Education Sector & Collective Bargaining Research Paper

Education Sector & Collective Bargaining - Research Paper Example Furthermore, as move towards the statistics provided for the grade 8 and grade 12 students, a visible trend appears. All others states, which prohibit collective bargaining, remain at the bottom but Virginia also keep falling down in the ranking (English, 2011). According to the researches regarding the salaries of teachers, especially in the public schools, most teachers are paid with single salary schedule. Regardless of which grade and subject they teach the criteria for determining their salary remains the same, which depends heavily on their degrees, qualification, and their years of service. There are almost no schools or teachers with bargain on other factors such as difficulty of the job, working with at risk children, working conditions, previous performance, or time required by the children, researches required, and others (English, 2011). The concept of merit based pay is still far way in education sector, however, in other sectors, merit based pay is an existing and growi ng phenomenon (Hannaway & Rotherham, 2006). Nevertheless, as one move up the hierarchy of education undergraduate, masters level education and so on, the power to bargaining the salary with experience and educational qualification increases. There are fewer teachers for higher education, thus they are able to exercise significant power over the bargaining power duties (Moo, 1999; Imber & Geel, 2010). Collective bargaining in various industries and professions involving measures such as strikes and walkouts; however, they cannot be applied in the same way in the educational sector. This is true because professions of doctors, teachers, and law enforcement... As the report stresses it is interesting to note the impact of collective bargaining power on educational levels and performance of students. According to the recent statistics provided by â€Å"National Assessment of Educational Progress of the 52 American Jurisdictions†, Virginia is only American, which prohibits collective bargaining in education sector and still ranks at the seventh position when it comes to assessment of grade 4th students in reading. Furthermore, out of the top 30 states in this list, Virginia is the only one to prohibit collective bargaining. This paper declares that most teachers are paid with single salary schedule. Regardless of which grade and subject they teach the criteria for determining their salary remains the same, which depends heavily on their degrees, qualification, and their years of service. There are almost no schools or teachers with bargain on other factors such as difficulty of the job, working with at risk children, working conditions, previous performance, or time required by the children, researches required, and others. The concept of merit based pay is still far way in education sector, however, in other sectors, merit based pay is an existing and growing phenomenon. Collective bargaining in various industries and professions involving measures such as strikes and walkouts; however, they cannot be applied in the same way in the educational sector. This is true because professions of doctors, teachers, and law enforcement agencies provided important and urgent services to the society.

Macroeconomics Bachelor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Macroeconomics Bachelor - Essay Example It was noted that Central Banks have been successful in their policies which controlled inflation particularly in controlling insulating countries from shocks such as high oil prices. This mechanism will be explained using various macroeconomic principles. The money supply is directly linked with inflation as shown in the famous Quantity Theory of Money (QTM). This model links the level of money supply to the level of prices of goods and services sold, thus inflation. The famous equation of the TQM is MV = PT, where P is the average price level, T is the volume of transactions of goods and services, V is the velocity of circulation, and M is the money supply in the economy. From this equation, we can see that money supply and price level have direct relationship. We should note that TQM assumes that V and T are constant in the short term, leaving only M and P variable. Consequently, when the money supply doubles, the price level in the economy also doubles. Thus, Central Banks can either increase or decrease the money supply in order to do the same in inflation. In the statement being analyzed, Central Banks are able to avoid wage-price spirals (which are considered P in the QTM) by pursuing a contractionary monetary policy. According to Mishkin (2004), lowering the money supply is done by raising discount rates which discourages bank borrowings, open market sale which tightens reserves and monetary base, and raise the reserve requirement among banks which shrinks the available funds for banks to grant as loans to borrowers. Also, another method usually done in open economies and has replaced monetary targeting is called inflation targeting. Inflation targeting is "an economic policy in which the central bank of a country estimates and makes public a projected or 'target' inflation rate and then attempts to steer actual inflation towards the target through the use of interest rate changes and other monetary tools (Inflation Targeting 2006)." Instead of directly controlling inflation by changing the level of money supply, central banks opted to manipulate interest rates. As interest rates and inflation are inversely related, the central bank raises interest rates if inflation appears to move above its target. Meanwhile, if inflation appears to be below the target, the central bank will lower interest rates. This policy has been adopted first by New Zealand in 1989. Inflation targeting has also been adopted by countries like the United States, Britain, South Korea, and Brazil. Inflation targeters have also set a time horizon over which to reach their targets. This usually depends on how high the starting rate of inflation is relative to the desired rate. Since, inflation targeting requires transparency; central banks periodically release inflation reports, and press statements (IMF 2003). 2. Outline the effects of such monetary policy on price expectations in the central bank's domestic economy. Inflation targeting, in order to be fully effective in curbing hyperinflationary expectations require transparency which

Professional Regulation and Criminal Liability Paper Essay Example for Free

Professional Regulation and Criminal Liability Paper Essay The principle of the Hippocratic Oath is one of the oldest binding documents in history. The oath states: I will use those dietary regimens which will benefit my patients according to my greatest ability and judgment, and I will do no harm or injustice to them. I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion. In purity and according to divine law will I carry out my life and my art. I will not use the knife, even upon those suffering from stones, but I will leave this to those who are trained in this craft. Into whatever homes I go, I will enter them for the benefit of the sick, avoiding any voluntary act of impropriety or corruption, including the seduction of women or men, whether they are free men or slaves. Whatever I see or hear in the lives of my patients, whether in connection with my professional practice or not, which ought not to be spoken of outside, I will keep secret, as considering all such things to be private. So long as I maintain this Oath faithfully and without corruption, may it be granted to me to partake of life fully and the practice of my art, gaining the respect of all men for all time. However, should I transgress this Oath and violate it, may the opposite be my fate. (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2014) Medical Board of California The Medical Board of California is the agency responsible for regulating physicians, surgeons and other allied health professions. The members of the board are appointed by the Governor of the state and have a four year term legislature. It is the responsibility of the members of the board to meet as one deliberating body. In addition, the board members are required to learn about policies and statutes of both licensing and enforcement functions. California Licensure Physician Statute There is no single physician licensure statute in the state of California. Instead, physician licensure rules have been interspersed within the California code. Physicians wishing to practice medicine in California are required to obtain a full medical license issued by the state. Furthermore, there are no administrative regulations or state statue for granting a  special or limited license to practice in the state remotely via telemedicine. The California licensure does not allow for license reciprocity between any states but allows physicians for consultative services without having to receive a full medical licensure. Moreover, licensed physicians in the military in any of the states, either a military physician officer or a civilian contract employee, are allowed to care for fellow military members without having to receive additional licensure. In the event of an emergency situation, a physician is allowed to administer care regardless if the physician is licensed in that part icular state. A physical examination is required by the California Medical Board Licensure to allow administration or prescription of medication over the internet. Investigative Role The investigative team consists of physicians that are a critical component to the board as they base its disciplinary actions on the opinions of physicians and not board staff. Physicians play a distinct role in the investigations. The board receives and reviews incoming complaints in the Central Complaint Unit (CCU). The physicians determine if there is a need for formal investigation by board investigative staff or if the complaint is largely resolved by a preliminary review of the medical records and the accompanying physician narrative statement. Medical experts are asked to review case materials and must clearly articulate whether the physicians care under review fell below the standard. They must give their opinion if there is a potential violation of the Medical Practice Act. Business and Professions Code Section 2050-2079 According to the Federation of State Medical Boards, the 10th Amendment police power grants states the right to regulate the practice of medicine. Section 2052 of the Business and Professions Code states that any person who practices or attempts to practice, or who advertises or holds himself or herself out as practicing, any system or mode of treating the sick or afflicted in this state, or who diagnoses, treats, operates for, or prescribes for any ailment, blemish, deformity, disease, disfigurement, disorder, injury, or other physical or mental condition of any person, without having at the time of so doing a valid, unrevoked, or unsuspended  certificate as provided in this chapter or without being authorized to perform the act pursuant to a certificate obtained in accordance with some other provision of law is guilty of a public offense, punishable by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision of Section 1170 of the Penal Code, b y imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both the fine and either imprisonment (California Business and Professions Code, 2014). Civil Complaint Process The two major categories of incoming complaints to the Medical Care Board of California by the consumers are quality of care and personal conduct. All complaints require physician review and all complaints which are not closed by CCU staff are referred to one of the boards district offices for formal investigation. According to the Medical Board, each district office is staffed with a supervising investigator, five investigators, a deputy attorney general, an investigator assistant, clerical support staff and one or more medical consultants (The Medical Board of California, 2014). Risk Management Quality Assurance It is important that physicians are credentialed and are given privileges in any health care organization prior to practicing medicine. Physicians must receive training and education in risk management and review of federal and state regulations mandates. A successful risk management strategy is to improve the quality of patient care and reduce the probability of an adverse outcome or a medical malpractice claim. Its objective is to reduce the risk to patients and liability to the physician. Furthermore, the foundation for risk management is the standard of care. Tracking the quality of care of physicians must include Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluations (OPPE) and a peer review committee within an organization. Criminal Prosecution for Malpractice Physicians are in a unique position in regard to the law by the nature of their work. A physician may face a charge of criminal negligence, manslaughter, or second-degree murder if a patient in his care suffers severe or lethal injuries. â€Å"Negligence law offers plaintiffs the legal framework upon which to build their civil suit. A plaintiff in a medical  malpractice action must satisfy four elements-duty, breach, causation and damage- in order to prevail. In a negligence case, the wrongdoers actions are compared to what would be expected of a reasonable and prudent person in the same or similar circumstance† (Monico, Kulkarni, Calise, 2013). The practice of medicine is full of uncertainties. In some cases, bad outcome is the result of physician negligence. The patient and/or his family may institute a civil suit for malpractice if they believe that the bad outcome was a result of the physician’s actions. It is very rare that a prosecutor decides the facts of a ca se warrant a charge of criminal malpractice. The prosecutors must see a repetitive negligent behavior that constitutes to a pattern that can be documented before criminal charges can be filed. Conclusion The medical profession has many dedicated people who give themselves and sacrifices for the sake of saving lives. Physicians practice their profession according to the Hippocratic Oath. Furthermore, the have learned the rules and regulations mandated by the Federal and State government in health care delivery. Quality of health care is an important objective of CMS. Physicians are required to adhere to the standards of quality care and the delivery of it. When physicians get in trouble with the law, they have to face various criminal and civil charges based on the severity of their case. In the current trend, doctors commit white-collar crimes when they take kickbacks, order questionable procedures, overbill patients and insurance companies, and bill for services they did not provide. The Medical Board of California ensures safety and protection of health care consumers through proper licensing and regulation of physicians by means of various objective enforcement of the Medical Practice Act. References California Business and Professions Code. (2014). Business and Professions Code Section 2050-2079. Retrieved from http://www.liginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=bpcgroup Medical Board of California. (2013). Guide to the Laws Governing the Practice of Medicine by Physicians and Surgeons. Retrieved from http://www.mbc.ca.gov/about_laws/laws/_guide.pdf Monico, E., Kulkarni, R., Calise, A. (2013). The Criminal Prosecution of Medical Negligence. Retrieved from http://www.ispub.com/IJLHE/5/1/5237 The Medical Board of California. (2014). Laws and Regulations. Retrieved from http://www.mbc.ca.gov/about_us/laws/ U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2014). The Hippocratic Oath. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/greek/greek_oath.html

The Role Of The Listener In Skinners Verbal Behavior Psychology Essay

The Role Of The Listener In Skinners Verbal Behavior Psychology Essay Abstract This paper examines Skinners analysis of the role of a listener in a speaker-listener verbal episode as a mediation of reinforcement for the speakers behavior. Reinforcement as a mediation is an important component yet at the same time it is insufficient definitional aspect concerning the role of the listener. As the behavior of the listener is more complex and needs to be considered more fully. Moreover, the concept of understanding and listening are examined. As Skinner assumes a person who listens and does not respond effectively that means he does not understand and therefore he does not consequate the verbal behavior of the speaker. Nevertheless, a person might listen and understand but he deliberately doesnt want to comply to the speakers verbal behavior. Introduction Skinners (1957) book, Verbal Behavior, primary focuses on the behavior of the speaker; nevertheless he doesnt neglect the behavior of the listener. As skinner explains that, an adequate account of verbal behavior need cover only as much of the behavior of the listener as is needed to explain the behavior of the speaker (Skinner, 1957, p. 2). Language, for Skinner is a learned behavior under the functional control of environmental contingencies. This may be evident when a man speaks or responds that becomes a question about human behavior and in its turn a question to be answered with adequate concepts and techniques of psychology as an experimental science of behavior (Skinner, 1957, p. 5). Verbal operant units, on the other hand, are determined by identifying functional relations between verbal behavior and the environment. For example, mand is controlled by motivational operations (MOs), the tact is controlled by discriminative stimuli (SD) in the form of objects or events, other forms of verbal operants are echoic, intraverbal, textual, and autoclitic behavior are controlled by (SD ) in the form of prior verbal stimuli and all verbal behavior comes under the discriminative control of an audience composed of a listener or audience, including the speaker himself. Skinners Account of the Role of the Listener Skinner defines verbal behavior as a behavior reinforced through the mediation of other persons (Skinner, 1957, p. 2). We notice that at this initial definition of verbal behavior Skinner does not give much attention to the role of the listener, despite the fact that there would be little verbal behavior to consider if someone had not already acquired special responses to the patterns of energy generated by the speaker. As a result, this omission can be justified, for the behavior of the listener in mediating the consequences of the behavior of the speaker is not necessarily verbal in any special sense (Skinner, 1957, p. 2). Skinner considers the listeners essential role to be the development and mediation of reinforcement for the speakers behavior. In other words, the listeners role is to physically act upon the world and to reinforce the verbal behavior of the speaker. Skinner, however, states that the presence of a listener is necessary for a verbal episode. Hence, the behaviors of a speaker and a listener taken together constitute a verbal episode, upon which Skinner emphasizes that together they compose what may be called a total speech episode. Since there is nothing in such an episode which is more than the combined behavior of two or more individuals and consequently nothing emerges in the social unit. The speaker can be studied while assuming a listener and the listener while assuming a speaker (Skinner, 1957, p. 2). Skinner in addition considers the speaker to be his own listener, as in many significant instances the listener is behaving at the same time as a speaker. Since the speaker and the listener may reside within the same skin. Thus, some of the behavior of listening resembles the behavior of speaking, mainly when the speaker understands what is said, this could be covertly seen in verbal operants as echoics, mands, tacts, intraverbals and autoclitics. At this point the speaker may serve as his own audience. As Skinner believes that an analysis of the speakers verbal behavior is determined by the establishment of a verbal repertoire of the listener without which there will be no verbal behavior. The listener plays a significant role according to Skinner in consequating the speakers behavior this could be seen when the listener provides a suitable level of attention as an eye contact, head nods, praise or even in the way he is standing face forward. This would give in its turn social reinforcement the speaker is hoping for. Also, responding to the speakers mands. This may be in the form of getting things, opening doors, and other nonverbal behavior. Another form of verbal behavior that is probably important in listening is echoic. As we covertly echo what we hear. Echoics are vocal responses that have point-to-point correspondence with the vocal emissions of other speakers and that come to serve verbal functions (Skinner, 1957). A child may point to a toy and attempt to gain access to it. If a parent holds the toy while saying toy and the child then says toy in order to gain the toy, this is an example of an echoic response, in that the copying moves to a mand function. Liste ning, therefore is conceptualized as an operant behavior maintained by the consequence of what is heard. A speaker and a listener may rotate responses turn-taking this is covertly observable. It is a particular type of interlocking verbal behavior units. As when both a listener and speaker responses are reinforced for an individual in a dyad involving turn-taking, it is an observable incidence of an episode in which both the speaker and the listener responses for each of the individuals are reinforced. In addition, there is another type of rotation as Skinner illustrates, the verbal fantasy, whether overt or covert, is automatically reinforcing to the speaker as listener. Just as the musician plays or composes what he is reinforced by hearing, or as the artist paints what reinforces him visually, so the speaker engaged in verbal fantasy says what he is reinforced by hearing or writes what he is reinforced by reading (Skinner, 1957, p. 439). Therefore, this type of rotations between speaker and listener that occurs within the individuals own skin, which in some cases is covertly observab le, is also reinforcing. The listener plays another important role; as he can strengthen the speakers verbal behavior, he can also extinguish it. This could be evident in the social punishment delivered by the verbal community in the form of an audience. There control over the speakers verbal behavior may be emitted in the form of frowns, head nods or ignoring the speaker and not responding verbally or non-verbally to his verbal behavior. Therefore, in the presence of certain audiences whom the speaker has a previous history of being positively reinforced by a speaker may emit a certain response covertly while in the presence of a negative audience another form of response may be emitted that could be overtly or with low strength or a speaker may just stop talking. In other words, different audiences will reinforce a single response differently, and for entirely different reasons (Skinner, 1957, pp. 230-232). Nonetheless, Skinner sums the ability of a listener to reinforce or punish a speakers verbal behavio r that a listener must understand what the speaker is saying, to know what the meaning of his verbal behavior is and to act properly and effectively upon hearing the speakers verbal behavior. A Critique of Skinners Account of the Role of the Listener It seems as Skinner was progressively moving further in Verbal Behavior, he started to recognize some gaps in his discussions or in other circumstances some contradictions. But most of all he started to emphasize that the listener does hold an essential role in a speakers verbal behavior, he admits that [i]t would be foolish to underestimate the difficulty of this subject matter (Skinner, 1957, p. 3). Skinner initially started with the notion that [i]t will be helpful to restrict our definition by excluding instances of speaking which are reinforced by certain kinds of effects on the listener. The exclusion is arbitrary but it helps to define a field of inquiry having certain unitary properties (Skinner, 1957, p. 224). Consequently, Skinner refined this further to say that the first restriction would be to limit the term verbal to instances in which the responses of the listener have been conditioned. He then elaborates that if we make the further provision that the listener must be responding in ways which have been conditioned specifically in order to reinforce the behavior of the speaker, then we narrow our subject to be traditionally considered as the verbal field (Skinner, 1957, p. 224-225). Therefore, a listener according to Skinner is the individual who responds in a proper effective way to stimuli generated by a speakers verbal behavior. This takes us back to the point that a listener must understand first the meaning the speaker is talking about in order to be able to respond and to behave appropriately. However, a listener may in some situations understand what the speaker is saying or asking him to do but he doesnt want to do it or in other words comply to and follow what he is told to do. This could be examined in the following example when a parent may ask his grounded son to: go and take the trash out. As a sign of anger the son does not comply to what his father asked him to do but at the same time he does understand what his father asked him to do take the trash out. This does not match Skinners previous assumption; a listener who does not respond properly to the speakers verbal behavior does not understand what has been said. In another instance, a listener may echo a word in another language but he does not understand what it means the speaker may say heureux and the listener would say heureux. At the same time Skinner explains that understanding something is to know what it means. The ability for a listener to engage in this behavior again in future similar circumstances as a response to the proper stimulus under suitable circumstances is understanding. Since it does not involve any immediate activity on the part of the listener (although responses of the othe r sorts already noted may take place concurrently), we detect the change only in his future behavior (Skinner, 1957,p. 357). A listener may say I understand only when he identified the variables which were mainly effective in leading him to make the same response [in another occasion] (Skinner, 1957, p. 280). Yet, Skinners discussion on this part also lacks an explicit explanation for how a stimulus in the past might bring behavior under the control of a stimulus in the present. This is also evident in the account of knowing which Skinner explains to be a hypothetical immediate condition that is detected only at a later date (Skinner, 1957, p. 363). In fact, at the last part of Verbal Behavior he argues that distant stimuli are weak variables and contingencies that involve them usually reinforce bridging behavior (Skinner, 1957, p.416-417). But, this means that behavior is abrupt and stopped at that point of time that needs to be bridged back. Yet, behavior is a continuous evolving interaction with the environment. Another point, there is no gap as Skinner assumes; rather events are described in different ways and forms. Skinner considers understanding to be a covert behavior as seeing and thinking. Yet at the end of Verbal Behavior Skinner states that there arent many differences between covert and overt behavior; as the variables controlling them are the same. We cant really distinguish covert from overt behavior along functional lines. A person is an expert listener for their own verbal behavior. Subtle behavior is easy for the listener to respond to when he is also the Speaker. Skinner elaborates further that thinking is most productive when verbal behavior leads to specific consequences and are reinforced as in the example of verbal daydreams. Skinner at the end of Verbal Behavior comes to the conclusion that thinking is behavior, overt or covert, verbal or nonverbal (Skinner, 1957, p.446-452). This takes us back to the very beginning of Verbal Behavior in which Skinner started by assuming that the behavior of the listener cannot be distinguished from behavior in general (Skinner, 1957, p.2). Yet, this makes us wonder why he tackled thinking to be a separate entity and the listener was marginalized. Is the listener a subject at the time Skinner wrote Verbal Behavior to be a complicated subject matter to a point he deliberately avoided discussing. If thats the issue why would Skinner take the speaker to be his own listener, and how the listener and the speaker are within one skin? Does this in its turn lead us to assume that the speaker is also a behavior? Of what we have discussed so far a solution might be in separating the listener and the speaker into two established individual entities and consequently to examine the listeners role in depth. Also, to explain further how understanding a verbal stimulus might be converted to a nonverbal response on part of a listener whic h Skinner does not give enough attention to in his discussions. Conclusion As we have discussed Skinner explains that the essential role of the listener is in the development and mediation of reinforcement for the speakers behavior. But, at the same time communication is regarded to be successful only if an expression has the same meaning for both the speaker and the listener. As numerous theories of meaning are usually applied to both speaker and listener as if the meaning process were the same for both. Yet, much of the behavior of the listener has no resemblance to the behavior of the speaker and is not verbal according to Skinners definition (Skinner, 1957, p. 33). Skinner suggests that the behavior of the listener is more complex and needs to be considered more fully, as once a repertoire of verbal behavior has been set up, a number of new problems arise from the interaction of its parts. As verbal behavior is usually the effect of multiple causes in which separate variables combine to extend their functional control, and as a result new forms of behavior emerge from the recombination of old fragments. Consequently, this has appropriate effects upon the listener. His behavior then calls for analysis especially in the case that a speaker is normally also a listener. The speaker reacts to his own behavior in several significant ways. The mere emission of responses is an incomplete characterization when behavior is composed. As another consequence of the fact that the speaker is also a listener, some of the behavior of listening resembles the behavior of speaking, particularly when the listener understands what is said. (Skinner, 1957, p.10) Howe ver, each person is controlled by a different history of reinforcement and controlling contingencies. That leads a speaker to self-edit his verbal behavior when he finds that what he said has a different meaning for the listener who in his turn is controlled by a different history of reinforcement and different controlling contingencies. Therefore, a speaker to avoid punishment he engages in a self-editing behavior. We notice that Skinners definition of verbal behavior still need further refinement to elaborate further on the nature and function of the role of a listener in a verbal episode. I find Skinners own comments on Verbal Behavior to be proper conclusion on the listeners role for the behavior of the speaker, as he states it forward to future critics that the issue of listener needs further examination. Most of my book Verbal Behavior (1957) was about the speaker. It contained a few diagrams showing interactions between speakers and listeners, but little direct discussion of listening. I could justify that because, except when the listener was also to some extent speaking, listening was not verbal in the sense of being effective only through the mediation of other persons. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ But if listeners are responsible for the behavior of speakers, we need to look more closely at what they do. (Skinner, 1989, p. 86) Skinner has tackled a very complicated subject matter, he might not dealt with all its aspects with the same level of cohesion and consistency but at the same time he has opened the door for future thinkers and critics to continue and carry on what he has established.

Ednas Struggle for Power in Chopins The Awakening Essay examples --

Edna's Struggle for Power in Chopin's The Awakening Kate Chopin's The Awakening tells the story of Edna Pontellier, a young wife and mother living in the upper crust of New Orleans in the 1890s. It depicts her journey as her standing shifts from one of entrapment to one of empowerment. As the story begins, Edna is blessed with wealth and the pleasure of an affluent lifestyle. She is a woman of leisure, excepting only in social obligations. This endowment, however, is hindered greatly by her gender. Being a woman, she is completely at the mercy of her husband. He provides for her a lifestyle she could not obtain on her own and fixes her place in society. This vulnerability stops Edna from being truly empowered. To gain independence as a woman, and as a person, Edna must relinquish the stability and comfort she finds in the relationship with her husband. Mr. and Mrs. Pontellier's marriage comprises a series of power plays and responds well to Marxist and Feminist Theory. Leonce Pontellier looks "†¦at his wife as one who looks at a valuable piece of property†¦". He views her as an accessory that completes the ideal life for him. Edna, however, begins to desire autonomy and independence from Leonce, so true to the feminist point of view. In Chapter III Mr. Pontellier enters their room in Grand Isle late one night, waking Edna. He is full of self-importance as he talks to her while he begins to ready himself for bed. Since she has just been awakened, Edna does not respond with the enthusiasm Mr. Pontellier deems acceptable. "He thought it very discouraging that his wife †¦ evinced so little interest in things which concerned him, and valued so little his conversation." (12) To assert his dominance, Leonce demands that E... ...cision does not spawn from her relationship with her husband, she cannot yield the independence she has won and return to him. In order to fulfill her quest, she must continue on her search for independence. "The voice of the sea is seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring and murmuring, inviting the soul to wander in the abysses of solitude." She submerges herself in the ocean and in the solitude she has longed for throughout the novel. Only in her death is Leonce completely powerless. She has taken control of her destiny. Edna Pontellier as a literary character is shocking for her time. She achieves true empowerment, a status not often experienced by women in the Victorian Era. She rebels against her husband and the social norms that he represents. True to the time, such a conflict could not resolve in her favor without sorrow, but ultimately Edna triumphs.

Love Your Enemies :: English Literature Essays

Love Your Enemies Jesus said, â€Å"You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth.’ But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let them slap your left cheek too†¦ love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.† Is it possible to follow this teaching of Jesus today? The answer is yes, conveying this teaching is possible. There are still some people who do live in this way. One person who lived this way was Mohandas Gandhi. Gandhi was a man of peace from India. By no means did Gandhi resort to violence. Gandhi showed that the powerless had power. He never fought back instead he would sit and pray. Gandhi always wanted equality and peace among everyone. If someone were harm in any way, he would have never turned and hurt them. Instead he would have prayed or just ambled away. Although with his courageous words and actions he was a very powerful person he still could not control the decisions and actions of others. Gandhi once said,†I have no strength, save what God gives me. I have no authority over my country men, save the purely moral." Like many of our brave and peaceful leaders Gandhi was also assassinated. He died on January 30, 1948. Everyone should be more like Gandhi. Everyone should be kind and peaceful and then the world may be an easier place to live in. It’s not an easy way to live because you often act or even speak before you act. Several people often do things without thinking. It’s human nature. For example if person ‘A’ were to clout person ‘B’, person ‘B’ would automatically strike back. This is unquestionably not what Jesus would do. There is only very few people who would actually just turn the other cheek or walk away. Instead everyone else would probably do the same or even worse than what the other person did. Another way we can follow this philosophy is by, as Jesus said, â€Å"Do unto others as you would have done unto you.† Think about this, no one would want someone to harm them, emotionally or physically, and the other person probably feels the same way. Verbal abuse, talking about others, judging others also part of this. This damages others, and it’s hard not to do this because everybody does it but just because everybody does doesn’t make it right.

Ikea Invades America

IKEA has definitely made great strides since coming to America in 1985. The case study points at many areas where idea has made huge impacts on the American furniture retail industry. Looking at Exhibit 1 you can see steady growth in sales, Exhibit 3 shows the United States as the third largest buyer of IKEA’s goods, Exhibit 4 shows the Unites States as having the second most number of IKEA outlets in the world and Exhibit 8 shows them as being 14 in sales in America. Looking around at my friends places there is definitely tons of things bought at IKEA.While all these statistics show a very successful movement into the United States for IKEA I feel that there could be some obstacles IKEA could encounter in the future. As it said in the case study generally IKEA’s products don’t last more than a couple of years and that normally don’t have the endurance to survive a move to a new apartment. With how American’s historically purchase furniture, â€Å" change their spouse as often as their dining room table, about 1. 5 times in a lifetime. † (Moon, 2004), this would seem at odds with the type of product that IKEA offers.The idea that you have to assemble the furniture yourself is something that would seem to turn a large percentage of Americans away from buying an IKEA product. I personally have found some of the things I have bought from IKEA to be very challenging to put together. Another aspect of IKEA is their lack of product depth; it seems that a lack of selection would hurt IKEA in the American market. Outside of these differences in what IKEA has and American tastes there is a lot that IKEA has done very well with in America. IKEA seems to have established itself as the low price leader in the minds of most consumers.As we find ourselves in a time of economic downturn and everybody seems to be trying to save a little here and there that is huge for a retailer. The childcare aspect of the retail outlets is a huge plus to get families to come shopping and buy from you. If you can drop the kids off to play and you end up getting your shopping done in half the time I would have taken if your kids were with you than is a major factor in where you decide to shop. The restaurant in the store is great and the menu items they offer are unique the setting they offer them in.I can remember my parents saying â€Å"let’s go to IKEA and get some Swedish meatballs. † Also the idea that you can walk away with what you bought that day leaves the consumer with a sense of satisfaction that next day delivery doesn’t achieve. Solutions to some of the problems seem to be easily attainable. When looking at the issue of durability you would say that many of their customers don’t go to IKEA to buy a product that lasts generations, so conveying to their customers that they shouldn’t expect to be buying a product that you can hand down to your children would help.The idea that consumers in this generation solve problems by just buying a new product to replace the broken one really helps externally to solve that problem. IKEA could offer an group like â€Å"geek squad† to consumers, for an extra charge, that would bring the product to your home and assemble it could help to attract â€Å"lazy† Americans who don’t want to assemble the furniture themselves. Ultimately the consumers that they market to don’t need any changes to what IKEA does. IKEA provides the experience of buying what is perceived to be a high quality product for an affordable price.It would seem the IKEA experience is something that people line up to do and it seems to be a very successful model for IKEA. I wouldn’t recommend any changes to what IKEA does. Why would you change something that is working so well? Overall IKEA seems to have done a very good job in creating a sector where they can carve out a profit. You are always going to have price conscious consum ers looking for something that looks nice and is affordable and IKEA can offer people that hands down. Ikea Invades America 1. What factors account for the success of IKEA? Three factors account for IKEA’s success in the furniture retailing industry: First, their Scandinavian designs are simple but unique. In the past, IKEA’s designs were functional at best, ugly at worst (Moon, 2004). The company had gradually but deliberately adopted a more distinct design aesthetic (Moon, 2004). Second, IKEA is cost efficient. As back as 1956, IKEA began testing flat packages. IKEA designs products so that they can be packed flat and then, customers can assemble the furniture, thus reducing costs.It also creates extra storage space and the capability of shipping more items, while labor costs are reduced and transport damages are avoided (Moon, 2004). Third, their product strategy provides IKEA with a competitive advantage. IKEA has a product strategy council that establishes product priorities and a product developer that uses â€Å"the matrix† to set targets for their retail prices, that are usual ly 30-40% lower than its competitors (Moon, 2004). 2. What do you think of the company’s product strategy and product range? Do you agree with the matrix approach described in Figure B of the case?What is most important about IKEA’s product strategy and product range is their matrix, which is simple enough, yet very useful at creating market opportunities. The matrix also creates a way of accepting or declining a product, manufacturer, or designer, thus cutting costs (Moon, 2004). 3. Despite its success, there are many downsides to shopping at IKEA. What are some of the downsides? IKEA’s vision statement in Figure C of the case describes how the company seeks to build a partnership with its customers. What do you think of the vision statement?Probably the most important downside is the life span of the furniture. When you shop at IKEA, you know that their furniture would not last more than a couple of years (if you are lucky). Another downside is that the custom er has to assemble the furniture themselves. IKEA does not offer an assembly service as many other furniture stores and this can be troublesome. As for their vision statement, it seems a little too far out. The company wants to create a long lasting relationship with its customers, but many of them will not come back for more. This is due, as explained above, because the ustomer has to assembly the furniture with the help of instructions that sometimes can be hard to follow for the beginner. The company should implement an assembly team, for those that may need that extra help. 4. IKEA plans to grow in the United States by 50 stores in operation by 2013 which is an indication of how optimistic the company is about the viability of its value proposition in this country. Do you think IKEA is being overly optimistic in its growth plans? How would you improve IKEA’s value proposition to make it even more attractive to Americans? 0 stores by 2013 do not seem to be an overly optimi stic number. By opening more stores, the company will be reaching more customers, will be closer to existing ones, and will be in the minds of more people. I would also say that Americans have a long history of purchasing products that last, so placing more attention to durability can help the company. They can also offer more services, better customer service for their stores, and easier to find merchandise (their system may say that a chair is found on section 4, when in reality, the chair is in another section). 5.To achieve the kind of growth IKEA is hoping for, should the company change its product strategy? If so, in what way (s)? What about its product range–are there limitations to the matrix approach? Should the company expand its product lineup to include a greater number of styles and price points? In what other ways should the company change its product lineup? I believe that their strategy has been working for a while and its core should not be changed. The produ ct matrix does not specifically state what qualifies a product as a high, medium, or low price, there can be percentages applied for the price ranges (Moon, 2004).Subcategories can be added to the matrix. The company can expand its product lineup to include a greater number of styles and price points, thus providing the company with complete reports to help them gain advantage over their competitors. 6. If you had to predict, what do you think IKEA’s value proposition and product lineup will look like in 10 years? In ten years, their value proposition can encompass more services to buyers after their purchases. They have to keep with new trends in the industry as well as more products for its customers. 7. Some industry observers have suggested IKEA open a umber of smaller, satellite stores across the United States in shopping malls, strip malls, etc. offering a limited range of IKEA products. These IKEA â€Å"lite† stores would give the consumers who do not have acces s the full-size IKEA stores the opportunity to experience the brand. In addition, consumers who live near a full-size IKEA store could use these smaller stores to make minor purchases such as mugs or dishes as opposed to an entire living room. Do you agree with the idea? Why or why not? The idea of opening smaller or satellite stores across the US can help IKEA to reach more customers.Some customers live in areas where the closes IKEA store is miles away, and these smaller stores can be of great convenience to them and more profits for the company. Some items, as the Ticka alarm clock and clothes hangers (Moon, 2004) are items that are used daily by households and that if offered in more places, the revenues for the company should go up. Both parties will benefit from this idea. 8. Toyota, Nissan, BMW, Honda, and other automobile companies have built manufacturing plants in the United States. IKEA imports all of its furniture from sources outside the United States.Does IKEA have a r esponsibility to add the manufacturing of furniture in the United States, assuming its store expansion takes place? IKEA does not have the responsibility to add manufacturing of furniture here in the United States, but it is an idea that will benefit not only the company and its customers (by having lower prices for production and thus, for the final product) but also will generate much needed jobs. 9. People are used to buying furniture that lasts a long time. Do you think it is ethical for IKEA to sell furniture that doesn’t last a long time?What if the customer of IKEA is not aware of the position IKEA takes that furniture is not forever? Should they make the customer aware that their furniture is not intended to last a long time? I do not believe that it is unethical to sell lower quality products, if the price matches what you are paying for. Most consumers are aware that if they pay low prices, the quality is going to be compromised. IKEA can include on their product in structions a prediction of the life span of it, reducing the risk of being looked as cheap and of bad quality.