Internet Censorship Essays (904 words) - Pornography Law

Internet Censorship Since the introduction of the World Wide Web in 1989 by Tim Burners-Lee, many different debates have arisen over various aspects of the Internet. That is expected since there are so many different types of information available on the Web ranging from poetry to games to news to even pornography. Some argue that not all kinds of data should be accessible to all; that is where censorship comes in. Internet censorship includes restriction of access or publication of any material not thought to be appropriate by the censoring party. This can include pornography, news that a government does not want published, offensive language, ideas or anything. The Federal Communications Decency Act of 1996 was passed by Congress and signed into law. This controversial act bans the communication of material deemed as obscene or indecent via the Internet to anyone under 18 years of age and the publication of any pornographic material of a person under 18 years of age (Can Congress). The purpose of this law was to protect children and minors. I will not to argue my viewpoints on how harmful this kind of material can be to children, but instead I will argue over whether officials should be able to restrict access to materials or whether this should be totally dependent on parents or legal guardians. Laws censoring the Internet are not the correct solution to the problem of protecting children from pornography or other harmful data on the Internet. They are also impractical and can cause many conflicts. First off, a law passed in one country does not have to be upheld in another country. This can include any law, be it speeding, anti-trust or Internet. So if the United States passes Internet Censorship laws then only web sites based in the United States must obey them. Web sites in other countries do not. The special feature about the Internet is that anyone with access to it can connect to sites all over the world. So Swedes, Germans, and even Americans in the United States can view a web site in Sweden that does not have to follow United States laws (Censorship and the Internet). Laws also were not used with the Television or Film industry and should not be started now. In the case of Television it is left totally up to the parent to decide what materials their own children can watch and how to prevent them from watching inappropriate shows. Recently a device called the V-Chip was developed to aid parents in that. It monitors a new rating system designed for TV shows and does not allow access to any show that is rated higher than what the parent sets the chip on (Gates). If the nation is confident enough in a parents ability to monitor childrens access to TV shows or movies then why are they not confident enough in their ability to safeguard them from the Internet? Already new software is out to help parents monitor Internet access. It acts very similar to the V-Chips for TVs. All web pages will get rated and the software can be set to allow access only to certain-rated web sites. This is already included in Netscape Communicator and Microsoft Internet Explorer, the two most popular and widely used Web browsers (Security with Microsoft and What features). They use a rating system by the Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS). Other software out to aid in the process is called Censorware. Several of these programs include NetNanny (www.netnanny.com), Cybersitter (www.solidoak.com/cysitter.htm), X-Stop (www.xstop.com) and Cyber Patrol (www.microsys.com/cyber). They basically do that same thing previously mentioned by effectively screening any activity on the computer and filtering out anything deemed unnecessary by the parent or guardian. Some might argue that a parent would not be able to always watch a child to prevent them from viewing the harmful material on the Internet. My only answer to that is that if it is necessary for governmental involvement on the question of pornography on the Internet, then it must be necessary to have the same involvement for TV and cable. A parent has just as much time to screen TV as they do to screen the Internet. In 1997 the United States Supreme Court declared that

european revolution essays

european revolution essays The revolutions that occurred in Europe in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century were brought about by both ideas of Enlightenment and the growing population throughout the continent. The many hardships that faced the people, of not only the middle and lower classes but also the nobles, made life during these times stressful and unruly. The revolutions that took place in these trying times were the first steps towards making European countries the way they are today. Two main revolutions that took place exemplified nationalism and brought countries together so that they could be more powerful against opposing nations. These significant countries were Italy and France. Throughout history, one can identify extreme pride in one's native land. The unification of Italy was based on nationalism. In the mid-eighteenth century, this idea was thought to be impossible, but thanks to people such as Count Cavour and Giuseppe Garibaldi, the people of Italy watched their dreams become a reality. Through rumored propaganda and spirit, Italy was converted into a unified nation. Count Camillo di Cavour was the prime minister of Piedmont-Sardinia in 1852. The liberal, but pragmatic, Count Cavour succeeded in unifying Italy by combining skillful diplomacy with the service of regular armies. By forming an alliance with Napoleon III of France, Cavour persuaded the French that if the two countries were to unite against Austria-Hungary, then France could take possession of Southeast France and the Italians could double the size of the country by obtaining northern Italy. Giuseppe Garibaldi led nationalist soldiers to Sicily and recruited a corps of middle-class nationalists. With these men, he was able to unite many of Italy's provinces. Not shortly after his actions, the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 doubled the size of Italy when the Prussians relinquished Venice to Italy. Sometimes religion and common suffering are just what p...

Historical Relationship of the Chinese and Tibetan People (The Chinese Essay

Historical Relationship of the Chinese and Tibetan People (The Chinese Invasion and Agreement 1949-51) - Essay Example The new economical and political order was created during the Soviet Union; thus China experienced comparatively immovability since the commencement of the Opium War. In 1950s, the 1People’s Republic of China (PRC) undertook a massive relative stability and social reconstruction that was desperately welcomed by the mass that early were waiting for political and economic stability. The Chinese troops invaded Tibet; thereby contributing to sudden and violent issues. The exclusive brand on Buddhism created the core of Tibetan culture and society; hence this was a drastic contrast to the anti-region principles of the Chinese communists; therefore, Tibet’s spiritual and temporal leader fled into exile in India during the dawn of Chinese invasion. The remarkable culture and inhabitants of Tibet have been drastically persecuted; thus China’s anger in Tibet was seen as more brutal and inhuman than any other communist regime across the globe. Chinese invasion in Tibet The Chinese invasion of Tibet was one of the historical issues that have been focused by historians. However, despite the Chinese invasion and varied policies that were implemented and designed to assimilate Tibetans, as well as, destroy their separate national, religious and cultural identities, Tibetans people have always been determined in preserving their freedom and heritage; the 2newly created communist government in China sent troops to attack Tibet in 1949 to 1950. The agreement was forced on the government of Tibet granting sovereignty over Tibet but recognizing the Tibetan government’s independence with respect to the internal affairs of Tibet; the Tibet dishonored the agreement imposed by the Chinese and this opened confrontation to their rule, which increased; thus contributing to the state Uprising in 1959. The issue of China invasion made the international community to react with shock towards the Tibet shocking events. Many international communities such as the Un ited Nations organized the general assembly where they discussed the Tibet events on several occasions. They passed three decrees during the general congregation where they condemned China for violating the rights of human beings in Tibet; thus, the United Nation called the nation of China to value the human rights of Tibetans. The obliteration of ethnicity and heritage, as well as, coercion of Tibet people was vicious during the year 1951. The increased oppression and violation of human right of Tibetans contribute to national uprising where many Tibetans died as a result of Chinese policies. Many properties, temples, historical buildings and many other places were destroyed due to China inversion issues. The Communist Party general secretary was alarmed to the extent of destruction in Tibet after the period of his visit to Tibet; thus he called for serious and drastic political reforms. Alexander Solzhenitsyn was portrayed as atrocious and cruel leader of the Chinese administratio n than any other communist system. However, political and policy reform led to significant changes that came very slowly after 1979. Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet The Chinese invasion in Tibet led to varied changes and policy reforms; thus the 17 point Agreement for

African Economic History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

African Economic History - Essay Example Speaking about Africa, at first we should mention that is the poorest country in the world with its 887 million people population. And it became even poorer than it was some 20 years ago. We could see Africa's regress looking on the foreign trade, international investments and the people's living standard. Its poor resources Africa's rebels spent on the military equipment and provisions for the warriors. The country overcame the civil and international wars. (Gleave, and Morgan 139) The Cold War triggered a great conflict between the African states. Given from another countries money aid was spent on the weapons and the donor countries shut their eyes to the wrong usage of their investments. In the region of the Great Lakes were the civil wars: in Somalia, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Ivory Coast and Liberia. And of course we should mention the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) that raged in the 1990s. ("Niger, Country, Africa")Experts say this war dubbed Africa's First World War. The participants were six neighbouring states (Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, and Angola). This war was a result of genocide in Rwanda in 1994 and the fall of President Mobutu with his decayed state. (Gleave, and Morgan 139) At the end of this war 4 million people were dead, and mostly all of the victims were civilians. The remarkable thing of the war, however, was the transfer from apartheid to majority rule in South Africa. By the end of 1990-s Somalia had still no government. And a lack of authority left it in a state of economic weakness and vulnerability, but on the other hand the conflict rate was low.

How Italian Food Defines You, Your Family, and Your Ethnicity Essay

How Italian Food Defines You, Your Family, and Your Ethnicity - Essay Example A side dish of salad or vegetables rounds out the meal. After a beverage, predominantly wine, a decadent dessert is also consumed. And always, conversation and laughter dominates the family table. Many Italian-Americans still keep the Vatican custom of seven fishes served on New Year's Eve, including squid, eels, and conch. The traditional meal on Easter is lamb. Of course, all meals are accompanied with a pasta side dish. Since gorgonzola, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses were first made by Italians, these dairy products are incorporated into just about all Italian fare. To discuss Italian culture and food, we have to include the topic of the all-American pizza. USA pizza is different from Italian pizza in that pizza served in Italy has less cheese, and the crust is thin as paper. The New York Times published an article stating that it is as important how we eat opposed to what we eat. That could be a lesson in cooking. When Italians dine, they take their time eating. They have a relationship with food. Mealtimes with the family are almost sacred. Conversation at the table strengthens the bond of family. Italians also lead active lives. Cars are not allowed in many Italian town centers. Therefore, walking is necessary. Most residents are walkups without elevators. Most importantly, portion sizes are much smaller in Italy.

The Product Or Service Itself Marketing Essay

The Product Or Service Itself Marketing Essay Ford Motor Company is one of the worlds largest producers of cars and other vehicles in the world. It owns a number of brands including Ford (of course), Volvo, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Land Rover, Mazda, and, in the USA, Lincoln and Mercury. Ford also has an extensive network of main dealer workshops, the Rapid Fit tyre and servicing chain, and owns the Kwik Fit brand. Ford is also one of the largest providers of automotive financial services. The company makes over 6 million vehicles per year and employs well over 300,000 people worldwide; it has around 25,000 dealers and over 10,000 suppliers. Ford is BIG. However, in recent years, Fords fortunes have been mixed: with increased competition, particularly from the Far East, sales have dipped in some areas dramatically. This paper attempts to reason why this has happened, and suggest ways in which more products and services can be sold to both new and existing customers. Except where specifically referred to, this document primarily focuses on the domestic car market in the United Kingdom. Since the turn of the century, Ford has been trying to turn around a sharp decline in worldwide sales. Every year or two, executives have swapped their roles in the boardroom to and from sales, marketing, finance and operations, and the brand message and sales slogans have been changed at the same time. In early 2009, for example, Ford announced that it was changing its marketing strategy to focus on its core brand and logo, rather than promoting specific models. By December 2009, Ford was working to integrate the companys marketing team members, global agencies and other supplier partners with a common and integrated plan to bring new global vehicles to market. Jim Farley, the companys group vice president of global marketing, confirmed  they were moving toward a new global marketing model and that global coordination would apply to everything from TV advertising to creating single vehicle marketing brochures. Fords new integrated global marketing strategy was deployed at the launch of the 2011 Ford Fiesta at the North American International Car Show in January. The company says it wants to create a more consistent and compelling connection with customers worldwide, while better leveraging the companys global assets and capabilities. The problem with Ford is: they dont have a clear marketing strategy. For some reason, Ford is finding the transition from a production oriented company to a marketing oriented company difficult. The Marketing Orientation The marketing orientation has become common in companies that make things for individual customers; not so common in business-to-business (B2B) companies. Many motor car companies have made the transition successfully, but Ford is not one of them. The Chartered Institute of Marketing defines marketing as: . . . the management process which identifies, anticipates, and supplies customer requirements efficiently and profitably. Probably the most important point when talking about marketing is the following: Marketing is both an important functional area of management and an overall business philosophy which recognises that the identification, satisfaction and retention of customers is the key to prosperity. (Lancaster Massingham, 1993, p.5) Marketing is both a functional area of management and a business philosophy, and can be viewed as follows: A basic concept that focuses on customers. A set of management techniques. As a function, part of marketings role is to identify correctly both the current and future needs and wants of specifically defined target markets. This information is then acted upon by the whole organisation in bringing into existence the products and/or services necessary to satisfy customers requirements. It is the marketing function which forms the interface with the firms existing and potential customers. Marketing provides entrepreneurship by identifying customer requirements, and through marketing the rest of the firm is able to mobilise resources to capitalise on. Although it can be seen that marketing has very important functional role within the organisation, the influence of marketing should not be restricted to the marketing department. A marketing oriented business has implications for the way people throughout the organisation respond to the initiatives that are forthcoming from marketing. Marketing as a Business Philosophy Many successful companies see marketing is the keystone of their business. Such firms do not see marketing simply as yet another functional area of management, but more as an overall business philosophy, and way of thinking about business, and a way of working which runs through every aspect of the firms activities. Hence, marketing is viewed not as separate function, but rather as a profit-oriented approach to business that permeates not just the marketing department but the entire business. Looked at from this point of view, marketing is seen as an attitude of mind or an approach to business rather than a specific discipline. The holistic view of the role of marketing within the firm has been expressed by a leading authority on management thinking, Peter F Drucker (Drucker, 1954, p.56), who stated: Marketing is not only much broader than selling, it is not a specialised activity at all. It encompasses the entire business. It is the whole business seen from the point of view of its final result, that is, from the customers point of view. Concerning responsibility for marketing must therefore permeate all areas of the enterprise. To be really effective, this marketing oriented business philosophy, known as the marketing concept, must pervade the whole company. An integrated approach is required, not just the creation or tweaking of a marketing department. Embracing customer satisfaction throughout the entire organisation is what separates a market-oriented firm from the rest. Having this approach to business drives the marketing oriented company into new activities and new opportunities and away from the narrow preoccupation with selling existing products to existing customers. Marketing cannot begin to be effective within a company unless it has the firm support of all layers of management and penetrates into every area of an organisation. So why, if the marketing concept is so simple and straightforward, has it been only relatively recently that firms have adopted it as a serious business philosophy? Very briefly, its because of the history of industrial development and the way in which business has been done since the Industrial Revolution. Production Oriented Businesses In the beginning, businesses were production oriented. There was virtually a never-ending demand for goods and services. Companies concentrated on production and efficient production in order to bring down costs, and product decisions were taken first and foremost with production implications in mind. This production point of view was workable as long as the sellers market existed. However in the early 20th century the rest of the world caught up with Great Britain and people could buy their goods and services from all over the world. For the first time companies had to compete, and had to differentiate themselves from their competitors. There are still some firms around today who are production oriented and they pay little regard to their customers wants: such firms take the attitude that they produce excellent products and common sense dictates that people will want to buy them. Ford started out as a production-oriented business, and still retains an element of this approach. Customers are, of course, convinced of the superiority of the companys products, and it is a company sales force that convinces them. If consumers are not buying the companys products, and as far as the companies concerned there can only be two possible reasons: 1) the customer is ignorant and does not appreciate a good product, or 2) the sales force is inept. Many companies have produced excellent products, but its not necessarily what customers want to buy. The British motorcycle industry produced fine quality machines, but consumers preferred the styling range offered by Japanese manufacturers. There is no longer a British motorcycle industry. In a production oriented company senior personnel such as the chairman and managing director are likely to have production backgrounds. Such companies are likely to have a small sales department which handles traditional marketing functions such as advertising. The greatest importance is placed on production. Under the production concept the salespersons task is a relatively minor one; he or she has to sell what the firm has produced. The sales area is viewed as a service function, and so the sales manager is not part of top level management. Sales Oriented Businesses In the early 20th century business people began to realise that it was not enough simply to produce goods as efficiently as possible. In order to make profits, these goods had to be sold. Business philosophy in many companies switched from production orientation to sales orientation. The sales force now became the most important people in the organisation. The firm could manufacture the goods, but these goods still had to be sold. The sales concept states that effective demand can be created by sales techniques, and it was thought that the sales department held the key to the firms future prosperity and survival. Techniques were developed that are still used today in modern marketing or, more accurately, selling. In order to achieve a competitive advantage, greater importance is attached to product differentiation and branding. Advertising, sales promotion and other sales techniques were increasingly used to achieve the sales angle. Customer satisfaction was not an issue: the whole ethos was based on getting the sale with the emphasis definitely on using the hard sell. Motor car dealers have a reputation for using sales orientation techniques. They believe that with some young, highly motivated salesman, hungry for success and with a well worked out incentive scheme, they can sell anything. Sales volume is the most important criterion, and planning horizons tend to be relatively short-term. The actual customer, and how customers might perceive the value of the utility or the goods being sold, is of secondary importance. Philip Kotler (reference here) defines the selling concept as: management orientation that assumes that customers will either not buy or not by enough of the organisations products unless the organisation makes a substantial effort to stimulate their interest in its products. Other examples of sales orientation companies would include certain home improvement type companies, such as double glazing or roof repairers, who send people door-to-door to get leads; once they have a lead from an unsuspecting targets, they send round a high-pressure salesmen with a foot in the door approach. A sales approach to business fine for those companies that are here today and gone tomorrow, but not to firms that want to remain in business and build their business on the basis of trust and respect and genuine customer satisfaction. A good high-power salesperson can sell virtually anything to anyone once! For repeat business over the long-term, however, the typical selling mentality of many firms is not enough: a more customer all market-oriented approach is necessary for long-term success. Marketing Oriented Businesses The modern marketing concept appeared in the United States during the 1950s, and since then has been adopted as the central business philosophy by many firms throughout the world. The marketing concept is sometimes referred to as a marketing or customer orientation. The theory is: in order for a firm to survive in the long term and make a profit it must ascertain the genuine needs and wants of specifically defined target markets and then produce goods and services that satisfy customer requirements. It is the customer who takes centre stage under the marketing concept. The satisfaction of customers is seen as the key to prosperity, growth and survival. The marketing oriented firm produces goods and services that customers want to buy rather than what the firm wants to make: the emphasis on the customer buying rather than on the company selling the goods. To progress from a sales oriented company into a marketing oriented company the firm must be able to cultivate a companywide approach to customer requirements. Marketing cannot begin to be effective within a company unless it has the full support of general management and penetrates every area of an organisation, from the lowest to the highest levels. Levitt (Levitt, 1960) has drawn a sharp contrast between the selling and the marketing concept: Selling focuses on the needs of the seller; marketing on the needs of the buyer. Selling is preoccupied with the sellers need to convert his product into cash; marketing the idea of satisfying the needs of the customer by means of the product and the whole cluster of things associated with creating, delivering and finally consuming it. Changing from a sales orientation to a more sophisticated marketing orientation will mean marketing will have much more influence and authority over other departments to bring about integrated co-ordinated marketing. This is the case at Ford: Ford seems to have attempted, half-heartedly, to change, but the sales orientation concept is entrenched, and the sales department, understandably, are reluctant to concede their status or influence. As stated earlier, the marketing concept requires whole-hearted cooperation from everyone within the company Ford needs an exceptional change management strategy to resolve the reallocation of power within the company. To turn around fords fortunes, management must adopt and use the marketing concept as a business philosophy. A change of management labels and titles will not achieve the necessary fundamental change in company attitude it is the companys whole approach to business problems that is the key issue. The adoption of a business philosophy that puts customer satisfaction at the very centre of management thinking is what will that finally convert Ford from a production or sales oriented company to marketing oriented one. Planning and Information Gathering The way to measure how committed a company is to the marketing concept is to analyse how it is planning for the future, particularly the information and procedures on which those plans are based. The focus for information gathering and planning should be based around catering for customer needs and satisfaction. The mistake that many managers make including many within Ford is that they think, by working in an industry for a number of years, they acquire a deep insight into what customers want. They believe, incorrectly, that marketing research would just confirm what they already know, and is therefore a waste of time and money. At the very least, the following questions need to be answered: Who are our customers? What do they buy? How do they consider value? How do they buy? When do they buy? It is essential for a company to plan their marketing based on an actual, accurate understanding of customer wants and needs. This means that processes and procedures must be in place to gather the information required to analyse and interpret these needs. What business are we really in? In a famous article published in 1960 Theodore Levitt, then a lecturer at the Harvard business School, asked the key question that all organisations must answer, What business are we really in? (Levitt, 1960). Levitt gave examples of organisations that have failed to understand the benefits their customers derive from the product offered. In the case of the American railroads, for example, he argued: The railroads did not stop crying because the need for passengers and freight transportation declined. They grew. The railroads are in trouble today, not because the need was filled by others (cars, trucks, air planes, even telephones), but because it was not filled by the railroads themselves. They let others take customers away from them because they assumed themselves to be in the railroad business rather than in the transportation business. The reason they defined their industry incorrectly was because they were railroad orientated; they were product orientated not customer orientated. Other important questions are: what are we selling? And where do our products fit in the marketplace? What is the publics perception of Ford as a brand? 30 to 50 years ago, people bought Ford because a) they were relatively cheap, b) spare parts were readily available, and c) maintenance didnt cost the earth in fact many maintenance tasks could were DIY. What does Ford stand for now? Inexpensive Korean and soon Chinese imports are now the choice for people buying on price considerations, and, as vehicles have become more technology advanced, most maintenance tasks are beyond the scope of the DIYer. The truth is, Ford has lost its way it just doesnt know (or doesnt know how to inform the public) what its cars stand for. As a quick, unscientific, exercise, take a look at these phrases taken from recent motor car advertising and see how many you recognise: Papa! Vorsprung durch technik The power of dreams Va va voom Kinetic design Are there any you dont recognize? Turn the page to see the products they are advertising. Phrase Association Manufacturer (Model) Papa! Fun! Feminine, trendy, young, sporty in a girly kind of way. Renault (Clio) Vorsprung durch technik Quality, precision, technical expertise. Audi The power of dreams Aspirational. Inspirational. Honda Va va voom Fun! Trendy, young, sporty in a way that appeals to everyone. Renault (Clio) again Kinetic design ? Ford Ford Kinetic Design? What does that mean? A European-wide television advertisement backs this up with It looks like its moving even when its not. Is that what you look for in a car? According to the online Cambridge Encyclopedia, kinetic has the following meaning: Energy associated with an objects motion; a scalar quantity; symbol K, units J (joule). For an object of mass m moving with velocity v, kinetic energy K  =  mv2/2. A change in kinetic energy is work done to the object by a force. (Net Industries, n.d.) It just doesnt work, does it? The Marketing Mix There are environmental factors that are outside the control of an organisation, but which nevertheless can affect it. A company is affected by, and therefore must take account of, factors that are environmental and hence outside its control. In order to accommodate these factors, the company must use those elements of which it does have control. The most important of these elements are those that comprise the companys marketing mix. Figure 1: the 7 Ps Neil H. Borden has been credited with coining the term marketing mix (Borden, 1965). It refers to the set of marketing ingredients a company can use to achieve its objectives. Just as a chef can select from a wide range of ingredients and combine them in different amounts to bake a cake, so to the marketer can pick and choose from an extensive set of marketing components in order to find the right combination. The main elements of the marketing mix have become known as the four Ps: Product Price Promotion Place Over time, and with the inclusion of the marketing of services, Bordens four Ps have been extended to 7, with the inclusion of: Physical Environment Process People Within each of these four broad categories of marketing decision variables are many subdivisions, as shown in figure 1. The Research Process While marketing research can be invaluable, it can also be very expensive. There is no point in conducting market research if the value of obtaining the information is less than the cost of obtaining it. Also, market research does have its limitations. There is always a chance at least part of the research is flawed; the aim should be to minimise the occurrence of at least some types of error, including: Sampling errors: specifying the incorrect target population, or selecting an unrepresentative sample. Non-response errors: failing to successfully contact all people in a sample, or not receiving a high enough response rate. Data collection errors: respondents supply answers designed to irritate, impress or please the interviewer. Or questions that lead, or give rise to inarticulate answers, or can be misinterpreted. Analytical and reporting errors: simple human error or bugs in the information-gathering process. Gathering information in this way is known as primary data collection: as already stated it is expensive and can have other drawbacks. It can make sense to use information, called secondary data, which has already been collected, often by specialist organisations who sell it on to 3rd parties. Ford themselves have information on the millions (perhaps billions) of people who own, or have owned, a Ford motor car, as well as all those, not necessarily Ford owners, who have used a Ford-owned garage or service centre. Organisations such as J.D. Power provide extensive feedback from car owners, not only on the cars themselves (both new and second-hand), but on after sales service. Target Marketing Once the research is complete, companies need to identify and attempt to satisfy the genuine needs and wants of specifically defined target markets: it should go without saying that they need to do this more efficiently and effectively than their competitors. Implementing this philosophy means that it is usually not possible especially not in the motor industry to assume that every customer is identical. This assumption would be a product-oriented approach rather than a market-oriented one. An important development in recent years in marketing has been the realisation that many markets are made up of significantly different sub-groups, which could be treated as separate markets in terms of product offering, pricing policy, communication strategy and other marketing mix elements. For example, Ford makes motor cars, but the target markets for the Ford Ka and any type of Jaguar are worlds apart. The tendency, therefore, is to target the most commercially attractive sectors in segments of the market for a product, such as the executive car market or the sports car market. Target marketing is the reason for the market research described earlier: it is the reason for the extensive information gathering. Consumers have become more affluent over the years and have been offered a much wider range of products within a particular market to choose from. For example, there is such a wide range of options available when purchasing a Ford Focus that its almost like buying a custom-built car. To be effective, target marketing needs to be carried out methodically and precisely. Kotler (Kotler, 1991) states that the process of target marketing has three distinct stages: Stage One: Market Segmentation. The overall market is divided into distinct groups of buyers who are likely to respond favourably to different product/service offerings and marketing mixes. The firm determines the most appropriate basis for segmentation, identifies the important characteristics of each market segment, and develops criteria for evaluating their commercial attractiveness and viability. Stage Two: Market Targeting. This is not to be confused with the overall process of target marketing. Market targeting is the process whereby one or more of the market segments previously identified are evaluated and selected. Stage Three: Product Positioning. Even within a given market segment, competitors products are likely to be positioned in a particular niche or position. Product positioning is the process whereby the product or service and all other marketing mix elements are designed to fit a given place within a particular segment. Such a position may be more implied than real. It is how the consumer perceives the product position relative to the competitors products that is important. Companies are now identifying customers whose exact needs can be met more effectively. Thomas Levitt (Levitt, 1974) said that the marketer should: . . . stop thinking of his customers as part of some massively homogeneous market. He must start thinking of them as numerous small islands distinctiveness, each of which requires its own unique strategies in product policy, in promotional strategy, in pricing, in distribution methods, and in direct selling techniques. There has always been some form of market segmentation. The wealthy buy fine wines and fashionable clothes, and poor people buy beer and more functional clothing. But this was by accident rather than design. As companies have come to realise over time, it is unlikely that they can produce one product that will satisfy everyone. You can look at any number of markets to see the huge array of choices within each particular segment. For example, washing detergent from the same brand can be bought in original powder form, liquid, concentrated, tablets, liqui-tabs, and so on. Likewise, Ford sells has a wide range of options and configurations within each marque, so a Mondeo could be a cheap(ish) family car, or it could be a well-respected high(ish) performance sports model, with a plethora of extras. Market Segments There are many variables that can be used in segmenting consumer markets. A combination of them may be necessary to define a specific segment. There are no golden rules when it comes to segmenting consumer markets. Very often it may be necessary to use a combination of variables in order to define a pre-precise market segment. Market segments include demographic variables, the main ones being: age sex family size family life cycle A company called Tesearch Services developed a family lifecycle approach and branded it as SAGACITY. This segmentation approach combines life cycle with income and occupation to define different consumer groups. SAGACITY is a powerful tool for differentiating consumer groups for a wide variety of products and services. The current standard in the UK is to use a mixture of social class and income. Classification is based on the occupation of the notional head of the household. The socio-economic groupings used in the UK are those established by the National readership survey, ranging from class A at the top higher managerial, administrative or professional, down to E at the bottom state pensioners, widows, lowest wage-earners and the unemployed. These are some limitations to geographical or social-class segmentation, so a number of approaches have been developed which are a combination of where the customer lives and a number of sociodemographic variables, such as occupation, home-ownership, family size, and so on. These have become known as geodemographic variables. One of the most popular and powerful of these is the A classification of residential neighbourhoods, or Acorn, system. This system is a method for geographically mapping concentrations of different types of people. The Acorn system, based on census data, has proved particularly useful for direct mail campaigns, but also for deciding on sites for retail outlets and advertising poster locations. Segmentation based on census data and neighbourhoods is effective and a number of similar approaches have emerged. Pinpoint (PIN) analysis uses 104 census variables to define up to 60 neighbourhood types which can further be clustered into 12 main types. Mosaic is also based essentially on census enumeration districts. Education is a popular segmentation type. Education is related to social class group because, usually, the better educated tend to obtain better jobs, and generally earn more. Consumers media habits are also generally related to education. The better educated tend to read the quality broadsheet newspapers such as the Times or the Guardian, and are more likely to watch more highbrow commercial television programmes. Benefit segmentation is when different people buy the same or similar products for different reasons. For example, some people buy cars simply to get from A to B; others for aesthetic reasons; others as a status symbol; others as an extension of their personality; and so on. Hayley (Hayley, 1968) first introduced this approach, based on the idea that consumers could be grouped according to the principal benefits sought. This approach assumes that no single variable is likely to be powerful enough to adequately segment the market on its own; the main variable is the benefits sought. As Hayley states: the benefits which people are seeking in consuming a given product are the basic reasons for the existence of true market segments. Another form of segmentation uses degrees of brand loyalty to separate customer types. Kotler divided consumers into 4 groups in descending order of loyalty: hard-core loyals, soft-core loyals, shifting loyals and switchers, who have little or no loyalty. These are many other types of segmentation, but the samples given here should illustrate the possibilities. Fords recent advertising strategy, both in Europe and the United States, has been to align itself to major sporting events. In recent years Ford has sponsored football tournaments and events, including the UEFA Champions League and the Premier League in the England. This has given the company considerable TV airtime through its association with Sky Sports. However, viewing figures show that, typically, the average top viewing figure a given week is just over 1,000,000, dropping to around 140,000 for the 10th most popular sporting event on Sky. Although the popularity of (first-class) football has increased in recent years, particularly amongst more affluent individuals and, in particular, women, Fords sales figures most certainly have not. In fact, there is no evidence to suggest that Fords allegiance to sporting events have had any effect on sales at all at least not in the UK. While it makes sense to promote the Ford brand, and to promote it globally, perhaps it would make more sense to promote individual marques in their own right. Potentially, Ford has the range of models to sell to people at all stages in their lives from the student in a second-hand Ka, to the executive a Jaguar. What is needed is a marketing strategy that segments the stages in customers lives, with a clear route through to their ultimate aspirational car, whether that be a Focus, Land Rover, or an Aston Martin. The Product or Service Itself For the marketer, the product becomes any good or service satisfies a want or need that is considered together with its perceived tangible and intangible qualities. To the consumer, a product is a series or a bundle of satisfactions. Whatever a company would like its products to be, the real nature of its products li

Jet Engines :: physics jet jets engine engines

The Basics A jet engine can be divided into several distinct sections: intake, compressor, diffuser, combustion chamber, turbine, and exhaust. These sections are much like the different cycles in a four-stroke reciprocating engine: intake, compression, power and exhaust. In a four-stroke engine a fuel/air mixture is is brought into the engine (intake), compressed (compression), and finally ignited and pushed out the exhaust (power and exhaust). In it's most basic form, a jet engine works in much the same way. * Air comes in the front of the engine where it enters the compressor. The air is compressed by a series of small spinning blades aptly named compressor blades and leaves at a high pressure. The pressure ratio between the beginning and end of the compressor can be as much as 48:1, but almost always 12:1 or more. * The air now enters the diffuser, which is nothing more than an area where the air can expand and lower it's velocity, thus increasing its pressure a little bit more. * The high pressure air at the end of the diffuser now enters the combustion chamber where it is mixed with fuel, ignited and burned. * When the fuel/air mixture burns, the temperature increases (obviously) which makes the air expand. * This expanding gas drives a set of turbine blades located aft of the combustion chamber. At least some of these turbine blades are connected by a shaft to the compressor blades to drive them. Depending on the type of engine, there may be another set of turbine blades used to drive another shaft to do other things, such as turn a propeller or generator. * The left over energy not extracted by the turbine blades is pushed out the back of the engine (exhaust section) and creates thrust, usually used to drive an airplane forward. The types of jet engines include: * Turbojet * Turbofan * Turboprop * Turbo shaft Turbojet The turbojet is the simplest of them all, it is just as described in "The basics" section. This style was the first type of jet engine to be used in aircraft. It is a pretty primitive style used mostly in early military jet fighters such as the F-86.

Teams and Team Processes: Group Dynamics

Teams are often depicted as a group of people sharing leadership of and working together on a specific project, whereas a group (but not a team) consists of individuals who work independently and are led by a strong, focused individual (Erofeev, Glazer, & Ivanitskaya, 2009). In the health care organization, it is important to have a group of people working together as a well a team. Each person individually need to fully understand what his or her role is in a group or team, if not there will be conflicts. Teams and Team Processes: Group Dynamics What is a group? A group consists of two or more people who interact with each other and share a common purpose (Erofeev, Glazer, & Ivanitskaya, 2009). A team is a type of group (Erofeev, Glazer, & Ivanitskaya, 2009). Teams are an essential part of any organization, especially within the healthcare organization. Each individual on a team plays a vital role in ensuring that all needs are met, task are completed daily and patients are being ca red for properly. Teamwork and collaboration between all health professionals results in high quality clinical care, and increased job satisfaction for staff (Begley, 2009). When team members do not agree on the same goal, conflicts will arise. It is important for healthcare managers to control and management all conflicts within the organization. The key to successful conflict management is for each side to first stop trying to â€Å"make each other wrong,† and then to find solutions that approximate each side’s goals (Haraway & Haraway III, 2005). In the case study presented, Nurse B voices concerns about working with fellow staff members of the surgical team. The atmosphere and moral for the team is steadily declining. In addition the job satisfaction and passion to go to work has also been impacted. In order for a team to be effective and provide quality care, the atmosphere of the team needs to be welcomed and appreciated. Better outcomes will be achieved when team members perceive supportive team atmosphere and an empowering team contact with clear and jointly developed goals, an appropriate mix of skills and expertise, and rewards linked to team performance (Proenca, 2007). After further review of the case study, conflict management among team members needs to be addressed. Resolving conflict can often be like a constant balancing act among the opposing needs and interests; conflict can be unpleasant and stressful (Haraway & Haraway III, 2005). Conflict manage is essential for the success of healthcare organizations. Learning, as an organization, to constructively manage and succeed in conflict situations is a foundational construct of leadership and management (Ledlow, 2009). There are six different conflict styles: (1) accommodating, (2) avoiding, (3) collaborating, (4) competing, (5) compromising and (6) problem solving. After reading the case study, the surgical team is displaying conflict style of avoiding â€Å"potential disruption outweighs the benefits of resolution, gathering information supersedes immediate decision making, others can resolve the conflict more effectively and issues seem a result of other issues,† (Ledlow, 2009). Instead of going to the Physician Assistant, Nurse B should feel comfortable speaking to the surgeon with her questions and concerns. In addition to displaying avoiding conflict style, Nurse B surgical team is also experiencing role conflict. Role conflict arises when a focal person’s ideas of his or her requirements are incongruent with expectations from roles set members (Erofeev, Glazer, & Ivanitskaya, 2009). It is vital for each person to know what his or her role is. There are four types of role conflicts: (1) intrarole, (2) intrasender, (3) interole and (4) inersender. The general distinction between these four types of conflict is whether the focal person is perceiving the incongruence with his or her own standards or values (intra-) or whether the focal person recognizes the conflict arising due incompatibilities among others and/or policies (inter-) (Erofeev, Glazer, & Ivanitskaya, 2009). In order for Nurse B surgical team to be successful, each staff member must realize they are a group of people who collectively make up one team. The four steps to transform a group into team are: (1) forming, (2) storming, (3) norming and (4) performing. In forming, the team has initial contact with other staff members to see who will be a part of the team. There will be different views on how procedures should be. In step two, storming, the group will have conflict with role, status and power of each member. The next step, normimg group member will begin to create and agree upon the rules of the group. Finally in step four, performing, the team knows and understands what each of their roles are and begins to work together as a team to achieve the same goal. Once the group comes together collectively, Nurse B surgical team will have group cohesion. Group cohesion refers to a shared vision, unity of goals and objectives, pride in group membership, and collective group identity (Erofeev, Glazer, & Ivanitskaya, 2009). After the team has been established, each team member must continue to strive toward the same goal. Intervention technique is a good recommendation for Nurse B surgical team. Intervention helps to improve situations. An intervention can be a training session on conflict resolution, changes made to team structure, and the development of guidelines outlining team members’ roles. Intervention helps to provide training to team members on what procedures are still current and the procedures not being used. Goal setting training leads to greater effectiveness at the individual level and improved team efficiency (Erofeev, Glazer, & Ivanitskaya, 2009). In summary, Nurse B surgical team will be successful once he or she identifies his or her conflicts and begin working as a team; thus improving the efficiency and quality of the department. In a team, individuals’ actions are interdependent and coordinated, each member has a specified role, and members share common task goals or objectives (Erofeev, Glazer, & Ivanitskaya, 2009). Conflict management and role conflict can hinder the success of a team. Role conflict arises when a focal person’s ideas of his or her requirements are incongruent with expectations from role set members (Erofeev, Glazer, & Ivanitskaya, 2009). Trust and communication is important to the success of a team. A key component to healthy group dynamics is communication or role expectation; trust is developed when team members experience seemingly predictable situations, exchange information about oneself with others, reciprocate, and open up (Erofeev, Glazer, & Ivanitskaya, 2009). It essential for healthcare managers to ensure that each person understands what his or her roles are. Healthcare administrators must take steps to design better teams, train team members to work together, manage team performance, structure the work performed by the team and provide support to team members (Erofeev, Glazer, & Ivanitskaya, 2009).

Devoted Son

Analytical essay In the story â€Å"The devoted son† by Anita Desai. The author illustrates strong and vivid meaning in the depth of the story. The Author portrays a truth. No matter how well progressive one is, tradition will always counter it.Rakesh’s Father went ill and sick even though he was under a professional doctor who was also his son â€Å"One day when the father was really sick, having ordered his daughter-in-law to make him a dish of soojie halwa  and eaten it with a saucerful of cream, Rakesh marched into the room, not with his usual respectful step but with the confident and rather contemptuous stride of the famous doctor, and declared, â€Å"No more  halwa  for you, papa. We must be sensible, at your age. If you must have something sweet, Veena will cook you a little  kheer, that’s light, just a little rice and milk.But nothing fried anything rich. We can’t have this happening again. †(Desai, 79). We see essentialism, where the father expects his son to get him what he wants. At the same time we see Marxist theory where shift in the balance of power happens. Before the father had the power to tell his son what to do, and it seems like the father is still used to it. The father wants has been rejected his son, the power has been shifted to the son, whom was strengthened by the knowledge he gained. Not to say his knowledge was wrong though.The father then sits shocked with his eyes widely pierced out (Desai, 79). The tradition of the father kicks in because it was against the child to object on the father’s needs and wants. The essentialism here is clear. And that the shift in balance of power happens because of knowledge. Secondly Even though Rakesh has succeeded in prolonging his father’s life, Old Varma wanted to die. The medicines Rakesh’s father takes actually did make his father live longer and healthy, but actually he just also made his father hate living and suicidal.Superego can be seen here because Rakesh sees that the right thing is that medicine and Vitamins pills will only cure his father. From the Knowledge and experience Rakesh had as a doctor, he knew exactly what his father should eat, the doze and the number of times a day. His purpose was only to make his father live longer. On the Other side Old Varma’s point of view is that his son is limiting his food for him, limiting the quality of the food, limiting the number of times he can eat. Rakesh rejects his father’s desires, where Varma sees it as torture. He complains to his neighbour about that.He doesn’t even want to live anymore so he tells Rakesh â€Å" Let me die, it would be better, I do not want to live only to eat your medicine† Clearly an image of depression and mental illness is seen through Rakesh’s father, Even though Rakesh just wanted to make his father live longer. This relates to the truth, where Rakesh’s knowledge is countering his fat her’s Traditional desires to halawi and Jaledi and other sorts of food which Varma is used to and enjoys eating. This leads to the father desiring death, and waiting for god to take him. Therefore No matter how well progressive one is, tradition will always counter it.In the story â€Å"What is poverty† by T. Dalymple. He illustrates an important message that every country has its own definition of poverty. Corruption has started by the government. â€Å"They'll find her a new flat. They'll buy her new furniture, television, and refrigerator, because it's unacceptable poverty in this day and age to live without them†¦ She’ll invite him there, he'll smash it up again, and then they'll find her somewhere else to live. There is, in fact, nothing she can do that will deprive her of the state's obligation to house, feed, and entertain her. ( Daliymple,3) The implicit meaning of this quote is that the British government will buy her a new place to stay, includin g the necessity and appliances. The man will get away though. In the end the guy will come back and damage the house and all this will repeat over and over. One of the literary devices in this quote is sarcasm. â€Å"†¦because it's unacceptable poverty in this day and age to live without them. [ furniture, television, and refrigerator]† The author sarcastically expresses his opinion on poverty in UK. It is not that important to have T.V or furniture or fridge; those items are for luxurious purposes. This portrays how high the standard of poverty in UK is. Although that sounds like a good thing, it actually is not. They get spoiled by luxury. Making them unable to see how hard it is to afford a flat or a television. This quote also has situational irony. This is because the women’s flat got damaged by her Ex-boyfriend, and even though she gets her rights from the law and gets a new house, she still will invite him over so he can damaged her new house again.This sho ws how laid back the British citizens are specifically the ones living on the poverty line. In this case the woman abuses the law since she doesn’t care about the house. She didn’t pay for the flat. Who actually paid for it, are the rich people paying their taxes. This leads to the theory of representation, where those couples represent how laid back and lazy the British people whom are living on poverty are. The government’s opinion of how their society should be like and how the poverty standard should be spoils the society. Making them not feel how hard it is to work for getting a house or cleaning is.The government made the British citizens corrupted with their high standard of living, making poverty have a different meaning. In UK, poverty means to have T. V and a house given by the government along with the furniture. Secondly, the narrator shows how the British culture is falling behind. The narrator kept referring to the other 3rd world doctors that work with him. He portrays how dependant UK citizens are on the government, how they do not care of cleaning and their life has no order or appreciation and disrespectful culture. This shows Discrimination theory of difference.The author shows that the British’s culture has an unhealthy essential life, versus the third world, where they work had to achieve a house, water or luxurious items. Narrator talks about the struggle going on to achieve a house. How the poverty is in India and Philippines. The author also illustrates the difference between the amount of respect given to the doctor between UK and 3rd world countries. UK had the man who cursed the doctors, but in 3rd world countries they probably will thank the doctors for helping them with their issues.Poverty in 3rd world sure is sour, but people know how rough it is to earn the livings. While as UK’s poverty has a very high standard, the citizens do not know how hard it is to live, and they abuse the laws. Therefor e every country has it is own definition of poverty. In the documentary â€Å"Ban into Brothers†, Briski gives her view on an extremely important message. This message is that parents and society are the major influences on a child's future. Briski interviewed a boy who lived a miserable and struggling life. His name was Avijit. There is nothing called hope in my life† (Briski), said Avijit. Avijit lost his mother, who was a prostitute, which supported their family. On the other hand, Avijit is a drug addict (hash). Basically, Avijit is living in the very lowest class. He has no home, and education is not easy for him. Avijit says: â€Å"We don't have enough time to live let alone to study. † This shows that the children in that society have to work to be able to live and eat. Lastly, Briski illustrates Puja as a solid representation of feminisms in that community and the true power that women have.Puja's families are all prostitutes. Her mother is a prostitute, as well as her grandmother. Although Puja dresses well and eats well, the method being used to support her and her family is entirely wrong. This leads to the analytical theory of commodotisation. Puja's lives in a society where prostitution is the only opportunity for females to support themselves and their families with enough money. This is evident when Puja's family pulls her out of school early in order to make more money, sooner, to better support their family. Puja's future is not bright at all.Her family and her environment have ruined her life, and any hopes and dreams that Puja has for her future. She was destined to be a prostitute and sell her body, just like her older generations. Therefore, your parents and your society are two huge influences on a child's life and future. In conclusion, in all 3 previous steps, there is one common truth. In the stories of â€Å"What is poverty† by T. Dalymple, â€Å"The devoted son† by Anita Desai, and â€Å"born into b rothels† by Zana Briski we see the common universal truth of, Education and Society raises one’s level into the world and community.In The devoted son, we see that Rakesh was very well educated; his society was not a problem. Rakesh grew up to become a doctor. He became wealth. He stood out in his community. He was very well known, and people loved him. His father also was proud of him; they did not suffer from any health or financial issues. Rakesh was lucky to be one of the people whom are on the higher level. On the other hand the documentary of â€Å"Born into Brothels† Though the opposite was seen where children living in that society could not even taste hope.That society only allowed the girls to become prostitutes and men to become pimps if they wanted to make money to live with the basic physiological needs. Others in that society couldn’t travel, just for living in that society; others found schooling not possible because their mother is a prosti tute or a slave. Children mentioned in that movie, such as Puja and Avijit, they are living in the lowest level in their community and in the world. In the story â€Å"what is poverty† by T. Dalymple. Poverty had a higher standard, where television and fridge was provided. But the society had struggles within itself.Lack of independency, and feeling the pain to earn money made them blind and turn into disrespectful, ungrateful, lazy, unhealthy community. They are living a good life maybe, but the society is not very well developed. People living in that poverty can be on the middle level. Without education, one cannot raise his level in the world, and without a proper society people will not have a healthy good future. Education and society are like stairs, where one needs it to go up higher, higher in terms of living standard. Therefore Education and the Society raise one’s level into the world and community.

Superstitious essays

Superstitious essays R.L. Stine who is one of Americas best-selling authors and the devilish creator of the Fear Street and Goosebumps series of horror stories for kids. Stine is who wrote the book I read, but he came back with a book for the older generation. All of Stines ideas in his books are suggested from real life. Most of his ideas came from his imagination and his memory. He now lives in New York City with his wife Jane, and teenage son, Matthew. The story took place on a small Pennsylvania College campus. Numerous of murders had taken place. Every murder was much more gruesome than the first. The detectives didn't know what had happened. The victims looked like an out of control animal rather than a human killed them. One of the main characters in this was Sara Morgan. She had just moved to Pennsylvania or school. Everything was going just fine until she met a professor named Liam O'Connor; he was another main character. Liam had a dashing romantic figure with a Irish accent, good looks, sweet charm, and a host of Old World superstitious-all of which dazzled Sara. Plunging headlong into a sudden love affair, Sara barely had time to notice the horrible events taking place on the campus. Liam was extremely close to his sister Margaret. A little too close that is. Sara and Liam soon got married after a couple of dates. Everyone said it was strange, yet, too soon for him or her. But she claimed she was in love with him. She started receiving crank phone calls, warning her to stay away from Liam. Then she received two bloody rabbit feet in the mail saying " If youre going to marry Liam, youre gonna need all the luck you can get." That scared her to death. When she told Liam about it, he acted like he didnt care. Instead he blew all up in her face because she left out the front door and came in through the back door. Lately his superstitions had been getting out of hand. And he had been getting real mad ...

Business environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Business environment - Essay Example e up with a new image, ‘Beyond Petroleum.’ This and some other campaigns are intended to reduce the bad image the company has developed, that is not very environmentally friendly. The market for petroleum is based on its demand and supply conditions. These conditions are there for every market. The demand and supply help determine the price and the quantity of oil that should be supplied to the world. The major contributor to oil supply in the world is Saudi Arabia. The market in the UK is said to be self sufficient till 2016. The industry produces around two million barrels of hydrocarbons per day. Even though the country is self sufficient, the oil reserves are declining. According to the article ‘Oil, gas and petroleum: Overview,’ (2006) the oil reserves are mainly in the North Sea and off the coasts of Aberdeen, Suffolk, Norfolk, Liverpool and Morecambe Bay. UK is known for its ability to extract oil in larger quantity from the deep sea by using advanced engineering techniques. UK exports oil in its raw form. The country is now focusing of making full use of the existing oil fields instead of looking for new smaller fields. The Oil, gas and petroleum: Overview article (2006) provides us with the following figures, the petroleum industry by itself exists of 200 companies who perform different processes including, refining, distribution and marketing. The basic structure of the market is based on two divisions, retail and commercial. The retail side of the structure includes petrol sold from filling stations while the commercial side includes the government and its agencies, industrial and agricultural transporters, power generators etc. The petroleum industry gives way to thousands of jobs to contractual workers and on a full time basis employs, 150,000 people. According to the Staff Report to the Federal Trade Commission, the industry is controlled by seven companies, five of them are American and the other two are British-Dutch. The American

Sexuality Interviewee Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sexuality Interviewee Report - Assignment Example Cross dressing. The question asked in this context is whether the interviewee has any friend who is a homosexual and a cross dresser. Robert responds saying that despite the fact that there is no such person in his friends’ circle, he witnesses many cross dressers around himself at school. Most of his acquaintances who are cross dressers are girls rather than dudes. These girls both dress and act like guys. Aly Al responds that he knows no such peers who are cross dressers and gay. According to previously recorded literatures, gay and lesbian young people show behavior which deviates from their gender. Cross dressing is an aggressive or rebellious manner comes up in circumstance where they feel the presence of some hostile behaviors which might lay a challenge before their self esteem. Often when a homosexual person or youngster is surrounded by gay peers they often give up the habit of gender deviant or cross dressing (Unks, 1995, p. 24). The conversation held here is more or less close ende d and hence the impact of gay peers on a homosexual teenager’s way of dressing could not be captured. Impact of homosexual peer on group participation When asked if working with peers affected the interviewee’s group participation and performance, Robert says that he would not care if the peer was a homosexual girl but would not work with a gay male since he does not want to â€Å"lose†. In case he is teamed up with a gay male, he would carry out the class room activities with him but no outdoor work since he is not sure of the sexual experience he might face otherwise. Aly Al also says something similar. He does not consider playing sports because he does not think the gay people are capable or interested in playing sports. But he has no problem in-house activities of project work. This clearly shows the lack of trust that the straight male teenagers have on the sexual behaviors of homosexual peers. Their answers clearly reveal their sexual discomfort around the gay peers especially when left outside the class or in case of sports where physical association might perhaps occur accidentally or intentionally on part of the gay peer. Teacher’ sexual preference – teaching ability When asked about the association between a teacher’s sexual orientation and talent in teaching, Robert replies that the teacher’s teaching ability would not be affected but he would not be at ease around him. Aly Al also thinks the same way and would avoid one-to-one lesson or assistance from the homosexual male teacher. This shows that the teenager s normally do not associate talent and soft skills with sexual preference but they are uncomfortable to be around them physically. The answer merely reveals their opinion about the aspect but not their practical experience of being harassed in any way by a gay teacher. Neither does it express whether a teacher’s sexual preference might affect the education or performance of the student. From the answers it might be deduced that the performances are not influenced by a teacher’s sexual orientation. Gay actors/actresses Lastly, the participants were asked what they think about gay or lesbian actors and actresses. Are they merely acting or are they actually gay are the questions on which opinion is sought. Here the two participants differ largely as they express opposing views. Robert thinks these actors are actually gay because one