Channels of Distribution: McDonald’s Essay

Introduction. The core of this presentation is to discuss the theory of distribution strategy with the underlying real life examples of McDonald’s fast-food restaurants. The aim is to discuss McDonald’s distribution channel and the way in which this fast-food restaurant chain gets its products to the market. In the theory of the Marketing Mix, place (distribution) determines where the product will be sold and how it will get there. In fact, as noted on www.mcdonalds.com, McDonald’s is the leading global foodservice retailer, with more than 30,000 local restaurants serving nearly 46 million people each day in 121 different countries. Approximately 80 percent of all McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent franchisers. Furthermore, at the essence of place decisions, Kotler (et al., 2001, p. 513) claims that, â€Å"retailers, particularly fast foods chains, often state their seven P’s of marketing to be, that is location, location, location, location, location, location and location.† Hence, a retailer’s location is the key to attracting customers. The costs of the building or leasing facilities are a major factor on the retailer’s profits. Thus, site location decisions are among the most important the retailer make† (Kotler, et al., 2001, p. 513). Intensive Distribution. Distribution arrangements tend to be long term in nature. Because of this time horizon, channel decisions are usually classed as strategic, rather than tactical or operational ones. Many of McDonalds restaurants are open 24 hours per day which satisfies the customers needs and wants, especially for exists their hunger. This kind of distribution strategy is called â€Å"intensive distribution†, means marking the product available for sale through all possible channels of distribution. As defined by Kotler (et al., 2001, p. 487), â€Å"intensive distribution is stocking the product in as many outlets as possible.† In addition, this strategy must be designed to reach the consumer wants at anytime and anywhere. Vertical Marketing Network (VMN). A franchise organization, to quote Kotler (et al., 2001, p. 482), is â€Å"a contractual vertical marketing network in which a channel member called a franchiser links several stages in production-distribution process†. McDonald’s has adopted the service-firm-sponsored retailer franchise network, in which a service firm licenses a network of retailers to bring its service to consumers (Kotler, et al., 2001, p. 482). Nevertheless, McDonald’s caters to a large consumer market with varying tastes and thus cannot afford to introduce products without familiarizing itself with provincial preferences in food. For this reason, McDonald’s distributes its products in foreign and domestic locations with the help of franchisers who are well aware of what works in their country. Moreover, these franchisers also provide insight to the company on its diverse customers, and helps McDonald’s achieve its vision of â€Å"being the world’s best quick service restaurant experience.† In brief, this is an extremely intelligent distribution method since it helps in providing people with the kind of products they desire, maintaining the franchise reputation worldwide. To encourage repeat customer visits, McDonald’s is intensifying the efforts to ensure the restaurant interiors and exteriors are clean and welcoming. Moreover, McDonald’s intends to regain the status as the gold standard for clean restaurants. Furthermore, McDonald’s is giving the business a fresh edge in many places by rebuilding, renovating and re-imaging the restaurants. The McDonalds experience abroad demonstrates that doing such can result in improved sales and profitability as stated on www.mcdonalds.com. McDonald’s ensures consistent products by controlling every stage of the distribution. In addition, regional distribution centers purchase products and distribute them to individual restaurants. On the other hand, when designing its channels, a company needs to consider competitors’ channels. Yet, it may want to compete in or close to the same outlets that carry competitors’ products (Kotler, et al., 2001, p. 486). Thus, food companies want their brands to be displayed next to competing brands. Meanwhile, McDonald’s adopted this setting channel objective as a view and therefore wants to be located near its competition. On the other hand, McDonald’s uses essentially the same competitive strategy in every  country, the company wants to be the first in the market and establish the brand as rapidly as possible by advertising very heavily. This effective distribution strategy (place) has helped McDonald’s develop a strong market share in the fast-food market around the world. Moreover, according to Kotler (et al., 2001, p. 513) stores must have a planned atmosphere that suits the target market and moves customers to buy. In addition, McDonald’s has pre-determined the locations for many of its stores to help reach a variety and diverse popul ation. Conclusion. In conclusion, McDonald’s has an intensive distribution process which is a credit to their Marketing department. As businesses and other organizations move forward, the challenge of making their products and services readily available to customers around the world will become much more difficult and complex. Marketers responsible for developing and managing the marketing channels needed to meet these customer demands in the global market will need all the help they can get. McDonald’s has implemented a successful distribution strategy in which other companies should follow. Adopting a marketing strategy that openly focuses on distribution (place) on location of stores, has helped make McDonald’s the successful business it has become is a definite success story. References: Kotler, P., Brown, K., Adam, S., Armstrong, G., 2001. Marketing, 5th Edition, The McGraw-Hill Companies, New York. http://www.mcdonalds.com/

Influence of Music Essay

Music and radio has roots in American culture and the way society is today. The different types of music genres have shaped American culture and social behavior of Americans. Audio media has had a major affect and influence on the attitudes of Americans and especially today’s youth and young adults. Music and radio has given American culture its values, the way that jazz, blues, and R&B created rock & roll, music created American culture. Music appeals to young adults, and youth as an escape to the hard times of real life. Drawn by the explicit lyrics and beats, the youth always searches out for music to dance to and music to connect with. American culture has been steadily changing due to music and what is known as pop culture. The need to be accepted in a certain social group has a lot to do with music. Music brought a cultural shift in the race segregation, black artists playing music with white artists and for mixed audiences. American culture before the 50’s was a strict segregation culture and music allowed for the barrier to be broken. Artists using sexual innuendoes and other antics changed what was the norm of morals and values and put a more â€Å"lax† outlook on such things. Music has influenced the openness of sexuality and sexual orientation. More and more artists are open about their sexuality, making it more of a normal thing in American Culture. Being gay used to be shunned, and now it is openly celebrated. All of these things are because of music. The radio started playing what was known as â€Å"race† music on white stations and this made it so a lot of different Americans can hear and be exposed to a broad range of music. Becoming more acceptable rock and roll, punk, and hip hop have had an impact on the teens and young adults of American culture. The 80’s brought the rebelliousness out of teens with punk rock music, while the 90’s hip-hop has had a big effect on fashion and attitudes of people. Music has shaped American culture in many ways, a way of expressing one’s opinions and bringing groups of people together with similar ideals and opinions. A way of bringing what was different cultures together and making one culture, The American Culture. Rock and Roll is a genre of music that has forever changed the social behavior of Americans. Rock and roll has influenced American culture in the daily life, fashion and attitudes of most Americans. Rock and Roll broke the race barricade, forming in a time of a civil rights movement. Rock and roll was a new form of music that encouraged desegregation. Evolving black artists and white artists playing black music, rock and roll changed the way American culture accepts what was once taboo. Rock and roll put a perception of sex, drugs, and alcohol to be accepted and what is considered â€Å"cool†. Artists singing about doing drugs, or hooking up with random woman made it something to be idolized. Rock and roll influenced young adults to engage in risky behavior. Now is American culture, these things are almost considered normal. Rock and roll shaped fashion and is continuously changing fashion. Fans copy styles of their favorite artists as a way to express one’s self. From ripped up, tight, or baggy pants, long hair, colored hair, or shaved heads, the fashion is always changing. Some fashions coming back and making another appearance in American culture, a lot of fashion comes from Rock and roll. Piercings and tattoos once forbidden, is becoming more and more acceptable in American culture. It is not strange to see business people and stay at home moms with tattoos. Rock and roll has influenced this change in American culture and tattoos are â€Å"normal†. Rock and roll artists have changed the way sexuality and sexual orientation is looked at. Rock and roll has made it okay to be gay and okay to dress how someone wants. Rock and roll has given the care-free attitude to young adults. American culture has changed into a â€Å"screw society, morals and values† type of attitude, based on what rock and roll has made society. Rock and roll has given a sense of community to certain groups of people who share ideals and values, and brings them together into a certain setting. Rock and roll has had a major effect on social behavior of Americans and American culture. Music does affect social behavior and attitudes of Americans. Music gives people an outlet to express their opinions. Audio media has links to American cultures in every decade, changing and molding American into what it is today. Since the 1700’s even, people have sought out music as a way to connect to others. Audio media is an ever changing thing, which will always reflect on the social behavior and attitudes of Americans.

Concepts of orientalism and self- orientalism are no longer relevant Essay

Concepts of orientalism and self- orientalism are no longer relevant to discussions of media produced by non-western organisations in the Global South. Discuss - Essay Example he West concerning the East (or the Global South which is another term referring to all other countries apart from the elite west) created a form of cultural hegemony and domination. These western discourses often present cultural and ideological justification for colonization of the â€Å"Third World† countries and European imperialism. This paper presents a comprehensive examination of Orientalism, including its’ complex and multifaceted creature capable of evolving into other forms such as self-Orientalism, especially in media texts (Freire, 2000:145). The paper also presents several reasons why the self-Orientalism and Orientalism are not important anymore in the discussion of media from Global South by non-western organizations. Critics of the West argue that the region, through a Eurocentric viewpoint, has positioned itself at the centre of the world, exploiting other communities and countries through imposing cultural transformation and change either through Orientalist discourses parallel to imperialist objectives or colonialist movements. The West further fictionalizes the image of the â€Å"orient† in scientific terms by using social sciences such as philology, anthropology, and history, as well as launching propaganda that encompass cinema, painting, literature, and other art fields in effort to actualize this fiction. The orient image created first by scientific terms then socially, thus become engraved in the memory of both the Easterners and the Westerners (Rivero, 2006). These internalized Orientalist discourses and viewpoints cause Westerners to perceive and see Easterners from the image created in their memory. On the other hand, Easterners express and represent themselves from the percep tions of the West and fictionalized image of the West. Therefore, the East tries to shape and conceptualize itself into the â€Å"orient image† fictionalized by the West to gain acceptance, subsequently reproducing Orientalist discourse by reproducing and

Great engineering acheivement ( airplanes ) Essay

Great engineering acheivement ( airplanes ) - Essay Example This paper aims at examining the timeline of the development of the airplane, the contribution of various engineers to this achievement and how airplanes have improved lives. In addition, this paper will examine some of the possible future developments on airplanes. The history of the development of the airplane dates back to the late nineteenth century when a German engineer named Otto Lilienthal started to experiment with gliders (National Academy of Engineering, 2014). During the same period, Octave Chanute, an American engineer also experimented with multiple gliders. Through these early experiments, Lilienthal and Chanute demonstrated that it was possible to have a controlled device in floating in air. In 1901, a gasoline-powered version of the tandem-winged aerodrome was built by Samuel Langley. In 1903, the Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright made the first powered and piloted flight in North Carolina. On this day, Wilbur flew for 852 over the ground in about 59 seconds. Ludwig Prandtl, a German professor, presented a paper in 1904 that described the concept of the ‘boundary layer’ (National Academy of Engineering, 2014). This is the molecular layer of air that is found on an aircraft’s wing. This paper was an important contribution in the study of aerodynamics. Eugene Ely piloted a Curtiss biplane on a takeoff from a ship in 1910. The following year, he was able to take off from shore and landed on a ship in California. These early planes required the assistance of the pilot to make them stable and travel in a straight line. The concept of the gyrostabilizer was introduced in 1914 by Lawrence Sperry. The gyrostabilizer was used to stabilize the plane and make it fly in a straight line without the assistance of a pilot. In 1916, Sperry, with the help of his father Elmer, demonstrated the first automatic pilot. Starting 1914 to 1918, many improvements in the structure and control of the airplane were

Mitosis Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mitosis - Lab Report Example The prepared and preserved slides were observed under the microscope. The different stages of the mitosis such as interphase, prophase, meta phase, anaphase and telophase of the cell along with the cytokinesis were identified and the stages were differentiated. Introduction: All the living things are made of cells. In a multi-cellular organism, two types of cell division occur: they are mitosis and meiosis. Mitosis or Somatic cell division is the process in which one cell divides into two equal cells with genetic identity. The cell division is necessary for the growth and development of the cells. The transformation of information from one generation to another is called heredity and the genes which are the fundamental part of the chromosome are responsible for the transformation. The chromosomes are present in pairs. Each pair is responsible for a specific part or function in the cell. These chromosomes are distributed equally in new cells during mitosis. Mitosis is thus described a s the chromosomal division. This chromosomal division is accompanied by the cytoplasmic division called as cytokinesis. The mitosis along with cytokinesis results in the formation of two daughter cells. This is also called as cell cycle. Cell cycle is the period in which the cell divides and becomes two daughter cells. ... There are four stages in mitosis. They are prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. (Allen and Harper 2011). Prophase is the first stage of mitosis which is visible. The chromosomes, which are randomly distributed in the cytoplasm condense to form the distinct part. They are held in a single line. Metaphase is the stage in which the chromosome is attached to the centromere through the spindle fibril. The centromeres are connected to the centrioles and the centrioles pulls the chromatids to the opposite directions. This step initiates the cell division. Anaphase is the stage where the chromosomes move to the position of centriole. The chromosomes are seen as complete sets in the opposite side of the cell. Telophase is the last stage of mitosis in which the chromosomes begins to loosen itself from the thicker rigid structure into thin filaments. The division of the cytoplasm starts at this particular point. Materials required: Prepared slide of Allium root tip Prepared slide of whi te fish blastula. Microscope. Method: 1. The prepared slide of allium (onion) root tip was mounted on the microscope. 2. The 4x objective lenswas used to focus the centre of the slide. 3. The cells undergoing the four stages of mitosis such as prophase, metaphase , anaphase and telophase were identified in the slide using the 10x magnification. 4. Using the 40x magnification in the microscope, the distinct chromosomes and the other cell structures were identified. 5. Similarly, the whitefish blastula slide was mounted on the microscope and the blastula sections were observed using the 4x magnification. 6. Then 40 x magnification was chosen to examine the chromosomes. The cells in each phase of mitosis were identified. Result: For the Onion Root tip: 1. In the interphase stage, nucleus,

Academic Pressures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Academic Pressures - Essay Example Stress could begin at very early childhood years and continues into later years depending upon the life’s situations. Psychologists as well as academic professionals have identified that many students undergo immense stress even during schooling, which intensifies as the challenges increase with academic advancement. More often, teenagers and/or adolescents in high school and early college years are most prone to academic pressures because of the rapid shift in their curricula, studying atmosphere, competition as well as biological changes in the growth process. Academic pressures begin with stress caused by parental expectations, peer pressure, competition, strict timelines, difficult curricula etc. These factors are meant to induce learning, inculcate discipline and help students achieve their academic curricula within set timelines. On the other hand, all these or each of these stressors significantly impact students’ memory and thinking ability. As Hales stated, â⠂¬Ëœbecause of stress’s impact on memory, students with advanced skills may perform worse under exam pressure than their less skilled peers’ (63). In general, academic pressures tend to crush the inherent abilities of teenage students.

Consideration Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Consideration - Case Study Example The discussion of this case study aims to provide the course of action for Nigella in regard to the legal position of this case. This case study presents the contractual matter between the Nigella and Ramsay. There was a valid agreement between the two parties, and consideration for Nigella to Ramsay was the teaching services she promised to offer to him. On the other hand, Ramsay’s promise to pay for the services constituted consideration of Ramsay to Nigella. When parties are in agreement they all have to discharge the obligations they owe each other until the end of the agreement. This implies that Ramsay was entitled to receive services from Nigella until the end of the agreement. However, this appears to carry periodic payments and the imposition of new prices by Nigella to Ramsay resulted to new conditions and that was tantamount to forming a fresh agreement. This implies that Ramsay was bound by the agreement since he agreed to pay even though he would refuse to pay if the examination was near. It is immaterial for Ramsay to decline to pay the additional charges for the services already offered. In Central London Property Trust v High Trees House [1947] KB 130 High Court, the High Trees had rented property from Central London Property (CLP) at a cost of  £2,500 in 1937. However, during the world war the landlord was unable to let out all the houses and decided to reduce their value in order to attract new occupants. This compelled the defendant to lower the price of the houses by half in 1940 because there was no sign that the situation prevailing at that time was going to improve in the foreseeable future. By the start of 1941, the claimant started paying the reduced rental charges. However, when the war came to a halt the demand for houses increased hence the landlord reverted to the original rental charges. The case was presented to court, and

Against campital punishment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Against campital punishment - Research Paper Example The death penalty is a matter of dynamic discussion in different nations and states, and positions can shift inside a solitary political belief system or social district. Rivals of the death penalty contend that not all individuals influenced by homicide covet a capital punishment, that execution victimizes minorities and poor people, and that it supports a "society of brutality" and that it abuses human rights. Capital punishment is substantially more extravagant than existence without the chance for further appeal because the Constitution obliges a long and complex legal procedure for capital cases. This methodology requires to keep in mind the end goal to guarantee that guiltless men and lady are not executed for law violations they did not confer, and even with these assurances, the danger of executing a blameless individual cannot be totally killed (Shepherd, 283-300). In the event that capital punishment was supplanted with a sentence of life without the possibility of Parole, which costs millions less furthermore guarantees that general society is secured while taking out the danger of an irreversible slip-up, the cash spared could be used on projects that really enhance the groups in which we live. The a great many dollars in investment funds could be used in education, streets, cops and open security programs, after-school projects, medication and liquor treatment, youngster misuse aversion programs, mental wellbeing administrations, and administrations for wrongdoing exploited people and their families (Shepherd 301-321). The vast majority who support capital punishment trust it is more practical than life in jail. Maybe at one time, when executions were quick and beyond any doubt, this may have been the situation. Ellsworth and Samuel (19-22) specified that the vast majority proficient about the subject would concur that the deferral now incorporated with the framework, more

Harrignton Collection Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Harrignton Collection Case - Essay Example At what price should they introduce the new line? They could introduce the new active wear at the proposed prices or introduce it at a price twenty percent above their proposed price. The criteria they developed in coming up with the price were high margins of profit, market share potential, sales potential, brand perception, and customer satisfaction (Blais1). The first alternative was selling the Vigor active line at the proposed prices (Blais 1). Given that women’s active wear units were expected to, increase by double by the year 2009 and Harrington intended to take advantage by introducing the active wear to stores that carried their vigour line. Majority of the customers who purchased items with price points between one and two hundred dollars, did not believe that cheaper active wear would lead to cheap brand perception. Alternative two involved raising the proposed price by twenty percent (Blais 2). Given it is a moderately expensive clothing brand; customers would be less sensitive to a hike in price compared to those who were shopping on a budget. Therefore, Vigor will be able to maintain the majority of its market share. Harrington’s decided to sell at 20% above proposed price and target trend setters aged between 20 and 25, as well as women seeking comfortable and edgy design. To develop their product, they introduced their new product into an already existing market. Harrington also pursued a product differentiation strategy, which entailed a push-and-pull strategy for promotion. They also used an indirect channel strategy by selling their new wear at all their fifty Vigor store

Literature Review Train Travel Essay Example for Free

Literature Review Train Travel Essay In order to conduct a thorough review of train travel it is important to first place my own work within the wider context of the existing knowledge in relation to this topic. By looking at studies which have already been conducted it is possible to observe questions which remain unanswered in this field and to look critically at existing literature in order to give my personal study a greater sense of purpose and to ensure that it makes significant contribution to the field. Social Construct of Train Travel A particular area of study relating to train travel which seems interesting to me is that which is pointed out by Watts (2008). In her paper she examines the social, imaginary and material work involved in making a journey by rail. Following ethnographic research consisting of quotations and photographs the author argues that rail passengers are spatially distributed when they make a journey by train. In her analysis she points out that a great deal of research has been conducted into the way in which time and space are constructed in society, however few researchers have conducted a specific analysis of the items and people involved in this creation. As a result this is an area I am keen to investigate as the way in which time and space is created is an area which invites more specific investigation and simultaneously this topic in relation to train travel has had little academic attention. Therefore by investigating this topic I feel I would be able to fill a gap in existing research. A further article which builds on this notion of the social construct of travelling by rail is that of Bissell (2008). In his study he looks at â€Å"some of the fluid relationships between everyday visuality, materiality and mobility through practices of contemporary railway travel in Britain† (1) The article looks primarily at the visual issues in train travel including the interior of the carriage and the landscape viewed through the window in relation to how these affect the perceptions of time, space and location throughout the journey. Such a take on train travel is something which I am very interested in and by using the conclusions made in this paper I would be able to add to the cannon of debate on this topic to contrast the findings of this study with those from an American perspective, to broaden this debate into a multi cultural arena where it may be the case that a vastly different social construct is created through train travel. This notion is extremely interesting to me and is one which, as it is yet to be developed from a transnational context, would therefore allow me to add to the academic body of knowledge on this topic. Train Travel for Business Along with the social construct of train travel another area which much literature has been conducted into is train travel in relation to alleviating problems for businesses. As train travel is often undertaken by business professionals who may need to get from two areas which are relatively far apart and are both subject to high levels of street congestion the degree to which train travel is an effective way for businesses to get to different locations for meetings or negotiations I feel therefore is an important one. One paper which has done this in relation to the relative effectiveness of train travel versus air or road travel for businesses is that of Bhat (1995). In his paper Bhat deploys an extremely qualitative and thorough evaluation of what he terms the ‘independence of irrelevant alternatives’ (IIA) in order for him to be able to come to the conclusion that different approaches to this topic elicited a different set of results. As this paper had a heavy weighting on the effectiveness of specific models in investigating this topic I feel that one way in which it can be improved is to select an approach or a model from the outset, and then stick with this throughout in order for the conclusion to be more orientated around the travel mode as opposed to the model itself. Nonetheless this paper does point out to me that the heteroscedastic model is superior to both the multinomial logit and nested logic models in the quality of results it is able to generate and therefore it will be worth me bearing this in mind when I come to conduct my own research. Another paper on a similar topic to this explores the relationship between the timing of your journey and the choice of which transportation mode you take. Conducted by Nurul Habib et al. (2009) this paper conducts a correlational analysis of these two decisions and comes to the conclusion that unobserved factors contributed to both the decision of which time to undertake your journey and which transport mode to take. Something I found particularly helpful about this paper was that it pointed out the tendency for congested peak travel periods to expand which is a phenomenon known as ‘peak spreading’. As this paper provides empirical evidence for this notion is therefore justifies further investigation owing to the importance of travel between cities in today’s society. Similarly, as this paper utilises a multinomial logit model, a discrete-continuous econometric model and a continuous time hazard model the issues relating to the effectiveness of these models has been highlighted to me as an area I will need to conduct a further amount of research in to in order to ensure that the method I ultimately select is effective in generating reliable results. Along with this issue of which model to apply to my research a study by Kroes and Sheldon (1988) point out another issue I should be aware of when conducting research into train travel. In their article they conduct a review of the stated preference method in the transport sector by another of other academics and assess the value of using this method in comparison to other similar methods to assessing why people have selected the particular mode of transport. As this article covers a range of other train transport related studies it therefore is useful in assessing the literature in this field as a whole as it has a rather broad scope. By looking at the individual studies and the successful and unsuccessful elements of them I am therefore able to select a method which suits my particular study most aptly and as a result conduct a thorough and exhaustive investigation into my chosen area of train travel. Travel Time Key names in the field of rail travel include Laura Watts and David Bissell. Something which they have both written about is the notion of travel time in relation to passenger experience. In a study by Watts and Urry (2008) the authors attempt to provide evidence to dispel the myth that time spent travelling is wasted and dead. In order to encourage funding into travel projects the authors propose that rather that attempting to minimise travel time, by linking the notion of travelling with activities and fantasies they therefore suggest that the perception that travel time is wasted is therefore incorrect. Through looking at activities such as engaging with other passengers, accessing wireless networks, views out the window and using items you have packed in your bag they therefore provide evidence which ultimately represent travel time as a useful being of time where practical and fantasy activities can be indulged, thus encouraging investment into travel projects and infrastructures. I find this research particularly useful as it has called for a revaluation of previously taken for granted attitudes towards travelling by train. By looking at the topic more broadly and dispelling common misconceptions the authors are able to create an article which both covers brand new ground and gives attention to an under investigated issue. The theoretical approach they establish therefore is something I wish to build upon in my own study as the issue is so recent it therefore is yet to have any support or criticism surrounding it. A further study by Bissell also investigates this topic however from a different perspective. Bissell (2010) looks at the notion of community and atmosphere within a train carriage. He notes something which I find interesting, that there is a certain atmosphere within a train carriage which has a powerful effect on the traveller in terms of a reticent passivity which contradicts a set of forces which work when travelling by train which prime an individual to act. As far as I am aware this societal approach to the atmosphere on a train carriage has only been conducted in relation to psychology and obedience before and therefore it is very interesting that Bissell has looked at it within the field of transport. Whilst I feel that this study is extremely relevant and is something a great number of people may be able to relate to some criticism I have is that the notion he is describing is extremely intangible and whilst he does provide extensive primary research as evidence the atmosphere is difficult to pin and down and evaluate scientifically. Another study on this topic is that of Ole (2009). This study looks at the idea of mobility in urban areas. The author describes the tendency for modern cities to be represented not just by their static venues but also by their transit spaces and argues that there should be a re configuration of the way in which identities of place are conceptualised and that transit spaces ought to become a location for meaningful interaction and pleasure. As with the Watt and Urry article this paper calls for a revaluation of the attitudes towards train travel and therefore provides a useful framework which forms a base upon which it would be possible to build upon and expand in my own study. Conclusion Throughout my literature study I have been able to identify the key theorists in the field of train travel and highlight some potent and relevant issues in this area of study. By looking critically at research which has already been conducted I am now able to ensure that my own study brings new ideas into academic discourse and that my investigation does not cover ground already subject to analysis. The gaps I have noted and other observations made throughout the body of my text therefore now place me in an ideal position to be able to come to a conclusion based on relevant research which will be will informed and critical in its scope. Works Cited Bissell, David. â€Å"Visualising everyday geographies: practices of vision through travel-time† Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 34 (2008) 42- 60 Bissell  David. â€Å"Passenger mobilities: affective atmospheres and the sociality of public transport.† Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 28 (2010) 270- 89 Bhat, Chandra. â€Å"A heteroscedastic extreme value model of intercity travel mode choice.† Transportation Research Part B: Methodological 29 (1995) 471- 83 Kroes, Eric P. and Sheldon, Robert J., â€Å"Stated Preference Methods: An Introduction.† Journal of Transport Economics and Policy 22 (1988), 11- 25 Nurul Habib, Khandker, Day, Nicholas, and Miller, Eric. â€Å"An investigation of commuting trip timing and mode choice in the Greater Toronto Area: Application of a joint discrete-continuous model.† Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice 43 (2009) 639- 53 Ole, Jensen B. â€Å"Flows of Meaning, Cultures of Movements Urban Mobility as Meaningful Everyday Life Practice.† Mobilities 4 (2009) 139-58 Watts, Laura. â€Å"The art and craft of train travel.† Social and Cultural Geography 9 (2008): 711- 26 Watts  Laura and Urry  John. â€Å"Moving methods, travelling times.† Environment and Planning

Feeding the World: A Challenge for the Twenty- First Century

Feeding the World: A Challenge for the Twenty- First Century Is human originality enough to produce adequate amount of food to provide for the 10 billion people that are expected to live on Earth by 2050 without causing excessive damage to the environment? Vaclav Smil attempts to answer this question in this book; Feeding the World: A Challenge for the Twenty- First Century Vaclav Smil is a ‘Distinguished Professor Emeritus’ at the University of Manitoba, a member of the Order of Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Additionally, in 2010, he was recorded amongst the top 100 global thinkers. Vaclav Smil is regarded by many as an incredibly productive and resourceful author whose publications span over a plethora of related fields. Smil’s publications predominately reign over the areas of agriculture, food processing and production and human population. As well as being known for his knowledge pertaining to China, Smil work in the areas of crops, the general biosphere and fertilizers is acknowledged by several experts in their respective fields. Moreover, Smil is widely regarded as an informative author whose work focuses on informing its readers through the use of technical data combined with comprehensive reasoning and his own opinions. There have been a significant number of evaluations pertaining to food production and its consumption in the face of today’s rapidly growing society. These evaluations tend to vary in their respective approaches depending on the field of study that their writers stem from. In this regard, biological and physical scientists normally attempt to base their arguments around the ‘carrying capacity’ system which is applied to yearly populations. These scientists can then tap into inquiries such as how many individuals can the Earth’s resources provide for. Economists, however, investigate the growth in the production of food over the course of several alongside recognizing policies and trends that have served as a basis for this growth and using this combined knowledge to make predictions of future food production. Vaclav Smil, being a geographer, utilizes the same concepts biological and physical scientists use in his book. Smil, through his book, presents a case in which he advocates for future food demands to be met through the increase of efficiency rather than the increase of supply through additional inputs. Increasing efficiency, he argues, can not only be done through the more effective and efficient use of crop inputs, such as water and fertilizer but also by reducing the post- harvest losses suffered globally. Moreover, he reasons that these methods of increasing efficiency in the near future should be led by a desire to reduce the environmental impact of high- input agriculture and in doing so, will reduce strains on the environment. Smil’s investigation allows him to arrive at a somewhat warily optimistic conclusion where he believes that a world population of ten billion as predicted by the UN to be the stabilizing human population can in fact be sufficiently fed without excessive damage to the biosphere through the means of a more efficient food system. This optimistic conclusion is predominately cemented by the concept of ‘economic slack’ existing in the present-day production structures and that the chance that this slack can be reduced is quite good. However, this reduction of ‘economic slack’ standpoint needs the challenging task of creating plant breeding and associated research capabilities in order to supply deliver original and effective equipment to deprived farmers Smil wrote this book not only to inform readers but also to counter some of the arguments made by other authors who have also written to express their views on the problem of feeding the world in the near future. Smil, as is made evident through the arguments he presents in his book, does not share catastrophist or techno- optimist views, the latter of which advocate technology as the key for solving the dilemma. Smil argues that in an effort to gain public fear of the current state of agriculture and of the global food stock, catastrophists tend to emphasize and exacerbate relatively short and temporary periods of decline or stasis in order to express their concerns but these concerns, as Smil explains are often misplaced and that ‘perfectly non-catastrophic explanations such as weather and changing policies for fertilizer subsidies, support prices or diets’ can serve to counter most arguments catastrophists present. Smil does agree with catastrophists in the sense that population needs to be stabilized but this stability, according to Smil will happen eventually and the world will in fact be able to feed the individuals at this stable point with negligible impacts on the environment. Smil does not make an effort to find a middle ground between the ‘catastrophes’ as he terms Lester Brown and Paul Ehrlich and ‘ebullient cornucopian’ as he calls Julian Simon like many expected but rather attempts a serious evaluation utilizing the best science applicable to the inquiries being dealt with. First Chapter – ‘Reasons for concern’ Looks at the growing population.Even though its slowing dramatically, the UN predicts the world populatin wll reach 9.9 billion by 2050 in the medium – variant scenario, an increase of 48% from 1999. ‘Dietary transitions’, Smil argues will add to food demands. This phenomenon is where rising incomes created by economic growth in poor countries produce dramatic changes in diet.There is a decrease in staple grain consumption and a substantial increase in meat and other animal products consumed, accompanied by a rise in total fat consumption. In other words, even with the slowing of population growth, in addition to the continuing demand for staple commodities, the increased demand for foods such as milk, eggs, meat, vegetables, and so on will require continued growth in output. Second Chapter Appraises the biophysical basis of agriculture and stresses the importance of microbial ecology of the soil. Smil acknowledges the use and importance of synthetic fertilizers by stating that only food for 2-3 billion people could have been produced without them, depending on the diets of the general populations. Alternative or organic agriculture on a wide scale basis could help?This might be a solution but can argue against their respective uses and whether they will really help or not. C4 crops which include corn are more photosynthetically efficient than C3 crops that include wheat and rice. This is a solution – should we plant more corn? Availability of land, water and nutrients will be adequate on a global basis. However, regional disparities/ scarcities will be made much worse by anthropogenic climate change. Can link to the point of climate change impact on agriculture difficult to access Third Chapter Focuses on the environmental impacts of agriculture. Soil erosion and its effects on yield. Loss of topsoil is often cited as having a major negative impact on food- growing capacity, but how robust is the evidence that degradation- induced productivity losses are rising? The problem may be real and urgent in many regions; for example in large parts of Africa the annual soil degradation equates to millions of metric tons of grains and tubers lost per year. But from a global perspective, the losses may not be significant. The view that emerges from Smil’s account is that the inputs and assumptions underlying calculations of global resources are in many cases debatable. The variations in estimates give comfort that the world as a whole probably has the resources to adapt to demand and produce sufficient food. ‘Fortunately there is nothing inevitable about excessive erosion’ (p. 78). Qualitative soil degradation and how best to maintain soil productivity. Solution Modern high yielding crop varieties are somewhat less sensitive to soil and climate conditions than the farmer- selected varieties- take advantage of this and plant more modern crop varieties. However, these modern crop varieties have not fully escaped the ‘Darwinian’ features associated with natural selection. This means that improved varieties suited to one region in India are not suited to another region. Environmental pollution from pesticides and fertilizer. Even though Smil hyped it up, it can lead to negatives when used in excess. Nitrate concentrations are quite high in the Rhine and other major rivers in Europe. Smil points this out but fails to mention that the heavy fertilizer applications in Europe are encouraged by the subsidies of the Common Agriculture Policy. This failure to mention this fact stems from his reluctance to thread upon political waters. It is difficult to predict the effect of global warming on agriculture due to its complexity and the dynamic nature of its impact.A solution – the yield loss due to heat and moisture stress maybe, at least, partly, offset by the enhancement of photosynthesis and higher water use efficiency. Usually, books on world food prospects are influenced not only by their sources of information but also by then innate optimism/ pessimism of the author, often most apparent in chapters on the environmental changes wrought by agriculture. However, from this chapter, Smil emerges not only as a stern judge but as a long term optimist. For example, ‘there is no shortage of preventive measures for dealing with nearly all of these concerns’ (p 66) Fourth Chapter Here, Smil expresses the core of his vision that agricultural output can be increased through improved efficiency without additional inputs, except for knowledge and genetic enhancement. His ideas are similar in many regards to those of precision agriculture. Smil states that the primary task for agricultural research is not ‘to make every plant transgenic, but rather to come up with more precise solutions for farming’ (pp. 138-39). Precision farming is information- intensive and involves optimizing the timing and amount of inputs. He focuses on the better use of fertilizer and water. Fertilizer can be used more efficiently with better timing and placement, recycling of crop residues and better crop rotation.It is estimated that around 15% of the potassium, 30% of the nitrogen and 40% of the phosphorous is replaced by fertilizers. However, there is a critical need to increase fertilizer use in sub- Saharan Africa. Soil fertilizer is declining there and crop yields falling because of insufficient use of fertilizer. African soil and rainfall make much of the continent subpar for growing food. Despite this, the price of fertilizer in Africa is often two to four times that of the world price. In other words, the region that probably needs fertilizer the most has to pay the most for it. This input problem cannot be fixed through Smil’s ideology, which is heavily against the increase of inputs to solve the dile mma of feeding the world. In order to lower the high prices of fertilizer which results in large because of poor infrastructure and trade networks that are not developed enough to create a low- cost and competitive market, one must invest in them. There are enormous opportunities to improve the efficiency of water use. Possibilities include growing more water- efficient crops and water conservation practises such as reduced tillage. Unlike energy, water once used, can be reused after its quality is restore by appropriate treatment. There is a need to increase water supplies especially in some arid areas, but water harvesting and the use of saline water should be used extensively. Water is generally wasted because it is underpriced. In India, payments for electricity for pump irrigation are by pump size at very low rates and there are many illegal hook-ups that make it free. On the other hand, in Israel, about 60% of irrigation was by drip systems by 1990, with very high rates of efficiency. Which is a major reason water use could drop 30% and crop yields per unit of water application doubled. Reasons against drip irrigation More, generally, what Smil is advocating is the substitution of increasingly plentiful capital and knowledge for increasingly scarce natural resources. Fifth Chapter Explores ways to improve animal efficiency of animal food production. Although consuming animal products is fundamentally inefficient compared to vegetarianism, in a fascinating examination of human evolution, Smil sees a case for 10- 20 kg of meat in the average annual diet of humans, a level which is far exceeded in affluent countries. Close to half of all cereal grains produced globally are now fed to animals. Smil calculates the feed efficiency of different animals per unit of edible product.The most efficient is milk, followed by herbivorous fish, eggs, and chicken, with beef being least efficient Eat and produce less beef? Aquaculture – advocates. Fish yields on continental shelves is, on average two orders of magnitude higher, and that of ponds is ten times higher still. However, narrow genetic basis is a challenge to aquaculture: the practise is dominated by a handful of freshwater herbivores and the contribution from marine species rests on even fewer carnivores. Smil believes that transgenic fishes may offer many advantages by growing faster and by tolerating cooler or warmer waters. For example salman with an anti- freeze protein gene from the winter flounder is already available which allows them to survive is very cold environments Sixth Chapter Opportunities to reduce post- harvest losses, which may be as high as 40% and more for some African crops. Smil notes how little attention has been given to post- harvest losses and that there is not a single national or international organization that focuses exclusively on the topic. Insect pests and plant pathogens, which account for huge losses in some conditions should be a target. China for example, suffers heavily from post- harvest losses resulting from improper storage of crops (roughly one- seventh of its cereal harvest every year), low efficiency of animal feeding Seventh Chapter Discusses human nutrition needs and how our understanding of them has evolved. Global average per capita energy requirements are about 2000-2100 calories daily, much less than the estimated supply of 2800. So malnutrition is the result of unequal assess Eighth Chapter Examines the dietary transition in detail and considers what the available evidence suggests would be an optimum diet. Smil agrees with others who have concluded that traditional Mediterranean diets, with lots of complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables and moderate amounts of meat, are the healthiest. Ninth Chapter Deals with the question of ‘Who will feed China’ asked by Lester Brown by saying that ‘the Chinese will’. Smil makes it clear that China clearly has the potential to feed its future population. ‘A combination of well-proven economic and technical fixes, environmental protection measures, and dietary adjustments can extract enough food from Chinas agroeconomic systems to provide decent nutrition during the next generation s without weakening the countrys environmental foundations.’ (p. 315) China provides an excellent country to examine in detail because of the constraints faced, the widespread opportunities for improved efficiencies and the implications for the rest of the world leading to the idea of if China can do it, so can the rest of the world Water shortage is becoming an increasing problem in Northern China and there are vast plans to move water from the South to the North. However, water in China is substrantially underpriced like in India and thus used wastefully. Smil has a wonderful example of water in Beijing costing only a fifth as much as in Winnipeg, which is his home and has plentiful water supplies. Smil also provides ample evidence that the amount of farmland in China has been substantially undercounted, and hence the yields are lower than what they could be and the room for yield improvement is considerably greater Smil appeals to the experience with the energy price increases in the 1970s to show that producers and consumers did reduce inefficiencies in energy production and use when price incentives were provided to them Sexual Trauma Intervention: A Case Study Sexual Trauma Intervention: A Case Study Responding to Sexual Trauma: Sandra’s Case Effects of sexual trauma Sexual assaults have severe immediate and also long-lasting effects which can be devastating on the emotional, on the physical and also the relational health of the sexual assault victims (Gilliland James, 2013). The overwhelming stress of sexual assault normally alters personal adjustment, the psychobiology and the systems of the victims. A traumatic experience usually impacts the entire person; how we learn, how we think, our way of remembering things and the feelings about ourselves, how we feel about others and our ability to make sense in the world. All the above factors are rooted in our psychobiological development and also in our experience of human evolutionary (Gilliland James, 2013). Sexual assault trauma can affect person’s adjustment in all levels, posttraumatic stress disorder is a very disabling and chronic condition and the magnitude of PTSD is extremely high after rape. Just like Sandra, rape victims are likely to suffer from a severe depression, become substance abusers and make suicidal attempts. In the case of Sandra, she seeks counselling because she was depressed, after several sessions she discloses that she was raped by her uncle from an age of 4 to 9 and she also experienced two other rape cases while in high school and these trauma experiences made her to be completely depressed. Sandra had also developed substance problems. As she discloses, she spend most of her time drunk from the age of 18-22. As a result of PTSD she ended up sleeping with several men because she was traumatized and depressed after undergoing several rape experiences. Sandra also discloses several suicide attempts; she had one suicidal attempt but fortunately the car tire blew out before she reached her target. This is one of the effects of sexual assault to Sandra. She is a survivor of child sexual abuse and this makes her vulnerable to re-victimization. Victims of sexual assaults tend to be powerless, helpless and hopeless (Walker, 1994). This explains why Sandra slept with more than 70 men; in order to avoid feeling powerless and helpless. Thus, Sandra’s behaviour is an outcome of sexual assaults. Intervention strategies Psychoeducational Effective treatment for Sandra’s case includes psycho-educational intervention strategy. Although this approach alone does not fully eliminate the symptoms in the long term, it has proved to be the most effective when combined with anxiety management strategy. Rape victims usually feel more relieved when they realise that they are not crazy, but are experiencing PTSD manifestations, which is a reaction experienced by most raped women. I advocate for the use of this intervention strategy in the treatment of Sandra since she needs to accept understand that her symptoms as response to trauma but not pathology (Hunter, 2009). This will enable her strengthen self-esteem and also boost her sense of self-worth. As Sandra needs to raise her daughter the use of this method will help her identify inner strengths which were not disrupted by the trauma, including perseverance, the coping skills and intellect (Kress, Trippany, Nolan, 2003). Cognitive Therapy Intervention Strategy This intervention strategy is most appropriate when addressing symptoms such as shame, loss of interest in specific activities, detachment, numbing and guilty (Hunter, 2009). While using this method the victims are trained on how to identify the beliefs and particular thoughts which they experience during the state of negative emotions. In this intervention strategy, the victim is assisted in evaluating challenges and validity of various ideas and hence replaces most irrational beliefs with the more rational as well as with beneficial thoughts. I would use this intervention strategy in the treatment of Sandra as it will help her stop maladaptive beliefs that all her familymembers are abusers and hence replace it with positive thought. This method will also help her to challenge self-blame and the blame which is perpetuated by her mother and the significant others (Kress, Trippany, Nolan, 2003). Cognitive therapy treatment is normally designed in a manner that it assists victims to restore their personal power disrupted during the assault (Walker, 1994). Since all the perpetrators use violence and power, women tend to view all power related issues as negative. This refrains victim from gaining personal power. Cognitive therapy on Sandra will enable her replace the negative views of power and control with positive beliefs of adequate power. As a result, Sandra will gain courage to so stop using substances and hence use her power to control her life as well as that of her daughter. Cultural, legal and ethical issues Women reaction to sexual assault should be considered within sociocultural context. To some extent, rape is not just a crime of sex and should be further conceptualized as part of crime of power. Sandra’s rape case is one of the patriarchal system tools which demonstrate gender inequality as well as devaluation of women in the society (Vonk, 1999). Sandra’s rape experience restricts her freedom and ability to use power. Although most feminists examine rape on the lines of power and gender, various cultural variables such as class and ethnicity are keys factors in women’s response as well as the trauma recovery. Factors to consider include her cultural differences while accessing the services, the feelings she have while reporting the crime, and how her community receives rapes disclosures (Vonk, 1999). Perpetrators of rape should be given heavy penalties including life term sentences. If Sandra was a male victim The effects of sexual trauma are more severe on female than in men. However, in some instances some men find it challenging to recover from the sexual assault trauma. Men become more powerless and hopeless when sexually assaulted than women, a man will do anything just to avoid feeling powerless and if Sandra was a man he could possibly turn away from the victim’s role and assume the victimizer’s role. This is one of main effects of sexual trauma in male as they try to identify themselves with the power of their victimizers (Hunter, 2009). Notably, men becomes more addicted and attracted to substance abuse than women. In that regard, if Sandra was a male, it could be difficult for her to stop substance abuse. Male victims are also likely to seek ravage on their perpetrators more than the female victims (Kress, Trippany, Nolan, 2003). Thus, in addition to psychoeducational and cognitive therapy intervention strategies, exposure therapy has proved to be more appropriate. This strategy assist victims to overcome the painful memories encountered during the assault. It is done by confronting the victim with specific emotions, situation and thoughts which are related to the incidence of rape (Walker, 1994). Male victims are more likely to recount feelings, thoughts as well as the memories and hence, a well-structured approach will be more appropriate in helping male victims face these realities. References Gilliland, B. E., James, R. K. (2013). Crisis intervention strategies. Page 194 Hunter, S. V. (2009). Beyond Surviving Gender Differences in Response to Early Sexual Experiences With Adults. Journal of family issues, 30(3), 391-412. Kress, V. E. W., Trippany, R. L., Nolan, J. M. (2003). Responding to sexual assault victims: Considerations for college counsellors. Journal of College Counselling, 6(2), 124–133. Vonk, M. E. (1999). An ethic of care: A framework for ethical decision making with survivors of sexual assault. Social Thought, 19(1), 49-62. Walker, L. E. (1994). Abused women and survivor therapy: A practical guide for the psychotherapist. American Psychological Association.

Comparing John Stuart Mills The Subjection of Women and Florence Night

Comparing John Stuart Mill's The Subjection of Women and Florence Nightingale's Cassandra For thousands of years, women have struggled under the domination of men. In a great many societies around the world, men hold the power and women have to fight for their roles as equals in these patriarchal societies. Florence Nightingale wrote about such a society in her piece, Cassandra, and John Stuart Mill wrote further on the subject in his essay The Subjection of Women. These two pieces explore the same basic idea, but there are differences as well. While they both recognize its presence, Mill blames the subjection of women on custom, and Nightingale blames it on society. These appear to be different arguments, but they may be more similar than they seem. Mill’s and Nightingale’s work both have the main theme of men dominating over women. Mill introduces his work with, â€Å"the principle which regulates the existing social relations between the two sexes — the legal subordination of one sex to the other — is wrong in itself†¦and it ought to be replaced by a principle of perfect equality† (Mill 1156), letting the reader know his stance on the issue right away. Nightingale’s article also starts off with a strong statement in the form of a question. She wonders why women are given such useful gifts if utilizing them is socially unacceptable: â€Å"Why have women passion, intellect, moral activity...and a place in society where no one of the three can be exercised?† (Nightingale 1734). Although these works both have the same thread running through them, they place the blame for the occurrence in different places. In Mill’s essay, he places the blame for the suffrage of woman on custom. He says, â€Å"custom...affords i... ... sound like completely different arguments; however, they are both placing the blame on one relationship. Custom and society exist together in a dependent relationship. One cannot be without the other. Custom defines what society does, and society does what custom defines; therefore, this relationship is blamed for the subjection of women in these two pieces. They may appear to have different arguments, but they are really arguing the same thing. This enforces the ideas Mill and Nightingale convey in their work: two different things seemed to have been blamed, and yet, after further analysis, the blame ended up resting in the same place. We can conclude that the subjection of women is likely to rest on this particular relationship because both of their arguments boil down to it, and Mill’s and Nightingale’s essays are more similar than at first believed to be.

Team Project Narrative: The Midtown Perspective Essay -- Urban Develop

For many decades, the midtown inner city area has been the most focused essential location for future economic prosperity, residential and business growth, inner-city vitality and vibrancy, and city wide expansion. The reason is that Rochester, New York was most known for being a key Rust Belt city which specialized in large scale production in transportation, electricity, and industrial processes. In the last 2 decades it has been universally known that with the new generation of emerging technology and the decreased use of old traditional factories, our foundation to economic uphold would soon decease. This example is shown simply by the presence of many huge vacant buildings located within the downtown city of Rochester. Not only does this harshly affect our industrial businesses and the city’s economic growth, but it also affects the entire community downtown, residents, visitors, and also changes the perception of what Rochester’s downtown area used to be. Every bu siness, retail shop, market, or educational facility in the area has been severely struck by this ripple effect. Rochester was also very popular among the U.S being the first to implement a downtown enclosed shopping center called Midtown Plaza in the heart of the city. This place was a prime source for highly concentrated economic success and population increase. When suburban malls were then built in neighboring towns, the Midtown Plaza also suffered a great loss. From being one of the most prosperous places during the 1960’s – 1970’s era, to this day of April 26th, 2012, the Midtown Plaza no longer standing resulting in nine acres of shovel ready development property; desperately awaiting offers. In the mist of the mess, remained the presence of the Monroe Comm... ...t/article.asp?aID=190595 Cooper, C. (2012). Mcc statement on efforts to negotiate a lease at the sibley building. MCC News, Retrieved from http://www.monroecc.edu/etsdbs/pubaff.nsf/HomePageNews_Include/58897C9EA54C116985257983006DBA02?OpenDocument Kress, A. (2011). An open letter on mcc's proposed downtown campus at kodak. Manuscript submitted for publication, Monroe Community College, Monroe Community College, Rochester, New York. Retrieved from http://www.monroecc.edu/downtown/docs/OpenLetterfromDrKress.pdf Richards, T. S. (2011). Mcc student focus group: What they said. 13Wham Blogs, Retrieved from http://www.13wham.com/content/blogs/story/MCC-Student-Focus-Group-What-They-Said/TC377v9_3kaZ8QHgHRr3ng.cspx Stewart, J. S. (2012). Mcc extends lease at sibley building, for now. Education, Retrieved from http://wxxinews.org/post/mcc-extends-lease-sibley-building-now

Internal Look into Infidelity and the Outcomes Essay

Infidelity can happen at the blink of an eye, especially if a person is not aware of their current relationship standings with their partner. A partner may display two types of infidelity, emotional and sexual. Each type of infidelity is seen differently by men and women on an opposite scale according to (Buss, Larsen, and Westen, 1996; Buss et al., 1992; Buunk et al., 1996; Trivers, 1972). The causes for infidelity are somewhat the same for men and women; however, there are a few differences that vary between the two groups. When infidelity has happened the decision is ultimately whether a couple will either focus to stay together or dissolve the relationship. Through a deeper look between the two types of infidelity, along with the perception men and women have about its outcomes, a definite understanding is very clear why and how infidelity usually happens in the first place. Although many relationships survive infidelity, â€Å"The trust is gone, completely gone,† says Mic hael Baisden, relationship counselor and author of Never Satisfied: How and Why Men cheat. â€Å"And trust is the most important thing in a relationship.† The decision will vary from person to person on the continuance with a relationship after the other partner cheats. For myself, it depends on who the person is, my standards often change from partner to partner. Infidelity defined is an action or state of being unfaithful to a spouse or another sexual partner. According to the most prevalent study using the framework of evolutionary psychology a study used by Buss, Larsen, Westen, and Semmelroth (1992), individuals where asked whether they would be more upset or jealous, if their partner had sexual intercourse or formed a deep emotional bond with someone else. Men and women were very different in their answers. Emotional infidelity occurs when a partner gets involved with caring deeply for a person that that is not their significant other. An emotional infidelity can hurt just as much to the other person as if they had already had sex with the other person involved. Sexual infidelity is the actual act of having sex outside of a person’s current relationship or marriage. When this action occurs, it is almost certain that the relationship will have troubling times ahead. How these two types of infidelities are seen by both men and women vary greatly on the scale. Men are very likely to become upset and end a relationship if  their girlfriend or wife were to have sexual encounters with another man vs. an emotional connection. The same cannot be said about women. According to (Buss, Larsen, and Westen, 1996; Buss et al., 1992; Buunk et al., 1996; Trivers, 1972), women tend to overlook a sexual infidelity but, are more affected by emotional bonds their boyfriend or husband acquires with another woman. Men tend to have a fear of uncertainty with offspring if a woman commits sexual infidelity that in turn tends to make him more susceptible to leaving a relationship. On the other hand, women are more invested in the emotional stability in her partner which in turn makes the woman more angered and upset over an emotional infidelity. The perceived outcomes for the two different types of infidelity are total opposites between men and women whereas the causes for infidelity is somewhat similar. The causes for infidelity are almost the same for men and women. Jennifer Harman, PhD., a professor of psychology at Colorado State University, stated â€Å"People do not just cheat for no reason. It used to be perceived that men were the bigger cheaters, however, according to the National Opinion Research Center study found that women having affairs rose from 14 percent to nearly 40 percent over the past 20 years. Women are in need of passion from their partner. Even the small things from walks in the park to a wine tasting can fulfill dissatisfaction. Petty arguments that hold insecurities and grudges is common for most women to experience. A need for her partner to understand and talk openly about problems and solutions is key for some women to feel connected. Women are also more attracted to men who are confident and ambitious which can sometimes lead to dissatisfaction with their partner if they are not in a manly position. Men also tend to have the same outlook when cheating comes to mind. If a man succeeded in filling his ego tank up an affair would make him feel powerful and desired. Sometimes men cheat because they are not being understood by their partner. If men were more open in communicating feelings freely, this would not be an issue. When men cheat the difference to theirs actions is a need to escape the reality of home rather than leave their relationship. Women, however, are typically silent in their actions but tend to plan an escape route out of the relationship after they begin cheating. The solution to ending a cheating cycle is to either dissolve the relationship or work on overcoming the struggles infidelity has caused on the relationship. Though people  sometimes choose to work things out, many ultimately work together for dissolving the relationship. Overcoming infidelity is very difficult task. Trust is compromised and very hard to regain on many levels and often takes years to rebuild. Without trust in a relationship, it is almost inevitable for disaster since trust is the viewed as the core for holding a relationship together. To overcome this is sometimes not worth the stress, time and patience, especially if this is just a romantic relationship with no children involved or when a marriage is at stake. On the other hand, long term relationship and married couples will often try to work through these troubling road blocks. When a person has more time invested or other things at stake, the decision is more comfortable to make when working things out. Some of these relationships and marriages last after infidelity but half do not. When a couple comfortably communicates and understand the deepness of how infidelity affects a relationship before, they agree to commit the partnership will be more successful. The most important factor is understanding to what extent infidelity can occur as both male and female have shown different tolerances for emotional and sexual encounters. Just having a deeper look into how differently men and women think help to understand their actions. With the listed information in mind, it is just as important to remember that women enjoy time with their partner, openness with information, and a man that is confident in himself. Men have a larger ego that needs to be stroked often, just saying how good he looks, or less nagging by their partner and more open communication they tend to have their needs met. When infidelity occurs because none of these needs is fulfilled, it is almost certain the relationship will not last. Just by knowing these things should make any male or female want to rethink actions or even the possibility of starting or moving ahead in a relationship.

History Coursework Essay

In this essay I will be explaining the main features of the New Deal, I will include Roosevelt’s main aims and alphabet agencies which helped America recover through the financial crisis. Emergency Banking Act – Roosevelt closed all banks for a four day â€Å"Bank Holiday†. Every bank was inspected only honest, reliable well run banks with enough money were allowed to re-open this was incredibly important because this was one of the major causes of the depression, the banks were giving large amounts of money to people who could not pay it back and so this caused a knock on effect. The Economy Act – Roosevelt cut the pay for everyone working for the government, army, navy and air force by 15% and saved a nearly 1billion dollars to be re-invested into the economy, these tough measures were needed for people who were unemployed or having financial crisis’s this money was extremely important so that the economy could make a slow but steady recovery. F.E.R.A – The Federal Emergency Relief Agency was given $500 million dollars to help the homeless or people who were struggling to make ends meet. They helped people with basic things such as food, clothes, mortgage payments, they gave great support for people who needed money for basic things. H.O.L.C – The Home Owners Loan Co-operation loaned money to people with very low rates of interest and people who could not keep up with their payments this was very important because it took the pressure of the home owner because they could rely on the government to help or support them with their finances. F.C.A – Farm Credit Administration helped farmers. They loaned money to farmers who were unable to meet their mortgage payments they loaned 100 million dollars in 18 months. A.A.A – Agricultural Adjustment Agency paid farmers to produce less food so that there was more demand for farmed products. The farms were overproducing and so they were losing a lot of money because there was no demand for those products. The AAA paid them to destroy their food and because there was more demand for the products there incomes increased, they nearly doubled! In conclusion Roosevelt was helping America’s economy unlike Hoover his aims of helping the economy were succeeding and the public began to lie him.

Myth and Thomas Jefferson Essay

Essay: Topic: Compare and Contrast â€Å"Thomas Jefferson’s first inaugural address† (Chapter 15 in Readings in United States History) and â€Å"Hope and Heritage: Myth and Thomas Jefferson†, (Chapter 14 in Readings in United States History) â€Å"Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.† (By Thomas Jefferson). Thomas Jefferson, who was born on April 13 1743 and died on July 4 1826, was the son of a wealthy uneducated planter from Western Virginia. He was the first to go to College in his family and he attended the College of William and Mary. He was dreaming about a society where men would be judged by what they have accomplished and by their taste .He was the third president of the United States of America (From 1801 to 1809) and also the first United States Secretary of State (From 1790 to 1793 ).He was much more: founder of the University of Virginia. Philosopher, cofounder of the oldest political party in the nation, coauthor of the Declaration of Independence. In this essay, we are going to compare and contrast â€Å"Thomas Jefferson’s first inaugural address† (Chapter 15 in Readings in United States History) and â€Å"Hope and Heritage: Myth and Thomas Jefferson†, (Chapter 14 in Readings in United States History). In his book â€Å"The Jefferson image in the American Mind (1960), the writer Merrill Peterson is basically showing how American’s people see Thomas Jefferson. They have always seen him as a particular man, a symbol for the United States of America .Therefore, many people took their time to find out something wrong about that man. The man who started criticizing him as probably the writer Leonard Levy’s in his Book â€Å"Jefferson and Civil Liberties: The Darker Side†. In Chapter 14 â€Å"Hope and Heritage: Myth and Thomas Jefferson†, Gordon Wood really talks about Jefferson’s personal life. Thomas Jefferson is described as someone who had passion for partisan persecution, someone who didn’t care about the civil liberties,  someone who thought he was morally perfect and used to judge people around him. In the chapter, they are comparing him to his friend James Madison. Thomas Jefferson wasn’t thinking about the country like Madison when he was taking decisions. While taking his decisions, he was mostly concerned about what his French friends would think of it than the needs of the American population. The main portion of Jefferson’s life, was his fight to abolish slavery. As it is written in this chapter, Thomas Jefferson hated slavery. He worked really hard to eradicate it in New Western territories. But apparently, he was never able to set all his slaves free. Many recent historians claimed that Jefferson’s acting toward Black people was very disgusting, revolting. Especially for someone who claimed that he wanted to eradicate slavery. During his life, he wanted to make sure that the eradication of slavery will be accompanied by the deportation of Back people of the country. For him, Black people living in a white’s man America was totally unbearable. He was â€Å"Racist†. In his mind, Black men were extremely inferior to White Not only in Body but also in mind. People were surprised to see hear him talk about freedom and control Black slaves at the same time. Most people started to think that he was a hypocrite. In 1802, James Callender, a political pamphleteer and journalist pointed the fat that Tomas Jefferson maintained Sally Hemings a Black Slave as a mistress and fathered her with various children. This was barely believable because everybody knew him as a man who always suppressed his passions. In addition to that, Thomas Jefferson was a man of the eighteenth century, an intelligent man, conventional, and enlightened. But he also had his own weaknesses. Jefferson was fully part of the Enlightenment in the United States of America. His desire to know everything and his open-minded character put him on the top of the American Enlightenment. Unlike in Chapter 14 (Hope and Heritage: Myth and Thomas Jefferson), Chapter 15 (First Inaugural Address, 1801) is basically Thomas Jefferson’s speech which marks the abolition of one of the worst period in the United States of America. The First Inaugural Address of Thomas Jefferson is lionizing the most important election in the history as Thomas Jefferson was succeeding to John Adams as president. During 1790s, some divisions were created between the Federalists (Hamilton and Adams) and the Republicans (Jefferson and Madison) due to the opposition to Hamilton’s financial policies and polemics over foreign policy. Thomas Jefferson was  the first President to take office in the new capital city of Washington. In his speech, Thomas Jefferson says â€Å"Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. We have called by different names brethren of the same principle. We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists.† He is basically telling his Fellow-Citizens that even though there are some differences, both Federalists and Republicans are serving the same constitution and following the same principles. What is different is the way each of them interprets and apply it. He is calling for Union. Jefferson wants a government when no one will injure another; where each citizen will work. In his partisanship, the First Inaugural of Jefferson mingles the American past of Washington and some heroes into his different principles .By making his party’s victory a victory for all the country, the speech sets the standard for inaugural addresses. In Conclusion, we were ask to compare and contrast â€Å"Thomas Jefferson’s Inaugural Address† (Chapter 15 in Readings of the United States History) and â€Å"Hope and Heritage: Myth and Thomas Jefferson† (Chapter 14 in Readings of the United States History).We can undoubtedly say that Thomas Jefferson was a great Leader. It is therefore all the more important to see and distinguish where he had success and also where he failed. Whenever something is great, people will always try to find out the Bad in it and that’s what happened to Thomas Jefferson. But it doesn’t change anything to what he has accomplished for the United States of America. Till today, no other figure in the American history as reached that standard.

A Poison Apple Essay

In the poem ‘ A Poison Apple ‘, poet William Blake illustrates that how a person, angry with another. Through a variety of tropological element, Blake paints a picture of the angst of one individual directed toward his friend. First he uses hyperbole to emphasis the effect he has created. This is evident when he writes that his tears are causing the anger to grow between him and his friend. As written on line five and line six of stanza two, ‘And I watered it in fears Night and morning with my tears, ’. In reality, tears do not make things grow. In the poem though, Blake’s despair is growing more and more with each and very tear he sheds. The hyperbole continue with ‘ I told my wrath, my wrath did end. ’ and ‘ I told it not, my wrath did grow. ’ Wrath is something inside a person that cannot be grow like a tree. It is an emotion that people cannot always control. In the poem, Blake is showing that he can control it but in reality he cannot. That was the start of the anger to his friend. Last but not least, the way he grows the tree is a strong hyperbole to the way people do normally. ‘ And I sunned it with smiles ‘ and ‘ And with soft deceitful wiles. in line seven and line eight of stanza two, it described the way the author grow his anger and wrath. Trees should be grown in mud but Blake’s ‘ tree ’ was bombastically grown in soft deceitful wiles which is impossible to happen in real life. The anger of him was becoming more and more. William Blake does a masterful job of comparing the growth of a tree in garden to the growth in life. Unfortunately the tree that Blake is growing is a â€Å" poison tree †. If thrives on the anger and wrath of a friend, rather than on the love that should be considered. Most things grow better with love.

“Red Badge of Courage” by Stephen Crane Essay

In the â€Å"Red Badge of Courage† Stephen Crane demonstrates the use of naturalism. The novel shows how Henry, a young union soldier, struggles with war and becoming a man. Henry joined the war because he wanted to experience the glory of fighting and winning. While Henry is in the wilderness, Crane uses nature as naturalism and makes nature a model for Henry’s acts. In â€Å"The Red Badge of Courage† there are many themes. One is learning to be a man. At the beginning of the novel Henry is at war with himself. He wants to have glory and be a war hero, but he is afraid that he will flee. He tries to prove to himself that he will not flee in battle. He feels alone because he can’t tell anyone about the doubt he has in order to not be made fun of. Henry decides he will not know whether or not he will run away until he actually gets to battle. When he goes to battle and flees in chapter seven, he throws a pinecone at a squirrel and decides that this was a si gn from nature and that it is only natural for one to run away from danger. Another main theme in this learning the meaning of courage and finding your own. In chapter one there is a flashback of Henry leaving for the Union Army. His mother gives him a speech and tells him no matter what he needs to do the right thing. This gives him a new meaning of the word courage. He learns that having the courage to do the right thing is just as important as having the courage to fight for what you believe in. I think Henry didn’t find his true courage until towards the end of the story. The sun ray coming through the cloud symbolizes Henry’s peace with himself. There are strengths and weaknesses of how Crane develops the theme. For example some strengths are how Crane used imagery to paint a clear picture in the reader’s head, when Henry went back to the battle more of a man, and how Crane’s use of wording showed how Henry’s perspective changes from being afraid to understanding and accepting who he is. A weaknesses Crane has is the grammar of the characters. It tends to be confusing in some parts and I don’t find it reader friendly. On the contrary if he had taken away the awkward grammar it could have taken away from the overall story. Another weakness is the lack of detail in the setting. Naturalism relates to the theme of manhood because Henry was inexperienced and this was probably why he fled from the battle. Henry’s action and the conditions that surround him are consistent with this point of view because of the detailed revelations  of Henry’s thoughts and his wide range of emotions, including fear, joy, doubts, and pride. The point of view is interesting because Crane wasn’t alive when the story took place, nor had he ever been in battle before writing the story. At the beginning of the novel Henry is childish and afraid. He wants a reputation as a fierce warrior but, he is scared. As the story progresses, he learns more about himself and who he wants to be. He discovers that he is fighting for greater things than his reputation. At this point in the book the true Henry Fleming, a brave and courageous man, is revealed. To conclude, â€Å"The Red badge of Courage† is a great book about a young boy becoming a man. I think Crane got his point very well with his use of naturalism and imagery. I believe this book proves that true courage is not being brave, true courage is being terrified, but continuing to go anyways.

Heather MacDonald's Hispanic Family Values Essay

Heather MacDonald's Hispanic Family Values - Essay Example Social workers and government policies are at a great quandary on how to deal with such a problem and various solutions and proposals had been put forward but it seems to no avail. This paper is a short discussion of the so-called â€Å"Hispanic problem† and the Latinization of America. Discussion Heather MacDonald's rather lengthy article delves on the growing Hispanic class of unwed mothers living in America today. The article â€Å"Hispanic Family Values?† questions the assumptions inherent in the Spanish-American society in which being a single parent has been considered as culturally acceptable but this has serious implications for American society as a whole because the Spanish-descent population of America is the fastest-growing segment and this has a profound impact on American society today and in the foreseeable future. To help in her arguments, MacDonald relied greatly on the appeal of logos (logical based on knowledge) rather than on the other two appeals in an argument, which are the ethos (ethical) and pathos (emotional). Along this line, she cited a lot of facts and figures derived from statistical studies. The structure of the essay is being expository by using strong and clear claims about the serious implications of a large population sub-segment that is unwed, reliant on the social welfare services and finds nothing objectionable to having unwed mothers, often very young. There is strong evidence for her claims and it is therefore hard to argue against these claims. A large portion of her essay was devoted to citing incontrovertible evidence using statistics and a host of anecdotes and vignettes regarding actual lives of its study subjects. Any person who had read this article would come out fairly convinced of her point of view regarding the social crisis facing Hispanic society in America today based on warrants that are essentially valid. A lot of supposedly â€Å"Hispanic family values† had instead worked against this immigrant section of the population like having a tight-knit family conducive to raising a kid without a father. A case in point is the citation regarding how fast the Spanish-American population is growing compared to other ethnic groups in America. A high birth rate (female fertility) that is coupled with an accepting and tolerant culture towards having illegitimate children had been a great contributory factor to the main social problem. The author cited these alarming statistics to show the extent of the problem: â€Å"The rate of childbirth for Mexican teenagers, who come as from by far the largest and fastest-growing immigrant population, greatly outstrips every other group. The Mexican teen birthrate is 93 births per every 1,000 girls, compared with 27 births for every 1,000 white girls, 17 births for every 1,000 Asian girls, and 65 births for every 1,000 black girls. To put these numbers into international perspective, Japan’s teen birthrate is 3.9, Italy’s i s 6.9, and France’s is 10. Even though the outsize U.S. teen birthrate is dropping, it continues to inflict unnecessary costs on the country. . .† and although the author maybe did not want to sound alarmist, the dimensions of the problem boggles the mind. Many of Spanish grandmothers are single and never wed, so their daughters never got married

The Logic of Customer Satisfaction and Retention of Hilton Group Plc Research Paper

The Logic of Customer Satisfaction and Retention of Hilton Group Plc - Research Paper Example The traditional and the conventional way of doing business are becoming obsolete as newer methods are taking up the slots and it is particularly true for the service industry. In the case of the service industry, the customer is the undoubted king and every possible measure is initiated so that the esteemed customer is not just satisfied but is happy so that he is retained as the industry knows the fact very well that it is more difficult to get hold of a new customer than to retain an existing client. The logic of customer satisfaction and retention also applies to the hotel industry and renowned hotel chain - Hilton Group, Plc is no different. In the case of a hotel group, the service offered is totally dependent upon the people and the team of the group. Therefore, there is absolutely no doubt about the fact that human resource management is one of the most crucial aspects of such organisations. In fact, in the competitive industry of today, human resource policies are not just limited with that of the employee development and handling of employee grievances but also contribute towards the customer satisfaction and thereby towards the profitability of the group. In 2001, the renowned hotel group had more than 60,000 employees across 500 hotels all over the globe, in 50 countries. For the convenience of the business, the group had divided the operations of the hotel into four different global divisions namely UK and Ireland, Europe – the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas. Each of the divisions had dedicated a team of professionals to run their operations under the leadership of the Area Presidents. In the year 1999, the group joined hands with another hotel group of repute named Stakis, Plc and undertook a number of initiatives to upkeep the momentum of the employees going. The group came up with two prominent schemes namely the ‘equilibrium’ and the ‘esprit’.

THE ACCOUNT CYCLE Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

THE ACCOUNT CYCLE - Research Paper Example This is done so that non-accounting professional would be able to comprehend the journal entries themselves and to make it easier for them to read the financial records. As soon as these transactions take place, they are recorded in the day books or books of prime entry. After a predetermined interval, the balances in the books of prime of entry are summed up and posted to ledger accounts. These ledger accounts are generally prepared in T-form, each having a debit and credit side. There are five categories of accounts, which include: assets, liabilities, revenues, expense and capital. There are also separate journals for each category for accounts. They include general journal, purchase ledger and sales ledger. The balances of these ledgers appear either on debit or credit side based on the type of accounts. Capital account usually has a credit balance. Similarly, liabilities and revenue accounts have credit balances, whereas expense and asset accounts have debit balances. However, t he main task of accountants is to determine the type of entry and determine the double entry accounts that are going to be used in each transaction. Sometimes, whenever accountants forget to make a double-entry of a transaction, they can still reconcile the accounts at a later date using the available records. At the end of the period, all the accounts, which are made in T form are balanced. The balance of each of these accounts is then posted to trial balance. The accounts having a debit balance is posted on debit side of a trial balance, whereas accounts having credit balance is entered on the credit side of the trial balance. Accounts which have equal debits and credit and there is no balance are ignored and not posted in trial balance. At the end of the period ending and closing entries are recorded in the journal format and then posted to the trial balance to prepare the adjusted trial balance. This is done to give a better picture of a business transaction.

The Way Incentives Work and Types of Motivation Problems Research Paper

The Way Incentives Work and Types of Motivation Problems - Research Paper Example Every incentive program is based on a formula for enhancing motivation that engages four fundamental variables: effort, performance, outcomes, and satisfaction. The logic behind these programs goes something like this: employees at Property Management Company will put in the accurate quantity of effort to meet performance hopes if these part-time employees at the small privately owned property management company obtain the types of outcomes that include pay raises and promotions which will provide part-time employees satisfaction. (Hanlan Marc, 2004) In simpler words, the property management company should provide its employees what they want, and employees will work hard to get it. Conversely, the problem with most incentive programs like of Property management company is that they center exclusively on the submission of outcomes and overlook the three beliefs that are the key to making the motivation solution work: The first conviction compacts with the relationship between employee effort and performance. The second compacts with the relationship between performance and outcomes. And the third compacts with the relationship between outcomes and satisfaction. These three beliefs form the basis of the belief system of motivation and performance. Accepting that these beliefs are decisive preconditions for motivation helps to explain why incentive programs generally yield such lackluster results like in case of Property Management Company Since employees do not always hold these beliefs to be true, attempts to improve motivation by using incentives cannot make the grade, even when the incentives are highly desirable ones. (Thomas, 2004)

Hamza Yusuf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Hamza Yusuf - Essay Example Yusuf often acts as a guest speaker at events coordinated by different subdivisions of the Muslim Students Association of the US and Canada. Together with Haten Bazian and Zaid Shakir, Yusuf is a co-founder of the Zaytuna College located in Berkeley, California. The college was established in 1996 and is dedicated to reviving traditional methods of study, especially with regard to the sciences of Islam (Ghazali 2011, 65). Yusuf is also a signatory of A Common Word Between Us and You, which is an open letter written by Islamic scholars addressed to Christian leaders, speaking to the need for peace and understanding. Yusuf has adopted a stance against all religious rationalizations for terrorist attacks. After 9/11, he typified the actions of the attackers as acts of mass homicide. Yusuf strongly condemns terrorist attacks arguing that Islamic is exploited as an innocent victim (Ghazali 2011, 115). Yusuf has authored an array of books and pamphlets, which seek to educate Muslims on pro per and ethical conduct. Thought Yusuf is renowned for a number of original thoughts, which are aimed at assisting Muslim lead fruitful lives devoid of evil deeds. One of his most notable thoughts is that of dunya. Yusuf typifies dunya as the illusory nature of the world; it consists of aspects that delude people into thinking that they are permanent fixtures in the world. Dunya also compels Muslims to think that they can transgress since they believe they are independent from Allah. In essence, Yusuf considers dunya as the element that takes Muslims away from the akhira (the after life), thus exemplifying Satan’s game. Satan’s game, according to Yusuf (2008, 69) is aimed purposely at detracting people away from the akhira through shaytan, which means to obstruct or make distant from the akhira. Therefore, Yusuf (Yusuf and Shakir 2007, 128) believes that dunya makes Muslims feel that dunya is nearer than the akhira. Islam argues that dunya is distant and equates it to attempting to reach for grapes that are beyond one’s grasp. This is the true character of dunya; one can never get it since it always evades people. Through his teachings, Yusuf seeks to teach Muslims that dunya is unimportant. He in turn demonstrates the importance of the akhira, which is the essence of all Islamic messages. Therefore, he argues that, in all their actions, Muslims must endeavor to head away from dunya and further towards the akhira. In order to delineate the true nature of dunya, Yusuf contrasts it to normal human actions. Yusuf (2004, 89) argues that seeking food to sustain a healthy body is not considered dunya, neither is earning enough money to meet one’s obligations or spend on halal. In order to justify his stance regarding dunya, Yusuf ponders on the assertions of the Holy Prophet of Islam that if Adam’s son had a single mountain of gold, he would then desire a second mountain. The Prophet argued that the son’s mouth would never b e filled, with the exception of the dust of his private grave. Yusuf takes this teaching to mean that dunya is deceptive since it compels people to desire more earthly possession than they need. Yusuf teaches Muslims to steer clear of the deluder and in turn move towards the akhira. In addition to this, Yusuf teaches that Muslims should avoid the delusion of dunya that it is possible to live both in the past and future. In turn, Yusuf believes that Muslims should always endeavor to live in the present. He argues that