Food Tourism of NoHo Nyc Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Food Tourism of NoHo Nyc - Research Paper Example Factors that contribute to increased food tourism in Noho can be categorized into socio-economic factors, changes in technology and product development. Economic recession, love for home-cooked meals, rising number of baby boomers, stiff competition and lack of knowledge about the significance of food tourism are among the factors that reduce demand for food tourism of Noho, NYC. The stakeholders in the food tourism industry of Noho need to strategize on how to mitigate the effects of limiting factors and maximize on the factors stimulating increased food tourism. Key words: Noho, foods, tourits, New York City, food tourism Introduction Food tourism is currently growing at a high rate, and is becoming one of the most dynamic and creative segments in the tourism industry. Food tourism is crucial in economies since it stimulates local, regional, and national economic development. The World Food Travel Association defines food tourism as the pursuit of the unique and memorable eating an d drinking experiences1. Food tourists have interests in exploring unique food places filled with memorable experiences. Food tourists primarily intend to experience the food of the region, country, or area in designated places and restaurants. Food culinary is considered the crucial component of the tourism experience because it incorporates other aspects of tourism such as scenery, climate, and accommodation, which are of vital necessity to tourists. Food tourism is not limited to gourmet food; gourmet is a subset of food tourism, and it comprises of 8.1 percent of food travelers. Noho is one of the districts in New York City that receives several food tourists every day. Noho is a historic and vibrant district in New York City, which offers diversity of artistic, educational, commercial, and cultural and tourism features. The areas neighboring North of Houston (Noho) Street includes East 9th Street, Broadway, and Cooper Square. Artists started to occupy the Noho buildings during the 1970s and 1980s2. The District comprises of approximately one hundred and twenty five buildings that represent the period of the New York City between 1850s and 1910s. The Noho district also has early 19th century buildings and modest 20th century commercial structures. The district has potential for food tourism, although there are some factors that limit the amount of tourism available. New York’s Best Noho Food Tour Tour Description The Snapshot Godfather, good eats and Graffiti in the attractive Noho food tour is filled with little secrets of Italy, mafia stories and notwithstanding bites. Full Description Food tourists are requested to: tour New York’s cosy corners of Noho where old-world charm coincides with downtown vibe, test salivating eats from unique spots that specialize in traditional recipes and one-hundred year old techniques, and Walk through the same streets that were used by John Gotti and Martin Scorsese when they used to visit sites made famous by The Godfather. The tour provides tourists with opportunities to learn the color history of The Bowery and to explore its dark and seedy past. The Bowery is the original theatre of Noho district. Other possible areas of the tour include Skid Row burns and CBGB’s music venue; these venues were previously referred to as flophouses3. The participants in this tour also have chances of getting a glimpse of the cast-iron facades and the cobblestone streets of Noho in the East village and

Fashion Opinion Leadership Essay Example for Free

Fashion Opinion Leadership Essay 1. Introduction Consumers influence each other in several ways: they exchange information through communication, seek or give opinions and copy each other’s behaviour. Researchers recognise the giving and seeking of opinions as one of the most important word-of-mouth influences on brand and product choice (Bristor, 1990 and Weimann, 1994). Especially in fashion, social groups and opinion leaders influence product and brand evaluations (Amaldoss and Jain 2008). Fashion consumers often refer to fashion opinion leaders who they desire to be alike. The Internet and social media speeded up the way of communication within reference groups and made it possible to share interests without physical interaction. The following essay will outline an overview of fashion opinion leaders and reference groups before giving a better understanding of how fashion retailers make use of fashion opinion leaders in order to influence customers. 2. Reference groups and reference group influences Consumers use several sources when they seek information or opinions on decisions; informal and social (Goldsmith and Clark 2008). This aspect of consumer behaviour is described as opinion-leadership-opinion-seeking, word-of-mouth, buzz or social communication (Goldsmith and Clark 2008). This means that consumers refer to something or someone when they seek information and clears the way for the term referential or reference group. Solomon and Rabolt (2009) define Humans as social animals that try to fit into certain groups, please others and take â€Å"cues about how to behave by observing the actions of those around† (p. 422) them. A group can simply be defined as two or more people sharing common goals and interests. All members of a group interact by certain patterns, frameworks and networks. A group member must therefore be perceptible to belonging to this group. Groups can be primary (family), secondary (professions), formal (churches), or informal (certain group of frie nds). Belonging to a herd or group, makes consumers want to identify themselves psychologically and physically with desirable individuals of this group. Thus, an individual or group conceived of having significant relevance upon an individual’s sociological attributes, such as evaluations, characteristics, aspirations, or behaviour is defined as reference group (Park et al, 1977). As stated by Holton (2004), Merton hypothesized that individuals compare themselves with reference groups of people who occupy the social role to which the individual aspires. Hence, the group becomes the individuals frame of reference and influences his ideas and decisions. Reference group influence can occur in different ways. According to Solomon and Rabolt (2009), group members of reference groups can be influenced informational, utilitarian or value-expressive. Furthermore, individuals are also mostly influenced by normative referents of the group, such as parents, teachers, or peers (Childers and Rao, 1992). There are also so called aspirational groups of which individuals aspire to be a member of. This phenomenon can be considered as comparative referents, such as public opinion leaders or celebrities. Belonging to a group, aspirational or not, can influence the buying behaviour of individuals, and decisions are often based on what the group members please in order to be accepted (Joel et al 1972). According to the above, a reference group is as an individual or group that significantly influences an individual’s behaviour (Bearden and Etzel 1982). 2.1 Online referential groups and virtual consumption communities Literature mostly concentrates on face-to-face interaction within reference groups on a regular basis or on aspirational groups without direct interaction (Pentina et al, 2008). However, Sheth and Parvatiyar (1995) stated that it is not directly necessary to have physical contact and interactions with members of a group in order to refer to it. More common forms of reference groups are online reference groups, which only exist in the World Wide Web. Within the age of the Internet, arising social media networks and communities it is possible to share interests with people who the individual never met personally (Solomon and Rabolt, 2009). A virtual community of consumption is defined as â€Å"a collection of people whose online interactions are based on shared enthusiasm for and knowledge of a specific consumption activity† (Solomon and Rabolt, 2009, p 426), such as fashion for instance. In the concept of virtual communities any group of people can share common bonds, without being dependent on physical interaction and common graphic location (McDonough, 1992). But the issue of relationships between each other still lies at the heart of virtual communities (Farquhar and Rowley, 2006). Although online sharing of interests takes place on blog websites, social media platforms, like facebook or twitter or sharing services like as Pinterest, members build up relationships when sharing. On facebook, for instance, members liking other people’s post in certain theme groups and commenting on those can explain a relationship. Solomon and Rabolt (2009) state that the impact of virtual communities on individual’s product preferences and decisions are huge. Because of that, an online referential group can be considered as consumers who write about their opinions towards certain topics, seek information, publish recommendations, and post products or services. 2.1.1 Online referential groups in fashion and fashion bloggers Fashion and apparel shopping are seen as the most popular discussion topic among social networks (Thomas et al, 2007). In fashion, online communities are seen mostly through social media emergence such as blogs or facebook groups. Fashion blogs are mostly run by one person who writes or â€Å"blogs† about different products, occasions or events within the fashion industry. The community is then formed by readers of the blog, so called â€Å"followers†, that read the stories or comment on it. With gaining popularity bloggers are also able to gain money by advertising on their blog websites. According to the Telegraph, the most popular bloggers make up to  £10,000 a month in advertising (Telegraph, 28/10/2012). Meanwhile, also fashion retailers look into the blogging business. For retailers the building up of social media groups could help them to gain direct feedback from consumers while monitoring discussions in referential groups online. Burberry for example not only has its own group on facebook, but also launched a blog, showing images of people wearing their trench coats (The Art of Trench, 28/10/2012). 3. Fashion opinion leadership Referring to an opinion leader is one of the social or informal sources of decision and opinions seeking, named by Goldsmith and Clark (2008) in reference group behaviour. A person who has knowledge about a certain product and whose advice is seriously taken by others explains opinion leadership. An opinion leader or influential is a person, who is frequently able to influence attitudes and behaviour of others (Solomon and Rabolt 2009) Further, it can be explicated by the desire of leaders to distinguish themselves from followers, while followers pursue the countervailing desire to assimilate with leaders (Amaldoss and Jain 2008). Feick and Price (1987, p. 95) state that opinion leaders are more likely in product categories in which association with the product provides a form of self-expression. Fashionable clothing embodies information about the personality and status of its wearer to other people (Dodd et al, 2000). However, Amaldoss and Jain (2008) argue that in fashion, this occurrence is mostly seen within the purchasing of luxury clothing and accessories. There are several types of opinion leaders that can be observed in fashion. Firstly, some heavy consumers of fashion clothing who become extremely interested and preoccupied with it, so that their interest, knowledge and experience qualifies them to become fashion opinion leaders for others (Goldsmith, 2000). Today, these types of fashion opinion leaders occur mostly online, such as fashion bloggers. Secondly there are people who are in the public spotlight, such as celebrities. Celebrities mostly look adorable and therefore individuals follow their look because they desire to assimilate with this leader (Amaldoss and Jain 2008). But sometimes celebrities are being dressed up by personal outfitters in order to create, perform and accomplish a certain image without actually having the interest or knowledge in the area. This shows that also the perception that individuals have about a person can make the person an opinion leader. Of course, there are also people whose profession is related to fashion that can be an opinion leader for individuals, such as designers, fashion photographers, models or fashion magazines. A recent study on Mintel shows that fashion content in celebrity, lifestyle or fashion magazines, newspaper supplements and makeover shows has a direct influence on the shopping behaviour of 2 3.5 million people. Especially women are most likely influenced by such coverage (Mintel, Fashion Online, 29/10/12). As the fashion magazine example illustrates, an opinion leader does not have to be only one person, it can also be a company or an organisation. 3.1 Fashion opinion seeking â€Å"Opinion seeking is the behavioural counterpart to opinion leadership† (Goldsmith and Clark, 2008, p 309) and is important to the diffusion of new fashion products because it can spread word-of-mouth about the advice gotten from opinion leaders. Unlike opinion leaders, opinion seekers do not have the same knowledge of and interest in a product category than opinion leaders in this segment do (Goldsmith, 2000). Opinion leaders do also absorb risk (Solomon and Rabolt, 2009) for opinion seekers when buying a new product. Therefore, Opinion seekers consider opinion leaders as appropriate sources for information and advice (Bertrandias and Goldsmith, 2006). Nevertheless, opinion seekers are very important to opinion leaders because they act on the information they got from the opinion leader. The fashion industry is one of the industries that show the most frequent changes in trends and styles. When consumers determine on buying a new product they might ask or even search for information about the desired fashionable product. Because of that they often make use of informal or social sources when seeking information (Goldsmith and Clark 2008) or opinions on decisions from fashion opinion leaders in any form. Consumers can seek for an opinion through various types of social communication, word-of-moth recommendations, observing opinion leaders, researching a subject or buzz (Goldsmith and Clark 2008). In an online perspective, consumers can use social network communities as sources for apparel shopping. 3.1.1 The process within referential groups in fashion: coherence of opinion leaders and opinion seekers The basis of forming referential groups in virtual communities is the process combining interpersonal connectivity, social enhancement and sharing of information. Dholakia and Bagozzi (2004) state that interpersonal connectivity between members is important to retain social benefits of participating online. In fashion opinion leadership and fashion opinion seeking, the process is based on the social need of each other, shown in figure 3. Figure 1: The process of fashion influence between fashion opinion leaders and fashion opinion seekers in referential groups, adapted from Goldsmith and Clark, 2008 This process can especially be observed in online communities where opinion leaders post pictures of themselves wearing a new product. Several opinion seekers may like the product and give a positive feedback to the opinion leader or even share it with others, which shows symbolic validation to the opinion leader and creates a loop. 3.1.2 Victoria Beckham as fashion opinion leader for the Birkin Bag A good example for an opinion leader in fashion is Victoria Beckham. The ex-singer, designer and wife of English football star David Beckham is referred to being an A-list celebrity in the public spotlight. She is not only famous for designing fashion and wearing high-heels, but also for her collection of the Hermes Birkin Bag. The Birkin Bag is a hand-made handbag designed by the luxury fashion brand Hermà ¨s and is estimated to start at $6,000 (Branch, 2004). The bag is often seen adorning the arm of celebrities and has become a cult fashion phenomenon (Tonello, 2009) and is an example of a fashion product that gained high popularity. Its brand, Hermà ©s limited its production, to limit its accessibility. Victoria Beckham is presumed of possessing the largest collection of Birkins (Fashionthroughtravel, 26/10/12). The following figure shows an example of her and her Birkin Bag collection. It can be the fact that Victoria Beckham is popular and has a lot of people referring to her what made the bag so famous and desirable. Followers or referents to her then adopted the product, Birkin Bag. The more leaders adopt a product, the higher value is crated among its followers. â€Å"Thus, followers are buying the product for its reference group effect† (Almadoss and Jain, 2008, p 935). Therefore individuals that look up to their opinion leader may want to follow his choices (Amaldoss and Jain, 2008). As being outlined before, fashion clothing transmits a certain personality and status of its wearer to other people (Dodd et al, 2000) and is also a form of self-expression. Wearing certain trends or accessories like a Birkin Bag show commitment to a certain image of being wealthy, belonging to a higher class or having a sure feeling of trends and fashion. 4. Why and how marketers make use fashion opinion leaders The innovator theory by Rogers (1962) shows that consumer attitudes towards purchasing products can be classified into five categories. The following figure shows Rogers’s adoption of innovations curve. Depending on how quick consumers are to purchase they are either: 1. Innovators or Designers (2.5%), 2. Fashion opinion leaders or early adapters (13.5%), 3. Early majority (34%), 4. Late majority (34%), 5. Laggards or late adapters (16%) Directly after innovators or designers of the product, opinion leaders come second in purchasing or adapting this trend. According to the theory, opinion leaders are the key to product diffusion (Mituse, 05/11/12). Although innovators and opinion leaders combined account for no more than 16% of the overall market, a company can try to target opinion leaders already in early product stages and see if product diffusion will spread to the early and late majorities (Mituse, 05/11/12). Following Rogers’s theory and transferring it to the fashion industry, it can be argued that it is from extreme importance for fashion retailers to get opinion leaders on board in order to establish their designs and products within the market. Thus, the reasons why fashion opinion leaders influence others by sharing information are extremely important for companies (Bertandias and Goldsmith, 2006). Fashion retailers make use of â€Å"key opinion leaders† to influence the purchasing behaviour of consumers through their perceived position of authority. Therefore employing opinion leaders as advertising mascots or models in commercials or adverts, as seen in the figure below, is common in fashion retail. Figure 4: Fashion opinion leaders advertising for retailer Furthermore, collaborations with opinion leaders that are famous for their profession are common in fashion retail. This can be underlined by collaborations between mass retailer hm and designers like Donatella Versace (2012) and Jimmy Choo (2009) or online premium retailer NET-A-PORTER and Karl Lagerfeld, as figure 5 illustrates below. Figure 5: Collaborations of retailers and designers as fashion opinion leaders Nevertheless, marketing products or brands effectively today requires tools that reach beyond normal advertising methods: by prior targeting fashion opinion leaders, marketers are able to engage positive word-of-mouth behaviours (Bertrandias and Goldsmith, 2006) about their products. According to Chaney (2001), opinion leaders act as human information processors and are an attractive marketing tool as part of the overall communication strategy. Influences by fashion opinion leaders are not only verbal, but also visual (Bertrandias and Goldsmith, 2006). In fashion, a product has to be desirable to a consumer. If no one is seen with a certain product, most consumers don’t see a reason in buying it. If someone famous is seen with the product, the probability of referential groups buying or wanting the product as well increases. When word-of-mouth networks are generated around opinion leaders, it can pave the way for spreading news or opinions about certain fashion products. Thus, it is beneficial to address fashion-marketing communications directly to opinion leaders of this segment in order to speed up advertising messages. Therefore, advertisers may address womenswear or accessories fashion campaigns directly to opinion leaders like celebrities or high-fashion magazines. Because of the important role they may have in influencing markets, advertisers may also hand out free fashion product samples to opinion leaders (Yahoo, 29/10/12). Handing out such testimonials, which often embody free designer clothes, handbags or shoes, retailers encourage opinion leaders to wear the brand in order to influence reference groups around the opinion leader visually. Outfitting celebrities that have public appearance for free, mostly sees this occurrence, exemplarily stated in the below figure. Figure 6: Celebrities on the red carpet, adapted from ELLE By doing so, the marketer uses the position of the opinion leader to carry and break down its message to influence its relevant target group. Well-established magazines such as Vogue, Elle or Glamour can also be expected to have high influences on fashion decisions of opinion seekers. A fashion magazine even has the ability to cluster a whole group of fashion opinion leaders together: celebrities, photographers, editors, industry experts and fashion journalists. This might be a reason why opinion seekers use those magazines as information source when seeking for an opinion. Thus, advertising in fashion magazines, outfitting celebrities, or using fashion opinion leaders in adverts can influence target groups in their purchasing behaviour. 5. Conclusion ‘Reference groups in fashion’ are defined as fashion consumers who are heavy fashion users and highly involved in seeking or reflecting opinions about fashion brands and products with others who share the same interests. Further, it is differentiated between fashion opinion leaders and fashion opinion seekers. As being part of a referential group, opinion leaders and opinion seekers are positively related to each other, as the one can’t exist without the other. Today, fashion opinion leaders are often classified as celebrities, people standing in the public spotlight, magazines, or bloggers, surrounded by networks of reference groups that admire to be like them. Especially in the age of social media it has become more important to marketers to understand the process of providing, sharing and seeking of information between fashion opinion leaders and opinion seekers. Therefore opinion leaders are seen to be an important marketing tool in fashion as they are able to influence reference groups in their product or brand purchasing decisions. List of references: Amaldoss, W. Jain, S. (2008), Trading Up: A Strategic Analysis of Reference Group Effects, Marketing Science, pp. 932-942 Bearden, W. Etzel, M. (1982), Reference Group Influence on Product and Brand Purchase Decisions, Journal of Consumer Research, pp. 183-194 Bertrandias, L. Goldsmith, R. (2006), Some psychological motivations for fashion opinion leadership and fashion opinion seeking, Jornal of Fashion Marketing an Management, Vol 10, Issue 1, pp. 25-40 Branch, S. (2004), ‘Hermà ¨s’s jelly ache’, Wall Street Journal Bristor, J.M. (1990), ‘Enhanced explanations of word of mouth communications: the power of relationships’, in Hirschman, E.C. (Ed.), Research in Consumer Behavior, 4th ed., JAI Press, Greenwich, CT, pp. 51-83. Chaney, I. (2001), Opinion leaders as a segment for marketing communications, Marketing Intelligence Planning, p. 302 Childers, T. Rao, A. (1992), The Influence of Familial and peer-based Reference Groups on Consumer Decisions, Journal of Consumer Research, pp. 198-211 Dholakia, U. Bagozzi, R. (2004), A socialinfluence model of consumer participation in network- and small-group-based virtual communities , International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 21, Issue3, pp. 241-263 Dodd, C., Clarke, I., Baron, S. Houston, V. (2000), ‘Looking the part: identity, meaning and culture in clothing purchasing – theoretical considerations’, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 41-48 Farquhar, J. Rowley, J. (2006), Relationships and online consumer communities, Business Process Management Journal, pp. 162- 175 Feick, L. Price, L. (1987), `The market maven: a diffuser of marketplace information, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 51, p. 95. Goldsmith, R. Clark, R. (2008), An analysis of factors affecting fashion opinion leadership and fashion opinion seeking, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, pp. 308-322 Goldsmith, R. (2000), ‘Characteristics of the heavy user of fashionable clothing’, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practise, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 1-9 Holton, G. (2004), „Robert K Merton – Biographical Memoriesâ€Å", Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 148 (4) p 506–517 Jetsetsocialità © , Jetsetjunior, Accessed: 26th October 2012, Source: from: http://www.jetsetsocialite.com/2008/10/19/the-hermes-birkin-bag-buying-guide/ McDonough M. (1997), â€Å"Frequently asked questions: virtual communities†, internal paper prepared for virtual community hosts at the Thomson Viral Community laboratory Mintel Oxygen, Fashion Online UK March 2012, Report Brochure, Accessed: 29th October 2012, Source: from: http://ezproxy1.hw.ac.uk:2840/display/590053/?highlight=true Mituse, Accessed: 06/11/12, Source: from: http://www.mitsue.co.jp/english/case/concept/02.html?lang=en_usoutput=json session-id=fae8bc3e4d3cd76794dcbdbd8fbff715 Park, H. Cho, H. (2012), Social network online communities: information sources for apparel shopping, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 29, p. 400 Parvatiyar, A. Sheth J., (1995), ‘Relationship Marketing in Consumer Markets: Antecedents and Consequences’, Journal of Academy of Marketing Science, vol.23, No.4, pp. 255-271 Pentina, I., Prybutok, V., Zhang, X., (2008), THE ROLE OF VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES AS SHOPPING REFERENCE GROUPS, Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, pp. 114-136 Pierce, S. Yahoo, Clothing, Accessed 29th October 2012, Source: from http://news.yahoo.com/why-celebs-free-designer-clothing-221500536.html Rogers, E. Mituse, Accessed 28th October 2012, Source: from http://www.mitsue.co.jp/english/case/concept/02.html Rogers, E. (1962), Communication of Innovations, 2nd ed., The Free Press, New York Solomon, M. Rabolt, N. (2009), Consumer Behaviour in Fashion, 2nd ed., Prentice Hall Salter, J. (2012), The Telegraph, Fashion, Accessed 28th October 2012, Source: from http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/beauty/news-features/TMG7037668/Britains-best-fashion-bloggers.html

Recommendations for Tuen Mun Landfill Expansion

Recommendations for Tuen Mun Landfill Expansion Man Sum Yi, Annie Urban Planning: Principles and Practices To: Principal Town Planner From: Assistant Town Planner (MAN Sum Yi Annie) Subject: Recommendation to Tuen Mun landfill expansion Landfill is being regarded as one of the locally unwanted land uses (â€Å"LULUs†) (Popper, 1981), and sitting of LULUs often causes heated debate among the society (Lai et al., 2007). According to the prediction made by the Legislative Council (2013), the West New Territories (â€Å"WENT†) landfill in Tuen Mun is expected to be exhausted in 2019. The accelerated exhaustion of landfill in Hong Kong catches our attention, and this planning problem requires immediate response from the government and urban planners. Even though major opposition is held by Tuen Mun residents, the necessity of WENT landfill expansion cannot be denied, in the view of surging waste loads and the other waste management strategies are not ready yet. In this memo, the crux of the landfill expansion problem will first be discussed, followed by recommended policy actions and justifications in gaining support to the plan. Crux of WENT landfill expansion problem Appropriate location of landfills remains as a big challenge to planners. The debate of landfill expansion is particularly significant in Hong Kong because of limited land and high population density (Woo, 2010). Moreover, the public does not trust the government in siting locally unwanted land uses (Lam Woo, 2009; Woo, 2010). There is a major dilemma between environmental justice and urgency in handling waste. Despite the fact that the government is working on other waste management strategies, such as the proposed waste charge, food waste recycling partnership scheme and the new incinerator (Environmental Protection Department, 2014), landfill extension is still necessary to handle the remaining 10,000 tonnes of waste which require disposal every day (Legislative Council, 2013). Fuelled by increasing population and rapid economic development, the amount of waste loads is expected to surge continuously. Tuen Mun residents are concerned about the unfavorable impacts disturbing their living environment, which includes odors, health impacts, public hygiene, and the declining local image. Furthermore, Tuen Mun residents challenged the government decision that environmental justice is infringed as Tuen Mun is currently home to many LULUs (Lam Woo, 2009). As discussed in the previous memo, public perception, alternative policies and sustainability of landfills are the three main reasons hampering public support towards the expansion plan. Therefore, in this memo, recommendations are made on the basis to gain public acceptance. Recommended policy actions An open and participatory approach is recommended; there are four recommended policy actions to increase public acceptance and gaining public trust. They include evaluating the expansion plan, minimizing disturbance to Tuen Mun residents, showing commitment and involving the public. First, planners can evaluate the whole expansion plan once again, in terms of distance from residents and the extended area. Planners can examine the possibility of reducing the expansion area. A smaller expansion area will be more acceptable to residents, as their social responsibility in handling waste will be smaller. 67.95% of interviewed Tuen Mun residents perceived the landfill expansion as a need for Hong Kong, while only 12.5% perceived it as a local need in a survey conducted (Lam Woo, 2009). The government can increase education and promotion, in order to allow the public to understand the urgency of the problem. Second, planners can propose ways to minimize nuisance brought to the residences in Tuen Mun. The design of garbage truck can be improved and the leakage problem of waste water should be strictly controlled. Planting greenbelts around the expanded landfill is another suggestion, which can act as a separation between the landfill and local residents. Planners can explore the other ways in transporting waste, for example using sea transport, so that disturbance during waste transportation can be reduced. Streets can be cleaned more frequently within Tuen Mun; hence pests and insects can be eliminated. Third, the government should show commitment to the public, demonstrate that they will shoulder the responsibility in waste management. The government can present a timeline in municipal waste reduction and set long term reduction goals. Tuen Mun residents expressed that the pollution problem arose from landfill extension was their top concern (Lam Woo, 2009). An air quality monitoring station can be set up in Tuen Mun, monitoring the amount of toxic gases and the general air quality. This can increase the confidence of Tuen Mun residents towards the landfill expansion and better protect health of residents. Last but not least, the government should be more sensitive to local concerns and engage public in the decision-making process. Rather than compensation strategies, greater public participation is more effective in persuading local residents (Lam Woo, 2009). Government can foster trust building by increasing transparency and lengthening time for the consultation period. The government should show respect to the views of different stakeholders. The government can adopt residents’ suggestions towards the expansion plan, and promote better communication with residents and the Tuen Mun District Council. Justifications to recommended actions Indeed, achieving environmental justice is always easier said than done. The concept of environmental justice refers to the equal share of burden of responsibility (Levy, 2011) in handling waste. During the process of decision making, fair treatment and meaningful involvement of the public is being considered as elements of environmental justice. Environmental injustice can be seen through the concentration of costs and risks of LULUs on a particular population (Been, 1993). Each district in Hong Kong has its own function, and functions of districts are determined by locational factors. Although some Tuen Mun residents call for the respect towards environmental justice, fair siting of LULUs among all districts is extremely difficult and impractical. Proper siting of landfill requires the consideration of environmental, technical and social factors, and the wind direction is especially important. In order to persuade residents to accept the expansion plan, the government should prove that Tuen Mun is a legitimate and reasonable choice, as well as minimizing impacts brought to residents. The ultimate goal of the WENT landfill expansion is to achieve comprehensive planning, in which health, safety and public welfare are taken into consideration. Comprehensive planning refers to the plan that can guide the development of the entire community in a long term (Levy, 2011). Evaluation of the extension plan and minimization of disturbance represent government’s consideration of the affected residents. The above suggested policy actions are able to establish trust between the public and the government, as the views of Tuen Mun residents are being considered and taken into account. An open and participatory approach in handling LULUs is crucial, as the public is being involved. Compensation measure is not recommended because economic loss is not one of the concerns of the affected residents (Lam Woo, 2009). Moreover, the effectiveness of monetary compensation has been questioned (Jenkins-Smith Kunreuther, 2005). Conclusion The urgency waste problem is less significant than other pollution problems since it does not directly affect daily lives of Hong Kong citizens. In addition to other waste management policies, the proposed WENT landfill expansion plan is the best way to handle municipal solid waste. The government and planners play the most important role in promoting this expansion plan. In response to the strong local opposition, four recommendations are made, which include evaluating the expansion plan, minimizing disturbance, showing commitment and involving the public. Environmental justice is in fact difficult to be achieved in reality, so planners should focus on ways to gain public acceptance while formulating policy actions. The above suggested ways are feasible because views of Tuen Mun residents are taken into account and they are involved in the decision-making process. All in all, the government should be committed to execute other reduction goals while promoting the expansion plan, and the persuasiveness of the plan will be increased. References: Books Levy, John M. (2011). Contemporary Urban Planning, ninth edition, Upper Saddle River, Prentice Hall. Jenkins-Smith, H.C. and Kunreuther, H. (2005). Mitigation and benefits measures as policy tools for siting potentially hazardous facilities: determinants of effectiveness and appropriateness. In: S.H. Lesbirel and D. Shaw, eds. Managing conflict in facility siting: an international comparison. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, 63–84. Journal articles Been, V. (1993). Whats fairness got to do with it? Environmental justice and the siting of locally undesirable land uses.Cornell L. Rev.,78, 1001. Lam, K.C. Woo, L.Y. (2009). Public perception of locally unwanted facilities in Hong Kong: Implications for conflict resolution. Local Environment, 14(9), 851-869. Lai, P.W. et al. (2007). Siting and community response to locally unwanted land uses: a literature review. Hong Kong: Centre for Environmental Policy and Resource Management, Department of Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Popper, F.J. (1981). Sitting LULUs. Planning, Vol. 47, 4: pp.12-15. Woo, L. Y. (2010).Trust and public perception: Insights for facility siting in Hong Kong(Order No. 3483306). Available from ProQuest Dissertations Theses AI. (902185449). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/902185449?accountid=14548 Website materials Environmental Protection Department (2014). Food Waste Recycling Partnership Scheme. Retrieved from http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/prob_solutions/owt_food.html Legislative Council (2013). Environmental Infrastructure Projects. The Legislative Council Panel on Environmental Affairs. CB(1)1079/12-13(01) Retrieved from http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr12-13/english/panels/ea/papers/ea0527cb1-1079-1-e.pdf

Bellamys Looking Backward: 2003 - 1887 :: Looking Backward Essays

Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward: 2000-1887 was an attempt to show Americans who desired the utopian sense of community what it could truly be. Looking Backward addressed the yearnings of a society stricken by economic panics and social collapse by proposing an Eden-like community in which war, hunger, greed and malice were eradicated from society. While the story followed the wonderment of Julian West as he awoke in a Boston of 2000 AD after 113 years of sleep, the text focused on Bellamy's description through the kindly and omniscient character, Dr. Leete of a "post-revolutionary" society which emancipated the individual from the horrors of capitalism. As the story progresses, it becomes obvious that Bellamy is simply trying to suggest ways in which to improve his own society at the time whether it be politics or business practices. The first thing Julian inquires about his the problem of labor strikes, something very prominent in his time due to the newly formed labor unions. â€Å"The National Labor Union (NLU) hailed the virtues of a simpler America, when workers controlled their workday, earned a decent living, and had time to be good citizens† (Davidson, Nation of Nations, 626). Dr. Leete explains that with generous capital, any worker with a decent idea can become his own boss and the need for unions and strikes desisted. This was something that had begun occurring already in Bellamy’s time, as had monopolies. This was the second step in the eradication of strikes as companies began to aggregate and form large syndicates. Finally, the largest syndicate of all, the government took over all industry. â€Å"When it was proposed that the nation should assume their functions (corporations), the suggestions implied nothing impractical even to the timid† (Bellamy, Looking Backward, 67). With this in mind, Julian asks who the enemies of the government are, whether they are other nations or natural ills. Dr. Leete responds with the mind-blowing realization of a perfect society. â€Å"We have no wars now†¦but in order to protect every citizen against hunger, cold, nakedness, and provide for his physical and mental needs, the function is assumed of directing his industry for a term of years† (Bellamy, Looking Backward, 68). The next major question was unemployment. During the any era, this is always going to be problem. Though a person who is educated can generally get a job, an uneducated person can only do menial labor.

Customers and Customer Value Essay

†¢Marketing involves: 1.Managing profitable customer relationships 2.Awareness – attracting/retaining customers 3.Increasing a customer’s willingness to pay †¢Breadth and Depth of Marketing Market: people with desire and ability to buy a specific product All organizations market and people market themselves †¢Dating, PEY oIdeas and values are marketed Buyers may be different than end customer (B2B, B2C) Social Marketing: influence behavior of individuals, benefit to individuals or society not marketer †¢Anti-smoking †¢Consumer Behaviour (B2C/B2B) Heart of marketing satisfying needs and wants of consumers better than competition oValue is only what is perceived by consumer Customer’s see solutions for delivering customer value, not in terms of attributes †¢Fundamental Principles of Marketing oWhat are drivers of customer value? Their benefits/costs †¢Consumers Who are the competitors that satisfy the similar needs †¢The competitors Offer a product/service whose attributes deliver the value as good as or better than the competitors †¢The Company †¢Methods of Discovering customer behavior Needs: Psychological deprivation (food, shelter) Wants: Needs shaped by culture and the individual (burger vs. Tofu) oQualitative research Quantitative Research Feedback Competitive intelligence Socio-economic trends Consumer purchase decision process †¢Buyers may skip a stage depending on how involved they are in the purchase: oHigh involvement if product is: †¢Expensive †¢Serious personal consequences †¢Reflects social image High involvement results in consideration of †¢More brands †¢More product attributes †¢More information sources †¢More time spent searching High involvement †¢Provide education about category and info on product Low involvement †¢Buyers react to price, convenience and familiarity †¢The Marketing Process Identify Consumer Needs & Wants †¢Needs: Psychological deprivation (food, shelter, etc.) †¢Wants: Needs shaped by culture and the individual (burgers vs. tofu) oSegment, Target and Position (STP) †¢Segmentation and Targeting – Who to Serve †¢Choose which customers to serve †¢Positioning – How to Serve †¢Identify key benefits of offering, points of difference with rivals oDevelop and Execute a Marketing program based on the Marketing Mix (4 Ps) †¢Product †¢Features, brand name, packaging, service, warranty †¢Place †¢Outlets, channels, coverage, transportation †¢Price †¢List price, rebates, discounts, payment period †¢Promotion †¢Advertising, sales promotion, merchandising, personal selling, publicity †¢How to Position yourself with customers †¢Market leader Encourage habitual purchase, keep quality high, reinforcing ads, avoid stock outs †¢Challengers Encourage variety seeking Encourage trial (coupons), try something new ads Build Profitable Customer Relationships †¢Basic Relationships (low-margin customers) vs. Full Relationships (key / dominant customers) †¢Frequency marketing programs †¢Rewards, encourage customers to spend more †¢Club marketing programs †¢Offer members discounts for being member †¢Customer Satisfaction †¢Satisfied customers are loyal (migrate rate of 5%) †¢Refer company to others (tell average of 3 others) †¢Less price sensitive †¢Customer Dissatisfaction †¢Migrate at 40% †¢Don’t complain (96% never report back) †¢Tell average of 11 people about problems oManage Product Portfolio †¢Should you keep all your products? †¢Should market them all the same way? †¢Can you increase the products in your portfolio? †¢BCG Growth Share Matrix †¢Market Growth Rate (y-axis) vs. Relative Market Share (x-axis) †¢High – High: Stars †¢Low – High: Cash Cows †¢High – Low: Question Marks †¢Low – Low: Dogs MarketsProducts CurrentNew CurrentMarket Penetration -Selling more products in existing marketsProduct Development -Selling new products in existing markets NewMarket Development -Selling existing products in new markets (geographic or new segments)Diversification -Selling a new product in new markets How your product portfolio could be expanded Tim Horton’s: MarketsProducts CurrentNew CurrentMarket Penetration -High density in geographic area -Heavy advertising -High demand to be franchisors -Regularly upgrades facilitiesProduct Development -Bagels and cappuccino -Sandwiches, wraps, soups NewMarket Development -Expansion to campuses -TimShop (online) -Expansion into U.S.Diversification -Partnered with U.S.-based Cold Stone Creamery Lecture 7 †¢5 steps of STP oGroup potential buyers into segments †¢Geographic, demographic, psychographic, behavioral †¢How do organizational buyers differ †¢Demand for your product is derived from demand of buyers product †¢Fate tied to buyers fate †¢Common to have Few dominant customers and long term relationships Provide competitive bids Have multiple people involved in the purchase †¢To increase likelihood of B2B success †¢Understand the purchasing organization’s needs †¢Understand the organization buying process oRight bidding list, who is influential and who to pay attention to oGroup products to be sold into categories †¢Multiple products with some common trait (often consumer type) †¢Useful where multi consumer type, each with own needs, but not one product to meet all needs †¢Business vs commercial aircraft Develop Market/product grid and estimate size of market Select Target Markets †¢Expected Financial Performance †¢Size and growth, purchasing power, profits †¢Competitive Position †¢Competitive in segment now and over time †¢Accessibility †¢Segment can be reached and served at reasonable price †¢Fit with the Organization †¢You can deliver an effective marketing program oTake marketing actions to reach target market †¢4 P’s †¢Product positioning Head-to-head or Differentiation †¢Challenges in repositioning To change how consumers view an offering relative to competition oHuge advertising costs to change beliefs of people Consumers may be confused about what your brand stands for oConsumers may not buy your claim Why reposition †¢Reacting to competition †¢New Balance vs. Nike †¢Reaching new market †¢Chocolate milk for adults †¢Catching a rising trend †¢Health trends †¢Changing the value added †¢Trade down or up Lecture 8 †¢First P in 4 Ps (â€Å"Product†) †¢Hard to do well o90% of new products fail in first year oCommon among successes †¢Uniquely, superior point of difference †¢Has to work well, has to be valued in the market Lecture 9 Pricing and Channels †¢2 Ps: Price and Place †¢Price The money exchanged for ownership of goods/services Prices involves perception of value and will vary †¢Cheaper price for equivalent quality has higher value †¢Higher price can signal quality (watches, cars) †¢There is a tradition of getting stuff for free or very cheap over internet that is hard to change (vs. by phone or TV) †¢Pricing matters a lot Affects customers’ view Discussion starts with pricing, †¢Goes more generally to marketing than strategy †¢Why change your price? Demand, cost, competition †¢How will people react People place premium on option, if feel getting less, will be dissatisfied and feel violated †¢Market mix over product life cycle for price (in order of 4 stages) oSkimming penetration, gain market share, defend market, stay profitable †¢Factors affecting pricing decisions oInternal Factors †¢Marketing objectives †¢Marketing mix strategies †¢Costs †¢Organizational considerations External Factors †¢Demand †¢Competition, resellers †¢Economy †¢Government †¢Steps in setting prices Identify pricing constraints and objectives †¢Constraints †¢Demand, stage in product life cycle, single vs product line, cost of producing, marketing, changing prices, Competitive market and competitors †¢Objectives †¢Profit or just survival †¢Sales and or market share (revenue, unit volume) †¢Social responsibility Estimate demand and revenue †¢All else being equal, as price falls, demand increase †¢Except for †¢Luxury goods †¢Demands also affected by oPrice and availability Income levels Changing buyer tastes and preferences †¢Marketing Managers want to know â€Å"price elasticity† of demand †¢% change in quantity demanded relative to % change in price oSlope of demand curve Elastic demand †¢Slight decrease in price, steep increase in demand †¢Substitutes usually (no alternatives usually non elastic) oEstimate Cost, volume, profit relationships †¢Total cost = total fixed cost + total variable costs †¢Break-even analysis (sales equal costs): †¢Determines profitability at different levels of sales †¢BEP = Total fixed cost / (unit price – unit variable cost) oSelect an approximate price level †¢Pricing based on demand †¢skimming pricing – high price when hungry initial buyers are not price sensitive †¢penetration pricing – low price to attract buyers (wii) †¢prestige pricing – signal quality with the price †¢price lining – set of prices through a product line (ex. bauer 70, 80, 90, apx) †¢odd-even pricing – prices ending in .99 seem lower †¢target pricing – when a specific price to buyer is a goal †¢bundle pricing – price for a package of multiple products †¢yield management pricing – match demand and supply dynamically to customize prices †¢Pricing based on cost †¢standard mark-up – add a fixed percentage to the cost of all similar items †¢cost-plus pricing – add a mark-up to the cost (consulting) †¢experience curve pricing – lower the price as your own costs come down the learning curve †¢Pricing based on profit (little role for demand and competition) †¢target profit pricing †¢target return-on-sales pricing †¢target return-on-investment pricing †¢Pricing based on the competition †¢Customary pricing (ie. Swatch, chocolate bars) (all the same) †¢price above, at or below similar products †¢Loss leader pricing – sell something at a discount to get people into your store oSet up the list (quoted) price †¢One price for all flexible pricing †¢Must be consistent with all products in product line †¢Must be legal †¢Must be consistent with client perceptions of product †¢Needs to avoid price-cutting by competitors †¢Price cut only when you can win (rare) †¢Have cost or tech advantage over rivals oMake adjustments to the price †¢Discounts †¢Quantity, BOGO †¢Seasonal †¢Functional/Trade †¢Cash †¢Allowances †¢Trade in allowance for buyers †¢Promotional allowance †¢EDLP (no need to wait for sales) †¢Geographical Adjustments †¢Transportation/shipping costs and whether buy or seller pays †¢Market mix over product life cycle (Place/channels) Limited, build, selective, more intensive distribution, fewer selective †¢Channel Individuals or firms that help get the product/service to the end user †¢B2C directly, or use intermediary, such as future shop (less contacts) oRetailers are channels (but so are distributors and resellers) †¢Benefits of direct channels (producer to seller) Greater control Lower variable cost Direct contact Quicker response to changes No need to look for middleman Internet makes direct distribution easy †¢Benefits of indirect channels Fewer contacts to manage Can match product assortment with customers Less need for producer to have a sales presence Allows multiple channels for same product †¢Apple through site, apple store, BestBuy Leverage a channel partner with existing customer relations oLower fixed cost (no sales team) †¢Conflicts between channel partners Vertical conflict †¢Issues in chain (producer to retailer) Horizontal Conflict †¢Issues at same level (retailer to retailer) †¢Challenges of moving from indirect to direct May lose distribution (disintermediation) Buyer loyalty to retailer not product Extra costs involved (e-tail, shipping, sales, customer services) †¢Factors in choosing a channel Business environment Characteristics of your customers †¢Who, what, where Characteristics of your product (complex or evangelize) †¢Ice-cream vs. jets Characteristics of your company (B2B, global, languages) What channels and intermediaries are most profitable Lecture 10 †¢4th P, Promotions †¢The communication process oSee chart in lecture notes by Chris †¢The promotional mix What communication tools are available †¢Advertising †¢Vary Expensive (variable_, provides reasons to buy products †¢Control over channel of message †¢Large numbers see message †¢Hard to determine response †¢Personal selling †¢Face-to-face †¢Very expensive (fixed cost) †¢Control over message (sales people can differ( †¢Targeted receivers †¢Immediate responses †¢Public relations †¢Unpaid, non-personal communication, from third party †¢Little control over message †¢Highly credible, not seen as self-serving †¢Hard to know responses †¢Sales promotion †¢Samples, coupons, rebates †¢76% of marketing expenditures for packaged goods †¢Short run (decline in advertising efficiency) †¢Control over message (not building loyalty) †¢Immediate Response †¢Direct marketing †¢Over phone, or internet †¢Mass or micro, becomes annoying (telemarketers) †¢Control over message †¢Targeted received †¢Immediate responses †¢Developing the promotional mix In product life cycle: to inform, to persuade, to remind Product characteristics †¢Level of complexity †¢More complex, more personal selling †¢Potential Risk (financial, social, physical) †¢Greater risk, more personal selling †¢Ancillary services (service/ support required post sale) †¢Advertising establishes reputation †¢Direct marketing can describe customization †¢Personal selling builds buyer confidence and provides evidence of customer service oKnow your target market †¢Who is buyer and what is buying behaviour †¢Place of purchase, reason, how big is market (mass or custom, first time or repeat oDecision stage of buyer †¢See chart in Chris’ lecture notes oChannel strategy †¢Push (want channel to sell it, target channel not end consumer) †¢Push product through channel with goal of getting channel members to push it to customers †¢Direct promotional mix to channel members to gain cooperation †¢Personal selling and sales promotions play major roles †¢Pull (channel users want to get it from you, targeted at end consumer more) †¢Product is pulled through channels †¢Direct promotional mix at ultimate consumers to encourage them to demand product †¢Mainly advertising and direct marketing to reach end consumers †¢Developing, executing and evaluating the integrated marketing communications program oCoordinates all promotional activities to provide a consistent message across all touch points oKnow target audience and how to market to them oIMC Program 3 stages †¢Planning Stage †¢Awareness, interest, evaluation, trial †¢Set budget based off o% of sales Competitive parity All you can afford †¢Design promotion, schedule it †¢Implementation †¢Execute the promotion plan †¢Carry out promotion †¢Control †¢Post-test the promotion †¢Make needed changes Evaluating IMC †¢Important to measure ROI †¢How many views, traffic to site, coupon redemption rate †¢Can occur during both implementation and control Lecture 11 †¢Three options/Modes for exploiting your new product or technology oLicensing †¢When to consider †¢When you don’t have the resources to bring it to market and don’t want to develop them †¢When you want to get the technology to market fast (win standards race) †¢When you want to stop other firms from R&D and patenting †¢Risks †¢Beneficial only while you have technological advantage Create a standard Stay at leading edge †¢Requires strong IP protection †¢Dependent on others for market success †¢May lock you into something when market is still emerging oPartnering (selling a component) †¢When to consider †¢When you don’t have the resources to bring it to market †¢When you want to get the technology to market fast †¢When credible partners can be identified and their endorsement sends a signal †¢When you are strategically important to partner †¢Risks †¢Larger, more established firms can take advantage (price/terms) †¢Partner can deskill you †¢Dependent on partner Market success and access to info and management †¢Partner can become disinterested oDIY (Do it yourself) †¢When to consider †¢Can bring it to market yourself or want to develop capabilities †¢When you have resources to do it †¢Understand requirements and behaviour of end consumer †¢Want to brand it with your name †¢You have clout with your ecosystem of players †¢Risks †¢Bleeding edge- rivals learn from your mistakes †¢Effort spent on marketing and distribution makes you lag in R&D †¢Lose nimbleness and speed †¢Understand market (buyers, competition and overall market (size and growth) †¢Want to devise an entry strategy to leverage advantages oEmphasize speed for lead time †¢Product, technology, people, partners, locations †¢Set up intangible entry barriers rather than relying only on proprietary advantage like patents oEmphasize selective focus †¢Clearly defined target market †¢Clearly defined partners, channels, suppliers Plus allow for experimentation †¢Adaptable and liquid resources & capabilities (rent, borrow or share) Decision depends on †¢Where you see future of company †¢Stability of industry †¢Value to other players †¢Potential for IP protection †¢Becoming a platform leader Industry platform is foundation technology or service that is essential for a broader, interdependent ecosystem of business †¢Requires innovations to be useful †¢No longer under full control of originator, may contain propriety elements oNeed to decide if you are going to purse a product or platform strategy oAchieving platform status requires specific decisions that govern †¢Technology evolution †¢Product and systems design †¢Business relationships within ecosystem oMany companies don’t succeed as they fail to tackle both: †¢Technology †¢Designing right interfaces, architecture, disclosing IP †¢Business †¢Making key complements, introducing incentives, defeat competing platforms oPlatform potential †¢Must satisfy two prerequisite conditions †¢Perform at least one essential function within system of use or solve an essential tech problem in an industry †¢Should be easy to connect to or build upon to expand system of use as well as allow new or even unintended end users Google is coring in internet search. Linus in web server operating systems for tipping. †¢Intellectual Property Protection Legal right granted by a government that allows inventor to preclude others from using the same invention for a maximum of 20 years oNeed to demonstrate that invention is †¢Novel †¢Not Obvious †¢Useful †¢Secret when the patent application is filed Benefits †¢Blocks others from using invention †¢Raises the cost of imitation by rivals †¢Helps to raise capital by signaling a competitive advantage †¢Helps in negotiating rights oLimitations †¢Requires disclosure of the invention in all countries †¢Monopoly is temporary †¢Rivals can often work around †¢Long, complex, costly to defend †¢Can be irrelevant if technology moves quickly Lecture 12: Business Start Up †¢Entrepreneurship Approaches †¢Causal Logic (start with goals expect return) †¢Evaluate opportunities on measurable market demand & competition †¢Select option with highest expected return †¢Specify resources needed to get the outcome you want †¢Most often used in developed, familiar products/markets †¢Means-Based (start with means avoid loss) †¢Evaluate alternatives based on given set of means + low cost experiments †¢Select option based on affordable loss rather than expected return †¢Obtain pre-commitments with customers, suppliers †¢Most often used in uncertain products / markets †¢Dealing with Uncertainty †¢Entrepreneurs pick a comfortable level of risk and push to increase return oBankers pick a desired level of return and push to reduce risk

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer Essay

â€Å"Two years he walks the earth. No phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An aesthetic voyager whose home is THE ROAD,† (163) and with those words, Chris McCandless declared his independence and walked into the wild bush of Alaska in May 1992. Little did he know that in three short months, his decaying remains would be found by moose hunters, only a few miles from where he began his journey along the Stampede Trail. Chris McCandless’s story, which was retold in John Krakaur’s book, Into the Wild, is a true testament to the idea of freedom and independence that has powered the foundation of American society. Chris McCandless had always marched to the beat of his own drummer, as did many American heroes. Even when he was a child, Chris was known for being overly adventurous and a little less than cautious. This great sense of adventure frightened Chris’s family and friends ever since they noticed it when he was just a child. Because of this, his parents were horrified, but not completely shocked, when one day Chris departed from his typical life in Atlanta, Georgia and was never heard from by his family again. As a graduate of Emory College, Chris’s future potential would have been almost unlimited; he had so much ahead of him but threw it all away and spent the rest of his life on the road. What McCandless was searching for by leaving his safe life cannot be easily understood by most, but many transcendentalists shared a similar understanding of Chris’s â€Å"call to nature. Transcendentalism rejects typical culture or society and is often marked by a love of nature and a pursuit for a greater meaning of life. Many parallels can be drawn between Chris McCandless’s story and the stories from authors such as Walt Whitman. Many transcendentalists like Walt Whitman and Chris McCandless turn to the open road to get a better understanding of life, but in doing this, Chris puts his â€Å"secure future† in jeopardy by abandoning his former identity, giving up all of his possessions, and relying solely on the land. Chris gives up his life of security when he decides to alter his whole identity. Although Chris was raised in a seemingly tight knit family, in college he discovered that his parents’ marriage was the result of an affair, and his father maintained a bigamous relations for two years (121). After that discovery, Chris started to resent his parents, especially his father. His absolute anger towards his parents is what finally caused Chris to completely cut them off from his life as he ventured into the wild. In his two years being away from home, Chris’s family never heard from him once; even his sister, Carine, who was very close to Chris, never spoke to him again. Chris’s sudden absence in his family’s life hurt each member deeply. His father even questions, â€Å"How is it that a kid with so much compassion could cause his parents so much pain? † (104). Although he knew he was hurting his family by leaving, Chris’s lack of concern for his family members stemmed from the hurt he felt that they each caused him. Walt Whitman’s character in Song of the Open Road does not find it as easy as Chris did to leave the past behind. The speaker of the poem writes, â€Å"Still here I carry my old delicious burdens, I carry them, men and women, I carry them with me wherever I go. † This line shows that the author still carries memories and feelings from his old life with him on a daily basis, which exemplifies how hard they are to forget. This regretful attitude contrasts to that of Chris’s in that the speaker doesn’t want to completely leave the past behind but desires to recall his memories during future journeys. Not only did Chris directly cut off his family in order to leave his old life behind, but he also adopted a pseudonym that he felt was more fitting to his new personality. Kraukauer describes Chris’s final transformation and says, â€Å"No longer would he answer to Chris McCandless; he was now Alexander Supertramp, master of his own destiny† (23). This new, outrageous name truly enabled Chris to leave his past of reason and safety behind and move forward to his new life of freedom and adventure. Not only did Chris completely alter his identity but his absolute resignation of worldly positions also put his future safety at risk. Before leaving for his journey and without his parents’ knowledge, Chris donated his entire college fund containing 25,000 dollars to OXFAM, a hunger relief charity (20). This gesture really proves Chris’s complete release of security and lack of consideration for worldly possessions. After starting his long journey with no money, Chris almost immediately abandoned his old yellow Datsun in a riverbed in the Lake Mead National Recreation area. He decided to do this after a flash flood wets the cars engine as a result of his failure to acknowledge the flood zone warning signs. In reality, Chris could have found a way to save his car but instead was exhilarated by the event and saw it as â€Å"an opportunity to shed unnecessary baggage† (29). At the same time, Chris burned his last small amount of money and â€Å"one hundred and twenty-three dollars was promptly reduced to ash and smoke† (29). After this, Chris’s journey was one that literally started from nothing; He had no money, no car, no food, and no one but himself. Chris’s dire need to get rid of every worldly possession greatly endangered his life. The speaker in Walt Whitman’s poem agrees with Chris’s opinion that worldly possessions are unimportant. When the speaker says, â€Å"You shall not heap up what is call’d riches, you shall scatter with lavish hand all that you earn or achieve,† he is expressing his belief that wealth should be shared among many and not kept for one individual. Chris really exemplifies this concept by donating all of his money to those who were less fortunate than him. Chris’s last major risk to his life and security is his trip to Alaska. After a year and a half of traveling around the United States, Chris finally planned his trip to Alaska, which had always been his utmost goal. Chris went into his journey extremely ill equipped for the harsh months that would lie ahead of him in the Alaskan bush. Jim Gallien, an experienced woodsman who gave Chris a ride to the Stampede Trail, described Chris as having nowhere near as much food and gear as would be expected for that kind of trip (4). The only food Chris brought with him was a ten-pound bag of rice; he planned on shooting the rest of his food with a gun that by Gallien’s standards was too small to kill any major game. When questioned repeatedly on his plans for survival, Chris confidently assured Gallien, â€Å"I am absolutely positive I won’t run into anything I cant deal with on my own† (6). Chris’s overconfident attitude is what angered many experienced woodsman who replied to Krakauer’s first article about Chris. They complained that Chris was just foolish and naive for thinking he could take on Alaska alone with almost no experience or gear. One Alaskan hunter even states that only one word can sum up Chris McCandless: incompetent (177). Chris didn’t see his life like this however. He felt prepared and excited for anything the world could throw at him. His completely believed in himself and lived by the notion that nothing or no one could discourage him from his journey. The speaker in Walt Whitman’s poem is extremely similar to Chris McCandless in the sense that they both lived to travel the â€Å"open road† in order to experience life to the fullest. Whitman’s speaker says, â€Å"Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road, healthy, free, the world before me, the long brown path before me leading wherever I choose. Both the speaker and Chris have an idealized view of living on the road and will not let anything deter them from it. Throughout his early life, Chris somewhat conformed to the traditional values and ideals encouraged by his parents and society. It wasn’t until he grew older that he decided to act upon his yearning escape it all and to travel and live in nature. He left his old, secure life behind for one filled with adventure, mystery, and danger. This action, which was looked down upon by many members of society, directly relates Chris to transcendentalist beliefs like those of Walt Whitman. Chris put his safety and security on the line by renouncing his former name, giving up worldly possessions, and venturing out in dangerous in foreign territory and these choices ultimately caused him his life. Even though it may not have been seen as sensible by many, Chris created his own path in life, and although it led to his death, the nomadic experience was what he always desired. Chris writes at the beginning of his final decent into nature, â€Å"No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become Lost in the Wild† (163).

tycho brahe essays

tycho brahe essays Tycho Brahe was a sixteenth century Danish Astronomer. He revolutionized the study of astronomy before the invention of the telescope. He discovered information that was in disagreement with Aristotelian and Ptolemaic systems. He designed and built several instruments that recorded positions and measurements of the stars. Without his discoveries and observations we would be far behind where we are today in the study of the heavens. Brahe was born on December 14, 1546 in Skane Denmark. He attended the universities of Copenhagen, Leipzig, Wittenberg, Rostock, and Basel. He was originally in school to study philosophy and law. However, when at Copenhagen, he witnessed a predicted eclipse of the sun that took place on schedule. He was enthralled by something divine that men should know the motions of the stars so accurately that they were able a long time beforehand to predict their places and relative positions. This changed his interest from the law to astronomy. When he went to Leipzig, he was obsessed with astronomy. He his books and instruments from his tutor and stayed up each night observing the stars. When he was seventeen, he witnessed Jupiter and Saturn passing very close to one another. He checked the tables to see the prediction of when this event should have occured and saw that the Alfonsine tables were off by a month and the Copernican tables were off by several days. He decided that much better tables could be constructed by more accurate observation of the exact positions of planets over an extended period of time. Telescopes had not yet been invented, so the only way to measure the positions of the stares was to build large quadrants to get lines of sight on stars. It took twenty men to set up a large quadrant, which was part of a circle with a nineteen foot radius. It was graduated in sixtieths of a degree. This quadrant was the beginning of Brahes official observations. On ...

Man

Man Professor Deering Writing 1 The three pieces of artwork that I chose throughout the book were "El Jaleo"‚  (PG337), "Journey Above The Clouds"‚  (PG268) and "Famous Women Singers"‚  (PG111). All of the following paintings have similarities and differences, the differences are the time the painting was produced, the type of painting and my overall thought of the painting. I will get into more detail about each painting later in the paper. The one similarity I noticed about all three of these painting is they are exceptionally beautiful. Each painting represents a different meaning in our culture.The first painting I chose was "El Jaleo"‚ . John Singer Sargent (1865-1925) painted "El Jaleo"‚ . The picture represents the Spanish culture, as there are men in the background of this picture playing the guitars with their hats tilted down, and one single female dancing to the music. When looking at the picture, you eyes are brought to the dress of the fema le.English: El Jaleo (1882), oil painting by John Sin...It clearly stands out in a bright white, while the rest of the picture is a dim black and gray. Although when looking closely at the picture, you do notice the slight hint of red that is what looks like more dancers. The painting consist of a lot of shadowing. I can imagine this painting going along with a slow tempo, soft melody, and amazing beats that the dancer could follow.The second painting that I chose was "Journey Above The Clouds"‚ . This painting by far is my favorite among the three that I chose. Casper David Friedrich (1774-1840) did the painting. To me, this picture represents accomplishment, achievement, and overall power. In the center of the picture, there is a single man, standing with one foot propped up against a larger rock, over looking the...

Theodore De Bry and John White Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Theodore De Bry and John White - Essay Example In many of De Bry’s engravings, the facial structure of most of the characters were altered where they ended up looking more like Europeans rather than Native Americans. For instance, in the Indian Woman and Young Girl painting, there is a striking difference between White’s and De Bry’s art works. The girl in De Bry’s engraving is far from the woman and seems to be holding something in the air, which is not similar to White’s painting. The girl also appears to be older in De Bry’s engraving as compared to the girl in White’s painting, which is an obvious difference. Audiences might view this as a subtle change that is not quite noticeable, but it was a significant change that distinguished the engravings from the White’s original paintings. Another element that De Bry applied to the engravings was color in which he was successful at distorting the original images through the introduction of a pale color pigment. De Bry also dis torted the vegetation by coloring them in his engravings, which was quite contrary to what the actual surroundings were during that time. He also gave blonde hair to some of the people in his engravings, which was quite different from the hair color that White had used on his paintings. The important aspect that De Bry failed to capture in his engravings was the difference between Europeans and Native Americans, which was a distinctive feature that should have come out clearly as White intended. De Bry also illustrated his failure to acknowledge, appreciate, and understand.

Infrindgment & others Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Infrindgment & others - Essay Example A computer is a device that is meant to ease work as well as make data organized and easily accessible. In the developed countries, children are introduced to computers at a very tender age, and they use them for the rest of their lives and hence are hardly hit by the negative effects. Computers pose a risk of the user suffering from musculoskeletal disorders due to the repetitive poster and body movements one has while using the computer (Karavidas, Lim, and Katsikas, 2005, p.699). The continuous use of a computer can make on experience pain on the fingers and upper arm since these body parts are in action while using the computer. The repetitive use of the keyboard leads to inflammation in the carpal tunnel and hence causing a painful syndrome called the carpal tunnel syndrome (Saba, Pocklington  and Miller, 2008, p.66). Many people use the computer for prolonged hours which lead to there being little blood flow in the muscles. The body muscles do not contract and relax and hence an imbalance of blood flow in the muscles takes place which can cause pain on the muscles of the user. Computers are used while sitting and this body posture leads to complications with the back, neck and shoulders. Consistent and continuous use of the computer causes the back to ache due to poor blood flow and also causes the neck to ache due to maintaining one position for a long time. A computer user often has their arms folded at ninety degrees while typing and this position of the hand fatigues the shoulder very fast. The most common health risk of computers is eye and vision impairment due to the bright light that computers produce and the fact that the light is so close to the eyes. Continuous use of the computer makes the user have a blurred vision once they withdraw their eyes from the machine. The eyes have a tendency of getting fatigued and due to so much straining

Corporate Accountability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Corporate Accountability - Essay Example This is because a well governed organisation is visualised to be effective by stakeholders and thus initiates greater investment from them in the business. Often a management structure is used by organisations for conducting their operations. The concept is used as a framework of policies with the objective of protecting outside stakeholders’ investment in the organisation. Corporate governance is used by large organisations for generating a system of balances and checks. It provides the assurance that overextending of company’s resources is not generated by any individuals or departments. In other words, corporate governance helps in preventing both frauds and abuse from employees (Vitez, 2010). In this research paper, the various dimensions of corporate governance policy frameworks will be discussed with reference to followed principles in the UK and the US. ... ollow a market-based approach that provides flexibility to the companies in organising and exercising their responsibilities, while simultaneously ensuring their shareholders proper accountability. The accountability is maintained in the UK through â€Å"Combined Code on Corporate Governance† that works on the basis of ‘comply or explain’. This approach makes the judgments easy that is to be presented case after case. This form is supported by investors, companies and regulators in the UK and has been adopted in other financial markets as a model. The approaches in the UK towards corporate governance provide high standards combined with relatively lower costs of association. The board of the UK corporate governance presents assessment of position of the company and provides accountability for maintaining sound internal control system. The board is responsible for maintaining shareholders’ contact for understanding their concerns and opinions (Financial Repo rting Council, 2006). The code of the UK corporate governance consists of five main sections, namely, leadership, effectiveness, accountability, remuneration and relations with shareholders. With respect to leadership, companies are initiated to be lead by an effective board consisting of both executive as well as non-executive directors. In complying with the code ‘effectiveness’, companies should have an exact balance of experience, knowledge and skills. For pertaining to accountability, there should be proper assessment of the prospects and position of the companies. In case of remuneration, the payments of directors should be sufficient enough for attracting qualified candidates and lastly, the companies should bear a dialogue with shareholders on the basis of mutual understanding about its objectives

Discussing the relationship between son and father Essay

Discussing the relationship between son and father - Essay Example The persona is helpless and this only explains the fact that the war in the World War II most affected the powerless in the region. Many themes are evident in this text such as; betrayal, resistance, collaboration and the relationship between father and son. The mood is somber because the persona hopes to save his family from the experience they all had with Holocaust but to his surprise, they are all gone. The group that was concerned with this form of inhumanity was referred to as â€Å"Nazis† and it supported the move by the Parisians. This group was made up of the Germans who were followers of Hitler. The Nazis were also against the existence of the Jewish in Paris hence, collaborated with the French policemen in order to destroy their existence. This was a form of betrayal by the Germans to the Jews since, they were neighbors in a foreign country but they still went ahead and collaborated with the natives in order to destroy them. All forms of inhuman activities are evide nt during this time and Eliezer cannot help but take the bull by its horn. He witnesses people being hang and burnt and he lives each day for his father. He says that the only thing that prevented him from dying was his father. This is because, without him, his father could not make it alone. However, it is ironic how some of the prisoners turn cruel just as the Nazis. The prisoners who are captives together with their fathers start mistreating their fathers for their survival. This relationship between a father and a son is supposed to be mutual but to Eliezer’s surprise, it is even worse than the relationship that can ever exist between two people not sharing blood. Eliezer narrates a story that involves three instances where the sons mistreat their father for their survival. In one instance, a son killed his father just to have a piece of bread to himself. This was uncouth because, just because the food that was offered to them was not enough, a son had to kill his father in order to save his own life. This happened when a German threw a piece of bread in the cattle truck the prisoners had been herded into during transportation. Another character referred to as, the son to Rabbi Eliahu is also seen abandoning his slow and weak father at the occurrence of a mad run for the purpose of increasing his chances that were left to save his life. In addition, Elizier also felt this form of burden through his father’s presence and that is why, he kept on fighting just to be alive for him. The live incidence when their fellow prisoners were hung in front of them was heartbreaking and saddening and in fact, this is what contributed to the hostile relations between fathers and sons (Wiesel, 2006). The sons starved to keep their lives going and since the presence of their father was a hindrance as they had to be reluctant in making any steps that might have left them behind, the only solution was to finish them completely. This was the highest degree of inh umanity. In this text, the author intertwines the past with the present to bring out the real meaning of the life that was experienced during the World War II in 1942. A story about a 10-year-old girl called Sarah; helps a journalist, Julia to uncover the true story about her husband’s family who are French. It is so sad to learn that the same people living in the modern world are the same people who mistreated

Security Measures and How Far They Should Go Coursework

Security Measures and How Far They Should Go - Coursework Example Like so many areas of IT, security would be invincible if it were not for letting people use the systems and applications, sadly this has to happen and so systems get corrupted, hacked and generally brought to their knees. Both by users and external attacks by hackers, etc. Security has been stepped up over many years as better understanding of where problems can come from and what must be done to stop them. But, now very often the very security is itself the biggest problem as it gets in the way of productive work and can cause major problems for IT personnel trying to control users and still give them sufficient mobility to do their job well. Problems come from areas such as giving someone permissions to do a task on a mission critical application, the person goes on holiday and gives another person in the department the passwords to get into the application, that person is not well trained and promptly crashes the system on Monday morning, what then? The holidayer and substitute person will be punished then they say â€Å"oh well its impossible to get permissions for something as short as a week off, but the reports have to be done† what should managers think, it has been done for the best of motives, but the outcome is a disaster for the company security systems and for productivity. Making staff aware there can be bad outcomes is all very well, but if they find they cannot work well then human nature says find a way around the problem system or process as it’s no good. The other way will be for staff to say well we cannot do it because of the system and then productivity takes a tumble. Managers are left swearing at the whole mess, which has an apparently impossible set of outcomes.   

Pharmacology Population Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pharmacology Population - Assignment Example In a study by Bartelink, Rademaker, Schobben, et al. (2006), population pk was found to be a very important approach through which not just pharmacokinetic information is obtained from sparse data sets but also pharmacodynamic information obtained from this same sparse data set. Leeder (2004) also observed that there stages in the drug development process where the very large population may be needed but with only a few observations per patient so as to determine the exact and unique differences with drug behavior in each patient based on special characteristics. To achieve this, population pk is employed or used to obtain information at both the phase II and phase III clinical trials among patients. It is not surprising that Ernest, Elder, Martini, et al. (2007) identified population pk as a practice associated with several pharmaceutical companies in the course of their drug development process. Certainly, population pk comes as a single most reliable mechanism by which dosage dete rmination to drugs can be done due to the size of the population used in the sparse data sets, each of whom is observed for very specific outcomes based on their demographic and pathophysiology characteristics. Also writing on the contribution of population pk to drug development, Roosmarijn et al. (2011) found that there are instances when intensive blood sampling can be attained. Meanwhile, Hsieh and Korfmacher (2006) noted that where intensive blood sampling is possible, there is the benefit of replicating the outcomes with particular blood samples for a larger population size. This means that where intensive blood sampling is not possible an alternative is needed to ensure that almost all populations are catered for. Typical situations in drug development where intensive blood sampling has not been attainable include drug development processes for children, cancer, and AIDS.

Discussing the relationship between son and father Essay

Discussing the relationship between son and father - Essay Example The persona is helpless and this only explains the fact that the war in the World War II most affected the powerless in the region. Many themes are evident in this text such as; betrayal, resistance, collaboration and the relationship between father and son. The mood is somber because the persona hopes to save his family from the experience they all had with Holocaust but to his surprise, they are all gone. The group that was concerned with this form of inhumanity was referred to as â€Å"Nazis† and it supported the move by the Parisians. This group was made up of the Germans who were followers of Hitler. The Nazis were also against the existence of the Jewish in Paris hence, collaborated with the French policemen in order to destroy their existence. This was a form of betrayal by the Germans to the Jews since, they were neighbors in a foreign country but they still went ahead and collaborated with the natives in order to destroy them. All forms of inhuman activities are evide nt during this time and Eliezer cannot help but take the bull by its horn. He witnesses people being hang and burnt and he lives each day for his father. He says that the only thing that prevented him from dying was his father. This is because, without him, his father could not make it alone. However, it is ironic how some of the prisoners turn cruel just as the Nazis. The prisoners who are captives together with their fathers start mistreating their fathers for their survival. This relationship between a father and a son is supposed to be mutual but to Eliezer’s surprise, it is even worse than the relationship that can ever exist between two people not sharing blood. Eliezer narrates a story that involves three instances where the sons mistreat their father for their survival. In one instance, a son killed his father just to have a piece of bread to himself. This was uncouth because, just because the food that was offered to them was not enough, a son had to kill his father in order to save his own life. This happened when a German threw a piece of bread in the cattle truck the prisoners had been herded into during transportation. Another character referred to as, the son to Rabbi Eliahu is also seen abandoning his slow and weak father at the occurrence of a mad run for the purpose of increasing his chances that were left to save his life. In addition, Elizier also felt this form of burden through his father’s presence and that is why, he kept on fighting just to be alive for him. The live incidence when their fellow prisoners were hung in front of them was heartbreaking and saddening and in fact, this is what contributed to the hostile relations between fathers and sons (Wiesel, 2006). The sons starved to keep their lives going and since the presence of their father was a hindrance as they had to be reluctant in making any steps that might have left them behind, the only solution was to finish them completely. This was the highest degree of inh umanity. In this text, the author intertwines the past with the present to bring out the real meaning of the life that was experienced during the World War II in 1942. A story about a 10-year-old girl called Sarah; helps a journalist, Julia to uncover the true story about her husband’s family who are French. It is so sad to learn that the same people living in the modern world are the same people who mistreated

Pharmacology Population Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pharmacology Population - Assignment Example In a study by Bartelink, Rademaker, Schobben, et al. (2006), population pk was found to be a very important approach through which not just pharmacokinetic information is obtained from sparse data sets but also pharmacodynamic information obtained from this same sparse data set. Leeder (2004) also observed that there stages in the drug development process where the very large population may be needed but with only a few observations per patient so as to determine the exact and unique differences with drug behavior in each patient based on special characteristics. To achieve this, population pk is employed or used to obtain information at both the phase II and phase III clinical trials among patients. It is not surprising that Ernest, Elder, Martini, et al. (2007) identified population pk as a practice associated with several pharmaceutical companies in the course of their drug development process. Certainly, population pk comes as a single most reliable mechanism by which dosage dete rmination to drugs can be done due to the size of the population used in the sparse data sets, each of whom is observed for very specific outcomes based on their demographic and pathophysiology characteristics. Also writing on the contribution of population pk to drug development, Roosmarijn et al. (2011) found that there are instances when intensive blood sampling can be attained. Meanwhile, Hsieh and Korfmacher (2006) noted that where intensive blood sampling is possible, there is the benefit of replicating the outcomes with particular blood samples for a larger population size. This means that where intensive blood sampling is not possible an alternative is needed to ensure that almost all populations are catered for. Typical situations in drug development where intensive blood sampling has not been attainable include drug development processes for children, cancer, and AIDS.

Special Education Laew and Litigation Essay Example for Free

Special Education Laew and Litigation Essay * Special education teachers must know legal liabilities and rights pertaining to student, parent, and teachers. Special education teachers recognize that special education practice is heavily regulated and are able to define relevant laws and policies that related to specific special education. (APTS 8, 9; INTASC 1; CEC 1, 9) Assessment Tool Selected * Essay Specific Performance/Task(s) Articulate relevant educational laws and ethics pertaining to student, parent, and teacher rights and responsibilities. (APTS 8. 13) Explain state and federal laws, rules, and regulations as they pertain to special education. (APTS 9. 2) Identify legal responsibilities of teachers (special and general) in accordance with special education laws, rules, and regulations. (APTS 9. 2) Define relevant laws and policies that relate to specific special education situations. (CEC 1. 2) Analyze influential historical events and human issues in special education from various points of view. (CEC 1. 3) Apply ethical/professional standards, follow legal parameters, and keep within limits of practice in the design and implementation of instruction, decision-making, and collaborative interactions with students, families, colleagues, and agencies. (CEC 9. 1) Relevancy of Task to Teacher Candidate * In the special education classroom setting, teachers must comply with laws and rights pertaining to the field of special education. Assessment: Student Prompts/Teacher Directions * Discovering the Relationship Between the Law and Your School (Benchmark Assessment) Use the GCU eLibrary to research information beyond what is provided in the course materials to explore the law and its application to special education issues covered in this course. Explore state departments of education Web sites to investigate the laws of your state and other states as well as their application to special education issues covered in this course. Schedule an appointment with an attorney well-versed in school law or with a special education director to learn about the following issues: a) How has the legal system evolved, as it applies to special education, over the past 20 years, and how has that affected the legal framework for special education today? b) How does the legal framework differ for special needs students and regular students in private and public schools? c) Who monitors the implementation and evaluation of IEPs in private and public schools? d) In the legal expert’s opinion, are there any elements of special education law that need refinement? Explain. Write an essay of 1,750-2,000 words in which you compare and contrast the findings of your research and the information obtained in the interview. Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is required. Additionally, submit the assignment in TaskStream. Directions for submitting to TaskStream can be found on the College of Education’s page in the Student Success Center. Scoring Tool/Guide (Rubric) Discovering the Relationship Between the Law and Your School Criteria| 1: Unsatisfactory| 2: Less Than Satisfactory| 3: Satisfactory| 4: Good| 5: Excellent| * Required Content * 85% * * CEC: 9, 10| Central purpose or argument is not clearly identified. Analysis is vague or notevident. Reader is confused or may be misinformed. | Information supports a central purpose or argument at times. Analysis is basic or general. Reader gains few insights. | All required content is discussed. Information provides reasonable support for a central purpose or argument and displays evidence of a basic analysis of a significant topic. Reader gains insights. | All required content is discussed and examples are provided to support or exemplify main ideas. | All required content is thoroughly discussed and examples are provided to support and exemplify main ideas. | Comments| Organization and Format (10%)| Essay Structure, Paragraph Development, and Transitions| Paragraphs and transitions consistently lack unity and coherence. No apparent connections between paragraphs. Transitions are inappropriate to purpose and scope. Organization is disjointed. | Some paragraphs and transitions may lack logical progression of ideas, unity, coherence, and/or cohesiveness. Some degree of organization is evident. | Paragraphs are generally competent, but ideas may show some inconsistency in organization and/or in their relationships to each other. | A logical progression of ideas between paragraphs is apparent. Paragraphs exhibit a unity, coherence, and cohesiveness. Topic sentences and concluding remarks are used as appropriate to purpose, discipline, and scope. | There is a sophisticated construction of the essay. Ideas universally progress and relate to each other. The writer has been careful to use paragraph and transition construction to guide the reader. | APA Format and Style Requirements| APA format and style are not evident. | Title page is present, but is missing APA elements. In-text citations, where necessary, are used but they are formatted inaccurately and not referenced. | All key elements of an APA title page are present. An abstract is present and formatted correctly. In-text citations and a reference section are present with few format errors. Mechanics of writing are reflective of APA style. | Plan elements are theoretically supported with accurate citations and references. | A broad understanding of APA format and style is evident in the use of level headings and lists, for example. | Comments| Mechanics, Language Use, and Audience Awareness (5%)| Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar)| Surface errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. | Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. | Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but are not overly distracting to the reader. | Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. | Writer is clearly in control of standard, written American English. | Language Use and Audience Awareness (includes sentence construction, word choice, etc. )| Student uses noncollegiate, conversational tone, inappropriate word choice and/or sentence construction, and lack of variety in language use. Student appears to be unaware of audience. Use of primer prose indicates student either does not apply figures of speech or uses them inappropriately. | Language lacks clarity or includes the use of some conversational tone. Language choice (register) can be distracting or inconsistent with sentence structure. Some lack of control in using figures of speech appropriately is noted. | Language is clear and audience-appropriate. Sentences display varied structure with minor errors. Use of collegiate language is appropriate for the most part. | Uses a variety of sentence structures and collegiate-level vocabulary. Uses figures of speech and idioms to communicate clearly. | Language is precise and sentences display consistently strong, varied structure. Approach to use of language is unique, creative, and appropriate to purpose, discipline, and scope of topic. | Comments| * * * Â © 2012. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.