Leadership in the African American Community Essay

Since slavery, African Americans have gone through a lot to reach their current state. In the early 20th century, African Americans faced discrimination, isolation, and were segregated according to their skin color. It started when Europeans brought the first Africans to America, and continued throughout the Civil War. The American government made some changes in policies. A variety of leaders shaped the successful struggle toward black equality in America (Bowles, 2011). Ever since slavery begun, African Americans have been determined to end segregation, discrimination, and isolation. Activists such as, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, and others, joined together to put an end to segregation, discrimination, and isolation to attain civil rights and equality. Slavery had changed dramatically in the late 1600s. About this time the slave trade to American colonies also began increasing to meet the demand for cheap labor. Traders sold slaves to the Northern colonies, but English and other European immigrants satisfied the demand for labor there (Echerd, 2009). Slaves in America came from western and central Africa. African tribes sometimes enslaved those defeated in intertribal wars and sold their captives to European slave traders. The tribes raided villages to obtain slaves to trade for European goods. Slave traders had even offered the Africans guns and other goods for the slaves. Slaves lived a rough, hard life. Cheap labor was a huge part of their lives. They had to work from sunrise to sunset. The work consisted of clearing land, tended to fields of tobacco, rice, and vegetables. They also performed many other tasks that had helped make plantations almost completely self-sufficient. No slaves saw any money for their tasks that they had performed, but they did receive food, clothing, and shelter. The slaves had resided in small one-room huts, which had no windows and the floors were all dirt. Most slaves accepted their living condition, however, they knew no other way of life (Koehler, 2009). However, white Southerners regained control of state governments in the South during the late 1870s, however, and reversed most of the previous gains made by former slaves. For example: segregation. What is segregation? According to Webster’s Dictionary, to segregate is defined as to separate or set apart from others; isolate or to require, often with force, the separation of a specific racial, religious, or other group from the body of society. Segregation has been a part of our American heritage, almost from the moment slaves arrived on the shores of the New World (Bowles, 2011). In 17th century Virginia, the theocratic government feared that racial mixing between freed and enslaved blacks and white indentured servants would become a means to usurp government power. They passed laws in which the color line was clearly defined in any criminal punishments. By treating whites and blacks separately and unequally, these Virginian leaders set up a system of white supremacy that would become an essential component of American slavery. Separation and segregation was the order of the day, with African Americans being forced to ride in separate railroad cars, have their own hotels and courthouses, and even get water out of their own drinking fountains. Their children could not attend the same schools with the White children. To further push the color-line, they then added in segregation with the Jim Crow Laws. This is mainly because the Whites were considered to be superior, and hence were thought to deserve better schools with better facilities. African Americans on the other hand were considered inferior, and hence their children attended low-quality schools that lacked adequate facilities (Sitkoff & Franklin, 2008). The Northern States, which had grew and prospered during the war, believed the former slaves to be equal as any other person. The Southern States, still angry over the loss of the war and their firm belief in White superiority, took a different approach. They created and enforced what were known as the Black Codes. These were legislations passed in Southern states to control labor, migration and other activities of the freed slaves. Black Codes allowed legal marriage, property ownership and limited access to the court systems. It prohibited them from testifying against whites, serving on juries or militias, voting and publicly expressing any form of legal concerns ( www. history. com). Any former slave that did not sign yearly labor contract with the plantation owners could be arrested and hired out. The Black codes in short allowed for the continued and legal discrimination against the former slaves (www. history. com). Congress quickly responded to these laws in 1866 and seized the initiative in remaking the south. Republicans wanted to ensure that with the remaking the south, freed blacks were made viable members of society. But the strong southern legislatures finally gave in; in 1868 they repealed most of the laws that discriminated against blacks. Things were starting to look up. But by 1877 Democratic parties regained their power of the south and ended reconstruction. In 1882, southern states passed Jim Crow laws that enforced strict segregation between blacks and whites and limited African-American civil rights. This was devastating to the blacks. After all the strides they made were reversed. From holding political offices, the right to vote, and participating as equal members of society was changed. The south gradually reinstated the racially discriminatory laws. The two main goals they wanted these laws to achieve: disenfranchisement and segregation. To take away the power that the blacks had gained, the Democratic Party began to stop Blacks from voting. There were many ways to stop blacks from voting. Some of these things were poll tax, which were fees were charged at voting booths and were expensive for most blacks, and the literacy test. Since teaching blacks were illegal, most adult blacks were former slaves and illiterate. And the other goal, segregation, causes the democrats to create laws that segregated the schools and public facilities. The Northern States, which had grew and prospered during the war, believed the former slaves to be equal as any other person. The Southern States, still angry over the loss of the war and their firm belief in White superiority, took a different approach. They created and enforced what were known as the Black Codes. These were legislations passed in Southern states to control labor, migration and other activities of the freed slaves. Black Codes allowed legal marriage, property ownership and limited access to the court systems. It prohibited them from testifying against whites, serving on juries or militias, voting and publicly expressing any form of legal concerns. Any former slave that did not sign yearly labor contract with the plantation owners could be arrested and hired out. The Black codes in short allowed for the continued and legal discrimination against the former slaves. Just like some African Americans activists fought this segregation, some Whites had some groups of their own to carry the segregation on and on. The Ku Klux Klan was one of them. The Ku Klux Klan, Knights of White Camellia, and other terrorists murdered thousands of blacks and some whites to prevent them from voting and participating in public life. The KKK was founded in 1865 to 1866. They directed their violence towards black landowners, politicians, and community leaders. They also did this to people who supported Republicans or racial equalities (Anti-Defamation League, 2012). After the abolishment of slavery in the U. S. the KKK formed. They hated blacks and would commit crimes against them. Murders, hangings, and lynches are just some of the crimes against the blacks (www. kkk. bz, n. d. ). The Ku Klux Klan claims to be just defending their people like other races do. What is a lynching? Lynching is a form of punishment with no legal permission. Most times lynching occurred against African Americans by hanging them. This was very popular during the Gilded Age after the American Civil War when African Americans were freed from slavery. Many White men would use lynching against Black men for being in a mixed relationship with a White woman. However, because lynching had no legal basis, it was thought to have been a tool that was used against freed slaves that had achieved financial stability and authority in order to remain a White-dominated nation. Lynching was most likely performed by White Supremacy groups like the KKK. Lynching was done by hanging or shooting, or both. However, many were of a more hideous nature. Burning at the stake, maiming, dismemberment, castration, and other brutal methods of physical torture are all part of a lynching. Lynching therefore was a cruel combination of racism and sadism, which was utilized primarily to sustain the caste system in the South. Many white people believed that Negroes could only be controlled by fear. To them, lynching was seen as the most effective means of control. Defending your people is one thing, but to torture another human being is inhuman. The KKK has several stories out there today on how they treated the blacks, whether they did anything wrong or not. For instance, a Louisiana woman is in critical condition after she was set on fire, resulting in burns on roughly 60 percent of her body, and her car appears to have had racial slurs written on it at the time of her attack (Mach, n. d. ). They had even gone as far as church bombings. The KKK launched a bomb into a church during a Sunday service, which left four innocent teenage girls dead. The men responsible hid behind the cloak of secrecy, intimidation and the white robes of the oldest terrorist organization in the world, the Ku Klux Klan (Gado, n. d. ). Therefore, until the Civil Rights Act of 1964, racial discrimination is an issue that was not seriously tackled. The act was a successful result of most wide-ranging civil rights legislation and Civil Rights Movements for close to a century (Finkelman, 2009). The act declared discrimination on the basis of color, race, ethnicity, religion, and many other aspects as unconstitutional. During the critical years from 1954 to 1963, a variety of leaders with different backgrounds, such as lawyers from the NAACP, women sitting on buses, ministers from southern black churches, militants from black power organizations, and youth from colleges had shaped the successful struggle toward black equality in America (Bowles, 2011). In 1896, the Supreme Court’s Plessy v. Ferguson decision established that â€Å"separate but equal† facilities for whites and blacks were allowable under the U. S. Constitution. Local governmental officials could designate separate public facilities like drinking fountains, restrooms, and schools. Even courthouses often had separate Bibles according to the defendant’s race. The problem was that separate usually meant unequal, and segregation subverted the freedom of every African American (Sundquist, 1993). Now, it is time for the African- Americans to fight back. The incident that made them want to make a difference was the Rosa Park bus ride. After a long day of work on December 1, 1955, Parks, feet hurt, looked forward to sitting on the bus for her ride home. At the time, there was a city ordinance stating that African Americans had to give up their seats on a train or bus if a white man asked for them. When a white man approached Parks and told her that he wanted her seat, she simply said no. Although she acted as a private citizen, her response was as an informed, committed member of the NAACP movement. The bus driver had asked Parks to move. When she did not, the bus driver said, â€Å"Look, woman, I told you I wanted the seat. Are you going to stand up? † When Parks again said no, the driver threatened, â€Å"If you don’t stand up, I’m going to have you arrested. † She gave no reply but at the next stop, Rosa was arrested (Garrow, 2004). A pastor known as Martin Luther King Jr., organized a boycott, the Montgomery bus boycott. King Jr. took this to a higher level and maintained and organized the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which coordinated similar bus boycotts in other cities. Shortly after the boycott, King had found a bomb on his porch. King went to Birmingham, Alabama, where he continued his nonviolent protests and marches. However, the police authorized force to disband King’s followers by using electric cattle prods, tear gas, and fire hoses (Bowles, 2011). King was arrested with the others, but upon his release from jail he went to Washington, D. C., where he and demonstrators met at the National Mall and addressed them with his famous â€Å"We Shall Overcome† speech on August 23, 1963. King’s words at the capital that day were a defining moment of the Civil Rights movement. Other demonstrations and civil disobedience campaigns sought to increase African-American voter registration and win better jobs. Malcolm X actively promoted the Black Muslim cause. Even after speaking about non-violence and wanting peace, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. The civil rights movement dramatically increased participation of African- American voters in both the South and the North today. By the mid-70s some 4000 African-Americans have been elected to political office at all levels of government. Qualified African-Americans now have a wider range of opportunities than ever before. Whether you are White or African-American, each group has faced its own peculiar challenges on its approach to democracy (Rappaport, 2001). This racism is wrong and unconstitutional. The 13th Amendment is ratified, abolishing slavery, which some people still went against it. The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to the former slaves and forbade states from denying any person life, liberty, or property without due process of the law. The 14th Amendment also guaranteed equal protection of the law for all citizens. The 15th Amendment barred states from denying citizens the right to vote based on race, color, or previous servitude (Hertz, 2009). In a perfect world, everyone would be equal. The color of one’s skin, religious beliefs or sexual preference would mean nothing. We would accept everyone for whom and what they are. We would rejoice in the differences between each other instead of belittling, hating and discriminating against those differences. We don’t however live in a perfect world. We live in a world filled with distrust and hate. If we don’t know or understand it in our society, then it is wrong. It will be discriminated against in one form or another. We as a country have made major strides in overcoming racism, however we still have far to go. In conclusion, African Americans faced isolation, discrimination, and segregation during the post-construction period. Racial discrimination was also prevalent in the military where back soldiers were considered inferior to white soldiers and hence poorly trained and equipped. The issue of racial discrimination, isolation and segregation was not seriously tackled until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was enacted. Civil rights activists such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. organized the famous 1963 protest in Washington that eventually forced President John Kennedy to pass the Act. It is therefore, clear that the journey to end isolation, discrimination, and segregation to attain equality and civil rights has been hard but worthwhile. ? References Bowles, M. (2011). American History 1865- Present End of Isolation. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint. Retrieved at: https://content. ashford. edu/books/AUHIS204. 11. 2 Finkelman, P. (2009) Encyclopedia of African American history, 1896-present, Madison Avenue, New York: Oxford University Press Rappaport, D. (2001). Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sitkoff, H. , & Franklin, J. (2008) The Struggle for Black equality. Hill and Wang Publication http://www. adl. org/learn/ext_us/kkk/default. asp? LEARN_Cat=Extremism&LEARN_SubCat=Extremism_in_America&xpicked=4&item=kkk http://www. history. com/topics/black-codes Civil Rights Act of 1964 http://www. ourdocuments. gov/doc. php? doc=97&page=transcript.

Ngc march

Explain the purpose of the ‘statement of intent' section of a health and safety policy. (3) the purpose of the ‘statement of intent' section of the policy should set health and safety goals and objectives for the organization; demonstrate management's commitment to health and safety; explain the allocation of resources to attain the stated goals and objectives and give an indication of the cultural health and safety framework for the organization. B) Outline the circumstances that would require a health and safety policy to be reviewed. 5) circumstances such as significant changes in the structure of the organization; after the introduction of new or changed processes or work methods; following changes in key personnel or a change of premises; following changes in legislation; where audits, risk assessments, monitoring exercises or investigations into accidents and cases of ill-health show that the policy is no longer effective or relevant; following enforcement action by or the receipt of advice from the enforcement authority; as a result of consultation with the workforce; and after a sufficient period of time has elapsed since the previous review to suggest that another is due. Question 4 (a) Identify TWO types of health and safety inspection. (2) types of health and safety inspection such as pre-use checks for example of portable appliances or ladders; general periodic workplace inspections; statutory inspections and those associated with planned preventative maintenance; safety tours and safety sampling and inspections carried out by members of the enforcement authority. B) Outline the skills and knowledge that are required of an employee who conducts health and safety inspections. 6) qualities expected of an employee who carries out health and safety inspections, candidates were expected to refer firstly to the knowledge he/she should possess such as a general knowledge of health and safety together with the legal requirements and any publishe d guidance; knowledge of the workplace and the work activities carried out with the procedures that have been introduced such as safe systems of work and the use of permits to work; and knowledge as to whom he/she should report the results of the inspections. Relevant skills would include the ability to identify hazards and risks and to detect deficiencies in the control measures provided; observational skills together with the ability to record and report observations; interpersonal skills including the ability to interview and question fellow employees and finally and importantly the ability to recognize his/her own limitations.Question 5 Outline ways to help ensure the effectiveness of a health and safety committee. (8) One of the prime requirements in setting up an effective safety committee is to ensure that it has the full backing of senior management, is provided with terms of reference and objectives and that its membership constitutes an even balance between management and employee representatives under the chairmanship of a fair, strong but diplomatic individual with one member of sufficient seniority to authorize any agreed action. It would be essential that time and resources are set aside for committee meetings which should be at a convenient time and notified in advance to all members with a copy of the agenda.Items for discussion should be topical and relevant to the organization and the safety adviser should always be present to provide professional health and safety advice. Formal minutes should be prepared after each meeting including actions that have been agreed and a copy of these should be displayed where it is accessible to all employees, such as on the employee notice board, so that they might be aware of the decisions that have been taken. Question 6 (a) Give the meaning of the term ‘risk. (2) the probability or likelihood that an unwanted event will occur and the possible severity in terms of injury or damage, would it occur. (b ) Give reasons why hazards may not be obvious to an employee exposed to them. 6) reasons such as over-familiarity following frequent contact with the hazard without recognizing any potential harm; lack of experience particularly in the case of young persons; sensory impairment; lack of attention arising from the routine or repetitive nature of the task being undertaken; warning alarms being masked by noise or the wearing of personal protective equipment; and inadequate provision of training, information and instruction. Other reasons which might have been given included the invisible nature of the hazard, such as that arising from exposure to biological agents, gases and radiation and those hazards where there is no obvious short term effect with little indication of what harm might be caused in the longer term. Question 7 (a) Outline the functions of a permit-to-work form. (2) functions of a permit to work system are to control high risk activities by ensuring set procedures are fo llowed; to formally record control measures and to give signed authority for the activity to be carried out. B) Outline the elements that should be included in a typical permit-to- work form. 6) Elements which should be included in the permit include firstly a description and assessment of the task to be performed including the plant involved, its location and the foreseeable hazards associated with the task. This will determine the need for, and nature of the necessary controls such as, the isolation of sources of energy and other services, the provision and use of personal protective equipment, emergency arrangements and facilities, communication arrangements and the duration of the permit. An essential element of a permit to work system is the operation of the remit itself.By means of signatures, the permit should be issued by an authorized person, and accepted by the competent person responsible for the work. On completion of the work, the competent person would need to indicate on the permit that the area had been made safe in order for the permit to be cancelled by the authorized person, after which isolations could be removed. Question 8 An organization can monitor its health and safety performance using a variety of means. (a) Identify FOUR active monitoring methods. (4) inspections, surveys, tours, audits, environmental monitoring, health surveillance, behavioral observation and benchmarking against the performance of other like organizations. (b) Identify FOUR reactive monitoring methods. 4) reactive monitoring methods which might be used include accident and ill health reports and statistics, incidents of reported near misses and dangerous occurrences, property damage, actions taken by enforcement authorities, the number of civil actions and insurance claims and the costs involved in all of these. Question 9 Explain reasons why the following employees may be at greater risk in the oracle: (a) young persons; (4) the individual's stage of physical dev elopment and maturity; lack of knowledge, experience, training and practical skills; lack of perception or awareness of risk; poorly developed communication skills; over enthusiasm and the tendency of young persons to take risks and to respond more readily to peer group pressure.

Three Components to the Justice System

of the justice system The Criminal Justice System James E. Boyd Strayer University Douglas Brinkley The Justice System Criminal Justice is a phrase that refers to the collection of the three criminal justice systems. The federal, state, and local public agencies deal with the crime problem. These agencies process suspects, defendants, and convicted offenders and are interdependent insofar as the decisions of one agency affect other agencies. The three components of criminal justice are Law Enforcement, Courts, and Corrections.While all independent, they all must work together towards a common goal. The goal is to establish order and peace for all citizens of this great nation. Police The first component of the criminal justice system, perhaps the most dangerous, is law enforcement. Police departments are public agencies whose purposes are to maintain order, enforce the criminal law, and provide services. This includes the local police as well as the federal and state departments.They head the criminal justice system because they are the ones that find and capture individuals who break the laws set forth by the state or federal government. Law enforcement personnel are also responsible for ensuring the cases are strong enough to stand up in court. They cooperate with prosecutors in criminal investigations, gathering evidence necessary to obtain convictions in the courts. Court The second component of the criminal justice system is the court.Courts are tribunals where persons accused of violating criminal law come to have their criminal responsibility determined by juries or judges. The court system includes prosecution, defense lawyers, judges, and juries. Judges hear the cases and preside over the participants to make sure that all laws are followed while the cases are being tried. Some cases are tried in front of a judge only, while others have a jury of 12 citizens who determine the guilt or innocence of a defendant based on facts brought forth during a trial .A jury may also make a recommendation of what a sentence should be. A judge ultimately decides a sentence unless there are pre-determined sentencing guidelines that need to be followed. Sentencing guidelines are more prevalent in the federal justice system. Corrections The third and final component of the criminal justice system is corrections. The role of this component is to uphold and administer sentences handed down by judges. Corrections include probation, parole, jail, prison, and a variety of new community-based sanctions, such as electronic monitoring and house arrest.The corrections system, which is tightly intertwined with the previous two components, is very important and quite large. The corrections component includes jails, prisons, correctional officers, probation officers and parole officers. The purposes of correctional agencies are to punish, to rehabilitate, and to ensure public safety. References. Schmalleger, Frank (2010) Criminal Justice Today (11th Edition) : An Introductory Text For The Twenty- First Century, Chapter 1, Pgs. 16 & 17. Judiciary Judiciary Police Police Corrections Corrections

A Comparison of Japan and the Culture of the United States Research Paper

A Comparison of Japan and the Culture of the United States - Research Paper Example Work and business practices that are culturally relevant provide for the development of economic success for a nation. In comparing the Japanese culture with the American culture, it is clear that the Japanese exist in a collective state where as Americans not only are individualistic but aspire towards individualism as a respected state. In comparing the cultures of Japan and the United States, it is clear that the differences provide for very different outcomes in relationship to economy and success. Japan Education and Family The central government is involved in the success of their school systems. School systems are the same throughout the nation with moves from one region to another meaning that a child will not be in a different state of educational advancement in one place compared to another. Equity is achieved through the centralized control of the education system. Communities are not responsible for defining their own education system, but rather there is a high quality o f standardization that exists though out the country (Berger, 2009). Children spend longer days, longer weeks which include Saturdays, and a longer period of the year in school. School systems are only shut down for one month out of the year. Three fourths of the children attend supplemental public school which is called juko (Berger, 2009). Japanese children routinely score higher on science and mathematics tests. One criticism, however, is that so much time is spent on rote learning that concept of meta-cognitive skills are not as well developed. Learning discipline through memorization is emphasized while thinking skills are not fully developed to the capacity that could be achieved. In 2002, the Japanese government made changes in order to create more relaxed learning in order to maximize controlled curriculum at 30% with the rest of the curriculum being devoted to teaching children how to think (Berger, 2009). Family life in Japan, therefore, is based upon the importance of the group dynamic. Georges (2009) shows that the ideal family relationship is one in which â€Å"a feeling of oneness† exists to the point that the members of the family understand one another without having to discuss anything. Contrasting to American ideas of teenage life, when polled on how much teenagers believed that their family understood them, Japanese teens indicated that their mother understood them by 72%, their father by 65%, and their siblings by 63%, while believing by 77% that they understood the other members of their families. It is possible that Japanese generally gain self-esteem by their membership in their family, rather than through direct self- enhancement (Georges, 2009). The family is structured with the male as the head of the family, but the mother taking responsibility for the emotional security and welfare of the family. She takes the responsibility of the children, holding them to her in a method through which she prepares them for the external soci ety through creating meaning in the connection to the family group. Children are responsible to each member of the family and it is through the shame of failure that their success is born. They owe their success not to themselves, but towards the continuation of the family through their efforts. Work and Business Work and business are a continuation of the nature of the Japanese culture through which the needs of the collective are more important than the needs of the individual. A class system has evolved in which a family is ranked socially by the reputation of the company for which he works. The work culture

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Fair Work Act 2009 Essay

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Fair Work Act 2009 - Essay Example The act focuses on the key parts such as the employment standards of a nation, contemporary awards in the workplace, industrial action, minimum wages, unfair dismissal, office fair work and enterprise agreements. Organisations exists for a purpose but regardless of particular resource in an organisation, HR managers play significant roles in the organisation and they are the key ingredients for organisation success. HR manager controls and manages financial resources, people and other aspects; thus a number of varied things should be taken into considerations in order to transform the nature of work and workplaces in which they are performed. Among these aspects is making significant amendments to industrial relation systems; thus employing more innovative HRM practices such as communicating clearly about organizational policies is vital. The strengths of the Fair Work Act 2009 The aim of the FW Act is to offer a balanced framework for productive and supportive workplace relations, w hich promotes state economic prosperity and social aspects for all Australians (Harpur, 2012, 190). Under this act, employees and employers may bargain collectively to make enterprise agreements in respect of the terms and conditions of employment. The FW Act offer an effective bargaining process in the workplace and this is where agreements between bargaining representatives who represent employers and employees bargain in good faith in order to come to an agreement. Mondy, Noe and Gowan (2005, p. 45) point out that the essential function of the HRM in an organisation is to create and maintain a productive, as well as, a healthy and safe working environment for all stakeholders. The core activities of the human resource manager include offering job analysis, recruitments, retaining employees, and recruiting, training or compensating employees. Regardless of the size of an organisation, HRM should perform their work well by managing and improving the skills of employees in order to create successful organizational performance. These activities take place within a framework of legislation that establishes minimum standards and prospects regarding acceptable behavior in a business entity (Briscoe, Schuler and Claus, 2009, p. 32). The FW Act has been wholly operational since the commencement of the year 2010 and it substituted the workplace relation or work choices amendment Act of 2005 (Manuel and Law Society of South Australia, 2009, p. 51). The FW Act is imperative because it enables employees to adjust the employment costs, workforces or flexible working hours to suit subdued demand (Sloan, 2010, p. 19). Employers in some sectors are concerned with modern awards in the workplace and unfair dismissals while others are concerned with the federal minimum wage; thus the FW Act is vital in the workplace. Many organisations such as the Australian organisations faced turbulent business and economic issues during the 1970s but the implementation of the FW Act 2009 ha s created significant changes on the way organisation perform their functions in the contemporary business world. The FW Act offer flexibility in the workplace and this is significant because it contributes to increased productivity in the workplace. Offering work flexibility is one of the significant aspects that have enabled many human

The use of deep breathing exercises as a stress management technique Essay

The use of deep breathing exercises as a stress management technique for elementary school children - Essay Example Stress refers to the physical or psychological result of external or internal pressure (AllPsych Online). Stress is also considered a normal physical response to any stimulus causing threat or that which upsets the balance of an individual in some way. Factors causing stress may include external pressure, encompassing the physical environment, like home, work, school, inter-relationships, challenges and difficulties, or even expectations that an individual faces every day. In addition, internal pressures may also cause stress; these cover the over-all health and fitness level of the person, his emotional well-being and mental capacity. The latter in part, determines the body’s ability to respond to external stress-inducing factors (Understanding stress, helpguide.org). It has been ascertained that there are abundant potential causes of stress uniquely expressed for each individual. However, for this particular study, the focus shall be on the factors of stress in school performance of elementary pupils in the United Kingdom. Based on gathered research and studies conducted in UK context, students in primary education particularly those from the ages of 5 up to 12 years old are now generally experiencing school stress which results to a variety of physical and psychological conditions. Stress manifests in different forms, especially among children ages 5 years old or younger since they are still incapable of recognizing and communicating feelings of stress to their parents or guardians. However, stress indicators like clinging to parents, unusual crying, display of temper tantrums and other regressive behaviour (i.e. thumb sucking, bedwetting), and rocking, biting and even toilet accidents are evident. Likewise, children ages 6 to 11 years old, or school-aged children, are more articulate with their emotions and experiences toward stress-related incidences, and the obvious reactions are physical complaints and uncharacteristic

D.A.R.E. Drug Abuse Resistance Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

D.A.R.E. Drug Abuse Resistance Education - Essay Example The most prevalent drug education program in existence is the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, commonly referred to as D.A.R.E. This is a program currently taught in all 50 states as well as in foreign countries and is in the vast majority of all school systems. Despite its immense popularity, there has been great debate in whether or not the program is successfully maintaining its own goals of preventing the nations’ youth from engaging in substance use/abuse. In this paper, I will present arguments and studies both for and against the program and its effectiveness. This paper will also demonstrate that with all the research that has been examined in the debate over the effectiveness of the D.A.R.E. program, there may be crucial questions that have not yet been addressed that might further reveal D.A.R.E.’s influence on youth. Literature Review The following literature review attempts to demonstrate and support the hypothesis that the D.A.R.E. program is effect ive in combating drug use among the nations’ youth. Ennet et al., (1994) carried out a research to analyze the effectiveness of D.A.R.E program in meta-analysis. ... In two of their studies, there was reliable information on the long-term effects of the program. However, there was no indication D.A.R.E’s effectiveness deters individuals from using drugs even at their adult stage. In illuminating some light on Ennet et al., (1994), (Hansen, et al. 1988) conducted, a study to that aimed at preventing multiple substances among seventh grade students. In their research, two drug abuse prevention curricula tested aimed at determining their efficacy in preventing the onset of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use among adolescents. The first program focused on prevention through social pressure resistance training, while the second featured affective education approaches to prevention. A test on curricula was on seventh grade students. Subjects were pretested just prior to the program and post-tested at 12 and 24 months. Post-test analyses indicated that the social program delivered to seventh grade subjects was effective in delaying the onset of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use. There was no preventive effect of the affective education program was observed. By the final post-test, classrooms that had received the affective program had significantly more drug use than controls. A study conducted in 1991 suggested that two strategies for preventing the onset of alcohol abuse and marijuana and cigarette use were tested in junior high schools in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, California. The first strategy taught skills to refuse substance use offers. The second strategy corrected erroneous normative perceptions about prevalence and acceptability of use among peers and established conservative groups norms regarding use. Four experimental

Global business environment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Global business environment - Term Paper Example Slate tablet is a newly developed organization going to compete in the global consumer tablet industry. The organization is trying to adopt and implement cost leadership business level strategy in business operation process in order to support the affected purchasing power of the consumers. The organization should try to focus on the large and emerging consumers markets to gain potential competitive advantages. In addition to this, the organization should also try to develop its own distribution and supply chain network in order to justify its adopted and implemented cost leadership business level strategy. Most importantly, the organization needs to use the promotional mediums and platforms such a way, so that the target customers can understand the market position of the products. Lastly, it is highly important for the management of the organization to focus on both social media and traditional media promotional strategy to create significant brand awareness. Target Market and Positioning of Slate Tablet It is clear from the previous assignment that Slate tablet is going to introduce in global tablet industry. But, initially and certainly the brand will compete in the consumer tablet market. It is clear from Part 1 that global tablet industry has become highly competitive and saturated. Therefore, it is highly important for the management of Slate to develop an effective and significant targeting and positioning strategy for the brand considering the nature of the competitive global market place. However, it is clear from the previous assignment that the management of Slate is trying to focus on consumer tablet market.

Religious Movements of 18th Century America Essay

Religious Movements of 18th Century America - Essay Example The Awakening was the first major religious movement to sweep through the colonies. By 1720, church membership had declined and in many areas in the backcountry preachers and churches were not available (Nash et al., 149). The Awakening was a non-denominational movement that derived its popularity from the belief that anyone could preach the word of God simply by being 'born again' into their faith in Christ. This attracted nomadic preachers and a revival environment that spread throughout the countryside. Because many of its followers were non-traditional and poor, the movement often became a lightening rod for social movements. The movement was able to draw distinctions between the elite and the poor and in doing so became an instrument of political and social reform. The Enlightenment had begun in the middle 17th century in Europe and spread to the colonies by the early 18th century. It was also a religious movement, but believed that man and science could reason the universe and come to an understanding with God. This belief, known as deism, promoted a natural order in the world (Henretta, Brody, and Dumenil, 113).

Manipulating creation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Manipulating creation - Essay Example Therefore, while technology plays an important role in creating easy and comfortable lives for humanity, it is important to observe boundaries that maintain the balance of life. In the creation stories, there is a concept of God creating everything for the comfort of humankind. For example, man is in charge of all life on earth (Herzfeld 91). The implication is that man has the authority to shape the world to a shape that suits all his need. Therefore, the desire to change the nature of creation is justified by the position of man in the universe. However, this is a utilitarian view. An alternative view would mean that man has the responsibility to maintain creation as it is. In addition, changes would imply dissatisfaction with the work of the creator. Therefore, such changes would be wrong in a religious context. The illustration of the initial desire to change the nature of metals to suit the needs of humanity exposes the nature of man and his position in creation. For example, in an economic argument, the limited amounts of Gold make the metal valuable. It its quantities were to increase, its value would reduce. In addition, the other metals have more u se in building, tasks that gold cannot be used for. Therefore, the current model of creation fits the needs of humanity by availing materials in the amounts required by humankind. Therefore, the provisions of nature create a balance that makes life easier by providing the requirements of humanity at the required amounts. However, the argument of presence of diseases and other genetic disorders that complicate life and create suffering is used to challenge the principles of nature. For example, in the proposed models of nanotechnology, it is possible for doctors to remove tumors that were recently fatal to man (Herzfeld 96). In addition, the principles of alchemy were instrumental in brewing

The civil War Essay Example for Free

The civil War Essay The beginnings of the American Civil War were born from a disagreement between the Northern and Southern part of the United States of America. The south still believed in slavery and wanted to use it as a normal routine since slave labor constituted a major part of their workforce (Greene 302). The sentiments in the north were much different as they believed that a ban on slavery was only proper and the northerners were willing to make sure that the entire United States took part in this. The southerners did not want such a change to occur and this is when the civil war began. â€Å"Lincoln did not propose federal laws against slavery where it already existed, but he had, in his 1858 House Divided Speech, expressed a desire to arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction. † (Greene 306) The result of the Civil war was the emancipation of the slaves and the abolition of all forms of slavery. The effect, however, is arguable as many cite that the abolition of slavery in itself is a major achievement but more authoritative sources state that it did not totally remove the racism that was to follow (Greene 306). The effects of the Civil War were more local as opposed to the American Revolution. Which One Had a Greater Impact? After reading a number of sources and understanding the situation of the war, I feel that the American Revolution was the biggest achievement for the country and it had a greater impact on the country as well as the world (Greene 309). Even though slavery was also to be eliminated, there was a need for the country to include all the individuals into the decision making of the government. There was a need to provide the individuals with the freedom of speech as well as thought so that they can think the best for themselves. Another effect is that the end of the British Rule over the Americans led a wave of self-determination across the world and showed the other colonized countries that they too could fight for their independence (Greene 310).The Civil War had no such effect on slavery as slavery continued to occur in other parts of the world such as the African Continent. References Blanco, Richard. The American Revolution: An Encyclopedia 2 vol (1993), 1850 pages Greene, Jack P. and J. R. Pole, eds. The Blackwell Encyclopedia of the American Revolution (1994), 845pp; emphasis on political ideas; revised edition (2004) titled A Companion to the American Revolution Online Sources Wikipedia. (2007). American Revolution. Retrieved on April 26, 2007 from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/American_RevolutionWikipedia. (2007). American Civil War. Retrieved on April 26, 2007 from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/American_Civil_War In Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution, McPherson claims that the Civil War brought about a much more radical change in government than the revolution of 1776. Find sources from this period that would support or challenge this statement. Look closely at the ways the decision to enter the Civil War tested the Constitution and the national sense of unity. Do you believe the country was strengthened or weakened by the Civil War?

Free

Free philosophy Essay In philosophy, the â€Å"self† is used to refer to the ultimate locus of personal identity, the agent and the knower involved in each person’s actions and cognitions. The notion of the self has traditionally raised several philosophical questions. First, there are questions about the nature and very existence of the self. Is the self a material or immaterial thing? Is the self even a real thing or rather a merely nominal object? Second, is the self the object of a peculiar form of introspective knowledge, and if so, what does this tell about its ultimate nature? Third, what is the relation between the nature of the self and the linguistic phenomena of self-reference, such as the use of the first-person pronoun ‘I’? In this course, we will investigate these and related questions with a special focus on the issue of the unity of the self. In the first half of the course, particular attention will be devoted to recent works on the relation between the nature of the self, the unity of agency and the process of self-constitution by authors such as Korsgaard, Velleman, Dennett In the second half of the course, we will discuss some of the peculiar features of self-knowledge and consider whether the idea of self-constitution can shed light on them. The self does not really exist as something truly real because: it is not available to introspection (Hume); it is not a thing (Existentialists); it is a soluble fish in a sea of general meanings or representations (postmodernists); and/or it cannot be found in the brain or its activity (neurophilosophers). There are many other lines of attack but these examples are sufficient to illustrate what is wrong with these autocides: they are looking for the wrong kind of entity or in the wrong place or both.

A Case study of j boats

A Case study of j boats Objective: The objective of this essay is to look at the issue of organizational tensions and basics for successful strategy via the case study of J Boats. This essay introduces the case study of J Boats and the key players, details the five forces analysis, looks at resources and capabilities, tensions, the 4 Ps of strategy and finally comes up with the future recommendations to management and strategic risks faced by J Boats. J Boats and Key players: J Boats is Americas most successful and famous boat-builder. Over the period has won many awards. J Boats operates its business in eight countries Argentina, Australia, Italy, France, England, Japan, Brazil and South Africa. Each year, over 100,000 people around the world sailed on one of their boats. It is operated by only five individuals of a single family. Rod who is the founder of J boats made his first boat Ragtime in 1974. Bob is the co-founder of the company and elder brother of Rod and he made the strategy of business. Jeffery, son of Rod became president of the company in 1987. Stuart and Drake sons of Bob became vice-president and sales manager in the same year 1987. Alan, son of Rod became product development manager. In 1993 Drake left his position and Jim (nephew of Rod and Bob) became sales coordinator. Tillotson Pearson International (TPI) is the major supplier of the company. J Boats has a network of 65 independent of dealers around the world . Five Forces Analysis: The five forces analysis provides a useful framework and checklist for analyzing the competition dynamics of any given industry (Simons 2000, pg 19). The five forces that determine the degree and nature of competition in boating industry are: industry 1. Threat of new entrants Easy to set up for example boat manufacturing can take place in home garage. High investment in research and development and product innovation required. J Boats has created professional dealer network distribution. J Boats have a long history of heavy advertising and this has earned brand equity and loyal customers all over the world. 2. Suppliers All the Boats of J boats are building by TPI and this gives supplier, TPI, a lot of bargaining power. On other hand there is mutual agreement between TPI and J Boats where TPI is exclusive manufacture for J boats. 3. Substitutes Large numbers of recreational activities available e.g. skiing, swimming and outdoor sports such soccer etc. 4. Buyers Buyers are price sensitive. Buyers can easily switch to different suppliers. Dealer earn industry standard margin. 5. Industry rivalry High fixed cost increases the firms willingness to discount to utilize capacity, increasing rivalry. Firms Resources and Capabilities: Resource is more broadly defined as strength of the business embodied in the tangible or intangible assets that are tied semi permanently to the firm (Simons 2000, pg 21). Capabilities refer to the special resources and know-how possessed by a firm that gives it competitive advantage in the market place (Simons 2000, pg 23). J Boats has strengths in the major functional areas of a business, such as research and development and marketing and sales. It has ability to respond quickly and effectively to market needs. J Boats capabilities are also created by being first at creating new design- a first mover and locking out competitors. Tension in organization: Organizations are complex entities in which managers must balance a variety of forces (Simons 2000, pg 7). J Boats needs to balance opportunities and attention. It has three projects in production J/160, J/32 and J/100 that absorbs time and money. It is hard for a company to decide which project to continue with for next years. The managers must ration their time and attention wisely. Secondly, J boats are attempting to grow it business however an excessive emphasis on growth can lead to danger without consideration to profitability. J boats need to balance profit, growth and control. J boats need to make strong financial planning. Only when a business is profitable can managers focus on growing the business (Simons 2000, pg 8). The 4Ps of Strategy: These are Perspective Mission, Position in Industry, Patterns of Action and Plans Goal. These are explained below. Mission statement: A mission statement is a formal commitment to stakeholders that the companys strategy incorporates and recognizes their claims on the organization (Hill 2007 p 34). J Boats mission is to become one of Americas most successful and famous boat- builders. Position in Industry: Means what industry position it wants to achieve through its strategies? (Hubbard, Jaynes, Clowes, Winter, Samuel, Pg. 3.7, 2009). J Boats wants to build best performance sailboats, thus creating value by offering quality products. Patterns of Action: To succeed over the long term, managers must keep their eyes focused on customers and competitors and their ears to the ground. They must listen and learn (Simons 2000, pg 37). J Boats is a best performing brand because of product innovation, advanced research and development and networks and relationships with suppliers and buyers. J Boat is very creative and fast moving with a new idea and currently its moving in low cost boat. Plan Goals: Goals are the ends or results that management desires to achieve in implementing the business strategy. Plans and goals can be used to communicate strategies and coordinate actions (Simons 2000, pg 32). From management perspective greater success of company is to handover J Boats successfully to next generation. Recommendation: These are a few recommendations that could support company to perform in more effective and efficient manner in future. These are explained below. Effective planning system: Effective financial planning means the development and implementation of co-ordinate plans for the achievement of a clients overall financial objectives (Leimberg 2007, p 3). J boats need to make strong financial planning. These will tell the J boats that whether the company is running as efficiently as possible or not. It will also help management to analysis cash flow position, further investment objective and goals. Quality and performance: By being the first mover (means first to create a new performance boat design) in the niche product segment ( i.e. quality and performance) alone is not sufficient to ensure this advantage is maintained, and J Boats must continue to innovate in product development, maintain good supplier and dealer network and stay one step ahead of its competitors. Expansion: To create long-term strategic advantage, J Boats really needs to look to expansion options that ensure strong growth and profitability. On this basis, expansion of new low cost boat and different supplier bases will provide a good foundation. Strategic Risk: The process of overseeing the management of all the firms risks is strategic risk management (Hubbard, Jaynes, Clowes, Winter, Samuel, 2009). However, it is vital that the risk attached to any options is carefully considered by J Boats before embarking on these options. They will significantly change the underlying business model of J Boats, increasing the level of complexity and uncertainty associated with revenue streams generated from new products and markets. In order to successfully integrate any expansion into the existing business, J Boats must ensure that risk management becomes an essential component of the business planning cycle. Conclusion: Future growth and development are clearly important factors in the J Boats business model. The development of brands loyalty and consistency of product innovation and expansion into low cost boat is likely to be the way to success. J Boats ensured that one of the Johnstons was represented on the class association executive board to monitor closely any proposed changes in racing rules that might affect specifications and allowable equipment when racing, this a good example of how the company is ensuring its well placed for the future and has strong capabilities that are able to meet the strategic goals of the company. Company should understand running a business on one supplier base is much more risky in term of long future plan thus its vital to have more than one supplier. Finally we recommend J Boats to consider rotation of duties for fear that if misfortune happen to a family member the business will continue in future without major interruption.

catcher in the rye :: essays research papers

As defined in The American Heritage Dictionary, symbolism is defined as the practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing symbolic meanings of significance to objects. The book â€Å"The Catcher in the Rye† by J.D. Salinger was the only novel he has written. The novel The Catcher in the Rye is about a boy named Holden Caulfield who’s trying to find himself and what he’s supposed to do with his life. Through his journey he gets kicked out of many schools, interacts with unusual characters, and has many different events that are unusual. Throughout the novel, he will be told he needs some kind of help and at the end he too will realize it himself. Why is Holden’s red hunting hat significant because, his hat is red like Allies hair, he’s hunting for truth, and he wears it like a catcher.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, Holden’s red hunting hat is significant because of him wanting to be the â€Å"Catcher in the Rye†. Also, Holden’s red hunting hat demonstrates symbolism because his hat is representing the fact that he wants to â€Å"save kids from losing their innocence† by catching them as would a catcher do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"And I am standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff- I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all† (173 Salinger). Also, Holden’s trying to save kids from making the same mistakes that he would by catching them before jumping into adulthood he doesn’t want them to grow up making the same mistakes that he did. Holden soon realizes that he can’t catch every single kid from falling into adulthood because it isn’t in his powers to help them because it’s a move they have to take.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Second, Holden’s red hunting hat has another significance which is being that it’s the same color as the color of Allies hair. This demonstrates symbolism because he really didn’t have a closer relationship with Allie. He feels bad that he had blown them off those few times that he wanted to hang out with him. Also, Allies red hair and Holden’s red hat reminds Holden about his brother and what he meant to him.

Developing and Implementing Change :: Business, Change

Change also known as innovation means to alter or to be different. It is not a new concept. According to Patronis Jones (2009, p.168) and Harris (2002, p.145), â€Å"change is the only constant† whereby it is an important part of an organisation and happens all the time. Without change, improvement will not happen. In the healthcare industry for example, without change, nurses will still be trained in hospitals (Anderson, 2005). Change can be either planned or unplanned. Unplanned change occurs suddenly due to specific circumstances whereas planned change is a longer process that involves planning to achieve a specific goal (Patronis Jones, 2009). In addition, change may be due to internal or external forces. Internal forces are factors within the organisation such as organisational values, beliefs and culture whereas external forces are factors that come from outside the organisation such as social factors, economic factors and legislations (Patronis Jones, 2009). Change can also be personal or organisational. However, according to Harris (2002) and Wainwright (2008), organisational change mainly involves personal change. This means that change always involve people who plan, implement and evaluate changes individually or within a team (Harris, 2002). Three types of change have been identified within organisations: transitional, transformational and developmental. Transitional change is the most common type of change; it is driven by management and involves small continuous changes in people, structure, procedures or technology to improve organisational performance (Gilley, Gilley & McMillan, 2009). Transformational change is driven by leaders and is competitive, â€Å"fundamental and radical† involving a change of culture and value system; for example the merging of two organisations (Harris, 2002; Gilley, Gilley & McMillan, 2009, p.76). Developmental change on the other hand involves a continuous dynamic change aiming at avoiding radical changes (Gilley, Gilley & McMillan, 2009). According to Gilley, Dixon & Gilley (2008, p.154), â€Å"transformational change is the key to realising innovation in an organisation.† For organisations to succeed and be competitive, they must support and implement continuous and transformational change (Gilley, Gilley & McMillan, 2009; Gilley, Dixon, & Gilley, 2008). The aim of the health industry is to provide quality patient centered care. However, the healthcare industry is facing an aging population and workforce. Skills and resources to manage complex and chronic illnesses are required. In addition, consumers are more educated about the healthcare system and want to manage their own health (Reithmeier, 2009). Developing and Implementing Change :: Business, Change Change also known as innovation means to alter or to be different. It is not a new concept. According to Patronis Jones (2009, p.168) and Harris (2002, p.145), â€Å"change is the only constant† whereby it is an important part of an organisation and happens all the time. Without change, improvement will not happen. In the healthcare industry for example, without change, nurses will still be trained in hospitals (Anderson, 2005). Change can be either planned or unplanned. Unplanned change occurs suddenly due to specific circumstances whereas planned change is a longer process that involves planning to achieve a specific goal (Patronis Jones, 2009). In addition, change may be due to internal or external forces. Internal forces are factors within the organisation such as organisational values, beliefs and culture whereas external forces are factors that come from outside the organisation such as social factors, economic factors and legislations (Patronis Jones, 2009). Change can also be personal or organisational. However, according to Harris (2002) and Wainwright (2008), organisational change mainly involves personal change. This means that change always involve people who plan, implement and evaluate changes individually or within a team (Harris, 2002). Three types of change have been identified within organisations: transitional, transformational and developmental. Transitional change is the most common type of change; it is driven by management and involves small continuous changes in people, structure, procedures or technology to improve organisational performance (Gilley, Gilley & McMillan, 2009). Transformational change is driven by leaders and is competitive, â€Å"fundamental and radical† involving a change of culture and value system; for example the merging of two organisations (Harris, 2002; Gilley, Gilley & McMillan, 2009, p.76). Developmental change on the other hand involves a continuous dynamic change aiming at avoiding radical changes (Gilley, Gilley & McMillan, 2009). According to Gilley, Dixon & Gilley (2008, p.154), â€Å"transformational change is the key to realising innovation in an organisation.† For organisations to succeed and be competitive, they must support and implement continuous and transformational change (Gilley, Gilley & McMillan, 2009; Gilley, Dixon, & Gilley, 2008). The aim of the health industry is to provide quality patient centered care. However, the healthcare industry is facing an aging population and workforce. Skills and resources to manage complex and chronic illnesses are required. In addition, consumers are more educated about the healthcare system and want to manage their own health (Reithmeier, 2009).

Interview Follow Up or Thank You Letter :: Interview Follow Up Thank You Letters

Kara Kreme 1234 Tennis Court Sports, CA 95616 (530) 765-4321 kkreme@email.edu March 1, 2001 Ms. Kristi Krispy, Coordinator The Internship and Career Center University of Somewhere One Chance Avenue Sports, CA 95616 Dear Ms. Krispy, Thank you for the opportunity to interview for the position of Student Advisor this afternoon, Friday, March 1, 2001. It strengthened my interest in the position and reinforced my confidence in my ability to excel should I be selected for the position. My experience working with fellow Somewhere students, organizational skills, and work ethic would benefit students visiting the ICY, and would allow me to grow professionally. My position as a Resident Advisor in Dasher Hall provides me with outstanding training. As we discussed in today’s interview, selection is a very personal issue for most students. As an RA, I am often praised for my ability to work with residents on issues that require sensitivity. I am fortunate to balance my strong people skills with strong organizational skills. I realize that during the interview I may not have emphasized my administrative abilities as fully as I would have liked. Thanks to my summer job with LK&N, I have extensive experience meeting deadlines, maintaining records, and generating reports. In fact, the database I am most familiar with is ACCESS, the program used by ICY Student Advisors. I trust that my ability to perform the job will be evident if you talk with Resident Director Donna Donalds, my supervisor at Somewhere Housing. To verify my administrative skills I encourage you to contact Megan Megster, Customer Records, LK&N, at (999) 454-5454. Her name is not on the Reference Sheet I left with you at the conclusion of the interview. In closing, I would like to restate my interest in the Student Advisor position with the Somewhere Internship and Career Center for the 2001-2002 academic year.

Unit Three – Marketing P3

Marketing Research Market research indicates decisions made by a business, in this case Tesco, by helping the decision makers understand undercurrents of its market. This process involves research done on customers, competitors and the overall marketing environment. For example, when Tesco is promoting a product, they need to know the likes and dislikes of their targeted consumers in order to target the correct market successfully. They would also be required to research about their competitors, to find out if by any chance they offered a product that was similar, and how they would differentiate their product from it.Also, as an overall, they would be required to research the environment of the market, as well as the size of their target market, in order to decide how they are going to offer the product to the consumers. Example: sold in store, online, or both. Primary and Secondary Research There are two types of research: †¢Primary Research †¢Secondary Research Informati on for these types of research can be done internally – within the organization, or externally, from another organization or source of information outside the organization, in this case Tesco.When information or data is gathered for a certain purpose and has not been gathered before is known is primary research. Internal primary research data source could consist of: †¢The business’s sales figures of products †¢A central database holding customer data External primary research data source could consist of: †¢Various questionnaires and surveys †¢A variety of focus groups and interviews †¢Observation techniques When data or information that has been collected before, either internally or externally, is used for research is known as secondary research. Another name for secondary research is ‘desk research’.Internal secondary research data source could consist of: †¢Sales and regional reports †¢Market research gathered in the past External secondary research data source could consist of: †¢Websites and trade journals †¢Newspapers and books †¢Public reports †¢Census data †¢Industry reports For business like Tesco that operate in many different fields, secondary research is more cost-effective, before they decide to conduct primary research. This allows Tesco to have a better understanding of the market, as well as recognize any major obstacles before conducting expensive research.Secondary research also allows them to make assumptions based on similar products and therefore, once primary research is conducted, it can be used against the assumptions to evaluate and compare. This will help indicate how much primary research they are required to do and therefore they don’t end up doing too much that is not required. However, Tesco is required to take the limitation of secondary research into consideration: †¢The information may be outdated †¢The information may be b iased in order to promote particular causes †¢The methods used to collect the research may be unreliable.Qualitative and Quantitative Research Research methods can be qualitative, quantitive or can include both methods. Well-planned market research consists of both methods in order to result with a good combination of information revealing different things about the same market. Qualitative research is one-sided and normally unrestricted. It normally is gathered through interviews with customers or focus groups and therefore result in a wide range of research based on personal experiences and feelings.A qualitative question allows the individual go give a broad answer and not based against options. Qualitative research can be used to: †¢Find the perceptions of customers about an organization or brand. †¢Discover how changes in price and other factors affect customers and spending decisions. †¢Explore customer preference, interests and other factors. Quantitative research involves numbers and figures that can be examined mathematically or graphically. This may consist of sales figures, market values, etc. , as well as responses from customers on questionnaires.This is only categorized as quantitative research if the responses from the customers a chosen from series of answers provided on the questionnaire. The difference between quantitative and qualitative research: QuantitativeQualitative ObjectiveSubjective Tests theoryDevelops theory Concise and narrowComplex and broad Measurable Interpretive Basic analysis: NumbersBasic analysis: words and ideas Logical and reasonableDialectic Establishes relationshipsDescribes meaning Experimental settingNatural setting Uses of marketing researchThe information collected for market research prevents businesses like Tesco making wrong business decisions. If the product designer for Tesco progresses a new product without market research, then the business is not moving forward on reliable sources and the refore are unaware if customers are interested in the product or not. This indicates, effective market research improves the chances of success and reduces the risks. Tesco’s can also measure progress effectively over time. This can be done by, carrying out market research, to found out the awareness of the product before managing national advertising campaigns.Once they have conducted the research, they can put their national advertising campaigns into action and again conduct research and compare the two. Therefore, this indicates, market research can be used to measure progress as well as the effects of marketing activities. Limitations of market research – costs, effectiveness and validity of data collected Weather market research is done at a small or large scale, any time is required to be performed accurately and appropriately otherwise it gives irrelevant results.All market research conducted has the chances of being wrong no matter how well controlled and plan ned. There are various reasons why market research may not provide accurate or good results but a usual problem is deciding whether the research conducted really measures what it claims to be measuring. Marketers for Tesco are required to decide how reliable the information they have obtained is. Also they need to take into consideration, if the research contained had different respondents or different set of data points, would the results be similar.Validity refers to whether the research conducted is what it intended to be. Validity involves dependability, which means, a valid measure must be reliable. But, reliability doesn’t have to link to validity, a reliable measure is not required to be valid. The difference between reliability and validity: †¢Reliability guesses the point to which an tool processes the same way each time it is used in under the same conditions with the same subjects. †¢Validity involves the point of accuracy of your measurement.For organiza tions like Tesco’s, validity is considered more important than reliability because if a process does not precisely measure what it is supposed to, there is no use of it and therefore it being reliable is useless. Costs are also an essential consideration for Tesco when carrying out market research, as they are required to take into consideration if they money spent is worth the research undertaken and its potential benefits to the product, as well as the organization. A lot of time, effort and money can be spent on market research and in the end the solution discovered might not be worth implementing.

Gap Years: Are They Worth The Risk? Essay

Every year, students fresh out of high school re locate to a new temporary home for college, ready to start the next chapter of life. While eager to do so, many students do not have a clue to what they want to pursue or pick majors that they are unsure of. A recent study released by ACT, College Choice Report Part 1: Preferences and Prospects, stated that nearly 80% of high school students taking the ACT selected a major they intended to select in college. However, 64% of those students choose a major that did not fit with their academic strengths and interests. This could have the possibility of increasing the number of students who change their majors which is never a bad thing, but time is money in the economy, and money is something that should not be wasted. Many students will not admit such a secret, but most are not ready to start college and are still slightly burned out from the work of high school. A solution to this problematic situation is an old trend, yet still commonly popular around the world, called a â€Å"Gap Year†. Taking time off may seem like a dangerous thought, but it is important to take time to dedicate yourself to finding out who you are, that’s why a gap year can help you save money in the long run, expand your knowledge of the world around you and even help your grades. One of the most difficult periods of life for a young adult, is college. Studying for classes, commuting, new expectations, and the list could go on for a long time, but one thing that tops it all is student debt. It is important to pick the right school and the right major, because if not, a lot of valuable time and money is wasted that could have gone into something that was a much better fit. This is where a â€Å"gap year† could be a helpful solution in the long run. It may not seem like a great idea at first and can even seem ludicrous that this idea could even save money, but if done correctly it can. The idea is that by taking a couple of months or a year off, the student should get a job, something that is new and can tech he or  she a new set of skills, volunteer for a charity or help around the community. â€Å"I’ve had parents tell me their child would probably have dropped out after first semester or year because they were so turned off by their classes in the academic experience, but a gap year helped them get excited and gave them a focus.† (Bull). Doing these activities can help one work through the process of finding their true calling and could possibly help them decide what major is right for them. Instead of diving head first off the highest cliff and into the cold, murky water below, the student has instead decided to take the scenic route and dip their feet into the clear water of the beaches. However, this can also be a bad idea for the irresponsible or lazy people who decide to take a year off. If instead of working they decide to slack off, they have wasted time and money that could be put towards their future and discovering more about the world and themselves. With so much around to explore, there is only a limited amount of time to do so while being young. While being young, our wallets are either empty from not working or full from working too much, and with school and curfews, these limits present a barricade to going far and exploring. College is a time to break these limits and explore, but there are still those barricades to a certain degree, which in life there will always be. But taking a gap year lessens the limits by extreme lengths, even promoting travelling and getting outside the usual comfort zone. By taking time off you learn a horizon of new things and get to explore uncharted areas of life that can be helpful to know for the future. Colleges, like Princeton and the University of North Carolina, are even supportive of this trend and even offer scholarships to scholars who decide to embark on such a journey (Hoder). There are a range of programs that offer to help youth during this time, and these organizations like the American Gap Association and USA Gap Fairs, are expanding very quickly to help young adults travel or with advice on how to tackle their own gap year. One issue with this however, is that there needs to be research and a plan before anything. Many students wait last minute and eagerly just don’t sign up for classes. They then realize that they have no clue what they want to do or that they may have chosen the wrong activity. Choosing the wrong program is similar to choosing the wrong major,  and while it may not be that expensive, it is still money going down the drain. That is why it is a good idea to brainstorm in advance what programs and places to travel may be a better fit and could possibly benefit the student’s future. Grades in high school are very important, but if there is one thing that makes that statement look like a soft teddy bear, it is grades in college, the flaming pits of hell. College is the key to anyone’s future and can make it or break it in certain cases. If pursuing a degree or major that the student is not interested in, there is a higher chance of that student letting their grade slip into turmoil. Robert Clagett, a senior admissions officer from Harvard has found that students who have taken a gap year, before rushing into college life, have GPAs that, on a 4.0 scale, are 0.15 to 0.2 higher than otherwise would be expected. In Randye Hoder’s article, â€Å"Why Your High School Senior Should Take a Gap Year†, she interviews A young woman, Corrine Monaco, who had gone to an academically rigorous school in New York, and by her second semester of her senior year, she was burned out from the hard work. She knew she couldn’t go diving back into school. She decided to then spend a few months traveling across the country. When she finally got to college, she was genuinely excited to be back in the classroom again. â€Å"Taking a gap year was the best decision I ever made.† Monaco said about her experience. It is common sense that someone who is overly worked will, overtime, begin to fatigue, which will show in their work academically or professionally. However, taking time off should be used to focus on the future or beneficial activities, and the main goal should be to return to school. If sight of that is lost, then a gap year could have been for nothing if wasted and nothing was learned. But not going to school doesn’t mean a gap year was also a waste. Some people could cross paths with a great opportunity that would not present itself again if they decided to stay on track and go to school. That is what a gap year is all about, finding ones path outside of the pressure from the world. A gap year can be the greatest experience or a complete waste of time, depending on how one looks at it. A negative stigma follows the trend, with many believing that once you take time off, you will not want to return.  Many people will deny this, but deep down, does anyone? When we take time off and spend it relaxing and exploring life, why would anyone want to return to the monotonous routine of school and work. But a gap year is supposed to solve that and help you find, not a job or something to make money, but a passion or a career that you want to do, not need to do. With society’s strong emphasis on money, which is a necessity of life in our time and era, many students zoom through their youth with their nose to the grindstone, missing out on life and lessons that may only present themselves once. It may not be for everyone, but a gap year is definitely something to consider if one is unsure of life and what direction they would like to take and can be very helpful if done right and with a positive outlook the journey and life itself. Sources 1. Blakmon, Olivia. â€Å"Just the Stats: Majority of College-Bound Students Select Wrong Majors.† – Higher Education. N.p., 5 Dec. 2013. Web. 04 Nov. 2014. 2. Driscoll, Emily. â€Å"Taking a Gap Year: What Students Should Consider.† Fox Business. N.p., 20 Sept. 2013. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. 3. Hoder, Randye. â€Å"Why Your High School Senior Should Take a Gap Year.† Time. Time, 14 May 2014. Web. 01 Oct. 2014. 4. Strutner, Suzy. â€Å"10 Reasons You Should Take A Gap Year.† The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 30 Nov. 2013. Web. 01 Oct. 2014.

Final Team Paper

Business Research Method I Timothy Trautman, Kawaun White, Guillermo Lecca, and Germaine Washington QNT/561 January 15, 2013 Dr. Anthony Matias Abstract The research statement and motivation that will be analyzed is how to recycle at Starbucks in the most cost effective and efficient method. The company is facing multiple challenges but barriers from municipalities and training employees are two of its most difficult challenges. The methodology and research is based on the action research design and will detail how we get our results.The result of our research indicates that recycling will be successful depending on the belief of the employee and customers. The conclusion of the analysis will show that recycling may be a personal preference but if the company can produce data that verifies it’s environmental and financial benefits people may support the idea. Starbucks – Business Research Method I The objective of this analysis is to research a question that applies to a chosen organization.The research will include an explanation of the operational definitions, dependent variables, independent variables, and characteristics specifics to our research. In addition, the analysis will also identify, analyze and research these objectives while conveying how they relate to real life applications. Starbucks will be the focus of the research and the operational dilemma will be recycling and how to implement it as effectively as possible. Organizational Dilemma Research Question Starbucks is a company that believes in the importance of recycling.Although, the process seems to possess a straight forward initiative in reference to recycling, there is a vast amount of material wasted that have some employees disgusted with Starbucks as an organization. â€Å"But while recycling seems like a simple, straightforward initiative, it’s actually extremely challenging. Not only are there municipal barriers to successful recycling in many cities, but it take s significant changes in behavior to get it right. One wrong item in a recycle bin can render the entire can unrecyclable to the hauler. (Starbucks 2012) Research Design In performing research for Starbuck’s recycling efforts, staff members will study a variety of methods that will incorporate information to ensure that the appropriate cycling is performed. The action research design would best describe the type of research to perform for this case study. This type of research design follow a characteristic cycle whereby initially an exploratory stance is adopted, where an understanding of a problem is developed and plans are made for some form of interventionary strategy.Then the intervention is carried out (the action in Action Research) during which time, pertinent observations are collected in various forms (Types of Research Design, 2013). This research will help the staff understand why and how the recycling method for Starbucks could be a good benefit for the company a nd the customers. Characteristics 1. Use for work or community situations. 2. Look to find a solution rather than testing out the main subject of the possible problem. 3.This will show how recycling is well known to use whether on a personal or business level in order to reserve and gain. 4. The researcher will not leave out any information whether bias or not. The type of research utilized allowed the staff of Starbucks will to show customers how recycling is very important to the company and the environment. Expressing the honest beliefs to recycling will let the public see how each cup sold should be recycled and in return the concerns of high pricing for Starbucks items would have the advantage to have a reduction. Dependent variableThe concern of making certain that the correct technique of recycling is taking place, this will involve each person. The research will show dependent variables because every customer will have the initiative to take part in a life-changing event. Ev en if Starbucks makes recycling a requirement to customers, in place of service, the customer still has the right to want to participate. When the process of recycling is in process the location that takes up the bins at that time will have the opportunity to make sure that each item is put into the correct place.Operational definition The data to collect from those customers recycling versus the customers who are not choosing to recycle will lead to a strong belief to Starbuck’s company that those customers who are passionate about the environment may not care to recycle. While there will be the data to collect from the customers that do not have the understanding of how recycling will help high prices for the cup of coffee purchased every morning. Conclusion The researcher for Starbucks should always take into consideration that every customer has his or her own opinion.Whether he or she wants to take a part of making sure that every recyclable item is done properly Starbuc ks is wasting the effort of what the company is doing for the environment. He or she will have to show customers and give more feedback as to why the customer and the company can continue to profit from recycling. References Starbucks (2012). Recycling and reducing waist. Retrieved form: http://www. starbucks. com/responsibility/environment/recycling Types of Research Design. (2013). Retrieved from http://libguides. usc. edu/content. php? pid=83009&sid=818072

Black Tuesday and the Great Depression

As the American economy is presently dealing with a heavy recession, I deemed it appropriate to choose the Great Depression and the Stock Market Crash of 1929 as the topic for my research paper. The Great Depression was a 10 year period of suffering in the United States from 1929 to 1939, also majorly affecting the rest of North America, Europe and other industrialized areas across the globe, caused by many different events and choices. In early 1929, as the New Era neared its calamitous end, America was the richest nation in the world; the richest in all history.America’s 122 million people had more real wealth and real income, both per person and in total, than the people of any other country (Chandler, 1970). General observations of the stock market frequently discussed were of the high stock prices, and speculations were made about what would happen in the late 1920s. Were the stocks generally too high? Or was this a new level for the stock market? October 29, 1929, otherw ise known as Black Tuesday, gave a precise answer to these questions with the crash of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the start of the Great Depression in America, quickly to spread across the globe.The Great Depression is often said to demonstrate the instability of market economics and the need for government oversight and direction (Smiley, 2002). The stock prices were far too high, which quickly caused the bloated stock market to crash, resulting in dynamic losses for the entire American economy. Stocks had risen to uncommonly high levels which had not been explored before, but occurred regularly throughout the late 1920s. These high prices marked the peak for stocks in September of 1929 just before the market began to drop drastically.The Times estimated the loss for Black Tuesday at between $8 and $9 billion (Harold Bierman, 1998), with the overall loss at a much higher price than that. In reality, the major causes of the Stock Market Crash were because of actions take n and decisions made during the Roaring Twenties. However, the Great Depression did not occur simply because of one cause. It was a combination of easy credit, unequal distribution of wealth between the classes, the Stock Market Crash, and many more rising tribulations.The Roaring Twenties were a time of liberal and progressive ideas which included new technologies and goods resulting in an increase of the monetary prosperity within the economy. There was Henry Ford’s development of the moving assembly line, and new industries and inventions in chemicals, aviation, and electronics. By 1929, the United States were producing over 40% of the world’s manufactured goods (Foner, 2008). The automobile was the backbone of the prosperous economic growth.Henry Ford’s inexpensive Model T, with its ability to be mass produced was very significant, seeing that throughout the 1920s, automobile production tripled from 1. 5 to 4. 8 million. Charles Lindbergh flew the first solo transatlantic flight in 1927, and the nation’s total income rose from $74. 3 billion in 1923 to $89 billion in 1929, along with many other prosperous events (Gusmorino). Even though there were these numerous new expansions that increased the standard of living in the United States, there was a good portion of the economy that remained in poverty and was not able to prosper like the rest of the country.Farmers’ incomes continually declined, which forced many banks to foreclose tens of thousands of farms because owners were not able to pay the mortgage. Also, the majority of families had no savings because everything was bought on easy credit, which would drastically hurt them when the stock market collapsed in 1929. Many goods in the 1920s were commonly purchased on credit through a new type of payment plan, otherwise known as â€Å"buy now, pay later. An interesting fact is that while Calvin Coolidge was in the White House, Herbert Hoover had been warning since 1925 against the use of credit in the market. Coolidge, instead of speaking out against stock market speculation, insisted in March 1929 as he left office, that U. S. prosperity was absolutely sound and that stocks were cheap at current prices (White, 1996). It turns out Hoover had been correct, which most likely had an effect on Hoover getting elected as President after Coolidge. The stock market crash did not, by itself, cause the Depression.There had been signs of economic trouble throughout the decade, with the highly unequal distribution of income and the prolonged depression in farm regions, which resulted in reduced American purchasing power (Foner, 2008). Through the period of imbalance between the earnings and spending of the different classes of families, the only two things the United States could rely on to keep the economy at the same level was credit sales and luxury spending and investment from the wealthy (Gusmorino). The quick collapse of the worldwide economy was dreadf ul and to most, unpredictable. Around 26,000 businesses failed in 1930.Throughout the industrial world, millions of families lost their life savings; depositors immediately withdrew money from the banks because they were worried that they could no longer count on the promise to redeem paper money in gold (Foner, 2008). This was true because the global financial system in this time in history was based on the gold standard, and ill-equipped to deal with the downturn. Four-fifths of the Rockefeller family fortune disappeared; General Motors stock fell from $73 to $8 and U. S. Steel stock fell from $262 to $22, while U. S. Steel, who had 225,000 full-time workers in 1929 had none at the end of 1932 (Foner, 2008).By 1933, 11,000 of the United States’ 25,000 banks had failed (Nelson). Unemployment grew to five million people in 1930 and then up to 13 million by 1932. Hundreds of thousands of Americans roamed the country in search of food, shelter, and work; at least 13 million mem bers of the labor force who were able and willing to work were entirely unemployed, and millions more were only partially employed (Chandler, 1970). The future was masked in plain uncertainty. Over the course of the first few years of the Depression, President Herbert Hoover was thought by many Americans that his response to the Depression was uncaring and inadequate.Nevertheless, the federal government had never faced an economic crisis as severe as the Great Depression, so you can’t blame the political leaders for not knowing exactly what to do in that situation. Hoover remained strongly opposed to direct federal intervention in the economy, and constantly made public statements to aim for higher public confidence, but all it did was make him progressively more out of touch with what was really happening in the country (Foner, 2008). Hoover’s administration’s response was very ineffective, and forced American freedom to be redefined during the 1930s once he le ft office with Franklin D.Roosevelt’s election in 1932. Franklin D. Roosevelt came to be beloved as the symbolic representative of ordinary citizens, which was strongly needed in America at that time. I’m sure this was part the reason he was President for three straight terms and was able to lead the United States out of the Great Depression. One of the best things Roosevelt did when entering his Presidency was to include as many intellectuals and social workers in key positions in his administration with decisions about what should be done to deal with the Depression.He introduced a number of new changes in hopes that it would increase the structure of the American economy by using increased government regulation and massive public-works projects to hopefully promote a recovery (Nelson). Unfortunately, these changes did not help much at all, except for a key move by Roosevelt to take the United States off the gold standard. He also established the Federal Deposit Insu rance Corporation (FDIC), which insured the accounts of individual depositors.By severing the link between the country’s currency and its gold reserves, he made is possible to issue more money in the hope of stimulating business activity; these two measures rescued the financial system and greatly increased the government’s power over it. To show an example of how positive it was, not a single bank failed in the United States in 1936 (Foner, 2008). Franklin Roosevelt’s â€Å"New Deal† was created to help the American public believe that greater regulation would solve many of the country’s problems.The National Recovery Administration (NRA) was established in 1933 along with the National Industrial Recovery Act, which would work with groups of business leaders to establish industry codes to set standards for output, prices, and working conditions. FDR believed that the idea of liberty should be brought back in order to encourage economic activity an d ensure a fair distribution of wealth, and was welcomed immediately. In spite of this, the NRA was declared unconstitutional in 1935, and never produced economic recovery or peace between employers and workers (Nelson).In March 1933, Congress established the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which set unemployed young men to work on projects such as forest flood control and many other jobs outside in nature and the wildlife. The young men’s ages ranged from 18-25; by the time the program ended in 1942, over 3 million young men had participated in the projects where they received government wages of $30 a month (Foner, 2008). In 1935, Congress passed the National Labor Relations Act which gave workers the right to bargain through unions of their choice and gave clear labor practices (Nelson).A policy that took place during the first three months of Roosevelt’s administration, otherwise known as the â€Å"Hundred Days,† was the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) in 1933. Roosevelt moved to bring agriculture under the federal umbrella, and to have farm subsidies and production controls be protected under the AAA (Scaliger). The AAA made the federal government attempt to raise farm prices by setting production quotas for major crops and by paying farmers to plant less (Foner, 2008).This was very effective in providing economic relief for farmers; especially since farmers had been having serious problems for years before the Great Depression began in 1929. Even though not all farmers benefited from this act, it was able to raise farm prices and incomes for many, which opened up a way for farmers to begin receiving benefits once again. Unfortunately, the period of unusually dry weather, otherwise known as the Dust Bowl, in the Great Plains caused some serious problems for the AAA, farmers, and rural America.The Dust Bowl occurred mainly from 1935-1938 in the areas of Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and Colorado. The region suffered a very severe droug ht, the most severe of the century. Wind and dust storms blew most of the soil away, which resulted in crops being destroyed, cars and machinery being ruined, and people and animals dying and being harmed in general. The drought and dust storms displaced more than 1 million farmers and American citizens, in addition to forcing them to leave the Great Plains and head west, or anywhere they could go where these high winds and droughts were not occurring.Even though the AAA was generally successful, it was deserted in 1936 when it was ruled an unconstitutional exercise of congressional power over local economic activities. The Depression also devastated the American housing industry, but the establishment of the Home Owners Loan Corporation and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) helped insure millions of long-term mortgages issued by private banks (Foner, 2008). Home ownership now became possible for tens of millions of American families, and more opportunities began to arise.Roo sevelt’s First New Deal came to a halt after having many both successful and non-successful experiments, along with being unable to pull the United States out of the Depression. Afterward in 1935, Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the Second New Deal for the reason that he was stimulated by the failure of his First New Deal to pull the country out of the Depression. The First New Deal had focused on economic recovery; the weight of the Second was on economic security, where Americans would be protected against unemployment and poverty (Foner, 2008).In 1935, Congress and Roosevelt attacked the problem of weak demand and economic inequality by levying a highly publicized tax on large fortunes and corporate profits which ended up creating the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). The purpose of the REA was to bring electric power to homes that lacked it, and proved to be one of the Second New Deal’s most successful programs. FDR then approved the establishment of the Works Pro gress Administration (WPA), which hired countless Americans every year until it ended in 1943.The attempt was to provide work instead of welfare; buildings, roads, schools, airports, bridges, stadiums, swimming pools, and sewage treatment plants were built across the United States. On top of all this, Congress created the National Youth Administration in 1935 which was set to provide much needed relief for teenagers and young adults who were unemployed. The centerpiece of the Second New Deal was the Social Security Act of 1935. This act created a system to provide unemployment insurance, old age pensions, and aid to the disabled, the elderly poor, and families with dependent children (Foner, 2008).Social Security, along with these many other actions taken by Congress during the Second New Deal showed a great deal of promise for the American people in hopes to soon rise out of the Depression. Roosevelt was the also first president to make effective use of the radio to promote his pol icies. He won a landslide victory against Alfred M. Landon in 1936 to become President for a second term in a row even though some critics believed the expansion of government functions would undermine the liberties of the people.President Roosevelt insisted to these critics that his measures to increase an economic well-being would strengthen liberty and democracy (Nelson). He reminded the American people on a radio address in 1938 that: Democracy has disappeared in several other great nations, not because the people of those nations disliked democracy, but because they had grown tired of unemployment and insecurity, of seeing their children hungry while they sat helpless in the face of government confusion and government weakness through lack of leadership†¦.Finally, in desperation, they chose to sacrifice liberty in the hope of getting something to eat. We in America know that our democratic institutions can be preserved and made to work. But in order to preserve them we nee d†¦ to prove that the practical operation of democratic government is equal to the task of protecting the security of the people†¦. The people of America are in agreement in defending their liberties at any cost, and the first line of the defense lies in the protection of economic security. (Nelson)Toward the end of the 1930s, tension began building between Japan and the United States while the war in Europe had started, and the United States had joined Canada in a Mutual Board of Defense. At this point, the American economy was still in distress, with Roosevelt getting elected once again in 1940. FDR was the president for the third term in a row for the first and only time in U. S. history. During 1941, the United States had become more and more closely allied with those fighting Germany and Japan. FDR declared that, â€Å"America would be the great arsenal of democracy† (Foner, 2008).Roosevelt froze Japanese assets in the U. S. , which halted virtually all trade b etween the countries. In retaliation, Japan involved the United States in World War II when Japanese planes bombed the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941. This resulted in the destruction of 19 ships (including five battleships), about 150 planes, and the deaths of more than 2,300 soldiers, sailors, and civilians. The following day the United States declared war with Japan; three days later Germany and Italy declared war on the United States.Less than a month later, President Roosevelt announced that the upcoming year would deliver 60,000 planes, 45,000 tanks, 20,000 antiaircraft guns and 18 million deadweight tons of merchant shipping to help fight the war (Nelson). The United States entry into WWII also brought many new jobs and opportunities for Americans, such as working in areas of mass production of weapons and manufacturing, along with joining the United States’ Army, which helped turn the economy around even though the country was at war.In the l ong run, freedom, not government, is the best cure for economic crises; the American Great Depression fostered from start to finish by our own federal government, with the help of wily bankers and financiers (Scaliger). A depression occurs when something disrupts the free market system so that resource owners and consumers cannot accurately identify and respond to change. The recovery during the Great Depression shook the faith of many people, took many changes in the role of the federal government, and in more ways than one, created the conditions that led to World War II (Smiley, 2002).In reality, there is no reason to believe that recessions will not continue to occur in the United States, just like the recession we are currently in as Americans. Luckily, we do have reason to believe that we now have the knowledge, instruments, and national will to prevent recessions from developing into deep and prolonged depressions (Chandler, 1970). The Great Depression of the 1930s was a worl dwide phenomenon composed of an infinte number of separate but related events. The Great Depression was a terrible time in America, lasting for more than ten years, and forced millions of people out of jobs, homes and life.I believe it may have been necessary to have a depression like the Great Depression at some point in history so we know what not to do if the time were unlucky enough to come; but since it did take place, we can today have more high hopes about the future. Some people question today in 2008 if this is a repeat of 1929 or 1930, but we are not even close to the terrific economic turmoil that took place back in the 1930s, and I am thankful for that. Nobody in their right mind should ever desire an event as tragic as the Great Depression to ever transpire again.Works Cited Anonymous. (n. d. ). Finance And Economics: 1929 and all that; Echoes of the Depression. Retrieved October 19, 2008, from ProQuest: http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb? did=1566742201&sid=8&Fmt=3&clien tId=5046&RQT=309&VName=PQD Chandler, L. V. (1970). America's Greatest Depression 1929-1941. New York: Harper ; Row. Foner, E. (2008). Give Me Liberty! An American History. New York: W. W. Norton ; Company, Inc. Garraty, J. A. (1987). The Great Depression. New York: Anchor Books. Harold Bierman, J. (1998). The Causes of the 1929 Stock Market Crash. Westport: Greenwood Press. (Gusmorino), P. A. (n. d. ). Main Causes of the Great Depression. Retrieved October 18, 2008, from (Gusmorino) World: http://www. (Gusmorino). com/pag3/greatdepression/ Nelson, C. (n. d. ). The Depression in the United States- An Overview. Retrieved October 19, 2008, from Modern American Poetry: http://www. english. uiuc. edu/maps/depression/overview. htm Scaliger, C. (n. d. ). The Great Depression. Retrieved October 19, 2008, from ProQuest: http://proquest. umi. com/pqdweb? did=1504859451;sid=8;Fmt=3;clientId=5046;RQT=309;VName=PQD Smiley, G. (2002). Rethinking The Great Depression. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee. Wigmore , B. A. (1985). The Crash and Its Aftermath. Westport: Greenwood Press.