The Struggle of ADHD Medication and Over Diagnosis

This is a question many parents struggle with. Should I be medicating my child for ADHD? Will the drugs cause other problems for my child? You’re not alone. Many parents have these questions. Some parents choose to give their child medication all the time, some only give the medication when the child is in school, and others choose not to give their child medication at all. ADHD diagnosis has increased dramatically over the last several years. [Over diagnosis and over medication for ADHD needs to stop.] ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. There are many symptoms that are related to ADHD. Some of the more common symptoms in toddlers and preschoolers are the inability to sit still, control actions, follow simple†¦show more content†¦Encourage teachers in your school district to move to more hands on learning for student in preschool through high school. Middle and high school students can benefit from doing experiments. â€Å"Encourage your child to study in several short blocks of time, instead of one extended time period† (Hutton). While it’s not a quick fix, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is shown to have greater long-term effects on children then medication. â€Å"Parents or teachers would be trained to reward a child with praise or small treats for paying attention and responding to requests, for example† (Shute). This helps teach children to calm down and listen rather than yelling at them all the time to pay attention. â€Å"Although CBT doesnt cure ADHD, it does make it easier for children to get along in a world thats often intolerant of typical ADHD behavior, explains Richard Gallagher, an associate professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine† (Shute). Diet can also affect the way your child is able to deal with ADHD. Avoid giving your child packaged and processed foods. â€Å"Feeding your child wholesome, natural foods instead of packaged or processed foods eliminates additives, such as preservatives, artificial flavorings and colorings, which have been shown to impact children with ADHD negatively† (Vale). To go one step further feed your child organic foods. It’s never been proven, but parent testimoniesShow MoreRelatedAdha1079 Words   |  5 Pagesthe causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a condition that can affect children and adults. ADHD in children can cause trouble with focus, patience, and over activity. ADHD is the most common childhood disorder and usually appear early in life often between the ages of 3 and 6. Children that are diagnosed with ADHD usually have problems at home, school and in their social life. ADHD symptoms fall into threeRead MoreMisunderstood Minds: ADHAD in College Students1434 Words   |  6 PagesAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, generally known as ADHD can be described as having a nonstop conversation with yourself. Constant racing thoughts, changing from one thing to another, not needing coffee because you already have a buzzed. Instead of walking, you are running. Standing in line for one minute feels like five hours. Always on the go and never looking back because, it would cause you to slow down. Imagine that always happening and not being able to control any of it. UnfortunatelyRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder ( Adhd )1678 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"ADHD is a neurological difference that affects learning and language, and every aspect of life† (Hardman). It has been argued that ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) is not a real disease, but it has been confirmed by neurological testing that ADHD is a real disease. It has been found that ADHD symptoms are caused by a child having less brain activity in their frontal lobes; this part of the brain controls the impulse control which will make it harder for the chil d to sit still. ThereRead MoreAttention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder Essay1121 Words   |  5 PagesAttention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Ailene M. Broadbent Mohave Community College Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) ADHD is one of the most common neurological disorders diagnosed and treated in children. ADHD often affects a child’s ability to focused for any amount of time and can affect their life adversely if not diagnosed and treated properly. One of the problems with ADHD is that it can be difficult to diagnose and treat, because there are many different conditionsRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd ) Essay1623 Words   |  7 Pages Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a condition many children and young adult are diagnosed with today. ADHD is caused by the lack of focus, being overactive, or not being able to control certain behavior. There are many symptoms shown that can lead towards the diagnoses of ADHD, but there are no test that can be used to diagnose the disorder in children and young adults. As more people seem to develop the issue, the central question of, â€Å"Is the disorder even needed?†, comes to mind. OneRead MoreEssay on Do You Have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?1655 Words   |  7 PagesDo You Have ADHD? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most researched psychiatric disease, but it is a disease we cannot confidently explain what the true cause is. â€Å"In children, ADHD has become the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric condition worldwide.† (Bailey,1) According to a news report prepared by USA Today over the past five years, the use of ADHD medications have increased 40% totaling 39.5 million individual prescriptions (New findings, 2009). That goes to show a hugeRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd )1692 Words   |  7 Pagesknown as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), is a condition where a person may have trouble focusing, sitting still, or performing day to day executive functions. To those affected, everything is interesting and prioritizing objectives become an afterthought. Several kids are placed on medications in order to combat distraction. While there is no known definite cause of ADD, there has been significant increase in people diagnosed over recent years. There is no arguing that the numberRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd )948 Words   |  4 Pagesof the celebrities have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD is a mental disorder which affects millions of people from all ages. It affects the brain and typically includes attention difficulty, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. Typically beginning in childhood, ADHD can last a lifetime. Notably, boys are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls. Unfortunately, there is no cure for the disorder. ADHD contributes to difficulty at school or work, problems with relationshipsRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd )1218 Words   |  5 Pages ADHD; No Longer Childhood Disorder Dawon Kim Columbia College April 28, 2014 Abstract Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, shortly called ADHD is a psychological condition that begins in early childhood; however, a lot of children with ADHD often go unrecognized or undertreated because of doctors with little experience with the disorder. Therefore, it frequently persists into adulthood. It is now known that these conditions continue into adulthood for about 60% of children withRead MoreBeing Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd ) Essay1706 Words   |  7 Pageshouseholds across America families are struggling and in some fighting over medicating their children. We hear so much about the raise in medication and think about our own childhood where the children were not taking medication or labeled as having Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But what a lot of us don’t know is that it was always with us. Lack of knowledge is a part of the reason for our debate over medication. In this review we will look at the pros and cons to med icating children

The Nurse And The Physician - 1575 Words

The nurse and the physician did not utilize moral reasoning, a process of considering and selecting approaches to resolve ethical issues, when giving information about a â€Å"Do not resuscitate (DNR)† form to the husband of the patient in ICU (Zerwekh, 2013, p. 420). When the physician showed the husband the DNR form, it stated that the physician pointed out what they could do for the patient. In this case, it is perceived that the physician highlighted the parts of the DNR form that would coerce the husband into signing the form, while leaving out what the hospital will no longer do for his wife once this form is signed. In a study, it was found that many physicians lack the specific communication skills that result in complete informed†¦show more content†¦The doctor’s and the nurse’s intentions were to do what was best for their patient and believed that signing a DNR was the best decision. This describes the ethical principle of beneficence in t hat; the doctor and the nurse were performing their professional duties by doing what was best for their patient. However, though the doctor and nurse were acting with good intentions, they both failed to properly educate the patient’s husband on the information stated in the DNR paperwork. They also did not make sure that the patient’s husband was in the proper learning state. They did not make sure he could read the information, nor did they check for understanding of the information. Had the doctor or nurse implemented these things, the patient’s husband would have been fully aware of the documents he was signing. This describes the ethical principle of nonmaleficence; which is defined as the duty to prevent or avoid harm, whether intentional or unintentional. The doctor and the nurse did not have the intention of having the patient’s husband sign a DNR that he did not understand. However, their lack of education and assessment of successful edu cation led to a decision that could end his wife’s life. Though the husband was not aware of the repercussions of signing the DNR for his wife, the nurse and doctor are forced to honor the actions stated in the signed document. This ethical principle is known as fidelity;

Qualitative Versus Quantitative Free Essays

Qualitative Versus Quantitative Research There has been a large amount of complex discussion and argument surrounding the topic of research methodology and the theory of how studies should push forward. Majority of this debate has centered on the issue of qualitative versus quantitative study. Different methods become popular at different social, political, historical and cultural times in our development, and, both methods have their strengths and weaknesses. We will write a custom essay sample on Qualitative Versus Quantitative or any similar topic only for you Order Now The researcher and/or the culture of the organization is a key factor in preferred choice of methods. Data can be quantitative or qualitative. Quantitative data answer questions like â€Å"how many? † or â€Å"how frequently†, and are measured/reported on a numerical scale, permitting categorization of pooled data, numerical reporting, statistical analysis and mathematical modeling. Qualitative data are non-numerical. Qualitative research seeks to analyze verbal discourse through interviews, written documents, or participatory field observations. This paper will break down both qualitative and quantitative methods individually to explain each one in depth. Also a chart will be included to understand and see the features of each side by side. In conclusion of the paper will be an example of both methods being used to understand how women felt about shopping at QuickStop stores and why. As researchers Ulin, Robinson, and Tolley (2006) have explained, three most common qualitative methods are â€Å"participant observation, in-depth interviews, and focus groups† (p. 2. * Participant observation is appropriate for collecting data on naturally occurring behaviors in their usual contexts. In –depth interviews are optimal for collecting data on individuals’ personal histories, perspectives, and experiences, particularly when sensitive topics are being explored. * Focus groups are effective in eliciting data on the cultural norms of a group and in generating broad overviews of issues of concern to the cultural groups or subgroups represented. Qualitative methods are typically more flexible and allow more interaction between the researcher and the study participant. For example, qualitative methods, ask mostly â€Å"open-ended† questions that are not necessarily worded in exactly the same way with each participant. In regards to open-ended questions, participants are free to respond in their own words rather than simply â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no. † Also in qualitative methods, the relationship between the researcher and the participant is often less formal than in quantitative research. Participants have the opportunity to respond more elaborately and in greater detail than is typically the case with quantitative methods. Open-ended questions have the ability to provide responses that are: * Meaningful and culturally salient to the participant * Unanticipated by the researcher * Rich and explanatory in nature The three most common sampling methods in qualitative research: purposive sampling, quota sampling, and snowball sampling. Purposive sampling, one of the most common sampling strategies, groups participants according to preselected criteria relevant to a particular research question. In quota sampling, while designing the study how many people with characteristics to include as participants. The criteria used is to focus on people that we think would be most likely to experience, know about, or have insights into the research topic. A third type of sampling, snowballing also known as chain referral sampling. In this method, participants with whom contact has already been made use their social networks to refer the researcher to other people who could potentially participate in or contribute to the study. According to Carroll (2010), â€Å"qualitative studies frequently use primary data (e. g. interviews), others involve analysis of media reports and other secondary data sources. For example, community attitudes about road safety might be explored through interviews (primary data) or by analyzing newspaper articles on rights of bicyclists (secondary data). † (pg. 3480). Quantitative research can be defined as a means for testing objective theories by examing the relationship among variables. The variables will then be measured, typically on instruments, so that num bered data can be analyzed using statistical procedures. According to Creswell (2008), â€Å"the final written report has a set structure consisting of introduction, literature and theory, methods, results, and discussion† (p. 4). You measure variables on a sample of subjects, which can be tissues, cells, animals, or humans. You then express the relationship between variable using effect statistics, such as correlations, relative frequencies, or differences between means. Features of Qualitative Quantitative Research Qualitative| Quantitative| The aim is complete, detailed description. The aim is to classify features, count them, and construct statistical models in an attempt to explain what is observed. | Researcher may only know roughly in advance what he/she is looking for. | Researcher knows clearly in advance what he/she is looking for. | Recommended during earlier phases of research projects. | Recommended during latter phases of research projects. | The design emerges as the study unfolds. | All aspects of the study are care fully designed before data is collected. | Researcher is the data gathering instrument. Researcher uses tools, such as questionnaires or equipment to collect numerical data. | Data is in the form of words, pictures or objects. | Data is in the form of numbers and statistics. | Subjective-individuals interpretation of events is important, e. g. , uses participant observation, in-depth interviews etc. | Objective seeks precise measurement analysis of target concepts, e. g. , uses surveys, questionnaires etc. | Qualitative data is more ‘rich’, time consuming, and less able to be generalized. | Quantitative data is more efficient, able to test hypotheses, but may miss contextual detail. Researcher tends to become subjectively immersed in the subject matter. | Researcher tends to remain objectively separated from the subject matter. | (the two quotes are from Miles Huberman (1994, p. 40). Qualitative Data Analysis) An example with qualitative and quantitative research proj ect was designed to understand how women felt about shopping at QuickStop stores and why. This research project was completed by Chris Hawkes, a Senior Market Researcher at MarketResearch101. At some point a staff member realized that QuickStop seemed to be patronized by many more men than women. About two dozen current or potential female customers were paid to come into a research facility to discuss the use of convenience stores in general, and later in the interviews the discussion was directed specifically to QuickStop convenience stores, in particular. Studies showed that women viewed the convenience stores to be primarily for men, with little or no consideration for women. The bathrooms were believed to be the dirtiest that could be found in the city. It was also viewed as the kind of place for a man to buy gas, and to buy a six-pack of cheap beer and cigarettes. Once the management team had an understanding of what issues they faced they needed to use quantitative research to get numbers. For the quantitative research they conducted 250 telephone interviews with a combination of female respondents. Over 76% of all female QuickStop customers were women under 30 years old, without children. The good news is 64% who did not use QuickStop said that if these stores were to update their color schemes, clean up their bathrooms and update their health and feminine products they would be willing to try QuickStop again. In general when conducting two phases of research it’s most often the case that the qualitative research phases is conducted first as a â€Å"lead-in†. Qualitative research tends to help the management team understand the underlying issues, and then the second phase (quantitative in this case) helps to understand how pervasive these feelings/attitudes are among a certain target audience. References Carroll, Linda (2010). Levels of Reconstruction as complementarity in Mixed Methods Research: A Social Theory-Based Conceptual Framework for Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Research. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. (p. 3480). Creswell, John (2008). Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Research Design, Third Edition. (p. 4). Hawkes, Chris (2011). Retrieved from http://www. streetdirectory. com/travel_guide. Miles Huberman (1994). Qualitative Data Analysis. Retrieved from: http://www. gifted. uconn. edu/siegle/research/Qualitative/qualquan. htm Priscilla, Ulin. , Elizabeth, Robinson. , Elizabeth, Tolley (2006). Qualitative Research methods: A Data Collector’s Field Guide. Qualitative Methods in Public Heatlh. How to cite Qualitative Versus Quantitative, Papers

Period 4 Essay Example For Students

Period 4 Essay November 3, 1997Mr. RuppelMillers McCarthynistic IdeaThe play was inspired by Millers belief that the hysteria surrounding the witchcraft trials paralleled the contemporary political climate of McCarthysim. McCarthysim is Senator Joseph McCarthys obsessive quest to uncover a communist infiltration of American institutions. Communism is a theory of social change advocating a classless society. In a classless society there is chaos. In the following we will discuss how Millers political views and experiences effected his position on gender and class in the crucible. In a communist society, the male gender is always dominant. Women arent allowed to vote or hold political office. All they do is stay home while the man of the house works, and tends to the household chores. In the play, all the women are housewives but some worked harder than others did. For example, Mrs. Proctor a common house wife says Pray God. It hurt my heart to skin her, poor rabbit. She gone out in the woods all by herself to catch dinner. The man of the house expects dinner on the table when they get home. This is an example of a common communistic society. Through out the whole play, women are being accused of witchcraft. A man could have never been accused of witchcraft in those days. Men were the dominant gender. Tituba is a black servant who was spotted in the woods supposedly practicing witchcraft. She is blamed for the crime, probably because she is a servant of the lower class. But as the play goes on, a more classless society comes into effect. That is when the women of the upper class get blamed for the crime. At the time of the play, women were afraid to accuse men of any sore of crime. Reverend Hale is the man sent to Salem to investigate the crime.When he asks Tituba if she saw anyone with the devil she says Man or woman. Was- was a women. She didnt know who it was, but most definitely it was a women. Being a servant in 1692, she knows that man couldnt be accused of witchcraft. Sh e really didnt see the person with the devil because it was dark. So she just assumed that it was a women because a man would have never been seen with the devil. If she had said that she saw a man with the devil, no one would have believed her. The witchcraft trials cause great chaos in Salem. Amongst them selves women were being treated equal because of the lack of social classes. Tituba (a servant) was being treated that same as Mrs. Proctor (the wife of a town figure). The authorities were ready to jail anyone, no matter who they were. For example, Cheever is a deputy who was assigned to arrest people for whom he had warrants. He went to The Proctors house to arrest Mrs. Proctor for having a Voodoo doll with a needle stuck in it. The night before, Abby had felt a pain in her side, just like a needle. Little did Cheever know, the doll wasnt Mrs. Proctors, it was her servants. When her servant confessed to ownership of the doll, Cheever still arrested Mrs. Proctor. In the Crucible , the male gender is treated more sympathetically. The prejudice towards the female gender reflects Millers political and personal views. This parallels his McCarthynistic idea. Through out the play we see this idea that at the time of the witchcraft trials Salem turned into a communistic society. Which in fact caused chaos where it wasnt needed.

Industrialization and transformation in Thomas W. Hanchetts and Paul Johnson works

How to Tell Your Parents Youre Failing a College Class

How to Tell Your Parents You're Failing a College Class Although there are things you can do if youre failing a college class- or even if youve already failed it- breaking the news to your parents is an entirely different problem. Chances are, your parents are going to want to see your grades from time to time (translation: every semester), especially if theyre paying for your tuition. Consequently, bringing home a nice fat F probably wasnt on your list of things to do this semester. Given that no one is going to be happy about the situation, the best approach can be a basic one: Be honest, be positive, and be sincere. Tell Your Parents the Truth About Your Grades Be honest about the grade. What is it? A D? An F? Its better to only have this conversation once. Mom, Im going to be getting an F in Organic Chemistry is way better than Mom, I think Im not doing so well in Organic Chemistry followed a few minutes later by Well, Ive failed most of the exams followed by Yeah, Im pretty sure Im getting an F but Im not totally sure- yet. At this point in your life, you undoubtedly know that parents deal better with getting bad news that can improve later than getting kinda bad news that gets worse later. So just be honest about your grade. What is it? What part of the equation is your fault (not studying enough, spending too much time socializing, etc.)? Own up to the situation and the responsibility. Honesty may be a bit uncomfortable, but it is undoubtedly the best policy in situations like this. Tell Your Parents How You Plan to Move Forward Present the situation as real- but also as a growth and learning opportunity for you. Okay, so you failed a class. What did you learn? That you need to manage your time better? That you spent too much time just hanging out with people? That you need to take fewer units? That you need to be less involved with clubs? That you need to cut back on your work hours? Let your parents know what youre going to do differently next semester so that this wont happen again. (Because really, who wants to have this conversation again?!) Mom, I failed Organic Chemistry. Looking back, I think its because I didnt spend enough time in the lab/didnt balance my time well/was too distracted by all the fun things going on on campus, so next semester Im planning on joining a study group/using a better time management system/cutting down on my co-curricular involvement. Additionally, let your parents know what your options are in as positive a light as possible. They most likely will want to know, What does this mean? Are you on academic probation? Able to keep up with your other courses? Not able to stay in your major? Be prepared for how you can move forward. Let your parents know what your academic situation is. Talk to your adviser about what your options are. Mom, I failed Organic Chemistry, but I talked to my adviser since I knew I was struggling. Our plan is to have me try it one more time next semester  when its offered, but this time Ill join a study group and go to the tutoring center at least once a week. Be Sincere About Your Next Steps You may think youre a pretty good liar, but parents can smell dishonesty from a mile away. You know it, and they know. So be sincere about what youre saying to them. Did you just goof up and learn a lesson about how important it is to go to class? Then tell them that instead of trying to blame it on a bad professor or lab partner. Also, be sincere about where youre going from here. If you dont know, thats okay, too- as long as youre exploring your options. Conversely, be sincere when you listen to what they have to say. They arent likely to be happy about your failed class, but they probably have your best interest at heart.

Describe and assess the listener's experience of two different Assignment - 2

Describe and assess the listener's experience of two different composition or two performances of the same composition - Assignment Example William’s version waits for the strumming of guitar and then opens with ‘Moon River’ (Williams, 2010). His opening is not sad at all, Sinatra’s opening bears a sad connotation to it. Sinatra’s version does not have the strumming sound that creates a happy mood in William’s performance. There are plucking sounds with the ‘pick’ of the guitar that turn to flamingo style at 17 seconds into the song. The melody of the two performances is different from each other. Sinatra’s song has acoustics and strings to create the melody (Sinatra, 2011). William’s song has acoustics but lighter strings to create the same effect (Williams, 2010). The strumming is constant with the melody while Sinatra’s version has different style of guitar playing, strumming of Spanish guitar is almost absent from it. William’s performance enters into that energetic loud voice at about 40 seconds into the song with the line ‘I’m going your way’ (Williams, 2010). The beginning of the song ‘Moon River’ is different from Sinatra’s version as the first word Moon has a high tone and then a low tone of River to complement the happy strumming of the guitar. Sinatra says out both words out loud but with the sad tone, that gives the feeling of isolation. The performance by Andy William has more harmony than Sinatra’s. There are two occasions when a choir like harmonious backup vocals are added to William’s voice (Williams, 2010). Frank Sinatra sings the whole song alone. The pitch, tone, notes and chords sing in unison, Sinatra’s version has more variation in it, which adds to the mystery of the song. The ‘vertical part’ of the song is evident in William’s version. It is different from the melodic line. On a similar note, the counterpoint is very small to detect and distinguish from the harmony in William’s song. Sinatra’s version does not have the counter point. The musical form of the two songs is almost

Bank of America or McDonalds Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bank of America or McDonalds - Case Study Example This is because they help the organization in achieving several objectives. This includes planning and executing functions such as marketing. Talent management program has aided the expansion of the bank in America. This has made the management of the bank tap the best talent from the market. According to Goldsmith & Carter (2010), the bank has been successful because their talent management plan facilitates the training of employees. In the plan, several principles have assisted in devising a comprehensive program for succession at the bank. Goldsmith & Carter (2010,) assert that the implementation of the program led to the growth of the bank. Indeed, the management engaged in consultations prior to designing programs that helped in equipping employees with skills necessary for enhancing growth at the institution. The bank devised a seven-point program that emphasized the importance of leadership at the helm of the organization. According to the plan, the transition of roles happens at the departmental level. This handled leadership dilemmas that led to the fall of competitor banks. The bank survived by recognizing diversity in populations when designing programs that tap talent. The institution believes that success is a combination of stratagem that taps the potential of different employees (Lawler, 2008). The human resource department designed phases for tapping talent into the firm. Initially, they recruited the best from the job market. Thereafter, they collaborated with firms that assisted in designing programs for recruiting the best. The management succeeded in their ventures because they sought advice from professional bodies and reputable recruitment agencies (Lawler, 2008). The selection process ensured that members selected to fit in the organization.

'The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very Essay

'The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right and were it l - Essay Example Press became a part of the commercial community in America (Conboy, 2002, p. 43). Sensationalism over the facts was a method by which readership of the newspapers was increased and also played a significant role in modifying public opinion. â€Å"Yellow Journalism† became an important style of reporting (U.S. Diplomacy and Yellow Journalism, 1895-1898, n.d.). This paper deals with the question â€Å"how important were newspapers in the United States in the 19th  century?† Social changes in Europe: Its validity in the context of contemporary USA The Nineteenth century saw the birth of a new Europe. Political and social changes occurred within the system of the continent and this change involved the common mass. The working class of the European countries was subjected to the ruling patriarchal system in which the government decided the right and wrong for the society. The population of each country was treated as subjects who were considered incapable of taking decisio ns and maximizing their own profits. The government took decisions for them that a father would take decision for his child. These decisions were imposed upon them from the outside and maximized the benefit of the government. This pattern of system was questioned with the onset of Liberalism in Europe. Changes in relationship between the government and its people The change in the social system made provisions for the commoners to read and write. They were given access to newspapers which helped them to get elaborate information about the happenings in the society. The common people got the chance to enter the political system and started to have access to political tracts. The establishment of the railways enabled the people to move from one place to another. This was a huge turning point. The freedom of movement of the people across different places allowed them to change their patrons and take employment from the employers of their own choice. In a nut shell, the commoners learnt to safeguard their own interests, make decisions of their own and would not again be subjected to the patriarchal system of government (Hamerow, 1983, p. 119). Edward Carrington was â€Å"a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1786 to 1788† (â€Å"Jefferson’s preference for â€Å"newspapers without government† over â€Å"government without newspapers†, 1787) sent by Thomas Jefferson. In this convention were the delegates that came from the colonies that later constituted the body to govern the United States of America. During this time, Jefferson expressed the importance of the press and its existence to Carrington in one of his letters. He emphasized â€Å"that every man should receive those papers & be capable of reading them† (â€Å"Jefferson’s preference for â€Å"newspapers without government† over â€Å"government without newspapers†, 1787). Jefferson would prefer to have efficient newspapers without a government in the country. The newspapers would act as effective mode of communication and transfer of information which were the most important necessities for having a stable nation. In his strong opinion, if the government becomes inattentive towards the interests of the public, they become exploitative and the commoners are subjected to exploitation. In this context, it has been aptly described that â€Å"man is the only animal which devours his own kind† (Amendment I (Speech and Press), 1787) and the poor becomes the prey of the richer classes. His radical insights probed into the character of the government and

Gender Stereotyping In The Media Media Essay

Gender Stereotyping In The Media Media Essay Gender stereotyping is a popular technique that the media employs to generalize female or male traits and personalities. Even though, such action by the media may depict elements of inequality, it is still a popular phenomenon practiced by the media today. These attempts endeavor to identify the sexes based on their consumption patterns, attitudes and socialization. For instance, a female identity is attributed to fashion, design and consumption of sugary products like chocolate. Nevertheless, gender stereotyping has its positive impacts to the society. This paper endeavors analyze gender stereotyping in the media with a view of realizing the causes, effects and best approaches to enhance gender equality through the media. The research will be conducted majorly among media houses or company putting weight on gender stereotyping. An extensive review of the contents the media houses have aired over the years will be critically analyzed to have an idea of the gender stereotypic representations, and present position in the market. Literature review Media images and stereotyping Today, viewers and listeners of the media houses are bombarded by the information they receive. Over the years, such information has shaped views on female or male roles in our society. This information is exposed to children and adults whether they are willing or unwilling, yet may represent stereotypic messages. It is clear the media has a significant impact in shaping the mindset and expectations of a whole generation. As indicated by Durham Douglas (2006), gender stereotypic in the media is a debatable topic that its impacts is traced to childhood appraising based on media representation on the expected traits, personality and attributes of a male or female behavior. Stereotyping by the media is about perceived representation of the products and services gender inclination. In addition, it also represents the social interaction of gender in bringing a different meaning to the same product. The media, therefore, tries to put concrete concepts, attachments and thoughts in the viewers minds on shaping their behavior. Stereotyping representation is a sense-making process that is shaped by the media is various distinctive ways that eventually define the system. For instance, gender issues are organized in different ways in TV shows, adverts and pornography among others (Durham Douglas, 2006). Stereotyping This paper approaches Stereotyping as an imperfect debatable issue that needs to be observed from different perspectives. Gender stereotyping in the media, therefore, involves sharing pictures, advertising, plate printing etc. with a view of providing distinct identifiable behavior among genders that support dominant ideologies. Stereotyping has its negative and positive effects in the society. Among the benefits of media stereotyping are: easily identifiable categories of male and female sexes, help predict behavior in a world that is increasingly growing complex and reaffirm traditional cultural ideologies that define appropriate gender behavior (Matthews, 2007 p. 123). Gender stereotyping in the media has been persistent because of the embedded kernel of truth that stereotypic notions hold a percentage of truth in the real world. In essence, this might be the truth among certain groups in the world. Stereotypes are gradually experiencing a revolution in light of an increasingly globalized world that integrates the cultures and peoples behavior from all corners of the earth. When such change takes place, a uniquely fresh stereotype emerges such as the supermom. Interrelationship exists between the perceptual process in stereotypic illustrations and the linguistic process. These two processes stereotypic thinking exhibit a sense of connection in the likelihood that personal perception is involved. According to Matthews (2007), this means that stereotypes have narrow thinking while lessen the possibility of biasness when portrayed by the media. This is popularly referred to as terministic screen. Therefore, the media are a significant element in the t opic of stereotyping. In fact, first media communications entail individual characterization based on gender such as female make-homes while men are largely dealing with complex tasks like construction work. Other than the advantages mentioned above, stereotyping has a number of negative consequences. Among disadvantages of gender stereotyping in the media are oversimplification of individual personality in groups and hasty assumptions leads to irrelevance in other situations. In addition, stereotyping leads to prejudice and discrimination among groups and hinders equal access to opportunities and resources. Other negative effects of stereotyping are pressures to live up to society ideals and opposed stereotypes bind gender along masculine and feminine behavior (Durham Douglas, 2006). The stereotypic masculine and feminine bound elucidate that men are supposed to be independent, have authority, breadwinners and be aggressors. On the other hand, women are supposed to be dependent, incompetent, caregivers, victims or sex objects etc. The media reports are filled with gender stereotypes as seen in programs such as drama. This content is based on traditionally accepted character, as well as society vices that are classified between genders. Nevertheless, the media have a significant impact to children and adults in determining acceptable behavior. Such stereotypes need to be assessed to deduce the reality. According to Matthews (2007), the media as a medium of communication conveys subtle, yet critical sub-textual information about gender, other than its content. To this extent, the contents and relationships are divided among the axioms of gender. Some hidden information differs, however, gives the implications that men are more aggressive, interesting as well as visible when compared to women. Women are considered to be objects of the male gender. The media stereotypes tend to control their best interest at the expense of gender equality. For instance, they may send stereotypic messages enable them make money. As such, advertisement and TV programs tend to be conservative and repeat past formulas with the sole purpose of making a large audience. Therefore, today gender stereotyping in the media may not be the exact representation of reality. In this context, there a large content between old and new stereotypes that are confusing. This paper will seek to assess gender stereotyping in the media focusing on images and pictures that attribute the topic. For instance, the female or male presentation, the products used to represents gender, the audience being targeted as well as what the media talks about gender roles and behavior. According to Andrea Press (1989), gender equality has become a social debate that attracts terrains of struggle between men and women. This also points to the cultural power between the male and female as assumed in the society. Therefore, this paper will seek to identify the ideologies of gender assumed by the society over the years with reference to the content reproduced by the media. Nonetheless, prior literature on this topic suggests that stereotyped representation of gender by the media is natural and attempt to justify gender roles naturally. Agenda Setting, gatekeeping or cultivation theory Many people think the media reports what is most relevant. However, according to Bittner (2000) the media merely relays or dramatizes information that reflects the importance in the minds of the audience. Many times the audiences observe just what seems to be necessary, but may not be relevant in reality. As suggested by Bittner (2000), media create an agenda for the audience based on their own preferences and interests. This is called the agenda theory. The gatekeeping theory suggests that the media airs anything based on their selection of what is necessary in relation to the thoughts of the audience about what does not appear. In this regard, gender stereotyping by the media is on what is represented. The real issue is the depiction of women and men in stereotypical ways. This illustrates that gender stereotyping by the media is a reflection of cultural tradition. Whatever the society deems are of importance is probably what the media will report. In addition, reviews about daytime talk shows unveil womens genre of programs. Most talk shows discuss issues about women, as opposed to men. However, the real question is the importance of the discussion or the show to the audience. If the discussions are important to the audience then it is considered a reality, however, if the media decides to show contents based on company preferences, it sets the agenda for the audience. The latter is clearly stereotyping in the media. The third is the cultivation theory, which proposes that the media cultivates perception among the audience. This means that the media makes mass communication especially through the television about a distorted perception in the society. As suggested by Malgorzata (2011), the audience tends to think that the real situations are as the way they are represented in the films, advertisement or television. Although part of the media reported is a representation of the reality, it is not fully-realistic. For instance, Gerbner and his business partners discovered that individuals who watch television news too much always think there is more violence in the world than it really is. Such an audience tends to think along peace and violence lines, but the reality is quite different. Another illustration is when many audiences anticipate romantic relationships to look like those in the films and television. The truth is that many relationships are not, rather there are many relationships that h ave problems and end up in breakups. This is because media representation is not just the reality but, it does not depict the set period. Generalization and simplification of gender by the media Indeed the topic of gender stereotyping has increasingly elicited attention from many groups of interest. Consciously or unconsciously, the community absorbed the notion of gender stereotypes through socialization which was stirred by media discussions and advertisements among others. Most generalizations or simplification based on cultural ideologies represent false thoughts of reality and have positive and negative impacts. The media reveal gender stereotypic differences through the depiction of the female character as thin and inclined to tender beauty. The male characters are portrayed as strong and independent with little concern about fashion or beauty. The generalization of women in the media as being objectified has been pronounced in the media adverts, programs and discussions for long. With the gap between men and women roles slimming, the media stereotypes towards gender have the same effect on both genders. The abundant slimming adverts and discussion have serious consumes self-conceptualization, uniqueness as well as gender values. Adverts are popular and its repetitions through the media make them the most powerful tools on information in the society. As such, advertisements have a fundamental contribution to the cause of stereotypic problems as they foster a society that sells womens bodies as acceptable and short and less masculine men as inferior. As such, these individuals feel overstretched to conform to the general justification of an acceptably lovely man or woman. In fact, many women and men are forced to go to great lengths to alter their physique in an attempt to fit in the media-perceived environment. Therefore, their mindset is subjected to perceive their faces as masks while their bodies are objects. This is because changes to ones face or body imply augmentation as well as disguise. The case is worse for a female audience since they are advised to internalize the reported information based on the perspective of their own physique or attributes. This perception does not include attention to other invisible attributes like emotional feelings and inner bodily states. This illustrates objectification of gender. Studies indicate that advertisements tend to objectify women body and beauty, as opposed to men. Men is popular in selling merchandise while the females are portrayed to that pronounces their sexuality. Traditional setting on gender-objectification plays a role to associate the female gender with their personal traits. As such, enables one to assess the value of their personality or traits based on these stereotypes. Eventually, one should be able to control his or her assoc iation. As such, their actions are a result of presumptions that leave them preoccupied in effect called self-objectification (Malgorzata, 2011). Hypothesis (H) The literature review in this paper sheds enough light for the researcher to come up with the following hypothesis that the study will seek to realize. H1: Media reports represents their own agenda that tends to distort perception along gender lines rather than the reality This means that the media makes mass communication especially through the television about a distorted perception in the society. As such, the audience tends to think that the real situations are as the way they are represented in the films, advertisement or television. The truth is that many relationships are not, rather there are many relationships that have problems and end up in breakups. This is because media representation is not just the reality but, it does not depict the set period. H2: Gender stereotyping in the media significantly affects the patterns of life between men and female Stereotyping by the media is about perceived representation of the products and services gender inclination. In addition, it also represents the social interaction of gender in bringing a different meaning to the same product. As such, female and males will have different preferences of products and services, yet in reality the product is unisex. H3: Gender stereotyping in the media is a continuous process since a new stereotype reemerges every day Stereotypes are gradually experiencing a revolution in light of an increasingly globalized world that integrates the cultures and peoples behavior from all corners of the earth. When such change takes place, a uniquely fresh stereotype emerges such as the supermom. Interrelationship exists between the perceptual process in stereotypic illustrations and the linguistic process. These two processes stereotypic thinking exhibit a sense of connection in the likelihood that personal perception is involved. Methodology The research will be conducted majorly among media houses or company putting weight on gender stereotyping. First data will be collected from the media companies. This will comprise of secondary data such as video, pictures advertisement and program reviews. This will be through analysis of the media promotional strategies, financial information from advertisements and programs, general presentation of content, together with the marketing goals and objectives with regard to gender stereotyping. Thereafter, the researcher shall move to unrecorded data, this will involve holding the interview with various employees and company stakeholders of the media houses. As suggested by Durham, Douglas, (2006) these interviews will be carried out through online, face to face and offline methods. It is worth noting that all the interview information shall be gauged under one footing. Further, the research shall move to the external environment involving the audience, customers, external stakehold ers and the competitor analysis. Analysis and interpretation The data collected will be analyzed. Analysis will involve going through the secondary documents and primary data collected in an attempt harmonize the information. Analysis will involve patterns, correlation and identify trends in gender stereotyping. In addition, the analysis will also cut across examination of phallic symbols, yonic symbols. As such, the research will table a number of approaches to strategies to come up with the best strategy that will reveal stereotypes that are negative and positive. The analysis of this study will be based on justification of gender ideologies as covered in the literature review (Matthews, 2007). Therefore, the study will be based on stereotypical mythic structure that represents gender stereotyping in the media today. The researcher will focus on determining underlying predispositions about gender attributes as espoused in Jungian archetypes. Much concentration will be channeled to media representation of femininity and masculinity. Timeline and Reporting The research will involve sources both from the general population, media content, and journals and on online surveys carried about the gender stereotyping in the media. The online survey will target the products that allow consumers to access online services. The concrete conclusions obtained can be used to review the information targeted to the audience along stereotypic contexts (Malgorzata, 2011). Interviews may be carried out through the website either by exchanging emails or by even live chats with some of the products consumers and audiences as well as media houses. This is a convenient way to reach out to the majority of the populations who have access to the online services and media content via their mobile handsets. This can be achieved by expressing interest to question some audiences online. If they happen to have seen the advertisement of products those interested will respond to the article, there might be a series of simple questions upon which will guide the respondents to the real questionnaire. This helps avoid jokers who may not be willing to give any information towards the research. The topic should be posted so that readers will evaluate it and decide whether to assist with the answers or not. The research will be conducted for three months. The data collected will be used to identify all the research objectives and link with responses received from online and offline interviews carried out by the researcher.

The Glamorization Of Heroin :: essays research papers

The Glamorization of Heroin Celebrities and popular culture in society have glamorized the deadly drug heroin today. The status of heroin in America today is that the drug is "in." Advertisements in magazines and television are displaying gaunt, extremely thin, glassy-eyed, pale faced models. This look of death is often found in Calvin Klein ads or even in Packard-Bell commercials. For over three decades now, powerful role models from music to movies have taken to heroin like pigs take to slop. The drug continues to be portrayed in a favorable light by the fashion, music, and entertainment industries. Mixed messages about heroin are everywhere from raccoon eyed models to songs such as "Heroin Girl" by Everclear. Rock musicians have created and celebrated a culture of heroin, and some have become role models in their death. The use of heroin is increasing in almost every part of the United States. All age groups are all over the drug, including high school and middle school students. What doesn't help is that the availability of heroin has increased as well. New sources and networks of distribution have been reported. The comeback of heroin is not only apparent in the inner cities; it has been making its way to suburban life as well. Another way to tell that the use of heroin is on the rise is by the number of emergency room visits that deal with heroin users. In 1990 there was 33,000 emergency department visits nationally where heroin use was involved. By the year 1995 the number had more than doubled to 76,000. In the mid-1980's about ten percent of patient population was identified as being IV drug users. Now, the number is up to about twenty percent. (Source # 4, Gabor Kelen, Professor of Emergency Medicine in the School of Medicine and director of Hopkins Emergency room). What are the causes of this heroin obsession? Some say it could Hollywood's apparent fascination with the drug. Heroin has been a theme in several recent movies. From Trainspotting, to The Basketball Diaries, and even greater hits like Pulp Fiction, heroin is the subject matter. People think that since the movie was so great, maybe their life will be great as well. The "heroin chic" approach taken by photographers is another major cause. Also, all the media attention "heroin chic" gets by the press is a factor causing more people to notice the look of death trend. On May 21, 1997, President Bill Clinton addressed the U.

Field Trip Report to Jtmc Library

Field Trip Report to JTMC Library Johor Technical Matriculation College (JTMC), Pontian 14 March 2013 Introduction The purpose of this field trip is to look at existing conditions and facilities available at Johor Technical Matriculation College (JTMC) library. Apart from that the trip was also intended to discuss possible improvements that can be suggested to the management of the library. Johor Technical Matriculation College (JTMC) built on the site of the Rambah Village, Rimba Terjun Reuters in Pontian.It is one of the 13 Matriculation College under the auspices of the Matriculation Division, Ministry of Education to prepare students for further studies at any of the local universities and abroad. The college began operating on 11 May 2009, and can accommodate up to 700 students in certain time. The college is located near to the Pontian town and surrounded by large cities such as Batu Pahat and Johor Bahru. JTMC Library is a knowledge center which provides reference materials an d information for learning throughout the matriculation program.JTMC Library officially began operations on 1St January 2010 with a collection of 4,156 copies of the book. The mission is contributed to the excellence of knowledge in science and technology through improved access to sources of knowledge, access and distribution and spread accurate and effective info. Meanwhile, the vision is to be the superior knowledge center among technical matriculation by 2015. The motto of JMTC library is ‘Your Information Hub' and it has 4 main objectives which are provide information services to all library users.Secondly, effectively manage the library in line with the needs of teaching, learning, and development of JTMC. Then, promoting information services to citizens of JTMC and cultivate a culture of knowledge among JTMC citizens towards excellence in science and technology. Field observation Apart from collection storage center, resource center also plays a role in providing inform ation services package to support the process of learning and research at the Johor Technical Matriculation College. This is essential to achieve the mission of the college to provide the creative talent and innovative in the field of science and technology.Classification system that has been adopted is in accordance with the Dewey Decimal Classification System. Besides that, the library management use the system software Library Management System for borrowing process, returns, renewals and library databases. At this time JTMC Library led by the Director of Johor Technical Matriculation College which is Tuan Zaidi Bin Yazid and has the strength of 4 staff to lead the library operations. The JTMC Library consisting of Librarian, Administrative Assistant and have two Office Assistant.However, there is still a gap to fill the position of Assistant Library Officer and Assistant Librarian. Library operating hours on Monday to Friday is at 8 am to 5 pm on the day and 8. 30 pm to 11. 00 p m at the night. Meanwhile, during the weekends the library operating on the day only, which is from 10. 00 am to 5. 00 pm. Along with the development of technology resource center has also launched a digital collection consists of newspaper clippings, newsletters and abstract content review / article which can be accessed through the Johor Technical Matriculation College (JTMC) portal.Throughout this observation, I can see some weakness of this library and have been thinking about some solutions to the problem. First, the number of staff during operating hours should be added and all the empty position should be filled. In addition, with the availability of adequate staff then the opening hours can be extended. Thirdly, books should be up to date and increase the number of reference books for critical subject. Then, library environment should be more interesting and ideal for carry out various college activities.Conclusion It is obvious that library plays a major role in ensuring st udent academic success. Therefore it is important for the library to provide the best service to satisfy customer needs. From my experiences Johor Technical Matriculation College (JTMC) library can be one of the best library among other library when able to meet the demands of all users. APPENDICES [pic] Picture 1 : Main building of Johor Technical Matriculation College (JTMC) [pic] Picture 2 : Main entrance of Johor Technical Matriculation College (JTMC) Library

International Management International Business Plan Analysis

International Management International Business Plan Analysis Introduction The recent wave of globalization has transformed business operations on global scale. International businesses have been compelled to modify their products and services as well as management strategies to enable them meet the needs of this modern generation. As such, the banking industry has not been spared at all.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International Management: International Business Plan Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, unlike the traditional trend when banks only concentrated in offering commercial services, modern banking calls for diversification of services to include investment, insurance and pension plans, underwriting securities and portfolio management. On the same note, although Citibank enjoys enormous branch network globally, it has been equally trapped in this mayhem. As a result, the bank has put in place strategies to improve its international presence by expanding into emerging markets. On the same note, product diversification has also been employed by the bank as one of the expansion strategies. Citibank prides itself in the history of international banking for being the oldest operator to venture in international marketing (Deloitte, 2006, p. 14). The company was established in New York way back in 1812. However, it began its international operations in 1902 having been elevated to position of the largest bank in United States banking industry (Cleveland Huertas, 1985, p. 112). It commenced its initial international presence by investing in Asian markets in countries like Manila and Shanghai (Zweig Wriston, 1995, pp. 74-82). The expansion was rapid and heightened by major acquisitions of already established banks such as International Banking Corporation in 1918 and other subsequent mergers with Farmer’s loan and trust company. Hence, by 1929, Citibank had already assumed sterling position in international banking (Clev eland Huertas, 1985, p. 112). It is imperative to mention that Citibank operated under different names until 1980s when it adopted its current name (Zweig Wriston, 1995, pp. 74). Moreover, in 1998, it started operating under Citigroup Inc. and it is under this umbrella that the bank has grown to be a giant player in international banking. It has always remained ahead of competition as illustrated in the figure below (Grosse, 2003, p. 24). Figure 1. Citigroup Major Competitors for the last 20 yearsAdvertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Definitely, the path to Citibank’s success has not been easy. However, the road ahead is not smooth at all as international banking sector becomes more complex due to numerous globalization challenges and opportunities (Ammann, Gemes Lenzhofer, 2010, p. 4). The effects of globalization which have been more pronounced in the 21st century have attracted new challenges for businesses since they have to keep up with the trend to avoid being redundant in the contemporary banking world (Hufner, Metzger Reichenstein, 2000, p. 66). The latest technology in the banking sector has facilitated identification of new market segments, development of customized services as well as opportunities for capturing new markets (Kim, 2010, p. 46). However, the same technological innovation has attracted its own share of management challenges (Kim, 2010, p. 48). Citibank is not an exception in the sense that despite its success stories in the past, the new era might bring devastating outcomes. It is against this background that this insightful analysis was conducted with an aim of establishing challenges of international banking in 21st century. Moreover, this paper provides the much needed business plan guidelines that may enable Citibank to survive amidst myriad of challenges likely to be faced international banking. Study meth od To facilitate the success of this case study, data was collected from credible secondary sources which included authentic websites, books, financial magazines and reputable financial consulting companies’ reports and the justification of each source is explained below. Euromoney –this is very resourceful for this case study because of its long standing reputation in financial publications focusing on the banking industry Datamonitor- is a company that specializes in businesses analysis in six key industry sectors such as health, technology, automotive, energy, consumer markets and financial services Wall street journal and financial news magazine are also reputable for their objectivity in business reporting. Emerald and Ebsco Host online databases provide recent peer reviewed articles on all subjects and hence they are very relevant in this case study. World Bank and OECD journal (financial markets trends) are very relevant for this case study because these report s cover diverse global issues. Booz company, a leading consulting firm on management issues with a high reputation in financial analysis. Citibank is also very insightful especially the Investment research and analysis section which provides current reports about the organization performs across all regions. Organizational Analysis – Citibank products and Services Citibank operates under the wide umbrella of a giant financial services company known as Citigroup (Grosse, 2003, p, 16). The company offers consumer and corporate banking services via wide network of over 1,700 branches which are spread worldwide in over 100 countries (Datamonitor. 2004, p. 4).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on International Management: International Business Plan Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These branches are interlinked via strong electronic system and ATMs as well as the World Wide Web. The company is headquartere d in New York. It is further subdivided into sub brands such as Citicorp Investment services, Citiphone Banking and CitiTerm life insurance to facilitate smooth delivery of wide array of services. Citibank mostly concentrates on banking, lending and investment services. It serves wide range of clientele ranging from individual consumers, institutional and individual investors, large corporations and governments to small businesses (Datamonitor. 2004, p. 6). In order to facilitate delivery of the above services, the company has streamlined its operation under three major sectors namely personal finance, small business and corporate/institutional sector. However, most of these products and services tend to overlap across the different sectors. For instance, insurance and credit cards are available across the three sectors. As highlighted above, Citibank is rigorously branded and each of the brands offers wide range of selected products and services. The Citicorp investment services of fers basic banking accounts and investment services such as mortgages and asset management. The banking accounts are further subdivided into savings, checking and college savings categories. Checking accounts are very flexible and they offer different rates depending on the average balance under each category. Therefore, customers have an opportunity to select a checking account within their reach (Grosse, 2003, p, 16). Similarly, the savings account also varies in terms of interest earned and Citibank encourages their customers to maintain large balance by paying attractive interests to big savers. The college savings account allows parents to deposit money for their children until they reach college level of education whereby the amount is paid in installments (Datamonitor. 2004, p. 4). On the same note, CitiTerm Life insurance specializes in business and personal insurance while CitiPhone Banking enables its consumers to access banking services via phones (Datamonitor. 2004, p. 4 ). However, Citibank card division is much diversified and offers quite a number of credit card solutions to businesses and individuals. This credit card services is one of the Citibank’s strongest point and they have diversified them to incorporate each and every need of their diverse customer base. The card services falls under three subcategories namely college, value and reward cards. The most popular are value cards since they offer low interest rate of 11.24 % (Datamonitor. 2004, p. 6).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More On the other hand, reward cards charge slightly higher interest rate of 14.24% but it has numerous benefits to consumers through the various reward schemes that are earned depending on frequency of usage. The college cards category offers students wide range of credit cards to choose from such as Citi Dividend Platinum and Citi Platinum Select. Each of the cards attracts myriad of benefits and opportunities to users (Citi, 2011b, par.4). Consequently, Citibank has realized significant role of internet to business and by so doing they have embraced online banking services whereby consumers are able to access wide range of their services without the need for physical contact (Datamonitor. 2004, p. 4). Through their effective website, Citibank.com, consumers are able to apply for various Citi Cards, open and access accounts among other functions (Datamonitor. 2004, p. 4). As mentioned above, Citibank originated in the United States. Besides operating in the U.S, domestic market its pre sence is greatly felt in other parts with most of its operations being concentrated in Asia markets such as china, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore and Philippines (Gkoutzini, 2005, p.23). In addition, it has several branches in Europe. Latin America, Middle East and Africa and also its growth vision is to expand in emerging markets in these regions (Citi, 2011b, par.5). International Market Analysis The fact that Citibank presence is felt in over 100 countries indicates that it enjoys a wide market share in international banking. However, a SWOT analysis is necessary to portray the extent to which its strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats affect its business operations within the international market. Strengths Weaknesses Global network Innovative product offering Citigroup support Tarnished brand name Branding problems Online operations restrictive to US clientele Opportunities Threats Emerging markets Chinese and Asian markets Online presence Click C iti Foreign exchange fluctuations Regulatory forces Market conditions Strengths Citibank operations in over 100 countries has given the organization a competitive edge in global arena and also cushioned it against huge losses in case of financial turmoil in any of its representative region (Datamonitor. 2004, p. 6). In addition, Citibank has undue advantage over its rivals because of its huge capital base under the umbrella of Citigroup. Hence management at Citibank is capable of taking huge investment risks (Datamonitor. 2004, p. 8). Similarly, Citibank innovative product offering has enabled it to remain ahead of its competitors because specifically tailored products attract large number of consumers (Citi, 2011b, par. 3). Weaknesses Recently, Citigroup, the umbrella under which Citibank operates, has been accused of wrongful practices leading to severe tarnishing of its brand. This negative perception is likely to drift away investors especially from its investment servi ces since they fear negative outcome from the ongoing law suit (Bianco Timmons, 2002, p. 38). Similarly, Citibank needs to expand its online presence beyond United States in order to compliment physical branch operations worldwide (Bianco Timmons, 2002, p. 42). Past failures in website branding has also cost the organization whereby it relentlessly attempted to sell the company under a different online brand name (Timmons, 2002, par, 8). Opportunities Citibank interest in emerging markets has enabled it to become a pioneer in highly profitable but risky markets such as Moscow and this has given it a strategic positioning advantage (Dennis, 2010, par. 6). However, the Chinese market which is on a fast lane towards becoming fully liberalized presents the best opportunity for Citibank although it is yet to make any significant impact in this market largely due to tight government regulations (Busch, 2009, p. 86). In spite of the increasing tendency towards online shopping, credit car d holders are still reluctant to provide their card details to online vendors (Mullineux Murinde, 2003, p. 70). Therefore, in order to encourage usage of its credit cards for online transactions, Citibank has come up with Click Citi option that enables one to pay online without keying in confidential card details (Citi, 2011b, par. 12). Threats Economic instability following the 2007 financial crisis in the United States has created uncertainties among investors thus negatively affecting financial institutions (Busch, 2009, p. 86). This has lead to fluctuation in foreign exchange rates. As such, Citibank, being a global financial institution, is likely to be hard hit by this fluctuation. Interest rates have also dived thus impacting Citibank profits negatively. For instance, foreign exchange fluctuations in Argentina and Brazil led to substantial losses at Citibank (Datamonitor. 2004, p. 8). In addition, over the recent years, market conditions have not been conducive and the deter iorating financial performance is indeed clear evidence. To make matters worse, strict regulations in consumer banking industry are hurting banks negatively (Gkoutzini, 2005, p. 8). For instance, regulations put a cap on the amount of interests that loans are supposed to earn of which failure to comply might attract far reaching consequences (Mullineux Murinde, 2003, p. 74). Foreign entry in emerging markets In spite of the above challenges, the future looks bright for Citibank if it takes the big leap towards investing in emerging markets in Asia and Middle East. According to Wilkinson (2011, par, 12), Citibank has embarked on massive recruitment drive to hire managers for the new branches that are yet to be opened in Asia and Middle East. Other banks such as Barclays, HSBC, Goldman Sachs and JP Morga have also followed similar trend in preparation for new expansion to Asia-Pacific region. These two markets are quite promising due to recent discovery of potential benefits in Islam ic banking (Divanna, 2007, p. 66). In addition, although these regions are also experiencing spill over effects of financial crisis, there is still some possibility of rebound and subsequent growth. Therefore, reaching out for these customers might prove to be profitable in the near future (Weldon, 1998, p. 46). However, Citibank has to be a bit cautious even as it enters these markets via private banking brand and introduce investment services on a later date (Wilkinson, 2011, par, 8). According to Yuksel (2010, p. 24), private banking services are highly resilient and are able to withstand economic turmoil as evidenced in continued profitability of private banks amidst current economic downturn. International Challenges Volatility of emerging markets As epitomized above, emerging markets present the best opportunity for Citibank to invest during this period of economic downturn. According to Citi (2011a, par 6), emerging markets offer greater potential for growth as compared to ad vanced economies. According to Dennis (2011, p. 5), emerging markets refer to developing countries that are experiencing above average economic growth rate which is fueled by rapid infrastructural development and large populations that provide cheap labor. Economists’ forecasts indicate that emerging markets will recover from economic down turn faster than core economies in the current year (Citigroup Inc. 2011, par, 5). A recent survey by International monetary Fund highlighted a huge disparity between core economies and emerging markets growth rate whereby in 2001 they grew by 2.2% and 6.4% respectively (Dennis, 2011, par, 8). Therefore, markets such as Central Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa will present the best opportunity for Citibank to invest. Nevertheless, emerging markets should be approached with caution because they are deemed to be very volatile (Jaffer, 2004, p. 8). Mikdashi (2001, p. 112) underscores that although past political instability and lack of t ransparency in emerging markets is slowly fading away especially in large markers like China and India, caution is still needed while venturing in these markets. Therefore, prior research is necessary to determine the volatility risk. This implies that investment managers will have an uphill task establishing whether any venture in emerging markets has potential for profitability or not. Operational Inefficiency due to limited technology in emerging markets Operations in emerging markets especially in Africa will be greatly hindered by too much paper work that reduces efficiency (Clacher et al., 2006, p. 112). This may be due to limitations in technological advancement which has been a persistent problem in African emerging markets. Clacher et al. (2006, p. 112) further underscore that paper transactions are very costly and also tend to expose banks to transactional errors and deliberate frauds. Moreover, due to lags in settlement of cheques and drafts business liquidity is highly c onstrained leading to increased operation risks. Human resource management challenges in highly technological era Over the recent years, employees have been regarded as the most important asset for organizational growth and success (Smith, 2007, p. 130). In banking industry, employees are equally important due to the fact that it is a service industry whereby customers have very high expectations. A cursory look at the new trend of online banking might despise the role of employees in service delivery. Nonetheless, Gkoutzini (2005, p. 8) expounds that they are still critical in facilitating online banking success. According to Citigroup Inc. (2011, par, 5), online consumers have very high expectations and unmet expectations may lead to organizational failure unlike in traditional banking whereby customers can blame an employee. Therefore, the challenge today is how to keep the IT staff on their toes so that they can be more vigilant to avoid service failure. In addition, these emplo yees need to be extra vigilant to protect customers from internet fraud. Otherwise, Citibank might end up losing considerable market share (Gkoutzini, 2005, p. 8) International Business Strategy (Planning): Investment plan for emerging markets In spite of high volatile nature of emerging markets, it is imperative to note that benefits outweigh possible risks if the business plan outlined below can be adopted. Furthermore, neither the core economies nor emerging markets can guarantee 100% return on investment if the recent debt crisis in Europe is anything to go by (The Committee on the Global Financial System, 2010, p.6). To begin with, pooled investment strategy is the best due to minimal risks involved. Citibank bank can merger with existing financial services provider in these emerging marketing and run a joint mutual fund entity (Gkoutzini, 2005, p. 8). Moreover, Citibank investment division might consider investing in Exchange Traded Fund which is usually invested via internati onal brokerage service. The latter is another option of pooled investment. However, it is crucial to mention that the latter move is rather risky due to the high volatile nature of stock markets. Introduce modern banking where absent Citibank has recorded success in implementation of modern banking equipments to facilitate transactions in core and some emerging economies (Citigroup Inc. 2011, par, 5). The same strategy can be adopted in emerging markets where such services are absent. However, great care should be taken to avoid locking out significant clientele who may be unable to use modern technological equipments (Gkoutzini, 2005, p. 8). Most importantly, security concerns should be taken into consideration while adopting modern internet banking (Gkoutzini, 2005, p. 12). Needless to say, such a strategy will facilitate business operations by increasing efficiency and subsequent reduction in transaction errors and fraud. Integrate human asset with technology In this era of globa lization, technology will play significant role in business operations and performance (Citigroup Inc., 2011, par, 5). According to Deloitte (2006, p. 14), banks should strive to reconnect with their customers through a combination of technology and personal service (The Committee on the Global Financial System, 2010, p.6). This implies that employees are still significant in spite of the major shift towards online banking. Although technology is the main resources for performance optimization, full implementation will require huge capital base (Busch, 2009, p. 86). To reduce cost, banks should consider entering into global partnerships on technology in an attempt to reduce initial costs (Gkoutzini, 2005, p. 8). As epitomized above, employees can either make or break online service delivery process, therefore, it is important for human resources managers to ensure that employees are motivated to carry out their duties effectively. According to Walker (2001, p. 102), employee motivat ion is anything from compensation to non-monetary benefits that makes employees loyal towards fulfilling organizational goals. Conclusion In a nutshell, Citibank is obviously a pace setter in international banking. Data collected during this analysis indicate that the bank is headed for notable success owing to its wide capital base and diverse network across the globe. However, some weaknesses still persist. Most of these weaknesses are mainly external in nature. As a critical example, it is imperative to note that businesses today are operating in a highly competitive world due to globalization which has also attracted myriad of challenges for international businesses operations. As such, Citibank interest in emerging markets appears to be an excellent initiative. However, this giant financial institution ought to approach such a move with extra caution owing to the high volatile nature of these markets. Most importantly, the management at Citibank has to come to the realization t hat employees are indeed potential assets. Better marketing strategies should be adopted to integrate latest technological platform in order to boost online marketing and banking. References Ammann, C., Gemes, A Lenzhofer, A. 2010. Private Banking: After the Perfect Storm, BoozCo. [Online] Web. Bianco, A Timmons, H. 2002. Crisis at Citi, Business Week, [Online] Web. Busch, A. 2009. Banking regulation and globalization. New York: Oxford University Press. Citi 2011a. Emerging market growth forecast for 2011, [Online] Available at  https://www.ipb.citibank.co.uk/citigold/index.htm . Citi. 2009. Major and emerging markets agent bank reviews. Web. Citi. 2011b. Our product expertise. [Online] Available at  https://www.ipb.citibank.co.uk/citigold/index.htm . Citigroup Inc. 2011. Citi Private Bank Identifies 2011 Investment Themes. Web. Clacher, I. et al. 2006. Challenges facing banking in emerging markets: A case study of the Tanzanian national payments systems. Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance, 14(1, 112 – 118. Cleveland, H. B. Huertas, T. F. 1985. Citibank, 1812-1970. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. Datamonitor. 2004. Citibank, N.A. Swot analysis. [Online] Web. Deloitte. 2006. Global banking industry outlook, growth solutions in changing world. Web. Dennis, G. 2011. Emerging market earnings: Holding up well, Citi [Online] Web. Divanna, J. A. 2007. Middle Eastern Wealth Management. London: VRL KnowledgeBank Limit. Gkoutzini, A. 2005. International Trade in Banking Services and the Role of the WTO: Discussing the Legal Framework and Policy Objectives of the General Agreement on Trade in Services and the Current State of Play in the Doha Round of Trade Negotiations. International Lawyer, 39 (4), 877-915. Grosse, R. 2003. The Challenges of Globalization for Emerging Market Firms. Latin American Business Review, 4(4), 12-32 Hufner, K., Metzger, M. Reichenstein, B. 2000. Challenges for international organizations in the 21st centu ry: essays in honor of Klaus Hà ¼fner. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Jaffer, S. 2004. Islamic asset management: forming the future for Sharia-compliant investment strategies. London: Euromoney Books. Kim, S. 2010. International banking in the New Era: Post-Crisis Challenges and opportunities. Bingley: Emerald Publishing Group. Mikdashi, Z. (ed.). 2001. Financial Intermediation in the 21st Century. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Mullineux, A. W. Murinde, V. 2003. Handbook of international banking. Cheltenham, U.K.: Edward Elgar. Smith, A. D. 2009. Internet retail banking: A competitive analysis in an increasingly financially troubled environment. Information Management Computer Security, 17(2), 127 – 150. The Committee on the Global Financial System (CGFS). 2010. Long-term issues in international banking: new report by the Committee on the Global Financial System. [Online] Available from  https://www.bis.org/publ/cgfs41.pdf Timmons, H, et al. 2002. Citis Sleepless Nights: The Bank Faces Lawsuits, Fines, and Closer Scrutiny,Business Week, [Online] Available from  https://www.bloomberg.com/europe [Accessed 23 September 2011] Walker, G. A. 2001. International banking regulation: law, policy, and practice. London: Kluwer Law International. Weldon, L. 1998. Private banking: a global perspective. Cambridge: Gresham. Wilkinson, T. L. 2011. Managers hire for emerging markets, financial news, [Online] Available from  https://www.fnlondon.com/ Yuksel, U. 2010. A Risky Mode Of Foreign Market Entry: International Portfolio Investments. Journal of Business Economics Research, 8(8), 22-32. Zweig, P. L., Wriston, W. 1995. Citibank, and the Rise and fall of American Financial Supremacy. New York, NY: Crown.

Labor Problem essays

Labor Problem essays Discussing about labor force, it would refer to every individuals that is from the outside the company or organization, which that individuals has the probability to be taken as employees to an organization. We could also say that labor force is like a pool of individuals. Labor force is considered as an external environmental factor to a company or an organization. Internal environment workers are always changing rapidly through time, meaning that people in the company will need to change or need to go through an employment rotation and movement, the organizations will need to pay more attention to the labor force environment. The labor force is considered as one of the most important external factor for the dynamic human recourse management environment. Nowadays, workforce is facing a breakthrough where there are almost all developing organizations having diversification in their structural workforce management. The diversification here means to any perceived difference among people like; age, functional specialty, profession, sexual orientation, geographic origin, lifestyle, or even position in the organization. It is the diversity managements task to ensure that factors are in place to provide for and encourage the continued development of a diverse workforce by setting the actual and perceived differences among workers in order to achieved maximum productivity. There are many aspects or components of diversification management, but here, we are not going to discuss it all, we are only focusing on diversification of immigrants. This aspect is chosen on based reason that Malaysia seems to be facing this problem lately, let us discuss on the aspect more deeply. Malaysia has been a target for immigrants from many countries around the countries, many immigrants came from countries like; Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and others. These immigrants even m ...

To merge or not to merge, that is the question. Whether it is nobler Essay

To merge or not to merge, that is the question. Whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the pains of negotiation & integratio - Essay Example A.T. Kearney noted that, despite the fact that mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activities having been associated with industrialized nations, the paradigm shift is taking effect (Kearney 2008, p.1). In this regard, Bruner (2004, p.21) reveals that as from 2002, merger deals between developed and third world countries have grown by 19 percent annually, which is far in excess of industrial average. This rate is also a clear indication that mergers are no longer a globalization strategy for developed countries only rather for developing countries, as well. The research found out that companies from third world countries such as China, India, Russia, Malaysia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates are seeking mergers with well-established companies in developed nations at an alarming rate. Kearney (2008, p.1) reveals that of the 2,168 mergers and acquisitions that were registered in 2007, 421-which accounts for about 20% were driven by firms from third world countries. The research a lso found that the trend is growing at the rate of 26 percent per annum. Research by Kearney (2008) found out that India is leading in cross-border mergers and acquisitions followed closely by Malaysia. This is attributed to the fact that the government of these two countries provides substantial tax incentives to companies to engage in high-tech business deals and enhance export. In contrast, Chinese companies have shied off M&A deals because of political interferences according to Wolff (2008, p.91). However, since China is developing very first, many companies from developed countries are seeking mergers with its domestic companies, with findings showing that at least one of every four cross-border transaction involves merger according to Harrington (2004, p.21). Nevertheless, research indicates that the U.S. companies lead in the acquisition and acquired. This dramatic increase in merger between companies as a globalization strategy has taken many people by surprising leaving ma ny companies, which have not made such a move wondering whether to merge or not to merge (Hoover 2000). This is because pundits have given varied opinions regarding mergers as a market penetration strategy. For instance, AT Kearney argues that global level mega-mergers are inevitable as part of the cycle of consolidation and concentration in globalising industries where firms seek to gain leverage and accelerate their presence. Ghemawat & Ghadar (2000, p.65), on the other hand, had a different view claiming that business leaders need to look away from mergers and be more innovative in their approach to international business. This paper will evaluate the arguments of the pro-merger and anti-merger school of thoughts. It will conclude with my personal position regarding whether mega-merger is a good or bad policy to pursue in international practice. Pro-merger school of thought To begin with, the business environment has become very competitive, and many companies today seek to globa lize their processes in order to beat the competition. In fact, many big corporations today have a global presence with those that have not gone global planning to do so as noted by McGarvey (1997). However, as earlier indicated, mergers have been on the rise over the last few year as the most preferred internationalization strategy. A.T Kearney (2008, p.1) in his school of thought argued that mega-mergers is inevitable as firms seek to leverage and become competitive. This

Scheduling apps impact on public transportation Essay

Scheduling apps impact on public transportation - Essay Example In order to bring about sanity in the transport industry, a number of applications were brought forward as a means of enhancing efficiency in the sector and improving service delivery to the customers. Some of the applications include Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar. The recent surge in scheduling apps has had a major impact on the taxi industry with benefits for the consumer; however, the applications seem to threaten the status quo of the for-hire transportation business. Based on such a perspective, this paper discusses the various attributes of the apps in the taxi industry, considering both the benefits and the threats to the different players in the industry. Since the emergence of new entrants into the industry such as Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar, there has been significant changes, especially on the structural aspects, which still operated on the mentality used decades ago (Yue, 2014). Previously, any person in need of the taxi or car services had to wait physically at one of the city streets or call on one of the taxi or car services, which would take long before making arrival. Such inconveniences significantly affected the operations of the industry, an aspect that would only be rectified by the use of new apps. As such, the different apps including Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar, made it easy for customers to use their smartphones in securing taxi and car services from any particular location. Such has significantly improved service delivery and efficiency of operation, especially for customers. However, on a different perspective, the technological changes in the transport industry have threatened some players in the industry, most especiall y those who benefited from the old infrastructural operations in the industry (Stephanidis, 2013). The scheduling apps in the transport industry with the entry of players such as Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar have had a substantive impact in the industry

Moral Skepticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Moral Skepticism - Essay Example Illness of the mind causes brain dysfunction (Graham). Graham’s view of antirealism is that the term mental and disorder are separate and must always be viewed in dualism. Mental cannot be viewed in a disorderly form since they are always arranged in a particular way. Thus, it is a state of mind function that can be used to describe how a person behaves. Moral anti-realism is the denial of the fact that mental disorders bring almost the moral change of a person. A fact that has been forwarded is that mental illness is a dualistic activity that the physicians call metaphysical scepticism. They also argue that mental illness is indefensible and thus cannot be argued against it. Therefore, an ill person will have to behave in such a way that he does not respect other people in the society (Graham). The argument is that the person’s brains are not medically fit and cannot be questioned. The state of questioning lacks because it is the brain that controls the behaviour. Given that the person mind are alright, it is the sickness of the brain that will transform a person to behave the way he or she does. Thomas Szasz argues that determining and terming a person as mentally disordered is disrespectful. Indeed. He argues that the idea demoralises their dignity as human. The reason of his argument is that the mental illness can be likened to physical illness thereby exposing the sick to various contestable experiments in terms of the values of the person. The social-political character that the person get exposed to be unfairly judged since mental disorder or sickness cannot be compared with the physical destruction of the body. The mentally ill people are thus considered as a lesser human being who do not attract respect from the society. Therefore, it is the moral procedural that they lack, but not sickness as the no medicine can be administered to restore the order of the brain. The idea is

The pros and cons of teen sex Essay Example for Free

The pros and cons of teen sex Essay Sex, or the lack there of, will always be a topic among teens. Teens date, and teens have relationships. Most of these relationships will inevitably come to a point where one must chose whether to seize the moment and have sex with their partner, or they will set standards ahead of time saying they will not have sex until marriage. Every teen is either on one side of the fence or the other; they either will have premarital sex, or they will abstain. These two stances shed light on why sex is out of control today, what the world thinks about sex, and what religion says about sexual immorality. The facts are evident: teens have sex. It seems almost impossible to calculate the number of teens who are actually having premarital sex, because, of course, they dont wish to confess. Some teens though, have no choice but to confess because their actions lead to severe consequences such as pregnancy. Forty-three Percent of adolescent women become pregnant at least once before age 20 (Internet 1). That fact alone concludes that the choice of waiting for sex is in close running with the choice of not waiting. In the United States alone, more than 2,800 adolescents become pregnant each day. 1,300 of these girls give birth, 1,100 have abortions, and 400 have miscarriages (Internet 1). These astounding facts prove that sex may be considered out of control among teens today. In the olden days, around the Victorian period, sex was far from the topic that it is today. Also, during this time premarital sex was unthinkable. What happened between then and now that caused such an uproar? The world says that sex has become out of control because it was hushed for so long. But, for the last 20 years, sex has most defiantly not been hushed. If hushing up had been the cause of the trouble, ventilation would have set it right. But it has not (Lewis 92). As the world talks more and more about sex, and as the consequences of pregnancy Page 1 decrease through birth control methods, the issue of sex starts getting out of control. Birth control has had a huge impact on the increase of sexual activity. But, it wasnt until the early seventies that it became an issue in America. In 1972 the Supreme Court completely legalized birth control (Corfman 3). Also around this time came the invention of the pill. This wonder drug completely revolutionized the way humans viewed sex. People were no longer afraid of sex since the consequences of pregnancy almost vanished. Intercourse was promoted as an expression of love, and since then has become a casual affair to most of the  world. The world view states that intercourse is merely the ultimate way to express love. This statement completely isolates sex from marriage and downsizes it to become almost equal with a kiss which is also an expression of love. All around is heard the saying that sex is nothing to be ashamed of. This cliche is mostly true, but that does not mean sex should be talked about so openly. In fact, talking about the sex in the state that it is now should almost be shameful. C.S. Lewis uses a great illustration to express this point. Lewis says that there is nothing to be ashamed of in enjoying food, but there would be everything to be ashamed of if half the world made food the main interest of their lives and spent time looking at pictures of food and drooling and licking their lips (Lewis 92). As the sexual entertainment industry continues to grow people continue to degrade sex until it reaches the point of being almost meaningless. They view sex in the shameful way that Lewis refers to. Becoming obsessed and controlled by their physical lust, they let their emotions and desires control their actions. Naturally, sex is a desire of every human being. The way that humans control this desire is what separates the wo rld view from the Christian view. The world promotes pursuing urges and desires; seizing the day. A great example from the world view is Andrew Marvells poem, Page 2 To His Coy Mistress. In this poem Marvell possess a great love for a woman. Rather than waiting to have his Mistress, he wants her immediately. For he says times winged chariot is hurrying near because he wants his mistress to see there may not be much time left. Marvell wants her so much that he talks about tearing pleasures. This phrase gives the image of desiring something, such as a gift, so much that it must be immediately torn into rather than slowly opened. Seizing the day comes into play in the last line, we cannot make the sun stand still. Since he cannot stop time and feels it coming closer, he wants to seize the opportunity before it passes him by (Marvell 241). Seizing the day is a great motto, but according to many religions it should not be applied to sex, especially before marriage. The majority of Christians abstain from premarital sex based on what the Word of God says. Of course not every Christian obeys what the Bible says in regards to sex; and, not everyone who abstains from premarital sex does so based on Biblical beliefs. But, for the sake of the topic, this half of the paper will assume the abstinence stance because of what the bible says about the subject. The  first stance on sex and marriage held by Christians is that the two cannot be separated. Lewis again gives a great illustration of food to show that it is completely unnatural to separate two things God created to be together. He states that Christians do not believe that there is anything wrong with sexual pleasure, any more than there is with the pleasure of eating. But Christians do not believe that one should isolate sexual pleasure and try to get it outside of marriage, any more that one should try and get the pleasures of taste by just chewing and spitting it out again, rather than swallowing and digesting (Lewis 97). The World has completely separated sex and marriage; idolizing sex while degrading the importance of the covenant of marriage. Page 3 To Christians, a healthy attitude towards sex starts with a high view of marriage. For it says in Gods Word that Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, For God will judge the adulterer and the sexual immoral (Hebrews 13:4). Christians esteem marriage and take it very seriously. Bible believing churches do not believe in divorce, except of course in extreme cases. These high standards of marriage motivate people to think highly of sex. Guarding the sacredness of the marriage bed occurs by refusing to steal from it while single. Having complete intercourse is not the only way to steal from the marriage bed. Any sort of sexual immorality that God does not agree with steals from the sacredness of sex. The majority of people these days are stealing from the sacred gift that God has given for humans to experience during marriage. Sex and marriage are very spiritual things. When someone commits their life to Christ they die to self, and become alive in Him. Therefore the man is not his own, his Body belongs to God and he should honor him [God] by fleeing from sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 18-20). When two people that belong to Christ marry and have sex they become one (1 Corinthians 6:16). It joins a couple in an inseparable way, that is why divorce is not an option. After the two become one, if they are to divorce it is like cutting up a living body. Therefore sex is as much a spiritual mystery as it is a physical fact. Whether someone chooses to believe this statement or not: sex is a serious action with very serious consequences. No matter what stance a person takes in regards to abstinence, everyone must see the facts that sex is out of  control. Either people need to be smart when indulging in premarital sex, or they need to abstain completely. It has come to the shameful state where it now stands because people have abused the scared gift God created to be experienced only between a husband and wife.