Saturday, August 31, 2019

How to Copy and Paste

Below is a free essay on â€Å"Copy And Paste† from Anti Essays, your source for free research papers, essays, and term paper examples. Behind every great man is a beautiful, charming maiden who holds his heart. What if this woman was not absorbed with taking care of his heart but was completely absorbed with money, reputation, and her own needs. In Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Mrs. Daisy Fay Buchanan is the object of affection or the â€Å"rock of [Gatsby's] world. â€Å"(99) All Daisy's life she has wanted to be noticed, to be heard, and to be loved. However, when everything she has always anted is being held in her hands, in the form of Gatsby, Daisy chooses money as her form of happiness ultimately leading to her misery. Daisy's action and choices are extremely defined by her â€Å"East egg† way of life, which is a representation of old money and high class society within the novel. In short, Daisy thinks with her wallet instead of using her common sense, her he ad, or her heart. When reading the novel â€Å"it [seems]†¦the thing for Daisy to do [is] to [leave Tom], child in arms†(20) but unfortunately â€Å"there are no such intentions in her head†.The reason being, Tom is her financial prov†¦ †¦ middle of paper †¦ †¦ aisy is the definition of charm and beauty, she will never allow herself to hold his heart. Daisy's love for money, her reputation, and her own needs have ultimately led to her down fall. Daisy chose to marry Tom and his wealth over being Gatsby's foundation of love. Daisy believed money would give her the attention, giver her the voice, and give her the love she wanted all her life. However, all she has received from pursuing money is misery. Works Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby

Friday, August 30, 2019

Interview with a Medical Coder Essay

Medicine is an art, it is science and business. There are scientific and artistic aspects those doctors learn in the profession of medicine. Doctors have to be paid which requires a different skill that is complex and comes with administrative professional. Hint a Medical Biller and Coding. Medical Billers and Coders work with clinics, doctors, hospitals, patients, and other medical facilities. Submitting claims to insurance companies help ensure that supporting staff and doctors are properly reimbursed for services rendered. When one is a Medical Biller there are abbreviations and acronyms that help save time when filing a claim. Many offices have their own most frequently used acronyms and abbreviations that they use to do their coding and billing. There are many acronyms and abbreviations used in all medical practices. Here are some examples: EDI (Electronic Data Interchange): Electronic claims that are sent to a central clearinghouse for distribution for individual carriers. EOB (Explanation of Benefits): This refers to a document that is issued by an insurance company that responds to a claim statement which outlines what services are covered and what services are not, and what level of reimbursement are available. HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act): The privacy rule, which outlines certain entities in a person health plan, clearinghouses can disclose or use person health information, and who may be allowed to access a patients personal medical records. HMO (Health Maintenance Organization): Is a health management plan that requires patients to have a PCP (primary care physician). A PCP is where patients seek out most of their initial treatment at. If the PCP feels like it is necessary to seek treatment from specialist they will send a patient to within that network. CMS (Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services): United States Department of Health & Human Services that administer Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Medicare. PPO (Preferred Provider Organization): This allows patients to visit providers that are contracted with their insurance companies. If that patient visits a non-contracted provider, the claim will be considered out-of-network. WC (Workers Compensation): The U.S. Department of Labor program provides insurance for employees whom may get injured on their place of employment. POS (Point of Service): An insurance plan that offers low cost HMOs when a patient sees network providers by their insurance company. Currently the medical coding is transitioning from ICD-9 to ICD-10. ICD-10 is presenting itself with more specific information and data, which in the turn helps with the World Health Organization (WHO). With the new ICD-10 codes have increased in character length giving the biller to right which specific extremity it is on a patient (left arm, right arm). ICD-10 compliance date is coming October 1, 2014. ICD- 10 reimbursement has said to have some challenges with DRG payments. The changes that are known to take place do not affect the DRG (Drug Related Groups) calculation as expected. The majority of reimbursements that come to a hospital are based on DRG. The impact on an organization with Medicare revenue of $150 million using a -0.04% variance it would be a $600,000 loss, which is still a substantial amount. Amounts of reimbursements can shift and vary depending on mix of a facilities DRG’s. In ICD-10 financial impact will be with slowdown in submission of final codes, rejections and denials because on inaccurate codes, and productivity loss (Smith, 2013). Medical billers and coders should not be overly concerned with these changes. Medical Billing and Coding specialist deal with patients medical records which contain physician’s notes for services that were rendered at the time of the patients visit. The medical biller and coder translates that information to a five-digit code from American Medical Association Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) or from Statistical Classification of Disease and Related Health Problems (ICD). It is crucial for the ICD and CPT codes match with the services rendered or a claim will be rejected, many claims are initially rejected. The cost of healthcare is on the rise and the demand for services has increased of required and specialty services feed into the financial greed among HMOs. The major bulk of hospital bills are paid directly by the patient’s health insurance provider which are termed the payer. 68% of the United States population has private insurance which is provided by their employer or self-pay. Around 9% of the population are self-payers who direct-purchase their insurance. There are two main categories of third- party payers they are government and private. Medicaid and Medicare are the largest government issued payers. Reimbursements for both private and governmental have policies that support therapeutics, diagnostics and new medical medicines and technologies. It is clinically evidence based approvals such as diagnostic test, prescription medicines, clinical trials and however insurers are using to help with their life cycle. With reimbursements there are incentives for medical facilities and doctors. Reimbursements are a source of revenue for hospitals; payers do not pay a full price for services. Healthcare has become the economy’s largest force. Healthcare services are very different from other industries because of the production rate. In the healthcare industry the technology advancement makes a bigger impact than other industries. An assembly line at a manufacturing plant process thousands of the same or identical items. These items are produced by robots and machines which dehumanizes the industry. Patients are cared for on unique terms one by one. Health care is also locally based in every city and state and are not outsourced or out of the country. As the healthcare industry is growing the productivity is slowing down. Thus the cost of production in the healthcare industry steadily rises. References (n.d.) AMA American Medical Association. â€Å"The Difference between ICD-9 and ICD-10†. Retrieved July 13, 2013 from http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/399/icd10-icd9-differences-fact-sheet.pdf Marcinko, D. (2011). Recognizing the Differences between Healthcare and Other Industries. Retrieved July 20, 2013 from http://medicalexecutivepost.com/2011/01/19/recognizing-the-differences-between-healthcare-and-other-industries/ Smith, Donna. (2013). â€Å"Reimbursement Impact of ICD-10: Should You Be Concerned?†. Retrieved from August 15, 2013 From http://healthcare-executive-insight.advanceweb.com/Features/Articles/Reimbursement-Impact-of-ICD-10-Should-You-Be-Concerned.aspx View as multi-pages

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Caught Up in Different Worlds

The short story Caught Up in Different Worlds is a fascinating piece that takes the readers through different jaunts of experiences of a woman called Sylvania, a good pretender who can imply to be happy even if sad, and can also appear to be sad when really happy. She is caught in different escapades that force her to fake what she does not feel. When wedding Horace, she pretends to be happy, yet in a real sense, she hates what she goes through. Later, when Horace dies, she pretends to be at a great loss, yet feeling relieved at last. This study examines the story alongside different stylistic devices used by the author. The devices include anaphora, asyndeton, polysyndeton, and kenning. Sylvania's parents arrange her marriage with Horace in accordance with their culture where parents decide whom to marry their sons and daughters. That is done to ensure they marry the right person. Even if they do not agree, children are obliged to accept their parents' verdicts. As a result, Sylvania pretends to be happy to meet Horace as her husband, but inside her is a heart of pain and despair that is forced to accept something she does not feel for. The story is a captivating piece about the experiences of a woman living in a world controlled by her parents who choose to express what she does not feel, just to conform to their expectations. She appears to be happy from outside, yet suffering from inside.AnaphoraAnaphora is one of the stylistic devices used in the story. It is the repetition of common or similar words at the start of consecutive phrases in conjunction with the pinnacle of the story. The author uses anaphora to express Sylvania's feelings on the last day of the wedding. While in her room, he engages in a monologue repeating the words ‘How I wish they understood'. The speaker uses the statement to explicate her inner feelings about what she is yet to face. The reader is able to see a jovial woman from outside but is in pain from inside. At one time, she opted to run away not to wed Horace, but on the other hand, she is strongly held by the love and respect she has for her parents. Horace, on the other hand, is comfortable and promises to be a good husband. The readers follow the story keenly to see how Sylvania would survive in the arms of a man she does not have any feeling for. At the end of the story, Horace involves in a road accident that claims his life. In that too, Sylvania pretends to be grieved and saddened by the death of her husband, but from inside, she is happy that she is free at last and makes her own decision. The culture allows a widow to remarry any man of her choice without being dictated by her parents. Therefore, the story is about a character that lives by pretense to please the people around her.AsyndetonAsyndeton is an act of omitting conjunctions between clauses, words, and phrases. In the story, Sylvania eulogizes her husband as loving and caring by the statement, â€Å"Horace, is loving, caring.† the people who listen to her are carried by her expressions to realize that they have not stayed for long in the marriage and feel that it is a great loss to her. She makes them think so by appearing so, but on the other hand, she feels relieved and happy at last. She falsely narrates how she was happy to have him as her husband, yet by the time of a wedding, she had thought of running only to be kept by the love and respect she has for her parents. In fact, the readers usually have an extended advantage over the characters since they can see the holistic story of what takes place. Among the people attending the two events, wedding and burial go home with a different image of Sylvania. They think that she is happy when she is very sad. On the other occasion, they think of her to be sad, yet she is the happiest. Therefore, any written piece has a lot for the readers compared to the characters involved.PolysyndetonPolysyndeton is structurally opposite to asyndeton. It involves the use of a conjunction between each phrase, word or clause. The use of polysyndeton is apparent at the beginning of the story where Sylvania is informed about the impending wedding. According to his father, though not named in the story, Horace is a good man with standard discipline and qualities of a husband. When given the news, Sylvania appreciates and accepts to marry as a demand of the custom, while inside her heart she does not have any feeling for him. Similarly, when the message of his death is delivered to her, she appears to be shocked and wails bitterly, yet feeling better to finally live a life that is uncensored by her parents. The other uses complete sentences that are well conjunct to express Sylvania's inner world. The story is so electrifying to see the way Sylvania is able to pretend and get away with it. In fact, Horace also lived with Sylvania for their short time in marriage imagining that she loved him, but not really. From this plinth, Sylvania represents many people in the society who live in particular ways just to impress the people around them, yet they do not like what they are. Therefore, it is an educating piece for the readers and the society to avoid putting more pressure on people to an extent that they live to express what they are really not.KenningKenning is used to creatively describe something in a more creative and skillful way. Chopin uses the same in her story on the first page, paragraph four and five. The story gives the readers an outlook of what Sylvania looks like while inside her room, during the wedding and when eulogizing her husband. As depicted in the story, she narrates her experience with Horace right from the time they had their first encounter. She also refers to him as a loving, caring and responsible husband. The readers can imagine a woman who enjoyed her marriage. They see someone at a great loss, more so because the marriage did not last long. Two things they are not aware of is that Sylvania did not enjoy the marriage, did not support her parents' choice and is very happy to have the news about the death of her husband. Life is a journey where two people can walk together facing the same direction, but not having a common destiny. Horace and the people around him thought that his wife loved her. When he died, people thought that it was a blow to his wife. However, the truth of the matter is that no assumptions were consistent with whatever Sylvania was.ConclusionThe story gives the readers an outlook of Sylvania, more so whatever she feels about the wedding and the death of her husband. People living around her are very unclear about what she really is. The story is a captivating piece about the experiences of a woman living in a world controlled by her parents. They choose a husband for her and she pretends to like it, yet not. When the husband dies, she pretends to be in a great pain of loss yet happy inside. It represents the people in the society who can smile to please people, but from inside, they suffer. Therefore, it has a lot for the readers to desire. Study Outline Attention Getter: The short story Caught up in Different Worlds is a fascinating piece that takes the readers through different jaunts of experiences of a woman called Sylvania, a good pretender who can imply to be happy even if sad, and can also appear to be sad when really happy. Thesis Statement: The story is a captivating piece about the experiences of a woman living in a world controlled by her parents who choose to express what she does not feel, just to conform to their expectations. She appears to be happy from outside, yet suffering from inside. Main PointsPoint#1: Anaphoraa) Explanation of anaphorab) How it used in the storyc) It's relevance to the storyPoint#2: Asyndetona) Explanation of asyndetonb) How it used in the storyc) It's relevancePoint#3: Asyndetona) Meaning of asyndetonb) How it is used in the storyc) It's relevancePoint#4: Polysyndetona) Meaning of polysyndetonb) How the author used it in the storyc) It's significance in the storyPoint#5: Kenninga) Meaning of Kenningb) How it is used in the storyc) It's relevance. The readers learn a lot from the story, more so the inner world of Sylvania. It tells more about living in a bigoted society. It paints the picture of the pressure that the society places on people to live according to certain expectations. The story is an electrifying piece with much for the readers to desire.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Prostitution in Modern Europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Prostitution in Modern Europe - Essay Example In order to make the picture more prominent, it is better to look into a case of prostitution in early modern London. This instance will be able to present a true picture of how important prostitution became in modern Europe. Margaret Huberty, a woman aged 46 years was prosecuted for keeping a brothel in London in the year 1905. According to many of the witnesses, they saw unknown people going in and coming out of the house on 49, Whitfield Street, which was owned by Mrs. Huberty. When reported to London police, they kept a vigil on the house and found the report to be true. While investigating the house, they found it out to be a brothel run by Mrs. Huberty. The prostitutes were caught red handed when some disturbance caused them to shout from the windows. According to the court paper, it was the lady herself who owned the business. She used to employ prostitutes and keep them in the house. The prostitutes were also seen to accompany the men on the streets. These men were the customers and all of them were from high society. Margaret Huberty, a middle aged woman with the possession of a house does not present a picture of poverty hovering over her life. It becomes, therefore, a question of great importa nce, what compelled women like Mrs. Huberty to choose this profession as the means of earning. (The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, 2003) Keeping a Keeping a brothel was nothing new in London from the second half of the 19th century. A Bailey Court case in the year 1869 tells about three London women prosecuted with this charge. They were Mary Ann Clark, Christiana Clark and Jane Roberts. Three of them compelled a girl under the age of twenty to take up the profession of a prostitute. Apart from that, they were also involved in the business of running a bawdy house. This incident clearly indicates that prostitution was quite prominently taken as a profession since that age in early modern Europe. To these women, marriage and security did not appear to be good options in life. Prostitution and its business could give them huge amount of money and this shows that these modern women in Europe understood the value of wealth very well, although social rules were ignorable to them. Another session held in the London's Central Criminal Court in the year 1889 shows an evidence of late 19th century prostitution in this city. Here, a 23 year old lady named Annie Gough was prosecuted with the charge of counterfeiting coins. Although the charge was very far from prostitution, the accused person clearly declared in the court that her main means of earning was through prostitution. She confessed before the Magistrate that her prostitution was the main profession on which her husband depended, too. This presents a picture that looks quite bleak from any social perspective. This also refers to the irresponsibility of the husband and his indifference about his wife's profession. Unlike the case of Mrs. Huberty, Gough's case had a ground of poverty. (The Proceedings of Old Bailey, 2003) According to many of the social critics, prostitution in modern Europe was a result of poverty in the families. It is also stated that in many cases, this was a temporary alternative for the women to survive. Still, this will be very unjustified to say that it was only poverty that compelled the modern European women to choose this profession. The historical survey suggests that 30% of the whole

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

What is the impact of empowerment on the factors of organizational Essay

What is the impact of empowerment on the factors of organizational behavior in five star hotels in the USA - Essay Example Empowerment has become a global trend and only those hotels which properly empower their employees will succeed. Research carried out by, Wagner Iii, John A. (1994) found the following as impacts of empowerment: †¢Meaning †¢Results †¢Challenge and an opportunity to learn †¢Respect and recognition †¢Freedom at work †¢Affiliation. According to Betttencons, Lance E. A and Steven W.Brown (1978), empowerment in USA hotels has been implemented to some degree of success in some states. In a subsequent study on New York hotels, Fasa (1995) critically analyzed how empowerment can drive businesses to excel. In his findings he came up with three important levels of empowerment in organizations: employee-employer relations, employee – customer relations as well as the employee-job. Empowerment and Organization behavior. In a study conducted on empowerment in Canada, Whitener, Ellen M. (2000. p 234) observed that: â€Å"Workers are empowered through giving them authority and responsibility to make decisions affecting their work with a minimum of interference and second guessing by managers.† Role of employee empowerment Hotels depend on employee interactions with customers to earn business. Whether a hotel is going to continue attracting customers or not depends very much on how its employees interact with customers. Therefore, customer perception on an organization is very much dependent on behavior of the workers .It can therefore be argued that, the behavior of employees working in hotels must constantly be assessed and modeled to ensure that it reflect the hotels standard and mission.

Dance movement therapy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dance movement therapy - Research Paper Example By waiting or first asking the client to attempt an explanation of the content and meaning of the movement statement the therapist can help a further exploration and understanding through a shared dialogue and then possible interpretation by the therapist. Theoretical Orientations The field of dance/movement therapy is based on the belief that healthy functioning depends on the integration of the mind, the body, and the spirit. When there is a lack of such integration, an individual, group, or family may suffer from a variety of psychophysical disorders. Dance/ movement therapy is a form of psychotherapy that utilizes movement as the medium of interaction and intervention promoting change. The following section summarizes the major theoretical orientations within the field of dance/movement therapy. Chace Approach A basic tool for establishing nonverbal relationships used by dance/movement therapists is called mirroring, or attunement. Marian Chace, a major pioneer in the field refle cted, through her own muscular activity, the body movement of her patients. She was able to meet her patients where they were emotionally on a nonverbal, movement level of communication. Marian Chace’s core concepts of working in groups, utilizing rhythmic body action, and communicating through dance and movement are considered fundamental. She states: Dance therapy is the specific use of rhythmic bodily action employed as a tool in the rehabilitation of patients. . . . The dance therapist combines verbal and non-verbal communication to enable a patient to express feeling, to participate in human relationships, to increase personal self-esteem, to develop a more realistic concept of his body image, and through all these to achieve some feeling of relaxation and enjoyment. (Chace, p. 247) Judith Kestenberg calls movement empathy attunement, observing that it involves harmony between movers. Regarding â€Å"complete attunement† (p144) in the mother–infant interact ion, Kestenberg (1999) notes that complete attunement consists of mutual empathy and that â€Å"there is not only a sameness of needs and responses, but also synchronization in rhythms† (p. 161). The experience of attunement requires a process of kinesthetic identification. Muscular tensions felt in one person are also felt in the other. It is not necessary to duplicate the shape of the movement. Visual or touch attunement with a child or adult who is upset can lead to soothing. The degree of tension exhibited by the child or adult can be initially matched and then developed into less intense, more soothing patterns (Loman, 114). An integrated developmental approach draws from psychodynamic, ego psychological, Jungian, and relational models. The approach encompasses a solid movement and body-level understanding of the individual, interpersonal relationships, groups, and family systems throughout the life cycle. The framework for understanding human development, based primaril y on Erik Erikson, Anna Freud, Judith Kestenberg, Jean Baker Miller and colleagues, Margaret Mahler, and Donald Winnicott, fosters awareness of the significant life challenges encountered at each stage of the life cycle. Each stage can be approached from a body–mind–spirit perspective. Object relations theories with their body-movement foundations; provide an understanding of the phases of separation/individuation and the nature of interpersonal rel

Monday, August 26, 2019

Close Reading of a Poem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Close Reading of a Poem - Essay Example You can almost see the speaker in the poem throwing tantrums at "daddy" blaming him for all her misfortunes. At best, the speaker in the poem did not attempt to hide her anger towards her father and her husband nor did she attempt to conceal her love for both men who tormented her and ruled her life for years. All throughout the poem, the speaker struggles to deal with her loss, her love and her hatred of her father. The speaker has unresolved issues against her father which she believed to be the root of all her sufferings and pain as an adult. Note that the speakers father died when she was ten so she never really had the chance to outgrow her fathers influence on her as most children do. In line 6 and 7 of the poem, the speaker said â€Å"Daddy, I have had to kill you / You died before I had time†. Her fathers death left a big hollow in the life of the speaker and she felt that even in death, her father still have influence over her. Actually, the idea of killing in the poem is more like a figure of speech. The speaker had always been scared of her father as a child and she wanted to get rid of the influence that her father had over her by "killing" her father. The idea of "killing" can be interpreted as "outgrowing" the influence of her father over her. Since her father died be fore she had the chance to breakaway from his domination, the speaker felt that she was trapped and unable to "kill" the feeling of being dominated. As the speaker in the poem reached adulthood, her feelings for her father remains almost childlike. If you take a closer look at the lyrics of the poem you will notice that the tone of the poem is purposely made childlike. Instead of addressing her father in a more formal tone that adults use, the speaker insistently called her father "daddy". At the time when this poem was written, adults usually refer to their fathers using the formal word "Father" and only little children venture to call their parents "mommy and daddy". What

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Political Science Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Political Science - Assignment Example I disagree with the statement that rational choice model of policy making means problems are approached in a well ordered sequence. This is because the model seeks to benefit those using it in the policy making process but not the policy followers. This means that one opts to use the rational choice model to gain from it while others will not leap an equal benefit (Bond & Smith, 2013). Similarly, the model is preferred by most politicians since it creates opportunities for them to benefit from. They only use the model for their individual benefit but not for the benefit of society at large (Cornish & Clarke, 2014). Lastly, individuals rarely have complete information about an issue. This is because the information may be withheld by one individual or a group in order to benefit from it. Therefore, in using the rational choice model problems are not approached in a well mannered form. In conclusion, the rational choice model is only used by individuals whose prime aim is to benefit themselves at the expense of others. It contains unrealistic assumptions that are used to simplify complicated choices as well as the predictions. Therefore, the theory ought to be substituted with more applicable and reasonable theories such as the democratic

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Organizations and Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizations and Management - Case Study Example Some employees avoid interacting with members of other cultures/ethnicities and/or view them as "undesirable" staff. This case vividly portrays that interpersonal communication employed by the CEO is ineffective and inefficient caused by different values and traditions of people, and poor interaction between all employees. For instance, the CEO and Western employees have different perception and understanding of the "family" concept of organizational culture but the CEO is unable to recognize these difficulties and problems experienced by the subordinates. The "western" are perceived as impolite and disruptive because of different communication n corms and traditions which have not been communicated and explained to Westerns people by the CEO (Wood, 2003). 2. The case study vividly portrays the important role of CEO and his vision in organizational culture. Communication should be seen as a process by which knowledge that resides in one or more people comes to be represented in one or more others. Certainly the transfer of knowledge is not the only thing that happens in communication, and for certain purposes it may not be the most useful way of thinking about the process. Below we refer briefly to some other dimensions of communication that may be important for cooperative work. Underlying the knowledge transfer view of communication is the assumption that any communicative act rests on a base of mutual knowledge (West and Turner 2006). The example of Mainland Enterprises reveals a set of mechanisms derives from the fact that individuals can often be assigned to social categories, and such category membership often predicts individual knowledge. Of course, category membership is not a perfect predictor of knowledge. Conversation (and similar interactive forms) permits communicators to formulate messages that are tightly linked to the immediate knowledge and perspectives of the individual participants, because it affords the participants moment-to-moment information on each others' understanding. Such information permits the formulation of messages that are extremely efficient because they are based on a reasonably precise assessment of the hearer's current knowledge and understanding. The distinction between self and other is rather a rudimentary one, but it can be shown that the Western employees differentiate between message recipients (Knapp and Vangelisti 2004). The problem of misperception and misunderstanding is caused by patriarchal and autocratic management style of the CEO. he does not permit freedom of choice trying to control decision-making and problem-solving within the company. These causes provide stronger support for the common ground hypothesis than the relatively narrow margin of difference between the friend and stranger conditions would lead one to conclude, because the experimental situation was one that would minimize the likelihood of finding such differences. This situation proves that in communicating with "friends" and "family", employees are likely to have direct and detailed knowledge of the information

Friday, August 23, 2019

Study Skills Preparing for and Taking Tests Research Paper

Study Skills Preparing for and Taking Tests - Research Paper Example This paper will describe strategies for preparing for and sitting tests. In this paper, it will be assumed that the exam and test mean the same thing and the two words will be used interchangeably. Hall (2010) advises that test preparation begins on the very first day a student enters the school. This is because all that may be tested during the exams include even the lessons that were taught on the very first day. In Hall’s view, test preparation starts by paying a lot of attention in class and taking an active part in a class by taking lecture notes. No student should ignore note taking because lecture notes are good for future reference considering that the human brain cannot grasp everything at ago. Students should also engage the lecturer by asking questions in areas that have not been well explained or those which the student feels that he/she needs additional clarification on. This is important because such areas are likely to be tested. This implies that failing to ask questions may mark the beginning of failure in tests. It is common that lecturers leave assignments immediately after a lecture. Students who intend to pass tests highly must always take advantage of these assignments by completing all of them in time. They should also take the assignments to the lecturers for marking, and seek assistance on questions that were wrongly answered. Completing assignments and taking them for marking may be the key to passing exams because some tests are directly taken from the assignments given in class by the lecturers. It is also important for students to engage in reviewing what they have learned regularly so as to avoid forgetting concepts previously learned. To effectively do this, a student must utilize his/her time well. It is, therefore, imperative for the learner to make a personal timetable which acts as a guide on how the time is to be spent on reviewing the notes.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

1984 by George Orwell Essay Example for Free

1984 by George Orwell Essay â€Å"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Winston Smith, his chin nuzzled into his breast in an effort to escape the vile wind, slipped quickly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions, though not quickly enough to prevent a swirl of gritty dust from entering along with him† . In such a way â€Å"1984† by George Orwell starts. From the very first lines the author tires to set necessary atmosphere. Actually, the main point of the book is Orwell’s idea of personal freedom and how this freedom is defined throughout the book. The author presents the existence of doublethink, ultimate power in society and government along with absence of free thought and liberty. It is necessary to admit that the book is famous author’s ability to create tension and for finding original way of expressing ideas and thoughts. The book is one of the most famous dystopias because it illustrates real life, real living conditions and opportunities. George Orwell provides descriptions of future paying special attention to human face, human predetermination and human fate fighting every person from pessimistic misanthropes to the idealistic optimists. See more: My Writing Process Essay Orwell tells a story of a solitary Winston Smith who works in the Ministry of Truth. The main idea is that everything is functioning under the pressure of totalitarian world. Smith is a member of a leading party of the state, whereas Orwell underlines that only one part exists. In such a way Orwell shows that the only party provides guidance and control of all aspects of human life including even the most intimate thoughts. Smith’s job speaks for itself –Winston is assigned to provide changes to past records to make them match party wishes. Social culture is treated as â€Å"doublethink† meaning that presence of two conflicting facts opposes party’s ideology. Every citizen should support general party philosophy enabling English Socialism to subsume the essence of different thinking and to provide full control. Winston Smith thinks about liberty and freedom of though, though he realizes that he is simply a middle-aged man having no ties. His mind is full of dangerous thoughts and inside he is willing to struggle in order to reconcile events taking place around him. Actually, he remains the only unsettled person being interested in human rights and personal dignity. He thinks people should fight for what he feels proper and right. Te concept of doublethink must be eliminated, though Winston is personally weak to be able to rebel. It is necessary to note that it is the author who wants to speak to readers via his main character. Winston is trying to warn people of what may come in near future: â€Å"For whom, it suddenly occurred to him to wonder, was he writing this story? For the future, for the unborn. His mind hovered for a moment round the doubtful date on the page, and then fetched up with a bump against the Newspeak word doublethink. either the future would resemble the present, in which case it would not listen to him: or it would be different from it, and his predicament would be meaningless? † When Smith makes an elicit contact with a fellow party worker Julia, he feels he is ready to confront. Nevertheless, the power of the book is not simply in social theory provide, but rather in detailed descriptions of thoughts of main character. The author skillfully writes about party’s claims: â€Å"But simultaneously, true to the principles of doublethink, the Party taught that proles were natural inferiors who must be kept in subjection, like animals, by the application of a few simple rules †. When the main charter is firstly introduced, he is presented a thought criminal whose story is premised on that leap. Orwell allows following Smith’s life, to share his job, his objections to instructions. Also readers have an excellent opportunity to observe his love affairs and strange romance with Julia. Main hero is outrageous with established set of order and he says Julia: â€Å"I hate purity, I hate goodness! † Speaking about strong points, the book is brilliantly written, well-structured. The author writes with a rhythm vividly expressing his ideas. Development of Winston Smith creates empathy. Possibly, the strongest moment is the last half of the book when Orwell provides answers to the questions of interest. When Smith reads a book about how the leading party remains in power, he is interested why? party provides such discriminative and unfair policy towards society. When he asks O’Brien, he is answered as bluntly as possible that power should be achieved and retained for the sake of the power. The author vividly portrays Winston’s disappointment stating that society is confronted by absolute power being confident of its own immortality and universality. He thinks of Big Brother realizing that this program is confronted because of promoting sex crimes and proliferation. Nevertheless, the weak points are present as well. Actually, the last half of the book, despite being full of sense and explanations, appears not so interesting compared with the beginning. The author continues illustrating new fascinating ideas and images, though the whole story comes to a crashing halt. Apparently, long descriptions of dry book about political theory makes readers boring and dull. When Smith appears under tortures, the author fails to create intensive atmosphere. Possibly, the book becomes too familiar and the fact that Smith fails to confront social order is disappointing. The next moment is that the society of Big Brother is too idyllically presented to support man’s resistance. However, the author improves the situation after releasing Winston. The best piece of the book is re-union of Winston and Julia. The book is relevant to modern society and political philosophy because it aims at expanding existing knowledge of totalitarian ideologies. The author sheds light on the lives of common people with no ties comparing their opportunities with that of the absolute power being practiced by party members. The author provides detailed overview of totalitarian ideology exploring its deepest corners.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Original Classroom Assessment Essay Example for Free

Original Classroom Assessment Essay Over the past few years, there have been many debates and theories made regarding the concentration of world popular culture on Western – particularly, American influences. American consumer symbols such as McDonald and Mickey are among the most popular manifestations of the tremendously increasing sway of the U. S. on various countries all around the globe. As American consumer culture continues to embrace a worldwide cultural sphere, the issue of globalization through cultural imperialism also rises. Cultural imperialism refers to a whole new form of colonialism. Basically, it is the act of invading a country at a cultural level, thereby gradually replacing the predominant local culture with a foreign culture through commercial influences. Undeniably, American consumer culture does not only pervade worldwide commercial ventures. It also permeates everyday life as worldwide consumers continue to patronize American cultural commodities. The term â€Å"cultural commodities† refers to a wide range of products and services that can potentially alter or affect culture in varying degrees. Cultural commodities can be in the form of technological products, scientific procedures, learning systems, educational services, and media merchandising. Among all these, the media commodities are regarded as the most effective vehicle for transmitting lifestyles, values, and ideologies. In this paper, the research focuses on a particular medium of cultural transmission – films. Film, as a popular form of entertainment worldwide, is regarded as an important venue for cultural transmission as it reaches a massive amount of audience. Hollywood’s worldwide dominance has raised concerns about the erosion of local film industries, as well as the themes and resources that it involves. In an attempt to critically examine what effects does globalization through media-based cultural imperialism pose on local cultures and industries, this research centers on the British film industry. Since the British nation once had the same cultural dominance that the US enjoys nowadays, it is only fit to examine how the cultural commodity of a once-powerful nation can possibly withstand the challenges posed by today’s dominant culture. In this research, the status of the British film industry in a highly US-dominated field will be explored based on the theoretical explanations of why Hollywood continues to prosper amidst supposed local competency and resistance. As the manifestations of cultural imperialism in the British film industry are described, this research will also involve an exploration of what qualifies as a British film in a cultural sense. Moreover, the study also presents some steps on how the British film industry can thrive in today’s free trade setting. Pondering on the debates of free trade and dependency theories, this research works on the argument that although the British film industry is much propelled by globalization and US cultural imperialism, the most appropriate marketing proposition for it remains to be the nation’s local creative resources and utilization of overseas investment, not the application of US-patterned strategies on a domestic level.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Facts about the cruel abuse of animals

Facts about the cruel abuse of animals This argument has facts about the cruel abuse of animals. The research was informative and disappointing all at once. It includes opinions of others and cases that have happened in the past years. The research was gathered y reading articles, newspapers, and search engines such as Google and New York Times. One main difficulty while writing this essay was having to read about the horrible truth of different types of animal cruelty. The easiest thing about writing this essay was researching because animal cruelty is a common argument. Animal Cruelty Animals are being used for useless products that we can live without. Many animals die due to different types of crucial testing. They suffer by going through several procedures. The goal is not to patch up ailing people but to use the human tissues in place of mice, dogs or other lab animals for testing new drugs, cosmetics and other products (New York Times, nd). With the donation of human cells, animal testing will be reduced. This way is safer can be both suited for animals and humans. Different types of animal cruelty have been around for many years. Laws relating to animal cruelty vary from state to state. As of 2009, about forty-six states have some felony provisions in their anti-cruelty and/or animal fighting laws (Wisch, 2005). As time passes and new things are being invented, people seem to loose interest in their pets. Even though people use animals for their testing/experiments, there are other ways to get a solution to something. Scientist and many others, find it easier and safer to test on animals than to test on other possible sources. They test products such as makeup, and cologne. They also use animal fur for designer clothing other types of fashion. Innocent animal rights movement had a bible; it is Singers 1975 book, Animal Liberation  (New York Times, Jan. 15, pg 30). Singer calls many of the attitudes human beings have toward other animals speciesism, a concept which can be found throughout history (Gargaro, 1991). Humans are just like animals as far as feeling pain. Many animals are killed each year for food. More than a thousand animals are killed and shipped to groceries stores to be bought. Slaughtering of cows, pigs, and other animals, happen everyday because consumers keep purchasing meat. Animals on todays factory farms are kept in crowded, filthy enclosures and denied everything natural and enjoyable to them. Most of them have no legal protection from cruelty that would be illegal if it were inflicted on dogs or cats. There are some fruits or vegetables that can give the same protein as meat. The Humane Slaughter Act requires that animals be rendered unconscious with one swift application of a stunning device before slaughter. Animals in slaughterhouses predict the worse when they smell the stench hear the sounds and often see the slaughter of those before them. As the animals struggle to cooperate with the human workers who are pressured to keep the lines moving quickly, often react abusively towards the animals.   Numerous cases of de liberate cruelty have been reported of workers who take sadistic pleasure from shooting the eyes out of cattle, striking them in the head, and electrically shocking them in sensitive areas of their bodies. The animals central nervous and endocrine systems are no different between humans. To minimize costs, animals are crowded and must live in each others excrement. They are exposed to extreme weather conditions in the open trucks. Shipping fever, which can be fatal, is common in cattle transported long distances to the feedlots, the stockyards and then the slaughterhouse (Compassionate Action Institute, nd). Animal cruelty can be either neglecting or simply failing at taking care of an animal. No matter the position of the animal, the victim can suffer terribly. People with emotional problems harm the animals in different ways. Neglect is not giving an animal the right care it should be given. Animals who die of neglect suffer twice as much as animals, who die of mistreatment. Scientist can do horrible things to animals that other people cant do legally, but every state has some protection for pets like dogs and cats. There are different cases in animal cruelty, for example cockfighting and dog fighting. Animal cruelty has not gone away. In Brea, California, 85 children, from kindergarten through 12th grade, witnessed a cow being slaughtered at Carbon Canyon Christian School, according to PETA Action Alerts. They got to experience the cruel act instead of reading it in books. Chances are if an animal is being abused and there is a child in that household, then the child is also being abu sed. Chances are that a child abusing an animal can grow up to be someone who commits other violent crimes. Studies also found that a history of animal abuse was found in 25% of male criminals, 30% of convicted child molesters, 36% of domestic violence cases and 46% of homicide cases (The National Animal Abuse Registry, nd). Vegetarians examine the animals that are abused ad rig its perpetrators to court. People engage in animal cruelty, everywhere throughout the world. There are many reasons why people mistreat animals, some individuals act on sadistic desires; others neglect them and eat them without caring. Animals are used as dummies because people think they arent harming anyone by doing so. In the past few years, organizations and caring human beings have been using the internet to spread facts of animal cruelty, a great plan considering animal abuse will only continue until enough people come face-to-face with the unbarring truth. To fight this many scientists, authors, lawyers, and politicians have valued their time and money to save suffering animals. Thanks to the individuals who gathered animal cruelty facts, people are now noticing the suffering ad mistreatment they undergo. The incredible gift of medicine would not be possible without animal testing. Those who believe that using animals for testing think that its better to have them endure the product first for safe purposes. The things that make people believe that animal testing is wrong are that they believe that what the scientists do is with bad intensions. Scientists dont do it with bad intensions they do it because it might save lives or cure an illness. For example, if scientists test a new drug that they think will cure a disease they can test it on an animal to see if their theory is right and if it is, they can use it on humans who have that disease. Animal testing is used in many different ways, but mainly to prevent harm from being brought upon humans. Animal testing is used in several areas of research drug testing, and the testing of cosmetics. Research investigates many topics including memory, social behavior, evolution, genetics, and how animals develop normally and abnormally. Drug te sting is used to test pharmaceutical drugs on animals before the drugs are exposed to the public for use. Cosmetic testing includes the final testing of a product or their ingredients either individually or combined. This testing is the most controversial and is banned in Europe (n.a, 2007). In the history of animal testing, many good things have come from it. The US Foundation for Biomedical Research says that animal research has played a vital role in virtually every major medical advance of the last century for both human and animal health. Animal drug testing on penicillin, organ transplants, was used in the creation of a vaccine for polio. There are some misconceptions about animal testing. Many people believe that dogs, cats, and monkeys are the main animals used in research, but in fact, about 90 percent of animals used are rats and mice. Only .1 percent of animals used are primates, and only .4 percent are cats and dogs. People also believe that stray animals are picked up off the street and thrown into labs for testing. Not only is that not done, but it is also illegal (William Hamblin, 2007). In the past 20 years the number of animals tested on has been cut in half. Few topics are more hair-raising than the controversy over fur. Celebrities use fur as a sense of fashion. An undercover expert at Intelligent Life points out, it is eco-hogwash to boast that something is better because it is made from natural or renewable fibers. (Caitlin Dickson, 2011). The truth is that the meat and leather trades are economically intertwined, and all the environmental issues that come with raising cattle for meat-such as habitat loss, emissions of greenhouse gases and resource use, not to mention the overuse of antibiotics-also apply to leather. So an alternative option is to look for skins that have a positive impact on habitat and wild-animal numbers. (Caitlin Dickson, 2011). A fur coat is a great way to keep warm. No matter what occasion, fur is always in style. Many top international designers are using fur in their collections. Fur is a fiber that lasts for many years. Fur is biodegradable and a renewable resource. Fur can be worn for all occasions. Furs can be used for any season. The fur trade is a proud North American heritage. Strict government controls ensure that trade is okay as longest on endangered are used. The fur trade is a responsible, and well-regulated. Animal cruelties can also be fighting of animals. The ASPCA is wiping out animal fighters and saving thousands of animals from the horrors of abuse. Animal fighting is a contest in which people force animals to fight for entertainment. In some instances, they will use weak animals as bait to train the other stronger animals. In organized dog fighting cases, two dogs are put into a ring or pit to fight until one can not continue or dies. Street dog fighting cases occur in many city locations. In cockfighting handlers attach a razor or gaff to each roosters leg and put them into a ring to fight to the death. Cockfighting is considered family entertainment. Organized animal fighting is usually secretive and very difficult for law enforcement to find. Accordingly, it is rare for investigators to find a fight in progress. Animal fighting activities relate to crimes such as gambling, drug dealing, weapons offenses and money laundering. Stealing of pets to fight them is also a crime. In organized animal fighting cases, there are usually a large number of animals who must be catalogued as evidence, provided with medical treatment, and sheltered during the pendency of the court case. Furthermore, security precautions may be necessary at the shelter because animals considered to be from champion bloodlines are in danger of being stolen. Mans best friend may fight to the death in dogfights, often with a lot of money in stake. Dogfighters sometimes kill the losing dogs, and even winning dogs may die from their wounds. Drugs, guns, and even murders are discovered in dogfights. Street dog fighting, however, is on the rise in urban areas. Neighborhood pit bull owners seek status or bragging rights of fights in back alleys or basements. They are making inroads into street dog fighting, too. All fighting dogs suffer, whether in the pit or out. Although they are pack animals, they get immune to fighting more dogs and live lives on chains or locked in cages. Whether any emotional problems, any animal should not be brutally beat. Neglect is a major impact o animals ad ca suffer terribly from it.. All states have animal cruelty laws, and most of them treat some forms of abuse as felonies. Farmers and researchers can do cruel things to animals that other people cant do legally, but all states have some protection for pets like dogs and cats. Animal neglect is the failure to provide care required for an animal to be successful. At first glance, cases may not seem as bad, but severe neglect can mean long periods of suffering, resulting to injury or death. Large amounts of neglect can affect hundreds of animals The Animal Legal Defense Fund maintains a database of criminal animal cruelty cases in the U.S. reported to our organization. In the last ten years, over 30% of cases that we have tracked involve animal neglect (n.a, 2010). Although animals can be used for finding a cure, shelter, or even making money, its wrong to abuse of them for personal needs. They are a big part in our lives and do not need to be abused for no reason. They are the victims.

Slovenias transition from labor managed economy to privately owned capitalism :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1991 following a ten day military resistance to the Yugoslav National Army, Slovenia achieved its independence. Since then the country has established itself through economic prosperity and stability that is not always the case for countries transforming from a communist dominated system. During the period that Slovenia was a part of Yugoslavia the government consisted of a socialist system dominated by the communist party with most aspects of political power centered at regional levels. As a part of Yugoslavia Slovenia made up one fifth of its GDP and since its independence it has maintained a consistent GDP growth rate of 4% and has been successful in its transformation to a market dominated system by taking a policy of diversification of trade and an advocate of bilateral and regional free trade agreements.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Slovenia is a small country in central Europe. It borders the Adriatic Sea and lies between Austria and Croatia. Slovenia is slightly smaller than New Jersey and has a population of just over two million people. Its strong historical ties to Western Europe along with many other factors such as a literacy rate of 99.7% have resulted in Slovenia enjoying a much higher per capita GDP than other transitioning economies in Central Europe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The policy change that Slovenia experienced upon its independence involved a change from labor managed enterprises to a privately owned capitalist system. This task involves the privatization of the entire market from a socially owned and planned system. The changes to the labor market that took place were the transformation from wage controls to a competitive labor market. This was not as big of an issue in Slovenia due to the negative influence that labor-managed enterprises had on wage and price controls. The attempts to distance itself from central planning and the ideal of a functioning labor market is one of the primary reasons that Slovenia has made the transition to a capitalist economy with relative ease.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Towards the late 1980s the Yugoslav government recognized the need for economic change in order to prevent stagflation from occurring and to spur production. Actions taken included â€Å"liberalizing prices, wages, imports, and personal foreign currency accounts, which together would bring about equilibrium of relative prices.† These stabilization policies allowed corporations to act more autonomously and set the stage for the eventual transition to a capitalist economy by Slovenia after its independence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prior to the Slovene independence in 1991, the Yugoslav economy was based on labor-managed enterprises and basic price and wage controls.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Gender Roles in The Yellow Wallpaper -- Charlotte Perkins Gillman, shor

The Yellow Paper is a short story published in 1892, and written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Charlotte tells of a disheartening tale of a woman who struggles to free herself from postpartum depression. The Yellow Paper gives an account of an emotionally and intellectual deteriorated woman struggles to break free from a mental prison her husband had put her into, in order to find peace. The woman lived in a male dominated society and wanted indictment from it as she had been driven crazy, because of the Victorian â€Å"rest-cure† (Gilman 45). Her husband decided to force her to have a strict bed rest by separating her from her only child. He took her to recuperate in an isolated country estate all alone. The bed rest her husband forced into made her mental state develop from bad to worst. The Yellow Paper is a story that warns the readers about the consequences of fixed gender roles in a male-dominated world. In The Yellow Paper, a woman’s role was to be a dutiful wife and she should not question her husband’s authority and even whereabouts. Whereas, a man’s role was to be a husband, main decision maker, rational thinker and his authority was not to be questioned by the wife. The narrator in The Yellow Paper was a mother and a wife who was trying to free herself from the prison her husband had put her into. She lived in a male-dominate world whereby she was to be a wife who never questioned her husband’s authority. She suffered from a severe postpartum depression case, yet her marriage depressed her too. The narrator was in a marriage whereby her husband dominated and treated her like a child. Her husband was the sole decision maker and since she lived in a society whereby women were never allowed to question their husband’s decisio... ...he stopped being the protector and the only rational thinker in the family. In this short story, the men had power over women and they undermined them. The narrator insisted to her husband that she was sick, but he never took her serious instead, he confined her in an isolated place away from home and her child. Eventually both husband and wife loose because, they are trapped in fixed gender roles and could not go against them. Works Cited Carnley, Peter. The Yellow Wallpaper and other sermons. New York: Harper Collins, 2001. Print. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper. New York: Dover Publications, 1997. Print. Hume, Beverly A. "Gilman’s ‘Interminable Grotesque’: The Narrator of ‘The Yellow Wallpaper," Studies in Short Fiction 28 (Fall 1991): 477-484. Hedges, Elaine R. â€Å"Afterward† to â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.†Old Westbury, NY.Feminist Press 1973. Print. Gender Roles in The Yellow Wallpaper -- Charlotte Perkins Gillman, shor The Yellow Paper is a short story published in 1892, and written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Charlotte tells of a disheartening tale of a woman who struggles to free herself from postpartum depression. The Yellow Paper gives an account of an emotionally and intellectual deteriorated woman struggles to break free from a mental prison her husband had put her into, in order to find peace. The woman lived in a male dominated society and wanted indictment from it as she had been driven crazy, because of the Victorian â€Å"rest-cure† (Gilman 45). Her husband decided to force her to have a strict bed rest by separating her from her only child. He took her to recuperate in an isolated country estate all alone. The bed rest her husband forced into made her mental state develop from bad to worst. The Yellow Paper is a story that warns the readers about the consequences of fixed gender roles in a male-dominated world. In The Yellow Paper, a woman’s role was to be a dutiful wife and she should not question her husband’s authority and even whereabouts. Whereas, a man’s role was to be a husband, main decision maker, rational thinker and his authority was not to be questioned by the wife. The narrator in The Yellow Paper was a mother and a wife who was trying to free herself from the prison her husband had put her into. She lived in a male-dominate world whereby she was to be a wife who never questioned her husband’s authority. She suffered from a severe postpartum depression case, yet her marriage depressed her too. The narrator was in a marriage whereby her husband dominated and treated her like a child. Her husband was the sole decision maker and since she lived in a society whereby women were never allowed to question their husband’s decisio... ...he stopped being the protector and the only rational thinker in the family. In this short story, the men had power over women and they undermined them. The narrator insisted to her husband that she was sick, but he never took her serious instead, he confined her in an isolated place away from home and her child. Eventually both husband and wife loose because, they are trapped in fixed gender roles and could not go against them. Works Cited Carnley, Peter. The Yellow Wallpaper and other sermons. New York: Harper Collins, 2001. Print. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper. New York: Dover Publications, 1997. Print. Hume, Beverly A. "Gilman’s ‘Interminable Grotesque’: The Narrator of ‘The Yellow Wallpaper," Studies in Short Fiction 28 (Fall 1991): 477-484. Hedges, Elaine R. â€Å"Afterward† to â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.†Old Westbury, NY.Feminist Press 1973. Print.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The Anatomy Of A Modern Revolution :: Political Politics

The Anatomy Of A Modern Revolution? A revolution is a general and fundamental change in the political order when the mass of people rejects its government and the way things are run and is the result of failure to introduce gradual form. The people come together and there is a dramatic violent and forceful movement to change the way society is structured. A revolution itself is successful when one political, social and economic system has been replaced with an alternative that will bring about the necessary changes needed to remove the major sources of discontent and to improve life. The first stage of a revolution is the development of a revolutionary situation. It is characterised by increasingly widespread opposition to the existing government, which has lost effective control of the nation. The people then try to attack their government; this attack sometimes involves strikes, assassinations, demonstrations and riots. The government usually responds to these acts with a refusal to grant reform. From this, the accumulated anger inside the people explodes and the result is the overthrow of the old order. This always involves some form of military action in the capital, including taking over government buildings and occupying key transport and communication centres. There is not always only one group wanting to take power but a number of groups with quite different programs usually emerge. When the new government has taken power, it usually introduces policies that are very different from those of the previous government. People are asked to make sacrifices in order to ensure the changes work out. The relationships between classes and groups in society are affected, and a new group seeking dominance for itself usually pushes down a previously dominant class. However, many problems inherited from the previous government limit the extent of its reform. Next may be the most violent phase of the struggle - the consolidation of power. Loyalty to the new government is usually expected and demanded but allies of the old government may attempt to overthrow the new revolutionary government, to reinstate those who used to enjoy power and privilege and to restore the old order totally. The Anatomy Of A Modern Revolution :: Political Politics The Anatomy Of A Modern Revolution? A revolution is a general and fundamental change in the political order when the mass of people rejects its government and the way things are run and is the result of failure to introduce gradual form. The people come together and there is a dramatic violent and forceful movement to change the way society is structured. A revolution itself is successful when one political, social and economic system has been replaced with an alternative that will bring about the necessary changes needed to remove the major sources of discontent and to improve life. The first stage of a revolution is the development of a revolutionary situation. It is characterised by increasingly widespread opposition to the existing government, which has lost effective control of the nation. The people then try to attack their government; this attack sometimes involves strikes, assassinations, demonstrations and riots. The government usually responds to these acts with a refusal to grant reform. From this, the accumulated anger inside the people explodes and the result is the overthrow of the old order. This always involves some form of military action in the capital, including taking over government buildings and occupying key transport and communication centres. There is not always only one group wanting to take power but a number of groups with quite different programs usually emerge. When the new government has taken power, it usually introduces policies that are very different from those of the previous government. People are asked to make sacrifices in order to ensure the changes work out. The relationships between classes and groups in society are affected, and a new group seeking dominance for itself usually pushes down a previously dominant class. However, many problems inherited from the previous government limit the extent of its reform. Next may be the most violent phase of the struggle - the consolidation of power. Loyalty to the new government is usually expected and demanded but allies of the old government may attempt to overthrow the new revolutionary government, to reinstate those who used to enjoy power and privilege and to restore the old order totally.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

The Coca-Cola Company Essay

The Coca-Cola Company (KO) is a beverage company that manufacturer and distribute coke, diet coke and other soft drinks worldwide. The company primarily offers nonalcoholic beverages, including sparkling beverages and still beverages. Its sparkling beverages include nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverages with carbonation, such as carbonated energy drinks, and carbonated waters and flavored waters. The company’s still beverages comprise nonalcoholic beverages without carbonation, including noncarbonated waters, flavored and enhanced waters, noncarbonated energy drinks, juices and juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, and sports drinks. It also provides flavoring ingredients, sweeteners, beverage ingredients, and fountain syrups, as well as powders for purified water products. In addition, the company licenses its technologies to suppliers and third parties. The company is currently employing 130,600 full time employees and is considered being the world leader in the bev erage industry. Financial Review of the company: A. Market value of equity & Book value of equity – Market value of the equity of the company is the current market capitalization rate and it measured through by multiplying current market value of the share into the total number of shares outstanding and he market capitalization of the company as on 2nd October, 2014 is $187.10 billion (source: finance.yahoo=KO=key statistics). While the book value of the equity is the current book value of the company share and it is determined as under: Book value of equity = Total value of the equity / shares outstanding Book value = $7.77 (source: finance.yahoo=KO=key statistics). It is important to note that the book value of the shares of the company has increased from $3.29 per share in 2004 to $7.77 per share uptill now (it was $7.54 per share in the year 2013) B. Market performance – Total Return C. Financial performance review – The financial performance review of the company is as under: Gross profit margin – The gross profit margin of the company was 65.2% as at year 2004 but it has decreased to 60.7% in the year 2013 indicating a decline of 5.5% over this review period. The decrease in the gross profit is due to the increase in the cost of goods sold ratio as  of revenue from 34.78% in the year 2004 to 39.32% in the year 2013. Operating profit margin – The same trend of the decrease in the profitability is noted in the operating profit margin of the company as it has decreased from 25.9% in the year 2004 to 21.8% in the year 2013. This decrease in profitability is an alarming sign for the company as despite the increase in the revenue, the company was not able to generate profitability in the same proportion as that of the increase in the revenue of the company. Payout ratio – The dividend payout has increased from 50% in the year 2004 to 58.8% in the year 2013 indicating higher proportion of income is being paid out to the shareholders of the company Asset turnover – The relative increase in the assets of the company has resulted in decrease of asset turnover as it has decreased from 0.75 times in the year 2004 to 0.53 times in the year 2013 indicating the poor management of assets with respect to revenue generation Return on assets – ROA has also decreased from 16.52% in the year 2004 to 9.74% in the year 2013 due to the decrease in the profitability and increase in the asset base of the company Return on equity (ROE) – ROE of the company has also decreased from 32.29% in the year 2004 to 26.03% in the year 2013 due to the decrease in the profitability of the company Interest coverage ratio – The company first interest coverage ratio was determined in the year 2008 and it was 17.98 times. It has increased to 25.79 times in the year 2013 indicating an improvement in the overall interest coverage of the company. Liquidity of the company – The liquidity of the company as being measured through current and quick ratios is indicating a positive trend as current ratio was 1.10 in the year 2004 and it has increased to 1.13 in the year 2013. On the other hand, quick ratio has increased from 0.81 in the year 2004 to 0.90 in the year 2013. Efficiency of the company – Days Sales Outstanding of the company has increased from 35.42 days in the year 2004 to 37.52 days in the year 2013. Also, the Days Inventory has also increased from 63.84 days in the year 2004 to 64.8 days in the year 2013. Payables Period has decreased tremendously as it has decreased from 199.3 days in the year 2004 to 38.66 days in the year 2013. Cash Conversion Cycle of the company has improved as it has increased from -100.04 days in the year 2004 to 63.66 days in the year 2013. D. References: finance.yahoo. (2nd October). Key Statistics. Retrieved October 2, 2014, from http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ks?s=KO+Key+Statistics Morning Star. (2nd October). Coca-Cola Co KO (Key Ratios & company performance). Retrieved October 2, 2014, from http://financials.morningstar.com/ratios/r.html?t=KO ®ion=usa&culture=en-US

Friday, August 16, 2019

According to Abraham Lincoln Essay

According to Abraham Lincoln, â€Å"Your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing† (Mills 3). I was inspired by this quote that speaks of success, which I will describe as a golden star that everyone wants to reach. This quote is similar to most of the leadership quotes because it speaks of ways to reach success, but, this quote is special in a way that it could be related to the self-fulfilling prophecy. Simply put, the main road to success is the â€Å"will to succeed. † I’m sure each of us has experienced actually failing a task whenever our mind is embedded with the phrase: â€Å"I can’t do this! † If you believe that you will be successful in any endeavor you want to take, then, you have taken the first step to becoming a person who is the â€Å"king or queen of success. † I myself have noticed that whenever I put into mind that I will â€Å"win,† the outcome turns out to be truly positive. This essay can help readers realize that their goals can be achieved by first believing in themselves. If a person always expects that he/she will succeed in something specific, then his/her expectations will most probably turn into a reality as what the so-called â€Å"self-fulfilling prophecy† suggests. Rosenthal, in his book: â€Å"Experimenter Effects in Behavioral Research,† said: â€Å"Events tend to turn out as one has hypothesized, not because of some great insight but because one behaves in a manner to achieve this outcome. † Believing in this theory would mean that we would have to love ourselves more, believe that we have what it takes to win in this â€Å"game† called life, and, at the same time, because of our mind set, act in such a way that enables us to achieve our dreams. Bear in Mind: Success is in your hands, just believe! Belief, however, is the first step to success. The confidence and passion to go where no man has traveled and the will and perseverance to stay that course are the next steps on the road to success. It is easy to claim the belief in success but it is a totally different matter to take concrete actions to prove that resolve. Many people have claimed to have the utmost confidence in succeeding in life but there are only a few who can say that they have really succeeded in life. The reason for this is that without action nothing will result. As the rule of Isaac Newton on action and reaction dictates, â€Å"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. † This means that one must take definite steps in life in order to even be considered as a success in life (Mills 3). As the world continues to change and becomes more and more challenging and competitive, it becomes imperative for anyone looking for a successful life to not only have the drive to succeed but also the training and expertise to do so (Mills 3). While it has been said by Rosenthal that love for one’s self is the most important thing, there are other factors that one has to seriously consider in order to become successful in life. Once one has realized what one wants to do in life, the next step lies in realizing that dream. There is only so much that one can realize by dreaming without taking definite action. The thing that sets successful people apart from everyone else is the fact that these people have lived the dream. They were not simply content to dream and believe in themselves. These people have failed and still continued to believe in themselves. They did not falter when the whole world did not believe in them. The thing that counted the most for them was that they believed and they did something about that belief. The â€Å"will to succeed† and the â€Å"will to begin† are the two most important rules for success in the world today. Everyone can have the â€Å"will to succeed† but not everyone has the â€Å"will to begin. † To be a winner in life, one has to have the will and the act. One cannot achieve anything without both of these traits. Works Cited: Mills, Dawson A. â€Å"Continuing Education Offerings Abound. † The Virginian-Pilot [Virginia] 28 January 1996:3. Rosenthal, Robert. Experimenter Effects in Behavioral Research. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1966.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Ethical Issues in Social Research Essay

Ethics is a part of every society and is entwined in every aspect of daily living, however the meaning of ethics or what is ethical differs. Ethics is commonly associated with morality and Webster’s New world Dictionary defines ethical as â€Å"conforming to the standards of conduct of a given profession or group.† Knowing what a particular society considers ethical and unethical is what contributes to living successfully in that society. This is the same for researchers; researchers need to be aware of what is considered ethical and unethical conduct of scientific inquiry. From the time immediately after World War II until the early 1990s, there was a gradually developing consensus about the key ethical principles that should underlie the research endeavor; two events stand out as symbolic of this consensus. The Nuremberg War Crimes Trial following World War II brought to public view the ways German scientists had used captive human subjects as subjects in oftentimes g ruesome experiments. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study involved the withholding of known effective treatment for syphilis from African-American participants who were infected. Events like these forced the reexamination of ethical standards and the gradual development of a consensus that potential human subjects needed to be protected from being used as ‘guinea pigs’ in scientific research. There are several reasons why it is important to adhere to ethical norms in research. First, norms promote the aims of research, such as knowledge, truth, and avoidance of error. For example, prohibitions against fabricating, falsifying, or misrepresenting research data promote the truth and avoid error. Second, since research often involves a great deal of cooperation and coordination among many different people in different disciplines and institutions, ethical standards promote the values that are essential to collaborative work, such as trust, accountability, mutual respect, and fairness. For example, many ethical norms in research, such as guidelines for authorship, copyright and patenting policies, data sharing policies, and confidentiality rules in pe er review, are designed to protect intellectual property interests while encouraging collaboration. Most researchers want to receive credit for their contributions and do not want to have their ideas stolen or disclosed prematurely. Third, many of the ethical norms help to ensure that researchers can be held accountable to the public. For instance, federal policies on research misconduct, conflicts of interest, the human subject’s  protections, and animal care and use are necessary in order to make sure that researchers who are funded by public money can be held accountable to the public. Fourth, ethical norms in research also help to build public support for research. People are more likely to fund research project if they can trust the quality and integrity of research. Finally, many of the norms of research promote a variety of other important moral and social values, such as social responsibility, human rights, and animal welfare, compliance with the law, and health and safety. Ethical lapses in research can significantly harm human and animal subjects, students, and the public. For example, a researcher who fabricates data in a clinical trial may harm or even kill patients and a researcher who fails to abide by regulations and guidelines relating to radiation or biological safety may jeopardize his health and safety or the health and safety of staff and students. We can’t solve our social problems until we understand how they come about, persist. Social science research offers a way to examine and understand the operation of human social affairs. It provides points of view and technical procedures that uncover things that would otherwise escape our awareness. Often, as it goes, things are not what they seem; social science research can make that clear. Social research is often seen as an intrusion to people, as it is seen as a disruption in their normal daily activities. Social research examines a society’s attitudes, assumptions, beliefs, trends, stratifications and rules. Social research obtains personal information about people, information that might not be known by the people closest to them. The information obtained can then be revealed to other people such as lawyers and doctors and in the case of lawyers this information can then be revealed to their clients; therefore social researchers like to believe that the research will help all humanity. Popular topics of social research include poverty, racism, class issues, sexuality, voting behavior, gender constructs, policing and criminal behavior. Research can be conducted using surveys, reports, observation, questionnaires, focus groups, historical accounts, personal diaries and census statistics. There are two types of research: qualitative research and quantitative research. Qualitative research is inductive, meaning the researcher creates hypotheses and  abstractions from collected data. Most data is collected via words or pictures and mostly from people. Researchers are interested in how people make sense of their lives and in the research process itself. Quantitative research is the complete opposite and most often involves numbers and set data. Quantitative data is efficient but focuses only on the end result, not the process itself, as qualitative research does. Quantitative data is precise and is often the result of surveys or questionnaires. Voluntary participation is a major principle of research ethics and the same applies to social research. Everyone participating should do so voluntary and should not be forced in any way. Participants should also be informed that there is no reward for participating in the research and they will not be penalized if they do not want to participate. Voluntary participation does however, raise scientific concerns, a major one being generalization. This is said because it is believed that only people with the same personality or same traits would volunteer to participate in a particular research therefore the results will not apply to the population as a whole. There are instances where the researcher will not reveal they are doing a research because they will not want the subjects to be affected in terms of not wanting to participate. In these instances the subjects don’t get to chose if they want to participate, therefore the researcher has to ensure that they do not bring any harm to the subjects they are studying. Harm can be defined as both physical and psychological. There are two standards that are applied in order to help protect the privacy of research participants. Almost all research guarantees the participants’ confidentiality; they are assured that identifying information will not be made available to anyone who is not directly involved in the study. The stricter standard is the principle of anonymity which essentially means that the participant will remain anonymous throughout the study –even to the researchers themselves. The need to protect the subjects has been in part to violations against subjects by medical researchers, like the experiments performed on prisoners of war by Nazi researchers in World War II. Social research should never harm the subjects, no matter if it is voluntary or not. Social researchers should ensure that their research will in no way embarrass subjects or endanger their family life, jobs or anyone else they are associated with. Social researchers have an obligation to protect their subjects, therefore they have to ask the subjects very personal questions about their behavior, income or anything else that may personal agony or harm to the subject. It is because of this that all participants must be informed of the risks involved in participating in research projects. Social researchers should also be careful when writing books or articles about their studies because the subjects often read the books or articles and if they see themselves in a negative way. The key to research whether it is, voluntary participation or avoiding harm, is sensitivity to the issues being researched and experience with applicants. Even when clear ethical standards and principles exist, there will be times when the need to do accurate research runs up against the rights of potential participants. No set of standards can possibly anticipate every ethical circumstance. Furthermore, there needs to be a procedure that assures that rese archers will consider all relevant ethical issues in formulating research plans.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Affect of Fast Food

Primary Factors that Affect Choice of Fast Food PRIMARY FACTORS THAT AFFECT CHOICE OF FAST FOOD AMONG INDIVIDUALS OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND DIFFERENTIATIONS IN HEALTH PERSPECTIVES RELATED TO CONSUMPTION OF FAST FOOD ABSTRACT The objective of this research is to identify the impact that culture has on the consumption of fast food and to compare the difference in buying behavior in different countries.Finally, this work will investigate the major factors that affect customer’s choice in fast food and to understand the relationship between food consumptions and health. This study has made a qualitative examination of fast food consumption among individuals of various nationalities and ethnicities in various countries specifically as related to consumption of fast food through an extensive review of literature in a study reported in interpretive and descriptive findings.Literature reviewed in this study is of an academic and peer-reviewed nature and published in journals, books, and professional literature and is of a recent nature. Globalization is greatly changing society and culture all around the globe in terms of consumer choices, lifestyle, individual preferences, socialization and custom and at the same time all of these factors are individualizing and changing specific aspects of marketing for fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and others.In short, understanding factors affecting consumer choices regarding fast food is a complex focus of research because many diverse and various factors must be taken into consideration in terms of fast food and indeed the non-foodness’ (Kwan, 1999) this study has found that non-food related factors affecting consumer choice of fast food establishments on a local and international basis include factors such as: (1) individual choice; (2) religious; (3) group preferences; (4) health-related factors; (5) location and availability of restaurant choices; (6) costs; (7) sociali zation; (8) time available for eating; (9) with whom they are eating the food; (10) whether the individual is a student in a college or university within the proximity of a fast food restaurant. OBJECTIVEThe objective of this research is to identify the impact that culture has on the consumption of fast food and to compare the difference in buying behavior in different countries. Finally, this work will investigate the major factors that affect customer’s choice in fast food and to understand the relationship between food consumptions and health. INTRODUCTION This study focuses on the factors that affect the choice of fast food by individuals in various countries throughout the world and specifically as related to buying behavior as related to consumptions of fast food and health perceptions among these individuals and different cultures. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDYMany studies have cited health-related affects from fast food consumption therefore this study has sought to investi gate the factors that affect the choice of fast food among different individuals in various countries throughout the world and the related health perceptions of these individuals as related to consumption of fast food. METHODOLOGY This study has made a qualitative examination of fast food consumption among individuals of various nationalities and ethnicities in various countries specifically as related to consumption of fast food through an extensive review of literature in a study reported in interpretive and descriptive findings. Literature reviewed in this study is of an academic and peer-reviewed nature and published in journals, books, and professional literature and is of a recent nature. INTRODUCTIONGlobalization is greatly changing society and culture all around the globe in terms of consumer choices, lifestyle, individual preferences, socialization and custom and at the same time all of these factors are individualizing and changing specific aspects of marketing for fast fo od restaurants such as McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and others. In short, understanding factors affecting consumer choices regarding fast food is a complex focus of research because many diverse and various factors must be taken into consideration in terms of fast food and indeed the non-foodness’ (Kwan, 1999) of fast food must be examined. ‘Non-foodness’ is a term coined in the work of Kwan (1999) which is a term used to refer to other reasons that fast food is chosen for consumption among consumers internationally. These factors will be specifically focused on in this study. RESEARCH QUESTIONS ) What different views are held among different cultures in countries throughout the world relating to consumption of fast food? 2) What are the health perspective differentials existing among individuals in various countries throughout the world related to fast food consumption? 3) What are the primary factors that affect the consumption of fast food by col lege-age students from various countries of the world? 4) Is consumption of fast food an addition to- or an extension of- cultural issues surrounding food consumption? 5) What non-food related factors affect consumer choice of fast food establishments internationally and locally? LITERATURE REVIEWThe work of Jiang (2006) entitled: â€Å"American Fast Food in Chinese Culture† states that the research reported is of a study that examined the affects of American fast food culture on Chinese eating habits and the perceptions that the Chinese population have on their general health statuses and the effects of American fast food on Chinese health. Factors listed in this study for consumption of fast food included: (1) Convenience; (2) Speed; (3) Clean and quiet environment; (4) Children being the reason for visiting fast food establishments. Included in reasons for visiting fast food establishments by the Chinese individuals interviewed by Jiang were the reasons stated as: (1) Clea nliness; and 2) Preference for the food. In the country of China Jiang (2006) states that places: â€Å"†¦such as McDonald’s and KFC represent the attainment of the desired urban Chinese life. They are places where small companies started by recent college graduates hold office meetings. They are popular dating spots among the young adults and quiet places to get away from the hustle and bustle of metropolitan life for the increasing population of white collar workers. The well lit, standardized and clean restaurants represent the antithesis of the traditional Chinese restaurant in which franchises are rare, busy meal time are always loud, and the older generations tend to prefer. (Jiang, 2006) Jiang relates that these fast food restaurants in China place an emphasis on the culture and social status which is reflected in â€Å"†¦the business strategies of the fast food companies in targeting the younger generation with weight loss salads, quiet environments and tr endy music. † (2006) The younger generation in China have different values than do their parents â€Å"†¦the standards for social status have changed as well. Changing standards which American fast food among other companies have been catering to include the creation of â€Å"†¦non-smoking, clean, professional franchises that make the younger generation feel comfortable and upscale.At McDonald’s for example, they are treated in the same manner as a successful businessman thirty years their senior. At Starbucks, the standardized menu allows them to have their favorite drink made the same way no matter which franchise they visit. At KFC, one can sit down to study without being bombarded by loud yells from smoking middle-aged men talking business over beer. Whereas previous generations favored personal attention, the new generation now favors personal comfort. In order to be successful, consequently, new businesses have to target the intra-generational cultures . † (Jiang, 2006) The work of Wai Yin Kwan entitled: â€Å"American Fast Food in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China† (1999) relates some very interesting facts.Kwan (1999) conducted a survey among Texas students from Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. Findings of the survey include the following stated reasons why these individuals choose fast food: (1) Because it is â€Å"something new and different† – Kwan relates that â€Å"since hamburgers, pizzas, and french fries are not items found in the traditional Chinese diet, many first time customers went to the fast food places just to find out what the food and the entire fast food experience were like. † (1999) (2) American – Kwan relates that for some of these individuals the aspect of the individuals in this study because it provided them with a â€Å"change to participate in and associate themselves with the American culture. (1999) Kwan’s study revealed that because â€Å"people have differin g conceptions of what America is, the exact aspects of American culture that the consumers found appealing also differ. For the younger generation the American fast food/tee-shirt and jeans culture represents a lack of formal rules, casualness, and youth. For young adults who are involved or wish to be involved in the business world, American fast food represents the modern, global culture. † (1999) (3) Something special – Kwan relates that in the advent of the fast food chains â€Å"†¦their prices were relatively high compared to lower end, traditional eating establishments. The high prices prevented most people from going there on a regular basis, and therefore fast food was seen a special treat. (1999) (4) Tourist destination – Kwan relates findings that since fast food places are generally concentrated in the large urban areas â€Å"†¦and have not yet reached rural towns, many rural tourists who visit large urban cities in China make a special tri p to fast food places. Many tourists have their picture taken in front of the McDonald's sign or with the Ronald McDonald statue outside the restaurant to document their contact with an exotic culture. â€Å" (1999) (5) Location, location, location – Over a period-of-time, Kwan’s study notes that â€Å"†¦as the number of fast food outlets increased, the reasons why people go to fast food places changed. All the interviewees who have become accustomed to the presence of the fast food chains now cite the numerous locations as a major reason for going to fast food outlets.Some of the students said while they would never make a special trip to go to a fast food place, they sometimes ate fast food because they happened to walk by a fast food place when they were hungry. † (1999) Additionally, other than the number of fast food outlets, the locations were noted to play an integral role in the popularity of fast food among the students from Hong Kong, Taiwan and China as many of these outlets are located nearby schools and college campuses and students were stated to be prone to gather in these outlets in the late afternoon and early evening following classes. (6) The Toys! – McDonald’s was found to be popular among youth from Hong Kong, Taiwan and China because of the toys provided with the Happy Meal. Kwan states: â€Å"Recently the Happy Meal toys also attracted the attention of the adult market.The sales of Happy Meals at McDonald's in Hong Kong jumped 80% in 1998 after the introduction of the Snoopy doll, and jumped 10% in 1999 after the introduction of the Hello Kitty doll This increase in sales was driven by both kids and adults who bought and then resold the dolls at twenty times the original price. † (1999) (7) Friendly staff – According to Kwan another reason cited for the popularity of fast food was the friendly staff and atmosphere. Findings of the survey relate that quality of service varies at other high-end expensive and traditional restaurants â€Å"while the quality of service at traditional places varies greatly depending on the personality of the waiter, the students said that the cashiers at the fast food places are always smiling and polite. † (1999) (8) Cleanliness – Kwan relates the fact that Taiwanese and Chinese students â€Å"†¦were also impressed by the cleanliness of the fast food places.One reason for the cleanliness is the fact that unlike traditional restaurants where the customers leave all the dishes on the tables when they leave, the customers at the fast food places throw their own trash away. The students were also impressed by the fact that employees were constantly sweeping the floors and cleaning the windows. † (1999) The students from Hong Kong however, â€Å"†¦didn't express the view that the service and cleanliness of American fast food chains are superior to domestic eateries. † (1999) Kwan reports that in surv ey questions that focused entirely on fast food at McDonald’s the following findings were stated: (1) Friendly atmosphere – Kwan relates that the tops reasons for choosing McDonalds among the students from Taiwan and China included: (a) clean atmosphere; (b) friendly atmosphere. Secondary was the food itself. 2) Cheap prices – Kwan relates that unlike China and Taiwan â€Å"†¦where the prices at McDonald's were higher than traditional food eateries, the prices at McDonald's in Hong Kong are cheaper than most other eateries. The low prices were very attractive to the young students who had a limited supply of money. † (1999) Kwan relates that among the students he surveyed that â€Å"none of the students I interviewed expressed a strong negative view of the American fast food chains. Also stated in the findings of the study conducted by Kwan (1999) is: â€Å"While there is a bias against American fast food, especially among the older generation, the bias isn't for reasons that American critics normally cite.Many of the students said that their parents never even wanted to try American fast food because of the fact that they didn't consider it real food. In their opinion a real meal consists of rice or noodles, some meat and vegetables, not â€Å"two slices of bread, a small piece of meat and some ketchup. †(Kwan, 1999) The students from Taiwan, China and Hong Kong, held the view that the more choices available to them all the better and as well nearly all of the students held the belief that â€Å"†¦of the students also shared the common belief that the introduction of American fast food companies was not a threat to their culture, because they believe that the Chinese people are too proud of their food culture to ever let fast food replace traditional food. † (Kwan, 1999)This study reports that among those students who enjoyed eating fast food it was viewed as â€Å"†¦more as alternative to their dail y diet, rather than being the main part of their diet. † (1999) Kwan relates that there was no expressed concern among Hong Kong and Taiwanese students â€Å"over the widespread presence of fast food back home, some of the students from China were bothered by the rapidly increasing presence of fast food in China. One student said while she readily accepts the presence of McDonald's in the urban cities, she is less supportive of the idea of McDonald's spreading into the rural areas. † (Kwan, 1999) Kwan humorously states: â€Å"Relax people, it's just capitalism! (1999) It is reported that the students surveyed held a belief that the fast food corporations are just â€Å"corporate behavior as a natural part of doing business†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1999) The students surveyed by Kwan did not have a negative image of American fast food companies and some even held the belief that local food culture has been improved by the introduction of the fast food restaurants. The reason sta ted for this is: â€Å"Previous to the introduction of fast food, not much attention was paid to the service and cleanliness of inexpensive, small scale eateries; good service and a clean environment were high priorities only in expensive, high scale restaurants.The students, who are old enough to compare the conditions of local eateries before and after the introduction of fast food, said that some local restaurants are trying to improve their service and cleanliness in response to the competition from the American fast food industry. † (1999) The study conducted by Kwan also reveals the situation that occurred in Hong Kong: â€Å"In 1974 the founders of Cafe Coral changed the eatery from a traditional style restaurant, to a self-service system that combined Chinese style food with Western style concepts of mass production, quality, service, cleanliness, and value. By 1999 Cafe de Coral had 112 fast food outlets in Hong Kong, second only to McDonald's 147 outlets.These dome stic fast food companies have taken what they have learned from Western fast food companies and created viable alternative for local consumers who want both the service, cleanliness, and low prices associated with Western fast food and the taste of traditional Chinese food. † (Kwan, 1999) Kwan relates that the rapid spread of American fast food in China â€Å"†¦China should not simply be seen as one-way process of foreign business imposing their product on local consumers. Consumers have as much affect on the way the product is perceived and used, as the corporations that market the product. † (1999) Adjustments have been noted in the menu offerings by the fast food restaurants in order to adapt to the tastes of the locality which includes offering of the Teriyaki burger by McDonald’s and the offerings of a seafood Pizza by Pizza Hut topped with shrimp and squid.Students in numbers have made note of the fact that the Spicy Chicken Wings at Kentucky Fried Chi cken (KFC) were greatly liked and Kwan states this is due to the fact that â€Å"Chinese people generally consider the wings, not the breast or the thigh, as the juiciest and best part of the chicken. † (1999) Another aspect of the attraction of fast food to consumers that differentiates American and Hong Kong customers is the time spent at a fast food establishment. American consumers are stated to spend, on the average, 11 minutes while the Hong Kong consumers reporting spending, on-the-average, 20-25 minutes at the fast food establishment. Kwan relates: â€Å"One student I interviewed said she and her friends would often go to McDonald's for a â€Å"quick† thirty minute meal before going somewhere else such as the movies. While for Americans the idea of spending thirty minutes eating fast ood seems to contradict the purpose of going to a â€Å"fast† food place, to Chinese consumers this behavior is quite normal. † (1999) Also stated among the findings of the study of Kwan is that the fast food establishment is a â€Å"place to hang out†¦a social gathering place for people, especially youths and college-age people. † (1999) The location of these establishments centrally located to schools, universities, and colleges and allowed those who frequented these fast food restaurants to hang out as long as they like, although the study reveals that other waiting customers did often apply pressure and hurry those with tables to eat and surrender the table and with other customers soon to follow to pressure those just having gained the table to give it up to them.Kwan specifically relates that one of the primary reasons for fast food restaurants becoming a chosen hangout is because â€Å"†¦there are no other food establishments that students and their friends could hang out. The owners of small, family-owned Chinese restaurants expect the customers to finish eating in a reasonable amount of time so that new customers can b e seated. The fancier restaurants, that are more accommodating to people who stay for longer periods, are too expensive for most youths. â€Å" (1999) The social aspect of fast food restaurants reflects that status of eating in socialization among these students. Kwan relates findings that eating, among the students surveyed â€Å"was considered a social activity to be shared with others.All of the students said that they would usually or almost always go out to the fast food places with someone else. Some students even said that they would never go out to eat alone. For some students the primary purpose of going to the fast food places was to hang out, not to eat. A few of the students said that they went to the fast food places, even though they didn't like the food, because their friends wanted to go. They would order a drink and maybe something small like fries or a dessert, and spend quite a while there just hanging out and talking with their friends. † (1999) Kwan note s the ‘Non-foodness of fast food† in that it has been assimilated into accepted local culture†¦Ã¢â‚¬  although this is certainly on a global scale, et this type of food is not viewed the same as traditional Chinese food in the Chinese culture. Chinese food is not only traditional in its content but in its cultural form as well the vast array of available dishes when eating in a Chinese restaurant is accompanied by a great and lengthy discussion as to the ‘quality’ of the food â€Å"†¦and urging others to eat more. † (Kwan, 1999) Furthermore, it is revealed in this study that Chinese fast food consumption is through â€Å"a simple routine of picking which number value meal they want. † (Kwan, 1999) One of the primary findings in this study is that â€Å"many people don’t expect to get full from fast food.Kwan states that students related: â€Å"†¦they would feel ripped off if they went to a traditional place and didn't g et full, the fact that they didn't get full from McDonald's never bothered them. A few of the students even commented on the fact that two or three hours after eating fast food, they would get hungry again. If they had eaten a real meal, meaning rice, meat, and vegetables, then they would be full for the rest of the night. † (1999) Kwan’s study notes that the reactions of the overseas students to fast food in America includes the findings that to these students interviewed from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong: â€Å"Chinese made American fast-food tastes better† accredited to the spices in China which are put in the burgers make them taste better than in America.Chinese students state that pizza is even better in China and stated in the survey: â€Å"Many of the overseas students said that they were disappointed the first time they ate pizza here in America because they were used to eating pizzas with five or six toppings back home. They thought it was a rip off tha t the pizzas in the U. S. usually only come with one topping. † (Kwan, 1999) Among the students interviewed Kwan states findings that â€Å"the ubiquitous nature of fast food is also another reason for their decreased interest in fast food. Since the allure of eating something â€Å"different†, something â€Å"American† is gone, the only reason left to go to the fast food places is the food itself. For most of the students I interviewed, the food just isn't enough of a reason to go to the fast food places. † (1999)Kwan concludes the study by stating: â€Å"The reasons consumers in China, McDonald's and Hong Kong go to fast food places is much more complex than the fact that â€Å"Chinese consumers are obsessed with all things American. † Their reasons for going to fast food places range from characteristics shared by consumers throughout the world, such as convenience, location and hunger, to reasons that based on specific cultural values, such as the view that eating is a social activity. Ironically the food itself only plays minor role in the popularity of fast food. The emphasis on going to a fast food place as a social activity, rather than a eating activity, offers a definition of the term â€Å"fast food† that is vastly different from the one created by the business executives. † (1999)The work entitled: â€Å"Fast Food: Faster Way to Ill Health† published in ‘The Hindu’ relates that while country has â€Å"the largest epidemic, in any nation, of malnourished people†¦Ã¢â‚¬  as well India â€Å"will soon be the largest epidemic of any national, of obese and diabetic people who will be prone to trouble with their kidneys, eyes, nervous systems, or other parts of the body. † (Balasubramanian, 2008) This is attributed to policies, or actually a lack of policies â€Å"of successive governments, central and state†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ((Balasubramanian, 2008) This report relates that fa st food or ‘junk food in India’ â€Å"does not come any faster than the traditional idli, vada, dosa, samosa, pakoda or chat in our shops and stalls; indeed it comes slower. † (Balasubramanian, 2008) The report relates a typical scene in India stating: â€Å"One report says that over 23 per cent of the children in Delhi are obese.One hopes that this estimate is not true; if it is, one shudders to think of the numbers in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, Gurgaon and other nouveau riche cities with their fast pervading mall culture and fast food attractions. Here is a typical scene from one such mall in Hyderabad. It has a 4-movie multiplex theatre, surrounded by 40-odd fast food kiosks and 20-odd shops that sell clothing, perfumes and jewelry, music and video CDs and DVDs and the like. Not one of them sells traditional Indian meals or snacks. And the mall, like 20 others in the city, is filled with thousands of youngsters who obviously have enough to spe nd. We did not have such scenes in India twenty years ago, but this mall and fast food culture is expanding explosively across India. This too is part of the globalization of India, a part that auses great concern about the health of its citizens. † (Balasubramanian, 2008) Balasubramanian reports a research conducted by the research firm ‘Synovate’ recently among thirteen countries on â€Å"food habits and health, particularly fast food culture and obesity. † (2008) Findings in the study reported by Balasubramanian (2008) state the â€Å"†¦the number one fast food nation in the world is the United Kingdom. About 45 per cent of the people there are fast food eaters, and say â€Å"I like the taste of fast food too much to give it up. † (Balasubramanian, 2008) Following a close second are Americans at 44% and Canadians in very close behind in third place consumption of fast food and 37%.Very different findings are stated for the French who reject fast food at a rate of 81% and Singaporeans who reject fast food at a rate of 71%. Balasubramanian notes that while â€Å"†¦these two countries too are globalized, developed nations, and yet their people reject fast food. † (Balasubramanian, 2008) Balasubramanian states that a paradox exists among the French in that there are so very few incidences of metabolic type disorders and diseases. This could well be the fact that only 30% of those in France are overweight while â€Å"less than 24 percent in Singapore†¦Ã¢â‚¬  are overweight. Those overweight in China are at approximately 18% and 15% of individuals were obese in India until 1980 when that rate climbed rapidly to 27%.Balasubramanian makes a comparison of fast food and traditional food in India and states: â€Å"A hamburger with toppings yields 300 calories (cal) and 10 grams (g) total fat. A slice of pepperoni pizza has 180 cal and 7 g fat. A 12-oz (340 ml) can of Coca Cola yields 155 cal, and a small porti on of McDonald’s French fries has 210 cal, and as much as 15g total fat (and the bad ones, the trans fats, form 4g of this amount). More often than not, these are eaten as snacks and not as meals, and thus add to the calorie and fat content- contributing to obesity and associated ill health. † (2008) Balasubramanian states that in comparison to Indian snacks nd ‘tiffin’ that these â€Å"†¦one midsize idli offers 70 cal and 0. grams fat, a sada dosa 140 cal and 5 grams fat (hence a set dosa or steamed dosa is better), and a samosa packs 370 cal and 18 grams fat (matching a pizza slice or a plate of fries). A glass of lassi (200 g) gives you 140 cal and 2 grams fat (only if it is not ‘malai dal ke’). In the list of fattening dishes of India, korma and biryani stand on top, while ‘tikka’ items cooked in dry oven are low fat. This comparison is not to say: â€Å"avoid burger and fries, and eat only idli vada,† but to reque st to use moderation and caution. † (Balasubramanian, 2008) In another report from the University of Austin Texas entitled: â€Å"Research Examines the Incorporation of Fast Food Culture† it is related that although McDonald’s the work of Dr. John Traphagan and Dr. L.Keith Brown which is published in the Journal of Ethnology (2002) which relates that fast food is among many and â€Å"†¦often is disparaged as imposing American culture upon unsuspecting global consumers, a new study shows that in Japan fast food restaurants may have positive cultural effects. † (2002) This study â€Å"†¦highlights examples of how McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken and other Westernized fast food restaurants provide an opportunity for Japanese families to interact with a sense of intimacy and conviviality that is not seen in more traditional Japanese fast food establishments. † (Traphagan, 2002) T Traphagan states in the findings of the study: â€Å"We becam e interested in fast food in Japan as a result of casual observations of people in restaurants.It seemed to us that the patterns of eating and interaction were different from what is often reported in the media and in various scholarship in relation to the role of McDonald's and other fast food venues in modern societies. We also were interested, in this age of globalization, in how the products of multinational corporations such as McDonald's fit into other, non-American cultures,† he said. â€Å"We were interested in how such global, or American, products are perceived in other cultures, how those products are consumed and used in other cultures, how they are adjusted or changed to fit with the local culture and what effect such things have on other cultures. † (2002)Through observation of the behavior of those eating in fast food restaurants the researchers were able to note differential eating patterns between Japanese and American consumers including findings of th e sharing of food among co-workers, friends, and members of family. Traphagan states: â€Å"It is very common for Japanese to have plates of common food in the center of the table, from which they take small portions. Intimacy is sometimes evident by the manner in which people use their chopsticks. If they turn the chopsticks around and take the food from the common plate with the back ends of the chopsticks, this indicates a degree of social distance. One would not do this with family members.The tendency of having common food in the center of the table holds in restaurants like McDonald's, where people usually dump all of the french fries onto a common tray in the center of the table and then draw from them as desired. † (2002) Fast food was also found in the study conducted by Traphagan to be differentiated in Japan from fast food in the United States in that Japanese fast food â€Å"†¦involves a range of options wider than the burgers and fries or fried chicken that typifies the American example, ramen, yakitori and sushi can all be fast food. In some ways, many aspects of Japanese cuisine are fast food in that they can be prepared, kept and eaten quickly — although by no means do Japanese always eat quickly. (2002) It is important to note the findings stated by Traphagan that the Japanese â€Å"†¦view foods like hamburgers and fries as snacks, rather than as a full meal. The lack of rice puts these foods into a somewhat different category from that typical in the U. S. † (Traphagan, 2002) Traphagan states findings that certain customs of the Japanese were â€Å"†¦sustained in fast food restaurants. One is that a woman in the group — the wife, mother or girlfriend — will go to the counter to place the order and pay, while the rest of the family is seated. In a society where family dinners are rare, the researchers found this time was used by the father to interact with his children, making a trip to McDon ald's an important family outing. † (Traphagan, 2000)The work of Douglas Kellner entitled: â€Å"Theorizing/Resisting McDonaldization: A Multiperspectivist Approach† (nd) states that no doubt exists that â€Å"McDonaldization is spreading as an international phenomenon. † This work states that in 1996 the Economists made note of the fact that McDonalds reported the intention to open approximately 32,000 new restaurants and that two-thirds of these would be located outside of the United States. It is stated that the analysis conducted by Ritzer while acknowledged McDonalds in terms of its ‘product, architecture, and atmosphere to local conditions†¦Ã¢â‚¬  fails to analyze the â€Å"meanings, social functions, and experiences†¦Ã¢â‚¬  that are experienced by customers as McDonald’s â€Å"generates a variety of local conditions. † (nd) It is noted that McDonald’s, just as any global artifact â€Å".. as very different meanings and functions in different regions and parts of the world, and a concrete analysis should interrogate local conditions in which consumers provide their own narratives of their site-specific and particular experiences to capture the variety and diversity of meanings of the McDonald’s effect. † (nd) Kellner states that he would argue for what I call a multiperspectivist social theory (Best and Kellner 1991 and 1997; Kellner 1995) to engage the phenomenon of McDonaldization and to provide a more contextual and multidimensional paradigm for analyzing the multiplicity of economic, socio-political, and cultural aspects of McDonaldization.This requires mobilizing the resources of both modern and postmodern theory, using both Marx and Weber, and Baudrillard and postmodern theory, as well as the resources of cultural studies and a critical multiculturalism, to theorize the full-range of the phenomenon of the global hybridization of McDonaldization, its cultural and ideological c onstruction, and its complex effects. McDonaldization is a many-sided phenomenon and the more perspectives that one can bring to its analysis and critique, the better grasp of the phenomenon one will have and the better one will be able to develop alternative readings and generate oppositional practices. † (nd)The work of Jack Marr and Alcinda Hatfield entitled: â€Å"Fast-Food Restaurants: Just What Eastern China’s Consumers Ordered† states that the growth of fast food restaurants in the country of China has â€Å"mushroomed† in both ‘number and diversity’. Specifically stated is that â€Å"as recently as 1993, Chinese consumers had few fast-food choices. Restaurant food was limited to five-star hotels, traditional Chinese restaurants and street-side wonton, pulled noodle and tea-egg vendors. † (2004) The favorite fast food in the country of China is Kentucky Fried Chicken who has combined a popular mid-priced menu, featuring fried chi cken, some of which is adapted to local tastes. Its modern atmosphere and marketing target Chinese children. (Marr and Hatfield, 2004) The primary competitor of Kentucky Fried Chicken in China is McDonalds with â€Å"sixteen of its current 120 restaurants in China are located in Shanghai. † (Marr and Hatfield, 2004) The work of Shiva Dindyal and Sanjay Dindyal entitled: â€Å"How Personal Factors, Including Culture and Ethnicity, Affect the Choices and Selection of Food We Make† published in the Internet Journal of Third World Medicine relates that the major cities in the world â€Å"are made up of diverse societies, consisting of a wide range of individuals from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Ethnicity refers to a social group, which shares certain distinctive features, such as language, culture physical appearance, religion, values and customs.Culture on the other hand refers to how we do and view things in our group. For example a shared set of values, assumptions, perceptions and conventions based on a shared history and language can make a certain group. In order for a society to function efficiently and smoothly these individuals must learn to integrate and coexist together. This will involve among other things, accepting and sampling different types of foods and even adjusting their diets. † (Dindyal and Dindyal, 2008) Dindyal and Dindyal relate that consumption of specific foods may be encouraged or discouraged among groups as well as the consumption of specific foods during certain life stages and under certain conditions.Religion is also stated to play a great role in food choice, selection and consumption in certain societies and cultures. Another personal factor affecting food choice and selection is â€Å"patterns of eating, which include for whom the food is being made. † (2008) Stated as an example is that in traditional eastern cultures â€Å"food tend to be prepared for a large number of people at regul ar times of the day. The opposite is true in western cultures, where food prepared less frequently during the day and often the same mea is eaten more than once during the day. † (Dindyal and Dindyal, 2008) Another personal factor affecting choice of foods is the individuals’ occupation which is a factor stated to â€Å"†¦directly influence the people’s social class. (Dindyal and Dindyal, 2008) Another factor is the â€Å"mood and individual personality† of the individual† as well as â€Å"geographical factors such as where people live and the range of shops situated near them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Dindyal and Dindyal, 2008) A recent survey conducted among 975 girls and 13 boys relating to fast food reports that when asked â€Å"Do you enjoy eating fast food? † respondents replied as shown in the following chart. Figure 1 Do you enjoy eating fast food? [pic] Source: (Report on would you Like Fries with that? – Latest Survey Results, nd) When asked â€Å"How often to you eat fast food? † respondents in this survey revealed that they eat fast food between one and three times each week while the second largest group replied that they eat fast food between two and three times each month as shown in the following chart. Figure 2How often do you eat fast food? [pic] Source: (Report on would you Like Fries with that? – Latest Survey Results, nd) When respondents were asked the question of: â€Å"If you don’t eat fast food, why? † respondents were asked to reply by stating: (1) I don’t like it; (2) My family never goes out to eat; (3) There are no fast food restaurants near my house; (4) It is unhealthy; (5) I eat fast food so this question does not apply to me; (6) I am a vegetarian/vegan; (7) It costs too much; or (8) other, the respondents stated as shown in the following chart. Figure 3 If you don’t eat fast food, why? |whynoeat | |dntlike |41 |5. 05 | famnoeat |51 |6. 28 | |n offrest |13 |1. 6 | |unhealth |126 |15. 52 | |eatff |550 |67. 73 | |Vegetarian |17 |2. 09 | |toomuch$ |6 |0. 74 | |other |8 |0. 99 | Source: (Report on would you Like Fries with that? – Latest Survey Results, nd) When respondents in the survey were polled in relation to what their favorite type of fast food was choices provided included burgers, pizza, Chinese food, chicken, tacos, salad, soup, breakfast, hotdogs, chicken, fish and chips, nachos, french fries, subway, pasta, sweets, and none.The respondents stated preferences for fast food type as shown in the following chart. Figure 4 What is your favorite type of fast food? [pic] Source: (Report on would you Like Fries with that? – Latest Survey Results, nd) When respondents were asked if they had a favorite fast food restaurant among the choices of McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, KFC, Jack in the Box, Arby’s, Jollibee, Subway, Pizza Hut, In and Out, Panda express, Long John Silvers, Tim Hortons, Dairy Queen, Checkers, or some random fast food place the replies stated were those as follows with McDonalds in the lead: Figure 5 Do you have a favorite restaurant? [pic]Source: (Report on would you Like Fries with that? – Latest Survey Results, nd) When respondents in the survey were polled as to whom they usually went to fast food restaurants with the choices stated as parents/family, brother/sisters, friend, by myself, coach/team, grndrent, don’t eat, boyfriend/girlfriend, coworkers, or other, the replies given by respondents are shown in the following table. Figure 6 Who do you usually go to fast food with? Count Percent |whoeat | | | | parents/fam |526 |54. 73 | |brosis |63 |6. 56 | |friends |272 |28. 3 | bymylf |14 |1. 46 | |coach/team |1 |0. 1 | |grndrent |20 |2. 08 | |donteat |48 |4. 99 | |bf/gf |7 |0. 73 | |coworkers |5 |0. 52 | |other |5 |0. 52 | Source: (Report on would you Like Fries with that? – Latest Survey Results, nd) When respon dents were asked â€Å"What do you enjoy most about fast food? † respondents stated the tastes as being the number one enjoyment with the second and third most stated reply being the ‘fast’ and ‘cheap’ nature of the fast food as what is most enjoyed about fast food.All results are shown in the following chart. Figure 7 What do you enjoy most about fast food? [pic] Source: (Report on would you Like Fries with that? – Latest Survey Results, nd) When respondents were polled concerning what they liked the ‘least’ about fast food, respondents replied as shown in the following chart. Figure 8 What do you like the least about fast food? [pic] Source: (Report on would you Like Fries with that? – Latest Survey Results, nd) When respondents were polled as to their perceptions of fast food in terms of health the respondents gave the following replied stated in percentages concerning their view of fast food was that is it ‘unheal thy’.Only 104 disagreed with this statement and only 12 strongly disagreed. The overwhelming majority of respondents stated an agreement that fast food is not healthy. Figure 9 Fast Food is Unhealthy [pic] Source: (Report on would you Like Fries with that? – Latest Survey Results, nd) When respondents were asked â€Å"If you eat at a fast food restaurant, what is your main reason? † respondents stated reasons as shown in the following chart with liking the tastes of fast food and because their parents eat fast food as primary reasons for eating at fast food restaurants. Figure 10 If you eat at a fast food restaurant, what is your main reason? [pic] Source: (Report on would you Like Fries with that? Latest Survey Results, nd) Finally, this study asked respondents in this study the question of whether: ‘If you were forced to choose between cooking at home or eating fast food for the rest of your life, which would you choose? † Respondents overwhelmingl y stated that they would choose to cook the rest of their life if forced to make a choice at the rate of approximately 82%. The study of Marsh, Fanning and Stiegert (2003) entitled: â€Å"Socioeconomic Determinants of Fast Food Consumption† states that: â€Å"Fast food consumption has increased dramatically over the past three decades in U. S. , accounting for nearly 35. 5% of total away-from-home expenditures in 1999. It is interesting to note the findings of this study which states: â€Å"Lin, Lucier, Allhouse, and Kantor examined the influence of fast food growth on frozen potato consumption. They report that on any given day that 13% of consumers eat french fries with fast food establishments accounting for 67% of the french fry market. They also report that french fry consumption varies by age, region, urbanization, race, and ethnicity, but independent of income. † (Marsh, Fanning and Steigert, 2003) Also stated in the findings of this study is: â€Å"Important regional and socio-demographic factors emerged. Consumers in the South and Midwest were most likely to consume fast food.In terms of gender, males were more likely to consume fast food than were females. Individuals were more likely to consume fast food until they reached 20-30 years of age at which point the likelihood that they consume fast food decreases throughout their life. Larger households (especially those with more than four persons) were less likely to consume fast food. Although the impact of income on the likelihood of consuming fast food was statistically significant, it was very inelastic. The likelihood of consuming fast food was much more sensitive to age relative to household size and least sensitive to income. † (Marsh, Fanning and Steigert, 2003) SUMMARY OF THE LITERATURE REVIEWEDThe findings of the present study acknowledge first that fast food consumption is global in nature stretching from India, to China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, to the United Stat es, fast food and fast food restaurants are relevant to a great majority of the world’s consumers. This study has found that fast food restaurants located near schools, colleges, and universities, are frequented regularly by students and that places such as McDonald’s represent more than food consumption because these places are also places of socialization for college students and other young people where these individuals study and ‘hang-out’ with their peers. The largest majority of individuals who eat fast food have been found in this study to e completely aware that fast food is unhealthy however, this study has found that fast food is not considered by most individuals to be ‘real food’ and that fast food such as McDonalds is acknowledge as less nutritional, less healthy and less filling than what is considered to constitute ‘real food’ cooked at home. FINDINGS OF THE STUDY This study has posed the questions of: (1)What diff erent views are held among different cultures in countries throughout the world relating to consumption of fast food? ; (2) What are the health perspective differentials existing among individuals in various countries throughout the world related to fast food consumption? (3) What are the primary factors that affect the consumption of fast food by college-age students from various countries of the world? ; (4) Is consumption of fast food an addition to- or an extension of- cultural issues surrounding food consumption? ; and (5) What non-food related factors affect consumer choice of fast food establishments internationally and locally? This study has found that consumption of fast food is viewed pretty much the same across cultures, race, and ethnicity in various countries as most individuals acknowledge fast food to be generally snack type food and not really to be considered a meal such as ‘real food’ cooked at home.Fast food, when contrasted to real cooked food would be cast aside if individuals had to make a life-choice of the type of food they preferred to consume. This study has also found that the largest majority of those who eat fast food acknowledge that fast food is unhealthy to consume on a regular basis. The primary factors influencing college-age students in their consumption of fast food are factors of socialization and availability of fast food restaurants near schools, universities and campuses. Fast food consumption has been found by this study to be both in addition to as well as an extension of cultural issues and customs surrounding food consumption.Finally, this study has found that non-food related factors affecting consumer choice of fast food establishments on a local and international basis include factors such as: (1) individual choice; (2) religious; (3) group preferences; (4) health-related factors; (5) location and availability of restaurant choices; (6) costs; (7) socialization; (8) time available for eating; (9) wit h whom they are eating the food; (10) whether the individual is a student in a college or university within the proximity of a fast food restaurant. CONCLUSIONS Having reviewed an extensive amount of literature in the subject area of factors affecting consumers in the consumption of fast food this study concludes that the factors that affect fast food consumption among consumers are great in number in all countries in which fast food in consumed. Non-food related factors are just as great in the influence of fast food consumption as are food-related matters such as taste and nutritional value of the food being consumed.However, traditional restaurant dining is greatly preferred among older consumers and among more discerning younger consumers although this does not greatly impact younger consumers in terms of reducing their consumption of fast food or increasing their consumption of more traditional restaurant dining food items. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH Future research wi ll likely undertake studies of a longitudinal nature relating to factors affecting food consumption differences among different nationalities and ethnicities and as well will focus specifically on tracking the consumer patterns of individuals that follow those individuals over many years and life health-related transitions in gaining a complete understanding of the primary health-related factors that affect fast food consumption patterns among individuals of different nationalities and ethnicities.