Museum Art Critique: Surprise Attack Near Harper’s Ferry Essay

When first viewing the painting, Surprise Attack Near Harper’s Ferry, created by John A. Mooney in 1868, the only thing I found myself able to focus on was the group of almost completely undressed men that appear to be bathing in a river. At first glance, I was not truly able to grasp the concept behind the painting or the exact situation that was intended to be portrayed by John Mooney, in this specific piece of historical artwork. After looking at the image more closely and thoughtfully, the first words that entered my mind immediately were fear and chaos. The background of the Surprise Attack Near Harper’s Ferry, with the exception of the smoke in the far distance, contrasts significantly to the utter chaos, fear, and confusion displayed in the portion of the painting where the group of men appear to be fearfully scattering about in the water. The background of this painting, the beautiful colored sky and other scenery including the shimmering water, differs greatly in comparison with the more focused on, somewhat disturbing image, of what appears to represent franticness and fear that is sweeping over this group of men. After observing the painting as closely and carefully as possible, the image to be portrayed caused a feeling of sadness, as well as confusion, to sweep over me. After understanding more about the painting’s meaning, I began to also feel a sense of compassion and sympathy toward these men that I couldn’t even completely comprehend at first. In the painting, Surprise Attack Near Harper’s Ferry, the artist, John A. Mooney, places a great emphasis on the â€Å"subject matter†; the subject matter being the men that were attempting to bathe in the river. Even though the subject matter, the â€Å"central focus† of the painting, seems to just be about this group of Confederate Soldiers, importance is also greatly placed upon the raw emotions shown by these soldiers; emotions that make this painting worth critiquing and analyzing in the first place. On a more positive note or view of the painting, Surprise Attack Near Harper’s Ferry easily has the ability to grab the observer’s attention because of the beautiful, shining color of the river and the broad sky; despite what realities the men might soon be forced to face in these waters. Additionally, one of the major things to notice about this painting is John Mooney’s use of repetition represented by the men in the river. Repetition is noted in the men in the painting, due to their striking, and almost identical similarities in their appearance. Another important principle of design or â€Å"formal property†, is the use of the earlier mentioned contrast between the more serious, central focal point or the â€Å"subject matter† ; also known as the Confederate men in the river, and the more calm and relaxed setting shown by the clear skies and mesmerizing color of the river itself. Contrast is also seen in the painting by the artist’s use of different colors that oppose or conflict with one another. For example, John Mooney uses a much brighter/ lighter color on these men, than what he uses for the intense green/blue river and the more cloudy/ darker color he uses for the sky, or for the background cannon smoke. Contrast is used by this artist to draw more attention to the focal point of the painting.

Money spent on space researches Essay

Throughout the history of mankind, we humans have always been eager to explore the world and space around us. Many developed countries have been funding the research programs aim at developing and improving the technology for space exploration. On the other hand, several research programs aim at improving the quality of life and providing the basic necessities of life to needy people have not been implemented due to lack of funds, In my opinion money and effort spends on space exploration is a complete a fruitful expenditure for the next generation. The space exploration gives us a vast advantage to the world such as the space exploration helps us understand the universe that we live in; gather knowledge and understanding of different celestial bodies around us.it give us proper information about what’s happening around the world so basically most of countries’ had used to do their daily routing by using non kind of technologies which will help to maintain its country n eeds. Furthermore the space exploration has wind up in the sky while improving its technology now it had already become an indispensible part of every developed countries. Meanwhile space satellites and some other equipment’s had already being situated around the earth; satellites can update its data through the data transmission method that used to communicate between earth and space. Thus sciences had improved gradually in case of space exploration In spite of taking the disadvantages of forecasting, the science had found out the more advance, accurate and fastest technology called weather updates through the satellite and it can detect natural Disasters like storms on before it happens in particular country of state. Nevertheless space exploration is almost interesting concept for most of the people for some reasons as follows; it creates us a clear picture about the space, universe where we are living. In this particular option people were able to use Global Positioning System (GPS) it gives the vast advantages such as finding the position wherever and every corner of the earth. Within this option it can be provide for many purposes nowadays the air transportation increased due to population and everyone’s wanted travel around the world without facing any troubles so the aviation has winded up while using GPS so in this particular time the technology has improved and the GPS systems had already provided in aircrafts. In spite of  taking the risk of passengers on the craft the ingenious scientist had developed the technology. According to new sciences there are plenty of advantages on space exploration. On the other hand space exploration can be help to protect earth from non-kind of destruction on space such as comet, meteors and sudden space explosions. When it does began to floating it carries most destructive parts around space so in this case those exploded meteors can be attempt on our milky way. Throughout that space exploration we humans cannot even find what kind of a distress that earth is going to confront not only earth it could be incidence to another planet too. So in the particular time technology can be help to protect earth. Moreover we have most sophisticated, advanced satellite systems’ which can detect those kind destructive fragments before it’s entering to our ozone layer. So under these, we humans can live safe and sound. In general the population among the countries’ had gradually increasing, the extent of living areas getting reduced. Some other significant resources such as water, pure oxygen levels will be reduce. So that the villages are being transformed into cities and the cities are being more and more populous. Moreover when the population is increasing there should be and limits in wants. So the food industries needs to maintain the market, suppliers of daily necessities must have to go for alternative options to balance the market and people needs. Even though marketers tries to provide alternative options when there is a crisis, in the same way throughout space exploration many of scientists had anticipated and discovering enormous space objects and their researching about the conditions on particular space objects whereas earth the humans can live comfortably on those planets.

Capital Punishment Essay Example for Free (#5)

Capital Punishment Essay Capital punishment is viewed by the law as the act of deterring a person from performing a certain crime that poses threat to the lives of human being. Through capital punishment, life is lost and this method in a way makes sure that a particular crime isn’t repeated by a particular person thus completely deterring the person from repeating the crime. It should be noted that though death penalty is practiced, in some instances it is discriminatory and it may not award justice to the accused party. In many instances, innocent peoples have been subjected to capital punishment when in actual since they have been innocent. In other cases, the guilty have been freed because of insufficient evidence. This therefore leaves the question as to whether it is viable for death penalty to be encouraged. The cost incurred when putting a person to death, the trials and sometimes the effects have led to many countries thinking otherwise about the issue and many are drafting the bills that are intended to abolish the act. My personal view on capital punishment is that the law should be abolished as it does not achieve the expected results and does not give the accused party the room to change behavior and in some cases, the innocent are subjected to the sentence though they didn’t perform the crime. To support this, the following facts can be made. Status of Using the Death Penalty In the U. S. Various positions have been taken concerning death penalty or capital punishment globally. Some countries have been in favor of capital punishment while others abolished the act and still others have never passed such a law. In some countries mostly in the African continent, countries have this law in place but anybody sentenced to death is not subjected to the capital punishment but they are jailed for life. In America, there are mixed reactions as some countries and state do exercise the punishment while others do not. Still, others have abolished the law concerning capital punishment. To be specific, the number of countries or states that have favored and practiced this law 37 states while 13 of the states do not favor capital punishment. Many presidents have indicated that death penalty does not work or rather doe not achieve the intended purpose. What is the Purpose of the Death Penalty Advantages/benefits of the Death Penalty There are various benefits that are associated with death penalty/ though it may not be real that they are real benefits, capital punishment is entitled to Deter a person accused of doing a certain crime from repeating the same crime or similar again. This being the case, capital punishmen6t should be advocated as it would reduce the number of capital offenders in society. At the same time, capital punishment may serve as a warning to others who may have been involved in the act to desist from committing crimes that may lead to capital punishment. Still, those who may be starting the act may fear and desist from committing these crimes for fear of the consequences. Because of the various options given to an accused person, to some extent it is difficult to kill an innocent person. This therefore being the case, capital punishment is important as it eliminates those people who are likely to disturb the societal peace. It shoed be noted that various chances are given to the accused to prove their innocent. The judges do not rule in favor of capital punishment unless they are sure that the provided evidence justifies a person to be sentenced to capital punishment. It is also sometimes to credit death penalty on the bases of an eye for an eye. If a person is therefore accused and convicted of murder or killing, why shouldn’t they be given the same fate so that it can act as a way of retribution. Many people fear death and killing a person as a sentence may forbid others who may be planning to kill others as they would think that they will also be killed if caught. A convicted [person may also kill others in prison if they know that the only possible penalty they ,may receive is fine or life imprisonment. This being the case, they should be killed to avoid killing others. Therefore death penalty is an important war to incapacitate a person. Disadvantages/disbenefits of the Death Penalty Death penalty has a lot of disadvantages and these include the fact that there may be a possibility of false conviction. This being the case, an innocent person may be killed because of may be shoddy witnesses, bribery or if there was a grudge between the parties involved. There have been mane cases where a person is convicted to be killed but just before the act takes place, new evidence delinks the person from the act. Still others were killed only new evidence obtained that de alienated the already killed person. This therefore indicated that death penalty has a lot of flaws. At the same time, the costs involved before a person I convicted of cap[ital punishment are many. A lot of time is also consumed to try the accused. It should be noted that some people because of the various trials may have repented. The system may be biased. Since we have seen that there are a lot of cost implications that are involved in the process, those who don’t have the financial capabilities may not be able to afford the required lawyers, or money required to sustain the accused. At the same time, social status and racial backgrounds play a big hand in determining who will be hanged. What are the Alternatives to the Death Penalty Advantages/benefits of the Alternatives There are various alternatives to death penalty. One of the alternatives would be to sentence the accused person to life imprisonment. This would ensure that the accused is not part of the society or rather he or she is not dealing with the society in a direct way. This therefore would deter and incapacitate the person from commuting the crime. At the same time, some people do kill unintentionally and they are not able to prove this fact in court. They may therefore feel remorse and change their behavior thus becoming good members of the society. Capital Punishment. (2016, Oct 19).

What's The Incentive Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

What's The Incentive - Case Study Example The terms of employees’ payment within each organization have to be based on specific criteria: emphasis needs to be given on equality among employees so that conflicts in the internal organizational environment are avoided (Laffont and Tirole 1993). In the case of pay and reward pay package of engineers a significant dilemma appears: is this package fair, taking into consideration the changes developed in the organization since its introduction? The answer should be negative. The specific view can be justified through the following argument: the visits of engineers to the depot have been a key part of their position, meaning that their payment would be significantly lower if they were not obliged to visit the depot. In other words, the terms of engineers’ pay and reward have been arranged in this way mostly because engineers had to visit the depot many times each time, a fact that would reduce their free time for making calls to sites. It is for this reason also, that the term for a visit of at least 4 sites and the provision of reward for visiting extra sites was set in the agreement between the employer and the engineers’ union. The above agreement would not be valid today since the working conditions of engineers have been significantly altered so that a key feature of their daily tasks, the need for visiting the depot, has been eliminated. Being considered as valid, the above agreement can lead, in the short or the long term, to severe turbulences within the organization, at the level that other employees have not been favoured from similar advances in their daily tasks. From another point of view, the current pay and reward package of employees leads to another concern: the employer had suggested such package on the terms that the daily calls of engineers to sites could not be over a particular number. This means that having to visit the depot on a daily basis, engineers could not visit many sites each day; for this reason, 4 sites have

Use of Game Theories in real life situations (Games and Strategies - Essay

Use of Game Theories in real life situations (Games and Strategies - ECON 201) - Essay Example These theories provided skeletons of what are seemingly hazy propensities of things. One of these theories is the game theory. Game theory is an instrument that can aid to elucidate and respond to the common problems in the society. Given that games usually expose or are interrelated with the features of real-life situations, they can put forward tactics or approaches for dealing with such conditions. The same with our abilities to comprehend the strategies of a certain player in a game, we can also forecast how an economy, political groups or nations behave in a given circumstance. This study will explore a particular application of Game Theory. This will elaborate on the advantages and benefits of using Game Theory in real-life situations. This will be a reflection of the use of Game Theory on the basis of the researchers’ individual observation of the society and the different disciplines encompassing it and not merely grounded on the existing and known applications that ca n be recovered from the internet. Today, the applications of Game Theory are extensive and proliferating. It has already transcended beyond the limits of economics, business and psychology which had been its prime beneficiary for so many years. At the present time, Game theory is already being used in several other disciplines including medicine, computer science, sports, healthcare and even in elections which will be the focus of this study. The basic principles embodied in Game Theory provide means of predicting the prospective outcome of any election, including those which do not provide cues or relative agencies that are helpful in forecasting election results. We present Game Theory by indulging in a game. We establish the game into different aspects including players, strategies and their causes. Also, we have understood that prior to making any decision, it is imperative that we should choose a certain goal. Similarly, we have studied that we

FAMILY SYSTEM THERAPY Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

FAMILY SYSTEM THERAPY - Term Paper Example II. First Set of Questions. Who is the main theorist? ?What are major concepts, strengths, and weaknesses? ?How does this theory best fit with your value system and personal beliefs? ?What population do you hope to work with (e.g., chemically dependent, domestic violence, families, general mental health, severely mentally ill, etc.)? Why do you think the theory is the best choice for this population? (505 words) ? The main theorist on whom we are going to focus is Epstein. His idea was the McMaster Model of Family Functioning. According to Barker (2007), â€Å"The McMaster Model of Family Functioning addresses the current functioning of the family [than worrying about the past or present developmental stage, [including]: 1) problem solving; 2) communication; 3) roles; 4) affective responsiveness; 5) affective involvement; and 6) behavioral control† (pp. 51). There are six major concepts that have been mentioned that clients must work on in therapy in order to reach their thera py goals. The major strengths of this model is that clients will begin to see success almost immediately if they begin to work in therapy with this particular model. The major weaknesses of this model is that it does not integrate the past or the future into therapy. This could be detrimental for a number of reasons, one reason being that the client must able to have a sense of where he must go and where he has been in order to know how to act in the present. This is a major flaw in the model. However, this theory best fits with my own value system and personal beliefs, because it is my strong belief that a client must deal with how he or she is functioning within the family. I hope to work with populations that suffer from mental illness. I definitely believe that the family has a lot to do with how the mentally ill receive their care. According to Rasheed, Marley, & Rasheed (2010), â€Å"†¦data began to indicate that the locus of pathology was in the context of the family, a nd not simply the afflicted individual† (pp. 213). Also, I am concerned about the fact that people only tend to seek therapy when things are falling apart in the family. According to Carr (2006), â€Å"[People often] seek therapy because they feel that they have grown apart and cannot communicate with each other†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pp. 405). Dealing with mental illness can be a tough challenge, especially because of the societal malaise associated with mental illness and the people who suffer from it. According to McBride (2006), There are some â€Å"†¦stigma and misunderstandings associated with mental illness† (pp. 63). Families must realize how to care for their family members, depending on the type of mental illness that is at the core of the issue. According to Barry and Farmer (2002), â€Å"[It is important to identify] the core value of mental health...care†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pp. 43). There are several drawbacks and setbacks that can affect the clients if they donà ¢â‚¬â„¢t receive proper treatment. Mental illness can wreak havoc on a family’s finances and drain its energies. According to Abosh and Collins (1996), â€Å"Families experience chronic emotional distress from the episodic disruptions caused by the illness† (pp. 68). Truly, the family must pull together when someone in the family is thought to have or is diagnosed with a mental illness, because all members of the family are needed to be supportive at that time. Family issues

Wilmot's Proviso and the Kansas-Nebraska Act Assignment

Wilmot's Proviso and the Kansas-Nebraska Act - Assignment Example Two of these factors were the Wilmot’s Proviso of 1846 and Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. Both the Wilmot’s Proviso amendment to the bill and the Kansas-Nebraska Act addressed the issue of slavery in the newly ceded territories to America. Wilmot’s Proviso proved to be anti-slavery while the Kansas Nebraska Act was established as pro-slavery in nature. Wilmot’s Proviso condemned slavery and claimed that â€Å"neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist† (ushistory.org). This amendment was heartily accepted by the people of northern anti-slavery territories whereas the southern pro-slavery activists strongly opposed it. This resulted in clashes between individuals united by the country flag but divided by geographic demarcation. Wilmot’s proviso was approved by the House of Representatives number of times, but was never passed in Senate and hence never enjoyed the status of a law. Though history does not record loss of lives on this account, it nevertheless was the start of a bitter enmity among the people of USA and a breeding point for the Civil War. On the other hand, Kansas-Nebraska Act proposed that people should be free to decide whether slavery should be practiced in their territories or not. This Act was particularly famous amongst the southern pro-slavery masses and infuriated the northern anti-slavery population. After this Act was passed, people heavily migrated to Kansas to influence the forthcoming elections. This resulted in scuffles all over Kansas causing bloodshed. This brought the pro-slavery and anti-slavery activists in combat on many notions, rejecting the results of the elections on bases of rigging. Federal troops were called in to stop the violence and establish peace while the pro-slavery legislatures were dispersed. Even so, the next few elections were discarded on same charges. These political power games continued till the Civil War was declared in the region. Though both Wilmot’s Proviso

Managing Hospitality Operations - Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing Hospitality Operations - - Essay Example High-quality service results in customer satisfaction which in turn stimulates the intention to return, and encourages recommendations. Customer satisfaction also increases profitability, market share and return on investment (Shishavi, 2007). Every interaction in the hospitality sector is a service and interaction takes place at various levels. Service is dependent on various factors and each of these factors is individually and collectively responsible for efficient delivery of service. The employees, the managers, the technology and innovative ideas along and the consumers themselves can help meet the challenge of service delivery. The environment too has an impact on service quality and customer delight is used as a measure of customer satisfaction. Service quality perception has also been used a driver of customer retention. Hence, this paper will focus on the various factors responsible for service quality in the hospitality sector. It would first discuss SERVQUAL in the hospitality sector. Firms have to move from satisfaction to delight in order to obtain loyal customers and maintain profitable operations (Torres & Kline, 2006). â€Å"Customer delight involves going beyond satisfaction to delivering what can be best described as a pleasurable experience for the client† (Patterson cited by Torres & Kilne). This indicates that delight has a stronger emption and a different physiological state than satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is based on customer expectation whereas delight exceeds expectations. Customers can be delighted without being surprised. Delighted customers have greater appreciation for the firm and its services. Loss of a single customer can mean losses running into thousands and hence delight has been considered important to retain loyal customers. One loyal customer also translates into recommended customers. Customer delight can be used as a

Ipads in schools Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ipads in schools - Research Paper Example cation is not a bad idea but important because it combines the technology to proper understanding of advanced software tools that gives perfect content and instruction. The Ipads are expensive to purchase and maintain since their breakage rates are high mostly rate at 10% per year and their value depreciates heavy. Most of the students using the devices are not well trained in using them and it is expensive employing information technology staff in schools. Pushing ipads into schools without clear plans leave the teachers jagged about the technology. In the olden days, computers in education were received with great joy but most teachers and the students have been discouraged because of failure in delivery. The use of Ipads in the classroom has increased the rate of laziness by most students because they want to do things in the easier way by application of technology. Most students do not accomplish their assignments in time because of engaging in the online social networking sites spending most of their time chatting. Some students spend most of their time watching bad material online such as spending time on pornographic sites wasting their precious study time. Because of the advanced technology most students take advantage to use Ipads to commit malpractices during the examination time. Some teachers also develop laziness and do not deliver well in class lecturers. They force the student to do intensive research online for the study materials that is quite tiresome and messy showing neglect of duty. Ipads technology in the classroom can be a powerful tool for learning and comprehension. It provides a good experience for the elementary school student engaged in their application. Ipads have some great advantages in classrooms since it help most of the parent in saving the much they spend in purchasing books. Lecturers and parents should not worry about replacing lost and damaged books. Ipads keep the attention of students to technology and sometime increase

Admission Essays for EMBA Admission - The University of Chicago Booth Essay - 1

Admission Essays for EMBA Admission - The University of Chicago Booth School of Business - Essay Example My current key engagement is the implementation of the new Cloud Computing Hosting Centres for the utility based services provider iTricity at Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg (IBM, 2008). Cloud computing represents a new paradigm in the manner computing will be done in business enterprises. The potential of cloud computing as a business activity is very large, with estimates suggesting that the market for cloud computing in the next five years will touch $95 billion (King, 2008). Cloud computing is an emerging technology for Information Technology that provides rapid delivery of computing resources that a business enterprise requires. These resources like computing services, storage services and networking services are made available in a simplified way and on demand. Such an approach makes for rapid innovation and management of these innovations (IBM, 2009). My role in IBM’s activities in the new cloud computing services is to help business enterprises, irrespective of size, to make use of the opportunities presented by this effective computing model (IBM, 2008). My experiences as a project manager implementing innovative projects have led me to believe in the advice of Drucker 1985, p. 98 that â€Å"knowledge-based innovations can be temperamental, capricious and hard to direct†. Interacting with business leaders to understand customer what customers want and how this innovative technology would boost their business activities are an essential component of my role in the successful development of the cloud computing networks of IBM (Bower & Christensen, 1995). The purpose of cloud computing centres is to provide a solution to business enterprises, currently facing issues of ever increasing hardware and application software for their computing needs, and I will need to be able to convince business leaders that this innovative solution will create value for them (Sawhney, Wolcott & Arroniz,

African Americans and the Prison System Essay Example for Free

African Americans and the Prison System Essay I. Introduction In the book the Mugging of Black America, Earl Ofari Hutchinson relays an interesting experience by a reporter. The reporter, who spent two and a half hours watching suspects march before Washington, D. C. Superior Court Judge Morton Berg, noted that all but one of these subjects was Black. He stated, ? Â §There is an odd air about the swift afternoon? Xan atmosphere like that of British Africa in colonial times? Xas the procession of tattered, troubled, scowling, poor blacks plead guilty or not guilty to charges of drug possession, drug distribution, assault, armed robbery, theft, breaking in, fraud and arson. According to Hutchinson, the reporter witnessed more than a courtroom scene; he witnessed the legacy of slavery. This paper will attempt expand on Hutchinson? Â ¦s theory. It will do so by first describing slavery and its lasting impact then it will attempt to show how the current criminal justice system mirrors slavery. PART 1: Slavery I. The History of Oppression and African Americans The history of the oppression as it relates to African Americans began in 1619. It was this year in which a Dutch ship brought the first slaves from Africa to North America. Following this arrival of twenty Africans in Virginia, white European-Americans created the institution of slavery. Slavery spread so quickly that by 1860 the original twenty slaves turned into nearly four million. In the beginning the legal status of these Africans was undefined. This absent definition created a lack of certainty which allowed for some slaves to become free after years of service. This only lasted briefly. In the 1660s, however, the colonies began enacting laws that defined and regulated slaves and the institution of slavery. One of the most important of these was the provision that black slaves, and the children of slave women, would serve for life. These ? Â §breeding laws were just the beginning. Soon, slavery in the United States was governed by a body of laws developed from the 1660s to the 1860s. Even though every slave state had its own slave code and case law, it became universal that slavery was a permanent condition. In addition to slavery being a permanent condition, slaves were also, under these laws, considered property. Slaves, being property, could not own property or be a party to a contract. Since marriage is a form of a contract, slave marriages had no legal standing. Most codes also had sections regulating free blacks. Under these codes blacks who were not slaves were still subject to controls on their movements and employment. These laws served not only as a physical limitation, but an ideological one also. In addition to granting slave owners and white people power over slaves and in some cases free blacks, the laws also granted slaveholders and white-Europeans an intangible source of power. Socially, the institution of slavery allowed white slave owners to believe they had not only physical control, but physical and mental superiority over the slaves. With only a few exceptions, all slaves were Africans. This fact placed the label of inferiority on black skin. The actual institution of slavery as it relates to master and slave lasted up in till the Civil war. The American Civil War was fought, in part, over slavery. During the war, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which ? Â §freed all slaves. This seemingly, brought the end of slavery throughout the United States, but unfortunately left a lasting impression. From this point on slavery took on a new form as former slaves being associated with the label of inferiority. II. The lasting effects of slavery: continuous oppression Slavery is defined by Webster? Â ¦s dictionary as ? Â §The state of being under the control of another person . Aalthough the actual physical control and violence supposedly ended after the emancipation proclamation, The intangible theory of supremacy derived from the institution of slavery resulted in many lasting effects. These effects in and of themselves are a form of force, a form slavery. a. The lost sense of culture and cultural pride: Feeling of inferiority Slave drivers made great efforts to eliminate African culture. For instance Africans were beaten if they were caught speaking their native languages or carrying out native rituals . Therefore, they were not able to effectively pass the languages, stories and traditions on to their children. This forced suppression resulted in the loss of verbal records and a rich legacy of history. It is no secret that there is pride in culture. Taking away the culture takes away the pride and the motivation and results in feelings of worthlessness. b. no economic foundation Slave drivers not only attempted to deprive the Africans of there culture and pride, but they successfully robbed them economically. Slaves were forced to work without pay for years while padding the pockets of the slave owners. This deficit of economics resulted in an inability to establish an economic foundation in the United States. c. Unleveled playing field Along with the deprivation of financial resources, another significant factor concerning the state of African Americans is arrested development. Slaves were deprived of opportunities to learn and become more competitive in many areas of society. Black people were not allowed to read or learn to read, so they could not take advantage of written text. All these lasting effects placed blacks in a severely disadvantaged state when slavery was abolished, led a socioeconomic structure in which white people generally held the highest ranks and Black people generally held the lowest ranks. III. Maintaining oppression In order to maintain this socioeconomic structure, there always seems to be a new form of oppression set in place to maintain ? Â §slavery. As if the above detrimental effects of slavery were not enough, the White southerners were anxious to maintain more direct power and control over people with black skin, despite there classification as ? Â §free. The White southerners decided to, again, use the law in order crystallize there theory of inferiority and keep black people at the lowest ranks. In 1865, southerners created Black Codes, which served as a way to control and inhibit the freedom of ex-slaves. These historic Codes controlled almost all aspects of life, and prohibited African Americans from almost all the freedoms that had been won during the Civil War. The codes, which were blatantly racist and oppressive, were eventually suspended in June 1866, during the ? Â §reconstruction era. During this time period in America and despite resistance, African-Americans were slowly becoming part of this nations inclusion. By 1868, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution confirmed the long awaited citizenship for Blacks in America. By 1870, the 15th Amendment was added to the Constitution which made it illegal to deny the right to vote based on race. The Reconstruction era, although short-lived, showed the first real attempts of inclusive freedom for African-Americans since the abolition of slavery. Gains were taking place: Citizenship, Voting, Education, and Politics. But, the underlying desire to have power over those in black skin never subsided. Just like the black Codes, this desire to dominate again manifested itself in another form, Jim Crow Laws. These laws promoted discrimination and the denial of equal protection by law. Just like the codes, they too were eventually abolished. Just like the Codes, Jim Crow laws, the desire of our society to suppress those in black skin will soon take another form. Today that form is the Criminal Justice System. PART 2 The New Age Slavery: The Prison System I. The Prison Institution Prisons are big in the United States. During the past 20 years, the United States experienced a massive increase in incarceration. The prison population increased fourfold, from 330,000 in 1980 to nearly 1. 4 million in 1999, and the incarceration rate increased from about 140 to about 476 per 100,000 resident populations. Today there are more than two million Americans behind bars. But even more startling is the fact that more than one-half of these incarcerated Americans have black skin. Although black Americans only make up about 12% of the US population, they account for more then 30% of all arrests, 44% of all prisoners and 40% of prisoners on death row. II. Race and the Prison System These obvious disparities in the criminal justice system can be attributed to many different things ranging from racial profiling to the lack of opportunity and poor education, but most criminal justice observers believe that these disparities have emerged from the underlying assumptions rooted in slavery. The assumption that slaves were inferior has carried over to today. Currently this theory of inferiority and desire to maintain oppression influences one of the major policies in place attacking African Americans today, the ? Â §war on drugs. Most of the shocking disparities in the criminal Justice System as it relates to African Americans in prison can be attributed to the ? Â §war on drugs. According to a study by Human Rights Watch, African-Americans comprise 62 percent of the drug offenders admitted to state prisons. In seven states, blacks constitute between 80 and 90 percent of all people sent to prison on drug charges. According to studies of the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights, African-Americans constitute 15 percent of the national drug users, but comprise an amazing one-third of all those arrested on drug charges and 57 percent of those convicted on drug charges. The criminal justice system generally, and contemporary crime and drug policies in particular, serve as a means for White America to control the African Americans like they did in the 1600 . III. The lasting oppression Similarly to the black codes and segregation implemented after the abolition of slavery; restrictions are placed on prisoners after they are released. Once a prisoner is released from prison, parole and the bans on public assistance, public housing restrictions, etc. create barriers and a seemingly doomed cycle of dominance. Since half of the prisoners in prison are African American, these barriers, like the lasting effects of slavery, have a disproportionate effect on our black communities. III. The effects of oppression According to the Department of Justice? Â ¦s Bureau of Justice statistics, the number of adults in prison, jail, or on probation or parole reached almost 7 million during 2004. Since Blacks comprise 30 percent of probationers and 41 percent of prisoners. That means around 4,500,000 African Americans are affected directly by the criminal justice system. Unfortunately those African Americans sent to prison or under parole are not the only people affected. The impact on the black community does not stop at the prison door, conversely it goes far beyond. Even after a prisoner is released there are lasting effects to the prisoner, his or her family and the community as a whole. a. Demise of the Black family One effect of the high rate of incarceration of African American males in particular has been the decreasing number of marriageable men in the African American community. Along with high rates of homicide, AIDS-related deaths and other factors, this has created a substantial imbalance in the male-female ratio among adult African Americans. Whereas gender ratios for African Americans at birth are about 102-103 males for every 100 females, by the age range 40-44, this declines to 86 males per 100 females, whereas white rates are 100:100 for this group. b. Lost political voice The impact of the criminal justice system on the black community goes beyond the declining family structure to issues of political influence as well. As a result of laws that disenfranchise felons and ex-felons in various states, an estimated 1. 4 million African American males, or 13% of the black male adult population, is either currently or permanently disenfranchised as a result of a felony conviction. In fourteen states, a felony conviction can result in lifetime disenfranchisement, and in seven of these states, an estimated one in four black males is permanently disenfranchised. Thus, not only are criminal justice policies contributing to the disproportionate incarceration of African Americans, but imprisonment itself then reduces the collective political ability of African Americans to influence these policies. V. Solutions The constant demise in the structure of the black family, lost political influence and seemingly arrested development are all very familiar results of a history of oppression. Since these effects of slavery and disparities in the criminal justice system seemingly steam from hundreds of years ago there is no quick fix. Ideally the answer would lie in the destruction of all prejudice. But, it is impossible to erase the deep seated legacy and resurfacing effects of slavery. Therefore this problem must be attacked from a variety of different angles. Recommendations for change can be considered in the areas of awareness, legislative change, criminal justice officials? Â ¦ initiatives, and criminal justice/community partnerships. The following are some suggested that will allow for a beginning to a seemingly circular and endless problem. 1. Legislative Actions Legislation should be pushed to Reconsider Mandatory Sentencing Policies and Equalize Penalties for Crack and Powder Cocaine . 2. Criminal Justice Officials? Â ¦ Initiatives ?n Criminal Justice Officials should Expand Drug Policy Options And Expand the Use of Alternative Sentencing 3. Criminal Justice/Community Partnerships. The criminal Justice system and the community should attempt to Increase Community-based Diversion from the Criminal Justice System And Strengthen the Link between Communities and the Justice System VI. Closing Oppression in the form of institutionalization is nothing new to those dressed in black skin; it has been present since 1619. In this year Africans were brought to the United States and forced into the institution of slavery. Even after the abolition of slavery, a series of codes and segregation laws were set in place to maintain the suppression of black people because black skin was stigmatized as inferior. Even though the prejudice and biased codes and laws were eventually abolished themselves, this stigma remains. Because this theory of black inferiority was embedded in the American culture due to slavery, various means of oppression are able to continually resurface in different forms. Today that form is Criminal Justice System, more specifically the drug policies. Practically mirroring the institution of slavery, African Americans are being controlled and dominated by this system. Control by the USCJS includes the probation, parole, imprisonment, lost economic power, struggling communities and lost political voice. In order to end this vicious cycle of oppression, action must be taken. First people must be made aware of the disparities. Next those who are made aware must press for legislative change, criminal justice officials? Â ¦ initiatives, and criminal justice/community partnerships. The challenge for the community at large is to engage in broad discussion of the mix of family, community, and government initiatives that can begin to reverse the cycle that has been set in motion in recent years. Let? Â ¦s do what Abraham attempted o do in 1877, let? Â ¦s end this legacy of slavery.

Health and Social Care Essay Example for Free

Health and Social Care Essay Describe how incorrect handling and moving techniques can damage the skin. Identify a range of interventions that can reduce the risk of skin breakdown and pressure sores. Describe the changes to an individual skin conditions that should be reported. It is important to avoid or prevent the vulnerable areas or where sores has already formed. Regularly changing position or moving helps to prevent pressure sores developing in a vulnerable areas or to relieve already existing ones. In every clients risk assessment notes it must be shown how often they need to be moved it could be every 15 min. r might be every 2 hours. Risk assessment as well should be suggesting how to prevent putting pressure on existing ones or vulnerable areas. Also might be helpful: correct sitting lying positions how best to support feet to keep good posture the special equipment There are range of special mattresses and cushions to relieve pressure on vulnerable parts of body. Most popular are the ones that can be connected to flow of air. Which is automatically regulated to reduce pressure as and when required. Special dressings and bandages can be used to protect and to speed up the healing of pressure sores. Topical preparations such as cream and ointments can speed up healing process and prevent further tissue damage. Antibiotics and antiseptic creams might be used to prevent infection and bacteria spreading. Certain dietary supplements such as protein, zinc, vitamin c can be helpful. If clients diet lacks vitamins and minerals skin may be more likely to develop pressure sores. Debridement ,maggot therapy,surgery has been known to be helpful. Carrying out a regular checks are necessary for evidence of an early signs of the condition. Any dis-coloration of skin any patches of skin that feel unusually spongy or tough to touch must be recorder into clients personal file and a person in charge informed. Outcome 2 identify legislation and nation guidelines affecting pressure area care describe agreed ways of working relating to pressure area care describe why team working is important in relation to providing pressure area care Every company has different policies how to prevent pressure sores and how to deal with the situation when it happens. First and most important is new staff training introducing to the rules how to follow regular checks on clients,how vital is to read risk assessments and how to record ,for the other members of staff to be informed what was noticed who was informed and how the problem was solved. Team work can do wonders for clients well being,when staff is well trained and keep each other informed about every simple change the maximum success can be achieved. Unit HSC 2028 Move and position individuals to their plan of care. Every single client with difficulties to move has a detail notes how it has to be done and how they prefer to be moved. Because of their individual conditions the normal movement of some joints might not be possible or restricted. It is important to understand how joints work together to achieve the understanding in what is the best way to move the client. Special exercises designed to suit different conditions can be very useful. A physiotherapist would be the one who makes an assessment keeping in mind clients condition e. . following a stroke the client usually has weakness in the left side of the body so physiotherapist will aim to create a work out plan to strengthen the weaker side of the body after hip joint replacement surgery client must feel lots of pain and weakness in the leg as well as stiffness. The physiotherapist will be aware of conditions and will make a plan suitable for this condition. Most of people in wheelchairs have a set of special designed exercises to keep their fitness levels and firm muscles.

Effects of Website Attributes on Customer Satisfaction

Effects of Website Attributes on Customer Satisfaction ABSTRACT This study investigates the important attributes of online web stores in e-commerce by examining the possible website elements that determine different aspects of the association between customers satisfaction and e-commerce website attributes. A questionnaire consisting of 24 items was completed by 60 respondents. The instrument for this study was developed on the basis of â€Å"SERVQUAL† using a 5 point Likert scale. There were five independent variables used in the study out of which two were included as a result of stepwise multiple regression model which are: websResponse (accounting for 26.3% of the total variance); and webCustomization (accounting for 5.1% of the total variance). Results of a stepwise regression indicated that two website attributes significantly predict customer satisfaction (31.4% of the combined explained variance). Within the five website attributes in E-commerce website dimension, â€Å"website response† correlated highly with customer satis faction (26.3% of the explained variance). The results of the study indicate that the two website attributes of e-commerce (website response and website customization) impact the customers satisfaction and other three do not have a significant influence. The study concludes with related implications and design guidelines to enhancing customer satisfaction of e-commerce. Effects of website attributes on customer satisfaction in E-commerce SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION The Internet is no longer a niche technology it is mass media and an utterly integral part of modern life. As our lives become more fractured and cluttered, it isnt surprising that consumers turn to the unrivalled convenience of the Internet when it comes to searching and buying product. 1.1 INTROduction to E-COMMERCE The rise of the WWW gives birth to new phenomena in our daily lives, one of which is e-commerce. The internet has played a vital and important part to encourage selling products and services online which makes life convenient for the audiences, which in an inter-connected world, is well, the whole world. E-Commerce is a subset of an overall e-business strategy consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet. E-commerce seeks to add revenue streams using the World Wide Web or the Internet to build and enhance relationships with clients and partners and to improve efficiency. E-commerce has given rise to the concept of completely online shops selling products and services, efficiently catalogued and available for the shoppers convenience. There are several websites that stock everything from lifestyle items, collectibles, books, electronic appliances etc. The level of e-commerce use can be measured by using an e-commerce capability indicator. E-commerce capability indicator by Molla Licker:  § No e-commerce indicates a company without e-mail or an Internet connection.  § Connected e-commerce represents a company that has an Internet connection and e-mail.  § Informational e-commerce indicates a company using a Web site to publish basic information about the company and its products/services in a static manner.  § Interactive e-commerce refers to the ability of users to search the companys product catalogue, make queries, and enter orders.  § Transactional e-commerce allows online selling and purchasing of products or services including online payment and customer service. E-business applications can be divided into three categories. First is an internal business system in which customer relationship management (CRM), Enterprise resource planning (ERP), and Human Resource management (HRM) type of systems are involved. Second is enterprise communication and collaboration such as content management system (CMS), business process management (BPM) and web conferencing etc. Third is e-commerce that includes Business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce and Business-to-customer (B2C) e-commerce. Online shopping comes under this category on which this study is conducted. Several e-commerce service providers are available on web that provides professional customized web designing services that suit their clients needs. Some common applications related to electronic commerce are the following:  § Online Shopping (Web Shop)  § Online Banking  § Online Marketing  § CRM etc 1.1.1 Online Shopping Online shopping is the process consumers go through to purchase products or services over the services over the web. Online shopping is a type of business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions. The term web shop also refers to a place of business where web development, web hosting and other types of web related activities take place (Web refers to the World Wide Web and shop has a idiomatic meaning used to describe the place). 1.2 service quality The level of service received on a web site. Dependent on reliability, responsiveness and availability of staff and the web site service. Service quality is comprised of five dimensions. These are:  § Tangibles: appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and written materials (Zeithaml, Bitner Gremler, 2006).  § Reliability: ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately.  § Assurance: employees knowledge and courtesy and their ability to inspire trust and confidence.  § Responsiveness: willingness to help customers and provide prompt service.  § Empathy: caring, individualized attention given to customers. 1.2.1 Service quality dimensions in e-commerce systems Lets examine how customers judge the five dimensions of service quality in perspective of e-commerce systems. Tangibles refer to the physical appearance of an e-commerce website, its structure, layout, theme etc and referred as â€Å"website structure†. Reliability represented as â€Å"website adequacy† which provides the relevant and needed information provided by an e-commerce system when customer clicked or requested for. Assurance termed as â€Å"website security† refers as the trustworthy service provider that could include a well reputable website, reliable payments methods etc. Responsiveness is the prompt and relevant response to the specific request of users described by â€Å"website response†. Empathy knows internal customers as individual; understanding individual needs and concerns such as by providing recommendations that matches the customers needs which is termed as â€Å"website customization† in world of web. 1.2.2 service quality framework (SERVQUAL) SERVQUAL was originally measured on 10 aspects of service quality: reliability, responsiveness, competence, access, courtesy, communication, credibility, security, understanding or knowing the customer and tangibles. By the early nineties the authors had refined the model to the useful acronym RATER.  § Reliability  § Assurance  § Tangibles  § Empathy, and  § Responsiveness SERVQUAL has its detractors and is considered overly complex, subjective and statistically unreliable. The simplified RATER model however is a simple and useful model for qualitatively exploring and assessing customers service experiences and has been used widely by service delivery organizations. 1.2.3 customer satisfaction Customer satisfaction refers to the extent to which customers are happy with the products and services provided by a business. Customer satisfaction levels can be measured using survey techniques and questionnaires. Gaining high levels of customer satisfaction is very important to a business because satisfied customers are most likely to be loyal and to make repeated orders and to use a wide range of services offered by a business. The basic definition of customer satisfaction says that Customer satisfaction is a term, is a measure of how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. Customer satisfaction is an abstract concept and the actual manifestation of the state of satisfaction will vary from person to person and product/service to product or service. The level of satisfaction can also vary depending on other options the customer may have and other products against which the customer can compare the organizations products or services. 1.3 Customer Satisfaction Based on Perceived service quality of e-commerce systems The overall satisfaction of e-commerce customers can be attained by providing the level of service quality that customers perceive in that system. The five dimensions of service quality are tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. The website structure of an e-commerce websites is all about the tangibility dimension. The reliability dimension in this study is measured by the attribute called website adequacy. The website response variable indicates the responsiveness dimension. Website security as another attribute of an e-commerce system refers to the assurance dimension and the empathy dimension described by the website customization The overall customer satisfaction is based on the five service quality dimensions representing various service attributes: tangibility, reliability, assurance, responsiveness and empathy. The detailed model used in this study is presented in figure A. The website design elements are characterized into five different types which are supposed to influence the five service quality dimensions. This study hypothesizes that some website attributes that are based on service quality dimensions has an impact on an online customer satisfaction. In other words, customers satisfaction level will increase if the e-commerce system provides a higher level of service quality through different website attributes. 1.4 Increased trend of Online surfing and shopping in Pakistan The trend of an online surfing is increasing rapidly due to the increased benefits by the use of e-commerce business environment. People visit e-commerce web sites not only for buying but for several other reasons and the smart retailer just should not only focus on boosting online browse-to-buy conversion rates, but should also try to grab the attention of an online visitors who came in for review so as they could become a customer later. Many people feel it comfortable to review the products through an extensive knowledge provided over the internet before actually buying a particular product. For this purpose, e-commerce website provides an interface to the buyers to write their reviews and share their after-purchase experiences. Thus, the e-commerce systems reduce the time and efforts required for the first step of information search in consumer decision making process. That is, by just few clicks a consumer can have a concise analysis for what matches his/her needs. There are some factors emerged as a results of the changes in lifestyle and habits of consumer which has promoted the trend of online searching and shopping in Pakistan. Some of these factors are lack of time, need of convenience and easy access to the desired object. Moreover, e-commerce websites facilitates the visitor in many ways to boost up online browse-to-buy conversion rate. Whenever a new customer lands on an e-commerce website, he/she must be having many questions in their minds regarding the products and services. A well-framed ecommerce site has an enquiry page for their customers. This gives the chance to the visitor to post an enquiry with your site. Main aim of this page is to gather all relevant and necessary information from the customers so that they can be given response in an apt manner. Within the past decade, e-commerce has matured and grown exponentially. The result: now there are many types of e-commerce payment methods available online. If your credit is bad and you cannot afford a merchant account, there are alternative methods of payments on e-commerce websites which can help you. The e-commerce systems give customers controlled access to the data they need. In other words, not only are you managing your relationship with your customers, you are giving your customers the tools to manage their relationship with you. THESIS STRUCTURE This thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter 1 discusses the problem about which the research was carried out and in general about the trends of online shopping in Pakistan. Chapter 2 is about the literature review and the theoretical background is developed. In Chapter 3, researcher describes the methodology adopted including sources of information and data collection procedure is discussed. In chapter 4, the empirical data collected through questionnaire is analyzed and results are concluded on the basis of a survey. In Chapter 5, Conclusions are drawn and necessary recommendations are suggested. 1.5 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM â€Å"Effects of website attributes on customer satisfaction in e-commerce.† The main purpose of this research is to find out the different attributes which encourage consumers to visit, search and shop on a particular website. 1.6 OBJECTIVE The purposes of this study are as follows: To identify the most important website element of e-commerce with respect to the customer satisfaction. To examine what is important to the customer regarding website attributes in e-commerce with perspective of website builders. 1.6.1 Possible Research Findings The research will also provide the following significances.  § Help the organization to better understand what customers expect in e-commerce and how those expectations impact customer attitude.  § The study will examine what the customer views as major attributes of website in e-commerce.  § Able to investigate the major customer attitudes associated with website structure in e-commerce.  § The study will indicate the link between the website attributes and the customer attitudes. 1.7 HYPOTHESES H1: Website structure has a significant association with customer satisfaction. H2: Website adequacy has a significant association with customer satisfaction. H3: Website security has a significant association with customer satisfaction. H4: Website response has a significant association with customer satisfaction. H5: Website customization has a significant association with customer satisfaction. SECTION 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction to e-commerce: The propagation of WWW has originated few facts in our daily lives, one of which is e-commerce. A transaction between two or more participants through an electronic medium is defines as e-commerce (Kalacota and Whinston 1997). As an e-commerce is rapidly raising field, therefore for accomplishing success in this market, a top quality information system is necessary (Margherio et al. 1998). An e-commerce system is designed by selectively integrating many technical (e.g. search system) or managerial (e.g. the level of information related to product) design elements (Lohse and Spiller 1998). It is still very difficult, if not impossible; to make use of all the design factors presently available for the e-commerce system although many design factors have been suggested to improve the overall quality of e-commerce system (Selz and Schubert 1997, Lohse and Spiller 1998). This is because of the recent arrival of new design factors resulted by an increase in the interest of Internet (Selz and Schubert 1997). The main goal of this paper is to explore important design elements that have significant influence on the customer satisfaction regarding the performance of e-commerce systems. In this paper, the study presents a conceptual model of e-commerce websites that includes concrete design elements, perceived level of website quality and the customer satisfaction (JINWOO KIM and JUNGWON LEE 2002). There is remarkable potential for e-commerce in developing countries. Online shopping makes it easy to find things, merchants and best offerings and thus economical in terms of time and effort offerings (Balasubramanian, 1997). According to the Malone et al (1989) communicating a same piece of information through communication networks results in decreased cost and improved speed. There is tremendous potential for e-commerce in developing countries because the use of an e-commerce can potentially reduce transaction costs. As per Malone et al (1989) observation, the search costs such as cost of identifying a market (from where to buy a product) and /or a product or service are likely to reduce with the use of e-commerce systems and can be defined as potential e-commerce cost savings. From an organizations perspective, e-commerce systems provide the organization with the better market reach and an ability to provide their customer a customized service that suits their individual needs and preferences. For example the exchange between â€Å"richness† and â€Å"reach† can be minimized by e-commerce (Evans Wurster, 2000). Richness refers to the quality and quantity of information in terms of accuracy, relevance, customization, etc. and reach measures the number of people who can be got in touch with that information. 2.2 Service quality dimensions: The overall customer satisfaction can be measured by the level of service quality of an e-commerce system that customer perceives. Some researchers (Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry 1988) stated that consumer satisfaction or dissatisfaction is as an ancestor of service quality. Conversely, modern evidence recommends that it is an outcome of service quality (Woodside, Frey and Daly 1989; Cronin and Taylor 1992). Service quality attributes are the most important factors for the success of an e-commerce systems For example Liu and Arnett (2000) found that organizations that involve in e-commerce can only ensure the success of their system by keenly looking for the ways to improve their service quality. The customers decision whether to continue using a particular e-commerce system is based on the perceived quality of service (Bhattacherjee 2001) as the service quality impacts the overall satisfaction of a customer. Tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy are the five dimensions of service quality. (Parasuraman et al. 1985, 1991, Pit et al. 1995). The tool that is being used in this study to measure the dimensions of service quality is SERVQUAL According to Brown et al. this instrument has been proved valid and reliable and hence used in various domains. (Brown et al.1993, Fisk et al. 1993, Parasuraman et al. 1985, 1993). On the basis of previous researches, service quality despite being a main interesting field in services marketing for the past two decades (Zeithaml et al., 2000); electronic service quality is still in its early stages in research area. Reil el al in 2001concluded that there has been no theoretical conceptualization emerged for customer evaluation of electronic services that could have been accepted generally. Cox and Dale (2001) has supported this conception by the fact that most out of the dominant research on service quality cannot even be valid to e-business environment. By the year 2002, the existing studies on the determinants of electronic service quality were based on measuring B2C interactions (Gilbert, 2000; Barnes and Vidgens 2000, 2001 and 2002) and few exploratory researches on website quality and e-service quality by Zeithaml et al. In early stages of service quality research, researcher were required to find out what is service quality from customers perspective (Sasser et al.,1979; Lehtinen and Lehtinen,1982; Gronroos,1982). It was normally approved that the judgment of service quality came from comparisons between what customers feel a service provider should offer (expectations) and the actual service performance of the company (perceptions) (Zeithaml et al., 2000). This view was reinforced by Parasuraman Zeithaml (2000) and Berry (1985) in their study of service quality in different service industries with which they discussed the concept of service quality as a function of expectations-perception gap. Parasuraman et als, identified the 10 dimensions that customer uses in their assessment of service quality. These 10 service quality dimensions then shaped the source for the development of a scale (SERVQUAL) to measure service quality in direct service interactions. Research extended in other context and as a result refined the scale and reduced it to 5 dimensions (reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangibles) Since the SERVQUAL scale has been widely used to measure service quality in many studies across a range of settings (IS Departments; Airlines; Universities; Ocean Freight Shipping; Professional Services; Health Providers; International Markets; Purchasing; Advertising; Banking; E-commerce). Initially the concept of services were created to capture the nature of service encounters (Meuter et al., 2000) which may not be sufficient to capture the characteristics of customer interactions with self-service technologies such as e-services (Dabholkar et al.,1996). Later on, many approaches have been proposed to study online service. (Gilbert, 2000; Gronroos et al., 2000; Parasuraman and Grewel, 2000; Kaynama and Black, 2000; Zeithaml, et al., 2000; ONeill, et al., 2001) proposed the use of existing service theory as a first type. The second type utilizes generated new categories for self-service technologies such as e-services (Szymanski and Hise, 2000; van Riel, et al., 2001; Wang and Tang, 2001; Ruyter et al., 2001). Third type develops information systems and web quality theory (Barnes and Vidgen, 2000; 2001; 2002; Aladwani and Palvia, 2001). These researches have centered on customer interactions with a variety of self-service technologies such as automated call centre technology, ATMs and Web sites and touch screen technologies. A redefined SERVQUAL instrument to measure the service expectations and perceptions of customers of Internet businesses was used by Gilbert in 2000 in which he concluded that to measure online service quality, the altered SERVQUAL scale was a practical instrument. The features that are useful, accurate, relevant and comprehensive information reflect the reliability of quality information (Bailey and Pearson 1983). Bailey and Pearson (1983) also identified that website reliability depends on to what level the information provided on the website about the product or service is true, precise and also depend to what level a customer can rely on a particular website that it provides enough amount of information available regarding each product. (Luedi 1997) stated that website personalization based on the ability of website to deliver individualized interface for a specific user which generated dynamically as per users needs. This may involve making purchase recommendations and /or providing the list of other relevant products that matchs the customer needs. This can be extracted through the previous data available regarding an individual user such as buying behavior, cart items and the current session contents. Providing customized services is the best way to create a loyal customer and make repeat visits on a website Luedi (1997). The concern over security continues to plague the online world. Variables like perceived security, reputation were included in this study to examine the customer attitude towards buying process. Even though the understanding of credit card transactions perceived secure like a waiters and waitresses, still security is the top concern of people who shop online (Salisbury et at. 2001, Luo 2002. Wilson and Abel 2002). Likewise security is the reason why people do not shop online (Luo 2002). The research variable of Security reflects trust in the online system and the variable reputation reflects trust in the specific vendor. Discovering whether vendors receive repeat business reflects the overall buying attitude of consumers. Overall customer satisfaction at online shopping measures which attributes helps the website meets expectations. 2.3 Website elements: The first phase of consumer decision making process that is the information search starts the minute customers look at the interface of e-commerce website and ends until they decide whether to place the purchase order or not (Schmid 1995). The role of website structure remains important during the phase of information search process such as site maps, navigation, content settings and layout of website etc. The content, structure and website elements should be portrayed explicitly on the e-commerce interface. Website structure that includes the presentation of design elements determines how the information is actually displayed on the screen to acquire the customer attention (Morris and Hinrich 1996). Convenient website structure defined as to what extent a customer feels that the e-commerce website is user friendly, simple and instinctive. (Ki-Han and Shin, 2008) Website adequacy describes the quality and quantity of the information provided in the e-commerce system. Content based on usefulness and comprehensiveness involves the type and scope of information to be included in the system (Morris and Hinrich 1996, Kim et al 1997). After the collection of appropriate information regarding the identified products or services, the contents must be placed in a well organized manner so that the customer can understand the interface easily (Gronroos 1982, Rosenfeld and Morville 1998). A well-defined and properly placed content is a feature of website which indicates the ability to made information easily available to visitors (Ki-Han and Shin, 2008). When adequate and reliable information has been properly dispersed across different web pages within the structure of the e-commerce website, an efficient interaction system must be provided to enable the customer to switch between different pages easily (Kim and Yoo 2000, Park and Kim 2000). Ballantine (2005) has found the impact of interactivity and product related information on customer satisfaction in an online trade setting. He argued in his study that the amount of product-related information affected consumer satisfaction of online shopping. An important design element that relates to the interaction system includes the involvement of website response and website customization ability. Website Customization is referred as the extent to which an e-commerce website can identify a customer and then modify the choice of products and shopping experience for that customer (Srinivasan et al., 2002). Cook and Coupey (2001) in their research argued that the improved accessibility of information on internet is likely to result in informed customers. And educated customers are able to make better quality decisions and will then experience more satisfaction with the visits and purchases they make. The connection between all of the five individual variables describes the basic architecture of web pages (Steinmetz and Nahrsted, 1995). The overall satisfaction of e-commerce customers can be attained by providing the level of service quality that customers perceive in that system. Satisfied customers have more potential to spread positive word-of-mouth (Gremler and Brown, 1999), and they avail further services (Zeithaml et al., 1996). The five dimensions of service quality are tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy (Parasuraman et al. 1985, 1991, Pit et al. 1995). Attributes related to the website structure such as physical appearance of e-commerce websites are represented by tangibility dimension. For example, the tangibility measures the appeal of the website design of e-commerce system presents to their customers. The ability of the website to provide the dependable, accurate service is represented by reliability dimension. (Pit et al. 1995). For example, the reliability dimension measures how often an e-commerce system provides useful and comprehensive information regarding the relevant products or services. The responsiveness dimension indicates how prepared the website is to promptly response the customer with the clicked option. (Parasuraman et al. 1991). For example, the responsiveness dimension measures how often an ecommerce system voluntarily provides services that are important to its customers such as less loading time. Or it can be measured by how often a website provides accurate and rich information after a user clicked a particular product. The trust and confidence encouraged in the customer by the information provided on e-commerce system refers to the assurance dimension (Parasuraman et al. 1991). For example, the assurance dimension can be measured by extent to which a website is able to give a secure feeling to an online buyer. The empathy dimension described as the individual attention to the customer that is being provided by the dynamic e-commerce website (Pit et al. 1995). For example this dimension measures how often an ecommerce system voluntarily offers recommendations that match to its customers needs in order to provide the individual customers benefit. In summary, the overall quality of an e-commerce system can be measured by the service quality level perceived by its customers and ultimately leads to the customer satisfaction (JINWOO KIM and JUNGWON LEE, 2002). Parasuraman, Zeithaml et al. (1988, 1991) in study on SERVQUAL found that the interactive elements of e-commerce systems are e-business features that help in building relationships with customer and are fall into five main sets that are tangibles, reliability, assurance, responsiveness and empathy. Due to the consistency of research findings stated in literature, it become easy to propose that the five main determinants of e-commerce include website structure, website adequacy, website security, website response and website customization (D. HORN, R. FEINBERG and G. SALVENDY, 2005). In an e-business structure, the customer interaction with the business is through the e-commerce website. Therefore, several original SERVQUAL items were modified to focus on e-commerce website. The definition of an empathy dimension was extended to include personalization or customization, which is the concept of web gurus as they believe the emotional connection between customer and web business (Peppers et al. 1999). The overall appearance and structure of e-commerce website shows its tangibility. The performance of promised services and adequacy of information explains the reliability of an e-commerce website. Responsiveness is the ability of e-commerce system to help and provide prompt response to the website user. The individualized attention and customized service provided by the e-commerce system to an individual customer is described as empathy. Security is the trust on an e-commerce system in protecting personal and financial information (D. HORN, R. FEINBERG and G. SALVENDY, 2005). The major factors that impact the customer attitude are the five main attributes of e-commerce system. The model in Figure 1 describes how these attributes of e-commerce system work together to achieve customer satisfaction. The satisfaction/dissatisfaction of customer is defined as an emotional response to a specific consumption experience (Swan and Oliver 1989). It is determined by to what extent a consumer perceives that the service fulfills his/her needs, wants or desires. Satisfaction is a â€Å"state† inconsistent in that a consumer can be â€Å"very dissatisfi

Shakespeares King Lear - Father/Son Conflicts Caused by Inferiority Complex and Power Struggle :: essays research papers

Throughout the play King Lear, by William Shakespeare, a conflict is conveyed through father and son: Gloucester and Edmund. Although the cause of this conflict is Gloucester’s betrayal by his bastard son, Edmund, there is more to this conflict than a simple power struggle. Through intertwining plots and scandals, Edmund creates a forged letter, destructively â€Å"written† by his half-brother, Edgar, having to do with his made up plans to murder his father, Gloucester. Edmund surpasses this first betrayal and reaches the epitome of evil when he plots against his father by finding ways to cross Gloucester with Regan and Cornwall, further enhancing his potential inheritance and power. In this conflict, Edmund is the ultimate cause and initiator, making his father a victim to the scandal Edmund has viciously created. The conflict between Gloucester and his contriving son contribute to King Lear by becoming a parallel between Lear’s problems with his own daughters. Lear finds himself in a similar situation, his two daughters, Regan and Goneril, also scheme to betray their father, with hopes to profit from his loss of power. The resemblance between Lear’s daughters and Edmund holds a purpose to enhance the reader’s perception of what conflicts the desire for more power can create. Only through conveying separate instances of incredible treason between parent and offspring can the meaning and truth within the play’s key theme of betrayal be expressed. Shakespeare creates the character of Edmund to be the perfect villain. Not only does he â€Å"fight dirty† to gain power, he does it through manipulation and a complete lack of a conscience throughout a majority of the play. Because he is the illegitimate child he plans to, â€Å"if not by birth, have lands by wit.† The conflict between him and Gloucester is simply an inevitable effect caused by Edmund’s unyielding desire to gain more than his bastard status affords. He basically rips the Earl title away, along with his father’s eyes because of his unstoppable ambition. It is precisely this power-hungry vigor that Edmund maintains throughout the play that stirs the conflict with his father, enhancing the main plot of the betrayal of Lear by his duplicitous daughters. Edmund becomes increasingly consumed with the idea of gaining power and losing the bastard status that has been tagged to him since birth.

The Clown Doll: An Urban Legend Essay -- Urban Legends

The Clown Doll: An Urban Legend When my friends and I were younger, we loved to tell each other scary stories late at night at sleepovers. This memory resurfaced this past February as three friends and I exchanged tales late one night while on a trip in New Jersey. All of the stories were entertaining, but this purportedly â€Å"true† urban legend remained in my mind long after the other accounts. â€Å"The Clown Doll† was told by a twenty-year old, Christian female University biology major. She was born and raised in Pittsburg, PA, which is where she heard the story and where the story itself is set. As soon as she had all of our complete attention, she began the legend as follows: Well, back in high school, one of my best friends told me this story. It’s true because it happened to one of her close friends that went to a different high school in my hometown. This actually happened. This girl always babysat for this certain family in a nice, medium sized suburban neighborhood. The family had two kids; the little girl was six and the boy was eight. They lived in a nice, two story house. But there was something weird about the family. They loved dolls. They had a huge collection of dolls. Kind of weird, but you know. And so they had dolls displayed in cases and dolls sitting out. One night, the parents go out to a dinner party, and this girl comes to baby-sit the children. She takes care of the kids, feeds them dinner, plays with them, and then puts them to bed upstairs. After that, she comes back downstairs and sits on the couch in the living room to start watching TV. But the whole doll thing is really creeping her out. She just doesn’t like the way they are sitting there and seem to be looking at her. But th... ...y proposition. People want to be able to feel safe in the comfort of their own homes, and be able to protect their own families. Tellers of the Clown Doll tale seeks to instill chills in their audiences by interrupting this idealized vision of security. Another fear that is made evident in this story is the apprehension and dread that accompanies thoughts of the taboo. The Clown Doll manifests our society’s fear of things or people that are different, such as little people or the mentally or physically handicapped. Those with mental illness are unknown, taboo, and frightening to our society. There are many examples of mentally ill people being the center of movies about serial killers or stories in which we â€Å"normal† people cannot control the actions of those with mental illnesses. People afflicted with these diseases are normally kept away from everyday society

Susan Sontag :: essays research papers

Susan Sontag, in "Against Interpretation," takes a very interesting critical standpoint on the idea of literary interpretation. Unlike most literary critics, Sontag believes that literary criticism is growing increasingly destructive towards the very works of art that they, supposedly, so greatly "appreciate" and "respect." Her standpoint could not be more accurate. Reading her work generates numerous questions, the most important of which is quite possibly, "How are we to take her final statement, ‘In place of a hermeneutics we need an erotics of art.’" In the light of her previous statements, made throughout the work, one could only see this particular statement as an attempt to reach through the fog that blinds the majority of modern critics. According to Sontag, no work of art, especially literature, can escape the surgical eye of the modern critic; therefore, what is to stop her own work from coming under this blade of critic ism? Sontag’s preparation for this criticism shows in the inclusion of her final statement. She has, in effect, laid a trap for the modern critic (who just happens to be you, me, and practically every other reader) with her final statement as the bait. Once the critic picks apart that last sentence, he will see, with greater clarity, the veracity of her work. Throughout this work, Sontag makes many statements that invite interpretation. Critics may analyze her repeated references to Greek literature or possibly her use of sexual imagery, but none could ignore the simplicity, brevity, and word choice that characterize the concluding sentence. The brevity of the final section is what catches the critical eye and the lurid choice of words is what pulls the critic in. The first question that the interpreter finds him/herself asking is, "Why ‘hermeneutics’ and why ‘erotics’? There must be some significance to these terms." Analysis of these terms reveals the two extremes which Sontag has been comparing throughout her piece; "hermeneutics" being an ideal term to describe the type of over-intellectualization that takes place with modern interpreters, and "erotics" being ideal for describing to just what extreme Sontag thinks art should be experienced. When the critics finally "excavates" this statement and, "...digs ‘behind’ the text, to find a sub-text, which is the true one," he finds, low, and behold, the reinforcement of the very statement that Sontag has been inculcating throughout this piece. It does not take long for the critic to re alize that he/she has been duped.

Sexual identity and gender stereotyping

Culture is a body of common beliefs, traditions, values and principles which are shared by members of a particular group. A culture helps to determine the behaviors, attitudes and expectations of its people. Every society or community has some traditions, beliefs and customs regarding either gender. Most of this expectations are based on the sexual identity of one being either male or female which emanate from their different roles in human reproduction and variations in their physical characteristics. Cultural views on sexual identity comprises of beliefs, expectations and constraints of what men or women are supposed to do or not to do. Sexual identity refers to the level or degree to which we identify ourselves as male or female depending on various social, cultural and biological aspects . Our culture has various ways of distinguishing between the two major sexual identities. As a result, the expectations and constraints imposed on a woman are different from those imposed on the males. The fact that women give birth and lactate exposes them to certain constraints in their motherly roles in the society. For instance, our culture tends to view females as receptive and the males as intrusive in their respective sexual behaviors. Though such constraints are presumed to be less pervasive in the society today due to the fact that our culture is evolving into a modern social structure away from the hunter-gatherer kind of socio-economic life it used to be, the distinction between the two sexes still remains quite pervasive in terms of behavior, roles and interests . Many sociologists have traced the origin of such differences to the different cultural norms put forward by our culture to the society. Since birth, boys and girls become accustomed to different cultural standards either consciously or unconsciously which reflect their respective roles later in life. For instance, girls tend to take up the role of mothers and caretakers in the family while boys are taught to be the heads of the family as the bread-winners and protectors. The differentiation between male and female behaviors is a matter which is deeper than the concept of contextual relativism in the culture. Apart from behaviors, roles and expectations based on sexual identity, our culture has led to the evolution of some gender stereotypes which are associated with a particular sex whether male or female . The spread of such classical stereotypes in the media particularly dominates the society today. Both print and electronic media clearly indicate the different cultural standards of men and women in the society together with their varying capabilities based on their sexual identities. Until recently, the media has depicted the female gender as a weaker sex in terms of the roles, professions and the society expectations as compared to the male gender. However, the continued calls for gender equality has led to certain media portraits which show that women are as capable as their male counterparts thus removing the long held constraints and stereotypes imposed by our culture on women which tend to undermine their professional capabilities. Houston stresses on four major gender stereotypes. She puts them across as; men are afraid of commitments, men are bound to say or do anything in order to prevent their partners from discovering that they are cheating on them, women concentrate too much on what men say or do and finally, a woman can use any available strategy to keep a man. Such gender stereotypes she adds, are the source of certain phrases like ‘just like women', ‘men are dogs' and so forth which tend to associate men and women with certain behaviors and not others. As a young woman, all these cultural views have shaped my behavior and my self-understanding as such in various ways. For a young person to understand his or her sexual identity, it is vital to solve the tension caused by numerous cultural values between ‘who i am' and ‘what how the society views or expects of me'. As a woman, the culture expects me to be submissive and to behave as so especially when dealing with the male gender. Moreover, our culture expects women not to show their interest towards men as they are said to be the ‘hunters' and women the ‘hunted ‘. Such cultural values expect women to suppress their feelings and behave in a particular manner in matters concerning their sexual orientation and identity in the society. All these cultural views have shaped my personal behavior as a woman and my view on the whole concept of sexual identity. Due to the numerous gender stereotypes, behaviors, expectations and constraints imposed on the different sexes, there arises some tension between religious and societal values. Our culture which views women as second to men has consequently put some cultural restrictions which burr women from top positions in the religious matters and other societal issues. However, some cultural values tend to be in consistency with religious value in that in both cases, women especially those who are married are expected to act in a submissive way when dealing with their husbands. It can thus be said that, the environment and the cultural background in which one is brought up largely influences his or her future relationships with the opposite sex and other people in the society. Many gender stereotypes have adverse effects on future relationships especially for the young people who wish to establish stable and strong foundations for their future family lives. For instance, the stereotype that all men promoted by our culture are polygamous or unfaithful can have detrimental the women's ability to trust men hence the increased number of divorces in the modern society . From a theological point of view, marriage is seen as a vocation, covenant, sacrament, communion and a lasting partnership . However, this views are exposed to various interpretations especially in the cultural context of the modern society.

A. Grocery Store/Courthouses

The courthouse is found on the grocery store’s premises itself. While there are court hearings, the pungent smell of cheese and other strong-smelling meat which Starky is able to identify with his nose, and not with being able to read labels. The overpowering smell plus the proximity of where food is stored to where justice is supposed to be upheld suggests that there is not much respect given to justice in the place. B. The de Spains’ mansion Compared to the other buildings, the deSpains’ mansion becomes more opulent. It has a gate that protects it from the outside world and even a covered walkway.Before reaching the big house, one must pass through a wide driveway. The mansion is representative of the luxurious life of the Southern landowners. C. The Snopes cabin A two-bedroom house may seem more than enough for a sharecropper family such as the Snopes, but the house becomes cramped when there are seven people sharing it. The Snopes have to be used to sharing; they do work for other people’s lands, contributing their effort to plant on ground that will never be theirs. The cabin represents the poverty of sharecroppers in a world where landowners reign. D.Barns – The barns symbolize the properties of landowners that ultimately separate them by status and wealth from other classes of people. Since the barns are symbols of separation, Abner Snopes feels like he is making everyone equal by removing one of the major sources of the landowners’ wealth. 2. Some of Snopes’ possessions are listed as â€Å"the battered stove, the broken beds and chairs, the clock inlaid with mother-of-pearl, which would not run, stopped at some fourteen minutes past two o'clock of a dead and forgotten day and time, which had been his mother's dowry†.They symbolize neglect, just as the lower classes are being neglected by those who have more power and more wealth. Meanwhile, the ribbons that Starky’s sisters wear symbolize th e small luxury that the poor sharecroppers indulge in. These may seem pretty for them as they use the ribbons to adorn their hair, but they are to be labeled as â€Å"tacky† by the rich landowners. 3. The passages that describe the houses of the de Spains and the Snopes show the extreme difference between the two social classes.Moreover, the incident with the rug emphasizes the difference in wealth, as the rug which de Spain claim to be worth a hundred dollars is considered to be several times more costly than the ten bushels of corn that Snopes can produce. The corn is already of great importance and worth to the Snopes family, a family who only cares about the food that they will eat and not about any expensive, luxurious rug. 4. Before the events of the story, Abner Snopes has already been guilty of letting his hog loose on Mr. Harris’ property.Even with Harris trying to negotiate by providing him materials that can be used to build a fence to hold the hog, Snopes i s still uncooperative. He goes unpunished because there is not enough evidence but is ordered to leave town. Although he is guilty of barn burning during the time interval of the story, there is enough evidence to show that he has done the deed several times before: â€Å"that niggard blaze was the living fruit of nights passed during those four years in the woods hiding from all men, blue or gray, with his strings of horses (captured horses, he called them)†.Such a persistent type of behavior shows the disrespect Snopes has for Southern landowners. For him, it is mere property that has made these landowners important, and without the property they are just ordinary men like him. His is not an ordinary envy but a festering hatred that pushes him to perform such extreme actions. 5. An explicit passage that references the idea of `Owning people` is when Abner Snopes declares that: â€Å"I reckon I'll have a word with the man that aims to begin to-morrow owning me body and soul for the next eight months.† There are other more subtle references to owning other people in the text, like â€Å"Pretty and white, ain't it? That's sweat. Nigger sweat. Maybe it ain't white enough yet to suit him. Maybe he wants to mix some white sweat with it. † This line of dialogue suggests that Abner Snopes believes that the black servant is considered by the de Spains as mere property as his sweat is considered to be an ingredient that has helped build the white, pretty mansion. His work is given value but he is still nothing compared to his masters. 6.The story implies that though the United States has already been dubbed as the land of opportunity and justice at that time, there is still an inequality in terms of how justice and opportunity are distributed among the different social classes. The Snopes are mere sharecroppers. They contribute the sweat that feeds the ground but even with daily toil, they are not able to improve their circumstances. The wealthy, meanwhile, has all the opportunity in the world to become wealthier as they sit back and wait for the next harvest. Justice also smiles on people like the de Spains because they are respected by the community.