L4 Reading Essay Example for Free

L4 Reading Essay What do listening and reading comprehension skills have in common? ?BOTH ARE RECEPTIVE SKILLS ?THEY PROVIDE INPUT FOR LLS (LLS NEED TO BE EXPOSED TO THE LANGUAGE THEY LEARN AS much as possible) ?LLS LISTEN AND READ BOTH EXTENSIVELY AND INTENSIVELY ?INPUT HYPOTHESIS (KRASHEN) – LLS ARE ABLE TO ACQUIRE LANGUAGE THAT IS SLIGHTLY ABOVE their level (i+1) ? GOALS OF LISTENING AND READING – SIMILAR ?IT IS NECESSARY TO FOCUS ON THE PROCESS, NOT ON THE PRODUCT ?THREE STAGES: PRE-, DURING-, AFTER- ?IN COMPARISON WITH LISTENING AND SPEAKING, READING IS A RELATIVELY EASIER SKILL. ?REASONS: ? THE READER HAS TIME TO PROCESS THE WRITTEN TEXT (HELP OF A DICTIONARY) ? WRITTEN TEXT CAN BE USED REPEATEDLY Bottom-up view of Reading ?PROCESSING IN READING FROM LETTERS TO SOUNDS, TO WORDS, TO MEANING (DATA-DRIVEN) ?COMPREHENSION TO PROCEED LINEARLY FROM THE ISOLATED UNITS (LETTERS, WORDS) TO HIGHER units of comprehension. Top-down view of Reading Reading texts 1. Literary texts (novels, short stories, plays, essays) 2. Specialized or technical texts (reports, reviews, textbooks) 3. Correspondence (letters, e-mails, postcards) 4. Journalistic literature (articles from newspapers and magazines, weather reports). 5. Information texts (dictionaries, timetables, signs) 6. Realia (tickets, menus, recipes) Different kinds of reading 1. Scanning – looking for a particular piece of information. 2. Skimming – looking for the main idea or the general gist of a passage. 3. Extensive reading – longer texts for pleasure, needing global understanding 4. Intensive reading – shorter texts, extracting specific info, detail Decide: skimming, scanning, extensive reading or intensive reading ?THE ‘WHAT’S ON’ SECTION OF THE LOCAL PAPER ?A NOVEL ?AN ARMCHAIR TRAVEL BOOK ABOUT A COUNTRY YOU HAVE ENJOYED VISITING ?A NEWSPAPER  ? A TEXT IN CLASS ?A SERIES OF ARTICLES, ONLY SOME OF WHICH WILL BE USEFUL TO YOU, FOR A REPORT YOU’RE writing ?A POEM ?THE TELEPHONE DIRECTORY ?A POSTCARD ?INSTRUCTIONS FOR KITSET FURNITURE YOU’RE ASSEMBLING (YOU’RE USUALLY NOT VERY GOOD AT doing this) ?A TRAIN TIMETABLE ?A RECIPE ?A TRAVEL BROCHURE WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO DECIDE ON A HOLIDAY DESTINATION Reading aloud ?FOR PRACTISING PRONUNCIATION AND INTONATION (CHILDREN) ?SHADOW READING: ? LLS FIRST LISTEN TO THE WHOLE TEXT (NOT BE VERY LONG, ONE PARAGRAPH) ?LLS LISTEN TO ONE SENTENCE, THE TEACHER STOPS THE CD AND LLS READ THE SENTENCE OUT,  paying attention to correct pronunciation and intonation ?WHEN THEY CAN DO IT WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS, THEY ARE ASKED TO READ THE TEXT TOGETHER with the CD ?AFTERWARDS, INDIVIDUAL LLS MAY BE ASKED TO READ THE TEXT OUT. Feedback on during-reading activities ?AFTER LLS HAVE READ THE READING COMPREHENSION TEXT AND WRITTEN THEIR ANSWERS, THEN check the answers in pairs ? LLS UNDERLINE THOSE SENTENCES – THE EVIDENCE FOR THEIR DECISIONS ?AFTER THE ANSWERS AND THE EVIDENCE HAVE BEEN CHECKED IN PAIRS OR SMALL GROUPS, THE T elicits the answers from the LLs ?ELICITATION – T KNOWS WHICH PASSAGES CAUSED PROBLEMS AND CAN HELP LEARNERS TO  analyse the particular section ? IF LLS’ ANSWERS DIFFER FROM EACH OTHER, T SHOULD NOT TELL THEM THE CORRECT ANSWER, BUT let LLs discuss their decisions and evidence and come to a conclusion Reading Strategies for Efficient Reading ?BE PREPARED FOR READING THE TEXT (ASK QUESTIONS FOR YOURSELF WHICH YOU THINK THE TEXT may answer; read the title, subtitles; look at pictures and other visuals to predict the content of the text) ? READ THE TEXT QUICKLY FOR THE GIST; ?YOU MAY HIGHLIGHT KEY VOCABULARY AND LOOK THE KEY WORDS UP; ?TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE MAIN IDEAS AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM; ?TRY TO FIND THE LINKING WORDS; THEY INDICATE THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN IDEAS AND MAKE the text coherent; ?IGNORE UNKNOWN WORDS OR TRY TO GUESS THEIR MEANING FROM THE TEXT; ?USE DIFFERENT READING STRATEGIES TO READ DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEXTS (SKIMMING, SCANNING, reading for detail) ? READ WIDELY Don’t!!! ?TRANSLATE THE TEXT; IT REQUIRES VERY CAREFUL READING WHICH IS NOT NECESSARY FOR understanding the main ideas and doing the tasks; ?TRY TO UNDERSTAND EVERY WORD, IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR UNDERSTANDING THE MEANING OF THE text; ?READ ALOUD; IT SLOWS YOU DOWN AND IT MAKES YOU LOOK UP THE WORDS YOU CANNOT pronounce.

House Wren Use of Riparian Corridors

House Wren Use of Riparian Corridors PROJECT JUSTIFICATION The South Platte Wildlife Management Area (SPWMA) is a 5,908 Ha property consisting of about 40km of floodplain forest with surrounding upland prairie (Knopf 1986). Riparian forests such as that which occurs along the South Platte River have been of particular interest to researchers investigating avian use of riparian corridors during migration (Machtans et al. 1996, Skagen et al. 1998), and juvenile dispersal (Machtans et al. 1996). A riparian corridor is a strip of vegetation that connects two or more larger patches, and through which an organism will likely move over time (Fischer and Fischenich 2000). Regardless of size or degree of connectivity, many studies have shown these vegetation strips along rivers support a higher diversity and abundance of birds than adjacent upland forests or grasslands (Stauffer and Best 1980, Tockner and Ward 1999). Periodic inundation of alluvial landscapes creates a shifting mosaic of aquatic and terrestrial transition zones (Tockner and Ward 1999 ). This ever-changing mosaic paired with increased water quality (Fischer and Fischenich 2000) results in the increased biodiversity. In 1980, researchers inventoried breeding bird communities at the South Platte River WMA in both riparian and upland areas and compared species densities between them (Knopf 1980). Their results indicated that the floodplain forest is valuable habitat for both resident and migratory species; while 38 species occurred along the rivers edge, only 9 species were present in the adjacent upland. In addition, 30 species were observed only in the floodplain, suggesting that these birds may not have been present at SPWMA in the absence of a riparian forest. Yet another surprising finding of this study was that House Wrens made up more than 20% of the bird community within the floodplain with an estimated density of 3.3 birds/Ha. House Wrens are secondary cavity nesters (SCN), and further studies have found that density of large trees, length of dead limbs and cavity density are the most important habitat variables for density of House Wrens at SPWMA (Sedgewick and Knopf 1990). Furthermore, cottonwoods are probably critical in creating suitable nesting habitat, and a lack of regeneration due to inundation could reduce the overall density of cavity nesters (Sedgewick and Knopf 1990). Many bird species not requiring cavities however, such as Brown Thrasher and Spotted Towhee, do not appear to be as immediately affected by flooding (Knopf and Sedgewick 1987). In 1992, researchers at SPWMA found that SCN bird density was indeed being limited by cavity availability along the river (Sedgewick and Knopf 1992). Knopfs studies over 30 years ago continues to be relevant to this day. As modern day urban sprawl encroaches on to natural landscapes, research on areas important to wildlife remains crucial. It is our goal to continue this study by assessing House Wren use of the area, by estimating House Wren density both within the wooded area, and in the adjacent upland using point counts. Furthermore, we would like to gain insight into whether House Wrens use this riparian corridor for dispersal movements through grasslands. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study is to estimate House Wren density along the South Platte River floodplain near Crook, Colorado using circular plot surveys. Specifically, our objectives are to: Compare House Wren use of a riparian forest and the adjacent prairie within the SPWMA; Estimate density of House Wrens within the riparian woodland and extrapolate this to other floodplain regions in the United States; and Compare this density with that of previous densities estimated in 1980. METHODS Survey Design Woodland vs. Upland Point Counts Building off of Knopfs 1980 study at this location, we will conduct 60- 6 minute (Thompson and Schwalbach 1995) point counts along the riparian woodland area encompassing about 3,800 Ha, and 60 counts within the adjacent upland area of 22,560 Ha. Points in both areas were created using the create random points tool in ArcMap 10.4.1, with a 300m allowance between points (Fig. 1). Any points falling in the river were moved to another random location. These surveys will be conducted between 24 May and 27 May. Riparian Woodland Use Point Counts Using a similar survey design, another set of 155 surveys will be conducted within the riparian woodland only. Although the efficiency in detecting new birds decreases after 3 visits to the same point (Smith et al. 1995), surveys will be replicated 4 times between 10 May and 26 May to adhere to Knopfs study. These survey locations were placed within the riparian buffer using a 200m allowance (Gutzwiller 1991) between points. These surveys will give a more accurate depiction of House Wren use of the woodland. Figure 1- Point count design Point Count Protocol Observers will use Garmin GPSMAP64 GPS units (Garmin Ltd., Schaffhausen, Switzerland) to navigate to each point. Observers will arrive at the first point of the day 30 minutes before sunrise, and wait silently for 5 minutes to allow birds to reposition themselves. Using a stopwatch, observers will recording all birds they see or hear for 6 minutes. All birds detected within 200m will be recorded (Savard and Hooper 1995, Thompson and Schwalbach 1995, Wolf et al. 1995), along with the radial distance to the bird from the point using a Nikon Aculon AL11 620 laser range finder (Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). Surveys will continue until 3 hours after sunrise (Lynch 1995). Additional environmental information will be recorded according to the provided survey data sheet (Appendix A). Assumptions in Survey Design In order to extrapolate the House Wren use of the surveyed area to the entire study area, we must meet two assumptions in regards to our survey design. These assumptions are critical to address before implementing the survey to ensure extrapolation is possible. First, the points must be randomly located. This states that to the best of our knowledge, the surveyed area is representative of the entire study region. In addition, we need a large sample of points (>20 points) that are evenly distributed across the study region. A sample of 60 points in each habitat meets this criteria, and an even distribution was achieved through use of a 200m allowance between points. Analysis Detection Function The probability of detecting a bird, given that it is a distance r from the observer is the detection function, denoted by g(r). This value will tell us how many House Wrens we are detecting relative to the real number of House Wrens in a survey. This is important to know, as not every individual is usually detected. We expect to see a detection function that has a broad shoulder and then decreases as distance increases (Thomas et al 2010). This means that the observer detects birds that are nearby at a higher rate, and as the distance from observer to bird increases, detection ability falls. Distance Sampling Assumptions In order to obtain reliable density estimates from point counts, we must meet several critical assumptions. The first is that birds are distributed independently of the point, which we did by placing the points at random locations. Secondly, we assume that birds directly on the point are detected with certainty, or g(0)=1. Third, all objects are recorded at their original location, prior to movement in response to the observer. Since observers are not moving, and utilize a resting period before a survey begins, point counts for a House Wren seems to be advantageous over a line transect. Next, all distances recorded are assumed to be accurately measured. This assumption will be met since observers will be using a range finder. Lastly, all detections are assumed to be independent from one another. This means that the presence of one House Wren will not attract or deter another wren from being present. Density Estimates Density estimates will be attained using DISTANCE 7.0 (CREEM, St. Andrews, Scotland). Since we already know that density and habitat differs to some degree between the forested and upland areas, we made sure to stratify the survey area into upland and riparian. Thus, density estimates will be calculated separately for each habitat. Density in point counts are calculated using the following equation (Thomas et al. 2006): where k is the number of points, w is the radius of each plot, and n is the number of birds detected within the plot. Once we have calculated House Wren density for both prairie and woodland habitats, we can also obtain global(overall) density for the entire area. This is done using the individual area sizes, and overall density for both habitats, in the following equation (Thomas et al. 2006): EXPECTED RESULTS AND BENEFITS With the South Platte River watershed encompassing such a large area, it is important to know how any land management practices would alter the bird community and secondary cavity nesters such as the House Wren. The proposed study will increase our knowledge of avian use of the woodland area surrounding the Platte River, which in turn will aid in future habitat alteration decisions. If funding for the proposed project is given, the project would start right away. Reports of raw abundance and estimated density will be submitted annually, and a final report in the form of a thesis will be presented at project closure. Project Deliverables will include: Annual Report of House Wren abundance and densities in each habitat. Final report by end of study discussing results and future considerations; final report will be in the form of a thesis. ENDANGERED SPECIES CONSIDERATIONS No special considerations need to be taken for the project in regards to endangered species, as our surveys will be non-invasive and do not require capture of animals. NECESSITY AND ETHICAL USE OF ANIMALS We will not be trapping or coming in contact with the study animals, however all federal and state guidelines regarding use of animals will be properly followed. PERSONNEL This study will require 3 avian survey technicians in order to meet the goals of the project. Two biologists already trained in identification of Colorado birds will be obtained through the Texas AM job board. The third person involved in this project will be a masters students at Texas AM University- Kingsville, and will act as the project leader. 2 field technicians to conduct point count surveys and enter data 1 project leader (M.S. student) to conduct surveys and coordinate survey methodology BUDGET Year1:$2.91 Flagging tape (Walmart), 3 at $0.97 $509.97 Laser rangefinder (Nikon Aculon AL11 620), 3 at $169.99 $599.97GPS unit (Garmin GPSMAP64), 3 at $199.99 $1000.00Apartment rental for one month $1,200. 00Rental truck (AVIS) $3200.00Technician salary, 2 at $1600.00 for one month Total:$6512.85 Year 2:$1000.00Apartment rental for one month $1,200. 00Rental truck (AVIS) $3200.00Technician salary, 2 at $1600.00 for one month Total:$5400.00 Year 3:$1000.00Apartment rental for one month $1,200. 00Rental truck (AVIS) $3200.00Technician salary, 2 at $1600.00 for one month Total:$5400.00 Project Total:$17,312.85 TIME SCHEDULE 2017Activity May 1-5Place flagging tape and distance markers at appropriate locations. May 10-23Conduct surveys within riparian woodland May 24-27Continue riparian woodland use surveys Begin woodland and prairie comparison surveys May 28Take down flagging tape and distance markers, data entry JuneData analysis July 312017 annual report turned in 2018Activity May 1-5Place flagging tape and distance markers at appropriate locations. May 10-23Conduct surveys within riparian woodland May 24-27Continue riparian woodland use surveys Begin woodland and prairie comparison surveys May 28Take down flagging tape and distance markers, data entry JuneData analysis July 312018 annual report turned in 2019Activity May 1-5Place flagging tape and distance markers at appropriate locations. May 10-23Conduct surveys within riparian woodland May 24-27Continue riparian woodland use surveys Begin woodland and prairie comparison surveys May 28Take down flagging tape and distance markers, data entry JuneData Analysis July 312019 annual report turned in DecemberFinal report turned in as M.S. thesis LITERATURE CITED Fischer, R.A., and J.C. Fischenich. 2000. Design recommendations for riparian corridors and vegetated buffer strips (No. ERDC-TN-EMRRP-SR-24). Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS. Engineer Research and Development Center. Gutzwiller, K.J. 1991. Estimating winter species richness with unlimited-distance point counts. The Auk 108(4):853-862. Knopf, F.L. 1986. Changing landscapes and the cosmopolitism of the eastern Colorado avifauna. Wildlife Society Bulletin 14(2):132-142. Knopf, F.L., and J.A. Sedgewick. 1987. Latent population responses of summer birds to a catastrophic, climatological event. The Condor 89: 869-873. Lynch, J.F. 1995. Effects of point count duration, time-of-day, and aural stimuli on detectability of migratory and resident bird species in Quintana Roo, Mexico. General Technical Report. PSW-GTR-149. USDA Forest Service. Machtans, C.S., M.A. Villard, and S.J. Hannon. 1996. Use of riparian buffer strips as movement corridors by forest birds. Conservation Biology 10(5):1366-1379. Savard, J.L., and T.D. Hooper. 1995. Influence of survey length and radius size on grassland bird surveys by point counts at Williams Lake, British Columbia. General Technical Report. PSW-GTR-149. USDA Forest Service. Sedgewick, J.A., and F.L. Knopf. 1992. Cavity turnover and equilibrium cavity densities in a cottonwood bottomland. The Journal of Wildlife Management 56(3):477-484. Sedgewick, J.A., and F.L. Knopf. 1990. Habitat relationships and nest site characteristics of cavity-nesting birds in cottonwood floodplains. The Journal of Wildlife Management 54(1):112-124. Skagen S.K., C.P. Melcher, W.H. Howe, and F.L. Knopf. 1998. Comparative use of riparian corridors and oases by migrating birds in southeast Arizona. Conservation Biology 12(4):896-909. Smith, W.P., D.J. Twedt, R.J. Cooper, D.A. Widenfeld, P.B. Hamel, R.P. Ford. 1955. Sample size and allocation of effort in point count sampling of birds in bottomland hardwood forests. Monitoring bird populations by point counts. General Technical Report. PSW-GTR-149. Albany, CA. USDA, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station p. 7-18. Stauffer, D.F., and L.B. Best. 1980. Habitat selection by birds of riparian communities: evaluating effects of habitat alterations. The Journal of Wildlife Management 44(1):1-15. Thomas, L., S.T. Buckland, K.P. Burnham, D.R. Anderson, J.L. Laake, D.L. Borches, S. Strindberg. 2006. Distance sampling. Encyclopedia of Environmetrics. Thomas, L., S.T. Buckland, E.A. Rexstad, J.L. Laake, S. Strindberg, S.L. Hedley, J.R. Bishop, T.A. Marques, and K.P. Burnham. 2010. Distance software: design and analysis of distance sampling surveys for estimating population size. Journal of Applied Ecology 47:5-14. Thompson, F.R. and M.J. Schwalbach. 1995. Analysis of sample size, counting times, and plot size from an avian point count survey on Hoosier National Forest, Indiana. General Technical Report. PSW-GTR-149. USDA Forest Service. Tockner, K., and J.V. Ward. 1999. Biodiversity along riparian corridors. Large Rivers 11(3):293-310. Wolf, A.T., R.W. Howe, G.J. Davis. 1995. Detectibility of forest birds from stationary points in northern Wisconsin. General Technical Report PSW-GTR-149. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. Albany, CA. Apendix A- data sheet for avian point counts at South Platte Wildlife Management Area SOUTH PLATTE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA BIRD SURVEY Site #: ________________Habitat Type: Prairie / WoodlandDate: __________________ Observer Name: __________________________Start Time: _________________________ Wind: calm light moderate strongTemperature: 70 Cloud %: _________Precipitation: drizzle snow fog   Ã‚   SPECIES TIME Visual/ Aural DISTANCE (meters) NOT IN HABITAT (Flyover/ adjacent habitat) COMMENTS

An Analysis Of Sainsburys Supermarket

An Analysis Of Sainsburys Supermarket Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury along with his wife Mary Ann in London and then gradually grew to become the largest grocery retailer by 1922. Sainsburys is the UKs oldest major food retailer with their first store opened in 1869. It strives to keep up with its trusted heritage of quality with best services. Past: In the early 1990s Sainsburys, market leader so far, lost its position to Tesco and in 2004 it came down to no. three after Tesco and Asda. The downfall involved many reasons including changing managements, lack of innovative strategies, failing to assess the impact of loyalty cards scheme, unhealthy acquisition in Egypt and a misleading marketing strategy which failed to communicate the right message to the consumers. Present: Sainsburys started to fight back and be noticed after Justin King took over the management role in early 2004 and came up with a revival strategy under the name of Making Sainsburys Great Again. The process involved a no. of mergers and acquisitions of small chains in the south east England and the Midlands. The new message of Try Something New Today went really well with the media and the consumer led by the famous celebrity chef Jamie Oliver it encouraged buyers to innovate in their kitchens and make their food interesting. Future: The supermarket industry has reached a saturation point in the UK. How long can Sainsburys go on opening up new stores at locations such that its stores do not start to cannibalize each other? Using the Ansoff Growth Matrix two future strategies are suggested for Sainsburys: Opening up of Sainsburys Travels and Tours Product Development On the basis of the success potential in the travel business, Sainsburys might venture into the Travel and Tours business by way of Product Development as per Ansoff Growth Matrix tool for future strategy selection. Sainsburys has a very high probability of success as measured with the help of SWOT analysis and assessing the keys to success and the critical factors. Sainsburys China Market Development Sainsburys might opt for the Market development strategy by offering the supermarket business to the land of opportunities China. The move will be mad after the necessary PEST analysis has been done and companys SWT has been assessed with Chinese perspective. Sainsburys Strategic Corporate Development History: 1990 to 2004 Corporations are required to add value by mans of their business. The goal is to manage and control the businesses for a long term and sustainable success. The corporate level strategy deals with the choice of the business and the growth and development related to it. Sainsburys enjoyed the position of the leader in the UK supermarket industry up to the early 1990s. It had sustained its image of a name trusted with quality and service. British like old names with some history behind them. The company started to lose its grip in the early nineties due to a number of reasons. There was a change in management after the longtime CEO John David Sainsbury retired. He was replaced by David Sainsbury who bought about a change in the management style. Although the times were changing and some of the people in the management thought strongly about launching loyalty card schemes and also favored introduction of non-food items in the stores, both the options were rejected by the fresh management. The biggest rival Tesco had gradually moved up on the market scales and the internal indecisions help it get hold of better deals from suppliers. We will analyze Sainsburys approach in view of Ansoff Growth Matrix perspective. Ansoffs matrix is a tool that helps businesses decide their product and market growth strategy. Market Penetration: The strategy had been the simple approach of Market Penetration Strategy. As per Ansoff Matrix, this can be easily explained as the company keeps on offering the same product into the existing market. From 1993 onwards Sainsburys was unconsciously moving forward on the basis of wait and see policy. Up till now Sainsburys had enjoyed the position with no real threat. It started with price cuts on almost 30 of its labels, three months after came up with Tesco Value Lime. The move affected Sainsburys profit margins. Product Development: This made the management realize to offer something new to the customers and after Tesco came up with new format stores named Tesco Metro serving the town centers in 1994, Sainsburys responded with announcement of Sainsburys Central format. This approach is interpreted as Product Development strategy where a new product is introduced into existing market. The new project offered shopping facilities to the small towns was initiated leading to Country Town stores. The stores were formatted keeping in mind the distance the buyers have to travel for their weekly grocery shoppings. The new service enabled the customers to do so without going to large, out of town stores. They were mainly planned to be opened I the south east, which has always been Sainsburys strong hold. The 1st store was opened by the end of 1998 in Ongar (Essex). These stores have now been standardized as per the regular stores and they maintain even trading terms Setbacks: The company fell behind yet again in 1995 when the management failed to realize the importance of loyalty cards schemes and refused to go ahead with launch of any such offer. They had to reconsider their decision 18 months later after Tescos club card was introduced. In 1996 the company ventured into opening up of Sainsburys Bank. In addition it acquired Texas Homecare for 290M (GBP) in 1996. These expansions had a major effect on the financials and Sainsburys announced first fall in profits in 22 years. Another reason which affected Sainsburys sales was the perception among the customers that it is more expensive than its rivals. The marketing campaigns failed to convey the message that Sainsburys offers as good quality and value for money as its rivals. The marketing failed to communicate the required message of low cost and high vale and the company endured the consequences. The year 1996 saw Sainsburys losing its position of market leader to Tesco. Acquisition and Divestment: Sainsbury attained 80.1% of share in an Egyptian distribution group SAE. The group provided retailing services in Egypt with 100 stores and almost 2000 employees at the time or acquisition. The decision was criticized by the analyst as it was made during the most testing times of Sainsburys history. The reason behind the decision might have been the success Tesco outside UK. However the meager results shown by the Egyptian business led to the divestment of the share and sale of shares in 2001. The brand re-launch In 1998 the company again went under a management change and George Bull, the new Chairman took over and decided to re-launch the Sainsburys Brand. The new management targeted to revive Sainsburys corporate identity and started with the launch of a new logo, going for a slightly informal font and new slogan of making life taste better. Staff uniforms were redesigned The company underwent a Business Transformation Program (BTP) after the appointment of Peter Davis who showed significant improvement in the companys turnover and exceeded the targets. The BTP involved a 3.00bn (GBP) upgrade of the stores, distribution and IT equipment. The distribution setup included construction of fully automated depots which cost 100m (GBP) each and was later criticized by the new management. Sainsburys moved into the current headquarters at Holborn in 2001. The Nectar loyalty card scheme was launched in 2002 which replaced the Sainsburys Reward Card. Current Strategic Situation: 2004 to date: At the end of March 2004, new CEO Justin King joined the company who came up with a recovery plan for Sainsbury under the banner of Making Sainsburys Great Again. It was a three year recovery plan which was very positively received by the media and the stock market. The strategy involved laying off redundant staff from the head offices and recruiting additional staff for shop floors to increased and improved customer service quality. Sainsburys was having major issues with its stock availability, inventory and supply chain management. The new depot monitoring systems were to be implemented and IBM was given the deal to upgrade the system. Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestments: In 2004 Sainsburys new management under the Making Sainsburys Great Again plan to concentrate on its strong UK customer base, divested the American subsidiary Shaws. It was sold to Albertsons. The no. of convenient stores was increased through an acquisition of 54 Bells Stores chain which was based in the north-east of England. Another Acquisition took place with purchasing o 114 stores of Jackson Stores based in Yorkshire and the North Midlands. The acquisition took place in November 2004. Another small chain of 6 stores was acquired from SL Shaw lt. in April 2005. New Marketing Strategy Try something new today: Sainsburys is at a critical stage at the moment. Sainsburys Supermarkets have gone through a period of dramatic regression, in which they have been surpassed by rivals Tesco and, more recently, in 2004, Wal-Mart-owned Asda. (Global Market Information Database, 2004). It is not easy for an established and old UK brand to vanish off from the market but the competitors have. While it is rare for major brands to disappear completely from the UK high street, these competitors have acquired share from Sainsburys by way of their commitment to low and attractive prices, whereas Sainsburys has been focusing on its Business Transformation Program and has indulged itself in promoting an image of quality, and value rather than being affordable The present day UK customers which have a huge percentage of non British are heavily influenced by the economical changes and are passing through tough times. The message which has been conveyed by the Tesco and Asda was received warmly as it assured them of a combination of quality and assurance along with low price. As a result, Sainsbury is still considered comparatively expensive just because it failed to convey the message through proper marketing. A massive marketing campaign of Try Something New Today was launched in September 2005, which was designed to make people go off the shopping routine encourage them to be more adventurous in food eating. Under the campaign umbrellas, the spokesperson for the campaign Jamie Oliver encouraged the customers to be. The message conveyed was it supplies quality food as well as the only one offering useful ideas to make your food interesting. The aim was to reach and convince all the customers and not only the well off. Sainsburys is attempting to respond forcefully to the challenges it faces, however competition in the UK market is becoming increasingly intense, and Sainsburys faces a difficult struggle to regain the ground it has lost to rivals that continue to expand aggressively The management has a continuous approach towards work with responsibility. They attempt to provide fresh food and innovate with respect to customers needs. It serves over 18.5 million customers every week. The large stores offer over 30000 products along with complementary Non-Food products e.g. the TU clothing range which has over 1 million transactions every week. Along with other services, an Internet based shopping service has also been made available, keeping in trend with the changing requirements o the customers, to almost 90% of UK households. The company has a chain of stores with 537 supermarkets and 335 convenience stores, hence a total of 872 stores in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, including Hypermarkets (super large stores- Sainsburys stores- main plus), Sainsburys Central and Sainsburys local (supermarket and local convenient stores format main mission). The company has been eyeing the opportunity of expanding its business outside the UK. Especially the hyper potential in Asia (especially South East Asia and China). By analyzing Tescos huge success in the market outside UK, Sainsburys venture might not be far away. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=12 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainsburys Strategic Direction for the Future: Sainsburys has a history of innovation and it continues to strengthen its relationship with its customers and has gone ahead with the growth of their convenient store operations, the online offers and the Sainsburys Bank. They have a constant approach towards developing new offers in line with the evolving customers demands resulting in operational growth and profitability. http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/ar08/businessreview/corporateobjectives.shtml Choosing a Strategy: A marketing tool for making the market strategy is the Ansoff Matrix, which gives us strategic choices for obtaining our business and market objectives. It offers four choices which deal with marketing and growth of existing or new products in existing or new markets. Ansoff On the basis of current scenarios there are two pathways for Sainsburys to opt from, for a sustainable growth and presence for a long time to come. Product Development Strategy: Sainsburys has a huge loyal customer base. The suggested new service product through Sainsburys Travel and Tours will provide these customers to utilize yet another trustworthy service by their trusted name. Market Development Strategy: Although Sainsburys has not yet ventured into the International market but the step might not be that far away keeping in mind the huge success TESCO has had in the international market. Sainsburys could venture into international expansion keeping in mind the growing and still unsaturated markets of China and Southeast Asia. Product Development Sainsburys Travels and Tours: Sainsburys can opt for launching Sainsburys Travels and Tours is by choosing the Product Development Strategy and is introducing a new product into existing market. The growing Travel and Tours market will definitely have a positive effect on the Sainsburys portfolio by increasing its profits and hence strengthening its business. Why Product Development? The Sainsburys Travels and Tours will provide the company to excel and achieve its strategic goals on the basis The supermarket industry has become fairly saturated in the UK and at present Sainsburys is eyeing to expand itself in the International market but it will be a while before it actually does. The Travel industry is a growing market and has a huge potential of growth. The new product will benefit the company earn huge profitability margins which are becoming hard to achieve I the supermarket industry. The Sainsburys has a huge loyal customer base which will be utilized for promotions and marketing purpose. The project has a high probability of success given a chance of a fresh new product offered by a supermarket chain. Market Demographics: Although year 2009 has seen the worst recession since 1930, there are definite signs that the cycle is now turning. Travel industry has suffered consequences of economic crush but the consumer confidence is indicating escalating progress. UNWTO is expecting a reasonable growth of 5% in 2010. There was an upward trend during the last quarter of 2009 which showed 2% upswing. The development is further strengthen by the Air Transport Data from IATA, which shows passenger traffic strength since September 2009 Asia is expected to show the greatest recovery being less effected by the economic crush (comparatively). Growth is also expected to resume in America and Europe. A large number of countries around the world have shown positive growth in the first two months of 2010. Overall the total of tourists arrivals during the first two months of 2010 was 119 million showing 7% improvement as compared to 2009 SWOT The SWOT analysis summarizes the vital strengths and weaknesses of the company. This SWOT analyses the new product line and reviews the opportunities and threats which Sainsburys may face Strengths Image differentiation with respect to Brand name The customer to employee ratio is low Staff is highly trained and customer focused Loyal customer base An interesting, diverse and new product offered by a trusted service provider Established network of outlets Weaknesses Difficulties related to finding employees with required skills and attitude Presenting the customers with interesting offers on continuous basis Lack of experience in the new industry Business limited to UK only Opportunities rapidly growing market all over the world Growing number of people with increasing need and desire for holidays The existing Utilizing the existing Nectar database for identifying potential customers Threats Lingering effects of the slump in economy Natural disaster such as he recent Icelandic volcanoes eruption Highly competitive industry Key to success Sainsbury has always aimed to be the consumers first choice for food, delivering quality products with great service at a competitive cost. The company is striving to achieve the objective of leading margins with diverse market and delivering strong profits every year. The new product will benefit the company earn huge profitability margins which are becoming hard to achieve in the supermarket industry. Critical Issues: What can go wrong? The Sainsburys already has an established huge no. of loyal customers who would be happy to have an option o a different kind of service offered from their trust worthy service provider. The expectation for a stable turnover is based on the fact that it is an established name offering a new product on the basis of its goodwill. How likely it is to happen? The expected growth can be effected by increasing inflation rates. The Travel Industry faced a huge blow after 9-11 incident. What are the consequences? Any unforeseen incident like this (God forbid) will have long lasting effects on the companys growth, profitability and future expansions and plans. Competitive Advantage Nectar Loyalty Card Database The database can provide an excellent competitive advantage because It will help the management to design the product, offerings, and travel and tour packages as per the preferences. The database can also be utilized to acquire knowledge about customers such as No. of family members Spending habits Income estimates Preferences with respect to food etc. Holiday routines Market Development Strategy: Sainsburys could also opt for the Market Development strategy with offering its existing product of Supermarket and offering it to a new market by venturing into a growing international market such as China. China is the promising power in todays business world and its domestic market allows huge potential for international companies with promising growth. Sainsburys is the third largest supermarket name in UK after Tesco, which already has a huge presence outside the UK and Asda which is owned by the industry giant Wal-Mart. The immediate rivals have other sources /markets to benefit from other then UK. But Sainsburys has so far only focused on the UK market and from last two decades its concentration has almost completely been occupied by gaining back the lost market shares from its competitors. For Sainsburys to venture into a new market, a PEST has to be made to know the market better and plan the strategy accordingly. PEST Analysis China: Political and Legal: Since 2001, china has entered into WTO and its market is open or multinationals to trade in. In china, supermarket industry is not considered as a prestigious as some other industries so the government rules and regularities are not so tough. The government is favoring development in the supermarket industry. Social: The demographics of china show that population growth rate 0.629% (2008) in which the youth from 0-14 years comprises of 20.1%. The Chinese customers have become more concerned about issues related to health and safety after the 2008 melamine contaminated milk issue. As per the current shopping trends in China, people prefer to buy in person (online buying is almost non-existent especially daily grocery). The families are very small units on average maximum of 4-5 per unit in sub urban areas where as mostly population in the larger cities is singly. Chinese prefer to buy on daily basis, fresh produce as per days requirement. Technology and development: China is a vast country with underdeveloped infrastructure so there will be immediate warehouse setup requirements. Chinese households have a very low trend of keeping refrigerators at home so big weekly supplies trips will take time to adjust in the culture. Environmental Factors: The plastic bags have been recently stopped in china. The govt. is still trying to establish regular and long term procedures for recycling. All these factors will be required to be kept during the planning and project development phase for Sainsburys China. Furthermore we will perform a SWOT analysis for Sainsburys with respect to its entry in the Chinese market. Strengths: Over a century of supermarket and retail experience Ambition for growth Experience from failed International acquisitions as Egypt. Weaknesses: Cultural difference Expansion will be slow initially Opportunities: A very large market size Huge potential of industry growth Govt. policies favor the Industry Expansion opportunities in the rural/western parts of China Changing consumer awareness with respect to shopping habits Threats: Immature market Rivalry to increase immensely Weak infrastructure Untrained local staff Increasing prices of raw materials Strategic Recommendations: Based on the above analysis Sainsburys should consider a slow and steady expansion strategy in China for long term results and sustained presence. Initially the stores should be opened in the urban and economically grown regions where customers will more readily adapt to change and new trend. Gradually then, on the basis of acquired knowledge, preferences, culture etc Sainsburys should venture into the suburban and rural areas. Sainsburys should use the critical factors involved in the success of the strategy such as It should strive to obtain consumers trust by offering good quality products at affordable prices. Health and safety measures should be the first priority so that no incident like the contaminated milk will occur. China is a big country and the company should fully utilize this factor for the locations o the stores. The locality factor should be given priority wile employing the Chinese as trust and ownership has a great value in Chinese culture. China is a growing country and its economic conditions will affect the pricing of the products Sainsburys should work on differentiating itself from the rivals from day one for developing long tem and healthy relationship with the consumers. Once Sainsburys makes its entry into China market, there is no looking back from the kind of growth and expansion opportunities it may provide. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainsburys ) Conclusion: During the last decade of 1990s and early 2000s saw Sainsburys going through a very testing time in its history. It lost its no. 1 position to Tesco and then no. 2 to Asda. Time saw Sainsburys make some serious lack of judgments on behalf of management decisions related to adapting to the changing times, acquisitions and divestments. The management made a serious lack of assessment while deciding for bringing out the loyalty card scheme. The profit margins were affected as the companys marketing campaign failed to register with the consumers. The mid 2000 saw Sainsburys coming out again to be a Supermarket force lead by Justin King. The new campaigns Making Sainsburys Great Again and the companys new slogan of Try Something New Today succeeded in reach the customers positively. Given the market saturation of the industry Sainsburys has been suggested two options for business expansion using Ansoff Growth Matrix tool. Product Development Sainsburys Travels and Tours Market Development Sainsburys China The necessary SWOT and PEST analysis tools have been used to assess and measure the factor involved and could affect the growth suggested. The Travels and Tours Industry promises growth based on demographics provided by the WTO and the UK travel forecasts. The loyal customers of Sainsburys would be more the happy to have another product offered by their trustworthy service provider. Sainsburys China will provide an opportunity for immense growth of supermarket industry in a vast and massive population of China. Sainsburys should take a steady approach by starting from the urban areas and slowly expanding in the remaining country while studying and adapting to the new culture and country.

Sport Utility Vehicle Essay -- Vehicles, Cars and Trucks

For as long as there have been roads to drive on, Americans have had a love affair with their cars and trucks. Ever since consumers became interested in car design and styling in the 1920s, the car manufactures have invested in innovation to quench the thirst of the American car buyer (Pauwels, Silva-Risso, Srinivasan, and Hassens, 2004, p. 143). When I was young, September was the time of year when the car manufactures showcased the new models, generating excitement and of course new sales. In the 1990s and 2000s, a new breed of vehicle was introduced, the sport utility vehicle (SUV). This was a marketing term for vehicles similar to the station wagons of the 70s but built on a truck chassis. These vehicles were perceived as rugged and capable of being used off road. Since they were considered trucks, they were less regulated as cars and had poor fuel economy. Nevertheless, these vehicles grew in popularity due to their versatility and low gas prices at the time. However, gas prices in the United States increased in the summer of 2003 before declining in the fall of the year to levels that prevailed in the spring of 2003. Gas prices began another increasing trend in January 2004, which lasted through May of that year before beginning to moderate once again. The average per gallon price reached in May 2004 was 39.1 percent higher than the May 2003 average, and the May 2004 average was 22.5 percent higher than the average price reached in September 2003 (United States Department of Energy, 2011) A reasonable expectation is that increases of this magnitude in gas prices would motivate consumers to purchase more fuel-efficient vehicle for their transportation needs. The trend during the 1990s in the United States had been char... ...data reported year over year sales decreases for full size SUVs. Examples of their reporting includes a decrease of sales for Ford Expedition of 33.6%, Cadillac Escalade down 16.3%, and Chevrolet Tahoe down 11.9% (Healey, & Eldridge, 2004, pp. 10). Today, with gas prices hovering between $3 and $4 per gallon, the customer demand for SUVs has moved from full-sized SUVs to the more fuel midsized and crossover economical models where miles per gallon is significantly higher than models sold in 2003, generally offsetting the increases of gas prices. In general, this hypothesis test along with the supporting data validated that there was a correlation between the price of gas and the sales of full-size SUVs by way of increased manufacture price incentives. This correlation could have been used to direct corporate strategies for future models in the SUV market class. Sport Utility Vehicle Essay -- Vehicles, Cars and Trucks For as long as there have been roads to drive on, Americans have had a love affair with their cars and trucks. Ever since consumers became interested in car design and styling in the 1920s, the car manufactures have invested in innovation to quench the thirst of the American car buyer (Pauwels, Silva-Risso, Srinivasan, and Hassens, 2004, p. 143). When I was young, September was the time of year when the car manufactures showcased the new models, generating excitement and of course new sales. In the 1990s and 2000s, a new breed of vehicle was introduced, the sport utility vehicle (SUV). This was a marketing term for vehicles similar to the station wagons of the 70s but built on a truck chassis. These vehicles were perceived as rugged and capable of being used off road. Since they were considered trucks, they were less regulated as cars and had poor fuel economy. Nevertheless, these vehicles grew in popularity due to their versatility and low gas prices at the time. However, gas prices in the United States increased in the summer of 2003 before declining in the fall of the year to levels that prevailed in the spring of 2003. Gas prices began another increasing trend in January 2004, which lasted through May of that year before beginning to moderate once again. The average per gallon price reached in May 2004 was 39.1 percent higher than the May 2003 average, and the May 2004 average was 22.5 percent higher than the average price reached in September 2003 (United States Department of Energy, 2011) A reasonable expectation is that increases of this magnitude in gas prices would motivate consumers to purchase more fuel-efficient vehicle for their transportation needs. The trend during the 1990s in the United States had been char... ...data reported year over year sales decreases for full size SUVs. Examples of their reporting includes a decrease of sales for Ford Expedition of 33.6%, Cadillac Escalade down 16.3%, and Chevrolet Tahoe down 11.9% (Healey, & Eldridge, 2004, pp. 10). Today, with gas prices hovering between $3 and $4 per gallon, the customer demand for SUVs has moved from full-sized SUVs to the more fuel midsized and crossover economical models where miles per gallon is significantly higher than models sold in 2003, generally offsetting the increases of gas prices. In general, this hypothesis test along with the supporting data validated that there was a correlation between the price of gas and the sales of full-size SUVs by way of increased manufacture price incentives. This correlation could have been used to direct corporate strategies for future models in the SUV market class.

Clark and Menefee Architects :: essays papers

Clark and Menefee Architects The Reid House was designed by W.G. Clark and Charles Menefee and built in John’s Island, SC in 1986. Menefee and Clark designed primarily in the American South. Clark and Menefee are known for their â€Å"tripartite vertical organization.† The base level normally consists of secondary bedroom(s)/studio spaces and services. The First floor is a â€Å"piano nobile of principal rooms with a double-height living space.† The attic level usually consists of the master bedroom and bath. The Reid House is set up in this fashion. The house is located in a modest setting, surrounded by house trailers and cheaply built houses. The image of the house was â€Å"derived from vernacular farm buildings as well as from more formal Palladian structures.† One author described the setting as â€Å"John’s Island, a peaceful landscape where truck farmers tend tomato fields carved out of scrub-pine and dwarf-cedar forests, and where the front yards of shacks ar e littered with junked cars, rusting agricultural machinery, and other decaying impedimenta of the Industrial Revolution.† The house is a three-story tower with two components. The first is a 20 ft. sq. section made of concrete block, housing the living and bedrooms, referred to as the â€Å"served space(s).† The second part, referred to as the â€Å"serving space(s),† is a wood-frame shed that holds the kitchen and the bathrooms. These two components are â€Å"joined at the fireplace and chimney, around which the stair winds.† The materials used for the house are inexpensive, in keeping with the surrounding structures. One section is made of concrete blocks, exposed on the inside and covered with waterproofing paint on the outside. The other part of the house is â€Å"sheathed in plywood and battens and its roof is covered in asphalt shingle.† The floors are painted pine, the interior partitions, painted plywood. The total cost of the house was $102,000, only $2,000 over the budget that the Reids had set. They wanted the house built because they wanted to move their two small children out of a trailer home, and they wanted to have a larger space in which they could manage their 120-acre horse farm. The total area of the house is only 1600 sq. ft. One author noted that the house â€Å"[reconciles] lofty aspirations and modest means.† W.G.

Abbreviated Qualitative Research Plan Essay

Introduction Laws governing the administration of paternal processes, vary from state to state within the United States. The U.S. court system allows states to enforce paternal sanctions even after they have been definitively determined that a man is not the biological father of the child. (Brott. 2008) Currently, these irregularities regarding paternity create egregious injustices such as, men who, through DNA testing, have been proven not to be the biological father of the child, still being force to pay child support; even to the extent of being at risk of imprisonment should the accuse fail to maintain monetary support. Because of the monetary component of paternity cases, low income men are at a greater risk of experience catastrophic life-circumstances as a result of paternity fraud. Because of the inconsistency of the varying laws governing paternal support in each state, low-income families with already scarce resources are faced with instances of caring and providing for a child (believi ng them to be a blood relative) only to find out later that the child was not related. See more: Social process essay The disparities in the U.S. court system regarding paternity of low-income individuals has extreme effects on whether children would ever know their fathers, but they also lead to men being involuntarily held financially or legally responsible for children they did not biologically father; a burden that has disproportionate negative effects on a man with low-income. Dr. Vincent Miller contends â€Å"Nearly 30% of the tested paternity cases in our laboratory result in an exclusion of the â€Å"alleged father† presented as the biological father.† (2010). The mere allegation of a man’s paternity,  results in the U.S. court system entering financially, as well as criminally binding judgments. Once caught up in the system, a wrongly accused man faces a systemic dismantling of his freedom, creditability, and emotional stability. Frank Hatley was recently released from jail after serving time for owing back child support for a child that was later proven by DNA testin g not to be his. (8/11/09). http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/08/11/georgia.child.support/index.html. Currently, there are no studies that assess the recovery process of a victim of paternity fraud. After a year in jail, what becomes of a man’s employment, family, finances, or mentality? Purpose Statement This is a qualitative study that will examine the avenues for relief after experiencing the impact of paternity (Creswell. 2009). Research Questions Is the U.S. Court system equipped to make whole a victim of paternity fraud? What are the positive and negative effects of current inconsistent state laws as experienced by the victims of paternity fraud? How do current laws influence the intent to commit fraud? How do current laws encourage the state to abet paternity fraud rather than correcting the results of paternity fraud? How do current laws contribute to a culture of unfairness with regard to non-custodial paternal-sanctions? Would standardization of DNA Paternity testing prevent unfair penalties? Would standardization of DNA Paternity testing improve medical history reliability? Could definitive DNA test results provide the basis for legal relief to a man held responsible for a fathering a child in error? What steps must a victim take to seek recovery through the courts What are the costs involved in contesting an incorrect paternity decision? Are there any incentives for the mother to seek correction? Are there any penalties levied on the false accuser? Literature Review: Annotated Bibliography Brott, A. (2008, Jul 27). Paternity fraud common. Sun Journal. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/378934753?accountid=14872 Child support, money, emotions, and victims of paternity fraud: New survey. (2009, Sep 23).  PR Newswire. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/447485536?accountid=14872 CHRI, S. Q. (2001, May 16). As DNA tests rule out paternity, men sue to stop support payments. The Atlanta Constitution. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/413895636?accountid=14872 Courts ignore paternity fraud. (2007, Dec 12). The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/379923439?accountid=14872 Father takes DNA paternity fraud case to U.S. supreme court. (2002, May 31). U.S.Newswire. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/450942550?accountid=14872 Leeds, T. L. (2005). Paternity fraud, the poor person’s adoption and the interests of the child. American Journal of Family Law, 19(1), 20-24. Retrieved from ht tp://search.proquest.com/docview/275150869?accountid=14872 Mandatory DNA testing would protect against paternity fraud. (2001, Feb 28). Washington Times. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/409646680?accountid=14872 Research Plan The participants of this study will be selected from low-income men actively contesting paternity in U.S. courts as well as custodial parents in order to gain the negative analysis of the phenomenon. (Lincoln & Guba. 1985) The natural setting will be litigants within the State Courts system involved with matter of Paternity. (Lincoln & Guba. 1985) This setting will be relevant to the phenomenon being studied. (Smeaton. 2008) Information will be collected through focus group interviews and surveys. Participants will be engaged via open ended questions regarding their experience. (Sarkar. 2014) The instruments used to measure outcomes will be the researcher who will inquire of the respondents. Researcher will ensure to guard against personal bias. (Sarkar. 2014) Research will consist of prolonged engagement to glean additional insight into whether participants in a paternity contest can again regain equilibrium within their lives. (Lincoln & Guba. 1985) Threats to validity will be sele ction, candor (existence of undisclosed extenuating circumstances), instability of respondents; cause difficulty in locating them at regular reporting intervals. The results will allow recommendations to be made to improve the paternity process, based on analysis of the data collected. References Biotechnology; DNA technology roots out paternity fraud. (2010). Life Science Weekly, , 287. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/746790449?accountid=14872 Child support, money, emotions, and victims of paternity fraud: New survey. (2009, Sep 23). PR Newswire. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/447485536?accountid=14872 Courts ignore paternity fraud. (2007, Dec 12). The Berkshire Eagle. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/379923439?accountid=14872 Creswell, J. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (Laureate Education, Inc., custom Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Quantitative methods, an example. Baltimore: Author Lincoln, Y.S., & Guba, E.G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. Thousand Oaks: CA. Sage. Mandatory DNA testing would protect against paternity fraud. (2001, Feb 28). Washington Times. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/409646680?accountid=14872 Sreeroopa, S. (2014). Qualitative research methods. Media: Retrieved from Laureate Education, Inc.

Examining the Bhagavad-Gita Essay

Before examining the Bhagavad-Gita I believe it is necessary to have a general understand of the fundamental teaching of Hinduism. I have some knowledge of Hinduism from friends, but really have no understanding of what it really means to be Hindu. The comment that a Hindu friend of mind made to me once about Hindu is that it is not really as much of a religion as much it is a way of life and respect for it. I know that Hindi worship many different gods and revere some animals as sacred, but I have never really understood the fundamental of this religion. I am grateful that this assignment has given me the opportunity and motivation to examine the Hindu religion and one of it great literary works. The first thing to realize about Hinduism is that it is not strictly a region. It is based on the practices of Dharma, the code of life. Dharma name means â€Å"universal religion.† Unlike other religions Hindu did not originate from a single source, such as a person or book. It did not start at a discernible point in time either. Hinduism is an ancient religion that was inspired by the ancient rishis and the principles where discovered through their meditations. The oldest writings are about 4000 years old. Below is a statement that captures the foundation of Hinduism. â€Å"Hindu religious thought is based upon the belief in the Ultimate Reality, faith in the reality of the spirit, and faith in the spiritual order or the world.† (The Hindu religious tradition -Stachidananda) I can now turn my attention to the Bhagavad Gita, with at least a general concept to forge my understanding. The Bhagavad Gita is widely known and renowned work of India’s spiritual wisdom. The Gita has seven hundred concise verses that are a definitive guide to the science of self realization within the universe and the Braham-Atman. The story of Bhagavad begins with Krishna driving Arjuna’s chariot into the middle of a battlefield. The battle was between Duryodhana (Pandavas) and Arjuna (Kauaravas) for the right to rule the country. The Gita if full of symbolism; everything represents or stands for something. The battle  represents the struggle between good and evil. This would relate to the inner struggle that we all have within ourselves of our good and bad character traits. The first chapter of the Gita deals with the despondency of Arjuna. When Arjuna starts make war, he becomes overwhelmed with emotional attachments to the people he is battling. These people were once his friends, family and teachers. How could he destroy them? He stops in the middle of the battles and then battles within self not to fight these people. He tries to talk himself out of the situation. The lesson learned in the first chapter is that sometimes we lose sight of the truth when we have emotional attachments to a situation. In the next few chapters of the Gita, Arjuna starts down a path of self awareness, a key fundamental belief of Hinduism. As he battles with in himself as he struggles to find an answer. At this point, he realizes he doesn’t have an answer and turns to Krishna, on of the many forms of God. He learns that sometimes an individual has a higher purpose and we must have the wisdom to acknowledge this and discover it. We must withdraw from our senses and move to an awareness where we control our mind. At that instance we will have complete self awareness and the clarity to move forward with conviction and wisdom. When continuing to read the Gita it becomes apparent that many daily practices of Hindu’s are derived from it. The Gita served as the foundation for the caste system. There has been much controversy over the caste system, but the original purpose and meaning was beautiful. It was meant to help individual be aware of their inborn temperaments, talents and capacities. Again, the Gita is teaching self awareness. Another remarkable fact about the Gita is that it gives a person a roadmap to live by. It teaches individuals to give themselves over to and devote their lives to the supreme God, Braham-Atman. The Gita teaches how to surrender to Braham-Atman and how to become enlightened. With enlightenment we escape from karma have rebirth and entrance into Nirvina. One of my favorite chapters of the Gita is Chapter 17 – Yoga of the Three-fold Faith. This chapter deals with the practical applications of faith. Faith is a strong discipline in Hinduism. Because of faith they worship the Supreme God and many other deities with great devotion. It is in this chapter that one can begin to understand reasoning for Hindu believe of reincarnation. This chapter explains that those who are twice-born are traditionally dedicated to spiritual knowledge. This chapter also elaborates on many rules that Hinduism and other religions use to live by. Examples of these are to be clean and keep you body and sprit clean, be kind and speak kindly to others and gifts should only be given if it is the right thing to do. After reading the Bhagavad-Gita I am astonished. I can see so many parallels between it and the teaching of Jesus in the New Testament. I can also begin to see how Hinduism is the Universal Religion. The Bhagavad-Gita and the symbolism that is contains either reinforces much of the Hindu religion/philosophy or may have even set the standard. It is hard for me to tell at this point, but it makes me want to study this religion even more. The Gita is part of a greater Hindu writing call the Upansides, which evolved from an oral tradition that began over 4000 years ago. In the early oral tradition, the Guru (teacher) sat with his followers and recited the verse. The followers then memorized the verse and passed it down through the generations. The verses are written in poetic or lyrical form because poems are committed to memory then prose. Also it is though that the singing of the verse took on a magical quality when used in ritual. The content of the Gita is amazing and what is even just as amazing is the way it is written. The Gita contains 18 chapters with each having numerous versus. After personally reading the Gita I have been emotionally and intellectually moved. The setting of the story and the even the personal anguish of Arjuna is enough to gain ones interest on the surface. Once the symbolism and the deeper meaning that are represent it truly becomes a lyrical piece of literature. The piece of literature is phenomenal and to  think it was written thousands of years ago. This just shows that Humans still struggle with the same issues as one thousands of years ago. We may of advance technological, but intellectually we are still adolescents. References Campbell, Joseph and Eliade, Mircea. The Universal Myths Heros, Gods, Tricksters and Others. New York: Truman Talley Books/Meridian, 1976 Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli and Moore, Charles A. Indian Philosophy. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1973 Stachidananda, Sri Swami. The Living Gita, The Complete Bhagavad Gita 5th Edition. Yogaville, Virginia: Integral Yoga Publications, 2003