Mood

Mood disorders are those disorders that have a disturbance in mood as their predominant feature. This group includes several nosoforms such as affective disorders, psychotic bipolar disorder and depressive disorders. The last are presented by the involutional and postpartum depression, dysthymic disorder and seasonal affective disorder. All listed conditions are very frequent – about 14.3% of the population is stroked by the mood disorders. The aim of this review is comparing the different treatments for the mood disorders by example of postpartum mood disorders. Databases searched for this review included PsycINFO only.There are several risk factors of postpartum mood disturbances. After delivery the level of steroid hormones (estrogens, gestagens and cortisol) changes dramatically. Some women are very sensitive to these hormonal changes and can react with changes of the mood. Psychosocial risk factors include low income and inadequate social supports, recent negative life ev ents, marital conflict or dissatisfaction. Heredity and individual susceptibility are risk factors for postpartum depression. Thus women with individual or family history of a mood disorder have higher risk of postpartum depression. A prior history of postpartum mood disorder increases the risk of recurrence of the depression in two folds.Postpartum changes of the mood are not rare complications of accouchement. There are different symptoms of mood disturbance – from transitory and mild signs of postpartum blues and up to the severe postpartum depression and puerperal psychosis. Nonacs R. and Cohen LS. (1998) write that mood changes during the puerperium are often overlooked. This fact arouses the risk of the episodes of recurrent depression in mothers. Another important issue of the problem is a risk of the remote consequences of mother’s mood disturbance on the future mental and physical development of child. To prevent those long-term effects the early diagnostics a nd effective treatment interventions should be applied.Some forms of the postpartum mood disorder do not require any specific treatment, e.g. the most common (30-75% of new mothers) form of the mood disturbances, so called â€Å"baby blues† require only education, reassurance and support. More serious conditions, like postpartum depression, need more active interventions. This condition occurs in 15-20 % of all women recently confined. It is characterized by anxiety, irritability, insomnia, fatigue, low interest to the baby and other symptoms of major depression.Seyfried LS and Marcus SM. (2003) indicate that pharmacological treatment for patients with postpartum depression can be limited because some psychoactive drugs are contraindicated in lactation and psychotherapeutic approaches became the method of the choice. On other hand, rare cases of postpartum psychosis require psychiatric emergency care and urgent drug treatment. Thus the differentiation of treatment mode is imp ortant element of the care in the postnatal changes of the mood.Series of works by Dennis CL. et all. (2004) are dedicated to the problem of treatment of postpartum depression. Authors consider that the most effective schemes of psychotherapy include interpersonal psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, peer and partner support, nondirective counseling, relaxation/massage therapy, infant sleep interventions, infant-mother relationship therapy, and maternal exercise.Unfortunately the available clinical trials studied these methods and their effectiveness, were designed poorly and have low level of evidence. Thus definite conclusions about the relative effectiveness of the different treatments cannot be reached. Authors recommend to increase the number of randomized controlled trials needed for comparing different treatment schemes, examining the effectiveness of individual treatment components and selecting the optimum treatments for women with different anamnesis and status pra esens objectivus.Other group of interventions using in the psychiatry for treatment of postpartum depression includes antidepressant medication, estrogen therapy, critically timed sleep deprivation, and bright light therapy. Some of these interventions can be applied to other types of depressions unrelated to puerperium but the issues of pharmacological safety can limit them.As an example of mentioned above we can use the results of the study by Reck C. et all. (2004). They found, that mother-infant interaction plays a central role in the treatment of postpartum depression. They explain this fact with high sensitivity of infants to their mothers' emotional state. The authors consider that postpartum depression is a risk factor for disturbances of children's development. They proposed the integrated model of treatment which is based on   mother-infant-centered interventions.Similar propositions contains the research paper of Hofecker-Fallahpour M. et all. (2003). This group of Swis s investigators proposed the program of group therapy for depressive mothers, including those who has postpartum depression. The main therapeutic method in this program is behavioral therapy.Clark R, Tluczek A. and Wenzel A. from the University of Wisconsin Medical School published work (2004) about the priorities of psychotherapy in the patients with postpartum depression. They think that group psychotherapy and interpersonal psychotherapy should be superior to other methods of non-pharmacological treatment.The main objectives of the proposed treatment is â€Å"reducing maternal depressive symptoms, improving mothers' perceptions of their infants' adaptability and reinforcement value, and increasing mothers' positive affect and verbalization with their infants†. Authors urge that early intervention for mothers with postpartum depression is crucial point of successful treatment.Different point of view was demonstrated by Cooper PJ, Murray L, Wilson A. and Romaniuk H. (2003). They think that psychological interventions for postnatal depression can be beneficial in the short term but this benefit is not superior to spontaneous remission in the long term. In their research Cooper PJ. et all. used routine primary care, non-directive counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy and psychodynamic therapy. They found that all chosen treatments had a considerable impact at four months on maternal mood but only psychodynamic therapy reduced depression significantly.The last kind of therapy focused on patient's experience and bygone conflicts of childhood and adolescence. All benefits of the treatment were not longer by nine months after delivery and did not reduce of recurrent episodes of depression in long-term perspective. These scientists urge that postnatal depression is associated with adverse child cognitive and socio-emotional outcome (2003). They found that early psychotherapeutic intervention had the short-term benefit to the mother-child relationship and i nfant behavior.In summarizing of foresaid we could said that the treatment of mood disorders in puerperal period includes two main components: medical interventions and psychotherapy. The choice of the methods and their combination depend on the severity of signs and risk of the recurrence of mood disorder. Women with mild disturbances of mood (postpartum blues) do not need specific treatment. This condition typically resolves spontaneously during first weeks.Because the medical interventions are not the subject of our competence we will focus on the findings in the field of psychotherapy. This approach is especially useful in women with mild or moderate severity of postnatal depression. The most of authors recommend group psychotherapy (cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal therapy), but individual therapy is effective too. These methods can be combined with educational programs. O'Hara MW. and his coauthors evaluated efficacy of different methods of psychotherapy for postpartum d epression. They proposed interpersonal psychotherapy as the method of the choice in treatment of postpartum depression.They found that â€Å"interpersonal psychotherapy reduced depressive symptoms and improved social adjustment, and represents an alternative to pharmacotherapy, particularly for women who are breastfeeding†. We can see that the main benefit of psychotherapy is absence of adverse effects of taking medications. But in severe cases of postnatal depression or when patients do not respond to non-pharmacological treatment and in all cases of postpartum psychosis the pharmacological treatment is indicated.The prevalent forms of psychotherapy in the postnatal depression include cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy. Both individual and group therapy can be used. All types of non-pharmacological treatment are effective in mild and moderate severity of the depression.Untreated mood disorders place the mother at risk for recurrent disease. Furthermore, maternal depression is associated with long-term cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems in the child. One of the most important objectives is to increase awareness across the spectrum of health care professionals who care for women during pregnancy and the puerperium so that postpartum mood disorders may be identified early and treated appropriately.Effective pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies are available. Every approach has the advantages and demerits. But to compare their effectiveness we need better-designed clinical trials and the unification of the approaches to the examining of the effectiveness of individual treatment components. Selecting the optimum treatments for women with different background and severity of the postnatal depression should be evidence-based and take into consideration the possibility of long-term effects of the mood disorder. References: 1.Clark R, Tluczek A, Wenzel A. (2003) Psychotherapy for postpartum depression: a preliminary report. Am J Orthopsychiatry. Oct; 73(4) p. 441-454. 2.Cooper PJ, Murray L, Wilson A, Romaniuk H. (2003) Controlled trial of the short- and long-term effect of psychological treatment of post-partum depression. I. Impact on maternal mood. Br J Psychiatry. May; 182: p. 412-419. 3.Dennis CL, Stewart DE. (2004) Treatment of postpartum depression, part 1: a critical review of biological interventions. J Clin Psychiatry. Sep; 65(9): p. 1242-1251. 4.Dennis CL. (2004) Treatment of postpartum depression, part 2: a critical review of nonbiological interventions. J Clin Psychiatry. Sep; 65(9): p. 1252-1265. 5.Hofecker-Fallahpour M., Zinkernagel-Burri C., Stà ¶ckli B., Wà ¼sten G., Stieglitz RD., Riecher-Rà ¶ssler A. (2003) Gruppentherapie bei Depression in der frà ¼hen Mutterschaft Erste Ergebnisse einer Pilotstudie Der Nervenarzt Sep.; Band 74, Nummer 9; S.: 767 – 774 6.Murray L, Cooper PJ, Wilson A, Romaniuk H. (2003) Controlled trial of the short- and long-term effect of psychological treatment of post-partum depression: 2. Impact on the mother-child relationship and child outcome. Br J Psychiatry. May; 182: p. 420-427. 7.Nonacs R, Cohen LS. (1998) Postpartum mood disorders: diagnosis and treatment guidelines. J Clin Psychiatry. 59 Suppl 2: p. 34-40. 8.O'Hara MW, Stuart S, Gorman LL, Wenzel A. (2000) Efficacy of interpersonal psychotherapy for postpartum depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry. Nov; 7(11) p. 1039-1045. 9.Reck C., Weiss R., Fuchs T., Mà ¶hler E., Downing G., Mundt C. (2004) Psychotherapie der postpartalen Depression Mutter-Kind-Interaktion im Blickpunkt. Der Nervenarzt. November Band 75, Nummer 11 S.: 1068 – 1073 10.Seyfried LS, Marcus SM. (2003) Postpartum mood disorders. Int Rev Psychiatry.   Aug; 15(3) p. 231-242.

The Host Chapter 4: Dreamed

It is too dark to be so hot, or maybe too hot to be so dark. One of the two is out of place. I crouch in the darkness behind the weak protection of a scrubby creosote bush, sweating out all the water left in my body. It's been fifteen minutes since the car left the garage. No lights have come on. The arcadia door is open two inches, letting the swamp cooler do its job. I can imagine the feel of the moist, cool air blowing through the screen. I wish it could reach me here. My stomach gurgles, and I clench my abdominal muscles to stifle the sound. It is quiet enough that the murmur carries. I am so hungry. There is another need that is stronger-another hungry stomach hidden safely far away in the darkness, waiting alone in the rough cave that is our temporary home. A cramped place, jagged with volcanic rock. What will he do if I don't come back? All the pressure of motherhood with none of the knowledge or experience. I feel so hideously helpless. Jamie is hungry. There are no other houses close to this one. I've been watching since the sun was still white hot in the sky, and I don't think there is a dog, either. I ease up from my crouch, my calves screaming in protest, but keep hunched at the waist, trying to be smaller than the bush. The way up the wash is smooth sand, a pale pathway in the light of the stars. There are no sounds of cars on the road. I know what they will realize when they return, the monsters who look like a nice couple in their early fifties. They will know exactly what I am, and the search will begin at once. I need to be far away. I really hope they are going out for a night on the town. I think it's Friday. They keep our habits so perfectly, it's hard to see any difference. Which is how they won in the first place. The fence around the yard is only waist high. I get over easily, noiselessly. The yard is gravel, though, and I have to walk carefully to keep my weight from shifting it. I make it to the patio slab. The blinds are open. The starlight is enough to see that the rooms are empty of movement. This couple goes for a spartan look, and I'm grateful. It makes it harder for someone to hide. Of course, that leaves no place for me to hide, either, but if it comes to hiding for me, it's too late anyway. I ease the screen door open first, and then the glass door. Both glide silently. I place my feet carefully on the tile, but this is just out of habit. No one is waiting for me here. The cool air feels like heaven. The kitchen is to my left. I can see the gleam of granite counters. I pull the canvas bag from my shoulder and start with the refrigerator. There is a moment of anxiety as the light comes on when the door opens, but I find the button and hold it down with my toe. My eyes are blind. I don't have time to let them adjust. I go by feel. Milk, cheese slices, leftovers in a plastic bowl. I hope it's the chicken-and-rice thing I watched him cooking for dinner. We'll eat this tonight. Juice, a bag of apples. Baby carrots. These will stay good till morning. I hurry to the pantry. I need things that will keep longer. I can see better as I gather as much as I can carry. Mmm, chocolate chip cookies. I'm dying to open the bag right now, but I grit my teeth and ignore the twist of my empty stomach. The bag gets heavy too quickly. This will last us only a week, even if we're careful with it. And I don't feel like being careful; I feel like gorging. I shove granola bars into my pockets. One more thing. I hurry to the sink and refill my canteen. Then I put my head under the flow and gulp straight from the stream. The water makes odd noises when it hits my hollow stomach. I start to feel panicked now that my job is done. I want to be out of here. Civilization is deadly. I watch the floor on my way out, worried about tripping with my heavy bag, which is why I don't see the silhouetted black figure on the patio until my hand is on the door. I hear his mumbled oath at the same time that a stupid squeak of fear escapes my mouth. I spin to sprint for the front door, hoping the locks are not latched, or at least not difficult. I don't even get two steps before rough, hard hands grab my shoulders and wrench me back against his body. Too big, too strong to be a woman. The bass voice proves me right. â€Å"One sound and you die,† he threatens gruffly. I am shocked to feel a thin, sharp edge pushing into the skin under my jaw. I don't understand. I shouldn't be given a choice. Who is this monster? I've never heard of one who would break rules. I answer the only way I can. â€Å"Do it,† I spit through my teeth. â€Å"Just do it. I don't want to be a filthy parasite!† I wait for the knife, and my heart is aching. Each beat has a name. Jamie, Jamie, Jamie. What will happen to you now? â€Å"Clever,† the man mutters, and it doesn't sound like he's speaking to me. â€Å"Must be a Seeker. And that means a trap. How did they know?† The steel disappears from my throat, only to be replaced by a hand as hard as iron. I can barely breathe under his grip. â€Å"Where are the rest of them?† he demands, squeezing. â€Å"It's just me!† I rasp. I can't lead him to Jamie. What will Jamie do when I don't come back? Jamie is hungry! I throw my elbow into his gut-and this really hurts. His stomach muscles are as iron hard as the hand. Which is very strange. Muscles like that are the product of hard living or obsession, and the parasites have neither. He doesn't even suck in a breath at my blow. Desperate, I jab my heel into his instep. This catches him off guard, and he wobbles. I wrench away, but he grabs hold of my bag, yanking me back into his body. His hand clamps down on my throat again. â€Å"Feisty for a peace-loving body snatcher, aren't you?† His words are nonsensical. I thought the aliens were all the same. I guess they have their nut jobs, too, after all. I twist and claw, trying to break his hold. My nails catch his arm, but this just makes him tighten his hold on my throat. â€Å"I will kill you, you worthless body thief. I'm not bluffing.† â€Å"Do it, then!† Suddenly he gasps, and I wonder if any of my flailing limbs have made contact. I don't feel any new bruises. He lets go of my arm and grabs my hair. This must be it. He's going to cut my throat. I brace for the slice of the knife. But the hand on my throat eases up, and then his fingers are fumbling on the back of my neck, rough and warm on my skin. â€Å"Impossible,† he breathes. Something hits the floor with a thud. He's dropped the knife? I try to think of a way to get it. Maybe if I fall. The hand on my neck isn't tight enough to keep me from yanking free. I think I heard where the blade landed. He spins me around suddenly. There is a click, and light blinds my left eye. I gasp and automatically try to twist away from it. His hand tightens in my hair. The light flickers to my right eye. â€Å"I can't believe it,† he whispers. â€Å"You're still human.† His hands grab my face from both sides, and before I can pull free, his lips come down hard on mine. I'm frozen for half a second. No one has ever kissed me in my life. Not a real kiss. Just my parents' pecks on the cheek or forehead, so many years ago. This is something I thought I would never feel. I'm not sure exactly what it feels like, though. There's too much panic, too much terror, too much adrenaline. I jerk my knee up in a sharp thrust. He chokes out a wheezing sound, and I'm free. Instead of running for the front of the house again like he expects, I duck under his arm and leap through the open door. I think I can outrun him, even with my load. I've got a head start, and he's still making pained noises. I know where I'm going-I won't leave a path he can see in the dark. I never dropped the food, and that's good. I think the granola bars are a loss, though. â€Å"Wait!† he yells. Shut up, I think, but I don't yell back. He's running after me. I can hear his voice getting closer. â€Å"I'm not one of them!† Sure. I keep my eyes on the sand and sprint. My dad used to say I ran like a cheetah. I was the fastest on my track team, state champion, back before the end of the world. â€Å"Listen to me!† He's still yelling at full volume. â€Å"Look! I'll prove it. Just stop and look at me!† Not likely. I pivot off the wash and flit through the mesquites. â€Å"I didn't think there was anyone left! Please, I need to talk to you!† His voice surprises me-it is too close. â€Å"I'm sorry I kissed you! That was stupid! I've just been alone so long!† â€Å"Shut up!† I don't say it loudly, but I know he hears. He's getting even closer. I've never been outrun before. I push my legs harder. There's a low grunt to his breathing as he speeds up, too. Something big flies into my back, and I go down. I taste dirt in my mouth, and I'm pinned by something so heavy I can hardly breathe. â€Å"Wait. A. Minute,† he huffs. He shifts his weight and rolls me over. He straddles my chest, trapping my arms under his legs. He is squishing my food. I growl and try to squirm out from under him. â€Å"Look, look, look!† he says. He pulls a small cylinder from his hip pocket and twists the top. A beam of light shoots out the end. He turns the flashlight on his face. The light makes his skin yellow. It shows prominent cheekbones beside a long thin nose and a sharply squared-off jaw. His lips are stretched into a grin, but I can see that they are full, for a man. His eyebrows and lashes are bleached out from sun. But that's not what he is showing me. His eyes, clear liquid sienna in the illumination, shine with no more than human reflection. He bounces the light between left and right. â€Å"See? See? I'm just like you.† â€Å"Let me see your neck.† Suspicion is thick in my voice. I don't let myself believe that this is more than a trick. I don't understand the point of the charade, but I'm sure there is one. There is no hope anymore. His lips twist. â€Å"Well†¦ That won't exactly help anything. Aren't the eyes enough? You know I'm not one of them.† â€Å"Why won't you show me your neck?† â€Å"Because I have a scar there,† he admits. I try to squirm out from under him again, and his hand pins my shoulder. â€Å"It's self-inflicted,† he explains. â€Å"I think I did a pretty good job, though it hurt like hell. I don't have all that pretty hair to cover my neck. The scar helps me blend in.† â€Å"Get off me.† He hesitates, then gets to his feet in one easy move, not needing to use his hands. He holds one out, palm up, to me. â€Å"Please don't run away. And, um, I'd rather you didn't kick me again, either.† I don't move. I know he can catch me if I try to run. â€Å"Who are you?† I whisper. He smiles wide. â€Å"My name is Jared Howe. I haven't spoken to another human being in more than two years, so I'm sure I must seem†¦ a little crazy to you. Please, forgive that and tell me your name, anyway.† â€Å"Melanie,† I whisper. â€Å"Melanie,† he repeats. â€Å"I can't tell you how delighted I am to meet you.† I grip my bag tightly, keeping my eyes on him. He reaches his hand down toward me slowly. And I take it. It isn't until I see my hand curl voluntarily around his that I realize I believe him. He helps me to my feet and doesn't release my hand when I'm up. â€Å"What now?† I ask guardedly. â€Å"Well, we can't stay here for long. Will you come back with me to the house? I left my bag. You beat me to the fridge.† I shake my head. He seems to realize how brittle I am, how close to breaking. â€Å"Will you wait for me here, then?† he asks in a gentle voice. â€Å"I'll be very quick. Let me get us some more food.† â€Å"Us?† â€Å"Do you really think I'm going to let you disappear? I'll follow you even if you tell me not to.† I don't want to disappear from him. â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  How can I not trust another human completely? We're family-both part of the brotherhood of extinction. â€Å"I don't have time. I have so far to go and†¦ Jamie is waiting.† â€Å"You're not alone,† he realizes. His expression shows uncertainty for the first time. â€Å"My brother. He's just nine, and he's so frightened when I'm away. It will take me half the night to get back to him. He won't know if I've been caught. He's so hungry.† As if to make my point, my stomach growls loudly. Jared's smile is back, brighter than before. â€Å"Will it help if I give you a ride?† â€Å"A ride?† I echo. â€Å"I'll make you a deal. You wait here while I gather more food, and I'll take you anywhere you want to go in my jeep. It's faster than running-even faster than you running.† â€Å"You have a car?† â€Å"Of course. Do you think I walked out here?† I think of the six hours it took me to walk here, and my forehead furrows. â€Å"We'll be back to your brother in no time,† he promises. â€Å"Don't move from this spot, okay?† I nod. â€Å"And eat something, please. I don't want your stomach to give us away.† He grins, and his eyes crinkle up, fanning lines out of the corners. My heart gives one hard thump, and I know I will wait here if it takes him all night. He is still holding my hand. He lets go slowly, his eyes not leaving mine. He takes a step backward, then pauses. â€Å"Please don't kick me,† he pleads, leaning forward and grabbing my chin. He kisses me again, and this time I feel it. His lips are softer than his hands, and hot, even in the warm desert night. A flock of butterflies riots in my stomach and steals my breath. My hands reach for him instinctively. I touch the warm skin of his cheek, the rough hair on his neck. My fingers skim over a line of puckered skin, a raised ridge right beneath the hairline. I scream. I woke up covered in sweat. Even before I was all the way awake, my fingers were on the back of my neck, tracing the short line left from the insertion. I could barely detect the faint pink blemish with my fingertips. The medicines the Healer had used had done their job. Jared's poorly healed scar had never been much of a disguise. I flicked on the light beside my bed, waiting for my breathing to slow, veins full of adrenaline from the realistic dream. A new dream, but in essence so much the same as the many others that had plagued me in the past months. No, not a dream. Surely a memory. I could still feel the heat of Jared's lips on mine. My hands reached out without my permission, searching across the rumpled sheet, looking for something they did not find. My heart ached when they gave up, falling to the bed limp and empty. I blinked away the unwelcome moisture in my eyes. I didn't know how much more of this I could stand. How did anyone survive this world, with these bodies whose memories wouldn't stay in the past where they should? With these emotions that were so strong I couldn't tell what I felt anymore? I was going to be exhausted tomorrow, but I felt so far from sleep that I knew it would be hours before I could relax. I might as well do my duty and get it over with. Maybe it would help me take my mind off things I'd rather not think about. I rolled off the bed and stumbled to the computer on the otherwise empty desk. It took a few seconds for the screen to glow to life, and another few seconds to open my mail program. It wasn't hard to find the Seeker's address; I only had four contacts: the Seeker, the Healer, my new employer, and his wife, my Comforter. There was another human with my host, Melanie Stryder. I typed, not bothering with a greeting. His name is Jamie Stryder; he is her brother. For a panicked moment, I wondered at her control. All this time, and I'd never even guessed at the boy's existence-not because he didn't matter to her, but because she protected him more fiercely than other secrets I'd unraveled. Did she have more secrets this big, this important? So sacred that she kept them even from my dreams? Was she that strong? My fingers trembled as I keyed the rest of the information. I think he's a young adolescent now. Perhaps thirteen. They were living in a temporary camp, and I believe it was north of the town of Cave Creek, in Arizona. That was several years ago, though. Still, you could compare a map to the lines I remembered before. As always, I'll tell you if I get anything more. I sent it off. As soon as it was gone, terror washed through me. Not Jamie! Her voice in my head was as clear as my own spoken aloud. I shuddered in horror. Even as I struggled with the fear of what was happening, I was gripped with the insane desire to e-mail the Seeker again and apologize for sending her my crazy dreams. To tell her I was half asleep and to pay no attention to the silly message I'd sent. The desire was not my own. I shut off the computer. I hate you, the voice snarled in my head. â€Å"Then maybe you should leave,† I snapped. The sound of my voice, answering her aloud, made me shudder again. She hadn't spoken to me since the first moments I'd been here. There was no doubt that she was getting stronger. Just like the dreams. And there was no question about it; I was going to have to visit my Comforter tomorrow. Tears of disappointment and humiliation welled in my eyes at the thought. I went back to bed, put a pillow over my face, and tried to think of nothing at all.

Travel Is The Best Education

In the technologically advanced era that we are living in, travelling has become not only easier, but also more accessible to almost everyone. Therefore, more and more people have the opportunity to get to places they have never been to before, making the experience interesting and, at the same time, educational. It has become in this way, the best form of education. Millions of people travel around the world at any given time, through various means of transport.This means that a very big number of people have the chance to see something they have never seen before, learn from the new experiences and broaden their horizons, as they get new ideas from the new people they meet, realize that the differences between them make everybody unique and so they also learn to respect those differences. Travelling gives the chance to people to strengthen and develop their character and mind, as it helps them to learn how to manage themselves in various situations, such as asking directions in a d ifferent countries , to give the simplest example.Therefore, travelling means having to do with new people, new places and new situations that require critical thinking. In addition to that, travelling doesn’t only provide knowledge about new cultures and interesting facts about the countries and their people, but it also makes the travelers understand and value more their own culture, home and lifestyle. There is also the planning phase of the trip, which can be an education opportunity in itself.For example, the maps. What route will you take? Geography. What sites will you visit? History and culture. How long will it take you to get to each city and how will this work in your budget? Math. And, for a dose of social skills, you can always interact with interesting people: waitresses, hotel owners, tour guides, market sellers and anyone else you come into contact with can be ideal sources of local information.More and more people every year get to travel to other countries a nd experience the educational character travelling has to offer in a fun way, a lot better in practice than in theory. Who needs a textbook (although you can still bring them along) when you can visit historical sites, art galleries, museums, and sporting events in person? That’s why, it is right to say that travelling constitutes the best form of education.

Refurbishment Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Refurbishment Project - Assignment Example slope of the ramp makes it comfortable for the user and this permanent ramp actually connects pavement with the entrance. Terrace Gate: The building is provided with gates for moving out of the building into terrace through a main door which is capable of opening by pushing it. The width of the door is about 85cm. to access the terrace, ramps are provided in front of each door which is permanent. Figure 5: Terrace gate for moving out of the building Reception and reception desk: The reception is provided at the entrance from the main door and is at the same level as that of the entrance. Whereas it can be seen that the reception desk is high and the lightning is kept moderate in this region as shown below: Figure 6: Reception and high reception desk Stairs and Lifts: All floors are accessible by stairs including parking and ground floor. Each section of stairs joining two consecutive floors consists of approximately 15 stairs with a bright light level. The stairs are designed in such a precise manner that each step is equally spaced, whereas handrails are provided along both the sides of the stairs. Figure 7: Stairs for all floors All the floors are also furnished by the lift which is open for public. The dimension of the lift is 0.99m?1.4m and is above 1m from the level of entrance. Toilet Facility: Standard toilets are provided for both males and females but the toilets are located outside the building. Female toilets are located to the right of the terrace entrance and male toilets are located to the left. Baby change facilities are only provided at the level of lecture theaters. Another male toilet is also provided near student’s common room. Restaurant and students common room: Restaurants are provided as a part of student’s common room and... Manager Room and Store Rooms: Room of the hotel manager is designed to be behind the reception and should not be glassed rather opaque. The store rooms for sweepers, and other sort of items like extra furniture etc must be planned to be at the end of the terrace at the place of lecture room 006. Other offices and stores containing sanitry material will also be managed in the same location. Beauty Saloons: Beauty saloon and spa services will be provided to all the customers of the boutique hotel. Facility of beauty saloon will be provided adjacent to the exhibition hall, besides the stairs. Stairs must be cut short to spiral in order to provide more area to saloon. Saloon’s extensive area covers spa and all other sections seperately in order to facilitate the customer. Just above the saloon, on the first floor, rejuvenation center and gym will also be provided. Exhibition Room: Exhibition room will not be altered much. It will just be modified internally to provide a classy look and the rest of the changes depends upon the type of exhibition being carried out. Room Service: All floors other than ground floor are provided with the living rooms for guests. Each living room is different from the other in design, furniture, arrangement, color scheme and lifestyle provided. The facilities available are same in all the rooms. Each room will be provided with a mini bar to facilitate the customer within their room. Also a small sitting and dining area will also be provided to the customer in order to enjoy meal if they order for it in room. A small study section will also be provided. The walls and furniture in the room will be having same color scheme or in proper contrast to give most outstanding look to the visitors.

Muscular Dystrophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Muscular Dystrophy - Essay Example As muscular Dystrophy is a genetic disorder, patients suffering from it have wrong or missing information in their genes, which inhibits or stops the production of protein dystrophin that is vital for strong and healthy muscles. The result is that in patients suffering from Muscular Dystrophy, their muscles tend to become weak with the passage of time (Tingle, 1990, p. 28). The adults suffering from Muscular Dystrophy eventually lose the ability to perform normal body activities like walking and moving around. Some patients develop Muscular Dystrophy when they are mere babies, while many other patients begin to exhibit symptoms at a later stage. Some patients even develop Muscular Dystrophy at an adult stage. The life expectancy in a Muscular Dystrophy directly depends on the extent to which one’s muscles have weakened and the degree of their impact on heart and lung functioning (Tingle, 1990). Though much scientific research is taking place to find a cure for Muscular Dystrop hy, at present there is no cure for this disease. Patients with Muscular Dystrophy could resort to physiotherapy to prevent the stiffening of their muscles. Sometimes surgery or braces are used to restore muscle flexibility (Emery, 2000, p. 56, 58). In acute cases, respiratory aids like ventilators may be required (Emery, 2000, p. 63). Conclusively speaking, though there is no cure for Muscular Dystrophy, the patients could resort to varied available medical interventions to improve the quality of their life.

Explain and illustrate this with reference to examples drawn from at Essay

Explain and illustrate this with reference to examples drawn from at least two chapters from Book 1 - Essay Example The chapter also debates how the inequality is contested and what the demands of social justice are. There are many movements that are given as examples to support the topic. Welfare state is the concern of every society and inventing a welfare state is the responsibility of politics, policies and resources. The demands of a welfare state are equality, justice and security. But at most of the times an ideal welfare society or social justice cannot be maintained as they are bound of place and time. So there are compromises and settlements made in regards to let the system of the society work. There are different kinds of populations in a society like rich and poor. Not every society has the same needs and demands thus the concept works and lies within the society. It depends on the society but it may not fit a welfare state as a welfare state demands much more than just justice. When inequality exceeds its limits then the term used is exclusion. It is when the society becomes so unjust that groups do not even get considered as a part. The chapter answers questions that arise about social justice. The notions of social justice are based on two concepts, well-being and harm. Both of them affect the meaning of social justice and they are applied to a welfare state too. They frame the welfare state and crime control. The writer discusses the relationship between the well-being harm and social justice and talks about capabilities and capacities that are engaged to shape individuals, communities and social groups. Care is another factor involved as it fulfills functions of well-being of a society. Thus care and harm are opposition and are discussed in the chapter on contrasts. Care is associated to both welfare state and social justice. The chapter also discusses the harm and crime that is made at the work areas and explains it well with examples. The injustice made at work needs justice, making work places safe, regulating labor problems, labor mobilization,

Alcohol and crime in US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alcohol and crime in US - Essay Example elaxation in a person who has consumed alcohol, giving them a sense of confidence and boldness, which they cannot display in their otherwise sober state (Uggen, 130). Thus without the subsequent negative consequences of alcoholism, it remains the best anesthesia for the human soul (Hutchison, 61). This notwithstanding, alcohol and crime has a very thin margin in between. Though the argument is that consuming alcohol by itself is not a vice, the impact of alcohol on personal behavior is the cause for concern. While there has been major concerns of alcohol consumption, based on the problems it causes health wise, little has been done to scrutinize the relationship between alcohol and crime. It came to my realization that alcohol is ruining our society extensively. Some question arises that this paper shall attempt to answer: What exactly is the relationship between alcohol and crime? How significantly is alcohol related to crime in U.S.? Why the legal minimum age of drinking is 21 in U .S.? What are the effects of a decrease or increase in the legal minimum age of drinking? How many offenders consume alcohol prior to committing offences in U.S? Does the availability and distribution of alcohol in U.S affect criminal rate? In the light of this, then I stage my argument that the government should strongly control alcohol use in the US. The purpose of this research is to find out how the consumption of alcohol affects people engagement in acts of crime. Before discussing my topic, I will provide a background for the reader to understand my claim. To do this I will use an article entitled "Alcohol, Drugs and Violence" written by Robert N Parker and Kathleen Auerhahn. They present a background and consequences of alcohol abuse. They found enough evidences to suggest that alcohol consumption is significantly connected to all sorts of violence. This source is important in informing the reader why alcohol is dangerous. I will focus on illustrating the risk of alcohol in my

Hip Hop and Race Portrayal in News Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Hip Hop and Race Portrayal in News - Essay Example The paper "Hip Hop and Race Portrayal in News" analyzes gender portrayal in hip hop and race portrayal in news. Hegemony in gender usually follows a pattern in which men indirectly dominate women in society. Through discourses perpetrated through various ways especially in the media, such positions appear ingrained in the society and unquestionable. Douglas explores the issue of hegemony arguing that there is meaning, context and representation of various sociological aspects with most of these being used to perpetrate hegemony. Dyer discusses the establishment of stereotypes in detail and explains that stereotypic images portrayed in media forms are widely believed and agreed upon as being right. As Douglas states, analysis of hegemony involves historical socio-cultural inquiries into how culture and various social institutions from the media have been used to facilitate domination on rather broad social and political ends. Thus, in order to determine whether the media’s powe r is increasing or decreasing, this discussion shall seek to establish hip hop’s perpetration of gender hegemony and the counter-efforts to break these hegemonic discourses based on a time series analysis. The hip hop genre is known to perpetrate gender hegemony and misogyny and has, in fact, come under heavy criticism for this in the past. Perpetration of gender hegemony in hip hop involves using lyrics and videos to portray women as sex objects, trivializing them, marginalizing them and using derogative terms to refer to them.

Tiger Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tiger - Essay Example Tiger shows how, in the modern world, as individuals get older, they want their children close, while at the same time their children wish to live their own lives independent of their parents. In this story, Essie is depicted as a mother who wants only the best for her daughter and she does all that she can to ensure that Marian not only marries an Indian man but also settles down close to her (Jones 2). However, this does not happen and Marian instead ends up marrying Daniel, a man from far off America who Essie does not approve of because of his mild demeanor as well as his not being Catholic. This is a scenario which is often played out in many families as mothers, believing that they know what is best for their children, tend not to approve of their choices in life and instead choose to interfere in their lives. This creates a situation where it is difficult for mothers and these children to get along because it seems that each is living firm in their own beliefs. Such an incident has taken place in my family where an aunt of mine did not approve of her son’s choosing to marry a woman from another country and his decision to settle in his wife’s homeland . This situation brought a lot of friction between my aunt and her son and it has gone on for more than a decade now with none of them becoming flexible in their position. My aunt took an instant dislike to her daughter in-law and whenever they visited, she all but ignored her. However, despite my aunt’s dislike for her son’s wife, she adores their three children to such an extent that she would do anything for them. She always waits anxiously for them to visit every year so that she can spend her time with them. It is these children who have ensured that the connection between my aunt and cousin does not die because their being born made it possible for the latter to at least live on good terms for their sake. In

It's Beginning to Hurt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

It's Beginning to Hurt - Essay Example He gets astonished to see a young woman that his father was marrying. Although he lacks authority over his father’s choice in marriage, he commands to a great extend through his facial expression that the woman was not the best for his father. The father is the most authoritative person in the setup. He cautions his son not to send a message that can instigate his wife to leave him for his son. The father who is now a widower had earlier been a victim of infidelity in his marriage and were not ready to face the situation again. The newly wedded wife also shows some authority when she offers to embrace her stepson. The son had missed the nuptial, but heads to the reception. He was dressed in a muddy clothes after getting stuck into the mud on his way to the wedding. The mud he got stuck in acted as a cleansing agent for the admiration of his father’s wife. His stepmother embraces him in his muddy clothes as a way of showing him love and as an authority that she will love him just like her son. The three characters best demonstrates the authoritative personality in the

Racialised and Gendered Barriers in Diverse Settings Essay

Racialised and Gendered Barriers in Diverse Settings - Essay Example That means, it not only includes the traditional categories of race and gender, but also people with disabilities, various sexual orientations, and other non-traditional categories considered having â€Å"diversity of thought† or those from different disciplines, college degrees, socio-economic backgrounds, etc. However, many organizations and professional careers still remain resolute in embracing diversity and maintain barriers for full inclusion to be carried out. This paper attempts to answer the question, â€Å"To what extent and in what sense can we say that professional and managerial careers are gendered and racialised?† It was Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. who inspired the concept of diversity when he advocated that character is what makes a person and not his skin color. This propelled lawmakers to come up with laws that provide equal opportunity to all (Mor Barak, 2000). These laws have been designed to protect anyone from discrimination for their gender, marit al status, cultural background, race, age, disability, religion and other factors that may point out one’s difference from the rest of the group. â€Å"Equal opportunity† is a means by which a person receives equal access in society. â€Å"Equal opportunities approach† is premised on the principle that all people can avail of certain rights or privileges such as education, employment, health care or other welfare services without any discrimination or any preference whatsoever. The evolution of the workforce to include a more diverse population has highlighted some prejudices that mark resistance to move from more stereotypical roles. Even in today’s â€Å"politically correct† environments, prejudice and stereotypes prevent the successful implementation of inclusive policies at the workplace. Such obstacles usually suffered by women, older adults, ethnic and racial minority groups, homosexuals and the disabled include lack of support in their caree r planning, guidance of these nontraditional employees that is necessary for job advancement and a lonely and unsupportive work environment (Morrison, 1992). In effect, equal opportunities are not provided for all. Although there are different organizations that apply various equal opportunity practices that provide fair conditions for all their members in the process of employment and work (Equal Opportunities, 2006), managerial positions are usually reserved for men coming from the majority cultural group. For example, in a UK organization that subscribes to diversity and inclusive work environments, British men usually hold the top management posts. This may lead one to conclude that managerial careers are gendered and racialised. One explanation for maintaining racialized top management positions may be attributed to fidelity to one’s culture. Hofstede (1994) defines culture as â€Å"the collective programming of the mind which distinguished the members of one human grou p from another†¦ Culture, in this sense, includes systems of values; and values are among the building blocks of culture† (p.19). From this definition, one can perceive how much influence culture has on people. Such a definition is paralleled to ethnocentrism. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines ethnocentrism as "regarding one's own race or ethnic group as of supreme importance" (1989, p. 424). This is common especially when managers think highly of the values and level of skills their racial group upholds. Each member’s effectiveness and efficiency are dependent on social and cultural standards and skills of the group. This narrows down the group’s views to their own culture and discourages them from being

With close reference to the setting Essay Example for Free

With close reference to the setting Essay With close reference to the setting of Psycho and Edward Scissor hands discuss how the directors use elements of the Gothic tradition. The gothic tradition is rooted in many great works of fiction such as, Wuthering Heights and Dracula. It comprises many distinct features including Gothic architecture, lighting and the colour black. Setting is a very important aspect of the gothic tradition. In the two film texts studied Psycho and Edward Scissor hands, the directors have used the gothic tradition to create interesting effects. To define the word gothic when being used in the form of a novel, one can say that it contains supernatural or horrifying events. Alfred Hitchcock the director of Psycho, uses many effective camera shots throughout the film to add depth and tension to the atmosphere of the scene that the viewer can easily relate to. For example when Marion the leading female role is traveling on the highway in her car towards the Bates Motel, prior to her arrival the scene shows a very open and light space around her. There is lots of other traffic on the same stretch of road and gives a presence of safety in numbers to the viewer. As the sunset starts to emerge the lighting dims and Hitchcock uses a medium close-up shot of Marion in the car, the focal point being her face that is the only luminous thing that can be seen. The background behind her is not clearly visible and is set to a Gothic shadow view. As she continues to drive away further from her home the weather changes to heavy rain, the whole atmosphere draws in on her and the frantic music that plays adjacent to the fantastic camera shots results in a penetrative impact upon the viewer. As she continues driving it comes to attention that there is no other traffic visible. Solitarily driving down the highway Hitchcock takes a shot that shows what Marion would see from behind the windscreen. He takes a high angle shot looking down on to the road and all that can be seen are the road markings lit up by the headlights and only stretches so far as approximately 100cm in front of the car. This gives a feeling of isolation and curiosity as to what lies on the tarmac ahead. When Marion finally pulls of the highway and into Bates Motel, one of the fist camera shots we see is of a large house in shadow. Hitchcock films it using a low angle shot to make the house look more superior and threatening, this camera technique is used to make the viewer feel vulnerable. The house is of a very Gothic nature, the lighting especially created to set the old, menacing house in a black shadow so that the outline is only visible, contrasting against the night sky. The house has a very overgrown ramshackle appearance and there are only two lights that can be seen both coming from two upstairs windows that are set closely on one of the corner rooms. The blinds of both windows are drawn and then the viewer is able to see Mothers figure as a shadow walking past the window, and almost looks like a ghost more than a human. Later, when Marion is in her cabin, Hitchcock takes a camera shot of her standing in front of a mirror. He cleverly does this to reinforce in the viewers mind the illusion that Psycho is not a film but reality as if there was a camera crew taking the shot then they would be seen also n the reflection. Hitchcock then diverts the camera to an open window beside her bed, it is almost as if it is letting the darkness in from the outside of her room and the view beyond the window frame is of the house. The house has become even darker and no visible features can be seen eg. The front door. It is completely shot in darkness and is just an outlined silhouette, next to the house stands a single very ugly drawn tree that is also in shadow, only allowing its shape to be seen due to the lighter background. This creates a very eerie feeling that the music adds to which all highly compliment the Gothic Tradition. Behind the motel is an isolated, desolate area that is largely overgrown and is where the swamp situated to dispose of Marion and her belongings lies. It is enclosed by spindly trees that have no leaves or blossom; this makes them look dead, and makes the area look unattractive. The colour black is used very much throughout this film to emphasize all the Gothic elements that Hitchcock has used to perfect the setting. When Marion accepts the invite to go and eat her dinner in the parlour from the main office, stuffed birds surround her and Hitchcock makes a particularly remarkable shot in which Marion is in the bottom right hand side of the camera and behind her left shoulder can be seen a huge owl with its wings spread out to make her look like she was its victim that it was about to pounce on, kill and eat. The stuffed birds are everywhere and those towards the ceiling almost look as though they are circling above her in flight. They are made to look even more menacing by their shadows that create a larger image of them that creates an enlarging image of them. The birds are all birds of prey and in one shot that focuses of Marion you are able to see a stuffed crow behind her which symbolizes death! At one point during this particular scene Hitchcock uses a very clever camera shot in which hes in alignment with one of the birds of prey to show that the bird is a representative of him and his evilness. The bird that represents him is then seen above two pictures of naked women who represent Marion when shes in the shower, so in a sense almost gives away what will happen next through imagery! The birds are the most Gothic features of that scene but all the other props that are used also have a Gothic appeal, for example- the swirly, long candlesticks. To emphasize the charactors of the two people Hitchcock has placed the light beside Marion so that when the camera shoots at her, her face is lit up and when it focuses on him he is in shadow and in a darkened corner away from the light. Just before he commits the murder Hitchcock takes another shot of the house on the mount using the same low angle camera technique that gives the impression of power. The two lights that were bright upstairs have now been turned down to a minimal level of lighting and dark black clouds have congregated in the background which gives a far more atmospheric feeling to the surroundings of the Motel. Hitchcock chose to make all the bathroom facilities and decoration brilliant white so there would be a bigger more lucive contrast with the blood red when Marion was stabbed to death. When she is in the shower Hitchcock always uses a medium close-up, high angle shot to show that Marion is vulnerable, small and weak. However when the camera is on Bates it looks up to him like the house and so gives him a sense of superiority as well. Edward Scissor hands the other film studied, also showed Gothic elements that had been used to create a successful effect by the Director, James Burton. Burton starts the film off with a magical fairy tale beginning where a grandmother is telling her granddaughter a bed time story. As she starts to tell it the camera shoots through snow which eventually reveals a big mansion on top of a cliff. Suburbia the small community of average people lies below the cliff and unlike the mansion that stands upon it, is a brightly coloured, happy and social place. Burton uses camera shots to depict the huge contrast between the community and the isolated, solitary house on the hill. Within the mansion walls, where the only resident is Edward Scissor hands, the camera pans through an overgrown driveway into a magical garden. As Peggy Boggs, one of the main charactors of the film enters the mansion drive the whole setting takes a vast atmospherical change. The set from being very neat and tidy, changes almost indistinguishably to an overgrown, unkept, confined garden. Such props as stone gargoyles are used to emphasise the Gothic feeling that Burton tries to pass to the audience. What strikes one as most odd and is a great contrast to Psycho is the word that Peggy Boggs uses to describe the house, she describes it as beautiful and Burton uses a high angle shot that shows a close up image of her magical facial expression as she says it. The garden although firstly thought was poorly kept takes a dramatical change as Peggy Boggs goes further in and has a huge colourful array of flowers and many thriving, healthy green bushes that have been carved in to remarkable animal figures. Burton uses this scenery to make the house seem less threatening than it did on first impressions from the start of the driveway. This scene is also taken in daylight, with a bright, shining sun and the house not shown in shadow, unlike Psycho which is essential to create an eerie, Gothic effect. Burton also makes sure that the camera focuses on the Gothic architecture and other Gothic features of the house such as the large solid, old wooden door, the big lion doorknocker that Burton makes a close up camera shot of, and the church- style windows. When Peggy Boggs enters the house, Burton shoots the camera at her on a very long, high angle. Burton uses this shot, as the area that surrounds her can also be seen and as it is all in shadow and Peggy stands in a thin channel of light that floods solitarily into the dark, gloomy room, a great contrast between light and dark can be shown. Burton then shoots around the room focusing in on Gothic related props like the old throne that has been covered in dust sheets which creates an ancient, abandoned effect towards the audience. Edward Scissor hands, which can be closely related to another famous Gothic film, Frankenstein, also shoots close up camera shots on the contraptions and machinery that have created the main character, Edward. In many other Gothic novels apart from these, bringing bodies back to life has for a long time been an obvious favourite with authors. However when methods to do this started involving science big issues were raised concerning this. The camera follows Peggy Boggs as she goes slowly up the magical, windy staircase. Here, Burton uses some of the most regularly used Gothic elements such as very low lighting, creaking noises from the stair case and floor boards after every step and cobwebs that line the hand railings. The camera looks down on her as she proceeds up the stairs which makes Peggy Boggs look small and vulnerable. Peggy wears a bright violet suit that makes her stand out clearly against her dull surroundings, Burton uses this to show the contrast of Suburbia and the mansion. When Peggy meets Edward the scenery and Edwards shy character, make this particular scene a lot less Gothic than it could have been. Although Edward appears from shadows, he can be clearly seen as half of the roof is missing letting a more than sufficient amount of light into the room. As this scene is shot in an open- aired sunny room, Burton creates a calmer atmosphere which gives the audience the impression that nothing bad is going to happen at the present. During the scene when Peggy takes Edward back to Suburbia, Burton uses a series of long, two shots which again fulfills his aim to show contrast. Against the garish scenery of Suburbia Edward really stands out as hes the only black thing in sight. Suburbia, from the outside is extremely unrealistic and delights the audience eye as this picture perfect place is unveiled. The insides of the houses are much more related to normal, realistic living which signifies the room for evil, and the charactors of Suburbias residents are far in contrast with the setting. When Peggy Boggs opens her front door to let herself and Edward in the colour scheme which is the complete opposite of Edwards signature colour comes to the audiences attention. The walls are all white washed which symbolizes purity and reflects Peggys good, generous and loving personality. Towards the end of the film the witch hunt gathers for Edward, tension builds up and the sky turns black, which is a key factor that Burton has finally used to create a sinister, Gothic atmosphere. The mansion garden, shown throughout the film to be a colourful, wonderful place, is plunged in to a deep darkness. The flowers black, the animal carved bushes threatening, and a garden that now matches the interior, of the Gothic mansion upon a hill. In these films one can conclude that both directors have tried to incorporate influences and elements of the Gothic Tradition in to the desolate and sometimes bleak film settings. In particular, the attic of the large house in which Edward Scissor hands lives and the large dark remote house where Norman Bates live, both have a strong correlation with Gothic Traditional architectural style. This is often characterized by dark 12th 16th Century castle type structures with vaulted ceilings and pointed arches. Also they have used many symbolic objects within the sets that portray themes dealing with macabre and other events typical of the genre. The lead characters in both films are to a large extent depicted as social outcasts, displaying severe psychopathic tendencies thus further reinforcing the Gothic impression created by the film sets. From studying the films I feel that they both successfully display the Gothic Tradition and the settings and other background props greatly contribute to achieve this distinctive theme.

Poems About The Father-Child Relationship

Poems About The Father-Child Relationship A father-child relationship can be a beautiful thing for some, and complicated for others. There are different kinds of fathers. There are fathers who are always around for their children, who provide guidance and unconditional love. Then there are impossible-to-please fathers who burden their children with high expectations, leading to a strained relationship. And there are those fathers who, unable to handle the responsibilities of fatherhood, just walk out on their family. Some people may see their father in one way as a child, and grow up to see them in a completely new light. Its like when you argue about your curfew and your father tells you, Youll understand when you have a child. The complexity and richness of the father-child relationship explains why so many poets write poems about fathers and fatherhood. In this lesson, youll read poems about the father-child relationship. Youll also find out about the relationship between these poems themes and the form and devices used to express them. The poet Gregory Orr wrote a touching poem about how fathers learn as much from their children as they teach their children. Read Gregory Orrs poem, Fathers Song. What kind of relationship do the father and child in this poem share? What poetic devices does the poet use to depict the nuances of this relationship? This simple 14-line poem is about the relationship between a protective, caring father and a carefree, playful child. The use of free verse and lack of rhyme helps convey the simplicity and spontaneity of how the father feels about his child. Which lines in the poem make you almost see what is happening? Look at the lines my daughter balanced on the couch back, fell and cut her mouth. and the blood so red that it stops a fathers heart. These lines tell you how the speaker feels about his child. The poem reflects how the speakers experience and caution is balanced by his childs willingness to experience life freely and take risks, and the circle continues, round and round. The last two lines of this poem are the essence of a healthy father-child relationship, I try to teach her caution,/ she tried to teach me risk. The speaker tries to protect his child from harm, while the child shows him how to be open to adventure and new experiences. Poems About Fathers Analyzed While Gregory Orrs Fathers Song was inspired by fatherhood, other poets have been inspired by their fathers, like the poet Dylan Thomas. Read or listen to Thomass Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, which is a sons plea to his dying father to not give in to death. This poems central theme is the speakers inability to accept his fathers old age and mortality. Now lets see how the poems form and structure add to this theme. This poem is a villanelle, which is a 19-line poem with five tercets, or three-line stanzas, that ends with a quatrain, or four-line stanza. A villanelle was traditionally used to write simple, pastoral poems. So, why do you think Thomas chose to write this poem as a villanelle? The villanelle form of Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night adds to the irony of commanding a weak, dying person to rage against death. Just as this poem is nothing like the typical lyrical, pastoral poem, a weak dying man is not likely to rage against anything. - Only two rhymes are used across the poem with words like, night, light, sight, and day, way, pray. These two recurring rhymes help build on the speakers intensity as he convinces his father to stay alive. The first and third rhymes of the first stanza are repeated alternately in an interlocking rhyme scheme in the succeeding stanzas. The rhyme scheme is aba/aba/aba/aba/aba/abaa, where the first rhyme is joined in the last two lines of the quatrain. The last two lines also bring together the poems two refrains: Do not go gentle into that good night, and Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Did you notice that these lines recur all across the poem? They depict the urgency of the speakers pleas as he consistently and forcefully urges his father to hang on to life. Lesson Activity-Self-Checked What effect do the two refrains in Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, have? Do you interpret these refrains differently as the poem progresses? Write your answer in 175-200 words. - Besides the urgent refrains, several other poetic devices in the poem Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night help take forward the theme of a sons unwillingness to let his father succumb to death. Metaphors such as good night, dying of the light, and close of day, are used to refer to death. The words day and light represent life. Thats why the speakers father is urged to rage against the dying of the light. The simile, Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, implies that although his father may be going blind, his wisdom and greatness will enable him to see clearly with his minds eye. Did you notice the alliteration across the poem? Read the line Do not go gentle into that good night. Dont the alliterative sounds seem to add to the poems urgent passion? - Across the poem there are images of bright, illuminating things like lightning and meteors. Why do you think this bright imagery is used in a poem about dying? The speaker tries to persuade his father that a great man like him should not easily give in to death. He should overcome the darkness of death and continue to burn bright, as summed up in the lines, Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright/Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,/Rage, rage against the dying of the light. At the end of the poem, theres a paradox in the line, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. The juxtaposition of curse and bless indicates the sons desire to take his fathers pain unto himself. Its as if by cursing his son, the father can share his pain and fierce tears with his son who doesnt want to lose him. Dylan Thomas wrote Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night when his father, David John Thomas who had always been a strong man, was going blind and was on his deathbed. Thats why many read it as an autobiographical poem. The poet and his father had a great relationship and both shared a love for literature. The poet was very disturbed to see his father ravaged by age and wrote this poem to express how he felt. While Dylan Thomass poem is a sons plea to his dying father, the American poet E. E. Cummingss my father moved through dooms of love is an elegy. Read Cummingss my father moved through dooms of love. Whats the first thing that hits you about this poem? Did you notice that the poem is full of paradoxes? Look at phrases like dooms of love, griefs of joy, and theys of we. These and all the other paradoxes used take forward the poems theme, lamenting death while still celebrating the life lived. In this poem, the speaker says his father had lived a full life. Look at the lines joy was his song and joy so pure, his anger was as right as rain/ his pity was as green as grain and his sorrow was as true as bread. These lines tell you that whether the speakers father was happy, angry, or sad, he experienced each emotion completely. He inspired others to be the best they could be, his april touch/ drove sleeping selves to swarm their fates/ woke dreamers to their ghostly roots. The speaker takes readers across seasons, april touch, septembering arms, octobering flame, that seem to mirror his fathers full life with varied experiences and emotions. The last two lines, because my father lived his soul/love is the whole and more than all, convey how the father lived a life filled with love for and from his family. What do lines like joy was his song and joy so pure, no hungry man but wished him food;/no cripple wouldnt creep one mile/uphill to only see him smile, no liar looked him in the head, tell you about the speakers fathers personality? It sounds like the speakers father was liked and revered universally. He lived a pure and full life, which is brought out by the line, because my Father lived his soul. Cummings wrote my father moved through dooms of love in his typical style, with no spaces or adherence to structural rules, to ensure that his creativity and feelings flow freely. Like Dylan Thomass Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, this poem is also considered autobiographical. Cummings wrote this poem as an elegy to his father Edward Cummings, a professor at Harvard University, who died suddenly in a car accident. His fathers sudden death sobered Cummings into writing about more serious aspects of life. Poems About Fathers Compared While poems like Cummingss my father moved through dooms of love create a picture of a loved and loving father, others present dark, complicated pictures of fathers, such as the American poet Sylvia Plath. Read Plaths poem Daddy. You can also watch Plath recite her poem, Daddy. Whats this poem about? Daddy examines a daughters unresolved feelings for her father, who passed away. The speakers father died when she was so young that she was in awe of him, but never really understood him. The speakers awe for her father is reflected in the way she compares him to a bag full of God. She also expresses how she cannot escape from her fathers looming presence, with his one gray toe/ Big as a Frisco seal, reaching out across continents. Her conflicted feelings come to the fore later in the poem, when despite efforts she cant find her father. She then compares him to a devil, with A cleft in your chin instead of your foot, a brute, and a vampire. The speaker portrays herself as a vampire killer, her fathers killer, If Ive killed one man, Ive killed two. The speakers frustration climaxes in the last stanza, where she gets defensive and calls her father names, and exclaims she is through with him. - Plaths poem, Daddy is made up of 16 five-line stanzas. The one rhyme that appears in the poem is inconsistent, You do not do, you do not do, with some consecutive lines that end with words that rhyme with do, like shoe and Achoo, in the first stanza, and then you, blue, Jew, and so on in the other stanzas. Whats the relationship between the inconsistent rhyme scheme and the poems theme of a daughters unresolved feelings? The inconsistent, sporadic rhyme scheme seems to reflect the speakers emotional turmoil and the conflicting feelings she has for her father. The rhythm created by the sporadically recurring rhyme coupled with the use of symbolism and imagery reflects the speakers attempts to try to take control of the emotional turmoil caused by her fathers disturbing memories. Daddy is about a father, and so the imagery, language, and symbolism used are shocking. Look at the poems opening lines, You do not do, you do not do/ Any more, black shoe/ In which I have lived like a foot. These lines provide a glimpse into the speakers contradictory emotions. To show the protective and suffocating side of her father, the speaker uses a shoe as a symbol of her father and the foot inside the shoe as herself. Shoes protect the feet, but also constrict them, thereby symbolizing her conflicted feelings. Are you wondering what references to fascism, Nazis, and the Holocaust are doing in this poem? These images and references depict the speakers confusion about her father. The speaker compares her father to a fascist who puts his boot in the face. She calls her father an Aryan and herself a Jew, to convey that her father tortured her, like the Nazis tortured Jewish people in German death camps. There are constant references to black in the poem to reflect the speakers dark, confused feelings about her father. First, there is the black shoe and then the reference to The black telephones off at the root,/the voices just cant worm through. to convey that the speaker has permanently severed her connection with her father. Now look at the last stanza of Daddy? The lines, And the villagers never liked you./They are dancing and stamping on you. reflect the despicable picture that the speaker creates of her father, in her attempts to free herself of the hold that her fathers memory has on her, So daddy, Im finally through. The strongly worded last line, Daddy, daddy, you bastard, Im through. serves as the speakers final rant against the memories that cause her turmoil. Did you wonder about the speakers obsession with her father in this poem? Some critics have tried to explain this obsession by identifying elements of the Electra complex in the poem. The Electra complex refers to a daughters unresolved, unconscious desire for her father. Critics believe that this conflict is reflected in the speakers desperate and contradictory efforts to go to her father by committing suicide, At twenty I tried to die/And get back, back, back to you, and conversely to end her unhealthy, traumatizing relationship with her fathers memories wanting to kill him even though hes already dead, Daddy, I have had to kill you./You died before I had time The speakers confused feelings are again reflected when she used to pray to recover [him]. If you know anything about Sylvia Plaths life, youre probably wondering if Daddy is an autobiographical poem? The references, imagery, and symbolism used in Plaths Daddy do resonate with whats known about her life, like the complex feelings and unresolved issues she had toward her father, a Biology professor at Boston University, who died when she was just eight; her inability to deal with her fathers untimely death; her unsuccessful marriage. When read autobiographically, the line At twenty I tried to die, refers to Plaths attempted suicide at the age of 20 when she overdosed on sleeping pills. The line, The vampire who said he was you/And drank my blood for a year./Seven years, if you want to know. possibly refer to her unsuccessful marriage to poet Ted Hughes, which lasted for seven years. Plath, burdened with complexities, committed suicide when she was 31, leaving behind two children and her estranged husband, the poet Ted Hughes. This fact probably explains the use of brutal an d violent imagery, which could only be conjured by a disturbed mind as Plaths was.This autobiographical account would explain the brutal, violent imagery used in the poem, which reflect the poets disturbed state of mind and her confusion as a daughter, who feels abandoned and let-down. - While Sylvia Plaths poem deals with the smothering effect the fathers memories had on the speaker, Robert Haydens Those Winter Sundays contrasts the speakers ideas about his father as a child with how he feels about his father as a grown-up looking back. Read Robert Haydens poem Those Winter Sundays or watch the poem being recited. In this poem, which is a grown mans reflections on his father, the speaker describes the entire father-son dynamic with one winter memory. He thinks back to his childhood and sees his father differently than he did as a child. Those Winter Sundays is an American sonnet, with the traditional 14-lines, and has three stanzas. The first and third stanzas are five lines long, and the second stanza has four lines. How does the form carry the poems theme forward? Using the sonnet form, , the poem presents a problem in the first two stanzas, where the speaker describes how his father went about his chores for his family and was never appreciated. The resolution to this problem is presented in the final stanza-the speaker realizes his fathers value and feels guilty for how he never thanked him. Focus on the lines, No one ever thanked him, speaking indifferently to him, and What did I know, what did I know of loves austere and lonely offices? These lines convey the speakers guilt and regret for never appreciating everything his father did for him. Look at the way the poem uses repetition, What did I know, what did I know of loves austere and lonely offices? This line expresses how bad the speaker feels about being so obtuse about his father as a child. And what does offices in this line mean? The word offices brings to mind the responsibilities and duties that come with an authoritative position, in this case fatherhood. The austere and lonely offices describe how the speakers father displayed love by silently and dedicatedly fulfilling his duties to his family. Though an unrhymed poem, a rhythm is created using poetic devices like consonance, repetition, and alliteration. The use of consonance, with the repetition of the hard c and k sounds in lines like cracked hands that ached, and then in weekday weather made banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him, conveys the pain that the father endured, and how his efforts went unappreciated. The alliteration where the w sound is repeated, in the weekday weather made banked fires blaze, reflects the repetition in the way the father spent his Sunday mornings. Those Winter Sundays is also rich in symbolism and imagery. What comes to mind when you read about the banked fires blazed and the cold splintering, breaking? This visual imagery makes readers imagine how cold it was through this description of how the logs in the fire would burn and crackle and warm up their home, driving out the cold. The cracked hands symbolize how hard the father worked, and the blueblack cold depicts the harsh cold that the father endured for his familys comfort. What comes to mind when you read about the banked fires blazed and the cold splintering, breaking? The visual imagery makes readers imagine how cold it was through this description of how the logs in the fire would burn and crackle and warm up their home, driving out the cold. Did you notice the transference in the line, fearing the chronic angers of that house? The inanimate house isnt angry. Its the speakers father who is angry and impatient with his children who were lazy about doing their Sunday morning chores. This line is interesting when you look at the poem autobiographically. Hayden, who it is believed was subjected to beatings by his foster parents Sue Ellen and William Hayden, only cursorily refers to the chronic angers of that house, and instead concentrates on the banked fires blazed to highlight how his foster father would keep the household warm. In that sense, this poem is not a criticism of his fathers beating, but a delayed tribute to the man who took pains to care for him. Lesson Activity-Self-Checked Answer this question in 125-150 words: What is the significance of the words Sundays too in Haydens Those Winter Sundays? Why do you think the poet used these words, instead of just, On Sundays? Support your answer with examples from the poem. Another poet, who explored the theme of the father-son relationship, is Theodore Roethke. Read his poem, My Papas Waltz and watch the poem being recited. What do you think this poem is about? At the outset, especially considering the title of the poem and the quick rhythm as you read, it seems to be about the speakers fond recollection of playfully dancing around with his father after hed come home from work in the evening. Lets see what elements of the poem support this interpretation. The structure which is made up of four quatrains and has a tight rhyme scheme of abab/cdcd/efef/ghgh, gives the poem the cadence of a waltz to mirror the ordered steps of the father and son dancing around. However, the waltzing here is rough and energetic, not smooth and graceful like waltzing is supposed to be. Similarly, alliteration is used in lines like, such waltzing was not easy, My mothers countenance, Could not unfrown itself, and the hand that held my wrist to add to poems easy rhythm. - Now lets examine the imagery in Roethkes My Papas Waltz. The line, The whiskey on your breath evokes olfactory imagery and the readers can almost smell the whiskey. Similarly, the lines, We romped until the pans, Slid from the kitchen shelf, create an image of how boisterous the father and son were as they danced around. Is it surprising then that the mothers countenance/Could not unfrown itself, possibly because she has to tidy up after them? The images of the battered hands and the palm caked hard by dirt, indicate that the father worked hard all day, probably at manual labor. Finally, the son Still clinging to your shirt conveys his unwillingness to let go of father, not wanting their fun to end. When interpreted in terms of the father and son bonding, this could be an autobiographical poem. The battered hand and a palm caked hard by dirt relate to the fact that Roethkes father ran a greenhouse and it involved gardening and manual labor. It is known that Roethke had a happy childhood and was devastated his father died when he was just 14. The battered hand and a palm caked hard by dirt relate to the fact that Roethkes father ran a greenhouse and it involved gardening and manual labor. But is this all theres to the poem? Some critics have interpreted the poem in a dark, ominous way. Is Roethkes My Papas Waltz a poem about a sons happy recollections of playing with his father or is this about alcoholism and child abuse? Youve just seen how this can be construed in the light, happy way, not lets see how this poem can take a dark turn. The image that the father beat time on the childs head with a battered hand, and of the whiskey on [his] breath is believed by some to indicate that the father would come home drunk and be physically abusive. This is used to explain why, the son is dizzy and hung on like death. The line, My right ear scraped a buckle, is also interpreted as a sign of violence. When interpreted like this the mothers frowning countenance, is believed to convey her helplessness as she couldnt save her child from her alcoholic husband. Which of these two interpretations holds true? Its interesting that when the poem was published in 1948, it was viewed only as a happy, loud, and strenuous dancing around of the father and son. More recently, this poem has been interpreted as a depiction of child abuse. Lesson Activity-Self-Checked Answer this question in 200-225 words: Which interpretation of Theodore Roethkes My Papas Waltz do you agree with? Support your answer with examples from the poem. Written in the first person, both Haydens Those Winter Sundays and Roethkes My Papas Waltz are about childhood memories about fathers. Interestingly, though Hayden is known to have suffered beatings at the hands of his foster parents, most critics, ignore his background and the powerful image of the chronic angers of that house, and view Those Winter Sundays as a poem about a sons regret for being unappreciative of his father. On the other hand, critics view My Papas Waltz differently; some see it as a poem about child abuse and alcoholism, while some interpret it as a poem about a happy father-son relationship. These interpretations show just how important diction is in interpreting a poem. The use of words such as blueblack cold and lines like, What did I know, what did I know/of loves austere and lonely offices? and Sundays too my father got up early depict the father in Haydens poem as an affectionate, caring man. While the use of dizzy, hung on like death, battered, scraped, and battered on one knuckle creates an image of an abusive father in Roethkes My Papas Waltz. Lets look at how these two poems compare structurally. Those Winter Sundays is an American sonnet with three stanzas, the first and third stanzas are five-lines long, and the second stanza has four lines. This poem does not follow any rhyme scheme. On the other hand My Papas Waltz is made up of four quatrains and has a tight rhyme scheme of abab/cdcd/efef/ghgh that makes the poem sound like a waltz. Both Hayden and Roethke use powerful imagery in their poems. The lines, and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,/ then with cracked hands that ached and banked fires blaze. from Those Winter Sundays are examples of imagery and alliteration used to describe the fathers hard work. In My Papas Waltz, Roethke also uses alliteration and imagery in lines such as But I hung on like death,/ Such waltzing was not easy, The hand that held my wrist,/ Was battered on one knuckle, and With a palm caked hard by dirt, to help readers visualize how the father and son romped around. - Summary Over the years, poets have explored the father-child relationship in their poems. Sometimes the poem may be from a fathers perspective, sometimes from a childs, and sometimes from the perspective of a grown adult looking back at childhood memories. And depending on the poems theme, poets use different forms and poetic devices to put across their ideas about fathers. While Orr writes about what a father teaches and learns from his children, Cummingss my father moved through dooms of love is reverential and written in his unique style so he can freely express himself. Haydens Those Winter Days is written in the American sonnet form, and expresses a sons guilt at being indifferent towards his father. Roethkes tightly structured My Papas Waltz describes the rhythmic and spirited dance of a father-son relationship. Thomass Do Not Go Gentle In To The Good Night is about a son who cant deal with the thought of his father dying. And Plaths confessional Daddy is about the speakers inability t o deal with her feelings of abandonment at her fathers death.

Sustaining Competitive Advantage Of Nestle Marketing Essay

Sustaining Competitive Advantage Of Nestle Marketing Essay Sustainability can occur in two ways: firms may differ with respect to resources and capabilities and the differences persist and isolating mechanisms analogous to barriers to entry may work to protect the competitive advantage of firms. 6.1 Resources and Capabilities A firms resource identifies its capabilities. Resources are the productive assets owned by the firm. Capabilities on the other hand refer to a companys ability to make use of its resources in a highly productive manner. Individual resources do not confer competitive advantage, they must work together to create organizational capability. It is capability that is the essence of superior performance. 6.1.1 Resources Tangible Resources Basically, there are three types of a firms resources: tangible, intangible and human resources. Tangible resources are the easiest to identify and evaluate: financial resources and physical assets are identified and valued in the firms financial statements. According to Nestle Annual Report 2011, Nestle Group reported sales of CHF 83.6 billion and 7.5 percent organic growth on top of good growth in recent years. The net profit on a continuing basis was CHF 9.5 billion, up 8.1 percent. At December 2011, Nestles property, plant and equipment were valued at CHF 9041 million. Intangible Resources Resources may also be intangible, such as reputation or a stock of patents and copyrights. Brand name is the most important resource among the intangible resources. Brand name and other trademarks are form of reputational assets: their value is in the confidence they instill in customers. The brand valuations involve estimating the operating profits for each brand, estimating the proportion of net operating income attributable to the brand, and then capitalizing these returns. The value of companys brands can be increased by extending the product/ market scope over which the company markets those brands. Nestle has eight product  lines or categories overall. The strategy used by Nestle is the  family branding  or  corporate  branding in which word Nestle is attached to all  the brands  in all categories. In 2001, Nestles brand value was more than 13000 million US dollars and it has became the largest producer of consumer packaged beverages and foods in the world, which has claimed the 23rd position in the Interbrands list of 100 most valuable brands in the world (Nestle Brand Strategy, 2012). Human Resources The human resources of the firm are the expertise and effort offered by its employees. For example, the combination of Nestles knowledge of biotechnology in coffee with the expertise, Nestle has on the ground in Mexico which will help to achieve sustainable Robusta coffee production in the region (The Nestle People Development Review). In addition, Nestle has a great research and development team. James Gallagher and Andrea Pfeifer were the masterminds behind the research on the La-1 cultures in the LC-1 yogurt. They were also the two that decided on selling LC-1 as a functional food. This enabled Nestle to position the product in a way that differentiated it among the other products in the market (Nestle LC1, 2005). 6.1.2 Capabilities Capabilities are what a firm can do. Organizational capability requires the expertise of various individuals to be integrated with capital equipment, technology, and other resources. For instance, in Asia, Nestles strategy has been to acquire local companies in order to form a group of independent regional managers who know more about the culture of the local markets than Americans or Europeans. The strong cash flow of the company enabled it to engage in wide-scale foreign direct investments and sufficient flexibility for takeovers of local firms able to provide the company with a stronghold in the market. Apart from that, Nestle has employed a wide-area strategy that involves producing different products in each country to supply the region with a given product from one country. For example, Nestle in Indonesia specializes in soymilk products because of the cheaper and easy access to soymilk in the country with soymilk products for distribution in other Asian markets (Nestle LC1, 20 05). Furthermore, Nestle provides an example of a company that has a strong configural advantage in the marketing, distribution and manufacture of food products. Nestle has developed an explicit international brand architecture that consists of 10 worldwide corporate brands, 45 worldwide strategic product brands, 25 regional corporate brands, 100 regional product brands, 700 local strategic brands and approximately 7000 local brands. On the production side, it has 522 factories in 81 different countries providing manufacturing capabilities in key markets. The broad geographic coverage allows Nestle to realize sales from industrialized countries as well as the increasingly important emerging market countries and to transfer information and experience from one market or region to another (Craig and Douglas, 1999). In addition, Nestle has become the first major confectioner to remove artificial colors, flavors and preservatives from its entire range. The company, which is behind leading bran ds including KitKat, Smarties and Quality Street, has changed the recipe of 79 products to remove suspect chemicals. In total, more than 80 ingredients have been replaced with alternatives, mostly from natural sources such as carrot, hibiscus, radish, safflower and lemon (Poulter, 2012). 6.2 Isolating Mechanism Isolating mechanisms limit the rivals from eroding a firms competitive advantage. There are two different types of isolating mechanism which are (1) impediments to imitation and (2) early mover advantage. 6.2.1 Impediments to imitation Impediments to imitation are the mechanism that impedes the existing firms and potential entrants from duplicating the resources and capabilities of the incumbent firm. There are four important types of impediments exist which are legal restrictions, superior access to inputs/customers, market size and scale economies and intangible barriers. Legal Restrictions We are going to look at the legal restrictions and superior access to inputs/customers of Nestle. Firstly, the legal restrictions such as patents, copyrights and trademarks, as well as governmental control over entry into markets through licensing, control rights and certification can impede imitation. Nestle has files over 250 patent applications per year and manages a global patent portfolio of about 20,000 patents. Nestle has now entered the top 100s World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) list and is the top patent applicant for the food and beverage industry. Leading edge technologies and highly differentiated products, solutions and benefits are key to Nestles four growth drivers and its global brands such as Nespresso, Nan, Nescafe, Nido and Purina. Protecting these technologies, products, solutions and benefits significantly contributes to sustaining the competitive advantage coming from Nestles unmatched  RD  capability and product and brand portfolio. For exampl e, on 22 February 2006, Nestle had applied for a patent on genetically modified coffee plants with a blocked enzyme, designed to improve the solubility of the coffee powder. The patent covers the technical process, genetically modified plants as well as the use of coffee beans for the manufacture of soluble coffee. With this patent, coffee growers will become even more dependent on Nestle (Greenpeace, 2006). Superior Access to Inputs/Customers Secondly, superior access to inputs/customers means that the firms can obtain high quality or high productivity inputs, such as raw materials or information than its competitors will be able to sustain cost and quality advantages that competitors cannot imitate. With every bite or sip of a Nestle product, Nestle has to assure the highest possible standards all along the supply chain from raw materials via manufacturing, packaging and distribution, to the point of consumption. Every Nestle factory has a laboratory that systematically analyses raw materials and ingredients. Nestle products are checked on the production line and in their finished state to ensure that they meet the company strict standards, as well as national and international regulations (The World of Nestle, 2006). 6.2.2 Early Mover Advantage Early mover advantage is the benefit produce by being the first to enter a market with a new product or service. Early mover advantages include; becoming a market leader in a new; establishing a new leading brand; being able to charge a premium until competitor products appear enhanced reputation, design, and copyright protection and possibly setting an industry standard to which other competitors may have to aspire. There are four different isolating mechanisms fall under the category of early mover advantage which is learning curve, reputation and buyer uncertainty, buyer switching costs and network effects. Reputation and Buyer Uncertainty We are going to discuss the reputation and buyer uncertainty and network effect on Nestle. For experience goods, a firms reputation for quality provides a significant early mover advantage. Once the firms reputation has been created, the firm will have advantage competing for new customers, increasing the number of customers and further strengthening its reputation. The motto of Nestle is Good Food, Good Life, so delivering the qualitative products to the customer is their main objective. Nestle Pure Life (NPL) was first offered in Pakistan by Nestle Pakistan Limited in 1998. People felt need of Pure, safe and clean water because of impurities in water especially in the industrialized cities like Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad etc. Nestle identified this opportunity and launched NPL that satisfied the customer needs and Nestle become market leader in the water industry. The customers of NPL showed interest on NPL because of trust on Quality of Nestle, at the heart of which there are qua litative products and its long term commitment to deliver better products to consumers. Being the market leader, the market share of NPL is 78 percent that is much higher than its competitors (Ahmad, 2011). Network Effect The network effect is the result of word-of-mouth testimonials where the customer values the product depending on how many others are using the product. There is many ways for the customers to get the information about a companys product. Actual networks are where the consumers are physically linked. Nestle, the 144-year-old Switzerland-based food company created a Fan Page on the social media site, Facebook, where its millions of customers can get information and discuss the company and its products. While a simple and seemingly begin move, the company demonstrated foresight in opening a new channel to better communicate with their customers (A Business Lesson, n.d.).

Essay --

â€Å"They can have it any colour, as long as it’s black† was famously said by Henry Ford, in reference to his car factory, without realising he was about to create an era that is often referred to as the machine that came in and changed the world. Throughout the essay we will be looking at several aspects of Fordism- its features and its influence on revolutionising the organisational world. Fordism is a hard area to describe, but in brief it refers to the system of mass production and consumption that produced sustained economic growth and widespread material advancement (Jayne, 2006). Before Henry Ford came into the equation and introduced his new working methods, there were several problems already occurring in the working world that Fordism helped to address. For example, there was divided authority between workers and managers, as well as inefficiencies, contradictions of interest and market competition. Whilst Fordism helped improve certain areas of management an d society, there were also a few problems that arose from it. Fordism was truly revolutionary touching all areas of the industrial sector, creating a new scientific management. It brushed away the old fashioned features related to the early 20th century capitalist society whilst at the same time sustaining economic development. Merkle, 1980 states Fordism wasn’t completely compatible with capitalism, however Henry Ford succeeded in slowly eliminating the ‘bubble and glut economy’ (Lind,M., 2013). Ford really pushed the idea of a ‘high-wage, high-demand economy’ (Lind,M., 2013) by paying his workers enough money to afford the cars they produced. This was only at a national level; internationally the export and import of goods and services from industrial nations all... .... Fast food chains, ie. McDonalds require low skilled staff to produce a standardized product and service; just like the production line workers at Ford. Furthermore, expanding on the idea of mass production, it meant that more products were available for a cheaper price and for a wider range of people, which had a big influence in society. Jessop (in Amin, 1994, p. 9) agrees with this as it expresses the idea that Fordism is an industrial paradigm that involves mass production which is its main source of dynamism. Mass production meant that finally there were products available to everyone and not just the higher classes. Ford was all about the welfare of the customers and wanted his products to be available to everyone. This was evident as he said, â€Å"It is not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money. It is the customer who pays the wages.†