Marketing Logistics Interface Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Marketing Logistics Interface - Case Study Example The company is a catalogue based distributor in nature. Thus it deals with professional customers worldwide. After 1989 the company took various initiatives in order to increase the revenue and profitability. In the process the company has adopted many strategies such as battery replacement for recycling of waste batteries and the innovation of introducing Eco wire-Environment Friendly techniques (www.rswww.com). RS Components has achieved 50% of the sales from the UK internet sales in the year 1989, due to the fact that the company succeeded in increasing the awareness and the importance of the RS website including the latest electronics, electrical and industrial products. In addition to that it is basically because of the continual adoption of innovative products and also introducing the new innovative production packages online in the RS website. This new package involves a host of benefits to the customers of RS components such as easy identification of packaging format, set the required quantity, check the levels of live stock, place orders online and also fast delivery system. According to the Nik Patel, Marketing Manager e-commerce at RS commented on the success of online sales is that it could achieve basically because by listening to the RS customers and innovative investing new technology in its website. In fact they could make online ordering and valuable information sourcing in a simple and easy manner in order to attract more customers to its range of products. RS Componenents is mainly focusing on meeting the customer's demand by a rare combination of value, choice and service through innovating in pricing, product marketing and first initiative moves. The UK market for electronic and electrical goods has become so strategically competitive and RS' is focused on this market segment with more and more orientation towards meeting customers' ever changing demand patterns. The retail store as against the e-retailing offers a variety of goods and services on the spot while, the latter offers an equally diverse and complex mixture of products for later delivery (Murphy, & Poist, 1992). Its current product launching strategy is associated with making use of niche markets that exist in many parts of Britain, including e-retailing. For instance its recent product launches in Britain were highly successful due to the suddenness and the associated surprise. Customers were caught unawares by these very attractive offers. Thus RS' has adopted a strategy of launching products in cities where consumers were little or no used to such windfall bargains before.RS' developed its advanced search and navigation engine in online stores so as to save the time of the electronic and maintenance engineers, reduce their purchase cost, selecting and ordering products and improve the efficiency of the service (Lynch, & Whicker, 2008). Thus the clarity of the website allows its employees to implement host of new services in an efficient and effective manner and also customers would benefitted from free product information advices from the technical staff of the RS and accessing to about 110, 000 datasheets while ensuring the customer satisfaction. Thus according to the Marketing Manager e-commerce, supply chain

Evaluate the Claim That Britishness Is an Ethnic Construction Essay Example for Free

Evaluate the Claim That Britishness Is an Ethnic Construction Essay Introduction The purpose of writing this paper is to analyze and evaluate the argument that ‘Britishness is an ethnic construction’ from the perspective of both its advocators and opponents. The discussion will include evidences that support the claim and also those who go against it in relation to the cultural and ethnic dimensions of britishness in order to provide a better understanding of the events and circumstances that have shaped the past and present of Britain and have led to the development of the identity of britishness. Many sociologists have tried to define britishness in diverse ways. Some have defined it as a ‘mixture’ of races resulting in the emergence of a unique ‘British Race’ with distinguishing characteristics while others have termed it as ‘national character’ that encompasses national customs, traditions, norms and values, molded by historical and environmental factors (On the Meaning n. d. ). Such definitions, however, are not sufficient and deep enough to give a complete explanation of what Britishness really is. Being a matter of perception, britishness has different meaning for different people, but the argument that it is merely a product of ethnic factors is quite debatable. Ethnic groups are often viewed as homogenous, bounded entities with ethnic labels associated with them and referring their connection with a particular material culture. Those who view Britishness as an ethnic identity only argue that it is an unsolidified, diverse and mobile ethnic identity that began 1. X1783213 to establish itself during the nineteenth century with British Monarchy. Concerns regarding religion, ethnicity and national identity have always been at the forefront of political and social debates in modern Britain. Sociologists and political analysts have discussed Britishness among ethnic minorities for many decades, sparked by popular intergroup events such as Rushdie Affair in 1989, Notting Hill in 1958, the Oldham Race riots of 2001 and numerous others. Britishness often tend of get muddled with Englishness, and it is supposed to because there are no clear boundaries that separate Englishness with britishness. An authoritative answer can be a simple ground of differentiation that Englishness is the unique identity of people living in England while Britishness refers to custom values and traditions of Britain citizens (Betts 2007). Whichever definition we present of both the entities, it is clear that there is no clear boundary marking what we can call britishness and Englishness given that the individualistic nature of both the identities are quite similar in terms of ethnicity and social trends. Although the sense of britishness is often considered as a construct of ethnicity, but is can be argued that race and ethnicity are not the only determinants of this national identity as geography, national symbols, political events and historic achievements, diversity, citizenship and immigration trends that have led to cultural diversity in Britain and have influenced the British culture in the realms of language, literature, arts, practices, habits and behaviors, are also equally important tools that have a fair share in shaping up the idea of britishness (Ethnos Research 2005). Although the British Isles and distinctive topographic features like Scottish Highlands and rolling hills, have been subject to influences of conquest and immigration since before the era of Christianity, most anthropologists and sociologists studying and writing about developments of race 2. X1783213 and ethnicity in the region restrain their historical contextualizing to the age following the second World War . The understandable reason for this confinement is that in this period only Britain saw huge numbers of non-white immigrants from different parts of the world. In fact, many diverse non-white populaces had already been residing in Britain before the arrival of Indian traders, (Banks 1996, p. 86). London Docklands was where migrants would arrived not only to sette in the Uk but other parts of the world. Between 1885 and 1905, a number of Eastern Europeans and Russians moved through these and other ports in the UK on their way to North America and South Africa. Between 1876 and 1990 about 2 million adult males left the UK for North America alone. (Green, MacKinnon and Minns, 2003). According to a research conducted by Ethnos Research and Consultancy organization to find out how people living in Britain and belonging to varied ethnicities perceive britishness, it was revealed that the ways in which ethnic groups in Britain, equally sharing britishness, personally relate to their national identity were quite varied (Ethnos Research 2005). The subjects for this research were UK passport holders, knowing that they are British citizens but most of them did not attach any significant value to it. However, white people and those belonging to ethnic minority groups in Wales and Scotland relate to the identity more strongly with the countries rather than with Britain. In England, white participants considered themselves English first and then British, while those belonging to ethnic minorities perceived themselves as British, completely failing to identify themselves as English as they viewed Englishness as something exclusively associated with white people. In short, people from ethnic minority backgrounds residing in England were the ones who identified strongly with britishness (Ethnos Research 2005). It was also revealed that people mainly 3. X1783213 relate to the ethnicity (geographical origins and their traditional cultures), religious and race or cultural sources of identification and these elements of national identifications are widely perceived as being compatible with britishness. It should also be kept in mind that, despite of identity connections and disconnections between people, the advent of internet and modern communication technology has influenced social connectedness, to a great extent, that drives the factors particularly crucial to forming a unified concept of identity including the geographical, socio-economic and cultural factors as explored the research study ‘Connected lives’ undertaken by Victoria university (Wellman et. al 2005). Most of the white population residing in Britain do not consider themselves as Britishers and prefer to register their identity as Scottish, Irish, English or Welsh. But a huge number of people from the ethnic groups confidently proclaim their Britishness and do not feel they are associated to any other national group (Carvel 2002). These issues regarding national identity were explored for the first time in 2011 by a survey conducted by governments general household, an extensive poll of approximately 9,000 British households, issued recently by the office for national statistics. As generally anticipated, the Scots were the ones least tending to assert their identity as British. More astonishingly, citizens old enough to recall the memories of the last war were less likely to acknowledge their Britishness than the young ones (Carvel 2002). Grown-ups were asked to register how they like to describe themselves, picking one or more options from a national identities list including British, Welsh, English, Irish, Scottish or other. The results revealed that, for Britain as a whole, 31 percent people declare their nationality as British and gave 4. X1783213 no other varying reply, 50 percent of participants labeled themselves only as Scottish, English, Irish or Welsh, while 13% claimed both of these (Carvel 2002). Hence from what ground reality depicts, geographical origin and social and political history has much influence on shaping people’s perspectives of identity rather than only ethnic background. Since the cultural influence as part of the region’s diversity has given rise to a mixed society, incorporating various cultural elements; Asian food, black music, morocco drugs, etc. Furthermore, 1997 landslide labor elections brought a more adaptive government to Westminster, which had a flexible attitude towards the matters of national identity as compared to the Pluralist Liberal establishments of the 19th and early 20th century. The concept of britishness has changed over the course of last two centuries, adapting to the changing demands and circumstances. The new version of Britishness not only embraces diversity but is constituted of this multiplicity, that not only engages religiousness and ethnicity, but also races, common customs, traditions, new ideologies and social concepts, geographic inheritance and arts and literature (Ward 2004, p. 10). As stated by Paul Ward, identification categories which people have allocated themselves have not been strictly defined along ethnic lines (Ward 2004, p.115). During a research carried out to address the questions related to national identities, a white youngster belonging to Southall described himself as related to ‘English black’ culture, conveying the wide scale existence of hybridity which is a very significant concept for understanding sense of Britishness that prevails today. According to various studies aimed at understanding the psychological factors behind the notion of Britishness, it was indicated that just like any other concept portraying social identity, the concept of Britishness is to a great extent fluid and flexible, which can be linked with a range of varied and, in 5. X1783213 most cases, contradictory meanings. Yet, even though it has a flexible nature, the Britishness conception is also grounded in a specific social, economic, political, ideological and cultural reality (Ethnos Research 2005). Strong relationships related to age, class, ethnicity, religion and gender are primarily involved in outlining and maintaining the notion of Britishness. It should also be kept in view while drawing out the connections of ethnicity with Britishness that ethnicity itself is not self-enclosed, rigid and exclusive. According to a practical definition of ethnicity, it entails a belief system in realms of cultural distinctiveness or an identification founded on mutual cultural traits (Ward 2004, p. 115). This indicates that ethnicities are not fixed, neither there are any clear cut boundaries defining communities or races because today hybridity and diversity together has blur the lines separating ethnicity, races and communities. Hence the amalgamation of ethnic groups and social communities has changed the rigidness that could have been allied with formation of a hard-edged concept of Britishness. Now there exists a ‘collective’ or ‘combined’ sense of identification owing to the ethnic and racial diversity that have emerged as a result of a long and consistent history of migrations leading to a society with multi-ethnic nature and diverse social and political ideological frameworks that, along with a number of other features, majorly including historical events, immigration trends, socio-economic and political changes, terrain origin, attitude towards gender and racism etc. have a crucial contribution in constructing the concept of Britishness (Ward 2004, p.116). References Banks Marcus1996, Ethnicity: Anthropological constructions, Routledge, London. Betts Alex 2007, Through my eyes: Englishness vs britishness, Albion Magazine Online, 6. X1783213 Carvel John 2002, Sense of britishness more prevalent among ethnic minorities, survey shows, The Guardian Ethnos Research and Consultancy 2005, Citizenship and belonging: What is britishness? , Commission for Racial Equality, London. Spearhead, On the Meaning of Britishness, n. d. , Spearhead Wellman Barry et.al 2005, ‘Connected lives: The project’, in Purcell P (ed. ), Networked neighbourhoods, Springer, Berlin. Introducing the Social Sciences – Part 2, Exploring Social Lives. The Open University. Simon Bromley, John Clarke, Steve Hinchliffe and Stephanie Taylor. 2010 Self Reflection I did enjoy writing this essay quite a lot as I can be quite controversy and did a lot of sourcing on the subject as I hope it shows. However it just comes down to time for me to get it done on time and make sure that its worthy of sending in. 7.

Raymond Williams And Post Colonial Studies Cultural Studies Essay

Raymond Williams And Post Colonial Studies Cultural Studies Essay Twentieth century literary critic Raymond Williams was one of the most reputable, yet contested scholars from the British New Left. Once dubbed our best man in the New Left by his contemporaries, Williamss reputation in a post colonial context is less secure.  [1]  Patrick Brantlinger said it best: Williams was thoroughly the representative man. He was the voice of the ordinary, the voice of the working-class, the voice of Wales, the voice of British socialism, the conscience of Britain and of Europe. He understood that his life mattered because it was ordinary, and representative.  [2]  However, the early 1980s signified the shift in political and economic relations between western and non-western countries through post-colonialism, including former British colonies.  [3]  Moreover, post-colonialism served as an avenue to recover alternative ways of knowing and understanding or simply those other voices as alternatives to dominant western constructs.  [4]  While Raym ond Williams provides British colonial commentary, primarily in his seminal work, The Country and the City, it was in the periphery of his grander cultural theory. Scholars within the Birmingham School and post colonial studies have debated the implications of this, including Williams himself. Consequently, this essay will outline the scholarly debate regarding Raymond Williamss alleged ambivalence towards British colonialism and race within his conception of culture. This will allow for an examination of Williamss work within the context of postcolonial studies, particularly the legacy of his cultural theory in a modern context. Raymond Williamss analysis in The Country and City certainly coincides with postcolonial theories emphasis on geography, whether in conversations around spaces, centers, peripheries or borders.  [5]  This analysis is especially significant because as argued by Anthony Alessandrini, postcolonial theory has benefited from the Marxist and Marxist-influenced analyses undertaken by figures involved in the post-Second World war movements against imperialism and for national liberation.  [6]  Alessandrini attributed the 1970s and 1980s political work and cultural analysis of writers like Raymond Williams, Stuart Hall and Paul Gilroy for influencing major figures in postcolonial studies such as Franz Fanon and Edwards Said.  [7]  Therefore, as Alessandrini continued, We would need to look more closely at the historical circumstances under which the field of postcolonial studies has arisen, and especially at the sorts of strategic decisions involved in the adoption or rejection of particular theoretical paradigms.  [8]  Paul Giles would certainly agree as he adds, It would be disingenuous to ignore the fact that postcolonial scholarship in its contemporary guise has as one of its enabling conditions of possibilityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the increasing attention paid to issues of subalternity and hegemony by forms of cultural Marxism such as those of Antonio Gramsci and Raymond Williams.  [9]  Consequently, this paper is framed around this very approach in regards to the work of Raymond Williams. While few would question the merit or significance of Raymond Williams and his nuanced study of the nineteenth century British rural working class in both Culture and Society and the Long Revolution, there has been significant criticism of Williams due in part to his silence regarding British colonialism. This has proved to be disturbing for some, and certainly problematic for a number of Williamss contemporaries and successors even within the British New Left. Gauri Viswanathan provides an exceptional layout of the criticisms against Raymond Williams and the British New Left in general to conceptualize culture and imperialism. He outlines that within British cultural Marxist tradition since Williams, the conception of British nationalism has been used interchangeably with issues of race, colonialism, or imperialism.  [10]  This is quite evident in Raymond Williamss Keywords (1976), in which the definition of race is not a separate entry of its own, but is distinctively tied to i deas of nationalism. Williams writes: Nationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦originally with a primary sense of a racial group rather than a politically organized grouping. Since there is obvious overlap between these senses, it is not easy to date the emergence of the predominant modern sense of a political formation. The persistent overlap between racial grouping and political formation has been important, since claims to be a nation, and to have national rights, often envisaged the formation of a nation in the political sense, even against the will of an existing political nation which included and claimed the loyalty of this [racial] grouping. It could be and is still often said, by opponents of nationalism, that the basis of the groups claim is racial. (Race, of uncertain origin, had been used in the sense of a common stock from C16 [sixteenth century]. Racial is a C19 [nineteenth-century] formation. In most C19 uses racial was positive and favourable, but discriminating and arbitrary theories of race were becoming more explicit in t he same period, generalizing national distinctions in supposedly radical scientific differences. In practice, given the extent of conquest and domination, nationalist movements have been as often based on an existing but subordinate political grouping as upon a group distinguished by a specific language or by a supposed racial community.  [11]   Gauri Viswanathan attributes Raymond Williamss understanding of British nationalism as less of a theoretical oversight or blindness than an internal restraint with complex methodological and historical origins.  [12]  Citing Raymond Williamss conception of base and superstructure, Viswanathan dissects Williamss methodology and level of comfort with Marxist framework. While Viswanathan highlights the dynamic nature of Williamss work as seemingly accommodating a broadened analysis of culture to include colonial relations, he ultimately concedes that Williams continually resisted that kind of refinement of his work.  [13]  Moreover, Viswanathan continued that this base and superstructure framework restricted him [Williams] to solely economic determinist outcomes and pointed to the inefficacy of Williamss cultural materialism.  [14]  Hence Viswanathan concluded that Williamss model was inherently unable to accommodate British imperialism as a function of metropolitan culture due to the internal restraints of his troubled self-conscious with Marxian  [15]  frameworks. Forest Pyle presented a similar commentary in his essay, Raymond Williams and the Inhuman Limits of Culture. Pyle argues that since language is a human instrument it is consequently inhuman for Williams to consider culture as the mapping of a particular historical configuration and of social, economic, and political life.  [16]  Moreover, Williamss cultural theory is beyond repair and cannot simply be corrected  [17]  due to the intertwined nature of culture and community within Williamss work. Therefore Pyle concludes that Raymond Williamss sense of culture cannot account for the historical and structural forms of colonialism and its aftermath. Pyle then goes a set further than Viswanathan in asserting that this points to not merely a personal limitation but a structural limitation that is explicitly exhibited by Williamss unapologetic understanding of empire.  [18]   Both Pyle and Viswanathan provide interesting critiques in light of Raymond Williamss 1973 essay, Base and Superstructure. Within this essay Williams stated that he had no use or static or highly determinedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ model(s) in which the rules of society are highlighted to the exclusion of the processional and historical.  [19]  Yet as both Pyle and Viswanathan conclude, Raymond Williamss analysis does not apply this cultural materialism model within an imperial or colonial context. Viswanathan indentified Raymond Williams as having an internal restraint due to his understanding of British culture and national identity.  [20]  Therefore Williamss conception of national culture remained hermetically sealed from the continually changing political imperatives of empire.  [21]  For example in The Country and the City, Raymond Williams classifies imperialism as the last mode of the city and countryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦within the larger context of colonial expansion in which ev ery idea and every image was consciously and unconsciously affected.  [22]  Ultimately, however, British influence extended outward rather than that the periphery had a functional role in determining internal developments.  [23]  Consequently, Williams could only conclude that Britain achieved dominance through the power of a fully formed cultural and institutional system which was transplanted and internalized within British colonies.  [24]   Unsurprisingly, Raymond Williamss cohorts within the Birmingham have attributed this kind of colonial analysis to racism or an egregious form of Eurocentrism on Williamss part. This is especially the case for those involved in black cultural studies, namely Stuart Hall and Paul Gilroy. Stuart Hall openly critiqued the limitations of the Birmingham cultural theory in dealing with the other during his tenure as program director in the late 1960s. Hall found that the issues race and cultural relations as advocated by his predecessors were particularly oppressive to minority groups, therefore highlighting a departure of the School itself from Raymond Williams.  [25]  In Cultural Studies and Its Theoretical Legacies, Hall discusses the question of race in cultural studies as a major break in the Birmingham School. He emphasizes: Actually getting cultural studies to put on its own agenda the critical questions of race, the politics of race, the resistance to racism, the critical questions of cultural politics, was itself a profound theoreticalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.and sometimes bitterly contested internal struggle against a resounding but unconscious silence. A struggle which continued in what has since come to be known only in the rewritten historyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.of the Centre for Cultural Studies.  [26]   Paul Gilroy, who studied with Stuart Hall at the Birmingham School in England, focused on postcolonial modes of deracination within transatlantic culture.  [27]  As Paul Giles states, Paul Gilroy took issue with what he perceived as traditional racism and ethnocentrism of English cultural studies,  [28]  citing in particular the tendencies of E. P. Thompson and Raymond Williams to systematically omit blacks from their analysis on British cultural identity.  [29]  Therefore, Gilroy viewed America as a counterpoint to British cultural analysis, and a means of disturbing any narrowly ethnic definition of racial authenticity or the purity of cultures on either side of the Atlantic.  [30]  Gilroy juxtaposed black culture in Britain with American black protest movements, in order to discredit conceptions of race, people or nation as advocated by Raymond Williams. In fact, Gilroy presents one of the most extreme critiques of Raymond Williams, charging him with proposing a ne w racism in his analysis of culture.  [31]   New Left scholar Benita Perry highlights that the new racism advocated by Raymond Williams was especially problematic for Paul Gilroy, who argued that New Left efforts in the 1960s to reclaim patriotism and nationalism resulted in ethnic absolutism.  [32]  She continues that the concept of culture itself became a site of struggles over the meaning of race, nation, and ethnicity for scholars interested in minority studies such as Gilroy.  [33]  The main issue for Gilroy was that Raymond Williamss conception of culture, with its emphasis on long experience, deflected the nation away from race, setting the course for British Cultural Marxists in general to write irresponsibly and quite ambivalently about race.  [34]  Additionally, this excluded blacks from the significant entities due to Williamss silence on racism, which for Gilroy has its own historical relationship with ideologies of Britishness and national identity.  [35]  This is very similar to the argument presen ted by Gauri Viswanathan earlier on the influence of Raymond Williams on British imperial and national scholarship.  [36]   Beyond overt notions Eurocentrism, Williamss critics vehemently opposed his understanding of the long [British] experience deriving from rooted settlement, which excluded colonized groups and immigrants from the significant entity.  [37]  Paul Gilroy notes that the most egregious silence in Williamss work is his refusal to examine the concept of racism which has its own historic relationship with ideologies of Englishness, Britishness and national belonging.  [38]  He adds, There can be little doubt that blacks are familiar with the legacy of British bloody mindedness in which he takes great pride. From where they stand it is easier to see that its present day cornerstones are racism and nationalism, its foundations slavery and imperialism.  [39]  Therefore, Gilroy concludes that cultures are not isolated from each other as Raymond Williams seemly implied in The Country and the City, but are linked to the persistent crisscrossing of national boundaries.  [40]   Additionally, Paul Gilroy discussed the implications of Raymond Williamss work for peoples of color residing in or immigrating to England. In direct response to Williamss position on lived experience and rooted settlement, Gilroy pointedly asked: How long is long enough to become a genuine Brit in the context of lived and formed identities?  [41]  Gilroy argues, that Williamss favored the exclusion of immigrating peoples of color and contributed to a new racism grounded in a discourse of nation, focused on the enemy within and without race.  [42]  This new racism is rooted on cultural rather than biological determination, proving them undeserving of citizenship and creating authentic and inauthentic types of national belonging.  [43]  This was a position that his Birmingham School program director, Stuart Hall agreed with as well. Raymond Williamss requirements for British citizenship had major implications for those colonial subjects of the Commonwealth outside of Britain, such as Jamaican scholar Stuart Hall. These groups lacked the settled kind of identity and would certainly not qualify under this sort of citizenship as advocated by Raymond Williams as well.  [44]  Raymond Williamss commentary in Towards 2000 favored lived and formed identities, preferably those of a settled kind, for practical formation of social identity has to be lived.  [45]  Williams continues: Real social identities are formed by working and living together, with some real place and common interest to identify with.  [46]  Unsurprisingly, Stuart Hall retorts: I am the sugar at the bottom of the English cup of tea. I am the sweet tooth, the sugar plantations that rotted generations of English childrens teeth. There are thousands of others beside me that are, you know, the cup of tea itself. Because they dont grow it in Lan cashire, you know. Not a single tea plantation exists within the United Kingdom? What could Williams say to this-this outside history that is inside the history of the English?  [47]   Donald Nonini adds to this discussion in his analysis of Stuart Halls critique of Raymond Williams. He writes: The issue here for Stuart Hall, is the requirements of real and lived social identities, and the manner of exclusion of recent immigrants, who although residence of England, have only been there for a few generations. Clearly they do not share the long historical association with the land and forcible integration upon it as Williams required for real citizenship.  [48]  This had major implications on Stuart Halls work within the Birmingham School because he could not ignore the racialized aspects of Raymond Williamss cultural theory. In his essay, Culture, Community, and Nation, Hall equates Williamss cultural belongingness through actual, lived relationships of place, culture and community, amongst politically and culturally subordinate peoples as a replacement for biological determinism and coded language for race and color.  [49]  Therefore, Stuart Hall agrees wit h Paul Gilroy that there is overt ethnic absolutism within Raymond Williams work. Moreover, Hall concludes that post-colonial diasporas of the late-modern experience will never be unified culturally because they are products of cultures of hybridity.  [50]  Hall equates this hybridity to a diasporic consciousness, which meant that non- retain strong links with the traditions and places of their origins while adapting to their present circumstances, so that they can produce themselves anew and differently.  [51]   In defense of Raymond Williams, Andrew Milner argued that both Stuart Hall and Paul Gilroy misinterpreted Williamss position on race, citing Towards 2000 as an example.  [52]  Milner writes that Williams was not only vocal about race, but advocated the kind of grassroots social movements that would raise awareness for the heterogeneous strands of English society.  [53]  In fact, Williams describes anti-globalization social movements as resources of hope.  [54]  Additionally, Milner relates Williams analysis of social movements to his understanding of class. He adds that for Williams, neo- imperialist issues led into the central systems of the industrial-capitalist mode of production and its system of classes.  [55]  He supports his position quoting Williams discussion of rooted settlements in Towards 2000: Rooted settlements were alienated superficialities of legal definitions of citizenship with the more substantial reality of deeply grounded and active social iden tities.'  [56]  This interpretation, according to Milner, was problematic for future Birmingham School scholars, particularly Paul Gilroy, who concluded that Williamss authentic and inauthentic types of national belonging followed the same racist rhetoric of British conservatives.  [57]  Milner, however, maintains that this was a distortion of Williamss original argument. He ultimately concludes that future scholars should reexamine Williamss position on race.  [58]   Similar to Milner, Donald Nonini and Christopher Prendergast presents Towards 2000 as the best evidence of Williams conception of racism and visible others in a post colonial context. Nonini cites Williamss observation that the most recent immigrations of more visibly different peoplesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦have misrepresented and obscured pasts.  [59]  Nonini continues that Raymond Williams did account for the differences within British culture and the contested nature of citizenship. For example, Williams wrote that when newly arriving immigrants interacted with true Englishmanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦angry confusions and prejudices were evident because of the repression of rural culture and people within Great Britain.  [60]  Nonini interprets this as a sign of Williams internalized colonist sentiment.  [61]  Therefore, Raymond Williams understood racism as the result of the hostility between the formerly integrated peoples and the immigrating more visibly different peoples due to colon ial ideology.  [62]  Moreover, Andrew Milner continues that Raymond Williams did not exclude blacks from a significant social identity with their white neighbors, as Paul Gilroy suggests highlighting Williamss analysis of rural mining communities in Towards 2000.  [63]  Additionally, Stuart Halls assertion that Raymond Williams not only questioned, but ruled out the possibility that relationships between blacks and whites in many inner-city communities can be actual and sustained is even more unfounded when analyzing Williamss work in Towards 2000.  [64]   Christopher Prendergast clarifies that Raymond Williams did not consider this as actual racism, but a profound misunderstanding due to purely social and cultural tensions between the English working class and who they perceived as outsiders.  [65]  While Williams seems to side with the ordinary, working-class man, Prendergast does specify that Williams did counter nativist claims in his conclusion that foreigners and blacks were just as British as we are.  [66]  Therefore, Prendergast maintains that Williams understood the limitations of a merely legal definition of what it is to be British. He adds that Williams felt that attempts to resolve issues around social identities were often colluded with the alienated superficialities of the nation which were often limited to the functional terms of the modern ruling class.  [67]  Ultimately, both Prendergast and Milner conclude that Raymond Williams was not oblivious to racial relations, citing Williams again: It is by working and living together as free as may be from external ideological definitions, whether divisive or universalist, that real social identities are formed.  [68]   While Milner and Prendergast offer an apologetic interpretation of Raymond Williams and colonial relations, Paul Giles and Forest Pyle emphasize Williams conception of culture as the liability in his analysis. In his essay, Virtual Americas: The Internationalization of American Studies and the Ideology of Exchange, Paul Giles cites Raymond Williamss idealized conception of community as an empowering and socially cohesive forceas problematic.  [69]  Williamss stubborn insistence in holistic communities and rooted settlements creates significant challenges when dealing with imperial relationships. Seemingly, Raymond Williamss cultural analysis accommodates a broadened conceptualization of culture that is inclusive of colonizer-colonized relations, yet this never materializes. Instead, Williamss understanding of the cultural experience becomes overtly exclusive of colonial others, minorities, and immigrants due to his naturalized and geographically localized notion of English nation al culture.  [70]  As outlined previously with Forest Pyle, Williamss appropriation of culture as inhuman and fictional due to the pervasive and elusive nature of the term itself in relation to colonial analysis.  [71]   Post colonial scholar R. Radhakrishnan provides a critique of Raymond Williamss cultural theory as a means of deconstructing Eurocentrism in a post colonial context. While Radhakrishnan acknowledges the insight provided in The Country and the City, he argues that Williamss continual self-reflexivity posits him in a contradictory position when it relates to colonialism and culture. Therefore his commentary becomes both oppositional-marginal and dominant-central and ultimately coincides with a demonstrably metropolitan voice.  [72]  As a result, those within the margins or periphery of dominant British culture are too easily and prematurely adjusted and accommodated within what Williams considered as a connecting process towards a common history.'  [73]  Radhakrishnan maintains that what differentiates post colonial scholars such as Edward Said or Paratha Chatterjee from Raymond Williams is their awareness and articulation of subaltern marginality that often negates Williamss n otion of a successfully transplanted method of cultural commonality.  [74]  In that sense British nationalism or culture can be enacted in the postcolonial context to the detriment of indigenous, peripheral cultures because it fails to speak for them. Therefore, Radhakrishnan concludes that Williamss cultural analysis is incapable of dealing with the nuances of either a colonial or post colonial world. Nevertheless, numerous scholars have worked to

Anorexia and Bulimia Essay -- Eating Disorders Health Dieting Essays

Bulimia Nervosa Eating disorders are devastating behavioral maladies brought on by a complex interplay of factors, which may include emotional and personality disorders, family pressure, a possible genetic or biologic susceptibility, and a culture in which there is an overabundance of food and an obsession with thinness. Eating disorder also may be defined, as self-abuse. Two of these disorders, anorexia and bulimia, result from the fear or overeating and of gaining weight. This paper talks about what bulimia means, its causes, symptoms, medical consequences, and treatment. - What is Bulimia Nervosa?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting, the use of laxatives or diuretics, strict dieting or fasting, or excessive exercise. Although the disorder can affect men, the preponderance of people with bulimia are female adolescents and young women. Many are self-critical, perfectionist women from high achieving families. There are two subtype of bulimia nervosa: purging and nonpurging, it occurs in 0.5 percent to 2.0 percent of adolescents and young adult women. Purging type: this subtype describes presentations in which the person has regulatory engaged in self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas during the current episode. Nonpurging type: this subtype describes presentation in which the person has used other inappropriate compensatory behaviors, such as fasting or excessive exercise, but has not regularly engaged in self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or ene mas during the current episode. Also, bulimics are usually of average or above average weight, there are ongoing feelings of isolation, self-deprecating thoughts, depression, low self-esteem, and there is a full recognition of the behavior as abnormal, for example: - Make excuses to go to the bathroom after meals. - Shows mood swings. - Buys large amounts of food, which suddenly disappears. - Has unusual swelling around the jaw. - Eats large amounts of food on the spur of the moment. - Laxative or diuretic wrappers frequently found in trash can. - If there is unexplained disappearance of food in the home or residence hall setting. - What causes Bulimia? Although the exact cause is not known, in a great majority of cases bulimia is thought to be related to a complex network ... ...n. Most patients can be treated on an output basis. However, other complications may indicate the need for hospitalization. Partial hospitalization programs are also available. Individual and group psychotherapy has been found effective, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy. Antidepressants, nutritional counseling, couples therapy and support groups may be a part of treatment. The primary goals of treatment are: - Normalization of eating patterns and daily caloric intake. - Elimination of binge eating. - Relinquishing self-evaluation based on body weight and shape. - Enhancement of self-esteem. - Improvement of problem-solving and decision-making skills. - Enhancement of coping skills. - Heightening of self-awareness of personal needs. - Development of a solid self-concept. Medications are sometimes used to assist in the treatment of Eating Disorders like bulimia however, is important to understand that there is no a "magic pill" those in recovery and on medication should also be in some type of therapy environment. Some of these medications are Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Effexor, Remeron, Wellbutrin, Luvox, Lithium, Desipramine, Imipramine, Xanax, and Naltrexone.

Disaster of Bangladesh

This article is about the distressing incident which took place in Bangladesh where 228 people died in the fall down of eight storey’s Rana Plaza. Rana Plaza had shops, offices and factories crowded with many people. But due to its substandard construction building got collapsed and fell down killing many people. While many of them got trapped and seriously wounded and the Bangladeshi government confirmed a day of national grief.Rana Plaza contained four garment factories which were supplying economical garments to global retailers like Primark and Bonmarchà © with their western customer base. Even it was announced that the building is no safer for work and needs to be evacuated on immediate basis but New Wave workers were forced to work in order to fulfill the orders of Primark and Bonmarchà ©. Initially both British companies accepted that New Wave was among their suppliers and committed to offer the possible support but later on refused to take any kind of responsibility in this regard.In the opinion of retail consultants and other professionals both of the companies are responsible to inspect and monitor the minimum working standards and overall conditions in which their designs and products are being produced as they are earning revenues by selling the same products. The cheap labour and workers who are working in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, SriLanka etc have the similar rights as of western workers and they should be equally acknowledged for their profession and work.Most of the big retailers like Primark, Bonmarchà © are outsourcing their products from under developed countries and their customers are getting benefits too of buying low priced items. The Government of Bangladesh and all under developed countries have to implement strict standards for construction of factories, industrial and commercial buildings in order to avoid such disasters. On the other hand the Governments of big retailers have to impose certain statutory regulations whic h will protect their manufacturers/suppliers in countries like Bangladesh.Lastly consumers have to play their role by using the purchasing power to force big retailers to follow a book of rule. I would like to add similar incidents which happened in the factories, commercial and residential buildings of Pakistan. Garment factories in the Pakistani cities of Karachi and Lahore caught fire on 11 September 2012. The fires occurred in a textile factory in the western part of Karachi and in a shoemaking factory in Lahore.The fires are considered to be the most deadly and worst industrial factory fires in Pakistan's history, killing 257 people and seriously injuring more than 600. The garment factory â€Å"Ali Enterprises†, which is located in Plot 67, Hub Road, Baldia Town, Karachi, used to export its garments to Europe and the United, and had employed between 1,200 and 1,500 workers. Ali Enterprises manufactured denim, knitted garments, and hosiery, and had capital of between $10 million and $50 million.Workers at Ali Enterprises said they earned between 5,000 and 10,000 rupees ($52 to $104) a month for their labour. Margalla Towers Islamabad, Pakistan got collapsed in year 2005. All of these incidents usually take place in developing countries due to the negligence of building owners, lack of construction standards, corruption and lack of governance. Conclusion: The only solution is to build and construct the industrial factories by following international construction standards in order to avoid such disasters.And international retailers should be very careful in selecting their production partners in order to have smooth supply chain function. The most sensible conclusion is to accept that responsibility is shared between companies and consumers. Put simply, all of us have a duty. â€Å"If we want to wear cheap clothes, which are made by people who work in these conditions, then there’s a moral responsibility for us as well as for the brands,â₠¬  says Ms Lissaman. Disaster of Bangladesh This article is about the distressing incident which took place in Bangladesh where 228 people died in the fall down of eight storey’s Rana Plaza. Rana Plaza had shops, offices and factories crowded with many people. But due to its substandard construction building got collapsed and fell down killing many people. While many of them got trapped and seriously wounded and the Bangladeshi government confirmed a day of national grief.Rana Plaza contained four garment factories which were supplying economical garments to global retailers like Primark and Bonmarche with their western customer base. Even it was announced that the building is no safer for work and needs to be evacuated on immediate basis but New Wave workers were forced to work in order to fulfill the orders of Primark and Bonmarche. Initially both British companies accepted that New Wave was among their suppliers and committed to offer the possible support but later on refused to take any kind of responsibility in thi s regard.In the opinion of retail consultants and other professionals both of the companies are responsible to inspect and monitor the minimum working standards and overall conditions in which their designs and products are being produced as they are earning revenues by selling the same products. The cheap labour and workers who are working in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, SriLanka etc have the similar rights as of western workers and they should be equally acknowledged for their profession and work.Most of the big retailers like Primark, Bonmarche are outsourcing their products from under developed countries and their customers are getting benefits too of buying low priced items. The Government of Bangladesh and all under developed countries have to implement strict standards for construction of factories, industrial and commercial buildings in order to avoid such disasters. On the other hand the Governments of big retailers have to impose certain statutory regulations which will pr otect their manufacturers/suppliers in countries like Bangladesh.Lastly consumers have to play their role by using the purchasing power to force big retailers to follow a book of rule. I would like to add similar incidents which happened in the factories, commercial and residential buildings of Pakistan. Garment factories in the Pakistani cities of Karachi and Lahore caught fire on 11 September 2012. The fires occurred in a textile factory in the western part of Karachi and in a shoemaking factory in Lahore.The fires are considered to be the most deadly and worst industrial factory fires in Pakistan's history, killing 257 people and seriously injuring more than 600. The garment factory â€Å"Ali Enterprises†, which is located in Plot 67, Hub Road, Baldia Town, Karachi, used to export its garments to Europe and the United, and had employed between 1,200 and 1,500 workers. Ali Enterprises manufactured denim, knitted garments, and hosiery, and had capital of between $10 million and $50 million.Workers at Ali Enterprises said they earned between 5,000 and 10,000 rupees ($52 to $104) a month for their labour. Margalla Towers Islamabad, Pakistan got collapsed in year 2005. All of these incidents usually take place in developing countries due to the negligence of building owners, lack of construction standards, corruption and lack of governance. Conclusion: The only solution is to build and construct the industrial factories by following international construction standards in order to avoid such disasters.And international retailers should be very careful in selecting their production partners in order to have smooth supply chain function. The most sensible conclusion is to accept that responsibility is shared between companies and consumers. Put simply, all of us have a duty. â€Å"If we want to wear cheap clothes, which are made by people who work in these conditions, then there’s a moral responsibility for us as well as for the brands,† says Ms Lissaman.

its not about the drugs essays

its not about the drugs essays The rave scene is one of those things that people who are not involved in the actual scene will never understand. People get their opinions made and wont change them no matter what anyone says. Stereotypes are all over the rave scene. The biggest one is that its all about the drugs, which is far from the truth. Ask and real and veteran raver, and the will tell you its about so much more. Its the music, the people, the atmosphere, the friendly feelings, and the inviting environment. Its not about the drugs. Drugs have been around for ages, and they have been done for ages. The bottom line with drugs is that if someone wants to do any kind of drug, they are going to do it no matter what anyone says, and no matter where they are. They are going to find the drug from someone, and most likely do it in a place where if something bad happens they would not be able to get help. At least at a rave there is security, and people around that would be of help if someone has any problems, or overdoses. People go to raves to have a safe feeling; its not about the drugs. The rave scene gets a bad name from the kids that are sneaking their way into raves. True underground raves, not ones put on by a radio station or with thousands and thousands of people, but small intimate parties with somewhere around 400 people, are for people ages eighteen and over. The only way for minors to get into a rave is to sneak in or to use a fake ID. If a minor has a fake ID, their parents should be worried about a few more things then their children going to raves. There are also many organizations that set up booths at raves to help the people who do choose to do drugs to be safe. There is an organization called dance safe that set up booths with pamphlets and test kits to test ecstasy pills to make sure they are safe to take. Many parents would say that they are encou ...

budget cuts essays

budget cuts essays Id like to inform you about the great deal of budget cuts happening everyday in our public school systems. One of the hardest hit is in our arts and music departments. The battle over NEA funding and other important foundations that are set up to benefit our youths are being challenged by the government at an alarming rate. Cutbacks in our schools budget force students in these departments to go without necessary supplies that are essential in the learning process. Id also like to show you why art and music education is essential to our childrens learning process, how it allows them to grow up to be well rounded citizens, and why as a country, we need to fight to save these programs. It seems to be a continuous battle for art and music educations demand for some respect. Many legislators feel the problem in our schools is that budgets where not amended to fit the rise of costs in our economy. And because of this there simply arent simple ways to fund these programs. Other reasons for problems in the arts and music departments budget is that even though there is inadequate funding schools pass programs without promise of long-term support. Thus, creating a cycle of budget problems. This is our problem. One particular agency, out of many, the NEA is facing problems that are similar to most in the art and music debates. The conservatives are pressing the case that, in the time of tight federal budgets, taxpayers cannot afford funding for the agency, which received a $99 million appropriation for fiscal 1997. The critics also argue that the agency continues to fund pornographic and blasphemous projects.(Freedman,p.624) As stated by Allan Freedman of Government and Commerce magazine, sums up the views some government officials are having concerning the NEA, an organization set up to benefit those in the art community. This organization is a powerful factor in terms of art education. The or...

Economic Injustice essays

Economic Injustice essays We live in a country today misrepresented by its own peoples' perception. The consensus that we live in the greatest nation in the world is not so much a feeling of nationalism as it is a forgone conclusion in the minds of millions of Americans. What a great many of these millions do not realize is that they are the victims of a government set up by our founding fathers to uphold a class system based on a very unproportional distribution of wealth. As the old saying goes, you need money to make money, and this is never more true than it is in the United States, the land where the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. Howard Zinn asks, "What is economic justice?" There is no clear answer, except to say economic justice simply does not exist. One might ask when all this came about. The nation started under the greatest of pretexts. A nation of democracy, equality, and freedom. But freedom from what? Taxation without representation? Or maybe just taxation. The argument has been made that our country was started by land and slave owning men who did not want to pay their taxes. But the truth is the nation was started by a group of very wealthy men, who did not intend for "all men are created equal" to apply to the distribution of wealth. True, times were very different then. But many ideas and laws from the late 18th century that have no place in the 21st century still apply in situations today. Look no further than the recent election. An old system of choosing the nations leader by electors, created in fairness to southern slave-owners who counted each of their "possesions" as two-fifths of a person, is preventing the nation from electing the majority's choice as president. The debacle that is now being called "Indecision 2000" should be a wake up call to Americans living under laws past in another age for a much different nation. No one denies that poverty is a problem in the United States, and even more so globall...

Evaluation of Foreign Modes of Market Entry Essay

Evaluation of Foreign Modes of Market Entry - Essay Example These are export, license and franchise, alliance, joint venture, and wholly owned subsidiary. Each mode will be discussed and analyzed in the subsequent paragraphs. In evaluating, we will find which among these modes would be the best entry strategy for our car manufacturer who wants to take advantage of the low cost of production and seek new market opportunities elsewhere. The company may choose any of these modes to enter a new market and the thing that could constrain them is the degree of control, reasons that could produce different strategies of market participants as discussed below. Exporting increases profitability. Some companies found exporting ideal because of advantages of increased profitability, spreading risks, economies of scale, and enhanced innovation (Dun & Bradstreet). Exporting means a firm’s sales of goods or services produced in the home market and sold in the host country through an entity in the host country (Investopedia. n.d.). Export increases pr ofitability because lifestyles and habits are different from each country, thus it opens up the wider opportunity for products and services much more for products that have reached declining stage in the local market, or demand has diminished. Exports are one of the oldest forms of trade and occur on a large scale basis between two countries that have fewer barriers to trade. The growth of car exports has been observed in China in 2012 reaching 1,056,091 units, an increase of 29% from 2011. Most of their exports go to emerging countries (â€Å"Top Chinese Automakers†.2013). Exporting allows the company to spread the risks US market is swamped with various car models, making it...China is one of the emerging economies today. It is predicted that in the distant future, it will overshadow the United States as a leading economy because these multinationals are eyeing on this country for market entry. My study offers four modes of entry and a richer definition for each mode. Next, I related the advantages and disadvantages for each. Literature review suggests various modes that coincided with my view. Strong findings that I put forward in the study prove that joint venture is the more popular mode of entry; that firms go into a joint venture to avoid too many legal restrictions of the host country and as an easy access. Control is significant in all modes of entry. Weighing things over, exporting has the least degree of control, followed by licensing, alliance, and joint venture while the highest form of control is the wholly owned subsidiary. The decision, however still depends on the ultimate objective of the foreign company in entering a foreign market.

Liv Doll by Spin Master Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Liv Doll by Spin Master - Research Paper Example Because of the special features using electronic components, Liv Dolls caught the attention of the teenagers all over the world. This paper briefly analyses the macro-environmental variables like; Political and legal, Economic, Social and cultural, and Technological factors  of Spin Master through the marketing perspectives of Liv Dolls. Global economic conditions are not so good at present which is not a good sign for the Liv Dolls of Spin Masters. People forced to cut down their expenditure on non-productive goods in order to streamline their family budget in the right track, especially in the dipping economic conditions. In other words, the toy market is facing stiff problems at present which is not a good sign for Spin master’s product, Live Doll. â€Å"Liv dolls are in stores now and retail for $19.99 and accessory items range from $5.49 to $19.99† (Spin Master Launches Liv Dolls, 2010). Spending 20 dollars for toy items was not a big thing earlier, but at present people forced to cut down even such small expenditures because of the recession problems. Spin Master says the girls are targeted at girls aged six to ten. The dolls include Daniela, Sophie, Katie, and Alexis. Spin Master says some features of the dolls include 14 points of movement, easy to change wigs, insert-able glass eyes, and detailed fashions. The Liv Dolls are adorable. They do have a passing resemblance to Bratz dolls because of the larger head size, but they don't look slutty like the Bratz dolls do (Spin Master Launches Liv Dolls, 2010) Spin Master completely redesigned the toy concept in the market. They succeeded in rewriting many of the traditional concepts about the designs and features of a toy, existing in the market.  

Hazards Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Hazards - Assignment Example The respiratory hazard has to do with dangers that are associated with works using respiratory protection, especially for the first time. In such cases, they may fail to use them properly and as a result, expose themselves to health risks by inhaling poisonous gases. Those affected are mostly working in emergency and fire rescue services where they are perpetually exposed to harmful fumes; other instances include when people work in areas of low oxygen concentration (Methner, 2000), workers welding in confined spaces, as well as abrasive blasting especially during mining. The risk assessment can be described as relatively high since the use of respiratory protection systems is common in the industrial sector. Incidences of contamination are likely to occur with a great deal of frequency since not many people are aware of all the protective measures. According to the 1910.134(a)(2), a respirator should be provided to all the employees as well as any other equipment necessary to ensure they are fully protected from respiratory hazards; the employer should be in charge of protecting and ensuring they are functioning safely and efficiently.The mitigative action that should include ensuring that the safety requirements are followed and the respiratory devices provided are functional after being inspected under the requisite standard regulation. In addition, employees should be furnished with training so that they can identify possible threats and take measures to protect themselves.

Link Between Language Acquisition and Learning Disabilities Essay

Link Between Language Acquisition and Learning Disabilities - Essay Example Behavioral as well as public elements as well need mastery, together with expertise such as connecting, acting in response, and sustaining mutual relations with others. The nature and value of these communication abilities show a discrepancy and modify in due course for successful communicators. From the age of 1 year till 3 years, there is a broad deviation in the level of standard speech and language improvement. Even though the series of signs is expected, the precise timing of their attainment may differ from person to person. Receptive language expertise usually grows earlier than a kid’s capability to create logical expressions, words, and sentences. For a number of kids, the improvement of language skills continues in a standard order although at a sluggish rate than standard. This situation is known as a delay in language acquisition. On the contrary, other kids seem to pursue a different order of language acquisition, which is known as a â€Å"disorder of development † (Shipley & McAfee, 2008). Disorders of language acquisition may have an effect on communicative capabilities only or both communicative as well as receptive capabilities. For kids who have â€Å"normally developed nonverbal cognitive abilities† (Shipley & McAfee, 2008), language issues that are harsh and asserted during the nonexistence of apparent neurologic offense or hearing injury are known as specific language impairments. The occurrence of specific language impairments varies, but a rate of more or less 9 percent of school going kids is mentioned usually. Specific language impairment is more common in males as compared to females, with ratios between 3.7:1 and 5.7:1. The more conventional approximation probably applies to the common population. The point at which a pediatrician become worried regarding a kid’s language development and feels the necessity to as for additional assessment is not an insignificant issue when considering the occurrence of the t rouble as well as the â€Å"developmental sequelae† (Grassi & Barker, 2009) of language disorders. More or less, one third to half of kids having acute language acquisition problems at the age of 2 years carry on to have delays at the age of 3 years. In addition, 65 percent to 95 percent of preschoolers who have language setback and regular nonverbal aptitude keep on showing language troubles up to the age of 20 years after the preliminary analysis. Even though â€Å"average or above-average nonverbal cognitive ability is a good prognostic indicator among children who have specific language impairments† (Lipson & Wixson, 2010), this results on its own does not guarantee ultimate improvement of standard language acquisition. Besides, constant language problems, kids who have specific language impairments are affected in educational, communal, and psychosomatic areas. The sort of language setback seems to be linked with result. Kids who have talking and phonology problem s usually have an enhanced diagnosis as compared to those who have wider impairments of both creation as well as understanding of language. Even though view on the way of dealing with language and speech problems in young kids differs significantly, there are common guiding principles. Kids between the age bracket of one and a half and two years, whose language understanding as well as expression is delayed should be sent for and

Cultural Diversity Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Cultural Diversity - Research Proposal Example Therefore to be able to take the optimum contribution of the workforce, companies will have to take care of their sentiments and requirements in such a manner that the workforce feels satisfied while working in the company and while interacting amongst each other. Multinational companies in particular have come to realise the importance of taking good care of their employees in such a manner that the diversity tends to become strength for the company. This study is therefore an effort to analyse how the diversity at the work place affects the working environment and how the companies can take better care of the workers by addressing the diversity concerns. During the study the policies of some of the companies will be studied to find out how they take care of their employees and manage the workforce. An effort would also be made to see how providing equal opportunities to the workforce helps these companies in strengthening the core competencies of the organization and what are types of challenges these companies have faced in the process. In such cases, the viewpoints of the employees too will be taken to see how well they are enjoying the diversity prevailing within the organisation and whether it is helping them in doing their bit towards the goals and objectives of the company. In the era of globalization, thanks to widespread proliferation... The researcher narrates interesting experiences of some of the companies like Texaco, Coca Cola, and Morgan Stanley. It is stated that initially these companies probably thought diversity was just a "good idea" too, until they got hit with lawsuits and much negative publicity. Millions of settlement dollars later, these companies saw the business case for managing diversity well and as a reaction have implemented many strategic diversity initiatives. Pamela Tudor therefore underlines the principle that in order to work with people from diverse backgrounds and be successful in the globalisation era, the prerequisite is effective management of diversity in the organisation. In recent years, China has emerged on the horizon as one of the fastest developing countries. Lower production costs are one main reason for its popularity as a major manufacturing hub. Many international companies, particularly from the western world have shifted their manufacturing facilities to China in order to take advantage of the cheaper labour costs. When MNCs prefer to take advantage of multi-location facilities, lower costs of production, and expertise from the world over, diversity is bound to be there at the workplace. While many of the managers and specialists are being sent to China from western nations, a number of Chinese and other people from South Asia are also being recruited at these manufacturing facilities. Taking good care of the employees therefore requires that the diversity should be managed effectively at these companies. Therefore, it will be interesting to study how the diversity is being managed by some reputed companies while taking care of employee's w elfare. Preliminary Literature Review The Chartered Institute

The Dynamic Legislative Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Dynamic Legislative Process - Essay Example I indeed responded to the five questions based on my opinion and my rating was that I was generally comfortable with how the congress work as opposed to the previous people who responded to those questions who said that they were fairly dissatisfied with how the congress operates. In section 3, I learnt a lot about how the congress work not according to the way the public think things should be done. For example in the opinion that the public thought that the congress was very slow in it process and Wilson responded this by saying things should not be that way because a public that is capable of doing good things quickly, it is also capable of doing bad things quickly. In the opinion of the public was that they dislike a congress that is always arguing and with conflict but Rosenthal opposed this and said it was very health when there is conflict in representative democracy as this helps to avoid concentration of power at any one place in the government. He argues that if America was to be a representative democracy, then conflict must exist between decision makers. I agree with Hibbing and Theiss-Morse when they write that "Much of what the public dislikes about Congress is endemic to what a legislature is" because they lack an appreciation for the ugliness of democracy. Lee Hamilton explained the real legis

Link Between Language Acquisition and Learning Disabilities Essay

Link Between Language Acquisition and Learning Disabilities - Essay Example Behavioral as well as public elements as well need mastery, together with expertise such as connecting, acting in response, and sustaining mutual relations with others. The nature and value of these communication abilities show a discrepancy and modify in due course for successful communicators. From the age of 1 year till 3 years, there is a broad deviation in the level of standard speech and language improvement. Even though the series of signs is expected, the precise timing of their attainment may differ from person to person. Receptive language expertise usually grows earlier than a kid’s capability to create logical expressions, words, and sentences. For a number of kids, the improvement of language skills continues in a standard order although at a sluggish rate than standard. This situation is known as a delay in language acquisition. On the contrary, other kids seem to pursue a different order of language acquisition, which is known as a â€Å"disorder of development † (Shipley & McAfee, 2008). Disorders of language acquisition may have an effect on communicative capabilities only or both communicative as well as receptive capabilities. For kids who have â€Å"normally developed nonverbal cognitive abilities† (Shipley & McAfee, 2008), language issues that are harsh and asserted during the nonexistence of apparent neurologic offense or hearing injury are known as specific language impairments. The occurrence of specific language impairments varies, but a rate of more or less 9 percent of school going kids is mentioned usually. Specific language impairment is more common in males as compared to females, with ratios between 3.7:1 and 5.7:1. The more conventional approximation probably applies to the common population. The point at which a pediatrician become worried regarding a kid’s language development and feels the necessity to as for additional assessment is not an insignificant issue when considering the occurrence of the t rouble as well as the â€Å"developmental sequelae† (Grassi & Barker, 2009) of language disorders. More or less, one third to half of kids having acute language acquisition problems at the age of 2 years carry on to have delays at the age of 3 years. In addition, 65 percent to 95 percent of preschoolers who have language setback and regular nonverbal aptitude keep on showing language troubles up to the age of 20 years after the preliminary analysis. Even though â€Å"average or above-average nonverbal cognitive ability is a good prognostic indicator among children who have specific language impairments† (Lipson & Wixson, 2010), this results on its own does not guarantee ultimate improvement of standard language acquisition. Besides, constant language problems, kids who have specific language impairments are affected in educational, communal, and psychosomatic areas. The sort of language setback seems to be linked with result. Kids who have talking and phonology problem s usually have an enhanced diagnosis as compared to those who have wider impairments of both creation as well as understanding of language. Even though view on the way of dealing with language and speech problems in young kids differs significantly, there are common guiding principles. Kids between the age bracket of one and a half and two years, whose language understanding as well as expression is delayed should be sent for and

The Dynamic Legislative Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Dynamic Legislative Process - Essay Example I indeed responded to the five questions based on my opinion and my rating was that I was generally comfortable with how the congress work as opposed to the previous people who responded to those questions who said that they were fairly dissatisfied with how the congress operates. In section 3, I learnt a lot about how the congress work not according to the way the public think things should be done. For example in the opinion that the public thought that the congress was very slow in it process and Wilson responded this by saying things should not be that way because a public that is capable of doing good things quickly, it is also capable of doing bad things quickly. In the opinion of the public was that they dislike a congress that is always arguing and with conflict but Rosenthal opposed this and said it was very health when there is conflict in representative democracy as this helps to avoid concentration of power at any one place in the government. He argues that if America was to be a representative democracy, then conflict must exist between decision makers. I agree with Hibbing and Theiss-Morse when they write that "Much of what the public dislikes about Congress is endemic to what a legislature is" because they lack an appreciation for the ugliness of democracy. Lee Hamilton explained the real legis

Brief description of Elio Engineering Essay Example for Free

Brief description of Elio Engineering Essay Elio Engineering is a company founded by Paul Elio and Hari Sankara for development and creation of late 1990s-era car seats. Paul? s seat was part of a special class of automotive seats in the industry called all-belts-to-seat (ABTS), and it was named NC seat (NC for No Compromise). Paul design seat called NC No Compromise since this seat would revolutionize the automotive industry making performance, weight and costs better than the competition. Presently due to its high cost, ABTS was used mostly in luxury and high end vehicles but with the design and idea of Paul, this technology becomes cheaper and can be implemented across all vehicle types for increased safety and comfort. A typical conventional front seat is priced around $500, lower cost compared with the ABTS seat that is like $750. One complete system costs an average of $2500. The seat mechanism, consisting of recliner and tracks, constitutes the technological core of the seat system. †¢ An ABTS integrates the seat belt directly into the seat that is potentially safer because it â€Å"hugs† the occupant in the event of rear collision. †¢ Ease of use, higher comfort level, more attractive appearance and maneuverability of removable seats. In order to launch their product, and knowing that Bostrom was looking for and ABTS, Elio achieved an agreement with the firm, so they could use their site and their facilities (the computers and electronic equipment to warrant the quality of the seat, meet FMVSS and NHTSA standards) to develop the product, otherwise Elio wouldn? t have enough resources to produce and set up the seat. Bostrom planned to unveil the NC Seat at an annual trade show in March of 1999 in Louisville, Kentucky. The size of the US truck Market in that year was expected to be around the 500. 000 units, with the company commanding a market share of 50%, the European Market was about the same size, but Bostrom had no presence there. Elio expected to be able to get 2 to 5 % royalties on sales in the truck industry. However, Paul had concerns if Bostrom is the right partner in this venture where the ABTS seat has the potential to save millions of lives. Potential Market Size for Elio ABTS Seat Technology Elio’s ABTS seat system with its new technology, lighter weight, lesser components, higher safety and reduced costs has the potential to revolutionize the automotive industry and become the technology of choice for OEMs. The market potential in Northern America is 17 million units and up to 53 million units worldwide. As mentioned in the blue ocean strategy of six paths analysis, Elio can also look at alternate industries like heavy trucks, aircraft and passenger trains for its ABTS seat systems (Kim Mauborgne, 2006). Partnership with OEMs While the ultimate users of automotive technology are the customers who buy the cars, it is the OEM’s who make the decision on the seat system that needs to be selected for their vehicles. The OEM’s expect the seat system not only to fit the body of a particular car model but for it to become a part of the total interior design. The three biggest OEM players in the US market are GM, Ford and Diamler Chrysler with 29%, 25% and 16% of the market share. These OEMs use complex and sophisticated market segmentation technics based on demographics and lifestyles to design car interiors and seat systems. These OEMs wield enough power to dictate to the suppliers their requirements at very small operating margins of 2 to 5% (Burgelman, Christensen, Wheelwright, 2008). Also, it is particularly pertinent in engineering driven companies that assume developing new innovative products would generate fabulous success, which is not the case. The product might be successful, however the innovator might not. Considering the aforementioned points, it is important for Elio not to disclose their exact costs to OEMs and also do not rely totally on the innovation of their new ABTS seat system for continued success without a complimentary car interiors option (Kim Mauborgne, 2006). As a result, it is not recommended for Elio to directly approach the OEMs with their ABTS business proposition. Partnership with Competitors Elio Engineering began their initial collaboration with Bostrom Seating, a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnstown America Industries, Inc. (JAII) for prototyping and testing their design of ABTS for FMVSS and NHTSA standards adherence. While their results were successful and the partnership appeared lucrative, JAII’s capabilities in terms of OEM relationships, global presence, acquisition capability, existing alliances, JIT inventory, comfort engineering, CAD/CAM/CAE, benchmarking, research development, product development process, interior systems capabilities, total program management, vertical integration, purchasing, in-house design, system level testing and financial growth were either weak or non-existent (Burgelman, Christensen, Wheelwright, 2008). In this regards, for Elio Engineering, JAII can be seen as early adopters (Moore, 2002), but for Elio to move towards dramatic growth, they will need an early majority (Moore, 2002). In Northern America, Johnson Controls (JCI), Lear Corp. And Magna are the big tier-one players. They have about 60% of the market share. JCI is a global diversified technology and industrial leader in automotive seating, overhead systems and interior electronics (JohnsonControls, 2010). JCI has a strong to adequate positions in OEM relationships, global presence, acquisition capability, existing alliances, JIT inventory, comfort engineering, CAD/CAM/CAE, benchmarking, research development, product development process, interior systems capabilities, total program management, vertical integration, purchasing, in-house design, system level testing and financial growth. Lear Corp. is weaker than JCI in engineering and manufacturing abilities but compensated on systems integration and tier-two relationships. Magna did not excel in any particular area but it had adequate capabilities in most areas. Additionally, JCI and Lear Corp. have a strong global presence too with 27% and 25% respectively in Europe. All the three tier-one companies have the research development and manufacturing capabilities to transfer know-how to develop commercially viable products (Burgelman, Christensen, Wheelwright, 2008; White Bruton, 2007). For Elio Engineering, partnering with a tier-one operator is the practical option due to the following reasons : †¢ Easy access to extensive manufacturing capabilities. †¢ Access to global markets. †¢ Access to sophisticated research and development facilities. †¢ Strong relationships with OEMs. †¢ JIT Inventory and efficient supply chain management. †¢ Good tier-two relationships. For Elio Engineering, partnering with Lear Corp. would be the better than JCI for the following reasons : †¢ JCI has strong RD set-up and they would have their in-house development for ABTS technology. Hence, Elio will have less bargaining power with JCI and possible conflict from JCI’s in-house team. However, Lear Corp’s R D is weak and they would opt for the ABTS technology from Elio to be able to better compete with JCI. This will enable Elio to have the better hand in negotiations. †¢ Lear Corp has the second largest market share in both Northern America and Europe after JCI. Lear Corp will be able to take advantage of Elio’s ABTS solution to increase their market share. †¢ Earlier attempts to associate with JCI were not successful for Paul. The above points indicate that with Lear Corp, Elio will be able to engage in equal terms and be in a â€Å"win-win† situation more than with JCI. References Burgelman, R. , Christensen, C. Wheelwright, S. (2008).Strategic management of technology and innovation (5th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Johnstown Controls. (2010). Company and Businesses. Retrieved from http://www. johnsoncontrols. com/ Kim, W. C. Mauborgne, R. (2005). Blue ocean strategy: How to create uncontested market space and make the competition irrelevant. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Moore, G. (2002). Crossing the chasm (Rev. ed. ). New York: HarperCollins Publishers. White, M. , Bruton, G. (2007). The management of technology and innovation: A strategic approach. Mason, OH: Thompson South-Western.

Environmental Impact of Tobacco

Environmental Impact of Tobacco Price Anders Environmental Biology Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Surgeon Generals report, approximately 443,000 U.S. adults die from smoking-related illnesses each year. In addition, smoking has been estimated to cost the United States $96 billion in direct medical expenses and $97 billion in lost productivity annually (Current Cigarette). These statistics are staggering yes, but beyond the mortal and economic effects of tobacco there is another overlooked downside to the continued use of cigarettes. This is the effects cigarette smoking has on the environment. In this term paper I will discuss the environmental effects of tobacco growing pesticides, tobacco and deforestation, the pollution involved with tobacco products, climate change and tobacco, and tobacco’s effect on food production. I will also discuss possible solutions to this tobacco problem. The pesticides used in the growing of tobacco have the potential to be very dangerous to our soil and wild life. Tobacco plants are delicate and susceptible to many plant diseases. Because of this, farmers who grow tobacco are required to use high levels of fertilizer, herbicide and pesticides (Healton). Among the pesticides commonly used are Imidacloprid, Dichloropropene, Aldicarb, and Methyl Bromide: Imidacloprid is extremely poisonous to fish, birds, and bees. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, Imidacloprid could potentially contaminate the groundwater surrounding crop land where it is used (Schmitt). Dichloropropene is an extremely dangerous soil fumigant that causes breathing problems, dermal and ocular irritation as well as kidney damage. It is widely used amongst tobacco growers in the United States (Schmitt). Aldicarb is deathly poisonous. One one-thousandth of one ounce is a lethal amount for any human. Aldicarb is also toxic to fish, birds, and bees as well as earthworms. It has been detected in the groundwater of 28 states in the US. In the US it was approved for use on tobacco plants as recently as 2007 (Schmitt). Methyl Bromide is an Ozone diminishing chemical. It is frequently used to disinfect soil before planting the tobacco seeds. In 1997, over five and a half million pounds of methyl bromide was used on tobacco fields worldwide (Schmitt). The majority of tobacco is grown in underdeveloped countries. These countries lack environmental laws, and the farmers don’t have the proper equipment or training for the usage of these dangerous pesticides. Not only are these farmers at risk from contact with these pesticides, but the harmful chemicals sink into the soil, eventually finding their way in to rivers and streams polluting the drinking water and many food chains. These pesticides could also be causing the formation pesticide resistant insects likes flies and mosquitoes. This could make the controlling of diseases such as malaria practically impossible (McLaren). In most western countries there are laws to protect tobacco farmers from any contact with pesticides. Nevertheless using these pesticides still poses a threat to humans, as well as our ecosystems. The chemicals used in tobacco pesticides have also been detected in groundwater in the United States. This is believed to be the cause of many wildlife deaths (M cLaren). As you can see the negative effects of these pesticides are a huge problem for our environment and should be better controlled. While pesticides are a serious problem involved with the production of tobacco products, another major effect that tobacco manufacturing is having on our environment is deforestation. In underdeveloped countries, trees are cut down regularly to provide more space for tobacco farming, and even more trees are chopped down for use throughout the curing process. After reaping, the tobacco plants must be dried, to preserve them for storing, transportation and treating. Sun drying involves leaving the tobacco to dry naturally, but this process can take many months. Most tobacco growers flue cure their tobacco, which involves hanging the plant in specialized curing sheds where hot air removes any moister from the leaves (Healton). Flue curing takes only five to ten days and farmers usually burn wood to heat up the air. Not to mention the wood that is used to build these special sheds and make the paper for smoking tobacco products. Because of all the wood required in this process over 600 million trees are cut down for tobacco production every year. In areas where tobacco farming is common, the further loss of trees causes the land to become even more susceptible to desertification. For example in Brazil, the harmful consequences of tobacco farming are becoming visibly clear in the form of forest destruction, erosion and extremely low water levels (Assistance and Management). When tobacco farmers were confronted with diminishing sources of wood, the tobacco industry tried to address the issue by convincing the tobacco farmers to plant trees. However, the farms set up by tobacco companies in many countries contain non-native, quick growing Eucalyptus and Cypress trees that negatively affect the ecosystems and lower the water levels even more (Assistance and Management). It is clear that the deforestation involved with production of tobacco is very harmful to the environment and needs to be addressed. The next harmful effect of tobacco I wanted to address is the pollution that is involved with the manufacturing and use of tobacco products. The manufacturing of cigarettes and cigars results in large amounts of waste like tobacco slurries, solvents, oils, paper, wood, plastics, packaging materials and airborne pollution. Making cigarettes creates solid, liquid, and airborne waste. These are major causes for environmental concern, but the chemical pollution is the greatest danger to our environment. In the US it was found that the manufacturing of cigarettes produced more than 27 million kilograms of chemical waste. 2 million of which was released into our atmosphere and environment (Schmitt). Not only are the chemicals involved in the production of tobacco products polluting our environment, but cigarette and cigar smoke are also known pollutants. Tobacco smoke is categorized as a Class A carcinogen by the US Environmental Protection Agency (Schmitt). Tobacco smoke also contains tra ces of radioactive material. When a cigarette is smoked this radiation isn’t just spread into the atmosphere, but it is also leached into the soil and waterways from the butts littered by smokers. Cigarette filters are made from a certain type of plastic that takes over 10 years to break down and decompose. It is estimated that around four and a half trillion cigarette butts are littered around the world every year, and have killed millions of birds, fish and other animals (Schmitt). Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the world. According to the Ocean Conservancy 2009 Report of Ocean Debris, cigarette materials accounted for nearly 30% of the total amount of debris collected in their annual clean up. That is more than double the numbers of any other item listed in the report (McLaren). The negative effects of tobacco pollution are extremely visible in our everyday world, and should be taken care of immediately. Another issue that is a little less visible than pollution is the effect tobacco manufacturing and use has on our climate. Every stage of cigarette production and consumption advances global warming, from the growing and curing of tobacco, to the manufacturing, and lastly to the smoking and littering of the finished product, not to mention the deforestation involved. The cutting and burning of wood and other fuels during the curing process involved in the manufacturing of tobacco ads to the global warming. Also tobacco farmers regularly burn trees to clear the land. This burning releases high levels of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This burning also means fewer trees available to absorb the excess carbon dioxide being created in the first place. Lastly, cigarette smoke also contains carbon dioxide and methane, thus contributing even more to the greenhouse effect and global warming (Healton). Although effects of smoking on our climate are more long term, they still need to be ad dressed. The final issue I want discuss is the impact tobacco has on food production. When farmers is less developed countries grow tobacco, there is less land available for food crops. Tobacco growing is rotational with other food crops, but tobacco makes soil extremely susceptible to wind and water damage which means that soil will sometimes be incompatible for food crops (Schmitt). Not only does the soil become unfit, but tobacco plants also use way more nutrients than other crops. This causes more soil degradation. It has been estimated that 10 to 20 million people could be fed by food crops grown instead of tobacco (McLaren). Although there is not much information behind this specific issue, the potential benefits of a halt in the growing of tobacco are very evident. Will all of the negative effects smoking has on our environment it is easy to see that something must be done. The easiest way to prevent further harm from being done would be to pass a law stating that the manufacturing of tobacco products is no longer allowed due to its harmful effects on our environment, our people, and our economy. This would eventually halt the growing and curing of tobacco crops because there would be no demand. Unfortunately passing these laws is easier said than done. Policies to increase the price of cigarettes and to restrict smoking in public places are much more feasible and are effective in encouraging many to quit. This is a step in the right direction, but smokers often à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ nd it difficult to overcome their dependence without help (Department of Health). Effective treatments to promote smoking cessation are available and need to be implemented in primary care, hospitals, pharmacies and other health settings.

An Analysis of Overbooking and Impacts on Customer Behavior Within the

Introduction This report seeks to investigate and analyse the main characteristics of overbooking and the impacts this can have on a hotels management systems and customers. It examines the consequences of both successful and ineffective overbooking management decisions depending on the way in which it is managed and the effect this can have on the hotels profitability of the hotel. It also looks at the effect that overbooking has on customer behaviour and loyalty and legislations that have been passed in the USA. Existing research on yield management analyses’ overbooking and how this can be implemented effectively within hotels, some researchers have then expanded upon this to incorporate effects on profitability, customer service and service recovery. Secondary data was collect through journals, books, hospitality related magazines and hospitality news articles in order to gain framework for the research topic. Literature Review Companies throughout the hospitality industry a keen to implement the most successful techniques in order to make the best of their efficiency and increase their profitability and yield management, including overbooking strategies which is important in the operation of a hotel to maximise revenue and are increasingly putting these in to practise throughout the company (Hwang et al, 2009), an unoccupied room in a hotel offers a revenue opportunity, whether or not the no show customer has paid for it. Overbooking forms a part of a hotels yield management, also known as revenue management and can be defined as â€Å"the application of information systems and pricing strategies to allocate the right capacity to the accurate customers, cost and time† (Kimes et al, 2003: 30), by expanding on this term it ... ...a donnybrook.†: Hotel Management Magazine, New York. Noone, B. & Kimes, S. & Renaghan, L. (2003) â€Å"Integrating customer relationship management and revenue management: a hotel perspective†: Cornell University, Journal for Hospitality Research. Simon, J. (1968) â€Å"An Almost Practical Solution to Airline Overbooking†: London, Journal of Transport Economics and Policy. Sulistio, A. & Kyong, K. & Byya, R. (2008) â€Å"Managing cancelations and no-shows of reservations with overbooking to increase resource revenue†: Washington, CCGRID '08 Proceedings. Talluri, K. & Van-Ryzin, G. (2004) â€Å"The Theory and Practice of Revenue Management†: New York, Springer Todorov, A. & Zhechev, V. (2010) â€Å"The impact of overbooking on hotels’ operation management†: Unknown, Unknown. Vickrey, W. (1972) â€Å"Airline Overbooking: Some Further Solutions†: Journal of Transportation and Economic Policy.

The Rivers Of France :: Geography France Rivers Water Essays

The Rivers of France The Rhà ´ne system The Rhà ´ne is the great river of the southeast. Rising in the Alps, it passes through Lake Geneva (French: Lac Là ©man) to enter France, which has 324 miles of its total length of 505 miles. At Lyon it receives its major tributary, the Saà ´ne. In eastern France the direction of the main rivers is predominantly north-south through the Alpine furrow. The regime of the Rhà ´ne is complex. Near Lyon the Rhà ´ne and its important Isà ¨re and Drà ´me tributaries, draining from the Alps, have a marked late spring-early summer peak caused by the melting of snow and ice. While this peak is generally characteristic of the river as a whole, it is considerably modified by the contribution of the Saà ´ne, of the Durance, and of some tributaries in the Mediterranean south as a result of the fall-winter rainfall peak. Thus the powerful Rhà ´ne has a remarkably ample flow in all seasons. The course of the river and the local water tables has been much modified by a series of dams to gener ate power and to permit navigation to Lyon. The Rhà ´ne also supplies cooling water to a series of atomic power stations. West of the Rhà ´ne, the Bas Rhà ´ne-Languedoc canal, constructed after World War II to provide irrigation, has proved to be an essential element in the remarkable urban and industrial development of Languedoc. East of the Rhà ´ne the Canal de Provence taps the unpolluted waters of a Rhà ´ne tributary, the Durance, supplying Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, Toulon, and the coast of Provence with drinking water and providing impetus for urban expansion. At its delta, beginning about 25 miles from the Mediterranean, the Rhà ´ne and its channels deposit significant amounts of alluvium to form the Camargue region. The Rhine system The Rhine forms the eastern boundary of France for some 118 miles. In this section its course is dominated by the melting of snow and ice from Alpine headstreams, giving it a pronounced late spring-summer peak and often generally low water in autumn. The Ill, which joins the Rhine at Strasbourg, drains southern Alsace. The Rhine valley has been considerably modified by the construction on the French side of the lateral Grand Canal d'Alsace, for power generation and navigation. The eastern Paris Basin is drained by two tributaries, the Moselle, (partly canalized), and the Meuse; the former reaches the Rhine by way of Luxembourg and Germany, and the latter, as the Maas (Dutch), reaches the Rhine delta at the North Sea by way of Belgium and The Netherlands.