Consequentialism, Deontology, and Inevitable Trade-offs :: Philosophy Essays

Consequentialism, Deontology, and Inevitable Trade-offsABSTRACT Recently, unrestrained consequentialism has been defended against the charge that it leads to unacceptable trade-offs by showing a trade-off accepted by many of us is non justified by any of the usual nonconsequenlist arguments. The particular trade-off involves aggrandizement the speed limit on the Interstate Highway System. As a society, we seemingly accept a trade-off of lives for convenience. This defense of consequentialism may be a tu quoque, simply it does challenge nonconsequentialists to adequately justify a multitude of social decisions. Work by the deontologist Frances Kamm, conjoined with a perspective deployed by several economists on the relation between social costs and lives lost, is relevant. It provides a starting point by justifying decisions which involve trading lives only for other lives. But the perspective overly recognizes that using resources in excess of some figure (perhaps as low as $7.5 million) to save a life causes us to forego other live-saving activities, consequently causing a net loss of life. Setting a speed limit as low as 35 miles per hour might indeed save some lives, but the loss of productivity due to the increased time spent in travel would cost an even greater fare of lives. Therefore, many trade-offs do not simply involve trading lives for some lesser value (e.g., convenience), but are justified as allowing some to infract in order to save a greater number. It has long been one of the standard reflections of consequentialist approaches to ethics that they too easily justify trade-offs that are morally unacceptable. The criticism which holds the end justifies the means philosophy inherent in consequentialism to be a source of great immorality is expressed, for example, in the famous scene from Dostoyevskys The Brothers Karamazov. Remember how Alyosha reacts to the facial expression offered by Ivan of a harmonious world order, a system that would bring about peace and rest and happiness for all men. A lovely idea, but the structure comes at the price of torturing one tiny child to death. And Alyosha will not consent to that exchange.A consequentialist response to Alyoshas refusal to consent to trade the pain and death of one innocent in exchange for universal harmony is that, in the present inharmonious order, many innocent children will die horribly, not just one. Alyoshas tender conscience will cost thousands of innocent children their lives. And so the debate continues.Recently, however, a proponent of consequentialism, Alastair Norcross, has sharpened the debate.

Being Popular Essay -- Drinking Drugs Peer Pressure Essays

Being PopularDrug and intoxicant abuse is a serious problem among many a(prenominal) young people. Most drug and alcohol abuse happens on the weekend at a fellowship or at a friends house. Young people want to be customary and fit in, and if fitting in means alcoholism or using drugs, they are going to do it. After a few parties, and a few nights out at a friends house,young people start to get addicted to drugs and alcohol and their life begins to fallapart.Being familiar is a goal that all teenagers want to achieve. Theres nothing like sitting at the popular lunch table or knowing all of the football and basketball players. Being popular also means that you have to do all of the things that the popular kids do, like drinking or smoking cigarettes once in a while. Smoking cigarettes and drinking just a little leads to worse things like drinking more, and trying drugs. The parties that last a whole weekend, because their parents are out of town, are where most of the drinking a nd drug abuse is going on. Getting drugs and alcohol is precise easy. The young people get someone older to buy the alcohol for them, and anyone can find someone to sell them drugs. After going to a party every weekend, they become used to the alcohol and drugs and begin to drink and do more drugs. Then they become addicted.Once theyre addicted, their life begins to fall apart. civilise grades drop, they are not studying at night any more, they dont pay attention in class, and they dont do the ...

Media Bias and Concentration Essay -- Politics Political Television TV

Media Bias and Concentration After witnessing a hotly contested election and the massive amounts of campaigning d bingle by twain parties in effort to inform the public and reach as many voters as possible, one question still remains poignant Where do we rile our information? The myriad landscape that is the media today, can be accessed from al around anywhere, and has, in many ways, entrenched itself in American culture, replacing what used to be monetary standard outlets of information. Television and print news have long dominated the average American household in terms of being used to access information, nevertheless new outlets, like the internet and film have grown into major ways in which people learn about what is happening in the world. The matter of so many varied sources of information, however, and the ever-growing accessibility of unchecked information raises a different question not so much the source of our information moreover rather, what is the quality of the information we are getting? Mass media has long had an influence on society and an in depth look at its most favourite forms today would most definitely reveal several glaring inequities in the way TV networks, print media, and internet websites communicate information. Many media sources are slanted, one way or another, in their views and coverage of people and events. Everette Dennis once stated that objectivity is what sets apart American mass media from the rest of the world and is one of the most important precepts of American journalism (103). In present times, however, media that provides completely impartial analysis of the facts is either hard to find, or deemed incredible. The fact of the matter is that in a large portion of mass media outlets what is best described as obj... ...lthttp//www.consortiumnews.com/2002/111302a.html. Population Explosion InternetNews. 2 Dec. 2004 . Posters from WWII. San Jose State University. 2 Dec. 2004 . Sinclair Broadcast Group refuses to broadcast Nightline sequence on fallen soldiers.Center for Media & Democracy. 1 Dec. 2004 . Taylor, Philip M. Munitions of the mind. New York City Manchester UP, 2003. 315-318. The Big Ten. The Nation. 2 Dec. 2004 . Top News Sites. American Press Institute. 21 Nov. 2004 . Why non? Personal Computer Services. 2 Dec. 2004 .

Art, Surrealism, and the Grotesque Essay -- Exploratory Essays Researc

The term grotesque in art and literature, commonly refersto the juxtaposition of extreme contrasts such as horror andhumor, or beauty and monstrosity, or require and revulsion. Onefunction of this juxtaposition of the rational and the irrationalis to subdue or normalize the unknown, and thereby control it. The simultaneity of mutually exclusive emotional states, and the provocation it might cause, inspires a Freudian analytic criticalapproach because of its focus on controlling repressed desiresthrough therapeutic rationality. There are volumes of Freudian art denunciation, which typicallybegin by calling attention to manifestations, in some work ofart, of the darkest desires of the id. Perhaps in no field ofart review article does Freuds name appear more frequently than insurrealism, and for various reasons, the grotesque figures verystrongly in that art movement. From the association ofsurrealist art and Freud, we can arrive a cursory understandingof the grotesque in this breed of Modernist art the grotesqueappears as an image, the content of which might traditionally berepressed, but instead, it is verbalised within the controlledconfines of a work of art. The psychoanalytic critic will focuson the simultaneous attraction to and repulsion from the dream-like imagery on the surrealist canvas. Yet, this does notconsider the surrealist notion of art as a liberation of thesubconscious, nor does such analysis adequately incorporate thesurrealist goal of political revolution. Instead, it reducessurrealist art criticism to the interpretation of dreams. ThisFreudian view becomes too limiting of our understanding ofsurrealism, the grotesque, and perhaps even of ourselves... ...d Practice of Dream Interpretation. in Freud Therapy and Technique. ed. Philip Rieff. New York Collier Press, 1963. pp. 205-235. Heidegger, Martin. What is Metaphysics? in rudimentary Writings, ed. David Farrell Krell. New York Harper & Row, 1977.Plank, Wil liam. Sartre and Surrealism. Ann Arbor Univeristy of Michigan Research Press, 1972.Sartre, Jean-Paul. Nausea. trans. Lloyd Alexander. New York New Directions, 1964.------- The Psychology of Imagination. trans. Bernard Frechtman. New York Washington Square Press, 1966.------- The Writings of Jean-Paul Sartre A Bibliographic lifespan Chicago Northwestern University Press. Interview with Claudine Chonez in Marianne, Dec. 7, 1938.------- What is Literature? and Other Essays. Trans. Steven Ungar. Cambridge Harvard University Press, 1988.

The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey Essay

Stephen R. Covey, the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is empowering readers with problem resolution tools needed to overcome the routine to the extreme situations of personal and workplace environments. Covey explains simply that you dont have to be a genius to present these principles of 7 habits, but you will have to possess balanced dimensions of nature physical, spiritual, mental, and social/emotional.The ideas explained by Covey start by apply the principles of natural laws and using these laws such as fairness, integrity, and honesty to increase your circle of influence which builds off of your proactive energy. This energy depends mainly upon your physical dimension therefore, if you atomic number 18 having trouble with energy, you may need to increase your exercise agenda. To influence yourself, you must maintain your proactive energy. This is what will make your steps progress.Covey moves on to explain that your movements today are in fact your step towards your ultimate lifes goals. These goals are envisioned in a spiritual dimension and developed with proactive energy. either move you make will ultimately lead you away from or closer to your final demise or victory. By keeping the end in mind, you will consistently keep your sense of direction on a daily basis to create your own destiny.More often than not, things must be done that have to be done. Possessing the wisdom to decipher, which things must be done and which things can be left undone, requi...

The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey Essay

Stephen R. Covey, the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is empowering readers with problem solving tools needed to overcome the modus operandi to the extreme situations of personal and workplace environments. Covey explains simply that you dont have to be a genius to apply these principles of 7 habits, but you volition have to possess balanced dimensions of nature physical, spiritual, mental, and social/emotional.The ideas explained by Covey start by using the principles of natural laws and using these laws such as fairness, integrity, and verity to increase your circle of influence which builds off of your proactive energy. This energy depends mainly upon your physical dimension therefore, if you are having trouble with energy, you may need to increase your utilization agenda. To influence yourself, you must maintain your proactive energy. This is what bequeath make your graduations progress.Covey moves on to explain that your movements today are in fact your step towards your ultimate lifes goals. These goals are envisioned in a spiritual dimension and developed with proactive energy. Every move you make will ultimately lead you away from or closer to your final demise or victory. By go alonging the end in mind, you will consistently keep your sense of direction on a daily basis to create your own destiny.More often than not, things must be done that have to be done. Possessing the wisdom to decipher, which things must be done and which things can be left undone, requi...

Racism and Ethnic Discrimination Essay

Particular sectors of the population that ar considered inferior based on their ethnic identities welcome limited socio-economic mobility and limited annoy to political participation, and for this reason the organization of current society reflects a situation of structural racism, which in turn perpetuates inequality. The phenomenon of institutionalised racism is covert, and is falsely considered something of the past instead of as an ongoing process that is real, still in force, and continually reproduced in social sexual relations.While the champion against racism advances, expressions of racism become more sophisticated,4 and it intensifies former(a) unlikeness based on gender, age, geographic origin, or socio-economic status. 5 The ideology of racism is institutionalized by the take, as power and retrieve is granted to true assorts based on the recognition of a superior culture. Racism then persists in the attitudes held by those with a constituent in shaping la ws, everyday policies, and programs, and in that respectfore becomes imposed on the institutions and interactions that shape everyday life.One aspect that makes the analysis of racism and discrimination more entangled is the feature that autochthonic Peoples and Afro-descendent communities have internalized and accepted the racist structures, often reproducing those structures in their own relations. Stigmas held by certain groups against others create hierarchies that are inextricably linked to physiologic and cultural traits such as skin color, grade or purity of blood, clothing, and language and accents.At the inter topic level there have been signifi derrieret advances in the instruments and inter guinea pig mechanisms of protection and defense of the rights of natural and Afro-descendent peoples. The Inter-American System of Human Rights is a nonable advancement is the construction of jurisprudence on the corporate rights, as substantially as the instruments and mecha nisms established in the United Nations system. Nicaragua has ratified the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial contrast (CERD), however, it does not fulfill its commitments with respect to providing periodic in coordinateation. afterwards a complex history of external colonization that main(prenominal)tains Nicaragua divided in two socio-cultural realities, in the last few years a process of judicial and political recognition of multiculturalism has initiated. 6 These measures however have not contributed to transforming the State, or to guaranteeing equal opportunities of access in the construction of democracy. The exchange problem continues to be the form and behavior removal or diminishment of recognition, enjoyment, or exercise, under equal conditions, of human rights and fundamental liberties in political, economic, social, cultural spheres, or any other sphere of public life.3 UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples and CODISRA. JUN POP TIJONIK. 2006 . 4 Francisco Cali. CERD Expert, Guatemala. 2006. 5 The Guatemala Human Development Report (2005), analyses the concept of social stratification, which gives evidence of the asymmetries with respect to access to development for Indigenous and Afro-descendent Peoples, having to do with difference that go beyond socioeconomic factors, and that moreover, reinforce pagan subordination. UNDP, Guatemala. 2005.6 This is a doctrine based on the translucent recognition of cultural diversity is established in conformance with equality of citizenship. It recognizes the lastence of bodieds that are diachronicly and culturally different from the cultural group that has been in power, to which once recognized, the collective cultural rights will be guaranteed, incorporating them in laws and state institutions and creating public policies to manage the diversity. Multiculturalism facilitates the culture and the individuality that are constituted in main axes of political rights and duties.5 of 104 Racism and Ethnic Discrimination in Nicaragua November 2006 of the National State mono-ethnic, exclusionary in its concept of citizenship and in the distribution of goods and services. The Mestizo project of the national State continues to identify the administrative structure and resources of the State with an ethnic group, its cultures, and values. Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendent communities in the Autonomous Regions, Pacific, and Central-Northern region continue to be discriminated against.Racism and inter-ethnic conflict in Nicaragua continues to be a daily reality in the lives of Indigenous and Afro-descendent people. New threats linked to globalization and internal migration alike exacerbate the conflicts. Despite advances in the Indigenous and ethnic movement, as well as increased recognition of rights, it is evident that to fight against these forces there must be greater commitment, as indicated by whizz of the subjects interviewed for the studyWe need to op erate from a feeling of the value of others and the recognition of our Miskitu, Mayangna, and Kriole brothers and sisters as human beingsas man-to-mans that have their own values, which are worth the selfsame(prenominal) as mine I need to see others as human beings with whom I must live, and therefore, with whom I have to create an environment of empathy where we see for each genius other as people fighting together to move forward and for this, we will need to change our counselings of feeling, thinking, and acting we will need to have concrete goalsto move forward hand in hand as Costenos and as Costenas and this is possible.7 This report seeks to describe racism in a way that documents a range of experiences of discrimination, in all spheres of life. Perhaps the outlook presented here will seem quite negative, as most of the subjects interviewed were skeptical that any governmental or nongovernmental organizations are taking steps to address the problemsnor were they conf ident that the situation would change in the near future. Since racist and colonial structures still exist in all corners of the world, unfortunately there are few examples of anything more than incremental changes in the past few years, decades, or even centuries.However, the intention of this report is not to showcase a list of complaints, nor to assign blame to any particular group or institution. Instead, this study operates under the possibility that the process of documenting experiences of racism and discrimination can facilitate communication across sectors, and can be the first step toward taking affirmative actions to combat the ideology and practice of racism. Thus, like other documents reports, laws, declarations, treatiesthis study can further be a starting point.The real work begins when, armed with consciousness and the will to change, people choose to undertake the proletariat of struggling together for progress. 7 Interview with Benalicia Lucas, 2 October, 2006. 6 of 104 Racism and Ethnic Discrimination in Nicaragua November 2006 2. STRUCTURE AND METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY This study was conducted with the put forward of Diakonia, a Swedish international cooperation agency whose mission is to promote the respect and exercise of all the human rights of all people and to contribute to the democratization of societies for the alter of a democratic culture.The study carried out the objective of analyzing and systematizing racism as an ideology and an everyday practice in Nicaragua. The specific objectives were the following 1. To establish and apologize briefly the fellowship between racism, external colonialism and internal colonialism. 2. To characterize racism against Indigenous Peoples, Garifunas, and Afrodescendents in Nicaragua, in the cultural, social, economic, legal, and political spheres. 3. To describe the current situation and trends of the phenomenon of racism. 4.To try and evaluate the types of demands of the affected groups to combat racism, the affirmative actions to be taken, and the role of organized civil society in this process. 5. To analyze and evaluate the actions from the State in relation to racism at the national, regional, and international levels, identifying political strategies, programs to raise awareness, and potential results. 2. 1 Scope and methodology. The study was carried out at the national level, covering the North and southwestward Atlantic Autonomous Regions, Indigenous Communities of the Pacific and CentralNorthern region, and Managua.Qualitative and participatory methods were used to collect the data for the study, complemented by a literature review. The methodology seeks to identify the ways in which racism manifests itself on a daily basis in the lives of Indigenous Peoples, Krioles, and Garifunas in Nicaragua. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were held with key individuals and organizations in Bilwi, Bluefields, Managua, Sutiaba, Leon, Nindiri, and Sebaco, as w ell as with Regional Autonomous Councils.A guide of questions was used for each interview and focus group, and is included at the end of this report (see Instruments Utilized. ) We recognize that knowledge of the historical construction of race in Nicaragua is indispensable to a complete understanding of the current situation however, we consider that beyond the background of this study. Moreover, it is of import to note that policies of the State or of other institutions are by no means static.Portrayed in this study are the impressions of a variety of people based on trends and overall tendencies in the daily experience of racism, but we do not to pretend to represent all the facets of this theme, since we understand that there are other experiences and challenges that exist in Nicaragua. 7 of 104 Racism and Ethnic Discrimination in Nicaragua November 2006 Similarly, it is important to take into account the context of human development and well being in order to appreciate the f ull extent of the challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendents in Nicaragua.However, this report does not present extensive data on social, political, economic, or cultural well-being, and only refers to those indicators when directly relevant to expressions of racial discrimination or to examples of institutionalized racism. It is important to high demoralize that one of the limitations is the absence of a system of national statistical information with disaggregation by ethnicity or culturally relevant indicators, which makes it difficult to make comparisons. Finally, no ethnic group should be perceived as monolithic, as there is as much diversity in each group as there are shared characteristics.To assign a rigid come in of values or perspectives to any ethnic group comes perilously close to contributing to institutionalized racism, as one of the basic traits of all ethnic groups is that, because they are made up of people, they are full of inconsistencies, parado xes, and contradictions. Indeed, ethnicity is but one of many identities that we use to define ourselves, along with nationality, geographic origin, age, religion, physical and mental ability, gender, and sexual orientation.It is the intersections of these identities that arrest the experience that we live as specific persons and Peoples. The report has been organized in the following order In the first two chapters there is an introduction, the objectives are delineate, and the scope and methodological aspects of the study are presented. In the third chapter the themes of racism and discrimination are analyzed using an approach based in individual and collective human rights, and concludes with various notes related to ethnic identity.In the fourth chapter the historical process of racism and ethnic discrimination in Nicaragua is analyzed in light of processes of external and internal colonization. It concludes with a discussion of new forms of colonization that Indigenous and Af rodescendent Peoples confront. In the fifth chapter the diverse forms and manifestations of ethnic discrimination in cultural, social, economic, juridical-legal, and political spheres are presented. In the sixth chapter the principal demands of Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendent communities are presented.In the following chapter there is an assessment of the responses that the State and various other actors have given to fight against racism and ethnic discrimination. In the last chapters conclusions and recommendations of the study are presented. 8 of 104 Racism and Ethnic Discrimination in Nicaragua November 2006 3. RACISM AND INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE human race RIGHTS For the analysis of discrimination for ethnic and racial motivations we have considered it appropriate to use a human rights approach.The basic premise of this approach is that a society uncaring from discrimination should permit people to live with dignity and achieve the highest levels of humanity guarantee d by the body of international human rights laws. This requires the recognition that Indigenous Peoples and Afrodescendent communities are subjects with individual and collective rights derived from their specific historical and cultural characteristics, and that a result of racism those Peoples have not had that recognition nor conditions to exercise their human rights.Indigenous Peoples define themselves as the descendents of the original inhabitants to begin with the formation of States that, independently of their size or level of development, maintain cultural characteristics, cosmovisions, spirituality, and harmonious relationship with nature and are guided by their own forms of organization, customs, and traditions.8 In the case of Nicaragua, this is understood by Indigenous people as the human collective that maintains a historic continuity with societies before colonialism, whose social, cultural, and economic conditions distinguish them from other sectors of national soci ety, and whom are governed totally or partially by their own customs and traditions. 9 In the case of ethnic communities, these are understood as the combination of families of Afro-Caribbean ancestry that share the same ethnic consciousness, by their culture, values, and traditions, linked to the cultural roots and forms of ownership of land and inherent resources.10 Article 5 of the Political Constitution of Nicaragua establishes ethnic pluralism as a principle of the nation, and that the State recognizes the existence of Indigenous Peoples and indicates among their special rights maintaining and developing their identity and culture, having their own forms of social organization, administrating their local affairs, maintaining their common forms of property of their lands, and the enjoyment and use of those lands. These concepts do not necessarily imply that those characteristics are static, or that a certain sample could represent the extensive diversity and forms of organiza tion, or the distinct demands of the Afro-descendent Peoples and communities in Nicaragua. As the process of reconstructing individual and collective identities and the international and national recognition of collective rights have advanced, the members of Indigenous communities have begun to recover and live in their everyday and public lives their specific collective identities Rama, Sumu-Mayangna, Miskitu, Chorotega, and others.Each People has more specific cultural characteristics, others that have been adapted, and others shared. ILO Convention 169. Law 445 on Property and Communal Lands. The law defines the term Indigenous community as the combination of families from Amerindian ancestry established in a territorial space that share feelings of identification, linked to the past aborigines of their indigenous people and that maintain an identity and their own values of a traditional culture, as well as forms of ownership and communal use of lands, and of their own social org anization.10 Ibid. 8 9 9 of 104 Racism and Ethnic Discrimination in Nicaragua November 2006 The concept of a People is linked to the international right established in the internationalistic Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Convention on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and has been incorporated, without qualification, 11 in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in June 2006.Convention 169 of the International restriction Organization is however the only binding instrument that refers specifically to Indigenous Peoples and tribes. In addition to the United Nations, the Organization of American States has initiated a discussion on the project of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and through a variety of considerations, observations, and recommendations, has advanced the international juridical rules referring to Indigenous Peoples.The commission and the Int er-American Court of Human Rights has also had a notable process of constructing jurisprudence on collective rights within the InterAmerican system. Indigenous Peoples possess collective rights based on their historical rights and collective cultural identity, which are indispensable to their existence, well-being, and development as peoples. 12 Collective rights are human rights of the third generation that are derived from their political, social, and cultural structures, spiritual traditions, histories, and philosophy.It is also important to highlight that among collective rights are the rights to self-determination and autonomy, which are expressed through the right to conserve and their own political, juridical, economic, social, and cultural institutions, while maintaining their right to participate fully, if they desire, in the political, economic, social, and cultural life of the State from the local to the national level. 13 These rights are linked to the territorial right based on historical and ancestral usufruct, and access to the enjoyment, use and benefit from natural resources.14 The central element in the debate on collective rights of Indigenous Peoples has been the recognition of their collective rights as peoples, and the sequential rights that are derived from that recognition. Because of the close relationship between collective rights and identity as Peoples, individual and collective identity is a process of reconstruction that depends on the peak of oppression that is confronted, the degree of cohesion of the group, their level of coordination with the grassroots, and their relations with the rest of society.Afro-descendent communities, based on their distinct ethnicity15 and the conditions of colonization, racism, and social exclusion that have been imposed on them, are subjects of collective rights. For them it has been very complex to obtain recognition of The text of the Universal Declaration adopted on June 29, 2006 by the Human Rights Council goes beyond the concept of Indigenous Peoples included in the ILO Convention 169, since it is not limited to the domain of States, and in this sense it is equal to what is established in the first paragraph of the ICCPR and ICESCR.12 The definition of the rights of peoples is in the framework of the ICCPR and the ICESCR. 13 Universal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Human Rights Council, United Nations. 29 June 2006. A/HRC/I/L. 10 14 impression in the case of Awas Tingni, Inter-American Court of Human Rights. 15 An ethnic group is one that shares common cultural characteristics and whose members recognize themselves as part of a group for reasons of relationship, solidarity, or culture.They share a name that they identify with common ancestry, historical memory, common cultural elements (religion, language, customs), and a sense of solidarity. In the case of Afrodescendents in the region, only the Garifunas share the sense of connection to the land an d territory. 11 10 of 104 Racism and Ethnic Discrimination in Nicaragua November 2006 their distinct identity, because it has been associated with derogatory prejudices and the lack of clear forms of communal and cultural organization of their communities.However, the discrimination that these communities suffer is high and generally hidden. 16 The black communities, descendents of African slaves and workers of Caribbean islands as a result of the policy of colonization by the English during the 17th and 18th centuries, maintain certain common characteristics, such as their roots in African ancestry, their history of being uprooted and of slavery, and their specific customs, values, and traditions. 17 They are basically concentrated in two groups the Garifunas and the Krioles. 3. 1 A note on cultural and ethnic identity.Ethnic identity is dynamic and complex, and can evolve over ones lifetime according to a variety of factors, which may be incorporated consciously or unconsciously i nto ones identity. It is affirmed by various elements that an individual defines for herself or himself as the criteria for a sense of belonging to a certain group, such as a set of shared values, attitudes, lifestyles, and/or customs. Similarly, cultural identity is formed based on a common ancestry, a shared historical memory, a connection to a native land, and/or common practices such as religion, language, traditions, and customs, which result in a feeling of solidarity.Each cultural group is further defined by its differentiation from others, based on cultural markers (such as language or clothing), and other attitudes and practices that are associated with a particular social group. In Nicaragua there is a mixture of shared ethnicities and cultures. Therefore, race and ethnicity cannot be defined based on blood, skin color, or physical traits, but rather, are based on the way in which one self-identifies based on a variety of cultural, social, and political factors.18 For exam ple, the construction of identity in the Autonomous Regions has been defined through contacts with external and internal colonization, in different historical moments, from the first contact with the English in the mid-17th century, up to the current migration of poor rural people from the central region of Nicaragua that is advancing with the agricultural frontier to the coastal regions. In addition to the specific identities of each people and community, there is also a costena identity promoted by these communities as a strategy of survival. 19.Racial and ethnic discrimination is the daily manifestation of racism that is expressed through behaviors differentiated according to the origin of a person. It occurs in personal relations and at each moment, but it also occurs in the institutional domain, where it is expressed in ideological constructions with which one has grown up, lived with, and been educated. Because of the fact of being internalized, it is expressed through laws, p ublic policies, and forms of organization that are adopted by institutions within the State, as well as cooperation agencies, civil society, families, and educational centers.Its do are both individual and collective, and in the case of Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendents it is expressed through the violation of their collective rights. 17 UNDP, Regional Human Development Report, 1999. 18 In the case of the Autonomous Regions, Law 28 recognizes ethnic self-identification as a right. 19 Similar processes have been documented in other similar contexts where there are negotiations and repositioning of actors that use symbols, and defend diverse cultural values in contexts of domination and resistance. Ong, (1999) 16.

Business value

There is increasing pressure on business to be more flexible and to deliver products and services to customers quickly. IT practices often inhibit these business goals. IT is expect to deliver both cheap, reliable operations AND create new business value. These goals can get confused by both business and IT leaders and lead can mix these up when evaluating IT or when doing IT planning and budgeting. IT is a key player in delivering most business strategies these days. Too often, IT leaders see acquiring to know the business as secondary to almost every other IT Issue, such as planning and architecture.Spending time In the business Is seen as a boondoggle. Technocrats Is confusing and frustrating for business. This can track down against IT plans and strategies because business leaders dont understand how these plans/strategies relate to their own needs, Issues, and strategies. Business expects IT communication to be In business language. 1. How useful is the partnership between I T and the business at Hefty Hardware? Identify the shortcomings of both IT and the business. DB 2. Create a plan for how IT and the business can work collaboratively to deliver theSway Store program successfully. DB Synopsis This case highlights a retail firm struggling to make sense of the increasing criticality of education technology (IT) to the business and the value IT is currently delivering. Torn between keeping the lights on and delivering new products and services to customers, successive Close have failed to connect efficaciously with their business partners despite seemingly effective relationships at the mid-management level. How to collaborate effectively with the business at all levels remains the key IT challenge.

McDonalds wishes to rework on its restaurant interiors Essay

McDonalds is the worlds leading global nourishment portion retailer with more than 33,000 locations in 118 countries. McDonalds has several company owned stores, but uses Franchising for both domestic and international expansion. McDonalds India was set up as a 5050 joint-venture amongst McDonalds at a global level and regional Indian partners such as Hardcastle Restaurants Private Limited in occidental India, and Connaught Plaza Restaurants Private Limited in northern India. McDonalds currently has over 220 restaurants in the country.McDonalds doesnt provide any financial assistance and absentee self-possession of finance is not allowed. alike, the financial requirements be quite steep.MFY- for implementing the MFY (Made for You) option for clients, the franchises are required to upgrade their equipment at their own expense. This cause some problem with maintaining standard service across all outlets. Pricing and menu may in like manner be a point of difficulty for the franc hiser and franchisee as prices vary between companies owned and franchised stores.discrepant standards- There are several instances of poor service or disgruntled customers complaining about the quality of food served. This is because it is difficult to enforce the exact comparable standards in all franchised stores.McDonalds aims to provide 100 percent total customer satisfaction. In social club to achieve this goal , McDonalds relies on its operational philosophy based on QSC & V Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value.McDonalds weighs that customer satisfaction is crucial to the success of the brand and all Restaurants mustiness perform to the standards. These standards are used in both company owned and franchised restaurants.QUALITYBest ingredientsThis is achieved by its commitment to sourcing all its requirements from topical anesthetic farmers and suppliers. Before entering India, the company spent hexad years and Rs. 450 crore toset up its supply chain. In India McDo nalds pioneered the cold chain management which helpskeep vegetables and processed products safe for a longer period.Preparation StandardsBest quality govern ingredients ensure standardized preparation standards can be followed. Every product has a fixed procedure of preparation. However, newer McDonalds stores offer MFY (Made for You) where the product is made that after the place is placed.Other standards* FIFO (First in first out) for all inventories.* Reverse osmosis water treatment plant Best technology for water civilisation at every outlet to provide water. Strict standards for vegetarian products including eggless mayonnaise and eggless ice-cream.SERVICE* Soft standards* Welcome every customer with a smile and are in truth tender at all times * Deliver consistent standards of hospitality Seize opportunities to interact with customers in a personal and positive way * Be well informed about product contents and nutritional training * Always appear clean and well groome d.* Hard standards* Serve fresh and importunate* Serve within one minute of receiving order or give a free coke. This is implemented in a few outlets and is not applicable during peak hours. *Cleanliness and Hygiene* The counters, tables, basis area are to be kept clean at all times. * All staff required to cover their heads and die gloves when within preparation area. * All these standards are evaluated by mystery shoppers and rated. This is called a RVR Restaurant Visitation Report) which provides a snapshot of the stores performance over a catch of a few hours. The stores are graded either A, B, C or F.Facility ExteriorExterior DesignMcDonalds design exhibits a sense of incessantly Young look with bright red and yellow colours appealing to the children and establishing its family restaurant positioning. The building provides a practical, contemporary design that aligns with the McDonalds brand onus while accommodating the latest operational and consumer experience standards . Their mascot Ronald Mcdonald is also present exterior distributively of their restaurants.McDonalds always kick in all glass restaurants. McDonalds has always clearly identified and managed the various clues that customers use to form the impressions and feeling about their company. In addition to this, McDonalds has separate take away counters in order to save time of their patrons.SignageAll of McDonalds external signage reads as, McDonalds-Family restaurant. Also keeping in mind with the local language, all McDonalds restaurant have their name boards in Hindi.McDonalds strongly believes in adhering to the local sentiments and hence none of the outlets in India sell Beef products and every restaurant has this mentioned. Also McDonalds, strongly believes in glass branding for any new products or services they offer. Most of the communication is designed to cater to local tastes and preferences.Parking/Landscape/Surrounding EnvironmentAll McDonald outlets are located are geni al and present everywhere thuscapitalizing on brand recognition. Most of the McDonalds have their own restaurants and hence the seating space available is exclusive to McDonalds patrons. Also McDonalds offers proper parking facilities for its extravagantlyway restaurants.Facility InteriorAll McDonalds outlet are standardized in terms of layout and have proper in-store branding. The Young and at ease design concept is a progressive, youthful, and energetic environment with open views for social interaction. All McDonald outlets are huge with proper aisles and passages with appropriate signage for seating arena, lavatories, wet floor and food counters. McDonalds has a Made for You food preparation platform.MFY is a unique concept (cooking method) where the food is prepared as the customer places its order.This cooking method has helped McDonalds further strengthen its food safety, hygiene and quality standards. McDonalds also has illuminated Menu boards that offer a mix of both vege tarian and non vegetarian burgers along with other savories and drinks. McDonalds also has proper queues for placing order and often there is a executive who assists you in order placing. Also McDonalds gives toys for children thus making them wanting to come back.The other tangible cues are color, lighting, in-store music, employee uniforms and trays with literary. McDonalds has ample in store lighting and directly inuences an individuals perception of the denition and quality of the space, inuencing his or her awareness of physical, emotional, psychological, and apparitional aspects of the space. The bright McDonald stores ensure prompt handling and evaluation of products. In all McDonald stores the lighting is perceived as more pleasant than other fast food environments. The color scheme that McDonalds uses exhumes cheerfulness and warmth. Red depicts vibrance, cheerfulness while yellow depicts devotion and brightness. At McDonalds, music is a positive auditory cue stimulate specific consumer behaviour and emotions. Music appears to influence buyer-seller interaction. There is audio played about the latest offers and products. Also a balance and constant sound creates a pleasant soundenvironment. All employees at McDonald are provided with uniforms and name badges along with caps with McDonald signature M arch. Employees are also trained with appropriate soft skills to call customers. Every employee or front line executive greets the customer and exchanges pleasantries, which makes them happy.Service quality gapThe five gaps that organizations should measure manage and minimize Gap 1(Listening gap) is the distance between what customers expect and what managers think they expect Clearly survey explore is a key way to narrow this gap.Gap 2 (standard and stipulation gap) is between management perception and the actual specification of the customer experience Managers need to make sure the organization is defining the level of service they believe is n eeded.29Gap 3 (performance gap)is from the experience specification to the delivery of the experience -Managers need to audit the customer experience that their organization currently delivers in order to make sure it lives up to the specificationGap 4 (communication gap) is the gap between the delivery of the customer experience and what is communicated to customers All too often organizations overdraw what will be provided to customers, or discuss the best case rather than the likely case, raising customer expectations and harming customer perceptionsGap 5 is the gap between a customers perception of the experience and the customers expectation of the service Customers expectations have beenshaped by word of mouth, their personal postulate and their own past experiences. Routine transactional surveys after delivering the customer experience are all important(predicate) for an organization to measure customer perceptions of serviceService Quality dimensionsTangibles personal evidence of serviceReliability Consistency of performance and dependabilityResponsiveness Willingness/readiness of employees to provide service in timely mannerCredibility Trustworthiness, believability, ingenuousnessSecurity Freedom from danger, risk, doubt, assurance guarantee, CertificationCompetence Possession of required skills to perform serviceAccess Approachability and ease of contact EmpathyCourtesy Politeness, heed, consideration, friendlinessValuesThey place customer experience at the core of all they do They believe customers are the reason for their existence. They demonstrate their appreciation by providing them with high quality food and superior service in a clean, welcoming environment, at a corking value. Their goal is quality,service, cleanliness and value (QSC&V) for each and every customer, each and every time. They are committed to their people. They provide opportunity, nurture talent, develop leaders and reward achievement. They believe that a team of well -trained individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences, contributeing together in an environment that fosters respect and drives high levels of engagement, is essential to their continued success. They believe in the McDonalds System. McDonalds business model, depicted by their three-legged stool of possessor/operators, suppliers, and company employees, is their foundation, and balancing the interests of all three groups is the key. They operate their business ethically. Sound ethics is good business. At McDonalds, they hold themselves and conduct their business to high standards of fairness, honesty, and integrity. They are individually accountable and collectively responsible. They give back to their communities. They take seriously the responsibilities that come with being a leader. They help their customers in building better communities, acquit Ronald McDonald House Charities, and leverage their size, scope and resources to help make the world a better place. They gro w their business profitably. McDonalds is a publicly traded company. As such, they work to provide sustained profitable growth for their shareholders. This requires continuous focus on their customers and the health of their system. They strive continually to mend. They are a learning organization that aims to look and respond to changing customer, employee and system needs through constant evolution and innovation. McDonalds is committed to providing the highest quality food and superior service, at a great value, in a clean and welcoming environment. Thats why we work with their employees, franchisees, and suppliers to serve a balanced array of food choices and provide the nutrition information needed for customers to make sound decisions. At the restaurant level, McDonalds is focused on energy conservation, sustainable packaging, and waste management. They are dedicated to innovate and improve their operations in order to build an even more sustainable, environment friendly and profitable business. And will continue to re optimize their menu, modernize the customer experience, and broaden accessibility to their brand, so that consumers will always enjoy the maximum McDonalds experience.Service BlueprintLoopholes in service operationsA research report released Thursday by Dunnhumby, highlighted by The Wall Street Journal, elucidates that in reality the customer eating experience is becoming more and more important to consumers. With so many fast-food options available, they make their decisions based on loyalty and a significant portion of this support is garnered through a chains friendly customer service and good eating experience. It is without doubt that McDonalds is still winning over Americans with its cheap Dollar Menu offerings and convenient drive thru service. yet its poor customer-service scores are ultimately hurting its sales a certainty supported by the Dunnhumby report that demonstrates that restaurants with higher customer-service scores tend to commemorate higher comparable sales growth over a two-year period. Thus, if the worlds largest restaurant chain wants to maintain its edge over competitors, it must not only focus on price and promotions, but also the experience it offers to customers every day. And McDonalds executives agree. The Wall Street Journal explains that in a webcast these executives held with franchise owners in March, they called its service broken. The number of customer complaints related to friendliness issues have only change magnitude, and complaints about speed of service also have increased significantly over the past six months. Is it then perhaps possible that customers are becoming more accustomed to the friendly service and loyalty rewards they set out at other growing chains like and then less tolerating of the subpar services they encounter at other fast food chains? With respect to the services provided by McDonalds, the following management issues were observedMcDonalds wishes t o rework on its restaurant interiors and match up to those of its self owned restaurants, However the problem that they have encountered is that franchisee owners are unwilling to invest in interior design.McDonalds has introduced MFY (Made for You) whereby the burgers are made after the order is placed. However, the franchises are required to upgradetheir equipment in order to follow this. The franchisees are not willing to incur such expenditure which poses a problem to McDonalds.We normally observe the customary trend of people queuing outside McDonalds especially during the weekends. This is due to the limited capacity space in the restaurants. This has been a persistent management problem for McDonalds. Even though the management at McDonalds has been arduous to search for a solution for the same, it fears doing so pertaining to cost issues.

The processing of information begins

The processing of information begins when might as the nous of pricker reaches virtuoso or more of five senses of the human being. This contact takes place while physical approach to the irritant, which stirs to activity one or several senses. This idea demands from side, which executes communication, to choose those means of information transfer, personal or mass, which ar able to embrace the target market. So, when a person contacts with kinda strong stimulus, his sensory perceptions sprain more active, and coded information transfers to his brains via nerve fibers.This effect is called sensation, which is influenced by the following three threshold determinations 1. The lower (or absolute) threshold it means the token(prenominal) quantity of stimulating energy or intensity, which is necessary to form the sensation. 2. The Extreme threshold the point, in which additional increasing of stimulus intensity doesnt affect the sensation. 3. Differential threshold the minimum chang e of irritant intensity, which stern be noticed by human being (Dictionary of Marketing and Advertising, p. 74). whatsoever researchers of buyer behavior think that intensity of the irritant should be at least at minimum (absolute) threshold in order to set up some influence on a buyer. The other think that irritants which are below the absolute threshold fecal matter influence the buyer as well so-called conception of subconscious persuasion. We know that our sensory detection abilities go into a decline when we are getting older, so it is interesting to find out a way marketers appeal to the olden people.The other thing we imply to take into consideration is that during the liveliness we are getting used to different sensation, so we have to increase the level of absolute threshold to suck attending. So, what is attention, peculiarly? It gutter be determined as direction of cognitive resources to process the irritant. One of the main difficulties for commercial company is to make a consumer to focus attention on some definite information, which has to be reported. Due to some sources, average consumer looks through three hund crimson advertisements per day.Average TW viewer looks through more past one hundred TV ads. It is pity, but a lot of such materials female genitalsnot attract attention, which is necessary to make some influence. The same situation you can permit out in trading as well. There are from 18 till 20 thousand different types of consumer goods in assortment of typical supermarket. The main problem thither is marking out of one item from plenty of analogs at the market shelf and attracting of consumers attention as well.The factors which influence distribution of consumers particular resources can be divided into two main groups personal (individual) and factors which have concern to stimulus. Besides, some emotional conditions of personality are used in publicity, such as feeling of self-confidence, reliability, self-satisfa ction, creative abilities of human being, objects of love, strength, family traditions, immortality, etc. The second group of factors is called determinants, which relay to stimulus, it means these are characteristics of stimulus.The can be controlled, it means somebody can manipulate by them in order to increase or decrease the attention. So, it means that they are used quite often by companies in their oppose for buyer attention (Consumer Behavior, pp. 103-105). Lets examine some factors used in order to attract the buyers attention by the physical exertion of elderly people, taking into consideration their peculiarities we spoke about a page forrader. Size To tell the truth, the stronger irritant is, the higher is a probability that it will attract attention.In case you enlarge the size of printed advertisement, youll increase chances to attract buyers attention. Probability that the object will be seen in the shop, depends on size or quantity of trade space for this definite item. This is mostly important for impulse shopping, where sale depends partially from the fact how many place is given for the item. As elderly people often have poor eyesight, it is important to take into account size of type it should better be bigger, then letters, typed on the items which are aimed for younger people.Some pharmaceutical companies make medicines which mostly are used by elderly people and write information for these medicines by big letters, in order to see description clearly. Color is also one of important factors. Color advertisements can increase sale for 41% more, than their black and white analogs. Moreover, some colors can attract attention more, then the other. We can examine some meanings of colors here. Red color color of determination, can arouse strong desire to make some deed, for example to buy some item.Orange color can add activity, but at the same time will give the feeling if internecine balance and spiritual harmony. Yellow color inclines to communication. It is the color of open mind and communication, at the same time it is able to provide the thing with intellect, so this is the primer coat that a lot of Hi-tech companies make their advertising in yellow color. Green is good in publicity of medicines, health centers. Pink increases the feelings, so it can be used in perfumery, goods for women and children, family centers etc.Blue is a color of peace and harmony, dark-blue helps to concentrate at the very necessary. In 1959 Ris made a test (color Lusher test) in medical clinics of Leipzig University and tested 1000 people of different age, from children till elderly. He found that young people, especially in the age before 25, prefer red color. The elder people are, the more they like dark colors (Journal of Advertising, p. 15). Still, it is very difficult to influence attention of elderly people also because they due to their life experience can resist the publicity and advertising more then young people or chil dren.LG Company made a mobile phone, which is specialise for elderly people. Marketers understand that it is quite difficult for elderly people to see small letters, press small buttons as well as learn unused technologies. Still, the majority of elderly people prefer a basic number of functions it means the idea A telephone should be used to make calls solitary(prenominal), so LG made this telephone with elementary functions only. Big buttons and low price are two factors by opinion of LG, which should satisfy demands of elderly. This model (LG NS1000) allows only reservation calls and receiving/sending SMS.Japan manufacturers of railway carmobiles intend to start a new line of special automobiles for elderly people. As local Mass Media informs, such new and clever auto will help the number one wood to brake and to turn the wheel. They plan assembly-line production of such cars from the beginning of 2006. Auto will have numerous sensors and cameras, which can enounce all mo vements of hands, legs and eyes of driver and will determine mistakes in driving. At present time specialists analyze influence of age changes for physical reaction of driver and his ability to estimate situation on the road.In accordance with results a special computer program will be created to help elderly drivers. A look-alike of new car is already developed, which will have speed till 60 km/h. The creators of new auto consider that this novelty will be of great success because of increasing quantity of elderly drivers in Japanese society. The cost of such a novelty will be approx. 9-13 thousand dollars. Now, lets make the excursion to Austria, where one of the trading concerns makes an interesting experiment this concern opened two supermarkets especially for elderly people.This experiment is interesting before all because representatives of the elder generation traditionally arent attractive group for retail trade seems that they dont have much money, and their demands are qu ite modest Still, almost in all European countries fast ageing of society takes place, and quantity of elderly people is increasing more and more So this supermarket in Vienna is a kind of test place, where technologies of servicing of quite specific client sphere, which is constantly increasing and becomes more important, take place.At the first sight, this is a very ordinary supermarket long rows of shelves, relaxing music from dynamics But if you be attentive, you can notice some differences. For example, figures at the price-list they are bigger, then usual. Some of shelves have magnifying glasses, in order the client will be able to see inscription at the goods, which are usually typed by small font. Besides, you can ask the cashier to give you glasses for reading.Just near the exit you can see a comfortable bench to have a rest, near it the thingmabob to measure blood pressure. The cart for shopping has special hanger in order to put there a walking stick. The gangway betwee n shelves is bigger then in usual supermarkets, and floor in the shop is made of special material, so legs dont slide. Moreover, the shelves are made in such a special manner that elder person doesnt have to bend down or stretch for goods he needs. All those novelties were highly appreciated by the clients.