Database Design P1, M1 & D1 Essay

Database is a place to store lots of data, imagine it as a giant virtual filling cabinet that can be organized in many ways. There’s software called (DBMS) which stands for database management system which allows the user to manage data in database such as; create, delete or update. Entities Entities are objects with significant mass and purpose, in database entities are tables. Every table contains many fields/attributes. The user must create a table before inputting any data. When creating a table you need to define a few things, data type, fields name & a description. Fields Name This is a column heading, this will display the title for the column etc first name, last name, address. Data Type This is the content of the data & the data type decides what content can be inputted & the file size. Description This is used to explain the content & shows a list of ‘limitations’ the user can change to get a more accurate reading etc. input mask. Attributes A characteristic, for example; a field has many attributes such as data like numbers or letters. Attributes can be used as a synonym for a â€Å"field†. In DOS systems, each files has an attribute, each file has many properties that shows if the file is â€Å"read only†, visible or encrypted. Queries A query is use for searching some specific record. It allow user to set conditions and then search the record which match the conditions. User also is able to make the search mix up with other table and sort the order of the result. Reports A Report is a summary of record. Everything you plain to print should put inside. Its purpose is for user to view information quickly and easily so display the result simply and efficiently is the main point. Forms Form is used for collect and edits information and transfers them to table. It is similar to application forms that allow user to fill in or delete their data easily and it also able to let user design own user interface. User can insert as much control as they like to build the user interface beautifully. Relationships Relationship types Database relationships are very similar in that they’re associations between tables. There are three types of relationships: One-to-one: both tables of the relationship have one field that matches up, for example; a married couple that both have a child that has no relation to the other partner. This rarely ever happens in a business organization One-to-many: one-to-many is where one table has none/one or many relations with the other table’s fields but the other table has only none/one field. For example, you have only one mother, but your mother may have several children. Many-to-many: Both tables have one/many relations to each other’s fields. Usually in this instance there are usually 3 tables. Benefits The benefits of having databases online are that it’s easier & quicker to do. The amount of paper saved & room is very beneficial. Its quicker & easier for the user to find important data in the database. The user can make forms to find & read information easier. The user can set rules to make the data input more accurate & legit. You can save the information on multiple storage units (hard drives) So if the information has been tampered with, there’s always a spare copy somewhere safe. Task 2 Primary key The primary key of a relational table uniquely identifies each attribute in the table. Primary keys could be a unique attribute such as â€Å"social security number† for a person or student etc. Primary keys may consist of a single attribute or multiple attributes in combination. Primary keys connect tables together in relationships Referential integrity There is a feature with databases called relational database management systems (RDBMS’s) that prevents users or applications from entering inconsistent data. Most RDBMS’s have referential integrity rules that you can apply when you create a relationship between two entities. For example, suppose Table B has a foreign key that points to a field in Table A. Referential integrity would prevent you from adding a record to Table B that cannot be linked to Table A. In addition, if I deleted a attribute in table A, if it is linked to table B, the data that is connecting both attributes will be deleted. This is called cascading delete. Finally, the referential integrity rules could specify that whenever you modify the value of a linked field in Table A, all records in Table B that are linked to it will also be modified accordingly. This is called cascading update. D1: Analyse Potential Errors in the Design & Construction of a Database and explain how these can be avoided There are many common errors that could occur while using database, it’s important to understand how these common error happen & what causes them. Deletion of records & fields Deleting important records & fields happen quite commonly, it’s caused by the user or by accident. If this does happen its always safe to know there is a copy of the data saved somewhere else in case this happens. It’s good to have a refresh back up time for 1 hour so every hour, the data renews itself. Human error leads to corruption or loss of fields so to ensure this doesn’t happen it would be best to set administrative rights to the right users so only the right people can edit or delete fields, if the wrong people try to use the database, an error or password will be shown. Making more than 1 copy of the data is wise just in case something happens to the first copy. Incorrect data types To decrease the chances of getting incorrect data types in database, its best to put input masks on the fields. This stops incorrect data being imputed on data forms like sign-up sheets. It’s also wise to have multiple choice questions & drop down menus; this makes it more accurate to get correct data. Using drop down menus makes it easier & quicker for the user to get a positive & effective data results. By using the drop down menus & multiple choice questions, it ensures correct spelling & grammar of important information. Validation To ensure the data is imputed clean & correct you need to use validation rules. This is done by setting rules in the design view where the user can set what data can be imputed & what is invalid. An effective tool is the â€Å"limit checker† where the user can set a limit to the amount of characters that can be imputed into the database. Range checks are effective to ensure etc. birthdays, it sets the month from 1-12 & has a set range to when the  person was born etc. 1950-2014 (we are currently on 2014 so I don’t need to extend the range). Grammar checks are there to make sure the data isn’t misspelt, it also makes personal information & letters easier to produce. There’s a rule that can be set up on database that checks the inputted data for any incorrect information, if it finds something wrong, an error message will pop up & notify the user. Null Values Null values is similar to validation in where the user needs to input data & there are a set of rules to ensure the user inputs the correct/legitimate data however null values are shown when no data has been inputted into a specific textbox. An error message will pop up if no data is put into a specific field, this rule is usually put on by the user as when starting database, you get a lot of blank fields. This rule is useful for fields that need data in them such as â€Å"personal details†, â€Å"bank details† etc. If the user doesn’t type in anything into the textbox & clicks â€Å"accept† or â€Å"enter† an error message will pop up notifying the user about the null values. The boxes with errors are marked differently to the textboxes without errors, this is to clearly identify where the error is & makes its easier & quicker for the user to resolve.

Biography of Barack Obama

Senator Barack Obama (D, Illinois) said that nowhere else is his â€Å"story even possible. † The junior senator is a candidate for his party’s 2008 presidential nomination. Born Barrack Hussein Obama on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack, Sr. and Ann Dunham. Barack Sr. was a goat herder like his own father, a servant in the home of the British. The Obamas were from the Luo ethnic group of Nyanza Province in Kenya. Ann was a White American from Wichita, Kansas whose father was an oil rigger during the Depression. At the outbreak of World War II he enlisted in the army of General Patton.Her mother worked in the production line of bombers. At the end of the war, they pursued their studies through the G. I. Bill. With the Federal Housing Program they purchased their house and settled in Hawaii. In the 1950s, the Obamas’ Luo ethnic group was a frontrunner in Kenya’s struggle for independence. The Dunhams, on the other hand, were against slavery as ea rly as the 1800s. Barack Obama’s parents met at the East-West Center, Manoa Campus of the University of Hawaii. Barack’s father was on a scholarship and was the first ever from a country in Africa. The marriage did not last, as interracial unions were not accepted.In some states it was illegal. It was not much of a problem to the Dunhams but it was to the Obamas, who found it difficult to have a White American for a daughter in law. Under the circumstances, they had to divorce when Barack was two years old. Barack Sr. moved to Harvard on another scholarship for a Doctorate in Economics. Father and son met again when Barack was ten. They kept in touch through letters until Barack Sr. ’s return to Kenya and his death by car accident in the early 1980s. Barack’s mother remarried. Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian student of the East-West Center became her husband.In 1967 when Barack was six they moved to Jakarta where Lolo got a job in an oil company. Barackâ€⠄¢s half-sister Maya was born. Barack went to school in Jakarta where lessons were conducted in Indonesian. Barack or Barry returned to Hawaii when he was 10. He joined his grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham. His mother lived with them later until her death in 1995 due to ovarian cancer. In 1979, Barack graduated with honors at the renowned Punahou Academy. They were only 3 Black students in Punahou. It was at this time that became conscious as well as concerned about mixed racial heritage.He was troubled about racism and his African-American background. He could not deal with his being African-American having a White American family. He turned to cocaine, marijuana and alcohol. Just like most teens of his background they needed an outlet for their inner rage and in the process tended to self-destruct. After Punahou, he transferred to Occidental College in Los Angeles where he got his act together. After two years he moved to the esteemed Columbia University in New York. He go t to visit Kenya for the first time and renewed ties with his relatives.He graduated from Columbia with a Degree in Political Science. For a while he involved himself in community work in Harlem. He decided he could not live to support himself with so little pay. He decided to leave New York and move to Chicago. The South Side of Chicago is an impoverished community. Barack worked as a community organizer for the poor residents of Roseland and the development of public housing for Altgeid Gardens. Law school beckoned. This time his application was accepted by Harvard Law School, one of the best in the country. He became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review Journal.It opened doors of opportunities for him upon graduation. He graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1991. True enough, top Manhattan law firms came knocking on his door. $100,000 annual pay offers were turned down by Barack. He opted to return to Chicago to work for Miner, Barnhill & Galland as a civil righ ts lawyer. He handled housing and labor discrimination cases, taught at the Law School of the University of Chicago and organized voter registration drives. The large turnout of registered Black voters in Chicago, helped bring Bill Clinton straight to the White House in 1992. Chicago has a special place in Obama’s heart.In 1988 while working as a summer associate in Sidley & Austin, a Chicago Law Firm, Michelle Robinson was assigned as his mentor. Michelle was also a graduate of Harvard Law School. She was from a Black, working-class family on the South Side. She and a brother who excelled in Basketball went to Princeton University. Michelle obtained her undergraduate degree at Princeton. Michelle became Mrs. Obama, when he married her in October 1992. They have two daughters, Malia and Sasha. Michelle and the girls have remained in Kenwood on Chicago’s South Side instead of moving to Washington. Michelle still works as an executive in a hospital.In 1996 Barack Obama r an for and won a senate seat from Hyde Park, his home district. Hyde Park is the neighborhood around the University of Chicago. The community even with its upscale side has a high rate of crime and unemployment. Among Obama’s accomplishments are: tax breaks for the low-incomed, a state insurance to include uninsured children, increase health care services as well as education programs in early childhood for the poor, and tracking stops and speed of drivers by law enforcers. The latter was supposed to reduce discriminatory profiling by police patrol officers.Another significant legislation was for police to videotape confessions on homicide cases. In 2000 he made a try for a congressional seat against Bobby Rush, a Black former member of the Chicago City Council. Rush was the founder of the Black Panther Party, Illinois Chapter. The Black Panther was the 1960s nationalist party of the revolutionary, radical Blacks. Rush capitalized on his experience and criticized Obamaâ€℠¢s wealthy and white votes. Obama experienced his first major defeat garnering only 30% of the votes. In 2004 when Peter G. Fitzgerald (R, Illinois) bared plans of retirement, Obama made a bid for a senate seat.When supporters thought it premature for him to aim for a position that high, they were certainly in for a big surprise. Obama garnered 53% of the votes in the primary, against 6 other challengers. This appeared to be a record high among African-Americans who figured prominently in white-populated precincts. These made the Democrats take him and his campaign more seriously. In the 2004 senate elections, he faced Jack Ryan of the Republicans. Ryan was a good-looking parochial school teacher, who used to be an investment banker. His former wife was Jeri Ryan, the star of Boston Public.There were issues on the Ryans’ divorce that did not sit well with the Republican’s platform with regards to family values. Jack Ryan withdrew from the race. Alan Keyes, the talk sho w host from Maryland moved to Illinois to oppose Obama’s senate bid. Keyes’ adversarial stand on homosexuality and his two unsuccessful white house campaigns did not make him a strong opponent. With free trades that removed tariffs, US industries started to transfer their factories outside of the United States. Such meant great loss of jobs and employment. Obama’s campaign promise was a halt in bringing jobs overseas.That swayed the votes for Obama. What would happen next would Obama’s defining moment. In the Democratic National Convention of July 2004 Obama delivered the keynote address of the convention as requested by John Kerry who would end up the party’s standard bearer. Much was expected of Obama and he delivered! He earned praises and standing ovations for his well-crafted speech and his eloquent delivery. He spoke about the need for America to unite in order that it may be strong. He reminded everyone of America’s diverse ethnicity and ideologies that made the county rich.He said that the American way was to provide for all, not for just a few. If there was an elderly who was not at all related to him and was too poor to pay both rent and medicines, Barack Obama said, it made his life poorer. He said the people should mind what injustice is committed to his fellowmen like a brother to a brother. He believed that such acts of concern make America work. Analysts found in Obama’s speech a great amount of positivism, hope and optimism. They all found a promise in Obama, an emerging leader among the Democrats and possibly a near-future president of America.70% of the votes of Illinois went to the 43 year old Obama with only 27% left for Keyes in the senatorial contest. In the US Senate of 2005, Obama was one of the youngest. His first significant legislation was the Higher Education Opportunity through the Pell Grant Expansion Act of 2005 or the HOPE Act. This was for those students who received financial ai d for college from the Federal Government, the legislation aimed for an increase in the amount provided. He crossed party lines to seek support for important legislations. He teamed up with Sen.Richard Lugar (R, Indiana) for a bill to expand efforts to destroy all weapons of mass destruction in Russia and Eastern Europe. Together with Sen. Tom Corburn (R, Oklahoma) they kept tight watch on government spending through a website they created. He and Sen. Russ Feingold (D, Wisconsin) also sought to stop the lobbyists from giving members of Congress gifts like travel on private jets. He raised vital issues on the senate floor like awareness of Avian flu and its threats, the destruction of Hurricane Katrina and its victims, alternative fuel sources and worked for better benefits for the veterans.As senator he is on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Veterans Affairs Committee and the Environment and Public Affairs Committee. In US hi story, Obama is the fifth African American elected to the senate in 2005 and only the third towards the end of Reconstruction. Obama joined the few other Blacks who made it to the senate, the first ever was Hiram Rhoades Revels of North Carolina in 1870, Blanche K. Bruce of Virginia in 1875, Edward William Brooke III from Massachusetts in 1966, and Carol Moseley Braun from Illinois in 1992.Braun is also the first African-American woman elected to the senate. Obama was a strong critic of President Bush’ policy on Iraq since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He spoke against using force in Iraq at the Chicago’s Federal Plaza rally of October 2002. Barack Obama opposed what he called â€Å"dumb wars† and was particularly concerned with the lives they had cost. He believed that there was a better way to handle Saddam Hussein. He saw Iraq’s economy battered and his military weak and that there was no way for Saddam but down.He knew that the war in Iraq will be a pro tracted one with an unpredictable end, costs, and consequences. He warned that it could bring out the worst from the Middle East, the Arab world and the Al-Qaeda. He has authored two books, namely: (1) His autobiography â€Å"Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance† published in 1995, and (2) â€Å"The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream,† published in 2008. Obama announced that he is gunning for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. He is up against the Sen.Hillary Rodham-Clinton. Works Cited â€Å"About Barack Obama. † 2008. United States Senate. 6 May 2008 http://obama. senate. gov/about/ â€Å"Barack Obama Biography. † 2006. Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. 6 May 2008 http://www. notablebiographies. com/news/Li-Ou/Obama-Barack. html â€Å"Barack Obama Biography (1961-)† 2008. bio. biographies. com. 6 May 2008 http://www. biography. com/search/article. do? id=12782369&page=1 â€Å"Me et Barack. † 2008. Barack ’08. BarackObama. com. 6 May 2008 http://www. barackobama. com/about/

Ben & Jerry’s Marketing Audit Essay

1 Executive Summary According to the American Marketing Association, â€Å"marketing is an organizational function and a set of process for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders† (Kerin, 2005, p.6). I have completed a marketing audit of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. in the following categories: Market and Distribution Channels, Manufacturing, Markets and Customers, Competition, Marketing, Objectives, Strategies and Tactics, the 4P’s (product, pricing, promotion, and place), and sales. Based on my findings, there are several factors that will play a key role in Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream becoming number one in the ice cream industry, instead of being ranked, as number 2. They are as follows: Streamlining the variety and names of the ice cream flavors Increase sales in the non target markets Sell premium ice cream in half gallon sizes Improve brand image Ben & Jerry’s ice cream currently offers consumers Super-premium ice cream flavors that are both unique and quirky. Furthermore, some of the wackiest flavors were suggested by adults. For example, some of the flavors include, Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey, and Chubby Hubby (www.benjerry.com). As a result of some of the outlandish names, it becomes difficult for consumers have to figure out why an ice cream would be called chunky monkey, and secondly, what does the flavor consist of. After all, Ben & Jerry’s target customers are at the high end of the consumer spending spectrum. Haagen-Daazs’ most popular ice cream flavor is simply, vanilla. Therefore, perception becomes a vital marketing concept to attain the number one  status. Although Ben & Jerry’s has been acquired by Unilever, one of the leading food companies in the world, Haagen Dazs, which has been acquired by Dreyer’s has still been able to penetrate 42% of the super-premium ice cream mark et, while Ben & Jerry’s penetrated 38%. However, Ben & Jerry’s have been able to have 100% profitability over the last nine years, while decreasing the cost of sales. Penetrating the 20% non-target market would allow revenue to continue to climb upward by becoming more visible. Advertising can be done through supermarket circulars, television commercials, and radio announcements, and offering the super-premium ice promotions such as buy one, get one free or coupons. Thus, customers and profit margins increase. Currently, Ben & Jerry’s super-premium ice cream is sold in pint size quantities. Gallon size quantities were only sold to warehouse club stores. Selling the product to the general public in gallon sizes would allow them to infiltrate the family segment of the ice cream industry. Understanding the consumer is a vital tool in successful marketing and sales. However, careful research and planning are necessary. Thus, a recommendation is being made for Ben & Jerry’s to enter the market of â€Å"micro-branding†; a trend that is becoming more successful in the ice cream industry. â€Å"Micro-branding would allow Ben & Jerry’s to partner with a compatible and recognized national brand to develop an ice cream formulation that delivers a taste experience that is related to the national brand’s product (www.qffintl.com). Some of the companies that currently co-brand are Cool Brands International/General Mills = Yoplait Frozen Breakfast Bars, Reese’s candies and Friendly’s Restaurants. Furthermore, prior to launching this new venture, Ben & Jerry’s can conduct a survey among loyal customers. Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream is the best illustration of the 80/20 rule. They achieve 80% of the revenues in the target market and 20% in non target markets; however, to increase sales and become No.1, they will need to increase sales in non target markets while stimulating demand in target markets. Based on corporate information (www.benjerry.com), Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream evolved when two childhood buddies, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield met in a 1963 7th grade gym class in Merrick, New York. In 1977, Ben and Jerry move to Vermont and completed a $5 correspondence course in ice cream making. Afterward, a $12,000.00 investment was made, $4,000.00 of it borrowed, and they opened their first Ben and Jerry’s homemade ice cream scoop shop in a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont, on May 5, 1978. The company has maintained a reputation for producing gourmet ice cream and frozen treats, as well as promotions that foster an image as an independent socially conscious Vermont company. On August 3, 2000, Ben and Jerry’s were acquired by Unilever, a British-Dutch food company with distribution in 100 countries. This acquisition would allow the Ben & Jerry brand ice cream to cross over into national and international markets. The ice cream was made with fresh V ermont cream and milk, and the best and biggest chunks of nuts, fruits, candies, and cookies† (www.benjerry.com). Currently, Ben & Jerry’s sell 18 Mio gallons of ice cream per year, and more than â€Å"$200 Mio in annual sales worldwide including Europe, the Mideast, and Asia† (Kerin, 2006, p.2). This makes them one of the top maker’s of premium ice cream, matching  rivals Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Haagen-Dazs, and Godiva. Some of the first flavors included French Vanilla, Mint with Oreo Cookie, Maple Walnut, Butter Pecan, and Dastardly Mash. In order to maintain its status as a leader in the premium ice cream industry, new flavors are constantly being marketed, as well as measures to determine what the ice cream consumer wants now and in the future. The corporate vision is built around three strategic goals (missions) that support Ben & Jerry’s corporate concept of linked prosperity. These goals are: 1. The product mission: Become the leading distributor of freshly made quality ice cream, utilizing natural ingredients that do not violate the environment. 2. The economic mission: Achieve capital growth for the corporation, the stakeholders, and the employees. 3. The social mission: Be a pioneer in creating innovative business practices that make a positive impact on society nationally and internationally. 1.2 Market and Distribution Channels The company currently markets flavor ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet in packaged pints, for sale primarily through four channels: 1. Supermarkets, and other grocery stores 2. Convenience stores 3. Retail food outlets and in bulk primarily to restaurants. 4. Ben & Jerry’s company-owned franchised scoop shops. Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream currently distribute their products throughout the United States primarily through independent distributors targeting certain markets including New England, New York, the Mid-Atlantic region, Florida, Texas, the West Coast and selected other major markets, including the Midwest and Denver areas. In 1999, approximately 77% of the sales of the Company’s packaged pints were attributed to these target markets (www.benjerry.com). Also, the ice cream products are also available in â€Å"non-target† markets in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Israel, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, Singapore, Peru and Lebanon. 1.3 Manufacturing The company manufactures Ben & Jerry’s super premium ice cream and frozen yogurt pints at its plant in Vermont. This plant manufactures Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, frozen yogurt, frozen smoothies and sorbet in packaged pints,  12oz. and single serve containers at its St. Albans, Vermont plant. However, in 1999, the company shifted the manufacturing of its frozen novelty line of business from a company-owned plant in Springfield, Vermont, to third party co-packers to improve the company’s competitive position, gross margins and profitability. As a result of this restructuring, the company was able to write-off `assets associated with the ice cream novelty business, asset impairment charges of other manufacturing assets and costs associated with severance for those employees who do not accept the Company’s offer of relocation. The implementation of this manufacturing restructuring program resulted in a pre-tax special charge to earnings of approximately $8.6 Mio in the fourth quarter of 1999 that was primarily non-cash. The plan was executed in 2000. Thus, outsourcing its novelty business will enable the Company to introduce a wider range of novelty products in future periods. 1.4 Markets and Customers Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is packaged in pints, quarts,  ½ gallons, single serve containers and novelty products primarily through supermarkets, other grocery stores, convenience stores and other retail food outlets. The company markets ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet in 2  ½ gallon bulk containers primarily through franchised and company-owned Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops, through restaurants and food service accounts, such as stadiums, airports, cafeterias, and hotels. The ice cream is distributed through independent ice cream distributors; with some exceptions, only one distributor is appointed for each territory for supermarkets. In most areas, sub-distributors are used to distribute to the smaller classes of trade. Company trucks and other distributors distribute products that are sold in Vermont and upstate New York. In the late 90’s, Ben & Jerry’s redesigned its distribution network to enable more company control over sales and improve efficiency in the distribution of its products. Under the redesign, Ben & Jerry’s increased direct sales calls by its own sales force to all grocery and chain convenience stores and has a network where no distributor of Ben & Jerry’s products has a majority percentage of the Company’s distribution. In addition, a joint venture of the U.S. ice cream operations of Nestle and the Pillsbury Company distributes Ben & Jerry’s products in specified territories; the balance of domestic deliveries are distributed primarily by  Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream. Under the redesign, no single distributor is expected to handle over 40% of Ben & Jerry’s distribution, as compared with Dreyer’s distribution activities accounting for approximately 57% of the company’s net sales in 1997 and 1998. 1.5 Competition â€Å"The ability to create innovative marketing strategies is crucial to a company’s competitiveness† (Magrath, Allan, 1992, p.1). Competition in the premium ice cream industry is fierce. Initially, Nestle, Dreyer’s, and Blue Bell were Ben & Jerry’s top three top competitors. In July of 2003, Nestle merged its operations with Dreyer’s, which makes Edy’s and Haagen-Dazs ice cream (www.dreamery.com). Other significant competitors are Columbo, Healthy Choice, and Starbucks, which are all distributed by Dreyer’s. According to research, Haagen- Dazs uses several approaches to keep the status of being number one in the ice cream industry, and they are as follows: a. Substantial visibility in more foreign markets than Ben & Jerry’s. b. More shares of the markets. c. Cookies and candies are used as a part of the ingredients. In addition to competing with the number one competitor, Dreyer/Nestle, Ben & Jerry’s also has to face competition from other players including: Berkeley Farms Blue Bell CoolBrands Dunkin Friendly Ice Cream Gifford’s Schwan’s (Competitor’s cont’d) Stewart’s Shops Stonyfield Farm YoCream 2 Marketing Ben and Jerry’s Ice-cream introduced themselves to the marketplace as unusual and comical, with the hopes of appealing to the ice cream lover’s sense of humor. Thus, allowing them to acquire a loyal following. However, many adult  consumers did not find their advertising funny, as a result market research revealed confusion. Although the packaging of the ice cream was amusing, patrons were often trying to figure out why a company, that wants to sell premium ice-cream, would come up with an ice cream flavor such as â€Å"Chunky Monkey† and â€Å"Chubby Hubby†. The playful packaging was viewed as being too juvenile to necessitate its luxury price. In 1998, the company re-launched its entire pint line. â€Å"The design of the ice cream packaging was changed to a more polished grown up design utilizing collages of illustrations, photography and textures. The polished grown up designs cleared the confusion, strengthened the brand, and matched the quality of the ice cream. A superb premium look accompanied the price, and was created without forfeiting the trademark Ben & Jerry’s eccentricity† (www.fitch.com). Changing the packaging design helped the company to be taken more serious by the premium ice cream consumer market. To sustain their brand and marketing strategy, Ben & Jerry make sure all marketing activities are aimed at building brand equity, a solid reputation for the company, and most importantly, profitable customer relationship. The company’s marketing strategy includes: 1. Emphasizing the high quality, natural ingredients in its products. 2. Highlighting commitment to social change through innovative promotional and advertising campaigns facilitating brand awareness through Public Relations, magazines, radio, TV coverage, and the internet. The company now distributes its ice cream products internationally in the United Kingdom, Israel, certain parts of Japan, Ireland, France, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Singapore, Peru, and Lebanon. Furthermore, all of the scoop shops are franchised, which contributes significantly to the growth of the brand. 2.1 Objectives, Strategies and Tactics Competition in the premium ice cream industry is fierce. The company’s two principal competitor’s are the Haagen-Dazs operation of Ice Cream Partners and Dreyer’s/Edys, which introduced Dreamery. Other significant frozen dessert competitors are Columbo, Healthy Choice and Starbucks. â€Å"Haagen-Dazs is the industry leader with 42% of the super-premium business, and No.2 Ben & Jerry’s, with 38 percent† (Emert, Carol, San Francisco Chronicle,p.1)  however Ben and Jerry are looking at becoming No 1 and the 4Ps analysis below illustrate how they want to achieve that goal. 2.2 4P’s – Product The packaged ice cream industry includes economy, regular, premium, premium plus and super premium products. Super premium ice cream is generally characterized by a greater richness and density than other kinds of ice cream. This higher quality ice cream generally costs more than other kinds and is usually marketed by emphasizing quality, flavor selection, texture and brand image. Other types of ice cream are largely marketed on the basis of price (www.benjerry.com). Ben & Jerry’s Homemade makes its products at facilities in Vermont. They make over 40 different Super-premium Ice Cream flavors (www.hoovers.com) Super-premium Flavors: Brownie Batter Butter Pecan Cherry Garcia Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Chocolate Fudge Brownie Chocolate Therapy Chubby Hubby Chunky Monkey Coffee Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Dave Matthews Brand Magic Brownies Dublin Mudslide Everything But The†¦ Fudge Central Fossil Fuel Half Baked In A Crunch Karamel Sutra Martha Martha Marshmallow Mint Chocolate Cookie New York Super Fudge Chunk Peanut Butter Me Up Phish Food Uncanny Cashew Wich Frozen Yogurt Cherry Garcia (low-fat) Chocolate Fudge Brownie Half Baked Phish Food Super Premium Ice Cream, Super Premium Frozen Yogurt, and more recently, Super Premium Sorbet have become an important part of the frozen dessert industry reaching â€Å"$3.5 billion in annual ice cream sales (Emert, Carol, p.1) Super premium ice cream is the fastest growing segment in the ice cream industry. Sales in the low-card ice cream market skyrocketed to close to $76 Mio in January of 2005. Research shows, â€Å"66% of carbohydrate conscious consumers are seeking low fat products† (www.qffintl.com). In response to the demand for lower fat and lower cholesterol products, Ben & Jerry’s introduced its own super premium low fat frozen yogurt and lactose-free and cholesterol-free sorbet, as well as a new line of low fat ice cream. 2.3 Pricing Based on information provided by Information Resources, Inc., a software and marketing information services company, the total annual U.S. sales in supermarkets at retail prices of super premium and premium plus ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet were approximately $572 Mio in 1999 compared with about $518 Mio in 1998. During the 2001-2003 period sales grew by 11.6% In 2004, sales were approximately $260 Mio, and 2004 sales were $272 Mio. Ben and Jerry’s product is considered an affordable luxury because of the high quality and quantity of the ingredients. However, individual retailers set their own retail pricing. A reflection of the variation of pricing depends on local market conditions, as illustrated in the table below. Retail/Grocery Store Convenience store Pathmark Shoprite WaWa CVS Ben & Jerry $3.89 $3.79 $3.99 $3.69 Dreyer/Haagen-Dazs $4.19 $3.99 $4.29 $3.89 2.4 Place Competition and consumer demand are increasing in the premium ice cream industry. Because of limited shelf space within supermarkets, visibility becomes minimal for many ice cream manufacturers. As a result, some brands have been forced out of some markets. In most supermarkets that were visited, Ben & Jerry’s have their own section of shelf space to advertise there product. This is done by having their product advertised in a separate freezer space. In markets where they do not have their own shelf space, they tend to use a seasonal adjustment strategy. 2.5 Promotion Ben & Jerry’s use community involvement to advertise their ice cream. The company hosts a yearly folk festival which has about 50,000+ attendees. Free cones are given away at this annual event. In addition, the company has guided tours of its facility in Vermont. This is a non-traditional marketing approach. Currently, the company does not advertise in retail papers, nor do  they solicit buyers in television ads. As a result, it is difficult to quantify investment and return on investment (ROI). However, being able to double profit within five years illustrates Ben & Jerry’s ability to successfully market and drive sales. 2.6 Sales Cohen and Greenfield began packing the ice cream in pints for sale in local grocery stores in 1980. The first franchise followed in 1981. The company earned national exposure that year when Time magazine hailed their product as â€Å"the best ice cream in the world.† After opening its first out-of-state franchise in Maine in 1983, Ben & Jerry’s Homemade first went public in a Vermont-only stock offering (to keep ownership local) in 1984. Sales that year surpassed $4 Mio. The fat-free mania of the 1990s prompted the ice-cream producer to introduce frozen yogurt nationally in 1992 and nonfat frozen yogurt in 1995. Stiff competition and plant expansion in 1994 caused Ben & Jerry’s to suffer its first-ever loss. In 2000, Unilever acquired the company for about $326 Mio. Since its purchase of Ben & Jerry’s, Unilever has not fully integrated the company into its freezer-full of North American ice cream brands. However the parent has plans to boost the brand into its global portfolio. While most Ben & Jerry’s is exported from Vermont, limited production of the product has begun in Europe. Since its purchase of Ben & Jerry’s, Unilever has not fully integrated the company into its freezer-full of North American ice cream brands. However the parent has plans to boost the brand into its global portfolio. While most Ben & Jerry’s is exported from Vermont, limited production of the product has begun in Europe. After a slow spell in its retail growth, Ben & Jerry’s has announced it will step up store openings around the US. To share the cost of nabbing prime retail locations, the company is partnering with its Vermont neighbor Green Mountain Coffee Roasters to add coffee and pastries to its SCOOP SHOP menu — and hopefully extend sales into times of the day when people aren’t typically eating ice cream. An analysis of net sales for the last 9 years reflects a significant growth that is a result of: A better market penetration.  A reduction of cost of sales throughout the years (operational efficiency, improved sales and marketing) Improved gross profit over the years (reflects increased efficiency) In fact, based on the above analysis, Ben & Jerry’s are in a position to beat out their number one competitors, Dreyer’s and Nestle. 3 Recommendations Based on the findings in conducting a Marketing Audit for Ben & Jerry’s Super-Premium Ice Cream, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream is the best example of how to turn a dream into a successful business venture. In fact, they have achieved the No.2 player in the Super- Premium Ice Cream market. Their next goal is to become No.1. To achieve their goal, Ben & Jerry’s have to address the following issues that were identified in the Marketing Audit: They have to stream – line the variety of flavors. In fact, the current offering tends to confuse the consumer especially given the associated luxury price tag. They have to increase sales in the non target markets by increased marketing as an effort to become more visible to consumers. Sample marketing and advertising channels include television commercials, supermarket circulars, and radio advertisements. In fact, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream is the best illustration of the 80/20 rule. They achieve 80% of the revenues in the target market and 20% in non target markets; however, to increase sales and become No.1, they will need to increase sales in non target markets while stimulating demand in target markets. References Anonymous. Ben & Jerry’s 10-405K Report. Retrieved December 28, 2005, from http://www.benjerry.com/our company/research library/fin/1999/10k.html. Anonymous. Ben & Jerry’s 10-405K Report. Retreived December 28, 2005, from http://www.benjerry.com/our company/press_center/press/press_release.cfm. Anonymous. Packaging, Brand Communications and Consumer Environment. Retrieved from http://www.fitvh.com/case-study Anonymous. (2005).USA summer ice cream scene: Novelties, Co-Branding and Something for Everyone. Retrieved December 28, 2005 from http://www/qffintl.com/pdf/july_2005/95.cfm Chevron, J, (1998). The Delphi Process: Strategic Branding Methodology, (15)3, 1-2. Retrieved December 28, 2005 from http://www.jrcanda.com?art_delphi.html Emert, Carol. (1999). Dreyer’s enters the cold war. New Dreamery line is going cone to cone with Haagen–Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s. Retrieved January 10, 2006, from http://www/sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi Kerin, Roger, Hartley, Steven.(2005) Marketing. Eighth, Retrieved December 5, 2005 from University of Phoenix database Magrath, A. (1992). Six pathways to marketing innovation. Business & Company. Resource Center. Retrieved December 10, 2005 from http://galenet.galegroup.com Murray, B. Ben & Jerry’s homemade inc. Hoovers A D&B Company. Retrieved December 12, 2005, from http://www.hoovers.com

Issues In Financial Reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Issues In Financial Reporting - Essay Example IASC has seven members which "have formal liaison responsibilities with the national standard-setters in their respective countries" (Carrol and Dixon, 2003). These countries are the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Australia and New Zealand (the last two being represented by the same liaison member). Earlier the Australian Financial Reporting Council supported the policy of international harmonization in the sphere of accounting standards; Australian government launched one of the most effective programs of compliance with the IFRS in the world; at the same time Australia had a very developed accounting system which allowed to effectively monitor the firm's condition. However, recently the Australian Financial Reporting Council (AFRC) proclaimed the policy of adoption of IFRS. Such radical change has caused a lot of debates whether this decision will be a benefit to Australia or will worsen its position. This essay is dedicated to analysis of advantages and disadvantages of the AFRC's decision. Since globalization is one of the main tendencies in international economy, the interaction between Australian companies and foreign firms is increasing. It is common knowledge that volumes of international trade are growing rather in geometrical than in arithmetical progression. The countries which will be the first to open their economies to international trade, will receive the chance for significant economical growth. One of the necessary demands of international trade is the compliance of accounting standards and maximal ease of financial reporting. Adoption of IFRS, according to Collett et al. (2001), will lead to the increase of capital flow to the national market, and will also give the possibility to export the capital to other countries with lower cost for this and with simplified procedure. On one hand, these arguments are evident; the increased flow of capital is likely to benefit economical growth of the country. On the other hand, the expansion of foreign capital means a challenge to the national companies; it can also be doubted that national capital will quickly flow to other countries; this can be true only for countries with less developed economical and financial system than the Australian one. In my opinion, it is difficult to determine whether this argument belongs to advantages or disadvantages of IFRS adoption since the flows of capital depend on many other factors. 1.2. Improvement in capital market efficiency There exists an opinion that adoption of IFRS will lead to better accuracy of capital pricing and to higher efficiency of Australian

Robert Rays essay The Thematic Paradigm (from his book A Certain

Robert Rays The Thematic Paradigm (from his book A Certain Tendency of the Hollywood Cinema) - Essay Example The traits that Ferris is seen to depict are that of a hero who is not that much respectable. Even though Ray tries to be critic of the American people for being obsessed and liking Ferris, it is clear that Ferris is a true hero. One of the claims that Ray makes is that there are some American heroes such as George Washington who are revered in the American culture. George Washington is depicted as the a hero who has official traits. â€Å"The outlaw hero is someone like Davy Crockett† (Ray 279). The outlaw is seen as a reckless hero. The outlaw hero is depicted by Ferris Buleller. Ferris is a person that offers the kind of adventure that each person who was in high school once had. The depiction is a person with an attitude that is carefree and a person who has a pure sense of adventure. â€Å"Ferris is seen a someone who has values that are embodied in self determination and values that make someone to be free from entanglements† (Ray 279). The character goes out to do what is most desirable and yet is seen as someone who ha less care of the consequences of the actions that he takes. The fact that he takes a cut out of school and take a day in the city is enough to depict the character as an outlaw. He tries to avoid trouble by not meeting with any authoritative figure. The fact that Ferris gets stuck and sneaks behind his father is one trait that makes him be depicted as someone who could have lost the angelic image in an indefinite manner. From Ray’s perspe ctive, there are some traits that American people favour. One of the traits that American people favour is age. Ray can be seen as someone who sees Americans as people who sway towards the stance of younger individuals. The is something that is much attractive when it comes to the picture of childishness outlaw (Ray 279. A good be example will be in a film that is country old western which will equate

Tort assignment , Discuss the issues of tortious liability in this

Tort , Discuss the issues of tortious liability in this scenario - Assignment Example These unfairness outcomes in a wrong or detriment, form the foundation of a wrong toed alliance. A tortuous liability is related to the duty of care and negligence of that duty, with respect to persons with whom there is no contractual liability. For example if a property owner fails to maintain proper safety standards on his property and a passerby is injured by something falling from the roof, the property owner is liable for the damages to that person even though there are no contractual obligations between them. A person who commits a tort is known as a tortfeaser, or wrong doer. Where there are more than one, they are called joint tortfeasers. Their wrong doing is called a tortuous act and they are liable to be sued jointly and severally. The person who suffers the injury or damage is called the injured or aggrieved. The tort law’s primary objective is to offer assistance for damages incurred. Its aim is compensation of victims or their defendants. Capacity, loss of earni ngs and pain are the damage types. Objectives of Law of Torts To determine rights between parties to a dispute. To prevent the continuation or repetition of harm To protect certain rights recognized by law To restore property to its rightful owner where property is wrongfully taken away. Torts are categorized into three major classes: 1. Intentional torts. An example is intentionally beating up someone 2. Negligent torts. An example would be disobeying traffic laws and causing an accident 3. Strict Liability torts. An example would be defective product’s selling and making. The law of tort is used as an instrument for making people adhere to standards of reasonable behavior and respect the rights and interests of one another. A protected interest gives right to a legal right, which in turn gives rise to a corresponding legal duty. An act, which infringes a legal right, is a wrongful act but not every wrongful act is a tort. To constitute a tort or civil injury the following m ust have taken place:- There must be a wrongful act or omission The wrongful act or omission must give rise to legal damage or actual damage The wrongful act must be of such a nature as to give rise to a legal remedy in the form of an action for damages. The discussion is on two scenarios, PC Nosey Parker and Romulus PLC. It will centre around tortuous liability specifically negligence tort. Negligence is the failure to use ordinary care through either action or omission. It occurs when somebody does not exercise the amount of care that a reasonably careful person would use under the circumstances. It also occurs when somebody does something that a reasonably careful person would not do under the circumstances. PC – Nosey Parker Tort Liability Case Background: PC Nosey Parker inherited ? 2.9m from his Arsenal supporting grandmother. He is a worker for Essex based in Billericasy. On April 1 he witnessed A & B robbing an old lady. The following happened. He manages to arrest A and handcuffs him to a weak pole attached to the door of the shop. He goes after B and returns to take A to the Police Station, in the process he carelessly pulls off the weak pole which falls and injures the foot of a passerby Alf a premier Division football player. As a result of the injury Alf is able to play for his club for 2 months. Alf’s club can only sell him for ?1m instead of ?2m before his injury Alf’s club loses ?20,000 in ticket sales during the 2 months absence of Alf. Thelma, Alf’

Advertising Individual CW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Advertising Individual CW - Essay Example All the products are priced at very low competitive prices due to the cost saving techniques the company uses to pass the benefits to its customers. We want the people of Marylebone to try out the new trader Joe grocery store and experience a fresh and unique hassle free shopping experience that is unforgettable. The store uses a cultural approach that caters for all traditions while at the same time giving its customers the chance to sample varied and new cultural experiences. Trade Joes stores are different, bigger, with walls decked with cedar planks and their employees wear cool Hawaiian shirts (Trade Joe, Our Story 2012). This gives its customers a fantastic and relaxing shopping experience. Starting as a small chain of convenience stores in the 1950s called Pronto market convenience stores (Gardetta, 2011), Trader Joe has grown tremendously in size, increasing the number of its stores to over three hundred and fifty across American states and has successfully created a large an d loyal customer base in all the states; through its innovative and creative business practices and the company’s desire to fully satisfy its customers’ needs and requirements through excellent customer care and customer feedback (Fast Company, 2011). Trader Joe’s listens and fully responds to the needs of all its customers and it wants to bank on its previous success in America by offering the same unique services and products to the London market. The new Trader Joe advertisement will primarily target single male and female consumers who live alone. The target market is health conscious and college educated, with a household income of above $54000 (The Associated Press, 2003) and who are most likely to have no children at home. The company targets this segment of the London society that is cost-conscious and keen on what they eat hence the use of clear labels on Trader Joe’s products for easy label reading and who would appreciate the different size of packages to cater for single consumers for convenience of use. These customers are very mobile and most likely to have a wide knowledge of exotic foods and beverages. They are adventurous and would not hesitate to try out the diverse and unique varieties offered by Trader Joe grocery shop. Major Selling Idea or Key Benefit to Communicate Trader Joe stores boast of over 2000 unique and high quality products (Trade Joe, 2006) which provide better alternatives to health conscious and environmentally friendly individuals. Over 80% of the high quality products stocked in our grocery stores are branded with trader Joe’s trademark (Kowitt, 2010) as a sign of high quality. These foods are organically produced and have no pesticides suitable for the health conscious individuals. Many of the limited Trader Joe’s products addresses the different consumer needs in their research and development departments with primary focus on quality, packaging and cultural preferences of the cu stomers (Llopis, 2011). The store gives everybody something to love and something to use. Trader Joe is an equal employment company with above average salaries and other employment benefits. It has both permanent and temporally positions. This will benefit the community in a large way by contributing to the economy which will create a good public perception necessary for a successful entry into the market. The Single Most Important Thought You Want A Member Of The Target Audience To Take Away From The

The effect of gender minority status on womens experience of Essay

The effect of gender minority status on womens experience of male-dominated work and mens experience of female-dominated work - Essay Example They were established at a time when those roles made sense for the survival of the human race as is realized with the dedicated role of women in child care. But with advancing technology, some of the roles that have been attributed to various gender is becoming obsolete. However, people still make assumptions about roles of men and women through these stereotypical notions that claim to apply to all men and women in the world. Some of the roles associated with women include preparing and serving food but most important, taking care of children. Even with the games that are played at this age, it is evident that women are supposed to stay at home, cook, clean and take care of the children while males are supposed to go to work. From a young age, boys are taught more roles that are considered 'manly' like mowing the lawn and taking out the trash instead of the more 'womanly' roles of cleaning the house (Chodorow, 2004). The stereotypes however do not apply to all men and women in society. Each individual in society is often free to act as they please, a factor that has realized an increase in the number of women who have taken up manly roles and vice versa (Schein, 2005). It is considered normal for a woman to pursue roles that are manlier like construction and men to pursue roles that are more feminine like cooking and cleaning.Gender should not be the basis by which a person's identity is created; it should merely be a part of someone's personality. It is on the basis of this understanding that conflicting roles have come up for both men and women in society. Gender minority status results when a person decides to engage in a profession that is considered less suitable for their gender. (Lupton, 2000). They are thus considered the minority members of the particular profession because they are either less in number or they are simply taking up roles that make them be considered either lesser males or females. This is considered in light of the belittling roles that women have been subjected to over the years because of their gender orientation. In the past, there were certain jobs that were reserved for male gender owing to their intensive nature. It was thus considered as work that women could not engage in and if they did, there would be repercussions. Society would regard them as misfits and socialization with them would be naturally forbidden or undertaken under different scenarios (Chodorow, 2004). Gender minority status results from observed differences in behavior and personality between the genders that result from a person's innate personality. Personality is affected by culture and social interaction with other members of society and is largely not att ributable to physiological and biological differences. There are those who perceive that children learn to orient themselves towards their gender roles as a result of their learned observations and interactions with their environment (Chodorow, 2004). Boys are often provided with tools that are used to manipulate their environment like vehicles, trucks and engines while females are often dressed up with pink frilly dresses and provided with dolls that have pretty hair and makeup. In so doing, girls learn that they are objects to be viewed and as such

Read and answer question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Read and answer question - Essay Example Both the organization and its shareholders need returns for their investments and when such is not achieved then change is inevitable. 2. What is the primary type of change needed- Changing things or changing the people and culture. Can the Wisconsin plant be saved by changing things alone, by changing people and culture, or must both be changed? The primary type of change needed for Wisconsin plant is for people and culture. With some current Wisconsin employees telling of how their fathers worked for the same plant, calls for a change in the people. Once people get used to a place, they reduce the quality of production, which could be the contributing factor towards the competitors almost producing better quality than Wisconsin plant. It is also clear that Wisconsin employees are the most paid compared to the others. The culture of the union determining their pay should, therefore be changed too in an urge to reduce the plant’s high production costs. 3. What do you think is the major underlying cause of the Union’s resistance to change? If you were Jim Malesckowski, what implementation tactics would you use to try to convince union members to change to save the Wisconsin plant? It is evidently clear that if no change is made, then the Wisconsin plant will have to close down due to the high operational costs. If I was Jim, I would dialogue with the union be telling them that if change was not achieved then the plant would close down. In the event that happens then all the employees would be jobless. In changing to a save culture, the union members would benefit in that despite the reduction in their salaries, they would still retain their jobs, other than letting the plant close down leaving all of them jobless as a result of the high operational

Business and society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business and society - Essay Example It encourages operating a business in a way that meets the ethical, legal and social expectations of the society. The concept results in situations where organizations contribute voluntarily to make the society better and clean. The organizations integrate ethical values in the running and management of the company. Most business companies have the obligation of creating employment for the society members as a social responsibility. The expectations of the society have evolved over time to include the needs of all stakeholders. Corporations have the obligation of providing quality and safe products to their customers (Buchholtz & Carroll, 29). At the global level, they are required to meet the expectations of investors, human rights individuals, and environmentalists. At a country level, stakeholders include the government, employees, and suppliers among others. The government expects companies to pay taxes and provide safe working conditions for employees. The workers expect to get numerous benefits from the enterprise. These advantages include the provision of health care services for them and their families. Supplies expect ready market for the products they offer to the organization. Organizations have to commit to improving the economic development of the society by improving the lives of its stakeholders. Companies play a significant role in the enhancing the welfare of the community and its members. Stakeholder management improves the efficiency and effectiveness of research projects. Research projects are crucial to companies because they can put innovative ideas into reality. Living wages is an essential component to most corporations dealing in corporate social responsibility. Most stakeholders avoid the main aspects of social justice, and it permits them to look good without doing the public good. Firms are entitled to account

Rocks and Minerals in Indiana Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rocks and Minerals in Indiana - Assignment Example Additionally, minerals occur in abundance within this state. Estimates are that Indiana has approximately 100 different minerals, although other minerals exist in scarcity. This implies the state has more than 100 minerals considering the scarce mineral deposits that are present within the region. Despite the huge deposits of minerals across Indiana, only some minerals occur in large quantities. The most plentiful of the minerals in Indiana include calcite, clay minerals and quartz (Smith, Brookley and McGregor 12). The largest percentages of the minerals that are present in Indiana are widely dispersed while others are totally covered by the earth crust. Therefore, this makes economical utilization of these minerals impossible, especially in large-scale mining. Additionally, the process of mining and searching for these minerals can be uneconomical since the minerals occur sparingly. Calcite occurs in Indiana as one of the most abundant minerals. It is usually present in different rock layers. The mineral is considered the largest carbon depository and takes up the form of limestone coupled with marble. Limestone is generated either through chemical precipitation of CaCo3 or changes that transpire on various constituents in the period that diagenesis occurs. Conversely, marble is generated in the instance that limestone gets exposed to towering temperature and pressure. Nearly all the calcite that is present in Indiana is colorless or possesses yellow and brown shades. Calcite has hexagonal shaped crystals in case they are visible to the eye. The calcite present in Indiana has crystals that bear other minerals such as pyrite although this phenomenon rarely occurs. Outstanding specimens of calcite and other related mineral deposits are present in Indiana, with some possessing large crystals (IGS1). The properties that calcite possesses makes the mineral exceptional during identification thus making it easier to recognize the mineral.

The Effects of the Iraq War Essay Example for Free

The Effects of the Iraq War Essay The war in Iraq was supposedly an act against terrorism. In one of the President’s speeches, he made it clear that it was a preemptive attack and that if we were not fighting and destroying this enemy in Iraq, they would not be idle. They would be plotting and killing Americans across the world and within our own borders. By fighting these terrorists in Iraq, Americans in uniform are defeating a direct threat to the American people†(Crimes Against Humanity). This is the government’s claim but it was never substantiated by any evidence, thus keeping the Americans wondering what really is the cause of this massive bloodshed. Some reports say that this war is in large part an oil currency war. â€Å"One of the core reasons for this upcoming war is this administrations goal of preventing further Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) momentum towards the euro as an oil transaction currency standard†(Mother Jones). In order to stop the OPEC from doing this, the US needed to take control of the OPEC’s 2nd largest oil producer, Iraq. This means that the Iraq War is just another economic war. It is just another result of the struggle to control the means of production. The â€Å"domestic impact of any US war will be inequitably distributed, the workers and lowest economic classes carrying the burden of the social costs, while the upper strata benefit†(Swans). Even before the Iraq war, experts have already concluded that powerful corporate interests only see middle class families as the spoils of political influence (FromTheWilderness. com). When war struck, the burden was heavily felt by these same families. The additional burden came in the form of taxes. To maintain the Iraq war the government imposed additional taxes on the people disguised as national security taxes. This tax is imposed on all persons, however the effect on the upper class is not as drastic as to the middle class families simply because since they are the ones who can afford to pay and benefit from the big tax cuts. These taxes in addition to the economic pressures on the middle class—stagnant wages, the need to pull down two salaries to support a family, and the rising costs of the basic expenses—drive these families to turn to credit just to make ends meet. Credit in itself is neither bad nor is it taboo but the present state of the country prevents the middle class families from ever recovering (FromTheWilderness. com). The Iraq war brought about a change not merely on financial aspects but also in the way Americans perceive things. It has awakened the people’s social consciousness. Due to the doubtful claims the government are using to justify the war coupled with the suffering of the middle class, the masses are starting to wonder and ponder on the real issues that they are presently facing. A sense of awareness has donned on them, the people are slowly gearing towards social change. Having the freedom of intercourse, the people are slowly unearthing the reasons behind the war, the cause of their social helplessness and the means or solutions they are entitled to. Americans are becoming inquisitive, they are slowly transforming into persons naturally drawn to activism and sympathetic to an anti-war attitude and the Iraq War will present a new challenge of exposing the propaganda promoted by American imperialists, and in building an opposition (Swans). The change the Americans are experiencing after the war is neither bad nor good. It is a just a natural reaction brought about by the need for social justice and equity. Social justice is the concept of society in which justice is achieved in every aspect of society, rather than merely the administration of law. It is generally thought of as a society that affords individuals and groups fair treatment and a just share of the benefits of society. The Iraq war is not the sole cause of this change, several social forces are at work here but it may very well be considered as one of the factors that triggered it. After years of following the capitalist norm, the uneven distribution of wealth and power between the classes is already taking its toll. The delineation of the social classes is becoming clearer, each class is grouping itself together and yet, each one is dependent upon the other, without the bourgeoisies there would be no proletariat, without the proletariat there would be no cause for awareness, without a cause there can be no change. The social classes are now playing their important roles in this changes, they are setting the stage for their struggle. The United States is experiencing social change and it is inevitable. According to Neo-Marxism, strains are inherent in social structures and the source of these strains or contradictions is the inherent scarcity of certain goods and values. Thus inequality is a source of conflict. The conflicts caused by the inequality of the classes are starting to show. The ghost of communism is slowly rearing its head in our country. The Americans are preparing to experience a class struggle. The middle class is slowly becoming aware of the distribution of wealth and power between the masses and the selected few, they are realizing the exploitation of their class by a selected few using the government as an instrument. The country is now at the brink of a social revolution, just as how all revolutions came to be, the birth begins with the proletariat’s struggle with the bourgeoisie. At first the contest is carried on by individual labourers, then by the workpeople of a factory, then by the operatives of one trade, in one locality, against the individual bourgeois who directly exploits them and eventually the rise to power of the middle class. At this point however, the movement’s success cannot be ascertained. The thinking masses is too small to resemble a threat to imperialism but a war gone badly might alter public thinking enough to make such fundamental social change an increasing possibility. The ideas of Communism are based on actual relations springing from an existing class struggle, from a historical movement going on since time immemorial, it seeks to abolish property relations and to place power on to the working class (Mondo Politico). According to Karl Marx, this is the end result of all modern governments. Everything shall start from the bourgeois controlling first the modes of production hiring the proletariat only for labor, later on educating the proletariat so the bourgeois can use the knowledge endowed to the working class to remain competitive. Greed being the driving force, the bourgeois shall continue to teach and exploit the proletariat. Through this process, what the bourgeoisie, therefore, produces, above all, is its own grave-diggers. Its fall and the victory of the proletariat are equally inevitable. Communism is definitely an ideal type of government, it speaks of utopia where social justice reigns supreme and equity can never be flawed. The question now is that how come there is no country that has successfully established a perfect communist government? This might be caused by the degree of difficulty of implementing the transformation or it may be that eventually all systems shall need property relations of some kind. At this point, the social revolution in the United States is pretty far from fruition. Not all of the working class is willing to undergo change. After the United States has existed for so long, after having been accustomed to it and after achieving so much through capitalism, the premature abolition of property relations shall definitely cause its own downfall.

Television Violence and Children

Television Violence and Children I. Overview Television has been hailed by many as the greatest invention ever created and as such, it has wrought a great influence towards each and every person. Through the television, we were able to view several important events throughout our history such as the very first trip to the moon, the tragedy of the September 11 attack at the World Trade Center and other such disasters and major events. On average, American children watch about three to four hours of television everyday with half almost half having the television set in their own bedroom. Consequently, it has become an influential factor towards the development of a child’s values and behavior. Nowadays, there is an assortment of shows from movies to cable television and even commercial ads that features a lot of violence. Coupled with a lesser degree of supervision from parents, children are constantly exposed to themes of violence. Due to this, the children’s television act was enacted wherein research into the topic was required. Several studies have found out that a lengthy exposure to television violence causes aggressiveness levels to rise. Furthermore, it has been found out that being exposed to TV violence can lead to children becoming immune to the idea of violence, accepting violence as something that can solve their problems, imitate what they see in television as well as identify with the characters on television that display violent behavior. It was in the year 1964 that television was found out to be a strong influence to the behavior of a child. Parents themselves can limit the effects of television violence by modeling appropriate behaviors and limiting the amount and nature of the show that children watch especially amongst younger children in from the toddler and preschool age. II. Controversy â€Å"What one learns about life from the television screen seems to be transmitted to the next generation,† Leonard Eron, from The University of Michigan who chairs the APA Commission on Violence and Youth â€Å"I dont know anyone in peace studies who doesnt think ads, TV and movies in a very significant way affect violence against women and violence by gangs. The burden of proof needs to fall not on those trying to show a positive correlation, but on those who continue to promote violence and use it as entertainment.† Robin Crews, a professor at the University of Colorado who heads a group of activist academics called the Peace Studies Association Scenario / Situation With American children glued to the TV for an average of 27 hours each week (in the inner city its often 11 hours per day), the American Psychological Association (APA) now estimates that a typical child will watch 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence before finishing elementary school. In the mid-1980s, 13-year-old Juan Valdez of Manteca, Calif., confessed to murdering a friends father. Having kicked, stabbed, beaten and choked the man with a dog chain, the boy was asked why he also poured salt on the victims wounds. â€Å"Oh, I dont know,† he replied, â€Å"I just seen it on TV.† Children learn most through visual stimulation and as such, they tend to imitate the behaviors they observe regardless whether it is negative or positive. Even if children imitate the behaviors of â€Å"good guys† in shows or movies, these are still aggressive in nature and they learn that fighting is the solution for conflicts as well as violence as an acceptable means of resolving problems. Furthermore, children who are exposed for a lengthier time to television violence have demonstrated difficulties in problem solving and poor interpersonal relationships. It can’t be denied that television has certain adverse effects on our society. Ever since the television’s inception, crime rates have steadily increased. Nowadays, even the school, a center for education and learning have become almost like war zones as there have been incidents of school shootings. Previous studies have shown that children as young as 5 years old, has the ability to understand the behavioral content of television shows. Another study, which experimented on four year old children have found out that their behavior during play was influenced by the aggressive behavior they see on television. These problems have been blamed partly, on the violence that children are exposed to everyday while watching television plus the given fact that there is excessive violence and sex on television. As a result, the present content of these shows contribute largely to both physical and verbal aggression of children which are evident in various situations. Children who have been continuously exposed to violent themes may take these characteristics as something that is ordinary and usual in the real world which may lead them to conclude that violence is both acceptable and the standard. Thus, these children, once they grow up may show indifference to violence and deem it suitable. III. Quotations Quotation One: In the words of a recent American Psychological Association (APA) report, â€Å"the accumulated research clearly demonstrates a correlation between viewing violence and aggressive behavior that is, heavy viewers behave more aggressively than light viewers.† Article Title: TV Violence By Charles S. Clark Works Cited Information: American Psychological Association Quoted in TV Guide, op. cit. Quotation Two: â€Å"I dont know anyone in peace studies who doesnt think ads, TV and movies in a very significant way affect violence against women and violence by gangs. The burden of proof needs to fall not on those trying to show a positive correlation, but on those who continue to promote violence and use it as entertainment.† Article Title: TV Violence By Charles S. Clark Works Cited Information: Robin Cooks as Quoted in Los Angeles Times, May 18, 1992. IV. Evidence First Piece of Evidence: Violence has been popularly depicted ever since and especially now when advancements in technology presents a means to deliver to audiences a realistic show which contains detailed scenes and a rapid sequence of action. Even cartoons nowadays can be described as containing aggressive and at times, even violent themes which is one major source of problem. In a survey of elementary school educators, it was found out that the show â€Å"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles† can cause confusion between what is real and what is fantasy. One teacher even reported that â€Å"Several children really thought it was OK to use physical violence with other children because [the turtles] do that,† Article Title: , â€Å"The Subversion of Healthy Development and Play: Teachers Reactions to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles† Works Cited Information: Nancy Carlsson-Paige and Diane E. Levin, â€Å"The Subversion of Healthy Development and Play: Teachers Reactions to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Day Care and Early Education, winter 1991. Second Piece of Evidence: In several studies and research conducted by various groups, the reactions of children were studied wherein they were shown a scene of a man punching an inflatable toy and being rewarded with sweets and candy. Another study, meanwhile, compared the level of aggression of a child after watching a combat that features cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker and tom Jerry and comparing it to other shows such as Lassie. Researchers also studied how homicide rates were affected by watching televised boxing matches and even noting increases in suicide rates following the TV shows which depict suicide. Accordingly, results show that there were measurable increases of three to fifteen percent of causative effects. Article Title: Television as a Social Issue Works Cited Information: Stuart Oskamp (ed.), Television as a Social Issue, (1988), p. 190. Reference: Carlsson-Paige, Nancy and Levin, Diane. The Subversion of Healthy Development and Play: Teachers Reactions to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Day Care and Early Education, winter 1991. Cooks, Robin as Quoted in Los Angeles Times, May 18, 1992 Huesmann, Rowell and Miller, Laurie (1994). Long-term effects of repeated exposure to media violence in childhood. In L. Rowell Huesmann (ed.) Aggressive Behavior, (pp. 153-186), New York: Plenum Press. Stuart Oskamp (ed.), Television as a Social Issue, (1988), p. 190.

Sports Day - Personal Narrative Essay -- Papers

Sports Day - Personal Narrative That afternoon was no different, it would seem, to any other. The lessons were dull and lifeless with the same dry teacher droning on about the same old rubbish. However, as we sat listening to the monotonous speech a small, sweet glimmer of hope lay wide awake behind our hot, tired faà §ade. Sports day was coming. Our restlessness would soon be relieved. The small group of teachers who knew how to push passion into their lessons could sense the excitement. They were using the events to get out of teaching for the afternoon and they lazily let the class enjoy the TV. We watched ‘Chicken Run’ although I could barely concentrate. How could I? We were in year 6 at the top of the schools hierarchy and were ready to proudly show off the results of our long, hard training in the schools annual sports day. Josh was just as excited as me, we were both contending in the same race, and we were both very competitive. We both raced off as soon as the bell rang out it’s echoing toll. I was f...

Cloning :: essays research papers

A DISCUSSION ON CLONING   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Have you ever wondered when the scientists of our day will start cloning humans? You might be asking yourself what exactly is cloning. It is a method that involves the production of a group of identical cells or organisms that all derive from a single individual (Grolier 220). Basically, cloning is the copy of the same individuals DNA to another individual. There is no doubt that if humans are cloned many problems involving the technological and ethical sides of this issue will arise and will be virtually impossible to avoid. Another large aspect to consider is how much money the area of genetics uses every year. When cloning comes about, taxes will increase, and people will be willing to pay anything to create clones of themselves. It is such a costly form of technology. Society will do all kinds of things for money. A type of black market for embryos could easily develop. Parents already spend a great deal of money on in vitro fertilization, and who knows how much they would be willing to pay for cloning their children?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Scientists today have already started cloning animals. Dr. Ian Wilmut started by cloning a lamb. They named the clone Dolly, after Dolly Parton. After this, they cloned five more sheep. All of them had the same genetic makeup or DNA. According to Daniel Kevles in â€Å"Study Cloning, Don’t Ban It†, Doctor Wilmut states that cloning would be â€Å"ethically unacceptable†. President Clinton asked for a quick study of cloning mammals. The president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization begged for the cloning of humans to be banned. The reason for this thinking is because animals do not have consciences and people do. Ellen Goodman at the end of her essay called â€Å"Hello Dolly† best argues this point. It states, â€Å"We are the shepherds, not the sheep.† In other words, humans are the shepherds, which are the leader such the scientist, and we are not the sheep, which is the experiment. The whole idea of cloning humans is one that we could possibly grow to accept as a reality for the future. With today’s technology we have surrogate mothers, and the process of artificial insemination. These techniques have become widespread throughout our country. Say a woman wanted to have a baby but could not, she would then have more options on how to go about having a baby.

The Other Side of Racism Essay -- Essays Papers

The Other Side of Racism When most people think of racism or supremacy, the images that come to their mind are white power organizations that undermine blacks and other minorities. Groups such as the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, Skinheads and the White Nationalist Party may be some that come to mind. However, many people are not aware of other racist organizations and powerful leaders that influence people other than whites. A prime example of this is Louis Farrakahn, perhaps one of world's premier black leaders, who condones racism against whites and people of different religions. The image of an African American promoting racism among whites is not what society understands as a typical form of racism. Despite this, Louis Farrakahn has managed to gain support from thousands of African Americans and his Nation of Islam against white authority in America and worldwide. Though Farrakahn is now a world leader for black rights and white oppression, he began his rise to power as a humanist trying to ease tension among different minority and religious groups. "Let's Unite" were his famous words as a modest middle aged calypso singer in 1984. His song called for unification between Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Surprisingly, eleven years later this singer turned Black Muslim leader and separatist, and used the term "Bloodsuckers" to describe many ethnic groups, Jews in particular. His speeches and messages of separation between blacks and whites have reached thousands and many are wondering whether he has had a positive or negative influence on black America (Who is Farrakahn Part 1). Louis Eugene Walcott, (Farrakahn), is a Bronx native. Born there in 1933, he moved to Boston at a young age where he became a talented musician... .../american/adl/nation-of-islam/noi-04.html> (April 14, 1997). "The Nation of Islam: The Relentless Record of Hate, Part 4." <http://www.almanac.bc.ca/hweb/orgs/american/adl/nation-of-islam/noi-05.html> (April 14, 1997). "The Nation 0f Islam: The Relentless Record of Hate, Part 5." <http://www.almanac.bc.ca/hweb/orgs/american/adl/nation-of-islam/noi-06.html> (April 14, 1997). "The Nation of Islam: The Relentless Record of Hate, Part 6." <http://www.almanac.bc.ca/hweb/orgs/american/adl/nation-of-islam/noi-07.html> (April 14, 1997). "The Nation of Islam: The Relentless Record of Hate, Part 7." <http://www.almanac.bc.ca/hweb/orgs/american/adl/nation-of-islam/noi-08.html> (April 14, 1997). "The Nation of Islam: The Relentless Record of Hate, Part 8." <http://www.almanac.bc.ca/hweb/orgs/american/adl/nation-of-islam/noi-09.html> (April 14, 1997).

Brave New World: Death Is a Repudiation or a Validation

Let Down Your Noose Paige Fairbairn 10/20/12 Mr. Pierce per. 2 The ultimate escape is death. The driving force that pushes a man to slide his neck through a noose, tighten the hole, and take the final leap of faith- only to result in eternal stillness. The leap of faith John the Savage took was a symbolic repudiation of the World State's motto, â€Å"community, identity, stability† because every aspect of John was a contradiction to the motto, thus weakening the strength of the motto, essentially reducing the meaning to â€Å"bunk†.In Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World John had no community to accept him, no true identity to boost his broken morale, and his emotional instability shackled him to conscience, and roped him into death. Glorified civilization appeared to John as a morsel of knowledge; the opportunity of a lifetime. John's uncontainable excitement procured the words of Miranda, from Shakespeare's play The Temptest to pour out of his naive mouth, â€Å"O w onder! How many godly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world. That has such people in it! At this point, Huxely is paralleling John to Miranda, Bernard to Prospero, and Lenina resembles Ferdinand. John is intrigued as well as excited for civilization, as Lenina (just as Ferdinand was to Miranda) served as temptation to part take in this foreign, yet enchanting land, and only Bernard (just as Prospero admonished Miranda) knew of the cruelties and horrors of civilization and wished that John would understand that this world isn't so brave or honorable at all. John, like a child, joins Bernard into a community where John is a specimen; to be observed and provide many laughs.John, like a fresh water fish tossed into the sea, eventually dies, not just physically, but emotionally due to his incompatibility with the community. Not only was he a reject in the pueblo of Malpais, but he too was a spectacle in civilization, and was unaccepted due to his distinct personality and physical differences. The world state destroyed John due to its conditioned insensitivity. Amongst the community posing as an exploitative force toward John, his identity was stampeded and broken, even in his own solitude. Not only did Malpais reject him for his mother, Linda, but he looked too different to be accepted.Even then, he struggled with himself and his solitude which led to his discovery of, â€Å"Time and Death and God† (136 Huxely). Even with this discovery, he still searched for himself, hoping to acquire a true identity in civilization. Any and all thoughts of an identity were smashed to bits, as John was simply a spectacle, just as his Mother was. Linda's death was a wake-up call to John; he didn't belong because no one could comprehend his emotion. Like a fish out of water, Linda's soma induced coma was abruptly interrupted by the coming of her death.She gasped for air, and flopped and flailed in distress; her death is symbolic for the role sh e played in society. She was a specimen of the grotesque, as her death reflected that, because it cut through the feigned essence of peace and relaxation in her room. Her death also served as John's ugly realization of the, â€Å"Brave new world† and her death distorted John's image of society as well as his own purpose being there. Immediately after Linda's death, five young Delta boys with chocolate eclairs stood around her deathbed, asking foolishly of her death, for they were not enlightened of the true meaning of death.Aldous Huxely is alluding to the five foolish virgins from The Parable of the Ten Virgins â€Å"five were foolish and five were wise† (Mathew 25:2). There were about half a dozen other Delta boys at the hospital at the time, adding to approximately ten boys. Instead of eclairs, these virgins in the parable each had an oil lamp, five of which brought enough oil to have entrance to a groomsman's feast, and the five foolish virgins didn't have enough o il and missed the entrance, so when their judgment came, they were declined to be let in due to their foolery.It was also stated that, â€Å"the spirit of a man is a candle of the Lord† (Proverbs 20:27 KJV). Huxely satired the spirit of man and his faith represented through the eclairs; the perfect representation of immediate pleasure and delight, which served as a symbol for the identity of the society. Each Delta had an eclair instead of a lamp, foolishly asking John what happened to Linda, just as the foolish virgins were asking what happened to their entrance.The eclairs served to represent their superficiality, and just as the five foolish virgins were shooed away by a bad judgment, the five Delta boys were forced out by John's disapproving of their foolery. It was here that John realized he had no identity in this community; he was surrounded by fools who couldn't comprehend deep feelings and emotion ; he was lost and couldn't find himself in the misleading and misgivin gs of civilization. He hadn't an identity due to the inability of others to accept him for who he was. As a result, John began to disturb the stability the World State thrives for.The sweet desire for stimulating pleasures were all readily available and handed out in the World State; sex, soma, and never being alone was the foundation of civilization's stability. John's morals intensely conflicted with this, he viewed the soma pillboxes as caskets and can't grasp the lack of religion and concrete feeling; for that is how civilization thrives. John is desperate for escape and the world controller, Mustapha Mond quotes, â€Å"sometimes a thousand twangling instruments will hum about my ears and sometimes voices† (218) from Shakespeare's play The Temptest.Like Caliban, the controller is speaking to John (who is like Stephano) of the sweet melodies and diversions of the island, that lull him to dream fantastic dreams, and when he wakes, he only wishes to dream once again. Mustaph a continues that the absence of God is civilization's fault, and shall never be obtained through solitude. Soma and indoctrination, â€Å"hasn't been very good for the truth of course. But it's very good for happiness. One can't have something for nothing. Happiness has to be paid for. (228) Mustapha is tempting, and giving John the choice to enslave his mind with pleasure for superficial happiness rather than to be unhappy. John declines and Mustapha Mond questions if he will claim all of the let downs and sorrows of life and John, in a christ-like moment says, â€Å"I claim them all. † (240) Mustapha stays in his role of playing on people's pleasures, in exchange for their souls, just as Satan did. Bernard and Hemholtz were sent into a purgatory-like island were some pleasures are removed, but they aren't truly free, and John is sent to his own solitude to repent and find God.John, after many episodes of further exploitation, hangs himself due to his own emotion instabilit y. Like a stairway to heaven, he climbed up the lighthouse steps and hung himself from an arch, that would bring him his true redemption and inner peace. The World State only amplified his instability with their lack of morals and twisted ways. John served as a symbol of defiled wholesomeness; he tried not to engage in the sinful activities of society, and the only way he found escape was in death. He died as a result of others' sins.John was the exception to the rule of the World State; if one has found faith, one can't be valid to the â€Å"community, identity, stability† of the World State. The reason John didn't fit was because he had true feelings that conflicted with the shallow feelings of hypnopedically indoctrinated society. John took a leap of faith with the people trying to enlighten them, but failed. It was the lack of recognition for a concrete community, identity, and stability that rocked John over the edge to take his own life, in the ultimate repudiation of c orrupt civilization.

Prejudices: Challenging Level Prejudice Essay

â€Å"We are each burdened with prejudice; against the poor or the rich, the smart or the slow, the gaunt or the obese. It is natural to develop prejudices. It is noble to rise above them,† Author Unknown. Unfortunately, throughout history our society has become victim to the upbringing and menacing of prejudices within. The prejudices that our fellow neighbors endure range from scowling facial expressions to violent hate crimes. As far back as the decades go, prejudice has been an ongoing problem in society, our children and our future are affected immensely; it is our job to make a drastic change. Prejudice is a word that means judging someone or having an idea about them before you actually know anything about them, the word can also mean having an opinion about something without knowing anything about it. (Kids Health) On a more challenging level prejudice can refer to a positive or negative attitude or belief directed toward certain people based on their membership in a particular group. The root of the word is â€Å"pre-judge,† it is a set of attitudes which causes, supports, or justifies discrimination. There are three general theories for prejudice; personality needs, social learning and conformity, and social structure and economic position. Based on a study done by the Delmar University the three general theories were shown to be the most common reasons for prejudice within a person. These three theories lead to the forms and explanations of prejudice. The first form of prejudice being cognitive prejudice which refers to what people believe is true. Next is affective prejudice which points to peoples likes and dislikes. And finally, conative prejudice which refers to how people are inclined to behave. Playing a part in the causes of prejudice is also; family, school, peer groups, work, and the media. Unfortunately, all too often a person will create a prejudice based off of something that they learned from another person or another area. It is society’s job to recreate the environment that we set for our youth and humanity. We have to show our communities that not everyone or everything can be judged from lack of experience or another’s belief. Our country has been facing prejudice since as early as slavery and the Holocaust. Slaves consisted of â€Å"colored,† people known as Negro’s and now referred to as African Americans. These groups of people were pre-judge based on the color of their skin. Since they did not have a pale complexion they were treated poorly and forced to serve societies â€Å"white† race. Later on in history a prejudice dictator, Adolph Hitler, created a German based army that slaughtered the Jewish community. Hitler pre-judged any and all who did not fit the description that he followed. Unfortunately, because of his prejudices many humans died from the ignorance of color barriers. Still to this day prejudice is a problem, where our children of color or bi-racial background experience the emotion of not feeling good enough because of what another thinks or believes. In Toledo Ohio where I live, my community experienced first-hand prejudice when a group of Neo-Nazis were given permission to have a demonstration walk through one of our neighborhoods. The decision that our Mayor made to allow such a demonstration was one that jeopardized people’s lives and disrespected the integrity of different cultures. The problem with prejudice is that society does not give one another a chance at being themselves. Some of our society is quick to judge another person for their color, their culture, or their religion. By pre-judging before knowing anything about a person or thing we are allowing something or someone else to influence our opinions. Prejudice is seen in all kinds of situations such as; the cheerleading squad not wanting to be friends with a certain girl because she does not come from a wealthy family, a Caucasian family thinking that the African American family that moved in down the street will break into their home cause they watched a show on television where a family did that or even for instance some of society not wanting to vote for Barack Obama because they think that he looks like he could be a terrorist. Our youth have learned the ignorance that we have instilled in them and in return have lashed out in outrageous actions. We have youth forming gangs and cliques that do harm to other youth because of what they have or do not have, or because of the way they look, who their parents are, where they live. It is unfortunate that instead of teaching our youth to appreciate everyone for who they are, we teach them what we do not like about another person or group. â€Å"Prejudice and discrimination are negative manifestations of integrative power. Instead of bringing or holding people together, prejudice and discrimination push them apart. Ironically, even prejudice and discrimination imply some sort of relationship. However, if there is no relationship people would be completely unaware of another person’s or group’s existence. When there is any relationship at all–even a negative one–there is some integration. Kenneth Boulding referred to this as â€Å"disintegrative power†-â€Å"the integration that is achieved through hatred, fear, and the threat of a common enemy. † (Boulding, 1989). There are ways that we can show our youth to bypass prejudice. If we start now and work together then the future of our children could be brighter and less hateful. Some of our schools have begun practicing exercises to fight prejudice and â€Å"bullying. † At Crissey Elementary School the teachers began an exercise where each grade and classroom came up with ways of helping another student and being nice daily. The school worked together and colored their own posters that read, â€Å"Stop Bullying! † or â€Å"We all love each other at Crissey. † Not only did they join together to make these posters but they hung the posters all over the school for students, faculty and visitors to see everyday. Their idea is a great one that could be carried nationwide; to help show children that everyone is equal. Another exercise that Crissey students participated in was one where each student took a family picture into their class. The students then wrote about their families, such as; how many family members there were, what their favorite foods were, what they liked to do together and so on. Once each student had written about their family the class filled out a poster that took a tally of each answer that was the same. By the end of the exercise the students were able to see that even though they may not look similar in appearance or come from the same origin, their families liked the same activities, foods, and vacation spots. It is exercises like these that help teach our youth to be, â€Å"one† and not divide between each other. The future of our society depends on people who have open minds and see past prejudice. These kinds of people can help mediate between conflicts of other people with prejudice. According to the web-site, Beyond Prejudice, the victims of prejudicial thinking or prejudicial actions are already devalued in the eyes of prejudicial individuals and any action taken by these people is seen as less valid because of their devaluation. In addition to this person being devalued, his or her action also brings an oppositional force into the situation; this often creates more heat than light. Oppositional positions, while they may be completely â€Å"correct,† often trigger resistance within observers, as well as within the individual who perceives himself or herself as the target of that force. This is partly why we need people to intervene between those with conflict. The only way to completely intervene without causing more conflict is to continue to teach against prejudice. Illustration A: Illustration B: The first illustration here simply shows the prejudice person (person who feels a certain way about another person or group) and the other side shows the targeted side (person or group being prejudged). The prejudicial action force is where the prejudice feelings reside between the two. The second illustration shows both groups and the prejudicial action force but it also includes another section that shows a non-targeted person or group. This added section illustrates a neutral party that can intervene to help detour the prejudice feelings. Our society can practice similar exercises to those of the Crissey students on a day-to-day basis. If we wake up every morning and decide to do one or two kind things for someone of another race, sex, religion, or culture we are slowly helping the fight. If you open the door for the Native American walking out, allow the elderly ladies to cut in front of you at the store, or even offer the homeless gentlemen a cold water you are showing another person that prejudice does not have to overtake our society. Theresa D. McClellan sited that, â€Å"It is the subtle forces and faces of racism which are the most frustrating and, often, the most difficult to combat,† by Woodrick in the 1996 issue of The Grand Rapids Press. The whispers under the breaths of Caucasians who were raised to hate African American’s, or the impolite nudges of the men who were taught they are inferior to women are the hardest feelings of prejudice to look past. According to the Conflict Research Consortium at the University of Colorado, these kinds of prejudice feelings can be worked through with counseling and exercises like mirror imaging. Mirror imaging is a strategy which parties can use to assess the reasonableness of their behavior. It asks the parties to look at themselves the way others see them and make appropriate changes if they do not like what they see. Often if disputants will look at themselves honestly, they will sometimes notice that they are doing the same kinds of things–name calling, deception, and rumor spreading, for example–that they fault their opponents for doing. Once this is understood, parties can change their behavior to appear more reasonable, without altering or undermining their true interests at all. Another exercise that the Conflict Research Consortium suggests is power sharing. This is a strategy for resolving disputes over who should have the most powerful position in the social hierarchy. Instead of fighting over who should have power over whom, power sharing relies upon the joint exercise of power. If conflicts can be reframed to focus on how such power sharing might take place, they can become much more constructive. With all of the given suggestions for fighting against prejudice, our society and communities should follow through with simple exercises to teach youth and adults ways to work through feelings we were taught or have on our own. We have to continue to educate about different cultures, religions, races, and sexes. We can educate everyone through our schools, media and peers. The next time you feel that you do not like the person sitting next to you because of the color of their skin, the texture of their hair, the odor they give off or their size think about what kinds of aspects of life you may have in common with them. Would it make you feel better to know that they get their hair cut at the same beauty salon you do? Would it make you like them if you knew that the reason they are obese is from the same disease that your mother suffers from? We need to try to remember when we feel hate and prejudice in our heart that â€Å"we† are not perfect either and there may be aspects of us that the person sitting next to us does not like. How would we feel knowing someone did not like us, and they do not even know us? â€Å"Prejudices are the chains forged by ignorance to keep men apart. † This is a quote by the Countess of Blessington that enlightens us to understanding that when we carry these prejudices inside ourselves we create the barrier between our fellow neighbors. Looking back at the history of prejudice and the pain we inflict on our children, our society and our future; we have to make the choice to learn the uniqueness of one another. It is our duty to the human race to stop prejudging another for what they are or are not. Reference Page Blessington, Countess. (2007). Welcome to the Quote Garden. Retrieved June 16, 2008, from http://www.quotegarden. com/ prejudice. html Cole, Dr. Jim. (2003). Beyond Prejudice. Retrieved June 16, 2008, from http://www. beyondprejudice. com/index. html. Conflict Research Consortium. (1998). Prejudice and Discrimination. Retrieved June 16, 2008, from http://www. colorado. edu/conflict/peace/problem/prejdisc. htm. Kids Health. (2000). Prejudice-not giving a ‘fair go’. Retrieved June 16, 2008, from http://www. cyh. com/SubDefault. aspx? p=255. Lunny-Brady, Edith (2008,April 10). Subtle kind of racism still around. Pantagraph, A. 3. Retrieved April 25, 2008, from Business Dateline Database. (Document ID:1460281071). Myra. Harold. â€Å"Love in Black and White. † Christianity Today >38. n3(March 7, 1994):18(2). General OneFile. Gale. Apollo Library. 25 April. 2008 from http://find. galegroup. com/ips/start. do? prodid=IPS7. Theresa D. McClellan / The Grand Rapids Press (2008, April 24). Marking decade of Diversity: Institute for Healing Racism workshops try to heal a society built on Prejudices. The Grand Rapids Press,B. 1. Retrieved June 16, 2008, from ProQuest Central database. (Document ID: 1468362011).