An Assignment on the Linguistic Acquisition Device Essay

In linguistics, language acquisition is the process through which human beings obtain the capability to comprehend and perceive language as well as produce sentences and words and utilize them to communicate. According to Chomsky, his Linguistic Acquisition Device (LAD) encompassed a device that children were born that could be defined as the inborn ability to comprehend the language principles. This LAD fits his innateness Hypothesis of language acquisition because he believed that once a child was exposed to language, the LAD would enable him or her to learn language in an outstanding pace as also elucidated under his critical period hypothesis Question Two According to Noam Chomsky’s critical period hypothesis, human speech encompassed a genetically programmed ability that had a critical age threshold. This is because like a variety of other human behaviors, an individual’s ability to acquire language is based on critical periods that are defined as the limited time span during which the individual is sensitive to the language acquisition external stimuli that enables him or her to acquire language. Once this time is surpassed the individual has minimum chances of acquiring language. This critical period in language acquisition was adolescence to Chomsky. Question Three Genie was discovered in Los Angeles on November 4, 1970. She was discovered by a social worker in Temple City, California when she accompanied her mother as she sought for disability benefits due to near blindness. The social worker had initially sensed that something was wrong with Genie and she got so shocked when she greeted them and discovered that Genie was actually 13 years old though the social worker had estimated that she was autistic and half that age. The social worker contacted her supervisor, who after questioning Genie’s mother contacted the police. Genie’s parents were later arrested and she was made the ward of the court and later transferred to the Children’s Hospital Lost Angeles. She was unable to acquire a language within a critical period due to the severe child abuse she went through under the hands of her father. Question Four The symptoms she displayed of this failure after she was discovered were here severe undersize regardless of her advanced age of 13 years. She had no understanding of grammar she could only comprehend 15-20 words. Two short phrases were what consisted of her active vocabulary and hence she had complete lack of speech, not because she was selectively mute but because she lacked any type of language. Though she had considerable memories of her past she lacked a way to communicate them. Question Five The forbidden experiment was the language deprivation experiment under which infants were isolated from any normal utilization of signed or spoken language as an attempt to discover the origin or language or human nature’s fundamental characteristics. Viktor became a model of this experiment because before his discovery he had lived in a forest like a wild animal and had been unable to understand or speak any language. After being placed under the care of Dr Jean Marc Gaspard Itard, he acquired the language rudiments and became socialized. Question Six She began to use the two-word phrases when she started to understand about 200 vocabulary words. Her speech began to improve after settling in her ne surrounding though it continued to exhibit latency. With time she started using negative forms with not rather than the prefix un. By October 1973 she could easily comprehend complex negation forms. By October 1971 she could listen to people talking and even contribute to the conversations. By November f the same year her speech and grammar could be equated to that of an 18 or 20 month old baby. By 1972 she could use complex noun phrases and regular plurals as well as understand interrogative words. By 1973 she was using determiners, definite articles, possessives and imperative sentences. She however did not acquire automatic speech. Question Seven The ethical implications of the language deprivation experiment are that it encompassed an inhuman experiment that would deprive the infants of their language acquisition abilities. Regardless of this Viktor benefited from this experiment because he was later able to acquire language rudiments and be socialized. The ethical implications of the experiments on Genie were linked to the fact that they subjected her to additional child abuse rather than help her because the researchers were more focused on the results of their results rather than hoe the research could benefit Jeanie. To some extent Jeanie benefited from the experiments because her language abilities improved but the researchers used her to acquire fame.

People Management Case Study

The SITUATION: the Ben Brooks’ dilemma Ben Brook, 43 years old, a solid professional with 20 years of experience at Livingstone Corp. , is extremely disappointed for not having been promoted CEO of his company. For the first time in his life, he is reflecting about his personal and professional history and choices, trying to get some lessons for the future. He considers quitting his company for a CEO job in another one. The FACTS: Ben Brooks’ personal and professional life Our starting point will be to understand (through a 3 pages letter) who Ben is as a person, and as a professional.We can deduce several key personality clues, based on the facts in the letter: ? An â€Å"achiever†: born in 1935, graduated with honors, joins Livingstone at the age of 23, promoted to an important position after only 4 years in the company, promoted youngest ever Executive VP (35 years old) after 12 years in the company. ?Loyal to the company and proud of it: entire career at Livi ngstone (20 years) ? â€Å"Work-aholic† at the expense of his family: regularly spend evenings and weekends in the office. Forgets about taking vacation.Immersed by work, leaves all energies in the office and fails in dedicated some to his wife and kids. One anecdote: after divorce, lives in a NYC hotel close to the office. ?Self-confident: believes others will notice and reward him for his own professional skills. ?Small (or none) circle of friends: having written this letter, at this point in time, to a professor he has neither seen nor talked to in the past 20 years seems like a strong sign that he had nobody closer with whom share his dilemma. The ANALYSIS: Ben Brooks’ profile 1. Psychological TypeWith the limited information available in the letter, we can guess Ben is an NT TYPE (â€Å"Intuitive Rational†): Ben is fascinated by power, he is very ambitious and believes he will progress and be recognized / rewarded by others as a result of his own personal c ompetences. As we said, he is a â€Å"work-aholic†, his competence seems never enough to him and he lives permanently with the fear to â€Å"fail† (ie. to not getting as high as he believes he deserves). He is a â€Å"visionary† and permanently challenges the status-quo: a good example is the â€Å"direct cost model† Ben developed and implemented at Livingstone only 2 years after having joined the company.In his professional relationships with others, NT types are arrogant in that sense that they assume a small contribution from his peers and team since, ultimately, â€Å"they are not as good as I am†. At the same time, as contradictory as it may seem, he can be as highly demanding with others as he is with himself. The NT types could go as far as hurting others’ feelings without even noticing it. Worth noting: there is nevertheless one component in Ben’s personality which could have led us to classify him rather as an SJ type.Ben is committed to deliver on his promises and objectives and, in that respect, he values duty above all and dedicates all of his time and energy to his work. That said, an SJ type is also very sensitive to others, to bringing harmony to the relationships and his â€Å"duty sense† goes beyond work to also his family. This is clearly not the case for Ben. ? To further complete this picture, Ben seems to be more of an INTROVERTED type: difficult to say through the letter but he does not seem like a very social or externally-focused person.He does not seem to be sourcing his energy from others, but rather from himself and his work. He definitely prefers communicating in written, even to a professor he has not seen for the past 20 years (! ) which clearly shows how little genuine interest he has in knowing how others (the professor) are doing: he dedicates 3 pages to talking exclusively about himself and his dilemma. On the 4th axe, Ben seems more like a JUDGEMENT type: he enjoys plann ing is work and is excited about reaching objectives. That said, we do not have much more information about this topic. 2.Motivational profile Reading through his letter, we can sense Ben has consistently been moved by mostly INTRINSIC MOTIVATIONS, with some component of EXTRINSIC MOTIVATIONS but a total absence of TRANSCENDENT MOTIVATIONS. Let’s elaborate slightly more: Most important motivation for Ben seems to have been his own self-fulfillment at work, the satisfaction of being a competent professional facing challenges and delivering results (INTRINSIC MOTIVATION) with the objective of being rewarded by the company with increasingly important jobs, power and status (EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION).Economic compensation, although also important (as for most of us), seems to play a secondary role for Ben. In his letter, he explains his jobs and some key business achievements yet never mentions other people, his teams, the role they played on his success or the impact he, as a manage r, had on their development (lack of TRANSCENDENT MOTIVATIONS). This analysis is coherent with the conclusion we can drive from his (lack of) personal life: Ben acknowledges he failed in dedicating time and energy to his family and was not surprise when his wife left him.He talks about this â€Å"personal drama† in a very dispassionate manner, as a â€Å"logical fact†: another indication of the little relevancy of TRANSCENDENT MOTIVATIONS. How does this affect his LEADERSHIP ABILITY? Nobody, no matter how good of a manager he/she is, could be perceived as a true leader by his/her organization, if he/she does not display a minimum of TRANSCENDENT MOTIVATION, ie. a unique interest and empathy about others and about doing what is better for others’ well-being. This motivation is a must in order to be able to generate VALUES in the organization.Ben thought his personal needs would be fulfilled with MATERIAL and PROFESSIONAL components. He disregarded AFFECTIVE needs or, equally worrying, he thought it was other people’s role (his wife) to provide him unilaterally with some affection. 3. Leadership Style and Competencies Ben appears as an EXECUTIVE LEADER, a â€Å"DOER†. He has vision for the business and the skills to get there. He relentlessly focus on results, on delivering on objectives and is highly involved and committed to do so.This single-minded focus leaves little room for other people: he is egocentric and lacks genuine interest in others. He is a poor listener and could end up manipulating others (even unconsciously) in his will to get results at any cost. Ben is ambitious about his career and concerned about his own success above all. Through his 20 years of successful career progression, Ben has certainly demonstrated both BUSINESS and MANAGING COMPETENCIES (otherwise he would probably not have become Executive VP).As previously said, Ben has a vision for the business, knows how to administrate people and resources i n order to be effective in delivering results. On the contrary, lacking of Transcendent Motivations, Ben has been unable of bringing a SENSE OF MISSION to his leadership. Further, he has probably even been unconscious and unaware of the importance of this sense of mission. Ben has lacked the critical PERSONAL COMPETENCIES required to lead others behind a common â€Å"vision†, a higher level commitment than merely objectives or tasks.With strong Business and Managing competencies, Ben has been able through his career to deliver results and to motivate his teams â€Å"on the short-term† by merely leveraging on their extrinsic and intrinsic motivations (LIDERANCA TRANSFORMADORA). Nevertheless, as it is, Ben would be unable to motivate an organization behind a higher-end, longer-term mission (LIDERANCA TRANSCENDENTE), and this is certainly what Livingstone top management has identified as a gap for Ben to become the company CEO.In the words of another leadership specialist , Ben is certainly a COMPETENT MANAGER, he organizes people and resources to reach objectives. He is probably an EFFECTIVE LEADER, with a vision to engage others towards the pursuit of stretching goals. But he is not at the top leadership level, the LEVEL 5 EXECUTIVE, who builds solid organizations and preaches with his own example and humility, rallying the organization behind a common mission, one which transcends extrinsic and intrinsic motivations to truly make an impact on people’s well-being and, ultimately, on the society.Advice I would give to Ben Brooks Throughout the above analysis, the advice I would give to Ben is to take quality time and start a well-thought process of personal change. Any personal change process requires: -First, to acknowledge the need for a personal and a professional change: Ben has done so already, at least on the professional side, as we can see in his letter. He does not yet seem concerned about the importance of a well-balanced personal a nd emotional life and its positive impact on his leadership ability. Second, the willingness to change: Ben is starting to realize this as he says he will certainly behave differently if he joins a new company. -Third, to act, to plan the change and to execute it, as an iterative process. For a mid-aged person like Ben, with 20 years of professional experience in the same company (hence, already with a personal risk-aversion profile), changing profoundly anchored habits will be a very difficult exercise.Further, Ben is currently frustrated and angry about his top management decision and he will probably lack the necessary objectivity in analyzing his own case and the true reasons why they believe he is not ready to be the CEO the company needs. I would hence advice Ben to reach out to a professional coach who, same as psychiatrics do, will help him dissect the information and drive conclusions and who will design, with him, the steps needed for the change.I would advise him to start by complementing his own in-depth reflection with the feedback he could get from several peers, subordinates and friends/family about who is Ben, how does he behaves, how is he perceived. This will be the starting point, the raw material to start the work with the coach. Also importantly, this process will take significant time and effort, yet it is crucial if he wants to become not only a better rounded senior leader for an organization, but also a happier person. I would suggest that he puts aside, for the moment, his prospection for new jobs.Ideally, if this is financially possible, he would quit his job and dedicate some time (some months) entirely to himself and his change process. Probably 20 years of experience do â€Å"buy you† the right to do so and the personal â€Å"win† will be worth the time and the salary. Ultimately, I believe Ben will be better off leaving his company: he has accumulated significant frustration that will impact him in his daily work an d, as he says, he will probably not make it to CEO there in the mid-term. That said, I believe he should also think whether â€Å"becoming CEO† is his true objective.The title â€Å"per se† does not say much. He should be more factual in writing down the â€Å"must have† and the â€Å"negotiable elements† of the ideal job he wants and, with the help of his coach, identify the type of jobs and, as importantly, the type of companies where he could find it. In my opinion, these are the lessons Ben Brooks should learn for the future Driven by his own professional ambition, Ben has failed in taking a â€Å"helicopter view† to evaluate his personal and professional life on a permanent mode.He has failed in growing as a leader and as a person to go beyond efficacy (delivering on results), to leave a positive mark on those surrounding him and to make his beloved ones happier and his collaborators more profoundly committed about a mission. A leader is not a â€Å"top level† leader if he does not: -First, knows himself (â€Å"Self-Awareness†), his motivations, his style, his strengths and weaknesses, the impact he makes on others, -Leverages his own emotions and skills to be more effective and empathic in working with others, to get the most out of them (Emotional Intelligence) -Has a genuine interest for other people, Behaves as a change agent, an influential leader well beyond a â€Å"doer† delivering business results -Knows how to manage his own career and his personal time and, ultimately, balances both (Work Life Balance) to be an example as a professional but also as a human being. Ben invested all his time and energy on his own effectiveness as a manager and thought this would be enough to take him where he wanted to be.He invested all the time in his company, his projects and results and failed to dedicate time and energy to his beloved ones but also to himself. The best investment one can make, at any time in life, is the investment made to become a better person and a better leader, more genuine and more engaged to excel not only in results, but also in the positive impact we have on others. Ben is still on time to do so and excel in this new professional adventure, whatever makes him happier, with or without the â€Å"CEO† title in the business card.

EXCEL 5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

EXCEL 5 - Assignment Example ceipts is also done to identify whether the trend is clearer, whether there are any anomalies left or any more cyclical patterns lasting more than one year. Finally, a review of the double smoothed results to determine whether the values from the projected position are reasonable. We can also determine the impact of the recent values on the projection and whether it skews the projection. From observing the raw receipt data, it is evident that there is both positive, negative and stationary trends at different months of the line graph. The initial months show a positive trend for the first points before a negative trend begins. This trend doesn’t last long before another stationary then positive trends are observed. Essentially, there is no definite trend with the raw receipts as it emerges as a zigzag trend of positive, negative and stationary trends. Generally, a positive trend is observed. There are few anomalies observed through the projection period. The first anomaly is a spike in the 10th month of the projection period. Another spike though not too significant is evident at the 22nd month. A significant anomaly is evident at the 46th month where the highest spike in the entire projection period is observed. Other minor spikes are shown at the 36th and 40th month of the projection period respectively. There is no significant dips (decreases) in the proje ction period although minor decreases in the 9th, 21st, 30th, 33rd and 45th can be observed from the graph. Particular patterns can be observed in the dips (decrease) and spikes (increase) in the projection period. The spikes (increase) seem to occur after twelve months exhibiting an annual pattern over the projection period. The dips (decrease) however, do not exhibit a particular pattern as some occur after 2 months. It is also important to note that after every dip (decreases) there is a spike (increases) in the following month but not of equal proportions. The comparison between the de-seasonalized and

Marketing Strategy Analysis 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing Strategy Analysis 2 - Assignment Example The firm’s online marketing strategy incorporates all features of online marketing, but through all the obvious techniques, it is their aggressiveness, which has stressed and widened their need to succeed and stay at the peak of the retail industry (Hayden et al., 2010). However, a hostile campaign inevitably harvests controversy, and through the years, the firm has been involved with a fair share of negative publicity mainly concerning their particular marketing technique (Bachfischer, 2012). Their bullying attitude has made many perceive them as unfair and unreasonable, but Wal-Mart still hinges at the top of the retail industry despite their negative attention. The firm’s marketing techniques comprises of overflowing the market with their presence (Hayden et al., 2010). This is startling for people who perceive Wal-Mart’s business endeavors startling. However, with such a huge quantity of retail stores, extremely competitive pricing, along with such a huge mar ket share, their marketing method has demanded an overall invasion of all the suitable markets (Bachfischer, 2012). Wal-Mart provides numerous types of products, with a fairly easy list of options (Hayden et al., 2010). The Sam’s Club of the chain store provides an alternative for those who prefer bulk, as well. And, with such a loyal customer base, the firm is capable of setting prices for what their clients pay for (Roth, 2012). If the product is below cost, then many clients can go for it. The truth is that Wal-Mart can give a firm a prime chance to get their goods to a majority of consumers even if they lose funds doing so. Their internet marketing has made them transparent in an effort to deter the controversy of their name (Bachfischer, 2012). A consumer can buy their whole collection of goods through the internet. A consumer can also go through reviews, get alternative deals for exceptional deals available only online and sign-up for a newsletter in order to be-on-the- know with the firm’s products (Hayden et al., 2010). In spite of this, such an organization depends strongly on their physical location, precisely why a store finder is situated at the peak in bright yellow (Roth, 2012). This competitive nature has made controversy thrive under their name. However, their marketing strategy has centered on quantity, as well as delivering a variety in one location (Gereffi & Christian, 2012). Their extending hands to McDonalds and the Subway for transport convenience further confirms this claim (Hayden et al., 2010). A normal shopper can get glasses prescription, their car oil changed and get a haircut under their building. A client can buy draperies on one side of the store and jewelry on the other. Shoppers can grab a new lawnmower and buy groceries, all while taking a haircut (Bachfischer, 2012). Wal-Mart’s recent union with SunTrust Bank has enhanced their presence in the Southeast. Their marketing strategy has always depended on var iety, which is how many things can a client buy in one location (Roth, 2012). Wal-Mart also uses Facebook along with other social media sites to drive their sales (Gereffi & Christian, 2012). The firm allows 22 million Facebook followers to vote on toys would like to see on temporary discounts, or on "rollbacks" (Bachfischer, 2012). The online marketing strategy of Wal-Mart provides convenience for the firm. Their internet

Advertisement analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Advertisement analysis - Essay Example SO they need better brain even as they grow older. The cover page of the Bulletins is divided into different parts. There are two plates both full of vegetable, and of different colour. The first plate has orange vegetables while the second one has green vegetable. The rest of the ad is painted in a bright yellow colour. The ad is planned for women. They are the one who prepares food in the family, and if they do not prepare they decide what diet is included in a meal. Women care for their husband and would want to see them getting stronger even as they get old. The picture is arranged in an appealing posture. It has large images of vegetables and fruits more than the writing space. This makes the picture appealing to women, and it purposely designed for them because they like beautiful things. The ad has writing on the bottom left and top right side of the Bulletins cover. The Bulletins cover has some writing written in bold and with larger letter than others. For example, ‘SMARTER BRAIN FOOD’ is written in bold signifying that the vegetable and fruits are meant to nourish the brains (Benoist). The rest of the text talks of the benefit of oranges and green vegetable to men at their late years. Moreover, the test explains the nutrients that are comprised in these foods. It helps catch the mind of a buyer by quickly getting the pertinent information on the front page of the Bulletins. The ad also emphasis on the fundamental of colour and he paint the cover with yellow, green and red which resemble majority of fruits and vegetable that are there in farms and in the market. On the top right corner, the ad has inscriptions ‘keep your brain young with orange and green fruits and vegetables’ (Benoist) The author knows the valuable of being young and thus wants to appeals the bulletin to all people that need to look younger than

In What Ways Are an Organisations Employment Relations Influenced by Essay

In What Ways Are an Organisations Employment Relations Influenced by External Factors - Essay Example It is important to understand in detail how this commitment comes into maturity in the business world. According to Daniels (2006), organisation and its employees should together have one common understanding of their corporate goals and such can be enhanced further by employees’ success or failures and their existing relationship. In short, a good relationship existing between employees and the organisation is a good indicator of corporate success. Thus, an organisation’s ultimate goal is to enhance relationship with its employees or workforce. PESTLE Analysis Political Holman et al. (2005) argued that political processes are highly involved in the employee and management relationship considering that the modern design of working processes involves the modern consideration of conflicting interests between the employee and management. This may complement with the idea of Byton and Turnbull (2004) that there is no common interest between the interdependence of corporate world and the employees. One important implication of this in the real world is the continuing existence of boundaries between employees and the organisation. This boundary is without question being instituted by the differences that lead to conflicting interest among employees and the organisation. The idea of Holman et al (2005) and Byton and Turnbull only suggests that in reality there is conflict of interest between the employee and management and this boils down to the politics involved inside and outside of the corporate world. This means therefore that it is not only at the inside part of the corporate realm there is specific influence when it comes to employment relations but even at the... This report stresses that the current environmental concern is an important issue in employment relations. For instance, many companies which substantially in line with protecting the environment especially on the issue of global warming have substantially equip their employees with basic understanding about the issue. Such is a certain level of employee management that leads to actual employee and management relationship. It is in line with the strengthening of this aspect that will essentially lead to effective implementation of corporate goals. Thus, based on environmental concerns, a car manufacturing company will absolutely increase the understanding of its personnel on the probable issues in line with the environment. After all, the economic activities nowadays are interrelated with the environmental concerns. A the author says there are different attachments that characterise employment relationship such as employee commitment to organisation’s values and acknowledgemen t of both instrumental and calculative motives. This paper makes a concluison that it is clear that employment relation does not originate within the context between the corporate world and employees. In reality, the business environment is an external source of the existing trend in employment relations. In particular, the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental aspects have corresponding impacts in the business world and the concerned employment relations between the employees and management.

Tae Guk Gi (The Brotherhood of War)- (Korean) FILM ESSAY

Tae Guk Gi (The Brotherhood of War)- (Korean) FILM - Essay Example Jin-seok learns of his brothers plans and hopes to stop him from getting himself killed (Je-gyu 2004). He is horrified to see Jin-tae transformed by the war from a caring brother into a cruel soldier that seems to be pursuing glory rather than sacrificing himself to save his brother. The growing division between Jin-seok and Jin-tae reflects the growing division between the people of North Korea and South Korea following the communist revolution while reflecting on the many tragedies of the war. Although Jin-tae succeeds in earning the Medal of Honor for all the risks he takes, he is not successful in sheltering Jin-seok from the war. Jin-seok comes to resent his brother for what he is doing and refuses to go home. However, when the opportunity arises, he seeks out their family to let them know that both of them are okay (Je-gyu 2004). He returns home to find Young-shin being taken away for helping the communists, which she did for food and not for ideological reasons (Je-gyu 2004). When Jin-seok tries to prevent anti-communist partisans from executing Young-shin, he is imprisoned and treated as a communist traitor. Jin-tae attempts to intervene to help his brother and Young-shin and gets himself into trouble as well. Despite his efforts to protect his brother, Jin-tae is unable to stop his commander from ordering the prisoners, which include his brother, from being burned alive when the North Koreans are advancing on their encampment. Somehow, Jin-seok manages to escape th e fire. In the end, the two brothers are reunited after Jin-tae is captured by the North Koreans and joins their ranks as fanatic leading their "Flag Unit", thinking his brother is dead (Je-gyu 2004). Jin-seok loses his hatred for what his brother had become and risks his life to try to bring Jin-tae home safely. Although Jin-seok has to wait 50 years later to discover the fate of his brother, Jin-tae

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 47

Journal - Essay Example Nevertheless, it uses captivating pictures that captures the attention of the reader. These pictures show how the protestors are prepared and determined to remain on the streets no matter what happens and regardless of how long it takes to achieve their agenda. The reporters show bias because they seem to sympathize with the pro-democracy demonstrators and condemn the Chinese government for taking a hard stand on the decision not to allow democracy in Hong Kong. This story is timely because of the ongoing demonstrations. The authors use quotes from prominent officials, which gives the story credibility and reliability. Moreover, the reporters gives a background to the issue of Hong Kong demonstrations, and this helps people who have not been following current events understand the context of the story. Finally, the target audience are the Chinese government and world leaders who can bring intervention to help sort out the issue between Hong Kong and Beijing. For the government of China, it aims to show them how resilient the protestors have become, and they are not willing to give up anytime

Ethics studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethics studies - Essay Example These factors could include cultures, him-self or values. The poem written by David brings out an immense debate about the colours of individuals and the marriage between races and the influences that this has on their identities. This paper analyzes the subject of identity and self-hate. More so, it discusses the popular and the cultural traditional beliefs as to why people tend to get involved in interracial relationships. Marriages between races have been affected by attractiveness, acculturation and propinquity. Several researches have come up with the conclusion that propinquity tent to be the strongest predator in determining whether or not people can engage in interracial marriages. Assimilation and acculturation have been shown to be related to several incidents of interracial relationships in a positive way. It is believed that when it is removed from the demands of the intra-ethnic relationships that are opposed by most communities and families, there is the possibility for the exploration of the interracial relationships with different ethnic and racial backgrounds. These are the main factors for most ethnic and racial groups. In this paper, it discusses the relationships or rather the beliefs that exists behind the interracial marriages/relationships betw een the â€Å"Black community† and the â€Å"White† community in the United State since independence (Hearn, 1998). When talking of interracial relationships, there exist two beliefs that are associated that decision. The beliefs are traditional and popular cultural beliefs. There is a belief that when men from a different colour to that of the women will only marry from a different race if they are in need of escaping from their value, culture and/or themselves. This regards to the traditional beliefs. These beliefs explain that men who marry from a different race or a different ethnic community are

Dietary Restriction in Judaism Essay Example for Free

Dietary Restriction in Judaism Essay Many scholars have attempted to explain not only the reasoning for the existence of Jewish dietary restrictions but how not conforming to them can be perceived as evil. Some have said that a hygienic component was the most important reason for these restrictions. Others have stated that it was a result of an attempt to preserving the Jewish culture from foreign influences. While others argue that it is a means to achieving holiness or purity. In her book Purity and Danger, Mary Douglas examines some of the arguments put forth by several scholars and theologians. In her examination, Douglas rejects most of the explanations and settles on the explanation that she believes to be the only one without contradiction, the idea of purity. To understand why Mary Douglas comes to the conclusion that she does, it is important to understand how she views the concept of â€Å"good† and â€Å"evil† or â€Å"purity† and â€Å"pollution†. Douglas places great emphasis on the idea of purity and how dirt defiles it. This is not always meant to be literal. Douglas makes the distinction between clinical views of dirt versus a symbolic ideal of pollution of purity. She points out that even though the two views come from completely different mindsets, they are much more closely related than it would initially appear when she says â€Å"†¦ the resemblance between some of their symbolic rites and our hygiene is sometimes uncannily close.†. Douglas was paramount in our understanding of how the concept of dirt plays an important role in our perception of social norms. These norms help to shape society by outlining boundaries that define what is good and what may be considered evil. â€Å"The public identification of â€Å"dirt† displays the boundaries of cultural categories†. When one performs an act that crosses these boundaries, it can be viewed as an act of defilement, which may be perceived as â₠¬Å"pollution† or â€Å"evil†. Ritual practice, in this case the dietary restriction, â€Å"†¦is an opportunity to remove things that are not acceptable from society† and attempt to restore purity. Some have cited the main purpose of the dietary restrictions as being for hygienic and health reasons. While Douglas does mention this as a contributing factor and admits that the restrictions have shown these benefits to exist, it is apparent that she feels that there are too many contradictions for this to be a completely valid argument for the existence of the restrictions. In regards to this mode of thought she states that â€Å"†¦ it is one thing to point out the side benefits of ritual actions, and another thing to be content with using the by-products as a sufficient explanation†. Douglas even goes as far as saying, â€Å"The only sound approach is to forget hygiene†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Some interpretations of these restrictions were based on the idea that the Jewish people were using them as a means to differentiate themselves from other groups of people. This could lead one to the conclusion that the sole reason for â€Å"†¦the prohibition on pigs was aimed at differentiating the Israelites from their nighbors†. In James’ work in The Priestly Conceptions of Evil in the Torah, he explains â€Å"People who are set apart by God to become holy are required to live by different rules than other people†. From this we are to understand that in order to become pure in the eyes of god, one must set themselves apart from others just as god has. In contradiction to this school of thought, Douglas points out that this concept is more of a product of mistranslation and that the term â€Å"set apart† should have really been translated as â€Å"holy†. This reinterpretation gives a different meaning to the scripture. It changes the focus from a means to an end to an expression of desire for one to be of the highest spiritual level. The Jewish people do not need to differentiate themselves from others to achieve holiness. Another conception is that these restrictions are being used as a means to preserve the purity of their culture from the influence of other cultures. If we are to believe this ideology we would be lead to believe that the introduction of customs from another group would cause the Jewish culture to become â€Å"dirty† or â€Å"impure† and therefore unholy. Douglas invalidates this argument when she says that the â€Å"†¦ argument cannot be comprehensive, for it is not held that the Israelites consistently rejected all the elements of foreign religions and invented something entirely original for themselves.†. The concept of purity is quite prevalent throughout Jewish literature and the ideals of their dietary restrictions. It is also the concept that Douglas believes best explains the necessity for dietary restriction in the Jewish faith. Purity of diet plays a large role in achieving a state of purity or avoiding pollution â€Å"†¦ the dietary laws would have †¦ inspired meditation on the oneness, purity and completeness of God† One of the main ideas is that all animals belong to one of three domains (the sky, the earth and the water) and have certain attributes that make them adapted to life in that domain (the wings of birds, the four legs and divided hoof of cows, or the scales and fins of a fish for example). Those that do not conform to one domain by some form of adaption that is deemed less fit for that domain and thereby violating its sanctity, are seen as â€Å"impure† or â€Å"dirty†. Another ideal of â€Å"purity† that must be upheld is the idea of confusion or mixing. Any animal that is mixed with another species is considered dirty just as the improper mixing of blood relatives is considered impure for it has brought forth confusion or disorder. James writes that â€Å"hybrids †¦ represent a return to the chaos that God banished in bringing order to the world.† Douglas says that â€Å"dirt is essentially disorder†. From this one could surmise that moving from order to disorder is akin to moving from â€Å"purity† to â€Å"dirt† or â€Å"good† to â€Å"evil†. As god brought order to the world, man must bring order to his life to be like god and therefore holy. Mary Douglas shows that the dietary restrictions of Jewish people consists of both a hygienic component as well as an element of â€Å"purity†. She does however favour the element of â€Å"purity† as there are some contradictions involving hygiene. Douglas uses her keen perception to analyze the theories proposed by others and uses sound logic to either validate or discredit them. She shares a similar view with James in regards to the idea of â€Å"pollution† of â€Å"purity†. Adhering to the dietary restrictions provides the practitioner with a means to attain and maintain a state of purity. Bibliography Barak-Erez, Daphne. Outlawed Pigs : Law, Religion, and Culture in Israel. Chicago: University of Wisconsin Press, 2007 Douglas, Mary. Purity and Danger. New York: Routledge, 2002 Hendel, Ronald. Remembering Mary Douglas: Kashrut, Culture, and Thought-Styles. Berkely: University of California, 2008 James, Gene G. The Priestly Conceptions of Evil in the Torah. Evil and the Response of World Religion. Ed. William Cenkner. St. Paul, Minn: Paragon House, 1997 Weimer, Jade. â€Å"Mary Douglas’ work.† Class lecture, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, November 8, 2012.

Room Division Manager Forecasting Data And Revenue Study Tourism Essay

Room Division Manager Forecasting Data And Revenue Study Tourism Essay By forecasting room availability we mean forecasting the number of rooms available for sale. In order to facilitate forecasting Room Division Manager should collect the following data that helps manage the reservation process. Number of expected room arrivals- is the number of guests that have already made reservation in the hotel and are expected to check à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬in. Number of expected room walk-ins- Walk-ins are the guests without reservations that coming in the hotel. This number helps the front office managers to use the appropriate number of staff and prepare rooms for the expected walk-ins. Number of expected room stayovers- is the number of guests that will not expected to check out today and will continue stay in the hotel. Helps the management to know the occupancy of the hotel, the number of rooms that are available for sale and the number of employees that must be used. Number of expected room no-shows- is the number of expected guests who did not arrive in the hotel. This number helps front office managers to know if there are rooms available for sale and decide when to sell rooms to walk-in. Number of expected room understays- is the number of guests who check out before their departure date. Helps the management to know additional room availability. Number of expected room check-outs- is the number of guests expected to departure from the hotel that day. This number helps the management with the number of available rooms for sale. It helps them to use the right number of employees will be needed in the front office during the check-out process and the number of housekeepers in order to clean the rooms. Number of expected room overstays- Overstays are the guests who stay beyond their departure date. This number alerts management for any problems when rooms have been reserved for arriving guests. Moreover, this type of forecasting can be used as an occupancy forecast that helps the management to decide how many employees needed for a shift depended on the expected volume of business. 2. Explain the concept of revenue management and how R.D Manager can maximize revenue by using forecast data. Revenue management is the process of each hotel to understanding guest behavior in order to maximize the revenue. The philosophy of the revenue management of a hotel is to sell the right room to the right person at the right time for the right price. The revenue management plays an important role in the financial success of any hotel. It includes a number of tactics and strategies that make the hotel to develop best selling situations. Revenue management is always depends on the law of demand and supply. There are more factors that can draw a reliable forecasting that affects the business, like long/short stay guests, type of room, cost of room etc. The concept of the revenue management is to pick the business that gives the maximum yield for the hotel. The management of the hotel wants to attract guests who pay the most and stay longest. There are numerous benefits coming of Revenue Management. The revenue management improves forecasting. It improves decisions about the prices and t he inventory of the hotel. It identifies new market segments and the demand of each market segment. The revenue management improves development of short and long term business plans and tries to increases the profit of the hotel and decrease the operating cost of the hotel by saving in labor cost, waste time from employees or other operating expenses. The forecasting data have lot to do with the revenue of the hotel. The forecasting data are used for the R.D manager to the revenue management techniques that followed from a hotel in order to increase the profitability to a great extent .These strategies are used from the Revenue Management are the capacity management, the discount allocation and the duration control. The Capacity management involves methods to balance the risks and control the room supply. It balances risks of overbooking against possible loss of revenue from guests that cancel their reservation, under-stays, and no-shows. It also involves in determining the number of walk-ins can be accepted on the day of arrival taking all the above in consideration. The Discount allocation involves methods to manage discounts for the rooms for various time periods from the rack rates. The Room Division manager and the sales agents must be able to sale at the best possible rates and at the same time to sale all the rooms of the h otel. All the room types of the hotel reduced rate- structure below the rack rate is given to reservations. Implementing this method requires reliable demand forecasting. This method helps also in up-selling by limiting the discounts by room type. Duration control is managing to place time limits on accepting reservations in order to give room request that are multiple days that represents higher level of revenue than single day occupancy that represents lower level of revenue. To increase the revenue the management can be combined the strategies of duration control and discount allocation. For example, the hotel can make a discount to a guest that will stay in for two weeks while one day stay require rack rate.