The Climatic Condition of San Francisco and Key West

Climate refers to the weather condition of a certain given area over a long period of time, usually after a period of 30 years. The climatic conditions are arrived at as a result of several factors such as nearness to large water bodies, latitudinal factors, the altitude patterns, human activities, the relief, and distance from the equator, direction of wind and the flow of ocean currents to a given area. This paper explores the climatic condition of the city of san fransisco, CA and Key West, Florida.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Climatic Condition of San Francisco and Key West specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More San Francisco is a county in California State. It’s among the most populous regions in California with varied socio-cultural prospects and a robust economic platform. The city sits on the north of the peninsular where it borders Pacific Ocean and San Francisco bay to the west and northern end respectively. Francisco city is a renowned world’s tourist destined site, thanks to its exclusive prevailing weather patterns courtesy of the climatic condition. The climatic pattern is the Mediterranean climate; group Cs, which is a sub type of the temperate climate according to the koppen classification. Many factors contribute to the climatic condition. Due to proximity to sea, ocean currents flow to and fro thereby bringing about the cooling effect. It’s because of these cool currents that produce humid conditions of warmth and small variations of yearly temperatures. The city undergoes dry intervals between the May all the way to October then giving way to the start of the rains from November to the April. During the rainy period, rain falls slightly more than one week which makes about 5 percent of the annual total rainfall that occurs. The rain pattern is prompted by the air masses from the warm north-west front and the cold front from the Alaskan gulf. Thus, t he city endures a maximum average temperatures of 60Â º F and 70Â ºF and minimum of 50Â ºF and 55Â ºF during summer with cool sea breeze and foggy conditions .On the other hand, winter is characterized by much fog and even transport operations may be disrupted during such periods. The city also experiences the spring and fall seasons. At such times, the skies are usually clear during the shift from summer season to the more cold winter period defined by heavy rainy clouds. It is also during this period when dry offshore currents oust the sea currents from the pacific resulting in the alteration of temperature thereby making it the hottest period in San Francisco city. Due to latitudinal differences, the precipitation patterns of San Francisco vary from one area to the other. This is depicted by the relief of the area which anchors on the terrain, which is dotted with a number of hills. As a result, air from the pacific gets lifted upward over the high topographical features.Adve rtising Looking for essay on geography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The outcome of such movement across the different contours between a maximum of 22Â ´ and 18Â ´ produces an effect of open variation in precipitation pattern. Precipitation patterns on an average yearly basis stands at about 500mm and certainly takes place from November through to April when rainfall is experienced and this is equivalent to 20 inches (Gabler 49). Vegetation refers to the plant concentration in an area. The topographic convention of San Francisco city is marked with several hills. The terrain and proximity to the sea front produce several features associated with a variety of native vegetation. These range from wild flowers to woodlands. Take for instance; areas close to the sea front is almost bare as it is mainly dotted by sand dunes. The numerous hilly areas typically are cooler thus the vegetation becomes denser .San Francisco is perc eived to be a major urban centre in California, unfortunately, the native vegetation is quietly and quickly giving way to the rapid urban expansion as a result of the human activities involved. San Francisco city’s climate can be described as, Csb according to the koppen climate classification system. Finally, Key West is a city in Monroe County; Florida. It covers Key West and stock isles. This city is also a major tourist destination due to its characteristics cruise ships. Its geographical map can be defined by 24Â º 33Â ´North and 81 Â º 03Â ´West with a maximum height above sea level standing at 6m or 18 feet. It’s also in this region that tropical cyclones are more prone because most of the topographical features sit at no more than 20 feet. This system affects wind movement and alters rainfall patterns which causes unpredictable warming of water surface thereby forcing moisture into the atmosphere through the immense energy produced hence causing tornadoes a nd even forest fires. The Florida Keys manifest to a process of glaciations hence sits on a coral base (Gabler 57). These phenomena point to the existence of limestone beds along the peninsula and the coral reef to the west that has since been covered with sand. According to koppen classification system, Key West city has a relatively mild nature, tropical climate. This is so because Key West lies close to the equator which is also a major factor that can determine the climate of an area as it receives more sunshine. This type of climate can be credited to several factors too. Take for example, the Gulf Stream and the Gulf of Mexico that borders the city to the north and to the west contributes to the average humid conditions linked to this region. Due to the closeness of this area to the sea, the currents bring about the cooling effect as they flow from the sea front onto the mainland.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Climatic Condition of San Francisco an d Key West specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This attest to the fact that, cold currents meet with the warm fonts from the northern part during winter. Because of this situation, the temperatures in this region always maintain a figure not less than 10 Â ºC or 50 Â ºF.The month of July is usually accompanied by 26.4 Â ºC and 31.9Â ºC at an average of low and high temperatures in that order. Here, there are two major highlights of climate. The two climatic seasons run from June to October marked by hot and wet, plus humid conditions. The other season commence from the month of November to May. This period features both dry and cool weather circumstances that further explain the reason for the state of the summer conditions. As summer approaches, the heat is moderated with easterly winds and the current from the sea hence forming humid weather patterns (Gabler 54). The hot season between November and April experiences little rain wit h abundant sunshine, while the wet season of May and October receives slightly higher rainfall annually compared to the former with occasional thunderstorms due to the easterly winds. This regulates the precipitation patterns hence the outcome of this process produces low precipitation on average. Thus, making Key West as the city with the most pronounced dry conditions in the state of Florida. The vegetation of Key West is as varied as the topographical features are concerned. Generally, the environmental features resemble that of the Caribbean even though the Key West islands were formed as a result of sea animals and water plants. The vegetation landscape takes after natural habitats found in areas of high altitude mainly occasioned by upland forests such as maple, pine, oak and tropical species like mahogany and many others. The sea shore exhibit varied vegetation too, like coconut palm, hibiscus trees, and the bougainvillea and papaya species. Exotic species can also thrive her e because of the favorable climate that supports their growth. Consequently, the climate of Key West area is therefore Aw, according to koppen climate classification system. Works Cited Gabler, Robert. The Fundamentals of Physical Geography. California. Barnes Noble, 2008. Print. This essay on The Climatic Condition of San Francisco and Key West was written and submitted by user WildChild to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

buy custom Social Psychology Research Paper essay

buy custom Social Psychology Research Paper essay Social psychology refers to the scientific study of the influence of other people, actual or implied in this case on the behavior, pattern and conduct of a person. It is general practice that people do not behave the same I different environs. Obedience A scientist named Milgram studied obedience in depth and came up with various findings relating to the virtue. The study was an effort by a key authority figure to see how students would react to an order that did not conform with their conscience in that it was an unacceptable act. The aim of the goal was to find out how exactly the subject being ordered would react in this kind of environment, given set of conditions that orders were being communicated vertically. The study involved participants who drew papers to decide who would be the teacher and who would be the learner. Both papers read teacher and the actor said he had the role of the learner to play. This implied the participant would always be the teacher. This however was unknown to the subject. The teacher and learner were then separated from a direct reach and visibility of each other. They therefore could not communicate. The confederate (learner) was quick to mention that he had a heart condition to the teacher. (Catherine, 2009) .The teacher responded by asking for an electric shock from the electro shock generator. The learner would ideally have this used on him during the experiment to treat the heart condition. The teacher then received word pairs in a list and was supposed to teach this to the learner. The teacher read the word pairs aloud to the learner later followed by one word of every pair. Four possible answers would then be read and the learner was supposed to press a button to indicate his response. An incorrect answer would warrant administration of a shock to the learner. The voltage was increasing by 15 volts per every wrong answer. A correct answer would warrant progress to the next pair of words. The subjects actually believed that this for every wrong answer the teacher actually administered shock to the learner. The learner had set up a table with a tape recorder connected with the electro shock generator. It played sounds that had been pre-recorded for each shock level. The actor then banged on the wall after some voltage increments and complained of his heart condition. The learner would stop responding. Many people at this point were eager to check on the learner. Some subjects paused at 135 volts wanting to know the purpose of the experiment but after being reassured, it continued. Some subjects would nervously laugh depicting signs of sympathy when they heard screams coming from the learner. The subjects occasionally received signs from the experimenter to continue. The experiment was halted at a voltage of 450 volts. (Robert, 2001). Results Milgram had initially called on students in Yale to predict the behavior of 100 hypothetical teachers. Many argued that very few teachers (0-3%) would actually inflict a voltage of 450 volts. Milligrams colleagues also had the opinion that very few subjects would progress under this voltage. Milgram concluded that obedience without confomity to ones conscience is disturbing. The subjects were finding it difficult to continue adding more voltage on the learner. The findings were: Adults would go to great lengths in trying to follow an order. Ordinary people doing their jobs can become agents of destruction Conformity Solomon Asch decided to study conformity i.e. the tendency of an individual to follow the unspoken rules and patterns of a group in which he belongs. He accepted out a sequence of experiments intended to demonstrate the power of conformity in groups. Students were instructed that they would engage in a vision test. The subjects did not know that the other participants were to assist the experimenter in that it was planned. The confederates at first answered the questions correctly but eventually started giving wrong answers. Results 75% of all the participants went down with the rest of the collection at least one time. The results later indicated participants had given the wrong answer at least one third of the time. This is after tallying of different results had been done. The participants ability to tell the length of the line was tested. They were supposed to write down their ideas on papers which would then be scrutinized. The results indicated that the participants were very accurate. They had chosen the correct answer approximately 985 of the time. The experiment also tried to determine the consequences of the number of people on conformity. There was virtually no effect on the participants answers when only one confederate was present. Presence of two confederates showed some slight result. The level of conventionality seen with three or more confederates was very significant. Asch establishes out that having one of the confederates give the accurate answer while the rest giving an incorrect one lowered conformity significantly. Just 5-10% of the applicants conformed to the rest of the group. Morris and Miller have supported this finding to the extent that the presence of social support is important if conformity has to be combated. Students who got the answer right said they avoided giving the same response to avoid being ridiculed. This gave the conclusion that conformity is influenced by both needs to fit in and believe other people are smarter or better informed. This is practical in real life situations where people want to conform to a general pattern. This is in order to avoid being seen as crazy or having an abnormality in the way they think. It I common that in a class of students, majority of the class gives the same answer when expected to answer aloud. This is not because it is true but because they want to conform to a general pattern. (Smith , 2007). Social perception This refers to the part of perception that actually allows people to understand the individuals and groups of their social world. It is an element of social cognition and allows people to determine the effect of other people in their personal life. Altruism Studies the following: ; Unselfish behavior and attitude towards the welfare of others. It conforms to the zeal and urge of an individual to work towards the benefits of others. Intentional behaviors that benefit other persons Behaviors that have no obvious gain for the provider Behaviors that have obvious costs for the provider (time and resources) There are theories that seek to explain what altruism is all about and its characteristic. These include: 1. Hedonism: Selfish acts that seek to benefit the actor in the following ways: (A) Gives emotional satisfaction (B) Reduces negative feelings in the actor 2. Reciprocal Altruism: Natural selection favors animals that are actually altruistic towards each other if the profit to each is greater than the price of altruism. Bystander effect A social psychological phenomenon refers to cases where individuals do not tender help in a crisis to the victim where other people are present. In the past the amount of help has been thought to be inversely proportional to the number of bystanders present. The more the bystanders present in an emergency, the less the likelihood that help will be extended. (David, 2005) This is because each of the present bystanders looks upon the other as also present and expects them to be willing to assist. It is therefore a condition registered in the mind of the bystander. Social Loafing This term as used in social psychology refers to the occurrence where people exert fewer attempts to achieve an objective when they work in a group than when they work alone. It has been known even in corporate organizations and government institutions that when people work in a group without each person having to specialize, they more often than not engage in lazing around at the expense of engaging their minds in the work they are supposed to do. This is because each and every individual relies upon his colleague and believes the work will go to completion despite the circumstances underlying. Groups are therefore less productive sometimes compared to individual assignments. Rope pulling experiments have been used to prove this fact. People during rope pulling exert very little effort since they have the belief in them that it is a collective responsibility. Empathy This is the key ingredient to helping. Empathy felt towards a person helps them regardless of what they gain from it. Relieving a persons suffering is an achievement. The social exchange theory takes control once a person stops feeling empathetic. Batson in his contribution said that people sometimes helped others out of selfish reasons. He was trying to discover a way to distinguish between motives that individuals have. The level of empathy changes with the situation and differs from one person to the other. (Obedience to Authority: An experimental view Stanley Milgram 1974) Empathy has seen the emergence of institutions, some of which are voluntary seeking to help in times of crisis. This promotes better relations in the society and unity is boosted. Buy custom Social Psychology Research Paper essay

Answering Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answering Questions - Assignment Example This lead to the triangular trade by the Portuguese that involved transporting slaves to Europe and bringing back produces of their labor to Africa. Atlantic slavery then continued in Africa and America until 1888 when Brazil abolished it. This trade however enabled Europeans build their capital base and saved the slaves from starvation in famine. It however undermined the dignity and welfare of Africans. The French revolution was brought about by the increased famine and malnutrition and privileges to the first class citizens while the North American was caused by their urge to have independence (Goucher and Walton). The Spanish American had conquered Portugal and Spain and had a great opportunity to carry out changes. However, the revolution in Haiti was as a result of enlightenment of slaves who then called for their rights. The Haiti and Americas cause of revolution was therefore significant in leading to a great economic development in the countries. The transition of revolution has therefore played an important role in taking the countries to great economies and societies with freedom of every citizen. The expansion of overseas trade, availability of capital and the social and political stability in Europe countries facilitated the industrial revolution in Europe. The need for raw materials and other resources for their industries from other countries however made these countries to use their powers to obtain resources. According to Goucher and Walton (2013), this is what linked the industrial revolution to the imperialism. The main factors that could have lead to new imperialism are the cultural beliefs that the whites westerner to make the blacks modernize and the social Darwinism that purports the destruction of weak races was natural to improve species of such races. These factors were not related but they were able to bring almost similar outcomes which were the colonization of the people

Oberation objectives at the Penang mutiars Case Study

Oberation objectives at the Penang mutiars - Case Study Example to cater to all requests of the customers and at the same time maintain its promise of quality service to the visitors by being flexible according to the demand of the situation. Penang Mutiara never  compromises the quality of its service in order to cut back costs. Thus, it becomes clear that the operations management of this hotel is highly appropriate for its strategy. Operation strategy means the â€Å"total pattern of decisions and actions† that sets the activities, objectives and roles of the operation in order that they facilitate as well as provide support to the business strategy of the firm (Nieuwenhuizen 124). Making good ideas, creating products and giving services are among the primary focus of every business, as well as that of each manager, especially the operations managers. Operations management is the function of business that involves â€Å"making products and providing services† (Nieuwenhuizen 114). There are mainly three functions of operation management that are relevant for the success of strategy adopted by Penang Mutiara. They are business implementation strategy, supporter of business strategy and Driver strategy. Business implementation relates with the functioning and implementation of a plan. It is the actions that have to be taken following any initial plans in order for something to really happen. The seco nd function of the operation management is supporter of business strategy and this helps to attain strategic achievement for the hotel. The supporter of the business strategy helps to attain the goals of a  business, and besides the  administrator, the staff also utilizes  this strategy. Driver strategy is another important role of operation management function and it can assist to attain strategic achievement for Penang Mutiara Hotel. This role is defined as the major factor that helps in deciding the failure or success of an industry’s strategy. Managing a hotel of this size is an immensely complicated task, especially so

Politics and the AIDS epidemic Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Politics and the AIDS epidemic - Research Paper Example The part of the world that is affected worst by HIV infection is the sub-Saharan Africa. As of now, their is neither a cure nor a vaccine for AIDS. Thus, combating the disease is a major challenge for health care providers and biomedical scientists. AIDS and HIV infection represents one of the most public -pressing public health policy and public health problem in the world. Currently AIDS is pandemic and has significant impact on the health care costs. In the current era, HIV infection is considered to be in the end stage of a chronic disease with rapid spread among Hispanics and Blacks (Fox, 1990). Though the disease was first identified in 1981, the mode of transmission of the disease and causating agent was discovered only in 1984. In 1985, detection of the virus was developed and applied to blood transfusions. In 1987, anti-retroviral agents were manufactured and since then there has been constant upgrading of drugs to combat infection, but with no cure or vaccine for the diseas e. Currently, it is estimated that 850,000 to 950,000 Americans are living with HIV infection/AIDS (Kates, 2004). The disease is a national epidemic with severe effect on specific groups like injection drug users, gay and bisexual men, young individuals and racial and ethnic minorities. Currently, it is also increasingly affecting communities which are economically backward and also women. Since the time AIDS was diagnosed for the first time in the United States, the relationships among politics, science and health care policy have changed drastically. In the 1980s, the HIV epidemic's politics were dominated mainly by four interacting factors fear and fascination, individuals involved in the contraction and spread of the disease, endemic problems of the social policy of United States and the impact of scientific knowledge advances on policy (Fox, 1990). During the initial years, politics was considered as inimical for prevention, but not it is considered as central. The main challen ge is to facilitate prevention of spread of the virus through policies that protect the most vulnerable population. During the first decade of the AIDS epidemic in the US, the policies were hostile to several areas of research like sexuality and meedle exchange. The political climate last decade was more sympathetic and effective health policies were not there because of two important issues. One was the issue as to whether efforts towards prevention was to be targeted for high risk populations and high risk geographic areas alone, or, must be broadly based. The other was issue was uncertainty of involvement of democratic participation including various local health departments, federal government agencies and community-based organizations (Bayer, 1997). As far as international politics with regard to HIV infection/AIDS is concerned, World Bank has a major role to play for international health with regard to AIDS pandemic. The bank is mainly responsible for various efforts to combat factors contributing to the AIDS like poverty, in countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Initially, several structural adjustment programs which were often criticized by the critics were promoted. These developed several negative consequences and the World Bank, along with International Monetary Fund focused on health related issues. AIDS evoked political response and also government action. It was initially

The Cultural Capital Defined Cultural Studies Essay

The Cultural Capital Defined Cultural Studies Essay The chapter provides a theoretical understanding of cultural capital from the perspective of cultural capital from the perspective of sports consumption. Scholarly journals are reviewed to give readers an understanding of the contribution of cultural capital made in the area of sports. The chapter commences with broad issues concerning the topic and narrowed to focus on the study in Ghana. 2.1 Cultural capital defined Cultural capital surfaced in academic work approximately 25 years ago in the work of Bourdieu and Gouldner, and after that references were made in other fields as evolutionary biology (Cohen, cited in Ahbeysekera et. Al, 2004) a literary criticism (Guillory, 1993). Bourdieu from one angle sees capital as power, in this case the power stems from a communal or structural point which accumulates power for a person to gain an economic advantage in the short or long term (Bourdieu, 1990). From another angle and with reference to linguistic and cultural capital, Bourdieu advances a case that parent of the middle class use cultural capital to propagate and advance their economic fortunes (Bourdieu, 1984). Several studies have attributed cultural capital as being embedded in family background and education and have made connections between value based power and having various types of cultural capital (Gayo-Cal, Savage, and Warde, 2006; Warde, 2006; Warde, Martens, and Olsen. 1999). Bourdieu 1997 identifies the three form of cultural capital as Embodied, Objectified and Institutional cultural capital. Embodied cultural capital is explained as the permanent nature of the mind and body (Bourdieu, 1997). Objectified cultural capital is better explained through its operation. Examples are the interpretation of say, paintings or the ability to play instruments. As Bourdieu point s out one can fully appreciate objectified cultural capital except they can afford its consumption (Bourdieu, 1997; Silva, 2006). This explanation in a way demonstrates how objectified cultural capital is learnt or passed on over time, according to Sullivan, 2001 families with well-resourced cultural capital pass on through a mechanism of hands on tutoring through their free time by attending art exhibitions, theaters, highlighting form the need for education and mannerism. Institutional cultural capital according to Bourdieu is the official and systemized recognition accorded both embodied a nd objectified forms of cultural capital. Through this system the tangible value of the capital is scaled and its extrinsic value made legitimate (Bourdieu, 1997). According to Bourdieu 1984 education through formal means is one of the key sources of cultural capital as teaches learners the intangible values associated with cultural knowledge. The nature of institutional cultural capital in supporting symbolic value shapes and improves society. This form of cultural capital and the social structure it provides makes for a personally advantaged position (Bourdieu and Wacquant, 1992). In looking at the relationship between cultural capital and social status and also showing the essence of rare highbrow cultural capital to social status, a study conducted indicated that high class socio-economic groups had access and could to relate to an array of cultural capital forms compared to the lower groups (Peterson and Kern, 1996). 2.2 Capital and symbolic power According to Bourdieu 1990 power is imagined as symbolic power created through discretionary values associated with various types of economic, social and cultural capital that people own. One of the crucial points that have come out strongly is the link of cultural capital to symbolic power and how this creates distinction; allowing higher social status in society through symbolic capital. According to Bourdieu 1997 symbolic capital creates benefits through tangible properties, such as material acquisitions, which further puts those who own it at an advantage. This claim for higher power is emphasized and legitimized through symbolic capital (Swartz, 1997). As symbolic systems are established within society these structures shape and inform our habitus and consequently create permanent characters learnt over a period that inform the way people think of the social environment and the way people function in it (Bourdieu, 1990; Swartz, 1997; Edwards, 2009). 2.3 Cultural Consumption of Sports Sporting preferences are made on social and cultural reproduction and class lines along the same directions as the preference for music and the arts (Bourdieu 1978; 1984). He mentioned that various sports are pecked differently in the social and cultural hierarchy. Wilson 2002 states that according to Bourdieu (1978; 1984) each sport requires the suitable taste and preference and a peculiar sets of skills and knowledge to partake which he calls cultural capital. Separation among people is created through taste consumption and acts a means of social distinction among people. A group through its taste and preferences can align or disassociate itself from society and can be used to create some status for the niche separating it from the mass appeal taste of the rest of the group. Holt (1998) argues that the things that are valued in domains as the arts and theater attendance are mystified in rituals of taste and consumption. In the quest to improve ones standing in society and better the lifes of their descendants theres is a perpetual pursuit of improving ones social standing in a progressive manner so as to restore the stratified position. DiMaggio and Useem 1978 summed this up by saying accumulated cultural capital improves opportunities in life by turning this capital advantage into social and economic progress in future. The hierarchies within society are crucial in understanding the kind of people that attend high cultural activities (DiM aggio and Useem, 1978; Matty, 2004; Tampubolon, 2007). It has been identified in a couple of research studies that sport is less developed when compared to other consumption fields. Indeed, it was noted by Warde 2006 that Bourdieu acknowledges the essence of sports and body maintenance in the storage and exhibition of cultural capital. Bourdieu also noted that ones sporting appeal is complimentary to their lifestyle and serves as a distinction from others (Warde, 2006). In his study- cultural capital and the place of sports, Warde 2006 revealed that the high class society had taste for rare sports, not only that but Wilson 2002 in his study- paradox of social class and sports involvement, reinforces Bourdieus framework that those with highly accumulated wealth tend to participate in sports largely but also more inclined to dissociate themselves from circular sports. The type of sports chosen by people to participate in cannot entirely be dependent on the cultural resource factors, as noted by Warde 2006 in his English study, gender, age, ethnicity contributed to the pattern of sports participation. Also, there have been overwhelming support provided in literature that beyond cultural capital ones socio-economic position, education, gender influenced their choice of sporting activity (Sturgis and Jackson, 2003; Gayo-Cal, 2006). 2.4 Patterns of Cultural Capital A survey (2003-2004) conducted by the centre for research into socio-economic change (CRESC) UK to examine nature of cultural capital in the UK and the degree to which cultural capital can aggregate or disaggregate social groups. The survey used 1564 respondents and the results revealed a clear distinction taste, cognition and participation in across gender, education and class across cultural fields among others music, visual arts, dining out (Gayo-Cal et al., 2006; Gayo-Cal, Warde, and Tampubolon, 2005). The groups that had higher education and those within higher social class were highly involved in cultural activity than their lower level counterparts respectively in the area of education and social class. There were indication from the preliminary results that education and the hierarchy of occupation was passed onto generations such that parents with high education ensure that their children get equal or if not better opportunities to ensure better opportunities and rewarding j obs (Gayo-Cal et al., 2006). Along work lines, Bennett et al. 2011 established that employers, managers and professionals are well informed on cultural artifacts in its widest form by lower class with a higher degree of cultural education whether formal or informal. This point was reinforced by Erickson 1996 that managers tend to be more informed on relatively more cultural domains due to their professional function to interact with more people. There is suggestion that occupations embrace professionals with compatible cultural capital merit as the professional are able to appreciate and comprehend occupation standards (Sommerland, 2007) and the amount of cultural capital held can be important (Peterson and Kern, 1996). 2.5 Cultural Capital and Sports It is often usual to see some kind of sports activity in societies irrespective of the part of the world and this can be attributed to wanting to associate with a group. According to Etizen and Sage 2003 sports is counted as part of the few human activities that can bond a community in any part of the world. Weiss 2001 concedes that few people participate in sports for wellbeing but for the majority it is as a result of the quest to align and identify with others and also reinforce their personalities. Consequently sports can be engaged so as to establish ones cultural identity (Stodolska and Alexandris, 2004). Contrary to the above sports can be used as a catalyst for exclusion and propagate selectivity among groups and people. Culturally popular sports are recognized and given more attention giving them more social capital and power (Light and Kirk 2001). For instance social groups including families reproduce social advantages through private school attendance which is recognized for its exclusivity (Light and Kirk, 2001). The absence of partaking in any sports activity is tantamount to societal isolation and this result in anti-social tendencies that pave the way on cutting ones chances of socialization, education and professional ascension (Majumdar, 2003). Cricket in India is a good example of such marked exclusion. Corporate sponsors have branded the game as elitist and the sole preserve of the educated and affluent sine post-independence (Majumdar, 2003). Corporate Institutions have clear policies for player recruitment and they attach a great deal of importance to education; this also is a criteria in terms of their reward system as the level of ones education affects how much salary one receives. There is monopoly through high fees from cricket clubs preventing the less privileged to have access to the sports (Majumbar, 2003). It is paramount to appreciate what leads to the association of particular groups of people with certain sports activities and its function in the reproduction of socio-eco nomic differences in a society (Washington and Karen, 2001). Ii is the duty of incumbent spots managers to ascertain the relationship between sports participation and socio-cultural capital in order to phantom how to equalize this inequality and give the less privileged adequate representation if desired. Globalization has marginalized traditional cultures and ethnic social systems and promoting identical societies (Hochschild, 2006). Despite this global approach of uniformity and the expression of western views sports can also promote the minority groups by playing a role in maintaining foreign identities and keeping dominant national ties (Giossos, 2008; Lee, 2006). International sporting activities like the Olympics, Commonwealth games and FIFA worldcup are avenues for fans and participants to establish and exhibit their cultural affiliation (Yoh, Yang and Gordon, 2008). 2.6 Sports fans and consumption A fan is passionate and committed of a particular sports consumptive object (Hunt, Bristol and Bashaw, 1999). In this regard a fan is a consumer of an organize sport. The term committed shows the level of attachment fans associate with the sports. Fans are also driven to act for the sport. A sport consumption object can be the sport, team or even the organized leaque or personalities like players, coaches/ managers, commentators who are strongly associated with a sport. Several fans exist as they differ in their behavior and motivation (Hunt, Bristol and Bashaw, 1999). Current concepts have focused on team performance as the main driver of fan behavior (Cialdidni et al., 1976; Grove et al., 1991; Mann, 1974; Wann and Dolan, 1994). Our appreciation sports fan is limited and fan motivation and its consequent behavior extend teams and certain situations have no connection to team performance (Fisher and Wakefield, 1998). In addition, most studies have concentrated on ticket sales and game attendance as the ultimate goal in the exchange between sports marketers and fans. Beyond this, sports marketing involve corporate sponsorship, sports prafenelia, sovenirs, stadia branding, sports publications and others (Bandyopadhyaya and Bottone, 1997). Thus the need to shift research study into other areas to fill the gaps identified in fan behavior and consumption. 2.7 Sports consumption- fandom and cults in sports Fan is the short version of fanatic and entreats religion in sporting contest and competitions (Borland and Macdonald, 2003). Fandom is part of the system of sports instituted so that people can be part of the game without partaking (Branscombe et al., 1991). The concept inspires social advantages as togetherness, belongingness and fraternity but also self-esteem (Zillman et al., 1993). Fans get ecstatic by the mere fact that they are fans (Kimble and Cooper, 1992). This passion and energy which is transformed into the mood of the fans is determined by the sport they are supporting and the outcome of a game lingers onto other unrelated activities immediately after (Hirt et al., 1992). He also defines fandom as an association to a sport/ team with great deal of emotional importance and treasure from this membership (Hirt et al., 1992). A follower of sport does not translate to mean they are fans (Funk and James, 2001). Further distinction is provided on what constitutes a follower and a fan of sports, followers witness a game without much attachment but fans are passionate in supports and transcends beyond watching a game, they are committed on a daily basis (Jones, 1997). Several distinctions have been made between who a follower of a sport is compared to a fan and this borders on the degree of emotional attachment and level of commitment offered by the supporter (Anderson, 1979; Hunt et al., 1999; Stewart and Smith, 1997; Tapp and Clowes, 2002; Pimentel and Reynolds, 2004). According to Wann and Pierce (2003) the accuracy of measurement of the level of identification/commitment is essential to sports psychologists and marketers due to the fact that the degrees of response of sports fans are usually a function of their commitment and level of association with the sport. Sports consumption creates fandom as seen above and this has the tendencies of creating cults in sports. As witnessed earlier in the section being a part of like-minded people is rewarding and one of the key ingredients of cult and cult brands is that they maintain the distinction that keeps their members together (Atkins, 2004) and therefore alienate others by this same argument. On the surface it may seem that cult is non-existent in the domain of sports as this is usually associated to religion. It has been argued that sports is competitive, versatile and a personal activity contrary to religion which is grounded on a communal system and is non-competitive in nature (Prebish, 1993). A sport is likened to religion and because it is rooted in a natural cause (Novak, 1995). Further, Brody (1979) that the joint nature of supporters of organized sports is partly religious in nature. The important point is how groupings are created and the resulting in exclusion of others. According to Percy and Taylor (1991) followers of teams maintain rituals of essential symbolic artifacts as apparels, food and type of allies they choose which are sacred in the ritual of sports. 2.8 Sports Affiliation Membership of a group is driven by the aspiration to keep a distinction from other social groups (Madrigal, 2002). An aspect of membership identification and affiliation is the act of rites such as gathering souvenirs, match attendance and considering the sport as part of ones identity. There is strength and a sense of identity in associating with a group. There is difficulty in creating self-images in the absence of group association (Tajfel, 1982). Closer ties with a group allow individuals to borrow the positive traits of a group for oneself and take on more commonality with others within the group (Fisher and Wakefield, 1998; Tajfel and Turner, 1986). Cultural capital is gained by sports fans through the adoption of labels (Richardson, 2004) from the group- the appreciation of how to consume in the socially sanctioned manner. 2.9 History of Ghana Sports The subject of cultural capital and Ghana sports can be located in the countrys sporting history and particularly football and the love the people of Ghana have for the game. Ghana has a rich football heritage with a great deal of chronicled successes, includes memorable milestones as producing Arthur Wharton, the first black professional footballer in the English game (Ghanaian Times. 2011: 29); Ghana won the African Cup of Nations football tournament four times. Football clubs like Accra Hearts of Oak have chalked over 100 years with enviable local and continental record: Hearts won the first ever football league in Ghana, an unprecedented six consecutive occasions, an unbeaten season and three continental- Confederations of Africa (CAF) trophies (Daily Graphic, 2012:31). Football is a competitive sport in Ghana attracting huge following and its nature of consumption is diverse. Football has produced fan groups along ethnic and regional lines in the country and families have a gene ration of loyalty to particular clubs. Above all, sports in Ghana tend to follow Bourdieus idea of distinction in consumption by virtue of ones cultural capital and appreciation of a sport. Golf, has only received some attention in the country in recent years due to the enormous attraction it receives from corporate institutions. Golf is second to football as far as private sector sponsorship funds is concerned (Anonymous, 2007). The overarching institution in charge of sports in the country is the National sports and came to effect through a presidential declaration. The National sports council is in place to improve, promulgate, and manage sports in the country with aim of fostering nationalism and professionalism that drives consistent wealth creation and infrastructural improvement (Anonymous, 2007). It is interesting to note that a similar institution the Gold Coast Amateur Sports Council existent in the Gold Coast, then Ghana established under the enactment of Ordinance 14, 1952 (www.sportscouncil.com.gh).

Rip Van Winkle and Romanticism :: Rip Van Winkle Essays

Rip Van Winkle and Romanticism    In the world of literature, there are many types of writing that an author can take to express his ideas. Their topics can be explained through life experiences, biographies, poetry, or other forms of literature. One of the forms that authors use is Romanticism. There are many qualities that define the different viewpoints of Romanticism.   Rip Van Winkle, “Thanatopsis,” and “The Cross of Snow” are all examples of writing from the period of Romanticism.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rip Van Winkle is a story written by Washington Irving.   This was a story mainly about a lazy man who did not want to do any type of work, at home or at work. He was said to be useless on his farm, his land and property falling to pieces.   Irving says, “The great error in Rip’s composition was an insuperable aversion to all kinds of profitable labor”(p. 156 1st paragraph), which was just one of Irving’s many uses of inflated language.   Madame Van Winkle would always nag on Rip constantly, to do work around the house and possibly even help to raise their children.      Perhaps the nagging of his wife and his dread of labor is what Rip escaped from when he spent a good amount of his time at the village’s small inn in town.   “Here they used to sit in the shade, through a long lazy summer’s day, talking listlessly over village gossip, or telling endless sleepy stories about nothing.” (p.157) Even in the security of his peers, his wife would track Rip down, and scold all the men for being among each other, instead of being at home with their families.   These surprise visits are what led to Rip’s escape into the Kaatskill Mountains.    After wandering with his gun and his close companion Wolf, Rip tracks himself into the upper parts of the Mountains.   Soon after, Rip comes across a stranger who was carrying what looked like a keg of liquor.   So with the help of the Hollands, which is Dutch Gin, and a whole day of hiking, Rip fell into a deep, solemn slumber.   But when he woke up, he did not know how long he had slept or where both of his companions had gone off too.   He rises from his spot, and with his aged gun, he heads back to town, trying to find an excuse for his angry wife as for why he had been gone for so long.

Death of a Salesman Context Essay

Death of a Salesman is a play that consists of a HISTORICAL background which is key to understanding the play. It was written in 1949, just a few years after the World War ll was over, meaning the United States, where the play occurs, was going through many changes. For example, the war caused an increase in industrial production markets and non-farming business. For the poorest Americans, however, the economic situation was not improved as America started having high inflation, causing problems for the poorest citizens to purchase the basics. Also, the government started to create policies which helped larger corporate farmers but not smaller farmers. Happy, a sales clerk and Biff, a farm worker, had the lowest-paid jobs in the country, leading them to some trouble in maintaining dignity in society. For Americans, dignity and pride were very important things. Due to their victories during the war, Americans felt proud and had a feeling of superiority over the world. This lead to the ir need of proving that capitalism was better than communism. Because of this, Americans felt responsible for protecting their nation from any influences from communist Soviet Union. This period of time where Americans felt the obligation to achieve financial success in order to show gratitude for the liberty they had as a democratic society and also to defeat the Soviets is now called the Cold War era. During this period of time, people like Willy relied too much on long-term credit to show they were financially successful and ended up having trouble in giving their families the basics. In the play, this Cold War attitude is shown by Willy’s preoccupation with his position in society and financial status. Willy’s worry also represents some of the SOCIAL context in the play as he fears not being accepted in society; he wants to be â€Å"well liked†. American society changed after WWll. Before, people were motivated by morals and rules but after the Cold War era started, Americans became motivated bywhat others thought of th em. Willy represents the people in American society who lost their identity due to their need to achieve social standards. This idea is reflected at the end of the play where Biff says that Willy â€Å"didn’t know who he was.† This social change may have been a cause of POLITICAL change because, as a result of The Great Depression, American government became more influential on citizens’ daily lives.  Because of this, and also due to an increase in media communication such as radio and television, Americans started to feel like they belonged to a large, connected society and along came a desire to be accepted by their peers in society. Miller also shows some of the CULTURAL background behind the play through three of his main characters: Willy, Ben and Biff as the three of them, similar to many Americans at the time, show they are eager to achieve â€Å"The American Dream†. Two versions of the American Dream are mentioned in the play. One is represented by Willy, focused mostly on money which was a way Americans found to show they had the â€Å"freedom and liberty† to purchase material goods. The other version is shown through Biff and Ben with their â€Å"go West, young man† mythology representing the dream of having the liberty for new adventures. Leticia Hosang

George Custer essays

George Custer essays I have chosen to write on the life and times of George Armstrong Custer; perhaps one of the most controversial and misunderstood figures in United States military history. In this paper I will talk about the life of Custer, his background, career, schooling, marriage, military service, and ultimately his untimely death at the Battle of Little Bighorn. My thesis statement for this paper is the following: George Armstrong Custer led a distinguished military career in the U.S. Army, despite being flamboyant, taking unnecessary risks, and repeatedly disobeying orders. He remains one of the best-known figures in U.S. history. At the conclusion of this paper, I hope to have instilled in you a greater knowledge of Custer, as well as make you see why so many people are intrigued with this man who died almost 130 years ago. George Armstrong Custer was born on December 5th, 1839 in New Rumley, Ohio. His parents, Emanuel and Maria Custer owned a blacksmith shop. His father also served as the local sheriff. To his family, George Custer was known as Autie. He got this nickname as a child after referring to himself by this name. Custer had four siblings, and by all accounts the Custer household was very inclusive, full of love, and very close-knit. As a child, both Emanuel and Maria Custer lavished affection upon all their children, however, George Custer was seen as special to both his parents and to his siblings. He was bright, dedicated, curious, and impulsive, and always seemed to know and get what he wanted. He also got into trouble around town, and was known for the practical jokes he would play on people (Jeffry Wert, Custer: The Controversial Life of George Armstrong Custer, p. 18-19). When Custer was six years old he began attending a one-room school in New Rumley. Although Custer was definitely bright and full of common sense when it came to the real world, when it came to school Custer was not that bright. Cust...

Analysis Case Studies

Analysis Case Studies Analysis Case Studies Analysis Case Studies: You Will Find Some Help Here! Probably, a lot of case studies could be considered as the reflection of business deals: the reader imagines he/she is a manager and he/she is able to find the solution of some current issue. Actually, the most of case studies imply the presence of clear decision, however sometimes situation requires almost absolute inaction. Before you are going to be occupied with a case study analysis, first, try to figure out the purpose and structure of the case study. First, you should look through the case carefully, single out the key factors and then you may follow our guideline. Do not neglect the possibility to read the text several times: it will help you to understand the organizations issue better. Analysis Case Studies: Main Steps When you have processed the information thoroughly, you could start your writing with the following manual that will ease your work under case study analysis:Examine and Take a Deep Analysis of the C ompany, Its History and Development. Definitely, a companys presence and future could be reflected in the past. So, make a critical review of organizations history, its origins, path of development, possible ascend and descent, inner structure before your case study analysis; Define Advantages and Disadvantages of Investigated Company. Now, when you have collected the necessary information about the organizations historical path, keep on writing your case study analysis by searching the weak and strong sides of the company. It means you can identify that the company has a lack of big funds, however, it always stand against the hard competitiveness in the climate of constantly changed market; Describe External Environment and Companys Position. This kind of sub-analysis let us to find threats and opportunities from the outside. There are the threats of sudden competitors appearance, change in the exchange rate, economical instability and import of more qualitative pr oducts; Provide a Wide Analysis of Gathered Information. In other words, provide the comparison between your finding from point 2 and conclusions from point 3. Try to figure out the companys potential on the market, its position in the competitive field, and think about the possible changes and improvements for this organization; Determine Corporate Policy. It means you identify and find the companys mission, corporate strategy, intentions and purposes. Define, what type of business does the company occupied in? Describe Companys Business Strategy. It will help you to understand and analyze the business potential of every organization, find out the main weapons in the competitive wars, and identify the management, marketing setting and so on; Think, How Does the Company Realize the Goals? It some kind of inner structure and controlling systems examination, and identification of companys business tools; it also includes the hierarchical working structure, ethical culture, staff policy, system of rewards and other factors; Provide Conclusions. Each part of your analysis is finalized by your personal recommendations for the organization. Every recommendation you give should be directly connected with your case study analysis; Thereby, the aim of any case study is to demonstrate your own views, based on the researches and personal experience, on the actual problems that the selected company is facing.

Discuss whether Microsoft's monopoly position is in the public Essay

Discuss whether Microsoft's monopoly position is in the public interest - Essay Example From an economic point of view, the question that may be asked by many people is whether this kind of monopoly is good for the public or the consumers or not. Microsoft has achieved a number of monopolistic positions in the market due to its bundling activity. In its early years, Microsoft entered into a deal with the main hardware manufacturers to compel them to sell each of their PC with Microsoft operating system and other application software. This meant that even those who did not intend to use Microsoft’s software had to pay for it then buy other software. Bundling other products such as a web browser and a media player with its operating system software has led to the firm gaining unfair advantage over competitors. However, it is the bundling of the java Runtime Environment that has caused the greatest commotion. JRE was developed by the now defunct Sun’s Microsystems and was meant to deliver a platform free programming environment through java. When Microsoft bu ndled it in its OS, it corrupted it and this was seen to work against the very idea of having a platform free programming environment. Monopoly has never been seen as good for the end consumers. In a country like America, monopoly or monopoly-like business situations have been seen to be harmful to the consumers as they make the producers so powerful that they can abuse their power, much to the consumers’ disadvantage (Geisst, 2000). Every firm looks and dreams of a monopoly in the market. Even for those businesses which operate in highly competitive markets, they always seek to create monopolistic environments, for their own advantage and not to the advantage of the consumers (Lele, 2007). With regard to Microsoft’s monopoly, the effect can be seen as both good and bad. Microsoft’s monopoly position is bad for consumers Microsoft’s monopoly is not in the public interest because monopoly in itself means that the firm can control the prices as well as the quality of the products it sells to the consumers. Monopoly, as Clark (2011) argues, is the opposite of perfect competition. Perfect competition is what is seen to be the ideal situation for consumers because the firms in a perfect completion market environment engaged in perfect competition and have to continue reducing their prices in order to entice the consumers (Machovec, 1995). Above, diagram showing how completion affects prices of products. Source: http://www.revisionguru.co.uk/economics/perfcomp.htm As Klein (2007) says, in perfect competition also, the firm also seek to improve the quality of the products in order to have an advantage over the other firms. These two factors, that is, quality and prices, are very important for the consumer. Above, diagram showing perfect competition in the long run equilibrium, Source: http://www.bized.co.uk/reference/diagrams/Perfect-Competition---Long-Run-Equilibrium When competition is eliminated and one firm or a group of few numbers of firms have a monopolistic position in the market, the firms don’t have to reduce their prices or increase the quality of their product (Khan, 2007). In this regard, Microsoft’s monopoly is not good for the consumers because it means that the firm will not be motivated to revise the prices of its products and they will also not be motivated to increase the quality of their products. In the current situation, it means that Microsoft can decide how much to sell its software, especially its operating system and the office suite.

Report in Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Report in Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example But coming to the festival is not an easy task it involves a decision, fair bit of travel, standing in long queues and the determination to stay in a city of music and music loving people. Motivation plays a pivotal role and getting people to the festival (Motivation, Mood and Involvement, n.d). People have different acquired needs and in order to fulfil these needs they perform different actions. When a need is unfulfilled it creates tension and the drive towards the goal. Similarly, in our case, people who are fond of music have many unfulfilled needs such as somebody wanted to be a singer but could not likewise someone else might want to become a guitarist but cannot due to different reasons. Furthermore, others may have a need to listen to quality music, attend a concert, see a live performance and feel the excitement of dancing to music with thousands of other music lovers. Therefore, when these needs are not fulfilled people turn to social events such as the Glastonbury festival, to feel better, even if their ultimate goal cannot be reached. They will substitute their ultimate goal with a new goal and hence will feel relieved by accomplishing the newly set goal. As a result, a positive motivation is created towards the goal, i.e. the festival. Similarly, some people may have emotional motives to attend the festival yet others may be pulled towards it due environmental arousal (Schiffman & Kanuk, 2004). This can be explained using the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, people have ego and social needs to cater to (Maslow, 1943). Attending the world’s biggest performing arts and music festival may fulfil the ego needs of some die hard music fans. Likewise, others may end up coming to the festival because of their social needs, such as peer pressure and affection (Maslow’s Hierarchy, 2009). On the other hand, when the needs of people are not fulfilled