Mcdonald Competitive Advantage

McDonald’s core competency is providing convenience when people need and want to eat fast food at prices that are competitive and provide best value for the customer's money. One of McDonald’s competitive advantages is its focus on consistency of  quality, production of food and use of raw materials all around the world. The world recognition associated with the brand McDonald’s itself is also one of McDonald's competitive advantages. We strive to be cost leaders and offer our food at prices that cannot be matched by our competitors.In order to do this, your store must be efficient and keep everyday operations costs as low as possible. Doing so, will allow for our stores to be superior to other fast food restaurants because we can serve our food at lower prices than any other fast food company. Another important competitive advantage we have here at McDonald’s is the speedy delivery of our food. In order to maintain this advantage over other fast food ch ains, you must make the processes of cooking food simple for all your employees.It must be easy to learn and easy to execute with a low failure rate to ensure the quick production and delivery of your food. These two competitive advantages comply directly with the vision of the company which is as follows: â€Å"McDonald's vision is to be the world's best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile. † Just like any other firm, McDonald’s competitive advantages are what makes it stand out when compared to other companies.These aspects of McDonald’s are what helped it become the number one fast food distributor in the world. McDonald's competitive advantage is based on brand recognition. McDonald's brand is well known in all markets, nationally and internationally. A new report by business intelligence firm shows how top corporatio ns such as McDonalds's, Coca-cola use their brands to strategically position themselves to gain and retain new customers, even in the most competitive markets. Brand recognition holds tremendous influence on consumer buying habits

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 17

The reception was held in a different grand hall. My brother, Lydia, Bridget, and I formed a receiving line by the entrance to thank and greet our guests. Damon put it on a bit, bowing and pretending to know people he didn't. Compelling them into thinking he was an old friend, no doubt. While Bridget showed off her ring, Lydia gave everyone warm kisses or handshakes or smiles, whatever their relationship dictated. She even laughed when Bram tried to snatch a â€Å"farewell† kiss. Bridget stood by her side, beaming with what looked like genuine joy. â€Å"Thank you for coming today,† I said time and time again, the words tasting like chalk on my tongue. â€Å"We're so glad you could come celebrate with us. My thanks for being here today. Pleased to meet you, thank you so much for being here.† â€Å"Stefan Salvatore?† demanded a matron in an almost unmoving thick gray silk dress and pearls, holding on to my hand for longer than was strictly necessary. She pronounced the e at the end of my last name and fixed me with an eye as stony as her skirts. â€Å"Yes, ma'am,† I said, giving her as warm a smile as I could. â€Å"Of the Florentine Salvatores? Prince Alessandro?† â€Å"I'm not rightly sure, ma'am,† I answered, trying to keep my smile. â€Å"When my father came to this country he declared himself an American. He didn't keep up with our old relations.† Her eyes widened and her grip on my hand became loose. â€Å"An immigrant. How charming.† She didn't smile and pulled her hand out of my grasp, moving on. Several hundred people later we finally got to sit down. The bride and groom's table was festooned with palm fronds and garlands of huge flowers, and was covered with every expensive delicacy you could want to eat – or show off that you could afford. There was a seafood appetizer of oysters and other delicacies including Scottish smoked salmon and Russian caviar. Then came a main course that consisted of an absolutely staggering number of dead animals: roast beef, quail, venison, pheasant, woodcock, duck, lamb, roast pork, hot and cold, braised and grilled, minced and sauteed, sliced and in pies. It was all crowned off by a wedding cake, five tiers of the finest fruitcake covered in fondant and decorated with scrolls, swoops, columns, and sugar birds. The black-jacketed waiters poured glass after glass of champagne, and everyone chatted gaily. But my muscles were tied in knots. The â€Å"wedding† was officially over. Damon and I were legally married into the Sutherland family. It was only a matter of time before he began the next phase of his plan – whatever that ended up being. â€Å"Darling, get me a glass of water, would you?† Lydia was asking my brother, touching him tenderly on the cheek. â€Å"In some ceremonies, it's the lady's place to love, honor, and obey. Shouldn't you be getting one for me, little wife?† he smiled, but in a way I didn't like. â€Å"Of course! Anything for you, dear,† Lydia said. â€Å"Water, wine†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Blood?† Damon prompted. Lydia laughed. â€Å"If you wish, it's my command.† Bridget didn't eat any of the expensive repast, leaping up from the table constantly to talk to her friends, holding out her hand and showing off her ring. I spent most of dinner nervously pushing very expensive food around a very expensive plate with a very expensive, very heavy silver fork, never taking my eyes off Damon. As dessert came out, Bram took pity on me and sat down in Bridget's place for a moment. â€Å"Congrats, old chap,† he said, shaking my hand. â€Å"You and Damon snagged two of the best New York has to offer.† I nodded miserably. â€Å"Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland are just terrific. And Margaret†¦ well, she's a spitfire, but I trust you'll be able to win her over eventually.† My head snapped up. â€Å"Have you noticed anything, er, odd about Margaret?† Bram had known the Sutherlands since he was born. Perhaps he had some insight into what made Margaret able to withstand Damon's charms. Bram scratched his floppy black curls. â€Å"Odd?† â€Å"Yes, she's different from the others. Stronger,† I said leadingly. Bram let out a rueful laugh. â€Å"That's for sure. One time when we were younger, I stole her favorite doll to use it as a nurse in a war game with my brother. I swear, the look she gave me! She didn't even have to touch me to send a painful shock through my entire body. Needless to say, I never played with her toys again.† â€Å"She was able to hurt you without touching you?† I pressed, trying to put the pieces together. But just then, Winfield tapped me on the shoulder and nodded toward a back room. Damon came with us, a mock-serious look on his face. As we quietly filed past the guests and down a side corridor, I strained to look out the windows. Through trees and towers I could see the mighty Hudson and the Palisades, a golden sun shining down on the sparkling river, the green forests, boats and barges parading slowly up and down the water. I almost did feel like a king surveying his countryside, since marrying into this family set me into the top of New York's highest society. We entered a dark-paneled smoking room, and Winfield immediately set about pouring some ruby-red sherry. Damon pulled out a silver flask and right there in front of Winfield spiked his drink with blood. Human blood. â€Å"To marriage eternal,† Damon said, raising his glass. Winfield agreed energetically. â€Å"To marriage.† I just nodded and tossed back the drink, hoping the cool liquid would sate my thirst. â€Å"There's a serious matter I need to talk to you lads about.† Winfield settled his frame into a large desk chair. Damon leaned forward expectantly. I tensed in my seat, ready for whatever would come next. â€Å"The matter of a dowry.† I squeezed my hands together. Damon grinned, exposing his gleaming canines. He threw himself on to a velvet couch. â€Å"Just what I was going to ask you about, Father. You don't mind me calling you that, do you?† â€Å"Not at all, my boy,† Winfield said, offering Damon a cigar. My brother took it, carefully trimming and lighting the end in a matter so professional I wondered where he picked up the habit. The two sat puffing for a moment, releasing large clouds of smoke into the tiny room. I coughed. Damon, enjoying my discomfort, took the effort to blow a smoke ring my way. â€Å"Now here's the thing. I want you two boys to be able to stand on your own two feet. My girls deserve real men, and if anything should happen to me, I want to make sure they're taken care of.† â€Å"Of course,† Damon said, out the corner of his mouth, around the cigar. â€Å"I have several mines in Virginia; one is gold. They could use some managing. And then there are the railway shares I've bought into†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My brother widened his eyes. I looked away, unable to bear watching him compel this poor man. â€Å"I would prefer cash,† he said. â€Å"All right, that seems reasonable,† Winfield said without pause or even blinking. â€Å"An annuity, then? A living salary?† â€Å"Up front. All of it,† Damon said pleasantly. â€Å"One twentieth of my estate, capital, and holdings, then?† Winfield asked politely. â€Å"More like a quarter.† An automaton, Winfield mindlessly agreed to everything Damon suggested. But I couldn't figure it out – would this keep Winfield safe? Would Damon just keep him around, ordering whatever he pleased out of him? â€Å"I'm glad you're so concerned about taking care of my girls in the manner to which they have been accustomed,† Winfield said, but his voice sounded hollow, as if somewhere some tiny part of his mind knew something was terribly wrong. The poor man drew out some checks and a pen. In a moment it was done, and Winfield presented me with a check with so many zeroes on it, it was barely readable. Damon bared his teeth in something that was less a grin than a rictus of victory. He stood up, holding his glass of blood-laced sherry next to me. The smell was intoxicating. It took every ounce of my strength not to leap up and drain the cup. And then Winfield said the most amazing, banal thing in the world. â€Å"Those checks will take a while to clear,† he apologized, unaware of how those eight words might have just saved his life. Damon glowered, thunderheads in his eyes. It was a look of angry frustration that was famous in Mystic Falls, and something no one wanted to be responsible for causing. It was a dangerous thing to disappoint my brother. He crumpled the check in his hands. â€Å"You didn't mention that before,† he growled, waving the sherry under my nose. I stiffened, my thirst making my fangs burn. â€Å"I'm going to have to sell a great deal of my estate, capital, and holdings to get the cash to back this,† Winfield answered so plaintively it made me sick. â€Å"So do it!† Damon ordered. But I was no longer paying attention. I had to get out of the room. My Power reacted to my hunger – to my anger – and I felt the beginnings of a change. â€Å"I have to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I didn't even bother making up an excuse. I pushed my way out of the room, past my evil brother and our sad father-in-law, out of the castle, and into the black night where I belonged.

Vampire Academy Chapter 6

SIX AS MUCH AS LISSA AND Christian's meeting bothered me, it gave me an idea the next day. â€Å"Hey, Kirova – er, Ms. Kirova.† I stood in the doorway of her office, not having bothered to make an appointment. She raised her eyes from some paperwork, clearly annoyed to see me. â€Å"Yes, Miss Hathaway?† â€Å"Does my house arrest mean I can't go to church?† â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"You said that whenever I'm not in class or practice, I have to stay in the dorm. But what about church on Sundays? I don't think it's really fair to keep me away from my religious? ­um, needs.† Or deprive me of another chance – no matter how short and boring – to hang out with Lissa. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. â€Å"I wasn't aware you had any religious needs.† â€Å"I found Jesus while I was gone.† â€Å"Isn't your mother an atheist?† she asked skeptically. â€Å"And my dad's probably Muslim. But I've moved on to my own path. You shouldn't keep me from it.† She made a noise that sort of sounded like a snicker. â€Å"No, Miss Hathaway, I should not. Very well. You may attend services on Sundays.† The victory was short-lived, however, because church was every bit as lame as I remembered when I attended a few days later. I did get to sit next to Lissa, though, which made me feel like I was getting away with something. Mostly I just people-watched. Church was optional for students, but with so many Eastern European families, a lot of students were Eastern Orthodox Christians and attended either because they believed or because their parents made them. Christian sat on the opposite side of the aisle, pretending to be just as holy as he'd said. As much as I didn't like him, his fake faith still made me smile. Dimitri sat in the back, face lined with shadows, and, like me, didn't take communion. As thoughtful as he looked, I wondered if he even listened to the service. I tuned in and out. â€Å"Following God's path is never easy,† the priest was saying. â€Å"Even St. Vladimir, this school's own patron saint, had a difficult time. He was so filled with spirit that people often flocked around him, enthralled just to listen and be in his presence. So great was his spirit, the old texts say, that he could heal the sick. Yet despite these gifts, many did not respect him. They mocked him, claiming he was misguided and confused.† Which was a nice way of saying Vladimir was insane. Everyone knew it. He was one of a handful of Moroi saints, so the priest liked to talk about him a lot. I'd heard all about him, many times over, before we left. Great. It looked like I had an eternity of Sundays to hear his story over and over again. â€Å"? ­and so it was with shadow-kissed Anna.† I jerked my head up. I had no idea what the priest was talking about now, because I hadn't been listening for some time. But those words burned into me. Shadow-kissed. It had been a while since I heard them, but I'd never forgotten them. I waited, hoping he'd continue, but he'd already moved on to the next part of the service. The sermon was over. Church concluded, and as Lissa turned to go, I shook my head at her. â€Å"Wait for me. I'll be right there.† I pushed my way through the crowd, up to the front, where the priest was speaking with a few people. I waited impatiently while he finished. Natalie was there, asking him about volunteer work she could do. Ugh. When she finished, she left, greeting me as she passed. The priest raised his eyebrows when he saw me. â€Å"Hello, Rose. It's nice to see you again.† â€Å"Yeah? ­you too,† I said. â€Å"I heard you talking about Anna. About how she was ? ®shadow-kissed.' What does that mean?† He frowned. â€Å"I'm not entirely sure. She lived a very long time ago. It was often common to refer to people by titles that reflected some of their traits. It might have been given to make her sound fierce.† I tried to hide my disappointment. â€Å"Oh. So who was she?† This time his frown was disapproving rather than thoughtful. â€Å"I mentioned it a number of times.† â€Å"Oh. I must have, um, missed that.† His disapproval grew, and he turned around. â€Å"Wait just a moment.† He disappeared through the door near the altar, the one Lissa had taken to the attic. I considered fleeing but thought God might strike me down for that. Less than a minute later, the priest returned with a book. He handed it to me. Moroi Saints. â€Å"You can learn about her in here. The next time I see you, I'd like to hear what you've learned.† I scowled as I walked away. Great. Homework from the priest. In the chapel's entry way, I found Lissa talking to Aaron. She smiled as she spoke, and the feelings coming off her were happy, though certainly not infatuated. â€Å"You're kidding,† she exclaimed. He shook his head. â€Å"Nope.† Seeing me stroll over, she turned to me. â€Å"Rose, you're never going to believe this. You know Abby Badica? And Xander? Their guardian wants to resign. And marry another guardian.† Now this was exciting gossip. A scandal, actually. â€Å"Seriously? Are they, like, going to run off together?† She nodded. â€Å"They're getting a house. Going to get jobs with humans, I guess.† I glanced at Aaron, who had suddenly turned shy with me there. â€Å"How are Abby and Xander dealing with that?† â€Å"Okay. Embarrassed. They think it's stupid.† Then he realized who he was speaking to. â€Å"Oh. I didn't mean – â€Å" â€Å"Whatever.† I gave him a tight smile. â€Å"It is stupid.† Wow. I was stunned. The rebellious part me of loved any story where people â€Å"fought the system.† Only, in this case, they were fighting my system, the one I'd been trained to believe in my entire life. Dhampirs and Moroi had a strange arrangement. Dhampirs had originally been born from Moroi mixing with humans. Unfortunately, dhampirs couldn't reproduce with each other – or with humans. It was a weird genetic thing. Mules were the same way, I'd been told, though that wasn't a comparison I really liked hearing. Dhampirs and full Moroi could have children together, and, through another genetic oddity, their kids came out as standard dhampirs, with half human genes, half vampire genes. With Moroi being the only ones with whom dhampirs could reproduce, we had to stay close to them and intermingle with them. Likewise, it became important to us that the Moroi simply survived. Without them, we were done. And with the way Strigoi loved picking off Moroi, their survival became a legitimate concern for us. That was how the guardian system developed. Dhampirs couldn't work magic, but we made great warriors. We'd inherited enhanced senses and reflexes from our vampire genes and better strength and endurance from our human genes. We also weren't limited by a need for blood or trouble with sunlight. Sure, we weren't as powerful as the Strigoi, but we trained hard, and guardians did a kick-ass job at keeping Moroi safe. Most dhampirs felt it was worth risking their own lives to make sure our kind could still keep having children. Since Moroi usually wanted to have and raise Moroi children, you didn't find a lot of long-term Moroi-dhampir romances. You especially didn't find a lot of Moroi women hooking up with dhampir guys. But plenty of young Moroi men liked fooling around with dhampir women, although those guys usually went on to marry Moroi women. That left a lot of single dhampir mothers, but we were tough and could handle it. However, many dhampir mothers chose not to become guardians in order to raise their children. These women sometimes worked â€Å"regular† jobs with Moroi or humans; some of them lived together in communities. These communities had a bad reputation. I don't know how much of it was true, but rumors said Moroi men visited all the time for sex, and that some dhampir women let them drink blood while doing it. Blood whores. Regardless, almost all guardians were men, which meant there were a lot more Moroi than guardians. Most dhampir guys accepted that they wouldn't have kids. They knew it was their job to protect Moroi while their sisters and cousins had babies. Some dhampir women, like my mother, still felt it was their duty to become guardians – even if it meant not raising their own kids. After I'd been born, she'd handed me over to be raised by Moroi. Moroi and dhampirs start school pretty young, and the Academy had essentially taken over as my parent by the time I was four. Between her example and my life at the Academy, I believed wholeheartedly that it was a dhampir's job to protect Moroi. It was part of our heritage, and it was the only way we'd keep going. It was that simple. And that was what made what the Badicas' guardian had done so shocking. He'd abandoned his Moroi and run off with another guardian, which meant she'd abandoned her Moroi. They couldn't even have children together, and now two families were unprotected. What was the point? No one cared if teenage dhampirs dated or if adult dhampirs had flings. But a long-term relationship? Particularly one that involved them running away? A complete waste. And a disgrace. After a little more speculation on the Badicas, Lissa and I left Aaron. As we stepped outside, I heard a funny shifting sound and then something sliding. Too late, I realized what was happening, just as a pile of slush slid off the chapel's roof and onto us. It was early October, and we'd had early snow last night that had started melting almost immediately. As a result, the stuff that fell on us was very wet and very cold. Lissa took the brunt of it, but I still yelped as icy water landed on my hair and neck. A few others squealed nearby too, having caught the edge of the mini-avalanche. â€Å"You okay?† I asked her. Her coat was drenched, and her platinum hair clung to the sides of her face. â€Å"Y-yeah,† she said through chattering teeth. I pulled off my coat and handed it to her. It had a slick surface and had repelled most of the water. â€Å"Take yours off.† â€Å"But you'll be – â€Å" â€Å"Take this.† She did, and as she slipped on my coat, I finally tuned into the laughter that always follows these situations. I avoided the eyes, instead focusing on holding Lissa's wet jacket while she changed. â€Å"Wish you hadn't been wearing a coat, Rose,† said Ralf Sarcozy an unusually bulky and plump Moroi. I hated him. â€Å"That shirt would have looked good wet.† â€Å"That shirt's so ugly it should be burned. Did you get that from a homeless person?† I glanced up as Mia walked over and looped her arm through Aaron's. Her blond curls were arranged perfectly, and she had on an awesome pair of black heels that would have looked much better on me. At least they made her look taller, I'd give her that. Aaron had been a few steps behind us but had miraculously avoided being nailed by the slush. Seeing how smug she looked, I decided there'd been no miracles involved. â€Å"I suppose you want to offer to burn it, huh?† I asked, refusing to let her know how much that insult bugged me. I knew perfectly well my fashion sense had slipped over the last two years. â€Å"Oh, wait – fire isn't your element, is it? You work with water. What a coincidence that a bunch just fell on us.† Mia looked as if she'd been insulted, but the gleam in her eyes showed that she was enjoying this way too much to be an innocent bystander. â€Å"What's that supposed to mean?† â€Å"Nothing to me. But Ms. Kirova will probably have something to say when she finds out you used magic against another student.† â€Å"That wasn't an attack,† she scoffed. â€Å"And it wasn't me. It was an act of God.† A few others laughed, much to her delight. In my imagination, I responded with, So is this, and then slammed her into the side of the church. In real life, Lissa simply nudged me and said, â€Å"Let's go.† She and I walked off toward our respective dorms, leaving behind laughter and jokes about our wet states and how Lissa wouldn't know anything about specialization. Inside, I seethed. I had to do something about Mia, I realized. In addition to the general irritation of Mia's bitchiness, I didn't want Lissa to have to deal with any more stress than she had to. We'd been okay this first week, and I wanted to keep it that way. â€Å"You know,† I said, â€Å"I'm thinking more and more that you stealing Aaron back is a good thing. It'll teach Bitch Doll a lesson. I bet it'd be easy, too. He's still crazy about you.† â€Å"I don't want to teach anyone a lesson,† said Lissa. â€Å"And I'm not crazy about him.† â€Å"Come on, she picks fights and talks about us behind our backs. She accused me of getting jeans from the Salvation Army yesterday.† â€Å"Your jeans are from the Salvation Army.† â€Å"Well, yeah,† I snorted, â€Å"but she has no right making fun of them when she's wearing stuff from Target.† â€Å"Hey, there's nothing wrong with Target. I like Target.† â€Å"So do I. That's not the point. She's trying to pass her stuff off like it's freaking Stella McCartney.† â€Å"And that's a crime?† I affected a solemn face. â€Å"Absolutely. You've gotta take revenge.† â€Å"I told you, I'm not interested in revenge.† Lissa cut me a sidelong look. â€Å"And you shouldn't be either.† I smiled as innocently as I could, and when we parted ways, I felt relieved again that she couldn't read my thoughts. â€Å"So when's the big catfight going to happen?† Mason was waiting for me outside our dorm after I'd parted ways with Lissa. He looked lazy and cute, leaning against the wall with crossed arms as he watched me. â€Å"I'm sure I don't know what you mean.† He unfolded himself and walked with me into the building, handing me his coat, since I'd let Lissa go off with my dry one. â€Å"I saw you guys sparring outside the chapel. Have you no respect for the house of God?† I snorted. â€Å"You've got about as much respect for it as I do, you heathen. You didn't even go. Besides, as you said, we were outside.† â€Å"And you still didn't answer the question.† I just grinned and slipped on his coat. We stood in the common area of our dorm, a well-supervised lounge and study area where male and female students could mingle, along with Moroi guests. Being Sunday, it was pretty crowded with those cramming for last-minute assignments due tomorrow. Spying a small, empty table, I grabbed Mason's arm and pulled him toward it. â€Å"Aren't you supposed to go straight to your room?† I hunkered down in my seat, glancing around warily. â€Å"There are so many people here today, it'll take them a while to notice me. God, I'm so sick of being locked away. And it's only been a week.† â€Å"I'm sick of it too. We missed you last night. A bunch of us went and shot pool in the rec room. Eddie was on fire.† I groaned. â€Å"Don't tell me that. I don't want to hear about your glamorous social life.† â€Å"All right.† He propped his elbow up on the table and rested his chin in his hand. â€Å"Then tell me about Mia. You're just going to turn around and punch her one day, aren't you? I think I remember you doing that at least ten times with people that pissed you off.† â€Å"I'm a new, reformed Rose,† I said, doing my best impression of demure. Which wasn't very good. He emitted a choking sort of laugh. â€Å"Besides, if I do that, I'll have broken my probation with Kirova. Gotta walk the straight and narrow.† â€Å"In other words, find some way to get back at Mia that you won't get in trouble for.† I felt a smile tug at the corners of my lips. â€Å"You know what I like about you, Mase? You think just like I do.† â€Å"Frightening concept,† he replied drily. â€Å"So tell me what you think of this: I might know something about her, but I probably shouldn't tell you? ­Ã¢â‚¬  I leaned forward. â€Å"Oh, you already tipped me off. You've got to tell me now.† â€Å"It'd be wrong,† he teased. â€Å"How do I know you'd use this knowledge for good instead of evil?† I batted my eyelashes. â€Å"Can you resist this face?† He took a moment to study me. â€Å"No. I can't, actually. Okay, here you go: Mia isn't royal.† I slouched back in my chair. â€Å"No kidding. I already knew that. I've known who's royal since I was two.† â€Å"Yeah, but there's more than just that. Her parents work for one of the Drozdov lords.† I waved my hand impatiently. A lot of Moroi worked out in the human world, but Moroi society had plenty of jobs for its own kind too. Someone had to fill them. â€Å"Cleaning stuff. Practically servants. Her dad cuts grass, and her mom's a maid.† I actually had a healthy respect for anyone who pulled a full day's work, regardless of the job. People everywhere had to do crappy stuff to make a living. But, much like with Target, it became another matter altogether when someone was trying to pass herself off as something else. And in the week that I'd been here, I'd picked up on how desperately Mia wanted to fit in with the school elite. â€Å"No one knows,† I said thoughtfully. â€Å"And she doesn't want them to. You know how the royals are.† He paused. â€Å"Well, except for Lissa, of course. They'd give Mia a hard time over it.† â€Å"How do you know all this?† â€Å"My uncle's a guardian for the Drozdovs.† â€Å"And you've just been sitting on this secret, huh?† â€Å"Until you broke me. So which path will you choose: good or evil?† â€Å"I think I'll give her a grace – â€Å" â€Å"Miss Hathaway, you know you aren't supposed to be here.† One of the dorm matrons stood over us, disapproval all over her face. I hadn't been joking when I said Mason thought like me. He could bullshit as well as I could. â€Å"We have a group project to do for our humanities class. How are we supposed to do it if Rose is in isolation?† The matron narrowed her eyes. â€Å"You don't look like you're doing work.† I slid over the priest's book and opened it at random. I'd placed it on the table when we sat down. â€Å"We're, um, working on this.† She still looked suspicious. â€Å"One hour. I'll give you one more hour down here, and I'd better actually see you working.† â€Å"Yes, ma'am,† said Mason straight-faced. â€Å"Absolutely.† She wandered off, still eyeing us. â€Å"My hero,† I declared. He pointed at the book. â€Å"What is this?† â€Å"Something the priest gave me. I had a question about the service.† He stared at me, astonished. â€Å"Oh, stop it and look interested.† I skimmed the index. â€Å"I'm trying to find some woman named Anna.† Mason slid his chair over so that he was sitting right beside me. â€Å"All right. Let's ? ®study.' â€Å" I found a page number, and it took me to the section on St. Vladimir, not surprisingly. We read through the chapter, scanning for Anna's name. When we found it, the author didn't have much to say about her. He did include an excerpt written by some guy who had apparently lived at the same time as St. Vladimir: And with Vladimir always is Anna, the daughter of Fyodor. Their love is as chaste and pure as that of brother and sister, and many times has she defended him from Strigoi who would seek to destroy him and his holiness. Likewise, it is she who comforts him when the spirit becomes too much to bear, and Satan's darkness tries to smother him and weaken his own health and body. This too she defends against, for they have been bound together ever since he saved her life as a child. It is a sign of God's love that He has sent the blessed Vladimir a guardian such as her, one who is shadow-kissed and always knows what is in his heart and mind. â€Å"There you go,† Mason said. â€Å"She was his guardian.† â€Å"It doesn't say what ? ®shadow-kissed' means.† â€Å"Probably doesn't mean anything.† Something in me didn't believe that. I read it again, trying to make sense of the old-fashioned language. Mason watched me curiously, looking like he very much wanted to help. â€Å"Maybe they were hooking up,† he suggested. I laughed. â€Å"He was a saint.† â€Å"So? Saints probably like sex too. That ? ®brother and sister' stuff is probably a cover.† He pointed to one of the lines. â€Å"See? They were ? ®bound' together.† He winked. â€Å"It's code.† Bound. It was a weird word choice, but that didn't necessarily mean Anna and Vladimir were ripping each other's clothes off. â€Å"I don't think so. They're just close. Guys and girls can just be friends.† I said it pointedly, and he gave me a dry look. â€Å"Yeah? We're friends, and I don't know what's in your ? ®heart and mind.' † Mason put on a fake philosopher's look. â€Å"Of course, some might argue that one can never know what's in the heart of a woman – â€Å" â€Å"Oh, shut up,† I groaned, punching him in the arm. â€Å"For they are strange and mysterious creatures,† he continued in his scholarly voice, â€Å"and a man must be a mind reader if he ever wishes to make them happy.† I started giggling uncontrollably and knew I'd probably get in trouble again. â€Å"Well, try to read my mind and stop being such a – â€Å" I stopped laughing and looked back down at the book. Bound together and always knows what is in his heart and mind. They had a bond, I realized. I would have bet everything I owned – which wasn't much – on it. The revelation was astonishing. There were lots of vague stories and myths about how guardians and Moroi ? ®used to have bonds.' But this was the first I'd ever heard of anyone specific that it had happened to. Mason had noticed my startled reaction. â€Å"You okay? You look kind of weird.† I shrugged it off. â€Å"Yeah. Fine.†

The impact of globalisation on work and employment Essay

The impact of globalisation on work and employment - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that globalisation has over the years led to the development of diverse changes in almost all sectors of the global economy and these include having an impact on work and employment. Globalisation is a force that has come to lead to a serious break with past practices and has instead ushered in a new era where employment opportunities, as well as work, have become more accessible for some part of the population. While this has been the case, globalisation has become essential for the sustenance of the economy because it is through the new trends that it has brought about that it has become possible for the different needs of the market to be satisfied. However, despite its being a significant factor in the global economy, it has also brought about a situation where the said economy has come to be dictated upon by market forces. Globalisation has brought about the importance of market forces which have had an impact on work and employment. I t has been argued that globalisation has led to a situation where the new market that has developed is one has changed the nature of work and organisations for the better. It has further been argued that these changes are increasingly becoming relevant because a significant number of individuals in the world today are taking advantage of opportunities presented within the new work system in order to ensure that the take an active part in the economy. Newer organisational changes have made sure that the work environment has become more flexible and is one which helps in the personal development of employees involved.

PORTER INDUSTRY ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PORTER INDUSTRY ANALYSIS - Essay Example In addition, the thirty US retailers have already joined the list of top 250 retail companies worldwide. Farfan (1, 2010) highlighted that the size of US retail industry was between $4 – 4.5 trillion (estimated from sales data) that would surely increase in future when US economy would completely come out of recession. For instance, this industry provides direct and indirect employment to more than 14.5 million US workers. 2. Porter’s Five Forces Model The author would now provide an analysis on Retail Industry of USA by using Porter’s Five Forces model. Each force will be discussed in detail so that the reader could have a clear insight about the scope and business potential in this industry. 2.1 - Bargaining Power of Buyers The bargaining power of customers is medium because they tend to buy price elastic and inelastic products from US retail chains. Indeed, US large scale retail chains such as Wal-Mart, Aldi, Trader Joe’s etc. attract many customers tha t purchase grocery, food and other consumer products (basic necessities) that have highly / relatively inelastic demand. For instance, the customers benefit from these chains because of lower prices in comparison to in-town small retailers. Therefore, the business of US chains will not be affected adversely because they adopt competitive and penetrative pricing strategies. Next, the business of retail companies such as Best Buy, Cost Co, Target, Circuit City etc. selling electronic and computer technology products had declined during 2008 - 2009 due to worst recession that forced the top management to reduce their number of stores and depend heavily on online sales model. Circuit City now solely depends on online sales instead of establishing retail stores across different neighborhoods. The industry analysts expect that sales volume of US retail chains would increase in 2011 because of expected improvement in economy followed by availability of employment opportunities and better p urchasing power. However, if inflation increases then demand for highly price elastic products may reduce significantly, while demand for necessities may remain same or increase amid surge in population (Farfan, 2010) & (Maestri, 2010). 2.2 - Bargaining Power of Suppliers The bargaining power of specific suppliers, especially of food and some electrical / electronic / computer products, is high because the demand for certain necessities and eatables never reduce. However, the bargaining power of suppliers of relatively price elastic products (such as of perfumes, branded clothes, shoes, electronics etc.) is medium because consumer demand for such products is not high due to rising inflation and purchasing power issues. 2.3 - Potential New Entrants The US economy has been coming out of recession and the evidence of which is increase in aggregate sales of US retail industry in 2010 compared to 2009. Nevertheless, the unemployment rate across USA is still 10% and the prevailing retail environment is not feasible for new investors to enter in tough retail market, where existing firms have already been using various strategies to maintain their current market share. In short, the threat for new entrants is low because it is not the ideal time to establish a new retail company (Yahoo Report, 2010). 2.4 - Threats of Substitute Products The

The technology of ultra thin televisions Research Paper

The technology of ultra thin televisions - Research Paper Example The main reason behind this transition is the fact that all of the competing electronics companies are struggling to provide the best HD experience to their customers, and this competitiveness has led to a great deal of innovation. LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TV's have set the standard for the technology to evolve and conform to consumer tastes. Most television manufacturers only concentrate on this technology and strive to make it even better. LED (Light Emitting Diode) TV's are gaining popularity over the conventional CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Light) LCD's. The LED-LCD Technology uses LED lights to enhance picture quality such as brightness and contrast, despite keeping the TV extremely thin, i.e. less than 0.9 inches (Bartels). Background Information The Television we have in our homes today has come a long way. From a gigantic box to a delicate wall-hanging devise, the struggle has been long and laborious. A chronological study of how TVs have evolved provides us with a bet ter understanding of the evolution of their technology2. At the beginning of TV technology, a debate lingered over whether electronic television systems worked better than mechanical systems. However, with research it was decided that electronic TV provided better results than mechanic. Electronic television is based on the technology of the cathode ray tube, which is the picture tube that is found in modern TV sets. German scientist Karl Braun was the one who invented the cathode ray tube oscilloscope in 1897 (Bellis). The very first prototype for plasma display TV was invented in 1964 by Donald Blitzer, Gene Slottow, and Robert Wilson. In 1996 the world was introduced for the first time to the Light Emitting Polymer devices and in 1997 a flexible flat panel display was also created. In October 2007 Sony Electronics launched the XEL-1, the first ever OLED TV (11inches). Although the prototypes of color flexible displays and ultra thin televisions are demonstrated by several compani es throughout the world, the television of today is still evolving. Applications The most remarkable benefit of a flat screen set is its lightness and portability. A flat screen TV is extremely compact and it is convenient to move it anywhere in the house. It gives us a large number of options for placing it at around as it is light enough to be mounted from the ceiling, or to be hung on a wall. The flat-screen ultra thin televisions also come in a wide variety of sizes. The biggest size mostly manufactured for the set is 84 inches. Other, more common models go from 20 up to 42 inches, and within this range the most popular sizes are the 26-, 32- and 42-inch sets. The smallest plasma set on the market is 42 inches. A very important benefit of thin LCD screens is that they can serve as monitors for personal computers, aside from functioning as a TV at home. Plasma sets also offer the best quality in video. They are great for watching high definition programming, offering incredible d etail and color. Both types of sets have a lifespan of at least 30,000 hours, which equals about 15 years.3 Plasma sets are consistent when it comes to video display, while LCDs are a bit unreliable in terms of transmitting satellite and cable programming. Another very important be

Is English a Dying Lingua Franca Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Is English a Dying Lingua Franca - Essay Example This is a contact language of those persons who are not able to speak each others’ language but they do share a specific language which facilitates them for communication when they come into contact with each other. Due to the reasons mentioned above English language is a lingua franca for many people in the world. It is shared by nearly all the communities of the world. Most of the discourse between the people of South Asia, South East Asia and Africa and Middle East takes place by using English as a lingua franca. Can we say that English will continue to command this acceptance even in future? This question has initiated a debate that has generated response in its favour or against it. It was Graddol (1997) who first came up with certain interesting predictions about the future of language. It was he who had vigilant eye on certain socio-political changes across the globe. The socio-political changes along with new patterns of demographic shifts made Graddol claim that Engli sh language may lose its popularity and the present status of a being lingua franca due to the emergence of certain South East Asian and South Asian languages. Graddol reasoned that population explosions in China and India may increase the number of speakers of these languages who may outnumber the speaker of English language. He also predicts an uncertain future of English due to certain socio-economic transitions. Graf’s (2011) research reflects a departure from assumptions of Graddol as it sees no observable shift in the world’s lingua franca from English to any other language like Chinese or Urdu/Hindi due increase in number of speakers. Graf’s study has taken into academic and economic measures like bibliometric analysis and Gross Domestic Product to ascertain the possibility of Graddol’s claims. The study describes that although Chinese language is showing some developments at global level, yet it does not seem to have assumed the role and internati onal lingua franca in near future. All the above given indicators seems to suggest that â€Å" English-language cluster seems to remain unchallenged as the world’s most important academic and economic language (p . 77). Widdowson’s stand on the issue has been explained with reference of two quotations from poetry (Jenkins, para 30-31).The first is an excerpt from Yeats's TheSecond Coming: Things fall apart: the centre cannot hold Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world The second has been taken from Tennyson's  Idylls of the King: The old order changeth, yielding place to new, And God fulfills himself in many ways, Lest one good custom should corrupt the world. Widdowson’s analogies sum up the controversy in the form of two conclusions: According to the first analogy taken from Yeat’s poem Widdowson seems to assume that if the Inner Circle is able not able to maintain its authority then there will be situation of linguistic anarchy in world which uses En glish language as its primary mode of discourse. His second observation seems to view a situation where the non native varieties of English will take the place of English language. In both cases the status of English as a lingua franca is compromised (cited in Jenkins, 2005). Jenkins(2005) also shares the views expressed in Tennyson’s poem which seem to suggest a replacement theory regarding status of English. She also views a shift in favour of

Global Business Today The Hofstede Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global Business Today The Hofstede Study - Essay Example Initially, the company plans to open a sales office to relocate key members of their management team to the country as well as hiring executive who are natives of the country. The plans might include developing production facilities in these same countries over the next decade. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) This dimension implies the level of a society’s broadmindedness for uncertainty. It tells to what point a culture programs its members to feel at ease in unexpected situations. The power distance is quite low in Denmark the Danes incredibly democratic approach the Danes deem independency, equal rights and that management facilitates. Power is equally distributed to the lowest levels of any organization; managers’ count on the experience of their workers. Institutions has incredible informal business atmosphere with direct and involving communication. Employees of any organization expect to be consulted in the decision making process. This facilitate smooth establishment of the Azure Sky Tea offices. Denmark has a high preference for a loosely-knit the level of interdependence of the society to its members. The social framework where persons are anticipated to take care of themselves and their direct families, it is relatively easy to start doing business with the Danes. Danes is more individualist than a collective society (Rothwell 2010). This is similar to the US and facilitates business growth due to personal efforts attributed to the business. Azure Sky Tea therefore, will smoothly fit in the business environment. Denmark is considered a feminine society, an efficient administrator is accommodating to the personnel, and decision making is attained in association of key members. Danes strive for consensus and people value equality, solidarity and quality in their working lives, conflicts are resolved

Spain culture and traditions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Spain culture and traditions - Research Paper Example The bull is usually killed at the end of the occasion. This activity usually takes place between the months of April and October, and the Spaniards usually prepare for this event with excitement. There have been several occasions when this tradition has been banned by governments, but progressive ones allow its reinstitution. This is an indicator that the practice is ingrained in the Spanish culture and it is not easy to get rid of it (Whittaker 2008 p 67). Traditional songs and dance are also core components of Spanish culture. They vary from region to region, and the music is mainly focused on conveying particular messages to the listeners. For example in the 20th century, Spanish traditional music was largely used to spread propaganda regarding the totalitarian rule. These include Jota, Fandango, and Sardana amongst others (Moffitt 1999 p 43). The Spanish folk dance was a significant indicator of unity and identity. Annual festivals are held every year, providing an avenue for the Spaniards to demonstrate their culture. In such occasions, they demonstrate their cultural music and dances, fireworks, paintings amongst other traditional activities. The culture and traditions of the Spaniards is an important factor that gives them a sense of identity of the nation (Nash 2001 p 56). It generates personality and uniqueness amongst the Spain nationals. It also helps in building strong social institutions through establishing the nationâ₠¬â„¢s behavioral

Information Security Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Information Security - Research Paper Example With the increase in the use of distributed computing, mobile computing and the fast growth in the adoption of internet for business communication, there is an increased need for information security. The adoption of these technologies exposes businesses to information theft and fraud through various attacks such as phishing, DoS and virus attacks. Without security for information, a business organization stands a chance of catastrophic disruptions through downtime in business critical systems. In the event of restoring such systems a business organization incurs unnecessary and unwanted costs. (Gordon & Loeb, 2002) Violation of privacy; business needs to be able to protect both customer and employee information, failure to which can result into legal actions and penalties. Financial loss; theft of commercial information such as business plans, intellectual property or customer contracts can financially damage a business organization. Immediate financial impacts can be felt by a business in case of a computer fraud by a staff member. The penalties and fines associated with failure to protect privacy of information about its customers including its staff severely damage the reputation and credibility of the business. Information security generally stresses on the preservation of three factors associated with information; confidentially, availability and integrity among others like authorization, authentication and non repudiation. Confidentiality is information secrecy preservation; that is ensuring that such information as financial projections, technical designs and business reports are only vied by authorized personnel. Integrity ensures that information has not been manipulated or tampered with; it ensures that information can be relied upon to be accurate to its purpose. The availability aspect of information security ensures that information is accessible to the authorized persons at the required time

The death of the prophet Muhammad Essay Example for Free

The death of the prophet Muhammad Essay Following the death of the prophet Muhammad, Islam rose to superiority in the first part of the 7th century as they expand throughout the lands. This introduced another great religion to the world; a religion that would later shape the history of man. This is a very important part in the history of the world, since this contributed a religion apart from the growing Christianity at that time. The rise and development of Islam made way to the formation of another way of life for the people, which until now is still in existence. However, the 7th century expansion for Islam has led to some events which negatively affected Islamic development at that time. These are internal disputes which lead to civil wars and other internal issues. These things occurred right after Muhammad’s death, where their main point of dispute was about the rightful leader that would be Muhammad’s successor. They are disputing about who will be the rightful Caliph, or the leader of the global Muslim community. These disputes between local Muslim heads became wars between clans and eventually getting blown into bigger proportions, leading to first Islamic civil war. The first four caliphs that emerged right after the death of Muhammad were considered to be the â€Å"rightly guided† successors, since they attained their position through nominations and acknowledgement of the local heads of the Muslim community. In their rule, they were able to expand Muslim territory into vast proportions. These leaders were able to conquer neighboring lands including the Persian and the Byzantine Empires. Some Roman established empires were also crushed by this new Muslim power, gaining more and more lands as they continued with their conquest for expansion. Even though the Muslims were successful in their military conquests, tensions flared between the leaders and those who think they are better than their leaders. Following the assassination of the second of the four â€Å"rightly guided† caliphs, choosing the successor became very controversial and has met much opposition. Even though the successor was competent enough and was able to continue the expansion, he was still assassinated. The last of the four took the position; the first civil war broke out. The opposing side was composed of the relatives of the third caliph, Uthman. They are all fighting to avenge the death of the previous caliph, wherein they blame the fourth, Ali, of plotting the assassination. Even though the fourth caliph was able to pacify the uprising, the events that followed favored the opposition. He was eventually fatally stabbed, where afterwards, Muawiyah, an opposition was ordained as the new caliph. This opens a new chapter in the Muslim history, which is the hereditary Umayyad Caliphate. The Umayyad caliphate can be considered as the first ever dynasty established in the history of Muslim Caliphates, all thanks to Muawiyah I, the first Umayyad caliph. The name Umayyad came from Muawiyah I’s great grandfather, Umayya ibn Abd Shams. It was a traditional belief saying that the Prophet Muhammad and the Umayyad family are related. It is because they both came from the same ancestor which is Abd Munaf. The Umayyads came from a son of Abd Munaf, which are Abd-Shams. Muhammad descended from another son, which is Hashim. These two branches formed different clans which eventually turned into great rivalries. However, when Muhammad established Islam, the other tribe succumbed to the new religion and was focused on becoming its leaders. This goal was attained by none other than Muawiyah I. He rose to power and started the great Umayyad dynasty. Muawiyah I excised his power by creating his personal dynasty, which is the Sufyanids, which has ruled from 661 to 684. During this time, Muawiyah’s reign was prosperous, being able to keep internal peace and security, as well as managing to expand its rule over other lands. Muawiyah was also able to establish a peaceful relation with its Christian neighbors in Syria, wherein they were peacefully coexisting despite the difference in religion. Muawiyah concentrated his wars on the Byzantine Empire. They are able to overwhelm and conquer Rhodes and Crete, as well as launched attacks on the newly established Constantinople. He also had his share on efforts to expand further to North Africa and towards Central Asia. When Muawiyah finally died, Yazid I succeeded his position. Yazid was Muawiyah’s son, and this hereditary passing of power was greatly contradicted by other well known Muslim personalities that time. This includes Abd-Allah ibn al-Zubayr, son of one of the close people to the Prophet Muhammad, and Husayn ibn Ali, Muhammad’s grandson. Conflict again rose in the Muslim community, which eventually led to the coming of the Second Civil War. Several war encounters followed, and the caliph Yazid was killed. His son Muawiyah II became caliph but he was not recognized by most of the Muslim community. Anothr Umayya descendent came into the scene. He is Marwan, related to Umayya through Wail ibn Umayyah. Marwan became caliph by winning important battles at that time. However, Marwan’s reign was short lived, when he died just after nine months of becoming the caliph. He was then succeeded by his son, Abd al-Malik. Abd al-Malik’s sons then became the next line of caliphs, wherein the prosperity was kept at bay. The position of caliph has been passed from brother to brother, until it was passed to Hisham, the final son of Abd al-Malik to become caliph. Hisham reign for a very long time, however, there was no significant gain from his efforts of military expansion. He has suffered major defeats from attacks to conquer other lands. One of his main problems has been the difficulty of converting non-Muslims to Islam. The Arab army lost some of its most important battles, signaling the end of its western expansion. Further losses were experienced when non-Arab Muslims added problems regarding their rights. The one who succeeded the position of Hisham was Al-Wahid II, which is Yazid II’s son. However, the problem with the heir was that he was more focused on earthly pleasures than the expansion of their religion. This raised a lot of oppositions which was translated to another set of civil disputes. This led to successive changes in caliphs which has induced more was and the further destruction of the system of government of the Umayyad caliphate. The Umayyad caliphate was then overthrown by the Hashimiyya movement, which was spearheaded by that of the Abbasid family. The Umayyad caliphate is such an interesting aspect of Muslim history, since it is characterized by a lot of changes in its rulers, as well as disputes by relatives and clan rivals. Despite all the negative points it drew, it still marks the great expansion if has given the Muslim world. Despite its administrative and cultural problems, it was able to show the world that Muslims can stand up to its rivals and opponents, in terms of military capabilities and its rulers abilities. The Umayyads contributed so much to the early Islamic formation, and has literally introduced it to the world. The caliphate was not only for the aspect of religion, but it can also be a means of governance. Dynasties like the Umayyad caliphate are some of its manifestations.

Letter to Government Essay Example for Free

Letter to Government Essay I am writing to you on behalf of your article in this weeks paper I think the curfew is a fantastic idea I am in full support of the Council proposing this great curfew. Where I live under 16s are taking over my neighbourhood me and the other residents in the area are feeling threatend by these gangs of yobs hanging around our area. All they do is go around drinking and creating uneeded noise which I and the rest of our neighbourhood would agree on. While we adults are staying indoors scared of going out they are out commiting crimes and going round doing under age drinking and under age sex and if the parents of these children could see what I see nearly every night then Im sure they would be in support with me. As I said before I am scared to go out of my house to go to the shops or to the pub or anywhere! because I am scared of getting jumped or mugged or even killed. Also this curfew would be a good idea because it would give new employees in the police force good experience of dealing with these situations so they are confident and experienced when it comes to a really big proper crime. Also if this curfew goes through then once all of the under 16s are indoors then it will make life easier for the police patrolling to catch the proper criminals because they wont have to put up with the cheek and disrespect that they recieve off the under 16s, also the under 16s need to respect the police force and realise that they are trying to protect them but they are just trying to show off in front of friends.

Communitarianism: The Best Political Ideology?

Communitarianism: The Best Political Ideology? Political ideologies have developed over the decades and new political ideologies have been introduced into political theory and philosophy. Communitarianism is a recent development in political ideology that is viewed by many as a criticism of liberalism. It draws on ideas from previous schools of thought. It revolves around the community and the individuals comprising it, rather than the individual being at the center, which is what liberalism emphasizes. Although communitarianism is mainly viewed as a critique of liberalism, it draws similarities from other schools of thought such as conservatism and feminism. This paper will argue that communitarianism is the most suitable ideology for individuals due to its examination of individuals and their freedom through the sense of community in the society. To better show how communitarianism is more suitable, I will examine the context of individuals and communities presented in the communitarian thought and how it differs from the liber al and libertarian sense sense. I will then focus on the libertarian idea of distributive justice and the communitarian critique of it. Lastly, I will examine how communitarianism emphasizes the importance of social responsibility, which other ideologies lack, and how that responsibility achieves freedom and justice for individuals. Lastly, I will show how environmentalism can be advocated through communitarian ideologies. Thus, communitarianism coffers a better and a more improved ideology for individuals compared to other ideologies. First, it is important to address the issue of communitarianism being a school of thought. Communitarianism developed as a criticism to liberalism. Just like conservatism, it deals and identifies itself more through criticisms than with its own established ideals. Several people have argued that this is considered a weakness for communitarianism; that communitarianism fails as an alternative to liberalism, and that it doesnt define itself clearly or sufficiently.  [1]  However, as this paper will show, this is not true. Communitarianism is an ideology on its own, since it offers new ideas through its criticisms of liberalism. Furthermore, Mariam seems to draw from the liberal perspective in saying that there are many forms of communities and it is unclear what form communitarianism promotes.  [2]  This is also similar to a dilemma of communitarianism, which Kenny mentions, of whether communitarianism is an anti-liberal force or not.  [3]  But, unlike liberalism, it does n ot promote a universal ideal that predominates over all. It recognizes the differences in communities and thus depends on a particular society. It is an ideology which depends on particularity, rather than universality. Thus, communitarianism differentiates itself more on what it disagrees with in liberalism rather than proposing a new theory of political philosophy.  [4]   Communitarianism is defined as a philosophy that emphasizes the importance of community in the functioning of political life, in the analysis and evaluation of political institutions, and in understanding human identity and well-being.  [5]  It integrates individuals into political life through a sense of belonging and commitment to their community and the individuals within this community. Individuals are thus considered to be a part of a wider community and not an independent entity existing by themselves. Liberalism, on the other hand, is a doctrine that takes protecting and enhancing the freedom of the individual to be the central problem of politics.  [6]  Liberals believe that governments should exist for the sole purpose of protecting the individuals from harm by other individuals. That should be the sole purpose for the existence of governments, since liberals are skeptic about any forms of government. This is due to the belief that governments of any sort are in them selves a threat to the people and their freedom, which can only be achieved if intervention was kept to a bare minimum and only for fundamental matters that would help promote and maintain individual freedom. From this stems a fundamental difference which is subject to debate: individuals and the government. Liberalism detaches the individual from the government and only considers individuals and how they can maintain their freedom. However, communitarianism criticizes this detachment and instead focuses on a sense of community amongst the people. This community allows for the people and the government to interact in a broader sense. Communitarianism not only criticizes this, but it criticizes the fact that Liberalism, in basing itself on the rights of the individual, has fundamentally misunderstood social life and has produced a political philosophy that is itself the cause of the problems with which we are beset.  [7]  Thus, Liberalism does not create any social order or any sense of a society by basing itself solely on the individual. Liberals and Libertarians have mostly argued for this need to look only at the individual. Right Libertarians (and Nozick in particular) have argued that the government should only use its power to maintain self-ownership rights and to protect individuals property. In The Entitlement Theory of Justice, Nozick argues in his theory of justice, that the holdings of a person are just if he is entitled to them by the principles of justice in acquisition and transfer, or by just rectification of justice.  [8]  Hence, he is critical of Rawlss idea of the redistribution of justice and wealth.  [9]  Nozick believes that anyone who earns something justly should not be held responsible for other individuals. Thus, if all property, for example, ends up with one person, then that does not call for taxation or any action. Furthermore, by using the Wilt Chamberlain example, Nozick shows how equality results into inequality through freedom. This means that people originally start by having complete freedom to make their own choices, but then they choose to give up that freedom. Th us, to redistribute Chamberlains or any justly earned wealth is a violation of peoples rights.  [10]   However, what Nozick is implying is injustice to the individuals themselves. If one person owns everything, then people will be reduced to slaves and work for that one person who owns all the resources, and they will not be free. Communitarians have criticized this libertarian idea of distributive justice and individual rights [because it] works to divide the citizens of the modern state against one another, thereby fostering isolation, alienation, and apathy rather than commitment to a common civic enterprise.  [11]  Thus, the sense of community and the freedom that it entails for the individuals of the society disappears. Libertarianism only focuses on individual rights as being the most important ones, which does not work, especially in pluralistic societies today, which need both individuals and the government to have responsibilities and rights, and not just a focus on one individual who claims they obtained something justly. It is difficult to assess what is just, which is another limitation to Nozicks argument. People can easily claim that they obtained something justly, even if they did not. Thus, a community needs to exist where all individual freedoms are guaranteed, instead of questionable individual rights. Communitarians draw heavily on conservative ideas about the importance of tradition [and society] in providing a coherent framework of values within which we can live.  [12]  Liberalism tends to focus on the individual for the individual and their right, but this is contingent upon cultural factors.  [13]  The society and culture in which individuals are raised in [are] important when determining their autonomy.  [14]  Consequently, Individuals cannot detach themselves from the society, because their individual rights are contingent upon their society and their surroundings. People are bound to society just as they are bound to family. As Finlayson notes of Oakeshott, conservative individuals prefer the familiar to the unknown;  [15]  a society with traditions where people are bound is more familiar than an individualistic society which seeks universalism. Yet, these traditions and values are not always concrete for people to attach themselves to. One evident criticism of conservatism is the fact that people do not always follow their traditions. People can just as easily detach themselves from certain traditions, which themselves are always changing and never remain the same. Fahad criticizes Scrutons argument by stating that one is born with the capacity to run ones own life, and with free will and volition to choose from an ethical or political framework to adhere to.  [16]  The fact that Scruton emphasizes the need for people to follow their society and the traditions as given, leave Scruton unable to even question the very liberalism that serves as the foundation for his ability to construct a philosophy in the first place.  [17]   Scrutons arguments for following the norms of the society are extreme. People are not just programmed to accept everything without questioning it or improving it. However, Fahad seems to argue that people can make their own choices and decisions based on their own free will, which is unlikely. As communitarians argue, people are influenced by their societies, and this influence plays greatly onto the choices that people believe they are making out of their own free will. People can have a freedom of choice, as he points out, however this will not emerge out of nothing. Even though people might think that they are making a purely objective decision, there is always some subjectivity that will come into play. Communitarians draw from the conservative thought the importance of traditions; however, people are not obliged to follow these traditions. They exist to unify the people and create a sense of belonging in the society. Furthermore, they affect the way people make decisions and how they essentially live their lives, as some traditions cannot be eliminated from peoples lives. This draws on Rawlss use of the veil of ignorance. This is an imaginary veil where people are in an original position where they know nothing about anything that defines who they are  [18]  . People are supposed to ignore these ideals and values and focus on remaining neutral and objective in order to make decisions that would benefit all the people. These decisions are supposedly right in that people reach them through rational and selfless thinking. Besides it being a difficult practical concept, it is also flawed. People cannot just assume that they know nothing about their lives and forget everything they are connected to. Their society and ideals will come into play at some point and it will influence their decisions. It is false to assume that a rational decision is a right decision just because it is rational. People cannot be fully rational, they will always have something affecting the way they think, no matter how insignificant it might seem. Therefore, communitarianism stresses on the importance of the society in individuals lives because the society shapes people and many things within the society can easily have an impact on them. Rawlss theory of justice through the veil of ignorance is thus inaccurate, because, as communitarians argue, the standards of justice must be found in forms of life and traditions of particular societies and hence can vary from context to context.  [19]  Furthermore, communitarians see the moral agency of making decisions always existing within the context of a particular structure of traditions and practices, manifested in the life of a community.  [20]   What communitarianism advocates (and conservatism lacks), is open discourse and an emphasis on social responsibility (which liberalism lacks). One way of emphasizing the importance of society for individuals is through the recognition of individuals roles towards their society. For communitarians, the preservation of individual liberty depends on the active maintenance of the institutions of civil society where citizens learn respect for others as well as self-respect.  [21]  This respect would lead to an appreciation of our own rights and the rights of others. Individuals will also obtain civic responsibilities and the development of self-government skills, as well as the habit of governing ourselves, and learn to serve others not just self.  [22]  Governments, too, will have obligationsincluding the duty to be responsive to their members and to foster participation and deliberation in social and political life.  [23]   The communitarian perspective, in a sense, mandates attention to what is often ignored in contemporary policy debates: the social side of human nature.  [24]  This social side shows how individuals and governments both have responsibilities towards each other. It does not only assume that individual rights are important, because as Scruton points out, by enlarging the space around one person it diminishes the space enjoyed by his neighbor.  [25]  It can be seen that communitarianism goes further than the conservative idea of following traditions; it emphasizes on the social aspect of the people and what the people want. It also criticizes the narrowness of liberalism by just assuming that only the individual matter and that the government is there to protect it from injustice only. However, it is not only a one way street; individuals have rights and responsibilities, which is important to realize. A focus is made on individual liberty, but that liberty is achieved with the s ociety, not as liberalism promotes it of being just a focus on one individual.  [26]   One could argue that the notion of civic responsibilities and virtue is that of republicanism. As Kenny points out, communitarianism has some distinctly non-liberal antecedents as well.  [27]  Also, writers of classical republicanism emphasize ideas such as the importance of civic virtue and political participation,  [28]  amongst other ideas. However, civic republicanism stresses the importance of independence from arbitrary power. Ideologies stress on the importance of the individuals being at the center, and the relationship with the polity in terms of rights and responsibilities between the two. However, republicanism draws on more liberal ideas of civic virtue and a polity made by the people. Communitarianism, on the other hand, focuses more on the importance of traditions and values in order to have civic virtue. It focuses more on individuals and their individual and social responsibility, whereas republicanism focuses on individuals responsibility towards other indivi duals only. However, both communitarianism and republicanism stem from an uneasiness with liberalism.  [29]  Both ideologies criticize liberalism for being guilty of an excessive or misguided emphasis on the rights and liberties of the individual that nurtures a socially corrosive form of individualism.'  [30]  Yet, as Dagger points out, how liberalism is flawed and how it should be fixed is what communitarians and republicans disagree not only with each other, but among themselves.  [31]   According to Kenny, Rawlss defines the self through the original position as imagined as the subject of social contract where the original position would serve to strip it from social and cultural attributes.  [32]  Communitarians question this individualistic self and how it can be said to exist prior to or outside social settings and communal attachments.  [33]  The existence of these settings leads to the development of the individual and his objectives. It is only a socially and intersubjectively constituted self [that] can plausibly be said to possess goals.  [34]  What liberals promote is a political society in which there are contracts made by sovereign individuals who are accorded a number of basic rights as well as the right of exit.  [35]  This just separates the individual and the state, with all the benefits going to individuals with nothing to the government. But, individuals, according to liberals, are not free if they do not have the free will to make their own choices, without any effects from the outside. According to Gaus and Courtland, Green mentions that individual is only free if they are self-directed or autonomous.  [36]  Their actions must be their own and not influenced by anything else. That is why Rawls stresses the importance of not including anything in the original position. This is a negative notion of freedom  [37]  , where people can pursue their own ends, and thus do not follow custom.  [38]  Another form of liberal freedom is what Vallentyne echoes of Berlin as negative freedom, to pursue ones interests without harming others through ones fundamental purposes.  [39]  Thus, it can be argued, that if the self was influenced by society, then this influence can limit if from being free. It can for example, constrain someone through certain traditions which might be false. People will thus be shaped by tho se traditions and unable, or unwilling, to break free from them and develop their own. Yet, liberalisms view of freedom, whether positive or negative, is both problematic. In the negative sense, people are allowed to do anything without any consequences or constraints to their actions. Likewise, in the positive sense, people are expected to know when to limit themselves and it is hard to assume all individuals are able to control infividuals. In the communitarian sense, people would have to include some part of their traditions and values to pursue their goals. Sometimes it is even helpful to have some guidance when making decisions. The self is thus, in the communitarian sense, both pluralistic and particularistic: many of the features of persons are shaped by the intersubjective values and traditions of the communities into which they are born.  [40]  Moreover, if traditions are false, people would draw from the surroundings of their environment to develop new beliefs that they believe is right; their own beliefs do not just exist. To illustrate, a community can exist where everyone smokes as a rule. A person who thinks that this tradition is false would refer to the harm it causes to people to develop his own belief. The issue of freedom is also related to multiculturalism. It deals with pluralistic societies, where the population may come from many different cultural backgrounds; and peoples are increasingly asserting their need for a state that recognizes this differentiation.  [41]  Although the self is pluralistic in the communitarian thought, it is hard to claim that these traditions in the community are pluralistic. As Young explains, seeking equality and ignoring differences would allow for the development of cultural imperialism by allowing norms expressing the point of view and experience of privileged groups to appear neutral and universal.  [42]  A view of a group as the other would develop. Although this is a critique towards the liberal idea of universalism and its claim of neutrality, it can also be critically examined through a communitarian perspective. Since communitarians emphasize the importance of traditions and values in a society, it can be difficult to agree on thes e traditions. Besides them being right or wrong, a society is at risk of having the traditions of on group to dominate over it. If, for instance, one community mainly practices one religion, it would be difficult to be neutral or to have the acceptance of the people if the laws and regulations rely on that religion. Thus, there would be no sense of community between the people and the government, but rather a responsibility to abide by laws that were set by a majority. Whether this is intentional by the people or not, it still entails that some would better be able to achieve their capacities than others. Even though communitarianism criticizes the liberal idea of a universalism and neutrality, Youngs argument entails that some groups in society might not be able to fully participate in the public sphere without abiding by the dominant thought. Since communitarianism does not in itself address the issue of multiculturalism and dominance, I believe that this idea of roles by the people and the society would entail that equality would be considered. As Caney would point out, one critique that communitarians make is that there is a meta-ethical claim emphasizing political principles should mirror shared understandings.  [43]  People should take into account the social responsibilities that they have, since it is not a one-way responsibility from the government, which would ensure that there should be some equality. However, Youngs argument is a valid one and is a worry to any political ideology, since in any society; there can always be a majority, regardless of whether it follows liberal or conservative ideologies. However, it is very hard to assess how this should be addressed. She argues that there should be a positive discrimination towards the minority groups. Yet, this is difficult in itself for two reasons. The first is that it is hard to choose which group is a minority. There are many factors like numerical and cultural, for example, that can be taken into account. Thus, there are more minority groups than those which exist today because there are people advocating for those minorities. The second is that where should we stop in giving these minorities rights, or to create one public sphere where are differences are recognizes. In the communitarian sense, some accommodations can be made to try and limit differences between groups. Lastly, the communitarian ideology can offer an argument for environmentalism. As Hayward discusses, environmentalism refers to the belief that environmental protection is a significant ethical, social and political value.  [44]  However, it is often ignored because it is viewed as a discrete [issue] for policy-makers to deal with.  [45]  Yet, from a communitarian perspective, it can be integrated as part of the social responsibility of individuals in relation to ecologism. The ecological argument of humans as a part of nature  [46]  shows how there can be a social responsibility from individuals towards nature because that would ensure that the society they live in is a safe one. However, from a liberal point of view, this responsibility would not exist as individuals would only consider what is best for them, even if that comes at the cost of nature and the environment. In conclusion, communitarianism was originally a critique of liberalism, but it quickly developed to be an ideology with its own unique ideas that are best towards individuals. It looks at individuals as being at the center, but at the same time, it also looks at the community being in that center. Although many of its critiques are towards liberalism and the idea of the individualistic self existing with universal ideals, communitarianism can be critically examined through different ideologies. It focuses on how Individuals and the government coexist together with both having responsibilities and rights that are preserved through the community. It draws on conservative ideas of having a sense of traditions and values that are maintained through the community. These traditions and what shapes people are important to how individuals make decisions in life, which is not done through the liberal objective sense. It also includes individuals into the political life, like republicanism, b ut this involvement is through the sense of the community and what is best for the whole community. Communitarianism also focuses on how individuals can obtain freedom through this interaction with the society, and not just by limiting themselves to their individualistic goals. Hence, communitarianism is the most suitable ideology for individuals because it preserves their freedom and offers a sense of community between all individuals in the society. Word Count: 3730 (with footnotes: 3924).

Why Might Freudian Therapy be a Waste of Time and Money Essay -- Psych

In his book Des Bienfaits de la Depression, Pierre Fà ©dida wrote a chapter called 'Il Faut Etre Deux Pour Guà ©rir' in which he explains why it is useful to talk when you are depressed.20 Patients usually believe that talking is not the solution but that the only way to cure is to bring back the lost person/situation whose absence initially caused the trauma. Psychological pain is a human particularity and therapy is meant to heal it. Fà ©dida uses the example of drug addicts who go on detoxification. Addiction to drugs often reveals an alarming state of depression and the fact of undergoing treatment for drug addiction is the sign of distress and will to be saved. Freud used to underline how human beings have created for themselves an interior metaphorical discourse to express extremely violent issues such as love, hate, life, death, sexuality...21 Analytical cure sight-reads this metaphorical language. Patients have the tendency to try and cure themselves alone but therapy helps substract the patient to his own influence, free his from his own desease. Therapy requires the participation of two actors and recovery cannot take place if the therapist does not understand his patient's psychology and resistance to healing.22 Freud focused on studying the opposition to healing and resistance to treatment when increasing his knowledge about unconscious forces. The therapist defines healing as the goal creating the patient's resistances. Thoses resistances to therapy can be explained as follows : the fact of being cured corresponds to a change of state. Negative reactions to treatment are thus explained by a fear of losing internal integrity and eventually disintegrating. The fear of modification is extremely strong. In 1904, Freud... ...Jacob : 2001) FREUD, SIGMUND, An Outline of Psychoanalysis, (W.W. Norton & Company : New York – London), Standard Edition, 1949, vol. 23 MIJOLLA de, Alain, Dictionnaire International de la Psychanalyse, (Hachette Littà ©ratures : 2005) ARTICLES CASEMENT, Patrick, 'Beyond words – the role of psychoanalysis', The Psychologist, 2009, vol. 22, 5th May LEVY, R. & ABLON, J., 'Talk therapy: Off the couch and into the lab', 2010 WAN, William, 'Freud coming into fashion in China, Treating China's syndromes', Washington Post, October 11th 2010 WEBSITES ETHAN, 'Psychoanalysis: From Theory to Practice, Past to Present', Northwestern University http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/plaut.html http://www.psywww.com/intropsych/ch13_therapies/psychoanalysis.html http://www.apsa.org/About_Psychoanalysis/Low-Fee_Clinics.aspx http://www.npap.org/intro/faqs.html Why Might Freudian Therapy be a Waste of Time and Money Essay -- Psych In his book Des Bienfaits de la Depression, Pierre Fà ©dida wrote a chapter called 'Il Faut Etre Deux Pour Guà ©rir' in which he explains why it is useful to talk when you are depressed.20 Patients usually believe that talking is not the solution but that the only way to cure is to bring back the lost person/situation whose absence initially caused the trauma. Psychological pain is a human particularity and therapy is meant to heal it. Fà ©dida uses the example of drug addicts who go on detoxification. Addiction to drugs often reveals an alarming state of depression and the fact of undergoing treatment for drug addiction is the sign of distress and will to be saved. Freud used to underline how human beings have created for themselves an interior metaphorical discourse to express extremely violent issues such as love, hate, life, death, sexuality...21 Analytical cure sight-reads this metaphorical language. Patients have the tendency to try and cure themselves alone but therapy helps substract the patient to his own influence, free his from his own desease. Therapy requires the participation of two actors and recovery cannot take place if the therapist does not understand his patient's psychology and resistance to healing.22 Freud focused on studying the opposition to healing and resistance to treatment when increasing his knowledge about unconscious forces. The therapist defines healing as the goal creating the patient's resistances. Thoses resistances to therapy can be explained as follows : the fact of being cured corresponds to a change of state. Negative reactions to treatment are thus explained by a fear of losing internal integrity and eventually disintegrating. The fear of modification is extremely strong. In 1904, Freud... ...Jacob : 2001) FREUD, SIGMUND, An Outline of Psychoanalysis, (W.W. Norton & Company : New York – London), Standard Edition, 1949, vol. 23 MIJOLLA de, Alain, Dictionnaire International de la Psychanalyse, (Hachette Littà ©ratures : 2005) ARTICLES CASEMENT, Patrick, 'Beyond words – the role of psychoanalysis', The Psychologist, 2009, vol. 22, 5th May LEVY, R. & ABLON, J., 'Talk therapy: Off the couch and into the lab', 2010 WAN, William, 'Freud coming into fashion in China, Treating China's syndromes', Washington Post, October 11th 2010 WEBSITES ETHAN, 'Psychoanalysis: From Theory to Practice, Past to Present', Northwestern University http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/plaut.html http://www.psywww.com/intropsych/ch13_therapies/psychoanalysis.html http://www.apsa.org/About_Psychoanalysis/Low-Fee_Clinics.aspx http://www.npap.org/intro/faqs.html

Essay --

he views of masculinity have been ever changing in the past hundreds of years. At the beginning of the twentieth century when it came time for Canadians to World War One the government and recruitment officers took the approach of gender stereotypes to influence men to join up. â€Å"The war played an important role in the construction of gender, and the social roles of men and women† and the recruitment efforts of World War One used this to their advantage . Men were portrayed as tough, strong, and capable of defending the country. These beliefs were shown though the use of propaganda and other forms of recruitment efforts that were significant to gender dimension and notions of a man. These stereotypes of masculinity created a unified whole among men in the war, but seeing as women are equally capable of being soldiers it is questioned why predominantly only men engage in warfare. The answer can be simple, â€Å"the significance of men engaging in warfare lines is in the way that gender is constructed in war†. The role of the government and those promoting World War One efficiently vocalized the importance of the battlefield being a place where a man can show everyone he is capable of defending his country. â€Å"Ideal-typical notions of masculinity and femininity were key to this process† and although men and women may not always conform to the stereotypes of their gender, men are typically associated with strength, action and aggressing, comparing to the empathy and emotion of women. The use of masculinity within propaganda, the efforts of women using their femininity to promote enlistment and the unity formed among soldiers over sea all were factors that positively influenced masculinity among Canadian men. The trigger of the First ... ... ones son was the same view that was placed upon the mother. If a young man was uninterested, or refused to go to war his views were thought to be ones rubbed of onto him from his mother, and indefinitely a negative connotation would be carried around with her name. Masculinity is promoted within the home as most mothers â€Å"realize the need for [their sons to] sacrifice in service to the nation† in order to spread patriotism. The role of women within the war efforts was very important seeing as â€Å"in making a soldier the women must make a man and in making a man she conversely creates a soldier†. Because of the common gender stereotypes a mother as well most women generally promote bravery, strength and masculinity within the day to day lives of the men they know. These characteristics are easily transferrable to the ones needed to face danger and battle overseas.

Stem Cells Should Not Be Used Therapeutically Essay -- Science Health

Stem Cells Should Not Be Used Therapeutically A stem cell is a cell in the body that can differentiate into almost any other type of cell in the body. Stem cells come from sites in the bone marrow, as well as the tissues of developing fetuses. The most controversial issue in stem cell therapy is the use of fetuses for their stem cells. Scientists want to clone human embryos, and use the stem cells long before the embryo matures (when it is only about 36 cells). This causes a large amount of unease in society, because people fear that stem cells and therapeutic cloning will lead us into disgusting and horrible experimental practices, as well as therapies. Most people in America do not want this horrible vision of the future to come true, so they want all stem cell technology and research banned. People do not want horrible freaks of nature running around, so they want to completely ban stem cell research. There are many stories surrounding the research being done with stem cells. In his article â€Å"Who but a Fiend Would Cross Pigs With Men?,† Ian Hunter shows his discontent for the stem cell research methods (Hunter, 2002). He covers a procedure where doctors implanted the stem cells of a human into the egg cells of a pig, and they started to divide within the pig. The scientists terminated the embryos before they could grow very large, but this â€Å"study† is way over the line. For no reason should we try to defy the course of nature beyond what is necessary to aid humans survival, such as using antibiotics, and other remedies, but we should not try to create men from animals. His is one reason why stem cells should be at least regulated if not banned. Experiments like this if unchecked could lead to horrible creations from... ...be a group against the use of fetuses, cloned or not. The ethical issues behind the method in which stem cells are obtained out weigh the benefits of stem cell therapy. We should not try to play God, in the aspect of creation of living beings just to be sacrificed for the â€Å"betterment of mankind†. Many egregious acts have been committed under the guise of â€Å"the greater good†. This is one instance in which the ends do not justify the means. References 1. How Far to Go? (2003, January 4). The Economist. p 11. 2. Hunter, I. (2002, November). Who but a fiend would cross pigs with men? Report/ Newsmagazine, Vol. 29, issue 22, p 24. 3. Spotts, P. N. (1998, November 6). Embryo- Based Research: Advances and Argument. Christian Science Monitor, Vol. 90, issue 241, p. 3. 4. Science and Fiction. (2002, February 22). The Commonweal. Vol.129, issue 4 p. 7

Applying Models of Health Promotion to Improve Effectiveness of Pharmacist-Led Campaign in Reducing Obesity in Socioeconomically Deprived Areas

Abstract This essay aims to determine how different models of health promotion can be used to improve effectiveness of pharmacist-led campaign in reducing obesity in socioeconomically deprived areas. The health belief, changes of stage and ecological approaches models are some models discussed in this brief. These models are suggested to be effective in underpinning pharmacist-led campaigns for obesity in the community. This essay also discusses the impact of obesity on individuals and the community and its prevalence in socio-economically deprived groups. Challenges associated with uptake of healthy behaviour are discussed along with possible interventions for obesity. It is suggested that a multi-faceted, community based intervention will likely lead to a successful campaign against obesity. Introduction Blenkinsopp et al. (2000) explain that health promotion is aimed at maintaining and enhancing good health in order to prevent ill health. Health promotion encompasses different issues and activities that influence the health outcomes of individuals and society. Health promotion involves the creation and implementation of health and social care policies that are deemed to prevent diseases and promote the physical, social and mental health of the people. Blenkinsopp et al. (2000) observe that pharmacists are perceived to have crucial roles as health promoters in the community. Since health promotion incorporates a range of actions that are aimed in promoting health, it is essential to understand the role of pharmacists in promoting health. In this essay, a focus is made on health promotion for individuals suffering from obesity in socioeconomically deprived areas. A discussion on the different models of health promotion will also be done. The first part of this brief discusses models o f health promotion while the second part critically analyses how these models can be used to underpin pharmacist-led campaigns in reducing obesity. The last part of this essay will summarise the key points raised in this essay. Models of Health Promotion Blenkinsopp et al. (2003) argue that, in the past, perspectives of pharmacists on ill-health takes the biomedical model approach to health. This model considers ill health as a biomedical problem (Goodson, 2009) and hence, technologies and medicines are used to cure the disease. Pharmacists are regarded as ‘experts’ in terms of their knowledge on a health condition and its cure. Hence, when the biomedical model is used, pharmacists’ response to a health-related query likely takes the disease-oriented approach to medical treatment and referral. This approach limits the care and interventions for the patients. Bond (2000) observes that while not necessarily inappropriate for pharmacy practice, the biomedical approach results to ‘medicalisation’ of health. This means that health and illness are both determined biologically. It should be noted that the primary function of pharmacists is to dispense medications. Hence, when making health-related advice to patients, this often involves information on medications appropriate to the health conditions of the patient. However, the role of pharmacists in providing medicines has expanded to include advice on the therapeutic uses of medications and information on how to maintain optimal health (Levin et al., 2008). Taylor et al. (2004) also reiterates that pharmacists are beginning to promote health through patient education that supports positive behaviour and actions related to health. This new approach is consistent with health models for individuals such as health belief model and stages of change. The health belief model teaches that individuals have to acknowledge the perceived threat and severity of the disease and how positive health behaviour can give them benefits (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). The benefits of the new behaviour should outweigh perceived barriers to the physical activity behaviours (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). This model requires that individuals have cues to action to help them adapt a new behaviour and gain self-efficacy. The latter is important since individuals suffering from chronic conditions need to develop self-efficacy to help them manage their condition and prevent complications (Lubkin and Larsen, 2011). It is well established that obesity, as a chronic condition, is a risk factor for development of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, orthopaedic abnormalities and some form of cancer (Department of Health, 2009). When individuals receive sufficient patient education on obesity and the risks associated with this condition, it is believed that they will take actions to manage the condition. While the health belief model has gained success in helping individuals take positive actions regarding their health, Naidoo and Wills (2009) emphasises that patient education alone or informing them on the severity and their susceptibility of the disease may not be sufficient in changing or sustaining behaviour. Although individuals are informed on the benefits of the health behaviour, there is still a need to consider how environmental factors help shape health behaviour. It should be considered that obesity is a multifactorial problem and environmental factors play crucial roles in its development. Public Health England (2014) notes that in the last 25 years, the prevalence of obesity has more than doubled. This rapid increase in overweight and obesity prevalence shows that in 2010, only 30.9% of the men in the UK have basal metabolic index (BMI) within the healthy range (Public Health England, 2014). In contrast, the proportion of men with healthy BMI in 1993 was 41.0%. Amongst women, proportion of women with healthy BMI in 1993 was 49.5% but this dropped to 40.5% in 2010. It has been shown that almost a third or 26.1% of UK’s population is obese. If current trends are not addressed, it is projected that by 2050, 60% of adults will be obese (Public Health England, 2014). The effects of obesity are well established not only on the health of individuals but also on the cost of care and management of complications arising from this condition (Public Health England). Managing obesity at the individual level is necessary to help individuals adopt a healthier lifestyle. It has been shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables (Department of Health, 2011) and engagement in structured physical activities (De Silva-Sanigorski, 2011) improve health outcomes of obese or overweight individuals. The stages of change model (Goodson, 2009) could be used to promote health amongst this group. This model states that adoption of healthy behaviours such as engagement in regular physical activity or consumption of healthier food requires eliminating unhealthy ones. The readiness of an individual is crucial on whether people will progress through the five levels of stage of change model. These levels include pre-contemplation, contemplation followed by preparation, action and maintenance (Goodson, 2009). Different strategies are suggested for each level to assist an individual progress to the succeeding stage. It has been shown that prevalence of obesity is highest amongst those living in deprived areas in the UK and those with low socio-economic status (Department of Health, 2010, 2009). Families with ethnic minority origins are also at increased risk of obesity compared to the general white population in the country (Department of Health, 2010, 2009). This presents a challenge for healthcare practitioners since individuals living in poverty belong to the vulnerable groups (Lubkin and Larsen, 2011). It is suggested that development of obesity amongst this group could be related to their diet. Energy-dense food is cheaper compared to the recommended fruits and vegetables. In recent years, the Department of Health (2011) has promoted consumption of 5 different types of fruits and vegetables each day. However, the cost of maintaining this type of diet is high when compared to buying energy-dense food. The problem of obesity also has the greatest impact on children from low-income families. R esearch by Jones et al. (2010) has shown a strong link between exposures to commercials of junk foods with poor eating habits. It is noteworthy that many children in low-income families are exposed to long hours of television compared to children born to more affluent families (Adams et al., 2012). The multi-factorial nature of obesity suggests that management of this condition should also take a holistic approach and should not only be limited to health promotion models designed to promote individual health. Hence, identifying different models appropriate for communities would also be necessary to address obesity amongst socio-economically deprived families. One of models that also address factors present in the community or environment of the individual is the ecological approaches model (Goodson, 2009). Family, workplace, community, economics, beliefs and traditions and the social and physical environments all influence the health of an individual (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). The levels of influence in the ecological approaches model are described as intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community and public policy. Addressing obesity amongst socio-economically deprived individuals through the ecological approaches model will ensure that each level of influence is recogn ised and addressed. Pharmacist-led Campaigns in Reducing Obesity The health belief, stages of change and the ecological approaches models can all be used to underpin pharmacist-led campaigns in reducing obesity for communities that are socio-economically deprived. Blenkinsopp et al. (2003) state that community pharmacists have a pivotal role in articulating the needs of individuals with specific health conditions in their communities. Pharmacists can lobby at local and national levels and act as supporters of local groups who work for health improvement. However, the work of the pharmacists can also be influenced by their own beliefs, perceptions and practices. Blenkinsopp et al. (2003) emphasise that when working in communities with deprived individuals, the pharmacists should also consider how their own socioeconomic status influence the type of care they provide to the service users. They should also consider whether differences in socio-economic status have an impact on the care received the patients. There should also be a consideration if th ere are differences in the culture, educational level and vocabulary of service users and pharmacists. Differences might influence the quality of care received by the patients; for instance, differences in culture could easily lead to miscommunication and poor quality of care (Taylor et al., 2004). Bond (2000) expresses the need for pharmacists to examine the needs of each service user and how they can empower individuals to seek for healthcare services and meet their own needs. In community settings, it is essential to increase the self-efficacy of service users. Self-efficacy is described as the belief of an individual that they are capable of attaining specific goals through modifying their behaviour and adopting specific behaviours (Lubkin and Larsen, 2011). In relation to addressing obesity amongst socio-economically deprived individuals, pharmacists can use the different models to help individuals identify their needs and allow them to gain self-efficacy. For example, pharmacists can use the health belief model to educate individuals on the consequences of obesity. On the other hand, the stages of change model can be utilised to help individuals changed their eating behaviour and improve their physical activities. Uptake of behaviours such as healthy eating and increasing physical activities are not always optimal despite concerted efforts of communities and policymakers (Reilly et al., 2006). It is suggested that changing one’s behaviour require holistic and multifaceted interventions aimed at increasing self-efficacy of families and allowing them to take positive actions (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). There is evidence (Tucker et al., 2006; Barkin et al., 2012; Davison et al., 2013; Zhou et al., 2014) that multifaceted community-based interventions aimed at families are more likely to improve behaviour and reduce incidence of obesity than single interventions. Community-based interventions can be supported with the ecological approaches model. This model recognises that one’s family, community, the environment, policies and other environment-related factors influence the health of the individuals. To date, the Department of Health (2010) through its Healthy Lives, Healthy People pol icy reiterates the importance of maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle to prevent obesity. This policy allows local communities to take responsibility and be accountable for the health of its community members. Pharmacists are not only limited to dispensing advice on medications for obesity but to also facilitate a healthier lifestyle. This could be done through collaboration with other healthcare professionals in the community (Goodson, 2009). A multidisciplinary approach to health has been suggested to be effective in promoting positive health outcomes of service users (Zhou et al., 2014). As discussed in this essay, pharmacists can facilitate the access of service users to activities and programmes designed to prevent obesity amongst members in the community. Finally, pharmacists have integral roles in health promotion and are not limited to dispensing medications or provide counselling on pharmacologic therapies. Their roles have expanded to include providing patients with holistic interventions and facilitating uptake of health and social care services designed to manage and prevent obesity in socio-economically deprived individuals. Conclusion In conclusion, pharmacists can use the different health promotion models to address obesity amongst individuals with lower socioeconomic status. The use of these models will help pharmacists provide holistic interventions to this group and address their individual needs. The different health promotion models discussed in this essay shows that it is crucial to allow service users gain self-efficacy. This will empower them to take positive actions regarding their health. Finally, it is suggested that a multi-faceted, community based intervention will likely lead to a successful campaign against obesity. References Adams, J., Tyrrell, R., Adamson, A. & White, M. (2012). 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