Putnams Theory On Bowling Alone Essays - Community Building

Putnam's Theory On Bowling Alone Robert Putnam's central thesis in Bowling Alone is that there has been a decline in civic engagement and social capital over the past few decades. The idea of bowling alone stems from the fact that bowling in leagues from 1980 through 1993 decreased by 40 percent, while individual bowlers increased by 10 percent (Putnam 112). Putnam uses this metaphor for all forms of civic disengagement, meaning that people virtually do as little as possible collectively and would rather focus purely on the individual, rather than the group. Putnam's book addresses several topics of civic disengagement, including a decline in civic participation and social isolation. Putnam focuses on the increasing amount of television viewership and is wary to comment on technological increases, like the Internet, for this decline. However, Putnam tends to focus on what is occurring, using various sorts of data, and overlooks the true meaning of why it is occurring or the positive effects from an average American' s viewpoint. The increase in television viewership and use of the Internet does mark a change in social habits, but it does not warrant Putnam's view that it causes social isolation or disengagement. People in the forties and fifties did not have the same ability as society has today to watch television or use the Internet to get information. It is true that 50 years ago, citizens that wanted to be informed on current issues needed to attend meetings or engage in verbal conversation with other people to gather that information. Today, citizens spend an average of four hours a day watching television and countless hours at a computer, but they are getting more detailed information than the people fifty years ago did. The increase in television has allowed for all people to be better informed. Television enables people to get a broader view of current events, including immediate reports from around the globe and every angle of a situation because of the increase in television technology. This helps America's fast-paced society. In addition, there are more opportunities to discuss current concerns, like health, education, and even entertainment. The ability to watch television around the clock means that someone working a night shift can still get the latest new cooking and health techniques, or that a child who is home for the summer can still engage in educational, but entertaining programming. It may be argued that this isn't an effective use of time, but it is convenient and that is important to the American public. Another aspect of increased television viewership is the ability to watch sitcoms and sporting events. A person can also watch political debates and political analysis programs on television. Some people may watch this genre of television alone, but typically people enjoy watching them in a group. An example of this is the crowd of people at local bars on Monday nights watching football or the parties that people throw for a season premiere or an awards ceremony, or spending a family dinner enjoying the debates on television. The fact that the number of restaurants has nearly doubled in the past 30 years shows that there is a need to house more people for these kind of social interactions (Lemann 6) and they might be too lazy to cook the meal and invite people over, but they still want to engage. This contradicts the idea that more television watching means less of virtually every form of civic participation and social involvement (Putnam 228). Putnam believes that it is too early to assess the long-run social effects of the Internet (Putnam 171), but the positive impact on society must be expressed. However, seeing that Putnam has a website (www.bowlingalone.com), one must assume that he thinks it is a good form of social participation and civic engagement. The best way to express how the Internet functions are through the words of Internet theorist Michael Strangelove: The Internet is mass participation in fully bi-directional, uncensored mass communication. The Internet is so full of possibilities and it has truly helped the American people to better communicate with the world. The Internet has impacted the lives of everyone that has access to it. People utilize the Internet for every form of social participation

Free Essays on Beyond the Cult of Fatherhood

Critical Paper David Osborne wrote â€Å"Beyond the Cult of Fatherhood†. It reflects on the hardships and difficulties of being a full-time parent and having a full-time job. The story recreates a day in the life of a household father. While the storyline follows David Osborne’s day, the message or theme in â€Å"Beyond the Cult of Fatherhood† is to outline the responsibilities of working parents in today’s society. The theme of David Osborne’s responsibilities is framed around being a household father. I feel that when Rose, who is at work all day in the hospital, is able to stay with their son; David has a harsh tone towards what she does. He is the one who actually does most of the caring for Nick. When his wife’s maternal instincts kick in, she undermines David for Rose thinks she knows what to do, but this is what he does everyday. It is kind of ironic that she is an OBG/YN, which has to deal with babies everyday, but she does not really know a thing about raising a child of her own. I find this somewhat ignorant. David knows better on how to deal with Nick. I think they should sit down and have a good talk on their feelings. David Osborne’s attitude towards being a father is that â€Å"Part of the reason I love my role as a father is that I am secure in my role as a writer. Without that, I would not feel good enough about myself to be the kind of father that I am.† Even though there are difficulties and time constraints on his schedules, he draws strengths from what he does. I find it admirable that he takes on this much responsibility, but today a lot of people do the same. I find it interesting that he says in the story that he has no real time to write because of Nick, but then how was he able to write this story down. David’s style of writing is very realistic. When you read â€Å"Beyond the Cult of Fatherhood†, the text is very easy to relate to, and I find this kind of reading very enjoyable bec... Free Essays on Beyond the Cult of Fatherhood Free Essays on Beyond the Cult of Fatherhood Critical Paper David Osborne wrote â€Å"Beyond the Cult of Fatherhood†. It reflects on the hardships and difficulties of being a full-time parent and having a full-time job. The story recreates a day in the life of a household father. While the storyline follows David Osborne’s day, the message or theme in â€Å"Beyond the Cult of Fatherhood† is to outline the responsibilities of working parents in today’s society. The theme of David Osborne’s responsibilities is framed around being a household father. I feel that when Rose, who is at work all day in the hospital, is able to stay with their son; David has a harsh tone towards what she does. He is the one who actually does most of the caring for Nick. When his wife’s maternal instincts kick in, she undermines David for Rose thinks she knows what to do, but this is what he does everyday. It is kind of ironic that she is an OBG/YN, which has to deal with babies everyday, but she does not really know a thing about raising a child of her own. I find this somewhat ignorant. David knows better on how to deal with Nick. I think they should sit down and have a good talk on their feelings. David Osborne’s attitude towards being a father is that â€Å"Part of the reason I love my role as a father is that I am secure in my role as a writer. Without that, I would not feel good enough about myself to be the kind of father that I am.† Even though there are difficulties and time constraints on his schedules, he draws strengths from what he does. I find it admirable that he takes on this much responsibility, but today a lot of people do the same. I find it interesting that he says in the story that he has no real time to write because of Nick, but then how was he able to write this story down. David’s style of writing is very realistic. When you read â€Å"Beyond the Cult of Fatherhood†, the text is very easy to relate to, and I find this kind of reading very enjoyable bec...

Teaching to the Test in ESL Class

Teaching to the Test in ESL Class There are many issues surrounding the idea of teaching to the test. On the one hand, many feel that teaching makes it more difficult to test students knowledge because the focus is on the particular test at hand, not on holistic learning. Once learned, students can discard test-based knowledge and then begin to study for the next test. Obviously, this approach doesnt encourage language recycling, which is essential to acquisition. On the other hand, students who are thrown into a test without knowing exactly whats on the test might not know what to study. This presents a conundrum for many teachers: Do I pragmatically meet objectives or do I allow organic learning to take place?   For the English teacher, luckily, exam results wont lead to success or failure in life as is the case with the SAT, GSAT or other big examinations. For the most part, we can concentrate on producing and measuring the relative success or failure of each student. For example, I find giving students grades based on project work to be a highly accurate means of testing.   Unfortunately, many modern students have become accustomed to a test-based mode of study. In some cases, students expect us to give them clearly-defined tests. This is especially true when teaching grammar classes.   However, at times, students dont do very well on these tests. This in part is due to the fact that students are often not familiar with the importance of directions. Students are already nervous about their English and jump right into an exercise without clearly following the directions. Of course, understanding directions in English is part of the language acquisition process. However, it sometimes gets in the way.   For this reason, when giving any kind of standard assessment test, I like to teach to the test by providing a quick mock test in a review session leading up to a test. Especially at ​lower levels, this type of review will help students focus on their true abilities because theyll understand whats expected of them.   Example Review Quiz to Help Teach to the Test Here is an example review quiz I provided before a big grammar final. The test focuses on the present perfect, as well as difference in usage between past simple and the present perfect. Youll find notes and tips listed below the example quiz.   Part 1 – Circle the correct helping verb. 1.  Ã‚     Have / has he had lunch yet?2.  Ã‚     Have / has they played soccer today?3.  Ã‚     Have / has you eaten sushi? Part 2 – Fill in the blank with the PRESENT PERFECT verb. 1.  Ã‚     Fred (play / ) __________________ tennis many times.2.  Ã‚     She (have / -) __________________ breakfast this morning.3.  Ã‚     Peter and I (eat / ) _______________ fish this week.   Part 3 – Make a present perfect QUESTION with this answer. 1. Q ______________________________________________A: No, I haven’t seen Tom today.2. Q _______________________________________________A: Yes, they have flown to Chicago.3. Q ________________________________________________A: Yes, she’s worked for Google.   Part 4 – Write the correct V3 (past participle) in the blank. played  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     quit  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     driven  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     bought 1.  Ã‚     I haven’t ___________ a Lamborghini in my life.2.  Ã‚     She has _________ smoking cigarettes to be healthier.  3.  Ã‚     They’ve ____________ soccer two times this week.4.  Ã‚     I have _______________ three books today.   Part 5 – Verb forms: Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb.   Verb 1  Ã‚     Verb 2  Ã‚     Verb 3make  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     sang  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚     Forgotten   Part 6 – Write ‘for’ or ‘since’ to complete the sentences.   1.  Ã‚     I have lived in Portland _____ twenty years.2.  Ã‚     She’s studied piano _________ 2004.3.  Ã‚     They’ve cooked Italian food _______ they were teenagers.4.  Ã‚     My friends have worked in that company _________ a long, long time.  Part 7 – Answer each question with a complete sentence. 1. How long have you spoken English?A: _______________________ for _________. 2. How long have you played soccer?A: _______________________ since ___________. 3. How long have you known him?A: ____________________________ for ___________.   Part 8 – Write the correct form of the verb. Choose simple past or present perfect.   1.  Ã‚     She ___________(go) to New York three years ago.2.  Ã‚     I __________________ (smoke) cigarettes for ten years.3.  Ã‚     He _______________ (enjoy / -) the movie yesterday.4.  Ã‚     _________ you __________ (eat) sushi before?   Part 9. Circle the correct answer. 1. Fred _________ cake yesterday afternoon. a. has eatenb. eatedc. ated. was ate 2. I __________ at PELA for two months. a. studyb. am studyingc. have studyd. have studied   Part 10 – Fill in the blanks in these conversations. Use present perfect or simple past.   Peter: Have you ever ________ (buy) a car?Susan: Yes, I have.Peter: Cool! What car ___________ you _________ (buy)Susan: I _________ (buy) a Mercedes last year.   Teaching to the Test Tips Project each section onto a whiteboard to make sure that each student  actually sees whats expected.Ask students to come up and complete individual sections of the quiz. Have other students state whether they have completed the exercise correctly or not.  On the whiteboard, circle keywords in directions to make sure that students take notice of specific instructions.For the first question in each exercise, ask a student to complete the question on the whiteboard. Ask the student to explain why they answered in that manner.  Pay special attention to time expressions. Students tend to forget how important these are. For example, in exercise six students need to decide whether for or since should be used. Ask each student why they chose for or since.  On multiple choice questions, ask students why each incorrect answer is incorrect.  Dont worry about making a review quiz the same length as the actual test. Keep it short as the focus is on understanding how to take the test.

Should U.S immigration law be changed to allow more workers from Essay

Should U.S immigration law be changed to allow more workers from Mexico to enter legally - Essay Example The U.S government is trying create legislation concerning Mexican immigrants who legally enter the country and regulating the number of Mexican illegal immigrants. Despite a lot of controversy, the U.S government has not resolve the problem yet. Mexican immigration is a problem that the people of America and Mexico can not resolve easily. In this paper, I will identify the concerns of people who think illegal Mexican immigrants have negative impacts on the U.S economically and socially. Even though there are some people who advocate accepting Mexican immigrants, there are a lot of people still in opposition of Mexican immigration. A high percentage of U.S. citizens are opposed to Mexican immigration. These citizens are made up of a majority of low-income people, various minorities, and blacks. These people compete with the illegal Mexican immigrates for lower paying jobs. The illegal Mexican immigration brings out economical problems. According to Steven A. Camarota, over 55 percent of Americans are against the amnesty of illegal Mexican immigrants. In addition, 62 percent of these Americans come from low-income households and are opposed to accepting Mexican illegal immigrants (Camarota, p.1). Since, the illegal Mexican immigrants are cheap labor; low-income natives are concerned the illegal Mexican immigrants will lower the average wages. Furthermore, because employers prefer to hire illegal Mexican immigrants, for cheap labor, the economist are worried about the increased unemployment rate of natives. Economists are also concerned that illegal Mexican immigrants will have a negative impact on the U.S. economy. The illegal Mexican immigrants not only lower the wage of low-income natives, but they also increase the unemployment rate of uneducated youth. The inflow of illegal Mexican immigrants into U.S industry makes the supply of workers increase. Naturally, the excess supply of workers reduces average wages; the employer than can keep

How does the main protagonist in a christmas carol change throghout Essay

How does the main protagonist in a christmas carol change throghout the text - Essay Example I will be analyzing all the social, historical as well as cultural features that can be found in the text, too, and also the problems mentioned in the book which are similar to today’s multi-cultural society. The protagonist of this book is Ebenezer Scrooge who, in the beginning is, shown as an old, ‘tight-fisted hand at the grind- stone’ man who is ‘a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!’. Bob Cratchit works for him but Scrooge pays him a paltry sum which is not enough for him to bring up his large family. Scrooge is ‘self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.’ (Dickens, 1843, p. 4) He does not like any celebrations, particularly Christmas, nor does he like having happy people around him. One of the most frequent adjectives used by Scrooge is ‘Humbug!’ (Dickens, 1843, p. 7). His personality undergoes a drastic change once the Ghosts of the Past, Present and Yet to Come visit him in his d reams. At seeing himself end up as a lonely person abandoned by all during all three of these, he wakes up a changed man, promising to ‘honour Christmas in (his) heart, and try to keep it all the year’. (Dickens, 1843, p. 125) He calls himself ‘as happy as an angel †¦ as merry as a schoolboy ... ... He has used adjectives very appropriately in the first stave to give the reader a sense of the characters and the setting. He also uses onomatopoeia to emphasize on emotions as well as the sounds: ‘Clash, clang, hammer; ding, dong, bell. Bell, dong, ding; hammer, clang, clash.’. (Dickens, 1843, p. 129) The reader would also notice the use of similes so one can compare the situation to something ‘Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.’ (Dickens, 1843, p. 3) When describing Scrooge, Charles Dickens uses the weather elements to show what his character is like and even his facial structure: ‘The cold within him froze his old features †¦ He carried his own low temperature always about with him †¦ and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas †¦ No wind that blew was bitterer than he ....’ (Dickens, 1843, p. 5) Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is thought to be a novella by many. These are usually fictional, narrative stories which are not too long in length and the plot is not too diverse, but mostly focuses on a particular plotline, the endings usually suggesting a change. The story is in first person which makes the reader believe that it is the author Dickens himself who is the narrator of the book, an omniscient narrator to be precise. Using the first point of view allows him to capture the readers’ interest, allows them to believe that they are a part of the story. The narrative form also lets the reader to feel what is happening in the novella. There is a great deal of imagery one comes across in the book so one can have a vivid picture of what exactly is going on. It helps give a greater impact of the setting and the

Bismarcks appointment of Minister President of Prussia Essay Example for Free

Bismarcks appointment of Minister President of Prussia Essay Bismarcks appointment of Minister President of Prussia (1862) was the most important turning point in the course of German nationalism in the period 1815-1919? By 1919 Germany had been united, and the nature of nationalism had changed from a freedom seeking, democratic force into one which demanded popular subservience to the state. German nationalism had clearly changed radically over the period of more than one hundred years and defining the turning point at which it changed is difficult due to the sheer number of factors that impacted upon it as well as the vast number of events and organisations which interfered with its development. Otto von Bismarck would become viewed in later years as the father of German nationalism. When he came to power 1862 the Kaiser was looking for a man who could oppose the liberals and force through a favourable army bill. However, within just nine years Germany would have become united, not without the help, though not always willing, from Bismarck. Bismarck effected the unification of Germany almost single-handedly. However, many of the opportunities which Bismarck actually attempted to manipulate were neither created by him nor very successful. Bismarck did not always manage nationalism as effectively as it is suggested. The Franco-Prussian War in 1870-71 forced to unite with the southern states in Germany when in reality it would have been unlikely that he desired this. Prussia was still attempting to absorb the north German states and to add the southern states, especially with their un-Prussian culture, risked diluting Prussias culture too far. It is clear that in 1890 Bismarck was managed by nationalism because he was forced to resign due to the outpouring of nationalist feeling that resented him attempting to hold Germany in check. He represented the old Germany, a Prussian dominated one and in an effort to find a German chancellor he was removed from office. Even the Dual Alliance in 1879 demonstrated how German nationalism forced him to take actions against his will. With his Prussian upbringing his loyalties more likely lay with Russian rather than Austria and the decline of Austria was increasingly clear for all too see, to join the young, powerful Germany with this crumbling empire would do nothing to help the country yet nationalistic feeling in Germany forced the Alliance. Bismarcks appointment in 1882 was an important moment in German nationalism but the theory that one man had such an impact upon the fate of a nation does not stand so well in light of deeper scrutiny. The Congress of Vienna held in 1815 helped create an environment which would help the growth of German nationalism. Prussias gains in the west of Germany were actually intended by the Allies to be a burden. They had given the smallest of the Great Powers the most difficult job as acting as a barricade against France. However, this would backfire on the Allies when it would later become Germanys massive industrial growth. It also affected the nature of Prussia, whereas she had previously been a predominantly Eastern European power she now had a pan-German outlook, though it appeared to begin with that she had little in common with her western population. The distance between the two main blocks of land meant that transporting goods between the two would prove difficult and this would spur the creation and development of the Prussian Customs Union in 1818 which would later become the Zollverein in 1834. However, when at the Congress of Vienna the Allies faced the question of what is Germany they fell back on historical precedent, the Holy Roman Empire. This can be seen as a retrospective step because it actually excluded areas of both Austria and Prussia, as well as making many of the smaller states much larger. The Congress of Vienna was not a turning point in German nationalism, but without it the nature of Germany could have been very different from that with which we are familiar if it existed at all. The creation of the Zollverein in 1834 was a critical turning point for German nationalism, formed from the Prussian Customs Union in 1818. Thomas Nipperdy described the creation of the Zollverein as the outstanding event in all-German history. Given the basis as a pan-German union it improved the contacts between all of the German states, encouraging them to work together for mutual benefit and broke down barriers between the regions of Germany both officially and culturally. It is often the case that economic unity leads to political as appears to be the case with the EU, formerly the European Economic Community (EEC) and the push for a European constitution. However, German political unity was far from inevitable, many Germans now saw political unity as obsolete because they achieved all the benefits of such a union without the risk of losing any of their own unique regional culture. The Zollverein was also critical in training a new cadre of diplomats for Prussia and teaching them to administer a German organisation, experience which would be invaluable in the post-unification era. Bismarck once declared in a speech to the North German Reichstag in 1869 that He who has his thumb on the purse has the power and by taking the economic leadership of the German states Prussia rose importantly and a Kleindeutsch solution to the German problem became much more feasible. It also struck a double blow in this respect. It not only made a Prussian-led Germany more likely but it made an Austrian-led Germany less likely. Because of her exclusion from the customs union the Austrian economy suffered and her already fragile market became on step closer to failing and this would be one of the major reasons for her defeat to Prussia. The use of the economy mirrored the nature of German nationalism; initially it was a liberal move, the reduction of trade barriers embodied by the introduction of the Zollverein. However, by the time unification was achieved economic policy turned its back on liberalism and the economic protectionism Bismarck employed against Russia helped show how far nationalism had changed. The Zollverein would form the template upon which the German Empire would eventually be founded, a kleindeutsch dominated by Prussia. Some historians even go so far to view the whole of the unification of Germany as purely an economic transaction, that it was not driven by political ideology but by the cold logic of money and economic expansionism. The Zollverein did represent an important twist in the history of German nationalism but it did not utterly change the face of the ideology but simply made the prospect more likely. In addition to this, the success of the Zollverein would provide the necessary environment for the rapid expansion of industry within German and this would have a critical impact upon nationalism. 1848 can very easily be viewed as the critical turning point in the history of German nationalism. It is often seen as a turning point about which history failed to turn, and it is this very failure which makes it such an important date in the history of German nationalism. 1848 presented revolutionary factions within Germany, and other countries throughout Europe, with a window of opportunity. In Paris the Second Republic is established in a welter of violence; in Sicily the Palermo Uprising takes place; in Hungary revolution boils over; Swedish revolutionaries are gunned down by their government and in Ireland the potato famine sparks the Tipperary Revolt. To the established order it appeared that stability was breaking down and anarchy threatened them. It was in this climate of exceptional change that the German revolutionary effort failed. The dithering incompetence of the middle classes, coupled with their glaring impotence discredited liberal politics and any idea of a revolution from below. This would prove potentially dangerous for the development of German nationalism. Divorced from its liberal and democratic roots it became a force of the right and of the paternalist government. This resulted in the desire for individual freedoms being sacrificed for the will of state. The government was paranoid about the dangers of the socialist movement within Germany, but they actually shared many common ideals, most markedly the concept of the priority of the state over the individual. It became obvious that power and change could not be achieved without the power of an army to back themselves; Bismarck summarised this problem in his most famous speech the great questions of the day will not be decided by speeches and majority decisions that was the error of 1848 but by iron and blood. Given our knowledge of how German nationalism developed into a violent, racist, militaristic force it is clear to see that 1848 was a seminal moment in its development, the pre-1848 liberal, French-styled nationalism became a force of the militant right. 1848 also represented a turning point for German nationalism in a European context. It appeared that countries were naturally progressing from being authoritarian monarchies to becoming nationalistic, liberal democracies. Germanys refusal to follow this trend fundamentally altered the nature of German nationalism. This turning point about which history failed to turn left something rotten at the core of German nationalism. The change from idealism to brutal pragmatism, combined with the machinations of Bismarck and the authoritarian government meant that the German peoples cause was subverted and used as a weapon against those European powers who had abused Germany for such a long time. On the 18th of January 1871 the German Empire was proclaimed in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. This can easily be seen as a turning point in German nationalism, it finally created what the nationalists had been striving for over the past half century. Though it is true that the majority of what then became Germany existed in the North German Confederation created 4 years earlier after Prussias victory over Austria it represented a subtle but important shift in the history of German nationalism and the process of reaching the announcement played a very important role in defining the new Germany. Even the date upon which the Empire was announced held special significance, 270 years earlier the first Elector of Brandenburg was crowned King in Prussia. This clearly symbolically established Prussian hegemony over the newly created German Reich. Even the fact that the proclamation was made at Versailles was more significant than simple a quick expediency. Were the proclamation were to be made in Berlin, the capital of the new Empire, it would have most likely been made in Parliament. For Bismarck this would have been intolerable, in his eyes it was the army and their feudal, warlord leaders who had united the new empire rather than the romantic liberals and their speeches and majority votes. The Reich was declared in the home of imperial power, Versailles was the benchmark against which all other symbols of imperial might were measured and it clearly showed how the ruling elite of the new Germany planned to rule the country. It would be easy to say that it was a simple political humiliation for the French to have their enemies declare their new country in the French capital but to do this would ignore the deeper significance of both the time and place it was made. Nationalism within Germany underwent many changes over the period from 1815 to 1919. It suffered from a gradual change from its ideals over the time and it is difficult to differentiate between the impacts that the different potential turning points had on German nationalism. However, the most seminal moment in the history Germany nationalism was when it shifted indelibly from the idealists views to the pragmatic views of the industrialists within the country. 1866 can be seen as the turning point in the unification of Germany rather than a turning point in the nature of German nationalism. The failure of democracy in 1848 at a time when many other revolutions had succeeded left many Germans with the view that it would only be through violence and warfare blood and iron that their dreams would ever be realised.

Christianity Essay -- Roman Catholic Protestant Eastern Orthodox

Christianity is the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Most followers of Christianity, called Christians, are members of one of three major groups--Roman Catholic, Protestant, or Eastern Orthodox. These groups have different beliefs about Jesus and His teachings. But all consider Jesus central to their religion. Most Christians believe God sent Jesus into the world as the Savior. Christianity teaches that humanity can achieve salvation through Jesus. Jesus lived in Judea (later called Palestine), a Middle Eastern land ruled by the Romans. The Romans crucified Jesus about A.D. 30. Jesus' followers were convinced that He rose from the dead, and they soon spread Christianity to major cities throughout the Roman Empire. Today, Christians make up the largest religious group in the world. Christianity has about 1 1/2 billion followers. It is the major religion in Europe, the Western Hemisphere, and Australia. Many Christians also live in Africa and Asia. Christianity has had an enormous influence on Western civilization, especially on art, literature, and philosophy. The teachings of Christianity have had a lasting effect on the conduct of business, government, and social relations. Beliefs Christians believe that there is one God, and that He created the universe and continues to care for it. The belief in one God was first taught by the Jewish religion. Christianity teaches that God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world as His chosen servant, called the Messiah (Christos in Greek), to help people fulfill their religious duties. Christianity also teaches that after Jesus' earthly life, God's presence remained on earth in the form of the Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost. The belief that in one God there are three Persons--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit--is known as the doctrine of the Trinity. Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches and many Protestant churches accept this doctrine as the central teaching of Christianity. Some Christians regard Jesus as a great but human teacher. However, most Christians view Jesus as God incarnate--that is, a divine being who took on the human appearance and characteristics of a man. They believe that Jesus is the Savior who died to save humanity from sin. According to this view, Jesus' death made salvation and eternal life possible for others. Christians gather in ... ...e body of thought that included science and philosophy. The scholastics wished to reach a better understanding of Christian faith through reason. Saint Anselm, an early scholastic, attempted to prove God's existence through logic. In the 1200's, Saint Thomas Aquinas produced the most important scholastic work, the Summa Theologica. In it, he brought Christian doctrine into harmony with the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. Monasteries were centers of learning throughout the Middle Ages. In the 1200's, members of new religious orders, called friars, began to work among the people. Franciscan friars followed the selfless example of Saint Francis of Assisi, who founded their order in 1209. Franciscans were noted for their loving service to others. The Dominican order, founded in 1216 by Saint Dominic, became noted for its scholarship. During the Middle Ages, Christian armies tried to recapture Palestine, which had been conquered by Muslim Turks. These military expeditions, known as Crusades, began just before 1100 and ended in the late 1200's. The crusaders failed to hold the Holy Land. But their contact with the East greatly influenced European culture.

Mentoring Is A Nurturing Process Education Essay

My mentee was one of my co-workers and friend at school, who had fewer old ages of learning experience than me. He teaches prevocational pupils who are of low ability and are recognized as being troublesome. Mentor indicated that they considered the ability to supply unfavorable judgment as imperative to carry throughing the function of supplying professional support. ( Hall et al. , 2008 ) . Therefore I was cognizant that my relationship with my mentee was traveling to alter from a friendly to a professional 1. In order to keep the friendly relationship between me and my mentee, I realized that I should non be excessively dominant since mentoring exists merely in the context of a collaborative relationship based on a partnership in which neither party holds a place of power over the other. ( Landay in Awaya et al. , 2003 ) The mentoring procedure is non ever clearly understood in Education. I had to give my mentee a clear image of mentoring and the mentoring plans and this was really of import for both of us as a starting point. I explained to him that the mentoring procedure would be a journey where both of us would be larning from each other as Coombs stated â€Å" as we assist mentees to develop their ain professional pattern, we are co-enquiring into bettering our ain. ( Coombs, 2005 ) Mentoring is a procedure whereby a wise man ushers, Teachs, influences and supports a mentee, this was what I told my mentee about the function I would be set abouting along this journey. I besides made him cognizant of my function as a â€Å" critical friend † and how this function would be assisting him in his professional growing. What is of import is the procedure of contemplation by the actor, the mentee, so that they can larn more from the procedure and possibly go their ain â€Å" critical friend † ( Peddler, 1983 in Wood, 1997, p.335 ) . Self-reflection has been identified as a major portion of going a professional pedagogue. So, I explained my mentee, the ALACT theoretical account of self-reflection to happen solution to his job. V appreciated being given a clear sense of way, in footings of advice and thoughts with regular clip table meetings for the feedback and treatment. ( Hobson, 2002 in Cain, 2009 ) . Hence I had to inform V that it would be four hebdomads mentoring session with four formal meetings whereby feedbacks and treatments would be taken topographic point. My mentee seemed satisfied with the clear overview he got and found himself psychologically prepared and enthusiastic. I felt happy since we were screening the journey in a good and positive manner. My first category visit took topographic point on the 21st June 2012.The category period was of 40 proceedingss and there were 15 pupils in all. It was a little group and I was greeted by about all of the pupils. I sat at the dorsum of the schoolroom watching my mentee at work. We were already good friends may be that is why my mentee was at easiness in my presence. My mentee started directly off by pulling the works construction and labeling the different parts viz. the foliages, roots and roots without composing the subject of the lesson on the board. I did non happen the starting motor effectual since the aims and the intent of the lesson was non provided to the pupils. At the beginning of a category, the students ‘ concentration are at the extremum ad they are most receptive at that clip, so a proper starting motor helps to capture the involvement and concentration of the students and prosecute them to the full in larning. We can mention the starting motor as a mental ‘warming up ‘ . What I appreciated with my mentee was that he gave a clear, good structures presentation of the works construction utilizing pulling on board as ocular show. Siting at the back watching the pupils was in itself a utile experience. There was one student oscitance at the dorsum and I could see one looking outside the schoolroom and a few of them looking at their fingers or at their friends. This clearly showed their disinterest in the lesson. Even if the pupils were non demoing any involvement, they remained quiet in the category as if they were esteeming some regulations that have been established. I realized that every schoolroom is different, because every instructor is alone. My mentee maintain on his account. There was much of his speaking taking topographic point in forepart of the category. He did non travel about in the schoolroom. At the terminal of the lesson, my mentee did asked some inquiries to the pupils to guarantee if acquisition has taken topographic point. But this wa s done without taking their names. About all the inquiries were closed inquiries. Therefore students did non acquire chances to spread out their thoughts and engage in bad treatment. I observed that most of the pupils were unable to reply these inquiries. Questions should be structured to fit students ability degrees so that all are involved. But here, it was ever the same students answering. There was deficiency of engagement and deficiency of mental battle from the students ‘ sides. This may take to a feeling of dissatisfaction from their work and neutrality for the topic In my first reappraisal meeting with V, I had to supply him with feedback and thoughts and besides discourse them with him. Feedback is the most utile constituent of the plan ( Brandt, 2008, in Copland, 2010 ) . I started with the positive facets in order to construct up his assurance. He listened to me mutely. Then I moved on to the negative facets. As Maynard ( 2000 ) said wise mans appeared loath to state anything which might ache their mentee ‘s feelings, I did experience precisely the same I explained to myself that if I wanted to assist my mentee to develop professionally, I had to knock his work. He started to warrant for the deficiency of active battle in the category, the ground being that the students were already of low ability. I listened to his justification, after which I asked him what harmonizing to him could be done to do the students engaged. I wanted V to undergo self-reflection because contemplation is the ability to convey past events to a witting degree to do sense of them and to find appropriate ways to move in future ( Baornett, 1990 in Wovel, 1997, p1338 ) . But I was non ready for that. Bergnet and Holmes believe that the individual is person of import, who has within him a great potency for alteration, who has the capacity to be a alteration agent. So I asked V whether he agreed to convey alterations for his professional development he needed. For that ground, I explained him in item the ALACT theoretical account: Action, Looking back on the action, Awareness of indispensable facets, Making alternate methods of action and eventually the Trial. I besides provided him the manner to his solution. We parted off on a friendly and jesting note after make up one's minding the day of the month of the following category visit and feedback meeting. Afterwards when I reflected on the meeting, I felt guilty and was inquiring myself â€Å" was n't I excessively rough while naming the negative facets? † Listing these facets one after the other might hold caused him to experience low and for that ground, V gave those justifications. I realize that following clip I should be more careful with the manner I listed the negative facets. During the 2nd category visit, I was once more greeted by the pupils. V was explicating on flower construction. This clip lesson aims were made clear and the subject of the lesson written on the board. He so drew a labelled diagram of a flower on the board and maintain on explicating on each portion of the flower. Still I could see the students non paying attending to their instructor. There were some who were even speaking when V was composing on board with his dorsum to the students. All the behaviours were due to miss of engagement of the pupils. If they would hold been engaged with their acquisition, there would hold been no speaking and looking here and at that place. This clip excessively, my mentee merely talked and talked in his account on flowers. Teaching ( like medical specialty ) requires application of cognition, reading of grounds and its application to real-life state of affairss, actioning critical thought accomplishments and old experiences ( Harrison, J.K et al.,2005 ) .Thus for learning pupils on flowers and its construction, I thought V could hold told his pupils to convey some flowers, which they could utilize to reenforce their acquisition and apprehension, so as to acquire the pupils to an analysis degree and do the larning active instead that inactive and develop accomp lishments for womb-to-tomb acquisition. â€Å" Good instructor accounts, with appropriate illustrations will bring forth mental battle and apprehension. Understanding is best thought if as holding a representation or theoretical account in the head that corresponds to the state of affairs or phenomenon being encountered. Battle is about assisting students to develop these mental theoretical accounts ( Ofsted active battle ) Concsiously, we teach what we know, unconsciously, we teach who we are. ( Hamachok, 1999, p.209 ) . teahcre ‘s competences are determined by his beliefs he told with respects to larning and learning and these find their actionsand every action that a instructor undertake has an consequence on students. Feiman-Nemsec ( 1983 ) province that instructors have themselves spent many old ages as studnets in schools, during which clip, they have developed their ain beliefs about learning, many of which are diametrically opposed to these presented to them during their teacher instruction. For illustration, they may hold developed the belief that instruction is transmittal of cognition and most teacher pedagogues find this belief non really good to going a good instructor. Unless instructors act on their contemplations of themselves and their beliefs so no development would take topographic point. I saw my mentee traveling about among the pupils while explicating. Before stoping the lessons, my mentee asked inquiries to the whole category to see if they have understood. But unluckily the inquiries being asked to the students remained unreciprocated since the scholars had non been engaged and larning had non taken topographic point. V felts slightly defeated. Questioning is extremely effectual. It should be structured to fit students ‘ ability degrees so that all are involved. It helps instructors to better their instruction when they make an attempt to larn their pupil ‘s names and acquire to cognize them personally. Questions should hold been asked separately by naming them by their names. V so shifted to closed inquiries. This clip all of those who knew the reply replied in chorus. The mentee so gave a classwork derived from their text edition. V moved about in the schoolroom while the students were making their classwork. He was look intoing if the work was bein g done. After completion of the classwork, V corrected it on the board. I left the schoolroom after repairing for the 2nd feedback meeting When we met, I asked my mentee how he found his category instruction. He showed his dissatisfaction with the deficiency of response from the pupils and asked for my suggestions. I could feel that V recognized that his instruction has non been effectual and that he wanted to have these constructive unfavorable judgment, support and solutions. Mentors hoped to back up their mentee while working together with them to larn new thoughts that they could implement. ( Abell et al. , 1995, Koballa et al. , in imperativeness in Bradbury and Koballa Jr, 2008, p.2142 ) . There was a demand to speak since speaking is an of import manner of acquisition. So I talked about active battle, doing the students take parting instead that the instructor kept on speaking about the whole category period. I told my mentee to reflect on what could be done to acquire the pupils involved so that larning takes topographic point. That was the advantage of holding mentoring review meetings to enable mentee to refle ct profoundly on their experience of instruction and to get mostly at their ain decisions ( Martin, 1995, in Cain, 2009 ) . V cam up with the same thought I had, of conveying flowers to show the construction of flowers. I smiled since our ideas matched as if he had read my head. I agreed to his thought and suggested him that he could organize group acquisition, spliting the students in groups, where each group would discourse and speak about the construction of flowers which pupils in each group had brought. Group acquisition is good since it acquire all of the students involved, there would be sharing of information and development of communicating accomplishments. But V showed reluctance for the group larning the ground being that such attacks of advancing whole-class synergistic engagement may take to misbehavior. I encouraged V to give a attempt and offered him my aid in instance of any hazard of misbehaviour. Anyhow the pupils seemed afraid of V, so there might be no opportunit y of misbehaviour. By this clip, he agreed to give a attempt in the following category visit. The mentoring procedure and the mentoring meetings are clip devouring and demand tonss of forbearance. So I should non hotfoot my mentee. We would hold to see the negative facets small by small and conveying alterations bit by bit. We so left for tiffin By this clip of the mentoring procedure, my mentee and I were looking frontward for the undermentioned category visits as we were approximately to experiment a new thought and the schoolroom was as if the research lab. Unconsciously, my mentee and I were larning the mentoring civilization which is a civilization that encourages wise mans and mentees to see each other as confederates and follow determination shapers instead than figures keeping unequal places in a hierarchal construction. V got the students into groups. About all the students had brought all types of flowers bespeaking their avidity and enthusiasm. The salutation I received this clip was so different. It was warmer and full of felicity.

Medieval Universities Essay

The English universities were one of the most significant creations of Medieval England. The scholars who attended eitherOxford or Cambridge Universities set an intellectual standard that contrasted markedly with the norm of Medieval England. Oxford University came into being some 20 years before Cambridge University. The church had a major impact at Oxford. The town came within the diocese of Lincoln, yet Oxford had its own archdeaconry. It was the input of the church that led to the first recorded student/university authority clash at Oxford. The universities led to major growth in both Oxford and Cambridge as towns and both became important centres. No-one is quite sure why Oxford was chosen as the town for England’s first university – however, the town had a number of distinct advantages. Oxford was the centre of communications within its region and both royalty and foreign scholars frequently visited the town. There were also many religious houses/centres around the town and the agricultural land was rich and farming did well at this time. Oxford was considered to be in a civilised part of England – it was near to London and getting to Europe was not necessarily a major journey. Oxford also held strategic importance, which led to the building of a castle there. In 1167, a quarrel between Henry II and Thomas Becket led to a temporary ban on English scholars going to study in France. For whatever reason, scholars and academics gathered in Oxford to continue with their work – fifty of them. As journeying to the university in Paris was not allowed, more scholars and academics arrived in Oxford. Sometime after 1167 Giraldus Cambrensis visited Oxford and started teaching there. He taught three times a day. He took poor students for lectures; he then taught academics from different faculties, and lastly he taught knights and the likes. His clientele became larger than the ‘normal’ monastic or cathedral school. In 1180, Prior Philip of St. Frieswade, Oxford, recorded that a scholar had left his family in York to study at Oxford. Within twelve years, the importance of a good education was clearly having an impact. In 1192, Richard of Devizes wrote â€Å"Oxonia vix suos clericos, non dico satiat, sed sustenat.†| Richard was basically stating that there were so many scholars in Oxford that the town could barely feed them. By 1209, it was estimated that there were 3,000 students in Oxford. It was also in 1209 that students in Oxford started to migrate to Cambridge. This occurred after some students killed a woman in Oxford. At this time, King John and Pope Innocent III were quarrelling over a new Archbishop of Canterbury. Innocent put England under an interdict. With such worries, John had few thoughts for students in Oxford. He gave his permission for the execution of three students in Oxford involved in the woman’s death. However, in the delay that took pace, the students fled to Reading, Cambridge of Paris. Others followed to Cambridge and by 1284, Peterhouse College was founded. Unlike the great university of its time – the university in Paris – Oxford was not connected to either a cathedral or a religious house. The Sorbonne was supervised by ecclesiastical men while Oxford was supervised by masters, though these were usually in holy orders. Regardless of this, Oxford developed with a degree of practical independence. By the end of what is considered to be Medieval England, the following colleges had been created at Oxford – University College, Balliol, Merton and Exeter. In Cambridge, Peterhouse College was created. Student life in both towns was to transform Oxford and Cambridge. The lifestyle of the students was to frequently bring both universities into conflict with the church.

A Brief History of Banking Reform After the New Deal

A Brief History of Banking Reform After the New Deal As president of the United States during the Great Depression, one of President Franklin D. Roosevelts primary policy goals was to address issues in the banking industry and financial sector. FDRs New Deal legislation was his administrations answer to many of the countrys grave economic and social issues of the period. Many historians categorize the primary points of focus of the legislation as the Three Rs to stand for relief, recovery, and reform. When it came to the banking industry, FDR pushed for reform. The New Deal and Banking Reform   FDRs New Deal legislation of the mid- to late-1930s gave rise to new policies and regulations preventing banks from engaging in the securities and insurance businesses. Prior to the Great Depression, many banks ran into trouble because they took excessive risks in the stock market or unethically provided loans to industrial companies in which bank directors or officers had personal investments. As an immediate provision, FDR proposed the Emergency Banking Act which was signed into law the very same day it was presented to Congress. The Emergency Banking Act  outlined the plan to reopen sound banking institutions under the US Treasurys oversight and backed by federal loans. This critical act provided much-needed temporary stability  in the industry  but did not provide for the future.  Determined to prevent these events from occurring again,  Depression-era politicians passed the Glass-Steagall Act, which essentially prohibited the mixing of banking, securities, and insuranc e businesses. Together these two acts of banking reform provided long-term stability to the banking industry. Banking Reform Backlash Despite the banking reforms success, these regulations, particularly those associated with the Glass-Steagall Act, grew controversial by the 1970s, as banks complained that they would lose customers to other financial companies unless they could offer a wider variety of financial services.  The government responded by giving banks greater freedom to offer consumers new types of financial services. Then, in late 1999, Congress enacted the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999, which repealed the Glass-Steagall Act. The new law went beyond the considerable freedom that banks already enjoyed in offering everything from consumer banking to underwriting securities. It allowed banks, securities, and insurance firms to form financial conglomerates that could market a range of financial products including mutual funds, stocks and bonds, insurance, and automobile loans. As with laws deregulating transportation, telecommunications, and other industries, the new law was expected to gen erate a wave of mergers among financial institutions. Banking Industry Beyond WWII Generally, the New Deal legislation was successful, and the American banking system returned to health in the years following World War II. But it ran into difficulties again in the 1980s and 1990s in part because of social regulation. After the war, the government had been eager to foster homeownership, so it helped create a new banking sector- the savings and loan (SL) industry- to concentrate on making long-term home loans, known as mortgages. But the savings and loans industry faced one major problem: mortgages typically ran for 30 years and carried fixed interest rates, while most deposits have much shorter terms. When short-term interest rates rise above the rate on long-term mortgages, savings and loans can lose money. To protect savings and loan associations and banks against this eventuality, regulators decided to control interest rates on deposits.

Basf Marketing Report

In order to be known as â€Å"The† global chemical supplier BASF redefined its image by officially changing its name from â€Å"BASF† to â€Å"BASF the chemical company† in 2004. This bold statement is expressed in their brand, corporate identity and company logo. BASF has lived up to this goal establishing itself as the largest chemical company in the world. (1) BASF, which stands for Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik (Baden Aniline and Soda Factory), has used its image marketing to evoke the concept that We dont make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.  ®. BASF posted sales of 52. 6 billion euro in 2006 (1) placing itself above Dow Chemical, its closest competition, followed by companies Bayer AG and DuPont. BASF the chemical company markets a strategy in all its divisions called the â€Å"Verbund† concept, a German word meaning â€Å"linked†. This concept of total integration is how BASF aligns its businesses internally as well as with customers and suppliers. BASF has realized a competitive advantage by not only integrating but interlocking value chains. In the last three years practicing on the Verbund concept acquisitions like Engelhard Corporation, Degussa AG and Johnson Polymers have allowed BASF to further its vertical integration of its businesses. In 2007 BASF found its place at a rank of 81 on the Fortune Global 500 Companies list, up from 94 in 2006. In February of 2006 Fortune magazine performed a survey of U. S business professionals and BASF earned the distinction of being one of the 50 most admired companies in the world in a global comparison. Introduction When you say â€Å"BASF the chemical company† many people may not know the name but those who do can usually recite the slogan: We dont make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.  ®. Even those that can recite the slogan can be quite challenged to give one example of a product that BASF makes. Given this you would be amazed at some of the everyday products that use BASF chemicals. The additive that thickens your shampoo, the Ibuprofen used in your pain medication, the Legos  ® your kids play with all have components supplied by BASF. The only reason an average person would hear of BASF is through their corporate level image advertising. How is it that a company whose products are never seen by the average consumer ends up as the worlds largest in its industry? How it is a company that many have not heard of could make acquisitions in the 1. 6 billion dollar range? How is it a company can post sales in the 52. 6 billion euro range and the average consumer does not know who they are yet there products are everywhere? The first team discussions on what company to do the report on a team member brought some information to the table. This information is that he works for the world’s largest chemical company and no one knew what the company truly makes provoking the questions from above. The challenge is to understand how a company markets itself to a global position without the normal consumers influence. Our team chose this company to look at a business that would perform its marketing in a different environment than the main stream consumer environment and to better understand how a company markets without being seen. This is a report on business to business marketing observations of BASF the chemical company. Table of Contents †¢Macro-Environment Context †¢Marketing, Research Customer Analysis †¢Segmentation Target Markets †¢Differentiation and Positioning †¢Marketing Decision Levers †¢Recommendations Macro-Environment Context BASF is the worlds leading chemical company. They offer intelligent solutions based on innovative products and top notch services to its customers globally. This is the basis of their mission statement and purpose as a company. Their mission is also to create opportunities for success through trusted and reliable partnerships. BASF visions of success include sustainable profitable performance, innovation for the success of customers, safety health and environmental responsibility, personal and professional confidence, mutual respect and open dialog as well as integrity. Creating a Sustainable Profitable Performance to BASF is the basis for all activities within the company. They are continually committed to the interest of their customers first and foremost. They take pride in rewarding their employees, shareholders and take the same stance with regards to society as a whole to better the environment around them for future generations. BASF takes pride in developing innovation for their customers to add continuous long term partnerships well into the future. Their trade mark statement of We dont make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.  ® clearly states this philosophy. They derive nearly all of their business from Business to Business (B2B) sales. This makes innovation very important in all of their many niches in multiple markets they involve themselves in. Partnerships are valued within BASF and are built upon continually to mutually take advantage of highly scientific and technological advances. Due to the nature of the business, that being a chemical company, the environment must take precedence to ensure success. In this day and age, if your company doesn’t take steps to protect the environment that it is in, it won’t be in business long enough to matter. BASF takes safety, health, and environment responsibility to a level that supersedes that of economic considerations. BASF makes their products environmentally friendly for future generations by supporting the Responsible Care TM initiatives. BASF puts itself among the best in the world by fostering group-wide diversity personal and professional competencies. They feel that diversity leads to global success and capitalizes on competition by offering many differing views. They encourage employees to be creative and utilize their potential for common success. In addition they treat everyone fairly and with mutual respect. They try to keep open dialog with all employees, customers, stockholders and relevant groups within society to keep all on a level playing field. The last core value that BASF incorporates is Integrity. The company acts with respect to their words and values. They comply with all laws and respect all good business practices in the many countries that they operate. BASF has a great strategy that includes 4 simple strategic initiatives. They earn a premium on their capital, they help their customer be more successful, they form the best team in the industry, and they ensure sustainable development. All of which are conveyed in the visions for the company same as above. The strategic initiatives are the product of years of providing excellent products at a competitive price to all of its customers. Politically speaking, BASF is globally involved. Based in Germany and intertwined within business all around the world it would be impossible to not be involved in politics. It takes a great stance on political issues to continue its success in business and to show continued enthusiasm in protecting the environment. With regards to the Environment, BASF strives to be the best and let the world know that this is an important issue. Environmental issues in past years have shown light on companies that make their business creating and working with chemicals. BASF cannot escape the microscope of this issue. They comply with all government regulations in all countries it does business to ensure their future. They support the Responsible Care TM initiatives and keep them at the forefront of their values. Environmental issues to BASF ties directly to their social responsibility. The people at BASF value their own lives as much as their neighbors and support this by their integrity. They treat those around the world with the same respect that they feel they would want, regardless of what they are doing. Be it they are selling products to another company or creating a new product, social responsibility is never taken lightly. Technologically BASF prides itself in being the best for themselves and those they do business. They invest millions upon millions to ensure success in the ever changing markets all over the globe. They pass their technological advances on to their customers to ensure continued success and lasting partnerships. Technological advances in the chemical field have undoubtedly kept BASF at the top for so many years. Given a clear SWOT analysis of BASF from any level of the organization, the business unit, the product line or the specific product yields a clear image of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats all over the globe. SWOT analyses are often used during sales meetings to identify opportunities in the market. They have proven themselves over and over by being a superior company throughout all markets. A tried and true philosophy rooted in the company’s vision and values brings this out in them. They continually identify trends in the industry and counter the changes all the time. In addition they analyze their competition whenever possible to capitalize on those before them. BASF analyzes itself through multiple management channels to ensure continued innovation and profit for its customers, employees and shareholders. Teams all around the globe research the firm’s present and future clients to build lasting relationships and capitalize on hidden opportunities to improve themselves. Their strengths encompass being a globally prestigious brand, a large market share, and universally known for its social and environmental activities. Opportunities lie within possible joint product lines with other companies and customers. Weaknesses of BASF are global spreading in the way of having employees all over the world and keeping focus on attainable goals. They are influential in just about all markets and run the risk of being thin in a small amount of them. Threats within the chemical market could be the continual need to stay environmentally friendly. This can add costs and reduce focus on core assets of the business. While everyone wants to stay â€Å"green†, it comes at a price and that has to be economically accounted for keeping the cost benefit ratio at an equilibrium that is good for all. Marketing Research Customer Analysis BASF being a company that markets its goods and services to organizational firms primarily focuses on the practice of business marketing and being a company that produces no real end product the analysis of normal consumer behavior is not widely used. The success of a business to business marketing plan is in the hands of an organizations purchasing group. These groups that make the purchasing decisions for organizations usually have numerous deliverables that could drive the individual market. One group may see delivery performance as a key factor in their purchasing decisions, the next market segment may see price, value added services or warranty as the key elements. Because of this BASF must continually scan the environment of each of its individual segments and markets using a multidomestic marketing strategy. Being a global provider of chemicals the use a multidomestic marketing strategy helps in the sale of their diverse array of products dependant upon the particular market and the unique region. Marketing research in a commodity based business like the chemical business is primarily based on the use of combination of secondary data analysis and a small amount of primary data gathering and mainly environmental scanning. Scanning the environment and staying on top of the latest social, economic, technological, competitive and regulatory forces help BASF form its global strategy in marketing. This strategy then flows down to the different divisions using more practical marketing research tools to grow the business. Being a business to business company means marketing research is primarily secondary data. BASF globally uses SAP business software. The information gathered in this software is used to formulate sales forecast based off past performance. It is also used to analyze what products are moving and which are not giving key indicators of what products or even divisions are the Stars which are the Dogs, Cash Cows and Question marks. Corporate sales, procurement and logistic systems like WorldAccount or Ensphere ® are also used to gather this data to better service the customer. Trade magazines and publications are used by many of the divisions to gather data in the development of marketing plans. Here is an example from one of the divisions; BASF Industrial Coatings uses trade publications like Metalmag and Construction News to analyze industry trends. Along with trade magazines industry web sites provide information as well. Sites like the one listed below provide valuable information to keep BASF on top of the industry and what’s the voice of the customer. These sites are for the Industrial Coatings division. http://www. coolmetalroofing. org (cool metal roofing coalition) http://www. coolroofs. org (cool roof rating council) http://www. metalconstruction. org (metal construction association) http://www. themetalinitiative. com http://www. designandbuildwithmetal. com (new website lots of pertinent info). Although this is just one division of BASF the same practices reflect across the different divisions. Although not highly used, BASF does a small amount of primary data gathering. In the different divisions web polls, new product or service trials and focus groups have been used to gather information about the voice of the customer. Companies like Ducker Worldwide have performed â€Å"Voice of the Customer Focus Groups† to gather information on the performance of BASF as compared to their competition. Trials include potential new products or services that are either presented or given to a customer to test the markets interest in such goods. These goods or services are run through a customer in the industry to collect information on what the markets tolerance is for such goods or services. Regulatory, social, economic, competitive and technological forces help steer the marketing plan of the various BASF divisions. Through environmental scanning in each of these unique regions BASF collects data. The data is then analyzed to focus on trends in the global market. This data is then used to help direct the company and marketing plan. Canada has had legislation banning/limiting the use and importing of the chemicals such as Isophorone. Isophorone is a distillate of acetone a chemical used in inks, coatings and copolymers. This markets regulatory force led to a change in the components used in coatings sold into Canada. This led to the marketing of â€Å"Isophrone Free† coatings. This information was gathered and then marketed through brochures and fliers as well as the face to face interactions of the BASF sales force with their Canadian customers. With the ever increasing focus on the health of our environment, not only locally but globally, BASF has recognized this social pressure and focused an incredible amount of energy on marketing to the â€Å"Green Movement†. A mere visit to the BASF web site will show the amount of energy being placed upon marketing to the environment. This Green Marketing can be seen in headlines like â€Å"Intelligent solutions for climate protection†, â€Å"Sustainable development†, â€Å"Eco-Efficiency† and â€Å"Climate Protection† on the lead in page of their web site. BASF is currently marketing its association with world wide movement â€Å"Eco- Efficiency Analysis†. Figure 1. Eco-Efficiency Analysis comparing BASF Ibuprofen to competition This term that was coined by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in its 1992 publication Changing Course looks at the overall footprint of a product from â€Å"cradle to grave†. Realizing the negative image of chemicals and their effect on the environment BASF uses Eco-Efficiency certification to market and sell the total impact a product will have on the environment. The hope is that their product will stand out as environmentally better than the competitions (Figure 1). This certification is being offered on many of its product lines across the globe. Products like Ultradur  ® high Speed easy flow plastic, Ecoflex  ® biodegradable packaging material carry the Eco-Efficiency seal. Other products like or Ultra-cool  ® paints with UV resistant pigments to reduce heat transfer in buildings carry the Energy Star certification. All these have come from environmental scanning. Ultra cool was marketed well enough that it pre-dated any legislation that followed. California’s â€Å"Title 24 Energy Code† now mandates solar reflective coatings used in construction. In the metal roofing industry BASF was the only company producing â€Å"cool† coatings that could meet this legislation and they were producing it before the legislation was enacted. Since then all major suppliers of paint for metal roofing have developed and now market â€Å"cool† coatings. This market segment did not exist until the development of BASFs Ultra-cool ® coatings. This is a testament to the effects of collecting marketing data using environmental scanning, product development and marketing. In scanning the economic climate BASF has gathered data for years on the benefits of their concept Verbund also known as total integration. The Verbund concept has been marketed through every division of BASF the chemical company. There is a â€Å"Purchasing Verbund†, â€Å"Safety Verbund†, a â€Å"Production Verbund† and many more. All of these wide variety of products would make you think that there are a lot of different prices to consider when purchasing from BASF. Because the products they offer are mostly raw materials, the prices of their products change with the economy. When the price of oil goes up, their prices for materials related to that product go up as well. They don’t base their prices off of any index or manufacturer recommendation. This price fluctuation does not affect the quality of their services as there is really no comparison by price to judge whether or not the product is quality. The price that BASF offers for it’s products does not affect consumer perceptions of their company. It seems that along with the business of providing chemicals, they also bring along the feeling of connecting with their customer on a higher level. That overrules the price effect on a consumers decision to go with BASF. BASF does not use the concept of off-peak pricing, which consists of charging different prices during different times of the day, week, or month. This usually reflects the varying demands of the services or products offered. BASF would not benefit from this tactic because the only reason their price changes would be due to the economy and their resources. They do not have a peak time or an off-peak time of demands for their products because they are raw materials and chemicals. The chemicals that BASF offers are in need to make finished products by many different companies at all times of the year. Place BASF uses the e-commerce network widely to reach their customers and suppliers. E-commerce is the electronic handling of business transactions with purchases and production. They conduct most of their transactions through the web in which a customer can log into their personal account and purchase their products through what they call WorldAccount. BASF uses the new internet e-commerce world as a way to make communication faster, more effective, and more direct. It allows customers to have service 24/7, get precise product information, have orders processed faster as well as keep current data on all of your orders. BASF found that the e-commerce way of providing products was the best way allowing more detail and service to be provided to the customer. BASF also has a good representation with production and sales facilities in all of the economic regions. They are located in five continents which are Europe (which is their home market), North America, Asia, Africa and South America. They have more than 100 large sites throughout the world which allows them to be closer to their customers in 170 countries and supply them with their products in a reliable manner. BASF has verbund sites located in Germany (Ludwigshafen), Belgium (Antwerp), Freeport Texas, Louisiana, Malaysia (Kuantan), and China (Nanjing). The term verbund is a German word and means â€Å"linked† or â€Å"integrated†. These verbund facilities make use of integration production processes which makes it less expensive to manufacture the products. This allows BASF to supply a wide variety of different sectors. BASF also operates important production sites which are located in Germany (Schwarzheide), Spain (Tarragona), Port Arthur, Texas, Mexico (Altamira), Brazil (Guaratingueta), China (Shanghai), Japan, (Yokkaichi) and Korea (Ulsan). The use of these multiple locations makes BASF a company that one can rely on almost anywhere you are located. This allows the company to become inseparable from their customers making it more convenient to do business with them in person, as well as through their online stores. Promotion The main idea about BASF’s promotional campaign in Europe is to show that certain things would not exist without their chemicals. It aids you in the course of life and without them, certain things would not be attainable for you. Their main slogan is â€Å"Invisible Contribution. Visible Success. They are aiming to show you that BASF is often working behind the scenes to make their invisible contribution that creates a visible success for their customers through using their chemicals to create the end product. Their image campaign in Europe(which is made up of television commercials and print ads) is directed at the opinion leaders. These are members of society who lead others and shape the views of the general public. The campaign has been covered in Germany, France, Great Britian, Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands through newspapers and lifestyle magazines (such as business, news and science magazines). Their television ads are broadcast during scientific and sport programs, new bulletins, films and television series and is aimed at a wide target audience in Europe. They feature different ads for each type of chemical that they provide which include television ads for the paper industry, the semiconductor industry, water treatment, house construction, sports and leisure, road construction, agricultural products, extreme sports, automotive industry, bridge construction, sun protection, fuel, and plasticizers. They are making sure that they cover each kind of service that they offer by showing this wide variety of television and print ads. BASF uses a discrete way of creating publicity for themselves. When you are on their website for Europe advertising you have the opportunity to download their several different print ad campaigns and use them how you would like. They also offer the option for you to purchase either a postcard or poster of the ad. Publicity is something that is nonpersonal and an indirectly paid presentation of an organization, good or service. In this case, the customer, or fan of BASF, is paying for the poster or postcard, and in turn when sending that postcard or putting up that poster, they are providing no personal advertising that was not directly paid for by BASF. It is a pretty creative way of getting a profit and recognition while allowing their customer’s to do the advertising for them. In this case, the publicity works for them. When it comes to advertising in America, the rules are a little different than they are in Europe. Their main theme is that they are helping to make products better. Their main focus is to show how their chemicals can make your everyday life better here and around the world by creating remarkable and visible changes in many of the most important industries. Their slogan is â€Å"We dont make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.  ®Ã¢â‚¬ . This slogan, according to BASF, has made them the most recognized of any chemical company in North America. The purpose of the several different TV ads allow you to see that they don’t make the finished product, they just provide the quality ingredients to make the best products. It also allows you to see that there are countless uses of the BASF materials that allows you to enjoy life. Just as their slogan says, in most of their TV ads they tell you that they don’t make the product, they just make the product itself better. For example, â€Å"We don’t make the helmet, We make it tougher† is a slogan used in a commercial about their Ultramid polymide nylon that provides hardness and abrasion resistance commonly used in helmets. Along with their TV and print ads, BASF is moving into a more innovational way of advertising to keep up with the demands of advertising and today’s technology. They offer through their website Podcasts. These podcasts include an audible innovation magazine of BASF that offers monthly topics on how chemistry and chemicals will design and shape our future. The other podcast available through the BASF website is â€Å"The Chemical Reporter†. This podcast is for the curious person that has questions about chemistry in your everyday life. This podcast offers answer in their weekly episodes. You can download this to your iTunes account or as an MP3 file for you MP3 player. Another innovation offered is to receive all news alerts and press releases through a RSS feed free of charge. This allows a customer to receive up-to-date news about BASF in a very quick and comfortable way (at your own computer). The only draw back is that you have to download and RSS-reader, but once you have you can select from several different news topics about BASF available online at their website. I’m sure these new innovations are there to create a buzz and traffic to their website. Recommendations The success of BASF marketing can be seen in there continual growth globally. To make recommendations would be easier if we were to look at one division of the company. Either due to market conditions or poor market strategy planning not all the divisions of BASF can be doing well at any given time. The American auto industry is in a state of flux with ever present pressures from the global market. Although divisionally BASF will feel these pressures globally their affiliation with non-US auto makers absorb some of this industries variation, this allowing time for the US market to be analyzed and adjustments to be made. Pure recommendations would have to come from some direct market analysis based off of the division of the company. BASF has done a great job in their Verbund concept. Being a supplier, the concept of interlocking processes or systems creates a relationship with the customer that is hard, or sometimes inefficient to break. From this alignment with cusotmers long term relationships are established. BASF could draw better on global technologies. In looking through the BASF corporate web site many of the technologies that are seen are from different countries. Online information on the use of these products in a specific country could not be confirmed or denied as a potential customer it would have been nice to know that they are available domestically. One observation is that BASF although a hidden part of many â€Å"name brand† products does not benefit from any of their customers successes. Co-branding could lock in the business through the social pressures felt by dropping BASF as a supplier in favor of an alternative. One flaw of focusing on the Verbund concept to lock in customer loyalty is it makes social pressure less of a final end consumer pressure and more of an industry pressure which in the end may not affect sales. In not hurting sales the decision to drop BASF is less of an issue of end unit sales and more of an internal issue of efficiency. Companies like Dow and DuPont often add their name to products in advertising. One example is LineX. LineX is a truck bed liner that is spray applied. This product uses BASF chemicals yet it is DuPont that benefits from co branding with LineX. LineX advertises on their website the following â€Å"LineX, fortified with DuPont Kevlar†. This co-branding is getting the name DuPont and their product Kevlar out to the end consumer. Thus if the customer is happy with the bed liner they may be happy with a product like â€Å"Suave shampoo with DuPont thickening agent† when it should be â€Å"Suave shampoo with BASF thickening agent†. This co-branding would broaden BASF’s evoked set and lock in customer relationships. BASF should capitalize on their success more publicly. The successes of BASF can only be found through their website. These high points in the story of BASF would help establish the confidence that a purchasing group would have in dealing with a stable successful company like BASF. One last recommendation would be to sponsor more events. Dow and DuPont get much of there brand awareness from the sponsorship of events like racing. BASF does a limited amount of this and mostly on a divisional basis. Sponsoring events would get the BASF name out there making it more of an everyday name than it is today.

Case Study in Exerise Psychology ( Msc ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case Study in Exerise Psychology ( Msc ) - Essay Example One such example can be identified in the case of Client A, a 29-year old male junior project manager in a multinational software developing company for almost two years. As he needs to work for five days from Monday to Friday and for 12 hours each day, it becomes quite difficult for him to continue with adequate physical exercise on a regular basis. Moreover, Client A is required to travel away for work frequently which again provides perceived barrier to the performance of regular exercises. Client A used to perform physical exercise regularly before joining the organization. Recently, he noticed an increase in body weight and reduction in the energy and enthusiasm in work. He was also becoming more stressed at the workplace because he was no longer able to devote sufficient time to his health which in turn started hampering his performance. The organisation encourages continuous professional development of their employees including constant monitoring and counselling by the prospe ctive senior officials. In one of the counselling sessions, the senior project manager found that the client was experiencing high levels of stress as a result of not being able to make sufficient time for personal development including regular physical exercise. Thus, he advised Client A to consult a sport psychologist who would efficiently guide him in maintaining his body fitness without compromising with his job responsibilities. Key Challenges Observed in the Case It is well-identifiable from the aforementioned case that the absence of physical exercise was creating a mental pressure on Client A signifying the effect of exercise on the mental health of a person. It was stronger in the current case as a result of Client A’s previous involvement in regular practitioner of physical exercise and has already been aware of its positive affects. This in turn influences his self-determination (the will to achieve a desired goal), self-confidence (the belief to achieve a desired performance) and physical anxiety (nervousness felt by an individual regarding his/her physical ability) to a certain extent (Weinberg & Gould, 2010). Due to the decrease in these factors, he tends to display emotional outburst in the workplace and possess an increased stress level. When first employed by the organisation, he was recognised as a consistent performer which is now noticeably reducing due to his increased stress levels and the resultant behaviour. Therefore, the key challenges for the sports psychologist are to determine ways in which Client A can participate in regular physical activity without compromising with his job responsibilities. These interventions should be based within the cognitive and humanistic approaches. In this regard, analyzing the various aspects regarding Client A’s psychological influence can also be termed a key challenge. Findings of the Case According to the self-determination theory, external environmental factors have a strong influenc e on the mental health of a person which determines their readiness for physical exercise (Ryan & Deci, 2007). The readiness can be further defined as autonomy, competence and relatedness (Ryan & Deci, 2007). It is worth mentioning that the various facets of self-determination theory are intrinsically related to the (Ryan & Deci, 2007). In order to implement the theory in the real practise to identify the various psychological and cognitive factors influencing Client A’s readiness to physical exercise, the psychologist implemented repetitive