Identifying the science involved in nuclear fusion Essay

Both windings of the transformer is what the current is induced from to heat up the plasma. Although this type of Ohmic heating technique can heat plasmas into temperatures of around 20-30 million Kelvin, it is not quite effective because the amount of heat generated depends on the resistance between the plasma and the current (the Joule Effect which states that the amount of electrical energy produced is dependent upon the resistance of the substance through which electricity is passing). The reason for the ineffectiveness of Ohmic heating from the Joule effect principle is because at temperatures of over 1 million degrees centigrade, the electrical conductivity of the plasma is very high which means that there is very low resistance. In needing higher temperatures for larger fusion reactions to occur, other methods of plasma heating are introduced to enhance the Ohmic heating technique (in order to reach higher temperatures for bigger scaled fusion reactions to occur). Neutral Beam Heating: This is an enhancing plasma heating technique of ohmic heating whereby accelerated neutral beams of deuterinium or tritium ions are injected into the already heated plasma. The beams of ions carry large kinetic energies and are neutralized in order for easier access through the magnetic fields confining the plasma. When these beams are injected into the plasma, electrons are lost and the nuclei become ionized due to high temperature particle collisions (making them positively charged ions). â€Å"In the series of subsequent ion-ion, ion-electron and electron-electron collisions, the group velocity of beam ions is transferred into an increased mean velocity of chaotic motion of all plasma particles†. This results in the neutral beam of ions heating up the pre heated plasma and increasing it’s temperature by a maximum of 21MW. http://www. jet. efda. org/pages/focus/006heating/index. html#ohmic Lower Hybrid Current Drive: This additional pre-heating technique is a process whereby micro electromagnetic waves of up to 10MW propel charged particles in a plasma at 3. 7GHz of cycles per second to produce currents of up to 3MA which increases plasma temperature. http://www. jet. efda. org/pages/focus/006heating/4c. jpg Radiofrequency Heating: This type of plasma heating technique is also known as Ion Cyclotron Resonant Heating (in a more scientifical understanding). It is a process whereby the antennae in the vacuum vessel of the tokamak â€Å"propagate waves in the frequency range of 25-55 MHz into the core of the plasma to increase the energy of the ions† thus increasing the temperature for more fusion reactions to occur. This heating method provides additional energy of up 20MW of power t http://www. jet. efda. org/pages/focus/006heating/index. html#ohmic Magnetic Confinement Of Plasma A magnetic field is defined as a force produced by moving electric charges or currents that exerts a power on other moving charges. Because the incredible temperature of plasma (which is over 100 million i C) inside the tokamak cannot be contained inside the inner vessel walls of the nuclear reactor alone, the use of magnetic fields gives an alternative technique in actually restraining the high temperature plasma particles from touching the walls of the reactor. This is called confinement. The reason why plasma is restrained from touching the walls of the reacting vessel is that it cools down very rapidly and terminates itself at once when contact is made. A plasma is made up of ionized particles. In the absence of magnetic fields, the ionized particles move in straight lines and in random directions. This eventually leads to contact with the inner chamber walls of the reacting vessel and results in the plasma quickly cooling down and terminating itself. But when a constant presence of a magnetic field is introduced, the ionized particles in the plasma flow through these fields in a spiral path on the magnetic lines. The movement of the particles across the magnetic field lines are restricted and this also prevents contact to the walls of the containment vessel. Below is a picture illustrating the movement of charged particles with and without the presence of magnetic fields: . http://www. plasma. inpe. br/LAP_Portal/LAP_Site/Text/Plasma_Confinement. htm On the torus, there two main components of magnetic fields used. The main type of magnetic field used in the plasma confining process is the toroidal field. This is a field whereby 32 large (D-shaped) coils surround the vacuum vessel of the nuclear reactor and when current flows around these coils, a toroidal magnetic field is generated which controls the position of the plasma inside the torus and also modifies the poloidal field (the second magnetic field). The other magnetic field (the poloidal field) is produced by current being flown through the plasma which is initially induced from transformers. The created poloidal field with the combination of the toroidal field confines the plasma well and stabilizes it which allows confinement times of plasma temperatures to be longer. . http://www. fys. uio. no/plasma/plasma/norsk/tokamak. gif Limitations Of The Jet Fusion Tokamak The foremost limitation on the Jet fusion tokamak is the small amount of time the plasma lasts for inside the reactor. This is because of the plasma being continuously cooled down by tiny impurities inside the chamber walls. Also, the efficiency of the fusion reaction inside the nuclear reactor is quite an important aspect of limitations that has a need to be solved. This is because large amounts energy are put in initially just to start the fusion reaction at a plasma state and only half the energy is acquired when fusion is completed. On a typical Jet experiment, 30MW of energy is the power input used and only 16MW of energy is successfully extracted out from the reactor as power output . From an efficiency equation (Pout / Pin), this gives an efficiency of 53. 3% . Another important limitation of fusion reactions inside the tokamak reactor is the instability of the plasma that has a need to be controlled. This is because of excited and charged particles inside the plasma wanting to escape as they are being compressed into higher temperatures. Although this is controlled by the use of magnetic fields, the slightest error in confining these charged particles could result in the plasma escaping and quickly cooling down and thus all the total energy put initially put into the reaction being wasted. Also if the plasma escapes, this results in it touching the inner walls of the tokamak and eroding or damaging the components surrounding the plasma and by therefore reducing the lifetime of these components. Although these problems or limitations cause less energy efficiencies inside the tokamak, modern day advances of computer aided technology is gradually providing remedies in sorting these limitations out. Future Developments. From my knowledge of future developments in nuclear reactors, experimental studies which is currently being carried on the JET experiment is believed to provide some detailed background information in acquiring similar basic properties in the building process of ITER.. Currently, The JET experiment holds the world record for released fusion power at 16 million Watts (16MW). This is â€Å"a value comparable to the power needed for heating one thousand households in a cold winter. † http://www. jet. efda.org/pages/focus/010jetanditer/index. html#overall In future developments, it is predicted that the ITER experiment which is estimated to finish construction at the end of year 2006 in France would release an amazing fusion power of 500 Million Watts. This, by my accurate calculations, is enough to power up to 31,250 homes on a cold winter night. The future properties of ITER when construction is finished is going to be entirely based around a hydrogen plasma torus which would operate at temperatures of above 200 Million i C and also by the use of super conducting coils to generate high temperature plasmas which would yield better energy efficiencies give more energy outputs. In the size of ITER’s components compared to the current JET nuclear reactor, ITER is estimated to be 10 times bigger than JET in size. Bibliography Books Name Of Book Authors Name ISBN Number Name Of Publisher’s Year Of Publishment Understanding Physics For Advanced Level (Second Edition) Jim Breithaupt 0-7487-0510-4 Stanley Thornes Publishers Ltd 1990 Salters Horners Advanced Physics Heinimann 0435 628909Heinimann Educational Publishers 2000. Internet 1) http://www. jet. efda. org/images/gallery/images/82-348cmed. jpg. 2) http://www. plasma. inpe. br/LAP_Portal/LAP_Site/Text/Plasma_Confinement. htm 3) http://www. sbf. admin. ch/htm/international/org/fusion-e. html 4) http://europa. eu. int/comm/research/energy/fu/fu_rt/fu_rt_mc/article_1227_en. htm 5) http://www-fusion-magnetique. cea. fr/gb/fusion/principes/principes01. htm 6) http://www. jet. efda. org/pages/focus/006heating/index. html#ohmic 7) http://www-fusion-magnetique. cea. fr/gb/fusion/principes/principes01. htm.

10 Things I Hate About You. Play and Movie

â€Å"I burn, I pine, I perish! † this is a quote from the movie â€Å"10 things I hate about you† and a play made by William Shakespeare called â€Å"Taming of the Shrew†. The movie â€Å"10 things I hate about you† was originated from a play from William Shakespeare called â€Å"Taming of the Shrew†. The director of the movie is Gil Junger. In â€Å"10 things I hate about you†, a new boy in school called Cameron falls in love with a girl called Bianca and tries to date her, but her father doesn’t allow Bianca to date anyone before Katherine, who is called a shrew because of her behaviors, does. Cameron persuades Joey to pay Patrick to date Katherine, so he can date Bianca. After some time, Patrick and Katherine fall in love with each other and Cameron makes out with Bianca in the end. The movie is an adaptation of the play and the author has changed to suit the audience, because the target audience of this movie is modern people, not people in Elizabethan English. To get audiences’ attention, it has used several filming techniques. There were lots of usages of filming techniques in the movie. For example, at the scene when Katherine was about to kiss Patrick, extreme close-up was applied to the scene in order to capture the emotion of the two characters. Also, Tracking is applied at the scene when Michael shows Joey around the school in order to involve the audience in the action and to show the environment. Both of these filming techniques were used in order to keep the audiences’ attention and to involve audiences into the scene in order to make the audiences feel the way that the director wants them to feel. In the movie, there were more techniques that were used. For most of the time in the movie, the colors that they have used are bright colors, such as pink, yellow. The lighting is usually bright, but in the scene where Bianca kisses Cameron, the lighting is very mild, like a moonlight, which has romantic connotation.

Value of Education

Smarthinking's E-structor Response Form (Your marked-up essay is below this form. ) HOW THIS WORKS: Your e-structor has written overview comments about your essay in the form below. Your e-structor has also embedded comments [in bold and in brackets] throughout your essay. Thank you for choosing Smarthinking's OWL; best wishes with revising your paper! *Strengths of the essay: Hello Angelia, and welcome! This is Nicole V. , and I will be your tutor for this essay. You have a very interesting topic about curfews.I noticed that you started off your essay by directly presenting the subject at hand: Curfews do not help keep teenagers out of trouble. They tend to still do what they want. A curfew can sometimes be a disadvantage if the teenager is running behind or late, it can put pressure on them. Through this, your readers will know right away what your essay is about. Good job! Now, let’s move on to your revisions. Main Idea/Thesis: Angelia, let’s work on improving your t hesis statement first. A main idea or thesis statement is the point you are trying to make in your essay.This should always be present because your main idea will serve as the topic in which you will write about. You wrote: This does not stop them from doing things they are not supposed to do. They just speed up and do it or make hash decisions under pressure from peers. You were not able to present a clear thesis, Angelia. Remember that you are writing an argumentative essay. Therefore, your thesis statement should present a strong position in an issue and defend that argument with reasons.For example: â€Å"Minors should not be allowed to drink liquor until they are 18 [argument] because (reason 1), (reason 2) and (reason 3) [supporting points]. † You’ll notice that in the first part of the thesis statement, I presented a clear argument and afterwards provided supporting points, or reasons, why I stand by this argument. Therefore, what is your argument in this issue of giving teenagers a curfew? What is the message you are trying to get across to your readers? How can you defend your position on the matter?Devising a clear thesis will help your readers understand the purpose and the main idea of your essay, Angelia. To help you with this, you can refer to this lesson in the Smarthinking Writer’s Handbook on Thesis Development. Organization: Angelia, organization is important because this is where you arrange the flow of your ideas. If your organization is good, this allows the readers to understand your essay better. The outline is based on how you presented your thesis statement, Angelia.However, because you were not able to present a clear argument, you were not able to defend your reasons for argument well through proper organization. Now, for example, based on the thesis I presented above: â€Å"Minors should not be allowed to drink liquor until they are 18 because (reason 1), (reason 2) and (reason 3). † Therefore, Angelia, t he body paragraphs should be arranged in such a way that I can discuss each discussion point, as presented in my thesis statement, separately: I.Introduction II. Reason 1 III. Reason 2 IV. Reason 3 V. Conclusion Providing an outline will help you write your paragraphs in line with your general topic, and allotting one paragraph to discuss each point will allow you to write your answers with concentration. Now, based on the example given, how can you apply this process of forming an outline to your essay, based on your own thesis? To help you with this, you can refer to this lesson in the Smarthinking Writer’s Handbook on Arguing a Position. Angelia 5443747 has requested that you respond to the Transitions: Angelia, one way to establish a good flow of ideas in your essay is to use transition words. Transition words are like devices that link ideas and sentences to establish a connection. For example, instead of saying â€Å"I don’t like Chinese food. I like Japanese. à ¢â‚¬  you can say: â€Å"I don’t like Chinese food. However, I like Japanese. † Doesn’t that sound much better? For example, you may use a transition device to transition to this paragraph: Curfews are made to ensure the whereabouts of the child.They are made for their protection. Curfews can help keep them safe and also save their life. It will keep them off the streets at all hours of the night. They will help you grow up with values and respect that will take you a long way in life. Here are a few transition words and phrases that might be helpful to improve your transitions: * When showing additional ideas: and, also, in addition, furthermore * When giving examples: for example, for instance, specifically * When comparing: also, likewise, similarly When contrasting: however, on the other hand, yet, although * When summarizing or concluding: therefore, in other words * When showing the time: after, before, during, next, finally, meanwhile, immediately * When showing the place or direction: above, below, nearby, close, far, left, right * When indicating logical relationships: therefore, consequently, as a result, thus, since, because Based on these sample transition words I gave, how can you now apply these to improve your essay? You can use these to transition from one idea to another, as well as between paragraphs.Use it wisely; good luck, Angelia! *Angelia 5443747 has requested that you respond to the Word Choice: Angelia, I will skip commenting on this area first because right now, there are more important areas you need to focus on. When you’ve worked on those, you can resubmit your essay to us at Smarthinking and we’ll gladly help you with the rest. Summary of Next Steps: Our session ends here, Angelia. To make sure you make the best out of your paper, here is a recap of things you need to work on: * Develop an argumentative thesis statement. * Organize your essay based on the supporting points of your argument. Impr ove your sentence/paragraph transitions with the use of transition devices. I hope my suggestions serve you well in your revision. Don’t hesitate to send us your essays and revisions as we are always glad to be of help. All the best! ~Nicole V. Find additional resources in Smarthinking's online library: You can find more information about writing, grammar, and usage in Smarthinking's student handbooks. You can visit the Smarthinking Writer's Handbook or the Smarthinking ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) Writer's Handbook. ************************************************************************ Please look for more comments in your essay below. Thank you for visiting Smarthinking. We encourage you to submit future essays. *************************************************************************Angelia Nash Professor Smith Eng1123 003 07 Jan 2013 DO CURFEWS KEEP TEENS OUT OF TROUBLE Curfews do not help keep teenagers out of trouble. They tend to still do what they want. A curfew can sometimes be a disadvantage if the teenager is running behind or late, it can put pressure on them.This does not stop them from doing things they are not supposed to do. They just speed up and do it or make hash decisions under pressure from peers. [Don’t forget to present your thesis, Angelia. The thesis is important as it presents your argument and the key points in which you will defend it. ] Teenagers with curfews still smoke, drink, skip school and have unprotected sex. On the other hand some parents believe in curfews because it will cut down on the trouble they can get into if they are home by the curfew time. Curfews do not decrease crime.Most of the crimes that are committed are done when they break curfew. The purpose of curfews is to keep them safe and at home by a decent time. Teenagers that do not have a certain time to be home have a lot more freedom and fun than should be allowed by parents. It is not a wise decision for a teenager to go and come as they please. They have no responsibility or work ethnics and nothing to strive for. They have no boundaries set for them, which is needed, nor learning how to be productive adults. If a teen gets to do as they please, the role of the adult is played by the teen not the parent. You used the comma properly to present the introductory element in this sentence, Angelia. Observing proper punctuation helps enhance the readability of your paper. Keep it up. ] They will in the end become very disrespectful because they have not been taught. They will not be used to authority from the so called parent. Curfews are made to ensure the whereabouts of the child. They are made for their protection. Curfews can help keep them safe and also save their life. It will keep them off the streets at all hours of the night. They will help you grow up with alues and respect that will take you a long way in life. A curfew is a vital part of a teenager growing up with morals. They need to be able to get eight hours of sleep at night. This will not happen if they do not have a cutoff point. A lack of sleep leads to bad grades, horrible attitudes, slacking on activities and disrespectful towards those in the authority to tell the child what to do. [You can develop your conclusion further, Angelia. The conclusion is a chance for you to recap the important points of your essay. Your thesis statement should also be reinforced here, to effectively wrap your discussion up. ]

The Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Body Ritual Among the Nacirema - Case Study Example In contemporary American culture the festival of Halloween appears to be derived from the pagan traditions of Samhain, although Halloween is based on Christian beliefs. From observing the customs related to Samhain, the roots, core features and stereotypical concepts associated with Halloween become evident. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the Celtic festival of ‘Samhain’, and examine its rituals and symbolism in relation to Halloween. According to Ohogain (2003), the influence of the Celts is far more extensive than is indicated by its fragmented survival beyond the fringes of western Europe. This culture which had been once been considered a highly significant one, continues to remain as a vital component of European civilization and heritage from east to west. Among the Celts, the feast of Samhain involved stock-taking, and reorganizing communities for the winter months which included the arranging of quarters for traveling warriors and r eligious teachers. Samhain also denoted a period of supernatural intensity, when darkness and decay prevailed, emerging from the ancient mounds of the countryside, known as sidh. For protection against these spirits, the Irish built large, symbolically life-sustaining bonfires, and appealed to the gods for help by means of â€Å"animal and perhaps even human sacrifice†... Of the two great doorways of the Celtic year, Samhain on November 1st was more important than Beltane on May 1st, since it marked the beginning of a completely new cycle; similar to the Celtic day which begins at night. â€Å"The most magically potent time of this festival is November Eve, the night of October 31st† (Freeman, 1999), known today as Halloween. Samhain marked took place between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. Halloween is derived from All Hallow Even, or the eve of All Saints Day, 1st November. Together with All Souls Day on the 2nd November, the Christian calendar assigns the festival â€Å"for honoring the saints and the newly departed† (Rogers, 2003, p.22), and in past centuries for praying for souls in purgatory. Samhain distinguished the first day of winter, â€Å"when the herders led the cattle and sheep down from their summer hillside pastures to the shelter of stable and byre† (Freeman, 1999). All the harvest should be gathered i n by this time, of barley, apples, turnips, wheat and oats; with the beginning of November the faeries were believed to destroy any remaining crops or plants. Peat and wood for winter fires were stocked up close to the hearth. â€Å"It was a joyous time of family reunion, when all members of the household worked together baking, salting meat, and making preserves for the winter feasts to come (Freeman, 1999). Samhain was the major feast of the year; and everyone gathered together for the â€Å"Feast of Tara†, when the royal seat of the High King as the heart of the sacred land, and the creator of the new year was celebrated. Every household in the country put out their hearth fires, and waited for the Druids to light the new fire of the year. At Samhain the gods came

Socialological Affects of Drugs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Socialological Affects of Drugs - Research Paper Example These assertions were negated by the findings of Allport who emphasized upon the significance of individual thinking in group and referred to the group as lacking psychology. Newcomb conducted a study in the Bennington College. Newcomb observed the girls for four years, and reached the conclusion that girls who ultimately conformed to the values of college had developed similar mindset regarding political liberalism as the faculty and student leaders unlike the girls who had not conformed to the college values. Like these, several researchers’ approaches have been discussed on the subject from the pasty decades. Finally, the researcher tended to find out the trends that are likely to prevail in the future. Technological advancement and individual differences were some of the factors whose impact was considered on the conformity to group. Seven trends were explored in total. It is commonly thought by analysts that the poorest color communities are the biggest consumers of some of the most harmful drugs. In addition to this, the tendency of enforcement of law is generally focused on the drug activity that is conducted outdoors. The two factors jointly encourage the legal prosecutors to arrest people on the basis of racism. Racial disparity is evident in a vast majority of drug arrests. Some people are of the view that mainly the drug war lieutenants’ racism causes them to arrest Latinos and African Americans with the charge of drug use. In the article written by Beckett et al. (2005), a different explanation has been offered with respect to the racial disparity that is usually found in the drug arrests in Seattle.

Economics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Economics - Research Paper Example (Clark, (2006)) In the early 80's the economy experienced a recession and this was followed by an economic boom in the late 80's, the fiscal policy measures were aimed at imposing cyclical adjustment, the fiscal policy for the recession of early 80's was contractionary fiscal policy and this led to a reduction in public sector deficits. In the economic boom of the late 80's fiscal policies were expansionary was recorded following and surpluses of the late 80's were turned into deficits in 1990. Expansionary fiscal policies were used in the following years and this saw a further increase in deficit whereby a 5.5% of GDP deficit was recorded for the year 1992 and 1995, this increase in borrowing led to an increase in deficits whereby it reached 7.8% of GDP in the year 1993, there was a further decline in borrowing and in 1998 the economy recorded a surplus reaching 2.0% of GDP in the year 2000. From the above it is evident that in 1997 and 1998 and also for the year 2006 and 2007 sound policies were implemented and this was a reduction in borrowing leading to better economic growth and performance. (Clark, (2006)) From the above chart it is evid... In the economic boom of the late 80's fiscal policies were expansionary was recorded following and surpluses of the late 80's were turned into deficits in 1990. Expansionary fiscal policies were used in the following years and this saw a further increase in deficit whereby a 5.5% of GDP deficit was recorded for the year 1992 and 1995, this increase in borrowing led to an increase in deficits whereby it reached 7.8% of GDP in the year 1993, there was a further decline in borrowing and in 1998 the economy recorded a surplus reaching 2.0% of GDP in the year 2000. From the above it is evident that in 1997 and 1998 and also for the year 2006 and 2007 sound policies were implemented and this was a reduction in borrowing leading to better economic growth and performance. (Clark, (2006)) Part (b) Data plot for the years 1996 to 2006: (i) The public sector net borrowing The chart below summarises the public sector net borrowing for the year 1996 to 2006, data was retrieved from National Statistics (2009) From the above chart it is evident that in 1996 to 1997 public borrowing was negative, however public sector borrowing increased and for the year 1998 to 2001 public sector net borrowing was positive, this was followed by a decline in borrowing in 2002 to 2006 the public sector net borrowing was negative. This means that there has been cycles of increase and decline in the public sector net borrowing, this also shows that there are period of deficits and surpluses from the chart above meaning that in some years the government spending was less than income resulting into surpluses, while in the other period spending was greater than income resulting into borrowing. From

Trust and Customer Service Performance 312 wk 6 forum Assignment

Trust and Customer Service Performance 312 wk 6 forum - Assignment Example Reliability-based trust is based in the company’s discernments of a prospective partner’s real behavior and operating performance. It engrosses a notion that a partner is disposed to execute and capable of acting as promised. Efforts to create collaborative associations fail when supply chain partners cannot rely on their performance as promised. In simple terms, an organization that is alleged to be unable to act as guaranteed will be perceived as unreliable and thus not fit for the trust in the association. On the other hand, character-based trust is grounded on a company’s culture, philosophy and leadership. Principally, it originates from discernments that supply chain partners are interested in each other’s wellbeing and not work without putting into account the effect of their actions on the other partner. Character-based trust is critical in collaborative relationships because the partners in the relationship act in confidence that the other party will deliver up to anticipations because of the developed character of the association. In this case, the partners in a relationship do not feel susceptible to the deeds of one another. Needless to say, the partners believe that each will safeguard the other’s interest. For example, a manufacturer who shares ideas on new product launches with a merchant trusts that he or she will not give the idea to a

History - Malthusian Demographics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History - Malthusian Demographics - Essay Example This he said will be due to the fact that resources will no longer be able to sustain the expanded population (Elwell 133). For the balance of the population and the resources to be reached, Malthus proposed certain natural calamities to be vital in this; he said that countries going to war and mass killing being realized were one way of reducing the enormous number of the population that was creating tension on the limited available resources. He also proposed other natural catastrophes like volcanic eruption to be helpful in the checking the population growth rate. The Malthus prediction can be said to have failed since its inception, but that is not all, the problem facing the developing countries currently will certainly lead to the population explosion (Ehrlich, Paul, and Anne 156). In the developing countries, there are massive and unchecked population growth while in the same time the recourses created can not support the population. The rate of population growth in the develo ping countries has immensely contributed to the widespread abject poverty in the region. Even without directly experiencing Malthus projection we can say that the effect of unchecked population is impacting negatively in some parts of the world. One of the salient features of the high population growth rate is the cause of political instability in the countries that are victims of these. In the third world countries, resource distribution is acutely skewed towards the a few individuals that wield political power and have great influence in the country and can marshal resources in their favor to lead opulence life while their subjects are surviving from hand to mouth (Smith 199). This has led to public outcry and has in some unfortunate circumstances led to mass actions in a bid to topple and impeach the existing government for not caring about the common man. It has also led to the formation of the insurgents who antagonizes the government creating political instability. Malthus pro posal may not be realized today but in other ways it can be seen as having come to reality. Haphazard population increase has led reduce wages in the work environment and this has perpetuated poverty in such areas. The relationship between population increase and poverty is very imminent in light of scramble for the few opportunities available. Increase in population numbers provides alternatives manpower since there is more supply than demand and this can only work on reducing the wages of the workers (Malthus 112). The state of population explosion can also lead to high level of unemployment and this impact negatively on the younger generation in which the youths are involved in the law breaking due to frustration a situation refereed to as juvenile delinquency. In his publication ‘Additions to an essay on the principle of population’, Malthus intrinsically evaluated the connection between the global population increase and employment opportunities vis a vis wages com pensation (Malthus 213). In regard to this he did made a hypothesis that the increase in the world population will catalyze poverty introduction as well as low income through wages to the workers. This is because of the readily available workforce. This came to be widely known as ‘The Iron Law of Wages’ (Malthus 246). The exponential population incr

Solving the Israel-Palestine Conflict Dissertation

Solving the Israel-Palestine Conflict - Dissertation Example Muslims back the Palestinian people, while the Western –Christian countries back the Zionist country. Both the movements have demanded full legitimacy in the Holy land based on divine promises and historical rights that have been derived from the Bible. According to Maoz (2013), Israeli does not consider Palestine a legitimate nation with any link to Ertza Israel, but considers them as part of the greater Arab region. The paper in National Charter of 1964 as Maoz illustrates explains that Palestine is the homeland of Palestinians and are connected to the Zionist state through historical, material, and religious ties. The Jews according to this paper have no legitimate right over the land. A few Palestinian nationalists such as the Nashibis portrayed close ties with the Jewish state, and even had proposed a harmonious Jewish-Arab cooperation and coexistence in the Holy land. However, they were named traitors and assassinated by fellow Palestinians (Maoz, 2013). Similarly, the I srael Council for Israel -Palestine Peace (ICIPP), an Israel group had accepted and acknowledged the need to have a Palestinian state along the West bank in the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, similar conservative ideologies from the Zionist state thwarted such efforts (Maoz, 2013). ... Narratives according to Daoudi and Barrakat have the potential to indicate and perpetuate conflict, but can also lead to a harmonious understanding, leading to a permanent solution to the conflict. The problem in the two narrates is that both the Palestinians and the Israelites have much respect to the static narratives passed to them over generations; critiquing such narratives on their ancestry and rights especially to the Holy land is a taboo. However, as Daoudi and Barakat (2013) observe, the respect in which such narratives are held makes it impossible to question about; â€Å"what is not being narrated.† For example, though the Palestinians and Israelites have narratives that portray Jerusalem as their Holy city, no narrative pauses the question of â€Å"what is his tradition,† â€Å"his narrative,† â€Å"his culture,† and other questions that could make it possible for the other side to think over and above self-narrative, to the meaning and implica tion of the other party’s narrative (Daoudi and Barakat, 2013). The collective memory linked to such narratives on Jewish and Palestinian rights regarding the Holy land becomes an obstacle to coexistence and reconciliation; each party believe their own narrative without taking time to look beyond such narratives. Therefore, the strong conservative ideologies behind ancestry of the two different nations are the impediments towards finding a lasting solution to conflict in the West Bank and Gaza. Gorny (201090 explored the issue of understanding the â€Å"other† in formulating a solution to the current conflict between Palestinians and the Zionist state, and concluded that limitations in understanding the â€Å"other† and the strong religious conservative ideologies from the Palestinians

Critically evaluate the role of physical activity in preventing Essay

Critically evaluate the role of physical activity in preventing lifestyle related diseases such as obesity, CVD and type 2 diabetes - Essay Example It has been observed that the prevalence of the heart diseases and strokes have declined overtime with an increase in the obesity related diseases. Excess weight gives rise to diseases like hypertension, diabetes and other cardio metabolic disease. Among the modern chronic disease, the cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease and Type 2 Diabetes are the most prevalent diseases in the world. All the mentioned diseases are related to health and physical fitness. â€Å"Physical inactivity has been related to the occurrence of coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and osteoporosis.† (Siscovick, Laporte, Newman March 1985, p. 180) Staying fit and adopting a healthy lifestyle can avoid all these diseases. Diet and physical activity is known to play a key role in the risk of being affected with the chronic diseases. High morbidity rates were mainly associated to the underdeveloped nations, prevalent due to the unhealthy living conditions and lack of availability of proper and nutritious diet. These diseases were caused due to unavailability of proper living conditions. With the development of the nations the living circumstances of the people have enhanced significantly. The diseases like the polio, diarrhea and starvation have given a way to the diseases like diabetes, metabolic diseases and cancer. This change in the health patterns has taken place due to the change in the diet and lifestyle patterns of the people in the westernized countries. These diseases are often referred to as the rich man’s diseases. With the advent of the modern technology in the life of the human beings the lifestyles have changed considerably. The popular use of machines has decreased the amount of physical labor a person did to complete the same tasks as now. Leisure activities have increased and so have the health related problems. Research based on the affect of the physical activities on the risk factors of the chronic diseases show â€Å"the joint association

Motivational types Essay Example for Free

Motivational types Essay The hypothesis for this study was â€Å"Do certain types of personality traits determine individual motivational types? † The importance of this type of study has been recognized by many researchers. For example Tett and Burnett (2003) determined that recognizing different personality types could determine how an individual might be influenced by various motivational factors which in turn reflect how productive and viable an individual might be under different work environments. The impact of finding a direct correlation between personality traits, and motivational types, could be significant in many industry fields. This paper considered the following motivational factors: money, energy from other people, the work environment, professional growth and power. In general the findings were unsurprising. For example many people mentioned that money was a motivational factor in their workplace, yet those on a higher pay were more reluctant to say so. What was interesting in this study was the apparent lack of significance of power on an individual’s motivation to work. This would suggest that there are some personality types that firstly distinguish between power in the workplace and decision making, and secondly that some individuals prefer a position where they are not called on to make decisions. In relation to whether or not an individual classified himself as a ‘private person’ and how this impacted motivation, only one scenario was considered; that of being a private person and project planning. Although the results were not definitive there was a strong suggestion that those respondents who considered themselves private people, also liked a structured work environment. This is supported by other results in the study such as the significant number of people that enjoyed working in a team environment, and those who found the energy of people around them a motivational factor. The limitations of this study included a necessary restriction on the variables studied and the small number of participants in the sample group. However many of the results found in the variables studied were quite conclusive and further study with larger respondent groups and more variables associated with different personality types could prove useful in this area. References Tett, R. P. ,Burnett, D. D. (2003). A personality trait–based interactionist model of job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88, 500-517.

Human Resource Law Essay Example for Free

Human Resource Law Essay This paper will show that this scenario provides a case for gender discrimination. Gender discrimination is illegal under Title VII (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007). In addition, this paper will show what legal and ethical issues arise in this case. Furthermore, this paper will show what Bob should do in this case. By using the female employee versus the male employee to serve the customer the company would be in violation of Title VII for gender discrimination. Title VII laws regarding gender cover the full scope of the employment relationship which describes that gender may not be the basis of any decision related to employment unless gender is used as a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ). Customer preference is not a legitimate and protected reason to treat otherwise qualified employees differently based on gender. Additionally, allowing the female employee to assist the customer over the male employee would be in violation of the store’s rotation policy. The policy states that each working day, two employees work in the store; one working the front and one working the back. Rotation occurs on a daily basis in order to disperse commissions fairly. Since this is company policy, there is no flexibility to change that policy and to rotation schedule clearly states that it is the male employee’s turn to earn commission. Discrimination based on gender is illegal and not in keeping with good business practices of efficiency, maximizing resources, and avoiding unnecessary liability. Title VII Issues Discrimination comes in all shapes and sizes, and managers have to be careful not to cross the line and do the wrong thing. Companies do not want lawsuits for discrimination or anything else. The store’s best customer, Imelda,  probably did not intend to offend anyone nor did she probably know that she was discriminating against anyone. Many times discrimination is not intended. Customers generally believe they are always right and get what they want. However, in this instance the customer is very wrong. Requesting a female employee over a male employee is a form of discrimination, gender discrimination. Gender discrimination is illegal under Title VII (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007). If Bob asks Tom to step aside and allow Mary to assist Imelda with her purchases, he will be â€Å"in violation of Title VII and can be held liable to the employee for gender discrimination. Customer preference is not a legitimate and protected reason to treat otherwise-qualified employees differently based on gender† (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007, p. 283). Legally and ethically, Manager Bob cannot swap employees Tom and Mary simply because Imelda wants it. Choice This is not an easy situation. On one hand, the customer is promising to buy five pairs of shoes if she gets a female employee to help her. This would be a huge purchase for the store, great for the profit margin as well as a large commission for the employee. On the other hand, not providing a female employee may denote a missed sale, Imelda may leave the store. Swapping employees would cheat Tom out of his commission. This would be unethical. Tom deserves his commission; he should not be asked or told to give this up. The Shoe Store has very clear company policies. Company policy does not allow two employees to split the commission (UOPX, 2013, para. 5). As stated previously, having Tom give up his commission would not be fair. Company policy rotates employees to keep commissions as fair and equal as possible (UOPX, 2013, para. 5). Manager Bob will need to explain to Imelda as nicely and calmly as possible that he is very sorry, but cannot provide her with a female employee. Bob should promise Imelda that Tom is a very nice man and that she will be in very capable hands; ensure her that Tom knows shoes and will treat her and her feet right. Bob should smile and guarantee her that she will be happy with the service she receives. Bob should apologize for the problem, explain that he contacted his regional manager to see if he could make an exception to company policy this time and was told no, and explain that the company risks a discrimination lawsuit. Finally, tell Imelda that he understands if she chooses to shop elsewhere today and  apologize again. Bob should not get into an argument with the customer; it is out of the stores control. In any business, a written policy can avoid or prevent lawsuits. The shoe store chain has clearly established that the rotation of two employees daily or weekly will occur in the store to create fairness in commission sales. In addition, if only two employees are present one works in the back of the store and the other works in front, this clearly creates fairness of commissions earned (pay), good business ethics practice. Working in sales requires a lot of personal judgment from a company representative. By its nature, the job relies heavily on social relationships and on persuasion. Sales people also usually work on commission; if they do not make the sale, they lose cash. In the wrong hands, these elements can lead to unethical behavior, causing undue pressure on customers or vendors. Ethical behavior and doing the correct or right thing is at the forefront for salespeople today. Subsequently ethical performance is an individual process and training development related issues are important. Salespeople require guidelines on ethical, equality and discrimination issues. The guidelines should be formulated and clearly communicated to help employees to effectively deal with situations of equal pay, fairness, and or discrimination whenever the need arises. Job performance, employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction will prevail with knowledge and understanding of employment laws (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007). What has guided the ethical issues is the set of standards the company has worked out from human reason by which the human actions to switch Mary for Tom is ultimately creating wrong business ethics. Trading assign duties between sales and costs will not mix. The maximum concern for sales cannot go hand-in- with maximum concern for employees. Furthermore, the shoe store business has added structure to the business by creating this policy. If the manager deviates from the established policy, Bob will create unfair treatment or discrimination based on gender, which could result in a lawsuit. After Imelda voiced her request that she wanted a female employee Bob was to enforce the company’s policies to avoid a potential lawsuit. Bob did what was necessary to inform Imelda the companys polices and have Tom assist her with trying on shoes. Bob knows the company will lose money  because of the sales lost from this one client; however, the ethical issue arises to do what is fair and correct according the shoe store policy. If Bob makes the switch and has Mary assist Imelda instead of Tom, Bob has violated the discrimination law-Title VII (gender) as well has violating the equal pay law (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007). The decision is allow Tom to assist Imelda and loose the extra sales. In future, the suggestion to Imelda would be to arrive at the store when a female worker is working the floor or to come in the s tore to see who is working the sales floor without putting the manager in the position to make compromises. Conclusion Discrimination issues can get many companies into trouble. Knowing the law is important for any manager. When questions arise that cannot be answered easily, ask for help. Title VII does not allow discrimination because of gender, meaning a man cannot be treated differently from a female and vice versa. In this case, all must be treated equally. Company policy will not allow Tom and Mary to split the commission and asking Tom to give up his commission would be illegal. Imelda will need to make her own decision whether to shop at the Shoe Store and allow Tom to assist her or leave for another store or until another day. The company must do what is right, what is legal. The store must treats its employees properly and do what is legal and ethical. Whereas Imelda may not be happy, the company cannot do anything that may bring a lawsuit against them. References Bennett-Alexander, D. D., Hartman, P. L. (2007). Employment law for business (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. University of Phoenix (UOPX). (2013). Week Three. Retrieved from University of Phoenix,

A case study of tesco plc

A case study of tesco plc Relationship marketing is high-touch, person-to-person communication. And it is the most powerful and time-consuming marketing technique. The philosophy or foundation of relationship marketing is the belief that strengthening ties with existing clients heightens customer satisfaction heightens our abilities to serve clients. (Claycomb; 2001) it can be seen that the customer market is increasingly gaining greater importance and thus there is the need to focus on building or fostering relationships (Lindgren; 2005). Customer loyalty, as we conceptualize it, focuses on a customers repeat purchase behaviour that is triggered by a marketers activities. The purpose of this dissertation is to identify the positive relationship between relationship marketing and consumer buying behavior which helps the firm in strengthening its profitability. Also, an important part is to establish the different ways by which relationship marketing can be implemented in the supermarket industry in order to increase its market share. The main theme is to understand the concept of relationship marketing and influence it in a way that the purchasing decision of consumers can be influenced. Evolving out of, and contradictory to, early definitions that were solely behavioural, customer loyalty today is usually viewed as comprising both behavioural and attitudinal components (Day 1969; Jacoby and Kyner 1973). Loyalty is a primary goal of relationship marketing and sometimes even equated with the relationship marketing concept itself (Sheth 1996). The connection between loyalty and profitability has been the focus of both theoretical and empirical studies (Oliver 1999; Payne and Rickard 1997; Reichheld and Sasser 1990). Customer loyalty is also reported to contribute to increased revenues along the relationship life cycle because of cross-selling activities and increased customer penetration rates (e.g. Dwyer and Schurr 1987). Positive word-of-mouth communication, defined as all informal communications between a customer and others concerning evaluations of goods or services, includes relating pleasant, vivid, or novel experiences; recommendations to others; and even conspicuous display (Anderson 1998; p 6). Largely because personal communication is viewed as a more reliable source than non personal information (e.g., Gremler and Brown 1994; Zeithaml and Bitner 1996), word-of-mouth communication is a powerful force in influencing future buying decisions, particularly when the service delivered is of high risk for the customer (e.g., Sheth, Mittal, and Newman 1999). AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The main aims and objectives of this study is: To examine the structure and various dimensions of a customers psychological attachment towards a firm. To investigate into the various dimensions of relationship marketing and their impact on direct consumer buying behavior. To analyze the various methods of relationship marketing adopted by Tesco plc and how it affects its consumers buying behavior. To recommend some practicable ways in which relationship marketing can be implemented. RESEARCH QUESTIONS What are the main areas of relationship marketing that Tesco concentrates on and how it affects the profitability of the company? What are the various ways of strengthening relationship marketing in order to improve consumer buying behavior? Do the key variables such as trust, satisfaction, commitment and relationship building affect the consumer buying behavior directly? BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Tesco plc is the UKs largest retailer in terms of both sales and market share, and the third largest global retailer in terms of both sales and revenue. With operating income of  £3.1bn in 2009, the company has embarked upon a major expansion phase in the past decade, and as of December 2009 has more than 2,300 stores across the UK (including Tesco Metro, Superstores, Express and Extra branches), more than any other supermarket. The company has branched out into an extremely wide range of area and has also set up its own distribution network as part of a drive towards greater vertical integration within the company. As an extension of the Relationship Marketing approach, many companies have introduced loyalty schemes. Initially, such schemes simply offered discounts for regular customers. However, companies such as Tesco have rolled loyalty schemes out to other areas. Tescos Clubcard scheme, for example, can be used in a number of different environments and also provides valuable information for the company, which it can use to assess the specifics of a customers shopping habits and target that customers habits in a very specific manner. LITERATURE REVIEW Relationship Marketing: There are numerous definitions of relationship marketing and interested readers are directed toward Harker (1998) for a thorough review. Some of those most commonly used are the definitions offered by particularly influential authors, which are outlined below: Marketing is the process of identifying and establishing, maintaining, enhancing and when necessary terminating relationships with customers and other stakeholders, at a profit, so that the objectives of all parties involved are met, where this is done by a mutual giving and fulfilment of promises. (Gronroos, 1997, p. 407) All marketing efforts directed towards establishing, developing and maintaining successful relational exchanges. (Morgan and Hunt, 1994, p. 23) Relationship marketing is about understanding, creating, and managing exchange relationships between economic partners; manufacturers, service providers, various channel members, and final consumers. (Moller and Wilson, 1995, p. 1) Marketing is mainly seen as relationships, networks and interaction. (Gummesson, 1994, p. 12) However, one of the most frequently cited definitions is that of Grà ¶nroos who states that (the purpose of) marketing is to identify and establish, maintain and enhance, and when necessary terminate relationships with customers (and other parties) so that objectives regarding economic and other variables of all parties are met. This is achieved through a mutual exchange and fulfillment of promises (Grà ¶nroos, 2007, 22). Forms of relationship marketing: This definition reflects the expansion of RMs domain to include all the complex networks of relationships that are established in the market among companies and their customers, suppliers, competitors and other stakeholders. By analyzing the practices in the business environment Gummesson (2008) identifies no less than 30 relationships of this kind and groups them in the following categories such as Classic market relationships where aspects such as the supplier-customer dyad and the supplier-customer-competitor triad or the physical distribution network are included. Special market relationships: the relationships via full-time marketers and part-time marketers, the relationship to the unsatisfied customer, the e-relationship, the Para-social relationships and many more are discussed here;Mega relationships: these exist above the market level and provide a platform for market relationships (those from the previous two categories). They concern the mega marketing (lobbying, public opinion and political power), the mega alliances (e.g. NAFTA) and the social relationships (such as friendship and ethnic bonds); Nano relationships: these exist below the market level, inside the organizations, and have an impact on external relationships. All these elements add up and contribute to Gummessons [2008, 5] definition: relationship marketing is interaction in networks of relationships. There are several other broad approaches. One of them is the six markets model developed by Christopher, Payne and Ballantyne as an instrument for helping managers identify strategically important stakeholders. The Customer Markets are placed in the centre of this model to emphasize the idea that organizations can only optimize relationships with customers if they understand and manage relationships with other relevant stakeholders (Payne et al., 2005, 859). The other five markets, described below, have a supporting role: Referral markets (satisfied customers that become advocates of the company and recommend it to other potential customers); Influence markets (unions, business press, regulatory bodies, financial analysts, competitors, the government, consumer groups etc.); Recruitment markets (potential employees and the channels used to access them; Supplier and alliance markets (suppliers that the company has partnership relationships with, and other organizations with which the company shares capabilities and knowledge); Internal markets (the organization and its employees). Similarly, Morgan and Hunt [1994] note the existence of 10 exchange relationships that can be established in the context of four partnership types: buyer, supplier, lateral and internal partnerships. Kotler (1992) presents, although from a transactional perspective, the 10 critical players from a companys environment: suppliers, distributors, end-users and employees (in the immediate environment), and financial firms, governments, media, allies, competitors and the generic public (in the macro-environment). Customer relationship marketing: The last broad approach that we make reference to is the Contemporary Marketing Practices Framework. This will be further detailed in the next paragraph of the paper. This continuing debate over the breadth of RMs domain is compared by Payne (2000) with the one generated by Kotler and Levys article Broadening the Concept of Marketing, published in 1969. The two authors advocated the idea of using marketing in non commercial activities which ultimately led to the development of new fields such as social, educational and even church marketing (Kotler, 2005). But not everyone agreed initially; in his article Broadening the Concept of Marketing Too Far Luck expressed concerns that this proposal, although intriguing and imaginative may lead to confusion regarding the essential nature of marketing (Luck 1969; 53). Payne (2000) believes that the first step in settling the current RM debate is agreeing on a common terminology to distinguish between the broad and the narrow approaches. He suggests using the term customer relationship marketing for the supplier-customer dyad and leaving relationship marketing as a term for the more general perspective. In time, one of the two might become dominant. Egan (2008) considers that the narrow standpoint will prevail as it is, to a certain degree, measurable and it sustains the functionalist marketing approach. Research Paradigm Research is defined as systematic approach towards problem solving and phenomenon description. The research paradigms focus on the gathering, processing, interpretation and analyzing the data. According to McNabb (2002) research is process of interlinking from data collection to data analysis. The various researchers to understand the worldview have used research as process. Interpretivism: Interpretivist paradigm would be used in our research to find out the impact of relationship marketing on consumer buying behaviors. It is characterized by seeing the social world from a highly subjective viewpoint. It places the emphasis of explanation in the subjective consciousness of the social participants instead of the objective observer (Burrell Morgan, 1979). Under interpretivism, general rules and external structures of society do not exist and the aim of research is to investigate the meanings and interpretations of actors in specific situations. Because of the highly subjective nature of the interpretive research, studies tend to be small in scale and emphasis is placed on the validity and insight of the research, rather than simply the outcomes or results. Positivism: Positivism can be defined as the scientific research where numerical and statistical data and figures are used. It is mainly used for conducting quantitative research. In this research, I use interpretivism because this research study is mainly conducted on the basis of theoretical concept. Research methodology Quantitative research method would be used in the research which is a type of scientific research where numerical and statistical things are used. In general terms, scientific research consists of an investigation that seeks answers to a question, Systematically uses a predefined set of procedures to answer the question, collects evidence, produces findings that were not determined in advance and produces findings that are applicable beyond the immediate boundaries of the study. Grounded theory will be applied in this research (TESCO) to analyze the data collected through research process. As an analysis process grounded theory was developed to build an explanation  or to generate a theory around the core or central theme that emerges from researcher  data. GROUNDED THEORY: It is one kind of systematic methodology of qualitative research in relation to the social science where importance is given towards the theory generation from the data collected by the researcher at the research conducting process. Thematic Analysis: Thematic analysis is a search for themes that emerge as being important to the description of the phenomenon (Daly, Kellehear, Gliksman, 1997).The process involves the identification of themes through careful reading and re-reading of the data (Rice Ezzy, 1999, p. 258). It is a form of pattern recognition within the data, where emerging themes become the categories for analysis. The method of analysis chosen for this study is a hybrid approach of qualitative methods of thematic analysis, and it incorporates both the data-driven inductive approach of Boyatzis (1998) and the deductive template of codes approach outlined by Crabtree and Miller (1999). This approach complements the research questions by allowing the tenets of social phenomenology to be integral to the process of deductive thematic analysis while allowing for themes to emerge direct from the data using inductive coding. RESEARCH METHOD: Primary Data Data is most critical to the whole research, as qualified and relevant data would bring the best results. There are two types to acquire data one is primary source and the other is secondary source. The primary source of collecting data is carried through interviews, surveys, questionnaires etc. The data is directly acquired from the research object to get undiluted and authentic data. In general data could be facts, figures or any other forms of information upon which observation is made. Data are facts, figures, enumerations and other material, which forms the basis  for the research. Research strategy: For my research I would be surveying the employees and conducting semi-structured interview with Tesco. The survey would mainly focus on the relationship marketing aspects and how this could be used as a tool to convince the purchasing decision of the customers. Apart from survey the semi-structured interview would either be telephone based or face-to-face interview. In my research the use of secondary data is limited and would only be used in the form of published reports from organizations such as Mckinsey. Questionnaire survey and Semi-structured interview: ( DISCUSS EACH UNDER ITS OWN HEADING) Survey method: A questionnaire is basic set of questions or statements focused on the research topic with large amount of respondents. A questionnaire is normally used when large number of responses is to be recorded. Questionnaires are  certainly the most often employed data collection devices in statistical work. The most well known type of questionnaire is censuses, which is normally used in conjunction with qualitative approach. The method applies set of questions to large number of people (respondents). Semi structured interview: The semi structured interviews are one to one communication with the concerned respondents relating to the research. The questions are framed to analyze the research questions without directly letting the respondent know what the researcher is trying to extract from the questions being asked to the respondents. Both these forms of data collection instruments would be used to analyze the data where the questionnaires would be used for the customers and the interviews would be used to analyze the companys point of view. Ethical Issues There are a number of key phrases that describe the system of ethical protections that the contemporary research establishment have created to try to protect better the rights of their research participants. Voluntary, participation informed consent, risk of harm confidentiality and anonymity right to service. CONCLUSION Relationship marketing involves the use of one-on-one communication to earn the loyalty of your target audience. This not only helps in retaining the customers but also in attracting new customers. Today, the market has mostly become a buyers market rather than a sellers market and hence, sellers have to try their level best to maintain and attract customers towards their business. This is mainly because the competition in the market is too high and no sellers are in a position to create a demand for them but the only tool they have is marketing, through which they can attract the customers but affecting their purchasing decisions is far beyond their control. While personal marketing helps you to get your message across in a way that will be better received, relationship marketing helps you to strengthen your relationship with your target audience. The research on Tesco would give much enhanced response about the best practises of relationship marketing as it is the leading supermark et of UK and their sales and profit are largely based on their customer relations which influences their long term relationship positively thereby affecting their buying behaviour. This research is basically to analyze and evaluate the practises of relationship marketing and there might be interesting dimensions in the field which the research can invent. Expected time allocation for the dissertation: Task Week Duration 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Introduction Literature review Methodology Data analysis Conclude the findings and analyzing the results Drafting the research report Audit and review Final submission of the dissertation

A Comprehensive Study of the Satellite Radio Industry: :: essays research papers

INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Would people be willing to pay $12.50/month for commercial free radio beamed right to their car or home. Well two companies and many big investors are betting about $3 billion dollars that people are willing to do just that. In 1997, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) granted a portion of the S-band spectrum for satellite radio and two companies purchased use of these bands and started the only two companies competing in the satellite radio business today, namely Sirius and XM. Analysts like William Kidd of CE Unterberg Towpin, predict satellite radio will generate about $10 billion a year in revenues by 2007 (McClean, 2001). However, to date neither of these companies has earned a dime. According to industry analyst though, â€Å"its not whether satellite radio will take off-rather it’s a matter of how fast.† (Helyar, 2004). Despite lofty predictions, satellite radio has some big issues to overcome before it becomes a serious threat to the $ 19.6 billion per year terrestrial radio industry. The article that appeared in Fortune entitled â€Å"Radio’s Stern Challenge† by John Helyar discusses Sirius’ marketing strategy to not only take market share from the entrenched and free terrestrial radio industry but also to beat its only competitor, XM. The Fortune article presents how a fat and lazy radio industry has failed to react to an eroding listening base and an increasing number of competing technologies. Issues like lack of attention to programming, no on-air talent, and an increase of 166% in the time devoted to commercials have driven listeners away from radio. Teens aged 12-17 spend 11% less time listening to radio compared to five years ago and adults 18-24 spend 13% less time compared to five years ago (Helyar, 2004). The article further discusses that terrestrial radio has much to fear from competing technologies like satellite radio, streaming digital radio on the Internet, and Apple’s iPod. What terrestrial radio does have in its favor is that it’s free compared to any of the current competing technologies like satellite radio. However, satellite radio is banking on a commercial free format to steal listeners away from terrestrial radio. Sirius offers 65 commercial free channels of music and 55 news, sports and talk stations. And the one thing that satellite has over its less lofty competitor is that you can’t loose the signal as you drive across America. The two major competitors for the satellite radio listeners are Sirius and XM.

Long overdue Conversation :: Drama

Long overdue Conversation Topic / Scripture : Using the time God gives us; the importance of family; Mat. 20:6 â€Å"About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, â€Å"Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?† Setting: Anywhere. The audience will assume that this is just a father having a conversation with his daughter, Could be in the kitchen, the living room, outside on the porch†¦anywhere. Characters: Don – the father. Tender hearted, he’s nervous, uncomfortable with this conversation, but intent on finally doing this right. Scene: Don is sitting on a chair facing the audience, wringing his hands, looking nervous but determined as he begins this conversation. Don: This is a little awkward†¦Just bear with me honey, we need to talk about some things†¦ I probably should have done this sooner, but you caught me off guard†¦you know? Yesterday you were playing with Barbies and riding your little pink bike with the training wheels still on. Then I turned around and you were going on dates, looking at colleges, wearing that goo on your face†¦(sheepishly and a little defensively) I got used to it. J I sure could have used more time in there somewhere. Another decade or two. Okay, so here we go†¦ Ummm†¦drugs are bad†¦don’t use them†¦they could rot your teeth†¦no, um, kill your brain cells†¦and stuff. You probably shouldn’t smoke either†¦yeah, I know I do, but you’re still too young, cigarettes really will rot your teeth. Plus, your mom really hates how they smell†¦so it’s better if you just don’t start. (At this point he pulls out a crinkled up piece of paper and spends some time smoothing it out and fidgeting with it, checking it, etc.) I, uh, wrote a list†¦J†¦I didn’t want to forget anything†¦you know, while I have momentum going and stuff†¦ Okay, so here’s the big one†¦it’s uh†¦well, this one’s really important†¦boys are†¦uh†¦boys are great†¦but, they’re still boys you know? So you’ve got to be really careful. You’ve got to be smart honey. You’re so smart, and funny. And you’re really talented and you’re beautiful. I’m not just saying that because I’m your dad. You really are. Boys call the house all the time for you. They do! Hey, I didn’t say we answer it every time, that’s why we have caller ID. No, I’m just kidding honey†¦kind-of. Anyway†¦(looking down at his list again)†¦so, you just need to be on your toes. Don’t believe everything they tell you. And you should probably bring a friend with you on your dates. Bring several friends. The more the merrier†¦(chuckles, but it’s clear he means it).

Pindar :: essays research papers fc

Classical Mythology PINDAR A PERFECT POET Pindar was born at Cynoscephalae, near Thebes, the member of a noble family. He lived from about 518 B.C. to approximately 438 B.C. Pindar is considered by many to be the greatest lyric poet of ancient Greece. He began writing at a very young age and soon his poetry was popular throughout Greece.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He traveled widely but spent much of his time in Athens and in Sicily at the home of Hieron. This may account for his being enamored with the Olympic games, which he often wrote about. Hiero bred horses and offered his steeds to the athletes to enter in the chariot races. Pindar’s poems often paid tribute to the winner of various events but with out a doubt the chariot races were given his highest praise. Greek society savored these odes for their rich poetic language and imagery, moral ideas, and vivid portrayals of sacred myths.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The poems were not so much an account of the sporting events but what transpired afterward. The storyline or narrative myth was always connected to the winner and ensuing celebration. Each poem meant to be sung with dancing or even a procession for the victor, usually upon the athlete’s return to his home city. Being a deeply religious man with high moral standards, Pindar’s main characters normally displayed the same attributes. Pindar was also famous for being the first Greek writer to speak of the immortality of the soul and judgement by the gods after death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pindar is given credit for inventing the Pindaric ode. An ode built of three stanzas - strophe, antistrophe, and epode repeated in series. These stately intricate poems set the standard. They are often referred to as perfect in form and beautiful in language. Of all his poems 45 odes have survived. These make up one of the greatest collections of odes by a Greek author during this time. The forty-five victory odes represent and celebrate triumphs at the four great Panhellenic festivals. The Olympic, Pythian, Nemean, and Isthmian games. Three of the Olympian Odes celebrated the victories of Pindar’s close friend and confidant Hieron. The Nemean and Isthmian Odes concentrate more on wealthy clients and tyrants of the time who perhaps sponsored the athletes. The Pythian Odes were written for the Aeginians; the last of which was dedicated to an Aeginian wrestler, Aristomenes. What makes this poem so noteworthy is the fact it ended with a not e of sadness. Pindar :: essays research papers fc Classical Mythology PINDAR A PERFECT POET Pindar was born at Cynoscephalae, near Thebes, the member of a noble family. He lived from about 518 B.C. to approximately 438 B.C. Pindar is considered by many to be the greatest lyric poet of ancient Greece. He began writing at a very young age and soon his poetry was popular throughout Greece.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He traveled widely but spent much of his time in Athens and in Sicily at the home of Hieron. This may account for his being enamored with the Olympic games, which he often wrote about. Hiero bred horses and offered his steeds to the athletes to enter in the chariot races. Pindar’s poems often paid tribute to the winner of various events but with out a doubt the chariot races were given his highest praise. Greek society savored these odes for their rich poetic language and imagery, moral ideas, and vivid portrayals of sacred myths.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The poems were not so much an account of the sporting events but what transpired afterward. The storyline or narrative myth was always connected to the winner and ensuing celebration. Each poem meant to be sung with dancing or even a procession for the victor, usually upon the athlete’s return to his home city. Being a deeply religious man with high moral standards, Pindar’s main characters normally displayed the same attributes. Pindar was also famous for being the first Greek writer to speak of the immortality of the soul and judgement by the gods after death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pindar is given credit for inventing the Pindaric ode. An ode built of three stanzas - strophe, antistrophe, and epode repeated in series. These stately intricate poems set the standard. They are often referred to as perfect in form and beautiful in language. Of all his poems 45 odes have survived. These make up one of the greatest collections of odes by a Greek author during this time. The forty-five victory odes represent and celebrate triumphs at the four great Panhellenic festivals. The Olympic, Pythian, Nemean, and Isthmian games. Three of the Olympian Odes celebrated the victories of Pindar’s close friend and confidant Hieron. The Nemean and Isthmian Odes concentrate more on wealthy clients and tyrants of the time who perhaps sponsored the athletes. The Pythian Odes were written for the Aeginians; the last of which was dedicated to an Aeginian wrestler, Aristomenes. What makes this poem so noteworthy is the fact it ended with a not e of sadness.

Changing Family Dynamics

The Acceptance of Multifaceted Lifestyles The New Western Family A white picket fence surrounding a red-brick house in which a doting wife, successful and hard-working husband, and two and one half children reside was, at one point in time, the epitome of North American life. Since the era of that belief has passed, North American society is being affected by various factors that act as catalysts for the fall of the American Dream and the subsequent rise in the embodiment of increasingly different family structures.Modern North American culture prides itself in its inclusiveness and adaptability, yet it is prepared to accept that the definition of a family is no longer one of concrete wording? According the Andrew Cherlin, â€Å"Marriage has undergone a process of deinstitutionalization—a weakening of the social norms that define partners’ behaviour—over the past few decades (2004: 848). Studies in divorce, cohabitation, remarriage, and the legalization of gay a nd lesbian unions have proven that the nuclear family no longer consists of a man, woman, and a reasonable number of children.This literature review not only explores and distinguishes various factors discussed in pieces of work that influence North American society to embrace demographically diverse structures both also discusses the potential for a future resurfacing of the American Dream. Divorce and the Nuclear Family A nuclear family is commonly defined as a father, mother, and dependent children. This definition is being deconstructed by many factors, primarily through divorce. The introduction of no-fault unilateral divorce laws in North America forms the query of whether divorce rates were affected or not.According to Justin Wolfers (2006:1806), author of ‘Did Unilateral Divorce Laws Raise Divorce Rates? A Reconciliation and New Results’, both types of divorce, consensual and otherwise, form a particular number of divorces each year. These subcategories of divor ce, however, do not comprise the amount of divorces that occur annually though the simple process of marital unsuitability. Andrew Cherlin (2005:36) writes that in the early 1900s, â€Å"about 10 percent of all marriages ended in divorce, and the figure rose to about one-third for marriages begun in 1950.But the rise was particularly sharp during the 1960s and 1970s, when the likelihood that a married couple would divorce increased substantially. † This threat of divorce may have been, in fact, what prevented young adults from getting married in the first place. Rather than marry with the fear of divorce, a sense of security can be established by remaining single for longer periods of time. The age at which many individuals first marry has increased and now rests between 25 and 30 years of age (Cherlin 2005:40). The rate of divorce has seemingly plateaued as of recently.However, this does not indicate that the introduction of no fault unilateral divorce laws did not impact th e rates of divorce in any way. The chain-reaction caused by these laws is one that directly influences marriage. Marriages have become less frequent, and their decline unequivocally results in an analogous fall in the number of divorces (Rasul 2003:28). Andrew Cherlin (2004:849) discusses that the decrease in marriages has much to do with its deinstitutionalization process. North American society is adopting new methods of living as family units, such as cohabitation and remarriage.Cohabitation, Remarriage, and the Nuclear Family Cohabitation is the act of living, unmarried, with a partner. According to Cherlin, a large number of couples cohabitate as a replacement for marriage. However, a similar amount of these relationships dissolve within twenty-four months, suggesting that it is not a strong alternative for a marital union (2005:35). During the twentieth century, typical beliefs surrounding marriage were again changing. Having children, living together, and maintaining sexual r elationships are all facets of life that were beginning to fit the social norms established (Cherlin 2005:40).Regarding the success of marriages associated with pre-marital cohabitation, indicators are not positive, as many unions fail shortly after being made legal (Rasul 2003:30). This being said, not all new marriages end in disaster. Remarriage is a new marriage to a new partner, and is an increasingly prevalent family structure in North American society. Following divorce, individuals who decide to marry again engage in remarriage. This type of marriage can involve parties who have children or who are childless. In the case that children are involved, step-families are created.As quoted by Godina in the review of, ‘Understanding Stepfamilies: Their Structure and Dynamics’, fellow writer, Grinwald, believes that, â€Å"by the year 2000 the stepfamily will be the predominant family structure in the United States and will actually outnumber the nuclear family† (Godina cited Grinwald 2001:318). This statement is in accordance with others, all supporting the conviction that stepfamilies are becoming an increasingly dominant family structure and that many children will be members of one in their lifetimes (Godina 2001:318).Individuals who do not remarry, or those who have not been previously married take on different family structures then those previously discussed. These forms are the single-parent household or a lone existence. Single Parents, Habitual Solitude, and the Nuclear Family Contrary to the nuclear family structure previously discussed are the family structures involving single parenthood and habitual solitude. There are two primary ways in which single-parent families are established, the first being through divorce.A divorced parent who has children and makes the decision not to remarry establishes themself as a single-parent family unit. The second way is through unwed pregnancy. This lifestyle is not only growing in populari ty for couples alone, but it is also adopting a sense of normalcy to incorporate the birth of children. According to Cherlin, as cohabitation is generally seen as equivalent to marriage in modern North American society, many children that would at first be deemed illegitimate are in actuality, not.Rather, they are born of a cohabitating couple. (2004:849). The authors of, ‘Context and Inclusivity in Canada’s Evolving Definition of the Family’, Nicholas Bala and Rebecca Jaremko Bromwich concur with Cherlin’s hypothesis, stating that the increased number of children being raised by single parents can be explained not only by the increase in divorce rates and corresponding rise in couple separation and the births of children in cohabitating relationships rather than marriages (2002:148).For individuals who have no children and no existing desire to wed or cohabitate, there is the option of living by oneself. This lifestyle choice is also increasing in North A merican society, even if only for part of a person’s life. Achieving success and happiness are often considered common goals shared by the majority of North American society. For many, this means acquiring a post-secondary education and procuring an enjoyable, rewarding career.These two objectives, receiving an education and job position, are two things, according to Andrew Cherlin that young adults are completing before considering marriage (2004:852). Stefan Buzar, Philip E. Ogden, and Ray Hall’s article titled, ‘Households matter: the quiet demography of urban transformation’, is in accordance with Cherlin’s report, stating that the new trends being discovered in family demographics include evidence supporting the idea that not only are the traditions surrounding marriage devolving, but marriage itself is changing and is often being put off by adults (2005:416).Not only are members of North American society delaying marriage, but some are assumin g roles in an entirely different form of marriage than that historically accepted. This form is that of same-sex relationships. Homosexuality and the Nuclear Family Once prohibited, same-sex unions are no longer a thing of the past, as the lesbian-gay community has received and is continuing to receive support from North American society regarding both marriage legalization and lifestyle recognition (Bala and Bromwich 2002:148).This statement is in agreement with Cherlin’s article, ‘The Deinstitutionalization of American Marriage’, in which he discusses how the deinstitutionalization of marriage was influenced not only by the acceptance of lifestyles such as cohabitation and non-marital conception, but also by the window of opportunity the aforementioned factors created for same-sex relationships to emerge as a new lifestyle choice (2004:852).Same-sex unions, which are now accepted in many countries including Canada and a number of American States is the newest a ddition to the breakdown of marriage as an institution, yet despite its unspoken level of normalcy, organizations such as the Roman Catholic Church do not view it in positive light. In fact, â€Å"in January 2001, the Vatican released a document attacking homosexual unions as ‘a deplorable distortion’, signifying ‘a serious sign of the contemporary breakdown in the moral conscience† (Bala and Bromwich 2002:165). The disdain towards same-sex partnership however, is not seen in all religious communities.Similar to legal institutions, they too are slowly changing their perspectives on gay and lesbian marriages. The shift from, at one point in time, displaying no support for same-sex unions whatsoever to showing an increasing amount annually suggests that there is new hope for the diversity of family demographics. The Future of Family Structures The out-dated, seemingly archaic beliefs that a family is comprised of a man, woman, and their dependent children is now steadily being replaced in North American society by the ideology that a family unit can consist of a number of combinations of men, women, and children.From single parents with children to large step-families and from gay and lesbian couples to habitually single individuals, the information and knowledge discussed in this literature review is purposed to open the eyes of North American society and equip them with the ability to readily accept the new and more diverse family structures mentioned and prepare society for the new definition of family. As discussed in Andrew Cherlin’s article, the future of the North American family structure cannot be determined exactly.Rather, it can be hypothesised that family demographics will continue to change and create more diverse structures, or the demographics will revert to the way they were during the era of the American Dream (2004:858). Studying family demographics and the factors that influence their changes is important to so ciety because in order to be fully accepting of new family forms, the North American society must first understand them. In fact, Jean M.Lynch states in her article, ‘Considerations of Family Structure and Gender Composition: The Lesbian and Gay Stepfamily’ that, â€Å"the study of alternative family forms as unique and a recognition of distinct challenges and strengths is of paramount importance in expanding the family studies research,† (2000:94). North American society is becoming increasingly inclusive of multifaceted family forms. Factors mentioned in this literature review such as divorce, remarriage, single parenting, are continuously impacting demographics concerning family diversity.The iteration of defining a contemporary North American family has, and likely will continue to change over the years. However, in continuing to accept a variety of family structures, North American societies will move forward demographically, and therefore promote further de velopment of the family structure. References Bala, Nicholas. , and Rebecca Jaremko Bromwich. 2002. â€Å"Context and Inclusivity in Canada’s Evolving Definition of the Family. † International Journal of Law, Policy, and the Family 16(2):148 Buzar, Stefan, Philip E. Ogden, and Ray Hall. 2005. Households matter: the quiet demography of urban transformation. † Progress in Human Geography 29(4): 416. Cherlin, Andrew J. 2005. â€Å"American Marriage in the Early Twenty-First Century. † The Future of Children 15(2):33-55 Cherlin, Andrew J. 2004. â€Å"The Deinstitutionalization of American Marriage. † Journal of Marriage and Family 66(4):849 Cherlin, Andrew J. 2010. â€Å"Demographic Trends in the United States: A Review of Research in the 2000s. † Journal of Marriage and Family 72(3):409 Godina, E. 2001. Review of Understanding Stepfamilies: Their Structure and Dynamics. Edited by Craig A. Everett.Journal of Biosocial Science 33(2):317-318 Lynch, Jean. 2000. â€Å"Considerations of Family Structure and Gender Composition: The Lesbian and Gay Stepfamily. † Journal of Homosexuality 40(2):81-95 Rasul, Imran. 2003. â€Å"The Impact of Divorce Laws on Marriage. † Department of Business, University of Chicago and CEPR, Chicago, Illinois. Unpublished manuscript. Retrieved 4 November 2011 http://www. cepr. org/meets/wkcn/3/3519/papers/Rasul. pdf Wolfers, Justin. 2006. â€Å"Did Unilateral Divorce Laws Raise Divorce Rates? A Reconciliation and New Results. † The American Economic Review 96(5):1806, 1814.

Cooks Brook Research

On September 8th of last week five teens went out to cooks brook for a day of swimming and adventure. Only four teens returned home that night. â€Å"We told him the rocks were two close† Comments Mark McGuire, one of the teens who went out to Cooks Brook that day. They were going out for a day of adventure but that day changed into a time of sadness for the small town of Boulder, Colorado. Tyler Nash 17, died around 4:30 on the eight of September. The five teens headed out to Cooks Brook around 10:00 that morning to have a day of hiking and cliff jumping as many teens in Boulder do on their Saturdays.They started with the lower rocks and soon they moved onto the cliffs, Tyler unlike the rest wanted to jump off the highest cliff he could. His peers advised him of the shelf of rock below. Tyler was already mid- air. â€Å"He never seemed to be afraid of anything, He was always up for adventure. He was the one who was always taking risks†. States Emily Haven a friend of T yler. Police do not believe this was a suicide attempt either as all of the teens participating. Police do believe that alcohol use could have been a factor in the teen’s death.They police and rescue team have still not found the body of Tyler and are now increasing the surface area of their search. The Nash Family has not yet made a statement on their son’s actions but has asked the press to withhold questions, as they need time to deal with their son’s death. The high school Tyler attended is holding a remembrance assembly, at 12:30 in the main gym. All are welcome. ———————– Teen dies cliff jumping at Cooks Brook. Body is not found. Cooks Brook Research On September 8th of last week five teens went out to cooks brook for a day of swimming and adventure. Only four teens returned home that night. â€Å"We told him the rocks were two close† Comments Mark McGuire, one of the teens who went out to Cooks Brook that day. They were going out for a day of adventure but that day changed into a time of sadness for the small town of Boulder, Colorado. Tyler Nash 17, died around 4:30 on the eight of September. The five teens headed out to Cooks Brook around 10:00 that morning to have a day of hiking and cliff jumping as many teens in Boulder do on their Saturdays.They started with the lower rocks and soon they moved onto the cliffs, Tyler unlike the rest wanted to jump off the highest cliff he could. His peers advised him of the shelf of rock below. Tyler was already mid- air. â€Å"He never seemed to be afraid of anything, He was always up for adventure. He was the one who was always taking risks†. States Emily Haven a friend of T yler. Police do not believe this was a suicide attempt either as all of the teens participating. Police do believe that alcohol use could have been a factor in the teen’s death.They police and rescue team have still not found the body of Tyler and are now increasing the surface area of their search. The Nash Family has not yet made a statement on their son’s actions but has asked the press to withhold questions, as they need time to deal with their son’s death. The high school Tyler attended is holding a remembrance assembly, at 12:30 in the main gym. All are welcome. ———————– Teen dies cliff jumping at Cooks Brook. Body is not found.

Bradman’s Last Innings Context

BRADMAN’S LAST INNINGS CONTEXT Sir Donald Bradman, born in 1908, is the most renowned and respected of Australian cricketers who, although of retiring demeanour, attained heroic stature in the interwar period and captained Australia in test matches against England from 1936 to 1948. He represents an era, long gone, when sportsmen were gentlemen and the love of a game, not dubious ‘star' status and huge financial rewards, was the inducement to play. In this way, too, he represents an Australia that has now receded into the romantic past, when the kind of man he was and the principles he espoused embodied a unified nation's beliefs about itself an understated confidence, even in hard times, a sense of fair play and a simplicity (sophisticates, today, would say ‘a simplemindedness) about life and its purposes. The affection of that society for Bradman was enunciated in the opening phrase of the popular song that was written about him: ‘Our Don Bradman'. Foulcher recalls the cricketer's reputation, in this poem, and subjects it to his keen poet's scrutiny. ‘Bradman's last innings' is framed by the event commemorated in the title – Bradman's last appearance at the crease, and the irony of his unceremonious dismissal, on that occasion, without a single run to his credit: Bowled for a duck, you could have asked for better†¦. At the end of the poem, the experience of his last match is more bitterly registered four runs short of that century / average, at the last, betrayed by your own game – as the cruel summation of a brilliant career. Between, Foulcher sketches the great batsman's life in the context of its significance in Australian history and the momentous national and world events of the earlier part of this century. In making these connections, the poet indicates the national and international renown of Bradman in these tumultuous years. During the grim time of the Great Depression, in the 1930s, ‘so many came to see you', and were momentarily lifted out of their gloom by his skill forgetting the dole queues, the homes dull with a long democracy. Foulcher's political comment here is apt in the historical setting of the vigorous challenges to democracy, by Communism and Fascism, especially in Europe, in those days. Australia, though suffering from the worldwide economic slump, was all but immune from such ideological ferment. The adjective ‘dull' indicates, critically, the sleepiness of the Australian backwater and sets the excitement of Bradman's appearances both against that dullness and, in praise of old Australia's isolation and detachment, against the grim excitements of Hitler and Stalin, occurring on the other side of the world. It is an ambiguous compliment, however: while the rest of humanity was being stirred politically, Australians were being distracted by sport. It is a criticism that remains relevant. During the Second World War, Bradman remained an inspiration, though Foulcher, in speaking of women waiting for their Saturday oval husbands does remind us – again, with a touch of criticism – of the sexual inequalities of that society. There is something ambiguous, too, about these ‘husbands'. It is not their wives, precisely, who wait for them – but ‘women'. Are these the men, not at war for a variety of reasons, some valid, some not so, who were reviled (as non-fighting men always are, in wartime) and who often replaced, in women's affections, the absent husbands? If so, the world in which Bradman continued to be a hero, for such people as these, was by no means as innocent as the game he played. CFAIRJONES KGS 2010 After the war, once again he ‘padded up' – an icon of constancy in a changing society. But now, the disjunction between what Bradman represented and the world that came to see him is vast. In Foulcher's analysis (as, indeed, in those of many historical commentators), the moral principles of western civilisation seemed to have been finally destroyed by that conflict, which climaxed in the atomic bomb. Yet Bradman perpetuated the old ideals: you gave people / something the world lacked: rules to / play by, winners, clear white flannels // sharp against the green turf. However, even this image of perfection (beautifully visualised in that crisp whiteness and brilliant green) is imperfect – and, even more disturbingly, Foulcher argues that all ideal conceptions are fallible, in an insistent repetition: But it never works out, never – as he recalls that even Bradman fell short, at the last, of the achievement expected of him. Addressed directly to Sir Donald – in the use of the second person singular – Foulcher's poem is unique in combining at once a tribute and a lament. He is not bent on diminishing the generations' celebration of Bradman's greatness, but his honesty is such that he must set that achievement in the larger context of his interpretation of the human condition – of fate. In other words, with rare poise, Foulcher both communicates the almost mythological stature of Bradman and the fact of the even greater forces in human life – here articulated through the betrayal which cricket, personified, inflicts on its champion – from which even heroes are not immune. CFAIRJONES KGS 2010