Customer perspectives revisited Essay

When a business loses the drive to pursue and retain customers, it loses its soul and therefore the right to exist. No business can function, thrive or prosper without a reliable customer base. In the customer perspective theory BSC makes it clear that it is not only essential to know who the target customers are and how a business can better serve that customer base. The BSC identifies three primary ways of providing services to customers in the Balance scorecard system. Operational excellence emphasizes low prices, and convenience ( Nevin 2003). Product leadership focuses on providing the  best product in the market. In customer intimacy the business stresses the development of long term relationships with the customer, doing whatever is necessary to know what it is that the customer truly wants. It does so while maintaining as much knowledge as possible of its customers. The reason for these efforts in acquiring superior customer knowledge comes down to the point that the businesses are attempting to provide as much satisfaction to the customers as possible. The other reasons include customer loyalty and the need for more market share. (Balancedscorecard. org. ) INTERNAL PROCESS PERSPECTIVE REVISITED: This area focuses on identification of the things that would need to be done in order to continue to add value to the customers and ultimately to the shareholders (Nevin 2003). The internal process aims to serve the customer and increase the total value of the organization, as well as keep record of the companies progress. The team’s objective is primarily to develop better products, to find better ways of manufacturing better products. To find better ways of delivering their products, and to find better ways of delivering better services after the products had been delivered. LEARNING AND GROWTH PERSPECTIVE REVISITED: This may actually be the most important aspect of the entire process. Organizations would get as far as their employees could take them. A team that lacks knowledge may not be able to provide the necessary services required by the customers. Therefore genuine effort must be made to keep employees abreast of necessary information. And that is what the learning and growth perspective tries to define. It emphasizes that information be made available to the employees. It requires the employees skills be as sharp as necessary. It does not want employees to be ignored. Again the key here is that any organization would only go as far as the employees could take it. With adequate care and education, employees can only do better for the company. It is important to point out that the BSC system does not ignore the financial perspective. But the key is that when a company has satisfied the other objectives, that company stand a pretty good chance of doing well financially. BALANCE SCORECARD AS A STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: Obviously putting a business and management strategy is important, but no strategy will function if it does not actually get implemented. So the first step in resolving the  issue of non-implementation, is to identify what the potential problems towards implementation may be, and then address those issues. According to fortune magazine (1999) about 70% of strategies are poorly executed, so how can it be executed better. Both the team and the management must pay attention to the four barriers: the vision barrier, the people barrier, the resource barrier, and the management barrier. (1) VISION BARRIER: To overcome the vision barrier, employees must not be kept in the dark. The BSC wants management to be very clear as to what the vision is. When possible place a figure on the  vision . For instance if the goal is to manufacture products without defects 90 % of the time, then it may be made clearer by stating exactly that. That figure of 90% translates the vision to a level that could not be misunderstood. Give the employees the appropriate knowledge base and strategic structure, that makes the entire strategic objective easier to follow. Management should facilitate a total understanding of the strategy and the whole structure in order to enable all the team members to fully understand the strategy and therefore work towards achieving it as a unit. (Kaplan & Norton).

Summary of 30 Seconds to Mars.

Noah Martin 1/6/13 Period 4 Last night I read, A Biography of 30 Seconds to Mars, pages 271 to 300 30 Seconds to Mars was formed in 1998 by the brothers Jared Leto and Shannon Leto. The banned started as a family project by Jared and Shannon respectively. Matt Wachter joined the band later as their bassist and keyboard player. Kevin Blake and Solon Bixer was there guitarist, but left because they couldn’t tour. They were later replaced by Tomo Milicevic. Jared and Shannon were by themselves in the band 1998 to 2001, and then they added Solon Bixer and Matt Wachter. Solon left the band in 2003, which was then replaced by Tomo. More Summary of Devil at My HeelsMatt left the band in 2007, replaced by no one but Jared took over using the synthesizers and bass. Tim Kelleher and Braxton Olita are 30 Seconds to Mars current touring members, starting with the This is War tour. Matt McJunkins and Kevin Drake are two of the former tour members. Kevin did rhythm guitar in the tour for 30 Seconds to Mars self-titled album, and Matt M. was bass guitar and backing vocals in 2011, for This is War. When Jared was interviewed for why he named the band he said, â€Å"For us, the name 30 Seconds To Mars has little to do with space, the universe or anything like that.It is a name that works on several different levels. Most importantly, it is a good representation of our sound. It's a phrase that is lyrical, suggestive, cinematic, and filled with immediacy. It has some sense of otherness to it. The concept of space is so overwhelming and all-encompassing I doubt there is a song written that doesn't fall within it. † W hen Shannon was interviewed he said, â€Å"It represents a lot of things. This professor had a thesis. It was talking about where technology was going; the evolution of man and how that plays a role. Also you can read this summary –  Protecting Freedom of Expression on the CampusA sub-category was 30 Seconds to Mars. It was like the exponential growth of humans. We are literally 30 seconds away from Mars. Everything is right here and right now; everything is just so crazy and fast. † There is also a quote made by former member Matt Wachter claimed by Virgin Records, but it has not been verified. As a side note, Jared Leto is a Hollywood actor, he prefers not to use the fact that he is an actor as a way to get publicity for his band, and he refuses to play at venues that have used his name to promote his band.

C-Difficile Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

C-Difficile - Research Paper Example Moreover, outbreaks of C. difficile infection in Canada and U.S.A. have been linked with the highly resistant and virulent strain of the bacterium, NAP-I/027 and have been found resistant to the fluoroquinolones drug treatment (Allday 2012 para 3; Aktories & Wilkins 2000 p. 1 & 2; Talley et al 2010 n.p.). The microbiology of C. difficile, the pathophysiology of infection in humans, clinical presentation, risk factors, diagnostic strategies and preventive measures will be discussed. The microbiological study of C. difficile has brought forward some significant features about the bacterium. It is an anaerobic bacterium which means that it requires oxygen for its survival and spore-bearing. It stains mostly Gram-positive and has a length variation of 3-5 um. Animal reservoirs for C. difficile have been located but no direct association with human infection has been established. C. difficile spreads in the infants and neonates predominantly by nosocomial infection rather than vertical transmission. An important aspect is that infants up to the age of 12 months are protected from the diarrheal symptoms, probably because they lack the receptors required for the toxin action. The bacteria spread mostly from contact with contaminated skin, food items, clothes or any other surface. C. difficile spreads from the feces of an infected person to the healthy individuals. (Aktories & Wilkins 2000 p. 2-5; Allday 2012 para 12). The spores produced by the bacteria are orally in gested by the humans leading to the formation of C. difficile colonies in the gut. The infected individuals develop Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea while some also remain asymptomatic and show no active infection. C. difficile produces two exotoxins- A and B- which cause disruption of the epithelium of the colon by binding to the epithelial cells. The production of inflammatory cells and cytokines leads to mucosal inflammation and small ulcer formation in the gut (Talley et al 2010 n.p.). The clinical features of the C. difficile infection are described as watery, non-bloody diarrhea and episodes of abdominal pain. Severe infections can lead to development of ileus and even shock. Non-specific signs include low-grade fever, dehydration and abdominal tenderness. A criterion to describe the severity of the infection involves the parameters of age, temperature, albumin level, WBC count, endoscopy findings and treatment in intensive care unit. A score of greater than or equal to 2 within 48 hours is designated as severe Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea (Talley et al 2010 n.p.). The risk factors for C. difficile infection mainly focus on the elderly population, people taking antibiotic or antacid therapy or those with a prolonged stay in hospital environments. According to a report, recurrence was found to be higher in those who were taking medications that were H2 receptor blockers (Worcester 2012 para 1- 3). People above the age of 65 years are at high risk for severe or complicated infection. Other risk factors include tube feeding within 2 months, immunosuppression and excessive usage of broad-spectrum antibiotics (Talley et al 2010 n.p.). Enzyme immunoassay is the standard test for the diagnosis of the C. difficile toxins A and B in the stool samples. The test results are available within 24 hours. Colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy is helpful in

The State of Accounting Convergence Among Large Public Companies Thesis Proposal

The State of Accounting Convergence Among Large Public Companies - Thesis Proposal Example â€Å"The international standard-setting process began several decades ago as an effort by industrialized nations to create standards smaller nations unable to establish their own accounting standards. The regulators, investors, large companies and auditing firms began to realize the importance of having common standards in all areas of the financial reporting chain† (International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS): An AICPA Backgrounder n.d., p. 2). The union among the countries includes the European Nations (Larson & Street 2004) and China (Qu & Zhang n.d). Many of the large public sector companies all over the world have been against the adoption of the new standard for a number of reasons. Till today, the precise reasons for the opposition and objection for the new accounting standard convergence are not clearly understood. The main idea of the dissertation is a theoretical explanation of the weighted resistant factors. The above research questions need to be addressed through an investigation. The researcher will conduct research by means of literature review on accounting convergence. The literature will comprise of researches on the delay in accounting convergence. Hail, Leuz, and Wysocki (2009) identified transition costs as a major factor in the reluctance of U.S companies to move towards convergence. The literature will also include official explanations of what convergence is and why it is being implemented (AICPA, 2011 & 2010). No hypotheses are associated with the research question, as an exploratory Delphi method will be used to generate the factorized and weighted list. The Delphi method has been frequently used with experts in accounting and financial analysis, as a means of generating factorized lists of adopted reasons. (Alwert, Bornemann & Will 2009). The dissertation will be valuable for committees that are working towards promoting accounting convergence as

Case study II Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case study II - Assignment Example One of the legal issues they should consider is the business structure. Currently, the business operates as a partnership. This means they should be able to decide the structure that will best suit their expanded business. A decision on this is reached after considering liability issues associated with each business structure; limited partnership or Limited Liability Company. They should also ensure that they get a new license or permit authorizing the operation of the new type of business. This is important because different types of business become operational under different types of licenses1. Contractual relationship is another legal issue to be considered. Hansel and Gretel and their contactors should read through any agreements they make for the new business before acting on them. Since the business operates with contractors, they should also consider disclosure and non-disclosure issues. This means contractors should sign an agreement to protect any confidential information of the business. One of the regulatory issues to be considered before modifying the business is cost. They should be able to meet the financial requirements for the new type of business. Hansel and Gretel should consider how the stability and continuity of the business will be affected by the changes in the business, especially due to structural changes. Control of decisions is another regulatory issue. They should consider to what extend they want to have control over the decisions to be made regarding the business. Hansel and Gretel have to consider financial laws relating to the new type of business for example tax laws and other financial regulations. This includes how the government will tax the new type of business. Various professional advisors give specialized advice regarding business issues. Professional business advisers are selected based on the most critical area that one needs to understand regarding the type of business they want to start.

Gay Rights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Gay Rights - Research Paper Example This makes gays and lesbians undergo the pressure of being on the opposing side of the grain by being the odd ones out. Consequently, the rights of gays and lesbians in the Middle East are of little consequence following the fact that Islam is strongly against the practice, which is perceived as a vice that is not forgivable. In spite of this, the Middle East offers gays and lesbians other rights such as their basic human rights as presented in the universal bill of rights. As s such, these people are forced to practice their sexuality in privacy and secrecy so that only the gays and lesbians know one another, and in some cases, the nature of their sexuality is revealed to those close to them. The above include family members and close friends, who are likely to comprehend the gravity of their situation and accept them into their world as they have always done in spite of their known status. In the Middle East, human rights are a concern in the first place as one’s rights can easily be taken away the same way they can be grated. This is because the countries in the area are fully Islamism and concepts of same sex cohabitation are new trends from secular worlds. As a result, acceptance of such things is rarely taken seriously as it is perceived as corruption of the Islam way of life and a violation of sharia laws. Sharia laws in this case is used exclusively in middle eastern nations to govern relationships, which then brings up concerns about treatment of gays and lesbians under Islamic sharia laws. This is in addition to the role of clerics and other members of the society in guaranteeing the wellbeing and accordance of full rights of gays and lesbians in the Middle East. Evidence about gays and lesbians, in the Middle East, points to potentialities of severe consequences for being gay or lesbian because of kinship ties. As such, family honor is a thing valued in the Middle East, where bringing news of being gay or lesbian to one’s parents elicit s strong sentiments against such people despite being family members. This is perceived as bringing shame to the family for being bad Muslims who cannot follow sharia laws or even follow rules of social convention (Whitaker). As a result, rights of gays and lesbians are violated through discrimination and segregation such that one is not comfortable in society, which is part of why their sexual practices and preferences are carried out in secrecy to prevent such cases. In addition, there is no constitutional guarantee that gays and the regular rights that other citizens enjoy protect lesbians. This results in their blatant suppression and oppression, as public sentiments are always against them and ideas of inclusion into society are foreign calls against Islam. Another main rights issue for gays and lesbians in the middle east lies in the registration of citizens as participants or followers of a given sect or faith. This acts as an aspect or grounds for discrimination following th e refusal to join any faith or sect should one’s sexual orientation be discovered. As a result, discrimination becomes the key rights issue for gays and lesbians in the Middle East. Looking into the reasons for same sex sexual preferences reveals that there is not much to call gay or lesbian since there is adequate evidence of the double

Respiration and Photosynthesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Respiration and Photosynthesis - Essay Example These processes however differ in their reactants, products, stages, requirements, organisms and organelles in which they occur (Photosynthesis vs. Respiration 2012). Respiration is the set of chemical reactions in the cell cytoplasm and mitochondria that break-down sugars (glucose) in the presence of oxygen into energy in form of adenosine tri phosphate (ATP) and carbon IV oxide (Respiration 2014). This series of aerobic reactions are summarised in the chemical equation below; - a) Glycolysis; - This is the break-down of glucose, a six carbon compound to pyruvate, a three carbon compound in the cytoplasm, a process that yields two ATP molecules (Photosynthesis vs. Respiration 2012). A glucose (C6) molecule is energized by the addition of a high-energy phosphate from ATP, forming glucose-6-phosphate which is re-arranged split into two Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate (C3); each Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate contributes 2 electrons to NAD+, an electron carrier as two (2) low energy Adenosine di phosphate (ADP) molecules are elevated to Adenosine tri phosphate (ATP) by addition of inorganic phosphate leaving pyruvate (University of Chicago at Illinois 2009). b) Krebs cycle; - Pyruvate from glycolysis is converted into Acetyl-coA which is shuttled into the Krebs cycle in the mitochondria. Acetyl-coA through interconversion of 4C compounds gives off two (2) Adenosine tri phosphate (ATP) molecules, eight NADH and two FADH2 (University of Chicago at Illinois 2009). c) Electron transport chain; - The ten molecules of NADH and FADH2 from the Krebs cycle are broken down in the mitochondrial matrix to form Adenosine tri phosphate (ATP); a process powered by an H+ proton gradient across the inner mitochondrial membrane and the matrix (Photosynthesis vs. Respiration 2012). The enzyme ATP Synthase powers the formation of ATP by reducing the proton gradient through electron transport. The

Situational Analysis of International or Global Marketing Environment Essay - 1

Situational Analysis of International or Global Marketing Environment - Essay Example Evergreen Natural Grocers deal with natural and inorganic products, and offers competitive prices while ensuring high quality services to customers. Evergreen Natural Markets is characterised by rapid growth, which can be confirmed by its twenty-three stores in nineteen locations in Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico. Evergreen Natural Grocers achieved total annual revenues amounting to $175 million and net income from investment of $4.3 million during the financial ending December 2012 (Doyle, 2012). Evergreen Natural Grocers has adopted an expansive strategy for growth. The company has identified a potential market in Canada for selling its products. Five Porter’s Analysis of the Canadian Market Threat of New Entrants The supernormal profits earned by the Evergreen Natural Grocers will attract the entry of new firms. Retail outlets such as Wal-Mart and Humana Inc. have began supplying natural foods and supplements in the Canadian market parallel to Evergreen Grocers. The prof its earned by Evergreen Grocers will trend towards normal and finally fall to break-even in the long-run (Hemmings, 2011). Sources of threat of new entrants include economies of scale, product differentiation, easy access to distribution channels and lenient government policy. Threat of Substitute commodities Most of the Canadians prefer consuming fresh-from-the farm products to the processed natural products. Businesses have engaged in extensive supply of substitutes for natural products supplied by Evergreen Grocers. The Canadian buyers have high propensity to substitute because of low switching costs for consumer foods. The markets, therefore, are characterised by cutthroat competition where new substitutes are brought to market every day. Substitutes are also supplied in forms of direct medications meant to heal illnesses associated with the defects of malnutrition (Fisanick, 2010). Bargaining Power of Buyers The Canadian market comprises of enlightened buyers who are sensitive to price and quality changes. The buyers have the ability to put Evergreen Groceries under pressure, which has an effect in the buyers’ sensitivity to price changes (Raff & Schmitt, 2009). The Canadians have access to all market information and can force the reduction of prices in the event of failing to reflect the true value of the commodity. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers comprise the market for inputs such as raw materials, components, expertise, labour and energy. Manual labour exhibits features of scarcity in Canada due to low population growth rates, hence, labour is expensive to afford. The Canadian believe in the principles of total quality management; their supplies in terms of raw materials and components are costly because they are prepared based on excellent quality standards. Employee solidarity through labour unions is very strong in Canada, implying the bargaining power of suppliers is effective and all regulations related to labour supply must be adh ered to all costs. Intensity of Competitive Rivalry Natural foods manufacturing units in Canada have embraced sustainable competitive advantage through intensive innovations. Most companies have gone online, and have online supply units to aid in marketing and supplying of their merchandise. The level of advertising expenses is high because of increased competition for advertisement airtime and strategic

Business foundation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business foundation - Essay Example The interactive entertainment programs will encompass frequent contests, karaoke, games, and music hosted by an in-house DJ charged with event programming for the lounge and main room. Key features of target market The primary sources of revenue in a nightclub include high-volume traffic, alcohol and food revenues, and door charges, accompanied by nominal spending. The key to success in this business lies in availing excellent service that leaves a lasting impression on the clients, vibrant entertainment atmosphere and product quality strict control over the costs, and prudent management of internal finances and cash flow to allow upward capital growth (Sengupta 2005, p.4). The growth of the metropolitan area presents numerous opportunities that can support a high-end, dance-themed nightclub. The accessibility of a central location, demographics, and weak direct competition offers major advantages to the established of a nightclub in the Oxford area. The proposed venue will avail a v ibrant social atmosphere for young people aged 21-35 years age group living in and around the Oxford area. The new venue will specialize in availing high-energy themes, offer beer, wine and a broad range of liquors and mixed drinks, as well as a quality video and gaming area. The club will also sell non-alcoholic beverages such as bottled water, juices, and soft drinks, as well as a â€Å"casual† food menu comprising of appetizers and small entrees at low cost. Market Segmentation College students The target market for a nightclub is largely young people aged 21-35 years (both male and female). This client base is mostly outgoing and single who enjoy going out and meeting new people or friends. The proximity of the club to various colleges and universities will aid the resort to attract students within and around the Metropolis area. The distinct dance, as well as other themes, will most likely attract students towards these entertainments. The market segmentation of the stud ents’ client includes those between 18-26 years. The majority of this target market will be single male and female students interested in exploring the night life entertainment in their young age (Moss 2009, p.68). Single young business professionals The other target market for the night club entails young professionals aged between 25 and 40years. Since the area enjoys vibrant business activities, the corporation operating in the area will most likely have employed young professionals, who have sufficient resources for recreation, and who are likely to spend some of their time in night clubs holding parties and get-togethers. The availability of multi-themed entertainment activities, young professionals are likely to spend a significant portion of their income for such entertainments. Married couples This target group encompasses young married couples aged between aged between 30 and 40 years, who either have or do not have kids. The middle-aged couples enjoy sound financial income and are likely to b interested in spending a weekend out for parties. Tourists/Vacationers The Metropolis, Oxford area can be highlighted as one of the most significant tourist area for visitors, especially international tourists. Choices Nightclub will provide multi-level dance, pop entertainment, with a comprehensive range of entertainment and restaurant themes within its facility. The tourists can be attracted to the facility by generating vocational packages with diverse airline agencies

African American and Black Women Essay Example for Free

African American and Black Women Essay The article â€Å"Hip-Hop Betrayal of Black Women† was written by Jennifer McLune and appeared in Z magazine Online in the July 2006 issue. McLune argues that sexism in hip-hop’s culture is a big part and has helped make the industry what it is today. This article can be divided into 5 different sections. In the first section, she talks about Kevin Powell and how he writes how men talk about women in hip-hop. McLune goes on to say that even wealthy white boys talked about African American women in their songs, yet its okay with society. The second section she gives examples of entertainers that talk down on women and some that do not. Common, The Roots, and Talib Kweli are the artist are the artist she names that don’t talk bad about women, but they don’t stop other artist from doing so. Also they back up the artist that does degrade women so in reality they aren’t doing enough. Even black female artist are right along with the men talking about other females (McLune, 297). In the following section, McLune talks about the protest that women have done with little help to the situation. The misogyny is an attack on a woman’s character and it makes the black community looks bad as a whole (McLune, 298). The fourth section is about the acceptance of the hip-hop culture towards black women. Everyone makes excuses and tries to justify what’s going on in hip-hop, but few have actual answers to help. At a point black women writers were called traitors for writing articles and complaining about what was going on (McLune, 299). The author concludes that hip-hop thrives around the fact they bash black women and if they didn’t do this then black women would be more respected in today’s society. After careful examination of McLune’s use of rhetorical appeals, evidence of pathos, logos, and ethos were used throughout the article. McLune wrote about the discrimination of black women throughout hip-hop. The dominate rhetorical appeal used by McLune is pathos, which â€Å"is an emotional appeal that involves using language that will stair the feelings of the audience† (Hooper, etal 86). She complains about being a black woman and hearing the excuses for men when they talk about women in hip-hop and how it is just okay with society. McLune is also irate about the fact that Eve, who is a female rapper raps about women in a bad way and doesn’t seem to think that, that is not right. Another type of appeal McLune uses is logos â€Å"which demonstrates an effective use of reason and judicious use of evidence† (Hooper, etal 86). Back in the 60s it was wrong and considered unfair to demonize colored men, but yet the men in today’s society are disrespecting colored women. The author explains how record labels exploit this and benefit off of the disrespect artist show black women. The least used appeal by McLune is ethos â€Å"which establishes the speaker’s or writer’s credibility† (Hooper, etal 86). Hip-hop owes its success to woman hating. Few artist dare to be different and not speak badly about women and the ones that do, they don’t make it clear that they feel it’s disrespectful for rappers to demoralize women which is not good in itself. McLune uses evidence to support her claim, one type of evidence she uses is examples she brings up Jay-Z rap lyrics and how he talks about women in his songs, â€Å"I pimp hard on a trick, look Fuck if your leg broke bitch, hop up on your good leg. † Also talks about good rappers such as Talib Kweli and how he has been praised for his song â€Å"Black Girl Pain†, but at the same time McLune feels he isn’t fully aware of the pain a black girl goes through. Another type is when McLune uses expert opinions such as Kevin Powell, she quotes him in â€Å"Notes of a Hip Hop Head† he writes that you’d think men didn’t like women as much as they talked about them and how they refer to them as baby mommas, chickenheads, or b*****s (McLune, 297). McLune believes that hip-hop has benefitted from the woman bashing and Powell believes that it has spawned on its own terms of making something out of nothing. A third type is comparisons between other women writers that have spoke about this topic whose articles have been pushed away and they have been called traitors for refusing to be silent about the disrespect the rap community has given black women. Finally, several types of rhetorical fallacies are apparent in this article. One type is ad hominem â€Å"which refers to a personal attack on an opponent that draws attention away from the issues under consideration† (Hooper, etal 93). McLune talks about Jay-Z and his rap lyrics how they are degrading women and explains that he is one of the worst ones in the industry. Another type of fallacy is bandwagon â€Å"which is an argument saying, in effect, everyone’s doing or saying or thinking this, so you should, too† (Hooper, etal 93). For example, she says that same rappers don’t talk about women in their raps, but they don’t say anything to the rappers that do. In reality they know if they were to say something to those rappers that they probably would have a hard time getting somewhere in the rap industry. A final type of rhetorical fallacy is red herring â€Å"that means dodging the real issue by drawing attention to an irrelevant one† (Hooper, etal 95). Kevin Powell blames the negatives in hip-hop on everything but the hip-hop culture itself, he thinks it is another reason for that. McLune also talks about rap lyrics that are bad, but doesn’t bring up the good rap lyrics about women. As a result of man’s betrayal of black women in hip-hop the black women is not respected in today’s society which has been talked about in several articles. Another author who addresses this issue is Johnnetta B. Cole in â€Å"What Hip-Hop has done to Black Women† Cole explains that it has been a growing war between Black men and women since the 60s and hip-hop is a significant and influential site of contemporary gender battles (Cole 90). Both authors state that hip-hop has generated a lot of profit from the way that rap artist talk down on black women. We can follow McLune’s proposal to boycott rap music and maybe just maybe they will realize what they are saying in their songs actually have an impact on the black community and that to make things better artist have to respect woman. Music is a big part in everyday life and it would be hard to get everybody on the same page as to boycott it, but something must happen because black women do need to be treated much better by black men. If society can manage to boycott rap music then artist would be forced to listen to the peoples concern and change their music for the better (McLune, 300). Works Cited Cole, Johnnetta B. â€Å"What hip-hop has done to Black women. † Ebony Mar. 2007: 90. Print. Hooper, M. Clay, Teta Banks, D. Marzette, Beth Arnette Wade. Eds. Analytical Writing: A Guide to College Composition I. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. 2011. Print. McLune, Jennifer. â€Å"Hip-Hop’s Betrayal of Black Women. † Analytical Writing: A Guide to College Composition I. Ed. M. Clay Hooper, Teta Banks, D. Marzette, Beth Arnette Wade. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning, 2011. 296-300. Print.

Outline of the clinical characteristics of depression

Outline of the clinical characteristics of depression The formal diagnosis of major depression requires five of the following symptoms and evidence of serious distress or failure to function in everyday life. The following symptoms must be present for most of the time over a minimum period of two weeks. Symptoms of depression Sad depressed mood and feeling or behaving sad and empty Loss of interest and pleasure in usual activities Difficulty in sleeping ( insomnia or hypersomnia ) Lethargic or agitated Appetite ( loss so weight loss or increased so weight gain ) Loss of energy or great fatigue Negative self concept feeling of worthlessness and guilt. Difficulty in concentrating ( slowed thinking or indecisiveness ) Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide. Give two or more psychological causes of depression Cognitive Views about the worldPsychologist Aaron Beck suggested depression is the result of negative thinking and catastrophising which he called cognitive errors. (Beck 1991) maintained there are three components to depression which he called the cognitive triad. The cognitive triad. Views about oneself Views about the future As the cognitive triad components interact they interfere with normal cognitive processing which then leads to impairments in perception, memory and problem solving, the person then becomes obsessed with negative thoughts. In addition to the cognitive triad beck believed that depression prone individuals develop a negative self schema which means they possess a set of beliefs and expectations about themselves that are negative and pessimistic, which leads on to feeling and symptoms of depression. Negative self schemas can be acquired in childhood as a result of a traumatic event such as the death of a parent or sibling, parental rejection, bulling at home or school for example. People with negative self schemas become prone to making logical errors in their thinking and they tend to focus selectively on certain aspects of a situation while ignoring equally relevant information this is called cognitive distortions. An example of a cognitive distortion is someone believing that someone is whispering about them and they automatically assume it must be bad, ignoring the fact they could be whispering something good. Cognitive distortions include the following Arbitrary interference: drawing conclusions on the basis of sufficient or irrelevant evidence for example thinking you are worthless because a show you were going too was cancelled. Selective abstraction : focusing on a single aspect of a situation and ignoring others for example you feel responsible for your netball team losing a game even though your just one player on the team. Over generalisation: making a sweeping conclusion on the basis of a single event. Failing an exam, this means you will fail all exams and that you are stupid. Magnification and minimisation: exaggerating or underplaying the significant of an event for example you scratch the paint work on your car and therefore see yourself as a terrible driver. Personalisation: This is attributing the negative feelings of others to yourself for example your friend enters the room looking upset; you believe you must have upset her. Beck also suggested that that there individual differences that determine the type of event that can trigger depression for example sociotrapic personalities base their self esteem on the approval of others where as an autonomous person would react badly to their independence being challenged. The cognitive theory is one of the most influential models that explain negative thought processes. It explains that our emotional reaction seems to come from how we interpret and predict the world around us. The main problem with the cognitive approach to depression is that the theory is correlational, and that the argument is a circular one. Does depression cause negative thinking, or does negative thinking cause depression? Also it is a theory which is hard to test and research people seeking help for depression already have negative emotions and so it is not possible to access their cognitive process prior to the onset of the disorder. Secondly when participants are tested in research they are often already on drugs to manage the depression which could affect the result of the study. Finally thoughts are subjective experiences that are hard to test and measure which make proving the theory extremely difficult. A positive of the cognitive approach to depression is that it has many useful applications and has contributed to our understanding of human phenomenon and it has integrated well with other approaches. The psychodynamic explanation of the causes of depression The psychodynamic approach to understanding depression focuses on how the unconscious motives drive our behaviours and experiences. Freud explanation of depression lies in the early relationships with are parents, he noted that there is a similarity between grieving for a loved one and the symptoms of depression. Freud described depression as an excessive and irrational grief which occurs as a reaction to a loss, this loss evokes feelings associated with real or imagined affection from the person on whom the person was most dependants as a child. Both actual and symbolic losses lead us to re experience parts of our childhood, thus people with depression become clingy, dependant and can even regress to a child like state. Evaluate psychodynamic therapy in the treatment of depression In support of the psychodynamic theory people with depression do show dependant like behaviours as they often feel that they cannot manage everyday activities and rely heavily on others. In support of Freud theory on depression and understanding depression from the psychodynamic approach is Harlows research on privation conducted on rhesus monkeys separated from their mothers at birth, using surrogate mothers, a wire mother and a cloth mother he demonstrated that a mothers love was essential for a persons mental health. The experiment showed that infant monkeys separated from their mothers displayed signs of depression. In support of the psychodynamic approach to depression and frauds theories this approach is idiographic and so focuses on the individual. This means that the individuals problems are taken into account and they are not just diagnosed on the bias of others. A negative point on the psychodynamic theory is there is little experimental evidence for Frauds theories as most of his work was based upon case studies, this makes the approach highly subjective and un-testable as his finding were often biased to fit his theories, second to this frauds theory is often characterised as unscientific as it is difficult to observe and measure concepts such as actual and symbolic losses and regression. Also the case studies used to test Freuds psychodynamic theory were mainly middle aged, upper class, Austrian women. This means that his findings cannot be generalised to the wider population. This is also a problem as he developed his ideas on childhood from adults talking retrospectively of their pasts which is a problem because people recall information differently and memory and feelings fade. The ethical implications of psychodynamic therapy Directive therapy- due to the unconscious cause of the psychological problems and the resistance patients put up to the unconscious truths, the patient must trust the therapists interpretation and instructions. However psychoanalysis does occur under voluntary conditions. Psychoanalysis can be quite anxiety provoking as it can reveal disturbing repressed experiences. It is a humane form of treatment as it does not blame or judge the patient, who is not responsible for their problems. Outline the clinical characteristics of schizophrenia There are positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia Positive symptoms are things additional to expected behaviour and include delusions, hallucinations, agitation and talkativeness. Negative symptoms which are things missing from expected behaviour, negative symptoms include a lack of motivation , social withdrawal , flattened affect, cognitive disturbances, poor personal hygiene and poor speech. Other characteristics of schizophrenia include- Auditory or visual hallucinations Flat emotions Delusions Disorganised speech Catatonic or disorganised behaviour Give two or more psychological explanations of schizophrenia Cognitive explanation for schizophrenia Cognitive explanations for schizophrenia acknowledge the role of biological factors such as genetic causes and a change of brain activity for the cause of initial sensory experiences of schizophrenia. However further features of the disorder appear as the individual attempts to understand them. The cognitive approach also suggests that schizophrenia is characterised by profound thought disturbance, this could be down to cognitive defects which can impair areas such as perception and memory. This could form cognitive biases and explain misconceptions and the way schizophrenia sufferers interpret there world. Schizophrenics normally first discover symptoms of voices and abnormal sensory experiences , this normally leads them to a friend or family member to confirm the experience when the experience is not confirmed this can lead to rejection of support. This leads to a belief that people around them are hiding the truth and the person with schizophrenia believes they are being manipula ted and persecuted. This shows the basis of schizophrenia is biology based however other symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions are formed after the failure to not except there reality these of which are cognitive. In support of the cognitive approach to schizophrenia Firth (1979) proposes that disruption to an attention filter mechanism could result in the thought disturbances of schizophrenia, as the sufferer is overloaded with sensory information. Studies on continuous performance and eye tracking tasks indicate schizophrenics do show more attentional problems than non schizophrenics. This means that perhaps reduced short term memory capacity could account for some schizophrenics cognitive distractibility. Hemsley (1993) suggested schizophrenics cannot distinguish between information that is already stored and new incoming information. As a result, schizophrenics are subject to sensory overload and do not know which aspect of a situation to attended to and which to ignore. One strength of the cognitive explanation when describing schizophrenia is that there is further support for this theory provided by Myer-Lindenberg ( 2002) they found a link between poor working memory ( which is typical of schizophrenics ) and reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex. Furthermore Schielke (2002) studied a patient who developed continuous auditory hallucinations as a consequence of an abscess in the dorsal pons. This suggests that there is wider academic credibility for the link between biological and cognitive factors causing schizophrenia. A second strength of the cognitive explanation of schizophrenia is that it takes on board the nurture approach to the development of schizophrenia. For example it suggests that schizophrenic behaviour is the cause of environmental factors such as cognitive factors. A weakness of the cognitive explanation is that there are problems with cause and effect. Cognitive approaches do not explain the causes of cognitive defects -where they come from in the first place. Is it the cognitive defects which cause schizophrenia behaviour or is it the schizophrenia that causes cognitive defects. A second weakness of the cognitive model is that it is reductionist the approach does not consider other factors such as genes. This suggests that the cognitive approach over simplifies the explanation of schizophrenia. The behavioural explanation of schizophrenia. The behavioural explanation suggests that schizophrenia is a consequence of faulty learning children who do not receive small amounts of reinforcement early in their lives will put larger attention into irrelevant environmental cues, for example: Taking attention to the sound of a word rather than its actual meaning. This behaviour will eventually appear weird or strange to others so will generally be avoided. Strange behaviours may be rewarded by attention and sympathy and so they are reinforced. This can continue until the behaviour becomes so strange that the person is then labelled as schizophrenic. Eventually the behaviour and psychological state deteriorates into a psychotic state. Evaluate cognitive behavioural therapies in the treatment of schizophrenia in terms of its strengths and weaknesses. The misinterpretation of events in the world is common in schizophrenia. Using cognitive therapy with schizophrenia requires the psychologist to accept that the cognitive distortions and disorganized thinking of schizophrenia are produced, at least in part, by a biological problem that will not cease simply because the correct interpretation of reality is explained to the client. Cognitive therapy can only be successful if the psychologist accepts the clients perception of reality, and determines how to use this misperception to assist the client in correctly managing life problems.   The goal is to help the client use information from the world (other people, perceptions of events, etc.) to make adaptive coping decisions. The treatment goal, for the cognitive therapist, is not to cure schizophrenia, but to improve the clients ability to manage life problems, to function independently, and to be free of extreme distress and other psychological symptoms. Advantages It directly challenges the problem and attempts a cure of the under lying symptoms. It gives the person some control over their own illness. Research has shown cognitive behavioural therapy can be as effective as medication Due to its highly structured nature cognitive behavioural therapy can be provided in a number of formats such as soft ware and self help books. Disadvantages In order to benefit from cognitive behavioural therapy you need to ensure you give a considerable amount of commitment which people with schizophrenia can lack. It could be argued that because cognitive behavioural therapy only addresses current problems it does not address underlying causes of the condition. Discuss the ethics of cognitive behavioural therapy Directive therapy due to the environmental determinism of behavioural problems, patients need to be re programmed with adaptive behaviour. Stressful can be painful and disturbing e.g. flooding and aversion therapy Humane specific maladaptive behaviours are targeted the whole person is not labelled. Outline the characteristics of anorexia Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height. Intense fear of gaining weight Disturbance in the way in which ones body weight or shape is experienced, denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight. Absents of three consecutive periods. Socially withdrawn Refusal to eat despite hunger Give two or more psychological explanations of eating disorders Cognitive explanation of anorexia Cognitive psychologist has suggested that irrational attitudes and beliefs and distorted perception are involved in eating disorders. These beliefs normally concern unrealistic ideals or perception of body shape or irrational attitudes towards eating habits and dieting. For example: the disinhibition hypothesis once a diet has been broken one might as well break it completely by bingeing. Cognitive researchers have also proposed that suffers of anorexia are seeking to assert control over their life to an excessive idealistic extent. Bemis- Vitousek and Orimoto (1993) pointed out the kind of faulty cognitions that are typical in people with anorexia. For example: a common cognition is that dieting is a means of self control, but at the same time most people with anorexia are aware they are out of control because they cant stop dieting, even when it is threatening there life. These are faulty cognitions and maladaptive ways of thinking. The main problem with the cognitive explanation is that the theory is correlational and the argument is a circular one does negative thinking cause the eating disorder or does the eating disorder cause the negative thinking. Secondly the thoughts that are related to having an eating disorder are subjective experiences that are hard to test and measure, Also people seeking help for an eating disorder are already have negative emotions so it is not possible to test their cognitive processes prior to the onset of the disorder. Psychodynamic explanation of anorexia One view of the psychodynamic model of anorexia proposes that anorexia reflects an unconscious desire by a girl to stay pre-pubescent. Over dependence on parents may result in the adolescent fearing sexual maturity and independence. Bruch (1974) regarded anorectics as being in a struggle for control and their own identity, the pursuit of thinness was seen as a critical part of such a struggle. Bruch considered that there were two main characteristics of parents that made the development of anorexia more likely in their children. Firstly an over concern with food and secondly family relationships that did not assist the child in developing their own sense of identity particularly important was considered to be girls feeling that their needs were secondary to their mothers. The psychodynamic approach in relation to eating disorders is idiographic and so it focuses on the individual. This means the individuals problems are taken into account and they are not just diagnosed on the basis of others. There is little evidence for Freuds theories on eating disorders it is all based on feeling rather than hard evidence. All his case studies were a mainly middle aged, Austrian woman which means his findings cannot be generalised to the wider population. However Freuds idea that the anorexics refusal to eat was an unconscious denial of the adult role and they wished to remain a child. The timing of onset in anorexia and the loss of menstruation supports this idea. Evaluate behavioural therapy in the treatment of eating disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common type of treatment for eating disorders. This branch of psychotherapy aims to help break large problems or situations into smaller more manageable parts and treats eating disorders in this same way. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a branch of psychotherapy that is based on the idea that all thoughts (cognition) and actions (behaviors) are related. This may not always be clear, so CBT aims to help individuals break down problems or situations into more manageable parts and examine the ways in which thoughts, emotions and actions were related in each other. Cognitive behavioral therapy allows individuals to examine the relationships between their thoughts, feelings and actions and in doing so allows individuals to understand that if they change the way that they think and feel, they will change the way that they act. For individuals suffering from eating disorders, understanding the relationships between thoughts, emotions and actions is highly important. Once these relationships are understood, the individual suffering from an eating disorder can replace the negative thoughts and emotions which have led to abnormal food and eating behaviors and with more positive thoughts and emotions that will lead back towards a healthy lifestyle. However, in order for these relationships to be clear, it may take several weeks of tracking tho ughts, feelings and food and eating behaviors before the individual will accept this proof. Often therapists will ask individuals to keep a journal or food diary in order to more accurately record their thoughts, feelings and actions towards food and eating during a given period of time. Discuss the ethics of behavioural therapy Behavioural therapy can induce a high level of anxiety which could be considered unethical Directive therapy due to the environmental determinism of behavioural problems; patients need to be re programmed with adaptive behaviour. Stressful can be painful and disturbing e.g. flooding and aversion therapy Humane specific maladaptive behaviours are targeted the whole person is not labelled.