Punctuality in the Military Essay

Punctuality in a military environment is crucial as it enables tasks to be completed, and allows leaders to conduct accountability, PCCs and PCIs for particular operations. Also, depending on the severity or how often a soldier conducts the offense, being late can lead to UCMJ action. This essay will provide in some detail the benefits of being punctual as well as note possible consequences. On a small scale, being punctual for formations and general points of duty allows leaders to ensure accountability for their soldiers, address notes and tasks for the day, and promotes organization within the unit. In a larger picture, everyone’s responsibilities for the day are dependent on the entire unit to be where they need to be at the appropriate time. For example, in the event of a company going to the range the armor has to be available to open the arms room to issue the weapons as leaders need ample time to take accountability of their soldiers and to thoroughly conduct pre-comba t checks and pre-combat inspections. Support units are obligated to arrive on time due to their responsibility to provide ammunition and transportation. Something as simple as the armor being late can cause a domino effect for the entire mission. Repeated tardiness can cause a lot of issues for the unit but it more than likely can severely impact the soldier making the offense. Leaders may choose to annotate events of tardiness in the service members counseling packet. If the soldier has received enough counseling’s, or if a single event is severe, then the leader can push for administrative action such as filing for an Article 15. A soldier who is late can be charged with violation to multiple punitive articles prescribed in the UCMJ: Article. 86. Absence without leave Any member of the armed forces who, without authority— (1) fails to go to his appointed place of duty at the time prescribed; (2) goes from that place; or (3) absents himself or remains absent from his unit, organization, or place of duty at which he is required to be at the time prescribed; shall be punished as a court-martial may direct. Article 87. Missing movement Any person subject to this chapter who through neglect or design misses the movement of a ship, aircraft, or unit with which he is required in the  course of duty to move shall be punished as a court-martial may direct. Article 92. Failure to obey order or regulation Any person subject to this chapter who— (1) violates or fails to obey any lawful general order or regulation; (2) having knowledge of any other lawful order issued by a member of the armed forces, which it is his duty to obey, fails to obey the order; or (3) is derelict in the performance of his duties; shall be punished as a court-martial may direct. Granted, some situations aren’t as severe as other but being late is something that can become a reoccurring issue should it be left to become a habit. A habit like that can lead a soldier to being late for something that is truly serious, like missing movement for deployment or real-world mission. In a situation like that, lateness is a serious offense and can the leave the soldier with heavy consequences. Being late, should it become a chronic problem, can also severely impact a soldier’s professional development. Not only by having adverse effects within his development in the unit but when it comes to being looked at for schools or professional progression. A good leader is not going to recommend a soldier for Warrior Leaders Course or any tab school if he can’t trust the soldier to be on time. At WLC here on Fort Carson, if you are inexcusably late once then you are not eligible for Commandant’s List even if you have the highest GPA in the academy. If you are late a second time then you can be removed from the academy, if not removed then you can be written a marginal 1059 and with that any soldier looking to the Army as a career will have a difficult, if not impossible, time getting promoted. In a situation like that, it becomes a wasted effort for the academy, or any other NCOES school, a waste and embarrassment for the unit and the leader that recommended the soldier in the first place. That is time and money being spent on a soldier that may have been seen as having potential to being a great leader but because something as simple as being on time put him in the position to be kicked out then he is stuck either having to redo the course, granted if he gets another opportunity depending on his leaders or the unit. From what I have learned from talking to a senior soldier, there was a point where if a soldier got kicked out of a NCOES school for being late then he is put onto the bottom of the waiting list and most don’t get a second chance at the course. I personally may not  be staying in the Army but I still have months before I am out the door. I still need to abide by the Army standard so that I do not either develop bad habits that can hinder my professional development in the civilian sector nor cause myself to be in trouble as I work towards beginning my transition out of the service. There are ways I can help myself to always be on time, for instance, I can make sure that my alarm is set and is loud enough so I don’t sleep through it. I can set myself enough time in the morning so I don’t have to rush out the door and I have enough of a buffer in the event traffic at the gate decides it’s going to be extra bad one particular morning. If, by all means, I have done everything to prevent myself from being late and the situation still puts me in the position, I am to notify my leadership well before my appointed time.

Inspiration for Inquiry Essay

The school that is subject for evaluation in this paper is a charter school in Michigan, a publicly funded school, which means, the students are not allowed to pay any charges beyond the funds allocated to the school.   The state and the local district is the one that provides for the operation.   Since the school is instituted to meet the greater demand for education, this school is non-sectarian and non-discriminatory. It accepts all types of students regardless of religion or race.   In the same way, religious or cultural beliefs are not prohibited here.   The obvious problem in this school is that, students are selected by lottery to avoid any biases in the assortment since the school cannot accommodate students beyond their limit.   The school is serving an economically disadvantaged and racially diverse population.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Being a relatively small public school, this school receives monetary support and services from both the state and local government lower than conventional public schools.   As a result of conducted test, assessment of students’ outcomes is generally low.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The staff of the school particularly the principal is less experienced and has less management credentials.   Teachers here on the other hand, are very efficient for they have active participation especially in informal professional development such as mentoring and shadowing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, despite good performances, the school experience insufficiencies especially if we will consider its long-term success. Although the school has given autonomy yet, it is bounded in such a way that parents have direct involvement in them.   Likewise, teachers are found less motivated after three years of teaching for seeing that school mission is not met by the school. Teaching staff comprises about fifty percent of the total staff, about forty percent of these teachers are in twenties, while the females are in seventy percent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Teachers are notably satisfied with the school facilities but not in their salaries. Aside from that, only few teachers are enrolled in the retirement program of the state.   Their expectations before they were hired were higher than what they experience.   The reason according to authorities, the school receive minimal budget from the local government.   In effect, most of these teachers after gaining enough experience would move to other school.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Teachers are highly receptive for change, and that is why they expect for change from both the board of directors and the parents.   At least sufficient intervention from the local government and parents are needed to mend these needs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In view of organizational climate, parents participate less in the direction of the school.   The less experienced principal cannot do something about the problem.   The teachers behave in such a way that maintains what actually exists with mind to get out once the needed employment experience has been satisfied.   They all work for the accomplishment of set goals without great desire for a much higher academic achievements. Teachers are performing quite well for a limited sources and privileges that affect generally the instruction.   People are seemingly individualistic aiming to sustain the daily challenges having no definite direction ahead of them since no regular monitoring for corrective measures are prearranged.   Likewise, students are less challenged and grades are relatively low. Inquiry Statement   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The problems manifested in this paper require a considerable attention from proper authorities particularly the principal.   Specific issues that sought deliberation are formulated for key areas of concern. How could the school generate enough funding for their annual expenditures? Funding is seen as the number one problem; this is the reason why the school cannot create programs for the development of the curriculum and facilities that hinders cooperative values among them. How the school could produce technical supports needed to meet academic requirement? Other concerns that may not be covered by the budget can be produced through technical supports.   If needs are met, the culture of cooperation among the staff can be developed. What are the necessary steps to improve the quality of instruction in the classroom? It aims to improve not only the quality of education but also the credibility of the teachers.   The value of competitiveness must be developed among the teachers and staff. What necessary steps are needed to promote professional growth of the teachers? Professional growth of teachers is significant to maintain teachers’ retention.   This can be achieved by giving trainings to teachers and by upgrading their salaries.   This will help develop commitment among the teachers. What standardized evaluation is to formulate to measure the school performance? Regular evaluation of teachers’ performance, students’ scholastic achievement, and school performance as well, will ensure growth of the school.   Once the school has clearly established goals, teachers would be challenged to participate in the achievement of goals. What policies are to integrate that will develop in-depth structure of parents-teachers organization.   This aims to promote good partnership between parents and school for the improvement of the school. These inquiry statements are formulated in order to guide the leader in creating a culture that meets organizational objectives. Hypothesis               . The question that needs to be asked to determine whether our school faculty is receptive of change is whether they are willing to move their institution towards greater focus on student learning and success. I believe that in order for the institution to achieve its goal, the school system not only the faculty should promote a community environment that is receptive to change. Indeed the need for change in the operation of college and universities is becoming obvious. Change is now the much-loved term of organizational development.   Everyone must be willing to alter change that starts from the upper level of the organization.   However, if no one would be willing to open their eyes for greater impact in the community, no change will occur. In the same way, once the needs for improvement have been identified, a structured-plan must be implemented in such a way that results are interrelated that affects the organization as a whole. In effect, a different organizational culture will be formed.   These are the desirable values and norms that support one another toward the growth of each one; of course for the achievement of mission and vision of the school.   This time, the value of time, cooperation, participation, respect, commitment, and camaraderie begin to envelope the organization. Evidence from the Literature In the foreword of Christine Johnson’s McPhail (2005) book, she pointed out that,   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Projection done by the Bureau of Labor Statistic show a growing disparity between job requirements and employee skills. Higher education institution, including community colleges, needs to accept more responsibility for what our students learn† (p. vi).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Johnson asserts that most schools and community colleges are changing their instructional program and services, recruitment, hiring, training of faculty, and service delivery, almost daily. Johnson emphasized the reason behind these changes is to recapture the drive that founded the schools and community college movement, reinforced its multiple missions, and to find expression in the success of the learner. Thus in our school system, the need for change of our faculty has been recognized as an important catalyst of improving the institution towards the student greater learning and expression of success. Our faculty is receptive of this change in view of the need to address the growing disparity between job requirements and employee skills.   Marvin Wideen and Ivy Pye (1994) noted that teachers’ first concern about change in the institution is all about â€Å"teaching and learning activities† for improvement of student learning (p. 135). As the need for change is recognized as important in the development of the professional learning communities a leader therefore should build culture that will support the professional learning communities in practice by establishing a culture of intellectual discipline distinct from the professional standard of the institution. Armstrong, Thompson, and Brown (1997) emphasized that academic managers has the critical role to â€Å"encourage and support colleagues’ adaptation to change† (p. 98).   Some of the values that must be developed is intellectual discipline, which means an emphasis on professionalism in thinking, speaking, and in doing, in other words, making it a habit to be professional. Another way to build a culture that will support professional learning communities in practice is to develop a culture of caring and obliging community. In contrast with individualism and consumerism, this will help professionals to be more at ease and cheerful as they perform their work. It is quite a familiar idea that its not at all monetary issue that is important in the work place. Creating such cultures can establish positive values and attitudes that are important towards sustaining interpersonal relationship. Richard Barrett (2006) noted that harmonious interpersonal relationships is significant for the survival of the organization; hence, there should be â€Å"a sense of loyalty and belongingness among employees and a sense of caring and connection between the organization and its customers† (p. 29). In the same manner, cultural values in an organization play an important role in directing change.   Weiner and Ronch (2003) emphasized that â€Å"culture is constructed of values, beliefs, and assumptions about how the world works; values represent the organization’s ideas about what ought to be (p. 16).   He further stated that values rooted in the culture provide the foundation and guiding elements in the organization that drive people to follow. Findings   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In what ways, school culture can influence leadership?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Preeddy and Glatter stated, â€Å"Culture is the glue that holds everyone together† (p. 96).   Normally, cultural values influence leadership.   It is explained using a double-headed arrow.   The school leader is part of the school that influences it. Being a part of that culture, the leader uses leadership that caters to the need and values of the people.   In the same way, the kind of leadership affects or influences the culture of the organization.   It is a give and take response because a culture gradually changes as many people come in and participate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cultural values are possible using the idea that school culture can affect leadership.   Leadership must direct cultural change, and the kind of leadership that can move the culture to undergo change is penetrating the culture itself and identify weaker areas that need change.   Once the need is recognized, the group can be motivated to alter change for the better.   The school above is open for change if only the leader is open to initiate such change. Work Cited Armstrong, S., Thompson, G., & Brown, S. 1997. Facing Up to Radical Changes in Universities and Colleges.   UK: Routledge. Barrett, Richard. 2006. Building a Values-Driven Organization: A Whole System Approach to Cultural Transformation. UK: Elsevier Inc. McPhail, Christine. 2005. Establishing & Sustaining Learning-Centered Community Colleges.   USA: American Association of Community Colleges. Preedy, M. & Glatter, R. 2003. Strategic Leadership and Educational Improvement. London: Sage Publication Company. Weiner, A. & Ronch, J. 2003. Culture Change in Long-Term Care. USA: Haworth Press. Wideen, M. & Pye, I. 1994. The Struggle for Change: The Story of One School.   UK: Routledge.

CRJS471IP4 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CRJS471IP4 - Research Paper Example Coronary heart disease deteriorates one’s health by narrowing the arteries because of gradual build-up of fatty material within the walls. Eventually, enough oxygen-rich blood is not adequately delivered into the heart. Again, if a piece of atheroma breaks off from the arteries, there will be blood clot and blockage. In the event that the coronary artery is blocked and the supply of the oxygen-rich blood gets to the heart muscle, the heart may become permanently damaged. This is commonly known as heart attack (WHO, 2014 a). Stroke affects human health by interfering with the supply of blood to part of the brain, so that the brain is deprived of oxygen and needed nutrients. Brain cells also become damaged and die. Stroke also subjects the human body to weaknesses, clumsiness and paralysis, disturbed vision, cognitive difficulties and incontinence, among other health drawbacks. There are several risk factors that cause of these deaths as shall be seen in the discussion that follows. For one, the chief cause of lung cancer in Germany is the rise of consumption of tobacco. Similarly, the commonest causes of coronary heart disease are unhealthy eating habits and the consumption of junk food, smoking and a rise in sedentary lifestyles. The same case applies to stroke (WHO, 2014 b). Whether Germany has had recent outbreaks will depend on how the word recent is qualified. If the word recent means a time frame not exceeding five years, then the answer will be in the affirmative. This is because, in 2009, Germany had a swine flu

Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Economics - Assignment Example ple believe that market system can help in creating a positive investment climate because the society as a whole decides upon what they want to pay for a particular good and services. This decision cannot be influenced by any other force except buyers and sellers. The idea is that the buyers and sellers will work out the price and this price will be just. Because it is set by the people everyone will be happy. Also firms will try to avail the opportunity to earn profits and will come and invest. They will supply what they think people will demand and everyone in the society will benefit or in other words investment climate will improve. Market system is also supported by many due to the increased competition between firms. When many firms are operating and there are no major subsidies or restrictions laid down by the government then all firms have equal opportunity to excel. This brings all the firms on the same level and then innovation increases as the firms want to do better than the other firms. As a result consumers get a variety of products and monopoly of suppliers is hindered. This also improves the investment climate of a country. If a firm comes up with a great idea then it temporarily enjoys abnormal profits. But because there are no trade barriers other companies also try to replicate the same idea and the profits of the first firm come back to normal. This is how market system encourages a positive investment climate. The interests of the firms, the consumers and the society as a whole are preserved and this is why many people think market system as the best mechanism for allocating scarce resources. In a market system of economy people’s need are catered well. Firms supply product or services if the buyers demand a particular product or services. Also people spend money on things they think will improve their life style so they are more contended. People also believe that resources are distributed evenly in a market economy. This is because

International Trade and NAFTA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International Trade and NAFTA - Research Paper Example International trade revolves around many Disadvantages as well which are given below:1. International Trade can sometimes increase your expenses for Example, in certain cases you will have to hire additional staff for the procedure of import and export 2. Can result in trade deficit (negative balance in balance of trade) this takes place when there are more imports and comparatively less exports3. In certain cases create conflicts between two countries 4. In case of exporting/importing goods it increases the additional cost of Packaging and traveling 5. In certain cases discourage the local manufactures and prove to be unjust for them. For example, a local manufacturer produced 500 shirts and they are available in market for $ 40 each, where as someone imported 500 shirts and the marginal cost of each shirt was lesser than the local manufacturer because of Comparative Advantage and hence the imported shirts are available for $ 30 each in the market. Because of this the local manufact urer will face great loss and might get discouraged.6. Create unemployment in the country, if you start importing more then there will be less industries, mills, and factories in the country this might result in unemployment7. Increase dependency on other countries  NAFTA was created to make trade and investment easier and more accessible between United States, Canada and Mexico and to encourage free trade.   1.  One of the major positive effects of NAFTA was increase of trade between United States,Canada and Mà ©xico.

Marketing case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing case study - Essay Example The report will also touch upon the company’s use of digital marketing and will discuss in detail the marketing mix of the company. 2.0 Environmental Factors: One of the most effective manners of discovering the environmental factors that impact a business is to run a PEST analysis for the company. The PEST analysis details four important external factors that impact a business (Jobber, 2009). These include the political, economical, social and technological factors (Kotler, Kotler on Marketing: How to Create, Win, and Dominate Markets , 1999). Analysing these factors provide a chance to gain a clear idea of the various external factors impacting the strategies and marketing of the business. 2.1 Burberry’s PEST In terms of the political factors, it is seen that Burberry is faced with issues in terms of the overall competition and also in terms of the various industry specific rules and regulations as well as the inter country attitudes and relationships. The competitive regulations that the company faces is also high. Considering the economical factors, it is clear that the company is a luxury brand for people across the world. With the high levels of recession being faced by economies across the world, it is clear that the company’s marketing attempts are also impacted. Firstly, the company’s products like a Burberry Prorsum cropped leather aviator jacket costs anywhere between GBP 800 to GBP 2000. It is evident that the company is more of luxury fashion. With the recession being faced in the current times, the company has clearly recorded a number of losses in various countries. This clearly has a major impact on the amount that the company can invest into the marketing efforts in the markets (Kotler P. , Keller, Koshy, & Jha, 2009). In terms of the social factors, it is evident that the prices have had a major impact on the overall spending of the customers on the designer clothing. It is clear that the company has made a major im pact on several people and the customer loyalty leads people to save money and sacrifice on holidays to buy the designer clothing. This clearly provides the company with a strong chance to spend on their marketing efforts to target these customers in particular (Jobber, 2009). Finally, the technological factors have had a major role in the overall success of the company’s marketing efforts. With the newer technology and better tools for marketing the company has been able to effectively utilise these tools and to target the markets more effectively. On the whole the company’s marketing is affected greatly by the economical, social and technological factors to a great extent. It is clear that the company clearly has a strong marketing strategy currently which takes into account all of these factors. 3.0 Market Segmentation: Market segmentation is a crucial part of all marketing strategies and to a great extent impacts the overall business to a great extent (Evans, Foxal l, & Jamal, 2009). Market segmentation allows the company to group customers into different groups with similar needs and also groups to determine how to serve each group (Jobber, 2009). Here the main aim is to identify the needs of the customers and to effectively

Fall Prevention Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fall Prevention - Research Paper Example This paper stresses that participation of more people, proper detailing of the evidence-based model and enhancing ongoing communications are the important steps in change management practice. These can increase the quality of service received by patients and family members. These steps can enhance the organizations’ working standards and provide optimum quality service that can reduce the chances of patient fall. Orientation tour along with fall prevention education helps to lower the chances of the risks involved in acute confusions. The author approves that the evidence-based model should be successfully applied by nurses because it can help in a variety of settings. The management should have long-term and short-term orientation plan. Continuity in the process of staff training on fall prevention and implementation of proper modules for orientation tour can definitely overcome the challenges of falls in the next 2-3 years on short-term basis. On long-term basis, the managem ent of hospital should try to expand the facility of care. This report makes a conclusion that it can be concluded that orientation tour with fall prevention education is essential for healthcare organizations. The increase of fall rate has also increased the expense of hospitals. The idea of educating patients and family members provides perfect outcome in reduction of fall rate through the implementation of Rosswurm & Larabee’s change model. Surveys opted by nurse and managers have tremendous effect on smooth running of the new evidence-based change model. Hence it can be said that orientation tour along with fall prevention education for family members and patients can lower the rate of falls of patients in long term care.

Buddhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Buddhism - Essay Example It is considered that the religion was founded on teaching of Gautama Buddha (500 B.C.E). The traditional date of the birth of the Buddha is 560 B.C.E. The Buddha is believed to have been born in northeastern India, and was a prince. He followed ascetic way of life and devoted himself to meditations and spiritual development. One day, he meditated near the Ganges River, and came to conclusion that asceticism did not work and did not help a person to achieve spiritual development. He understood that a person should eat a sufficient amount of food to have a good heath, should take enough rest but not too much, and meditate. In 525 B.C.E, the Buddha achieved Enlightenment and began to preach (Lyons and Peters 1985). As with other major world religions, the history of Buddhism has long been characterized by an ongoing tension between attempts to preserve traditional ideals and modes of practice and the need to adapt to changing social and cultural conditions (Lopez 2002). Many developmen ts in Buddhist history, such as the infusion of esoteric rituals, the arising of forms of devotionalism and lay movements, and the assimilation of warrior practices, reflect the impact of widespread yet fundamental social and cultural changes on traditional religious structures. ... In 480 BC was established the first Buddhist Council at Rajagriha in Bihar. At this council, the Vinaya and Sutra texts were standardized. As with most religions, the early years of Buddhism are shrouded in obscurity. But the period between that event and the reemergence of Buddhism into the light of history around 250 B.C.E. is somewhat unclear. Buddhist tradition holds that there was a meeting, or council, held immediately following the Buddha's death (Lopez 2002). The major concern of this meeting was to stabilize the Buddhist scriptures by coming to an agreement as to what were the accepted scriptures as spoken by the Buddha. For a variety of reasons, no such agreement seems to have been reached, although there was some general agreement on the basic message of the Buddha. Leaving the canon, that is to say the total collection of Buddhist scriptures, open in this way was to lead to disagreements later in Buddhist history. The second Buddhist Council at Vaisali marked the first di vision of the Buddhist Order (386 BC). In 244 BC, the third Buddhist Council called by Asoka. This council fixed the canon of Theravadin Buddhism (Lyons and Peters 1985). To other regions of the world, Buddhist tradition was spread with merchants. For instance, Buddhism was introduced to Southeast Asia in C. 200. Since C. 300, Buddhism is a prominent religion in China and begins to penetrate Korea. c. 750 Buddhism officially established in Tibet (beginnings of the Vajrayana school). c. 800 Ch'an and Pure Land Buddhism become dominant schools in China; establishment of Tendai and Shingon schools in Japan. Only, in 1893 World Parliament of Religions

Demand Curve and Supply Curve Essay Example for Free

Demand Curve and Supply Curve Essay Demand and supply have been generalized to explain macroeconomic variables in a market economy. The Aggregate Demand-Aggregate Supply model is the most direct application of supply and demand to macroeconomics. Compared to microeconomic uses of demand and supply, different theoretical considerations apply to such macroeconomic counterparts as aggregate demand and aggregate supply. The AD-AS or Aggregate Demand-Aggregate Supply model is a macroeconomic model that explains price level and output through the relationship of aggregate demand and aggregate supply. It is based on the theory of John Maynard Keynes presented in his work â€Å"The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money†. It is one of the primary simplified representations in the modern field of macroeconomics and is used by a broad array of economists, from libertarian, monetarist supporters of laissez-faire, such as Milton Friedman to Post-Keynesian supporters of economic interventionism, such as Joan Robinson. Brief history of demand curve and supply curve According to Hamid S.  Hosseini, the power of supply and demand was understood to some extent by several early Muslim economists, such as Ibn Taymiyyah who illustrates- â€Å"If desire for goods increases while its availability decreases, its price rises. On the other hand, if availability of the good increases and the desire for it decreases, the price comes down†. In 1691, John Locke worked on some considerations of the consequences of the lowering of interest and the raising of the value of money. It includes an early and clear description of supply and demand and their relationship. In this description demand is rent: â€Å"The price of any commodity rises or falls by the proportion of the number of buyer and sellers† and â€Å"that which regulates the price of goods is nothing else but their quantity in proportion to their rent. † The phrase supply and demand was first used by James Denham-Steuart in his Inquiry into the â€Å"Principles of Political Oeconomy† which was published in 1767. Adam Smith used the phrase in his book â€Å"The Wealth of Nations† (1776) and David Ricardo titled one chapter of his work â€Å"Principles of Political Economy and Taxation† (1817) On the Influence of Demand and Supply on Price. In The Wealth of Nations, Smith generally assumed that the supply price was fixed but that its value would decrease as its scarcity increased, in effect what was later called the law of demand also. Ricardo, in Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, more rigorously laid down the idea of the assumptions that were used to build his ideas of supply and demand. Antoine Augustin Cournot first developed a mathematical model of supply and demand in his 1838 Researches into the Mathematical Principles of Wealth including diagrams. In1870, Fleeming Jenkin in the course of Introducing the diagrammatic method into the English economic literature published the first drawing of supply and demand curves including comparative statics from a shift of supply or demand and application to the labor market. The model was further developed and popularized by Alfred Marshall in the textbook â€Å"Principles of Economics† (1890). The Standard demand curve and the aggregate demand curve The standard demand curve represents the quantity of a good that a consumer will buy at a given price, holding all else constant. For example, consumer A might buy zero oranges at $1 each, one orange at 75 cents each, and two at 50 cents each, while consumer B might buy one at $1, two at 75 cents, and three at 50 cents. When charted on a grid with price on the vertical axis and quantity purchased on the horizontal axis, these points form the individual demand curves for consumers A and B. The aggregate demand curve represents the total quantity of all goods (and services) demanded by the economy at different price levels. An example of an aggregate demand curve is given in Figure 1. The vertical axis represents the price level of all final goods and services. The aggregate price level is measured by either the GDP deflator or the CPI. The horizontal axis represents the real quantity of all goods and services purchased as measured by the level of real GDP. Notice that the aggregate demand curve, AD, like the demand curves for individual goods, is downward sloping, implying that there is an inverse relationship between the price level and the quantity demanded of real GDP. The standard supply curve and the aggregate supply curve The standard supply curve is a graph showing the relationships between the price of a good and the quantity supplied. The supply curve slopes upward because other things equal, a higher price means a greater quantity supplied. The aggregate supply curve shows the relationship between the price level and the quantity of goods and services supplied in an economy. The equation for the upward sloping aggregate supply curve, in the short run, is Y = Ynatural + a (P Pexpected). In this equation, Y is output, Ynatural is the natural rate of output that exists when all productive factors are used at their normal rates, â€Å"a† is a constant greater than zero, P is the price level, and Pexpected is the expected price level. This equation holds only in the short run because in the long run the aggregate supply curve is a vertical line, as output is dictated by the factors of production alone. An aggregate supply curve is shown in Figure 2. The aggregate supply curve equation means that output deviates from the natural rate of output when the price level deviates from the expected price level. The constant, a, shows how much output changes due to unexpected deviation in the price level. The slope of the aggregate supply curve is (1/a) which depicts the short-run aggregate supply curve and the long- run aggregate supply curve. The vertical axis is the price level. The horizontal axis is output or income. The short-run aggregate supply curve is downward sloping with slope equal to (1/a) while the long-run aggregate supply curve is vertical with no slope. The reason that the short-term aggregate supply curve is upward sloping is a bit more complex. Factors that determine the slope of AD-AS curve model The slope of AD curve reflects the extent to which the real balances change the equilibrium level of spending, taking both assets and goods markets into consideration. An increase in real balances will lead to a larger increase in equilibrium income and spending, the smaller the interest responsiveness of money demand and the higher the interest responsiveness of investment demand. An increase in real balances leads to a larger level of income and spending, the larger the value of multiplier and the smaller the income response of money demand. This implies that the AD curve is flatter, smaller is the interest responsiveness of the demand for money and larger is the interest responsiveness of investment demand. Also, the AD curve is flatter; the larger is the multiplier and the smaller the income responsiveness of the demand for money. We know that aggregate demand is comprised of C(Y T) + I(r) + G + NX(e) = Y. Thus, a decrease in any one of these terms will lead to a shift in the aggregate demand curve to the left. The first term that will lead to a shift in the aggregate demand curve is C(Y T). This term states that consumption is a function of disposable income. If disposable income decreases, consumption will also decrease. There are many ways that consumption can decrease. An increase in taxes would have this effect. Similarly, a decrease in incomeholding taxes stablewould also have this effect. Finally, a decrease in the marginal propensity to consume or an increase in the savings rate would also decrease consumption. The second term that will lead to a shift in the aggregate demand curve is I(r). This term states that investment is a function of the interest rate. If the interest rate increases, investment falls as the cost of investment rises. There are a number of ways that investment can fall. If the interest rate rises, say due to contractionary monetary or fiscal policy, investment will fall. Similarly, in the short run, expansionary fiscal policy will also cause investment to fall as crowding out occurs. Another interesting cause of a fall in investment is an exogenous decrease in investment spending. This occurs when firms simply decide to invest less without regard for the interest rate. The term variable that will lead to a shift in the aggregate demand curve is G. This term captures the whole of government spending. The only way that government spending is changed is through fiscal policy. Recall that the budgetary debate is an ongoing political battlefield. Thus, government spending tends to change regularly. When government spending decreases, regardless of tax policy, aggregate demand decrease, thus shifting to the left. The fourth term that will lead to a shift in the aggregate demand curve is NX(e). This term means that net exports, defined as exports less imports, is a function of the real exchange rate. As the real exchange rate rises, the dollar becomes stronger, causing imports to rise and exports to fall. Thus, policies that raise the real exchange rate though the interest rate will cause net exports to fall and the aggregate demand curve to shift left. Again, an exogenous decrease in the demand for exported goods or an exogenous increase in the demand for imported goods will also cause the aggregate demand curve to shift left as net exports fall. An example of this type of exogenous shift would be a change in tastes or preferences. The aggregate demand curve also can shift right as the economy expands. When the aggregate demand curve shifts right, the quantity of output demanded for a given price level rises. Therefore, a shift of the aggregate demand curve to the right represents an economic expansion. A shift of the aggregate demand curve to the right is simply affected by the opposite conditions that cause it to shift to the left. A change in one or more of the following determinants of aggregate supply will shift the aggregate supply curve in the short run. Change in the input prices (domestic or imported resources price), change in productivity, change in legal institutional environment (business taxes and government regulation). An increase in short-run aggregate supply will shift the curve rightward; a decrease will shift the curve leftward. The long run aggregate supply curve is vertical. Similarities between the Ad-AS curve model and the standard demand-supply curve model The conventional aggregate supply and demand model is actually a Keynesian visualization that has come to be a widely accepted image of the theory. The Classical supply and demand model, which is largely based on Says Law, or that supply creates its own demand depicts the aggregate supply curve as being vertical at all times. The both demand curve and the aggregate demand curve is negatively sloped from left to right and both curves represent the law of demand. The short-run aggregate supply curve or SRAS curve has similarities the standard supply curve. Both are positively sloped. Both curves relate price and quantity. Differences between the Ad-AS curve model and the standard demand-supply curve model In aggregate demand curve, there is no substitute effect because we cannot substitute all goods. But in standard demand curve it exists. The aggregate demand curve has no income effect because a lower price level actually means less nominal income for the resource suppliers’ e. g. lower wages, rents, interests, and profits. But in standard demand curve it exists. The major differences between the standard supply curve and the aggregate supply curve are as follows- for the market supply curve, the vertical axis measures supply price and the horizontal axis measures quantity supplied. For the short-run aggregate supply curve, however, the vertical axis measures the price level (GDP price deflator) and the horizontal axis measures real production (real GDP). The positive slope of the market curve reflects the law of supply and is attributable to the law of diminishing marginal returns. In contrast, the positive slope of the short-run aggregate supply curve is attributable to: (1) inflexible resource prices that often makes it easier to reduce aggregate real production and resource employment when the price level falls, (2) the pool of natural unemployment, consisting of frictional and structural unemployment, that can be used temporarily to increase aggregate real production when the price level rises and (3) imbalances in the purchasing power of resource prices that can temporarily entice resource owners to produce more or less aggregate real production than they would at full employment. Conclusion Whereas the standard supply and demand curve model discusses on individuals, the aggregate supply and demand curve model works with the whole economy. This model is built on the assumption that prices are sticky in the short run and flexible in the long run. This model also highlights the role of monetary policy. This model shows how shocks to the economy cause output to deviate temporarily from the level implied by the standard model. By this model, we can observe the economy more efficiently than before.

Strategy and Positioning Paper Essay Example for Free

Strategy and Positioning Paper Essay Introduction Starbucks is preparing to launch the new Frizzo hand crafted soda. This paper will include an overview of Starbucks and their products. It will also include a SWOT analysis and a competitive analysis of the organization and offering using the Porter’s five competitive forces model. It will include the criteria used to segment the market and select a target market that will include geographic, demographic, and psychographic, and behavioral factors. Next it will include a description of the targeted market and the needs that cause the target market to buy. Finally, it will include a written positioning statement. Starbucks Overview Starbucks legacy began in 1971, in Seattle’s Pike Place market as a roaster and retailer of whole bean and ground coffee, tea, and spices (Starbucks, 2015). The company was sold to Howard Schultz 1987. His vision to bring the Italian coffee bars and the romance coffee experience to the United States became a reality; he was determined to make it a one of a kind company. The Starbucks name was derived from the first mate in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, and their emblem was influenced by the sea featuring a twin-tailed siren Greek mythology (Starbucks, 2015). Today, Starbucks has the privilege to operate in 21,878 retail stores in 66 countries. Starbucks stores are a gathering place for customers to meet with friends and family while enjoying quality service and an inviting atmosphere. Starbucks customers can expect to get more than coffee, with their wide selection of premium teas, baked pastries, and other healthy delicious foods (Starbucks, 2015). According to Starbucks (2015), Starbucks mission is to â€Å"to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time† (Our Mission). The company believes in the importance of building an everlasting business, and it strives to have a balance between profitability and a social conscience (Starbucks, 2015). In every step Starbucks takes, it is always performed through the lens of humanity. The company is very adamant about ethically sourcing the highest quality of coffee, caring for the planet through environmental stewardship, and getting involved in their communities. According to Statistics and Facts on Starbucks (n.d.), â€Å"Starbucks has generated by far the most revenue and the largest number of stores worldwide within the coffee chain industry (para.3). It became the second most valuable fast food brand worldwide in 2014, coming right under the only global giant McDonald’s (Statistics and Facts on Starbucks, n.d.). Starbucks has come a long way, and it has no intentions of slowing down. Description of the Product Innovation is in Starbucks DNA, they are always thinking about how to serve their customers better. A company that began as a roaster and retailer of coffee beans and ground coffee, tea, and spices, is now an all-American global company coffee chain. It is now, serving hot and iced coffee beverages along with other exceptional products such as teas, and smoothies. Starbucks introduces a new refreshing drink away from coffee and tea. It wanted to know if it can be more than coffee to its customers, by introducing the New Frizzo Handcrafted Soda. This machine is a breakthrough in carbonation technology delivering a unique soda experience. The soda experience is nothing like the sodas customer’s purchase in a store. Fizzo ensures every ingredient is carbonated to maximize the real flavor (Starbucks News , 2015). In addition, the new Fizzo machine comes with a fizz adjuster, to adjust the right amount of fizz in each beverage. And better yet, it is made by hand the moment the customer orders it. The new Fizzo sodas come in three different flavors the Golden Ginger Ale, Lemon Ale, and Spiced Root Beer (Starbucks, 2015). Fizzo drinks only have 100  calories in a Grande size (16 fl. oz.), and 80 calories in a Tall size (12 fl.oz). They are a special summer treat to any customer who wants to enjoy a refreshing soda any day of the week. The new Fizzo cold drink is available at all local Starbucks locations. SWOT Analysis Strengths Operating efficiencies and strong growth lead to superior financial performance  2014 was just considered one of the best financial years for Starbucks. Starbucks revenue increased by 10%, approximately 1599 additional stores were opened, profit and operational margins have grew and their cash flow continued robust despite the vast growth. In China, Starbucks has the rapidest growing store network as opposed to their competition In the year 2011 they were only 570 Starbucks locations in China, now there are currently 1,367. There are more Starbucks locations than Costa Coffee and Dunkin’ Donuts combined; However, McDonalds still leads with over 2000 locations. Leading brand in the coffee market, valued at $5.2 billion Starbucks has a leading brand reputation because of their excellent coffee and outstanding customer service. Its brand is the most valuable brand the in coffee market and is valued at $5.2 billion. The great Starbucks experience One of Starbucks’s strongest advantages is the experience a customer experiences when visiting Starbucks. They cater to their customers with impeccable blended coffee, first-class music, welcoming staff and just and all around warm atmosphere, which results in incomparable customer service. The effective use of the Starbucks Card, loyalty program, and mobile applications, to simplify the ordering process and to promote continual purchases The Starbucks Card is a stored reward card and is convenient to use when  making a purchase at Starbucks locations. Along with a quicker checkout time, customers who use their cards to pay for their items also receive points for their purchases. The Starbucks Rewards Program lures consumers to return to Starbucks and, of course, make continuous purchases. Going above and beyond the Starbucks Card, there is now a mobile application, which allows customers to pay with their Smartphones. Over 6 million customers use their Smartphone to make purchases weekly. Weakness Too dependent on their profits within the Americas Division American Division including the United States, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Canada and other America countries makes up for the 73% or $11.98 billion of Starbucks total sales. Out of the 14,191 stores in the America division, 11,962 stores are located within the United States. Making the United States their most relevant market. The cost of coffee beans has a considerable impacted on profits Profits and the price of coffee greatly depend on the cost of coffee beans. Coffee beans are considered an uncontrollable commodity, and due to unreliable weather conditions, hedge funds and many other elements, Starbucks is unable to estimate the price of its coffee and their company’s profitability. The price for a cup of Coffee Starbucks has incredible coffee and an amazing customer experience which allows them to charge more for their product. On the other hand, McDonalds McCafe premium coffee is priced significantly lower than Starbucks. Harmful publicity The corporation regularly receives negative exposure over its poor efforts of becoming environment-friendly company and tax evasions. Starbucks has not paid taxes for years 2009 through 2011 in the United Kingdom and other European Countries for the revenue of  £1.3 billion. Opportunities Grow the Teavana store network Tea is categorized as a healthy drink and the demand for Tea is rapidly  increasing in the world. Tea is the most popular manufactured drink consumed in the world (Mac Farlane, 2004). Sales of tea products have grown from $1.84 billion to $10.41 billion in 2013 within the United States (The Tea Association of the U.S.A, 2013). Branch out their supplier network Currently, Starbucks does not grow their coffee beans; they purchase them from a variety of suppliers, which are primarily bunched in Arabia, South America or Africa. In order for Starbucks to guarantee critical product for their operations in Asia, they should branch out their supplier network and ease the dependence of good or bad harvests from their current supplier locations. Starbucks should consider extending its supplier system. A growth of an emerging economy There are vast opportunities for coffee sales in India, in which Starbucks only has a minimal amount of restaurants. Threats Possible rise in the price of coffee beans because of unpredictable weather disasters Coffee beans are the chief material used, and coffee makes up about half of the total company’s sales. Therefore, the profit margins are to some extent reliant on the cost of the coffee beans. In 2011, the cost of coffee beans skyrocketed to $3 a pound (Kollewe, 2011). Over the past few years, pricing has been very unpredictable. Trademark breaches Starbucks has been implicated in several instances over its illegal use of its trademark, which can be pricey and harmful for Starbucks. Potential upcoming change in some of the top executives Since 1985, Howard Schultz has been a very productive and reliable CEO, who managed to develop Starbucks into on the biggest restaurant chains in the world. Along with Howard Schultz, there are many other key executives who have been employed at Starbucks for more than ten years and they have all contributed to the success of Starbucks. The danger here is that many of these key executives are in the age category for retirement. During his attempt to leave in 2008, Starbucks convinced Troy Alstead to stay because  he was the most qualified candidate to fill the position of Howard Schultz as CEO. Unfortunately, Troy Alstead left Starbucks at the beginning of 2015 (Callan and Giammona, 2015). This change could possibly be a threat to the weaken Starbucks management capabilities. Porter’s Five Competitive Forces Starbucks is a competitive organization, and the Porter’s five competitive forces are as such. Starbucks customers have a hefty amount of bargaining power, and there is a small amount of customers who will not go elsewhere due to high prices, even though, there is a vast amount of choices available to them. The threat is substantial with alternate products and services. Alternative for Starbucks Coffee include tea, soft drinks, juices, water and energy drinks, and pubs, and bars can be areas for customers to meet someone and spend their quality time away from home and work environments. There is no threat of new company’s in the coffee business trying to compete with Starbucks. The market is highly saturated, and the substantial amount of financial resources needed to build stores and buy properties are necessary in order to enter the market of the coffee making business. Starbucks and the suppliers have a higher bargaining power because the consumer demand for coffee is high at the universal level. Coffee beans can and will be produced only in certain areas. African coffee producers are being treated unfairly by worldwide companies, and the issues are being resolved with the efforts of various non-related government organizations and this increases the bargaining power of the suppliers. Criteria use to Segment the Market Starbucks decides to choose the demographics and psychographics lifestyles of their customers. The information collected pertaining to these segments suggests that Starbucks can better serve its consumers. Psychographics are primarily based on the consumers activities, opinions, and interests, it is how their consumers spend their time, what their favorite drinks are and what their priorities are, also how they feel about certain current events and issues. Psychographic research is together related to psychological research, especially when it comes to personality and attitude measurements. Though the factors such as personality and behavior are often used to describe marketing segments, the consumers demographic characteristics  should be used to evaluate the size of the target market and to reach it efficiently. Demographics is items such as sex, marital status, occupation, education, and income. Starbucks targets both male and female consumers, mainly 25-40 year-olds. Starbucks does not relate to a younger crowd because children under the age of 18 do not drink coffee. Starbucks company has positioned themselves in a way that it can recognize something different in their products from competition this gives them an advantage in association to their competitors. The mission of Starbucks is that they want to inspire and nurture the human spirit, one person, one cup, one neighborhood at a time (Starbucks, 2015). Their strategy is customer based this allows them to give the best customer service possible. As Starbucks continue to hold onto their sustainable competitive advantage, they hold onto the customer and employees satisfaction. Starbucks is a worldwide company that has slammed the competitors operations, and it looks as if the company will last forever. Their power over the consumer and competition has shown that Starbucks is the king of the coffee industry. Description of Target Market Starbucks target market is to focus on being most known and respected brand in the world. The luxury coffee industry is very competitive, but Starbucks offers the most favorite hot and cold beverages that can be addictive. Starbucks target market ranges from young teenagers, college students, and adults. People of all ages go to Starbucks to enjoy their favorite drink even if it is just coffee. Customers are more willing to pay for lavish coffee products now more than ever, with that in mind, Starbucks aggressive growth in USA and worldwide have begun targeting almost every demographic to be a leader in coffee drinks. McDonalds and other chains try to cash in on the money in the lavish coffee business. There are smaller coffee shops in the market place offering similar products, but Starbuck’s has a great deal of buying power giving them a competitive advantage. McDonalds has a customer base that is enormously large and now has the alternative to get their coffee where they get their breakfast. McDonald’s cup of coffee is less expensive than Starbucks and is one of Starbucks biggest competitors in this economy; Starbucks provides a luxury drink, but that will be what people cut back on when they want to save money. Unfortunately, Starbucks  has closed of over a hundred Starbucks stores in recent years. Emotional and Logical Drivers Starbucks emotional and logical drivers provide a great atmosphere to get together for coffee or the unique flavored hot or cold beverages. Customers can come to Starbucks to study, meet with friends, or read a book. The furnishings usually consist of plenty of tables, chairs, and a welcoming atmosphere. Starbucks offers free Wi-Fi and always has plenty of electrical outlets for laptop chargers. These amenities start a trendy atmosphere consistent with the potential of social meeting places. The Starbucks locations worldwide offer the same experience as the locations in USA. Starbucks has the advantage to promote and advertise same menu items people can try worldwide and even customize some the of menu items to fit the local community tastes. Positioning Statement According to the OFarrell (2015) website, â€Å"Starbucks’ primary target market is men and women aged 25 to 40. They account for almost half (49 percent) of its total business. Starbucks’ appeal to this consumer age group through hip, contemporary design that is consistent with its advertising and decor, and working to keep its products current as status symbols. Customers tend to be urbanites with relatively high income, professional careers and a focus on social welfare. This target audience grows at a rate of 3 percent annually† (Para 2). Based on a personal consumer’s standpoint, many customers return to Starbucks every morning not because their coffee is the best quality. Most of the people in my circle, including myself, used to purchase Starbucks coffee because of the experience that it goes into the purchasing process. It is no surprise that the company uses millions of dollars to study the experience the consumers encounter in each and every step they take before getting a coffee in their hands. Furthermore, a lot of customers including myself enjoy the reward; who would not want to enjoy a nice brewed coffee before a long day? Lastly, I would say purchasing a Starbucks coffee exhibits some egocentric drive or personal, or perhaps shows a level of the individual’s social economic and of course, we cannot leave out the social  energy! Starbucks is not just the number one specialty coffee retailer in its industry for no reason. And it is not just because of their high market cap rate. The corporation serves their famous coffee drinks, their food items and roasted beans along with their coffee accessories, and teas. Starbucks markets its coffee through many military installations around the world, grocery stores including Target, bookstores like Barns and Noble, and other varieties of licensed brands food and beverage products. Additionally, although countless studies and research are put into solving and resolving target issues, one of the most outstanding resolutions that Starbucks ever demonstrated was in January of 2008. According to Nbc News (2015), â€Å"Howard Schultz said Monday (January 2008) he is taking back the role of chief executive, replacing CEO Jim Donald as part of a plan to turn around the struggling chain of coffee houses. Schultz, in a letter to employees posted on the companys website, said Starbucks would slow its United States growth and close underperforming locations, restructure its management organization, and continue to expand globally.†(Para 1-2) The Spider Book (2015) website listed that among the many competitors Starbucks has to war with; McDonald’s is leading the global market competitor’s list. Costa Coffee, Coca-Cola, Caribou Coffee Costa Express, and Coke are also amongst the list of competitors in that order. One of the most enthralling advantages that Starbucks have over any of its competitors is the experience. Not anyone of the other competitors could compete on any given day the amount of returning customers that stay and enjoy the social environment that Starbucks proudly offers. Starbucks has achieved their goal of attracting people to come and visit. Conclusion Starbucks is preparing to launch the new Frizzo hand crafted soda. Their targeted market will be consumers from 18 – 40 years of age. Starbucks has the advantage because they are already popular. People already gather at Starbucks to enjoy high quality drinks and food items and to enjoy the Starbucks experience. They have comfortable large couches, free Wi-Fi, phone charging station, and rewards program for loyal customers. Some consumer have made Starbucks part of their normal routine which will allow Starbucks to stay in business for a long period of time. Reference Callan, J and Giammona, C. (2015) Starbucks’ Operating Chief Will Go on Leave After 23 Years. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/new/2015-01-08/starbucks-coo-alstead-takes-leave-from-chain-after-23-years.html Kollewe, J. (2011) Coffee prices expected to rise as a result of poor harvest and growing demand. Macfarlane, A and Macfarlane, I. (2004). The Empire of Tea. The Overlook Press. p. 32. Nbc news. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/id/22544023/ns/business-us_business/t/starbucks-chairman-schultz-returning-ceo/#.VTX9ZEJppnE New Fizzioâ„ ¢ Handcrafted sodas. Made just for you. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.starbucks.com/ OFarrell, R. (2015). Chron. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/starbucks-target-audience-10553.html Perreault, W. D., Jr., Cannon, J. P., McCarthy, E. J. (2011). Basic marketing: A marketing strategy planning approach (19th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Starbucks . (2015). Retrieved from http://www.starbucks.com/ S tatistics and facts on Starbucks. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.statista.com/ Spider book. (2015). Retrieved from http://spiderbook.com/starbucks-competitors.html The Tea Association of the U.S.A (2013). The State of the U.S. Tea Industry 2013. Retrieved from http://www.teausa.com/14654/state-of-the-industry Wong, Vanessa. (2015). Now Brewing: Starbucks Soda. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/

The Major Problems Facing Many Societies Social Work Essay

The Major Problems Facing Many Societies Social Work Essay Discrimination of marginalized groups is a major problem facing many societies. Most societies have marginalized groups which are discriminated against by the rest of society. Such groups include the poor, sick, old, disabled and others. In some societies, racial or religious discrimination is prevalent and people of different ethnic origin from the majority are discriminated against. During the 1960s, the United States had many cases of discrimination especially against African Americans. Clark in his book Dark Ghetto captures the racial discrimination against blacks during this period. Clark discusses problems which inhabitants and communities which live in American ghettos experience. This paper aims at comparing the experience at the Geel Organization with the experiences addressed by Clark in the book Dark Ghetto. The Geel Organization provides mentally ill patients with housing and health support to ensure they recover and achieve their potential. Since the mentally ill are usu ally discriminated against by society, the paper will compare the discrimination which African Americans experienced during the 1960s with the discrimination mentally ill patients experience today. The discussed issues will be summarized at the end. Dark Ghetto by Clark Clark analyzes problems faced by African Americans living in ghettos. He acquires an involved observers view, which includes empathy for the suffering as he undertakes his research work (Clark, 1989). Clark studies the sociological and psychological impacts which ghetto life has on African Americans. He views the problems which African Americans living in slums face as significant since they are made to believe that they cannot rise above poverty due to racist actions and policies. Clark also points out that in spite of this suffering; there is still hope for African Americans. The book evaluates the inability of people in power to empower the suffering in ghettos and the specific use of racist policies to oppress African Americans. The author finally offers solutions to end this major problem affecting the American society. Geel Community Services Geel Community Services is an organization geared towards catering for the mentally ill patients in New York City. It was founded in 1976 by the Bronx community members and health care professionals to cater for housing and health needs of mentally disables people (Geel Community Service Organization, 2011). The organization offers mentally ill patients with reliable, stable and safe places to live in. In addition, the organization ensures that they have access to support services such as health and counseling services needed for their steady recovery. This ensures that they achieve their potential and are respected by the society at large. Geel appreciates the role mentally ill patients may play in the community if they can access support needed to address their illnesses. The organization provides housing needs among other needs to achieve the organizational objectives of ensuring mentally ill patients have decent housing and health services. How the issue impacts on the work of Geel Services The paper will specifically focus on discrimination which was discussed by Clark in the book Dark Ghetto. Clark analyzes how the black community was discriminated against by the American government. During this period, there were various policies which were specifically developed to discriminate against African Americans. For instance, they were not allowed to vote, most had no access to education and work opportunities, slave trade was legalized in some states, they had no access to political positions and power, among many other forms of discrimination (Murrin et. al., 2003). Clark specifically focuses on the African Americans living in ghettos who in addition to having poverty problems, they also suffered under discrimination. Discrimination against this population segment reduced their chances of reducing poverty through empowerment. Since the blacks could not access education and employment opportunities, their subsequent generations also suffered from poverty. This was intentio nally planned by the government to ensure that this racial group was oppressed. The issue of discrimination of African Americans is similar to the issues addressed by Geel Services. This organization aims at empowering the mentally ill through providing them with housing and other forms of help in order to empower the mentally unwell and reduce discrimination by society. The mentally ill are discriminated against by society due to their mental conditions. Young mentally ill children are ridiculed by their peers, and in some cases, their guardians and parents. They usually do not have access to superior educational and health facilities as bodied children do. In addition, many mentally ill people are from poor families and they lack decent housing. When mentally disabled children are through with schooling, there are few employment opportunities. This further marginalizes them and makes it difficult for them to overcome poverty. The discrimination which black people suffered during the 1960s as addressed by Clark is similar to that experienced by disabled people today. The black people who suffered discrimination were handicapped by poverty, which made it difficult for them to escape the poverty cycle. Mentally ill people today are handicapped by disability which when combined with discrimination, makes it challenging to escape from poverty. Geel Services organization therefore strongly relates with the concepts discussed by Clark in the book Dark Ghetto. How current social policy impacts the field of practice After the 1960s, the government reversed the policies against discrimination of the Black community after the society rejected oppression of blacks. After the media highlighted the challenges faced by the black community and the African Americans demonstrated against oppression, the society rejected racial discrimination. The government therefore developed a policy where people received equal treatment in spite of their racial or ethnic backgrounds. In modern society, discrimination against the disabled is also an offence under law. Disabled people including the mentally ill should receive equal education, health and employment opportunities with able bodied people. Although this is not effectively implemented in society, public support for the mentally ill has increased over the years. The social policy barring discrimination on people based on any criteria has been important in achieving the objectives of Geel Services. Discrimination is an offense in law and people who discriminate against disabled people may be liable in courts of law. In addition, after racial discrimination declined after the 1960s, the society began accepting the marginalized in society (Kenneth Trotter, 2005). Many lobby groups and organizations emerged to cater for various causes including illnesses, education and human rights. The embracement of the marginalized in society has encouraged the Geel Services organization to spread its mission to the public in order to mobilize support to assist the mentally ill. The public has been very supportive of this cause and a high proportion of financial and non-financial support can be traced to the general public. Finally, the social policy of offering health assistance to people who cannot afford health care cover has also enabled Geel Services im prove the welfare of the mentally ill. Since most of these patients are poor, the government and private sector support for healthcare has ensured that a large number of mentally ill people gain healthcare services they need. Implications for social work practice within the field of practice in an urban setting Social work practice by Geel Organization in the field of mental health has had positive impacts on society. The organization has improved public knowledge about how to deal with people suffering from mental illnesses. This has been important in mobilizing support for mentally ill patients across New York City. In addition, the activities undertaken by this organization have led to the mobilization of resources needed to take care of the mentally ill. Public knowledge of the illnesses has encouraged generous contributions which have been used to establish decent housing and health care for the mentally ill. In addition, cooperation with the private sector and government has led to a more effective focus on the mentally ill by society. The government has drafted laws which discouraged discrimination of the mentally ill. It has also provided personnel, resources, infrastructure and funds needed to improve the standards of living of the mentally ill. The social work practice by Geel organization has also encouraged broad research on mental illnesses and their interventions. Due to increased knowledge on mental illnesses by the society, the organization has influenced numerous researches on mental illnesses and the various treatment interventions which are effective for treating these conditions. As a result, treatment interventions which combine the use of therapy and drugs have been developed and these are useful in treatment of various mental disorders. The government and private firms are increasingly donating funds towards mental health research. Undertaking research and developing treatment interventions is arguably the best way of dealing with the mental health problem in society. Community strengths currently existing regarding the issues under discussions There are various community strengths which are present in New York City as the needs of the mentally ill are addressed by Geel Organization. One of the major strengths is the public knowledge about the needs of the mentally ill. Due to extensive educational efforts by Geel Organization and other organizations which cater for the needs of the mentally ill, a large proportion of the public is aware of the needs of the mentally ill (Weare, 2000). Many people are aware of the support they require in order to recover completely. Due to this knowledge, many individuals and firms have donated resources aimed at ensuring the mentally ill have access to decent housing and health care services. This has provided the bulk of resources needed to meet Geel Organizations objectives. Another community strength currently existing in New York is support from the local and state governments in supporting the mentally ill. Unlike many states, New York has developed policies and allocated resources to effectively deal with the mentally ill people among the population. The state laws are strict regarding discrimination and this has deterred people from discriminating against the mentally ill. In addition, the government has provided resources, healthcare personnel, infrastructure and funding to ensure mentally ill people live decent lives in society. They have educational curricular and schools meant to cater for their unique needs. This makes it easier for Geel Organization to help the mentally ill in the community. Clarks work and relevance to fieldwork placement Clarks work is very relevant to the activities which are undertaken by Geel Organization. As has been discussed, Clark undertook a research to analyze how African Americans were discriminated against by the government on the basis of racial backgrounds. The research also analyzed the challenges faced in slums with regards to this marginalized grouping. This research is similar to the activities which are undertaken by Geel Organization. Geel supports another marginalized group which has been discriminated against by society; the mentally ill. The challenges which the mentally ill face in society today are similar to those faced by African Americans during the 1960s. Both the mentally ill people today and African Americans then did not have access to education, quality healthcare, decent housing, employment opportunities and other rights. The research conducted by Clark is therefore relevant to problems faced today by the mentally ill. In addition, Clark advances some solutions to the problems which African Americans faced. These solutions included an end to discrimination, better access to healthcare, education and employment opportunities, mobilizing local support for an end to discrimination, passage of strict laws which discouraged racial discrimination and giving African Americans voting rights to make political decisions. These solutions are similar to the approaches which are used by the Geel Organization to cater for needs of the mentally ill. They include advocating for health care access and housing for the mentally ill as well as mobilizing support from the public to satisfy needs of this marginalized group. This makes Clarks work relevant to the activities undertaken by Geels Organization. Summary and conclusion Various issues which relate to discrimination have been extensively addressed in the paper. Clark in the book Dark Ghetto explores the discrimination which the black community living in ghettos experienced in the 1960s. In addition to the problem of poverty, the black community was discriminated against through unequal access to opportunities and resources and this made it difficult for them to overcome poverty. However, eventually the government reversed the policies which discriminated against blacks after pressure from the American population. Geel Organization relates to the Dark Ghetto in several aspects. The organization cares for mentally ill people who have been discriminated against by society. It advocates for decent housing and health care for the mentally ill as well as an end to their discrimination. The mission of Geel Society is therefore similar to that of Clark; and end to discrimination of the marginalized. Geel Organization has succeeded in increasing awareness on the challenges facing the mentally ill. It has also contributed to mobilizing resources from individuals, private firms and the government to help the mentally ill. In addition, the organization has encouraged wide research on mental health illnesses to develop treatment interventions for the mentally ill. The government has played a crucial role of proving resources, healthcare personnel, infrastructure and funding to ensure mentally ill people live decent lives in society. In addition, strict laws have been passed to guard against discrimination of this group. This has helped improve the living conditions of the mentally ill in society. The government should allocate more resources towards infrastructure and research on mental health in order to manage mental illnesses. The local community should also continue providing support to mentally ill people in order for them to feel appreciated by society.

The Queen Of Air And Darkness Essay -- essays research papers

The Queen of Air and Darkness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Queen of Air and Darkness Morgause raises four boys. She is not a good mother, and she does not give her boys a sense of right and wrong. She often ignores them for days at a time and beats them when they displease her. She acts as if they were pets rather than human beings, to be loved or not at her convenience . But despite this common maltreatment, the boys turn out very differently.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gawaine is the oldest of the boys and in many ways the most normal. He becomes a knight in Arthur's court, fighting for him loyally. The way in which he is affected by his upbringing is his rages. When provoked Gawaine goes into a berserk rage in which he does things he would normally never do. When Gawaine and Agravaine are arguing over whether or not to write a letter to their father about the knights, Agravaine refuses to say he is wrong, so Gawaine goes berserk and attacks him. He does not simply beat him, but chokes him and slams his head against the floor until Gareth pulls him off. If Gareth had not been there, Gawaine very well might have killed his younger brother. Gawaine even kills a women when worked up to a rage. These rages are a product of the unhealthy childhood he endured.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next child, Agravaine, is probably the least well adjusted of the four. He tends to be sadistic and self-centered. The children were told the tale of the King of Ireland by St...

Arizona Needs to MIne Black Mesa :: Counter Argument

To the northeastern part of Arizona lay a debacle between the Native American citizens and a coal mining company known as Peabody Coal. In the seemingly unending conflict between the two groups, the problem began in 1968 when the Hopi and Navajo tribes both signed leases to Peabody Coal for mining. The contract included paying both tribes more than $1000 per acre-foot of natural aquifer water each year (Peabody Energy Online par 4). As time drew on, many indigenous people were alarmed that the water was carelessly being depleted from their land. Mining on Black Mesa should still be kept in progress because Peabody Coal helps support the fight against high-cost electricity, recent findings have stipulated that mining on Black Mesa is not as potentially harmful as many would like to think it is, and it offers jobs to the local economy. If a group of people give certain privileges to another, and the affects of it prove to help the economic society surrounded by it, there r eally is not a problem. Black Mesa, a natural resource for water is still being occupied by Peabody Coal, the world’s largest coal company. Located on the Navajo and Hopi Reservations of Northern Arizona, the mining company pumps water out of the Navajo Aquifer (N-Aquifer) which is mixed with grated coal known as slurry. The slurry is then pumped through a pipeline to Nevada’s Mohave Generating Station where it is converted into low-cost electricity (Peabody Energy Online par 3). Peabody has two mines on Black Mesa which includes the Peabody Coal Mine as well as the Kayenta Mine, both help to produce enough coal that supports 1.5 million people in the Southwest including Arizona, Nevada, and California (Peabody Energy Online par 8). The low-cost electricity is quite affordable for the people who live in the area. Peabody Coal has many coal mines around the world which help fight to keep the cost of energy down. Peabody Coal had stated that they do respect the values and beliefs of the native people that occupy the reservations. In that sense, the coal company consoled the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining for concerned questions about the usage of the groundwater. According to the OMS 2004 annual report, the N-Aquifer is in a stable condition, the quality is still excellent, and streams that were presumed to be in an unstable condition due to the mining, is not the cause:

Alcohol drinking Essay

The last reason of alcohol drinking among the youth in Hong Kong is tension reduction and it is the most common excuse among them. From a survey result conducted in 2008 by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Group, about 30% of students increase their pressure index during the beginning of each new academic year. It was found that the high consumption of alcohol is related to the high level of pressure index. And the frequency of drinking depends on how early the students have experienced drinking alcohol. Drinking daily or over consumption of alcohol will lead to a chain of bad impacts. If we drink in a large amount, it will have lifelong negative consequences, including physically and mentally. Drinking can affect thinking capacity and the active attention period will be reduced effecively. Also fatigue may happen easily although only drinking a small amount of alcohol. As a result, it may affect in studies. As we notice that there are many foreign researches about the motivation of drinking but there are only little researches investigate the Hong Kong tertiary students. That means the foreign researches cannot completely reflect the Hong Kong situation due to the different cultural norms of east and west. Also, the education of alcohol management and knowledge are not prevalence in Hong Kong. Therefore, we would like to know about the basal motives of alcohol drinking and the influences of drinking among the tertiary students. And the healthcare stream students in IVE will be our target group. As our target group are studying in healthcare stream, we hypothesize that they are more likely to consider their health and a lower drinking frequency and quantity of alcohol will be found. We also assume that their motivation of drinking are due to peer, environment and social.

Let’s Go to the Beach Essay

It was summer, last year; in July 15th the hotter day of the season made me took to my young son, my niece, and my mom to the beach. It was noon, when I noticed that my mom to come from Mexico who was visiting me for some months was getting bore at home. Because she loves to be in Mexico, when she visited me I have to do fun thinks to extend her stay with me. Thinking what should I do to make her happy I had a great idea come to me and I told them â€Å"let’s go to the beach†. Without hesitation my mom said â€Å"yes†. I asked my ten years old son and my fourteen years old niece if they could help me to hold her because my mom’s troubles to walk alone. With a very blue sky, hot and yellow sun and the kid’s support with my mom I thought that it would be a perfect day to take my mom to the beach. My mom and I would not expect that going to the beach at a beautiful day, in a blink we will be terrified and involved others to spoil their beautiful day too. Planning to have a perfect day at Seascape Beach Resort, I learn that by my mistake inadvertence the brighter day, would become in a nightmare turning our day in a darkness day. After to invite my family to the beach, quickly I had to package some staff that we need to spend all day at the beach. I gave to my niece some appropriately cloths to go to the beach, my son wore his sandals, short and a light t shirt. Faster, I dressed a short and sandals too but my mom who though that she won’t get wet to the beach, she did not want to change her beautiful light green pants and her write blouse that she was wearing. After we changed our clothes, I got four towels, my sunglasses, and a cap. As my purpose was to stay six hours at the beach, I made some sandwiches, water bottlers I cut a sweet watermelon, a cantaloupe, and bananas. Having it, I tough it is all that we need to get fun at the beach. Exited to be at the beach, my mom and the kids were into my car happily where my mom was in the font, my niece and my son on the back sets. Taking the 101 north highway, I drove to the road of the Seascape Beach Resort. While I was driving, we were listening Spanish music to made my mom felt much more relax. Even though the day was hot we were happy because I turned the air condition in and there was not traffic and we laughed, joked each other, and we talked about the beautiful day that we would expected to have. After twenty minutes driving, we arrived to the parking lot As I worked at Seascape Beach Resort for seven years, I knew where I should park my car safety for a long time and how to get to the beach while we can enjoy the scene of the path. Getting out towels and food, I was trying to leave my cell phone in my car, when my mom saw it she told me â€Å"bring it I’ll take care of it, I won’t be wet in the beach. † Easily, she convinced me and she put my cell in her pans’ packet. Because the hotter day, anxiously my niece and my son wanted to get wet and play with the sand, so they walk faster. Feeling my niece and my son the smell of the beach, they could not wait to touch the cold water. Recently my mom got a total knee replay surgery; she was unable to walk faster as my niece and my son. Taking the path of the beach, they let my mom and me behind. Frequently, I used to take my son at this beach, so they knew the path very well that tis why I allowed them to walk quickly. Whishing this beautiful day for my mom were unforgettable we walked slowly holding my mom’s hand, enjoying the view through the beach’s path. Feeling the freshener of the green threes, getting relax with a beautiful fountains, looking at the flower gardens, and when we were close to the beach we enjoy the smell of the beach. After a few minutes with an enjoyable rode of the beach, we finally were at the beach. Before this day I took my mom to the same beach to watch the waves sitting on the beach’s bench and got refresh because her weakness of her knee. I wanted my mom has a perfect day, pampering her, I said yes for that entire she wanted without though that a nightmare will happen to us. Feeling my mom attracted to the waves and the beach’s freshness and the smell of the breeze she asked me if she could get wet her feet. â€Å"Why not†, I said her. Caring my mom shoes in my left hand and my right hand holding her, slowly, we started to walk. Felling the burner sand in our feet, we continued to walk into the wet sand. With a very beautiful blue sky, and fresh waves, my mom feet happy and relax. After, we met with my son and my niece, who were playing with the sand and getting wet with the waves; I told them â€Å"my mom wants her feet get wet, we will be walking right there to the beach†. With Disregard they said â€Å"yes† because they were very busy with the waves. A few minutes ago, still walking under the wet sand, my mom wanted her feet touch the cooler water. Feeling the coolness of the breeze, touching our face and smelling the fragrance of the beach, my mom feet got wet. Two minutes later, walking still slowly under the sand a very small wave was coming to us. Happily, my mom and I, we were waiting the wave. Suddenly, I saw a very big wave coming to us. Immediately, I told my mom: let’s go back quickly– a big wave is coming towards us†. Even though I want to walk faster, my mom was unable to do because my mom’s knee weakness. Then, the big wave reached us soon. Holding my mom’s hand she, felt down lay at the water. Because my back injured I was incapable to stand up her. Terrify, for a few seconds, and unable to help my mom, I saw some people far of us. Frighten, and desperate because my mom was in danger to be driven for more big waves that were coming to us, I was holding tightly my mom’s hand; with my other hand I made some signal wishing the American’s family help. Fortunately, they saw my hand’s signal, so they guest that we need help. Two minutes later, they were coming one by one to help us. First it was just a lady who was trying to stand up by pulling my mom, while I tried to push her, but we could not stand up her. Soon, they were four more people who arrived to get her up. Thankfully to the kindly family help, by my negligence to allow my niece and my son to separate of my mom instead of held them to be close to my mom while she waked I spoiled the beautiful day to this family also. My mom, totally wet and dirty her light green pants and white blouse when her shoes were driven by the waves too, finally, we got my mom up. Immediately, the kindly family called to Seascape beach life guard to be sure that my mom was not injured. Because she was shaking for the tragedy and the cold water friendly, they sat her down in one of their chair that they had, trying to calm down, cleaning and drying, her with their big new towels that they had. Pampering my mom and waiting for the safe guard they frequently, need me, to asked her if she was fine because my mom cannot speak any English word. After twenty minutes of my mom’s tragedy I remembered that my son and my niece also were there. Still trembling I told the family members that there were two kids with us. Then, my son and my niece were called by one lady of this family witch let they know about my mom tragedy. Generously, around half an hour, my mom was pampering by this family while we were still waiting for the life guard, such us surrounding her, warming, hugging, and trying to make her safe outside the water. A few minutes later, the life guard came to us, when in detail, the family explained to the guy all about my mom’s accident and telling the guy about my mom’s recently knee surgery. Immediately, her blood pressure, her knee surgery, and everything of my mom were examined by the safe guard. Patiently, they helped her to ride the big truck when she was transported the outside of the beach. They also arranged with the bell men to give us a shuttle to my car because my mom’s shoes were missing, even though the bell boy was known to me because we were co-workers. Helplessness, how as humans bad things can happened and we cannot help ourselves, so we just ask others for help. Luckily, the generosity of this family save my mom to be browned at the beach, this nightmare taught me that they are some places when should I not take my mom by myself. Even though I have been giving the best care at my home for a long time, with my mom’s back, hip, and knee problems and her seven and eight years old and my back problem it was my big mistake to took her to the beach alone. With our short stance and bad experience at the beach, we back inside my car quite grateful with the American family who save my mom life.

Differentiate Mencius and Confucius Class in Human Nature Essay

Confucius’ view on human nature was not clearly and distinctly supplied in the Analects. It is no surprise that one of his disciples complained that â€Å"one cannot get to hear his view on human nature† (A, 5:13).1 In two passages of the Analects, Confucius classified men as belonging to three groups: â€Å"upper, middle and lower,† but as this classification was made according to man’s â€Å"learning ability† it had nothing to do with the common nature of man.2 Another two passages expressed more directly Confucius’ opinion in this respect. THE THEORY OF CONFUCIUS ON HUMAN NATURE Confucius’ view on human nature was not clearly and distinctly supplied in the Analects. It is no surprise that one of his disciples complained that â€Å"one cannot get to hear his view on human nature† (A, 5:13).1 In two passages of the Analects, Confucius classified men as belonging to three groups: â€Å"upper, middle and lower,† but as this classification was made according to man’s â€Å"learning ability† it had nothing to do with the common nature of man.2 Another two passages expressed more directly Confucius’ opinion in this respect. On the basis of Confucius’ teachings, Mencius and Hsà ¼n-tzu developed philosophies which sometimes were considered mutually complementary. As regards the theory of human nature, however, Mencius and Hsà ¼n-tzu obviously held incompatible views. The following discussion will try to show that Mencius’ theory of â€Å"human nature as good† is in fact a theory of â€Å"human heart as good,† and Hsà ¼n-tzu’s theory of â€Å"human nature as evil† is actually a theory of â€Å"human desire as evil.† These two theories are not necessarily contradictory, since they share the same underlying idea that human nature tends toward goodness. To clarify this point, we will lay more stress on the works of Mencius and the Chung-yung which directly elaborated on this idea than on those of Hsà ¼n-tzu and the I-chuan which accepted this idea in an implicit way. Mencius Etymologically, human â€Å"nature† (hsing) comes from â€Å"birth† or â€Å"to be born with† (sheng). The common understanding of this word in ancient China can be formulated as follows: â€Å"The inborn is what is meant by nature† (M, VI, A, 3).5 However, this consideration of the origin of nature exhibits only what a thing has rather than what a thing is: it expresses at most the sameness rather than the difference of all things. In order to determine what a thing is, it is necessary to know its essence: the genus plus the difference of species. This rule, made familiar by Aristotle, was true also for Mencius. First, Mencius was quite aware that in dealing with anything of the same kind, we must determine what this â€Å"same kind† means, and this is even more true when applied to man. Mencius said, â€Å"Now, things of the same kind are all alike. Why should we have doubts when it comes to man? The sage and I are of the same kind† (M, VI, A, 7). The wicked, however, also belong to the same kind. Thus, in determining the essence of human beings, we should find the difference of species. Mencius said, Slight is the difference between man and the brutes. The common man loses this distinguishing feature, while the gentleman retains it. Shun understood the way of things and had a keen insight into human relations. He followed the path of benevolence and righteousness. He did not need to pursue benevolence and righteousness (M, IV, B,19). Clearly, the essence or the distinguishing feature of man must be understood through the â€Å"slight difference† between man and the brutes. The statement about Shun is an example that benevolence and righteousness are the interior path of man, following which will have a great effect. The implication of this whole sentence is probably that benevolence and righteousness belong to the â€Å"slight difference.†6 Another paragraph will also help clarify the distinguishing feature of man. â€Å"A gentleman differs from other men in what he retains in his heart–namely, benevolence and propriety† (M, IV, B, 28). Granted that the human essence of man can be described as benevolenc e, righteousness, propriety, etc., how can common people lose it? Can something be defined by a feature which can be lost? The key to the answer lies in the idea of â€Å"heart,† which is to be understood here as neither bodily heart, nor soul, but mind with sensitivity. Concerning human nature, Mencius presents his famous theory of â€Å"the four germs of the heart,† concluding as follows: From this it can be seen that whoever is devoid of the heart of compassion is not human, whoever is devoid of the heart of shame is not human, whoever is devoid of the heart of courtesy and modesty is not human, and whoever is devoid of the heart of right and wrong is not human (M, II, A, 6). These four states of heart are named, in turn, the germs of â€Å"benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom† (M, II, A, 6) within man’s heart, which forms the difference of human beings. Human nature must be defined through this heart: Mencius said, â€Å"That which a gentleman follows as his nature, that is to say, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom, is rooted in his heart† (M, VII, A, 21). Therefore the goodness of human nature resides in the goodness of the heart. A reservation, however, must be added, namely, that goodnes s exists only in the state of germ and needs to be retained, nourished, and developed. In this way Mencius demonstrated that human nature is tending toward goodness. He did not stop at this point, but continued to examine the nature and origin of the heart. Mencius affirmed that there is a propensity for development within the heart which makes it an â€Å"evaluating heart.† If this means an ability to be moral and human beings are moral agents,8 does not its propensity for development imply in some sense a â€Å"commanding heart†?9 It must be the case, then, that the evaluating heart is at the same time the commanding heart, for otherwise how could Mencius honor as gentleman those who â€Å"retain† it? Only with this understanding does it become meaningful to say that â€Å"there is nothing better for the nurturing of the heart than to reduce the number of one’s desires† (M, VII, B, 35). Only if the heart does more than evaluate can Mencius say, â€Å"The sole concern of learning is to go after this strayed heart. That is all† (M, VI, A, 11). On the basis of this double character of the heart, we can loo k further at the heart in itself. Mencius used one word â€Å"thinking† to sum up the function of the heart. He said, â€Å"The organ of the heart can think. But it will find the answer only if it does think: otherwise, it will not find the answer. This is what Heaven has given me† (M, VI, A, 15). By thus explaining the source of the heart, especially its function of commanding, he bridges the gap between Heaven and man. Therefore, instead of stating that Mencius substitutes â€Å"self-legislation† for â€Å"external divine command,† we prefer to say that man’s self-legislation is bestowed on him by Heaven.10 The relation between Heaven and man is another interesting topic in Mencius’ thought, but is beyond the scope of the present essay. What we have established thus far is that the reason why human nature tends toward goodness consists in its relation with Heaven. Better known in China as â€Å"Master Meng† (Chinese: Mengzi), Mencius was a fourth-century BCE Chinese thinker whose importance in the Confucian tradition is second only to that of Confucius himself. In many ways, he played the role of St. Paul to Confucius’ Jesus, interpreting the thought of the master for subsequent ages while simultaneously impressing Confucius’ ideas with his own philosophical stamp. He is most famous for his theory of human nature, according to which all human beings share an innate goodness that either can be cultivated through education and self-discipline or squandered through neglect and negative influences, but never lost altogether. While it is not clear that Mencius’ views prevailed in early Chinese philosophical circles, they eventually won out after gaining the support of influential medieval commentators and thinkers such as Zhu Xi (Chu Hsi, 1130-1200 CE) and Wang Yangming The Mencius of History Like the historical Confucius, the historical Mencius is a vailable only through a text that, in its complete form at least, postdates his traditional lifetime (372-289 BCE). The philological controversy surrounding the date and composition of the text that bears his name is far less intense than that which surrounds the Confucian Analects, however. Most scholars agree that the entire Mencius was assembled by Mencius himself and his immediate disciples, perhaps shortly after his death. The text records several encounters with various rulers during Mencius’ old age, which can be dated between 323 and 314 BCE, making Mencius an active figure no later than the late fourth century BCE. The other major source of information about Mencius’ life is the biography found in the Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian) of Sima Qian (c. 145-90 BCE), which states that he was a native of Zou (Tsou), a small state near Confucius’ home state of Lu in the Shandong peninsula of nort heastern China. He is said to have studied with Confucius’ grandson, Zisi (Tzu-ssu), although most modern scholars doubt this. He also is thought to have become a minister of the state of Qi (Ch’i), which also was famous as the home of the Jixia (Chi-hsia) Academy. The Jixia Academy was a kind of early Chinese â€Å"think tank† sponsored the ruler of Qi that produced, among other thinkers, Mencius’ later opponent Xunzi (Hsun-tzu, 310-220 BCE). Mencius inherits from Confucius a set of terms and a series of problems. In general, one can say that where Confucius saw a unity of inner and outer – in terms of li (ritual propriety), ren (co-humanity), and the junzi (profound person)-xiaoren (small person) distinction – Mencius tends to privilege the inner aspects of concepts, practices, and identities. For Mencius, the locus of philosophical activity and self-cultivation is the xin (hsin), a term that denotes both the chief organ of the circulatory system and the organ of thought, and hence is translated here and in many other sources as â€Å"heart-mind.† Mencius’ views of the divine, political organization, human nature, and the path toward personal development all start and end in the heart-mind. . Theodicy Again, as with Confucius, so too with Mencius. From late Zhou tradition, Mencius inherited a great many religious sensibilities, including theistic ones. For the early Chinese (c. 16th century BCE), the world was controlled by an all-powerful deity, â€Å"The Lord on High† (Shangdi), to whom entreaties were made in the first known Chinese texts, inscriptions found on animal bones offered in divinatory sacrifice. As the Zhou polity emerged and triumphed over the previous Shang tribal rule, Zhou apologists began to regard their deity, Tian (â€Å"Sky† or â€Å"Heaven†) as synonymous with Shangdi, the deity of the deposed Shang kings, and explained the decline of Shang and the rise of Zhou as a consequence of a change in Tianming (â€Å"the mandate of Heaven†). Thus, theistic justifications for conquest and rulership were present very early in Chinese history. By the time of Mencius, the concept of Tian appears to have changed slightly, taking on aspects of à ¢â‚¬Å"fate† and â€Å"nature† as well as â€Å"deity.† For Confucius, Tian provided personal support and sanction for his sense of historical mission, while at the same time prompting Job-like anxiety during moments of ill fortune in which Tian seemed to have abandoned him. Mencius’ faith in Tian as the ultimate source of legitimate moral and political authority is unshakeable. Like Confucius, he says that â€Å"Tian does not speak – it simply reveals through deeds and affairs† (5A5). He ascribes the virtues of ren (co-humanity), yi (rightness), li (ritual propriety), zhi (wisdom), and sheng (sagehood) to Tian (7B24) and explicitly compares the rule of the moral king to the rule of Tian (5A4). The dependence of Tian upon human agents to put its will into practice helps account for the emphasis Mencius places on the satisfaction of the people as an indicator of the ruler’s moral right to power, and on the responsibility of morally-minded ministers to depose an unworthy ruler. In a dialogue with King Xuan of Qi (r. 319-301 BCE), Mencius says: The people are to be valued most, the altars of the grain and the land [traditional symbols of the vitality of the state] next, the ruler least. Hence winning the favor of the common people you become Emperor†¦. (7B14) When the ruler makes a serious mistake they admonish. If after repeated admonishments he still will not listen, they depose him†¦. Do not think it strange, Your Majesty. Your Majesty asked his servant a question, and his servant dares not fail to answer it directly. (5B9) Mencius’ replies to King Xuan are bracingly direct, in fact, but he can be coy. When the king asks whether it is true that various sage kings (Tang and Wu) rebelled against and murdered their predecessors (Jie and Zhou), Mencius answers that it is true. The king then asks: â€Å"Is it permissible for a vassal to murder his lord?† Mencius replied, â€Å"One who robs co-humanity [ren] you call a `robber’; one who robs the right [yi] you call a `wrecker’; and one who robs and wrecks you call an `outlaw.’ I have heard that [Wu] punished the outlaw Zhou – I have not heard that he murdered his lord. (1B8) In other words, Wu was morally justified in executing Zhou, because Zhou had proven himself to be unworthy of the throne through his offenses against ren and yi – the very qualities associated with the Confucian exemplar (junzi) and his actions. This is an example of Mencius engaging in the â€Å"rectification of names† (zhengming), an exercise that Confucius considered to be prior to all other philosophical activity (Analects 13.3). While Mencius endorses a â€Å"right of revolution,† he is no democrat. His ideal ruler is the sage-king, such as the legendary Shun, on whose reign both divine sanction and popular approval conferred legitimacy: When he was put in charge of sacrifices, the hundred gods delighted in them which is Heaven accepting him. When he was put in charge of affairs, the affairs were in order and the people satisfied with him, which is the people accepting him. Heaven gave it [the state] to him; human beings gave it to him. (5A5) Mencius is famous for claiming that human nature (renxing) is good. As with most reductions of philosophical positions to bumper-sticker slogans, this statement oversimplifies Mencius’ position. In the text, Mencius takes a more careful route in order to arrive at this view. Following A. C. Graham, one can see his argument as having three elements: (1) a teleology, (2) a virtue theory, and (3) a moral psychology. Confucius Better known in China as â€Å"Master Kong† (Chinese: Kongzi), Confucius was a fifth-century BCE Chinese thinker whose influence upon East Asian intellectual and social history is immeasurable. As a culturally symbolic figure, he has been alternately idealized, deified, dismissed, vilified, and rehabilitated over the millennia by both Asian and non-Asian thinkers and regimes. Given his extraordinary impact on Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese thought, it is ironic that so little can be known about Confucius. The tradition that bears his name – â€Å"Confucianism† (Chinese: Rujia) – ultimately traces itself to the sayings and biographical fragments recorded in the text known as the Analects (Chinese: Lunyu). As with the person of Confucius himself, scholars disagree about the origins and character of the Analects, but it remains the traditional source for information about Confucius’ life and teaching. Most scholars remain confident that it is possible to extract from the Analects several philosophical themes and views that may be safely attributed to this ancient Chinese sage. These are primarily ethical, rather than analytical-logical or metaphysical in nature, and include Confucius’ claim that Tian (â€Å"Heaven†) is aligned with moral order but dependent upon human agents to actualize its will; his concern for li (ritual propriety) as the instrument through which the family, the state, and the world may be aligned with Tian’s moral order; and his belief in the â€Å"contagious† nature of moral force (de), by which moral rulers diffuse morality to their subjects, moral parents raise moral children, and so forth. The Confucius of the Analects Above all else, the Analects depicts Confucius as someone who â€Å"transmits, but does not innovate† (7.1). What Confucius claimed to transmit was the Dao (Way) of the sages of Zhou antiquity; in the Analects, he is the erudite guardian of tradition who challenges his disciples to emulate the sages of the past and restore the moral integrity of the state. Although readers of the Analects often assume that Confucius’ views are presented as a coherent and consistent system within the text, a careful reading reveals several different sets of philosophical concerns which do not conflict so much as they complement one another. Those familiar with Enlightenment-influenced presentations of Confucius as an austere humanist who did not discuss the supernatural may be surprised to encounter the term â€Å"theodicy† as a framework for understanding Confucius’ philosophical concerns. Confucius’ record of silence on the subject of the divine is attested by the Analects (5.3, 7.21, 11.12). In fact, as a child of the late Zhou world, Confucius inherited a great many religious sensibilities, including theistic ones. For the early Chinese (c. 16th century BCE), the world was controlled by an all-powerful deity, â€Å"The Lord on High† (Shangdi), to whom entreaties were made in the first known Chinese texts, inscriptions found on animal bones offered in divinatory sacrifice. As the Zhou polity emerged and triumphed over the previous Shang tribal rule, Zhou apologists began to regard their deity, Tian (â€Å"Sky† or â€Å"Heaven†) as synonymous with Shangdi, the deity of the deposed Shang kings, and explained the decline of Shang and the rise of Zhou as a consequence of a change in Tianming (â€Å"the mandate of Heaven†). Thus, theistic justifications for conquest and rulership were present very early in Chinese history.By the time of Confucius, the concept of Tian appears to have changed slightly. For one thing, the ritual complex of Zhou diviners, which served to ascertain the will of Tian for the benefit of the king, had collapsed with Zhou rule itself. At the same time, the network of religious obligations to manifold divinities, local spirits, and ancestors does not seem to have ceased with the fall of the Zhou, and Confucius appears to uphold sacrifices to â€Å"gods and ghosts† as consistent with â€Å"transmitting† noble tradition. Yet, in the Analects, a new aspect of Tian emerges. For the Confucius of the Analects, discerning the will of Tian and reconciling it with his own moral compass sometimes proves to be a troubling exercise: If Heaven is about to abandon this culture, those who die afterwards will not get to share in it; if Heaven has not yet abandoned this culture, what can the men of Guang [Confucius’ adversaries in this instance] do to me? (9.5) There is no one who recognizes me†¦. I neither resent Heaven nor blame humanity. In learning about the lower I have understood the higher. The one who recognizes me – wouldn’t that be Heaven? (14.35) Heaven has abandoned me! Heaven has abandoned me! (11.9) As we all know that Mencius several times throughout Chinese history has been regarded as a potentially â€Å"dangerous† author, leading at times to outright banning of his book. This is because Mencius developed a very early form of what was to be called in modern times the â€Å"social contract.† Mencius, like Confucius, believed that rulers were divinely placed in order to guarantee peace and order among the people they rule. Unlike Confucius, Mencius believed that if a ruler failed to bring peace and order about, then the people could be absolved of all loyalty to that ruler and could if they felt strongly enough about the matter, revolt. I surmise if we go into details, it will probably take us months or maybe even years before finishing this comparison. I personally felt that Mencius and Confucius did not share nearly the same feelings for what was the most important unit in a society. I believe Confucius set up the belief of â€Å"Emperor, Master, and Father.â⠂¬  Basically, all subjects were obliged to the orders of the Emperor. All students were required to follow the footsteps of their Masters. In the same way that all children should obey their fathers commands. If at any given time these orders came in conflicts with one another, then everyone must choose to put the Emperor’s demands above everything else. Perhaps, this concept was one of the main reasons why Confucianism was promoted as the state’s ideology during the reign of Han Wudi. On the other hand, Mencius had a totally different view. Mencius insisted that â€Å"People came first Empires/Nations were only second, while the Emperor was the least important.† Well I am sure that not too many people would be happy to hear this argument let alone agree. This concept will definitely tolerate rebellions against a tyrannical ruler. The Emperor was working in the best interests of the people. Without the people’s support, the emperor had certainly failed his du ties as the leader. While Confucius’s theory I think that Confucius was more correct in his views than Mencius, not because of differing views (although they did differ at certain points), but because of the way these ideas were carried out throughout his career, and ultimately, his life. Confucius was a Chinese thinker and philosopher. His philosophy emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, and justice and sincerity. These values gained prominence in China over other doctrines, such as Taoism during the Han Dynasty. Confucius’ thoughts have been developed into a system of philosophy which has come to be known as Confucianism. It was introduced to Europe by Matteo Ricci, who was the first to come up with the Latin name â€Å"Confucius†. His teachings may be found in the Analects of Confucius, a collection of â€Å"brief aphoristic fragments†, which was compiled many years after his death. For nearly 2,000 years he was thought to be the editor or author of all the Five Classics, such as the Classic of Rites and the Spring and Autumn Annals, but this was not the case as many of these â€Å"fragments† cannot be directly credited to Confucius because of lack of written proof. Confucius was born in 551 BC in the Lu state of China, born into a warrior family. His father, Shulianghe, was a famous warrior who fought in the chinese military, and owned a large portion of land. Confucius lost his father when he was three years old, and then his mother Yan Zhengzai took him and left his father’s land because, as a concubine, she wanted to avoid the scorn from Shulianghe’s real wife. Therefore, Confucius lived in poverty with his mother since childhood. With the support and encouragement of his mother, Confucius studied hard as a child. When Confucius was seventeen, his mother died as a result of illness and exhaustion. Three years later, Confucius married. Though he had a good wife who loved him, he left his family to pursue his philosophical goals. Confucius sought to revive the As we all know that Mencius several times throughout Chinese history has been regarded as a potentially â€Å"dangerous† author, leading at times to outright banning of his book. This is because Mencius developed a very early form of what was to be called in modern times the â€Å"social contract.† Mencius, like Confucius, believed that rulers were divinely placed in order to guarantee peace and order among the people they rule. Unlike Confucius, Mencius believed that if a ruler failed to bring peace and order about, then the people could be absolved of all loyalty to that ruler and could if they felt strongly enough about the matter, revolt. I surmise if we go into details, it will probably take us months or maybe even years before finishing this comparison. I personally felt that Mencius and Confucius did not share nearly the same feelings for what was the most important unit in a society. I believe Confucius set up the belief of â€Å"Emperor, Master, and Father.† Basically, all subjects were obliged to the orders of the Emperor. All students were required to follow the footsteps of their Masters. In the same way that all children should obey their fathers commands. If at any given time these orders came in conflicts with one another, then everyone must choose to put the Emperor’s demands above everything else. Perhaps, this concept was one of the main reasons why Confucianism was promoted as the state’s ideology during the reign of Han Wudi. On the other hand, Mencius had a totally different view. Mencius insisted that â€Å"People came first Empires/Nations were only second, while the Emperor was the least important.† Well I am sure that not too many people would be happy to hear this argument let alone agree. This concept will definitely tolerate rebellions against a tyrannical ruler. The Emperor was working in the best interests of the people. Without the people’s support, the emperor had certainly failed his duties as the leader.