Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology Essay Example

Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology Essay Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology By: September 24th, 2012 Psy. 410 Times have changed from what our grandparents knew and evolution is part of it. However, when looking at all the changes that we have seen in this world, how many of them were normal and how many were abnormal? Were they abnormal to some and normal to others? Or is there a particular age group that its normal or abnormal to? We are going to take a look and see if we can dig deeper in understanding normalcy and abnormalities. Abnormal Psychology To understand the origins of abnormal psychology you must first understand what it is. There are six main core concepts to understanding abnormal psychology. Abnormal psychology is so complex in that we wonder what causes a mental illness or abnormal psychology while we wonder about feelings of being down and where they come from as well. Because there is so many questions in this particular field it is what makes it fascinating. With abnormal psychology there are six major concepts in classifying and defining it as abnormal. ( Hansell Demour, 2008) Concepts The first concept in defining abnormal psychology is to define and understand abnormality. You must first understand circumstances that cause or surround any behavior to allow you to understand whether the behavior is normal or abnormal. The next concept examines the continuum between normal and abnormal behavior. ( Hansell Demour, 2008) This means understanding the context that the actual abnormal behavior occurs to allow us to understand it as well as explain it. Cultural and historical relativism is the third concept in defining and classify abnormality. Demographic context influence abnormal behavior and include things such as class, age, culture and gender. Hansell Demour, 2008) Advantages and limitations of diagnosis is the fourth concept is the limitations and advantage of diagnosis. The fifth examines the principle of multiple causality. ( Hansell Demour, 2008) and finally the connection between the body and the mind is the sixth concept of abnormal psychology. Lets take a step back now and examine some of these a little farther. Lets begin with examining the co ntinuum between abnormal and normal psychology. Continuum Without looking at the continuum we can not define whether or not the behavior is known as normal or abnormal. We will write a custom essay sample on Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The continuum examines the highlights of attitude of empathy toward those struggling with abnormal behavior. The continuum shows humanity among people. It also shows that people show and display concern with unfairness against them. ( Hansell Demour, 2008) This makes it difficult for clinicians to find the fine line that exists between normal and abnormal behavior. The allows the scientific research to be more challenging as well as the treatment as well. Cultural and Relativism Things change through out time that can affect what is seen as abnormal. For example, seeing someone naked on public television 50 years ago was not normal but abnormal. Today, in 2012, seeing someone naked on public television is thought to be relatively normal. Along with social changes there is also cultural change. This is just one of the many changes that has happened even in the last 30 years. The changes are very apparent to older generations making this abnormal for them while the younger generation that is experiencing these changes but its all they know, this is considered normal to them. Yet its definition is all in interpretation. Biological Perspectives Toward abnormal psychology biological perspectives plays a huge role in mental disorders. Many illnesses, injuries, as well as defects may cause emotional symptoms. (Hansell Demour, 2008) Physical structures and biochemical functions in the body are a huge contributor to abnormal psychology. Functions and structure of the brain is looked at by researchers in abnormal psychology. Some of the many things that have been shown to be a factor in mental disorders include the central nervous system, the endocrine system, the peripheral nervous system, as well as genetics. Hansell Demour, 2008) Sociocultural Perspectives The Cultural and historical relativism is part of the sociocultural prespective. Because every society has different ideas of normalcy and abnormalities it is hard to define or begin to define abnormality. Learning is what sociocultural theorists believed to be part of the contributor to mental disorders. ( Hansell Demour, 2008) the stresses in soc ial and cultural roles include things such as culture, gender, social class, and ethnicity. Socioeconomic status (SES), gender and ethnicity is what many theorists focus mainly on. Many times in life we evaluate what is normal and what is abnormal. Something in my life that may be normal to me might be completely abnormal to someone else. Interpretation plays a huge role and while definitions behind normal and abnormal are not clear or found interpretation is always part of understanding. References: Hansell, J. Damour, L. (2008). Abnormal psychology (2nd ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Secrecy, a major downfall

Secrecy, a major downfall Often it is necessary for a character to keep a secret in order to achieve his/her goals. However, divulging this secret at a certain moment might in fact affect the outcomes and events of the work as a whole. Similarly Henrik Ibsen's A Doll House brings about this topic by the incorporation of Nora into the play in which secrecy affects the outcome of not only the character but of the entire literary work. Thus proving that secrecy can lead to the downfall of the character and the view of those around them as Nora is when her secret is revealed, inevitably causing a certain lost.A Doll House is a remarkable play which depicts and brings about the problems with secrecy through it's character, portrayed her as Nora. This secret that Nora has kept and "In time she will [reveal]" is the catalyst for the turn of events which occur.English: Norwegian writer Henrik Ibsen photo portr...Nora's current social position and status prevents her from revealing and divulging why she borrowed money from a stranger and forged a contact. The reason for this action taken by Nora which is later on revealed is to save the precious life of her husband whom with out the proper care would have died. This deceit however brings the destruction of the character and the downfall of her being.While Nora would have chosen a good time to exposed her secret, another event expedited this secret and brought about the truth into the air, this even was the hiring of Mrs. Christine Linde an old school mate of Nora which needed to get a job, this therefore added to the inevitable lost of position/job of Nils Krogstad. This automatically caused Krogstad to try to manipulate Nora into convincing her husband Torvald Helmer to get his...

Existentialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Existentialism - Essay Example Tragic Sense of Life by Miguel de Unamuno is a philosophical work that borders on the doctrines of existentialism. The author believes the philosophy of life should be based on the experiences of a person. This suggests there is a need to cultivate one’s personality and character as espoused in the writings. On that account, the author considers himself a man of contradiction because while he values the sense of individuality, he also supports the existence of God. This is in support of the creation theory and the primitivism of man to rely on a nature and consciousness (Unamuno 159). Additionally, he views himself as a man of contradiction because he supports both aspects of individuality and religious fanaticism towards a deity called God. Therefore, the contradictory, opposing elements in this case entail indoctrination of man toward nature and alienation toward God. Furthermore, it is important to prove the existence of God if one has to understand the being of God. Those philosophical elements are contradictory in terms of disputing the existence of God and the use of faith and reason to evaluate matters. There are also many rational reasons why he feels the opposition is the source of his life’s unity. For example, the unity of man emanates for the deep belief in a god that is in control of both humanity and nature (Unamuno 158). Similarly, there are guiding principles of faith and the reason that influence the choice of an individual in terms domination over personality and character. That is why it is a paradox that Miguel de Unamuno has total belief in the intricacies of the universe. In the same context, the paradoxical contradiction is because the divinity of man and human consciousness is not in harmony with nature. Alternatively, the feelings of God and external consciousness conflicts with the moral logic of a common man in terms of sustenance. The statement ‘we think because we live’ has several meanings according to th e context it is used the book. First, he begins by castigating the primitive man for overreliance in the forces that surround him such as nature and other fellow men. This suggests that both animate and inanimate things appeals to man without any reason or faith in the choice. That is why according to Miguel, humanity structures their lives depending on the given existence (Unamuno 152). Alternatively, the possession of the consciousness of nature ensures man does not break away from the confines of nature. In other words, divinity is not associated with rationale because there are objective and subjective point of views. This suggests that the decisions of man in the universe are guided by a supernatural being with divine powers. In other words, the thoughts and existence of man are controlled by one God. That is why ‘we think because we live.’ There are various relationships between theory, and practice (the practice of living) and it relates to action. In terms of th eory, there is the inherent attachment of the primitive man to both nature and fellow human being. On the other hand, in practice, man still possesses the consciousnesses of faith rather reason in the belief of a deity who is in control of the universe. This means the acceptance of a divinity is paramount in order to accept the infinite powers of God. Another fundamental relationship involves the humanization of God in order to counter paganism (Unamuno 161). In other words, it helps in

Strategies of Nokia and Nestle and their competitive advantage in the Essay

Strategies of Nokia and Nestle and their competitive advantage in the industry - Essay Example It is vital part of organizational success as it not only helps them to survive but also facilitates in maintaining competitive edge against their rivals in the industry. Business strategies are actions plans developed to achieve the vision, mission and objectives of the organizations over a long period of time. Porter (1996) says that competitive strategy is doing business differently to give value to the customers and maintain leverage. The strategic plans therefore, are vital ingredients that allow firms to be flexible and innovative so that they can absorb environmental changes and evolve to maintain one’s market position. The report is primarily an effort to analyze the business strategies of Nokia and Nestle which have made tremendous changes within their strategies to create niche market position in the domestic and global market. Outline of strategic issues of Nokia Nokia is a Finnish conglomerate that has incredible growth story. It has emerged as a flagship company mainly because it was able to anticipate and preempt environmental changes to evolve new strategies. The foresightedness of its managerial leadership was able to steer it to its present success. There were three major strategic issues with Nokia which needed to be creatively designed and developed to facilitate leadership position in the global market. The first one was to redefine its strategies towards its low performing business activities which did not offer long term sustainability of good profits or prospects. The second was to identify the business which had wide scope prospects vis-a-vis business opportunities across the globe. Third and the last one was to ensure that the products should be able to meet the changing demands of the global customers and should have futuristic scope to attract them. These were critical issues which needed to be addressed urgently by the compa ny so that its vision of becoming a successful global entity could be expedited and realized. 3.1.1 Situation analysis of Nokia Finland was a rich but small nation that was bogged down with geographical hardships that made it difficult to adopt traditional technology to improve its communication and other related development processes. It initially had diverse interests comprising of tire manufacturing, paper production, consumer electronics and telecommunication equipment. The disinvestment of many of its business activities helped it to focus on telecommunication. It was one of the companies that had pioneered wireless technology to overcome geographical constraints of near arctic conditions which made cable based telecommunication a difficult and expensive venture. Indeed, strategic planning is at the heart of business strategy. Bateman and Snell (2009:132) emphasize that planning is ‘the conscious, systematic process of making decisions about goals and activities that an i ndividual, group, work unit or organization will pursue in future’. Nokia had demonstrated its leadership initiative by disinvesting its low prospect business activities and correctly identifying potential in the telecommunication where wireless technology had offered huge scope for business expansion. It was focused on organization’s long term goals and objectives for its success and growth. It explicitly emphasized the unique activities and approaches of Nokia leadership for delivering its strategic goals and objectives. Kotler & Keller (2007) have stressed the need to be innovative and service oriented. Nokia was able to align its strategic action

Budget Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Budget Proposal - Essay Example (Womack, 2009) Indeed, it is justified to argue that performance of department is fairly lower than police agencies in other US states and cities. Our department does not have enough personnel as only fewer than 250 employees are on job against announced vacancies of 310. Hence, the police officials are unable to share various law enforcement responsibilities and fulfill their duties that are assigned by Department Head and state authorities. This in turn leads to extreme work overload over existing officers thereby resulting in mental stress and reduction in performance and efficiency. In addition, the employees’ morale has reduced because of comparatively low wages at Macon Police Department against other area departments including ‘Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and The Medical Center of Central Georgia’. Similarly, there are also fewer chances for officers to attain extrinsic financial rewards (bonuses, pay increase etc) and promotions. Together, these factors demotiva te the police officers and compel to either switch their jobs or showcase low performance. Turnover rates may also increase in future if the above two factors are not rectified. (Womack, 2009) As far as internal efficiency of Macon Police is concerned, it should be pointed out that officers have been using old vehicles (that require immediate maintenance and repair) with out dated in-car cameras. Similarly, department also does not have any modernized computer equipments, information systems and technology that could help in record keeping of crimes, immediate information access and in crime investigation. In order to improve department’s overall performance in the light of above mentioned analysis of problems, there is dire need to improve job pay scale and employee promotional system so that officers’ morale, confidence and commitment with their job could be increased. As a result,

Research Methodology for Online Shopping Project

Research Methodology for Online Shopping Project 1. INTRODUCTION: RESEARCH AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The project had two key questions to focus on and this acted as a guide to the research design and methodology. The two key research questions in my project were: What are the key consumer motivations for online shopping and how are these impacting the development of the online channel? This question is focused on the key drivers acting as make for consumers to pursue online shopping, and how these drivers were impacting the online channel as an alternative channel for making purchases. What are the emerging trends for online shopping, and how will the online shopping channel develop? As online shopping continues to increase, both organisations and consumers are expected to be better-placed with having a good understanding of where online shopping trends seem to be directed at. 1.1 Consumer motivations The project sought to understand the consumer motivations for choosing online shopping as an alternative channel or, for some consumers, their main channel for shopping particular items. This part of the project was based on determining what consumers have stated as their key motivation factors through secondary research. This was supported by primary research by surveying and interviewing consumers on their motivational factors. The objective was to list out the key motivational factors consumers have for online shopping. 1.2 Emerging trends for online shopping In addition to understanding consumer motivation, this project also sought, as an objective, to understand the emerging trends in online shopping, and establish a viewpoint on where the online channel was expected to move to. Similar for consumer motivations, this part of the project was based on a combination of primary and secondary research. 1.3 Foundation for research project There was a strong foundation for pursuing this project as it aimed to provide a greater understanding of the consumer and the motivations behind online shopping. As the importance of the online channel becomes increasingly greater for organisations, there is greater need for determining the consumers key drivers in choosing this as an alternative channel for shopping. The project results impact both consumers and organisations. For consumers, this gave them a venue for stating their preferences and key requirements to continue using the online channel which could lead to improvements on the online shopping experience. For organisations, this project provided an understanding of the current situation and also the emerging trends based on competitive dynamics, in order to be able to provide the consumers their requirements. This project was also important for me as the student as it gave me an opportunity to develop the knowledge and pursue the analysis of a critical management issue which was becoming a greater value add channel for a large number of organisations. The project, I believe, has led to new insights and a confirmation of consumers key motivations to online shopping. I believe this contributes to the growing knowledge on the online shopping experience of consumers. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW In this section, research works relating to consumer motivations for online shopping and related issues are critically evaluated. This research project was pursued with a qualitative research approach as the focus was on consumer motivations, which, while it could have been developed with quantitative metrics, seemed to translate better into a qualitative focus. The objective was more focused on going in greater depth across the key consumer motivations instead of tallying figures in terms of which factors consumers felt were their key motivations. The qualitative aspect of the research project was pursued through surveys and in-depth questionnaires. The primary data collected through the surveys and in-depth interviews were highly subjective as these were the results of consumers opinions and viewpoints. In this instance, it seemed best to pursue a rational approach to analysing the data results and the resulting interpretation. The interpretation of the research results was critical in this research project as there were no specific correct answers being pursued rather the collective view point and key motivating factors were being identified. Overall, the approach pursued for this research project was an interpretive qualitative research approached which seemed to fit best the requirements of the project. 2.1 Overview Even at the end of the last century, online shopping was already starting to catch peoples attention, and was slowly attracting consumers to use it as a channel, primarily because of its ease in completing purchases (i.e. not needing to step out of the home) and also in providing information as, even then, some sites already provided extensive information (Gay 1999, Gehrt et al 2007). But we are well into the first decade of the 21st century, and since then times have changed and certainly, consumers motivations, as evidenced in this literature review and the results of the research project, have changed. The use of the online channel for shopping varies greatly by country with the UK and the US ranking high up in the list with greatest ratio of online shoppers among Internet users, in addition to also having a large penetration of users for Internet access (Bhatti 2006). In the UK, Internet access among households has increased from 34% in 2000 to 54% in 2004, while Internet access for adults increased from 40% in 2000 to 64% in 2005 (Datamonitor 2006). 2.2 Consumer motivations In a research on consumer motivations for online retail shopping conducted a few years ago, some of the consumer motivations cited were interest in use of a new technology, ease of navigation and use, and convenience of online shopping (Childers et al 2001). While the research mentioned looked at consumer motivations, the research was only a subset of what could be learned from consumer behaviour as the study focused on only a few possible factors of online shopping activity. Also, the research is dated considering the advancements in technology over the past few years and the changes that have occurred in the online channel and the resulting consumer experience. A key thing to note was that the authors highlighted then the expectations that online retail shopping would continue to increase as consumers found greater reasons for shopping online. Linked to the increase of online shopping is the increase in access and usage of the Internet. For example, Rodgers and Sheldon (2002) researched the increasing use of the Internet and highlighted shopping as one of the key motivations for increased consumer use. In this instance, shopping was focused on as one of the factors resulting in the increased use of the Internet. In this work, the authors looked at shopping as a consumer motivation for increased consumer use but their work is interesting as the other factors they considered as increasing Internet use come into play, potentially, in increased motivation for online shopping. These include researching, communicating, and even Internet surfing. Despite the seemingly increasing growth of online shopping and also the increased interest in consumer motivations for online shopping, there has relatively not been much research in this area. This thought is supported as well by the research of Zhang et al (2007) which stated as a premise the online shopping environment s still representing a comparatively new, and largely unexplored, marketing channel. The premise of Zhang is hard-hitting as it exposes a large gap in the understanding of consumers motivations for online shopping. However, the research does have a major limitation in that the research focused only on college students as its respondents. The research was also very focused on impulse purchasing behaviours, and not consumer motivations for online shopping, as its key issue for analysis. Before going in detail in some of the consumer motivations discussed in research works, it should be noted that there has been considerable growth in Internet access and usage, and this has created a significant market in marketing and communications of organisations (Ko et al 2005, Tamimi et al 2005, Dadzie et al 2005). Online shopping has been growing and organisations have been focusing more on developing the online channel to capture a greater share of the wallet of the consumer. Online shopping Internet is the worlds largest network with high technology and greater controls, every day the standard of the internet is improving. In the past decades people and sales persons used to follow traditional methods for shopping and promotion of the business. Banks and thousands of businesses are using computers to share the data online and for transferring the funds using online banking. Internet is very flexible to view the information all over the world and for comparison of product prices from one to one organisation. A first step to understanding the growth happening in online shopping is to understand whats included in the term online shopping. It is generally accepted that it encompasses any product or service that is actually offered online, and hence does not relate only to the typical retail product that people buy but can also mean services that can be purchased online. A rather broad definition is given by Hult et al (2007) wherein online shopping can relate to any offering of service quality, product quality, or e-Business quality where the objective is the customer-based value creation for organisations. Based on this definition, we can see that the number of online shoppers has indeed increased significantly, at least in the UK, with the percentage of UK Internet users shopping online (including ordering tickets of buying goods and services) grew from 36% in 2000 to 61% in 2005 (Datamonitor 2006). For this research project, the broad definition is reasonable as the key focus of the research is in understanding consumer motivations for online shopping in general, with no specific product or service in mind. Undoubtedly, there are a large number of ways in which to cut the issue and there would be differences in the consumer motivations for specific products in specific markets, for example. The works cited in this section provided a good starting point in the consumer motivations to be considered. The research works also provided an indication of the increasing use of the Internet and online shopping as an activity. From the limitations cited in the research works, further research needs to be conducted on a general understanding of consumer motivations which are not limited to a few factors. The rest of this section discusses some motivating factors cited by consumers as driving their online shopping activity. 24-hour access One key factor mentioned as a motivation by consumers is the 24-hour access provided or allowed by most online shopping channels. Thus, the online channel is utilised by consumers as it provides them with 24-hour access for information, customer service, and purchase opportunity (Bramall et al 2004). This essentially gives the consumer the opportunity to browse products and purchase at the consumers own leisure. While the research of the authors states this factor as a motivation, the focus of the research work was actually on potential trust issues in online shopping. This specific motivating factor was not analysed in comparison to other motivating factors for consumers. Shopping convenience One oft-mentioned reason, and an early consumer motivating factor, for shopping online is the convenience of doing so as consumers wont need to go to the retail stores and experience the hassle of buying products in the stores (NBC News 2007). Another article does not only highlight the convenience of shopping online but also states that shopping only also helps decision-making as a large part of the information requirements a consumer may need to make the decision are found online (Furnham 2007). Clearly, shopping convenience is expected to rank high among the consumers in terms of their motivations for pursuing online shopping. Convenience can take many forms and includes all-hours access (i.e. the 24-hour access mentioned previous to this can be considered a subset of this motivating factor), own time and no pressure for decision-making, no requirement to dress up and go to the retail stores, and extensive available information, largely on demand, to support the product or service . Shopping convenience is a large factor for the US and UK consumers but this is not limited to the US or the UK markets only as even in Japan, online shopping has seen increasing growth rates, with shopping convenience as the greatest factor motivating consumers to do online shopping (Gehrt et al 2007). Another example where convenience plays a part in online shopping is in the office as a large number of offices are seeing their office employees turn to online shopping during their breaks or in between work in the office to do their shopping which, in some ways, actually results in more productive employees as they dont need to go to the retail stores for their shopping (Spillman 2006). As mentioned, online shopping allows unrestricted information search unlike in retail stores where comparisons are constrained largely by time and availability of sales staff to provide information (Chiang 2005). Thus, consumers tend to pursue online shopping if their information requirements are large and can be met online, or if consumers would like to make comparisons between products and services, and across a number of stores. The shopping convenience factor has been recognised across a number of research works, but these only tend to highlight that consumers have different meanings attached to the terminology, and may actually be referring to different sub-factors under the general term of convenience. In understanding this factor further, specific meanings were attached to and discussed in the surveys and interviews for the research. Greater bargains An increasingly cited motivating factor in online shopping is the existence of greater bargains for products and services. Consumers are increasingly interested in shopping online due to the greater bargains found in the Internet as organisations pass on savings resulting from using the online channel for sales (NBC News 2007, Lii Lee 2005). This poses a challenge for organisations though as some may not have fully understood the online channel business model, and may already be providing greater discounts to their products and services through online purchases of consumers. Another challenge for organisations is that consumers are expected to continue increasing their online purchases but only if they receive greater bargains from sellers in their online sites versus their retail stores (Craver 2006). Thus, consumers are already building the expectations that prices online will be less that prices in retail stores. This means that part of the value for organisations in establishing their online channels has already been transferred to consumers who are expecting more competitive prices online. If only to hammer the point of increasing consumer expectations, two factors mentioned by consumers in their increased interest in doing online shopping were free shipping of their products purchased and also everyday low pricing particularly relative to the retail stores of the sellers (Hajewski 2006). The key limitation in the citations for greater bargains is that these are from press articles and the approaches were not based on proper research conducted to determine the consumer motivations for online shopping. Nevertheless, this should still be accepted as a consumer motivation as this has been mentioned to be a factor based on the articles cited. Overall online shopping site experience This final factor discussed touches on the overall online shopping site experience which, in a way, relates to the overall customer experience in online shopping. This factor is quite specific to online shopping sites which consumers may visit but this nevertheless provides a motivation for some specific consumers and it relates to the overall online shopping site experience and having a positive satisfaction to the experience (Elliott Speck 2005). Specifically, the authors argued that the following factors impacted on the consumer motivation to complete their online shopping transactions: ease of use of online shopping site, product information available, trust in the brand and the online shopping site, customer support, and entertainment experienced while in the site. The focus of the research conducted by the authors was not on online shopping specifically but rather on the attitude towards retail web sites but using the online shopping experience as an example, with an analysis of the resulting impact on the consumers. Similar to some of the other published research cited in this section, the key limitation is the set of respondents considered for the research which, in this case, consisted of undergraduate marketing students. The results are interesting and provide a good preview of what the results could be if the research is expanded to capture a greater sample of the population. 2.3 Emerging trends for online shopping In reviewing the related literature touching on online shopping and also consumer motivations, a number of emerging trends were clearly seen. These include the following: Increased efforts in improving online security Potential for an expanded product range and ancillary businesses Usability of an online site as an increasing differentiator Management of Internet product returns Increasingly demanding consumers Increasing opportunity for organisations to develop consumer relationships Increasingly older market Greater share of ad market Each of these trends is discussed in greater detail in this section. Increased efforts in improving online security Across most metrics, online shopping has shown strong growth and yet the belief is that online shopping growth rates could actually be much higher if not for security-related concerns by some consumers (Bramall et al 2004, Arnold et al 2007, OConnell 2005, Cullen 2005). Increasing trust in e-retailing was one of the factors cited that could significantly drive much greater online shopping activity. Organisations are thus investing in ensuring greater security for their online shopping sites. ConsumerReports.org even recently developed a tool to provide consumers with a safe and enjoyable online shopping experience (Ascribe News 2005). There are two trends to be noted in relation to the security concerns of consumers. The first, as mentioned, is that there are greater efforts placed by organisations in improving online security as breaches to their security could have considerable consequences. Online security is the ability to protect the information of the customers from unauthorised access and destruction. Most of the online business websites using the technologies to secure their online transactions which gains more customers faith and trust to shop online. The use of firewalls, data encryption/ decryption techniques, secure socket layer (SSL), digital certificates, electronic signatures is making online transactions secure. Many governments over the world implemented regulations and law to support the people who want to make transactions online. The European Union adopted the directive on data protection in 1998, which limits any dissemination of personal data. Security and privacy are the most important facto rs in peoples decisions to purchase online, so the sophisticated technology to secure online transactions is the main factor of customers motivations to shop online. The second trend is that a complementary approach to improving reputation for managing online security risks is paramount. In support of this, where there are great concerns for risk, it has been established that utilising expert endorsers, as opposed to celebrity endorsers or even non-celebrity non-expert endorsers, can actually help in bringing consumers over their risk concerns (Biswas et al 2006). Potential for an expanded product range and ancillary businesses Another trend is that organisations are increasingly seeing potential for an expanded product range and ancillary businesses. For example, in recent months, Kohls, a US department store chain, has offered products online which were not normally found in their department stores and these included higher-priced items such as leather chairs, high-end home entertainment centres, and flat screen televisions (Hajewski 2007). This trend is not without its implications for organisation. In the Kohls example, one problem with the expanded product range as done by Kohls was that Kohls did not offer everything they had online in their retail stores. This is a concern as some consumers utilise the online site for their window shopping before moving to the retail stores to try on and purchase the items (Dodes 2006). The article states that more than 80% of online shoppers research products online first before sometimes going to the stores to see the products firsthand. Given that not all products are available in the stores, it would be prudent for online sites to be clear about which products are available in the stores and which products are not. In terms of ancillary businesses, the increase in online usage and online shopping has even spawned related business such as businesses which monitor traffic into organisations websites with the objective of increasing an organisations online sales (Newman 2007). Another ancillary business opportunity is from online shopping sites is as a social shopping space, such as Jellyfish.com which was recently acquired by Microsoft as it saw the growing opportunity in the business (Gallagher 2007). However, these new business are still untested as these are fairly new and would need some time before potentially growing into profitable businesses. As online shopping continues to grow, organisations will continue to seek out other opportunities that could help build the rationale for investments in establishing a highly competitive online shopping site. Usability of online site is an increasing differentiator While the extent of technological readiness of the consumer plays a part in determining the level of comfort in navigating through an online shopping site, the general usability of an online shopping site is an increasing differentiator and distinguishes between the different sites that consumers will utilise in online shopping (Massey et al 2007). There is a significant effect of the online marketing or advertisements on the customers to shop online and this pushing medium of marketing makes the people to shop online. The online marketing websites are designed with the facility of keyword search which brings more flexibility to online customers. Online stores are offering with much amount of choices and more information than atmosphere, so pure play sites attracting people with higher interactivity. The goal with these sites is to have it easily navigated through by consumers such that any potential barriers to keep consumers from purchasing products and services are effectively tak en out of the equation. Online promotions are very important to investigate the future trends of the online shopping. Customer relationship management is the most important function in any organization to promote their marketing strategies and to maintain good customer relationship. It is very important to consider the attitudes, behaviour and experiences of the customers to make the online promotions. An example of an initiative moving into the direction of overall ease of usability is the recent transaction involving Abazias.com and Google wherein Abzias.com partnered with Google for their shopping checkout process which is considered fast and very convenient (M2 Presswire 2007). The challenge for organisations is to continue making their online shopping sites easier to use. And to support the point, some online shopping sites now provide potential live help from customer service if particular requirements are needed in order to limit the number of lost purchases resulting from consumers abandoning their purchases (Prince 2005). Overall, the design of the website and the ease of use have a large impact on the online shopping sites performance (Auger 2005). Management of Internet product returns Another emerging trend is the establishment of clear guidelines in the management of Internet product returns, which then addresses a key concern or questions by some consumers. Internet product returns has been one of the key factors limiting part of the online shopping growth as the uncertainty surrounding how returns of defective or unwanted products impacted on the overall cost and inconvenience for the consumer. Organisations which are able to state clearly their policies on Internet product returns, and which provide a seamless process for allowing consumers to make returns for products bought online are at an advantage versus other organisations which have a perception of being difficult to coordinate with in processing Internet product returns (Mollenkopf et al 2007). Increasingly demanding consumers As the development of the online shopping channel continues, we are now seeing increasingly demanding consumers. This is shown in an example using the UK supermarket sector. In this sector, online shopping is still considered a poor offering by the UK supermarkets as none of the top five supermarket chains passed a service test conducted by a consumer affairs staff of a newspaper (Prunn 2006). Their failures were from their product offering to the product substitutes provided. The key good news for the UK and supermarkets thought was that the websites were generally easy to use for online shopping. Also, the delivery drivers were helpful and friendly. In contrast, in the US, online shopping offering for the supermarkets is a competitive offering with various supermarkets increasingly providing greater online shopping offerings for their consumers including chef-prepared, fresh-food delivery service (Food Institute Report 2006). Thus, the US supermarkets are able to provide the US consumers with their demands from US supermarkets. UK supermarkets will need to focus on improving their offering in order to capture the consumer wallet for shopping deliveries. Finally, an approach to cater to the demanding consumers is to provide channels for consumers to give their reviews, and to act on the comments of consumers which have been seen to provide a good way of increasing the online sites business (Spors 2006). Increasing opportunity for organisations to develop consumer relationships The online shopping channel provides organisations with an additional channel to develop consumer relationships. Organisations which are able to effectively capture value from their online shopping offering are the organisations which are able to collect and analyse data on consumer patterns, interpret customer behaviour, respond with timely and effective customised communications, and deliver product and service value to consumers (Kennedy 2006). The game is not new to most organisations. The only difference is that there is a new channel to consider for the consumer relationships. In order to be competitive, organisations should be able to learn from their interactions with the consumers, and develop the channel into one that consumers will find value from. With the growth of the online shopping channel, more organisations will invest in ensuring that consumer information is managed properly to be leveraged by the organisation in capturing value from the interactions. Increasingly older market At least in the US, the trend is that the older internet users market comprises the fastest-growing demographic group in the US Internet market and are, aside from large and growing, generally financially secure (Iyer Eastman 2006). While a research has not been found to state a similar point for the UK, it is possible that this is the case as well given the increasingly older society with a lower proportion of younger people in the country. What does this mean for the online shopping channel? If this is truly the trend, then the investments that organisations will place in developing their online shopping channels will be geared towards an older generation, from site design to products and services to site technology used. This potential trend has large implications on various organisations that can benefit from this research work. Thus, a greater understanding of the key trends is important in order to allow the organisations to plan and invest properly in their online shopping channels. Greater share of ad market Finally, another trend worth noting is the increasing share of the ad market by the online channel. With the growth of the online shopping consumer market, the ad share of this channel (the Internet) is expected to grow as well from about 5-8% to up to one-fifth of total ad budgets over the next three years (Ong 2005). As examples, US auto firms spent ~14% of their total advertising budget for online advertising in 2005 while Procter Gamble was planning to shift ~5% of its television advertising budget for online advertising and marketing programs (Datamonitor 2006). The greater share of the ad market by the online channel has implications for organisations across two key points. First is that there needs to be a decision on the amount of the ad budget that will be allotted to the online channel. After deciding on the first point, the second key point is that it is imperative for organisations to understand the business model of the online channel, and that the organisations have a plan in ensuring their investments will eventually generate good returns, if not doing so already. 2.4 Framework of Analysis As mentioned, this literature review was used for building a preliminary understanding of the key motivations of consumers in online shopping activity and also in determining the emerging trends in the online channel. From the literature review in this section, the following framework of analysis was utilised in the surveys and interviews. Consumer Motivations The consumer motivating factors mentioned in the literature review was utilised in both the surveys and interviews to prompt respondents and to test the factors. The structure of the factors in the for prompt section of the surveys and the interviews followed this listing: 24-hour access Respondents were asked if this was one of the factors they considered as a key motivation for online shopping. Shopping convenience While this was included as a factor in the for prompt section of the surveys and interviews, greater depth was pursued in understanding what the consumer may consider as shopping convenience in relation to online shopping. Greater bargains This was tested to determine if consumers truly saw this factor as an expectation already, and if not having this factor would impact on their use of the online channel for shopping. Overall online shopping site experience This factor was analysed in the context of the overall consumer experience, and was assessed of the importance versus the other factors mentioned by consumers as their key motivating factors for online shopping. Emerging Trends For emerging trends, not all the possible trends were included in th

Designing a Butterfly Garden for the Blind :: Architecture Design Essays

Designing a Garden for the Blind Nature is so beautiful. It is unfair that due to uncontrollable circumstances, some people are unable to fully enjoy it. That is up until now. With the new wave of handicap focused services such as restaurants for the blind, even the blind can experience life the way it should be experienced, which is why I have designed a garden for the blind, or Jardin de la Nuit(Garden of the Night). I will begin explaining my design by describing the path that has been chosen for this project. It is based on the land behind Hume that has a downward slope and a creek. The path begins behind Hume West near the sidewalk. It starts towards the creek and turns around the tree and stones placed to the left. It then continues toward the creek to the left of the trees and bench. There is then a path already warn down from excessive use that will be followed back up towards the Hume buildings. The path will then pass to the right of the two benches and around the large oak tree back towards the beginning of the path. Since the land is really steep in this area, the rails already existing will be used to walk up towards the buildings. The path will follow the curve of the railings back towards the creek. Here the land is really steep and hard to walk down. In order to use the least amount of effort, the path will then zigzag down the slope where it will finally end down by the creek near Hume East. The plants and herbs that have been chosen are fragrant, textured or edible. Some are a combination of these criteria. In order to prevent sensual overload I have alternated between the three. This will help set a pattern and allow the visitors to know what to expect and how to experience each. For example, at the beginning of the path there will be basil, an edible herb usually used for seasoning. Around the stones and tree, jasmine will be planted, which has a very soothing and strong scent. After leaving the stones towards the creek, there will be lamb’s ear, which is very soft, followed by another edible plant.

Linguistics and Poetry

1 PREFACE TO SIDNEY’S ASTROPHEL AND STELLA Somewhat To Read For Them That List Tempus adest plausus, aurea pompa venit, so ends the scene of idiots, and enter Astrophel in pomp.Gentlemen, that have seen a thousand lines of folly drawn forth ex uno puncto impudentiae, & two famous mountains to go to the conception of one mouse, that have had your ears deafened with the echo of Fame’s brazen towers, when only they have been touched with a leaden pen, that have seen Pan sitting in his bower of delights, & a number of Midases to admire his miserable hornpipes, let not your surfeited sight, new come from such puppet play, think scorn to turn aside into this theatre of pleasure, for here you shall find a paper stage strewed with pearl, an artificial heaven to overshadow the fair frame, & crystal walls to encounter your curious eyes, whiles the tragi-comedy of love is performed by starlight. The chief actor here is Melpomene, whose dusky robes, dipped in the ink of tears, as y et seem to drop when I view them near. The argument, cruel chastity; the prologue, hope; the epilogue, despair; Videte, queso, et linguis animisque fauete.And here, peradventure, my witless youth may be taxed with a margent note of presumption for offering to put up any motion of applause in the behalf of so excellent a poet (the least syllable of whose name, sounded in the ears of judgement, is able to give the meanest line he writes a dowry of immortality), yet those that observe how jewels oftentimes come to their hands that know not their value, & that the coxcombs of our days, like Aesop’s cock, had rather have a barley-kernel wrapped up in a ballad than they will dig for the wealth of wit in any ground that they know not, I hope will also hold me excused, though I open the gate to his glory, & invite idle ears to the admiration of his melancholy. Quid petitur sacris nisi tantum fama poetis?Which although it be oftentimes imprisoned in ladies’ casks & the preceden t books of such as cannot see without another man’s spectacles, yet at length it breaks forth in spite of his keepers, and useth some private pen (instead of a picklock) to procure his violent enlargement. The sun for a time may mask his golden head in a cloud, yet in the end the thick veil doth vanish, and his embellished blandishment appears. Long hath Astrophel (England’s sun) withheld the beams of his spirit from the common view of our dark sense, and night hath hovered over the gardens of the nine sisters, while ignis fatuus and gross fatty flames (such as commonly arise out of dunghills) have took occasion, in the middest eclipse of his shining perfections, to wander abroad with a wisp of paper at their tails like hobgoblins, and lead men up and down in a circle of absurdity a whole week, and never know where they are.But now that cloud of sorrow is dissolved which fiery love exhaled from his dewy hair, and affection hath unburdened the labouring streams of her w omb in the low cistern of his grave; the night hath resigned her jetty throne unto Lucifer, and clear daylight possesseth the sky that was dimmed; wherefore break off your dance, you fairies and elves, and from the fields with the torn carcasses of your timbrels, for your kingdom is expired. Put out your rush candles, you poets and rimers, and bequeath your crazed quartorzains to the chandlers, for lo, here he cometh that hath broken your legs. Apollo hath resigned his ivory harp unto Astrophel, & he, like Mercury, must lull you 2 ________________________________________________________________________ PREFACE TO SIDNEY’S ASTROPHEL AND STELLA asleep with his music. Sleep Argus, sleep ignorance, sleep impudence, for Mercury hath Io, & only Io Paean belongeth to Astrophel.Dear Astrophel, that in the ashes of thy love livest again like the phoenix; O, might thy body (as thy name) live again likewise here amongst us, but the earth, the mother of mortality, hath snatched thee too soon into her chilled cold arms, and will not let thee by any means be drawn from her deadly embrace, and thy divine soul, carried on an angel’s wings to heaven, is installed in Hermes’ place, sole prolocutor to the gods. Therefore mayest though never return from the Elysian fields like Orpheus; therefore must we ever mourn for our Orpheus. Fain would a second spring of passion here spend itself on his sweet remembrance, but religion, that rebuketh profane lamentation, drinks in the rivers of those despairful tears which langorous ruth hath outwelled, & bids me look back to the house of honour where, from one & the selfsame root of renown, I shall find many goodly branches derived, & such as, with the spreading increase of their virtues, may somewhat overshadow the grief of his loss. Amongst the which, fair sister of Phoebus eloquent secretary to the Muses, most rare Countess of Pembroke, thou art not to be omitted, whom arts do adore as a second Minerva, and our poets extol as the patroness of their invention, for in thee the Lesbian Sappho with her lyric harp is disgraced, & the laurel garland which thy brother so bravely advanced on his lance is still kept green in the temple of Pallas. Thou only sacrificest thy soul to contemplation, thou only entertainest empty-handed Homer, & keepest the springs of Castalia from being dried up. Learning, wisdom, beauty, and all other ornaments of nobility whatsoever, seek to approve themselves in thy sight, and get a further seal of felicity from the smiles of thy favour: O Ioue digna viro ni Ioue nata fores.I fear I shall be counted a mercenary flatterer for mixing my thoughts with such figurative admiration, but general report, that surpasseth my praise, condemneth my rhetoric of dullness for so cold a commendation. Indeed, to say the truth, my style is somewhat heavy-gaited, and cannot dance trip and go so lively with Oh, my love, ah, my love, all my love’s gone as other shepherds that have been f ools in the morris time out of mind, nor hath my prose any skill to imitate the Almain leap verse, or sit taboring five years together nothing but to be, to be, on a paper drum. Only I can keep pace with Gravesend barge, and care not if I have water enough to land my ship of fools with the term (the tide, I should say).Now every man is not of that mind, for some, to go the lighter away, will take in their fraught of spangled feathers, golden pebbles, straw, reeds, bulrushes, or anything, and then they bear out their sails as proudly as if they were ballasted with bull-beef. Others are so hardly bested for loading that they are fallen to retail the cinders of Troy and the shivers of broken truncheons to fill up their boat, that else should go empty, and if they have but a pound-weight of good merchandise, it shall be placed at the poop, or plucked in a thousand pieces to credit their carriage. For my part, every man as he likes, Mens cuiusque is est quisque. ‘Tis as good to go in cutfingered pumps as cork-shoes, if one wear Cornish diamonds on his toes.To explain it by a more familiar example, an ass is no great state man in the beasts’ commonwealth, though he wear his ears upsevant muff, after the Muscovy fashion, & hang the lip like a cap-case half open, or look as demurely as a sixpenny brown loaf, for he hath some 3 ________________________________________________________________________ PREFACE TO SIDNEY’S ASTROPHEL AND STELLA imperfections that do keep him from the common council, yet of many he is deemed a very virtuous member, and one of the honestest sort of men that are, so that our opinion (as Sextus Empiricus affirmeth) gives the name of good or ill to everything. Out of whose works (lately translated into English for the benefit of unlearned writers) a man might collect a whole book of this argument, which no doubt would prove a worthy commonwealth matter, and far better than wit’s wax kernel: Much good worship have the a uthor.Such is this golden age wherein we live, and so replenished with golden asses of all sorts that, if learning had lost itself in a grove of genealogies, we need do no more but set an old goose over half a dozen pottle-pots (which are, as it were, the eggs of invention), and we shall have such a breed of books within a little while after as will fill all the world with the wild-fowl of good wits; I can tell you this is a harder thing than making gold of quicksilver, and will trouble you more than the moral of Aesop’s glow-worm hath troubled our English apes, who, striving to warm themselves with the flame of the philosophers’ stone, have spent all their wealth in buying bellows to blow this false fire. Gentlemen, I fear I have too much presumed on your idle leisure, and been too bold, to stand talking all this while in another man’s door, but now I will leave you to survey the pleasures of Paphos, and offer your smiles on the altars of Venus. Yours in all de sire to please, Tho: Nashe.

Culture of chimps essays

Culture of chimps essays The Cultures of Chimpanzees It was once entirely believed that culture is what set humans apart from the ape world. However, in multiple studies compiled over the years, there has been sufficient evidence to say that human culture is not as unique as we all once thought but instead shares its roots with chimpanzee culture. Through the definition of culture, one can argue that the age-old belief that chimpanzee culture is not essentially comparable to human culture is wrong, and that human culture actually has its roots in the common qualities we share among the ape world, particularly in what has been most studied and documented, among the chimpanzees. The basis of this argument is supported by the definition of culture, which is defined by most scientists today as social customs passed down from generation to generation through learning. Through an understanding of this concept it has been documented in multiple studies ranging from the Tai Forest to Tanzania, that certain behaviors documented in groups of monkeys in one area have not been observed among others, indicating the existence of a culture, unique to that particular group of monkeys in that particular part of Africa. These behaviors vary in such areas as nut cracking, fishing for termites, fanning flies, throwing, inspecting wounds, meat eating, hunting, knocking knuckles and many more. Actually there have been 39 different patterns of behavior of chimpanzees that have been documented that are all cultural variations, which prove the existence of not only culture, but obviously the many different cultures among chimpanzees. A specific example we learned in class was that a particular group of monkeys would wash their potatoes in the salty ocean to get the dirt off and then seemed to enjoy the salty taste to their food. This behavior was then passed on from offspring to offspring by imitation, therefore by learning. This behavior...

How to Craft a PhD Research Proposal

How to Craft a PhD Research Proposal How to Craft a PhD Research Proposal If you are contemplating taking your academic career to the next level and completing a PhD in the chosen field of study, then it is important to begin thinking about how you are going to present your proposal. In this article, we will explain the requirements of a PhD research proposal and walk you through the key steps that you will need to follow preparing your proposal. What is a PhD Research Proposal? Not every academic field of study will require the same format of a proposal if you are applying for a PhD program. In more technical subjects such as science, engineering, or medicine, the institution that you are applying to will most likely follow an interview process to determine whether you will be a good fit for one of their existing research teams. In the fields of humanities and social sciences, research is generally conducted on an individual basis, and it is in these fields where you will most likely be expected to submit a detailed and formal PhD research proposal. Below are the key elements that you should include in your research proposal. Step 1: Title At this stage of the process, this will only be a working title for your subject matter, but use a title that is clear and concisely illustrates the subject of your research. Step 2: Rationale In this section, you should outline the background and rationale for your proposed subject matter. You need to be able to give context regarding the background and issues within which your research will sit. You also need to be able to articulate the aims and objectives of your research. In this section, you should also detail the parameters that you have set for your proposed research and the rationale for setting those parameters. Step 3: Research Question Here, you need to be able succinctly and precisely define the research question that you will be addressing. You also need to demonstrate confidence that the research question you are addressing will be able to be answered within the timeframe that you have available. Step 4: Methodology You need to describe the methodology that you will use to conduct your research as well as the theoretical framework within which you are working. This is quite an important part of your proposal. You need to demonstrate that not only is the research approach that you are proposing is sound, but you also have to address any ethical considerations as well as the practicality of delivering meaningful results from the research you are undertaking. Step 5: Literature Review In this section, you need to demonstrate that you have an understanding of the work that has already been completed on this subject. Acknowledge the main academic contributions that have already been made, and outline how the research that you are proposing will add to the knowledge and understanding of the chosen subject. Step 6: Qualifications This is important to demonstrate that you have the skills and experiences to undertake and deliver this research. Think of this section as your academic CV. Step 7: Publication Research of this nature has value if it is able to be published in a relevant academic journal. Demonstrate that you have considered how your work will be published once completed. Undertaking PhD research is a major milestone in your academic career. Make sure you set yourself up for success by understanding all of the requirements and how to present yourself as a high-quality candidate with the drive and determination to deliver the results required.

Natural Gas and Oil Horizontal Drilling Technology Thesis

Natural Gas and Oil Horizontal Drilling Technology - Thesis Example As the discussion declares the increased popularity of horizontal drilling led to substantive growths in the achievable length of horizontal boreholes. Currently, horizontal displacements can extend to more than 8,000 feet. On the other hand, technicians have been unable to demonstrate the commercial feasibility of horizontal drilling and wells used in the production of natural gas, although several horizontal wells have previously been used in the production of coal seam gas. According to the report findings an accepted description of what constitutes horizontal drilling has not been written. However, the following is a notable definition that combines the vital components of two noteworthy published definitions: horizontal drilling refers to a process of drilling and implementing, for the purpose of production, a well, which starts as a vertical linear bore, which extends from the earth surface to a sub layer location above the oil or gas reservoir. This target is referred to as the kickoff point, and the extension bears off a curve to traverse the reservoir at the well’s entry point. Thereafter, the arch continues at an almost horizontal attitude tangent to the curve to remain in the reservoir partially or wholly till the required bottom hole location is attained. The mechanical purpose of horizontal drilling is to uncover significantly additional reservoir rocks to a well bore surface than attainable through drilling traditional vertical wells.

Gender differences and Job Satisfaction Research Paper

Gender differences and Job Satisfaction - Research Paper Example Although subjective variable on gender difference and job satisfaction are of traditional interest to sociology and psychology researchers, many of the existing studies analyzing gender have been conducted in the field of economics for example Asadullah and Fernà ¡ndez, 2007; Sloane and Williams, 2000). There has been an increase in research especially in the field of management targeting gender differences affect job satisfaction among employees in different occupations. A key area of interest has been why women report almost equal or higher levels of job satisfaction when studies have shown they generally occupy inferior job positions compared to those occupied by men. Consequently, this scenario has led to investigations to find out how job satisfaction of female employees compares with that of male employees and what possible explanations accounts for the existing gender differences in job satisfaction. Therefore, the paper will rely on a number of empirical researches that inve stigate gender differences and job satisfaction to find out how two interact in the workplace. Investigation of gender differences and job satisfaction present conflicting results given the various areas that needs to be considered during such investigations. de Galdeano (2002) provides important insights that shows the difference that might exist in the job satisfaction of female and male employees are not related to their differences in observable characteristics nor can it the difference be attributed to a problem of sample selection. This is done by apply the propensity score which has been used by researchers such Tabellini and Trebbi (2001) to further the accuracy of their results. de Galdeano (2002) examines sample selectivity based on the belief that if female employees were dissatisfied by their working conditions they would find it equally easy to leave their employment just as their male counterparts whereby those who remain will have higher job