Three Major Exceptions

Work At-Will Doctrine Employment-At-Will Doctrine: three significant exemptions From my exploration of this subject clearly the US Is as yet the main industrialized country that comes up short on a national illegitimate excusal rule. The purpose behind the absence of such isn't obviously the government structure of the US. In the United States, representatives without a composed work contract by and large can be terminated for acceptable motivation, terrible reason, or no reason by any stretch of the imagination; Judicial exemptions to the guidelines try to forestall illegitimate terminations. The business at-wil tenet isn't without ts limits.Terminations started by the business must not be biased or infringing upon explicit government or state laws. This is a genuine case of work - freely teaching the business is legitimately precluded from making any unfavorable work move against a representative as a result of their race, sexual orientation, age. incapacity, national starting poin t, or some other legitimately ensured trademark or movement. Like such a large number of others and laborers in the US we accept that agreeable employment exhibitions ought to be compensated with different advantages and occupation security.As a mployee you feel that you won't get terminated on the off chance that you play out your Job well yet this has dissolved in ongoing decades even with an expanded rate of mass cutbacks, decreases in organization's workforce, and Job turnovers. In the last 50% of the nineteenth century, work In the US has been freely or limited by either the business or worker under any conditions. The business voluntarily precept promises that when a representative doesn't have a composed work contract and the term of business is of uncertain span, the business can fire the worker for good purpose, terrible reason, or no reason at all.The courts saw the connections among boss and worker as being on equivalent balance regarding haggling power. It is accepted th at the business voluntarily teaching mirrored the conviction that individuals ought to be allowed to go into work agreements of a predetermined span, yet that no commitments joined to either boss or representative it an individual was employed without an agreement. Since representatives had the option to leave positions they no longer minded to possess bosses were allowed to release workers at their impulse. As you notice the mechanical upset planted the seeds for the disintegration f the business voluntarily doctrine.When representatives started shaping associations, the ‘Of3 aggregate Dargalnlng understandings tney negotlatea wltn bosses Trequently naa arrangements in them that necessary Just purpose for unfriendly work activities, just as methods for parleying worker complaints. These assurances mirrored the changing perspective on the connection among business and representative. Instead of considering the to be as being on equivalent balance, courts and governing bodies g radually started to perceive that businesses as often as possible have basic and monetary focal points while haggling with potential or current employees.It is the acknowledgment of work as being vital to an individual's occupation and prosperity, combined with the dread of being not able to shield an individual vocation from out of line end, prompted the advancement of customary law, or Judicial, special cases to the work freely precept. The three significant special cases to the work freely tenet is essentially address terminations that despite the fact that they actually conform to the business voluntarily necessities, don't appear to be Just. Another special case forestalls terminations for reasons that damage a State's open policy.Another perceived exemption forbids terminations after a suggested agreement for business has been built up; such an agreement can be made through boss portrayals of proceeded with work, in type of either oral affirmations or desires made by manager h andbooks, arrangements, or other composed confirmations. At long last a minority of states has perused a suggested agreement of sincere trust and reasonable managing into the business relationship. The great confidence pledge has been deciphered in various manners, implying that terminations must be for cause to eaning that terminations can't be made in dishonesty or with perniciousness intended.There are just six western States that perceive each of the three of the significant special cases and three southern States that don't perceive any of the three significant exemptions to work voluntarily. Recollect the open strategy special cases is the point at which a business may not terminate a worker in the event that it would abuse the state's open approach teaching or a state or government rule. This incorporates fighting back against a representative for playing out an activity that consents to open strategy just as declining to play out an activity cap would abuse open approach. Th ere are forty-three U.S. states and the District of Columbia perceive open arrangement as a special case to the freely rule. All in all suits looking for harms for valuable release in which a worker affirms that the person in question had to leave, and for illegitimate exchange or improper downgrade have expanded as of late. In like manner, these days businesses must be tired when they try to cut off a work association for good motivation, awful reason, or, above all, no reason by any stretch of the imagination.

Witch Hunts Salem And McCarthyism Essays - Culture, Religion

Witch Hunts: Salem and McCarthyism Envision what it resembles to be named a Communist for the simple actuality that you happened to don a goatee? It occurred in the 1950's McCarthyism time frame! Doesn't this sound peculiarly like the Salem witch-chases? Consummately ordinary individuals blamed for being witches since they were seen moving peculiarly in the forested areas. McCarthyism and the Salem witch-chases were the two endeavors by eager for power individuals to lessen their opposition with no solid proof. The reasons for the Salem black magic path and McCarthyism were unreasonable feelings of trepidation that black magic and socialism would penetrate society if extraordinary measures were not taken. When that black magic may truly be going on began, the conduct of typical residents was available to doubt of black magic. In like manner, the genuine dread of a Communist take-over had Americans in the 1950's so startled, some really accepted that there neighbors may be spies since McCarthy was planting this doubt so unequivocally into their psyches. When the agitation started, it snowballed wild. In the Salem witch chases two little youngsters, Betty Paris and Abigail Williams, were displaying abnormal conduct and were analyzed to have been moved by the hand of the fiend. When constrained to uncover the witch or witches who had caused this, the little youngsters named a few outsiders of society. These charged witches were blameworthy until they demonstrate their blamelessness. Many were tormented until they admitted they were in certainty witches so they didn't need to bear any more agony. A rare sorts of people who conceded their blame were saved, while the rest were immediately executed. These admissions turned into the verification of the presence of witches. The craziness of McCarthyism started when Senator Joseph McCarthy handled a progression of profoundly exposed examinations that planned to present Communists in the State Department and Hollywood. McCarthy inevitably let his Red Scare gain out of power and said the U.S. Armed force was disguising outside undercover work exercises. His allegations contained little proof and McCarthy in the long run fell into disgrace. The Witch-chases of Salem brought about the execution of 20 people. Individuals blamed for black magic were viewed as liable until demonstrated honest, and tests were conceived to distinguish the liable. The individuals who breezed through the misleading assessments were viewed as witches and put to death. In the long run, the frenzy finished however not before the killing of twenty guiltless individuals. The McCarthy Communism alarm turned exceptionally negitive toward Senator McCarthy when the hearings to explore whether the secretary of the Army was not participating to reveal Communists in the U.S. military. These hearings were given a lot of media inclusion and that did a lot to end the counter Communist witch-chase drove by McCarthy. A goals of reprimand against McCarthy was before long presented in the Senate. On December 2, 1954, Senator Joseph McCarthy was censured in a vote of an exceptional meeting of the U.S. Senate for his direct in Senate boards of trustees. Book index Works Cited Garraty, John A. The Rise of McCarthyism. The Story of America. Cincinnati, OH: Pantheon Books, 1990: 458-459. McCarthy, Joseph Raymond. Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 99. New York, NY: Distributing, Inc., 1999. Compact disc ROM The Salem Witch Trails 1692. 27 August 1997. (14 October 1999).

Postpartum Psychosis Linked to Bipolar Disorder

Postpartum Psychosis Linked to Bipolar Disorder Bipolar Disorder Symptoms Depression Print Postpartum Psychosis Linked to Bipolar Disorder By Marcia Purse Marcia Purse is a mental health writer and bipolar disorder advocate who brings strong research skills and personal experiences to her writing. Learn about our editorial policy Marcia Purse Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Carly Snyder, MD on November 13, 2019 facebook twitter linkedin Carly Snyder, MD is a reproductive and perinatal psychiatrist who combines traditional psychiatry with integrative medicine-based treatments.   Learn about our Medical Review Board Carly Snyder, MD Updated on January 28, 2020 Bipolar Disorder Overview Symptoms & Diagnosis Causes Treatment Living With In Children Your Rights Tetra Images - Jamie Grill / Brand X Pictures / Getty Images Experts estimate that 50 to 85% of all new mothers experience the baby blues, a common response to hormonal changes after the birth of a child that typically self-resolves within two weeks. However, an estimated 14% of new mothers will develop postpartum depression, a more serious condition that can include mood swings, uncontrollable crying, fatigue or exhaustion, feelings of guilt, inadequacy or worthlessness, lack of interest in the baby and other common signs of depression. Around 0.1-0.2% (thats one or two of one thousand women) will develop postpartum psychosisâ€"a very serious illness that needs quick intervention, usually including hospitalization. One or two of one thousand may not sound like many until you learning that in 2018 there were approximately 3.79 million births in the United States. This translates to 3,790 to 7,580 women who may experience postpartum psychosis per year. Given the rates of suicide and infanticide related to postpartum psychosis, this estimates a risk of more than 300 infants killed and approximately 380 mothers committing suicide because of this illness each year in the U.S. alone. Causes and Risk Factors Although more studies are needed to determine the causes of postpartum illnesses, the evidence suggests that the sudden drop in estrogen levels that occurs immediately after the birth of a child plays a significant role, along with sleep disruptions that are inevitable before and after the birth. Many researchers conclude that postpartum psychosis is considered to be on the bipolar spectrum and a prior history of depression and/or anxiety is a strong risk factor. Poor social support, young age, traumatic delivery, and financial instability are other potential causative factors. One of the biggest risk factors for postpartum psychosis is a previously diagnosed bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, along with a family history of one of these conditions. Also, women who have already experienced postpartum depression or psychosis have a 20 to 50% chance of having it again at future births. Additionally, sleep deprivation worsens mood symptoms and may increase the risk of development of a postpartum mood disorder. Symptoms of Postpartum Psychosis Symptoms of postpartum psychosis are consistent with those of a bipolar I psychotic episode but have some special twists specifically related to motherhood. They include, but are not limited to: HallucinationsDelusionsPeriods of delirium or maniaThoughts of harming the baby or oneselfIrrational feelings of guiltRefusing to eatThought insertion: The notion that other beings or forces (God, aliens, the CIA, etc.) can put thoughts or ideas into ones mindInsomnia: Although studies are beginning to show that insomnia may be a cause rather than an effectReluctance to tell anyone about the symptoms If  You Already Have Bipolar Disorder You should be awareâ€"and so should your loved onesâ€"that having a history of bipolar disorder may mean that you have a higher-than-average risk of having postpartum psychosis. Prompt treatment is essential to get postpartum psychosis under control. Under no circumstances should you spend most of your time alone with your infant, as this may lead to severe disruptions in sleep that can make a bad situation even worse. Keep in contact with your psychiatrist or therapist during the first six weeks after your childs birth. Arrange ahead of time to have your husband or partner, relatives, friends or even social workers help you care for the infant and make sure you get the rest you need. If you have to choose between breastfeeding and taking your medications, choose the medications. The sooner you get treatment for postpartum illnesses, the faster they can be controlled.

Operations Management - Kulim Hi-Tech - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1646 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? We chose Kulim Hi-Tech as a location to do our operation because this location offers an expanding and existing facility instead of having to move, maintaining current sites while adding another facility elsewhere and closing the existing facility and moving to another location. Kulim hi-tech park, also known as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Science City of The Futureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ High-tech Industrial Park is the first in Malaysia. Hi-Tech Industrial Park Kulim is located in North-South and East West in Kulim District, in the south of the State of Kedah Darul Aman. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Operations Management Kulim Hi-Tech" essay for you Create order Hi-Tech Industrial Park is connected to the port of Penang which is approximately 25 km further east. This location is also connected to the Penang International Airport which is located next to the island about 40 km away. Labor Productivity When deciding on a location, management may be tempted by an areaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s low wage rates. Management must also consider productivity. Toplicious Sdn Bhd has a few options of low wages rates place to operate. There are few places that offer low wages rates like Shah Alam, Selangor and Seberang Prai, Penang. We had 3 potential placed which are Kulim Hi-Tech, Shah Alam and Seberang Prai. We expect the all three places can produce same unit production per day (1000 unit) but that differentiate these three areas are labor costs per days. Labor cost per day is RM 40 for Kulim Hi-Tech, RM 60 for Shah Alam and RM 50 for Seberang Prai. Kulim Hi-Tech Shah Alam Seberang Perai RM 40 = RM 0.04 1000 RM 60 = RM 0.06 1000 RM 50 = RM 0.05 1000 After doing the calculation, Kulim Hi-Tech is the most economical placed to produce chocolate compare with Shah Alam and Seberang Perai. So, Kedah is the site that Toplicious Sdn Bhd can build the factory. Besides, tax imposed by the government of this country is low compared to the two other states. The Factor-Rating Method Factor-rating method is a location method that instills objectivity into the process of identifying hard-to evaluate costing. The factor-rating method is popular because a wide variety of factors, from education to reaction to labor skills, can be objectivity included. The factor-rating method has six steps: Develop a list of relevant factors called key success factors. Assign a weight to each factor to reflect its relative importance in the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s objective. Develop a scale for each factor. Have management score each location for each factor, using the scale in step 3. Multiply the score by the weights for each factor and total the score for each location. Make a recommendation based on the maximum point score, considering the results of quantitative approaches as well. Key Success Factor Weight Scores (out of 100) Weighted Score Kulim Hi-Tech Shah Alam Seberang Perai Kulim Hi-Tech Shah Alam Seberang Perai Technology 0.20 90 80 75 18 16 15 Labor availability and attitude 0.15 75 80 75 11.25 12 11.25 Political and legal aspects 0.15 80 75 75 12 11.25 11.25 Social and culture aspects 0.20 75 65 75 15 13 15 Environmental factors 0.30 85 70 75 25.5 21 22.5 Total 1.00 81.75 73.25 75.00 We can conclude that the highest score earned by Kulim Hi-Tech rather than Shah Alam and Seberang Perai. These factor ratings give strong reason why the organization decided to make their factory at Kulim Hi-Tech. Layout Decisions Layout decisions will determine the long run efficiency of operation. Managers make layout decisions to achieve a fully utilization of space, equipment and people, improved information flow, improved employee and customer interaction and flexibility. There are three types of layouts which are the office layout, warehouse layout and workcell layout. The office layout is essential for every company, because it is the canter of the movement of information, grouping of workers and their equipment and spaces to provide comfort and safety. First, examine electronic and conventional communication patterns, needed for separation and other conditions influencing employee effectiveness before making a decision regarding the layout strategy. Toplicious Sdn Bhd needs to have an office that considers three physical and social aspects which are proximity, privacy and permission. Proximity is the fact that the spaces should naturally bring people together. People can control admittance to t heir conservation including the privacy aspect and the culture should signal, that non-work interactions are encouraged. The staff of Toplicious Sdn Bhd that should be in the office is the CEO, COO and CFO, the secretary and all departments needed, such as a production department, accounting department, marketing department, sales department and so on. Moreover, central files, copy centre, pantry and all necessities need to be in the office building. The layout of the office is designed with taking consideration of the hierarchy of the company. The CEO and all chief departments are in one place but with different rooms. Moreover, the chief department is placed near the other staff in the department. Also we took consideration of the necessities of the department like e.g. the accounting department needs to be near the central file and copy centre and the secretary office and sales area. Examples of office layouts are below (taken from Cubicle.com): Secondly, warehouse and storage layout decision which places that store the good before going to other phases. The objective is to find the optimum tradeoffs between handling costs and costs associated with warehouse space. Our warehouse is used to receive the ingredients like cocoa beans, milk, sugar (raw materials) and chocolates (finish goods). Items stored in the warehouse are the following: Cocoa bean Milk, cocoa butter and sugar Popcorn Jelly Finish good Toplicious Sdn Bhd uses cross docking warehouse and storage layout. That means that were avoiding the placement of materials or supplies in the storage by processing them as soon as possible. The benefits of this approach are reduced product handling, inventory and factory costs. Toplicious can pursue a low cost strategy besides a differentiation strategy alone. This requires tight schedules and accurate inbound product identification. Activities involved in this warehouse are receiving cocoa beans from the supplier and send them directly to the bean processing place. Then, milk, cocoa butter and sugar from a supplier, readily stored in the warehouse is used to produce the chocolate when needed. Popcorn and jelly are also stored in the warehouse and are used in the packaging process where the chocolate is filled with the jelly. For the raw materials from the supplier, Toplicious Sdn. Bhd. is using a JIT system so that we will receive the materials from supplier only when we need it. The received material is then directly sent to the assembly line, as a reason the storage space will be reduced. Therefore, a tight schedule is required to handle the movement of this material and to ensure that it will run smoothly with no errors or delays. The last items in the warehouse are the finished goods after the packaging process is finished. The labelled chocolate will directly go to the distribution channel. Formal receiving, storing and order selection activities are avoided. Lastly, the layout decision is the need to think about enhancing business operations with the work cell layout. Work cell layout reorganizes people and machines that would usually be distributed in various departments, into groups. Our company Toplicious Sdn Bhd chooses this layout in the production because of the advantage of reduced work in process inventory, decreased requirement of floor space, lower direct labour costs, increased employee participation and increased equipment and ma chinery utilization. Toplicious Sdn Bhd products are popcorn with milk chocolate in a glass jar, popcorn with white chocolate in a glass jar and milk chocolate with jelly in a bar. We only focused on these three types of products so work cell is the best method to be applied in the operation. Different from Berylà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s factory that deem to be implemented process oriented layout because there are over 70 different types of chocolates under Berylà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s brand and they include flavours such as Almond, Butterscotch, Peanut Butter, Raisin, Dark Chocolate, Mint, Tiramisu, Strawberry, and a lot more. In bean processing operations there are three activities such as husk separating, roasting nibs and grounding to liquid cocoa. These three activities are put together in a U shape layout. Due to that, workers have a better access to the operation. For the chocolate operation activities we are refining the cocoa to waferthin layers and conche the chocolate. These operations are also put in U shape layout. Same goes to other phases of operations and this U shape layout is shown below: In conclusion, layout decision is subject to substantial research effort thus it depends on what the company thinks is best for the company. For Toplicious Sdn Bhds layout decision we are designing an office layout, warehouse and storage layout, using cross docking and work cell layout. Conclusion Recommendations In a nutshell, strategies such as Product Design, Process Design, Location Decisions and Layout Decisions in Operations Management are applied in the operations of chocolates by understanding the operations to make strategic operations management decisions. Products are differentiated to have a competitive advantage. However by constructing a house of quality we could detect a weakness which is the productsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ distribution. We recommend increase space in retailers and more contracts in hypermarkets. The process design is highly automated which means that repetitive process of producing those three types of chocolates. A flowchart is further used to help understand, analyze and communicate the process. Our location decision is in Kulim Hi Tech as it was the most suitable and efficient place to manufacture based on calculation of labor productivity and factor-rating method that we applied. Certain key success factors that we found best fit and relevant to the operation s are used in factor-rating method. Toplicious Sdn Bhds layout decisions are by designing an office layout, warehouse and storage layout, using cross docking and work cell layout. We found that the layout that we used fully utilizes space, equipment and people, improved information flow, improved employee and customer interaction and flexibility. All these four operation management strategies that we learned are applied in order to make the best of the operationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ efficiency and effectiveness. We found these techniques valuable in turning inputs into outputs in the best way they could.

The Natural And Physical Aspects Of The World We Live

Physical –Chemical Oceanography I Science is the study of the natural and physical aspects of the world we live in. Science is the way humans try to understand why the environment acts in the way it does. Science has set of rules and guidelines that must be followed. The most important step in science is observation, the point of observation is so that the experiment can be measured and or the experiment can be repeated with similar or the same results. Hypotheses are then developed to disprove the observation as many scientists believe hypothesis can never be proven. Opinions are not facts and are based on subjective influences. Opinions cannot be measured or disproven because it is personal. Science cannot address all the issues and concerns due to the limit and restrictions it has. The fact that not everything can be proven shows how science cannot address all the issues. Even though everyday mankind is creating new technology to help humans better understand nature, there will always be some elements that are bey ond human capabilities. â€Å"Water is unique in that it is the only natural substance that is found in all three states liquid, solid (ice) and gas (steam) at the temperatures normally found on earth†. (http://aquarius.umaine.edu/activities/prop_fresh_sea.pdf) In order to understand why water has such a high boiling point, high freezing point, and high capacity of heat the molecule itself has to be examined. The water molecule is made up off a special type of bondShow MoreRelatedEssay on Physical Anthropology: The Link between Human Nature914 Words   |  4 Pages Physical anthropology â€Å"is in large part, human biology seen from an evolutionary perspective† (Jurmaln, Kilgore Trevathan, 2011). By this statement, I believe the authors mean that physical anthropology studies human biology with an evolutionary viewpoint rather than a scientific or medical viewpoint. Anthropology, as a broader science, is concerned with and studies human culture and the evolutionary aspects of human biolo gy. Since culture affects human beings and human beings affect cultureRead MoreThe s Belief System A Worldview1744 Words   |  7 Pagesgain an understanding of the world. Since this understanding can be interpreted in various ways, people develop differing worldviews. Noting the differences between various forms of faith is extremely important in the health care field in order to promote healing within the patient. The health care professionals must be able to ensure that the form of care being provided does not offend or go against the patient’s belief system. Two major religions that exist in the world today are Christianity andRead MoreThe Modern World Human Exposure869 Words   |  4 Pagescompletely depended upon their immediate environment. However, in the modern world human exposure to nature has drastically reduced. Industrialization and urbanization has brought changes in almost every aspect of society. For example accelerated development over the last century, and particularly the post-war decades, natural environments and the wildlife have come under increased pressure. â€Å"Now, much of world’s natural forest, wetlands, rivers, lakes and coastal environments have been destroyedRead MoreThe Destruction of Body and Mind Through Unhealthy Choices924 Words   |  4 Pagesbody and mind is what we are born into this world with and these are the aspects we live with for the rest of our lives and one thing that us teenagers sometimes fail to acknowledge is that an unhealthy lifestyle and unhealthy choices involving mental and physical aspects of our lives can lead to the destruction of the body and mind. In this era of teenage life we face problems that involve the evolution of social, environment and technological aspects that influence our physical and nutritional lifestyleRead More A Response to Martin Kriegers Whats Wrong with Plastic Trees1132 Words   |  5 Pageswhich may involve physical processes or social organization and processes, determine how reproducible an object is, for we may make a copy of the original, or we may transfer to another object the significance attached to the original. (Copying natural environments may be easier than copying artistic objects because the qualities of replicas and forgeries are not as well characterized in the case of the natural environment.) Insofar as we are incapable of doing either of these, we may desire toRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem The Stranger 1249 Words   |  5 Pagesbehaviors. Absurdism is the idea that humanity must live in a world that is and will forever be hostile or indifferent towards them. The universe will never truly care for humanity the way we seem to want it to (Cite). The physical world in general contributes to Meursault’s characterization. When he should be experiencing a rational feeling or emotion, Meursault becomes aware of the physical world around him. His awareness of the physical world becomes intense in times of negative events or pleasurableRead MoreHuman Geography And Development Studies1622 Words   |  7 PagesIn today’s world people, places, societies and environments are constantly changing. Both natural and human created events, shape the world and create strong relationships between the environment and society. Human geography and development studies are two fields seeking to analyse these interrelationships and answer key questions about major issues in the world such as poverty, inequality and conflict. Human geography is largely about studying the spatial aspects of relationships between peopleRead MoreGeography as a Science Essay examples1235 Words   |  5 Pagessystematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 1 Geography is divided into physical and human dimensions; in the past, physical geography had taken pre-eminence over the latter due to the need of geographers to establish their discipline as an actual educational subject in colleges and universities. They therefore needed to impress upon the world its yummy importance as a science 5, which held muchRead MoreAnalysis Of Jonathan Edwards s The Great Awakening 1072 Words   |  5 PagesJonathan Edwards was a major figure during the Great Awakening, he believed nature captured the glory and beauty of God, and thus was parallel to the spiritual world. Edward’s opposed the separation of the presence of God in nature that was being caused by the Enlightenment. Edwards view can be described as Calvinistic as he states â€Å"The book of Scripture is the interpreter of the book of nature†¦..making applications of the signs and types in the book of nature as representations of those spiritualRead MoreReligion vs. Science Essay1187 Words   |  5 Pagestreatments of persons suffering from mental disease, depression, and physical injury. The reputation of scientists has reached an all-time high. Majority of Americans have said they trust the scientific community more than almost anyone, including the Supreme Court, organized religion, Congress, teachers and the U.S. military. Many of these Americans believe that these scientific advances are leading them to a better world. The questions: What is man? What am I to do? What am I to hope

The FAO-organised World Food Conference in 1974 Free Essays

Introduction The acceptance of the term at the FAO-organised World Food Conference in 1974 has led to a growing literature on the subject, most of which grab ‘food security’ as an unproblematic starting point from which to address the persistence of so-called ‘food insecurity’ (Gilmore Huddleston, 1983; Maxwell, 1990; 1991; Devereux Maxwell, 2001). A common activity followed by academics specialising in food security is to debate the suitable definition of the term; a study undertaken by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) cites over 200 competing definitions (Smith et al., 1992). We will write a custom essay sample on The FAO-organised World Food Conference in 1974 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Simon Maxwell, who has produced work commonly referenced as foundational to food security studies (Shaw, 2005), distinguishes three paradigm shifts in its meaning: ‘from the global/national to the household/individual; from a food first perspective to a livelihood perspective; and from objective indicators to subjective perceptions’ (Maxell, 1996; Devereux Maxwell, 2001). A primary focus on food supplies as the major cause of food insecurity was given credence at the 1974 World Food Conference (McCaston et al., 1998). But the limitations of this supply focus came to light during the food crisis that plagued Africa in the mid-1980’s and the paradigm shifted to explore individual and household food security as opposed to food security from a national perspective (Argenal, no date) and the household food security approach emphasized both availability and stable access to food. Research work carried out in the late 1980s and early 1990s also focused on food and nutritional security (Frankenberger, 1992). It showed that food is only one factor in the malnutrition equation, and that, in addition to dietary intake and diversity, health and disease and maternal and child care are also important determinants (UNICEF, 1990). Thus, the evolution of the concepts and issues related to household food and nutritional security led to the development of the con cept of household livelihood security (McCaston et al., 1998). Until the late 1980s, most practitioners and theorists were focusing on a 2,100 calories a day standard, which was assumed to be the amount needed for any individual on a daily basis to avoid hunger. More recently, the ethical and human rights dimension of food security has come to the fore. In 1996, the formal adoption of a new definition by World Food Summit delegates reinforces the multidimensional nature of food security; it includes food access, availability, food use and stability (FAO, 2006). This has enabled policy responses focused on the promotion and recovery of livelihood options and included the concepts of vulnerability, risk coping and risk management (FAO, 2006). In short, as the link between food security, starvation and crop failure becomes a thing of the past, the study of food insecurity as a social and political construct has emerged (Devereux et al., 2001). The Rome Declaration of 1996, primarily laid the foundations for diverse paths to a common objective of food security at all levels: ‘food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life’. This widely accepted definition points to the following dimensions of food security (FAO, 1996): Food availability: The availability of sufficient quantities of food of appropriate quality, supplied through domestic production or imports (including food aid). Food access: Access by individuals to adequate resources for acquiring appropriate foods for a nutritious diet. Utilization: Utilization of food through adequate diet, clean water, sanitation and health care to reach a state of nutritional well-being where all physiological needs are met. This brings out the importance of non-food inputs in food security. Stability: To be food secure, a population, household or individual must have access to adequate food at all times. The concept of stability can therefore refer to both the availability and access dimensions of food security. Although nutrition scientists distinguish between ‘food security’ (availability of food on the global, national, local and household levels), on the one hand, and ‘nutritional security’ (satisfactory nutritional status of individuals), on the other (Oltersdorf and Weingartner, 1996), economic, social and behavioural scientists tend to consider ‘food security’ as a more comprehensive term that incorporates both concepts. In the above definitional context, the FAO (1996) stated that to achieve food security at national level, all four of its components ? availability, accessibility, utilization and stability ? must be adequate and that the opposite of food security is regarded as food insecurity. However, national food security depends on the household-level food security as a fundamental unit. Chen and Kates (1994) stated that ‘at a household level, food security tends to be equated with the sufficiency of household entitlements – that bundle of food-production resources, income available for food purchases, and gifts or assistance sufficient to meet the aggregate food requirements of all household members‘. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) concisely defines household food security as â€Å"the capacity of a household to procure a stable and sustain-able basket of adequate food† (IFAD, 1992). Adequacy may be defined in terms of quality and quantity of food, which contribute to a diet that meets the nutritional needs of all household members. Stability refers to the household’s ability to procure food across seasons and transitory shortages. Sustainability is the most complex of the terms, encompassing issues of resou rce use and management, human dignity, and self-reliance, among others (IFAD, 1992). Thus, household food security is as integrated system of the four subsystems of production, exchange, delivery and consumption (Cannon, 1991). Theoretically, poverty, household vulnerability, and undernourishment may be distinct conditions. Yet, in practice, these conditions intersect and overlap: poor households are usually most vulnerable to transitory and chronic food insecurity, hence they are often undernourished (Maxwell and Frankenberger, 1992). But the individuals within food-insecure households cannot be assumed to suffer from hunger equally; there are differences in distribution and negotiating abilities of individuals (Argenal, no date). Oshaug (1985) therefore identified three kinds of households: â€Å"enduring households†, which maintain household food security on a continuous basis; â€Å"resilient households†, which suffer shocks but recover quickly; and â€Å"fragile households†, which become increasingly insecure in response to shocks. Similar approaches are found elsewhere (Benson et al., 1986). During the 1990s, authors and practitioners concerned with vulnerability to food security have engaged to define vulnerability and theorize how far people had slid towards a state of food insecurity (Dilley and Boudreau, 2001). The foundation of the concept is closely associated with poverty. But it is not the same as poverty; rather underlying poverty contributes to increased vulnerability (Young et al., 2001). In addition to income, there is a multiplicity of other factors that co-determine whether an individual will go hungry. In 1981, Sen challenged the then widely held conviction that a lack of food availability was the primary explanation for famines; instead, he posited lack of access as the key to understanding who went hungry and why. Because access issues are entrenched in social, political and economic relations, Sen’s work represented a clear shift in emphasis from natural to societal causes of famine (Blaikie et al., 1994). After Sen’s (1981) entitlement ap proach, many authors (Swift, 1989; Borton and Shoham, 1991; Maxwell and Frankenberger, 1992; Ribot, 1995; Middleton and O’Keefe, 1998) sought to operationalize Sen’s ideas by using the word â€Å"vulnerability† to refer to the complex web of socio-economic determinants. In food-related contexts, the question, â€Å"vulnerable to what?† is nearly universally answered by ‘famine’, ‘hunger’ and ‘the undesirable outcomes that vulnerable populations face’ (Dilley and Boudreau, 2001). Therefore, vulnerability denotes a negative condition that limits the abilities of individuals, households, communities and regions to resist certain debilitating processes and improve their well-being (Yaro, 2004). According to Chambers, ‘vulnerability refers to exposure to contingencies and stress, and the difficulty in coping with them. Vulnerability has thus two sides: an external side of risks, shocks, and stress to which an indivi dual or household is subject: and an internal side which is defencelessness, meaning a lack of means to cope without damaging loss’. Chambers’ definition has three basic coordinates (Watts Bohle 1993): The risk of exposure to crises, stress and shocks; The risk of inadequate capacities to cope with stress, crises and shocks; The risk of severe consequences of, and the attendant risks of slow or limited poverty (resiliency) from, crises, risk and shocks. According to this definition, the external shock or stress might be drought, market failure, conflict or forced migration and the internal aspect of vulnerability is to do with people’s capacity to cope with these external shocks (Young et al., 2001). As livelihoods are conjured of a combination of exchange entitlements, a massive change in a particularly important entitlement may be decisive in causing entitlement failures, leading to loss of livelihood and starvation. The impact of the external shock on livelihoods depends on the household’s vulnerability, which is a combination of the intensity of the external shock, and the household’s ability to cope (Young et al., 2001). Patterns of vulnerability have become increasingly dynamic, thereby necessitating a dynamic rather than static approach to vulnerability (Yaro, 2004). From this vantage point, the most vulnerable individuals, groups, classes and regions are those most exposed to perturbations, who possess t he most limited coping capability, who suffer the most from crisis impact and who are endowed with the most circumscribed capacity for recovery (Watts Bohle 1993). Thus, the two dimensions of vulnerability ? ‘sensitivity’ (the magnitude of the system’s response to an external event) and its ‘resilience’ (the ease and rapidity of the system’s recovery from stress) ? are crucial. The lower the resilience and the higher the sensitivity, the higher the vulnerability and vice versa (Gebrehiwot, 2001). Swift, (1989) and Davies (1996) further pointed out that most food-insecure households are characterized by a very low resilience. However, extending our understanding of the crucial links of entitlements to wider political processes, Watts Bohle (1993) argue that the mutually constituted triad of entitlements, empowerment and political economy configures vulnerability to food security (Yaro, 2004). Vulnerability will therefore be shaped by several forces that affect the three sources of provision of food and well-being of households. Watts Bohle (1993) see vulnerability as being caused by lack of entitlements, powerlessness and exploitative practices and they defined the space of vulnerability through an intersection of three causal powers: command over food (entitlement), state/civil society relations seen in political and institutional terms (enfranchisement/empowerment), and the structural-historical form of class relations within a specific political economy (surplus appropriation/crisis proneness) (Watts Bohle, 1993). In the entitlement lexicon, vulnerability can be defined as the risks associated with the threat of large-scale entitlement deprivation (Sen, 1990). These shifts are frequently posed as a function of market perturbations, with a particular emphasis on rural land, labour and commodity markets (Watts Bohle, 1993). The heart of empowerment approaches to vulnerability is politics and power. Empowerment encapsulates both freedom to make choices by people and acceptance of culpability by governments who are supposed to ensure the workings of the ‘right to food’ (Dreze et al., 1995) as part of the fundamental rights of the human personality. Vulnerability can be defined, in this view, as a political space and as a lack of rights broadly understood. Property rights ensure access to land and other assets, but political rights are also central to the process by which claims can be made over public resources as a basis for food security, and to maintain and defend entitlements (Watts Bohle, 1993). As a political space, vulnerability is inscribed in three domains: the domestic (patriarchal and generational politics), work (production politics) and the public sphere (state politics). Accordingly, vulnerability delimits those groups of society which collectively are denied critical rights within and between these political domains. Mead Cain (1983) identifies two fundamental realms of risk in rural Bangladesh; one is patriarchal, expressed through gender based differences in wage rates and access to and control over resources (within a specific notion of political ecology); the other is rooted in property rights, and specifically the difficulty for the rural peasantry to enforce and defend their property rights against rapacious local landlords and corrupt representatives of the state (Chen, 1991). Powerlessness can, therefore, be approached at a multiplicity of levels in entitlement and food security; intra-household rule-governed inequities over access to resources and property rights, village level stratification and processes of political inclusion and exclusion with respect to land or access to local credit, national level power (Harriss, 1989). On the other hand, the strength of a rigorously class-based political economy provides a class map on which historically specific processes of surplus appropriation and accumulation (Patnaik, 1991), and the corresponding configurations of crisis, conflicts and contradictions can be located. In general, these crisis tendencies arise under capitalism as a result of structural contradictions and conflicts between classes, between the relations and forces of production, and between accumulation and production conditions (Harvey 1982; O’Connor 1988). Conclusion Vulnerability is here understood not solely in terms of entitlement or empowerment (though both are implicit), but rather as an expression of capacity, specifically class capacity defined by the social relations of production in which individuals and households participate (Watts Bohle, 1993). In the class perspective, famine and hunger are poverty problems but this requires an understanding not simply of assets but of the relations by which surpluses are mobilized and appropriated. Class analyses of hunger and famine are similar, in many respects, to marginalization theories and to â€Å"political ecology† (Blaikie 1985; Blaikie and Brooldield 1987). Vulnerability to food security is thus a structural-historical phenomenon, which is shaped by the effects of commercialization, proletarianization and marginalization (Watts Bohle, 1993). Therefore, dynamic on-going political economic processes of extraction, accumulation, social differentiation, marginalization, and physical p rocesses all affect vulnerability (Yaro, 2004). How to cite The FAO-organised World Food Conference in 1974, Essay examples

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn Essays - Literature, Fiction

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" EARLY INFLUENCES ON HUCKLEBERRY FINN Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel about a young boy's coming of age in the Missouri of the mid-1800's. The main character, Huckleberry Finn, spends much time in the novel floating down the Mississippi River on a raft with a runaway slave named Jim. Before he does so, however, Huck spends some time in the fictional town of St. Petersburg where a number of people attempt to influence him. Before the novel begins, Huck Finn has led a life of absolute freedom. His drunken and often missing father has never paid much attention to him; his mother is dead and so, when the novel begins, Huck is not used to following any rules. The book's opening finds Huck living with the Widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson. Both women are fairly old and are really somewhat incapable of raising a rebellious boy like Huck Finn. Nevertheless, they attempt to make Huck into what they believe will be a better boy. Specifically, they attempt, as Huck says, to "sivilize" him. This process includes making Huck go to school, teaching him various religious facts, and making him act in a way that the women find socially acceptable. Huck, who has never had to follow many rules in his life, finds the demands the women place upon him constraining and the life with them lonely. As a result, soon after he first moves in with them, he runs away. He soon comes back, but, even though he becomes somewhat comfortable with his new life as the months go by, Huck never really enjoys the life of manners, religion, and education that the Widow and her sister impose upon him. Huck believes he will find some freedom with Tom Sawyer. Tom is a boy of Huck's age who promises Huck and other boys of the town a life of adventure. Huck is eager to join Tom Sawyer's Gang because he feels that doing so will allow him to escape the somewhat boring life he leads with the Widow Douglas. Unfortunately, such an escape does not occur. Tom Sawyer promises much--robbing stages, murdering and ransoming people, kidnaping beautiful women--but none of this comes to pass. Huck finds out too late that Tom's adventures are imaginary: that raiding a caravan of "A-rabs" really means terrorizing young children on a Sunday school picnic, that stolen "joolry" is nothing more than turnips or rocks. Huck is disappointed that the adventures Tom promises are not real and so, along with the other members, he resigns from the gang. Another person who tries to get Huckleberry Finn to change is Pap, Huck's father. Pap is one of the most astonishing figures in all of American literature as he is completely antisocial and wishes to undo all of the civilizing effects that the Widow and Miss Watson have attempted to instill in Huck. Pap is a mess: he is unshaven; his hair is uncut and hangs like vines in front of his face; his skin, Huck says, is white like a fish's belly or like a tree toad's. Pap's savage appearance reflects his feelings as he demands that Huck quit school, stop reading, and avoid church. Huck is able to stay away from Pap for a while, but Pap kidnaps Huck three or four months after Huck starts to live with the Widow and takes him to a lonely cabin deep in the Missouri woods. Here, Huck enjoys, once again, the freedom that he had prior to the beginning of the book. He can smoke, "laze around," swear, and, in general, do what he wants to do. However, as he did with the Widow and with Tom, Huck begins to become dissatisfied with this life. Pap is "too handy with the hickory" and Huck soon realizes that he will have to escape from the cabin if he wishes to remain alive. As a result of his concern, Huck makes it appear as if he is killed in the cabin while Pap is away, and leaves to go to a remote island in the Mississippi River, Jackson's Island. It is after he leaves his father's cabin that Huck joins yet another important influence in his life: Miss Watson's slave, Jim. Prior to Huck's leaving, Jim has been a minor character in the novel--he has been shown being fooled by Tom Sawyer and telling Huck's fortune. Huck finds Jim on Jackson's Island because the slave has run away--he has overheard a conversation that he will

Essay on Timing of PubertyEssay Writing Service

Essay on Timing of PubertyEssay Writing Service Essay on Timing of Puberty Essay on Timing of PubertyPuberty influences boys and girls differently.   Early and late puberty can become the source of problems in some cases. For girls early puberty can become the source of psychological problems. It can also form negative perception of their bodies. In many cases girls who go through puberty early can gain extra weight and in our society only thin body is usually perceived as beautiful.   In addition, physically mature body is not always supplemented by the equal psychological development and this may cause mismatch in looks and behaviors.   Late puberty also brings problems to girls. They often feel embarrassed because they do not look like their peers.   Self-esteem is often damaged which can have negative impact on further life. In addition, late puberty may become the sign of serious health problems or genetic disorders.The situation is different with boys. Early puberty does not usually have negative impact on them. They feel more masculine and ma ture, discover new things about themselves.   Early puberty gives boys more athletic ad trained body, which guarantees them extra popularity in the society.   In some cases early puberty may become a distracting factor which prevents teens from study. Late puberty creates a lot of problems for boys. Lack of physical power, dissatisfaction with own look, low self-esteem are only some possible   consequences of late puberty.   In many cases boys with late puberty feel incompetent in comparison to their peers.   Unfortunately, negative attitude to own body in many cases stays even when the puberty age finally comes.

The Origins and History of Wine Making

The Origins and History of Wine Making Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from grapes, and depending on your definition of made from grapes there are at least two independent inventions of the lovely stuff. The oldest known possible evidence for the use of grapes as part of a wine recipe with fermented rice and honey was in China, about 9,000 years ago. Two thousand years later, the seeds of what became the European wine-making tradition began in western Asia. Archaeological Evidence Archaeological evidence of wine-making is a little difficult to come by, of course; the presence of grape seeds, fruit skins, stems and/or stalks in an archaeological site does not necessarily imply the production of wine. Two main methods of identifying winemaking that are accepted by scholars are identifying domesticated stocks and discovering grape processing evidence. The main change incurred during the domestication process of grapes is that the domesticated forms have hermaphrodite flowers. What that means is that the domesticated forms of the grape are able to self-pollinate. Thus, the vintner can pick traits she likes and, as long as she keeps them all on the same hillside, she need not worry about cross-pollination changing next years grapes. The discovery of parts of the plant outside its native territory is also accepted evidence of domestication. The wild ancestor of the European wild grape (Vitis vinifera sylvestris) is native to western Eurasia between the Mediterranean and Caspian seas; thus, the presence of V. vinifera outside of its normal range is also considered evidence of domestication. Chinese Wines But the story really must start in China. Residues on pottery sherds from the Chinese early Neolithic site of Jiahu have been recognized as coming from a fermented beverage made of a mixture of rice, honey, and fruit, radiocarbon dated to ~7000–6600 BCE. The presence of fruit was identified by the tartaric acid/tartrate remnants in the bottom of a jar, familiar to anyone who drinks wine from corked bottles today. Researchers could not narrow the species of the tartrate down between grape, hawthorn, or longyan or cornelian cherry, or a combination of two or more of those. Grape seeds and hawthorn seeds have both been found at Jiahu. Textual evidence for the use of grapes (but not grape wine) date to the Zhou Dynasty (ca 1046–221 BCE). If grapes were used in wine recipes, they were from a wild grape species native to China- there are between 40 and 50 different wild grape species in China- not imported from western Asia. The European grape was introduced into China in the second century BCE, with other imports resulting from the Silk Road. Western Asia Wines The earliest firm evidence for wine-making to date in western Asia is from the Neolithic period site called Hajji Firuz, Iran, where a deposit of sediment preserved in the bottom of an amphora proved to be a mix of tannin and tartrate crystals. The site deposits included five more jars like the one with the tannin/tartrate sediment, each with a capacity of about 9 liters of liquid. Hajji Firuz has been dated to 5400–5000 BCE. Sites outside of the normal range for grapes with early evidence for grapes and grape processing in western Asia include Lake Zeriber, Iran, where grape pollen was found in a soil core just before ~4300 cal BCE. Charred fruit skin fragments were found at Kurban Hà ¶yà ¼k in southeastern Turkey by the late 6th–early 5th millennia BCE. Wine importation from western Asia has been identified in the earliest days of dynastic Egypt. A tomb belonging to the Scorpion King (dated about 3150 BCE) contained 700 jars believed to have been made and filled with wine in the Levant and shipped to Egypt. European Wine Making In Europe, wild grape (Vitis vinifera) pips have been found in fairly ancient contexts, such as Franchthi Cave, Greece (12,000 years ago), and Balma de lAbeurador, France (about 10,000 years ago). But evidence for domesticated grapes is later than that of the East Asia, but similar to that of the western Asia grapes. Excavations at a site in Greece called Dikili Tash have revealed grape pips and empty skins, direct-dated to between 4400–4000 BCE, the earliest example to date in the Aegean. A clay cup containing both grape juice and grape pressings is thought to represent evidence for fermentation at Dikili Tash, and grape vines and wood have also been found there. A wine production installation dated to ca. 4000 cal BCE has been identified at the site of Areni 1 in Armenia, consisting of a platform for crushing grapes, a method of moving the crushed liquid into storage jars and (potentially) evidence for the fermentation of red wine. By the Roman period, and likely spread by Roman expansion, viticulture reached must of the Mediterranean area and western Europe, and wine became a highly valued economic and cultural commodity. By the end of the first century BCE, it had become a major speculative and commercial product. Wine Yeasts Wines are fermented with yeast, and until the mid-20th century, the process relied on naturally-occurring yeasts. Those fermentations often had inconsistent results and, because they took a long time to work, were vulnerable to spoilage. One of the most significant advances in winemaking was the introduction of pure starter strains of Mediterranean Saccharomyces cerevisiae (commonly called brewers yeast) in the 1950s and 1960s. Since that time, commercial wine fermentations have included these S. cerevisiae strains, and there are now hundreds of reliable commercial wine yeast starter cultures around the world, enabling consistent wine production quality. DNA sequencing has enabled researchers to trace the spread of S. cerevisiae in commercial wines for the past fifty years, comparing and contrasting different geographical regions, and, say researchers, providing the possibility of improved wines. Sources: The Origins and Ancient History of Wine is a highly recommended website at the University of Pennsylvania, maintained by archaeologist Patrick McGovern. Antoninetti, Maurizio. The Long Journey of Italian Grappa: From Quintessential Element to Local Moonshine to National Sunshine. Journal of Cultural Geography 28.3 (2011): 375–97. Print.Bacilieri, Roberto, et al. Potential of Combining Morphometry and Ancient DNA Information to Investigate Grapevine Domestication. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 26.3 (2017): 345–56. Print.Barnard, Hans, et al. Chemical Evidence for Wine Production around 4000 Bce in the Late Chalcolithic near Eastern Highlands. Journal of Archaeological Science 38.5 (2011): 977-84. Print.Borneman, Anthony, et al. Wine Yeast: Where Are They from and Where Are We Taking Them? Wine Viticulture Journal 31.3 (2016): 47–49. Print.Campbell-Sills, H., et al. Advances in Wine Analysis by Ptr-Tof-Ms: Optimization of the Method and Discrimination of Wines from Different Geographical Origins and Fermented with Different Malolactic Starters. International Journal of Mass Spectrometry 397–398 (2016 ): 42-51. Print.Goldberg, Kevin D. Acidity and Power: The Politics of Natural Wine in Nineteenth-Century Germany. Food and Foodways 19.4 (2011): 294–313. Print. Guasch Janà ©, Maria Rosa. The Meaning of Wine in Egyptian Tombs: The Three Amphorae from Tutankhamuns Burial Chamber. Antiquity 85.329 (2011): 851–58. Print.McGovern, Patrick E., et al. Beginnings of Viniculture in France. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 110.25 (2013): 10147–52. Print.Morrison–Whittle, Peter, and Matthew R. Goddard. From Vineyard to Winery: A Source Map of Microbial Diversity Driving Wine Fermentation. Environmental Microbiology 20.1 (2018): 75–84. Print.Orrà ¹, Martino, et al. Morphological Characterisation of Vitis Vinifera L. Seeds by Image Analysis and Comparison with Archaeological Remains. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 22.3 (2013): 231–42. Print.Valamoti, SoultanaMaria. Harvesting the ‘Wild’? Exploring the Context of Fruit and Nut Exploitation at Neolithic Dikili Tash, with Special Reference to Wine. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 24.1 (2015): 35†“46. Print. European Wine Making In Europe, wild grape (Vitis vinifera) pips have been found in fairly ancient contexts, such as  Franchthi Cave, Greece (12,000 years ago), and  Balma de lAbeurador, France (about 10,000 years ago). But evidence for domesticated grapes is later than that of the East Asia, but similar to that of the western Asia grapes.   Excavations at a site in Greece called  Dikili Tash  have revealed grape pips and empty skins, direct-dated to between 4400-4000 BC, the earliest example to date in the Aegean. A wine production installation dated to ca. 4000 cal BC has been identified at the site of  Areni 1  in Armenia, consisting of a platform for crushing grapes, a method of moving the crushed liquid into storage jars and (potentially) evidence for the fermentation of red wine. Read more about the  wine production site at Areni-1 Sources This article is a part of the About.com guide to the History of Alcohol, and the Dictionary of   Archaeology.The  Origins and Ancient History of Wine  is a  highly recommended website at the University of Pennsylvania, maintained by archaeologist Patrick McGovern.   Antoninetti M. 2011. The long journey of Italian grappa: from quintessential element to local moonshine to national sunshine. Journal of Cultural Geography 28(3):375-397. Barnard H, Dooley AN, Areshian G, Gasparyan B, and Faull KF. 2011. Chemical evidence for wine production around 4000 BCE in the Late Chalcolithic Near Eastern highlands. Journal of Archaeological Science 38(5):977-984. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2010.11.012 Broshi M. 2007. Date Beer and Date Wine in Antiquity. Palestine Exploration Quarterly 139(1):55-59. doi: 10.1179/003103207x163013 Brown AG, Meadows I, Turner SD, and Mattingly DJ. 2001. Roman vineyards in Britain: Stratigraphic and palynological data from Wollaston in the Nene Valley, England. Antiquity 75:745-757. Cappellini E, Gilbert M, Geuna F, Fiorentino G, Hall A, Thomas-Oates J, Ashton P, Ashford D, Arthur P, Campos P et al. 2010. A multidisciplinary study of archaeological grape seeds. Naturwissenschaften 97(2):205-217. Figueiral I, Bouby L, Buffat L, Petitot H, and Terral JF. 2010. Archaeobotany, vine growing and wine producing in Roman Southern France: the site of Gasquinoy (Bà ©ziers, Hà ©rault). Journal of Archaeological Science 37(1):139-149. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2009.09.024 Goldberg KD. 2011. Acidity and Power: The Politics of Natural Wine in Nineteenth-Century Germany. Food and Foodways 19(4):294-313. Guasch Janà © MR. 2011. The meaning of wine in Egyptian tombs: the three amphorae from Tutankhamuns burial chamber. Antiquity 85(329):851-858. Isaksson S, Karlsson C, and Eriksson T. 2010. Ergosterol (5, 7, 22-ergostatrien-3[beta]-ol) as a potential biomarker for alcohol fermentation in lipid residues from prehistoric pottery. Journal of Archaeological Science 37(12):3263-3268. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2010.07.027 Koh AJ, and Betancourt PP. 2010. Wine and olive oil from an early Minoan I hilltop fort. Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry 10(2):115-123. McGovern PE, Luley BP, Rovira N, Mirzolan A, Callahan MP, Smith KE, Hall GR, Davidson T, and Henkin JM. 2013. Beginnings of viniculture in France. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 110(25):10147-10152. McGovern PE, Zhang J, Tang J, Zhang Z, Hall GR, Moreau RA, Nuà ±ez A, Butrym ED, Richards MP, Wang C-s et al. 2004. Fermented Beverages of Pre- and Proto-Historic China. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 101(51):17593-17598. Miller NF. 2008. Sweeter than wine? The use of the grape in early western Asia. Antiquity 82:937–946. Orrà ¹ M, Grillo O, Lovicu G, Venora G, and Bacchetta G. 2013. Morphological characterisation of Vitis vinifera L. seeds by image analysis and comparison with archaeological remains. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 22(3):231-242. Valamoti SM, Mangafa M, Koukouli-Chrysanthaki C, and Malamidou D. 2007. Grape-pressings from northern Greece: the earliest wine in the Aegean? Antiquity 81(311):54–61.

Cost Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cost Management - Term Paper Example Defense organization of the US government manages many production facilities that operate similar to industries. The chief strategies employed by Defense Department are to reduce permanent positions for staff and workers, outsource some of the jobs and depend more on temporary workers. Authors argue that the organizations have to strike a balance while reducing fixed costs permanently. Elaborating further, they argue that Honda Motor Company reduced permanent engineering staff, which was dedicated to the design functions during 1980s; however, that went against the company when its competitors came out with new designs in automobiles. This eventually resulted into the reduced market share for Honda impacting its profitability. Honda had a great difficulty to catch up with new innovative features that competitors released time to time in the market place. Thus, a strategy to reduce fixed cost may appear lucrative in the beginning but could be detrimental to the future growth. Currentl y, similar situation exists in the Defense Department of the government. ... The impact of fixed cost is huge in any organization. Higher fixed cost compels firms to operate at higher levels of operations and sales volume to meet those fixed costs. That is why in difficult market conditions, the firms with higher fixed costs are often found in trouble. The firms with higher operating leverages are always at risk during unpredictable sales environment. Moreover, sales volatility is rampant in the industries where technology has been changing rapidly. In these kinds of industries, it becomes important to assess fixed-cost involvement and possible sales volume that are achievable. No wonder that many large sized computer firms reduced their fixed-cost commitment in recent years. IBM reduced their permanent staff by 100,000 between 1990 and 1994. Not only that the company outsourced many of its parts and products in these years; that reduced the requirement on plant and machinery to a great extent. This further reduced fixed-cost burden on the company. That is ho w IBM could adapt to changing market environment and survive. That surely is a good strategy in unpredictable and difficult market situation (Ciccotello & Green 1995). Exercising Caution in Reducing Operating Leverage Contrary to this, many private firms have been operating in the industries where market demand of their products is quite steady and predictable. With the predictable sales volume, fixed-cost commitment is easy to make and it makes absolutely no sense to reduce permanent staff compromising the future business prospects and efficiency factors. Authors further emphasize that reducing permanent employees is an expensive preposition and once removed they are very costly

Envirnmental issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Envirnmental issues - Essay Example It is a threat to the environment because it has led to an increase in the temperature of the world which has been accompanied by other ecological alterations (Houghton 2004). Global warming as the name indicates is a worldwide problem which has been explained by Sir David King who is the chief scientific adviser of the UK government in the following words, â€Å"Climate change is a far greater threat to the world than international terrorism† (BBC, 2004). Global warming is basically a rise in the temperature of the world. The increased release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere has been identified as a major reason for global warming. This results due to the increased usage of motor vehicles which have been linked with emissions of carbon in the atmosphere. Furthermore, increased industrialization has also resulted in an increase in the release of these gases into the atmosphere. Deforestation accompanied with the forest fires are also major reasons for the rise in the global temperature across the world (Chemical & Engineering News, 2005; Desonie, 2008). Strict regulations are essential for all the contributors of global warming. It has been seen that laws have been passed with regard to controlling the emission of gases from the motor vehicles. Research is underway for the creation of ways that limit the passage of gases into the atmosphere. Permafrost is one such substance which limits the release of the emissions into the atmosphere. But its efficiency is also reducing. The best method to control global warming is to limit the release of gases into the atmosphere and hence this would limit the raise in the temperature of the world (Bhargava 2004; Desonie, 2008; Tesar, 1991). The issue of global warming needs to be tackled as it is an issue of concern. It can lead to severe effects for the environment of the world. The increased temperature across the globe can result in the melting of glaciers which would

Features of Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

Features of Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Introduction Communication is extremely important in our life. Due to the need for protection, companionship and nourishment, our ancestors had communicated and gathered to form a community. Effective communication, both verbal and nonverbal communication helped us to become successful as an individual and species. Business relationships, interpersonal relationships, and also our physical and psychological well-being are shaped by the verbal and nonverbal communication. To nurture relationships and enhance positive communication, we have to understand the different features of verbal and nonverbal communication. Main Body According to Lucas (2014), verbal communication includes many forms of communication, such as written, words, signed or spoken. The news we read in the morning, the text message send by parents are both verbal communication. Language is the one which enable us to communicate rather than merely sounds. Besides, technology also allows us to communicate although we are far from each other. Verbal communication is often use to inform, either it is to impart knowledge or inform our needs. Besides, it is also use to correct a wrong. The words â€Å"I’m sorry†, is definitely more effective than action. Verbal communication deepens and creates new relationships and also provides an opportunity to debate. Robert M. Krauss, a professor in the Psychology Department at Columbia University had written an article with the title of The Psychology of Verbal Communication†. In the article, he said that â€Å"A species survival depends critically upon its ability to communicate effectively, and the quality of its social life is determined in large measure by how and what it can communicate. (Krauss, 2002) While nonverbal communication consists of body language such as facial expressions, gestures, posture and eye contact. It is coexists along with verbal communication. â€Å"Bodily Communication†, a book written by Michael Argyle, stated that the five main functions of nonverbal communication are reflect personality, express emotions, support verbal interaction, communicate interpersonal relationships and also perform rituals. (Argyle, 1975) Touch is a nonverbal communication that shows a person’s feelings, personal characteristics, as well as level of comfort. A timid handshake and a firm handshake; a warm hug and a loose pat on the back are both very different. The tone, pitch and volume of our voice are also nonverbal communication. Sometimes, the meaning of a person’s word is entirely different from the literal meaning, which is sarcasm. When a man trying to attract a woman, a playful wink is always more effective than saying a well-thought sentence. According to the paper â€Å"The Importance of Effective Communication† written by Edward G. Wertheim, Ph.D, mentioned that how verbal communication interacts with non-verbal communication. We can substitute, emphasize, contradict, reinforce, and complement our verbal communication with non-verbal cues such as expressions, gestures and vocal inflection. Baby use nonverbal cues while they still not able to speak. Belasco (2013) said that a 19-month-old baby, Matthew Orozco uses a few signs in American Sign Language (ASL) while communicating with his parents although he has no hearing impairment and has normal speech development. Signing is very important to children as it is the bridge to the verbal world. Why are we more likely to believe nonverbal behaviours than words when the two conflict? People often send conflicting verbal and nonverbal messages. When a nonverbal message conflicts with the verbal message, people will always believe the nonverbal message. As the saying said actions speak louder than words. Dr. Albert Mehrabian had written an article titled â€Å"Silent Messages† which he analysed the messages people send. The messages are divided into three parts, which are verbal, vocal and nonverbal. The actual words we use in message is the verbal part. Then, the vocal part is the tone while we speak. The message will has different meaning when we speak in sarcastic tone or sincere tone. While the nonverbal part of the message consists the physical aspects such as gestures, expressions, eye contact and posture. Dr. Mehrabian estimates that there are 7 percent of a message is verbal, and vocal is 38 percent. So, it means that 55 percent of a message is nonverbal, and it involve in each message in a few ways. (Mehrabian, 1971) Nonverbal cues have the functions of complement, regulate, repeat, replace, contradict, and accentuate our vocal and verbal messages. A message is complement by nonverbal cues via adding reinforcement to it. The intended message is supported by the nonverbal cues, for example, the distance between people. Most of the employees tend to stand nearer to their colleague compare to their boss. This does not express the message much by itself, but when it is coupled with a simple sentence such as â€Å"How are you?† or â€Å"Good morning†, it does. This shows that the employee is respectful and responsive and is not challenging the authority of the boss. Besides, by controlling the course of the discussion, nonverbal cues can regulate a conversation. For example, touching someone will be a signal that you wish to interrupt and wish to speak to that person. When a verbal message could stand alone but nonverbal cue is added to it, it is repeating the message. For instance, when someone told you some information and you said â€Å"I do not believe it† and at the same time you rolled your eyes, then the message is repeated. Actions speak louder than words; verbal can be replaced by nonverbal cues. For example, when an employee receives an unwanted assignment from the boss, the employee gives a few seconds of cold stares at the boss before returning to work instead of protest verbally or refuse the task. Contradict happens when the nonverbal and verbal messages carrying a totally opposite meaning. An example will be when an employee is looking bored and distracted while his or her boss is discussing about a boring topic, but the employee gives a comment such as â€Å"How interesting!† Accenting is used to punctuate part of a message, instead of giving the entire message a general support. It is different from complement a message. For instance, pounding fist on a table is accenting the verbal message. (College of DuPage, 1998) Stewart (2011) said that nonverbal communication is bound to culture and sex. In detail, different cultures and nationalities have different relative value of talk versus action, silence versus speech, the social role of gossip or small talk, and the role of rhyme, animation and exaggeration in speech. While male and female are different in emotional expressiveness, vocalics, eye contact, appearance and the need of personal space. So, the study of verbal and nonverbal communication always been done within a cultural or social context due to these differences. A study which carried out by the Buffalo State (n.d.) shows that nonverbal communication is separated into a few categories, which are kinesics, occulesics, proxemics, haptics, vocalics, chronemics, appearance, environments, artifacts, olfactics and synchrony. Kinesics, also called as body language, deals with the movement physically. Traditional linguistics principles are applied in the study to the whole body or to specific parts of a body, mainly the hands, face and arms. The eye and facial expressions, such as rolling of the eyes or arching of eyebrows as well as the posture of sitting and standing are also included. Kinesics is different depends on the culture. For instance, a Japanese may act less excited compared to a person from Mediterranean culture when expressing anger. The person from Mediterranean culture may use extensive body gestures and hand movements while the Japanese may just have a slight movements. Furthermore, usage of frowning, smiling giggling and others also included as kinesics, they are all different in different cultures. The sign language that counts on expressions and gestures is an alternative to spoken language, it is not kinesics. Kinesics is supported and reinforced by physical gestures and emblems to what is being said verbally. There are some emblems are universal, but some are differs in cultural, or even different interpretations between men and women. Uplifted shoulders and upturned hands that represents â€Å"I don’t know† which can be seen everywhere in this world is an example of universal emblem. An encircled thumb and forefinger would be an example of culture-bound emblem. In Japan, the gesture is interpreted as money; in France, it is interpreted as worthless; a curse in Arab; OK in United States; and in Brazil, Australia and Germany, it is an obscenity. Occulesics is dealing with eye behaviour as part of communication. Part of the occulesics deal with a dynamic eye movement versus a fixed or static gaze. The interpretation of eye contact is very hard to predict as it is interpret differently in different cultures. Direct eye contact is very common in the western countries, they look into other people’s eye about 70 percent of the time while listening and 40 percent while talking. While it is more common to look at other people’s throat while talking in Japan. Direct eye contact is considered as bad manners in Indonesia and China, so they are practice to lower their eyes. In Hispanic culture, it is a form of challenge and disrespect when look into other people’s eyes. However, it is common for both listeners and speakers to have direct eye contact for a long period in Arab’s culture, it represents that they are interested in the conversation. The usage of social space in a communication situation is termed as proxemics. The distance between people when they speak is one of the aspects of proxemics. The distance is from a public distance (more than 12 feet) to social or formal distance (4-12 feet) to personal or informal distance (18 inches to 4 feet), and intimate space (less than 18 inches). The effective use of space in social settings also being deal by proxemics, for example the arrangement of space in businesses and homes can encourage or inhibit communication. Other than the above, haptics emphasize on touching as one of the elements of communication. Haptics also vary in different cultures, just like other elements of nonverbal communication. For instance, the culture in Middle Eastern, Latin America and Mediterranean include a lot of social touching in their conversation, such as hand holding and embraces. So, they are categorised as high-contact cultures. In Northern Europe and North America, they only touch occasionally, such as back slapping and handshakes. They are considered as moderate-touch culture. In Northern Asian cultures, which considered as low contact culture, social touching is not always happen. But, for example, people in the nation of Philippines include a lot of social touching in their conversation. Haptics may vary although is in the same culture. For instance, the strength and length of handshakes depends on the intimacy level of the two people shaking hands. Vocalics or paralanguage, deals with vocal, or more emphasize it is referred as the nonphonemic qualities of language. The loudness, pitch, accent, tempo, tone, cadence, nasality, insofar and even the rate of speech are included in vocalics, all these carrying different meaning. Vocalics also vary in different cultures. For example, the practice of belching is accepted in different ways depend on the cultures. Other than that, the vocal qualifiers such as pitch, volume, tempo and rhythm also associated with different cultures. Speaking loudly represents sincerity in Arab culture, but it is considered as aggressive in North America. Chronemics is about the usage of time as a component of communication. Minutes, hours and days are categorised as formal time, while informal time includes seasons, lunar cycles and social customs. Chronemics includes specifics, for example the punctuality together with the forms of dominance or the deference during a communication situation. For instance, men are more likely to interrupt or dominate a conversation compared to women. Besides, chronemics also deals with arriving time to a social setting. Americans tends to arriving early for a business meeting but will be â€Å"fashionably late† for social activities. However, Sioux are very relaxed toward time as the word â€Å"late† is not even exists in Sioux language. Chronemics are divided into monochronemics and polychronemics. Monochronemic is define as doing one thing at a time, and is stress on agendas and promptness; while polychronemic means doing several things at a time, it emphasis on relationships. In North America and Northern Europe, monochronemic conversation is common. While people are more likely to use polychronemic conversation in Asia countries, Middle East, Latin America and Mediterranean. Appearance is dealing with a person’s physical appearance or look. It deals with the physical aspects such as hair colour, body shape, dressing which included accessories and clothing, skin tone and the use of appearance enhancement such as body tattoos and piercings. The public speakers in North and Western Africa are prefer to wear big sleeves and long robes so that they are able to raise their hands, they are looking bigger and more elegant as the extra sleeve cloth will slips through their arms and puffs up their shoulder. Environment is also very important in nonverbal communication, for example the physical space such as location, room size and colour, and accessibility. In a company, there are significant meanings about the size of desk and the design or location of the office. For instance, the most important people in a company will locate his or her office at the highest floor of the building. Furthermore, artifacts deals with the visible objects in communicative aspects, this may indicates a person’s status or even revealing the lifestyle of a person. For example, the choice of automobile is carrying much meaning about a person. However, artifacts always important in some cultures, for instance, rugs are prestigious in Arab. Olfactics is dealing with smell, such as the use of perfume and spices. In communication, the smell is more likely to be relevant when the people are closer. It is normal that a person get close enough to smell other people during a conversation in high-contact cultures such as Arab and Samoan. According to the teaching of Prophet, smell nice for others is a charity. So, it is known that Muslims and Arabian like to use perfume. Lastly, synchrony deals with the amount of coordination in the behaviour of people when their nonverbal cues are synchronise with another person, for example, mimicry, mirroring and also behavioural meshing. Lucas (2014) also mentioned that to enhance a person’s verbal communication skills, he or she needs to be an affective listener. The person needs to understand the point of view of another person, it is not just hearing. So, takes time think before speak to ensure that the information that expressed is correct. While to enhance nonverbal communication’s skills, a person needs to observe the facial expressions and intonations, body language, and also being aware of own feelings and physicality. Conclusion In a nutshell, communication is really significant in our daily life. Effective communication can only be achieve when all types of communication is proper used. No matter it is communicating verbally or nonverbally, both the sender and receiver need to understand the message. So, a sender should have good communication skills and the receivers should have good understanding and interpreting skills by understand the functions of both verbal and nonverbal communication. References Lucas, A., 2014. The Importance of Verbal Non Verbal Communication. [online] Available at: http://www.livestrong.com/article/156961-the-importance-of-verbal-non-verbal-communication/ [Accessed on 20 June 2014] Krauss, R. M., 2002. The Psychology of Verbal Communication. [online] Available at: http://www.columbia.edu/~rmk7/PDF/IESBS.pdf [Accessed on 21 June 2014] Argyle, M., 1975. Bodily Communication. York: Methuen. Belasco, J., 2013. Babies signing before speaking. The Star, 19 Sep. p.46. Mehrabian, Albert (1971). Silent Messages (1st ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. College of DuPage, 1998. Communication. [online] College of DuPage. Available at: http://www.cod.edu/Course/Mgt100/mgtcomm.htm [Accessed on 22 June 2014] Stewart,J., 2011. Bridges Not Walls. 11th Edition. McGraw-Hill. Buffalo State, n.d.. Verbal and Nonverbal Communication. [online] Buffalo State, The State University of New York. Available at: http://faculty.buffalostate.edu/smithrd/UAE%20Communication/Unit2.pdf [Accessed on 22 June 2014]

Fashion for a cause Essay

Having a ribbon on your outfit to support a cause is a thing of past. Today a brand needs to be more deeply involved with different social causes as well as provide us with fashionable clothes. But what is the primary motivation for a buyer in this scenario? Does he buy such products because he wants to support the social cause behind it or because of the product itself and the brand name it carries? Is it just a onetime buy? Is the consumer completely aware about the social concern the product is working for? Are the Indian customers ready to adopt such brands? Objectives 1. To understand if there is a direct relationship between the social concern factor and the brand equity of the product. 2. To know the primary motivation of the buyer of such brands. 3. To check the brand loyalty of these consumers for such brands. 4. To check if the consumers are aware of the social concern around which the product is being promoted. 5. To check if the consumers in India are ready to adopt such social brands. 2 CHAPTER 2 3 Review of Literature (Fernandez, 2013) ‘It is not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving,’ wise words by Mother Teresa. In today’s world that is fuelled by money, it is endearing to find people who try to fuel the world with love – and so, it is in this nature that companies have started to verge toward campaigns themed with more ‘selfless giving‘. In the past few years there have been a trend towards various noble causes: charity events, concerts, and other philanthropic endeavours brought about by various companies in a number of industries. There are also a wide a number of advocacies that include: AIDS, HIV, cancer, global warming, gay rights, and many others, in need of charitable donations. And while the whole idea of fashion-brands-going-the-extra-mile-for-a-better-cause may give us the warm feeling and a restored faith in humanity, there is still that quiet looming reminder that in the world of business, nothing comes free. (Times of India, 2013) Fashion may be used to promote a cause, for example, to promote healthy behaviour, to raise money for a cancer cure, to raise money for local charities, for example a Juvenile Protective Association, (Martin, 2013) or to raise donations for a children’s hospitals. (Sultan, 2011) â€Å"Most people do not take the time to donate to the charities yet a small donation can make a very big difference in another person’s life. The most important aspect of donating to charity is the fact that you will be helping out a needy person get basic human necessities improving a life in the process. † In today’s busy life not many people take out time to make donations and do charity work but everyone has time to buy new clothes and if buying these clothes can help someone in need wouldn’t that be worth it? (Singh, 2013) â€Å"The global appeal and charitable nature of stores like Being Human not only gives a unique shopping experience to the customers, but also gives them satisfaction of doing good. † The idea of following a film star always appeals to the masses. (Khan, 2013) â€Å"All fashion labels are about looking good, Being Human is also about doing good. † (Beig, 2013) â€Å"Wearing Being Human means you ‘look good, do good’ because you help people by the simple act of slipping on your clothes every day. † (Mandhana, 2013) â€Å"The ‘Being Human’ line is designed to offer comfort, quality and style while supporting an endeavour of good cause. † (Chase, 2009) In a study of how a clothing brand’s affiliation with a social cause would affect buyer’s spending habits the research team conducted a survey of â€Å"Generation Y† college students to find out how their support of an existing line of apparel, 7 For All Mankind, might change should the brand begin campaigning with, say, Breast Cancer Awareness. The study reported that both college men and women would hold such brands to a higher esteem in general, and 89% would likely switch from Brand A to Brand B if Brand B was associated with a socially/environmentally focused cause (assuming price and quality are held constant). Additionally, 72. 4% stated they had intentionally purchased a brand name product due to the fact that the brand was affiliated with a cause they agreed with. 4 (Markson, 2012) Purpose is being integrated into marketing efforts in more concerted ways and with favourable consumer response. According to Markson, the marketing world is coming to an understanding that purpose must carry as much weight in crafting an effective ad campaign as the traditional â€Å"Four P’s of Marketing†: Price, Placement, Product and Promotion. In the United States, after quality and price, social purpose (at 47 percent) ranks higher as a purchase motivator than brand loyalty (27 percent) and design and innovation (26 percent). In addition, if a brand of similar quality supports a good cause, 75 percent of consumers claim they would buy it and 76 percent claim they would recommend and share positive experiences about such a brand. Sixty-two percent of U. S. consumers say they would also switch brands if a brand of similar quality supported a good cause. Finally, U. S. consumers’ willingness to actually promote a brand that supports a good cause jumped 19 percent from 2008 (47 percent) to 2010 (66 percent). (Barkley Cause Survey, 2010) A full 88 percent of American men say it is important for a brand to support a cause. Such a finding points to a new masculine ideal taking hold, an evolution beyond the bad-boy tough guy ideal. American men are comfortable with having a good heart. Maybe they don’t want to wear it on their sleeve. But they do want to contribute through their purchases, and in fact a majority demands it, 55 percent of men said they would switch brands from a company that did not support a cause to one that did. (Storm, 2013) Fashion is fun, but sometimes it’s more than that. Certain brands answer to a higher calling than simply making shoppers look fabulous and consumers seem willing to pay extra for it. According to Nielsen’s Global Corporate Citizenship Survey, 46 percent of consumers are willing to pay more for products and services from companies that give back to society. (Nielsen, 2012) New findings from a Nielsen survey of more than 28,000 online respondents from 56 countries around the world provide fresh insights to help businesses better understand the right audience for cause marketers, which programs resonate most strongly with this audience, and what marketing methods may be most effective in reaching these consumers. In the study, respondents were asked if they prefer to buy products and services from companies that implement programs that give back to society. Anticipating a positive response bias, respondents were also asked whether they would be willing to pay extra for those services. For the purposes of this study, Nielsen defines the â€Å"socially conscious consumer† as those who say they would be willing to pay the extra. Two thirds (66%) of consumers around the world say they prefer to buy products and services from companies that have implemented programs to give back to society. That preference extends to other matters, too: they prefer to work for these companies (62%), and invest in these companies (59%). A smaller share, but still nearly half (46%) say they are willing to pay extra for products and services from these companies. These are the â€Å"socially conscious consumers,† as defined by and focused upon in this report. Sixty three percent of global, socially-conscious consumers are under age 40, they consult social media when making purchase decisions and are most concerned about environmental, educational and hunger causes, according to a new study from Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy. 5 6 Few of the brands I came across during my research: 2. 1 Sseko Designs Mission and Impact on Sseko Designs official webpage: Sseko Designs uses fashion to provide employment and scholarship opportunities to women pursuing their dreams and overcoming poverty. To date, they’ve enabled 33 to continue on to University. They provide employment (along with access to a comprehensive social impact program) to their team of 45 women in Uganda. And they do it all through a financially selfsustaining model. Issue 1: Female students, due to a lack of economic opportunity, are not able to continue on to university and pursue leadership positions in society. Solution 1: Sseko Designs provides employment during the 9 month gap between high school and university where high potential young women are able to earn and save enough money to pay for college tuition. 50% of their salary each month goes into a savings account that is not accessible until tuition is due. This ensures that their income goes towards education. This also protects the women in the program from the social pressure they often feel from their families to give away the money they are earning which can perpetuate the cycle of poverty. At the end of each term, Sseko Designs grants university scholarships that match up to 100% of the savings each woman has made during her 9 month session with Sseko. Issue 2: In a patriarchal and male dominated society, women are not afforded the same employment and economic opportunities as their male counterparts. Although 66% of the world’s labour is done by women, they own less than 1% of the world’s assets. As long as women are not afforded educational and professional equality, extreme poverty will continue to exist. Solution 2: For every dollar a women in a developing economy earn, she will reinvest 90% of it into her family. Empower a woman and you empower an entire community. In addition to providing employment to women working their way towards university, Sseko partners with women from all walks of life. Sseko employs university graduates who comprise the upper level management team. These are women that use their education, experience and voice to help shape their company. Sseko also works to provide employment for women who have aged out of the education system and have no other form of income generation. They partner with a local non-profit in Uganda that works with young women who have recently come out of the commercial sex industry. Providing stable, dignifying and fair wage employment is a key component to keeping women from entering back into prostitution. They believe that every woman has the capacity to end the cycle of poverty and that it can be done in a way that is fair, dignifying, honouring and life-giving. Issue 3: Although charities and non-profits play a vital and necessary role in all societies, sometimes charity and aid can play a negative role by enabling dependencies and damaging the local economies. Like any of us, our African friends need and desire opportunity, dignity, job creation and empowerment. Solution 3: Instead of treating the symptoms, they aim to address the deeper, underlying issues of extreme poverty. Although Sseko Designs has been built for the purpose of impacting a 7 specific social sector, they have chosen very intentionally to use a sustainable, self-sufficient business model to do this. Their hope is to help create industry and fair-trade with the belief that a large component of economic development lies in the business sector. They believe in the power of responsible consumerism. Instead of competing for limited donor dollars, they hope consumers will think about the story behind their â€Å"stuff. † If they considered the impact that each product they consume has on the lives of those who produced that product and chose to see consumerism as a force and opportunity for positive social change, they believe the world would be filled with beautiful products with even more beautiful stories. 2. 2 World Clothes Line Everyone loves the smell of a clean t-shirt. Or the feeling of a new sweatshirt, soft. Or the look of a brand new outfit, confident and ready to conquer the day. Yet every day, millions of people around the world do not have a clean change of clothes. No options. No choice. World Clothes Line is dedicated to helping them. World Clothes Line will match every item sold with a new item for someone in need. Therefore, when customers purchase merchandise for themselves, they also provide clothing for others. In January 2010, World Clothes Line was born. 2. 2. 1 Their Vision As given in their name, their vision is to clothe the world. At World Clothes Line, they give clothes to people who need them. Through the generosity of their customers and dedication of their team, they hope to spread their message and continually help others. Their â€Å"shoot for the stars† goal is to create an active clothing collection for every country of the world. 2. 2. 2 Their Clothes Their styles are basic: t-shirts, sweatshirts, pants. Their main concerns are functionality, protection, and comfort. The designs are unique. They find that most people are inspired by the world. Every World Clothes Line collection is designed specifically to reflect its country’s people and culture. World Clothes Line is a socially conscious brand. All items are manufactured sweatshop-free at fair wages with environmentally-friendly practices. 8 2. 2. 3 Why Clothes? Clothing is one of our most basic needs. It ranks among air, food, water, and shelter. Clothing provides protection from the elements, reducing the effects of sun exposure, wind rash, and frostbite. It also provides defence against diseases, many of which are spread through mosquitoes and other insect bites. Proper clothing contributes to cleanliness, comfort, ease of movement and overall health. The simple act of changing and washing clothes can prevent infection, chafing, skin disorders and the spreading of viruses. However, in cases of extreme poverty, clothing is often one of the first needs to be ignored. Statistically, more than one billion people in the world live on less than one dollar a day. Almost 2. 7 billion people (that’s 40% of our population) survive on less than two dollars per day. In such circumstances, daily necessities like food and water take top priority. Clothing, which can be reworn, therefore is reworn. Day after day. After day†¦ At World Clothes Line, they make clothes their number one priority. 2. 3 No One Without N. O. W: One At A Time No One Without water is their non-stop mission. Every product in a purchase provides clean water to one person for 25 years through a concrete Bio-sand filtration system and their partnership with Thirst Relief International. Studies have proven that these filters effectively remove more than 90% of bacteria and 100% of the parasites found in untreated water. Nearly one billion people lack access to clean water and each year 2. 5 million people die from contaminated water, 90% are under 5 years old. The World Health Organization has declared a worldwide water crisis among the world’s poorest people. Society has conditioned us to be overwhelmed with statistics and the quantity of need in the world. The easy thought process is to say â€Å"there’s too much and I’m only one person†. By taking one step at a time, one day at a time, one person at a time, they’re breaking down numbers and they believe in the power of one. 9 No One Without has aligned themselves with the Thirst Relief mission: â€Å"To overcome death and disease resulting from the consumption of contaminated water by providing safe, clean water to those in need around the world. † 2. 3. 1 Why Water? The solution to the clean drinking water need is found in the concrete Bio-sand filter. The Biosand filter has the ability to produce safe, clean drinking water from both contaminated surface water, and ground water sources. As a result, the simple yet affective technology provides a long-term, sustainable and economical drinking water solution to those in poverty stricken areas around the world. Thirst Relief International currently has Bio-sand filter placements in Brazil, Cameroon, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. No One Without will follow Thirst Relief International around the globe on the quest for clean water. 10 2. 4 TOMS In 2006, American traveller Blake Mycoskie befriended children in a village in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. Realizing this movement could serve other basic needs, TOMS Eyewear was launched. With every pair purchased, TOMS will help give sight to a person in need. One for One. Over the past seven years, they’ve listened and learned with every pair of new shoes given. With the support of their amazing network of Giving Partners and the continued support of their community, they’ve reached this major milestone and proven that business can fuel good and sustain giving. They have seen remarkable results with shoe giving. Shoes are helping improve school attendance and enrolment. They’re combined with screenings to combat malnutrition. They’re given in conjunction with medication to fight hookworm. Further, their model is one that can work beyond shoes. Since they launched TOMS Eyewear, they’ve helped restore sight to more than 150,000 individuals around the world. And they look forward to finding new ways to help others. They currently make Giving Pairs in Ethiopia, Kenya, Argentina and China. Within two years, they will produce one third of their Giving Shoes in the regions where they give them. By producing more shoes locally they will create and support jobs in places where they are needed. They are testing production in India and are looking to expand manufacturing in Africa and other regions. In Haiti, they are in the early stages of getting production off the ground. They’ve also partnered with local artists to create a line of hand-painted shoes for their customers – helping create and support jobs in a place where they also give. And they’re looking to offer more styles that feature locally produced textiles. Their sight giving empowers communities and supports sustainable eye-care organizations in the developing world. They work with locally based organizations that train residents to provide professional care. So it’s an investment in clinics, people and even local jobs. 11 2. 5 Common Threadz Common Threadz is a non-profit organization helping orphans & vulnerable children in developing nations to reach their full potential through the empowerment of the children, their caretakers & the local grass roots community organizations that support them. 2. 5. 1 School Uniforms for Orphans & Vulnerable Children This was the first initiative that Common Threadz created in 2008. For every t-shirt or bracelet that they sell from their Shop to Help Store, they give a school uniform to an orphan or vulnerable child (OVC) so they can go to, or stay in school. Some of the children they care for had been refused schooling for not being able to afford a uniform. Uniforms are a requirement in most schools in Africa and they want to make sure that all these children have the chance to go to school, make friends and learn so that they can reach their full potential. Since the inception of this program, hundreds of uniforms have been handed over to OVC’s. Typically a uniform will last a year and so there is an ongoing need for uniforms. As the caregivers they continuously work to identify the OVC’s in need and as support for this program grows, they plan to hand over many more uniforms in the future. 2. 5. 2 Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Mentor Program They currently operate a mentor program in Obanjeni, South Africa. This program teams responsible and employed adults from the local community with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC’s) as role models on a one-to-one basis. Each of their mentors supports many children, meeting with each child for at least one hour per week. The mentors spend time helping with homework, chatting about personal hygiene, advising on healthy lifestyles and most of all, listening to the child. In some cases these mentors have come back to them to report abuse and a child has had to be moved to a place of safety and the police and social workers are called in. The mentors are their ears and eyes in the community. The program has rolled out with many young children and teenagers benefiting greatly. Still in its infancy, this program has been a great success and will be replicated and expanded moving forward. 2. 5. 3 The Feeding Program Common Threadz provides the funding and nutritional guidance for grassroots non-profit organizations in rural South Africa, such as Siyathuthuka Obanjeni, to provide daily meals to over 200 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC’s) that they have identified in the area. Proper nutrition is a fundamental need for the children to grow and learn and although the government says that it’s a child’s right not to go hungry, this is far from the reality for many thousands of children in South Africa. This program has grown from its inception last year when caregivers began to cook three meals a week for children after school. Now an employed cook prepares a cooked meal every day for the children to eat after school and in April 2010 they started to provide high protein porridge for the children to eat on their way to school, as the teachers have indicated that it is very difficult for the children to concentrate when they are hungry. 12 Once again this program has much room to expand and reach many more needy OVC’s but it would not be possible without the support of their customers. 2. 5. 4 Shoes for Kids This program complements the School Uniforms Programme by providing new school shoes to barefoot children in need, namely orphans and vulnerable children (OVC’s). School uniforms might give these children entrance to school, however many of them walk for up to four hours a day to go to school barefoot. A new pair of school shoes is usually the only new pair of shoes most of these children will ever receive and for most of them it will be the only pair of shoes they will own. All it takes is $10 to provide an OVC with a new pair of shoes so that they can go to school with confidence. 2. 6 Threads for Thought What began as a small business manufacturing and marketing graphic tee shirts that were made exclusively from organic cotton, gave back to charity, and promoted a cleaner environment, or advocated for peace, has grown into a complete lifestyle brand. They have never deviated from their primary mission, to promote a sense of responsibility for those who share this world with us, but rather than simply broadcasting that message on the front of tee shirts, the company has incorporated those principles into their very existence. 2. 6. 1 How their threads are sustainable Threads 4 Thought fabrics are made using the most sustainable materials possible such as organically grown cotton and polyester derived from recycled water bottles. Their fabrics are dyed using low impact dyes whenever possible & often the water used in the dye process is purified and then reused rather than being discarded. 13 2. 6. 2 Organic Cotton vs. Conventional Cotton ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Organic cotton is 90% less toxic than conventional cotton. Conventional cotton crops use more than 25% of all the insecticides in the world and 12% of all the pesticides while growing on only 2. 5 % of cultivated lands in the world. Organic cotton uses untreated seeds that are never genetically modified while conventional cotton uses genetically modified seeds, hurting the crops & soil over time. Organic Cotton plants stay strong through crop rotation and retain water efficiently due to increased organic matter in the soil. Conventional cotton plants use synthetic fertilizers. Organic Cotton fields use seasonal freezes and water management for defoliation. Conventional cotton does this through the use of toxic chemicals. Weeds are physically removed by hand hoeing and cultivation. Farmers use beneficial insects and trap crops to control pests. Conventional cotton uses a toxic aerial spraying technique. 2. 6. 3 Turning Plastic into fashion 1. The plastics are sorted according to colour and SNV plastics. 2. Next, the plastic goes through a sterilization process. Then, it is dried and crushed into chips. Next, liquefaction occurs under high temperatures, as a mixture of the recycled chips and some new plastic from petroleum derivatives are melted together to form a smooth, syrup-like material. 3. The first threads are formed when the liquefied material is forced through holes and exposed to air. The hardened threads, called tow, then go through a strengthening process. 4. The â€Å"drawing† process strengthens the molecular bonds of the tow; the tow is pulled to double their size and then shrunken. 5. The threads then go through a dryer where they develop a woolly texture. The texture is inspected for strength and thickness, and then spun into a finer yarn that is then ready to be dyed and knit into fabric. 14 2. 7 147 Million Orphans Profits from 147 Million Orphans are directed to the 147 Million Orphans Foundation, where they are given to Love+ 1 Projects and feeding programs. The 147 Million Orphans Foundation was created to impact the lives of children through the provision of food, water, and medicine. They invest directly in projects that help provide these basic needs to those who desperately need it, and most of their projects occur in Haiti, Honduras, and Uganda. As with any good foundation you must lay one brick at a time. Whether that is a medical clinic in Haiti, homes in Honduras, Water Wells in Sudan, or a store house full of food for Uganda, they want to show the love of Christ. The rebuilding of the wall in Nehemiah was accomplished by people just doing their part and helping others to do theirs. The Love+ 1 projects are steps in rebuilding, and they would love for us to be a part of the rebuilding. 2. 7. 1 During 2012 and 2013, the Love+ 1 Projects Included: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Provided funding for over 100,000 meals for children in Uganda, Haiti, and Honduras Helped to build clean water wells in Sudan and Honduras Provided funding for HIV education and medicine in Uganda and Haiti Provided funding for a vehicle, appliances and kitchen construction for an orphanage in Haiti Funded the construction costs of 27 homes in Mt. Olivos, Honduras for displaced families. These 2 bedroom, concrete homes with running water are allowing families to remain intact and raise their children in a healthy environment. They are building a strong community, including a school and a weekly worship service. Provided over 150 cans of formula to an infant feeding & nutrition program in Haiti Raised $200,000 of the $250,000 needed for construction of the Love+ 1 Medical Centre in Gressier, Haiti where there are currently no medical or dental facilities available to the 35,000 residents. This centre will include a doctor’s office with a pharmacy, a dental office, an urgent care clinic, and an operating room. This clinic will be located on land adjoining a school that currently serves over 400 children. Raising the final $50,000 and beginning construction of the Love+ 1 Medical Centre in Haiti – a 5,000 square foot facility with medical and dental facilities for a community of 35,000 people with no medical care. The medical facility is expected to open in October 2013 with ongoing funding needs for supplies and equipment. Construction of a tilapia pond for the community of Mt. Olivos, Honduras. Completion of the construction of all homes in Mt. Olivos, Honduras. Formula for an infant feeding and nutrition program in Haiti Food and medicine to children in Uganda, Haiti, and Honduras Bedding and supply needs for an orphanage in Uganda Food to children in Tennessee through a weekly backpack program 15 2. 8 I Am A Star I AM A STAR is built on a solid foundation of trust and collaboration. It is rooted in the Somali diaspora communities’ leadership, and it makes room for the solidarity and creativity of motivated people everywhere. Together, they’re providing relief in Somalia, and shining a light on a culture of poets, artists, mothers and fathers, children, innovators, farmers, businesspeople. Each one, a star in his or her own right. Perched on the very tip of the Horn of Africa, Somalia has suffered two decades of hardship, violence and displacement. It’s estimated that 25% of the country’s population have fled their homes, traveling to Kenya and Ethiopia or to other parts of Somalia. Since the summer of 2011, the country has faced a crippling food crisis. Between 50,000 to 100,000 Somalis have died as a result. US Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton called it â€Å"the most severe humanitarian emergency in the world today-and the worst East Africa has seen in decades. † Thanks to the spirit and efforts of the worldwide Somali Diaspora and other compassionate individuals, organizations and governments, relief is getting to people who need it. Donors have looked past the negative imagery of Somalia in the media and sent their support. That support has saved the lives of mothers and fathers, children, poets, artists, innovators, farmers, businesspeople, human beings. But there is still so much that needs to be done in Somalia. The famine has ended, but 1 in 5 Somali children are still malnourished. 2. 5 million people are still dependent on food aid in order to survive. It will take an investment of time and great effort to shake off the legacy of 20 years of war and unrest in Somalia. The country has the world’s lowest rates of school enrolment, and experts estimate that 18% of children born in Somalia will not live to age 5. 2. 8. 1 With Support from: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? KNAAN 4Real IDEO Pivotal Labs Heroku Music for Relief Mataano Chef Roble & Co. Faarrow Mosaic 16 2. 9 Soles 4 Souls Soles4Souls is a global not-for-profit institution dedicated to fighting the devastating impact and perpetuation of poverty. The organization advances its anti-poverty mission by collecting new and used shoes and clothes from individuals, schools, faith-based institutions, civic organizations and corporate partners, then distributing those shoes and clothes both via direct donations to people in need and by provisioning qualified micro-enterprise programs designed to create jobs in poor and disadvantaged communities. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Soles4Souls is committed to the highest standards of operating and governance, and holds a four-star rating with Charity Navigator. Founded in 2004, Soles4Souls is a global not-for-profit institution dedicated to fighting the devastating impact and perpetuation of poverty through the distribution of shoes and clothing. Soles4Souls distributes shoes and clothing in two ways. Most new items collected primarily from corporations and retailers are given directly to people in need, both in the U. S. and overseas. The organization has relationships with several of the world’s leading apparel brands, which provides Soles4Souls with new but non-marketable overstocks, returns, discontinued models and other shoes or clothing items. At the same time, Soles4Souls receives millions of articles of used shoes and clothing that have been collected by individuals, schools, faith-based institutions, civic organizations and corporate partners. After sorting items in its national warehouse system, Soles4Souls typically sells the used shoes and clothing, as well as some new items allocated by manufacturers, to carefully selected micro-enterprise organizations. These both private and non-profit companies are contracted to provide shipping, financing, inventory, training and other support to ultrasmall businesses in countries like Haiti where there are virtually no jobs to generate personal income. Through the collection and sale of used (and new) clothing and shoes, Soles4Souls helps create self-sustaining jobs that generate desperately needed revenues throughout those communities. The sale of footwear and apparel to support micro-jobs also provides the majority of funding to sustain Soles4Souls operations and further expand its donations of new shoes and clothing. 17 2. 10 FEED FEED Projects’ mission is to create good products that help FEED the world. They do this through the sale of FEED bags, be