Amazon.com Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Amazon.com - Research Paper Example Success factors determine the success of both current and future operating activities within an organization. There are different success factors that define the success of an organization. The key industry success factors depend on the nature of the organization and they vary from one organization to another (Rockart 81-93). For instance, market share is one factor that determines the success if an organization. Depending on the market share, some companies will have a competitive advantage over the rest. For example, Amazon, the biggest online retail shop that also deals with other products such as electronic commerce is the world leader in selling various products online. With a market share of 29 percent, Amazon has a competitive advantage as compared to other competitors such as eBay, eMusic, Bol and many more. Another key industry success factor is customers. Organizations that have mastered the art of meeting the demands of the customers are successful and they understand mark et segments well (Daniel 111-121). Competition is also another industry success factor. Here, just like the competitors, Amazon strategizes on how to dominate the market by beating their competitors. For example, with retails shops all around the world, Amazon controls over 30 percent of the world’s consumer electronics and other online retail products due to its burly distributive and networking power. Lastly, the corporation itself is a key industry success factor. Amazon has huge resources and thereore; this makes it more competitive in the market. Additionally, the burly innovativeness experienced in Amazon is vital to its market dominance and has made it to have a competitive advantage over its rivals (Boynlon and Zmud 17-27). Company distinctive competences and competitive advantages Organizations, for example Amazon, which enjoys massive sustained profits within an industry, always have a competitive advantage over competitors. However, it is paramount to note that in order to have a prolonged competitive advantage, business strategy is vital. There are two forms of competitive advantage: cost advantage and differentiation advantage. The company’s distinctive competencies exhibit when the company is able to generate the same revenue as those of the rivals but at lower operating costs—cost advantage. On the other hand, a company that acquires more benefits than those of other rival companies experiences competitive distinctive competencies—differentiation advantage. Thus, competitive distinctive competencies are useful to the company since they help it to fashion better-quality value first for itself, and secondly, the buyers. It is competitive advantage based on cost and differentiation that defines the company’s success history and business success strategies. Through resources and capabilities, big firms such as Amazon have had a competitive advantage over their rivals in the consumer electronics market and sporting products, which has led to advanced value creation (Porter 3-24). In order to create a company’s distinctive competences, there are two things to consider: resources and capabilities. A company with superior resources and capabilities is already having an edge over its competitors. For example, with market share of 29 percent, Amazon already has a competitive adv

Fundamentals of Research Essay Example for Free

Fundamentals of Research Essay This paper will discuss the connection between scientific methods and research in the human services field. By comparing and contrasting, qualitative and quantitative research as well as the describing steps involved in scientific method is answered using realistic examples that may be used in the human service field. The pros and cons of the mixed methods are identified are relevant in the human service environment. The Scientific Method and Human Services â€Å"A scientific method is described a scientific approach to research and mainly depends on empirical reasoning; which discusses the use of combining logic and the use of careful observation and measurement that is accessible to other researchers† (Rosnow Rosenthal, 2008, p. 20). In other words, scientific method is a method to gather information, conduct an experiment, and produce a hypothesis. Researchers use the data from different sources, such as a survey, questionnaire, interview, or polls to formulate hypothesis or an educated guess). Descriptive, relational, and experimental research can be used in the human services field. For example, descriptive research consists of researching how things are. Relational researching describes how things are in relation to other things. Experimental research is a combination of descriptive and relational research† (Rosnow Rosenthal, 2008, p. 20). The hypothesis is a base for discovering who did what and why. For example, researchers in the human services field can use descriptive research to look at the characteristics of an alcoholic teenager. They may also focus on how it may affect the teenager’s relationships with others, behavior, performance in school, and obtaining, and maintaining his or her first job. Scientific methods are valuable assets within the human service and related fields because; the method helps determine new and improved ways to assist a client with his or her crisis. Steps in the Scientific Method The steps included in scientific methods are identifying research, reviewing literature, specifying a purpose for the study, data collection, analyze or  interpret the collection of data, as well as report and evaluate the research (Creswell, 2008). For example, contributing factors in a student’s poor performance in school. Step 1: Identifying the research A student has poor performance in school. Step 2: Reviewing literature. Select and research the statistics have contributing factors that lead to the poor performance in school. Step 3: Specifying the purpose for the study. Student’s poor performance is because of unexpected circumstances. Step 4: Data Collection Approximately 25% of students in school encounter uncontrollable circumstances before and during a course of study. Step 5: Analyzing or interpreting Data Poor performance may be due to financial, mental, emotional, or physical difficulties. Step 6: Report and Evaluate results of Research The research has found that the poor performance before and during a course of study is typically among students who are affected by one or more of the above instances. This occurs in about 100 out of 500 students. Quantitative and Qualitative Research Quantitative researchers decide what is necessary to study by asking specific or constricted questions by the collection of numerical data from participants. For example, the 25% of students display negative affects through some sort of difficulty during at least one course of study. Qualitative research relies on the opinion through answers to general questions during data collection from participants. â€Å"This occurs when researchers describe and analyze these words for premise; and conducts the  inquiry in a subjective, biased manner† (Creswell, 2008, p. 46). The determining factors focus on deciding what type of research to use, such as the type of problem, the audience, and personal experiences. Most students describe the poor performance as frustrating and overwhelming. Some students may begin to cry or lose eye contact during the interviewing process. Methodology â€Å"Methodologies suggest how inquiries are formed by demonstrating problems worth investigating, how to frame a problem, how to develop suitable creation of data collection, and how to make the logical link between them† (Jackson, 2007, p. 23). Combining both forms of data uses quantitative or qualitative data to gain more improved understanding of a research problem than each one separately. Qualitative research data typically comes from field work (Morse, 2005). Collected data is through interviews, direct observation, and written documents. Morse states that data from an interview is the participant’s exact words; relating to his or her experience, opinions, feelings, and knowledge (Morse, 2005). The observation of data is gathered from the behavior of the participant. Some examples of written documents are correspondence, questionnaires, and surveys. Mixed Method Research â€Å"A mixed methods research design is a procedure for collecting, analyzing, and mixing both quantitative and qualitative research and other methods in a single study to understand a research problem† (Creswell, 2008, p. 552). Sometimes qualitative research data is also used during mixed methods (Caracelli Greene, 1993). To study a larger spectrum, combing multiple methods is feasible. Triangular design, embedded design, explanatory design, and exploratory design are just a few examples of mixed method research. Conclusion When the human service professional uses scientific method, they typically use empirical reasoning to explain the results of data collection.  Scientific research helps human service professionals identify trends and indifferences among clients to enhance the quality of his or her life. The research also suggests methods to suppress the negative outcomes in the lives of the clients and their family. This is done by using qualitative data using numbers and quantitative data collection using personal experiences, surveys, or polls. References Caracelli, V. J., and Greene, J.C.(1993). Data Analysis Strategies for Mixed-Method Evaluation Designs. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. 15(2) Creswell, J. W. (2008). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/ Merrill Prentice Hall. Jackson, R. L., Drummond, D. K., Camara, S. (2007). What Is Qualitative Research?. Qualitative Research Reports In Communication, 8(1), 21-28. doi: 10.1080/17459430701617879 Morse, J. M. (2005). Qualitative research. In Carl Mitcham (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics (pp. 1557-1559). Detroit, MI: Macmillan Reference USA. Rosnow, R. L., Rosenthal, R. (2008). Beginning behavioral research: A conceptual primer (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Personal Writing: Changing Grades And The Consequences :: essays research papers

Personal Writing: Changing Grades and The Consequences I was about to leave my algebra class one day when the teacher asked me a question. "Could you do help me out with my rollbook program?" he asked. "Sure, how can I help?" I replied. "I'm not sure about how to save back-up copies of my work. Could you show me how?" he said. At this moment, I realized the scope of his question. I would be able to acess the grades for all of his classes. "Ok, Where are your disks?" I answered. "Right here. I really appreciate this." he said. I began to show him how to copy files from one disk to another. He thanked me and sent me on my way. A few days later he asked me to show him how to do it again, because he forgot. When I began to demonstrate this to him, several of the other students noticed and began to talk quietly amongst themselves. Later that day, at lunch time, I was approached by some of the other students in my class. "Hey, could you help us change our grades in algebra?" They asked. "I dont know... I might get caught..." I answered reluctantly. "Aww... come on.... what are you, chicken?" they taunted. "We'll pay you...." At that moment I began to think. I could not believe what I was hearing. I could get paid for something very simple. "Alright. I'll do it. What were your last names again?" I said. The next day my algebra teacher got me to help him out with his rollbook program. When he was not paying attention, I began to change their grades from F's to A's. Later on that day one of studens approached me. "Hey, did you do it?" he asked. "Yes, and I expect to be paid in full." I replied. "Dope!!! alright, Here's my money. I'll get the others to pay you next time they see you." I began to become very popular among my peers. They began to treat me like a god with a magical power. I began to change the grades of students in my teachers other classes. Word spread quickly and I became very rich. Everything was going fine until I was called into the Dean's offfice. When I got there, my teacher was very furious, and the Dean had a angry look in his eyes. "I have known you for 3 years now. I don't want to believe what your teacher says, but Im afraid that I must. He has too much evidence." he said.

Defining the Future of Education Essay -- Educating Argumentative Pers

Defining the Future of Education What should be the goals of an elementary education within an increasingly diverse population? The simple and obvious answer is that an educational institution should be a place for individuals to learn. The job of the teacher is to issue facts, share methods in which the facts can be learned and model consistent and appropriate behavior. Such behavior should consist of modeling appropriate presentation, cleanliness, respect, methodology, etc. Such a question is bound to raise many arguments by teachers and the answer will raise many arguments by students. Most of our children, especially grades K-5, are not receiving the simple and obvious answer noted above; they are receiving mediocre teaching skills by teachers who are bitterly under-paid, over burdened, and often not credentialed. Mike Rose's, "Lives on the Boundary" (1989), expresses similar views that appear to be quite complex but are attainable. Rose expresses the tremendous need for embracing the purpose of education. He describes several individuals who developed both the social and cognitive ability to step outside the strict confines of tradition and pursue their individual dreams. Rose gives hope and confidence that it is not the students, who are failing, it is the educational system that is failing the students, and particularly those who are ill prepared and lack resources. More often than not, the ability to visualize our potential is lost in what should be rather than what is. Education needs to be seen as a wonderful experience. The content of any curriculum should emphasize the process rather than the product and the joy that can be achieved by struggling together. Struggling together is simply an extension of what we... ...any projects based on Gardner's theory have been implemented in classrooms all over the nation and are proving to be extremely advantageous. Schools have the potential to be a very different kind of place. Teachers need to go beyond the principal and superintendent and talk to each other. Time needs to be allotted where teachers can work cooperatively on issues of curriculum and assessment and foster the development of all forms of thinking. Works Cited Bishop, J. Thomas. "Enemies of Promise." In the Presence of Others: Voices That Call for Response. Second Edition. Andrea A. Lundsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. St. Martin's Press. New York, 1997. 26-261. Thomas, Lewis. "The Hazards of Science." In the Presence of Others: Voices That Call for Response. Second Edition. Andrea A. Lundsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. St. Martin's Press. New York, 1997. 239.

Cry the Beloved Country dialectical journal Essay

â€Å"Kumalo climbed into the carriage for non-Europeans, already full of the humbler people of his race†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (43) How there’s a carriage exclusively for non-Europeans is understandable at the time period that this novel is set in, but people who read this in the 21st century might think that this is odd how Europeans couldn’t stand to ride in the same carriage as non-Europeans. â€Å"Black and white it says, black and white, though it is red and green. It is too much to understand.† (47) The order it goes, black and white then red and green. It shows you that the whites are more superior because they are the sign to go, and the blacks have to stop and wait. The whites always get first word on things and blacks have to settle with that the whites left them. â€Å"They talked of young criminal children and older and more dangerous criminals, of how white Johannesburg was afraid of black crime.† (52) How it says â€Å"black crime† is just wrong. There is such thing as white crime too, but apparently the white people don’t think that white crime is just as dangerous as black crime. It shows how scared they were of people of different races and think that just because of your color you are prone to do more dangerous things. â€Å"That is a pity, says Msimsngu. I am not a man for segregation, but it is a pity that we are not apart. They run trams from the centre of the city, and part is for Europeans and part for us. But we are often thrown off the trams by young hooligans. And our hooligans are ready for trouble too.† (58) It’s sort of sad how this is a person who doesn’t believe in segregation, but feels the need to be apart from the other race. When someone is being hostile towards you it’s not a good feeling, so of course you wouldn’t want to be near that individual. I think in this setting and time it’s understandable that someone would feel this way about being separated. Kumalo’s face wore the smile, the strange smile not known in other countries, of a black man when he sees one of his people helped in public by a white man, for such a thing is not lightly done. (81) It bothers me that this smile is for a deed that should be done anyway. I mean, I know it’s set in a time where there’s segregation between  the different races, but seeing how I was born and raised in an era where it isn’t customary to ignore someone solely because of their race. Cry, the Beloved Country Dialectical Journals Theme: Fear Quote Response The small child opened the door, carefully like one who was afraid to open carelessly, the door of so important a house, and stepped timidly in.† (35) Just how the girl’s movement is describes makes me feel scared. The words â€Å"timidly† and â€Å"carelessly† really add on to how you could picture her moving. Being a small child and going into a house that is owned by such an important person would be terrifying because if you were to accidentally break something or slip up then it’d be very bad. â€Å"They go to Johannesburg, and there they are lost, an no one hears of them at all.† (39) It sounds like Johannesburg is sucking them up and not letting them free. People might never hear from people that have gone to Johannesburg because their life was getting worse by living in Johannesburg. I would be kind of scared to go to Johannesburg because no one hears from you again. â€Å"He goes carefully that he may not bump anybody, holding tightly on to his bag.†(47) He’s afraid that someone might try to snatch his bag. Being in an unknown place is hard for a lot of people. They hear rumors and then they get scared. It’s not bad to always be careful, but it wasn’t just careful he was being. The young man took the pound and walked a short distance to the corner. As the turned it. Kumalo was afraid. The line moved forward and he with it, clutching his bag. And again forward, and again forward, and soon he must enter a bus, but still he had no ticket. As through the has suddenly thought of something he left he line, and walked the corner, but there was no sign of the young man.(48-49) Trusting strangers with your money isn’t an easy thing to do. And being in a foreign place makes it even more confusing on if you should trust anyone or not. When you’re poor like Kumalo was, money was very precious to you. He was taking m oney that was going to be used for clothes. Seeing someone run off with your money is something that makes you lose faith in the human race. Cry, the Beloved Country Dialectical Journals Theme: Economic Prosperity v. Loss of Values Quote Response â€Å"She came here to look for her husband who was recruited for the mines†¦ She lives in Claremont, not far from here. It is one of the worst places in Johannesburg†¦ †¦ that is her work, she makes and sells it†¦ These women sleep with any man for their price†¦ She has been in prison, more than once.† (53) Kumalo’s sister went to the big city to find her husband and it turns out that she never did. At least that’s what it seems like it’s trying to hint at. It seems like as soon as she entered a place to be rumored as a better economic area, she lost all morals and values. This is sad really, for both Kumalo and his sister. (55) Cry, the Beloved Country Dialectical Journals Theme: Poverty Quote Response â€Å"How can I use it? he said. This money was to send Absalom to St. Chad’s†¦ This money we have saved for that purpose will never be used for it.† (38-39) Stephen feels if he were to use the money they saved for his son it wouldn’t be right. He also knows that if he doesn’t use it, it might never be used for anything at all. He doesn’t know where his son is because he hasn’t tried to contact ever since he left. â€Å"Take it all, Stephen. There may be doctors, hospital, other troubles. Take it all. And take the Post Office Book––there is ten pounds in it––you must take that also. – I have been saving that for your stove, He said – That cannot be helped, she said. And that other money, though we saved it for St. Chad’s, I had meant it for your new black clothes, and a new black hat, and new white collars† (40) I think how Stephen’s wife tells him to take all the money is something that shows how much she cares about his well  being. How they were saving it for a stove for his wife and new clothes for Stephen but his wife wanted him to take the money for their needs before their wants. Stephen needs to have enough money for anything and everything that might be thrown in his path in this journey he is about to embark on. â€Å"This is a long way to go, and a lot of money to pay. And if he has to bring her back, what will that cost too?† (42) He’s going to this unknown city where they don’t know how much things are. And if his sister is gravely ill, then what? He’s not going to leave her there, she’s family and family always comes first. â€Å"Is it wrong to ask more money? John Kumalo asks. We get little enough. It is only our share that we ask, enough to our wives and families from starvation. For we do not get enough. The Lansdown Commission said that we do not get enough. The Smit Commission said that we do not get enough.† (218) Everyone is saying that John Kumalo is poor because he isn’t getting enough money. He’s wondering if asking for money is something that is socially acceptable, even if you need it to not starve. I think that this is sort of sad because when you think about it there are people in this time of day that would ask the same question to themselves but never ask. Cry, the Beloved Country Dialectical Journals Theme: Religion Quote Response (37) I lied. This doesn’t work. (43) Ha. This one doesn’t work either >.< (51) Oh and this? FAIL. â€Å"They went into a room where a table was laid, and there he met many priests, both white and black, and they sat down after grace and ate together.† (51) At a time of social and political unrest, the two different races could sit together without being appalled by each other’s races. I think that speaks for itself in the fact that religion is uniting the (187) Ha not this one. this one is evil. jk Cry, the Beloved Country Dialectical Journals Theme: Forgiveness Quote Response â€Å"They knelt down, and he prayed, quietly so that the neighbors might not hear, and she punctuated his petitions with Amens. And when he had finished, she burst into a torrent of prayer, of self-denunciation, and urgent petition. And thus reconciled, they sat hand in hand.† (61) â€Å"†¦ And he said to her, will you now take a fourth husband? And desperately she said, no, no, I want no husband anymore.† (146) â€Å" And so he laughed again, and let go her hands, and took up his hat. I shall come for you when everything is ready for the marriage. Have you clothes?† (148) â€Å"-I have heard you, he said. I understand what I did not understand. There is no anger in me.† (214)

Happy Feet Movie Quotes

'Happy Feet' Movie Quotes Live your life to the fullest. Dont be afraid to be yourself, no matter who you are. These are the heart-warming lessons you learn through the song-and-dance animated movie Happy Feet. The movie takes place in Antarctica in the home of the emperor penguins. Each penguin sings a heartsong to attract a mate, but young Mumble is a terrible singer. Mumble can tap dance though, and he eventually wins over his heartthrob with his clever footwork. George Miller, the writer-director of Happy Feet, used sophisticated computer animation to create this visual treat. The voice-overs by Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Robin Williams and Elijah Wood are part of why Happy Feet won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. For Penguin lovers, here is a collection of memorable Happy Feet quotes. Ramon Just a moment... I hear people wanting something... ME! We got  personality  with a capital Y. Why? Because were hot! I like big tails and I cant deny! Oh, hes leaving! Oh, no! That was his face! I dont care where you come from, that has got to hurt! STOP! Lemme tell something to  joo... I know size can be daunting... but dont be afraid... I love you! Yeah, I saw an animal do that once and then they rolled him over and he was dead. You did everything  penguinly  possible. Dont feel so bad, my father also called me a pitiful loser, look how I turned out. Seymour Dont push me cause I am close to the edge. Im trying not to lose my head. Gloria, I adori ya, Id like to see more o ya! Its like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how I keep from goin under! Remember stranger danger... Watch out for leopard seals and them killer whales! Lovelace Ladies, please avert your eyes, cause Ive been known to hypnotize. Enraged by their indifference, he followed them long after they had gone from his sight. He swam further than any of us had before, past all hope of return. Swept up by the currents, he was carried endlessly, across vast oceans, to worlds unknown. Hear me! Theres not enough love in the world. Turn to the penguin next to you, put your flippers up, fluff him up a little bit and give him a great big hug! Go forth and multiply! I must retire now to my couch of perpetual indulgence.   Baby Gloria Is it empty? Can I have it? [to Mumbles unhatched egg]   Mumble Let me tell something to joo! When I find out whats happening to the fish, Ill be back! Its just like ... singing, with your body. Im speaking plain penguin! Leopard Seal Come here, sausage. I take you with ketchup! Remember, dumplings, I know where you live ...

Vicarious Leisure Class Essays

Vicarious Leisure Class Essays Vicarious Leisure Class Paper Vicarious Leisure Class Paper Living the Lifestyle of a Celebrity: Conspicuous Consumption within the Leisure Class In Thorstein Veblen’s, The Theory of the Leisure Class which was first published in 1899, Veblen identifies a problem in our society for which many did not see. Veblen described society as a division of classes, one of these classes as he described as the â€Å"leisure class† or what we know today as the wealthier, upper class. In this book, Veblen describes society, and the economy, through the leisure class and analyzes their lifestyle through his time. The leisure class is a predatory culture and harmful to society, he explains, a leisure class has emerged from a â€Å"peaceable to a consistently warlike habit of life† (Veblen 7). Through this predatory class, Veblen describes various terms associated with the lifestyle of the leisure class, conspicuous consumption, vicarious leisure, and conspicuous leisure are only few terms he uses. These terms and the study of different lifestyles in different stages of development are described throughout this book, to explain the competitiveness and harm for which the upper class has brought to our society. In this paper, I will describe and discuss Veblen’s terms and lifestyles of the leisure class, how it relates to Karl Marx and his theories in society, and also similarities in which Veblen’s description of the leisure class is seen today. According to Veblen, the leisure class developed during the barbarian era, more specifically during the transition from savagery to barbarism, which also brought a more warlike community. Veblen argued that these warlike characteristics emerged through the leisure class; the members of this class were mostly men. During this time, hunting and gathering was the primary labor work, which was mostly employed by men of the leisure class. Veblen explains that even though this type of work provided food, farming and other work was more productive than hunting and gathering. The leisure class took over these warfare positions and prevented individuals of the lower class from learning to fight or owning weapons, this is when the leisure class started to gain their power and other classes started to rely and depend on the leisure class. In the predatory culture, this time of employment becomes only a form welcome to the upper class, this is what Veblen describes as conspicuous leisure, these individuals are wealthy enough to avoid work and engage in a type of lifestyle for which no other class can live. Individuals of conspicuous leisure don’t necessarily have to work because they already have the money. Veblen explains the individual’s time is â€Å"consumed non-productively (1) from a sense of the unworthiness of productive work, and (2) as an evidence of pecuniary ability to afford a life of idleness† (Veblen 23). During this time the leisure class started to emerge and the divisions of class’s were becoming more known to society. Similar to Veblen, Karl Marx also believed society was made up of class divisions. He explained his theory of class division through â€Å"proletariats† (have nots) and â€Å"bourgeoisie† (haves). The proletariats were those of the poorer class, which had nothing and the bourgeoisie were the wealthier class that had everything; these individuals would be considered the leisure class. Like the bourgeoisie, Veblen explained that individuals of the leisure class were expected to have almost everything, from servants to luxuries goods, this type of conspicuous consumption defined their status within the leisure class. These individuals of the leisure class can afford servants however the â€Å"real† leisure class, or the individuals at the top of the leisure class, can afford servants and also servants who do nothing. Marx believed that â€Å"class exploitation takes place when the labor power of one man is the property of another (Romero et al. . Marx theory is shown through servants of the leisure class. â€Å"Class Exploitation† is seen in the leisure class when the labor of servants is the property of those of the leisure class, â€Å"there supervenes a division of labour among the servants or dependents whose life is spent in maintaining the honour of the gentleman of leisure† (Veblen 63). Servants are only one factor that shows the wealth of the leisure class. According to Veblen, a member of the leisure class is known to show off his/her earnings. This type of behavior goes all the way back to the barbarian era when men showed off trophies, weapons, and other ideal possessions, â€Å"the last evidence of productive labour is its material product- commonly some article of consumption† (Veblen 44). The leisure class must have certain goods or items to gain fulfillment. This is similar to Karl Marx’s â€Å"false consciousness† which is described as a â€Å"sense of common identification with members of the same class† (Romero et al. ). False consciousness† is seen in the leisure class, regarding Veblen’s conspicuous consumption, the leisure class must consume certain items to be â€Å"happy† this is not necessarily known and explained however within every member of the leisure class they must have certain things to live happily in the upper class. Veblen defined this behavior within the leisure class in Chapter 6, â€Å"Pecuniary Canons of Taste†, â€Å"as it is a desire to live up to the conventional standard of decency in the amount and grade of goods consumed† (Veblen 102). He explains that the standard of living is keeping up with the others of one’s personal class. For example, if a neighbor buys a new car, you may go buy a new car just to keep up. â€Å"Each class envies and emulates the class next above it in the social scale, while it rarely compares itself with those below or with those who are considerably in advanced† (Veblen 104). Veblen defines the divisions of labor and that one whom competes with a higher class, through material may not be able to afford some materials of the higher class, and competing with a lower class is not striving for increasing achievement, so individuals stay within their class and compete with those whom are a little bit higher than them in the social structure. Marx defines this theory of â€Å"false consciousness† as something for which the individual does not necessarily notice, however it occurs. Like Marx, Veblen describes this standard of living as a habit, it’s something an individual is immune to and becomes a lifestyle, to which the individual does not realize they are constantly competing to keep up with the same lifestyles as others. â€Å"A standard of living is of the nature of habit. It is a habitual scale and method of responding to given stimuli† (Veblen 106). The longer the habit, the harder it is to let go, so one is constantly trying to keep up with class, society, and the standard of living. To keep up with the standard of living, individuals, mostly of the leisure class, will constantly continue to consume luxuries items and even though they are constantly consuming new items, the individual never seeks satisfaction; this refers to what Veblen describes as â€Å"chronic dissatisfaction†. This term is defined as always wanting more, one is never satisfied with what they have so they are constantly needing more (Veblen 31). Chronic dissatisfaction is a continuous cycle once one earns or receives something they just strive for the next thing. Chad Ochocinco is a NFL football player, who is constantly striving for more. He pursued modeling, then acting, and now has his second television series, and a video game. Ochocinco is an example of chronic dissatisfaction, although he has money and a career he wants more, after receiving a television series, he continued to strive for another one and added on a video game (â€Å"Wiki:Ochocinco†). Like Ochocinco, many individuals of the leisure class, continue to need more, this includes luxuries and other items. This type of consumption leads to another one of Veblen’s arguments of conspicuous consumption, which is when one consumes various goods, the best of food, and luxuries to show off one’s earnings. Conspicuous consumption is seen in our society today, this type of behavior does not just exist within the leisure class, however throughout every class and individual in our society. The want to consume is nothing new, we work and live to consume, we are what we consume. As seen with celebrities today, they consume the best cars, the best clothes, the biggest houses. Veblen explains a man of wealth â€Å"consumes freely and of the best, in food, drink, narcotics, shelter, services, ornaments, apparel, weapons, and accoutrements, amusements, amulets, and idols or divinities (Veblen 73). This type of consumption is what Veblen describes as â€Å"conspicuous waste†, the manner in which people dress is always seen and noticed, especially when celebrities are displaying them. With conspicuous consumption, the consumption and wealth must be displayed and noticed. As seen on the television show â€Å" Mtv Cribs† many celebrities, who are members of the leisure class, show off their homes, cars, clothes, and other items. Veblen argues this is harmful to our society, these luxuries and types of consumption are only for the leisure class, and one is expected to live this certain lifestyle in order to keep their standing in the leisure class. A man of the leisure class must consume certain goods and give away certain types of rewards or gifts to with hold his position within the leisure class. One example of conspicuous consumption he gives, which is seen today, is the consumption of â€Å"intoxicating beverages or narcotics†, which members of the leisure class are known to consume (Veblen 70). Like Grey Goose and Jose Cuervo, many celebrities only drink the top self alcohol. Also, many celebrities are getting involved in alcohol or drug related crimes, however we still honor them. For example, Lil Wayne, Michael Vick, Lindsay Lohan, and Paris Hilton are only a few celebrities who were convicted of criminal charges, yet are still in the lime light today. Paris Hilton was convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) in 2006, and charge in 2007. In 2007, Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in jail for violating her probation, â€Å"according to prosecutors, she fail to enroll in an alcohol education course by mid-April 2007, and was stopped for two more traffic violations, including driving with a suspended license† (â€Å"Wiki:Paris Hilton†). After these incidents took place, Paris Hilton continued to live vicariously through the leisure class, from initially earning her fortune from her great-grandfather’s wealth, (Conrad Hilton, founder of Hilton Hotels) she continues to be a social icon, with her own hit television show, â€Å"Paris’s BFF†, as well as, her role as an actor in several movies, singer, model, and author (â€Å"Wiki: Paris Hilton†). Like Paris Hilton, many members of the leisure class are still honored and have status after criminal offenses, or drug/alcohol related mistakes. These celebrities are idols and influence our society, this is another reason Veblen argues the leisure class can be harmful to our society, â€Å"drunkness and the other pathological consequences of the free use of stimulants therefore tend in their turn to become honorific† (Veblen 70). The â€Å"emergence of the leisure class coincides with the beginning of ownership† (Veblen 22). During the barbarian stages, women became a form of ownership. Women were seen as a status symbol, a trophy wife, for which men of the leisure class could own and show off. When we own people, we own material or production, so by owning something one can exploit his earnings. Like ownership, most women of the leisure class are considered â€Å"vicarious leisure†. Veblen’s â€Å"vicarious leisure† is defined as people who live the life as though they are a member of the leisure class however don’t get all the material that comes with it because they are living through the wealthy. Throughout the barbarian stages, men were considered the breadwinner and worked while the women stayed at home while women were considered to live through their spouses. The women of the household were not suppose to work and were expected to be more â€Å"showy† about their leisure than men, they were expected to be beautiful and represent the household’s wealth. Like women, Veblen claims many individuals of the leisure class receive their wealth from their ancestors and get wealth without even working for it, â€Å"wealth acquired passively by transmission from ancestors or other antecedents presently becomes even more honorific than wealth acquired by the possessor’s own effort† (Veblen 29). Like mentioned earlier, celebrity Paris Hilton received her wealth through her great grandfather, Conrad Hilton whom was the founder of Hilton hotels. Through his wealth, Paris Hilton had a very wealthy childhood. She was born in New York, and moved to several different homes, including the homes in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, and the Hamptons, which are all very upper class locations (â€Å"Wiki: Paris Hilton†). Hilton had all the references to succeed and was not obligated to work. Like Hilton, Veblen describes these types of individuals within the leisure class, he refers to the leisure class as â€Å"waste†, meaning the leisure class does not contribute to society or the world as a whole, â€Å"does not serve human life or human well-being on the whole† (Veblen 97). Hilton pursued her career in modeling, eventually getting signed with Donald Trump’s model agency and appearing in various magazines (â€Å"Wiki: Paris Hilton†). Hilton’s career as a model, is an example of Veblen’s view on waste in the leisure class, pictures of Hilton in various magazines has no specific benefit to our society however only benefits her and her status, and wealth within the leisure class. According to Wikipedia, in September 2009, Hilton’s quote in one of her books, â€Å"Dress cute wherever you go, life is too short to blend in† was added to The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. Similar to Hilton, many celebrities and women care a lot about what they wear and how they dress. In Veblen’s chapter, â€Å"Dress as an Expression of the Pecuniary Culture† he describes how dress is an example of conspicuous waste, and how most women express their leisure through clothing. Like many celebrities and individuals of the leisure class the point of having nice clothes is to show them off, â€Å"our dress, therefore, in order to serve its purpose effectually, should not only be expensive, but it should also make plain to all observers that the wearer is not engaged in any kind of productive labour† (Veblen 170). This type of clothing is not used for protection or comfort yet its primary purpose is for show. Many women of the leisure class wear heels to work, especially women who are considered celebrities are constantly wearing heels wherever they go. Veblen explains that for a women to wear heels to work is unnecessary and â€Å"even the simplest and most necessary work extremely difficult† (Veblen 171). Today, dressing and fashion of the leisure class is very evident and is expected, however this is nothing new, this expensive and uncomfortable clothing for women goes very far back. The corset is, in economic theory, substantially a mutilation, undergone for the purpose of lowering the subject’s vitality and rendering her permanently and obviously unfit for work† (Veblen 172). The corset is only one example that Veblen gives, however this piece of clothing is the most constricting, and is only worn for show, ignoring the discomfort of the clothing. Veblen also continues to argue that the fashion and clothing styles change with the seasons and also are different in various areas. It’s amazing for one to see that this was the case during Veblen’s time because this is very true today. With winter, comes scarf’s, boots, and sweaters while summer women tend to wear shorts, cut off shirts, ect. Veblen also explains that the urban areas are more involved in fashion changes than the rural areas, meaning the wealthier communities have greater amounts of conspicuous waste in their clothing. New York City is one example of Veblen’s argument, this city is known for fashion and most women in New York City are examples of dress as a conspicuous waste. Sex in the City† was a huge television series and movie, about four women who lived in New York City and engaged in the fashion world. Through these four women, one can see the effects of an urban area on the style of dress needed to fit into the city. In the first â€Å"Sex and the City† movie, Carrie after a breaking it off with her boyfriend and buying very expensive shoes she expl ains, â€Å"It’s really hard to walk in a single woman’s shoes- that’s why you sometimes need really special shoes†. As in Veblen’s time, society is still using dress as a conspicuous consumption, which is more evident in women than men. If an individual is wearing cheap clothing, this can be considered unworthy by some, and those who wear expensive clothing are seen to be of the wealthier class. Dress as a conspicuous waste is seen as a spiritual need. For example church, when a family is getting dressed for church they tend to dress up in formal clothing. Veblen describes the need for this type of dress for spiritual reasoning is â€Å"not wholly, nor even chiefly, a naive propensity for display of expenditure† (Veblen 168). Veblen’s theory of leisure class is still in existence today and has a huge influence on our society as a whole. Today, the leisure class is taking over the media and is the idols and the people for which society looks up to, they are considered the successful individuals of society, the wealthy. Before reading Veblen’s book, I never thought the upper class, or now as I call it the leisure class, as harmful to society, however now it seems as though this standard of living and conspicuous leisure and consumption is harming our communities and the way individuals of our society live their lives. Conspicuous consumption is seen in every division of class, not just the leisure class. Each class is striving among themselves to be better than the other. One example Veblen uses in the book, is the use of silver spoons, explaining that many individuals of the leisure class use articles of gold, even though there are spoons for which are made from machines which are cheaper, and in most cases are more useful and better. However, the beauty and price of these expensive items are the reasoning behind this conspicuous consumption. Like Veblen’s example, this is seen in our society today, from decorations in a person’s home, to their cars, to their style of clothing, ect. Our society has grown to constantly be involved in conspicuous consumption and compete with others of the same class. Veblen was definitely correct with his ‘Theory of the Leisure Class’ and his theory is still very present today. I was surprised to see how present the leisure class was in pre-historic times and how similar the behavior of the leisure class is to the leisure class today. However, without the leisure class, and competitive society, I’m not sure if our society would be as successful as it is today. Many individuals strive for success because of the competitive drive and competition within our society. So maybe the leisure class and the competitive factors within the division of classes is good for the society, or maybe Veblen’s theory is right and the leisure class is actually harmful to our society and world as a whole. Veblen, Thorstein. The Theory of the Leisure Class. NewYork: Peguin, 1899. Print David Ashley, David Michael Orenstein. Sociology Theory: Classical Theory. Boston: Pearson, 2005. Print Romero, Rachel. Sociology 230: Classical Theory. Texas Aamp;M University. College Station, TX: August-November, 2010. Lecture Wikipedia: Paris Hiltion. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Web. 21 November 2010. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Paris_Hilton. E2. 80. 9306:_As_an_author Wikipedia: Chad Ochocinco. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Web. 20 November 2010 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Chad_Ochocinco Paris Hilton’s DUI Charges. Find Law. Web. 2010 http://news. findlaw. com/cnn/docs/ent/cahilton92606cmp. html Bushnell, Candace. Sex and the City. Part One. New York, 2008. Movie Thorstein Veblen. Academic Search Complete (ESBCO). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition. July 1, 2010. Print.

Crime Myths and Facts Essay Example

Crime Myths and Facts Essay Example Crime Myths and Facts Paper Crime Myths and Facts Paper One problem that has been plaguing societies throughout history is crime. The following essay will provide discussion on the topic and contrast crime myths and Even contemporary society Is struggling to come to fair terms about effects of crime on society and Individuals, fair and effective law enforcement and Judiciary systems, educative corrections system and proactive and effective crime prevention. This assignment will focus on comparison and contrast between crime myths and crime facts, as an example using myths about crime and youth gangs and crime and mentally ill. Starting point for discussion is to examine the definitions of relevant terms. Crime and Justice: A Guide to Criminology defines crime in two ways, dictionary definition as 1. An act committed or an omission of duty, injurious to the public welfare, for which punishment is prescribed by law, imposed in a Judicial proceedings usually brought in the name of state 2. Serious violation of human law: steeped In crime 3. Any offence, esp. on of grave character 4. Serious wrongdoing; sin 5. Lolls a foolish or senseless act: a crime to work that or a legal definition as intentional violation of the criminal law committed thou excuse and penalized by 2006, p. 5) Media has played an important role in portrayal of crime and crime like activities in society. Ericson, Barrage and Chain (1987, p. 50) have noted that one of historic obligations of the media is to entertain. This obligation is directly related to the need to fulfill the demands of audiences, which in turn are used to increase markets and expand revenues from advertising. Crime, deviance and control items have served these commercial needs of the news media. Rawlins (1998, p. 346) argued that In the less accessible areas of society, these media representations become an imperative and often only enter?f?Owe to reality of which few of the general public have immediate knowledge. Through sensationalist crime reporting in media, crime myths were embedded in main frame society (Rawlins 1998, p. 346). One of wide spread myths is the term As mentioned by Polk (1995, p. 0) media have popularized the idea of youth gang violence in Melbourne, one report quoting forensic specialist as being concerned that Victoria was towards becoming a state of warring She states that in Australia, stories appear in the press of attacks on the elderly by teenage offender. However, the empirical data paints quite deferent picture. In relation to youth gang activity the Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence (ABACI 1991 ) research confirmed the unjustifiable nature of media generalizations In relation to youth gangs. Furthermore, the most significant ABACI finding was that vast proportion AT crime committee Is AT opportunistic In nature, ratter tan mainly organized. A study conducted by Impair and Warren (1994, p. 43) went even further declaring that there is?C,-1?0 a distinct absence of internal structure and criminal purpose among most groups of male The most important empirical evidence in contrast to popular youth gang myth is the Standing Committee on Social Issues (1995) research which found no evidence of highly structured gang existence in Australia and indeed was disputing relevance of the term to Australian youth activity. Another myth in general community is relation between youth and violence. We can see from police arrest data for Victoria (Victoria Police 1993) for 1991-1992 year that there were some crimes where youth played a significant role. As we can see from Table 1, these tend to be property crimes, theft and vehicle theft. These findings re reinforced by ABACI (1991) findings which found that youth illegal activities revolved around anti-social behavior and low-level property crime. When it comes to crimes of violence, however, the picture is quite different where 21 per cent of robbery offenders, 11 per cent of minor assaults offenders, 12 per cent of rape offenders, 10 per cent of serious assaults offenders and Just 5 per cent of homicide offenders were Juvenile. The general conclusion that we can draw from these figures is that violent crime is most likely to involve persons aged 18 and over. Table 1 Percentage of Offenders Under the Age of 17 Proceeded Against by Offence, 1991-92, Victoria Offence Homicide Serious Assault Percentage Young Offenders Minor Assault Robbery Burglary Theft Motor Vehicle Theft Fraudulent Offences 5 10 11 21 29 28 4 Source: Victoria Police 1993. If we pose the question whether there is a growing tide of youth crime, again, contrary to popular opinion, answer is negative. Police arrest data from Victoria over the ten-year period from 1982 to 1992 clearly shows there is no increase in the proportion of offences made up of Juveniles. This has been present at least since the time of the ancient Greeks and across a wide range of cultures. In recent times, this belief has been influenced by he media and television programmed, which, it is estimated, link mental illness to violence between 62-86% of the time. High-profile killings by people with a serious mental illness are given wide coverage in the press, creating an impression that the general pubic is at danger from unsupervised violent mentally ill persons living in the community. Although homicide perpetrated by someone suffering from a serious mental illness is rare compared with the total number of people with mental illness living ordinary lives, such tragedies attract intense media and public scrutiny. Public once Is raises Day a construction AT mental Illness as dangerous In ten meal portrayals. However, whether it is true that the rate of homicide committed by people with serious mental illness is increasing, either in absolute terms or as a proportion of total homicide in the community, is unclear (Simpson, 2003). One of the most important research projects in this area has been conducted by Taylor and Gun (1999) in which they examined data on homicides committed in England and Wales between 1957-1995 and concluded that there was little fluctuation in numbers of people with a mental illness committing criminal homicide ever the 38 years studied, and a 3% annual decline in their contribution to the official statistics and that the general public were at lower risk from offenders with mental illness than from non-mentally ill offenders. In relation to people with in the community, they conclude that is no evidence that it is anything but assisting to claim that their living in the community is a dangerous experiment that should be (Taylor and Gun, 1999). When people generally think of crime, it is usually about offences such as murder, robbery or burglary. If they are asked to describe the criminal, many would provide ascription of untrustworthy, shifty demeanor, maybe uneducated or unemployed person. However, many theorists would argue that mainstream criminologists are wrong when they are mainly focusing on conventional street crime or youth offending. According to the Sutton and Haines (2006, up. 155-170), white-collar crimes are far more devastating than those normally associated with criminal violations. White-collar crimes are certainly punishable by law; however, they are generally regarded by the courts and by sections of the general public as much less reprehensible than crimes usually punished by the courts.

Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Culture - Essay Example ricans maintain extended families that are not just limited to the blood relatives, but also extend beyond them to include distant relatives and friends whether or not they are blood related. â€Å"Family is the most important value that unifies the Latino community† (old.diocesephoenix.org, n.d., p. 6). The Hispanic American families include sponsors and godparents that love the children like their own even when they are actually not. The Hispanic American families believe in male supremacy. Men earn bread for the family while women are expected to stay at home and look after the children and the husband. Women are expected to submit themselves to their men. Men prefer not to let the women work, though the trend is changing and many Hispanic American women have entered the workforce, which has challenged the machismo of men and is the fundamental cause of distress in many families. The Hispanic American families give a lot of importance to the individualistic rights of each family member. Every individual is deemed worthy and important. Elders in the Hispanic American families are respected by the younger ones. The young seek advice from the elders. Every family member is given the right to have individualized close personal relationships. Communication in the Hispanic American families is governed by the concept of respecto. During communication, men and elders are prioritized over women and children. There are well-defined rules for members of both genders which they follow during communication. Hispanic Americans do not accept anger and aggression while communicating with one another. They deem it disrespectful to disagree over matters. It becomes problematic for them to agree over certain issues that they disagree with, but still they do not express negative emotions. Before this assignment, there were certain stereotypes about the Hispanic American culture in my mind that have changed now. For example, I did not know that the Hispanic Americans believe in

Poverty in developed Countries Research Proposal

Poverty in developed Countries - Research Proposal Example Poverty is a worldwide problem that is faced by not only developing but also developed states of the world. Poverty is a condition that is problematic. It is related to inability of fulfilment of necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, education, health security and employment. Poverty is linked to many other problems such as death, diseases, inequality, over population and many other problems. Developed countries are those countries that are considered financially stable and sound. The developed countries are regarded as able to control the problem of poverty of their countries but this is not true as poverty is quite prominent there. This paper contains a description related to the poverty in developed countries. Initially poverty is defined. Afterwards, developed countries are described and then, there is a detailed account of poverty in developed countries and lastly, the topic is concluded. Poverty can be defined as a condition when people are unable to meet their day to day needs and are also unable to get the basic necessities of life such as food, shelter and clothing (Smeeding, et, al., 1990). Poverty also incorporates the capacity of obtainment of suitable employment, suitable education and equal rights. Poverty is considered as a condition, in which people can not avail the necessities of life. Good and healthy food, pure water, good clothes and a secure house to live, are the basic requirements of each and every human being (Rector and Johnson, 2004). Many people are unable to fulfil their requirements on the basis of their being poor. The poor people are unable to gather a good income with the help of which, they can buy or get the necessities of their life. Their children are unable to get good education. They along with their children are unable to get the required medical facilities because of the lack of income (Smeeding, et, al., 1990). They try to live in conditions that are unsafe for them and their children because they

SUH stage 3 project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SUH stage 3 project - Essay Example Moreover, SUH Company manages a very large amount of data. As discussed in previous stages, taking backups of this data is essential. In such complex working arrangement there is a need for a more reliable solution that can be used to take backups of data. So in case of any disaster, it will be easy for SUH Company to secure and recover its precious data. Through the application of proposed backup and recovery solution SUH Company will be able to ensure information systems security in a much better way. SUH Company requires an efficient solution for data backup and recovery that has the potential to secure business operations through much better business management approach. The basic aim of implementing this solution is to achieve following goals: For SUH Company and its two subsidiaries CarbonTech and MyRentals we need a canalized business backup and recovery solution. The proposed system will offer a lot of benefits and capabilities for secure and protect business data and information in all areas of business. The solution that is proposed in scenario of SUH Company is Symantec Backup and Recovery System, Recovery 2010 Business Server Edition. This application offers cost-effective and simple recovery and business data and information server backup solutions. They can be used at Microsoft Windows based Business Servers. In addition, Symantec Backup and Recovery System reduces downtime and avoids disaster with server backup software that simply improves individual data files/folders or the entire Windows systems in minutes, as compared to virtual environments, hardware or remote locations (Symantec Corporation, 2012). For its business structure, SUH Company can also choose Windows based Backup and Recovery System. This system is simple, free and easy to manage. However, this solution is not much effective in ensuring corporate business transaction security and

Internet Recruiting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Internet Recruiting - Essay Example In the same way, applicants are given an opportunity to select positions that meet their criteria. To ensure that the company recruits skilled manpower, the website ensures that applicants select their favorite job type, location, function and the cities where the job are available. This is followed by submitting of the applicants CVs through the website in order for them to be reviewed by the Coca-Cola recruiting team. Another notable company that heavily relies on internet during its recruitment process is Barclays bank. Through www.barclays.com/careers, Barclays provides steps that guide applicants who are focused at joining the bank workforce. These steps includes, creating an online account, sending online applications, viewing the progress of the applications, receiving regular updates from the human resources department on the recruitment process and contacting applicants if a new vacancy emerges. To create a strong awareness among the applicants, Barclays provides a video transcript that allows individuals to find opportunities as well as ways through which the bank rewards its employees. Most liked: Coca-Cola online applications gives the students an opportunity to chose where they want to work. Similarly Barclays regularly updates the applicants on the status of their applications. Toyota provides students with interview tips thus making the recruitment process simple for them. Based on the increased use of internet as a way of hiring new employees, it is vital for companies to regularly update their websites thus indicating the vacant positions. For example, Toyota indicates all the available position in all its market. In this way, potential employees do not waste time applying for the already occupied positions. On its part, Coca-Cola provides the location, job type, the city and the functions of the position

The world we live in Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The world we live in - Assignment Example The world tends to see every one of us from points of views that define our gender, nationality, class, disability, ethnicity, sexuality and many other more (Barak, Leighton & Flavin, 2010). No one can escape all these frames of views. For example, gender is an example of an intersection that is purely of social construct. We live in a world where everyone assumes a binary representation as far as gender is concerned. Some of these intersectional characteristics are badly defined – many people take them as fluid. For instance, everyone represents one gender or another, but for some other people, this is never the case. On the same page, sexuality is a fluid characteristic that echoes with a difference between tastes and preferences from one person to another. Some people can choose to be ‘straight ‘or heterosexual for the rest of their lives, others can be bisexual while the rest can be homosexuals: gays (Barak, Leighton & Flavin, 2010). Everyone fits in one of these groups or another. Class is another aspect of intersectionality that applies to everyone. Class can be viewed from cultural and economic points of views. If an individual is not placed under the rich – high income groups, he or she will definitely belong to the middle income group or the low income group. One can either be poor, rich or in between. These sections cover other subgroups given that the magnitude of wealth is continuous (Barak, Leighton & Flavin, 2010). Everyone falls under some sort of race. One can either be a Negroid, Mongloid or a Caucasian. No one fall out of these three components of race (Chow, Segal & Tan, 2011). These intersectional groups are judged differently. Some are viewed with prestige while others are despised. An individual does not take the picture, but can find his or herself in an intersectional identity that makes him or her feel liberated or oppressed. One can be privileged in one intersection and be

Internet Recruiting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Internet Recruiting - Essay Example In the same way, applicants are given an opportunity to select positions that meet their criteria. To ensure that the company recruits skilled manpower, the website ensures that applicants select their favorite job type, location, function and the cities where the job are available. This is followed by submitting of the applicants CVs through the website in order for them to be reviewed by the Coca-Cola recruiting team. Another notable company that heavily relies on internet during its recruitment process is Barclays bank. Through www.barclays.com/careers, Barclays provides steps that guide applicants who are focused at joining the bank workforce. These steps includes, creating an online account, sending online applications, viewing the progress of the applications, receiving regular updates from the human resources department on the recruitment process and contacting applicants if a new vacancy emerges. To create a strong awareness among the applicants, Barclays provides a video transcript that allows individuals to find opportunities as well as ways through which the bank rewards its employees. Most liked: Coca-Cola online applications gives the students an opportunity to chose where they want to work. Similarly Barclays regularly updates the applicants on the status of their applications. Toyota provides students with interview tips thus making the recruitment process simple for them. Based on the increased use of internet as a way of hiring new employees, it is vital for companies to regularly update their websites thus indicating the vacant positions. For example, Toyota indicates all the available position in all its market. In this way, potential employees do not waste time applying for the already occupied positions. On its part, Coca-Cola provides the location, job type, the city and the functions of the position

Advertising in mass media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Advertising in mass media - Essay Example Unlike other forms of indoctrination; this approach is mild and oblique in its approach. Advertisers do not challenge prevailing values and ideas. They preferred to introduce new terms of fulfillment and satisfaction. The most predominant theme echoed in several advertisements throughout the ages is the superiority of capitalism and consumer culture. Marketers make it appear as though consumer goods are the ultimate solution for contemporary problems. They tend to obscure distinctions between the rich and poor or the lower and the upper class. Several advertisements contain seemingly exclusive products that should be a reserve for the well to do. However, through the phenomenon of mass production, these products can be accessed by any member of society. Marchand describes several instances in which mass media specialists of the 1920s sought to convince buyers that their products would equalize their status (82). A wealthy socialite could afford the finest china or expensive butler, but they still enjoyed the same brand of coffee that typical citizens bought. Alternatively, a marketer might claim that their soap could make women’s hands just as soft as their favorite socialite. In society today, advertisers use celebrities to endorse their products, and make them seem accessible to the common man. These media bodies illustrate that consumer products accord similar comforts to all members of society and thus endorse the status quo. The subtle message behind such advertisers is to obscure the economic inequalities inherent in any capitalist society. If consumers heed to these ideas, they will learn to accept their place in the existing social order. Revolts against the elite or other similar controllers of wealth would be unnecessary if people of all walks of life could enjoy similar things. Furthermore, political leaders would not need to organize a massive wealth redistribution program since the electorate was already satisfied with

How Is the Continual Battle of Nature vs Human Technology Represented Essay Example for Free

How Is the Continual Battle of Nature vs Human Technology Represented Essay Explain how Bradbury uses this story to question human’s reliance on technology The house was created for the sole purpose of serving mankind. The house cannot save the family, or humans, from the viciousness of a nuclear bomb. By the time the reader is exposed to the house, the owners have been eradicated, â€Å"their images burned on wood in one titanic instant†. The house continues to make breakfast, have little robotic mice that clean the house, and even read poetry for, essentially, no one. When the story begins, it appears that machinery has triumphed over humans. Humankind might have fallen beneath the powerful nuclear bomb, but technology has not. Furthermore, while the family relied on the house to take care of them, the house does not require them to survive. However, as the story proceeds, the reader watches as the house is attacked by a fire. As the house scrambles to save itself, there is a sense of panic. â€Å"Doors sprang tightly shut† and â€Å"blind robot faces peered down with faucet mouths gushing green chemical†. In the end, the house succumbs to the blaze and crumbles. The only bit of technology remaining is the dying voice of the house, proclaiming the current day to be â€Å"August 5, 2026†. While technology has ultimately lost the battle of survival, humans lost the war long ago. Bradbury uses this story as a warning of just how little technology and nature care for the endurance of humanity. â€Å"Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree, if mankind perished utterly. And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn. Would scarcely know that we were gone. † This is seen throughout the story, as the house continues to function without the aid of the family that owns it. Humans developed this technology to help them, but the technology does not care if humans are around to use its services. Ultimately, Bradbury warns not about the advancement of technology but rather the complete dependence on it. The conveniences that the house provides appear to be beneficial, but in the end are completely useless. Bradbury also points out the lack of â€Å"humanity† within the machinery of the house. Instead of a family having to cook and clean, the house does it for them. There is no love within the house. While it would require more work, perhaps it would be more meaningful for a family to work together to keep their house running properly. Instead of being a mere house, it would become a home. Techniques Bradbury uses throughout the story? 1)Personification 2)Foreshadowing 3)Suspense 1)The most often used literary technique to describe the house is personification, where you give inanimate objects human-like characteristics. The stove is given human actions, In the kitchen the breakfast stove gave a hissing sigh and ejected from its warm interior. This passage shows that Bradbury has given a breakfast stove the ability to hiss a sigh. Stoves are not physically able to sigh. Rain is personified, And the rain tapped on the empty house, echoing. The rain did not literally tap on the house, it means that the rain was making noise as it fell and came into contact with the house. 2)Bradbury uses is foreshadowing, hinting clues that suggest events that will later happen. The voice-clock sang, worriedly, Ticktock, seven o clock, time to get up, time to get up, seven o clock! As if it were afraid that nobody would. This shows that the house was sensing something was going to be different today. It foreshadows that something bad may happen. There is a fire in the house, Smoke and silence. A great quantity of smoke. . The silence is foreshadowing that the house has given up and died. Foreshadowing is used by Bradbury to hint later events. 3)Bradbury uses suspense to create an effective story. The dog is injured from the nuclear bomb. â€Å"†¦once huge and fleshy, but now gone to bone and covered with sores†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This creates suspense because it makes the reader wonder if the dog is going to survive. When a fire is ablaze in the house. â€Å"The fire burst the house and het it slam flat down, puffing out skirts of spark and smoke†. It makes the reader wonder what will happen next and how the house is going to result. Suspense is used to build up the excitement of the reader making them want to read on to find out. In conclusion, personification, fore shadowing and suspense are used to create â€Å"There Will Come Soft Rains†. Bradbury uses literary elements to make a successful short story.

Smoking In England Health And Social Care Essay

Smoking In England Health And Social Care Essay Smoking is one of the major causes of preventable and premature death in the England. Smoking is a main contributory factor to the gap in mortality and healthy life expectancy between the most and least advantaged. There has been action on this public health issue by the government to protect the children and old age people. Government effort to tackle the problem of smoking gives multiple results in health promotion in society like reducing the cancer deaths, reducing asthma, reducing coronary heart diseases etc. Government took a major step towards the issue smoking by publishing White paper. Smoking is also one of the primary causes of health equality in England. In this paper, the problem of smoking is addressed by discussing about public health and health promotion models approach towards smoking, epidemiology of smoking in England, international policies and strategies to control smoking, national and local policies and strategies implemented to reduce the prevalence of smoking in England and reviewing them and concluding with some suggestions and recommendations. Smoking was not a major public health problem in 19th century. Tobacco was introduced from North America in Europe at the end fifteenth century. In beginning, tobacco was used for the medicinal purposes, later it was burnt in pipes for the pleasure purpose in England, then in Europe which later spread in whole world (Doll, 1998). The introduction of mechanical cigarette rolling machine brought the transformation and then cigarette became the cheapest and convenient way of tobacco use. In first half of 20th century cigarettes were promoted through advertisements, public relation and sponsorships. Smoking was not considered a public health issue due to insufficient evidence to prove relation of smoking to lung cancer, coronary heart disease etc. Later in research studies prove that smoking causes lung cancer (Doll and Hill, 1950). Globally 5.4 million people die each year from tobacco epidemic. The death toll is rising persistently and in two decades will reach 8 million a year. In the WHO European Region smoking prevalence is estimated at around 28.6% with a large gender difference males account for 40% and females 18.2%. The difference between the proportions of men and women smoking has gradually reduced, although it has not disappeared completely. In 1982, 38 per cent of men and 33 per cent of women were smokers, compared with 27 per cent of men and 25 per cent of women in 2002(Office for National Statistics, 2004). Among young people aged 15 years, the prevalence of weekly smoking is on average 24%. About 8.5 million people still smoke in England today, and over 80,000 deaths a year are due to smoking in England alone. According to the Tobacco control database, years lost from death by smoking range from 12 20 years, and up to 21% of deaths are attributed to smoking. According to Office of National Stat istics (March, 2009) smoking fell to its lowest recorded level in 2007 i.e. 21 per cent of the population aged 16 and over which were 22 percent in 2006, 28 percent in 1998 and 39 percent in 1980. It has been found that smoking is prevalent in the working age groups. Those aged 20 to 24 and 25 to 34 reported the highest prevalence of cigarette smoking (32% and 26% respectively) while those aged 60 and over reported the lowest (12%). Current smokers smoked an average of 13.1 cigarettes a day. Prevalence of smoking amongst people in the routine and manual socio-economic group continues to be greater than amongst those in the managerial and professional group (26% and 15% respectively). Almost two thirds (65%) of current and ex-smokers who had smoked regularly at some point in their lives started smoking before they were 18. Smoking is more prevalent in the ethnic minority groups. There has been huge difference between the ethnic groups in England. Bangladeshi (44percent), White Irish (39 percent), Black Caribbean (35 percent) men were the highest smokers where as Pakistani (25 percent) and Indian (23percent) men were smoking comparable to the general population and Chinese men smoked the least of 17 percent. Similar to men, White Irish and Black Caribbean women had the highest smoking rates (33 per cent and 25 per cent respectively), although only White Irish women had a rate higher than the general population (27 per cent). But unlike men, women in every other minority ethnic group were much less likely to smoke than women in the general population (Health Survey for England, 1999). Smoking prevalence is a key indicator not just for smoking-related diseases but also for health inequalities. Smoking behaviour is strongly related to a persons socio-economic class. Death rates from tobacco are two to three times higher among disadvantaged social groups. Smoking is significant contributor to the gap in health and life expectancy between the richest and the poorest. Smoking exhibits a strong social gradient and is the major cause of health inequalities in the United Kingdom accounting for two thirds of the difference in risk of premature death between social classes. Reducing the prevalence of smoking increases the life expectancy and also reduces the chances of various acute and chronic diseases. Smoking is responsible for various forms of cancers, coronary heart diseases and respiratory diseases like emphysema and bronchitis. It also increases the chances of tuberculosis infection. Reducing the smoking rate has a strong positive impact on local economy. People from lower socio-economic classes are more likely to smoke than those from higher classes. For example, Bangladeshi men were over represented in the lowest socio-economic class (semi-routine or routine occupations), and these men also had the highest rates of smoking. Smoking is prevalent almost equally in both the sex in the high income group but in low income groups or manual working class the number of female smokers is considerably less (Health Survey for England, 1999). Smoking in pregnancy increases infant mortality by approximately 40%, and smoking prevalence is 1.5 times higher in routine and manual pregnant women than the population as a whole. Second hand smoke is responsible for the sudden infant death syndrome and also contributes to asthma or bronchitis in children. People in poorer social groups who smoke, start smoking at an earlier age: of those in managerial and professional households, 31% started smoking before they were 16, compared with 45% of those in rou tine and manual households. The issue of smoking can be approached from all the models of health promotion. From medical model point of view the aim is to identify those at risk from disease. It can be done by screening the individual for the risk assessment e.g. measurement Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV). Behavioural change approach is aimed mainly to encourage individuals to take responsibility for their own health and choose healthier lifestyle. This can be done by individual advice and information about the impact of smoking on their family members .Educational model approach aims to increase the knowledge about healthy lifestyle which can be done by educating about the hazards of smoking and informing them about various methods to quit smoking e.g. Nicotine replacement Therapy (NRT) etc. Social model approach from aspect of health promotion is very important for dealing with smoking. It aims to address the inequalities in health based on class, race, gender, geography. This can be done by development of pu blic health legislation like smoke free workplace, smoke free public places etc (Naidoo and Wills, 2009, p.67-77). Smoking kills one-in-two of all lifelong users. At current rate of mortality and morbidity due to smoking approximately 10 million people will die out of which around 70% people will be from developing countries. World Health Organisation developed a first health treaty known as Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and adopted in May 2003 to control tobacco supply and consumption. At the World Health Assembly in May 2003 the Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) including United Kingdom agreed on this public health treaty. The text of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) covers tobacco taxation, smoking prevention and treatment, illicit trade, advertising, sponsorship and promotion, and product regulation. The treaty requires signatory parties to implement comprehensive tobacco control programmes and strategies at the national, regional and local levels. The preamble of treaty mentions the need to protect public health, the unique nature of tobacco products and the harm that companies that produce them cause. The key measures included in the tobacco control strategy for England are reducing exposure to children from second-hand smoke through targeted campaigns highlighting the benefits of smoke-free homes and cars; to strengthen the NHS Stop Smoking Services and providing new routes to quitting for smokers unable to stop abruptly; to increase the investment to drive down tobacco smuggling; to sustain spending on marketing campaigns to encourage smokers to quit; to implement the retail display ban and ban on sale of tobacco from vending machines (Health Act, 2009).The key elements included in text of FCTC and in tobacco control policy of United Kingdom were very similar. These key elements have been discussed together from the international and national aspects. Advertising is considered as the main reason for promotion of smoking. At international level, World Health Organisation tells the signatory countries to move towards a comprehensive ban within five years of the FCTC convention entering into force. It also contains provisions for countries that cannot implement a complete ban by requiring them to restrict tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship within the limits of their laws. It also requires the countries to look at the possibility of a protocol to provide a greater level of detail on cross-border advertising which can include the technical aspects of preventing or blocking advertising in areas such as satellite television and the internet. At national level, tobacco advertising is banned by law throughout the United Kingdom. The Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 prohibit tobacco advertising on billboards, in print media, by direct mail and through sponsorship. The act has set of four regulations which ban advertisi ng at point of sale, brand sharing, sponsorship, specialist tobacconist. A health warning equivalent to one third of the surface area of the advertisement must be included at counters. Taxation and price rise of the tobacco product is one of the way which helps in reducing the prevalence of smoking among young people by increasing the cost of tobacco products. High tobacco tax, which is  recommended by the World Bank,  is recognised as a good health and economic policy. Increasing taxes on  tobacco encourages people to give up smoking and raises revenue for the government  thus reducing the need for taxes on jobs and investment. At international level, the FCTC guidelines tells that countries should consider public health objectives when implementing tax and price policies on tobacco products. At national level, the British government announced that it planned to increase tobacco tax by at least 5% a year in real terms (White Paper, 1998). This policy was dropped in 2001 and since then annual increase is around inflation rates which comes around 2.5% a year. Tobacco smuggling is an international problem requiring a global response. It has been estimated that about one-third of all internationally traded cigarettes are smuggled (350 billion cigarettes per year), causing billions of pounds of lost government revenue (over  £2 billion in the UK alone).Under the Article 15 of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (May, 2003) agreed governments were required to monitor and collect data on cross border trade in tobacco products including illicit trade, to enact or strengthen legislation against illicit trade in tobacco, to destroy counterfeit and contraband tobacco, to adopt and implement measures to monitor and control the distribution of tobacco products and to adopt measures to enable the confiscation of proceeds derived from smuggling. The British Government launched a  £200 million initiative to tackle tobacco smuggling which resulted in declining the illicit market share from a peak of 21% in 2000-1 to 15% by 2003-4. In the 2006 Bu dget, the Treasury announced plans to extend the campaign which included a target to reduce the size of the UK illicit tobacco market by 1,200 tonnes by 2007/08. In the 2008 Budget, the Chancellor announced that the recently created Borders Agency would take responsibility for developing a new comprehensive strategy to tackle tobacco smuggling. Labelling of the cigarette and tobacco packet showing health warning alerts the customer about the potential health hazards of the product. According to FCTC guidelines, at least 30 percent of the display area on tobacco product packaging should display clear health warnings. These warnings can be in form of text, pictures or both. Labelling language should not be misleading and should not give false impression that the product is less harmful than others. Similar policy was implemented in United Kingdom by Tobacco Products Regulations (2002). In the UK, picture warnings on cigarette packs were introduced from October 2008. Pictorial warnings on other tobacco products will be required by October 2010. The Tobacco Products Directive also places maximum levels on the amount of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide permitted in cigarettes and requires tobacco companies to disclose tobacco ingredients to national governments. Financing of the national tobacco control programmes by the governments is a major step towards smoking and health promotion among the people, educating the illiterate people about the hazards of tobacco. According to World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (2003), signatory countries are required to provide financial support to their national tobacco control programmes. The elements of the treaty reflect WHO and World Bank policies on a comprehensive plan to reduce global tobacco consumption. The text of the treaty requires the countries to promote treatment programmes to help people stop smoking and education to prevent people from starting, to prohibit sales of tobacco products to minors, and to limit public exposure to second-hand smoke. In England, tobacco control activity is led by the Department of Health. The Department has six strands strategy to reduce smoking rates. This strategy is focused on: supporting smokers to quit; reducing exposure to second-hand smoke; running effective communications and education campaigns; reducing tobacco advertising, marketing and promotion; effectively regulating tobacco products; reducing the availability and supply of tobacco products. The outcome of this six strand strategy is that the prevalence of smoking is reducing in general population but the rate is slower in the routine and manual group and smoking is major contributor of health inequality in England. In 2008, Department of Health issued a consultation, a step towards a new national tobacco control strategy. It covers four main areas for controlling smoking. They are: Reducing the smoking rates and health inequalities caused by smoking. Smoking prevalence is an indicator for health inequalities. Government policy is dedicated to tackle health inequality under a Public Service Agreement (PSA) to ensure that the gap in health inequalities in rich and poor should not widen. National Support Teams are made to support the local delivery of the Public Sector Agreement, working with local authorities like primary care trust. Local Strategic Partnerships need to be encouraged to adopt smoking prevalence as one of the targets in their Local Area Agreements. Local Strategic Partnerships should ensure that work is undertaken with their local public health agencies and government office for calculating smoking prevalence in their area and for determining the appropriate targets. Public Health professionals also need to work with their Local Strategic Partnership to help develop Local Area Agreement action plans. Targeting the Routine and Manual helps in targe ting the largest group of smokers responsible for smoking related health inequality (Department of Health, 2009). Protection of children and young people from smoking by reducing the affordability, reducing the availability to the children, reducing the attractiveness of the tobacco products and increasing awareness about harms of tobacco products. There is rise in the price of cigarettes and tobacco products each year by government which makes cigarette less affordable for young people. Government made strict laws for sale of cigarettes by vending machines and also by increasing the minimum age to 18 years for purchase of tobacco product. The advertising of the tobacco products is banned and tobacco products will be removed from display in 2011 from large retailers and completely removed by 2013. The government will continue to give advice on harms of smoking and tobacco through voluntary National Healthy Schools Programme. Motivating and assisting smokers to quit smoking. Smoking cessation has been a key component of the governments tobacco control policy. This includes NHS stop smoking services or primary care or using over the counter medication. The NHS Stop Smoking Services were launched in 1999-2000 in the Health Action Zones (HAZ) which are the areas of high deprivation. The services were rolled out to the rest of England in 2000/01. The Specialist stop smoking services providing behavioural support and pharmacotherapy have been established as standard NHS services throughout the United Kingdom. Most forms of Nicotine Replacement Therapies are also available on general sale. The importance of helping smokers to quit smoking is stressed in priorities guidance to the NHS and health professionals. Targets have been set for smoking cessation treatment and also for prevalence reductions in each Primary Care Trust. Expenditure on smoking cessation services has steadily increased since their creation in 2000, rising from  £21.5 million to  £74 million in 2008-09. The cost per quitter in 2008/09 was  £219. The cost including hospital admissions, GP consultations and prescriptions, the treatment of disease caused by smoking is approximately  £1.7 billion per year. The net ingredient cost of all pharmacological therapies to help people stop smoking was  £61 million in 2007/08. This compares to  £45m in 2006/07. The government encourages people to quit smoking through its mass media campaigns like Get Unhooked campaign. The funding of advertising campaigns in form of banners is supported by the government on large scale. Government funds various researches to give evidence on smoking cessation services, and to monitor and evaluate the above initiatives including options to reduce under-age sales, introduce ID cards for children, tougher penalties for retailers who sell to children, and a new code on the location of cigarette vending machines. Reviewing the tobacco control policy in United Kingdom various policy gaps were identified and recommendations are suggested for the service gaps. Firstly, advertising policy of the tobacco products. Currently advertising at the point of sale is still permitted which is equivalent in size to one A5 sized advertisement and the health warning should be covering the one third area of the display or advertising. According to Health Act (2009) the tobacco products should be removed from the display in shops. But government will implement this law in 2011 for large retailers and 2013 for small retailers. It is recommended that government should implement the law about the advertising immediately so as to reduce the promotion and marketing of tobacco products which discourages the interest of the young age people. Government is encouraging and funding various media campaigns like banner promotions, television and newspaper advertising campaigns to promote smoking cessation services and anti smoking campaigns. Government need to develop local campaigns which should target the ethnic groups by translating the banners in their language. The campaigns should involve the cultural or community leaders, celebrities etc so that the campaigns attract more public. The age limit for buying a tobacco product has increased from 16 years to 18 years so that the cigarette and tobacco products are not easily available to young people. Government should licence all the tobacco retailers so as to improve the enforcement of the minimum age limit. Prohibit the sale of tobacco from vending machines. Ensure all pregnant women are offered support from specialist stop smoking services as part of routine antenatal care. Train midwives to provide appropriate stop smoking advice and referrals to all pregnant smokers. Develop and evaluate new services and incentives to support the efforts of pregnant smokers to quit. Promote smoke free homes and cars through national and local campaigns. Routine and Manual smokers should be approached through an integrated framework model to reduce smoking prevalence. All the Primary Care Trust service providers at the local stop smoking service should be trained and capable to deliver high quality services. The insights of the routine and manual smokers should be shared by health commissioner for development of future agreements. The service provider should try to gather and share tobacco related intelligence e.g. cheap and illicit tobacco. The local authorities should try coordinating and monitoring the local tobacco control alliance. Government has encouraged various initiatives to reduce the prevalence of smoking in England. There has been support from the World Health Organisation and World Bank to promote anti tobacco campaigns. The new strategies and policies are needed to focus on the routine and manual worker groups which will help in reducing the smoking prevalance. The policies should be implemented properly at the local level. England has achieved the targets to reduce the smoking in public. But still there is a need for every individual smoker and non smoker to take an initiative to eradicate the unhealthiest lifestyle from their lives.

Handguns in Households with Children Essay -- essays research papers

Handguns in Households with Children   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Guns in America are a problem as bad as the drug problem: 43% of households that have children have handguns in them; 10 children die every day from handguns, approximately one every 2  ½ hours. That is the same of a classroom of children every two days. Parents do not realize that children get the physical capacity to reach and discharge a firearm long before the ability to understand the potential consequences of these actions. Parents who insist on keeping guns in the home should be urged strongly to store their firearms unloaded and locked in a secure place. Actions like these will reduce the probability of children being killed by a firearm. The presence of handguns in households with children frequently leads to fatal accidents, suicides, and murders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The majority of handguns kept in homes are NOT kept safely locked up, simply because people are stupid enough to believe that they need to be able to access that gun as fast as possible in case of emergency. These people keep their guns in bedside drawers, closets, under mattresses. Most of the children who are involved in fatal accidents are older children. In 1999, the most recent year which data are available, 34 children under the age of 5 died in gun accidents. Among children aged 5-9, there were 56 fatal gun accidents; and among children aged 10-14, 146 fatal accidents. For instance, on July 21, 1999, in Lakepark, Florida, a 6-year-old boy fatally shot his 5-year-old brother Corey Andrew Wilson, as the boys played with a shotgun they found under a bed in their grandparent’s bedroom. The best way to reduce gun risks is to remove guns from home. Candamo 2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Children suicide has truly become a problem of outbreak proportions in America that must be addressed from every direction. As numerous studies have shown, children use guns in roughly two out of every three-suicide attempt, and handguns are used in 70% of these. In 1998 alone, 1200 youth in America committed suicide with a gun, the same of one every seven hours. Children suicide attempts are usually impulsive acts, and the easier it is to carry out. Using a firearm in a suicide attempt drastically increases the likelihood that the attempt will be fatal. Simply having a gun in the home actually increases the chances of suic... ...ban or recall hundreds of products that cause injury or death to very small numbers of children, yet they will not pass laws making guns safer because of the NRA. Maybe people may not be able to fight the NRA on the national level, but there are many cities and states that have already taken one step forward. Such a small number, however, is not enough to convince the politicians that they don’t need the NRA’s money or votes. The children need their help.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, despite the guidelines regarding safe firearm storage in homes with children, a study reports less than half of gun-owning parents store their firearms safely. Many parents underestimate the risk of leaving their children in the home with an unlocked and loaded firearm. The gap between awareness and reality is particularly great for gun-owning parents. More gun-owning parents trust their children with a loaded gun and believe that their young child can tell the difference between a toy gun and a real gun. And in many cases they will not be able to tell the difference. So to have handguns in homes around children will sooner or later produce fatal accidents, suicides, and even murders.