Marriage and Divorce - Women and the High Cost of Divorce Essay example

Women and the High Cost of Divorce Divorce is commonly recognized as a major problem in our society. Every year there are more divorces in our country and many studies have been dedicated to finding out why. Much media attention has been paid to the court proceedings or the causes leading up to the divorce, but once the matter has lost public appeal, all coverage is dropped. Because of this, there is much that the average citizen does not know about the short-term and long-term effects of divorce. This paper examines the economic effects on all the parties involved and the discrimination in the process of divorce. While divorce was once a relatively rare event, and one to which negative stereotype was attached, it has now become almost as regular as cloudy skies in Binghamton, NY. For the past two decades there have been more than one million divorces per year in the United States and this number is steadily rising (Arendell, 1986). There are several historical factors contributing to this trend. After WWII the service sector of the economy underwent a huge expansion, increasing the demand for women workers. As wages rose, more and more women joined the work force. This increase was often motivated by the fact that it was becoming increasingly more difficult to maintain a household on the strength of only one income. While in 1940 just under 15% of women worked outside the home, workforce participation by females increased to the point by 1960 that 32% of the workers were female. This number soared to 47% by 1992 (Kurz, 1995). This increasing labor force participation led to grea ter chances for self-sufficiency and made it more feasible for women to contemplate divorce. Also, these same incr... ...ionships. Either increased public assistance must be provided, or the father, or absentee parent, must be forced to take a more vested interest in the welfare of their children. Â   Works Cited Arendell, Terry. Mothers and Divorce, Legal Economic and Social Dilemmas. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1986. Kurz, Demie. For Richer, For Poorer, Mothers Confront Divorce. London: Routledge, 1995. Mason, Mary Ann. The Equality Trap. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1988. Morgan, Leslie A. After Marriage Ends, Economic Consequences for Midlife Women. Newbury Park: Sage Publications, 1991. Peterson, Richard R. Women, Work, and Divorce. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1989. Weitzman, Lenore J. The Divorce Revolution, The Unexpected Social and Economic Consequences for Women and Children in America. New York: The Free Press, 1985.

Hotel Repositioning

{draw:frame} University of Derby/Buxton Hospitality Management MA Hotel Renovation A Tool For Repositioning In the Hotel Industry Submission Date: 7th May 2009 Business Analysis and Decision Making Student: Nana Yaa Addo Module Leader: Norman Dindsdale Introduction The hospitality industry has grown phenomenally since 2001 and has been driven by both leisure and business demand (kloppers 2005). The needs of the consumer have now become dynamic rather than static. Consumers today have a strong desire for luxury in every sense of the word be it travel, goods or even a night stay in a hotel, thereby creating a competitive environment among business owners and organisations to come up with innovative ways to increase and also retain their business. Altstiel and Grow (2005 p. 28) similarly states that â€Å"people do not buy things but rather a satisfaction of their wants and needs. Therefore the hospitality industry being a service sector is not an exception as the industry must also meet challenges by formulating and implementing strategies that will meet today’s economic conditions and also satisfy customer needs. This report focuses on how hotel renovation can be used as a tool for repositioning in hotel operations. It will explore the theory behind repositioning and test the theory by looking at some case studies within the industry, it will also try to identify its challenges and successes and see how it could be undertaken in the fu ture. Main body The term repositioning has been used side by side with positioning, branding or new product development and has a wide range of definition, as a result it has no exclusive accepted definition. For example, the work of Hassien and Baum (2002p146) give the following definitions of the term which perceives a greater understanding. (Lovelock,1996;Lewis et al;1995) define the term as the changing of the existing position without referring to its implementation (Hart and Stapleton, 1987; Collin, 1989; Jefkins, 1987; Ries and Trout,1986) define it as an advertising trategy by which the company can change the image of its product and the perception of people about it. Booz, Allen and Hamilton (1982) define the term as one of the six categories of new products in terms of their newness to the company and to the marketplace, as being the process of targeting the existing products to new markets or market segment. In addition the business dictionary also defines it as changing a brands status i n comparison to that of the competing brands. Furthermore Hassien and Baum go on to say that â€Å"an in-depth review of its literature identifies that there is a general agreement in most of these definitions, that repositioning involves a change to the image of a product in the market through changing the perception of the customer†(p. 146) and finally define the term as â€Å"the marketing management process of changing, partially or totally, the perception of the public about a firm through any modification or addition to one or more of its controllable variables (eg. Customer, competition, technology, coporate, etc. ) in order to retain, expand or change its target markets†(p. 147) From the above definitions it is obvious that repositioning involves the modification of a product to make it more appealing in order to attract existing customers or new market segments The Concept Of Repositioning. Due to intensifying global competition, a constantly changing environment, current consumer trends and modern technology, repositioning like any other marketing tool adopts a strategy in order to be successful. For instance Macmillan (2000, p45) states that ‘conditions in the global business environment demands that established firms adopt entrepreneurial strategies’. Johnson and Scholes(2002 p10) have defined strategy as â€Å" the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term which achieves advantage for the organisation through its configuration of resources within a changing environment and to fulfil stakeholder expectations. † Bowie and Butler (2004 p. 06) state the following reasons as to why a company may be forced to reposition; Falling sales (often a symptom of customer dissatisfaction) An opportunity to service an emerging market segment The threat of competing for market share. As a result Jobber in the book of Enew and Waite (2007 p. 165), identifies four basic repositioning strategies and they are listed as follows Image repositioning- This means keeping the product and target market the same but changing the image of the product. Product repositioning –This means that the product has been modified to meet more fully the expectations of the target group. Intangible repositioning-An organisation targets a new market segment with existing products but places the emphasis on a different ,less tangible aspect of the product. Tangible repositioning-In some market sectors there is the need to change both product and target market moving upmarket or downmarket through the introduction of a new range of products often demands a comprehensive repositioning strategy. Similarly a study by Kotler et al 1993 cited in Crompton 2000 pp70-72) offers three strategies that can also be used to achieve repositioning and they are as follows; Real repositiong: which means that an agency changes what it does so that desired community priority needs are met through its offerings Competitive repositioning which means altering stakeholders’ beliefs about what an agency’s competitors do. Psychogical repositioning which means altering stakeholders beliefs about what an agency currently does From the above, it can be deduced that; Repositioning is used to alter perceptions of the consumer It is used by organisations to ensure they exceed the expectations of the consumer in order to retain themselves in the business environment It is used to identify growth and opportunities. It must however be noted that whatever strategy that is employed ,must be realistic, achievable, results focused and must also take into account which strategy best fits the needs of the business as well as that of the consumer. However for the purpose of this report the attention is on renovation as a tool for repositioning in the hotel industry in other words the focus is on the use of renovation to develop or improve existing and new product lines. Renovation Definition According to Hassien and Baum (2001p. 148), renovation may be defined as â€Å"the process of retaining or improving the hotel image by modifying the tangible product, due to a variety of reasons, through any changes in the hotel layout (e. g. Property structure-new extension) and/or any additions or replacement of materials and furniture, fixture and equipment†. It may also be defined as â€Å"a facility for which a substantial amount of the equipment, structure or other components is replaced or modified and which may expand capacity and/improve the process of the facility† (CII 2006, P1) From the above it can be noted that renovation as a process involves a lot of activity which can either be upgrading of the design, decor etc of the property layout or the development of an entirely new product. Types of renovation Renovations may be classed as major or minor depending on the amount of work involved in each type. For instance a renovation that involves the renewal or replacement of all equipment, furnishings and finishes in order to improve or change the image of the physical layout of the hotel may be termed as a major renovation, whiles a renovation that involves the upgrading or replacement of soft goods such as carpets, drapes, beddings etc without changing the physical layout of the property. The property must be in a market not sustaining the desired level of operation There must be an alternate market not being served Change in the market they serve Furthermore Hassien and Baum (2002p. 148) cite these reasons; To keep up with the competition To maintain or increase market share by satisfying current or potential customers To improve the operational efficiency of the hotel that will lead to an increase in both productivity and long term savings in operational expenses To maintain corporate image and standards To upgrade the hotel to a higher category (eg. From 4 to 5) To comply with the new trends and technology in the market The process of renovation while its clear a renovation or brand conversion is intended as an improvement on your investment, managing a long list of decisions will make for a shortfall in revenue without the right plan in place†(sansone et al 2009 p. 20). It must be noted that renovation is constantly an ongoing process in hotels and it employs certain decision making factors to ensure its success. These decisions if undermined can cost hoteliers a great deal of money and if taken seriously can reap re wards in other words renovation can either pose a financial challenge if not planned well or reflect profitability if planned well. There is nothing worse than being in a hotel when these processes are on going, the noise, the uncertainty and the feeling that you are experiencing ‘second best’. The following decisions have been identified through research that renovation undergoes the following processes. Planning In the planning process, elements such as team, budget, timing and marketing are taken into consideration. Team: It has been argued that the very first step when the decision on renovation has been taken is the selection of a team usually comprising experts and project managers. Rowe and Megan1995,Hassien and Baum 2002). These people are usually charged with the responsibility of providing expertise in the accomplishment of budgets, contingencies and scheduling from the start till finish of the project and can be a complete waste of time and money if they are not involved in the renovation project(Sansone et al 2009 ). Budget: This usually involves taking into consideration a realistic amou nt of money that is believed to be enough to finance the project. It is also the most important and critical aspect pertaining to the project. It is usually based on criteria such as the time value of money, wealth maximisation and risk accommodation. Timing: Recognising when to undertake a renovation is also very important in the decision making process. This is because hoteliers must carry out such projects when occupancy is low so that renovation can be carried out with less disruptions and minimise risk in terms of safety Bowe and Megan 1995 ) It is also interesting to note that there aside the above decisions taken during the renovation process, key areas of long term decision making is that of investment. The decision to carry out these important changes must, of course, involve a much more complex set of criteria. The key concept of finance being the first that is reviewed and factored in terms of risk. It is assumed that the objective of any financial investment is to maximise economic benefits. Hence â€Å"projects which pass through the preliminary screening phase become candidates for rigorous financial appraisal to ascertain if they would add value to the firm (Dayananda et al 2002 p. 7). Four investment appraisal techniques namely, ARR(average rate of return, Payback, NPV(Net present value)and IRR(Internal rate of return)are usually considered in the decision making process in large companies with Payback and NPV proving to be the most popular(Lamminmaki et al cited in Guilding 2005 p. 205) To touch briefly on the above; ARR- measures the incremental operating income that will be generated per dollar of investment in other words it measures profitability by comparing the required investment to future annual earnings(Oliver& Amacom 1999p. 11, Dayananda et al 2002 p43) Payback-It attempts to forecast how long it will take for the expected net cash inflows to payback the investment outlays (Glautier and Underdown 2001 p. 448) NPV- The excess of the present value (PV) of cash inflows generated by the project over the amount of the initial investment (Shim&Siegel 2007 p. 209) IRR- It represents the true interest rate earned on an investment over the course of its economic life (Colin Drury 2004 p. 501. For the following the NPV and IRR are used as being the most important in the individual case studies. This does not mean the others would not work, simply these were the most appropriate. Informed assumptions are made within the case studies as only outline information was available from the companies Case study 1 January 18-24, 2004 Crown Plaza Owners of the hotel invested 7 million dollars to renovate the crown plaza in Philadelphia to restore the hotels reputation which owners believed have suffered as a place for corporate meetings and stays as well as well as to target the SMERF market(social, military, educational, religious, fraternal bookings). Hotel owners updated rooms ,with a redone lobby, restaurant, common areas and meeting rooms. The hotel is located on city avenue and is a walking distance from the new target store, that brought with it a host of smaller retailers including chipotle grill, sandwich works and California pizza. â€Å"I’m not sure how it affects business, but guests like to walk to a restaurant which is definitely a convenience for guests†. Calculating IRR IRR=A+(Na/Na-Nb)*(B-A) Where A =Lower DF (10%), B = Higher DF (20%), Na=NPV at 10% Nb= NPV at 20%. Therefore; IRR= 10+ (0. 662/0. 662-1. 02) * (20-10) IRR= 10+ (-O. 2) *(10) IRR=9. 98 Case study 2 The Grand Hyatt (New York) July 15, 2004 To reaffirm the brand as a leader in the multi purpose hotels, the Grand Hyatt under took a 55million dollar renovation project. The project touched every area of the hotel with more emphasis on guest room and meeting spaces. The guest rooms were designed to give them a more international look with desig n elements including a colour palette of golds and taupe with blue accents. Roman shades dug in into the window wells to replace traditional draperies, an all new cabling and wired smoke detection and emergency communication system. Work and play amenities include a 27- inch flat screen T. V, a standard workstation with ergonomic chair, CD- clock radio. Bathrooms were upgraded with porcelain tiles, black granite pedestal sinks, stone flooring and curved shower rods. An entire floor was upgraded into a high tech conference centre targeting financial companies that needed the latest technology as well as privacy to do their business. Therefore calculating the NPV for case study 1 is illustrated below In evaluating both studies it is obvious that the main reasons for undertaking these renovation projects was to: Compete against other hotels Satisfy their customers Increase profitability by attracting customers. The basic rule underlying NPV is that if the present value of the returns exceed the present value of costs then the project should go ahead since it will increase profits. (Atkinson and Miller p. 315). In other words the project should be carried out if the NPV is positive. In case study 1 an initial investment of 7million dollars in year 0 is assumed to give rise to inflows of 2million dollars for each of years 1 to 5 So in this case an NPV of 0. 662 and 1. 02 respectively are both positive figures and hence the project will be profitable. However this same projects could be risky because of it’s IRR. For instance Finnerty(2005 p. 157) is of the view that ifthe IRR exceeds the project’s cost of capital then the projects should be undertaken but in this case an IRR of 9. 98 is less than both the lower and higher discount factors of 10% and 20% respectively and therefore will be in the interest of decision makers to forgo the project. In case study 2 an initial investment of 55million dollars in year 0 is assumed to give rise to inflows of 12million dollars for each of years 1 to 5. In this case an NPV of 9. 52 also indicates a positive figure hence a profitable project. This suggest that higher is better for both NPV and IRR in other words investments with higher rates of return are more profitable than investments with lower rates of return but it can be argued that â€Å"since the economic environment is dynamic the cost of capital can be influenced by such changes,(Watson &Head 2007) rather it will be better if business owners sought to maximise shareholders wealth through considering their investment value in monetary terms rather than focusing so much on it’s immediate return. Moreover both the NPV and IRR have its merits as well as its demerits. Atkinson and Miller(1998 p. 18)give the following merits for the NPV; Gives a clear quantitative result Emphasises the time value of money and makes it superior to methods which do not involve discounting. Involves maximisation of present values of future cash flows thereby maximising shareholder wealth. Despite its merits ,Siddiqui (2005 p. 325,Rashid, Raj & Walters 2008p. 194) of the view tha t ; It is not helpful in comparing two projects with different cash flows It may be misleading in comparing projects of unequal lives It is complicated to estimate the values of cash inflows and outflows over the life of a project. Alternatively, (Capon& Disbury 2004 p. 224) state that the IRR has the following merits; It results in a clear percentage return required on investment since emphasis is placed on liquidity in calculation. It’s the measure of the intensity of capital use and also gives a return for risks Takes into consideration the time value of money and deals with discount cash flows. Several authors strongly oppose and cite reasons as to why the IRR may not be the best financial appraisal. For example ( Dyson 2004, Mclaney& Atrill 2007) give the following reasons It does not maximise shareholders’ wealth There is difficulty in handling projects with unconventional cash flows It gives only an approximate rate of return It can be misleading especially where there are negative net cash flows in subsequent years and when one project has to be opted for in favour of another i. e. mutually exclusive project. Conclusion Hotel renovation is an inevitable process especially if hoteliers wish to secure their positions in the marketplace and also keep up with the constantly changing needs of the consumer. The two investment appraisal methods i. e the NPV and IRR usually used by decision makers Moreover the customer be it a business traveller or holiday maker is the most important element to the hospitality industry, to such a customer, the most important criteria are an appealing image, safety and security, standard of service and most of all value for money. Leaders in the industry must in no uncertain terms ensure that they meet expectations. So regardless of the financial appraisal techniques considered in the decision making process, hotel renovations are a must unless hoteliers are looking to reposition further down the market for instance choosing to go two star(2) or three(3) then they could be justified if they chose not to renovate otherwise they should be aware that they stand the chance of loosing market share if they do not renovate when required. Reccommendations Although investment decisions are carried out in the hope of generating future returns, the most important question hoteliers should be concerned with is whether they will be in business if they compromised their standards and quality of service by not repositioning as a result of lack of funds. The following suggestions have been given to serve as a guide to hoteliers wishing to renovate in the near future. Due to the costly nature of renovation, hoteliers could consider alternative sources of capital such as loans that offer low interest rates and low down payments that are unlikely to change during the period of the loan. Also hoteliers must endeavour to give priority to areas that need immediate attention, they can achieve this by segmenting the market in order to identify the needs of the market that way they are able to know what to accomplish in the shortest possible time without breaking the bank. Again in the present downturn, hoteliers must find ways to cut down on renovation expenses. For example if there is a choice of choosing between minor renovations such as the changing of bedding, drapes, curtains etc to major renovations that deal with heavy equipments, hoteliers will be better off going for minor renovations. Moreover they could also seek advice (in terms of selecting contractors and experts that are willing to offer reasonable rates) from hoteliers that may have undertaken a similar project. In addition, Harris & Joanne (2003) advice that the best time to undertaken renovations should be less busy periods. Executive Summary The concept of repositioning was looked at in terms of two hotels. It looked at the repositioning and renovation concept. It was realised that the main reasons for carrying out these renovations was to satisfy the customer in order to ensure repeat business, differentiate form other competitors to maintain a leading position, open new markets, and also increase profitability. In order to achieve this certain decisions had to be carried out, emphasis was placed on two investment appraisal methods i. e the NPV (Net present value) and IRR (Internal rate of return) since hotel renovation involved a great deal of budgeting. It was realised that regardless of the investment appraisal methods, hotel renovations was inevitable. The conclusion was hoteliers had to renovate if they wanted secure the business in the constantly changing environment and also if they wanted to meet the changing needs of the consumer. It may be that they repositioned by default? Journals Ahmed Hassien, Tom Baum(2002) Hotel repositioning through property renovation. Tourism and hospitality research Vol. 4 p. 144 Beirne, Mike(2004) Crown plaza’s bed time story Brand week Vol. 45 ,pp. 12-12 Brennan, Kate(2001) Lodging hospitality Vol. 57, p. 36 Construction industry institute(2006), ‘definition for renovation’. Available from: http://www. Construction institute . org/ script content/cfm. Assessed [April 1 2009] Crompton, John L. (2009) Strategies for implementing repositioning of leisure services Vol. 14, pp. 87-111 Foong, Keat(2009) Multi- housing news Vol. 44 pp. 14-15 Harris ,Joanne (2003) Motel management Vol. 218 p. 36 Hermann, Daniel (2008) Repositioning for the future. Long term living for the continuing care. Vol 57 p. 3 John W. O’Neill, Anna S. Mattila (2006) Strategic hotel development and positioning: The effects of revenue drivers on profitability. Cornell hotel and restaurant administration quarterly pp. 7; 146 Jonathan C. Nehmer, Donald A. Noveau(2005) Renovate or Reposition know the difference. Us international journal pp1-3 Patel, Ashwen ‘Ash’(2008)Credit crunch may disrupt renovation plans. Hotel and motel management, Vol. 223 p10-10 Rowe, Megan. (1995)Renovation has it’s risk. Lodging hospitality. Vol 51 p. 40 Watkins, Ed(2004) New York dresses up. Lodging hospitality Vol. 60 p. 36 Books Bowie D. & Butler F. (2004) Hospitality marketing. Butterworth-Heinemann Capon C. & Disbury A. (2004) Understanding organisational context. 2 nd edition. Pearson education. p. 224 Enew C. Waite N. (2007) Financial services marketing: an international guide to principles and practice. Butterworth-Heinemann Drury C. (Management cost accounting). 6 th edition. Engage learning Glautier M. W. E & Underdown B. (2001) Accounting theory and practice. 7 th edition. Pearson education. Gruen R. & Howarth A. (2005) Financial management in health services. Mcgraw- Hill international Guilding C. (2002) Financial management for hospitality. Butterworth-Heinemann Jain P. K. &Khan M. Y. (2005) Basic financial management. 2 nd edition. Tata Mcgraw pp. 61-63 Mclaney E. J. & Atrill P. 2007) Accounting: An introduction. 4 th edition. Pearson education. Schim J. & Siegel J. G. (2007) Schaum’s outline of financial management. 3 rd edition. Mcgraw-Hill Stevens R. E et al Marketing opp ortunity analysis. Harworth press p. 105 Watson D. & Head A. (2007) Corporate finance: Principles and practice. {text:change} {text:change} {text:change} {text:change} {text:change} {text:change} {text:change} {text:change} {text:change} {text:change} {text:change} {text:change} {text:change} {text:change} {text:change} {text:change} {text:change} {text:change} {text:change} {text:change} {text:change}

Hoard vs. Horde How to Choose the Right Word

The words hoard and horde  are  homophones: They sound alike but have different meanings and histories, although both have been associated with barbarians and their activities. How to Use Hoard The term hoard is derived from the Old English word hord, dated to the 10th century, which is found in the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf. In the poem, Beowulf is an old man when he hears that a dragon who has a room heaped high with treasure has been angered by a slave who stole a jeweled cup from his hoard. The modern English noun hoard refers to an accumulation or collection of something valuable that is hidden away or preserved for later use, similar to cache. As a verb, hoard means to collect and store away or to keep something to oneself. The word also refers to Viking booty stolen from hapless Anglo-Saxons. Forgotten Viking hoards, such as the Cuerdale and Silverdale hoards, are still occasionally found in caches in the United Kingdom. The word hoard is used in this sense to refer to deposits found from many different ancient civilizations, saved for both ritual and/or financial purposes. Hoarding behavior, that is to say the practice of storing excess goods away for future use, is something that many animals do. One could argue that keeping a savings account is hoarding. But in humans, excessive hoarding is often viewed as a sign of mental disturbance, as shown in the reality television program Buried Alive. Recent sociological studies have found that people hoard things for many different reasons: Because they are concerned about wasteAs a social critique of modern culture and its overinvolvement with material thingsBecause the objects have meaning with regard to interpersonal relationships with other humansBecause they have no better storage facility in which to keep things   Beowulf and a Treasured Hord The earliest use of the word hord is in Beowulf, the oldest surviving tale in English. Beowulf was written in Old English in about 700 CE (based on the form of the language), and the oldest copy in existence is dated 1000 CE. The poem is all about swords and sorcery—a heroic prince named Beowulf battles a monstrous dragon named Grendel. In Beowulf, hord is primarily used to mean Grendels cache of jewels. However, Beowulfs main sword is referred to by 17 different metaphors, including hord. Swords were a sign of wealth and the symbol of rank in early German society, and this particular weapon was truly exceptional—an iron sword bound with gold named Hrunting. According to American philologist J. R. Hall, the poet of Beowulf used hord as a metaphor for a treasured sword, a precious object that would easily fit into a hoard. Hord was used in other Old English manuscripts as a metaphor for the human soul, Christ, or the crucifix.  Those uses are not present in modern English language. How to Use Horde The noun horde means a crowd, throng, or swarm of wild or fierce people; a gang or crew. The word originates from the Tartar word urda, which means royal camp, first used in English in the 16th century to refer to the companies of the descendants of 12th-century warrior Genghis Khans Golden Horde or Altun Ordu. Examples Hoard always refers to a collection of objects or animals when used as a noun and to the collecting of those objects or animals when used as a verb. An unemployed man with a metal detector stumbled upon one of the greatest hoards of Anglo-Saxon treasure ever discovered in Britain.Mary hoarded her paperweight collection in her safe deposit box, certain that her children would want to sell it after she was gone.Mr. Smith kept a hoard of cats on his farm: dozens of cats hidden away in cages or running free. Horde always refers to a large group of living humans or animals. Nintendos new video game system has attracted hordes of casual gamers.When the morning bell rang, a horde of teachers came piling out of the staff room.The Golden Horde was a khanate of the Mongol Empire, a military force that conquered the Viking descendants Rus in northwestern Russia in the 13th century. How to Remember the Difference Horde and hoard are easily confused because the spelling differences are relatively minor. Remember that horde (with an e and no a) is like an erupting nest of angry hornets (think horde of hornets); whereas hoard (with an a and no e) refers to a precious treasure that is kept by a dragon (also spelled with an a and no e). Sources Byers, Ann. The Golden Horde and the Rise of Moscow. New York: Rosen Publishing, 2017.DeWeese, Devin. Islamization and Native Religion in the Golden Horde: Baba Tà ¿kles and Conversion to Islam in Historical and Epic Tradition. University Park: Pennsylvania State University, 2010.Fogarty, Mignon. Hoard Versus Horde. Grammar Girls 101 Misused Words Youll Never Confuse Again. New York: St. Martins Griffin, 2011. p. 66.Hall, J. R. The Sword Hrunting in Beowulf: Unlocking the Word Hord. Studies in Philology, 109.1, 2012, pp. 1-18.Hoard.  OED Online. Oxford University Press, December 2018.Horde.  OED Online. Oxford University Press, December 2018.Orr, David M. R., Michael Preston-Shoot, and Suzy Braye. Meaning in Hoarding: Perspectives of People Who Hoard on Clutter, Culture and Agency. Anthropology Medicine,  12 Dec. 2017, pp. 1-17.

The Religion Of African Slaves - 1643 Words

African slaves were brought to America from many tribes and they brought with them a variety of beliefs and practices. In some ways, the religion that many West Africans practiced bears a striking resemble to the practices of Christianity and Judaism. There are however several differences that make it clear that it is its own separate faith. On the plantations in America slaves were taught a â€Å"modify† version of Christianity so that they would obey their masters, and often times slaves would hold their own services. Other slaves believed in and practice what was called â€Å"conjuration† along with Christianity. The majority of African slaves came from a region that was called West Central Africa. The people from West Central Africa practiced a religion similar to Christianity, and believed in a single all powerful being that created the world, â€Å"As to religion, the natives believe that there is one Creator of all things, and that he lives in the sun, and is girded round with a belt, that he may never eat or drink; but according to some, he smokes a pipe, which is our own favorite luxury† (Equiano, 1789). In both religions, there is an omnipotent being that requires no substance and lives above the Earth. In addition, in both religions the Creator controls the events that occur throughout a person life. In addition, they often offered food to the spirits of their loved ones who were said to watch over them and protect them from their enemies. Family would also place sacrifices toShow MoreRelatedEssay on African Slave Religion1742 Words   |  7 PagesEnslaved Africans and their Religious Spiritual Practices. 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During a most dark and dismal time in our nations history, we find that the Africans who endured horrible circumstances during slavery, found ways of peace and hope in their religious beliefs. During slavery, Africans where able to survive unbearable conditions by focusing on their spirituality. Christianity was amongst the slave community. Being that the vast majority of the slave community was born in America, converting slaves to ChristianityRead MoreAlthough some Muslims were forced to convert into Christianity, some were intelligent enough to700 Words   |  3 PagesAfrica (Berg 11). In several regions, the African Muslims were recognized due to their boldness in resisting conversion to Christianity. Instead, they coerced other black communities to convert to Islam. They were bold enough to protect the interest of their religion. According to Turner, the famous African Muslim slaves in Jamaica in the 1800s coerced other African Muslims in their communities to adhere to the Islamic religion (24). Islam as a religion encouraged fasting, helping one another, andRead MoreSocial, Cultural, And Cultural Groups1148 Words   |  5 Pagesof beliefs that the African American culture has embraced. The events that have made a colossal impact on certain aspects of my culture are the progression of the Africans’ practices and the freedom of the slaves. These events allowed blacks to freely participate in different aspects of life. One freedom that has greatly impacted me today is religion. At the start of the transatlantic slave trade, Africans had a variety of religions that they practiced. A lot of the religions were worshiped in theRead MoreEssay on The Development of Afro-Brazilian Religions1664 Words   |  7 PagesAfro Brazilian religions is traced back to the Atlantic slave trade that took place in the 16th century . Portuguese people captured individuals from Bantu tribes and the other West African communities. The slave trade involved the transfer of these people to Brazil, where they were sold as slaves. The interaction of slaves from different cultural and religious backgrounds led to the development of the Afro Brazilian religions that consequently spread all over Brazil. The religions did not; howeverRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article Let s Make A Slave 1299 Words   |  6 PagesThe article titled, â€Å"Let’s Make A Slave,† was depressing because it almost forced one to go back in time and feel the plight of Africans Americans before slave ry was outlawed. William Lynch traveled a great ways to inform the people of the Virginia Colony about slavery and how it should truly be done. As I was reading, it seemed as though William Lynch was reading the instructions for a product (and not a human being) but he actually was talking about people (African Americans). The speech that he

Essay on Dramaturgical Analysis - 1185 Words

â€Å"All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.† William Shakespeare may have written these words in As You Like It in 1600, but Erving Goffman truly defined the phrase with his dramaturgical theory. Dramaturgical analysis is the study of social interaction in terms of theatrical performance. Unlike actors though, who use a script telling them how to behave in every scene, real life human interactions change depending upon the social situation they are in. We may have an idea of how we want to be perceived, and may have the foundation to make that happen. But we cannot be sure of every interaction we will have throughout the day, having to ebb and flow with the conversations and situations as they happen. Adopted†¦show more content†¦It would appear that many rehearse their performance, allowing themselves to correct any flaws in their performance before giving it. The theory of dramaturgy is considered a micro theory, under the category of â€Å"interpretive†, which also includes interactionism, ethomethodology, and phenomolohy. In The Presentation of Everyday Life, Goffman lays out the seven elements that create a performance: belief in the role that is being played, the front or ‘mask’, dramatic realization, idealization, maintenance of expressive control, misrepresentation, and deception/mystification. Using the simple description of someone interviewing for a job, we can see that â€Å"As he seeks to assume the role of an ideal employee (idealization), he tries (in his performance) to convey a certain image about himself through his dress, his speech, and his expressions (his front), emphasizing those things that he wants the interviewers to know (dramatic realization). He has to maintain control over these expressions throughout the interview (maintenance of expressive control). Any lapse in his performance in that role (misrepresentation) may lead to him revealing those things that he has been trying to conceal (mystification).† (Corbin, 2012) In his book Frame Analysis, Goffman continued his discussion on dramaturgical analysis. He wrote, What is important is the sense he provides them through his dealing with them of what sortShow MoreRelatedDramaturgical Analysis770 Words   |  4 Pages Using an approach, like dramaturgy, helped me to analyze social interaction in a more interesting and complex way. If I had been just simply observing the receptionist I would have never payed attention to her backstage behavior. By using a dramaturgical approach I noticed how her personality would change depending on if the boss was in the room or not. This approach provides us with a deeper understanding on how humans think and act. In life most of us only show our good side to people especiallyRead MoreFacebook And Social Networking Sites Essay1619 Words   |  7 Pagestransmits information through a medium that uses routers and servers via high-speed internet and involves materials been received via desktops, computers, tablets and smartphones†. In this paper, I will like to convey how the dramaturgical model of social interaction on the use of Facebook reveal how humans communicate their identities using front stage, back stage and impression management to have a perceived view about the world as well as how it reflects Facebook users everydayRead MoreSocial Networking Sites For New Media Essay1615 Words   |  7 Pagescommunication which transmits information through a medium that uses routers and servers via high-speed internet and involves materials been received via desktops, computers, tablets and smartphones†. In this paper, I will like to convey how the dramaturgical model of communication on the use of Facebook reveal how humans communicate their identities using both front stage, back stage and impression management to have a perceived view about the world as well as how it reflects people everyday livesRead MoreDramaturgy Is A Concept Developed By Erving Goffman Who998 Words   |  4 Pagesin order to understand social interactions in everyday life; also known as dramaturgical theory. This metaphor demonstrates dramaturgy as a real life play in which people are the actors/actresses. There are three logics to this concept: the indivudial shows us what they want us to know, impression management and particular features of face-to-face encounters bring order to interactions (Allan, 62). The dramaturgic analysis of Goffman presents the idea that social interaction can be viewed as a chainRead MoreThe Presentation Of The Self By Irving Goffman1167 Words   |  5 Pagesof players working together to up hold various social realities and functional institutions such as work, school, home, medical, legal or leisure. The two key components of this theory are ‘front and back’ and ‘impression management’, which enable analysis of how identity is presented and understood through symbols, and the differing ways people behave when they are in and out of role: enabling preparation and reflection on societal expectations and the ability to switch between roles. ‘Front region/backRead MoreSocialization Is The Process By Which Someone Is Becomes Human1033 Words   |  5 Pagesadequately participate in society. People become â€Å"human†, there are no in-bred or innate instincts to guide development. Sociological concepts in this field include, ferals and isolates, marasmus, Looking Glass Self, Game and Play Stages as well as the dramaturgical approach. These theories have contributed to the foundations of socialization. George Herbert Mead developed the â€Å"Game and Play Stages† theory, according to Mead, children pass through three stages while developing a sense of selfhood. The threeRead MoreThe Presentation Of The Self By Irving Goffman1305 Words   |  6 Pagespeople play roles, working together to up hold various social realities and functional institutions such as work, school, home, medical, legal or leisure. Key components of this theory are ‘front and back’ and ‘impression management’, which enable analysis of how identities are presented and understood through symbols, and the differing ways people behave when they are in and out of role: enabling preparation and reflection, and ability to switch between roles. ‘Front region/back region’ Social playersRead MoreThe Presentation Of Self On Everyday Life ( Goffman, 1959 )847 Words   |  4 Pagesis a work analysing our daily life from the perspective that our actions and interactions with others, their rationale and meaning, are social in nature. Goffman applies metaphor to his theory of the presentation of the self by pursuing a dramaturgical analysis (p. 15) with the intent to describe how individuals construct and maintain performance in society, and how aspects of social and cultural expectation, define that behaviour. Social mores indicate we should behave differently under differentRead MoreInteraction Ritual by Erving Goffman1369 Words   |  6 Pagesbehaviour. They are often referred to as modern classics. The essay on face-work can be considered as an expansion of Goffman’s previous works on interaction and included in this series. Summary Goffman refers to his essay on face-work as ‘An Analysis of Ritual Elements in Social Interaction’ (Goffman, p.5). He essentially sets out to prove to the reader that social interaction is a ritual game that we act out and play by the rules. The author provides us with some new vocabulary including termsRead MoreThe Sociological Perspective Of Dramaturgy Is Associated With Irving Goffman1041 Words   |  5 Pagesof dramaturgy is in explaining socialization, and role learning through active participation in society. Goffman proposed the dramaturgical perspective as a fifth paradigm for understanding and analysing society and social reality, the existing four being technical, political, structural and cultural (1959:233). Thus, dramaturgy is an effective and flexible method of analysis for qualitative, ethnographic based research. As a model for studying everyday life, dramaturgy reveals how identity is constructed

The Petersons Home ICT Devices Free Essays

The Petersons have a limited amount of equipment in their homes and all the items are unsuitable for the family. Here is a conclusion as to why the devices are unsuitable, and how the situation could be improved. The family is equipt with a Pentium II computer with a 32mb of ram, a 2Gb hard drive and a 2mb graphics card. We will write a custom essay sample on The Petersons Home ICT Devices or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is very unsuitable for this busy family as the computer would be extremely slow and has very little space to install new programs and save the documents the family would need. This is a very old type of computer, and would not be able to run some of the latest software. A faster, and more update computer, such as a Pentium 4 Processor would be much more appropriate for this family. With the computer is a 14-inch monitor capable of 640 x 480 screen resolutions, which is also inappropriate for the likes of this family. A 14-inch screen is very small and most of the more dated computer monitors are less able to adjust. With a low and small screen could cause health problems for the family, such as neck and back pains. The low screen resolutions would be a problem when trying to run newer software, which needs a higher resolution. A more suitable choice would be a larger, and higher resolution screen, and possibly flat screen too. The computer has a black and white dot matrix printer, which is very unsuitable for members of the family who wish to print documents in colour. Dot matrix printers produce a low quality print too, the document may seem unclear and patchy compared to a laser colour printer, which would be more advisable for the families needs. The computer only has a 28k modem that is not capable of sending faxes. The most obvious disadvantage to this is that the family cannot send faxes form the home office. However, with a 28k modem, the computer would also have ridiculously slow Internet connection. Most computers on sale at the moment have a modem included in the package, however they can be bought. The standard modem is 56k, which would provide fast access to the Internet. Windows 95, and Office 95 are both very dated versions and desperately need to be updated. The setup would be slow and unable to cope with large quantities of data and the users would be restricted on what software they could use. Office 95 would have a very limited amount of programs available, and would not satisfy all the day-to-day needs of a family. Most new computers come with Windows XP, which would mean a fast setup and more programs available for the family to use. The family only have floppy disks as a backup for the computer, which is an unwise choice. If the computer fails, and the disks cannot be located or the disk does not work, it is sure that the data will be lost. However, a larger problem would be fitting large files onto a floppy disk, which has on a 1.4k capacity, which would not be enough for the likes of graphics files, or picture files that are very large. Also, if there is a large amount of data to be stored, one would have to use many disks to store all the information, this may make the data hard to locate. A more ideal solution would be to store the information on re-writable disks, which store a large amount of data. However, this would also mean the family would need to invest in a CD-ROM drive, which now comes free in addition with all computers sold. With no gaming equipment the family would be unable to play games to their full satisfaction, or in some cases, the game may not run at all. This would mean that the computer could not be used as a gaming machine. There is a lot of gaming equipment available at the moment, but the most popular is a Joystick, which is useful for the majority of games. Many games and programs that are on the market have sound features for added effect. Of course with no speakers attached to the computer, no sound can be heard. This is a problem for interactive programs, where instructions are given verbally. Also, watching DVD’s, or listening to music form CD’s or MP3’s is impossible. With no speakers, you also cannot use recording equipment such as microphones, as there will be no feedback. All modern computers now come with a speaker sound system, sometimes including sub-woofer, but they can also be sold separately. The family have access to a standard TV with no digital capacity and an analogue satellite receiver. This means that the family can only pick up some satellite and analogue stations that are broadcasted. The digital channels would not be available on the television or via the satellite, as they have no digital capacity. The family could invest in a digital decoder or a new television with digital capacity. If the family bought a digital decoder, then they would not be able to interact with some of the features available on the channels, however with a new television, or a digital channel receiver, the family would be able to interact. There is an old hifi which has no CD player, or mini disc player, which is not suitable for this family. Most music on sale at the moment is sold on CD; therefore it may be hard to get hold of music on cassette or record. Cassettes and records produce a low quality of sound, and are not as reliable as a CD. More and more records are now becoming available on mini discs, which are compact, and can store a lot of music, and record music easily, also providing quality sound. All good stereo systems come complete with a CD player, and some with minidisk players, along with tape players and radios. How to cite The Petersons Home ICT Devices, Papers

Campaign Finance Essay Example For Students

Campaign Finance Essay What We Dont Know About Campaign Finance Does Hurt Us. No matter what your social issue, if you want to solve it get the money out of politics. Only then will lawmakers vote for their people rather than their pocketbooks. Jack E. Lohman.Money corrupts politics, and when contributions are being made to candidates it is not in the best interest of the American people. Campaign Finance is out of control in todays political races. Candidates are taking money from wherever and whoever they can get it. Soft money is flowing through elections without care or caution. People who make these contributions do not share the views of the average citizen, so politicians end up representing the wrong people. Money decides races, sometimes leaving the better man but lighter spender out of a position. Candidates make decisions based on what will help them financially that what is better for the people. Contributions by industry are made not in the interest of the people, sometimes hurting them in ways they dont even know. No matter what the opposition ma y say campaign finance reform is needed urgently to keep our democracy as our founders intended it. People and corporations that make the largest donations to campaigns do not share views with the general population. Politicians will listen to those who give them money so that they can depend on that money being there again when it is time for reelection.Yet individual donors making a $200 dollar or more contribution make up only .33% of the population. This extremely small percentage of mostly wealthy individuals gain the power to influence politicians to their liking. The idea that these people should have power to affect government more than those with less money goes against the concept of equality for all, which is what made this country great. People who make large donations do not share the same views on most issues as the general population. Robert L. Borosage and Ruy Teixeira report that while 53 percent of voters want stricter regulations on businesses and corporations, to give workers a fair salary and working conditions, 58 percent of campaign donors want to see less co ntrol over the businesses and corporations of America. Donors also want less government spending with lower taxes, while the majority of citizens want a larger, more powerful government. A very tiny part of our population is giving money to campaigns telling candidates what they have to do to continue getting campaign contributions, yet these people do not represent the ideology and sentiment of the people as a whole. There must be a change in the way that campaigns are financed if democracy is to survive. If we do not reform campaign finance we will have politicians working only for those who can afford to contribute. Money is the major factor in any political race. It can sway a decision very strongly depending on how well it is used. In the House, the candidate who spends the most money on his or her campaign wins 92% of the time. Things are no different in the Senate, here 88% of the time the bigger spender wins. Incumbents are usually the tip money spender, because they raise more money. Paul Starr, writer for The American Prospect , estimates that it would take $1,000,000 for a challenger to defeat the incumbent. The only way a challenger could get this kind of money would be to appeal to big business and the wealthy, who have radically different ideas about government than the general public. A challenger, to even have a chance, would have to turn to business and wealth to win. With this great difficulty to de-seat an incumbent, turnover in congress drops, and members become stagnant, winning on name alone. All the while, they are giving breaks to the corporations and wealthy people who got them there. With campaigns finance reform, we could get challengers and incumbents on a level playing field so that the candidate with the better ideas who will honestly help the majority will end up the victor. Women Rights | | EssayOpponents of Campaign finance reform have many reasons that they feel reform is bad. But most of these arguments boil down to; contributions are an expression of freedom of speech, and reform would not help as illegal contributions take place now and would only be increased with more laws. The voices of those who fund advertisements that do not go on campaign reports are those of a small minority. These voices are being heard above all the voices of the greater majority of people who cannot afford to have their voices heard. Letting one persons opinion be louder than another goes against the ideas of equality for all, infringing upon the rights of others. If reform is to take place we must enforce the laws that we set in place. Laws that are not enforced are worthless. We must be ready to punish a candidate and make him or her face the consequences, whether it be elimination from the race or removal from office. Reform is needed to fix our crooked and corrupt congress, and we must be willing to punish those who break the law. One option that we should consider is that of Jack E. Lohman, a business man from Milwaukee, WI. Under his plan special interest and corporate donations would be eliminated. Instead, taxpayers would fund political campaigns. Special interests and corporations spend 750 million on campaigns. As it was explained, this hurts taxpayers when purchasing goods and when paying taxes for corporate welfare. By eliminating these donors politicians would not be affected by outside interests and would be free to do what is best for the people. The 750 million dollars for campaigns would come from the taxpayers and only cost $5 dollars a year. After cuts from corporate welfare and wasteful government spending this would save taxpayers 495 to 995 dollars a year, not to mention price drops as a result of reduced corporate spending on political campaigns. This would put more money in the hands of the taxpayer to buy more products helping the economy. Most important, politicians would not be swayed by monetary interest offered to them for help in other areas. Donors not representing the public, money, not people and issues deciding races, politicians voting for campaign funds instead of the public, corporations risking the safety of people, these are all problems that could be fixed by reforming campaign finance. Campaign finance is an urgent problem that must be remedied soon or we will be facing a situation in government where the power lies in the hand of those who have money to donate to campaigns. If something is not done we will be heading straight into a corrupt and contemptible government whose only care is that of being reelected. Action must be taken now before it is too late and scandalous congressmen will only support scandalous policy. If our government is to be saved, we must have campaign finance reform. Bibliography: