Nature vs nurture Essay

There has always been a big debate on nature verses nurture. It is a debate that is still going on today. Many psychologist and other professions still trying make an agreement for one or the other. I believe that is it both nature and nurture because it cannot be just one overpowering the other. I believe that both nature and nurture intertwine with one another for every human since birth. Psychologists such as Erickson believed that nature determines the sequence of the stages and it sets the limits within which nurture operates. But is this really true? To me it felt that Erickson believed it intertwined some but he was more on the nature side more. I don’t think nature determines it mainly because nurture could do the same thing. It depends on the situation. One of the psychologists that I agree with the most is Vygotsky. Vygotsky is a developmental psychologist. Most developmental psychologist believe that nature and nurture combine to influence development, biological fa ctor play a stronger role in some aspects of development, such as physical development, and environmental factors playing a stronger role in others, such as moral development. His theories are theories that seem to be more relatable and approachable than the other psychologist who are leaning more to nature or more to nurture. Vygotsky views on cognitive development was Intellectual development can only be understood in terms of a child’s historical and cultural context. Also, Development depends on the sign systems that individuals have available to them. Vygotsky assumed that adults could convey children through conversations how their culture interpret and respond to the world. He believed that every culture has transmitted physical and cognitive tools that are used in daily lives. He believed that thoughts and languages become more interdependent in the first five years of a child’s life. There are complex mental processes that begin as a social activity and child are able to transform the processes that they use in a social activity in their own internalization of activity. He believed that children can perform more challenging activities when they have someone there to help them who are more competent (Ormrod,2008). Around the same time Vygotsky was doing this making his own theories, there was another man who was from Russia as well named, Piaget, who had his own ideas. Piaget and Vygotsky were similar in some ways but they also had some differences. Piaget assumed that children are active and motivated learners. He feels that children are curious about  their surroundings. He assumed that children construct knowledge through experience. He believed that they gained this by the physical and social environment, which is critical for cognitive growth. Piaget had his own stages of cognitive development. The first one is sensorimotor, which occurs from birth until the toddler is two years of age. Sensorimotor is when they start forming objec t permanence and they have progress from reflexive to goal-oriented behavior. Second, the preoperational stage which is from age two to seven years old. This is when they develop the ability to use symbol to represent an object. Third, is concrete operational from ages seven to eleven years of age. They are thinking more logically in this stage. They are less egocentric. Lastly, it is formal operation which starts at eleven and goes to adulthood. They are able to think abstract and can solve problems through a system of experimenting (Ormrod, 2008). I believe what Piaget and Vygotsky had implanted because when I am talking to little kids, it is easier to talk to them to see how they see things. Having that open communication as an adult, I get a feeling on where they are coming from and try to go from there. They are things that the environment cannot teach a child. I feel there are things that are already innate in them while they were in the womb and after they came out. It is ver y hard to choose that one conquers the other because they play out equally. Weather it is nature or nurture, it is very important when it comes to human development. It is very clear that they play a big role in everyday life and it will continue to play a role until the day that we pass away. I am a firm believer that both nature and nurture plays a role in life. Everything that Piaget and Vygotsky said is very true. Even other psychologists that are more on the nature side or more on the nurture side, they all bring valid points. References Ormrod, J. E. (2008). Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 6th. Upper Saddle, NJ: Pearson. Merrill, Prentice-Hall. Slavin, R. (2003). Educational Psychology: Theory and Practice and Practice, 7th. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Miller, P. (1983). Theories of Developmental Psychology. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Company. Santrock, J.(1996). Child Development. Dubuque, IA: Brown and Benchmark Publishers.

The Ability of Yeast to Ferment Sugar Molecules

All cells need to have a constant energy supply. The two processes by which this energy is attained from photosynthetic materials to form ATP are cellular respiration and fermentation. (Hyde,2012). Fermentation is a way of harvesting chemical energy that does not require oxygen. (Reece et al. 2012). When the body is deprived of oxygen it will then begin to meet its energy needs through the slow process of fermentation. In our lab we investigated alcoholic fermentation by using yeast, which can flourish in an low energy environment in anaerobic conditions.In this lab our goal was to discover the rate at which yeast will ferment different sized molecules of carbohydrates. In order to perform our experiment we made use of water, glucose, sucrose, and starch. It was hypothesized that glucose, sucrose, then starch would all be used to produce energy during fermentation. Being that glucose is a simple sugar, or monosaccharide, we predicted that glucose would be fermented most quickly. This hypothesis was made based on the idea that glucose is the cell's main source of energy in aerobic cellular respiration. The first step of cellular respiration is glycolysis which breaks down glucose for energy.We predicted that Sucrose would ferment second to glucose since it is a larger molecule composed of glucose and fructose. Finally, we predicted that starch would ferment extremely slow behind all of the other carbohydrates. METHODS AND MATERIALS: On October 31, 2012 in the lab of Greenfield Community College my lab partners, Madeline Hawes, Timothy Walsh and I conducted the following experiment in order to test the effectiveness of yeasts' ability to ferment different carbohydrates. We first filled 6 small flasks with 75 ml of water and 5 drops of phenol red to each flask.Four of these were labeled with the solution that would feed into them and the other two with â€Å"control† and the last with â€Å"increased CO2. † The color of phenol red is orangish-pink wh en there is a neutral pH present. As carbon dioxide is released into this solution from the release of the gas from the yeast filled flasks, the solution turns a light yellow indicating a weak acid. We measured out four weigh boats of 2 grams each of starch and then added 2 grams to each of 4 labeled flasks of 50 ml water, 50 ml Glucose solution, 50 ml Sucrose solution, and 50 ml Starch solution respectively.All of these had been stored in incubators to maintain an optimal temperature of 35 degrees celsius. We put these flasks into our sink which we made into a water bath. We then drained and added hot plate warmed water from a 1000 ml beaker we kept heated in order to maintain the optimal temperature of 35 degrees celsius around the flasks. We swirled the large flasks to mix the solutions and yeast as they sat in the water bath. The flasks containing the yeasts solutions were then stoppered with glass straws and tubings and their extending tubes placed into the matching labeled sma ller flasks adjacent to the sink.I blew through a straw into the flask labeled â€Å"increased CO2. † The phenol red detected the presence of CO2 turning the solution yellow. The â€Å"control† flask was left as a comparison for the remaining yeast filled tubes feeding into the other flasks of phenol red and water. RESULTS: We recorded our first observations at 10 minutes. Just as we hypothesized, the yeast and water experienced no change. In the glucose solution flask, the glucose molecules were being quickly broken down and forming a frothy head, sending a bubble of CO2 through the tube every 2 seconds while turning the phenol red to a light orange.The sucrose solution was bubbling every three seconds and also had turned light orange. At 10 minutes there was no reaction in the Starch solution. The latter data remained consistent with our hypotheses. The glucose solution at 20 minutes was very frothy and bubbly and had turned the phenol red a very light yellow with a consistent bubble through the tube every second indicating a strong presence of CO2. The sucrose, too, had turned light yellow and had continuous bubbles every 2 seconds. The starch had a rare bubble with no noticeable change in the phenol red solution.At the final check in of 40 minutes both the glucose and sucrose had fermented most of the yeast and slowed down on bubbling. The glucose still had the most bubbles occuring. The starch was a lighter pink with little change in the levels of froth in the yeast solution. The water solution still remained completely unchanged. DISCUSSION: Our hypotheses were supported through illustrating that all forms of sugar do provide energy and that glucose, being the smallest molecule, was the most efficient. The control tube contained no sugar and therefore produced no energy. A source of sugar is necessary for glycolysis and fermentation to occur.The strongest presence of carbon dioxide was in glucose, indicated by the bubbles which are a by-pro duct of ethanol fermentation. The rate of fermentation in sucrose was second to glucose and Starch was the least effective at providing a sugar to create energy. The large polysaccharide was difficult for yeast to break down to create the necessary energy that would produce carbon dioxide. Glucose is the most efficient sugar as it is a small monosaccharide which is already the source of energy for the Glycolysis cycle. The largest possible source of error in our experiment is the time in which each solution began its fermentation process.We added the yeast into each flask containing the sugar solutions at staggered times. If this experiment were to be repeated it would be more precise to have four people pour in the yeast and swirl at the exact same time and then stopper the solutions. The only minor inconsistency would be the amount of yeast that was spilled or left in the weigh boats. This could create a discrepancy in the final results. Through this lab I understoodd that in time s of oxygen deprivation the body can still function through the process of fermentation.The yield of 2 ATP molecules is enough to keep muscles contracting for a short period of time when oxygen is scarce. Through the fermentation process NAD+ is regenerated as pyruvate is broken down to CO2 and ethanol. This allows the anaerobic production of 2 ATP molecules. (Reece et al. 2012). In essence, keeping cells alive that may otherwise die without the energy to provide for muscle contractions of the heart.LITERATURE CITED: Reece, Taylor, Simon, Dickey, and Campbell. , Biology: concepts & connections. Pearson Benjamin Cummings, San Francisco, CA. Pgs. 100-101 Hyde, A. October 31, 2012

The White Dog Cafe

After careful consideration of the case, â€Å"Walking the Walk: Putting Social Responsibility into Action at the White Dog Cafe,† we believe that Judy’s main obligation is to find a qualified employee that has the same instrumental values as herself, and who can maintain the company’s philosophy of corporate social responsibility. The chapters used in this proactive social responsibility strategy are â€Å"Management’s Social and Ethical Responsibility† and â€Å"Influence, Power, and Leadership. For White Dog Cafe to be successful and to be able to keep up with their current frantic pace they need to hire multiple managers with equal skills and values as Judy, and balance social responsibility and restaurant quality. If there comes a day that Judy is no longer able to formally lead the organization, her main responsibility is to find ethical advocates with equal management skills that will be a positive reinforcement to the White Dog Cafe, and keep the tradition of Madame Blavatsky’s spirit and commitment to others. Judy’s high involvement within the company leaves her no time to go through the hiring process for when she decides to step down from her position. Being an altruistic manager, Judy is capable of balancing not only an abundant amount of projects and programs for the community but also a four-star restaurant. When the restaurant was first established, Judy had enforced the four-part philosophy to the company; she had made it well known to the employees and influenced the stakeholder audits of what she wanted to accomplish. Even though Judy was able to achieve an immense amount of tasks, it would be more efficient for the company to hire different transformational leaders for specific areas of White Dog Cafe. By promoting several employees to the manager positions, the company can be assured that they will not only thrive in the restaurant, but also in the ethical social responsibility aspect of the company. If Judy were to hire someone outside of the company, White Dog Cafe could risk losing their balance causing an iron law of responsibility. For instance, Ben & Jerry’s and The Body Shop had been bought out by two different companies that did not support the amount of social responsibility that the original companies were known for. This could be avoided by hiring current employees for the management positions because they already understand and abide by the company’s philosophy. By whistle blowing the new managers, the employees, can reassure the existence of the White Dog Cafe’s philosophy, and make certain that the managers understand how reacting with reactive social responsibility strategies is not acceptable. White Dog Cafe needs to promote its enlightened self-interest of community service by letting their customers know what the company is accomplishing; it will open the eyes of their clientele, and may lead to more loyal customers. Through Judy’s legitimate power, employees can promote their projects and programs by hanging wall decor of awards and pictures on their restaurant walls, descriptions on their menus, and a website explaining everything they achieve. Customers come into the restaurant for the exquisite food, exceptional customer service, and friendly atmosphere; however, if White Dog Cafe ever had been bought out by amoral managers, the customers and employees can stand their ground with continuous reinforcement and protest any managers that don’t qualify for the legitimate position that is of importance to the company. In the long-term future, when Judy decides to step-down from her high power position, she will have promoted several managers, creating even more empowerment within the company. By advertising all of their accomplishments and support to their community, White Dog Cafe will gain vast amounts of attention for more than just their service, attracting a wide variety of customers. The White Dog Cafe’s manager position is really stressful with all of the planning and organizing within the company; these managers need to possess emotional intelligence. We believe that with proper leadership skills, and accommodative social responsibility strategies that White Dog Cafe can prosper in Philadelphia’s community.

Statistical Process Control whilst primarily a manufacturing quality Essay

Statistical Process Control whilst primarily a manufacturing quality technique can be usefully applied in service industries - Essay Example According to above lines, delivery of service is being compared in context to expectation of customers and divergence of expected service quality from delivered quality creates the gap. Ladhari (2009) stated that four characteristics of service like intangibility, heterogeneity, perishability and inseparability make it different from manufacturing offering. . Markovic (2006) argued that manufacturing sector should not be compared with service sector because customers might act as co-producer in service delivery process while customer involvement is negligent in manufacturing process. In such context, Khan (2003) stated that intangibility and inseparability make it difficult to control service quality while there are statistical procedures available to manage quality of manufacturing process. In such context, Chakrabarty and Tan (2007) found that unlike the manufacturing sector, it took time for service sector to realize the importance of Statistical Process Control (SPC) in managing quality. Sulek (2004) argued that most of the common statistical control mechanism can also be used in service sector to manage quality but little bit recalibration of the statistical model is needed in order to utilize it accurate manner in service environment. Discussion Six Sigma & Control Chart Antony (2006) defined the term Sigma as the deviation from service performance characteristics mean while objective of deploying Six Sigma in service sector is to reduce the scope of variation and subsequently improve quality. In order to control variation in the service performance, specific control limit is being assigned (SLupper). Aim of the service performance would be not to cross the upper control limit or the maximum tolerance zone (Yilmaz and Chatterjee, 2000). In case of Six Sigma, distance between SLupper and service process mean is equal to six standard deviations and in this way term â€Å"Six Sigma† has been arrived. In case of six sigma process, deviation in service performance caused by external uncontrollable influences would not exceed the limit of 3.4 parts per million or 3.4 times the service process will show defect out of 1 million times (Antony, 2006). Antony (2006) and Hoerl (2001) stated that Six Sigma process can be applied to service processes like order entry, invoicing, shipping, baggage handling, payroll processing etc. On the other hand, Yilmaz and Chatterjee (2000) measured that defect rate in service sector is less than 3.5 sigma quality level which means 23,000 times the service process will show defect out of 1 million times. In such context, applying Six Sigma as SPC would improve the service performance level to 99.38 per cent. Hoerl and Snee (2002 and 2003) identified benefits of deploying Six Sigma in service sector as 1- decrease in service defect rate which would automatically increase cost efficiency in the service process, 2- management decision would be guided by data driven statistical analysis which would decrease the scope of assumption bases errors and 3- decrease in service defect would significantly decrease customer complaints. Some practical examples can be cited in order to highlight usefulness of Six Sigma model in service sectors. Table 1: Practical Evidences of Implementation of Six Sigma in Service Organizations Organization Benefits J P Morgan Chase (Global Investment Banking) Applying Six Sigma model has helped the company to reduce flaws in service delivery

Profiling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Profiling - Research Paper Example In this case, these experts are expected to undertaking their profiling in a way that do not violate people’s privacy or have an aspect of discrimination. In fact, these practices are applied professionally in order to help people as tools for security, through they are based on historical grounds and statistics. Profiling is perceived to have an aspect of discrimination, thus developing controversy around the issue, whereby people think that it should not be undertaken based on gender, race, color and people’s appearances. Therefore, there is nothing right with condemning due to the actions done by other people in the past, who they share similar patterns. This has resulted to case such as people being stopped in the airport for investigation since they share similarities with people who did wrong in the past. On the other hand, the subjects of the profiling should be treated with respect through the provision of an explanation for the profiling, and unless they have done nothing wrong, they are expected to have nothing to hide. A psychological profile can be created through an investigation in the absence of physical evidence or description of eyewitness to supplement with a description. Therefore, the experts apply their knowledge and the things they know about unknown suspect concerning his actions and try to generate information. For instance, in a case involving serial murderer killing female employees in a certain company, the experts may presume that murder is a male former employee or a client. Other issue that has brought controversy relates to racial profiling, which is a practice that has involved a significant risk to the basic principles of the constitution. Racial profiling is perceived to be targeting people of certain skin color through investigations, thus alienating communities and preventing them from participating in policing efforts. This has also caused the law enforcement to lose credibility and trust in the

PROJECT DEFINITION (Final project) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

PROJECT DEFINITION (Final project) - Essay Example The original purpose of the phone conversation was to discuss a possible licensing agreement. However, their conversation led to a discussion of competitive strategy and the idea of a merger between the two companies was broached. (Hoopes, 2004). By next month, all the basics of the deal were formulated and by September first week, the merger was approved by both boards. The merger was expected to yield savings projected to reach $2.5 billion annually by 2004. (Hoopes, 2004). To identify the strategic management issues that arose out at Compaq and Hewlett-Packard respectively in the lead up to the merger in 2001, and the changes in strategic management that resulted after the merger within the newly merged operation. Although Compaq was growing at a good rate as an independent corporation in the server market and retail PCs, as part of strategic management policy it wanted to expand its reach, particularly in the consulting arena. As an important step towards its transition as a consulting power providing corporate solutions, Compaq and its CEO Michael Cappellas utilized the offer put forward by Carly Fiorina. â€Å"Compaq, which has a global services division of almost 40,000 employees, is moving strategically towards IT business solutions in the key markets, where together with HP, they can compete effectively against IBM, Dell, and Sun.† (Cormia, 2002). As Compaq had a strong strategic management policy of expansion into the consulting arena, the merger was the best feasible option for them. HP wanted to include PC assembling and retailing in its ‘resume’ and thereby become a full-service technology company. A full service technology company who can do all the IT related works and thereby take on the leaders Dell and IBM. â€Å"Fiorina argued, the merger would create a full-service technology firm capable of doing everything from selling PCs and printers to setting up

Influence of Ideology on the criminal justice system and how criminal Essay

Influence of Ideology on the criminal justice system and how criminal justice policies are created from ideology - Essay Example The use of ideology is a permanent hidden agenda because it masks the reality and not even scholars question that. There is general confusion between ideology and criminological theory and which influences the structures and the processes of the criminal justice system, People are made to believe they are influenced by ideology while all the answers lie in the criminological theory as it is the one that is based on research and not beliefs and assumptions like the ideology (Williams and Robinson, 2004). The first assumption is that ideology controls the criminal justice process and system but this does not seem to be the case from research. The reality of this situation is that ideology is just as a mask and term coined by scholars to confuse them of the real happenings in the criminal justice system. The other assumption of ideology is that it will be able to bridge the gulf present between the reality and what actually happens in the criminal justice system. This is assumed to be possible by incorporating the humanity aspect which has all along been lacking in the criminal justice system. This is a great assumption on the part of the proponents of the criminal justice system and they only have to move from the theoretical aspect to the practical aspect of the assumption to see if it will actually work. The other assumptions according to the article are that ideology will be able to encourage the critical analysis of criminal justice system, it will be able to assess the implications of crime in as far as issues of social and political nature are concerned. The other major assumption is that ideology will be able to lead the process of rethinking about reorganization of the present criminal justice as it is and make different approaches. Ideologies are used in various areas of policy making such as ethics, punishment, law making, justice, in economic and power, in

Aviation Mechanic Ethical Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Aviation Mechanic Ethical Issues - Essay Example This is unachievable if employees in the organization do not follow strict ethical standards (Hoppe, 2011). Mechanics in the aviation sector are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that aircrafts and any other important machines in the industry are in the best conditions. This can be attributed to the fact that accidents in the sector are very lethal in most instances because survival is limited when an aircraft crash lands. This implies that all mechanics should follow a good set of ethical standards because it plays a critical role in saving lives. It is worth noting that managers, as well subordinate staff in the industry should always strive to ensure that all their duties are performed diligently. Performance of duties should be based on someone’s willingness to deliver to his or her potential at any given time. It is the responsibility of the management to ensure that all workers are playing their role because this goes a long way in saving lives and increasing the performance of an organization. An organization that records a high number of accidents would definitely lose customers because of loss of faith in the organization (Oderman, 2004). On the other hand, organization with a high reputation of ensuring customer safety, would gain in the market because customers need the best services in the market. The increasing competition between organizations in the world means that an organization that aspires to have a competitive edge must strive to deliver to customers’ expectations. In addition, one ought to understand that the performance of each employee determines the overall performance of an organization because a rope is as a strong as its weakest link. Although some organizations might ignore the importance of ensuring that its mechanical sector is performing to its potential, it has to be noted that, this is the bottom line for an aviation organization’s success

Fixed Expressions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Fixed Expressions - Essay Example Rosamund Moon claims that "fixed expressions, especially highly colorful and metaphorical idioms and proverbs, are comparatively infrequent. They appear to be more frequent in spoken text than written; although to date there are few extensive studies of their actual distribution". Strassler assesses the "frequency of idioms, excluding phrasal verbs, in spoken discourse as around one per 4.5 minutes of conversation. A survey of 240 English proverbs finds that there are around 33 instances of proverbs per million words of OHPC"1. As a matter of fact the use of fixed expressions, which are not translated literally, but are perceived after comprehension, amplifies the aesthetic aspect of language. By means of idioms the information aspect of language is supplemented with a sensual-intuitive description of our world, our life. In order to make a clear analysis of any phenomenon it is very important first to consider its terminology. While Moon is using fixed expressions and idioms (FEIs) as a general term, there are others in use, in addition to broader uses of idiom. "Phraseological unit is used in some Slavonic and German linguistic traditions as a superordinate term for multi-word lexical items: see, for example, Glser (1984: 348). Similarly phraseme is sometimes used as a superordinate term outside Anglo-American traditions, for example Mel'cuk (1995). There are, however, other uses for both terms. For example, Vinogradov and Tschernischova restrict phraseological unit to more metaphorical items, and Amosova (1963) uses phraseme for multi-word items which are not pure idioms: see Klappenbach (1968: passini). Phraseological unit and phraseme can be identified with Lyons's phrasal lexeme (1977: 23)"2. Classifications of fixed expressions and idioms Rosamund Moon's classification Now let us consider different types of classifications of fixed expressions and idioms. Moon limits classification of forms of fixed expressions to simple categories such as: Metaphors: semantically marked (non-compositional). There are three types of metaphors: 1. Opaque metaphors (for example: bite the bullet, kick the bucket); 2. Transparent metaphors (for example: behind someone's back, pack one's bags); 3. Semi-transparent metaphors (for example: on an even keel, pecking order)3. Formulae, which are pragmatically marked. Moon considers three different types of formulae4: 1. Similes (as good as gold); 2. Simple formulae/sayings: compositional strings with a special discourse function (alive and well, a horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse); 3. Metaphorical/literal proverbs: (you can't have your cake and eat it, enough is enough). Anomalous collocations, collocations that are lexico-grammatically marked, grammatically ill-formed, or restricted, or contain a word or use of a word that is unique to the combination5. Within anomalous collocations Moon distinguishes four types: 1. Phraseological collocations: semi-productive constructions, occurring in paradigms (in/into/out of action, on show/display); 2. Cranberry collocations: idiosyncratic lexical component - one or more words found only in that collocation (in retrospect, kith and kin); 3. Defective collocations: idiosyncratic meaning component (in effect, foot the bill); 4. Ill-formed collocations: (at all, by and large). Collocations: "compositional word co-occurrence of markedly high frequency6. There are

Literary Analysis of the poem Beowulf Essay Example for Free

Literary Analysis of the poem Beowulf Essay Beowulf is considered as one of the longest poems in literature with more than 3,000 lines. It is has no known author, but it was considered as the national epic of England. Beowulf is a man a hero who faced three major battles in the poem. These battles were not against other humans, but were against monstrous creatures (The Norton Anthology of English Literature). It is a poem that deals with legends, of hero and his men, and his great battles. It is composed mainly to entertain, a work of fiction with several relations to historical context. And with this, some speculations were raised, saying that Beowulf was something more that a poetic narrative of the hero, Beowulf. The epic poem was then related to a Christian context, saying that it was a Christian allegory. The poem takes place in the late 5th to 6th century, following the Anglo-Saxon’s settlement in England, after making contact with Germanic tribes in Scandinavia and Germany. Beowulf may be based on real people and real events at that time in Scandinavia. The clans mentioned in the poem were clans which are found in the area, as well as some of the prominent personalities in the story. So basically, the epic poem is a work of fiction but was based on factual characters and events during that time. The time of Beowulf was a time of Paganism, but Beowulf himself addresses a higher being rather than man, wherein he presents himself to the Father Almighty. According to Helterman, â€Å"As the view of the intellectual setting has shifted from a pagan to a Christian context, this ‘something more’ has been seen as a Christian allegory or didacticism†¦yet the tone of the poem and the lack of specific Christian allusions cause difficulties for such an approach (Helterman). The poem didn’t mention anything regarding Christianity, and Beowulf was a pagan. But there were several â€Å"Christian sentiments of a general sort† which were attributed to the hero. Because of the Christian-like characterization of the hero Beowulf, there were several speculations saying that the author was a Christian in England who wrote about Scandinavian history, which then became the epic poem Beowulf. But some said that the Christian attribution in the hero’s character could mean that he was an archetype, the generic, idealized model of a person (Chickering). And at that time, Christianity was a budding religion, wherein Beowulf’s character could have been patterned into that of an ideal Christian. Beowulf as the hero of the epic was made the way he is, the ideal person. But then again, every hero has its counterparts. And just like Beowulf, his counterpart can be seen in a Christian context. The epic poem Beowulf is divided into three major battles. The first one is his battle with the monstrous creature called Grendel, which was the reason why he went to Hrotgar. Just like Beowulf, Grendel also has a Christian context. He is to be the descendant of Cain, the son of Adam and Eve which was banished for killing his own brother. Because of this, Grendel is given an antagonistic comparison with Cain, who was the first person to commit murder in the Christian bible. Grendel, along with his mother, was compared to as the kinsmen of Cain, whereas Beowulf was the pagan hero considered as the archetype of a human being. Beowulf and Grendel were great opposites, as manifestation of the forces of good battling with the forces of evil, or in the context of religion and Christianity, will be righting the wrong. Beowulf’s character is the manifestation of Christianity’s good; wherein his defense of Heorot was an act to â€Å"order the chaotic universe,† where Grendel and his mother on the other hand, were the forces that bring chaos, falling into pattern of disorder (Batchelor). This is manifested by their physical appearance wherein they do not resemble or have any human characteristics. They were monstrous in size and strength. They can kill people with the swipe of their hands, and they even eat people, as to what Grendel did to Hrotgar’s men. Another possible association with religion and Christianity was during the creation of Heorot, the great hall which was built for the people of King Hrotgar (Helterman). The creation of the hall was because of the word of the king. It is the same as that of the Christian’s Genesis, wherein with the word of God, there was light. And it was with that word that He was able to create day and night, and everything that he wished and commanded. Just as with Hrotgar’s word, Heorot was created, all for the sake of the people, since in this hall they dined, ate and sang, until the time that Grendel came into the story. When Grendel came, it was like introducing chaos into order so that you could cleanse it, just like the cleansing of the sins of the people, just like the Great flood, where chaos or the flood was added in order to cleanse the world of the sinners. When Grendel came into Heorot, chaos caused destruction, thus it would require reconstruction, where after reconstruction was the cleansed state. Grendel, even though he caused a great deal of devastation to the people, has served a purpose, which was to strengthen the then destroyed Heorot. His chaos has led to a good outcome in the story. It could also be viewed on another angle, where the battle between Beowulf and Grendel was actually the same as to that of the myth of creation, where light and darkness mixed and â€Å"fought† in order to create the earth and everything in it. Another instance that relates the epic poem Beowulf to Christianity was during the battle against the mother of Grendel. Beowulf was definite on the losing end at that moment, since his sword, Hrunting, lost its powers and cannot harm the creature he is up against with. In his desperation, he was able to locate a sword in the Grendel’s lair, which only he could be able to use. It was a heavy sword of the giant, which he used to behead the mother of Grendel and eventually prolong his life. Even though he was able to slay the monster and keep his life, he gives the credit of his victory to the â€Å"higher being,† the â€Å"Wielder of Men. † It was an indirect association to God in Christianity, since he recognizes His powers and that his victory wasn’t possible without him. Beowulf being a pagan is just a characteristic, since there was no evidence of him knowing about Christianity (Batchelor). But the fact that he addresses to a higher being is a manifestation of being Christian even in his beliefs. The epic poem Beowulf is truly a literary piece that was made to entertain, with the life of Beowulf as a hero, his adventures, his battles, and even his death, makes it a wonderful read. But there are other underlying concerns that could come about while reading the epic. It is undeniable that there are other meanings in what was written, rather than just to entertain. The poem Beowulf is associated with religion, especially Christianity. The main character’s recognition of a higher being is but one of many manifestations of this underlying messages.

Ageing Is A Biological Process Sociology Essay

Ageing Is A Biological Process Sociology Essay Ageing is a biological process, which is universal phenomenon and inevitable for all. As Heidegger states, â€Å"We are born, we live, we die.† (Featherstone Wernick, 1995: 1) Pilcher (1995) argues, ‘like class, ethnicity and gender, age is a social category through which people define and identify individuals and groups within society. Age is both an important part of how we see ourselves and how others see us. Age has various connotations, varying according to historical periods and culture. â€Å"Older adults [in industrialized countries] tend to be marginalized, institutionalized, and stripped of responsibility, power and, ultimately, their dignity. It wasnt always thus. In most prehistoric and agrarian societies, older people were often held in high regard. They were the teachers.† (Nelson, 2005) Unfortunately in contemporary society, especially the Western world, ageing has become perceived as an illness.   Biggs (1989) states that we are living in an age ist society where it is believed that a ‘predominant attitude towards older people is coloured by negative mixture of pity, fear, disgust, condescension and neglect. The elderly have become victims of their own survival. The number 65 has been regarded as the beginning of old age. Old age is referred to a time of life which is ‘bleak and hopeless (page 16) Many deny the notion of being ‘old in spite of this but a majority of the elderly are still affected by the very fact of being over 65. Society is also against people with mental illnesses. Just as the elderly are discriminated due to their, people with dementia are discriminated due to their illness. Dementia is said to be a second childhood, but it is not. It is said to rob the mind, but it does not. It is said to affect the elderly over 65, but it can affect a person from early as their forties. Ageism is part of the stigma that people with dementia suffer from. Ageism is deeply embedded within our society, and is very widespread. It is difficult to tackle as it is an unconscious process and often unnoticed. In 1969 Butler coined the term ageism to describe the process of systematic stereotyping and discrimination against older people. Cuddy Fiske (2002) argue that ageism is pervasive, affecting social interactions, housing, health care, employment, and social policy. Quadango (2008) refers to ageism as ‘the stereotyping of and discrimination against individuals or groups because of their age. It s a set of beliefs, attitudes, norms and values used to justify age based prejudice and discrimination. Kite and Johnson (1988) define ageism as ‘beliefs about elderly as unable to contribute to society, and hence as dispensable members of a community. These stereotypes arise from negative cultural attitudes. From these definitions, ageism can be defined to consist of three elements: prejudicial attitudes, discriminatory practices and i nstitutional practices. Traxler (1980) outlines four factors which contribute to ageism. Firstly, there is a fear of death. Secondly, there is an emphasis on youth culture. Thirdly, there is an emphasis on productivity. Fourthly, the research carried out on ageing. These elements can be reflected when analysing dementia. Many fear the symptoms of dementia, as there has been an association that dementia is ‘as if your dead. However, the fear has been exaggerated as ‘dementia is not normal dying (Murphy, __ : 13) There is an assumption that people with dementia cant participate in research or are unable to share their views and experiences. This becomes evident with the fact that dementia has been underfunded. Few resources have been allocated, as dementia in the elderly is not seen as a priority and they are not seen as worthy. Clearly, ageism is part of the social system. Perceptions of aging are formed as early as childhood.   We are surrounded with images of the elderly as a homogenous group that is dependent, lonely, frail and incompetent. These perceptions do not apply at a young age, and do not impact identity formation and therefore negative schema are more likely to be accepted without testing or questioning (Levy et al., 2002) Children hold their own expectations and perceptions about their aging process due to internalized ageing stereotypes. In a study, children were asked how they would feel about becoming an elderly person, of which 60% of these children gave responses rated as negative, including ‘‘I would feel awful (Seedfeldt et al., 1977: 509). Another study found that among children aged four to seven, 66% mentioned that they prefer not to become an elderly person (Burke, 1981). It is evident that children hold discriminatory attitudes towards the elderly, but these attitudes are internalised through socialisation, of where socialisation institutions such as families, media, and education play an important role. Adults hold negative attitudes towards the elderly, which impact the elderly in a destructive way. Palmore (1990) identified nine negative stereotypes associated with â€Å"the elderly.† These included illness, impotency, ugliness, mental decline, mental illness, uselessness, isolation, poverty and depression. One theory argues that perceptions and evaluations regarding ageing have been socially constructed. Social constructions reject ageing as natural and argue that individuals are moulded by socio-cultural factors. According to Berger and Luckman (2002), the social construction of reality relies upon a three-stage process. The first process is where people create culture. The second process involves these cultural creations becoming a reality, and is granted as natural and inevitable, where the third process involves reality being absorbed as valid by following generations. All of these negative attitudes create a new set of exclusions for the elderly person. As a result, the elderly are treated differently as a person and are often treated as ‘the others.   They are viewed and associated with labels such as ill health, poverty, passive and dependent. Heise (1984:__) argues that one stereotype of the elderly is that of a ‘weak and frail elderly. Butler (1987) argues that due to ageism, the elderly are seen as senile, rigid in thought and manner, and old-fashioned in morality and skill. There is a notion that the elderly go into a second childhood. This notion removes their adult status, and their personhood, undermining their worth and value. The elderly are reduced by their physical attributes, where there is a failure to see beneath the surface. They are seen in a state of remediable decline.   ‘Mask of ageing is a term of where the body betrays the person, as the body is unable to adequately signify the individuals inner self, l eaving a misrepresentation and imprisonment. One area that comprises of age-discrimination is seen in the workplace. Some positive stereotypes are associated, including the elderly being more loyal, reliable, experienced and responsible. However, there are also negative stereotypes found within the workplace, including being less adaptive with new innovations and changes. These stereotypes are continually perpetuated despite the fact that there is evidence for a correlation regarding their absenteeism, productivity, or competence. Mandatory retirement may be the most pervasive form of age-discrimination. Media can be seen to be the most pervasive for promoting ageism. It is clear to see how society values characteristics such as youth, autonomy and independence. Popular culture and the consumer culture such as magazines and politics consist of images of youth and beauty which encourage stereotypes of the elderly, of which these images are dominant. Furthermore, the elderly are significantly under-represented across all media.   Levy (2002) found that older people with positive perceptions of aging lived seven and a half years longer than those exposed to negative images of aging. Levy acknowledged that media is not solely to blame for promoting ageism, but it is the most identifiable source. Another area where ageism is pervasive is within the healthcare system, where they often receive inferior health care or are denied access. Within the healthcare system, the elderly are less likely to be referred for screening and treatment, likely to receive more medication prescriptions than younger people for equivalent symptoms, and misdiagnosed with symptoms accounting for ‘normal ageing.Alliance for Aging Research (2003) concludes that the elderly are less likely than younger people to receive preventive care, less likely to be tested or screened for diseases and other health problems, often ignored from proven medical interventions which in turn leads to them being given inappropriate or incomplete treatment, and also consistently excluded from clinical trials, despite being the largest users of approved drugs. They conclude that ageism within the health-care system â€Å"hurts everyone, because it leads to premature loss of independence, increased mortality and disabil ity, and depression in adults who might otherwise continue to lead productive, satisfying and healthier lives† (Alliance for Aging Research, 2003) â€Å"Our health care systems are unhealthy and unsustainable; we focus on the wrong conditions,† with dementia not being a focus. (Whitehouse, 2007: 63) Ageism within the health care system adds further impacts with those who have dementia. the report(irish study) indicates there is structural and organisational discrimination which highlighted a failure to prioritise dementia in terms of policy and resource allocation. As Neil Hunt, the chief executive of the Alzheimers Society states, There is no place for ageism in todays NHS. One in three over 65 will die with dementia yet we know only a third of people will ever receive formal diagnosis. People deserve to be treated with respect and equality regardless of age especially where assessment of symptoms and ongoing care are concerned. Not all people with dementia receive fa ir treatment. Dementia patients often need support of many kinds, frequently without knowing who to ask or what support to ask for. Despite this awareness, a majority of peoples needs are not met. Early symptoms are dismissed as ‘ageing, which delays diagnosis. It has also been found that health professionals lack the knowledge and training for dementia. Illife (1994) argues that GPs attitudes tend to nihilistic and many believe that nothing can be done. He found that 60% of GPs lacked confidence in making a diagnosis of early dementia and many found it difficult to advise about support services or to coordinate such services. The Audit Commission (2000) found fewer than half of general practitioners said they had received sufficient training. It also found that less than two thirds felt they had ready access to specialist advice, of which it required on readily access upon diagnosis. There is further conclusive evidence that there is an under-diagnosis and inadequate manageme nt towards dementia. A recent survey found that nearly two-thirds of general practitioners did not give a memory test and around 40% did not offer a diagnosis when consulted by patients with memory problems. Out of a sample of approximately 700 GPs, 71% felt that they did not have adequate training in and more than half were dissatisfied with community services for dementia. Another study found that most GPs felt they had little to offer dementia patients, early referral was unhelpful, and that the problem was mainly a social problem. Although these studies lean towards the negative aspect of treatments towards those with dementia, the same study found that 52.3% of GPs felt that early diagnosis was beneficial and 54.4% felt diagnosis of early signs of dementia was important. Furthermore, the study is questionable as the data is based on questionnaires. (Renshaw, 2001: 37) It is not only the elderly with dementia that are discriminated again. Ageism works both ways, affecting not only the elderly but also young people. Reverse ageism is where the young people are marginalised. There is little awareness or understanding of people who develop dementia at an early age, and this makes it difficult for younger people with dementia to access ample support. Many dementia care services have a minimum age requirement of 65, and therefore are not available to younger people. When services are available and accessible to younger users, they tend to be inappropriate to their needs. As a consequence, the younger people feel that they are made to fit in to a service, rather than the service fitting their needs. Iliffe (2003) found that 60% of GPs lacked confidence in making a diagnosis of early dementia. Ageism is a major issue that needs to be addressed in order to ensure the elderly are in receipt of fair treatment. Since the 1960s attempts have been made to eliminate age discriminations, with groups such as the Grey Panthers and Help the Aged.   In 2006 a ban on discrimination within the workplace was introduced with the UK Age Discrimination Act. This law makes it unlawful for employers and other staff to discriminate against a person on the basis of his/her age. The Act adopts four definitions, including direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation. As for the health care system, recent allegations claim the NHS to be institutionally ageist, and in response The Equality Bill has been debated about and proposes to eliminate the discrimination rooted within staff and the funding surrounding their care. The Green Paper talks about elderly care and dementia care, arguing that the current system needs amending as there is not insufficient money to pr ovide enough quality care and meet the needs. It acknowledges that an increase in funding is necessary, and to introduce a minimum care entitlement so that receives some Governmental support. An extract from the Green Paper states ‘the Governments vision is for a system that is fair, simple and affordable for everyone, underpinned by national rights and entitlements but personalised to individual needs. In the new National Care Service, everyone should be able to get really good care wherever they live and whatever they or their family need Due to ageism, the elderly and in particular people with dementia are faced with barriers and inequalities within society, which has been acknowledged and attempts have been introduced to eliminate and reduce them. On the one hand there are theories that there is a great lack of understanding about the realities of ageing, and on the other hand, there are theories that the fears of ageing are exaggerated. Ageism does exist, and there have been responses to eliminate these negative attitudes toward age. As mentioned, ageism exists within the health care system, and those who have been diagnosed with dementia not only suffer from the illness, but also suffer from ageism.

Analysis Of The Scarlet Letter

Analysis Of The Scarlet Letter In The Scarlet Letter, Nathanial Hawthorne made it quite evident that Pearl was a very symbolic character. As we know, following Hesters act of adultery, she became pregnant with Pearl and we get the sense that there is something strange and unnatural about her when fist introduced. This is relevant to her symbolism and the many attributes that she represents. Throughout the novel, her symbolism ranges from being equated to evil, sin, and innocence. Furthermore, it is also possible that her name in itself is used to symbolize different elements like a pearl; a treasure much like Pearl becomes for Hester. In many ways, it seems that Pearl symbolizes evil and the actual letter which is also is a representation of evil; she represented Gods punishment by her mocking and nagging of Hester. The symbolic quality of the letter is transferred to Pearl in which reinforces the idea that the symbol combines the reference to an abstract idea with a material existence. (Carrez) Although Hester loves Pearl, Pearl is a curse, the living personification of the scarlet letter, and is as much of a tormenting entity as the symbol upon her breast which also represents evil and sin in the novel. Due to Hesters and Dimmesdales sins, their result is Pearl who serves as a constant reminder to Hester of her sin. This is made evident in one instance where Hester removes the letter in the forest and Pearl throws a tantrum and refuses to listen to her because Pearl is not comfortable with the fact that the scarlet letter wasnt there. Furthermore, in many cases Hawthorne deliberately emphasizes her symbolism of the Scarlet A to the reader. While Hester dresses in a dull fashion, she uses her talents as a skilled seamstress and designs and sews intricate, beautiful clothing for Pearl; almost as intricate as the scarlet A Hester bears on her chest. Because of this, both the scarlet A on her breast and at her child will receive much attention from the townspeople. One example of this is noted in a passage where Pearl and Hester go to the Governors house and Pearl is dressed in a scarlet dress with gold edging resembling the A on Hester. In essence, Pearl really was the scarlet letter because if she wasnt born, Hester would have never been found guilty of adultery, and thus never would have had to wear the scarlet letter. Although Pearl had been mischievous and not very caring and often symbolized evil and sin; when her father, Arthur, finally admits he is Pearls father and is dying, Pearl changes. This breaks her free from being associated to the immoral symbolism. Pearl symbolically being equated to the scarlet letter is not the only symbolic meaning that she has; she is also the symbol of innocence. Pearl was often treated with disdain for no reason; meanwhile her only crime was her birth and existence. Furthermore, the children in The Scarlet Letter have a cruel nature; they know the significance of the scarlet letter, but in many cases, do not fully identify what its associated with. The children observe that the adults treat Hester with disdain and with attempts to imitate the adults; they sometimes harass and tease Pearl which further emphasizes her innocence and how she is sometimes a victim because of it. Also, Pearl has a strange attachment to the scarlet letter. When she was a baby, she would reach out to her mothers breast and try to grab the letter. She seems to instinctively realize that it has great significance, but when she confronts Hester about it because of her innocent curiosity, her mother lies to her, telling Pearl that sh e wears it because of its beautiful gold thread. Along with the idea of being the symbol of innocence; her name represents a treasure and great worth. Through Pearl being brought to life, is cost Hester a great deal; it was the price of her mothers public condemnation, but regardless of what it cost Hester, Pearl was also of great worth much like a real pearl. Consider an actual pear. For a pearl to develop, it starts as a piece of sand, which is grainy and rough; similar to how hard and rough it was for Hester to originally cope with the burden of the scarlet letter which is in essence Pearl. Then, after time that sand gets coated and becomes a pearl; a treasure much like Pearl becomes for Hester. This is also suggested in the text of the novel where Hawthorne writes, but she named the infant Pearl, as being of great price,purchased with all she had,her mothers only treasure! (Hawthorne 61) In addition it is important to consider that the idea of a pearl having a vivid beauty to it and would not belong in Puritan society because it would contrast with societys strict and rigid ideals. Pearl nonetheless stands out as beautiful and charming (like a pearl) in a society consisting of a populace of stern and dull people. She also gave Hester reason to live and press on with her life despite the hard times because regardless of what it cost Hester, she is at the same time Hesters source of happiness. In the same way that her mother Hester was different from Puritan society, her child also was not a normal Puritan. Pearl is different, but its her difference that gives her great worth and beauty; she is her mothers only treasure and companion. The ambiguity of the symbolism of Pearl within Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter is extremely evident for all of his readers. Hawthorne gives the reader a chance to consider their own opinion on what Pearl really stands for. His ambiguity shows the true complexity to Pearl and each of her symbolic meanings. This is clear in how many symbolic meanings Pearl had. In the novel, Pearl is an excellent example of childish innocence and treasure, evil and sin, and morality. Her willpower and imagination make her a blessing and a curse to her mother, who has paid such a great price for her child. Hawthornes ambiguity shows the true complexity of Pearl and each of her symbolic meanings that were covered and arrange it all quite brilliantly because Hawthorne incorporated the aftermaths of Hester and Dimmesdales sins into one innocent character, Pearl. Carrez, Dr. Stephanie. Symbol and Interpretation in Hawthornes Scarlet Letter. n.p. n.d. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: W.W. Norton Company, Inc. 2005

Beowulf: Heroism :: Epic of Beowulf Essays

Beowulf’s author is unknown, as are his motives and inspiration for the creation of the poem. Written some four hundred years before the Norman conquests, it is comprised of three thousand, one hundred and eighty-two lines, dramatically reproducing the timeless struggle between good and evil, along with all the variations that accompany such a story. By far one of the most admirable qualities presented to the reader is the notion of heroism, and the importance of honor. The quality of character was a major element of the heroic man in the world of which the story is set. In relation the personality, James V. McConnell wrote; "Let us define personality as the way in which a person thinks, behaves and adjusts to his or her environment. Such a definition would include the persons traits, values, motives, attitudes, emotional reactions, abilities, self-image and intelligence as well as the persons overt behavior patterns." (McConnell, page 610). He then went on further to say, "A complete theory of personality would not only describe the individual’s present style of adjustment but give some notion of how the person got that way and where he or she was going." Throughout the poem, the author allows the reader to see, in action, the true workings of heroes. Men and women who cast aside their own personal needs and desires for the better of others. During this time society sustained a strong honor code. The actions that an individual amassed over their lifetime was the title by which they were known to the rest of the land, both good and bad. A lot was asked of rulers concerning the protection and expansion of the empire, Kings and Queens were known by their conquests and control of the subjects around them. In the prologue we are introduced to a loved and heroic King by the name of Shild. " How Shild made slaves of soldiers from every land, crowds of captives he’d beaten into terror†¦lived to be rich and much honored. He ruled lands on all sides: wherever the sea would take them his soldiers sailed, returned with tribute and obedience." (Raffel, line 4). This section of the prologue clearly defines the times, in that i t immediately sets up the reader for the level of nobility in the tone of the author, in the expression of dignity that accompanies King Shild’s conquests. His life was associated with greatness and at his death his tribute was great.

Internet Pornography :: Essays Papers

Since the internet is so easy, accessible and essentially unregulated, it leaves room for many controversies, including electronic commerce, credit card fraud, invasion of privacy and more. One of the most controversial problems is internet pornography. Imagine receiving unwanted e-mail and suddenly get sent nude pictures of people and links which invite you to more of what they have already shown. Think about your son, daughter or even yourself being on a music site and you accidentally click a link and before you now it you are being subjected to hard core pornography. It just became apparent that pornography on the net not only encompasses controversies about pornography itself, but also all the other controversies and problems the internet already has. Sex has always been something which has intrigued people, and that is probably in essence how pornography became to be. As society developed in the 21st Century red-light districts flourished which centralized anything which had to do with sex in one geographic location. As sex and pornography became a more and more pertinent issue, the supreme court ruled in 1976 that cities could use their zoning powers to keep out sex-oriented businesses, and that more or less was the end of red-light districts in America. Nowadays with the Internet coming along as a more widespread medium the issue of pornography resurfaces and along with it, it carries many other disputes. One of the main controversies about pornography on the web is if it should be permitted in first place, since it is morally wrong to some people, and because it allows adolescents to access pornography, both willingly and unwillingly. Since there are no specific laws for the internet, a simple disclaimer is the only barrier between a user and X-rated material, in addition some pornographic sites have addresses which are similar to popular sites, such as www.whitehouse.gov (the real site) and www.whitehouse.com (the porn site), causing people to be lured to their sites through a simple misunderstanding or even a minute typing error. Before one can come to a consensus about what is right, there has to be found a way to enforce any laws, which would be written for the Internet. This aspect is so critical, because otherwise any laws would be in vain.

The Italian peninsula

The Italian peninsula started off consisting and inhabited by a mixture of different ethnic groups, which includes the Sabines, Umbrians, Oscans and Latins. The Etruscans came from the sea from Lydia setting foot on North Eastern and Central Italy. They allied themselves with the Carthaginians, increasing their influence and conquering an enormous region of the Italian peninsula. Etruscan territory was composed of independent and separate city states that never came to form a unified Etruscan state and that absence of national identity brought the Etruscan dominance over the Italian peninsula to an end. The Greeks, on the other hand, settled over South Western Italy and the island of Sicily. The Greeks of Italy were engaged in primarily in commerce, thus pressure from adjacent civilizations had suppressed territorial expansion. The settlements being far off from Greek military influence and the lack of unification among these colonies, similarly as the Etruscan confederacies, had lessened their grip of the Italian territory. Near the borders of Etruscan influence, Rome was built in 753 BC as a city of Italic peoples living south of the Tiber. Rome was controlled by an absolute monarch, his rule checked and balanced by a council of elders, which was the Senate. However, during the 6th century, the Etruscans extended its control over Rome to suppress its development and established Etruscan monarchs as kings of Rome. Finally, in 509 BC, the Romans expelled the last Etruscan kings and started their conquest of Italy. Romans found themselves allied with the Greeks and other Latin tribes, although wielding supremacy over them, driving away the Etruscans from the Italian peninsula. However, the Latins resented the Romans hegemony over them and revolted against them, although the Romans dismantled them and took control over Latium. The Romans seized the rest of Italy through liberal and militaristic policies. The Romans cunningness in collaborating with native rulers and granting certain rights to citizens of cities that they have conquered enabled them to take control of Italy without encountering united opposition.

Management Concepts Temasek Holdings Essay

1.0 Introduction Temasek Holdings is a large investment company based in Singapore. It is an active participator in the investment game, holding shares and investments in a broad range of industries all over the world. As with many companies all over the world, Temasek Holdings was affected strongly by the Global Financial Crisis, losing more than 30 per cent of the value of their portfolio (Schmermerhorn, J. Davidson, P. Poole, D. Simon, A. Woods, P & Chau, S.L. 2011). Temasek’s CEO Ho Ching has been criticised for the investment losses that occurred during the economic crisis, and must now lead the company through the increased turbulence that has been presented to them. In doing so, a potential issue that Temasek Holdings is currently facing is one of leadership. If correct management processes regarding leadership are not applied, the company could face even worse consequences. To ensure that leadership does not become an issue, Ho Ching must apply effective leadership techniques to Temasek Holdings. This report will investigate various leadership options, determining an adequate approach to leadership that will assist this company in being successful in the future. Two leadership models will be assessed in-depth. It is expected that both will assist the company in continuing in the long-term, however one option will be more suitable and beneficial to Temasek Holdings. 2.0 Literature Themes or Arguments As Temasek’s CEO has recently come under fire for her stability in leadership, it is apparent that a change must be made in the way the company is managed if they are to successfully remain with the same CEO. Leadership is fundamental in regular circumstances, but it is even more essential to the business through periods of instability, making it vitally important to the livelihood of the company to apply appropriate management procedures. It is impossible for a set of specific characteristics to define whether or not someone is a good leader, however some certain personal traits have been identified as being common among successful leaders: drive, self-confidence, creativity, cognitive ability, business knowledge, motivation, flexibility, honesty and integrity. (Schmermerhorn, J. Et al. 2011). Vision and power are also vital to good leadership; however all of these things are not achieved in the same way. Many different behavioural theories have been produced in an attempt to define good leadership styles. A widely used model of management is Fred Fiedler’s contingency model. Fiedler’s theory looks at matching various types of people to various situations, somewhat of an either/or concept. It is based on the fact that someone’s style of leadership is personality-based, thus making it difficult to change. Rather, the Fiedler model suggests putting people of specific leadership styles with situations that match that style, rather than trying to change their personal leadership style, to achieve success (Wang, Victor C X; Berger, Jim 2010, pg. 6). Fiedler classifies people into two leadership styles: relations-orientated and task-orientated. Relations-orientated people are defined as â€Å"a person who is motivated to seek prominence in interpersonal relations, who is concerned with good relations with others, who is considerate in his interaction with group members, and who tends to reduce anxiety and increase the personal adjustment of his co-workers,† (Hill, Walter. 1969, pg. 34) whereas a task-orientated person is characterised to be someone who â€Å"rejects those with whom he cannot work, and obtains need gratification and self-esteem from performance of the task. He is, therefore, concerned with performing the task and he is willing to relegate interpersonal relations to a secondary position† (Hill, Walter. 1969, pg. 35) Exhibit I (Hill, Walter. 1969, pg. 36) above shows how relations-oriented and task-oriented people are determined, through leader-member relationships, leader position power and task structure. It does this by determining how well a person interacts with people (relations) and how dedicated they are to tasks. According to Hill (1969), this model is effective and further tests done corroborate with Fiedler’s findings, making it an accurate model. Hill noted that there are so many variables that sometimes it is difficult to calculate the exact leadership style that is appropriate for someone; however it is useful as it helps to assign leaders to specific tasks and delegate how efficient leadership should be achieved. In regards to Temasek, it should be established what â€Å"type† of leader Ching is, and the company would need to work with that before any leadership goals should be established. Another common model is the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory (SLT). It is widely used in the business sector and was developed by Paul Hersey and Kenneth H. Blanchard. This model is based upon leaders adjusting their styles based on the maturity of their followers, which is indicated by the â€Å"readiness† (how able and willing or confident) of followers (Schmermerhorn, J. Et al. 2011). When maturity (psychologically and performance-wise) is reached, it means a reduction in support and guidance can occur, instilling a positive indication of trust and confidence. A manager must look at employees and evaluate how best to perform a certain task in a certain situation, and when the situation changes, the leadership style previously used may not be as successful in the new situation (Hambleton, Ronald K; Gumpert, Ray. 1982, pg 227). Again, leadership styles are defined as relationship-orientated and task-orientated, however in this model leadership styles are classified into four groups: delegating, participating, selling and telling. This model is beneficial to companies as it has various different types of stages based on top of the classification of relations-orientated and task-orientated leadership (Figure 1). It breaks down the two types further, into the four types above, thus making it easier to classify. Again, however, variables come into play, and it can be seen from various research that the SLT model does have its limitations. Goodson (1989) states that when further studies have been conducted on this model, the main classifier of groups (â€Å"maturity† or competence) makes almost no difference to the leadership style of a person (Goodson, Jane R; McGee, Gail W; Cashman, James F. 1989, pg. 446). Also, Goodson established that in these tests no actual measure of maturity and/or readiness was really possible when conducting research on the SLT model, making it difficult to say for certain whether the model can be effective. Furthermore, Blank (1990) makes further reference to the fact that there is little to no research supporting this model in his studies, saying that both basing the research on the main factor (maturity) as well as more complex methods, little support was found to corroborate with the main theorems of the model (Blank, Warren; Weitzel, John R; Green, Stephen G. 1990, pg. 579). false 3.0 Recommendations In the case of Temasek Holdings, it can be said that adopting a new leadership approach will be entirely beneficial for the company. No information is given as to what current leadership styles are used, but the amount of criticism being received currently illustrates that a change is needed. Of the two leadership theories discussed, it can be said that both have negative and positive points, as with any business directive. Fiedler’s model uses three determining factors: leader-member relationships, leader position power and task structure, to determine how a leadership style will work effectively. This is essentially beneficial to a business as it allows more than one factor to determine a leadership style, giving a more accurate description of what leadership style will fit a situation. This model was also corroborated with research conducted by Hill (1969) who conducted a study that demonstrated that Fiedler’s was almost always effective in the workplace. However, there were limitations in regards to variables. As every person is so different personality-wise there is a large number of variables, not all of which can be categorised. Because of this, some variables may be missed or excluded, but overall the final result does not change, making the model very effective. The second theory, Hersey-Blanchard’s SLT, uses maturity as the basis of calculating how a leadership style will be effective. This could be effective to some extent, however both Goodson (1989) and Blank (1990) argue that just one determining factor is not enough to warrant an effective model. The model is beneficial as it breaks down leadership styles into four obvious categories; the problem is determining which personality fits into these categories. No clear measure of maturity is possible, making it difficult to categorise leadership styles. Goodson (1989) also states that maturity and competence has no real effect on leadership styles. Looking at these results, it can be recommended that for Temasek Holdings to continue operating at a high level, the Fiedler model of contingency should be used as a model for assigning leadership tasks. Giving every leader in a business tasks based on their personality is advantageous as it means instead of the person working with something they are not specifically styled for, they are able to be fit with tasks that suit them. Overall, this will make a significant change both in employee satisfaction (workers are doing jobs that suit their personality style, thus making them more content) as well as production, as the leadership style they are assigned will work well for them. Models by Hill (1969) are further evidence that this model does indeed work, and that it can bring positive effects to Temasek in the future. If Temasek Holdings chooses to operate within this leadership model, criticism for the way the business is run will be lessened. Both in the short and long term this form of leadership will be beneficial to the company, affecting both large positions (for example, the CEO Ho Ching) as well as smaller managers within the company. The research shows that this is the best model for Temasek to use to bring it the most success in the future.

Graded unit development stage Essay

Abstract The purpose of this project was to create a house corner, so the child-minder and her assistants are able to assess the children in their care more easily. As well as having somewhere for the children to be able to go and role/pretend play. The aim of the project was too: To lead the development of creating the house corner, within the child-minding setting †¢ To resource a house corner facility in my childminding setting The methods were completed by interviewing child-minder’s and giving parents questionnaires to get their opinions on role play and the house corner. It was found that there are mixed views regarding role play, role play areas and role play to assist assessments. My assistants participated in the creation of the house corner, my parents participated in the questionnaires given out to them and four local childminders participated in my interviews. Throughout this piece of research it has become apparent that everyone has different ideas regarding role play and how children should be doing this. My recommendation is that there should be a framework for childminders stating what equipment they should have and what they need to do for a basic education for the children. Introduction The purpose of this project was to create a house corner, so the childminder and her assistance’s are able to assess the chidren in their care more easily. As well as having somewhere for the children to be able to go and role/pretend play. Within graded unit a house corner will be created within the child-minding setting because one of the parents had said â€Å"it would be nice to have a house corner area’. This is because the child within this family has no brother’s and sister’s and the family would like to see how their child role plays and interacts with others. Also working with the Community Child-minders a house corner is a good place to be able to assess a child through role play. The Community Child-minder Area Manager also recommends having a house corner in place in the setting. This is for assessment and observational reasons as a community child-minder can have a lot of Child Protection referrals. While developing this unit various mandatory units of the HND Childhood Practice relates to this topic they are Sociology and Psychology. The Sociological theory Symbolic interactionism, Feminism and Psychological theories of Piaget, Vygotsky and Bruce will be looked at. I will also be looking at leadership though this unit and looking the democratic leadership style. I will also be looking at various legislations though out this unit as this relates to getting it right for every child (GIRFEC)2012, because when working together with other authorities to make everything better for the child/children involved in the service. You can see what is going on in ‘their world’ from the role play the children do. It will enable assessments to be carried out while the child is at play. I will be looking at the Data protection act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, this is relevant so at every interview everyone is treated the same and all the information is kept confidential. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The Convention gives children and young people over 40 substantive rights, including the right to: †¢special protection measures and assistance †¢access to services such as education and healthcare †¢develop their personalities, abilities and talents to the fullest potential †¢grow up in an environment of happiness, love and understanding †¢be informed about and participate in achieving their rights in an accessible and active manner. Bench mark Standards 3.9 Managers/lead practitioners have the knowledge and understanding needed to support evidence informed practice. They: know how to access, and apply relevant research and enquiry-based findings know how to reflect on and engage in the systematic investigation of practice can make informed choices among particular research methods and methods of evaluation draw on a range of sources of evidence to analyse and evaluate practice draw on relevant principles, theories and approaches to inform their practice demonstrate the ability to share and discuss with others the principles and perspectives that underpin their own professional practice. Aims Within the graded unit I have two aims to achieve, these are: †¢To lead the development of creating the house corner, within the child-minding setting †¢To resource a house corner facility in my childminding setting Methods For all the research methods, questionnaires and interviews, the responses will be kept confidential and all the aspects of confidentiality will be respected. Interview four child-minders to see how they set up their house corners, For this method I contacted four local Fife childminders that also work with the community childminding, I discussed with them over the telephone what I was required to do and how I would visit their setting to see their play area and to do an interview to gain qualitative information. (Appendix 1) Visit child-minding settings to see the home corners and how they work. I visited the childminders setting so I could see their play area and the home corners and how the childminders used the area to assess the children. All parents’ views on role play will be gained by a questionnaire which will mainly have closed questions to gain quantitate information on role play, this will be piloted in class with my peers. I created a questionnaire which will mainly have closed questions to gain quantitate information. I piloted the questionnaire with my class peers using email. I then handed the questionnaire out to the 8 parents that use my service. They all completed the questionnaire by the return date of the 25th April 2013. (Appendix 2) Fund raise to gain funds to resource the house corner. For the funds to resource the house corner, I had  £20 available through petty cash. I then did a sponsored toddle with my pre-school children on the 23rd April 2013 and created sponsor forms for the children to take home and get family and friends to sponsor them. (Appendix 3) Morrow The code of ethics written by Morrow (1996) will be looked at while researching this unit. Ethical considerations in research with children and young people occur at all stages of the research process. They should be considered as an on-going and reflexive part of the research process throughout the life of a research project and not just as the first hurdle to be overcome. Results I have interviewed four childminders for research purposes and to gain qualitative information regarding the house corner and role play. I had asked if the childminders believed if having a house corner was an effective way to aid role play 25% said yes while the other 75% said no and their reasoning for this was that despite having a house corner children would role play no matter where they were. â€Å"Children will role play whether there is a house corner present or not†. I asked if the adults get involved in the children’s role play 75% said they sit back and observe/none and 25% said they get involved if the children ask but with draw as soon as possible. During the interview I asked the four childminders what sort of assessments do they already do in their setting 100% answered Observations and Photographic only. (Appendix 4) I have visited four childminding settings to see what role play facilities childminders have in their setting. Each childminder had little role play equipment out for the children to use and the children were sat playing board games, reading books or playing outside on apparatus. I ask two of the childminders about their role play equipment-one responded â€Å"Children don’t need equipment to role play, they turn things into equipment and pretend play†. I gave all my parents that attend my setting questionnaires, to gain quantitate information which is eight in total. I had a 100% return on my questionnaires. I had asked if my parents thought a house corner was an effect way to aid role play? 62.5% said yes it is an effective way while 37.5% said it wasn’t effective. (Appendix 5) I had asked if role play promotes or condemns a child’s development? 87.5% said it promotes a childs development while 12.5% said it condemns the development. This parent stated â€Å"My child doesn’t role play and their development is fine†. I asked the parents what role play toys do the children have at home? Fundraiser The fundraising for the house corner we did a sponsoredtoddle. At the fundraiser there was 2 adults and 8 children involved and we raised  £159.26. (Appendix 6) With this money I intend to buy the following for the house corner. Kitchen pots and pans Plastic kitchen food Play plates cups and cutlery Paint and decoration for the home corner Table and chairs Discussion Feminism According to the feminist belief, women are being exploited by the sources like books, media, and the society by means of children’s toys. Feminists are of the view that the society aims to put conditions on children from their birth about their anticipated roles in society. In the statement, ‘pink is for girls and blue is for boys’, radical feminists would strongly argue that through parental expectations things like toys, books, and television begins the exploitation of women. For instance, girls are given dolls to play with, kitchens, prams, and tea sets. Feminists would claim due to imposition of such conditions, girls into their expected roles of playing the housewife and caring for children. On the other hand, boys are given footballs, computer games, cars, trucks, and are encouraged by their fathers for dummy fight. This encourages men to be masculine, violent and physically powerful according to the feminists. Symbolic Interactionism This theory focuses on the way that people interact through symbols: words, gestures, rules, and roles. In order for interaction to work, each person must interpret the meanings and intentions of others; this is made possible by common symbols this is what Mead called ‘role taking.’ This involves one person taking on a role of another person, by imagining that they are the other person, which they are interacting with. For example, if a person observes another smiling, crying, waving a hand or shaking a fist, they will put themselves in that persons position so they can interpret the intention and meaning. This will create their response to the action of the other person. Human interaction is a continuous process, with people taking it in turn of playing the role of the other. Mead argued that the process of role taking helps individuals develop a concept called ‘self’. There are two aspects of self these are ‘Me and I’. Me is a definition of yourself in a particular role for example a ‘good parent’ or a good colleague’. The I is an opinion of yourself, which is otherwise known as your-self-concept, which is built up from the reactions of others and the way you interpret those reactions. Self is not something we are born with but it is learnt during childhood. There are two main stages in the development of this. The first is known as the play stage which involves children playing roles that are not their own for example a child may play Mums and Dads, Drs and Nurses. In doing this the child learns there is a difference between themselves and the role they are playing. Piaget Jean Piaget, a philosopher and psychologist, was one of the first researchers to take children’s play seriously. He came to recognize that children learn step-by-step through experience and interaction with the world around them. In fact, Piaget’s research discovered that the young mind is not capable of formal logic and abstract thinking until 11 or 12 years old. Up until then, children learn inductively through experimentation and testing – through hands-on play. Piaget identified these stages of children’s development: Sensorimotor Stage: Birth to 2 years The child at this stage uses senses and motor abilities to figure out the world. Squeeze the rubber ducky and it quacks. Drop the ball in the hole and it rolls down the chute all the way to the bottom. Through repetitive play, the young child learns how to keep in mind what’s out of sight and how to cause a reaction. Preoperational Stage: 2 to 6 years During this stage the child acquires the ability to use symbols but still requires physical props and concrete situations to solve problems. A preschooler will line up 4 blocks and 4 more and then count up to 8. Concrete Operations: 6-11 years From physical experience, the school-age child learns to conceptualize. Now 4+4 can be solved with numbers, not just with objects. Still the young student relies on experiment and discovery to hotwire the brain. Vygotsky Vygotsky’s research on play, or children’s games. Vygotsky gives the famous example of a child who wants to ride a horse but cannot. If the child were under three, he would perhaps cry and be angry, but around the age of three the child’s relationship with the world changes: â€Å"Hence play is such that the explanation for it must always be that it is the imaginary, illusory realization of unrealizable desires. Imagination is a new formation that is not present in the consciousness of the very raw young child, is totally absent in animals, and represents a specifically human form of conscious activity. Like all functions of consciousness, it originally arises from action.† The child wishes to ride a horse but cannot, so he picks up a stick and stands astride of it, thus pretending he is riding a horse. The stick is a pivot. â€Å"Action according to rules begins to be determined by ideas, not by objects†¦. It is terribly difficult for a child to sev er thought (the meaning of a word) from object. Play is a transitional stage in this direction. At that critical moment when a stick – i.e., an object – becomes a pivot for severing the meaning of horse from a real horse, one of the basic psychological structures determining the child’s relationship to reality is radically altered†. As children get older, their reliance on pivots such as sticks, dolls and other toys diminishes. They have internalized these pivots as imagination and abstract concepts through which they can understand the world. â€Å"The old adage that ‘children’s play is imagination in action’ can be reversed: we can say that imagination in adolescents and schoolchildren is play without action†. Vygotsky also referred to the development of social rules that form, for example, when children play house and adopt the roles of different family members. Vygotsky cites an example of two sisters playing being sisters. The rules of behavior between them that go unnoticed in daily life are consciously acquired throug h play. Bruce Tina Bruce’s theory is a theory on play, which includes 12 features that assist in cultivating, recognising and monitoring free flowing play. The features that make up the theory include, making up playing rules, having fist hand experience, playing together, pretending, having personal agenda, making props and deep involvement, among others. The theory emphasized on the importance of outdoor pay in the lives of children. (Appendix Democrative Leadership Style The leaders invite and encourage the team members to play an important role in decision-making process, though the ultimate decision-making power rests with the leader. The leader guides the employees on what to perform and how to perform, while the employees communicate to the leader their experience and the suggestions if any. The advantages of this leadership style are that it leads to satisfied, motivated and more skilled employees. It leads to an optimistic work environment and also encourages creativity. This leadership style has the only drawback that it is time-consuming. These findings show that children role play as a part of learning and they develop all their developmental skills through doing this. Despite whether you have a role play area/equipment children will find other ways to role play using equipment and pretending it is something else. There has been theorists studying role play and although they all make good points I feel Tina Bruces 12 features of play is the closest to being true. Conclusion Throughout this piece of research it has become apparent that everyone has different ideas regarding role play and how children should be doing this. Each childminder does things differently and I feel there should be an overall standard that each childminder should have when setting up a childcare setting.

Real Madrid Harvard Case

Real Madrid (RM) has been worldwide-known as one of the best soccer club in the world. From its beginnings in 1902, this Spanish soccer club has set the standards of a championship soccer organization and in 1905 had his first international game. A major turning point in the club’s history came with Bernabeu, Real Madrid CF appointed president (1943). He created the strongest brand in soccer synonym of prestige and champions, wining 6 European Cups. He coined â€Å"best in Europe† by international press and acquiring the best soccer talent at any cost. Soon after his death in 1978, the club declined for nearly two decades on the field and financially. Through the 1990's under president Lorenzo Sans, Real Madrid CF was financially restructured. The organization constantly sold players and crucial core operating assets such as stadium rights and media rights to cover operating losses and minimize its significant debt. The club gradually recovered on the field, winning the 7th European Cup in 1998 and in 2000 Perez achieved the club presidency and announced his further plans in order to sanitize the club’s finances. The constant focus of Real is not on the traditional business model which emphasizes on gate receipts and local corporate sponsorships. The main goals of the club include giving Real Madrid the financial flexibility to acquire Talent and expand its brand reach. This could establish the brand globally and maintain supremacy of this brand with continuing to maximize profits and enhance their corporation. They are led to focus on a strategy of maximizing merchandizing and television revenues and in some cases stock values, on an international basis. This business model is not unique as Manchester United and Disney’s Lion King have already adopted it. Manchester United was of course main inspiration because it is master of this new globalization and commercialization model with million supporters worldwide. They have developed subbrands and products targeted to each segment of the market and all the brands are featured in the team’s Web Site which is part of the club’s value. Moreover, in order to â€Å"hit† Asian market they organized preseason tours and opened a coffeehouse chain in southeastern Asia. Not only this example, but also the example of Disney’s Lion King is something that Perez emulated. Lion King costed 50 $ to make, grossed over 766$ million at the box office worldwide in his first year and also generated over 1,5 billion in merchandizing revenue. Therefore, Real Madrid realized that it is important to generate long-term entertainment brands and not just invest in the experience during the match and the gate receipts. Taken into consideration these two examples, Real Madrid focused on match-day, broadcast and pay tv, marketing (merchandize sales, sponsorships) and international competitions. First of all, match-day gate receipts are vital sources of revenue. However, VIP packages and season tickets as well as the construction of new, comfortable stadiums are very important for the club. Merchandizing is also the key to modern management as the sales of branded goods (ex caps, watches etc) and the video games with the interactive applications have helped the development of the club. Sponsorship accounts up to 20% of revenue, with Adidas and Siemens considered to be major sponsors. Also, Audi has provided a car to players and team officials. Real Madrid saw also opportunities in specialized publishing, audiovisual rights and Internet. The club’s site RealMadrid. com had 1. 5 million visitors each month in 2004 and has interviews of players, live feed, etc. Managers can also have one-to-one relationship with fans by mobile telephony, wireless Internet, etc. The role of RealMadrid Television is also very important as it has daily coverage from training, soccer and basketball matches. TV rights is the largest revenue earner cause deregulation of the media industry in Europe in the 1990s resulted in competitive bidding for TV rights, providing an important revenue stream for most teams. Finally, international competitions (ex Champions League, Toyota Cup) and international expansion where soccer has a large appeal (ex. Asia) are vital for the reputation of the brand. The business model of Real Madrid is essential to its development but in order to be implemented effectively there has to be market segmentation. In 2003 over half of the Spanish people considered themselves soccer fans, are nearly 80% men. About 60% of soccer fans in Spain followed Real Madrid and about 30% of spectators were women. The market in this case is segmented by behavior and geographic criteria. As far as behavior is concerned we have: sports fanatics, club and team loyalists, star-struck spectators, social viewers, opportunistic viewers and sports indifferents. Sports fanatics are the most loyal fans of Real who follow news, scores and statistics, usually they have season tickets and discounts and tend to spend a lot on merchandise and related products. They visit the website very often and try to be connected to the club with mobile technologies and personal computers. After sports fanatics, club and team loyalists are also likely to watch football matches, and generally attend sports events, and always try to obtain information about the team through the club’s magazine, TV, Web site, radio, etc. Then, star-struck spectators are actually fans of â€Å"Galacticos†, superstar players, and do not pay attention to the whole team that much. These fans take part in online interactive fantasy sports, play video games and try to get information about their favorite players. So, the main goal for the club in that case is to transfer their interest from the â€Å"star-players† to the whole team. Even less fanatics are the social viewers who are loyal to no team and attend matches whenever they can and use them as means of socializing. Moreover, there are opportunistic viewers who see sports as a form of entertainment and only attend typically in order to have fun with their friends and spend on food and drinks. They only get informed about the teams and the scores randomly, most of the times while watching TV. Finally, there are sports indifferents who are not interested in team sports generally unless it is a big event organized. Of course, the fans should be also segmented by geographic criteria. The system has allowed to spread the team’s name and reputation globally. Therefore, there are the fans in the limits of the country but also the international fans. (For example, soccer is growing very fast in Asia and tours are organized often. ) After pointing out how the market is segmented it is important to mention who is Real Madrid’s customer. This customer, no matter where he lives, he could be either a sports fanatic, a club and team loyalist or a star-struck spectator. He wants to get information about Real and follow the star-players of his team. He is willing to watch a match in the stadium or on TV and have a real connection with the team or with the players’ careers in the particular team. He buys Real Madrid’s accessories and somehow makes this brand part of his everyday life. Futhermore, Real’s customer not only sees football as a form of entertainment with friends, good food and beverages but also has the need to be part of the â€Å"football community†, has the need to ‘breath’ football. Finally, the business model that Real has implemented has many advantages but also includes some serious risks. Under Perez management, Real Madrid had mission to nurture and project the club brand worldwide. But Perez had thought of specific problem which led him to think twice about his management decision. First of all,buying a worldwide class player and including that in Real’s strategy can cause worries about the talent which becomes older and older. In order to achieve high game performance and try to pass the values of â€Å"excellence† and â€Å"prestige† to the audience, unique players with amazing skills are needed. There are always worries whether great players will cease to exist though so far new talents are still discovered. Of course, the soccer cannot be standardized as there is an uncertainty factor- such as lose the match or get knockdown from the big competition- and this is another problem that Real faces as well as any other team. Furthermore, competition between professional club, such as Chelsea, in buying players is another important threat for Real. In this case Chelsea can bring a world class player with extraordinary price to the club and that can have a general impact on player salaries and transfer prices and therefore cause problems to the team balance. Finally, Real’s managers are worried about overexposure and excessive commercialization of the brand as this could lead to opposite results-such as criticism for exploiting the team’s fans and overstretching the brand. Summarizing, all these risks should be taken into consideration and examined carefully in order to be solved long-term and therefore Real’s reputation will not be damaged.