Full case study analysis of a company (Apple) Essay

Locating the company in its environment. This is where you set the scene and so you should Offer a brief overview of the company (from your own research or the case material provided). Put the company in its context, which will be international or global. At this point you will start to use the various analytical tools available to tell me about the environmental opportunities and constraints operating on the company and its industry. PESTEL is the usual device employed. You should also analyze the characteristics of the industry and business in which the company has to compete and here you should employ the 5 Forces of Competition analysis carried out in some analytical depth. Note: You could emerge from this first analysis with a PARTIAL SWOT, which is drawing out the opportunities and threats facing the firm. After having analyzed the company’s environment, the focus moves to the company itself by conducting an internal analysis where the objective is to identify the capabilities and resources developed by the company. This will be carried out through the application of some well tried analytical instruments, such as the value chain, the threshold and distinctive resources and competencies framework and the VRIO framework. Note: You should be able by now to complete the above SWOT analysis by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the company. Finally, you should now be able to define the competitive position of the company in relation to the Generic Strategy chosen. Part two: The selection of strategic options You should emerge from this Phase with an inquiry based view of your company’s level of business success and what it must do to sustain that success and continuously improve. Which are the main options for growth? To answer this question you can refer to the Ansoff Matrix and – if the company is part of a larger diversified corporation – to the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix. Somewhere in this phase you will need to appraise the company’s financial state of health using well-established measures of efficiency and profitability. But please take note that we do not cover finance in our twelve weeks together but my expectation is that your studies in corporate finance (Financial Accounting and Management) should equip you to include a commentary on Apple financial predicament. Part three: Your strategic solutions for the company’s ongoing health Now that you have derived a picture of your Company’s state of health, can it be improved—what medicine can you offer? So, phase/part three is about Strategic options for the future. There could be many but which strategic option/s would you recommend and why? Are you happy that your choices are derived from your systematic analysis of the company at Phases one and two? Are they feasible? Can they be resourced? Can they be implemented and sustained?

Gender Stereotypes Essay

Gender stereotypes in the society have been existing for a long period of time. This has been due to their intensively conventional simplified and persuasively convincing reference that makes people to easily belief them. Though these stereotypes have been adopted by majority of the people as part of their culture, they are wrong and should be discouraged as they are highly generalized, give wrong perceptions, discourage full potential exploitation from the people or make certain them to adopt unhealthy harmful practices in society (Richard & Zoe,2003). Change to the gender stereotypes perception will form the basis of equality for both male a d females in all areas of development thereby portraying the greater sense of social civilization in the 21st century. Gender stereotypes in the society are dynamic and greatly influenced by the changing economic modes and social ideologies in the societal setting. They are greatly adoptive in different regions of the globe especially in the modern era of verbalization (Theresa, 2005). This paper explores the gender stereotypes and myths in our society and how they influence the intent by individuals to adopt or pursue specific lines of development like careers, sports, modeling and even political ambitions. It also examines the current situation and the extent to which the society have been influenced by the gender stereotypes. With major comparisons and possible projections to enhance increased efficiency in the society, suggestions are highlighted to assist in reducing the major impacts resulting from the vice. 1. History and development of gender stereotypes in the society. Biologically, men and women are different and therefore have different functions that goes along with their natural being. Though this has been used to indicate different views on the their society expectations, it is greatly misleading and can hinder full potential exploitation from different genders. Since long time in history, man has been depicted to represent brightness, hardness and positivity in the society. Through out the time, men have also been considered as the heads of the households and responsible for making appropriate decisions in the political arena. On the other hand, women have characteristically been expected to be submissive, piety and highly domestic oriented in the society. They are required to assume softer roles and be less aggressive in order to be bale to mentor the children as they grow (Richard & Zoe, 2003). In majority of the societies like in China and Latin America, females were mainly supposed to perform household chores like cooking cleaning, tending to children and looking after their husbands. Also, they were expected to work in the farms and not in industrial regions as the heavy jobs were reservations for men. In the modern western world cultures, young men are portrayed as being obnoxious, violent at times and prideful about promiscuity in their lives. They are also expected to be assertive, more intelligent, risk taking, combative, insensitive and tough, while women should posses politeness, slim figure, act as nurturers and homemakers. Through out the history, little changes have taken place to fully appreciate the input of women in the society both economically and politically (Margaret, 2003). However, increase in the representation at high decision policy making positions and encouragement to the women to take higher risks in the economic arena indicates the changing trends in perception of the gender stereotypes. Unlike in the mid 19th century, all the high positions in the US government both gender representation. Appreciation has increasingly been recognized with the number of female senators to the federal government continuously rising. Other areas of middle and high class diplomatic leadership have also increased the democratic space for both genders representation with minimal or no bias at all. 2. Impacts of gender stereo types on education and careers As indicated earlier, females are perceived as being less competitive and possessing reduced ability to pursue careers in mathematics, engineering, medicine and other science oriented occupations in the society. Women are mythically considered to be qualitative as opposed to men who are perceived to be highly quantitative therefore making the girls themselves to believe that mathematics and sciences are for men only (Margaret, 2003). Some of the societies in the East, Africa and the Caribbean have the tendency to direct the girls to social art oriented careers while boys are offered more opportunities in the diverse scientific careers that are considered more prestigious. This stereotyping and mythical believe is not only wrong but unethical as it acts to block the overall potentials of the females to pursue different careers related to sciences. There is no empirical statistics that show women have less ability to perform well in the science oriented careers. Limiting them to less competitive careers has seen their reduced contribution to the society and acts to solidify more stereotype myths that portray them as domestic oriented as opposed to active participation in the economic development (Williams, 2006). To add to that, education preference has been more oriented to the boy child as opposed to the girl in the developing world. It is considered as less productive to educate a girl than to educate a boy since girls would sooner be married off therefore losing the prior investment on them. The current globalized society’s success being based on education, the girl child is therefore less advantaged to access the major benefits of the high technological world. Marxism theories indicates that increase in living standards is dependent on the ability to provide skilled labor to the capitalistic world. He continues to infer that all factors of production should be dynamic in application for high competition and maximum returns to be realized. As a result, limiting female children from education barricades them from possible future development and innovations as their negotiating capacity is fully crippled (Theresa, 2005). However, this perception has been proved wrong as more women are increasingly struggling and achieving equal or higher scholarly achievements than their men counterparts in the scientific careers. Major educational researches and scholarly work have been done by women and received major recognitions. However, such achievement are not emphasized on since stereotypes tend to rely more on generalized aspects than the reality. Higher education and science subjects limitation due to the major stereotypes in the society, kills the overall desire of the female children to pursue different education careers as they would be perceived to be odd. In Trinidad and Tobago, despite the government great initiative to have more girls participate in science oriented subjects, over 80% of them prefer hospitality and secretarial studies (Margaret, 2003). As a result of stereotyping men as generally good in the society to pursue scientific subjects careers, excess assumptions are laid on their abilities with priorities and talents not being emphasized on. Therefore, there is general tendency of the men to pursue careers in sciences as opposed general arts. Engineering profession in US has only about 25% of the people working there being women and 75% being men (Williams, 2006). In the Medical schools in Australia, the ratio of men to women is 1:3 indicating the high level of gender stereotype in the country. Both genders should be given equal priorities to develop their careers as they are all gifted and talented differently. As a basic requirement in the society, scientific skills must be emphasized to both genders for faster transformation of the society in the 21st century and later years. Until recently, computer engineering was a specifically mens careers where women could not even try to figure out pursuing them. In the year 1996, the total number of women computer engineers in Canada was represented by only 9% (Williams, 2006). 3. Impacts of gender stereotyping in politics and governance. Richard & Zoe (2003) points out that, over a longtime in history, political leadership has been dominated by men in different countries and states all over the world. It is believed that women are less capable of making correct decisions in the society as compared to their men counterparts. Gender stereotyping has consistently prevented women from being seriously considered in politics and high level offices. Great challenges lay in the way of entering and remaining in politics for the women from their men counterparts and the society in general. Traditionally, women were not allowed to vote or hold elective position in different countries. US had to greatly struggle for the women to be granted the power to vote for the political leaders in the mid nineteenth century. In the year 2004, women representation in Jamaican government was only 3% since their independence in 1953. From the electorates in the society to the structured policies in individual governments constitutions, women are less favored to compete for different elective posts (Williams, 2006). Uncritical promulgation of the female manifestos in Jamaica, Thailand, Venezuela, Germany and South America countries has assisted in portraying the male candidates as more suitable to their women counterparts. However, recent participation by women all over the world in important decisions making processes acts as a major indicator of how they can be involved in major decision making. They have therefore been limited in contributing important decisions that can assist in enhancing the globalization trends to make the world a better place to live in. Michelle Bachelet and Megawati Sukarnoputri acted as presidents for Chile and Indonesia for the years 2006 and 2004 respectively. Others include President Arroyo for Philippine, Tarja Halonen for Finland and Moscoso for the democratic republic republic of Panama. Therefore, women are not inferior in politics and can be able to rule and make equally good decisions in their respective countries (Williams, 2006). Others like Condoleeza Rice, the US secretary of state have been involved in international critical decisions like war in Iraq, African Affairs and nuclear weapons development diplomatic intervention decisions making. Their direct or indirect denial from participation in politics is therefore a clear indication of low levels in achieving democracy in various states in the world. Though, this view has widely changed, bulk of the masculine people especially in the developing countries must change their approach to enhance full potential reap from both genders (Theresa, 2005). 4. Gender Stereotyping in economic development. All over the world, women have been having great problems in development as compared to their male counterparts. It is considered that women are not supposed to inherit wealth from their matrimonial parents. This view as held by most eastern cultures and has tendered to keep women away from economic development. Access to finances for development has always been tied to the ability of an individual to provide enough security against it. In China, Japan and Brazil, it is believed that a woman after developing and attaining a given age, should get married. They are therefore denied the autonomy of making independent choices of their later economic lives. This denial therefore ensures that they remain dependent on their immediate marriage partners for all their activities. Though different regions and states like US and Britain have established ample legislative frameworks to prevent the exploitation women based on this myth, bulk of other countries still watch as women remain poor economically. As a result, their economic competitive ability is greatly compromised and overall economic situation derailed locally and internationally (Williams, 2006). As indicated earlier, women have have been having less chances to get educated in more competitive scientific subjects therefore, denying them the ability of accessing better jobs in the fast industrializing world. Until recently, Canadian women were regarded as housewives and only participated in minor poorly paying jobs like working in farms and in fabric industries. Though this fact was overlooked for a long time, the trend is fast changing to give them a more inclusive chance to contribute to the economic development of the country. According to Williams (2006), due to the high dominance of the men in different governments, legislations to discourage women participation only in minor home affairs have been developing very slowly and at times met with great resistance. As it was evident in Canada, women believed that they were supposed to be house wives and send their husbands to work and children to school. Besides, it was also believed that those Women who work are either widowed, unmarried or belong to far non Canadian community that have established investment in the country. The believe that all women should be house wives contradicts greatly the twenty first century economic trends where educated working women are highly respected and immensely contribute to the economic growth their countries. 5. Gender stereotyping in sports According to Schmalz & Kerstetter (2006), sports have become major activities in the world that are used to bring great wealth to countries and individuals. Gender stereotyping however, has demanded strong compliance where women are expected to participate only to individual aesthetic activities that are pleasing and simplistic like gymnastics, synchronized swimming and figure skating against their male counterparts who are occasionally trained to participate in strenuous, aggressive and very competitive sports in the world. This division encouraged and allowed the women to accept and adopt the unfounded physical limitation imposed to them by the society (Theresa, 2005). With the traditional views that women should remain attractive, groomed and nurturing, they are thus discouraged from participating in strong sports like lifting weights, grunting and being aggressive in the society. Due to this acceptance, young girls have been stigma conscious of gender in physical activities and sports. Many of the activities that are encouraged for the women have high participation from the men counterparts. Swimming, tennis, badminton, bicycle riding, and athletics have as equal number of men like women. Boxing, football, rallying, horse riding and skating have little participation from the women as they are perceived as men sports. However, these trends have greatly changed and more women are participating in football, boxing and car rallying all over the world. Several states globally have tried to change the trend and encouraged more participation in sports by women. During the 2008 Olympic sports in China, sports participation by women had increased tremendously from the previous world cap. Economic development that simultaneously realigns with these segregated sports are therefore denied for women making them to be even more dependent on men and reducing their ability to inspire other women in the society (Malszecki & Cavar, 2005). To add to that, talents are greatly lost from the various individuals that could have been developed to full appreciation through various sports. As a result of confining women to the beauty and light sports, international representation has been lost greatly for various countries. Besides, women are concentrated more in only few sports that cannot accommodate them thereby discouraging increased participation in sports by women (Schmalz & Kerstetter, 2006). 6. Gender stereotypes in modeling and relationship Over years, it has come to be stereotypically accepted that women as opposed to men should be thin in order to look more attractive. Physical appearance in women has been pasted as a major determinant factor in their overall success. Current media depiction of slim and less stout women to be more successful in life has made many young women to strive being like them in order to be equally successful. Major advertisements and beauty competitions are dominated by such slim ladies pasting the wrong attitude for their lives. Those ladies unable to remain slim are generally traumatized and looked down upon and by their counterparts in the society. From the 1950s to 2005, woman’s body in Miss America contests as well as the Playboy Centerfolds have portrayed women thinness a major prerequisite for their consideration to participate and win. Other models all over the world copying from the west, have adopted the trend that is posted to all the media with great magnitude that even the very young girls only wish to remain slim and thus look attractive. Overestimation and failure to question critically the relationship of the preferred slimness in comparison to the immediate health consequences has been missing in this myth (Williams, 2006). It have been categorized as harmful to refuse eating food in order to slim because of immediate susceptibility to diseases by the body. Everybody should feed adequately to enhance enough body immunity that increases it’s overall ability to fight against germs invasion. Adoption of slimming options by the female ladies has been ill advised and happens with little assistance from the medical assistants thereby putting them into greater risks. Extremely slim ladies have been considered more susceptible to periodic diseases invasion which may end up costing them more in treating the same ailments. Continued slimming for long periods of time have been associated with reduced life expectancy for the specific individual due to lack of enough body supportive nutrients (Margaret, 2003). Modern relationships have been displayed and greatly exaggerated by the media where slimmer and lighter skin colored women are portrayed to be much more attractive and sexy in comparison to others in the society. As a major item in the western world and fast spreading due to other regions, all the young and old ladies want to look good when they are with their peers as well as when they are in relationships. They therefore struggle to attain and retain the prescribed model like figures and maintain them through out to make them fit in the social groupings that develop in the society (Malszecki & Cavar, 2005). Besides, there is even higher risk to their health in the case where they use chemicals to assist them assume the slim preferred figures. These chemicals enhance immediate alterations of the hormones in the body thereby achieving the required change. However, over 65% of all the chemicals used for slimming have major side effects like cancer and bio-accumulative poisoning. On the other hand, cosmetics are also increasingly being used to enhance the immediate change in the face appearance. Mercury and silver based skin lightening cosmetics demanded has risen with over 75% in the last 10 years. Though standards have been emphasized greatly to ensure reduced side effects, cases have been reported of massive chemical burns and even death after using various chemicals (Malszecki & Cavar, 2005). Great care should therefore be instigated for use and natural beauty appreciated for all the people. 7. Addressing gender stereotype in the society. As indicated earlier, gender stereotype in the society involves attitudes by the people which are regarded by majority or all of them. Addressing them therefore, requires a combined effort approach where various entities will be required to positively confront the issue for holistic success to be achieved. 8. Use of policy and legislative framework To begin with, inclusive research should be instituted to enhance understanding of the problem from all the dimensions and identification of the immediate key players for the existence of the fallacy. European Institute for Gender Equality has helped greatly in establishing the major gender imbalance based issues that promote stereotyping in the society. It’s immediate and long term effects should also be established to categorize the urgency (Richard & Zoe,2003). Then policies and legislative framework should be developed to encourage more equity and representation in the society. These policies should therefore ensure increased awareness creation and training to the teachers in different schools and their students on the need to reduce gender stereotypic approaches in the society (Theresa, 2005). Besides, it should also be extended to the parents who play major roles in the early child development. Incentives should be established to increase participation by both genders. European Union after realizing the great impact that gender stereotyping was having in the society, it established a common policy to be used by all the European Union countries in removing the deeply entrenched disparities (Margaret, 2003). Accessibility of jobs previously prescribed as only for men was opened up for women in the member countries. Besides, the member states agreed to develop individual objectives to be localized from the agreed agenda by reflecting the immediate country’s problems. 9. Using media to enhance change of attitude Malszecki & Cavar (2005) argues that, media should act as the key tool in promoting positive attitudes towards different genders while denouncing the stereotypic ones. As indicated earlier, media has played the greatest role in spreading stereotypes in the society due to it’s great availability and massive persuasive and convincing power especially to the young people. Facts should be used in advertisements and extremism avoided in the whole process. Many people do not understand the negative outcomes of the gender stereotypes and therefore, both sides of the story should be told for informed decision from the different people in the society to be made. Though the freedom of the media is of great necessity at all times to enhance increased ability of the people to express themselves, it can be regulated to make it more responsible since it is the major contributor to the existence of the current high levels of gender stereotypes in the society (Williams, 2006). 10. Local and international cooperation To add to that, cooperation at all levels in the field of community development and youth affairs should be initiated in the line of jobs and employments opportunities in different states. As discussed earlier, majority of the disparities arise as a result of poor availability of employment opportunities that instigates sharp divisions guided by various mythologies relating to gender stereotypes. Increased industrialization and opening up of more chances related to different areas of specialization in working places should be enhanced (Richard & Zoe,2003). This specialization therefore, would act as an opener to new opportunities in all careers. Introduction of unemployment benefits for the unemployed people of different genders would help reducing major held perceptions that are based on dependence of women to men through submissiveness. It would also increase their ability to invest and improve their independence (Williams, 2006). 11. Improving democracy in the society. Democracy as described in the classical theories of change in the society, acts as a major platform for total participation in all developments in the society. Increasing democratic space for all the people in various decision making posts can reduce totally the perception that only men can hold such administrative posts in the management. As indicated in majority of the democratic world, all the people should have equal opportunity to contribute and sell their political agendas for increased efficiency and higher level management of their states. After Germany elected Engel Merkel as the chancellor in the country, great changes have taken place and people are admiring her mode of operations both locally and internationally. At all levels of management, representation should be enhanced and made equal for both genders (Margaret, 2003). In regions where low levels of democracy still persist, policies should be established to reserve posts for both genders in the management structures. Acting as a major example in the present world, similar cases are being developed in the developed and developing world to enhance major economic growth (Richard & Zoe,2003). 12. Promoting gender equality in sports and careers As a major abstractor in the sports field, both genders should be encouraged to participate in all the sports available for improved talents harnessing in the society. Negativism in one gender participation and scaring off should be discouraged at all times to allow improved development for both genders (Theresa, 2005). Careers development should be improved for better participation in the economic developments by both genders. Gender balance creates self esteem that aids in reducing the major disparities that go together with discrimination. From the local and international arena, successful people in different careers and sports should be used as the major role models because of the facts attached to them (Schmalz & Kerstetter, 2006). Conclusion. Gender stereotypes have been adopted by majority of the people as part of their culture and are therefore used in defining their ways of living in the society. However, they are wrong and should be discouraged as they are highly generalized, give wrong perceptions, discourage total potential discovery from the people and hinder full potential exploitation in the society. As it has happened in education and sports, various achievement of the major goals and objectives that assist people in assuming better earning jobs and thus improved lifestyles are highly limited and defined on the gender stereotyping attitudes possessed by the society. Change to the gender stereotypes perception will form the basis of equality for both genders in all areas of development thereby portraying the greater sense of social civilization (Williams, 2006). Due to the high level of illusionary correlation in gender stereotypes, information on emphasis of slim models and discouragement of participation in sports by the females are highly deceitful to the people. They therefore portray wrong perception that are sooner adopted as part of life by the people in that region. Besides, being in the era of globalization development should be based on the major premises that are substantiated and not illusionary. It should be fully discouraged and all the perceptions conclusively removed with immediate programs as it is a major abyss for talents, innovations and developments. Recommendations 1. Improve and increase cooperation from the of the major organs dealing with gender stereotypes in the society through awareness creation. 2. Promote economic independence of all the people in the society by opening up areas of employment and working (Richard & Zoe,2003). 3. Increase funds for gender based programs that will enhance increased participation from both males and females in the society. 4. Promote responsible media programs in the society that will enhance change of attitude for the better by the youths in the society. 5. Enhance improved research, implementation and monitoring into the established initiatives for effectiveness and conclusiveness of the goals set Reference list Malszecki, G. & Cavar, T. (2005). Men, masculinities, war, and sport. In Race, Class, and Sexuality. New York: Pearson Prentice Hall. Margaret, W. M. (2003). The Psychology of Women. Washington: Sage. Richard, F. & Zoe, O. (2003) â€Å" Gender stereo typing Stereotyping in State Executive Elections†, Journal of politics, (3)65, 25-49. Schmalz, D. & Kerstetter, D. (2006). Girlie girls and manly men: Children’s stigma consciousness of gender in sports and physical activities. Journal of Leisure Research, (4)38, 536-557 Theresa, M. (2005). Gender Myths V. Working Realities. New York: NYU Press. Williams, K. 2006. Globalization: Gender stereo typing in the 21st century and its impacts in

American Cultural Puritanism and The Crucible Essay

In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the playwright creates a scene based on the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, yet the themes that the play conveys are still embedded in modern society. John Proctor, the protagonist, is condemned for speaking out against the Puritan leaders, indicating a theme of individual versus society. However, the play as a whole depicts a time of political manipulation, when the society’s leaders expected all of the townspeople to follow the majority’s beliefs, condemning those who thought otherwise. These themes can be applied to both events occurring in modern society and the actions at the time the play was written, 1953. Before these themes can be applied, one must understand the general plot of The Crucible as well as the way it is carried out as a drama. The moral struggles of John Proctor are presented throughout the play, with the biggest one regarding his decision to either speak out against the majority and face the risk of being killed, or keep quiet and watch other innocent people be condemned. Proctor eventually tells the reverend and the judge, among other officials, what he believes the girls, such as Abigail Williams, are doing. He presents them with facts and evidence, explaining a scheme the girls are carrying out against him, yet the leaders do not listen to him. Instead, they sentence him to death for rebelling against the society, calling him a witch. While the main theme of Miller’s play interprets this time of political unrest, several smaller themes are also emphasized. The author implies that society cannot settle for just arresting and punishing criminals when they call attention to themselves. Instead, there is an occasional â€Å"witch hunt† where people are sought out and punished when they are, in reality, completely innocent (Goldstone, â€Å"Introduction,† 19). This becomes evident in The Crucible when one realizes that the officials could have stopped listening to the girls after they found out the first few names of people who were â€Å"witches.† Nevertheless, the girls were given the authority to give the names of anybody that they wanted, with the judge having no way of telling whether or not they were lying. Another major theme in the play  describes how people in every society have been forced to compromise their intellect and integrity in order to follow society’s popular beliefs. Miller’s feelings that innocent people could have been saved if more people had the courage to speak out against what was occurring are expressed in this universal account of the inhumane and senseless acts that have occurred throughout history. In the play, the audience has the opportunity to consider the viewpoints of John Proctor, an innocent person, rather than just the side of the government leaders, making the themes universal in that more members of modern society can relate to them. Miller explains in his essay, â€Å"Why I Wrote The Crucible,† that he intended for the play to depict a common reaction of people in a situation such as the Salem Witch Trials, or the anti-Semitism era around 1952. He says that many people turn their backs on friends, as well as others who have been condemned for some reason, to keep from being seen and then further identified with them. Much like the play’s protagonist, Miller was fearful of being identified as a communist when he wanted to write the play as a social criticism in the 1950s. Therefore, he used the events of the Witch Trials to draw a parallel rather than directly discussing anti-Semitism (2). In this same fashion, parallels can be drawn between The Crucible and contemporary society. Many members of society still fight a moral conflict when protesting the government, mainly because the belief that society must somehow make sense is common. Even though Puritanism and the beliefs associated with it do not effect society in the same way that they did in 1962, similarities can be seen in the lessons that the Salem Witch Trials teach and happenings in the modern-day world. While Miller used the Salem Witch Trials and his play to criticize the government in 1952, events similar to this occur every day in the world and many people can relate The Crucible’s themes of contradicting the majority to their modern lives.

Philosophy of Plato and American Culture Research Paper

Philosophy of Plato and American Culture - Research Paper Example There are so many diverse cultures all around the globe which are based on some philosophies which can still be observed in the 21st century. Plato was one of the philosophers whose philosophy is eminent in the Western culture and it can be said that today’s American culture emanates the philosophy of Plato in a number of ways. According to Alfred North Whitehead, the safest generalization of the different characteristics of the Western culture is that it is based on the philosophy of Plato. The philosophy has not been adopted in a systematic way but it can be easily seen that the scattered ideas of Plato have been included in the culture (Lachs & Talisse, 2008). Platonism had already developed for a period of two millennia after Plato’s death after it had any influence on the American philosophy. There are a number of ideas found in the works of Plato that have played significant role in the development of American philosophy. The main three ideas that have influenced the American philosophy the most are; the importance of formal understanding of mathematics; the conception of nature as in process and the conviction that because of the roles of form in natural processes, value is a part of nature. Following is the comprehensive analysis of the influences that the philosophy of Plato has on the American educational structure and society in general. Plato’s Philosophy and American Education System American culture is influenced by Plato philosophy in some way or the other. There are a number of ways in which American culture intersects with Plato’s philosophy. One of the main examples is the system of State and education. Plato founded the basic concepts for a number of subjects which have been developed over time and they are taught in the educational institutes of America. Dialogues of Plato have been used in a wide range of subjects which include; mathematics, ethics, philosophy and logic. There are a number of ways in which people come across the philosophy of Plato, sometimes without even realizing it. Plato’s philosophy is considered to be the foundation for the democratic philosophies of education as he proposed a whole system of education. Plato always encouraged education in his philosophy and his teachings can still be observed in American culture. According to Plato; children with talent should be selected by the State from all the social classes regardless of the social position of the children. Plato considered children as the assets of the State and he suggested that the State should educate the children in order to make them eligible for the right kind of service to the State. Children should be educated in such a manner that they become fully trained for the kind of service they are to perform in the future. Plato suggested that the educated children may serve in; military services, city management and dialectic. The State should take the responsibility of the education of such talented ch ildren. According to Plato, the children should go through a comprehensive educational training which begins with gymnastics, music, and mathematics. Plato gave significant importance to the concept of mathematics and this philosophy of Plato has influenced American culture in a number of ways. The development of scientific methods in America

Starbucks Analyse Marketing Activities and Performance Essay - 3

Starbucks Analyse Marketing Activities and Performance - Essay Example That is converted to additional value in the company and hence increased profits. Employees are treated as Starbuck partners, normally referred to as Baristas through use of favorable management theories. However, except for the senior managers, the company does not employ full-time meaning they do not accord full benefits for employees (Kumar, 65). This is good for the company since it does not have to pay for pensions, which are additional costs to a company. That is favorable use of operations management since Starbucks only pays for the productive hours worked, and with minimal supervision The operations management applied by Starbucks is implemented by baristas, employees, as well as the managers. The ‘bean stock’ option was got from the story of Jack and the bean stock, which grew to the sky. The latter makes the difference between the operations management used by Starbucks and the rest of its competitors. According to the ‘bean stock’ management option, all employees are considered valuable to the company, on the same degree as shareholders. Hence, Starbucks Company operates as one big family without a big deviation between senior and junior employees. The ‘bean stock’ option employed by Starbucks plays a significant role in defining a chain of activities that ensures external customers are accorded the value they deserve. Following the use of ‘bean stock’ the performance and attitude of Starbuck employees has improved. It has immensely improved operations management with improved employee relations and customer satisfaction (Bedbury, 24). Employees are able to work with minimal supervision for optimum productivity as the company maximizes its profit margins For Starbuck’s managers, conceptual skills are important for innovation and new ideas on running their unique management practices. The company’s initial store manager, Howard Schultz used conceptual skills to

Three theories for a better life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Three theories for a better life - Essay Example Thus, it is important that we know â€Å"ourselves†, our failings, our tendencies and our weaknesses so that we may guard ourselves from it and prevent ourselves from veering away from virtuousness. We can take for an example an honest family man who makes a living for his family. He may toil with integrity under normal situation, but when a crisis like losing a job will set in, he may be faced with a dilemma that would reveal his weakness and change his disposition (honesty). He may be tempted to commit fraud when presented the opportunity just to provide for his family. This is a common dilemma that confronts many â€Å"honest† people which made them less virtuous because it hit their unguarded weaknesses such as theirlove and duty for their family that held them hostage to do things that they do not like. 3) (a) State and explain the meaning of the second version of Kant's categorical imperative. (b) what are the ethical implications of this  imperative; [c] provid e a somewhat detailed analysis of an ethically relevant problem or situation, different from those discussed in the  readings or in class, that can be illuminated through this imperative. To effectively explain Kant’s second version of categorical imperative, it would be necessary to understand what Kant meant by categorical imperative. According to Kant, imperatives imply what they meant which are command such as â€Å"wake up early†. Often they are hypothetical imperative because they only serve a specific objective or purpose such as â€Å"wake up early so you will not be later for work. This imperative or command becomes categorical when it is applied... To effectively explain Kant’s second version of categorical imperative, it would be necessary to understand what Kant meant by categorical imperative. According to Kant, imperatives imply what they meant which are command such as â€Å"wake up early†. Often they are hypothetical imperative because they only serve a specific objective or purpose such as â€Å"wake up early so you will not be later for work. This imperative or command becomes categorical when it is applied universally and that the actions and decisions of individuals are to be judged solely by their motivations and that the consequences do not matter morally (as in the case of hypothetical imperative) neither the intended consequences nor the actual consequences matter morally; only the principle or rule we follow if we do the action matters morally. Thus actions themselves become an end and this action should be a rational result in the exercise of freewill. Consistent to this, Kant’s second impe rative states that every person has the duty to use and exercise his goodness/humanity as a means to an end. The application of this second formulation of Kant’s categorical imperative is best illustrated in slave ownership. A slave owner may assert his right to own a property which in this case is a slave. While ownership by itself is not immoral, slave ownership becomes unethical or immoral according to Kant’s second imperative because it deprives a person of his free rational action and that persons can never be a mere means to an end.

A comparative study between the regulations of the U.S. and the United Essay

A comparative study between the regulations of the U.S. and the United Kingdom on Hip Hop music - Essay Example The notion of censorship has always been warily approached with differing emotions. Whereas many regard censorship as a form of curtailment against individual liberty and freedom of speech, there are also some who would argue for censorship as a necessary mechanism for the protection of civil society and public order. In our present day, for example, several organizations both in government and outside government, espouse the need to filter media content. Within governments, we have UK’s Office of Communications and the United States has its own Federal Communications Commission. Outside governments, organizations such as the Parents’ Music Research Center actively campaign for censorship as a necessary defense against the corruption of young minds. From the early days of the Inquisition wherein large volumes of books and other literature labeled as sacrilegious or scandalous were ripped into shreds before being thrown into large flaming pyres, till today’s curre nt practice of censorship cuts on mass-produced films and broadcast programs, artistic work has consistently come under the magnifying glass and scrutiny of regulating bodies bent on filtering the content of mass media which reach the common population.

Critical Review of Skin Deep Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical Review of Skin Deep - Essay Example The blind date arranged for a wedding ceremony comically highlights the many difficulties both sisters are currently experiencing in their lives and relationships. The opening scene of the play shows the two sisters discussing their relational challenges and trying to defend their outward displays of everything going well. The married sister is named Sheila Whiting, and is played by Micahla Vaccaro. Sheila discusses her marriage and the multiple plastic surgeries she has undergone in order to remain looking young for her successful lawyer husband. The un-married sister is named Maureen Mulligan, and is played by Missy Lane. Maureen tries to carry on her dull and romantically enigmatic existence due to her issues with her weight. Acting as debutant and matchmaker, Mrs. Vaccaro tries to convince her husband to set her sister up on a blind date for an upcoming wedding. The husband character, named Squire Whiting and played by Bill Krause, plays along and accepts the responsibility of being a matchmaker. As revealed later in play, Mr. Whiting feels affection and respect for his sister-in-law, which almost creates a scandal. When all the characters realize the truth by witnessing a simple hug between the husband and sister-in-law, the relational tension that has built up for many years is released. Mrs. Lane is able to resolve her low self-image with the reality that someone does find her attractive, despite her weight and increasing age. Joe Spinelli, who was set up on a blind date with Maureen, is a simple and realistic man by trade. Played by Barry Chambers, Joe is an honest character who felt attraction to Maureen but remained conservative. Mr. Whiting and Mrs. Vaccaro came to the understanding that plastic surgery was not necessary, because he loves his wife just the way she is. The set-up date creates a sexual innuendo that reminds each character that they are attracted to each other. However, the dialogues between the characters remained predicta ble and contrived. Some of the scenes were lengthy and the outcomes were understood before the conclusion was revealed. The casting was age-appropriate and helped the audience to understand that everyone was experiencing a comedic mid-life crisis. My favorite actor, Mr. Chambers, was very spontaneous and quite realistic in his gesturing. The sexual sparing that occurs between him and Maureen invokes the idea of our own parents trying to date and relate to each other while maintaining a public front. My least favorite character was the married sister. Mrs. Vaccaro seemed too stiff and her use of voice and responses seemed overly rehearsed. Although the actress was apparently feeling physically ill during that particular production, her voice was difficult to hear and did not convincingly portray a married socialite who had received too much plastic surgery. Her husband, the lawyer, was not very convincing until the very last scene, and could have interacted more with his wife. The sc enic design of the play created a neutral environment through which many interactions could occur. The stage was set as a modern, though slightly dated, apartment that allowed the actors to engage with many set props and lighting styles. The doorway, elevated from the stage, created a good use of dramatic space with the

Journalling Personal Experiences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Journalling Personal Experiences - Essay Example Yet, it’s is more fun for me to personally see the facial expression and body language of the person I am talking to. And hence suddenly not being able to see who I am talking to particularly when I am chatting with a group that I am not acquainted with can be quite perplexing. Yet, the whole endeavor is engaging and interesting especially when I am trying to keep the conversation going, choose carefully my statements, and sustain the interest of the person or group I am conversing with. In the chat room, these are more quite difficult to attain than in face-to-face interaction. Eventually, when I learned my way through the online environment, my opinion on this new approach of learning and teaching started to change. I guess†¦ I discerned many advantages and conveniences of online classes, especially if these are performed appropriately. So far all my online classes have been very successful because our professors used different means such as chat rooms, video conferenci ng, e-mail, etc. Even though the whole experience is far from being ‘real’, it really kept me motivated and involved. Entry # Time Task Behavior 2 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm Consulting a friend regarding whether to take an online course or a face-to-face class. If I had to choose between taking a course face-to-face and online, I would choose the latter. However if I discovered that the instructor did not know how to take advantage of or make the online learning setting efficient, if they are actually familiar with the online environment and know how to use it correctly, if they are then I would take a class online, otherwise, I would prefer face-to-face. Yet again I have to really be sure if the lecturer, professor, or instructor, whatever designation the person whose supervising the course has, has a proficient knowledge of the purpose, use, and importance of the online learning environment. It is an issue of convenience and practicality but also value and success of the learn ing experience. Thus I think I have to be prepared. I think I have to be dedicated to this endeavor because it is more demanding and challenging in a distinct manner. I think I have to be conscientious and professors should be always available online to address students’ concerns; if not, it is not successful†¦ and teachers cannot lead an online course and keep in touch with their students on a regular basis. It would be equivalent to not attending your classes. But I still believe that there should be face-to-face meetings as well, a substantial portion of the learning environment should be this way. It cannot be entirely online. That won’t work. I experienced taking an online course which does not meet face-to-face, even once. When I had things to clarify with the instructor, for instance, through the chat room, our streams of conversation were usually interrupted or, worst, lost in a barrage of questions, issues, and concerns popping out of the chat room all at the same time. Entry # Time Task Behavior 3 1:00 pm- 3:00 pm Meeting with a computer instructor to discuss about my problems with WebCT One of the things that take place in the online environment is the formation of peer groups, and I suppose I would not encourage any person from taking part in an online course that was merely random. I believe we have to develop that learning environment and have the help and advocacy of a peer to carry out a higher course online. I would suggest to all my pupils in

Worldview Essay of Romans Essay Example for Free

Worldview Essay of Romans Essay Introduction In Paul letter to the Romans he provides for us a biblical view of creation, which is our natural world, our human identity as it relates to God, human relationship and how it should be understood and culture. He shows us God’s love for all mankind, regardless of nationality or cultural background through His saving grace found in Jesus Christ. He grants salvation to all by faith in His son, with no favoritism or partiality. Man is incapable of saving himself, it is not earned through his works or good deeds, it’s only found by faith in Christ. It is essential for us today to have a clear and proper biblical understanding of our Creator, our relationship to Him and others, sin and its consequences and also our justification and redemption found in Jesus Christ. The Natural World Our natural world was spoken into existence by God and was perfect in its creation. The bible explains to us how the world was formed in Genesis 1:1-25 and God called His creation good. His purpose for creating our natural world and all that is in it was to worship and glorify Him. Our natural world is clearly a manifestation of His existence, sovereignty and power as stated in (Romans 1:20-21). There is general revelation of God’s creation, which speaks to everyone regardless of their culture and language and regardless of their access to Scriptures or the gospel according to (Psalms 19:1-6). God intended for man to subdue and take dominion of the earth, but man failed because of sin according to (Genesis 1:28). However, according to Romans 8:35-39, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. This is comforting to know that in a world that has fallen and is extremely sinful, that we have an assurance and hope, which is found by faith in Christ Jesus. Human Identity Our identity originated in God, and in His image were we made (Genesis  1:26-27). We not only have a spiritual image but also a physical image as well. Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, meaning God with us, came in the form of a man to redeem mankind back to the Father. But, since the inception of sin, our physical and spiritual image has been marred and our fellowship with God was broken. We were born with an identity problem, because we are descendants of Adam and Eve who sinned, and their act of independence passed down from generation to generation. In Romans 1:21-24, these people knew God, but their hearts and minds had become darkened and they reveled in wickedness. They thought of themselves to be wise, however they were fools. They even exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man, birds and animals and snakes. They distorted the image of their Creator and God gave them over to their sinful desires and the lust of their own hearts. Man will never fully understand his true identity until he comes to a saving knowledge of who Christ is and what He has done for him. Only then will his eyes be open and his new identity revealed. Human Relationships Our human relationships with each other can be challenging because of sin and its tendencies to put strife between us. God intended for man and woman to be fruitful and multiply, to dwell in peace, love and unity. We are to love and forgive one another, and not stand in judgment against each other. Show kindness to our enemies even those who oppose God. For God is love. However, that changed after sin entered our world. Man began to do what was pleasing and right in his own eyes. Sin took man so far from God’s design that they exchanged their natural affections for each other. They abandoned their natural desire for each other to unnatural ones, although they knew these things were wrong. Therefore God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do what ought not to be done (Romans 1:26-32). Paul states in Romans 6:23 for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. Culture We can clearly see the culture of that time had completely turned from God even though they knew God. They rejected Him and lived life on their own terms and by their own rules. This is the mindset of our culture today. The early church culture also dealt with a lot of legalism. Some believe to be a Christian one must obey the laws of Moses, which I believe is in error. Our  justification is in Christ and not the law. After the cross, the two nations of Jews and Gentiles are now one in Christ. The new covenant is to both the Jews and the Gentiles (Ephesians 2:11-22). There is much division in our world because of different worldviews and how one believes. In Romans, Paul teaches us our sanctification and justification is in Christ alone. The mercy and grace of God has been extended to all mankind regardless of race, creed, color or culture. We have a responsibility to share the love of God with all cultures to bring them to a saving knowledge of God’s grace through Christ. In conclusion, Paul teachings help us to understand how God views sin and its consequences. His message also reveals God’s righteousness and forgiveness through Christ. Our natural world, our human identity, relationships and our culture has been given a glorious opportunity to be renewed and redeemed through the blood of Jesus. We should not conformed to this world, but be transformed by renewing our minds and share that revelation to others through the love of God. Therefore, having a proper biblical worldview are both essential and valuable to us and our world.

Endoscopic Ultrasound Benefits in Gastroenterology

Endoscopic Ultrasound Benefits in Gastroenterology Endoscopy, a big fortune for disease around gastrointestinal tract Gastroenterology, especially the techniques in gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, has developed rapidly in the past two decades. The progress made in minimally invasive endoscopic techniques enables more and more gastrointestinal diseases detected and treated. Getting to be mature, the techniques such as the endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), are now applicable to more indications and not that restrained by the condition of GI wall; besides, the techniques are even applied to the organs surrounding the GI tract [1], such as lung, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, adrenal glands, bladder, uterus and etc. EUS EUS is a medical procedure which combines endoscopy with ultrasound to obtain images of the internal organs in the chest and abdomen. During the procedure, a small ultrasound probe is inserted into the GI tract to screening for surrounding lesions. On account of the very close proximity between the probe and the lesion, it is referred to as internal scanning. The high frequency EUS provides very high-resolution images but not leading to vision impairment caused by the air in GI tract. EUS can detect lesions in millimeters by the high-resolution image processed with short wavelength and high frequency sound. And these tiny lesions cannot be detected by CT scan, MRI and other methods, which can only detect lesions of larger volumes, typically measured in centimeters. EUS, recommended by numerous professional guidelines [2-6], have now become an irreplaceable tool in the diagnosis of hepatobilliary malignancies, lung cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, colon cancer and pancreatic cancer. EUS is also used to identify the tumor staging with invaded adjacent organs due to its accuracy, providing valuable information in selecting treatment protocols and estimating prognosis [7]. Furthermore, the development of linear scanning echo endoscopes has brought a new approach since the 1990s: the ultrasound-guided fine needle puncture. Since then, EUS has evolved from a purely diagnostic imaging modality to an interventional procedure. The devices make it possible to gain access into closed organs through the GI wall and the GI tract; not only the surrounding lesions of the GI tract are detectable, but also the samples can be collected for cytopathological diagnosis; besides, we can drain fluid and inject therapeutic agents to manage the diseases with the devices. EUS-FNA EUS guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is currently performed as a routine examination in more and more endoscopic centers. It is extremely important to obtain the malignant samples with EUS-FNA for cytological or histological examinations safely and reliably with notable efficacy [8]; EUS-FNA is also essential in dependably excluding malignancy in indeterminate lesions, particularly for the otherwise inaccessible lesions 9. The GI tract traverses through various anatomical regions with corresponding specialties such as pulmonology, thoracic surgery, internal medicine, oncology, urology, gynecology and endocrinology, so the application of EUS-FNA is not confined to gastroenterology. For experienced practitioners, the sensitivity of this procedure in malignancy is over 90% 10.EUS-FNA is obviously significant in managing malignant tumors. EUS-guided therapy EUS-guided therapy covers immensely, including drainage of pancreatic fluids, gallbladder and other fluids, accessing to pancreatic and biliary systems; celiac plexus neurolysis; vascular interventions and ablative therapies. Being safe and effective, EUS is the first-line therapy for uncomplicated pseudocysts 11. Though there is still controversial, multiple studies have now shown that walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WOPN) can be treated with endoscopy at low morbidity and mortality [12. Limited literature there is, still can EUS guided drainage and debridement be successfully applied to treatment for uncomplicated pseudocysts such as abscesses in the lower and upper abdomen. EUS-guided fine needle therapy is becoming more promising. It is now considered as a cutting edge technique in the rapidly expanding field of therapy for pancreatic cancerà ¦Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ¤Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¤Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ ¦Ã‹Å" ¯Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ­Ã‚ £Ãƒ §Ã‚ ¡Ã‚ ®, especially in an era when so many ablation therapies are confirmed with palliative effect for advanced pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, the current therapies, however,benefit little to most patients. Recently, initial success is reported in many studies that medication injection and intra-pancreatic tumor therapy under the EUS guidance [13, including EUS-guided radiofrequency ablation, EUS-guided alcoholic ablation, EUS-guided gene therapy and EUS guided interstitial brachytherapy. These techniques enable us to manage pancreatic cancer in a relatively minimally invasive manner with low incidence of procedure-related complications. These latest cutting-edge techniques may give hope in treating pancreatic cancer, the deadly disease in the near future. Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES) More vigorous endoscopic therapies emerge as the development of flexible endoscopic technology, such as endoscopic necrosectomy, full thickness resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection. So more and more diseases are now treated with endoscopy. NOTES, another up-to-date technique as a promising alternative to conventional surgery, is of great concern recently. In NOTS, an endoscope passes through the natural orifice such as mouth, urethra and anus, and then it goes through an internal incision in the stomach, vagina or colon, thus external incisions and incision-related complications would be avoidable. The NOTES is improving as the GI closure instrument develops, and it is studied not only in animal models but also in humans [14, involving abdominal cavity exploration and biopsy, transvaginal cholecystectomy, transgastric appendectomy, transvaginal appendectomy, transvesical peritoneoscopy and so forth. According to literature, EUS is essential for its value in evaluating and performing NOTES [15-18. There is a promising platform for EUS-based NOTES in the future 15. Jeong et al has shown the feasibility of NOTES interventions through a forward-viewing endoscopic ultrasound 15. Currently, the following mentioned EUS-based procedures are performed: EUS evaluation and endoscopic biopsy of intraperitoneal organs, EUS-guided radiofrequency ablation (EUS-RFA), EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) and argon plasma coagulation (APC) for hemostatic control. Not only can EUS detect the lesions surrounding the GI tract, but also can locate for the NOTES procedure. EUS guided drainage for pseudocyst and EUS guided transluminal retroperitoneal endoscopic necrosectomy of walled-off necrosis have now proved to be safe and effective in clinical setting 15, 19. This is the real day for NOTES technique. Studies on NOTES are encouraging, but still there is a long way to go. More sophisticated NOTES technique is to be explored to guarantee the safety of the procedure. To summarize, more and more diseases surrounding the GI tract can be diagnosed and treated as the big fortune of endoscopic technique develops, such as the EUS and NOTES, and the GI tract will become the service tunnel of human body. References Mekky MA, Abbas WA. Endoscopic ultrasound in gastroenterology: From diagnosis to therapeutic implications. World J Gastroenterol. 2014 Jun 28;20(24):7801-7807. Ajani JA, Barthel JS, Bentrem DJ, DAmico TA, Das P, Denlinger CS, et al. Esophageal and esophagogastric junction cancers. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2011 Aug 1;9(8):830-87. Ajani JA, Bentrem DJ, Besh S, D’Amico TA, Das P, Denlinger C, et al. Gastric cancer, version 2.2013: featured updates to the NCCN Guidelines. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2013 May 1;11(5):531-46. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. Version 1.2013. Accessed September 24, 2013. Kalemkerian GP, Akerley W, Bogner P, Borghaei H, Chow L, Downey RJ, et al. Smallcelllungcancer. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2011 Oct;9(10):1086-113. Ettinger DS1, Akerley W, Borghaei H, Chang AC, Cheney RT, Chirieac LR, et al. Non-small cell lung cancer.J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2012 Oct 1;10(10):1236-71. D’Journo XB, Thomas PA. Current management of esophageal cancer. J Thorac Dis 2014;6(S2):S253-S264. Leong S, Shaipanich T, Lam S, Yasufuku K. Diagnostic bronchoscopycurrent and future perspectives. J Thorac Dis 2013;5(S5):S498-S510. Costache MI, Iordache S, Karstensen JG, Saftoiu A, Vilmann P. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration: From the past to the future. Endosc Ultrasound 2013;2:77-85. Sahai AV. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration: Getting to the point. Endosc Ultrasound 2014;3:1-2. Ng PY, Rasmussen DN, Vilmann P, et al. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage of pancreatic pseudocysts: Medium-term assessment of outcomes and complications. Endosc Ultrasound 2013;2:199-203. Kawakami H, Itoi T, Sakamoto N. Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Transluminal Drainage for Peripancreatic Fluid Collections: Where Are We Now? Gut Liver. 2014 Jul;8(4):341-355. Epub 2014 Jul 1. Carrara S, Petrone MC, Testoni PA, Arcidiacono PG.Tumors and new endoscopic ultrasound-guided therapies.World J Gastrointest Endosc. 2013 Apr 16;5(4):141-7. Chen Huang, Ren-Xiang Huang, Zheng-Jun Qiu.Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery: New minimally invasive surgery come of age. World J Gastroenterol. Oct 21, 2011; 17(39): 4382-4388. Jeong SU, Aizan H, Song TJ, Seo DW, Kim SH, Park do H, et al. Forward-viewing endoscopic ultrasound-guided NOTES interventions: a study on peritoneoscopic potential. World J Gastroenterol. 2013 Nov 7;19(41):7160-7. Donatsky AM1, Andersen L, Nielsen OL, Holzknecht BJ, Vilmann P, et al. Pure natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) with ultrasonography-guided transgastric access and over-the-scope-clip closure: a porcine feasibility and survival study. SurgEndosc. 2012 Jul;26(7):1952-62. Matthes K1, Thakkar SJ, Lee SH, Gromski MA, Lim RB, Janschek J, et al. Development of a pancreatic tumor animal model and evaluation of NOTES tumor enucleation. SurgEndosc. 2011 Oct;25(10):3191-7. Saftoiu A1, Vilmann P, Bhutani MS. Feasibility study of EUS-NOTES as a novel approach for peroralcholecysto-gastrostomy. Chirurgia (Bucur). 2013 Jan-Feb;108(1):62-9. Abdelhafez M1, Elnegouly M, Hasab Allah MS, Elshazli M, Mikhail HM, Yosry A. Transluminal retroperitoneal endoscopic necrosectomy with the use of hydrogen peroxide and without external irrigation: a novel approach for the treatment of walled-off pancreatic necrosis. Surg Endosc. 2013 Oct;27(10):3911-20.

Health Literacy in Australia

Health Literacy in Australia Health literacy was defined as â€Å"the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions† (IOM, 2004, p. 32).Inotherwords, it is the person’s ability obtain and understand healthcare information and make decisions based on those information whilst following those instructions during the treatment process. Health literacy can contextual where demands are made as well as skill which is brought upon by the participating parties according to the situation ((Rudd, Moeykens, Colton, 1999). According to the statistics almost 50 percent of the patient admitted that they are not familiar to basic information about healthcare. A successful treatment can be linked to be directly proportional to the health literacy and low level of this may lead to an unsuccessful treatment or the patient being wrongly diagnosed. As health literacy is directly related peoples health, those who have low level of health literacy are known to have poor health status than those having high level end experience a better life style regards to their overall health conditions. A good level of health literacy may allow people to make decisions that will allow them to make life changing decisions about their health Every day, people confront situations that involve life-changing decisions about their health. When people can obtain, communicate, process, and understand health information and services they are able to make decisions about health care. So, health literacy is more than just reading and having numeracy skills, but also includes elements such as cultural differences in society and health care provisions. â€Å"Limited health literacy occurs when those involved are not able to get and use the information and services. Lack of clear information and its importance, people get into situation that may not be ideally desirable. Moreover, people with low level of hea lth literacy are known to have a significant disadvantage to understand and execute medical treatments and prevent health care effectively which translates to their health. They have less or limited understanding about the medications, medical conditions and how to self-care. Health literacy level can be related to demography, economy and the way we communicate. It can be roughly categorized in terms of age, ethnicity, age and language. Among these categories people who have English as the second language seems to be the most affected with the low level of health literacy. As, we know that people responses to illness behaviors are culturally determined ( Smylie, Williams, Cooper, 2006).In Australia there exists a large number of migrant population and a large part of that comes from non-English speaking countries or who have English as a second language. These are further exaggerated their cultural barriers and economic challenges for accessing the services As it is rare to a obtain and access information about primary health care other than English which sometimes may be a cause of major concern as migrant people may not have the satisfactory level English to know the effects and methods required for the desired final results. Migrant people are found t o be affected by the health inequalities which are determined by the social determinants such where they were born, brought up, work and their age which are shaped through economy and resources. In Australia, people from various countries have migrated in search of their dreams and as they start journey most of them have a humble begging’s and the problem of health literacy arises for those who come as Asian countries and refugees as their origin being a non –English speaking and for most of them have not known at all but when they begin their life in Australia it is a different story as they have to come up with terms to know the language and access information in the language they have never known or access with makes their starting a very very hard. Migrant people come to Australia with limited English speaking abilities which can be a serious issue. A good health care needs patients and medical professionals to discuss the problem and how to address those issues. Studies have shown that communication is the major factor in creating misunderstanding in patient health conditions as well as being wrongly diagnosed which may cause a major problem towards the final outcome on the overall patient health. Another issue regarding the health literacy and is the delaying in seeking health care for themselves and their children. They have admitted that language as the major barrier in health care as they find difficult to explain the problem and understand the complex and sensitive health issues. As we now have established that the problems in health care is due to the failure to access, process and understand information about their health and the process. These problems are more significant in migrant peoples and people with low income which develops a level of inequality. Now, it is up to the clinicians to try to narrow this inequality and increase the overall health of these people whilst increasing their health literacy. Medical professionals need to innovative approaches in order to improve health literacy. They may opt to use evidence based strategies which address health literacy that may include interventions which is simplifying and improving information, using video or other targeted approaches to patient education, and improving patient–provider communication. They may adopt a user centered approach, use a universal precautions approach or targeting and tailoring communications as well as apply organizational changes. In a user centered approach health prof essionals may need to involver members of the target group in the design and testing process. They can also use proven designs that worked in the past. Using a universal precaution approach starts with a clear communication and should be the bottom line of every health information exchanges. As we know that medical professionals have a magic stick which can determine what is going on with a particular person simply just by looking so they need to use precautions which is true in the case of health literacy. For this very reason, health workers advocate in using a universal precautions approach to health communication as they, a high number of patients will have difficulty understanding health information. Parker and Kreps note that even though everyone will not be at the same health literacy level, it is always best to use the clearest language possible. Adopting universal precautions, health professionals must use clear communication with everyone, regardless of their perceived hea lth literacy skills. Having targeted and tailored approaches to communication clinician’s display would allow them with self-management and health related outcomes with patients having limited literacy. Targeted approaches are adapted when we need to meet the needs of specific groups such as people with limited literacy skills. Tailored programs and communication are based on individual and unique requirements. As the health literacy among the people improves their expectations also increases so hospitals need to assess their weaknesses and strengths to improve the quality of health care. Ref: Institute of Medicine (2009).Toward health equity and patient-centeredness: Integrating health literacy, disparities reduction, and quality improvement workshop summary.Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Rudd, R., Moeykens, B. Colton, TC. (1999) Health and literacy: A review of medical and public health literature. In J. Comings, B. Garners, C. Smith, eds. Annual Review of Adult Learning and Literacy, Volume I. New York, NY: Jossey-Bass. Rudd, R . E., Anderson, J . E., Oppenheimer, S., Nath , C. (2007). Health literacy: An update of public health and medical literature. In J. P. Comi ngs, B. Garner, C. Smith. (E ds.),Review of adult learning and literacy(vol . 7) (pp 175–204). Mahwa h, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Health Literacy: Information for Clinicians at University of  Washington Medical Center: http://depts.washington.edu/pfes/HealthLiteracy/HealthLiteracyUW.htm Smylie, J., Williams, L., Cooper, N. (2006). Culture-based  literacy and Aboriginal health. Canadian journal of public  health, 97, S21-S25.

The Importance of Names in Toni Morrison’s Song Of Solomon Essay

The Importance of Names in Toni Morrison’s Song Of Solomon Toni Morrison’s award-winning novel Song of Solomon is full of very interesting, deep symbolism. Macon Dead III, nicknamed â€Å"Milkman,† is a very symbolic character throughout the novel. His character is not only symbolic, for so is his name. Also, Milkman’s paternal aunt, Pilate, has an extremely significant and symbolic role in the novel. To her father, she represents the child who killed her own mother and took away her father’s wife. Seeing that Pontius Pilate sentenced Jesus to death, the name Pilate seems to coincide with her father, Macon Dead’s, opinion. Ironically, though, Pilate is a good person and is murdered in the end, just as Jesus was by Pontius Pilate. Another important character in the novel who portrays a great deal of symbolism is Guitar, Milkman’s best friend. Guitar is named after something that he is ultimately unable to attain. â€Å"I saw it when my mother took me downtown with her. I was just a baby†¦I crie d for it, they said. And always asked about it.† This unreachable goal accurately describes his character throughout the novel. He is never able to overcome the obstacles that stand in his way or to reach the goals he has set for himself. Toni Morrison intelligently uses the characters Milkman, Pilate, and Guitar to successfully portray a great deal of symbolism throughout her novel. â€Å"A milkman. That’s what you got here, Miss Rufie.† Milkman is given his name for a very logical reason: hi...

Learning to Become Literate :: essays research papers fc

Learning to Become Literate   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"In any literate society, people constantly see the best way to teach children how to read and write so that the younger generation can become fully functioning members of that society.† (Savage 15) This is obviously an important goal of any society that wants their children to be well educated and succeed in the world. Learning to be literate is a very important developmental milestone that is recognized cross-culturally. Its social importance is shown in the fact that in school; literacy makes up 2/3 of the three â€Å"R’s†. (Savage 15)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When becoming literate the most important thing a child can learn is that they can in fact learn in the way their school wants them to. They can be part of the school society and feel like they fit in with their friends who use literacy to communicate and play. â€Å"The bond between the teacher and the taught is strengthened; exploration, discovery, ambition and achievement expand and flourish.† (Meek 1) Reading and writing opens up a new world of opportunities for children and therefore is continuous research being done in order to ensure that the best methods of teaching our children are implemented. However studies show that a large portion of this milestone occurs before formal education is ever begun. (McLane and McNamee 4) 2 The fact that we wait so long to start to teach our children literacy is absurd. Teaching reading and writing should be done to all children in day care facilities, child development centers as well as head start programs and preschools. We cannot however just take the programs currently used in first grade classes and apply them to children in day cares and preschools. These would be developmentally inappropriate. (Strickland and Morrow 5) The program used for these younger learners must be based around â€Å"meaningful activities that involve reading and writing in a wide variety of ways.† The children should want to participate in the literate society that they are surrounded by everyday in their classroom, home and community. If this is accomplished there will automatically be a connection between literacy and experience, which is very beneficial to the learning process. Most importantly in the early childhood literacy curriculum that we apply the focus should always be on the child’s learning and not on the teaching. (6) Since a large portion of learning to become literate occurs prior to formal education parents need to be aware of what they can do before their children reach school age.

Evolution of Science

Loose change menu- McDonald's have created a menu consisting of meals no more expensive than two dollars (loose change) which attracts customers with small amounts of money on them e students key phrase used by McDonald's Is: ‘A little loose change, goes a long way. This marketing strategy Is aimed at budget-focused customers aged between 14 – 25 2. Coca-Cola crown glass- McDonald's have release six limited edition Coca-Cola glasses which a customer can receive after the purchase of any large extra value al.The six glasses are only around for a limited time which gives the public an incentive to purchase a meal to collect as many limited edition glasses as possible. Key phrase: Hurry there only available for a limited time. This marketing techniques Is aimed at all customers aged between 20 – 40 2. Cheap easy Birthday parties- Birthday parties at McDonald's are extremely popular for kids aged between five and ten. There are three relatively cheap Cossacks and attr active to parent's who want an easy alternative for their child party.McDonald's describe the preparation their birthday parties as care free for parent's and that all they have to do is enjoy the atmosphere. Key phrase: We give your child a birthday party to remember! ‘ 3. Big Mac chant- McDonald's have a competition that asks you to film yourself singing the big Mac chant. By voting for a chant you receive a free Big Mac. This gives customers the incentive to vote and receive a free big Mac at the same time its a big add for the big Mac. Key phrase get voting now Outlining social media to spread their message florally. Art 2: ) On the McDonald's website there Is a section called our food and our nutrition, on the page it describes the healthy changes and alternatives McDonald's have made to their meals. This has been used to Inform the public of the healthy meals that are available at McDonald's. No I do not because children do not usually look Into the nutrition In their fo od. 2) McDonald's have also sponsored children's sporting event e. G. Little athletics, swimming Queensland. This has been used for people to associate being active and playing sport with ‘OFF eating McDonald's giving the healthier image.Yes I think it interlines young people to believe that McDonald's are a healthy fast food restraint, for the reason that they are sponsoring their sporting team. 3) Burger King- Released a limited time turkey burger in its attempt at releasing healthier option to the public. But still weighs in at 530 calories. This has been to make customers believe that what they are eating is good for them when really its Just as bad as any other meal on the menu. Yes I think it influences young people because they are easily persuaded into leveling a meal is good for them. ) McDonald's' new McGraw uses a green label to trick customers into thinking it's healthier. When really it's only 10 calories less than the normal Grilled Ranch Snack Wrap. This has bee n used to make the food seem healthy Yes I think it influences young people because most young people associate the color green with healthy food. 5) KEF being the official sponsor of cricket Australia. This has been used to associate the game of cricket with the food KEF, giving Cuff's food and image a healthy active look.Yes I do think it influence young people because they watch the cricket and see adds for KEF with members of the cricket team in them influencing them to believe the food is healthy/ part 3 Two American teenagers suing McDonald's For: The two girls were lured into McDonald's by the toys, the playground, the happy meals and the birthday parties. The persuasive television ads also played a factor in them eating there regularly. The two girls had no choice but to eat there because they lived in a remote area of America where McDonald's was one of the cheapest and only places to eat at.Against: The two teenagers ate at McDonald's at least seven times a week for years. Although they state they were unaware of how fattening McDonald's food actually is the burger loin says it handles nutrition responsibly. It puts nutritional information about its products on large; poster-size charts on its store walls and in other display areas. The charts show, for instance, that a quarter pounded with cheese has 530 calories and 30 grams of fat. To two Teenagers had no evidence that there health problems were caused solely by eating McDonald's.Response IL t b I less to taste t companies 1) List the nutritional information of the products that they are selling to the public – Read the nutritional information regarding the food they are eating and understand how it will affect your health and weight. 2) Provide healthy meals on the menu e. G. Salads – Eat a variety of meals not Just those that are bad for you 3) Inform consumers of the health risks involved in eating fast food. Understand health risks associated in eating fast food 4) Promote exerci se awareness for customers. Exercise regularlyAdolescent nutrition guideline Comparison Nutritional guidelines for an adolescent state you must have eat plenty of vegetables, cereals, lean meant and fish. The total amount of my Kilojoules added up for one meal at McDonald's was approximately 4000 k]. From my calculations I have gathered that if I ate McDonald's for breakfast lunch and dinner I would be exceeding my average intake by over kick]. I have found if I eat a healthy breakfast and relatively healthy meat based lunch I can have McDonald's for Dinner with out exceeding my maximum daily Kilojoules intake.

Education Sector Essay

The typical Indian classroom was once characterized by students sitting through hour-long teacher monologues. Now, technology is making life easier for both students and educators. Schools are increasingly adopting digital teaching solutions to engage with a generation of pupils well-versed with the likes of PlayStations and iPads, and trying to make the classroom environment more inclusive and participatory. Take Smartclass from Educomp Solutions, one of the first Indian companies in this space. Smartclass is essentially a digital content library of curriculum-mapped, multimedia-rich, 3D content. It also enables teachers to quickly assess how much of a particular lesson students have been able to assimilate during the class. Once a topic is covered, the teacher gives the class a set of questions on a large screen. Each student then answers via a personal answering device or the smart assessment system. The teacher gets the scores right away and based on that, she repeats parts of the lesson that the students don’t appear to have grasped. â€Å"Technology makes the teaching-learning process very easy and interesting,† says Harish Arora, a chemistry teacher at the Bal Bharti Public School in New Delhi who has been using Smartclass since 2004. â€Å"For instance, [earlier] it would easily take me one full lecture to just draw an electromagnetic cell on the blackboard. Though I could explain the cell structure, there was no way I could have managed to show them how it really functions. This is where technology comes to our aid — now I can show the students a 3D model of the cell and how it functions. Instead of wasting precious time drawing the diagram on the blackboard, I can invest it in building the conceptual clarity of my students. † According to Abhinav Dhar, director for K-12 at Educomp Solutions, more than 12,000 schools across 560 districts in India have adopted Smartclass. More importantly, the number is growing at almost 20 schools a day. On average, in each of these schools eight classrooms are using Smartclass. â€Å"When we launched Smartclass in 2004 as the first-ever digital classroom program, it was an uphill task convincing schools to adopt it,† Dhar notes. â€Å"These schools had not witnessed any change in a century†¦. It is a completely different scenario now. Private schools across India today see [technology] as an imperative. A digital classroom is set to become the bare-minimum teaching accessory in schools, just like a blackboard is today. † Dhar recalls that one major roadblock for Educomp’s proposition in the early days was on the price front. At US$4,000 (at the exchange rate of Rs. 50 to a U. S. dollar) per classroom, schools found the product very expensive. To get over this hurdle, Educomp quickly decided to make the initial investment and gave the schools an option to pay over a period of three to five years. The strategy worked. Enthused by the market response, in January Educomp launched an upgraded version — the Smartclass Class Transformation System — with more features, including simulations, mind maps, worksheets, web links, a diagram maker, graphic organizers and assessment tools. Huge Potential According to the â€Å"Indian Education Sector Outlook — Insights on Schooling Segment,† a report released by New Delhi–based research and consultancy firm Technopak Advisors in May, the total number of schools in India stands at 1. 3 million. Of these, private schools account for 20%. Educomp’s Dhar points out that only around 10% of the private schools have tapped the potential of multimedia classroom teaching whereas in government schools, it has barely made any inroads. â€Å"The current market size for digitized school products in private schools is around US$500 million,† says Enayet Kabir, associate director for education at Technopak. â€Å"This is expected to grow at a CAGR [compound annual growth rate] of 20% to reach the over US$2 billion mark by 2020. However, the market potential then might get as big as US$4 billion [i. e.if the total population of private schools that could adopt multimedia actually adopt it. ] Apart from this, the current market size for ICT [information and communications technology] in government schools is US$750 million. We expect this to grow five times by 2020 due to the current low level of penetration in government schools. † Kabir lists Educomp Solutions, Everonn Education, NIIT, Core Education & Technologies, IL&FS and Compucom as dominant players in this sector. New entrants include HCL Infosystems, Learn Next, Tata Interactive Systems, Mexus Education, S.Chand Harcourt (India) and iDiscoveri Education. Except for S. Chand Harcourt, which is a joint venture between S. Chand and US-based Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, all the others are Indian firms. A recent trend is that schools in tier two and tier three cities are increasingly adopting the latest technology. Rajesh Shethia, head of sales and marketing at Tata Interactive Systems, which launched Tata ClassEdge in early 2011 and has partnered up with more than 900 schools, says that â€Å"more than half of the demand for digital classrooms is from tier two and tier three cities. † According to Shethia, schools in these smaller cities realize that it is difficult for their students to get as much exposure as students from tier one cities. â€Å"[So] they proactively subscribe to solutions such as ours, which richly benefit both teachers and students by simplifying the syllabus†¦. Even parents want the best for their wards and are not averse to paying a little extra. They see value in these initiatives by schools to modernize the way teaching is imparted today. † Making some back-of-the-envelope calculations Shethia adds: â€Å"If we consider the top 100,000 private schools in India as the captive market, the potential is approximately two million classrooms of which currently just about 80,000 have been digitized. † Srikanth B. Iyer, COO of Pearson Education Services, also sees tremendous potential in the smaller cities. Pearson provides end-to-end education solutions in the K-12 segment. Its multimedia tool, DigitALly, has been adopted in more than 3,000 private schools across India since 2004. â€Å"DigitALly installations have been growing at three times the market for the past two years,† Iyer says. â€Å"Currently, more than 60% of our customers are from tier two and tier three towns, such as Barpeta (in the state of Assam), Sohagpur (in Madhya Pradesh) and Balia (in Uttar Pradesh). † In order to make its offering attractive to the schools, Pearson has devised a monthly payment model under which a school pays around US$2 per student per month. â€Å"As the price point is affordable, schools across all locations and fee structures find it viable to opt for our solution,† Iyer notes. â€Å"We focus on tier two and tier three towns and cities where penetration is relatively low and desire for adoption of technology is high. † HCL’s Digischool program, which launched about 18 months ago, has also made a strong beginning, with a client base of more than 2,500 schools. Partnering with State Governments Meanwhile, state governments are also giving a boost to the adoption of technology in schools. Edureach, a divison of Educomp, has partnered with 16 state governments and more than 30 education departments and boards in the country, covering over 36,000 government schools and reaching out to more than 10. 60 million students. â€Å"Edureach leads the market with 27% of the total schools where ICT projects have been implemented,† says Soumya Kanti, president of Edureach. â€Å"We are looking [to add] 3,000 more schools this fiscal year and 20,000 to 25,000 additional schools in the next five years. † As of now, Edureach has created digital learning content in more than 14 regional languages for these projects. In the northern state of Haryana, CORE Education and Technologies is implementing a US$59 million ICT project that aims to benefit 5 million students across 2,622 schools. Five of these schools will be developed as â€Å"Smart† schools. CORE is also implementing ICT projects in the states of Gujarat, Meghalaya, Punjab, Maharashtra and Nagaland. The scope of work in these projects ranges from implementation of computer-aided learning in schools, installing bio-metric devices to monitor attendance of teachers, and setting up computer hardware, software and other allied accessories and equipments. â€Å"The task has not been an easy one,† admits Anshul Sonak, president of CORE. â€Å"There are several logistical issues. Delivery of equipment to rural areas is a big challenge in itself†¦. There is lack of basic infrastructure — either there are no classrooms or there are ones with no windows†¦. Some schools don’t even have toilets. Moreover, the power availability in these areas is often poor and we have had to deploy generator sets in many schools. † But despite the challenges, educationists are optimistic. Rahul De, professor of quantitative methods and information systems area at the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore (IIM-B) believes that â€Å"ICT can have a huge impact on our education system. † He points out that ICT can result in increasing the reach [of education] and in keeping the costs low. â€Å"With increasing penetration of mobile phones and Internet kiosks, the potential is indeed immense,† he adds. A study conducted by De in 2009 on the economic impact of free and open source software (FOSS) in India found that it resulted in significant cost savings. â€Å"FOSS can play a huge role in education,† De notes. â€Å"In the state of Kerala, it has already had a huge impact in both saving costs and providing state-of-the-art access computing to students in government schools. FOSS has a huge number of packages for school students, many of which can be ported to local languages and used in schools. It is also helping disabled students in a big way, by enabling them to access digital resources using audio-visual aids. † Edureach’s Kanti adds that a study by the Centre for Multi-Disciplinary Development Research in Dharwad in Karnataka in 2006 revealed significant improvement in student enrolment and attendance, as well as a reduction of student dropouts due to ICT interventions. â€Å"Yet another study conducted by the Xavier Institute of Management in Bhubaneswar in 2007 revealed that computer-aided education has improved the performance of children in subjects such as English, mathematics and science, which are taught through computers using multimedia-based educational content. † All in a Tab In line with this increasing interest in technology for school education, there has been a rush of education-focused tablet computers in the market. The most high-profile of these has been Aakash, which was launched by Kapil Sibal, union minister for human resource development, in October 2011. The Aakash project is part of the ministry’s National Mission on Education through Information & Communication Technology (NME-ICT). It aims to eliminate digital illiteracy by distributing the Aakash tablets to students across India at subsidized rates. While the project itself has become mired in delays and controversy, it has generated a lot of awareness and interest among students around the educational tablet. Meanwhile, DataWind, the Canada-based firm that partnered with the union government for the Aakash project, has also launched UbiSlate7, the commercial version of Aakash. â€Å"The opportunity for low-cost tablets in India is huge. In the next two years, it will exceed the size of the computer market in India i. e. 10 million units per year,† says Suneet Singh Tuli, president and CEO of DataWind. In April, technology firm HCL Infosystems launched the MyEdu Tab, which is priced at around US$230 for the K-12 version. The device comes preloaded with educational applications and also books from the National Council of Educational Research and Training, a government organization. Anand Ekambaram, senior vice-president and head of learning at HCL Infosystems, is in the process of partnering with more than 30 educational institutes across India for MyEdu Tab. â€Å"MyEdu Tab has content offline and can be accessed over the cloud. It allows students to learn at their own pace,† Ekambaram notes. â€Å"With a topic revision application and a self-assessment engine, students can evaluate their skills and knowledge on their own. Teachers can upload content, which can be accessed by students and parents for tasks such as homework and progress reports on their respective devices. The parent can monitor the progress of his or her child through the cloud-based ecosystem. † Earlier this year, Micromax, a leading Indian handset manufacturer, also launched an edutainment device called Funbook. Micromax has also partnered with Pearson and Everonn to make available relevant content for students. Susha John, director and CEO at Everonn, was upbeat at the launch. â€Å"Digital learning facilitated through tablets will revolutionize the educational space,† John said. â€Å"Everonn has invested in developing content and services targeted toward tablet audiences. To start with, we will offer our school curriculum-learning modules †¦ and at home live tuition products on the Funbook. Students can now have access to good teachers, educational content and a great learning experience anytime, anywhere. † At Pearson, Max Gabriel, senior vice-president and chief technology officer, is â€Å"focusing on K-12 content in English to begin with. We are sitting on a huge repository of existing content. Adding the right level of interactivity and richer experience will be our priority. † Meanwhile, Educomp is gearing up to launch content that is device agnostic and can be run on any tablet. But even as schools in India are going through this transformation powered by technology, one key question is how big a role technology will play in the education sector. In an earlier interview with India Knowledge@Wharton, S. Sadagopan, founder-director at the International Institute of Information Technology in Bangalore, pointed out that there are four parts to learning — lectures, library, laboratory and life — noting that, â€Å"Technology plays a critical role in all these. † Kabir of Technopak adds another perspective. â€Å"Despite numerous studies on the impact of ICT in education, the outcomes remain difficult to measure and open to much debate. It needs to be understood that technology is only an enabler and a force multiplier and cannot be treated as a panacea. We believe that impressive gains in teaching-learning outcomes are possible only through an integrated approach rather than a piecemeal intervention. † Don Huesman, managing director of Wharton’s innovation group, recommends caution in considering potential investments in educational technologies. â€Å"These are very exciting times for online and distance education technologies, but there are risks facing parents, educators and policy makers in evaluating the opportunities these new technologies, and their proponents, represent. † Huesman points to the recent growth in high-quality, free, online educational courseware offered on websites like the Khan Academy and the Math Forum, as well as the work of the Open Learning Initiative in developing intelligent cognitive tutors and learning analytics. â€Å"But such technologies, available from a global network of resources, only provide value when understood, chosen and integrated into a local educational community,† he says. As an illustration, Huesman offers the example of cyber kiosks, provided in recent years by foundations at no cost to rural communities in India, exacerbating the â€Å"gender divide† in many traditional communities in which young women congregating at public cyber cafes, also frequented by young men, would be considered taboo. â€Å"Interventions by governments and NGOs must be inclusive of local community concerns and aware of local political complications,† Huesman notes. Globalization: Impact on Education by Satish Tandon, September 2005 The principal objective of education has been the development of the whole individual. The minimum level of education that was necessary to achieve this goal in the agrarian society was basic or primary and in the industrial age, secondary. In the present borderless information society, education needs to be able to respond to additional demands of a rapidly globalizing world by raising awareness of environment, peace, cultural and social diversity, increased competitiveness, and the concept of a global village. Such education is to a knowledge or information society what secondary education was to an industrial economy. Education prepares the individual to connect – and live in harmony – with the environment around him. Globalization has changed the size, nature and quality of that environment. The challenge for higher education, therefore, is to reform, create and develop systems that prepare the individual to work in a borderless economy and live in a global society. In other words, our educational institutions need to produce global citizens. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 allowed liberal democracies to claim victory for the capitalist system and contributed to increasing the pace of globalization that was already under way. As globalization gained momentum, market substituted political ideology as the dominant force guiding national and global policies. What followed next, therefore, does not seem so illogical. National governments everywhere – partly in deference to the ascendancy of the market and partly in response to pressure from the private sector to expand their sphere of activities – began to relinquish control over the delivery of social goods. Everything began to be viewed as a commodity that could be produced and delivered by the private sector in line with market forces and according to the principles of supply and demand. One by one – water, electricity, postal services, health, and now education, have been turned into a commodity. The withdrawal of state from higher education has also been helped by economists, who have had an overly simple way of assessing the return on investments in higher education. The basic problem is that they have measured the return on education exclusively through wage differentials. With reference to someone who has no education, someone who has been to primary school, someone who has completed secondary school, and someone with a university degree, one can ask how much more each earns than the previous. These differences are then compared to the incremental amounts invested in their education to find the return. The results generally suggest that higher education yields a lower return than primary or secondary education – and they have been used to justify the skewing of government budgets and development funds away from higher education institutions. The rate of return calculations are flawed because they do not take account of the full range of benefits to those who receive higher education. For example, higher education can enhance health, openness, peace, and social development, and at the same time reduce disease, bigotry and blind nationalism – so the private benefits to the individual and to society are not just the direct labour productivity benefits, as the rate of return analysis suggests. Higher education confers benefits above and beyond enhancing the incomes of those who receive it. And many of these benefits take the form of public goods, such as the contribution of higher education to enterprise, leadership, governance, culture, and participatory democracy, and its potential for lifting the disadvantaged out of poverty. These are all vital building blocks for stronger economies and societies and all routes by which the benefit of investment in higher education multiplies throughout society. Liberal democracies have traditionally operated on the principle of separation of activities in the social sphere just as they have on the principle of separation of powers in the political sphere. The private sector had been given a relatively free hand in the production and delivery of economic goods while the state concentrated on the provision of healthcare, education and other infrastructure goods, also known as public goods. Globalization has changed all that. The rapid expansion of the influence of the private sector at the global level necessitated a corresponding expansion in their sphere of activities by diversifying into the production and delivery of public goods that had always been within the purview of the state. The takeover was swift and remarkable in the sense that the effort did not meet much resistance. One of the major consequences of the globalization of education has been commodification and the corporatization of institutions of higher learning. It is said that the for-profit education market in the United States is worth more than $500 billion in revenue for the involved corporates. More than one thousand state schools have been handed over to corporations to be run as businesses. But there is a fundamental problem with the way business models have been applied to the delivery of education and other public goods. Unthinking adoption of the private sector model prevents the development of a meaningful approach to management in the public services in general or to the social services in particular based on their distinctive purposes, conditions and objectives. There is another, more serious, problem with corporatization of education. Corporations operate on the principles of cost reduction and profit maximization. These require introducing standardization and the packaging of product in compact, measurable, byte-like, configuration. Applied to education, these approaches would possibly negate its basic fabric and purpose. Education has always encouraged and represents openness, inquiry, diversity, research and limitless learning. Corporatization of education would make it elitist – the one provided by corporations for the masses and the poor who cannot afford going to the traditional institutions of learning, and the other for the rich and the affluent. The delivery of public goods and services is and should remain the primary responsibility of the state. Representative government may not be the ideal or perfect arrangement for governance but it represents the best that is available, and certainly more desirable than the private sector management of public services such as education. If the state relinquishes its control over education and education policy, we run the risk of diminishing it to the status of a packaged for-profit product which it is not. Openness, diversity, scholarship, research and disinterested learning will be its biggest victims.