Dangerous chemicals allowed by the FDA to be included in human and Research Paper

Dangerous chemicals allowed by the FDA to be included in human and animal foods - Research Paper Example as been documented to have allowed the use of harmful toxins to be used in human as well as animal food, which is likely to cause disastrous health outcomes, often leading to death. Although the exact number of harmful chemicals allowed by the FDA cannot be determined with accuracy, a comprehensive list of such chemicals is included as Appendix A. Three of the most potentially hazardous of the chemicals from the list (see appendix) Bisphenol A (BPA), Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Ractopamine - are linked to disastrous health outcomes, often leading to death. The FDA should, therefore, ban these chemicals, from use in human and animal food products, in order to uphold the general principle of safeguarding public health and prevent the large scale destruction that the presence of such harmful toxins can cause. Bisphenol A (BPA), Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Ractopamine are three of the several dangerous chemicals which are allowed by the FDA to be used in human and animal food, which are documented to have disastrous consequences when consumed, often leading to death, and hence need to be banned with immediate effect. The development in technology and the subsequent advancement in agriculture have both led to a dramatic rise in use of chemicals, particularly in the developed nations. Over 80,000 harmful chemicals are now made available commercially, and are regularly being used in agriculture and animal husbandry. Such potentially toxic chemicals which are known to enhance the productivity and hence the economical gain, and hence their drastic impact on human and animal life has been largely ignored (Erickson, 20093). Several of the toxic chemicals which are routinely used in agriculture as well as fed to livestock, have been proven to cause disastrous effect on human as well as animals, sometimes often leading to death. However, regardless of studies and researches which point towards their harmful influence on our lives, the use of such toxins

Moral Challenges Essay Example for Free

Moral Challenges Essay Morality is a highly contested topic in every day life. It can be defined as a thought process of making decisions based on one’s beliefs or desires shaped by one’s culture. A right or wrong moral decision can therefore be said to be a product of culture and law stipulated in a constitution and applied in a certain jurisdiction. In everyday life, we are faced with challenges and situations that require our judgment and actions (Kermerling, 2002). In this paper, I will explore two moral situations in which I believe I made the right and wrong decisions respectively, the parties that were involved, the reasons behind my actions and the consequences that followed my decisions and actions. Lastly, I will identify what actions I will take if faced with the same situation the next time to avoid making wrong decisions. Moral Challenges A Right Moral Decision The decision I made to take responsible leadership role and mitigate the planned students’ strike was one of the most acceptable action I ever made in my life. I was actively involved in a peace mission to contain the strike that was organized by drunken and unruly students in the university. The judgment process was affected after the students took alcohol and caused disorder in the institution (Cima, Tonnaer Hauser, 2009). The peace mission involved the director of the faculty, a lecturer, the student leaders and a few students. The students had issues with a lecturer who had failed to show up in three lectures. While it was right for the students to complain over the absence of the lecturer, it was expected for them to follow the right procedure in addressing the problem. The organizers of the strike came while drunk and tried to convince and force the rest of the students to join them in a demonstration to the administration offices. Some students got tempted and joined the unruly students claiming that the administration has failed to act appropriately to their claims. As the chair person of the students union, I took an initiative and addressed the students and informed them that contrary to the claims of some of them, the issue was being addressed and that the lecturer in question had been summoned and appropriate solution would be arrived at soon. I spoke with wisdom, â€Å"Comrades, we are gathered here to inquire about our rights to have normal and uninterrupted studies. Besides, any missed lecture means waste of time and resources. However, the lecturer in question has been summoned and the decision will be communicated to us in appropriate time. Furthermore, I have called the director of the faculty and informed me that he will be here with us in the next one hour. Therefore, I request all of us to have patience since the issue is being handled wisely by the administration. Thank you! † My speech caused a mixed reaction with minority of them accusing me and the rest of the leaders of being sympathizers and colluding with the administration and not giving students’ interests any priority. They begun singing and chanting and demanded at the top of their voices that, â€Å"we demand that you and all our leaders join us in the fight for our rights†¦ we want to show the lecturer a lesson. † Majority of the students were convinced in my speech and they helped in calming the situation. Later, the faculty director arrived and he addressed us all giving the way forward to the satisfaction of the majority. The main architects of the strike were identified and suspended and others expelled and the university once again realized the tranquility which was important in the learning process. This benefited the administration as it served as a wake up call and they moved with speed to address majority of issues by factoring in student needs. The rest of the students benefitted by continuing with normal learning and all the issues raised were addressed with the lecturer getting a warning A Wrong Moral Situation An incident I remember to have taken a wrong decision involved taking side with my brother to indict our house help. Due to my brother’s recklessness, he had left the car keys in his girlfriend’s house. The girlfriend quietly sneaked in our compound and took off with the car whose keys were forgotten in her house. Unfortunately, the girlfriend was a drug dealer and so used the car to transport hard drugs to her customers. She got spotted by the police although she managed to escape abandoning the car and drugs. After learning that the car was in police station, my father rushed home to interrogate us all before proceeding to the police station to record a statement. On sharing with my brother we called his girlfriend and struck a deal to be silent on the whole issue and put the whole blame on the house help. Although I knew the whole truth that my brother had forgotten the keys at his girlfriend’s house, I argued in defense of my brother. I maintained that it was the house help’s responsibility to take care of everything. My brother after gaining confidence and my support, he made his remark in a family meeting, â€Å"I fail to understand how the car came to be used in drug trafficking. It is evident that the house help has been colluding with drug traffickers. The house help should get sacked with immediate effect. † He talked harshly as he left the sitting room, â€Å"He should provide a succinct explanation in this meeting or else he will do it better at the police. † I felt a push inside my heart that what I was doing was wrong but I convinced myself that I had the obligation of defending my brother no matter what and so I cared less of the consequences to the other party. This is the case that happens with psychopaths (Cima, Tonnaer Hauser, 2009). The houses help felt much threatened and could not raise point to defend himself even when it meant he was not guilty. This led to his sacking letting my brother to go scot-free. My brother’s girlfriend and her gang made their best not to be caught in the scandal as they feared the consequences like imprisonment and fines. But the house help suffered unfairly as he lost his job failing to get paid and getting disturbed with even not knowing what could follow. I regretted of making such decision and I made a promise to myself that in case I got faced with the same problem, I would first remind my brother that it should be his responsibility to be accountable for every action he takes and that the house help has aright to expression and fair treatment. This will serve as an example and a wake up call for him to act appropriately in future. The issue of defending my brother and his girlfriend was not moral as it led to the firing of the house help. I will in future keep morals and make sensible decisions which respect all people regardless to class (Kermerling, 2002). In general, it is important that we make decisions based on our beliefs and moral codes on what is right and wrong. This will help shape our society and make everyone act to appropriately. Right moral decisions have significant benefit in the society. With right moral judgments, justice will be maintained and the offenders will be punished. Wrong moral decisions deprive the society of peace and justice. The poor and the minor groups in our society will always be intimidated as they are powerless. Reference: Cima, M. , Tonnaer, F. , Hauser, M. D (2009). Psychopaths know right from wrong but don’t care. Human Molecular Genetics’ Special Review Issue: Molecular Genetics Advances in Neurological Disease. 3(1): 329-45. Kemerling, G (2002). Kant: The moral order. Retrieved June 06 2010 from: http://www. philosophypages. com/hy/5i. htm

Can We Say NO To Recycling Essay -- science

Can We Say "NO" To Recycling Lately the earth’s capacity to tolerate exploitation and absorb solid wastes disposal has diminished, due to excess trashing. People dispose lots of stuff, and simply do not care. Therefore scientists found out a way to reuse things and that process was called "recycling". This new approach seemed quite successful at the beginning, until its true identity appeared. Recycling first started as man’s best friend, people were intrigued by this new phenomena. What could be better than using things that were already used. Recycling has been very useful especially that man is constantly consuming, burning up, wearing out, replacing and disposing at an alarming rate.(Durning 1992). However, unfortunately recycling has proven that it is quite costly. Although recycling of wastes material solves the problem of garbage disposal at landfills, and saves resources, it does nevertheless entail large hidden costs in collecting, sorting and manufacturing; therefore, it is necessary for the go vernment to overcome such problems of recycling to be worth while and for manufacturers and consumers to consume less. Recycling has proven its efficiency in solving the problem of garbage disposal at landfills1. By the accumulation of garbage throughout the years, space available for garbage has largely diminished. In the states for example almost 67% of their waste stream ends up in landfills.(Scott 25). This has in fact increased the price of disposal. As Kimball stated "tipping fees" at landfills, is so often prohibitive(3), and some cannot find landfills to dump their garbage. It can cost up to $158 to pick a ton of garbage and dispose it.(Consumer Reports 1994). Beside, these landfills pollute their surroundings area with lots of hazardous materials and contaminate underground water. To discover the contamination of the underground water it would be 12 yeas after the poisons-benzene; formaldehyde; mercury; and BCEE- have actually contaminated the land, and had sunk 24 feet into the ground contaminating about 50 million gallons of underground water.(Dahir 94). Besides these lands could be used i n more useful ways such as building schools, hospitals, or simply turning them into large green areas to purify the air. This problem is practically acute in Egypt, since we do find even in central areas of the city, piles of garbage disposal very near to... ... washed and used several times." (Scott 25). As we can see the benefits are over-estimated, and the costs are under-estimated. What we should do is not only look for an alternative but also look for other ways to improve recycling. The natural resources will not last for ever, eventually everything comes to an end and the end is very near to our natural resources. What is of greater importance is to find alternatives to such resources if they actually become extinct. Recycling is backed by most of the general public, for its ideas of saving the environment, energy, and virgin material. But it is not that good or that efficient it still costs money and is not that safe. "Recycling does not necessarily provide for safer or more environmentally sound disposal than landfilling or incinerators. The recycling process itself generates enormous amounts of hazardous wastes."(Schaumburg 32). In addition it will decrease and maybe solve the problem of the ever increasing pollution. Imagine that every time som! eone throws a piece of paper in the garbage is similar to a person cutting a leaf off a tree. This is what happens when one does so, so recycling was the way to solve such a problem.

The Fourth Law Of Robotics :: essays research papers

<a href="http://www.geocities.com/vaksam/">Sam Vaknin's Psychology, Philosophy, Economics and Foreign Affairs Web Sites Sigmund Freud said that we have an uncanny reaction to the inanimate. This is probably because we know that - despite pretensions and layers of philosophizing - we are nothing but recursive, self aware, introspective, conscious machines. Special machines, no doubt, but machines althesame. The series of James bond movies constitutes a decades-spanning gallery of human paranoia. Villains change: communists, neo-nazis, media moguls. But one kind of villain is a fixture in this psychodrama, in this parade of human phobias: the machine. James Bond always finds himself confronted with hideous, vicious, malicious machines and automata. It was precisely to counter this wave of unease, even terror, irrational but all-pervasive, that Isaac Asimov, the late Sci-fi writer (and scientist) invented the Three Laws of Robotics: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws Many have noticed the lack of consistency and the virtual inapplicability of these laws put together. First, they are not the derivative of any coherent worldview and background. To be properly implemented and to avoid a potentially dangerous interpretation of them - the robots in which they are embedded must be also equipped with a reasonably full model of the physical and of the human spheres of existence. Devoid of such a context, these laws soon lead to intractable paradoxes (experiences as a nervous breakdown by one of Asimov's robots). Conflicts are ruinous in automata based on recursive functions (Turing machines) as all robots must be. Godel pointed at one such self destructive paradox in the "Principia Mathematica" ostensibly comprehensive and self consistent logical system. It was enough to discredit the whole magnificent edifice constructed by Russel and Whitehead over a decade. Some will argue against this and say that robots need not be automata in the classical, Church-Turing, sense. That they could act according to heuristic, probabilistic rules of decision making. There are many other types of functions (non-recursive) that can be incorporated in a robot. True, but then, how can one guarantee full predictability of behaviour? How can one be certain that the robots will fully and always implement the three laws?

Prison Crowding Essay

Prison overcrowding is referred to as one of the major social problems in the United States. The problem of prison crowding has also touched Great Britain, some European countries, and finally, the developing world. During the 14 years between 1980 and 1994, the U. S. prison population has grown 172 percent (Bleich, 1999); more than 30,000 state prisoners spend their days and nights in country jails, waiting for new cells. The consequences of prison overcrowding are reflected in the whole set of broad social phenomena, from prison violence to higher rates of recidivism. The late 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s have been characterized by the growing number of prisoners in the U. S. â€Å"The United States produced a rate of growth in the nation’s prison population that scholars and legal commentators have repeatedly characterized as ‘unprecedented’† (Gaes & McGuire, 1995). The number of prisoners was growing so fast that prison officials failed to develop effective systems and supervising networks that would maintain social and criminal stability across all correctional facilities at the federal level. The reasons and causes of prison overcrowding are numerous and require different approaches; but with financial and social resources being limited, federal authorities are unprepared to meeting the social challenges of prison overcrowding in the U. S. Organizational instability in prison system produces numerous adverse effects, including the development of dysfunctional psychological responses among younger prisoners and the system’s inability to satisfy the basic needs of prisoners. The causes of prison overcrowding are different and numerous: mandatory minimum sentencing, denial of parole, a variety of â€Å"zero tolerance† criminal policies, drug wars, and even trivial acts’ criminalization lead to the prisoners’ population increase (Bleich, 1999). Poverty and homelessness are the two indirect causes of prison overcrowding. The absence of effective anti-recidivism programs results in the growing number of prisoners in all types of correctional facilities. However, the discussion of prison overcrowding issues should start with the evaluation of psychological problems inmates face in crowded cells: â€Å"there is growing evidence that the Post Incarceration Syndrome is a contributing factor to high rates of recidivism. The cruelty of guards and staff remains a primary problem; those in prison are subjected to verbal violence and ridicule for anything from sexual preference to gender identity† (Gaes & McGuire, 1995). These violent attitudes significantly contribute into the growing levels of recidivism; many of those who have been imprisoned for the first time are sentenced for the second and the third time before their first imprisonment term comes to an end. Objectively, prison overcrowding forms a kind of a vicious circle, with violence, assaults, disciplinary penalties and recidivism in its center. The problem would not be so complex, if not for the growing social tensions between the inmates, the prison staff, and the rest of the American citizens. Prison overcrowding leads to the development of dysfunctional behaviors among prisoners, to the growing amount of unsatisfied needs, and to excessive application of force and violence needed to maintain social order in prisons. These threatening tendencies lead to the disruption of the traditional social structures, where the â€Å"imprisoned† gradually replace â€Å"socially free† population, further increasing the level of society’s criminalization in the country. Dysfunctional behaviors are particularly problematic among younger prison population; young prisoners are more susceptible and vulnerable to the changes which occur in prison; recent researches have proved young prisoners’ vulnerability to â€Å"restricted conditions, since there is neither the space, the facilities, nor the resources to provide inmates with a full range of training, work, and educational opportunities, when there are too many prisoners to cope with† (Ekland-Olson & Barrick, 1983). Young prisoners are more sensitive and volatile in their aggressive reactions to the new type of prison environment; as a result, they are more likely to be punished by prison officials through segregation units, isolated housing unites, or similar administrative measures. In these violent contexts, young prisoners risk committing another crime, thus contributing into the growth of recidivism in the American prisons. Dysfunctional psychological responses and the growth of â€Å"young recidivism† are not the only consequences of prison overcrowding; by filling prisons and jails above their capacity, prison officials fail to satisfy even the basic needs of prisoners. Health, nutrition, and social needs of prisoners are simply neglected, raising their sensitivity to various types of social threats, including health epidemics, aggression, and violence. Beyond normal sleeping and eating conditions, prisoners need vocational training, education, and meaningful jobs. Prisoners require extensive work experiences that will further help them adapt to real-life conditions beyond the prison walls. Prison overcrowding deprives prison officials of effective and reliable needs assessment and screening instruments and strategies, which could be universally applied to improve the prisoners’ well-being. The current prison system in the U. S. does not guarantee that prisoners’ basic civil rights will be followed while they are being imprisoned. Unfortunately, thousands and thousands of prisoners are still in need of treatment and counseling for different types of mental and physical health disorders (Bleich, 1999). As a result, by the time these prisoners are released on probation they are likely to face social rejection and negligence, leading recidivism and violence. Intimidation and force remain the two most effective instruments used to maintain order in prisons. A crowded prison can be compared to a â€Å"boiling cauldron of inmate hostility, ready to erupt instantaneously into a riot† (Cavadino & Dignan, 2002). In the absence of other relevant governing mechanisms, violence seems the easiest universal method of keeping prisoners’ behaviors under control. â€Å"For example, in maximum security prisons in California, guards armed with rifles are strategically positioned inside mainline housing units and authorized to respond to inmate disturbances with lethal force† (Gaes & McGuire, 1995). Violence and intimidation are further aggravated by the lack of appropriate staff resources that could potentially maintain stability and organizational order in prisons and jails. Violence and the lack of professional staff negatively impact the quality of relationships between prison officials and inmates, making the crisis of control and legitimacy the central social element of prison overcrowding in the U. S. (Cavadino & Dignan, 2002). In the light of the abovementioned issues, the natural question is whether overcrowding can be minimized and avoided, and what should be done to improve the quality of life in prisons. Researchers and professionals suggest that probation reform may change the situation in the American prison system. â€Å"Forty percent of prison intakes are from probation violations, and half of those violators are put into the prison system because of technical violations† (Hicks, 2006). By reducing probation sentencing terms and simplifying supervision rules, prison officials are likely to resolve the majority of issues related to prison overcrowding and its social consequences. Federal authorities and criminal justice professionals are to reconsider the criteria applied to zero tolerance policies and juvenile delinquency, to minimize the portion of young population in prisons. Ultimately, the basic needs of current prisoners should be assessed and addressed, to ensure that ex-prisoners are able to adapt to the changing real-life conditions and to return to regular work and life performance after being released from prison (jail). Conclusion Prison overcrowding leads to the development of distorted and dysfunctional social visions in the American society. Violence and intimidation remain the two widely accepted instruments of maintaining order in prisons. Young prisoners are particularly vulnerable to aggression and violence in jails. The reduction of probation sentencing terms and supervision rules simplification may resolve the majority of social issues related to prison overcrowding in the U. S. , but federal authorities still lack appropriate resources that could be used to simplify the organizational structure of prison system in the country.

Greatest Quotes From Sex and the City

Greatest Quotes From 'Sex and the City' The hit TV show Sex and the City has beautifully captured the turmoil of modern women stuck in a fast paced city. When you read Sex and the City quotes, your first thought may be: Is this how life in NYC is like? Read and decide for yourself. Carrie: Everywhere I looked, people were standing in twos it was like Noahs Upper West Side rent-controlled Ark.Samantha: Oh sweetie, forget about him. You are gonna be on the side of a bus. 10 million men are gonna be drooling over you every morning on their way to work. Its the best personal ad Ive ever seen in my life.Carrie: Samantha has a particular knack for turning a desperate situation into a hopeless one.Carrie: Lets be honest. Sometimes there is nothing harder in life than being happy for somebody else. Like lottery winners. Or extremely successful people who are 27. And then theres that hell on earth that only your closest friends can inflict on you the baby shower.Carrie: When Charlotte really liked a guy, she said his whole name it helped her to imagine their future monogrammed towels.Miranda: Maybe its time I stopped being so angry.Carrie: Yah, but what would you do with all your free time?Samantha: Until he says I love you, youre a free agent.Carrie: What is this? The Rules According to Samantha?Samantha: See? Im more old-fashioned than you think.Samantha: Look at his robe. So Robin and his Merry Men.Carrie: Here. Swear. Swear on Chanel.: Oh my God were gonna have to ice skate home. Hell just froze over.Carrie: I thought I had come to terms with my looks the year I turned thirty, when I realized I no longer had the energy to be completely superficial.Samantha: Normal is the halfway point between what you want and what you can get.Samantha: Heres what I think. Round up all the divorced men and keep them in a pound. That way, you get their whole history before you take one home.Miranda: I love how they say until recently, the bride worked.Carrie: Yeah, meaning she quit her job as soon as she found her soul-mate-slash-investment-banker.Charlotte: Listen to this: sometime in the ten years before menopause, you may experience symptoms including all-month long PMS, fluid retention, insomnia, depression, hot flashes or irregular periods.Carrie: On t he plus side, people start to give up their seats for you on the bus. Carrie: Our affair, like our hotels, had gone from elegant with crystal to seedy with plastic cups.Miranda, : Why would that cheer her up? Does she look like a 22-year-old frat boy? Sex and the City Quotes Miranda: Men- wait, let me rephrase that- some men... Jerry Jerrod Sex and the City Quotes Sex and the City Quotes

Primarks Entry into the Brazilian Market

Primarks Entry into the Brazilian Market Brief Synopsis of the Issue This proposal is informed by the expressed need for Primark, a British-owned, Irish clothing retailer, to enter into the Brazilian market as part of the firm’s internalisation orientation.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Primark’s Entry into the Brazilian Market specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The strategic proactive decision to compete in the Brazilian market arises out of the firm’s deliberate policy to exploit foreign market potential and growth, diversify markets through opportunistic global market development, and follow customers abroad to entrench customer satisfaction (Agergaard 2010). Primark stands to gain competitively and strategically through the application of this market entry proposal to market its products in Brazil. Recommendations Primark should develop and implement a strong brand image to successfully compete with other established apparel s tores operating in Brazil, such as Zara and Mango; Primark should use the vast knowledge and experience gained in expanding its operations into markets considered as physically close (European markets) to successfully internationalise its operations in Brazil; Primark should consider establishing an apparel factory in Brazil to cut down on logistics costs involved in transporting products from far-away Asian countries into the Brazilian market; and Primark should enter into the Brazilian market by establishing a wholly owned subsidiary through the acquisition of already existing firms. Background Although Primark’s main headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland, it is evident that the firm’s entry into other European markets (e.g., Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Netherlands and the United Kingdom) has successfully positioned it as a reputable seller of fashionable clothes at the low cost end of the market. In all these markets, the entry mode has always been through acquisitions or direct foreign investments. However, the Brazilian market presents new challenges that warrant comprehensive analysis, particularly in light of the market’s geographic proximity, cultural and social issues in Brazil, as well as political and regulatory frameworks. Extant literature demonstrates that although Brazil has one of the largest commodity stocks and a high population with a quickly mounting purchasing power for consumer products and services, it nevertheless has a high tax regime and a bureaucracy that necessitates much patience on the part of firms wishing to enter the country’s markets (Agergaard 2010). It is important to note that this is Primark’s second attempt to enter international markets outside of the confines of the European Union after successfully entering the United States market, hence the need for careful analysis and evaluation.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The remainder of this market entry proposal is organised as follows: first, a concise analysis of market opportunities (country-level analysis) is provided. An analysis of Brazil’s attractiveness (risks, costs, benefits) is then provided, followed by a concise situation analysis of Primark using the SWOT analysis framework. In the following section, an analysis of the firm’s readiness to enter the Brazilian market is undertaken. Afterwards, issues of global sourcing, production and logistics are assessed, followed by a critical analysis of the firm’s market entry strategy, along with a discussion on the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed entry mode. In the final section, a step-by-step approach to the implementation of the proposed strategy is discussed, followed by an analysis of the benefits and potential barriers to successful implementation and evaluation of the market entry strategy. Analysis of Market Opportunities in Brazil (Country-Level Analysis) The choice of which country to enter is of immense importance to the internalising firm, and requires considerable deliberation and analysis on the market opportunities existing in the country and if such opportunities will lead to a firm’s competitive advantage (Douglas Craig 2011). A framework comprising four main areas, namely competitive intensity, customer dynamics, technological vulnerability and microeconomics (Cunill, Forteza, Gil-Lafuente 2013), is used to determine the type and magnitude of country-level market opportunities. The results of the analysis are as follows: Competitive intensity This dimension deals with the number of competitors in the country as well as their strengths and weaknesses (Cunill et al 2013).With a GDP of USD 1.574 trillion in 2009 (International Monetary Fund 2010), Brazil is one of the fastest growing economies in the world; however, the country is yet to attr act many global retailers in the apparel industry, hence the competitive intensity is low. Zara, Mango and the British street starwart CA are the early entrants into the Brazilian apparel industry, hence their brands may be popular in the country (Thomson, 2012). However, these retailers deal with the high-end consumer market, implying that Primark still has the capacity to successfully position itself as a reputable seller of fashionable clothes at the low cost end of the market.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Primark’s Entry into the Brazilian Market specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Customer dynamics This dimension deals with unconstrained opportunity for customers, segment interaction, and rate of customer growth (Cunill et al 2013). The economic outlook of Brazil can be described as healthy, thus customers are likely to feel more confident in shopping for clothes beyond their basic necessities due t o their strong purchasing power. With the mounting economic fortunes, Brazil is expected to maintain a strong rate of customer growth and customers are likely to spend more money to satisfy particular lifestyles, needs and personalities (Lee 2014). Technical vulnerability This dimension deals with technology adoption as well as the impact of new technologies (Cunill et al 2013). Brazil is a leader in technology adoption and use in South America (Agergaard 2010), hence it is expected that the costs for technology adoption and use will be low. Macroeconomics This dimension deals with the market size and profitability of the market in a particular market (Cunill et al 2013). In light of the fact that Brazil is by far the most populous country in South America and the tenth largest economy in the world by GDP analysis (Agergaard 2010), it is estimated that there is a huge market for the apparel industry and an equally profitable market due to high consumer purchasing power and low entry of foreign apparel retailers into the Brazilian market. Country Attractiveness (Risks, Costs, Benefits) Brazil is a politically stable and democratic country with a diverse climatic environment that is favourable for the sale of a multiplicity of clothing designs, ranging from bikinis to cold wear. Brazil is not in danger of any political or military upheaval which may shift the country’s economic rules and regulations overnight, implying that political and economic risks in the country are low and favourable for investing. However, the cost of doing business in Brazil is high due to a burdensome tax regime and bureaucratic red tape (Agergaard 2010).Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The benefits of internalising into the Brazilian market include (1) a huge market size for clothes, (2) a customer base with high purchasing power due to the favourable economic outlook, (4) well established infrastructural and technological expertise, and (5) minimal entry of foreign-based apparel retailers into the Brazilian market (International Monetary Fund 2010; Thomson, 2012). Company Situation Analysis (Firm-Level Analysis) Primark’s situation analysis demonstrates that its present business strategy of offering value and low prices is working to provide the firm with a strong financial position due to the attainment of high sales volumes coupled with lower retail margins (Primark n.d.). A strong financial position is critical in the internalisation process (Ekeledo Sivakumar 2004; Chiao et al 2010). The firm’s prices and costs remain competitive in line with its business model; however, it needs to develop and implement strategies aimed at not only maintaining a strong competitive position but also addressing several strategic issues facing the company, such as the maintenance of low cost, supply chain challenges in product sourcing, and high competition from quality competitors like Peacock and Matalan (Ross Harradine 2010). The SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) framework is used to undertake Primark’s situation analysis, with results indicated as follows: Strengths Primark’s strengths include a strong market presence (almost 200 stores across Ireland, the United Kingdom, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Portugal), strong financial base witnessed by its high annual turnover, customer loyalty due to unique product offerings, employee participation, innovative clothing lines, and strong commitment to ethical operations and effective governance (Ross Harradine 2010). The firm’s strong financial base, innovative clothing lines and customer loyalty are critical to the successful entry into th e Brazilian market. Weaknesses The weaknesses of Primark include brand imitation by companies offering similar products, lack of a strong brand image and recognition, and lack of advertising due to the low-cost business model (Rowley 2009). The competitive intensity and customer dynamics in Brazil demands that Primark develops a strong brand image to successfully compete with other established apparel stores such as Zara and Mango. Opportunities The firm’s opportunities lie in diversifying its products, increasing its market size, and increasing the use of technology to reach more customers in diversified geographic markets (Rowley 2009). Increasing market share is one of the driving forces of a firm’s internalisation strategy (Ahsan Musteen 2011), hence Primark is bound to gain from its entry into the Brazilian market as customers in the country have a high purchasing power and are likely to spend more to satisfy particular lifestyles (Agergaard 2010). Threats Primar k’s threats include strong competition, presence of cheaper apparel stores, rapid and constant shifts in fashion, as well as lack of consumer spending power in some of its European markets (Ross Harradine 2010). While Primark may have to develop strategies aimed at effectively competing with other international and local apparel stores in Brazil, it will nevertheless benefit immensely from the high spending power of Brazilian customers. Readiness to go Overseas From the analysis, it is evident that Primark is ready to enter into the Brazilian market, particularly in light of its strong financial base, customer loyalty, unique product offerings in diversified markets, and propensity to increase market size. The firm has a strong presence in several countries across Europe, implying that it has the necessary experiential knowledge needed in internalising its operations in distant countries such as Brazil. This is in line with the Upsalla Model of Internationalisation, which po stulates that â€Å"firms develop their activities abroad over time and in an incremental fashion, based on their knowledge development† (Whitelock 2002, p. 342). Primark has already expanded its operations to markets considered as physically close to its headquarters in Dublin, implying that it can use the knowledge developed to expand into markets considered as distant. Global Sourcing, Production Logistics The firm will continue to source clothes from low-cost countries such as India, China, Bangladesh and Turkey, while aligning its sourcing strategy with its business strategy of providing customers with ethically sourced garments (Primark n.d.). Owing to the vast natural resources found in Brazil, including cotton and silk, Primark should also consider establishing a comprehensive supply chain with local suppliers for cheap raw materials. Such an arrangement would require the firm to construct its own factory in Brazil, an endeavour that may be costly in the short-term d ue to the high tax regime and bureaucratic red tape (Agergaard 2010). However, Primark stands to benefit in the long-term due to reduced costs of transporting products by air and sea from far-away source countries in Asia into the Brazilian market. The company should continue to employ lean production and efficient operational practices with the view to realising its objective of satisfying the low end market spectrum with high quality fashion products (Ross Harradine 2010). Market Entry Strategy International market entry scholarship demonstrates the existence of several entry modes which are basically divided into two categorisations, namely equity and nonequity entry modes. Equity entry modes include joint ventures and wholly owned subsidiaries (e.g., Greenfield investments, whereas nonequity entry modes are basically exports and contractual agreements that include licensing, franchising, turnkey projects, as well as RD contracts (Ekeledo Sivakumar 2004; Murray, Ju, Gao 2012). The recommended entry mode choice for Primark into the Brazilian market is by establishing a wholly owned subsidiary through the acquisition of already existing firms. Primark is presently in a strong financial position due to the attainment of high sales volumes in its foreign operations mostly in Europe (Ross Harradine 2010). The firm should use this strength to commit adequate resources to undertake a direct establishment in the Brazilian market. Another justification is based on the fact that the firm has developed adequate knowledge in conducting acquisitions in European markets and should therefore use this knowledge to establish a wholly owned subsidiary in Brazil. The strengths of the proposed entry mode include (1) capacity to enable the parent company take control of the supply chain of established subsidiaries through vertical integration, (2) capacity to diversify and manage risk, and (3) opportunity for Primark to negotiate better tax terms with the Brazilian governme nt (Chiao et al 2010). However, wholly owned subsidiaries may actually result in more taxes due to the employment of separate business entities, not mentioning that diversification can cause the parent company to lose focus on what it does best (Chiao et al 2010). Implementation of Market Entry Strategy, Benefits Barriers The steps to be used in implementing the proposed market entry strategy include: developing and implementing an acquisition strategy in line with the firm’s low cost business strategy, identify suitable targets in Brazil based on the firm’s strategy, begin discussions with potential targets, arrange for a business valuation of the preferred target, secure the needed financing to acquire the target, conduct due diligence, negotiate, structure, and close the deal, plan and implement a post-acquisition strategy (Whitelock Rees 2003). Lastly, the benefits to successful implementation of the proposed market entry strategy for Primark include increase i n sales revenues, increase in customer base due to the firm’s low price strategy, high returns to the firm’s shareholders, and ability to communicate and fully control the enterprise (Ahsan Musteen 2011; Cunill et al 2013). However, barriers may present in terms of experiencing challenges in repatriating earnings, exposure to high risks due to great commitment in capital and managerial effort, as well as cultural challenges in the host country. Reference List Agergaard, MB 2010, How to ensure a successful entrance to the Brazilian market: With a focus on Danish production companies, http://projekter.aau.dk/projekter/files/32310771/HowtoensureasuccessfulentrancetotheBrazilianmarket.pdf. Ahsan, M Musteen, M 2011, ‘Multinational enterprises’ entry mode strategies and uncertainty: A review and extension’, International Journal of Management Reviews, vol. 13 no. 4, pp. 376-392. Chiao, YC, Lo, FY Yu, CM 2010, ‘Choosing between wholly-owned subsid iaries and joint ventures of MNCs from an emerging market’, International Marketing Review, vol. 27 no. 3, pp. 338-365. Cunill, OM, Forteza, CM Gil-Lafuente, AM 2013, ‘Choice of entry mode into a foreign market: The case of Balearic hotel chains in the Caribbean region’, Kybernetes, vol. 42 no. 5, pp. 800-814. Douglas, SP Craig, S 2011, ‘The role of context in assessing international marketing opportunities’, International Marketing Review, vol. 28 no. 2, pp. 150-162. Ekeledo, I Sivakumar, K 2004, ‘International market entry mode strategies of manufacturing firms and service firms: A resource-based perspective’, International Marketing Review, vol. 21 no. 1, pp. 68-101. International Monetary Fund 2010, World economic outlook database, imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2010/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2007ey=2010scsm=1ssd=1sort=countryds=.br=1c=223s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLPgrp=0a=pr.x=83pr.y=18. Lee, K 2014, What customer dynam ics affect clothing companies, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/customer-dynamics-affect-clothing-companies-34339.html . Murray, JY, Ju, M Gao, Y 2012, ‘Foreign market entry timing revisited: Trade-off between market share performance and firm survival’, Journal of International Marketing, vol. 20 no. 3, pp. 50-64. Primark n.d., http://download.businesscasestudies.co.uk/retrieve_primark_15_cHJpbWFyay9jYXNlLXN0dWRpZXMvMTUvZnVsbC5wZGZ8fEFmZkFuZHk=. Ross, J Harradine, R 2010, ‘Value brands: Cheap or trendy?: An investigation into young consumers and supermarket clothing’, Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, vol. 14 no. 3, pp. 350-366. Rowley, J 2009, ‘Online branding strategies for UK fashion retailers’, Internet Research, vol. 19 no. 3, pp. 348-369. Thomson, R 2012, Analysis: Why have so few retailers entered Brazil, retail-week.com/analysis-why-have-so-few-retailers-entered-brazil/5040089.article. Whitelock, J 2002, ‘Theories of i nternalisation and their impact on market entry’, International Marketing Review, vol. 19 no. 4, pp. 342-347. Whitelock, J Rees, M 2003, ‘Trends in margins, acquisitions, and joint ventures in the single European market’, European Business Review, vol. 93 no. 4, pp. 118-129.

Not All Memes are Bad

Not All Memes are Bad Not All Memes are Bad Not All Memes are Bad By Maeve Maddox I’ve recently become interested in the concept of the meme (rhymes with seem). The word was coined by British biological theorist Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene. Dawkins is an evolutionist. He argues that the human mind evolves in a manner similar to biological natural selection. He wanted a word similar to gene to describe the way ideas and beliefs spread and mutate. He bases the word meme on a Greek word meaning â€Å"something imitated.† We need a name for the new replicator, a noun that conveys the idea of a unit of cultural transmission, or a unit of imitation. He gives examples: Examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catch-phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building arches. Just as genes propagate themselves in the gene pool by leaping from body to body via sperms or eggs, so memes propagate themselves in the meme pool by leaping from brain to brain via a process which, in the broad sense, can be called imitation. Here’s the definition given in the OED: meme:  A cultural element or behavioural trait whose transmission and consequent persistence in a population, although occurring by non-genetic means (esp. imitation), is considered as analogous to the inheritance of a gene. The word meme and the idea behind it is itself a meme and has propagated a new branch of science called memetics. The new memeticists have expanded Dawkins’ original definition and are not presently in total agreement as to what exactly meme means. Outside the scientific realm, the word meme is used to describe the replication of words, phrases, and ideas on the internet. In this context it refers to the item that â€Å"goes viral.† Scientists are also quick to compare the meme to a virus or a parasite. I question the wisdom of this method of explaining the action of the meme in a scientific context. It fosters a negative attitude towards the word that does not apply to its sister word gene. virus: fig. and in figurative contexts: a harmful or corrupting influence; (a form of) moral or intellectual perniciousness. Also in weakened use: a phenomenon liable to spread rapidly and pervasively. OED Memes, like genes, should be studied as objectively as possible. Not all genes are â€Å"good.† Not all memes are â€Å"bad.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Format a UK Business LetterWriting the CenturyEnglish Grammar 101: Sentences, Clauses and Phrases

Operations and Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Operations and Project Management - Essay Example Similar to any other departments in an organization, the operations management department of the organization plays the most important role in determining the overall organizational success (Slack & et. al., 2010). An effective operations management thus helps an organization in positioning the products and services in the right place and in the right way that would make the most effective utilization of time and cost considerations. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the operations manager to ensure effectiveness throughout the manufacturing process (Fort Lewis College, 2015). Henceforth, the discussion will emphasize the issues of operations management faced by Challinor’s, which is a small scale manufacturing establishment of actuators for the aerospace industry. It will also cover the opportunities and problems being faced by the organization. Furthermore, a suitable Risk Matrix and Work Breakdown Structure will be provided in order to underpin the success of the project and thereby create a better experience for the customers with respect to the proposed relocation of the factory. Challinor’s is a small-scale manufacturing enterprise located in West Midlands that deals with the manufacturing of actuators for aerospace industry. The company has been able to develop a good reputation in the field of aerospace industry, producing the best quality products to the customers. The company also has performed an effective management along with adequate workforce of experienced engineers, which is one of the major advantages of the company that allows the manufacturing of products to be more effective and ensures best quality with fault free deliverance of services. Altogether, these factors contribute to the successful operations along with the opportunity of the company to expand that would help it in maximizing the overall profit. As the company has been able to gain a significant position in the aerospace sector, various large

Moving a business to Nigeria. Political and Legal, Demographics, Essay

Moving a business to Nigeria. Political and Legal, Demographics, Culture And Human Development Index - Essay Example The following paper discusses the many challenges of shifting business to Nigeria and recommends solutions to the soaring labor costs and increasing competition. Information regarding Nigeria’s demographic, economic, cultural, political and developmental situation has been analyzed leading to the decision that the company should continue to produce and sell in the US and not do any kind of business in Nigeria. Demographics of Nigeria Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. In July 2012, Nigeria was estimated to record a population of 170,123,740 people (Akinpelu 7). This translates to a population density of 184. 52 compared to 33. 114 people per square kilometer in USA (Hamilton and Webster 51). This indicates that Nigeria's resources, especially land, are quite strained. Such a high population density indicates poor planning and possibility of a nation not being able to sustain itself. Although the high population may indicate availability of cheap labor, lack of suf ficient funds from the government towards education leads to lack of quality human resource. This is not good for business and thus, it would not be advisable to move a business from New York to Nigeria on the basis of high population densities. In fact, USA has a population higher than that of Nigeria making it a larger market amidst growing competition in the business of manufacturing motorized scooters. There are 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria divided almost equally between Christianity and Islam. Religious differences have seen a history of intense religious clashes between Muslims and Christians causing poor business environments. On 20th June 2012, Red Cross estimated that 80 had been killed in Kaduna due to a Muslim-Christian conflict. To curb language barriers, English is used as the official language. The literacy level in Nigeria is estimated to be 78% compared to 99% for USA (Hamilton and Webster 73). This gives USA an upper hand while using these figures to compare quality of workforce between the two countries. Culture Being an African country, Nigeria has deep roots in its culture. With over 50 languages being spoken by the 250 ethnic groups, Nigeria’s culture is quite diversified and thus complex to generalize. This may not be good for business since it is complex to familiarize a business with the many cultures in Nigeria. Nigeria’s is however rapidly changing into a modernized country as a result of the rise of its movie industry known as Nollywood in the global market (Akinpelu 24). This shows that Nigerians are hardworking and creative relative to many countries in Africa but certainly not the USA which has the biggest and most developed movie industry in the world. USA’s culture is modernized and more uniform compared to that of Nigeria (Hamilton and Webster 93). USA’s culture is more liberal as compared to Nigeria hence making it easier to accommodate change as a strategy in business. Culture is an important facto r while considering modes of marketing in order to reach and convince a larger audience. Human Development Index Human development index is important in determining how developed a country is. This index captures information about life expectancy, education, literacy, quality of life and standards of living. With the inclusion of all the above determinants of human development index, we can comfortably classify countries as underdeveloped, developing or developed. Nigeria’s HDI was estimated to be 0.459 and thus classified as having low human development. USA’s HDI is classified as very high ranking 3rd globally with a figure of 0.910 (Hamilton and Webster 49). This makes US a better region to nature one’s business compared to Nige

Is independence consistent with Scotland keeping the pound Essay

Is independence consistent with Scotland keeping the pound - Essay Example de â€Å"The Euro†, â€Å"A new Scottish currency† and â€Å"keeping Pound as a part of a formal sterling currency union.† The UK government argued in this regard that after independence, the economies of Scotland and rest of the UK might start to vary due to certain imperative factors encompassing the formulation along with the execution of the above-discussed policies, fluctuating interest rates and incessantly transforming financial conditions among others (Webb 2-15). It would be vital to mention that the aforementioned factors eventually erupts the question concerning whether independence is consistent with Scotland keeping the Pound. Scottish independence is not simply a subject matter of constitutional sovereignty. It can be apparently observed in this similar concern that there are certain states, particularly in Europe, which are legally sovereign but possess minimal scope towards administering themselves. In this regard, the social arrangement of Scotland represents that the political behaviour of the state has become quite converged in recent days, as compared to the earlier years. Notably, Scotland, among other European states, experienced massive deindustrialisation, owing to which the economy of the state became excessively reliant on consumer spending and on an exaggerated housing market as well. Thus, the sovereignty of Scotland emphasised augmenting public finances and endeavouring towards enhancing the ability of affording a liberal welfare state and most vitally, enriching the public services. It has been argued by the nationalists in this similar concern that Scotland, with its sovereign power, wou ld be able to manage as well as utilise the accessible resources efficiently with the incorporation of various activities that may comprise balancing revenues with international trade, coping with the fluctuations concerning interest rates and contributing extensively towards raising wealth funds (Keating 1-16). It has often been argued that Scotland is

Globalization and Cultural Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Globalization and Cultural Change - Essay Example There are many convincing arguments both against and in favor of globalization. Those against globalization have one primary concern; they claim that globalization benefits corporations while harming people. It is feared that globalization reduces human rights, harms the environment, undermines sovereignty, and increases inequality. Below are some important points for and against globalization. Strengths and Opportunities: Productivity grows more quickly when countries produce goods and services in which they have a comparative advantage. Living standards can go up faster. Global competition and cheap imports keep a lid on prices, so inflation is less likely to derail economic growth. An open economy spurs innovation with fresh ideas from abroad. Export jobs often pay more than other jobs. Unfettered capital flows give the U.S. access to foreign investment and keep interest rates low. Weaknesses and Threats: Millions of Americans have lost jobs due to imports or production shifts abroad. Most find new jobs--that pay less. Millions of others fear losing their jobs, especially at those companies operating under competitive pressure. Workers face pay-cut demands from employers, which often threaten to export jobs. Service and white-collar jobs are increasingly vulnerable to operations moving offshore. U.S. employees can lose their comparative advantage when companies build advanced factories in low-wage countries, making them as productive as those at home. Anthropology can be very beneficial in the study of globalization if properly organized. Corporations, firms, NGOs, non-profits, governments, universities, policymakers and a host of other entities comprised of humans interact daily in global networks. They are underpinned, for the most part, by a neo-liberal framework constructed in assumptions about rational choices. Many anthropologists study these networks, frameworks and assumptions, grounding them within particular socio cultural contexts. Anthropology, however, has yet to engage in an exploration of its own assumptions, findings and responses to "globalization" in an attempt to integrate our anthropological understanding of these processes, to evaluate the questions that frame research and advocacy and the methods used in carrying these out, and to communicate our contributions in this area of research to our discipline, policymakers and the public. The implications that globalization has on societies is quite extreme, especially in the developing third world nations. For example, Thousands of farms and homes in east and central India are being swallowed up by coal mines financed by the World Bank. The entire village of Balanda was demolished last year by bulldozers. The local villagers were sent to the "resettlement colony" of Handidhua, which lacked drinkable water, electricity, and small businesses promised as part of the $530 million World Bank loan guarantees. These are just few of many severe implications that globalization brings upon the world (Lukas, 2000: 4). But do the benefits out weigh the costs The world is becoming more and more a mixed environment, and all of these different cultures, different people who have grown up in these particular different cultures are coming up against each

STP Analysis, Instacart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

STP Analysis, Instacart - Essay Example These are different market segments with different needs. For schools Instacart provides a combination of high quality and affordable groceries. On the other hand, for the light commercial customers, Instacart offers a variety of comprehensive groceries with extraordinary convenience. Instacart relentlessly focuses on its quality and customer experience. In doing this, Instacart offers its customers low prices, wide selection and convenience products and brands. Achieving repeat purchases and customer loyalty remains the key aspects to Instacart success. Instacart communicates fulfillment of its promises including the delivery of date estimates, options for expedited delivery, update facilities, delivery shipment notifications and presentation of latest inventory through availability of information (Cheng 32). Instacart provides quality, timely customer service, fast and reliable fulfillment, and trusted transaction environment. It also features rich in nutrients products and repeated customer purchases systems. Large retailers, physical retailers, vendors, manufacturers and distributors of alternative products most of which tend to possess sales volumes, significant grocery awareness. Some competitors who sell the franchise products through direct marketing, mail order and the internet The primary competitive factor in Instacart is its market segments that include quality and fresh products, convenience, selection, availability, price, personalized services, brand recognition, discovery, information, speed of fulfillment and customer service (Manjoo). Other competitive factors include: reliability, trust in transactions and having the ability to adapt changing markets conditions. For products offered to individual and business sellers, additional competitive factors in this case includes their ability to generate sales especially for third parties in which Instacart serves,

Globalization and Cultural Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Globalization and Cultural Change - Essay Example There are many convincing arguments both against and in favor of globalization. Those against globalization have one primary concern; they claim that globalization benefits corporations while harming people. It is feared that globalization reduces human rights, harms the environment, undermines sovereignty, and increases inequality. Below are some important points for and against globalization. Strengths and Opportunities: Productivity grows more quickly when countries produce goods and services in which they have a comparative advantage. Living standards can go up faster. Global competition and cheap imports keep a lid on prices, so inflation is less likely to derail economic growth. An open economy spurs innovation with fresh ideas from abroad. Export jobs often pay more than other jobs. Unfettered capital flows give the U.S. access to foreign investment and keep interest rates low. Weaknesses and Threats: Millions of Americans have lost jobs due to imports or production shifts abroad. Most find new jobs--that pay less. Millions of others fear losing their jobs, especially at those companies operating under competitive pressure. Workers face pay-cut demands from employers, which often threaten to export jobs. Service and white-collar jobs are increasingly vulnerable to operations moving offshore. U.S. employees can lose their comparative advantage when companies build advanced factories in low-wage countries, making them as productive as those at home. Anthropology can be very beneficial in the study of globalization if properly organized. Corporations, firms, NGOs, non-profits, governments, universities, policymakers and a host of other entities comprised of humans interact daily in global networks. They are underpinned, for the most part, by a neo-liberal framework constructed in assumptions about rational choices. Many anthropologists study these networks, frameworks and assumptions, grounding them within particular socio cultural contexts. Anthropology, however, has yet to engage in an exploration of its own assumptions, findings and responses to "globalization" in an attempt to integrate our anthropological understanding of these processes, to evaluate the questions that frame research and advocacy and the methods used in carrying these out, and to communicate our contributions in this area of research to our discipline, policymakers and the public. The implications that globalization has on societies is quite extreme, especially in the developing third world nations. For example, Thousands of farms and homes in east and central India are being swallowed up by coal mines financed by the World Bank. The entire village of Balanda was demolished last year by bulldozers. The local villagers were sent to the "resettlement colony" of Handidhua, which lacked drinkable water, electricity, and small businesses promised as part of the $530 million World Bank loan guarantees. These are just few of many severe implications that globalization brings upon the world (Lukas, 2000: 4). But do the benefits out weigh the costs The world is becoming more and more a mixed environment, and all of these different cultures, different people who have grown up in these particular different cultures are coming up against each

How the breakup of big labor is impacting future labor relations Term Paper

How the breakup of big labor is impacting future labor relations - Term Paper Example However, due to the economic changes and globalization, that influenced the modern labor market, the big labor has almost disappeared from the modern business environment. The following paper will discuss the impact the breakup made on the labor relations and will also illustrate to what extent this breakup influenced the future labor relations. The recent cease of the coalition of U. S. labor, which was created in 1955, has brought a renewed interest in the future of labor relations. Some experts consider such split as the other step in the slow decline of union membership, while others see its influence on the development of a new coalition that is an important step in the revitalization of unions in the United States (Meyerson, 2015). There is an essential consequence of the union split, however, it is not the single factor that can put an impact on the future of unions and labor relations as they are. On the global scale, union developments are perceived as the dynamics of a global economy with its competition in jobs and the new types of workers who decide to join unions. Despite the declining nature of unions across the decades, there were about one out of three Americans in 1950s who was involved in the big labor. On the contrary, today, this sum is eleven per cent of American workers are union members and six per ce nt constitute union member in the private sector. There are no unions among employees of such sectors of the economy as in high-tech, fashion and finance. Such tendency is understandable due to the new generation of people, young activists, who find unions as something left from their great-grandparents’ generation. Those under and over 30 do not notice big labor. However, everyone see the consequences of labor unions. Under the absent a U.S. union movement, the American middle class is shortened, the concentration of wealth increases, however, the corporate domination of government grows. Under the

Immigration and Population Growth Essay Example for Free

Immigration and Population Growth Essay Immigration is when someone or people move to a country from another country. It can be due to various purposes like a student going for study, getting married to a national of another country or to take up an employment. Immigration has been known to cause population growth. Population growth is the quantifiable change of population in an area. Immigration can be defined into two that of high skilled personnel and that of low skilled personnel. Economic impacts of immigration depend on the skills of immigration. The impacts are felt by both the country from which the people are moving from and the country they are going to. Negative Impacts Immigration and population growth causes scarcity of resources. Economics standard definition is the allocation of scarce resources among competing ends. Immigration and population growth makes the task more difficult because it create more competing ends hence bad economic outcome. In other terms if there are more people living in the same land with the same amount of resources then there will be fewer resources and land available per person thus less wealth. There is also overburdening on the infrastructure talk of roads, social amenities like water, hospital beds and others. They existing facilities cannot cope with the increasing population growth before we put into consideration immigration (Holzer, 2005). Immigration and population growth cause wages decrease, this is due to increased labor supply. An increase in labor supply relative to capital supply and supply of natural resources will in a free labor market cause wages to fall. Unemployment is the other major impact of immigration; the local residents miss jobs to the immigrants who come to their country. These create more risk of unemployment. Shortage of affordable housing, this may lead to people living from hand to mouth due to increased cost of living. It in turn reduces chances of investments. Most of the income goes to up keep hence little savings and investment. Environmental degradation due to the huge population growth results to massive loss of biodiversity and wide spread degradation of the landscape. This leads to salinity of t he soil and topsoil erosion this have adverse effects on the productivity of the nation. All these have impacts on the economy in that no people can work while hungry and food is a key element of economic development. If reduced it causes a decline in the work output hence on income of a nation (Nilsson, 2005). Positive Impacts Immigration and population growth produce increased and cheap labor. Many business and public service make use of the skills and hard work of immigrants. Immigrants may never mind the amount of work they do and money they are being paid. This increases the productivity of a county in that they work for more hours and do the kind of jobs the normal civilians of a nation may not be willing to take. This increased productivity improves the income levels of a country hence the living standards are increased. The immigrants are paid declined wages due to saturation of laborers in the market hence the cost of production is low this leads to increased profit to the industries hence to the nation. Immigration increases the economy in terms of labor demand, thus creating new vacancies. Immigration improves the way of life of the residents of the country they move to; they carry out duties that are a bother to the residents like dish washing, cooking, laundry work and many more. Immigration of high skilled personnel fills the labor and skills shortages. These increase the productivity of a country. The skills also improve existing skills and train others hence labor force of a country and reduced threat of immigration (Rowthorn, 2004). Conclusion In conclusion immigration and population growth are interrelated and are beneficial though they also have negative impacts.The benefits depends on the type of skill immigrating. References: Holzer, H. J. , (2005): Economic Impacts of Immigration. Retrieved on 6th Jan, 2009 from: http://www. urban. org/UploadedPDF/900908_Holzer_111605. pdf Nilsson, T. , (2005): Negative economic impacts of immigration and population growth. Retrieved on 6th Jan, 2009 from: http://www. pc. gov. au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/9572/sub009. pdf Rowthorn, R. , (2004): The Economic Impact of Immigration. Retrieved on 6th Jan, 2009 from: http://www. civitas. org. uk/pdf/Rowthorn_Immigration. pdf

Sport In The Construction Of Masculinity

Sport In The Construction Of Masculinity Gender studies is an interdisciplinary study which investigate different aspects of gender. Sport is one of the aspects that researchers in these years are trying to analyse in a gender perspective. It is believed that sport is socially conditioned based on many researches. This essay will examine sport contributing to the construction of masculinity by several ways, they are: gender stratification in tradition, homophobia in sport, sport as male bonding ritual, biased opportunities towards men and media influence. Further examples and elaborations will follow in each point to demonstrate sport is indeed a social constitution constructing masculinity. Sport has long been instituted as male dominated and masculine in orientation by a couple of reasons. First, the historical gender stratification throughout a century has established that sport is an institution constructing masculinity. We are living in a patriarchal society that male are always in superior status than female, from economic status to daily life. The society has embedded a concept that the role of women is to give birth and their only obligation is to take care of children. But in 20th century, women are no longer highly dependent on men, as more and more women have become labours in the market. It has shortened the distance between two sexes, but obviously gender inequality cannot be eliminated so easily. Bilrell and Cole (1990) have mentioned that superiority of physical fitness is the key factor of winning in sport, and sport is the main activities emphasis on the sexual differentiation. Since sport emphasizes a lot on strength and bravery, male are thought to per form well innately than women (Klein 1990). As a result, the male participating rate in sport in general is higher than women. It is no wonder that Zane Grey (1992) in his book wrote All boys love baseball. If they dont theyre not real boys. This concept was passed on from generation to generation and eventually sport becomes a site constructing masculinity. Second, homophobia is another factor constructing masculinity in sport. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, sport has somehow developed into a male hegemonic activity. Male who does not participate in sports are not regarded as real man, and female participating in sports are thought to be manlike. They may, therefore, be treated as homosexuals. In fact, in the traditional socialization process, men in the early age had learnt that male who does not perform in manly way may see as homosexual (Messner 1992). Athletics, no matter male or female, may sometimes make apparent or even exaggerated movement to show their masculinity and femininity, just because they are afraid of people confusing their gender identity. Ordinarily, males characteristics are tough, aggressive, competitive, physically strong, whereas women tend to show attractive appearance, to do make-up and wearing feminine clothing. The traditional association of physical strength, power and athleticism with masculinity causes many people to question the sexuality of women athletes. Former tennis star Chris Evert paid great attention to whether or not she acted like a woman in the court, and almost the end of her tennis career she finally willing to admit that she is an athlete (Woolum 1998). Though she is a tennis player, she tried to act like a woman so as to maintain her feminine image. When Evert evaluated on her early stage of career, she said she never feel like an athlete, she was just a person playing tennis (Woolum 1998). She would like to be a complete woman such as having nail polish and wearing fancy hair band, rather than a freak in others eyes. From this example, we have seen that sport is thought to be male-oriented. Since female athletes challenge traditional notions of femininity and their abilities are seen as stereotypically masculine, female athletes are always contending with homophobia so that they will not be labelled as lesbian. It, in turns, lessens females willingness to p articipate in sport. As for men, they tend to participating in sport in order to show their manhood and avoid categorized as gay. It is, therefore, understandable that sports is a site for the embodiment of masculinity because of its nature of male-oriented. Third, sports play an important role in masculinity because sport is constructed as male bonding ritual. Similar to fraternity and military, sport helps young boys making connections in their life (Fine 2000). As we all know, sport focuses a lot of competitiveness and aggression, or sometimes, even involves physical contact and collision in between athletes. These are the elements that enable the notion of masculinity and the hegemonic ideal to construct a boy into a real man. Burstyn (1999) believed that sport provided the kind of rituals of conquest and aggression that men with a weak sense of masculinity needed to symbolize, to make physical and palpable, the difference between a mans man and a mamas boy , which means sport is succeeded in socializing boys into manhood despite the absence of the family father (Burstyn 1999). Here we realize that sport is in fact served as an embodied ritual of confirming and strengthening mens gender identity. Even if some children may live in sin gle-parent families, they are still able to achieve manliness as sport can be a replacement of father for them to obtain masculinity. All men can group together to retain their manhood and to reassert their gender privilege via sport. Thus, we can conclude that sport is a bonding ritual for men to construct their masculinity. In addition, biased opportunity towards men is a way to gradually construct masculinity in sport. Traditionally we are told that girls are only suitable for activities which are related to the aesthetic side of sports such as ice cheerleading and skating. Females are not recommended to engage in high physical contact activities such as rugby, boxing and soccer. In the schooling stage, gender socialization and gender typing shaped teenagers how they should act based on their gender. Plausibly, self-fulfilling prophecy has occurred and these norms have shaped individuals behavior, which in turn shapes future expectations. This cycle has shaped our society into a male supremacy culture, and sport is an embodiment of this notion. The opportununties bias can be seen particularly in the professional ranks. Womens sport would never be at the top of the pirority when business companies looking to use sports to market their product (Person 2009). They concerned with earning money from the adv ertsing and they believed that the money return will not be as much if they invest in womens sport (Person 2009). The average salary can obviously indicate the inequality of opportunities within two sexes, men are able to earn 4 millions in average whereas women can only earn approximately 1.4% of men, around $55,000 in average. Without social and economical motivation, girls devote less time to the sport. As a result, sport become male domain and a site for constrcuting masculinity. Finally, media influence is a factor contributing to the masculine construction in sport. The Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles has done a research (Wilson 1999) claiming that over 90% of American teenagers consume sports media. Since sports are mostly dominated by men, from the athletes and coaches to the commentators and reporters, media is definitely influential enough to transmit ideas about masculinity and maleness. And when it comes to reporting sport news, the newsworthiness is the main point reporters are focusing on. Mens sport is generally believed to have more attention and enthusiasm from the public, compared with womens sport. Sometimes after a match has finished, reporters are able to immediately interview male athletes in the changing room, it is, however, impossible to do the same thing on women. It is, therefore, clear that there are lots of bias and limitations on sports media which ultimately contribute to the construction of masculinity in our society. In conclusion, sport was demonstrated as being a dominant social institution which naturalized mens power and privilege over women. It has marginalized and trivialized female athletes, which sequentially help reproducing the ideological of masculinity in sport.

Politics and Political Sciences :: Political Governmental Essays

Politics and Political Sciences What is political science? It is the study of the mechanism that people employ for their protection, better known as a government. When looking up the word government in the dictionary the word authority is used repeatedly. To many people the type and extent of authority over them is very important. So, which is the best kind of government? Is it the monarch or the republic? It is important to look at the difference between monarchs and republics and how they came about. Monarchies are usually run by a king or queen. These rulers are heads of the government because of birth. Of course, not all monarchs are the same, some are more powerful than others. There are three kinds of monarchs limited, constitutional, and an absolute. The least powerful of the group is the limited monarch. They usually have no political power and are just a historical figure. The country is run by the prime minister. A good example of this is England. Queen Elizabeth makes public appearances and ceremonies. The truth is she has no decisions in political decisions. She can not make laws of or deal with any similar issue, but is still a very important part of England's tradition. There can be different titles in different countries. For example in Japan the Emperor is like the king or queen of England. The constitutional monarch has more powers than the limited monarch, but they are restricted. The countries constitution puts the king, queen, prime minister, and parliament below the law. They can make laws and policies or veto, however, parliament must give their consent. Some countries that are constitutional monarchs are Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. The final and most powerful monarchs are absolute monarchs. In these countries The king or queen have absolute control over the country. At one time all monarchs used to be absolute. The king or queen is the law, the Parliament can suggest ideas but he or she has the final say. Absolute powers today include Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, however, in these countries the head authority is called the Amir. The other form of government is a republic. In the dictionary it is that said that a republic is a form of government where the power is in the citizens who are allowed to elect their representation. However, it is better said, a country without a king or queen and is not a monarch because not all republics are the same.

starbucks history :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For one of my selections for buying stock, I invested into Starbucks, this company has attracted me with their wonders of different coffees, and I knew many others were interested in the very popular coffee company. Starbucks all started 1971 in Seattle Washington. With three men which were Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegel and Gordon Bowker each of them put in one thousand three hundred and fifty dollars along with a barrowed five thousand from the bank to start up there small coffee shop in pick place market, witch is located in down town Seattle. The name for this company was inspired from the character Starbuck from Moby Dick; this character was a coffee lover. There close friend designed there well known logo. These men never thought of this small company to get large they just thought of it as a small coffee shop. Out of all three men Siegel was the only one that work at it full time. The men depened on a man named Alfred Peet for there coffee beans but soon then st arted there own blends of coffee beans. With in a year opening the first store they were able to open a second store. When the 1980’s rolled around, it was a thriving company, in the Seattle area. However, the co-founders began to have other interests and were involved in other careers simultaneously. Despite that, the company was about to undergo a major turning point. A man by the name of Howard Schultz started to pursue an interest in the company. He noticed that the coffee shop had a wonderful environment. He started asking a questions and becoming more and more interested by every moment. He loved how the founders had so much knowledge on the coffee and each blend. In 1982, Schultz became director of retail operation. This was just the start to a new phase with the company.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Shultz took over, this started the beginning of a new era. He spent all his time at the stores trying to make every thing perfect in every way. He started with the employees, making the environment so friendly for every type of coffee lover. One of his biggest ideas came from visiting Italy and going to a coffee shop and seeing the idea of a espresso bar. That no longer would it be just an in and out coffee shop, but event and environment that drew many different types of people.

Heart of varkness Essay

   The second statement, ‘bearers of spark from the sacred fire’, however, clearly represents how the British brought Christianity and God from Britain to the people of Africa. Conrad also implements the use of bathos, undermining the rest of the paragraph, which is very jingoistic, all about the greatness of the empire. The bathos of which I am referring to is ‘The dreams of men, the seed of commonwealths, the germs of empires. ‘ The use of the word ‘germs’ is very negative, and, in a way, ‘cancels out’ all of the writing before. The next section of the novel that I wish to examine is known as the ‘Grove of Death’. It is a description of Marlow’s initial impressions and observations of the Outer Station, and all the slave labour going on. As he sees the land around him, he notices many ‘mounds of turned up earth’, and ‘wastes of excavations’, he speaks of the land as if it has been ‘raped’ of all its resources, and left as a barren wasteland. His first impressions of the African slave workers seems racist, as he compares there black, naked bodies to ants, however, it is more likely that this is just a reference to the futility and uselessness of the work that is going on. His next observation is a boiler, and an undersized railway-truck. He describes them as ‘dead’ like the ‘carcass of some animal’. There are several interpretations for this scene. One is that he has ‘personified’ the machinery, giving them similar qualities to the slaves, describing the machinery as though it has been allowed to rest, and have its job taken over by slaves. Another interpretation is that the machinery is a symbol for the empire, as the machinery is slowly decaying and rusting, the empire is also declining. Another reference to the futility of this work appears a few lines down. ‘The cliff was not in the way or anything; but this objectless blasting was all the work going on’. It is as if the slaves have just been given something to do, to keep them from sitting around. As Marlow walks further on, he sees a guard carrying a gun, and wearing a ‘jacket with one button of’. This is a very deliberate observation, though the empire seems perfect from the outside, it has imperfections. On seeing Marlow, the guard raises his gun, and tries to see who Marlow is; Marlow is sarcastic at this point, joking about how white men all look the same at a distance, referring to how black people all look the same to him from a distance. As the guard recognises Marlow and smiles, there is more sarcasm from Marlow, describing the guards trust as being ‘exalted’, and describing himself as being a ‘part of the great cause of these high and just proceedings’. Marlow then descends down the hill, towards some trees. At this point, Marlow starts commenting some more on his pity for the slaves, and the pointlessness of the work going on. The first technique used to relay this to us is Conrad’s use of short sentences, like we are part of Marlow’s thought process. His first thoughts are about how futile and pointless all the work that is going on is. He describes one of the pits that has been dug, as ‘just a hole’. As he goes towards the trees for shade, he instantly regrets it, making a direct reference to ‘Dante’s Inferno’. Dante’s Inferno is one perception of what hell would be like. His vision of hell consists of seven rings, each ring containing people who have sinned a particular way, with the rings varying degrees of punishment. He looks around, noticing the slaves, ‘objectifying’ them as ‘black shapes’. He makes an ironic comment, calling the slaves ‘helpers’ and stating how they have ‘withdrawn to die’. He talks about how they have been abandoned in a very understating way. There is another reference to Dante’s Inferno here, as he notices the ‘black shadows of disease and starvation’. Marlow then leaves the trees, but looks down to see a black slave, who has a white thread around his neck. He is startled at how strange and out of place it looks on the black skin. This is symbolic of the white men of the empire being out of place in Africa. To conclude, the ‘Heart of Darkness’ within the play refers to the inner capability to commit evil acts in all men, and the evil of the empire underneath the front of ‘spreading civilisation and the light of Christianity’. The two sections of the novel which I have chosen to examine are full of symbolic imagery, referring to the title, and raising questions in the readers mind about the greatness of Britain. Page 1 of 3 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Joseph Conrad section.

The Importance of Organ Donating

Speaking from my own experience, it is not easy to make a decision to donate a loved one’s organs, however, my sisters and I knew that our mother wanted to be an anatomical donor. She had filled out an advance directive stating that upon her passing, she wanted to donate any viable organs for transplant purposes. We donated her eyes, and now someone out in this wonderful world we live in has her eyes. This person can now see the beauty around them, maybe even their grandchildren for the first time. We made the decision to give this wonderful gift of renewed life and we agree that this was the right thing to do. We are thankful everyday that someone has our mother’s eyes and now has the gift of sight. There is one important fact that every person in this world can agree on: At some point in our lives, we are all going to face the reality of death. Death is imminent to everyone, and the prospect of death is generally very tragic for most people. It is the unknown that can instill the fear of dying in a person or a family. Tragic accidents and terminal diseases are often the source of many deaths, and invariably in those instances we are unable to control the inevitable outcome, which is death. However, in the course of life and death, we have the ability to control certain situations. We have the ability to control the outcome of someone else’s life. This person may be a stranger or a family member, but we can give them a very precious gift. We have a choice. We can offer the greatest gift we can give, the gift of life to another person through organ donation. Life is spared for many people through organ donation. Organ donation is truly a gift that saves hundreds of lives each day. However, even greater than the number of lives saved is the number of deaths that occur each day as people on an organ transplant waiting list continue to wait. Organ donation and transplants must become a reality and readily available to all people in need of transplants. According to the Mayo Clinic, in ancient mythology and the bible, heart transplants are referenced a number of times. Additionally, at the beginning of the 20th century Alex Carrel became a pioneer in making organ transplants a realistic possibility. Estimates reveal that in New York City alone, there are maybe three-hundred fifty people who are organ donors, however, there are at least 7,000 people in this city who are currently awaiting organ transplants. One single organ donor has the ability to save up to eight lives by donating their heart, lungs, liver, kidney, pancreas, and intestines. There are no restrictions on who can become an anatomical donor. (NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases) According to the information found on the web site organdonation. om, family consent is required for organ donation. Requesting people to become anatomical donors is never easy, especially when they are faced with the loss of a loved one, or their own imminent demise. First, consider the wishes of a loved one. Secondly, remember you are giving the gift of life to someone. Organ transplanting and organ donating can and has saved many lives. Dr. Dan Fischer writes in his article titled, â€Å"The Gift of Organ Donation† how becoming an anatomical donor will bestow the distinction of giving a lifesaving gift to a person who needs a healthy organ. This is an opportunity for everyone to give the gift of life to another human being during our lives or after we have passed. I agree with Dr. Fischer that we desperately need organ donors in this country, and everyone should consider themselves a potential donor. (Fischer) Statistics on organ donor’s . html show that well over tens of thousands of people are on waiting lists each year for transplants. Approximately 10-20% of these people will die before they can receive a viable organ that is a match for them. There are many factors to consider when looking at current problems associated with the lack of organ donation and transplants. One of great importance is demographics. Many people in the Eastern portion of the United States do not believe in organ donation for a variety of reasons. For some it is cultural, for others it is religion. Many people are just not comfortable with donating their organs or a loved one’s organs after they have passed on. One possibility may be just the fact that being an organ donor has never been brought to their attention. One way to become an organ donor is to request to be an anatomical donor on your driver’s license or state issued identification. This will show as a restriction and alert medical personnel as to your request. People can also state in their advance directives that they wish to be organ donors. When someone who has died, and has previously given permission for their organs to be donated to another human being, they are giving a gift so precious it cannot be measured by dollars, only by love. For people who cannot survive without a transplant, a donated organ can give them back their lives.

Expansion of Diageo Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Expansion of Diageo Paper - Essay Example Introduction Diageo is world’s top-notch quality drinks company. Through its universal vision as well as local promotional concentration, Diageo provides its customers an exceptional collection of beverage brands including the spirits, wine, and beer types. It was established during the year1997 after its merger with â€Å"Grand Metropolitan Public and Guinness†. Diageo operates in almost185 nations all over the globe and it is listed on both New York and London Stock Exchange. Diageo controls eight of the global top twenty high-quality spirits brand names, together with Smirnoff, the top brand â€Å"by volume† (Lopes, 2007, p. 76) as well as Johnnie Walker, the top brand â€Å"by value† (Lopes, 2007, p. 76). In beer, Diageo possesses the single international solid brand name, Guinness, along with a collection of bigger brand names traded mainly within Africa. Diageo’s wine brands are traded largely within North America along with Great Britain â₠¬Å"across a full range of price points† (Lopes, 2007, p. 77). Within the developed countries such as North America as well as Europe, Diageo has made sturdy ways to marketplace. Moreover, Diageo is the top-notch global spirits business within the developing nations such as â€Å"Africa, Latin America and Asia† (Lopes, 2007, p. 80). These swiftly expanding markets currently consist of more or less â€Å"one third of Diageo’s net sales† (Lopes, 2007, p. 76), rise from 25 percent during the year 2008. By means of persistent ‘organic’ development triggered by infrastructure ventures in addition to focused acquisitions, these markets are likely to chip in 65 percent of Diageo’s net sales by the year 2017. Diageo unites the advantages from universal level with local expertise in user inclinations as well as behaviours to bring outstanding advertising drives. For instance, the â€Å"Keep walking campaign on Johnnie Walker† (Diageo, 2006 , p. 192) has been broadcasting worldwide for more than ten years, supported by the global demand of individual growth. The advertising campaign is accurate to this vision even though the local innovative implementations seem changed universally. In the same way, user information updates Diageo’s improvement drives along with pipeline. The â€Å"premiumisation† (Diageo, 2006, p. 193) of scotch to create demand in clients of high-quality brand names along with the expansion of ‘ready to serve cocktails’ since ‘at-home’ usage raises have been mainly successful. Diageo is focused on creating a sustainable business along its value chain. The techniques with which Diageo supports a constructive part for alcohol within society; values the innate sources, societies as well as individuals it depends on; and supports traditions of excellent supremacy and moral values are all significant factors for growth. The business takes pride in the responsible wa y with which its brands are promoted and the constructive part that reasonable utilization of its brands has in the lives of numerous individuals. Diageo attempts to stay on the top of industry attempts to sponsor sensible drinking and do efforts with other shareholders to fight against wrong use of alcohol. From the time its start during the year

Oxycodone Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Oxycodone - Research Paper Example OxyContin is a brand for single-ingredient oxycodone with time-release mechanism. OxyContin was approved by U.S. Food and Administration in 1995 and became available in the market in 1996. Oxycodone belongs to the Schedule II class or controlled substance which means it has high abuse potential. It causes physical and psychological dependence that people often misuse the drug. Oxycodone is a potent pain killer similar to heroin. It elevates dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that causes pleasurable experiences or euphoria. It also creates artificial endorphins, a chemical that binds receptors in the brain that gives one a â€Å"feel good† effect. It causes elation because the body cannot properly absorb the drug. Some illicit users abuse this drug to experience this euphoric high. Oxycodone is misused in different ways: snorting the powder by crushing the pill, chewing it, and injecting the solution by crushing and dissolving the tablets in water. These methods defeat t he time-release mechanism in OxyContin that causes the active ingredient to take full effect after ingestion. This dramatically increases the risk for overdose. Like other opiates, oxycodone has side-effects that can impair both mental and physical abilities. Common side-effects include nausea, dizziness, lightheadedness, seizures, constipation, blanking of emotions, and mental clouding. Acute overdose also can produce irregular breathing or respiratory depression, respiratory arrest, skeletal muscle flaccidity, low blood pressure and heart rate, coma, and death due to cardiac arrest or slowed breathing. For the last 20 years, oxycodone has been the most abused prescription drug. Oxycodone is highly addictive because use over a long period of time (from several weeks to months) leads to tolerance and the need for higher doses to reach desired effects. Because of its affects similar to morphine and heroin, oxycodone appeals to morphine and heroin users. Some even call it hillbilly he roin. When users stop taking oxycodone, they can experience withdrawal symptoms. These include anxiety, insomnia, nausea, fever, and flu-like symptoms. Like other narcotics, oxycodone is regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). It is an expensive drug when acquired illegally on the black market. Prices may range from $25-50 for a 50 mg. tablet. However, with more generic brands becoming available, it may cost $5-10 per pill. To prevent abuse or excessive use and decrease toxicity, new formulations are being developed. Currently undergoing clinical trials is a new drug called Remoxy. Drug users will go through great lengths to get the drugs. People would sometimes steal the drugs if they didn’t have the money to buy them. There was an incident in South Berwick, Maine, where someone got arrested for robbing three pharmacies for OxyContin. Sometimes, people would get illegal prescriptions of OxyContin. Doctors can also be part of this crime. In Winnepeg, a physici an’s license was revoked for recklessly prescribing OxyContin and Percocet. To satisfy his own addiction, he used his patients to acquire large quantities of narcotics. One woman in Florida was arrested for 23 counts of doctor shopping. She obtained 69 prescriptions from six different doctors who