The LEGO Group Working with Strategy

Introduction Investors must evaluate the effectiveness of their strategies to ensure they do not waste time and resources on unnecessary expeditions. The need to develop management strategies pushes managers and other senior employees to invest in research and consultations to ensure they have the relevant knowledge about various approaches used to improve performance (David 2012).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The LEGO Group: Working with Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is necessary to explain that business strategies are not static; therefore, managers should continue to develop new approaches that will ensure the operations of their companies are relevant, acceptable and reward their factors of production. This discussion presents an analysis of a case study about how LEGO Group worked with strategy to influence its performance. Company Background The management of The Lego Group has never left the family of its founder Ole Kirk Christiansen. It was established in 1932 in Billund, Denmark and used to manufacture wooden toys, ironing boards, stools and stepladders. However, the demand and market for wooden toys surpassed those of other products and this forced this company to specialise in this line of production. Today, it is the fifth largest company in the world that manufactures plastic and to some extend wooden toys. It has been managed by Ole Kirk Christiansen, Godtfred, Kjeld Kirk and Jorgen Vig Knudstorp. A report prepared in 2012 the revenue of this company was estimated to be 2.956 billion Euros. In addition, it had an operating capital of 1.001 billion and net income of 706 million Euros. It has more than 10,000 employees working in different branches located in Germany, America, Malaysia and other countries. This company started facing financial difficulties in the 1970s and 1980s, when its future was threatened by strategic uncertainty and poor performance. It took this company more than a decade to restructure and regain its excellent performance and this highlights the need for it to evaluate important strategic management issues. Features of Its External Environment The LEGO Group has been influenced by various external environmental features that have shaped its management strategies. PESTEL, 5 Forces and strategic group models will be used to explain how this organisation has adopted different strategies in ensuring that it succeeds in developing an effective performance strategy. PESTEL Analysis This analysis examines the macro-economic factors that affected this company and led to the development of performance and management strategic plans (Schroeder and Goldstein 2010). These factors involve political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal features that played significant roles in shaping the practices of The LEGO Group.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Ge t your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Political factors refer to organisational aspects that were influenced by the government and which affected its activities (Reeves 2012). Denmark offered conducive conditions for the activities of this company to thrive. The education system allowed this company to supply toys that were used to enhance learning in children. This promoted the popularity of this company and ensured its products fetched good prices in the local market. Taxation policies did not affect its performance; therefore, it had ample time to concentrate on its activities without worrying about the levies imposed on its products by the government. However, environmental laws played minor roles in limiting consumers’ demand for plastic toys. The government required companies to use environment-friendly ways of production; therefore, this limited the popularity of plastic toys. Political stability in Denmark helped this company to perform its duties withou t interference. Secondly, economic factors like inflation, exchange rates and the oil crisis were responsible for the slow growth of this company witnessed in the 1970s and 1980s. The economy of Denmark did not grow as it was anticipated by many investors and this means that companies like The LEGO Group were forced to reduce their recurrent expenses to cushion their capital against inflation. This company registered poor sales before 2008 and this was orchestrated by a decline in the international economy. Most people concentrated on the need to reduce their budgets to cut their expenses. In addition, competitions from other companies like Mattel, Bandai-Namco, Hasbro, Tomy-Takara and MGA Entertainment forced this company to lower the costs of its toys. This company experienced economic difficulties and this forced it to sack 1000 employees in 1999. Lastly, the exchange rate of the USS weakened and traded poorly against the Danish Krone. The social factors that affected the perform ance of this company include the resistance of customers from buying plastic toys. They were used to wooden toys because of their health concerns and long life. In addition, lifestyles were changing and children wanted toys that reflected current developments in the entertainment industry. This forced this company to struggle to adopt themes and models that reflected trends in the entertainment industry’ for instance, the successful production and launch of Harry Porter and Star Wars led to an increase in demand for toys that portrayed the themes of these movies. However, lack of new movies in 2003 led to a slump in production and sales of this company. Moreover, children were learning very first and thus they required sophisticated toys and this threatened the lifespan of the products of this company. In addition, this company faced barriers to entry because of changes in technology. The need to shift from wooden to plastic toys meant that it had to spend more money on the p roduction and marketing of its products. However, this was not proportional to the demand for plastic toys because consumers did not receive the new products positively.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The LEGO Group: Working with Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Even though, this company innovated new products it started most of its financial calendars with high inventories in the shops and this forced it to offer discounts or wait for retailers to finish old stocks. Parents with young children are the main clients of this company and this means that it has limited ability to retain its customers. Lastly, technological factors impacted negatively on the performance of this company during the 1970s and 1980s. Consumers were reluctant to purchase plastic toys because of the need to preserve their traditional tastes. The company was at cross-roads because of the need to keep pace with the demands of moder n technology that was adopted by its competitors. In addition, toys differ depending on the era and generation targeted. This forced this company to keep inventing new techniques and modify its products to reflect changes in technology. Porter’s Five Forces Michael E. Porter proposed five forces that are responsible for shaping the strategies used by a company in planning its management and production processes (Pynes 2013). He defined industries depending on their attractiveness and claims that pure competitions drive organisations to get normal profits. On the other hand, attractive organisations combine the five forces of Industrial Organisation Economics (IOE) to initiate change and ensure they generate profits. The forces he identified include the bargaining power of suppliers and consumers, threats of new entrants and new products and competitive rivalry within an industry. These forces help companies to offer attractive services and products and generate higher profits than their competitors in the industry (Stevenson 2011). These forces have influenced the strategy development of the Lego Group in the following ways. Threat of new entrants refers to competition offered by other companies that wish to invest in business activities (Rosenbaum 2013). The Lego Group specialises in the production of toys that have high demand in local and international markets. This means that this industry attracts investors from different spheres. New entrants reduce market for products and services because of increased supply. In addition, they lower the prices of products in the market to attract customers and this reduces the profits generated by a company. Competition makes companies to struggle to acquire modern technology, give discounts and invest in marketing strategies to protect their brand names from copyright infringement and manipulation by their competitors. Even though, this company had established its brand name in the toy industry new entrants like Sony, Activision, Nintendo and Visual Arts were serious threats to the success of this company. Their entrance in the toy industry had huge impacts because they used sophisticated technology and produced advanced electronic games for children. The demand for Lego’s products was reduced because this company was unable to immediately keep with the pace of new entrants in producing new and more exciting products.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, it was necessary for it to diversify the production of toys and formed partnerships with film, clothing and games companies. In addition, it started offering other entertainment activities like parks and social centres to market its products and diversify its risks. In addition, the threat of substitute products or services started hitting this company when it invested in plastic toys. This move had serious consequences on this company even though it had long-term benefits. Other companies like Mattel and Hasbro had started producing plastic toys and did not have serious impacts in penetrating their markets. However, this company was traditionally concerned with wooden products and this made it difficult for it to persuade its customers to buy its products. In addition, it had already saturated its market with wooden products and retailers were not ready to add new stock yet they had huge inventories of wooden toys. In addition, parks are frequented during holidays like E aster and Christmas and this means that this company had limited products and services. Therefore, it had to develop products that would be used during other times of the year. Chase boards and other indoor games were introduced and this reduced competition from substitute product. In addition, it started to focus on family games and this supplemented its sales during low seasons. The high quality of the toys produced by this company is perhaps the only factor that enabled it to retain customers. The bargaining power of customers affects the volume of services of goods a company produces. In addition, it determines the production and supply strategies organisations use to market their products. It is the ability of clients to ensure a company is put under pressure to produce quality, cheap, affordable and adequate products to satisfy their demands. The LEGO Group failed to implement a loyalty plan to ensure it reduced the power of its clients. The need to reward loyal customers is a strategy employed by most companies to ensure their clients are loyal and have minimal influence on their production processes. For instance, the resistance of customers to buy plastic toys produced by this company shows their power in controlling the activities of this organisation. This company had minimal bargaining leverage powers and this exposed it to financial uncertainties that saw it register different performance records within a short time. Buyers were not sensitive to the prices of toys, but they concentrated on the uniqueness of the products offered by all companies in this sector. Some clients preferred wooden toys because of their health advantages and durability. However, they were very few and this means that the process of adopting the production of plastic toys was inevitable. In addition, the bargaining powers of suppliers bring long-term benefits to organisations (Zenger 2013). The need to reduce operation costs enabled it to sack 1000 workers, even though the impacts of this were not realised as soon as they were expected. In addition, this company realised the need to use professional skills to ensure its production met the demands of consumer and compete effectively with other similar investments. For instance, this company decided to seek the services of experts and hired a Chief Operating Officer (COO). This helped it to develop a restructuring and cost cutting programme that reduced the number of its employees and the launch of Lego Star Wars products and opening of LEGOLAND in California. Strategic Groups This company used this strategy to reduce competition and diversify its products in the international and local market. Strategic groups are links and partnerships formed by companies that have similar activities or specialise in offering related services. This company is ranked highly in the global production and sale of toys. However, this does not exclude it from competitive rivalry witnessed in this industry since the 1940s. I t tries very hard to change its products and services to ensure consumers are offered the best value for their money. For instance, it rebranded its product name from LEGO DUPLO to LEGO EXPLORER even though this step did not have positive impacts on its sales. In addition, it established a sustainable growth programme that included the opening of its own distribution shop in the U.S. in 2003. Moreover, it started inviting users to assist and participate in the development of its products. The development of its digital strategy that led to the production and launch of its first online multiplayer game (LEGO Universe) had major positive impacts on its sales and enabled this company to attract new clients and develop trust in existing ones. The partnership between the Lego Group and Warner Bros was welcome by investors and the public because it would promote diversity in the entertainment industry. However, transparency became a serious issue in this industry as other players like Tia njin Coko Toy, Best-Lock Construction Toys and Mega Blocks infringed on the patent rights of the Lego Group brick products. Impacts of the Resources and Competencies The Lego Group is a successful company because of its large capital base that enables this organisation to invest in different approaches to boost its performance. Even though, it faced financial difficulties in 2003 that led to huge losses. It has an operating capital of 1.001 billion Euros. This capital is adequate to enable this company to invest in modern technology, research, recruitment of professional staff and market its products. New entrants do not have this amount of capital to compete with this company; therefore, the Lego Group’s foot is ahead of most of its competitors. In addition, it has experienced staff and recruits professional workers in its key departments to ensure it offers quality services to consumers. The toy industry is experiencing tremendous changes, especially because of the need to incorporate various technological aspects in its products. This company has formed partnership with leading film producers like Warner Bros to ensure all latest movies are used to develop the themes of its parks. In addition, the company has invested in high cost countries and those that compete with China in political interests. This is an effective strategy of ensuring that the market for its products is protected from cheap products from China. Manufacturing products through outsourcing is another strategy adopted by this company to reduce its production costs. For instance, the company signed an outsourcing agreement with Flextronics and this enabled it to manufacture 20% of its products in Billund; therefore, other processes to be done in regions like Eastern Europe that offer cheaper options. Moreover, the management board did not fear to accommodate risks and thus it decided to order new equipment and increase production. Lastly, its foundation is based on the LEGO bricks and no matter what the global economy offers to this company it will not relent its quest to diversify its processes along this line. Redundant and dynamic capabilities of this business enabled it to regain its success in producing, marketing and selling toys. The CEOs managed to learn the demands of its customers and at the same time use current technology in manufacturing its products. Some aspects of technology may reduce the impacts of new products on consumers, but this organisation ensured there were less drawbacks associated with changes in technology used to produce toys. For instance, the procurement processes were reviewed and suppliers reduced to cut costs. Secondly, the company embraced partnership and outsourced some services like the production of some products from cheap locations to reduce operation costs. This enabled this company to sense opportunities and shape them to meet the demands of its clients. For instance, the introduction of family games was a major boost t hat ensured this company manufactured products that would fetch high demand throughout the year. In addition, its employees learn very fast and adopt new strategies like the use of modern technology in communication, marketing and distribution of its products. The CEOs effectively coordinate, integrate and use strategic resources like capital, machines, technology and company’s rich history to improve the performance of this organisation. The specialisation of the company’s employees, products and intellectual property provided energy and complemented the available financial assets. The combination of these assets ensured this company had a competitive advantage over other firms even if they offered cheap and a variety of products. The distinctive characteristic of this company is marked by its structure and history. It has been led by the Christiansen family and only seeks expert management in issues that are beyond their abilities. For example, the recruitment of the Chief Operating Officer in 1999 by Kjeld portrayed how this company had a unique way of outsourcing expert services in instances where its traditional managers were unable to offer quality services. In addition, it sought collaboration with other companies like Warner Bros, Flextronics and Wal-Mart to ensure its products penetrated into tough markets dominated by other giant toy producers. The VRIN strategy employed by this company involved the identification of the key resources of this organisation. This includes the huge capital that helped the company to invest in research and innovative processes to ensure it produced quality products. The identification of the capabilities of this company is a key aspect that helped CEOs to plan and execute their strategies properly. The need to combine the efforts of employees and company potentials enabled companies to rise every time they have financial difficulties (Williams 20110. 1999, was a period marked by financial difficulties that challenged the management and suitability of the operations of this organisation. It was almost being declared bankrupt and sold to the Merlin Entertainment Group. In addition, the laying off of workers was a significant step towards developing effective cost reduction and sustainable programmes that would help this organisation to be on its feet once the financial crisis of 2007 subsided. This company had strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that played important roles in influencing the decisions of this organisation. First, its long standing tradition of producing wooden toys was a major strength that made it easy for this company to enter high cost markets. In addition, the introduction of modern technology offered various opportunities for this organisation to develop diversify and improve its toys. However, it faced major threats from new entrants that had huge capital, experience and resources to invest in the international market. Conversely, its management syste m was decentralised and this was a major weakness before Jorgen introduced a decentralised form of leadership that allowed other employees to participate in key decision making. Lastly, this company considers its products unique and its market sustainable. The demand for toys will never fade because people will continue to give birth and create new market for the products of this company. It is necessary to explain that this company aspired to maintain the value chain of its products to ensure it embraces a unique way of marketing. This will help it to compete effectively with similar companies and reduce confusion associated with brand names and qualities (Slack, Chambers and Johnston 2009). Alternative Strategies This company focuses on the internal mechanisms of generating capital and this is why it has limited abilities to expand and explore international markets. Therefore, it should consider other ways of generating additional capital through the following ways. First, it has a well established history and no financial institution can deny it loans to boost its working capital. This is a simple way of ensuring the company has adequate funds to manage its activities and invest in technology, research and recruitment of professional workers (Martocchio 2012). Additional capital helps companies to explore investment opportunities in foreign markets. It is not easy for a poor or newly established organisation to penetrate into new markets if it does not have the financial muscles necessary to manage the impacts of competition, inflation and the need to observe local conditions that allow investors to achieve their objectives. Moreover, the huge capital enabled this organisation to mitigate the effects of inflation and competition that causes huge inventories in retail outlets. This strategy helped this organisation to manage various economic challenges that affected it in 1999 and 2003. Secondly, this company can merge with other similar organisations that a re struggling to succeed in toy manufacturing. Mergers enable companies to boost their capital because it injects additional funds that will help strengthen their financial bases. Moreover, it is necessary to explore the skills and abilities of different specialists from other companies because this enables companies to produce quality products and services. The need to equip employees with the relevant skills and knowledge regarding various operations highlight the importance of merging with companies that have experience, skills and knowledge that are relevant in this industry. It is necessary to explain that this company will reduce its operation costs if it merges with another company. It will enjoy economies of scale and diversify its marketing strategies to promote its products. Different companies use different ways to market their products and this will be imported to this organisation if it decides to merge with such investments. The cost of purchasing modern equipment is v ery high and most organisations cannot afford to acquire new machines after every few years. This means that they must seek the assistance of other organisations so that they can reduce their expenses. This means that merging with other organisations will ensure this company acquires modern technology without incurring huge expenses. In addition, it can acquire small firms to ensure it expands its ability to market toys in all regions. This is an effective way of minimising the influences of its competitors in international markets. Acquisitions enable organisations to get huge assets (physical, human and financial) that are available within a short time. This enables companies to get already established investments and boost their performance. Moreover, it has to diversify its management and develop a decentralised strategy that will ensure all key employees play important roles in making the decisions of this company. Decentralisation of management will delegate responsibilities t o workers and this will ensure every employee contributes his or her skills, experience and time to the success of this company. Lastly, this company can outsource some of the services it has not attained professional experience in it. This includes web hosting, call centres and some roles of the human resource department. This will enable this company to get professional services from qualified and experienced services from other firms. In addition, it will reduce the costs of recruiting workers and ensure this company focuses on its core competencies. Extent of LEGO’s Strategy Orientation The Lego Group is a highly strategy oriented organisation and most of its plans seem to bear fruits and give it a head-start when competing with others. In addition, it failed and managed to rise in different occasions and has never been on its toes since it started its operations. The strategies executed by its current and last two CEOs continue to yield good results for this organisation and enable it to generate profits, diversify products and services and control the impacts of competition on its markets. It is evident that this organisation has employed strategic management practices that ensure its practices reflect the demands of its consumers. The introduction of plastic toys was a major investment that was supposed to transform the performance of this organisation. However, this did not happen as it was expected and the company decided to focus on introducing new models and children parks to diversify its investments and cushion itself from imminent collapse. References David, R. F 2012, Strategic Management Concepts and Cases, Pearson, New Jersey. Martocchio, J. J 2012, Strategic Compensation: A Human Resource Management  Approach, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Pynes, J. E 2013, Human Resources Management for Public and Non-profit  Organizations: A Strategic Approach (Essential Texts for Non-profit and Public  Leadership and Management), Jossey-Bass, New Jersey. Reeves, A 2012, Telecommuting – A Guide on How to Be a Successful  Telecommuter, Anthony Reeves, Washington. Rosenbaum, J 2013, Investment Banking: Valuation Leveraged Buyouts, and Mergers  and Acquisitions, Wiley, New York. Schroeder, R. and Goldstein, S 2010, Operations Management: Contemporary  Concepts and Cases, McGraw-Hill, New York. Slack, N., Chambers, S. and Johnston, R 2009, Operations Management and  MyOMLab, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Stevenson, W 2011, Operations Management (Operations and Decision Sciences), McGraw-Hill, New York. Williams, T 2011, Mergers and Acquisitions, Cases and Materials, Aspen Press, New York. Zenger, T. (2013). Strategy: The Uniqueness Challenge, Harvard Business Review, New York. This essay on The LEGO Group: Working with Strategy was written and submitted by user Alissa P. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

buy custom Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation essay

buy custom Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation essay Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a medical condition that results to a serious disorder in an individual blood when the proteins that control blood clotting become abnormally active. This process results to a person developing small blood clots inside every blood vessel throughout the body; these small clots will eventually use up the coagulation proteins and platelets that are substances responsible for blood clotting will not be able to operate sufficiently. Thus disrupting the normal process of blood clotting incase there is bleeding from the skin thus resulting to excessive bleeding (Armola, 2007). These small blood clots most likely affects the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract and surgical wounds it also affects the normal flow of blood to organs such as the liver, heart, brain amongst others thus resulting to malfunction of an individuals body (Dressler, 2004).This condition can be rapid or even slow and chronic depending on the patients medical conditio n but once a patient is suffering from this condition there are high chances of the patient developing multiple organ failures and death may eventually occur. This condition is responsible for a variety of medical conditions including Ischemia, Thrombosis, and Excessive Bleeding (Dressler, 2004). Ischemia is a condition where the an individual becomes thinner and thinner because for the patients body organs dont get enough supply of blood this is as a result ofthe blocked blood vessels as a result of the small clots inside their blood vessels; thus making it impossible for the blood to flow in its normal order into the vital body organs thus making a patient possess anemia like symptoms. Thrombosis is also another medical condition that is characterized with the clotting of blood in the vessels, thus resulting to the obstruction of the flow of blood throughout the circulatory system even if the body tissue isnt injured the blood will clot while inside the blood vessel and in consequence resulting to the blocking of the blood vessels (Armola, 2007). The condition is also responsible of excess bleeding this is as a result of the bursting of the blood vessels as a result of the pressure from the clotting and in some case it is the case of a cut the blood platelet and proteins will not be in a position of clotting in order to stop the bleeding thus resulting to excessive bleeding of an individual. Causes and the treatments Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) There are several factors that are considered as the main contributors of these conditions in an individual they include cancers of the lungs, pancreas, and stomach and even prostrate cancer viral infections and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (APML) also results to the disorder. Another cause iincludes the cases of massive tissue injuries like Trauma, Burns and Extensive Surgeries. Infections also play a significant factor in one developing the disorder infections like malaria, Gramnegative sepsis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Histoplasmosis amongst other infections results to the condition. Miscellaneous conditions like Shock, Stroke, Snake Bites and Liver Diseases are also contributors of this condition. The notable symptoms of this condition includes haemorrhage this is where an individual will be acutely ill and experience constant bleed in body openings like the mouth, nose, ears that bleed constantly with no indication of the blood clotting leading to excess blood loss. Other sign for the disorder will be Extensive Bruises and Renal Failures. A patient that is diagnosed with the acute or mild cases of hemorrhage is subjected to treatment after identifying the individuals condition and from the identification of the cause of the condition a patient is subjected to the relevant treatment; thus in cases of mild cases of no bleeding a patient is subjected to fresh frozen plasma will be administered in an individuals blood stream in order to replenish the blood clotting (Dressler, 2004). While in the case of severe cases of hemorrhage the patient is subjected increased numbers of platelets in his blood stream this is in order to help in the clotting of the blood in the cases of a cut or open wounds. Buy custom Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation essay

The Five Aspects of Fitness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Five Aspects of Fitness - Essay Example The world is very conscious of itself. People want to be looking good, feeling good, doing good and being overall happy. Happiness is the basis of everything. Whatever one does, whether it is earning a million bucks or working for a charity, it is only to satisfy one's inner yearning for happiness. Being happy is a relative term, and poses a different implication for everyone. Physical fitness is the first and foremost aspect of fitness occupying the lives of the world-conscious people today. Everyone wants to attain a lean and toned body, much like that of the model in the nearest fashion magazine available. Various organizations cash in on this very desperation engulfing the people. Many proclaim medications guaranteed to make one lose weight instantly, while others propogate various techniques involving absurd methods to attain weight loss. Some might even benefit from these, but mostly these means are mare gimmicks. The tried and trusted age-old approach remains exercise and regulation of one's diet. No pain, no gain! And there is absolutely nothing like instant weight loss. As the body adapts to more exercise and low fat diet, it takes up nutrition from the already present fat reserve in the body, thereby depleting that source and attaining loss of weight and inches. However, this only happens over a period of few months.

Setting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Setting - Essay Example The first scene is in his twenties where he is lonely, cold, bitter but also hopeful when he enters the circus. Although this early life is characterized by rough times, he still manages to get an escape to the circus when his parents died. The other scene is set in the nursing home with Jacob is in his nineties. In the nursing home, he is lonely too but life here is more permanent that in the circus setting. The fact that the story is set during the depression is very relevant. This is because the main theme of the story is based on the poor conditions and tough lives of the Americans during the great depression. As such, it emphasizes the high poverty levels. The people were too poor to afford even the food supplies due to loss of economic benefits. If it had been set in the Roaring 20s when jobs were plentiful and spirits high, it could not have expressed the theme of this story because people would have had plenty of resources to live comfortably. Apart from taking people from place to place, the train represents lack of permanence to the circus people. They have no permanent residence due to poor economic conditions and therefore, they have to move from place to place for commerce purposes. As such, the train is a representation of hope that the circus’s poor conditions will get

Educational Enquiry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Educational Enquiry - Assignment Example The outcome so far has been disappointing, though it may be that cognitive psychologists and neuroscientists will soon produce something finer.†Hargreaves argues current educational research is neither adequately cumulative nor relevant to teachers’ practical concerns for it to initiate the contribution required. He draws a contrast between the role of research in education, and role to the practice of medicine by means of evidence based medicine as a model. He claims few teachers use psychology, sociology, philosophy, and history. This makes the teachers work more effective (Reynolds & Trinder, 1997, pg 56) Hargreaves is not very explicit about the form he believes educational research should take. He is neglective of strict methodological problems that are faced by educational researchers. He seems to view the procedure of developing cumulative knowledge about the outcome of different pedagogical methods directly. The use of a standard in judging current educational re search that assumes direct and instrumental form of the relationship. Hargreaves argues educational research has failed to provide practitioners with the required knowledge about pedagogical strategies work, and those that do not ensure competence of the practitioner; he claims that it is not only terms of practical skills but familiarity with practice relevant to the research. While Hammersley points out that it is the language Hargreaves uses implies a commitment to a method that many would deem positivist that it values research that emulates the scientific approach.Hammersley challenges the assumption by arguing this type of evidence is effective in improving practice on the basis that scientific methods, and... This essay approves that the goals of learning in a social constructive perspective differ, and learning is characterized by the subjective reconstruction of society means, and models by carrying out negotiations of meaning in social interaction. Its focus is on interaction within the local setting because they are viewed as automatically related. It is noted that neither an individual learner’s activity nor the local micro culture can be understood without the consideration of the other. These changes the research that is learning compared with a cognitive constructionist research.Constructionism is associated with qualitative data where as sociocultural approaches the original data collection is qualitative because the focal point is on interactions, and dynamic. Learning opportunities arise but research is done on experiences and changes entailed. Many social cultural studies focus on learning as a transformation of identity to forefront the personal characteristics, and ha ve little to say about the system. This report makes a conclusion that learning technology research is presently dominated by a paradigm that divides the research into two types qualitative, and quantitative. The division is normal science in learning, and has provided an agreement that has permitted researchers to shun disagreements over fundamentals, and an outline for standard research training. The standard structure is under pressure from developing research methods that are relevant to learning. Educational research fails to supply a cumulated body of concrete knowledge about the effectiveness, and efficiency of different methods. May be paradigm could finally be resolved in the natural sciences, because the outcome of research was unreliable.

Margaret Thatcher’s New Right and New Labour

Margaret Thatcher’s New Right and New Labour The welfare state can be defined as the process in which the Government takes the responsibility in paying for, and in some instances such as public healthcare, directly providing services for the people. Through measures such as unemployment insurance, old-age pensions, and other social-security processes, it further provides the social and economic security of its population (Jones et al, 2007, p.680). In addition, the responsibility of the state is to help families, who need support in bringing up their children, through providing a choice of services which promotes the welfare of children and family members (VSS, 2003, p.2). The welfare state existed as far back as medieval times when the monasteries in particular looked after and supported the frail and elderly and educated the children. In the 16th century, parishes became legally responsible for looking after the poor and the people of the parish were expected to pay the cost (Bartholomew, 2004, p.29). The Poor Laws (traced back to 1536) were passed by the UK government to provide housing to the poor, homeless or disabled and in the 1800s many workhouses were built to provide shelter, work, food and clothing to the destitute. In 1914 a new code was established which encouraged more generous relief to be given to widows but only to those of good habits who would bring up their families correctly and that workhouses should be used as a threat to weaker women as it was already being argued that the welfare system was changing the morals of society (Walsh et al, 2000, p. 35;36). The birth of the modern welfare state began in 1911 when Lloyd George and Churchill introduced the first compulsary national insurance scheme against unemployment (Bartholomew, 2004, p.51). In 1941 an enquiry was launched which put forward proposals on how to tidy up the state welfare and the Bevridge report was published in 1942. William Bevridge was disappointed in what the welfare state had become and his report focused on full employment continuing within a stable economy where both Conservative and Labour worked within similar ideologies at this time to keep this stability and growth (Harris, 2004, p. 289, Alcock et al, 2004, p. 246). He was a believer of the Keynes theory that suggested there was a need for Government intervention to manage the economy which would solve the problems of unemployment and this approach was adopted by the Labour party (Page, 1999, p.24). His report further outlined defeating the five giants: want, ignorance, disease, squalor and idleness and his ma in proposal was that a national security should be universal and be compulsary everyone would pay a flat-rate contributions to a national insurance scheme. Those who fell ill, became unemployable or reached retirement age would, in return, receive flat-rate payments (Bartholomew, 2004, p.57). His report made no special provision for lone parents at all, arguing that the reponsibility of supporting the unmarried mother would be her familys although the typical family (which was that of a working man, his wife and children) lived almost in an income tax free state. At the time there was a married-couples allowance and tax allowances paid for each child which made the two parent family more likely to succeed (Bartholomew, 2004, p.255). Feminists saw his report as advocating that the womens place should be in the home serving her husband and children (VSS, 2003, p.19) as Beveridge stated that married womens duties was the vital unpaid service which would ensure the adequate continuance of the British race and of the British ideals in the world (cited in Lewis et al, 2000, p.32). The years following the Second World War radically influenced British society the NHS was formed and various Acts such as the Education Act; Family Allowance Act and the National Assistance Act were introduced and National Insurance for the unemployed was developed (Walsh et al, 2000, p.46). The Labour government helped to create a more state orientated Britain which took place with the purchase of industries by the state however this focus changed when the Conservative government came into power in 1979 and the concentration shifted to privatisation (Burton, 1987, p.26). The Conservatives, led by Margaret Thatcher, faced the burdening situation of the governments finances, rise in unemployment and NHS budget, and an increase in welfare bills. She proposed major changes in the thinking about social welfare and how it should be administered. In order to considerably reduce the increasing demand on the welfare state, which she believed to be expensive and morally weakening, she shifte d the responsibility of welfare from the state to personal, private and voluntary organisations which would be more efficient and effective (Walsh et al, 2000, p.52). During her period in office, Thatcher was influenced by her belief that the traditional nuclear family was the central force of modern life that contributed to decency, manners, respect for property and law and self-reliance, and was the best atmosphere for raising children (Jones et al, 2007, p.156). The norms and values of society began to break down in the 60s and 70s when a more tolerant society began to emerge. Changes to social policies such as divorce legislation (Divorce Reform Act, 1969) and generous welfare benefits were blamed for society and values deteriorating and this had caused an increase in irregular families and household types (Douglas, 1990, p.412). Thatcher and the New Right believed that the only way social problems would end would be if the golden age returned in which people lived in conventional family units, women stayed at home, divorce was not considered, benefits for lone parents were low and tax allowance for children were paid out (Douglas, 1999, p.414 ). They further argued that the traditional values of womens roles and the tradition of marriage was important to hold society together (Jones, 2007, p.156). New Right thinking, although influential in the 80s during the Thatcher Government is not new and has been around since the 17th and 18th century. The belief was that the government should not intercede in peoples lives and freedom, and that any intervention would cause social problems to become worse rather than improving them. The New Right also differentiated between people who were thought to be deserving of help and welfare services (poor through no fault of their own) and those who were unemployed, lazy and wasted money who should not receive welfare and support (Page et al, 1999, p.23; 78). Although Thatcher was keen to encourage and maintain the roles and responsibilities of the traditional family unit for personal security, emotional satisfaction and care for family members, it became difficult due to changes in society and law, which allowed women more freedom. Abortions were legalised and the contraceptive pill became available for free. In addition several Acts were introduced which gave women the opportunity to be more equal to men such as the Sex Discrimination Act (1975), Equal Pay Act (1970) and the Equal Opportunities Act (1995). Furthermore the marketization of the economy; deregulation and privatisation of labour markets and spreading owner occupation in an unstable housing market all played their part in the family breakdown and womens access to, and need for, jobs (Chadwick et al, 2003, p.8). As womens lives began to change, they moved away from their natural role of housewife and mother as divorce rates climbed and more lone-parent families became the nor m. The idea of family responsibility and informal care by the existing family was formally made public but in reality, it became more difficult for family members to support each other. The belief was that the normal nuclear family should be a family of two heterosexual adults, who were married and in a sexual relationship, producing children and instilling traditional moral values in them. Therefore the breakdown of the family and specifically the increase in lone parent families and illegitimacy were recognized as the cause of the increase in crime, unemployment, delinquency, educational underachievement and child poverty (Douglas, 1999, p.412; 413). Charles Murray whose New Right ideas greatly influenced Thatcher and Conservative thinking believed that society in the 1960s had done nothing to improve the life of the poor but instead had caused it to be worse by creating an underclass. Despite any evidence, he further argued that the welfare programmes had produced a rise in unemp loyment, crime and illegitimacy in the American underclass and defiantly stated that people were not owed a decent standard of living, it was something they had to work for (Page et al, 1999, p.79). Murray particularly blamed the children of lone parent families for social problems as he argued that the lack of both role models would increase their chance of living in poverty, becoming dependent on drugs, alcohol and benefits and therefore would increase the chance of them resorting to crime. He further stated that the welfare state encouraged dependency and a break from traditional values and argued that large benefits led to families not working, but remaining dependant on state benefits (Page et al, 1999, p.304; 78). Thatcher therefore believed that the only way to reduce poverty was by ending the benefit culture, removing this dependency and encouraging self-reliance. She would have preferred mothers not to work, as their responsibility was to be at home to care for and protect their children. More over it would have been desirable if there were no single mothers claiming income support. Dunn Toroosian (2009, p.74) argues that the terms legitimate and illegitimate referring to children born in or out of wedlock are old fashioned, value laden terms that reflect societies attitude to marriage and childbearing which reinforce the New Right view and the Conservative pro-family movement, derived from Christian morality. Thatcher addressed the increase in welfare costs by cutting social expenditure, withdrawing services and introducing a new form of means tested support, which she believed targeted those in real need. She reduced the level of benefits and replaced certain benefits with others, which meant some people lost all or some of their benefits. Furthermore child benefit was not increased in line with inflation. Discretionary payments for people in deprivation were completely removed and the Social Fund introduced to help struggling people was mostly given out in the form of loans and not grants. The effect of these changes left many people and families who were receiving benefits a lot poorer. It is however argued (Pascall, 2002) that these changes to social policy left women in a stronger position by the end of the Conservative era due to improved access to work and enabled lone mothers to do paid work which made women less dependant within families. Although many of the changes happened more because of the womens movement than to Thatcherism, Thatcherite policies played a part in the process. However regardless of the womans new position, the New Rights ideology of the nuclear family is not all it is made out to be. Functionalist in particular ignored the potential harmful effects of family life and inequalities of domestic life. Nuclear families are very stereotypical and discriminatory (other family types are not families and therefore inadequate), patriarchal (there is an unequal distribution of power and status as it is male dominant and women are exploited) and not inclusive (gay relationships, reconstituted families, unmarried parents and especially lone parents ar e all ignored). There was no discussion or argument about whether the nuclear family was the only one that could carry out the vital functions of the family or whether the role of nurturing children could possibly be carried out by other family types such as lone parents or two women/ men. In addition nuclear families, as with all other types of families, can be equally unfavourable especially if there is domestic abuse and violence or child and drug abuse. Women may have gained more rights to be considered equal to men but in most circumstances the man has remained the breadwinner and women were still considered to undertake the emotional role of the domestics, housewife, mother and carer. Women often work part time or flexible hours in order to allow them to continue to fulfil their childcare and household responsibilities (Dunn-Toroosin, 2009, p.63). In addition, because of the changes in the economic, demographic, political and cultural trends in the industrialised world, people s work and home lives had changed. Although great change had taken place, it seemed that other areas of society such as government, religion and business had not yet caught up with the new reality. The Labour Party led by Tony Blair came into power after a landslide victory in 1997 and one of his main agendas was welfare reform. Although he continued with many of the Conservatives themes and stated that the welfare state must offer a hand-up rather than a hand-out'(Page, 1999, p.306), he wanted people on benefits to pull their weight with his rights and responsibilities approach. However, in his attempt to break away from Thatherism, the new government adopted the Third Way which was about promoting opportunity instead of dependance, with a welfare state providing for the mass of the people, but in new ways to fit the modern world (DSS, 1998b, p.19). Although New Labour accepted that the government had a duty to provide appropriate training and education, Blair wanted certain people receiving benefits (including single parents) to be encouraged into work and training rather than continuing to receive benefits (Page, 1999, p.309). Blair stressed the importance of individuals bei ng socially independent, however he also emphasised the importance and morals of families arguing that the breakup of community in turn is consequent on the breakdown in family life (Lavalette et al, 1999, online). Blair promised that his policies would modernise and renew Britain however the ideas that they were based upon were hardly new. He frequently discussed his Christian beliefs and values and how they influenced his policies New Labour very much wanted to return to family values (Lavalette et al, 1999, online). Frank Field (Labour minister for welfare reform, 1998) adopted many of the views of Charles Murray and he again highlighted the role of divorce, family breakdown and illegitimacy as the main contributors of the underclass and that welfare should openly reward good behaviour and enhance those roles which the country values (cited in Lavalette, 1999, online). Labour used social welfare policy to assert a new moral agenda and similarly to the policies of the New Right f ocused on the problem of teenage pregnancy, single mothers and the one parent family which resulted in benefits being cut (Page, 1999, p.129). The New Deal (introduced in 1998) was concerned with moving people off benefits into work through better access to training and subsidies being offered to employers who employ young people who had been out of work for six months. Furthermore the New Deal for Lone Parents did not apply to lone parents with younger children and it did not consider how difficult it was for them in actually taking up paid work (Hills, 1998, p.26). The poor working class families were told that they would be held responsible for any crimes their children committed as New Labour focussed on strengthening families and communities and also shaping the institution in which children are brought up, on the basis of enduring values justice for all, responsibilty from all (Chadwick, 2003, p.32). Benefit recipients were told that work is their salvation, even if it meant working for benefits, and being unemployed was not an option. Another strategy on his agenda was to tackle social exclusion groups of the poor who lacked the income and the opportunities to access social establishments which again included young single mothers. New Labour saw paid work as the best way to improve the position of the socially excluded rather than creating dependancy on welfare payments and services (Page, 1999, p.307). Ironically his agenda led to increasing levels of unemployment and a greater divide between rich and poor. It is a continuation of a number of themes that have been central to British Government policy for the last 30 years and is based on a deeply conservative moral agenda where the poor working class is increasingly identified as a problem that must be forced to accept the values of modern capitalism. Both New Right and New Labour attitudes and personal belief in how the family does work and should work has significantly impacted and influenced the Governments decision on social policy. However Page (1999, p.15) argues that social policy has always been shaped and influenced by social factors such as gender, class and age. This has in turn had consequences for women in family and public life. The effect of encouraging traditional family structures and the labelling of single parents has had both psychological and physical effects on families and such stigma often shapes and overshadows life. There was no evidence that proved the nuclear family was better than other family units or that lone parents were unsuitable yet this influenced policies. Furthermore, it was seen as a life style choice for single parents to be on benefits but benefits offer little chance for lone parents (and/or their children) to get out of the poverty cycle and it needs to be recognised that poverty strips dignity and makes a person powerless. Although the solution was to blame individuals and therefore change and introduce new policies and benefits, it would have been better to deal with the inequality and the lack of choices faced by some women. Providing more jobs and opportunities with better pay would have enabled women and their families to claw their way out of poverty and their reliance on welfare. Although the increase in capitalism meant progress for women as it enabled them to enter the workforce, they still remained unequal as they continued to bear the burden of the family role. Childcare facilities which could have allowed women to go back to work were scarce due to the lack of Thatchers commitment to spend public money on expanding childcare facilities (Douglas, 1999, p.413). Whilst much has been achieved, women are still at a definite disadvantage compared to men and therefore remain economically dependant. The aim of state welfare was to remove divisions in society, political and class inequality however b ecause of the attitudes of the changing political powers which influenced the welfare state, the effect has been to make those divisions more visible: lone parents and the underclass who have little choice than to live in impoverished environments where there is overcrowding and crime WORD COUNT: 3051

Who? - Original Writing :: Papers

Who? - Original Writing It seemed like an ordinary night. The soft whine of the wind echoed throughout the vast hall. The lifeless portraits, on the walls, stared gloomily at the centre of the room looking for movement. The distant moon shone down through the skylight flooding the smooth marble floor with moonlight. Suddenly a â€Å"click† popped out of the darkness, and then the old rusted basement door creaked open. A tall man stood in the doorway; he wore worn blue jeans and a brown leather jacket which had faded with age. He had short jet-black hair and small green eagle like eyes. In his right hand he held a newspaper, the headline read â€Å"Baffling Bodies in Bristol,† in his left he held a radio. He slowly scanned across before he eventually entered. A voice suddenly escaped from the radio and echoed off the walls â€Å"Hello, Trevor did you find it then?† Trevor held the radio up to his mouth and whispered â€Å"No, you must have left it somewhere else.† He continued to make his way across the room, â€Å"Okay, thanks for looking anyway,† came the reply. Trevor placed the chunky radio into his back pocket and headed toward a door labelled â€Å"Security.† Suddenly there was a great â€Å"BOOM,† from outside. Trevor jumped out of his skin. His heart was pounding like a drum. He leant against the wall and took a deep breath. â€Å"Calm down it’s only a bit of thunder,† he muttered to himself â€Å"get you together.† He took another deep breath and then exited through the nearby door. The security room was very dimly lit. Two rusted lockers stood against the faded brown wall next to an old office. A pile of small monitors sat on the desk next to a miniature black lamp. Trevor sat down on one of the wooden chairs next the desk; he placed the newspaper and radio on its scratched surface. He then took a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his jacket pocket. He placed a cigarette between his lips and lit the end; he inhaled then blew a poisonous cloud of smoke

Dementia: Alzheimer’s Disease and People

Isabel Ramirez Comp105 Mrs. Doonan 11 December 2012 Dementia affecting the lives of many Sometimes the word Dementia can be quite scary to hear and quite frankly it is pretty scary to hear. Many people don’t really take the time to stop and realize that it might be something that can be life threating and without them even knowing they might already be having some of the early symptoms. There is no such thing as going in to the doctor to early and getting checked out for dementia.Once someone gets dementia there is no way on turning back and the best they can do it getting treatment. Approximately every sixty eight seconds someone in America will develop dementia, some even without them knowing it. Dementia is something that no one wants to know that they have because of the dramatic life changes that if will have in someone’s life. Dementia having many effects on older people like having to get treatment and the many symptoms they go through can be very overwhelming.Ma ny people know that dementia is a disease in which the memory is affected, but that’s not all dementia is. Every sixty eight seconds someone in America develops dementia. (AHAF) Dementia actually means loss of mentation and thinking. (Fisher) It is a disease that degenerates the brain which affects the memory. (AHAF) Dementia is a progressive disease that has a big impact not only on the person that is diagnosed with dementia but also their family and friends that are around. Perry) Many people describe dementias symptoms with loss of memory, judgment, language even motor skills, meaning that many people can’t do a lot of their daily activities normally by themselves. (Fisher) Caring for someone with dementia can be extremely difficult and have a lot of emotional stress. Dementia is a disease the many describe as a disease that eats someone’s brain slowly causing that person to start forgetting things. (AHAF) Dementia isn’t a disease that is on its own it has many forms to which it attacks a person. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. Fisher) Dementia having many shapes and sizes can be hard on older people. Dementia does have many shapes and sizes because there is different types of dementias in which can affect the person slowly or really fast. The forms of dementia are classified by the area of the brain that gets affected and the degree of progression. (Westerby) Since there are so many different forms of dementia, drugs might only be available for some of them. Yes, there is many kind of dementia but the two most common forms are Parkton’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Fisher) About sixty percent of the people that develop Alzheimer’s, fifteen through thirty percent develop vascular dementia, four through twenty percent develop lewy body and two percent develop frontal temporal dementia. Mainly all forms of dementia are progressive except Vascular Dementia. Alzheimer’s mainly affects older people and mainly women get this kind of dementia. Lewy Body dementia mainly affects older people. Vascular dementia mainly affects people that have diabetes. Frontal Temporal dementia affects mostly the people that are under sixty five and mainly men. Elkins) Some people might get mixed dementia where there might be one or more cases of dementia combined together. (Perry) One of the hardest things of dementia is the symptoms they have and later finding out someone has dementia through diagnostic can be a very tragic moment. The earliest symptom is memory loss with that also not being able to think right can really confuse a person. (Fisher) Patients might have a hard time arranging plans and which ends up leading to the major memory loss. Movement of everyday became more difficult. Perry) That’s why trying to diagnose dementia soon is very important, the sooner is diagnosed the sooner medication can be given out which can help from it progressing really fast. Cognitive test are necessary in being able to decide whether dementia is there or not. (Westerby) There is a physical exam done to help identify why they have dementia. Another thing they really take in consideration is history of mental or behavioral symptoms. (AHAF) There is an assessment that is done which is called Mini Mental State Examination.There is so many ways that people can get tested and find out pretty soon, like getting lab test done is a fast and effective way. (Perry) Out of all of them the most effective way and proven to be one hundred percent effective is brain autopsy. (AHAF) Finding out which stage of dementia you have might be hard because of the many ad different types of dementia there are. That is why it is very important to that if someone has any of the symptoms to get them checked out because the faster you get diagnosed the more likely you will be able to get some medication that will slow down the progression. Perry) The risk factors that can giv e you dementia or bring along can be too much to handle for someone at any age. Even though dementia can happen at any time of life, it has a dramatic increase as age increases too. (Perry) There are two big risk factors that really play a big role when getting dementia, which are age and genetics. Many people can get dementia because it is in their genes and past generations in their family have gotten so it is more likely that they get it. Approximately five percent of Americans between the ages of sixty five and seventy four get dementia. AHAF) People who smoke, have hypertension, high cholesterol, and are obese have a greater risk in getting dementia. People who have Parkinson’s disease and have had a stroke are also greater at risk. (Westerby) People with dementia might be seeing things that aren’t really there which can be very dangerous for them to be alone in their own home. (Fisher) About thirty six and a half percent of people with dementia live in a home car e facility the other sixty three and a half percent are taken care of in their own home by some family member. Westerby) When the dementia is advanced people become dependent for everything with their care. (Fisher) Mobility gets harder so there could be a greater risk of falls. There might also be a great loss of appetite and a dramatic change in their weight. (Perry) As often as possible try drawling things for the patient that way they can visualize the things better and they might remember them more. (Elkins) Asking people with dementia direct questions really stresses them out and they fell like they are put in the stop.So yes it is a really serious disease and in most cases it is too much for someone to handle at any age. Sometimes the treatments are not always enough when trying to get rid of dementia and the results can be pretty fatal. It is better to keep the person in their own home. That way they could keep their daily routine and they can remember where their things are located at. Moving someone out of their home when they are very confused already isn’t going to help them out much. (Perry) When diagnosed it is recommended for the patient and the family to get ongoing support.This way the family can know of ways to help the person and also the patient knows the truth of dementia. (Westerby) Alzheimer’s is terminal and had no known cure. (AHAF) No Treatment yet recognized, but one big risk factor is diabetes and hypertension. (Perry) The average time of life they have would range from five though twenty years. (Fisher) The three year survival rate for vascular dementia for people over the age of eighty five is sixty seven percent. For people who develop Alzheimer’s after a stroke there is a thirty nine percent survival rate.People with Alzheimer’s in general have a forty three survival rate. (Perry) Out of all the causes of death infection is the most common. (Fisher) Yes, Dementia is very hard and a lot to handle for o lder people, there isn’t a known treatment that is for sure going to get rid of the dementia someone has and the symptoms can be very frustrating. That’s why having the help of family members and friends that are around the person is very necessary to be able to live with a disease that eats your brain a little more each day causing that person to forget things from their past.It is a scary disease that no one wishes to ever get, but once someone has it there is no way back. As soon as they start to notice some of the symptoms it is better to go get themselves checked that why there can be some medication that can help its progression. Being able to detect it early improve the quality of life and the lifelong out comes the patient has for the rest of their lives. Always keep in mind this is a disease that attacks someone in the America every sixty eight seconds, many without even knowing.

Free Essays on Druidic Religion

This research paper is, to begin, not a historical review, not a theological discussion of the character of the Gods, not a mystical talk about ley lines and earth energy. In short, it is going to get very un-mythical. Having said what it is not, I can go on to what it is: a philosophical inquiry, a logical puzzle, into what the moral principles of the ancient Celts might have been and how these principles affect contemporary Druid philosophy. The reconstruction of Druidism has, to a certain extent, been cut off from this tradition of learning, though for good reasons, those philosophies are today, being re-examined and reinterpreted. What I want to establish in this paper is the first moral principle of Druidism, as the ancients may have had it, but more importantly, as we in the twentieth century see it. It is important to begin with an understanding of the logical form that this first moral principle, (FMP), must look like. Given any set of principles, such as â€Å"you should always keep promises†, or â€Å"you should always save lives†, it is easy to make quick decisions as the need to make them arises. However, there may come a time when two principles conflict: with the example above, you could be driving to an appointment and pass an accident on the way. You must decide whether to stop and help and so miss your appointment, or drive on to your appointment leaving any and all victims to die. Either way, you must break one of your principles. Obviously there must be some way of deciding which principle is more important than the other, that is, which one has priority; that criteria will b e the FMP. The FMP will be universal, having no exceptions or conditions, phrased in general language for it is aimed not at specific situations but at universal guidance for any situation, and will direct what other, lesser principles will be adopted, and what to do when they conflict. The first place where we can try looking for this... Free Essays on Druidic Religion Free Essays on Druidic Religion This research paper is, to begin, not a historical review, not a theological discussion of the character of the Gods, not a mystical talk about ley lines and earth energy. In short, it is going to get very un-mythical. Having said what it is not, I can go on to what it is: a philosophical inquiry, a logical puzzle, into what the moral principles of the ancient Celts might have been and how these principles affect contemporary Druid philosophy. The reconstruction of Druidism has, to a certain extent, been cut off from this tradition of learning, though for good reasons, those philosophies are today, being re-examined and reinterpreted. What I want to establish in this paper is the first moral principle of Druidism, as the ancients may have had it, but more importantly, as we in the twentieth century see it. It is important to begin with an understanding of the logical form that this first moral principle, (FMP), must look like. Given any set of principles, such as â€Å"you should always keep promises†, or â€Å"you should always save lives†, it is easy to make quick decisions as the need to make them arises. However, there may come a time when two principles conflict: with the example above, you could be driving to an appointment and pass an accident on the way. You must decide whether to stop and help and so miss your appointment, or drive on to your appointment leaving any and all victims to die. Either way, you must break one of your principles. Obviously there must be some way of deciding which principle is more important than the other, that is, which one has priority; that criteria will b e the FMP. The FMP will be universal, having no exceptions or conditions, phrased in general language for it is aimed not at specific situations but at universal guidance for any situation, and will direct what other, lesser principles will be adopted, and what to do when they conflict. The first place where we can try looking for this...

Poverty in America essays

Poverty in America essays Poverty in the United States is getting worse each day and not enough is getting done about it. There are people who want to help the poor, but no one knows exactly how to help them. Those who are against poverty agree that something needs to be done, but they do not know how to go about getting things done. A primary reason for people not taking action is because of lack of information that is provided about issues on poverty. There is no limited amount of information about poverty. People only need to know where to go to obtain such information. Issues about poverty is not stressed enough by the media to keep America informed on what the country is going through with this problem. Poverty in America is being blamed on the system and the individual affected. The system is to blame because of social programs like welfare and social security on give a minimal amount of money to aid the poor. The Trickle Down approach which was introduced by the Reagan and Bush Administrators, was installed with the belief that by issuing a tax cut amongst the upper class would give more money into the economy that would eventually reach the lower class. A second program issued was the Interventionist approach, which was an action made on behalf of the federal government to help educate and employ the poor in order to help them attain a job career. Unfortunately, these social programs was not able to keep up with the inflation rates and the constant want of material goods by the poor, created by the need to fit in with the middle and upper classes (Burton, 1992). As individuals, poverty is being blamed because of the lifestyles that families live in today. It is said that because of the lack of support in poor families, individuals raised in poverty are likely to fail as adults (Bradbury, 2001). Education can take a toll on how much support poor families receive. With the lack of education, and intelligence, individua...

Hispanic American Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Hispanic American Diversity - Essay Example For example, some groups use the word "sopa" to refer to a food item while the rest use it to denote soap. The unique geo-political circumstances of different Spanish speaking regions have contributed to the formation of regional dialects. For instance, Mexico being close to the United States of America has resulted in the importation of English words into common usage. So much so that, some cultural commentators call the Mexican language as Spanglish. (Hope Cheong, 2006) Of all the four groups, Mexican Americans stand out in terms of their involvement in mainstream American politics. The dissenting voices of Mexican Americans were first heard during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Although African Americans were predominantly seen as the leaders of the movement, significant contributions were made by such Mexican American luminaries as V.Mendoza, Reies Lopez Tijerina and Rodolfo Gonzales. Their political activism ranged from basic rights for farm workers to rights of electoral franchise at all levels of governance. (Jokisch, 2006) Parallels could be observed in Puerto Rican American history as well. One of the more recent immigrants to the country, Puerto Ricans are poorly represented in politics. However, to their credit, they succeeded in forming trade unions to demand for worker rights during the second half of the twentieth century. Given such an initiation, it is only natural that their worker movement graduated into a socialist one. Given the strong capitalist roots in America, this movement did not make much impact though. Any description of Cuban Americans will have to be made in the context of Cubas hostile political relation with the United States. The primary reason for migration to their more affluent neighboring country is economic opportunity. Yet, the totalitarian and sometimes repressive regime of Fidel Castro would mean that the migrants are also

Evolve Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Evolve - Article Example The worst decision that a company can make is to the same. However, maintaining the current business framework might have short-term benefits as it may help the company survive in the foreseen future. This however fails to generate the competitive advantage that is important for the long- term survival of the business. The bottom line is that companies need to change to ensure their prolonged survival through the recession. Companies are going through the worst recession in history and the only way they can survive through it is by changing the methods they use to carry out business. This also enables the company to gain a competitive advantage over its rivals in the market. Forces of globalization, increasing competition, changing customer needs and scarcity of resources have been mounting increasing pressure on businesses in the modern world to evolve (Pentilla, 2009). Generally, introducing and managing change in companies can be difficult. Therefore, companies need to be equipped with the necessary tools and adopt appropriate mechanisms effectively implement the change and adopt a new style of doing things. There are seven steps that can be followed by companies in the process to change their game. The first step is getting comfortable with the chaos in the current business environment. The forces of globalization and technological advancements lead to regular economic turbulence. This step begins by accepting that there is need to change the way things are done within an entity. It is important to note that there are continuous disruptions between periods of prosperity and economic downturns and companies cannot forecast when they are bound to occur. It is therefore important for companies to keep up with market trends and make relevant changes in their business model (Pentilla, 2009). The second step in effectively changing a company’s game is by reevaluating the customers’ values. The economic recession has led to a drastic change in the