Is College Worth the Costs? Essay

â€Å"Higher education can’t be a luxury, it’s an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford.† These are the words spoken on the 2012 campaign trail by president Barack Obama, on the importance of higher education. The cost for a college education is a big conversation in many American homes, as well as in Washington. Families are deciding if they will be able to send their children to college due the high and rising cost of a college degree. Sadly, some of them are choosing to bypass college because they believe that the price is too high. Those who believe college is no longer worth the money think the risk of not finding a job is too high, the amount of debt incurred is ridiculous, and the financial effects on the economy are devastating. Although many of these points are true, college graduates tend to live longer, happier lives, are in better financial standing, and fill the critical demands of skilled professions. College tuition prices have increased rapidly over the past few decades, putting a damper on the idea of attending. In the last decade alone, tuition and room and board prices have increased by 23% at private institutions, and 36% at public ones (Mandel 1). It’s to be expected that since the price of almost of everything has increased the last decade due to the economy, that education would too. But, the hike in the price of college tuition has surpassed inflation, making it difficult for almost all middle class Americans to finance a higher education. The argument, though, is not if families can afford to send their children to college; it’s if they believe that a college education is still worth the high cost it entails. Despite the increases in education costs, higher education is still important, though it may be harder to obtain. The risky job market is a reason students are choosing to bypass college. Along with high tuition prices, the job market for recent graduates is unstable. In the previous 2012 presidential election, a big topic in the live debates were that recent college graduates were unable to find jobs in their field, and if they did, most of the time they were most of the time,  underpaid. This is a scary situation that graduates hope they never have to deal with. New graduates are hoping for a solid job upon graduating from college to pay for their previous four years, and to start their careers and lives. The problem can be summarized by the statement, â€Å"Indeed, 60 percent of the increased college graduate population between 1992 and 2008 ended up in these lower skilled jobs, raising real questions about the desirability of pushing to increase the proportion of Americans attending and graduating from four year colleges and universities† (Duke 3). If graduating from college means spending thousands of dollars to end up with the same job you would have if you didn’t go to college, people are asking, â€Å"what is the point?† More people are starting to realize this, and though students are still attending college, they are thinking hard about the possible risk of not getting the job of their choice after graduating. Sadly, some of them are turning down college because of the worry of not being able to find a job. Of course there are risks with every decision someone makes, and by attending college one is at risk of not finding a open position in their field and having to settle for something less. But there are also risks of not attending college. These risk include the health and well-being of one’s self. Whether or not one finds the right job after graduating, the education and skills acquired still stays throughout their life. This involves learning and practicing healthy habits. Studies have shown that those who earn college degrees are more likely to live happier healthier lives than those who don’t. A report done by the Commission on Heath stated â€Å"that those with more education are likely to live longer, experience better health outcomes, and practice healthy behaviors like exercise, avoiding smoking, and getting regular checkups† (â€Å"The Happy State† 7). Those who are highly educated, have learned the importance of health and wellness, and usually live lives that reflect that. Living a healthier life includes: living longer, seeking more prosperous relationships, and having better community connections. Pew Research on Social and Demographic Trends, found that those who have graduated college are significantly happier than those will a high school diploma or less (â€Å"Are We Happy Yet?†). So although the risk of not finding a job after graduating is very real, one should consider the  risk of not attending school. Unfortunately, people tend to think more about wealth and not health when deciding whether or not to pursue a college degree. Students are accumulating massive debt, causing some to believe a higher education is not worth the large loans they are forced to take out. With higher tuition bills, students are have to take out more loans, leaving them with a large debt to pay after graduating. In 2012, the average loan debt for college graduates was $27,000, which is more than double from five years ago (Ross 7). No one wants to start their careers with an overwhelming amount of loan debt. Therefore, many students are justified in skipping college to jump straight into a job where the money they will be making will not have to go toward paying off school debt. A $27,000 debt upon graduating is not usually a selling point for prospective students deciding if attending college is a smart decision. To help cut down on the amount of loans one has to take out, universities are generous with financial aid. A majority of students earn some sort of financial aid, whether it be academic or need based. These financial grants and scholarships can significantly reduce the amount of money needed to finance a college education. In a study done on Dickinson College, in 2007 the average discount rate for first-years was 30 percent. It was also states that the average at liberal arts colleges is 40 percent (Massa and Parker 94). So, even though the students are forced to take out more loans to pay for college, obtaining financial aid by doing well in high school can reduce the amount needed to pay for college. Along with cutting down on expenses by taking advantage of financial aid awards, earning more money in a lifetime is a smart reason to go to college. College graduates make significantly more money in their lifetime. Though many high school graduates are eager to start making money, investing time and money into a college degree will end up being a bigger pay out in the end. The amount of money earned in a lifetime with a degree exceeds the amount of loans that one owes. According to the research done, â€Å"college graduates earn, on average, about $20,000 a year more than those who  finished their educations at high school. Add that up over a 40-year working life and the total differential is about $800,000[†¦]† (Clark 3). Even though there are rare cases where students end up making a large amount of money without a college degree, like Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the chances of one finding a high paying job without a college education is slim. So even though incurring debt is unattractive, the amount of money earned by obtaining a college degree is worth having to pay back college loans. An effect of borrowing so much money from the government and not finding a decent job, students are not able to make loan payments. This not only hurts the students but the economy as a whole. When graduates are not able to pay back the money they owe, the federal government suffers and loses money. The â€Å"delinquencies† of student loans is now higher than credit cards, mortgages, and all other kinds of consumer loans. The federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has stated that student debt has surpassed $1 trillion (Coy 1). As the economy incurs more of this debt, taxpayers are forced to pay more. This issue has greatly impacted not only students and their families, but the older generations. Other generations now believe that students are not able to pay their school debt, convincing them that college is not worth the enormous amount of debt that affects not only the graduates. Although it is true that defaulted loans hurt the economy, the nation still needs skilled employees with college degrees to fill critical professions. These graduates play a big role in the furthering of society. It is no new information most people believe a college education is the first step in becoming successful. Many believe an education opens doors and opportunities in the world to become prosperous. In fact, President Obama has greatly promoted higher education during his terms. He even donated most of his $1.4 million Nobel Peace Prize Award to support those who cannot afford a college education (Beaver 21). America needs higher educated people to make advancements in technology, medicine, and relations. Imagine for a moment that everyone decided that a college education was not worth it. Yes, the economy would not acquire as much debt, but who would continue to make  advancements in science, treat the sick, or deal with foreign nations? Nations around the world are competing with the United States academically; as a result of this, countries like China, are making strides economically and technologically, competing with the U.S. as the worlds largest super power. A economic crisis like the one the United States is in now requires highly skilled professionals and leaders to make smart and effective decisions to better the country. These professionals are produced through higher education and knowledge. Without college graduates, there is no hope for bettering society. So, is college worth the costs? Many skeptical people believe that today it isn’t. Because of the risky job market, where recent college graduates are not able to find a job, or at least one in their field of study, students have chosen to skip college. Also, students are finding themselves struggling to afford the high tuition prices of most universities. The high tuition bills force students to rely on loans to pay for a degree, and when they cannot find jobs to pay back those loans, they default on those loans hurting themselves and the economy. These reasons have caused families to rethink attending college, and although they are legitimate reasons, there are still important reasons as to why college is worth the investment. It has been shown that those with a college education live happier, healthier lives. Graduates make significantly more money in a lifetime and are more financially stable. Lastly, people with higher education are essential for the country. Their knowledge makes the advancements needed to maintain a prosperous nation. Health, money, and social progression is why investment of a college education is worth the cost, even if the price is high. Works Cited Beaver, William. â€Å"Do We Need More College Graduates?.† Society 47.4 (2010): 308-311. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013. Clark, Kim. â€Å"How Much Is That College Degree Really Worth?† US News. U.S.News & World Report, 30 Oct. 2008. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. â€Å"College Grads Happier.†Pew Social Demographic Trends RSS. Pew Research Center, 3 Nov. 2010. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. Coy, Peter. â€Å"The Needless Tragedy Of Student Loan Defaults.† Businessweek.Com (2012): 3. Business Source Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013. Duke, Selwyn. â€Å"DIPLOMA DISASTER? (Cover Story).† New American (08856540) 29.15 (2013): 10-15. Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. Mandel, Michael. â€Å"College: Rising Costs, Diminishing Returns.† Businessweek 4148 (2009): 20. Business Source Complete. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. Massa, Robert J., and Annette S. Parker. â€Å"Fixing the Net Tuition Revenue Dilemma: The Dickinson College Story.†Strategic Financial Challenges for Higher Education: How to Achieve Quality, Accountability, and Innovation. By Donna Klinger and Lucie Lapovsky. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2008. 93-94. Print. Ross, Andrew. â€Å"Mortgaging The Future: Student Debt In The Age Of Austerity.† New Labor Forum (Murphy Institute) 22.1 (2013): 23-28. Business Source Complete. Web. 31 Oct. 2013. â€Å"The Happy State of College Graduates.†-. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2013.

Advertising Appeals

Dissertation On Study of advertising appeals used by the top Indian brands and its impact on consumer purchase. By SHARMA  PRATEEK JAYANT A0102210041 MBA (M&S) Class of 2012 Under the Supervision of Mrs. TEENA BAGGA FACULTY Department of Marketing In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Business Administration –Marketing & Sales AMITY BUSINESS SCHOOL AMITY UNIVERSITY UTTAR PRADESH, SECTOR 125, NOIDA – 201303, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA-2011 AMITY BUSINESS SCHOOL DECLARATION I, Sharma Prateek Jayant student of Masters of Business Administration from Amity Business School, Amity University Uttar Pradesh hereby declare that I have completed Dissertation on â€Å"Study of advertising appeals used by the top Indian brands and its impact on consumer purchase. † I further declare that the information presented in this project is true and original to the best of my knowledge. Date: Sharma Prateek Jayant Enrollment No: A0102210041 MBA Class of 2010 Place: Noida AMITYUNIVERSITY UTTAR PRADESH AMITYBUSINESSSCHOOL CERTIFICATE Dissertation: Progress Review Stage 1 I, Mrs. Teena Bagga hereby certify that Sharma Prateek Jayant student of Masters of Business Administration at Amity Business School, Amity University Uttar Pradesh has completed first two chapters of dissertation on â€Å"Study of advertising appeals used by the top Indian brands and its impact on consumer purchase†, under my guidance Mrs. Teena Bagga Faculty Department of Marketing TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER- 1 INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Advertising appeals: The Indian â€Å"TOP BRANDS† perspective 1. 2 Purpose of the study 1. 3 Context to the study CHAPTER- 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Advertising appeals: The Indian â€Å"TOP BRANDS† perspective. The reason to buy any product of any brand is derived by an advertising appeal. An advertising campaign can have more than one advertising appeal. Only one appeal can be used and it can have sub themes in an advertising campaign. The appeal must be unique and must give a positive impression about the product/brand to the target audience. Every appeal that is used by the brands in advertising is as per their competitors. Also, an important aspect of appeal is that it needs to be believable by the audience (Kumar, 1998). The audience tries to comprehend the advertisement and only then their purchase behavior gets inclined towards the brand. Only when the audience behavior is molded by the advertiser towards the brand, their purpose of advertisement is achieved. In order to do so advertisers understand the psychological aspects of the audience and then they try to develop the advertising appeal which can position their attitude towards the brand. For the advertiser it is very important to understand â€Å"How the diffusion of the message takes place in the target audience†. And in order to have a positive diffusion advertiser creates a favorable environment. Advertising mediums play an important role in the advertising message as it directly affects the mind of the target audience. These mediums can be Television, Radio, Internet, Print etc. Psychologists feel that all the human activities are based on the needs (Lamb et al. , 1992, Schewe, 1987). A consumer may have different types of needs like physiological, physical or latent. An individual who has a specific need always looks for the information from the marketing world. When there is a cue which is as per the need of the consumer, then an individual responds for the product/brand. Drivers that are present in individuals, vary at different levels. Consumers may be inclined towards the product because of the aura of prestige which is associated with the advertising appeals. Advertising appeal is the main central message in the advertising message. It arouses the desires and addresses the human need that can be satisfied by the product/brand which is advertised. Appeal is the underlying content in advertising. Advertising appeal and execution are usually interdependent. Advertising appeal can be used in all types of media but the execution style is different for different type of media. Advertising appeal is something which attracts the consumers and develops interest in esteem, sex, fear, security and sensory pleasure. Advertiser uses the word appeal to emphasize on the creativity. Commonly appeals persuade the consumer to invest in the product. Appeals not always have all the product attributes but they create an atmosphere where the target audience’s desires are evoked towards the product. For example, if there is a product for the housewives then the appeal would be related to family. The Indian top brands for the year 2011: India Rank (2011) | Brand Name| Category| | Amul| Milk Powder/Milk/Ice cream| 2| Kingfisher| Beer/Full-service airlines| 3| Big Bazaar| Retail| 4| ICICI Bank| Bank| 5| State Bank Of India| Bank| 6| Airtel| Mobile service provider| 7| LIC| Insurance| 8| Cafe Coffee Day| Coffee| 9| Titan| Watch| 10| Lakme| Cosmetics| SOURCE: Campaign Magazine which releases Asia’s top 1000 brand list every year. have had the best of the advertisi ng mixes with appeals reaching to the audience 1. 2 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY To find out the extent to which consumer purchase gets affected by advertising appeals used by the top Indian brands. . 3 CONTEXT TO THE STUDY Everyday consumers are bombarded with different advertising campaigns but they do not respond to everything as they need something other than just tangibles. There is a need to explore something more than tangibles that can attract their attention. The top brands in India have been able to do this in an excellent manner and today they have reached the top of the charts for the same reason. They were able to do this by using appropriate advertising appeals in their advertising campaigns. CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE †¢ (Verma, 2009) No communication is complete without feedback or reaction. The intent behind advertising is to persuade consumers to purchase and repurchase the product over and over again, but does the consumer respond to all communications sent by the advertisers? The human brain has a limited processing capacity and consumers have the tendency to process the most useful and appealing information first. Advertisers use different types of appeals and demonstrations to attract and retain customers, but the literature review shows very less work on evaluating the differential impact of various types f appeals on consumer purchase decisions. This study empirically tests the differential influence various advertising appeals create on consumer purchase decisions. †¢ (J. Hornik, August 2010) Marketing managers and scholars have focused substantial attention on the role of advertising message appeal in the persuasion process. The most common appeals (fear, humor, sex, comparative, gain/loss frame, t wo or one sided, and metaphor) have been compared to determine their relative effectiveness. Separate analysis for each response variable, to assess the contribution of several moderating effects on the results has also been performed. A test of heterogeneity indicated the presence of moderators on observed relationships. To supplement the quantitative analysis, a qualitative comparative analysis has been done. Results show that the overall appeal effect between conditions is of small to moderate size and that profound differences exist between appeals while some moderating variables have significant effects on effect sizes in appeal studies. All methods provided the opportunity to obtain results of theoretical and practical interest. †¢ (Nathalie Dens, Sept. 2010) The aim of this study is to investigate interaction effects between branding strategy (new brand versus established brand), advertising execution strategies (informational, positive emotional and negative emotional) and product category involvement (low and high) on consumers’ attitudes towards the product, purchase intention and the (parent) brand. Two analyses are performed in which involvement is manipulated at product category and at individual level. The results show that in general, line extensions of established brands are preferred over new brands. Furthermore, advertising strategy has little impact on consumer responses to line extensions of familiar brands. The type of advertising strategy used does have a significant impact on product and brand attitude and purchase intention for new brands, where negative emotional appeals lead to significantly more negative responses. The results are further moderated by product category involvement. Informational appeals score especially well in high-involvement situations, whereas positive emotional appeals perform better in low-involvement situations. Interestingly, the differences between advertising appeals in both low- and high-involvement conditions are greater for new brands than for extensions. †¢ (Mishra, 2009) Everyday consumers are bombarded with different advertising campaigns but they do not respond as they need something other than tangibles. There is need to explore something more than tangibles that can attract their attention. This can be done by using appropriate advertising appeal in the advertising campaign. If advertising appeal is interesting then it grabs the attention of the customers. It was revealed that persuasiveness, distinctness, perfectness, fascinating, sensational, energetic, aesthetic, elegant and captivating were the factors that emerged for the advertising appeal and dimensions were energetic, sensational, persuasiveness, distinctness and captivating. Factor and dimensions are compared on the basis of gender. It was found that persuasiveness, perfectness, sensational factors and energetic, sensational and persuasiveness dimensions do not vary on the basis of gender as males and females both feel that these factors and dimensions are important but females perceive that distinctness factor and dimension and aesthetic factor is more important than males but for males fascinating factor is more important than the females. †¢ As per the books referred There are mainly two types of appeals rational and emotional appeals. Rational appeal addresses the consumer’s functional needs of the product. Kotler (2000) opined that rational appeal is based on logic and product are been sold by highlighting the product attributes, quality, its problem solving capacity and its performance. Rational appeals are informative in nature and it focuses on the suitability of the product. This appeal is used by consumer durables and in competitive advertising. There are different types of rational appeal like feature appeal that focuses on important traits and features of the product. Information content in such kind of advertisement is very rich. It is used by high involvement product. There is another type of appeal named as competitive advantage appeal which gives a comparative picture of two or more brands. Comparison can be direct or indirect depending upon the brand and the product category. Price appeal is another type of rational appeal which focuses on the price or value of the product. This appeal is also used during the festival season. News appeal is used when a new product is introduced in the market or if certain modifications are done in the existing products. When the message is to be communicated to a larger audience and it is the established brand then popularity appeal is used as it emphasizes on the experience of the satisfied consumers. Rational appeals are based on the logic and reason to buy to product. In the actual scenario both the appeals i. e. , rational and emotional appeals works together. Emotional appeals are woven with the sensation of fun, love, enjoyment, fear etc. Ramaswamy and Namakumari, 2002). Kotler (2000) opined that there could be positive emotions as well as negative emotions but in the advertising campaign negative emotions can be converted to positive emotions. Emotional appeal is the feeling associated with the product. There are certain dreams and hope which are present in the individual which works consciously or subconsciously and gives pleasant feeling in the individual’ s psyche. Emotions also help in arousing and directing the behavior of an individual (Morris, 1999). Emotions also affect the consumer’s memory. When the state of mind is excited or agitated then it prompts the consumer to buy the product (Chunawalla et al, 1998). Therefore, emotional appeals are known as transformational appeals as they transform the feelings of the consumers towards the product. It gives positive mood to the consumers as it is related to the psychological attribute of the consumer. Emotional appeals are more effective for the older market then the newer or the younger market. When the emotional appeals are used in the advertising then consumption pattern of the product is very enjoyable. Sex appeal is used in the advertisement of soaps Audience is attracted as the desire is evoked and then it helps in selling the product. Sex appeal mainly helps in attracting the opposite gender masculine or feminine (Wright, 2000). According to Bradley (1995) sex appeal considered to be an offence sometimes depending upon the culture and the country but if the sex appeal is not obscene then it is acceptable in the society. For the perfumes and cosmetics love appeal is used. These appeals are used more younger generation.

The Social Contract Theory of John Locke Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

The Social Contract Theory of John Locke - Essay Example ding, social contract hypothesis is rightly connected with advanced good and political hypothesis and is given its first full work and barrier by Thomas Hobbes. John Locke argued for the case that men are by nature free and equivalent against cases that God had made all individuals normally subject to a ruler. He contended that individuals have rights, for example, the privilege to life, freedom, and property that have an establishment autonomous of the laws of any specific culture. Locke utilized the case that men are normally free and equivalent as a major aspect of the support for comprehension true blue political government (Elahi, n.d.). It is due to the fact that the aftereffect of a social contract where individuals in the condition of nature restrictively exchange some of their rights to the administration so as to better guarantee the steady, agreeable delight in their lives, freedom, and property. Since governments exist by the assent of the individuals with a specific end goal to ensure the privileges of the individuals and advance the general population great, governments that neglect to do as such can be opposed and supplanted with new governments (Boucher & Kelly, 1994). Locke is hence additionally vital for his barrier of the privilege of unrest. Locke likewise protects the guideline of lions share standard and the division of administrative and official forces. In his Letter Concerning Toleration, the philosopher denied that pressure ought to be accustomed to convey individuals to (what the ruler accepts is) the genuine religion furthermore denied that chapels ought to have any coercive control over their individuals (Locke, 1963). Locke expounded on these subjects in his later political compositions, for example, the Second Letter on Toleration and Third Letter on Toleration. Essentially, the most focal idea in Lockes political reasoning is his hypothesis of regular law and characteristic rights (Boucher & Kelly, 1994). The normal law idea

Paper 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Paper 3 - Assignment Example Friedman tries to explain that targeted sanctions were used by the Greek Empire to address territorial conflicts. The aim was to pressure the enemy or political foes to change tactics.Friedman analyzes the evolution of politically motivated sanctions in the ancient Greeks. Also, he also explains that there has been a lengthy history of nations blockading their opponents to force a change in behavior. Friedman concludes that sanctions have become a new political tool in the 20th century since they are currently active compared to the 2,400 years ago as a result of several changes in civilization and new appearance in political arena as compared to the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. European pacifists enacted a series of conferences in the early 20th century in order to discuss how to enforce the decisions of the proposed International System of the arbitration. This was a regulation body handling any aspect of dispute resolutions. Henri La Fontaine, Belgian International law professor persuaded delegates to approve peaceful sanctions through acquiring the legal terms from the nations who had better governance. As a result, delegates from member countries adopted the resolution as a solution to national conflicts. However, French representatives endorsed a treaty to isolate countries in times of war. The French officials described the resolutions as a diplomatic expression. In 2011, the US and the United Nations enforced political, economic and territorial sanctions against the Libyan president. The mission of the enforcement was to isolate the Libyan president and his allies. During the sanctions in Libya, struggles for bank software to recognize the various s pending of the Librarian president was to be ascertained. However, the sanctions could not achieve their objectives because of technical flaws. Between 2011 and 2012, the US imposed

The psychology of South African's acceptance of segregation Thesis

The psychology of South African's acceptance of segregation - Thesis Example cial education has been launched to cater to learners that are under the classification poverty, health problems, nutrition, street children and children who are affected by the impact of HIV/Aids, discrimination is clearly seen in this aspect, in addition to that, this project resulted to facilities and learning tool problems. (Eloff & Kqwete, 2007). Statistics shows that South Africa’s population by race shows that 79.6% are Africans, 9.1% Whites, the Coloured population is 8.9% and finally the Indian/Asian population is 2.5%. (South Africa’s population) Africans has the greater percentage of the population. That proves their greatness in number yet discrimination in social aspects still exist in their own land because of the lack of values of social policies and equal rights. Discrimination in South Africa is also classified not only by race but social status as well. Before, the Aparthied, taken from the word â€Å"separateness† is a policy in racial segregation that was followed in South Africa. The Aparthied gave limited rights to the African people. But before this policy was put in place, racial segregation and white supremacy ruled. The majority of Africans opposed these restrictions. Aparthied was continuously been criticized internationally. In 1990, the president F.W de Klerk formally proclaimed that Aparthied is put to an end. Today discrimination still exists and there has been continuous efforts and protest to put an end to it. Africans have suffered from a long history of discrimination, and this clearly shows that violation in human rights has been visible in many aspects in the society like education, housing rights, status and race. Although numerous efforts and protest from both social groups and the government tried to eliminate the existence of discrimination in South Africa, it is still visible in a lot of aspects in the society. Africans think that the aspect of race in South Africa should not determine the capability and hinder

Asks you to research and write up a case study. You must demonstrate Essay

Asks you to research and write up a case study. You must demonstrate relevant academic research and consult your seminar or modu - Essay Example Although the media has helped a lot in connecting the entire globe, there are also huge instances of media violence, which is crippling the entire nation and thus creating moral panics. Going by the social cognitive theory, which takes into account behavioral factors, personal and environmental influences on young minds. The effect of media falls under the non-endogenous environmental factors, which essentially work through observational pattern of learning. Personal factors include one’s wishes and understanding of the self, beliefs and motivations while behavioral factors comprise of the actions of an individual acquired from previous interactions. These three aspects interact with one another with the help of an occurrence called reciprocal determinism (Kirsh, 2009, p.34). In topical times, the different forms of entertainment and media including video games and the Internet render sufficient opportunities to the young population for gaining knowledge through observation. M oreover there are instances about the effects that are being summoned upon the children and adults for high aggression and aggressive modes of behavior when they are exposed to violent senses and images. The main idea in this paper is to portray the way in which â€Å"violence† and aggressions are portrayed by the media and the harmful impact it has on the young population in the form of â€Å"moral panic†, a term coined by Stanley Cohen (Banks, 2004, p. 173). This issue of moral panic arises when the observational learning experience of the young population becomes a threat to the social ethics and well-being. The major issue is the representation of real violence and necessary conflation with regards to the T.V, the film or video games and any other activity, which is designated to be real violent or aggressive. (Andersen, 2008, pp.549-550) Case study: There have been instances of regular killing and murder cases considering mainly the white skinned young females, wh ich has generated sensation in the media world and has created kneejerk legislation. However the case of abduction by the strangers is decreasing but the danger which is getting more pronounced for the children is the abduction of children by the family members who take part in major perpetration, kidnapping and abuse. The UK press has initiated a mass campaigning in the name ‘campaign against paedos’ after the case of the murder of Sarah Pyne who was aged only 8 years in July 2000. Sarah Pyne a very young white skinned girl was kidnapped and then was brutally murdered on 1/7/2000 by Roy Whiting. The murderer was immediately tried and condemned in the court. The kidnap took place from the fields in Kingston Gorse near Littlehampton in the Western part of Sussex where the little girl had been playing. The sudden disappearance of Sarah created a huge ripple in the area and led to massive search being conducted by the police and this has generated enough media interest and attention. Later on, her body was found near Pulborough in a field, which was about 20 miles away from Kingston Gorse on 17th of July. The person Roy Whiting had been the major suspect for the police from the beginning but lack of evidence against him was creating a great impediment for the police to sue the murderer. But later on after the discovery of Sarah’s dress at Goose Green crossroads near Coolham, essential forensic investigations were conducted, which helped the police to charge the person and he was sentenced to lifetime

Asian philosphy Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Why do I think that movies produced from books (Anna Karenina,Dorian Essay

Why do I think that movies produced from books (Anna Karenina,Dorian Grey) are bad - Essay Example The process of converting a textual piece of art into some kind of motion picture requires a great deal of creativity and tedious conceptualization. Novels and films use different mediums in conveying the message to the readers for the novel, and to the viewers for the film adaptation. Nevertheless, and sometimes, the whole idea of film adaptation compromises several things. Movies that are produced from books have more downside in so far as pure art is concerned. First, novels are typically lengthy and requires considerable amount of time to finish reading the whole text. Condensing it into a film would mean an exclusion of some possibly crucial parts of the story, which, as a result, could twist its overall thought. Normally, films last an hour and a half, or about 90 minutes for most Hollywood blockbuster films; hence, in an effort to fit the complete theme and the idea of the novel, scenes that do not really appeal so much to the audience will be omitted. Second, the inspiration of every film adaptation is definitely not merely for art’s sake but ultimately for financial success’ sake. This is the sad truth about film adaptations in that before producers get started to invest in the adaptation rights of a novel, it is a given that the novel is viewed as something with a â€Å"bankable† story. Of course, producers would always look at the economic side of things. Nevertheless, talking about pure art and art alone, film adaptation is not the best option there is for a real artist. Both cannot be consolidated at any point as both have very different afters: films would always go for profit; novels would always go for artistry. Because of the availability of both artworks – novels and film adaptations à ¢â‚¬â€œ people are also able to compare the quality and content of each piece of artwork. Oftentimes, because film adaptations use lavish graphic arts and visual effects, plus the inevitable tweak

Explain the Impact of the Stanford Prison Experiment on Psychology and Behaviour Essay Example for Free

Explain the Impact of the Stanford Prison Experiment on Psychology and Behaviour Essay The Stanford prison experiment ,led by professor Philip Zimbardo, was aimed at seeing the effect on people on becoming prisoners or prison guards. The idea was to see what happens to people when they are put in relatively ‘evil’ places. Do the people themselves become evil or is there no net effect? The results indicated that in fact people adapt to their role exceptionally well. It was observed that the prison guards became overly tyrannical to the level of sadism. In consequence the prisoners were seen to be under severe stress to the extent that they became crazy or depressed. 24 volunteers were selected that had no psychological problems, health issues or any past crime accounts. They were brought to a mock prison set up in the basement of the Stanford university’s psychology building where they were randomly assigned to be prisoners or guards. 3 prisoners each were given rooms that they had to live in for 24 hours of the day and the guards were given 8 hour shifts to work in. The study was observed upon using cameras and microphones. They study was supposed to last for 14 days but had to be halted after 6 days due to extreme unethical practices in the prison. The Stanford prison experiment showed us that human beings alter to the situation they are put in. The guards won total control over the prisoners who blindly followed orders. All of this in just 5 days of experimental conditions. Zimbardo said that the prisoners had internalised their roles and thus continued to participate in the experiment on their own will. One example of this is when they introduced themselves to the priest with their serial number rather than their real name. Another example would be of the prison consultant who took on the role of an autocratic head of the parole board. After the experiment was over he was said to be disgusted at the person he had become. In essence there were two groups created among the volunteers, therefore, according to social identity theory ,people in the in-group would exhibit in-group favouritism and a sense of discrimination of the out-group. This can explain the unanimity between the guards themselves and their certain dislike towards the inmates. To further build on this ,the idea of the prison guards being a group may evoke the feeling of anonymity, which would allow the guards to be more free and aggressive as they could shake off responsibility for their actions. This is called deindividuation theory. It may be a cause of the violence occurred on the prisoners by the guards as there is a diffusion of responsibility. The Self-fulfilling prophecy states that when a person is given a label we often live up to that expectation. In the same way ,as the volunteers were given labels, they tried to live up to that expectation and thus acted in the way they thought they should. Furthermore it can be said that the volunteers had set stereotypes on the idea of a prison guard and prisoner. It can be assumed that these stereotypes illustrated the prison guards to be strong and authoritative. It could also be an illusionary correlation made by them through watching films or through media (which means that they attribute the behaviour of the prison guards to their disposition rather than situation :FAE). The theory of cognitive dissonance can also be used to understand why the prisoners and guards acted this way. They had to alter their mind-set(attitudes) to match with their behaviours so that there was no tension in their self identity. The situation put the prisoners in certain set roles that they tried to live up to and thus they changed their behaviour. This experiment along with Milligram’s shock experiment demonstrates the fundamental attribution error which says that there is a overestimation of dispositional factors and under-estimation of situational factors when we attribute. It changed the way we looked at psychology in a socio-cultural aspect. This experiment has helped us understand how good people do bad things such as the torture of Iraqi prisoners in the Abu Gharib prison, which was a real life example of the same results obtained by Zimabardo. It was also used to investigate matters such as prison riots and abuse of juveniles in many prisons. Young adults are also known to be power hungry. Their lust for power might have changed the way they would have normally behaved. The prisoners were made powerless and thus started to behave in such a way. They became depressed ,helpless and unstable. Thus it can be said that power also affected their behaviour. In relation to gender I believe that there would not have been much difference in the experiment as people, male or female, tend to have similar schematic processing when it comes to social perceptions of a certain group or individuals. If conducted with only females it is more likely that there would have been lesser violence as it has been researched that testosterone, which is much more predominating in males, is a cause of sexual arousal and aggression. Culture would not affect the behaviour as everybody needs some power in their life and if power is stolen from us we tend to become unstable. Lastly, it can be argued that all the volunteers of the experiment were college students. These students are more likely to be aggressive, as they would have higher testosterone levels compared to older guards in regular prisons. The volunteers were mostly white males who were on average ,financially stable, which when compared to regular prisoners would not equate well as people in prisons are usually financially unstable. It goes without saying that this experiment was extremely unethical. It did harmed the volunteers both physically and mentally as they were put under severe stress as well as physical torture. Their consent forms were not complete as it id not involve the details of the experiment. The volunteers did not know what they were getting themselves into , for example strip searched which is a violation itself. They were also ,without prior knowledge ,arrested. Zimbardo himself became the super-intendant and did not abide by his role as a psychologist ,which should have been the case to have an unbiased study. The experiment had no controls and thus is therefore severely criticised. Therefore the validity and ethics of this experiment, relating to its method are questioned. In conclusion, the experiment was a path breaking exercise that opened our eyes to show us the vulnerability of our race in terms of conformity and how we adapt to our situations especially when it comes to the fight for power.

Whose Reality Essay Essay Example for Free

Whose Reality Essay Essay The brain is a crucible: a melting pot of intersecting ingredients that forges a reality that is de- ceptively the same, but often vastly different for each individual. That reality is a construct is a fashionable term these days; it means that we tend to see reality from a particular frame of reference. There is always a context, whether it be political, social or cultural. For those who are unable to construct a satisfactory reality, it is then that they are forced to create an alterna- tive reality, perhaps that fulfils their dreams and meets their views and values. In the words of cognitive neuropsychologist Kaspar Meyer, â€Å"what is now clear is that the brain is not a stimulus-driven robot that directly translates the outer world into a conscious experi- ence. What we’re conscious of is what the brain makes us be conscious of, and in the absence of incoming signals, bits of memories tucked away can be enough for a brain to get started with†. Reality for each individual differs according to their past experiences and memories, as well as what they choose to perceive to be true. Those with weaker frames of minds such as individuals suffering from mental disorders, or solely living under delusion tend to create alternative realities in order to escape the harsh truth. Consider the materialism of the post-war United States. Motivated by prosperity and wealth, all Americans were expected to achieve the profound ‘American Dream’, of which Arthur Miller critiques throughout his play ‘Death of a Salesman’. The play’s lead character Willy Loman struggles to face the true reality, but instead, chooses to believe he is leading the life he had always dreamt of. Willy believes himself to be the best salesman of his company, claiming he is â€Å"well liked† by all, and â€Å"vital in New England†, when in fact, his true reality proves to be quite the opposite. Willy struggles to pay his mortgage, as well as fails to support and provide for his family. Despite his favourite son Biff finding the words to call him out to be what he truly is â€Å"(a) fake†¦ (a) big phoney fake† and â€Å"a dime a dozen†, Willy remains ignorant towards the truth. Willy’s alternative reality provides him with the motivation to continue his life, despite the loss of his job and loss of respect from Biff. Alternative realities provide tem- porary relief from the harsh truth of reality, which is sometimes necessary for those who are considered mentally weak. It is often easier to support the alternative realities created by the mentally weak. Due to their mental state, disregarding what they believe to be true can carry several consequences. In ‘Death of a Salesman’, Willy’s wife Linda remains supportive throughout her husband’s delu- sion. He claims she is his â€Å"foundation (and) support†, which is simply conforming to the ex- pected role of a 1950’s housewife. Another example includes the 2010 movie directed by Mar- tin Scrosese titled ‘Shutter Island’, which clearly highlights the importance of accepting the al- ternative realities created by the mentally weak. The film’s protagonist Teddy Daniels believes himself to be a U. S marshal assigned to investigate the disappearance of a patient from Bos- tons Shutter Island mental institution. However, in true fact, Teddy is actually Andrew Laed- dis, one of the institution’s most dangerous patients they have because of his delusions and his violence towards the staff and the other patients. Andrew (or Teddy’s) delusion created an alternative reality in which he was able to escape the truth about his murderous past. In order to support his alternative reality, the staff at the institution developed a scenario in which Andrew was able to live out his delusion, therefore preventing the otherwise dangerous psychological effects of his true nature. If An- drew was in fact exposed to his true reality rather than living as his alter ego, he may have not been able to survive, hence proving the importance of supporting a mentally weak individual’s alternative reality. Alternative realities may not always be negative. In these cases, the alternative reality protects the individual from harm or negative attention due exposing their true self. Consider the death of Whitney Houston, or the even more recent Robin Williams. Despite their true reality con- sisting of depression and substance abuse, these two renowned celebrities developed and maintained an alternative reality to allow others to portray them as role models and success- ful artists. In the case of Robin Williams, his severe depression led to his suicide. As a come-dian and successful actor, Williams was perceived by the majority to be a motivated happy man. In true fact, despite working to ensure other people were laughing, he was diagnosed with severe depression, to the point where he eventually took his own life. Robin William’s al- ternative reality forced others to see him as he was not, but without the negative attention of showing who he really was. In Whitney Houston’s case, despite her perception as an iconic successful singer, her alternative reality consisted of a cocaine addiction to the point where she drowned in a hotel bathtub. Following their deaths, the public was finally made aware of who they truly were, regardless of what we had previously perceived them to be. Alternative realities such as these can be crucial to ensure happiness and satisfaction for the individual, without highlighting their true selves to the world. Those who are mentally weak tend to create alternative realities in order to avoid their true selves. Whether they are living within a delusion such as Willy Loman or suffering from a mental condition such as Andrew Laeddis, (otherwise known as Teddy), alternative realities may be beneficial for the individual, however difficult for others to accept. Due to individual differences in realities due to social, emotional, cultural and political factors, each person must construct a reality that is most suitable for their views and values, even if that results in alter- native realities being created. In the words of author Mignon McLaughlin, â€Å"a critic can only re- view the book he has read, not the one in which the author wrote†, and therefore we cannot judge an individual’s choice of reality or alternative realities without experiencing it ourselves first hand.

Bicycle Propulsion Systems

Bicycle Propulsion Systems 1.Abstract This report documents the development of bicycle propulsion systems over time and mentions the changes made to make the bicycle more efficient, safe, faster and resistant. It defines what a bicycles drivetrain system is in a few words and what they are used for on a bicycle. It includes brief information about 4 of the first bicycles made in the 1800s and refers to the changes in design and materials used for these bicycles. It also consists information of the 2 main bicycles used today and the improvements they have had compared to the older bicycles. At last, this report recommends improvements that could be made to the bicycle to make it more efficient. 3.Nomenclature Km/h = kilometers per hour Kg = kilograms Torque = a force that causes rotation Cadence = the number of revolutions of the crank per minute 4.Introduction Public transportation has changed and improved over a great period of time. These improvements have helped make transportation ,from one location to another, much easier. The bicycle is a great example of a method of transportation that has gone through a lot of improvements so that it is easier to use, faster, safer and more damage resistant. All this has happened by engineers taking into consideration the materials they use and the design of the bicycle. 5.Discussion and Analysis of Material 5.1 Bicycle Drivetrain Systems (Appendix 1 and 2) Bicycle Drivetrain Systems are used to transmit the riders power to the drive wheels in order to move the bicycle forward. Nowadays, most drivetrain systems include mechanisms that are used to convert speed and torque via gear ratios. Over the years propulsion systems for the bicycle have ranged from the riders legs, to the modern drivetrain systems that include gears and pedals. 5.2 History (Appendix 3) Over the past couple of centuries many different bicycles have been invented that have different characteristics in order to improve safety and efficiency, but still had a similar structure. Many of the different developed bicycles include: Hobby Horse (Appendix 4) The Hobby Horse was invented in 1817, by the German inventor, Baron Karl Drais. This bicycle had a primitive design and did not include a drivetrain. It was a 23kg bicycle which was made out of wood, including the wheels. It also included a leather saddle for the rider to sit on, and resembled a modern handlebar. The riders feet was the propulsion system for this bicycle. This meant that the rider wouldnt be able to go very fast and would require a great amount of effort to move it forward due to its weight. It would also be difficult to transfer the bicycle uphill, thus the rider would have to carry it. Whilst going downhill, the lack of brakes would cause the bicycle to travel at a fast speed without anything, other than the riders feet, to stop it. Velocipede (Appendix 5) The Velocipede was invented in 1858 by the French Michaux company. This bicycle was a great development from the Hobby Horse. It first had a cast iron frame which was then changed to wrought iron for better damage resistance. The seat featured suspension which was inspired by the suspension used in wagons. Although, the bicycle was not comfortable to ride, hence why its also called the Boneshaker. The wheels were wooden but consisted of iron tyres. It also included pedals on the axle of the front wheel as the bicycles propulsion system. The pedals would allow the rider to use less effort, compared to the Hobby Horse, to move the bicycle forward. This bicycle also consists of the introduction of a first brake, which included a metal lever that pressed a wooden pad against the rear wheel, making it much safer as it has the capability of stopping, though the wooden pad would wear out due to the friction between the pad and the wheel. Penny Farthing (Appendix 6) The Penny Farthing was invented in 1869 by French, Eugene Meyer. The bicycles design was based on the desire to make it faster, thus using it for sport. Since gears were not invented yet, the front wheels size was increased so it would travel a longer distance after one full rotation. The frame weight was reduced to increase riding comfort including solid rubber tires, and the use of hollow steel tubes made it lighter. With the introduction of spokes and ball bearings, the wheels were also improved. The Penny Farthing would reach top speeds of 40km/h, but despite its advantages it had many disadvantages. It required a running start and a mounting step for riders to be able to mount it. To stop, the rider would require to jump off the bike. The higher centre of gravity on the bicycle would mean that if the rider fell they would have great accident. And at last, if the rider went over a bump they would be sent flying, leading to a fatal accident. The Penny Farthings propulsion system were still the pedals, although, their positioning on the bigger front wheel would require riders with tall legs to ride them. Due to the bigger wheel, one rotation of the pedals would allow the bicycle to cover a longer distance, hence why it is faster than previous bicycles. This design might my the bicycle faster and more efficient, but it was more dangerous due to the height and centre of gravity of the bike, the lack of feasible brakes and the high speeds it can reach. The Rover (Appendix 7) The Rover was invented in 1885 by English John Kemp Starley. This bicycle was chain driven and was also known as the Safety Bicycle. It featured equal sized wheels and a diamond frame, used to equally distribute the forces throughout the bicycles frame, though it still lacked a seat tube. The solid rubber tires were also replaced in 1888 with pneumatic tires, which made it more comfortable to ride. The original model of The Rover used treadles to turn the rear wheels, but the later updated model used a chain drive which consisted of a large front sprocket and a small rear sprocket used to multiply the revolutions of the pedals without the need of a large front wheel. The pedals were more centred putting the riders feet away from the front wheel, and the centre of gravity was lower making it easier for the rider to stop by putting their feet on the ground. To also better stop the bicycle, it included a lever which pushes a metal pad onto the front wheel. This bicycle was much safer due to its frame design and its low centre of gravity. It had increased efficiency due to the positioning of the pedals and the two same sized wheels whilst still being capable of travelling at high speeds with the brake being able to stop the bicycle if needed. The design of the handlebar also helped to improve the handling of the bicycle. The use of metal on the frame and on the chain mechanism also made it resistant from damage. Although, with the introduction of the new chain mechanism, pebbles or sticks could get caught in the chain, possibly damaging the mechanism. 5.3 The modern bicycles Today there is a variety of bicycles that are used for different situations. To be able to adapt to the different situations, the bicycles have different characteristics but still have similarities structure-wise. The 2 main types are mountain bikes and racing bikes. Mountain Bikes (Appendix 8) Mountain bikes are bicycles designed for off-road riding. They are similar to other bikes but consist features that help enhance performance and durability on rough terrain. They consist of suspension on the frame and fork making the ride on rough terrain more comfortable, knobby tires which adds more grip on the wheels, heavy duty wheels that add durability, and more powerful brakes to help stop the bike instantly when on the rough terrain. The bicycles propulsion system includes derailleur gears (Appendix 2) that consists of a crankset for the rotation of the bicycles pedals, a cogset which is a set of different sized metal cogs or sprockets that are used as the gears, and a chain that links the cogset with the crankset. Different gears provide different torque and speed and requires different amounts of effort to rotate the pedals. The higher the gear, the more torque, speed and effort. The gears are controlled by a shifter which is connected to the gearing gearing mechanism by a cable. Mountain bikes tend to have up to 30 gears, yet mountain bikers choose to use 10 or 9 speed bikes due to the lighter weight and less complexity. The mountain bikes are very efficient and safe bicycle as they include disk brakes that help with instantaneous stopping, a gearing system that helps reduce the amount of effort the rider will have to use and is adaptable to different types of roads, and suspension that provides comfort. Racing Bike (Appendix 9) Racing bikes are designed for competitive road cycling. Its main characteristics are its light weight for higher speeds, and its stiffness due to the lack of suspension also to achieve high speeds with the sacrifice of comfort. The handlebars are designed and positioned lower than the saddle so that the rider has a more aerodynamic posture. The front and back wheels are positioned close together to allow for quick handling. For the propulsion system the bicycle uses a derailleur system similar to the Mountain Bike. The gear ratios have close spacing so that the rider can pedal at the optimum cadence. To shift gears the bicycle consists of an electronic shifting system. The switch is connected wired or wirelessly to a battery pack and to a small electric motor that is used to drive the derailleur, moving the chain between the cogs. This improvement allows for the rider to switch gears faster. The Racing Bike is quite efficient in terms of speed, and quite safe as it includes disk brakes that stop the bike instantly with the exception of knobby wheels as it would decrease the speed of the bike. The materials manufactures use for the frame e.g. Carbon fibre, cause the bike to be light in weight and capable of travelling at faster speeds. 6.Conclusions There have been many major developments in public transport over the years, with the bicycle as a great example. Many improvements have been made to the bicycle and the methods it uses for the rider to move it forwards. The introduction of new drivetrain systems and the vast use of different materials according to their properties are the cause of these improvements. The invention of, more complex, propulsion and brake systems have helped improve the efficiency and safety of the bicycle and the implementation of stronger and lighter materials has increased the bicycles damage resistance and has made it capable of reaching higher speeds (Appendix 10) with less effort required by the rider. Also improvements on the seat and the suspension on the bicycle have contributed to make it a more comfortable method of transportation. 7.Recommendations The bicycle has had great developments over the years, though more improvements can be made in order to make the bicycle safer, faster and more efficient. Such improvements may include: Adding a cover, made of a light plastic, for the gearing system so that nothing can get caught in the mechanism, running the brake lines through the frame of the bicycle so there arent any cords hanging, adding a cogset to the front wheel making it a 2-wheel drive thus making it faster. 8.References Crazyguyonabike April 15, 2009, The Hobby Horse: 1817 Karl Drais and his running machine. https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?page_id=40616 , (accessed 1/3/2017) Crazyguyonabike May 2, 2007, The Boneshaker: 1867 Pierre Lallement, the Michaux family and their velocipede. https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?page_id=40617 , (accessed 1/3/2017) Crazyguyonabike July 2, 2007, The Penny Farthing: 1878 James Starley and his ordinaries. https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?page_id=40618 , (accessed 1/3/2017) Crazyguyonabike March 27, 2009, The Rover: 1885 The modern bicycle born in England. https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=tSpage_id=40621v=9Y , (accessed 1/3/2017) Wikipedia January 6, 2017, Racing Bicycle. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racing_bicycle , (accessed 2/3/2017) Wikipedia February 23, 2017, Mountain bike. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_bike , (accessed 2/3/2017) 9.Appendices Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 3 Appendix 4 Appendix 5 Appendix 6 Appendix 7 Appendix 8 Appendix 9 Appendix 10

Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel The Master and Margarita Essay -- Literary A

The vast interpretations and multiple meanings that lie within Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel The Master and Margarita cannot be limited or reduced to just a singular point or explanation. It would be ludicrous for one to simply classify Bulgakov’s work as just a religious, ethical, social or political tract because the enforcement of only one of these points of view would hinder the reader’s insight into the depth of the entire novel. However, it is possible to be able to grasp the many themes and meanings of The Master and Margarita by the examination of one of the novel’s central characters, this character is found in both narratives of the novel and his name is Woland or, as he is also known, the devil. Woland is the most important character in the novel because he entices the people of Moscow, whether they want to or not and whether they are conscious of it or not, to rebel against the order of which they are accustomed too and to gain a new found sense of liberation. Colin Wright, in his work Mikhail Bulgakov: Life and Interpretations, writes, â€Å"And here we find the key to the whole book for, as we have seen, it is the individual non-conformists who are Bulgakov’s heroes, those who rebel – whether against God or man† (270). It is understandable that Bulgakov, having written this work in an oppressive surrounding that limited what he could and could not write, creates a hero who is in fact a rebel and other characters that are rebellious against those who stifle artistic freedom. In Vladimir Tumanov’s essay, Diabolus ex Machina: Bulgakov’s Modernist Devil, the author writes, â€Å"In this respect the modernist qualities of Bulgakov’s novel acquire a new dimension because Master i Margarita becomes a kind of artistic devil, fulfilli... ...ivision of humanity into good and evil is no longer useful and the transcendence of the need for retribution is the goal† (362). With Woland, Bulgakov sends the message that humanity falls into a grey area and that one needs to show compassion to their fellow human beings instead of always seeking vengeance. Works Cited Bulgakov, Mikhail. The Master and Margarita. London: Picador, 1997. Franklin, Simon. Introduction. The Master and Margarita. By Mikhail Bulgakov. 1992. Great Britain: Everyman’s Library, 1992. Proffer, Ellendea. Bulgakov the Magician. Afterward. The Master and Margarita. By Mikhail Bulgakov. 1995. London: Picador, 1997. Tumanov, Vladimir. Diabolus ex Machina: Bulgakov’s Modernist Devil. Vol. 35. Scando- Slavica, 1989. Wright, Colin. Mikhail Bulgakov: Life and Interpretations. Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1978.

Boundaries...What For? :: Argumentative Science Technology Papers

Boundaries...What For? There seems to be no boundaries when it comes to scientific advancement. Scientists are struggling to come up with new and exciting procedures that are supposed to make our lives better. In the process, I think that they are getting out of hand. The advancement of science and technology today has brought up some very interesting and controversial issues. Nowadays, it seems that many scientists are on a mission to create the perfect human being, but in the process are breaking a lot of ethical boundaries. Do scientists know when enough is simply enough?, that is the real question. Through the use of such scientific and technological advancements, its amazing at just what scientists can do with the information. Often times they aren't thinking in terms of the world but in terms of them selves. Which on of them can discover the next biggest thing in science and technology, which can find that cure. It's all a game that is not played fair. There is a lot of craziness going on in the sciences, and with that comes consequences. Take Dr. Frankenstein for instance. In the article Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, she created a character that defied all the scientific and technological boundaries that were around in those days. It was against the law to work with dead bodies, especially for the purposes that he was going to use them for; which was to select the best parts forthe creature he was going to bring to life. He set out to create a "super-human being" out of inatimate objects, and he was successful, but in the end did pay a price. He spent two grueling years that consisted of long days and sleepless nights, for the sole purpose of creating life out of nothing. "For this I deprived myself of rest and health, but now I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and the breathless horror and disgust filled my heart" (Shelly 234). Dr. Frankenstein went way over the line, and tried to play the creator, and in the end got what he deserved, a monster. He abhorred Frankenstein so much, that he chose to alienate him from the world. Which was really unfair to the monster, considering he was created by the sweat of Dr. Frankenstein's brow. Sometimes all that scientific information can get you into trouble. If Dr. Frankenstein had not gone ahead and pursued the role of playing God, he wouldn't have created such an ugly mon ster in his eyes.

Disparities in Healthcare

Discrimination is a very large factor of there being a gap between the two groups and his study is important because practitioners need to recognize the problems that it creates. Ethnic minorities are discriminated against for many reasons such as poor socioeconomics status, poor neighborhood environments, and Just poor health choices. These can lead to practitioners' discrimination of ethnic minorities. â€Å"Overall, racial/ethnic minorities receive poorer quality health care than do Whites in the United Fiske, 2012).My hypothesis Is that ethnic minorities are discriminated in a way that they receive worse healthcare than Caucasians. The sign of this study is a sample design and not an experimental design because I pulled Information that Involved the entire United States. An experimental design Is the design of any information gathering where variation is present. Variance Is a measure of how far the set of numbers in a study is spread out. For this purpose, and the overall lower cost and efficiency, this study would overall incur a lower cost and data can be collected much faster than an experimental design.To prove that ethnic minorities are discriminated against more than Caucasians, I will pull much of y data from different studies that all come to the same conclusion. This study will Include a large sample size, the united States, so there Is a lot of equipment that needs to be provided for the research to be conducted. This Is a sampling design study that will use a lot of different equipment. Equipment such as computers, pads, calculators, notebooks, and software for computers are essential because they will aid the researchers immensely.If researchers are to stay in one place over a long period of time, storage may also be needed to store Items in. Besides equipment, money will also be needed for the purpose of travel. Locations where researchers can gather will be needed, along with transportation needs. Transportation needs can include plane trave l, vehicle rental, and reimbursement of gas. Living expenses such as food and hotel or motel would also be covered. Because this study looks at other resources of information to come to a final conclusion, medical examination of patients is not needed and therefore medical equipment Is exempt.This study Is considered a retrospective, or case controlled, study because It gathered through examination of records, interviews, and so on. A case controlled duty is defined as a type of retrospective, epidemiological, clinical study design. It involves two or more different groups with different outcomes. These groups are observed in the medical field usually to determine the outcome of a specific condition or disease. The two groups that are being looked at in this study are Caucasians and ethnic minorities. There are many techniques and procedures that come into play for this study.I used the process of data mining. Data mining is the process of analyzing data from different perspectives and summarizing it into useful information. Data mining is the most useful technique in acquiring the data we need for this certain study and will overall increase the efficiency of gathering data. Pulling from credible sources in research papers and gathering from many different polls will overall be very helpful for the study. Gathering The ethnic minority population is slowly gaining on the Caucasian population.These populations are more spread out in the United States. According to the 2011 U. S. Census, the ethnic populations are as such: Hispanics, 52 million; African Americans, 43. 9 million; Asian Americans, 10 million; American Indians, 2. Million. These numbers increase every year and the percent of Caucasians living in the United States starts to even out compared with minorities. In 2000, the white population made up approximately 70 percent of the total population(CDC, 2000), but now only make up 63. 4 percent.The gap that divides the unique group of ethnic minorities a nd Caucasians has many factors There are many factors to consider when looking at the gap between Caucasian and minorities. There is a â€Å"disproportionate prevalence on less health lifestyles, low socioeconomic status, resource-poor neighborhood environments, and poorer access o care†(Shavers, et al. , 2012) for ethnic minorities. These factors lead to far more cases of cancer, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and chronic diseases in general. Minorities are discriminated because of these factors and it can impact their healthcare.Racial discrimination is defined as discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race. Healthcare practitioners who discriminate create unneeded stress among patients and create unhealthy environments. This awful treatment of patients can spill into other aspects of the patient's life, and can lead to ore individuals smoking due to the psychological distress associated with such treatment(Purcell, et al. , 2012). To put discrimin ation in perspective, nearly two- thirds of one study â€Å"perceived discrimination in their interactions with health care providers based on race†¦ ND 58. 9% based on their socioeconomic status†(N. A. , 2001). Minorities who are discriminated against may not obtain the proper healthcare that they deserve and according to Dovish and Fiske, bias among healthcare providers exerts independent influence(2012). My hypothesis was that ethnic minorities are discriminated in a way that they chive worse healthcare than Caucasians. After pulling from many studies, the hypothesis seems to be validated, and that ethnic minorities are affected through discrimination in many different ways.Socioeconomic, health choices, and poor living conditions are only a few of the factors that make healthcare professionals discriminate against minorities. There is a certain design that was needed to guide information that involved the entire United States. This study would incur a lower cost and data can be collected much faster than an experimental design. Many efferent tools and equipment would be needed, such as computers, software, and pads, to name a few. After concluding on the hypothesis, there needs to be a call for something to be done.With 52 million Hispanics, 44 million African Americans, 10 million Asian Americans, and 3 million American Indians, discrimination can lead to many problems. Stress occurs in many individuals as a result from healthcare professionals discriminating against their patients. This unneeded stress puts the body through more harm and can cause a patient to experience more problems. With healthcare being a hot topic for discussion in today's society, it's difficult to see the affects that discrimination has on the healthcare industry.

Pest Analysis Essay

The growing importance of environmental or ecological factors in the first decade of the 21st century have given rise to green business and encouraged widespread use of an updated version of the PEST framework. STEER analysis systematically considers Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic, Ecological, and Regulatory factors. Contents * 1 History * 2 Overview * 3 References * 4 External links History According to the site RapidBI The term PEST was originally called the ‘ETPS’ and was quoted in Aguilar, Francis (1967). Scanning the Business Environment. New York: Macmillan.. , who discusses ‘ETPS’ – a mnemonic for the four sectors of what he calls his taxonomy of the business environment: Economic, Technical, Political, and Social. Sometime after this initial publication, Arnold Brown for the Institute of Life Insurance reorganized it as ‘STEP’ as a way to organise the results of his environmental scanning. Over time by academics and others in business it was modified yet again to become a so-called STEPE analysis (the Social, Technical, Economic, Political, and Ecological taxonomies). In the 1980s, several other authors including Fahey, Narayanan, Morrison, Renfro, Boucher, Mecca and Porter included variations of the taxonomy classifications in a variety of orders: Due to the negative connotations of PEST, a STEP analysis (re-ordering of the acronym letters) also exists, but is used to a lesser extent. Some academics claim that STEP or PEST still contain headings which are appropriate for all situations and do not require additional elements, other claim that the additional breakdown of some factors to help individuals and teams undertaking an environmental scan. Political factors include areas such as tax policy, employment laws, environmental regulations, trade restrictions and tariffs and political stability. * Economic factors are economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates and inflation rate. Social factors often look at the cultural aspects and include health consciousness, population growth rate, age distribution, career attitudes and emphasis on safety. * Technological factors include ecological and environmental aspects and can determine barriers to entry, minimum efficient production level and influence outsourcing decisions. Technological factors look at elements such as R&D activity, automation, technology incentives and the rate of technological change. The pest  factors combined with external microenvironmental factors can be classified as opportunities and threats in a SWOT analysis. PEST/PESTLE alongside SWOT and SLEPT can be used as a basis for the analysis of business and environmental factors. [2] References Aguilar, Francis (2006). Scanning the Business Environment. New York: Macmillan..

Aging Process

The first article I chose to read was about grief, and how to cope with it. The loss of a loved one cause’s great stress can temporarily interfere with concentration, decision making, and work performance. With enough support and help, grief can promote personal growth of all of those involved in the process. According to this article, grief can be triggered by extreme isolation, depression, or other additive behaviors. Other indicators that show one who is dealing with grief may include quick replacement of the lost relationship or avoidance of any reminder of or imitation of the deceased.Many people who experience these symptoms need some sort of intervention by health care professionals. According to this article, there are many different types of grief that one can experience. These types include chronic grief, delayed grief, exaggerated grief, masked grief, and disenfranchised grief. Chronic grief begins as â€Å"normal grief,† but instead of going away, it continu es for a very long time. Some people tend to define themselves by their losses, which leads to the development of chronic grief.Delayed grief is when a survivor consciously or unconsciously holds back their feelings in order to avoid pain, such as avoiding discussion of the deceased, or working too much. In masked grief, the survivor is not aware that their response to grief is getting in the way of them performing daily functions. One who is experiencing this may refuse help. Disenfranchised grief can occur when a survivor can’t fully acknowledge the loss of a loved one because the relationship may be considered unacceptable. Those who experience this type of grief may be those who are gay or lesbian partners.There have been many studies done on the effects of care giving to those who are going through grief and loss. In a recent study, 129 spouse care givers were asked to rate their levels of care giving. Those who had little or no involvement in the care of a terminally il l spouse were found to be at higher risk for complicated grief than those with greater involvement. The next article I read was also about coping with grief and loss. This article states that over the past 30 years, health care professionals have shown an increase in interest in the issues related to grief.There have been many different studies done on grief and loss, some of which have the same conclusions and others that differ in outcomes. However, in spite of these varied findings, it seems to be that following the death of a loved one, there tends to be an increase in headaches, dizziness, trembling, etc. It has been recommended that these symptoms can be signs of grief. There has also been an interest on whether or not people who are going grieving a loss require more psychiatric care during their mourning period. There have been few studies done to show some answers, but data is inconclusive.This article defines grief as one who was experienced the loss of a loved one to deat h. This article also explains that when someone experiences the loss of an important person, there is a tendency for that person to feel helpless, like they are unable to exist without that person. Some may also have mixed emotions of sadness and anger. Aside from the emotional responses to grief, there are also physical features that accompany grief. Some of these features are tightening of the chest, hollowness of the stomach, tightness in the throat, and lack of energy.This article states the order in which grief tends to happen; disbelief, confusion, preoccupation, sense of presence, and hallucinations. There are also a variety of different behaviors that are associated with grief reactions. These can go from sleep deprivation, and loss of appetite, to social withdrawal. Although these articles both discuss grief and loss, they differ in certain ways. The first article talked more about the different types of grief, and described the characteristics of them individually. The fir st article also discussed the effects of a person who is not involved in care giving to their loved on who is terminally ill.I felt that the second article talked more about the most basic type of grief in full detail. The second article, as opposed to the first article, went into detail about the physical features that also accompany grief. I also think that the second article talked about more broad concepts of grief, where as the first article was more specific in its focus on grief. I really enjoyed the articles that I read. I aspire to become a grief and loss counselor one day, so I felt that these articles really pertained to what I am interested in. I think that they explained things very easy, in words that I could actually comprehend.I believe that grief and loss counselors are very important in society; everyone at some point will lose someone they love, and may need the special support of a professional. I also found this topic to be of relevance because my best friendsâ €™ father just passed away about a month ago. I have been helping her mourn and go through the grieving process. Reading these articles made me realize things that I have been doing correct, and maybe some things that I could try to do better to help her through this very hard time. I think that these articles clearly defined grief, and all of the components that go along with it.I feel that everyone should read an article on how to help one cope with grief, just because mourning is a process that is all to common. Helping one get through these times is something that we can all improve upon. As much as I did enjoy both articles, I found my self more intrigued in the second article. It was a bit longer in length, and was very detailed. I think that the second article talked about a lot of different topics associated with grief and loss, where as the first article really just talked about the book definition of grief, and how to cope. Aging Process The first article I chose to read was about grief, and how to cope with it. The loss of a loved one cause’s great stress can temporarily interfere with concentration, decision making, and work performance. With enough support and help, grief can promote personal growth of all of those involved in the process. According to this article, grief can be triggered by extreme isolation, depression, or other additive behaviors. Other indicators that show one who is dealing with grief may include quick replacement of the lost relationship or avoidance of any reminder of or imitation of the deceased.Many people who experience these symptoms need some sort of intervention by health care professionals. According to this article, there are many different types of grief that one can experience. These types include chronic grief, delayed grief, exaggerated grief, masked grief, and disenfranchised grief. Chronic grief begins as â€Å"normal grief,† but instead of going away, it continu es for a very long time. Some people tend to define themselves by their losses, which leads to the development of chronic grief.Delayed grief is when a survivor consciously or unconsciously holds back their feelings in order to avoid pain, such as avoiding discussion of the deceased, or working too much. In masked grief, the survivor is not aware that their response to grief is getting in the way of them performing daily functions. One who is experiencing this may refuse help. Disenfranchised grief can occur when a survivor can’t fully acknowledge the loss of a loved one because the relationship may be considered unacceptable. Those who experience this type of grief may be those who are gay or lesbian partners.There have been many studies done on the effects of care giving to those who are going through grief and loss. In a recent study, 129 spouse care givers were asked to rate their levels of care giving. Those who had little or no involvement in the care of a terminally il l spouse were found to be at higher risk for complicated grief than those with greater involvement. The next article I read was also about coping with grief and loss. This article states that over the past 30 years, health care professionals have shown an increase in interest in the issues related to grief.There have been many different studies done on grief and loss, some of which have the same conclusions and others that differ in outcomes. However, in spite of these varied findings, it seems to be that following the death of a loved one, there tends to be an increase in headaches, dizziness, trembling, etc. It has been recommended that these symptoms can be signs of grief. There has also been an interest on whether or not people who are going grieving a loss require more psychiatric care during their mourning period. There have been few studies done to show some answers, but data is inconclusive.This article defines grief as one who was experienced the loss of a loved one to deat h. This article also explains that when someone experiences the loss of an important person, there is a tendency for that person to feel helpless, like they are unable to exist without that person. Some may also have mixed emotions of sadness and anger. Aside from the emotional responses to grief, there are also physical features that accompany grief. Some of these features are tightening of the chest, hollowness of the stomach, tightness in the throat, and lack of energy.This article states the order in which grief tends to happen; disbelief, confusion, preoccupation, sense of presence, and hallucinations. There are also a variety of different behaviors that are associated with grief reactions. These can go from sleep deprivation, and loss of appetite, to social withdrawal. Although these articles both discuss grief and loss, they differ in certain ways. The first article talked more about the different types of grief, and described the characteristics of them individually. The fir st article also discussed the effects of a person who is not involved in care giving to their loved on who is terminally ill.I felt that the second article talked more about the most basic type of grief in full detail. The second article, as opposed to the first article, went into detail about the physical features that also accompany grief. I also think that the second article talked about more broad concepts of grief, where as the first article was more specific in its focus on grief. I really enjoyed the articles that I read. I aspire to become a grief and loss counselor one day, so I felt that these articles really pertained to what I am interested in. I think that they explained things very easy, in words that I could actually comprehend.I believe that grief and loss counselors are very important in society; everyone at some point will lose someone they love, and may need the special support of a professional. I also found this topic to be of relevance because my best friendsâ €™ father just passed away about a month ago. I have been helping her mourn and go through the grieving process. Reading these articles made me realize things that I have been doing correct, and maybe some things that I could try to do better to help her through this very hard time. I think that these articles clearly defined grief, and all of the components that go along with it.I feel that everyone should read an article on how to help one cope with grief, just because mourning is a process that is all to common. Helping one get through these times is something that we can all improve upon. As much as I did enjoy both articles, I found my self more intrigued in the second article. It was a bit longer in length, and was very detailed. I think that the second article talked about a lot of different topics associated with grief and loss, where as the first article really just talked about the book definition of grief, and how to cope.

Financial Crises Essay

I have literally found a solution for all Americans struggling to mitigate their personal financial crises this day. They cannot just sit back expecting the government and business to work wonders. It is time for them to take personal responsibility for the economic downturn. Orwell (1945) was correct when he wrote that â€Å"All animals are created equal but some animals are more equal than others,† actually referring to human beings whom scientists refer to as animals. Throughout the history of humanity, people have generally known that they were created equal. And yet, there have been separations, discriminations, dissimilarities, and inequalities, for the reason that God, Nature or Evolution – depending on what we choose to believe in – did not grant equal abilities, talents, and gifts to all human beings. Some men are richer and more intelligent than the others. Some are born deaf, dumb, and blind. And, some must rely on income support because they just cannot beat poverty on their own. Then there are those who neither care that others remain poor nor hold themselves back from buying things they may or may never actually use – simply because it is fashionable in our consumer society to purchase unnecessary things as these objects make the individual who purchases them appear as though he or she belongs to a high socioeconomic class (Twitchell). As though this is not ridiculous enough, our consumer society enjoys humorous advertisements about products rather than people as the source of all personal satisfaction (Kilbourne). No wonder the divorce rate is high, compounding personal misery during the current economic recession. Undoubtedly, advertising is a hallmark of capitalism. In other words, it is a representative of Mammon. We generally assume that we cannot imagine a world without advertisements because ads represent the human need to enjoy life to the fullest with the best of food, clothing, etc. But, Kilbourne’s article, â€Å"Jesus is a Brand of Jeans,† reminds us that this need does not have to exist beyond our changeable minds. Yes, it is possible to imagine a world where publicity is meaningless. In this view of the world, everybody must be satisfied, without some of the people envying others, some others enjoying chocolate cake, while the rest grieve because they did not get a piece. Most importantly, in a perfect world we would not have to hoard in order to appear rich and famous to the others. Rather, we would be content with ourselves without feeling the need to impress others with our higher incomes, statuses, etc. If we are able to change our mindsets in our consumer society, we would not even have to save up to attend classes in â€Å"happiness institutes† (Schumaker). This would definitely lighten our personal financial burdens through this economic mess confronting our nation. Moreover, regardless of what we possess at present – if we honestly long to get through our personal financial crises – what if we try to share the little that remains with us, be it our skills or funds, with those that are less fortunate? This seems like yet another scientific technique to change the mindset of the consumer society. It is all possible, after all. This is America. Let us get through our personal difficulties with the American Dream formula! It has worked. It still works. It would always work. Sincerely, Name References Kilbourne, J. Jesus is a Brand of Jeans. Chapter 11: Consumer Society. Orwell, G. (1945). Animal Farm. London: Secker and Warburg. Schumaker, J. F. The Happiness Conspiracy: What does it mean to be happy in a modern consumer society? Chapter 11: Consumer Society. Twitchell, J. B. Needing the Unnecessary. Chapter 11: Consumer Society.

Animal Research

Animal Research Essay Animal ResearchFor the past 20 years, there has a been an on going heateddebate on whether experiments on animals for the benefit of medical and scientific research is ethical. Whether it is or isnt, most people believe that some form of cost-benefit test should be performedto determine if the action is right. The costs include: animal pain, distress and death where thebenefits include the collection of new knowledge or the development of new medical therapies forhumans. Looking into these different aspects of the experimentation, there is a large gap for argumentbetween the different scientists views. In the next few paragraphs, both sides of the argument will beexpressed by the supporters. A well known scientist named Neal D. Barnard said, The use ofanimals for research and testing is only one of many investigative techniques available. We believethat although animal experiments are sometimes intellectually seductive, they are poorly suited toaddressing the urgent health problems of our era, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, AIDS andbirth defects. He goes on further to say that animal experiments can not only mislead researchersbut even contribute to illnesses or deaths by failing to predict any toxic effect on drugs. The majorityof animals in laboratories are used for genetic manipulation, surgical intervention or injection offoreign substances. Researchers produce solutions from these animal models and are adaptingthem to human conditions. Unfortunately, these animal models cant always be connected with thehuman body thus creating problems. Many times, researchers induce strokes on animals in order totest certain methods for curing. The downfall of this procedure is that a healthy animal thatexperiences a sudden stroke does not undergo the slowly progressive arterial damage that usuallyplays a crucial role in human strokes. In another illustration of the inaccuracy of animal research,scientists in the 1960s deduced from many animal experiments that inhaled tobacco smoke did notcause lung cancer. For many years afterward, the tobacco industry was able to use these studies todelay government warnings and to discourage physician s from intervening in their patients smokinghabits. We all know now that this is totally untrue and that smoking is a large contributor to cancer. Itturns out that cancer research is especially sensitive to differences in physiology between humans andother animals. Many animals, particularly rats and mice, synthesize within their bodies approximately100 times the recommended daily allowance for humans of vitamin C, which is believed to help thebody ward off cancer. The stress of handling, confinement and isolation alters the animals mentalstability and introduces yet another experimental variable that makes any results from testing evenless valuable to human helping. In many cases, drugs and other substances are given to the testanimals but studies have shown considerable differences in the effects of these drugs on differentspecies. David Salsburg of Pfizer Central Research has noted that of 19 chemicals known to causecancer in humans when ingested, only seven caused cancer in mice and rats using the standards setby the National Cancer Institute. This justifies that many substances that appeared safe in animalstudies and received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in humans laterproved dangerous to people. The drug milrinone, which raises cardiac output, increased survival ofrats with artificially induced heart failure; humans with severe chronic heart failure taking this drug hada 30 percent increase in fatalities. Also, the antiviral drug fialuridine seemed safe in animal trials yetcaused liver failure in seven of 15 humans taking the drug (five of these patients died as a result of themedication, and the other two received liver transplants). Scientists and the populous that do notagree with the experimentation of animals believe in different methods. These techniques includeepidemiological studies, clinical intervention trials, astute clinical observation aided by laboratorytesting, human tissue and cell cultures, autopsy studies, endoscopic examination and biopsy, as wellas new imaging methods. In the last decade, scientists with these views have learned to respect theanimals for their own species observations and for their ability to communicate. On the reverseaspect, many scientists READ: Computer systems Essay

Money Making Trends for 2011 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Money Making Trends for 2011 - Essay Example Money Making Trends for 2011 Internet marketing business is very easy and quite cheap to set up. All that one needs is a personal computer and ample and reliable internet. Individuals can set up internet marketing businesses by themselves or they can combine effort with their friends or family and set up a formidable enterprise. The Internet marketing environment is a highly competitive field, therefore innovation in the business is crucial. This means that the human resources required for any competitive online marketing business should have relevant skills. Some of the people needed in today’s internet marketing business include copywriters, technicians and business managers. Like any other business, the internet marketing business needs to market itself to prospective customers and clients. One of the most effective means of marketing such businesses is through the utilization of social networking sites. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are effective tools to use in order to reach a sizable number of people. The use of video networking is also gaining ground as a way of reaching out to prospective customers. Search engine optimization still remains an important aspect of advertising for internet marketing businesses (Bailey, 2011). ... The trend for 2011 in this business lies in the utilization of quality Electronic Medical Record software that can guarantee accurate work (Lange, 2011). Money Making Trends for 2011 The use of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) remains very popular in the medical billing business. The EMR technology has been upgraded in such a way that the workflow of clinicians is well streamlined and integrated with all the important aspects of revenue cycle and practice management. The type f business ownership required for medical billing is a home-based or even an office based sole proprietorship. The business is very easy to set up and one only needs to be constantly in touch with clinicians and other healthcare providers through the internet. A small medical billing business would not require much in terms of human resources. However, apart from the business owner, one or two assistants and a technician would make work easier and much more efficient. Medical billing is a specific niche business , it only attracts medical practitioners. As such the kind of marketing that would be most appropriate for medical billers is though search engine optimization especially in websites that contain medical related content (Lange, 2011). Virtual Assistant A virtual assistant is an independent contractor who offers remote administrative services for other businesses. Virtual businesses have taken over the place of traditional brick and mortar space as businesses seek way through which they can reduce fixed costs as well as overhead expenses. The proliferation of technology has meant that more businesses are now more than ever willing to launch their operations online and reach as many customers as possible. There is a wide pool of virtual expertise available. This