The Big Data Challenges Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Big Data Challenges - Case Study Example ral platform referred to as data ware house that helps integrate data from different sources such as; customers and dealers to name just but a few (Strader, 2011). The CIO chair at Volvo asserted that, through the establishment of a central platform, the company can be able to prevent potential losses and inherent risk that might occur in the future (Strader, 2011). The corporation captures data from vehicles sold to their customers through sensors and central processing units installed during car manufacturing (Strader, 2011). The data captured is then used to make necessary improvements on the model vehicles being manufactured (Verganti, 2009).This improvement has not only helped to meet customer satisfactions but also has helped to prevent mechanical problems that might occur in the future (Strader, 2011). Real time information systems are computer responsive systems that help to detect and give out responses after updating the computer master files with the detected information (Chaki, Nabendu & Cortesi, 2011). For instance, Volvo Corporation installed their vehicles with numerous sensors and central processing units in order to detect information about the performance of the vehicles when the vehicle is in the hands of a customer (Strader, 2011). Whereby, any impending mechanical problems or threat detected is sent back to Volvo Corporation and necessary improvements are made thereafter (Chaki, Nabendu & Cortesi, 2011). In above connection, the implementation of real time information system has enabled the corporation to make continuous quality improvements on the quality of vehicles manufactured (Strader, 2011). This in turn has increased customer satisfactions by responding accordingly to customers needs through utilization of real time information (Chaki, Nabendu & Cortesi, 2011). The company utilizes big data strategy to identify any potential flows that may occur in the future and provide a remedy to the problem before it happens (Strader, 2011). This

Big Skinny Online Marketing Development

Big Skinny Online Marketing Development Big Skinny Case Analysis Executive Summary In 2010, Big Skinny CEO Kiril Alexandrov was looking to transcend from retail distribution and print advertising to the world of online marketing to achieve maximum growth. The retail sales pitch was an easy one, as Alexandrov focused on the value of the wallet and the impulsiveness of consumers (Benjamin Kominers, 2012). Unfortunately, translating this type of sales pitch was much harder to do in the world of cyberspace. Big Skinny centered their online marketing efforts around display Ads, keyword searches, social media and relationships with online distributors and deep DISCOUNTED sites such as Amazon and Groupon respectively. The expansion caused much hardship, as Big Skinny received negative feedback on the review website Yelp that stemmed from their Groupon experiment. They also faced a glitch in their online promotion that allowed 4,000 people to order free wallets from their online store. Big Skinny needs to refocus their online marketing strategy by getting rid of display Ads, refining keyword searches and severing ties with deep DISCOUNTED sites. Big Skinny can create value for their product and manage their orders better by being more selective with who distributes their product and by keeping the price steady. A more seasonal approach surrounding keyword searches can create new revenue from those who are looking to make quick and impulsive purchases. Lastly, by being responsible for who distributes their products, Big Skinny can deliver their product in prompt and timely manner, which will resolve the majority of customer complaints against Big Skinny. Problem Statement Despite successful in-person sales campaigns, Big Skinny struggled to find an effective online marketing platform that would grow and connect them to their consumer base. Big Skinny also ran into glitches with their current online marketing campaigns that brought unwanted negative attention and resentment towards the company. Data Analysis When Big Skinny transcended into the world of online marketing, it had to develop a way to attract visitors to the website while attempting to convince these visitors to buy wallets. Since most of their wallets were being sold at trade shows or retail stores that centered on a straight-forward approach regarding impulse and value, the translation of this strategy to the internet proved to be a tall task. Big Skinny looked at various means of advertising such as display ads, algorithmic search, sponsored search, A/B Testing and social media. Display ads offered a two-frame animation; however, the click-through rate of general display ads in 2009 was only .1% (Bejamin Kominers, 2012). Algorithmic searches use algorithms that the search engine deems most relevant to the user’s query. The websites that most resemble the query appear the highest on the search engine’s list. Sponsored searches use keywords that the advertisers specify that they want to target. These are mostly sold on a â€Å"per-click† basis; however the company loses money if the clicks aren’t converted into sales. A/B testing is a marketing technique that shows different advertisements to different users to compare the response rates between the two. Lastly, social media utilizes websites such as Facebook and Twitter to try and create an interactive relationship with consumers. Alternatives Big Skinny could eliminate their means of online distribution and PAID ONLINEmarketing, only utilizing social media and their website to conduct advertising and business transactions. Big Skinny could be more selective in their selection of online distribution, while tailoring their paid sponsored searches to generate interest and sales. Big Skinny could scrap their online marketing plans, with the exception of social media, and reallot their advertising money strictly on deep DISCOUNTED sites like Groupon and Living Social. Big Skinny could focus their efforts on expanding in more brick and mortar retail stores by target marketing towards different demographics. They could use traditional media such as TV and radio to drive these efforts. Key Decision Criteria Increase customer satisfaction and corporate image Increase sales and market share Improve (or at least maintain) profitability Ease or speed of implantation Be consistent with corporate mission or strategy Within our present resources or capabilities Within acceptable risk parameters Minimize environmental impact Maintain and build employee morale and pride Alternatives Analysis 1. By limiting their online marketing to free social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook, Big Skinny can greatly reduce their marketing costs. With display advertisements only getting clicked through .1% of the time the money is essentially thrown away. Investing in A/B testing requires the hiring of a permanent person and huge overhead. Getting rid of online distributors allows Big Skinny to eliminate the 7-15% commission they pay to Amazon and eBay while being able to manage their order load. Social Media is more than enough because 71% of social media participants say they are more likely to purchase from a brand they follow online. 91% of local searchers say they use Facebook to find local businesses online (Bennett, 2013). The cons of this are that they are missing out on a lot of potential customers by eliminating Amazon and eBay. While ONLINE PAID marketing can be expensive, there is still benefit to sponsored searches. Some of the cost per conversions are profitable and b y completely eliminating these searches would be throwing away potential opportunities. 2. The pros of Big Skinny being more selective with their online distributors allows for a happy customer base. There have been several negative reviews on the Yelp site regarding slow delivery and non-existent customer service. By eliminating deep discounting sites such as Groupon, Big Skinny can manage their order load and keep customers happy. Big Skinny would also keep the revenue from the top paid sponsored searches rather than eliminating them all together. The negatives of this are that Big Skinny could miss out on a lot of revenue by not using Groupon or Living Social. They could also miss out on the repeat customers that are generated by these sites as well as missing out on the people who want to try their product without having to pay full price. 3. Instead of eliminating sites like Groupon and Living Social, Big Skinny could embrace the huge influx of customers that it brings. According to the customer satisfaction and analytics company ForeSee, 91% of customers have already or plan to conduct business with the merchant since buying the deal (Bedigian, 2013). This strategy generates a large influx of customers in a short time while attempting to generate residual income by repeat customers. The cons of this are that company’s often lose money during the initial Groupon. The product is discounted by 50% or more and then Groupon takes a 50% commission on the sale price, which leaves the seller receiving only 25% of the original selling price of the item (which in some cases is less than the cost of the item). Forbes has found that 1/3rd of businesses have lost money on a Groupon deal and there is no guarantee that the customers ever return to pay full price from the merchant again (Gleeson, 2012). 4. The pros of using a more traditional advertising medium such as TV or radio would bring brand recognition for Big Skinny. Big Skinny has always had success selling in retail stores because they market their products based on value and impulse. By putting the product in more retail stores, there is a greater chance people will put it in their hands and buy on impulse. Instead of targeting just one big audience, Big Skinny should advertise by target market such as Big Skinny Sport or Big Skinny Women. By doing this they could partner with big retail chains to get into more stores and generate more revenue the old fashioned way. The average time an American spends watching TV is 5 hours compared to just 1 hour browsing the internet, which leads for greater exposure. The cons of doing this are that TV advertising is much more expensive than online marketing (Nielsen, 1997). Another con is Tivo allows people to record their favorite shows and then fast-forward past the commercials. The last con is that TV advertising seems to be a thing of the past, as the amount spent on TV advertising was only up 4.5% in 2011 as compared to 21.7% via online marketing (Gleeson, 2012). Recommendations Based on the data, it is best for Big Skinny to be more selective of their online distribution, while tailoring their paid sponsored searches to generate interest and sales. In regards to online distribution, Big Skinny should keep eBay and Amazon, however, should drop deep-discount sites such as Groupon or Living Social. To offer a Groupon deal, Big Skinny is guaranteed to be taking a loss. To be eligible to offer a Groupon, Big Skinny must discount the price of their wallet by at least 50%. This turns a $20 wallet into a $10 wallet. Groupon takes a commission of 50% on the sale price, which leaves Big Skinny walking away with only $5 for every wallet sold (Bice, 2012). Essentially, they are taking a loss with every wallet they sell on Groupon. The goal of a Groupon is to try and get repeat customers; however, the people that use Groupon are bargain-hunters. They won’t return to Big Skinny, but rather, they will return to Groupon again looking for another bargain deal. By usi ng Groupon, Big Skinny also decreases the value of their brand (Gibbard, 2011). Why would a customer pay full price for a $40 wallet when they just bought it on Groupon for $15 or $20 just a short time ago? In addition to dropping Groupon, Big Skinny needs to manage their online distribution better because of customer satisfaction issues. On the review site Yelp, Big Skinny’s wallets are only receiving a rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars. A lot of the reviews include gripes about not receiving their order for 3-4 weeks or non-existent customer service (most of the negative reviews are from users who bought a Big Skinny wallet on Groupon). If the online distributor doesn’t ship your product in a timely manner, your company risks a tarnished reputation. Whether Big Skinny didn’t have enough stock to fulfill orders or whether Groupon didn’t ship the products in a timely manner, Big Skinny is taking the fall and abuse from customers. When people do research for a product they are going to see Big Skinny’s products with poor ratings. These poor ratings can scare potential customers away. Big Skinny should only use Amazon, eBay and their website to sell their wallets. This allows them to manage their inventory, not get behind on orders and make sure their product gets shipped in a timely manner . Big Skinny has excellent Amazon ratings and should continue to grow their product through the sterling reputation of Amazon. They should sell the product for a higher price on their website so that people are encouraged to buy through Amazon. This is a win-win for Big Skinny because if people buy through Amazon then Big Skinny doesn’t have to waste time and effort fulfilling and shipping orders. If they choose to buy direct than Big Skinny receives a larger profit on their wallets. Lastly, Big Skinny needs to tailor their sponsored keyword searches. They need to eliminate the term â€Å"leather wallet.† They don’t manufacture a true leather wallet and the cost per conversion for this keyword is a sky-high $20.26. Big Skinny should also bid less for the term â€Å"thinnest wallet.† The cost per conversion for â€Å"thinnest wallet† also has a high cost, which is $10.53. After replacing leather wallet and lowering the bid for thinnest wallet, Big Skinny should add keywords centered on holidays. Wallets are popular gifts on occasions such as Father’s Day and Christmas. Big Skinny should add season keywords such as â€Å"Father’s Day Wallet,† â€Å"Wallet for Dad,† â€Å"Best Wallet for Gift† and â€Å"Wallet for Christmas.† This will bring seasonal shoppers into the mix who are looking to spend quickly and impulsively. Action and Implementation Plan CEO Kiril Alexandrov will be responsible for delegating the following tasks. The Director of Marketing will pull any promotions or future plans with deep discounted sites such as Groupon or Living Social. The Director of Marketing in combination with the Director of Product Management will reach out to all of those who left negative reviews on Yelp to satisfy the customer complaints and retract the negative ratings. The Director of Sales will carefully select the online distribution channels which Big Skinny will sell through. Big Skinny will only sell through Amazon, eBay and any online outlets of the retail stores that they are currently featured in. The Director of Sales will also raise the prices of wallets on the Big Skinny Website by 10-15% to create value for the product and promote customers to purchase through the select online distribution. Doing this saves Big Skinny the time it would take to fulfill and pack orders, however, if a customer decides to purchase direct, then Big Skinny recoups the 10-15% it would pay Amazon or eBay to sell and fulfill the order. This new price point will be conveyed in a message from the Director of Sales to Big Skinny’s distribution channel. References Bedigian, L. (2013). Does Groupon Help Businesses Thrive or Bury Them Alive?. In NASDAQ. Retrieved June 12, 2013, from http://www.nasdaq.com/article/does-groupon-help-businesses-thrive-or-bury-them-alive-cm243672 Bennett, S. (2013). 6 Amazing Social Media Statistics For Brands and Businesses. In Media Bistro. Retrieved June 12, 2013, from http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/social- media-facts_b40978 Bice, B. (2012). Groupon Isn’t a Good Deal for Businesses. In CNBC. Retrieved June 12, 2013, from http://www.cnbc.com/id/49092709 Donnelly, T. (2011). How Groupon Can Boost Your Companys Exposure. Inc. Magazine. Retrieved June 14, 2013, from http://www.inc.com/guides/201101/how-groupon- works-for-small-businesses.html Edelman, Benjamin, and Scott Duke Kominers. Online Marketing at Big Skinny. Harvard Business School Case 911-033, February 2012. (Revised from original February 2011 version) Gibbard, J. (2011). Considering Offering a Groupon? Read This First. In Social Media Today. Retrieved June 12, 2013, from http://socialmediatoday.com/jgibbard/337550/considering-offering-groupon-read-first Gleeson, B. (2012). TV Advertising VS Digital Marketing. Forbes. Retrieved June 12, 2013, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/brentgleeson/2012/11/20/tv-advertising-vs-digital- marketing Nielsen, J. (1997). Why Advertising Doesnt Work on the Web. In Nielsen Norman Group. Retrieved June 13, 2013, from http://www.nngroup.com/articles/why-advertising- doesnt-work-on-the-web

Teenage Stress Essay -- essays research papers fc

Laura sits in her room surrounded by a stack of notes, cramming for a test that she entirely forgot about, while James stares blankly at a college application. He also has the knowledge that he must be at work in 20 minutes, and that his car hardly has any gas left in it. Both of these teenagers suffer from a common dilemma, stress. Stress is a reaction to external and internal pressure. It is a normal function that helps people in their daily lives ("Stress: Who"). Without some level of stress, individuals wouldn't have the motivation to meet deadlines or complete projects ("Stress: Who"). However normal stress can become a burden over a long period of time and this leads to chronic stress. Chronic stress is what people are referring to when they say that they are "stressed out" ("Spotlight"). Stress can become even more overwhelming if chronic stress goes into overload; this is what is known as distress (Romero, B1). Since stress is a reaction, there must be a trigger to cause that reaction. The items that cause the stress reaction are called stressors, and they can fall into three different categories: catastrophes, major life changes, and daily hassles ("Stress (psychology)"). A catastrophe can be described as a sudden calamity that pushes people to their outmost coping abilities. Some examples of catastrophes are: Ø Earthquakes, Fire, Flood, etc, Ø War/Torture, Ø Car accidents, Ø Violent physical attacks, Ø Sexual assault ("Stress (psychology)"). Catastrophes often affect the victim's mind long after the incident is over ("Stress (psychology)"). - The following form of stressor is major life changes. A few examples of this, is: Ã ¼ Death, Ã ¼ Divorce of a parent, Ã ¼ Imprisonment, Ã ¼ Disability/Illness ("Stress (psychology)"). The final class of stressor is the daily hassles. These may not appear very stressful but if experienced repeatedly over a long period of time may have very severe effe... ...espair can Spur Suicide, Experts say." Denver Mountain News. (Denver, CO). CD Newsbank. 23 October 2000. Seibold, Douglas. "The Kids are All Right." Our Children. April 1999: pp. 8-12. in Social Issues Research Series, Inc. Siegfried, Tom. "Adolescents' Risky Rebellion Reflects rewiring in the Brain." Dallas News. (Dallas, TX). CD Newsbank. 21 August 2000. "Spotlight on Stress." 17 November 2000. http://kidshealth.org/teen/mind_ matter/feelings/stress_p4.html. "Stress: Mental or Physical Tension?" 20 November 2000. http:www.pgcps.org /~wwict/teen/stress.html. "Stress (psychology)." Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia. 1999. "Stress: Who has Time for It?" 17 November 2000. http://familydoctor.org/ handouts/278.html. "Teen Stress." 17 November 2000. http://library.thinkquest.org/13561/english/ teen_stress.html.

Learning Team A Week One Reflection Essay

The object of the reflection for this week is to discuss the objectives for Week One and their relation to the importance of the balance sheet to internal and external users. The objectives discussed by Learning Team A are the components of cash and cash equivalents, and the comparison and contrast of different inventory cost flow assumptions and how they are valued. The internal users are indentified as management and the external users are investors and creditors. Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash is defined in the text as the â€Å"most liquid of assets† and is identified by companies as a current asset. (Weygandt, Kimmel, & Kieso, 2010) What has become very popular is the classification called cash and cash equivalents. FASB has determined that classification to be misleading and it will probably be eliminated from financial statements. Cash will be cash and what used to be short term cash equivalents will now be reported as temporary investments. One of the situations leading to this decision is some companies having to take large losses on auction-rated notes. These notes are liquid because they can be traded daily, but they are not short term because the terms of the notes can be lengthy, in some cases 30 years. When the economy went bad, the auctions stopped, the value went away and the companies participating had to take sizeable losses. Why inventory is important on the Balance Sheet Inventory is an important aspect on the balance sheet. When an outsider studies the balance sheet, they have to look at the assets that the company currently has to make the inventory portion of the balance sheet make sense. The reason that the inventory shows on the balance sheet as a current asset is so outsider investors assume the inventory sells in the future when the product is complete. When investors review the balance sheet, they also like to see that the company does not have too much inventory in case they are cannot sell it, or get rid of the inventory in the future. If companies do not have an accurate amount of inventory they have to estimate it to reflect the information on the balance sheet. Calculating inventory value using Gross Profit and Retail Inventory methods The gross profit inventory valuation method is pretty simple. Beginning inventory plus purchases minus sales at selling price less gross profit percentage equals ending inventory. The major disadvantage of this method is that it is an estimate and not actual which is why it is not a GAAP approved method unless physical inventory is done to back up the valuation (Kieso, Weygandt, & Warfield, 2010). The retail inventory method, on the other hand, is an acceptable way to valuate inventory. Many retail stores have so many items it is really impractical to do regular inventory counts. To calculate inventory valuation this way, the store takes the beginning inventory plus purchases less sales to determine ending inventory at the retail price. Then the goods available for sale at cost amount is divided by the goods available for sale at retail amount to determine the cost-to-retail ratio; that figure is multiplied by the retail ending inventory to come up with the cost. Internal users of accounting can include management, employees, and owners. Managers use this accounting information to view the company’s performance. Employees view accounting information for job security. Owners view accounting information to view profits from their investments. External users can insist of creditors, investors, and customers. Creditors use this information to check the company’s credit worthiness. Investors would like to earn money from their investments. Customers would like to maintain a long term company customer relationship. The balance sheet allows internal and external users to view what the business has and what the business owes. Knowing a company’s net worth is very important. Using different methods to calculate inventory for companies can be very critical.

Justice, Gender, and Affirmative Action Essay

                  Affirmative action is a policy that is aimed at providing positive measures to remedy effects of past discrimination against members of certain groups (Clayton & Crosby 1992, p.2). One of the areas that suffer underrepresentation of the diverse, underrepresented individuals and minority group in colleges is the laws schools and subsequently in the legal profession. The questioned posed is â€Å"Is affirmative action the best solution to alleviating this crisis or is it the major cause together with other practices that have contributed to these underrepresentation?                  First of all is the admission procedure. Admission selection considers those with a bachelor’s degree for an accredited university or college. Few underrepresented minority students are able to attend college and obtain the relevant qualifications. Moreover, there are disparities in number of applicants and the number who get enrolled. For example in 2000, 74500 individuals submitted their application to ABA- approved school and an estimate of 67% of the total were admitted (ABA/ LSAC Pre-Conference Report, 2005, p, 4). This illustrates a flaw in the acceptance procedure that focus on higher merit in which its well document trend that underrepresented minorities score less on the Law Schools Admission Test (LSAT).                  Secondly the individual state bar exams are a severe impediment. â€Å"While the LSAT remains a reliable predictor of success in law school and the Law School Admission Council (makers of the LSAT), warn against over-reliance on numerical qualifiers alone† (ABA/ LSAC Pre-Conference Report, 2005, p, 5). Raised cut off points detriment the minorities who are disproportionately at the bottom in addition the bars are also misapplied. The percentage of residents in a state should have a proportionate percentage at the law school. The lack of a national bar does also contribute to this issue.                     The above two examples illustrate why affirmative action is needed in leveling admissions. Higher merit and higher cut off points are serving to lock out minority groups from accessing law education. In coming up with a criteria for selection, the selection board should put into consideration performance of minority groups which is at the lower end of the spectrum.                Terry Eastland suggests that affirmative action promotes discrimination. He argues that there is nothing like positive or negative discrimination. In Higher education for example, when the institution sets a lower grade for color students, the act in itself creates discrimination. These groups of students who will be enrolled under affirmative action are well aware that they are in that position due to their race. It is a negative experience that is not easy to erase. Sometimes attitudes from the majority students will affect the students from the minority. The majority students may not look at the minority as equals.                   Affirmative action leads to stigma. Eastland says that very few people are aware of the abilities and potential of the marginalized groups. In this case they are likely to be less respected and less valued. This can end up psychologically affecting these groups and it can be worsened if they fail to perform. Terry end believes that an environment should an equal working basis. If students have to be enrolled for higher education, it should be based on merit and not race. This will create an equal working environment of mutual relationship.                  Furthermore, Eastland equates ‘Affirmative action’ to ‘lower standards’. The rationale of having a policy that sets asides positions after a normal criterion creates a barrier between quality and less quality. By having this policy, institutions are accepting that results posted from minority groups are of lesser quality and lesser magnitude to that from the majority. Policy makers argue that the minority are affected by certain factors that make them not to equal results of the majority. It then beats logic that it would be easier resolving factors that make minority perform lesser than providing a criterion that guarantee certain results.                  Terry Eastland comments and views in regard to affirmative action tend to disapprove use of affirmative action against underrepresentation based on color. His views do not factor underrepresentation due to gender. However the logic behind his reasons and those of other scholars can equally be equated to affirmative action on gender and sex segregation                  Gender affirmative actions have shown to improve the status of women in the society. In fact advocates for gender affirmative actions have sprung from various women activists and organizations. Women have gained access to representations in legislative organs, various courses in colleges that stereotypically were set for men. However it is urged that continuous paying attention to a group of people will result in then differences becoming more salient than the commonalities among people (Clayton & Crosby 1992, p.11). This statement thus emphasizes Terry Eastland’s arguments against affirmative action.                To conclude, the benefits of affirmative action are actually visible. Moving forward however, the fundamental principles of affirmative action seem to have been overtaken with time. Putting into consideration Terry Eastland arguments in regard to affirmative action, the negatives of affirmative action outweigh the positives. Affirmative action has led to lower productivity, increased segregation and stigmatization. The call to end affirmative actions thus is justified. References Clayton, Susan D, and Faye J. Crosby. Justice, Gender, and Affirmative Action. Ann Arbor, Mich: Univ. of Michigan Press, 1992. Print. Law Schools Admission Council. Pre Conference Report (2005) Collaborating to Expand the Pipeline. Retrieved from http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/migrated/op/pipelineconf/PipelinePostReport.authcheckdam.pdf Source document

Unit 3 Group Project Essay

Unit 3 Group Project Essay Unit 3 Group Project Essay Title: Do Advertisements Really Cheat? You Decide! Author: Leah Amber Lopez Contact Email: leahlopez2010@live.com Story: The story I am about to tell you is by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Brazil, and it focuses on the World Trade Center. The caption is â€Å"Let US†, which is basically a re-enactment of September 11, 2001; however, the ad has a large number of airplanes and jets. This ad shows several airplanes and jets pointing towards the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. This same ad has already been created by DDB, and also made into a commercial. Each ad depicts how the tsunami that hit Eastern Asia killed over one hundred times more individuals than that of the September 11, 2001 attack on the Twin Towers. In my opinion, this shows the lack of morals and ethics of the Brazilians. To go along with this, it has been proven that the WWF was aware of this ad, and they approved it. The ad was actually printed out one time in a local newspaper. The honest reason that this ad was printed in the local newspaper was to see if it would qualify to win any types of awards. I know, th is must be upsetting to you, as I know it is for me. The ad actually did become eligible for one award in New York, but the name of the award show, I honestly do not know. In my opinion, WWF, which enjoys an international reputation, should have known better than to approve of this type of advertisement. An ad of this type only makes them look bad, and makes its viewers wonder what their true intentions were. The true goal of an ad campaign is to position a brand in such a way that it pleases management and consumers. In the case with the WWF, they should have exhausted ad campaigns to position their brands as sensitive, ethical, and above any doubts; however, in this case, the WWF positions their image in a fashion that would definitely cast doubts

Racism and Segregation

Racism and Segregation Introduction In the book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the author, Maya Angelou, describes how she grew up as an intelligent Afro-American girl in South America and later in California in 1940’s. She gives an account of the various characteristics of her society that made her to mature. Having worked with Martin Luther in combating racism before her book, she had to incorporate the theme of racism in her work. Thus racism and segregation is highly depicted as a theme in her book (Angelou 1).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Racism and Segregation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Racism and Segregation In this book, Maya comes across many instances of blatant racism. She is forced to face racism and segregation in her country at a very young age. While living in Stamps, Arkansas, she experiences the region’s characteristic segregation to the extent that she believes that white people do not exist. At this tender age, she is made to believe that every good thing belongs to the whites. This is evidenced in many incidences. An example is that, as she fails to recite her poem in church, she notes that her dress is probably a handout from a white woman. She associates blond hair with beauty and believes that she is trapped in a â€Å"black ugly dream† (Angelou 7) with an unattractive African-American body. She also believes that she will soon wake from her nightmare and become as beautiful as the whites. The segregation that is characteristic of Stamps is evidenced by the statement that Mrs. Henderson owns a store in the black segment of Stamps (Angelou 1 11). As she grows older, Maya encounters racist incidences that are more open and personal. Some of these incidences include the demeaning address that is directed towards her by a white speaker during her eighth-grade graduation, she also faces racist problems while applying for a streetcar job but she overcomes the problem s to get the job. Her white boss is also depicted as a racist. He calls her Mary despite her disapproval. When she visits a white dentist, he declines to treat her. There is evidence that black people were prone to acts of violence perpetrated to them by their white counterparts. This is from the incidence in which Maya and Willie help a black man escaping a white lynch mob. The importance that the black attach to the world championship boxing match of Joe Louis shows how the black people thirst for recognition and also proves inequality in the community. Maya is also portrayed as a racist in some ways. For instance, she feels guilty of loving the works of William Shakespeare due to the mere fact that he was white (Angelou 11 23). In summary, the book has a notable thematic bias on racism.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion From the discussion above, it is clear that the community Maya is living in is faced with serious segregation and racism. Maya uses this community to describe how life was during her time. She creates events that depict how racism was deeply rooted in the American community in the 1940’s. As described, these events include her belief that black people are ugly, the derogatory address by a white speaker during her graduation, the refusal by a white dentist to treat her, etc (Angelou 10 24). Through these experiences, she learns how racism and segregation has affected her family members’ characters and strives to overcome the pressure mounted on her by these social problems. Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. U.S. Bantam Books, 1983. Print.

Should You Tell Your Boss You Hate Your Job

Should You Tell Your Boss You Hate Your Job You hate your job.  You can barely force yourself to get out of bed in the morning to go to work. You’ve lost your passion almost completely. Your work conditions are appalling. And maybe you’re not alone; maybe your co-workers are equally miserable and this company is totally unredeemable. You want to share how you’re feeling with your boss, if only because she’ll have wanted to have the chance to make things better for you- at least to try and convince you to stay. But you’re worried you’ll get a reputation with the higher-ups as a disgruntled employee and then, even if you do get that raise or title bump, you’ll still be miserable at work.You hate your job so should you confront your boss or just conduct a quiet job search and sneak out without making a fuss?Can Your Boss Fix Things?The first thing to consider is whether there are any improvements to your current position or conditions that could convince you to stay. Would you be happier there if you were actually making fair pay for the work you do? Or if you negotiated some other adjustment to your work load that made your job more fulfilling? Before you decide to talk to your boss first, make sure you know how just high your bar is set for staying. And then be clear that you can’t stick around for anything less.Is Your Mind Already Made Up?But no matter how kind and conscientious your boss is, you don’t owe her anything. It’s still well within your rights to quietly get another job, and then give appropriate notice. It’s up to you to decide what you really want. If the answer is that you’re just done and want out? Don’t bother dragging your well-meaning (and probably powerless) supervisor into a decision process wherein your outcome is already decided.Make a graceful exit, don’t burn any bridges, and make sure you don’t fall into the same trap in your next position. Ask for what you deserve!

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion - Essay Example To restore what had been lost Mr. Schultz brought back the original logo of the brown mermaid rather than the green mermaid. The purpose was to focus back on the nostalgia of the past and celebrate the long term successes of the coffee company. Remind the customer of the good times and tell them they will have more. Link to full article: http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/apr2008/id20080411_065581.htm Quote #1 The image of the twin-tailed mermaid inside the brown medallion harkens back to the chain's 1971 beginnings. The logo has evolved over the years, going from brown to green in 1987. This is the second time in three years Starbucks has trotted out the brown mermaid, inspired by a Norse woodcut. Back in 2006, she was resurrected to mark the chain's 35th anniversary. This time, she is a messenger for Chairman Howard Schultz, who is trying to restore some of the goodwill and warm feelings for the brand that have gone by the wayside because of increasing coffee prices, mach ine-made lattes, and bad press. Symbolic tenet shown in not what is shown or done, but what it means (Bolman & Deal, 2008). In an effort to generate the positive emotions of the past, Schultz is bringing out the logo (a symbol) of the past to try to regenerate those positive feelings.

Topic is stated in Details section Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Topic is stated in Details section - Essay Example The owners of the companies transferred their authority to full- time paid managers. There were also other developments during this period like the administrative hierarchies, dependable energy sources, transportation infrastructures like the railway and sophisticated accounting systems. To benefit from these industrial developments, Chandler argued that entrepreneurs had to make three forms of interrelated investment. The first investment was in technology itself in terms of quality machines that would enable the company produce many goods efficiently. The second was investment in management, and the third was investment in marketing and distribution networks. The market remained the generator of goods and services, but business empires took over the functioning of controlling products and services through existing processes of distribution and production. They also allocated funds for future production and distribution. Modern enterprises became the most powerful organizations in America’s economy. The managers also became the most influential decision makers leading to managerial capitalism. Administrative coordination resulted in improvements in productivity, lower costs, and higher gains than coordination by market techniques. The structure of administrative coordination as described by Chandler was hierarchical, and authority flowed from the top to the bottom. Upper-level managers in charge of planning, purchasing inputs, planning new products and market expansions and finally setting the corporate strategy, held the top positions. The middle managers held the second place in charge of the daily operations. Making sure inputs are at the right place at the right time, making sure that production runs smoothly, coordinating processes through which output moved to distribution network. Managing the individual stores, finally monitoring local demand conditions and reporting to the upper-level

Wash Avenue Incorporated Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Wash Avenue Incorporated - Case Study Example Having worked in a car wash to support his college education, he has acquired the necessary skills and has always been inspired to put up his own company. To differentiate itself from other players, Wash Avenue will be located in the mall's garage and provide services while the customers shop. The company will officially be opening its first shop in Copley Place but plans to expand into other areas as soon as it gains popularity in the market. By locating in the malls, Wash Avenue hopes to develop a core competence in (1) extending quality car wash service and (2) utilizing the best available technologies in the market. In order to translate this into sustainable advantage, Wash Avenue will outline a unique process of giving "car make-overs" and ensure consistency. The company will also partner with the car wash technology expert Seven CarWash Romania Inc (2008) which will design and update its equipment. The US car wash industry is comprised of 14,000 full-service car washes accounting for US$5 billion in annual revenue (International Car Wash Association 2008). This huge market is still highly unsaturated and business organizations are still looking for ways where they can improve their service offerings. In this situational analysis, the PEST model will be used in order to fully understand all the opportunities, challenges, and issues which confront the industry players (Thomson 2002). This strategic management technique will enable Wash Avenue to identify the opportunities and threats in its external environment and respond to this by crafting appropriate marketing strategies. Political. The nature of car wash business makes it as a subject of legislations which varies from state to state. However, the theme of these regulations is often about the preservation of water and environment (International Car Wash Association 2008) . All car wash operators are required to manage and to use only a minimal amount of water during the process. Currently, as customers are also becoming more and more aware of social corporate responsibility, car wash operators are also pressured of rethinking their solid waste management practices in order to ensure sustainable development. Economic. The United States have entered a turning point in its economic history. From long been globally respected because of its economic hegemony, the nation is now threatened by economic slowdown (US Economic Crisis 2008). This situation is

Deregulation of energy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Deregulation of energy - Research Paper Example Energy is necessary for carrying on our daily activities. Both individuals and businesses consume energy. Individuals use it at home in the form of gas for heating and electricity for lighting, providing power for the operation of washing machines, computers, televisions, radios, small appliances such as irons and blenders. Businesses use energy in some form to keep their operations going. However, manufacturing firms use energy to produce the goods they depend on in order to generate revenues. Oil and natural gas has been deregulated since the late 1970’s (Horwitz 1990). While deregulating the industry may provide benefits it may have other less favorable consequences. This paper looks at the impact of deregulation of the energy industry on consumers, producers and United States economy. The null hypothesis is that deregulation of the energy industry has resulted in increased benefits for both consumers and producers but has resulted in increasing levels of imports and therefore a negative impact on the US trade balance. This study is significant since it will indicate how various levels of deregulation in the energy industry over the years have impacted the US and Canadian economies. This research will definitely help in directing policy changes in the future. Hammond and Knott (1986) while looking at deregulation in the financial industry indicated that although theories relating to regulation do not always focus on the same types of variables, researchers indicate that many of them reproduce the same effects – once they have been initiated they are difficult to eliminate and it is almost inevitably leads to more regulation. However, Hammond and Knott (1986) indicate that these arguments do not support the trends since 1975 as there have been significant deregulations in almost every year. Deregulation in various industries such as telecommunications has

Council of Graduate Students Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Council of Graduate Students - Assignment Example There is no additional hierarchy amongst the general members. The group is egalitarian in its scope and all the members do have an important role in it. Each general member is expected to selflessly serve the new arrivals at the college and to acquaint them with the institution’s culture and values. In the case of any ambiguity or doubt, the general members can approach any of the five members of the governing body to seek help and advice. Under special circumstances, the governing body may assign special roles and responsibilities to a select group of general members. However, such groups happen to be task oriented and usually temporary and membership of such a group does in no way makes any general member superior to other members. As the membership of this group is open to all the college students and is voluntary in its scope and perspective, hence this group is very close-knit, bound by the common altruistic aspirations to help, guide and inform the new arrivals at the college. No specific norms tend to govern the group activities. However, the group members are strictly expected to not to succumb to any racial, ethnic, religious, or political considerations while serving the new students. In case it is found that any member has gone contrary to such aspirations, strict action is immediately taken, which usually comprises of a strong warning. A repetitive breach of the group policy may invite a tough action like a suspension from the group membership.

Create a bullet-sheet Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Create a bullet-sheet - Assignment Example The following are some of the ways by which these approaches serve this purpose: Stakeholder Engagement, Dialogue and partnership: in the spirit of transparency, many organizations have expanded the platform to include shareholders, staff, customers, community, environment and suppliers who are constantly engaged to develop policies, partner for new solutions and resolving issues of public interest. In some cases, they partner with Non-governmental organizations such as Bank Track2 which hold such institutions accountable to the public, a factor that is simply expressed as outside governance Ethical Policy: corporate governance comes in here, as organizations come up with Ethical stance founded on comprehensively consultation with customers. This policy detail customer’s ethical concerns with regard to how their money should and should not be invested, thus preventing cases of fraud that take crop up through questionable investment. Establishment of a sustainable development department at the Group management level that reports to the higher authorities. This team serves as the catalyst and knowledge centre for embedding sustainable development through stakeholder engagement, sustainable reporting, and establishment of internal understanding. Lastly, the CSR works to accelerate the push for more responsible corporate behavior and business conduct, a factor that help maintain reputation and give organization good ground to carry on with their business operations. Internal transparency better external communication and internal dialogue and further help overcome workplace barriers while at the same time assist create

Council of Graduate Students Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Council of Graduate Students - Assignment Example There is no additional hierarchy amongst the general members. The group is egalitarian in its scope and all the members do have an important role in it. Each general member is expected to selflessly serve the new arrivals at the college and to acquaint them with the institution’s culture and values. In the case of any ambiguity or doubt, the general members can approach any of the five members of the governing body to seek help and advice. Under special circumstances, the governing body may assign special roles and responsibilities to a select group of general members. However, such groups happen to be task oriented and usually temporary and membership of such a group does in no way makes any general member superior to other members. As the membership of this group is open to all the college students and is voluntary in its scope and perspective, hence this group is very close-knit, bound by the common altruistic aspirations to help, guide and inform the new arrivals at the college. No specific norms tend to govern the group activities. However, the group members are strictly expected to not to succumb to any racial, ethnic, religious, or political considerations while serving the new students. In case it is found that any member has gone contrary to such aspirations, strict action is immediately taken, which usually comprises of a strong warning. A repetitive breach of the group policy may invite a tough action like a suspension from the group membership.

Principles of finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Principles of finance - Essay Example In this case, the debtor is the companies in question. In most cases, this is termed as assets granted, particularly by the creditor to the debtor. The debtor agrees to repay the debt with an interest. Some companies use debt as part of their strategy in corporate finance. Before the debt is issued, both parties have to agree on the standard of deferred payment. In most cases, this repayment is in the mode of currency (Blum 2006). However, this repayment can be in the form of goods and services. Payment can be paid in installments or in the whole amount at the end of a loan agreement. A company offers different kinds of debts to customers to finance its operations. There are secured and unsecured debts, depending on whether the creditors have recourse to the assets of the borrower or not. In addition, there are private or public loans depending on the parties involved. One of the main reason why companies tend not to issue as much debt as possible is the fear of becoming bankrupt. If a company issues more debt than its stipulated capital, then the possibility of bankruptcy is usually high. This is especially in unsecured debts, and the borrower happens to forfeit payment. If this happens with a considerable number of borrowers, then the company can be at an extreme risk (DePamphilis 2011). Therefore, these companies offer debts amounting to the given budget. The financial advisors of the company advise the top managers on the considerable amount of debts to issue that would not alter the normal functioning of the company in any way. Secondly, a company may not be in a position to offer as much debt as possible. This is because the company may be undergoing some harsh economic times. Therefore, the company’s initial capital might be limited to offering a given amount of debt. During this period, some companies may not offer any debt at all. Therefore, the amount of debts a company offers is often guided by the economic situations of the company particular ly the capital in place (Forsythyl 2009). In addition, most of the risks involved may deter a company from issuing as many debts as possible. The companies, with the help of their financial advisers, look into all the risks in all the risks involved before issuing the debts. These risks may be as a result of economic downtowns, variability in the interest rates experienced and changes in the conditions of the market. Some companies tend to take the risks but obviously at a minimum (Prattie 2011). Fewer companies are willing to take many risks, therefore, tending to issue a limited amount of debts as possible. Moreover, some of these companies tend to put in place a lot of terms and conditions required before one gains access to these loans. Therefore, some debtors tend to bark out of the lending process due to all these requirements. Some of the requirement of a company before issuance of debts is collateral mostly in the form of assets. The debtor may not possess the required colla teral and, therefore, may not be legible to qualify for a debt from a certain company in question. In addition, the interest rates required by the company may be too high for the debtor not forgetting the question of having to follow the covenant made in the process. More to this is that this debt has to be repaid. Therefore, the investor or debtor in question has to have a stable cash flow to be in a position to repay in the stipulated time (Black 2010). Therefore, the appetite in making investment decisions is reduced. As a result, fewer debtors would be in a position to take the risk because a few of them have a stable cash flow. They may, therefore, fear the consequences that follow a forfeited debt payment therefore reducing the amount

Meeting Child Nutritional Requirements

Meeting Child Nutritional Requirements Unit 4 Health promotion and development. 1. Construct a table to indentify the main government guidelines on food and nutrition, and evaluate the ways in which they can be incorporated into child care settings. 2. Identify and describe the type of food that are unsuitable for babies and young children. You should specify the reason why these foods are unsuitable. There are many different food groups which should be avoided for babies from 0 to 24 months such as: Salt (Babies shouldn’t eat much salt as it isnt good for their kidneys.Dont add salt to your baby’s foodanddont usestock cubes or gravy as theyre often high in salt. Remember this when you’re cooking for the family if you plan to give the same food to your baby.) Sugar (Your baby doesn’t need sugar.By avoiding sugary snacks and drinks, youll help to prevent tooth decay. Use mashed banana, breast milkor formula milk to sweeten food if necessary.) Honey (Occasionally, honey contains bacteria which can produce toxins in a baby’s intestines, leading to infant botulism, which is a very serious illness. It’s best not to give your child honey until they’re one year old. Honey is a sugar, so avoiding it will alsohelp to prevent tooth decay.) Nut (Whole nuts, including peanuts, shouldnt be given to children under five as they can choke on them. As long as theres no history of food allergies or other allergies in your family you can giveyour baby peanuts once theyre six months old as long as theyre crushed or ground into peanut butter) Low Fat (Fat is an important source of calories and some vitamins for babies and young children. It’s better for babies and young children under two tohave full-fat milk, yoghurt and cheese rather than low-fat varieties. SeeUnderstanding food groupsfor more information.) Saturated Fat (Fat is an important source of calories and some vitamins for babies and young children. It’s better for babies and young children under two tohave full-fat milk, yoghurt and cheese rather than low-fat varieties. SeeUnderstanding food groupsfor more information.) Saturated (Dont give your child too many foods that are high in saturated orbad fat, such as crisps, chips, cheap burgers and cakes.) Shark, Swordfish and Marlin (Dont give your baby shark, swordfish or marlin.The amount of mercury in these fish can affect a baby’s growing nervous system.) Raw Shellfish (Raw shellfish can increase the risk of food poisoning so it’s best not to give it to babies.) Raw Eggs (Raw shellfish can increase the risk of food poisoning so it’s best not to give it to babies) It is equally as important to ensure that certain food groups are avoided for children between 3 to 5 year olds these foods could include: Salt (high salt intake may mean high blood pressure, osteoporosis, kidney stones, heart disease and strokes. Osteoporosis and kidney stones have even been detected in children – proving salt intake is a problem for their present as well as future health.) Fat ( Not all fats should be avoided as there are good fats and bad fats. Bad fats can lead to weight gain and obesity and later life could cause heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. Sugar (The ugly truth is that added sugar means empty calories that put kids at risk of obesity and health problems that can show up as early as adolescence.) Processed foods (Processed foods made with trans fats, saturated fats, and large amounts of sodium and sugar arent good for you. Theyre low in vitamins and minerals and eating too much of them is bad for your waistline and your health) 3.Design a child record form for a new child joining a home child setting with a specific dietary requirement. Describe the dietary requirements, and why it should be documented accurately Child record form Child Name: Record number:. Address. Post code. Emergency Contact1 Relation: Parent/Guardian. Contact Number Work.. Other Emergency Contact2 Relation: Parent/Guardian. Contact Number Work. Other Doctors Address.. Doctors Number.. Doctors Name.. Declaration I Declare that the information provided on this form about my child is a true and accurate reflection of the best of my knowledge. Parent/Guardian PRINT: Parent/Guardian Signature.. Date:. Child care Provider PRINT.. Child Care Provider Signature. Date. Medical Condition and allergies Form Medication.Dosage RequirementsDaily Intake.. Declaration I Declare that the information provided on this form about my child is a true and accurate reflection of the best of my knowledge. Parent/Guardian PRINT: Parent/Guardian Signature.. Date:. Child care Provider PRINT.. Child Care Provider Signature. Date.. It is always important to understand and document a childs dietary needs carefully and accurately. This is important to ensure that children are receiving care and safety to meet their individual requirements for example, if a child is to have a allergy towards nuts the care coordinator must ensure that they are meeting a nut free dietary requirement and ensuring that epi-pen and medication are correctly labelled. It is almost if not more important for all the care coordinators to understand how and when to administer medication when needed in case of emergencies. It is not just allergies that a care provider needs to be aware about but also about religious needs and beliefs. For example Adventis do not eat seafood and pork whereas a Muslim would require a Halal a meat. Depending on the type of child care setting the child attends, it may be necessary to share information on dietary and culture requirements with kitchen staff and additional member of child care staff. 4.Define the 4 chronic diseases identified in the course manual, and discuss the ways in which development can be affected. The 4 main childhood chronic diseases, asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and cerebral palsy. A definition of asthma is: A respiratory condition marked by attacks of spasm in the bronchi of the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing. It is usually connected to allergic reaction or other forms of hypersensitivity. Asthma can be a very serious and debilitating condition. It can restrict the air flow into your lungs thus causing asthma attack. It is a very common childhood condition as every 1 out of 10 children will have this. Asthma does not usually affect development of a child however, may hinder emotional and intellectual development. Serious asthmatic conditions could result in children in being away from school and missing a huge part of early education in order to control the asthmatic disease. a common factor of asthma is it is allergy relegated and is also linked with eczema. for young children this condition can be very emotional as asthma attacks could be frightening therefor e children and can lead to undue anxiety and distress. Diabetes is another chronic childhood disease Throughout the world, incidences of diabetes are on the rise, and consequently so is diabetes amongst children. Diabetes is a condition where the amount of glucose in your blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly.Most children are affected by type 1 diabetes in childhood. However, the number of children and young adults affected by type 2 diabetes is beginning to rise, particularly in America. Approximately 90% of young people with diabetes suffer from type 1 and the number of patients who are children varies from place to place. A figure of 17 per 100,000 children developing diabetes each year has been reported. As metabolic syndrome, obesity and bad diets spread, so too have the first incidences of type 2 diabetes, previously incredibly rare. Diabetes can affect retinopathy which can cause blindness and nephropathy which affects the nerves which can cause physical impairments. Cystic fibrosis also known as mucoviscidosis, is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder that affects most critically the lungs, and also the pancreas, liver, and intestine. It is characterized by abnormal transport of chloride and sodium across an epithelium, leading to thick, viscous secretions. Approximately 1 in 25 population have this faulty gene. This condition can be very physically debilitating for a child. Cerebral palsy is a condition that affects muscle control and movement. It is usually caused by an injury to the brain before, during or after birth. Children with cerebral palsy have difficulties in controlling muscles and movements as they grow and develop.

Mother Courage and Capitulation Essay -- English Literature Essays

Mother Courage and Capitulation Brecht tells the reader that capitulation is not just an idea but a feeling and the reader's objection to the world is not as strong as it once was. He tells the reader this through Mother Courage's refusal to capitulate through out the entire work. In today's world, people like Mother Courage cannot relate to capitulation as a feeling because of the regulations that today's world has that Mother Courage's world did not. As technology advances in today's world, people place more and more restraints on individual's and society's personal freedoms and choices, such as the decision to refuse to capitulate. Mother Courage's extremely strong will and refusal to capitulate allowed her children to be killed, a mother's worst nightmare. She did what she had to do to survive and move on after each child's death. In today's world, women cannot make the kind of choices that Mother Courage made. This is because if a mother decided to make a decision that allowed for her survival but in turn the death of her children. If something like this were to happen, the government would step in and take the children away or imprison the mother for abuse. The idea of capitulation cannot be a feeling like Mother Courage had because, people in today's world cannot obtain the idea of refusal to capitulate without the repercussions that society has placed on refusing to capitulate especially when the lives of one's children is involved. In addition, there are gre...

The Causes and Effects of the Iranian Revolution Religiously and Politi

A revolution is a mass movement that intends to violently transform the old government into a new political system. The Iranian Revolution, which began in 1979 after years of climax, was an uprising against the Shah’s autocratic rule resulting in much religious and political change. Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi made efforts to remove Islamic values and create a secular rule and â€Å"westernize† Iran through his White Revolution. In addition, his tight dictatorial rule and attempts at military expansion felt threatening to the people, who desired a fairer governmental rule immensely influenced by Islam. Afterwards, governmental affairs became extremely influenced by Islamic traditions and law which created changes religiously and politically for years to come. Although the Iranian Revolution was both a political and religious movement in that it resulted in major shifts in government structure from an autocracy to a republic and that Islamic beliefs were fought to be preserved, it was more a religious movement in that the primary goal of the people was to preserve traditional ideology and in that the government became a theocracy intertwined with religious laws and desires of the people. Although the Iranian Revolution was caused by combination of political and religious motivations and ideas, the desires of the people supporting the movement were more dominantly religious ideas that were wished to be imposed in society and in a new government. The Shah, or king, of Iran at the time was Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, who had developed relations with nations in â€Å"western† world, specifically with the United States. The United States supported the White Revolution, which was a series of social reformations the Shah made to remove Islamic v... ...e were these political results mostly noticed were the religious changes. Though the White Revolution’s efforts were made to remove Islamic values, create a secular rule and â€Å"westernize† Iran by Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, the people desired a fairer governmental rule immensely influenced by Islam. The Shah’s tight dictatorial rule and military expansion attempts were viewed as threats as well and resulted in the overthrowing of the government to create religious and political change. Although the Iranian Revolution was a religious and political movement that ended an oppressive rule to established a republic and which was fought to maintain Islamic beliefs, it was more a religious movement in that the movement was a result of desires to create a society influenced religiously and politically and that the result was a republic based on Islamic values and law.

Atheism vs Theism Essay

The problem Atheists have with Theists and the premise of God, a Being who is all good, omniscient, omnipotent and eternal, is that they believe that since science and the world cannot prove that such a being exists and since life seems to sustain itself without any external help, then this Being probably does not exists nor can this Being ever be proven to exist. This method of thinking stems directly from a belief, not that science is god, but more that mankind is a self-sufficient, self-reliant being along with the philosophy of materialism and evolution which denies the possibility of soul or the immaterial. This resulted in the hijacking of science to prove what materialists already believed, that everything is relative and truth exists only if it can be proven by science. This is, as a materialist already knows, an issue that can only relate to the corporeal. The conflict that occurs is many theists belief that there is a truth and it can be known by reason which includes science but also can be discovered using every aspect of the human person. This includes the spiritual, corporeal, and even the emotive aspect of the man. The another debate in this issue pits the clinging to classical thought by the theists against claim that classical thought is unsubstantiated, old fashioned and that only modern thought is relevant because it is the most progressive. So there seems to be an intrinsic impossibility for a materialist atheist to believe in God because it is diametrically opposed to the dogmatic belief in science, materialism, and man as a creature of nature not of the immaterial. The Atheists’ beliefs The atheists’ core beliefs have already been brought to attention but in order for a complete argument to take place, a simple overview is not sufficient, so a more in depth analysis is needed to better understand this ideological battle. To be fair to atheists, there is a diversity of ideas and beliefs why God cannot exist. Some of these reasons behind this belief can be simple and unfounded arguments or elaborate systems which argue God out of the picture. While it would be easy to discredit and disprove the simple arguments, such as â€Å"I don’t see God’s involvement in the world and it seems like the world functions on its own, therefore, God doesn’t exist,† there are plenty of arguments that have shown this type of thinking as shallow and wrong. The more significant arguments are the views of atheism include a mechanistic view of the world along with a materialist understanding of the operations of the world. This is the view, according to Edward Feser, that most serious atheists hold and is responsible for the understanding that God does not exist in the world, that the world is self sufficient and that man is simple a creature of evolution. Of course what follows from this belief is the understanding that man is not bound to anything spiritual or moral since there is no such thing as morals since that entails something immaterial. They believe instead that morality is either a construct of the mind, which is influenced by Kant, or that morality is the conditioning of the culture to make man feel guilty, which is influenced by Nietzsche. Feser points to the origin of this mode of thinking, explaining that it stems from the removal of the formal and final cause of things of Aristotle’s natural science in which all things have a material, efficient, formal and final cause. When the formal and final cause is removed then people don’t have a final end other than survival nor does anything have a nature or is there a correct form. What this does is it removes the importance of religion. When there is no afterlife or purpose of a person to be moral then there is no need for God or religion. Feser also claims that once formal and final causes were removed, and then it paved the way to materialism, which, if there is a formal or final cause of things, is the only reasonable understanding of the world. Materialism is the belief that everything can be reduced to their material function and there is nothing outside of empirical evidence. There means there is no soul or spiritual aspect of a human person. People are given the impression that science can explain everything, but Feser explains that â€Å"For the reason science has â€Å"explained† almost everything other than the mind is precisely because everything that doesn’t fit the mechanistic model has been swept under the rug of the mind, treated as a mere projection. † The very essence of today’s atheism is that the world can be explained and if there is something that cannot be explained then they say that science will explain it after we have a better understanding of the object in question. This belief that science can and will explain everything is held so strongly that atheists become as Feser describes them, â€Å"the very thing they argue against† namely, dogmatic and irrational. This is a result of the belief that there is no truth. Science, although it has improved the quality of life and has led to many discoveries, is to blame for a particular mentality that is felt all over the world, that of progress. Along with thinkers like Hegel, who believe that all of history is progress and that everything has been leading up to our point in time today, the mentality within science is that progress is always good. This is another assumption held by atheists in that they believe that science is progress and if there is progress then the time this progress was a lesser time and held views that were lesser and imperfect. So from this understanding, Christianity and religion in general is old fashioned and wrong, while science is right and the only truth that is, if there can even be truth. It is science that focuses on the efficient and material causes of things. In other words, it is science that ignores formal or final causes. Because of this belief it makes the place of religion irrelevant. Materialist atheists use science, the study of material objects with their molecular makeup and the like and use what we have discovered by means of science to explain questions of metaphysical nature. Feser explains that â€Å"empirical science of its very nature cannot give us the full story about these matters; but metaphysics just is the rational investigation if them. † Also on the same topic of the separation between religion and science, Stephen Jay Gould explains that â€Å"the net of science covers the empirical realm: what he universe is made of and why does it work this way. The net of religion extends over question of moral meaning and value. † (Gould p. 522) A conflict has occurred however because as was mentioned previously, when the final and formal cause is removed, then the nature’s of things don’t exist but so does purpose and without purpose then going beyond the what is impossible. Atheists hold central to their beliefs that there is nothing beyond this world and that all operations of the world are contained within it. Richard Dawkins believes rather that our â€Å"morality† has been changing and that the Old Testament God is â€Å"will not be adopted as a literal role model by anybody you or I would wish to know. † He means that social norms have been changing and that our morality can be explained through science of culture and society, not dependent on God or scripture. Dawkins continues saying that other aspects of the Christian religion are in conflict with science. He claims that the assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven is false and assumes that heaven is a â€Å"physical reality – how else could the physical body of a woman go there? Dawkins brings this up to make the point that everything is under the realm of science; he even goes as far as to say that the â€Å"sudden injection if an immortal soul in the time-line is an anti-evolutionary intrusion into the domain of science. Dawkins’ point is that there is not a separation of religion and science; metaphysical claims are even under the claims of science. In the case of the mind, Dawkins and others believe it can be explained. And even though there is religion, it is a simple social construct to control the ignorant. Their truth is that science can explain everything even prove that a metaphysical world cannot exist. The Theist’s Side The theists fall back on something a little different, tradition. Now contrary to atheist’s beliefs, theism does use reason to justify keep God in the discussion but also to keep other metaphysical claims. Christianity has an understanding that the world is a transitory with God as its creator. From an understanding that God is creator, it is reasonable to expect everything in nature to abide by a law, to be ordered and have the ability to be understood. Also from the tradition of the philosophers of history, this belief has been thought over and many rational arguments have been made in favor of theism. These arguments even came from antiquity. Plato and Aristotle gave many arguments defending the immaterial. Both philosophers believed that the soul was immaterial and that all life had a soul or rather, the soul was the life giving principle. Now along with the idea of the soul, Aristotle provides an in depth account of the four causes mentioned earlier, namely material, efficient, formal, and final. This encompasses all aspects of substances. This provided a very thorough description of life. From the four causes, it gave reason to the nature of things and that there is a definite correct way of acting for any particular thing. So with the four causes, especially the formal and final cause, man now has a purpose and a proper way of acting. In other words, man then must have a morality it must adhere to. This morality has been lived out by people before philosophy influenced people; it is pre-science and therefore more â€Å"natural† to man. The fact that it is backed up by metaphysical observations only strengthens the argument for theists. Natural science, the understanding of the natural world is something lost upon atheists. It is essential to the proper understanding of this life to understand that there are, in fact, natures. As Feser puts it, â€Å"admit formal and final causes into the world and at once you are stuck –with God, the soul, and natural law. † This natural law is also vital to an understanding of life on earth as well as an understanding of the human person. While atheists struggle with an understanding of how the mind works (not the brain), have a very weak argument for morality, and have no argument for why anyone should have rights or respect shown to anyone, the theists however, have strong, well founded arguments for these very things which come natural to everyone. A theist understands natural law as participating in eternal law, this gives natural law authority. It is something which all men must abide by. Natural law is the respect and dignity which all men are due. It is what assures man that he shouldn’t kill one another. Robert Adams even uses this principle of the morality from natural law as a proof of God’s existence; he claims that â€Å"the moral rightness and wrongness consist in agreement and disagreement, respectively, with the will or commands of a loving God. † There are many laws within natural law that when broken are recognized as going against natural order, granting men the authority under God to rebel against whomever or whatever threatens to take away the privileges given by natural law. It is how we understand concepts of justice. This follows from the fact that God is just and any disobedience of this law is seen as unjust. God is the foundation of morality; natural law is the foundation of morality. Along with natural law, the theists also are able to give a better account of the mind. It is held that the mind is immaterial; it is directly tied to the soul. When the body dies, the soul continues on and we retain our â€Å"mind† because we retain rationality in the afterlife. In the same way Aristotle believed that the soul is the life giving aspect to all creatures and plants, so the human soul is also responsible for the mind and the intellect. Otherwise if the materialist view was to be accepted, we would have a similar thought process to any other intelligent creature without rationality. The mind is also responsible for the specific function of contemplation. No animal, even with a larger, more advanced brain would ever be able to understand concepts such as justice, peace, and generosity, it must be related to the form that humans have and the soul which humans have been given. This goes so beyond any physical aspect of our bodies that to confine the mind to ability within the brain seems foolish. Even the ability to learn concepts is a mystery. J. J. Haldane provides an analysis of the topic and explains that some concepts, especially early on, must be taught. Someone must have taught concepts to people. The example he gives is the example of a cat. One might see a cat and understand the concept of cat, but what if one had never seen a cat? It would be necessary to explain the concept of cat to that person, after which the person would be able to recognize a cat if he saw one. The same applies to all concepts. Now the tricky part is, if evolution is taken back to the origin of man or even if God created man, then how did man learn all of these concepts? Haldane’s solution to the question is that God must have been responsible, regardless of whether evolution is responsible for man or not. The reasoning behind this is that God must have taught the 1st man all these concepts which he could then pass down to his children. While this explanation requires an open mindedness of the listener, it is very plausible and would account for many of the questions that atheists still deal with today. So Who’s Right? So while some might claim that there isn’t even a right answer and that choosing to be an atheist or theist is just personal preference. However, according to the theists, there is truth and there is a right answer. As for atheists, while some of their positions were explained, they still have gaps within their arguments. When confronted with these gaps, it seems that atheists are unable to provide an answer other than resorting to science which asks how and why, but not â€Å"that† something is. As mentioned earlier, there is the question of morality and why people act as they do. Even Atheists believe in some sort of morality even they do not wish to call it by its name. Feser cleverly points out that â€Å"An atheist or naturalist can believe in morality – that is a psychological fact – but he cannot have a rational justification for his belief – that is a philosophical fact. † It is impossible to limit the natural drive for morality in people. Again, â€Å"where morality was concerned, Kant’s aim was to show that there is just something in the nature of reason itself that requires that we be moral. † This seems oolish to believe that something material explains something as complicated as human emotions and the free will to do good or bad and the consequences it has on the person itself. Feser points out that the understanding of modern atheists of morality is a conditioning itself, all of modern philosophy tries to prove that everything can be contained by science, even the topic of morality. He is convinced that this is due to a rejection of formal and final causes. He explains that â€Å"the bottom line is that by abandoning formal and final causes, modern philosophy necessarily denied itself any objective basis for morality. This points to how modern philosophy has gotten to this point and it is simply that modern philosophers have ignored the question of whether there are formal and final causes and have considered the topic as irrelevant. What this means however that â€Å"First, the modern â€Å"mechanistic understanding of the natural world has led to problems, paradoxes, and absurdities that are far more egregious than anything the scholastics were ever accused of. Second, Aristotelian formal and final causes are simply unavoidable if we are to make sense of modern science and reason themselves. Now as has been shown, theists hold on the Aristotelian views of formal and final causes not only does it make sense, but it provides a foundation for a host of other arguments. These arguments cannot be explained away by science, Feser points out why, which is because â€Å"empirical science of its very nature cannot give us the full story about these matters; but metaphysics just is the rational investigation of them. † to make a further point, as has been suggested, it seems that an atheist’s account of the mind is also insufficient as it is a series of poor and confusing arguments which try to prove the existence of mind within a person. Feser claims that the reason for the misunderstanding of the mind by atheists is that it is â€Å"the denial of final causes that most clearly poses an absolutely insurmountable obstacle to any attempt to explain the mind in purely material terms. † What this means is that with this understanding of purpose for the human person beyond survival, then there is new meaning to a person’s life and that each person should and ought to work to fulfill this purpose. If not, then it is impossible to explain the mind sufficiently. The reason for intellect, the purpose of the mind, is contemplation but also to use reason to become virtuous. Once morality is believed to exist, then it follows that morality should be followed but the only way to do that is to form habits of virtue, which is only possible through the mind. It also hints at the soul, which is also taken to exist in that it is the principle of life but more specifically, nothing corporeal could be the principle of life or â€Å"every body would be a living thing. † More specifically, Aquinas explains that since the intellect has an operation apart from the body â€Å"per se† then we must conclude, therefore, that the  human soul, which is called the  intellect  or the  mind, is something incorporeal and subsistent. So according to Feser, the only way to solve this problem that the atheist’s have of the mind, is to â€Å"return to the Aristotelian –Thomistic conception of the soul as the form of the body, having certain immaterial operations but nevertheless â€Å"interacting with the material world as formal rather than efficient cause. † Feser also hints at there being a need to be intellectually honest about some of these arguments. Since many Atheists have ignored the arguments or Aristotle and Aquinas, Feser has been calling for them to actually refute them and that instead of wanting something to be true and trying to argue for it, to instead accept truth as an objective reality and something to be sought after. The point that Feser wants to make is not to â€Å"determine whether this project was good or bad, but rather to emphasize that to a very great extent it was a desire to further the project, and not an actual refutation of Aristotle, that moved modern thinkers away from his metaphysics. The agenda determined the arguments rather than the other way around. This is ultimately the solution to the question to atheism because it seems as though Atheism is artificial, Denys Turner implies that atheism has to be ‘worked at or practiced in his article â€Å"How to be an Atheist. † It is the mentality of trying to convince others that your reality is truth instead of being receptive to truth as the classical and medieval philosophers were.

An explanation of the strain and cultural criminology theories and the criminal elements Essay

The fast-changing society is demanding improvement of the existing legal frameworks each and every day. Indisputably, this is considerably challenging the decisions made by policymakers and more especially the judiciary sector. The challenge is more intensified by the way we define the defendant, victim, and penalty imposed for any crime committed. The underlying problem is that there exist various cultural norms and natural law; which significantly differ with constitutional requirements. In other words, legal procedures are not sufficient in providing criminal facts that can help us clearly understand the criminal elements mentioned above. Nevertheless, many scholars in the field of criminology such as Robert K. Merton and Keith Hayward now believes we can rely upon the strain and cultural criminology theories. Inarguably, the relationship existing between the two theories goes beyond our expectation, more especially when analyzing any criminology case. In fact, many people have be en convinced it would be appropriate if policymakers integrate some of the facts unrevealed by these theories when making or amending the criminal laws. The paper offers a detailed explanation of the two methods and more importantly, how they can be applied in the criminal case study of Mr. Heffernan convicted of the crime of cultivating cannabis plant which is an illegal plant and supply of the same plant products as drugs to the community. The case took place in the district court, New South Wales and has since sounded the trumpet over how the proceedings were unraveling the case that Mr. Heffernan was convicted with. This will be discussed along with the criminal elements and criminal facts which were evident in the case. Strain theory argues that when an individual is pressurized by the community or by the factors in his environment, the pressure overwhelms him which forces him to satisfy his cultural inequalities and material requirements by engaging in crime as stated by (Agnew, 2001, p319) The crime, in this case, is a subject to the strain that oversees a high level of pressure that the victim cannot bear the burden of. There are numerous forms of stress best explained by GST. The diverse forms of strain do not exclude financial requirements. The fear may force one into committing a crime that he never intended. Merton in his strain theory argues that it is only a small margin of the people who face stress end up committing crimes. The group that is involved in offenses that emanate from the strain from external forces is seen as deviant since they view the world as if there exists no other solution for their problems. Morten argues that the group is then forced into crime despite the fact that it is against their will. Cultural criminology theory, however, presents a different view of such an instance. It argues that the individual rather enjoys the self-fulfilling feeling that comes about with being involved in criminal activity. The theory explains that when the personal gains the social requirements that he or she could have otherwise not achieved legally, they are left with a sense of insecurity while others feel self-fulfilled and okay when they have their requirements fulfilled. According to Presdee, (2003) Cultural criminology is distinctively conjectural, procedural and domineering slant that places criminals, cases and the control mechanism in the context of culture Linking the theory to the case of Heffernan to both methods, strain theory argues that the convicted was involved in the crime due to the strain that he was facing.   It is evident that he as the criminal was suffering from an extraordinarily high degree of anxiety that he could have otherwise avoided if he had a well-paying job if the parents were not sick if his wife had no medical complications and if he was not unwell. On the other hand, cultural criminology argues that the occurrence of the crime was purely projected from the nature of the community the offender comes from as stated by (Ferrell et al., 2004). This, therefore, makes the community to be viewed as the actual cause of the crime due because the factors that led to the offense against which Mr. Heffernan is convicted are subject to the same community. The offender presents various evidence to the jury that when analyzed helped, in coming up with a valid judgment. The case presented states that the offender is a vict im of the drugs misuse and trafficking laws which inhibit one from growing plants that are otherwise termed as illegal. It also prohibits the supply of the same to the community. Mr. Heffernan was caught with 32kgs of cannabis leaves that are more than the monetary amount which is said to be 25 kilograms as stated by (Cerdà ¡ et al., 2012, p22). He had surpassed a commercial margin which otherwise inevitably presents the idea of the sale of the same to the community. He was rather much more cooperative by taking the police to the ranch where he grew the plant. The evidence was based on the idea that the man was found in the hold of a few bags of the leaves, showed where he grew the leaves and accepted to be the only person involved with the same. Evidence presented before the jury was photographs of these bags of leaves and the plant as well as the $1400 that was in his custody. The offender argues that he has been working on a farm for over 33 years and in his work life, he has been a victim of many injuries which have presented themselves as a limiting factor to the type and the amount of work that he can be engaged in evidenced by the numerous medical rec ords submitted to the coat regarding the same. His wife’s letter also backs up the issue since its content explains how those injuries have impacted negatively on their lives and the lives of their kids. This is seen as one of the strains that the convicted is battling with that could have otherwise presented to be the cause of the crime as stated by (Agnew, 2007, p319). The offender also claims that his family has been haunted by a trail of illnesses beginning with his mother who is suffering from breast cancer and osteoarthritis. His father is also suffering from a heart disease and osteoarthritis. He has diabetes and has been needing insulin to survive bearing in mind that his wife also has health conditions that make Mr. Heffernan the only breadwinner. This trail of illnesses presents themselves as another form of strain that led to the unusual character of the victim. An aggregate of such issues may result in so much pressure that needs a person with an unyielding personality to handle. While this is seen as strain, the cultural criminology finds it as social factors which when linked caused the occurrence of the crime. This presents the social and the crime as distinctively of a parallel nature. He is also faced with some more pressure of taking care of their 14 years high school kid and the younger one in primary education. The family had just married a year ago which rather increases the commitments of the breadwinner. The offender’s family has been selling their property which was around $80000 and has now depreciated to around $60000. His house is also being mortgaged at $70000, and this would render the family homeless. He argues that it is due to this pressure that he decided to engage in this criminal act. The jury well understands the pressure that the offender is facing pointing out that an offender is a man of substance whose life has not been presented as a threat to any criminal record. The only criminal record that exists seems baseless to make an overall conclusion that the man is a criminal. Evidence presented by  Ã‚   Mr. P. Harper, the offender’s defendant. The evidence is full of commendations for the man. This evidence is based on the peopl e who know Mr. Heffernan stating that the individual’s behaviors have been outstanding, something that even the judge recognizes by saying that Mr. Heffernan is a man of excellent character in the argument number 11 0f the case. The case presents itself from a criminal act that has been catalyzed by the excessive pressure faced by the convicted by strain theory which recognizes the existence of such anomalies in individual’s life when faced with extreme pressure. The issue that revolves around the life of the convicted is a monetary issue. Money, in this case, could have been the solution to all his problems since if he had enough of it, he could have saved his parent’s property from being sold. He could also have been able to take care of his sick relatives, his sick wife and cater for the life of the kids who are still in school. He could also have not gone to the extent of growing and distributing cannabis which is the state’s laws and the drugs misuse and trafficking act of 1985. The judge recognizes all the burdens that the convicted has to bear in his life considering that he is 51 and has to take care of all this pressure. About GST and the reasons that the convicted gives regardi ng the case he has been charged with, there were a few goals that the convicted was unable to meet. His desire to cater to his family and his parents and the desires to have a well-paying job dragged him to committing this crime. The unfolding circumstances are in line with the arguments of strain theory. Cultural criminology which seeks to understand crime in the context of culture is inevitably applicable in the case. The crime was subject to subcultures which revolve around what the community around the offender does and the rules that exist governing this particular crime. The rules governing drug and substance abuse have given guidelines on the judgment against the convicted depending on the nature and the extent of the committed crime. In a nutshell, it is the society that leads to the development of the rules that exist against the offenses revolving around drug and substance abuse. The occupation of the offender and the circumstances revolving around his life which led him to commit the crime are part and puzzle of the culture and community. As strain theory argues that the crime that was committed was subjected to the pressure of the life of the convicted, cultural criminology sees it as just another culture of various subcultures that may have led to the crime. Growing of Cannabis and distributing it to the public is considered to be a crime since there are rules against it as stated by (Reuter, 2010). If the drug had to be distributed to the community, the general impact on the youths would have been dire since this is the most likely group to the issue. As such, the convicted is seen to have been an agent of community destruction since he was a man of age and a parent. He is seen to have not minded about the lives of the other kids in the community and committed the crime for monetary gain. The strain theory comes about to argue that withstanding the pressure of the life the convicted was facing needed him to have looked for an alternative way of getting money. The convicted argues that he had complications regarding his health and that he was nearing his retirement age. He was forced to grow cannabis after ordering seeds from the United Kingdom which he later planted. It is the same marijuana that was harvested and packed before it was confiscated by the police. The theory gives out a clear argument that the man had small means of supporting his family using whatever he was gaining. This case is brought out clearly by the fact that the convicted had no previous criminal records and that his life was clean therefore it is due to what seemed to be a sort of excessive pressure that led him to commit the crime. On the other hand, cultural criminology makes the mere mention of cannabis a criminal activity where any activity that is associated with the drug has been criminalized. With the building of a belief that this activity is already a crime, the theory argues that rules that forbid it are developed ensuring that those who are associated wi th cannabis are taken into justice without considering any argument or reasons behind the act. With all the associated facts and evidence having been presented, Mr. Harper claims that the case on which the offender has been convicted with is not a drug trafficking case since it was planned as a one-time business. The pressure under which the convicted was suffering from forcing him to establish a cannabis plantation which he prepared to sell only once and increase the value of the ranch. This was one of the strain factors that made him respond to the pressure by involving himself in the crime. The judge, however, argues that it is irresponsible for a man with a family to release cannabis of a monetary amount to the society which would impact negatively on the lives of the youths as stated by (Lowinson, 2005). The judgment against both crimes was supposed to be ten years for the crime of growing cannabis and 15 years for trafficking.   The judge at the end of it all understands the pressure that the convicted was facing and gives him a sentence of two and a half years. The strain theory gives out a sense of reasoning and weighing of matters such that the degree of pressure was duly recognized by the jury. The cultural criminology theory, on the other hand, views the crime generally as breaking the law that originated from the same issue. It argues that the moral standards of the community which harbors the roots of the law have declined. The argument here is that the community from which the convicted comes from and the crime that was committed is viewed as one and the same thing. With the weak empirical evidence in support of the strain theory, the presented arguments were not sufficient to ensure that the convicted was set free. Rather it just explains the problems that the law class individuals are facing without taking into consideration of the larger picture of the community and the white collar crimes as stated by (Aseltine et al., 2000, p256). Crimes in such levels are the ones that decapitate the community. The theory deals with individuals rather than the community on which the crime and the criminals thrive. These issues are well explained by the cultural criminology theory which does not only just present its arguments from a particular line or level of crimes. It digs into every crime be it white collar or any other sort of the offense. Conclusion The case presented above shows how strain can cause various crimes. The arguments put forward to show that some forms of tension can be so haunting such that the victim ends up being involved illegal activities that end up bringing peace to the life of the victim. The judge, however, takes into consideration the strain that the convicted is facing, and from this, a valid judgment is given. As the strain theory views this crime as a result of pressure, the cultural criminology sees it as the larger picture of the nature of the community from which the convicted comes from. However, the theories try to explain the kind of judgment that is passed as not usual from the rest since consideration depending on the prevailing circumstance is taken note of. Reference Agnew, R., 2001. Building on the foundation of general strain theory: Specifying the types of strain most likely to lead to crime and delinquency. Journal of research in crime and delinquency, 38(4), pp.319-361. Agnew, R., 2007. Pressured into crime: An overview of general strain theory. Aseltine Jr, R.H., Gore, S. and Gordon, J., 2000. Life stress, anger and anxiety, and delinquency: An empirical test of general strain theory. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, pp.256-275. Cerdà ¡, M., Wall, M., Keyes, K.M., Galea, S. and Hasin, D., 2012. Medical marijuana laws in 50 state: investigating the relationship between state legalization of medical marijuana and marijuana use, abuse, and dependence. Drug and alcohol dependence, 120(1), pp.22-27. Chan, J.B., 1997. Changing police culture: Policing in a Multicultural Society. Cambridge University Press. Ferrell, J., Hayward, K., Morrison, W., and Presdee, M. eds., 2004. Cultural criminology unleashed. Routledge. Lowinson, J.H. ed., 2005. Substance abuse: A comprehensive textbook. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Mazerolle, P., Piquero, A.R. and Capowich, G.E., 2003. Examining the links between strain, situational and dispositional anger, and crime further specifying and testing general strain theory. Youth & Society, 35(2), pp.131-157. Presdee, M., 2003. Cultural criminology and the carnival of crime. Routledge. Reuter, P., 2010. Marijuana legalization: what can be learned from other countries. Baltimore, MD: RAND Drug Policy Research Center, University of Maryland.