Society gets what it pays for and the cost of reducing social risk is Essay

Society gets what it pays for and the cost of reducing social risk is regulation, leading to higher taxes and higher prices. Discuss - Essay Example Really, it is with the help of tax payments that social protection through the redistribution of social resources becomes possible. However, those who complain that social protection through regulation raises taxes and increases prices should remember that nobody is secured from various social risks, and it is through effective redistribution of social resources that individuals can insure themselves from the existing and future social risks. Social protection encompasses a series of public measures intended to reduce social risks and enhance income security of individuals (Holzmann & Jorgensen, 2000). Social protection measures rely on the payments provided by taxpayers to state budget; in other words, it is through the reallocation of limited social resources that social protection through regulation becomes possible. It is no wonder that not all taxpayers agree with the way social protection measures are provided to the vulnerable populations. However, all taxpayers should remember that they are not secured from the existing and emerging social risks (Holzmann & Jorgensen, 2000). Recent financial crises have shown that when social protection programs are not in place, individuals become extremely susceptible to the consequences of reduced GDP (Holzmann & Jorgensen, 2000). To a large extent, the presence of extensive social protection systems is both necessary and inevitable for any state or society that considers itse lf developed. Not all the people realize the principle of society-state relations. It is possible to say that society gets what it pays for, and the cost of reducing social risks is regulation, leading to higher taxes and increased prices. The latter are inevitable components of the social protection systems in the developed world. It is a reflection of the ongoing tension between the need for social protection and the overall non-affordability

IT-8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IT-8 - Essay Example 2. Does the technology even exist to support a new inventory system? This would be accomplished by speaking with external vendors, as well as scrutinizing the IS capabilities of other companies (as a benchmark) to uncover whether a system exists which can support a new IS system and end the paper hassles. 3. Who will support these new systems? This question is a very important one, as the business will be forced to allocate specific workers to monitor the new inventory system and the new Web-based applications. This will represent potential payroll increases, thus it should be addressed to management parties responsible for making these decisions. 4. How will the new IS system be promoted to build business? This would be addressed to the appropriate marketing management who must determine how best to let employees and customers know that they have a new system designed to facilitate the exchange of information (regarding inventory and the new website) from one outlet to another. Because the new website is designed to assist online customers in making purchases, it is imperative that each product is appropriately linked to both product support pages and the checkout feature. This will entail running through the testing procedures, moving products to their virtual checkout cart, and assessing whether the application allows for purchase without any disruption to the consumer. Step 2 in this process is to identify whether the site’s background, fonts, screen sizes, etc. are all created in a way that will not slow down the consumers’ computer or make the site difficult to read. Appropriate colors, as well, will make the site more visually friendly and inviting to the customer. In order to test this, the site will need to be reviewed by the testing group to determine whether the site causes slowdowns or other issues that turn off the customer from making a purchase. Each individual user

Plans For Introducing The Laptop Bags In UK Marketing Essay

Plans For Introducing The Laptop Bags In UK Marketing Essay Introduction Marketing is defined as, A co-ordinated process which makes the best use of available resources to present a product proposition to a target market in order to achieve objectives, and then evaluating how successfully this has been done. Peter Verwey, TMA marketing manual Philip Kotler defines Marketing as the art of identifying and understanding customer needs and creating solutions that deliver satisfaction to the customers, profits to the producers and benefits for the stakeholders. Marketing is the performance of those activities which seek to accomplish an organizations objectives by anticipating customer or client needs and directing a flow of need-satisfying goods and services from producer to customer or client, says E. Jerome McCarthy of Michigan State University. http://www.audiencesni.com/library/lb-downloads/reports/Strategic%20Marketing%20Planning.pdf As the mission statement of Royale Company is To excel in customers world Vision: Making a difference with great quality and value for the products Values: Quality, value, innovative, service and integrity. Royal company does ensure and strive to get their vision of excelling customers world are measured in depth to the way they run their business and the way they serve their customer be it home or abroad. Royal company mission and values are also met by ensuring that they meet customers expectation with appealing, superior quality products at value for money. Marketing Environments of the UK Royal company has decided to launch a fashionable and convenient bag designed for laptop known as L bag As per the marketing study it is said that people want their laptops and phones to be functional and fashionable and there is a real crossover in product at the current market. UK market wants product to associate them with a brand image. People make choices in what technology they buy based on the feel good factor and what it says about image or personality over what it can actually do. Which is why Royal company has decided to design in different colours, for the sophisticated, the understated and the loud. As tech gets smaller, portable, part of fashionable image and essential and hence fashion industry in generally is waking up to technology. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3224441.stm There was a real niche in the market for a lightweight stylish bag that had the technology in it to hold a laptop, but also the technology in it so that if you dropped the bag, the laptop wouldnt break. As young generation in UK are finding it essential and easier to carry the laptop with them around as it is getting slimmer and lighter. With wi-fi hotspots, allowing high speed net access without wires, popping up around the country in bars and cafes staying connected on the move is becoming an important part of it. Laptops are becoming a fashion accessory in UK where people do not carry an ugly bag with a well fashioned dress. All the design that went into laptops bags was focused on the travelling businessman but no thought that now a day laptop is used by younger generation as well which would be a easy target for new product L bag. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3224441.stm Marketing Strategy: Whereas marketing strategy is a systematic approach to a major and increasingly important responsibility of management: to position and relate the firm to its environment in a way which assures its success and makes it secure from surprises Ansoff and McDonnell (1990). Every organization needs to know the market very well in order to do succeed in the business and Royal Company is no exception to this. The main features of market orientation are as follows: Customer Focus: Royal Company strives towards delivering the best products as per the needs and requirement of the customers. Competitors Orientation: In retail business Royal Company has survived and served customers for many years. Inter Functional Coordination: It needs to have excellent inter functional coordination to provide smooth service to customers. It means working together as a team. Marketing Plan for introducing the Laptop bags in UK market: In order to formulate the marketing plans as the UK market is very competitive, Royal Company must use their financial resources to create and sustain a high profile with multi level marketing campaign to raise their profile in UK and establish the idea of quality bags for laptop. Need to be innovative in the market are as follows: Business survival For better returns To take advantage of opportunity For profitability Competitive Advantage Macroeconomic Analysis is divided into internal environment and external environment. Internal environment consist of Firms own management structure, the strategies and objectives, the different departmentation within organization. The ability to serve the customer is mainly affected by the internal factors. The external factors mainly consisted of suppliers, distributors, customer, competitors and publics and also the group of shareholder. On the other tool that will be used in these areas is Porters five forces. Just as SWOT and Porter five forces is used to identify new product, services and how a business can be profitable in the market. A PEST Analysis of the industry examines the, social, economic, local, technological, national, political, and global influences to understand opportunities and threats well. Retail industry had an assumption that to some extent these factors (political, economic, social, legal and environmental) will be applicable. Political: It influences organizations in many ways. This factors can create advantage and opportunity for any new organization. They can pose restriction on duties and obligation on organizations. Royal Company has to know the political environment in UK very well such as market regulations, legislation such as the minimum wage and anti discrimination laws, trade agreements and restrictions. Economic: Retail industry is very sensitive to interest rate and also fairly recession proof. Because of September 11 events, stocks were plummeting and prices are low all time due to this the world economy have suffered heavily. However after the September 11th attack the world economy is up and the retail industry are boosting again and consumers are becoming more optimistic. An economy undergoing recession will have high unemployment, low spending power and low stakeholder confidence against a booming economy. Social: There are changes in consumer taste and lifestyle present both opportunities and threats for the retail industry. People are know more thinking about the fashion and brands image which they can easily afford and have them as well. Population changes also have a direct impact on organizations. Changes in the structure of a population will affect the supply and demand of goods and service within the economy. Technical: the way a business would operate has changed greatly due to Technology. Royal Company needs to use this available technology such as the internet and other information exchange system, incorporating a multitude of software which helps to manage the business. In retail industry the introduction of online shopping via internet is now a common place for shopping. IT system undertakes the companys administration, management, and paperless operations which are monitored by the secured sever, it provides a flexible base for running the business. UK is at the forefront of technologically developed. Hence Royal Company gets an advantage of developed logistics and distribution channels already in place. One other tool that will be used in these areas is Porter Five Forces. This model can be used to good analytic effect alongside other models such as the SWOT and PEST analysis tools. Five Forces analyses five important in the determination of competitive power and these are: Buyers power: Suppliers power: Rivalry among competitors: Threat of new entrants: Threat of substitute products: Below is the diagram which describes the Porter Five Force Model: Diagram1: http://colette3010.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/5forces.jpg The Problems which Royal Company will be facing and threats of substitute supermarkets, supplier power, buyer power and the power of customer can be explained by Porters five forces. Buyer power also decides the prices in the market. If products are expensive than other products will be purchased. This mean market is disciplined which make the pricing disciplined as well and stops them to destroy the market in a profit war. Supplier power is an essential part of this model. Suppliers demand that retailers should pay them certain price for their service and goods supplied. Threat of substitution is always been affecting any organizations, however they try to ensure brand image and quality by having the best value for the products. Competitors and new entrants is also another threat for Royal Company as they acknowledge these seriously, and therefore the company always plan to improve upon developing its stores. Royal Company can determine its strength, weakness, opportunity and threats to its business by using SWOT analysis: STRENGTHS various range of products Available 24 hours a day Cash Flow Position is strong Increase turnover and trading profits Balance Sheet is strong Leading Supermarket Chain Awareness of Brand Human resources Online Shopping capability to turn assets into advantages OPPORTUNITIES Globally Developing brand alertness Forming New Markets Globalizing the Market Alliances Innovation Growth in Low cost brand Diversification Offering available new markets with advanced margins WEAKNESSES requires local awareness of customers and culture overseas brand THREATS existing New competition Raw materials prices are instable downturn in Economic Globalising the shifting market Takeover bids Low cost brands from Far-East Extremely high competition for resources and customers Product Sales Cycle: Diagram2: http://dpl.kaist.ac.kr/DM_wiki/images/d/d5/Product_Lifecycle.gif Introduction Stage: In the introduction stage, Royal Company seeks to build product awareness and develop a market for the product which is described as As Royal Company wants to enter the UK market, it has to make sure that the product it wants to launch should be according the needs and style of the UK people. Royal Company has made a market research and aspires to launch Laptop Bag in the market. http://www.quickmba.com/marketing/product/lifecycle/ The impact of Marketing Mix is as follows: According to kotler, el al (1996), marketing mix is a social and managerial process by which individual and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with other. It is an important tool in marketing that helps a company to identify a number of variables that stimulate purchasing decisions for any product. There are 4 Ps in marketing mix notably Product, Price, Place and Promotion. Royal company has used this tool to enter UK market with launch of new product line to target people from all walks of life to puruse them to purchase the product known as L bag. Development of Product with description: L Bag: http://www.purseblog.com/images/Burberry_Denim_Messenger_Diaper_Bag.jpg Traditionally it is believed that a good product will sell itself. It become easy to lauch a product which is wanted by customer to make go along with the market and fashion trend. Basic features of L bag is that: It has a main compartment with a padded sleeve which can carry 17 inches laptop so others like 14, 15, 12.1 inche and smaller could fit in it easy. A second compartment which carries neccessary power adapters and other accessories of the laptop. It also has to be strong that it could hold the weight of laptop plus some other neccessary things. Side compressions strap A third small compartment with small sections to hold mobile, pens, credit cards, coins. Basically like an organiser. Benefits of L bag: It has special disk jackets inside where one can carry various discs. USB memory sticks holding has small pockets for it. Dimensions is 17 x 12 x 6 inches, 43 x 30 x 15 cm which can be used by commuters cause it will be smaller than the minimum dimensions allowed in flight cabin size which acoording to the new rule passed on 7th January 2008 is 56cm x 25cm x 45cm(www.bbcnews.co.uk) then even traveller could use them. Mp4 and Mp3 music Holder with adjustable strap to adjust with different sizes. Shoulder strap on the bottom has Mp4 and Mp3 controller. Contents of the bags is felt with riveted on sensitive parts of the bags. Carry a 17 inch laptop with its accessories. It is in fashion and matching the latest clothing trends It serve more than one purpose. Benefits of the L bag over traditional backpack are: Less straps hanging on the outside, which thus means less danger of getting stuck The plain shape make them smaller when empty It is quicker to get things in and out of the bag thanks to the big lid It doesnt have to be carried on the back making it easier to protect the contents from pickpockets It does not have to be taken off when reaching for its content, just swing it round. Pricing Strategies: Price is one factor in marketing mix which triggers the purchasing power for any customer. It has always been an attraction to consumers and a challenge to the product manufacturer. If prices are high then it wont sell which can be fixed by reducing the prices. http://freepresentationslides.blogspot.com/2008/09/introduction-phase-of-product-life.html Developing Marketing Strategies and Plans from Khawaja Naveed A rapid penetration strategy consists of launching the product at a low price and spending heavy level on promotion. Royal company has used strategy that promises to bring about the fastest market penetration and the largest market share. This strategy makes sense when the market is large, the market is unaware about of the product, and most buyers are price sensitive there is strong potential competition. The introduction phase starts when the new product is launched. In this introduction phase, profits are negative or low because of the low sales and heavy distribution and promotion expense. The promotion expenditures are at the highest ratio sales, which conducted to New and unknown product should be passed to customers. Induce trial of the product. Secure distribution in retail outlets. L bag is launched for younger generation in UK. As the price is very sensitive factor in marketing , it is hence important to price the product right. http://freepresentationslides.blogspot.com/2008/09/introduction-phase-of-product-life.html It is difficult to know the market value of new product hence a soft opening is recommended where u faces a small group of customers rather than the big crowd which one might not be able to handle on the first day of business. Promotional Strategies: For a marketing position to be sustained it should be linked with a promotional strategy and these are basically two promotional strategies that could be selected and these two are Push and Pull strategies. The Push promotional strategy relies on the companys sales force and its promotional activities to be able to create a consumer demand for a particular product and it aims to sell directly to the consumer without any distribution channels. The Push strategy tends to rely on high advertising and consumer promotion to be built a consumer demand for a product. Product requires innovative, creating marketing solutions in order to successfully differentiate them from competing product in the market place. One of the best ways to introduce the product in the new market with new product is through product publicity. One of the methods that Royal Company can use is through Editorial coverage which can be achieved to the maximum through newspaper and magazines. Place / Distribution Strategies: Putting the right product in the right location at the right time is a daunting challenge that involves a delicate balance of demand. Strategic distribution is a competitive advantage that accrues generally from the configuration of a distribution network ( who, what, where, when ) and more specifically, from the selection of partners ( middleman ) who intermediate between the company and the customer by performing necessary fulfillment and service activities. Royal companys distribution strategy is largely defined by its decisions on the number and type of customer interfaces. There are two fundamental fulfillment such as: Direct distribution Indirect distribution In general, both direct and indirect distributions are becoming integral to most companies retail distribution strategy. At this level, there are two types of distribution which Royal Company can select from: Exclusive distribution (retailer carries only one brand) Shared distribution (all major brands are carried) As L bag is entering UK market with new image, Royal Company has opted for Shared distribution along with other brands. Assuming denim so widely accepted and United Kingdom has 73% of the population n using denim as suggested my Global Lifestyle Monitor. http://faculty.msb.edu/homak/HomaHelpSite/webhelp/Distribution_Strategy.htm Branding: The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers. Royal Company sees branding not as a measure to target market over the competition, but as a solution to the customer problem. Royal Company has worked towards branding to ensure that a good brand has been achieved which delivers the message clearly Confirms credibility Connects with the target prospects Motivates the buyer Concretes user loyalty Product success comes only with deep understanding of market conditions, real customer requirements, and competition as well as translation of that business intelligence into high quality product within the window of opportunity. Successful products are ones that meet customer needs, are innovative and that offer value. The characteristics of a new product launch strategy were found to have a significant impact on the intensity of competitive reactions. Competitive reaction is diagnosed in terms of changes in the marketing instruments of the competitors. The data show that competitors react primarily by means of price changes, product changes and promotion changes. For a sales person it just is not that easy. A few ways one can begin is to command the respect of customers so that they will see salesperson as an authority on the products he/she sell. Gaining trust: Building relationship with customers is more important than the products sold. It is essential to know the customer, listen to them carefully and explain about the product. The messenger bag functions and advantages, and let them go at their own pace without pushing. Product knowledge: Knowing the product, study inside and out, makes a sales person prepared to answer to any questions asked regarding the products by customers. Be accessible: It is necessary for customer to know that the sales staffs are available to answer any questions they may have or to discuss any concerns they may have. Or simply making them aware of the product and promotion if any going on. Market Positioning: According to Mercer, D. (2000) is defined as the location of a product (or service) relative to others in the same marketplace and then promoting it in such a way as to reinforce or change its position. The factors that are considered for market positioning are: Product should be compared with other competing products Products position- the way the product is been defined by the consumers on their important attributes Applying a simple buying process which should help the consumers to categories the products according to their needs Segmentation: Blythe, J. (2005), states the segmentation is to identify a group of people who have a need or needs that can be met by a single product, in order to concentrate the marketing firms efforts most effectively and economically. Definition provided by business dictionary.com, market segmentation is defined as Process of defining and sub dividing a large homogenous market into clearly identifiable segments having similar needs, wants, or demand characteristics. In segmentating the market Royal Company must have taken these four factors: Geographic Segmentation will take into consideration such dividing people or market into different geographical locations. The country, climate, size of a place segmented into size of its age wise population. Behavioural segementation is based on the customers need and subsequent reaction to those needs or toward the purchase of intended products. It is important for Royal Company to understand the behaviour of the buyer, as they are targeting younger generation it becomes important to have right pricing to attract customer in the market. Phychographic Segmentation: Royal Company will be segmentating people according to their lifestyles and values. Target customers interest, opinions, values, attitude and the activities they perform. Demographic Segmentation: It is refers to a wide study of the potential customers. While marketing a product many variables like age, gender, education, income, size of the family, occupation, culture and religion, language and nationality are taken into account. This segmentation can help and has worked profitably. It play an important and vital role in determining whether a product can be mass marketed or designed for specific group. In UK Number of Males under 16 in 2007 was 5,895,000 and between 16 24 in 2007 was 3, 788,000. In UK Number of Females under 16 in 2007 was 5,615,000 and between 16 24 in 2007 was 3,580,000. In 2007, the majority of people in many non white ethnic groups living in Great Britain described thier identity as British, English, Scottish or Welsh. This included almost nine in ten (87%) people from Mixed group, 85% of people from Black Caribbean group and eight in ten from Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups ( 80% and 78% respectively). Royal Company has decided to launch it new product in LONDON as the total population of London: Males 3,738,000 in 2007 Females 3,819,000 in 2007 http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_social/Social_Trends39/Social_Trends_39.pdf http://www.buzzle.com/articles/market-segmentation-strategy.html Market Positioning: According to Mercer, D. (2000) is defined as the location of a product (or service) relative to others in the same marketplace and then promoting it in such a way as to reinforce or change its position. The factors that should be considered for market positioning are: Launch product should be compared with other competing products. Product position is the way the product is been defined by the consumers on their attributes. Applying a simple buying process which should help the consumers to categories the products according to their needs. Implementation of Marketing Strategy There are different marketing strategies that may differ depending on the different situation of the business. Benefits and costs of Marketing strategy: It depends on the kind of research conducted, targeted market, goals and aims of an organization methods and tools used for market research. A marketing startegy helps compile marketing goals and actions into a cohesive whole. In the same way different ways of strategy such as advertising, channel marketing, promotion can be elaborated. Marketing startegies are interative and dynamic in itself. Royal company would be focusing its energies and resources on course of action which can lead to increased sales and target market niche. Royal Companys marketing strategy has deeply constructed and combined product development, promotion, distribution, pricing and other elements, identified its marketing goals. It hasexplained how they will achieve and had determined the choice of target market between age group of 16-24 mainly which are younger generation. Basic implementation of marketing strategies includes: Target audience Key element Implementating ( Launching the product ) http://www.bnet.com/cp/implementing-a-marketing-strategy/66491 Recommendation for Royal Company for new product launch of L Bag for laptop: The ability to bring superior and unique product to market in a cost effective manner is the secret for good business performance and growth. Growth is pressurized by high levels of competition, shorter product lifecycles and ever changing market conditions. Company needs to have new ways to deliver value to their customers. It is important to be innovative to existing market once the company has managed to survive the market. Royal company should shorten time to market while reducing developing costs; it should adopt holistic view of the development process. One of the most critical strategic initiatives in new product introduction is: acquiring an explicit definition of customers requirement with customer and not RD vaccum. Conclusion: It is clear that perfect product launch can support business growth initiatives, superior product and effective cost management through integration of product lifecycle activities with customers. http://www-935.ibm.com/services/ch/bcs/pdf/scm-perfect-prod-launch.pdf

Mountain Against the Sea Essay -- History, Zionist, British

In Mountain against the Sea (2009), Salim Tamari investigates dichotomies that exist within the historical memory of Palestinian â€Å"modernity† prior to and during Zionist and British influences and how this has contributed to the separation from the social changes that were taking place in Ottoman Palestine at the turn of the twentieth century. Typical historical methodologies have used the Nakba as the defining moment of change within Palestinian societies. Tamari, on the other hand, moves beyond this essential methodology and explains how modernity and complex social changes were occurring in Ottoman Palestine even before 1917. By taking advantage of geographical terminologies, he explains this through the cultural divides that were arising through the connector cities, such as Jaffa, between the inland (mountain/traditional) cultures and the cosmopolitan coastal (sea/contemporary) cultures. Tamari utilizes and builds upon theories of small town urban sprawl and demonstr ates how social control (authoritarianism) differed between Ottoman Palestine and current small towns within the West Bank. Building upon these internal changes taking place all over Palestine before, and to some extent after the Nakba, Tamari proceeds with the second half of the book by narrowing the focus on particular urban intelligentsia, and social and political reformers. Much of the discussion here is devoted to those participating within Jerusalem society and the author challenges conventional ideas of the city being devoid of modernity prior to British entanglements. Building upon his urban foci of â€Å"hybridity,† Tamari explains the cultural hybridity that took place within Ottoman Palestine. Many of his arguments challenge typical ideas about early Pale... ...im Arab Communist like Najati Sidqi; the resulting conclusion is always the same – the traditionalist perspective of a pastoralist Palestine is unfounded. By investigating early cosmopolitan social shifts, popularized ceremonies, the rise of urban intelligentsia, the destruction of coastal cosmopolitan centers and the resultant small town social authoritarianism, the rise of the â€Å"nostalgic narrative† referencing a lost traditionalist society, and the subsequent generations to synthesize imagined societies with reality, Tamari has successfully challenged the Palestinian rhetoric of who Palestinians were before, during, and after the Nakba. Tamari has utilized â€Å"new† sources of information leaning heavily on memoirs, unpublished diaries/journals, and commemorative events resulting in an amalgamation of new perspectives on the social changes within Palestinian society. Mountain Against the Sea Essay -- History, Zionist, British In Mountain against the Sea (2009), Salim Tamari investigates dichotomies that exist within the historical memory of Palestinian â€Å"modernity† prior to and during Zionist and British influences and how this has contributed to the separation from the social changes that were taking place in Ottoman Palestine at the turn of the twentieth century. Typical historical methodologies have used the Nakba as the defining moment of change within Palestinian societies. Tamari, on the other hand, moves beyond this essential methodology and explains how modernity and complex social changes were occurring in Ottoman Palestine even before 1917. By taking advantage of geographical terminologies, he explains this through the cultural divides that were arising through the connector cities, such as Jaffa, between the inland (mountain/traditional) cultures and the cosmopolitan coastal (sea/contemporary) cultures. Tamari utilizes and builds upon theories of small town urban sprawl and demonstr ates how social control (authoritarianism) differed between Ottoman Palestine and current small towns within the West Bank. Building upon these internal changes taking place all over Palestine before, and to some extent after the Nakba, Tamari proceeds with the second half of the book by narrowing the focus on particular urban intelligentsia, and social and political reformers. Much of the discussion here is devoted to those participating within Jerusalem society and the author challenges conventional ideas of the city being devoid of modernity prior to British entanglements. Building upon his urban foci of â€Å"hybridity,† Tamari explains the cultural hybridity that took place within Ottoman Palestine. Many of his arguments challenge typical ideas about early Pale... ...im Arab Communist like Najati Sidqi; the resulting conclusion is always the same – the traditionalist perspective of a pastoralist Palestine is unfounded. By investigating early cosmopolitan social shifts, popularized ceremonies, the rise of urban intelligentsia, the destruction of coastal cosmopolitan centers and the resultant small town social authoritarianism, the rise of the â€Å"nostalgic narrative† referencing a lost traditionalist society, and the subsequent generations to synthesize imagined societies with reality, Tamari has successfully challenged the Palestinian rhetoric of who Palestinians were before, during, and after the Nakba. Tamari has utilized â€Å"new† sources of information leaning heavily on memoirs, unpublished diaries/journals, and commemorative events resulting in an amalgamation of new perspectives on the social changes within Palestinian society.

The Man-Made Disaster: Chernobyl

Gulin Langbroek 11. 1 THE MAN-MADE DISASTER: CHERNOBYL â€Å"It is one of histories ironies that the worst nuclear accident began as a test to improve safety. †, states Snell (1988). The Soviets wanted to find out how the Chernobyl power plant would cope with a sudden power loss, therefore the experiment tested how long a spinning turbine could provide electric power to certain systems in the plant. Like many accidents, the Chernobyl accident resulted from a combination of human error and weaknesses in the design of the plant.The man-made disaster occured at Unit 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the former Ukranian Republic belonging to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and near the borders of Belarus and the Russian Federation. Following a short explanation of the health and social impacts of the accident, this essay will discuss the errors in judgment and biases that went on while running the Chernobyl power plant. As a result of the accident, tons of radioact ive material was released to the air, still posing a threat to living beings in that region.The radioactive doses caused long term health effects ranging from thyroid cancer to leukemia. The Chernobyl area was also connected directly with the river systems of the Ukranian Republic, causing destruction of biological life in rivers and also deaths of people who had consumed river water. It is also a fact that cleaning the area was just as dangerous to those people who had to do it as they were exposed to higher doses of radiation. Agricultural regions near Chernobyl had caused the production of foods such as milk and vegetables with radioactive material contamination.Lots of people were forced to migrate from contaminated areas to uncontaminated areas, creating social problems such as loss of staff, no job availability and many more difficulties which made everyday life miserable. Overall, the Chernobyl accident has caused great distress and casualties in the USSR and European countri es. 1 There were some errors which should be mentioned before going into details on the errors in judgment. One error which might have caused the accident was that it was a rushed experiment.The test was scheduled to be carried out just before a reactor shutdown which only occurred once a year, so the operators felt under pressure to complete it promptly so that another year wouldn't have to be waited. This probably didn't trigger the accident directly but perhaps was one of the factors causing the necessary measures and precautions to not be taken. The test was thought to be an electrical test only, so instead of the reactor specialists, turbine manufacturers were the ones who were observing it. Thus, the effects on the reactor was not weighed fully.Finally, the Chernobyl plant was one of the most developed and highly technologic power plants ever constructed, therefore the operators running it felt as if they were an exclusive and elite crew and had built too much overconfidence, not realising possible disasters. To be specific, some biases could be named and analyzed further. Perhaps the most crucial bias which should be looked at in all man-made disasters is the neglect of probability which is the tendency to omit the probability of failure when making a decision.This also ties in with the overconfidence bias since if the managers had doubted the reactor in the first place, more precautions would have been taken. In this case, such a massive disaster had never happened before among Russia, and since the power plant as stated before was assumed to be very reputable and exceptional, the managers of the plant had neglected any probability of the experiment going wrong. According to Kletz (2001)â€Å"The managers do not seem to have asked themselves what would occur if the experiment was unsuccessful.Before every experiment we should list all possible outcomes and their effects and decide how they will be handled. † 2 The second biggest bias of the owne rs and constructors of the plant which caused the accident was the functional fixedness bias. As it is stated in Wikipedia (â€Å"List of Cognitive Biases 2012) â€Å"This bias limits a person to using an object only in the way it is traditionally used†. The reactor was operated in a rule-based behaviour, meaning that the operators were informed on what tasks they should complete but not told why it was so important to complete them.This had caused them to operate the plant in a way which Kletz (2001) states as â€Å"process feel rather than theoretical knowledge†. Before the Chernobyl accident, all reactors were designed and relied on the fact that rules would be obeyed and instructions would be followed so there was no need to set up extra protective facilities. This of course could have been the worst approach to building a nuclear plant, considering the fact that the workers were not trained to their best abilities.Instead of relying on the traditional method of a ssuming operators would follow the rules, the reactor should have been built in a way that the rules could not be ignored. That way the workers would not have been limited to using their insufficient information on how to run a power plant and technology would have done this job instead of them. In short, the traditional way of relying on man-made decisions should have been abandoned and relying on automatic equipment should have been adapted. Assuming operators would obey rules brings another issue to light, the projection bias.The projection bias is defined as unconsciously assuming that one's personal emotions, thoughts and values are shared by others. The lack of communication between the managers of the power plant and the operators in how seriously safety measures should have been taken is among the biggest causes of the disaster. According to Kletz (2012), the managers of Chernobyl had â€Å"talked about getting things done without any mention of safety, leaving the operator s with the impression that safety is less important.Managers should remember, when giving instructions, that what you don't say is as important as what you do say. † 3 Last but not least, the biggest error in judgment the operators could have had was caused by the ostrich effect. This bias is the act of ignoring an obvious negative sitution. The big question is, why should any operator ignore situations which could cause the death of many people including their own? The answer lies in how the management system was established.Because the reactor relied on decisions of the higher authorities and not on protective safety equipments, every little detail of the power plant had to be consulted with the managers. As Kletz states (2012), â€Å"Everything had to be referred to the top so it was necessary to break the rules in order to get anything done†. Running a power plant should have not relied on this kind of system since operators were more likely to take shortcuts, not i nform the managers or simply ignore problems so that they could get things done quickly. Had these biases and errors in judgment not occured, the accident would perhaps never have happened.In operating such intricate systems such as a power plant, one must keep in mind two crucial things: Always having protective equipment installed and never letting workers neglect safety rules. Unfortunately as humans, only after this disaster have we began to take these precautions, making us victims of the normalcy bias. In any case, we must always look out for human errors that might lead to irreversible damage. 4 RESOURCES Marples, D. R. , & Snell, V. G. (1988). The social impact of the chernobyl disaster. London: The Macmillan Press Kletz, T. (2001). Learning from accidents.Retrieved from ftp://193. 218. 136. 74/pub/anon/ELSEVIER-Referex/1-Chemical%20Petrochemical%20and%20Process%20Collection/CD1/KLETZ,%20T. %20A. %20(2001). %20Learning%20from%20Accidents%20(3rd%20ed. )/Learning_from_Accident s_3E. pdf European Commision, International Atomic Energy Agency & World Health Organization. (1996). One decade after chernobyl: Summing up the consequences of the accident. Austria: IAEA List of Cognitive Biases. (2012). In Wikipedia. Retrieved November 16, 2012, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/List_of_biases_in_judgment_and_decision_making 5

Learning and Intelligence Essay

We all learn well in our own different ways, we cannot all learn the same way. For example, some of us are visual learners (pictures, videos, etc), and some of us are incapable of learning visually, we learn well orally (speaking out loud, listening to someone else speak out loud, etc). Some of us just read over notes and learn well that way. Myth 2: That intelligence is largely fixed at birth, and can be accurately determined by IQ or similar standardized tests. There is no limit to intelligence, we are able to learn much more, and we are skilled at much more than that of which can only be determined in an IQ/ any other standardized test. For example, an individual can be creative (art, poetry, story writing, inventions). Myth 3: That there is only one form of intelligence. We all are skilled at different things; we cannot all be skilled at exactly the same stuff in exactly the same way. For example, some of us are good at art and some aren’t, then some of us are good at writing, it doesn’t necessarily mean if u aren’t good at playing soccer, then you won’t be good at playing tennis. Myth 4: That all intelligence is inherited. There is no limit to intelligence, although your level of intelligence can be inherited but a great deal of your intelligence is developed through your environment, experience and culture. Both your inherited intelligence and personal development of intelligence work together and builds new sets of skills and abilities. Myth 5: That intelligence is the same as logical, analytical thinking. Intelligence takes 3 forms: Analytical, Creative and Practical, But only Analytical intelligence is measured in IQ/other standardized tests, therefore there is no measured level for creative ability, practical or commonsense ability, athletic ability, musical ability, etc. Myth 6: That everyone has the ability to succeed at anything. Different aptitudes help people excel in different ways, for different things. For example, a great manager may not necessarily be good at playing the piano. Myth 7: That school is the main or best place to learn. School is not necessarily the best place to learn, just because we spend most of our time there, listening to people feed us information, some of us learn better when we are in our own comfort zone by taking in information all on our own. For example, I learn best at home in my lounge, my friend learns best while relaxing in her garden. Myth 8: That â€Å"standards† are the real test of learning, and can easily be measured by standardized written tests. These tests only measure a part of the intelligence of an individual. These tests cannot measure other greater abilities, skills and talents of an individual. For example, for these tests, a student can easily memorize information, but how do we know if they can apply this information? (iii) Learners get despondent, lack of motivation, hampers self-esteem development, lead to behavioral problems. Learners should experience success, so the learner build on their strengths. Schools should rather: Focus on developing strengths, not on weaknesses. Not waste time trying to †put in what was left out†. Try to â€Å"draw out what was left in† Search for talent, but train to develop skills and abilities. (iv) 1. Eat a good breakfast every morning, preferably with plenty of fresh fruit. 2. Eat a good lunch. 3. Make fish, nuts and vegetable â€Å"fats† key parts of your diet. 4. Exercise regularly to oxygenate the blood. 5. Cleanse the toxins out of your body. Exercise ~ Phys. Ed: Encourage learners to take part in sport/drama. School tuck-shop ~ sell healthier foods. Awareness Campaign: Discussions, posters, check lunch box content. (v) Howard Gardner, David Perkins, and Robert Sternberg have all been quite successful in helping spread knowledge about the meaning of â€Å"intelligence† and applications of this knowledge to education. The study and measurement of intelligence has been an important research topic for nearly 100 years IQ is a complex concept, and researchers in this field argue with each other about the various theories that have been developed. There is no clear agreement as to what constitutes IQ or how to measure it. There is an extensive and continually growing collection of research papers on the topic. Howard Gardner (1983, 1993), Robert Sternberg (1988, 1997), and David Perkins (1995) have written widely sold books that summarize the literature and present their own specific points of view. The following definition is a composite from various authors. Intelligence is a combination of the ability to: 1. Learn. This includes all kinds of informal and formal learning via any combination of experience, education, and training. 2. Pose problems. This includes recognizing problem situations and transforming them into more clearly defined problems. 3. Solve problems. This includes solving problems, accomplishing tasks, fashioning products, and doing complex projects. (vi) Warm environment Interactive method Build thinking skills Plenty of activations Apply it in practice Review and celebrate Four criteria when determining the best learning â€Å"state† : Orchestrating the environment. Setting the right mood and getting students’ attention. Early activity is vital. Bring on the music (vii) How you perceive information most easily How you organize and process information What conditions are necessary to help you take in and store information How you retrieve information (viii) Likely traits: Negotiates well Relates well Able to read others’ intentions Enjoys being with people Has many friends Communicates well Enjoys group activities Likes to mediate disputes How to strengthen learning: Do learning activities cooperatively Take lots of breaks to socialize Use â€Å"pair and share† activities. Use relationships and communication skills Do â€Å"partner talks† on the phone Have parties and celebration of learning Make learning fun Integrate socialization into all curricular areas (ix) Students’ reading levels should be checked first. Students should be matched in pairs, with tutor only a slightly better reader. Books should be chosen for the right reading and interest levels. Tutors are trained with a simple checklist, which shows them how to use â€Å"pause, promt and praise† techniques. . BILBIOGRAPHY Dryden, G & Vos, J. (2005). The New Learning Revolution. UK: Network Edcuational Press Ltd.