Psychological theories Essay

There are several psychological theories that try to experience human behavior. They are mainly divided into six groups each with its focus (Burke, 2008). The behavioral theories look at human behavior based on the idea that it is through conditioning that behavior is acquired. Cognitive theories look at internalized states such as problem solving and motivation. Developmental theories offer thoughts on human development, growth and learning. Humanist theories look at human experiences as part of collective human needs and condition. Personality theories examine patterns of behavior, feelings and thoughts unique to a person. Social psychology theories examine social behavior and social phenomenon. All the theories look at human being and try to explain it (Burke, 2008). The theories offer as well knowledge that can sometimes help modify behavior. Growing up my experiences have led me to prove or disapprove some of these psychological theories. On reflection some theories seem to explain the behaviors that I exhibited. Developmental theory. One of the theories that explain my behavior as a teenager is the social learning theory. The theory proposed by Albert Bandura argues that one of the ways that people learn new behaviors is by observing other peoples behavior (Bandura, 1976). In my case, growing up as a new cheerleader I looked at how other girls behaved at cheerleading tournament to decipher what the proper behavior was in certain situations. By looking at how my teammates remained optimistic and cheered wildly even when our team was down, I imitated their behavior as the right thing to do. Bandura offered concepts to basic social learning. To begin with social learning depends on and begins with observational learning (Bandura, 1976). He identified three models of observational learning; a live model, a verbal instructional model and a symbolic model (Bandura, 1976). In my case, I was modeling my behavior after live models who were my teammates. Social learning also involves mental states. While extrinsic reinforcement plays a big role in learning, intrinsic reinforcement influences behavior. He found that reward received on the inside of a person like satisfaction and pride influences learning and subsequent behavior. In my case, one of the rewards was fitting in with my teammates. The cheerleading squad was very close and if one did not fit in they would be treated as an outsider. So I observed the skills of my team mates especially those who were able to rally everyone. By following in their footsteps, I was soon able to encourage my teammates even when our team was doing poorly. I was happy that soon they would not want to attend any cheering games without me around and nominated me to be head of the cheerleading squad. Looking back, I can see that my behavior was fueled by the internal reward of acceptance and admiration. Bandura also noted that though learning may take place and new information may be gotten, behavioral change may not occur (Bandura, 1976). Some factors affect the process of learning influencing the outcome. Models who inspire interest facilitate learning since learners can give them the necessary attention required for learning. In my case, I had always admired the cheering squad of our school. As a result, I fully dedicated myself to the process of learning how to be like them. Everything that the leader taught us was something I had always wanted to know and I felt lucky to have the leader mentor me. A learner’s ability to retain information gathered affects learning (Bandura, 1976). If information can not be retrieved, it can not be acted upon. One of the factors that affect retention of information is a brain’s condition. A young brain like mine was without defects was able to retain information and retrieve it. Being able to retain the information and retrieve it meant that the learning would be a continuous process (Bandura, 1976). Next in the learning process is reproduction of the observed and retained behavior. In my case I got a lot of opportunity to reproduce the desired behavior. Every time we had a tournament I would practice the behavior I was learning. With lots of practice, I was able to have the same behavior the other cheering squad members had and no one might have known who learnt from whom. Motivation plays the last part of learning (Bandura, 1976). Motivation to learn the desired behavior can be through direct reinforcement of the learner or what the learner observes others receive. In my case, seeing the admiration the cheering squad got even before I joined them motivated me to pursue joining the squad. After joining the squad, I noticed how the cheering squad members got attention and praise. I was therefore motivated to excel in my cheering skills. Personality theory One of the personality theories that can also explain my behavior is the trait personality theory. The trait theory proposes that people’s personalities are made up of diverse inclinations (Burke, 2008). The traits are stable characteristic that make people behave in a certain manner. Several traits when playing together are what make up a personality. Several psychologists have come up with proposals of personality. One of the personality categorization is the Big Five personality which presents five dimensions to the human personality that determines our behavior (Burke, 2008). One of the five dimensions is extraversion referring to an individual’s expressiveness of emotional feelings (Engler, 2008). In my case being emotionally open I was able to express what I wanted from the cheering squad and if I was unhappy I found myself voicing my disapproval. Sometimes the squad would make fun of teams playing against our team. I would always be open about my disapproval and would not participate if I felt that our behavior was closing the line. The second dimension is agreeableness referring to attributes that promote social behaviors (Engler, 2008). Some people are able to be sociable with others and fit in quickly with the cheering squad. Mingling with others would be the highlight of my day and I found that I always picked activities that leaned towards socializing. Whenever a new member joined the squad I would be curious to know about them and I was the one introducing them to the others. The third dimension is conscientiousness referring to traits of organization, impulse control and goal centered behaviors (Engler, 2008). People with these traits behave in ways that are organized. In my case I was praised for my punctuality and seriousness in our training. I found that if I was serious with my goal I had to see it through by giving it the right time and effort. Many trainees dropped out because the training required lots of dedication. For me, school work and my training could be combined by thoroughly planning all the details involved and being aware of what each needed. The fourth dimension is neuroticism referring to people who tend to exhibit anxiety, moodiness and emotional instability (Engler, 2008). Despite being in similar situations with others, these tend to show different reaction. In my case I found my time as a member of the cheering squad to be fun. Though many times things didn’t go the way I wanted them to, to brood over that would rob me of opportunities to have a good time. By being myself, I was therefore able to enjoy my cheering time and I look back at it with happiness. The last dimension is openness (Engler, 2008). People with this trait show a lot of interests, insight and imagination. These people usually have many hobbies and are involved in many activities. In my case being a member of the cheering squad was only part of the many interests I had. I was a member of about five clubs and a leader in three of them. I was happy to be a cheering squad member and enjoyed coming up with new routine moves. I became the youngest cheerleader in the history of my school and we had the most unique routines during competition thanks to my creativity and the invitation I gave to all the members to share their creations. Although the developmental and personality theories do not fully explain all my behaviors during my cheering time in school, they enlighten some of the behaviors and explain why I behaved the way I did. References Albert Bandura. (1976). Social Learning Theory. New jersey: Prentice Hall. Barbara Engler. (2008). Personality Theories. Boston: Wadsworth publishing. Peter, J. Burke(Ed. ). (2006). Contemporary Social theories. Carlifornia: Stanford Sciences.

Global Warming effect on Hair care Industry Essay

â€Å"It is the gradual increase of the temperature of the atmosphere near the earth’s surface as a result of the increase of what we call â€Å"greenhouse gases† since the industrial revolution. Those gases are, water vapor, Carbon Dioxide,Methane,Nitrous Oxides and Ozone† (â€Å"Global Warming† ). This phenomenon is considered a healthy natural procedure because, when the light from the sun hit the earth’s surface reflects off this surface toward space ,but doesn’t easily pass through the greenhouse gases blanket of the earth. Some of the sun’s light and heat are trapped keeping the planet at an average temperature suitable to life, which is about sixty degrees Fahrenheit(â€Å"Global Warming† ). As we said ,Global Warming as a natural process is not harmful, but the growth in industry,agriculture,transportation and technology revolution has produced additional quantities of greenhouse gases along with other harmful substances such as â€Å"Chlorofluorocarbons† or â€Å"The CFCs† (â€Å"Global Warming† ). That made earth’s atmosphere traps more heat and light than it is required, so earth is facing a dangerous future with scientists predictions of high temperature ages to be coming. Global warming has a long term effects on our planet. Some of those results are, Melting of polar ice with a resulting rise in sea level and coastal flooding; disruption of drinking water supplies ;profound changes in agriculture due to climate change; extinction of species as ecological niches disappear; and an increased of tropical diseases(Girardet 19). We may consider some global warming effect as following: †¢ Greenhouse gases are accumulating in earth’s atmosphere as a result of human activities, causing temperatures to rise. Global average temperatures warmed by about 1 ° F in the twentieth century and could increase by 2. 5 ° F to 10. 5 ° F in this century(Speth 56). †¢ Human-induced warming and sea-level rise are expected to continue throughout this century and into the next(Speth 56). †¢ This warming is caused by the cumulative effects of several greenhouse gases that have built up steadily in the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion and deforestation, methane from fossil fuels and agricultural activities, nitrous oxide from agricultural activities and the chemical industry, and specialty chemicals including CFCs(Speth 56). †¢ Global warming could well have serious adverse societal and ecological impacts by the end of this century, and temperature and sea levels could also continue to rise well into the next century even if societies stabilize the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere(Speth 56) Hair care industry tools â€Å"Every woman knows how you look is essential to how you feel† (Make a date with your hair 73) No. 1 women magazine â€Å"Cosmopolitan† started an article with that word. Hair dressing is essential to all women on this planet. What ever you men laugh or criticize, they will still go to coiffures and hair dresser all over the world. Also men are not far from hair care. Men nowadays care a lot about how do they look like and hair look became essential for them too. More products are produced and invented every day to help those stylists to accomplish good looking hair cut and a soft ,long and strong hair texture for every woman. Every hair stylist, uses some essential products such as: †¢ Shampoos: They are used in washing and cleaning scalps and hair from dirt and moist. They remove unwanted amounts of oils with substances called â€Å"Surfactants† that produces foam. The most famous surfactants are, â€Å"Sodium Laureth Sulphate† and â€Å"Sodium lauryl sulphate†,which are written on every shampoo bottle. They considered harmful (Burke) . Some kinds of natural oils are used in making shampoos. Anti-dandruf kind of shampoos are using substances like Ketoconazole,Selenium sulfite or ZPT(Doctor NDTV). †¢ Conditioners: They are used in softening hair after washing it with shampoo. Conditioners coat the hair with protective material such as silicone making the hair feel softer, shiny and less likely to tangle. Silicones are the base substance in making conditioner along with natural oils such as shampoos(Burke ). †¢ Hair dryer, curling irons and hair crimpers: Those are electric devices used to dry wet and curling it using hot air blowout . They produce heat and consume more electricity ,and it may cause damage to hair if heat was high. Many kinds of those gadgets are designed to produce more heat to style thick strands of hair(Sloane ). †¢ Hair sprays and hair gels: These products are using many different kinds of polymers used to sustain the hair’s look and keep it stable (Make a date with your hair 73). †¢ Hair dyes: Products that are used to change the color of hair for many weeks. Bleaching is achieved by oxidation with â€Å"Hydrogen Peroxide† (Hocker and Popescu 36). †¢ Hair cut equipments: Like scissors,clippers,electric trimmers, brushes and combs. Every day millions of men and women all over the globe is cutting and brushing their hair. Every time that happen ,lots of hair are lost ,removed and thrown a way. Hair Chemistry â€Å"Biologically, hair is the filamentous appendage on the skin of mammals. Chemically, it is a composite material in which both the reinforcing fibers and the matrix are made of proteins† (Hocker and Popescu 36). Hair fibers, roughly cylindrical with diameters ranging from 10 µm to 100 µm, are multicellular tissues. The heart of the fiber is surrounded by the cuticle, made of plate-like overlapping cells whose heights can reach up to 1 µm. Each cuticle cell has four layers: the epicuticle; the a-layer; the exocuticle; and the endocuticle. Inside the cuticle, the cortex contains spindle-like interlocking cortical cells, with cell membrane complex in-between. Each cortical cell is composed of macrofibrils embedded in an intermacrofibrillar material. Each macrofibril consists of microfibrils, called the intermediate filaments (IF), themselves embedded in an intermicrofibrillar matrix composed of intermediate filament associated proteins (IFAP). Thus, hair is a composite material with a complex dual structure at all levels(Hocker and Popescu 36). In brief, elemental analysis of hair shows, remarkably independently of hair origin, 50wt% carbon, 7wt% hydrogen, 22wt% oxygen, 16wt% nitrogen and 5wt% sulfur(Hocker and Popescu 36). Global warming effects that relate to Hair care industry Global warming especially alarms bioenvironmentalists and social greens, because the three main greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) arise from core economic activities (automobile use, electricity generation, factories, agriculture, and deforestation),while the main consequences (rising seas, severe storms, drought, and desertification) are beyond the lifetimes of politicians and business leaders—perhaps occurring in 50 to 100 years. And the impacts, when they are most severe, will be mostly felt by the poor, marginalized peoples of the world. Obviously, lowering greenhouse gas emissions will involve major changes to global economic production and consumption patterns (Clapp and Dauvergne 39) not only hair care industry in the near future. It will require, too, governmental, corporate, and personal sacrifices. It’s known now that a huge part of earth’s warming is due to human activity. Humens are destroying the planet and global warming is one way for that. Global warming has many bad effects as we briefed earlyier. It’s more likely to discuss how hair care industry affecting the global warming . It what was announced by Al Gore, American former vise-president and Nobel Prize winner in Bali climate conference held this month that hair cuts and thrown away hair cutting decay, give massive amounts of green house gases, which contributes to the severe global warming crisis. They wanted us to go baldy (â€Å"Al Gore Finds New cause of Global Warming†). We will discuss how global warming affect the hair care industry with all the climate change criteria and harmful gases found in the air . A different point of view but a remarkable one to study. Environmental scientists predict that, from global warming of 0. 8 °Ã¢â‚¬â€œ2. 0 °C will â€Å"commit† 18–35 percent of animal and plant species â€Å"to extinction† by the middle of the twenty first century (Clapp and Dauvergne 35). Plants are the main source for natural oils and substances used in making hair products such as, Cacao extracts, Grape seed oil, roses, safflower and even bananas. Tropical plants are the most used in this industry. Global warming effect on those plants are very svere, so that hair care products are having problems in getting its raw mterials. Many surfactants for example are derived from plant oils like coconut or palm kernel (Hargreaves). Even if hair products company are saying they don’t use animals in their experiments, they still use them and with the bad effect of climate over different animal species, Those companies will not be able to develop their future products. Global warming is a result of what we called greenhouse gases(â€Å"Global warming†) . Some of them are harmful gases like,Cabon dioxide, nitrous oxides and Ozone(not the ozone type in the upper atmosphere). If we study the situation of every gas we may find that, higher concentrations of carbon dioxide—could mean an even higher rate of extinctions of animal and plants species, because they breathe Oxygen just like we do and as we said before that may lead to less natural products for hair care industry and less development to those products(Clapp and Dauvergne 54). In the air, nitrogen oxide from fossil fuel combustion reacts with volatile hydrocarbons and sunlight to produce smog, a nasty mix of photochemical oxidants, one of which is ozone (Speth 72) and according to hair chemical composition, hair absorbs moisture due to the polar amino acid residues of the inside of the hair (Hocker and Popescu 36), this cause harm to hair, which make it essential to repeat hair treatment processes and it may cause hair and scalp disease. Nitrogen Oxides can also become nitric acid and contribute to acid deposition through acid rains, which also contains harmful substances to hair health (Speth 45) . Acid rain is also a cause for water supply pollution due to rain falling on open water sources such as rivers and lakes, Polluting water sources may directly affect the hair care industry, due to the daily use of water in washing hair for probably every one. Acid rain coming from Nitrogen Oxides may pollute soil, forests, and crops (Speth 86) and of course making the same effect on plants and animals that are essential to hair care industry. Acid rains made thousands of lakes have â€Å"gone acid† (Speth 53), that means any kind of swimming of any of those lakes or water area contaminated by acids may cause hair loss or diseases. After a few years, scientists predict that global warming will cause shortage in universal water supplies . that may cause less water washing habits (Elsworth), less hygiene and of course it may cause diseases. Global warming is making the atmosphere on earth hotter than before (Girardet 19) and sunlight concentration is one of the most harmful effects on human’s health. Skin cancers are believed to be caused mainly by sunlight . Skin cancers may spread over the body even into hair scalp, causing severe hair loss (Armstrong 141-55). Losing hair for both men and women are emotionally destructive, so both of them may use hair wags or artificial hair parts to cover there baldness. Some kinds of skin rashes due to water or air pollution with green house gases may cause hair loss also(Doctor NDTV). Climate change ,high humidity ratios and long time sunlight effects are all factors that can injure the hair or make them very dry (Doctor NDTV)and of course that what would global warming do. Attitudes toward Global Warming and their effects Men and women and even Hair care companies started a new attitude in dealing with global warming and climate change problem. First of all, we must admit that hair care products with all their chemical materials, packaging bottles and even the misusage of these products are a big problem causing more and more environmental threats. Government started putting some regulations and laws to fight global warming increase . Hair products companies that still use harmful ingredients such as ,Sodium Laureth sulphate and sodium lauryl sulphate [they are found to be a cause for some kinds of cancers]( â€Å"SLES†),started searching for natural alternatives to use in shampoos, conditioners and any other products. Companies are increasingly becoming aware of environmental issues . Some companies are now trying to use technology in making hair products with excellent suspending power, low freezing point and wide thermal stability range(-5 ° C to 50 ° C) (Burke ),so that they may survive the global warming bad effects. Companies also targets to make new products with reduced environmental impact over the upcoming years, in an attempt to improve the environmental profile of its products and their packaging materials by reducing CO2 emissions, energy and water consumption used to make those products. Some of those companies continue with some environmental projects like Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program done by P&G hair Products Company (Product & supplier news). Governments also put under Current pressure to move away from non-renewable petroleum feed stocks and towards plants as sources of raw materials, which has led to a lot of effort on developing surfactants from oleo chemical feed stocks. Many recently-developed surfactants are an attempt to satisfy the modern consumers’ desire for products to be ‘more natural'(Hargreaves). The elimination of Chlorofluorocarbons (â€Å"Global Warming†) is also another effort to decrease the global warming effect not only on hair care industry but on any other human activity. Many people is trying to avoid using chemicals in their hair care regimes. Instead, they are using natural herbs and oils extracted from organic plants that is planted under observation to avoid pollution. Because of this hard effort to produce such substances, they are sold in high prices, not every one could be able to use those organic products. Also going to hair saloons became unadvisable from many environmental scientists, they are not environment friendly, which cause many to abandon those saloons and of course causing financial lost to many of those hair care branches. Maybe some hair saloons will only specialize in organic and natural products and because of the high prices of their products, only rich people will keep going to them. Bali Climate Change Conference (â€Å"Al Gore Finds New cause â€Å") declared that haircuts may raise green house gases amount. Maybe in the future, every body is going bald to avoid environmental crisis or even worse, we may be not able to even wash our hair, just like Cate Blanchett (Elsworth) is doing now. Climate is treating our hair badly, let’s all go baldy. Works Cited â€Å"Global Warming. â€Å"The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th,New York. 2004. Clapp, Jennifer, and Peter Dauvergne. Paths to a Green World:The Political Economy of the Global Environment. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2005. Surviving the Century:Facing Climate Chaos and Other Global Challenges. Ed. Herbert Girardet. London: Earthscan, 2007. Speth, James. Red Sky at Morning: America and the Crisis of the Global Environment. USA: Yale University Press, 2004.

Adolescent Development

There are mutual influences between an individual and their social environment. There are also at-risk factors involved in the life of a developing adolescent that interconnects with a series of reciprocal systems. I can recall as a developing adolescent quickly maturing into adulthood, the many social, economic, external and internal influences that contributed to certain at-risk behaviors. These type of influences impacted me directly and indirectly. I was influenced by the several environments I was in, and I also contributed to influencing the environment around me. Attempting to exert control over uncontrollable circumstances only lead to desperate situations and weighty consequences. However, learning to accept my present circumstances, and how to appropriately respond to the hardship and temptations in life developed positive life changes. Individual human development occurs within interconnected and embedded ecological systems (McWhirter et al, 2013). The ecological systems include the individual, the microsystem, the mesosystem, the exosystem, and macrosystem (McWhirter et al, 2013). The individual consists of genetic and biological factors, and personality characteristics (McWhirter et al, 2013). The microsystem consists of the people that the individual comes into direct contact with and who the individual interacts with (McWhirter et al, 2013). The mesosystem is the embedded interconnections between different microsystems and the impact of the interactions that take place (McWhirter et al, 2013). The exosystem consists of the interconnections between one or more settings that indirectly involve the individual (McWhirter et al, 2013). The macrosystem represents the social blueprint of cultural values, societal structure, gender-role socializations, race relations, belief systems, and national and international resources (McWhirter et al, 2013). The chronosystem is the interconnection and interaction of the individual within different environments, and is the transitions that occur during the course of the individual’s lifetime (McWhirter et al, 2013). These interconnecting systems are referred to as the ecological model, and assumes that the individual is continually interacting with his or her environment  that produces constant change due to mutual influences (McWhirter et al, 2013). Part A – The Ecological Model The core of who I really am involves the combinations of my genetic predispositions, evolutionary and biological components, personality characteristics, and the ongoing process of behavioral, cognitive, and affective experiences (McWhirter et al, 2013). Who I am has a lot to do with my experiences in life, my responses to life events, and the social and environmental influences and interactions involved. The ecological model provides a greater understanding of how I influence my environment and my environment influences me. This is important because it is through the interactions of the ecological systems that help me better understand myself and others. The Individual. I entered the world with an umbilical cord wrapped around my neck, struggling to live due to insufficient oxygen intake. As a child I was very susceptible to illness. As an adult I discovered that I was living with an autoimmune disorder. I have very vivid fragmented memories as a child of several doctor office visits. At the personal level, I was a very fearful, anxious, angry, socially withdrawn child who experienced an unstable, insecure, neglectful, abusive, and dysfunctional home environment. The structure of personality develops in childhood and continues to develop in adulthood (Caspi, Roberts Shiner, 2005). I developed a combination of extraversion and introversion traits. These traits show themselves depending on how safe I determine the environment around me to be. As a child I experienced positive and negative emotionality. I at times struggle with viewing the world as a safe place and occasionally viewed it as threatening. I experienced anxious distress with a tendency toward anxiety, sadness, insecurity, and guilt. As a teenager I experienced darker emotions such as anger, frustration, and irritation. I developed agreeable personality characteristics as a child. In adulthood I sometimes struggle with the fear of rejection, self-acceptance, people pleasing tendencies, self-awareness, and feeling comfortable in my surrounding environment and own skin. I also developed a strong motivation to achieve academically, and have a strong sense of independence. As a child and through my teenage years I was not allowed to have an opinion or express individuality, which resulted in the inability or challenge to think on my own, questioning who I am through life stages, fearful of making decisions on my own and especially decisions I need to make on behalf of others, and codependency issues. The Microsystem. I grew up in a traditional family household for a time being that consisted of my mother, father, and sister. Although, it was considered a traditional two parent household, my father was rarely home, and when he was home he was unavailable. My mother was emotionally unavailable and suffered from manic depression. My mother stayed at home and my father was either out working or pursuing one of his addictions. My family was homeless until I was the age of 5. We had lived and slept in my father’s suburban, randomly stayed with strangers, and at times lived in a recreational vehicle. I assumed responsibility and care of my younger sibling, my mother, myself, and household chores. I entered the stages of maturity alone and without parental support. The lack of positive parenting during my adolescent years made me vulnerable to at-risk risk behaviors such as premarital sex, tobacco use, substance abuse, gang involvement and mental and social disorders (Clinton Clark, 2010). At the age of ten I was removed from my parent’s custody and placed in foster care where my sibling and I were separated and placed in different homes. In the foster system I was only allowed to socialize at school, and attended church depending on whether or not my foster parents at the time deemed it necessary. My sister and I went through several foster home placements which resulted in the loss of security, the loss of our personal possessions, and sense of belonging. Being bounced from home to home, it was difficult maintaining a close friendships with others. I developed an internal mechanism of being friendly with everyone, but not allowing myself to develop a close friendship with others. As I gained independence and freedom in my later teen years and early adulthood, I became more involved in church. The Mesosystem. I grew up in a rural community with a lack of parental involvement. There were no real established mesosystem relationships. The environment was inconsistently positive and very negative at times. Since school was my outlet, I strived for academic excellence and successfully achieved it. School seemed to be the only sense of stability. The Exosystem. Outside agencies that developed policies and created public resources were an indirect benefit to me as an adolescent and young adult. During childhood, I was able to eat lunch at school, and enjoy extracurricular activities such as Campfire Girls, cheerleading, and Key Club. I was given accessibility to the basic needs that my parents could not afford such as cloths, food, and shelter. As an adult, several community resources helped my daughter and escape and terminate a domestically violent relationship. The Macrosystem. During adolescence I was exposed to abuse, neglect, and violence first hand and via the television. My father grew up in the south and was very racist toward certain nationalities and races of people. The cultural context consisted of low socioeconomic status (SES), poverty, and experiencing our Native American ethnic background and being exposed to several conflicting belief systems. I grew up on a culture where corporate punishment was an acceptable practice. The culture valued individuality, independence, and self-reliance. I grew up in poverty with a prevailing crime rate not as noticeable as it is today. Social norms included the overuse of antibiotics (McDonnell Norms Group, 2008), and the use of drugs and alcohol were socially acceptable. Chronosystem. A pattern of environmental events, transitions, and sociohistorical circumstances contributed to my development over my lifespan. Both of my parents lived disloyal and adulterous life styles. Overtime, there unhealthy and dysfunctional patterns of relating to each other resulted in a separation. My father died when I was 17 years old. My parent’s marriage legally dissolved at the time of my father’s death. My mother remarried multiple times. My sister and I were exposed to their dysfunctional lifestyle, which tremendously impacted our lives. I personally, transitioned through many of life events by experiencing two divorces, being a single-mother of four children for quit sometime, remarrying and adjusting to a blended family, the loss of my oldest daughter, and facing the social political arena at work. The soil of my family growing up consisted of poverty, low socioeconomic status (SES), judgmental and racist attitudes, abusive and neglectful home environment, and conflicting belief systems. The three primary roots are family, school, and peer groups (McWhirter et al, 2013). My parent’s inability to raise my sister and me in a loving, secure, stable, and nurturing environment, and expose us to family conflict, abuse, neglect, lack of parenting, being emotionally unavailable, and an unstructured home environment contributed to my dysfunction and the at-risk behaviors in my life. The school system was unaware of our life circumstances and did not any support. My sister ended up dropping out and getting involved with drugs. I became sexually involved with my boyfriend at the age of 15 and became pregnant at the age of 16. My daughter gave me the drive to continue my education and succeed academically in order to provide her with a better life. I was withdrawn during my adolescence and teenage years. Although, I made intent to get along with everyone, I did not associate with everyone. The peer group I involved myself in strived for academic excellence and engaged in positive extracurricular activities. The trunk of the at-risk tree representing my life consisted of low self-esteem, and depression. The branches of at-risk categories in my life were high-school dropout, substance abuse, risky sexual behaviors, and suicide. I was at risk for teen pregnancy and became pregnant at the age of sixteen. I succumbed to sexual activity with one partner in high school that resulted in teen pregnancy. I was very fortunate that at risk behaviors did not escalate. My tree was broken and bruised and produced damaged fruit. Instead of running to quick gratification I learned to run to God. I found my value and security in Christ. My branches although bruised eventually healed and produced good, healthy fruit. It took a lot of effort, drive, motivation, will, and trusting God in the midst of temptation and hardship. I was fortunate to have a variety of Gardeners in my life from Christian counselors, law enforcement, human service workers, youth group leaders, Sunday school teachers, and church mentors who helped me redirect my lifestyle. I learned how to be academically successful, a loving, supportive, caring mother to my children, a hard worker of integrity, and to do the right thing when the wrong thing seems easier at the time being.

Florida Legislative Policy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Florida Legislative Policy - Research Paper Example Another argument against allowing nurses contends that Nurses are not well trained enough to dispense controlled substances. Nurses are deemed well trained enough to prescribe all other kinds of medicine. If nurses are well qualified enough to handle all other kinds of medication, it seems unreasonable to assume that nurses cannot prescribe controlled substance based drugs. If nurses around the nation can prescribe controlled substance based drugs without a hiccup then so can nurses registered in Florida because they are just as well trained. Ironically the bill to allow nurses to prescribe controlled substance based drugs has not been able to make it through the legislature for the last decade and a half despite attempts to the contrary. Some institutions in Florida are already taking a giant stride and are supporting the nurses’ cause such as Lee Memorial Health System. ... If nurses around the nation can prescribe controlled substance based drugs without a hiccup then so can nurses registered in Florida because they are just as well trained. Ironically the bill to allow nurses to prescribe controlled substance based drugs has not been able to make it through the legislature for the last decade and a half despite attempts to the contrary. (Aertker, 2011) Some institutions in Florida are already taking a giant stride and are supporting the nurses’ cause such as Lee Memorial Health System. Such a restrictive policy for nurses affects the medical care profession significantly. The need to have a certified physician at hand at all times to get a controlled substance prescription is both wasteful and tends to stretch already scant resources. Moreover, the need to consult a physician every single time lowers the morale of nurses. There has been talk of reduced enrolment in the nursing profession due to this restriction. Florida is already deficient in nursing staff and this status quo is not favourable at all. Nursing practitioners are commonly the only health care professionals who are taking care of patients in rural areas in Florida. Other areas that are deficient in physicians are also looked after by nurse practitioners. People without insurance also frequently visit free clinics that are staffed more or less exclusively by nurses. Susan Lynch a nurse working at clinics in Deland and Sanford relates that when she is seeing patients, often patients looking for common medicine such as cough syrup with codeine or refills for ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) medicine are faced with two choices: visiting a hospital

Race and Racism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Race and Racism - Essay Example Thesis statement: An investigation by exploring the factors, historical evolution, and ways that changed the meaning of race to racism. I. The factors that change the meaning of race throughout history The factors that change the meaning of race mainly include phenotypic /geographic features, cultural characteristics, ethnic characteristics, and socio-economic status. A. Phenotypic /geographic features: One can easily identify that the phenotypic characteristics of human race is closely related to its physiological properties which deeply influence behaviour traits and genetic characteristics. To be specific, the phenotypic characteristics of a race differentiate the same from other races. But the phenotypic features that can be seen among different races are not based upon scientific foundation (Rattansi, 2007, p.75). Still, the physical features that can be seen among the members of different human groups are different. From a different angle of view, the phenotypic characteristics of a specific race are forwarded to the next generation by the means of inheritance. Besides, this continuation of genetic peculiarities undergoes modification and deeply influenced hereditary and environmental factors in general. The geographic features that can be seen among different races are closely related to their surroundings. These geographic features are helpful to differentiate and identify the similarities and differences among different races with innumerable numbers of genetic features. B. Cultural characteristics: The cultural characteristics acquired by different races are indebted to its origin, growth and development. Besides, the term/concept of culture was originated in Europe (18th and 19th Centuries) and is related to the sphere of improvement in different fields of human development. The concept of cultural characteristics within the evolution of different races can be defined as the development through education, by means of folklore culture or literature. E thnic groups can be defined on the basis of specific cultural characteristics (Ritzer, 2009, p.439). To be specific, the people who share certain genetic and cultural characteristics can be termed under a specific ethnic group. Within this scenario, cultural characteristics of the evolution of race transformed itself into national aspirations. Later in 20th century, the term culture acquired importance in the field of anthropology. The importance of cultural characteristics of a specific race can be evaluated as the human capacity to encompass almost all the experiences and to act according basic instincts and to transfer it into imagination and creativity. In addition, the cultural characteristics are closely related to the living condition of different races. After the World War II, the term cultural characteristics acquired a different meaning and importance by connecting it with the development of human race as a whole. C. Ethnic characteristics: The ethnic feature of different races within human race is an important factor that did change the meaning of race throughout history. For instance, one’s ethnic feature helps one to differentiate oneself from other races or to find similarities within one’s own race. Besides, the ethnic feature helps different races to create cohesiveness within a specific ethnic

Kenya Airways Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kenya Airways - Assignment Example The airline was initially owned by the Government of Kenya until the year 1995, and it was privatized in 1996 and since then it has become the first African flag carrier in successfully doing so. Today Kenya Airways is a public-private partnership. In this regard, the shareholding of this partnership is as follows Government of Kenya (29.8%), followed by KLM, which has a 26.73% stake in the company. The rest is held by private owners. (Kenya airways.ac.ke) Â  Being first flag carrier in Kenya its stocks are traded in different exchange markets this includes Nairobi Stock exchange, the Dar-es-salaam Stock Exchange, and the Uganda Stock exchange. Kenya Airways has become widely considered as one of the leading Sub-Saharan operators and became a full member of sky team in June 2010 and a member of African Airlines Association since 1977 and it has had quite a tremendous growth with 4,834 employees as per June 2012. Â  The airline has been using web sale service and this has shown some tremendous growth of USD 28.6 million in ticket sales compared to USD 24.2 million in the previous year showing a growth rate of 17.9%, with total revenue of USD 95.2 billion which is an increase of 26.3% above prior year. Â  The management of Kenya Airways has given a report that the profitability of the company has been affected by some factors this includes high fuel prices, the euro crisis and a generally weak economy in the West. Despite this, the management has announced a high turnover of USD 107.9 billion which represent a 26% increase on prior year turnover of USD 85.8 billion, profit after tax realized was USD 1.66 billion compared to the prior year of USD 3.5 billion. Â  

Autism as a Learning Disability in the School System Research Paper

Autism as a Learning Disability in the School System - Research Paper Example To increase the learning experience of children with ASD in special school, it is important to maintain a small group of students in each class, provide autistic children with intensive intervention of at least 25 hours per week and 12 months per years, document each child’s learning development, and accurately identify the specific needs of the students in order for them to effectively remove the students’ learning barriers. As a life-long non-curable disease, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neural developmental disorder that is often characterized by having impaired verbal or non-verbal communication and social interaction aside from showing repetitive behavior such as the act of arranging objects in stacks or lines, continuous hand flapping or making unusual sounds, body rocking, and ritualistic behavior like eating the same food each day or performing a ritual when dressing (Geschwind, 2008; Lam & Aman, 2007). In most cases, autism is four times more prevalent among male as compared to female individuals. As reported by the Autism Society, at least 1 percent of the entire U.S. populations of children between the ages of 3 – 17 years old was diagnosed with ASD (Autism Society, 2010). As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007), between 1 to 1.5 million Americans today are suffering from the health and learning consequences of ASD (ibid). Autism can lead to a learning disorder. Based on the report of the National Institute of Mental Health, ASD can include a number of other disorders including Asperger's disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, Rett’s disorder, Pervasive developmental disorder, and autistic disorder  

Physics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Physics - Essay Example With relation to topic of World, physics encompasses essentially all of nature including the laws and properties of matter and the forces acting upon them. Especially the causes, that modify the general properties of bodies, like light, magnetism, electricity, quantum effects, gravity etc. Physics studies every motion, from objects as small as neutrons to as massive as planets. It also studies the forces, and the interactions between bodies. It is the study of the most fundamental interactions between time, space, energy and matter. "We have sought for firm ground and found none. The deeper we penetrate, the more restless becomes the universe, all is rushing about and vibrating in a wild dance."(Max Born) Physics answers these and many such questions. Let us consider our last question, we often wonder why an object in motion stops suddenly, it is due to the Frictional force. There are many things in this world that makes the presence of Friction felt. For example, when we try to push a table across a room, we experience a resisting force which makes our work much more difficult, and this is the frictional force. It is a well known phenomenon in the universe that any bod... . Physics answers these and many such questions. Let us consider our last question, we often wonder why an object in motion stops suddenly, it is due to the Frictional force. There are many things in this world that makes the presence of Friction felt. For example, when we try to push a table across a room, we experience a resisting force which makes our work much more difficult, and this is the frictional force. FRICTION: It is a well known phenomenon in the universe that any body which is in state of motion on any plane, left to itself automatically comes to rest after traveling through some distance, this is due to Friction. It is the resistive force acting between bodies that tends to oppose and damp out motion. Types of friction: 1. Static friction 2. Kinetic/dynamic friction 3. Rolling Friction Static friction: The Static force of friction ( fs ) is the force of friction between two objects when there is no motion. Consider a block' B' which is resting on a horizontal table. Let a small pan be attached the block by means of a horizontal thread passing over a smooth frictionless pulley. When the weight in the pan is less, the block does not move because the pulling force or applied force' p' is balanced by the frictional force' f' which is called static friction.. If the weight in the pan increases further then the block tends to slide over the surface. At this stage the force of friction also reaches a maximum value called limited friction. Thus the maximum or limiting value of force of friction that comes into play when the body just begins to slide over the surface of another body is known as Limiting Friction. Dynamic Friction or Kinetic Friction: The Kinetic force of friction ( fk ) is the force of friction between two objects

Based on your analyses of The Catcher in the Rye and two films Essay

Based on your analyses of The Catcher in the Rye and two films demonstrate one lesson developed in these texts about the role of - Essay Example The characters of Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the many characters in John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club, and Kat and Bianca Startford in Gil Junger’s 10 Things I Hate About You all struggle to maintain relationships with their parents while discovering their own identities, yielding different results in each situation. From the beginning of The Catcher in the Rye, it is evident that Holden Caulfield’s relationship with his parents isn’t quite what it is supposed to be. Holden discusses how he has been kicked out of school and yet, his parents are entirely unaware of it. He also expresses that he has no desire to come home. Right there, it was evident that Caulfield had a disconnect from his parents. Part of this disconnect may have been related to the fact that Caulfield was sent away to boarding school for so much of his life. Not only did he go to boarding schools, but he went to multiple boarding schools due to failin g out of one after the other. It is clear that he is a deeply emotionally disturbed individual throughout the novel, and yet his parents are insignificant figures in his life, as seen in the novel. Mr. and Mrs. Caulfield were not entirely to blame for this, of course. The family had gone through a great deal of emotional turmoil outside of Holden’s personal circumstances. Outside of the novel’s action, Holden’s older brother Allie, who serves as the family’s â€Å"golden child†, passed away from leukemia. Of course, this had an effect on Holden, his parents, and the relationship between them. As parents who are in mourning, their other children may not be on the forefront of their minds, as unfortunate as it may be. The consumption of their attention by the death of their child does not mean that they love their other children any less. Rather, they are preoccupied by the situation at hand. Consequently, the remaining children may feel as though th ey have been forgotten or are unimportant. In Holden’s case, he feels as though he’s living in the shadow of his deceased brother. Studies show that â€Å"Most children are resilient when bereaved, and their adaptation is facilitated by positive and authoritative parenting,† (Dowdney). Unfortunately for Holden, his bereavement process has not been facilitated. Rather, he has been in boarding school, where he has no choice but to sort things out for themselves. Coupling this with general teenage angst, it is extremely difficult for Holden to establish his own place in the world, let alone establish a healthy relationship with his parents. Each character in John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club has an intricate relationship with their respective parents. Their difference in social status also further the complexity of these relationships, as well as their behavior as a result of these relationships. In this film, the parent-child relationship is explored in a way in which we see how it effects the individual’s search for them true selves. In John Bender’s case, he adopts his tough guy persona as a way to mask the feelings he has over being physically abused by his father. Studies have shown that â€Å"Adolescents are at risk of academic failure, school drop-out, delinquency, and substance abuse. Some investigators have suggested that a history of family violence or abuse is the most significant difference between

A personal experience on a vaction trip to paris,france Essay

A personal experience on a vaction trip to paris,france - Essay Example I was really excited to see the Eiffel Tower because I had read many stories about it. â€Å"The Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris and likely the most recognizable landmark of the city. It was built by Gustave Eiffel for the World Exhibition of 1889 and it was never meant to be a permanent addition to the citys skyline. Initially, the artists and writers of Paris expressed their strong disapproval regarding to the tower, but later generations commended it. The figures are impressive (like the fact that it weighs 7000 tons) but forget about them and try to enjoy the sight.† (Places to Visit in France) After visiting the Eiffel Tower I wanted to see Sainte-Chapelle. Many people believe that it is the gateway to heaven, I have read so many true stories about the uniqueness of this church, it sounded so special, and I decided that I had to see it for myself. I was very impressed, the church was exceptionally beautiful, I had seen many churches earlier in my life but, indubitably, this one was special and really beautiful. After visiting the beautiful church I headed towards the museum in Paris. This was on the top of my must see places so I headed straight towards fulfilling my wish. The museum had a great collection; it had some rare coins, transcripts and so on. These things were very rare and this was, perhaps, why they were locked inside a museum. The entry inside the museum was not free, but it was not too expensive and going to the museum in France was a one of kind experience. Notre Dame Cathedral was my next destination. This cathedral is very famous for its gothic architecture and this is exactly why I decided to see it and it was certainly not a letdown. This cathedral is located in the heart of the city and several tourists visit it day in, day out. I decided to relax; and what is a better place to relax than the Luxembourg Gardens? Several tourists go to these gardens regularly in order to relax and find

Person- Centred Counselling in Action by Dave Mearns & Brian Thorne, 1988 Essay Example for Free

Person- Centred Counselling in Action by Dave Mearns Brian Thorne, 1988 Essay Person- Centred Counselling in Action by Dave Mearns Brian Thorne, 1988 Person-centred counselling originated in 1930’s and 40’s from the work of the American psychologist Carl Rogers. Rogers came to believe that as it is the client who is hurting, then ultimately it is the client themselves who holds the answers about how best to move forward. At the time, this approach was a departure from others forms of counselling which relied on clients being advised, guided or somehow influenced on which direction to take. Using the person centred approach, it is the counsellor’s job to help the client connect with their own inner resources enabling them to find their own unique solutions. In this book the authors undertake to explain the theories and principles of person centred counselling by relating them to actual practice. The book is intended as a practical and comprehensive guide for trainee counsellors, those training them and also for established counsellors wishing to familiarise themselves with the person centred approach to counselling. Coming from the standpoint of someone just starting out as a trainee counsellor, the writer was first attracted by the short, snappy title of ‘Person Centred Counselling in Action’. The word ‘action’ hints that the work will not be a dry, difficult to read book concentrating only on the theoretical side of things but the reader will actually get to see how the process works in practice. In this regard, the book did not disappoint. -2- The main body of the book explores in some depth, the conditions (known as the core conditions) of empathy, acceptance and congruence, which are essential to the practice of the person- centred counsellor. The final three chapters draw on one particular case study showing how the core conditions are used in practice. These final chapters look at the experience from both the counsellor’s and the client’s point of view. The writer found the contents of the book to be written in a logical fashion and in the main uses straight forward language. The writer felt that the down to earth style of writing and avoidance of jargon made the book more accessible than some others of the same genre. Also very helpful is that as  new concepts are introduced, examples of the concept being discussed are highlighted in boxes throughout the text. This helped to reinforce the writer’s understanding of ideas that are unfamiliar to her at this stage of her learning. One of the main themes of the book is an in-depth exploration of the three elements that make up what is referred to in person centred literature, as the ‘core conditions’. In the first chapter the book clearly states what these are as follows: â€Å"The creation of a growth producing climate in a therapeutic relationship requires  That the counsellor can: 1. be genuine or congruent 2. offer unconditional positive regard and total acceptance -3- 3. feel and communicate a deep empathic understanding† While this statement is useful for clarity it is obvious on reading further that these conditions are not easily attained. They take commitment on the part of the counsellor to develop and maintain these attitudes and are so significant, say the authors, that not only do they have profound implications for the counsellor’s professional practice but also for the counsellor’s life as a whole. This thought makes the writer pause and reflect on how powerful the core conditions are and the words ‘life changing’ spring unbidden to mind. Although in practice, the core conditions are inextricably linked, for the purposes of this review the writer has chosen to focus on the book’s exploration of acceptance or ‘unconditional positive regard’. The authors speak of unconditional positive regard as being an attitude held by the counsellor and give the following clear definition: â€Å"Unconditional positive regard is the label given to the fundamental attitude of the person-centred counsellor towards her client. The counsellor who holds this attitude deeply values the humanity of her client and is not deflected in that valuing by any particular client behaviours. The attitude manifests itself in the counsellor’s consistent acceptance of and enduring warmth towards her client†. It struck the writer that although this attitude of unconditional positive regard can be viewed as highly commendable, it may also in practice, be difficult to attain. The writer agrees with the -4-  authors’ opinion that unconditionality cannot be guaranteed due to each counsellor being fallible, human and having personal limits. The writer however questions the authors’ statement that â€Å" the person centred counsellor is likely to be ‘less conditional’ than most other people with whom the client will relate†. The writer feels that this is a sweeping generalisation of clients’ relationships and may not be true. That said, the writer believes that the attitude of unconditional positive regard is one that every counsellor, irrespective of tradition, should actively seek to develop and maintain. The authors pose the question â€Å"Why is unconditional positive regard important? † In answer to this question a picture is drawn of a client who has been brought up to believe that it is only by meeting conditions imposed on them by significant others that they have any value. By consistently having an attitude of unconditional positive regard and by valuing the client in their own right, irrespective of conditions imposed by others, the counsellor is directly challenging the client’s long held beliefs about their self- worth. The authors describe the client as being in a negative, self-defeating cycle, not expecting to be valued and relate to others by being self-protective or defensive. They may well be displaying behaviours that drive others away such as being inappropriately aggressive, not showing any feelings or perhaps withdrawing from any demanding social contact. In driving others away, the client’s belief that he is unworthy or unlovable is reinforced. The authors explain that by having an attitude of unconditional positive regard, the counsellor can gradually break into the client’s self- defeating cycle. Once the cycle is broken, the client -5- no longer needs to be defensive towards the counsellor. His fear reduces and an environment of trust and safety is created where the client feels able to explore what troubles him. The authors claim that not only will the client have been influenced to question conditions of worth imposed on him and been helped to become less defensive but that somehow the client will begin to experience the counsellor’s attitude for himself and begin the journey towards self-acceptance. The writer, though inexperience, agrees with the writers’ view that the counsellor’s attitude of unconditional positive regard can eventually have dramatic positive effects for the client. The writer also takes on board the authors’ advice to bear this dramatic effect in mind, early in the therapeutic process when the client can display a number of difficult, off-putting behaviours. There was some discussion by the authors about ‘defensive’ clients. They give examples of three clients with very different problems. Mary an unkempt 45 year old lady with poor personal hygiene who is filled with self-loathing; Roger a hard-nosed 35 year old, cut-throat business man who blames his wife for all their marital problems and James a suspicious, angry 18 year old who used most of his first counselling session to verbally abuse the counsellor. It later became clear that the three clients had four things in common: 1. They all had a deep sadness, 2. Felt intensely unloved, 3. Did not love themselves and 4. Were all extremely vulnerable. The authors note that although the clients behaviours were very different their defensiveness was acting as a shield which repelled others and hid what kind of people they really were. The -6- authors advise that unconditional positive regard means that the counsellor should not be put off by these behaviours but should continue to value the worth of the client and eventually earn the right to be given access to what lies behind the shield. The writer can imagine that it could sometimes be difficult for the counsellor to accept their client. The authors examine this problem in some depth and also give practical steps for the counsellor to take when confronted with this situation. They advise the conscious use of empathy which helps the counsellor to focus more on the client and less on her own negative feelings towards the client. Using empathy can also encourage the client to open up more and cause the counsellor to question her earlier judgement. The authors also suggest that it would be beneficial for the counsellor to explore the matter more fully in supervision. The dislike belongs to the counsellor, say the authors and is therefore her responsibility to deal with it and not blame the client for her feelings. In the chapter on unconditional positive regard, the authors go onto discuss in some depth other matters worthy of consideration and study such as ‘Can the Client Accept My Acceptance? Focus on Warmth’, ‘Focus on Conditionality’ and ‘Accepting the Client who loves you’. Unfortunately time does not allow the writer to discuss these topics any further. The writer found the whole book very engaging and informative and would recommend the newer edition to anyone wanting to learn more about person-centred counselling. Its ‘hands on’ style is very readable and gives many useful examples of the process in action. In conclusion, it ‘does what it says on the tin’! (Word Count 1,565)

Energy drink Essay Example for Free

Energy drink Essay Introduction The marketing mix (tool largely used by marketers) is composed of the tactics being developed by a company in the 4 Ps areas: product, price, place and promotion, to assist them in pursuing their objectives. These variables have to be carefully managed by the organisation to meet the need of the defined target group. In this essay, we are going to focus on the product variable of the marketing mix. Phillip Kotler has defined the product as: anything that can be offered to a market to satisfy a want or need (Philip Kotler, Marketing Management, 2000). The product, but also its name and packaging, have a major impact on the brand positioning. They are fundamental tools in helping the company to induce trial and repeat purchase; they are also invaluable to achieve the desired awareness levels and to form positive attitudes among both customers and perspective customers. Highly profitable and attractive (giving the trend that consumers are increasingly looking for convenient drinks that boost their energy levels), the energy drinks market is highly competitive. A Mintels research (Market Trends category analysis, June 2004, www.PreparedFoods. com), found little brand loyalty among consumers of energy drinks, and a willingness to try a new product if the brand of choice is not available. This suggest the possibility that consumer could be swayed by the appeal of an intriguing package for instance. In this context, we will try to analyse, with the help of the example of the energy drinks, the importance of the naming and packaging tactics employed by the brands to differentiate their offer from the competition (given that the generic attributes of the energy drinks, in terms of composition, are quite similar). 1 Naming and Packaging: marketing mix tools of the product 1. 1 The products levels Philip Kotler, in Principles of Marketing, suggested that a product should be viewed in three levels (a division between five products levels has also been identified by the author but in our case, we are going to keep the simpler scheme of three levels). (source : www. learnmarketing. net/product. htm, 14/09/2004) The core product (level one) represents the core function of the product, a generic attribute that will be identical to all products on a specific market. For example, the main attribute a customer is willing to find when buying an energy drink is a liquid which composition will comprise ingredients that boost his or her energy levels (caffeine, guarana, taurine ) The actual product (level two) involves the brand, the packaging and the possible added features (benefits) that are provided to differentiate the companys product from its competitors. In the case of the energy drinks, if all of them actually provide a liquid that increase energy levels, some of them are sold in cans, other in plastic bottles or in aluminium bottles, using different designs and volumes. The augmented product (level three) is composed of the different additional non-tangible benefits that the company is offering to the customer. This comprises normally added services such as after-sales service, warranties, delivery It is difficult for a company providing energy drinks to differentiate itself from the competition through this kind of attributes. This is why we decided to focus on the second level of the energy beverages, their name and package. (www. learnmarketing.net/product. htm, 14/09/2004) First, what lies behind the concepts of naming and packaging? 1. 2 Naming The naming of the product, service or company is called branding. A brand or name is the label that consumers associate with your product. For this reason, a brand or name should help communicate the products positioning and its inherent drama for the consumer (Roman G. Hiebing Jr and Scott W. Cooper; The successful marketing plan, a disciplined and comprehensive approach; 2003). McCarthy, Perreault and Quester define branding as the use of a name, symbol, design or combination of the three to identify a product and more particularly a brand name as a word, letter, or group of words or letters used to identify a product (Basic Marketing, a managerial approach; 1997). 1. 2. 1 The visual distinctiveness of a brand The name is composed of the title by which the company, product, or service is commonly known and the graphic forms of identification, including symbols, logotypes or signatures, tag lines, and representative characters (Roman G.Hiebing Jr and Scott W. Cooper; The successful marketing plan, a disciplined and comprehensive approach; 2003). Some products, as paper clips, or energy drinks, are poorly differentiated by their physical attributes. One of the marketers tasks will be then to develop the brand in terms of its name and its graphic identity (logo), to communicate its differences. Nowadays, the consumers have an astonishing and increasing array of choice. In parallel, their available time to research products and make purchase decisions is decreasing. The importance of having a distinctive name is critical to securing competitive advantage, even more for the products such as the energy drinks, which core specificities have become insufficient to make a real difference. Consumers must be able to recognize the company in its name, logo, graphics and brands slogan; these must provide means of identifying the product as different from that of the competitors, create a visual and verbal distinctiveness. For example, the name and logo of Ralph Lauren (a polo player) have become high means of recognition for the brand. Coca-cola is one of the best-known names in the world (even the characters type can be identified and recognized by the customer nowadays). Some companies, which offer different product lines, can use manufacturer brands, a name provided specifically for a product or collection of products that is different from the manufacturers one. For example, Powerade is the sport beverage supplied by Coca-Cola. Pepsi-Co sells a sport drink line under the name Gatorade. If the name is the more important element of the brand, one mustnt forget that a brand cant be simply reduced to its name. What is important are the positive associations that are going to be related to the brand in the customers mind (Philip Kotler, Marketing Management, 2000). 1. 2. 2 Selecting the right name A good brand name can help create brand familiarity (really important in the case of energy drinks). In general, good brand names are:  · short and simple (easy to recognize and remember)  · easy to pronounce  · should be able to be pronounced in all languages  · suggestive of product benefits (but not too generic)  · avoid any potentially undesirable connotation or image. (Roman G. Hiebing Jr and Scott W. Cooper; The successful marketing plan, a disciplined and comprehensive approach; 2003). 1. 3 Packaging 1. 3. 1 Definition For manufacturers, packaging holds and protects the product and assists in communicating the products attributes and image. For retailers and service firms, packaging is the inside and outside environment that houses and dispenses the product/services (stores, offices, etc ), and it helps communicate the companys attributes and image (Roman G. Hiebing Jr and Scott W. Cooper; The successful marketing plan, a disciplined and comprehensive approach; 2003). Kotler has defined the packaging as the activities of designing and producing the container for a product (Philip Kotler, Marketing Management, 2000). 1. 3. 2 The functions of packaging Three functions lay behind the concept of packaging: protection, facilitating the product usage and communication. At its basic level, the package serves to protect the product (prevent breakage, exposure to light, exposure to air, spoilage ) and, in some cases, to hold or to contain it. Packaging also plays a role in protecting the consumer as well. Then, the package has a facilitative role in the use of the product (shape, size, fact that it can be resealed ). Finally, the products package represents a strong communication tool, at two levels. First, the package will comprise indications on the brand name, the product category definition, the composition, the flavour, warnings, directions Second, packaging also serves an important role in promotion. Its design, size, shape, materials, colour, text and brand mark should appeal to the target market. For example, yoghurt designated to the women on diet will not have the same package than yoghurt targeting the children. Besides, in todays cluttered environment, where tens of thousands of brands are fighting for the shoppers attention, consumers are making more and more purchase decisions at the point of sale. This is why the package, through graphics and colours that are attractive, plays an important role in getting the product noticed in the selves (to encourage impulse purchase for instance). (Philip Kotler, Marketing Management, 2000; Roman G. Hiebing Jr and Scott W. Cooper; The successful marketing plan, a disciplined and comprehensive approach; 2003). 1. 3. 3 The importance of packaging Packaging is a critical marketing tool. It can make an important difference from the competition by meeting customers needs more effectively. A better box, wrapper, bottle or can may help to emphasize the distinctiveness or novelty of a product or even result in the opening of a new market. It can even improve the product by making it easier or safer to use and then increase its value in the customers mind. Used correctly, the package can then underline the brand image, convey qualities such as freshness, fashion and quality (McCarthy, Perreault Quester; Basic Marketing, a managerial approach; 1997). It is important that the packaging elements align with the rest of the marketing strategy to support it (pricing, advertising and other marketing tools). For example, an expensive perfume would rather be sold in a crystal bottle than in a plastic one, to underline and support the prestigious image (Philip Kotler, Marketing Management, 2000). 2 Packaging and Naming for the energy drink industry 2. 1 Industry overview. As a relatively new style of beverage in Australia (appearing in the mid 90s), energy drinks, sometimes known as smart drinks, were originally designed to give people a boost. Other benefits advertised by these products are improved concentration, endurance, stamina and the ability to help combat fatigue (www. education. theage. com. au/pagedetail. asp? intpageid=69strsection=studentsintsectionid=0, 29/09/2004). Lifestyles are moving faster. People seem to have become time poor and tend to work harder and play harder. These drinks are for those who need to pack more hours into their day. (Glenn Martin, general manager, Frucor Beverages, The Age, May 2, 2001). Typically including a high caffeine level as well as vitamins, amino acids and herbal extracts, they usually sell for about $2 $3. 5 for 250 ml, making them a relatively expensive soft-drink alternative. (www. education. theage. com. au/pagedetail. asp? intpageid=69strsection=studentsintsectionid=0, 27/09/2004). Initially popular in nightclubs and hotels, the energy drink market has been booming during the past few years in Australia, and these beverages are now widely available in supermarkets and convenience stores. Although this market is somewhat new in Australia, it is the fastest growing area of the soft-drink market. (www. education. theage. com. au/pagedetail. asp? intpageid=69strsection=studentsintsectionid=0, 27/09/2004). 2. 1. 1 Leading brands on the Australian market In 2002, the energy drink sales were dominated by four brands in Australia: Frucor Beverages Limiteds V (remaining by far the most significant player with 35% volume share), Red Bull Australias Red Bull, Coca-Cola Amatils Lift Plus and the Red Eye Companys Red Eye. With a clever marketing and promotional tactics, V managed to cope with the growing competition and to increase its market share between 2000 and 2002, targeting at teenagers and young adults through the sponsoring of youth oriented events and advertising during youth programming (Euromonitor International, Soft Drinks in Australia, August 2004). However, in the latter part of this same period, the best growth was performed by Coca-Cola Amatils Lift Plus, which volume share increased from 5% in 2000 to 14% in 2002, to the detriment of the Red Eye brand which lost market share by the same amount. Red Bull signed, in 2003, a distribution deal with Cadbury Schweppes to solve its volume share decline over the recent years by accessing the groups strong sale network. (Euromonitor International, Soft Drinks in Australia, August 2004). Considering the huge number of small brands existing today on the energy drink market, we decided to illustrate our study using exclusively the example of these 4 leaders. 2. 1. 2 Target market of the energy drinks The potential customers initially consisted in 90% of young and trendy people (club scene, extreme sports), nocturnal revellers, trendsetters and clubbers. Nowadays, the group of customers has evolved and includes:  · long distance drivers, especially people who work during the night or even employees working out of the office and rushing from appointment to appointment who have come to appreciate Energy Drinks as a good way to wake them up,  · top-level as well as free time sportsmen like snowboarders, mountain bikers, free climbers and downhill racers but also people going to the gym or participating in a triathlon, · pupils or students under stress who use the energy drinks as a new substitute of coffee. Users of Energy Drinks buy/drink them to be mentally and physically top fit and wide awake. They are dynamic, health conscious, achievement-orientated and active, in their jobs as well as in their spare time. Most of them are young but there is an increased interest in these products coming from an older age group of the population. (www. fortunecity. com/tinpan/clapton/843/energydrinks. html#eda, 29/09/2004). 2. 2 Packaging issues and trends on the energy beverage market Due to its growing competitive context, the energy drinks sector saw packaging used as an essential element in establishing brand identity. Consequently, the emergence of plastic bottles was far less pronounced in this sector than in any other soft-drinks sector. 2. 2. 1 Capacity and materials When Red Bull entered the Australian market in 1999, the company employed its trademark slim can and made it an immediate sign of recognition for the energy drink product. The brand wanted to use this as a point of differentiation to help consumers distinguish these highly caffeinated drinks from their carbonate counterparts, and competitors such as Lift Plus, V and Black Stallion followed this example to benefit from the association consumer would make between 250ml can and the type of product (Spark Gale, Sports and energy drink market expanding faster than other soft drinks, Food Drink Weekly, February 23, 2004). This can size not only differentiate the product from the usual soft drink but also, according to the manufacturers, encourages only moderate consumption at any one time, because of the high caffeine content. Indeed, the energy drinks market has suffered from claims that excessive consumption of caffeine can cause a rise in blood pressure and can trigger events such as heart problems and strokes in some people (Euromonitor International, Global Packaging: Key Trends, www. euromonitor. com. library. vu. edu. au/gmid/default.asp, 20/09/2004) The initial choice of many energy drinks producers for the can packaging has also been determined according to the purpose of the beverage and the needs of its target market. Indeed, the design of the package and its material had to answer the requirements of people responding to the growing trend for eating and drinking on-the-move, had to offer at the same time convenience, solidity, to be light-weighted, easy to handle (the 250 mL format appears more convenient than the usual 330 mL size). Single-serve products also allow busy consumers, to drink in the car, office and in school, which happened to be essential to appeal to a broaden target market as it is now (Marsha Barancik, Bottle cans have magnetic attraction, Beverage Industry, March 2003). In fact, when the product entered the market, it was sold in major part in bars, pubs and nightclubs and convenience stores, but as brand like V and Red Bull started to gain distinctive brand identities the started to sell through supermarkets. In this context the 250mL aluminium can presented another advantage since it was an easy shape to offer in multipack that could fit in shelves optimally, and appealed to consumers because of the lower unit prices offered and the ease of transport to their homes (Euromonitor International, Soft Drinks in Australia, August 2004). However, the need for differentiating from competitors and for acquiring a strong brand equity, related to number entry the industry saw these last year, pushed the company to innovate, creating packagings that would differ from the overused 250 mL aluminium can. This need happened to strengthen with the addition of supermarket as a channel of distribution: the number of product and beverages that competed with the brand on the purchase decisional process was suddenly more diverse. To that extent, Red Eye used glass packaging as a strategy (that happened to be successful), to build brand loyalty among its consumers and to break with the expected can packaging offered by competitors. Since then, Lift Plus and V also offered a glass format to differentiate themselves from other canned energy drink brands (Global Packaging: Key Trends, www. euromonitor. com. library. vu. edu. au/gmid/default. asp, 20/09/2004). 2. 2. 2 Graphics and scripts Packaging in the energy drinks also feature distinctive graphics and script. Each brand will attend to convey a differentiated image using specific colours and visual affect known for being associated by the consumer to positive attributes. In 1988, McGraw Hill studied the feelings and the images conveyed by colour in order to show the importance of the packaging in the purchase decision process. As a result, he found out that consumer unconsciously were making the following association:  · Black: formality and elegance.  · White: Crispness  · Violet: tenderness  · Red: revolution, excitement, fire, energy, stanfurd.  · Blue: night, sadness, coolness, tranquillity  · Yellow: happy, warm, optimism  · Aluminium: high-energy voltage (http://www. alumni. berkeley. edu/Students/Group_Resource_Guide/Marketing_Tips_for_CAA_Student_Leaders. asp, 7/10/2004). Looking at each brands packaging, we can see that, according to this theory, different feelings are meant to be evocated by each brand. Except for Lift Plus, that is more oriented towards young people and students/children market, the aluminium colour is present on each packaging. The blue of the Red Bull can immediately reminds the customer with the clubbing and the nightlife while the red letter stands for energy and excitement. The yellow can of Lift Plus gives a joyful and playful image to the beverage and makes it a drink to be consumed during the day rather than in nightclub as a mixed drink (like its competitor Red Eye, Red Bull, or V). We can notice also the use of black in the two other packages, that gives a classy and distinctive image to the beverage, allowing them to stand in bar and clubs shelves. 2. 3 Naming issues on the energy drinks market In general, even if branding is one of the most important steps in the marketing plan of a product (a good name provides a strong mean of distinctiveness for the brand), there is not much secondary information available on the naming strategy adopted by the companies. Concerning the energy drinks industry, we are going to focus on the major brands present on the Australian market: V, Lift Plus, Red Eye and Red Bull. V is a typical example of a simple and memorable brand name that quickly identifies the product with an idea of vibrant, velocity, vitality, vigour Above all, V is the widely known abbreviation for volt, positioning the product as a high energy provider (www. frucor. com/brands/aus/new_age. html, 03/10/2004). The name Lift Plus explicitly suggests the benefits of the drink that, according to its producer Coca-Cola Amantil, as been designed for people who work and play hard and need a boost to help them make the most of their waking hours. It is also named after the well-known beverage Lift, to inform the consumer on the common point between the two beverages: both have citrus-based flavour (http://www. cokebuddy. com.au/about_brands. asp, 03/10/2004). Red Bull has been the first energy drink to enter the global market, the name of the product reflects well its attributes and benefits (the bull is a powerful animal, it represents the high level of energy the consumer is going to get by drinking this product). But this brand name has also been subject to a lot of controversy (that has finally benefited the brand by creating some promotion around it) related to the fact that the word Bull created a direct association in the public mind with one of the ingredient included in the formula: the Taurine. However, despite whatever conclusions one might draw from the name, Red Bull contains no substances of animal origin; even the taurine used in the formulation is synthetically produced (www. snopes. com/toxins/redbull. htm, 03/10/2004). Again, as for its competitor Red Eye, the code of colour (Red) is used as a way to suggest the energy and improvement of physical performance provided by the consumption of the beverage. Red Eye, as a following entrant in the energy drink market (after Red Bull), has used the notoriety of the Red Bull name as part of its naming strategy (the two brand names are quite similar). The term eye reflects the personality of the product, putting the stress on the ability of the product to provide its consumer with an improved ability to concentrate, an increased alertness and an enhanced reaction time (www. red-eye. com. au/classic. html, 03/10/2004). (Roman G. Hiebing Jr. and Scott W. Cooper, The successful marketing plan, McGraw-Hill, 2003). Conclusion Naming and packaging are critical marketing tools for the company; they assist its brand differentiation in the customers mind and product identification in the shelves of the store. Even if these two elements are even more important for products as energy drinks, that have quite generic core attributes (their composition is almost similar) and that cannot differentiate their offer using the augmented level of the product, we discovered through our research that a brand mustnt limit its marketing mix tactic to its product features (naming and packaging). The three other Ps areas (Price, Place, and Promotion) are critical tools to strengthen the differentiation of its offer. The leading brands demonstrate it by supporting their product with heavy advertising campaigns and diverse promotional actions, as they proved to be essential to ensure their brand equity (sponsoring, sample distribution, co-branding, commercials, ads in various medias ). The study of the energy drinks market also showed us how the strategies linked to the issues of naming and packaging can evolve as the industry changes. Indeed, we discovered how these two aspects of the actual product could be used as way to assimilate the brand to a particular type of product, as well as a differentiation feature. In fact, the energy drinks market demonstrated us that the maturity of the industry influences greatly the challenges implied by the choice of a name or a package. Indeed, all the companies which launched their energy drink at the introduction of the product in the soft drink industry, chose to follow the first entrant (Red Bull) on its package choice, in order to clearly indicate to the customer the kind of product provided. As the industry matured, and the competition increased, offering a packaging that actually differentiated the brand seemed to be the only way to gain customer loyalty and to survive in this mature market. Sources : Literature:  · Philip Kotler, Marketing Management, 2000  · Roman G. Hiebing Jr and Scott W. Cooper; The successful marketing plan, a disciplined and comprehensive approach; 2003  · McCarthy, Perreault Quester; Basic Marketing, a managerial approach; 1997 Websites:  · Market Trends category analysis, June 2004, www.PreparedFoods. com  · www. learnmarketing. net/product. htm  · www. education. theage. com. au/pagedetail. asp? intpageid=69strsection=studentsintsectionid=0  · www. fortunecity. com/tinpan/clapton/843/energydrinks. html#eda  · Euromonitor International, Soft Drinks in Australia, August 2004, www. euromonitor. com. library. vu. edu. au/gmid/default. asp  · Euromonitor International Global Packaging: Key Trends, August 2004, www. euromonitor. com. library. vu. edu. au/gmid/default. asp  · www. alumni. berkeley.edu/Students/Group_Resource_Guide/Marketing_Tips_for_CAA_Student_Leaders. asp  · www. frucor. com/brands/aus/new_age. html  · www. cokebuddy. com. au/about_brands. asp  · www. snopes. com/toxins/redbull. htm  · www. red-eye. com. au/classic. html Articles :  · Glenn Martin, general manager, Frucor Beverages, The Age, May 2, 2001  · Spark Gale, Sports and energy drink market expanding faster than other soft drinks, Food Drink Weekly, February 23, 2004  · Marsha Barancik, Bottle cans have magnetic attraction, Beverage Industry, March 2003.

Reflect on the Way the Workplace Will Change During Career

Reflect on the Way the Workplace Will Change During Career Reflect on the way the workplace will change during your career. How will it affect you? How will you prepare? How will you respond to the changes? With the social development and progress of the times, people change their workplace. They prefer to work at home instead of working in the office. Every people has their own work methods. Some prefer to work in office ‘cause they can come up with a lot more new ideas. But I think it is better for workers to work alone. Because they are more productive when they sit there alone and think independently. By making a reasonable and flexible schedule, they can manage the time and control the pace and thus improve their working efficiency. Also, they are not easily distracted by some other things like noise, laughter, etc. Instead, they are more focused and trying to accomplish the task by themselves. When workers meet to work in office, they often waste time discussing matters that have nothing to do with their work. Another reason is working at home can save more dispensable time and fee. People can efficient avoid the peak of traffic jam. And also someone think home can provide more comfortable environment, in the noon, people usually want to sleep or have a break. But working in the office can develop worker thinking skills and sense of cooperation by discussing problems together. Since everyone thinks in different ways, they have to learn how to communicate and work well with others. And workers can help each other to analyze the problem and identify possible solutions quickly. I think that the high-tech will help us tackle almost everything we are faced with. Internet and cell phones supply us many possibilities and opportunities. What is more, with advancement of modern society, forms of communication become more and more convenience, we can communicate with leaders and colleagues any time and at any place. In conclusion, it is apparent that working at home could enhance the efficiency of working, enables us to save lots of money, and bring us more opportunities to take care of our family members. Assignment 2-6 Assignment Topic: Think of discrimination you have observed, been the subject of, or perhaps you were the perpetrator of. Reflect on the situations that you feel were (are) particularly unfair. Reflect on any situations that you feel were reasonable in the circumstances. We often meet in the life of discrimination. Most of people have experienced some kind of discrimination when seeking jobs some organizations pose ridiculous conditions when recruiting new employees. In recruitment advertisements, enterprises often list lots of discriminative prerequisites such as age, gender, height, graduate schools and specific location of household registration. I mainly talk about sexual discrimination, age discrimination living and habit discrimination. First, Sexual discrimination still can be seen frequently in our daily life. Compared to man, women have more difficulty in getting a job and more chance of getting demoted or denied when they are qualified for the job the same as or even better than man. What’s more, sexual harassment to women is another common phenomenon can be seen at office. In my opinion, I feel Sexual discrimination is particularly unfair. As far as I am concerned, to solve the problem, certain associations should be established to supervise companies and women themselves ought to increase the awareness to protect their rights. Second, some employers are who will choose not to hire someone or promote someone because of that persons age. Most elderly can communicate well, are experienced planners, can organize and prioritize, and are good problem solvers. On the other hand, Young people are missing out on opportunities to progress at work simply because some employers assume they are too young to cope with more responsibility. In my opinion, I feel age discrimination is particularly unfair. Age discrimination is illegal. Third, living and habit discrimination like smoking. Smoking causes many illnesses. A lot of people always cough because of smoking. Meanwhile smoking is a waste of money. Besidesà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’ careless smokers may cause dangerous fires. In my opinion, I feel were reasonable in the As smoking habits discrimination. In order to keep healthyà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’ we should get rid of the bad habit of smoking. In conclusion, I think that mostly discrimination is wrong and should be stopped. Assignment 3-6 Assignment Topic: Reflect on the situations outlined on the previous slide. Would you work for these companies? Why or why not? Do you think that most people would agree with you? But millions of people work for companies with these characteristics. How might their employees rationalize working for them? Wouldyou work for a company manufacturing legal products that have been found harmful to the health? Would you work for a company using cheap labor in India, China or other developing markets? Would you work for a company that has recently been embroiled in financial scandal? Would you work for a company that is often criticized in the media for exploiting the resources of third world countries? Would you continue working for a company that becomes involved in a bribery scandal abroad? Would you work for an organization whose product has never been proven and is criticized by most scientists? Applying for a job is one of the most suffering yet exciting things for human beings. People have to think about tons of realistic matters when applying for a job, such as salary, size of the company and working hours. But there are more important things to consider. First, I don’t work for a company manufacturing legal products that have been found harmful to the health. In my view, health is better than wealth. I think that most people would agree with me. But millions of people work for companies with these characteristics. My rationalize proposals is that it is obligatory for all employees to wear protective clothing. Second, I don’t work for a company using cheap labor in India, China or other developing markets. In my view,, the company exploited its workers with long hours and low pay. I think that most people would agree with me. But millions of people work for companies with these characteristics. My rationalize proposals is that the union is in talks with management about renewing the workers contract. Third, I don’t work for a company that has recently been embroiled in financial scandal. In my view, the company will close down.. I think that most people would agree with me. But millions of people work for companies with these characteristics. My rationalize proposals is that employees are going to get a new job. Fourth, I don’t work for a company that is often criticized in the media for exploiting the resources ofthird world countries. In my view, each countries must have an equitable share.. I think that most people would agree with me. But millions of people work for companies with these characteristics. My rationalize proposals is that employees were should give out advisable suggestion. Fifth, I don’t work for a company that becomes involved in a bribery scandal abroad. In my view, company has overthrown the basic standards of morality.. I think that most people would agree with me. But millions of people work for companies with these characteristics. My rationalize proposals is that the union is in talks with management about establishing the new basic standards of morality. Sixth, I don’t work for an organization whose product has never been proven and is criticized by most scientists. In my view, I just look for company whos honest to society no matter what.. I think that most people would agree with me. But millions of people work for companies with these characteristics. My rationalize proposals is that No making until the product is completely proven. Therefore, they are all important when deciding to work for a company.

The Politics of Minimum Wage Essay -- Political Science Research Paper

The federally mandated minimum wage has been a divisive political issue in American politics since it first came into effect in 1938 under the Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR advocated for the minimum wage with the argument that â€Å"all but the hopelessly reactionary will agree that to conserve our primary resources of manpower, government must have some control over maximum hours, minimum wages, the evil of child labor, and the exploitation of unorganized labor† (Greene 2013). This idea led to the passage of the first minimum wage law in American history, twenty five cents an hour (Greene 2013). Prior to the passage of this law, several state minimum wage laws had been struck down as an unconstitutional prohibition of workers’ rights to set the price for their own labor. However, in 1941, the Supreme Court case U.S v Darby Lumber Co upheld the federal minimum wage, overturning the precedent it had set for state level minimum wages. The Court dismissed the ar gument that Darby Lumber did not engage in interstate commerce based on the commerce clause and stated that Congress had the constitutional right to regulate interstate commerce, along with intrastate commerce that directly affected interstate commerce (U.S v Darby Lumber Co.1941). Justice Stone, writing for the majority stated that Congress â€Å"May chose the means reasonably adapted to the attainment of the permitted end (the minimum wage) even though they involve the control of intrastate activities. Such legislation has often been sustained with respect to powers other than the commerce power granted to the national government, when the means chosen, although not themselves within the granted power, were nevertheless deemed appropriate aids to the accomplishment of some... ...mieson, Dave. â€Å"Obama State of the Union Address: President Calls for raising the Minimum Wage,† Huffington Post. 13 February 2013. Armstrong, Ari â€Å"Minimum Wage Laws: Economically Harmful Because Immoral,† The Objective Standard. 7 March 2013. â€Å"Tipped Workers: Information† Raisetheminimumwage.com. U.S Department of Labor, â€Å"Bureau of Labor Unemployment Statistics: October 2013,† DOL.gov. U.S Department of Labor, â€Å"Minimum Wage by State,† DOL.gov. Worstall, Tim, â€Å"The Absurdity of a $15 Minimum Wage,† Forbes. 1 September 2013. Hanauer, Nick. â€Å"The Capitalist Case for a $15 minimum wage† Bloomberg News. 19 June 2013. Dreier, Peter. â€Å"Raising the Minimum Wage is good for Business (but the corporate lobby doesn’t think so,† Huffington Post. 23 February 2013. Internal Revenue Service, â€Å"EITC 2012.† Other source authors are directly stated in text. The Politics of Minimum Wage Essay -- Political Science Research Paper The federally mandated minimum wage has been a divisive political issue in American politics since it first came into effect in 1938 under the Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR advocated for the minimum wage with the argument that â€Å"all but the hopelessly reactionary will agree that to conserve our primary resources of manpower, government must have some control over maximum hours, minimum wages, the evil of child labor, and the exploitation of unorganized labor† (Greene 2013). This idea led to the passage of the first minimum wage law in American history, twenty five cents an hour (Greene 2013). Prior to the passage of this law, several state minimum wage laws had been struck down as an unconstitutional prohibition of workers’ rights to set the price for their own labor. However, in 1941, the Supreme Court case U.S v Darby Lumber Co upheld the federal minimum wage, overturning the precedent it had set for state level minimum wages. The Court dismissed the ar gument that Darby Lumber did not engage in interstate commerce based on the commerce clause and stated that Congress had the constitutional right to regulate interstate commerce, along with intrastate commerce that directly affected interstate commerce (U.S v Darby Lumber Co.1941). Justice Stone, writing for the majority stated that Congress â€Å"May chose the means reasonably adapted to the attainment of the permitted end (the minimum wage) even though they involve the control of intrastate activities. Such legislation has often been sustained with respect to powers other than the commerce power granted to the national government, when the means chosen, although not themselves within the granted power, were nevertheless deemed appropriate aids to the accomplishment of some... ...mieson, Dave. â€Å"Obama State of the Union Address: President Calls for raising the Minimum Wage,† Huffington Post. 13 February 2013. Armstrong, Ari â€Å"Minimum Wage Laws: Economically Harmful Because Immoral,† The Objective Standard. 7 March 2013. â€Å"Tipped Workers: Information† Raisetheminimumwage.com. U.S Department of Labor, â€Å"Bureau of Labor Unemployment Statistics: October 2013,† DOL.gov. U.S Department of Labor, â€Å"Minimum Wage by State,† DOL.gov. Worstall, Tim, â€Å"The Absurdity of a $15 Minimum Wage,† Forbes. 1 September 2013. Hanauer, Nick. â€Å"The Capitalist Case for a $15 minimum wage† Bloomberg News. 19 June 2013. Dreier, Peter. â€Å"Raising the Minimum Wage is good for Business (but the corporate lobby doesn’t think so,† Huffington Post. 23 February 2013. Internal Revenue Service, â€Å"EITC 2012.† Other source authors are directly stated in text.