Friday, December 27, 2019

Adoption With Same Sex Couples - 1162 Words

Jasmine Little Dr. Regus Introduction to Sociology 7 November 2017 Adoption with Same-sex Couples Adoption is when a child is removed from their home and are now under protection of another family. They can be related or unrelated to the child. It can be great for children, as they can live a better life than they would have had with their birth parents. The children may have endured abuse or neglect and need to get out of the situation, or the parents could have not thought that they were able to take care of the child. Either way, adoption is made to be in the best interest of the child. They will be given loving and dependable parents to give them an overall better life. Families giving their children up for adoption normally want†¦show more content†¦There is not much of a difference that will affect the child. If I were to do an experiment and conduct a study, I would perform an ethnography/participant observation. An ethnography is when an observer studies people in their own environments. It allows observers to write down what they o bserve and receive a lot of details. They also can lead to policy change. It will take a lot of time, but it will be the most effective study to present the best result. Ethnography is the best because some states already allow same sex adoption. They can be observed in their household as well as outside of their household to see how the children act. An observer can also see how the children turn out when they get older. They can see if the children turn out gay or not, and can also see if the child was depressed due to having gay parents or not. Plus, they can observe a traditional parent home to compare it to. Real life situations are the best way to conduct a study. Hopefully by the end of the study the results will cause same-sex adoption to be allowed everywhere. The most effective theoretical perspective is conflict theory. It is the driving force for social change. It puts emphasis on inequality. It shows how we don’t see privilege but it is obviously there. This is p erfect for the study on same-sex adoption because it shows how not allowing same-sex adoption can be a form of discrimination. This is the only way to get the issue changedShow MoreRelatedEssay on Same Sex Couples Adoption Rights2243 Words   |  9 PagesShould Same Sex Couples Have the Same Adoption Rights as Heterosexual Couples? Krystal Davis COM/220 March 13, 2012 Barbara Plyler Should Same Sex Couples Have the Same Adoption Rights as Heterosexual Couples? In 2008, President Barack Obama stated there are too many children who need loving parents to deny one group of people adoption rights (eQuality, 2005). A child will benefit from a healthy, loving home, whether the parents are gay or not (eQuality, 2005). With thatRead MoreAdoption by Same-Sex Couples Essay example2061 Words   |  9 PagesAdoption by Same-Sex Couples 19th Annual Robyn Rafferty Mathias Conference I. Introduction In recent years, there has been an increase in same-sex couples applying to adopt children at both infancy and from the foster care system. Although society’s perception of a family normally consists of a mother and father, the times are changing. According to the United States 2000 Census, this societal perception of a normal family, referred to as the â€Å"nuclear family†, only represents less thanRead MoreEssay about Adoption of Children by Same-Sex Couples1324 Words   |  6 Pagesto consist of a heterosexual couple and their children, but many forms of family life exist in contemporary society. Homosexual people also form family units, either as single parents or as couples, with children, who are included in the family through a variety of circumstances. Many have children who were born in previous families (Johnson Piore, 2004) and many have children who were born in a previous heterosexual marriages. A gay man or lesbian women or couple can enlist the help of a surrogateRead MoreGay Adoption And The United States1412 Words   |  6 Pagesdo gay couples have on adoption agencies in the United States? â€Å"An estimated 65,500 adopted children are living with a lesbian or gay† parent (Lifelong Adoptions)​.†Ã¢â‚¬â€¹There are 1 million lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents raising about 2 million children in the U.S† (Why Gay Parents Are Good Parents). ​Even though people believe gay adoption will cause children to act different Gay adoption positively affects adoption agencies because most kids end up with gay couples, Gay couples are moreRead MoreGay Adoption And The United States1412 Words   |  6 Pagesdo gay couples have on adoption agencies in the United States? â€Å"An estimated 65,500 adopted children are living with a lesbian or gay† parent (Lifelong Adoptions)​.†Ã¢â‚¬â€¹There are 1 million lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents raising about 2 million childr en in the U.S† (Why Gay Parents Are Good Parents). ​Even though people believe gay adoption will cause children to act different Gay adoption positively affects adoption agencies because most kids end up with gay couples, Gay couples are moreRead MoreGay Adoption Should Be Legal1355 Words   |  6 Pagesare no unwanted children just unfound families† (National Adoption Center.). Families together are one not anything different from every other family. No matter race, color, or the type of family. Adoption is just a way for anybody who wants to create a family would be able to have the access to have a family of their own. Even to the families who are not able to have a child or does not have a partner to have a child. The National Adoption Center allows the families in need to adopt a child in needRead MoreLegal And Non Legal Responses1339 Words   |  6 PagesA family is defined as the natural and fundamental group unit of society especially in relation to the upbringing of children. However, this Eurocentric, nuclear family construct has evolved as alternative family arrangements such as de-facto and same sex relationships as well as adoptive families have become part of the term ‘family’. The domestic legal system has introduced and amended laws to deal with these contemporary issues. Similarly, there are non-legal responses such as the media and variousRead MoreShould My Forever Home Exist?1664 Words   |  7 PagesAlong with that, many couples that want to have a child to care for. Even though many families wish to conceive children, but when they cannot they then chose to adopt a child. Some people think it remains just that simple, but in all reality it’s not. When a couple chooses to adopt they can then start to fill out countless papers and pay quite a bit of money, but not every couple can adopt. Allowing gay and lesbian couples, allowing overseas adoption, and allowing a lower adoption price and quickeningR ead MoreShould Same Sex Couples Be Legal?906 Words   |  4 PagesWith marriage between same sex couples becoming legal in more and more states, couples are trying to adopt or using other alternatives to having children of their own. Though that does not mean that same sex couples did not have children before they were legally allowed to be married. There is criticism about whether or not same sex couples should be parents and both sides have quite the following and are ambivalent in their opinions. There are different ways for same sex couples to have children.Read MoreMy Analysis on Same-Sex Adoption661 Words   |  3 Pagesespecially on the grounds of race, age, or sex is discriminating; according to the Oxford dictionary. This term does not empower them, but instead make people feel powerless. Same-sex couples in particular, who are looking to adopt, feel unequal to their heterosexual associates. In relation to adoption, there shouldn’t be preference to heterosexual couples over same-sex couples. Adoption typically is not an easy process, but when it comes to people of the same sex trying to adopt, what seems to be as simple

Thursday, December 19, 2019

The Problem Of The Wage Gap - 944 Words

The wage gap is one of the most important issues that needs to be discussed and solved in contemporary society. Out of all the developed countries the United States of America has the largest wealth inequality, similar to countries such as Mexico and Malaysia. The United States is very dependent on its currency, without it then you are almost unable to live. Healthcare is free in most other developed countries while in the United States you are forced to literally pay for your life if the situation ever comes to it, some people that get diagnosed with terminal illnesses often choose to not seek treatment in order to not plague and burden their families with bills. America has the largest wage gap and if steps are not taken to close it as soon as possible then this country will soon revert to the monopoly overlords that once ruled this country. Having most of the wealth of the nation owned by the one percent is not a good thing at all. The economy of the country essentially relies on those individuals, if they choose to crash it then they have every right to, and they can. Those individuals can also chose to leave the country and place the money they own in the economy of another country. Based on a new Pew Research Center Report, the income inequality between middle income Americans and upper income Americans has reached a record high. The higher up American families make almost seven times more than middle income families of America. The top ten percent of Americans areShow MoreRelatedThe Gender Wage Gap : An Old Problem878 Words   |  4 PagesThe Gender Wage Gap: An Old Problem in a Modern World The pay gap between men and women has been a pressing issue that is still at the forefront of many political and everyday discussions. Women are currently about half of the U.S. labor force and are increasingly becoming the breadwinners of their families yet some statistics show that they still make about 77% less than men. This number is even lower when it comes to women of color in the workforce (Women’s Bureau U.S. Department of Labor).Read MoreThe Social Problem Of The Gender Wage Gap3058 Words   |  13 PagesApril 8 is â€Å"Equal Pay Day,† which is an event where the main purpose is to raise awareness in regards to the social problem of the gender wage gap. The president makes his announcement that women still earn only about 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. There are people advocating left and right for women to take a stand and sue their employers for wage discrimination or make demands they want the government to fulfill. The question becomes whether or not what everyone is fighting for is actuallyRead MoreWomen’S Rights: Gender Wage Gap. Problem, Solution, And1298 Words   |  6 PagesWomen’s Rights: Gender Wage Gap Problem, Solution, and Barriers Paper Problem The wage gap is the difference in men’s and women’s median earnings, usually reported as either the earnings ratio between men and women or as an actual pay gap. The median value is the middle value, with equal numbers of full-time workers earning more and earning less (Hill, 2011). Nationally, women earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man, and in Ohio women earn 78 cents for every dollar earned by a man (The Woman’sRead MoreA Brief Note On Wage Gap And The Workplace Gap1582 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Wage gap is an important reality that women constantly have to face in their everyday work lives. â€Å"The wage gap is a statistical indicator often used as an index of the status of women’s earnings relative to men’s† (The Wage Gap, 2015). It has been a major issue for many decades and it is often experienced by women in many traditionally male dominated industries. The problem may seem to be diminishing, however there is still a significant gender wage gap that can allow us to see thatRead MoreThe Wage Gap in America Essay1077 Words   |  5 PagesThe Wage Gap in America The wage gap is a serious problem that has consequences for women in America, our two parent families and our single mom households. The government tries to reduce the wage gap between men and women’s earnings and tries to make sure that women’s talents are properly used and rewarded. A lot has been done to relive the wage gap in the past fifty years, but it still is not enough. Women can do things on their own to help close the wage gap. They can get a non-traditionalRead MoreGender Wage Gap And Gender Inequality Essay1519 Words   |  7 PagesGender Wage Gap Lydia Ogles November 2016 Introduction/Abstract The gender wage gap has been a nationwide problem since women were able to enter the workforce. Women have begun to speak out more about the issue and evaluate what they can do to change the industries and how they personally present themselves to help this change. Currently there is a wide range of opinions on this issue, with some saying it does not exist while others think it will ruin the economy if not fixed immediately. This makesRead MoreGender Wage Gap Essay882 Words   |  4 PagesThe Gender Wage Gap In 2015, women made ninety cents for every dollar that their male peers earned. The gender wage gap has been a problem for centuries. In the 1700s, But since the 1980s, it hasn’t shifted much (Brown and Patten). Individuals like former President Obama have attempted to minimize the pay gap between men and women by passing pieces of legislation, but his attempts have done little to shift the wage gap. The community of American citizens needs to unite as a whole in order to stopRead MoreEqual Pay Act Of 19631382 Words   |  6 Pagesvery large problem in our country. Although, the country has continued to make outstanding strides on getting rid of discrimination in this country as a whole, it tends to stick around. One of the largest controversies in the workforce today, is that women are continuing to be discriminated against by receiving less pay than males. This problem of women receiving less pay than males in the workforce is known as the Gender Wage Gap. Equal Pay Act of 1963 The wage gap has been a problem in the workplaceRead MoreThe Wage Gap Within The United States1687 Words   |  7 Pagesright to equal wages; gender and ethnic inequality has been an on-going issue in the United States for a very long time. This inequality has been the reason for the Wage Gap which is a violation of everyone’s human rights. Some people believe that the wage gap is just a gender problem but it is not, it is unequal opportunities for racial and gender minorities; in fact some women that are of a certain race are paid significantly less than someone who is only of one minority. The wage gap relates to humanRead MoreGender Wage Gap And Gender Inequality1697 Words   |  7 Pagesto be paid less wages than men, but this paper will argue in the U.S. today the gender wage gap still exists. The definition of gender wage gap as stated by the U.S. government is defined as women who work full time or salary based jobs who receive less earnings than their male counterpar ts who work equal level jobs (â€Å"Equal Pay,† n.d.).[] This analysis will focus on the years of 2012 to 2014, and in these years it is clear that the gender wage gap exists. The topic of gender wage gap sociologically

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Political Order And Political Decay

Question: Discuss about a Report on Political Order And Political Decay? Answer: Introduction Industrial Revolution was started in earlier 18th Century from Great Britain and expands to Western Europe with a purpose for raising the standard of common being (Morris, 2013). This assignment comprises of the most positive and negative trait concerning the industrial revolution. Discussion Most positive aspects: Stated by Hudson (2014) Effective production is the key factor for the industrial revolution that works for the purpose of making the life easy while working less to accomplish a task. These goods are not only of cheaper price; however, fulfills the premium quality of the concerned products. Industrialization comprises of development of new factories that produces numerous numbers of products every day and as a consequence to this, every individual is able to purchase these products and hence this revolution develops the living standard by proposing them with a better job option in the industry (Kemp, 2014) Industrial revolution also enhances the togetherness among the people from diverse countries by making them aware concerning the development proposed in one country. This motivation further results in the urge of gaining education among the young employees; however this education can make them able to formulate useful invention. Most negative aspects: One of the most concerned disadvantages of the industry revolution is that the cities become very crowded with the migration of the villagers. This resettlement of farmers results the loss of farming which results in the scarcity of food requirements for an interval. Increase in the pollution by cutting down the forest resources is also an alarming issue regarding the concerned topic. Furthermore, Fukuyama (2014) stated that colonization also comes into consideration which results in the division in high-class and low-class societies. The life of the common people becomes exhausted as they had to work hard for long hours for a low payment. Industrialization comes with new advanced technology result to which some machines took the place of the humans and result for the major issues like unemployment that enforces those individual to commit crime. Lastly, as per as the view of Pinchbeck (2013) industrialization brought a negative impact on the morality of mankind. As a result, Exploita tion of child and women labour increasing. Conclusion Starting from the 18th century it depicts that in one hand where the industrialization makes the life of common person easy by providing cheap and good quality products. On the other hand it also results in the exploitation of nature and mankind. References Fukuyama, F. (2014).Political order and political decay: from the industrial revolution to the globalization of democracy. Macmillan. Hudson, P. (2014).The industrial revolution. Bloomsbury Publishing. Kemp, T. (2014).Industrialization in nineteenth century Europe. Routledge. Morris, A. E. J. (2013).History of urban form before the industrial revolution. Routledge. Pinchbeck, I. (2013).Women Workers in the Industrial Revolution. Routledge.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

The Floating Threat Somali Filibusters and the World Safety

Somali has recently become the world’s most well-known country of the so-called third world, due to the threat which it temporarily poses to the entire world.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Floating Threat: Somali Filibusters and the World Safety specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Because of the country’s extreme poverty rates, the local dwellers are often engaged into piracy, which puts the life of millions of people who cross the Somali water areas. Since the reasons which make the Somalia people break the law can justify their actions to some extent, the events connected with the actions of the Somali pirates make one think of whose fault is that numerous victims have suffered. The Curse of the Somali: What Makes a Pirate Beginning with the terrible poverty statistics and the hopeless state of affairs, the Somali population finally found the way to earn for a living. Choosing piracy a s the means to make money, the Somalians now feel quite certain in the water area of their homeland, robbing the ships which pass by them. According to the recent news, the situation does not seem to change for the better; on the contrary, the pirates are seemingly enjoying the new way of solving their own economical problems[1]. It was clear from the very beginning that the Somali pirates have chosen their path to live the life of the rich. Because of the desperate state of affairs in their own country, they resorted to the easiest way of making money, that is, robbing. As it has turned out, the problem did not vanish as the time passed. On the contrary, it was grasping even wider space, making people from the other countries fear the Somalia water areas. As Gettleman (2010) noticed, by 2010 the oirates had already established their personal â€Å"business† and were tracing the ocean seaway for the probable â€Å"crop† to pluck: NAIROBI, Kenya — The monsoon sea son has ended. The Indian Ocean is calm again. For Somalia’s pirates, that means one thing: it is a busy time of year.[2] As it could have been predicted, the pirates not only did not abandon the profitable business, but also expanded it to the range of a large-scale enterprise. Although this could seem shocking to the European people, the Somalia pirates considered this the only way to earn for a living.Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Holding hostages and taking ransoms for the people which the pirates have captured appeared to be much easier than sharing the economical collapse with the rest of the countries with the same economical situation. According to Gettleman, these are the incredible for the Somali people amounts of money which makes them participate in the piracy. In spite of the seeming freedom in robbing and taking â€Å"free money†, it has turned ou t that the Somali pirates have a well-developed infrastructure in their business. Thus, the people ranked higher than the ship crew receive the greatest amount of money, while the rest of the pirates are supposed to enjoy the remaining of the ransom money[3]. Such situation signifies that the Somali pirates have the system of ranking which is approximately close to the European idea of business enterprise; this could be called a mock-capitalistic relationships. It must also be marked that the piracy was progressing rapidly during this period of time. The Somali pirates were taking hostages more often than at the beginning and seemed to know no boundaries for their riots. Tracing the Course of Events: Living the Life of a Pirate As the problem of piracy has been detected in its early stage, there was the idea of conducting an international trial, yet the pirates managed to escape the latter. Since the sentence has been passed in the Malaysian court which was well-known for its corrup tness, the pirates managed to get away lightly, and the problem remained unsolved.[4] Knowing no fear, the Somali pirates are quickly learning the way to make easy money. Touching on the most important strings of people’s souls, the concerns for their own lives, the Somali pirates have â€Å"progressed† greatly, improving their system of tracing the ships and attacking them. Knowing no mercy, they do not fear to face the justice either, for they are already aware of the Malasian justice.[5] According to Rice, it is the Navy â€Å"catch and release† policy which makes the pirates feel absolutely invulnerable. Causing certain disturbances and protests, the Malasian policy is still in motion, making the pirates feel that they could never be caught and punished appropriately. Because of such debatable issue of the Malasian justice, the countries of Oceania cross the line once toed between them and the European countries, which results in numerous political discords. This must be the will to be economically independent in the modern world that makes Oceania act in this way; otherwise, they would have acted in accordance with the European system of justice.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Floating Threat: Somali Filibusters and the World Safety specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, it must be admitted that the modern world takes all the necessary measures to combat the Somali pirates. As the most recent news say, 12 Somali pirates have been recently arrested[6] and are supposed to be hung over to justice in the nearest future. According to the evidence from Xinhua, the pirates caught have already gained a big death score, which means that they have to be judged as the murderers; however, taking into account that the case is going to be handed to the Malasian court of justice, it can be suggested that the investigation will lead to nowhere. Giving a lot of fo od for thoughts, this event makes suggest if the on-coming trial will be a lesson taught to the Somali pirates in general. Their piracy being a protest against the hypocrisy of the European people, the Somali robbers will make sure once again that Europe is helpless to do anything to them: The pirates will be charged in a Madagascan court given that they were arrested within Madagascan waters and that some of the hostages were Madagascan nationals. (Xinhua) It seems that despite all the attempts of the piece-makers to calm the pirates down and start a conversation with them, the latter would not give up the easiest way of making money. Once learning the taste of richness, they will never be able to return to the previous lifestyle, accepting the poverty and the miseries which they had to survive. Despite the danger of being caught or killed, they resort to this very way of surviving in the ocean of capitalism, the system which they will never get used to. It is obvious now that the actions of the Somali pirates have become more aggressive tan ever. Taking even families as hostages now, they show no mercy to both adults and children, as cruel as no human can be: Most hostages captured in the waters off East Africa are professional sailors, not families. Pirates are not known to have captured children before.[7]Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It seems that the ferocity of the Somali pirates has reached its peak, together with the unbearable impudence. Having no fear for justice, they commit the crimes which they would have been penalized long before in civilized countries. It is evident now that their isolation from the European world makes them feel absolutely free from any form of justice except their own one. In addition, it must be mentioned that Europe is no authority for them; on the contrary, they are trying to be as independent from Europe as possible. What the Higher Layers of Society Have to Do With This It is quite obvious that the people who have been left with nothing else but earning for a living with piracy are highly dependent on the countries which make the world political elite. Due to the specific relationships between the world countries, the idea of mutual help and cooperation has lost its sense, and the competitiveness of a capitalist society has taken its toll on the lies of millions of people. Tho se who were lucky enough to be born in the economically healthy countries have been separated from those who have sunken in poverty and misery. Thus, the people who suffer the most unbearable economical conditions and do no have the access to more winning lifestyle resort to the only way out which seems most profitable to them. This is not an attempt to justify the actions of the Somali pirates, but an explanation of where the problem roots for. As Eichstaedt noticed, Given the years of experience with the Somali pirates, does Mwangura think Somali privacy can be brought to an end? â€Å"you cannot fight poverty using the gun,† he says. You need to fight the root cause, then you ill find the solution to [piracy]† The situation in Somalia is hard to solve from the outside, which is why the international community has been reluctant, I say[8]. It is quite clear that the Somali piracy is not to be handled with the usual means of treating pirates. To take a look from the ot her angle, they are victims to the same extent as those suffering from their actions. It seems that the Somali piracy has much more than meets the eye about its roots and reasons: The colonialist division of Somali lands had contributed to a national sense of resentment. The fragmentation of the Somalis was seen as a â€Å"wound† inflicted by Christian strangers which had â€Å"dismembered† the Somali islands.[9] It seems that one of the core problems of the relationships between Europe or North America and Somali is that evaluating the culture and ethnicity of the Somali people, the former are trying to apply the same assessment tool as they use to evaluate themselves. Thus, considering the Somali people as savages with the culture which is not worth paying attention to, they force the Somali people fight for their place in the civilized world: Western cultures and worldviews formed a yardstick for assessing or, as is often claimed, translating non-European cultures f or the European and the dominant North American cultures.[10] Conclusion In spite of the fact that the Somali pirates pose a dreadful threat to people, their identity problems must be taken into account. It cannot be argued that the situation with the sea piracy has worsened greatly. However, there are certain hopes that, once the European standards of judgement are applied to the apprehended pirates, it will be possible to put an end to the sea crimes. Taking into consideration the peculiarities of the Somali culture, it will be possible. This is the â€Å"geography of difference†[11] which Willinsky was talking about, and this is something which people have to put up with. Bibliography Daily Mail Reporter. Danish Family Captured in Indian Ocean Were ‘Experienced Sailors’. Mail Online, 2011. Web. Eichstaedt, Peter. Pirate State: Inside Somalia’s Terrorism at Sea. Chicago, IL: Chicaho Review Press, 2010. Fabian, Joseph. Time and other: How Anthropology Mak es its Object. Columbai, OH: Columbia University Press, 2002. Gettleman, Jeffrey. Money in Piracy Attracts More Somalis. The New York Times. 2010 Hunter, Robin. Somali Pirates Living the High Life. BBC News, 2008. Web. Rice, Xan. Somali Piartes Should Face Special Courts, Says UN Envoy. Guardian, 2011. Web. Vitzthum, Stella von. What Are Somalia’s Development Perspectives?  Science between Resignation and Hope? Proceedings of the 6th SSIA Congress, Berlin 6-9 December 1996. Berlin: Verlag Hans Schiler, 2001. Willinsky, J. Learning to Divide the World: Education at Empires End. University of Minnesota Press, 1998. Xinhua. 12 Somali Pirates Arrested within Madagascan Waters. People’s Daily Online. 2011. Web. Footnotes Hunter, Robin. Somali Pirates Living the High Life. BBC News, 2008 . Gettleman, Jeffrey. Money in Piracy Attracts More Somalis. The New York Times. 2010 . Gettleman, Jeffrey. Money in Piracy Attracts More Somalis. The New York Times. 2010 Rice, Xan. Soma li Piartes Should Face Special Courts, Says UN Envoy. Guardian, 2011 Rice, Xan. Somali Piartes Should Face Special Courts, Says UN Envoy. Guardian, 2011 Xinhua. 12 Somali Pirates Arrested within Madagascan Waters. People’s Daily Online. 2011 Daily Mail Reporter. Danish Family Captured in Indian Ocean Were ‘Experienced Sailors’. Mail Online, 2011. Eichstaedt, Peter. Pirate State: Inside Somalia’s Terrorism at Sea (Chicago, IL: Chicaho Review Press, 2010), 116. Vitzthum, Stella von. What Are Somalia’s Development Perspectives? Science between Resignation and Hope? Proceedings of the 6th SSIA Congress, Berlin 6-9 December 1996 (Berlin: Verlag Hans Schiler, 2001), 16 Fabian, Joseph. Time and other: How Anthropology Makes its Object (Columbia, OH: Columbia University Press, 2002), 144 Willinsky, J. Learning to Divide the World: Education at Empires End. (University of Minnesota Press, 1998), 137 This research paper on The Floating Threat: Somali Filibusters and the World Safety was written and submitted by user Lorenzo Gutierrez to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

buy custom Crime and Social Policy essay

buy custom Crime and Social Policy essay The first documented case regarding the use of marijuana, also known as cannabis sativa, dates back to about 2500 B.C. It was noted among the ancient Chinese cultures that the discovered plant produced a mild euphoria when ingested, and thus was considered as an effective pain reliever. From that time, the use of marijuana as a pain reliever spread to other cultures not only in China, but also around the world. According to the statistics of the United Nations, marijuana is considered as the most widely used illicit substance around the world (Rowe, 2006). In the United States, for instance, marijuana was introduced during the institution of the British colonies in the Northern part of America. Doctors commonly used the substance for inducing appetite and as a pain reliever. However, some citizens used marijuana as a recreational substance. This prompted the Federal Government to conduct studies about the use and effects of marijuana. The findings actually revealed that the productio n of marijuana and its use were harmful to the Americans` culture and morality. As a result, the Federal Government established the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937 which was supposed to introduce high taxes to the marijuana industry, and eventually lead to the termination of the substance use and production in the country (Rowe, 2006). However, the introduction of this act marked the start of the controversies regarding the use of marijuana. For instance, the American Medical Association was totally against the legislation because of the high medicinal value the substance contained. However, the government continued with its efforts and in 1950s it instituted compulsory fines and jail sentences for possession and distribution of marijuana (Rowe, 2006, p.26). Less strict marijuana policies were introduced in the 1970s, but these did not last for long as they encountered strong opposition from the reigning presidents. Currently, two controversial sides regarding marijuana exist - those who are for the legalization and those against it. However, it is important to note that some states like California have legalized the use of marijuana. Statement of Purpose The war regarding the production, distribution and use of drugs is one of the most expensive battles, since a great deal of resources are required to detect those involved in this trade, prosecute them and house them in a prison. Besides, the controversies concerning the legalization of such drugs have generated heated debates. This research is based on the fact that there have been numerous controversies regarding the legalization of marijuana. From the documented research and case studies, some of the arguments that have been brought forward regarding the reasons as to why marijuana should be legalized include the claim that this substance contains medicinal values, such as pain relieving that can be of help to cancer patients and the fact that its legalization would help reduce illegal crimes (Messerli, 2011). Indeed some countries have gone forward to legalize marijuana. However, others stand with the fact that this substance should be illegalized considering the lethal effects it has on human health, among other numerous factors (Messerli, 2011). Despite the numerous studies that have been conducted with regard to this substance, drawing a general conclusion that would incorporate the arguments from both sides has proved difficult. Most countries have remained adamant and maintained the laws that are against the legalization of the substance. Besides, there are various drug policies put in place to control the use of drugs. This research will therefore look at the arguments from the both sides of those who are in support of the legalization of marijuana, and those who are against; the drug policies which have been implemented in various countries to curb the use of the substance will be also considered. The SAMSA National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), carried out in 1999, revealed that in the United States marijuana is the main drug being regularly used by around 75 percent of the present illegal drug users. Description of Research Methods and Materials This research will use secondary data, which involves a critical analysis of the previous research works including case studies to identify the arguments that have been brought forward with regard to the topic of study. Numerous research studies and case studies have been conducted regarding the legalization of marijuana and the drug policies, which have been put in place to control the same. In addition, the case studies have been well presented to support the arguments brought forward. This study will consider both sides of the argument, the policies that have been implemented and will then draw conclusions using the arguments that have been provided. This will as well be supported using the case studies conducted in the previous research studies. To avoid biased results, different studies will be considered and explored in order to identify the perspectives of different researchers with regard to the topic of the study. Basically, this will be a case study analysis. Literature Review The topic on the legalization of marijuana has been the subject of discussion and argument for decades. Scholars have deferred greatly on whether or not marijuana should be legalized. Some intellectuals argue that the pros of legalizing marijuana are much more compared to the cons, while the opponents put forward that legalizing the drug will only bring more harm to the society and the users. Reasons behind the Legalization of Marijuana It is evident that the society is unhappy with the current efforts to stop illegal drug smuggling, supply and use, while people are not aware of the solution to this problem. Owing to the augmented drug use, drug connected crimes, and the inability of the government to bring to an end the illegal drug use, the majority of people argue that in order to lessen certain immoral behaviours and improve positive outcomes the drug use should be legalized and controlled. In this case, the legalization of marijuana in the United States and other countries around the world would considerably minimize crimes in the cities and besides, will form a community that is more industrious through its positive usage (Klein, 2009). It is true that many crimes are linked to the use of drugs including financial and physical crimes. As a result, crimes that would result from legalizing marijuana would be less destructive and minimal in the community, as compared to murder, violence, mayhem and theft, which a re the daily bread especially in the United State and other nations presently. Many Americans want marijuana to be legalized as a result of the amplified government spending on drugs and war (Messerli, 2011). They believe that the cost of maintaining marijuana is extremely expensive. For instance, in the United States the federal, state and local governments recently use billions of dollars every year to fight against the use of marijuana. In 1980 the federal government used one billion dollar, while the local and state government used four and three billion dollars crrespondingly on marijuana, and this means that currently they may be using roughly ten billion dollars on marijuana (Klein, 2009). Another benefit of legalizing the drug is that it would be a source of revenue to the government through taxation. In essence, legalization would give the government an augmented control over the influence and purity of marijuana, and this may be attained by regulating the global drug trade more efficiently. The proponents of legalization of marijuana also put forward that people should be given freedom to make their own choice, including the usage of marijuana (Klein, 2009). Study verifies that marijuana is not an addictive drug as other drugs, like alcohol and tobacco which are legal in most countries (Klein, 2009). Statistics also reveal that, since its existence to today, marijuana has not led to any incident of death. For that reason, the government ought to concentrate on fighting other harmful legal drugs that have jeopardized persons lives and the entire society and give individuals liberty to make their choices. It is also evident from the existing illegalization policies that it is hard to attain the desired objective to stop the use of a drug. Prohibition of alcohol has not in any way worked, since people are still taking alcohol regardless of how dangerous this substance is to our health. Therefore, there is no logical basis to argue out that prohibition of marijuana will be a better idea in controlling the use of this drug, especially among the college students. In fact, illegalizing marijuana has not stopped people from taking it, since the estimates highlight that over 25 million people use marijuana annually in the United States (Rudolf, 2004). It would even be a better idea if the government allowed the legalization of marijuana, at the same time introducing heavy taxes to the users, so it would become difficult for them to access and afford it. There are also medical benefits associated with the use of marijuana. In its natural form, marijuana is considered to be one of the harmless therapeutically active drugs available to a man (Messerli, 2011). It can be used safely, following a strictly supervised schedule of a medical care. Furthermore, medical practitioners have proved that excessive intake of marijuana contain no adverse effects other than the mere sleeping. The only proved negative effect of marijuana comes as a result of its smoke that contains more carbon dioxide compared to tobacco (Rudolph, 2004). It is proven that marijuana relieves nausea, especially among the cancer patients undertaking powerful chemotherapy. Patients suffering from AIDS and multiple sclerosis can also use it. In addition, marijuana is proved as an effective treatment of glaucoma, due to its ability to lower the eye pressure. Reasons against the Legalization of Marijuana On the other hand, some scholars who argue against the legalization of marijuana offer various reasons to support their side. Firstly, marijuana is linked with health problems. Studies have revealed that smoking marijuana usually deposits almost two to four times more tar into the lungs, compared to a filtered cigarette (Ballot Question Committee, 2006). Furthermore, smoking three joints of marijuana per day can lead to more problems of the respiratory system than smoking a full packet of cigarettes daily. Research also indicates that the smoke of marijuana has fifty to seventy percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons compared to tobacco smoke (Ballot Question Committee, 2006). Moreover, some opponents argue that legalizing marijuana will increase the crime rates in the society (Messerli, 2011). This is evidenced by the facts that people who are involved in the illegal buying, selling and usage of the drug are more probable to involve themselves in other crimes. With this, the opponents believe that the society will be much safer when marijuana trade and its use remain illegal and the offenders incarcerated. It is also true that crime, violence, and drug use go hand-in-hand. Individuals who are using drugs and those who are searching for money to buy such drugs usually commit crimes such as homicides. In fact, research has shown that these individuals commit six times as many crimes as others (Messerli, 2011). However, studies have indicated that individuals under drug influence other than those looking for ways to purchase the drugs commit most of the crimes. Laws that prohibit the use of marijuana usually send a message to the minors that marijuana is a harmful drug. As a result, legalizing of marijuana will increase it usage by young people. This is evidenced by the fact that, when Alaska allowed the private use of the drug, the percentage of minors who used the drug rose rapidly to twice the countrys average. A study carried out in Canada indicated that the nations liberal marijuana policies have resulted in Canadian youth topping all other nations for frequent use of marijuana. The lead researcher attributes the increased use to availability, affordability and acceptability (Ballot Question Committee, 2006). In Netherlands, after the legalization of marijuana its consumption among the youth, especially between eighteen to twenty years, tripled. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Managers Supervisors Association, the Nevada Sheriffs and Chiefs Association and the Las Vegas Police Protective Association Metro suppose that criminals who a re gaining a lot from illegal drug sales would not be out of trade, as they will probably augment their efforts to increase the number of minor users (Ballot Question Committee, 2006). Countrywide, Marijuana was concerned in over 215, 000 emergency department visits affecting an already loaded emergency care system. Drug Policies During the year of 1988 when Ronald Regan was the president of the United States, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 was put into effect with an objective of generating a free drug United States of America. The initiative was triggered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) that had the responsibility of setting and implementing national strategy in addition to setting budgets (Legalizationofmarijuana.com, 2011). The act had the purpose of decreasing drug trafficking, drug abuse and their outcomes. Particularly, to curb drug abuse, young people should be prevented from using prohibited drugs, drug availability and the number of users should be also reduced. Since its start the Office of National Drug Control Policy has been given wider powers. In addition to that, the organization`s director currently coordinates, assesses and also oversees domestic and global anti-drug hard work of administrative branch agencies. Moreover, the organization also ensures that the activities are constant and that state level activities should complement them. The president is advised by the director concerning the transformation in the budgeting, management, organization and the Federal Agency personnel who could be engaged in the anti-drug attempts and the execution of the Federal Agencies in the strategy (Legalizationofmarijuana.com, 2011). The organization in conjunction with the Act 19888, which instigated it, have since then been the American powerhouse on the war against drug use. Moreover, there has been numerous updates to the Office of National Drug Control Policy regarding the superseding years which are all on the Office of National Drug Control Policys site (Legalizationofmarijuana.com, 2011). For the site to be decipherable, it merely center on shortening the 2010 National Drug Control Strategy. A new balanced approach is promised by the most recent strategy, where Obama pledges on the restoration of balance in the fight of drug problem that has distressed our communities. The main aim of the 2010 Drug Control Strategy encompasses: To build up efforts to stop the use of drugs in the communities Request for early involvement in Health Care opportunities Rupture the sequence of use of drugs, wrongdoing and imprisonment Interrupt the production and trafficking of domestic drug Building up global partnerships Develop the systems of information for assessment, management and analysis Expand recovery support and add substance treatment into health care (Legalizationofmarijuana.com, 2011). By 2015, they are looking to: Reduce illegal consumption of drugs in America Enhance public safety and public health of Americans by decreasing the outcomes of the drugs` abuse. In 2011, the Office of National Control Policy requested 15.5 billion U. S. dollars so as to decrease the use of drugs and its outcomes in America. Finishing the term war on drugs is the only Americas adjustment to its drug policy that was brought about in 1971 by Richard Nixon, which Obama states not to be productive. In the book of Jack Herer, The Emperor Wears No Clothes, the author explains why cannabis is illegal. During the mid 1930s machines used for conserving hemps high-cellulose pulp and the novel hemp stripping machines lastly became modern, accessible and inexpensive; huge timber lands and business like the Kimberly Clark [USA], St. Regis, Hearst Paper Manufacturing Division and nearly all paper, newspapers and timber companies lost a lot of money and possibly went bankrupt. Plastic made from coal and oil had been unproved by DuPont, and a sulfite procedure was employed in making paper that came from wood pulp (Legalizationofmarijuana.com, 2011). According to historians and DuPonts corporate records the processes rated above 80% of the car loadings of the company and the railroad in the 1990s. The thrilling, and probably amazing fact at the start was that marijuana was not a serious problem according to Anslinger (Rudolph, 2004). Concurring with DuPont and Hearst anti-marijuana campaign of 1934, he began to focus particularly on marijuana in his greater aim of prohibiting all drugs. Anslinger greatly employed the headlines on Hearst including Marijuana killing the youths and according to him, marijuana was the main violence triggering drug in the entire history of human beings (Rowe, 2006). Nevertheless, the congress reacted to this by adopting the marijuana tax act in 1937. In the United States the most recent news regarding the legalization of marijuana is the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010. This is in the preposition 19 of the California ballot. The aim of the Act is to put the responsibility for regulating the use of marijuana on the local government and allow it to enforce and collect fees and taxes in addition to sanctioning an array of civil and crim inal penalties. The fact that marijuana is believed to be harmful to the lives of many Americans instigated the Federal Government to establish the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937, which was supposed to introduce high taxes to the marijuana industry, and eventually lead to the termination of the use and production of marijuana in the country (Rowe, 2006). However, the introduction of this Act marked the start of the controversies regarding the use of marijuana. For instance, the American Medical Association was totally against this legislation because of the high medicinal value the substance contained. However, the government continued with its efforts and in 1950s it instituted compulsory fines and jail sentences for possession and distribution of marijuana (Rowe, 2006). Less strict marijuana policies were introduced in the 1970s, but those did not last for a long time as they encountered strong opposition from the reigning presidents. The Australian National Drug Strategy 2010-2015 is a drug strategy framework that has been outline by the Australian Ministerial Council to address alcohol and other drugs use. The main objective of the National Drug Strategy is to assist in building healthy and safe communities through the lessening and minimization of alcohol and other drugs linked health, economic and social harms amongst communities, families and individuals (NIDAC, 2009). The overarching procedure to harm minimization that has steered the National Drug Strategy from the time when it was set up will persist through 2010-2015. The approach encompasses three pillars including demand reduction, supply reduction and harm reduction which are underpinned by amplified commitments to build personnel capability, innovation and evaluation, performance measurement, and building linkages across sectors. It is apparent from the above that, the war regarding production, distribution and use of drugs is one of the most expensive battles, since a great deal of resources are required to detect those involved in this trade, prosecute them and put them in jail. Besides, the controversies concerning the legalization of such drugs have generated heated debates. According to some proponents, marijuana should be legalized as it contains medicinal values like a pain relieving effect that can be of help to cancer patients, and its legalization would help reduce illegal crimes. Nevertheless, others stand with the fact that it should be illegalized, considering the lethal effects it has on human health, among other numerous factors. Most countries have remained adamant and maintained the laws that are against the legalization of the substance. Besides, there are various drug policies put in place in different countries in order to control and curb the use of illicit drugs. In fact, some countries have policies which legalize the use of marijuana for medicinal use whereas other countries implemented strict laws against it. Buy custom Crime and Social Policy essay

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Delegates to the 1897 National Convention Assignment

The Delegates to the 1897 National Convention - Assignment Example Mostly, it is suggested that the parliament is the supreme authority, while courts are considered as the institution that deal with the crimes and criminal (Patapan, 2006). In fact, it is wrong to consider only the courts as the institution to deal with the crimes and the criminals, Courts are the protector of state rights against any amendment in the constitution. Most of the part of the Australian constitution is taken influence with the American constitution. The delegates emphasized on the importance of the high courts, as the pillar in the nation building and protecting the rights of the people and the states. The statement is correct for modern scenario, as the problems regarding the state and government are rising and sometimes the parliament suggests amending the constitution. In this case, there is a need of any institution that prohibits the central government to violate the constitution. The most appropriate method is to assign this job to the high court. High court is the independent institution that has the right to evaluate, which type of the amendment in the constitution is necessary and which is not. Thus, it is important to have independent courts not under influence of any other institution. Depicting the condition of the parliament at that time, French (2011) quotes "†¦a vague feeling of distrust of the Constitution, as the work of a body somewhat conservative in composition, only indirectly representative of the people, and entrusted with no very definite or detailed mandate even by the parliaments which created it". As, the world’s politics is changing due to the influence of various aspects like the terrorism, trade, etc, the central government has the right to debate the bills, amend the constitution and work for the good of the people by passing the bills that are directly or indirectly related to the trade, economy and size of population. However, it is important that that the court verify any change in the constitution. Som etimes, the ruling party favors the certain amendments in the constitution that is mostly agreed and most of the members of the parliament cast votes in favor of the amendments to support the views of the party. French (2011) quotes the Lord Coleridge words as "one which it is for the public interest that individual should possess, and, indeed, that they should exercise without impediment, so long as no wrongful act is done". However, if there is a need of any amendment in the constitution, the parliament should have to debate the severity of the problem and submit reports to the high court for the consideration. The problem is severe in the modern world, as the elected parliament is unable to deliver the mandate. On the other hand, the parliament is sovereign to take steps to change or amend the constitution for the sake to profit a person, a group or a country (Craven, n.d.). Like, if the parliament passes a law that blacks are prohibited to marry a white girl and

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Reflective blog Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Reflective blog - Article Example The main question that comes into people’s mind is what bars them from studying search languages. In most cases, anxiety plays a big role in creating the fear that they cannot learn in search environments. By definition, anxiety refers to the subjective feelings of nervousness, apprehension, tension as well as worries that are associated with the stimulation of the automatic nervous system (Worde 9). When anxiety is restricted to situation of language learning then it falls into the categories of precise anxiety reactions. According to psychologists, they use specific anxiety reactions to distinguish those individuals who are anxious in numerous situations from the ones who feel anxious only in precise circumstances. Therefore, the consequences and symptoms of foreign language anxiety need to become readily identifiable to individuals who are concerned with teaching and language learning. Impacts of anxiety on learning language Anxiety plays crucial roles in the learning of a foreign a language. As a result, these roles create some impacts on either the learner or the instructor. The following are some of the effects of anxiety on the learning of a language: i) Second language studies For several years, researchers have researched on the prospect of anxiety-provoking on the study of foreign language. ... Many current studies try to find out the effects that anxiety has on learning a foreign language, nevertheless there has been some divided opinions on these efforts by researchers. Even though the pertinent researchers have been different in the techniques used, they can be characterized normally by the comparison of self-reports of student’s anxiety with the ratings on their foreign language proficiency. This is accomplished through international measure or discrete skills task such as the final course grade. ii) Clinical experience The psycho-physiological symptoms, behavioral responses, and subjective feelings of anxious foreign languages are generally the same compared to any other specific anxiety. They experience the uneasiness worry even the dread ones. They have difficulty in their concentration thus they sweat, have palpitations and become very forgetful. They normally show the behavior of avoidance for instance postponing homework and missing classes. The clinical ex perience with students studying foreign language in universities as well as Learning Skill Centers also recommends numerous discrete problems that results from anxiety and shows poignantly on how the problems can also interfere with the process of language learning. Basically, counselors establish that the anxiety centers base their ideologies on the two primary roles needed students learning foreign languages. These requirements include speaking and listening. The complexity involved in speaking language is perhaps the most cited concern of students learning foreign language. How anxiety is manifested in children Anxiety is manifested in children in the following ways: i) Physical: this is one technique in which anxiety is manifested in children. Some of the common physical symptoms

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Analysis of the Kurt Vonnegut and Margaret Atwoods stories Essay

Analysis of the Kurt Vonnegut and Margaret Atwoods stories - Essay Example Although many of us uphold equality as an undeniable human right, the majority have their own subjective idea of what equality means. Prior to reading Vonnegut's story, I believed that I supported equality as a principle but never considered what type of equality I believed in. Following my reading, I discovered that I believed in equality before the law and equality of opportunity but, definitely do not support economic equality and equality of capacities. Economic equality entails denying people their right to succeed, just as equality of capacities ensures that people cannot strive to become all that they can be. Accordingly, I cannot support absolute equality although I most definitely do believe in the fundamental equality of all before the law. The equality to which I am committed is an equality of opportunity as would allow people to fulfill their ambitions and realize their potentials. As I am writing this, however, I cannot help but think of Atwood's story and the simple and absolute truth it conveys. That truth is that in the end, we are all going to die.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Individual Learning Styles and Strategies

Individual Learning Styles and Strategies Learners As Individual What is Learners as individual What is an individual learner and what do they look like? To answer this question, I need the meanings given by many educators. Howe other learners can become the individual learners? In sum, I believe that the individual who is to be educated is a social individual and that society is an organic union of individuals. If we eliminate the social factor from the child we are left only with an abstraction; if we eliminate the individual factor from society, we are left only with an inert and lifeless mass. Education, therefore, must begin with a psychological insight into the childs capacities, interests, and habits John Dewey, from My Pedagogic Creed, School Journal vol. 54, (January 1897), pp. 77-80 An individual is a person or any specific object in a collection. In the 15th century and earlier, and also today within the fields of statistics and metaphysics, individual means indivisible, typically describing any numerically singular thing, but sometimes meaning a person. (q.v. The problem of proper names). From the seventeenth century on, individual indicates separateness, as in individualism. Individuality is the state or quality of being an individual; a person separate from other persons and possessing his or her own needs, goals, and desires. Gracia, Jorge J. E. (1988) Learner is an individual involved in the acquisition of knowledge or skills in a technological learning system.Legendre, (2000:1) It is not concerned with one specific method, but allows for any method which the individual leaner finds beneficial to his learning purposes. Fenner Newby (2000) I, from the meanings given above, conclude that learners as individual is the learning styles that learners seek to the new modern learning strategies and they can learn autonomous. This styles include with personality, intelligence, attitude and attitude. They just get the rough guidance from the teacher in the class and then they and bring it to be increased and link or integrate with other fields. These learners have to often practice themselves as it be their habits. A learning style is an individuals preferred way of learning. What are Learning Styles? Before we deeply study into how to best advantages from making your learning style out, we need to spend a few moments studying the several types of learning styles and how to best identify which learning style group you appropiate into. Learning styles point to the variance in your ability to amass as well as incorporate information. Basically, your learning style is the method that best allows you to gain and use knowledge in a specific manner. Most experts agree that there are three basic learning styles. Each individual may holds a single style or could possess a joining of different learning styles. In most cases, the personalities of a learning style can even be noticed at a quite young age. Once you have identified your particular learning style you will be able to identify ways in which you can adapt the learning process and your studies to maximize your education. Visual Learners Individuals who fall into this type usually learn through what they are able to see with their own eyes. Visual learners are those students who navigate for the positions at the front of the class, must have front row theater seats and love to be right up front for sporting events in order to get the best view. Visual learners have a orientation to describe everything that they see in terms of exposures. These learners love visual medias such as photos, diagrams, maps and graphs. They habitually are good writers and will commonly perform quite well on written assignments. Auditory Learners Auditory learners are very good listeners. They tend to consume information in a more proficient manner through sounds, music, discussions, teachings, etc. These individuals will be more probable to record lesson so that they can revision them at a later time for study goals. They recognize books on tape and may find that reading aloud will help them to keep information. Rather than written statement, auditory learners tend to do better on verbal presentations and reports. Kinesthetic Learners Kinesthetic learners are tactile learning. This means that they learn best through moving, doing, acting out and touching. Projects that are acted in nature are best for kinesthetic learners. They tend to become thwarted when they must sit for long phases of time. They enjoy deportment experiments, exploring and accomplishing tasks. These students are independent and seek for the missing knowledge by themselves. They may have characteristics listed below; They are able to break up an organized visual field and keep part of it separate. surpass at retrieving names. conceive visual cues and are better at math. prefer learning surroundings that require least interaction. enjoy discovery learning and individualized self-paced learning. are more likely to be males. My Experience with the individual learners. I can much less meet students like this in my classroom, for my being Thai traditional condition teacher. Thailand has the specific cultural for the younger men have to express their respect to the elder ones. My students gain knowledge just in the limitation of curriculum and the instruction I have given. The materials related to the identity of individual learning are also lack. It may be caused by the poor country and the condition of environment that Thai students are the students in the developing country-that means have not been developed yet. However, I think this can be developed and changed by changing the crisis to become the chance. We can see various problems and this is the chance to diagnose and resolve them. Its the time to take together between teacher and students. Individual learners must consist with personality, intelligence, psychology and behavior. All the aspects must be deal together by realizing the differences of individual. Strategies to be learners as individual   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are activities might guide the learners to be independent and individual. They can be flexible , not arranged in orders, depending on their readiness and which condition. There are 16 strategies shown here. Readiness / Ability Teachers can use a variety of evaluation to find a students ability or readiness. Also, to learn new knowledge concepts students may be generally working below or above level or may be purely lack necessary required skills. Changing the level of query and thinking skills and compacting the curriculum and are useful strategies for accommodating differences in ability or readiness. Adjusting Questions During large group discussion activities, teachers indicate the higher level questions to the students who can deal them and adjust questions accordingly for student with greater needs. All students are answering important questions that demand them to think but the questions are goaled towards the students ability or readiness level. With written test the teacher may assign specific questions for each group of students. They all answer the same number of questions but the involvement needed varies from group to group. However, the alternative to go a parted from minimum requirements can be available for any or all students who indicate that they require an additional challenge for own their level. Condensing Curriculum Condensing the curriculum means assessing a students knowledge, skills and attitudes and providing alternative activities for the student who has already mastered curriculum content. This can be accomplished by pre-testing basic concepts or using performance assessment methods. Students who demonstrate that they do not require instruction move on to tiered problem solving activities while others receive instruction. Row Assignments Row activities are a series of related tasks of varying complexity. All of these activities relate to crucial understanding and key skills that students need to acquire. Teachers assign the activities as alternative ways of achieving the same goals taking into account individual student needs. Acceleration/Deceleration Accelerating or decelerating the step that students move through syllabus is another way of differentiating instruction. Students demonstrating a high level of competence can work through the curriculum at a faster step. Students facing difficulties may need adjusted activities that allow for a slower step in order to experience success. Flexible Grouping As student performance will transform it is important to permit movement between groups. Students readiness varies depending on personal intellects and interests, so we must remain open to the concept that a student may be below grade level in one subject at the same time as being above grade level in another subject. Even highly talented students can benefit from flexible grouping. Always they benefit from work with intellectual peers, while seldom in another group they can experience being a leader. In either case peer-teaching is a valuable strategy for group-work. Peer Teaching Many times a student may have personal needs that require one-one instruction that go beyond the needs of his or her partners. After gaining this extra instruction the student could be selected as the inhabitant expert for that concept or skill and can get valuable practice by being given the chance to re-teach the concept to peers. In these situation both students can get benefit. Learning Profiles/Styles Another filter for assigning students to tasks is by learning style, such as adjusting preferred environment such as quiet, lower lighting, formal/casual seating, or learning modality: auditory (learns best by hearing information) visual (learns best through seeing information in charts or pictures) or kinesthetic preferences (learns best by using concrete examples, or may need to move around while learning) or through personal interests. Since student motivation is also a specific element in learning, understanding individual learning styles and interests will grant teachers to apply right strategies for developing intrinsic motivational techniques. Student Interest Interest surveys are often used for determining student interest. Brainstorming for subtopics within a curriculum concept and using semantic network to explore interesting aspect of the concept is another effective tool. This is also an effective way of teaching students how to focus on a manageable subtopic. Reading Buddies This strategy is particularly useful for younger students and/or students with reading obstacle. Children get additional practice and experience reading away from the teacher as they develop fluency and comprehension. It is important that students read with a specific purpose in mind and then have an opportunity to discuss what was read. It is not essential for reading buddies to always be at the same reading level. Students with varying word recognition, word analysis and comprehension skills can help each other be more successful. Adjusted follow up tasks are also assigned based on readiness level. Independent Study Projects Independent Study is a research project where students learn how to develop the skills for independent learning. The degree of help and structure will vary between students and depend on their ability to manage ideas, time and creativity. A adjustment of the independent study is the buddy study. Buddy Studies A buddy study permits two or three students to work together on a project. The expectation is that all may share the research and analysis information but each student must consummate an individual output to demonstrate learning that has taken place and be answerable for their own planning, time management and individual accomplishment. Learning Contracts A learning contract is a written understanding between teacher and student that will effect in students working independently. The contract helps students to set daily and weekly work goals and develop management skills. It also helps the teacher to keep evidence of each students advance. The certain assignments will vary according to personal student needs. Learning Centers Learning Centers have been used by teachers for a long time and may contain both differentiated and compulsory activities. However a learning centre is not necessarily differentiated unless the activities are varied by difficulty taking in to account different student ability and readiness. It is important that students understand what is expected of them at the learning centre and are inspired to manage their use of time. The degree of structure that is provided will vary according to student independent work habits. At the end of each week students should be able to account for their use of time. Anchoring Activities A student can do these activities at any time when they have completed present assignments or it can be assigned for a short period at the beginning of each class as students arrange themselves and prepare for work. These activities may be related to specific needs or improvement opportunities, including problems to solve or journals to write. They could also be part of a long-term project that a student is working on. In conclusion, learners as individual is the one of methods encouraged the instructional progress. The characteristics defined the individual learners are given various by educators. They can be added and developed or also cut. These behaviors can be raise by the agreement of teacher and student. Learners as individual is also related to the research of many psychologists realizing the individual differences and it also includes with the assessment. We should assessment the students outcomes by be aware of their individual differences. Reference Sources http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_styles http://www.futureknowledge.org/background/the-perspective-of-the-individual-learner http://www.instructorweb.com/info/learnstyles.asp http://www.learning-styles-online.com/overview http://people.usd.edu/~ssanto/styles.html http://www.lsda.org.uk/files/PDF/1543.pdfhttp://www.questia.com/Index.jsp http://www.saba.com/education/individual_learners.htm http://www.tefl.net/esl-articles/learning-styles.htm Coffield, F., Moseley, D., Hall, E., Ecclestone, K. (2004). Learning styles and pedagogy in post-16 learning: A systematic and critical review. www.LSRC.ac.uk: Learning and Skills Research Centre. Retrieved January 15, 2008: Keefe, J. W. (1979) Learning style: An overview. In NASSPs Student learning styles: Diagnosing and proscribing programs (pp. 1-17). Reston, VA. National Association of Secondary School Principles. Marzano, R. J. (1998). A theory-based meta-analysis of research on instruction. Mid-continent Regional Educational Laboratory, Aurora, CO. Merrill, D. (2000). Instructional Strategies and Learning Styles: Which takes Precedence? In Robert Reiser and Jack Dempsey (Eds.) Trends and Issues in Instructional Technology. Prentice Hall. Hayman-Abello S.E. Warriner E.M. (2002). Child clinical/pediatric neuropsychology: some recent advances. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 309-339. Stewart, K. L., Felicetti, L. A. (1992). Learning styles of marketing majors. Educational Research Quarterly, 15(2), 15-23. Gracia, Jorge J. E. (1988) Individuality: An Essay on the Foundations of Metaphysics. State Univ. of New York Press.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Journal of Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction in Transportation Essay

International Journal for Quality research UDK- 656.025.2:658.56 Short Scientific Paper (1.03) SERVICE QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTS Filipa Fonseca1) Sofia Pinto1) Carlos Brito2) 1) Faculty of Economics and Management, Catholic University of Portugal, Portugal 2) Faculty of Economics, University of Porto, Portugal Abstract: The objective of the paper is to identify the determinants of service quality as well as its impact on the satisfaction of public transport commuters. The paper explores the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction in a public transport service taking into account both internal and external perspectives. In order to analyse this relationship, the concepts of service quality, consumer satisfaction and dissatisfaction are assessed. A model of analysis is developed aiming at explaining this relationship and guiding the empirical study. This is based on an exploratory case study of a metro company in Europe. The results of the study put in evidence two key findings. The first is related to the level of service quality in its main dimensions. We conclude that reliability, security, speed, comfort and punctuality are quality dimensions of greater importance for the public transport services. Secondly, the study explores satisfaction and their determinants. Despite literature stipulates the existence of a distinction between the constructs of quality and satisfaction, this study found that the transport company, non-customers and customers clearly do not make such a distinction. Keywords: service quality, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, public transport 1. INTRODUCTION Marketing researchers have, for a long time, recognized the importance of service quality as well as consumer satisfaction. Significant investigation has been conducted in both fields, particularly in services (cf. Andreassen, 1995; Edvardsson, 1998; Friman e Garling, 2001; Higgs et al., 2005). However, few studies have explored the both sides of the service process: operations (the internal side) and customer (the external side) perspectives of quality and satisfaction. In the public sector this is likely to be of particular interest. Public services, such as public transportation, have to meet the needs of the customers playing, at the same  time, a role in economic and urban sustainability. They challenge operations to deliver quality to serve customers and non-customers while making the best use of company resources. Read more:  Investigation Into Customer Service The objective of this article is to identify the determinants of service quality and its impact on the satisfaction of public transport commuters. It is divided into five sections beyond this introductory section. It begins with a review of the literature that synthesizes and discusses some concepts considered relevant for the research. Then it addresses the methodology used in the study, as well as a number of considerations about the quality of the research design. The next section presents the findings, which are followed by a discussion of possible implications. Finally, the paper ends with the main conclusions, managerial implications and some suggestions for further research. 2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND The theoretical background is developed around three major issues: quality, satisfaction and dissatisfaction. In the management context, the word quality can be used to refer to different things: accordance with the specifications (Levitt, 1972; Juran and Gryna, 1991); excellence (Garvin, 1984); accordance with the requirements, adequacy of use, prevention of losses, or how to answer to or to exceed consumer expectations (Grà ¶nroos, 1984, Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry, 1985, 1988). Through such a variety of concepts, the common point of most of the definitions, exception for the first one, is that of targeting the consumer. In this research, quality is presented in the perspective of perceived quality because it is the most commonly used in the services area. Moreover, the research led to a better understanding of the existence or the non-existence of differences between quality and satisfaction. These arguments were enriched by the literature review of each theme, particularly satisfaction which is presented next. Literature about satisfaction has to be adapted to the context which is to be studied. Customer satisfaction is seen as an answer to completion and fulfilment of needs (Oliver, 1996); a psychological state (Howard and Sheth, 1969) and as an assessment of overall evaluation (Westbrook, 1987). Moreover, consumer satisfaction is seen as a cognitive response (Bolton and Drew, 1991; Tse and Wilton, 1988), an emotional answer (Cadotte and Turgeon, 1988; Halstead, Hartman and Schmit, 1994; Westbrook and Reilly, 1983) and as a result of a Vol.4, No. 2, 2010 125 development process (Oliver and De Sarbo, 1988; Tse and Wilton, 1988; Swan, 1992; Erevelles and Leavitt, 1992). Although literature encompasses diverse meanings for satisfaction, they all share common elements. When examined as a whole, three general components can be identified: (i) consumer satisfaction is a cognitive and emotional reaction; (ii) the reaction belongs to a particular focus, (iii) the reaction occurs in a particular period (after consumption, after choice based on experience and expressed before and after choice, after consumption, after extensive experience of using). From the literature it also seems that there is not a general consensus regarding the nature of this concept. If some authors argue that consumer satisfaction results from a specific transaction that occurs at a given time and by the benefits and value of the transaction, others see consumer satisfaction in terms of cumulative overall satisfaction, based on all contacts and experiences with a company and the client’s experience until a certain moment. Literature on customer satisfaction also clarifies the concept of dissatisfaction. For some researchers, these two concepts are totally different while for others, dissatisfaction is on one end and satisfaction is on the other end of the same continuous line, and it is stated that some of the determinants are primarily a source of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. So, this study also intends to make clear the differences between the two concepts. Dissatisfaction has been the focus of extensive research in the services area (Swan and Combs, 1976; Maddox, 1981; Cadotte and Turgeon, 1988; Johnston, 1995; Edvardsson, 1992, 1998, Liljander, 1999). From the literature, once again, contradictions amongst authors tend to arise. According to some researchers satisfaction and dissatisfaction are two different concepts, that is, the consumer can be satisfied or dissatisfied according to the level of received quality. However, for some other authors, the two concepts are not opposing,  but rather a continuum, in that, some determinants tend to be, firstly a source of satisfaction and others a source of dissatisfaction. A number of studies (cf. Edvardsson, 1998) have focused on how passengers of public transport value quality factors, and the final result provides a measure of the value of different factors and ranks them. Nevertheless, there are not significant studies about satisfaction in public transports, especially in metro services. Another gap in literature is that most studies analise customers, but leave non-customers aside. Furthermore, most studies use an external analisys based on surveyss. Finally, the majority of the literature does not execute further analyses about the correlation between customer satisfaction and insatisfaction. 3. FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYSIS In this research the process of data analysis began before its collection, by developing the research questions and model of analysis. The model of analysis developed would examine how quality relates to satisfaction and how this relationship takes place in a public transport services company. To ensure coherence and reliability of the empirical data, the elements which were under investigation and their respective variables were defined, as outlined and presented in Figure 1. Dissatisfaction (Johnston,1995) (Bo Evardson, 1996) Customer Satisfaction (Tse e Wilton, 1988) (Rust e Oliver, 1994) Zone of Tolerance (Berry e Parasuraman,1991) (Johnston, 1994) Personal Needs Experiencied Quality Technical Functional (Grà ¶nroos, 1982) Perceived Quality (Grà ¶nroos, 1982) Suggest Positioning Expectations (Teas, Boulding, Oliver, 1993) Pass-Word Beliefs Consumer Comunication Quality Dimensions: †¢ Reliability †¢Security †¢ Speed †¢Confort †¢Pontuality (Parasuraman, Berry, Zeithaml, 1885) Past Experience Figure 1 – Framework for Analysis 126 F. Fonseca , S. Pinto , C. Brito According to this diagram, the relationship between quality and satisfaction may be understood through a clarification of how customers evaluate the dimensions of quality. The zone of tolerance appears to be used as a unifying link between expectations, performance and results. Previous service marketing challenges have prompted some research questions about the relationship between quality and satisfaction, specifically:RQ1: In public transportation services, what are the determinants of service quality that influence perceived quality?RQ2: How does the perceived quality influence satisfaction and dissatisfaction of commuters in public services transports?Performance evaluations lead to an overall evaluation of service satisfaction, the results of which can be resumed to either satisfaction or dissatisfaction in general terms. The zone of tolerance emerged as important in the understanding of the relationship between quality and satisfaction. 4. METHODOLOGY The research clarifies the key dimensions of services quality that influence customers’ perceived quality. It also explains how the perceived quality influences customers’ satisfaction and dissatisfaction. In addition, the study explores and expands on findings or current theories about the differences and the relationship between satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Evidence was found that there are two different realities in the market: the customers’ and the non-customers’ complex perceptions. Finally, the research identifies the relevance of the zone of tolerance and its relationship with quality and satisfaction. The use of a case study approach seemed to be appropriate in this research. Within qualitative methodologies, a case study strategy was adopted, based on the interaction between theory and empirical data. Yin (1994) defines case study as an empirical study that investigates a contemporary phenomenon in real life context, especially when the boundaries between the phenomenon and context are not clearly evident. In terms of features associated with the processes under study, it seems  important to focus on contexts in which the phenomena developed. Moreover, this method allows the focus on perception processes more than outcomes, and how the participants interpret their experiences and give them meaning. Exploratory and â€Å"how† questions are being posed, and the researcher is focused on a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context (Yin, 1994). The research objective was to describe and understand processes and relationships in a consumer services organization. Attention was drawn to the processes, which was the study’s unit of analysis. The focus of analysis of this research was teams, groups and departments.Data was collected by both interviews and focus groups, as well as through documents. The interviews focused on the company’s perspective of quality and customer satisfaction, while the focus groups with customers and non-customers provided the market’s point of view. The interviews included people from different functional areas (operations and marketing) and hierarchical levels (executive vicepresident, director of technical systems, director of marketing and communication, manager of operational safety, lawyer and supervision of securities and marketing manager – processing of complaints and suggestions). In addition to the interviews, focus groups were conducted outside the company with customers and non-customers. The main objectives of the focus groups were to identify the most important determinants of satisfaction and dissatisfaction of both customers and non-customers, and to obtain or draw up a list of the determinants considered most relevant and most often expressed by the participants. Specifically, the analyzed documents consisted of: annual company reports, market research reports on service quality and satisfaction and internal memos. A pilot focus group was carried out to test the discussion guide and the survey. Subsequently, four focus groups were made. There were a total of 26 people involved (men and women). The age range of the participants selected was 13-35 years of age, this because prior studies had indicated that 65 percent of the commuters using the metropolitan were within this age range. The selection criteria used aimed at selecting participants consisting of customers who use the metropolitan, at least once a week and non-customers who had never used this transport service. The focus groups were recorded and handwritten transcription notes were taken for later analysis. The focus sessions were  divided in two distinct parts. Initially, the discussion focused on the reasons that would lead customers to use or not use the metropolitan. Subsequently, the focus was shifted towards the determinants of satisfaction and dissatisfaction and on the characteristics that are most valued in this service. The process of analysis and interpretation of data began with the transcription of the interviews and group focus. All of this met with the objectives of the research, including with comparing and contrasting the different views of stakeholders on issues of the research and allowed for individual analysis and comparisons of the case study. Data was also analyzed and grouped, then codified and reduced employing a systematic approach that complies with that proposed by Miles and Huberman (1994). 5. RESULTS AND FINDINGS The study focused on a company created in 1993 to operate a light rail system in the second largest city of a European country. For a matter of confidentiality, it will 127 F. Fonseca , S. Pinto , C. Brito be called Metro Europe. This is a network of electrified railways that goes underground in the city centre, and above the surface in the suburbs. It is divided into five separate lines (with seven services, including an express service) spread over six municipalities in the city metropolitan area. It comprises a total of 68 stations spread over 60 kilometres of commercial lines, with 8 kilometres of underground network. In 2008, this company employed about 120 people and carried 40 million commuters. Metro Iberia is a player in a context of a strong competition and is one of the companies responsible for the operations of public transport in the metropolitan area. The analysis of this mass consumer service follows in the next section. The study results point out two main perspectives. One related to the level of service quality in its main dimensions. It was concluded that reliability, security, speed, comfort and punctuality are the quality dimensions of greater importance for the public transport services company. Secondly, the study explores satisfaction and their determinants. The results showed that the dimensions of satisfaction for the company were exactly the same as  those of dimensions of service quality, in particular, security, reliability, comfort and speed. This analysis shows us that the company does not distinguish quality from satisfaction. Evidently, it seems that the dimensions of quality and the determinants of satisfaction are identical. There appears to be no clear difference between quality and satisfaction, findings that are no surprising. The main objective of this research is to understand the relationship between quality and satisfaction. It was found that the organization under study does not make a distinction between these two concepts. Therefore focus groups with the company’s customers were also conducted and undertaken. The objective would be to determine and discover the main determinants of satisfaction, comparing them with results obtained in the organization. In the focus groups it was found that commuters value exactly the same determinants of satisfaction as those advanced by the company, in particular comfort, punctuality, speed and reliability. One exception is safety, the conclusion being that customers assume from the outset that the metropolitan is safe. This is in line with the Johnston’s (ref?) argument about the hygienic factors having potential for dissatisfaction instead of satisfaction. The results also helped to further understand the views of noncustomers, from which we can conclude that the most mentioned determinants were reliability, comfort and cleanliness, security and punctuality. For these reasons it is concluded that despite the literature’s stipulation of the existence of a distinction between the constructs of quality and satisfaction, this study found that the company, non-customers and customers clearly do not make such a distinction. It seems that business, customers and non-customers all use the dimensions of quality to describe satisfaction. A more careful analysis of the case leads to the conclusion that quality and satisfaction are not entirely distinct and there is also a relationship between the two concepts. The relationship between quality and satisfaction exists when satisfaction is guaranteed. Their ability to meet the needs of the consumer with the service, must take into account the quality of service and its dimensions. Another view shown in this paper was the distinction between satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The study acknowledges that for non-customers satisfaction and dissatisfaction are opposing concepts. Moreover, the determinants of dissatisfaction are exactly the opposite of satisfaction, namely: reliability/failure to comply with schedules; comfort and cleanliness/discomfort and dirt; security/insecurity; punctuality/failure to comply with schedules. An interesting finding is that, these results are in line with literature. For customers there is no such relationship between satisfaction and dissatisfaction; dissatisfaction in this case is commonly associated with the technical aspects of the service. It is therefore not clear to customers that satisfaction is the opposite of dissatisfaction. While for the company, the conclusion is that these concepts are contrary, when referring to cofort/discomfort; security/insecurity at night/delays and robberies. Finally, the results for customers and noncustomers tolerance zones were examined. The paper confirms that customers have a greater tolerance zone towards the service than non-customers. In other words, non-customers are less tolerant to failures than customers. This conclusion is evidenced by the customers when they say that in the event of failures or problems with the service, such as delays, lack of cleanliness and lighting, or lack of seating, these reasons alone would not lead to abandoning the service. It is concluded that in the case of customers there may be some oscillation in the levels of satisfaction (very satisfied, satisfied, unsatisfied) within the zone of tolerance. Non-customers are less tolerant. In these discussion groups’ several situations or scenarios of dissatisfaction emerged that would cause abandoning the service, including failure to comply with the vehicle schedules, frequency of carriages and disabled access to the stations. 6. CONCLUSIONS This study answering RQ1 expands on existing knowledge by identifying that service quality dimensions serve as points of departure for companies to develop action plans and strategies that generate perceptions of quality by customers. Thus, for each type of service there may be a specific set of different dimensions of quality, in that they assume different orders of priority. Additionally there is yet another 128 F. Fonseca , S. Pinto , C. Brito possibility that each organization may have dimensions that are specific to each/its sector. The classification of the service quality dimensions is important because each one brings different approaches, which help the managers of the companies providing services to understand the importance of each dimension and their impact on customer satisfaction. The empirical data of this case indicates that reliability, safety, speed, comfort and punctuality are the dimensions of service quality which the organization believes most influence the perceived quality. This study also clarified and thus contributes to identify the key dimensions of service quality that influence the perceived quality service, in a specific means of public transportation. Furthermore, this study shows that if the dimensions of service quality are assured then the customers achieve a degree of satisfaction and dissatisfaction in accordance with their needs, answering RQ2. The research results also showed that depending on the subway line that is used by a particular customer, he/she usually chooses the same dimension as a priority, according to the satisfaction of his/her needs. The research results showed that a client that uses for example the yellow line gives preference to the quality dimensions of frequency and speed, since the choice of this line indicates the need to get to the city centre quickly. The customers who already choose the red line value the dimension of comfort, because it is a line with a more extensive network, which is important for the customer who wants to get a seat. From this we can conclude that if the principal dimensions of quality for customers are guaranteed, they will be satisfied or dissatisfied. There seem to be sever al implications of this study for service management. The first practical implication seems to be that it is important to reveal that if the managers know which dimensions of quality service their customers most value, (depending on the type of service we are dealing with), the customers may become more satisfied. This will occur because the organization will know specifically which dimensions of service quality will further satisfy the customers. Thus, organizations can focus their efforts on improving and increasing the dimensions of service quality which generate satisfaction. The second managerial implication appears to be the evident need for  clarification of the link between satisfaction and dissatisfaction. In terms of contribution to management, it is important that managers recognize that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are on a continuum, and that knowing of the dissatisfaction factors specifically, these can then be transformed into satisfaction, thus preventing the loss of a customer in a specific service. The third practical implication shows that for the non-customers if the companies and the managers know what quality dimensions this group value most, the company can focus investment on the development of these, including increasing the ability to attract new customers and tailor marketing and communication campaigns with a view to achieving this. The number of contributions presented serve not only to increase knowledge of the relationship between quality and satisfaction, but also encourages reflection on a topic which should be of utmost importance for managers and the vast majority of service companies, who are faced with the need to offer quality of service in its main dimensions and the consequent satisfaction of their customers. It is also expected that the contributions of the study encourage businesses and their managers to connect with their customers and noncustomers. As regards the customers it is important that the company be aware of the quality dimensions that they value most in order to tailor the service to their needs, maximizing satisfaction. This paper has limitations which are expected to be addressed in future studies. The limitations can be divided into three groups, namely: selection of the case and the process, limitations in data collection and finally the limitations of data analysis. One of the limitations is the small number of cases studied in public transport services which determines the strength and spread or validity of the conclusions. The inclusion of other cases corresponding to other paradigms or variations of the paradigms used here, will enrich the knowledge acquired. There were a range of other issues that were not explored which could enrich the research. There were other issues that emerged and seemed interesting but again, given the constraints, were not fully explored. For example, the identification of the factors that influence the formation of consumer expectations. When the interviewees were asked, in an open ended question, what factors influence expectations, the  answer was unanimous: communication with other consumers. Nevertheless, other factors could have been further explored. 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