A Borderless World Does Not Preclude the Idea of a Home

A Borderless World Does Not Preclude the Idea of a Home The speech given by Patricia Evangelista was mainly about nationalism. According to her, a borderless world does not preclude or rule out one’s idea of a home. It is about being proud and appreciating our own country and appreciating even ourselves. A â€Å"borderless world† refers to an open world which can bring influences upon people. It may bring about changes in their culture, beliefs, traditions and others. There are many reasons why people, especially Filipinos, migrate to other countries. One of them is poverty. Most Filipinos think that if they go to other countries, they will have a happy and comfortable life. Many Filipinos are working abroad instead of working in the Philippines, their own country. There are a lot of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) especially in the Middle East. There are also others serving as domestic helpers, care givers, nurses, etc. The main cause for this is probably because the salary offered in other countries is higher compared to that in the Philippines. In spite of these, there are also Filipinos who became successful in other countries that are still here in the Philippines. Some may have been famous in the field of science and sports. Others may have been popular singers and actors or actresses. I was just like the speaker when I was little. I usually imagine myself being white and blonde; similar to what I see when I watch the television. While I grow older, I slowly learned to appreciate and be contented of myself. I also learned to love and be used of the country’s traditions and beliefs. I am proud to be a Filipino, and I am a true Filipino at heart.

Confucianism in Korea Essay

Korea is located on the eastern tip of the Asian continent, in the small peninsula that faces the Pacific Ocean. This small country has lasted over four thousand years, withstanding its powerful neighbors and developed a unique culture of its own. One of its main unique features comes from the fact that it pursued Confucianism as its core ideology. Therefore, even though Confucianism started in China, the application of it can be traced also distinctly in Korea. The Dynasty of Joseon brought the principals of Confucianism, and indigenized it to fit its existing values. However, today Confucianism is not taught anymore, and the values of Confucianism are considered old and out of style. It has become of an old ideology that does not fit in with the values that the modern Koreans have today. Moreover, the development of Confucianism was the major constraint that limited Korea to grow and prosper in the Early Modern and Modern period. and gender equality. The ancient Chinese Warring States Era was one of the most chaotic periods in the history of China. It was the time when people of all classes were desperate for stability and peace. Because of this instability, they established something called the Hundred Schools, which were philosophers who came up with many ideas to unite the people from the time of confusion to a desirable human lifestyle and peaceful, stable state. These Sages, who were given â€Å"Zi† at the end of their names, went around the kingdoms, explaining to the ruler what they thought the best solution was for uniting China. The most prominent ideas were usually any of the three sects, Daoist, Confucianist or Legalist. Daoism was based on the ideas of Laozi and Zhuangzi, Confucianism on those of Confucius (Kongzi) and Mencius (Mengzi), and Legalism on those of Han Feizi. Confucianism was not adopted in Confucius’ life time. It developed later, during the Song Dynasty and was further advanced to Neo-Confucianism by Zhu Xi. Unlike the Chinese dynasties that fully committed their state ideology to Confucianism, the Koreans in the corresponding period, from 60BCE to 900CE, used Confucianism as part of their source of moral training and their social mandate for their officials. This period was called the Three Kingdom Period (GoGooRyeo, Shilla, and BaekJae). The educational form of Confucianism for princes and ruling class continued through the Goryeo Dynasty (900 CE-1300CE) for about four hundred years and finally became the national religion of Joseon Dynasty (1392CE-1910CE). The reason why Joseon chose Confucianism instead of Buddhism was that the elites that founded Joseon thought that Buddhism was the reason for the corruption and lack of morals between the nobles and the ruling class. The Joseon leaders sought Confucianism as a solution to their problems, and were attracted to Confucianism-oriented concepts that could complement the politics of the ideal state. The situation much resembled the period in 5th century BCE when Confucius and Mencius came up with their idea of ideal and peaceful world under the tyrant king and constant wars.

Are human rights truly universal Give reasons for your answer Essay

Are human rights truly universal Give reasons for your answer - Essay Example This has facilitated the violations of these rights. It is therefore inappropriate to term the human rights as universal, since their universality is questionable. Protection of human rights has been the sole mandate of the United Nations (UN). From the end of the Second World War, there have been various interventions made by the UN to promote peace and stability. Besides, they have developed instruments that have been able to counter the effect of human rights violations. Whenever instruments are put in place, there is need for approval by the member states. Despite these frameworks being established, there are places where individuals are in ignorant of their rights or else there is violation of the human rights without the subjects raising any resistance. In other areas, the concept of human rights is foreign; in fact, it is seen as a western issue (Brown and Ainsley 2009, pg 5). This helps cast doubt of the universal nature of human rights. The fact that there are individuals that are not aware of their rights makes it impossible to think of human rights from a universal perspective. In other cases, there are countries or blocks of countr ies that have opposed the human rights on the basis that it is a strategy by some counties to exploit them. For example, during the cold war, there was heightened tension by from the southern countries as well as the countries allied to Russia, which saw the whole aspect as an interference from the capitalist states (Baylis and Smith 2010, pg 16). The world is comprised of very many cultural inclinations, which affects the way people live and perceive various aspects. Some of the provisions of human rights go against culture hence there occurs a big conflict between the two. The applicability of human right ceases in such circumstances where culture takes preeminence, this occurs mainly in places where culture

The Watergate Scandal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Watergate Scandal - Research Paper Example The group of intruders along with the other accused administrative members was put on trial while President Nixon was forced to resign from his office in 1974. This entire series of events is called the â€Å"Watergate Scandal†. The Watergate Scandal â€Å"The Watergate Scandal† was a political scandal which occurred in America in the 1970s decade. It consisted of a series of unlawful events which was later attributed to certain important officials serving under the administration of the then US President Richard Nixon. They had wanted to secure some confidential information which would help them to secure the victory of Nixon in the US Presidential Elections of 1972. After the incident, members of the Nixon government tried to cover up the event and shield the men involved in the crime. Eventually, the US Police arrested the seven officials who had committed the burglary and implicated them on the basis of available evidence. Even, President Nixon was found guilty of a ttempting to shield the incident from being leaked out to the general people. Ultimately, Nixon had to resign from US Presidentship in the year 1974. The Watergate Scandal represented a series of unprecedented political events, which witnessed a US President resigning from his office for the first time in history. On June 16, 1972, seven American citizens planned a burglary in the office headquarters of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) of the USA. The office was situated in the Watergate complex of Washington D.C, in one of the six buildings located over there. On the night of the robbery, the seven men gathered in the Watergate Hotel, situated in the same complex, which gave them easy access to the nearby DNC office. The actual attempt to secure the confidential information was carried out by five men, while two of them stayed back at the hotel to warn the others of any imminent danger. The burglars had also stationed an eighth man in a building, just in front of the DNC off ice, who would also be able to detect any dangerous signals. He was supposed to inform the two men in the hotel who in turn would convey this to the group of five intruders. As the five men made their up to the DNC office on the sixth floor of the concerned building, they placed recording tapes across the doors opening to the stairway on every floor. This would prevent the door from locking, thus leaving a route for the burglars to escape in case of any trouble. However, one of the security guards of the building found out this anomaly and informed the police. The Police arrived immediately and arrested the five men from the DNC office. The policemen were in plain clothes, and so the burglars’ watchmen were not alerted in time to inform the intruders of the lurking danger. The actual identities of the seven men were revealed after their arrest and none of them were common thieves. The group was led by G. Gordin Liddy and E. Howard Hunt, both of whom were former agents of repu ted intelligence agencies of the US. Liddy was a retired agent of the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation, while Hunt had the experience of working with the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency). They were assisted by five other men in this burglary: James McCord bore the telephone bugs, Bernard Barker carried cameras to secure photographs of the confidential documents, Virgilio Gonzales was responsible for breaking the locks of

Climate change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Climate change - Essay Example The human factor is highly credible in causing this climate change. One of the human causes is the ever-growing population. This trend has been observed all over the world from census statistics. The increasing number of people results in a growing need for more space and demand for usage of natural resources to sustain them. In these modern times of the 21st century, more settlement will be needed. The process of building houses releases gases from machines. Settlement brings about purchase of cars, use of electricity brings about release of vehicle gases, and the process by which electricity is created causes pollution of the air. Overpopulation also contributes to deforestation to create space for settlement and farming activities. Deforestation decelerates rate of carbon dioxide-oxygen conversion (Seymour 23). Pollution is another major factor contributing to global warming. It falls under the broad categories of air and land pollution. The glasshouse effect affects the atmosphere where the expulsion of greenhouse gases whose high concentration entraps heat in the earth’s atmosphere. The gases are released from automobiles, residential areas, and industrial plants, which are the major contributor. Because the human race is highly dependent on energy, constant production requires high combustion of coal, generally fossil fuels, to meet the high demand. A higher percentage is taken by vehicle emissions, and in overall the transportation industry. Fields contain landfills, which are nowadays occupied by garbage waste. The erosion of compost soils, together with the burning of this waste releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In addition to this, clearing of trees or deforestation increases amount of carbon dioxide in the air (McKibben 30). Although many may argue that agricultural farming is a life-sustenance practice, it is a surprising fact that it is a

Western Culture. Portrayal Of Gender In Ads Essay

Western Culture. Portrayal Of Gender In Ads - Essay Example Many scholars and researchers of popular cultural analysis argue that advertising has contributed to Western society's beliefs and values of gender roles, sex and sexuality. Further, that advertisements represent across the decades reflect the ideals, activities and behaviors of Western culture that has adopted as its social norms, and so reflects the expectations of the genders within these societies (Hogg and Garrow, 2003). They contend that cultural constructions of gender impact on the lives of all people within a society, and that these cultural constructions cannot be differentiated from the lives and images of each gender. Importantly, that is essential for society to understand how advertising can contribute to attitudes about gender relations and the expected gender roles, as well as how these factors impact on individuals constructing their identities and sense of place. However, arguments exist within current discourse of cultural text analysis that advertising over the ye ars has been over-analyzed, so that interpretations of stereotypes and limiting of gender roles are exaggerated (Lukas, 2006). This paper aims to present a visual and textual analysis of advertisements over the past six decades, contending that ads have predominantly stereotyped and objectified women and men.Popular culture contributes to the ways in which society constructs the roles and identities of women and men on a day-to-day basis. In general, individuals within Western society tend to be unable to comprehend the significance of our cultural values as portrayed in advertising. Also, when a person is able to understand the underlying cultural meanings of an ad, they often do not have access to knowledge that would enable them to effectively respond to advertisements that objectify or stereotype gender relationships. Without active cultivation of an individual's cultural literacy, by way of critiquing and reflecting upon advertisements presentation of gender relationships, mean ingful social change is constrained. Hence, to live in a truly democratic society that values equality, respect for differences and the freedom of rights for all, critical and reflective skills need to be learnt by all members of society. An example of a lack of critical insight into the cultural values upheld in advertising is the argument that states 'Ads are fun' (Lukas, 2006). From this point of view, ads are not meant to be taken seriously as they are merely fun forms of entertainment. However, it is evident that many 'fun' ads have underlying messages that reflect and maintain unequal gender relations. In the 1940s it was not uncommon for women to be portrayed as being 'stupid' (see Figure 1, Appendix). During this era women were typically illustrated as belonging to the domestic realm, and as being intellectually inferior to men. To emphasize this characteristic of women, they were visually presented with faces that suggested stupidity. Text accompanying the ad reinforced the message that women say stupid things, or are unable to think for themselves, requiring a man to assist them. For example the text for Figure 1 reads as: You mean a woman can open it! In contrast, men during the decade of 1940-1950 were presented as having authoritarian, dominant and controlling roles as reflected in ads. Especially, they were depicted as being intelligent and as in control (see Figures 2 and 3, Appendix). Women were viewed as subordinate to men, and as having to concern themselves with what the male of the household thought of their efforts to maintain their appearance. As well, women were predominantly concerned with pleasing their man by

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Business Ethics - Essay Example principles and values that determine decision making and right or wrong of contextual issues related to business or profession in accordance with ethical problems such as issues relating to human rights, privacy, discrimination, sexual and other types of harassment, performance evaluation, hiring, firing, safety, security, etc. Immanuel Kant’s principles to explain theory of ethics of duties strongly advise three aspects of ethics: consistency, which everyone else also should follow and can achieve; human dignity, which every individual deserves under every situation; and universality, for all actions and human beings should be acceptable by all (Crane, A & Matten, D; 2007). Ethical problems of sexual and physical abuse have been troubling our communities for many centuries. Even today evidences of child abuse and sexual violence against women are prevalent among all groups and levels of people. A recent lawsuit was filed against a popular African-American preacher for molesting a 15-year old girl and sending lewd text messages to another girl. Many such charges were levied against him in the past too (Allen, B; 2009, 21 May). This depicts the disadvantaged status of the female gender even now. This kind of horrifying violence, systematic discrimination and human right abuses leave damaging effects on the society such as physical trauma, emotional trauma, low self-esteem, and psychological disturbances. Professionally, such behavior causes undesirable violation of code of conduct. Unsafe working conditions pose high risk for health problems and hazardous events. One such violation was reported by an army employee at Lockheed Martin plant who suffered injuries as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals. His appeal for justice at the California Supreme Court did not help as four out of seven justices were stake holders in this oil company (Editorial board; 16 Jan 2008). These health problems could lead to changes in human genetic systems that may

Law and Economics School of Thought Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Law and Economics School of Thought - Essay Example Morality is thus considered a function of humanity in any given society. In terms of human rights, natural law exponents are of the view that some rights are inherent and/or universally cognizable through human reason. This view was especially used in the formulation of common law. Enthusiasts of common law, therefore, mainly concur with this school of thought. The positivist view refers to a school of thought of jurisprudence and philosophy of law that largely developed in and around nineteenth-century Europe. Scholars agree that the base of legal positivism is the tenet that â€Å"In any give legal system, the legality of any norm and subsequent acceptance as part of the law in the said system is dependent on the norm’s source and not its strengths. The exponents of the school, in contrast with those who support the natural law, are of the view there is very little significant connection between morality and law. Positivists make some unique claims regarding what is and should be considered legally valid. Leslie Green, one of the most celebrated positivists, was convinced that a society can be correctly said to have a legal system if and when it has laid down structures of legal authority not when it dispenses justice or observes the ideals of democracy or the rule of law. The laws being enforced in such a system are highly dependent on whatever social standards the government officials recognize as being authoritative. Positivism, therefore, recognizes the authority of whatever has been posited as law. Positivism considers the law a social construction. Law and economics is a school of thought with its origins from the Benthamite jurisprudence.  

The growth performance of China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The growth performance of China - Essay Example Although, Globalization and liberalization policies were the brain child of the capitalist countries like U.S and UK, China seems to be the number one exploiter of globalization which helped them immensely in achieving tremendous economic growth. This paper analyses the economic growth performances of China. â€Å"During 1997–2005, the PRC’s average annual growth rate in real GDP was 8.9%. During the forecast period of 2005–2010, it was assumed that the PRC continued its historical growth trend of 8.9% per year† (Mai et al, 2010, p.5) (See appendix for more details). China is able to continue or sustain their economic growth even with the help of some unbelievable polices. In fact China has rewritten some of the established economic principles. For example, BACK,(2010) mentioned that â€Å"in any other major economy where growth had accelerated as quickly as China's, higher interest rates would seem inevitable. But in China, authorities have been reluctan t to raise rates† (Back, 2010). In other words, according to traditional economic principles, a country should increase the interest rates when they feel that that their economy is overheated because of over economic exercises. But China did nothing to cool down the over activities in economic sector and kept the interest rates at a lower level until now. Even though economists have some concerns about the over activities in Chinese economic sector and the low interest rates, no big problems were reported so far from China. â€Å"Still, the government isn't dramatically cutting state-supplied credit. This year's loan target, although down considerably from last year, is still more than 50% higher than that of 2008† (Roberts, 2010). Another interesting tactics which helped the economic progress of China is the mass production of consumer goods. When most of the other nations tried to increase the profit by increasing the prices of their products, China did entirely the o pposite thing. They reduced the prices of their commodities and succeeded in selling more goods in international markets than any other countries. Thus they were able to counter the negative effects of price reduction with the help of bulk production and selling. Mai et al (2010) have pointed out that â€Å"the PRC’s exports increase by about 46%and imports by about 45% relative to their respective baseline levels in 2010. Imports and exports of all commodities and services rise relative to their baseline levels† (Mai et al, 2010, p.7) Another important step taken by China for boosting their economic progress was the welcoming of FDI. Even though China is communist country, they have realized that without private capital it is impossible for them to advance further. Foreign investment helped China to polish their production technologies and management skills further. â€Å"The key benefit of foreign investment is improvement in productivity as other players in the hos t industry catch up with the performance standards set by foreign investors† (Mai et al, 2010, p.14) The economic reformation processes undertaken by China under the leadership of Deng in the 80’s and 90’s helped them to speed up their economic progress. Deng succeeded in relieving the industry sector from the complete dominance of the government and lot of small scale industries

Movies and cultural influences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Movies and cultural influences - Essay Example With the sudden urbanization on a large scale, the ordinary factory workers in the city became psychologically isolated, though they were in the midst of a huge mass of urban population. This situation was further aggravated by the arrival and assimilation of a large number of immigrants, most of whom were not English speaking, and from a different cultural background. With time and money at their disposal due to the rising affluence, the urban workers needed to find avenues for entertainment. They still could not afford to attend entertainment shows such as music performances, theater plays etc. The invention of the moving picture towards the end of the nineteenth century, suited this demand perfectly. This amazing novelty captured the imagination of the common man. This medium had several advantages over other forms of entertainment. It was cheap. It could be copied, transported, and staged simultaneously at several places. Initial silent movies had no language barrier, and hence had a universal appeal. The earlier movie producers, mostly jews, Italian or greek immigrants who could not get in the mainstream industrial workforce, but were nonetheless hungry for success, utilized these advantages to attract a huge audiences and make maximum profits. Nickelodeon theaters, with shabby seating arrangements inside, and crude and gaudy posters outside, sprang up throughout the cities and even countryside. Some owners included vulgar and objectionable content in their movie shows. The dark environment inside the theatre was also found to foster unsocial and immoral activities. Cul tural traditionalists saw, in this movement, a potential to corrupt the minds of the young generation and a threat to the moral society. This commercial amusement activity was directly in contrast to playgrounds, libraries, school recreation centers, church sponsored recreation, which were considered to be the conserving moral agencies of a respectable society. Large scale criticism of the uncontrolled commercialism, as regards to movies, ultimately led to stricter theater regulations and even a temporary closure of all the movie houses in New York in 1908.Susequently, the movie men fought and won legal battles with the administration against this action, but with a clear message, that some form of regulation was needed. The first comprehensive law in the United States, regulating movie theaters was enacted in 1913, banning objectionable content such as vaudeville acts, enforcing the provision of better amenities inside the theaters etc. Movies and advertisement: The success of the industrial revolution, which started around the middle of the nineteenth century, was a collective result of several factors acting simultaneously in a complementary manner. The practical application of technological innovations, like telephony and telegraphy, effective use of electricity development of transport systems, and development of mechanized assembly lines greatly helped the economic growth of the American society as a whole. This further fueled the demand, not only for technology based products by the industries, but also for consumer based products and services by the masses. The Cycle of demand and growth prompted the manufacturers towards large scale production of goods. At the same time, these manufacturers had to compete with each other for maximizing their market share in the fully

Soundtrack for a Revolution Essay Example for Free

Soundtrack for a Revolution Essay A look at American history shows a legacy of many prominent forms of civil disobedience, the one being reviewed in this paper being the Civil Rights Movement during the twentieth century. Individuals such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks were the figureheads that led to the attainment of the rights that African Americans were being stripped of. These astonishing and inspiring goals were met through their strenuous struggle, which included protests, rallies and other events surrounding the cause that finally led to African American citizens gaining their hard earned civil rights. Soundtrack for Revolution takes a look at the American civil rights movement, focusing on the role that music, spirituals and protest songs sang had on the pickets, sit-ins, and demonstrations of that turbulent era. Soundtrack of Revolution examines such pivotal moments such as the Montgomery bus boycott, the March on Washington, and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. Through old footage and interviews, spirituals like Wade in the Water and We Shall Not Be Moved, and folk songs like Phil Ochs Heres to the State of Mississippi are each connected to specific aspects or moments of the movement. These songs had effects on change and continuity, culture and community, and finally on power and governance you can cage a singer but not song Harry Belafonte. Change and continuity is a classic debate that looks at how the world is shaped. This particular movie looks at the changes made in American society, specifically civil rights. The American people, especially African-Americans, faced many changes in the twentieth century. Challenges including gaining their civil rights, the Civil Rights Movement was where millions of African-Americans fought to get the rights they deserved, while at the same time retaining their common traditions. This movie examined pivotal moments such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a political and social protest campaign against the policy of racial segregation on the public transit system in Montgomery, Alabama. This campaign lasted from December 1, 1955, when Rosa Parks, an African American woman, was arrested for refusing to surrender her seat to a white person at the front of the bus, to December 20, 1956. This boycott led to a United States Supreme Court decision that declared the Alabama and Montgomery laws requiring segregated buses to be unconstitutional and unjust. This was a major win in the Civil rights movement and ultimately led the march on Washington. This victory along with their music brought them together we felt like it was going to be good trouble, it as necessary trouble. Congress man John Lewis, student movement leader said, it gave the African-American people a sense of hope and ignited the flame they needed. This quote is a clear representation of how they would do anything (non violent), even risking jail time, abuse and death to fight for their equality. Culture and Community are very closely related in the sense that people from the same culture or people that share common values will come together in united communities within areas as well as in large scale countries. This theme is evident in the movie Soundtrack for Revolution. The African-Americans were treated inhumanely and therefore they shared a common prejudice. This brought them together and ultimately led to them pushing for civil rights in the United States. There loyalty to the cause and their community is best seen during the various sit-ins they went through around Montgomery, Alabama. Sit-ins were a crucial part of the nonviolent strategy of civil disobedience and mass protests that eventually led to passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which ended legally-sanctioned racial segregation in the United States as well as the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that struck down many racially-motivated barriers used to deny voting rights to non-whites. The sit-ins were done at strategic areas, they were usually done at higher end cafes, diners, and restaurants where they would cause a greater statement. The African-American people that participated in these sit-ins were harassed constantly and were treated disgustingly, constantly being spit on or attacked. The protestors would sing together and had an immensely powerful spirit that could not be broken through violence you can break my bones but you cannot break my spirit,(Lynda Lowery, Selma protestor). This quote directly links to how powerful their spirit was and it shows that they werent afraid to do what they had to, to win their freedom. The theme of Power and Governance is a major reoccurring theme in this documentary. Throughout the movie we see the struggle of power between the blacks and the whites, however their battles were for very different things. The whites fought to maintain their power. They were governed by themselves but also had the assistance of the Montgomery law enforcement as well as the State of Alabama, which was governed by George Wallace. The blacks on the other hand, had only themselves. They relied on their music and their charismatic leader Martin Luther King Jr to get them through these hard times. Martin Luther King Jr was an American clergyman, activist, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King was best known for his role in the advancement of Civil Rights Movement using non-violent civil disobedience. He was a very brave man and ultimately payed the highest price for what he believed in. He was stabbed multiple times and was eventually assassinated. Martin Luther King Jr didnt fear death, he would do anything he could in his power to make the lives of millions better. The only way we can really achieve freedom; is to somehow conquer the fear of death, for if a man has not discovered something that he would die for, he isnt fit to live it, (Martin Luther King). This sense of loyalty to the cause inspired millions of African-Americans to do the same and together united by song they beat segregation, and were finally recognized as equals. In conclusion there have been many struggles in the world that have been overcome. The Civil Rights Movement was one of these amazing feats of man. In North America, for the most part, blacks, whites, Jews, and Arabs all live in harmony, we share schools, classrooms, playgrounds as well as morals. The movie Soundtrack for Revolution shows the story of the Civil Rights Movement and how songs, spirituals and protest songs held a group of courageous people together during their pickets, sit-ins, and non-violent demonstrations during a turbulent era. This was accomplished with the aid of Martin Luther King JR and on August 28, 1963 â€Å"The Great March on Washington took place, this was one of the largest political rallies for human rights in United States history and it called for civil and economic rights for African Americans. The themes of change and continuity, culture and community, and finally on power and governance are very evident in the movie as well as how song relates to them you can cage a singer but not song Harry Belafonte.

Maori Social and Cultural Values and Healthcare

Maori Social and Cultural Values and Healthcare Shame is a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behaviour. The effect of shame on the health of the Maori client would be a client was diagnosed by type 2 diabetic and was recommended by the general practitioner to loss his /her weight. The general practitioner also made appointment with the weight loss program people and asked the client to attend the program but the client itself was feeling kind off embarrassed or bit shame as he/she have to attend the program, people will gossip about it and how will they react. The client may feel uncomfortable if at first he /she wold have controlled this it wouldn’t have come to this stage. Feeling inadequate not enough or insufficient. The effect of feeling inadequate on the health of a MÄ ori client would be a MÄ ori client visited a doctor as she was not feeling well, she had difficulty in sleeping and usually sweating, nervousness. After proper examination the doctor concluded that she has got hypertension(high blood pressure).the doctor started to inform her what she needs to do to control high blood pressure without medication and with medication too but after that brief information the doctor has given her time to think and decide and he went away giving her space but she felt that she had less information given to her regarding hypertension and she couldn’t say anything as she lacked knowledge and was not able to ask the doctor more about it as she felt embarrassed. Withdrawal (maunu) being pull out, to draw out or to loosened or get isolated. Example a person was feeling sick and needs to see a doctor, but when she went to the hospital she could not access any health services as she didn’t knew anything about health , it was all new to her. Neither has she known about the health services nor has appriopate knowledge felt withdrawn as people there knew where to go and where not to go. Feeling misunderstood took it in a wrong way, improperly understood or interpreted. For an example a MÄ ori client visited a doctor and informed that the medication he prescribed did not do anything and no important in her health but the doctor got bit angry as and said are you trying to teach me.The MÄ ori client felt that what she was trying to say doctor took in a wrong way, she just wanted to get a better medication that will improve her health. 1.2 One to one consultation with a health worker A MÄ ori lady goes to see a doctor and the doctor was male, she went to see the doctor to know how to avoid type two diabetic, but when she found out it was a male doctor she felt bit uncomfortable with him. The doctor tries his best to make feel comfortable. She seemed like she was nervous so the doctor tried to take her stress away by asking her to take deep breaths. She got bit worried to whether the doctor will provide her adequate information or not and whether it will be better for her or not. The doctor provided her with all information and how to avoid them also he also provided a guide book for her to read on her own too. Consumer survey As a health nurse educator she went to a boarding school to all the students doing consumer survey about the ascertain number of smokers. Firstly she asked permission from the parents to continue this survey. During this survey she looked at a simpler way to meet the age group of students made questionnaires that students can understand also got online website which is usually accessed by youths. She conducted this survey through face to face interview. Questionnaires were given out to them simple answers like yes/no .While conducting this survey she also maintained confidentiality and privacy for students. She explained the students while she was doing this survey in a simple way for their understanding. One to one consultation with a health worker of a different gender. For an example a male nurse promoting breast feeding for MÄ ori mothers. Firstly before going near to the mother the male nurse would get permission from the family or the husband to explain this to his wife about breast feeding. If the mother does not agree a male nurse he would give that information to the family members or to the husband so that they can explain to her. He will also get a MÄ ori nurse with him to assist him in communicating with the MÄ ori client as his first language is English. While communicating with the Maori client he will provide privacy to her. Explain her things as simple as he can. Providing information about support and also getting feedback from her is she does not understand anything. Group consultation with a health worker. The health worker having a group of Maori people who came for consultation together about influenza risk and how to reduce the spread of it. The health worker firstly made the environment suitable for them like in a room or office to maintain the privacy. When the clients arrives he greets them in their language by respecting there culture and belief. He also speaks to them in a very respective manner. The health worker provides adequate information to them and they all actively participate in the group where they could not understand things and need to know a bit more about it. He also informed them that if they feel they have not got enough information they ask questions to him. 1.3 Adverse socio-cultural factor one Education- If you as a MÄ ori are not educated you won’t be able to communicate well in front of others. If you are less educated you feel shame (whakama) in yourself as you won’t know what to do if want to see a doctor. You won’t have direct impact to health services. For an example you want to see a doctor but you don’t know where to go and get the information from and you feel shame on yourself as you are not educated how will other people react on it. Adverse socio-factor two Lack of identity (age, gender)- You will feel shame on yourself as people won’t know you who you are and where you are from. Example you have got diabetic and you want to go and access health services at district health but you cannot access as you don’t have an identity and knowledge about it. Another example can be the ministry of health NZ published pamphlet in MÄ ori language to make it easier for people who cannot understand English to read but still you don’t know how to read it in your language too. Adverse socio-economic factor one Employment- A MÄ ori person goes for job interview and does well in the interview but the employer does not give the designation he should get as he does not have the appropriate qualification or degree. He won’t be getting better pay as he should be. He won’t be able to excess any health services as whatever income he earns is spent on the family needs. Sometimes MÄ ori people doesn’t even have job as they don’t have any qualification and feel shame on themselves (whakama) people are laughing at him whenever they go to look for job. Adverse socio-economic factor two- Discrimination in education- The child won’t be getting education up to a better level or appropriate standard as they come from the poor family or due to the ethnicity. The child won’t be treated friendly by other students and teases the child how poor he is and the child will feel shame on himself (whakama) which will make him to avoid going to school. The child will not be getting proper health services as his family does not earn much. 2.1 A) Negative outcome one- No access to medical treatments- Like a MÄ ori client was very ill and wanted to go and see a doctor to get treated but he could not go as he was not educated he didn’t knew where to go and felt shame on himself and didn’t knew which medical treatment to access. Negative outcome two- Traditional medicine- In MÄ ori there is a medicine that they use that is rongoa it is use to prevent many sickness and provide remedies for the sickness. But the medicine making is passed down to generation to generation so the new generation may not know how to make the medicine and maybe don’t even know what ingredients maybe used. Some maybe feel bit embarrassed on themselves as they know anything about their traditional medicine. Negative outcome three- Non-MÄ ori speaking person- A health care assistant goes to meet a client and before going to that client she got bit background about that person and learnt that the person is Maori. When she went there she greeted the families and the client in MÄ ori and was able to speak bit fluently to them all were bit shocked and ashamed on themselves that they are MÄ ori themselves but they cannot speak their own language but a person who is a non-MÄ ori person speaks well. B) Positive outcome one- Cultural appropriate programmes- In a rest home they have people there who wants to get more knowledge about MÄ ori culture so the company organises a teaching session in a culturally appropriate setting to the clients, the health care assistants and clinical staffs. Positive outcome two- Maori provider group- Like for some MÄ ori clients they are special needs clients they require some special aids in their life so the good thing is that now in New Zealand there is a MÄ ori provider group they do funding for Maori health and disabilities issues, taking accounts of the Manaia Health PHO population profile and health needs, building Maori provider capacity in service delivery and improving upon quality issues. Positive outcome three- Whanua ora- The ministry of New Zealand is trying to look for solutions and information to support the whanua plans and track the whanua goals. All this solutions will be used with a group of people or by range of people from the whanua ora navigators or to staff at whanua ora collectives to whanua themselves, although people whose information is captured in whÄ nau plans will be able to have a say in who is allowed to access that information.

Reflexology benefits which community mental health clients experience

Reflexology benefits which community mental health clients experience Reflexology is growing in popularity in its use for a wide range of conditions such as pain management, to ease the effects of cancer treatment, and indeed mental health problems. Reflexology, a complementary therapy, has been around for many years and its main purpose is ultimately to aid relaxation and restore energy. Literature suggests that it may improve quality of life and promote well-being. An increasing demand for Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAMS) emphasises the need for more research, therefore this research proposal suggests that further research is required to understand more clearly the benefits perceived by clients when reflexology is utilised in conjunction with their exiting plan of care. SEARCH STRATEGY A comprehensive literature search was conducted in relation to reflexology for mental health illness, in particular anxiety and anxiety related disorders. It was the intention to locate valid and reliable research carried out within the last ten years, however expanding this period located much more research that was considered relevant, and thus has been included within the literature review. The main databases for the literature included Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), Web of Knowledge, Swetwise, PubMed, British Nursing Index (BNI), Internurse,Wiley Interscience, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED) , EBSCO, and DARE (Centre for reviews and dissemination). Keywords used within the search strategy included: reflexology, anxiety, mental health, complementary therapies, complementary medicine, perceptions of reflexology, CAMS for enduring mental health, holistic care in psychiatry, holistic approach to mental health, zone-therapy and therapeutic touch. Additional literature was sourced from The Association of Reflexology. A manual search was also conducted for relevant books and leaflets. Searching literature revealed much quantitative and qualitative research on the topic of reflexology, the majority of which was related to reflexology for physical conditions such as cancer (of various types), multiple sclerosis, and skeletal ailments. A relatively small number was associated with mental health illnesses. LITERATURE REVIEW As mentioned there is an abundance of information and research with regards to the perceived benefits of CAMS including reflexology, however methodological flaws exist within some of these studies. Here, the researcher will attempt to give a critical, yet an evaluative account, on some of the research already published on the topic of reflexology. In addition, the researcher will draw upon previous research that has been carried out on why clients use reflexology, thus understanding reasons as to why it is becoming a popular complimentary therapy. Complimentary and alternative therapies incorporate a wide spectrum of approaches, however according to the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2007) they can be grouped into five main categories which are alternative medical systems, mind-body interventions, biologically based therapies, manipulative and body based therapies, and energy therapies. It is important to point out that these diverse modalities to not aim to neither diagnose or cure an illness; they merely aim to promote wellness and enhance wellbeing (Mamtani and Cimino, 2002). In recent years complementary therapies have seen an increase in popularity (Harris and Rees, 2000; Kessler et al, 2001; Russinova, 2009) for all age groups (Barnes and Bloom, 2008) and the reasons for this are varied. Change the start of this paragraph†¦ The Complementary and Alternative Medicines Project (2008) was commissioned by the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) in 2000. Get Well UK a non-profit organisation was appointed to oversee the project. A large sample of 713 clients who had either musculoskeletal or mental health conditions were referred to the study by their General Practitioner (GP) with the aim of exploring the potential use of CAMS within existing primary care services. Utilising the measure yourself medical outcome profile allowed data to be generated through a validated measurement. Respondents were asked to complete this before their first treatment and again after their final treatment. Additionally there were independent surveys conducted via post to the participants, the GPs and the CAMS practitioners involved. The modalities of CAMS within the study included reflexology, aromatherapy, homeopathy, acupuncture, massage, chiropractor and osteopathy. Upon evaluation, it was concluded that 79% of those who took part felt an improvement in the mental health, 69% reported an improvement on their well being, and 84% reported that improvement of their well being was directly due to the CAM treatments. In addition, 94% stated that they would definitely recommend CAM treatments to others with similar complaints to themselves. Since the research, The Prince of Wales has called for a  £10 million investment into research of CAMS. Whilst the conclusion of this research appears promising for the various therapies involved, a closer look reveals that only a minority of mental health conditions were included in the selection criteria, which were anxiety, stress and depression. If the inclusion criteria allowed for a range of mental health conditions, their findings may have been different. However, strength is that it had a large sample size, which many other studies have failed to have. In response to the above research project, the Government strongly hold the view that more evidence is required, and recommended that research should attempt to contribute to the existing evidence based using the same rigorous methods that is required and desired of conventional medicine (Department of Health, 2001). Reflexology has been described as a technique used to promote the healing powers of the body that works on the premise that certain areas of the feet correspond to areas of the body. It is a non-evasive therapy where gentle pressure is applied to areas of the foot. It is believed that reflexology was practiced in china as early as 4000 BC. Reflexology, originally named zone therapy emerged from America during early 20th century. Reflexology is increasing being utilised in palliative care settings and have found to be effective in alleviating anxiety, additionally improving their physical, emotional, spiritual and psychological well being. Gambles et al (2002) carried out semi-structured interviews to identify cancer patients perceptions after a course of reflexology was offered. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of reflexology offered in outpatients. Positive results were derived from the analysis demonstrating that reflexology was beneficial for this group of clients. The majority of the clients indicated that the main benefits perceived were a reduction in anxiety levels. Other clients highlighted a reduction in pain, and some noted an improvement in their sleep pattern. The lack of negative comments in this study indicates that reflexology was positively received by the client group. However as the findings were mainly gathered from narrative, thus subjective data, it could be said that lack of objective measurement reduces it value. However, the paper included some of the raw data in the form of quotations which enhanced the validity and credibility of the research. While the above research was carried out in Scotland, similar research has been carried out in England (Lewith et al, 2002). Washington Hospices have also seen a significant rise in demand in the utilisation of complementary therapies for individualised, holistic client care (Kozac et al 2009) Research carried out in Northern Ireland to assess CAM use suggested that Reflexology was among the top six therapies used in Northern Ireland. The main reason for the use of reflexology was to enhance wellness and relaxation (Mc Donagh et al, 2007). The method used to carry out this research was surveys and had a sample of 100 people. Write more about this Bring in here about the Mind Report (unpublished research) A qualitative study (Richardson, 2004) found that clients rationale for using complementary therapies is diverse. Reasons ranged from clients feeling unhappy with orthodox medicine, having poor relationships with their GP, for symptom relief, and the increased availability of many complimentary therapies. Not dissimilar to the findings, although more specific to the reasons why clients avail of reflexology, Bishop et al (2008) found that reasons range from; for pleasure, as a treat, anticipated beliefs, prevention/management or alleviating current physical and mental health problems, and as a supplement or addition to conventional medicine. While this research was carried out in England and had a sample population of 46 clients, a bigger sample may have identified broader variations for their use. A systematic review by Wang et al (2008) agreed that there is indeed evidence to support that reflexology may have potential benefits; however they hold the view that there is no evidence to support its efficacy. To conclude their review they suggested that the routine provision of reflexology is not recommended for any illness or condition, expect for some symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis. Upon completing a systemic review Ernst (2009) and in agreement with Wang et al (2008) also concluded that there is evidence to suggest the effectiveness of reflexology although the results of previous studies are not convincing as the methodologies utilised within the trials were often poor with small sample sizes, lacked objective data or contained inaccurate measurements. As the systematic review focused on physical conditions and not mental health disorders the Jadad scale was used to assess the quality of the methodology. This instrument, often used for RCTs within the context of p hysical therapy has a score range of 0-5 (5 being highest quality) and is based on three criteria, is often used globally for the measurement of RCTs (Olivio et al, 2008). It is important however to note that research within complementary therapies often face difficulty in obtaining objective data as it is a very individualised approach, therefore client outcomes vary due to the clients values and belief system and evidence is placed on client feedback and satisfaction. Health professionals are encouraged to work towards evidence based practice, however, as the evidence mainly comes about as the result of Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) this can often place professionals in a dilemma due to the lack of RCTs in some complementary therapies (need ref) The underpinnings of RCTs are that of objective measurement, and often reject or disregard subjective data, which in turn make it more difficult to obtain hard evidence. CAM practitioners and reflexologists treat clients with individ uality, they see their clients as unique therefore the treatment is unique. As a result much of the research into reflexology does not fit adequately in the criteria for RCTs as emphasis is placed on individualising care, not placed on standardising care. For this reason lack of objectivity should not be lack of effectiveness. Need a linking sentence There have been significant changes and developments into the way mental health care is delivered, with much focus and emphasis on community based care. This shift from the traditional long stay hospitals has been seen as a positive step towards person centred holistic care. There is indeed much focus on recovery with the aim of supporting clients to manage their illness so that they can continue to reside within their community and live their life to their optimal best. Beresford (2000) and The Mental Health Foundation (2000) found that people wish to play an active role in their recovery from mental illness which includes being involved in the treatment and decision process and would like the opportunity to avail of complementary therapies. Thornicroft et al (2008) hold the view that central to the provision of effective community based care is that services need to reflect the needs of the clients, be holistic, individualised and patient centred. Keep this paragraph at the end of lit rev. People with mental health illnesses such as anxiety and anxiety related disorders often require different treatments, therapies and services to help them deal with, thus manage their illness more effectively (Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, 2005). Regardless of any methodological flaws, it is important that health professionals take into account clients motivations for using complimentary therapies such as reflexology. We must listen to the clients perceived benefits and work towards a greater understanding of such benefits. . CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY 2.1 DESIGN Quantitative and qualitative approaches, what do each entail, why I have chosen mixed methods There are two main approaches to research; qualitative and quantitative. Each have there own advantages and indeed limitations. These approaches do not have to be used alone, they can often be used together. Mc Neill and Chapman (2005) put forward that mixed methods are often desirable as it enables the researcher to overcome some of the inherent weaknesses that many methods possess. Qualitative research design is often used to gather sensitive information. It aims to gain a more in-depth understanding of peoples beliefs, values, opinions and experiences. The rationale for choosing qualitative over quantitative approaches is that qualitative methods are more holistic; it seeks to understand perceptions held by individuals, and seeks to find out why instead of how many. It is a naturalistic approach whereby the research is carried out under natural conditions. Although qualitative data can be hard to objectively measure, it remains valuable because it considers and represents the perception of humans. A frequent criticism is that the qualitative approach lacks rigour (Rolphe, 2006). Bradbury-Jones (2007) suggest that keeping a reflective diary can enhance rigour whereby the researcher can reflect on their own values, beliefs and preconceptions which can all affect how the responses of the respondents are interpreted. Parahoo (2006) holds the view that reflexivity is not always easy to achieve and suggests that allowing the respondents to read the data obtained for agreement or clarification is a way of validating the data obtained. within the qualitative approach, It is argued that in order to assess the effectiveness and indeed efficacy of any treatment, service or therapy, randomised controlled trails (RCTs) should be used. RCTs are seen to be the gold standard of research (Kunz et al, 2007), however there are also limitations and criticisms of RCTs, especially where placebos are used (Vaque and Rossiter, 2001) Willaims and Garner (2002) proclaim that RCTs merely provide information about groups rather than individual clients. Many RCTs often give age restrictions and tend to focus on groups with the same diagnosis, in other words clients with dual diagnosis or mixed diagnosis are often excluded. Whilst we are encouraged to incorporate the results of RCTs, Naylors (1995) viewpoint is that RCTs lack external validity therefore it is not always possible to use the results and apply them in clinical settings. Using this approach in vulnerable groups also raises several ethical questions and concerns (American Psychiatric Association, 2006; Tharyan, 2006). However Green (2008) exerts that excluding vulnerable groups may also exclude them from gaining benefits The researcher proposes to use semi structured interviews (qualitative) as a means of collecting data and there are many reasons for taking this approach. This method can provide the researcher with rich and valuable information about the experiences and perceptions of clients with a mental health illness. SAMPLE Parahoo (2005) reminds us that selecting a sample for research requires much consideration, especially in mental health nursing research. The target population (sample) required for this proposal is 6 clients within the local community who currently have a diagnosis of anxiety or any anxiety related disorder as categorised in the DSM IV or ICD 10. The vulnerability of this group of clients must be considered whilst recruiting clients. Polit and Back (2004) exerts that clients should never feel obliged to take part in any study and no coercion from the researcher must take place. It is therefore important that when discussing the research with clients that it is emphasised that there will be no penalty for refusal to take part. Write about how you will get the sample How many Inclusion and exclusion criteria For the purpose of this research proposal the researcher has suggested convenience sampling, sometimes referred to as volunteer sampling. As the name suggests the sample is convenient, and is fairly typical of a qualitative approach to research (Burnard, 2004; Polit and Beck, 2010). However, Convenience sampling is not without its limitations (write about some limitations, also the good points). There are no set rules concerning samples sizes, although qualitative sample sizes are generally much smaller than quantitative sample sizes. In order to obtain the sample needed the assistance of the community mental health team (CMHT) is required. An information booklet containing the topic and aims of the research will be mailed to members of the CMHT. When nurses are located the researcher intends to arrange a small conference so that any issues can be raised, this will also provide an opportunity for the CMHT to ask questions. It is important that the researcher also leaves their contact details should any further questions arise. When the team are happy with the research topic and aims, they can discuss this (if applicable) with their clients and leave a participant information booklet with their client to read. If clients have any literacy or reading limitations or any sight problems then it is imperative that their nurse read out the information, or if preferred an audio cass ette will be prepared so the client can listen to the tape at their own time and pace. A client with literacy or communication difficulties should not be discriminated against and it is important that they are not excluded due to reasons mentioned. It may however pose challenges in the data collection and analysis (Low, 2006) The researchers contact details will be provided on the information booklet, which will enable the client to contact the researcher for more information if required. When six clients have shown interest and agreed to participate a consent form must be signed (see appendix). Arrangements will then be put in place, at the convenience of the participants and the reflexologist for the reflexology to commence. 2.3 METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION semi structured interviews, BDI 2.4 ROBUSTNESS OF DATA COLLECTION METHODS 2.5 DATA ANALYSIS how are you going to analysis the data, ie through recordings, transcribing the data from the tape etc 2.6 PILOT STUDY 2.7 PROCEDURE FOR MAIN STUDY 2.8 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS Research such as the Milgram experiment (where participants inflicted electric shocks to another participant), The Stanford Prison experiment (where participants became verbally and physically abusive towards one another) and The Monster Study (where an attempt to induce stuttering was conducted on orphans) a number of ethical principles and frameworks have been developed with the main aim being the protection of participants well-being (Kovisto et al, 2001; Keogh and Daly, 2009). Indeed the Numberg trials at the end of the second world also received much controversy. This resulted in the formulation of the Numberg code, which has been noted to be one of the worlds most recognised ethical documentation. The Numberg Code and the Helsinki Declaration provide the basis for research. These basic principles are used globally any can provide researchers with an outline to the ethical, moral and legal obligations of research (Benard and Ficher, 2006) Ethical considerations are an important element in any type of research and the onus of upholding the ethics of research should be the responsibility of the researcher (Research Council UK, 2009). Clients with a mental health illness are a vulnerable group and many steps must be taken for their protection. Ethical approval will be sought from the relevant bodies (appendix) (University of Ulster, 2006). it is advised that this can be a lengthy process so the letter will be mailed at the earliest available date. Ethical considerations is not merely about non- maleficience, and beneficence, it is much broader than that. Consideration of the benefits versus the risks must be considered. No research should ever intentionally cause harm. As mentioned in section †¦. An information booklet will be provided for those who wish to take part. The information provided will be easily read, wherever possible will be free of jargon so that it is comprehensible to the reader. A list of contact numbers of local organisations will also be added to the booklet as the nature of the study is obtaining information from a vulnerable population group and any likelihood of upset must be addressed. Other information included in the booklet is; what will happen when the research is completed, upholding confidentiality, the right to withdraw and complaints procedures (Medical Research Council, 2005). It is important that all this information is capsulated within the booklet as a new procedure, intervention or ser vice may seem confusing at first and provoke unnecessary anxiety to both the client and the staff involved. Data Analysis Researchers who use qualitative approaches to gain information can use several ways of analysing their data (Elo and Kyngas, 2007). Only the data analysis method applicable to this research proposal will be discussed here. The first stage of narrative data analysis is to gather all the information that was obtained from the participants, although this may first appear relatively easy task to do, the reality is that it is a lengthy and time consuming process. Furthermore it is not an easy or straightforward task to accomplish. When transcribing the tape recordings it is important that we consider the rate and tone of the speech and be aware of the colloquialisms (slang) used in everyday conversations. Pauses, sighs or any prolonged silences must also be noted as excluding any of these will result in losing valuable information and the transcription will not emphasise or illustrate an understanding of what the participant is trying to put across, in other words we need to be extremely careful when interpreting the data.

History of the Calle Ocho Festival :: Little Havana Culture

Twenty Years of Calle Ocho Over the years, the Calle Ocho festival has brought hundreds of smiles to thousands of people. Behind the smiles, the laughter, and the dances, there is a serious side to the festivities. In the beginning, Willy Bermello just wanted a little backyard get-together that would bring neighbors closer, but the festival turned into something much, much bigger. With the festival's growth and inevitable commercialization, Bermello increasingly felt that its importance was being forgotten. He wanted to let people know this was more than just a big party. He wanted people of different races and different ethnicities to be able to feel comfortable with each other, and not just for one day. He wanted Calle Ocho's influence felt throughout the year. In 1998, Cuban refugees are still being held captive in camps at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Many refugees left Guantanamo last year in hopes of reaching America, but unfortunately, few have yet to make it here. In the hearts of many people, there lies the hope, that, by the next festival, those Cubans wishing to be in South Florida will be able to celebrate the festival with their friends and family. On Calle Ocho, people of all races and backgrounds are helping to make the Cuban exile community party a success. It has been a difficult year for divided families everywhere. Many of the proceeds from various stands at the festival go to giving financial aid to Cubans who are brought over from the island. A portion of the festival proceeds go to support Operation Angel; the MCI long-distance telephone tents are giving away five minutes of free calling time. This calling time gives families the chance to call Cuba; many are calling their families for the first time. Furthermore, T-shirt stand s are raising money to help those still interred in camps. Block after block, people from all over are packed in Little Havana; they form a river of cultural unity. Unfortunately, the Calle Ocho festival of 1996 was cancelled due to the ill-fated shooting down of four Cuban exile aviators, from the Brothers to the Rescue organization, by Cuban warplanes on February 24, 1996. People who attended the festivals after that incident maintain, in their hearts, the memories of those pilots who gave their lives to help refugees in need.

Atwater V. The City of Lago Vista :: essays research papers

Atwater V. The City of Lago Vista   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Texas it’s illegal to drive or have any other passengers in the car seatbelt less, mainly children riding in the front seat. Mrs. Atwater was driving in Lago Vista, Texas with her children in the front seat and nobody wearing a seatbelt. A Lago Vista police officer observed the seatbelt violations and pulled her over. After that he verbally berated her, handcuffed her, put her in the squad car, and drove her to the police station, where she was searched extensively. Officers then rook her mug shot and put her in a jail cell for an hour before she was taken to a magistrate and released on bond. She was charged with the seatbelt violations with some other charges as well. She pleaded no contest to the seatbelt misdemeanors and paid a $50 fine. Atwater and her husband filed suit under 42 U.S.C SS 1983 alleging, inter alia, that the actions of respondents had violated her Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable seizure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They should have never arrested her to begin with, although the whole seatbelt violation law is good it shouldn’t be used with excessive force as it was in this case. A fine is very suitable because it’s a reminder if you ever get one because you’ll surely wear one after the fine. The main reason it happened to begin with is because it was in a small town and the police officer was either bored or wanted the general public to know that he’s cracking down on the seatbelt violation law.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There’s not much relation to class with this case unfortunately.

My Response to the play Rainbows Ending Essays -- Drama

My Response to the play Rainbow's Ending. I quiet enjoyed reading the text "Rainbow's Ending". Here is a brief summary of the play: The story is about two giants, the world is peaceful, quiet and happy, until the giants have an argument over who is bigger, and have an eating competition. They eat anything and everything they can find, as they eat their way through the country. The rest of the country becomes helpless, dirty and noisy. Until one day the giants return and everything becomes a better place again! The group, in which I was in, came up with many imaginative ideas, for the particular scenes in which we worked on. I very much liked the idea of the superpowers of the two giants in the story, which the author Noel Greig wrote. We used his ideas from the text to create our own ideas. In scene 1 we used a lot of Physical theatre. We had the Sun, Empire State Building, Post Office Tower, trees, and the river. I particularly liked the way which we had four people being the river when it came to the lines "it was a sunny day the trout were almost queuing up to get themselves hooked" at this point we had the little old fisher woman with her fishing rod, by the river bank. The river was made by the four people, they were making wavy movements together, and the trout were two of the people quickly kneeling up towards the fisher woman, begging to get hooked. Then when it came to the next line " one giant lay down and started to lap up the wate...

Year Round Education Program

Imagine a child, on a hot summer day†¦ no baseball, no swimming, no picnics or amusement park rides. Instead of spending time doing all of the things kids like to during summer vacations, this child, is attending school. Year round education (YRE) has been around since 1904, with 3,000 schools and 2 million students currently using the program (National Association). Students in year round schools go to school the same 180 days that traditional schools attend. In YRE, the summer vacation is eliminated, replacing it with shorter, more frequent breaks. There is a number of ways the year round school can operate, including: 90/30, 45/15, and 60/20. The most popular of these calendars is the 45/15, where the year is divided into 4 nine week terms, separated by 4 three week vacations (National Association). YRE has been a debated issue in education almost since it began. Supporters of YRE say this schedule improves the learning process. The biggest debate, however, comes from the parents and teachers who believe there are no proven studies that YRE helps the learning process at all. So, is year round schooling a good choice for the education of your children? YRE will not only hurt the education system, but it will create chaos for the lives of the students attending and their families. Supporters of YRE believe year round schools are more cost effective than traditional schools. With population in some districts rising rapidly, YRE is said to reduce overcrowding of schools and classrooms. In many cases, school calendars are changed in response to population growth. By running schools all year, districts can pack in more students and postpone building new schools (Endless Summer). Supporters of YRE say that by staggering vacations and schedules, schools can increase capacity by 25-50 percent (Should Kids go). Supporters argue that the costs for the transition form a traditional calendar to year round schools are modest compared to the construction costs of new schools (Inger, Morton). However, those against YRE feel that expenses will only be reduced temporarily. According to a â€Å"Year Round Education Study† conducted by the Lewisville, Texas Independent School District, â€Å"Findings of a year-long study concluded that there is no financial benefit to operating a Single Track System. The system would cause a modest increase in operational expenses without providing any instructional benefits† (Time to Learn). In Iowa, the Carroll School Board found that the costs of the district moving to a year round education system could range from $16,786 to $32,412. Taylor Elementary School, in Cedar Rapids, spends more money according to the classroom teachers that any other elementary school. Schools in Davenport reported that the switch to YRE will cost an additional $36,000 in salaries, $3000 per year for equipment, and supplies, and $22,300 as a one time expense for teacher training. Plus, the move to YRE would also cost the district an extra $92,626 to fully air condition the school building. In Des Moines, Moulten schools spend about $80,000 annually for year round schooling. If YRE were implemented, Indianola school districts would spend an additional $3,655 for middle school and $5,000 for elementary school to pay for the additional secretarial, administrative, and custodial time during the summer (Time to Learn). Costs will not only be incurred with the schools, but also with the state and with taxpayers. Cost savings for one of these groups may create cost increases for the other (Naylor, Charlie). Contrary to what supporters of YRE claim, there are definitely extra costs to implementing and maintaining a year round education system. Supporters of YRE say that year round schools would promote continuous learning. The belief is that students forget a lot of what they learn while on long summer vacations. This is seen more in slower learning students and for those who know English as their second language. It is also thought that because students retain more when the learning process is interrupted for only short periods of time, teachers in year round schools need to spend less time reviewing pre-vacation material (Inger, Morton). Although this seems true, opponents believe that there is research that needs to be addressed. Mary Lee Smith and Gene V. Glass have done extensive research in year round schools since 1974. In a study conducted by Smith and Glass, in a school district in Colorado, the learning loss in the students was evaluated. They found that although teachers in year round schools spent less time reviewing pre-vacation material than teachers in traditional schools did, the actual achievement differences were insignificant on tests designed specifically to measure district objectives (Glass, Gene V). According to Don Patterson, a member of the Albuquerque, New Mexico School Board that tried and rejected year round schooling, â€Å"Short term memory loss is very acute. Studies show that the only discernible summer loss occurs in the first two to three weeks. So, by introducing all these multiple breaks, all you†re doing is maximizing forgetting. † It has also been proven that forgetting and relearning are part of the learning process. Gaps in student†s learning begin with loss of context retention in the subject area, which begins within 24-48 hours, unless the new information is reinforced or applied immediately. After a month without reinforcement, about 80% of what a student has learned is recently lost. Research indicates what we retain depends on student motivation and teacher-effectiveness and isn†t limited to a time factor (Time to Learn). It is quite obvious that YRE does not improve the learning process, as those who support YRE claim. Supporters of the year round school system believe there are many benefits in the program for students and teachers. Advocates of YRE say families have greater flexibility in planning vacations that often cost less. Parents that support YRE feel that the shorter, more frequent vacations allowed students to remain focused and enthusiastic (Prisoners of Time). Angie Maniscalco, a 5th grade student at Fairmount Elementary in St. Louis, says, â€Å"Kids should go to school nine weeks and be off three because, kids get bored in the summer. They get sick of swimming every single day going skating or basically doing anything. I go to school for nine weeks, then get off three† (Should Schools). Supporters also believe parents who are working outside the home can take advantage of year-round care for their children. Teachers that support the idea of YRE feel that the more frequent breaks reduce burnout, and that the frequent breaks during the school year enable teachers to visit and learn from other programs and other teachers (Prisoners of Time). Those against YRE have different views about what year-round schooling will do for the students and the teachers. In year round schools, middle, elementary and high school students often have different schedules. While vacationing in the off-season may work well, when children are on different schedules, vacations can be more of a problem. YRE can certainly disrupt family life. With different ages of students, vacations are difficult to schedule. For example, children on non-traditional schedules may miss out on Boy Scout Camp, because their summer vacation falls in the month of August and the activity is programmed for July. School activities can suffer as well. One study found that band, chorus, drama, and student government were particularly hit hard (Never Ending School). While there may be some benefits to YRE, it is obvious that there are many situations where the year round calendar will cause confusion in the lives of those involved. Perhaps the most debated issue in YRE is that of the achievement scores. Supporters of YRE claim that student performance in year round schools is much greater. They believe that year round schools will yield higher achievement scores that traditional schools. Many advocates for YRE claim there are studies by the National Association for Year Round Education that report that year round schools have a very positive impact on student grades. Although supporters boast high achievement scores on tests, and higher student grades, those against YRE disagree (Year Round Education: Is). Critics of YRE say there is no evidence for higher academic gains under YRE as compared to traditional schools. Studies and test scores repeatedly show little improvement by students in year round schools. When test scores do increase, many educators hesitate to attribute increases to the new calendar (Time to Learn). Many of these studies, have been conducted by the National Association for Year Round Education (NAYRE), a highly biased organization, whose consultants earn significant amounts of income by promotion YRE. Robert Rosenfield, a systems analyst from Potomac, Maryland, was so concerned at what he considered to be misrepresented data by the NAYRE that he analyzed a substantial number of YRE evaluations in a 1994 paper. He concluded, â€Å"Each study presented in the NAYRE review has either been incompletely characterized, or otherwise contradicted by other studies within the same state or district. Nothing in the NAYRE review demonstrates any academic achievement gain by changing to a year-round calendar. In a 1993 Resnik study of Oakland Unified School District, California, concluded, â€Å"Students at year-round schools show on average a lower academic achievement level than those at other schools, and their achievement has decreased for the period, while it increased for schools in the regular calendar. † Overall, as you can see, there is little difference in student achievement between year-round and traditional calendars (Year Round Education: Is). As evidence has shown, year round education will not improve the education of our children. YRE will cost more money for schools. YRE will not promote continuous learning. YRE won†t create benefits for students and teachers, but will create chaos in the lives of the people around them. Achievement scores in schools with YRE will not increase, but in fact, in some cases, get worse. A few spoken views on YRE say it best. Sheila Duty Gibson says, â€Å"Many students show that year-round schools do not improve education. Changing the days students attend school does not address what many believe are the real problems in education such as a lack of parental involvement, teacher development, effective teaching methods and curriculum. An anonymous editorial in a North Carolina newspaper says, â€Å"It†s time to face the truth. The year-round schedule is a personal preference, not the answer to our educational problems. Year-round school doesn†t work for everyone. † Executive Editor of Elizabethton Star in Tennessee, said it well when he said, â€Å"Summertime offers our youngsters an extended time to experience life in such a way that will never again be afforded. If we are going to do anything with respect to school scheduling, we should extend the summer vacation to Labor Day† (Time to Learn).

Essay for Movie Roger and Me

Summer Bajwa 211510526 Corporate America Socio-economic Downfall Date: October 30, 2012 â€Å"Roger and me† is an eye-opening stance of dark part of Capitalism. Michael Moore’s documentary is a courageous attempt to unfold the damages, caused by Capitalistic mentality of the time – laying off 30,000 auto workers in an American city, Flint for the sheer purpose of profit. Moore’s presentation unfold the pathos of a society, suffers through the years of loss and sorrow. He showed how the â€Å"American dream† shattered. Moore, an Irish American Catholic, son of a middle class G.M. employee, observed the thousands of layoffs in Flint and the aftermath of the greed of General Motors, move from Flint to Mexico for cheap labour. He interviewed some auto workers as disguised TV journalist and found their intense revolt against GM chairman, Roger B. Smith. Moore attempted to confront him, but he failed to see him personally, nevertheless, he kept trying to get a chance to meet him. He interviewed an autoworker, who suffered nervous breakdown due to getting laid off, living in mental health facility.He showed in the movie all failed attempts of economically stabilize the city, such as, Flint convention and visiting bureau; Hyat Regency Hotel; Auto World; and Water Street Pavilion. US President Ronald Reagan, an Evangelist, Robert Schuler, Pat Boone, Bob,E. He attended GM Shareholder’s convention, but shut him off by Smith, the general manager and also being ridiculed by Smith’s board members. He met as well some female residents of Flint. A radio host joined Amway, as a sales woman and another resident, Rhonda Briton started selling rabbits.He showed the loss and sorrow of the residents, who got eviction notices from their Municipalities, i. e. immediate eviction during Christmas Eve. Moore shows in his documentary film the apathy and coldness of the riches and the devastation and anguish for the poors. He exemplified a r esident, who lost her job from GM plants, started raising rabbits for income and what Roger Smith did to the people of Flint, sums up the relationship between the employer and their employees.The rabbit woman states she raises the rabbits to the age of four months and then kills them; that way, they are nice and tender. At one point in the interview, she is holding a rabbit, caressing it ever so softly and then states indirectly that this one will be her dinner. She proceeds to kill, skin, and gut the rabbit in front of the camera. This leaves a haunting visual image in the mind of the viewer, showing that there is no difference from what GM has done to Flint and what she does to rabbits.What employers cannot understand is that human beings are not like rabbits and should not be treated as such. General Motors chairman Roger B. Smith announced the closure of Flint Auto plants and to shift to Mexico for cheaper labor. GM's board of directors, led by Roger Smith, decided to move to Me xico to reduce the wage and benefit expense of GM. Showing this; it was obvious that lots of Americans are socially brain-washed into believing that global competition and corporate downsizing is good for America.During one part of the film, as a majority of GM employees are cheering as the last truck rolls off the assembly line, a male GM employee comments, â€Å"Why are they cheering? They've just lost their jobs†. Moore shows his disgust and help public to see the real picture of the hidden intent. GM tried to justify its move through ad Propaganda to get support of general public. That’s why a part of public was cheering of GM move; it was a same story in the neighboring country, Canada. A majority Government passed the bill of free trade with US and later with Mexico, which called NAFTA.To change public opinion about the ferocious act of Free Trade, the Government justified it with statistical data of increasing trade (Policy and Partisanship). Hundreds and thousa nds of big companies left Canada and set up in states or Mexico. It was big economic fiasco in those years. The Government imposed GST to recover the losses because of NAFTA. Unemployment rate in Most of the provinces increased to the alarming level. In Flint, a city of auto plants faced major economic and social upheavals. Due to this shift by GM to Mexico, thirty thousand workers got unemployed.It caused Flint’s crime rate skyrockets, with use of weapons and murders. Crime becomes so common that when a TV channel tries to do a live story on the plant closings, someone steals the network's van (along with the cables), abruptly stopping the broadcast. Living in Flint becomes so desperate that it is commonly called Flint as the worst place to live in America. In terms of jobs within a country, supreme executive authority gets a mandate from the citizens of the state, not from the corporations.Corporations, especially Corporate America, have usually nothing to do with the livel ihood of the work force to gain economic power. It is much more interested in the stockholder's profit margin. Why do we allow corporations to replace our liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for the individual in favor of the stockholder? How can the employees even know what their rights are, if they are working in excess of 50 hours a week? Isn't it about time we start changing the basic structure of corporate America?We may restrict US corporations to own or lease, stock or property in foreign countries and to keep foreign corporations from manipulating the US economy. Any foreign corporation must not to be allowed to own or lease, stock or property in America. This way we could reverse the trend of outsourcing jobs to the cheapest third world country, force corporations to start manufacturing products within their own nation, and stop corporations from dictating policy in their own country and other nations. Moore shows in his movie how riches get richer and poor get poorer.Thi s is a sad depiction of Corporate America. This closure of GM auto factories cost hundreds and thousands job-loss; lack of funds at Municipal level to use for welfare of the residents; and run the city’s general works. Despite of GM decision-making of its move to Mexico, Chrysler, Chief, Iacocca, borrowed money from US Government to regain his dying company. He would have a choice to leave US and find cheaper labor in Mexico, but he introduced two affordable cars for general public. Chrysler did a great business and paid off all loans and gain lots of profit.It created jobs and circulate money within US. On the other hand, greedy, GM chairman, Smith, moved out to Mexico to have cheaper labor in cost of socio-economic fiasco in Flint, Michigan. The city has not enough funds to spend on garbage removal. The city health department holds a press conference and announces that the rat population in Flint has surpassed the human census. The department blames it on the fact that the city can only afford to pick up the garbage twice a month and offers a bounty for every dead rat brought in by a city resident.Eventually, Moore approached Smith and confronted to ask him to visit Flint and could see the devastation by himself. He mentioned how the residents of Flint, who couldn’t pay their rent, were evicted from their houses. Moore failed to convince, GM Chairman, Smith to bring him in Flint. He proclaimed that â€Å"as we neared the end of the 20th century†, as the rich got richer and the poor got poorer, and â€Å"it was truly the dawn of a new era. † At the end film displays the message â€Å"This film cannot be shown within the city of Flint†, followed by â€Å"All the movie theatres have closed. It was a bold attempt to give an eye-opening message to the country’s law makers the system needs to be overhauled and revise the boundaries and limitations of corporate America. Citation †¢ Christopher Waddell, â€Å"Policy a nd Partisanship on the Campaign Trail: How Mulroney Works His Magic Twice†, ch. 1 of R. B. Blake, Transforming The Nation: Canada and Brian Mulroney (2007) at p. 22 †¢ E-Notes Encyclopedia of Business, â€Å"U. S. -Canada Free Trade Agreement of 1989†

Marketing Project Essay

China with its population of over 1.3 billion and the GDP growth rate of 7.7% is obviously a major player in the global market based on its size and growth potential. In recent years, the consumer food service industry in China has significantly grown, driven by the change in consumption patterns of urban Chinese consumers amid the robust Chinese economic growth. A number of Western-style franchise chains are increasingly crossing national boundaries and looking for growth among customers in China. In provinces and regions of better economic development and faster lifestyles, quick service restaurants make up a large share of the total food-service sector. Guangdong province can be chosen as a potentially profitable market where the fast-food market contributes about 90% of the total food service sector’s revenue. Mad Mex, as a new entrant in the quick service restaurant (QSR) industry, is ambitious to penetrate this promising market with the goal to open the first franchise r estaurant in February 2014. Situation analysis: ACMR-IBISWorld (Jan, 2013) estimates that the fast-food restaurant industry in China will generate revenue of $89.60 billion in 2012, up 14.1% from 2011. The pace of urbanization and the higher disposable income urge lifestyle changes and the increase in demand for fast-food. Chinese people have less leisure time to eat in traditional full-service restaurants and prefer to treat themselves in fast-food establishments. Moreover, the rapid development of fast-food service providers and new brands and food styles with improved chain store contribute to the strong growth of the industry in China. The geographic popularity of China’s fast-food restaurants industry is consistent with China’s economic development level. Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong are three of the most developed provinces and regions in China, which account for about 45% of total industry revenue in 2012 (ACMR-IBISWorld, Jan 2013). These regions witness the relatively well developed fra nchise operations. Porter’s Five Forces Industry Analysis Figure 1: Forces driving industry competition Source: Porter (1980) â€Å"Industry structure has a strong influence in determining the competitive rules of the game as well as the strategies potentially available to the firm.† (Michael E. Porter 1980, P.3) The Porter’s Five Forces Model introduced a concept of structural analysis as a framework for understanding the five basic competitive forces in an industry. These forces, which are shown in Figure 1- new entrants, rivalry among existing competitors, threat of substitute products or services, bargaining power of buyers, and bargaining power of suppliers, reflect that the competition â€Å"goes well beyond the established players† (Porter 1980, pp. 6). Both potential and established players can influence average industry profitability. The threat of potential entrants is balanced by the entry barriers like economic of scale, product differentiation, capital requirements, access to distribution channel, etc. The intensity of rivalry determines industry attractiveness but figures out the extent to which the value created by an industry will be dissipated through competition. Sharon M. Oster (1999) asserts that subsitute products or services play an uneven role in industry dynamics. They can play a modest role in highly competitive industries or during periods of excess production. But subtitutes become significant when demand rapidly increasing or in markets with few competitors. In these cases, the availability of good substitutes influences the profits of the existing firms in a market. Buyer power is varied across markets and constituted by the most important determinants of buyer power in a market, which are the number of buyers and the distribution of their purchase, characteristics of product (for instance, standardization of products increases buyer power). In an industry, powerful suppliers can affect their bargaining power over firms by controlling prices or qualities of supply. Depending on each industry and the particular conditions of the industry, different forces will be more or less prominent in the industry competition. And the collective strength of these forces determines the intensity of competition in the industry and the potential profitability. â€Å"Knowledge of these underlying sources of competition in an industry highlights the critical strengths and weaknesses of the company, animates its positioning in its industry, clarifies the areas where strategic changes may yield the greatest payoff, and highlights the areas where industry trends promise to hold the greatest significance as either opportunities or threats† (Poeter 1980, pp.4). Once understanding these forces and their strategic implications, the company can formulate an effective competitive stratey, which enables it to defend itself from the existing array of competitive forces, affect them in its favour thereby improves the firm’s position in the market. Porter’s Diamond Model Figure 2: Porter’s Diamond Model The theorical framework, which examines the competitive position of a nation and its industries, consists of four determinants: factor conditions, demand conditions, related and supporting industries and firm strategy and rivalry. According to Porter (1998), factor conditions refer to production endowment that players need to compete in an industry. These factors are discriminated into basic factors versus advanced factors, and generalized factors versus specialized factors. A basic factor is passively inherited, for example natural resources and unskilled labour. Meanwhile advanced factors include what nations can create during their industrial growth like capital, infrastructure and highly educated labour forces. The standard for production factors is gradually rising due to the improvement of knowledge, science and technology. A nation can possess competitive advantage in an industry when it is able to create new competitive factor conditions and/or upgrade the needed factors. Demand conditions refer to the nature of home-market demand for an industry’s product or service considering in terms of quantity and quality. The size of the home market, the presence of demanding and sophisticated domestic buyers pressure companies to innovate and upgrade, meet high standards in order to respond to more diverse and higher levels of customer needs. â€Å"The presence of suppliers and related industries within a nation that are internationally competitive provides benefits such as innovation, upgrading, information flow, and shared technology development which create advantages in downstream industries† (Porter 1998). A nation thereby gains competitive advantage in an industry when it has competititve edge in the number of related industries. Another determinant is firm strategy, structure, and rivalry, referring to firms’ organizational structure, management situations and the performance of competitors in domestic market. The presence of intense rivalry in the home base is important, because it is powerful stimilus to creation and persistence of competitive advantage. Two external factors are chance and governments. Chance can discontinue the possibility of some companies to gain competitive position and some lose. Governments have an overarching effect on all the players. In many industries, government is a buyer/ supplier and can influence the competition of the industry by its policies. Government can also affect the relation between an industry and subsitutes through regulations and other means. They play a role in shaping the context and institutional structure surrounding companies and in creating an environment to support companies to gain competitive advantage. SWOT Analysis Internal analysis: Strength: Mad Mex is known as a gourmet restaurant with a healthy, fresh approach to Mexican cuisine. Its philosophy is to offer food servicing in a fast paced environment to create a high volume takeaway business but a unique and high quality product offer that is sufficient to command a premium price point. This concept will bring it the competitive advantage in food service industry relative to other global QSRs in China at present. By remaining true to the founding principles: Fresh and Healthy, Fast and Delicious, Authentic and Exciting, Mad Mex gradually broadens its business with 15 stores opened in just over four years and makes effort to arm itself with a team of business savvy, hands-on, franchisees. Weakness: Established in 2007, Mad Mex is still a baby to global giant fast-food restaurants like Mc Donald’s or KFC with its limited presence in three states of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland within Australia. It is regarded as a strange brandname to the worldwide food service industry and particularly the Chinese market. External analysis: Opportunities: Chinese consumers are believed to have a positive image of quick service restaurants (QSRs) and good perception of their meal quality and customer services. The average level of consumer satisfaction yet high loyalty of Chinese customers is attracting to Western fast food restaurants franchise to engage their business in this market. According to a study on International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management regarding perceived service quality in the fast food industry in China, â€Å"reliability, recoverability, tangibles, and responsiveness were all significant dimensions of perceived service quality†( Hong Qin, 2010). As the study mentioned, all these positive perception in turn influenced the customer behavioral intentions in the industry. Despite the increasing customer preference for Western-style â€Å"to-go† restaurants in the Chinese market, the QSRs market share accounts for only 9.8 percent of Chinese sales for outside meals (Datamonito r, 2007). This means the unprecedented opportunity for Western restaurant chains to operate in China. Threats: The segmentation of QSRs in China is witnessing a tougher competition between international brands like MacDonald’s and KFC and myriad domestic companies like Yum!Brand and Ajisen. Besides, Asian QSRs are the largest sub-sector in the QSRs in China, in which Chinese cuisine is dominant. It is explained by the fact that Chinese people prefer their tradition rice-based dishes and their price sensitivity when choosing the lower dishes in the Chinese restaurants. Furthermore, for the first time penetrating foreign market, the inability or unwillingness of the company to face dietary and cultural challenges will lead to the failure in the image of Mad Mex in the global market. To succeed in the Chinese market, Western-style QSRs are required to examine Chinese customer behaviours and develop marketing strategies that adapt to the Chinese cultural environment.