Public Relations and Promotion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Relations and Promotion - Essay Example This has affected, in an adverse way, the anticipated economic gains that would have been made in the area. For the past 5 years, this wave of destruction has swept through the county of Mobley in spite of the public protests and demonstrations her residents has conducted. MADAAT has recorded successful initiatives over the last three years with more than 2700 persons rehabilitated and the rate of drug and substance abuse decreased by 30%. This will be a great event and a lot of activities will take place. Their will be Football and Volleyball tournaments, debates on how to curb alcohol and drug abuse, free counseling on alcohol and substance abuse and training on how to counsel and care for drug addicts to help them rehabilitate. Mobley has lost very young and energetic youths to drug abuse; about 300 annually, according to MADAAT Secretary General, Mr. Godwin Brooke. â€Å"We urge the Mobley’s vast society, whether affected or otherwise, to try and come for the organized event. We further encourage all the individuals that wish to participate in any of the activities of the big day, to apply and submit their applications on-line through our website,† MADAAT Organizing Secretary said on his speech while addressing the students at Mobley College for Business Studies. â€Å"This event will add a lot of force to the fight against drug and substance abuse in Mobley. We target to achieve a decrement in this disaster practice by 10-15% by the end of this year,† He added. The Mobley Alcohol and Drug Abuse Awareness team was found and initially made up of 28 members from The Ashleigh University Christian Union, Mobley. Today, it’s a well organized fraternity of men and women across the Mobley County; persons with common interests and beliefs to curb this monster that threatens to tear Mobley apart. The preferred media target would be

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay Example for Free

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay The central idea is the author’s implied comment on the subject of the story. In The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, the central idea being told in the story is the danger of blindly following tradition because of traditions mark on society. Tradition plays a huge role in our society; it provides reason for certain actions amongst a community without really ever having a reason to do something outrageous to begin with. Jackson points out our human flaws by creating a story which seems wrong and unlawful by many people so that people could see that they take part in pointless festivities backed up by their tradition. The story has its way of getting to your head, constantly leaving one with unanswered questions and looming thoughts behind the motif of this story. In The Lottery, Jackson provides us with numerous amounts of details about the day of the lottery. The details are specific and play a huge part of the setting. In the first paragraph, Jackson describes the setting by giving us the date (June 27), time (about 10 a.m.), and temperature (warm). In this scene Jackson lists a couple of more important information such as the flowers and green grass, the town square, and the post office and bank. She even explains the specifics of the town, like how many people are living there, or which town neighbors this one, just so that we can see the difference between an older community who takes part in tradition, and a younger community who has forgotten the principles of tradition. All of these details account for the setting which acts as a huge role in understanding the central idea. Because Jackson sets the story firmly in a specific time and place, the reader may suggest that she does this so that one could recount the tradition of the lottery. The story continues with specifics in detail and sharp images that tend to build suspense towards every oncoming sentence. Jackson paints a world so familiar to us, and then twists reality around when unusual punishment takes its place through pure violence and disturbing images. More often than not, the setting supports the central idea of the story, so any changes in the story significantly alter the story. For instance, it’s hard to believe that something terrible could happen on a sunny day, but when tension rises, and someone has to go, a change in weather occurs as Mr. Summers lets the rest of the papers go with the breeze (a sudden wind pattern that wasn’t mentioned at all prior to this moment). Questions rise as to why many of the villagers left out many of the rituals of the tradition like the singing and the formal addressing of the people but did not forget about the most important part, the stoning. Jackson makes it clear that all that was remembered about the tradition were the violent parts. All the other bits and pieces of the tradition were forgotten so that the villagers could embrace that secure moment of killing. It may seem harsh, but it truly portrays the fin bit of blindly following tradition. The villagers’ acceptance of the lottery has allowed for an annual event to take place, that for some reason, no one can change. The villagers’ are powerless in accepting change, although no one is forcing them from keeping with their tradition around. The villagers’ are aware of how bad this is, but the fact that it’s a tradition merely suggests that it will keep going on, and for no reason to. In The Lottery, Old Man Warner suggests that it would be a foolish thing to do if they had stopped the lottery when he says,† Pack of crazy fools†¦listening to the young folks, nothings good enough for them. Next thing you know, theyll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work any more, live hat way for a while. Used to be a saying about Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon. First thing you know, wed all be eating stewed chickweed and acorns. Theres always been a lottery† (Jackson). And when he says, â€Å"There’s always been a lottery,† it is easy to conduct reasoning behind Jackson’s main point on loosely accepting tradition for what it is. For the villagers’, tradition is all the justification they need to continue on with their malicious actions.

banks :: essays research papers

If much of contemporary literary theory emphasizes the cultural production of class, race, and gender in American fiction, contemporary fiction that utilizes the resources of narrative minimalism to explore issues of cultural division - fiction by such writers as Raymond Carver, Toni Morrison, Susan Minot, and Russell Banks - increasingly provides the context for critical debate. The refusal to elaborate plot or to use plot to suggest a narrator who controls interpretation, becomes itself a strategy that allows the reader to observe clearly the boundaries between the story's minimal plot and the way the socially produced narratives invoked by the story enforce cultural division. If we conceive of narrative as the establishment, for the reader, of a network of expectations within a frame of contingency, then perhaps no expectation is more fundamental than that of intelligible action@ the progression of story through chronological time, which we commonly refer to as plot. In a world w here the possibilities of plot express unattainable desires on the part of a narrative's characters, however, the reader's desire for a resolution of plot into meaning is thwarted, and the resultant anxiety the reader feels underscores his or her complicity with the frustrations and incoherencies of the characters, lives. These incoherencies resist sentimental assimilation into the reader's aesthetic imagination. The resultant daydreams and wish-fulfilling fantasies display, as Fredric Jameson argues, the otherwise inconceivable link between history and desire (182). Russell Banks's Black Man and White Woman in Dark Green Rowboat" presents precisely such an evasive narrative, one whose very evasion establishes a dialogic relationship between the reader and a cast of characters whose lives display the wreckage of the larger cultural narratives that marginalize them. In effect, Banks's minimalism accentuates the missing cultural narratives that have written the characters into th e margins. "Black Man and White Woman" does, of course, present things that happen. The story opens with an apparently random variety of people who live in a trailerpark commencing their days. The reader is not immediately aware that the black man and the white woman are the focus of the story. They gradually emerge from the narrative background, and the story follows them as they row onto the lake, converse laconically, and row home. The sense of nothing happening is created in the context of their desire, both their physical desire for each other and their desire to construct plots that might provide a meaningful structure to their lives.

Cognitive Development Study Essay -- Piaget’s Theory of Development

Introduction The purpose of this study is to analyse, in a practical way, the theories and concepts of cognitive development, across different age-related stages. Using Piaget’s theory of development, the cognitive ability of two subjects, aged 4 and 18 years, are examined against the milestones of the respective preoperational and formal operational development stages. Cognitive ability is determined by focusing on the subject’s capability and rationale to group 20 different objects. Based on the research outcomes, comparisons will be made to Piaget’s theory and the expected learning ability at their age-related development stage. Jean Piaget was considered a pioneer in cognitive research. Piaget developed his theory of cognitive development based on the sequence of changes that occur to the cognition of a person as they mature. Piaget believed that older children not only know quantitatively more than younger ones, but actually think in qualitatively different ways. Children and adults are thought to possess an inbuilt ability to experiences organise their knowledge and into schemes (Lambert, 2007). Jean Piaget defined schemes as both internalised behavioural patterns and mental understanding (Piaget, 1963, as cited in Berk, 2009). People are thought to actively seek knowledge and information from the surrounding environment and absorb or process this information using schemes. New knowledge is built on existing knowledge and as a person becomes older these schemes become increasingly more complex. This knowledge adds to a person’s intelligence providing them with an adaptation to succeed or survive in the world (Piaget, 1963, as cited in Berk, 2009). Through this reasoning, Piaget determined that learning occurred across ... ...nstra, G., Koelen, M., Kok, F., and Graaf, C. (2007) Cognitive development and children's perceptions of fruit and vegetables; a qualitative study. International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2007;4: 30. Published online 2007 July 9. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-4-30 BioMed Central. Web. 12 May 2015. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1941844/ Schaffer HR. Introducing child psychology. UK Edition. Oxford , Blackwell Publishers; 2003. p.352. Berk, L E (2009). Child Development. Pearson International Edition. 8th Edition. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Lambert, B. (2007). Cognitive Schemes and Scripts: Research Evidence from Children’s Drawings. NZ Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 10, pp. 69 – 80. Cunningham, D. (1996). Jean Piaget’s Genetic Epistemology. Web. 12 May 2015. http://home.gwu.edu/~mcorry/corry2.htm

Perodua †Csr Essay

Periods – Advertising with social dimension Executive Summary Periods was set up as a national car project in the year 1993. In the initial years of its inception the company operated in a protected environment marked by both tariff and non-tariff barriers. By the year 1998 leveraging on its high local sourcing strategy the company, along with Proton, managed to capture up to 90% market share. In 2001 the company set up a Joint venture with Dadaists Motor Co. And Mitosis & Co. , the Japanese partners being responsible for manufacturing and engineering operations. Operating in an open economy post AFT in year 2006, Periods has found its niche in the small car segment and completely dominates the sub-1000 c motor vehicle segment. Periods has been extensively using â€Å"cause related marketing approach† treating Government, suppliers and dealers, employees and customers as stakeholders in its business. It also has 2 different kinds of ad programs, product ads promote individual brands, whereas corporate ads carry social message and promote the company. 2 different departments handle the designing and positioning of these different ad types. There are obvious benefits to using corporate ads with emotional appeal; studies eave established that companies tend to realize enhanced relationship with their agencies. However on the flipped designing these ad campaigns is very complicated as sensibilities of all sections of the society have to be taken into consideration. A major downside to Persona’s corporate ad campaign is that no evaluation model has been adopted to measure the effect of such advertising on company’s short term goal I. E sales or long term goal of being a responsible corporate citizen. The company should immediately adopt both qualitative and quantitative measures to understand the benefit of its campaign. Depending on results obtained Periods can decide on how to continue with its corporate ad campaign. Industry Overview The ass and the ass were the decades of â€Å"Industrial Nationalism† in Malaysia and the Government set up the national automotive programmer. Prior to 1985 Malaysia was an importer of automobiles and the aim of the programmer was to build a nationally owned and controlled automotive industry. Proton was the first of the 2 national cars and was established in 1985. It was a Joint Perusal Automobile Asked Sad Bad (Periods) was established in 1993 and was the 2nd National car project. The Government also established a heavy vehicle company â€Å"Malaysian Bus and Truck (MAT) in 1994, a motorcycle manufacturer â€Å"MODERNS† in 1995 and a light commercial vehicle manufacturer â€Å"MIGNON† in 1997. In order to protect the domestic industry the Malaysian Government imposed substantial import duty on all completely built-up imported cars or completely knocked down vehicles. Apart from the import duties, non-tariff barriers such as licensing and import quotas were also enforced. The 1980 â€Å"Mandatory Deletion Programmer† (MAD) made local sourcing of components, between 45-60%, compulsory pending on the cubic capacity of the car. In 2005-06 under the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (KEPT) scheme Malaysia was required to dismantle both tariff and non-tariff barriers. The applicable KEPT rate depending on the country of origination is shown below: The most obvious consequence of implementing the KEPT for Malaysia’s car producer is the minimization of protective automotive policy and disappearance of price advantage. This will open up the market for greater competition from companies from other SEAN countries like Japan and South Korea which are major automobile producers in the region. See Exhibit 1 for breakup of vehicles produced and assembled in Malaysia) Periods – A background Perusal Automobile Asked Sad Bad (Periods) was established in 1993, this was the second national car project of Malaysia after Proton was set up in 1985. Periods was a Joint venture between Dadaists, Missus, and other Government controlled companies with Malaysian equity amounting to 68%. See exhibit 2 for Persona’s shareholding structure in 1993). Operating in a protected environment Periods was able to leverage on the MAD programmer and made use of up to 75-90% local content in its cars. This gave the company a significant price advantage over its competitors. Both national cars exploited the pricing advantage and accounted for 90% of vehicles sold in 1998. In 2001, Periods set up a Joint venture, with Dadaists Motor Co Ltd. And Mitosis & Co. Ltd. , called the Periods Auto Corporation Sad Bad (BPCS). As per the Joint venture agreement, the Japanese partners would control the manufacturing and engineering operations whereas the Malaysian partner would have the largest stake. Persona’s strength is in the small car segment and the company aims to serve the coal and overseas market’s demand for compact, affordable and reliable vehicles with excellent standards and quality. As of June 2009, the company employed about In order to enhance efficiency and cost competitiveness the company has introduced Toyota Production System (TIPS). TIPS is driven by the concept of â€Å"Good Thinking Meaner Good Product† and comprises of 2 main systems â€Å"Just in Time† and â€Å"Kodak†. The TIPS aimed to eliminate excessive lead-time, lower inventory levels and reduce costs. Persona’s Joint venture with Dadaists gave Periods an opportunity to get in shape or liberalizing of auto industry post-AFT. In 2006 the company overtook Proton to become the biggest car seller in the Malaysia. The liberalizing campaign has presented Periods with a mixed big. Persona’s expertise in manufacturing small cars has opened up new export markets for the company. At the same time big players with sophisticated technology and competitive production techniques now have access to Malaysian car market, thereby increasing competition for Periods in its own backyard. Marketing communication and advertising process Cause related marketing approach A marketing communication program can be successful only when all the departments of the company are actively involved in the marketing plan. All company departments and personnel should communicate the same message to the target audience. Periods places Corporate Social Responsibility (CARS) at the heart of all its business activities. So naturally the company’s CARS activities form the central theme of its â€Å"cause related marketing†. As part of the strategy, Periods follows a 4 pronged approach where the Government, suppliers and dealers, employees and consumers re all treated as stakeholders in the business. (see exhibit 3 for Persona’s stakeholder structure). Some of the activities undertaken by the company to engage stakeholders are: * Government Periods engages with the Government by contributing to local man power training. In-spite of having the option of importing foreign workers, the company spends substantial amounts on training locals and employing them at its plants. The company also helped develop the local auto component and parts industry. * Suppliers and dealers Periods has developed a quality audit system to optimism local vendor’s performance ND to assure the quality of components’ supplied to the company. During the Asian financial crisis the company allowed vendors to increase prices to ensure they had sufficient working capital. Credit terms were reduced from 30 to 60 days. Employees Periods believes in an inclusive work environment and allows employees to grow invests in its work force through training, counseling and providing healthy and conducive work environment as well as employment benefits. * Consumer & public Persona’s strength lies in the small car segment. It intends to provide more affordable vehicles’ for lower income level and rural people. In add ition to providing quality products at affordable prices, the company through its corporate ads also works to increase social awareness about safe driving practices and other positive social values. The company has also designed and implemented a training programmer for youth living in the locations that Periods operates in. It also supports various causes, financially as well as in kind, responding to the needs of less audits to ensure Advertising process privileged. The company conducts stringent environmental environmentally safe practices have been adopted. Periods has 2 kinds of ads: * Product ads – These are designed with the objective of communicating the product range, features of the product etc. To the end user. Such ads are handled by the marketing section of the company. * Corporate ads – With the express desire of becoming a socially responsible corporate citizen these ads with social dimension have been launched. The public affairs section is responsible for these ads. Marketing, sales and manufacturing department departments are involved in the design of these ads. See exhibit 4 for advertising matrix) Periods operates in a multi-cultural society and the main objective of the corporate ad is to transcend the racial boundary and get close to the target buyer. The company understands its consumers are realists who do not relate to superficial messages; they consider things in real terms and are practical in life. In order to connect to these â€Å"real people†, the ads always portray Periods as part of the society and the ad message always reflects existing social phenomenon. The main objective of these corporate ads is to create awareness amongst the general public about oral values the company believes in. Some of the social messages or issues that the company has worked with, is based on elements like driving etiquette, nationalism, inter-racial harmony and family reunion. One unique aspect about Persona’s ads has been its use of the individual as focus to bring out the social message; both negative and positive emotional appeals are used in the ads. The company has used both television and print media to carry its corporate ads. Newspapers are used as supplementary coverage medium to reach specific ethnic groups. Strengths of Persona’s advertising campaign: The company has been associating itself with elements like driving etiquette, family harmony, nationalism, racial harmony etc. These are emotions that middle class and rural people of Malaysia immediately connect with. Constant exposure to such ads will lead consumers to perceive the company as being â€Å"good†. * Medium of advertising The company uses television as the primary medium of advertisement. Images work quicker and convey meaning at once. Weakness of Persona’s advertising campaign: * Sensibilities in multi-cultural society The company operates in a multi-cultural society; perceptions and attitudes of people from different ethnic back ground towards all aspects of life might be very different. For example black in Chinese culture has neutral meaning, whereas Hindus usually consider black as a negative color. So when designing ads the company will have to be careful to ensure sensibilities of particular ethnic groups are not offended. * Enforcing/reinforcing racial stereotypes Racial stereotyping is a bane of multicultural societies. Any ad that might inadvertently reinforce such stereotype will definitely create backlash and lead to active publicity, which Periods can do without. Uncertain impact No actual evaluation has been conducted to measure the effect of the company’s corporate advertising program. Effect of such ad on company sales or perception of general public about Periods is unknown. Exhibit 1: Breakup of vehicles produced and assembled in Malaysia Exhibit 2: Persona’s shareholding structure in 1993 Exhibit 3: Persona’s marketing communications stakeholders Exhibit 4: Advertising matrix of Periods [ 1 ]. Periods corporate website – h ttp://www. Periods. Com. My/corporate/company

A critical lens essay on the novels The Lord of the Flies by William Golding and To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

A critical lens essay on the novels The Lord of the Flies by William Golding and To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee "...in all of us, even in good men, there is lawless wild-beat nature..."Plato, The Republic, Book IXThere is a second side to mankind, which is the uncivilized side. Even in the best of mankind, the wild beast can come out resulting in brutal wounding, drugs, alcohol and even killing. In the novel, The Lord of the Flies, the beast awakens within Jack and Ralph. However, in To Kill A Mockingbird, Bob Ewell and Atticus do not have a good and bad side.Atticus, a good character and Bob Ewell, a bad character do not have a civilized side. Bob has the uncivilized nature and Atticus has the civilized nature.An example of this is when Atticuses gets spat in the face by Bob Ewell, Atticus then responds by saying "'I wish Bob Ewell wouldn't chew tobacco,'" pg. 217. This quote shows how good Atticus is, when Bob spat on him.Lord of the FliesAt the end of the novel Atticus does not let out his anger, when the court case that he worked on did not turn out properly. He held his anger down, which a normal person would be really mad, because the accused was black which made him guilty even though he was not guilty. An example of Bob Ewell not following the critical lens is when he spat in Atticus's face after winning the trial. "Mr. Bob Ewell stopped Atticus on the post office corner, spat in his face, and told him he'd get him if it took the rest of his life." This shows the evil in Bob by stopping Atticus and threatening him that he is going to "get him" when he already "got him" in the court trial. Bob Ewell should be jumping for joy that he won the trial but he...

Study of the Coalition Governments scrapping of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) The WritePass Journal

Study of the Coalition Governments scrapping of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) Abstract Study of the Coalition Governments scrapping of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) AbstractIntroductionDiscussionConclusionsReferencesBibliographyRelated Abstract This paper addressed decision by Coalition government to scrap the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) paid to students who stayed in post- compulsory education. It explored the history of EMA and the circumstances leading to its scrapping. The paper presented discussions emerging from those who are in support of EMA and those who aren’t and the context in which Coalition decided to scrap it. The discussions explored beliefs that decisions taken by Coalition do not take into consideration their impact on students across the country. The paper discussed an academic literature, viewing the conflicting and opposed nature of EMA in post-16 education and, therefore, may be understood better from students’, staff and parents’ perspectives. The decision by the researcher to tackle this current issue was because of concerns about the future of 25 students on Foundation Learning and Springboard who were all EMA recipients on full  £30 a week band. The researcher wanted to find out if the new funding mechanisms replacing EMA were the best to tackle problems of deprivation and disadvantage students faced and how not getting EMA would impact on their learning. Introduction The aim of the paper was to find out if EMA delivered policy requirements of widening participation, increased retention and attendance, encouragement of social mobility, inclusivity, access for all, Every Child Matters and equal opportunities to resources. These policy aspects were examined in detail as they are embedded in the whole realm of EMA. The influence of EMA on crime was discussed in relation to its ability to reduce crime. The paper attempted to seek justification as to why Coalition scrapped EMA and replaced it with different funding mechanisms, eradicating uninformed assumptions as to which funding practices are either appropriate or effective. The paper examined these aspects in relation to their influence on choice of destinations for students. Policies which impact on post-16 education and further education (FE) were discussed to enhance understanding of the initial introduction of EMA policy. Discussion In the United Kingdom, during the 1980s to1990s there was an influx in post-16 education. Many 16, 17 and 18 year olds remained in full time education. By 1994 numbers had doubled. In 1998 four fifths of post-16 children came from families where parents were managers or professionals, compared to less than half of those from poor working class backgrounds. Children from poor working class backgrounds made up ten percent of children not in education, employment or training (NEET). DfES (2004). This became policy issue for Labour in terms of post-16 education being largely enjoyed by children from wealthier backgrounds. This necessitated the formulation of education policies to narrow the gap between poor and rich children. The first policy was the Standardised National Curriculum, (Market Reform) for all learners from the age of 7 to 16. It’s purpose was to make pupils study certain curriculum subjects in detail in order to tackle problems of poor numeracy and literacy to raise standards, widen access and improve basic skills. Many children left school without qualifications, GCSE pass rate was low, more than 2/3 did not pass GCSE and many opted for vocational qualifications. Dearden   et al (2005). This policy was time consuming as teachers planned all the subjects. Parents were given the right to choose schools, impacting on housing and cost of moving for poor parents. League tables made some schools look bad. The quasi-market system made it hard for some schools to improve. It created social- class and educational inequalities. Poor students were left behind, attending poor schools, underachieving in disadvantaged societies. Funding was based on school enrolment. Schools were given autonomy on the type of student to enrol, encouraging social and educational exclusion. Following this policy in 1998, was the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategies (Curriculum Reform). Policy objective was to improve basic skills by using prescriptive methods to help teachers to know what to teach and how to teach it and allowing literacy and numeracy hours on the curriculum. Students were tested on their understanding of curriculum subjects by using national tests at 1, 2, 3, and 4 key stages. The limitations of this policy made it difficult to attract qualified teachers because of poor teachers’ packages, introduction of performance related pay and unfavourable conditions in relation to other professions. There was no autonomy for teachers. Everything was prescribed, removing creativity and initiative in teaching. In spite of efforts by Labour, post-16 participation remained low. Another policy was introduced, the Vocational Qualification Reform which introduced the NVQs and NGVQs for students who were not performing well academically and to raise participation in post-16 education. It was a way of encouraging work- related education and making vocational qualifications look attractive to employers. Dearden et al.(2002) This policy was unsuccessful. The qualifications were not valued by employers who thought only low performing students took vocational courses and therefore paid them low wages. Machin and Vignoles (2006). There was no unification of the system. There were too many different providers offering too many different qualifications with no economic value which Melia (1995) called â€Å"The Further Education Qualification jungle†. This did not encourage poor students to stay on in post-16 education. Following 1991 and 1992 Education White Papers was the Kennedy Report (1997), which recommended that extra funds be made available to Inner City Colleges for students from socio-economically deprived backgrounds and those from poor post code areas, to widen participation. Children who fitted this category were nicknamed the ‘Kennedy Children’. Public view suggested this was done at the expense of children from the ‘right’ postcodes. Researcher can argued that the ‘Kennedy children’, as a matter of policy,     had a right to benefit from extra funding to encourage them to stay on in education and achieve, from exclusion to inclusive education. Green and Lucas (2000). This led to the introduction of EMA policy.   EMA policy was designed to address financial constraints which formed a barrier to post-16 participation in FE particularly among learners from low socio-economic backgrounds. Policy objectives were designed to improve student reten tion and attendance rates in sixth form and post-16 education, to raise participation and attainment levels in further education. Labour launched the pilot project in September 1998-1999 in 56 out of 150 Local Authority Areas (LEAs). It targeted students in areas with low post-16 participation, low retention, low achievement rates, in areas where there was deprivation, where most of the population lived in rented accommodation and did not participate in the job market because of low qualifications and lack of skills. Heaver et al (2002). After the first pilot proved a success the second pilot was launched in 2002-2004. Machin and Vignoles (2004) in agreement with the Kennedy Report reviewed a policy reform which introduce EMA to help students from poor backgrounds whose parents earned less than  £30,000 a year if they remained in education beyond compulsory education. EMA policy was administered first through the Learning Skills Council (LSC) but was moved to Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA). YPLA aims are raising aspirations, improving attainment targets to Level 2/3, reducing the NEET cohort and delivering Every Child Matters outcomes for young people. Eysenck (December 2010) affirmed â€Å"EMA makes it possible for students from poorer backgrounds to go onto sixth form or college rather than forcing them to leave school to take low paid, dead end jobs†. It was officially launched nationwide in 2006 after being regarded a success in encouraging young people to stay on in education and opening up chances for students from disadvantaged back grounds who were unlikely to stay on in education after the compulsory education period. Chancellor Gordon Brown announced â€Å"The four pilots of EMA had proved a success, helping 20,000 extra students a year to stay in education†. Slatter (July 2003:2). By putting this policy in place Labour recognised   Every Child Matters outcomes on inclusive education, raising aspirations, access and equality of opportunities for students with special or additional learning needs. Miles (2010). The Kennedy report pointed the need for these groups to be adequately educated to prevent social and economic exclusion.   The recent proposed scrapping of EMA contradicts the Kennedy Report EMA was means-tested. Students received varying amounts depending on their family yearly income. Some students received  £10,  £20, others received the full  £30 allowance a week. In addition, each student received various bonuses for attendance and achievement at the end of the course. Table1 shows how the students were paid according to individual household income.   In 2004 about 50% of 16-19 year olds qualified to be eligible for EMA. Table 1 Up to  £20,817  £30.00 a week  £20,818- £25,521  £20 a week.  £25,522- £30,810  £10 a week  £30,810+ Nothing Source: Dearden et al (2005) Social welfare benefits, child credits received by parents and earnings gained through part time jobs taken by young people were not considered. The money was paid into students’ accounts to help with the purchase of educational materials, bus fares and lunch but students could spend it as they wishe Coalition decided to scrap EMA. In support, Nash (2002) announced that EMA had not been successful in encouraging participation of poor children. New applicants were not accepted after January 2011. Grounds for scrapping EMA given by Coalition are, it has not been properly targeted when Labour introduced it, Labour covered every young person with the same blanket and made them eligible. They claimed that learners were abusing it by spending it on alcohol, luxury goods, cigarettes and not using it to buy educational materials. Coalition goes further to say EMAs were costing the taxpayer  £564 million a year and there was no evidence on attainment of qualifications by those staying on at school.   Not achieving qualifications and receiving EMA was like their parents signing on to get benefits.   Lee (January 2011). Some researchers say â€Å"they see no reason why these youngsters cannot take part time jobs like newspaper rounds like we did in our days†. Freedman (2008: 2) . Encouraging children to take part time jobs helps them to develop work ethics. According to Michael Gove, EMA did not achieve the initial objective of encouraging young disadvantaged people to stay on in education after the compulsory education period. This was Labour’s way of keeping unemployment figures down as they did not have other options for them. Pearson (February, 2011). Labour argued this by quoting the education spokesman who said â€Å"†¦96% of 16- year olds and 94% of seventeen- year olds   participate in education, employment or training because of the EMA†. Pearson goes further to say children do not need to be bribed to stay in education. What they need are initiatives, excellent teachers and help to remain focussed and find purpose in school. McGivney (December 2005:3) says â€Å"A curriculum that is based on varied interests and wishes of learners is far more effective in attracting learners and sustaining their motivation.† What is needed is to make learning meaningful and enjoyable to prevent dropouts. When Michael Gove was Shadow Schools Secretary for Conservatives he hinted that EMAs were an expensive undertaking causing huge deficits which the country cannot afford. Coalition was accused of being out of touch with the plight of disadvantaged and poor people in this country. The context in which Coalition is scrapping EMA is strengthened by a letter written to The Guardian by a seventeen year old student drawing attention to abuse of EMA by students who owned cars and laptops and receiving EMA while living with their divorced mothers. Jones (2010) Although Labour had planned to scrap EMA in 2013 when their proposed plan to raise school-leaving age to 18 came into place, they are now on the opposition trying to stop scrapping of EMA. Labour ministers lost the parliamentary vote to stop this decision by Coalition and Andy Burnham expressed concern that the decision will force children out of full time education, he predicated a raise in crime and said it will influence students’ decision making. Liard (2010). A survey conducted by Buie (2007) found no evidence of the impact of EMA except that it encouraged the benefit culture as most of recipients’ parents were on social benefits and their children might see it as the norm but Jaquette (2009) showed achievement rose by 10% with large numbers from disadvantaged communities. During this survey, students who were interviewed complained that some students just came to make up their hours and get paid and they were distracting lessons and stopping others from learning. In addressing the issue of students not in education, employment or training, (NEET) Buie (2007:3) said â€Å"they have become disengaged and disaffected well before the age of 16, and EMA has little impact on them†. This is why some researchers have suggested EMA should only be paid on achievement rather than waste it on young people who do not take interest in educational achievements. However, Coalition is proposing to cut out EMA and raise school leaving age and replace EMA with Pupil-premium Fund in schools and the Discretionary Learner Support Fund in Colleges (DLSF). The learner support fund will cost  £78 million per year in comparison to EMA. Finlay et al (2007b: 233 ) called it â€Å"Flowers in the desert†. This indicates funding is likely to run out before provision is finished and students are not automatically entitled. Answering to questions in parliament, Mr. Hughes, Coalition’s access advocate strengthened their position by announcing that government could not sustain the system to carry on as it is, there is no money. He went on to warn that at EMA’s full value of  £564 million a year to cover 6480,000 students, the scheme is unsustainable. J. Lee (January 2011). Rogers (December 2010:2) in support of the DLSF reiterates that â€Å"ensuring the most disadvantaged pupils get the support they need has to be our priority†. This fund is paid directly to FE colleges. Principals and Managers of these institutions will use their discretion to decide how this money will be used in line with the 1992 Education Act which urged Principals and Managers of FE colleges to provide students in their colleges with financial or other help of any nature as they consider fit. This gives autonomy to colleges and the money will be properly targeted. The public argument against scrapping of EMA is partly based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Children and the ten year strategy for children and young people (UNCRC) for 2008-2011. The convention mentions the importance of developing a culture which considers matters that impact on children and young people and review them routinely. Bearing in mind the requirements of the convention, the 2009 Youth Conference agreed EMA will be made available to all post -16 students without considering parents’ earnings. In view of what is going on currently, Coalition would dispute the later part of this statement because it is not targeted specifically towards poor students. Labour opposed scrapping of EMA from the point of view that without funding, policy on inclusive education is rendered ineffective and support for learners with special educational and additional needs will drop, compromising their job prospects, adding numbers to the benefit bill and social mobility will be affected as students cannot move out of the grips of poverty. Mittler (2005) defines policy on inclusion as affording each person the help they need to achieve. Scrapping their EMA will open the poverty gap between the rich and poor, causing educational inequalities, as many will not be able to stay on in education. Colleges and other FE institutions delivered inclusive education because the EMA afforded students to attend but without it, it will be hard to bring students back from the NEET. EMA was the attraction, encouraging access and equality of opportunities. Laird (2010) EMA confirmed that in the past six years post-16 participation has improved by 30 percent and she links this back to the fact that EMA was introduced, and encouraged children to stay on.   Labour also goes on to say the cost of EMA will be outweighed by the higher wages the students will earn in the long run when they are qualified and benefits payments will be reduced. Organisations campaigning against scrapping of EMA, (Save EMA and Unison) considered taking legal action against the Coalition for failing to recognise an earlier statement which stated that learners who had started new programmes in 2010 will continue to receive the EMA until 2013. Coalition has now said all EMA funding will stop at the end of the 2010 academic year. Crime data published by the Home Office Offenders Index showed that during the pilot period EMA had a positive impact on reducing crime. Table 4 shows a reduction of crime in all areas where the young people received EMA. Violent crimes remained high. This may be due to the different types of crimes constituting â€Å"violent crime.† Table 4 showing crime reduction in pre- and post- EMA periods LEAs Pre- EMA Post-EMA Areas with EMA Violent  Ã‚   1,645Burglary   4, 219 Theft   7, 643 1,4682,230 4,817 Areas without EMA Violent   1,137Burglary 2,227 Theft 7,643 0, 9771,176 4,817 Source:     Hirschfield   (2004) The areas chosen were known to have high crime rates and the main perpetrators were young men. The differences in crime rate between EMA and Non-EMA areas could mean the likelihood of other crime reducing strategies working alongside EMA but the evidence is there that EMA helps to reduce   theft and burglary crimes by providing ready cash for young people and they do not have to get it by illegal means. From teachers’ perspective, EMA has helped to develop parents’ interest in the education of their children. They were involved at the initial application of EMA and phoned the institution if there was a problem with the student’s payments and the teachers used this opportunity to discuss other issues pertaining to the education of the particular student. One parent admitted â€Å"On occasions the threat of loosing his EMA got him out of bed† Jones R (2010:2).   FE teachers see the removal of EMA as a real challenge for them to get students motivated to attend. This confirms Labour’s argument that EMA has improved attendance and participation. Student A. who has made it to CambridgeUniversity said he would not have made it if it wasn’t for EMA. The Guardian (April 2010). In contrast, Coalition, in 2010 recorded students’ reactions to a question which asked them what effect scrapping of EMA would have on their education and choice of destinations. Students responded in the following manner: 45% said none. 42% said they would have stayed in education but would have needed to take a part time job. 7% said they would have gone into work-based learning. 6% said they would not have stayed on at all. The evidence is shown here that 90% young people would have stayed on with or without EMA. Bolton (2011) Poorer students have been cut off from the social arena and their window of opportunity has been closed. This is breaching ‘Every Child Matters’ policy   aspect on   Ã¢â‚¬Å"making positive contribution, enjoying and achieving economic wellbeing†. It is extremely difficult to meet these objectives under the current situation. The Child Act (2006) stated that providers incorporate â€Å"Every Child Matters† frame work and that it is Ofsted inspected but in any political climate according to Ball (1997:105),) â€Å"policies shift and change their meaning in the arenas of politics† and they are understood and used differently by different actors with different interests. Steer et al (2007 This researcher has seen how EMA helped young Asian women, who would otherwise be married off by their fathers the moment they finished compulsory education. EMA has helped them avoid becoming victims of their culture. Parents arranged forced marriages if girls were not engaged in education. Mirza (2009) described it as being persuaded into a marriage against ones will in the name of family honour. During class discussion on scrapping of EMA the girls told the researcher this decision by Coalition had hit them hardest. They said staying on in education was the only way of delaying forced marriages. The diverse nature and cultural backgrounds of students need to be considered when making decisions so that certain groups of the population do not feel excluded and victimised by the system. This is in accordance with the UN Convention 2010-2011. Another EMA recipient, student B who is studying sciences to qualify to study medicine said â€Å"I will have to take a part time job as my parents cannot afford transport and lunch money for me but I know that I shall have less study time and it will have an impact on my results†. Recipient C said she lived on her own and uses some of her EMA to pay bills and transport and if she does not get it she will have to stop studying for her Level 2 English and Mathematics. Student C said he was from a working class background and although he only received  £10 a week it went a long way to help him complete his studies. This shows how students have been affected by scrapping of EMA in their individual situations and how it might alter their destinations. Coalition has effectively altered provision and opportunities available to students. Bolton (January 2010) Coalition is considering a 14-19 funding system and extending the pupil-premium fund to FE colleges. The extra money could be used to hire more staff or improve facilities which will benefit more people than paying EMA to a few individuals. Government will pay more money to colleges who enrol more students from poor backgrounds. A research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that post-16 study is a follow up of good GCSE’s.  Ã‚   It is, therefore, meaningful to stop EMA and spend money on improving pupils’ grades at this level. The impact of scrapping EMA in the researcher’s organisation influenced behaviour management and pedagogy. On starting a course students sign an EMA contract which binds them to rules on attendance, time keeping, acceptable behaviour and achievement. The researcher used this contract as a tool to encourage positive behaviour and students’ EMA payment would be stopped if parts of the contract were breached. When the announcement to scrap EMA was made, the researcher felt disarmed and discouraged. EMA was used to motivate and discipline students. Students who enrolled after January 2010 often missed sessions complaining they had no bus money and borrowed money to buy lunch from staff members. Some students left before completing their courses to get jobs. Enrolment numbers dropped.   Several students openly said â€Å"I only came to collect my money. If I don’t get paid I don’t come†. These students disrupted lessons and abusing the EMA. Decreasing student numbers caused financial deficits which resulted in staff redundancies.   The manager controlled purchasing of stationary. Her decisions   adversely affected teaching due to lack of resources. Students who completed Level 2 English and Maths did not apply to colleges due to uncertainty about EMA. This impacted on the organisation’s finances as they could not make claims on progression. On the other hand, there were some good outcomes. Some students said they will have to stop smoking, drinking, cut down on mobile phone calls and nights out because they could not afford them anymore. In the researchers’ professional practice, scrapping of EMA brought the realisation that the job was more pastoral care than teaching, there was need for a sympathetic approach and more understanding when addressing students’ problems. The researcher learnt new behaviour management techniques which promoted conformity and encouraged achievement.   Using EMA to control behaviours was punitive and unethical. The method did not foster good student –teacher relationships. Methods of planning and presenting lessons changed to captivate interest and enthusiasm to cater for students who were at risk of dropping out. The generic lesson plans produced by the company were not student-centred. The researcher became more pro-active and innovative in sourcing out learning aids as there was no money to purchase them from shops. Regionally, institutions of FE offered staff voluntary redundancies as they fore saw reduced numbers of students enrolling on courses after the scrapping of EMA. There seemed to be more young people on the streets during week days which could be indicative of children going back to NEET. There were radical changes in contracts at the local college to embrace the changes. Learners complained they have not been listened to. Many students took poorly paid part-time jobs to fund transport to college and pay for educational materials. One office which referred students from NEET to institutions of FE closed their High Street office and moved into a small place and some staff made redundant. A local Youth Centre run by the NHS has reported a rise in numbers of young people frequenting the place to play games and watch television during week days. Conclusions At the beginning of this paper seven key issues were identified and have been used to analyse the impact of the scrapping of EMA on post16 students and their choice of destinations. EMA influenced students’ decisions to stay in education after the age of 16 and fulfilled it’s policy objectives on widening participation of students from poor backgrounds, inclusion and social mobility.   The NEET cohort was reduced because students were rewarded financially for turning up, making their study look like work. EMA had a positive effect on students’ decision making and choices of destinations, encouraging equal access to opportunities. In terms of crime reduction, EMA played an important role alongside other crime reduction mechanisms. EMA encouraged parental support and dialogue with staff. Children perform better when they feel supported by family. Every child in this country deserves to benefit from a healthy economic environment which embraces those born into poverty according to Children’s Act 2004 and Youth Matters. Every citizen aspires to benefit from a society with strong educational achievements, skilled people and reduced crime rates. Our government shoulders the responsibility to ensure every child achieves their full potential by putting in place economic policies which do not create stumbling blocks for young people but point them towards the right direction and provide the necessary help for them to complete their learner journeys.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   No of words: 4,359 References Ball, J S., (1997)   Education Reform. Open University Press. Buckingham Bolton, P., (January 2011), Education Maintenance Allowance Statistics. House of Commons Library. Date accessed: 08.02.11  Ã‚   Date last updated: 13 January 2011 Buie, E., (3 August 2007), Impact of allowance in doubt. Times Educational Supplement. Connect.  Ã‚   Available at: tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=2416714   Date accessed: 25/01/2011 DfSE (200), The Learning and Skills Council: Strategies Priorities.London DfEE Dearden, L., MacIntosh, S., Myck, M., and Vignoles, A., (2002), The Returns to Academic and Vocational Qualifications in Britain. Bulletin of Economic Research, 54, 249-274 Dearden, L.,Emmerson, C., Frayne, C., and Meghir, C., (2005), Education Subsidies and School Drop-Out Rates, forthcoming   Centre for Economics of Education Discussion Paper. Eysenck, J.,(December 2010),   Poor young people will loose out as EMA is scrapped, councillors warn. The Westminster Chronicle.  Ã‚   Available at: http://westminster.londoninformer.co.uk/2010/12/poorer-young-people-will-lose.html Access date: 08/02/2011 Finlay, I., Hodgson, A., and Steer, R., (2007b), Flowers in the desert: The impact of policy on basic skills provision in the work place. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 59(2), 231-247 Freedman, S., (21 November 2008), There is a better way than EMA. Times Educational Supplement Connect. FE Focus.   Available at: tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6005454   Access date: 25/01/2011 Green, A., and Lucas, N., (2000), Further Education and Life Long learning: Realigning the Sector for the Twenty First Century. Book Production Consultants pk.   Cambridge. Heaver, C., Maguire, M., Middleton, S., Maguire, S., Young, R., Dobson, B., and Hardman, J., (2002), Evaluation of Education Maintenance Allowance Pilots, Leeds and London. First Year Evidence, RR353 London: DfES Hirschfield, A., (2004), Impact of Reducing Initiative, Home Office Online, Report 40/04.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Available at: crimereduction.gov.uk/burglary74.htm Access date: 25/01/201 Home Office (2004), Reducing Burglary Initiative, Note on Internet, Available at:     crimereduction.gov.uk/bri.htm Access date: 25/01/2011 Jaquette, O., (February 2009), Funding for Equality and Success in English Further Education.   Oxford Review of Education, Vol.35, No1, pp57-79, Routeledge, University of Michgan, USA. Jones, R., (6 April 2010), Are rich kids getting education maintenance allowance cash? The Guardian.co.uk  Ã‚  Ã‚   Available at: guardian.co.uk/education/2010/apr/06/ema-educational-allowance-abused†¦ Date accessed: 14/02/2011 Laird, G., (29 October 2010), Scrapping of EMA will slash poorer student numbers, say principals. Times Educational Supplement Connect. FE Focus. Available at:  Ã‚   tes.co.uk/article.asp?storycode=382200 Date accessed: 21/01/2011 Lee, J., (14 January 2011), Coalition divided over abolition of EMA. Times Educational Supplement Connect.   FE   Focus.   Available at: tes.c.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6067568   Date accessed: 08/02/2011 Machin, S., and Vignoles, S., (2004), Educational Inequality: The Widening Socio- Economic Gap, Fiscal Studies, 25, 107- 28. Machin, S., and Vignoles., (March 2006), Education Policy in the UK. Centre for Economics of Education. LondonSchool of Economics. London McGivney,V.,   (December 2005) Death by a thousand cuts. Adults Learning. Vol.17, Issue 4, P8-11, 4p,   Available at: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=13sid=744f015e-b11e-418f-bbf0-545f6e   Access date: 27/01/2011 Melia, T.P., (March 1995), Quality and it’s Assurance in Further Education. Vol. 25,   Cambridge Journal of Education. Issue 1, p35, 10p 2Graphs. Available at: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=13sid=744f015e-b11e-418f-bbf0-545f6e†¦Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Access date:   27/01/2011 Miles, S., and Nidhi,S., ( February 2010), The Education for all and Inclusive Education Debate: Conflict, Contradiction or Opportunity. International Journal of Inclusive Education.Vol.14, Issue1, p1-15,15p Mittler, P., (2005), Working towards Inclusive Education.Routeledge, New York Mirza, S.H., (2009), Race Gender and Educational Desire. Routeledge. London Nash, I., (6/28/2002), Grants fail to draw in excluded. Times Educational Supplement. Issue 4487, p33,1/3p     Available at:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=106sid=d9ebea77-95c6-46c5-9c3e-bb67 Access date: 25/01/2011 Pearson, A., (21 January 2011), If teenagers need cash they should get a Saturday job. The Telegraph.   Available at: telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnist/allison-pearson/8273943/If-teenager  Ã‚   Access date: 25/02/2011 Rogers, D., (10 December 2010), EMA fury gains pace amid fears of student drop-out. Times Educational Supplement. Connect, FE Focus.   Available at: tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6065676 Access date: 25/01/2011 Steer, R., Hodgson, K., Finlay, A., Coffield,F., Edward, S., and Gregson, M.,(2007) Modernisation and the role of policy levers in the learning and skills sector. Journal of Vocational Education and Training. 59(2), 175-192. Slatter, J., (12 March 2004), Millions spent to give students  £30. Times Educational Supplement. Issue 4612, p16-16,1/4p,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Available at: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=108sid=35d25c6d-6326-4c41-8ee2-7676  Ã‚  Ã‚     Access date: 08 Bibliography Blanchflower, D., (20 January 2011) Scrapping the EMA and cutting the young adrift. The Guardian. 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Guarantee of Republican for of Government

Guarantee of Republican for of Government The Constitution places several obligations on the National Government for the benefit of the States. Most of them are to be found in Article Four. The Constitution requires the National Government to guarantee to every State in the Union a republican form of government (Article four). The Constitution does not define republican form of government, and the Supreme Court has regularly refused to do so. The term generally understood to mean a representative government, however. The Supreme Court has held that the question of whether or not a States has republican form of government is political question(www.TheAmericanGovernment.com). That is, it is one to be decided by the political branches of the government- the President and Congress- and not by the courts. The leading case here is Luther v Borden, 1849. It grew out of Dorrs Rebellion, a revolt led by Thomas W. Dorr against the State of Rhode Island in 1841-1842. Dorr and his followers had written and proclaimed a new constitution for the State. When they tried to put the new document into operation, however, the governor in office under the original constitution declared martial law- temporary rule by military authorities. The governor also called on the Federal Government for help. President John Tyler then took steps to put down the revolt, and it quickly collapsed. The question of which of the competing governments was the legitimate one was a major issue in Luther v Borden. But, again, the Supreme Court refused to decide the matter(Fox 32). The only extensive use ever made of the republican-form guarantee came in the years immediately following the Civil War. Congress declared that several southern States did not have governments of a republican form(Pollard). It refused to admit Senators and Representatives from those States until the States had ratified...

Reasons Women Choose Abusive Partners Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

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Context and Cultural Consideration - Assignment Example Personally, I am Mexican-Irish having parents from both cultural communities and cherishes the practices as good and comforting as my life progresses. Since I am half Mexican and half Irish, I have to subscribe to the two cultures and practice them as much as possible. Actually, I love and enjoy both the Mexican and Irish culture and feel culturally accomplished when in either of the societies (Ungar, 2011). The historical and native of Mexicans is Mexico that lies just to the West and Southwest of USA. Mexicans are somewhat black and brown in complexion that makes them appear as neither Whites nor Blacks. However, most have witnessed racial discriminations, abuses, profiling and labelling by the whites who collectively view Mexicans as blacks. Being colony of Spain, large population of Mexicans living in speaks Spanish. For purposes of proper integration and compatibility, I had to learn the Spanish language. Mexicans in the rural towns of the Mexico country still hold to the earlier traditional practices despite the widespread perception among many people that Mexico is among the most enlightened countries. Interestingly, Mexicans living in the cities like Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara among others, and who have exposure to much of Western cultures as influenced by USA and Europe through physical interaction and media tend to abide more to the foreign cultures. The mentioned population is very sensitive to changes to in fashion and ensures to update with the fashion transformations (Zunker, 2008). My Mexican family is big and boasts of people with diverse stands and views in life. An individual who manages to accommodate and work with such a mix of people can undoubtedly manage to handle even the most challenging clients. Mexicans have rich music and film industries that gain great acceptance across the globe. Ireland that is the inhabitant of the Irish is one of the constituent members of the United Kingdom (UK) in the continent Europe.  Ã‚  

The case of Abercrombie and Fitch Co Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The of Abercrombie and Fitch Co - Case Study Example The only negative result being a minimal decrease in the profits per square foot at the end of that fiscal period (Berman & Evans, 2011). The company should increase its effort on increasing retail space. Though the number of Hollister stores is one-third more than A & F, it is believed that the larger profits realized by the latter is due to a greater average size. The uncontrollable factors within any business environment are known as external factors or macro environmental factors. Such factors are usually beyond the control of any company or organization but rather they have to adjust for them to cope. For A & F, the Economic turmoil of 2007-2009 affected their operations (Berman & Evans, 2011).The turmoil was caused by the significant decrease in demand for the company’s products as a result of the prevailing economic conditions. As a consequence, the company realized a dip in its revenue. The second factor has been the entry of new competitors in the apparel industry. A & F experienced a decline in sales in 2009, and this was brought about by increased competition from companies like American Eagle and Aeropostale (Berman & Evans, 2011). It therefore, has to develop mechanisms to cope with such competitors in order to maintain or improve its profit margins the market share. A retail strategy involved developing a plan that is to be followed by a retailer in relation to the actions. They usually span a period of one year and include the following; missions, goals, consumer market, overall and specific activities and control mechanisms (Berman & Evans, 2011).

Context and Cultural Consideration Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Context and Cultural Consideration - Assignment Example Personally, I am Mexican-Irish having parents from both cultural communities and cherishes the practices as good and comforting as my life progresses. Since I am half Mexican and half Irish, I have to subscribe to the two cultures and practice them as much as possible. Actually, I love and enjoy both the Mexican and Irish culture and feel culturally accomplished when in either of the societies (Ungar, 2011). The historical and native of Mexicans is Mexico that lies just to the West and Southwest of USA. Mexicans are somewhat black and brown in complexion that makes them appear as neither Whites nor Blacks. However, most have witnessed racial discriminations, abuses, profiling and labelling by the whites who collectively view Mexicans as blacks. Being colony of Spain, large population of Mexicans living in speaks Spanish. For purposes of proper integration and compatibility, I had to learn the Spanish language. Mexicans in the rural towns of the Mexico country still hold to the earlier traditional practices despite the widespread perception among many people that Mexico is among the most enlightened countries. Interestingly, Mexicans living in the cities like Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara among others, and who have exposure to much of Western cultures as influenced by USA and Europe through physical interaction and media tend to abide more to the foreign cultures. The mentioned population is very sensitive to changes to in fashion and ensures to update with the fashion transformations (Zunker, 2008). My Mexican family is big and boasts of people with diverse stands and views in life. An individual who manages to accommodate and work with such a mix of people can undoubtedly manage to handle even the most challenging clients. Mexicans have rich music and film industries that gain great acceptance across the globe. Ireland that is the inhabitant of the Irish is one of the constituent members of the United Kingdom (UK) in the continent Europe.  Ã‚  

The History of Toyota Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The History of Toyota Corporation - Essay Example   Accordingly, the reporters averred that â€Å"safety analysts found an estimated 2000 cases in which owners of Toyota cars including Camry, Prius, and Lexus, reported that their cars surged without warning up to speeds of 100 miles per hour† (Ross, et.al., 2009, par. 2). As a result, there have been congressional hearings scheduled to investigate the complaints and the cases focusing on the safety problems posed by Toyota cars in the US. In this regard, this essay aims to evaluate whether or not Toyota was treated fairly in those hearings. When evaluating the congressional hearings, there are diverse sides that must be considered, to wit: Toyota’s explanation, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), testimonies from safety research institutes and other automotive authorities, the victims of the runaway cars, and the public. Toyota’s defense through James Lentz, president, and COO of Toyota US revealed in his testimony that â€Å"no proble ms exist with the electric throttle control system in our vehicles. Rather, floor mats and sticky accelerators are to blame" (Farber, 2010, par. 7). Two testimonies, however, blamed the accidents on the electrical malfunction with testimonial reports and personal testing and analysis. The side of the NHTSA is being criticized due to previous agency investigators subsequently being employed by Toyota. Any investigation on the sudden acceleration accidents could have been influenced and biased due to connections with Toyota. However, the hearings found â€Å"no violation for these two employees† (Schone & Rhee, 2010, 3). The victims have filed legal cases against Toyota for having sustained injuries with deaths to family members. Also at risk are the public who could be victims of these kinds of car accidents.

Impact of Human Activities on Natural Hazards Essay Example for Free

Impact of Human Activities on Natural Hazards Essay Natural hazards are naturally occurring phenomena that have disastrous impact on humanity. These phenomena had been in existence even before the advent of humanity. The hazardous dimension of these natural phenomena are in the context of the impact that such a phenomenon would have on human population in the area affected by that phenomenon. In this essay, the effect that human activity has on these natural hazards would be analyzed. Some human activities may be exacerbating the factors that cause the natural hazard, like the impact of excessive and unplanned logging on floods and droughts. In certain other cases the human activities may cause subsequent or supplementary hazards to a primary hazard event, like building dams in earthquake prone zones may lead to flash floods and landslides in the event of a rupture. A hazard can be defined as an event that has the potential to cause harm. This potential may be on account of its unexpected timing of occurrence or the actual intensity of the event itself. Human societies can withstand these events within a normal scale of occurrence. However, human societies become vulnerable when these events occur unexpectedly or are of an intensity or duration that falls beyond that normal scale (O’Hare and Rivas, 2005). Natural hazards can be broadly classified under the heads of geological, hydrological, climatic and diseases. This essay would limit its scope to analyzing causal relationships, if any, of human activities on landslides, floods and drought and the secondary hazards triggered by those activities in the event of an earthquake. Of all human activities that have a direct or indirect impact on natural hazards, deforestation is by far the most significant. Deforestation is the removal or destruction of forest cover of an area. It may occur due to unscientific logging practices without regeneration and may be accompanied by subsequent conversion to non-forest usage like agriculture, pasture, urban, mining or industrial development, fallow or wetland. At a very broad level, it has been argued that deforestation is a major cause of global climatic changes. It has been predicted that removal of forest cover will lead to violent and unpredictable environmental fluctuations. At a smaller landscape, deforestation has a direct bearing upon the climatic, hydrological, edaphic and biological aspects of that area. Deforestation is associated with higher levels of soil erosion and landslides, sedimentation in river beds and changes in fluvial geomorphology (Haigh, 1984). Quite a few of these effects of deforestation have a direct bearing on the natural hazards that will be covered in this essay. One of the major functions of a forest is to maintain the humidity level in the atmosphere. Trees withdraw groundwater through their roots and transpire the excess water through their leaves. Forests return a major part of the rainfall received by them through evapotranspiration. Annual evapotranspiration in tropical moist lowland forests ranges up to 1500 mm per year, with transpiration accounting for a maximum of 1045 mm per year (Bruijnzeel, 1990). This process of evapotranspiration in the leaves of trees takes the latent heat of evaporation from the surrounding atmosphere. Thus evapotranspiration has a cooling effect on the atmosphere that aids precipitation. Deforestation denies the atmosphere of this cooling effect and is thus a contributing factor to lowering of annual rainfall in an area. Further, the effects of deforestation generally compound the severity of drought. Lack of trees translates to the lack of root fibers that hold the topsoil. In the event of a drought, the topsoil flakes and gets blown by the wind, leading to severe dust storms. This phenomenon had devastated the American Great Plains for close to a decade in 1930s. The dust bowl covered farming areas in Colorado, Kansas, north west Oklahoma, north Texas and north east New Mexico. The fertile soil of the plains was exposed due to lack of vegetation cover and actions of the plow. These farming techniques that led to severe soil erosion, coupled with prolonged periods of extremely low rainfall, led to a series of severe dust storms that ranged up to the Atlantic coast. Much of the fertile topsoil was lost in the Atlantic (Cartensen et al. , 1999). Direct causal relationship between human activity and drought is yet to be conclusively established. However, there are studies available that point to a positive correlation between the two. For example, climate-modeling studies have indicated that the 20th century Sahel drought was caused by changing sea surface temperatures. These changes were due to a combination of natural variability and human induced atmospheric changes. The anthropogenic factors in this case were rise in greenhouse gas levels and aerosols (GFDL Climate Modeling Research Highlights, 2007). The effect of human activities like deforestation is rather more direct and pronounced in case of hydrological hazards like fluvial floods. Fluvial floods occur when the discharge of a river exceeds its bankfull capacity. Forests create deep, open textured soils that can hold large quantities of water. When the forest cover is removed through logging, the soil becomes compacted. More rainwater is converted to runoff or near surface flow and less proportion percolates as groundwater. Research has shown significant increase in monthly runoff following logging activities (Rahim and Harding, 1993). The runoff rainwater carries with it considerable amounts of loose soil particles. Removal of vegetation cover through excessive logging activities or overgrazing leaves the soil bare. In such a situation, the upper layer of the soils becomes susceptible to erosion by surface runoff. These suspended soil particles are deposited on the riverbeds. The effect of this type of soil erosion by surface runoff is even more pronounced when the deforestation happens in the riparian zones as well.

Facebook Marketing Report

Facebook Marketing Report James Byrne   Ã‚   Task 1: Facebook Consumer Behaviour Introduction Consumer Behaviour has been described as the processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use or dispose of products, services, ideas ir experiences in order to satisfy needs (Solomon et. al., 2010). It is increasingly recognised that consumption is a process not just a purchase event. This is especially evident when examining behaviour on social media platforms, in this case Facebook. Traditional models of consumer behaviour do not directly apply to this online environment. There is no inherent monetary purchase decision as Facebook provides it user end services seemingly for free. Founded in 2004, Facebook is currently the biggest social networking service based on global reach and total active users. Worldwide, there are over 1.79 billion monthly active Facebook users (Facebook MAUs) which is a 16 percent increase year over year. (Source: Facebook as of 02/11/16). This is despite the hyperchoice available to consumers in regards to social media platforms which i nclude Instagram, YouTube, Google Plus and many others. Such a plethora of platforms present the consumer with a choice not based on cost but on factors such as time, user experience and connectedness. This paper will examine the success of Facebook both from a users perspective and commercially and examine the challanges facing the platform going forward. For the purposes of this study a user diary was kept over 17 days where activity of particular interest was monitored and recorded -see Appendix at end of document. Behavioural patterns across different users are detected and discussed. Motives for Joining and Using Facebook Motivation can be described as the processes that encourage behaviour (Solomon et. al., 2010). Facebook has very successfully positioned itself as both a communication channel and an informational tool between individuals, brands and news outlets. Consumers use Facebook to fulfil a number of primary needs socialising, entertainment, self-status seeking, and information (Park et al, 2010). Some examples of can be seen in this study; Socialising The user initiated the communication through a public post of photos that indicated they were on holiday in Australia. A friend subsequently enquired How was the trip? and the response was I did it!! Absolutely sensational Im still buzzing à °Ã… ¸Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã…’ Miss your face, hows home?. This conversation illustrates the role Facebook plays in reinforcing personal relationships. This post also displays self-status seeking as such a foreign holiday is highly desirable and portrays a certain lifestyle. Entertainment Many humours videos and images are posted to Facebook. This one features potential trying to steal a bike which is tethered to a fence and subsequently falling off. Comments included: That sXXX was funny. They can sue his ass though for personal injury. Thats what they get for stealing lol Homeboys got wreeecked Users frequently shares these posts with their friends. This action provides a indication of the users personality. Self-status seeking This seemingly humours post also fufills the function of portraying a desirable possession. Convertible cars tend to be more expensive than hard tops and indicate a particular type of lifestyle. That is message is linked to possessions is underlined by one self aware comment I have a vw polo and brought a 10ft tree home in it today . who needs a convertible The post also fulfils the need for uniqueness to stand out from the herd. It emphasises the individual and their (relatively) unique qualities (Solomon et al, 2010). Information As well as using Facebook to access organisational news sources users can request information to queries from their friends. This post received 9 comments with suggestions. Word of mouth whether initiated or requested is an important component in the platforms user experience. Individuals often trust the opinions of their peers more than commercial communications such as advertising. Opinion seekers thus may regard recommendations by peers and associates as credible and reliable thereby increasing the chance the will influence purchase decisions (Shu-Chuan Yoojung, 2011). In their proposed model, tie strength, homophily, trust and two types of interpersonal influence, normative and informational, are proposed as the main influencing components of electronic word of mouth. Gà ¼lnar et al, 2010 categorised the motivations for using of photo/video sharing websites such as Facebook, under seven headings. In order of importance they are: narcissism and self expression, media drenching and performance, passing time, information seeking, personal status, relationship maintenance, and entertainment. Here are some examples of those that differ from Parks earlier classifications. Self Expression This post displays remembrance, history, gratitude, patriotism and politics. It conveys a lot of information about the users beliefs and values. Interesting to note the inclusion of a Pearl Harbour hashtag, a feature that is more commonplace on twitter than Facebook. not commonplace on Facebook. Posts displaying narcissism might include those promoted by lifestyle bloggers whether they operate on the worlds of fashion, fitness or health. The concept of media drenching refers to a users gratification through the frequent posting of images. Here is such an example where 86 photos of a holiday in Vancover are posted. Narcissism    Reinforcement of personal status and relationship maintenance can be seen in the following post. The drivers outlined by Gà ¼lnar et al, 2010 overlook the factors that influence avoidance of social media and the approach-avoidance conflict inherent in some users attitudes due to a range of factors including fake news, perceived time wasting and privacy issues. Reinforcement of personal status and relationship maintenance The user is celebrating his recent engagement with his online community. Such a noteworthy personal event is recognised by the number of likes (170) and comments (32) all of which were in the form of congratulations; Sooo happy for you!!!!!! Shes one in a million xxx So thrilled for you both. Fab piccie! Xx à °Ã… ¸Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ °Ã… ¸Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ °Ã… ¸Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ °Ã… ¸Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ ° Just fantastic superb news! à °Ã… ¸Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ °Ãƒ °Ã… ¸Ã‚ Ã‚ »Ãƒ °Ã… ¸Ã… ½Ã‚ ©Ãƒ °Ã… ¸Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ °Ã… ¸Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ °Ã… ¸Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ °Ã… ¸Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ °Ã… ¸Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ ° congratulations you troopers xxxxxà °Ã… ¸Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ °Ã… ¸Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ °Ã… ¸Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ The use of emojis helps convey the positive reinforcement. Thus the personal relationships both with his fiancà ©e and broader peer group were strengthened. Entertainment This post received 26 likes and 1 comment Guys !!! Yall are absolutely beaut. Wish I couldve been a part of this. Facebook is both used as a vehicle to communicate and portray a users lifestyle and Virtual Identities The self-concept refers to an individuals perception of themselves (Solomon et al, 2010). High self esteem indicates a positive self concept. Marketing communications can sometimes tap into the variance between an individuals actual self (existing state) and ideal self (aspirational self). Brands tend to focus on the positive aspects of the ideal self rather than the negative connotations of the actual self. For example a gym posting on Facebook in December might tend to focus on the potential of getting in shape in the new year rather than avoiding eating less over the Christmas period. An extreme example of the reverse was the response to this ad by Protein World last year where it was perceived as focusing on peoples inadequacies. Debate raged whether portrayal of such imagery as the ultimate definition of attractiveness in marketing communications presented negative body image connotations to the audience particularly younger females. The controversial generated nearly 400 complaints to the UK ad watchdog that it objectified women and was socially irresponsible. Such an ideal of beauty can cause conflict if the viewer does not share these characteristics (Solomon et al, 1990). Such marketing communications may go some way to explain why consumers have become increasingly more wary of marketing communications (Bousch, Friestad Rose, 1994). However such ideals of beauty evolve. In the early part of the twentieth century it was fashionable to be pale skinned as it denoted one who spent time indoors ie. Not involved with manual labour. However as air travel and package holidays expanded in the 1960s a summer tan became fashionable as it implied wealth and status thus fulfilling hedonic needs. Tactics understanding these western cultural norms can be seen nowadays online in holiday postings by travel agents and social bloggers. Generally direct ostentatious displays of wealth or conspicuous consumption are avoided on social media, particularly during the recent recession in many western countries. Rather such status is implied through the postings or experiences such as a foreign holiday or dinner at an exclusive restaurant. This contrasts somewhat with the theory proposed by Veblen, 1899 who proposed that some consumers namely a leisure class consciously consume visibly in order to inspire envy in others. Possessions continually aid the concept of self through symbolism (Levy 1959). Consumer behaviour can further be examined in the concept of the extended self whereby the buying and using of objects contribute towards our individual identities. The extended self comprises individual characteristics such as appearance, ideas and experiences plus external factors including persons, places and objects that form part of existence (Belk, 1987). The extended self encompasses 4 levels: Individual Family Community The posts show pride, association and tribe identity based on common geographic association. The National Geographic story received national coverage. Comments include: Some county for one county! Seen that sure best place to live à °Ã… ¸Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚  I say it time and time again. We are so lucky to live here. we already knew this though right?! The most beautiful and the most fun! Cannot wait to go back. Its going to be epic! Group The act of consumption is varied and depends on the product or service in question (Holt, 1995). Consumption particularly in group environments encompasses four interrelated facets; experiencing, integrating, playing, and classifying. Integration, the act of integrating objects of consumption in best way to manage self identity echoes Belks extended self concept. Examples of such consumption in Facebook can be seen in posts at sporting and other events. In many posts such as this the user is not featured in the image, rather the event itself is the subject. The experience is the essence of the consumption. Other examples of this are music festivals and holidays. Displays of experiences consumption can reinforce self identity derives by hedonic motives. Consumers might also avail of products and services for socio-cultural reasons (Solomon et al, 2010). This post by a GAA club, in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal was for a fund raising draw in which the first prize is a house. The promotion garnered national media attention while the draw pages generated 631 likes by mid December. The post is aspirational showing the prize but not the entry cost so as to reduce approach-avoidance conflict. The post taps into community pride and local identity. Reference groups such as this can have a significant effect upon its members evaluations, aspirations and behaviour (Park Lessing, 1977). Online communications have accelerated the spread and impact of word of mouth communication, especially when marketing communications are integrated through an omnichannel approach. Shares and likes boost visibility among other users. Behaviours in virtual communities have been found to differ from open forums (Kling Courtright 2003). Approach-avoidance conflict occurs where individuals desire a product or service while at the same time appreciating the real or perceived negative consequences. One example of a user expressing a case in point is illustrated here. The abstention from chocolate (presumably for a longer objective goal) is causing inner turmoil. An illustrative conservation with a friend ensues: Friend: Ah its Christmas Poster Im going to explode if I so much as look at another box of celebrations Friend: just enjoy u will deflate in January Poster: Naw, seriouslyI dont even like chocolate. Im a crisps gal me but theres chocolate everywhere, just begging to be eaten. This struggle is real haha! It could be argued that the initial Facebook post facilities biological / psychological needs in that tension is reduced by the cause being shared with colleagues. The state of unpleasantness is reduced through application for drive theory. Facebook posts and shares can be seen as a conspicuous form of self-presentation. Consumers create and manage their online identities by associating themselves with signs, symbols, material objects and places (Schau Gilly, 2003). This post shows an idealised view of homelife. Each photo is carefully framed to show specific elements. Seasonality is explicit in the Christmas tree. The users conveys their media consumption through the HD television. The tone is one of contentment and fulfilment. Self-presentation as conceptualised here builds on Goffmans (1959) theories of identity and social performance. His thesis was that identity is a built through a conscious effort to project specific presentation norms. Consumers can inhabit various parallel identities online. For example a man can be a son, father, husband, sportsman, professional and friend. Social media activity may focus on one or more of any of these aspects of his life and identity. For example in this post the man poses as both a partner and a father in another idyllic Christmas scene. Families are the bedrock consumer group for many brands. They facilitate collective decision-making whereby products and services are decided on jointly and brand communicators must take into account the roles and objectives of each of the groups members. Children are increasingly involved in such decision making especially in the technological sphere. On the other hand parents may limit childrens access to online sites and social media to protect them from unsuitable content and users. Taking self-presentation a step further some celebrities have been accused of photoshopping images thereby creating a fantasy self portrayed as reality to their followers, Such imagery can suggest unattainable goals and increasing hedonic satisfaction among this elevated grouping. Symbolic interactionism as defined by Mead (1934) focuses on the roles that object acting as symbols play in self-identity. For example in the following post the concert ticket acts as a metaphor for the users self-perceived identity through lifestyle and interests. The ticket itself is to an old concert and is nominally worthless but is obviously of perceived value to the user. Consumption helps to define the individual or extended self (Belk, 1988). In the past consumers may have defined themselves through material possessions such as a record collection. Nowadays their self identity could be intrinsically linked to abstract factors such as quantity of Facebook friends or number of virtual birthday wishes. In the past consumers may have defined themselves through material possessions such as a record collection. Nowadays their self identity could be intrinsically linked to abstract factors such as quantity of Facebook friends or number of virtual birthday wishes. Consumers tend to use products and services that compliment their actual and ideal identities (Clairborne Stringy, 1990) Needs and Goals Maslows (1970) hierarchy of needs categorises five needs ranging from basic psychological needs, through safety, belongingness, ego needs to self-actualisation at the highest level. Facebook generally fulfils elements of the top three needs. Here is an example of belongingness need fulfilment from this studies diary. Belonginess encompasses love, friendship and acceptance. A   tactic of Facebooks is to acknowledge friendship overtly by providing an album of shared experiences. Text on 1m 4 sec Friendversary video: Hey A B. Four years ago today You became friends on Facebook Nice! Photo album On Cover: Youve Shared All of This Together. By A B. You seem to like each other a lot. 452 times to be exact. Close photo album And while there are billions of friendships.. theres only one like yours 😉 Thats awesome! From all of us at Facebook (logo included). The felling is home spun. Facebook positions itself as a central ingredient in the friendship a facilitator and admiring observer celebrating mutual co-creation. Scale and individuality are both themes. Vinyl record player and photo album are nostalgic items physical cues for a digital relationship. Examples of ego need posts include images of a new car inferring status or a graduation scene inferring accomplishment. Self-actualisation is conveyed through the consumption of enriching experiences such as a holiday or concert. Maslows hierarchy of needs is limited to rational behaviour and is culturally specific (Solomon et. al, 2010). Consumers desire sometimes is in conflict with rationality. Dangerous pursuits and unhealthy products can be seen as attractive on one level yet not on another. This video posted by online publisher Lad Bible plays on that theme. It   was created by French ad agency BETC to drive alcoholism awareness and has been extremely successful generating 4.8 million views and 2.5k comments. In every frame across a wide range of situations and environments the female subject is accompanied by some form of alcoholic drink. However comments mixed with many seeing the imagery as promoting an inspirational lifestyle. Though it created a conversation, irrationality in consumer decision making muddies the debate. This post emphasises danger and is targeted at the extreme sports enthusiast. 5. Concerns and Issues with Facebook Fake News Following criticism of its role in the recent US election, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg maintained that Facebook is not a media company. (Ingram, 2016). The debate over whether social platforms should control and regulate the content hosted on their platforms has increased. The issue for Facebook is whether fake news and other dubious content affects its credibility among consumers. Only 4% of web-using adults in the US have a lot of trust in the information available to them on social media (Mitchell, 2016). They are much more cautious about content received through this medium than that received from local news organisations (22%), national news organisations (18%) and family and friends (14%). This is despite the growth in access to news online which has risen to 81% from just 12% in 1996. 62% of adults now access news through social media a figure that rises to 84% for 18 to 29-year-olds. Further questions have been raised about the potential of such platforms to fac ilitate deception, defamation and bogus profiles (Light and McGrath, 2010). The low trust invested in the information received from family and friends contrast with studies that indicate that consumers rely on such more than advertising (Arndt, 1967) One example captured during research was a post from FOX8, a news station in North Carolina. Here is the text of the video commentary: This is what happens when a fake news story goes viral. A Salisbury man is now in jail and facing some serious charge for firing a rifle inside a D.C. restaurant called Comet Ping Pong. Edgar Welch told police he was self-investigating an online conspiracy that the restaurant was tied to a child abuse ring. Welch had his first appearance in court today. This illustrates a disconnect between so-called traditional and social media whereby newspapers and TV stations resent the perceived lack of regulation applied to social platforms in regards to authenticity and accountability. Any decline in trust in and involvement with online content is of primary concern both to Facebook and also advertisers on the platform. Consumers are increasingly media literate and sceptical of commercial communications tactics (Bousch, Friestad Rose, 1994). Consumers use Facebook to communicate directly with brands. Complaints and comments need to be rapidly responded to and resolved to ensure a positive online consumer experience and maintain brand legitimacy. A Filter Bubble creating an Echo Chamber Facebook as with other social media platforms incorporates algorithms, based on user profiling through recording of online behavioural patterns, to define which updates are most relevant for them and to be display them on their pages. Thus users become more exposed to posts that align with and reinforce their established interests and opinions. One extreme example references the recent Brexit vote in the UK. This remain voter could not find any evidence of support for the leave campaign on his news feed on Facebook. A user in the study for this paper was similarly frustrated with receiving filtered posts from third parties. Only seeing posts that you agree with might suggest that everyone agrees with you which is commonly a distortion of the world view. Such selective exposure increases the likelihood of confirmation bias (Bessi, 2016). It could also polarise opinion through reinforcing pre-existing beliefs and increase antagonism when those that hold a differing view are encountered either in the on or offline environments. Influence on Children Although social media and online in general provides opportunities for learning and interaction there are fears of the potential threat of addiction, early sexualisation, bullying and a sedentary lifestyle have on impressionable young people, Despite Facebook having a rule preventing children under the age of 13 from opening an account, between 23% and 34% of kids under that age have Facebook accounts (Aiken, 2016). A recent report by UK telecoms regulate Ofcom found that social media is central for both tweens and teens. Some 23% of 8-11s and 72% of 12-15s have a profile. Children are messaging, sharing and liking throughout the day, including during school hours and late into the evening, with 9% of 11-15s communicating via social media at 10pm. Both 8-11s (43%) and 12-15s (52%) consider Facebook their main social media outlet. Another recent survey found that three-quarters of UK children spend less time outdoors than prison inmates (Carrington, 2016). The poll also found children spent twice as long playing on screens as playing outside. 74% of 5-12 year olds spent less than 60 minutes playing outside each day. Spam and other Unsolicited Posts Here is an example of a poor customer experience leading to a complaint to the company in question regarding their frequent unwanted invitations. Such features on news feed can be seen as intrusion and negate positive interactions. Also of concern is the trend towards links with ambiguous headlines (click bait) and trolling comments (keyboard warriors) and disclosure of private details (Ng, 2016). 6. Conclusions and Opportunities for Further Research The motivations for joining and using Facebook are wide and varied encompassing individual and gold needs and goals. Central to its appeal is the facility to develop and shape different virtual identities to various peer groups. However the attractiveness of the platform could be stifled be perceived weaknesses and barrier in the online user experience. This study is limited as some Facebook behaviour as some functionality behaviours cannot be observed through news feed. Behaviours of consumers in the context of user-generated content has been categorised as posting, lurking, and networking (Morrison et al, 2013). Behaviours omitted from this study include closed group conversations, direct messaging either to other users or organisations and viewing without follow up action. This could be research through surveys and diaries of a robust sample size. There is also the opportunity to compare consumer behaviour on Facebook versus other social media networks. Brands and organisations must recognise the evolving environment to take full advantage of this opportunity to communicate to and with their consumer bases. Task 2: Facebook Revenue Model Introduction Facebook has a market capitalisation of $342.75 billion. It employees over fifteen thousand people. Marketers are employing the Facebook platform because of