University Education for Women

Examination paper Essay point: ladies ought to be required to attempt a college degree in creating nations. In today’s present day life, the job of ladies has become increasingly more significant in monetary development. In any case, in numerous nations, particularly in creating nations, low female instructive rate is enormous issue. This article contends that ladies ought to be required to embrace an advanced degree in creating nations. The principal motivation behind why ladies ought to be required to embrace a college degree in creating nations is that it can influence emphatically some social issues, for example, family arranging and absence of education rate.People need to realize that in most creating nations, the proficiency pace of guys is altogether higher than females. For instance, the level of educated guys in Vietnam is 94. 0% while the level of proficient females is 86. 9% (Phan et al. , 2004, para 3). Thus, as per Chandramouli (2011), the educated male’s rate (86. 9%) is a lot higher than the level of educated females (65. 5%) in India. Consequently, ladies should take an advanced degree to approach the harmony among guys and female’s proficiency rate.Moreover, if ladies take tertiary instruction, they may have more information to comprehend the significance of family wanting to abstain from having multiple kids. Another significant explanation is that ladies assume a basic job in family proficiency. As per Bhandari and Smith (1997), mother’s proficiency is identified with preschool children’s information, language and education abilities. For example, a mother is an individual who is nearest to kids in a family so mother’s conduct hugy affect kids. In the event that guardians, particularly moms have terrible conduct, their youngsters may mirror those actions.In differentiate, if moms have high information, they can encourage their kids better. They may recount to their youngsters important stories to ena ble kids to realize what is acceptable or not and improve in school. Having high instruction of moms likewise brings better medicinal services for their kids. Subsequently, it is better for ladies to attempt college training in creating nations which have higher birth rate. At long last, ladies with college training may have more open doors for occupations or higher social position.It is genuine that ladies who have more elevated levels of instruction, particularly tertiary instruction can find a decent line of work simpler. High-taught ladies can have vital information and social aptitudes which they had learnt in colleges to land position in today’s society in creating nations which are male-overwhelmed social orders before. Ladies have a few characteristics that men don't have, for example, adaptability, performing multiple tasks so on the off chance that they have high-taught, they can be more fruitful than man. Besides, having a college degree can assist ladies with havi ng higher social position.For model, in some creating nations, numerous high instructed ladies hold a significant job in the state mechanical assembly, for example, Yingluck Shinawatra-Thailand’s first female head administrator. Taking everything into account, ladies ought to be required to embrace an advanced degree in creating nations due with its impact to some social issues and its job in family proficiency just as individual’s benefits. Obviously government and networks ought to know about the significance of women’s instruction to make our general public better.References list: 1. Bhandari, R. and Smith, F. J. (1997), Available from: http://www. jrre. psu. edu/articles/v13,n3,p183-196,Bhandari. pdf [Accessed: May 5, 2012]. 2. Chandramouli, C. , and (2011), Available from: http://censusindia. gov. in/2011-prov-results/paper2/data_files/india/Rural_Urban_2011. pdf [Accessed: May 3, 2012]. 3. Phan, T. , Bilgin, A. ,Eyland, A. , Shaw, P. (2004), . Accessible f rom: http://detail. mq. edu. au/Stats_docs/research_papers/2004/Literacy_in_Vietnam_-_an_atlas. pdf [Accessed: May 11, 2012]

Aesthetic Practice with Technology Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Talk about the Esthetic Practice with Technology. Answer: Skin maturing is one of the most unpredictable just as inescapable physiological procedure in each individual life expectancy. It has gotten a subject of broad examination as of late as there is a colossal psychosocial effect of maturing in an enormous extent of the populace, and skin wellbeing is frequently identified with the general prosperity and wellbeing view of an individual (Ganceviciene, Liakou, Theodoridis, Makrantonaki Zouboulis, 2012). Maturing can result from a summit of both exogenous and endogenous variables. A few logical methodologies are being utilized to delay, diminish or in specific situations fix the undesirable manifestations of maturing particularly in setting with facial skin. Aside from restorative and corrective mediation, late advances in innovation give a few electrical modalities that give compelling and moment brings about a non-intrusive way (Ramos-e-Silva, Celem, Ramos-e-Silva Fucci-da-Costa, 2013). The current report reveals insight into two such ele ctrical modalities, talking about their standards, helpful and unfavorable impacts assuming any, contraindications and preparatory strides to be taken while application. The last piece of the report talks about the given case situation of Natalie and gives suitable proposals in regards to the treatment methods that ought to be embraced, thinking about the unique needs and requests of the customer. Galvanic Current Skin Treatment The most well-known sort of electrical methodology utilized for the facial electrotherapy is Galvanic Treatment, which apparent from its name uses Galvanic Current to satisfy the reason. A progressed galvanic gadget is utilized to produce direct current at an ideal amount, which when applied on the skin prompts a progression of compound changes. The essential target this procedure serves is to improve the pollution extraction procedure of the skin and furthermore expands the entrance of healthy skin items applied for hostile to maturing results (Sun, Wu, Liu, Chantalat Omer, 2009). The gadget comprises of a test, most generally a roller albeit various sorts of tests are accessible, which is associated with a leading wire. Another wire is joined to another piece of the body ideally the arm or the leg to make a shut circle circuit for persistent progression of current. The roller is moved over the skin in the wake of turning the gadget on and current beginnings coursing through the equ ivalent. A low voltage current is applied and consequently the procedure is absolutely non-obtrusive and effortless. The initial step of the treatment methodology is applying an acidic arrangement over the skin surface, for relaxing the skin, expanding blood flow and opening up skin pores. This progression is named as Disincrustation and aides in proficient purifying and expulsion of abundance oil, clogged pores and whiteheads from the skin surface ( et al., 2016). After the purging procedure an antacid arrangement is applied over the skin before the use of the galvanic test, which lessens the blood course, relieves the nerves and firms the tissues. This progression is called Anaphoresis. The last advance of the strategies is called Ionotophoresis (Tapper, 2001). It includes the utilization of a positive post current to improve the entrance of dynamic healthy skin fixings. Galvanic Electrical Facial Treatment remembers a variety of helpful impacts for the skin that incorporates detoxification of the facial skin, expanded blood flow prompting expulsion of cell squander items, decrease of scarcely di scernible differences and wrinkles, further item infiltration, and skin lighting up. Be that as it may, this non-obtrusive procedure possesses a few contraindications. The disincrustation step may cause skin disease or bothering relying upon the affectability of skin. It might cause unfriendly impacts in the patient if there should arise an occurrence of quality of metal pins or plates in the face. Further unnecessary dental fining in the mouth can likewise present hazard with applying the immediate current. Frequently vascular and extremely touchy skin is increasingly inclined to be experiencing undesirable outcomes. A few safeguards must be taken by the esthetician just as the patient while experiencing the strategy. Inappropriate use of galvanic current may cause long haul harm to the skin. It must be guaranteed that a lot of items are available at all the hour of use of current, the test must be continued moving up and down the technique and the perfect measure of current force must be applied by the patient confinements and necessities. The force ought to be balanced gradually and easily and the cathodes must not be lifted from the face without turning down the power to zero. Further the obstruction of the skin must be observed constantly as a drop in opposition could cause unexpected increment in the present power. High Frequency Skin Treatment Another well known electrical methodology for skin treatment is High Frequency Electrical Treatment that includes utilization of substituting flow creating high effect motions over the skin. The rotating current is unequipped for delivering muscle constrictions because of its low heartbeat length. It is most ordinarily utilized for skin inflammation evacuation or cleansing of the skin however it can likewise diminish maturing skin manifestations. Two wide spread techniques are utilized: Direct strategy and Indirect Method. The Direct technique uses a glass apparatus that is applied legitimately on the skin surface. A few direct glass cathodes are accessible which incorporate bulb or mushroom anode, fulgurator terminal, roller cathode and pony shoe cathode. The procedure is regularly called effulvation as the present spreads everywhere throughout the skin (Rattan, 2004). Ozone gas is creation during utilization of current and consequently this strategy is exceptionally advantageous fo r sleek, blocked and skin inflammation inclined skin. A portion of the gainful impacts incorporate bactericidal and disinfectant impact because of the creation of ozone, expanded lymphatic and blood flow because of exchanging current and ozone likewise delivers a drying impact which is the reason it is alluded for sleek skins. In the Indirect technique the customer holds the test and the advisor finishes the circuit. Current moves through the body of the customer while the advisor messages the customers face along these lines finishing the circuit and making a warm loosening up impact. This technique is especially valuable for customers with dry drowsy and dried out skin. Cell digestion accelerates and action of sebaceous organs is expanded which can improve the presence of the skin a lot (Annet King, 2017) The general contraindications for direct high recurrence treatment are high vascular conditions, over the top metal fillings or bridgework, tense or anxious customer, headache, skin inflammation rosacea. So also if there should arise an occurrence of burn from the sun, unnecessary metal fillings and event of headache, aberrant strategy for high recurrence treatment must be kept away from. Certain safety measures must be taken before experiencing the method to forestall any unfriendly impact on the cline or the advisor. Before use of the anode the dials must be kept at zero pointers. Every single metal jewellery must be expelled to forestall encountering stun. Force must be diminished when applied over hard zones. The customer must be made mindful of the humming clamor and ozone smell to forestall alarm. In view of the customer data it very well may be seen that Natalie has been experiencing hostile to maturing facial treatment for as long as 9 months and in spite of the fact that she is to some degree happy with the outcomes she needs to incorporate an electrical methodology to his treatment for moment results. She is 42 years old has some minor warmth affectability to the skin and has dry skin. Moreover she has almost negligible differences and wrinkles over her face, experiences pigmentation, type 2 diabetes and is inclined to headaches. In view of the wellbeing points of interest as gave in the customer subtleties it is very clear that Natalie must not experience high-recurrence rotating current facial treatment despite the fact that it is helpful for dry skins as in the event of Natalie. She experiences type 2 Diabetes and is inclined to headaches, the two of which are huge contraindications for the treatment. Subsequently, the specific proposal is go with Galvanic Current facial Treatment. The procedure of disincrustation would give a profound purifying of the skin, expanded flow, squander expulsion and cell recharging. The iontophoresis procedure can improve the procedure of entrance of dynamic substances into the skin corresponding to minor manual application. Aside from the electrical modalities a few other enemy of maturing treatment items can be suggest for Natalie keeping in mid her skin nature. Nutrient A subsidiaries are profoundly powerful for dry skin treatment as indicated by a few dermatologists. Nutrient E has cancer prevention agent and saturating properties and has topical activity against the impacts of UV radiation. Other optional photograph maturing medications accessible are cell reinforcements, oestrogens, development elements and cytokines. Certain lotions are advantageous for dry skin as they help forestall water misfortune from the skin surface and give a defensive layer over the skin and hold water in the epidermis. A blend of nutrients, cell reinforcements and lotions can help restore the skin of the customer and forestall maturing signs and side effects. References Annet King (2017).Dermalinstitute.com. Recovered 26 July 2017, from https://www.dermalinstitute.com/us/library/2_article_Awakening_Aging_Skin.html Ganceviciene, R., Liakou, A. I., Theodoridis, A., Makrantonaki, E., Zouboulis, C. C. (2012). Skin hostile to maturing strategies.Dermato-endocrinology,4(3), pp 308-319. Ramos-e-Silva, M., Celem, L. R., Ramos-e-Silva, S., Fucci-da-Costa, A. P. (2013). Hostile to maturing beautifying agents: Facts and controversies.Clinics in dermatology,31(6), pp 750-758. Rattan, S. I. (2004). The fate of maturing intercessions: maturing mediation, anticipation, and treatment through hormesis.The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences,59(7), p

Using Pinterest for Business Purposes

Using Pinterest for Business Purposes I feel like I am learning something on Pinterest, whereas Facebook is great for keeping up with family and friends, but often feels like a timesuck. by Larika Jones, Pinterest user  One of the most buzzworthy new social networking sites in the past five years is Pinterest. Its unique functionality and user base is ideally suited to helping individual users learn more about areas of interest, as well as marketers accomplish marketing objectives. But how is Pinterest different than any other of the dozens of buzzworthy social media tools? Is it just another fad? Is it the real deal for brands and marketing departments? Or is it something that only hold value for individuals, as many social media sites have, over time, proven to be? © Shutterstock.com | Twin DesignIn this article, we will explore, 1) the purpose of Pinterest, 2) the benefits of using Pinterest, 3) setting up a Pinterest account, 4) using Pinterest for business, 5) Pinterest terminology, and 6) best practices for using Pinterest / business case study.1. PURPOSE OF PINTERESTPinterest is a visual social bookmarking site that allows people to collect and organize photos, articles, and other forms of content according to specific areas of interest. Think of it like an online scrapbook. You collect photos by pinning them to online Pinterest boards or Boards, and you can share photos by repinning them to other people’s Boards.  History of PinterestThe idea for Pinterest came about in December of 2009, and was launched by its founders Ben Silbermann, Evan Sharp, and Paul Sciarra in March of 2010. Silbermann, formerly a Google employee, collaborated with his Yale classmate Paul Sciarra, first on a number of iPhone apps, and then with architecture stud ent Evan Sharp, on Pinterest.Initially opened to 5,000 members, the site took some time to grow its user base. The founding members and others worked hard on design details, and by June of 2011, the site began to take off. As of July 2014, the site had 70 million unique visitors. 53 million of those were from the U.S. and 85% of those users, or pinners, are women, illustrating the site’s popularity with women. Usage also skews younger with more than half of pinners are either members of Generation Y or Generation Z. As of May of 2014, Pinterest was valued at $5 billion. It only began deriving revenue from a small number of advertisers, including Kraft, Nestle and Gap, at the time of the valuation. However, prior to this, it had already begun monetizing the website by taking a percentage of sales generated from affiliate advertising programs on its site. In 2013, it received $425 million in venture capital.  Main Purpose of PinterestAvid pinner and mother Larika Jones, of York, Pen nsylvania, notes:“[Pinterest] gives me ideas for all sorts of things. I can look at a variety of different common tasks and activities and collect ideas from Boards. For example, I’m [currently] planning my son Elijah’s birthday. On Pinterest, I can take a look at things other real moms have done that have actually worked, which helps me brainstorm.”As Pinterest Board member Jeremy Levine points outs, Pinterest is “a place where people collect or talk about or think about things they want to do in real life.” It is an aspirational social bookmarking site. This strategic focus, unlike that of other social media networks like Facebook or Twitter, aligns Pinterest closely with brands and marketing, because the things people collect or talk about or thing about that they want to do in real life frequently involve purchases.2. BENEFITS OF USING PINTEREST  Pinterest has many benefits for individuals. First is Pinterest’s basic value proposition: the ability to collect and or ganize content online and share it with others. As an individual pinner, you can learn about a topic of interest by viewing Boards on topics of interest, as well as network with other pinners.As a marketer, you can increase your content’s reach by easily sharing it on Facebook and Twitter. You can engage your audience by introducing them to your brand, sharing your brand with users who have indicated an interest in your product or service, and/or create original content relevant to your target market. You can also gain insights about new products you are considering launching by pinning images of prototypes on Boards and soliciting feedback. But, perhaps, best of all, because you are engaging consumers who have already indicated a likelihood to purchase a product, you can use Pinterest to increase sales. As per market research firm Bloomreach, Pinterest traffic has a 1.56% conversion rate (more than Facebook’s 1.13% conversion rate).3. SETTING UP A PINTEREST ACCOUNT To set up a business account, visit www.pinterest.com. Avoid the form fields that appear prominently on the page. Below the red Sign up  button is Are you a business? Click here. Click there and fill out the requested fields. Note that you will be asked to select a username. Your username will be used as a part of your Pinterest page’s URL (www.pinterest.com/username). It should either be your firm’s name, an abbreviation, or something closely related. Once you’ve filled out the fields, click Create Account, and voila, you are now a pinner.Because Pinterest’s design is grid-oriented unlike the newsfeed style that many other social networks like Facebook use, you may want to set up a personal profile and play around with it a bit to familiarize yourself with Pinterest, pinning and Boards before setting up a business account. The steps are the same, except when visiting www.pinterest.com, enter an email and password, and on the following page, your name, gender, and age, to create your account. Or sign up using your Facebook account.Once you’ve set up the account, you’ll need to add a the Pin It button to your browser’s toolbar in order to pin things easily to pin your content to your or your friend’s Boards. You can also spend a bit more t ime, and copy and paste URLs into your Pinboards.Also, make sure to explore apps that can help you maximize your Pinterest by using several tools which includes, but not limited to Curalate and Pinreach. Such tools offer different analytics for pinners, as well as others which can help integrate Pinterest with other social media tools, create Board-based storefronts, create images from text to pin, and much more. There are many more Pinterest apps available, with a wide range of functions.4. USING PINTEREST FOR BUSINESSPinterest is ideal for marketing purposes, as it revolves around aspirations. The content that people pin most often revolves around things they would like to buy or things they would like to do which involve purchasing. While Pinterest pales in comparison to other social networking sites like Facebook in terms of global reach, 90% of pinners have an income over $30,000, and 18% have incomes above $75,000. Proper online marketing techniques applied to Pinterest can yi eld impressive results, as 64% of pinners try a Pinterest-inspired activity monthly.  Create compelling contentYou don’t need a graphic design degree to create an engaging and highly trafficked Board (although that can help). Instead follow these simple steps:  Know who you are trying to attract and what is relevant to them.Map out a content strategy. This is critical for any social media tool. Know what content you will be pinning, when, and where you will get it from. For the latter, create a list of websites and Boards with content relevant to your followers and/or target market for pinning/repining, to couple with the original content you plan to pin.Label your image content well. Make sure to use labels for your images to increase the likelihood that viewers will repin it. Add text messages as well so that viewers are clear about your image and its context.Create a few boards before inviting or searching for followers so that they do not wind up visiting an empty Pinterest pa ge for your business. You do not need to have a surfeit of original content on your initial Boards â€" 80% of Pinterest content is repinned. But you will want to intersperse original branded content, along with relevant repinned content, to keep your followers engaged.Don’t just think images. Use, audio, video, slideshows (just make sure there is a striking associated thumbnail. Create infographics, which are one of the most popular kinds of image on Pinterest. Or run a contest, by asking customers and potential customers to follow you on Pinterest and pin engaging content on your Boards.Don’t limit yourself to your ideas either. You can create a group board, and afford other pinners to collaborate on the content creation and curation process with you. For instance, create an events board and invite pinners to post relevant events; a staff board, and invite staff to participate; or a joint board with a strategic partner, such as a nonprofit to elicit more content.Create rich pin s by using metadags and validating them (learn more here). There are five types: 1) article pins, 2) product pins, 3) recipe pins, 4) movie pins, and 5) place pins. Rich pins allow you to add more extensive topical content related to your pin.Because of Pinterest’s aspirational nature, keep your pins inspiring and positive. Also  communicate your firm’s values to accentuate the goodwill surrounding your brands and products.Don’t just push your products. Pinterest is about tasks, activities, even lifestyles. You may sell a few products in a category, but the idea is to drive pinners to purchase by showing them how your product is a part of their desire. For example, if you just sell skis and snowboards, you want to create Boards that highlight ski gear, ski apparel, and other related images, products, and services in this category. You might go further and display images relating to winter vacations and activities.  Creating compelling content can help you expand your reach an d visibility, increase your brand awareness and bring more customers to your website.  Expanding reach / visibilityStrategically repin content. When you do it, the original content creator is alerted and may visit your page. This is ideal for marketers: repin relevant content from the Boards of potential consumers, who may follow you and revisit your other content. Also, look at repining content from pinners with large bases of followers; hopefully they will repin your content, making it visible to their base. Develop a list of pinners whose boards indicate they may be a good fit for your brand, as well as influencers with large bases of pinners and/or bases of other influencers. And quote comments as pins from customers and influencers to engage with visitors and drive traffic to your Boards.   © Flickr | Nonprofit OrganizationsYou can also follow other pinners, as you might with Facebook or Twitter, and share their content with your follower. You can also connect your Pinterest followers with your Facebook and Twitter content, simply by signing in with either of those two networks. Once you sign in with Facebook, Pinterest will add a Facebook icon on your Pinterest profile. The same goes for Twitter.  Don’t bombard pinners with content even if it is relevant. Curate the best images to grow your followers. Spread out your pins and post when pinners are generally most engaged. Socialfresh notes that during the day that time is between 2pm and 4pm and during the evening it is between 8pm and 1am. © Flickr | Stefan LeijonIncrease your brand awareness and bring more customers to your website Remember that Pinterest is a place where pinners collect and curate visually compelling content. Make sure that your profile and profile image are stimulating, and highlight your brand.Your content should be designed to drive traffic back to your website so that you can engage and convert consumers. Use images to do so rather than text, as pinners are primarily moved by visual content.Further, integrate your existing graphic brand assets with Pinterest (and indeed across all of your social media platforms). You should categorize and pin the most compelling of your existing online images on relevant boards, and use these to drive traffic back to your website. Pin images in a size that require you to click on them to read them. You can also add a Pin It button that will appear on images on your external website when pinners mouse over them. Learn how to do so here. This, too, can expand your reach.Finally, use a call-to-action pin, which can increase engagement by up to 80%.5. PINTEREST TERMINOLOGYWe’ve covered a few of the most important Pinterest â€"related terms above, such as:  Pin: a bookmark of online on your Pinterest boardRepin: a shared bookmark on PinterestBoards (or Pinboard): a place on Pinterest to group pins on like topics togetherPinner: a Pinterest userRich pins: pins that allow you to add topic-specific details to a pinHere are a couple more:Mention: referencing another pinner in a post, of which the referenced pinner will be notifiedFollow: following another pinner, or any number of their Boards, to gain notifications of their updates and activity6. BEST PRACTICES FOR USING PINTEREST CASE STUDYBest practices for using Pinterest in brief include:Proper planning before setting up your Pinterest account.Integrating Pinterest with your other digital assets.Researching your target pinners and influencer pinners.Make sure your pinned content is accurate, and properly attribute the source.Use a watermark to protect your own pinned image properties.Label your pins properly.Follow pinners and engage your followers, by liking, commenting, and repining their contentDon’t overload your Boards with pins; space them out strategically.Track your stats and adjust your strategy accordingly.Follow the official Pinterest for Business page, which contains many valuable insights and case studies. © Pinterest One brand using Pinterest exceptionally well is Lowe’s which does not just push product. It’s most popular board is titled “Build It” and is designed to appeal to the legions of do-it-yourselfers (DIYers) out there. The board features products from many outside sources, not just Lowe’s. Appealing to DIYers has netted Lowe’s 3.4 million followers, or nearly 5% of all pinners. The firm uses this strategy on Pinterest not just to drive traffic, but for product research and find it tremendously beneficial. From Pinterest for Business’ Lowe’s Case Study:“A big part of Lowe’s marketing strategy is helping people feel like they can take on home improvement projects on their own. […] The Lowe’s team also uses Pinterest data to figure out which of their pins are the most popular and what’s trendingâ€"this helps them come up with new campaign and product ideas. […] They also track how the Pin It button performs on their site and in email campaigns. Popular items get featured across the Lowe’s website, Facebook and other channels.”   Image credit:  Flickr | Stefan Leijon under Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic, Wikimedia commoms | Pinterest under public domain.

Risk Management Processes In Banking Activities Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1944 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? Recent years have witnessed an increasing incidence of significant losses in the banking sector. Many well performing banks have suddenly declared large losses on account of crystallisation of various risks like credit, exposures, assumed interest rate, positions and exposures in derivatives that could have been taken to hedge balance sheet risks (Honohan, 2008, p 15). The subprime crises of 2008 and the subsequent credit, financial and economic crises revealed the importance of the need to adopt carefully planned risk management processes in banking activities (Honohan, 2008, p 15) Banks assumed numerous financial risks in the course of their routine financing and day to day activity. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Risk Management Processes In Banking Activities Finance Essay" essay for you Create order With risk exposures in the banking industry being extensive and multi-dimensional, the selection and adoption of appropriate risk management processes is a complex and challenging task (Santomero, 1997, p 2). Risk management processes are further compounded by the fact that whilst bankers are aware of various risks involved in their regular financing activities and can take action to reduce or protect some of the activities that are prone to risk, there are some activities where the inherent risk has to be absorbed at the level of the banks (Santomero, 1997, p 2). These include activities where the imbedded risk may be too complex in nature to communicate to third parties (Honohan, 2008, p 15). The second group of activities include proprietary positions that need to be acknowledged and accepted on account of their risks and their expected returns. The credit risk in lending activity is a clear case where risk needs to be absorbed monitored and managed by institutions (Honohan, 2008, p 15). 1.2. Definition of Problem The development of the subprime crises and the following global financial and economic crises has resulted in enormous debate and discussion, the intensification of local and global regulatory activity in the banking sector and the conscious up gradation of risk management processes by various banks. With the memories of the crises continuing to be strong, banking customers continue to be apprehensive about the risk management processes adopted by their banks and the safety of their money in the hands of banks. 1.3. Aims and Objectives The proposed research project aims to examine the various measures adopted by banks to upgrade their risk management systems and processes. The aims and objectives of the proposal are elaborated as follows. To determine the various risks faced by banks in the course of their lending and financing activities. To determine the risk management processes adopted by banks prior to the banking crises of 2008. To examine the new risk management processes adopted by banks in the last two years in order to mitigate risks involved in bank financing activities. To determine the effectiveness of such measures and the extent to which they have improved the risk management processes of bank finance activities. 1.4. Benefits The proposed research project aims to examine an important area in banking activity. Most bank depositors continue to be worried about the safety of their bank deposits and the risk management processes adopted by their banks in the wake of the financial crises. The findings of the research project will throw important light on the actual steps taken by banks to mitigate the risks of their bank financing activities and help bank depositors as well as students of finance and the larger society by revealing the actual improvements in risk management processes and their effectiveness in safeguarding banking operations and depositor wealth. Commercial banks are essentially engaged in the risk business. They assume different types of financial risks in the course of providing financial services to their clients. Market participants use the services of these banks because of their abilities in providing transaction efficiency, funding capability and market knowledge. Acting generally as principals in such transactions, they use their resources to facilitate transactions and absorb risks. Angelopoulos*** Whilst banking firms do engage in activities like underwriting, investment and trust management and packaging, securitising and distribution of loans, which do not have implications for their balance sheets, the substantial majority of their risks stem from on-balance sheet businesses (Santomero, 1997, p 2). The risks that are involved in the basic banking activity of lending and borrowing are not totally borne by banks (Santomero, 1997, p 3). Banking institutions often mitigate or eliminate financial risks that are associated with transactions through the assumption of appropriate business practices or by shifting risks to other parties through appropriate use of pricing and product design methods (Santomero, 1997, p 3). Financial experts state that such risks can be, from the perspectives of bank managements, be segregated into three types: Risks that can be reduced by appropriate business practices. Risks that can be reduced by transfer to other participants. Risks that have to be actively managed at the level of banks (Santomero, 1997, p 3). Banks use a number of practices to avoid or manage risks. These include standardisation of various banking processes to reduce inefficiencies on taking of wrong financial decisions, development of portfolios that are diversified across borrowers and reduce the impact of losses in specific sectors and processes to hold employees accountable for actions that increase the risks faced by banks (Pyle, 1997, p 1-2). Some risks on the other hand are transferred through the use of interest rate products like swaps, alteration in borrowing terms and buying or selling of financial claims to concentrate or diversify risks associated with specific client basis (Pyle, 1997, p 1-2). The risks involved in some activities or classes of assets however need to be absorbed at the bank level. These include activities or assets are too complex to communicate to others or credit risks that are integral to lending activity (Santomero, 1997, p 3). Managements of banking firms rely on various standard activities to manage such inherent risks. These include the establishment of standards and reports. The formulation of position limits, the development of investment strategies and the formulation of compensation and incentive contracts for bank employees (Santomero, 1997, p 4). Each of these processes is complex in nature. The setting of standards for example includes areas like categorisation of risk and formulation of standards for underwriting and review. Standardisation of financial reporting helps in understanding asset quality and risk posture. Position limits restrict risk taking to assets that meet specific quality standards (Santomero, 1997, p 4). Whilst the setting of such limits is an expensive and complex task, it helps in restricting the risks that can be assumed by individual employees and organisations. Investment strategies provide guidelines to bank managers in terms of concentrations in particular market areas, the degree of required exposure to asset-liabilities and the requirement for hedging against risks of particular types. Whilst such strategies help in passive risk avoidance, banks also provide managers with advice and guidance on different types of investment activity (Santomero, 1997, p 4). The risks assumed by banks in their normal financing activities include the following. Angelopoulos Market risk Credit risk Liquidity risk Counterparty risk Operational risk Legal risk Banks by and large adopt the same process of risk management, elaborated above for dealing with these different types of risks (Santomero, 1997, p 4). The aftermath of the financial crises has resulted in intense soul searching by banks and analysis of their risk management processes for each of these different types of risks, the assessme nt of their effectiveness, the analysis of their deficiencies and action to upgrade existing processes in various ways (Santomero, 1997, p 4). 3. Research Methodology The adoption of an appropriate research method is one of the most important components of a research proposal. The choice of an appropriate research method depends primarily upon the nature of the subject and the formulated research questions, as well as the resources and time available with the researcher (Bryman, 2004, p 9). Social research is shaped by two basic epistemologies, namely the positivist approach and the interpretivist approach (Bryman, 2004, p 16). Positivist epistemology is useful for research subjects that can be investigated with the adoption of scientific and quantifiable methods of investigation and analysis. Whilst much of social research, especially in areas of marketing and consumer opinion are conducted with the help of social research, they prove to be inappropriate and inadequate for research subjects that cannot be easily categorised and analysed in scientific and quantitative terms (Bryman, 2004, p 16). With humans essentially being unique and often irrational in their thoughts and actions, much of social research involves subjective issues and topics that are multi-dimensional, multi-layered and can be interpreted in various ways (Bryman, 2004, p 16). Such research subjects are best served by the application of interpretivist epistemologies and associated research methods (Bryman, 2004, p 16). The choice of research epistemology is also by and large causal in the adoption of appropriate research methods. Positivist epistemology is associated with quantitative methods of obtaining and analysing information, even as interpretivist epistemology is associated with qualitative research methods (Creswell, 2006, p 42). Whilst qualitative methods essentially make use of techniques like sampling, questionnaire based surveys and numerical and statistical analysis, qualitative methods involve obtaining information through direct and extensive interviews with respondents and the expert interpretation of the information obtained during such interviews (Creswell, 2006, p 42). Both quantitative and qualitative methods have their own merits and demerits and the skilled and astuteness of the researcher lies in making an appropriate and careful selection (Davies, 2007, p 29). The research subject taken up for investigation, whilst involved with banking, finance and management of risk is essentially too wide and complex to be analysed through purely quantitative means (Davies, 2007, p 29). Risk management processes are basically designed, implemented, assessed and monitored by individuals, who aim to achieve certain risk management objectives (Davies, 2007, p 29). With much of interpretation of various types of risks being influenced by a range of subjective and interpretative issues like economic conditions, risk profiles of specific sectors and profit objectives of individual banks, the research objective of the proposed dissertation will be best served through the adoption of qualitative methods (Davies, 2007, p 2 9). The formulation of research methods also involves the determination of the methods for obtaining information (Babbie, 2007, p 14). Information for research purposes is obtained from primary and secondary sources, secondary sources being the information available in the public domain through writings on the subject by uninvolved third parties and primary information comprising of information obtained directly from respondents involved in the matter under investigation (Babbie, 2007, p 14). With qualitative methods of research being proposed to be used for the dissertation, it is planned to obtain primary information to direct interviews with executives engaged in a risk management processes with three important banks (Cramer, 2003, p 58). Information will be obtained through the conduct of carefully planned interviews with chosen respondents on the risk management processes that were used by these banks before the financial crises, the implementation of new measures, the re asons behind selection of such measures and the impact of the new measures upon existing risk management processes (Cramer, 2003, p 58). Information from these direct interviews will help significantly in answering the previously elaborated research questions. 4. Ethics Care will be taken to adhere to all ethical norms of social research projects, including adherence to the principles of informed consent, absence of coercion, freedom to respond to questions and confidentiality of identity. All respondents shall be informed about the purposes of research. Care shall also be taken to ensure originality of research, acknowledgement of sources and elimination of plagiarism of all kinds. 5. Problems and Limitations The main problems in the conduct of the research project could arise from the availability and selection of appropriate respondents for qualitative interviews. The researcher proposes to use known contracts as well as family and friends to locate and persuade appropriate respondents to participate in direct interviews. Whilst this process could take some time, the researcher is confident of being able to obtain the agreement of appropriate respondents to participate in the research. The research will otherwise of course be limited by the expertise and knowledge of the researcher. 6. Time Plan

Marketing Strategies Of Aldi And Waitrose - 1277 Words

Introduction to Marketing Unit 3: Marketing Assignment 1: Marketing Strategies Tutor: Sara Little Describe how marketing techniques are used to market products in two different organisations. By Ben Thorpe Contents 1) Title Page 2) Contents 3) Introduction 4) ALDI 5) ALDI 6) ALDI 7) Waitrose 8) Waitrose 9) Mind Map 10) References (Harvard Referencing Style) (Please note: Task 1, 3 4 have been combined together into one report. Task 2 is separate and can be found on page 9) Introduction This report will examine, compare and evaluate the marketing strategies of both Aldi and Waitrose supermarket chains. The report is divided into 9 pages with no appendices attached. Harvard referencing has been used throughout the report(s). Aldi’s Survival Strategies The three core values of Aldi are simplicity, consistency and responsibility Aldi’s Marketing Mix Aldi’s mix focuses on providing high quality products that are cheaper alternatives to famous brands. Aldi’s marketing mix therefore focuses on: †¢ Product – high quality ‘Like Brands’. †¢ Price – Aldi offers lower prices than its competitors without compromising on quality. †¢ Place – Aldi outlets are expanding globally. †¢ Promotions – Aldi uses a combination of above-the-line and below-the-line promotions with a focus on its ‘Like Brands’ and ‘Swap Save’ campaigns. Aldi’s Branding Aldi has had a massive marketing campaign in place since 2014, this campaign is called ‘Like Brands’Show MoreRelatedEffect Of The Sugar Tax On Consumer s Demand1741 Words   |  7 Pagesnational strategy to tackle childhood obesity. However, Paul Polman, Unilever’s boss argues that there is little evidence that proves a sugar tax would help tackle obesity (The guardian, 2016a). I will analyze the effect of the sugar tax on consumer’s demand. I will also analyze Unilever’s actions as a result of this deliberation. 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Is Hard to Say Good Bye Free Essays

Is Hard to say goodbye Death is probably the only thing in the world that is certain in life. As humans, we are born, we grow, we reproduce and lastly we die. It is the natural order and as natural as it may sound, human beings have different reactions to such an event. We will write a custom essay sample on Is Hard to Say Good Bye or any similar topic only for you Order Now Throughout our lives, we influence or are influenced by people; these influences manifest themselves in the form of raising a child; being a teacher, babysitting etc. In all of these interactions, we create lasting relationships with those whom we come across when death happens to one of the involved parties; emptiness follows the surviving person. As a future nurse, and due to the nature of my occupation, I may be involved in a situation where I must deal with impending death. Emotions will begin to happen, on both ends. On my end I will be trying to help the patient, and the patient coming to terms with his or her destiny. In the following pages, I will discuss how my responses to the â€Å"Reflections on dying† may impact a therapeutic relationship with a mother of a three years old child who has six months to live. In such discussion, you will learn about my thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and values regarding to death and patient relationships. Thoughts; Usually when I first hear of a death My thoughts on death begin with sorrow for the loss of a person who is significant on someone’s live. After meeting a patient who is a mother, and realizing that she does not have much time I will be deeply saddened to what is going to happen to her. I may develop feelings for the child’s well being. My second thought would be that of empathy. As a nurse I must show empathy, compassion, and strength at the same time towards patients. Showing emotions would most likely worsen an already sad situation. This patient is a mother of a three years old child; she will not see her baby grow up. Therefore, I will have the utmost empathy. Also, I will show strength. This is necessary to persuade the patient to live fully the time she has left. If I am the person breaking the news to her, I will be frank and to the point without keeping any information from the patient; since I believe that sugar coating the fact will lead to mixed feelings on the patient. I will tell her to make every day, every hour, and every second count and to enjoy her child in order to leave a lasting legacy. Feelings; after a while, my initial reaction to death Therapeutic relations with terminally ill patients will also involve mixed feelings. There will be a war inside of me, my thoughts will tell me to be strong, but my feelings will want me to feel extremely sad, sorrowful, and incompetent for not being able to help the patient. These feelings will linger every attempt to interact with the patient. It is natural for me to feel sad at the future loss; even when I’ve only known the patient since she started getting treated; still all life is precious. She is meaningful to many people, specially her child. I will definitely feel impotent, which will lead to anger for knowing that there is nothing that I can do to make her feel better. At that point, I will rely on my professionalism to expose and help me act accordingly. The reason why my feelings are normally strong is because when I was twelve years old, my grandmother died; she practically raised me. I spent more time with my grandmother at that time, than I had spent with my mother. I was asleep when I was told that she had died, and feelings began to run rampant. The anger, and sadness were unbearable, and ever since that moment, I have been very sensitive when it comes to death. Beliefs; My predominant emotion to death I believe that all life is valuable; this belief will influence my feelings but not my therapeutic relationships with my patient. Regardless of what I may believe, I know that it is my duty to provide treatment the best possible service to the patient. Being supportive to the patient, and her family members are my priority. If I was in the patient’s shoes, I would like the nurse to bring me up instead of bringing me down in a time of need. I would want the nurse to tell me my condition as is; that way, I can make the right decisions with my life. Also I would like to have everything clear when it comes to my child, and I would like to live my couple of months as happy as possible and pain free. Values; the way I may grieve Integrity is one of the main values I hold dear. A person’s word is their bond; without integrity, our words mean nothing. From integrity, respect and dignity follow on my list of values. My thoughts will influence ethical decisions when conducting therapeutic counseling. They will also reaffirm with my feelings to ensure I manage myself with strength. In addition, treating all with respect and dignity are a priority in my values list. Therefore, when dealing with a patient; everything else stops and I pay full attention to the patient’s needs. I will provide information and suggestions on ways to stay healthy and happy, even thought the patient won’t survive for long I feel that is best to keep the patient happy and comfortable. Conclusion In the last few pages, I’ve explained my thoughts on death. How my initial reactions to death would be and how my thoughts would influence me. Then, I explained how my feelings would manifest, and how they would play a part during routine interactions with the patient. I shared my beliefs and the connection between my beliefs, and thoughts when dealing with loss. Finally, I discussed my values as they relate to death. No matter which situation we find ourselves in; being the ones receiving bad news or giving the bad news; we will react differently to such an unexpected event. As long as we treat others with the respect and dignity they deserve, and we show the empathy we can make a difference on a patient’s remaining lifetime. It does take courage to show strength, and humility to show empathy, but the satisfaction to know that we have done the right thing would provide comfort to keep us going. How to cite Is Hard to Say Good Bye, Essay examples

The Marketing Environment of the Sony Playstation 3 Essay Example

The Marketing Environment of the Sony Playstation 3 Paper The PlayStation 3 is Sony Computer Entertainments new generation video game console, the third in the PlayStation series. It is the successor to the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 and competes primarily against Microsofts Xbox 360 and Nintendos Wii. The console was released on November 11, 2006, in Japan and on November 17, 2006, in the United States, Canada, Taiwan and Hong Kong. It is due to be released on March 23, 2007, in Europe, Australia and Singapore. It is available in two initial configurations, the 20 GB Basic model and the 60 GB Premium model. Very few products and services can satisfy all consumers in a market. Not all consumers want or are prepared to pay for the same things and their reasons for purchase can vary greatly. Therefore to effectively implement the marketing concept and successfully satisfy the needs of the consumers, different product and service offerings must be made to the diverse groups of customer that make up a typical market. The technique mentioned above is called market segmentation and is defined by Jobber as The identification of individuals or organisations with similar characteristics that have significant implications for the determination of marketing strategy. We will write a custom essay sample on The Marketing Environment of the Sony Playstation 3 specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Marketing Environment of the Sony Playstation 3 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Marketing Environment of the Sony Playstation 3 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer There are four benefits to be gained by successful segmentation which will be discussed in turn. The first being target market selection, which is a chosen segment of market that a company has decided to serve. As customers in the target market segment have similar characteristics, a single marketing mix strategy can be developed to match those requirements. Sony with their PS3 have decided to serve the young male market. This is evident through the products masculine, ultra modern design and sponsorship of major sporting events such as the UEFA Champions league 2006-2007. A tailored marketing mix is when marketers understand the requirements of a particular segment and devise specific marketing mix packages that meet the needs of their consumers. In this instance Sony have created a product with males in mind this is evident through the design and function of the PS3. The games are of a masculine nature such as fighting and sport and the product is advertised at sporting events and in male magazines such as FHM. Another benefit to be gained by successful segmentation is differentiation; this is when a company decides to target several market segments and develops separate marketing mixes for each It could be argued that Sony are trying to make the PS3 attractive to not only young males who are most likely to want to purchase it but also to others in the household with the amount of hi-tech features it offers. The last benefit of marketing segmentation is the use of swot analysis, it is crucial that the company to be able to do this effectively in order that new opportunities such as a gap in the market are noticed quickly, they are able to maintain and work on their strengths to ensure market dominance, be able to openly admit their weaknesses in order to improve them and identify and potential threats before it is too late. Sony may have used this type of marketing segmentation to identify the need for a new product. With its main competitor Nintendo working hard to gain market dominance through the release of the futuristic Nintendo Wii, It became apparent Sony has had to develop something new to wow consumers, as in the last five years there have not been a lot of major changes to the PlayStation product which has led to declining sales of the product which was once the strongest games console in the industry, which caused previous major competitor Sega with their Sega mega drive and Dreamcast consoles to stop producing completely. The marketing mix mentioned above consists of everything the firm can do to influence the demand for its product. The many possibilities gather into four groups of variables known as The four Ps: product, place, price and promotion. A product can be defined as anything which is capable of satisfying the needs of customers. The Sony PS3 as a core product satisfies the particular need of providing entertainment in the form of playing a game, this is the central benefit required by the consumer of the games console. As an augmented product as well as providing entertainment it is also a unique product. No other companies make the PlayStation 3 and there is also a large and varied selection of games available to play on the console. Extra features of the PS3 also include the ability to watch high definition movies through the inclusion of Blue-ray software as standard which is the latest in DVD technology, amazingly realistic gaming, backwards compatibility allowing PS1 and PS2 games to be played on the new console and online connectivity; these are the extra functional and/or emotional values that combine to form the brand. Branding is the process by which companies distinguish their product offerings from the competition. By developing a distinctive name, packaging and design a brand is created. Most brands are supported by logos and for the newest addition to the product line Sony have created a sleek contemporary logo clearly stating PS3 which is displayed across the console. Having a logo associated with the brand ensures recognition; this allows customers to develop associations with the brand and eases the purchasing decision. By choosing to carry on with tradition and name the new console the PlayStation, Sony have immediately caught the attention of all those who have bought/supplied their previous models. This is a good strategy to employ as Sony are continuing to build on what is already a reliable and respected brand considered a leader in its field. The next variables to be discussed are promotion and place. Sony has not made a lot of changes on how they plan to promote the new PlayStation model compared to previous ones. It is being made available in every gaming and electronic store and as with previous models it is available to pre-order. Not only does this guarantee the customer will get a console on the day of release, it also benefits the company by giving them an early indication of how many consoles will be required. Sony are also continuing to advertise on television and on billboards. One of their most successful advertisements could be those of the UEFA Champions League which were very noticeable around every stadium during football matches and would be viewed by millions and most certainly noticed by Sonys chosen target market of young males. For Sony, having the privilege of being associated with the prestigious UEFA brand will do wonders for the company and will be a major influence on those who view it if they believe the company sponsor their favourite football team. It also creates the impression that it is only the worlds best and most famous brands that advertise with one another. The final variable to be discussed is price. The Sony PlayStation 3 is very expensive priced at around  £500 pounds (Woolworths). For some market segments price is a key factor in store choice. Those stores that have greater buying power can afford to sell the product for cheaper. Woolworths are offering a choice of free game upon purchase of the PlayStation 3 in hope to gain the majority of sales. Sony has also decided to release two versions of the product; a basic and premium version. The premium version; is expected upon release, to be one hundred pounds more expensive due to triple the amount of hard drive space and the amount of technology Sony have incorporated into the one console. This marketing strategy is to give the consumers the choice whether to buy the console for the sole purpose of gaming or investing the premium console for the use a whole multimedia centre. Sony hope that tripling the memory for an extra  £100 will encourage the consumer to spend that little bit extra for such a vast difference in capacity. If a child wants this console for a birthday present their parents may be more likely to spend such a high amount of money on this product rather than another because of the amount of hi-tech features the product incorporates and the way Sony have cleverly marketed the product as not only a games console but also as a multimedia Centre that the whole family can use. Sony have also decided to only release the more expensive premium package first in the U.K. Sonys marketing strategy for the PS3 overall looks sound and seems as though it will be very successful in re-establishing the well loved PlayStation brand as the worlds favourite games console. However there are some changes I would recommend to ensure Sonys success. As was previously mentioned Sony plan to only release the premium package at first with no immediate plans to release the basic model thereafter. This could be a very dangerous strategy as it is already very expensive meaning it could wipe out a whole market by being unaffordable to a lot of people. Most people also already have the additional technology that is being offered with the PS3 such as DVD software and may not be willing to pay the extra unnecessarily when all they require is the gaming ability. The console should also have been released worldwide around the same time. As it was released in America and Japan last year customers may feel they are no longer receiving cutting edge technology, leading them to feel neglected by the brand and they may take their loyalty elsewhere. The price is also very high as you can buy a full high quality home computer system for around  £500 built to your requirements which is available now and may be more practical for the whole family. Sony should consider this and perhaps think about lowering their prices accordingly. Other than the above suggestions I feel that Sony have employed a successful marketing strategy and predict great success for them with their new extension to an already well loved and respected product line.

Charles Lindberg essays

Charles Lindberg essays Have you ever heard of a man named Charles Lindberg? He was not just any man; he was great man, a flying man, a man with a goal. When you hear the name Charles and the name Lindberg used in the same sentence in chronological order you think of a pilot from back in the day. What most people dont know is that his story begins on a farm near the banks of the Mississippi river in Little Falls, Minnesota. Aviation came to his liking the first time a plane fly over his house; it was love at first sight. He attended high school in Little Falls, Minnesota; his high school career came to an end in 1918 when he was excused from his senior year to work the farm for the war effort. After that he stayed at home and ran the farm for an additional year before venturing off to the University of Wisconsin which was located in Madison, Wisconsin. He began to study engineering there, in his second year he decided to transfer to Lincoln, Nebraska flying school. He was made and served as a mechanic and parachute jumper. He bought his first plane in 1923 and then made his first solo flight. He loved flying so much that a year later he joined a U.S. Army flying school in San Antonio, Texas. He began to haul mail for the Army between Chicago and St. Louis. In St. Luis he got some business people to invest in him so he could attempt to win 25,000 dollars by winning the Orteig Prize. To win this prize you would have to fly non-stop from New York to Paris. To me that seems like a pretty daunting task, especially if it had never been done before; but I definitely would have gone for it. He did go for it; he started by helping design the plane he was to fly from New York to Paris. It was a monoplane which means it was a one wing plane. The plane was named The Spirit of St. Louis. Lindberg flew the plane from San Diego to St. Louis and then from St. Louis to New York. He set records for each l...

How To Do The Best Content Marketing On A Limited Budget

How To Do The Best Content Marketing On A Limited Budget â€Å"It’s dangerous to go alone.† If you’ve ever played The Legend Of Zelda on the classic 8-bit Nintendo, then you’re probably familiar with this phrase (and if not, please bear with us, because we promise we’re going somewhere with this). For the uninitiated, these are the words Link (the main protagonist) hears from a shopkeeper who grants him his first sword before embarking on a treacherous quest to rescue Princess Zelda. Shortly after, the player is faced with overwhelming challenges, scarce resources, and no single path to victory. Sounds like many of our first journeys into content marketing. In fact, if you’re new to  the content marketing game and working with limited resources, you can probably relate to Link more than you might realize. Squaring off against better-financed competitors across a complex content marketing landscape can often feel like warding off monsters while wandering the desert with little more than your wits. Executing a comprehensive content strategy while under pressure to deliver results without an ideal toolset or a roadmap to victory can be stressful (and less fun than any video game). Fortunately, it s possible to succeed at content marketing on a limited budget. The key is to think like Link by making the most creative and efficient use of what you do have until you’ve got the strength to go toe-to-toe with bigger adversaries. To get there, you’ll need to generate maximum mileage with minimal effort while working smarter instead of harder. The only difference is you’ll be solving business problems instead of puzzles and slaying your competition instead of vicious monsters along the way. Take this guide and let’s begin. How To Do Outstanding #Marketing On A Limited Budget via @Ben_Download Your Free Small-Budget Content Marketing Bundle (See Below) Make the most of your limited time with these free downloadable resources. Your Small-Budget Content Marketing Bundle includes: A Marketing Budget Template to help make the most of your available funding. A Content Audit Spreadsheet to understand your existing blog and website content. A Social Media Content Strategy Template to help you build a time-saving social media plan. A Social Media Campaign Content Template to create and organize social posts fast. A Social Media Editorial Campaign Template to schedule your social posts. A Blog Writing Process Checklist to help you make the most of every blog post. A 101 Marketing Time Management Strategies guide to ensure you use your time effectively. An Email List Building tip sheet to build email subscribers quick with limited effort. Find Your Bearings With A Simple Content Audit If you’re working with an existing website or blog, especially one that has been around for awhile, then your first step is to figure out exactly what content you already have (and how much of it is still useful). Think of it like giving your wardrobe a solid spring cleaning, with boxes for things you'd like to keep, patch up or update, and things to get rid of. An easy way to keep track of your progress is to create a simple spreadsheet. There are a number of ways it can be laid out, but at a basic level, it should list all your URLs, page titles, and the following columns: Keep Consolidate Update Remove Get your very own content audit spreadsheet here via Google Sheets. If you’re working with a large website that has a lot of URLs, a free downloadable tool called Screaming Frog may help speed up this process. This desktop website crawler can be used to quickly generate a list of all the URLs that exist on your domain, which can be helpful for discovering broken links or old pages you might have forgotten about. If you’re short on time, keep in mind that your emphasis here should be on balancing speed with relevancy. Focus on posts or URLs that have the highest relevance to your readers to keep, and those that are objectively outdated or no longer relevant to get rid of. It’s also important not to burn yourself out while sorting through the URLs on your domain. This is especially true if your site features tens of thousands of pages (which is common with e-commerce websites, in particular). If you’re ready for a more in-depth guide on how to perform a content audit, take a look at this thorough guide from Moz. Recommended Reading: How To Improve Your  Blog With A Content Audit Play To Your Strengths And Focus On The Right Channels Once you’ve got a clear idea of what (if anything) is already on your blog or website, your next step is to determine which channels you’re going to create fresh content for. Beyond your site and your blog, you’ll also want to consider which social media are best for your needs. You may also want to consider whether other content channels make sense within your overall strategy. Recommended Reading from Neil Patel: The 6 Types Of Social Media Content That Will Give You The Greatest Value With so many different platforms available, it’s easy to start feeling some option paralysis. If time is at a premium, try to focus only on the channels that will both deliver the most impact for your business and that you have time to comfortably invest in. Concentrated efforts in a few areas may yield stronger returns than splitting your attention between more platforms than you can manage. Social Media Tips Choose the right platforms: In most cases, a Facebook page will be essential. Twitter is also a must-have for brands and  bloggers. From there, think carefully about Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and Google+. If you’re unsure whether you might have a potential audience on a particular platform, see what your competitors or other blogs in your niche are doing. Stay within what you can manage: Overextending yourself by committing to every new social media platform that becomes available can be exhausting. Worse than that, letting any of your channels stagnate can hurt your brand. Don’t give into pressure to chase every new flashy object if you don’t have time to spare. Email Marketing Tips Don’t be boring: How many times have you signed up for a company’s email newsletter, only to be let down with horrendous formatting or a lack of any visual styling? This bland approach is boring and provides a poor user experience. Low-cost email marketing doesn’t have to mean low quality. Services like MailChimp offer free entry-level accounts and easy-to-use templates that can make putting together professional-looking e-newsletters simple (and if you’re curious how hard hand-coding emails can be, ask any developer). Reuse blog and social content: Cut time off your email content creation process by linking to your social campaigns and teasing your blog posts. Save time building e-newsletters by  repurposing blog content. #email #marketingEstablish A Consistent Posting Schedule While there aren’t many hard and fast rules for how often you should post on any particular channel, it’s important that you keep them all updated on a regular, predictable basis. If your audience knows when to visit your blog for updates, or knows that you post on a particular social media network regularly, they’re going to be more likely to keep coming back for more of your content. Knowing when you’ll post in advance also helps get more done in less time. Best practices for post frequency vary by market and niche. But  here are a few general guidelines to follow: Be consistent:  Make sure users can reliably expect new content. Be social:  Follow up on user comments and reply. Be persistent:  Don’t allow social accounts to stagnate. Investing in a tool to manage your post schedule can help you get organized and save a ton of time.  That’s exactly what was built for. However, a simple spreadsheet or Google calendar can get you started with scheduling  posts if spending money is out of the question. Work Smarter, Not Harder To Generate Content Ideas Faster Generating ideas for unique and interesting things to write about isn’t easy. However, there are ways to speed up the process while avoiding the time and soul-sucking dread of writer’s block. Monitor Social Media Within Your Topic/Industry What topics are buzzing on Twitter within your industry or niche? What are Facebook fans discussing on your page? Listening in to social media chatter can give you a good idea of what your audience might be interested in reading about, as well as what questions or concerns they may have that you can create content to address. Google AdWords Keyword Planner You know your website and blog content needs to rank in search engines to bring in traffic. Use the Google Adwords Keyword Planner to get an idea of which keywords for your chosen blog or web page topic are generating the most attention. It’s worth keeping in mind that this tool reports how many times a keyword has triggered a pay-per-click ad on Google, rather than the total number of searches it has received in general. Even still, it’s useful for getting a ballpark idea for which keywords you should target for organic traffic as well. Recommended Reading:  How To Make An SEO Content Strategy That Will Improve Your #1–3 Results By 248% Google Trends Creating content that provides an original take on a trending topic is an excellent way to drive traffic to your blog. If you think you’ve got a good idea for a post, or need some assistance coming up with timely posts, try Google Trends. It’s a useful tool for monitoring how many news headlines have appeared around your chosen keyword, as well as seeing which searches are most popular on Google at the moment. Ubersuggest Before you can deliver content people want to read, it helps to know what they’re looking for. Ubersuggest is a free tool that generates lists of actual search terms users have typed into Google’s search bar based on a selected keyword. Do Some Competitive Analysis If you notice a high number of blogs or websites writing about a particular topic, it’s probably because there’s a lot of reader interest around that subject. Check out what other sources are writing about, identify what’s popular, and see how you can make your own post unique or more useful. You can do this by digging deeper into the research, including something that’s missing from other posts, or simply adding your own voice to the conversation. This can help you tap into what your audience wants to read, and drive more traffic by providing a more authoritative resource than your competition. How To Scale Content Creation On A Budget At this point, you know what kinds of content you’re going to create, when it’s going to be created, and where it’s going to be posted. However, without much (if any) assistance, you might quickly find that keeping up with content creation over the long-term can be difficult. But, it doesn’t have to be. By establishing efficient processes, finding ways to reuse content across channels, and maybe enlisting some outside assistance, you can generate more content than you might think. Content Curation If you don’t have much time to create content of your own (and even if you do), then leverage someone else’s. Now, this doesn’t mean you should go out and steal other people’s work. Rather, content curation  simply describes the process of gathering and sharing content around a topic from other sources, and adding your own commentary or insight. Here are a few content curation tips: Share content from authoritative sources. Include your own thoughts and insights. Stick to sharing what’s relevant to your audience. On a weekly or monthly basis, round up the most interesting posts on your subject or industry and put them into a blog post or email newsletter. You can also reshare content on social media. Make sure you always give credit to the original source. Over time, this approach can position you as a valuable resource to your readers by helping them find the best content on your subject. Recommended Reading:  5 Different Content Types That Will Help You Save Time Blogging Find Guest Bloggers To Write For You You might not always have time to write on your own blog as often as you’d like. Fortunately, someone out there probably does, and there’s a chance they might even want to work with you. By cultivating relationships with industry influencers and soliciting guest writers, you can leverage other’s expertise, build connections in your industry, and generate authoritative content while easing your own workload. Here are two  ways to find guest bloggers: Is there a blogger you’ve built a strong rapport with over social media? Or, is there a particular writer or subject matter expert out there you particularly respect? Try sending them a message to see if they’re interested in writing on your blog.You’ll want to be mindful and not overstep your bounds here, though. For example, if your site doesn’t generate much traffic yet, then it’s unlikely that a high-powered influencer will want to work with you (or at least not yet). Add a â€Å"write for us† section to your blog or website. There are a lot of writers out there looking for places to get published. Let them know you’re interested in seeing their pitches for post ideas. Repurpose Your Content Across Channels Have a great idea for a Facebook post? Try adapting it for Twitter (and maybe Google+). Just posted something awesome on your blog? Put that in your email newsletter. By finding opportunities to stretch your content across platforms, you can keep your various channels updated efficiently while giving your content maximum exposure. Don’t Skip Out On Visual Content Creating strong graphics for blog and social media posts  can be tough if design isn’t your forte. If that sounds like you (and you don’t have access to a skilled designer), consider these options: Canva Canva is a free web-based service, which allows you to create images using a wide variety of fonts, backgrounds, and templates. It has its limitations, but its capable of producing some surprisingly strong results in relatively little time. Info.gram People love data. Info.gram is great for data pertaining to Instagram. People loves pictures. Bring the two together with Info.gram. This free infographic tool makes it easy to plug in stats and numbers to create quick infographics and data visualizations easily. Piktochart Piktochart is another freemium graphic design tool. It's perfect for creating posters and infographics. Plus, it's used by some high-profile companies and media outlets, like TechCrunch, Forbes, and Survey Monkey. Shoot Better Mobile Video Video content dominates the Web. In fact, recent Facebook algorithm updates have started to give more weight to video on that platform. However, pro video equipment is expensive, and not much use without the expertise of a skilled shooter and videographer. There is a solution to this problem, however, and it’s probably in your pocket right now. Your phone. While shooting video on your smartphone won’t match the quality of what’s possible with a real camera, it is possible to shoot compelling footage with one in a pinch. Depending on your business, the more raw, unpolished look might even be perceived as more authentic too. If you don’t consider yourself much of a camera person, try following these tips: Fill the whole frame with each shot. Position your subjects slightly to the left or right (rather than right in the middle) of each frame. Consider using a tripod for balance. If you can afford one, try attaching an external microphone for better audio quality. Measure Your Success (And Act On Your Data) Once you’ve got your content machine rolling, you’ll want to measure your results and use that data to help drive better decisions moving forward. If you’re getting a ton of traffic from search engines, then continuing to work on content strategy and search engine optimization is probably smart. Or, if you notice that certain social media channels are driving tons of traffic while others are stagnating, that might be a sign that you should focus on the ones that are succeeding, or alter your strategy on the ones that aren’t. Google Analytics The best content marketing plan in the world doesn’t mean much if you can’t measure the results. Fortunately, one of the best digital marketing analytics platforms happens to be free and fairly easy to set up (at least at a very basic level). While Google Analytics is both free and relatively easy to get started with, it’s also a powerful tool with a lot of advanced functionality. Avoid wasting time drowning in data and analytics by focusing on the following three top KPIs (key performance indicators): Natural/Organic Traffic Bounce Rate Conversion Rate When time is of the essence, these are the most essential metrics to monitor. Cyfe Cyfe  is a freemium custom data dashboard. It connects data from other apps, services, and analytics tools, allowing you to monitor everything in one place. A free account allows for up to five custom widgets, while a paid plan ($19 a month) allows for unlimited data. Between these two tools, you should be more than capable of getting a clear view of how your efforts are performing. Pay Attention To SEO Let’s get one thing out of the way here: search engine optimization  isn’t dead. You will, however, ignore SEO at your own risk. If You're Looking To Save Time: Use An SEO Platform There’s a lot of competition out there for premium SEO software platforms (such as Moz, Raven Tools, and more). If you have enough budget, plans generally start around $99 a month and go up from there for more keywords. These options provide powerful capabilities and will make it easier to get more done faster. Common  functionality typically includes: Keyword rank tracking Content analysis Inbound link monitoring Browse around to find an option that fits your needs and budget. If You're Looking To Save Money: Use Free SEO Tools You’re not totally out of luck if that cost is too high. We’re talking about doing content marketing on a budget here, after all. Premium SEO toolset provider SERPS.com has put together a handy resource of free SEO tools, including a handy rank checking tool and more. Consider this option if budget simply isn’t available. Now You’re Ready To Do More With Less And Win This might seem like a lot of work. Frankly, that’s because it is a lot of work (at least until you get your plans and processes in place). Once you get your content marketing flywheel moving, however, you should find you’re able to get more done in less time on a limited budget with some simple planning, prioritizing, and persistence. Best of all, it won’t cost you much (or possibly anything at all), and you won’t have to cut (too many) corners to get it all done.

Legal and Ethical Questions in Healthcare Assignment

Legal and Ethical Questions in Healthcare - Assignment Example It may be easier to argue that the physicians are right to suppress treatment on the patient, but a critical look at the case renders illegitimate, the approach they are taking. It is not lucid to argue that resources being used to treat the comatose patient are scarce, since not all patients are ICU or comatose patients. The growing number of outpatient referrals and attendees and the presence of patients needing less serious medical attention downplay the notion that healthcare resources are too scarce to support the right group. At the same time, the argument that it is unfair to spend a lot of money on the elderly instead of the relatively youthful smacks of ageism. The principle of benevolence (beneficence) also requires that the doctors should act in the patient’s best interests. It is clear that the comatose patient has not communicated his will (whether to have a Physician aid-in-dying, or not), and therefore, it is unlawful for these physicians to arrogate themselves this duty. The principle of non-malfeasance also prohibits these physicians from harming the patient. To extend the argument that non-malfeasance can have a double meaning to the elderly is not enough since even the young can be terminally ill. Likewise, the party that should characterize actions pertaining to non-malfeasance has not yet been ascertained; whether it is the doctor, the profession, the society or the patient. The action being taken by the physicians is unlawful, as it borders along passive euthanasia. Lastly, the principle of autonomy also asserts the right and legitimacy of patients to choose how their illnesses should be treated and to speak in this light. It is not right to argue that as people grow older, they lose the ability to make decisions, unless the patient is legally declared non compos mentis. Even in the case of non compos mentis, categorizing the patient as unwanted in lieu of wanted, must factor the input of the legal surrogate or an Advanced Directive . Question 2 As the government reduces payments for healthcare services, the ethical issues of limiting care that are bound to emerge, border on the EOL (end of life). Particularly, concerns such as the kind of care and the amount of money that should be expended on people with limited lifespan are to arise. This development is likely to catalyze conflicts between physicians and patients’ family members on the essence and extent of appropriate care. Annually, the government has had to absorb billions for undocumented and uncompensated care. In 2008 for instance, hospitals were compelled to absorb 36 billion US dollars in unpaid care. This figure included bills and charity care that remained unpaid by both the underinsured and the uninsured. Similarly, in the event that the government cuts its funding for healthcare services, people with no resources to access healthcare services are likely to turn to unqualified medical centers and practitioners. This is because restricted fu nding by the government will have made healthcare services inaccessible and too expensive for many (Leigh & Wheatley, 2010). According to Dewar (2010), the state's responsibility to ensure healthcare services is diverse, given that healthcare services and goods are public or social goods. It is the government’s responsibility to ensure the highest level of affordability and accessibility to healthcare services by the public. The government can do this by for instance, easing

The relationship of the mass commercial media we are living with and Research Paper

The relationship of the mass commercial media we are living with and experimental film - Research Paper Example The research paper also discusses whether it is possible to commercialize modern experimental films or video art (Barnett 39). Commercial media vs. experimental film Mass media is a combination of diverse media technologies whose main purpose is to reach to a large group of audience through mass communication. The technologies used to achieve this objective vary. For instance, broadcast media such as recorded music, radio, televisions, and films transmit their messages electronically. On the other hand, experimental cinema or experimental film is a form of cinema (Barnett 111). Experimental film is a type of artistic practice that easesof both cinema and visual arts. Experimental film has its origin in Europe, which took place during the twentieth centuries. Experimental film has established its history through theories such as that of P. Adams Sitney, and its distribution advance through non-profit institutions such as The Film-Makers’ Cooperative of New York and other organi zations in other countries (Barnett 192). Experimental film influences on commercial media Although experimental film is familiar witha relatively small group of academics, practitioners, and connoisseurs, it has highly influenced, and will continue influencing visual effects, cinematography, and editing (Biolsi 84). Experimental film has highly influenced and led to the advancement of commercial media, which is currently familiarwith a large group of people such as televisions. Experimental film influences cinematography, which is the science or art of motion picture shooting. It is the technology used in movie photography, which includes both shooting and production of films (Biolsi 221). Cinematography also refers to film director’s major visual turncoat. Secondly, experimental film influences visual effects; these are a variety of processes for creating or manipulating imagery outside live action’s context. These visual effects influence commercial media since they involve mixing of live-action generated imagery and footage aided in creating media environments, which look more realistic, although, they would be expensive, dangerous, impractical, or not possible to capture on film (Biolsi 505).Visual effects with computer-generated images have currently become more accessible to the filmmakers due to the introduction of user-friendly, affordable composting, and animation software. Lastly, experimental film influences editing, which is the process of preparing and selecting visual, written, audible, and film media used to communicate commercial information. The editing process involves condensation, correction, organization, and other editing performed with aid of producing consistent, correct, complete, and accurate information (Biolsi 507). The editing process starts with ideas of the author of the work, proceeding as a partnership between the editor and the author as the entire work’s edition takes place. As such, editing process invo lves human skills, creative skills, and an accurate set of procedures. The music video’s genre is a commercialization of a number of experimental film’s techniques. Experimental film has also influenced television advertising and title design hence making television broadcasting more attractive than before. Song video or music video refers to a short film combining

Howard Becker Criminology | A Theory Analysis

Howard Becker Criminology | A Theory Analysis With close reference to a selection from your research/reading (minimum 3 references by or about your criminologist), critically assess the contribution made by your author to criminological knowledge. You should focus closely on how he /she developed critiqued or applied theory. INTRODUCTION Howard Becker is hailed as the founder of modern labeling theory. He also developed the term moral entrepreneur to describe persons in power who campaign to have certain deviant behavior outlawed (Becker, 1963). He claims that many laws are established for such purposes, and that behavior that is defined as criminal is dynamic and changes throughout time. Therefore, the actual criminal behavior is irrelevant to the theory. What really matters is which outlaws are arrested and processed by the criminal justice system (Becker, 1963). As a result of the belief that personal and societal factors do not contribute to motivations for criminal behavior there has been little study of the criminal him/herself and the aforesaid factors. As one might expect, this aspect of Labeling Theory is still being debated. There is one exception to this belief, however most labeling theorists claim that the system is biased toward the lower class, which constitutes the overwhelming majority of arrests and convictions within the American criminal justice system (Wellford, 1975). This Labeling Theory, found in Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance (1963), is perhaps his most important and influential contribution to sociology. Influenced by Cooleys looking-glass self, Meads theories on the internalization of the self, and Lemerts social constructionism, Becker explains that deviance is based on the reactions and responses of others to an individuals acts. The label of deviant is applied to an individual when others observe their behavior and react to it by labeling that person as deviant. No particular act is inherently deviant until a group with socially powerful statuses or positions label it as such (Becker, 1963). This theoretical approach to deviance has influenced criminology, gender, sexuality and identity research. This work became the manifesto of the labeling theory movement among sociologists. In his opening, Becker writes: social groups create deviance by making rules whose infraction creates deviance, and by applying those roles to particular people and labeling them as outsiders. From this point of view, deviance is not a quality of the act the person commits, but rather a consequence of the application by other of rules and sanctions to an offender. The deviant is one to whom that label has been successfully applied; deviant behavior is behavior that people so label.[8] While society uses the stigmatic label to justify its condemnation, the deviant actor uses it to justify his actions. He wrote: To put a complex argument in a few words: instead of the deviant motives leading to the deviant behavior, it is the other way around, the deviant behavior in time produces the deviant motivation.[9] INFLUENCES Beckers theory evolved during a period of social and political power struggle that was amplified within the world of the college campus (Pfohl, 1994). Liberal political movements were embraced by many of the college students and faculty in America (Pfohl 1994). Howard Becker harnessed this liberal influence and adjusted Lemerts labeling theory and its symbolic interaction theoretical background. The labeling theory outlined in Outsiders is recognized as the prevailing social reaction approach by Lemert as well as most other sociologists (www.sonoma.edu). Beckers approach has its roots in the symbolic interaction foundation of Cooley and Mead, and the labeling influences of Tannenbaum and Lemert. Charles Cooleys Human Nature and the Social Order (1902) examines the personal perception of oneself through studies of children and their imaginary friends. Cooley develops the theoretical concept of the looking glass self, a type of imaginary sociability (Cooley 1902). People imagine the view of themselves through the eyes of others in their social circles and form judgements of themselves based on these imaginary observations (Cooley 1902). The main idea of the looking glass self is that people define themselves according to societys perception of them (www.d.umn.edu). Cooleys ideas, coupled with the works of Mead, are very important to labeling theory and its approach to a persons acceptance of labels as attached by society. George Meads theory is less concerned with the micro-level focus on the deviant and more concerned with the macro-level process of separating the conventional and the condemned (Pfohl 1994). In Mind, Self, and Society (1934), Mead describes the perception of self as formed within the context of social process (Wright, 1984). The self is the product of the minds perception of social symbols and interactions (www.d.umn.edu ). The self exists in objective reality and is then internalized into the conscious (Wright 1984). The idea of shifting the focus away from the individual deviant and looking at how social structure affects the separation of those persons considered unconventional has a great influence on how Becker approaches labeling theory. Social Pathology (1951) outlines Edwin Lemerts approach to what many consider the original version of labeling theory. Lemert, unhappy with theories that take the concept of deviance for granted, focuses on the social construction of deviance (Lemert 1951). Lemert (1951) describes deviance as the product societys reaction to an act and the affixing of a deviant label on the actor. Social Pathology details the concepts of primary and secondary deviance. According to Lemert (1951), primary deviance is the initial incidence of an act causing an authority figure to label the actor deviant. This initial labeling of a deviant act will remain primary as long as the actor can rationalize or deal with the process as a function of a socially acceptable role (Lemert, 1951). If the labeled deviant reacts to this process by accepting the deviant label, and further entrenches his/herself in deviant behavior, this is referred to as secondary deviance (Lemert, 1951). Lemert considers the causes of p rimary deviance as fluid, and only important to researchers concerned with specific social problems at a certain time. In the years following Social Pathology, Lemert argues for the decriminalization of victimless crimes, advocates pre-trial diversion programs, and has backed away labeling determinism (Wright, 1984). BECKERS LABELLING THEORY Howard Beckers approach to the labeling of deviance, as described in Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance (1963), views deviance as the creation of social groups and not the quality of some act or behavior. Becker (1963) criticizes other theories of deviance for accepting the existence of deviance and by doing so, accept the values of the majority within the social group. According to Becker (1963), studying the act of the individual is unimportant because deviance is simply rule breaking behavior that is labeled deviant by persons in positions of power. The rule breaking behavior is constant, the labeling of the behavior varies (Becker 1963). Becker (1963) describes rules as the reflection of certain social norms held by the majority of a society, whether formal or informal. Enforced rules, the focus of Beckers (1963) approach, are applied differentially and usually facilitate certain favorable consequences for those who apply the label. In short, members of the rule-maki ng society may label rule breaking behavior deviant depending on the degree of reaction over time (Becker, 1963). Becker (1963) views those people that are likely to engage in rule breaking behavior as essentially different than members of the rule-making or rule-abiding society. Those persons who are prone to rule-breaking behavior see themselves as morally at odds with those members of the rule-abiding society (Becker 1963). Becker (1963) uses the term outsider to describe a labeled rule-breaker or deviant that accepts the label attached to them and view themselves as different from mainstream society. Deviants may consider themselves more outside than others similarly labeled (Becker 1963). Deviant outsiders might view those rule making or abiding members of society as being the outsiders of their social group (Becker, 1963). The final step in the creation of a career delinquent involves the movement of a rule breaker into a deviant subculture (Becker, 1963). The affiliation of the labeled deviant with an organized provides the person with moral support and a self-justifying rationale (Becker 1963). Becker (1963) describes how those involved in an organized crime may learn new forms of deviance through differential association. Becker (1963) also focuses on those in positions of power and authority that make and enforce the rules. Rules are created by a moral entrepreneur, a person that takes the initiative to crusade for a rule that would right a society evil (Becker 1963). The moral entrepreneurs motive may be to elevate the social status of those members of society below him/her (Becker 1963). The success of the crusade may lead to the entrepreneur to become a professional rule creator (Becker 1963). Becker (1963) states that the success of each moral crusade brings along with it a new group of outsiders, and a new responsibility of an enforcement agency. According to Becker (1963), the enforcement of societys rules is an enterprising act. The enforcement of a rule occurs when those that want a rule enforced, usually to some sort of gain to their personal interests, bring the rule infraction to the attention of the public (Becker 1963). The rule infraction, brought to the attention of those in positions of authority, is dealt with punitively by the entrepreneur (Becker, 1963). The enforcement of the rule may involve the mediation of conflicts between many different interest groups by those in positions of power (Becker, 1963). The enforcers themselves may have a moral crusade to stop crime, but most engage in the process strictly as a part of their occupation (Becker 1963). Rule enforcers use the process of formal enforcement to satisfy two major interests, the justification of their occupation and the winning of respect from the people he/she patrols (Becker, 1963). The enforcer is armed with a great deal of discretion and may use hi s/her power to label an innocent person in order to gain respect (Becker, 1963). The misuse of labeling powers by enforcers may create a deviant out of a person who otherwise would not be prone to rule breaking behavior (Becker, 1963). Beckers work pays particular attention to the way society reacts to people with criminal labels. He proposes that this label becomes a persons master status, meaning that this is a constant label, affecting and over-riding how others will view them. The status people use to identify and classify a person will always be that of a criminal. Any other statuses a person occupies are no longer heeded. A person could be a parent, employee, spouse, etc., but the first and major status that will come to mind to other people and themselves is that of the criminal (Becker, 1963). Beckers Outsiders (1963) uses two cases to illustrate his approach to labeling theory. Becker (1963) analyzes the history of marijuana laws in the United States and how individuals progress into the recreational use of the drug. Becker (1963) chooses to analyze marijuana because the progression of use can be observed. The first time user of marijuana finds the experience as somewhat unpleasant, but as the user imitates peers he/she learns to perceive the effects of marijuana as enjoyable (Becker 1963). Becker (1963) identifies three stages of marijuana use: the beginner, the occasional user, and the regular user. The three self-explanatory categories of marijuana users can be manipulated through the use of social controls (Becker, 1963). Control of the marijuana supply has both positive and negative effects (Becker, 1963). A diminished supply of marijuana may lead to a decreased use of the drug among some people, but it may also drive a user to associate with an organized group of deviants to obtain marijuana (Becker 1963). Becker (1963) believes that while control of marijuana supply is an important social control, it does not deter use. The best way to deter a user is to control his/her individual moral view of marijuana use. A marihuana user is labelled to be deviant as it contravenes the rules and norms of the society. Becker researched on marihuana users and used it in supporting his labelling theory . Becker notes that this deviant behaviour is based on the given kind of behaviour as an end product of a sequence of social experiences during which the person acquires a comprehension of the meaning of the behaviour, the perceptions and judgements of objects and situations, all of which makes the activity possible and desirable. An individual will only be able to use marihuana for pleasure if he goes through a process of learning to conceive of it as an object where he is able to recognise the effects and connect them with drug use; to inhale in a way that produce real upshot; and learning to enjoy the sensation he comprehends. Once the ability to achieve enjoyment is acquired, he will continue to use it. (continuing usage of the marihuana is the secondary deviant) Considerations of morality and appropri ateness, occasioned by the rejoinder of society, may hamper and impede use, but use persists to be a possibility in terms of the notion of the drug. The act will only be impossible when the ability to achieve the enjoyment is vanished, through a revolutionize of users conception of the drug occasioned by certain kind of experience with it. Becker (1963) uses a participant observation study of the lives of Chicago dance musicians to illustrate the social life of a deviant subculture. Although dance musicians as a group are law-abiding, their unconventional lifestyles lead them to feel as outsiders (Becker 1963). Becker (1963) describes how being a dance musician involves a change in attitudes and opinions in order to conform to the subculture. The culture of the dance musician is rich in its own language and gestures (Becker, 1963). Many of the dance musicians live a conventional family life during the day and change into their role as musician at night (Becker, 1963). Another aspect of labelling theory in which Becker outlines as problematic, is the concept of morality. He questions a situation where the researchers sympathies should lie. He contemplates on whether one should side with the underdog or simply judge criminal behaviour as inherently wrong? He stresses the sociological difficulty of this decision. He claims that the researcher, whether taking either side, will be accused of taking a one-sided and distorted view, but how is it possible to see the situation from both sides simultaneously (Becker, 1963)? Despite many contributions, the evaluation of labelling theorists is normally considered with an excessive amount of criticism. Becker concludes Outsiders (1963) by emphasizing the need for empirical research of his approach to labeling theory. Social scientists produced a vast amount of literature in response to Beckers request. Much of the research involving labeling theory directly reflects Beckers approach, while others use Becker (1963) as a foundation for theory development. APPLICATION Gideon Fishman tests Beckers labeling theory by studying a sample of midwestern juvenile delinquents (Friday and Stewart, 1977). Fishmans research design measures negative self-perception and whether this self-perception affects future delinquency (Friday and Stewart, 1977). The results of Fishmans study show that secondary deviance is not universal and individuals react to deviant labels in different ways (Friday and Stewart, 1977). A popular application of Beckers labeling theory (1963) is in the area of mental health. Thomas Scheff embraces Beckers approach to labeling and describes how people are labeled mentally ill in order to explain certain rule-breaking behavior that society cant categorize (Holstein, 1993; www.sscf.ucsb.edu). Scheff is not concerned with occasional acts of deviance, rather it is the residual or episodic deviance that often falls under the label of mental illness (Wright, 1984; Pfohl, 1994). People labeled as mentally ill adopt the behaviors of the stereotypical mental patient as portrayed through the mass media (Wright 1984). Scheff argues that those who express the stereotypical behavior of the mentally ill are rewarded by enterprising psychology professionals (Wright, 1984; Pfohl, 1994). According to Scheff, everybody expresses the popular symptoms of mental illness at some point in their life and labels are attached to those without power (Wright 1984). Scheff provides empirical evid ence in the form of several studies of the process of mental hospital commitment (Holstein, 1993; Pfohl, 1994; Wright, 1983; www.sscf.ucsb.edu). Many social scientists challenge Scheffs arguments on theoretical and empirical grounds. James A. Holstein (1993) attacks Scheffs approach for focusing on the deviant and not the moral entrepreneurs that attach the labels. Florence Ridlon (1988) criticizes Scheffs work for being deterministic and argues for a less causal model to explain mental afflictions such as alcoholism. Walter Gove (1980), an adamant critic of Scheff, believes that Scheff should not dismiss the influence of psychopathological variables on mental illness. Gove (1980) also criticizes Scheffs empirical methodology and operations. Edwin Schur modifies Beckers labeling theory in Labeling Deviant Behavior (1971) by shifting some of the focus to the individual deviant. Schur (1971) also theorizes that as persons labeled deviant gain power and organize, they progress in social definition from an uprising, social movement, and civil war to the formation of a mainstream political party. Schur argues in Labeling Women Deviant (1983) that women in America are automatically labeled deviant by the male-dominated society. Women accept the deviant label as their master status and limit their life chances (Schur, 1983). CRITICISMS Beckers theory of labeling, while maintaining a great deal of popularity today, does encounter several criticisms (Pfohl 1994; www.mpcc.cc.ne.us ; Ridlon 1988). Many sociologists view labeling theory as untestable and, by definition, not a true theory (Ridlon 1988). Becker (1963) acknowledges that his labeling theory is a theoretical approach, not a true theory, and that sociologists should attempt to establish empirical tests for his approach. Another major criticism of labeling theory is its failure to explain primary deviance (www.mpcc.cc.ne.us). Both Lemert (1951) and Becker (1963) believe that primary deviance is influenced by many different and changing variables and the research of primary deviance causes is futile. Pfohl (1994) details the criticism of many sociologists that labeling theory is causal or deterministic. Becker (1963) qualifies his approach to social reaction theory by stating that some groups of rule-breakers may be able to choose alternative courses of action. Beckers immensely popular views were also subjected to a barrage of criticism, most of it blaming him for neglecting the influence of other biological, genetic effects and personal responsibility. In a later 1973 edition of his work, he answered his critics. He wrote that while sociologists, while dedicated to studying society, are often careful not to look too closely. Instead, he wrote: I prefer to think of what we study as collective action. People act, as Mead and Blumer have made clearest, together. They do what they do with an eye on what others have done, are doing now, and may do in the future. One tries to fit his own line of action into the actions of others, just as each of them likewise adjusts his own developing actions to what he sees and expects others to do.[10] Francis Cullen reported in 1984 that Becker was probably too generous with his critics. After 20 years, his views, far from being supplanted, have been corrected and absorbed into an expanded structuring perspective.[11] From a logical standpoint there are flaws within the main points of labeling theory. Initially the theory states that no acts are inherently criminal (Wellford, 1975). Meaning that acts are only criminal when society has deemed them as such. The implications of this being that criminal law is dynamic and ever-changing, differing from society to society. But if this is true then why are certain acts illegal within the majority of the civilized world? Murder, rape, arson, armed robbery. All these are considered crimes in any society or country one could care to name. Also the theory claims that for a criminal to be successfully labeled an audience must be present to provide a reaction to the crimes committed. Does this mean that if a murder is committed where the killer has successfully avoided anyones suspicion that the act is then not criminal and the killer will not think of him/herself as such? Its probable that the murderers socialization and/or value system could initialize self-labeling, but the theory clearly states the labeling must come from a 3rd party (Hagan, 1973). For the sake of argument, if self labeling is possible and a person has obtained a self-initialized criminal master status/label, how do they react to it? Do they become criminals or try to rationalize as stated by Foster, Dinitz, and Reckless (Foster Dinitz Reckless, 1972)? Beckers labelling theory has also drawn to a considerable criticism. One of such is that his labelling theory failed to answer the etiological question about primary deviance, for example: What causes deviance? Jack Gibbs pointed out that the theory failed to provide ample answers to three etiological questions: Why does the prevalence of a particular act vary from one population to the next? Why do some persons commit the act while others do not? Why is the act in question considered deviant and criminal in some societies but not in others? This clearly shows that labelling theory is mere humanistic-antideterministic or voluntaristic hypothesis only . Then again, recent activists of the theory beginning to shift the labelling theory into a more scientific, deterministic one, and this approach is apparent in empirical studies of the secondary deviance. Instead of describing the process of interaction between labellers and the labelled that leads to secondary deviance, these revisioni sts defined, operationalised or measure labelling as a causal variable of secondary deviation. CONCLUSION Social scientists disagree on the future of labeling theory. Pfohl (1994) recognizes labeling theory as very influential in todays studies of deviance. Some social scientists view labeling theory as declining in importance due to lack of empirical support and a conservative political climate (www.mpcc.cc.ne.us ). Becker (1963) believes the future of labeling theory lies in the widespread empirical study of deviance and kinds of deviance. Beckers analysis gives us a dynamic account of how a person can be funneled into a deviant career by labeling processes. This is also a compellingly humanistic theory of deviance. We can identify and sympathize with the deviant who has been the victim of labeling processes, even to the extent of realizing that it could happen to any of us. In this and many other respects, Beckers micro-relativistic approach to deviance theory contrasts markedly with normative theories that emphasize in a detached, objective way the fundamental differences between deviants and nondeviants. If Becker makes us understand the human implications of reactions to deviance, then he has accomplished one of his major theoretical goals. In attempting to evaluate the contribution of the labelling theorists to the study of the sociology of deviance, it can be said that it depends on how the theory is viewed. If the theory is considered as a theory, with all the achievements and obligations that go with the title, then its flaws are many. Yet if, as Backer suggests, we attempt to consider the theory as it were intended, that is, as a mere way of looking at deviance, then the contribution can be said to be weighty, as it opened up a whole new study of the individual after he has committed an act of deviance. At this point it must be mentioned that labelling theorists do not merely consider the after-effects of the deviant act, as it is sometimes suggested. Becker, for example, considers the individual and how he begins to smoke marijuana. As Schur sums up, labelling theory is not a revolutionary new approach to the analysis of social problems but rather a recording or emphasis of such analysis, a reordering that may hel p us to view deviance and control in a realistic, comprehensive, and sociologically meaningful light. As such, one can conclude that labelling theory continues in its usefulness, as long as deviant behaviour continues to exist.