Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Discussion - Assignment Example Several advantages are derived from segmentation including isolating specific market segments that are more interested in what a business offers based on demographic. For example, the toy manufacturing company mainly targets children while cosmetic companies targets women. Salespersons would consider multiple demographic characteristics to segment consumer markets according to age, gender, income, and social class. In this way, an organization can bring suitable products or services to the market. People’s thinking and their favorite activities can be used to segment a niche market. Personal attributes linked to personality, attitudes, interest and lifestyles are characteristics that marketers focus on market segment. This segmentation allows organization to cater for personal consumer interests (Croft, 1994). Another way in which segmentation is important is allowing marketers to identify customers’ preferences and target them with similar offers. A business itself could glean potential opportunities in filling the gaps assumed by businesses dealing in similar products or services. In their direct marketing effort, the marketers could acquire lists of customers and send them mails or call them to introduce their services. The more cost effective a business marketing effort can become relies on more segments identified and brought together to reach more expected customers. Proper understanding of client’s needs is key to offering quality products and services. When customers derive ultimate satisfaction, they are likely to entice non-customers who share similar traits and characteristics, which is a relatively low cost marketing strategy (Weinstein, 2004). Both the firm and the client thus benefit through market segmentation. Integrating marketing mix elements in market segmentation comes in scores of ways. Market segmentation and

Asset Bubbles Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Asset Bubbles - Assignment Example Asset price movements that are not related to economic fundamentals result in the occurrence of asset bubbles. The role of government in the economy encompasses both protection and intervention. Conservative politics are relatively resistant to change, but they do not overlook the role that government plays in the regulation and control of economic activities (Evanoff, Kaufman & Malliaris, 2012). The occurrence of asset bubbles and related scenarios in the economy trigger critical decision making pursuits among involved stakeholders. The fact is such occurrences distort economic performance, leading to the realization of variant hardships in the many sectors of the economy. In this respect, the government stands a chance to manage the situation through protection and intervention. This means that the government should remain vigilant over sectorial "animal spirits" in order to protect the economy and safeguard public interests, as well as take relevant actions in the event that such "animal spirits" bursts (Evanoff, Kaufman & Malliaris, 2012). The idea is to create coherence among economic v ariables for enhanced economic

Drawing, Printmaking, and Painting Essay Example for Free

Drawing, Printmaking, and Painting Essay There are different ways on how to make exquisite two-dimensional masterpieces. It can be in the form of a drawing, printmaking or painting. All of these methods may seem identical because of their common dimensions. However, there are some specific components and characteristic that each form of visual art has that sets them apart from one another. Drawing is considered to be the foundation of all pictorial representation. More so, it is in this stage where almost all art activities start. The utilization of lines to represent various forms and shapes serve as the guidelines or foundation of more advanced or elaborate art depictions such as paintings. Though it may seem that drawing is part of other visual art forms, its emphasis on the use of line is its most distinguishing factor. Furthermore, drawing also makes use of shadings and color to create an illusion that it has mass and more dimensions. However, it all depends upon the artist’s choice of medium and tools of whether the drawing will have a linear or painterly quality. Linear is a technique in the visual arts wherein lines and curves are highlighted meanwhile painterly is the exact opposite technique of linear because it uses colors to create shapes and forms (Delahunt). A famous example of a linear drawing is the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo Da Vinci. In this illustration, Da Vinci showed the human anatomy and ideal body proportions. Da Vinci used pen and ink to draw the lines and curves that perfectly generated an accurate depiction of a human body. Meanwhile, printmaking is more complex in terms of execution compared to drawing because it uses an object, which can either be made from metal, plastic or wood with carvings of any design to create an artwork. The process of producing prints is quite complicated than drawing because in drawing, an artist can produces a work of art with just the use of pencil and a piece of paper while printmaking requires more apparatus. After the block is made which will be used as a stamp, the next step is to dip the engraved block on a container of wet colored inks so that when it is pressed down on a flat surface whether wood, cloth or paper, the engraved design will appear on it. There are many techniques involved in printmaking but they all follow the basic processes. It is the materials and tools that make the difference in the output (Delahunt). During the Renaissance period, printmaking became an instant success with the people. It was used â€Å"for all manner of illustrations, including topographical survey, and for portraiture. † One of the famous artists who used prints was Albrecht Durer who made several religious prints and the Knight, Death, and the Devil was the most popular. This print symbolized the status of moral value (Cartage. org). On the other hand, painting is another form of visual art which is the exact opposite of drawing. It is far more sophisticated and more complex than drawing and printmaking. Painting uses a variety of visual elements including lines, shapes, perspectives, space, light and others. More so, these elements are combined in accordance with the principles of design specifically unity, balance, proportion, and emphasis. Usually artists use either oil or water colors on a canvas to make a painting. Furthermore, the content of the painting is dependent on the technique of the artist and the materials used. Overall, drawing, printmaking and paintings are all used to express the creativity and craftsmanship of an artist. Though they have similar purposes, each form of visual art has its own features not present with the others. Drawing is seen as a portable and simple way of generating artworks. Meanwhile, printmaking is the most precise way of making aesthetic designs. Moreover, out of the three, painting is the most glorified form because of its versatility and sophistication. Works Cited Delahunt, Michael. â€Å"Drawing. † 2008. Artlex. com. 8 September 2008 http://www. artlex. com/ArtLex/d/drawing. html. Delahunt, Michael. â€Å"Printmaking. † 2008. Artlex. com. 8 September 2008 http://www. artlex. com/ArtLex/p/print. html. â€Å"Printmaking and prints. † Cartage. org. 8 September 2008 http://www. cartage. org. lb/en/themes/arts/Graphicartists/generalities/Historyofprintmaking. htm

Rising Cost of Gas And Oil Prices :: Economics

Not only have gas and oil prices changed but they have made everything else go up in price. The cost of living and the way that people are living is effected by these rising costs. In this paper I will discuss the different ways that these prices are affecting everyday life. The way that everyone has changed things in there life would be transportation and business costs. Gas Prices have changed a lot over the years and it seems to be increasing in cost and that it is not going to change. According to Foreman (2008), in 1981 the cost per gallon was $1.35 and now the cost is between $2.84 to $3.23 . Some of the reasons that the cost of gas is going up is because of the rising cost of oil. Gas prices are affecting people in there everyday lives with driving, living expenses, and with the cost of their living. Families are having to set a budget for there fuel and are having to not drive as much. Oil Prices are at there highest points and the repercussion of this is the cost of gas and the cost of living. The cost per barrel is going up, at that point the cost of fuel goes up as well as everyday costs. The cost per barrel is â€Å"$91.77 to $ 100.09 ( Oil prices rise back above $91 a barrel, 2008)† , this year alone and only seems to be getting worse. The war has helped to make the cost of oil go up, because we are at war with Iraq and that is where we get our oil. There is a shortness of oil and with this the cost of oil will go up, so will the cost of living, and the cost of fuel. Across the United States individuals are feeling the high prices of gas and oil prices. These prices are starting to hurt our economy because people are not being able to travel as much as they used to be able to. Families are feeling the hurt when they do travel because when people go to go camping with there children it costs more in food then they had in there budget and same with fuel.

Medicine Is Not Always The Answer Essay

For as far back as one could remember, using medicine to ‘fix’ an ailment has always been the right thing to do. Runny nose? Take something for it. Scratchy throat? Take something for it. If what’s being taken doesn’t help, take something stronger! It is never implied to let a cold run its course. The exact same thing happens when a child is diagnosed with ADHD. Medication is one of the first things that is suggested to control the symptoms of ADHD. Children who have been labeled as having ADHD are almost uncontrollable and it causes a strain on the parents, teachers and doctors who are already overworked and exhausted. However, medication brings on a plethora of other issues. When attempting to treat a child for ADHD, medicine, especially stimulants, shouldn’t be the first option. A child who is given stimulant medicines to combat the symptoms of ADHD can look forward to heart related issues, additional health problems and the possibility of the medicine regimen not being successful. Stimulant drugs are almost always used to treat the symptoms that a child is experiencing after being diagnosed as having ADHD. Stimulants are designed to increase the attention span of a person while decreasing their impulsiveness. With all of this, stimulants potentially affect the heart. These medications cause sudden death in children and adults that mostly have existing heart issues. One side effect of stimulants relative to heart issues is racing heartbeat. Stimulants cause the heart to race and will eventually cause death if it isn’t controlled in a timely manner. In addition, stimulants also cause the blood pressure to become elevated. Elevated blood pressure weakens the heart. Using stimulants in a child that may have ADHD has been proven to not be as safe as it was initially thought.   Now, because of the stimulant medicines, the child has the potential to experience other health issues. Some of the more common health issues that occur as a result of using stimulant medicines are headaches, upset stomach, nausea, depression and difficulty sleeping. All of these other additional health issues will need to be addressed. The child will have to take something for the nausea and the headache and the insomnia that they are now experiencing. So the initial stimulant medication is tweaked to try to rule  out side effects and then they’re on three or four medications. Is it ever considered that these stimulant medications can do more harm than good? None of these things seem to be considered when deciding to just ‘medicate’ the symptoms. This doesn’t help the situation at all. Potentially you have a child who’s been misdiagnosed, is now on medication for it and now he’s on medication for the side effects. At the end of all of this you have a parent who is now overwhelmed. What could possibly happen now? According to Christian Science Monitor, ADHD is Problematic. â€Å"After generations of research, there is still no test for ADHD, nor is there a standard diagnostic measure within the profession’ (Christian Science Monitor, 2013). When the parents and the doctors of a child who has symptoms of ADHD have tried stimulant medicines and nothing has works, what can be done? Having a medicine regime that is unsuccessful is definitely a very strong possibility. What happens when the medication route becomes unsuccessful? All medicines don’t work for everybody. What does a parent do when they’ve taken the doctor’s advice to medicate their child and end up doing more harm than good? Medicating a child is not necessarily a guaranteed solution. This is one of the main reasons that medicine should not be the first choice when attempting to treat the symptoms of ADHD. Medicating a child is not a guaranteed fix for dealing with ADHD. When making the decision to address ADHD and children, don’t rush to do so. â€Å"Sometimes other medical conditions – or even normal childhood behaviors – can be mistaken for ADD/ADHD symptoms, so be sure to eliminate all other possible causes before considering medication for your child† (Help Guide, 2013). Is medicating the symptoms of ADHD really the answer? Unfortunately, medication will not cure this disorder. Medication is designed to control the symptoms of the disorder. Medicating a child should be a last ditch effort when dealing with ADHD. Choosing to medicate a child brings on several different, complex issues. Heart related issues, additional health problems as well as an unsuccessful medicine regimen are all real issues when choosing to deal with medicating the symptoms of ADHD. Considering the use of medication is very risky. There should be other avenues that are considered when attempting to address dealing with ADHD in a child. Giving a child love, affection and mostly attention, should always  be one of the first things to try when dealing with a child that could possibly have ADHD. It’s not the child’s fault that his parents are overwhelmed with life.

Causes of Corruption Essay

Many officials are motivated to participate in corrupt behavior because of the inherently selfish desire to have an unfair advantage over their peers. Through bribery, extortion, embezzlement, nepotism and other means, corruption can help dishonest people get ahead while the public pays the price. A corrupted politician may seek to sway a person’s opinions, actions, or decisions, reduce fees collected, speed up government grants, or change outcomes of legal processes. Through corruption, people seeking an unfair advantage may pay courts to vote in their favor or, as with police, customs units, and tax collectors, to disregard a penalty. Bribery may be paid to allow for otherwise unacceptable building and zoning permits, to sway school exam results or allow acceptance by an unqualified student into a school system. People in the private sector may pay off politicians so that they dismiss rules and regulations to protect employees in the workforce. Corruption motivated by an   unfair advantage may also occur in immigration, passport and visa offices in which unqualified individuals may be allowed an unfair advantage to obtain these important documents, at the expense of others. In order to obtain an unfair advantage, governments and government officials may apply any number of methods to abuse their power over the citizens. First, a politician may apply diplomatic, political, or financial pressure, for example trade embargoes. However such pressures may also work to effectively bully vulnerable citizens. Also, many countries are the recipients of development aid, which might cause politicians who seek an unfair advantage to earmark this funding towards their particular cause. The threat of reduced foreign aid, defense ties, arm deals, and gifts may help politicians to obtain an unfair advantage through corruption. Lack of Punitive Measures Thomas Hobbes, the great political philosopher, once said, â€Å"A man’s conscience and his judgment is the same thing; and as the judgment, so also the conscience, may be erroneous.† This idea that individuals cannot always rely on a working inner moral compass alone to guide them to virtue is at the heart of the next motivating factor for participating in corrupt behavior. When the legal agencies do not impose sanctions on parliamentarians and other government officials who have violated their public duties there is a lack of punitive measure for corrupt behavior. This is the case, for example when judges are in the pay of the ruling party or there are too few police officers to enforce the law. When there are not punitive measures to assure transparency, monitoring, and accountability through a working justice system, some people will participate in corrupt behavior simply because they can get away with it. Politicians and other individuals require a legal, monitoring system to assure that corruption will not occur in the planning and execution of public sector budgets. Social and internal control mechanisms are required for civil society and autonomous state auditing agencies. Without them or with only weak enforcement measures, people in power are more  likely to embezzle money from the national budget, sway votes or participate in other actions that will result in personal gain at the public’s expense. Lack of Transparency Transparency describes when there is free access by citizens to public information. When the rules, procedures, and objectives of the government are not available to the public, there is not budgetary and administrative oversight to balance the power of government officials, transparency is lacking and corruption can be bred. Without oversight and transparency of budget and rules, national resources may be plundered and power may be abused in favor of the corrupt official only. Further, when there are not public sector mechanisms that channel social preferences and specific complaints of the population to the agencies involved in those complaints, people of power will not serve their purpose of representing the populace, but have free reign to do as they please in the public sector. Lack of transparency creates opportunities for public officials to abuse their office for private gain. This closely relates to accountability, and weak accountability mechanisms tend to facilitate corruption. Where there is a lack of transparency and accountability corruption will flourish. Once corrupt bureaucrats realize that they can take advantage of regulations, they will produce more regulations and run the risk of becoming less transparent. Poor Incentive Structures Bad incentives, such as clerks not earning a living wage or not having job security might also encourage corrupt behavior such as supplementing income with bribes. Some people who do not have an incentive to perform their official duties, but actually pay for their jobs with the understanding that they will make money through bribes. A lack of incentive also results when positions of power are granted as a result of favoritism and nepotism (See unit 1). Making people resist hard work. Incentives also come into the picture when salaries are so low that people cannot meet the basic living standards for food  and housing. As a result, people will often  take other jobs that cause absenteeism of  public officials, and often increase the  demand by government officials for bribes  and other paybacks in order to supply the  public  services. Problems with the law: Lawless and Over Regulated Governments Corruption can also be caused when there is excessive control and a sort of monopoly of power. In these circumstances, there again is not a level playing field, and decisions will always be made at the advantage of the group or person who dominates political control. As a result, ordinary citizen rights are lost and public resources are often plundered for the personal gain of the public officials. Poverty or scarcity of goods may also push people to live outside the law. Finally, corruption occurs when government officials resist government policies and programs. Introducing policies that allow for greater oversight would help to assure that power were balanced and no one person would be making all of the political decisions. When politicians resist this change they prevent political and cultural progress for their country, prohibit civic interests from being met, and allow the pattern of corruption to flourish. Dysfunctional Systems as a Cause for Corruption Instability in government may also catapult a nation and its leaders towards corruption. Among them, war, ethnic or religious conflict, economic hardship, and social inequalities may instigate corruption. Any circumstance that threatens a nation or its people either through identity or establishment may diminish the good governance practices of a nation. Even in less difficult times, the institutions and policies of government may undermine how well the government carries out its work. When institutions and policies are weak, individuals tend to take advantage of them. Therefore, poor governments are a product of sick institutions, or institutions that function poorly because of inadequate resources or bad  policies and procedures. As stated earlier, good governance refers to the provision of services that are responsive to citizen needs. When government services are not provided to citizens, either because they were deemed unnecessary, services providers demanded bribes or were lazy, or the services are provided in theory but are not readily available in practice without a bribe, people will aim to have their needs met illegally or unofficially. Likewise, when financial systems are outdated, they are more corruptible. System-Wide Allowances for Corrupt Behavior: Government may allow system wide corruption to spread by not institutionalizing and enforcing prevention mechanisms. For example: Overly complex procedures for obtaining public services allow government to covet the services to only the well-informed or well-connected elite, and not allowing the system to work for the poor. Lack of internal systems to assure relative transparency, monitoring and accountability in the design and execution of public policies. Lack of social control mechanisms aimed at preventing grand corruption schemes usually seen when the state’s policies are captured by vested interests. Lack of employee participation in and knowledge of the public institution’s decisionmaking criteria. Absence of results based management in public service delivery. An ineffective judicial sector (police, prosecutors, officers, and the judiciary.) Conclusion Problems in governance occur when a government is not only corrupt, but also when it is inefficient, unresponsive, or secretive. Essentially, when a government is ineffectual, it is considered to be corrupt. As this unit explained, corruption is fundamentally caused by low wages, poor incentive structures and inefficient systems. In addition, it is also caused by the desire for an unfair advantage, and the knowledge that one will not be caught or punished for corrupt behavior. Corruption is not just about ethics. It is also about how the government is set up and managed. Parliament and parliamentarians improve the way government works so that corrupt behavior is punishable and opportunities for corruption are limited through the laws. In order to fully rectify corruption in a society, it must first be thoroughly diagnosed. Unit three shows methods for diagnosing, measuring, and interpreting data on corruption. As the units thereafter will explain, this step will help to make focused and measurable changes and improvements to corruption when those mechanisms are enacted.

Pursing a Career as a Police Officer

Pursing a Career as a Police Officer A sociology degree is a very useful and relevant degree for any career in the criminal justice field. Police officers are one great example of this. As a career that is present in every city, town, and community across the country, becoming a police officer does not usually require relocation and is it is usually always in demand. One way that a sociology degree is especially helpful to a police officer is that it allows one to examine situations with knowledge of the structural issues that surround a society. For example, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, and age are all especially important for understanding specific conflict situations. Understanding the Effects Stereotypes Have It is always important to understand the effects that stereotypes have in how people perceive a community problem. Witnesses to a crime, for example, might believe a stereotype about the criminal and will therefore bias the true events. By understanding this and asking very specific questions, the police officer may be able to get an accurate depiction of the crime without any stereotyped influences. In conducting police work, it is also important to understand that communities are composed of relational networks. These networks can be especially important in both investigating crimes and in preventing criminal acts. Since police officers are constantly interacting with community members, education on how to interact with and deal with certain types of people is crucial. In fact, it is often the case that less than half of police academy training has to do with laws, legal codes, and weapons, and the majority of training is spent on human interaction. How a Sociology Degree Is Extremely Helpful This is where a sociology degree is extremely helpful. Role-playing, modeling people’s behavior, and understanding group dynamics is crucial to be a successful police officer. An understanding of cultural diversity is also important. Those going into a career in law enforcement need to learn that there are other patterns of living and officers need to learn to adapt to those patterns when they enter certain situations. Job Description The primary duty of police officers is to enforce the law. They help the community fight crime by making arrests, assisting people with emergencies, investigating crimes, helping prosecute crimes, collecting evidence, testifying in court, and writing detailed reports of crimes. Educational Requirements The educational requirements for police officers vary by city and community. Larger cities often require four-year degrees while some small communities only require a high-school diploma. However, the majority of places are now requiring formal job training, commonly an associate’s degree. Additional training is provided at a federal or state law enforcement academy after an officer is hired. Salary and Benefits Police officers entering the field can expect to earn on average between $22,000 and $26,000, however, some areas pay as low as $18,000. Salaries vary by city and region. After six years of service, police officers earn an average of $34,000 or more. Benefits are offered by the majority of police departments, which typically includes life insurance, medical benefits, and retirement plans. Other Recommendations For those thinking of entering a career as a police officer, there are some other recommendations that will help you during your career. First, it is important to understand cultural diversity and be able to adapt to different cultural contexts. Foreign language capability, especially Spanish, is nearly essential. Other languages might be emphasized according to local needs. For example, Southeast Asian languages (Vietnamese, Cambodian, Chinese etc.) are needed in parts of California. Computer literacy is also a must, as officers compose written reports that are transmitted directly and immediately to the department for analysis. Finally, oral communication skills are essential to conduct good community relations. Search for jobs in law enforcement or other sociology careers in your area. References Stephens, W.R. (2004). Careers in Sociology, Third Edition. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Criminal Justice USA. (2011). Police Officer. criminaljusticeusa.com/police-officer.html