Speech: Teacher and South East High

South east has thought me a lot of things but I am very thankful that it gave me three great qualities that I still carry on today that are Respect, leadership, and professionalism. It has been long since I first lay my eyes on this school. I was 14 years old when I arrived in this country. I dint know what road to take, my thoughts were hey vacations since I originally lived and went to school in Guadalajara, Mexico.I decided that the best choice for me to take was to stay and achieve an education in the United States. I did not think twice after my uncles showed me South East High. I was like yea this is the place that I want to come to. I loved the way it looked, the way the people treated each other, and how friendly staff was. Once I started I found out that South East wasn't only a school it was something of another world. I had very good memories from all my teachers that I had had through all my four years on school.One of my biggest memories is the time when I first come at school, it was the first week of school and I want it to go back at home with my parents, brother, and sister because I really miss them but they told me that I have to be strong and achieve all my goals and here I am graduating me and starting a new beginning. One of the motivations that inspire me was the words that Martin Luther King said â€Å"I have a dream† so do I and it’s to become the greatest architect.My parents always told me that I can become whatever I want if I keep trying and doing the best that I can and never give up. Trough all this years on school I had learned so many good things here on South East High that my friends, teachers, counselors, and also others had teach me. They teach me to be who I am and not try to be who I am not. One of my teachers that I am really thankful is my ESL teacher that teaches me in the best way that he could.He teaches me how to write and speak this language. I want to say at all of you that I know and also at those wh o I don’t know that you have to do what you’re heart tells you and try to achieve all your goals not to do what other people wants you to do. I want to thank at all my teachers and family for all the help that they gave me. Thank you everybody for listed to me and Go Class of 2010 we did it.

The Emperor’s Role in Meiji Japan

Japan is a society whose culture is steeped in the traditions and symbols of the past: Mt. Fuji, the tea ceremony, and the sacred objects of nature revered in Shintoism. Two of the most important traditions and symbols in Japan; the Emperor and Confucianism have endured through Shogunates, restorations of imperial rule, and up to present day. The leaders of the Meiji Restoration used these traditions to gain control over Japan and further their goals of modernization. The Meiji leaders used the symbolism of the Emperor to add legitimacy to their government, by claiming that they were ruling under the â€Å"Imperial Will. They also used Confucianism to maintain order and force the Japanese people to passively accept their rule. Japanese rulers historically have used the symbolism of the Imperial Institution to justify their rule. The symbolism of the Japanese Emperor is very powerful and is wrapped up in a mix of religion (Shintoism) and myths. According to Shintoism the current Emperor is the direct descendent of the Sun Goddess who formed the islands of Japan out of the Ocean in ancient times. Footnote1 According to these myths the Japanese Emperor unlike a King is a living descendent of the Gods and even today he is thought of as the High Priest of Shinto. Despite the powerful myths surrounding Japan's imperial institution the Emperor has enjoyed only figure head status from 1176 on. At some points during this time the Emperor was reduced to selling calligraphy on the streets of Kyoto to support the imperial household, but usually the Emperor received money based on the kindness of the Shogunate. Footnote2 But despite this obvious power imbalance even the Tokugawa Shogun was at least symbolically below the Emperor in status and he claimed to rule so he could carry out the Within this historical context the Meiji leaders realized hat they needed to harness the concept of the Imperial Will in order to govern effectively. In the years leading up to 1868 members of the Satsuma and Choshu clans were part of the imperialist opposition. This opposition claimed that the only way that Japan could survive the encroachment of the foreigners was to rally around the Emperor. Footnote4 The Imperialists, claimed that the Tokugawa Shogunate had lost its imperial mandate to carry out the Imperial Will because it had capitulated to Western powers by allowing them to open up Japan to trade. During this time the ideas of the imperialists ained increasing support among Japanese citizens and intellectuals who taught at newly established schools and wrote revisionist history books that claimed that historically the Emperor had been the ruler of Japan. Footnote5 The fact that the Tokugawa's policy of opening up Japan to the western world ran counter to the beliefs of the Emperor and was unpopular with the public made the Tokugawa vulnerable to attack from the imperialists. The imperialists pressed their attack both militarily and from within the Court of Kyoto. The great military regime of Edo which until recently had been all owerful was floundering not because of military weakness, or because the machinery of government had broken but instead because the Japanese public and the Shoguns supporters felt they had lost the The end of the Tokugawa regime shows the power of the symbolism and myths surrounding the imperial institution. The head of the Tokugawa clan died in 1867 and was replaced by the son of a lord who was a champion of Japanese historical studies and who agreed with the imperialists claims about restoring the Emperor. Footnote7 So in 1868 the new shogun handed over all his power to the Emperor in Kyoto. Shortly after handing over power to the Emperor, the Emperor Komeo died and was replaced by his son who became the Meiji Emperor. Footnote8 Because the Meiji Emperor was only 15 all the power of the new restored Emperor fell not in his hands but instead in the hands of his close advisors. These advisers such as Prince Saionji, Prince Konroe, and members of the Satsuma and Choshu clans who had been members of the imperialist movement eventually wound up involving into the Meiji Bureaucracy and Genro of the Meiji Era. Footnote9 Once in control of the government the Meiji Leaders and advisors to the Emperor reversed their policy of hostility to Foreigners. Footnote10 They did this because after Emperor Komeo (who was strongly opposed to contact with the west) died in 1867 the Meiji Emperor's advisors were no longer bound by his Imperial Will. Being anti-western also no longer served the purposes of the Meiji advisors. Originally it was a tool of the imperialist movement that was used to show that the Shogun was not acting out the Imperial Will. Now that the Shogun and Komeo Emperor were dead there was no longer a reason to The choice of the imperial thrown by the imperialists as a point for Japan to rally around could not have been more wise. Although the imperial institution had no real power it had universal appeal to the Japanese public. It was both a mythic and religious idea in their minds. Footnote11 It provided the Japanese in this time of chaos after coming in contact with foreigners a belief in stability (according to Japanese myth the imperial line is a unbroken lineage handed down since time immortal), and it provided a belief in the natural superiority of Japanese culture. Footnote12 The symbolism of the Emperor helped ensure the success of the restorationists because it undercut the legitimacy of the Shogunate's rule, and it trengthened the Meiji rulers who claimed to act for the Emperor. What is a great paradox about the Imperialist's claims to restore the power of the Emperor is that the Meiji rulers did not restore the Emperor to power except symbolically because he was both too young and his advisors to power hungry. Footnote13 By 1869 the relationship between the Emperor and his Meiji bureaucracy and the Emperor and the Tokugawa Shogun before the restoration were very similar. Both the Meiji Bureaucrats and the Shogun ruled under the authority of the Emperor but did not let the Emperor make any decisions. In Japan the Emperor reigned but did not rule. This was useful for the new Meiji bureaucrats, it kept the Emperor a mythic The traditions and symbols of Confucianism and the Imperial Institution were already deeply ingrained in the psyche of the Japanese but the new Meiji rulers through both an education system, and the structure of the Japanese government were able to effectively inculcate these traditions into a new generation of Japanese. The education system the Meiji Oligarchy founded transformed itself into a system that indoctrinated students in the ideas of Confucianism and reverence for the Emperor. Footnote15 After the death of Okubo in 1878; Ito, Okuma, and Iwakura emerged as the three most powerful figures among the young bureaucrats that were running the government in the name of the Meiji Emperor. Iwakura one of the only figures in the ancient nobility to gain prominence among the Meiji oligarchy allied with Ito who feared Okuma's progressive ideas would destroy Japan's culture. Footnote16 Iwakura it is thought was able manipulate the young Emperor to grow concerned about the need to strengthen traditional morals. Thus in 1882 the Emperor issued the Yogaku Koyo, the forerunner of the Imperial Rescript on Education. Footnote17 This document put the emphasis of the Japanese education system on a moral education from 1882 onward. Previous to 1880 the Japanese education system was modeled on that of the French education system. After 1880 the Japanese briefly modeled their education system on the American system. Footnote18 However, starting with the Yogaku Koyo in 1882 and ending with the 1885 reorganization of the department of Education along Prussian lines the American model was abolished. The new education minister Mori Arinori after returning from Europe in 1885 with Ito was convinced that the Japanese education system had to have a spiritual oundation to it. Footnote19 In Prussia Arinori saw that foundation to be Christianity and he decreed that in Japan the Education system was to be based on reverence for the Imperial Institution. A picture of the Emperor was placed in every classroom, children read about the myths surrounding the Emperor in school, and they learned that the Emperor was the head of the giant family of Japan. Footnote20 By the time the Imperial Rescript on Education was decreed by the Emperor in 1889 the Japanese education system had already begun to transform itself into a system that did not teach how to think but instead what o think. The Imperial Rescript on Education in 1889 was according to Japanese scholars such as Hugh Borton , â€Å"the nerve axis of the new order. â€Å"Footnote21 Burton believes that the Imperial Rescript on Education signaled the rise of nationalistic elements in Japan. The Imperial Rescript on Education was the culmination of this whole movement to the right. The Rescript emphasized loyalty and filial piety, respect for the constitution and readiness to serve the government. It also exalted the Emperor as the coeval between heaven The Constitution of 1889 like the changes in the education ystem helped strengthen reverence for the Imperial Institution. The 1889 constitution was really the second document of its kind passed in Japan the first being the Imperial Oath of 1868 in which the Emperor laid out the structure and who was to head the new Meiji government. Footnote23 This Imperial Oath was refereed to as a constitution at the time but it only very vaguely laid out the structure of government. The constitution promulgated by the Emperor in 1889 did much more then lay out the structure of Japanese government it also affirmed that the Emperor was the supreme sovereign over Japan. Footnote24 The signing ceremony itself was an auspicious event on the way to it Mori Arinori one of the moderate leaders of the Meiji government was attacked and killed by a crazed rightist. Footnote25 The ceremony itself evoked both the past and present and was symbolic of the Meiji governments shift toward the right and the governments use of the Emperor as supreme ruler. Before signing the document Emperor Meiji prayed at the palace sanctuary to uphold the name of his imperial ancestors he then signed the constitution which affirmed the sanctity of the Emperor's title (Tenno Taiken), and his ight to make or abrogate any law. Footnote26 The constitution also set up a bicameral legislature. Footnote27 The constitution codified the power of the Emperor and helped the Meiji oligarchy justify their rule because they could point to the constitution and say that they were carrying out the will of the Emperor. The Meiji Emperor even after the Constitution of 1889 enjoyed little real power. The Meiji Emperor did not even come to cabinet meetings because his advisors told him if the cabinet made a decision that was different then the one he wanted then that would create dissension and would destroy the idea of the Imperial Institution. So even after the Meiji Constitution the Emperor was still predominantly a symbol. Footnote28 The Constitution ingrained in Japanese society the idea that the government was being run by higher forces who new better then the Japanese people, it also broadened the base of support of the Meiji Rulers who now had a document too prove they were acting on Imperial Will and their decisions were imperial decisions not those of mere mortals. Footnote29 The symbolism of the Emperor and use of Confucianism allowed the Meiji rulers to achieve their goals. One of their goals was the bolishment of the system of fiefs and return of all land to the Emperor. At first the new Meiji Rulers allied themselves with the Daimyo clans in opposition to the Tokugawa Shogun. But once the Meiji leaders had gained a control they saw that they would need to abolish the fief system and concentrate power in the hands of a central government. The Meiji rulers achieved their goals by having the Choshu, Satsuma, Tosa, and Hizen clans give up their lands, granting the Daimyos large pensions if they gave up their clans, and by having the Emperor issue two decrees in July 1869, and August 1871. Footnote30 The role and symbolism of the Emperor although not the sole factor in influencing the Daimyo to give up their fiefs, was vital. The Meiji Oligarchs said that not turning in the fiefs to the Emperor would be disloyal and pointed to the historical record which Meiji scholars claimed showed that historically all fiefs were the property of the Emperor. Footnote31 They showed this by claiming that the Shogun would switch the rulers of fiefs and this proved that the Daimyos did not control the title to their land but merely held it for the Emperor. Imperial decrees and slogans of loyalty to the Emperor also ccompanied the abolishment of the Samurai system. Footnote32 In the abolishment of both these feudal systems the symbolism of the Emperor as both the director of the initiative and recipient of the authority afterwards played a vital role in ensuring there success. Footnote33 The abolishment of fiefs and the samurai class were essential for the stability and industrialization of Japan. Footnote34 Without the concentration of land and power in the hands of the Meiji oligarchs and the Emperor the Meiji oligarchs feared they would receive opposition from powerful Daimyos and never gain control and uthority over all of Japan. Historical examples bear out the fears of the Meiji Oligarchy; in 1467 the Ashikaga Shogun failed to control many of the fiefs and because of this a civil war raged in Japan. Footnote35 The centralization of power allowed the Meiji government to have taxing authority over all of Japan and pursue national projects. Footnote36 The unity of Japan also allowed the Meiji Oligarchs to focus on national and not local issues. The use of Confucianism and the Emperor also brought a degree of stability to Japan during the tumultuous Meiji years. The Emperor's ere presence on a train or in western clothes were enough to convince the public of the safety or goodness of the Meiji oligarchy's industrial policy. In one famous instance the Japanese Emperor appeared in a train car and after that riding trains became a common place activity in Japan. The behavior of the Imperial family was also critical to adoption of western cultural practices. Before 1873 most Japanese women of a high social position would shave their eyebrows and blacken their teeth to appear beautiful. But on March 3rd 1873 the Empress appeared in public wearing her own eyebrows and with unblackened teeth. Following that day most women in Tokyo and around Japan stopped shaving their eyebrows and blackening their teeth. Footnote37 The Imperial institution provided both a key tool to change Japanese culture and feelings about industrialization and it provided stability to Japan which was critical to allowing industrialists to invest in factories and increase exports and The symbols and the traditions the Meiji leaders inculcated Japanese society with helped the Meiji government maintain stability and pursue its economic policies but it also had severe limitations that limited the revolutionary scope of the Japanese government and elped bring about the downfall of the Meiji era. The use of Confucianism and the Emperor to bolster the Imperial restoration laid the foundation for a paradox of state affairs. The system that sought to strengthen Japan through the use of modern technology and modern organization methods was using traditional values to further its goals. Footnote39 This caused some to turn toward the west for the â€Å"enlightenment† the Meiji era promised this was the case with Okuma who was eventually forced out of the increasing nationalist Genro. Footnote40 For others it lead them to severe nationalism rejecting all that was western. This was such the case of Saigo who believed till his death on his own sword that the Meiji leaders were hypocritical and were violating the Imperial Will by negotiating and trading with the west. Footnote41 The Meiji government used the same symbols and traditions that the Tokugawa used and like the Tokugawa gave the Emperor no decision making power. The Meiji Emperor although he had supreme power as accorded in the constitution never actually made decisions but was instead a pawn of the Meiji Genro who claimed to carry out his Imperial Will. This Imperial Will they decided for themselves. Like the Shogunate the Meiji governments claim to rule for the Emperor was fraught with problems. The Imperial Will was a fluid idea that could be adopted by different parties under changing circumstances. And just like the Meiji rulers were able to topple the Shogun by claiming successfully that they were the true administrators of the Imperial Will; the militarist elements in the 1930's were able to topple the democratic elements of Japan partially by claiming the mantle of ruling for the Emperor. Footnote42 From this perspective the Meiji Oligarchs building up of the Imperial Myth was a fatal flaw in he government. The constitution which says in article I, â€Å"The empire of Japan shall be governed over by a line of Emperors unbroken for ages eternal† gave to whoever was acting on the Imperial Will absolute The symbols of the Emperor and the tradition of Confucianism did not end with the end of the Meiji era or world war two. Today the idea of filial piety is still strong, multiple generations of a family still usually live together even in cramped Japanese housing. The religion of Shinto that the Meiji leaders rejuvenated during their rule in order to help foster the imperial cult is still thriving as he thousands of Tori gates and Shrines around Japan attest. Footnote44 But the most striking symbol to survive is that of the Emperor stripped after world war two of all power the Emperor of Japan is still revered. During the illness of Emperor Showa in 1989 every national newspaper and television show was full of reports related to the Emperor's health. During the six months the Showa Emperor was sick before he died all parades and public events were canceled in respect for the Emperor. Outside the gates of the Imperial palace in Tokyo long tables were set up where people lined up to sign cards to wish he Emperor a speedy recovery. The news media even kept the type of illness the emperor had a secret in deference to the Emperor. At his death after months of illness it was as if the Imperial Cult of the Meiji era had returned. Everything in Japan closed down , private television stations went as far as to not air any commercials on the day of his death. And now almost six years after his death more then four hundred and fifty thousand people trek annually to the isolated grave site of Emperor Showa. Footnote45 The traditions and symbolism of Confucianism and the Emperor ere critical to the Meiji oligarchs gaining control of power and goals of industrialization. The oligarchy inculcated the Japanese public with these traditional values through an education system that stressed moral learning, and through a constitution that established the law of Japan to be that of the Imperial Will. The values of Confucianism and symbol of the Emperor allowed the Meiji government to peaceful gain control of Japan by appealing to history and the restoration of the Emperor. But the Meiji oligarchs never restored the Emperor to a position of real political power. Instead he was used as tool by the oligarchs to achieve their modernization plans in Japan such as the abolishment of fiefs, the end of the samurai, the propagation of new cultural practices, and pubic acceptance of the Meiji oligarchs industrialization policies. The symbols and traditions of Japan's past are an enduring legacy that have manifested themselves in the Meiji Restoration and today in Japans continued reverence for Hidejiro Nagata, A Simplified Treatise on The Imperial House of Japan Takatsu Kuwasaburo, The History of The Empire of Japan (Tokyo: Dai Nippon Tosho Kabushiki Kwaisha, 1893) 206.

Conclusion Families Essay

Families are viewed differently by various people in the world. Some individuals have cherished this institution. And others have not. Origins of the family article try as much to discuss what a family is and its origins. The traffic in women is an article that describes who is a woman and for many centuries what treatment women have gone through socially and mentally. This paper will give a detailed account of each of the article and lastly it will compare and contrast the contents of the two articles. Origins of the family Different views are expressed about a family around the world whereby it has been discovered that people share common backgrounds even though extremely far apart. The most primitive people in the world including the original American Indians have their way to describe what a family is. The American Indians were the first group that was studied so that an overview or a general idea about a family was created even though the studies have been extended to many other regions around the world, there where many other observations that were carried out or taken into consideration. One of the main issues that passively describe a family is the system of name calling or relations in the extended family. For instance, cousins never called each other cousins but brothers and sisters. Young people who grow in that setting have no questions to ask but the join the system and that kind of trend has been very natural with and for them. This kind of phenomenon was first noticed in the New York state among the few remaining Indian American tribe Iroquois by name and the Seneca tribesmen and women adopted it. Wonders did not cease there, some indigenous tribes in India where also practicing the same. This kind of naming and relating is known as consanguinity. Families are not only found to exist in man but animals and birds as well. This is the reason why animals are found in herds or groups. Animals exhibit a unique behavior that exhibited by man or birds. For instance during the mating period of these animals is the most tempting moments that may destroy or temporarily relinquish the family relations. The males fight to retain supremacy over one another and during this period it is rare to notice animals walking or doing things in a group as usual. This behavior has been related to the living animals that are close to human i. e. primates which now have human like characteristics. Apes also fight while mating whereby males seriously engage in fights to gain and maintain supremacy over the others; this is the time group work or family relating ties temporarily wane. What does this tell us about human family? The human family is different from any kind of animals or birds or primates because members of a family do anything out of reasoning and nothing else. But it is the great quest for knowledge that leads to many discoveries. For example birds practice monogamy form of families and while observing them these birds fly in pairs. People also practice monogamy but some practice polyandry and polygamy. Polyandry is a practice where a woman is married to many husbands and it is not done secretly but it is well known and polygamy is when a man is having many women, it is not a secret. This switches the topic to sexuality and family. Sex life is a must do thing to sustain and ensure continuity of any family lineages. All peoples in the world this fact and even the most primitive people know that for the continuity of the family system sex has to be practiced. Nevertheless, it is interesting that many of these people in the world where research has been conducted, they in a way respected the institution of marriage and more so sex whereby they never treated women as commodities of sex even though polygamy was practiced. They had special times of the month or year when they practiced sex and theirs was not for pleasure but procreation. People like the Savages were believed to be very harsh and took women as tools for and of sexual intercourse to give birth to as many children as possible but this was not the case. Marriage was a respected institution where a man and a woman possessed one another. There was no jealousy and instances of men sharing women and women sharing men unless otherwise in some primitive communities where some sexual related activities occurred. Like in some communities it was a taboo to engage in sex with someone outside with members who were perceived to enemies and it could be rather better with a close family member that that perceived enemy. However in some communities it was not a taboo for brothers and sisters to have sexual intercourse. In some communities or family groups of the ancient Greece, sexual intercourse was not prohibited among brothers and sisters because this was one an assured way of multiplying quickly and another reason was not to endanger the security of fellow countrymen by marrying from outside but with time this practice came to a halt. One interesting trend of families that have been found in t world is where men marry many wives and naturally if a visitor comes by and he takes a night in that homestead, the visitor will be offered one of the wives to entertain for the long he will stay around no matter the visitor is known or not known to the family and this means even any strangers enjoyed that right. In a research that was conducted in Australia, there is a sub-tribe that practices a peculiar tradition that all women in another sub tribe known to them are naturally wives to men in their tribe and it does not matter whether you have married one woman from that sub tribe but all the others by default they are wives. Sex among sub tribe members is strictly forbidden. The trend of a man being entertained sexually far away while sojourning is or was a practice by the aborigines in Australia. In the world today the family trends are still intriguing for example some indigenous tribes are taking deliberate measures to sustain or maintain their people who are being swallowed up by wider communities especially the settlers until they resort to conducting marriages among themselves that are among sisters and brothers. It is not their fault because since time immemorial the practices took place even in ancient Biblical times. Through a man God trusted in the town called Sodom and Gomorrah that was Lot, slept with her daughters after their mum had perished in the inferno and their was no righteous man who could have married them by then. Regardless it was their father they managed to bore children and the family of the generation continuity was established. Who know these things may be going on without the knowledge of other people or the family members themselves. More other family customs are like the ones that are yet conducted by people all over the world, for instance, the American Indians of California have had festivals where tribes come together purposely for a promiscuous sexual intercourse. This kind of tradition is also in and practiced in Australia. In Australia some older men and magicians exploit wives in their community and monopolize many of the women for themselves. These kinds of practices have been witnessed in Hos, Santals, etc of India and others in many parts of Africa. In many other places like the continent of South America, some communities in India, young girls enjoy sex until the get married. Families have gone through many different stages as the issue of polygamy is a hot debate whether it should be allowed or not. Some have preferred a simple family that is monogamy. Many practices of sex are not the things that should be taken for granted as diseases are popping up that are incurable and therefore families must be protected through all means. For instance many have accepted monogamy because this is the only form of or type family that better ideals are practiced. For instance there is an assurance of save sex and true expression of love among family members more especially husband and wife. Traffic in Women Traffic in women starts with the origins of women oppression and social discrimination and the discussion of this will light to the trend of fighting for the rights of women. Further excavation of the truth may measure whether the fight for equality will bear fruit from men and among women because for a long time women have been perceived as their own enemies. After doing a round of history on women and the cause of their discrimination and yet the have comparatively done excellent work in family circles from raising children and working tirelessly to sustain their families. One main issue is the analysis of the cause of this oppression or discrimination against women, and then it will be easier to change and achieve a society of equality. There have been situations where men were degraded like the slavery debacle, this affected women even ten times more than men. They suffered double tragedy as sex slaves and plantation slaves. They suffered physically, socially and emotionally. Marxist theory argues that women are not suffering as they work, they are as a reserve force for labor and their low wages is a way capitalists get surplus. But the Marxist theory only handles matters pertaining to labor which truly is not oppression. Marxist theory is the best way to describe the usefulness of women in societies around the world, so an analysis of suffering women using Marxist theory is very wrong. Maybe his (Marx) statement was or is misinterpreted to portray a tendency that women are suffering when they earning whichever meager resources to sustain their families. Unfortunately there are societies who use this excuse to oppress women. Examples have been given that some societies portray women as sex objects and nothing else. The Amazon region and New Guinea highlands are the examples in the world where women are simply known as sex objects and they are gang raped by marauding men. On the other hand, the origin of the tendency that women are home keepers is not known but is assumed that when Marxist theory came into use men were really wanted to work, the hard labor that required the enduring energy at home hence many a times women were left at home to take care of the families. The interpretation came to be precisely referred to as historical and moral element that it is a necessity for any worker to be married or have wife. The tendency of women kept at home for child rearing and general home keeping gave birth to a belief that women can not inherit property, serve God and lead. Capitalism bred this clear cut difference of masculinity and femininity. Some quarters up to date believe that sex oppression is part of capitalism as a social form. Due to social activities and the changes that come with it, human sex and gender have also as well changed over time. Women are expected to reproduce but it wise to differentiate between economic systems and sexual systems to avoid a scenario where women are assumed to be for only reproduction and nothing else. Great changes have been noticed in many societies where women have been opportunities to lead in various activities that have been traditionally meant for men. Therefore, it is consequently wrong to use capitalism to assume that women are meant to sexually reproduce and not economically reproduce. All in all kinship plays an extremely important role in any society and therefore kinship will place us and social researchers in a point where every will understand social obligations that are directly associated with men, women and then both of them. Kinship as many anthropologists may say and believe is system of categories and statuses which contradict the actual genetic relationships. A good precedent is where women or a woman is married to another woman and the marrying takes the responsibilities of a husband by paying dowry and bringing up the children. This practice is rife in many societies almost in very continent. Thus, it is not wrong to quip that kinship defines all social activities in a given society, be it economical, sexual or social activities. Kinship enjoys the status and statutes of the principle of anthropology but there are many underlying things that should be looked into and some of which are controversial like close family intermarriages, for example a cousin marrying a cousin. But it should be born in mind that kinship systems differ from one another in culture which includes taboos and marriage. In all endeavors of kinship, marriage is one of the issues that seem to be treated with respect even though there are those primitive societies and not all of the that still use the excuse of kinship to undermine family values. These societies that treat marriage as special they call it a gift and this a very positive sign in a way that nobody will be foolish enough to destroy the gift that has been bestowed upon him. Now, this is the most important part of kinship or the positive role that kinship plays in a society. Through the exchange of the gift family ties get stronger, solidarity and trust is established, in this case the women given away in marriage is more a gift than a man. Interestingly some people have claimed that this is a commercial venture because dowry exchanges hands. The result of a gift in form of a woman is more profound and appreciated than other gift transactions because the relationship that is established is not just one of reciprocity but one of kinship. And this is a strong message of a society to other people who mistaken women to be sex slaves and child bearing machines. The exchange of partners also establishes their descendants related by blood. Two people may exchange gifts and quarrel or fight but in for intermarriage connects them in a permanent way. In some communities or societies gifts giving through marriage are not as simple as it may sound. For some people the exchange of gifts in form of women sound commercial and they term it as a transaction of giving and taking making a woman who is given away as a conduit of relationships but which is true. In such occasions, oppression of women is not expected and the rate of exploitation is minimal. The term traffic in women can be clearly defined at this point. Very apart from the normal and culturally accepted gift in form of a woman, some societies give women away for just the exchange of favors during famine, war and even some are sent away as a tribute. Then complexities start arising at this point because women are treated like commodities just given at will and at a price. In history this has happened and it differs from one cultural group or culture to another. At this very point some anthropologists argue that the issue of women trafficking came with the advent of culture meaning that culture explosion let to the exchanging and or trafficking of women. To a wider extent this was and is not true. The exchange of women in some societies it is intended for the well being of the community and for proper procreation. However some communities or greedy individuals capitalize in the venture to traffic women for economical or material gain. These women end up being mistreated and are used as sex tools to enrich the buyers or traffickers. There must be a clear cut distinction between those ones given as gifts in marriage and those other ones given away or trafficked to enrich unscrupulous individuals. That is why somewhere in this paper it is noted that some people envy the occasion when women are given as gifts and they feel it should be a commercial venture instead. But the genuine exchange of women in marriage is regarded as a fundamental principle of kinship. This ends up in an organized relationship of gender and sex. However, it does not oppress the women or degrade them. The analysis of a social system that touches sensitive issues like sex and gender generates very hot debates and this is the time when differing opinion are heard and some are very sentimental in nature. This is the time when kinship and its principles are put into temptations and negative scrutiny. Comparisons of the two topics The main objective of this paper as it was clearly stated in the introduction part of it was to compare and contrast the two issues or items i. e. the origins of the family and the traffic in women. It is of the essence to first have elaborated points in each item so that a few things are mentioned or the comparisons are done in form of a summary under this topic. First and foremost, the items have elaborated about family while the item ‘origins of family‘ concentrates on the family relationships and the close knit ties and cousins do not regard and call each other cousins but brothers. This piece of item has also highlighted the important role women play is society and the many dangers and challenges the face in their daily operations and life. The other item ‘traffic in women’ elaborates more on the treatment of family members especially women. It has highlighted the same occurrences in women of many societies around the world. This item on its part has elaborated on the trafficking of women for commercial reasons hence a disgrace to the society but in the way round, there is a good show on the value of women as they are exchanged as gifts in marriage which portray the importance of women in the society. But the item continues to analyze the repercussions of the exchanging a woman as a gift and the repercussion is some people in society have extended this to trafficking women for their personal gain. In both pieces of items the comparisons and contrasts do not adventure outside the family circles even though they both talk about communities or societies around the world. They have featured and analyzed about the indigenous societies or communities among them the native red Indians in the United States, the aborigines in Australia, some primitive tribes in New Guinea and many others. Women are given more attention by both items because of the mistreatment they faced and they are facing so that this studies that were and are conducted will offer solutions to the many demeaning or dignifying problems women face. Last but not least, sex is discussed by both stories but the first story which deals with the origins of a family deeply discusses sex which is viewed as evil and the way women have been misused, while the story or item two that deals with traffic in women depicts how women have been sold for sex purposes and it is becoming a culture. The main theme of the two pieces of stories is family values which encompasses many other sub themes that are clearly depicted here. Some of the sub themes are sex, family ties, kinship or family relationships and women responsibilities. Conclusion Families have been raised and nurtured for as many years as the age of the universe and societies have done their part in raising and teaching families their values but of all that women have played a very extremely important role. Women are the cornerstones of families and through these two items this has been strongly confirmed. Therefore the statement that they are cornerstones of families must not be controversial. However, it is sad that those women have been abused and degraded by in and by all means in our society. Society means the world in this case.

Chrystal Meekers Momma (1980) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chrystal Meekers Momma (1980) - Essay Example The poem by Meeker can be realized as dealing with a child’s recognition of how a mother gives up anything and everything for the sake of her child. Whereas the poet deals with poverty and despair affecting the family, the mother’s unconditional sacrifice for the children is the central theme of the poem, and she gladly starves herself in order to make the children contented. Therefore, a reflective exploration of the poem â€Å"Momma† by Crystal Meeker makes clear that the poet compellingly deals with the true meaning of motherhood through the skillful use of literary devices. In a profound analysis of the poem â€Å"Momma†, it becomes lucid that Crystal Meeker’s major intention in writing the poem has been to glorify the true meaning of motherhood and the poet’s use of literary devices such as hyperbole, imagery, simile, etc. has helped him to convey his message persuasively. Significantly, any careful reader is reminded of a mother’s unconditional love and sacrifice for the well-being of her children and family. In this poem, Meeker magnificently presents a family facing the realities of poverty and the unlimited love and sacrifice of the mother becomes obvious to the reader. In order to present the life of the family, the poet employs hyperbole when he suggests that mother and daughter did not always meet eye to eye: â€Å"they clawed their womanhoods out of each other† (line 3).

Out line a plan to work with one client Assignment

Out line a plan to work with one client - Assignment Example The dependent variable can be withdrawn or varied as is necessary to the study. Single research design is the most applicable because it provides a framework for one on one work with a single client. Single research design focuses only on a single subject as the name suggests. As an alternative to group research design, single system design is structured differently in such a way that it can easily adapt to social work practice. As a result, it is the most accurate method of research on interventions and other social work practices (Royse, 2009). The process of single-system design entails identifying target problems, undertaking pre-intervention measures, providing the intervention, taking additional measures and evaluating the efficacy of the intervention. Multiple base designs will ensure that the client does not reverse to the old behaviors during the withdrawal phase. As the name suggests, multiple baseline designs introduces the baselines in sequence. For instance, the baseline for self-efficacy may last for four sessions while the baseline for parenting skills may last for seven sessions. These baseline sessions may overlap, allowing the researcher to determine the behaviors influenced by the intervention while controlling for the external events. On the other hand, Single-system design is the best choice since it focuses on the individual and not a group. Contrary to group design, single system is concerned with whether an intervention works for the client while the group design is concerned with the average change. It delivers a framework that allows the practitioner to asses and specifies the client’s goals, implement interventions, safely terminate with the client and perform follow up activities. SSD was created speci fically to address social work practice that group designs could not. As such, it is most suited for social practitioners especially in evaluations of efficacy of their programs with

Scope, potential and benefits of urban farming and its importance to Research Paper

Scope, potential and benefits of urban farming and its importance to local communities in US - Research Paper Example The food production has been declining; earth has been becoming a hotter place without adequate green cover; the quality of food available for people in general has been decreasing; and as more leisure got created, more and more human beings have been detached from physical labour resulting in lack of exercise and the emergence of new kinds of life style related diseases. These are only a few of the many problems faced by humans as they got distanced from nature and agriculture. The detachment from nature has thus kickstarted a process of decline in quality of life caused by its impact on food security, employment, carbon fixation, oxygen availability, mental happiness, relaxation, physical exercise, peace of mind received from nature, aesthetic appeal, fresh food, food traceability, pollution control, waste utilization, waste water utilization, waste-to-energy conversion, space availability and optimal utilization of available space. Pearson has categorised the benefits of urban far ming into three, namely, â€Å"social, economic, and environmental goods and services† (3). ... It can be said, the north and south represent two growth stages in human civilization but it is more important to note that in Southern cities, urban agriculture â€Å"plays a significant role in providing a measure of food security and income for a rapidly increasing urban population† (2). It has to be remembered that urban farming is not a newly introduced concept to cities but has been existing in all cities as vestiges of rural life until the development bandwagon erased it completely at least from the mega-cities. In this context, this paper envisages finding out the scope, potential and benefits of urban farming for the world in general and the US in particular. This investigation is carried out keeping in mind, urban agriculture is not a monolithic concept but include: Residual, often peri-urban broadacre farmland, small ‘community gardens’, personally managed allotments, home gardens, portions of parks that were previously planted entirely with amenity spe cies, fruit trees along roadside reserves, greenhouses, green roofs and green walls (Pearson, 3). In the backdrop of the huge â€Å"knowledge gap† that exists regarding the potential, methods and benefits of urban farming, this study envisages preparing a knowledge database on different aspects of the same (Pearson, Pearson, and Pearson, 9). Review of Literature The early ideas on urban farming as we know it was initiated during the era of New Deal, when â€Å"homesteads were organized as examples of how the country could benefit from a proliferation of semirural neighborhoods, where part-time farming on inexpensive but desirable land would encourage uplifting social functions and help establish a

Ebay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ebay - Essay Example However, other issues were still seen like the one-sided feedback system favorable to buyers only. Other online options for businesses also competed with the eBay. Amazon also emerged as one of its major competitors. Other issues which the company faced included fewer consumer-friendly payment features for eBay as compared to Amazon; presence of counterfeit merchandise; and bad management choices all. SWOT Analysis Strengths eBay is the world largest online auction websites and it was the first company that came up with the idea of online auction. And because of its unique way of trading, eBay has given the chance for buyers and sellers from all over the world to buy and sell items by going online and without having them to meet up. Diversifying has become one of the major components for eBay. Not only it diversified its products, but eBay also diversified its target markets from, individuals to small or big companies. Moreover, from the past couple of years, eBay did some acquisitio ns over some other companies, such as, PayPal, StubHub, and Skype. With all of these acquisitions, it made eBay as a bigger and better company, and one of the big successes of these acquisitions was with PayPal.

Audit and assurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Audit and assurance - Essay Example Linked in to this is the growing belief that many firms of auditors are unable to make objective judgments because they are either too close to the clients that they are auditing or they get close to them during recurring audits of the same clients. This is the main area where an auditor’s independence is brought under question. The basic idea of audit is to bring in an independent assessor of the financial statements; the assessor i.e. the auditor should be honest while giving out his conclusion on the financial statements. The auditor issues a report explaining the audit process and gives his opinion as to the truth and fairness of the financial statements i.e. whether they are prepared in accordance with the relevant legal and accounting standards. There are many different types of assurance engagements: An auditor usually gives out two types of assurances, Reasonable or Limited Assurance. A reasonable assurance is of high level while a limited assurance is a moderate level assurance. When giving out a reasonable assurance, the auditor gives out a positive report (means the statement given out would be a positive one as opposed to a normative statement given out in limited assurance). Many companies get their financial statements audited by different audit firms, along with these external audits, companies also assign other assurance services to the existing auditor, this issue has caused a bit of concern over the recent years. The independence of the auditor is questioned when he takes up such assignments along with the external audit assignment. To avoid such situation, the auditor can perform certain strict procedures while performing the external audit along with other assurance services: The treasury selection committee in May 2009 published a report to address the issue of increasing investor’s confidence in a firm, in this report, the main aim of

Future of education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Future of education - Essay Example Social structured learning tries to adjust new technologies in our old social structures which enable us to adapt them more rapidly. This is an era of smart phones and everybody is familiar with the term ‘app’ so with this concept of social structured learning we can incorporate future education techniques into this already established technology. To quote an example UCLA and USC’s app HyperCitites is a personification of this type of learning; suppose you’re roaming around town and you spot a building by pointing your phone at that building this app would show you its entire history i.e. who lived here before, when was it constructed, how it looked like a century ago and what the environment was like. This type of learning enables students to learn faster as they are already such types to apps to access information of their choice i.e. the nearest restaurants and theaters. The market for mobile education is growing at rapid rate and is currently worth $3.4 billion (GSMA, 2012). But despite this rage of adopting mobile education techniques the main trend in the future of education is the shifting roles of teachers and students. The main advancement will be from the teacher in classroom centric model to the world being the students’ class. Students will use the technology they are most equipped with and learn at their own pace hence, adapting to their strengths and weaknesses. The coming revolution in the world of education is the entire remaking of the teacher-student-classroom model. Instead of the conventional way in which the teacher stands at the front of the classroom and lectures the students, the teacher would keep an eye on the progress of students while assisting those students who need any further guidance on an ad-hoc basis. These way teachers would be able to give time to students who want to do something advanced while also having

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 14

Philosophy - Essay Example Socrates states that if a man is in a position that he deems as the best, when placed by his leader, then such a man has to face danger willingly without any thoughts of death crossing in his mind. In Socrates’ arguments, it would be dreadful if a man did not face danger as he should have in the eyes of god and men due to his fear of death. No one is sure of whether death brings blessings to a man or if it is the root of evil (Plato 33). People fear it with the assumption that it is the greatest of evils yet there is no proof. Therefore, Socrates views himself as a wise man than the rest because he has no fear for what is unknown to man especially the underworld. However, he stresses of the fact that despite his claim to be wiser than other people, he still believes that it is wicked to disobey god or his human superiors. In Meno and Socrates’ argument, Socrates informs Meno of what he heard in regard to divine matters. He indicates that he heard it from the wise women and women who were priestesses and priests. His thought on their talk was that it was beautiful and truthful in all aspects. The wise men and women gave this talk on divine intervention based on what they practiced on a daily basis. The wise men and women indicated that the soul is usually immortal but comes to an end at one time when an individual dies (Plato 33). The wise men and women called it dying though the soul is regarded to be still alive. Since the soul never dies with the body, the individual has to lead a life that is pious. The doctrine of recollection can change Meno’s paradox if he understands that in the process of the soul learning a lot when an individual is not dead can also become energetic in the search for answers. Yes, the two are arguing about an issue that exists even in this modern-day society. Most people today have various questions related to death and life after death. There are so many myths that

A View From The Bridge Essay Example for Free

A View From The Bridge Essay The street and house-front of a tenement building. The front is skeletal entirely. The main acting area is the living-room-dining-room of Eddies apartment. It is a workers flat, clean, sparse, homely. There is a rocker down front; a round dining-table at centre, with chairs; and a portable phonograph.  At the back are a bedroom door and an opening to the kitchen; none of these interiors is seen.  At the right, forestage, a desk. This is Mr Alfieris law office.   There is also a telephone booth. This is not used until the last scenes, so it may not be covered or left in view. A stairway leads up to the apartment, and then farther up to the next storey, which is not seen.  Ramps, representing the street, run upstage and off to the right and left.  Arthur Miller, born in 1915, wrote this play in 1955. It is set in Brooklyn, New York, in the late 1940s. Its main focus is on an Italian-American family, and the issues they face. It has a strong pedigree with an American immigrant story base. The view from the bridge is in a way the audience sitting on the fence watching the merging of this American culture dissolving the passions and identities of its inhabitants. Characters  He introduces us to the following characters:  Alfieri is used as the narrator of the play. He guides the audience along with background information, and towards the unfolding events with an unbiased overview. He helps to give us a balanced opinion of each of the characters.  Eddie is the writers symbol. He is the main focus, the protagonist, to each of the characters (his relationship with Beatrice falls apart, his true feelings for Catherine are revealed, jealousy of Rodolpho and Marcos rival). Beatrice seems to be the link to all of the important characters (the wife of Eddie, aunt of Catherine, and cousin to the immigrants Rodolpho and Marco). She keeps the peace between them, and shows deep emotion for each of them.  Catherine, otherwise referred to as Katie, is a young adult of 17. She realizes the need for her to act like shes a lady and to find her own life, take charge and do what she wants to do.  Rodolpho is the life of the play, loving life and having a big personality. He finds another problem, besides Eddies opposition to him, because of his talents to sing, cook and sew that leads others to think he is a homosexual. Marco plays the antagonist that in the end kills Eddie. His quiet character suspiciously passes through the play pre-occupied with other thoughts. He tries to keep the peace within the families, but in the end he challenges Eddies authority.  Millers use of language for the characters has an effect on how we see progress of the characters psychologically; whether they develop a sense of doom, love, jealousy or betrayal. Marco talks about his family back in Italy, the older one is sick in his chest. My wife she feeds them from her own mouth. I tell you the truth they eat the sunshine, giving us a sense of his background, personality and his opinions. Catherine really demonstrates how naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve she is through her speech. She states, I dont understand Please, tell me Well I forgot, and they are all examples of how her character is innocent and young in mind, and doesnt understand things going on around her that she should be able to comprehend. Stage directions make an even greater impact on the performance. Each character has their own style, and way of carrying themselves, which adds to the believability and realism of the stage show. A particularly good impression of this is in Act Two where the Immigration Officers come to take away the illegal immigrants, otherwise known as Beatrices cousins. We can really see the emotions of the characters flooding out, CATHERINE stands motionless, uncomprehending staring at him in a realized horror. This can raise the tension in the audience, absorbing them into the world that the act creates. It also has more of an impact; for instance, Miller could have written, MARCO walks freely to EDDIE and spits, but instead he wrote, MARCO suddenly breaks free from the group and dashes into the room and faces EDDIE MARCO spits into EDDIEs face. Stage This is basically how I imagine the stage to be set up according to the description at the beginning of Act One. It is quite spaced out, giving the audience a larger area to watch, to keep their attention for longer. What is put on the stage and the size of each area is important to create the realism of the drama. Millers use of props in the play is very specific and limited, as I mentioned before. Arthur Miller very effectively describes and includes only essential play details. This gives those performing a chance to add individual characteristics through extra props. The layout describes only the indispensable parts and props of the stage. Throughout the play, one by one, we see the relevance of each bit to the plot:  Ã‚  Now CATHERINE gets up and puts a record on the phonograph Paper Doll. This is where the phonograph in their apartment plays an important role, as Catherine uses it to challenge Eddies authority by dancing with Rodolpho, or Rodolpho with Catherine. The main story of how the personalities of these characters clash or merge happen at the dining table. It is the place where they discuss oranges are orange and lemons are green. Eddie implies that Rodolpho is hiding his sexuality, trying to be someone hes not; by saying that they paint the oranges to make them look orange.  The rocking chair comes into focus especially when Eddie is distressed, contemplating or when hes going crazy over his unhealthy obsession with Catherine, possibly symbolizing his feelings or attitude at the time. EDDIE is alone in the rocker, rocking back and forth in little surges, explains Eddies emotions. So, although these objects are mentioned only once or twice, they play a big part in setting the atmosphere and emphasizing details rather than having them said, also being effective as they are few.  The lights show the change of scenes, especially on Alfieri, when events unfold. The lights have gone down, leaving him in a glow, while behind the dull prayers of the people and keening of the women continue, not only brings the focus off the dramas climax, but keeps the solemn mood of sorrow in the background. They also highlight important parts of the play, A phone booth beings to glow on the opposite side of the stage; a faint, lonely blue. It shows different places or areas of the stage. But it could have been used even more to explain certain times of the day, or feelings and emotions of specific characters.

Evaluation of Maladaptive Behavior Essay Example for Free

Evaluation of Maladaptive Behavior Essay Maladaptive behavior is commonly observed in children who have troubled family lives or low self esteem (Maladaptive Behavior, 2003). In this case, there could be several reasons that the child is exhibiting and engaging in maladaptive behavior related to his environment at home. Using a variety of theories of moral development as well as a question-answer evaluation of the parenting styles of the child’s parents, the maladaptive behavior seen in the child as well as a solution will try to be understood. Different types of maladaptive behavior are attributed to different problems. While most parents simply believe that their child is misbehaving, maladaptive behavior is usually classified in groupings such as attention-seeking or revengeful, behavior inappropriateness (Maladaptive Behavior, 2003). The child being observed exhibits both types of maladaptive behavior, which can most likely be explained by moral development theories and poor parenting. For the behaviors such as repeating swear words, throwing food on the floor, drawing on the walls, and screaming in public, it is most likely a result of a self esteem or attention-seeking issue. The child is trying to get in trouble to get attention from the parents (Maladaptive Behavior, 2003). The child knows these behaviors are bad as Kohlberg states, â€Å"younger school-aged children tend to think either in terms of concrete, unvarying rules†¦or in terms of the rules of society†(Feldman, 2011; p. 311). However, the child also knows that participating in these behaviors will result in attention from the parents. The child is obviously aware that these actions are not societally accepted because it is likely that they have not observed them in their teachers, parents or other powerful authority figures (Feldman, 2011). In this area of maladaptive behavior, it would seem that the parents might have an uninvolved parenting style. To determine if this is true, the parents should be asked questions about their involvement with the child and how concerned they are with aspects of his development other than their role as a provider. The following questions would suffice: Do you believe that your only job is to feed, clothe, and shelter your child? (Feldman, 2011) Is there any child abuse or neglect in the family? (Feldman, 2011) How involved with your child would you say you are on a day-to-day basic, specifically related to disciplining their behavior? (Feldman, 2011) These would all be important to ask because if their answers indicate that they are neglectful, uninvolved in disciplinary as well as other areas of development, or confused on their role as a parent, they may be uninvolved parents. According to the textbook, â€Å"Children whose parents show uninvolved parenting styles are the worst off†¦their parents’ lack of involvement disrupts their emotional development, leading them to feel unloved†(Feldman, 2011; p. 317). This could make them act out in an attempt to get the attention of their indifferent or detached parents. The reasons behind the child’s behavior of hitting other children in daycare and ignoring direct commands from parents may be more along the lines of revengeful maladaptive behavior as it is intentional causation of harm to another student or person (Maladaptive Behavior, 2003). According to Piaget, children in the heteronomous stage, which happens in the early years of childhood, believe in immanent justice, â€Å"the notion that rules that are broken earn immediate punishment†(Feldman, 2011; p. 309). For this child, it is possible that he does not understand that his behavior is unacceptable even if he is mad at another student. This is probably the result of permissive parenting by the parents. The student most likely has never known that his behavior is bad because permissive parents such as his â€Å"provide lax and inconsistent feedback†¦and place little or no limits or control on their childrens behavior† (Feldman, 2011; p.316). To determine if this is true of the parents’ style of discipline the following questions could be asked: Do you expect a lot from your child in the areas of behavior? Would you ever be punitive or clear and consistent in your limits with your child? It they answer that they have few expectations, would rarely limit their children, or are inconsistent with their discipline it is possible that their permissiveness is causing the child to act badly in school and disregard their correction when it is given. Based on the observation of the parenting styles the child sees at home as well as the information from the moral development theories, it is clear that the parents are most likely at fault for their child’s maladaptive behavior. If they want their child to correct his behavior, they should engage in more authoritative parenting as children raised in this parenting style â€Å"fare best†¦are independent, friendly with peers, and cooperative† (Feldman, 2011; p.317). The parent should, as a part of this parenting style, be firm and set clear and consistent limits on their children. Additionally, induction, or discipline paired with explanation, can also be used so the child knows what they did and why it was wrong and can correct it in the future (Lee, 2013). References Feldman, R.S. (2011). Life span development: A topical approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Lee, M. (2013, April 1). Class #28: Prosocial Behavior, Values, and Spirituality. GPSYCH 160: Life Span Human Development – Section 8. Lecture conducted from James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA. Maladaptive Behavior. (2003). Retrieved April 8, 2013, from http://disease.disease.com/Therapy/Behavior/maladaptive-behavior.html

Sprint Nextel Corporation Analysis

Sprint Nextel Corporation Analysis Sprint Nextel Corporation (Sprint Nextel) is a telecommunications company that offers a wide range of wireless and wire line communications products and services for individuals, businesses, and the government. The companys retail brands include: Sprint, Boost Mobile, Nextel, Common Cents Mobile, Virgin Mobile USA, and Assurance Wireless that run on Sprints networks that utilize code division multiple access (CDMA), integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN), or internet protocol (IP) technologies. Sprint Nextel has made a device that can operate on both of its 3G and 4G networks, and Sprint also resells the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), fourth generation (4G) wireless services CLEAR which is provided by Clearwire Corporation. The Company was founded back in 1899 by Cleyson Brown under the name Dillo-Brown Telephone Company in Abilene, Kansas. Brown changed the company name from Dillo-Brown Telephone Company to United Utilities, in 1938 after the company filed for bankruptcy. Then changed again to United Telecommunications (United Telecom) in 1972, and Sprint in 1989  [1]  . The firm grew steadily during the 1970s and became the nations largest independent local telephone provider. In the 1980s, the company entered the long distance voice market with the worlds third largest commercial packet data X.25 data service, Uninet, and completed the first nationwide 100% digital fiber-optic network to its customers  [2]  . The company began offering cellular telephone services under the name Telespectrum, and sold it to Centel in 1988. However, during the 1990s, Sprint acquired Centel and made its way back to the wireless market. The company also started offering commercial Internet access, which made Spri nt a unique company that provides local, wireless and long distance services, and offers the first completed nationwide 100% digital PCS wireless network. Sprint established a global IP network offering 10 gigabit per second transatlantic IP backbone in 2001 and completed a nationwide 3G network in 2002. The company was finally renamed Sprint Nextel in 2005 by purchasing the wireless communication company Nextel. Recently, Newsweek has ranked Sprint Nextel as No. 6 in its Green Rankings.  [3]  As the first US based telecommunications company that has announced a target for reducing its absolute greenhouse-gas emissions, Sprint Nextels goal is to reduce the companys emissions by 15% within 10 years starting in 2007. They plan to achieve this though actions of using renewable energy sources to replace the backup generators at its cell towers and improving energy efficiency within its networks. Sprint has also launched a product recycling program that allows its customers to return the old cell phones, batteries to Sprint for free with the postage paid label. As of 2009, Sprint has recycled nearly half of its products and its goal is to recycle 99%. With 40,000 employees, Sprint Nextel is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas; the company offers services in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands under the Sprint corporate brand. Its Nextel Worldwide service is the largest all-digital wireless coverage in the US and operates in more than 70 countries. With more than 48.2 million customers served, Sprint Nextel is the third largest wireless telecommunication network in US, compared to Verizon Wirelesses 93.2 million and ATTs 92.8 million. In this highly competitive industry, Sprint Nextel has experienced a significant net loss of its post-paid subscribers on iDEN and CDMA wireless networks since mid-2006, which represents about 70% of its total consolidated segment earnings in the in the market. Not until the June quarter of this year did Sprint finally turn positive earnings, mainly due to the high demand for HTC EVO 4G cell phones. Its losing its existing customers mostly because of the fact the customers were not happy with the prices of the phones that Sprint offered to them, compared to its new subscribers special offers on the phone prices with the same contracts signed. Therefore, even though Sprints subscriber base has grown 110% since 2002, its market share has barely increased  [4]  . According to the Value Lines report, Sprint Nextels net operating revenues had significant declines in financial year (FY) ends December in 2008 from $40.1 million in FY 2007 to $35.6 million and continued declined to $32.2 million in FY 2009. As of FY 2009, Sprints revenues per share has decreased from $14.11 to $10.85; earnings per share has decreased from $.04 to -$.84; in common shares outstanding and has increased from 2,845 million shares to 2,973 million of shares; net profit has decreased from $240 million to a net loss of -$2,436 million since 2007  [5]  . With current companys financial strength rate of C++, which is marginal, the company is in a vulnerable status. According to Yahoo Finance, the company has a strong balance sheet with $20.3 billion in long term debt and $4.9 billion in cash and cash equivalents as of December 2009, which means the companys free cash flow is favorable. From Sprint Nextels 2009 annual report, it shows a decline of post paid average revenue per user (ARPU) from $56 to $ 55 and prepaid ARPU from $34 to $28 in this year due to the lower usage  [6]  . The company has been effectively reduced the post paid churn from 2.05% to 1.85% during last year and is on the right track of increasing the companys operating performance. II. External Analysis Sprint Nextel is a firm that finds itself in an industry where there is few, but very strong competitors. Currently Sprint is the third leading cell phone service provider in the United States. They currently maintain around 12.1% of the cellular services industry market, falling short of ATT and Verizon who maintain 25% and 31.2% market shares, respectively. The only other true competitor to Sprint is T-mobile, who maintains around a 12% share of the U.S. market as well  [7]  . The general environment for the telecommunications industry is extremely competitive. Many companies are looking to expand their resources and market share through mergers and acquisitions with smaller wireless providers that provide certain niches in the market. Some of the most recent mergers and acquisitions within the past couple of years include Verizons purchase of Alltel Wireless in 2008 for $28 billion, ATTs acquisition of Wayport (a network and applications management company that provides back-o ffice management for Wi-Fi hot spots) for $275 million in 2008, and Sprint disposed of its WiMax division in 2008 to form a $14.5 billion dollar mobile broadband company called Clearwire  [8]  . While competition drives these mergers and acquisitions, it is easy to concur that only the companies with enough capital to acquire the latest technologies are the ones who survive in this market. The overall structure of this industry can be easily broken down through the use of Porters Five Forces Model. The first part of Porters model explains the threat of new entrants into the market. Threat of new entrants is further broken down into analysis of economies of scale, product differentiation, capital requirements, switching costs, and distribution channels. While economies of scale mainly pertain to manufacturing industries, the concept can be applied to the main competitors in the market (Verizon, ATT, Sprint, and T-mobile). These four companies account for nearly 80% of the U.S. market  [9]  . Their high costs of RD, customer service, and maintenance of superior network quality can be spread out over millions of service plans. This allows each of these firms to attain very competitive pricing for service plans that non-economies of scale would not be able to obtain. The scope of product differentiation within the telecommunications industry is somewhat strong today, h owever it is weakening with time. Product differentiation derives from contracts made with electronic companies to exclusively sell certain phones through specific service providers. These contracts are usually made exclusively to the service providers with the greatest market share and best network, therefore decreasing the threat of new entrants even more. Capital requirements to start a telecommunications business are incredibly high due to the cost of setting up, maintaining, and purchasing the rights to use a wireless service. The final portion of the threat of new entrants is further suppressed through the existence of high switching costs between service providers. Each of the four big companies attempt to maintain their market share by drafting long-term contracts with their customers. Customers are exposed to penalties and fees when exiting a contract with a service provider before the termination date is reached. The next step in Porters model of assessing the industry lies in the analysis of the bargaining power of suppliers and buyers. The suppliers in the telecommunications industry consist of the manufacturers of phones, switch board equipment, fiber optic cables, network equipment, and billing software makers. The bargaining power of these suppliers is relatively low in this industry due to the decline in demand for expanding such networks in the recent years  [10]  . In contrast to the bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining power of buyers in the telecommunications industry has been increasing over the past few years. Buyers have the choice of which phones they would like to use and which service plans they want to go along with them. A recent example of the buyers power is Sprints new service plan for unlimited everything for $69.99. In fear of too many subscribers leaving their network, Verizon and ATT very quickly presented their customers with opportunities to purchase th e same kind of plans. The external analysis of the telecommunications industry can be further examined through the analysis of substitutes present within the industry. The threat of substitutes has been increasing as advances in technology are continuously released. Customers are introduced with new ways to communicate with each other such as Facebook, Skype, and other forms of communication via the internet  [11]  . Companies are responding to the presence of substitutes through the acquisition of companies offering these forms of communication and incorporating the new communication tools into their own service plans. Porters model is finalized with the analysis of the intensity of rivalry among competitors within the industry. In the telecommunications industry intensity of competition is incredibly high. The competition is driven by economies of scale trying to minimize their costs in the most efficient manner while expanding their market shares at the same time. The competition is further enhanced by the large amount of fixed costs associated with operating a communications network and the exit barriers of the market being incredibly high  [12]  . The external analysis of the telecommunications industry can be summarized as a very profitable industry with high barriers to entry, low bargaining power of suppliers, high bargaining power of buyers, increasing substitutes, and intense competition. To the extent of whether this industry is attractive to enter is up to the judgment of the entrepreneur. Opportunities in foreign countries may be very attractive if business plans are modeled after those of U.S. companies. Sprint last year alone managed to generate $15.825 billion in profit. Industry wide revenues reached nearly $145 billion in 2009, with around 84% of the U.S. population as subscribers  [13]  . With numbers like these the industry becomes much more attractive, but of course those numbers are not achieved without each firm adhering to a set of key success factors that help each of them compete within a very competitive environment. The key success factors in the telecommunication environment are network quality, cus tomer service, brand name, partnerships, and convergence. Each of these is discussed in greater detail in part five (comparison to competition). III. Internal Analysis Many companies provide a clean cut mission statement on their website. They do this to ensure that they are able to provide a clear company direction for all shareholders and employees. Searching Sprints revamped website, some people will be surprised to find that there is no mission statement document. One has to look through all of their new technology offerings, advertising and re-organization to determine the companys current direction. Previous to the 2005 merger with Nextel, Sprint was by far the telecommunications market share leader. Five tumultuous years, lower customer service and missed opportunities, have led to top-to-bottom corporate reorganization, with new CEO Dan Hesse being introduced in 2007. His mission was to create a company that would again become an industry leader by introducing cutting edge technology and utilizing their network to increase customer satisfaction and lower customer churn. Their new advertising campaign do more, talk less, really embodies what they are trying to accomplish. They want to move beyond just offering simple phone service, and with the introduction of their new 4G technology and Overdrive; Sprint is striving to become an all in one telecommunications provider. When Dan Hesse took over Sprint was a falling industry giant, and falling hard. To stop the bleeding, he enacted certain business strategies to first stop the flow of customers to competitors and then others to win them back. The first major issue that the new regime addressed was the call in customer service. The major change in this strategy here was how the company evaluated is customer care employees. They changed the key metric that customer service employees were evaluated on, from call duration time to first call resolution. This new metric encouraged employees to spend the extra time to make sure the customers problems were solved the first time they called. According to Tom Patton, Sprint Senior Sourcing Manager, this was the key change in strategy that has led to Sprints revival. This was effective in decreasing their customer churn, but to win customers back Sprint has developed new products offering the latest technology. They were the first in the telecommunications mark et to offer 4G service, and have won favorable market share while their competitors attempt to catch up. And their latest strategy has been the purchase of pay as you go providers, such a Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile, which gives Sprint access to a growing market. With many people facing hardships, their phone plans were changing from 2 year deals to monthly plans. Sprint was able to turn downturn in the economy into an opportunity for the company. After a discussion with Tom Patton, he and other Sprint Employees believe that their major core competency is their extensive network. Sprint has spent many millions of dollars over three decades to improve on and create one the most powerful telecommunications networks in the United States. This is one area that sets them apart from their competitors. Since Sprint has been around much longer than many of its competitors, they have had a huge head start in building up their network. Having this network was instrumental in the introduction of the 4G technology, and it also allows Sprint to find synergies with other new products. For example, Sprint is able to offer access to their network for their pay as you go customers. Concurrent with this competency is the relationship with suppliers that Sprint has been able to build over the years. This has allowed them to involve suppliers earlier in the RD stage and has led to cost savings and creative innovation on both sides. Another recent core competency for Sprint is their heavy investment in Sprints applied research and advanced technology laboratories. This facility has allowed Sprint to create the first all digital fiber optic networks, and has lead to other innovations in security, monitoring and wireless technologies  [14]  . Outside of their core competencies, Sprints major resource advantage is the brand name they have been able to create. They were one of the few telecommunication firms that have successfully made the transition from landline service to the wireless industry. Customers could have potentially been with the company for many decades. And being in business that long has allowed Sprint to gather some of the best talent in its employee base. Tom Patton and many of his co-workers have been in the telecommunications industry for twenty to thirty years. From the supply chain group to the RD engineers, the accumulation of experienced talent has proved to be a major resource advantage for Sprint. As a potential customer looks at Sprints long line of phones, they will notice that a popular choice is missing. The iPhone is a major factor that has led to the revival of Sprints major competitor ATT. After discussion with Tom Patton, apparently Sprints extensive network attracted Apple to approach them first with the offer to be the exclusive service provider for their new phone. At the time, the Sprint brass felt that the price of the unit was too high and customers would not be willing to pay that much for a phone. Declining that offer coupled with the other issues previously discussed, intensified Sprints fall in market share. Tom also expressed that an area of disadvantage for Sprint could be the morale of the companys workforce and reliability they believe the company has for them. In the restructuring phase many of thousands of jobs were cut across the board. In Tom Pattons supply chain division 55% of the people were let go. While these cuts were necessary for the longevity of the company, afterward there can be trust issues with the remaining workforce. While the effect of these cuts could take some time to hit the companys bottom line, its employees remain scared that they could be the next ones to be let go. As Sprint attempts to recapture much of the market that it once had, their new CEO has enacted business strategies that will once again make them a major force in the telecommunications industry. He has made major strides in that direction by utilizing their major core competencies while at the same time trimming the size of a bloated corporation. The unsuccessful merger with Nextel in 2005 could have left this company in bankruptcy. Trying to have a merger of equals left no one with clear decision authority, and the new company was left stagnant. The recent top- to- bottom reorganization of the corporation has led to a leaner more efficient company. The new Sprint is a company with a clear direction, even though they dont provide it in a neatly packaged mission statement. IV. Comparison to Competition The reorganization of Sprint has allowed for them to have a larger impact on the market than theyve had in recent years. By refocusing their business to work around their core competencies, moving forward Sprint will continue to be an industry leader. By focusing on Key Success Factors of the industry, it is easier to gain insight as to Sprints competitive position within the telecoms industry. One of the most important Key Success Factors for any telecommunications company is network quality. Sprints network is as extensive as any other in the country and has been able to achieve differentiation by being a first mover in bringing in new technologies to market such as the 4G (WiMax) network. Along the lines of network quality is the need for convergence, which is the ability for customers to access any data effortlessly without restrictions and to have the networks and devices to get that data. Sprints network capabilities match that of any competitor for the need of technological co nvergence as well as some of the most state of the art smart phones in the market. Being the first to put 4G to market has allowed for them to gain market share, but Verizon is right on their heels with a 4G network of their own coming out. The next Key Success Factor that is essential to the sustained growth in the telecoms industry is customer service. Although there is rarely direct contact between the customer and firm, mostly only during installation and service outages, it is a vital aspect and can define customer experience. The truth is that customers dont want to have to deal with customer service calling centers or have to go into the store, theyd rather have no problems at all or have their problem fixed immediately; which is another reason why Sprint changed their operating procedure for measuring customer service effectiveness from call duration to first call resolution. Sprints redefined customer service strategy is now on its way to leading Sprint to the top of the industry in terms of customer satisfaction. One area that Sprint is decently far behind the competition is in terms of retail presence and the ability to achieve economies of scale. The telecommunications industry is largely a fixed cost business, having to install and constantly maintain the network. The marginal cost of adding a new customer to the Sprint network is minimal compared to the revenue it generates, as a result, providers with large subscriber bases enjoy a significant advantage over the smaller ones  [15]  . Sprint is the third largest provider in terms of customers being served at 48.2 million while industry leaders Verizon and ATT serve 93.2 million and 92.8 million, respectively. Having nearly half of the customers served compared to the industry leaders shows that Sprint is a ways behind the competition in achieving the full effect of economies of scale. Sprint is also a ways behind VZW and ATT in terms of retail locations throughout the United States. Sprint owns and operates approximately 1,200 retail locations while VZW and ATT own and operate 2,200 and 2000+, respectively. Having less retail locations could be a potential cause for Sprints diminished market share, but they are in the process of increasing that number within the next couple years. The final Key Success Factor that Sprint is doing exceptionally well at is maintaining partnerships. Diversity of services [in] this industry makes it difficult for a service provider to be good at everything, so the crucial thing for a firm in this industry is to forge partnerships to be able to provide what customers need  [16]  . Sprints major partnerships include Cisco, IBM, Intel and Microsoft, which are all very successful and innovative companies to be partnered with. In comparison with the telecoms industry leader Verizon Wireless partnerships; Nortel, Cisco, Alcatel, Lucent and Polycom, Sprints competitive position in terms of partnerships is rather high. Leveraging these partnerships and carrying them on into the future will be a vital key for success for Sprint. In terms of financials, Sprint is pretty far behind ATT and VZW. According to Morningstar.com in 2009, Sprint recorded revenues of $32.2 billion while the competitions was much higher, Verizons revenue was $107.8 billion and ATTs was $123 billion. In comparison with industry leaders, Sprints gross margin in 2009, as a percentage, was approximately 10 percent lower. Sprint also suffered much harder through the worst of the recession between 2006 and 2009 where they posted negative net income in each of those years. During the same span of the recession both VZW and ATT were able to post net income above the line. The hardship for Sprint isnt over yet, according to Moringstar.com, they are projected to post another consecutive FY end with a loss for net income. While [Morningstar] believe Sprint holds a collection of valuable assets, [they] expect a rough ride over the next several quarters.  [17]  Sprint is on its way out of the red but there are still major changes that need to b e made to ensure Sprints spot atop the telecommunication industry. V. Recommendations for Strategy After further analysis, there are four ways in which the Sprint Nextel Corporation can improve their operation. The Sprint Nextel Corporations can improve their business and operations by continuing to develop a better quality customer service, offer the most cutting edge technology in wireless mobile industry, cutting overall cost and venturing into the international markets. If Sprint can achieve these four objectives, the corporation will become more competitive both domestically and internationally and enhance their profitability in the future. First, the Sprint Nextel Corporation must continue to improve their customer service. In the past, the Sprint Corporation had the reputation for one of the worst customer services in both quality and the duration of the time it takes to rectify the problem. In response, the Sprint Corporation began First Call Resolution in which the customer service representative is rated on their ability to resolve the problem on the customers first call. Hence, the First Call Resolution is a great way to improve their overall quality of the resolution as well as the duration of the service. Moving forward, Sprint must continue to initiate similar projects that will enhance the customer service experience of the customers so that if and when the problem arise the customers know that the problem will quickly and correctly be resolved. In the end, happier customers will create more market share and the reputation as the best customer service provider will be a difference maker in a saturated mobile t echnology industry. Secondly, the corporation must continue to develop cutting edge technology. More specifically, the Sprint must develop technology that is aligned with their core competencies which is the extensive network throughout the nation providing an excellent coverage. In juxtaposition to their network, Sprint must develop technologies for corporate customers who have different needs than the individual users. Nowadays, many corporate customers want mobile wireless Internet that can be accessed anytime and anywhere. In response to this need, Sprint must continue to leverage their extensive network and coverage into providing the fastest and the best quality wireless Internet coverage for the corporate customers. Also, there has been a great technology innovation in personal mobile technology. Many of the mobile devices can stream videos in high quality definition. However, some of these videos may have to be downloaded onto the device, which has limited storage. Therefore, developing a websit e portal where individuals can download their preferred shows, movies and videos and then access it through the high speed internet via handheld device may be in need. In summation, Sprint must respond to the changing technology environment in both the corporate market and individual market to gain first mover advantage in the new markets. Third, the Sprint Corporation must develop a cost leadership strategy. There are two approaches in which Sprint must cut costs. First, Sprint must cut costs towards its bottom line. In other words, the Sprint Corporation must cut their operating costs. There are many subsidiaries of Sprint that are not contributing to developing Sprints core competencies. After reviewing the financial data and subsidiaries, there are few subsidiaries that may be spun off or be eliminated. These subsidiaries incur various operating costs as well as the research and development costs that do not add value to the Sprints future operations. Moreover, these cost reductions will allow Sprint to revise their pricing strategy, providing a lower price for equivalent or better quality of service to the corporate and individual customers. For example, if Sprint successfully eliminates some of the subsidiaries, they can procure more mobile devices from vendors such as Blackberry, Samsung, etc. and package those devices into a bundle for customers. In the end, cutting costs towards the bottom line will help Sprint develop its core competencies as well as gain pricing competitive advantage in the consumer market. Lastly, Sprint must venture into international market. More specifically, Sprint must develop markets in developing nations. The nations such as Brazil, Russia and India are popular nations that have already grown intense competition among mobile technology companies. It may be a better strategy to develop a market share in other countries such as Kuwait, Iraq or Afghanistan because the competitors do not heavily target them. Having s joint contract with the U.S. Military to provide services and devices may give Sprint relatively low costs and expansive exposure to the brand. The expanded international market will allow Sprint to hedge the volatility of the domestic market and stabilize the revenue stream of the company. In conclusion, the Sprint Corporation can strengthen their competitiveness by providing higher quality customer service, developing cutting edge technology, cutting costs for operational activities and providing lower priced services and venturing into international markets. By providing a better customer service, Sprint will gain trust of the customers they have lost in the past and regain market shares by gaining reputation as customer oriented corporation. Developing technology will allow Sprint to gain first mover advantage in new markets. The cost reduction will allow Sprint to be more competitive because the customers will respond to cheaper pricing point that is packaged with high quality of service. Lastly, transitioning into international markets is crucial to the corporations success, because it will diversify their risk and hedge the domestic volatility of the industry.

International Reserve System: Is it Feasible? Essay -- Economics Econo

International Reserve System: Is it Feasible? During the last decade, the world saw some of the most severe economic shocks and crises since The Great Depression of the late 1920’s. The crises of Mexico in 1994, Russia in 1995, Asian countries in 1997 and even recently in Latin America in 2000 have shown us that the economic shocks have a very drastic and crippling effect on the stricken countries. Rapid capital outflow; firms and banks overwhelm by bad debts; inability to provide loans; bank closures due to sudden capital losses and devaluation of the home currency, all have struck the affected countries simultaneously that their central banks did not have enough sufficient reserves to protect themselves. The realization of the poor central bank’s regulation, also aided by the fact that markets throughout the world are now interlinked, quickly caused panic and similar shocks to spread to neighboring countries and even regions. An international organization, which controls a form of reserve system, could have b een the lender of last resort for these sickened countries in their time of need. A working example of a reserve structure for banks would be the Federal Reserve System currently being used by the United States. This consists of 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks that is coordinated under one main Board of Governors. The main roles of the Fed is to issue new currency, administer discount loans to banks, examine the management of local banks and their financial status and provide a system of standardized banking regulations for banks to follow. Lastly, but most importantly, the Fed acts as a lender of last resort to banks facing financial collapse.[1] This not only provides stability for consumers but also prot... ...y (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1994). 5) Federal Reserves Bank, Boston web site, http://www.bos.frb.org 6) Frederic S.Mishkin, The economics of Money, Banking and Financial Markets (New York : World Student Series, 2003) 7) Jorge A. Chan Lau / Zhaohui Chen, â€Å"Financial Crisis and Credit Crunch as a Result of Inefficient Financial Intermediation.†, IMF Working Paper, August 1998 http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/wp98127.pdf or http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/CAT/longres.cfm?sk=2738.0 8) IMF web site, http://www.imf.org 9) The Asian Crises, http://faculty.washington.edu/karyiu/Asia/papers/index.htm 10) Works in International Monetary Fund-Financial Medic to the World?, ed. Lawrence J. McQuillan and Peter C. Montgomery (Stanford: Hoover University Press, 1999) 11) World Bank web site, http://www.worldbank.org