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This is an article that is concerned with intervention approaches for the younger population that have problems with alcohol abuse. It describes the gravity of the situation by reporting the huge number of adolescents who have a problem with alcohol and substance abuse. Thus, it reports that â€Å"[i]n 2002, an estimated 10. 7 million American youths, 28. 8% of total youths 12–20 years old, were current drinkers. † The article determined current drinkers by using the criterion that the person â€Å"consumed at least one drink in the past 30 days† (Society for the Study of Addiction, 2004). The gravity of the problem is underscored by the huge part of the statistics to belong to binge and heavy drinkers. The â€Å"US National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2002† estimated that 7. 2 million adolescents are binge drinkers, while 2. 3 million adolescents are heavy drinkers. Heavy drinkers are those who consumed more than four drinks in five different days in the past 30 days. The staggering figures lead to the conclusion that there is serious public health problem among the youth with respect to their alcohol consumption. This problem extends to serious behavioral disorders resulting from alcohol consumption, such as alcoholism. The problem is even more serious because disorders that are related to alcohol abuse are likely to become â€Å"chronic and to persist into adulthood† (Society for the Study of Addiction, 2004). The problem with adolescent alcohol abuse has led to the development of various treatments, both in the private and public healthcare systems. These treatments often range from adolescent to adult care. However, treatment cares often result in relapse in 50-70 percent of affected adolescents. Therefore, there is a need for systematic approaches that are tailored to meet the specific needs and limitations of the target population, which is the youth (Society for the Study of Addiction, 2004). Treatments require appropriate diagnostic criteria in assessing alcohol use patterns of adolescents. Moreover, there is a need to develop a framework within which â€Å"alcohol-related pathology† could be accounted for in the adolescent stage of a person's life (Society for the Study of Addiction, 2004). The article likewise cites Liddle (2004), who reviewed therapies involving the family of the adolescent who has problems in alcohol and drug abuse. There are suggestions to develop â€Å"adolescent focused, family-based therapies for substance abuse† (Society for the Study of Addiction, 2004). Family-based therapies are believed to be effective for the helpful recovery of alcohol-dependent adolescent. Family-based therapies often analyze â€Å"videotaped in-therapy sessions. Such records help in the identification of problems and issues, and serve as bases for change and treatment (Society for the Study of Addiction, 2004). This article is useful because it points out how important it is to first determine the extent of the problem before attempting to solve it. In the case of alcoholic adolescents, there is a need to first know the needs and limitations of each person and proceed from there. Intervention strategies, such as family-based therapies, should factor in such details in order to be effective. Videotaped therapy sessions are also helpful because they allow all stakeholders, such as the alcohol-dependent person, his family, and the therapist, to have a clear perspective of the situation, through observation from a different angle. Finally, family members could be effective in helping adolescent alcohol dependents by providing moral support.

International Data Communications Essay

Just like in end terminal / customer premise equipment (CPE) distribution, countries in European countries experience new applications and data services relatively in the same time with other regions like Asia and North America (USA and Canada). Figure 1 shows the current figure of telephone users in the world based on regions. Figure 1 Main telephone lines per 100 inhabitants (1994 -2004) Source: ITU. â€Å"The Digital Divide at a glance. † 2005. Retrieved December 10, 2007 from http://www.itu. int/wsis/tunis/newsroom/stats/ In terms of mobile service penetration rates, Europe is the leader since it currently composes of more than 570 million mobile subscribers and a mobile penetration of over 70%. It leaves other regions behind in mobile penetration rate in which Africa only accounts for 9%, America records 42%, and 19% in Asia Pacific. The high penetration rate has put mobile subscribers in Europe to surpass those in fixed phone lines. This situation also holds true for data communication in the region in which according to ITU (2005), the region has penetration rate above 50%, especially in Western Europe while the rest past of the region only records 20% of Internet penetration rate. However, like its Asian counterparts, some countries in Europe also experiences uneven users since in Russia, for instances, vast majority of subscribers located in large urban centers. 1. M-Commerce: Opportunities and Challenges Moreover, the advancement of telecommunications and internet technologies has created new model of commerce, the borderless commerce or e-commerce. The terminology refers to cross-nations or even cross-continents trade and commerce. This development goes further as Internet is accessible not only via desktop computers but also via mobile devices like PDAs and mobile phones. The benefit of using mobile commerce (m-commerce) is attractive. Say, a woman is shopping at a mall and decides to buy some clothes. Unfortunately, when she is at a cahier, she finds that her debit card has no enough balance to pay the clothes or her credit cards are out of limit. In this situation, she called her husband to transfer some money to her account. Although her husband is in a meeting that is far from a bank, he is still able to do the fund transfer by using his mobile phone and log into a bank’s mobile portal. Finally, in few minutes, the woman’s bank account has enough balance to pay the clothes. Similarly, mobile phones can also act as a virtual debit card when it is used as a payment method for vending machines. The method of this transaction is by sending sms (short message services) from users’ mobile phones and typing the short number that is displayed in the vending machines. When the server of the vending machines received this sms, they ask the telecommunication carrier to deduct some amount of money from the person’s prepaid balance or to add a transaction into his next billing statement.

Is Facebook boosting or hindering communication

Is Facebook boosting or hindering communication? Facebook is the most famous commonly used social media. It has become the preferred method for keeping in touch with people. Almost every young person has at least one Facebook account. However useful it might be in social life and education, Facebook brought about a set of new barriers and threats in these areas. There is an irony in the sense that social media, like Facebook, has the ability to make us less social.Doubtless it may be stimulating to feel so connected with others, and et there is no way to deny that underneath this feeling, there is a sense of emptiness. Robin Sharma agrees with that fact in his book The Greatness Guide by saying that the more we are electronically connected, the more we are emotionally disconnected. In other words, while people spend many hours of their days on Facebook chatting, posting status and wishing happy birthdays and engagements to one another, they forget about the importance of conversation in the traditional way.They completely forget about the effectiveness of sitting to dinner with the family or hanging out with friends. In a word, Facebook is gradually robbing people of what distinguishes them as human beings. Not only does Facebook make us less social, but also sometimes conveys a completely different reality about its users. Anyone can hide behind Facebook posts, giving any image they want about themselves and creating an illusion about their personality. They can be whoever they want, depending on the fact that their audiences have no hoice but to be confused, having no verbal communication.So, our only real method of communication is through voice-to-voice or face-to-face communication. It is only through this way that when one hears a tone of voice or looks into someone's eyes, they are able to know when â€Å"l am okay† does not mean they are okay at all. Thus, without any means of communication but phrases, abbreviations, snippets and emoticons on Fa cebook, one can never be sure whether these things are accurate representations of the truth.As for education, students, no doubt, owe Facebook a lot for facilitating their education process, but still it is a main contributor to the failure of many of them. Although Facebook plays a role in breaking the ice between colleagues in schools or universities, it wastes much of their time in chatting about trivial matters. It is true Facebook helps students keep updated with the latest news about their studies, even if they are absent from schools or universities.But student rumourmongers ruin verything by spreading so much false news that any news by any student is subject to suspicion, which turns the advantage into a disadvantage. This way Facebook is more of a waste of time for students. Facebook. Now compare this time to the time you spend in real life with your family, friends and your colleagues at school, university or work. Try to make the decision of making the best use of Faceb ook and try to avoid as many of its disadvantages as possible. Out of my own experience, the time and relations you are going to revive are worth giving a try.

Deaf History and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Deaf History and Culture - Essay Example At the age of nineteen months, Helen Keller was diagnosed as a case of â€Å"acute congestion of the stomach and the brain†. This short term attack of illness left her deaf and blind. Helen proved to be a quite an intelligent child. By the age of seven, she had invented sixty different signs to communicate with her family. Helen’s education career began when her mother took her to a specialist doctor for advice. Actually she was inspired by hearing about another child who was deaf but completed her education successfully. The doctor referred her to the local expert, Alexander Graham Bell. Bell was working for the deaf children at that time. Alexander Graham Bell told Helen’s parents about the institute where that child had got education. It was called the Perkins Institute for the Blind, located in South Boston. Helen was brought there. One of the former students of the school, named Anne Sullivan was designated as Helen’s teacher. She was blind herself an d had got education from the same institute. Anne proved to be a very hard working teacher. After a good effort of about three years, Helen learnt the names of many familiar things. The next step was to speak. Anne taught her to speak using the Tadoma method (touching the lips and throat of others as they speak). Helen continued her education starting from Perkins Institute, then Wright-Humason School for the Deaf, Horace Mann School for the Deaf, The Cambridge School for Young Ladies and finally, the Rad Cliffe College in 1900 becoming the first deaf and blind person to graduate from the college.

Revised Literacies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Revised Literacies - Essay Example But every media has its own merits and demrits. As a result, my audience will have a better understanding on remix. After I attended the WRA 1004 course, my perspective experiences about writing and reading have been modified significantly. Before attending the class, I had no specific strategies like RAIDS and SWAP for my essay. I had no idea what my essay will look like. I do not have a clear arrangement or style in mind. I just wrote as it went. I did notice the drawbacks of remix media. And for reading, I just read the article, and may briefly talk about the main points. After taking the class, I now understand to think before write, using RAIDS can easily help me to state my purpose clearly, and by using SWAP can help focus on my subject and my audience. Indeed, I think some modern technology-based medias -such as PowerPoint presentation, any other presentation software, computer compose, etc- other than paper are quite effective in conveying ideas to the target audiences. Indeed the use of computer for writing is endowed with umbrella-conveniences. If literacy means a man’s ability to read and write, a computer can be used to a media of literacy which is far more convenient that write on a paper. Now I believe the term â€Å"literacy† does not only mean one’s ability to read and write, but also it means one’s ability to use any technological devices also. Daley defines literacy as following: Traditionally literacy has been commonly defined as the ability to read and write at an adequate level of proficiency that is necessary for communication. More recently however, literacy has taken on several meanings. Technological literacy, mathematical literacy, and visual literacy are just a few examples. (45) It is because a computer not only allows a person to write but also allows him or her to access a wide range of reading materials. A computer-literate person can access to the vast reading

International human rights Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

International human rights - Assignment Example Among the three models, the most successful in international human rights is the internationalist model, while the least successful is the statist model because the latter treats international relations as peripheral, when it plays an important part in determining and practicing human rights across national borders. The least successful model is the statist model because it does not believe in the importance of international relations in establishing and promoting human rights. The statist model can use its sovereignty to undermine human rights as it sees fit, since sovereignty is more important than the latter. On the contrary, the internationalist model stresses the centrality of international relations in governing international human rights. This model promotes collaboration and coordination among states, where they are willing to balance sovereignty with creating a social order where human rights are acknowledged and respected. It asserts the role of international relations in making human rights urgent and legitimate to all. Thus, the internationalist model uses global relations to institute human rights at an international

Team Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Team Development - Essay Example This paper covers the various aspects of teamwork, importance of trust in cross-functional teams, ways in which managers can create trust among cross-functional teams, cohesiveness, and strategies to help in creating, developing, and leading effective cross-functional work teams in Google Corporation. Team Development There are a number of ways in which teamwork can be created in the Google’s HR Group. Motivation is one of the key factors that affect the morale of employees in many organizations. It is important for individuals in management positions in Google to ensure that all employees posses positive sentiments towards their job in Human Resource. Teamwork is created when leadership becomes a collective responsibility within the workplace. Google should strive to ensure that all employees in Human Resource develop a sense of accountability. Empowerment of the workers and allowing workers to plan their activities in an effective manner that suits their needs within organiz ational goals is also important in the creation of teamwork (Parker, 2003). All these gives workers the liberty to make their own decisions as long as these decisions are in line with the organizational objectives and also boosts their ability in making work related resolutions. According to Parker (2003), involving all stakeholders in creating and putting into practice organizational plans of action also ensures the creation of team work.... It is also important to ensure that each employee has a clear understanding of his/her duties. This reduces conflicts within the organization hence boosts teamwork. Instructing teamwork competencies To understand teamwork within Google Human Resource department, it is important to elucidate the ways in which Human Resource team members could have been instructed in the teamwork competencies. The tem could have been trained on analytical and investigative techniques that would enable them resolve organizational problems effectively. Other ways of instructing the team on competencies include aiding and supporting them in the comprehension, identification of resolutions, and in researching significant information and statistics that would help them deal with organizational issues. It would also be important to help the team members categorize, classify, supervise, and control various activities within the department. Instructing teamwork competencies also involves availing or creating f avorable situations within the workplace that will boost teamwork, aiding conflict resolutions, and also allowing the amendments of unsuitable strategies or organizational objectives in a bid to boost teamwork (Werner, Schuler & Jackson, 2012). Trust in cross-functional teams According to Hurn and Tomalin (2013), trust is important in cross-functional teams as it affects teamwork. Based on the fact that team members may at times convene rarely, trust boosts teamwork and reduces conflicts within the organization. The absence of trust between team members makes it hard to resolve conflicts and may lead to chauvinism. It is the duty of the managers in Google to be observant and attentive enough so that they can identify any occurrences of mistrust within the organizations. Early

Monitoring and controlling the offshore oil and gas processes using Research Paper

Monitoring and controlling the offshore oil and gas processes using ad-hoc wireless network - Research Paper Example The superiority of ad-hoc wireless network is attributed to their exploitation of a remote, automated and digitally implemented communication system, which circumvent the inefficiencies of an analogue and manual communication system. Ad-hoc wireless network is specifically suited for industrial control and monitoring processes, which are characterized by a large scale deployment of a comparatively reduced data as such, its best suited for oil and gas industry for in the control and monitoring of the wide range of products and processes (Jensen et al., 2013). The efficiency of ad-hoc wireless network also comes in handy in matching an oil and performance gas industry with the growing demand of fossil fuel. Despite, the role of ad-hoc wireless in revitalizing the productivity competence and capacity of oil and gas industry, there is still room for improvement particularly in the promotion of the security authenticity of the oil and gas industry ad-hoc wireless network (Ardenas et al, 2011). This call is inspired by the concern against a productivity biased development in oil and gas industry network system, which overlooks security and reliability aspects of the network system. This research explores the advantage s and disadvantages of using an ad-hoc wireless system in the monitoring and control of an oil and gas industry. It also indentifies security loopholes, which threatens the safe and reliable operation of an oil and gas industry. collection and analysis of data from various monitoring and control sensors. This is attributed to their exploitation of the low cost data collector monitoring method. Nevertheless, the exorbitant operating cost for ad-hoc wireless network leverage the cost benefits from a low cost monitoring method. This disadvantage is attributed to the labour intensive manning of an ad-hoc wireless network system, which are comparable with a surveillance system. However, this cost implication is

DB 1 Your thoughts Al Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DB 1 Your thoughts Al - Assignment Example They would be in step with the times, bringing brand new ideas, creating innovations and developing companies they would work with. People of generation Y or Millennials are the most connected generation in history with the ability and want to face new challenges, have a strong will to mean something to the world and are ready for the constant development of themselves and the environment they live in. They know what they worth, because of the right skill set; they are aware of how much others are paid for doing the same job. And they know how much they need to live. That is why the question of salary is important to them, it is their best motivator. However, most of Millennials do not negotiate about the salary, preferring to find out all necessary information from the Internet, rather than from the employer. This is one of the sides for improvement, especially of those, who know what they are worth. Millennials pay much attention to the meaningful of the work they perform. They con sider themselves the driving force of many of the processes around them and want to be an important part of something bigger. Together with the positive relationship with co-workers such a driving force is one of the keys to the creation of something new and innovative. Flexibility of hours and the possibility to work in teams, making friends with people at work, creates for Millennials unique opportunities for development and moves them up in their wants. For companies, ensuring Millennials with good salaries, learning opportunities, respectful attitude to their ideas, more responsibilities and balancing of work and life spheres will make people of generation Y work at their best for the benefit of themselves and the company. Mooney, J., 2014. Pay Is Millennials’ Top Job Concern, Survey Says, Society for human resource management, Available from

Strategic Management and Business Policy(tenth edition) by Thomas L Essay

Strategic Management and Business Policy(tenth edition) by Thomas L. Wheelen and J. David Hunger (senior in college) MGT485 - Essay Example The Wallace Group is devoid of the vision for the future and is proving not to be a learning organization. According to Wheelen & Hunger, â€Å"organizational learning is a critical component of competitiveness in a dynamic environment† (2006, p. 9). The Wallace Group lacks a vibrant human resource management apparatus that can articulate the changes necessitated to accommodate the growth needs and prospects, efficiently. In order to exploit the opportunities offered by the existing scenario in the best possible manner and to manage the challenges proficiently, there are a number of recommendations. First of all the Wallace Group is required to re-orientate its approach to handle the growing needs of the organization. This re-orientation will involve a major adjustment in the personal management style of Mr. Wallace, his priorities, vision, and future objectives for growth of the company. Mr. Wallace will need to make changes in the organizational structure of the Group to create a conducive environment for a motivated and diversified workforce. To cater for the rapid decision making requirements, middle managers of the company are necessitated to be empowered. Mr. Wallace is hence required to delegate more of his authority. The major organizational changes would involve formulation of a corporate governance policy that will include a board of directors. The board will be responsible for devising str ategies, direction, vision, hire/fire top management, monitor and supervise top management, oversee the use of resources, and care for shareholders’ interests (Wheelen & Hunger, 2006, pp. 36-37). Another important recommendation is to open a reliable and smooth channel of communication. This will ensure feedback of employees and customers reaching the top management without much hitches. In educating the managers to manage an organization as it evolves over time from an entrepreneurial

Ethiopia Essay Example for Free

Ethiopia Essay Ethiopia is one of the oldest nations of this world, dating back to almost 3000 years BC. The recent history of Ethiopia proves that it is a land which is cursed with natural and human miseries. Its geographic position also underlies the miserable state of affairs that this country has been through in the recent past. Taking inspiration from the air of human freedom which blew over the world in the twentieth century, Ethiopia has witnessed a change from the Marxist form of authoritarian governance to a free, emocratic form. The penetration of western concepts of education, science and technology, which was very fast in other third world countries like India and South Korea, is very slow over here. Ethiopia is highly underdeveloped and one of the poorest country on this world because of its geographic position, natural circumstances and human mistakes. Ethiopia is the land where the oldest human ancestors, dating back to almost 5 million years, used to exist. Today, it is a land-locked nation surrounded by countries like Sudan n the west, Kenya in the south, Somalia in the east and Eritrea in the north. With a total land area of about 43. 5 thousand square miles, it has a population of about 75 million people, in 2005. Islam is the major religion followed by 45 to 50 percent of the population which has almost 9 ethnic groups and speaks more than 75 different languages. The literacy rate was 43% in 2003 and the GDP stood at $ 60. 34 billion. The per capita income was a meager $ 80 in 2005. Only 11% of the total land is arable, and Platinum, Potash, Copper, natural gas and some traces of gold are its natural resources. Its exports touched $ 612 million in 2005 against a huge import bill of $ 2. 72 billion in 2005. The major industries of Ethiopia are cement, textiles, beverages, chemicals, and metal processing. In telecommunications, Ethiopia has 435 thousand main line users, followed by about 97 thousand cell phone users and 75 thousand internet users in 2003. The total rail network was of 681 kms in 2004, and the total distance covered by the highways was bout 33 thousand kms. in 2002 ( Ethiopia ) The progress of any nation is dependent on its agriculture, industrial output, infrastructure development and education. A strong economy is the biggest sign of a healthy nation. The current status of Ethiopia, as revealed by the figures in the above paragraph, is really poor. This necessitates investigation of the recent past history of the nation, to judge upon the parameters which contributed to the current state of affairs. The recent history of Ethiopia reveals the political transition from a military uthoritarian rule to a democratic republic nation. It tells about the devastating famines and the wars with Eritrea and the prolonged border dispute with it, and the military confrontation with Somalia. In addition, Ethiopia witnessed frequent rebellions from within the country, demonstrating the high level of dissatisfaction of the people with the military ruler and his policies. The famine, the wars and the rebellions have resulted in loss of lives for millions of Ethiopians. This is the darkest spot on the recent history of Ethiopia. The major events in the recent history are briefly described in the following paragraphs. Famines : Ethiopia witnessed two devastating famines in 1984 and 2002. BBC cites the words of Prime Minister Zenavi, â€Å" If the famine of 1984 was a nightmare, then this will be too ghastly to contemplate†. The 1984 famine killed nearly one million people. Another famine, much worse than that of 1984, struck the nation in 2002. Zenavi revealed to the BBC that nearly 15 million people faced starvation, and the international Red cross estimated that $ 11 million were needed to aid the suffering people of Ethiopia in 2002. This BBC report also cites Georgia Shaver, the World Food Program Director in Ethiopia, saying that about 14 million people needed food across the six countries in South Africa, the same number needs food in just one country, Ethiopia. Prime Minister Zenavi admits that they do not have any system to store the rain water. In the same report, BBC also cites Andrew Pendleton, Advisor to Christian aid to Ethiopia, s saying that Ethiopia’s continuing foreign debt, which is almost 10% of the state’s revenues, is the biggest hurdle in its efforts to cope with the famines. ( Massive famine stalks Ethiopia) Ethiopia and Eritrea have been fighting for the past many decades. Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993, after a long guerrilla warfare. At this juncture, the border lines were never identified, marked or mapped. The dispute about the border resulted in frequent clashes, which heightened in 1998, resulting into a full fledged war or almost two years, till a peace treaty was signed between the two nations in 2000. This long, armed confrontation has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives on wither side, and ruptured the economies of both the nations. Almost 40 thousand soldiers have been killed in this war and armed troops to the number of 300 thousand remain engaged in guarding the 800 km border. All the civilians residing in the affected areas have fled, and both the armies are guarding empty villages. ( Pike John ) On the other hand, the warring factions of the Islamic fundamentalists have drawn attention from both Ethiopia and Eritrea. While Eritrea supports one faction with arms and troops, with an intention to prompt them to attack Ethiopia from its south east border, Ethiopia supports the other faction in all ways possible, to counter the move. (Pike John ) Such never ending warlike situations have taken a very heavy toll on the development of Ethiopia. The political status of Ethiopia has also undergone a sea-change in the recent past. In 1974, the Emperor was overthrown by a military coup, and Col. Mengistu Haile Mariam became country’s ruler in 1977. The policies of the military rule were widely unpopular and many rebellion groups became active in the country. These forces formed a coalition known as Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) which took control over the capital city of Addis Ababa on 28 May 1991. A transitional charter was approved in 1991, and since then Ethiopia is a democratic republic country. (History, politics, administration) The events of the recent history of Ethiopia prove that the country is hit with chronic problems, and options before the government are very few. The complexity of the situation created by these problems is so complex that a permanent solution seems impossible. The government is faced with political, military, geographic, and economic problems, the magnitude of which is mind blowing. The situation is not only tough, but seems to be so grim that only downward trend can be perceived with little or no hopes or improvement for a better future. The multiple characteristics of the problems, has almost ruptured the nation. It is beyond the scope of the government to handle the situation single handed. Ethiopia has been lucky to get the required aid from foreign countries, and international agencies. As a matter of fact, Ethiopia has been able to counter the problems , largely due to these foreign aid, which very often is generous also. Many agencies are functional in Ethiopia to help the local government and the local population. The military rule during the 1970s and 80s tried to revamp the economy by declaring radical measures. These measures vested total control of the economy in the hands of the state. Nationalization of all major industrial, financial and commercial companies took place in 1975. Villagization† was one more, most unpopular directive from the military ruler, under which people were compelled to move away from highland to lowland areas. The policy had to be abandoned in 1986. The democratic rulers were more sensible in their approach. Ever since it came into existence in 1991, it has been facing many serious challenges. Its first success is in offering political stability and forming strategies which appeal to the foreign help agencies. While no tangible results are seen at the ground level so far, the democratic government has demonstrated its resolve to fight with the chronic problems, and pursue the helping hands to get help. Today, many agencies are working in close co-ordination with the government to help implement the various strategies. The economy is still very ragile, and weak, the condition of people is still miserable, but the efforts put in by the government and the foreign agencies in the recent years, is likely to bring better results in the future. For example the schools and colleges established in the last ten years will present educated adults to the society after another 10 or 20 years. Strong development is not seen in any area not because the government or the people lack the will, but because of the enormity and complexity of the situation and the lack of resources to ackle them. The areas that need to be addressed on topmost priority are : 1. Food : Ethiopia needs to feed the millions of hungry people 2. Increase agricultural output: maybe by improvement in ways of farming. 3. Health care : Increase health care facilities to reach the remote areas also. 4. Water and irrigation : Water is a scarce commodity here, and technological advances have to be brought in to preserve water and utilize it appropriately. This is a very crucial sector which will help in fighting the devastating famines. 5. Reduction of poverty: In 2003, about 44% of the estimated 67 million people of Ethiopia lived below the poverty line, according to a World Bank report. ( Ethiopia) 6.  Strengthen the economy: By devising and effective implementation of schemes to increase the GDP and the Per Capita Income and decrease the huge gap between export and import bills. These are the areas where the state has been lacking, to a great extent. It has only made a beginning by devising plans and schemes in conjunction with foreign agencies. The role of the state in the development of Ethiopia is very limited, because the state treasury is always burdened with other issues, and has little or nothing to spare for the development projects. The UNDP example, cited below proves this point. One of the many sectors in which UNDP works in Ethiopia is poverty reduction. Agricultural development is a priority area in this program. It targets at : 1. Promotion of access and utilization of technological improvements in farming and up gradation of facilities for result oriented research. 2. Use of ICT for agricultural information management by establishing connectivity between federal and regional states. 3. Implement use of small scale irrigation. 4. Provide service to rural communities by effective implementation of small scale finance institutions. The following results were achieved : 1. Nearly 10,000 farmers and 4,000 farmers were trained on how to use the technologies in farming. On a national scale nearly 3. million farmers benefited and the agricultural yields were almost doubled in areas where the rainfall was adequate. 2. A study on national computerized agricultural system was conducted and its pilot phase is started in 2001. This is likely to benefit the sector by giving timely information. ( Agricultural development program ) Ethiopia faces many impediments which tend to strangle its development. In an interview, Michael Glantz, a political scientist working with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, says that if he had the liberty to add one more word to the title page of â€Å"Time’ magazine issue on Africa in 1984, he would say, â€Å" coup, corruption , onflict and climate’, are the main obstacles to development in Africa. Glantz Michael ) The same holds true for Ethiopia also. She is land locked in the horns of the African continent with two chronic enemies as her neighbors. Only 45% of the total land is arable and a meager 3% is irrigated. She does not have a port of her own, and the rainfall is totally unpredictable. There is no access to the vast seas or oceans. She is connected to the Red Sea through a neighboring country. The geographic position and the climate of Ethiopia is surely one of he biggest obstacles to the development of Ethiopia. Geography) Military aggressions have hit Ethiopia very hard. Ethiopia has to face it on two fronts, Eritrea in north and Somalia in south. Prolonged warfare with these nations, for many decades, has made a severe dent in the economy of the nation. Perhaps, this dent is permanent and irreparable. The country is already under immense debt pressure and there seems to be no end to the disputes with Eritrea. A report of International Monetary Fund suggests that if Ethiopia needs to maintain a growth level of 7% . Given the current state of affairs, this report raises serious doubts whether this is an achievable target or not. ( Andrews David, Erasmus Lodewyk Powell Robert ) Human mistakes, especially by the political leadership account for the third obstacle to the development of Ethiopia. The denial to accept the peace treaty with Eritrea, after signing it, is one example which proves this point. ( Ethiopia and Eritrea) All the attention, energy and finances have been focused on fights, coups and confrontations. The leadership as not advocated the uselessness of war, and concentrating on socio-economic issues instead. Conclusively it can be said that Ethiopia is cursed country in true sense, facing problems of famines, military confrontations geographic conditions and natural forces, which are colossal. This has already crippled the nations economy, and there seems to be no end to the misery of this nation. Elevation of Ethiopia from one of the poorest country to a middle level economy seems an uphill task. Will she be able to perform this task? Only time can tell. References http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107505.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2440093.stm http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/eritrea.htm http://www.et.undp.org/ethiopia/intro.htm#History http://www.et.undp.org/poverty/poverty.htm http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Obstacles_Development.html http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/ethindex.htm

Critical thinking Essay Example for Free

Critical thinking Essay RENE DESCARTES (1596-1650), A FRENCH PHILOSOPHER AND MATHEMATICIAN, IS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS MEDITATIONS OF PHILOSOPHY. THIS FORM OF PHILOSOPHY IS A BODY OF WORK IN WHICH HE ATTEMPTS TO WIPE AWAY ALL HIS PRESUMPTIONS, REBUILDING HIS KNOWLEDGE FROM THE GROUND UP, AND ACCEPTING AS TRUE ONLY THOSE CLAIMS WHICH ARE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN. IT WAS ESSENTIAL THAT THE FOUNDATIONS TO HIS BELIEFS WERE SOLID; IF ANY ONE OF THEM WERE AT ALL IN DOUBT, HE WOULD LOSE CREDIBILITY FOR HIS ENTIRE STRUCTURE OF KNOWLEDGE. THUS, DESCARTES CREATED A METHOD IN WHICH HE WOULD ELIMINATE THOSE BELIEFS WHICH HE COULD NOT BE ENTIRELY CERTAIN OF. HE CALLED THIS METHOD – THE METHOD OF DOUBT. BY USING THE METHOD OF DOUBT, DESCARTES QUESTIONED EVERYTHING THAT HAD ANY POSSIBILITY OF UNCERTAINTY, UNTIL HE WAS ABLE TO PROVE THAT IT WAS CERTAIN OR UNTIL HE BECAME CERTAIN THAT THERE WAS NO CERTAINTY (DESCARTES 1641, 1-4). HE COMPARED IT TO â€Å"THAT OF A MAN WHO TAKES ALL THE APPLES OUT OF A BARREL ONE BY ONE, INSPECTS THEM, AND THEN PUTS THE SOUND ONES BACK† (WILLIAMS 1978, 59). DESCARTES BELIEVED THAT ALL KNOWLEDGE IS RELATED AND THEREFORE DECIDED HE WOULD REBUILD THE EDIFICE OF KNOWLEDGE BASED UPON THE CORE TRUTHS THAT REMAIN AFTER THE USAGE OF THE METHOD OF  DOUBT (DESCARTES 1641, 1). IN-ORDER FOR DESCARTES TO BE ABLE TO ELIMINATE THOSE BELIEFS WHICH HE COULD NOT BE ENTIRELY CERTAIN OF, HE WOULD HAVE TO START FROM SCRATCH BY DISCARDING ALL THAT HE HAD PREVIOUSLY KNOWN. HE STARTED BY QUESTIONING EXISTENCE -DO I EXIST? DOES GOD EXIST? HE PROVED HIS EXISTENCE BY STATING THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE THESE DOUBTS, HE MUST EXIST. THE FACT THAT HE IS ABLE TO CONTEMPLATE HIS OWN EXISTENCE IS PROOF THAT HE EXISTS. THIS IS WHERE HE BRINGS IN THE PHRASE, â€Å"I THINK, THEREFORE I AM†. THIS IS THE LOGICAL ARGUMENT FOR KNOWING WE EXIST (DESCARTES 1641, 4-6). HE PROVES THAT  Professor Keton THERE IS A GOD BY USING THE COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT- â€Å"SOMETHING LESSER CANNOT CAUSE SOMETHING GREATER. † GREATER/LESSER IS REFERRING TO QUALITATIVE DIFFERENCES NOT QUANTITATIVE. FOR EXAMPLE, A MONKEY IS ON A DIFFERENT LEVEL AND IS TO BE HELD TO DIFFERENT STANDARDS THAN A PERSON. DESCARTES SAYS, â€Å"I HAVE AN IDEA OF A PERFECT BEING- IT’S AN INFINITE BEING WHOS OMNIPRESENT, OMNIPOTENT, ALL GOOD GOD. † THEN HE THINKS, â€Å"SINCE I AM FINITE I CANNOT BE THE SOURCE OF THE IDEA OF AN INFINITE BEING. † HE REALIZES THAT FINITE VS. INFINITE IS A QUALITATIVE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US AND GOD. THROUGH POINTS ONE AND TWO, HE COMES TO THE REALIZATION THAT AN INFINITE BEING HAD TO HAVE COME FROM A DIFFERENT SOURCE, AND THE ONLY INFINITE SOURCE IS A PERFECT BEING. HE THEN CONCLUDED THAT GOD MUST HAVE PUT THIS IDEA IN HIS HEAD, THEREFORE GOD MUST EXIST (DESCARTES 1641, 14-16). DESCARTES KNEW IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT AND IMPRACTICAL TO EXAMINE ALL OF ONE’S BELIEFS ONE BY ONE, SO HE GROUPED BELIEFS TOGETHER WHICH ALLOWED HIM TO QUESTION AND INQUIRE WHOLE CLASSES OF BELIEFS AND PROVE OR DISPROVE THEM BASED ON THEIR DERIVATION OF THE SAME SOURCE, SUCH AS OUR  SENSES, IMAGINATION, OR ABSTRACT KNOWLEDGE (REASON). DESCARTES ARGUES THAT OUR SENSES CANNOT BE TRUSTED BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE DON’T PERCEIVE THINGS CORRECTLY; IT CAN BE DUE TO MIRAGES, HALLUCINATIONS, OR DREAMS (DESCARTES 1641, 1-2). MANY TIMES WE BELIEVE THINGS HAVE ACTUALLY HAPPENED WHEN IN REALITY IT WAS JUST A MIND TRICK. THIS BRINGS US TO WHY WE CAN’T TRUST OUR IMAGINATION. OUR IMAGINATION COMES FROM OUR EXPERIENCES IN THE REAL WORLD WHICH STEMS FROM OUR SENSES, WHICH WE HAVE JUST DISCOVERED WE CANNOT TRUST. DESCARTES BELIEVED THAT A LACK OF COMPLETE CERTAINTY IS A GOOD REASON TO DOUBT. THIS WAS THE PRINCIPLE OF THE METHOD OF DOUBT, ALSO KNOWN AS ‘RADICAL SKEPTICISM’ (DESCARTES 1641, 1-2). I PERSONALLY THINK THIS METHOD IS A PLEASING APPROACH TO VALIDATING SUPPOSEDLY KNOWN FACTS THAT MAY NOT BE FACTUAL AT ALL. MANY THINGS WE BELIEVE AS FACTS ARE ACTUALLY THEORIES OR STATEMENTS HANDED DOWN TO US FROM PREVIOUS GENERATIONS WITH NO EVIDENCE AS TO WHY THEY ARE Professor Keton FACTS. ANYTHING THAT HAS EVEN THE SMALLEST PERCENTAGE OF DOUBT SHOULD BE QUESTIONED AND INQUIRED UPON UNTIL IT IS ABLE TO BE PROVEN AS FACT. THIS CONCEPT IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE CONCEPT OF ‘INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY’. JUST LIKE A PERSON HAS THE STATUS OF ‘INNOCENT’ UNTIL THERE IS SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF EVIDENCE TO PROVE HIM GUILTY, SO TOO BY ANYTHING, IF ONE WOULD WANT TO CHANGE THE STATUS QUO OF SOMETHING, ONE SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO BRING SUITABLE SUPPORT TO PROVE HIS THEORY. WHENEVER ONE WANTS SOMEONE TO PROVE TO THEM OTHERWISE, ONE WILL ALWAYS ASK FOR VALID REASONING AND EVIDENCE. THE REASON FOR THIS IS BECAUSE THE HUMAN MIND WAS CREATED IN WHICH WE LIKE TO QUESTION AND UNDERSTAND THE DEPTHS OF THINGS. IF WE HAVE ANY SORT OF DOUBTS IN OUR MINDS. THAT SOMETHING IS TRUE OR WHY SOMETHING IS TRUE, WE LIKE TO ASK IN ORDER TO BRING OUR CURIOSITY TO REST. FOLLOWING THIS OBSERVATION, IF ONE DOESN’T HAVE A REASON TO DOUBT SOMETHING, ONE AUTOMATICALLY FEELS SATISFIED WITH THE OUTCOME BECAUSE THEY KNOW IT IS THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH, AND CANNOT BE PROVEN OTHERWISE. IN CONCLUSION, I COMMEND DESCARTES’ REASONING AND THE FACT THAT HE WANTED TO ESTABLISH AN UNBIASED FOUNDATION IN ORDER TO INSURE THE CERTAINTY OF THINGS. ALTHOUGH MANY OF THE THINGS DESCARTES HAD QUESTIONED WERE THINGS HE ALREADY KNEW TO BE TRUE, HE FOLLOWED HIS METHODOLOGY. IN ORDER TO BRING REASONING AND CERTAINTY TO HIS BELIEFS. DESCARTESS FOUNDATIONAL PHILOSOPHY RESTS CENTRALLY ON THE METHOD OF DOUBT, WHICH REQUIRES A FIRST-PERSON OBSERVATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE THINKING INDIVIDUAL AND THE SURROUNDING WORLD HE OR SHE PERCEIVES. I BELIEVE THIS IS A GREAT APPROACH TO PHILOSOPHY, AND IT HAS ALSO HAD GREAT INFLUENCE UPON LATER PHILOSOPHERS, INCLUDING KANT AND HUSSERL (WILLIAMS 1978, 124). Professor Keton REFERENCES DESCARTES, RENE. 1641. MEDITATIONS ON FIRST PHILOSOPHY. TRANSLATED BY JONATHAN BENNETT. 2007. WILLIAMS, BERNARD. (1978) DESCARTES: THE PROJECT OF PURE ENQUIRY. NEW YORK: PENGUIN.

Assessment Of The Validity Of Legal Realism Philosophy Essay

Assessment Of The Validity Of Legal Realism Philosophy Essay The turn of the 20th century instigated the rejection of the formalism movement of John Austin, Jeremy Bentham, John Mill and David Hume. Realists sought to put in its place a more sociological account of the law in action.  [2]  The three leading members of the American realist movement were Oliver Wendell Holmes Jnr,  [3]  Jerome Frank  [4]  and Karl N. Llewellyn.  [5]  67 Principles Realists were preoccupied with empirical questions such as attempting to identify the sociological and psychological factors influencing judicial decision making.  [8]  One could argue that their implicit conceptual loyalties were positivist in theory, as they did not reject the notion that courts may be constrained by rules. However, realists did argue that the Courts exercise discretion much more often than is generally supposed.  [9]  Further they denied the naturalist and positivist views that Judges were influenced mainly by legal rules, they (realists) attach greater significance to political and moral intuitions about the facts of a case.  [10]   II American Realists A. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jnr Oliver Wendell Holmes Jnr (Holmes) could be called the intellectual and spiritual father of American Realism, and played a fundamental part in bringing about a changed attitude to law.  [11]  Holmes attempted to formulate a theory of law that was both responsive and stable for the changing nature of modern life.  [12]  13He commenced with the fundamental question of liability: What duty do human beings owe to one another?  [14]   Formalist legal doctrine held that there could be no liability without fault, that people should not be held responsible for acts that they did not cause or over which they had no control.  [15]  16Holmes considered an alternative to this intent standard that If the act was voluntary, it is totally immaterial that the detriment which followed from it was neither intended nor due to the negligence of the actor (ie. strict liability).  [17]  Holmes argued that the proper object of the law was to publicize social duties by giving individuals a fair chance to avoid harm before being responsible for it it was not to instil individual morality through punishment.  [18]   Holmes believed in defining the law by reference to what the Court actually said it was, to consider what the law is, not what it ought to be.  [19]  He famously declared The common law is not a brooding omnipresence in the sky, but the articulate voice of some sovereign or quasi sovereign that can be identified.  [20]   Further, Holmes introduced the bad man. As a moral skeptic, Holmes stated if you want to know the law and nothing else, you must look at it as a bad man, who cares only for the material consequences which such knowledge enables him to predict.  [21]  Holmes defined the law in accordance with his pragmatic judicial philosophy. He believed that legal developments could be scientifically justified: the true science of law consisted in the establishment of its postulates from within upon accurately measured social desires instead of tradition.  [22]   B. Jerome Frank Jerome Frank (Frank) has been described as the most radical of the American realists.  [23]  Frank believed that there are two groups of realists, rule skeptics who regard legal uncertainty as residing principally in the paper rules of law and who seek to discover uniformities in actual judicial behaviour, and fact skeptics, who think that the unpredictability of court decisions resides primarily in the elusiveness of facts.  [24]  The former, Frank proposes, makes the mistake of concentrating on appellate courts, whereas it is to the actions of trial courts that attention should be most directed.  [25]   Frank believed that for most realists, in their preoccupation with appellate courts, missed the important aspect of unpredictability in the judicial process: the elusiveness of facts.  [26]  Thus, the various prejudices of judges and jurors  [27]  often crucially affect the outcome of a case.  [28]   Further, the main impetus of Franks attack was directed against the notion that certainty could be achieved through legal rules.  [29]  Frank believed this to be absurd.  [30]  Frank stressed that the text-book approach, which treats the law as no more than a collection of abstract rules, is grossly misleading and that much of legal uncertainty is inherent and not due to deliberate mystification.  [31]  We want the law to be certain, Frank stated, because of our deep need for security and safety which is endemic to children.  [32]  As a child places his/her trust in the wisdom of his/her father, so we seek in the law and other institutions a similarly comforting security.  [33]   C. Karl N. Llewellyn Karl Lleyellyns (Llewellyn) most noteworthy contribution to realism is his functionalism, which perceives law as serving certain fundamental functions.  [34]  35For Llewellyn, an institution is an organised activity which is built around doing a job or a cluster of jobs. A major institutions job cluster is fundamental to the continuance of the society or group in which it operates.  [36]  If society is to survive, certain basic needs must be satisfied, which engenders conflict which must be resolved.  [37]   Much of Llewellyns interest has been focussed on what Llewellyn calls the ways in which in various types of community the law jobs are actually carried out.  [38]  Law Jobs are the basic functions of the law, which, for Llewellyn, are two-fold: to make group survival possible, but additionally, to quest for justice, efficiency and a richer life.  [39]   Law jobs are identified as being the: disposition of troubled cases; preventive channelling and the reorientation of conduct and expectations so as to avoid trouble; allocation of authority and the arrangement of procedures which legitimatize action as being authoritative; net organisation of the group or society as a whole so as to provide direction and incentive.  [40]   Llewellyn sees these law jobs as universal  [41]  and regards the most important job the law has is the disposition of troubled cases.  [42]  He puts forward his theory of them as a general framework for the functional analysis of law.  [43]  The first three law jobs describe bare bones law, but out of them may emerge, although Llewellyn gives no indication how, the additional questing phase of the legal order.  [44]   Further, in addition to major institutions, there are also minor institutions such as crafts which consist of the skills held by a body of specialists,  [45]  handed down from generation to generation by a process of education and practical example.  [46]  The practice of law is the practice of a set of crafts, and of these one of the most important is what is called the juristic method.  [47]   In the common law, says Llewellyn, the practice of the courts has fluctuated between two types of style which he names the Grand Style and the Formal Style. The Grand Style is based on an appeal to reason and does not involve a following of precedent; regard is paid to the reputation of the Judge deciding the earlier case, and principle is consulted in order to ensure that precedent is not a mere verbal tool, but a generalisation which yields patent sense as well as order.  [48]  Policy, comes in for explicit examination and the Grand Style is also categorised by resort to what Llewellyn calls situation sense.  [49]  The Formal Style is not so concerned with social facts.  [50]  Its underlying notion is that the rules of law decide the cases and policy is for the legislature not for the Courts.  [51]  This approach is authoritarian, formal and logical.  [52]   In the early nineteenth century, the Grand Style was employed, although, from the middle of the nineteenth century Llewellyn detected a shift towards the Formal Style.  [53]  However, by the middle of the twentieth century evidence shows a shift back to the Grand Style, a development which Llewellyn applauded by remarking as the best device ever invented by man for drying up that free-flowing spring of uncertainty, conflict between the seeming commands of the authorities and the felt demands of justice.  [54]   III Critics of Legal Realism Critics have branded legal realists as anti-democratic and totalitarian.  [55]  56Their core claim being, according to author Brian Leiter, that judges respond primarily to the stimulus of facts decisions are reached on the basis of a judicial consideration of what seems fair on the facts of the case, rather than on the basis of the applicable legal rule.  [57]   Further, Frank has been characterized as the prime representative of the radical tendency in American legal realism the realist who turned his back on legal rules and declared them to be well nigh valueless.  [58]  This characterization became official, as it were, with the publication of Professor Harts  [59]  (Hart) The Concept of Law in 1961.  [60]   In distinguishing formalism and realist rule-scepticism, Hart criticizes the rule-sceptics for focussing only on the function of rules in judicial decisions and ignoring those secondary rules which confer judicial and legislative power.  [61]  Hart found Franks work to be illustrative of the sceptical tradition in American legal realism,  [62]  although Frank himself distinguished scepticism as to rules and scepticism as to facts, declaring himself to be a fact-sceptic.  [63]   Llewellyns work has also attracted criticism from a number of standpoints.  [64]  From insisting on the universality of his law jobs, Alan Hunt argues that he  [65]  stumbles into a major theoretical deficiency of functionalism of imposing on disparate phenomena, from different societies and different historical periods, an a priori unity.  [66]  Further, William Twining (Twining) concedes that the Grand Style/Formal Style dichotomy has its drawbacks for it may be dangerous and misleading to pidgeon-hole judges or courts into styles as it is to lump jurists into schools.  [67]  68 IV Support for Legal Realism Holmes was concerned with promoting a new and more experimental and constructive attitude to social life and thought, but avoided making any specific proposals as a programme to be realised.  [69]  Author, John Dewey praised Holmes on this very ground, because he had no social panaceas to dole out, no fixed social programme, no code of fixed ends to be realised.  [70]   However, in Twinings view the main achievement of the realist movement was to concretise sociological jurisprudenceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.  [71]  The relationship between the realist movement and sociological jurisprudence is a strong one.  [72]  Its connections with psychology, anthropology, economics and sociology are clear.  [73]   Further, author Brian Leiter (Leiter) sought to remedy many of the myths and misconceptions surrounding American realism.  [74]  Leiter challenges the view that realism is a  [75]  jurisprudential joke, a tissue of philosophical confusion.  [76]  Leiter maintains that it is time for legal philosophers to stop treating realism as a discredited historical antique, and start looking at the movement with the sympathetic eye it deserves.  [77]   Leiter believes that Harts sweeping dismissal of rule scepticism as the claim that talk of rules is a myth, cloaking the truth that law consists simply of the decisions of courts and predictions of them,  [78]  is an unfair misrepresentation of its members contributions to legal theory.  [79]  Thus, by demonstrating the limitations of a doctrinal account of law without a proper empirical investigation of the manner in which legal doctrine functions in society, the American realists unquestionably paved the way to the sociological approach to the law.  [80]   V Assessment of the validity of Legal Realism American Legal Realism in most of its manifestation, albeit that it was sceptical, can be described as fairly mainstream, it was not radical or subversive, it simply asked one to examine the law a practical phenomenon, rather than as an idealised natural law or legal positivist edifice. It is an antidote to the declaratory theory of law that asserts that law is determinate and certain and based on legal principles and the doctrine of precedent. Although, one may regard realism as shallow today, to assess the validity of legal realism, one must judge the pragmatic movement by its fruits, such as the impact it has had on legal education, the judicial process, legal anthropology, legal history, and legal sociology. In many respects sociological jurisprudence is an outgrowth of legal realism. Sociological jurisprudence developed from the same impulse to study the way the law works in an empirical or scientific experimental method. Further, realism indirectly engendered two movements Jurimetrics  [81]  and Behavouralism. These movements have taken over from where legal realism left off, for whilst the realists had some inspired ideas, developed a number of theoretical models, and urged us to exploit the social and technological science, these newer movements are firmly established within the mainstream of the social sciences and use techniques associated with them freely and to valuable effect.  [82]  

The Effect of Television on Humans Essay -- TV Media Papers

The Effect of Television on Humans "98% of all homes in the U.K. have at least one television in them"Throughout our planet we are surrounded by media, through magazines, newspaper, internet, radio and, the most influential, television we are educated the news of the world. Just over 96 years ago the first working mechanical TV system was built, by a man name Boris Rosing, and it’s now, in the 21st century the considered the most popular form of entertainment. It is adored by all ages and has become an essential part of the lives of millions of viewers. Television, as many researchers and scientists have said, influences the thoughts of its audience in good and, unfortunately bad ways, with TV broadcasters doing whatever necessary to profit from their shows. Television has a big impact on the youth of today, is the fact that our children are able to view scenes of sex, violence and excess bad language at such an early age have an affect on their future’s? DOES TELEVISION INFLUENCE OUR BEHAVIOUR AND CAUSE US TO BE MORE VIOLENT? The programs watched on TV obviously depend on the preferences of the viewer(s), but the majority of people will watch films quite frequently. ‘Action movies’ have forever been the most popular genre due to the extreme amounts of violence throughout the film. The characters in these films are made to look ‘cool’ when fighting or shooting one another. Teenagers take great pleasure in idolizing these heroes and imagine themselves reacting similarly in such scenarios. It has been found that youngsters who continually watch these ‘action movies’ are more likely to solve problems with violence a... ...nding us. As you can see there are advantages and disadvantages to the television, there is no doubt television influences our attitudes, behaviors and beliefs. Reality shows, Talk Shows, and Soap Operas all contribute to us being prevented from seeing the real truth in our society and what is considered important or not. On the other hand TV is extremely educational and is probably the greatest form of media. I believe that TV should not be an essential part of our daily lives, moderate amounts of it is certainly harmless, if not advantageous. By the time a child becomes an adult, he has witnessed over 12,000 acts of violence on a television screen per year. That equals 144,000 acts of violence between the ages of 5 and 18. The child has witnessed over 8,000 murders before finishing elementary school (APA 1997).

Sir Gawain: The Ideal Knight Essay -- Canterbury Tales English Litera

Sir Gawain: The Ideal Knight Throughout the Arthurian legends, Sir Gawain seems to be the epitome of a noble knight. He is always putting his king before himself, repeatedly sacrificing his own life in some way for King Arthur. He is an honorable knight that lives up to his word. This is evident in both Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and "The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell." In these stories, Gawain lives up to the expectations of a knight belonging to the legendary Round Table. In "The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell," King Arthur is accused of unrightfully giving away Gromer Somer Joure's lands to Sir Gawain. Gromer Somer Joure asks Arthur a question, which Arthur must answer if he wants his life to be spared. Arthur, going against the instructions of Gromer Somer Joure, tells Gawain of his predicament. He tells Gawain that he must not speak of the situation to anyone else. Gawain responds by telling Arthur, "I am not that man that wold you dishonour." ("Ragnell" 150) It is apparent that Gawain is an honorable person that keeps his word. Arthur would not confide in him, otherwise. Gawain's commitment to King Arthur is even more evident as the story goes on. Arthur finds an old hag, Dame Ragnell, who knows the answer to the question he has been asked. She asks in return, "Thou must graunt me a knighte to wed--his name is Sir Gawen." ("Ragnell" 280-281) Arthur cannot agree to this without consulting Gawain. When Arthur tells Gawain about his encounter with the hag, Gawain brushes it off as if it is nothing. He does not fear marrying the hag as long as it will spare the life of King Arthur. He says to Arthur with great confidence: Is this alle? I shalle w... ...s given his land to Sir Gawain. Arthur relies on Sir Gawain to get him out of the predicament that he is in. He also relies on Sir Gawain when the Green Knight confronts him in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Gawain offers to take Arthur's place in the Green Knight's Christmas game. Arthur quickly accepts without a second thought. It is obvious that throughout the Arthurian legends that Arthur and Gawain are portrayed differently. One thing that remains the same is that there is a special bond between these two characters. Gawain is always the knight that is ready to defend Arthur at all times. Works Cited Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams et. 7th Edition, Volume 1. New York: Norton, 2000. 156-210 Sands, Donald B. Ed. Middle English Verse Romances. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Inc., 1966.

Solar Energy Essay example -- Environment, Solar Panels, Solar Water S

Solar energy can be used in different ways during the construction of houses in order to conserve energy. Solar energy comes as a gift of nature and this makes it even more economical to use in our buildings. It is not only free but unlike other sources of energy; it also limits the amount of pollution caused to the environment. When building our houses the goal according to David Johnston and Scott Gibson is to create a house that consumes at least fifty-two percent less energy than one built conventionally with a corresponding reduction in the heating and the cooling cost.(Johnston, Gibson 252)This can be done through use of solar panels, solar water systems and photovoltaic. The above all rely on one source: solar energy which comes as a gift of nature. Solar energy can be used to determine different things about our housing,† Solar energy figures out where our houses are to be located, the orientation towards the southern sun, where different rooms are and the size and placement of window overhangs.†(Johnston, Gibson 250)This small factors can determine how heated up our houses are or how easy it will be to cool our houses. It can also determine the amount of lighting that reaches our houses. â€Å"Sizing south glass to capture as much sunlight as possible. Blocking summer sunlight with roof overhangs, shades and trees or vegetation. Choosing building materials for their mass and their potential to store solar heat in winter and to keep houses cooler in the summer.......† (Johnston, Gibson 252) Solar water systems can be used to reduce the amount of energy used in the production of electricity in our homes. It is commonly used in countries like Australia, Japan and China. They are usually made in such a way that they del... ... of the government especially in the developing countries. The governments in some countries are trying to control this problem by giving rebates and tax returns to people who install energy conserving equipment. The cost of their installations may sometimes prove to be a major drawback. However, the actual benefit is realized as the years pass by because the electric bills will decrease significantly. In conclusion, solar energy is being used in production of electricity in our homes. It is also being used in different ways to try to minimize any energy use. There are both the advantages and drawbacks of using this source of energy but the pros usually out do the cons. Solar energy should be viewed as one of the sources of energy that we can rely on the future because unlike other sources, it will never be depleted the only thing we have to do is to apply it.

Human learning and survival Essay

There is a common belief that the ability to learn is what makes human survival possible. I believe that survival is not based solely on learning. Human survival especially in times of vast environmental change is the result of a combination of learning, logic, reasoning and subsequent application of knowledge. The thing that sets humankind apart from other living things is intellect, which according to the dictionary is the ability to learn and reason. Learning is simply the ability of animals (humans included) to acquire and retain new information. Whenever we try to learn a new dance step, learn a new language or simply remember the names of people we meet, we in fact use our learning faculties. So do animals when they figure out that scrounging around in garbage cans can reward them with food. Darwinian theory proposes the idea of evolution wherein living things adjust biologically, mentally and physiologically to environmental conditions and demands. When the concept of â€Å"survival of the fittest† and natural selection is discussed, it pertains to animals that are not just physically fit but mentally as well (Arrizza). In fact most biologists and anthropologists support this thinking by citing the example of how humans have always depended on their wits in order to survive. More often than not, it is the more dull-witted ones who perish even before they have given birth to offspring, which probably is a good thing for succeeding generations (Thorndike, 1931, p. 184). It was stunningly simple. Nature does what animal breeders do, but gradually, and over longer periods of time. In a species, those individuals who are best adapted in their hereditary endowment will succeed, and survive, better than their fellows. That is the â€Å"struggle for existence. † Those successful individuals will leave more offspring, and this will move the mode, the central tendency of the species, in their direction. Following generations will continue to undergo selection for still better adaptation: running, swimming, seeing, hiding, chewing, or all together. (Howells, 1993, p. 6) Supposing this theory was correct however, it would imply that the â€Å"weak† or learning challenged humans would have been weeded out a long time ago. The thing is that in today’s times, learning challenged humans still exist and even thrive. There are some quarters that may opine that intelligence and the development of skill are products of mental evolution. Evolution refers to progress to something more functional, advanced and suited to the current environment (â€Å"Human Evolution†). The fashioning and use of primitive tools are just a few hallmarks of how human intelligence has evolved and applied â€Å"learning† into something that helped their survival. For all practical purposes, learning is often seen as an attempt to create a memory or store information that lasts as it is invariably linked with memory. Dr. Eric R. Kandle, vice chairman of the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives sums it as: â€Å"Learning is how you acquire new information about the world, and memory is how you store that information over time† (â€Å"What is learning†) Simply put, it is just the accumulation of facts and information. At this point it is important to point out the difference between learning and memory. Kandle points out that not all learning can get stored into long term memory. Such is the case of things a person learned in school. Unless these lessons are used in day to day life, many will have trouble remembering them some years after. Kandle adds that â€Å"There is no memory without learning, but there is learning without memory. † (â€Å"What is learning†) True learning cannot exist without memory but Thorndike (1911) scorns the idea that human learning is the same as real human intellect. He states that learning alone does not include the more complex processes of reasoning or inference. No real thought is given to the relationship and causality of things, neither is there an appreciation of the progress the application of learning is causing. He further posits that learning is based solely on factors that are present in the environment. It is human intellect that makes it possible for humans to think and develop further learning â€Å"outside the box’ or beyond what are present in his environment. Rychlak (1994) supports this contention with his own theory of â€Å"Logic Learning. † Rychlak believes that learning is an inherent quality in both humans and animals alike. Humans however possess the power and capability of logic that enables them to make sense and assign purpose and function to information that is learned. (p. 35) Learning is not limited to humans. Every living organism has the capability to â€Å"learn. † It has been proven that animals including dogs, cats and even bees have information and skill acquiring capabilities. While most animal characteristics are arguably innate or instinctive like a newborn baby or puppy’s nipple searching and sucking reflex, many later skills are learned. What sets people apart is rather not limited to the capacity to learn and store information but rather in the processing of this information afterwards and figuring out what to do with it. Animal learning is mostly based on impulses and instinct. There are three different ways by which organisms learn: â€Å"by trial and error, by observation and imitation, and by instruction. † (Campbell, 1998, p. 39) Trial and error is by far the most common method of learning among living organisms. An example of this is when a mouse tries to figure its way out of a puzzle by trying out first one path, then another until it hits upon the correct path to follow. Observation and imitation is illustrated by how the young of animals and humans alike acquire learning by watching and imitating the actions of their parents. This is most commonly the basis of the development of behavioral patterns and actions. Finally, and what is arguably the method unique to humans is the method of instruction through language. Why is it unique? Instruction needs conscious thought and full intention of teaching. What is more is that instruction is a big factor in the propagation of a culture yet the topics and methods of instruction are also largely dependent on culture (p. 40). Language is also another important and distinctive part of both human culture, instruction and in effect, human learning (Alland, 1973, p. 209). Using language in instruction speeds up the learning process thereby allowing for more potential information to be learned and assimilated. Instructions and responses are direct and accurate. In the same way, a shared language serves both as a unifying element of culture and â€Å"shared experience† between individuals. Learning and Adaptation Enough mention has been made of adaptation with regard to human survival†¦what is adaptation? Adaptation is lexically defined as an adjustment to conditions present within an environment or a reaction to a persistent and present stimulus. It allows an organism to â€Å"adapt† or change components or behaviors within itself to match the demands of its environment. Survival is an organism’s ability to exist and propagate in relation to its surroundings and environments. Is learning the key to adaptation and in effect human survival? No. But it is one of the fundamental and major contributors to it. Like most living organisms, humans have physical limitations that are challenged by natural elements and processes such as climate, hunger and other environmental conditions. Unlike other animals however, humans are relatively less sensitive and attuned to environmental changes (Piantadosi, 2003, p. 1). It is at this point that the human ability to learn, reason and compare their living conditions and determine problems that may exist and threaten their survival. Like people in modern days, primitive men had their environment with its own accompanying problems. If modern people today are challenged by more high tech issues like traffic, work, and finances, our primitive ancestors had to figure out ways of keeping warm in the winter and putting food on the table (or rock). There were challenges in how to hunt and capture prey effectively as well as make sure that they do not become prey to carnivorous predators of their time. From plain materials and tools fashioned with flint and animal bone, primitive humans graduated to working with copper which was more malleable yet as tough as stone, and then to the much stronger bronze which was formed by melting copper with tin and finally, iron (Hartman, 1996). Supporters of learning as the keystone of survival wold point this out as a way by which learning improved human existence. But basing on definitions alone, learning meant that they simply realized that stone is not so easy to work with, copper is malleable but pretty weak, and bronze and iron are harder metals. It is logic and reasoning that made it possible for them to realize that 1. ) there are problems with the materials they are using, 2. ) they need to find a better solution to their requirements, hence the search and formulation of copper and bronze. Without logic and reasoning people then would have simply stopped at knowing. One may look at this the same way as the differentiation between science and technology. Science is that wide and impressive body of knowledge which will remain meaningless unless applied and utilized in technology.

Consumer Promotion Essay

I expect this report to fulfill the requirements of my internship program (BBA 449) at Unilever Bangladesh Limited. I have put in my best efforts to make this report a success. However, I am sure that this report could have been a more superior one, if it had not been my first time to conduct such a relational study. However this has obviously been a great source of learning for me to conduct similar research studies in future. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for your guidance and suggestions in preparing the report. I will be happy to provide any further explanation regarding this research report if necessary. Thanking You. Sincerely yours, Muhammad Mashfiq Huq ID# 0131001 Acknowledgements In preparing this report a considerable amount of thinking and informational inputs from various sources were involved. I express my sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed towards making this research report possible. Major contributions were received from officials at Unilever Bangladesh Limited and Independent University, Bangladesh. First of all I would like to thank the authorities of Unilever Bangladesh Limited to give me the prized opportunity to do my internship at their prestigious organization. The experience and knowledge gained at Unilever Bangladesh Limited helped me immensely to address and understand all the elements related to my report, which I otherwise would not have understood so well. I would like to specially thank my supervisor at Unilever Bangladesh Limited, Mr Rajeeb Bhattacharjee, Product Group Manager for Wheel, for his absolute support, co-operation and encouragement that he extended to me from the very first day. In spite of having a very busy schedule, he made sure in every way that I acquire the best possible exposure and knowledge during my tenure as an intern under him. My sincere gratitude goes to my internship supervisor Mr. Muzahid Akbar, for encouraging me at the very first place, to undertake such a relational study to fulfill my internship requirements. He gave all the time and attention, which I needed to complete my research and compile my report in as much orderly way as possible. Last but not the least I would like to thank the respondents of my survey, for sparing the time to fill out the questionnaires. This research would not have been possible without their valuable inputs. Correlation matrix of the study variables 3. Stepwise regression on Product Quality Perceptions 4. Stepwise regression on Brand Loyalty 13 15 16 17 Executive Summary This paper is directed towards exploring the relationship between consumer promotion, price perception, product quality perceptions and brand loyalty in the detergent market of Bangladesh. Through sizeable literature review and discussions it is known that there is considerable correlation that exists among the study variables mentioned above. The data sampling was conducted on the customers of different brands of detergents. A structured questionnaire was used to find out the views of people regarding consumer promotion in detergent brands, price perceptions about the promoted brands of detergent, product quality perceptions about those brands and also to find out about brand loyalty in the detergent markets. A correlation analysis and a stepwise regression analysis were run on the collected data to analytically explore the relations and their extent. It was found that consumer promotion is positively correlated with the product quality perceptions and brand loyalty of those brands. Meaning that if a person views the consumer promotion positively, then his/ her perception of the product quality about a promoting brand will be proportionately high. It also means that the chances of the same person being brand loyal towards that brand would also be high. There is a positive correlation of price perception with perceived quality and brand loyalty. According to this, if the perceived prices of the promoted brands are fair then it would have positive effects on product quality perception and brand loyalty of that brand. It has also been found that product quality perceptions about promoted brands are positively correlated with brand loyalty of those brands. Overall consumer promotions are expected to give positive results with the people who have positive views about consumer promotion and who can be influenced by promotional efforts. So while deciding about consumer promotion it should be thought in advance that who is the consumer promotion activity aimed at. This way wastage of large amounts of money can be avoided by spending on ineffective consumer promotion activity. Every effort should be given to make the consumers think that the prices of the promoted brand are fair, even when there is no promotional activity is undertaken. Though there is a tendency in the detergent market to provide frequent promotional offers, yet the perceived quality should in no way go down because there is a good possibility that the brand loyalty would also go down. Introduction Bangladesh has a detergent market of about 8. 8 billion taka of which Unilever occupies a share of 30% making it the market leader. The major competitor brands in the detergent market for Unilever are Keya, Chaka and Tibet. To fight this steep competition the above mentioned companies constantly run consumer promotion in hope to sell more than the respective competitors. Although this strategy worked well at first but with the passage of time, the intense consumer promotions have done little to prevent Unilever from loosing shares to its competitors. In 2004, Wheel, Unilever’s largest detergent brand ran about nine consumer promotions where as in 2005 it ran no consumer promotions at all. Consumer promotion over all is a very expensive affair. Unilever has the largest brands of detergent and so the cost of providing a consumer promotion offer is also large by the same proportion. Besides the competitor brands are known to involve in some unfair practices. They pay a very low wage rate to their labours so overhead costs are low, they under invoice their imported raw materials so that they can evade import taxes and other duties, so they save a lot of money in the process. They can then utilize this money for consumer promotion and other competitive activities that can earn them a higher share of the market. Therefore it is imperative that consumer promotions and other dependant elements have to be studied, to make sure that if a consumer promotion activity is implemented it is a highly effective one. This way, precious monetary resources have the minimum chances of being wasted. To understand the competition in the detergent market better price perceptions and product quality perceptions about the brands of detergent on promotion are also considered being worth studying. To look at market share issues, the brand loyalty element should also be explored. Statement of the Problem There are many companies that are operating to serve the detergent markets; as a result the competition has heightened. Consumer promotions are being heavily used in the detergent markets to increase sales of each available brand. Consumer promotions, when implemented use up a lot monetary resources. Failure to implement the consumer promotion activity effectively may result in major loss of money. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this research is to explore the relationship between consumer promotions, price perceptions with product quality perceptions and brand loyalty in the detergent market of Bangladesh. Research Timeline 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 October November November 20 November 28 December 6 Research proposal writing and literature rivew Data collection (surveys etc. ) Data analysis and interpretation Draft submission of research report Submission of research report Limitations There are vast amounts of information and write-ups relating to the topics of this research that are present in the internet and various other sources, but it was not possible to gain access to many such information. So missing out some important aspect of the discussed topics can be a possibility. There is a major time constraint in doing the research work and preparing the report, a much larger pool of information could have been dealt with if there was more time to analyze them. A minimal sample size will be used for this research; if a larger sample was taken into consideration the research would have been more accurate. The survey will be conducted in Dhaka city which could be a possible reason for the people’s mind set to be similar and survey results not being very different from each other, the results could be different if people from outside metropolitan cities were brought under consideration. Review of Literature Consumer Promotion Sales promotions as we know is a very important component of marketing promotion. Consumer promotion (e. g. coupons, samples, contests, sweepstakes, and price packs) is a part of sales promotion that is targeted towards the final buyers of consumer products (Kotler and Armstrong, 2002). There can be various types of consumer sales promotion some are incentive based while others are communicative in nature (Kotler et al. , 1999; Tellis, 1998). The incentive based promotions can be price – oriented promotion or non price-oriented promotion. According to Britannica (article 21279) advertising presents a reason to buy a product but consumer promotion offers a short-term incentive to purchase. Consumer promotions often attract brand switchers (those who are not loyal to a specific brand) who are looking primarily for low price and good value. Thus, especially in markets where products are highly similar, consumer promotions can cause a short-term increase in sales. Abraham and Lodish (1987) stated that many consumer goods categories sold 90% of their volume on special deals which is a result of consumer promotion. Consumer promotion is thought to be a tool that helps manufacturers and retailers to achieve their objectives of generating sales (Alvarez and Casielles, 2004). They also stated that the influence of sales promotions on the consumer will also depend on the consumer’s characteristics Price Perceptions According to Schiffman and Kanuk (2004) price perception is about how customers see a product’s price, as high, low or fair. They also stated that perception of price unfairness affect consumers’ perceptions of value and ultimately their willingness to buy a product. According to Moore et al. (2003) years of research concerned with price show both positive and negative perceptions serve as marketplace cues. Several studies have also portrayed the role of price perceptions as an attribute to success (Jiang and Rosenbloom, 2004). When the price perceptions are high this is a sign of positive quality, prestige and status (Moore et al. , 2003). The concept of reference price is related to price perceptions. Schiffman and Kanuk (2004) stated that reference price is the price the consumers use as a basis for comparison in judging another price. It is through reference price that the price perception of a brand of product is formed. When the consumer plans to buy a product, he or she will judge prices comparatively with the reference prices in order to determine whether the price is acceptable or not (Alvarez and Casielles, 2004). They also stated that, a result of consumers’ comparison between the prices and the reference price, potential losses and gains emerge. The consumer perceives a gain when the reference price is higher than the observed price. If the observed price is higher than the reference price, the consumer experiences a loss. Product Quality Perceptions Product quality perceptions represent consumer judgment about the superiority of a product, which the user-based approaches think is essential in describing quality (Forker et al. , 1996). Bundles of attributes together represent a certain level of quality, which therefore provide utility to the customer (Snoj et al. , 2004). The benefits are measured through a perceived level of quality (level of working superiority), a bundle of attributes in comparison with the consumer’s expectations. Schiffman and Kanuk (2004) stated consumers often judge the quality of a product on the basis of a variety of informational cues that they associate with the product. They also stated that the cues can either be intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic cues are related to the physical characteristics of the product itself, like size, colour, flavour, aroma etc. The extrinsic cues on the other hand are related to elements that are put together with the actual product like packaging, pricing, advertising etc. The perceived quality of products and services is central to the theory that strong brands add value to consumers’ purchase evaluations (Low and Lamb, 2000). Brand Loyalty Brand loyalty is the ultimate desired outcome of consumer learning (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2004). According to Rawly and Dawes (1999) brand loyalty is the likelihood of positive attitudes and behaviours of consumers towards a particular brand, this could amount to repeat purchase and positive word of mouth. They also stated that a loyal customer base is an asset for a company and it reduces the need for seeking new customers. It is also a known fact that retaining current customers requires less money and effort than getting new ones. The strongest measure of brand value is the loyalty a company produces among customers (Aaker, 1996). According to Quester and Lim (2003) brand loyalty is known to have two components, namely attitudinal loyalty and behavioural loyalty. Behavioural loyalty is related to consistent purchase behaviour of a specific brand; it is the consumer’s overt purchase behaviour (Dikempe et al. , 1997) while attitudinal loyalty refers to a highly favourable attitude towards a particular brand. Rowley and Dawes (1999) stated that to understand brand loyalty better the following components of attitude model should be considered: 1. Cognitive component – associated with a â€Å"rational† decision making based on informational determinants. 2. Affective component – associated with emotions and feelings about the product or service. 3. Conative components – associated with a behavioral disposition. Relation between consumer promotion and product quality perceptions A primary reason for consumer promotion is to give an impression of greater quality and appeal to the potential customers (Alvarez and Casielles, 2004). Sales promotion influence the relative weighting of the utility factors and extends the perceived quality (Groth and Dye, 1999). Sales promotions can offer many benefits, the most obvious being monetary savings, and also motivation to perceive higher quality, convenience, value (Quock and Uncles, 2005). The way a consumer promotion is framed is likely to effect consumers’ perceptions of price, quality, value, and purchase intentions (Munger and Grewal, 2001). Ong (1997) on the other hand stated that there is a danger of unfavorable consumer perception as a result of consumer promotion activity like bonus packs etc. Consumers tend to think that at the normal price or offering they over pay for a given level of quality, so their quality perception is affected. Relationship between price perception and product quality perceptions The more quality a product possesses the more utility it contains and the more its price should be in the market (Sjolander, 1992). According to Sjolander (1992) it is very much expected that there is a very strong positive relation between perceived price and perceived quality. Perceived quality explains a considerable portion of the variance in the price the consumers are willing to pay for different brands (Low and Lamb, 2000). Unfavorable price perceptions may have a direct effect on customer intention to switch to a different brand, because the consumers might think that the price does not match quality (Jiang and Rosenbloom, 2004). Companies sometimes attempt to appeal to uninformed consumers by using high prices from start as a signal of high quality, with the belief that if they perceive the price of their products to be high then they automatically perceive the product quality to be high as well (Kalita et al. , 2004). Relationship between consumer promotion and brand loyalty According to Alvarez and Casielles (2004) promotions can have, as an effect, the consumer acquiring a brand that he or she would not otherwise try. They also stated that categories of products whose buyers are very loyal, consumer promotion activity like coupons etc that reward the loyalty could have a bigger effect. Srinivasan and Anderson (1998) acknowledged that many times sales promotions are used by new entrants to break consumers’ brand loyalty toward established brands. In the short run, established brands may be able to ignore sales promotions from new brands without serious loss of sales. Over the longer run, however, unless proper defensive and counter-offensive strategies are developed and implemented, established brands can gradually lose their loyal customer base. Dawes (2004) on the other hand stated that repeat buying rates that buying a brand on promotion decreases the likelihood of a subsequent purchase of that brand. Relationship between price perception and brand loyalty Alvarez and Casielles (2004) stated that when the consumer perceives a loss, the utility that the provides (brand) will diminish, and with it the likelihood of purchase will also go down. If, in contrast, the consumer perceives a gain, he or she will be more inclined to purchase the brand. Price perceptions are expected play an increased role in determining both post-purchase satisfaction and brand loyalty (Jiang and Rosenbloom, 2004). According to representative research higher perceived prices leads to expectation of higher perceived quality and value, in turn lead to higher levels of satisfaction of customers, greater levels of customer loyalty and retention and to a greater success of organizations (Snoj et al. , 2004). Relationship between quality perception and brand loyalty According to Ruyter and Wetzels (1997) the perceived quality is often viewed as a pre-requisite for loyalty and that perceived quality contributes positively to increase loyalty. They also stated that the influence of quality on preference loyalty generally varies per industry. Boulding et al. (1993) found positive relationships between quality and repurchase intentions and willingness to recommend to others. Because product quality perceptions influence value, efforts of marketers have focused on improving product quality in order to enhance perceptions of value, and consequently purchase intentions leading to loyalty (Grewal and Munger, 2001). The loyal customers, who gave indication that they would return, will be the internal level for managers to improve their quality in order to increase customer loyalty (Bowen and Chen, 2001). Research Question The following questions have to be addressed for the study: 1. Is there any significant relationship between consumer promotion and product quality perception in the detergent market of Bangladesh? 2. Is there any significant relationship between price perception and product quality perception in the detergent market of Bangladesh? 3. Is there any significant relationship between consumer promotion and brand loyalty in the detergent market of Bangladesh? 4. Is there any significant relationship between price perception and brand loyalty in the detergent market of Bangladesh? 5. Is there any significant relationship between product quality perception and brand loyalty in the detergent market of Bangladesh? Hypothesis The hypothesis that can be derived from the research questions are: 1. There is significant relationship between consumer promotion and product quality perception in the detergent market of Bangladesh. 2. There is significant relationship between price perception and product quality perception in the detergent market of Bangladesh. There is significant relationship between consumer promotion and brand loyalty in the detergent market of Bangladesh. . There is significant relationship between price perception and brand loyalty in the detergent market of Bangladesh. 5. There is significant relationship between product quality perception and brand loyalty in the detergent market of Bangladesh. Development of Conceptual Framework †¢ Consumer Promotion †¢ Price Perception †¢ Product Quality Perception Figure 1 . Model 1: Conceptual Framework of research variables †¢ Consumer Promotion †¢ Price Perception †¢ Product Quality Perception †¢ Brand Loyalty Figure 2. Model 2: Conceptual Framework of research variables Methodology Research design The illustrations of the conceptual framework model 1 and 2 (Figure 1 and 2) above gives a visual idea of the relationship and structure that exists among the study variables. The main purpose of the research is to assess the existing correlation among the variables. This research is about exploring and understanding the relationship that exists between consumer promotion, price perception with product quality perceptions and brand loyalty in the detergent market of Bangladesh. Here in the first model (figure 1) the independent variables are assigned to be consumer promotions and price perceptions. The dependant variable on the other hand is product quality perception. In the second model (figure 2) the independent variables are consumer promotions, price perceptions and product quality perceptions, in this case the dependant variable is brand loyalty. So the researcher is attempting to find out, if any changes in the independent variable have a changing effect on the dependant ones as well, thereby proving that a relationship exists. The researcher also tried to find out the degree to which a change in the dependant variables has an impact on the independent ones, in other words the degree of relation is also explored here. Therefore the correlation study was chosen for this research. Sampling method The required data for this research was collected from the regular customers of detergents. There was no particular sample frame available for this research so convenience sampling was used, as it is also the cheapest and the easiest methods of sampling. The sample frame for this research consisted of shoppers (mainly house wives) at different shopping centres and stores etc, and also the parents of school children were included. In the shopping centres the researcher surveyed the people who seemed to be the most appropriate respondent for this kind of survey. The parents of kindergarten students, who spend time waiting for their kids outside the schools, were also surveyed, because they usually have a lot of time to spare and can give valuable inputs. Due to time constraints the survey was conducted in Dhaka city only. Over all there were about a 104 people who participated in the survey. Survey instrument A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The questionnaire consists of different parts to gather information on the different variables under considerations. The questionnaire is the best instrument for the survey in this case because, for a correlation study the sample sizes have to be very large as it is quantitative in nature, so surveying so many people with personal interviews or observations would be next to impossible. With questionnaires, no responses of the respondents can be missed out. It gives more time to the respondents to think and then give the answers. And it is a quicker and cheaper way to conduct the survey. Questionnaires can be conducted in any environment, with minimum influence of the outside environment. Questionnaires also have the advantage of keeping the personal details of the respondents confidential. A sample of the questionnaire has been attached in the appendix.