"Like Water for Chocolate†, social class is revered in the story of the De la Garza family. As we see through the personal journey of Tita, the main character, these distinctions are evident. Set in the time of the Mexican Revolutionary War, the De la Garza family consisted of Mama Elena and her three daughters. â€Å"The most significant, life-changing activities women carried out in the Revolution at the outset were related to their families† (Monk). The oldest daughter was Rosaura, followed by Gertrudis and then the youngest, Tita. Tita’s father had died shortly after Tita’s birth. They lived on a self-serving farm where all members were expected to help. Each female had chores that were to be completed without complaint. Even though the fictional story revolves around recipes, other gender based ideals are revealed. â€Å"These activities were no longer carried out inside four walls, causing family survival to become essential† (Monk). The first tradition mentioned in â€Å"Like Water for Chocolate† was the role of the youngest daughter as pertains to her future. These women were not allowed to marry. Their duty in their life was to care for the mother as ... ...mentsin 1776." Map of General Washington's Battle Engagements in 1776. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. . Guidotti-Hernà ¡ndez, Nicole M. "National Appropriations: Yaqui Autonomu, The Centennial Of The Mexican Revolution And The Bicentennial Of The Mexican Nation." Latin Americanist 55.1 (2011): 69-92. Academic Search Complete. Web. 18 Apr. 2012. "In the Garden of Eden | Pathways." Pathways. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. . Monk, Heather Dashner. "Notes On Mexican Women Then And Now Reflections On A Revolution." Against The Current 25.4 (2010): 20-24. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Apr. 2012 "Nibbles - Family Stress." University of Illinois Extension-Urban Programs Resource Network. Web. 3 Apr. 2012. . The Role of Social Class and Society Essay -- Literary Analysis Since the beginning of time, social class and race have been paramount in society. Back in the time of caveman, roles and traditions were passed down based on gender. The man was responsible for protection and collecting food while women were responsible for cooking and keeping house. That belief has traversed time and slowly changes with each era. But throughout history, men and women have lived with preconceived notions of their duties to their families. These notions have been passed down generations and have affected how people live within their society. In the novel â€Å"Like Water for Chocolate†, social class is revered in the story of the De la Garza family. As we see through the personal journey of Tita, the main character, these distinctions are evident. Set in the time of the Mexican Revolutionary War, the De la Garza family consisted of Mama Elena and her three daughters. â€Å"The most significant, life-changing activities women carried out in the Revolution at the outset were related to their families† (Monk). The oldest daughter was Rosaura, followed by Gertrudis and then the youngest, Tita. Tita’s father had died shortly after Tita’s birth. They lived on a self-serving farm where all members were expected to help. Each female had chores that were to be completed without complaint. Even though the fictional story revolves around recipes, other gender based ideals are revealed. â€Å"These activities were no longer carried out inside four walls, causing family survival to become essential† (Monk). The first tradition mentioned in â€Å"Like Water for Chocolate† was the role of the youngest daughter as pertains to her future. These women were not allowed to marry. Their duty in their life was to care for the mother as ... ...mentsin 1776." Map of General Washington's Battle Engagements in 1776. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. . Guidotti-Hernà ¡ndez, Nicole M. "National Appropriations: Yaqui Autonomu, The Centennial Of The Mexican Revolution And The Bicentennial Of The Mexican Nation." Latin Americanist 55.1 (2011): 69-92. Academic Search Complete. Web. 18 Apr. 2012. "In the Garden of Eden | Pathways." Pathways. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. . Monk, Heather Dashner. "Notes On Mexican Women Then And Now Reflections On A Revolution." Against The Current 25.4 (2010): 20-24. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Apr. 2012 "Nibbles - Family Stress." University of Illinois Extension-Urban Programs Resource Network. Web. 3 Apr. 2012. .

Alzheimer’s Disease Research Paper Essay

Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in elderly individuals. Currently, 4.5 million people in the United States approximately have Alzheimer’s disease. (Burns) Alzheimer’s disease presents the victim with a sharp decline in memory, language, visuospatial perception, executive functioning and decision-making. Because this disease is so harsh on people’s personality, behavioral and psychiatric symptoms are frequently present in Alzheimer’s disease. The impact Alzheimer’s disease has on health care is significant and estimated to cost $100 billion dollars per year and predicted to rise as it is a demand to find new medication and the number of Alzheimer’s disease individual rise. (Burns) There is medication available, however there is currently no cure, the medications that are given have symptoms that do not alter the negative progression of the disease. Alzheimer’s disease is defined as progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain’s nerve cells and neurons resulting in a loss of memory, thinking, language skills, and behavioral changes. (Burns) Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by cognitive dysfunction, psychiatric symptoms, behavioral disturbances, and difficulty performing daily activities. Alzheimer’s disease is currently the 6th leading cause of death in the United States and presently 4.5 million Americans are living with it. Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia in elder individuals. (Burns) Even though there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, the health care costs are extremely high, being just over 100 billion dollars per year. The hopefulness of the development of a cure or new therapies becomes more desperate every year for new advances in the future. (Burns) The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in every individual vary; the disease can be extremely severe and other times slightly mild. Because Alzheimer’s disease is progressive it advances as time goes on, it starts off as the individual becomes forgetful and looses a small amount of memory and continues to severe dementia and loosing memory completely. The cognitive dysfunction of a person with Alzheimer’s disease includes memory loss, language difficulties, and executive dysfunction, which consists of a loss of higher level planning and intellectual coordination skills. (Burns) The psychiatric symptoms and behavioral disturbances can be anything from depression and agitation to hallucinations. The psychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease can also be collectively termed as non-cognitive symptoms. (Burns) The general symptoms of memory loss is always the first symptom of a majority of the cases of Alzheimer’s disease. The gradual onset of memory loss has the same symptoms as normal aging, because ageing shows symptoms of some dementia as well, this can understandably become confusing to diagnose, and however Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. (Burns) The onset of Alzheimer’s disease is sly and emerges with a mild loss of memory and continues on with difficulty in finding the right word to go along with sentences. A diagnoses occurs only when the symptoms interfere significantly with everyday life such as social and work functions. Personal and emotional changes within the individual are very common for people who have Alzheimer’s disease. Major depressive disorder occurs in 20-35% of cases, while anxiety reaches 15-25% of people who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. (Burns) Every 67 seconds someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease. Women seem to get his the hardest with this disease. In a women’s 60’s, the estimated risk for developing Alzheimer’s is 1 in 6 and two thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease are women. (Burns) Not only are women more likely to have Alzheimer’s, women are also more likely to be caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease leads to nerve cell death and tissue loss throughout the brain. Over time, the brain shrinks dramatically because of this, affecting nearly all of its functions, especially the memory. The cortex of the brain  shrivels up and damages areas involved in thinking, planning, and remembering. (Fackelmann) Shrinkage is especially threatening in the hippocampus, which is the area that forms new memories. The ventricles, which are the fluid-filled spaces within the brain, grow larger to fill in the places that have shriveled up. The tissue within an Alzheimer’s patient has fewer nerve cells and synapses than a healthy brain. Nerve cells and synapses are what carry messages throughout the brain they are crucial to the biological computations that make up perception and thought. The dead nerve cells contain tangles, which are made up of twisted strands of another protein. The small clumps can clock the synapse and can activate the immune system to trigger inflammation. (Fackelmann) The plaques and tangles spread throughout the cortex in a predictable pattern as Alzheimer’s disease progresses. The rate of the progression of the tangles and plaques within the brain varies significantly. (Fackelmann) People with Alzheimer’s disease live an average of 8 years, but some individuals can survive up to 20 years. In a severely advanced Alzheimer’s disease most of the cortex is severely damaged. (Fackelmann) This is where the brain had shrunk dramatically because of widespread cell death. In this stage, individuals lose their ability to communicate, recognize their family and loved ones, and to care for themselves in their daily activities. The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown, however researchers have linked several risk factors with Alzheimer’s disease such as an increasing age, family history, head injury (anti-inflammatory drugs have been associated as a reduction of risk), depression, hypertension, high cholesterol, low physical and cognitive activity, diabetes, diseases that cause mutations of chromosomes 1, 14, and 21, ApoE genotype, and individuals diagnosed with down syndrome eventually develops the neurological symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. (Fackelmann) The genetic contribution to Alzheimer’s disease is a risk. The risk for the first degree of relatives of people with the disease is estimated at 10-40% higher than unrelated people. (Whalley) The fact that monozygotic twins (twins who share 100% of their genetic material) have a higher concordance rate than dizygotic twins indicates that there is a significant genetic  component to Alzheimer’s disease. (Whalley) Because of the risks stated above, researches suggest that environmental factors are also a contribution to the diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease. Environmental factors is confirmed by the fact that the strongest association is not true across all races; 50% of white patients with Alzheimer’s disease do not carry an e4 allele (ApoE genotype), which is a significant risk in getting Alzheimer’s disease. (Whalley) The cure for Alzheimer’s disease is uncertain and is mainly focused on therapeutic treatments that help some dementia and other symptoms associated with it. For clinical reasons, non-drug interventions should be used initially, especially if the symptoms are not causing stress or placing the individual at risk to themselves or to others. If non-drug remedial interventions have no effect, cholinesterase inhibitors are the conventional drug treatment of choice for Alzheimer’s disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors have a moderate beneficial symptoms associated with the drug. The drug modifies symptoms in the minority of people with Alzheimer’s disease because it is nicely tolerated in the majority of individuals. Memantine is a drug that is a glutamatergic antagonist that trials have found effective in individuals that have severe dementia, however it is restricted to those in clinical trials. Cholinesterare inhibitors and memantine are known to produce little identifiable improvements in the activities of daily life. Non-drug approaches are not effective in helping memory loss, even though there are therapeutic techniques that help retain memory and can offer support for people with mild dementia. Sources Burns, A. Alzheimer’s Disease. British Medical Journal, 338, 467-471. Retrieved June 2, 2014 Fackelmann, K. Forcasting Alzheimer’s Disease. Science News, 149, 312-313. Retrieved June 2, 2014 Whalley, L. Genetics of Alzheimer’s Disease. British Medical Journal (clinical research edition), 1556. Retrieved June 2, 2014