Starbucks Corporation Essay Example

Starbucks Corporation Essay Three Seattle entrepreneurs started the Starbucks Corporation in 1971. Their prime product was the selling of whole bean coffee in one Seattle store. By 1982, this business had grown tremendously into five stores selling the coffee beans, a roasting facility, and a wholesale business for local restaurants. Howard Schultz, a marketer, was recruited to be the manager of retail and marketing. He brought new ideas to the owners, but was turned down. Schultz in turn opened his own coffee bar in 1986 based on Italian coffee cafes, selling brewed Starbucks coffee. By 1987, Schultz had expanded to three coffee bars and bought Starbucks from the original owners for $4 million. He changed the name of his coffee bars from Il Giornale to Starbucks. His intention for the company was to grow slowly with a very solid foundation. He wanted to create a top-notch management by wooing top executives from other well-known corporations. For the first two years, Starbucks losses doubled as overhead and op erating expenses increased with Starbucks expansion. Schultz stood his ground and did not sacrifice long term integrity and values for short-term profit. By 1991, Starbucks sale increased by 84% and the company was out of debt. Starbucks grew to 26 stores by 1988. By 1996 it grew to 870 stores with plans to open 2000 stores by the year 2000.Starbucks has become a well-known company for selling the highest quality coffee beans and best tasting coffee products. It was one of the first companies to realize that the real money to be made was in beverage retailing, not just coffee beans. Starbucks created a coffee for the coffee connoisseurs and go to great lengths to acquire only the highest quality of coffee beans. They have set new precedence by outbidding the European buyers for an exclusive crop of coffee beans, which produces one of the best coffees in the world. Roasters of Starbucks coffees are extensively trained for one year. Starbucks has the distinction of being the publics e ducator on Expresso. They have also recently started to expand to packaged and prepared tea in response to the growing demand for this product.General DiscussionThe business strategy of Starbucks is identical to the corporate level strategy since the company is a single business company, focusing on only coffee-related products and retail stores. Starbucks corporate strategy has been to establish itself as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world, while maintaining their uncompromised principles as to grow. The firm principles of the company are seen with its maintenance of a great and proven work environment for every staff member in its retail stores. It upholds diversity and promises the highest standards for its products. The company satisfies customers and gives back to the community and the environment. Also, Starbucks persists to be profitable and it is. They live by a strict, slow growth policy completely dominating a market before setting its sights further ab road. This strategy has gained them the advantage of being one of the fastest growing companies in the country.The Five Forces concept of product differentiation and branding to stay above existing competitors also to the suggestion combating threat of entry, as brand image and customer loyalty are barriers to entry. However, these barriers are linked to the Starbucks core competency: fresh quality coffee, and not unrelated. Porter (1979) does not distinguish between the types of entry barriers which would be the most efficient at protecting the firm from new entrants.With regards to the ex post limits to competition, Starbucks sustains its profits by enhancing the coffee experience. This goes hand-in-hand with imperfect resource mobility, as other firms would be unable to recreate Starbucks, due to the unique combination of furnishings, music, jargon and specialized coffee blends. Even if a new coffee bar entrant purchased Starbucks music, this by itself would not render as much re nt as it does for Starbucks, because of co-specialized assets. This means that the music is only a part of complementary assets of the company, and that separated from the network of additional enhancing resources would not be as profitable. Also, in 1999, Starbucks correctly deduced that 70% of its customers were internet users, and planned in advance for future technological developments, which would make wireless access more affordable for the average customer. In 2002, therefore, Wi-Fi hotspots were installed in many Starbucks outlets. This would increase the costs to new entrants to the coffee bar market. Starbucks also claims to take care of its employees, which means that the coffee specialists could be bound to the company. Through bonuses, rewards and health plans as outlined on the Starbucks website, the company ensures employee loyalty. This would decrease the chance of competing companies poaching workers, and thus would protect rents over time. Innovation of providing W ireless Internet access helps counter Porter’s (1979) competitive force of Substitute products. Starbucks adapted itself to the changing technological industry, which has decreased the amount of substitutes for its service for now. Ex ante limits to competition imply that the costs of setting up should not outweigh the rents received. The pioneering step in coffeehouse history was when Starbucks first started pursuing such bar culture in 1984, so there was little competition in this specific field. Due to a considerable part of Starbucks venues acquired from existing cafes, costs of expansion were kept low. Furthermore, Starbucks’ prior reputation as a coffee specialist helped it gain ground in the coffeehouse market, as customers knew the quality of the product. As Starbucks expanded, it vertically integrated backwards, being aware of its roots as roaster. The importance of firm history constrains the firm’s future. This is important, as Starbucks made the most of its expertise in coffee roasting to cater for its mainstream coffee bar business, and decided to open coffee roasting plants, in 1990, 1993 and 2000. This means that the company nurtures and refines its core competence – coffee, which is the key to its success. The FF model mentions that a firm should be aware of Powerful suppliers, if they possess the potential to integrate forward. However, by focusing on coffee and growing large, it is Starbucks that holds the power, as it has a low concentration of suppliers, and buys large amounts of coffee beans. This also means that Starbucks has fewer suppliers in different product areas, so there are fewer unprotected links. At the other end, Starbucks main distribution mostly takes place through its own retail outlets, and the end customers are so diverse that there is little danger of them integrating backwards. Starbucks’ focus on coffee and coffee bar atmosphere meant that it was able to pursue different markets whilst keeping diversification to an appropriate level. There is an optimal amount of diversification that a company can have before marginal market rents are zero. What is interesting is that Starbucks’ different market interests are related to either improving the coffee or the coffee experience, or improving the brand image. Examples include: Kraft Foods Inc partnership to improve selling Starbucks fresh coffee in grocery and warehouse markets, acquiring Hear Music, a music company, in 1999, to pursue the development of background music in coffeehouses; stepping into partnerships with bookshops such as Borders, to appeal to readers; and supporting Fair Trade coffee to promote the company’s (Starbucks) social responsibility. Starbucks specifically chose not to concentrate on the online sales business, rather to use its website to direct customers to coffeehouses, and to further improve brand image. This demonstrates commitment to development of core competencies vital for an organization; they state that to succeed, companies must identify, cultivate and exploit the core competencies that make growth possible.The generic strategies of Starbucks comprise strengths, opportunities and weaknesses. Starbucks Corporation is a very profitable organization, earning in excess of $600 million in 2004.The company generated revenue of more than $5000 million in the same year. It is a global coffee brand built upon a reputation for fine products and services. It has almost 9000 cafes in almost 40 countries. Starbucks was one of the Fortune Top 100 Companies to Work For in 2005. The company is a respected employer that values its workforce. Starbucks have weaknesses like any businesses inexistence. Starbucks has a reputation for new product development and creativity. However, they remain vulnerable to the possibility that their innovation may falter over time. The organization has a strong presence in the United States of America with more than three quarters of their cafes located in the home market. It is often argued that they need to look for a portfolio of countries, in order to spread business risk. The organization is dependant on a main competitive advantage, the retail of coffee. This could make them slow to diversify into other sectors should the need arise.Starbucks are very good at taking advantage of opportunities. In 2004 the company created a CD-burning service in their Santa Monica (California USA) cafe with Hewlett Packard, where customers create their own music CD. There are new products and services that can be retailed in their cafes, such as Fair Trade products. The company has the opportunity to expand its global operations. New markets for coffee such as India and the Pacific Rim nations are beginning to emerge. Co-branding with other manufacturers of food and drink, and brand franchising to manufacturers of other goods and services both have potential.Politically, Starbucks retail stores located outside of North Amer ica, the United Kingdom, Thailand and Australia are operated through a number of joint venture and licensing arrangements with prominent retailers. During fiscal 2000, the Company expanded its international presence by opening 184 new international licensed stores, including the first stores in Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Hong Kong and Shanghai. At fiscal year end, the Company had 154 stores in Japan, 47 in Taiwan, 28 in China, 28 in Singapore, 27 in the Philippines, 20 in Hawaii, 15 in New Zealand, 14 in Malaysia, six in South Korea, five in the United Arab Emirates, four in Kuwait, three in Lebanon, and one in Qatar.Economically, Starbucks specialty operations strive to develop the Starbucks brand outside the Company-operated retail store environment through a number of channels. Starbucks specialty operations include retail store licensing agreements, wholesale accounts, grocery channel licensing agreements and joint ventures. Starbucks specialty operations also inc lude direct-to-consumer marketing channels. In certain licensing situations, the licensee is a joint venture in which Starbucks has an equity ownership interest.Socially, Starbucks also sells whole bean and ground coffees to several types of wholesale accounts, including office coffee distributors and institutional foodservice management companies that service business, industry, education and healthcare accounts, and hotels, airlines and restaurants. By the end of fiscal 2000, the Companys whole bean and ground coffees were available throughout the United States in approximately 16,000 supermarkets. The Company has two non-retail domestic 50-50 joint ventures. The North American Coffee Partnership, a joint venture with the Pepsi-Cola Company, a division of PepsiCo, Inc., was formed in fiscal 1994 to develop and distribute ready-to-drink coffee-based products. By the end of fiscal 2000, the joint venture was distributing bottled Frappuccino coffee drink to approximately 250,000 supe rmarkets, convenience and drug stores and other locations throughout the United States and Canada. The organization has strong ethical values and an ethical mission statement as follows, Starbucks is committed to a role of environmental leadership in all facets of our business.Technologically, the Company makes fresh Starbucks coffee and coffee-related products conveniently available via mail order and on-line. Starbucks publishes and distributes a mail order catalog that offers its coffees, certain food items and selects coffee-making equipment and accessories, and the Company maintains a web site at www.starbucks.com with an on-line store that allows customers to browse for and purchase coffee, gifts and other items via the Internet. The Company believes that its direct-to-consumer operations support its retail store expansion into new markets and reinforce brand recognition in existing markets.In connection with the transition of Starbucks should make a transition from Sun-grown coffee to shade-grown coffee on an ethical basis. A thorough investigation yields that intelligent business practices are not always based on ethical practices. Many environmental positives were identified with growing shade-grown coffee. These positives points included decreasing erosion, usage of pesticides and increasing production, wages, prices internationally, and promoting biodiversity. These are all extremely important environmental issues associated with growing coffee beans.There are numerous positive effects for Starbucks Coffee Company first-hand as well. One of the largest positive effects for Starbucks is the image that would accompany such a large-scale environmental effort. Ansoff’s matrix, a system that compares markets and products can be used to analyze the positives and negatives of a business, or a new product. On Ansoff’s matrix, switching their sun-grown coffee to shade-grown coffee could be classified as a new product and a new market, implying â€Å"diversification† or as a new product in an established market, implying â€Å"product development†. Shade-grown coffee would bring in a new market of those consumers who are focused on environmentally friendly coffee. Those consumers who may patronize competitors such as â€Å"Caribou coffee†, which offers only shade-grown coffee, may begin to patronize Starbucks instead. Also, those consumers who may consciously avoid Starbucks due to their sun-grown coffee may begin to consume Starbucks coffee. The established market would be the consumers who always drink Starbucks coffee. The regular consumers would begin to drink the Shade-grown coffee if that is the only option. This would mark the introduction of the new product to Starbucks’ established market.ConclusionStarbucks has become a great successful company in the coffee bean and beverage business and its strategy has been very effective. From the beginning, Schultz, the companys owner, has profess ed a strict, slow growing policy. He feels it is also important to keep all the stores company owned to improve and grow the business further. To further grow, Starbucks will need to expand further in other areas of the United States as well as internationally. Future joint ventures will expand the products into grocery and convenience store shelves through bottled beverages and ice cream flavors. Other joint ventures will allow further expansion into the brewery business, which will produce beer with Starbucks coffee beans. Other partnerships will bring new products for Starbucks, such as jazz CDs, and tandem units with bagel bakeries. As the company expands, the culture and corporate strategy must be maintained for success. This will ensure the health of the organization throughout any future expansion.There are no other national coffee bar competitors in the same scale as Starbucks. Starbucks is the only competitor in the coffee bar market that has a recognized brand image. The d ifference between Starbucks and other coffeehouses is that they own all their stores and do not franchise. A Starbucks store operates in most metropolitan areas of the United States and also has a direct mail business to serve customers in every state. They have introduced gourmet flavored decaffeinated coffees as well as specialty flavors and whole bean coffees for the faithful coffee drinkers. They have also added light lunch fare to their menu. Starbucks had recently expanded its emphasis internationally. There are opportunities waiting in possible joint ventures with other corporations to design new product associations with Starbucks coffee.No one knows if the market for coffee will grow and stay in favor with customers, or whether another type of beverage or leisure activity will replace coffee in the future? Starbucks are exposed to rises in the cost of coffee and dairy products. Since its conception in Pike Place Market, Seattle in 1971, Starbucks success has lead to the mar ket entry of many competitors and copy cat brands that pose potential threats. Time will tell whether if Starbucks will stay in their position in the industry or get better or get worst.

Account for the widening of the franchise in Britain essays

Account for the widening of the franchise in Britain essays Account for the widening of the franchise in Britain Between 1850 and 1928 enfranchisement had grown rapidly. There were many aspects which contributed to the rapid growth of the franchise in Britain: government legislation, changing society, various reform movements, different individuals who worked for reform, the womens right movement, emergence of socialism, a factor which preached equality and finally the Labour Party. Changing society, the period 1867 to 1928 saw a very large change in Britains political identity. The effectiveness of industrialisation and urbanisation were catalysts for social change which transferred the political system from a limited democracy to a modern representative Liberal democracy. This made people fight for justice and equal rights. They began to fight for political, social , economic change through pressure groups like the Independent Labour Party, Woman Social, Political Unions and Trade Unions. People sought social, political and economic change, however reform was not given, therefore it had to be fought for. I think this partly contributed to the widening of the franchise because people now began to want change, they sought for equality and were determined to get it. This encouraged other people, therefore it had a knock on effect on other people. More and more people wanted the right to vote. Another aspect, the Government dreaded the idea of revolution. In 1848 there were plenty of revolutions occurring around the world there was the French revolution, this encouraged ideas to spread. the Government despised this reaction. the French revolution led to an upsurge of interest in reform, however the violence of the French Revolution made the consider enlarging the franchise. The apprehension of the French Revolution saw an greater extend in democratic changes which allowed the expansion of franchise in ...

Conquer Your Inbound Marketing Strategy with this Process (4 Templates)

Conquer Your Inbound Marketing Strategy with this Process (4 Templates) If you’re working in digital marketing in 2019, chances are the majority of your activities revolve around inbound marketing. Many marketing teams take an ad hoc approach to inbound, with bits of PPC, content marketing, and social media sprinkled here and there. Rarely do teams have a full fledged inbound marketing strategy and process in place. Laying a good foundation and process for your inbound strategy has a couple of great benefits. Drives more leads into your marketing funnel. Better addresses target persona pain points. Ensures all team members are working toward the same goals. Aligns cross-channel messaging. Before showing you how to create a bullet-proof inbound marketing strategy and process, you’ll want to download these templates. You’ll receive a†¦ A keyword planning spreadsheet  to help drive better results for your inbound activities. A content audit guide  to help identify your content deficits. A content mapping template  to map your content to each funnel stage. A user persona worksheet  to help you target the right people. in oneplace. Save 20 hrs this week alone and every weekafter. If youve ever kicked the tires on , nows the time to see what its reallylike. Schedule Your Demo Success! Your download should start shortly. Clean up the chaos with your editorial calendar! With , youll Save time with blogging, social, and email think HOURS every week Schedule your social posts in batches and increase your posting frequency super easily Get your sht together and hold yourself accountable to publishing like the boss you are! Now’s the perfect time to start your 14-day free trial to see for yourself! Start Your Free Trial

Risk in a New Era of Catastrophes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Risk in a New Era of Catastrophes - Essay Example Florida is among the states that depict high probability of facing natural calamities. Insurers, in finding out the states that mostly fall victims of natural disasters, unveiled that Florida is leading in the category. This was via applying exceedance probability (EP) curves besides incorporating prediction models, which used Florida as an illustrative example (Wharton University of Pennsylvania 7). Additional states encompass New York, Texas and S. Carolina who constitute the similar category. Studies revealed a loss of at least $10billion incurred in the state where future predications showed an increase due to the augmented occurrence of the disasters. Furthermore, due to the current climate alterations, there is an increasing and evident trend of natural calamities, which sometimes their intensities are unpredictable. Global warming has greatly yielded to frequent climate anomalies threatening nations presently (Wharton University of Pennsylvania 4). These encompass hurricanes a nd tornados that lead to immeasurable property obliteration besides human deaths. Predictions by some assorted studies indicate that the trend of natural calamities may continue to augment, where the occurrence will be unpredictable, hence finding people unaware. Final stage anticipation regards the number of insured people. Studies indicate that citizens have diverse reasons that may compel them either to buy insurance or refuse to have any coverage. People’s arguments are diverse where some state that the insurance according to their income it is high-priced whereas others do not see the essence, since that is the mandate of a state, which it has to fulfill actively. Besides, those insured their coverage is insufficient especially when catastrophes occur. Since after the catastrophe, victims require numerous things besides medicine and food, in which agencies have to provide (Wharton University of Pennsylvania

Writer's Choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Writer's Choice - Essay Example o’s small-lived reign as the archbishop and the journey of transforming from a moderate theologian into a forefront hero of human rights is brilliantly chronicled in the film, Romero. In this movie, Church is portrayed as a weapon of the wealthy to maintain status quo against the rebellious peasants and laborers. Back in those days, Salvador was characterized by assassinations, kidnappings, barbaric militarism, and executions. In order to curb the growing discontent amongst the populace, the Vatican promotes conservation Romero to the position of the Archbishop. In the beginning, Romero conforms to their vision of Church as he preaches ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ (Duigan). However, after seeing militants thwart voters, open fire on crowds, torment insurgents, murder a dedicated priest, Romero awakens from the slumber. He expresses his condemnation on radio, rebukes quisling bishops, and heads a peasant march into a Church occupied by the soldiers. His gallantry reached apex when he rebels and insults against the president, in fact a militant general, Harold Cannan. One of the most noteworthy developments of Romero’s tenure as pastor of the archdiocese is the way in which the institutional Church integrated with the prophetic aspect of the Church. Romero endeavored Church to serve as an institution of service to its real mission, instead of the mission in which Romero and his pastoral workers found themselves trapped in. This mission was based on Church playing an integral institutional role in the political turmoil and military persecution though abject poverty, height of injustice, and socio-economic disparities. Oscar Romero’s abhorrence for the institutional Church is shown when he tried to stack back in the jeep while other priests persuade Salvadorans to go to the polls. Thus, ay the very beginning, the Church is depicted as apolitical institution, refraining from politics (Duigan). Similarly, the Church serves as an institute to accentuate the

Early Childhood Education Essay Example for Free

Early Childhood Education Essay After obtaining a bachelors degree in marketing five years ago I never imagined myself going back to school and trying to pursue a masters degree in early childhood education. Every since I can think back to my childhood I have had so many great teachers. I have always value them not only as an educator but as a strong and compassionate individual. My interest in education began with my daughter, and spending a great amount of time as a parent volunteer in her classroom. In the classroom is where I developed a passion for working with kids, and helping them learn in a creative manner. I feel that children bring out the best in me. As a parent and educator I find myself not just a person who nurtures and cares for children, but someone who is excited to see children learn. I have taught my children how to be someone with good morals and ethics. I have helped them view education in most positive way. I strong believe that the early years of a childs life are crucial when it comes to education, and this is a time at which information can most effectively be absorbed. In order to ensure that our children the future of our society get the best education possible, it is vital that appropriately qualified, skilled, and knowledgeable educators are available to provide this knowledge and development. Two factors have contributed to my decision to pursue my education at the graduate level. First, by attending graduate school, I would have the opportunity pursue a position as director or admistative coordinator at a preschool. In addition, I seek further education in order to refine and improve my level of knowledge and skills educating young children. I feel that graduate school will enable me to discuss and research contemporary issues that are of chief importance to an educator practicing in todays society. 2. How do you perceive the process of graduate study in early childhood education helping you attain your personal and professional goals? The process of graduate study in early childhood education will strengthen my ability to lead as a director in quality programs in early childhood education. It will provide me with the tools and skills need to provide leadership and manage the day-to-day activities in schools, preschools, day care centers. Secondly, the process of graduate study will help me understand and perseve the importance of theories used in early childhood education. It will give me a chance to explore and apply those theories and practices used in a classroom setting. Third, the process of graduate study will help me gain knowledge so I can effectively conduct research studies pertaining to young children. Some studies which I am egger to conducted are studies concerning the long term benefits of children who attend preschool, how preschool can help in the development of children, and how teaching children though play can help children enjoy learnering. My personal benefits that I will gain from graduate study in early childhood education are, it will help me be able to understand and perceive social and cognitive development of my own children. It strengthen my relationship with my children and with children in general and, make it easier to perceive there way of thinking. 3. In what ways do you plan to make a contribution to the profession of early childhood education? As a profession of early childhood education a plan to make a difference though committing to enhancing the education, development, and well-being of young children. I will educate others about the importance of well-rounded preschool and the long term benefits it can have on a child. I plan to use what I have learned though graduate program and apply into the preschool environment. After completing graduate studies I plan to continue researching how we can continue to improve our early childhood education programs for the future generations. 4. What are your expectations from the Masters program in Early Childhood Education at California State University, Long Beach? First of all I think it would be not only an honor but a privilege for me to attend a graduate school that is so highly recognized professionally. My expectations from the Masters program in Early Childhood Education at CSULB are it will give me an opportunity to effectively communicate about theories and practices I have learned though out the program. It will give me a chance to conduct research and implement my research and incorporate that research into a preschool setting. It will broaden my understanding about the importance of cultural diversity in a classroom setting. It will give me a chance to further explore other areas which I can possible specialize in. The masters program will give me a chance to be a well recognized individual among peers and colleagues within my profession. Thinking back to my childhood, I have had many great teachers. I have always valued them not only as educators but as strong and compassionate individuals. I have helped them view education in the most positive way. I strongly believe that the early years of a childs life are crucial when it comes to education, and this is a time at which information can most effectively be absorbed. In order to ensure that our children, the future of our society, get the best education possible, it is vital that appropriately qualified, skilled, and knowledgeable educators are available to provide this knowledge and development. First, by attending graduate school, I would have the opportunity pursue a position as director or administrative coordinator at a preschool. It will provide me with the tools and skills needed to provide leadership and manage the day-to-day activities in schools, preschools, and day care centers. Secondly, the process of graduate study will help me understand and perceive the importance of theories used in early childhood education. Some studies which I am eager to conduct are studies concerning the long term benefits of children who attend preschool, how preschool can help in the development of children, and how teaching children through play can help them enjoy learning. The personal benefits that I will gain from graduate study in early childhood education include understanding and perceiving social and cognitive development in my own children, strengthening my relationship with my children and with children in general and, making it easier to perceive their way of thinking. This sounds rather repetitive; you are overusing perceive and being a little too general here. As a professional in early childhood education, I plan to make a difference though committing to enhancing the education, development, and well-being of young children. I will educate others about the importance of well-rounded preschool and the long term benefits it can have on a child. I plan to use what I have learned through my graduate program and apply it to the preschool environment. After completing graduate studies I plan to continue researching how we can continue to improve our early childhood education programs for the future generations. Again, this is rather vague. First of all, I think it would be not only an honor but a privilege for me to attend a graduate school that is so highly recognized professionally. My expectations from the Masters program in Early Childhood Education at CSULB are that it will give me an opportunity to effectively communicate about theories and practices I have learned throughout the program. It will give me a chance to conduct research and implement my research and incorporate it into a preschool setting. It will give me a chance to further explore other areas in which I can specialize. The masters program will give me the chance to be a well recognized individual among peers and colleagues within my profession. Try to come up with some more specific goals. When you are vague, it makes it sound as if you really dont know much about the field you want to specialize in. You might want to read some articles about issues in early childhood education what is controversial in the field? what is cutting edge? and include some information you have gained from your reading, to show that you are well-versed in this area.

George Orwells 1984 - A Character Sketch :: Free Essay Writer

1984 by George Orwell: Character Sketch The two main characters in 1984 are Winston Smith and Julia. Winston has his beliefs. It is very hard to make him believe in someone else's ideas or lies. He is a little paranoid about people watching him. In the story 1984, people can be watched through TVs (telescreens). Because of this paranoia, he found a place in his apartment were he could sit without being seen. He spends much of his time sitting in this corner writing in his diary. In his diary, he writes things that could easily have him killed. Winston is a quiet person who has a few friends. He has a strong feeling about how the world is and a stronger feeling about how it should be. Here is my example from the book that shows Winston's character: "Just now I held up the fingers of my hand to you. You saw five fingers. Do you remember that?" "Yes." O'Brien held up the fingers of his left hand, with the thumb concealed. "There are five fingers there. Do you see five fingers?" "Yes." And he did see them, for a fleeting instant, before the scenery of his mind changed. He saw five fingers, and there was no deformity. Then everything was normal again, and the old fear, the hatred and the bewilderment came crowding back again. But there had been a moment – he did not know how long, thirty seconds, perhaps – of luminous certainty, when each new suggestion of O'Brien's had filled up a patch of emptiness and had become absolute truth, and when two and two could have been three as easily as five, if that were what was needed. It had faded out before O'Brien had dropped his hand; but though he could not recapture it, he could remember it, as one remembers a vivid experience at some remote period of one's life when one was in effect a different person. Earlier in that section O'Brien had tortured him into believing two plus two equals five. Julia's feelings are not nearly as strong as Winston's. She is somewhat sneaky, and she is very good at eluding The Thought Police. Julia is quiet, and she likes to think of the future and the past rather than the present. She enjoys small things that are old and simple. Julia is somewhat interested in the way the world is turning. She enjoys nature and animals. Here is my example from the book that shows Julia's character: She fell to her knees, threw open the bag and tumbled out some spanners and a

Pray the Devil Back to Hell Essay

Recently we watched â€Å"Pray the Devil Back to Hell† in English class. A few of the social issues addressed were: poverty, peace and women’s rights. The women were so fed up with how their president has been treating everyone. He got young children to run around with guns and hurt innocent people. Everyone was so below poverty that children were starving to death and there was nothing the parents could do because they themselves were starving. The women wanted so badly to have peace to stop the war, the fighting, and the poverty. The women just wanted a say in what was happening around them, to get a chance to stop it all. Prior to watching this movie I didn’t know how badly the women and children had it. I didn’t know how below poverty the how whole country was. Another thing that I really didn’t know is how much forgiveness the women had for those who did such bad things to others. The women and children were placed last compared to the men and the higher people of the government and because of that they had so much hardships put on them due to starvation. For me I would find it very hard to just forgive and forget the things that had been going on for so long. I would find it hard to trust people because I wouldn’t feel safe around them knowing that not that long ago they were shooting, killing, and raping innocent people. I thought the movie was moving, empowering and touching. One part that was really emotional for me was when the one lady was telling a story about a woman who witnessed her husband being killed and her daughter being rapped. Anyone who can go through that much pain, disaster and hardship is a strong individual. If I were in their place I don’t know how I would be able to go through all of that day in and day out and there never be a hope of it getting better. Those women though they stuck it out and prayed so much that things got better and that just shows how amazing all of them are. This movie is one of those movies that will be hard to forget because the amount of pain in it. When you see something so catastrophic it is hard to forget. To me this movie really teaches you to stay strong, keep motivated and most importantly that anyone can be successful. This movie taught me so much about prevalence and how the power of good over comes evil. Those women prayed so much that they got so much accomplished and they got so many things to change for the better. In my future I will use this movie as a motivation tool and as a way to remind myself that even though times are hard they will get better you just have to hold on. Also in the future I will use this movie to show that anything is possible if you have help from those you love and believe in. Overall I thought this was a really good movie. I thought it taught you a lot about diversity, women’s rights, poverty and peace. The movie was a very touching and inspiring movie; there is also a lot of emotion due to what they had to deal with on an everyday basis. To me the movie and their stories really teach you that you should be aware of your surroundings and to be helpful in your community.

“Othello” and “A Doll’s House”

In every story, we often see a colorful character in the form of the story’s antagonist. They are usually held in contrast to the story’s main character or the protagonist. This is how the antagonists were portrayed in both the stories â€Å"Othello† and â€Å"A Doll’s House.† The antagonists of the stories were set in comparison to the respective protagonists. On both these stories, the antagonists played a great part in destroying the happy marriages of both protagonists. Through their schemes and manipulation, they were able to destroy what these people held so dearly: their relationships with their loved ones.In William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello,† Iago plays the antagonist role, opposing the position of Othello. Iago is depicted as one of Othello’s men, since the latter holds a high position which the former serves. When Iago felt that another man was favored aside from him, he planned to take Othello down by destroying hi s happy marriage with Desdemona (Shakespeare).In the story, we can see that Iago’s source of motivation in his schemes when Othello favors his lieutenant Cassio rather than his Ancient and ensign, Iago. It was jealousy that made him conceive every evil schemes and plans that he came up with. As the story’s antagonist, we can say that Iago is very clever with his plans, managing to outwit other characters and making them his â€Å"tools† to bring down Othello. He was very successful in manipulating the main character, making him believe that his wife was cheating on him.Analyzing the motives of Iago, we can say that his reasons were very shallow. It was his jealousy that led to the way things happened. But there was no point to be jealous about. He has a good position in Othello’s men. The way he see Cassion being favored more than him was just superficial, since it was him that Othello believed most. If Othello didn’t believe him, then the story wo uldn’t have led to the way it went. But Othello trusts Iago. He believes him so much that it has led to the destruction of his happy marriage, his downfall, his wife’s death, and eventually, his own death.The person who suffered the most in this story was Othello. With Iago’s schemes, Othello lost his trust in his wife. His faith in their relationship crumbled as Iago stirred up his thoughts. As a man of his stature, Othello need not be faithless with his wife. But because of his insecurities, Iago managed to toy with his emotions. As a â€Å"different† man, Othello thought that his wife was not satisfied with him. He was the Moor of Venice, a dark skinned man in the land of whites. Because of these insecurities, his suspicions grew to hatred. That hatred caused him to kill Desdemona only to find out afterwards that it was all Iago’s doings.In Henrik Ibsen’s â€Å"A Doll’s House,† the main protagonist was Krogstad, who was on t he brink of losing his job. He was an employee of the main character, Torvald. Torvald is the husband of Nora Helmer, and their relationship as a married couple is an example of a happy marriage for the society. But the happiness didn’t last for long, as soon as Krogstad schemed his way from getting himself fired from the job he didn’t want to lose (Ibsen).Krogstad’s reasons for his actions were all rooted to him keeping his job. It was very unfortunate that he knows a secret of Nora Helmer. He used this secret to try and save himself from getting fired. It was Nora’s head who’s on the line, fearing that her secret might be discovered by others, especially her husband. The only favor Krogstad asked in exchange for his silence was for Nora to convince his husband not to fire him. However, all of Nora’s efforts were futile, not being able to save Krogstad his job. Because of this, Krogstad chose to unveil Nora’s well kept secret, at the expense of Nora and Torvald’s happy marriage. After all, Krogstad has nothing to lose anymore.Looking at Krogstad’s reason for his actions, we can say that he is on the edge, that’s why he was forced to blackmail Nora just to save him. It was his job on the line, and he really didn’t want to use it. The fact that he knows something that Nora has kept so much for herself was not his discretion. It was the only option he has, and he chose to use that option well, in exchange for everything that he might lose. Krogstad may be seen as a bad man, but his actions show that it was fate that forced him to do what he has done. This doesn’t concern anything about keeping Nora’s secret just to save her shame or marriage. It was his own battle, and he must fight with everything he has. The only weapon he has in store at that time was Nora’s secret.We can say that the antagonists of the story had their way with the protagonists. They were able to blindly manipulate anyone in order to have their biddings fulfilled. In the end, it was all misery for the protagonist, each with crumbling relationships as both the stories closed. No matter what their reason may be, these antagonists were able to make the most out of every situation turning it into something advantageous for their own benefits.Works Cited:Ibsen, Henrik. â€Å"A Doll's House†.   1879.   Spark Notes. October 7 2007. .Shakespeare, William. â€Å"Othello†.   1603.   Spark Notes. October 7 2007. .

educational leadership trends Essay Example

educational leadership trends Essay Example educational leadership trends Essay educational leadership trends Essay Educational Leadership Trends Todays school principals, assistant principals and administratorsface a quickly- changing educational environment. Keeping up with the latest educational trends is an important aspect of effective leadership. Just as professionals in every industry must anticipate whats coming next to stay ahead of the competition, principals must study educational trends and keep their skills and knowledge updated. Its clear: when the principal falls behind, students are more likely to follow suit. Managing trends can be tricky. Its not easy to differentiate a passing fad from a valuable new ay to communicate. And it seems that every week, the next big thing to improve the business of educating students comes along. But its also true that many trends have great value and real staying power. One example is the Internet first dismissed by some which has been embraced by nearly all educators. Currently emerging trends like social media, the increasing use of technologyand performance- based teacher pay, could also be here to stay. So why not brush up on whats happening now in the fast-paced world of education? Principals: Expand Your Network Through Twitter Twitter is a great way for principals to develop relationships with supporters, fellow educators and even news organizations. Creating an account is easy and with a few keystrokes, you can connect with education professionals from coast to coast and around the world. Imagine developing a relationship with a principal in France and arranging for a Skype presentation to your French classes! Interactions like this take place every day in classrooms across the country. Does Your School Have a Blog? Blogging is another method to advance your profile as a principal. The main purpose f writing a blog is providing interesting and useful information to your audience; a common side effect is that a sense of community is created. Interacting with parents and teachers through a blog is one of the best ways to communicate your message while you discover what your audience is really thinking. Communicate Quickly Through Text Messages Text messaging to students and parents cell phones is an instant way to convey important, time-sensitive information. School emergencies and weather-related delays can be announced directly to the people who need to know whats happening. Clearly, social media is not going away. Principals who embrace these tools can improve communication and expand resources available to students. Another Emerging Trend: Aligning Teacher Pay with Positive Outcomes The Obama administration is providing over one billion dollars to The Teacher Incentive Fund, which it hopes will increase the number of top-notch teachers in the nations neediest classrooms. Through school reforms like performance pay for teachers, some believe educators will work harder to achieve results. Teachers might receive bonuses for mentoring their peers, improving student achievement or teaching in troubled schools. Several states and the District of Columbia are launching new regulations to tie teacher salaries to student test scores or other merit-based pay plans. The idea is not without controversy; teachers unions are fighting performance well planned. But with states Wing for federal dollars that require merit pay, its one educational trend thats likely to stick around at least in the near term. The Trend Toward Increasing Technology in the Classroom Harnessing the increasing availability of high-tech tools will be vital to delivering quality education to upcoming generations of students. Major educational trends hat principals need to keep up with include increasing use of computers and the Internet in the classroom, unprecedented access to mobile computing devices and preparing teachers to take advantage of educational technology. The classroom can now come to any computer anywhere, facilitating learning through 2417 access to lectures, how-to videos and podcasts. Another great way to support distance learning is by sharing presentations through sites like Slideshare. And online interactive whiteboards make it easy for students and teachers to collaborate, no matter where they might be. Education: Current Trends and Issues Print Collect It! Email By G. Olsen I M. L. Fuller Pearson Allyn Bacon Prentice Hall Updated on Jul 20, 2010 As we have seen, public policy can drive the issues that create a cultural climate looking for change. Several issues that are finding platforms for discussion among politicians, teachers, and communities could provoke changes in the next few years. The trends we currently see in family support services are: States adopting a variety of tax credits for working families giving them help with childcare and in-home care expenses (Hirschhorn Donahue, 2006) Family-leave policies, allowing both parents pportunities to spend time with newborn babies in the early formative years of infancy Flexible work schedules and Job-sharing opportunities for parents who want to continue on their career path Internet and media control legislation to assure parents that children will not view or find inappropriate materials while using these media for learning Improvement in the quality and availability of infant and toddler care Educational trends and research that we will see in the coming years include: Standards-based education, focusing on outcomes for student learning (Schumacher, Irish, Lombardi, 2003) Full-day kindergarten providing more time for in-class experiential learning (Walston West, 2004) Research on the economic impact of the chil d-care industry and its effect on the local community; employment needs are identified to maintain a workforce (Rolnick Grunewald, 2003). Prekindergarten opportunities for every four-year-old in the United States, the universal Pre-K movement (Pre[K] Now, 2006) National School Readiness Indicators Initiative, creating a set of measurable indicators defining school readiness (Getting Ready, February 005) Quality Rating Systems, a system of rating the quality of child-care programs that is tied to incentives and reimbursement rates (NCCIC, June 2002) TEACH, professional development for early-care and early-education teachers tied to education and training incentives (TEACH, 2004) Early childhood assessment, looking at appropriate assessments spurred on by the debate surrounding the Head Start National Reporting System assessment (Horton Bowman, 2001). Gubernatorial used in measuring the quality of early childhood programs (Harms, Clifford, Cryer, 1998)

Latino/a Sexuality and the Heteronormative

Latino/a Sexuality and the Heteronormative In his novel The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz examines Latino identities and sexuality, and the ways in which both are affected and informed by violence. This violence is enacted through institutions like the state, through representation and misrepresentation, and by the very nature of sex and sexuality. Diaz gives an analysis of identity and sexuality, pointing to the way in which it is not only formed and generated by oneself, but also put on and impressed, through violence or with violent repercussions. Reinaldo Arenas’s autobiography Before Night Falls conveys similar themes as Diaz’s novel about the way in which sexuality is policed through violence from the stateparticularly in the form of dictatorships. Arenas depicts life in Cuba at the time of Castro, discussing how Castro, and the state, presented homosexuality as evidence of being unpatriotic and against nationalism, as well as grounds for torture and imprisonment. Many of the men who engage in homosexual acts are not homosexual themselves, and it is in fact such policing that causes more sex acts to occur. This environment of violence and sexuality, then, also carries over to all other aspects of life. Similarly, Diaz discusses the way sexuality comes into play in the Dominican Republic, during the time of Trujillo. Oscar’s mother Beli falls prey to the violence of the state in the form of an attack sanctioned by Trujillo’s sister, who does not agree with her relationship with her husband, the Ga ngster. In this way Diaz, like Arenas, dismantles the idea of the state as a noble protector and enforcer of just laws, illustrating the ways in which it in fact carries out injustices, and performs its own agenda. Both authors also describe how such violent enforcement does not garner successBeli continues to have an amorous relationship with the Gangster, even after the attack, and Arenas continues to have sex with men, in fact gaining more opportunities for sex acts due to state oppression. Foucault, in his The History of Sexuality, discusses the idea of the repressive hypothesis, talking about how sexuality is thought of as having a history of repression, and discussions of sexuality have been withheld since the Victorian era. Foucault points to the inaccuracy of this claim, stating that silence itself performs a certain kind of discourse, and the repression of discourses on sexuality are instrumental in their formation. Diaz, too, discusses a similar idea regarding the withholding of informationhe relates a story in which Abelard, Oscar’s grandfather, is imprisoned and violently tortured by Trujillo for hiding away his daughter and wife from his rapacious sexual appetite. He then contrasts this narrative with mention of another possible reason for his imprisonment, relaying information about a possible book that Abelard could have written about Trujillo, displaying the supernatural qualities of Trujillo and his regime. In doing so, Diaz gives mentions la pagina blanca, the information that is missing or unknown from such narratives, and the ways in which it can speak louder than any words can. The erasure of violence from public knowledge, as well as the erasure for the reasons for its production, does not remove knowledge of its existence or its effects. In this way, sexuality and violence, even when being given the illusion of being silenced, emerge and are spoken about even through its absence from public discourse. Ricardo L. Ortiz, in his article â€Å"Cultural Erotics of Cuban America† analyses the impact of Arenas’s life and death. As a homosexual, Arenas was placed outside of the context of Cuban nationalism, even being categorized as a terrorist subject in regards to his homosexuality, and through his death, Arenas simultaneously reaffirmed his identity as a Cuban in spite of being outside of Castro’s nationalist project, and attacked him as the cause of his death. Ortiz discusses Arena’s death in a pro-life context of protest through calling attention to the flaws and injustices of the Cuban government, while claiming sexuality as an element necessary for sustaining life. Similarly, Diaz constructs a similar understanding of Oscar’s death in his novel. Oscar essentially commits suicide by choosing to stay with Ybin, in spite of knowing that her violently angry boyfriend will come after him. As Ybin’s boyfriend is employed by the state, he can be s een as a manifestation of its violence, as well as a re-embodying of the violence of state enacted in past times, to Beli. Oscar’s sexuality comes to be the cause of his death, and he comes to fulfill his Dominican identity through its expression. As such, both authors point to the nature of protest through death and beyond life, and Latino sexuality as crucial to understandings of Latino identity. Further, the state can be evidenced as manipulating representations of sexuality for its own aims. In A Queer Mother For a Nation, Licia Fiol-Matta analyzes how the state became encapsulated in the image of Gabriela Mistral, and why she became a symbol for the nation. Mistral’s masculine, gender-queer identity and demeanor allowed her to be taken seriously in spite of being female, and still encompass desired state-sanctioned feminine traits like motherhood. Mistral followed in the state’s racist rhetoric, maintaining an â€Å"othering† gaze against blacks and pushing for racial cleansing through producing more white-mixed offspring. This racist rhetoric provided the state with a language in which to â€Å"other† black populations through the passive violence of exclusion and negative representation. Similarly, Diaz presents the figure of Oscar Wao in an interestingly contradictory light. He does not possess any of the traits of a stereotypical Dominican, and throughout his life finds it extremely difficult to flirt, date, or have sex with any girls because of his extremely nerdy and socially awkward personalityeventually coming to do violence to himself in part because of his inability to perform this aspect of his identity and sexuality. In spite of this, he eventually fulfills the saying that no Dominican man dies a virgin, by having sex with his prostitute girlfriendand in doing so comes to exemplify the idea that even as an exception to the rule, he can perform his â€Å"Dominican-ness† to the fullest. As such, Diaz examines in a tongue-in-cheek manner the way Latino bodies are stereotyped, even inside of the Latino community, and the violence of this type of representation, as well as the affect it can have on identity. In this way, both authors discuss the politics of representation and the contradictory and performative nature of identity and sexuality. Philippe Bourgois, in his anthropological analysis of Puerto Rican street life depicted in In Search of Respect: Selling Crack en El Barrio performs a similar violence through his representation of Latino bodies. As an outsider to this community, Bourgois casts an â€Å"othering† gaze on Puerto Rican crack dealers and creates a culture of difference between readers (as well as himself) and the members of the community he depicts. One of the aspects of this distance comes from an eroticisation of violence in the name of providing unadulterated truth (and of course, for consumer marketability)which brings to mind questions of, when is it okay to reproduce structures of violence, when doing so produces the same violence? Diaz asks a similar question in his reproduction of stereotypes of oversexed, hypersexual Dominicans in the figures of Yunior and Oscarwhat is authorial responsibility, especially in regards to the understandings of readerships? How can this violence be avoided? Diaz himself constructs problematic depictions of females and female sexuality, describing women in a somewhat chauvinistic lightmany of the female figures are represented as objects for the males to conquer through sexual pursuit. For both authors, the replication of such structures supports and reproduces racist and sexist ideas through consumerism. Such ideas then become part of a system of capitalism, providing interesting implications regarding the â€Å"selling† of problematic constructions of identity and sexuality. And as sexuality plays a large part in understandings of the formation of identity, these types of representations can have the effect of creating an environment in which violence becomes normalized in everyday consciousness. In his theoretical work Disidentifications, Jos? Esteban Munoz discusses his theory of disidentification, stating the ways in which categorization through sexuality and race, among other things, allows for a dismissal of or limiting understandings of identity. Disidentification, then, becomes a survival strategy, a way of avoiding the way in which representation can be unrelatable, or reproduced through the systemic violence of rearticulation. Much as Munoz examines the work of Carmelita Tropicana or Marga Gomez, and how they reclaim possibly harmful representations through camp, Diaz reproduces tongue-in-cheek stereotypes of Dominican identity and sexuality, and provides alternative representations of Latino identity and sexuality through his characters. Lola, for example, is represented as having a very present sense of sexuality, but is costumed in the role of a â€Å"goth.† Both writers point to the importance of the multiplicity of identity, and find ways to articulate La tino identity and sexuality that do not conform with the violence of heteronormative ideals. Junot Diaz examines the nature of identity and sexuality in regards to Latino bodies, and the ways in which they are impressed, manipulated, or reproduced through violence. Disidentification, perhaps, provides a necessary step towards providing an alternative consciousness and understanding of identity that does not become enmeshed in the culture of differenceand asks further questions about the way hegemonic society, institutions, and normalized violence enforces and regulates these ideas. How, then, can we use disidentification to further remove ourselves from the violent and harmful heteronormative? And what are the ways we can imagine ourselves in a more broad, inclusive sense of being?

Lowering The Legal Age of Drinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lowering The Legal Age of Drinking - Essay Example The considerable level of fatal road accident mitigation is one of the potential advantages of the higher drinking age. A study by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that higher drinking ages could save approximately 22,798 lives on American roadways from 1975 to 2003 (msn). Concerned officials say that teens are more unlikely to use seatbelts or helmets when they drink. Likewise, there is a close relationship between teenage drinking and gun/gang crimes. Hence, the lowering of MLDA may adversely affect the country. The MLDA lowering supporters commonly say, â€Å"If you are old enough to go to war, you should be old enough to drink† or â€Å"the drinking –age law just increases the desire for the forbidden fruit†. The military largely recruits youngsters mainly because they can be easily molded t into efficient soldiers. However, the act of recruiting youngsters for the military does not mean that they have grown enough to drink. Scientific stu dies clearly state that drinking is dangerous to teenagers as they are still in the stages of physical and mental development (Mulligan, 25-26). The drunken teenagers are more likely to take risks and that would lead them to dangers. Researches show that when some states had fixed the MLDA as 18, teenagers in those states in between 18 and 21 drank more and liked to drink more as adults. In contrast, youngsters drank less in their early 20s when the states in which they involved had 21 as their MLDA. In the opinion of Gaither (2008), the frustrating impacts of underage drinking range from academic failure to robbery. A person under 21 may not have completed his academic studies. Psychological studies warn that drinking habit would distract the teenagers’ interest from academic studies. In addition, alcohol substances are capable of stimulating risky sexual behaviors, especially of teens. Hence, the lowering of MLDA from 21 also seems to be an issue of public safety and national interests.