Life Transitions Essay

The mesosystem is the second structure within Bronfenbrenner’s social ecological model. Bowes & Hayes (1999) describe the mesosystem as the interrelationships between the indivuduals in the microsystem. There is direct collaboration between the individual and their relationships between their microsystem, their behaviors, expectations and values may differ with different experiences (Bowes, Grace & Hayes 2012). Regarding my life transition, the relationships between home and school within the microsystem became stressful, causing a negative impact on myself. Though when looking at figure 2, it is evident that after the stressors had ceased, a strong positive relationship occurred. This example highlights how a negative relationship between two aspects of the microsystem can dramatically change and become a powerful mesosytem agents to the individual effecting their development. Other indirect relationships that still effect the individual are seen in the exosystem. Garbarino (1992) describes the exosystem as a setting in which the individual is not directly involved with, but still has an effect on them through the meso or microsystem. In terms of my life transition, the relationship with my father and his workplace from figure 1 does not affect me directly, though due to this my relationship with my father lessened throughout my transition to University for his working hours increased causing us to spend less time together. The outer most relationships shown in figures 1 and 2 are known as the macrosystem. According to Bowes, Grace & Hayes (2012) the macro system is the broad societal or cultural contexts, cultural beliefs systems and values that are passed through our micro and mesosystems. An example of my personal transition is the government fundings for rural students to study away from home which allowed my financial transition to be much smoother. The last key structure to Bronfenbrenner’ social ecological model is known as the chronosystem. The chronosystem emphasizes the individuals changes or in any of the ecological contexts of development over time (Shaffer & Kipp 2006). An example of my personal transition that was undertaken was the sudden death of my father. It not only changed myself as an individual, but will  continue to affect my across my life span. Harms (2010) created another multidimensional approach within Bronfenbrenner’s model which takes the individuals inner world into consideration as well as their environment. Both Harms and Bronfenbrenner’s models display that though there are different dimensions of the models, they are both connected to each other in multiple ways. Gibsons theoretical framework is another example of a perspective in human development. Both Bronfenbrenner and Gibsons theories involved the concept of there being a strong relationship between the individual and their environment, both have aspects that are focused in change over time Tudge, Gray, & Hogan (1997). Developmental niche is another example of a model based upon different dimentions. Harkness & Super, (1994) define a developmental niche as two processes that are unique to an individual. It is based upon three basic components, the physical and social settings, culturally regulated customs and the psychology of the individual an example of a developmental niche would be the individual and their close friends as it was formed from mutual interests. In addition, the relationships between the structures of an individual’s microsystem can also impact in a similar way. Furthermore when discussing individual development, the concepts of resilience and vulnerability must be seen as factors. In terms of my personal transition, I would haveoriginally been seen as vulnerable, though due to increasing protective factors such as new relationships being formed from my microsystem level, I then would have been deemed resilient as I was able to thrive and adapt to the new change (Miller, Osbahr, Boyd, Thomalla, Bharwani, Ziervogel,†¦ & Nelson 2010). Life transitions occur in individuals lives due to a psychological or environmental change in a particular time in their life. My personal transition that is being discussed was the move from highschool and my home town, to moving to Bendigo and commence University studies. Bronfenbrenners ecological model was used to demonstrate the changed faced in terms of Microsystems, Mesosystems, Exosystem and Macrosystems. There are many other contributing factors that influence an individual and their life changes,  from other theories such as Harms model, as well as Gibsons, to the vulnerability or resilience of the individual. When taking all these aspects into my personal transition, it is clearly shown that my relationships, psychological state and environment have all ended as positive and thus becoming a positive transition. References: Berry, J. O. (1995). Families and deinstitutionalization: An application of Bronfenbrenner’s social ecology model. Journal of Counseling & Development,73(4), 379-383. Bowes, J, M., Hayes, A. (1999). Children, families and communities: contexts and consequences. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Bowes, J., Grace, R,. & Hayes, A. (2012). The role of context in childrens development. Retrieved from: http://0-www.lib.latrobe.edu.au.alpha2.latrobe.edu.au/ereserve/copyright2014/4140321.pdf Bronfenbrenner, U. (1999). Environments in developmental perspective: Theoretical and operational models. Measuring environment across the life span: Emerging methods and concepts, 3-28. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1997). Ecological models of human development. Readings on the development of children, 1993, 37-43. Garbarino, J. (1992). Children and families in the social environment (2nd ed.). New York: Aldine de Gruyter. Harkness, S., & Super, C. M. (1994). The developmental niche: A theoretical framework for analyzing the household production of health. Social science & medicine, 38(2), 217-226. Harms, L (2010) Understanding human development: a multidimensional approach. Oxford University Press. Miller, F., Osbahr, H., Boyd, E., Thomalla, F., Bharwani, S., Ziervogel, G., †¦ & Nelson, D. (2010). Resilience and vulnerability: complementary or conflicting concepts?. Ecology & society, 15(3). Rosa, E. M., & Tudge, J. (2013). Urie bronfenbrenner’s theory of human development: Its evolution from ecology to bioecology. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 5(4), 243-258. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12022 Shaffer, D., & Kipp, K. (2006). Developmental psychology: Childhood and adolescence. Cengage Learning Swick, K. J., & Williams, R. D. (2006). An analysis of Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological perspective for early childhood educators: Implications for working with families experiencing stress. Early Childhood Education Journal, 33(5), 371-378. Tudge, J., Gray, J., & Hogan, D. M. (1997). Ecological perspectives in human development: A comparison of Gibson and Bronfenbrenner. Comparisons in human development: Understanding time and context, 72-105.

Compare and Contrast Communism, Socialism, and Capitalism

What is communism? Communism is a term used broadly to designate a ‘theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state. ’ It refers to the doctrine which underlines the revolutionary movement which aims to abolish capitalism and ultimately to establish a society in which all goods will be socially owned, all economic activates socially planned and controlled, and in which all distributions will be in accordance with the maxim.German author Emil Ludwig described the maxim as â€Å"for each according to his capacity, to each according to his need. †(1) It is to be distinguished from socialism which aims by constitutional and democratic methods to nationalize gradually only the essential means of production and to organize distribution on the basis of a just reward to each person for the amount and quality of his or her work. In its early forms the term â €Å"communism† first came into use in France, after 1840; the general idea being that private property is the source of all social ills which can be cured only by a community of goods and interest.In the Greco- Roman world, Plato expounded the idea in his book The Republic in the 4th century and to stoics implied it in their doctrine of natural right or as they called it â€Å"jus natural† which means according to which natured created all men free and equal and private property was unknown to the original state of nature. (2) According to Karl Marx, this is the final stage towards development of egalitarian society. Here all the resources are state-owned and it determines its distribution based on the needs in an effort to bring about equality. Communism is conservative. Fewer and fewer people have any say in how the economy works.By using state coercion to fulfill unmet demands, it restricts individual freedom. Communism necessarily takes the form of totalitarianism or the tyranny of all over one since it’s up to the state to decide who gets what. Historically, communist societies have been characterized by the absolute rule of a revolutionary party leader, beneath whom everyone is equally subservient. It becomes very difficult for such an economy to survive in a large population when it becomes difficult for equal distribution of resources. (5) Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels are the ones responsible for the theoretical foundations of the modern communism.In their time together Marx and Engels wrote several pieces of documentations and books which started in 1848 with The Communist Manifesto, 1850 Marx’s Class Struggles in France, 1867 The First Volume of Das Kapital, 1871 Civil War in France, 1875 Critique of the Gotha Programme, and in 1877 Engels so called Anti-Duhring. Marx and Engels took over and modified the current concepts of materialism, the Hegelian view of historic evolution as dialectical process moving from thesis th rough antithesis to synthesis, the labor theory of value of David Ricardo, The critique of capitalism of the ‘Utopian â€Å"by French socialist, and tactics of Blanqui.In later writings, Marx and Engels described the ideal communist society only in general terms such as â€Å"a system of social ownership under which production would be carried on by voluntary associations of workers, distribution would be in accordance with the needs, the state would cease to be an instrument of force and â€Å"wither away† and the individual would live in freedom and in harmony with society. Marx and Engels thought that the social revolution they aimed at could be carried out by peaceful means in some countries like England and The United States. 2) Marx and Engels used the term â€Å"communism† to distinguish their program from socialism which in the 1840’s meant economic and social reform. Some countries that are, or have been communist are the former U. S. S. R, Chin a, Germany, Guatemala, Cuba, Greece, Africa, Some parts of the United States, Turkey, Suez, Israel, North Korea, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and the southern part of Thailand. (2) We now move to socialism, what is socialism? As mentions before socialism is the doctrine that espouses public ownership or control of a major means of production.It aims to achieve an equitable and efficient distribution of social goods and greater economic planning then exist under capitalism. Although the central concerns of socialism appears to be economic its ramifications extend to the moral, social and political realms, in fact together with nationalism, it is the leading ideological and political movement of the 20th century. It is considered to be the transitional phase between the capitalism and communism. Thus, you would find all communists advocating for socialism because it lays the foundations for communism.It advocates an egalitarian society where everyone shares equal wealth and power . There is a considerable disagreement over how the distribution should take place. Hence, socialism can be said to be between extreme capitalism and extreme communism with it being nearer to communism. Socialism is liberal. More people have say in how the economy works. (5) The basic principles of contempary socialism have their origin in the economic, social and cultural transformations of Europe which occurred during the 18th and 19th centuries.Contributing factors were the Industrial Revolution and the rise of the bourgeois’ and proletarian classes, the enlightenment’s secular and rationalistic view of men and society, and the democratic demands of the French Revolution. Social ownership and control is the development of private property and it inordinate pursuit are seen by socialist theorist as the root causes of inequalities among men, of moral corruption, and of disruptions of the social order, this led to the abolition of private property or control over its u ndesirable manifestations, is fundamental tenet of socialism.The means advocated attaining this objective accounts for a broad range of socialist programs, from state ownership and regulation of the entire economy to anarchistic cooperative association; from mixed economy of publicity corporately and privately owned enterprises to national producers’ and consumers’’ cooperatives; from state sponsored social welfare programs to self-sufficient local communes. Socialist argues that the pernicious nature of private property was cleared disclosed with the development of capitalism.The growth of commerce and industry, coupled with the doctrine of Laissez faire, brought about the private ownership of the major means of productions by a small group of individuals, who intern was able to accumulate most of the wealth of the society. People began to move away from the country and the population became centralized. Cities grew rapidly and overcrowding became an enormous p roblem. This new industrial workforce, the proletariat, worked and lived in appalling conditions. Poverty was rampant.The cities were havens for crime and disease. The tumultuous transformation affected not only the lives of the workers but also craftsmen, such as handloom weavers, who were being forced out of business by factories which could produce the same product at a lower price. Much of the working class was confounded by the radical changes that were going on. Without anyone planning it, capitalism had emerged and began to flourish as there was no opposition to it. The factory owners became richer and low-skilled workers and the unemployed became poorer.Workers whose trades were less secured decided to form trade societies. This allowed the proletariat who had nothing to trade but their labor, to sell their labor for the best possible price. By uniting, workers could achieve results that could not be achieved individually. The central ideas of socialist have their roots in m ans perennial discontent with the conditions of his existence. They reflect his desire to overcome scarcity, inequality and social strife, and his longing for justice, happiness, perfection and at time for transcendence.Among the forerunners of modern socialism are the utopias of Plato with is book The Republic along with Sir Thomas More Utopia , 1516 and Tommase Campanella City of The Sun 1602, the experiments of the Anabaptist Sects in Central Europe, the theories of the Diggers and Levelers in England. (3) The theories of Marx and Engels represent the watershed of socialist thought. The collaborators synthesized the basic socialist ideas, gave them a comprehensive theoretical and practice expressions and influence their development.Although communism developed as an atheistic ideology the basic principles of socialism can be readily traced to the Christian idea of brother hood, it protests against the selfish pursuit of wealth, and its traditions of communal life. Indeed, Engels acknowledges the religious heritage of the socialist movement and considered the early Christians among the precursors of socialism. (3) Louis Blane and Constantine Pecqueur, who advocated public ownership, worker-managed industries and parliamentary democracy during the Revolution of 1848 in France, were the precursors of the socialism accepted by the modern social democratic parties.The Fabian society founded in 1884, set out to promote socialism through gradual democratically achieved reforms in England. Relying on propaganda, research, and public debate, the Fabians sought to â€Å"permate† trade unions, political parties and other gaps with their ideas. They succeeded with the middle and educated classes and they became influential in the labor and liberal parties. Among the earliest Fabians were G. B Shaw and Sidney Webb. Areas that were affected by socialism were European countries such as Germany, Austria, Bulgaria and Estonia.In Asia you had North and South Korea, Vi etnam, Burma, Japan, Lon Nol, Singapore, Ceylon. In the Middle East there was Israel, Egypt, and Tunisia. In Africa there was Ghana, Sekov Toure, The Congo, Kenya and Tanganyika, and in Latin America there were Uruguay and Mexico. (3) This term was first coined by Karl Marx to describe a system in which small group of people own large amount of money, land, resources. It puts all the economy is the hands of wealthy business people with the only aim of maximizing profits.Such economies remain free of government intervention with all the policies being determined by private individuals. The result is monopoly, and a huge gap in the earnings among the employer class and the worker class. Though it’s very good for trades and industries to flourish, it can lead to worker exploitation and unethical business practices. â€Å"Laissez-Faire† capitalism which means pure capitalism with no government intervention is said to have never existed in practice. 5) Capitalism is the typ e of economy in which capital is privately owned and maybe freely used by the owners as they wish in attempting to make profits from their economic enterprise. This type of economy is known as Capitalistic system. Implicit in capitalism is the existence of an effective technique for exchanging good and services. In all but extremely primitive forms of capitalism presuppose the existence of a monetary and financial system. In the sense the term capitalism may be distinguished any economic system in which capital is privately owned and used by the owner as he wishes, capitalism is not of recent origin.Elements of this type of economic system may be traced back to early historical periods. Even in the hunting and fishing style of society, physical capital and financial capital were individually owned and used. Further capitalistic developments continued through the pastoral and agricultural stages and into the age of metal. By the time of the Greek and Roman civilizations, capitalism h ad become fairly well developed. The oppressive phase due to the Industrial Revolution in England drew much socialist criticism.Marx and others tended to generalize from the unfortunate aspects of the Industrial Revolution and to conduce that the explanation of labor was an inherent of evil capitalism. Marx predicted that under capitalism cyclical fluctuations in business activity would become increasingly severe. This would cause more and more members of the capitalist class to be reduced to the ranks of the proletariat. Eventually, he predicted the increasing misery of the proletarian class would lead it to overthrow the capitalistic system and replace it with some form of socialism.In 1776 Adam Smith, a Scottish university professor, produced a book which described the workings of a capitalist society. He believed that a country's wealth depends on all people pursuing their own interests. If a person promotes his own interest he or she is unintentionally promoting his country's i nterest. Smith thought that governments should promote free trade and not interfere by protecting certain industries from competition. The only duty of governments, Smith wrote, was to provide services that couldn't be profitable like the building of roads, schools and churches.

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

Environment - Essay Example There are some few trucks available from the neighboring towns for hire that can be used to transport project materials. Besides, there are two major rail lines that pass near the village and can be of help (â€Å"Ewbchallenge,† 2014) It is very difficult to find land to build a project in the area. The land in Sandikhola is not even enough for the population to build good houses and shelter for their animals. The whole village is interconnected by narrow roads and paths between houses. There is hardly enough land for them to grow crops (â€Å"Ewb,† 2014). The weather in Sandikhola, Nepal is diverse. They range from cold summers to humid and hot summers. The residents are, for example, continuously looking for new building materials and techniques to withstand the rough weather conditions. The village is situated and surrounded by highlands. There are several valleys running through the village that drain to the two rivers in Nepal. The highlands are densely populated with trees of various species (Reynolds,

Political Effects of WWI Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Political Effects of WWI - Research Paper Example They were Germany and Austria-Hungary (in 1918), Ottoman Empire (in 1922) and Russia (in 1917) (Mintz). Germany was recognized by Allied Powers as a country which launched WW1 and thus, was deprived of its overseas territories, and territories were retroceded to France in order to remain a unified German country (Effect of World War). Austria-Hungary, where the WW1 had nominally started from, was forced to cede Hungary and Balkan territories which later, proclaimed independent countries of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Czechoslovakia. Ex-empire was â€Å"trimmed down to primarily cover areas dominated by Austrian-German populations† while giving up territorial parts for Poland, Romania and Yugoslavia (Effect of World War). The Ottoman Empire, which before WW1 put together the most of Middle East lands and Turkey, was falling down due to the loss in WW1, but also to inner revolts. After the war Turkey was occupied by Allied forces, Palestine and Mesopotamia were annexed by Britain and France (Effect of World War). Later, â€Å"colonial revolts in the Middle East and in Southeast Asia† caused formation of modern independent Arab states on ex-Ottoman territories (Mintz). Russian Empire was the only winner country among ceased empires, and the reason of its fall was Russian Civil War of 1917. In this way, by the end of WW1 Russian monarchy was overthrown (Effect of World War). Bolsheviks came to power and Baltic territories - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, - managed to proclaim independence. Along with Germany, Russia gave up a part of Empire for Poland. All other territories later constructed the USSR, headed by Vladimir Lenin (Myson). A new Russian political regime, Bolshevism and later, Communism, was established as a part of a general trend. Citizen of the countries, especially of ones which experienced the greatest losses in WW1, were disappointed in their governments, and thus, new regimes started to increase

Health Care systems in Rural India Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Health Care systems in Rural India - Case Study Example These Adivasis live in small groups and are mostly on the move, always searching for their livelihood. In this essay I have chosen these people living near the village afore mentioned as a back drop for the essay. These people ear their livelihood by collecting tamarind, mangoes and wood from the forest and sells them in the nearby villages. The women of the community produce hand made crafts and art forms which did not recognition so far (Pushpa Chari: "Voices of the margins", 2009). Many of their children do not go to schools even today and therefore cannot read and write. From several generations these tribes remained secluded often unwanted. They speak in a native language called as "Gondu" (C.Sudhakar Reddy et al, 2008), which the urban population cannot comprehend easily. Healthcare remains an unknown concept to them as both the Men and women of all ages in this tribe chews tobacco or related products, and drink locally made liquor, which is mostly unpurified spirit. The women cook their meals on open fire from wood collected from the forests. Despite the fact that Indian economy is improving at a tremendous rate some parts of this world still lurks in dark regions. These tribal people are still striving for an identity of their own. Communication with these people for the external world is a tough proposition. Because they are always on the move communication of any sort will be very difficult as also is identifying their location. Nomadic culture still prevails in them and is a big constraint in communicating with them. Environmental factors: Environmental factors such as inter group rivalries over women, food and money are resulting as big limiting factors towards communication. These rivalries are a result of their lack of understanding and a poor example of their social behavior Psychosocial factors: Their inability to communicate with outside public except in their native "gondu" is a big limiting factor. Their inability to mix with the common public is restricting their learning opportunity. In fact they are unable to identify their health care needs, social needs, education needs etc due to the above stated psychosocial factors. Their beliefs towards health practices and its impact on their communities These adivasis believe that when people in their families falls sick they prey and make offerings to Neem trees and Banyan trees, according to them these trees are like replicas of goddesses and shower them with their blessings and offer them health. Also in case they need a medicine they will approach witches and other small time practitioners of medicine. Often they lose their lives because these medical practitioner's weird practices. It is indeed hard to believe even to day around 70% of the people of these communities do not have access towards primary healthcare. As a result infant mortality and deaths of pregnant women are common. Barriers influencing health schemes from reaching these communities: Because these people are moving from place to place from time to time, governments and officials are failing to recognize their health care

Cigarette warning labels Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cigarette warning labels - Essay Example Currently, the habit is practiced by men and women, even one as young as two years old in China. (Two) In 1898, the Tennessee Supreme Court maintains a total ban on cigarettes, saying that its use is toxic to one’s health. In 1965, after the Surgeon General of the United States reported about the dangers of cigarette smoking, the U.S. Congress passed the Cigarette Labelling and Advertising Act which stated that every cigarette pack must have a warning label claiming â€Å"Cigarettes may be hazardous to your health.† (History) Later on, Congress ordered companies to change their warning labels every three months and created four different labels to be used. These steps, however, did little to discourage the public from smoking. With the new cigarette health warning labels, consumers will not only be reading words that, as history has shown, have been easily ignored. The new labels are very visual. They would easily catch the attention of the consumers. Moreover, the pictures are extremely explicit in showing the dangers of smoking that would-be smokers may have second thoughts. The habit of smoking is too extensive and common to be stopped instantaneously and forcing smokers to stop infringes on their human rights. The new cigarette health warning labels are by far the best approach to making people realize smoking is hazardous and should be

IKEA Furniture Retailer to the World Coursework - 1

IKEA Furniture Retailer to the World - Coursework Example The famous four-legged dining tables, whose legs were easily detachable from the bottom, could be painlessly dismantled by the users. This also reduced the transportation and warehousing costs for IKEA (IKEA, 2012). IKEA gained popularity in its home country as well as in rest of Europe. The furniture designs reflect the Swedish art. IKEA’s stores were painted blue and yellow which reflects the Swedish flag. Though Scandinavian and European cultures are not synonymous, they have some common shades. IKEA was well aware of the fine taste of the Europeans, who laid special emphasis on elegant and classic designs. IKEA came up with a unique plan of offering Europeans with exquisite and classy designs, yet with a minimalistic price tag and this marketing strategy worked. In Philadelphia, IKEA opened its first store in 1985. The American market seemed to be a very good prospect, but the cold behavior of the Americans took IKEA by surprise. Some of its competitors like Walmart, Costco and Office Depot were offering low priced furniture range but it lacked proper design and good quality.Compared to IKEA, the furniture companies which were offering good design and quality products had a very high price tag attached to them. As per the customer analysis, IKEA furniture range did not attract the Americans. IKEA decided to re-emphasize on the furniture design because the American lifestyle and culture are very different from the European countries. IKEA renovated certain furniture range for the American markets and focused on the advertisement strategy which could lure the Americans. The tactics worked excellently and sales skyrocketed immediately after the marketing strategy was revamped. By 2008, the United States was IKEA’s second-largest market a fter Germany, with 35 stores accounting for 10 percent of total revenues (Hollensen & Banerjee, 2010, p.401).

Business Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Business Management - Essay Example However, this would attract large capital investments and total relocation which are not feasible at the present juncture. A centralized Storing & Warehousing Department could solve the problem. Under this system, the customer could provide his material requirements electronically through computer to the vendors. All his material supplies could be processed electronically in a central system and requisitions placed to different units that stock these items. All the requisitioned items could then be sent across to a central point used as material collection centre. The buyer needs to collect all his needed materials from this central point. This way, a complete electronic track is kept of all receipts and dispatch of goods to/from different units, however, geographically dispersed they may be. While exerting excellent control over goods, it also serves to reduce the efforts of customers who would otherwise need to move from unit to unit to collect their goods. The arrival pattern of trucks leads to traffic congestion and contributes to gridlock within the unit. This could be seen as an offshoot of the problem mentioned earlier. It is suggested that separate timings and controls are maintained for delivery trucks visiting the unit. These would be parked in areas which are not within normal business parking zones, thus the normal production etc would not be affected by vendors, or delivery activities. Moreover, the use of a centralized warehousing would relieve the congestion in peripheral stores and depots, and exercise more efficient control mechanism. There are concerns about Manufacturing Unit at Pacific Northwest (PN) with regard to rising production costs, higher carrying costs, late deliveries, increasing incidence of scrap and lower product quality standards that need to be urgently addressed to. In all

Obsessive compulsive disorder Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Obsessive compulsive disorder - Research Paper Example DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria The following four criteria are useful to define obsession in the the DSM-IV-TR (APA, 2000): †¢Recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images are experienced at some time during the disturbance as intrusive and inappropriate and cause marked anxiety and distress. Persons with this disorder recognize the pathologic quality of these unwanted thoughts (such as fears of hurting their children) and would not act on them, but the thoughts are very disturbing and difficult to discuss with others. †¢The thoughts, impulses, or images are not simply excessive worries about real-life problems. †¢The person attempts to suppress or ignore such thoughts, impulses, or images or to neutralize them with some other thought or action. †¢The person recognizes that the obsessional thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of his or her own mind (not imposed from without, as in thought insertion). The following 2 criteria are used to define compu lsions in DSM-IV-TR (APA, 2000): †¢An individual performs repetitive behaviors (eg, hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (eg, praying, counting, repeating words silently) in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be applied rigidly. The behaviors are not a result of the direct physiologic effects of a substance or a general medical condition. †¢The behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation. However, these behaviors or mental acts either are not connected in a way that could realistically neutralize or prevent whatever they are meant to address or they are clearly excessive. Clinical presentation The diagnosis of OCD is mainly done based on clinical history and presentation. It is important to establish the age off onset of the condition. Also, any history of tics must be noted. Common obsessions include safety, contamination, doubting of perception or memory, need for sy mmetry or order, scrupulosity and unwanted sexual thoughts. Common compulsions include checking, hand washing, cleaning, counting, touching objects and arranging objects. In many cases comorbid conditions like eating disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, impulsive disorders and ADHD can be present. It is important to identify these conditions and also include them in treatment. OCD is frequently associated with Tourette disorder and this condition must be identified and ruled out. Other problems associated with OCD include loss of interpersonal relationships and loss of functioning of the individual (Greenberg, 2011). Etiology The exact cause of OCD is not yet understood. However, there is some evidence that abnormalities in the serotonin neuro-transmission can occur. Other abnormalities include defective dopaminergic transmission and defective glutamatergic abnormalities. Some researchers are of the opinion that an increase in metabolic activity and blood flo w in certain regions of brain like thalamus, limbic structures, caudate and orbitofrontal cortex. Thus, OCD symptoms mainly occur due to impairment in the inhibition of specific orbitofrontal-subcortical circuitry that are involved in the regulation of autonomic responses and strong emotions. there is a strong heritability for OCD and this is based on various twin studies. Genes related to dopaminergic, serotonergic and

Theoretical Skirmish Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Theoretical Skirmish - Essay Example 115), while Condit did not clearly define the term, but stated that hegemony resisted â€Å"the exclusive and narrow focus on the economic base that pervaded earlier Marxist theories† (Condit, 1994, p. 206). Condit stated that the earlier Marxist theories held that in capitalism, dominant classes imposed their capitalism ideology on the working class, and that, since capitalism flourished around the globe, while Marxism failed, the ideology had to have been spread by â€Å"coercive military force of the State proper and the leadership exerted in the civil society on behalf of the world view of the group in power† (Condit, 1994, p. 206). In other words, according to this theory, capitalism is maintained in these societies by coercion and by leadership. The leaders must have allies with whom they have active assent, while also maintaining passive assent from the governed. In this way, there is a distinction between power and leading – power is something that a person obtains, while leading is the quality the person exerts. It is this latter quality that stabilizes a society. Leading takes into account that there are a spectrum of interests in the populace, and that the leadi ng groups interest is not the only one. If a society does not take this into account, but, rather, that the leader merely dictates his own worldview on the populace, this is dominating, as opposed to leading, and this results in â€Å"dictatorship without hegemony† (Condit, 1994, p. 207). Thus, hegemony is defined as a way to stabilize society by generating some kind of consent by the populace to the ideological bent of the leader. Condit and Cloud take slightly different tacts in illustrating the concept of hegemony, however. Condit states that hegemony in the United States is accomplished by concordance. In pre-industrial societies, hegemony was accomplished in a different way. Because these societies were more

American History Essay Example for Free

American History Essay The American Revolution posed to be an important event for both African Americans and women. For women, the impact of this event solidified their role and place in society (Courtney, 1999). These women made Americans understand their significance and worth in different aspects. On the other hand, for African Americans, this event started the process of change in terms of equality and the prevalent system of slavery. It is in this light such impact paved the way as a stepping stone towards gaining freedom and independence from their masters (Hooker, 1996). Comparing the two scenarios (women and African Americans), it can be argued that these two groups share the same principles each one fights for. The only difference in this is the manner wherein they are applied or the conditions that needs to be addressed. Looking at it, both parties seek to develop a renewed interest for (1) freedom, (2) equality, and (3) rights. However, in terms of application, we can see that African Americans clamor for this to eliminate the system of prejudice and hate brought about by slavery and apartheid. On the other hand, women continue to seek these principles for their desires to be equally associated with men in both rights and responsibilities. Despite these efforts, Americans continue to hinder participation for both African Americans and women. For women, suffrage was still maintained for men (Courtney, 1999). At the same time, jobs and responsibilities continue to be categorized accordingly with little or minimal changes. On the part of African Americans, apartheid and slavery continues to exist in some states. Likewise, prejudice and racial hate continues to be present especially among Southern states wherein some African American slaves were subjected (Hooker, 1996). The leaders in turn justified these actions as a result of adjustment and transition process wherein leaders and members of society have to adhere to these new set of standards and norms. At the same time, it was better off this way because some groups continue to pursue previous rules and principles since they are not subjected to such actions. Lastly, this endeavor opens up opportunities for change wherein it may prove to be difficult to handle for some leaders. It is through these myriad of reasons that many American leaders tried to limit down the application of the commitment towards equality.

Difficulties and Challenges in Entrepreneurship

Difficulties and Challenges in Entrepreneurship Evidence suggests that small business stands a significantly higher chance of failure than a large business yet many small businesses survive and some dont. These gaps have been discovered that hinders the success of small firms in entrepreneurship, economies of scale, human capital implementation, limited resources, geographical location, and management skills. We operate in an increasingly global economy, which is highly competitive. Hence the importance of superlative management skill should be devised. It is highly crucial in ensuring that small businesses not only survive but grow in the quality of management, hence lacking key management services could limit the success of small business. The purpose of this literature review is to explain and critically analyse the work that has been reported on problems and challenges faced in entrepreneurship. Having identified these gaps I have established my topic, identifying the problem small business face in entrepreneurship. Identifying the key terms of the literature terminology is crucial as it includes the dependent variable and independent variables. RESEARCH QUESTIONS Why do small businesses encounter so many difficulties at start up point? What are the major problems influencing small firms in entrepreneurship? Is it relevant to acquire entrepreneurship skills before venturing into small business? RESEARCH OBJECTIVES To collect a variety of entrepreneurial ideas related to entrepreneurial opportunities via various techniques. To distinguish the importance of planning and give examples of how planning can surmount problems. To analyze obstacles and explain how these obstacles may impede creative thinking and generation of new ideas. INTRODUCTION According to Paula McCoy Pinderhughes, an entrepreneur is a person who visualizes or possesses a burning desire to make a change through hard work, dedication and determination, knowing that it will satisfy their ultimate personal and business objectives. To one businessman, an entrepreneur appears as a threat, an aggressive competitor, whereas to another businessman the same entrepreneur may be an ally, a source of supply, a customer, or someone who creates wealth for others, as well as finds better ways to utilize resources, reduce waste, and produce jobs others are glad to get (Hisrich Peters, 2002). The word entrepreneur is defined as a person who has possession of a new enterprise, venture or idea and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome. The term is originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish economist Richard Cantillon. (Bill Bolton and John Thompson (2004; 14) A literature search for a suitable meaning of an entrepreneur designates that it is rather easier to explain the worth of an entrepreneur. But it is hard to accurately identify who is an entrepreneur. A number of definitions are indicated in the literature. According to an article by Mona Abdulla (2009) states that typically, entrepreneurship means a business is being created with the express goal of fetching larger through an aggressive growth schedule. Entrepreneurship is a corporate development. This is the major challenge to any new business. Consumers are cautious about trying new goods and services. Most items being purchased today is frequently based on identified brand names and using familiar purchasing patterns. Apparently, it is easier for customers to procure the items or brand that they have used. Considerably, a new business must ensure that its target market are pleased with the brand, proper marketing strategy has to be taken for consumers to embrace a new product. This problem is sensitive to the immense amount of marketing clutter that most organization encounters. Getting rid of clutter is most especially difficult for new firms with limited budgets set aside for marketing and promotion strategy. Traditional methods o f advertising and consumer promotions may not be enough to get recognized. Company leaders must be sure to deliver on promises and provide a high quality experience especially on the customers first purchase, as bad experience often lead to fall in business. THE PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES Entrepreneurs have become one of the most active forces in the market, which is itself driving much of the worlds economic growth. This makes entrepreneurs very important from a macro-economic perspective. As the globalism of business becomes even more extensive, this impact will be felt. Entrepreneurs are already becoming a major force in developing nations and the economy worldwide. The process of redefinition is an essential component of a companys strategic renewal and therefore constitutes an important aspect of entrepreneurship (Guth and Ginsberg, 1990). It is through leadership strategies that the entrepreneur helps to facilitate the reflection of excellence (cornesky et al., 1990: 58-59; peter and Austin, 1985: 5-6) Todays entrepreneurial leader requires new people who does not depend on organizational superiority and subordinate theses contemporary leaders helps to create enhanced capacity in their people, who in turn become the steward of all organizational stakeholders (Mc lagan and Nel, 1995: 46-47) The scope of what entrepreneurship involves will continue to change and evolve, and yet there are some regular issues of how to start, finance and run a business. Companies that go internationally face the foremost challenge of integrating various types of acquaintance so that the organization as a whole can benefit (Zahra et al., 2000a). One ordinary factor for all entrepreneurs is the test of starting a business, searching for an innovative idea, passing the right prospect to venture into a business. Entirely entails organizing all the aspects so that the entrepreneur can maximise his or her goals. Most entrepreneurs also face problems financing their entrepreneurial project, as well hurdles within corporate rules. Except if one single handled the venture, getting money is a challenge that requires prepares funds proposals for loans and many more. We have so much in turn written on this phase of an entrepreneurial that implementing the very best would b e more of an advantage well as challenging. IMPLEMENTATION STAGE All said and done, passing this face ups and challenges, ordinarily one should expect to have smooth glide. Given the business has a good plan; the venture should carry on with less glitches, the execution process seems to be the real craft-or-crack point of an entrepreneurial venture. There are proposition that part of the problem is that ideal people for this process, Perhaps, there are wide varieties of skills needed at this stage, that an individual can not dwell on all of the skills. Alternatively, for entrepreneurs to be successful, identifying the key factors of their field would be very necessary, as they can easily get subcontractors who can fill the missing gaps. Perhaps looking at what different skills that can get a business started would be necessary. Such skills includes, marketing, workers, publicity, sales, communications, public relations, human resource, legal needs, government regulations, crisis management, risk management, natural disaster planning, insurance, te chnology, and the financial aspects of the organization accounts, bookkeeping, paying taxes, managing debt, and so on. One should take into consideration that without a strong technical foundation, the business cant be successful, an above all, the conceptual aspect of organization, are leadership, growth philosophy, ethics, and most importantly the exit strategy of the any organization. These are issues that we tend to overlook, yet it set the whole subject and direction that any business will take. CRITICAL CHALLENGES There are types of businesses that can be started on a small budget; one will need access to capital to fund the business, where the money comes from is less important, but the most important thing, is a need to be realistic about startup costs and being able to manage the funds well. Developing a, realistic, thorough and honest financial plan will help to avoid this mistake. New entrepreneurs often underestimate the length of time it takes for a business to become profitable and the amount of money they will need to invest in the business before its profitable. Employees responsibilities are limited to a narrow job description. According to Gupta and Govindarajan (1991), superior levels of awareness flows have serious implications for a companys control systems. Knowledge that is vital to sustaining and promoting entrepreneurship includes both expertise and market-based knowledge (Gupta and Govindarajan, 1991). However, at the start of a business, the entrepreneur becomes responsibl e for everything from exploration to development process as well as to product delivery to detailed account. This implies that there are field that will be beyond the owners area of expertise. Reckon upon the range of the business, it is possible that the organization does not have the ability to handle different responsibilities due to incompetent staff. It is important to be honest about your own limitations for the success of the company, seek out expert advice in such fields and the support of achiever in entrepreneurship. An entrepreneur does work harder for him/herself most precisely than you would ever work for any one. Building a successful business requires a large investment of your time. It will be important to schedule specific work hours. Setting goals can also help you to stay on track. To overcome these problems. It is important to remember that customers are interested in benefits as opposed to product or service features, and doing all you can do to stay on track would be the most to keep your business. JUSTIFICATION OF LITERATURE CONCLUSION How is an entrepreneur to deal with all this overload of challenges? To meet these challenges, subsidiary executives should also demonstrate higher levels of lenience for indistinctness (Gupta and Govindarajan, 1991). It is nice to know that there are resources one can count on such as, training programs, discussion groups, educational resources, professional associations, and publications to turn to for advice and support at all times.

Pest Analysis Hong Kong Ocean Park Tourism Essay

Pest Analysis Hong Kong Ocean Park Tourism Essay Ocean Park is considered as a major attraction in Hong Kong, the luminous pearl of the Orient and known as the financial center of Southeast China. It is located on the south end of Hong Kong Island. The larger two sections are located on the headlands of Mount Nanlang, while the smaller section is located in the Huang Zhu Keng Valley lowlands. It is considered as one of the largest ocean in the world, having an area of 170 miles (2008). Organizations change and organizations compete for the same resource, competencies as well as customers. It is the cruel reality that must not be neglected by any management, thus the strategy as well as strategic management must not be neglected as a vital integral part of what managers do ( 2002,). This paper will focus on the strategic management process of the Ocean Park of Hong Kong towards their foreigner or tourists customers, particularly those mainland Chinese. It will first tackle the details about the Ocean Park. Second, it will analyze the external environment such as the economic and culture aspect that can affect the relationship of the organization to their possible foreign customers or tourists. Furthermore, it will focus on the internal environment of the organization such as its core competency, together with its strengths and weaknesses. Ocean Park Hong Kong Ocean Park Hong Kong is considered as one of the most important amusement park in Hong Kong, and even in the world. Opened in January 1977 as the countrys unique local park with the heritage of delivering family, fun and fond memories, it was chosen by the citizens of the country as their number 1 favorite scenic spot in the country in 2005 ( 2007). It was also ranked by on June 1, 2006 as the 7th among the top ten most popular amusement parks in the world (China Travel Golden Route 2007). Ocean Park combines the elements of entertainment, education and conservation in their services. It is consists of six main areas which are: Lowland Gardens, Kids World, Marine Land, Headland Rides, Adventure Land and Bird Paradise ( 2007). Furthermore, provides all of its guests with memorable education, while inspiring life long learning and conservation involvement. It also focuses on maintaining a healthy financial status, while offering the guests a diverse range of activities at competitive prices. It exists for the benefits of the public and strives in order to deliver the highest standard of safety, animal care, products as well as guest service (Ocean Park Hong Kong 2008). The Ocean Park of Hong Kong is part of the growing global industry of amusement park in the world, as well as part of the tourism industry. The organization is focuses in global market, and taking advantage of the improving tourism industry of the country, targeting their tourists, regardless of their age. The main goal of Hong Kong Ocean Park is to be the world leader in providing excellent guest experiences in a theme park environment that connects people with the nature (Ocean Park Hong Kong 2008). The park is currently undergoing a massive expansion to be finished in 2010. However, there will no rides to be closed during the said period (2008). External Environments of Ocean Park PEST Analysis Figure 1 PEST Analysis Hong Kong Ocean Park Political Analysis Political factors have a direct impact on the relationship of Ocean Park Hong Kong, to their foreign customers or visitors. One of the most important factors that are associated with amusement park industry of the country is the easiness of the restrictions and promotion of the free travel of China in 2003 that helped to inject a new life to the tourism industry of Hong Kong (2004). The said improving relationship between China and Hong Kong, can impact the relationship of Ocean Park to their foreign customers, particularly the Chinese tourists, largest portion of the countrys visitors ( 2007). The growing economic clout, as well as the success of the Individual Visit Scheme results to the increase focus of the entire industry towards China and most of the players will focus on catering to the greater range of budget types but throughout the entire tourism industry ( 2008). Economic Analysis Locally and globally, different businesses are being affected by the different economic factors. In terms of the country, the development and growth of the entire tourism industry influence the performance of the entire amusement park industry. The number of Chinese visitors of the country increased from 13.1% in 1998 to 27.1% in 1999 in 2007, of all visitors ( 1999). There are total of 12.9 million tourists that came to the country, and more than 50% of it arrived from mainland China ( 2006). Find statistic before 2005 !!!! cant use new one Ocean Park Hong Kong showed an increase in tourists coming from mainland China in the last few years. The mainlanders make up the 45% of all the visitors of Ocean Park, having a high attendance of 2.2 million, showing an increase of 70% from 2003 ( 2008). find statistics about mainlanders!!! Social Analysis The entire tourism industry, particularly the industry of amusement park of the country is being affected by major events and influences. This can be observed during the peak season such as Chinese New Year and School holidays that enables each and every player of the industry to gain more than 50% of total attendance ( 2008). statistics about attendance in this peak-times before 2005!!! It is also important to consider different media views. This is due to the fact that it can affect or influence of the foreign customers regarding visiting the place. Furthermore the advertisement and publicity is important, that is the reason why it is important for different amusement parks to take part in different events what kind of major events were of the country in order to showcase the culture and history of Hong Kong to their visitors. Technological Analysis The Internet has increasingly become a popular medium for marketing and customer relationship . This is due to the fact that the Internet can offer a great connection with huge and immeasurable possible market. This is important because the industry, primarily Ocean Park Hong Kong is focusing on its relationship to its global market. Furthermore, it is also important to consider the improvement and development of the amusement machinery industry. Industry Analysis Five Forces Analysis Figure 2 Five Forces Analysis of Ocean Park (Hong Kong Amusement Park) Threat of New Entry The threat of new entrants refers the possibility that the profits of established firms in the respective industry may be eroded by new competitors. In terms of the amusement park industry, the entry barrier is high due to the need to invest large amount of financial resources ( 2004). Typically it ranges from $50 million to $3 billion, depending on the real state market. In addition to that amusement park required over 50 acres of land for a full scale development; other can utilize 10,000 to 30,000 acres ( 2006). The said factor is important because Hong Kong has a high land price real state market This is also connected to the fact that the location of the amusement park is a very important factor. Threat of Rivalry Rivalry among the existing competitors takes the form of process of jockeying for the position. Firms usually implement different tactics like price competition, advertising battles, product introductions as well as increased customer services ( 2004 ). It is important to consider the lack of differentiation, that is why the customers choice based greatly over the price and service, thus causes pressure for the intense price and service competition ( 2004). This can be observe in the amusement park industry of the country, due to high threat of rivalry, different players are implementing different plans and activities such as renovation and introduction of new attractions in order to catch the attention of the customers. Threat of Substitution All firms within a given industry compete with an industry that produces the substitute products and services. Substitutes limit the potential returns of an industry by the process of placing a ceiling on the prices of the firms in the given industry can profitably charge ( 2004). In the industry, the threat of substitution is relatively low because the main substitute for the product is other aspects of leisure and tourism industry such as sport and casino industry. On the other hand, because of the popularity of the amusement park industry as well as the growing number of Chinese tourists, the industry is not that affected. Threat of Suppliers Suppliers can exert a bargaining power over participants in an industry by threatening to raise prices or even reduce the quality of purchased goods and services ( 2004,). In the case of the industry, the suppliers doesnt have that much power because of the improving and growing industry of the amusement equipment industry, that enables the technology exchange between the different local and international players particularly in China ( 2007). In addition to that, the airline industry, which is considered as the primary supplier of visitors for the company is also facing impact of competition as well as the growing demand for cheap travel packages. Buyer Power The buyer or the visitors and tourists have a medium or mediocre influence over the industry because the product and service of the industry is important for the customers. This is due to the fact that amusement is considered as part of necessity of every family in Hong Kong, as well as the mainland China market. Furthermore, the said industry cannot be replaced by other substitute. Competitor Analysis Disneyland Disneyland opened in September 2005 and had helped to reposition the country as a premier destination for families. On its opening day, it had set a record of 16,000 visitors, and 1/3 of it are from the mainland China. It had maintained its 13,000 to 14,000 average visitors (cited in 2006). The main advantage of the company is that it holds the name of the Disney which is well known in the world in terms of entertainment. Furthermore, it targets the children, thus the whole family because of the different rides and attractions that focuses on different well-known Disney characters. This can help the company to attract more visitors or tourists from different part of the globe, particularly those who are from the US and Europe. On the other hand, the main disadvantage is that most of the mainland Chinese doesnt have those strong attachments with Mickey and friends and other Disney characters ( 2006). The said aspects are important for the company because most of the visitors of the co untry come from mainland China. !!!!!!!!!!!! Wetland Park Wetland Park is a conservation, education and tourism facility that is located at the northern part of in Yuen Long. It is compromises of 10,000 square meter large visitor centre, Wetland Interactive World and a 60-hectare Wetland Reserve. The main advantage of Wetland Park is that it offers a different type of service compare to Disneyland and Ocean Park. The main mission of the organization is to foster public awareness and understanding regarding the values of wetlands throughout the East Asian Region. The visitors will be given a chance to experience the wildlife with different animals that will help them to be close with nature and observe different animals in the natural environment (cited in 200). On the other hand, the organization will not be able to meet experienced the demand of those visitors or tourists that are looking for excitements and extreme pleasure that can be in different rides and parts in Disneyland and Ocean Park. Internal Environments of Ocean Park SWOT Analysis Figure 3 SWOT Analysis Hong Kong Ocean Park Strength The main strengths of Hong Kong Ocean Park focuses on their offering of hybrid of thrills, animals, fun and education to their foreign visitors, more specifically those mainland Chinese visitors (2007). The main advantage or strength of the company is that it enables to meet the cultural aspects of different people from different part of the globe, particularly the mainland Chinese visitors that are not that familiar with different Disney characters. This can be seen in the different services and features of the company that incorporated education with thrill. Above all, the main advantage of Hong Kong is that it is considered as the oldest amusement park in the country; therefore, it can be considered as experienced and knows the demands and behavior of the mainland Chinese visitors. Furthermore, it had become successful because of its connection to the local government that helped them to have a subway line for the visitors ( 2007). This enables the organization to give the foreign visitors, particularly those from mainland, who are price sensitive, to save their money for other luxury, thus helping them to save time in traveling. Weaknesses On the other hand, the main disadvantage of Hong Kong Ocean Park is their structure of geographic location. This is due to the fact that they have the limitation regarding the land development because the location is hilly. Furthermore, the organization is facing lack of strong financial support and backup, that is why the organization is responsible for their own income and operation cost. Furthermore, because of the fact that Ocean Park is considered as oldest amusement park in Hong Kong, there are different facilities that are old and un-attractive, although the organization is already starting their innovation process, it would take some time and it will be completed after 6 years. Opportunities The main opportunity of the company focuses on the Individual Traveling scheme of China, as well as the improving relationship of the country to the mainland China, that had helped to improve the number of the visitors in the country. In addition, the strong economy in Mainland as well as the improving middle class with the purchasing power helped to increase the demand for the outbound travel. Furthermore, the organization also has a strong marketing support from the local government that recommends the Ocean Park to the foreign visitors. It is also important to consider the development of new transportation South Island Line that would cause convenience and fast access direct to the Park for the foreign and local visitors. The Internet is also another factor; this is due to the fact that it can help the organization to connect to a vast range of possible customers or visitors. Above all, the development and improvement of the amusement machinery industry can also impact the services and features of the organization, thus their relationship to their foreign visitors. Threat One of the threats that must be considered by the company is the renovation plan of the Disneyland Hong Kong that can help the said organization to regain their past position in the market. Particularly, it will also cause popularity of the organization from other foreigners, particularly those from America and Europe. On the other hand, it is also important to focus on the global financial crisis that is going on, that can affect the visiting behavior and buying behavior of the tourists. Competitive Advantage Figure 4 Competitive Advantage Model of Hong Kong Ocean Park Core Competency (à Ã‚ ¾Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ Ãƒ Ã‚ ½Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ Ã‚ ²Ãƒ Ã‚ ½Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ µ à Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ Ã‚ ±Ãƒ Ã‚ »Ã‚ °Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸ Ñ Ãƒ Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã‚ µÃƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ °Ãƒ Ã‚ »Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ Ã‚ ·Ã‚ °Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ Ã‚ ¸) better definition on p.97 The core competency of the organization is the length of its operation and service both to the locals and foreign visitors of the country that give the organization the knowledge regarding the likes, dislikes as well as the flow and trends in the behavior of the customers. Furthermore, cultural aspect is also an important factor, primarily to their growing mainland Chinese visitors. Furthermore, it also helps the organization to capture the attention of other visitors from different part of the globe, primarily those from the US and Europe, that are looking for new and local experience about the country. Competitive Advantage When a given firms maintain its profit that exceed the average for its industry, the firm is said to have a competitive advantage against its rival. This can be seen in the current position of Hong Kong Ocean Park, over its direct competitor, which is the Hong Kong Disneyland. Hong Kong Ocean Park is using the cost advantage, where in it offers cheaper ticket that costs HK$208 for adult and HK$103 for children, compare to HK$295 for adult and HK$210 per child of Hong Kong Disneyland. In addition to that, Hong Kong Ocean Park acquired a good location compare to Disneyland, because it is nearer o the main urban districts. In addition to that, Hong Kong Ocean Park also offers a differentiation advantage because it is considered as bigger than the Hong Kong Disneyland, thus enabling the first organization to offer more and new features and shows than the second organization. It also offer different features and services compare to its competitors primarily the Disneyland, because it focuses on showing the reality regarding the nature, while Disneyland focuses on fantasy. Tangible Resources p.95 The reputation of the organization is its most important tangible resource. Ultimately, reputations have economic value to the company because it will be difficult to imitate. Rivals cannot simply replicate the unique features and intricate process that produced those reputations ( 1996). The fact that the company features educational aspects regarding the environment, gives it a reputation that is close to nature. This is important because of the growing awareness of the world regarding the different natural and environmental problem, primarily global warming. Value Creation The core competency of the organization gives it both advantage and disadvantage. Advantage, because it helped them to know more about the behavior and culture of their different local and foreign visitors. Furthermore, it also enables the company to create an image that is considered as one of the most important aspect in gaining and maintaining competitive advantage. On the other hand, it gives the organization the disadvantage because some part of the facilities and features of the organization are considered as old, and in great need for renovation, however, due to financial aspect as well as effort that must be exerted, it will take some time in order to come up with the ever changing demand of the foreign visitors for entertainment and leisure. On the other hand, the competitive advantage of the company which focuses on the cost advantage and differentiation advantage is the result of the continuous effort of the organization in their relationship with the customers as well as their continuous effort in process of research and development. Conclusion As of now, Hong Kong Ocean Park is experiencing a comfortable position in the entire amusement industry, as well as the entire tourism industry of the country. It is important to consider that the said organization is considered as number 1 or most loved amusement park by local and foreign visitors, despite of the fact that it has the Disneyland, a very prominent and successful player in the global industry of amusement park. Primarily, the main reason behind the success of the organization is because of the support from the government of Hong Kong and mainland China that can be seen in the different public facilities that are being implemented for easy access of the said place, as well as the implementation of the Individual Tourist of China. The company had been able to use the issue of culture in order to attract more locals as well as foreign visitors, as well as its usage of the current spread of the environmental awareness, which enables the organization to incorporate educatio n and thrill in their features and services. That is the reason why it is frequently visited by families from different part of the globe. Furthermore, the organization had been able to create two important competitive advantage which focuses on the cost and differentiation. It had been able to offer cheap but fun-packed experience. But it is also important for the company to continue its innovation and strategic management in order to make sure that it will continue its competitive edge against its competitor. This is due to the fact that Disneyland is currently into renovation process, in order to regain their competitive position in the market.

Hernan Cortes :: essays research papers

Hernan Cortes was born in 1485 in a town called Medellin in Extremadura. It talks about little of his child hood and little about his young life except that he studied law at the University of Salamanca. His law school years were cut short in 1501 when he decided to try his luck in the New World. He sailed from Santo Domingo in the Spring of 1504. After he had got there in 1511 he joined he Spanish Soldier and Administrator Diego Velasquez in the conquest of Cuba, and there he became alcalde or mayor of Santiago de Cuba. In 1518 he persuaded Velasquez to give him command to the expedition of Mexico. Juan de Grijalva, nephew of Velasquez, had discovered the mainland the year before by the Spanish soldier and explorer Fernandez de Cobia and. On February 19, 1519 Cortes set sail west from Cuba even though Velasquez cancelled his pay because of suspicion that Cortes would find himself independent and refuse to take order. Cortes took with him about 600 men, less than 20 horses, and 10 field pieces. Cortes sailed along the east coast of Yucatan and in March 1519 landed in Mexico. Cortes neutralized the town of Tabasco. The artillery, the ships, and especially the horses awed the natives. From these people of Tabasco Cortes learned about the Aztecs and their ruler Montezuma II. Cortes took lots of captives one of which they baptized and renamed Marina. She became his lover and out of loyalty to him became his interpreter, Translator, Guide, and Counselor. Finding a better harbor a little North of San Juan they established a town called La Villa Rica De La Vera Cruz, which literally translates to The Rich Village Of The Vera Cruz. This was later called just Varacruz. Cortes did what Velasquez that he would do, and abandoned the authority of everybody except the king and queen. Cortes was a strategical thinker and destroyed his group of vessels in order to prevent small forces from opposing him and returning to Cuba to tell Velasquez. At about this time Cortes started his famous march inland even after negotiations with Montezuma. Montezuma tried to persuade Cortes not to enter the capital city of Tenochtitlan but Cortes was good at not following directions. Cortes overcame the native tribe Tlascalans. This tribe quickly became an alliance to the Spanish because they were enemies to the Aztecs.

Inca :: essays research papers

The Inca The Incas were a distinct people with a distinct language living in a highland center, Cuzco. They were an ancient people, but had been subject to the regional powers during the entire history of South American urban cultures. They began to expand their influence in the twelfth century and in the early sixteenth century, they exercised control over more territory than any other people had done in South American history. The empire consisted of over one million individuals, spanning a territory stretching from Ecuador to northern Chile. Unlike the military empires in Central America, the Incas ruled by proxy. After conquering a people, they would incorporate local rulers into their imperial system, generously reward anyone who fought for them, and treated well all those conquered people who cooperated. So, in reality, the inca">Inca "empire," as the invading Spanish called it, was not really an empire. It was more of a confederation of tribes with a single people, the Incas, more or less in control. Each of these tribes was ruled independently by a council of elders; the tribe as a whole gave its allegiance to the ruler, or "Inca." The "Inca" was divine; he was the descendant of the sun-god. The social structure of the Incas was extremely inflexible. At the top was the Inca who exercised, theoretically, absolute power. Below the Inca was the royal family which consisted of the Inca's immediate family, concubines, and all his children. This royal family was a ruling aristocracy. Each tribe had tribal heads; each clan in each tribe had clan heads. At the very bottom were the common people who were all grouped in squads of ten people each with a single "boss." The social unit, then, was primarily based on cooperation and communality. This guaranteed that there would always be enough for everyone; but the centralization of authority meant that there was no chance of individual advancement (which was not valued). It also meant that the system depended too much on the centralized authority; once the invading Spanish seized the Inca and the ruling family, they were able to conquer the Inca territories with lightening speed. Conquered people were required to pay a labo r tax (mita ) to the state; with this labor tax, the Incas built an astonishing network of roads and terraced farmlands throughout the Andes. Agriculture was tough business in the Andes. The Incas actively set about carving up mountains into terraced farmlands—so successful were they in turning steep mountainsides into terraced farms, that in 1500 there was more land in cultivation in the Andean highlands then there is today.

Emotional Triggers :: essays research papers

When director of photography Conrad Hall, ASC and director Sam Mendes teamed to make American Beauty, few could have predicted that their dark vision of suburban malaise would be such a smash success. The film won five Academy Awards, including those for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Cinematography (Hall’s second Oscar, following his triumph for the 1969 Western classic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid). Hall’s work also earned him his third ASC Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography (see AC June ‘00). Road to Perdition, Hall and Mendes’ second collaboration, took the duo into decidedly different territory. Based on a graphic novel authored by Max Allan Collins, the film is a tale about the Irish Mafia set in 1930s Chicago. At its heart is the relationship between fathers and sons; after his professional life tragically impacts his domestic life, hit man Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks) sets out on a wintry journey of self-discovery with his son, Michael Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin). Along the way, Sullivan must come to terms with his adoptive father, Irish crime lord John Rooney (Paul Newman). â€Å"Road to Perdition is a period movie in which there are no double-breasted, pin-striped suits and no spats,† Mendes says. â€Å"I was trying to get away from all the clichà ©s of the gangster genre.† Hall’s overarching strategy for the film dovetailed with the director’s goal by favoring naturalistic realism over a more stylized approach to the material. â€Å"The thing that makes this picture work so well is a kind of honesty,† Hall says. â€Å"It’s a sort of honest reality that doesn’t try to be theatrical in any way. There is no blue moonlight, no green vistas, none of that kind of stuff. The film has very carefully crafted compositions, it’s meticulously cut, and it’s paced very gently and slowly — all of which is good for the story.† Of his photography, Hall notes that â€Å"I’m not trying to characterize the people in the film; the actors do that. I’m trying to frame them in an appropriate emotional context for the scenes. How are their characters behaving in those scenes? Are they behaving like human beings? My goal is to make a given scene emotionally accessible for the audience. I just try to make it real. Whatever the story is trying to say to the audience dictates to me the mood I should use to reach that audience. In this case, the film is about a father who’s trying to raise his son so that the boy won’t grow up to be like him.

Substance Abuse: Driving Under the Influence

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 16,694 people died in 2004 in alcohol and drug related traffic collisions, representing 40% of all traffic related deaths in the United States. (â€Å"2004 Traffic Safety†¦Ã¢â‚¬  2005) In addition about half of the one million people injured in road accidents were also due to driving under the influence (DUI). These are startling statistics, which underscore the enormity of the problem posed by the vast number of people who drive while intoxicated. Another point of concern regarding drunk driving or DUI is that repeat or hardcore offenders are the cause of a large proportion of traffic accidents with one out of eight intoxicated drivers in fatal crashes having had a prior DUI/DWI conviction within the past three years. (Pena, 2005) As a result, a number of programs have sprung up around the country seeking to rehabilitate the repeat DUI offenders through education, counseling, and treatment. The laws against DUI and rehab programs have resulted in a gradual but steady decline in fatalities from drunk driving since the 1980s. In this essay, I shall focus on such programs that seek to address the problem of DUI, particularly programs for the chronic and repeat offenders. The laws and penalties against driving while intoxicated have been made stricter in the US since the 1970s. The drinking age has also been uniformly raised to 21 years, while it was 18 in several states prior to the 1980s.1 Currently, driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence (DUI) is a criminal offense in most jurisdictions within the United States.2 The punishment for DUI includes jail terms, monetary fines, mandatory DUI programs, and confiscation of driver's license for repeated offenders. Some states even treat DUI as a felony under certain circumstances such as the presence of a very high blood alcohol content (BAC), the severity of the accident caused by the drunk driver, or in cases where the driver is a repeat offender. (â€Å"Drunk Driving-United States† 2005) In case of alcohol consumption, most states laws have designated the legal limit of blood alcohol content (BAC) for drunk driving at 0.08 (i.e., 80 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood). In cases of driving under the influence of prescription medication or illicit drugs there is no â€Å"per se† or legal limit. Instead, in cases of driving under the influence of drugs other than alcohol, the key factor is whether the driver's faculties were impaired by the substance that was consumed. Due to this reason, the detection and successful prosecution of drivers impaired by prescription medication or illegal drugs is difficult. Besides performing a chemical test (blood, urine, or breath analysis) in order to determine the BAC of the offender, a law enforcing officer may also administer a Field Sobriety Test (FST) on a suspect driver. There are certain standardized FSTs such as the â€Å"Walk and Turn† test, the â€Å"One-leg Stand† and â€Å"Horizontal Gaze Test,† which can reliably determine the level of impairment of an intoxicated driver. (Ibid.) The Transportation Equity Act (TEA-21) enacted in 1998 encourages States to enact Repeat Intoxicated Driver laws providing for minimum penalty for repeat offenders such as: a)Suspension of driver's license for not less than one year b)Impoundment, immobilization, or installation of ignition interlock system on vehicles c)An assessment of the individual's degree of abuse of alcohol and treatment as appropriate d)Not less than 30 days community service or 5 days of imprisonment for 2nd offense and not less than 60 days community service or 10 days of imprisonment for 3rd and subsequent offense. (â€Å"Minimum Penalties for Repeat offenders† n.d.) As mentioned in the introduction, there are a number of DUI programs in the United States that seek to control the menace of drunk driving through education, counseling and treatment of the offenders. Some of these programs are described below: California's Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Program: California was among the first states in the US (along with New York) to introduce laws pertaining to drunk driving. It has also introduced an effective DUI Program, which is governed by legislation enacted in 1978. The State has a system in place that determines the need for DUI program services, licenses DUI programs, establishes regulations, approves participant fees and fee schedules, and provides DUI information. A person convicted of a first DUI offense are required to complete a state-licensed three-month, 30-hour alcohol and drug education and counseling program. Drivers detected with a blood alcohol content of 0.20 or higher must complete a state-licensed sixmonth, 45-hour alcohol and drug education and counseling program. These programs are designed to enable participants to consider attitudes and behavior, support positive lifestyle changes, and reduce or eliminate the use of alcohol and/or drugs. (â€Å"An Overview of California's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  2004) Repeat DUI offenders (second and subsequent DUI convictions) must complete an 18-month multiple offender program. Such programs provide 52 hours of group counseling; 12 hours of alcohol and drug education; 6 hours of community reentry monitoring; and biweekly individual interviews during the first 12 months of the program. A county in California may elect to provide 30-month DUI programs for third and subsequent DUI offenders, which provide longer periods of counselling, education, and community service, i.e., 78 hours of group counseling; 12 hours of alcohol and drug education; 120-300 hours of community service; and close and regular individual interviews. Presently, such services are available in Los Angeles and San Francisco Counties. (â€Å"An Overview of California's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  2004) The California Association of Drinking Driver Treatment Programs (â€Å"CADDTP†) has been formed to help promote understanding of, and improve the role of the DUI programs in California. Most people agree that California's DUI program network is â€Å"the most inclusive, structured, and complex† and its entire programs are self-supporting through fees paid by participants. They have caused DUI arrests and alcohol-related fatalities to decline steadily in the last two decades when it was introduced. (â€Å"California Association of Drinking Driver Treatment Programs† n.d.) Drug Courts for DUI: An American Council on Alcoholism (ACA) Program: In collaboration with the National Association for Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) and the National Commission Against Drunk Driving (NCADD), the American Council on Alcoholism Program (ACAP) seeks to promote and establish courts that focus on alcoholism treatment for drunk driving offenders. This is because ACA believes that the root cause of the drunk driving problem is alcohol abuse and alcoholism and unless we address the root problem of alcoholism, we will not be able to solve the problem of drunk driving. The ACA also believes that traditional means of prevention have had little or no effect on â€Å"hard core† drunk drivers or repeat offenders; therefore it is working for the application of the highly successful drug courts model to cure hardcore drunk drivers of their alcoholism. Drug Court Programs have been found to be highly successful in rehabilitating repeat and hardcore DUI offenders. Recidivism rate in such programs is remarkably low (about 11% v 60% for most other programs). A unique feature of Drug Court is the direct involvement of the judge in the treatment process who remains in direct contact with the defendant and engages in frequent discussion of the progress. The frequent contact between the judge and the defendant creates a paternal-like relationship between them and the judge is able to give positive reinforcement, issue instant reprimands or order incarceration for up to 30 days as the situation demands. (Kavanaugh, 2003). An example of a successful DUI Drug Court Program is the Butte County Revia Project started in 1996 for repeat drinking drivers. The key to this model of treatment is the use of ReVia (generic name: naltrexone) for weaning the repeat DUI offenders from their alcohol dependence. (â€Å"Butt County Revia Project,† 2003) The Century Council3 created The National Hardcore Drunk Driver Project in 1997 in order to coordinate efforts directed towards deterrence of hardcore drunk drivers who habitually drive while highly intoxicated. The Council's main aim is to call attention to the serious nature of the crime of drunk driving and to provide the needed framework in order to close loopholes in existing laws and programs, enact needed legislation, and ensure that the responsible agencies and organizations work together effectively to address the problem. The Council stresses that successful DUI programs for repeat and hardcore offenders should be based on swift identification, certain punishment and effective treatment. It conducts research on DUI and has published a comprehensive source book on the topic, which provides up-to-date data to assist legislators, highway safety officials, law enforcement officers, judges, prosecutors, community activists, corrections personnel, and treatment professionals in developing programs to reduce hardcore drunk driving. (â€Å"National Hardcore Drunk Driver Project† 2003) There are a number of other organizations in the US as well as many other countries that are engaged in conducting programs for the treatment of chronic and repeat DUI offenders. These include the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)-a support group of alcoholics that seeks to cure alcohol addicts from their addiction through a twelve-step process; the Al-Anon/ Al-Ateen Family Groups–a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope, in order to solve their common problems.4 The Al-Anon programs are based on the belief that alcoholism is a family illness, and that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Convicted DUI offenders can be sent to jail and fined, particularly in case of repeat offenders. Other alternatives to jail sentence, apart from the DUI Programs for rehabilitation that were discussed in the preceding paragraphs are: Electronic Monitoring (wearing of an ankle bracelet that monitors the whereabouts of the wearer); Work Release-the convicted person works at a place determined by the Probation Department and goes home to sleep; Work Furlough-an arrangement in which the participant keeps his job but returns to a dormitory style facility at night; and City Jail-operated by the local police where the participants spend the night but are released during the day. (â€Å"Jail Alternatives† 2005) Most DUI laws are aimed at deterring driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. One way of deterring DUI offenses is by making policies and laws that change the drivers' attitude towards DUI and by altering their perceptions of the likely consequences as a result of DUI behavior. (Greenburg et al, 2004). Such anti-DUI laws could be enacted and public information campaigns launched that enhance a driver's perception of â€Å"the certainty, swiftness and severity of prosecution† for drunk-driving offenses, or by increasing awareness of the physical dangers associated with driving while intoxicated (Ibid.) Some experts believe that the â€Å"moral component† of the laws is much more important than the â€Å"fear factor† of apprehension and punishment in the long-term control of drunk driving. This is mainly because the likelihood of detection for DUI offenders is very low or uncertain. According to a study quoted by Robin, â€Å"On any given outing, an intoxicated driver has less than a 1-in-1000 chance of being apprehended by the police.† (Robin 1991) Tough laws against drunken driving have a moral aspect that gradually develop a culture in a society that is intolerant of DUI regardless of the perceived legal risks to the driver involved. Hence, DUI laws are more likely to achieve their objective of controlling drunk driving if we emphasize the morality of the law rather than expect the hardcore violators to be deterred by the fear of getting caught. Despite a steady decline in the number of accidents and fatalities due to driving under the influence (DUI) in the US since the 1980s, the numbers are still unacceptably high. It is even more alarming that a large proportion of these accidents are caused by repeat offenders or hard core drinkers. As discussed in this paper, measures taken to control DUI range from stricter punishment to rehabilitation programs aimed at changing the behavior of chronic DUI offenders. Some of these programs have contributed significantly in reducing DUI offenses. However, a sustained, coordinated, and long-term effort is required for further reduction in DUI cases. Substance Abuse: Driving Under the Influence According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 16,694 people died in 2004 in alcohol and drug related traffic collisions, representing 40% of all traffic related deaths in the United States. (â€Å"2004 Traffic Safety†¦ † 2005) In addition about half of the one million people injured in road accidents were also due to driving under the influence (DUI). These are startling statistics, which underscore the enormity of the problem posed by the vast number of people who drive while intoxicated. Another point of concern regarding drunk driving or DUI is that repeat or hardcore offenders are the cause of a large proportion of traffic accidents with one out of eight intoxicated drivers in fatal crashes having had a prior DUI/DWI conviction within the past three years. (Pena, 2005) As a result, a number of programs have sprung up around the country seeking to rehabilitate the repeat DUI offenders through education, counseling, and treatment. The laws against DUI and rehab programs have resulted in a gradual but steady decline in fatalities from drunk driving since the 1980s. In this essay, I shall focus on such programs that seek to address the problem of DUI, particularly programs for the chronic and repeat offenders. The laws and penalties against driving while intoxicated have been made stricter in the US since the 1970s. The drinking age has also been uniformly raised to 21 years, while it was 18 in several states prior to the 1980s. 1 Currently, driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence (DUI) is a criminal offense in most jurisdictions within the United States. The punishment for DUI includes jail terms, monetary fines, mandatory DUI programs, and confiscation of driver's license for repeated offenders. Some states even treat DUI as a felony under certain circumstances such as the presence of a very high blood alcohol content (BAC), the severity of the accident caused by the drunk driver, or in cases where the driver is a repeat offender. (â€Å"Drunk Driving-United States† 2005) In case of alcohol consumption, most states laws have designated the legal limit of blood alcohol content (BAC) for drunk driving at 0. 08 (i. e. , 80 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood). In cases of driving under the influence of prescription medication or illicit drugs there is no â€Å"per se† or legal limit. Instead, in cases of driving under the influence of drugs other than alcohol, the key factor is whether the driver's faculties were impaired by the substance that was consumed. Due to this reason, the detection and successful prosecution of drivers impaired by prescription medication or illegal drugs is difficult. Besides performing a chemical test (blood, urine, or breath analysis) in order to determine the BAC of the offender, a law enforcing officer may also administer a Field Sobriety Test (FST) on a suspect driver. There are certain standardized FSTs such as the â€Å"Walk and Turn† test, the â€Å"One-leg Stand† and â€Å"Horizontal Gaze Test,† which can reliably determine the level of impairment of an intoxicated driver. (Ibid. ) The Transportation Equity Act (TEA-21) enacted in 1998 encourages States to enact Repeat Intoxicated Driver laws providing for minimum penalty for repeat offenders such as: a)Suspension of driver's license for not less than one year b)Impoundment, immobilization, or installation of ignition interlock system on vehicles )An assessment of the individual's degree of abuse of alcohol and treatment as appropriate d)Not less than 30 days community service or 5 days of imprisonment for 2nd offense and not less than 60 days community service or 10 days of imprisonment for 3rd and subsequent offense. (â€Å"Minimum Penalties for Repeat offenders† n. d. ) As mentioned in the introduction, there are a number of DUI programs in the United States that seek to control the menace of drunk driving through education, counseling and treatment of the offenders. Some of these programs are described below: California's Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Program: California was among the first states in the US (along with New York) to introduce laws pertaining to drunk driving. It has also introduced an effective DUI Program, which is governed by legislation enacted in 1978. The State has a system in place that determines the need for DUI program services, licenses DUI programs, establishes regulations, approves participant fees and fee schedules, and provides DUI information. A person convicted of a first DUI offense are required to complete a state-licensed three-month, 30-hour alcohol and drug education and counseling program. Drivers detected with a blood alcohol content of 0. 20 or higher must complete a state-licensed sixmonth, 45-hour alcohol and drug education and counseling program. These programs are designed to enable participants to consider attitudes and behavior, support positive lifestyle changes, and reduce or eliminate the use of alcohol and/or drugs. (â€Å"An Overview of California's†¦ 2004) Repeat DUI offenders (second and subsequent DUI convictions) must complete an 18-month multiple offender program. Such programs provide 52 hours of group counseling; 12 hours of alcohol and drug education; 6 hours of community reentry monitoring; and biweekly individual interviews during the first 12 months of the program. A county in California may elect to provide 30-month DUI programs for third and subsequent DUI offenders, which provide longer periods of counselling, education, and community service, i. e. 78 hours of group counseling; 12 hours of alcohol and drug education; 120-300 hours of community service; and close and regular individual interviews. Presently, such services are available in Los Angeles and San Francisco Counties. (â€Å"An Overview of California's†¦ † 2004) The California Association of Drinking Driver Treatment Programs (â€Å"CADDTP†) has been formed to help promote understanding of, and improve the role of the DUI programs in California. Most people agree that California's DUI program network is â€Å"the most inclusive, structured, and complex† and its entire programs are self-supporting through fees paid by participants. They have caused DUI arrests and alcohol-related fatalities to decline steadily in the last two decades when it was introduced. (â€Å"California Association of Drinking Driver Treatment Programs† n. d. ) Drug Courts for DUI: An American Council on Alcoholism (ACA) Program: In collaboration with the National Association for Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) and the National Commission Against Drunk Driving (NCADD), the American Council on Alcoholism Program (ACAP) seeks to promote and establish courts that focus on alcoholism treatment for drunk driving offenders. This is because ACA believes that the root cause of the drunk driving problem is alcohol abuse and alcoholism and unless we address the root problem of alcoholism, we will not be able to solve the problem of drunk driving. The ACA also believes that traditional means of prevention have had little or no effect on â€Å"hard core† drunk drivers or repeat offenders; therefore it is working for the application of the highly successful drug courts model to cure hardcore drunk drivers of their alcoholism. Drug Court Programs have been found to be highly successful in rehabilitating repeat and hardcore DUI offenders. Recidivism rate in such programs is remarkably low (about 11% v 60% for most other programs). A unique feature of Drug Court is the direct involvement of the judge in the treatment process who remains in direct contact with the defendant and engages in frequent discussion of the progress. The frequent contact between the judge and the defendant creates a paternal-like relationship between them and the judge is able to give positive reinforcement, issue instant reprimands or order incarceration for up to 30 days as the situation demands. An example of a successful DUI Drug Court Program is the Butte County Revia Project started in 1996 for repeat drinking drivers. The key to this model of treatment is the use of ReVia (generic name: naltrexone) for weaning the repeat DUI offenders from their alcohol dependence. (â€Å"Butt County Revia Project,† 2003) The Century Council3 created The National Hardcore Drunk Driver Project in 1997 in order to coordinate efforts directed towards deterrence of hardcore drunk drivers who habitually drive while highly intoxicated. The Council's main aim is to call attention to the serious nature of the crime of drunk driving and to provide the needed framework in order to close loopholes in existing laws and programs, enact needed legislation, and ensure that the responsible agencies and organizations work together effectively to address the problem. The Council stresses that successful DUI programs for repeat and hardcore offenders should be based on swift identification, certain punishment and effective treatment. It conducts research on DUI and has published a comprehensive source book on the topic, which provides up-to-date data to assist legislators, highway safety officials, law enforcement officers, judges, prosecutors, community activists, corrections personnel, and treatment professionals in developing programs to reduce hardcore drunk driving. (â€Å"National Hardcore Drunk Driver Project† 2003) There are a number of other organizations in the US as well as many other countries that are engaged in conducting programs for the treatment of chronic and repeat DUI offenders. These include the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)-a support group of alcoholics that seeks to cure alcohol addicts from their addiction through a twelve-step process; the Al-Anon/ Al-Ateen Family Groups–a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope, in order to solve their common problems. 4 The Al-Anon programs are based on the belief that alcoholism is a family illness, and that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Convicted DUI offenders can be sent to jail and fined, particularly in case of repeat offenders. Other alternatives to jail sentence, apart from the DUI Programs for rehabilitation that were discussed in the preceding paragraphs are: Electronic Monitoring (wearing of an ankle bracelet that monitors the whereabouts of the wearer); Work Release-the convicted person works at a place determined by the Probation Department and goes home to sleep; Work Furlough-an arrangement in which the participant keeps his job but returns to a dormitory style facility at night; and City Jail-operated by the local police where the participants spend the night but are released during the day. (â€Å"Jail Alternatives† 2005) Most DUI laws are aimed at deterring driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. One way of deterring DUI offenses is by making policies and laws that change the drivers' attitude towards DUI and by altering their perceptions of the likely consequences as a result of DUI behavior. (Greenburg et al, 2004). Such anti-DUI laws could be enacted and public information campaigns launched that enhance a driver's perception of â€Å"the certainty, swiftness and severity of prosecution† for drunk-driving offenses, or by increasing awareness of the physical dangers associated with driving while intoxicated (Ibid. Some experts believe that the â€Å"moral component† of the laws is much more important than the â€Å"fear factor† of apprehension and punishment in the long-term control of drunk driving. This is mainly because the likelihood of detection for DUI offenders is very low or uncertain. According to a study quoted by Robin, â€Å"On any given outing, an intoxicated driver has less than a 1-in-1000 chance of being apprehended by the police. (Robin 1991) Tough laws against drunken driving have a moral aspect that gradually develop a culture in a society that is intolerant of DUI regardless of the perceived legal risks to the driver involved. Hence, DUI laws are more likely to achieve their objective of controlling drunk driving if we emphasize the morality of the law rather than expect the hardcore violators to be deterred by the fear of getting caught. Despite a steady decline in the number of accidents and fatalities due to driving under the influence (DUI) in the US since the 1980s, the numbers are still unacceptably high. It is even more alarming that a large proportion of these accidents are caused by repeat offenders or hard core drinkers. As discussed in this paper, measures taken to control DUI range from stricter punishment to rehabilitation programs aimed at changing the behavior of chronic DUI offenders. Some of these programs have contributed significantly in reducing DUI offenses. However, a sustained, coordinated, and long-term effort is required for further reduction in DUI cases.