Politics in Education

Politics in Education Can education exist without politics? The answer is simply put no. While many would love to see the political scene leave education, it is inherent that the two remain together. The key is how they work together in the best interest of the students. Public schools are responsible for two precious entities- children and tax dollars (Farmer, 2012). This is one of the reasons that â€Å"today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments† (Brown v. Board of education, 1954).While we are progressively seeing federal mandates in education more now than ever, it is mainly the state and local levels where politics are inseparable (Farmer, 2012). Since education is highly imperative to the future of our country, it is and will always be subject to political scrutiny. From the beginning, a well educated American was deemed necessary to protect independence and the general welfare of the citizens (League of Women Voters, 2011). It has been stated this type of citizen will â€Å"rule themselves through elected officials† (Brademas).Education, especially higher education, at one point was considered a luxury; however, in today’s world a â€Å"high-quality† education often including the collegiate level is believed to be both a â€Å"universal right and a necessity for individual welfare† (Farmer, 2012). For this reason education will remain important topic of political debates between politicians as well as local townspeople. Politics in education goes dates as far back as the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.Federal support was given at this time and later in 1841 with the Land Grand Act in the form of land designated for a system of public education to be established. During this time the federal government began to grant money. This money was often used to clean up from war expenses; however, some funds were used for education even though congress did no t stipulate that such funds could be used for education (League of Women Voters, Oct. 2011). It is well aware this funding continues today although the state and local government share the majority of the responsibility.In 1791, the 10th Amendment guaranteed rights to all citizens by stating â€Å"the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. † This amendment entrusted authority over education to the states by having state constitutions assign specific responsibility and legal authority for public education (Usdan, M. , McCloud, B. , Podmostko, M. , and Cuban, L. , 2001). Today, state and local revenue fund approximately 87% of the money for elementary and secondary education.It is estimated that only 10% comes from federal funding (The Federal Role in Education). In 1867, the original Department of Education was established to collect data on schools and teachi ng in order to help create an effective school system (League of Women Voters, 2011). One major turning point for federal education was the GI bill of 1944. The government allotted for nearly eight million World War II veterans to have education assistance to attend college. Until this point, the federal government basically only did research and created policies for an effective system.Financing of education was not highly supported through the department. Then in 1958, Congress passed the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) in response to Russia’s Sputnik. This created money available to students willing to study in science, mathematics, and foreign languages (Dow, 1991). In 1965, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was created which included Title 1 funding to the disadvantaged. In 1983, A Nation at Risk was released calling for a refocus on an education reform in order to compete with other countries as it appeared that America was falling behind (Farmer, 2012).E ven though the Department of Education has grown drastically, their mission still remains â€Å"to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering education excellence and ensuring equal access† (Department of Education, 2012). Today, every educator is familiar with most of the current federal mandates including- No Child Left Behind (reauthorization of ESEA), Race to the Top, and common core standards. While most of the funding, administrating, and accountability falls on the state and local governments, these are all federal policies which are often the main topics in a political education debate.One must ask why the federal government has most of the control over our educational system if it is primarily funded by state and local governments. Is it possible that different areas with different demographics might need a different policy than that mandate from federal level. Being successful is teaching the students in the best possible env ironment and demonstrating success through achievement. What works in one small town may not work in the next small or large town. Why, then, does the federal government upport equality by mandating yet not funding criteria. One thing does remain true- all of these do have a common census-equality in education for each student. The debate question that rises: â€Å"is equality for everyone possible? † Under President George W. Bush, No Child Left Behind was designed to â€Å"close achievement gaps, particularly for minority children† (League of Women, 2011). It was set that by year 2014, 95% of students would be meeting state standards in reading and math.Many educators, politicians, and citizens argued that this was an unrealistic goal which would in return be punishing or threatening the low-performing schools. Under this law, parents could be given a voucher to send their child to a different higher performing school. Although every educator had to obtain â€Å"hig hly qualified† status, teachers working at the schools deemed needing improvement often had negative feelings toward their job and thus the students suffered (League of Women Voters, 2011). Race to the Top was signed into law by the current President Barack Obama in 2009.This federal mandate came with promises of funding, and as everyone knows â€Å"money speaks volumes. † This approach would award funds to states who would meet the necessary requirements. Two of these requirements are (1) improve evaluations of teachers thus improving effectiveness based on students achievement (2) raising the limit of charter schools (League of Women Voters, 2011). Race to the Top has several supporters because it comes with necessary funding to move our current classrooms into the 21st century; however, it also comes with unrealistic research.Several argue that standardized testing is not a fair way to evaluate teacher performance. The most current federal request is the use of commo n vs. state standards The idea here is that not only will each child receive an equal education within their state, but they now will receive the same equal education within their country and hopefully one day within the nation. The use of common core standards allows children to master through higher order thinking within broad life skills instead of basic memorization of state specific standards.It opens up a new way of thinking for children and teachers. It also does create a more equal playing field as far as what children learn within their elementary and secondary education career. Most political debates in education often revolve around these federal policies, but even more often than that the main debate is: funding. Who is going to pay for education? The answer brings up the other highly political debate- us, the taxpayers. It is true that all three levels of government- federal, state, and local- contribute to education.States typically provide a little less than half, loc al governments about 44%, and the federal government only funds 10% . The interesting fact is that within the federal government’s10% it includes Title 1, NCLB, RttT, Special Education, child nutrition, and Head Start (Federal Education Budget, 2012). Also, overall the U. S. Department of Education accounts for less than 3% of the total federal budget (Federal Education Budget, 2012). As a nation, we must ask ourselves is the value of education really worth only 3% of the entire federal budget? Excellence is given symbolic prominence, but not sustained financial support† (Usdan, et al, 2001). The political debate is that most politicians will not support efforts to increase funding for education because it will raise taxes- something very few citizens support. However, if the federal government gives only 10%, the state of Tennessee is left with majority of the responsibility to fund education in order for it to succeed. States rely mainly on income and sales tax to fun d elementary and secondary education. It is the legislature who determines the level and distribution of the funding.Tennessee uses the Basic Education Program (BEP) in order to determine the cost specifications for each component in our system. In Tennessee, the share is roughly 70% which is average when compared with our country (Tennessee Basic Education Program, 2011). In some states it is as high as 86% and as low as 31%. The variation exists because some states rely heavily on local property taxes instead of state funding (Federal Education Budget, 2012). The last and probably one of the most political entities is that of the local school board. The funding for local schools is usually provided by property taxes.Thus the wealthier areas have the ability to collect more taxes which allows for them to keep tax rates lower. Unfortunately, the poorer communities may have higher tax rates but still not reach the needed funding for the local school district. Therefore often times ch ildren with the highest needs are often sent to the schools with less resources and less qualified teachers. This is why education can never be created equal for every child. Another political argument is that in present times education leadership in America is not withheld to high enough standards.Instead some argue that we have fifty â€Å"education governors† (Usdan, et al, 2001) or some even go as far as to say, â€Å"Governors and presidents are no better suited to run schools than they are to run construction sites† (Thomas, 2012). Truthfully, yes many governors could be doing a better job in education, but most are willing to fight for it. Most support the importance as honestly we must all agree that â€Å"what, after all, could be more important than a proper education for the state’s most precious asset, its children? † (Usdan, et al, 2001). This argument holds very true at the local level.It is correct to say that from the ladder of the preside nt to the governor to the superintendents of education to school board chairs and members: often some of these educational leaders have little to no background or expertise in education. From the federal to the state level, most appointed leaders in education branches bring the required knowledge. However, the local school board is composed of a diverse group of members with different backgrounds and knowledge. While they all bring unique characteristics and a broad base of knowledge, it is often the case that they do not bring an educational background.Education needs a reform in which it is driven by educators who have lived within the field. These are the people who need to be in charge of forming and implementing our country’s educational policy. Educational leadership is important at all levels including the local school board. For over 200 years, politics has played a part in our educational system. From the federal government all the way down to the local politics talk ed about in gas stations or at a high school football game. Politics and education will always be entwined together. Both are vital for the future of our nation as our future is in our children.As the vision for Tennessee states, â€Å"it is to prepare all Tennessee children for successful post-secondary work, education, and citizenship. † The state’s master plan is to â€Å"ensure equal access to the education constitutionally guaranteed to all Tennessee children† (Master Plan). Without politics, schools will not exist. Without schools, knowledge to become a successful, active citizen will not exist. Thus both politics and education will always hold a vital role. Resources: Brown v. Board of Education. (1954) Civil Rights Organization. Retrieved October 2012, from http://www. civilrights. rg/education/brown/ Department of Education. (2012) Mission Statement Retrieved October 2012 from http://www2. ed. gov/about/overview/mission/mission. html Dow, P. B. (1991). Schoolhouse politics: Lessons from the Sputnik era. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Farmer, T. (2012, January 12). Politics of Local Education. Retrieved from the Connexions Web site: http://cnx. org/content/m14432/1. 10/ Federal Education Budget Project. (September 13, 2012). Retrieved October 2012 from http://febp. newamerica. net/background-analysis/school-finance Federal Role in Education. (2012). U. S. Department of Education.Retrieved October 2012 from http://www2. ed. gov/about/overview/fed/role. html League of Women Voters of the United States. (October 2011). The Role of the Federal Government in Public Education Part Two. Washington D. C: Author. League of Women Voters of the United States. (2011). The History of Federal Government in Public Education: Where have we been and how did we get here? Washington D. C: Author. Master Plan (2008). Master Plan FY 2008-2012. State Board of Education. Retrieved October 2012, from http://www. state. tn. us/sbe/masterplan. htm Tennessee Basic Education Program. (October 2011).State Board of Education. Retrieved October 2012 from http://www. state. tn. us/sbe/BEP%20Booklet%20FY12. pdf Thomas, P. L. , (2012). Politics and Education Don’t Mix. The Atlantic. Retrieved October 2012 from http://www. theatlantic. com/national/print/2012/04/politics-and-education-dont-mix/256303/ Usdan, M. , McCloud, B. , Podmostko, M. , and Cuban, L. (2001). Leadership for Student Learning. School Leadership for the 21st Century Initiative A Report of the Task Force on State Leadership. Washington, D. C. Retrieved October 2012 from http://www. iel. org/programs/21st/reports/staterole. pdf

Annotated Bibliography Cord Blood Banking

Annotated Bibliography Waller-Wise, Rene. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov. Umbilical Cord Blood: Information for Childbirth Educators, Winter 2011. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. The author, a licensed clinical nurse specialist and childbirth educator, was driven to do research and write this article because she only had the basic information for cord blood banking to offer to couples is her classes. She shares that the first recipient of a cord blood transplantation was a 6-year-old boy who was treated for Fanconi's anemia using cord blood collected from his younger's sister's birth. She continues to list the disorders that stem cell transplants can treat.She discusses the advantages of using umbilical cord blood stem cells over bone marrow stem cells. A couple of reasons is that it is easier to collect and process and there is a decreased risk of transmission of infectious disease. One point she mentioned that was interesting and that I was not aware of was that if the pregnant woman had a history of grou p B streptococcus, active genital herpes, or prolonged rupture of membranes and chorioamnionitis, the umbilical cord is not saved. A disadvantage that the author points out is that cord blood is discarded in about 50% or more cases due to insufficient volume.In addition to discussing private and public cord blood banks, the author brings to light the topic of direct-donation cord blood bank which accept autogenous donations and reserve them for the family whose infant has a sibling with a disorder. In this article, the author also shares professional organizations' s positions. She mentions that ACOG and AAP recommends the collection and banking of private cord blood only if a sibling or a family member has a medical diagnosis for which stem cells are currently being used for treatment.I found this article very helpful because not only did the author share the benefits of cord blood stem cell transplantation, she brought to surface many of the limitations. I will particularly use th e information about the percentage of cord blood that is discarded due to insufficient volume. Also, I will add the information about the conditions during pregnancy, labor and delivery that can affect the usability of the units. Percer, Beth. â€Å"Umbilical Cord Blood Banking – Helping Parents Make Informed Decisions. Nursing for Women's Health (Volume 13, Issue 3): 217-223. Print. In this article, the author discusses the potential benefits and drawbacks of cord blood transplantation. One of the benefits that she discusses is that there is a reduced risk of acute graft-versus-host reaction. One of the concerns is that a cord blood recipient cannot go back to the same infant donor to receive further cord blood stem cells. Another concern is the odds that children will need to use their own stem cells range from 1 in 400 to 1 in 200,000.It is because the cord blood stem cells may already have a genetic defect to the disease needing treatment. The author also lists the drawb acks for private versus public banking. The negatives for public banking is that families will not have access to the stem cells in the future as they would have with private banking. This article also shows the different views of multiple respected organizations such as American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA).I will use the information in this article to discuss key points in my paper regarding benefits and negatives for stem cell transplantation and private versus public banking. In addition, I will include some of the organizations' views in my paper. Journal of Midwifery & Woman's Health. â€Å"Share With Women. † jmwh. org. Cord Blood Banking – What's It All About, 24 Dec. 2010. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. This article breaks down exactly what Cord Blood Banking is. It looks specifically at what illnesses can be treated by stem cells, how stem cells are collected, and the re asons for not banking cord blood.It also answers commonly asked questions relating to Cord Blood Banking such as what is the difference between private and public Cord Blood Banks and can a parent donate their own stem cells like donating a liver or kidney. It also lists out some general questions to ask yourself in order to determine if Cord Blood Banking is the right choice for you. The article does a great job of explaining what Cord Blood Banking is in a simple and understandable tone that everyone can understand.The article was direct and gave an abundance of good information without going into a lot of discussion whether Cord Blood Banking is right or wrong. The article stuck to the facts and outlined some key questions to be asked before making a decision on Cord Blood Banking. I will use information from this article to paint a clear picture of what Cord Blood Banking is. American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. â€Å"Guidelines, Policy Statements, and Reviews . † asbmt. org. Collection and Preservation of Cord Blood for Personal Use, 20 Sept. 2007. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.This article goes into more detail into the technical aspects of storing UCB (Umbilical Cord Blood) and encourages parents to store their newborn's UCB in public blood banks. The article supports storing umbilical cord blood, which the ASBMT states is rich in HSCs (hematopoietic stem cells), but it does not recommend private storage of cord blood only public storage. The reason for the articles position favoring public storage and opposing private storage is because the ASBMT states, â€Å"that cord blood in public banks is 100 times more likely to be released for transplant than a unit privately stored. Although the article supports public cord blood banking, it declares that expectant parents should review all information accurately and completely, including contracts and financial responsibilities, in order to make an informed decision. The article was published by the ASBMT (American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation), which is an international association that is responsible for the advancement of the field of blood and marrow transplantation. It only makes sense that the article is supportive of the cord blood banking industry but surprisingly the article distinguishes between public and private cord blood banking.Furthermore, the ASBMT's Board of Directors developed a report based on careful review of published studies and interviews that acknowledges the potential for expansion in the future and stating that they will review their position on cord blood banking periodically. I will use information from this article to speak about the differences between public and private cord blood banking and to expound on the positives of public cord banking. March of Dimes Foundation. â€Å"Get Ready for Labor. † marchofdimes. com.Umbilical cord blood, May 2009. Web. 15 Feb 2013. This article is highly detailed and is more focused on the aspects of Umbilical Cord Blood relating to the actual stem cells. It defines stem cells as unspecialized cells that produce all blood cells including platelets for blood clotting, red blood cells which transports oxygen, and white blood cells which help in fighting diseases. The article goes on to explain how stem cells are used to treat diseases such as leukemia, other cancers, and serious blood disorders like anemia.After chemotherapy the radiation destroys a lot of the patient's stem cells so after treatment many patients receive a stem cell transplant from either transplanted bone marrow, peripheral blood, and from cord blood. Stem cells from cord blood have advantages over stem cells from bone marrow because it is easier and safer to collect, stem cells from cord blood is more likely to be a match, it's faster, there is a lower risk of infections, and there is a reduced risk of GVHD (graft vs. host disease). GVHD is a condition that occurs when the donor's cells attack th e recipient's cells and tissues.The article gives good examples of the advantages of using stem cells from cord blood in treating patients after chemotherapy or patients that need a blood transfusion. The article clearly states that cord blood is more beneficial over using bone marrow or peripheral blood. The article gives real-world examples of why using umbilical cord blood reduces risks of diseases, is significantly faster, and is a lot easier to treat patients. There is one section in the article that speaks to the disadvantages of using cord blood which is that cord blood contains a relatively small volume of blood and consequently a small amount of stems cells.Besides that one argument against using cord blood the article overall is in support of cord blood banking. I will use this article in my discussion of stem cells and to highlight the advantages of stem cells from cord blood over alternative treatments. Agovino, Theresa. CBSNews. com. Banking Umbilical Cord Blood, 11 Feb . 2009. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. This article is more personal and explores the individual's private decision to store umbilical cord blood. It also examines the companies that are responsible for storing cord blood from a business perspective as well as the patient's monetary and financial dilemmas.The article follows actual mother's and doctors on the front lines of the UCB debate. In the article an expecting mother named Marla Dalton says, â€Å"It was really stressful. The marketing makes you feel guilty. There is this feeling that if you don't do it, you are not doing something to save your child's life. † The article speaks about how the marketing divisions of these companies try to coerce patients into the service which can range from $1000 to $1740 per child. three years ago there were 12 cord blood storage companies and today there are at least 27 such companies.The cord blood banking industry is fairly new and the research is not conclusive yet whether these private compa nies are even worth the money. Some research actually shows that the overwhelming majority of cord blood stem cell transplants (about 3,500) have been done from independent donors or from public banks. At the end of the article the author, Theresa Agovino, gives an example of how a mother chose to use a private blood banking company and it was ultimately the right decision because her son was diagnosed with aplastic anemia at the age of two.That son later died of an infection but it was without a doubt the right choice because at the time it gave him the best chance to live. The author is clearly in support of cord blood banking whether it be private or public but she is highly critical of the means in which some of these private companies advertise their services. Instead of pointing to the limitations of blood banking they prey on parent's fear and perpetuate the myth that blood banking as a golden bullet for future diseases. This article was well written and contained a number of personal anecdotes that captures the reader's attention.It was informative regarding the business side of blood banking and gives measurable numbers, percentages, and price points within the industry. I will rely on statistics from this article to go along with a couple of stories to add a personal connection to the paper. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. acog. org. Cord Blood Banking – FAQ172, Aug. 2011. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. This article is by far the most informative of all the articles and is written in a question and answer format which makes it very easy to follow.In the article there are 10 bullet points discussing different topics including: what is cord blood, what are stem cells, how are cord blood stem cells used, what are the limits to stem cell use, how is cord blood stored, how do public cord blood banks operate, how do private cord blood banks operate, how is cord blood collected, what are some situations when it is not possible to collect cor d blood, and what should be considered when deciding whether to store cord blood. The author states the facts and gives to the point answers but does not interject any personal opinions.In the last section of the article some of the answers have a slant toward opposing the storage of cord blood. For instance, the article states that currently it is not known how long cord blood can successfully be stored. The article also points out that the chance that cord blood stem cells will be needed to treat your child is very low at 1 in 2700. In my opinion, these ten topics are the most important topics relating to stem cell cord blood banking. The author is especially comprehensive and gives the reader good information and exceptional questions to consider.I will use this article to add to my paper's overall knowledge base of stem cells and cord blood and to point out some excellent questions that should be asked before making a decision on cord blood banking. U. S. Food and Drug Administr ation. â€Å"Vaccines, Blood, ; Biologics. † fda. gov. Cord Blood Banking – Information for Consumers, 23 July 2012. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. This article focuses on FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulations relating to Cord Blood Banking and gives additional information for consumers on where to find additional information.The FDA regulates everything from how cord blood is stored to whether the cord blood can be used for personal use or for family use. All public and private blood banks have to follow the FDA's strict requirements and the FDA will conduct periodic inspections of any blood storage facilities. The article also outlines how cord blood donors are matched so that blood transplant recipients get the right blood type or HLA (Human leukocyte antigen). The article is short but packed with educational information.It is very specific as to the terminology and gives very detailed instructions on what the FDA considers appropriate use of cord blood banking. This a rticle was posted on the FDA website and contains numerous links to other government websites that have supplementary information on cord blood banking such as the HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) website. I will use this article as a reference to let the reader know how cord blood banking is regulated by the FDA.I will also use it as a glossary to site definitions of terms and abbreviations such as HPC (hematopoietic progenitor cells), IND (investigational new drug), and BLA (biologics license application). Revelant, Julie. foxnews. com. 7 Things You Should Know about Cord Blood Banking, 04 July 2012. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. This article was written by Julie Revelant and starts out by telling the story of Jamie Page and her husband in Illinois that saved their newborn's cord blood after hearing about cord blood banking from their doctor.Just 4 weeks later the doctor's found a grapefruit sized mass blocking her kidneys. Luckily, because they stored the cord blood they were able use the stem cells to do a complete transplant after chemotherapy which saved her life. The article seems to begin as an advertisement for cord blood banking with the fortunate story of the Page family but later the article brings up some concerns about cord blood pricing and necessity of it. The article hits on seven topics ranging from it could be life-saving to your doctor could be cashing in, which makes for a lot of contrast in the article.On one extreme the author points out that umbilical cord blood is an extremely rich source of stem cells that are used to treat more than 80 life threatening diseases and disorders including cancer, blood disorders, immune system disorders, and genetic diseases and on the other extreme she says that it is common practice for doctors to receive referrals for discussing the topic of cord blood banking with their patients. I will use this article to compare and contrast all the various points within my paper.

Watching the video and answer the following questions Essay

Watching the video and answer the following questions - Essay Example What I liked about the video is the jokes, the humor, the show of intelligence, and the content itself. What is stated in the video is indeed very, very useful, if not practical, for anyone. It is all good, if you ask me. however, what I did not like about the video is the last part where Cleese tried to give some rather harsh, inhuman advice to employers about how to prevent their employees from getting themselves into a creative state. This creative state is a result of a few steps and a number of requirements. The steps are quite simple, and this can be summarized as getting into the open mode (the mode of humor and relaxation) and making a decision in it, switching to the closed mode (the realistic and stressful mode) to implement it, narrowing our focus when we have to implement it, and switching back to the open mode when we have to evaluate it and to buy time before we can decide whether to proceed or not. The requirements for one to be able to get himself into the open mode include space, specific time or making time to be in the open mode, enough time to play with the problem before making a decision, acting with confidence, and punctuating the act with humor. These are actually abstract concepts but at least Cleese has made them half-concrete for the layman to understand. I believe I can follow these instructions to the letter, which means that I will follow them without modifying them to my own advantage. However, before anything else, I should always remember the concepts that Cleese underlined in his speech. One of these is the idea that an open state is when a person is relaxed, less purposeful, contemplative, humorous, playful and curious, and that it is being in this state that one can be creative. Therefore, any environment that is the opposite of these aforementioned qualities must reflect the closed mode, and that

Solutions of Slow Housekeeping Service in Palomar Hotel Research Paper - 1

Solutions of Slow Housekeeping Service in Palomar Hotel - Research Paper Example The researcher states that the nature of the problem requires that the staff offering housekeeping services obtain more training as a way of enhancing their effectiveness in the delivery of this service to customers. The training will equip the staff with the necessary skills needed to ensure service delivery is up to date. The upgrading of the Property Management Systems will also ensure that the failures in the hotel identified easily and countered before they lead to massive customer effects that would signal dissatisfaction that would lead to loss of customers. Through the implementation of these two solutions, the problem at Palomar Hotel proves easy to detect earlier and handle to maintain the level of service delivery. From the above, the thesis of the study is to develop the two solutions of staff training and improvement of Property Management Systems in order to address the problem of slow housekeeping services at the hotel. Through the thesis, the problem will become addre ssed and will help guide the company back into proper customer management aspects that will promote the service delivery and promote customer satisfaction. These are all detailed in the body of the work that follows. The different solutions as provided in the introduction are the provision of additional training for the staff that deals with housekeeping services and the upgrading of the Property Management Systems (PMS). Considering these aspects in relation to the customer comments that reflected the time taken for cleaning a room, the delays in response to customer calls and the delays in delivery of towels that indicated delays in responding to customer needs, the company needs to ensure the situation improves to avoid major effects in customer satisfaction. Additional training to the staff to provide more refresher information to guide them in responding to customer requests will improve the level of speed with which housekeeping services are conducted. Additional training will enable the employees to learn how to handle customer request and the response to give to ensure the customer feels attended to.

How interest rates affect peoples purchasing decisions Assignment

How interest rates affect peoples purchasing decisions - Assignment Example The paper explores four types of writing at our most recent workshop. They are summary, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Some of the key differences between them were highlighted. An analysis provides a detailed examination of an article in order to make inferences while an evaluation is an informed judgment arising from an assessment or appraisal of a situation. A summary provides a brief but concise version of an article while a synthesis involves combining separate elements into a coherent and connected whole in order to make a new point. The level of interest rate determines whether people save or consume. At higher levels of interest, some persons save more and consume less. According to Pashigian, a higher interest rate makes current consumption relatively more expensive compared with future consumption. This is a result of the substitution effect that induces the consumer to reduce current consumption and save more. A rise in the interest rate also leads to an increase in wealth for savers as it increases the returns to savings. However, when the interest rate falls there is less or no incentive to save and so people prefer to spend their income on consumer items such as cars, clothing, jewelry, and appliances. Some of these consumer items are financed through borrowing. This confirms the fact that people tend to spend more on consumer items when interest rates are low.

My Essence of Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My Essence of Happiness - Essay Example In these regards, when I awake in the morning I feel excited to enter the day. I am confidant with who I am and the social relationships I have developed. I feel energetic and motivated to learn new things and explore new pursuits. I feel like I smile a lot, and many of the people I am around reflect such an upbeat demeanor. I am always willing to help other people and I find ways to make others’ lives easier. I tend to wear bright clothes and outfits that demonstrate my internal feelings of contentment. Even though I have no idea what will occur in most of my days, I still feel optimistic about my life and the future. Ultimately, while I find it difficult to exactly define my happiness, I recognize that there are is a collection of things that combine to constitute my happy existence. In considering the essence of my happiness, I recognize that there cause and effect relationships that contribute to this state. One of the primary things that contribute to my happiness is having an optimistic outlook on life and specific circumstances. I truly believe that thinking positively is a great contributor to happiness. Another prominent thing that I think contributes to my happiness is the fact that I exercise and remain physically active. In these regards, I believe that a large part of happiness is rooted in biological and physiological mechanisms and that exercise is essential to a healthy and happy lifestyle. Another prominent aspect of my happiness is that I keep a regular schedule and work hard at work and school. All humans must have a sense of meaning and purpose and in working towards my goals I am able to find meaning and purpose in my life. The collection of these elements causes my happy lifestyle. In conclusion, this essay has considered the essence of my happiness. In self-reflexively considering my happiness I have come to better

Management, Innovation and New techonology Essay

Management, Innovation and New techonology - Essay Example The development and improvement incorporate technical specifications, materials and components, software, user-friendliness and other functional characteristics. Many scholars have examined product innovation which is based on various resource-based views. The process of product innovation can be analyzed as a dynamic capability of the core competence of an organization that helps them in renewing and configuring various resources. From the studies of Daniels in 2002 in which product innovation of five high-tech firms was examined and it directs towards the competencies of the firm associated with technology and customers. Daniels also stress on the fact that for development of new products there is a requirement of the combination of the potential customers and technology. For optimal product innovation, the resources of the firm associated with the current technology and customers are highly essential. From the studies of Shane in 2000 reveals that development of technology gives r ise to the creation of new markets as well exploration and exploitation. From the studies of Shane in 2000 eight enterprises were thoroughly studied and it signifies that the entrepreneurial opportunity recognition signifies to the fact that the entrepreneurs generate the ability for recognizing new knowledge for exploiting new products and technology which includes knowledge of market, knowledge of the ways in serving the markets, knowing the problems of the customers and that of the knowledge of technology. The recognition of entrepreneurial opportunities may lead to better understanding of the new technology or that of the technology for innovation (Huang & Wang, 2011, p.71). Bessant in 1994 creates a model which incorporates several processes and influences within the innovation process as depicted in the following diagram. Fig. 1. Brady, (1995), p.14 The strategy system incorporates information regarding the environment with respect to various forces in the economy like economic, political and so on. Identification of the opportunities as well as needs related to innovation in the light of overall business strategy. This leads to dynamism and change. The system of enabling acts as a support mechanism in the development of the innovation process to take place. Involvement in this respect may include tangible and intangible resources like time, money, people, equipment and management’s support and so on. The system of acquisition can be regarded as the technology powerhouse as it is the area where potential strength of the technology of the organization resides.

Art21 Blog Post Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Art21 Blog Post - Essay Example She uses her painting to educate others on gender and social, political condition in her country. She plots her work in advance and takes long in her paintings making sure that they are produced to perfection. She also includes different characters in her paintings based on materials and color. Viewers should learn various principles from her line of work. Foremost, she does not take advantage of her job to strive economically but instead has an emotional connection to her paintings. She takes her time while preparing paintings since there are hidden messages in her paintings. She also promotes American cultural history through her paintings on American folk-art traditions Viewers can easily recognize the artist due to her work. Information can be gathered from her painting where she has been featured in the power category of artists. She uses her work to provide knowledge and increase awareness to her viewers. She claims that one has to let the portraits come up automatically without forcing anything. Consequently, her work has been featured in various museums in the U.S providing her viewers with breathtaking scenes in her

Employment Contract Essay Example for Free

Employment Contract Essay Employment Contract This Employment Agreement is made effective as of June 26th, 2013 and is between Joshua James, Frederick Alan, and Dave Darwin of the Builders Licensing and Training Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan (referred to as â€Å"the company†) and John Andrews (referred to as â€Å"the employee†). The terms of this AT-WILL Employment Contract are set forth below. Employment. The Company shall employ John Andrews as a building instructor. This employee shall provide to the Company the following services: John Andrews accepts and agrees to such employment, and agrees to be subject to the general supervision, advice, and direction of the owners of the Company. The employee should perform duties that are customarily performed by an employee in this position. The Company shall employ John Andrews at least forty hours a week including holidays. Also, the employee may be required to work weekends and some mandatory overtime every pay period. Best Efforts of Employment. The employee John Andrews agrees to perform to the best of his ability, experience, and talents to perform the duties that may be set forth or expressed by the Company including the implicit terms of this agreement. Ownership of Social Media. Any social media that is used by the employee while under Company time is property of the Company. This includes but is not limited to contacts acquired through the Company examples like addresses, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Linked In, and other social media. Compensation of Employee. As compensation for the services provided by John Andrews under this agreement, the Company will pay John Andrews an annual salary of $50,000 in accordance with the Company’s usual payroll procedures, not including overtime pay which will be based upon the usual hourly rate for such employment. Upon termination of this agreement, payment shall cease, however, John Andrews shall be compensated for periods or partial periods  that occurred prior to the date of termination. Confidentiality After Termination of Employment. The confidentiality of this agreement and information of the company are special and unique assets and need to be protected from improper disclosure. In consideration of this, John Andrews agrees that for a period of two years following termination or removal from the company whether voluntary or involuntary will not directly or indirectly engage in any business competition with the Builders Licensing and Training Insitute. Employee Name ______________________________ Date _________________ Employee Signature _______________________________ Date _________________

Setting of Observation Essay Example for Free

Setting of Observation Essay A specific area in a large park. 2:10: Two (2) women stood beside a picnic table over which was covered with a blue plastic tablecloth. They put their purses beneath the table to the far right hand side leaning against the leg. One (1) woman placed rocks at each corner of the tablecloth so it would stay in place. She joked that the weather could be unpredictable. She asked the other woman if she thought they might need extra chairs. She called the woman by name (Susan; I later learned the other woman’s name was Nancy). Susan said that they could decide that later, depending on how many children showed up for the party, and if needed, she had extra chairs in back of the van. Susan went to the van, and returned within a minute carrying two plastic bags. In each bag were two litter bottles of No-name Cola. She placed them on the table, wiped dust from the plastic bottles with her hand. She said that she saw a television documentary that stated pop bottles were sources of germs. â€Å"Especially the small cans,† she explained. â€Å"You should always clean the entire top. † Nancy listened, but did not respond. Instead, she said she would go to her car and get the â€Å"other stuff†. She asked Susan if the cake would be all right left in her car, or if it would melt, because it was very warm outside. Susan said, â€Å"We should have brought a cooler. † After discussing this, they decided that since Nancy’s car was parked in the shade, it should be okay. Nancy went to her car, sat in the driver’s side and lit up a cigarette. She put the window down half way. Susan glanced over at Susan in her car, frowned, then sat down at the picnic table. There was a squirrel in a tree nearby, making noise. Susan looked at the squirrel and said, â€Å"Don’t have anything for you, little guy. † About eight minutes later, Nancy returned to the picnic table, holding a square, cardboard box in her arms. She put the box on the table and withdrew an unopened bag of whistle blowers, a bag of balloons, and cut pieces of string. She said she had grab bags in the box for later, as well as surprises, Styrofoam cups, paper towels, and Band-Aids if needed. 2: 24: Both women began to blow up eight balloons of various colors, and attach string to each one. There were still balloons left in the bag. Nancy said, â€Å"I think this is enough. † She laughed. Both women tied each balloon to nearby tree limbs. One balloon got away. Susan chased after it, then attached it to a tree. When this was completed, Nancy put the opened bag of balloons in her purse, closed it and put the purse back in place. Nancy said, â€Å"Krista should soon be here. † She looked at her watch. Susan said, â€Å"Hope she knows what park it is. † Susan assured Nancy that Krista had been to this park on a number of occasions. Susan withdrew a cell phone out of her sweater pocket, just as a silver van pulled in. Susan put the cell back in her pocket. Both women took a few steps forward toward the van. 2: 38: Six (6) children burst out of the van. All the children yelled â€Å"Surprise! † The children then ran toward the picnic table. There were five girls and one boy. One (1) child, a girl, who looked to be about eight years old, hugged Susan. She said, â€Å"I had a feeling about it. Where is my cake? † Susan said, â€Å"Oh, you’ll get it in a bit. Happy Birthday! I’m ordering some pizza first. † The child clapped her hands. Two other girls (2) came up to the Birthday girl, and the three (3) girls went to look at the balloons in the trees. The one boy sat at the picnic table. He said he didn’t like girl parties. Susan rubbed his head and laughed. She said that’s how it was to be a little brother. † The boy folded his arms and asked when the pizza would arrive. Susan and Nancy sat at the picnic table. Krista called the children together and said they would play a game. Nancy got up to help. Susan and the boy remained sitting at the picnic table. Susan took her cell phone out of her pocket, then stood up and walked a few feet away. Krista told the five (5) children that they would be playing a game. She said she would sing and then she would say freeze. She said that the child who was caught moving was out of the game. The game would continue until the last child remained. She said that the last child would get to pick out a prize from the box on the picnic table. Krista half hummed and sang, then yelled, â€Å"Freeze! † She pointed to one girl and said that she had moved. The girl said, â€Å"Au,† and stood away, still watching. This went on until the last girl was the winner. The winner went to the picnic table, and Susan moved the box close to her and told her to shut her eyes. The girl did so, and withdrew a small white bag with the words ‘Happy Birthday’ decorated on it. The girl ripped the bag open. The contents of the bag were a pencil and sharpener, a bag of candy, a small red yo-yo, a movie certificate. Nancy came over to the table, and explained that ‘Ashley’ had picked the wrong thing. â€Å"That’s the grab bags, not the prizes! † Ashley asked what the movie certificate was for. Susan said that she had hoped all the girls would go to a movie soon. The other four (4) girls saw what Ashley had and stood around her. â€Å"This is the surprises? † One girl asked. Susan explained that they were the grab bags and there was a mistake. She said they all would get one later. She then took the grab bags out of the box, took out a bag and instructed Ashley to put her hand in and pick something. She chose a Hannah Montana lanyard. She said, â€Å"Oh, I love Hannah Montana! † She showed it to the other girls. 2: 57: Krista asked if they wanted to play another game, a scavenger hunt. The girls all said yes. Krista said that the first person to find the items would be the winner, and that they should work in pairs, or threes. Krista said they were to find a pine cone, a feather, a pretty rock, and something unusual. She said that they had twenty minutes and the winner would be the team who found the most. She said that they were not to go far, and that in twenty minutes, she would holler out to them to come back. The boy decided he wanted to play, too, and the six children went into the woods. When they were gone for five minutes, three large pizzas arrived. Susan said that was a fast delivery. She paid the delivery person who was a young man, and gave him a five dollar tip. She thanked him, and he left, getting into a car. Nancy put out Styrofoam cups, and said to Susan that Krista should call the children back before the twenty minutes were up, so the pizza wouldn’t get cold. Krista shrugged. Susan said that the kids wouldn’t care if the pizza was warm, and that it wouldn’t get cold that fast. The three (3) women sat at the picnic table saying very little to each other. Then Nancy went to her car and lit another cigarette, while Nancy and Krista watched her. 3: 07: Nancy finished her cigarette, and said to Krista, â€Å"Just call the children now. They can continue their game after they eat. † Susan said that would be best. Krista got up from the picnic table and yelled for the children to come back now. She yelled, â€Å"Pizza’s here! † 3:09: Four (4) of the six children returned, some of them holding objects like a rock, a feather, sticks. They put their scavenger hunt treasures on the ground in separate gatherings, then went toward the pizza. Susan said they had to wait until the other children returned so they would all eat at the same time. 3:10: Krista said she would go into the woods to find the other two (2) children. Nancy poured pop into Styrofoam cups, and said they could have a drink while they waited. 3: 13: Krista came back with the two (2) children running ahead of her. The children dropped what they had collected and went toward the table. Susan said they would need more chairs. While Susan went toward her car, Nancy said that they had forgotten plates. She said they would have to eat off of paper towels. Observation No: 2 Specific store in a shopping mall: The store owner, Mrs. Peach, operates a boutique selling eclectic wares that include aromatherapy and other items designed for personal well-being. She also sells a small amount of clothes that have new age symbols on them. 11:05: Mrs. Peach put dust cleaner on a cloth, and wiped down her counter, which is made of wood. She then cleaned the sides of stands. She adjusted her sign near the entrance that said ‘50% off Today’. She looked at a few people walking by and smiled at them. A woman from the next store came up to the entrance, and began talking with Mrs. Peach. She kept folding and unfolding her arms as she spoke. She said, â€Å"Even for a Monday, you’d think there’d be more than this around. † Mrs. Peach said, â€Å"I know. With the holiday and all. † The woman then began to tell Mrs. Peach about her niece who was recently married. She described the wedding, said the cake was just beautiful. She said that she didn’t care for her niece’s husband, but that she would probably warm up to him in time. Mrs. Peach nodded. She kept looking beyond the woman. A man walked by, and the woman stopped talking. They both watched him go into the La Chateau store. 11:15: Two (2) customers, a man and a woman, came into Mrs. Peach’s store. The woman she’d been talking with went back into her store. Mrs. Peach greeted them with a smile. She said, â€Å"Can I help you find something today? † The woman said, â€Å"It smells nice in here. † Mrs. Peach said it was an oil that she puts into a tiny dish. She said she would like to burn oil, but the rules of the mall prevented her from doing that. The man didn’t say anything. He just stood beside the woman. The woman then asked Mrs. Peach if she sold vitamins. Mrs. Peach said that she didn’t, but she could recommend a naturalistic store across town. The customer asked the name of this store. Mrs. Peach told her, adding that it was next to a grocery store, and easy to find. 11:18: The customer said she would like to browse. Mrs. Peach said, â€Å" If you have any questions, let me know. † Then Mrs. Peach went to a clothing rack that held long gown dresses. One of the hangers was faced the opposite way from the others. Mrs. Peach fixed it so it would be presented correctly. Mrs. Peach went behind the cash counter and straightened some papers, and turned on a stereo. Soft new age music could be heard. She adjusted the volume, turning it down slightly. 11: 22 The woman customer stopped at the aromatherapy stand, and began smelling the bottled testers. She asked Mrs. Peach if the oils could be used as perfume. â€Å"No, they’re not diluted enough for that. It could bother your skin. We can make perfumes, however, even mix scents you like. † The customer said that she especially liked the mint smell. Mrs. Peach said she liked it, too. She said it was invigorating, and smelling it gave energy and cleared the mind. Mrs. Peach held up another bottled tester. She said, â€Å"You might like this one, too. It smells like nature. † The woman held it and read aloud the name of the oil which was called ‘A walk in the Forest. ’ She asked the man with her to smell it. She asked him if he liked it, and he said, â€Å"I guess it’s all right. † The customer gave the bottle back to Mrs. Peach who put it back beside the other testers. The customer picked up the mint smell again, and put it close to the man’s nose. â€Å"Do you like this one better? † she asked. He said that it was okay. Mrs. Peach chuckled and said that scents usually only appealed to women. The customer smelled three more scents. Mrs. Peach went to the counter, then returned with a bowl of coffee and said, â€Å"Smell the coffee between smelling the oils. It will help you not mix up the scents. † The customer smelled the coffee, then continued to smell the testers. After a few moments, the customer told Mrs. Peach that she’d like a bottle of the mint oil, and Mrs. Peach brought a sealed bottle it to the counter. The customer paid for the bottle. She said she didn’t need a bag as she would put it in her purse. Mrs. Peach said â€Å"Thanks for coming in. See you next time. † The customer left the store 11:40: The phone rang. Mrs. Peach answered it. She said, â€Å"Thanks for calling Sun and Moon, Laura speaking. † She said, â€Å"Yes, we do,† and â€Å"Anywhere from ten to twenty five dollars,† and â€Å"We close at six today. Look forward to seeing you. † Mrs. Peach put the phone back in its cradle, looked under the counter, then stood up again. 11:41: A woman walked into the store and went toward Mrs. Peach. Mrs. Peach said, â€Å"Not much business here today. Might pick up after lunch. † Mrs. Peach then told the woman that since there wasn’t much business, she could use the opportunity to straighten and clean the store. She said that had already done a little dusting. She pointed to the 50% sign, and asked if the woman could try to keep it straight, as it kept falling to one side. The woman said she would try. The woman said, â€Å"Can I go to the bathroom first? I’ll be quick. † Mrs. Peach said, â€Å"Sandy, your shift doesn’t even start until noon. † They both laughed. Sandy, an obvious store employee left the store, said hello to the woman in the next door and went toward the bathroom. 11: 43: Mrs. Peach took her purse from a shelf under the counter, and put it on the counter. She took out a tube of lipstick and put it on her lips. Using her thumb and forefinger, she wiped the edges of her mouth. She took out a little mirror and examined herself. A man came with a delivery for Mrs. Peach’s store. It was three (3) boxes. She told the man to put them beside the counter. The man did so. He asked Mrs. Peach to sign for the delivery, and she did. Then Mrs. Peach said than you, and the man left. Mrs. Peach tore off an envelope that was attached to one of the boxes. She put the envelope beside the cash register, then reached for a paper cutter knife. She used it to cut the tape off one box, then put it on the floor. She looked inside the box. She picked up a small square pillow that was embroidered with the word ‘Peace’. Mrs. Peach smelled it, then put it back in the box. Then she withdrew a bag that held colorful rocks. She put the bag on the counter. 11:48: Sandy, the employee woman came back from the bathroom. She said, â€Å"Oh, new stock. Great! † Mrs. Peach said, â€Å"We finally got our stones. † She instructed the woman to do her best to put out the stock. Then she took her sweater, put in on and said she was leaving, and that she was starving for lunch. She said, â€Å"Call if there’s a problem. Bye. † Observation 3 Classroom Setting: 1: 30: The French teacher, Miss Horne waited by the door for the next class of students to arrive. The hall was noisy. Children were laughing and talking loudly. They came into Miss Horne’s grade four class, some of them running. Miss Horne waited until all the children were inside, then stood at the front of the room. Most of the children settled down, but two (2) boys kept laughing and talking. Miss Horne said, â€Å"You two want extra work? † They smirked, but stopped their noise. She said she would give the class five minutes to be quiet before they began. 1:34: Miss Horne went to the board and said, â€Å"We’re going to review what we’ve been learning about the last few days. Can anyone remember what that is? † A girl put up her hand. Miss Horne nodded to her. â€Å"Names of animals,† the child said. â€Å"That’s right,† Miss Horne said. â€Å"Let’s see how much we remember. Turn your brains on. † The children laughed and some made a key turning action with their fingers on their heads. Miss Horne said, â€Å"Now then. You must answer in French. What kind of an animal goes, â€Å"Hiss, me-oww. † Several of the children yelled out, â€Å"La Chat! † Mrs. Horne told them that they had to put up their hands. Most of the children then put up their hands, but she didn’t choose any of those children who had called out. She picked a girl in the front row. The little girl said, â€Å"La Chat. † â€Å"Very good, Nakita,† said Miss Horne. She wrote the words ‘La Chat’ low on the board. A boy put up his hand. â€Å"Yes, Paul†, Miss Horne said. The boy said that his mom said they would be getting him a kitten. Mrs. Horne told the boy that was wonderful. Then she asked him, â€Å"Now can you tell me what animal you often find people walking in the park? † 1: 37: Paul said, â€Å"Cats? † The (2) two boys who had been causing trouble at the beginning of class laughed and gave each other a high five. Paul yelled, â€Å"Shut up! † It looked like he was about to cry. Miss Horne walked to where the two boys were sitting. She told them that they were being very rude, and very disrespectful to interrupt their class for other students who were interested in learning. She added that she would be sure to tell their homeroom teacher about how they had misbehaved. She asked the boys if there was anything they wanted to say to Paul. One boy said, â€Å"I’m sorry. † Miss Horne said he needed to say what he was sorry for. The boy said, â€Å"I’m sorry, Paul, for laughing at you. † Then she asked the other boy if he had anything to say, and he said he, too, was sorry for laughing at Paul. Miss Horne told one boy to sit in an empty seat on the other side of the room. Then she told a girl to switch seats with the other boy, so they would be separated. She told the entire class if there was any more foolishness, she would be calling parents. 1: 46: She went to Paul’s seat, and told him not to pay any attention to them. He said okay. She went back to the board, hesitated, then said, â€Å"Who would like to do the teacher a favor? † Lots of hands went up. She walked around the class for several moments, looking at the students closely, in a fun fashion. Then she went back to the board and said, â€Å"I don’t want any talking. Neil, come on up here. † He went near her, and she whispered in his ear. He drew a bird on the board. Miss Horne said, â€Å"What a great drawing. Boys and girls, who can tell me what this is in French? Several hands went up. She said, â€Å"What is it, Rayden? † He said, â€Å"oiseau†. Miss Horne said, â€Å"Real close. Want to try again? † Rayden thought about it, then said, â€Å"L’oiseau? † Miss Horne gave a little clap with her hand. â€Å"Great going, Rayden. † 1:51: There was a knock at the door. Miss Horne went toward it, then opened it. It was the secretary from the principal’s office. The secretary asked if she could talk to Miss Horne for a few minutes. They stepped outside the room, keeping the door open. They talked quietly. Ms. Horne stepped inside the class and said, â€Å"Miss Horne needs to take a phone call, and Mrs. Brown will stay here with you for a few minutes. Maybe she can read you a story. Mrs. Brown said, â€Å"Not a French one, I hope†. Miss Horne asked one of the children to pick out a book from the English shelf, and then the teacher left. Mrs. Brown sat down at a seat at the head of the room. Some of the children asked if they could come sit on the floor, because that’s what Miss Horne does. Mrs. Brown agreed, and all the students by her. The book was called, ‘Arthur Cluck’. She read to them, and they were very quiet and intrigued. 2:09: Miss Horne came back. She said it was okay if Mrs. Brown finished the book. She agreed, and Miss Horne went to her desk and sat down. 2:16: Mrs. Brown finished the book. â€Å"What do we tell Mrs. Brown, boys and girls? † They said in unison (Thank you, Mrs. Brown). â€Å"And thanks for watching the class,† Miss Horne added. Then she whispered, â€Å"I used the time to go to the bathroom, too. Thanks! † She turned to the class. â€Å"Looks like we didn’t get a whole lot done today. Let’s hope tomorrow will be better for us all. † Then she explained that they may as well do a little more of their review. She said, â€Å"What animal eats grass, weighs a lot and lives on a farm? † Someone said ‘horse’. She said that wasn’t it. Paul put up his hand and said, â€Å"An elephant. † Miss Horne said, â€Å"I guess it could be an elephant, but this animal goes, â€Å"Nayyy. † Paul chuckled and said, â€Å"a horse. † Miss Horne said she needed to hear it in French. Paul said, â€Å"That’s means un cheval. † She then asked the French names for other animals, including cow, pig, wolf, and goat. 2:27: Miss Horne said it was almost time to go back to their homeroom. She wanted them to clean up around their desk, and put their books away. † 2:29: Miss Horne said that she would walk the students back to their homeroom. She said, â€Å"Now use your hall voices, boys and girls. † They left together. Scenario 4: Inside a fitness center: 7: 21: Two(2) adult men, approximately 30 35, and a younger teenage boy, approximately 17, entered the gym. It was a fairly small gym. They began stretching their legs and arms, and talking among themselves. The youngest male said, â€Å"Dad, I don’t think I locked my locker. † His father told him that before they really got started, he should go and check, just in case. The boy agreed. He left. The father said to his friend, â€Å"Swear he’d forget his was, he’s so forgetful. God, kids today. † 7:22: The father sprayed the weight bench with a cleaner, one of many that were in the fitness center. He took a white towel, wiped down the bench, then put the cleaner and the white towel away (there was a bin for used towels and another for clean towels). 7: 23: They went toward the weights. The father suggested they do their usual routine. Then he lay on the bench, and his friend put a 130 pound weight in his grasp. He lifted the weight easily. He counted down from ten to one. Then he stopped and they talked for a few moments, and the other man took his turn at the weights. 7:33: The father’s son came back, and announced that he had indeed locked his locker. When the man did his weights, Shawn watched, then he also did three sets with a lower weight, while his father encouraged him. 7: 42: When Shawn finished, his father adjusted the weight bench so that it was on an incline. They each took their turns doing the weights this way. At one point, Shawn’s father’s friend said he was getting a cramp, and he said, â€Å"This is my last set for tonight. † He said he had to go to the bathroom. Shawn and his father sat on the bench. Shawn’s father told him about a story where a guy dropped the weight across his chest, and that he couldn’t get up, or barely move. He yelled out for someone to help him, and two (2) women each held an edge each. They lifted the weight, but then dropped it. The man’s ribs were broken and he could barely move. Shawn listened, his mouth opened. He said that he wasn’t sure he believed that. â€Å"You’re always making up stories, Dad. † A group of people, mostly women, went into a room. An instructor (1) came out and said, â€Å"Aerobics, last call. † Shawn said he thought they should go in, too. His father laughed and told him that he only wanted to go in because of the women, and part of getting fit was not letting anything distract you. Shawn rolled his eyes and said that he hoped there would never be a day when women didn’t distract him. Shawn watched the last woman go in, a slim woman about his age. He gave a low whistle only he and his dad could hear. 7: 54: Shawn’s father said that he wondered how his friend was doing. He said, â€Å"Maybe I should go check on Cal. † He told Shawn not to continue the weights until he came back. There were other men there who said they wanted to use that bench, and Shawn’s father said that was okay. Shawn said he would go and run on the treadmill until they returned. 7: 56: Shawn walked to the right where the treadmills were, along with stationary bikes and other equipment. Shawn walked around, and all treadmills were in use. He walked back to the weights, then returned again to the treadmills. 7: 58: A woman (1) noticed Shawn. She asked him if he was waiting for a treadmill. He said that he was. She said, â€Å"I’m almost finished. About five minutes more. Sign your name under mine. † Shawn said â€Å"Thank you,† then signed his name on a list on the wall. He walked around for a bit, then came back to wait. 8:02: The woman got off the treadmill, wiped it with a towel that was around her neck. She said, â€Å"It’s all yours,† and Shawn thanked her. He got on the treadmill, and adjusted it so he was at a fast walking pace. He did this for a few minutes, then increased the speed so he was jogging. 8:16: Shawn’s father and Cal came up to the treadmill. Shawn’s father said they couldn’t see him right away as he was the last one against the wall. Shawn asked Cal how he was doing, and Cal said, â€Å"Ah, it was nothing. Gas, I think. † Shawn slowed down the treadmill. He said, â€Å"Are we going to finish our sets? † Cal said yes, and Shawn stopped the treadmill pace and let it slow down. Then he got off, and sprayed it with cleaner and a white towel, then put the cleaning items away. 8:17: The three (3) went toward the weights, but the other men were still on the bench they were previously using. Cal said, â€Å"This isn’t our night. † He suggested they do lengths in the pool instead. The others agreed. But then Shawn said that he didn’t have his swimming trunks with him. The three of them laughed, shaking their heads. 8:20: Shawn said they should just go have a coffee somewhere. Cal said he was just going to go on home. They left the gym together.

Generate Ideas Of The New Products Marketing Essay

Generate Ideas Of The New Products Marketing Essay This is a project for Mr Bean to launch a new product for a new segment. The process starts from idea generation, idea screening, business analysis, product development, test marketing and ends at 4Ps. Chosen Segment The new chosen segment is aiming at families, especially, the group of people who like soya bean food and do not go to Mr Beans outlets very often. Most of Mr Beans products are with short shelf life or difficult to store after selling. Usually, the products are eaten just after being sold. This restricts the sales. The consumers wouldnt buy a lot by one time. And the products are not available at home. If the consumers do not pass by Mr Beans outlets, the products are not available. So, Mr Bean may lose a lot of business opportunities. The new segment can length the time period for consumers to consume Mr Beans products. It will increase Mr Beans sales obviously. But, on the other hand, new products in this segment will affect the sales of existing products. Some consumers may do not buy products from Mr Bean when they pass by the outlets. It may be because that they have just eaten some Mr Beans similar products at home or they would eat at home. Considering the stagger location and time of the consumption, the effect will be slight. Overall, the new segment is expected to drive up Mr Beans sales significantly. The new products are expected to have a long shelf life and be easy to store, so that they are available for the families at home. 2 New Product Development 2.1 Idea Generation To generate ideas of the new products, internal and external surveys were held. The ideas were created by the employees and customers of Mr Bean. They are the following: Soy milk power: Instant soy milk. Dried bean curd: Traditional dried bean curd with package. Soya bean: Use complementary branding with a soy milk maker producer. And sell soya bean as the main material. Vacuum-packed pancake: New taste with package, the product can be stored at home. Mascot cookie: Cookies with different shape of Mr Beans mascot. Bagged soy milk oatmeal: A mix with soy milk power and dehydrated oatmeal. Frozen steam stuffed bun: A traditional and popular food. Boxed ice cream: Different to Mr Beans existing soft serves. 2.2 Idea Screening After the idea generation stage, the new product ideas were evaluated through some internal criteria, such as the consistency of the company positioning, of Mr Bean. Soy milk power: The production method of soy milk power is complex. And some large equipment is required. Mr Bean cant produce it now. Rejected. Dried bean curd: Dried bean curd can be produced easily by simple tools. Accepted. Soya bean: Directly sell soya bean takes low expense. Fabrication is not required. Accepted. Vacuum-packed pancake: The new taste pancake is very similar to the existing ones. Low cost and simple equipment is required. Accepted. Mascot cookie: The production process is simple. And tools to cook cookies are easy to get. Accepted. Bagged soy milk oatmeal: This new product is based on soy milk power. Since Mr Bean cant produce its own soy milk power, rejected. Frozen steam stuffed bun: Not soya bean related food. Inconsistent to company positioning. Rejected. Boxed ice cream: New equipment is required. But it is small and cheap. Accepted. The Screening result is as the table below: No. New Ideas Screening Result Accepted Rejected 1 Soy milk power 2 Dried bean curd 3 Soya bean 4 Vacuum-packed pancake 5 Mascot cookie 6 Bagged soy milk oatmeal 7 Frozen steam stuffed bun 8 Boxed ice cream 2.3 Business Analysis After the Idea screening, then the residual 5 ideas were examined by some external factors. Cost, sales and profitability need be considered in business analysis stage. Dried bean curd Cost: The main raw material is soya bean. And only simple tools are required. Cost should be low. Sales: Its a traditional food with a long history, demand may be high. As a soya bean food related company, the brand can help to get considerable sales. Profitability: Considerable sales with low cost makes it be very profitable. Soya bean Cost: Only some packaging fees are required. Sales: Lots of Singaporean dont like to cook at home, so the demand may be low. And its a convenience product, Sales may be disappointing. Profitability: Even cost is low, Sales may be also low. Its not profitable. Vacuum-packed pancake Cost: The cost of a vacuum-packed pancake with new taste is quite similar with the existing ones, just need extra packaging fees. Sales: Since the new pancake can store at home, both demand and sales are expected to have a obviously increase. Profitability: Net profit margin should be very similar to pancake. Profit should be high with good sales. Mascot cookie Cost: Cookies are easy to make with simple tools. Raw materials are also cheap. Cost is expected to be low. Sales: Most of the mascot cookie lovers should be little children. This limitation restricts the demand. Sales may be low. Profitability: Because of the low sales, it cant generate satisfying profit. Boxed ice cream Cost: The method and recipe are different from existing ice cream, but cost is very similar, both are low. Sales: Singapores climate stimulates the demand of ice cream. Sales are expected to be doubled. Profitability: High sales and low cost can bring good profit. Based on the profitability, the result is as the following table: No. New Ideas Analysis Result Accepted Rejected 2 Dried bean curd 3 Soya bean 4 Vacuum-packed pancake 5 Mascot cookie 8 Boxed ice cream 2.4 Product Development After many evaluations, the rest 3 ideas are developing into products. Dried bean curd The product is cut into small squares and with a lite taste. As the first product in this product line, choose original taste. Choose plastic as the packaging material. Some part of the package should be hyaline, so that the consumer can see the dried bean curd inside. Net weight is set at 150 gram per pack. So the consumers can eat up one pack one time. The label should show the flavor. Vacuum-packed pancake The new taste pancake was designed as a jam taste. It retained the soft texture of the existing ones. To reduce pressure on the product, the space inside the package should be fixed. So it can have a good appearance. As many other vacuum-package, use plastic as the material. Use specific color to show the flavor. Single pack can fit customers behavior. Boxed ice cream Boxed ice cream is different to Mr Beans existing soft serve. The new product has a relatively high hardness and low storage temperature. Its more suitable for transportation and storage. Strawberry taste is a common taste my other competitors use, and is very suitable to be chosen as the taste for the new product. Choose paper as packaging material. And the package should embody the flavor by color. Net content is 1L, a common quantity on the market.The label should highlight the new feature: it can be store at home. 2.5 Test Marketing Test marketing is to try to infer the response of a full-scale launch by a small regional test. The result may be not reliable (McDonald Christopher 2003, p.180). So choosing an ideal region can improve the reliability of the test result. Singapore is a very small country. This can help improve the accuracy of the test marketing. And the convenient public transportation makes the movement of mass very active, especially in MRT stations and bus interchange hubs. So choosing the outlets in these places to launch the prototypes can get a relatively reliable data. The outlet in Toa Payoh Hub is an ideal place to conduct the test. In location, it is at the center part of the country. And the passenger flow is high. Price is one of the considerations for the consumers in their consuming behavior. So the prices of the three products were based on the variable cost. And the contribution margin was set at 30% of the variable cost. So the selling prices are the following: Dried bean curd: 0.9 SD per pack Vacuum-packed pancake: 1.2 SD per pack Boxed ice cream: 4 SD per box At the same time, the customers who bought the new product were asked to take part in a survey. Customers voted to their favorite new product. The test lasted for a month. Then the data was collected and analyzed by Mr Bean. The result is as the following graphs: From the graphs, the sales of boxed ice cream were far ahead to the other two. And in customers choice, dried bean curd failed to get a good acceptance by most customers. The degree of vacuum-packed pancake and boxed ice cream among the customer is very similar. Boxed ice cream got a slight lead. Combining with data from all aspects, the result of test marking is as the following table: No. New Ideas Analysis Result Accepted Rejected 2 Dried bean curd 4 Vacuum-packed pancake 8 Boxed ice cream 3 Commercialisation Marketing mix is very often used in complex marketing strategies. It involves both targeted customers and companys objective (DIMCC 2008). Boxed ice cream should be classified as a product, so the marketing mix should base on 4Ps. 3.1 Product Product is the most important part in the 4Ps. The whole marketing mix bases on the products. Characteristics The new boxed ice cream is classified as a kind of regular ice cream. Its quite different from soft serves in recipe, hardness, taste, storage, process, etc. So it is a new product in a new product line in Mr Bean. And the taste is strawberry, a very common flavor on the market. So it is more probable to be accepted by the consumers. Regular ice cream is appropriate for many kinds of flavors. So it is possible to translate it into a series of products to length the product life circle. Different to many other regular ice cream on the market, Mr Beans boxed ice cream uses soya bean as one of its raw material. Packaging Package is an important part of the product. It has many functions. Contain the core product is the basic function of a package. For the boxed ice cream, paper box with cap is an ideal container. The design capacity is 1.1 liter. Since the net weight was decided to be 1 liter, the design capacity of the package must have some cushion. But the cushion mustnt be too much, or the customers may have a wrong impression that the product is short in actual weight. The paper must accord with food hygienic standard. And material quality must be waterproof paper. The package must have the ability to bear some situation that the ice cream melted. It can avoid leakage. The package protects the ice cream from external impurities and protects consumers from touching the ice cream, even when it melted. Piling method was considered to make sure the package is burly enough to bear the pressure. The design of the package must contain the information of the ice cream to consumers. Slight pink was chose n as the background color of the box, and strawberry was added into the design. So the consumer would know that it is a strawberry flavor. And Mr Beans trademark was designed on the striking area of the box. And some necessary information, such as ingredient, shelf life, was added on the package. Labeling Label is used to persuade or inform consumers. For the new boxed ice cream, the label was design to show the difference from Mr Beans existing products. The slogan on the label is designed as Enjoy simple pleasure at home. The background color was designed to be deep brown, a contrast color to slight pink. It can catch consumers attentions and arouse interests on the product. 3.2 Price To make a pricing strategy is very complex. There are too many aspects can affect the decision. There can be 6 steps in the process of setting a price (Kotler Keller 2006). A simplified process was used to set the price for this new product. Step 1: Choosing a pricing objective Pricing objectives can be classified as profit-oriented, sales-oriented and status quo. To the boxed ice cream, status quo pricing objectives are the optimal choice. Firstly, its a convenience product, the price must be competitive. Secondly, to Mr Bean, its new product line in a new market. And its still at the introduction stage. Surviving is the primary task. So, the pricing strategy should meet competitions prices. Step 2: Positioning After deciding to meet competitions prices, the question became to which competitor should be chosen to follow. On the market, there are many kinds of ice cream with different positioning. Analysis Mr Beans existing pricing strategy and the value of boxed ice cream to get the positioning. Then compare with the existing products on the market. Some competitors on the market are listed in the table below: Brand Product/Flavor Net Content Price Haagen-Dazs Mango 1L S$13.90 Haagen-Dazs Strawberry 1L S$14.45 Nestle La Gremeria 1L S$4.80 Weis Sorbet 1L S$9.15 KINGS VCRM SWT CORN 1L Similar PositioningS$3.57 KINGS VCRM R BERRY 1L S$3.57 Walls CRM-PADD RAINBOW 1.5L S$5.00 Walls CRM-CHOCLOLATE 1.5L S$5.00 So, the price of Mr Beans new boxed ice cream should be around S$4.80 per liter. Step 3: Estimating costs and adjusting Cost is an important factor to be considered in the process of setting price. It directly affects the contribution margin. The price should be set with a positive profit. The contribution margin was compared with the target profit, and the price was adjusted to S$4.60, a more competitive price with satisfying profit. 3.3 Promotion The role of promotion can be summarized as DRIP, Differentiation, Remind, Inform and Persuade (Ho 2012). As its in the introduction stage, the main objective should be Inform. Mr Bean is good at promote its product in many different ways. As boxed ice cream is a convenience product at the introduction stage. Combining with Mr Beans methods, the chosen tools are advertising, public relations and sales promotion. Advertising Overall, the purpose of advertising is to increase sales and profit. But it can be subdivided into different communication objectives (Jobber 2004, p.423). As this is the introduction stage of a new product, the communication objective is to create awareness. The following are the tools used: Poster and leaflet Enjoy Simple Pleasure At HomeSince the new segment is to length the time period for consumers to consume Mr Beans products, the main group of the targets is Mr Beans existing customers. Putting up a poster and distributing leaflets around Mr Beans outlets can get a good effect to create awareness. And most of the innovators should be Mr Beans loyal customers. And comparing with many other traditional advertising media, the total cost is very low. Good design of the poster and leaflet also can increase customers interest on boxed ice cream. Internet On the homepage of Mr Beans official website, there is a striking space for the companys star item and new products. This space is big enough to show a detail of product. Put boxed ice cream on the space. The visitor can aware it at first glance. Public Relations Public Relations is a good tool to build up a good image for a company and introduce new products to public. Mr Bean is very good at using this tool. For example, in the last few years, Mr Bean continually worked as a principle sponsor of National Day Parade. Such events are good opportunities for the introduction of boxed ice cream. The remarkable events can help boxed ice cream get awareness effectively. And by using public relations, many new consumers may be attracted.http://www.mrbean.com.sg/cmsresource/Events/NDP%202011/NDP2011_W243.jpghttp://www.mrbean.com.sg/cmsresource/Events/NDP%202011/NDP2011_W7.jpg Sales Promotion After consumers getting the awareness and reason for purchasing on boxed ice cream, sales promotion gives consumers the incentive to buy it. The short-term but obviously effect can help shorten the introduction stage and lead boxed ice cream to the growth stage. In the introduction stage, coupon is a very useful tool. It can stimulate the consumer behavior and increase the sales significantly. Since leaflets are used to advertise boxed ice cream, coupon can be distributed with the leaflets. 3.4 Place A place strategy affects the accessibility of the product to consumers and the profit of the originations in the marketing channel. Mr Bean defines itself as a retailer. Actually, it is also a producer. The company produces all the products by itself. So, the company uses direct channel for consumer products. Without the intermediaries, Mr Bean can get a significant profit from the sales.One of the reasons why does Mr Bean only use direct channel is the feature of the existing product. Most of Mr Beans products are made and sold on the spot. They are with short shelf life and are not convenient to transport and store. So other market channels are not suitable to Mr Bean. The new product, boxed ice cream, doesnt need to be restricted to the existing channel strategy. The new features make it possible to be sold by third parts. But, by considering the stage in product life circle and the capacity of the company, boxed ice cream was decided to launch by the existing channel strategy. As a new product, Mr Bean managed its capacity at low level in the introduction stage. And there are more than 60 Mr Beans outlets in Singapore. Its enough to offer a good accessibility to the consumers. Centralized production mode was selected for the new product. So the outlets didnt need to add any new equipment. Boxed ice cream was sold in all Mr Beans outlets. The channel strategy decision is a temporary one. With the increase of acceptance of the product, Mr Bean will increase its capacity. Other channels are possible to be used to increase the sales. 4 Conclusions After going through many screening and well planned by Mr Bean, the new product, boxed ice cream, came to the market. But whether it is a successful new product or not, is still waiting for the examination by the market.

School Lunches Essay -- Social Issues, Childhood Obesity

School Lunches â€Å"More than a third of the county's children are overweight or obese.†(Gustin, 1). As shocking as this is, it's true. One of the big reasons that children and teens are overweight is because of the foods that they eat. They are fed these fattening and unhealthy foods by the school system. Their futures can be changed if we change our choices. Having more nutritious lunches can have a positive impact on the health of American teens. â€Å"More than 76 percent of schools sell soft drinks and sweetened fruit drinks, but fewer than half offered bottles water. Fewer than 15 percent sell low-fat or nonfat yogurt, and fewer than one third order skim milk. Only 25 percent of schools say they've reduced fats and oils in recipes.†(Spake, 2). Choices at lunch range from greasy to unidentifiable. Most students eat school lunches five days a week. So most of the food they eat throughout the week comes from the school cafeteria. Although, the schools do tend to offer healthy choices such as salads, subs, skim milk, and unlimited fruits and vegetables. â€Å"Each week Phoenix students are served a variety of fruits and vegetables from guava to grapes and jicima to red peppers. School officials hope that by exposing children to fruits and vegetable they may develop a taste for them and request their parents to buy them.†(Bailey, 1). Real meat is becoming an issue in schools. â€Å"According to reports issued b y the Physicians Committee for responsible Medicine (PCRM) the USDA dumps hundreds of millions of pounds of surplus beef, chicken, cheese, and pork on the National School lunch Program.†(Lord, 42). Chicken isn't whole white meat; some of it doesn't even taste like meat! Let’s move on to unhealthy foods. There are unlimited amounts of un... ...ars of school. Once kids eat their lunches they normally want to go run around and use some of that energy from the food so they can concentrate better in class. It is also a good thing to require because school gym is the only exercise most teens and children get throughout the day. It helps cut the growing rate of diabetes and obesity. Sports are also a good way to stay active and healthy. Not only are you constantly moving and getting tons of exercise, but sports teams normally offer a good healthy snack after games such as peanut butter crackers and juice boxes or nutrition bars and bottled water. It all makes a huge difference in the development of children and teens. If we take these small steps to change, we can easily redirect the lives of children and teens health. Having more nutritious lunches can have a positive impact on the health of American teens.

Oppression in Jane Campion’s The Piano Essay -- Jane Campion The Piano

Oppression in Jane Campion’s â€Å"The Piano† Jane Campion’s â€Å"The Piano† relates the story of a Scottish woman who is sent to New Zealand, during the Victorian Era, for an arranged marriage with a farmer. Ada voluntarily gave up speaking at the age of 6 and communicates by either signing for her daughter, writing on a small paper tablet around her neck, or, more joyously, through playing her piano. After a long and arduous journey with the piano, Ada is forced to leave it on the beach where her boat landed. Left without her musical passion, Ada must learn to adapt in very male world. A native white man who has adopted the culture of the Maori Indians named Baines quickly discovers what the abandoned piano means to Ada. Baines secures the piano by trading 80 acres of land to the farmer and husband of Ada, Stewart. After getting the piano back to his home, he employs Ada to give him lessons, but really wants to have sex with her in exchange for the piano. Her passion for the music allows for this and an affair is born. The affair is discovered by Stewart and he goes irate eventually cutting off Ada’s forefinger in a backwards attempt to win her love. When he realizes the futility of winning her love, Stewart sends her off with Baines. On the boat to a new home and life, Ada insists of getting rid of the piano and almost commits suicide as the piano sinks to the bottom of the ocean. This movie is beautiful to watch, yet difficult. It is raw, yet the cinematography is breath...

Book Club Novel Study vs. Conventional Core Novel Study

Book Club Novel Study vs. Conventional Core Novel Study Although the Book Club approach and the conventional novel study approach are group discussion oriented, the Book Club method is a more efficient way of extracting thorough analysis from multiple perspectives. In the Book Club approach, students are forced to read because we are constantly being evaluated. During discussions, the teacher is always walking around evaluating groups.My group especially was always prepared because of the fear of not getting a good mark due to being unprepared. The fact that we are constantly being evaluated develops pressure on the students, which forces them to prepare for the discussion the night before. Preparing the night before allows for a more in depth analysis. If everyone is prepared with notes and questions the discussion will be much more interesting because everyone brings something to the table.Which in essence allows a much more effective and efficient discussion. However, with the con ventional approach you have majority of the classroom not participating and not being involved in the discussions. In last year’s English class, there were a set number of students who were always participated and then the majority of the class not effectively participating. Because the traditional method is a more broad discussion and there aren’t specific roles for students to carry out students are not pressured to be prepared.I can use myself as an example, last year there would be times I wouldn't read the sections assigned and because of this I found myself not participating and engaging in class discussions. The Book Club approach consists of continuous evaluation and a certain set of tasks like discussion leading that force students to consistently engage in discussions. The evaluation creates pressure, causing students to be prepared and contribute during scheduled conferences. On the other hand, the traditional method of novel study is not as effective.The st udents are not pressured because they feel as if they are not being evaluated on a regular basis. So students take advantage of this and feel their input is not necessary and rest of the class will carry their weight. To conclude, both approaches involve students participating and engaging in a group discussion but the Book Club approach has a higher efficiency in terms of each students input during discussions in comparison to the conventional core study.

Single Parenting vs Nuclear Parenting

Although households are â€Å"supposed† to contain two parents there are ones that contain only one parent. A single parent is a parent who cares for one or more child without physical help of another parent in the house. Though people looked down upon single parenting before, it is now quite common in today’s world. According to the United States Census Bureau the amount of children who live with a single parent has increased to a little more than 30 percent.Single parenting is a problem to others since children raised under a household of a single parent are two times more likely to end up poor, to give birth outside of marriage, to not graduate from high school, and to have behavioral and psychological problems. It is also said that children living in single parent households are more likely to experience accidents, injuries, and poisonings. Since kids living in single parent homes are more likely to undergo these problems, many people argue that children who live in single parent homes will not grow up properly.Although kids are more likely to develop those problems, if single parents raise their children properly their children will be able to avoid those problems. Single parents and other non-traditional families are quite capable of raising healthy, well-adjusted children. Those who propose that single parents are not capable of rearing healthy and well-adjusted children have comprehensible reasons. They worry that the children will lack guidance and attention needed since there is only one parent for them to go to.They also worry that the children will lack gender influence and will need help with relationship problems in the future. At last, they worry that the children will grow up unable being independent and responsible due to their parent â€Å"babying† them too much. I believe the reasons why people are against single parent homes are not very reasonable. People propose that children raised by a single parent are not being rai sed properly. They believe that the child won’t be attended to as often since there is only one parent.That is where they are wrong, because what is family for, right? Many single parents are able to turn to their parents, siblings or extended family quite often for help. People also argue that the child of a single parent will suffer from lack of gender influence. This is basically saying a child will not understand the role of either a male or the role of a female because of deprivation of the other parent. This argument is invalid since the role models of a single parent child could be uncles, aunties, or friends of the parents.Children raised from a single parent are able to grow up with the same amount of guidance and attention as a child reared from two parents. Many people argue that children being raised by a single parent will lack those basic essentials. Many think this because single parents often work a full-time job. I believe this claim is invalid but to a certa in extent. As long as the parent has contact with family or friends, they, along with the single parent will help guide and support the child throughout their life as long as they are around.A life example would be a single parent that has to work. They will call their parents to watch their child. The child will then be taken care of by their grandparents. The grandparents will teach the child what is right from wrong (guidance); something the single parent may not have the time to do. They may also be there for the child when the single parent is not. Since many children crave attention, they like showing their parents their accomplishments from school they obtain. Since a single parent is usually too busy to take the time to notice.By having the grandparents there for the child, the child will more likely be able to receive the attention they wish to receive. Raising a child in a single parent household will not affect the child’s future relationships. Others argue against this because when children are young, they fall in love with their parent of the opposite sex. For the boys it is the Oedipus complex and for girls it is the Electra complex. Boys later on, end up looking for personality traits which their mother hold and choose a girl based upon those traits; for girls they undergo the same affair though they do so based off of their fathers traits.Some children unable to learn this develop relationship problems since they do not know what traits they are searching for in a partner. This task is extremely difficult for single parents to succeed in doing though it is not impossible. A parent can carry out this troublesome task by taking on both roles of the parents; as a father and as a mother. Single parenting holds the ability to teach independence and responsibility indirectly to their child. Others think differently, they assume these children won’t be ready for the real world due to the amount of â€Å"babying† while growing up.T his of course is incorrect because studies show that children of single parents are more independent that those with two parents. Being there only one parent, they are unable to do everything on their own; this moderately forces their child to learn to do tasks the parent has not the time to handle, on their own and at a younger age. An example, if a parent is running late for work, their child may have to make their own meal since their mother or their father does not have the time to do so.Individual parents and other non-traditional families are completely able to rear normal, balanced offspring. Single parent children are fully capable of having guidance and attention, learning roles of the opposite gender, and being independent as children with two parents. If you do not believe single parents are able to raise normal children, you are thinking wrong because this type of family makes up about 30 percent of the United States population; this number continues to escalate.