Extended School Day Essay Example for Free

Extended School Day Essay Imagine you are a seven-year-old whoses parents work until five each night. When you come home after school there is no one home with you. What could you get into? You might know right from wrong but you still might get yourself into some trouble. Just out of plain curiosity you might get into something or an accident could happen without you even being involved in it. But I say there is a way to stop this from ever happening. I think we should either keep schools open longer or introduce more after school programs. Many advantages would come from either of these ideas. For one the parents would not have to be in a state of worry about whether their child is safe at home or in trouble. Plus you always have that added guilt about not being able to help your kids with their homework. Now with either longer days or more after school programs a lot of stress could be taken away from your family. No more having to pay for sitters which could stress out a families finances. Also the dangers of the kids being home and getting into trouble would be cut down severely. And also with the longer days or more after school programs parents would be able to get home, at least one parent would be home, to pick their kids off the bus. I wanted to suggest some programs I feel would help out with the problem at hand. These programs would be a reading and math after school program. One program I would suggest is a reading after school program. It is said that today, too many children fail to read at a level we would expect for the grade they are in. In a study done in 1998, the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that, thirty eight percent of our nations fourth graders failed to read at the basic level. That fact alone says we must enforce more after school programs. Now they also found that sixty-four percent of African American and sixty percent of Hispanic American fourth graders read below the basic level. This shows we need to not only put these programs in suburban schools but also city schools. Research has shown that students who are behind in reading can catch up to grade level with additional reading instruction and tutoring after school and in the summer. And that is what I am trying to put in effect. We all know that to succeed in school all students need good reading skills, and thats just a fact. Another program that I think is good is a mathematics after school Program. I has been found that students who take rigorous mathematics courses are much more likely to go on to college and into promising careers than those who do not. And with technology becoming more prevalent in the workplace, the need for employees with mathematics backgrounds has greatly increased. In my research I have found that far too many students finish middle and junior high school without developing a solid foundation in algebra and geometry. Research done by the international comparative assessments said that U. S. student achievement in mathematics falls below the average in the middle grades. We need to help improve this. I think some other important facts help support my case for the longer school day and the after school programs in this little chart. Some reasons why the public supports after school programs: *Over 28 million school-age children have both parents or their only parent in the workforce. *At least 5 million children and possibly as many as 15 million are left alone at home each week. *Many children, especially low-income children, lose ground in reading if they are not engaged in organized learning over the summer. *Experts agree that school-age children who are unsupervised during the hours after school are more likely to receive poor grades and drop out of school than those who are involved in supervised, constructive activities. *Statistics show that most juvenile crime takes place between the hours of 2:00 and 8:00 pm, and that children are also at much greater risk of being the victims of crime during the hours after school. Here is another chart showing that after school programs enhance a childs academic achievement. *Participants in after-school programs:* *Show increased interest and ability in reading *Develop new skills and interests *Show improved school attendance, increased engagement in school, and reduced dropout rate *Turn in more and better quality homework and can spend more time on task. *Are held back or placed in special education classes less frequently *Show higher aspirations for the future, including intention to complete high school and go to college. These facts are real. This is why I picked trying to make a longer day and more after school programs. And with these two programs the numbers will go up. I plan on adding more programs to what I have wrote in here. But I think implementing a longer school day and these after school programs should help not only the parents of these children but the children themselves.

Media War in Lebanon

Media War in Lebanon There is a famous quote that says: the start of any war is a speech. The Lebanese society, as a collection of minorities is an extremely divided community with different religions, sects, and beliefs. This will result in a race between mixed cultures with a wide range of intelligence and understanding of worldwide relationships. This partitioned society reflects its differences at all aspects of life; in other words, politics, social believes and media. However, it does not uphold those differences as an advantage. Instead of uniting together, people got The Lebanese people have not learned to live together nor adapt to the fact that difference does not harm. This bad habit started a long time ago, and caused a terrible and damaging civil war. The Lebanese civil war was a different type of war. It made Lebanon a battle field for powers and groups beyond Lebanon. It started for religious reasons, and ended in 1990. ( Harb,I, 2005) The last one was due to the involvement of Syria and I srael. The funny part is that the people still follow those leaders that lead them to a war. Lebanese are passing through hard times, and in hard times people tend to extreme measures. Now Lebanon is separated into extreme categories. Each category is set by a sect, with one main leader. Each one of those parties must have a propaganda plan based on a certain ideology. Each propaganda plan consists of several media methods that spread their message, words and images to the people. This is where one of the main issues lies. Media and especially the Television channels affect the people and harm society with their biased news broadcasts. When you watch a professional TV news, you expect to have the news as they are without adding the opinion of editors expressed. The television stations are close or related to political and sectarian groups. In other words, they promote specific political agendas. The journalists working for those stations and the stations them selves are not seen as independent producers they are representatives of political movements and they are open to attack or oppose any factions going on in Lebanon. However, the consequences of those biased news and the attacks have become uncontrollable and sky high. For the last four years (2005-2009), the Lebanese Media War is responsible for harming its citizens due to the biased news set by different localized television channels. When the licenses for TV broadcasting were distributed at the early 90s, every sect got her share as a window to show their political views to their followers and others. The Christian got the LBC and MTV -which was closed later.. The Future that is representing the Sunnis voice, the Manar and NBN that are reflecting the Shiis political ideology. New licenses were also given later to the NewTV that represents the Sunniss Voice against Harriri, and OTV that was given to Aoun to represent the opposing Christian point of view in the Lebanese political life. TV stations are controlled and financed by the different political parties, the results were catastrophic causing a deep partition in the weak Lebanese society. Political interviews on different TV stations have turned the Lebanese people into lost animals in a forest ready for battle. The unusual part of the latest trend is that people now depend on some television channels to discover the facts. The problem is simple, biased and localized TV stations are damaging to the community. The negative effect of media spread by these channels reflects itself on all the aspects of the Lebanese life even on the elections of the student councils at the universities. This can be seen by the last student council election results at the AUB. On the other hand, AUB considered being the largest and most important university in Lebanon carries organized and important student elections where each TV channel gives a result that shows her followers as winners of the election Every channel broadcasted a n interview with a student that supported the same party as the television and stated that they had won the elections. LBC broadcasted that the Christian party that follows Samir Jaa Jaa won the elections. (LBC, 2001) While channels such as Al Manar and New TV stated that the other Christian group supporting Michael Aoun won the elections.(Tayyar, 2001) This kept me confused and dazzled about the fact of how diminishing and stupid the media has become. The biased and partial news keep the followers of every party controlled by the leaders in an indirect manner. In other words as long as the people are pleased with results from the news they will remain supporters. The people in touch with the news bulletin, gossip, and rumors become influenced by the news. They become victims to the deceitful and selective of images and words and they end up being like sac of potatoes following unmerciful leaders similar to the previously ones, we have seen in history as Hitler, Mussolini, Assad- which will lead to distortion and chaos. Imad Harb wrote an article called Lebanons Confessionalism: Problems and Prospects. He wrote: Lebanons TV stations try to act as if they are pan-Lebanese. On occasion when there are certain political emergencies or other crises their overage seems to become increasingly confessional. (Harb, I., 2006 March, p.3) Later he wrote: In the spring of 2005 television has become more personalized than confessional. There was a new spirit of hope in the air following popular mobilization against the Syrian presence in the country. Media coverage of the riots in few years back that resulted in the burning of the Danish consulate in Beirut was almost entirely political with LBC and the Future TV concentrating on the fact that many of those arrested were Syrian while NEW TV and others emphasizing other mitigating circumstances. (Harb, I., 2006 March)  The danger of broadcasting such news might revolve the viewers being diplomatic to savages. Simple words and pictures could print an image in the mind. Hatred could become the new motivation guiding the people. If they watch the assassination of a person they admired over and over again on television then rage takes over them. Rage and anger are unsafe and hazardous feelings to be experienced in tactically harsh times. If person followed group X and learned to hate group Y, then X becomes the worst enemy of group Y. Results are then crystal clear, constant fighting, blinded from truth, then end of Lebanese brotherhood and the elimination of diplomatic peaceful humanitarian life. Gibran Tueni was the proprietor of An Nahar, which was Beiruts leading newspaper. Unfortunately on December, 12th 2005 he was assassinated by a car bomb. Jefferson Morley wrote in an article called World Opinion Round up: Tueni was among the first to denounce the Syrian occupation of the country. The website is opinionated in favor of the anti-Syrian views of its late editor but also conciliatory toward Hezbollah, the fundamentalist Shiite political party and militia. (Morley, J., 2005, p.1) The LBC interviewed people that supported Gibran Tueni and asked them about their opinion towards the crime and their response was indirect towards the Syrians. It is a clear brainwashing game when they keep reminding people of the sad crime. Lately Michael Oun has joined hands with Huzballah which means now both parties are supporters of Syrians. Looking at the political biased broadcasts from different points of view, Al Manar and New TV are not different from the LBC and the Future broadcastin g methods. Huzballah consider themselves the protector of Lebanon and think they have the right to carry weapons not owned by the army. To keep that image floating into peoples minds, Al Manar broadcasts filmed Huzballah soldiers firing missiles and playing militia games in fake battle fields and some real ones (During the 14 July war). The idea behind those featured films is to show the strength of Huzballah and how they are needed for the safety of Lebanese people. Here they are playing the game of making the people feel the security and protection under the power of Hezbollah. Al Manar also repeats images of the suffering Palestinian people. These features remind the people of the other reason why Huzballah is found. Basically it shows how supportive Huzballah is to supporting countries especially weak ones, and this implies that he could be of help to the weak and in need from the Lebanese people. I found articles related to the political issues. One small detail wrote On Decemb er 7th, 2006 Hassan Nasrallah issued another televised speech calling for further protests, and demanded that the death of Ahmad Mahmoud should not serve as an excuse for any violent clashes. He also made a solemn oath that Lebanons Shiites would not be dragged into a sectarian war with Sunnis. (united nations economic and social council.) Hassan Nasrallah always makes speeches on Television. His high charisma helps him to reach the people. Huzballah is shown as a strong and at the same time peaceful. This makes their followers to believe in them even more. On July 30 thAccording to UWAC Hezbollah utilizes a multifaceted media campaign to garner support from the Arab world and bolster its ability to wage urban warfare The obvious part is keeping the people estranged, and on bad terms. No one now makes his own decision until his leading channel broadcasts what he should start believing in. It is the basis of brainwashing, basically having info put straight into your mind without unde rstanding.  One last damaging result of this media chaos is the bad image of Lebanon that is reflected to the Arab and foreign communities about Lebanon and its citizens. The tourism, the main income that the Lebanese economy depends on is very badly affected by the image that our TV channels are reflecting and this will, of course, show by the lowering standards of living of all the Lebanese. However, the media war has proven to be useful for Lebanese people rather than harming them, since channels will now show there true colors on many subjects and topics. People can now watch the various channels and decide for themselves who is on the right path towards improving Lebanon, and choose who to support. furthermore  researchers and politicians who really care about Lebanons wellbeing can now identify the differences clearly and on that bases work on a better Lebanon , since the channels proudly show how biased there opinions are on various topics .for example the ongoing war with Israel, forming the government, national debt .In addition, The media war aided in the process of encouraging Lebanese youth in pursing there educational paths forward in the fields of economics and politics , because they have seen the clear image behind following false media war propagandas .however these positive effects are a minute compared to the titan negative problems it create. Surely p ositive returns from the media war are healthy ,but the fact still remains that media war is massively harming the Lebanese people . All in all, the ones most damaged about this entire media game are the people because they are the target of each single party. Changing or discarding current channels should be a priority for the New Lebanese generation. No one cares about the people. The new channels should show what the people really need. They do not need words, nor funny speeches or a nice color to follow. All they need is for someone to express their pain. How come is it that Lebanon is ripping the people off with a high ten percent tax that has recently been implied, borrow money from external countries and still are in debt that they need France three to borrow new money. Where is all the money going? Why dont the television channels explain that fact?. Why do AUB, LAU, AUT, Balamand, NDU, and the Lebanese university graduates end up working as waiters in various restaurants in Lebanon. The news is busy and excited filming every university elections live. They should film the problem of employment and insuffi cient salaries of those students instead.. References Morley, J.( 2005) Lebanons media landscape. Retrieved on Jan. 21, 2007 From Http://blog.washingtonpost.com/worldopinionroundup/2005/12/lebanons_media_landscape.html USIP (2005). Arab Media: tools of the governments; tools for the people? Retrieved on Jan. 21, 2007 From http://www.usip.org/resources/lebanons-confessionalism-problems-and-prospects University of Maciddonia.(2007). United nations economic and social council. http://sites.mgkworld.net/thessis07/files/ecosoc_b.doc UWAC(july,30,2008):Hezbollahs use of Arab media to galvanize support. http://babylonscovertwar.com/Terrorist%20Groups/Shia/Hezbollahs%20Use%20of%20Arab%20Media%20to%20Galvanize%20Support.pdf

Theoretical Framework for Research Study

Theoretical Framework for Research Study Chapter 3 Research Methodology 3.0 Overview As chapter 1 had discussed about the introduction to the research and chapter 2 had provided an insight into the literature review, chapter 3 would be focusing on the research methodology that would be carried out during the course of the research. In essence, it is the foundation of how data would be collected and analyzed. Chapter 3 would begin by discussing on the theoretical framework designed specifically for this paper, encompassing and providing an overview and relationships of all the variables present in this research. From then on, 3.2 would discuss about the different forms of hypotheses development and the chosen method for the researchers hypotheses. Proceeding through, 3.3 would discuss about the sampling design, or in other words, how the researcher intends to represent the target population. This section also gives detailed steps on the researchers planned implementation of a pilot test, the sampling design method used and the sampling procedures that would be initiated. Section 3.4 would then touch base on the data collection methods that would be used by the researcher, both secondary and primary sources. The data analysis section would be under 3.5, where techniques regarding the methods of data analysis and hypotheses testing would be discussed. Chapter 3 would then conclude with a chapter summary at 3.6. 3.1 Theoretical Framework The theoretical framework has been created to be a â€Å"conceptual framework of how one theorizes or makes logical sense of the relationships among the factors that have been identified as important to the problem† (Sekaran, 2003). It is developed to have an insight into the inter-relationships among the variables that exist in this research. Throughout this research, there are three set of variables have been identified to be of utmost importance to the researcher and can be categorized as the dependent and independent, and moderating variable. The dependent variable is the variable of primary interest to the researcher, in order to predict its variability. This variable is often known as the outcome variable. In this research, the dependent variable refers to the purchase of luxury goods by Generation Y. The independent variables on the other hand, are the factors that influence the dependent variable in a positive or negative way or in this context, the factors that influence the purchase of luxury goods. Figure 3.1 provides an insight into the relationship between both set of variables. 3.2 Hypotheses Development A hypothesis can be defined as â€Å"a supposition made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation† (www.askoxford.com). Generally, reference group influence is a group of people influences the individuals behaviour. They give the information and provide the awareness to specific brands or products. The reference groups influence can be affected through peer, families, celebrities and others are the key that etermine the purchase decision of Generation Y. â€Å"People tend to behave in accordance with a frame of reference produced by the groups to which they belong† (Bearden and Etzel 1982). Therefore, this study believes that the association exits between reference groups influence and purchase of luxury goods. To empirically proven this association, the first hypothesis of this study is formed as followed: H1: There is a significant relationship between reference groups influence and purchase of luxury goods. The conspicuous consumption is used to display wealth, power and status. Veblenian consumers attach a greater importance to price as an indicator of prestige because they wan to impress others. Price of the products determine the quality of the products which used by the consumers to judge the products. The researches show that â€Å"conspicuousness of a product was positively related to its susceptibility to reference group influence† (Vigneron and Johnson, 1999). Besides that, identity or self concept also has been display from the consumers to show the status and wealth. The conspicuous consumption had dominated in numerous researches, and it can be stated that conspicuous is important to be identify as perceived value (Vigneron and Johnson, 1999). Thus, the following hypothesis is formed for the association between perceived conspicuous vale and purchase of luxury goods. H2: There is a significant relationship between perceived conspicuous value and purchase of luxury goods. The perfectionist effect exists when â€Å"consumers purchase luxury items and expects superior products and performance as well as quality† (Vigneron and Johnson, 1999). The research conducted by Barnier, Rodina, Florence (2005) found that quality is the main criteria lead to luxury purchase. According to Luong Thi Bich Thuy (2008), â€Å"the consumers quality perception would play a positive role over his or her perception of prestige over the same brand if the consumer perceived the brand as having an excellent level of quality†. Thus, the following hypothesis is formed for the association between perceived quality vale and purchase of luxury goods. H3: There is a significant relationship between perceived quality value and purchase of luxury goods. Brand image can be defines as â€Å"perceptions about a brand as reflected by the brand associations held in consumer memory† (Keller, 1993; Cheng, 2006; Rio, Varques, Iglesias, 2001). It influences consumer perception and crucial to purchase choice. Consumers able to evaluate the products, lower the purchase risk, obtain experience and recognize the product differentiation through brand image. According to Grewal, Krishnan, Baker, and Borin (1998), â€Å"the better a brand image is, the more recognition consumers give to its product quality†. Thus, the fourth hypothesis of study is as follow: H4: There is a significant relationship between brand image and purchase of luxury goods. Aesthetics have strong influence on purchase of luxury good and it should always be the case according to Dubois, Laurent, Czellar (2001). Aesthetics reflects a sensory response in an audience such as satisfaction, pleasure or affect. â€Å"The aesthetics dimension is composed of design, colour and style that create beauty, they are of primary importance† (Barnier, Rodina, Florence, 2005). The research also proved that French, Russian and UK consumers have a hedonic approach for luxury derived from aesthetics which Aesthetics dimension in France earned the highest position, 29%, in comparison to Russia, 19% and the UK, 15%. Hence, the fifth hypothesis is formed for the association between aesthetics and purchase of luxury goods. H5: There is a significant relationship between aesthetics and purchase of luxury goods. 3.3 Population and Sampling 3.3.1 Population â€Å"Population can be defined as total number of inhabitants constituting a particular race, class, or group in a specified area.† (http://www.answers.com/topic/population, no date). With reference to the topic at hand, the researcher has set that the target population for this research would be the Generation Y in Malaysia. Even the generation Y has been defined as born in between 1977 and 1994 by Horovitz (2002) and Sriviroj 2007, the study would survey specifically generation Y who are aged between 20 and 29 which focus on the college students, university students and young working adults. 3.3.2 Pilot Test for Questionnaire â€Å"Pilot test is a smaller version of a larger study that is conducted to prepare for that study to ensure that the ideas or methods behind a research idea are sound, as well as to â€Å"work out the kinks† in a study protocol before launching a larger study.† (http://ms.about.com/od/newsresearch/g/pilot_study.htm, no date). In this research, the researcher intends to conduct a pilot study containing 10 questionnaires to university students in Multimedia University Melaka in order to justify the content and reliability of the questionnaire. This is done as the researcher feels that the students in the University campus serve as a just representation of the intended target population. The feedback from the respondents will be corrected before distributing to the targeted respondent. 3.3.3 Sampling Design Method A sample of the population can be drawn from one of two ways, either in the form of probability sampling or non probability sampling. Sekaran (2003) described that â€Å"when elements in a population have a known chance of being chosen as subjects in the sample, we resort to probability sampling design†. There are several forms of probability sampling. The first is simple random sampling which also known as unrestricted sampling. In a simple random sample (SRS) of a given size, all such subsets of the frame are given an equal probability. Each element of the frame thus has an equal probability of selection. Simple random sampling is also known as unrestricted sampling. The other form is known as restricted or complex probability sampling. â€Å"The main difference between the two is that efficiency is improved in that more information can be obtained for a given sample size using some of the complex probability sampling procedures† (Sekaran, 2003). Example of this form of sampling is the stratified random sampling method where the population is divided into subgroups and subsequently sub samples. On the flipside, Sekaran (2003) stated that non probability sampling designs are those where â€Å"elements in the population do not have any probabilities attached to being chosen as sample subjects†. One popular mode in this kind on sampling is the convenience or accidental sampling method. It is one â€Å"that is simply available to the researcher by virtue of its accessibility† (Bryman and Bell, 2003). The selection of units from the population is based on easy availability and/or accessibility in convenience sampling. The researcher intended to proceed with the convenience sampling method based on two reasons. First of all, the data can be collected easily which is the main advantage and another advantage is that it is much cheaper to implement than probability sampling (Jankowicz, 2005). 3.3.4 Sample Size The question of how many people should be in ones sample depends on the form of sampling adopted. â€Å"Convenience sampling, sometimes called grab or opportunity sampling, is the method of choosing items arbitrarily and in an unstructured manner from the frame†. (www.wikipedia.com, no date). A total of 200 Generation Y would be surveyed in Malaysia. 3.3.5 Sampling Procedure The sampling procedure would start once the feedback from the pilot study and the questionnaires for the survey is finalized. The questionnaires would be by printed handouts of by the researcher to the general public who fall under the age range of 20 to 29 years of age. This would typically be done in the State of Melaka, Kuala Lumpur and Pulau Pinang. A total of 500 printed questionnaires would be given out in the process. 3.4 Data Collection method 3.4.1 Secondary Data Through this research, secondary data is collected from mainly journals especially in those area concerning consumer behavior and luxury goods, informational website, articles, and books. Previous researches from a variety of authors were found from databases that include Emerald, Google Scholar and others. These sources of data provided useful background information on the luxury goods market, as well as indicating investigations that had already been taken place. 3.4.2 Primary Data Sakaran (2003) stated â€Å"data gathered for research from the actual site of occurrence of events are called primary data†. The questionnaire will be used as the primary method to collect primary data on the factors that influence Generation Y on purchase of luxury goods. 3.5 Data Analysis There are 3 objectives in the usage of data analysis. â€Å"Getting a feel for the data, testing the goodness of the data and testing the hypotheses developed for the research† (Sekaran, 2003). The first objective of getting a feel for the data is to get an idea of how the respondents reacted to the questionnaires and how they are answered. The second objective of testing the goodness of the data is to test the reliability of the data gathered. Lastly, is to test the hypotheses of the research with various research tools. 3.5.1 Descriptive Analysis Descriptive analysis will be conducted to examine the background of the respondent and the pattern of their responses. Frequency analysis will be carried out to study the background of the respondents that contribute in this study. The mean, range, standard deviation and variance would also be calculated using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) to show the variability of the data and gauge the pattern of the questions answered. 3.5.2 Hypotheses Testing After the data is ready to be analyzed, the testing of the hypotheses would be the next logical step. There are many frequent hypothesis testing modules used by researchers to test their hypotheses. The researcher has decided to use the ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and Reliability Analysis for this research. 3.6 Chapter Summary In this study, the framework has been developed to meet the objectives of the study. Hypotheses have been developed from the framework and questionnaire has been designed to collect the primary data for the study. Next, the sampling design and methods to obtain data were considered and discussed for this study. The results of the primary data will be analyzed by using SPSS. Results of the analysis and interpretation of the results are presented in the next chapter.

Candides Growth Essay -- Philosophy

In the story "Candide" Voltaire uses satire to criticize the philosophical views of the enlightenment period and illustrate his outlook of how an individual should view their own existence by Candide's character development throughout the story. Voltaire is able to do this by introducing Candide into two contrasting philosophical views of characters that play a large role in his life, Pangloss and Martin. At the beginning of Candide's quest he followed Pangloss's theory of the best of all possible worlds. Pangloss's ideas hinder Candide on his satire filled journey to find Cunegonde because he is overly optimistic. On his journey his outlook changes by the pessimistic influence of Martin. Which helps him develop into his own character at the end of the story. The first theory that Candide is introduced to is the oracle of the house that he was raised in Dr. Pangloss. Voltaire writes that " Pangloss gave instruction in metaphysico-theologico-cosmoloonigology" this is a satire of the German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz (Lawall "Candide" 520) . Leibniz created the doctrine of optimism which claims "which holds that our world is the best of all those possible" (Strickland 18). Lloyd Strickland states "the most obvious objection to optimism, namely that this world contains far too much evil to be plausibly identified as the best. claimed, for instance, that Voltaire's aim in Candide was to refute, or confound Leibniz by 'bombarding him, so to speak, with the evil of the world" It is obvious to the reader that this is Voltaire's motive (Strickland 19). Voltaire continues to insult Leibniz view by writing "He proved admirably that there cannot possibly be an effect without a cause and that in this best of all possible worlds the Baron... ...tudies 31.2 (2002): 199. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Feb. 2012 Lawall, Sarah. The Norton Anthology of World Literature "Candide". 2nd. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2002. 522-580. Print. Kasten, Madeleine, and Curtis Gruenler. "The Point Of The Plow: Conceptual Integration In The Allegory Of Langland And Voltaire." Metaphor & Symbol 26.2 (2011): 143-151. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Apr. 2012. Putnam, LuElla. "Boredom, Insignificance, And Death In Voltaire's Candide, Charles Baudelaire's The Flowers Of Evil, And Paulo Coelho's Veronika Decides To Die." Atenea 30.1-2 (2010): 67- 78. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Apr. 2012 Strickland, Lloyd. "False Optimism? Leibniz, Evil, And The Best Of All Possible Worlds." Forum Philosophicum: International Journal For Philosophy 15.1 (2010): 17-35. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Apr. 2012.

Harley - Davidson Inc. Motorcycle Industry :: essays research papers

Harley - Davidson Inc. Motorcycle Industry INTRODUCTION The purpose of this report is to develop a strategic corporate objective for HarleyDavidson Inc., a publicly traded, employee owned manufacturer of heavyweight motorcycles, recreational and commercial vehicles, military defense items, and small engines, distributing its products to domestic and international markets targeting all men and women of all ages. INDUSTRY AND COMPETITIVE MARKET The industry under study is the motorcycle industry consisting of five major manufacturers: one American (Harley Davidson), and four Japanese (Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki) and some European companies (mainly BMW of Germany and some other Italian companies). Most companies market their motorcycles and accessories on a worldwide basis, handling international trade through foreign distributors and domestic sales through franchised outlets. Industry sales of motorcycles were shrinking in the early l990s because of the recession and the competition from computers and electronic products decreasing consumers' discretionary income. Sales of accessories and parts make up 36% of total retail sales and is a viable area for producers to explore because people want something to differentiate their bikes. Previously, motorcycles were viewed as a cheap means of transportation. By 1992, they came to be viewed as a recreational, or a luxury item. This new perception of motorcycles led to the introduction of more expensive models with higher prices. This led to the introduction of consumer financing, one of the fastest growing service areas in the motorcycle industry. MISSION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harley's strategic objective is to continue to provide safe, high technology heavyweight bikes and keep customer satisfaction at high levels. This quality vision more than doubled Harley's market share and increased its brand loyalty. EXTERNAL PLANNING PREMISES CUSTOMERS   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They can be divided into 2 categories men and women. Men.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. Men under 30. This group accounts for 44% of all sales. Therefore, a great opportunity exists here because of the group's size. This group's members buy motorcycles for their transportation and recreation needs. Men in this group buy more of mopeds, scooters and entry level lightweight road bikes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. Men between 30 and 50. This age group makes up 45k of buyers another large area providing opportunities for firms. The motorcycles most frequently purchased are the heavyweight tourers and cruisers. Many buyers are married couples looking for an alternative to taking the car out for weekend drives to the country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. Men over 50. This group accounts for about 11% of motorcycle sales. The heavyweight touring class and the middleweight road bike categories account for most of the sales here. Women. This group is a segment that is growing at a fast rate, thereby representing an opportunity area. Firms to be successful here are to provide smaller, easier to handle, comfortable, and good quality bikes to build up brand

death penalty Essay -- essays research papers

Is the death penalty wrong? Is the death penalty right? Many people have different views on this subject because of their beliefs. Its very hard to say if capital punishment is necessary, but without it we would say, â€Å"that man needs to die for the crime he committed.† John McAdams from the University of Marquette’s political science department once said, "If we execute murderers and there is in fact no deterrent effect, we have killed a bunch of murderers. If we fail to execute murderers, and doing so would in fact have deterred other murders, we have allowed the killing of a bunch of innocent victims.† Its very hard to let a man walk away from his death, because we want justice served. You would know that capital punishment is wrong by putting yourself in a death row inmates shoes, and saying to yourself â€Å"I don’t want to die†, and â€Å"I’m sorry†. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church it states that, â€Å"Certain particularly grave sins incur excommunication, the most severe ecclesiastical penalty, which impedes the reception of the sacraments and the exercise of certain ecclesiastical acts, and for which absolution consequently cannot be granted, according to canon law, except by the Pope, the bishop of the place or priests authorized by them. In danger of death any priest, even if deprived of faculties for hearing confessions, can absolve from every sin and excommunication† (1463). The Catechism of the Catholic Ch...

Comparing Criminal Justice Systems: Venezuela vs Denmark

Background Denmark The small, European country of Denmark lies just on the border of the North and Baltic Seas upon the peninsula of Germany, also flanked by Norway and Sweden. It is less than twice the size of Massachusetts at 43,094 square kilometers. The weather is generally temperate, humid and overcast with windy winters and cool summers. Denmark’s natural resources include petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, chalk, stone, gravel and sand. Denmark has a population of 5,484,723 with 65. 9% between the ages of 15 and 64 years old. The population growth rate is 0. 95%; they have a birth rate of 10. 71 per 1000 people and a death rate of 10. 25. The migration rate is 2. 49 per 1000 people and the residents have a life expectancy of 78. 13 years. The nationality of the people of Denmark is Dane, or Danish. The Danish ethnic groups include Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German, Turkish, Iranian, and Somali. As far as religious beliefs, 95% of Denmark are Evangelical L utheran, 3% other Christian including Protestant and Roman Catholic and 3% Muslim. The main languages spoken are Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic and German and the predominant second language is English. The Danes have a 99% literacy rate and the school life expectancy is 17 years. (CIA: World Fact book) Venezuela Venezuela is a much larger country of 912,050 square kilometers and population 26,414,816 in Northern South America bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. It lies flush with Columbia, Brazil and Guyana. It is slightly more than twice the size of California with a tropical climate—hot and humid. 63. 8% of the population is between the ages of 15 and 64 years old. The population growth rate is 1. 98% with a birth rate of 20. 92 per 1000 population and 5. 1 deaths per 1000 population. The net migration rate is -. 084 per 1000 population and their life expectancy from birth is 73. 45 years. Their nationality is Venezuelan and their ethnic groups are Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, and indigenous people; Spanish is the official language. 96% of Venezuela is nominally Roman Catholic, 2% Protestant and 2% other religions entirely. 93% of Venezuelans are literate and the average school expectancy rate is 12 years. Law Denmark Denmark is a constitutional monarchy, with the Queen fulfilling the role of head of state, and the government formed out of the parliament. Denmark has a unicameral (single chamber) parliament, with deputies elected through a system of proportional representation, though each member also represents a constituency. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Demark) The political system of Denmark is a multi-party structure, where several parties are represented in the Parliament. Danish governments are most often minority administrations, governing with the aid of one or more supporting parties. This means that Danish politics are characterized by inter-party compromising. Since 1909 no single party has had the majority of parliamentary seats. A popularly elected parliament, Folketinget, governs the country and the prime minister, the nation's chief political officer, usually comes from the ranks of the majority party. The Faroe Islands and Greenland come under nominal rule from Denmark. (Visit Denmark) The capital of Denmark is Copenhagen and the chief of state is Queen Margrethe II since January 14, 1972, and Heir Apparent Crown Prince Frederik, the eldest son of the monarch. The head of the government is Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen since 27 November 2001. The monarch is hereditary, however following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch. Supreme Court judges are appointed by the monarch for life terms. Criminal offenses are defined either in the special part of the Criminal Code or in separate statutes. The general conditions for imposing criminal penalties are found in the general part of the Criminal Code which also apply to separate statutes. The sanctions described in the general part of the Criminal Code are the same whether the criminal offense consists of a violation of the Criminal Code or of separate statutes. The substantive Danish criminal law is monistic, meaning that violations of the law never have been divided into categories like felony/misdemeanor, crime/delicts or the like. It does not mean, however, that major offenses are treated in the same manner as petty offenses in all respects. (Ravn, Lene) The age of criminal responsibility is 15 years old. According to the Criminal Code the mere possession of narcotic drugs is criminalized. However, the law is not enforced regarding possession of very small amounts meant for the drug addict's own consumption. Possession and selling is penalized in a special law on drugs containing the possibility of imprisonment for a period of up to two years. Serious cases of trafficking of drugs are punished with imprisonment within a range of one month to ten years according to the Criminal Code. Venezuela Venezuela’s political system is a Federal Republic. The current Venezuelan constitution was adopted in 1999. Important changes were made regarding the structure of the government as well as in human rights and community participation. Since the approval by referendum of this constitution, the government consists of five branches, the Executive, Legislative, Judicial, Citizen and Electoral. The Executive Branch: The President and his cabinet. The President is elected by universal, direct and secret ballot for a six-year term. The President may be re-elected for one additional consecutive term only. Legislative: One chamber National Assembly composed by 165 deputies elected for a five- year term. Deputies may be re-elected for up to one additional consecutive term. Judiciary: The new constitution renamed the Supreme Court as the Supreme Tribunal of Justice. Justices are nominated by the civil society. Final appointment requires the approval of at least two thirds of the legislative branch. The Citizens Branch: Created to safeguard public ethics, to ensure respect for the principle of legality in the Administration, and to assume the defense of human rights. The Ombudsman or Defender of the People, the Attorney General and the Comptroller General form this power The Electoral Branch: This authority is independent from other Government Branches and is appointed by nominations from the civil society. Administrative Division: 22 states, 1 federal district and the federal dependencies. State Governors are elected for a four-year term and may be re-elected for one additional consecutive term only. Most Venezuelans are Roman Catholic. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. All faiths have churches and people may worship freely. Venezuela’s people result from the mingling of European, Amerindian, and African cultures. Traditionally a haven for people of all origins, Venezuela received large waves of immigrants from Europe following World War II and from other Latin American and Caribbean nations during the 1970s. (Embassy) The Venezuelan chief of state and head of government is President Hugo Chavez Frias since February 3, 1999. The Executive Vice President Ramon Alonzo Carrizalez Rengifo since 4 January 2008. The Venezuelan Penal Code distinguishes between crimes, punishable by imprisonment, and misdemeanors (faltas), punishable by arrests or fines. In the Penal Code, crimes are classified by major types, as follows: * Crimes against national sovereignty and national security — treason; crimes against national and state government; crimes against international law * Crimes against liberty — crimes against political, personal, religious freedom, etc. Corruption — these are defined in a special anti-corruption law, enacted in 1982 * Crimes against the administration of justice — simulating crimes, false testimony, collusion, concealment, etc. * Crimes against public order — conspiracy to commit crime; incitement to crime; manufacture and carrying of weapons, etc. * For gery — false currency; forged seals, fiscal stamps, documents, passports, licenses, etc. * Crimes against public and private interests — arson, causing floods, etc. gainst public health and nutrition * Crimes against public morals and the family — rape, seduction, prostitution, corrupting minors, adultery, bigamy, etc. * Crimes against persons — homicide, battery, abortion, abandoning children, slander, etc. * Crimes against property — theft, robbery, extortion, kidnapping, fraud, etc. (Birkbeck, Christopher) Until 1998, the age of criminal responsibility was 18. In that year, a new Children's Code (Venezuela, 1998c) established criminal responsibility for adolescents (ages 12 to 17). However, the adolescent criminal justice system is administratively separate from the adult criminal justice system. Adolescents who turn 18 during adjudication or sentencing continue under the adolescent justice system. (Birkbeck) Police Denmark The state police is a department of the Ministry of Justice. There is no longer a municipal police and the military police only has authority over soldiers according to the Military Criminal Code. Denmark is divided into 54 police districts (excluding the Faeroe Islands and Greenland), each headed by a local chief of police. The National Commissioner reports to the Minister of Justice. For administrative purposes the police are subdivided into plain-clothes criminal investigators, uniformed patrolmen, traffic police officers, immigration police, and other categories. (Ravn) The common police of Denmark consist of 12 districts each managed by a director and two minor districts in Greenland and the Faroe Islands, run by a chief of police. The mission statement of the Danish police is as follows: The police must work in order to ensure security, safety, peace and order in the society. The police must promote this purpose through preventive, helping and enforcing work. In addition to the regular districts, there are three other organizations that work outside the common police. Rigspolitiet is the state national police for Denmark. Politiets Efterretningstjeneste, also called PET, is the national security intelligence agency of Denmark. The agency focuses solely upon domestic security while foreign intelligence operations are handled by Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste – an intelligence branch under the Danish military. The stated overall purpose of PET is to prevent, investigate and counter operations and activities that pose or may pose a threat to the preservation of Denmark as a free, democratic and safe country. The three main duties of the PET are counter terrorism, counter extremism and counter espionage. Politiets Aktionsstyrke (AKS) is the Special Forces unit of the Danish police; a national SWAT team. It is meant to handle extraordinarily difficult or life-threatening criminal situations, such as terrorism, hostage situations, and kidnapping. It also deals with emergency rescue situations that would be too dangerous for others to handle. The AKS holds responsibility for all anti-terror and counter-terrorism missions in Denmark. (Wikipedia) New recruits are required to be in good physical condition; good personal and economic condition, and should have achieved good grades in school. New recruits are usually required to be between 21 and 29 years of age, of Danish citizenship or have applied for Danish nationality/citizenship, and without any convictions. The basic training of police personnel takes 3 years. The training comprises both school education and training of a more practical nature. School education, which consists of 2 courses of 8 months each, takes place at the Police Academy in Copenhagen. The rest of the training time is spent on the job. The Police Academy also presents special courses and leadership courses. All chiefs of police hold a master's degree in law from a university. (Ravn) Venezuela The national Venezuelan police are the Cuerpo Tecnico de Policia Judicial, or PTJ. They were founded almost immediately after the overthrow of Dictator Marcos Perez Jiminez in 1958. The PTJ is the primary judicial police force in the country, charged with the reception of crime reports made by citizens, the investigation of crimes, gathering of evidence and arrest of suspects. In all these tasks, the PTJ is subordinated to the public prosecutor's office. Administratively, the PTJ is attached to the Ministry of the Interior and Justice. The national headquarters are in Caracas, and there is one office in each state capital, with additional offices in some other cities. The PTJ's name was recently changed to the National Directorate of Criminal Investigation. The traffic police (Cuerpo Tecnico de Vigilancia del Transito y Transporte Terrestre), administratively attached to the Ministry of Infrastructure, are responsible for surveillance, preliminary investigation and occasionally arresting suspects, in traffic offenses that involve violations of the criminal law. The state police are responsible for patrol work and public order, arrests (when offenders are caught in the act), and community service. They may also serve as auxiliary judicial police. Each force is regulated by a local Police Code. To further complicate the institutional environment, state police forces are also coordinated by an office in the Ministry of the Interior and Justice that compiles selected statistics and sets guidelines for internal procedures. Beginning in 1990, wealthier municipalities in the country's largest cities set up municipal police forces. By July 2001, there were 77 municipal forces in the country. They are attached to the mayors' offices and regulated by the state's Police Code and by municipal ordinance. With so many different uniformed police forces, there are obviously difficulties in coordination and efficiency. For that reason, since at least 1977 there have been diverse proposals to create a unified national police force. The most recent is the National Police Law, which is currently being debated in the National Assembly. This law would join all uniformed police forces (state, Capital District, municipal), together with the traffic police, into one national force. (Birkbeck) Courts Denmark The independent courts constitute a part of the division of power in Denmark. Generally speaking, cases are dealt with in the first instance by a local or city court; appeals against the judgments of city courts are made to one of the country's two High Courts. A few big cases and cases touching on administrative matters are dealt with by one of the high courts in the first instance. The highest court in Denmark is the Supreme Court, and the Queen appoints judges. (Ministry) The Danish Supreme Court is the highest civil and criminal court responsible for the administration of justice in Denmark. The Kingdom of Denmark, consisting of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, does not have a single unified judicial system – Denmark has one system, Greenland another and the Faroe Island a third. However, ecisions by the highest courts in Greenland and the Faroe Islands may be appealed to the Danish High Courts. Venezuela Venezuela has three types of main courts: Trial courts: The 395 trial courts are divided into first instance trial courts and instructional criminal courts. In addition, 667 departmental and municipal courts are assigned the lowest level cases. Superior Courts: There are 173 Superior courts that primarily act as interme diate appellate courts. The dispersion of these courts throughout the country is based on population and political needs. Supreme Court: The Supreme Court is the court of last resort. It is composed of 15 justices who each serve a nine-year term. This Court is divided into three chambers: civil, criminal, and civil rights. (Salas, Luis) They also have several types of special courts: Military Courts: Military courts exercise a considerable amount of authority since their jurisdiction extends to all crimes committed by members of the armed forces and on-duty police officers. Many persons have criticized this system, viewing it as a barrier to the successful prosecution of human rights abuses committed by the police and military. Military courts extend their jurisdiction to civilians accused of crimes under the military code, for example treason or subversion. Anti-corruption Court: The anti-corruption court (Tribunal de Salvaguardia Del Patrimonio Publico) was established with specific and sometimes extraordinary powers, to investigate and punish corruption. While corruption cases may be tried in the first instance by the traditional court system, these special courts have second instance jurisdiction. They also serve as trial courts for cases involving corruption by high-level officials. Even though their jurisdictional powers are extensive, they have been afforded meager resources to carry out their responsibilities. Family/Juvenile Courts: Another set of courts handle family matters and juvenile cases. Juveniles are processed through special courts and then remanded to juvenile correctional facilities. (Salas) Corrections Denmark In Denmark, the correctional service controls 15 prisons, one institution for inmates needing psychiatric treatment, and 40 local jails. Five of the prisons and the psychiatric institution are closed in that they are secured by an external ring wall as well as by internal precautions like secured buildings, and electronic security systems combined with relatively dense staffing. The staff does not carry arms. Being used as remand detention institutions, the local jails are also closed. The remaining nine prisons are open institutions which actually means that the inmates are physically able to leave the institution. Two of the closed prisons have both male and female inmates. In one of these prisons there is cohabitation between men and women within units. There are also two open prison departments for women. While serving his sentence the inmate is obliged to work for which he is paid a small hourly salary. The prison administration tries to ensure that the working places equate those found in modern society. In order to encourage inmates to educate themselves the same amount is paid to inmates who choose to go to the prison school instead of going to work. The prison provides health care and necessary dental care. Sick inmates will be hospitalized in ordinary hospitals. The policies of the correctional service are governed by the following three principles: A. Normalization. As a starting point the inmate is placed in the open prison closest to his home in order to preserve family contacts and to pave the way for a gradual release from the prison. There must be specific reasons for instituting control of inmates' correspondence. Visits by next-of-kin take place in secluded visiting rooms with a couch. In the open prisons weekend leaves are granted every third week to prisoners with a low risk of recidivism. A prisoner in a closed institution may obtain similar rights to weekend leave when he has served one fourth of his sentence. At some time during incarceration about one third of the prisoners in closed prisons are granted occasional leaves. The total number of leaves per year is about 57,000. More than half of these are so-called work leaves where an inmate leaves the prison to go to work or to take part in educational activities in society. B. Self-administration. The inmate is responsible for his own daily life. Important elements of this approach are that food must be bought and cooked by the inmate to which end he is paid a fixed amount of money per day. The inmate is also responsible for his personal hygiene, clothes' laundry and repair. The prison encourages the inmates to make meaningful use of leisure hours by providing opportunity for sports and other structuralized activities. C. Release on parole and after-care. According to a provision of the Criminal Code more than 90% of the inmates are released on parole after having served two thirds of their sentences. Almost 10% of these will be released after serving between one half and two thirds of the time, due to special grounds. Royal pardon is possible according to the Constitution, but rare. Outside of imprisonment for life which necessitates the use of pardoning, royal pardon is more commonly used in connection with short-term sentences where the convicted cannot endure the prison stay because of severe illness or the like. In such cases the pardon is normally conditioned on the payment of a fine. (Dr. Winslow, Robert) Venezuela Typical penalties in Venezuela include fines, restitution, probation, and incarceration. Some crimes carry mandatory prison sentences which prohibit early release. The death penalty in Venezuela was abolished in the mid 1860s. The prison population in Venezuela is 40% over its stated capacity. Overcrowding is regarded as a primary factor in the high level of violence within prisons, which resulted in an average of 3 prisoner deaths per week in 1992. Venezuela, like many of its Latin American countries, has incorporated the United Nation's â€Å"Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners† in its national legislation. However, a recent human rights director of the Venezuelan Attorney General's Office has criticized the conditions of the nation's prisons. As a consequence of government neglect, the prisoners live in overcrowded and unhealthy quarters, without access to education, and lacking incentives to seek jobs once they are released. (Salas) References Birkbeck, Christopher Venezuela World Fact Book of Criminal Justice Systems http://www. ojp. usdoj. gov/bjs/pub/ascii/wfcjsvz. txt CIA: World Fact Book https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/da. html Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela In the United States of America http://www. embavenezus. org/? pagina=kids. venezuela/political. system. tm=Venezuela%20for%20Kids Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark http://www. ambmoskva. um. dk/en/menu/InfoDenmark/danish+political+and+social+affairs/ Ravn, Lene Denmark World Fact Book of Criminal Justice Systems http://www. ojp. usdoj. gov/bjs/pub/ascii/wfbcjden. txt Salas, Luis Florida International University Venezuela World Fact Book of Criminal Justice http://www. ojp. usdoj. gov/bjs/pub/ascii/wfbcjve n. txt Visit Denmark http://www. visitdenmark. com/uk/en-gb/menu/turist/turistinformation/fakta-az/ Wikipedia www. en. wikipedia. org Dr. Winslow, Robert San Diego State University Crime and Society