Traditional Family a National Crisis

The idiom, â€Å"Decline of Traditional Family a National Crisis,† is deeply rooted to an assumption that national boom results from a nation rich with traditional nuclear families. Consisting of a married man and woman living together and sharing responsibilities for offspring and for each other, is the view of David Popenoe, a sociologist who believes a nuclear family defines social and national prosperity, the norm. It is when deviation from such norm occurs, that nuclear family importance is speculated.With approximate statistical data, studies show 50% of marriages will end in divorce, a common transaction that portrays dismay of family. If the society is to survive, modifications to values and norms will be subject to cultural trends. According to David Popenoe, the traditional family is the key institution in society. Therefore, the society is eroded if the key institution is distorted. Popenoe argues families provide the identity, belonging, discipline, and values that are essential for development. Furthermore, he explains the concern that is shadowing children, victims of adverse social impact.Nonetheless, Popenoe admits to social progress, such as diminishment of segregation, racism and the financial emancipation of women. Popenoe’s research is admirable but not entirely correct, due to neglecting the modern society’s value for family and structural changes that have emerged from technology. In this modern day and time, families range from traditional to modern. The traditional family is a vulnerable mirage, holding on to values once strongly deemed necessary. The modern family is a deviant reflection of traditional family.The composition of traditional nuclear family members no longer exists only in traditional sense. Participants in modern families are, the traditional man, woman and child, partnered gay men and lesbian women with or without child, single man and child, and a woman and child. Many of the family styles are respo nses to cultural evolution in freedom of choice and some are from nature’s course, whether tragic or not. Regardless of family style, the chosen avenue is not free from our roles beyond the family that restrict our access to family life, a view of Stephanie Coontz.Stephanie Coontz opposes Popenoe’s theories of a nation in crises, as well as pointing out historical data was not accurately performed. She has provided more accurate data with much more sophisticated statistical approaches, including margin of error. Data collected, state families are behaving in no-crises manner and many families are strong, today. One of Coontz’s theories included the change in woman’s role. Women of today are not just barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, while breadwinner daddy is working to support his family.Coontz expresses, in America, there are tremendous variety of family types that have worked and not worked. She continue to explain, that families succeed because th ey were flexible in their living arrangement, oppose to then stereotypes of the past. Our choices have improved with every human movement and social trend. Scientific and technological advancements have enabled possibilities, once unattainable, for traditional partners, gay couples as well as single men and women, to have children.While traditional partners implement partnership availability, today’s single parent, has many choices from privileges bestowed. Single parents are capable of working long hours and still participate as loving and nurturing with the help of community, employer childcare accommodations, private and government programs. Communication and logistics, previously hindered from lack of technology, presently are vastly available and have narrowed deficiency in children’s need to see and communicate with parents.Being equipped with much assistance, parents work productively or extensively, trying to excel. Structure of family is not the vitality of a nation; it is the family that creates a nation. Changing laws pave further change. Yesterday’s view of family, sufficed as best, still prevails but different family structures are emerging. Meeting the needs of members and protecting them from poverty, violence or sexual exploitation, is parental, social and national responsibility. Responsibility to achieve these needs starts with parents, sifters thru society, and lives nationally anew.

Prophet Muhammad the Ideal Character of Human Being

[pic] Today one in every five persons of the world believes Muhammad (pbuh) as the last messenger of Allah (pbuh) and millions of others are continuing to bear testimony to this fact†¦.. Yaqeen ul Haq Ahmad Sikander writes. Ever since dawn of the civilization, mankind has witnessed the emergence of a large number of great people who did significant contributions in their respective fields and immortalized their names forever. Their contributions, which they left behind, have been responsible for moulding the intellect of the people into the fashion of their teachings.The Teachings of Buddha, Jesus, Confucius, Ashoka, Aristotle, Plato, etc even today have an avid influence upon the lives of masses globally. But among all these great people, only Muhammad (pbuh) possessed the most distinguished and determined personality. Across the centuries Across the centuries millions and billions of people have lived their lives loving Muhammad (pbuh) and following his principles and guidelin es in every sphere of life. No one other than Muhammad (pbuh) in the history has been so much adored and followed.Today one in every five persons of the world believes Muhammad (pbuh) as the last messenger of Allah (pbuh) and millions of others are continuing to bear testimony to this fact. He was the one who brought has billions of people from darkness of ignorance to light. He brought peace and set of ideals to countless hearts and lives. He is the inspiration for countless people over the globe. Even today Muhammad (pbuh) motivates and induces whole masses to strive to shape their lives according to his teachings.Indeed never before in the history has anyone influenced humankind up to such extent as Muhammad (pbuh) did even beyond his death. That’s why Qur’an rightly tells Muhammad (pbuh) to proclaim that He is the mercy for all nations which clearly depicts the universality of his mission. The Qur’an mentions: â€Å"And We sent you not (O Muhammad), but as a mercy to all the worlds†. (Al Qur’an 21:107). Among all the great emerged lives, only Muhammad (pbuh) was most influential and successful and both ‘Religious and Secular’ levels and this made Michael. H.Hart, an American Mathematician, Historian and an Astronomer to put Him on the No. 1 in the list of the top 100 men which he quoted in his world-famous book â€Å"The Hundred†. And the Argument that he puts forth for it is as follows: â€Å"Since there are roughly twice [the latest estimate is that there are more than one thousand million Muslims in the world and one thousand two hundred million Christians] as many Christians in the world, it may initially seem strange that Muhammad has been ranked higher than Jesus. There are two principal reasons for that decision.First, Muhammad played a far more important role in the development of Islam than Jesus did in the development of Christianity. Although Jesus was responsible for the main ethical and m oral precepts of Christianity (in so far as these differed from Judaism), St. Paul was the main developer of Christian theology, its principal proselytizer, and the author of a large portion of the New Testament. Muhammad, however, was responsible for both the theology of Islam and its main ethical and moral principles. In addition, he played the key role in proselytizing the new faith and in establishing the religious practices of Islam†. Michael H. Hart in his book – â€Å"THE 100? – pages 38-39) Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) : the only answer In the words of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, â€Å"Humankind needs a set of moral principles having universal validity as well as a real personality in which these moral principles are exemplified. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the only answer to this question. He proclaimed the ethics that bear the stamp of divine authenticity, and is, moreover, a model of perfect conduct and character for all mankind. In bodily appearance he l ived in this world, but, spiritually, he was on a different plane†.It was the exemplary life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his empyreal teachings that even made the non-Muslims bear testimony to the greatness of Muhammad (pbuh). Some of the verdicts of Non-Muslims on Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that I have compiled from various sources are: â€Å"He must be called the Savior of humanity I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much needed peace and happiness. † (The Genuine Islam, Singapore, Vol. 1, No. X 1936). Mohammed was the most successful of all religious personalities. † (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th edition). â€Å"Muhummad was the soul of kindness, and his influence was felt and never forgotten by those around him. † (Diwan Chand Sharma, â€Å"The Prophets of the East,† Calcutta 1935, p. 122). â€Å"Four years after the death of Justinian, A. D. 569, was born at Makkah, in Arabia the man who, of all men exercised the greatest influence upon the human race †¦ Mohammed †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (John William Draper, â€Å"A history of the lntellectual development of Europe†,- London 1875). By a fortune absolutely unique in history, Mohammed is a threefold founder of a nation, of an empire, and of a religion. † (R. Bosworth-Smith, â€Å"Mohammed and Mohammedanism†- 1946). So the Qur’an rightly says to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that, â€Å"And have We not raised high the esteem in which) thou (O Muhammad are held)† (Al Qur’an 94:4). Exemplary Character Muhammad (pbuh)’s character was indeed exemplary for whole of the humankind. Before his death, the whole of the Arabian Peninsula was already under the rule of Islam.He could have easily led a very luxurious life in High palaces and could have enjoyed every pleasure of life and this world. But instead of this, he led a very simple and austere life and created a best example for the generations to come. He used to do his work himself. It is narrated in various Hadith the Muhammad (pbuh) used to milk his goat, mend his clothes, do household work and repair his shoes and visited the sick. All his companions loved him excessively but he forbade them to even getting up for him as a sign of respect. He brought a real revolution to the whole humanity and it was the transformation of the hearts.His companions who loved him more than anything else, were once his most staunch enemies but his sublime character transformed them to such an extent that they even gave up their lives for the sake of Islam. Muhammad (pbuh) brought masses from darkness to light. He was from a rich family that enjoyed highest status in Arabia but because of Islam, he suffered from worst persecutions and painful torture and sufferings. On a certain occasion, his uncle Abu Talib requested him to stop the preaching of Islam and for tha t he was offered the highest status of a chief and a lot of material wealth.But to this Muhammad (pbuh) gave a very sincere answer. he replied, â€Å"I swear by the name of God, O Uncle! , that if they place the sun in my right-hand and the moon in my left-hand in return for giving up this matter (calling people to Islam), I will never desist until either God makes it triumph or I perish defending it† (Ibn Hesham). Such was the determination of Muhammad (pbuh). And the Qur’an again describing the character of Muhammad (pbuh) says that, â€Å"And most certainly thou (O Muhammad) are of most sublime and exalted character† (Al Qur’an 68:4).It was the tolerance and sublime character of Muhammad (pbuh) that brought huge masses into the fold of Islam and the books of Seerah (Life Of Muhammad) are full of such incidents. On the fall of Makkah to the Muslims, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) forgave even his most staunch enemies including Wahshi who on the battle on U hud had killed the beloved uncle and cousin of Muhammad (pbuh) namely Hamza and seeing this extraordinary behaviour of Muhammad (pbuh), Wahshi accepted Islam and became one of the Sahabees (The Companions of Prophet Muhammad).There are so many other cases found in the books of Tafseer (exegesis) and Seerah (Life Of Muhammad) wherein Muhammad (pbuh) by his sublime character won the hearts of many including Abu Bakr (RA) and Abdullah bin Salaam (RA) and many others that are considered to be the most eminent Sahabees (The Companions of Prophet Muhammad). Peaceful Preaching It was the peaceful preaching of Muhammad (pbuh) that invaded the hearts of the millions and is still continuing to do so. It was only by the peaceful preaching of Islam that it spread to all the nooks and corners of the world.And even now Islam is the fastest growing religion of the west particularly in USA and UK where many great personalities and intellectuals like Shaykh Yusuf Estes, Hamza Yusuf, Gary Miller, Dr Bilal Philips and Yusuf Islam have accepted Islam and are spreading its peaceful message globally and yet this is fulfilling an another prophecy of the Qur’an: â€Å"It is He (Allah) who has sent his messenger (Muhammad) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islam), that he may make it prevail over all religions, and enough is God for a witness† (Al Qur’an 48:28).Some of the sublime sayings of the Muhammad (pbuh) are as follows:The believers, in their love, mercy, and kindness to one another are like a body: if any part of it is ill, the whole body shares its sleeplessness and fever. (Bukhari & Muslim) The most perfect of the believers in faith are the best of them in morals. And the best among them are those who are best to their wives. (Tirmidhi & Ahmad) None of you believes (completely) until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself. (Bukhari & Muslim) The merciful are shown mercy by the All-Merciful. Show mercy to those on earth, and God will sh ow mercy to you. Tirmidhi & Abu Dawud) Smiling at your brother is charity†¦ (Tirmidhi) A good word is charity. (Bukhari & Muslim) Whoever believes in God and the Last Day (the Day of Judgment) should do good to his neighbor. (Bukhari & Muslim) God does not judge you according to your appearance and your wealth, but He looks at your hearts and looks into your deeds. (Sahih Muslim) Pay the worker his wage before his sweat dries. (Ibn Majah) A man walking along a path felt very thirsty. Reaching a well, he descended into it, drank his fill, and came up. Then he saw a dog with its tongue hanging out, trying to lick up mud to quench its thirst.The man said: â€Å"This dog is feeling the same thirst that I felt. † So he went down into the well again, filled his shoe with water, and gave the dog a drink. So, God thanked him and forgave his sins. The Prophet was asked: â€Å"Messenger of God, are we rewarded for kindness towards animals? † He said: There is a reward for k indness to every living animal or human. (Bukhari & Muslim) So to conclude, Muhammad (pbuh) was bestowed by Allah with the most exemplary character. The nature of Muhammad (pbuh)’s teachings is universal and is directed for all generations and times.Muhammad (pbuh) was not just a leader or statesman, but he was and he still is, the best role model for the one who seeks guidance on the path of the Lord. It is in his teachings that one can find solution to the ongoing spiritual turmoil and find an innovative solution to the problems challenging the mankind. And it is in him that every nation and generation can find its last hope and it’s his teachings that can bring a revival to this world and save it from the disasters of hatred, bloodshed, racism and anarchy. The path that was enlightened by Muhammad (pbuh) will guide us to the eternal path of salvation and finally Jannah.Our deviated youth only by following the teaching of Muhammad (pbuh) can excel in all fields. The west has realized this fact and that’s why they are turning to Islam as it’s the only solution to all the problems confronting the humanity. If only our society would be framed and based upon the ideals and morals taught by Muhammad (pbuh), then it would bring an end to all our problems and then this world will really become a place to live in. The Qur’an mentions: â€Å"Most certainly, you have in Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern (of behaviour)† (Al Qur’an 33:21).

A research on the issues of the black urban experience according to steven gregory Essay

Critical Reading Assignment #3 Chapter 5: Race and the Politics of Place Gregory, Steven (1999) Chapter 5: Race and the Politics of Place, in Black Corona, Princeton, NJ:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Princeton University Press, 109-138. The researchers conducted this study in order to challenge the depictions of the black urban experience in the media, academics, and public policy debates, which the author does frequently throughout the study. In this portion of the study, Gregory focuses on the struggles that black Lefrak City residents to disrupt the lingering stereotypes alluding to race, crime, and space in everyday politics. To conduct this research, Steven Gregory, an anthropologist, uses ethnography methods including open-ended interviews, participant observation in neighborhoods and political meetings, and archival research to collect the data used in this study. He interviews various residents and political members from this area and attends a meeting involving the Neighborhood Stabilization Committee and Community Board 4. The study takes place in the Corona neighborhood of Queens, New York, specifically in the Lefrak City are home to many African Americans residents as well as people from many other backg rounds. In this study, Gregory points out the struggles that Black Lefrak City residents had in disrupting the lingering stereotypes about, race, crime, and space in everyday politics. He explains how this area of Corona was viewed as a threat to the quality of life in the surrounding areas, which provides a link to urban decline and crime to black welfare dependency (Gregory 111: 1999). He focuses on struggles in the representation of identity and the meaning of place with the distribution of political power. As evidence, Gregory interviews and observes Edna Baskin, an African American woman eager to get involved and create a political organization to counteract these stereotypes and give black citizens from this area representation in the local politics. She establishes the organization called the Concerned Community Adults, where she would help inform residents of neighborhood issues. She faced many struggles in doing this, however, and was said to be â€Å"rubbing against the grain† (Gregory 118: 1999) while trying to promote her organization and get involved with the Community Board, made up of mostly white participants. Gregory talks about other problems this organizations faced, and the successes it achieved later on. This research has strengths in its overall comprehensiveness of the issues that Gregory is discussing. The topic he tries to tackle is very complex, and he does a good job at trying to try to explain the overall issues of the research. However, Gregory could organize his work in a fashion that is easier to comprehend that helps understand the overall concepts and issues he is focusing on in the research. He also only discusses in depth one example of the struggles that one area of this community faces. I believe that it would be interesting to instead compare the many different struggles that different areas of the community have and relate them to one another. It would be interesting to see the similarities and the differences between the different areas of this community.

Usability Testing and Heuristic Evaluation Essay

Usability Testing and Heuristic Evaluation - Essay Example Usability Testing and Heuristic Evaluation Learnability affects how fast a user can learn and use the system after undergoing a certain amount and duration of training. Efficiency affects the amount of tasks a user can perform in a set amount of time. Meanwhile, memorability enables a user to use the system after a period of inactivity without having to relearn its operation. Low error rate refers to the number of problems encountered by the user and the ease of correcting such errors. Lastly, satisfaction generally refers to the overall user perception of the system serving its intended purpose. Usability Testing The term usability testing has been generally referred to as any method used to evaluate a system or product. For the purpose of clarification, the term usability testing shall be used in this paper as a distinct empirical method of system evaluation with the goal of identifying usability issues and developing recommendation on how address such issues. Rubin and Chisnell described usability testing as a process of r ecruiting people as test participants to evaluate the system based on a series of usability guidelines. Test participants are normally composed of individuals whose profiles represent the target user audience. The inclusion of test participants based on real world parameters is what makes usability testing unique among other usability assessment methods. In this method, test participants are selected from the target user audience and are asked to perform specific tasks using a prototype of the system. During the duration of the test, user performance and reactions to the product are observed and recorded by a facilitator (Fiset, 2009). In essence, usability testing is a research tool which originated from conventional experimental methodology. The range of usability tests that can be performed is significantly broad, allowing the developer to tailor-fit approaches according to the test objectives, time constraints, and resources available (Rubin & Chisnell, 2008). Since it originate d from conventional approaches for controlled experiments, usability testing follows formal methods which include: (1) hypothesis formulation; (2) random sampling of participants; (3) utilization of experimental controls; (4) utilization of controlled groups; and (4) composition of sample size to determine statistical differences between groups (Rubin & Chisnell, 2008). Fiset (2009) outlined the following basic steps in conducting usability assessments: (1) definition of test objectives; (2) enumeration of tasks; (3) developing a prototype or mock-up of the system; (4) performing a preliminary validation test on prototype; (5) recruiting test participants; (6) preparing forms, venue, and equipment; (7) determining level of confidentiality of acquired data; (8) conducting the test proper; (9) filling out of evaluation questionnaire; (10) analysis and consolidation of results; (11) writing down of recommendations. The objectives of the usability test are normally determined by the pha se of system development the test will be carried out. Initial usability tests usually involve performing specific tasks based on the system design. As development progresses, additional objectives may be added such as identification of number errors, gauging user satisfaction, measuring time spent completing a

EKON Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

EKON - Essay Example Looking at the demand or need of any certain product can bring innovation. EKON has been lucky enough to find a need for chairs that cater the customers with back problems and also those customers who require sympathetic chairs. With need we even have to see the target market of our new products, apply marketing mixes and assess whether the product would be successful or not. This report would brief us on things to consider before launching the new products. Ekon will first have to research on the products that they plan to launch by the help of marketing research process. Through this process we will systematically design, collect, analyze and report on data and findings relevant to our launching of the two new products. We can even outsource this process or form our own marketing research team. The marketing research process takes place in six steps: (see reference list for the source). 1. Define the problem and research objectives: marketing management will inform the research team about the two products being launched, but the management will have to be careful not to define the problem too broadly or narrowly. With the problem defining, decision alternatives and research objectives will have to be made clear. The team would be covering the customers falling under the backache problems or in need of sympathetic chairs. Now what kinds of things do the customers want in the prescribed form of chairs would be found after the process ends. 2. Develop the research plan: after we make clear objectives of our research the team will have to come up with the most efficient plan to gather the information needed. Like data sources (primary and secondary data), research instruments (questionnaires, surveys, behavioral data and experimental research). The EKON team will have to see the feasibility and available budget before forming the plan. The retrieval of data from any source may vary in terms of cost. EKON plans to

Management and Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Management and Leadership - Essay Example This essay discusses and analyzes the importance of corporate social responsibility and personal values such as instrumental and terminal values, ten ethical principles of such corporations, corporate philanthropy and others learnt during the management class. These concepts described in th essay are applied and incorporated in the answers to different questions of the case â€Å"The Housewife Who Got up off the Couch†. In the case â€Å"The Housewife who got up the Couch†, the concept of enlightened self-interest becomes evident when Eleanor Josaitis started supporting Martin Luther King and human rights activists. The researcher have concluded in the essay that the terminal values of Eleanor Josaitis are ‘a comfortable life, ‘a sense of accomplishment’, ‘a world at peace’, ‘Equality’, ‘Freedom’, ‘Happiness’ and ‘Social Recognition’. The researcher also describes the work of Focus: Hope organization with more than 500 employees and a large pool of volunteers who value altruism and philanthropy and who are involved in self-sacrifice for the sake of humanity. In addition, it is stated that ethics and moral behavior is, however, essential to reach the pinnacle of success because it always pays in the long run. Whereas, to conclude those who pay more attention to short-term gains through crimes and violation of ethical principles suffer losses like the great Martha Stewart whose indulgence in ‘insider trading scandal’ dilapidated her career and her phenomenal business achievements.

Unit 4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 4 - Assignment Example It is not appropriate to use the personality tests as a main factor of job consideration, since many errors accompany the personality tests. Response distortion among the applicants is common as they align themselves with the best descriptive words that will win the hearts of the employer. The respondent can also be at a state of low mood at examination time hence the bias. It is worth noting that many people are dynamic and hence express different facets of personality. In addition to that, it is not appropriate to use these tests for the disabled people. Some occupations also do not require personality screening. The Americans with Disability Act outlines that people known to have psychiatric conditions should be exempted for the people with mental illnesses. The examinations should have a relation with the job opportunity at stake (Morgeson et al.). It is justifiable to use clinical personality tests for highly sensitive occupations such as cabin crews and police officers. The tests are likely to cause generally negative public relations feelings. The tools are excellent as they allow one to excavate deeply into a person’s perception about a specific job. However, the tests they should not receive excess overreliance from the employee as they only reflect a tip of iceberg regarding the personality. Taylor, Shannon G., and Donald H. Kluemper. â€Å"Linking Perceptions of Role Stress and Incivility to Workplace Aggression: The Moderating Role of Personality.† Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 2012 :

Compare PHP and Python Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Compare PHP and Python - Essay Example The code written in the PHP language is interpreted by the PHP processor module using a web browser which displays a web page based on the HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and embedded PHP code. It is pertinent to mention here that the PHP code can be embedded into the HTML (Screenshot 1 shows the HTML embedded PHP code file) file as well as it can be an external / separate file (Screenshot 2 shows the PHP separate file code) having an extension of ‘. PHP’. The PHP is an open source language, meaning that the PHP is free software under the PHP license whose source code can be amended as per the requirements. The PHP can be deployed on almost every operating system which can be a standalone computer system or a web server. Python is one of the high level languages (the high level languages are those programming languages which are more understandable to the human beings and does sends commands directly to the hardware). The Python language was initially created by Guido van Rossum in 1980, however, the first program was implemented in 1989. The Python is a general purpose language; however, it is over and over again used as a scripting language, however, it can also be utilized as non scripting language. As compared to the programming languages, the Python language emphasizes code reliability, as the Python programmers can express functionalities in less number of code lines comparatively. By utilizing the third party tools include: Pyinstaller and Py2exe make the Python language capable of executing standalone programs. The Python language can be deployed to the computer system as well as the application server, moreover, a number of operating systems provide support to the Python Language. The Python is an open source programming language, which can be deployed free of charge. In my opinion, there are huge numbers of similarities between both the

Samsung Electronics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Samsung Electronics - Case Study Example The memory industry is characterized by having few powerful suppliers. The consumers are extremely price conscious thus profit margins are low. In order to be able to get lower prices from suppliers companies have to buy in bulk. Suppliers give high volume buyers a 5% purchase discount. Memory represents about 4-12% of the cost of an OEM computer. The OEM computer industry is the primary buyers of DRAM. The OEM computer industry is fragmented and no single OEM manufacturer holds more than a 20% market share. Quality is a critical success factor for companies in the memory industry. Product quality allows companies to achieve customer retention (Kotler, 2002). Defective memory is high risk for a computer manufacturer because it could destroy product value. OEM companies are willing to pay an extra 1% price premium for reliable suppliers. Samsung which is a successful player in the memory industry developed new types of cutting edge memory chips that enable them to differentiate themselves from the competition. The use of innovation enabled the company to have a great product variety and penetrate niche markets within the industry were they could charge higher prices. In 2003 Samsung offered 1200 types of DRAM products. This gave the company an advantage because by 2005 the prices of the older memory technology started to depreciate in price. When this occur the best approach for companies that did not have the new innovative products like Samsung was to utilize a strategy to gain market share. Chinese manufacturers utilized the strategic approach of increasing market share. Another critical success factor in the industry is having organizational experience and tacit knowledge to master the design and production process. Testing chips for reliability during the production process was imperative. Successful companies designed process improvements to allow more

Nurse-Authored features that use Web 2.0 applications Assignment

Nurse-Authored features that use Web 2.0 applications - Assignment Example http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2605032/ While the use of media can be very important to the nurses and other providers of health care there have been more concerns about the use of the social media. Indeed, the use of Web 2.0 tools may derive legal or ethical issues. The use of Web 2.0 tools may jeopardize the privacy and confidentiality of both the employers and the patients. Nurses can breach privacy and confidentiality by posting a photo of the patient on the social medial or comment about a patient (Younger & Morgan, 2011). According to an American research, it is eminent that several nurses have been exposing their patient’s information on public websites. The nurses ended up facing disciplinary measures for their actions. It is also unprofessional for the nurses to use Web 2.0 tools inappropriately. For instance, a nurse can use the media to bully a colleague, this results from online criticism of colleagues. This breaches the code of conduct. This behavior can result in taunting the image of the healthcare professions (Younger & Morgan,

Answering Questions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Answering Questions - Research Paper Example Since the early childhood people are involved in game activity. It starts as education and continues as entertainment. The apotheosis of game is war. In their essays Kofi Annan and Tim Bowling compare football and hockey to â€Å"serious† human activities, such as the UN and war. Kofi Annan, the Secretary General of the UN in 1997-2006, compares football with the UN. Both are international activities and both have about 200 countries as participants: â€Å"as the pinnacle of the only truly global game, played in every country by every race and religion, it is one of the few phenomena as universal as the UN† (Annan 234). Annan argues that the UN should be more like football for people. He dreams of â€Å"citizens consumed by the topic of how their country could do better on the Human Development Index, or exercised about how to reduce carbon emissions or HIV infections† (Annan 234). Indeed, if people were as interested in the UN activities as they are in football, this world would be a much more pleasant place. In my opinion Annan is wrong, because he compares different things. The most important difference is that the UN suggests cooperation, and football is competition. This is the fault of all organizations of such type. They can’t sto p people from competing and fighting. The predecessor of the UN—the League of Nations—failed to prevent the Second World War, just as the UN failed to prevent the USA aggression in the Middle East. Nothing can change the human nature. That is why the UN and football are the phenomena of different orders. The Human Development Index and HIV infections are important, without doubt, but they can never be as important as game. 2. That is why I completely agree to Tim Bowling’s argument that the game of hockey is like war. It was stated above that game is the important element of culture and that war is also a game, most bloody, but most taking one. Two (or more) teams compete for

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Essay Example for Free

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Essay The American Dream is true equality and freedom of the citizens of The United States. In Maya Angelous I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Marguerite struggles with the thought of feeling unwanted as a child and the discrimination against blacks. As Marguerite grows up, she experiences first-hand the cruelty of racism. Her struggles reflect on all the hardships the citizens of America went through when they were fighting for equality as well. It first started in 1607 when English settlers travelled to America for religious freedom. The freedom they sought out for eventually grew to be something more important than just religious freedom. Marguerite defies authority and segregation and eventually gains the equality she deserves. Even though the era of slavery has ended, segregation between blacks and whites were still present. The town that Marguerite lives in is separated from where the white population is and she barely knows what they are like and she wonders if they are even human. Early on in the story, Marguerite first experiences the cruelty of the local powhitetrash when her family is warned of the white men searching her town for a scapegoat. This causes her Uncle Willie to hide in a potato bin even though he is innocent. In chapter blank, Marguerite watches three white girls mock Momma and she feels anger towards their cruelty and unfairness. As Momma finds her crying in anger, this is the first time she felt the need to defy the white people and fight against them. This encounter foreshadows Marguerites future acts of defiance against white people, as the English settlers defied their kind and moves to America. Marguerites first true act of defiance was when she was working for a white woman named Viola Cullinan. Mrs. Viola Cullinan is rude and her friends mistreat Marguerite. In order for Marguerite to stop working for her, she broke her prized china. This was a sign of Marguerite finally taking a stand against being mistreated. Her resistance gains Marguerite back her pride and she is getting closer to the freedom that she yearns for. There are times in the story where Marguerite feels an extreme sense of pride for her and her people. At Marguerites graduation, a white man named Edward Donleavy degrades the black population by stating that they can only excel in sports. He causes the eighth grade class to feel ashamed of themselves because they feel unintelligent. Marguerite starts to regret the fact that Columbus discovered the new world and she wishes that he hadnt. She feels so embarrassed, but Henry Reed, the valedictorian of her class brings their spirit back up. He has the crowd sing the Negro National Anthem and as his speech ends, everyone feels great pride swell inside of them. Marguerite feels proud of her heritage and education and ignores what harsh words of Mr. Donleavy. Another time when Marguerite feels proud of the black population is when she envisions Ms. Henderson standing up to Dr. Lincoln. She pictures Ms. Henderson turning into a superhero and scaring Dr. Lincoln. She states that she feels proud to be her granddaughter. The American Dream cannot be fulfilled unless the people have an extreme sense of pride of who they are and their country. Marguerite’s feelings were the start of the journey towards equality between all races. Marguerite first experiences a sense of equality when she attends a school in San Francisco. All the students are rude to her and act as if she is inferior to all of them. On the other hand, Marguerite meets a teacher names Mrs. Kirwin who doesnt discriminate. She treats every single one of her students the same, no matter what their race is. She only remembers Mrs. Kirwin because she didnt treat her differently. Marguerite experiences one final act of equality when she runs away from her father. She discovers a mix of young teens consisting of several races working together in equality. They give her certain rules that allow her to appreciate diversity and how everyone is the same. For example, everyone must work and put in an equal amount of effort to survive. Like the American Dream, everyone living in the junkyard is equal and treated fairly. There was no oppression or segregation when Marguerite lived in the junkyard. As it says in The Declaration of Independence, every American citizen is endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. In chapter 19, the Store is filled people listening to the boxing match with Joe Louis, a hero from the black population. When he wins, Marguerite feels that he proved that black people are powerful people. The black population develops a sense of hope, feeling that things will start to change because Joe Louis made a difference and because he is a black man. They feel as if they finally took a stand to all the unjust lynching and discrimination against blacks. Near the end of the story, Marguerite becomes the first black person to have a job as a streetcar conductor. At first, there was a policy forbidding any black person to have this job, but Marguerite fights and against all odds, she is successful. This proves that regardless of social standing, one can achieve what they desire if he or she really wants it. Just as us Americans fought for freedom, Marguerite fought for equality.

Discrimination in Academia and Affirmative Action

Discrimination in Academia and Affirmative Action Mitch Shea Affirmative Action Principles:  Discrimination in Academia Affirmative Action, as defined by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, is distinguishable as the positive steps taken to increase the representation of women and minorities in areas of employment, education, and culture from which they have been historically excluded. [1] Accordingly, the fairness of Affirmative Action principles has repeatedly been called into question, not just within the United States, but global as well. These arguments for and against Affirmative Action and its subsequent principles are in constant debate, both morally and politically. These debates often mirror those of academics, both for and against-those arguing for the need of Affirmative action and its positive effect on social unity and distributive justice, and those arguing upon political principle, often referencing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, quoting Title VI and Title VII. Throughout history, Affirmative Action principles and subsequent political literature and court rulings have been identified as a process or evolution-definitional, in a sense, by local and federal court systems. In less than a decade after the creation and ratification of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Supreme Court contributed heavily to the molding of Affirmative Action and its principles [2]. In short, the Supreme Court ruled that all institutions would need to assess or reassess their institutional practice and policies related to the exclusionary practice not necessary to an institutions activities [2]. This ruling gave a definitional meaning to Affirmative Action that had been lacking previously. It gave distinctiveness to the main role and principle behind Affirmative Action that stated the purpose of which was to not necessarily compensate for past occurrences of unjustness, but rather to direct compliance with nondiscrimination as defined by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This paper aims to call into question Nebraska Initiative 424 and the possible snowball effects it might have on private and public academic discrimination, both locally and nationally. In the election of 2008, the state of Nebraska voted (58%) to effectively ban Affirmative Action at the state governmental level, prohibiting the state from granting Affirmative Action principles to prohibit the state from discriminating against, or granting preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting [3], [4]. Several arguments in favor of the initiative have been put into place and are ongoing including those identifying the anti-discriminatory laws supposedly favoring racial preferences having the same discrimination-like effects that their very role was designed to incapacitate [5]. Other constituents argued that Affirmative Action principles in the state of Nebraska explicitly understated the states motto: Equality Before the Law. Several more arguments ensued including the undermining of minority achievement, causes a mismatch effect of qualified and underqualified students in higher education, and the lowering of statewide standards in a multitude of private and public settings [5]. When discussing Affirmative Action principles, it is difficult to view the objectivity of the arguments for and against them and the government regulations related to them; however, Affirmative Action principles are existent and have been presented in such a manner that cannot be understated. It is necessary to break stereotypes, providing new opportunities and introductions to undiscovered possibilities for minorities, gives the needed boost for disadvantaged students to succeed as they rightfully should both in education and the workplace, increase and maintain minority enrollment in higher education, and provide cultural diversity that the United States, the Worlds Melting Pot, was built upon. Nebraska Initiative 424 is part of a general push against Affirmative Action. This has been seen in many other states including California, Texas, Washington, and Michigan. In fact, of the 8 states that have set in place amendments similar to that of Nebraska Initiative 424, a total of 29% o f the learning population resides in them [6]. So why should Affirmative Action principles remain in place and be the standard bearer of civil liberties and rights? Affirmative Action promotes equality. It basically states that guidelines and steps must be taken to guarantee equal opportunity in the workplace and in education. Attempting to create an even playing field does not mean that Affirmative Action is anti-white or anti-male. This is a misnomer or misinterpretation of the roles of Affirmative Action. The role that Affirmative Action plays, has played, and should continue to always play is the dismantling of discriminatory practicing through increased representation, improved equality and access, and equal opportunity at every age. Affirmative Action does not pull down, but rather builds up. First, take the impact of the banning of Affirmative Action through amendments like Nebraskas Nebraska Initiative 424. In a 2014 study on the Changes in Levels of Affirmative Action in College Admissions in Response to Statewide Bans and Judicial Rulings by G. Blume and M. Long, it was identified that the decline in affirmative actionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦affects not only students in these states but also those students who live in adjacent states, particularly when the adjacent states lack highly selective colleges [7]. The study analyzed the extent to which universities changed the weight placed directly on the applicant being a minority [7]. The extent to which minorities were affected in terms of acceptance in the banned Affirmative Action states was much more than that in other states (a 23% drop in minority admission v. 1% drop in other states) [7]. The importance of understanding racial diversity falls upon the educational system, but has a fundamental basis in employment as well. This is because workplace behavior has a broader range of perspective viewpoints for analyzing Affirmative Action-related outcomes. F. Kurtulus found that Affirmative Action ban within some states resulted in declines in Asian and Black female and Hispanic male representation (this data was representative of minorities employed in state and local governments) [8]. Although objectively understanding the changes is still vitally important, as it was observed the drastic change in Asian female representation was limited to the first year of implementation due to the small number of Asian females in legislative and governmental roles [8]. The paper summarizes a significant loss in workplace diversity, directly contradicting opposition to Affirmative Action. This data can be expected to be somewhat related to that of which is seen in academia. Secondly, the relevance of racial diversity, or lack thereof, in medical school matriculation should be one of importance to the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The statewide laws banning the consideration of race in postsecondary admissions pose serious obstacles for the medical profession to address the health-care crisis facing the nation [9]. The overall percentage of racial minority representation in the medical field falls below that of what should be expected. Roughly half as many African Americans and Latinos are represented within medicine than should really be. Accordingly, it equates to a 17.2% decline in the first time matriculation of underrepresented student populations in public medical schools [9]. It is feared that the decline in the number of minorities populating medical schools will further exacerbate the already present shortage of physicians, especially in heavily populated minority communities. The answer to which is unclear for states that have effectiv ely banned Affirmative Action principles. The needed compensation for such lack of representation needs to be answered as the physician shortage only increases and underserved communities face the most difficult of challenges. Finally, there is the underlying responsibility for racial disparity, both globally and locally. In universities from states that have adopted Affirmative Action-related bans or amendments with anti-Affirmative Action-related language, sufficient differences in matriculation and enrollment have occurred. Accordingly, K. West-Faulcon writes that racial disparities in admissions rates for universities that have undergone state-litigated anti-Affirmative Action principles changes in admissions, could be deemed unsatisfactory within federal regulation standards and thus be liable in future cases taken up against these universities [10]. This implies possible future avenues that could be reached for universities to bypass state level anti-Affirmative Action laws and regulations [10]. Which in and of itself shows that the evolution of Affirmative Action principles go both ways, but nonetheless are very much still needed in this day and age. References [1] https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/affirmative-action/ [2] https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/civil-rights-act/legal-events-timeline.html [3] https://web.archive.org/web/20081107110152/http://www.nebraskacri.org/ballotlanguage.html [4] http://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/articles.php?article=I-30 [5] https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122445872052148477 [6] https://tcf.org/content/commentary/what-can-we-learn-from-states-that-ban-affirmative-action/ [7] http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.3102/0162373713508810 [8] http://gap.hks.harvard.edu/impact-eliminating-affirmative-action-minority-and-female-employment-natural-experiment-approach [9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4454423/ [10] https://www.law.upenn.edu/live/files/101-westfaulcon157upalrev10752009pdf

A business analysis project for Amazon.com

A business analysis project for Amazon.com INTRODUCTION Business analysis, a process of finding the needs and problems in business and generating solutions to cater to those problems. These Solutions should focus to achieve improvements in the process, incorporation of organisational change, planning and development to set a system of operation that is result oriented and effective. There are numerous tools and techniques used depending on the situation and requirement; few are PESTEL, PORTERs model, SWOT analysis, HEPTALYSIS, MOST, CATWOE, DeBonos six thinking hats, MoSCoW, five whys, VPEC-T and more; however only few of the above tools are used, very frequently in critical analysis at the initial stages. ABSTRACT In this case we analyze as how Amazon.com has been performing off late, using the tools mentioned above. The advantages and disadvantages Amazon.com has over their competitors, where they have been lagging, their financial performance and strategic approach. Critical analysis will be done on their business environment and strategic approach to highlight any possible shortfalls and to provide with appropriate recommendations for improvements. Internal and external analysis will be undertaken to determine their marketing strategy, their response to global e-retailing industry. COMPANY PROFILE Amazon.com based in Washington and found by Jeff Bezos in 1994 is global leader in e-commerce and it was the first company to introduce the concept of selling goods on the Internet. Initially Amazon.com started as an online bookstore and its success led Amazon to diversify into other products such as gifts, music, electronics, groceries, toys and many more. Probably today there is no product that Amazon.com doesnt sell. Amazon.com has developed different internet portal sites for different countries such as Canada, UK, Germany, France, China and Japan. Amazon.com was named after worlds largest river Amazon and was assigned with a logo of an arrow starting from A to Z representing the customer satisfaction as the highest priority and fill their store houses with every product in the alphabet. Amazon.com was open for trading under NASDAQ with a symbol AMZN for the first time on 15 may, 1997 by issuing initial public offering at a price of US $ 18/share. Amazon.com in its early stages was not very successful and did not produce any profits, which made investors rethink about their portfolio, major business and process restructuring was required; they had to cut down their costs to increase the profits and were tied up from diversifying into more products, however Amazon.com survived the dot com bubble in 2000 which was the core reason for many e- businesses to close down and this was the turning point for Amazon.com after which they finally in the fourth quarter, 2001 they made their first profit which generated revenues of more than a billion$ and $ 5million profits in just 1 quarter. This led Amazon.com to prove to the world that their business model was profitable and also they popularized online shopping which was recognized by time magazine and awarded Jeff as the business person of the year. 1.3. MISSION VISION STATEMENTS Amazon.com vision: Our vision is to be earths most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online. (Amazon.com, 2010) Above statement reflects that amazon.com wants to be global leader in e-retailing business by providing the quality products at affordable price using latest technology to build the customer database and gain their loyalty towards the brand; thereby catering to the stakeholders interests and generating profits to the company. Expand themselves all over and build a virtual market place where customers can shop comfortably from at home. ANALYSIS 2.1. EXERNAL ANALYSIS The external environment also referred to as the macro-environment, plays a very important role in the operations of any business. Key environmental factors such as political, economical, social, technological, legal, etc. affect the organisations at various levels. It has become the need of the hour to consider the potential impact of the external factors on the individual organisations. (Johnson et al, 2006). 2.1.1 PESTEL analysis PESTEL analysis is conducted to determine current and future trends in political, economical, social, legal, environmental and technological environments, might influence the performance of business and what measures to be taken to avoid any shortfalls. PESTEL Factors Key Points Relevance to Amazon.com Political Government policies incorporate competition and promotion by liberalizing telecom and e-commerce legislation Increase in affordability and internet usage. Investing in national ICT infrastructures by government (Euro monitor) Reliable, faster and better internet usage for the national users. Relaxation of competition policies in industry as compared to heavy industries in EU and North American regions Expansion of markets at greater a pace by mergers and acquisitions. Economic To control inflation, interest rates varied which slows down the consumer spending in UK. Off late spending has seen a downfall in US and rise in Asian markets due to economic growth; main reason being the credit crunch and tightening the housing loan (The Times online, 2008) Opens the gates to other global markets to such as India and china. Between 2006 and 2011 e-retailing grows tremendously by rising sales over 100%. This growth is backed by increase in the number of internet users in US, which has increased approximately by 85% after 2000. (Euromonitor International from national statistics) Increase in potential customers for Amazon.com The annual disposable income exceeds US$5,000. by 2011 covering around 620 million households; of these majority will be in Asia- Pacific next to western Europe. (Euro monitor International from national statistics) Increase in potential customers for Amazon.com leading to the concept of globalization. Social Popularity and increased use of online social networking. Added advantage to market the product and the website Interface available for users to shop and the increase in number of products lead to drop in online shopping. Has to come up with a solution to reduce the security and financial risks to users. Growth of internet from 2002 to 2011 is 288.7%. 28.9% of world population use the internet (Internet World Stats, 2009) Huge market available to exploit and establish. Technological Innovation of latest technologies increased broadcasting, internet access at cheaper cost. Increase in number of users of technical devices such as mobile, iPods, TV, led for increase in internet access for online shopping. Innovations and development of high-speed internet services (broadband) has increased usage rich media applications. Rich media applications are easily available to shoppers on internet. Environmental Awareness about pollution and global warming. Reduced travel and more shopping online. Corporate social responsibility and global pressure to go green. Can incorporate concept of green within postage and packaging, methods. Legal No standard regulations governing e-retailing covering entire globe. Eg. Federal trade commission in USA and data protection act in UK. Should be well aware of both domestic and international legal laws. European E-retailing directive Could impact the cross continental growth of e-retailing considering strict regulations (Jacobson, 2008 as cited in Zugelder et al, 1999). The invention of electronic signatures Law. Removes traditional legal methodologies and instate more secure and transparent legal environment. Summary of PESTEL PESTEL factors indicate attractive global market to be exploited by Amazon.com. Asian markets have reflected tremendous growth opportunities in recent past. Advancement and usage of internet for social networking has led to new opportunities to be exploited. Amazon.com should support environment friendly actions as increased importance is been given to environment these days, also to be a true global company Amazon.com has to incorporate single global strategy which involves legalities common to all of the globe. 2.1.2 Industry competitor analysis (PORTERs Model) For any organisation the industry and competitor analysis is important as it comes handy for businesses to understand the competitive forces, market status, factors influencing, competitive strategic implementations. Porters Five Forces analysis is used to assess the attractiveness of different industries, and therefore, it can help in illustrating the sources of competition in a particular industry (Johnson et al, 2006). Porters five forces High Low Power of suppliers Suppliers retain the control as few brands and special products increase the cost down the network. For example Harry Potter books are exclusive from publisher which is an advantage for Amazon.com E- Retailing sets a stage and makes it much easier for businesses to sell products directly to consumers without any third party in-between. Power of suppliers rise if the control of certain type of products rests with one supplier than fragmented. Products available easily pose low power to suppliers and they have to act to a mower margin. Wider the market, wider is the scope for suppliers thereby increasing number of suppliers. Power of buyer Increased market competition has increased the power of buyers. Increase in number of online stores and comparison sites makes e-retailing business even more difficult. Threat of new entrants Initial capital required for such a business is very low as it doesnt involve any inventory and storage costs and will only need to implement technology Strong brand image incorporates good customer relations and trust. Since the competition is very tight the suppliers who emphasize on economies of scale and consider business turnover over profits make more business and profits in the long run Leaders in the online retail industry hold the advantage of customer loyalty and database while giving edge over the cost. Threat of Substitutes Latest marketing factors such as feel, touch, hear physical stores; makes an effect. One of the major threats to Amazon.com is online rentals instead of purchase as posed by texbookflix.com, bookrenter.com which reduces cost and pile of trash to a major extent. Internet is a global marketplace where consumers can get information and products which are much better in quality and from overseas online for no or very little cost. E-libraries, $ and pound shops mark greater threat nowadays. Mail orders, network marketing, catalogues although not very popular and effective yet pose threat to online buying Competitive Rivalry Search engine plays a major role at the consumer end for it acts as interface between seller and buyer which generates opportunities and PR to other e-retailers. Due to low initial investment costs there are a numerous affiliate online stores which are smaller still increase the competition. Summary of key findings from Porters Five Forces The competition in e-retailing industry is intense. There are number of small organizations adding frequently making the situation even worse. Main competitors to Amazon.com are BN and E-bay. The threat posed by small players and new entrants who can equally compete directly with Amazon.com is very low. When consumers consider prices of goods they also consider brand image and if they are reliable, most of customers expect quality service than just quantity and lower priced service. 2.1.3 Competitor analysis / Benchmarking Amazon.com has a wide product range and equally wide number of websites that compete with Amazon.com. Most of the e-retailers concentrate on introducing variety of products in the current available market or entering the new markets across the globe or both in order to maintain economies of scale which helps catch up with the pace of e-commerce industry. If we consider how diversified the product line is and the geographical markets catered, eBay poses direct competition to Amazon.com. However Amazon.com is the market leader in current trend and they have immediate urgency to expand both their product line and geographical reach to remain as leaders. As we can notice in the above graph, in 2006 Amazon.coms growth rate as compared to that of walmart was very low because walmart was a strong brand by then and had advantages of cross channel synergies and in-store pick up. In 2007 we observe the amazon getting closer to walmarts growth rateas they diversified into products such as music, cds, dvds, mp3 players and more; due to increased competition from these players walmart has been losing its market share continuously and however once can see that by 2008 Amazon.com is almost overtaken the walmart by providing with various offers such as free delivery and customer reviews. (Source: Data monitor) The above table shows position of Amazon.com but they are more diversified into the product line and geographically well spread. Companies like apple, hp, and dell do online retailing only for focussed group of products. However store based companies grew very strongly in 2008, but due to economical, hit not too many companies was able to survive. Amazon.com did by lowering delivery charges and provided with best offers. They also introduced ad-free TV and own download service and film streaming service in 2008 to outplay all of their competitors. Through competitor analysis it can be concluded that BN.com is the leading competitor to Amazon in lifestyle goods and books. However, Amazon has a diversified product range. Wal-Mart.com has almost similar prices as compared to Amazon but they have better product range such as pharmacy, photo printing and etc. Ebay.com also has a wider product range and better geographical reach but their concept is different to Amazon.com More competitive threat posed by Tesco, Wal-Mart as they have physical stores and eBay has better geographical reach, but however Amazon.com has option to develop the strategic alliances as they did in Japan with Lawson to capture the market. Amazon.com has to design its strategies to address these competitive threats. 2.1.4 Global internet trends Internet Usage: china, US, Germany, India, Brazil, Japan are amongst the top 5 countries where internet is used the most; Amazon.com has made its impact in all the above countries except for India. This implies and directs Amazon.com to exploit hidden opportunity in Asian market and huge business potential for future. Graph below shows the popularity of internet in the 21st century, which indicates the future of e-commerce as trends keep changing. C:UsersWELCOMEDesktoptop202010.jpeg (Source: Worldinternetstats.com) The graph below shows the dominance of Amazon.com sector wise. The balloon shows of all the business done by amazon.com majority has been in internet retailing; direct selling, vending and home shopping is almost void. This reflects the influence of internet on the business of Amazon.com. It is also seen below emerging markets and present markets where currently Amazon.com has its presence. Of all the retail sales value Amazon.com holds a very small share but then future trends look brighter as the CAGR expected is highest in India by 2011. This lays a pathway to Amazon.com as to establish themselves without any delay in India. (Source: Data monitor) (Source: Data monitor) 2.2. INTERNAL ANALYSIS Internal analysis can be conducted to determine relationship between the organizations available resources and its application to generate value proposition to the customer, it can also be used to determine the limitations, advantages and disadvantages within the organizations. 2.2.1 The Value Chain The value chain analysis helps determining the effectiveness of actions that makes organizations standout from their competitors and take a lead; i.e. activities that are difficult to duplicate. Applying the framework laid by Amit and Zott (2001) analytical objective of value chain is attaining of transaction cost economies value creation. Amazon.com focuses on reducing the costs in creating unique value to its customers. Support Activities Value creation Firm Infrastructure All of the business units are provided with central customer data warehouse; and planning functions from headquarters. Human Resource Management Amazon.com employees enjoy benefits such as stock grants, relocation allowances, paid Time off medical. Such an approach invites warehouses to be in cheaper locations yet attract skilled labour. Technology Development Amazon.com implements latest technology to leverage opportunities in digital sales such as videos, music, eBooks (The Economist, August 2006) Being able to digitize media for online download or for Search inside the book service. Usage of hardware systems to reduce cost of maintenance and compatibility Procurement Using the SBU-Book bank to maintain inventory of digital copies of books so as to make it available readily for customers on-demand and reduce time of delivery (The Economist, August 2008). Usage of recyclable cardboards for packaging. Primary Activities Inbound logistics Robust forecasting technology ensures no or very returns of goods to suppliers. Collection of customer feedback and experiences to defragment inventory and delivery controls. Operations Secure and fast online payment systems. Employ 24/7 warehouse services to meet consumer demands. Outbound logistics Built in close proximity of a robust transport system e.g. Bedfordshire fulfillment centre located next to M1. Ability to collate orders from around same locations. Marketing Sales Live customer interaction to offer suitable products at discounted prices and product mix, leaving customer feel more valued. Robust shipping price calculation and shipping all the products for the price of one. Service Free consumer friendly returns policy within 30 days on unsatisfaction, inviting consumers to try more new products. Provision to select between old and new products with price comparison 2.2.2 Financial analysis In Q4 2009, Amazon reported 42%, $9.52b rise in sales as compared to worldwide sales of previous year which was $24.51b, a mere 28% rise under the economic pressure; they also benefitted from the investments into customer services in Q3; however rise in their revenues all over the world doesnt imply high profit margins. As compared to the consistent rise in sales, the profits have been fluctuating, however their margins are very low as compared to the turnover, reason being the economies of scale and competition. (Source: GMID) Amazon.com did see a drastic rise in number of active customers in latter half of 2009, in the final quarter the average revenue/ customer rise more than $90, a mere 63% hike as compared to previous quarters. However rise in sales and number of active customers also rise their expenses significantly except for technology costs. $274m, 84% more as compared to previous quarter was spent on marketing activities. They invested money on paid search engine marketing, search engine optimization and content development. Also they entered into price war with their competitors to tie-up consumers by reducing their prices of electronic goods persuading consumers to buy from them which raised the revenues and number of customers. Amazon Global Revenue and Active Customers 2009 (www.365daysofretail.com) Amazon 2009 Expenses: Fulfillment, Technology, and Marketing (www.365daysofretail.com) Below shows a summary of balance sheet and income statements for 10 years, as we can observe amazon.com has been adding value to its stakeholders year on year where EPS has rised to 2.04 from 1.49 previous year. Amazon.com has been very consistent ear on tear however between 2005-2006 their EBIT dropped because they had high budget on marketing and investment in systems which allowed them to stay ahead of competitors. C:UsersWELCOMEDesktop11.bmp C:UsersWELCOMEDesktop12.bmp (www.msnfinance.com) Debt, Capital and gearing ratio indicates the ratio of debt to capital invested. 82% of the finance was from borrowing in 2005 which reduced to 68% in 2006 and has further reduced dramatically. Debts lead to the interest payments decreasing the profit margin, however if the cost of debt is less than capital cost then one can opt for debt, but Amazon has been continuously reducing their debt cost year o year and is just $109m in 2009. New projects has to be financed which emphasizes amazon.com to borrow, this can be justified by the data where interest cover has increased regularly concluding amazon.com ability to pay interest by 33.1 times is profitable. Amazon has huge financial reserves and can used for innovative research and development programs and technological implementations where they can incorporate single global strategy and also penetrate more geographic markets to create value to the stakeholders and customers. 2.3 SUMMARY OF ANALYSIS 2.3.1 SWOT analysis From a detailed Internal and external analysis we can conclude and summarize the Amazon.com strengths, weakness, threats and opportunities from the following SWOT analysis. Strengths Globally recognised brand Research and development programmes Geographical presence Customer focussed vision Diversified product line Incorporation of latest technology Amazon.com affiliate and merchant Program Highly skilled employee base Best inventory and logistics. Huge economies of scale Weaknesses No physical stores Lower profit margin due to high competition Low cash flows Lower market share in countries like India and china. Opportunities Tremendous growth in digital downloads Popularity of social networking Increase of online shoppers in Asian markets Open options for expansion via MA. Increase in e sales and growth of e-retailing Advancement of digital technology Rise in consumer spending across the globe Threats Vastly dependent on vendors Huge competition as it requires low capital Applicable Patent regulations. Piracy Concentrated business vision. CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 CONCLUSIONS Analysis tool Key point Strategic essence PESTEL Rise in number of internet users. High priority to environmental issues Various government policies aiding now than before. Rise in internet usage opens new markets like china and India. Environmental issues can be utilized to advantage by incorporating proper CSR. Legal and government policies usually are havoc. Porters 5 forces Rise in competition levels taking into consideration the porters five forces. Amazon.com has the competitive advantage and the value proposition. Competition Competition from new entrants and stores are growing at a very high pace and geographically. Amazon.com strategy and diversified business focus leading to innovation should be implemented. Future internet trends USA, China, Japan, Germany, Brazil and India are the top internet users between 2006-2011. Amazon.com has a presence in all these countries except in India. The value chain Amazon.com is equipped with global IT, high investments in technology and systematic logistics with a centralized management. This stands out Amazon.com from other players in the market hence they should hold the competitive advantage of brand image. Resource Based View Biggest asset of Amazon.com is customer base, web personalization and value proposition they offer to their customer. Utilize the available resources, technology and global strategic reach to outplay competitors. Financial Analysis Rise in revenue every year and %CAGR growth has not led to high profits. Manage costs, resources and economies of scale more effectively to generate more profits 3.2 RECOMMENDATIONS Long-term focus Internet retailing presents a challenge to traditional retailing to see increased investments from store based retailers such as wal-mart making it more crucial for amazon.com to maintain a long term vision and invest in innovation, customer experience, diversified product range in spite of profit maximization expectations. Exploit New Markets Amazon.com should consider entering into more new markets especially Asian where the buying power, standard of living and the demand has rised dramatically over past few years as global economic changes take place. Downloads Expansion Amazons core business in future will be digital downloads, although they were latecomer in the field of film, music, TV downloads they have to cater to the demand in a highly competitive market along with their diversified product line. Also they have to concentrate on eBooks media division. Sensitivity to changing variables It is very important for amazon.com to be sensitive to the minor particulars such as changing trends, tastes, preferences of consumers from time to time as the purchasing power and changing lifestyles generate more demand leaving companies like Amazon.com to respond hence such a market research and imagination will be an advantage. Build selling opportunities Amazon.com should seek ways to sell products to customers with less havoc, instantly and securely as they did in text message selling without internet. In order to achieve this they need to have high end technical skills. Recently released kindle can also be used as a tool to increase the download sales.

Review of Platos The Allegory of the Cave :: World Literature

In Plato's "The Allegory of the Cave," Socrates tells an allegory of the hardship of understanding reality. Socrates compares a prisoner of an underground cave who is exploring a new world he never knew of to people who are trying to find a place of wisdom in reality. According to Socrates, most people tend to rely on their senses too much and believe the world as it is appeared to our sight. In order to free our souls from this mental prison, Socrates suggests that we should go through a phase that does not only prepare ourselves for the real world but also prevent us from heading to the wrong direction to seek the truth - education. In conclusion, Socrates believes those who have reached a higher level of knowledge and wisdom should bear a responsibility to lead the community and improve it because they are blessed with better education and are able to enjoy a different reward than the power to control others like most politicians do. Two thousand years after Plato has written down the allegory, it is amazing how we can still relate it to our everyday lives. As Plato wrote in "The Allegory of the Cave," education is a very important phase that leads us to wisdom and helps us to get accustomed to the real world with less difficulty. Apparently, this theory has proven to be correct for the past two thousand years. Until today, those of higher wisdoms are mostly people who have mastered a thorough and solid education; and they certainly have become the leaders of the community who share their knowledge and enlighten many people. We can also find Plato's theory on rulers of countries relevant to the world today.

Comparison of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Comparison of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn were both characters created by Mark Twain. Tom Sawyer is the main character in the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn is the main character in the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer were alike in many ways but they were also very different. One way in which Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer are alike is that they are both very brave. In the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck and Jim see a steamboat that had wrecked on the rocks and decide to check it out. Huck thinks that there will be lots of things on the wrecked boat for them to filch. Jim was a little nervous about infringing but Huck said that if Tom were there, he would have gone. Once they were on the boat they saw a fight. Huck was scared but he knew that if Tom were there he wouldn’t back out, so Huck wasn’t going to either. Another way that Tom and Huck are alike is that they are both always getting themselves into trouble. It seems that where ever they go, trouble follows them. They are also both interlopers and very fractious. Both of the boys are also very erudite (smart). In the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck tricked the two men with guns out of finding Jim. He told the two men that it was his father back on the raft. When they said that they were going to go see for themselves Huck replied, â€Å" ...

Cognitive Development Study Essay -- Piaget’s Theory of Development

Introduction The purpose of this study is to analyse, in a practical way, the theories and concepts of cognitive development, across different age-related stages. Using Piaget’s theory of development, the cognitive ability of two subjects, aged 4 and 18 years, are examined against the milestones of the respective preoperational and formal operational development stages. Cognitive ability is determined by focusing on the subject’s capability and rationale to group 20 different objects. Based on the research outcomes, comparisons will be made to Piaget’s theory and the expected learning ability at their age-related development stage. Jean Piaget was considered a pioneer in cognitive research. Piaget developed his theory of cognitive development based on the sequence of changes that occur to the cognition of a person as they mature. Piaget believed that older children not only know quantitatively more than younger ones, but actually think in qualitatively different ways. Children and adults are thought to possess an inbuilt ability to experiences organise their knowledge and into schemes (Lambert, 2007). Jean Piaget defined schemes as both internalised behavioural patterns and mental understanding (Piaget, 1963, as cited in Berk, 2009). People are thought to actively seek knowledge and information from the surrounding environment and absorb or process this information using schemes. New knowledge is built on existing knowledge and as a person becomes older these schemes become increasingly more complex. This knowledge adds to a person’s intelligence providing them with an adaptation to succeed or survive in the world (Piaget, 1963, as cited in Berk, 2009). Through this reasoning, Piaget determined that learning occurred across ... ...nstra, G., Koelen, M., Kok, F., and Graaf, C. (2007) Cognitive development and children's perceptions of fruit and vegetables; a qualitative study. International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2007;4: 30. Published online 2007 July 9. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-4-30 BioMed Central. Web. 12 May 2015. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1941844/ Schaffer HR. Introducing child psychology. UK Edition. Oxford , Blackwell Publishers; 2003. p.352. Berk, L E (2009). Child Development. Pearson International Edition. 8th Edition. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Lambert, B. (2007). Cognitive Schemes and Scripts: Research Evidence from Children’s Drawings. NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 10, pp. 69 – 80. Cunningham, D. (1996). Jean Piaget’s Genetic Epistemology. Web. 12 May 2015. http://home.gwu.edu/~mcorry/corry2.htm

Psychological Inquiry Essay

Discuss the role of the researcher in psychological inquiry, referring to at least two of Heuristic and hermeneutics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The role of the researcher in psychological inquiry has traditionally focused on the manner and means of developing valid and reliable general knowledge about the human realm.   The researcher is concerned with working out a step-by-step method that, if he will follow properly, would assure the correctness of his findings.   The researcher should include using a statistical analysis method that infers the general characteristics of a population by examining only a limited number of its members.   Then, implicit in this kind of psychological inquiry is that the researcher should apply its generalized knowledge in particular situations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition, the researcher should produce valid and reliable general knowledge.   The logic of practice inquiry assumed in this move is that the psychological inquiry consists of determining which set of therapeutic techniques work with the kind of client being treated.   As well be developed, the researcher should based not on a general to specific logic, but on a contextualized dialogic between a particular researcher and a particular client.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the main, psychology has held that psychological inquiry should consist of applying the knowledge that is generated by research inquiries. Psychological research, following models of research developed for the physical and biological sciences, aims at discovering the consistent and regular relations that hold across human behaviors, thoughts and feelings. It produces generalized knowledge claims in a logical form: ‘If a person is a member of a category (e.g. phobic), then he/she will likely respond in a specific manner to an environmental event (e.g. cognitive restructuring).’ This understanding of the researchers` role simply involves determining the category of which the client is an instance (diagnosis) and then utilizing those research-established techniques that have been found to produce the desired outcome for this kind of client.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This traditional role of researcher – the application of research-developed general knowledge to specific situations- misdescribes the way researchers actually work with the research. Researchers work in particular situations with a particular study.   Practice inquiry role of the researcher, is for the most part, carried out without conscious deliberation about what should be done. The researcher should have the role of an ongoing conversation.   When researchers` non-deliberative   activities appear not to advance the study toward their goals, researchers engage in practical problem-solving.   Researchers` performances are informed by their practical knowledge rather than by research-generated generalized knowledge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Researchers consistently report (e.g. Marten & Heimberg, 1995; Stiles, 1992) that they rarely look to generalized research findings in determining what they do with the inquiry.   Instead, their actions draw on their own experiences, their discussions with other researchers, and clinically based literature.   The gap between the traditional model of application and psychological practice has been problematic, if not embarrassing, for the discipline.   The discipline’s call that researchers limit their therapeutic actions to empirically validated sets of techniques (Nathan & Goran, 1998) continues the traditional model of application.   An alternate direction for psychology is inquiry that actually researchers` activity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Two basic philosophical responses, the heuristics and hermeneutics, were proposed to the notion that there can be no certain knowledge. French postmodernists such as Deleuze and Gutari (1987) and Foucault (1979) are heuristics.   They counseled that people resist the constriction of possibilities that inheres in the belief in certain knowledge.   The awareness that knowledge is uncertain provides a release form the restraining power of culturally imposed norms clothed as necessary, natural or universal knowledge (Bernstein, 1992).   The end of epistemology makes it possible for people to destabilize and subvert culturally dominant forces and thereby gain power over their own self-formation.   The concern of the heuristics was a prescription of how to live in a world without certainties (McGowan, 1991). The hermeneutics involved a shift from instruction about how to live without certainty. That is, how     people practically deal with the world and others to accomplish everyday tasks and achieve their goals, even though their knowledge is not certain.   Because of the postmodern rejection of the notion that true knowledge can be methodologically generated, the study of researcher inquiry becomes essential.   If the research inquiry does not produce trustworthy knowledge, the notion that practice should consist of application of this knowledge to a particular situations is undercut.   The philosophical study of how people inquire about what to do focuses on the everyday activities in which people are engaged and not specifically on inquiry in psychological practice.   The two most important philosophers to study people’s everyday inquiry are Heidegger and Gadamer. Heidegger’s Being and Time (1962) was pivotal in bringing Continental philosophy’s attention to everyday inquiry.   Gadamer, who was a student of Heidegger, extended Heidegger’s position to include the study of how everyday understanding takes place.   I am particularly interested in what Gadamer`s hermeneutics to understanding how psychological researchers determine what to say and do. Gadamer mistrusted experimental science, as he understood it.   Weinsheimer (1985) points out that Gadamer`s view of science is of the pre-1960s variety, and that ‘some of his characterizations of the methods of natural science are now no longer tenable’ (p. 20).   Gadamer`s heritage was the continental hermeneutic tradition that reached back to Schleiermacher.     Ã‚  Gadamer advanced from a hermeneutic of text interpretation to a philosophical hermeneutics, that is, a general theory of how people understand and how this understanding informs action. Demonstrate your knowledge of Freud, Jung, Hillman and the philosophical commitments of depth psychology. The term depth psychology is the container for a number of psychologies that concern themselves with the unconscious. Though its existence was known and utilized by mesmerists and hypnotists (Meissner, 2000), the unconscious gained its first scientific foothold in modern times with Freud. However, the psyche recovered its greater depths in Jungian psychology and Hillman’s (1975) archetypal psychology, In all, the rational, intentional human mind, waking consciousness, or gift of reason, is only one player in a much larger field of consciousness. These depth psychologists believe that the ego consciousness, our daytime â€Å"I,† is not the master of the psychological house. They feel this was proven early on by the word association tests (Jung, 1910, 1970), where the individual, after an initial ease with associating words with given prompts, would begin to take extra long for some responses, draw blanks, give answers that rhymed. The unexpected or what went wrong, when taken together would often exhibit a thematic quality, be connected to returning emotions, memories, repressed instincts, which came to be known as the complexes. The word association tests demonstrated that in spite of our intentions, something other, not known to the daytime â€Å"I,† could interfere and participate in our behavior. Over the years, the metaphoric characters and the inner dramas of the complexes led psychologists to call their approach to the psyche a â€Å"poetic basis of mind† (Hillman, 1975, p. xi). Since the appearance of Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams in 1900, the existence of the unconscious has held as a psychological fact. The exact nature of what is in the unconscious is what distinguishes the different depths of the depth psychologies. For Freud, the unconscious contained various forms of instinct and memory in the form of complexes, a personal unconscious that had emotional and somatic/physical attributes. For Jung (1959), that personal unconscious rested upon an even deeper layer, the collective unconscious or the objective psyche, which was far more ancient than an individual lifetime and contained the primordial images, the archetypes. The archetypes featured not only emotional and somatic attributes, but also spiritual and worldly attributes that appeared in vision, dream and synchronicity. Synchronicity is Jung’s word for the meaningful coincidences that are part and parcel of deep psychological experience. For Jung, the objective psyche also contained a guiding, organizing center, the Self, very much like the Hindu Parusha, the God Within. Hillman (1975) wished to keep psychology free from the dogmatism of Jung’s Self. He said that our psychological depths do contain archetypes, but they are best served by an understanding that respects their full autonomy. In other words, for Hillman, the depths are polycentric and if there is a Self, we honor it best by not dictating how it should behave. Hillman pushes archetypal theory to its fullest stature. For him, an archetype and a God, in the classic (e.g., Grecian or polytheistic) sense of the word, are the same. Additionally, he prefers the word soul to the words personal or collective unconscious. Hillman amplified the term â€Å"soul† by using these related words: â€Å"mind, spirit, heart, life, warmth, humanness, personality, individuality, intentionality, essence, innermost purpose, emotion, quality, virtue, morality, sin, wisdom, death, God† (Hillman, 1964, p. 44). Jungian idea of the collective unconscious as the â€Å"most serviceable in the creation of an ecopsychology† (p. 302). Today we call this theory Gala. Earth itself is a living being and through our becoming conscious, she becomes conscious: â€Å"the collective unconscious, at its deepest level, shelters the compacted ecological intelligence of our species, the source from which culture finally unfolds as the self-conscious reflection of nature’s own steadily emergent mindlikeness† (p. 301). Evaluate heuristic and hermeneutics. The heuristic psychology was based on a quite simple idea. The theory was designed to explain the prevalence of cognitive biases in reasoning tasks and the puzzling fact that logical competence demonstrated on one task often failed to be exhibited on another (Evans, 1989). The heuristicanalytic theory proposed that two kinds of cognitive process were involved: heuristic processes, which generated selective representations of problem content, and analytic processes, which derived inferences or judgments from these representations. Biases were accounted for by the proposal that logically relevant information might be omitted or logically irrelevant information included at the heuristic stage. Since analytic reasoning could be applied only to these heuristically formed representations, biases could result. In the revised theory, the heuristic-analytic terminology is retained, with an attempt to define more precisely the nature of the interaction between the two processes and to assist in the generation of experimental predictions about particular reasoning tasks. At the same time, assumptions about dual systems are kept to a minimum. The present account draws heavily on the theory of hypothetical thinking put forward by Evans, Over, and Handley (2003) in an attempt to gain greater understanding of how the analytic (or explicit) system works and how it interacts with the heuristic (or implicit) system. Evans, Over, and Handley (2003) were attempting to advance in more specific terms the idea proposed by Evans and Over (1996) that the analytic system is involved whenever hypothetical thought is required. Hypothetical thinking involves the imagination of possibilities that go beyond the representation of factual knowledge about the world. Examples include hypothesis testing, forecasting, consequential decision making, and (on certain assumptions) deductive reasoning. The relevance principle concerns the generation of mental models and hypotheses by the heuristic system. It refers to the powerful tendency to contextualize all problems with reference to prior knowledge elicited by contextual cues and the current goals that are being pursued. This has been described as the fundamental computational bias by Stanovich (1999), although the term bias should certainly not be taken here in a pejorative sense. Given the notorious frame problem of artificial intelligence, we might describe the fundamental computational bias in computers as the failure to contextualize problems. What Stanovich (1999) is getting at is the fact that we need, in a modern technological society, to be capable also of abstract, decontextualized reasoning, which he believes the analytic system can achieve. Note that the relevance principle contrasts with the principle of truth in the mental model theory (Johnson-Laird & Byrne, 2002), in which it is proposed that people represent only true possibilities. By default, I assume that people represent what is believable or plausible (true is too strong a term) but also that this default can be altered according to context. Our attention can easily be focused on hypotheses that are improbable (buying health insurance to cover emergencies on a particular vacation) or most improbable (thinking about the consequences of life being discovered on Mars). The heuristic-analytic theory does not offer an original or profound solution to the problem of how relevant knowledge is delivered by the heuristic system. However, in our proposals about mental representations, we have drawn on the notion that implicatures may be added to our mental models (Evans & Over, 2004). The discipline called hermeneutics has been thriving for more than 300 years. Hermeneutics has played an increasingly influential role in what PoIkinghorne (1983) calls the â€Å"long debate† in modern times over the proper mode of inquiry in the human sciences. Should they emulate the methods of the natural sciences or develop their own distinctive approach? Are human beings different in kind from objects in the natural world: Are they requiring such a different approach? Hermeneutics as a self-conscious procedure arose in the seventeenth and eighteenth century, concerned mainly with the interpretation of the bible and classic texts. Even though these works were consulted for important insights or truths concerning human life, reflective interpretation was often felt to be required because, as the modern world dawned, they seemed to be products of quite different and somewhat alien cultures of the past. Also, the Reformation had, in many quarters, undermined the Church’s exclusive authority to interohmpret the Bible. Friedrich Schliermacher (1768-1834) broadened the scope of hermeneutics and clarified the role of the famous â€Å"hermeneutic circle,† according to which our understanding of any part of a text, work of art, or individual life is shaped by our initial or assumed understanding of the whole of it, at the same time that our understanding of that whole is continually revised by our encounter with and modified understanding of its parts. Some hermeneutic philosophers (Heidegger, 1962; Gadamer, 1989; Guignon, 1983; Taylor, 1989), sometimes termed ontological hermeneutics, might contribute to a more plausible picture of the world and the place of humans in it that would be open to religious claims and meanings. Also, I will suggest a few key ways in which such an ontology calls for a revised understanding of the aims and methods of the social sciences, including psychology. Finally, I suggest that a hermeneutic perspective gives us insights into what might be the most fruitful kind of interaction between psychology and religion. Some view them as essentially in conflict, of course, while others avoid such conflict by sealing them off from another in separate spheres. Neither approach is very helpful, obviously, to religiously inclined psychologists who want to draw in their work on possibly valid ideas from each realm. At this point, the alternative of seeking an intellectually and spiritually sound â€Å"integration† of religion and psychology beckons. From a hermeneutic standpoint, much of the spirit of this approach seems right on target, but still the idea or theory of integrating these fields seems flawed in important ways that call for rethinking the nature of their interchange. Wilhelm Dilthey (1833-1911) expanded Schliermacher’s ideas into a general theory of interpretation for the human sciences. A strictly naturalistic view of inquiry in the human sciences began to harden with the publication of John Stuart Mill’s influential System of Logic in 1843, which presented a philosophical and logical foundation for empiricism and advocated the use of natural science methods in the study of human phenomenon as the only cure for what Mill thought of as the â€Å"backward state of the moral sciences.† However, Dilthey argued forcefully that we simply do not understand our objects in the â€Å"human studies† or â€Å"human sciences† (Geisteswissenschaften) by subsuming them under general laws. â€Å"We explain nature; man we must understand† (Dilthey, 195.8, p. 144). Rather, in these disciplines we need â€Å"to forge new models for the interpretation of human phenomena †¦ derived from the character of lived experience itself †¦ to be based on categories of ‘meaning’ instead of ‘power,’ history instead of mathematics† (Palmer, 1969, p. 103).1 In these fields, according to Dilthey, we immediately grasp the meaning or import of a work of art or historical event in terms of categories of significance, purpose, or value, through a combined exercise of all our powers of cognitive reflection, empathy, and moral imagination. At the start of the twentieth century, a major transformation in hermeneutic thought took place, reflecting the growing awareness that devising rules for interpreting humans is impossible and that the whole fascination with method is a byproduct of the very scientism being called in question. The result was a shift from seeing hermeneutics as primarily epistemological or methodological, where the aim is developing an art or technique of interpretation, to today’s ontological hermeneutics, which aims to clarify the being of the entities that interpret and understand, namely, ourselves (Richardson, Powers, & Guignon, 1999). An essential part of this transformation involves becoming clear that the aspiration to pristine, a historical standards for understanding, or truly an Archimedean point for discriminating knowledge from illusion and error, is not only unattainable but reflects, in part, questionable and, in a moral or spiritual sense, somewhat inauthentic motives or goals for humans. I hope to suggest some possible reasons for this claim and provide glimpses of an ontological hermeneutic alternative to scientism, dogmatism, and relativism in the remainder of this article, in line with the effort by some leading thinkers and theologians today to â€Å"steer a course between Enlightenment foundationalism and postmodern relativism† (Browning, 2004). References Aziz, R. ( 1990). C. G. Jung’s psvchalogv of religion and syn-chronicity. Albany: SUNY. Coppin, J.(2005)The art of inquiry a depth psychological perspective. Evans. J. ST. B. T., & OVER, D. E. (1996). Rationality and reasoning. Hove, U.K.: Psychology Press. Evans, J. ST. B. T., & OVER, D. E. (1989). Explicit representations in hypothetical thinking. Behavioral & Brain Sciences, 22, 763-764. Evans, J. ST. B. T., OVER, D. E., & HANDLEY, S. J. (2003). A theory of hypothetical thinking. In D. Hardman & L. Maachi (Eds.), Thinking: Psychological perspectives on reasoning, judgement and decision making (pp. 3-22). Chichester, U.K.: Wiley. Frankel. R. (1998). The adolescent psyche: Jungian ami Winnicottian perspectives. New York: Roulledge. Freud. S. (1900/1965). The interpretation of dreams: trans. James Strachey. New York: Avon Books. Gadamer, H. G. (1975). Truth and method. (J. Weinsheimer & D. G. Marshall, Trans.) (Rev. ed.). New York: Continuum. (Original work published 1960) Goertzel. V., & Goertzel, M. G. (1962). Cradles of eminence. Boston: Little, Brown. Hawke, C. (2000). Jung and the postmodern: The interpretation of realities. London: Routledge. Heidegger, M. (1990). Nietzsche (Vois 3 & 4). New York: Harpe rCollins.Hillman, J. (1964). Suicide and the soul. New York: Harper & Row. Hillman, J. (1975). Re-visioning psychology. New York: Harper Colophon Books. Hillman, J. (1983). The bad mother: An archetypal approach. Spring, I, 165-181. Hillman, J. (1996). The soul’s code: In search of character and calling. New York: Random House. Hillman, J. (1999). The force of character and the lasting life. New York: Random House. Jung, C. G. (1910). The association method. American Journal of Psychology, 31, 219- 269. Jung, C. G. (1959). Symbols of transformation. Collected Works (Vol. 5). Princeton, NJ: Bollingen Foundation. Jung, C. G. (1965). Memories, dreams, reflections. New York: Vintage.Jung, C. G. (1970) Collected Works. 18 vols. Princeton, NJ: Bollingen Foundation. Moustakas, C. (1990)Heuristic research design, methodology and applications. Newberry Park,CA: Sage Publications Stanovich, K. E. ( 1999). Who is Rational? Studies of Individual Differences in Reasoning. Mahway, NJ: Erlbaum.