Psychological Disorders and Therapy Essay

I. Introduction Schizophrenia is not only the most dreaded psychological disorder but also one of the most heavily researched. Some important new discoveries link schizophrenia with biological factors, such as brain abnormalities and genetic predispositions. Schizophrenia is one of the most heavily researched psychological disorders. Several factors have been proposed as causes of schizophrenia, from biochemical imbalances in the brain to faulty family relationships and socioeconomic environment. Although a great deal of interesting research has been carried out, to date no single factor has been isolated as the cause of schizophrenia. II. The Understanding and Search for Causes Schizophrenia a) Brain, Structure, Function and Abnormalities Recent advances in the measurement of brain structure and function have set the stage for comparing normal individuals with those suffering from schizophrenia. One brain-imaging technique, computer-assisted tomography, or CT scan, uses many low-energy X-rays of the living brain taken at a number of different points and integrated into pictures by a computer. Studies using this technique show that many individuals with schizophrenia have enlarged brain ventricles, compared to normal persons. Some researchers believe a link sexists between the enlarged ventricles and the lower frequency of alpha waves observed among individuals with schizophrenia. The idea that imbalances in brain chemistry might underlie schizophrenia has long intrigued scientists. Strange behaviors, they knew, can have strange chemical causes. The saying â€Å"Mad as a hatter† refers to the psychological deterioration of British hatmakers whose brains, it was later discovered, were slowly poisoned as they moistened the brims of mercury-laden felt hats with their lips (Smith, 2003). Scientists are beginning to understand the mechanism by which chemicals such as LSD produce hallucinations. These discoveries fuel hope that a biochemical key to schizophrenia might be found. One chemical key to schizophrenia involves the neurotransmitter dopamine. When researchers examined patient’s brains after death, they found an excess of receptors for dopamine (Wong, 2000). What is more, drugs that block dopamine levels, such as amphetamine and cocaine, sometimes intensify schizophrenia victims overactive to irrelevant external and internal stimuli. Modern brain scanning techniques reveal that many chronic schizophrenia patients have a detectable brain abnormality. Some have abnormally low brain activity in the frontal lobes (Cohen, 1999). Others, most often men, have enlarged, fluid-filled areas and a corresponding shrinkage of cerebral tissue (Andreasen, 2000). b) Genetic Factors A popular line of research in recent years has been the search for a genetic link in schizophrenia. Several approaches to the study of genetic relationships have been used. Overall, results of this research are consistent with a genetic basis for the disorder. For example, identical twins are more likely to share schizophrenic diagnoses than fraternal twins, whether the twins are reared apart or together. The greater the severity of schizophrenia, the more pronounced this relationship is. Furthermore, children whose parents both have schizophrenia are three times more likely to develop the disorder than are children with only one parent with schizophrenia, whether children are reared with their parents or not. Children who are reared by an adoptive parent with schizophrenia but whose biological parents are normal do not have higher rate of schizophrenia (Kestenbaum, 2001). The most convincing evidence for a genetic relationship comes from research showing a characteristic defect on c hromosome 5 among family members who have some types of schizophrenia (Sherrington, 2000). Naturally, scientists wonder whether people inherit a predisposition to these brain abnormalities. The evidence strongly suggests that some do. The 100-to-1 odds against any person’s being diagnosed with Schizophrenia become 10-to-1 among those who have an afflicted identical twin. Although there are only a dozen such known cases, it appears that an identical twin of schizophrenia victim retains that 50-50 chance whether they are reared together or apart. Adoption studies confirm a genetic link (Gottesman, 2001). Children adopted by someone who develops schizophrenia are unlikely to â€Å"catch† the disorder. But adopted children do have an elevated risk if a biological parent is diagnosed with schizophrenia. The genetic contribution is beyond question. But the genetic role is not so straightforward is beyond question. But the genetic role is not as straightforward as the inheritance of eye color. After all, about half the twins who share identical genes with a schizophrenia victim do not develop the disorder. Thus, behavior geneticists Susan Nicol and Irving Gottesman (2000) conclude that some people â€Å"have a genetic predisposition to the disorder but that this predisposition by itself is not sufficient for the development of schizophrenia.† c) Psychological Factors If, by themselves, genetically predisposed physiological abnormalities do not cause schizophrenia, neither do psychological factors alone. As Nicol and Gottesman report, â€Å"no environmental causes have been discovered that will invariably, or even with moderate probability, produce schizophrenia in persons who are not related to a schizophrenic.† Nevertheless, if genes predispose some people to react to particular experiences by developing schizophrenia, then there must be identifiable triggering experiences. Researchers have asked:   Can stress trigger schizophrenia? Can difficulties in family communications be a contributing factor? The answer to each question is a strong, clear maybe. The psychological triggers of schizophrenia have proved elusive, partly because they may vary with the type of schizophrenia and whether it is a low-developing, chronic schizophrenia, or a sudden, acute reaction to stress. It is true that young people with schizophrenia tend to have unusually disturbed communications with their parents. But is this a cause or a result of their disorder? It is true that stressful experiences, biochemical and abnormalities, and schizophrenia’s symptoms often occur together. But the traffic between brain biochemistry and psychological experiences runs both ways, so cause and effect are difficult to sort out.   It is true that schizophrenic withdrawal often occurs in adolescence or early adulthood, coinciding with the stresses of having to become independent, to assert oneself, and to achieve social success and intimacy. So is schizophrenia the maladaptive coping reaction of biologically vuln erable people? Most of us can relate more easily to the ups and downs of mood disorder that to strange thoughts, perceptions, and behaviors of schizophrenia. Sometimes our thoughts do jump around, but we do not talk nonsensically. Occasionally we feel unjustly suspicious of someone, but we do not feat that the world is plotting against us. Often our perceptions are distorted, but rarely do we see or hear things that are not there. We have felt regret after laughing at someone’s misfortune, but e rarely giggle in response to bad news. At times, we just want to be alone, but we do not live in social isolation. However, millions of people around the world do not talk strangely, suffer delusions, hear nonexistent voices, see things that are not there, laugh or cry at inappropriate times, or withdraw into their private imaginary worlds. Because this is true, the scientific quest to solve the cruel puzzle of schizophrenia continues. d) Environmental Stress Approaches to schizophrenia have not been exclusively biomedical. Even studies of identical twins show that more than half these pairs do not have share diagnoses of schizophrenia. Because they do share all genetic material, there must be environmental factors that also contribute to the disorder, either by protecting constitutionally vulnerable individuals or by precipitating symptoms of the disorder (Kestenbaum, 2001). One way of conceptualizing the relationship between the environment and schizophrenia is through the concept of stress. A stress hypothesis holds that individuals are genetically vulnerable to the disorder. III. Treatment Behavioral Therapy Voluntary behaviors are strongly influenced by their consequences. This sample fact enables behavior therapists to reinforce desired behaviors, while withholding reinforcement for undesired behaviors. Using operant conditioning to solve specific behavior problems is called behavior modification, a therapy that has raised hopes for some cases thought hopeless. Retarded children have been taught to care for themselves. Autistic children have learned to interact. People with Schizophrenia have been helped to behave more rationally on the hospital ward. Physical   methods or therapy This includes electroshock therapy and brain surgery. It consists of passing electric currents through the brain, producing convulsion coma. Psychoanalysis A procedure requiring that the patient and analyst meet for hour- long sessions several times a week for many months. During these hours the analyst helps the patient bring into consciousness the repressed conflicts that have caused the illness. If the treatment is successful, the patient learns realistic methods of dealing with conflicts. The technique of free association is an important part of psychoanalysis. The patient is encouraged to talk about whatever comes to mind, without regard to apparent relevance or propriety of the material. The analyst helps the patient to understand the meaning of this material. Patients develop resistance in their efforts to talk freely, and it is the analyst’s task to help them overcome such resistance. Resistances are usually associated with feelings of guilt in regard to fantasies about hostility, dependency and sexuality. IV. Conclusion Schizophrenia literally translated means â€Å"split mind.† Split mind refers not to a multiple-personality split, but rather a split from reality that shows itself in disorganized thinking; disturb perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and actions. The schizophrenia victim experiences an altered world. Minute stimuli, such as the grooves on a brick or the reflections of a voice, may distract attention from the whole scene or from the speaker’s meaning. Worse, the person may perceive things that are not there. Such hallucinations are (sensory experiences without sensory stimulation) usually auditory. The person may hear voices that seem to come from outside the head and that make insulting statements or give orders.   The voices may tell that patient that she is bad or that he must burn himself with a cigarette lighter or even commit murder. Less commonly, people see, feel, taste, or smell things that are nonexistent. Such hallucinations have been compared to dreams breaking into waking consciousness. When the unreal seems real, the resulting perceptions are at best bizarre and at worst terrifying.

Queen Sheba

I would like to engage on a quest to identify the Queen of Sheba. Having read the rather newly published co-authored book by John Ashton and David Down, Unwrapping the Pharaohs, who states that the Queen of Sheba would be identified with the Egyptian Queen/Pharaoh, Hatshepsut. I have often referred to sources, even Christian authors and archeologists that identify the Queen of Sheba as being from the South Arabian capital, â€Å"Marib in Yemen. † With the new archaeological discoveries, including the body of Queen Hatshepsut, and the many presentations, it will be interesting to discover the truths about the great pharaoh.Secular and many Christian sources seem to parrot the same theories which also contradict the archeological interpretations of the discoveries of Sheba and the discoveris of the Queen Hatshepsut in Egypt. Perhaps while the discovery of Sheba supports the Biblical mention of the place as having actually existed; but does this necessarily mean that a queen from this place actually visited Solomon? Or that a person from this place is the famous Queen of Sheba and the same that Jesus alludes? Perhaps new lights will shed a spark of truth and further qualify or authenticate the Bible as the inspired word of God.More than this, if historians and archeologists can provide enough evidence to support the Queen of Sheba as Hatshepsut, perhaps totally new discoveries will significantly impact knowledge of this time period in Egyptian history and the relationship between King Solomon and Egypt at this time. Truth is challenged by fiction; many times fiction becomes truth. The ultimate importance of this topic is Biblically and historically related. The Bible is the greatest book ever written! It is the greatest story- HIS story- of how God created man and gave him freedom of choice.His story tells and instructs in the greatest characteristics any human is capable of possessing, that of an unending and unconditional love. Some of the books of the Bi ble are excellent historical books, as a matter of fact, the earliest historical books that we have. And, quiet, accurate, because we have cross-references from other sources, and they are found to be most very precise so they are very important. This discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls was the most famous event in Biblical archeology, but it was, by no means, the first.The urge to explore Biblical history has a venerable tradition. It's a search that began in the Holy Land but would lead to Mesopotamia. Throughout history, crusaders, mystics, and believers have been drawn to sites where the great Bible stories took place; but with the arrival of the nineteenth century, a new kind of pilgrim sought to fortify their belief in the Bible through the infant science of archeology. This fortification give rise to the question concerning the identities of the Queen of Sheba and Hatshepsut, Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt.Much speculation cause debate among scholars, but a picture is worth a thous and words, they say. A somewhat nebulous figure, the Queen of Sheba (fl. 10th century BCE)- known also as Bilgis and as Makeda- figures prominently in Judaic, Islamic, and Ethiopian traditions. Her legendary voyage to meet Solomon, King of Israel, has inspired centuries of speculation about her kingdom and influence in the ancient world. Modern day Ethiopians believe her, as the mother of their first Emperor, Menilek I, to be the ultimate maternal ancestor of the dominant Ethiopian royal dynasty.A Queen of Legend Little has been verified about the Queen of Sheba's life- in fact, even such basic details as her given name and the exact location of her kingdom remain uncertain. Tradition places her date of birth in the latter half of the 11th century BCE and her death in approximately 955 BCE; although her kingdom is referred to as both to the south and to the east of Israel scholars generally believe her to have ruled an area in northern Africa roughly equivalent to modern-day Ethiopi a, a country which claims her the progenitor of their long-ruling Solomonic dynasty.The Queen 10th century BCE visit ot the grand court of Solomon, King of Israel and son of the legendary Goliathslayer David, however, is well attested in three major ancient sources: the Biblical Old Testament, the Islamic Qu'ran, and the Ethiopian Kebra Nagast (Glory of the Kings). These three perspectives on the Queen meld to create a picture of one of the relatively rare, powerful female monarchs of the ancient world. A Biblical Riddler The most widespread story of the Queen of Sheba stems from an Old Testament passage describing her journey to Jerusalem to meet with the Jewish king, Solomon, renowned for his wisdom.An account of her stay at Solomon's court appears in I Kings 10:1 – 14 and in a nearly word-for-word repetition, 2 Chronicles 9:1 – 12. Both passages begin: â€Å"The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, and she traveled to Jerusalem to test him with difficult questio ns. She brought with her a large group of attendants, as well as camels loaded with spices, jewels, and a large amount of gold. When she and Solomon met, she asked him all the questions that she could think of. He answered them all; there was nothing too difficult for him to explain. The rest of the tale describes the Queen's awe of Solomon's wisdom, riches, and relationship with God, as well as the two monarchs' exchange of gifts. This brief text forms the basis for later embellishments of the queen's voyage. Few other direct references to the queen occur in Biblical sources. In Matthew 12:42 (repeated almost exactly in Luke 11:31), Jesus says, â€Å"On the Judgment Day the Queen of Sheba will stand up and accuse you, because she traveled all the way from her country to listen to King Solomon's wise teaching. Also, throughout the centuries, the Old Testament book known alternately as the Song of Songs and the Song of Solomon has been speculated to be a series of love poems sent be tween Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. A story that certainly served as inspiration for later Islamic and Ethiopian writers appears in a late paraphrase of the book of Esther explained by C. H. Toy in the Journal of American Folklore article â€Å"The Queen of Sheba. † â€Å"On a certain day when [Solomon's] heart was warmed by wine, he †¦ invited all the †¦ kings of the of the East and the West †¦ in order that the kings might see his greatness.All †¦ came except the moorcock †¦ [who] excused himself by saying that for three months he had been flying over the earth †¦ to see if there was any land that did not acknowledge the king's authority. † The bird reports he has discovered a fertile land to the east ruled by the Queen of Sheba and Solomon, intrigued, sends the bird back to the queen with a letter requesting her presence at his court. The queen wrote back, sending presents, and undertook the voyage to Jerusalem in three years-although the journey normally required seven years-spurred by her desire to pose riddles to Solomon.Solomon answers correctly, proving his wisdom to the powerful queen. An Islamic Convert The Islamic legend of the Queen of Sheba, or Bilqis (alternatively, Balkis) as she is known in the Arabian tradition, stems from these short Jewish narratives. The story of the Queen's appearance at Solomon's court in the Islamic holy text, The Qu'ran, follows a thread similar to that of the Book of Esther. In Chapter 27 of the Qu'ran, a messenger bird declared: â€Å"I have come to thee from Saba with sure tidings.I found a woman ruling over all of them; she has been granted everything and she has a wondrous throne. I found her and her worshipping the sun, instead of Allah. † The passage further explains that Satan has led the queen and her subjects away from Allah, and Solomon, thinking to test this assertion, sends the bird back to the queen with a letter requesting confirmation of the bird's tal e. Upon receiving the queen's response of extravagant gifts, Solomon is not satisfied and writes again, requesting her presence.The queen visits Solomon and, awed by his court, converts to the worship of Allah. Arabian legends based on the Qu'ran embellish this story to include some speculation about the queen's descent from demons and later, her possible marriage to Solomon. Solomon's advisors inform him that the queen has hairy legs; to discover the truth of this, Solomon constructs a palace with glass floors. The queen, believing the floor to be made of water, lifts her skirts, revealing her legs and feet.As Toy commented, â€Å"later Moslem writers interpreted this physical peculiarity as showing that she was of jinn descent; they constructed a romantic history of her father's marriage to a jinn maiden. † Legends also conjectured that the queen and Solomon wed during her visit to his court and had a son who succeeded to the throne of Sheba. An Ethiopian Queen This marriag e figures prominently in the Ethiopian accounts of the queen. Drawing on Jewish and Islamic traditions, the Ethiopian story of the Queen of Sheba – identified with Makeda, Queen of Ethiopia – provides the most extensive picture of the Queen.Told in the Kebra Nagast (The Glory of Kings), a 14th century compilation of regional oral histories, this version also begins with a voyage to King Solomon's court at Jerusalem. â€Å"The Queen was dumbstruck with wonder at the things that she heard from [a traveling merchant], and she pondered in her heart that she would to go to Solomon, the King,† related the Kebra Nagast, which further details her voyage from Ethiopia bringing lavish gifts to the King. During the queen's stay, Solomon became infactuated with her.Determined to have the virginal queen, Solomon extracts a promise from the queen to take nothing that belongs to him and then orders a grand banquet to be served the night before her departure. As Harold G. Marcu s detailed in A History of Ethiopia: â€Å"He directed his cook to serve the best wines to prepare the spiciest dishes, both of which happily suited Makeda. After having eaten and drunk her fill, the queen fell into a stupor, during which Solomon had jugs of water, labeled as his property, placed strategically around her sofa.When Makeda reawakened, she immediately gulped down some water, an act that permitted King Solomon to satisfy his lust. † Solomon, having afterwards dreamt that God was granting him an heir by the queen, requested that the queen send their son to Jerusalem when the boy came of age. Accordingly, the queen gave birth to a son, Ebna Hakim, who traveled to his father's court as an adolescent. In Pillars of Ethiopian History, William Leo Hansberry recorded that â€Å"Solomon †¦ was overjoyed to see his handsome and noble-minded son. Solomon did his best to persuade Ebna Hakim to remain to Jerusalem, with the intention of making him his successor; but th e young prince was deaf to his father's pleas. † Solomon thus confirmed his son as the future King of Ethiopia and gathered several of his advisors' sons to return with Ebna Hakim and assist him during his rule. This group refused to leave Jerusalem without the legendary Ark of the Covenant-the chest reputed to contain the original tablets of the Ten Commandments sent to Moses by God, among other religious artifacts-and so, stole the Ark.As Marcus commented, â€Å"The larceny was apparently approved by God, who levitated the youths and their holy cargo across the Red Sea before discovery and chase by Solomon's forces. † To this day, Ethiopian tradition places the Ark in the northern Ethiopian city Axum. When the queen died in the mid-10th century BCE, her son rose to the Ethiopian throne as Emperor Menilek I. This Solomonic Dynasty ruled Ethiopia for much of the next 2000 years; the last emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Sellassie, claimed descent from Solomon and the queen th rough Menilek. A Lasting LegacyAs these varied accounts show, the Queen of Sheba has fascinated and inspired numerous cultures for nearly 3000 years. The lack of any verifiable details of her life does not seem to inspire doubt about her existence. As Nicholas Clapp commented in Sheba: Through the Desert in Search of the Legendary Queen, â€Å"Her encounter with King Solomon must have happened †¦ because as biblical tales go, it was so dull. She shows up; she's awed; she's crestfallen; she leaves. Nobody is led in or out of temptation, is distraught or gets killed; there is no evident moral message.The story had the earmarks of a day-in, day-out formal court record †¦ [this is] reinforced by passages immediately preceding and following the Sheba story, passages that dwell on Solomon's prowess in foreign affairs. † Instead of being ignored due to its brevity, the bare narrative given in the Old Testament has served as ample fodder for fanciful stories and modern scho larly and popular speculation about the relationship between the wealthy, intelligent queen and the religious, wise King Solomon.Centuries after her death, the Queen of Sheba still rules over the imaginations of people both within and far beyond the boundaries of her ancient kingdom. Books Clapp, Nicholas, Sheba: Through the Desert in Search of the Legendary Queen, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001 Holy Bible, American Bible Society, 1978. Kebra Negast, trans. Miguel F. Brooks, The Red Sea Press, Inc. 1996. Marcus Harold G. , A History of Ethiopia, University of California Press, 1994. Qu’ran, trans. Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, Interlink Publishing Group-Olive Branch Press, 1997. Shah, Tahir, In Search of King Solomon’s Mines, Arcade Publishing, 2002.

Traditional Femininity vs Modern Femininity in Indian Cinema Research Paper

Traditional Femininity vs Modern Femininity in Indian Cinema - Research Paper Example The appearance of this concept is possible to connect with a reinterpretation of an old Indian myth about Goddess Durga. Exploring Asian culture, traditions, customs, and moral values is a complicated and a demanding task. Art still remains one of the most reliable sources of such information throughout centuries. Indian culture seems exotic and inaccessible to the rest of the planet, and cinema is only capable to open slightly the curtain to the Indian world. Bollywood movies can also be considered a good source of images, moral values, and cultural perceptions of the Indian nation. However, they are sometimes blamed for being too corrupt and public-oriented (Dudrah 32). Vijai Mishra states that Indian movies produced in Mumbai can be used as retransformation of the most ancient Indian epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana (128). Both works have the issue of dharma revealing, the notion which embraces responsibilities, morality, universal harmony, justice. Dharma violation has a direct influence on femininity construction, which has resulted in Indian movies of Bollywood. Corruption and violation of dharma necessarily result in adharma, which requires restoration as it bears disharmony. Following the changes of the woman image in Hindi movies, it is possible to reveal that perception of a woman has changed from a â€Å"new woman† to a â€Å"goddess†. Strange enough the heroines still support patriarchal values and stick to traditional views as traditions are essential for the Indian world perception (Stromquist 127). Until the 1970s a woman was mostly pictured regarding her relation to a man in Indian cinema. Thus, a woman was primarily a wife, a mother, and a daughter. This woman had to accept traditional values, be submissive, obedient, and able to sacrifice herself for a man. The role of â€Å"mother† in Indian films was also one of the most prominent (Erndl 3). A mother is perceived as an endless source of love, patience, and protection.  

Identify a corporate situation that could disturb you as a manager Essay

Identify a corporate situation that could disturb you as a manager. Evaluate the situation and use marketing research methodolo - Essay Example It also stages quarterly fashion shows to showcase their new styles of children’s clothes. The company explored internet and social media advertising to boost their sales and indeed, sales increased more than 100% in just one year. The report shows evidence that advertising through Google ads, Facebook, Twitter and other internet websites can be very effective marketing strategies to gain more profits for a small business such as Twinkles Children’s Gear. ... This development provides much hope for small and medium enterprises to widen their exposure and reach a bigger market. Twinkles Children’s Gear is a small enterprise that sells customized clothes for aged children (7-12 years). Established in 2010, it is a relatively new company that has thrived on traditional marketing to sell their products. They stage fashion shows in hotels to show their new line of clothes on a quarterly basis and advertise these shows in local newspapers, posters and distributing leaflets in local shops, fast food outlets, schools, clinics and establishments catering to children and their parents. The manager of the business found the advertising strategies too time consuming and inconvenient and even encountered difficulty in securing permits for signage. Hence, they were ambivalent in posting signs everywhere to advertise their business. At the same time, expenses in staging fashion shows were getting higher. This pushed them to explore internet adver tising to supplement their present marketing strategies. Traditional advertising methods brought them more business as it was able to stir up interest from customers that it kept them coming back or calling for more information regarding show dates, studio location, new styles, etc. When they began exploring the internet as a possible platform for marketing, they found out that possibilities were endless. Upon setting up their first website, they were able to direct their potential customers to it for more in-depth information. At the end of the same year, they promoted their website with Google ads by paying for web hits. This caused traffic on their site to dramatically increase

Assignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Assignment 1 - Essay Example One of the key individual who has highlighted the importance of capitalism in his research is Adam Smith who proposed the theory of the invisible hand (Wilber 1998, 7). According to his theory there is a hand that cannot be seen but is guiding a particular economy to achieve the purpose of common good. According to his concept, the government does not have to intervene in the market and the market is regulated itself and this concept is similar to the concept of laissez faire. Strengths Those economists who are considered as liberalist and capitalist in nature are of the idea that the economy under liberalism is ruled by eight basic tenants (Davis 2008, 5). The initial tenant of liberalism and capitalism is that people operate to safeguard their own interest and to achieve their own aims and objectives before considering the interest of others. The second element of liberalism is that market is place where buyers and sellers meet each other in order to exchange goods and services. Th e third element of liberalism is that everyone has a free will to own property and assets should be privatized and not controlled by the government. The fifth element of this kind of economy is that market is governed and guided by the forces of competition. In order to achieve this element of liberalism, the sellers in the market have to operate in such a way that they compete with each other to attract more and more consumers and in order to attract more consumers they compete through the tools of pricing and they try to utilize their resources in the most efficient manner. The sixth basic element of liberalism is that all individuals are free to choose for whom they are going to work and they can even choose the markets they are willing to serve. The seventh element of liberalism is that consumers are the most important part of the market. This principle is in line with Adam Smith’s idea of consumer sovereignty and the consumer is the decider of the number and kind of reso urces that will be used to produce a product and when this production will occur and for whom the production will be conducted. The last element of this form of economy is that government should not intervene in market operations and let the forces of demand and supply dictates the operations of the market. Another major figure who promoted the idea of liberalism and who himself was a believer of liberalism was John Maynard Keynes of the 20th century (Heinberg 2011, 38). According to his believes, the government should not intervene in a particular economy and they have minimum amount of role to play in the market that are created in foreign and local regions. This concept can clearly be witnessed in the BWS (Bretton Woods System) that was witnessed after the era of WWII. A major part of the BWS was the Keynesian Compromise according to which involvement of the state is limited to the operations of their local markets and their involvement is unnecessary in international market oper ations (Bordo 1993, 158). Those economists who are considered as liberals even support the hegemonic stability theory and they assert that market operations that are international in nature are more stabilized if there is presence of hegemon. Hegemon is a term used to refer to the elite or the dominant one who has the power to make

Business Synoptic FA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Business Synoptic FA - Essay Example On the other hand, accounting for decision making is that aspect of a company in which a business firm takes strategic perspectives and decides on issues related to its successful operation. This following model is developed for determining a relationship between strategic management and accounting for decision making with the perspective of the case study of Nestle. The aspects based on the linkage between two modules are as follows: For understanding the model precisely, it is essential to review certain aspects of strategic management. In this paragraph the concepts of strategic management will be discussed. There are certain key activities in a process of strategic management that has been found to be relevant in the perspective of Nestle’s actions towards strategy formulation. The first activity deals with a situation analysis of organisational environment that includes operational activities of the company, inclusive of internal resources along with stakeholders. The sec ond important activity deals with establishment of strategic direction. The strategic direction is reflected in vision and mission statements of the organisation. Based on the analysis of situation and review of the organisation’s vision and mission, certain specific strategies are formulated. The strategies are formulated with respect to ultimate objectives of the organisation. ... Another module, accounting for decision making is also needs to be taken up for understanding the model. In this paragraph, the concept of accounting for decision making relevant to the development of the model will be discussed. The foremost activity that Nestle has taken prior to deciding on the entry strategy in emerging markets is related to clarification of decision problem. The decision problem is highly related to strategic alternatives selected for strategic management. The selection of alternatives is based on decision problem and is directly related to the perspectives of strategic management. Development of decision model is undertaken with the objective of selecting one best alternative. The decision model is crucial for collection of data and by analysing the collected data one best alternative is chosen (Accounting Education, 2011). The relationship between the two modules, strategic management and accounting for decision making will be presented through discussion in t his paragraph. In developing the relationship between concepts of two modules with respect to decision making in Nestle case study, certain important aspects of the case have to be taken into account. Nestle has to build up a comprehensive decision model that would satisfy its objectives. In the above model, relationship between concepts of two modules has been presented, which is relevant for the successful functioning of the organisation. Steps followed in the strategic management are crucially related towards development of decision model. On the basis of the model developed, ultimate single alternative can be chosen. The relationship between

Capital Asset Pricing Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Capital Asset Pricing Model - Essay Example The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) is a liaison involving risk and return on a portfolio of investments. Sharpe, William F (1964, pp. 425-442) formulated the CAPM hypothesis. It is the groundwork of modern finance which puts forward that the risk premium of a single asset is equal to its beta times the risk premium of the market portfolio on the whole. Beta computes the level of inter-movement of the asset's return and the total return on the entire market portfolio of an investor. Put differently, beta measures the organized risk of an asset which is nothing but the quantity of risk and it cannot be spread. Frank J. Fabozzi and Harry Markowitz (2002, p.67) define CAPM as "The anticipated return for an asset according to CAPM is equal risk free rate plus a risk premium". They further state that "even though the idea is not true it does not mean that the constructs introduced by the theory are not important. Constructs introduced in the development of theory include the notion of a market portfolio, systematic risk, diversifiable risks and beta." The entire movement of the market is enlarged with stocks which possess betas greater than 1.0. Stocks which have betas between 0 and 1.0 are inclined to go in the same route as the market. Certainly, the market is the collection of all stocks, and hence the standard stock has a beta of 1.0 Risk is best adjudicated in the context of a portfolio of securities. Part of the ambiguity about a sureties return is branched out when security is sorted with other assets in a portfolio. It can be said that diversification is the best for the investors undoubtedly. This does not entail that business firms have to diversify. Corporate variegation is superfluous if capitalists can broaden on their personal account. Frank J Fabozzi and Pamela P Peterson (2003, p 299) state that "Though it lacks realism and is difficult to apply, the CAPM makes some sense regarding the role of diversification and the type of risks we need to consider in investment decisions." When an asset does contain a factor of market risk, CAPM submits that it should make a risk premium impartial to the sum of market risk mused in the asset. If the fundamental market has an amount of return vagueness, it can be assumed that the market return will be greater than the risk gratis return. This is the surplus market return. To obtain the additive surplus return, the marked is levered with the market return either up or down by the level of market risk disclosure intrinsic in the asset (Bruce J Feible, 2003, p. 192). The most frequently used gauge of risk or unpredictability in finance is standard deviation. This is because 'the return on a portfolio is a weighted average of the returns of individual assets'

Project Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Project Management - Assignment Example The paper "Project Management" investigates project management. This are all signs of the poor or no project management. However, it seems unfair that all the burden of failure falls on a single person Project Manager but it is how and why the project are managed to address the real life issues to bring betterment to humanity. Project can fail, even with the best intentions, if not planned and managed properly. Besides, unprecedented situations can occur if the project manager and his team have not carried out a thorough risk management planning. These reasons signify the importance of the project management and consequences of initiating a project without such efforts. Project Management Institute in its PMBOK defines a project as â€Å"a temporary endeavor with a beginning and a definite end that creates a unique product, service or results and is progressively elaborated†. Lawson and Gray highlight major characteristics of a project as: Defined and clear objective; Definite and recognized starting and end; Involvement of other departments, professionals and experts; Unique as never done before; Has requirements of time, cost, scope and performance. Project management is an effort to produce the desired results or deliverables in a number of varied ways of execution all reaching towards the end objectives. Project management includes clearly defining objectives, establishing requirements, managing conflicting resource priorities, balancing the requirements of challenging stakeholders. and team members while endeavoring to achieve cohesion towards common purpose. Managing projects in a systematic way result in cost effectiveness, mitigation and elimination of risks involved, higher productivity towards accomplishing the desired end objectives. These benefits necessitate a well-structured and scientific approach towards managing the project without which organization would find is difficult to meet the multifaceted challenges presented by the modern era of globalization. Without such an approach, it would be impossible for organizations to manage and deliver the project within defined and agreed upon constraints of time, cost, quality and scope in current competitive business environment. In more simple words, there is a requirement of established framework that is well recognized and agreed upon. In this context, organizations can benefit from the sequenced activities and task dependencies identified in the PMBOK and other related journals to create a structured approach to project management by achieving control over project environment, ensuring the end project deliverables while managing the triple constraints. Triple constraints are the competing and challenging requirement of time, scope and cost demanding a high priority on project manager’s to do list. The absence of such a structured approach would lead organizations in a volatile and disordered situation where they would have little or no control. Project managemen t is a vast topic and is difficult to concisely provide all the definitions, terms and terminologies within few pages. It is critical to understanding that project management provides organizations with a structured framework of

The advantages and disadvantages of stratgy alliance Essay

The advantages and disadvantages of stratgy alliance - Essay Example This is achieved through various strategies including forming joint ventures, licensing etc. for example, in Pharma industry, firms tend to issue licenses in various different markets where they may not have the direct physical presence of their manufacturing and selling facilities but their brands may be selling into those markets through licensing and distribution of their products. 3) Forming Strategic alliances provide organizations to create synergies for each other so that resources can be better utilized at their most feasible cost to the organization. By utilizing the more efficient resources of other organizations, firms tend not to achieve only the synergies but also a chance to effectively utilize and take advantage of the resources of their strategic partners. 4) Making Strategic alliances at the global level provide opportunity to the firms to transfer distinctive competencies. As discussed above that the organizations in order to expand and realize it’s potentially, try to take advantage of the distinctive competencies of their strategic partners. 5) By making strategic alliances, organization tends to obtain more access to the capital. Since associating themselves with the firms that have more access to the resources therefore can provide organizations a better and more liquid form of financial resources to tap. (Rushika) 6) Alliances help organizations to exploit vertical markets. By doing so the organizations tend to align themselves vertically also in order to ensure various strategic options. These options can include securing the strategic flow of raw materials to the organization, effective flow of technology and labor etc. (Casseres) 7) Making alliances allow firms to develop new technologies. Since with the help of alliances, firms tend to utilize the services of each other and hence the technologies therefore it provide firms an opportunity to develop new

Asia Pacific Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Asia Pacific Business - Assignment Example Rationalization involves the adoption of techniques that can lead to efficient production of the capital goods. Japan has a tradition of a high savings rate, and a low consumption rate. During the periods of growth, the Japanese government used these savings for purposes of constructing roads, and infrastructures (Lye, 2010). In 1990s, this surplus savings became a structural impediment to the growth of Japan (Asher, Newman and Snyder, 2002). There was a severe slump in its demand, causing the Japanese economy to stagnate. The support of various interest groups by LDP made it fail to implement various measures aimed at improving the economy. This includes, failing to implement reforms that could tackle non-performing loans (Lye, 2010). Lack of good leadership led to development of ineffective policies such as the consumption tax of 1997. These taxes led to an increase in prices of commodities, leading to stagnation in growth (Menkhoff, 2010). The Japanese complex economic structure led to its economic stagnation. The symbiotic relationships between the ministry of finance and other cooperation’s between its jurisdictions have contributed to the stagnation of its economy (Lye, 2010). There is also little transparency in the economic affairs of the state. It is possible to use technology in agricultural development (Rowley, 2007). It will enable farmers improve their produce, hence feeding the nation. For example, the use of green houses to produce fruits, and vegetables. Technology helps in the creation of jobs. This is mainly because the government will employ new people in the vacancies brought forth by these technologies. For example, technological innovations in the mobile phone industry will create jobs in the

Kudler’s Strategic Plan Essay Example for Free

Kudler’s Strategic Plan Essay The mission statement should be a clear and succinct representation of the enterprises purpose for existence (BRS Center for Business Planning, 2010). Kudler Fine Foods mission statement is to supply the finest assortment of their wines and foods with a knowledgeable support staff. Vision Kudler Fine Foods vision highlights their image for the future and their motivation. The gourmet grocery store’s vision is to sustain superior and quality foods, at competitive prices, with friendly service. Values Statements The values statement provides boundaries on how such success will be achieved and establishes a covenant you ask all stakeholders to accept by answering the question: â€Å"How will we behave as we pursue success?† (Magus Consulting, 2010). The value statement of Kudler Fine Foods focuses on employee’s dedication, high standards, and cleanliness. Their employees and customers are priority and Kudler provides the means to inspire employees, which in maintain long-term relationships with customers. Environmental scan Kudler Fine Foods performed an SWOT analysis scan to determine the company’s new strategies. To conduct the analysis, the company conducts SWOT analysis to establish its current conditions. Strengths Kudler Fine Foods is small, customer-oriented organization in which the owner, Kathy Kudler, interacts with staff members weekly. The company offerings include a wide variety of quality fruits, vegetables, wines, and cheeses. In addition, the stores are in excellent economic regions where customers can afford the prices. Furthermore, the firm has repeat customers, which demonstrates that the company has an impeccable reputation and high customer satisfaction (Apollo Group, Inc., 2007). Weaknesses Kudler Fine Foods sells mostly perishable foods, and about 12% of the stock is removed from the shelves to ensure freshness, which also results in waste and lost profits. In addition, the stores have high payrolls associated with specialty positions and small management that makes managing, ordering, and maintaining inventory difficult for the owner. Kathy is managing all the stores, ordering supplies, and maintaining inventory. A management model in which Kathy performs all major activities limits growth and represents a risk because if she became ill, she would not have a replacement, which would have a negative impact on store operations (Apollo Group, Inc., 2007). Kudler’s Fine Foods External Analysis Opportunities Kudler Fine Foods has the opportunity to fulfill other market needs by including additional gourmet products to their offer such as coffee and tea, a fish counter, a deli counter, among others. This horizontal expansion of the business will attract new customers and increase the share of wallet from current customers. Other expansion opportunities for Kudler Fine Foods include the consolidation and growth of the catering business and the entrance to the e-market by offering delivery of gourmet products and ordering of catering services. The Internet is usually a lower cost channel given that fewer employees are needed to maintain it and to drive an increase of the customer base. Finally, the most obvious growth opportunity for the company relies in geographic expansion. Opening more stores in the California area and in other states is a possibility for Kudler Fine Foods if they can increase their management capabilities. (Apollo Group, Inc., 2007). Threats Kudler Fine Foods, like other businesses, faces threats relative to the economic conditions of the region in which it operates. The market for gourmet products is very sensitive to economic downturn because consumption of such items usually responds to desire rather than necessity. Current unstable weather conditions and natural disasters (like earthquakes) due to global warming also pose a threat of increased costs of produce if it affects local producers that supply Kudler Fine Foods. Other threats come from direct and indirect competition. If competitors choose to expand geographically or to extend their product lines to include the products Kudler Fine Foods today provides, this expansion could have a negative impact on the company’s bottom line. Another threat could be that traditional supermarkets are expanding their offers to include organic products and some gourmet items. Traditional supermarkets usually have higher bargaining power, which allows them to offer lower prices, and they have the advantage of covering a wide rage of needs in a same location. (Apollo Group, Inc., 2007). Review of the individual strategies from Week Four and a recommendation for the best strategy for Kudler see strategies below (in pink) and choose best strategy Strategic Plan Kudler’s strategic plan involves increasing efficiency of their management and employees. Firms that implement the strategy of operational excellence typically restructure their delivery processes to focus on efficiency and reliability, and use state-of-the art information systems that emphasize integration and low-cost transactions (Pearce Robinson, 2009). Kudler Fine Foods requires exceptional customer service because the store is a customer-oriented. Companies excelling in customer intimacy combine detailed customer knowledge with operational flexibility. They respond quickly to almost any need, from customizing a product to fulfilling special requests to create customer loyalty (Pearce Robinson, 2009). Therefore, their strategic plan will include ways to retain their customers, as customers are the most important to their bottom-line. Concentrated Growth Strategy Kudler Fine Foods should consider the concentrated growth strategy. According to Pearce and Robinson (2009), the concentrated growth strategy is the least risky grand strategy. Successful implementation of a concentrated growth strategy would increase KFF’s market penetration. Smaller companies such as Kudler Fine Foods with limited resources can increase market position with a concentrated growth strategy. In addition, this strategy can help KFF to increase the number of repeat customers and their usage rates (Pearce Robinson, 2009). However, this strategy does entail some risks. These risks include changes in the economy, possible slow market growth, vulnerability to high opportunity cost related to alternative strategic approaches, and the probability of financial losses by KFF related to poor forecasts (Pearce Robinson, 2009). Product development focused on new products Kudler could develop Product development is the process of creating a new product to be sold by a business or enterprise to its customers. A product can be any item from a book, musical composition, or information service. The task of developing outstanding new products is difficult, time-consuming, and costly. However, quality products are not simply designed, but instead they evolve over time through hours of research, analysis, design studies, engineering and prototyping efforts, and finally, testing, modifying, and re-testing until the design has been perfected (Riley, 2009). Kudler Fine Foods is already a supplier of gourmet food and adding coffee products to the company’s selection would put them another step ahead of the competition. â€Å"Demand for both coffee and coffee â€Å"drinks† is so high that recent surveys estimate that coffeehouses alone sold $8.3 billion in coffees and coffee drinks and that amount is expected to reach almost $19 billion by 2011, according the Specialty Coffee Association of America. It reports that the United States coffee industry has grown almost 50% from $7.76 billion in 2000 to more than $11 billion in 2005 and the figures keep climbing† (Rosen, n.d., p.1). The type of coffee products that Kudler Fine Foods could market is gourmet coffee, flavored coffee, and decaf coffee. Differentiation and customer responsiveness Another alternative strategy that Kudler Fine Foods may consider to realize growth would be â€Å"differentiation.† Differentiation is â€Å"designed to appeal to customers with a special sensitivity for a particular product attribute† (Pearce Robinson, 2009, p. 204). † Differentiation assists in building loyalty with customers as well as it enables an organization to charge a â€Å"premium† for its products and services (Pearce Robinson, 2009). Differentiation helps separate a brand from others and build a reputation for â€Å"excellence† (Pearce Robinson, 2009). Kudler may use differentiation to separate itself from competitors and help build its reputation, which would result in increased customer loyalty and would appeal to those customers seeking for specific attributes. Kudler may couple this strategy with â€Å"customer intimacy,† which tailoring products and services that fit customers (Pearce Robinson, 2009). â€Å"Customer intimacy† assumes certain degree of knowledge about customers and the flexibility to make necessary adjustments. This long-term approach is designed to satisfy customers. Because Kudler is a relatively small operation with centralized management, it has the flexibility and the resources to grow to know its customers and build the kind of relationships that will result in lifetime customers. Market development by adding a sales channel Kudler Fine Foods has been successful in marketing its products through several stores where customers can choose and buy gourmet products. As revealed in the company’s SWOT analysis, the superior selection of a variety of products has been a critical strength to support such growth. According to Pearce and Robinson (2009), â€Å"market development allows firms to leverage some of their traditional strengths.† In this proposed strategic alternative Kudler Fine Foods can use its excellent selection of products to appeal to an even larger base of customers by selling its products through the Internet. Online sales have presented two digit growth rates in the past four years (Greene, 2009). Internet can be considered a cheaper channel to drive growth given that it requires less capital investment than opening a new location and it reaches a larger base of customers. Advertising in other media Other strategic option includes advertising with newspapers, a local radio station or television advertisement. Placing a weekly ad in a local newspaper, KFF will become a known brand for fine gourmet in the Del Mar area. Because the advertisement will be in a local paper, it pinpoints the target market and reduces costs. Kathy should advertise on the radio during peak hours her free cheese samples and wine meetings. If the cheese, dairy, and wine areas are in the front of the store, Kathy should consider placing it near the back. The goal is to compel consumers to walk around the KFF store to see their products before arriving at the cheese and wine area. Another way to market Kudler is through television. Because Kudler is selling locally, expensive commercials will work against them. By using a local advertiser, the intended message will be seen by consumers in that particular demographic area. Costs will be minimal because advertising in local newspapers, radio, and television will be done locally. Implementation Plan: Create a WBS and Gantt chart for the new strategy. Include objectives, functional tactics, action items, milestones, tasks, resource allocation, and a deadline. In addition, analyze the key success factors for plan implementation. Include cash budget for the implementation plan and forecasted financials for Kudler. I did this last week, but I was not sure if I did this correctly. See excel spreadsheet Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Incorporating a work breakdown structure will assist KFF in their efforts to assign responsibilities and manage time. Currently Kathy is responsible for each department and which takes away her time from other managerial duties. The WBS has four sections, planning and supervision, inventory management, staff management, and marketing. Planning and supervision refers to how Kathy will operate Kudler Fine Foods. Kathy will make plans, verify the budgets, and meet with shift-supervisors for each department. Inventory management is crucial for a gourmet grocery store. Forecasting sales will help reduce chances of ordering too much food. A customer count can be incorporated by issuing savings cards so customers can attach to his or her key ring. This device not only tracks what customers are purchasing but also their geographic location. Food count will let shift-supervisors know how much food should be ordered every two days. Food management must be accurate because KFF offers the freshest foods and ordering too much food will cost the company. Kathy has to manage her staff so that she is not over or understaffed. Because there are six sections to KFF, there should be at least three employees in each department. Employees should strategically be placed in their area of strength. For example, an employee with excellent math skills, they should be placed on the register. In addition, the employees should be cross-trained in the event of someone taking leave. Shift-supervisors are also responsible for coordinating employee’s schedules. Marketing for a gourmet store is chief to earning sales. Kathy has to study the local businesses, schools, stores, and understand who the competitors are. This understanding will assist in becoming more profitable and peaking customer’s interests. Once Kathy is aware of the other factors, it is easier to strategize. In addition, considering holidays and vacations will alert Kathy of when to expect crowds and order more inventory. To continue to attract customers, Kathy should continue to offer free samples on Saturdays. Once a potential customer is interested, he or she has a higher chance of coming into the store and spending. A guest check average will assist with ordering inventory because the average calculates the number of customers divided by the money spent in the store.

Volkswagens International Marketing Strategy

Volkswagens International Marketing Strategy Companys snapshot: Volkswagen is a German automobile company. It operates as a manufacturer and distributor of automobile parts in the Global automotive industry. One of its subsidiaries is the Volkswagen of America that is based in United States. The Groups principal activities are to design, manufacture and distribution of cars and other vehicles worldwide. These activities are carried out through two divisions: Namely Automobile and Financial services. The Automobile division involves development of vehicles and engines, as well as the production and sale of passenger cars, commercial vehicles, trucks and buses. The Financial division involves dealer and customer financing, leasing, Banking and insurance services, rentals and fleet management. Overview of Volkswagen Group of Companies: It leads the continent as the Europes number one car maker. The Companys major production line include Volkswagen Passenger car, Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Lamborghini, Bugatti and Bentley ranges of vehicles. The Companys major emphasis is on increasing its focus on core business, profitability and reducing the production cost. In order to achieve this it is considering divesture of non core business segments and adapting many Modular strategies in the process of production and introduction of new models. Company at a Glance: Major Industry: Automotive Industry. Sub Industry: Diversified Automotive Mfrs. 2008 Sales: 113,808,000,000 (Year Ending Jan 2009). Employees: 357,207. Market Cap: 30,656,317,749. Share Type: Stammaktie. Stock Data: Current Price (12/30/2009): 76.58 In Euro. Revenue generated in the year 2008: 113.808 BLN EUR. History: It was setup in 1930 by Ferdinand Porshe in Germany and was known as Porshe Buro. In early 1930s German Automotive industry was mainly involved in making Luxury cars. And so an average German could only afford nothing more than a motorcycle. In 1934 Ferdinand Porshe was commissioned by Adolph Hitler to build a small inexpensive car. He required a basic vehicle that could transport two adults and three children. And this vehicle would be available to all at the price of a motorcycle. On 22 June 1934 Ferdinand Porshe agreed to create a Peoples Car for Hitler. There were many changes including better fuel efficiency, reliability, ease of use, and economically efficient repairs and parts. The prototypes of the car in the form of KDF-Wagen started appearing from 1936. this car had its peculiar round shape and air-cooled, flat-four, rear-mounted engine. Only a handful of cars were made before the second world war started, that is in 1936. The post war existence of the Company owed to a British major Ivan Hirst. He indented to dismantle the Company and ship it to Britain as no car manufacturer was interested in the Company as it lacked the fundamental requirements. The Company survived by producing the cars for British Army. Volkswagens were first sold in America in 1949. And even though these models were universally known as Beetle, the Company never officially named it, instead it was referred as Type 1. During 1960s and 1970s the car was becoming outdated the Company introduced several Type 3 and Type 4 models. It differed from the previous models notably with the introduction of monocoque/unibody construction, the option of a fully automatic transmission, electronic fuel injection, and a sturdier power plant. In 1964, Volkswagen succeeded in purchasing Auto Union, and in 1969, Motorenwerke AG (NSU). VW ultimately merged Auto Union and NSU to create the modern day Audi company. Companys mission statement: Provide a quality product. Create a safe environment. Enhance productivity. Eco Friendliness. Volkswagen projects: The engineers at Volkswagen are constantly trying to develop new fuel efficient Models which have very less fuel emission and offer great performance. It is involved in developing many fuel efficient vehicles such as BlueMotion Models, alternate powertrain technology and supporting many other projects for environmentally sound driving. Golf BlueMotion is the example of the most fuel efficient vehicle created by them with CO2 emissions less than 107g/kg. Volkswagen is one of the company to become the member of Business and Biodiversity Initiative. Where ever possible they use recycled and recyclable materials and most eco friendly methods of construction. They are constantly working on developing vehicles which are fuel efficient and which have minimum impact on the environment. The company is engaged in many research projects relating to biotopes, the environment and protection of the species and supports research programs. Marketing Strategy: Volkswagen mainly uses Double Marketing in order to position its brand. Double marketing mainly means running multiple campaigns at different places carrying different messages simultaneously. Initially coke was the only company that tried this because of their huge Budget by engaging different ad agencies and pitting them against each other.At times there were different campaigns that were put up at the same time. But they didnt really work together. In the time period of last few months they have launched campaigns such as Unpimp my ride to prevent the modifications done by people and for design control, theobeying your fast for the GTI as well as the safe happens jarring TV ad spots for the Jetta. The Companys major emphasis is on easier availability of its products. And to make that possible it has around 44 sites all over the world. That gives them the Geographical advantage. As they can reach the demands of their customers and even provide a good after sales service through their service centres. Its major marketing strategy is branding its products into different segments of production lines. Its brands go from Skoda (economically priced family vehicles) to Rolls Royce. Use of Latest Technology: Blueprinting is the latest technology used by them. Blueprinting is the science of engine rebuilding. At times the engine becomes rigid and there is often disturbance during the start of the engine. This is due to incorrect shimming, vibration from poorly balanced cranks, rough low speed running from valve clearances being too large, so generally speaking there is a lot of room for improvement. Careful measuring, fitting and balancing are the main steps involved in Blueprinting. This enhances the performance of the engine providing fuel economy and dependability. In simple words the engine becomes brand new. After Blueprinting the Gear shifting feels very positive and the vibrations will be nullified aiding Longitivity. Volkswagens Closest Competitors: Ford, Toyota, Mercedes and General Motors are the major competitors. Out of which Volkswagen claims that Toyota is its major competitors. Company Sales Revenue (Year 2008) Loss (%) General Motors $148,979Billion 8% Ford $146277Billion  Ã‚  Ã‚   11% Mercedes $23.8Billion 7% Toyota $204352Billion 8% Volkswagen made a profit of about 1.2 Billion in the year 2008. Their sales revenue was 113.808 BLN SWOT Analysis: Volkswagen AG Strengths Strong Market Share: As it leads the continent as the number one car maker, it holds a strong reputation in the market. Due to this its stock value cannot be brought down easily. Strong RD Activities: This is a major advantage over its competitors. They are always inquisitive of finding some alternate technology which make vehicles more fuel efficient and decrease the emissions ensuring a better environment. Strong Brand Equity: It holds a strong brand value as people are aware of each and every Brand owned by them. And those stand among the top brands amongst others in the industry. Geographic Diversification: As it has 44 sites all over the world, it can meet up the demand of the consumers over every product. Strong Growth Prospects: They should continue to live up to the reputation created by them in the Automotive industry. Volkswagen AG Weakness Limited Liquidity Position: As they have a huge capital invested in Research and development and promoting other projects they have limited liquidity position. Declining Market Share in Sector Volkswagen AG Opportunities Strategic Alliances: Volkswagen from the very beginning started forming alliances with other companies. The Brand such as Audi was formed by merging of Volkswagen with Auto Union and Nsu. Demand for Fuel Efficient and Hybrid Vehicles: There has always been an increase in demand of better fuel efficient vehicles with very low emissions. So if they continue to meet the demands through their Research and development they can survive in the emerging market. Growth Opportunities in Emerging Markets: Using their knowledge and efficiency in finding new technology which can be used in the engines, for example Blueprinting technology, they can always have a strong position in the market. Volkswagen AG Threats Intense Competition: There are many companies which are providing a good competition in terms of market share. Last year Volkswagen claimed that Toyota is its biggest competitor. Global Economic Slow Down: Due to recession there has been a very stiff competition among the companies as there has been very limited demand in the automobile sector. Stricter Emission Standards: Due to the advancement of technology there has been a demand of very low emissions and to some extent the companies have been able to meet up the demand, so the emission standards get stricter and stricter each time a new technology comes up. Conclusion: Volkswagen is successful mainly because of manufacturing automobile parts, rather than waiting for the manufacture of a new car and launching it. Most of the major brands that they own were purchased by them. People were to some extent aware of those brands. But they did not hold much bigger market value. References: Volkswagen Chronicle Volkswagen Beetle History 1938 to 2003 Jpost.com www.rememusem.com Volkswagens American assembly plant Rumors.automobilemag.com Companiesandmarkets.com Corporate information snapshots IBISWorld Institute for Sustainability and Technology Polic Articlesbase/Volkswagen Gti, Automobile Magazines Car of the Year CJS Racing South West http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/1161/volkswagen-steals-toyotas-crown-as-worlds-largest-automaker/ Was Hitlers Beetle designed by a Jew? | Jewish Features | Jerusalem Post. Jpost.com. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1251804553863pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull. Retrieved 2009-10-07. Volkswagen to Shut U.S. Plant. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE7D6113DF932A15752C1A961948260. Retrieved 2008-05-17. VW picks Tenn. for its 1st US car plant since 88. Bloomberg News Volkswagen to take a 42.0 percent stake in Porsche AG. Taume News. 2009-08-14. http://news.taume.com/World-Business/Business-Finance/Volkswagen-to-take-a-42-0-percent-stake-in-Porsche-AG-11861. Retrieved 2009-01-22. Todd Kaho (2007-10-01). Volkswagen Pushes for Development of Clean Diesels. Green Car Journal. http://www.greencar.com/articles/volkswagen-pushes-development-clean-diesels.php. Retrieved 2009-04-19. VW revs up its clean-diesel technologies. Oct.11, 2007, mlive.com May 3, 2008

The Italian Renaissance Art Period Film Studies Essay

The Italian Renaissance Art Period Film Studies Essay   The Renaissance was a cultural movement that started in Italy at the beginning of the 1400s and lasted approximately 200 years. The Renaissance period was considered a transition period from the medieval age into Early Modern Europe. The Italian Renaissance was characterized by a shift in several cultural areas, from literature to politics to religion. During the Renaissance, Italian art underwent major artistic changes from the medieval period. The Italian Renaissance became one of the most productive and innovative time periods in the industry of art in painting, sculpture and architecture. Raphael, Michelangelo and Da Vinci were the key figures that were responsible for bringing about the significant changes in themes, styles and perspective of Italian art from the medieval period. Although the cultural changes in areas such as religion, literature, and sciences were considered significant contributions to the Renaissance period, the most innovative and notable changes were ma de in the Italian art, which had taken a back seat in the middle ages because of the political unrest that was going on in Europe. Given the overwhelming changes and revival of the arts, Italian art had the most significant impact in the Renaissance that ultimately resulted in the re-birth of Europe. The late Middle Ages period which has been defined as the time period between the 1300s and early 1400s was a difficult and trying time for Europe. During this time period, Europe went through a great famine caused by severe weather conditions as well as the bubonic plague (Black Death) in the late 1340s. (C pg 534). Both of these tragedies took a huge toll in human life. In addition to these two tragedies, Europe was also dealing with social unrest, warfare and the challenges facing the Catholic Church. The arts were not deemed significantly important during these challenging times and not much advances were made in this field. However, as the end of the 14th century approached, a movement was beginning to emerge in the arts and sciences in Italy. The most obvious changes during the Renaissance period were seen in painting and sculptures. Prior to the Renaissance, most of the Italian art revolved around religious subjects and themes. However, during the Renaissance, artists started to experiment with creating non-religious subjects such as creating portraits of living persons instead of just saints. Artists became more comfortable with developing their own individual styles and challenged themselves to be innovative and try new techniques. Painters began to place more focus on the humanistic aspects of life and implemented various new techniques, including humanism and perspective, sfumato, chiaroscuro, fresco and foreshortening in order to achieve their objective of realism. Realism became a popular characteristic of Italian Renaissance. Anatomy also became of particular interest to many of the Italian Renaissance artists. The artists were also interested in depicting the human form that mirrored real life. For the first time , Renaissance artists were producing art in Italy that reflected the real world. Painters used form, color, proportion, light, shade composition and anatomy to depict human nature and reality into their artistic work creating images of real people with expressions and emotions. The Italian Renaissance was highlighted by three separate periods, each of which contained distinct aspects that contributed to the cultural re-birth of Europe. The three periods of the Renaissance were the Early Renaissance (beginning of the 1400 to late 1400s), High Renaissance (Late 1400s to early 1500s) and Late Renaissance (early 1500s to 1600). The period of the Renaissance was led by a number of artists who were intelligent, innovative and ready to delve into a new art form. The first period, known as the Early Renaissance, took place during the early 15th century. Early Renaissance art was heavily influenced by Donatello, an Italian artist and sculptor and Masaccio, an Italian painter who scholars often refer to as the leading innovator in early fifteenth century painting. (C pg 601) Donatellos artistic style and works represent the significant facets of Early Renaissance time period. Donatellos bronze statue of David, considered to be his most famous work of art, depicts a common theme of the era. David is representative of a hero, which became a staple of early renaissance art. Heroes, which were a popular aspect of the humanist movement, were commonly portrayed in works of art during this the Early Renaissance. Donatellos earlier work also depicted the idea of youthfulness which was also another popular aspect of the humanist movement. Donatello utilized the technique of bronzing, and was notorious for his bronze pieces of art, such as his life size statue of David. David also displayed a new Renaissance style that is evident in both the classical nudity and the use of the classical contrapposto (twist of the hips), as well as the boldness of interpretation. Many of Donatellos sculptures are considered breakthroughs. For example, the statue of David was the first nude statute of the Renaissance (C pg 612). Another statue of Donatello, Gattamelata (the equestrian statute of Erasmo de Narni), is considered to be one of the best proportioned sculptures ever created. (C pg 618). Donatello, who was considered to be a very keen observer of human life and behavior, was able to portray different types of figures in his work and make it them look very realistic. One of Donatellos remarkable achievements was his ability to move forward the naturalistic illusion and classical idealism in sculpture. (C pg 593). Donatello also created science of perspective through the use of bas-relief or low relief in his work where the image is projected with a shallow overall depth which allows for exploitation of perspective and obtain a dramatic effect. The earliest example of the use of relief is the base of the statute of Saint George, which is decorated with a relief of Saint George and the Dragon. In the bronze relief panel of Feast of Herod, Donatello uses central perspective space for the first time which allows for intensifying the actions and characterizations of the subjects and makes them look real. (B pg 36-37).Donatellos incorporation of Greek classical principles was evident in the marble statute of Saint Mark. In this sculpture, Donatello took a fundamental step toward displaying motion in the human figure by recognizing the principle of weight shift and stresses the movement of the arms, legs, shoulders and hips. (C pg 599) Masaccio, one of Donatellos counterparts, was considered the best painter of the Early Renaissance. He showed a great skill at recreating life-like figures and movements. Scholars often identify Masaccio as the leading innovator in early 15th century painting. Most art historians acknowledge that no other painter in history has contributed so much to the development of a new style in such a short a time as Masaccio. Masaccio was also a master of fresco technique. The frescoes Masaccio painted in Florence provide excellent examples of his innovations. One of his greatest contributions to art of fresco painting was the use of light and dark instead of lines to represent figures in his paintings which was depicted in the . (A pg 157 )He was also one of the first to use something called linear perspective in his painting using the vanishing point technique. In the painting Tribute Money, Masaccio uses chiaroscuro, an art form that uses strong contrast between light and dark to give the i llusion of deep structural relief. (C pg 603) During his career, Masaccio transformed the direction of Italian painting, by moving it away from the idealizations of Gothic art, and, for the first time, presenting it as part of a more profound, natural, and humanist world 605) The next period of the Renaissance that influenced the cultural re-birth is known as the High Renaissance. The High Renaissance lasted from the late 15th century to about 1520. The most influential artists of this time of the High Renaissance period were Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. Leonardo Da Vinci, arguably the most renowned artist in all of art history, made great, if not the greatest, contributions to the re-birth. Da Vinci often used religious themes in his paintings, which was reflective of the time and the impact religion had during this time period. During the High Renaissance time period, the Church was going through major changes as a result of the Protestant Reformation that was underway. The Protestant Reformation, which established the Protestant church in reaction to the corruption of the Catholic Church, also helped bring about the counter-reformation which established the Inquisition. The Inquisition established rules of visual imagery in the arts and tried to enforce these rules. This common theme of religion was represented throughout a majority of Leonardos paintings including two of his most famous ones, The Last Supper and Saint Jerome. The Last Supper depicted the image of Jesus and his 12 apostles seated at the altar, with Jesus in the ce nter, breaking bread. This scene is representative of when Jesus informs the apostles he has been betrayed by one of them. In this painting, Da Vinci portrayed a common theme of Italian Renaissance art, humanism. Humanism placed more emphasis on Man and less stress on God. In The Last Supper painting, Da Vinci placed more of an emphasis on Jesus Christ by placing him in the center of the painting, focusing the attention on him. Humanism attempted to attach faces or visual beings to religion, which is why there was such a rise in paintings of religious figures such as evangelists and saints. In Saint Jerome, once again the theme of religion can be seen along with the humanistic view of the time period. Saint Jerome is as close as Da Vinci came in a painting to his numerous anatomical drawings. These were a logical development of the Classical revival and the humanist view of mens centrality, beauty of form and superior intellect. In the painting, Saint Jerome is shown holding a rock with which he appears prepared to strike the lion with, showing mans dominance over animals. Saint Jerome is also very detailed which furthers the emphasis placed on man. The detail and realistic view that Da Vinci places in his art is another popular characteristic of Italian Renaissance art known as realism. Italian Renaissance artists, not just Da Vinci, all strived to attain greater realism in their works of art. Unlike the art of the 13th and early 14th centuries, the art of the Italian Renaissance appeared far more realistic. Art strayed away from the flat, stiff images of the previous ages, to more life-like figures that displayed real emotions. In order to produce this greater realism in art, artists such as Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael all used a technique known as sfumato, which literally means lost in smoke. Sfumato was an artistic technique that uses light and shade to place emphasis and some areas and defer it from other areas of lesser importance. Humanistic artists used this technique to aid in the emphasis of man in their paintings. Da Vinci combined the sfumato technique with his skill with chiaroscuro and perspective to create the mysterious smile in his most famous portrait, Mona Lisa. Michelangelo is another Italian Renaissance artist whose artistic themes and style contributed to the Renaissance being known as a period of re-birth. Michelangelo, like Da Vinci and many other artists of this time period, took a humanistic approach to his art work. Michelangelo was interested in definite form, and the human body alone seemed worthy of representation. Michelangelo aimed primarily for concentration and precise details, similar to Da Vinci, and attempted to capture emotion with every stroke of the brush. For example, in Michelangelos sculpture of David, David is depicted not with an emotionless expression on his face. Instead, David is shown with a very detailed anger, as he prepares to face Goliath, in their infamous showdown. Michelangelo is also notable for his use of the contrapposto pose, which was also reflected in the sculptures of Donatello in the Early Renaissance. One of Michelangelos famous works in which he uses the contrapposto pose, which once again is th e twisting of the hips, is his Bacchus. Bacchus is sculpted nude with a glass of wine in hand, which is representative of the fact that Bacchus is the Greek god of wine and intoxication. (Need Notation from your book) Michelangelo was not only a brilliant sculpture but also a great painter whose work was a major contributor to the Renaissance. The paints on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel are one of the most famous artwork that was created during the Renaissance. Although Michelangelo has studied painting, sculpture was where his interest was. At the request of Julius II, he agreed to paint the Sistine Chapel even though painting was not his profession. His inexperience along with the magnitude of the project were going to be a challenge, but a challenge that he quickly overcame because of his innate talents and desire to produce exceptional work. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was an enormous fresco depicting various passages from the Book of Genesis including the Creation of Adam in the ceiling and the Last Judgment at the alter. Similar to his sculptures, his paintings also focus on the human figure and its natural beauty. (C pg 648-651) Raphael, the youngest of the three great contributors to High Renaissance at, was an Italian painter and architect. Raphaels work took the artistic innovations that had been developed by Da Vinci and Michelangelo and created his own style in depicting the ideals of the Renaissance.(C pg 654) The School of Athens, one of Raphaels most famous paintings, displays the classical spirit of the High Renaissance. This painting along with three others completed along the walls of the Stanza della Segnatura room, which was the library in the papal apartment at the Vatican, show great philosophers and scientists of the ancient word coming together to discuss their theories and ideas.. Aristotle and Plato, the two great philosophers of ancient Greece, are portrayed as the key figures in these paintings. (C pg 653) In line with the realism theme of this time period, the figures in Raphaels paintings are known for their display of realistic emotions. Another characteristic of Raphaels work was the perfection and grace that he portrayed in his paintings and drawings. A theme throughout Raphaels work is the Christian devotion and pagan beauty. This theme is brought out in his series of Madonna paintings where Christian devotion and pagan beauty are brought together. In one of Raphaels best frescoes, Galatea, which Raphael based on ancient Roman poet Orvids Metamorphoses, the pagan joy and excitement is displayed praising human beauty and passionate love. (C pg 656) Raphael also excelled at portraiture. The subjects of his portraits were primarily scholars and courtiers surrounding the Pope. His portraits tended to exhibit the increasing attention that High Renaissance artists paid to the subjects personality and psyche. In addition, Raphael also revived the gods and heroes of classical times and the world they lived in, not to honor them but to transform them into art. (C pg 656) The Late Renaissance period experienced a slow down in the arts. A number of factors including political instability, the preachings of Martin Luther leading many to question the authority of the Church, and especially the Churchs response to the Luthers Protestant Reformation put a freeze on any type of Renaissance innovation. In order to protect itself against further criticism, the Church started to censor literary or artistic ambitions. The Late Renaissance movement which became known as Mannerism, represents the winding down of the Renaissance period and a departure from the ideals of the High Renaissance. The mannerist paintings, sculptures and architecture decided to challenge rules of the Renaissance and change them to a certain extent. The rules of perspective, nudity, and lighting that were developed during the High Renaissance were pushed to the side. Instead the artists of Mannerism opted to create art that showed elegance and beauty but not really realistic. (C pg 673-675) The three pioneers of Mannerism were Pontormo, Fiorentino and Bronzino. During this period, artists shifted from the realistic forms of the art completed in the High Renaissance to a more artificial form with distortions and exaggerations. In contrast to the natural, calm, and proportional art of the High Renaissance, Mannerism art was full of bizarre colors and images where figures are shown with abnormally elongated limbs and strange poses. (C pg 673-674). For example, in one of his paintings, Lamentation, Pontormo distorts the figures bodies by stretching them, exaggerating their postures and applying unreal colors. Mannerist painters also used portraiture to create sophisticated elegance.(C pg 676) Mannerism was not limited to painting. It also included sculpture and architecture. Benvenuto Cellini, a mannerist sculptor, tended to exaggerate the characteristics of his work in accordance with the rules of mannerism. This was evident in his sculpture of Genius of Fontainebleau. Similar to the Mannerism paintings, the characteristics of the sculptures also exaggerated and out of proportion.(C pg 678) The Renaissance was a period of incredible achievements and innovations in the arts. A few artists with exceptional talent, an amazing level of imagination and an ability to express themselves through their work, changed the world of art forever in a relatively short period of time. They took advantage of the opportunity that history had given them to put man and the human figure at the center of their work. The Renaissance was a time of great artistic development where painters and sculptors were discovering individualism, harmony, perspective and realism in their portrayal of human being. The Renaissance began relatively slow during the Early Renaissance but sprang into full gear during the High Renaissance waned during the Late Renaissance. Although the Renaissance was a period of major achievements in literature, philosophy and the sciences, the most dramatic accomplishments were achieved in the Arts. This period of rebirth is most and foremost associated with the artistic accomplishments of Masaccio, Donatello, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. The High Renaissance represented an outstanding pool of talent that surfaced in the same area around the same time. These artists were individual geniuses who combined classical work and realism to transform the art. They took the flat and stiff images from the previous periods and converted them into more life-like figures that displayed emotion and reality. Italian artists and sculptors were innovative, creative, ambitious, and bold. They dared to go above and beyond to achieve their goals and were determined to achieve greatness in their field. As a result of the extraordinary artistic accomplishments, Italian art had the most significant impact in the Renaissance that brought about the re-birth of Europe.

Prescience, Genetic Memory, and Personal Identity in Frank Herberts Dune Trilogy :: Frank Herbert Dune

Prescience, Genetic Memory, and Personal Identity in Frank Herbert's Dune Trilogy "Any road followed precisely to its end leads precisely nowhere.   Climb the mountain just a little bit to test that it's a mountain.   From the top of the mountain, you cannot see the mountain"(Herbert, Dune 68). –Bene Gesserit Proverb Ben Bova begins his liner notes on Frank Herbert Reads his God Emperor of Dune (Excerpts) by stating that "All truly great art shares this characteristic: the more you study it, the more it reveals" (Herbert).   Although it refers specifically to the fourth book in the Dune Chronicles, his statement also applies to the trilogy that precedes it–Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune.   Herbert's "polyphonic" work contains themes on so many levels (ecology, politics, war, philosophy, religion, and technology, just to name a few), that it soon becomes difficult to separate one from the other.   The topic of human awareness, however, takes on a specific tone and special level of importance above all the others.   Whether looking at the Bene Gesserit sisterhood and their political intrigues and planning, or the Mentat's historical role as the human computer 1 , filing away and analyzing countless bits of data, human awareness somehow always becomes a focus.   Even in th e economics of the work, where the "coin of the realm," the spice melange, is able not only to extend human life, but also to open up both past and future to the properly prepared mind, does this theme become evident. With all of his attention on the awareness of humanity, however, Herbert had more common and more difficult questions on his mind.   By creating a character, Paul Atreides, who is able to see not only into the future, but also into the past lives that made up his long list of ancestors, the questions of personal and societal identity are brought forward.   These powers, which Herbert refers to as "prescience" and "genetic memory," respectively, give Paul so much knowledge that he is no longer able to function as an individual.   He finds himself limited to certain actions because he knows the outcomes.   Once on top of the mountain, so to speak, he can no longer see where he stands.   In turn, Paul's son Leto II and daughter Ghanima, as well as his sister Alia, are also forced to deal with the issues of such knowledge in the entirely different light of "Abomination," a condition that befalls those whose inherited memories are unearthed before they are born.

Senior Citizens Should Give Retirement to Family to End Recession :: Economics Economy

Retirees over the age of sixty two in the United States are estimated by an independent financial survey to be sitting on over one trillion dollars in total assets. That money mostly lies in financial institutions gathering interest while needy family members suffer impatiently waiting for the day when it will be their inheritance. But not all seniors are that callous, they give away their money to loved ones before they die. There is no better way for the elderly to show that they care. Those that do can enjoy the pleasure of watching their money being spent. It is a joy that they would never experience if they waited until their death. The country is in a recession that could be ended by an influx of spending money. The economic stimulus money that will be received by tax payers during the summer months will help but it is not enough. More money is needed. The economy would improve and the recession ended if the trillion dollars held by seniors was spent. It is up to them to end the recession in a loving way. Immediate handing over of their unneeded assets to loved ones would cause a spending spree the nation has never witnessed before. It would put the unemployed back to work and end home foreclosures. I am sure if our elderly realized their power to help they would quickly respond. I had a close friend who suffered with a nervous disorder all of his life. He lived with the help of a government welfare program which just gave him enough to survive. His parents were millionaires in the real estate business and owned at least twenty apartment houses. They let their son live rent free in one of them. But they gave him nothing more. I spoke with him many times over the years and listened to his complaints. He had little to eat and was lonely. The only hope he had was that one day his parents would die and leave him with their millions. They both were dead when he reached the age of seventy two but the money was left to his two sisters and their children. All he inherited was the right to continue living rent free. I never witnessed such cruelty. Many seniors are sitting on more money than they need while family members no longer living with them are destitute or have financial problems.

Edna and Conformity in Chopin’s The Awakening Essay -- Chopin Awakenin

Edna and Conformity in Chopin’s The Awakening The passage of The Awakening which truly marks Edna Pontellier’s new manner of thought regarding her life revolves around her remembrance of a day of her childhood in Kentucky. She describes the scene to Madame Ratigonelle as the two women sit on the beach one summer day. The passage opens with a description of the sea and the sky on that particular day. This day and its components are expressed in lethargic terms such as â€Å"idly† and â€Å"motionless† and suggested a scene of calm sleep. Such a depiction establishes an image of serenity and tranquility, in other words the calm before the storm which derives from Edna’s â€Å"awakening.† As the passage continues Madame Ratigonelle asks Edna â€Å"of whom- of what are you thinking?† It is of interest to point out that she initially inquires â€Å"of whom† as if to impose her knowledge on Edna that she believes Edna may be thinking of a particular person such as Robert. Edna answers â€Å"Nothing,† but then catches herself in an answer that comes from simple habit and decides to retrace her thoughts. She rememb...

Carpool: Automobile and Transportation Options Essay

For many Frederick County residents, commuting 1-2 hours a day to get to and from their DC area jobs is the norm. According to one Washington Post poll, â€Å"Washington-area residents spend nearly twice as long getting to work as people in the rest of the nation. They also get stuck in traffic jams three times more often than commuters in the rest of the country† (Ginsburg). Yet, most commuters in our area still prefer to drive themselves to work. When weighing the option to either drive yourself to work or carpool, it would be smart to consider the benefits and drawbacks of both, as well as to take an inventory of how each option fits your priorities, goals, and preferences. A carpool is made up of two or more people who share a ride. The obvious benefits of carpooling include reduced traffic congestion and improved air quality; while some of the more personal benefits of carpooling are: being able to relax or read while someone else drives, saving on the cost of gas, reducing wear and tear on your vehicle, and obtaining possible discounts on auto insurance (â€Å"Transportation Options†). It is also most likely to be faster, cheaper, cleaner, and less crowded than public transportation (Zimmerman). Recently, the Internet has made it easier to connect with locals that want to share a ride. Disadvantages of carpooling may include: having to ride with strangers (or putting yourself out there and making the effort to meet new people), not having the freedom to run errands on the way home if needed, and having to remember carpool etiquette (Zimmerman). People sharing rides typically live and/or work near each other and have a similar work schedule – which could be difficult to arrange (Yeager). One disadvantage of being a carpool driver is the potential legal action from passengers in the case of an accident. Although most metropolitan area carpool organizations these days offer a â€Å"guaranteed ride home† service of some sort (â€Å"Transportation Options†), you would need to find alternate transportation on a day when your carpool driver is sick or on vacation. Driving one’s own vehicle, the preferred method of getting where you need to go for decades now, has plenty of its own advantages and disadvantages of course. Advantages of driving yourself include: being in control of where you go and at what speed, the ability to have a conversation on speaker phone (hands-free, mind you) without having to worry about annoying or offending other passengers, and the ability to listen to your own music at whichever volume you desire. An article on Associated Content, a news Website for Yahoo, suggests that drivers may also choose their car over ride sharing because of conflicting schedules, unpredictable overtime, long hours, sudden demands and unexpected deadlines (Nyholm). One of the biggest disadvantages of commuting in your own car is the cost. The average cost of owning and operating a vehicle in 2009 was 54 cents per mile, or over $14,000 per year, according to AAA’s 2009 Edition of Driving Costs as listed on the Commuter Connections Website (â€Å"Transportation Options†). Even so, owning and driving a vehicle is somewhat of an American standard and a right of passage. Driving is a responsibility people take on with a sense of pride. Edward McDonagh, a Sociology professor who served as dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Ohio State University, was once quoted as saying â€Å"The car has become a secular sanctuary for the individual, his shrine to the self, his mobile Walden Pond† (â€Å"Driving Quotes†). People love their cars so much that they are willing to keep on driving despite the expense, the high volume of traffic, and the adverse effects it may have on the planet. Carpooling is definitely more earth-friendly, while driving is obviously more self-satisfying for a multitude of reasons. It is important to think about where your priorities lie – whether or not you want to make more of an effort to go green, help reduce rush hour congestion, or save a little money and wear and tear on your car; or whether your life dictates that you have the freedom to come and go as you please. When deciding whether or not carpooling is right for you, it makes sense to explore each option, to compare all of the advantages and disadvantages of both driving yourself and carpooling, and to think about which best fits your lifestyle.