Reason People Attend College or University Essay Example for Free

Reason People Attend College or University Essay Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons examples People attend college or University to become skilled or educated person. College/ university is a platform where we can learn anything effectively such as we can improve our knowledge, we can know about different career lines and we can get knowledge about any career line and college or university provide very friendly environment through which we experience How to behave with friends and How to do team work? First reason: People attend college or university to improve their knowledge. They can get knowledge about particular subject from their skilled teachers. During class /lecture session, their knowledge is increased because everyone has its own way of perception, if someone have doubt on any topic, then teacher will provide solution for that problem. In this way, rest of students get chance to think about topic in different ways. They can share their knowledge with their friends and they can also do group discussion about difficult topics with their friends. Second reason: They can opt different profession according to their wish and then they can join particular course which is relevant to their career. So that they can become efficient in their career line because they have sufficient time to do practical and to improve their skills effectively. Or they can learn from their mistakes while studying. So that they would never repeat mistakes in their professional life. Third reason: During college or University , Students experience many different phases of life. During studying, Students make project with 4 or 5 team members and they play games or sports in team, in this way, they learn How to do work in team ? and How to co-operate with team members. This thing helps them when they are in profession life. Students also learn to work in different situation for example sometime Students do work with their teachers, while working with teachers they learn to behave with seniors. At last, I want to say that everyone must attend college/ university because college/university is a heaven for students or you can say that this is a place which make their life great. Reasons for Attending College or University Summary: People attend college or university for many different reasons, such as new experiences, career preparation, and increased knowledge. Many people attend colleges and universities all over the world to study and conduct research. What are their expectations of the academic experience? In my opinion, people involved in collegiate programs have two main purposes: to gain the experiences and certificates that prepare them for future careers and to increase their knowledge about different aspects of life. Many people desire stable careers that deeply affect their lives. Therefore, good preparation for a future career is a necessity. To maintain and promote your position at a company, especially in certain kinds of jobs, you must have the knowledge and experiences that come from attending a college or university. The skills, spirit, and confidence you gain from studying help equip you for your work. Moreover, it is easier to find a good job when you have qualified certificates. Many well-educated people can carry out their tasks smoothly and methodically with more economization of time and strength than people who manage their work by learning from their failures. Another advantage of attending a college or university is the relationships you build with other people. These relationships help you improve yourself. In a collegiate environment, you learn how to work in groups and how to cooperate with your partners. You also learn to achieve mutual understanding, an essential and useful skill in your future work. The second reason for attending a college or university, increasing knowledge about many aspects of life, might seem a little impractical, but it is, in fact, very practical. Some people have the misconception that studying in college provides them only with knowledge relating directly to their major and that getting certificates is the most important purpose of attending college. With those goals in mind, they often neglect subjects that dont seem to be applicable to their work. However, knowledge from college is not just useful for your job; it also is useful for many other things in life. For example, people with basic knowledge about literature, history, art, psychology, etc. might enjoy their lives more than unlearned people. They also might overcome difficulties and stress more easily, as well as have an acceptable and   optimistic attitude toward obstacles and failures in their lives. Furthermore, cultivated people might treat others in their communities with more regard. Nothing you study in college is useless, and increasing knowledge is as important as getting certificates. The more knowledge you have, the more poetic your life is. Generally speaking, its always necessary to have a good education. In addition to obtaining the appropriate certificates, attending a college or university gives you a great opportunity to learn about many different things on both macroscopic and microscopic levels. While the specific reasons people attend colleges and universities might differ, the fundamental purposes are the same: they want to obtain the necessary training and education for their future careers and they want to learn about a variety of different subjects that will apply to their lives outside their future careers. Therefore, everyone who chooses to attend a college or university should always strive to reach their goals and aspirations. People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation, and increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Essay: Some people say attending college is an indispensable way to find a job. Actually, I think most of people going to college are not just for a future job. First of all, I think everyone who attends a college will make some good friends. In fact, some people claim the best friends of their entire life are met in the college. Friends in college have more opportunities to spend time together finishing their paper in the library, doing sports, having classes, etc. Consequently, they will get a deep understanding with each other and last a long-term relationship. My dads several close friends are all met in college. Secondly, I think some people attend college because their curiosity for knowledge or the keen to know the truth about this world. During the studying life in college, people can learn a lot not only about those courses , but also the spirit of science , the great of humanity and the basic of this world .Colleges are the center of scholar and research , there are numerous scientists, writers, physicians, historians benefit form colleges studying. Thirdly, we are always trying to find ourselves a life-long purpose but have no idea what we really want or who we really want to be. In college , those books, lectures and courses can give us an answer. It is not just about jobs ,but peoples dream. It may encourage you to become a writer after a plenty of reading or you dream of becoming a philosopher after get familiar with Aristoteles. You may find yourself interested in chemical change or principle of universe. It is never as simple as finding a job. In college, you learn what you are really into and that will enlighten your future and life .One who knows nothing about himself will never walk out of the confusion or begin to chase his own dream. NO.2 Nowadays, education no doubt plays an important role in professional and social life. Many students attend college or university for many reasons. Although people think that universities are available for career preparation and increasing knowledge, in my opinion it is correct to say this aloud, that colleges represent a new experience on life  personally speaking, education is about learning to think, learning different ways to analyze a problem and to find a solution to resolve it. Participating in colleges and universities would be a great opportunity to have a general formation in order to be able to think clearly, critically, to have broad range of knowledge. When people at times could confront debates or situations, they would be able to know where to start to analyze and to have a solution for that. Moreover people want to attend college because they want to achieve great success in life .Pursuing a college they would be able to gain more good skills that will be helpful for their future  careers. Professionally, the conventional view is that education increases one earning potential, so college is one ticket to a high-paying job. Actuality people who want to go to a college and university often thinks about the job and the high salary they can earn in order to have a comfortable lifestyle and to provide themselves Similarly since the competition of jobs is higher and the number of job applicants are getting increased everyone should be well educated and to have e degree in order to get a good professional job. So in one way or another a college education is a requirement of many professional jobs In a social perspective , going to college and university is e new experience in life and through such live experience people become more wiser, mature and responsible . Student that attend colleges are separated from their parents and their homes Now they are forced to face another reality but this time at different rules, being alone and not having the support of their families. Through that they use to be more mature and to handle the world by themselves. Similarly, participating a college could be very useful for people because only in this way they can come across to diverse social, cultural and multi language groups. By meeting new people that are not from their hometown and further that they do not speak the same language could be e new experience that each one of them can have.

Historiography Of The Civil Rights Movement

Historiography Of The Civil Rights Movement Who was the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) lawyer who successfully argued the NAACPs Brown v. Board of Education? Answer: Martin Luther King. Question: Name several people who were involved in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Answer: Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. Question: Who was the first President of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)? Answer: Martin Luther King. Question: Who organized the famous March on Washington? Answer: Martin Luther King. Question: Who started the sit-in movement of the 1960s? Answer: Martin Luther King. (Armstrong 2002) Does the preceding list of questions and answers sound familiar? If you teach high school history, the answer is probably yes. However, this does not tell the whole story. In reality, Martin Luther King was just one member of the larger Civil Rights Movement sweeping the country. In order to illuminate the larger picture to our students, alternative strategies need to be considered. One such strategy is presented here. This lesson plan tackles the Civil Rights Movement from the perspective of nonviolent direct action. I am not arguing that King is not an important historical figure of the Civil Rights Movement, because he certainly is. The problem, however, is that since the early 1970s, the struggle for civil rights has been taught almost solely in relationship to King and his life. Students graduate from high school viewing the civil rights movement synonymously with Martin Luther King Jr. Such connections are understandable, if grossly uninformed. Students are denied the opportunity to immerse themselves in the complicated and varied histories of the civil rights movement. (Armstrong 2002) According to Armstrong, in the past, most high school history teachers relied on textbooks to help them convey the civil rights movement to their students. Unfortunately, the vast majority of textbooks present a narrative of the civil rights movement of King as the embodiment of the Civil Rights Movement. As a result, textbooks typically begin the movement in 1954 and 1955 with the Brown v. Board decision and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and end in 1968 with the assassination of King. (Armstrong 2002, 6) However, this is only a narrow view of what many historians consider a much longer struggle for racial civil rights. One way to open up this narrative is to provide students with access to primary documents. This lesson incorporates three primary documents one from each of the leading groups that advocated nonviolent action during the civil rights movement. This methodology not only presents students with alternative perspectives, but it also exposes students to a core tool used by historians. (Armstrong 2002) In any history course, whether it is second grade, high school, or graduate level, aspects of the story will be left out. History is a vast and ever-expanding field, and it is impossible to include everything in one course. However, by showing our students how to think and act like historians, we can give them the opportunity to explore these topics further in the future. National Standards The National Standards for United States History: Era 9 Postwar United States, Standard 4 requires students to understand the struggle for racial and gender equality and the extension of civil liberties. (National Center for History in the Schools 2005) Time This lesson should be divided into three class sessions of approximately one hour. Student Objectives To analyze primary source material. To analyze the role of nonviolent direct action in combating racism. To analyze the role of different organizations combating racism in the Civil Rights Movement. Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Background Nonviolent Action According to Gene Sharp, Nonviolent action refers to those methods of protest, resistance and intervention without physical violence in which the members of the nonviolent group do or refuse to do certain things. (Sharp 1969) These methods can be divided into three basic groups: nonviolent protest, noncooperation, and nonviolent intervention. Each group contains different examples of nonviolent actions. Nonviolent protest includes such actions as parades, marches, and picketing. Noncooperation includes such actions as walkouts, strikes, and boycotts. And nonviolent intervention, the most militant forms of nonviolence typically refers to sit-ins. (Wirmark 1974) Each of these methods of nonviolent action was employed during the Civil Rights Movement. Three of the leading organizations which advocated the use of nonviolent action were the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) CORE was founded in 1943, and specialized in nonviolent action to combat racial discrimination. Its first focus was on sit-in demonstrations with the goal that public places, such as restaurants, would become desegregated. (Wirmark 1974) As the Civil Rights Movement evolved, so too did the goals of CORE, who began to sponsor freedom rides during the early 1960s. [See Figure 1] (Woodward 1966) From 1962-1964, CORE concentrated on voter registration drives throughout the South. It was also responsible for sponsoring direct action protests against unfair housing measures and other types of discrimination against African Americans in the North. Though all three organizations (CORE, SNCC, and SCLC) employed nonviolent techniques in their quest for equality, it was CORE who initiated the practice. (Meier and Rudwick 1973) Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) On February 1, 1960, a group of young African American students were refused to be served in a coffee shop in North Carolina. In protest, the students sat in silence in the shop. This type of protest, known as a sit-in, rapidly spread throughout the country, bringing many young college students into the civil rights cause. [See Figure 2] (Woodward 1966) The SNCC, the youngest and most militant of the organized groups, came out of the sit-in movement. Students who had participated in sit-ins wanted to control student demonstrations, and thus founded the SNCC in 1960. (Wirmark 1974) By 1966, the SNCC had gained national attention with its use of the slogan Black Power. Some of the most important leaders of the SNCC were Bob Moses of Mississippi, Charles Sherrod of Georgia, and Bill Hansen of Arkansas. These men were most effective because they truly believed in the morality of their cause. They were courageous in the face of adversity and influenced others to not give up hope. (Stoper 1977) Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) After the successful Montgomery bus boycott, Martin Luther King, Jr. founded the SCLC to bring together the church leaders who had been organizing the boycott. [See Figure 3] Inspired by the actions of CORE, King wanted to apply nonviolent action on a large scale. (Wirmark 1974) Unlike the other two organizations, the SCLC acted as an umbrella organization. It brought together various civil rights groups across the South and the rest of the nation. It also differed from other civil rights groups because it was primarily made up of religious groups. Charles Morgan, a member of the SCLC board of directors said of the group, SCLC is not an organization, its a church. (Fairclough 1987, 1) King was certainly a significant force behind the SCLC, but its successes cannot be accredited solely to his larger-than-life personality. The SCLC was extremely effective in combating racial discrimination and segregation, and this was due partially to King, partially to its belief in a higher moral ca use, and partially to its commitment to nonviolent action. (Fairclough 1987) Procedures Day One Briefly discuss the main events of the Civil Rights Movement with students, providing them with a timeline for reference. Have students look up the definitions for segregation, non-violence, and direct action. Provide students with a background on different types of nonviolent direct action protests. Allow students to brainstorm ways to combat racism through nonviolent direct action. Day Two Provide students with a background on the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Divide the students into three groups and assign one organization to each group. Groups should make a short presentation to the class on the background and history of their assigned organization. Day Three Have students compare and contrast the three civil rights organizations in a 1-2 page in-class essay. Students should work individually, but allow them the opportunity to use reference materials, as well as discuss their questions with you. Discussion Questions How do you define segregation? Provide two different examples of racial segregation. What is nonviolence? Direct action? How can the two be used to combat racial segregation? What were the goals of CORE? Of SNCC? Of SCLC? Compare and contrast the three organizations. In what ways does studying them deviate from what you have learned about the civil rights movement in the past? Further Reading Armstrong, Julie Buckner. Teaching the American Civil Rights Movement: Freedoms Bittersweet Song. New York: Routledge, 2002. Carson, Clayborne. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Charismatic Leadership in a Mass Struggle. The Journal of American History, Vol. 74, No. 2 (Sep., 1987): 448-454. Fairclough, Adam. To Redeem the Soul of America: The Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Martin Luther King, Jr. Athens: The University of Georgia Press, 1987. Meier, August, and Elliott Rudwick. CORE: A Study in the Civil Rights Movement 1942-1968. New York: Oxford University Press, 1973. National Center for History in the Schools. History Standards for Grades 5-12 United States. National Standards for History Basic Edition. 2005. http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/nchs/standards/ (accessed November 11, 2010). OBrien, Michael. Old Myths / New Insights: History and Dr. King. The History Teacher, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Nov. 1988): 49-65. Steinkraus, Warren E. Martin Luther Kings Personalism and Non-Violence. Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 34, No. 1 (Jan. Mar., 1973): 97 111. Stoper, Emily. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee: Rise and Fall of a Redemptive Organization. Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 8, No. 1, 1977: 13-34. Wirmark, Bo. Nonviolent Methods and the American Civil Rights Movement 1955-1965. Journal of Peace Research. Vol. 11. No. 2, 1974: 115-132. Woodward, C. Vann. The Strange Career of Jim Crow. New York: Oxford University Press, 1966. Day One Handout Name ____________________________________ Definitions: Look up each of the following words and write out the definition. Segregation: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Non-violence: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Direct action: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Non-Violent Direct Action Protests: Read the following list of non-violent direct actions and discuss in your groups. Sit-ins (restaurants, lunch counters) Kneel-ins (churches) Stand-ins (theaters, swimming pools, libraries) Marches Mass meetings Picketing Vigils Prayer meetings Jail-ins (attempt to overcrowd jails) Fasting Nonviolent obstruction (streets, vehicles) Boycotts Rent strikes Voter registration drives Day Two Handout -Page 1 CORE Rules for Action Guarantees of the Individual to the Group A CORE member will investigate the facts carefully before determining whether or not racial injustice exists in a given situation. A CORE member will seek at all times to understand both the attitude of the person responsible for a policy of racial discrimination, and the social situation which engendered the attitude. The CORE member will be flexible and creative, showing a willingness to participate in experiments which seem constructive, but being careful not to compromise CORE principles. A CORE member will make a sincere effort to avoid malice and hatred toward any group or individual. A CORE member will never use malicious slogans or labels to discredit any opponent. A CORE member will be willing to admit mistakes. He will meet the anger of an individual or group in the spirit of good will and creative reconciliation; he will submit to assault and will not retaliate in kind either by act or word. A member will never engage in any action in the name of the group except when authorized by the group or one of its action units. When in an action project a CORE member will obey the orders issued by the authorized leader or spokesman of the project, whether these orders please him or not. If he does not approve of such orders, he shall later refer the criticism back to the group or to the committee which as the source of the project plan. No member, after once accepting the discipline of the group for a particular action project, shall have the right of withdrawing. However, should a participant feel that under further pressure he will no longer be able to adhere to the Rules for Action, he shall then withdraw from the project and leave the scene immediately after notifying the project leader. Only a person who is a recognized member of the group leader in a particular project shall be permitted to take part in that group action. Guarantees from the Local Group to the Individual Each member has the right to dissent from any group decision and, if dissenting, need not participate in the specific action planned. Each member shall understand that all decisions on general policy shall be arrived at only through democratic group discussion. A CORE member shall receive the uncompromising support of his CORE group as he faces any difficulties resulting from his authorized CORE activities. Day Two Handout -Page 2 Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Statement of Purpose We affirm the philosophical or religious ideal of nonviolence as the foundation of our purpose, the presupposition of our faith, and the manner of our action. Nonviolence as it grows from the Judeo-Christian tradition seeks a social order of justice permeated by love. Integration of human endeavor represents the crucial first step towards such a society. Through nonviolence, courage displaces fear; love transforms hate. Acceptance dissipates prejudice; hope ends despair. Peace dominates war; faith reconciles doubt. Mutual regard cancels enmity. Justice for all overcomes injustice. The redemptive community supersedes systems of gross social immorality. Love is the central motif of nonviolence. Love is the force by which God binds man to himself and man to man. Such love goes to the extreme; it remains loving and forgiving even in the midst of hostility. It matches the capacity of evil to inflict suffering with an even more enduring capacity to absorb evil, all the while persisting in love. By appealing to conscience and standing on the moral nature of human existence, nonviolence nurtures the atmosphere in which reconciliation and justice become actual possibilities. Day Two Handout -Page 3 Southern Christian Leadership Conference: This is SCLC Aims and Purposes of SCLC The Southern Christian Leadership Conference has the basic aim of achieving full citizenship rights, equality and the integration of the Negro in all aspects of American life. SCLC is a service agency to facilitate coordinated action of local community groups within the frame of their indigenous organizations and natural leadership. SCLC activity revolves around two main focal points: the use of nonviolent philosophy as a means of creative protest; and securing the right of the ballot for every citizen. Philosophy of SCLC The basic tenets of Hebraic-Christian tradition coupled with the Gandhian concept of satyagraha truth force is at the heart of SCLCs philosophy. Christian nonviolence actively resists evil in any form. It never seeks to humiliate the opponent, only to win him. Suffering is accepted without retaliation. Internal violence of the spirit is as much to be rejected as external physical violence. At the center of nonviolence is redemptive love. Creatively used, the philosophy of nonviolence can restore the broken community in America. SCLC is convinced that nonviolence is the most potent force available to an oppressed people in their struggle for freedom and dignity. SCLC and Nonviolent Mass Direct Action SCLC believes that the American dilemma in race relations can best and most quickly be resolved through the action of thousands of people, committed to the philosophy of nonviolence, who will physically identify themselves in a just and moral struggle. It is not enough to be intellectually dissatisfied with an evil system. The true nonviolent resister presents his physical body as an instrument to defeat the system. Through nonviolent mass direct action, the evil system is creatively dramatized in order that the conscience of the community may grapple with the rightness or wrongness of the issue at hand. Supplementary Materials Visual Aids These photographs can be used to supplement this lesson plan. Pass them out to the class or incorporate them into your classroom presentation. More visual aids can be found at: www.loc.gov/rr/print/. Figure 3: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in front of SCLC Headquarters in Atlanta. Figure 1: Background Map: 1961 Freedom Rides [New York]: Associated Press News Feature. ca. 1962 http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/images/s84.6p1.jpg http://www.blackpast.org/files/blackpast_images/SCLC_King.jpg Figure 2: Tottle House Occupied during a Sit-in by some of Americas most effective organizers. Atlanta, Georgia, ca. 1963 http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/images/vc84.1b.jpg Civil Rights Timeline *Adapted from http://www.africanaonline.com/2010/08/civil-rights-timeline/* 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education: U.S. Supreme Court bans segregation in public schools. 1955 Bus boycott launched in Montgomery, Ala., after an African-American woman, Rosa Parks, is arrested December 1 for refusing to give up her seat to a white person. 1956 December 21 After more than a year of boycotting the buses and a legal fight, the Montgomery buses desegregate. 1957 At previously all-white Central High in Little Rock, Ark., 1,000 paratroopers are called by President Eisenhower to restore order and escort nine black students. 1960 The sit-in protest movement begins in February at a Woolworths lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C. and spreads across the nation. 1961 Freedom rides begin from Washington, D.C: Groups of black and white people ride buses through the South to challenge segregation. 1963 Police arrest King and other ministers demonstrating in Birmingham, Ala., then turn fire hoses and police dogs on the marchers. Medgar Evers, NAACP leader, is murdered June 12 as he enters his home in Jackson, Miss. Four girls killed Sept. 15 in bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. 1964 July 2 President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 1965 Malcolm X is murdered Feb. 21, 1965. Three men are convicted of his murder. August 6. President Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The act, which King sought, authorized federal examiners to register qualified voters and suspended devices such as literacy tests that aimed to prevent African Americans from voting. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., unleashing violence in more than 100 cities. In response to Kings death, Seattle residents hurled firebombs, broke windows, and pelted motorists with rocks. Ten thousand people also marched to Seattle Center for a rally in his memory. 1992 The first racially based riots in years erupt in Los Angeles and other cities after a jury acquits L.A. police officers in the videotaped beating of Rodney King, an African American.

Customers Satisfaction Services

Customers Satisfaction Services INTRODUCTION Organizations have been increasingly interested in retaining existing customers while targeting non-customers; measuring customer satisfaction provides an indication of how successful the organization is at providing products and/or services to the marketplace. Customer satisfaction is an ambiguous and abstract concept and the actual manifestation of the state of satisfaction will vary from person to person and product/service to product/service. The state of satisfaction depends on a number of both psychological and physical variables which correlate with satisfaction behaviors such as return and recommend rate. The level of satisfaction can also vary depending on other options the customer may have and other products against which the customer can compare the organizations products. Because satisfaction is basically a psychological state, care should be taken in the effort of quantitative measurement, although a large quantity of research in this area has recently been developed. Work done by Berry, Brodeur between 1990 and 1998(1) defined ten Quality Values which influence satisfaction behavior, further expanded by Berry in 2002 and known as the ten domains of satisfaction. These ten domains of satisfaction include: Quality, Value, Timeliness, Efficiency, Ease of Access, Environment, Inter-departmental Teamwork, Front line Service Behaviors, Commitment to the Customer and Innovation. These factors are emphasized for continuous improvement and organizational change measurement and are most often utilized to develop the architecture for satisfaction measurement as an integrated model. Work done by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry between 1985 and 1988 provides the basis for the measurement of customer satisfaction with a service by using the gap between the custom ers expectation of performance and their perceived experience of performance. This provides the measurer with a satisfaction gap which is objective and quantitative in nature. Work done by Cronin and Taylor propose the confirmation/disconfirmation theory of combining the gap described by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry as two different measures (perception and expectation of performance) into a single measurement of performance according to expectation. According to Garbrand, customer satisfaction equals perception of performance divided by expectation of performance. The usual measures of customer satisfaction involve a survey (2) with a set of statements using a Likert Technique or scale. The customer is asked to evaluate each statement and in term of their perception and expectation of the performance of the organisation being measured. To efficiently deal with customer satisfaction, coordination of all departments of a company, from the marketing to the human resources, operations and financial departments is not only critical, but they should also be involved in the process. The aim of this report is to reflect on the customer satisfaction in all the processes and operations at the NIKE, Inc. The focus will be on the numerous systems and activities set up by the company to meet overall customer satisfaction. However, it would be of great relevance to firstly investigate who is a customer in general and what is the nature of customer service. A literature review on customer satisfaction and an assessment of the business environment will then follow. Secondly, an analysis of customer satisfaction through the various processes and systems established at the NIKE, Inc. will be undertaken. In a third chapter, an evaluation of customer satisfaction at the BMW Group in relation to the theories will be carried out. Finally, a conclusion and recommendations will follow. Company Background Nikes Heritage NIKE, pronounced NI-KEY, is the winged goddess of victory according to Greek mythology. She sat at the side of Zeus, the ruler of the Olympic pantheon, in Olympus. A mystical presence, symbolizing victorious encounters, NIKE presided over historys earliest battlefields. A Greek would say, When we go to battle and win, we say it is NIKE. Synonymous with honored conquest, NIKE is the twentieth century footwear that lifts the worlds greatest athletes to new levels of mastery and achievement. The NIKE swoosh embodies the spirit of the winged goddess who inspired the most courageous and chivalrous warriors at the dawn of civilization. (from Nike Consumer Affairs packet, 1996) The Swoosh The SWOOSH logo is a graphic design created by Caroline Davidson in 1971. It represents the wing of the Greek Goddess NIKE. Caroline Davidson was a student at Portland State University in advertising. She met Phil Knight while he was teaching accounting classes and she started doing some freelance work for his company. Phil Knight asked Caroline to design a logo that could be placed on the side of a shoe. She handed him the SWOOSH, he handed her $35.00. In spring of 1972, the first shoe with the NIKE SWOOSH was introduced. (from Nike Consumer Affairs packet, 1996) History Nike was founded in the year of 1968 by Philip H. Knight, who is currently the Owner, Chairman, and CEO of the company.   Phil Knight completed his education from the University of Oregon and the Stanford Business School by 1962, (Moore, 128).   As an aspiring young business man, he decided to travel to Japan and speak to the president of Tiger shoes.   He presented himself as an American distributor of athletic equipment when he actually had nothing.   He was pretty sneaky, however, he got what he wanted and began selling running shoes under the name of Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS). Once he became bored with selling shoes at sporting events from the back of his truck, he began producing his own athletic apparel, (nike/history.htm).   He renamed his so-called company Nike and hoped for the best to happen.   Within the first year, he sold $8000.00 worth of shoes and only received a $250.00 profit, (nike/history.htm).   After some time, Knight turned to his old coach from sch ool, Bill Bowerman, for advice on what to do next.   Phil Knight wanted Nike to stand out above the rest.   Once Bill Bowerman came up with the idea for having traction on the bottom of shoes, Nike had finally made its mark, (nike/history.htm).   The Nike Waffle Trainer stood out and made Nike the most unique shoe company of the 1970s.    By the year of 1979, Nike was the most well-known shoe company in the world.   They no longer just sold shoes but sporting equipment as well.   However, the joy of being on top came crashing down when Reebok surpassed Nike with the aerobic phase in athletics.   In order to maintain the reputation of Nike, the worlds best shoe corporation, Nike struck back by diversifying their shoes for different kinds of sports activities.   Nike continued to rise in success throughout its prosperity by signing famous sports players ( ex. Michael Jordan) and using intelligent advertising tactics, (nike/history.htm).   Today, Nike is a four billio n dollar business that has had its ups and downs.   As of now, Nike is having difficulties with the publicity it is receiving about its labor practices in China, South Korea, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Chapter 1: Theoretical aspects of customer satisfaction 1. The concept of customer in general A customer refers to individuals or households that purchase goods and services generated within the economy. The word historically derives from custom, meaning habit; a customer was someone who frequented a particular shop, who made it a habit to purchase goods there, and with whom the shopkeeper had to maintain a relationship to keep his or her custom, meaning expected purchases in the future. Customer needs may be defined as the goods or services a customer requires to achieve specific goals. Different needs are of varying importance to the customer. Customer expectations are influenced by cultural values, advertising, marketing, and other communications, both with the supplier and with other sources. Both customer needs and expectations may be determined through interviews, surveys, conversations, data mining or other methods of collecting information. Customers at times do not have a clear understanding of their needs. Assisting in determining needs can be a valuable service to the customer. In the process, expectations may be set or adjusted to correspond to known product capabilities or service. 1.1 Customer Service Customers are the essential to the business. Basically, the business makes profit from the product sales, so it depends how many customers purchase the companys products. Recently, most of firms are not only to focus their products decoration and price, but also pay attention to the those customer whom buy the products. For instance: listen with understanding, ask questions, apologize, take fair and corrective action and remain courteous to the customers.The profit of a business increase markedly the more loyal, long-standing customers it has. Therefore, it is crucial to provide an excellent service to attract and keep the customer. To begin with, a customer who is a person or business buying goods or services from another. And the customer service is helping and supporting the customer before, during and after they purchase the product. Normally, the customers can be broken into to two types categories: external and internal. External customers are who buy goods or services that are not employed by or combined with the business selling the goods or providing the service. Internal customers which means the people within an organization to whom work is passed or to whim a service provided. The four basic aims for the customers are, what they want, when they want, where there want it and what price they willing to pay. Nowadays, the customers service is quite important to a firm, because of the following reasons. First one is to make the business profitable; of course, it is most important principle to a firm. The second reason, it is differentiation with other competitors. In a market, may be have many of firms produce the products almost the same style, same quality and same price. Hence, the customers might depends the which firms can be provided good service, and this can be helped them to make a decision to buy which brand of product. Beside that above two reasons, if the company provides the excellent services to the customer, who will come back. This is the key for a firm to live longer in a competition market. How many customers will do â€Å"repeat business† with company according to how better services they can obtain. Lastly, as the similar reason with second one, which is increasing competition in the market. Especially, currently most of Mutil-company joining into the domestic e conomic, therefore, the firms really needs to keep their good customer service that not going to be eliminated by the market. Customer services are so crucial to any company, hence, there have some ways that to provide an excellent customer service. First of all, responding any questions from customers. Whatever from the customer calls, E-mail and letters. Customers have higher requirement of response time. If the customer will not be answered quickly, they may think that they are not important and have been ignored; and start to move to other company. One example, like UGR company, we have three groups each week and many sales people to do the same job, which is responding the customers E-mails or letters. However, due to the improper manage, lots of letters and E-mails response to one customer too many times, in contrast, other customers have been ignored. As a result, the company will lose the business with those customers. Secondly, understanding the customers need, such as satisfy customers emotional satisfaction. There are 4 main points that the enterprise should achieve to satisfy customers emotional needs. Fist one is making the customers feel to be understood. This depends on the communication between the company and clients, like a good listener, it lets the customer feel nothing is hindering between their and the company. The second one is to feel welcome. They like to feel that you are happy to see them and that they are important to you. Welcome delivery the image about that the company is happy to see them to the customer. Then the customers need to feel to be important. Ensuring that every customer feels that they are attached importance. To feel important can increase the goods that are consumed by every customer, because they feel the company respects them. Finally, the company should supply a comfort environment to the customer, such as good decoration, a nice music, some soft seats to si t and cup of drinks. All of these images not only make the customers have a happy mood, but also give them a feeling of that the company can take care them properly. To be a great people is other point. For example, speak to people, smile, be friendly and helpful, call people by name, enjoy yourself, be genuine ,be considerate, be thoughtful, be willing and be generous. Sometimes, I do not want to buy something from shop, however, the staffs make me feel they are polite and have a beautiful smile. Therefore, I change my mind to buy something. The other point is listening and communication with your workers. A good leader who is always concerns their employees thinking. Workers to understand that their own well-being is affected by providing good customer service. For example, I had a part-time job before, which is selling the earrings and necklaces. In the first few weeks, my boss just told me try to sell them as much as you can, but she did not taught me how to do. Later, I told her I do not how to describe the feature about each style and she taught me how to say, at the end, I sold many products. Hence, the communication is quite important between the boss and work. Lastly, the enterprise attempts to reducing high product in order to reduce the loss in the business. The enterprise needs concern the household in the whole economy. Most of people cannot afford the high price. Therefore, for the firms might be lost some customers that affect the profit into the business. For instance, if I am going to buy a laptop, the first thing I see the price then its function. I think not too many people can afford high price whether it has high-tech. So, the company might be lost that kind of customer who really cares about the price. In conclusion, the keys of keep a high customer loyalty is to provide the service that could satisfy the customers wants, needs and use proper attitude. However, it is the most important to understand that to deliver the excellent service makes more profit to the business. 1.2. SWOT and PEST analyses of the business environment 1.2.1. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis summarizes the key issues from an analysis of the business environment and the strategic capability of an organization. The main objectives of conducting SWOT analysis is to identify the extent to which the current strategy of an organization and its more specific strength and weaknesses are relevant to, and capable of, dealing with the changes taking place in the business environment. It also uses to assess whether there are opportunities to exploit further the unique resources or core competence of organization. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths Strengths are internal characteristic that has the potential of improving the organizations competitive situation. Every organization has some strength. A strength could be: * A new product or service * New machinery or equipment. * Strong market share. * Strong financial. * Specialist Hardware and Software expertise. Weaknesses Weaknesses are an internal characteristics that leaves the organization potentially vulnerable to strategic moves by competitors. Every organization also has some weakness. A weakness could be: * Poor reputation. * Lack of marketing strategies. * Location of the business in respect of the market-place. * Poor after-sales service record. Opportunities Opportunities are an environment situation that offers significant prospects for improving an organizations situation relative to competitors. All organizations have some opportunities that they can gain from. These could range from diversification to sale of operations. An opportunity could be: * A new or developing market. * Possibility of purchasing an effective competitor. * Government grants offered for new market development. The possibility of cheaper raw materials. Threats Threats are an environment situation that offers significant prospects for undermining an organizations competitive situation. No organization is exceptional to threats. These could be internal, such as falling productivity. Or they could be external, such as lower priced international competition. A threat could be: * Competitors developing new products or services. * Extra competitors in the main market area. * High bargaining power of suppliers. * Taxation is introduced on the products or services 1.2.2. PEST Analysis A PEST analysis, as defined by David Lines et al is Political, Economical, Social and Technological analysis, a means of analysing the external factors that may present opportunities or threats to a business.'(David Lines et al, 2004:p212 ). It is also known as PESTEL analysis when Environmental and Legal factors are included. It is used to identify external factors which may affect a company. (http://www.marketing-intelligence.co.uk/help/QA/question24.htm) The political factors PEST looks at include government stability, taxation policy, foreign trade regulations and social welfare policies. Foreign trade regulations in particular are important for an organisation planning on opening up in a different country or trading with a different country as their laws may differ from those the organisation already employs. Economical factors include business cycles, interest rates, money supply, inflation, unemployment and disposable income. An organisation planning on breaking into a new market would be well advised to look at the economical factors that may affect their proposed business plans, such as market trends and consumer patterns. Sociocultural factors, such as population demographics, social mobility, lifestyle changes, consumerism and levels of education, should also be monitored closely, and example being the tobacco industry. With people becoming more health conscious and with social pressures on smokers growing in western countries the sales of tobacco have been adversely affected in this market. Anti smoking campaigns, restrictions on advertising and packaging and the banning of smoking in most public places, as well as heavy taxes and court cases, have led tobacco companies to concentrate their marketing efforts mainly on the developing world.(Gerry Johnson and Kevan Scholes, 2002) Technological factors include new discoveries, speed of technological transfer, government spending on research and rates of obsolescence. These are important factors to watch, especially for people in the hi-technology industry which changes constantly. For example in the mobile phones industry new models with bigger memory, new extras and applications and other technological advances have replaced the original mobile. A mobile phone is no longer just a mobile phone but a computer, diary, calendar, and in some cases office. With new models coming out almost every month it is important the mobile phone companies keep up with current trends to ensure their mobiles do not become obsolete. 1.3. Service/ Product quality In its broadest sense, quality is a degree of excellence: the extent to which something is fit for its purpose. In the narrow sense, product or service quality is defined as conformance with requirement, freedom from defects or contamination, or simply a degree of customer satisfaction. In quality management, quality is defined as the totality of characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy stated and implied needs. Quality is also rapidly embracing the nature or degree of impact an organisation has on its stakeholders, environment and society. Meeting requirements Specifications are an imprecise means of conveying subjective aspects not everything can be reduced to figures or measurable characteristics. For instance, the characteristics of friendliness or courtesy in a service industry are difficult to measure reliably and repeatedly. Therefore, conformance to requirements is not necessarily all there is to achieving quality. Quality is a result Quality is the result of a comparison between what was required and what was provided. It is judged not by the producer but by the receiver. The judgement can be made of an intention, as is the case when selecting suppliers, or an output, as is the case when purchasing a product or service. Customer satisfaction The only true measure of acceptable quality is customer satisfaction, which takes into account both objective and subjective interpretations of the needs and expectations of customers. If customers are satisfied with the products and services offered, the organisation has not only correctly interpreted customer needs and expectations but it is also providing products and services of acceptable quality. Changing customer perceptions Customer needs and expectations are constantly changing. Awareness of new technology, legislation, problems, competitor products or services creates new wants for customers. Wants turn into demands when these customers begin their next purchase. Therefore, it is vital for organisations to constantly improve quality so that satisfied customers are retained as well as created. Quality and value Value is not a price tag but a measure of the benefits derived from a product or service for what is given in return. A product may well meet physical and functional requirements but be overpriced when compared to others of the same class and grade. Alternatively, the same product may be on offer at another store for 50 per cent less, indicating exceedingly good value for money. In an effort to reduce costs, some organisations have forgotten that it is the quality of the complete transaction that counts. Getting product quality right while ignoring the human relationship between customer and supplier will not lead to satisfied customers. What quality is not? Quality is not perfection, a standard, a procedure, a measure or an adjective. No amount of inspection changes the quality of a product or service. Quality does not exist in isolation there has to be an entity, the quality of which is being discussed. Quality is not a specific characteristic of an entity but the extent to which that characteristic meets certain needs. The value of the characteristic is unimportant it is how its value compares with customer needs that signifies its quality. Why should an organisation be interested in quality? Every business exists not to make a profit, as many would have us believe, but to create and retain satisfied customers. A business would have no profits if it failed to create and retain satisfied customers. Providing products and services which meet customer needs and expectations creates satisfied customers. Anticipating future needs and expectations retains satisfied customers. Therefore, quality is vital to the survival of every enterprise. What does quality apply to? Every product, service, process, task, action, decision can either be acceptable or unacceptable. Hence, there is an intrinsic quality in everything that an organisation does. Everyone must pay attention to quality, from the chief executive to the shopfloor across all functions in an enterprise. It is as important for support staff to pay attention to quality as production staff. Who is responsible for quality? One can only be responsible for doing something relative to quality. Hence a person can be responsible for: specifying quality requirements achieving quality requirements determining the quality of something Assigning responsibility means giving a person the right to cause things to happen and with this right should be delegated the authority to control the processes which deliver the output the quality of which the person is responsible for. One manager cannot be made responsible for quality within an organisation unless that manager is the CEO. All a specialist manager such as a Quality Manager can do it is to enable others to achieve quality by providing encouragement, leadership, training, tools, techniques and performance data. However, it is important for someone in the business to give leadership and results on quality performance and this person needs special knowledge and skills. How can quality be achieved? Several methods have evolved to achieve, sustain and improve quality. They are known as quality control, quality improvement and quality assurance collectively known as quality management. Quality management is not the preserve of one manager but of all managers. Quality is achieved through a chain of processes, each of which has to be under control and subject to continual improvement. The chain starts with top management expressing a firm commitment to quality, then: establishing customer needs and expectations developing and maintaining a management system that will enable achievement of customer needs and expectations reliably, repeatedly and economically designing products and services with features which reflect customer needs building products and services so as to reproduce faithfully the design verifying before delivery that products and services possess the features required preventing the supply of products and services which possess features which dissatisfy customers discovering and eliminating undesirable features in products and services finding less expensive solutions to customer needs making operations more efficient and effective discovering what will delight customers and providing it most importantly, honouring commitments A variety of standards, philosophies, methodologies, tools, techniques and measures have been developed to help organisations meet these goals: management systems ISO 9000, ISO 14000, BS 8800, BS 7799 philosophies total quality management methodologies business process management, continual improvement tools and techniques process charts, failure mode and effects analysis, statistical process control, quality function deployment measures quality awards, best value, ISO 9000 and Investors in People All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording and/or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers. This publication may not be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form, binding or cover other than that in which it is published without the prior consent of the publishers. 3. Literature review on customer satisfaction 3.1. What is customer satisfaction? Customer satisfaction is the provision of goods or services which fulfil the customers expectations in terms of quality and service, in relation to price paid. Customer satisfaction can help the businesses achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. It is about understanding the way a customer feels after purchasing a product or service and, in particular, whether or not that product or service met the customers expectations. Customers primarily form their expectations through past purchasing experiences, word-of-mouth from family, friends and colleagues and information delivered through marketing activities, such as advertising or public relations. If the customers expectation is not met, they will be dissatisfied and it is very likely they will tell others about their experience. Why customer satisfaction is important? The organisations should not underestimate the value of customer satisfaction. It is becoming an important area of competition. A high level of satisfaction can deliver many benefits, including: -Loyalty: a highly satisfied customer is a loyal customer. -Repeat purchase: a highly satisfied customer buys more products. -Referrals: a highly satisfied customer tells their family and friends about the product or service. -Retention: a highly satisfied customer is less likely to switch brands. -Reduced costs: a highly satisfied customer costs less to serve than a new customer. -Premium prices: a highly satisfied customer is willing to pay more for the product or service. Not happy Jan Monitoring customer satisfaction is important because we are much more likely to tell our friends and family about a bad experience with a product or service than a good experience. The introduction of blogs and websites such as www.notgoodenough.com.au has provided customers with an excellent platform to spread the bad word about a product or service to thousands of people. And theres always the threat of negative publicity generated from current affairs programs or other media outlets. Dont learn the lesson about customer satisfaction the hard way! Customer satisfaction research Satisfaction surveys are an important method for collecting information about how the customers think and feel about the organisations brand, product or service. A satisfaction survey can help the organisations to understand the expectations of their customers, determine whether the customers believe they are meeting those expectations, identify new customer requirements or trends in the market and determine what areas of the organisations business need investment. A good customer satisfaction survey will also help the organisations to understand the causes of dissatisfaction among their customers. Once the organisations have identified these issues, they will be able to implement new practices to improve customer satisfaction. Many businesses systematically measure customer satisfaction through independent surveys, feedback forms, mystery shopping and focus groups. Some third party surveys also compare the customer satisfaction of major competitors, which allows companies to benchmark themselves in their relevant sector. Measuring customer satisfaction doesnt have to be expensive. It can be as simple as preparing a short feedback form or conducting a brief telephone interview that asks the customer to rate the product or service on a number of criteria. Indicators of customer satisfaction An important indicator of customer satisfaction is the customer retention rate. To calculate the customer retention rate, the organisations will need to capture data about the total number of customers and the number of customers switching brands. If they track this information ove

The Nature of Education Shown in Two Photographs: :: Education Teaching Essays

The Nature of Education Shown in Two Photographs: Learning is a lifelong process. By learning, one acquires knowledge or develops the ability to perform new behaviors. It is common to think of learning as something that takes place in school, but much of human learning occurs outside the classroom, and people continue to learn throughout their lives. From the two photos, "The Lesson: Planning a Career" and "Instruction at Home", it is evident that learning continues throughout people's lives and affects almost everything they do. Moreover, the study of learning is important in many different fields. For example, teachers need to understand the best ways to educate their students. Psychologists, social workers, criminologists, and other human service workers need to understand how certain experiences change people's behaviors. Employers, politicians, and advertisers make use of the principles of learning to influence the behavior of workers, voters, and consumers . The photograph entitled, â€Å"The Lesson: Planning a Career,† taken by Ron James, shows three students who appear to be in a classroom receiving education to more or less succeed in the business world. It is also apparent that there is a hunger for knowledge, even at a grown age. But the shocking aspect of the photograph is that the students look older than the average college student. They look middle-aged, especially the third man sitting behind the two students up front. When taking the age factor into consideration, what comes to mind is the national system of formal education in the United States developed in the 19th century. The educational system formed paralleled the photo's presentation of â€Å"old† students. First, the photo indicated that Americans were more inclined to regard education as a solution to various social problems. Second, because of the students’ confidence in the power of education, more years of schooling were provided for a larger percentage of the population than other countries. Third, educational institutions were primarily governed by local authorities rather than by federal ones. Beside the age factor, the photo explicitly states three words, â€Å"Wages, Careers, and Colleges.† These three words seem to forcefully acknowledge the power of education; the power that further education can bring about higher wages and better career offerings, especially in a fast paced competitive world. In addition, the students in the photo appear to be bored or uninterested in the classroom. Their lack of interest in learning informs of their lack of choice, but to learn in order to succeed. The Nature of Education Shown in Two Photographs: :: Education Teaching Essays The Nature of Education Shown in Two Photographs: Learning is a lifelong process. By learning, one acquires knowledge or develops the ability to perform new behaviors. It is common to think of learning as something that takes place in school, but much of human learning occurs outside the classroom, and people continue to learn throughout their lives. From the two photos, "The Lesson: Planning a Career" and "Instruction at Home", it is evident that learning continues throughout people's lives and affects almost everything they do. Moreover, the study of learning is important in many different fields. For example, teachers need to understand the best ways to educate their students. Psychologists, social workers, criminologists, and other human service workers need to understand how certain experiences change people's behaviors. Employers, politicians, and advertisers make use of the principles of learning to influence the behavior of workers, voters, and consumers . The photograph entitled, â€Å"The Lesson: Planning a Career,† taken by Ron James, shows three students who appear to be in a classroom receiving education to more or less succeed in the business world. It is also apparent that there is a hunger for knowledge, even at a grown age. But the shocking aspect of the photograph is that the students look older than the average college student. They look middle-aged, especially the third man sitting behind the two students up front. When taking the age factor into consideration, what comes to mind is the national system of formal education in the United States developed in the 19th century. The educational system formed paralleled the photo's presentation of â€Å"old† students. First, the photo indicated that Americans were more inclined to regard education as a solution to various social problems. Second, because of the students’ confidence in the power of education, more years of schooling were provided for a larger percentage of the population than other countries. Third, educational institutions were primarily governed by local authorities rather than by federal ones. Beside the age factor, the photo explicitly states three words, â€Å"Wages, Careers, and Colleges.† These three words seem to forcefully acknowledge the power of education; the power that further education can bring about higher wages and better career offerings, especially in a fast paced competitive world. In addition, the students in the photo appear to be bored or uninterested in the classroom. Their lack of interest in learning informs of their lack of choice, but to learn in order to succeed.

Child Developement :: essays research papers

Volunteering at the YMCA was a great experience. I conducted a two-hour craft class with approximately seventeen children between five to seven years of age. Two â€Å"Y† counselors assisted me with the children. The project I selected was a magazine collage based on nutrition and fitness. The children enthusiastically participated. I brought a large scaled laminated version of the food pyramid. We began by discussing the food groups and they assisted in the assembly of the pyramid. We then discussed the importance of breakfast, good after school snacks and junk food. They energetically engaged in conversation. The children were given black construction paper and magazines to look through to find pictures, they would cut or tear the pictures into small pieces and sort the pieces and glue the pieces onto their paper. The children were sensitive to the needs and feelings of the others around them. They varied widely in a number of different ways. Some of the children could make their own decisions and work independently, while others looked for adult approval. Some worked very quietly when others were noisy. Others were wiggle worms when some were concentrating and working intensely. One beautiful little girl was acting out, vying for even negative attention, when she was no longer the center of attention. She reacted emotionally when she received a written referral from the counselor. When one asked to go to the bathroom suddenly half a dozen children had to go to the bathroom! Based on the Eight Stages of Development developed by psychiatrist, Erik Erikson in 1956 stages three and four were present. Stage (age) Psychosocial crisis Significant relations Psychosocial modalities Psychosocial virtues Maladaptations & malignancies III (3-6) -- preschooler initiative vs. guilt family to go after, to play purpose, courage ruthlessness -- inhibition IV (7-12 or so) -- school-age child industry vs. inferiority neighborhood and school to complete, to make things together competence narrow virtuosity -- inertia 3. Learning Initiative Versus Guilt (Purpose) Erikson believed that this third psychosocial crisis occurs during what he calls the "play age," or the later preschool years. During it, the healthily developing child learns: (1) to imagine, to broaden his skills through active play of all sorts, including fantasy (2) to cooperate with others (3) to lead as well as to follow. Immobilized by guilt, he is: (1) fearful (2) hangs on the fringes of groups (3) continues to depend unduly on adults and (4) is restricted both in the development of play skills and in imagination 4. Industry Versus Inferiority (Competence) Erikson believed that the fourth psychosocial crisis is handled, for better or worse, during what he calls the "school age," presumably up to and possibly including some of junior high school.

Milk Analysis

Milk The movie â€Å"Milk† was based on a true story of a gay activist in San Francisco, Harvey Milk. Milk shows his story through his statements through a recording made before he was assassinated. He narrated what happened to him during the last eight years of his life (40-48). It showed how confidently Milk went out of the closet and fight for the rights of gays. Milk became the representative of the growing population of gays in San Francisco. Milk eventually ran for the office because being in the office will be the best way to easily fight for gay rights.Milk won and at the same time, another politician who was against the ideologies of Milk won also, Dan White. This marks the growing conflicts between the two. White regards gay as social deviants. Not only did he consider gays as social deviants but also Asians especially the Chinese people but Milk showed no hostility towards White in fact he tried to work professionally as co-politicians with White but in the end of t he movie, Milk was killed by White.Relating to the course, homosexuals can be considered as deviants because they violate the gender norms which includes only male and female but for me, homosexuals nowadays should not be cons idered deviants at all because a large percentage of the world’s population includes homosexuals already and as I can remember through our discussions in class, in order to be considered deviant, these people should represent only a small number of people but relating to the movie, what Milk has done can be considered as tertiary deviance. Tertiary deviance is a deviant act when an individual tries to label a deviant act as non -deviant.As portrayed in the movie, Milk fought for gay rights. He wanted people to regard gays as equal with the heterosexuals and normal people. In the movie, Milk managed his being homosexual through his charismatic characteristics as a gay activist he believed that he can be an effective re presentative of the gay community b ecause a lot of people liked him whether gay or straight. A lot of people supported his ideas since he was the first ever gay who had been elected for a position in the government. The society had different reaction to Milk’s actions.There are people who like him and supported him and there are also people who stayed as homophobic and believed that gay people should not be given jobs as teachers because they believe that these gays will just teach their children to also be gays. Reactions of people were different from one another depending on the perspective of the people and the belief that they hold onto. If these people are openminded, they would react to the gay activism as a normal behavior b ut in the movie it seemed that there are people who cannot take the fact that there are other people in the society who hold different beliefs.A lot of factors can be considered why these people stay close-minded to the social realities. This is may be because of how they were broug ht up. Family, especially parents has great impact on your beliefs while you grow up. Another factor is religion. Religion has the power to make people follow its beliefs and hold onto it as much as possible. I also consider Dan White as deviant because he committed murder against a co-politician who is against his ideologies.

Life Skills in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment

Life Skills in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment School of Advanced Studies, University of Phoenix Wesley Tyler Meredith Ward Substance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment Recidivism relates to a person repeating an undesirable behavior after they have either experienced negative consequences of that behavior, or have been treated or trained to extinguish that behavior (Henslin, 2008). Progress being made in families and individuals due to lack of life skills that lead to causal factors to high recidivism rates in substance abuse and mental health treatment has been a growing issue posed by researchers. According to Miller & Hobler (1996), â€Å"In Deleware, 84% of Life Skills participants are male; 66 percent are African-American; 25% are white, non-Hispanic; and about 6 percent are Hispanic. The average age is 31. The lead offenses of 33% of the participants are violent offenses against persons; 38% are drug offenses, the more serious of which also are classified as violent in Delaware†. â€Å"Despite advances, differences in health status and access still remain. Minorities are still at increased risk, primarily because they live in adverse conditions linked to poverty† Hall (1998, p. 1). Problem Formulation Poor life skills are thought to increase recidivism among minorities (Reference) . The purpose of this study is to determine whether addicts who have completed life skill training have an improved recidivism rate over those who have not received life skills training. This study may provide education on effective life skills training and reinforce the importance of substance abusers with life skills. Study Design and Research Method A quantitative correlation study will be used to measure two different variables; life skills (independent) and recidivism (dependent) in order to determine whether and in what way recidivism and life skills characteristics might be interrelated. Quantitative studies quantifies observable behaviors and each occurrence of the behavior is counted to ascertain frequency (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010); non-experimental quantitative studies show correlations between variables and examines the extent to which differences in one variable is related to differences in one or more variables (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010); this methodology will look at the relationship between life skills and recidivism and the effect poor life skill training has on the increase of the recidivism rate. Research Question 1. Does life skill training reduce recidivism in drug addicts? Through historical and developmental research an effort to reconstruct or interpret historical events through the gathering and interpretation of relevant historical documents and/or oral histories. Primary research data will consist of surveys, in-depth interviews, focus groups and experiments. Primary data will be gathered through informal interviews and observations. According to Lev, Brewer, & Stephenson (2004), â€Å"Interviews can be used to determine what services current customers would like to have access to, while observation can be used to determine which current providers are popular through other vendors. † There is an emerging literature on the relationship of coping strategies and substance use. Some evidence shows that individuals naturally adopt coping strategies to moderate behavioral and substance abuse problems (King & Tucker, 2000; Sugarman & Carey, 2007). Similarly, in a study with heroin users, participants who were abstinent at follow-up had greater increased use of coping responses compared with participants who had lapses or relapses (Gossop, Stewart, Browne, & Marden, 2002). Secondary research may consist of published research and data provided by the government in addition to data collected and analyzed by private companies. Secondary research will be gathered through peer reviewed journals and publications. Contribution to knowledge According to Samhsa (2011), â€Å"The use of illicit drugs among Americans increased between 2008 and 2010 according to a national survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that 22. 6 million Americans 12 or older (8. 9-percent of the population) were current illicit drug users. The rate of use in 2010 was similar to the rate in 2009 (8. 7-percent), but remained above the 2008 rate (8- percent). † (para. 1). The proposed study may contribute to the literature and to leaders in the substance abuse field by further research and understanding of patterns in healthcare services provided to substance abuse and mental health recipients. Factors that influence recidivism among minority recipients are very important to filling the gap and delivering accurate treatment. This study may contribute to probable causes of inadequate life skills such as income, education, healthcare literacy and services solicited to target market are variables or central phenomena of the study. Review of Relevant Scholarship â€Å"We stand at a crossroads in our nation’s efforts to prevent substance abuse and addiction,† said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde. â€Å"These statistics represent real lives that are at risk from the harmful and sometimes devastating effects of illicit drug use. This nation cannot afford to risk losing more individuals, families and communities to illicit drugs or from other types of substance abuse — instead, we must do everything we can to effectively promote prevention, treatment and recovery programs across our country. Research Question 1. Does life skill training reduce recidivism of drug addicts? References Henslin, James. â€Å"Social Problems: A Down-To-Earth Approach. † (2008). Miller, M. L. , & Hobler, B. (1996). Delaware's Life Skills program reduces inmate recidivism. Corrections Today, 58(5), 114. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. SAMHSA. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. samhsa. gov/newsroom/advisories/1109 075503. aspx