Oral History Documentaries

Oral History Documentaries are Human Traditions, how man live and what he believes. In essence it transcribes what is in man, his dignity as a human person and his continues search of himself. These human traditions are written in autobiographies or in memories or diaries and journals. Sometimes re-echoed in ideologies (patterns of our beliefs and practices in a human society) by our memories. As Marcovici sited that our remembrance (memory as part of ideology that has a power in relation to what society we reproduce) prevails our deduction of the past over the present.In the acts of meanings it includes all experiences in a world of meanings, images, social bonds, what man would like to become and what he is afraid to become. It is important that we understand the past so we could act on moral choices about our present. Oral history is also all our personal histories into a larger collective histories. With the abounding technologies found in the internet, oral history finds in a ne w form in digital story telling. Facts in which have been encoded in the most ordinary and common places. Oral histories bring to our sense of the present of man’s dominion over greed and forces of nature:Below is what oral histories bring to our sense of our present world in terms of man dominion over greed in the documentaries At the River I Stand. It tells about a dramatic climax of the Civil Rights movement, a local labor dispute that became a national issue and the reason behind the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Memphis in 1968. â€Å"I am a man† is more than an ideology it is a fact and a simple but venerable truth. And because I am a man, a rational creature, I cannot be taken as a second class citizen.The 1,300 African American sanitation exploited workers (works to collect garbage) demands for a full exclusion in American life. AFSCME leadership march a 65 day strike. This excellent film is a 58 minute documentary which will inspire the viewe rs to free themselves of any racial and economic injustice. Just by observing the profound determination of this ordinary people as formed by a racist society as the lowest caste of human beings (David Appleby) one would be able to understand the simple basic need of man which is respect despite the world of greed.This oral history also inspired James Cleveland in his unforgettable quotes â€Å"one more river to cross before I lay my burden down†. This memory happens in Memphis in the most ordinary places and days. The commonplace called street but coincided with the action that hoped to rebuke the future of economic injustice because of the greediness of few due to prejudices and racism. The person who seems to be frivolous and trivial marked their way to civil rights movement, as they raise their placards with these simple words â€Å"I am a man†. A word that is in the past but is still as true as the present and contains the hopes for the future.As simple as what a jazz musician R. Roland Kirk that every time he plays his saxophone in a concert he always began by saying that this is not just a sideshow (it is more than that). His music should penetrate into his white American audience and in his tune deliberately re-echoes the inequality of men due to racial discrimination, an injustice and inequities that still plaques our society. (Basso) History in American Age of Popular Culture makes us understand the past so we could ponder the moral issues about the or rather our choices in the present.It is one way of collecting our personal histories into a larger collective history. History takes place in a certain location because a place is the first of all existence. One cannot exist without a place. However there are places that stink with stinginess and greed. Wisdom in places is a common place but it is where history takes a place in the realm of this world. According to the autobiography of Delfina Cuero an Indian who had lived in Mission Viej o since her childhood years that Indians had to move from place to place to hunt or when the white men comes.In her narrative with the places and plants and things that they ate probed the authenticity of her claim that they were the first settlers in San Diego, California. Though the mountains were cut and the old trees where they built their houses with â€Å"tamu† a kind of reed, she could still recall the places and events that had taken place. Her vivid memory made it easy for the author Florence Connoly Shipek to write her life story. In the introduction the author made in known that the work is to research for the Mission Indian Claims. However, none in the reservation villages can be found a single surviving coastal Indians.The threefold division of the first settlers makes it difficult to locate search. Upon hearing Delfina’s story it was discovered that in 1900 to 1910 Dieggueà ±os (Spanish term for Kumeya’y people) Indians (means those who are attach ed to the San Diego Mission) had lived in Mission Valley and in various places around San Diego wherein it is now called 13th and 17th around K Street. The anthropological study is to find out the authenticity of the life of Delfina of which the later was able to prove without hesitation and malice. As the story goes we learned that they are poor, most of the time hungry but cheerful catholic people.Despite of the lack of written record the study paved its way through the way the Indians lived during those years. The narrative life of Delfina shows the destruction of Indian self sufficiency on the land, the lost of the Indian society, culture and religion. It also narrates the very slow pace of integration of this people into the modern society (Shipek). Delfina’s story will always be looked upon. The success of the work promises a good life for the Digueà ±os children or next the generation of these Indians to come. Oral histories bring to our sense of the present of manâ⠂¬â„¢s dominion over forces of nature:A documentary film by Spike Lee an African American director – When the Levees Broke: A requiem in Four Acts: Is a heart-rending story of those who survived the devastating ordeal of the destruction of New Orleans. The film also looks at a city that has triumphed over its ordeal because of the resilience of its community, surviving death and amidst the ruins they find strength. A sign of the New Orleaneans rich cultural legacy. The spirit of new Orleaneans says Lee is indomitable – these people are accustomed to hardships, they are fighting for their lives. Again man was put to test: Man as always have dominion over the forces of nature.They will never disappear in this planet. Oral history from different interview cleared out that the reason why the city is 80 percent underwater is not because of the hurricane Katrina but it was the breach on the embankment of the river. Lee also mentioned the U. S. government sluggish response to the problem of the poor African American citizen. His identity again in his sense of place re-echoed inequality among men. His resilience was deeply rooted on earth and in his consciousness that it is his instinct to survive no matter what. Man therefore is still the master of the created world.Lee incorporates in his film a musical culture that is only driven by pure passion and honesty. Their identity has persisted. Their voices and songs are strong and firm. The heart of the marvelous film is centered on the president of the most powerful country indifference and oversight in relation to the destruction of New Orleans compared to catastrophic war in other countries. It explored the real attitude of the rich towards the poor of the world and the depth of its neglect. The film shows the damning picture of Bush’s America in relation to a state in calamity which is only skin deep concern.An act which shows indifference not to the race but to the socio economic state of a pers on. The film also portrays the lost culture of its people. The title of the film connotes the fact that it is not the hurricane that devastated New Orleans: a When the Levees Broke documentary re-affirms the cause of the catastrophe that happens to this American Africans, poor of the most powerful country of the world. It is not the hurricane that destroys New Orleans, But, the real cause was the breach of the embankment of the river.The most difficult part of the film making is asking people questions about the incidence because these are the same people who have lost a home or a love one. However, it is Lee’s job or duty to ask those difficult questions. A question that stirs up feelings and make people break down (Lee). Although the intention is to have people talk about how it can make changes in their own perspective about life. The outrage for the 45 million African-Americans of these Euopean journalists jumps on Lee as if he was the spokesperson of this neglected commu nity which is being treated by the almighty U.S. A. as a third world country. It was the time that the film director of this story decided to do it. Never did the federal government neglected its own citizen who needed help. Lee even criticized when a horrific earthquake hits Indonesia, and in two days the US government was there. Asking the question did you see the distance between Indonesia and the New Orleans? Only one fourth of the population is there. The New Orleans black citizens were dispersed in other 46 states, they wish to come home and work but there got to be no place for them.These poor Americans loose their home to a seemingly a natural disaster. It is hoped that the oral history documentary will remind the U. S. that New Orleaneans is not over with the plight. They in fact need help. The film will also determine the pros and cons over what happened to New Orleans as a definitive moment to the history of America. It is hoped that the film will be and elegy for the los t culture of the inhabitants of New Orleans real state in relation to the calamity and may give an impressive importance of our new century (Fraser and ). A life story is an oral unit of social interaction (Linde).These are coming from interviews and can be written as autobiographies. A biography ends till the end of someone else life. A biographer looks for younger self and an ideological conversion after the passage of many years. He accounts for the difference of the subject and the writer and claim he have the whole stories. It also tells the importance of the subject. The 9/11 attacks on the WTO and Pentagon cancelled all major networks to provide continuous coverage of the event (Caughy). However, the news agenda was only on the subject that is asked to be focused.We are today in the digital knowledge, a capability of sending digitally coded information. Intranets were linked to cheap regulated public telephones that kept labor rates low. Net users acted to break down barriers which made it possible for the massive sharing of files like the World Wide Web. Community based nets provide access to the public to which many international and non-governments institutions links their networks. Digital Story telling has truly taken its ground in the Internet. Cyberactivism changes the course of history in a way it disseminate knowledge and stories.Conclusion and reflection of consequences of Digital Story Telling to Oral History Documentaries: Story telling is a very intimate gesture of intimacy, one listens and the other gives confidence to the recipient. Oral histories based on traditional documentaries are facts based on the actual experiences of man. The consequence of digital story telling to oral history is the easy access and immediate control of the written facts of the documents. If not properly controlled could lead readers and listeners into error. The sense of documentaries in our life is to use this knowledge as a tool in order to know where we lead .Past experiences is needed in order to open the gates of tomorrow and make the present a life worth living. Man’s constancy to change needs a journal of his life in order not to get lost. Loosing a culture is loosing oneself. The rich experience of human history is the sublime reality of his existence. Though oral history documentary is sown with facts, digital story telling though there is a relative cyber activism may lead truth to some manipulations which may cloud the truths and could give information which is only beneficial to a few.Man’s history always underlines who are the strong and the weak. Though both are man, the least becomes a lesser being in terms of his presence in a civil society. It is the mighty that continuous to flourish. In this world of indifference history reflects the downfall of the greedy as if someone, stronger than nature dictates the course of history for the whole humankind. In some way, our life story though we may have choices is or was predestined.

We all fall down – Essay in speech format

Good morning thank you for turning up to what will be an engaging analysis of the complexity of conflict in literature. If you ponder upon it, how many of us have experienced some form of conflict in our lives? No doubt all of you. But year 1 1, It Is the way In which we handle this conflict that moulds us Into the individuals we are today. My work In the novel We all fall down' has caused some controversy In schools simply because I paint the picture of characters who fall to metaphorically ‘get back up'.I've no doubt that if you look closely enough around this room you will associate money with these problems and that's what I'd like to explore today; the complex character that is Buddy Walker. The thing that really got the critics cranky was Buddy's escapist tendencies. The reason being that Buddy drinks, he drinks a lot to assist him in sanding down the rough edges in his highly conflicted life, and that will be the focus of our discussion today.Year 1 1, I would now offer you some valuable advice in the hope that you will learn from Buddy's mistakes, and that is that in life, it's not about how you fall down†¦ It's how you get up. Now, the main theme I implicitly explored In this novel through the experiences of Buddy Walker and Jane Jerome Is the concept of resilience. Evidently, these two vastly different characters both have vastly different levels of resilience, seen through the way they handle the conflict In their lives. But what exactly Is resilience?Resilience Is a person's ability to bounce back from setbacks, major or minor, and just the all-round ability to keep going, you could describe it differently as mental toughness. Buddy, as stated before, is an escapist. He uses many different things as tools for his escapism, the major one being his metaphorical ‘life crutch', his gin (alcohol). He uses alcohol as a form of escapism in many different instances, and I feel that the way I described the gin's significance to Buddy's escap ism perfectly sums up the character that Buddy is.A few of my favorite descriptions are â€Å"the way it (the alcohol) soothed and stroked him. † The alcohol was like his only friend. † and â€Å"The way it kept a certain haziness on the harsh realities of his life. † These quotes especially emphasize the high level of penitence Buddy has on the alcohol to act as a beacon to guide him through the fogginess of his existence, If you will. The alcohol symbolizes Buddy's weakness, It depicts his inability to overcome conflict on his lonesome and essentially characterizes him as someone who cannot ‘get back up'.Now year 1 1, Buddy is by no means a resilient character. He has little to no willpower and is perfectly happy to stand idly by while something despicable happens in front of him. I expressed this in the opening scene, the trashing. While I set the scene with a sinister tone and suspenseful language, I placed Buddy in a difficult position. A position wher e he had to choose to either test his courage and ‘be a hero' while running the risk of the losing his friends', or sit back and Just allow an utterly despicable act occur right In front of his own eyes.Of course, being the weak and nearly morally void character Buddy Is, he chose to let It happen. A stronger, more resellers character would more than likely opt to Intervene In this because they would have the mental strength to overcome It. Unlike Buddy, Jane Is a very resilient character and through all of the inflict and problems in her life, she always has the strength to bounce back. Two trashing, despite the considerable amount of physical damage to the house, mental damage to the whole family, and both physical and mental damage to Karen, Jane still finds the strength to get on with her life.Sure, she is noticeably rattled from the occurrence, but she still finds a reason to smile. That reason is Buddy. But after things with Buddy go down the drain and she is forced to p art ways with him as well as her claim to happiness and respite from everything bad in her life, she still engages to move on rather steadily. Ask yourselves year 11, if there is anyone you know that you would associate with either of these characters' traits. If you do, I'll wager that the Jane type character you know does not get along all too well with the Buddy type character.This is because strong and weak individuals obviously oppose each other, and their two personalities often conflict with each other. Likely, the Jane type character somewhat dislikes the Buddy type character you know, but the Buddy type is rather impartial to the Jane type. The Buddy's in our lives are often the type of errors to Just let things happen around them, while something may affect them in one way or another, they are generally not too bothered by it unless it is quite a burdening occurrence.We begin to detect this Buddy-Jane conflict in the scene where Buddy goes to Cane's temporary apartment to try and talk things over with her. Jane, of course because of her new discovery that Buddy was involved in the trashing of her house, is tired of Buddy. Tired of his hesitance and general indecisiveness. It is evident that she has gotten sick of Buddy's weakness as a person, and the resilience f their relationship has now worn out.Year 11, resilience is a fundamental human characteristic that we all need throughout the course of our lives. If you as a person are struggling to ‘get back up' time and time again, my advice to you is this: Don't let things get to you too much, and block out unnecessary sources of conflict. Like Jane, causes for grievance should be grieved over, but briefly and very occasionally. Because the most important thing in life, as corny as it sounds, is happiness. As they say year 11, life's for the living, so live it. Or you're better off dead.

My Best Friend

â€Å"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never ever the same† (Unknown). What is a â€Å"best friend†? Almost everyone has one, and almost everyone is one. There’s something about a best friend that cannot be duplicated. Everyone has their own definition of what their own best friend is like and what an impact he or she has made in their life. In this essay I would like to take a better look at some of the simple things that we might take for granted when we think of our best friends. A best friend is a title held for the few and privileged.The term cannot be thrown around loosely. Not just anyone can be called your best friend. A best friend has to first meet several qualifications and have many outstanding characteristics to have the honor of holding such a prestigious title. Being a best friend is more than someone that you’ve seen everyday and grown up with. A best friend can be someone with whom you’ve known since childhood but can also be someone that you’ve just met, and similar to â€Å"love at first sight,† you just click with. The true definition of a best friend is someone that knows you inside Do you have a true best friend?I sure do. _____ is truly my best friend. She is always there for me. She knows everything about me; even my secrets. I can’t keep anything from her! She is the person who will help me when I am down, turn my frown upside-down, and make me feel better about myself. I can’t imagine any better of a friend. I love her more than anything and I would die for her. Megan and I are always together; no matter where we are! We go to places like the mall and movies, to the mountains and lakes! Together we go most everywhere! A few days ago we got Pose pictures together! We always go shopping My Best Friend My best friend Everybody always has friend or friendship. There are a lot of kinds of friends. We have friends, close friends and best friends. It is said a friend needs to be a good friend but it hard to find a best friend. Best friends need to know about certain qualities of each other. Best friends are always there for you when you’re down or having problems. A best friend is the person you can always rely on for anything no matter what. Best friends stick up for you even if you are wrong. Best friends have equal honesty for one another. There is no lie between two friends is just together.The last few years, I was in my country, I had one best friend. He is a nice person who I spent a lot of my time with. I spend a lot time with him more than another friend. I noticed he was the best friend for me. He was always truthful to me in everything that I told him. He never hesitates or confirm me what I did. He would always support and help me all the time. We never lie to each o ther. Sometime, someone asked him â€Å"why you always trust your friend all the time and anything? † Maybe, they were jealous of me because I had such a good friend in him.A best friend is a friend who spends more time than anyone together. He always went anywhere where I needed to go. I always ask him to go with me all the time. He never refused my request, even at night or when he was very busy. We always hang out together after school. We had fun together during we spent time together. He always told fun stories to me all the time. His stories were always fiction stories; what he had imagined by himself, but they were always little bit crazy and funny. I like to spent time with him more than other friend. Releted essay –  An Empty Purse Frightens Away FriendsI never took care of him at all. It may have not fair to him. He might think he wasted his time when he spent time with me. He could not do whatever he wants for himself. He might need his time with another friend. He is a kind person. He always helps me when I had problems. I always talk about my problems to him when I didn’t know how to solve it. He never leaves me alone. Sometime, I didn’t have enough money to buy something, he always share his money to me. Other way, I need to give back to him because I thought best friend never want something from another one.We need to help together when we have problems. It might hurt another one’s feeling who was his friend, and he could not do anything with them. A best friend is the best relationship between two peoples. There is need to do something and helping together. It can be happiness or give hand to another one. It cans honesty and trusts together wh en we do something and don’t lie to another one. Best friend can make us have fun and happiness in our life. It is the best memory when we thinking about our friend. My Best Friend My Best Friend Everyone has memorable experiences. It could be happiness, sadness, or tragedy. Of course I have memorable experiences. It must be the one who was involved in those cases. She is my best friend, Febri Afifah. I really admire her because she is very humble and helpful. I have many experiences with her. Because of that, I really know about her kindness and badness. In this essay, I will talk about her who was involved in one of my memorable experiences. Our relationship is always good.It might be because she is very patient with me, although I often made her disappointed. I have known her since I was a child. My house is close to hers, she is my neighbor. Her childhood was not as lucky as me, but she never gave up and she always looks happy. Unfortunately, she never went to kindergarten. At that time, her family did not have enough money to pay school fee. They spend their money to treat her mother. Her mother got an accident that made her legs could not run normally.Whe n I went to elementary school, she went to elementary school too. But we studied at the different school. Returning from school I played with her at my house, sometimes we studied together. We grew up together and we always have unforgettable experiences day by day. I remember, at that time we went to her new house. The traffic was jammed and we had to crossing the road. When we were crossing the road, I accidentally stepped on her sandals and then her sandals runaway from her feet.When we reached the other side of the road, she returned to the middle of the road to pick up her sandals. That moment made some cars honked, she was really surprised and I just could laugh to see her. I have many funny moments with her. She always makes me laugh when I need to laugh. If I cry because of some problems, she will be beside me and tells some jokes. It has always been a weapon to restore my mood. She is funny, cheerful, and always looks happy. It can make people very comfortable. I'm lucky pe rson because i know her. My Best Friend â€Å"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never ever the same† (Unknown). What is a â€Å"best friend†? Almost everyone has one, and almost everyone is one. There’s something about a best friend that cannot be duplicated. Everyone has their own definition of what their own best friend is like and what an impact he or she has made in their life. In this essay I would like to take a better look at some of the simple things that we might take for granted when we think of our best friends. A best friend is a title held for the few and privileged.The term cannot be thrown around loosely. Not just anyone can be called your best friend. A best friend has to first meet several qualifications and have many outstanding characteristics to have the honor of holding such a prestigious title. Being a best friend is more than someone that you’ve seen everyday and grown up with. A best friend can be someone with whom you’ve known since childhood but can also be someone that you’ve just met, and similar to â€Å"love at first sight,† you just click with. The true definition of a best friend is someone that knows you inside Do you have a true best friend?I sure do. _____ is truly my best friend. She is always there for me. She knows everything about me; even my secrets. I can’t keep anything from her! She is the person who will help me when I am down, turn my frown upside-down, and make me feel better about myself. I can’t imagine any better of a friend. I love her more than anything and I would die for her. Megan and I are always together; no matter where we are! We go to places like the mall and movies, to the mountains and lakes! Together we go most everywhere! A few days ago we got Pose pictures together! We always go shopping

Analyse how the narrators perspective shapes (or mis-shapes) our Essay - 1

Analyse how the narrators perspective shapes (or mis-shapes) our perceptions in two novels from this course - Essay Example According to the (Hardie & Lucas 2001), economics affects the relationships of young and financial instability and differences lead to separations and divorces. These financial differences exert stresses on the couples leading to increase in conflicts and disagreements between them. These economic issues increase the regular level of violence between the couple. Mr Bennet was a person with strong personality and intelligence but his wife who was a daughter of lawyer was totally opposite. She was not patient and was an obsessed personality. Other than that she had negative traits of being pushy and forceful all the time. While on the other hand she was so desperate for the weddings of her daughter that she used to use embarrassing ways for her family to develop an interaction between her daughters and rich men. Mr Bennet was on the other hand a totally patient person with a calm personality so with time he surrendered himself to his wife but with the passing time became unsatisfied with his marriage. Now linking to the argument which was drawn earlier that middle class people believe when a couple is pushed in to marriage they automatically get involved while living together. But the cases presented in the novel portrays opposite. Irritating and all time forceful pushy behaviours lead to dissatisfactions amongst people making them unhappy ab out their marriages (Bautz & Tredell 2009). The argument was drawn in the first paragraph that middle class females believe that forceful marriages are fruitful too in the end but the actual reality is different. They are not fruitful and people stay dissatisfied from their relations. Linking it to the story of Jane and Bingley the initial attractions between them were the results of Mrs Bennet’s pushy behaviour. But Bingley proposed Jane as a result of their personal communications (Clark 1994). The insights of cultural and class differences are presented through the relationship of Elizabeth

The Impacts Of Technology Toward Human Resource Practices Essay

The Impacts Of Technology Toward Human Resource Practices - Essay Example One thing for sure is that technology has had a lot of impact on human resource practices and this will be the subject of discussion. First, the paper will discuss what technology is and the various types of technology that have come up over the years. Then the paper will analyse how these new technologies have impacted on the way HR professionals carry out their jobs or in general human resource practices such as recruiting, selection, training, performance management, knowledge management and how work is organised and lastly, the challenges faced by HRM. Technology is liked by some as well as dreaded by others especially conservatives who do not like changes. What is technology? Waddill and Marquardt (2011: 4) define technology as â€Å"any innovations humans have developed, any tool that aids us in extending and interacting with our environment.† The first technology to be developed in the fifteenth century was the printing press (Parry & Tyson, 2007; Waddill & Marquardt, 2 011). This technology enabled publishing, communication, and distribution of knowledge. The computer was the next big thing in the twentieth century followed by the web 2.0 in the twenty first century (Strohmeier, 2007). These will be discussed in the rest of the paper. Technology continues to make HRM more efficient and effective especially in the information age. It also enables access to information and to join people electronically through groupware. Costs of doing various HR activities have been reduced through use of e-HR such as self service, e-selection, e-recruiting, and Human Resource Information Systems (Hendrickson, 2003). It also saves time and increases efficiency by standardizing routines and enabling the HRM to focus on strategic issues rather than administrative tasks as well as enhancing communication and collaboration. When the printing press was introduced in fifteenth century, the HR work was made easier. Instead of writing a lot of information using pen and pap er such information could be typed and published thus saving time for other purposes. Furthermore, communication was enhanced as employees and stakeholders could access published material easily (Dessler, 2008). However, it was the invention of the computer and the internet in the twentieth and twenty first century that revolutionalised the field of work. Before computers, HR professionals handled files and documents manually thus a lot of paperwork. This made it difficult to access information when required and wastage of time and money as such costs of maintenance were high. Now professionals just need to feed information on the computer and create files for easy access (Benson et al. 2002). Information required can be printed and paper work was minimized. Information technology through use of the internet has completely changed human resource practices. The use of e-HR has enabled the professionals to conduct most of their work efficiently and effectively. One practice that has b een affected is staffing. Traditionally, HR professionals put adverts on the media for potential candidates to apply for positions through written applications. Today e-recruitment and e-selection has eased this process. Candidates now access the information on the internet and apply online hence reducing paperwork (Dessler, 2008). Information gathered is kept on database and can be accessed in future. The internet also allows HR to conduct online tests and select candidates thus making the process more efficient. Computer-networked technology has enabled learning in

Critically Eexamine the Importance of Ensuring the Race, Ethnicity, Essay

Critically Eexamine the Importance of Ensuring the Race, Ethnicity, Social Class And Gender of Pupils Are Valued And Supported Within the Education System - Essay Example This project declares that the social class of the students affects performance in terms of the quality of life. If a student has access to the basic needs, health care and social amenities then they are more likely to perform better in school. Research has shown that students who come from low-income households have slower development of academic skills that those coming from higher income households. This is because of the different environments and exposures of these two groups. For example, a child from a well to do family may be more technologically advanced that another from a low-income household. This is because this student is exposed to all the latest gadgets and other devices because the family can be able to afford them. This paper makes a conclusion that tahe one for the under privileged student has to be detailed as the assumption made is there are things that the students has not been able to access and experience because of their social standing. Families that have low income are less likely to provide the necessary materials required in the learning process. In conclusion, all the above areas have to be considered in the formulation of an educational policy to make sure that all that parties involved have adequate representation and no group is left behind in educational progression. Education is a basic human right and the least we can do is to make sure that it is accessible by all and that it is comprehensive enough for all parties involved.

Teacher collaboration and student achievemant Research Paper

Teacher collaboration and student achievemant - Research Paper Example The respondents were asked to rate their response using Likert Scale as follows: strongly agree (1), agree (2), disagree (3), and strongly disagree (4). The following variables were used to identify the responses of teachers, to the questions posed above: (1) Informal Conversation; (2) One-on-One Assistance; (3) Routine Sharing of Materials, Methods, Ideas; (4) Routine Team Analyzing Data; and (5) Joint work. Analysis of Data and Interpretation Table 1 The Total Number of Respondents (Teachers) Per Grade Level and Department (Subjects) Grade Level Math Science Social studies Language Arts Total Number of Teachers 6 4 2 2 4 12 7 3 2 2 4 11 8 3 2 2 4 11 From the table, it is deduced that there are more teachers in the Grade 6 level with 35% or 12 out of 34 respondents in that grade level. Overall, there are a total of 34 teachers who responded on the survey aiming to investigate the impacts of teacher collaboration vis-a-vis non-collaboration on student academic achievement. Table 2 Re sults indicating Respondents View on the Variables of Informal Conversation, One-on-One Assistance, Routine Sharing, Routine Team and Joint Work Per Subject Math Science Social Studies Lg. ... 6 disagree Joint Work 10 agree 6 agree 3 agree 3 strongly disagree 6 agree 6 disagree The respondents’ view of the five variables indicated in the table would determine their perceived importance to thereby manifest the extent of teacher collaboration, by favoring its relevance or not. Those who strongly agreed perceived these variables as of utmost importance, in contrast to those who disagreed. From the table above, the results are summarized below: Informal Conversation: Out of 34 respondents, 6 or 18% strongly agreed; 65% agreed, while also 18% disagreed. It can be deduced that majority are in favor of informal conversation increasing teacher collaboration. One-on-One Assistance: From the total respondents, majority or 53% disagreed versus 47% who agreed that one-on-one assistance is a variable that increased teacher collaboration. Routine Sharing of Materials, Methods, Ideas: A total of 88%, or 30 teachers agreed that routine sharing of materials, methods and ideas are ef fective means to increase teacher collaboration. Only 4 respondents or 12% disagreed. Routine Team Analyzing Data: From among those who responded, 74% or 25 teachers acknowledged that routine team analyzing data is contributory to teacher collaboration. Joint work: Finally, a parallel percentage of respondents viewed joint effort as crucial to teacher collaboration where 74% agreed (6 of whom strongly agreed) and the rest of the 26% disagreed. On a per subject basis, the following results are hereby presented: Math: The total number of respondents who agreed that all the variables are crucial to manifest teacher collaboration for the subject of Math is 46 out of 48 (where only 2 disagreed). The results indicate the acknowledgement of Math teachers requiring collaborative efforts manifested

BARIATRIC SURGERY FOR OBESITY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

BARIATRIC SURGERY FOR OBESITY - Essay Example Not everybody can undergo bariatric, or weight loss surgery. The prospective patient needs to undergo physical examination to determine whether s/he can qualify for the procedure. One consideration is the person’s body mass index, or BMI. It is the standard way to define overweight, obesity, and morbid obesity. The BMI, according to Torpy (1986), is calculated based on a persons height and weight—weight in kilograms (2.2 pounds per kilogram) divided by the square of height in meters (39.37 inches per meter). The National Institutes of Health (NIH) requires a body mass index (BMI) greater than 40. This is the equivalent of being about 100 pounds overweight for men and 80 pounds overweight for women (Consumer Guide to Weight Loss Surgery (Bariatric Surgery), 2005). Only when a person is found to be morbidly obese is bariatric surgery offered as recourse. If all else has failed ( including medical treatment), as well as lifestyle changes of healthy eating and regular exercise, then bariatric surgery is an option. However, if a person is not found to be morbidly obese, but s/he suffers from health-related illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, bariatric surgery can be offered as an option. Otherwise, bariatric surgery will not be considered. Age is another consideration. Adolescents can be considered for the procedure only when they have tried to lose weight for at least six month, but been unsuccessful. Just like the adult candidates, adolescents must be extremely obese, with BMI greater than 40. They must also have reached their adult height. It’s usually 13, or older, for girls; and 15, or older for boys, and have serious weight-related health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, heart disease, or significant functional or psychosocial impairment (Bariatric Surgery for Severe Obesity, 2009). Further, physical considerations are not enough for adolescent candidates. They, together with their parents, need

Who are the typical winners and losers in an inflation and how does Essay

Who are the typical winners and losers in an inflation and how does inflation make them winners or losers - Essay Example Stockholders will benefit from a higher inflation as the factors that increase the price of goods also increases the values of companies (Money Expert 7). Also, as prices of products increase, owners of small businesses will be in a position to manage fixed-rate debt from investments in different business requirements. Citizens who earn low incomes may find it tough during the times of inflation. Low-income earners tend to have their wealth in cash unlike the wealthy who invest in real and financial assets. Low-income earners face challenges because inflation affects the value of their primary asset, which is cash (Money Expert 9). When a country faces inflation, the value of money goes down, and people tend to spend often since they have to spend all the money in their possession. The people on fixed incomes will find it challenging when inflation is high; unanticipated inflation on fixed income earners will make their income go down. High inflation also affects the economy of a country since the consuming power of citizens goes down while the standard of living reduces (Miller

Direct Solar Energy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Direct Solar Energy - Research Paper Example The solar technologies are categorized as active and passive solar technologies depending in the manner in which they capture convert and distribute solar energy. For example, active solar technologies use solar power for transforming sun rays into electricity directly by means of photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly through concentrated solar space (CSP). The direct solar energy systems generate electricity in one of the two ways: photovoltaic cells and concentrated solar power. The total worldwide capacity of CSP has been growing at an average annual rate of 50 %. However, Ellis, et al. (2013) notes that the CSP have lower renewable energy contribution as compared to solar photovoltaics. The current photovoltaic power generation is 189 GW and is produced by crystalline silicon, concentrating, and thin-film PV.Even though the conventional energy account for 70% of the global energy consumption, the current consumption patterns would not be sustainable in future because of their environm ental impact to climate change and depletion. In this perspective, solar energy is renewable and it cannot be depleted. Direct solar energy mitigates global warming, enhances sustainability, reduces pollution, discourages the use of fossil fuels because solar energy is cheap, and reduces the required transmission lines of the electricity grids, as well as improving the quality of water resources.In general, the costs of renewable energy are lower as compared to that of fossil fuels and nuclear energy.

International Fashion Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

International Fashion Marketing - Assignment Example The paper "International Fashion Marketing" analyzes the International Marketing in the fashion industry. Due to its nature these emerging markets are also witnessing a surge in new areas of business like fashion and other luxury items. There are many factors to be considered by a company in the case of international expansion. The political atmosphere, the economic growth, local work and social culture, the level of competition that exists, the legal factors, foreign trade policies of the intended market, and many other related factors are to be understood and analyzed in order to decide which market to enter. Understanding of these factors is also essential to compete and be successful in such markets. This paper is a study of the entry factors for the multinational fashion house Ralph Lauren into the Indian or Russian markets. The market and the company will be analyzed using factors like SWOT analysis, Porter’s five forces model, PEST analysis, TOWS matrix, pull and push s trategy etc. Culture of a country is also an important factor when entering into international markets. This is especially relevant here since the culture that exists in the home country of Ralph Lauren and India is different. Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation is a leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories and fragrances. For more than 35 years, Polo’s reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number. of products, brands and international markets. Ralph Lauren is developing at a rapid rate than when founder Ralph Lauren first entered the arena 40 years ago. With powerful brands such as Polo by Ralph Lauren, RRL, Rugby, and Club Monaco, the company designs and markets apparel and accessories, home furnishings, and fragrances. Its collections are available at some 10,800 locations worldwide, including many upscale and mid-tier department stores. The compan y also operates about 315 Ralph Lauren, Club Monaco, and Rugby retail stores worldwide as well as the e-commerce sites RalphLauren.com and Polo.com. Ralph Lauren began with a collection of ties, has grown into an entire world-redefining American style. Polo is known for providing quality products and creating worlds that invite people to take part in our dream. They position themselves as the innovators of lifestyle advertisements that encourage customers to participate in that lifestyle. (Industry centre -textile- apparel clothing 2009). Emerging markets: Many companies are now looking towards emerging markets as a part of their expansion strategies. Such markets are those "Developing foreign markets, involving greater volatility and higher risk than established markets." (Basic investment terminology). The term developing is of importance since it is possible to grow in such circumstances even though emerging markets tend to be more volatile and risky than established ones. The two emerging markets that are to be studied for entry by Ralph Lauren are India and Russia. Even though both are promising market destinations, there are vast differences in policies, politics, economy, social structure, technology and other factors between these two countries. Russia is a very young political entity and was formed only after the collapse of the erstwhile Soviet Union. The communist system of governance that has been in existence since the revolution during the early part of this century has now been replaced with a democratic system of governa

German Economy Essay Example for Free

German Economy Essay One of the major sectors of German economy is the exports of this country that has accounted for a great percentage of financial output. In this regard, more than twenty-five percent of the national German output has been due to the heavy exports that have increased significantly during the last decade. In the year 2004, GDP of Germany was contributed by forestry, mining, and agriculture sector at a very lesser extent, as compared to the other sectors in the country. Despite Germany is going through a high level of industrial revolution, forest has covered more than twenty-five percent of German’s territory. In the year 2003, more than seventy percent of Germany’s gross domestic product was accounted by services sector of the country. In this regard, more than seventy percent of the workforce was employed by this sector. On the other hand, metals, textiles, chemicals, vehicles, foodstuffs, and machinery are major imports of the country, which plays a vital and crucial role in the economy of Germany. In the year 2003, a positive of US$55 billion was the account balance of payments and currency of Germany. The paper will now discuss the abovementioned areas of German economy with detailed analysis, and hope will be beneficial for experts and economists in the better understanding of German Economy. In this competitive era, a number of economies are enjoying a vital position, and Germany is one of the countries that have been able to construct a very important place in terms of its economy. In terms of exchange rate of the United States, the German economy is considered the third largest out of the other major economies of the world. Moreover, the economy of Germany has a very strong power of purchasing, which has resulted in its place as the fifth largest around the globe. In the European continent, the economy of Germany is the largest of all the other economies, which has provided it with a number of opportunities and significance in this economic world. Geographically, Germany enjoys a central place in the continent, which is one of the other reasons behind the significance and exposure of opportunities to the German individuals and businesses. A number of difficulties and confrontations can be observed in the economic history of Germany, such as structural problems related to the East Germany, as well as, different structural problems that have continued since a last decade in the country. (Smyser, 1993) The German government has imposed and implemented a number of policies that have provided significant opportunities for its economy to strengthen in the world. In this regard, one of the major steps taken by the German government is the promotion of establishment of free enterprises, as well as, competition that has provided a competitive and friendly environment to the businesses and individuals in the country. However, various sectors are selected for the distribution of financial support by the state organizations. In the response of such steps taken by the government and related organizations, the economy of Germany has achieved a momentous space in the midst of other economic powers of the globe. In addition, different sectors have achieved strategic importance with the help of different policies by the German government. Thus, a number of factors and reasons are responsible and should be credited for the strengthening and powerful role that has been played by economy of the Germany. One of the major sectors of German economy is the exports of this country that has accounted for a great percentage of financial output. In this regard, more than twenty-five percent of the national German output has been due to the heavy exports that have increased significantly during the last decade. In the result, German economy has expanded traditionally in a macroeconomic manner with the support of heavy exports from different business sectors and industries of the country. Moreover, economic and political incorporation is another basic policy of the German economy, and such policy has been promoted on the continental level in the Europe. In the result, the European Union and its member countries have appreciated and encouraged the introduction and implementation of German economies policies at a higher extent. (Siebert, 2005) Similarly, a number of legislations related to the single markets in the European Union have been established and formulated based on German economic policies. The Euro is the common European currency used by most of the countries in the European continent. In this regard, Germany has implemented the usage of same currency in the country, which has resulted in the exposure of more opportunities related to the strengthened economy of Germany in the region. Frankfurt city in the Germany has the European Central Bank, which is responsible for the formulation of monetary policy of the country, which decides the future prospects for the coming years related to the economy of Germany. (Smith, 1994) Addressing domestic structural problems is another major concern of the German government, which has been agreed and encouraged by most of the German and the foreign experts in the region. In the year 2003, the labor market was deregulated by the gradual steps of German government. In this way, high unemployment rate was tackled in an effective manner. In the West Germany, more than seven percent of fall was observed in the unemployment rate in the country, which was the visible fact of deregulation of the labor market. However, there is still a huge room for improvement in the eastern part of Germany, which has an employment rate of more than fourteen percent in the region. (Scott, 2002) However, the German government is playing a vital role in the addressing of different issues related to the economy of Germany. For instance, high non-wage labor costs have also been addressed by the government with the help of implementation of different policies related to it. Many businesses were burdened due to the imposition of bureaucratic parameters in the past, which was addressed by the present and previous governments during the last decade. Nowadays, it has become quite easy and trouble-free to establish a business in the Germany. New entrepreneurs have been encouraged, especially, in the export sectors of the country. In the result, a major and significant improvement can be observed in the economy of Germany, which is very much export-oriented in nature. (Siebert, 2005) In terms of facts, nine percent of growth was observed in the export year of 2007. In the result, some of the business experts deemed the Germany as the biggest exporter in the world. In the year 2006, more than two percent of growth was observed in the gross domestic product of the country. Moreover, it is estimated that the following years will achieve higher percentage of GDP due to excellent growth in the exports of the country. However, the domestic market of the country is confronting structural problems that can result in some economic issues in the country. Over more than a decade, the labor sector is confronting stagnant wages, which is one of the crucial causes behind the weakness of the domestic market in Germany. In Germany, reunification is financed with the contributions of social insurance companies. Since the 1990s, high wage demands are not observed in unions in the Germany, which has resulted in the conservation of competitiveness among the German workers. Between the years 1990 to 2005, two percent of decline was observed in the net income on an average in Germany, according to the Federal-Statistical Office of the country. However, wage demands from the unions have been raised significantly, as compared with the abovementioned union demands. In the year 2004, GDP of Germany was contributed by forestry, mining, and agriculture sector at a very lesser extent, as compared to the other sectors in the country. Approximately two percent of German population was given employment in the abovementioned sectors. The eastern states of the country have reported to observe a great reduction in the employment rate. After the reunification process, more than seventy percent of workers in the agricultural sector were declined. However, domestic production in the agricultural sector resulted in the fulfillment of more than ninety percent of dietary and food requirements of the country’s population. In the European Union, the agricultural production is being lead by Germany, which has been followed by Italy and France in the European continent. In this regard, wheat, barley, cabbages, and potatoes are some of the major agricultural products in Germany.

The indian FMCG sector

The indian FMCG sector Chapter 1 1.1 Indian FMCG Sector in a nutshell: The Indian FMCG sector is the fourth largest sector in the economy with a total market size in excess of US$ 13.1 billion. It has a strong MNC presence and is characterized by a well established distribution network, intense competition between the organized and unorganized segments and low operational cost. Availability of key raw materials, cheaper labor costs and presence across the entire value chain gives India a competitive advantage. The FMCG market is set to treble from US$ 11.6 billion in 2003 to US$ 33.4 billion in 2015. Penetration level as well as per capit consumption in most product categories like jams, toothpaste, skin care, hair wash etc in India is low indicating the untapped market potential. Burgeoning Indian population, particularly the middle class and the rural segments, presents an opportunity to makers of branded products to convert consumers to branded products. Growth is also likely to come from consumer upgrading in the matured product categories. With 200 million people expected to shift to processed and packaged food by 2010, India needs around US$ 28 billion of investment in the food-processing industry. The Indian FMCG sector gives employment for three million people in downstream activities. Within the FMCG sector, the Indian food processing industry represented 6.3 per cent of GDP and accounted for 13 per cent of the countrys exports in 2003-04.A distinct feature of the FMCG industry is the presence of most global players through their subsidiaries (HLL, PG, Nestle), which ensures new product launches in the Indian market from the parents portfolio. 1.2 What is in India for FMCG: FMCG Sector is expected to grow by over 60% by 2010. That will translate into an annual growth of 10% over a 5-year period. It has been estimated that FMCG sector will rise from around Rs 56,500 crores in 2005 to Rs 92,100 crores in 2010. Hair care, household care, male grooming, female hygiene, and the chocolates and confectionery categories are estimated to be the fastest growing segments, says an HSBC report. Though the sector witnessed a slower growth in 2002-2004, it has been able to make a fine recovery since then. For example, Hindustan Unilver Limited (HUL) has shown a healthy growth in the last quarter. An estimated double-digit growth over the next few years shows that the good times are likely to continue. 1.3 Growth: With the presence of 12.2% of the world population in the villages of India, the Indian rural FMCG market is something no one can overlook. Increased focus on farm sector will boost rural incomes, hence providing better growth prospects to the FMCG companies. Better infrastructure facilities will improve their supply chain. FMCG sector is also likely to benefit from growing demand in the market. Because of the low per capita consumption for almost all the products in the country, FMCG companies have immense possibilities for growth. And if the companies are able to change the mindset of the consumers, i.e. if they are able to take the consumers to branded products and offer new generation products, they would be able to generate higher growth in the near future. It is expected that the rural income will rise in 2007, boosting purchasing power in the countryside. However, the demand in urban areas would be the key growth driver over the long term. Also, increase in the urb an population, along with increase in income levels and the availability of new categories, would help the urban areas maintain their position in terms of consumption. At present, urban India accounts for 66% of total FMCG consumption, with rural India accounting for the remaining 34%. However, rural India accounts for more than 40% consumption in major FMCG categories such as personal care, fabric care, and hot beverages. In urban areas, home and personal care category, including skin care, household care and feminine hygiene, will keep growing at relatively attractive rates. Within the foods segment, it is estimated that processed foods, bakery, and dairy are long-term growth categories in both rural and urban. 1.4 Indian Competitiveness and Comparison with the World Markets: The following factors make India a competitive player in FMCG sector: Availability of Raw Materials: Because of the diverse agro-climatic conditions in India, there is a large raw material base suitable for food processing industries. India is the largest producer of livestock, milk, sugarcane, coconut, spices and cashew and is the second largest producer of rice, wheat and fruits vegetables. India also produces caustic soda and soda ash, which are required for the production of soaps and detergents. The availability of these raw materials gives India the location advantage. Labour cost comparison: Low cost labour gives India a competitive advantage. Indias labour cost is amongst the lowest in the world, after China Indonesia. Low labour costs give the advantage of low cost of production. Many MNCs have established their plants in India to outsource for domestic and export markets. Presence across value chain: Indian companies have their presence across the value chain of FMCG sector, right from the supply of raw materials to packaged goods in the food-processing sector. This brings India a more cost competitive advantage. For example, Amul supplies milk as well as dairy products like cheese, butter, etc Chapter 2 Introduction of Hindustan Uniliver Limited (Formerly Hindustan Lever Limited) Brief History: Hindustan Unilever Limited, erstwhile Hindustan Lever Limited (also called HLL), headquartered in Mumbai, is Indias largest consumer products company, formed in 1933 as Lever Brothers India Limited. Its 41,000 employees are headed by Mr.Harish Manwani, the non-executive chairman of the board. HLL is the market leader in Indian products such as tea, soaps, detergents, as its products have become daily household name in India. The Anglo-Dutch company Unilever owns a majority stake in Hindustan Lever Limited. Recently in February 2007, the company has been renamed to Hindustan Unilever Limited to provide the optimum balance between maintaining the heritage of the Company and the future benefits and synergies of global alignment with the corporate name of Unilever. Prominent Brands: Kwality Walls ice cream, Lifebuoy, Lux, Breeze, Liril, Rexona, Hamam, Moti soaps, Lipton tea, Brooke Bond tea, Bru Coffee, Pepsodent and Close Up toothpaste and brushes, and Surf, Rin and Wheel laundry detergents, Kissan squashes and jams, Ponds talc and creams, Vaseline lotions, Fair Lovely creams, Lakmà © beauty products are some of the prominent brands of the company. Power Brands: In mid-2000 after M.S. Banga took over the reins at HLL, the company decided that it would focus on 30 odd Power Brands and carefully plan its entry into new businesses. Intuitively this made sense, instead of spreading your resources all over the place concentrate on a few brands. But what it meant was that power brands had to grow at higher rates to compensate for the loss of sales from other brands. Unfortunately, the other brands have shrunk faster vis-à  -vis the rate at which the power brands have grown. This has hit the top line of the company. The companys Vanasapti brand, Dalda, is a case in point Appointment of Doug Baille : The appointment of an expat, Doug Baillie, as the CEO of consumer heavyweight HLL is seen as an indication of the parent companys desire to hasten the process of Unileverising the Indian subsidiary, it is reliably learnt. Informed sources said Unilever was not very satisfied with the pace of harmonization of HLL vis-à  -vis other global subsidiaries. Within Unilever, it was felt that there was some opposition from HLLs senior management who wanted HLLs Indian ness to be maintained. Project Shakti: It is an initiative take by the group as a way of fulfilling its social responsibility by empowering the less privileged sections of the society we live in. The objectives of Project Shakti are to create income-generating capabilities for underprivileged rural women by providing a small-scale enterprise opportunity, and to improve rural living standards through health and hygiene awareness. Hindustan Lever Network: In February 2003 Hindustan Unilever Limited has launched a new division called Hindustan Lever Network. This division markets a wide range of Fast Moving Consumer Goods through Network Marketing. Network Marketing was pioneered in the United States of America in the 1940s by companies like Amway Corporation and operates by recruiting individuals as consultants. These consultants are paid a commission on the purchases made by them and on the purchases made by those recruited by them. Performance Trends of the company: This table has been taken from the annual report of the HUL for the year ended on 31st December 2006. This table contains key financial indicators which show the performance of the company in year 2006 and its performance trend for last 10 years. Chapter 3 LITERATURE REVIEW While green marketing came into prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was first discussed much earlier. The American Marketing Association (AMA) held the first workshop on Ecological Marketing in 1975. The proceedings of this workshop resulted in one of the first books on green marketing entitled Ecological Marketing (Henion and Kinnear 1976a). Since that time a number of other books on the topic have been published (Coddington 1993, and Ottman 1993). Green marketing incorporates a broad range of activities, including product modification, changes to the production process, packaging changes, as well as modifying advertising. (Polonsky, 1994) World-wide evidence indicates people are concerned about the environment and are changing their behavior accordingly. As a result there is a growing market for sustainable and socially responsible products and services. (Environmental protection agency -2000) Green consumerism is often discussed as a form of pro-social consumer behavi or (Wiener and Doesher, 1991). It may be viewed as a specific type of socially conscious (Anderson, 1988) or socially responsible (Antil, 1984) consumer behavior that involves an environmentalist (Schlossberg, 1991) perspective and may thus be called environmentally concerned consumption (Henion, 1976). A classic definition (Henion, 1976) describes environmentally concerned consumers. Business organizations tend to concern about environments issues due to several reasons such as environmental pressure, governmental pressure, competitive pressure, cost or profit issues (Environmental protection agency -2000) Unfortunately, a majority of people believe that green marketing refers solely to the promotion or advertising of products with environmental characteristics. (Polonsky,1994) and terms like Phosphate Free, Recyclable, Refillable, Ozone Friendly, and Environmentally Friendly are some of the things consumers most often associate with green marketing. . (Polonsky,1994) While these t erms are green marketing claims, in general green marketing is a much broader concept, one that can be applied to consumer goods, industrial goods and even services (Roberts and Bacon, 1997). Hopes for green products also have been hurt by the perception that such products are of lower quality or dont really deliver on their environmental promises. And yet the news isnt all bad, as the growing number of people willing to pay a premium for green products from organic foods to energy-efficient appliances attests. (DSouza et al. 2004)Green or Environmental Marketing consists of all activities designed to generate and facilitate any exchanges intended to satisfy human needs or wants, such that the satisfaction of these needs and wants occurs, with minimal detrimental impact on the natural environment. [Polonsky 1994b, 2] Green marketing has not lived up to the hopes and dreams of many managers and activists. Although public opinion polls consistently show that consumers would prefer to choose a green product over one that is less friendly to the environment when all other things are equal, those other things are rarely equal in the minds of consumers. (Hackett, 2000) They must always keep in mind that consumers are unlikely to compromise on traditional product attributes, such as convenience, availability, price, quality and performance. Its even more important to realize, however, that there is no single green-marketing strategy that is right for every company. (Prothero,, and McDonagh, 1992) Despite the increasing eco-awareness in contemporary market economies, it is generally recognized that there are still considerable barriers to the diffusion of more ecologically oriented consumption styles. In lay discourse as well as in much of consumer research, these barriers are usually attributed to the motivational and practical complexity of green consumption (Hackett, 2000). Increased use of Green Marketing is depending on five possible reasons. (Polonsky 1994b) Organizations perceive environmental marketing to be an opportunity that can be used to achieve its objectives [Keller 1987, Shearer 1990] Organizations believe they have a moral obligation to be more socially responsible [Davis 1992, Keller 1987,] Governmental bodies are forcing firms to become more responsible [Davis 1992]; Competitors environmental activities pressure firms to change their environmental marketing activities [Davis 1992] Cost factors associated with waste disposal, or reductions in material usage forces firms to modify their behavior [Keller, K.L. (1993] Moreover, environmentally responsible behavior usually involves difficult motivational conflicts, arising from the fundamental incompatibility of environmental protection-related collective goals and individual consumers personal or self-interested benefits and the resulting free-rider problem (Wiener and Doesher, 1991) Public policymakers will continue to develop more efficient ways to regulate waste and pollution, and scientists will continue to gather information about the environmental risks from various substances or practices. As they do, pricing structures will evolve that communicate even more accurate information to manufacturers and entrepreneurs about the true cost of commercial activities and the potential rewards from innovative solutions to environmental problems. This definition incorporates much of the traditional components of the marketing definition that is All activities designed to generate and facilitate any exchanges intended to satisfy human needs or wants (Sc hlegelmilch et al,1996). There are usually severe external constraints to green consumerism, arising from the cultural, infrastructural, political and economic circumstances in the markets and society (McIntosh, A. 1991). Both individual and industrial are becoming more concerned and aware about the natural environment. In a 1992 study of 16 countries, more than 50% of consumers in each country, other than Singapore, indicated they were concerned about the environment (Ottman 1993). A 1994 study in Australia found that 84.6% of the sample believed all individuals had a responsibility to care for the environment. A further 80% of this sample indicated that they had modified their behavior, including their purchasing behavior, due to environmental reasons (EPA-NSW 1994). Owing to the conceptual and moral complexity of ecologically responsible consumer behavior and to the perplexity of ecological information, different consumers have different conceptions of ecologically oriented consumer behavior and, thus, myriad ways of acting out their primary motivation for being green consumers (Antil, 1984). These innovations arent being pursued simply to reduce package waste. (Prothero, 1990) Food manufacturers also want to improve food preservation to enhance the taste and freshness of their products. The cost of the foods would be lower; consumers could enjoy the convenience of pre-sliced ingredients, and waste peelings (Prothero, 1990). It can be assumed that firms marketing goods with environmental characteristics will have a competitive advantage over firms marketing non-environmentally responsible alternatives. There are numerous examples of firms who have strived to become more environmentally responsible, in an attempt to better satisfy their consumer needs. (Schwepker, and Cornwell, 1991) While governmental regulation is designed to give consumers the opportunity to make better decisions or to motivate them to be more environmentally responsible, there is difficulty in establishing policies that will address all environmental issues. (Schwepker, and Cornwell, 1991). Hence, environment-friendly consumption may be characterized as highly a complex form of consumer behavior, both intellectually and morally as well as in practice. Chapter 4 Objective of the Study To study the growth in FMCG sector in India. Interpret the results using graphs and calculating various ratios to show growth in FMCG sector with regards to HUL. Research Methodology Research methodology used for calculating the growth rate in FMCG sector is trend analysis in which various important ratios have been calculated and shown by graphs and interpreted. Data collection:- Research has collected necessary information to fulfil this report through secondary data. Secondary Data: The data in this study are derived from the CAPITALINE database. Some of the data has been collected from various other company websites. Chapter 5 Ratio Analysis: Time Series Analysis Liquidity Ratios: Liquidity Ratios indicate the companys ability to meet its short-term liability. These ratios indicate the availability of liquid asset to meet short term obligations. Creditors usually check this ratio to assess the ability of firm to meet its short term obligations. Current Ratio: Current ratio is obtained by dividing Current Assets by Current Liabilities. Current ratio gives a quick understanding of the companys liquidity position but is subjected to window dressing. Current asset consists of Cash, Inventory and Debtors as major items. Though Inventory and Debtors are considered liquid asset, the company may find itself unable to collect debt at right time and convert inventory into cash when it has to pay its creditors. Hence this ratio alone can not provide a clear picture of firms liquidity position. Liquid Ratio: Liquid ratio is a better measure of Liquidity because inventory, which might not get converted into cash when required to do so, is taken out of the current asset for calculating this ratio. Absolute Cash Ratio: It is the best measure of the liquidity since only cash and near cash items are taken for calculating this ratio. Debtors and Inventory are taken out of the Current Asset and thus left part of current asset give a better idea of liquidity of the firm. Working Capital: It is net current asset that a company has to have in order to smoothly run its day to day operation.Net Current Asset is difference between CA and CL. It also indicates how the firm is financing its assets. For example if a company has CL more than CA, i.e. Negative Working Capital, it implies that the company is financing its long term asset from short term funds. Generally CL does not carry any cost and hence it increases the profitability of the firm. Working Capital Days: Working capital days indicate the time taken in completion of the operating cycle. It is a measure of firms policy of collecting debt, making payment to creditors and average inventory holding period. The goods are purchased either in cash or on credit, then it remains with the firm as inventory for some days, then it is sold and debtors are created, then the cash is collected from debtors. So, WCD is Debtors Days + Inventory Days- Creditor Days. Debtors Days: Time taken to convert debtor into cash. It indicates how efficiently the firm is collecting its debt . Creditor Days: It indicates how fast the firm is paying back to its creditors. Inventory Days: How efficiently the firm converts its inventory into debtors, i.e. how efficient the sales are. It also indicates for how long (on an average) goods are stocked. Analysis of Liquidity Ratios: Current ratio of HUL has been less than 1 for all the 3 years taken for analysis. This implies that working capital of HUL is always negative. This is generally considered an aggressive strategy i.e. to financing its long term asset by short term sources that increases profitability because current liabilities are non interest bearing items. There is significant difference between CR and LR which indicates that the current asset of HUL consists of good amount of inventory. Value of sundry debtors is quite low since there is minor difference between LR and ACR. The liquidity ratios have decreased from previous year which shows that HUL has reduced its liquidity further. On analyzing the operating cycle it can be said that HUL takes good amount of time to pay its creditors and this is how it manage to run its operations with negative working capital. Solvency Ratio: Solvency Ratios indicate the companys ability to meet its Long-term liability. These ratios indicate the ability of the firm to return the investment made by its owners and debt providers in the business, in case the company is closed down. These ratios are usually seen by the debt providers or financial institutions in order to assess the risk involved in the business. If the firm is closed down then first it is liable to pay back its loan and then if it is left with something that belongs to the share holders. Debt Equity Ratio: Debt Equity ratio is obtained by dividing Long Term outside Liability (Debt) by Net Worth. This ratio indicates the risk involved for loan givers. If it is too high then the owner may not be that much concerned for profit making since he has invested less in the business and hence getting less return. If the company makes loss ad closed down subsequently, then the owner does not loose much and loan givers will have to bear relatively more losses. This ratio also determines EPS. Interest Coverage Ratio: ICR indicates the firms ability to pay the interest of the loans taken. It is ratio of PBIT to Interest. Debt to Total Funds: This ratio indicates the share of the debt in total sources used to fund the business. Since total sources are equal to total assets, this ratio is analyzed to assess the firms ability to meet its long term liability i.e. ability to pay back its loan, in case the company is closed down. Reserves and Surplus to Total Fund: This ratio indicates the share of the Reserves and Surplus in total sources used to fund the business. Since total source are equal to total assets, this ratio is used to assess the firms ability to meet its long term liability towards its owner that is, ability to return the share profit made by the business that belongs to shareholders, in case the company is closed down. Analysis of Solvency Ratios: The loans taken by HUL were high in 2004 which is indicated by high debt to total source ratio and this is why its ICR ratio was low (as compared to ICR in 2005 and 2006). It has decreased its loan and currently it is financing its business mostly by net worth and current liability. Debt to equity ratio has decreased over the years as it has reduced the loans. Its RS to Total source has increased which indicates that HUL invests accumulated profit into business with decreasing debt. Now HULs assets are financed by net worth and current liability with debt being a small component of total source. Profitability Ratio: Profitability Ratios show how successful a company is in terms of generating returns or profits on the Investment that has been made in the business i.e. the Profitability ratios indicates the ability of the firm to generate and distribute the profit. It can be broadly categorized into profit generating ability (PGA) ratios and profit distributing ability (PDA) ratios. It can be said the higher these ratios the better it is for the company. PBIT to Sales: This ratio is obtained by dividing Profit before Interest and Tax by Sales. This ratio is a measure of the companys profit generating ability on a given volume of sales. This is the most basic ratio of profit generating ability on sales i.e. sales margin because it does not take into account the interest and taxes which the company has to pay. PBT to Sales: This ratio is obtained by dividing Profit before Tax by Sales. This ratio gives the companys profit generating ability on a given volume of sales. This ratio takes the profit after paying the interest in order to assess profit made (profit margin) after all the expenses except tax. Operating Expenses to Sales: It is a measure of the expenses that are incurred on a particular volume of sales. This ratio can be used to analyze the cost incurred and find out the ways to reduce the operational cost without decreasing the sales volume. Return on Net worth (RONW): This ratio gives an indication about the profit being made by the firm on the investment made by the owner. This ratio is used to analyze the business from the perspective of the owner. RONW is an indicator of profit distributing ability of a firm. Return on Capital Employed (ROCE): This ratio indicates the profit making ability of the firm on total capital employed which consists of owners fund and debt. This is a profit generating ability ratio which is seen by owners and debt providers. Return on Total Asset: ROTA tells how efficiently the firm is using its assets or total sources of fund to generate profit. It is a profit generating ability ratio. Earning Per Share: EPS is an indicator of profit distributing ability of a firm. This ratio tells how much profit the firm is making on owners investment on a single share of the company. Dividend per Share: DPS ratio gives an idea of the actual distribution of profit to the owners i.e. profit distributed to shareholders per share. CFO to PAT: CFO to PAT compares the net cash generated from operational activities with net profit made by the firm. It gives an idea as to how much profit is realized and how it is being used in different activities(Investment, financial, Operational) Some of the profitability ratio in this report do not match with the values given in HULS summary of performance because the sales figures taken here are after excise duty whereas the sales figures taken by HUL for calculating these ratios are before excise duty i.e. Gross Sales. Analysis of Profitability Ratios: PBIT as percentage of sales is moderately good and there has not been any significant change in it during last three years. Similar is the case of PBT/Sales. PBT/Sales are higher than the PBIT/Sales for year 2006 and 2005 which indicate that PBT is more than PBIT. This implies that interest paid by the company is negative. On closely watching the financial statement, it has been found that Net Income from Interest for HUL is positive for the years 2006 and 2005 making PBT higher than PBIT. That is because Income Received by the company is more than that to be paid. There has not been any significant change in operating expense as percentage of sales in last three years. For FMCG business the operating expense to sales ratio around 30% can be considered good as the company has to spend heavily on its distribution network and promotional activities. The profit distributing ability of the firm is excellent with return on net worth (RONW) being around 58 % over the years. The profit generating ability similar to the profit distributing ability is pretty good with ROCE over 60% during the year 2005 and 2006. ROCE in year 2005 has increased from the figure of 2004, perhaps because of the decrease in debt (change in capital structure) and increase in current liability (non interest bearing item). Return on total asset (ROTA) has been moderately good with almost constant value of around 22% over the years. The face value of Equity Share of HUL is Rs. 1. Analyzing the EPS and DPS, which are profit distributing ability ratios, for HUL we can see that it has been generating more than 500% times profit for its shareholders over the years. The EPS increased over the years from Rs.5.xx in year 2004 to Rs. 8.xx in year 2006. It has been generous in distributing the profit in form of dividend with DPS Rs 6 in year 2004 and Rs. 5 in year 2005 and 2006. The trend of CFO/PBIT is worth analyzing since the companys CFO is close to its PBIT which indicates that almost entire profit of HUL comes from its operation and the profit is realized. In year 2005 the CFO is higher than PBIT indicating the negative CFF or CFI i.e. the company has realized the profit(in form of cash) and invested in long term assets or paid its long term outside liabilities(loans). Market Based Returns: Market based return figures indicate the firms position in the market and the benefits associated with the investment in company. A small investor, if interested in purchasing the shares of a company, first looks at the market capitalization of the company and return that he can expect on the price paid for the share. Price to Earning Ratio: Return associated with the shares on its market price. Since the investors buy the share at its market price and not at face value or book value, this ratio gives information about the actual return on investment. Market Cap to Net worth (Price to Book Value Ratio): Comparison of market value of the firm with the owners fund. This can give an idea about the success of the company in increasing the value of owners investment. Market Capitalization: Market value of the firm. Market capitalization gives an indication of the companys financial status in the market. Market capitalization is used to compare the size of the organization in term of market value. Average Market Capitalization: Average Market value of the firm over the year. Average is taken because the market value of shares keeps on changing and so is market capitalization. Analysis of Market Based Returns: PER ratio for HUL is not so good with values over 30 in year 2006 and 2005 and somewhat better with value around 25 in the year 2004. It means an investor will get return around 1/30 times on his actual investment. Market capitalization of HUL has increased after 2004. Ratio Analysis: Inter Company Analysis -HUL and ITC Comparison of Liquidity Position: Current Ratio for HUL is negative whereas it is positive for ITC. This indicates that HUL has negative working capital and ITC has positive working capital. ITC is funding its short term asset by long term funds and HUL funding its long term asset by its short term non-interest bearing sources (CL). One more difference in liquidity position of the two companies can be seen through the difference between the CR and ACR. There is huge difference in ACR and CR of ITC which shows that it has less cash or near cash items in its current liabilities whereas for HUL the difference is moderate. Working Capital Days for ITC is positive and WCD for HUL is negative. It can be said that HUL has more current liab

The Religious Systems Of Ancient Greeks And Romans Religion Essay

The Religious Systems Of Ancient Greeks And Romans Religion Essay The religion of ancient Greeks represented a predominant form of early Paganism. They believe in worshipping many Gods. The Romans Gods can be cited as a belief of numen, according to which God inhabit the living things and objects and can be found in everything in nature  [2]  . The religious beliefs of these two cultures deeply influence the cultural, political and other such activities in the state. A study is done here to find out the practices that are followed in these cultures as a result of different religious beliefs and political and social differences between the two in the pre-historic times by comparing their beliefs. Roman Religion The history of Rome can be divided into three phases or periods. It originated in the year 753-509 B.C. when it established itself by conquering Etruscans. Then the second phase is the era when the Republic falls and the Battle of Actium happened between 509-31 B.C. Finally the new law and government and the Roman Empire emerged in the era 31 B.C. to 476 A.D. Also Christianity emerged as new phenomena to be reckoned in this period  [3]  . The Roman pantheons were originated in small villages of Rome by farming community. The mythology thus believed in faceless and nameless deities which support the communities. The people believed in Numen as a pantheistic inhabitant which however later transformed to a more defined system of Gods. The Romans were particular about the responsibility of their deity and thus each family was assigned with a guardian spirit called Lar Familiaris (Lars) which were then involved in all family functions. Examples of these are Genii represent men and junii for women. The Roman Gods as we know today got their form in the dynasty of Etruscan king in 6th century B.C. The God like Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva were then worshiped in temples. The Romans used to easily adopt others culture and they worship foreign Gods and adopt their customs as well, for example goddess Cybele was adopted in the Second Punic War, which is a Phoenician God and it still prevails in Roman System  [4]  . An imperial system rose in Rome with time and the Emperors like Julian Caesar claimed to be descendent of Aeneas and accepted the divine honors like God. This however became a source of conflict with Christians, and the emperor worship continued till 4th century A.D. and ended in the reign of Constantine. Christianity became the official religion in 392 AD. According to editor Fjordman of The Brussels Journal, Christianity gradually became the Greco-Roman culture since its foundation. As Christianity had suppressed the Greco-Roman religion, Henry Bamford stated in his book Gods and Men -The Origins of Western Culture that  [5]   à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦although Christianity may have borrowed from the pagan heritage, it borrowed only what it could integrate with its own basic doctrines and could profitably absorb and make use ofà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Much more important in the early evolution of Christianity was the influence of the classical intellectual heritage. As men trained in Hellenic and Roman modes of thought became converted, they began to reinterpret the new doctrines in the terms to which they were accustomed. Thus, Christian theology was presented in the language of Greek philosophy and of Roman law. Greek Religion The origin of ancient Greeks is thought to be 2nd millennium B.C. i.e. somewhere around the Aryan invasions period. Greek culture is formed with the fusion of the Aegeans (Pelasgians) and the Minoans of Crete culture. The civilization thus created was also known as Minoan-Mycenean civilization which existed from 1600 B.C. till 1400 B.C  [6]  . The Greeks used to worship many Gods. They have various myths with respect to distinct gods and domains. Many mythological series were illustrated in the art of Archaic and Classical Greece. The Greek pantheon determined twelve principle deities. Zeus the sky god is considered to be the prime power amongst others. Mount Olympos is considered to be the home of gods in Greece. Greek religious practices had some of its roots in the Bronze Age (3000-1050 B.C.). Lliad and Odyssey are considered to influence the Greek thoughts and the relation between the god and the humans were believed to be on concept of exchange of gifts  [7]  . Greeks used to give offering to their god in separate sanctuaries. The sanctuaries were built by marking off an area around an altar. As said by Aeschylus, The altar is an unbreakable shield, stronger than a fortification tower  [8]  . The boundary stones also called horoi might be used to create fence also called peribols thereby establishing a separate area which was termed as temenos. Each and everything in the sanctuary is treated as sacred and many refuges took shelter in these temenos. In the words of Euripides, The abode of the gods is a protection shared by all men  [9]  . It was a civil and religious crime to steal any property of god from these temenos. The hundreds or thousands of deities in Greece have one day dedicated to them each year, when the families celebrate the day with their neighbors. The family also might sacrifices a goat or sheep to keep the deity happy. Apart from these annual festivals the people can worship in case of personal needs like Apollodorus promised one-tenth of his profits to Poseidon on his safe return, before making a business trip. This gift which is served as a votive offering could be in the form of small statuette or painted plaque to the sanctuary with his name and the purpose of gift written on it like this: Apollodorus, son of Diopeithes after having made a vow, Erects this for you. Poseidon, as a tithe. Many such dedications can be found in the Greek dedicated museums today  [10]  . Art and philosophy arose as a result of Greek religion. The Greek religion was highly influenced by women as it arose at a time when the women deities were dominant. Some women involved in the early formation of Greek religion were Hecate, Ariadne, Athene, Demeter etc. Art of god and goddesses became the milestones of Greek and earned Greek society huge benefits by means of trade. Religion was more integrated in the ancient Greek people, compared to nowadays. All people belonging to same culture followed a common religion. The Greek religion is also referred as pagan which means ignorance of Christianity, however the Christianity was well came into existence in the Roman period. Also it is believed that Christianity was the adoption of Greek culture with changed names  [11]  . Comparing Greeks and Romans In ancient times, the Greeks and the Romans influenced European and American civilization the most. The Roman culture acquired many of its habits from the Greeks and also the laws and architecture designs of Roman culture were inspired by the Greeks  [12]  . However comparison can be made between the two in many ways. The Greeks followed a democratic form of government with the leader being a group of men called an oligarchy as chosen by people. The Romans however followed a semi-democratic form of government with a governing Senate and a political leader having all the powers as of a single emperor. The ancient Greeks were artistic in nature and had constructed well defined buildings which were beautiful and pleasant, and were especially temples, facades and columns. The Romans, on the other hand, worked more as engineers and constructed best roads, buildings, and other civic amenities and were less interested in building gods and goddesses architecture. However in both the cultures the people have to pay stiff taxes to government for their buildings. The literary interests existed in both the cultures with the Greeks epic followed the old tradition of writing like the Iliad by Homer , however the Roman epics were composed by living and on the spot writers like The Aeneid by Vergil  [13]  . The Greek and the Roman Gods performed the same duties but with different names. The Roman religion accepted many of the deities of the Greek Pantheon like the Mithra, the sun-god, Isis etc. but was more comprehensive in nature. Romans religion was practical in nature as against poetic nature of the Greek religion. The household Gods are dominant in Rome as they worship their ancestors, and the festivals celebrated in worship of God are numerous in Rome as compared to Greeks  [14]  . The study of the two ancient cultures here presented the fact that our ancient civilization is rich in culture and the various religions had an influence on each other in their formation. The culture and the religion followed by the people in ancient times were different still they paved the way for a common religion called Christianity. The religions greatly influenced the beliefs of the people and the society as a whole. The political and social thoughts of these two cultures are discussed here and the differences were found. The difference in the deities and the way of worship can also be seen. Thus the significance and relevance of the topic of discussion is great in all respect.

Puerto Rican Art Essay -- Puerto Rico Artists Crafts Essays

Puerto Rican Art Historically, Puerto Rico is only 512 years old. The island was discovered on November 19, 1493 by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the New World. On the island he found Taino Indians living there. Juan Ponce de Leà ³n came to the island in 1508 as its first governor. In 1521, the city of San Juan was established. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Puerto Rico was attacked by the Dutch and English, Spain’s enemies. The island was struggling to attain economical stability by raising cattle and farming on a small scale. By the end of the nineteenth century, Puerto Rico had grown considerably socially, economically, and politically. The Cà ©dula de Gracias of 1815 offered many incentives and advantages the immigrants of the new Latin American republics. Puerto Rico became a sugar exporting colony. After the Spanish-American War in 1898, Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain to the United States. In 1917, Puerto Ricans became U.S. citizens and adopted the Commonwealth state in 1952. Although Puerto Rico is relatively young artistically, it has gone through major cultural changes, first with the Spanish conquest, and then with the United States and other immigrant groups. The artistic production of painters and craftsmen, through these not yet five hundred years, reflect these cultural shocks. Puerto Rico, like the United States, is a land of immigrants. It is presently in the process of establishing a cultural statement. Because of the diversity of its inhabitants, no statement of a unified artistic expression can be made. In earlier times, the discovery, the colonization period, and later some stability in the nineteenth century, the artistic production was basically unified, that is, it portrayed Puerto Rico through single statements, its people, its vegetation, eminent politicians, religious beliefs, etc. The contemporary artists have expressed their ideas in more complex and stylized ways. This is not saying that the earlier works were primitive or archaic. It simply means that the times demand different artistic visions of what the Puerto Rican reality is now. Art will provide some explanation and insight into the life and reality of our people. The Taino Indians The Taino Indians had been living in Puerto Rico for hundreds of years when the Spaniard conquerors arrived in the fifteenth century. They w... ...island. Castor Ayala is the maximum exponent of this craft. Other crafts from coconut shells are also made here. The African influence is heard in music and through handmade musical instruments. The influence of the Indian, Spanish, and African heritage’s is also reflected to various degrees in the pottery and clay figures made today on the island. Puerto Rico’s present day crafts are many and varied, and there are craft fairs celebrated on the island for everyone to enjoy. Resources: Magaly Rivera â€Å"Welcome to Puerto Rico!† http://welcome.topuertorico.org/index.shtml Irvine R. MacManus, Jr. â€Å"Taà ­no Treasures The Legacy of Dr. Ricardo E. Alegrà ­a† http://ca80.lehman.cuny.edu/gallery/taino_treasures/macmanus_essay.htm Bob Corbett â€Å"Pre-Columbian Hispaniola - Arawak/Taino Indians† http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43a/100.html â€Å"Puerto Rican Painters† http://www.angelfire.com/art2/puerto_rican_artists/ Cecil Marie Cancel â€Å" ¡Bienvenidos a la pà ¡gina de nuestro pintor, Josà © Campeche!† http://members.tripod.com/~josecampeche/ Mari Carmen Ramà ­rez â€Å"Modern and Contemporary Puerto Rican Artists Francisco Oller† http://www.zenstudio.com/pr/artists/oller/oller.htm Puerto Rican Art Essay -- Puerto Rico Artists Crafts Essays Puerto Rican Art Historically, Puerto Rico is only 512 years old. The island was discovered on November 19, 1493 by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the New World. On the island he found Taino Indians living there. Juan Ponce de Leà ³n came to the island in 1508 as its first governor. In 1521, the city of San Juan was established. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Puerto Rico was attacked by the Dutch and English, Spain’s enemies. The island was struggling to attain economical stability by raising cattle and farming on a small scale. By the end of the nineteenth century, Puerto Rico had grown considerably socially, economically, and politically. The Cà ©dula de Gracias of 1815 offered many incentives and advantages the immigrants of the new Latin American republics. Puerto Rico became a sugar exporting colony. After the Spanish-American War in 1898, Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain to the United States. In 1917, Puerto Ricans became U.S. citizens and adopted the Commonwealth state in 1952. Although Puerto Rico is relatively young artistically, it has gone through major cultural changes, first with the Spanish conquest, and then with the United States and other immigrant groups. The artistic production of painters and craftsmen, through these not yet five hundred years, reflect these cultural shocks. Puerto Rico, like the United States, is a land of immigrants. It is presently in the process of establishing a cultural statement. Because of the diversity of its inhabitants, no statement of a unified artistic expression can be made. In earlier times, the discovery, the colonization period, and later some stability in the nineteenth century, the artistic production was basically unified, that is, it portrayed Puerto Rico through single statements, its people, its vegetation, eminent politicians, religious beliefs, etc. The contemporary artists have expressed their ideas in more complex and stylized ways. This is not saying that the earlier works were primitive or archaic. It simply means that the times demand different artistic visions of what the Puerto Rican reality is now. Art will provide some explanation and insight into the life and reality of our people. The Taino Indians The Taino Indians had been living in Puerto Rico for hundreds of years when the Spaniard conquerors arrived in the fifteenth century. They w... ...island. Castor Ayala is the maximum exponent of this craft. Other crafts from coconut shells are also made here. The African influence is heard in music and through handmade musical instruments. The influence of the Indian, Spanish, and African heritage’s is also reflected to various degrees in the pottery and clay figures made today on the island. Puerto Rico’s present day crafts are many and varied, and there are craft fairs celebrated on the island for everyone to enjoy. Resources: Magaly Rivera â€Å"Welcome to Puerto Rico!† http://welcome.topuertorico.org/index.shtml Irvine R. MacManus, Jr. â€Å"Taà ­no Treasures The Legacy of Dr. Ricardo E. Alegrà ­a† http://ca80.lehman.cuny.edu/gallery/taino_treasures/macmanus_essay.htm Bob Corbett â€Å"Pre-Columbian Hispaniola - Arawak/Taino Indians† http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43a/100.html â€Å"Puerto Rican Painters† http://www.angelfire.com/art2/puerto_rican_artists/ Cecil Marie Cancel â€Å" ¡Bienvenidos a la pà ¡gina de nuestro pintor, Josà © Campeche!† http://members.tripod.com/~josecampeche/ Mari Carmen Ramà ­rez â€Å"Modern and Contemporary Puerto Rican Artists Francisco Oller† http://www.zenstudio.com/pr/artists/oller/oller.htm