Stem Cells Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stem Cells - Essay Example Stem cells are not specialized and have the capacity of renewing themselves through a biological process called cell division. Moreover, research has shown that when stem cells can be induced to become specific organ specific cells or became a tissue with special functions (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2002). Stem cells play a critical role in some organs like the bone marrow and the gut whereby they divide regularity to replace damaged or worn out tissues. There are two major kinds of stem cells. They include embryonic stem cells and somatic or adult stem cells. Stem cells are important for any living organisms in many ways (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2002). In this scenario, 3-5 years old blastcyst or the embryo inner cells give rise to all body tissues and organs with different specialized functions like the heart, lungs, eggs, sperm cells and many other cells with different specialized functions. Moreover, on adults, stem cells play a crucial role through the regeneration capacity they are able to regenerate cells that have been lost through disease, normal wear or injury. Due to their unique capacity to regenerate new cells, stem cells have played a potential role in treating diseases like heart diseases and diabetes. Research is ongoing to establish on how to use these cells to treat disease, and there are several achievements in this field that is now called reparative or regenerative medicine. One of the cons surrounding the stem cells is controversy concerning the ethics. This is because until recent years scientists have been using aborted embryo to derive the embryonic stem cells from which is unethical. However, with the advancement of technology, researchers currently use ethical methods like the Induced Pluripotent Stem cells (iPS). The cells are artificially derived from non-pluripotent cell like the somatic cells (Explorable.com, 2008). The use of pluripotent stem cells had shunned the controversial

Managing the Human Resource Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Managing the Human Resource - Essay Example In each region, area presidents and executive team run their operations. As new businesses are evolving around the world, resistance to change has become a primary factor for business failure. The success depends on the ability to foresee and capitalize on the change. The quality of the Hilton brand is such that the customer service, managerial and operational excellence is higher than in most industries. The management at Hilton believes that training and development of its employees play a very vital role to stay ahead of the competition. Hilton group it totally decentralized; splitting into different regions and countries; cities and individual hotels. Management of people, materials and affairs become very difficult and affects the management of the company. The critical issues faced by Hilton because of the changes in the organizational structure are Labor market and retention remain the areas of managerial concern especially in the UK, where booming economy and high profits in the hospitality industry could not save many international hotels from the market retention in what is called the tightest labor market since 1978 ( Benini and Sturken, 2000, Kennedy 1998).The reasons cited by the employees for high turnover in the hospitality industry is because of lack of career structure available, low remuneration and the working environment. Employee turnover in the hospitality industry is a whopping 50% and 25% for management staff, enough to make employers lose tangible and intangible costs of employee turnover. Turnover has an immediate effect, particularly in the customer service dependent areas of the business where there is direct interaction with the customers. A vacant position means more work for the remaining employees without having to compromise on the quality of the work. The ageism issue is difficult to identify and eliminate and in hospitality industry the older

The pakistani community in the United Kingdom

The pakistani community in the United Kingdom Ali (1982) Pakistanis main concentration is in U.K. where they began in the early 20th century as sailors in the Merchant Navy and soldiers in the British army. They had an opportunity to migrate in large numbers following the economic expansion and shortage of labour resulting from the two world wars. However, their migration did not have a set pattern up until the last half of the 1950s. (p. 5-7) Post world war two migration to Britain from the Asian subcontinent was based on imperial ties and largely driven by economic imperatives. Rebuilding post war economy entailed a demand for labour that could not be satisfied by the British population itself. After 1945, virtually all countries in Western Europe began to attract significant numbers of workers from abroad and by the late 1960s they mostly came from developing countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East (Massey, D. et.al , 1993, p. 431). Islam in the UK has a South Asian character. The largest number of Muslims originates from Pakistan (Samad Sen, p.43). Further to this, the largest group of Muslims from the Indian subcontinent have come from Pakistan, both West and East (Ibid.) In Pakistan, major impetuses to emigrate came from the poorer agricultural areas of the Mirpuri district in southern Kashmir and the Cambellpur district of the north-eastern Punjab. Smaller numbers left from the North-west Fron tier Province next to the Afghani border. In the case of Mirpur, a further factor was the disruption caused by the Mangla Dam project which started in 1960, and was ultimately to flood about 250 villages. In East Pakistan, which was later to become Bangladesh, the two main sources of immigration were in the Sylhet district in the north-east and the maritime region around Chittagong. Due to the struggles of a newly developed state and poverty, many Pakistanis took the opportunity to come and work in Britain. (Neilsen, 2004, p. 41) Before 1962, Pakistanis were British subjects (under the 1948 British Nationality Act) and could enter Britain without restriction. There was a dramatic increase in the rate of immigration just before the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962  [1]  was passed. Before the act of 1962 was passed about fifty thousand people entered Britain within 18 months, in comparison the 17,000 who entered between 1955 and 1960 (Shaw, 1998: 25). The threat of Britains immigration controls also coincided with a change in the Pakistani Governments policy on immigration. In 1961, when the 1962 Common wealth Act was imminent, Pakistani government withdrew restrictions on immigration and promoted the migration of 5,000 people in a move to compensate Mirpuri villagers who had been dispossessed of land by the construction of the dam (Shaw, 1998: 25). Until the beginning of the 1960s, entry into the UK by the citizens of British colonies and member countries of the Commonwealth Immigration Act of 1962, introduced restrictions on immigration to the UK. Although it was intended to discourage Pakistanis and people from Commonwealth countries from migrating to the country, it turned out to have the opposite effect. The unintended effect of the 1971 Immigration Act  [2]  was that a significant number of Pakistanis and from the other countries entered the UK to beat the ban (Shaw, 1994, as quoted in Samad Sen, 2007, p. 28). 1970s family reunification marked a turning point for the establishment of Islam in Europe. Along with emergence of community through family reunification, some of the conventional norms rooted in social relations, through the practice of Islam began to emerge (Ibid., p.38) These labour migrants despite their social origins and qualification levels were largely confined to low-paid manual work and faces racial discrimination when being recruited for jobs (Modood, 2005, p. 60). In the 1970s Ethnic minorities were branded as scroungers and the threat of overcrowding was becoming a grave concern. Enoch Powell, in 1967, openly advocated a policy of repatriation where he argued not for migrants; families to be reunited in Britain but rather that migrants should be returned home and reunited with families over there (Jones and Wellhengama, 2000: 16). Further to this, by emphasising that Britishness comprises common biological roots, a common language and an allegiance to the Crown; parliamentarians easily excluded certain migrants (Ibid, p. 31). With the consequences of state led policies of migration, and arrival and settlement of a growing Pakistani community, emerged socio-economic problems that this new community had to face. The next part of the essay will discuss the various ways in which the British Pakistanis are disadvantaged and ways in which they responded to the underlying and changing political, social and economic conditions in Britain. While the disadvantage of Pakistanis actually predates the rise of anti-Muslim prejudice, the latter threatens to exacerbate the former and to prevent the formation of goodwill required to act against the chronic disadvantage of Pakistanis in Britain. (Modood, 2005, p. 80) As the Labour force survey (Spring, 2000 as quoted in Saman Sen, p. 45) illustrates, Pakistanis are two and a half times more likely than the white population to be unemployed and nearly three times more likely to be in low-paid jobs. According to Cessari (p. 58) the socio-economic marginality of Pakistanis is most often accompanied by residential segregation. She argues that the data from the British census show that Pakistani immigrants tend to live in the most dilapidated or unhealthy housing conditions. Chain migration processes have a strong influence on locating minorities in clusters. Hostility from the society within which the settlement takes place can reduce the ability of the group to disperse and defence may be an important element in clustering. There are both positive and negative reasons for clustering in most ethnic clustering patterns and, given their simultaneous presence in many situations, it is difficult to disentangle dominant from recessive factors. Nevertheless, it is important to recognize that not all segregation results from negative factors such as white racism (Peach, 1996, p. 228) Rex and Moore (1967) demonstrated high levels of discrimination against immigrants, particularly against Pakistanis, in their field area of Sparkbrook in Birmingham. They showed high concentrations of Pakistans in their lowest housing class, the rooming house. Work by Dahya (1974), on the other hand, argued that Pakistani concentration in multi-occupied accommodation was a preferred, not an enforced, strategy. He argued that chain migration by village and family, the desire to maximize savings, shared language and religion, culinary needs and so forth all argued in favour of sharing accommodation. Thus, although discrimination existed, it was not material to the patterns of concentration that arose. Many of the early Pakistani migrants to Britain have been the most reluctant to attach a British identity to themselves. With the effects of globalisation, Pakistanis are also worried about losing their traditions, customs and values and hence hold onto the security of their close knit society with a hesitance in accepting anything British; (Jacobson, 1997, 185). Pakistani British Muslims have been vastly influenced by cultures and customs emanating from the subcontinent, and this will continue to happen for another generation or two. The context within which they practice their religion is after all, Pakistani one: not only because they younger generation learned about Islam from their Pakistani parents but also because Pakistanis are the dominant group within the local Muslim community. They are used to hearing Urdu spoken in mosque, eating Pakistani food and wearing Pakistani clothes at religious festivals, follow Pakistani customs at weddings and other religiousceremonies and abide by and rail against definitions of moral behaviour which have more to do with the norms of Pakistani village life. For them the interconnections between ethnic culture and religion are dense and intricate (Jacobson, J. 2003, p. 147) V.S. Khan (1979), writing on Mirpuris in Bradford, discusses the effect of migration on those arriving in Britain and ways in which this shapes their socio-cultural behavior. He maintains that the very means of coping with migration could lead to inherent stresses, in that the knowledge of traditional culture in the homeland, constant evaluation through the process of migration to Britain and prior expectations have a direct affect on the migrants life-style and values. The stressful experience of migration is alsoa crucial determinant of a migrants perception of his situation, and the actual options open to him. While many of the supportive institutions of village life buffer confrontation with the new and alien world in Britain, in the long term they not only restrict access to it, but also hinder the attainment of things valued (Ibid. p. 55) Werbner discusses similar factors: the social stresses experienced by Pakistani migrants in Britain derive from three main `arenas; the traditional culture and emigration area; the migration process; and settlement in the new environment and society (1990: 37). Her analysis however, presents a more positive view of the adaptability of Pakistanis to new circumstances, in particular to those concerning women, and regarding the expansion of kinship networks to inculcate friends and members of other sub-castes. (Imtiaz, 1997, p. 36) Significance of Bradford: The Bradford Metropolitan District is situated west of Leeds; north of the trans- Pennine highway. To the north and east lies North Yorkshire, with its manor houses, farms and cathedral cities, while to the west and north lies the Lake District. The city has been the centre of the wool trade since the 18th century and, until recently, wool dominated the local economy. Even the engineering and chemical industries were associated with the wool trade by supplying the needs of the textile industry. Throughout the 19th century it was mainly a working class city structured around a low wage economy. The global networks, stretching out to the colonies, in particular, were constructed around importing wool and reprocessing it for export. These networks persisted into the mid-twentieth century (Samad Eade, Community Laison Unit) Although Pakistani Muslims settled in various parts of the United Kingdom, Bradford still has one of the highest concentrations of Pakistani Muslims in the country (and more than any other Yorkshire and Humber region) (Din, 2006). Bradford is one of many towns and cities that have ethnically diverse populations in terms of religion as well such places as Tower Hamlets, Birmingham and Slough (National Census, 2001). The Bradford area also has one of the highest numbers of individuals who were born outside the European Union (National Census, 2001). The majority of Muslims in Bradford have roots in rural areas, with a large majority of Pakistanis from Mirpur in Azad Kashmir, a mountainous region and one of the least northern areas of Pakistan. This Pakistani community has a growing underclass with a significant section of young men under achieving in schools. They are generally characterised by low educational qualifications and occupational concentrations in restaurants and taxi driving. Along with low participation of women in the formal labour market and marriage at an early age, fewer years of education, lower educational skills and large average family and household size contributes to multiple deprivations (Lewis, 2007). Bradford has a rich religious, ethnic and cultural diversity. With a range of ethnic communities, it is predominantly Muslim (16.1 per cent) and largely of Pakistani origin with 14.5 percent of the total population of the city (National Statistics, 2003 as quoted in Gilligan, 2005). The Pakistani communities are very much concentrated in the inner wards of the city, where they tend to live amidst a relatively self-contained world of businesses and institutions, religious and cultural, which they have created to service, their specific needs (Lewis, 2002, p. 203.) Compared to other majority white communities, Bradfords Asian population is relatively young (National Statistics, 2003). They also tend to be located in areas facing relatively high levels of deprivation and disadvantage (DETR, 2000; Cantle, 2001; Denham, 2001 as quoted in Gilligan Akhtar, 2005). According to the Change Institutes report on the Pakistani Muslim Community in England, (2009) currently Bradford has the largest proportion of its total population (15%) identifying itself as of Pakistani origin in England. The report suggests that the latest estimates (from Bradford Metropolitan District Council) have indicated that the South Asian population has grown considerably over the last decade to 94,250, and that the people of Pakistani/Kashmiri origin number about 73,900. It further states that the South Asian population now represents about 19 per cent of the total population of Bradford and 16 per cent of Bradfords residents are Muslims, compared to the national average of 3 per cent. Therefore, the overwhelming majority of Pakistanis (young and old) have an attachment to Bradford. For many older Pakistanis, who arrived in the late 1950s and early 60s, Bradford is Mirpur is their home from home. For the young generations of Pakistanis it is their home (Din, 2006) Studies on Mirpuris: Much of the literature on Pakistanis in Britain, particularly from the late 1970s up to the late 1980s, tends to be based on studies of communities in particular towns, such as Anwar (1979) on Rochdale, Currer (1983) on Bradford, Jeffrey (1979) on Bristol, Shaw (1988) on Oxford, and Werbner (1985 1990) on Manchester. A number of studies have explored the extent of Asian (or Pakistani) migration and settlement across various geographical towns and cities (see Khan, 1974, 1979; Anwar, 1979; Shaw, 1988, 1994; Werbner, 1990). Some have had a particular focus on employment and housing issues (in particular Dahya, 1974; Werbner and Anwar, 1991; Anwar, 1991). Measuring the economic position of communities is easier to determine; what is more difficult is to examine the experiences and attitudes of young people towards their parents/elders; their community and the wider British society. There is an enormous amount of published work on the early immigrants (Rose et al, 1969; Dahya, 1974; Khan 1979). Rose et al (1969) is a good starting point for cultural studies relating to the Pakistani community. Rose explored issues such as the need to recruit labour immigrants to meet the needs of the British economy and the settlement process of the early immigrants in textile cities like Bradford. In addition he explored the problems encountered, such as obtaining suitable accommodation, access to public services, integration and the problems of adapting to a very different way of life. The experiences of families of early settlers joining their husbands in the United Kingdom have also, to an extent, been explored. This shows close-knit family ties which exist in Pakistani families, arranged marriages, biraderi and gender inequalities in Pakistani households (Khan, 1979). One of the earliest writers on Pakistanis in England is Dahya (1973 1974), who began his research in Birmingham and Bradford in 1956 and continued to publish into the 1980s. He remains amongst a hand full of researchers who have endeavoured to describe daily life amongst the single, male migrants and the control exercised over them by heads of families back in Pakistan. He clearly explained the nature of the links between the migrants in England and the social structures operating in Pakistan, based on the need for the migrant, whose family has sent him abroad in order for him to send back remittances and thus benefit not only immediate relatives but also the whole of the biraderi or kinship group. He concludes that: the Pakistani migrant community is in a very real sense a transitional society going through the phase of development from a rural to an urban industrial society (1973: p, 275). Today, with the constant movement between the villages of origin of Pakistani migrants and their places of inhabitancy in Britain, paving way for a constant, rapid social and economic change in both societies, his conclusion tends to be within a situational context of a time, when both were much more separate than they are today. Jamal (1998) carried out a research to explore food consumption experiences the British-Pakistanis in Bradford, UK and the ways the British Pakistanis perceive their food, and their perception of English food in the UK. He identified that the first generation of British-Pakistanis perceive their own food to be traditional, tasty but oily and problematic. Various English foods are perceived by them as foreign, bland, but nonetheless, healthy. The young generation of British-Pakistanis are increasingly consuming mainstream English foods while also consuming traditional Pakistani food. Rex and Moore (1967) demonstrated high levels of discrimination against immigrants, particularly against Pakistanis, in their field area of Sparkbrook in Birmingham. They showed high concentrations of Pakistans in their lowest housing class, the rooming house. Work by Dahya (1974), on the other hand, argued that Pakistani concentration in multi-occupied accommodation was a preferred, not an enforced, strategy. He argued that chain migration by village and family, the desire to maximize savings, shared language and religion, culinary needs and so forth all argued in favour of sharing accommodation. Thus, although discrimination existed, it was not material to the patterns of concentration that arose. According to the Labour force survey (Spring, 2000 as quoted in Saman Sen, p. 45), Pakistanis are two and a half times more likely than the white population to be unemployed and nearly three times more likely to be in low-paid jobs. According to Cessari (p. 58) the socio-economic marginality of Pakistanis is most often accompanied by residential segregation. She argues that the data from the British census show that Pakistani immigrants tend to live in the most dilapidated or unhealthy housing conditions. Another study of south Asian Muslims in Bradford by Khan (2009) refutes the commonly held belief that British Muslim alienation is an entirely Islamist narrative. In fact, the subjects of the study are alienated not only from British society but also from the cultural traditions and values of their own families. The author of the study was struck by their disconnected individualism and described them as libertines. This clearly contradicts the stereotype of Islamists radicalised by a hatred of Western society. Recent study by Bolgnani (2007) highlights forms of homeland attachment and analyses their significance among second- and third-generation British Pakistanis by comparison with the myth of return that characterised the early pioneer phase of Pakistani migration to Britain. He highlights that Homeland attachment for young British Pakistanis is constituted through school holidays spent in Pakistan, participation there in life-cycle rituals involving the wider kinship network, and the older generations promotion of the idea of Pakistan as a spiritual and cultural homeland. It further suggests that, for the pioneer generation, the myth of return justified a socio-economically motivated migration. He further argues that for the second and third generations, the homeland attachments and the idea of a possible return to Pakistan is a response to contemporary political tensions and Islamophobia. Therefore, he concludes that while myth of return still remains, for the majority, that myth has been revitalised and has a new political significance in the contemporary political context of British Pakistanis. However, another study of south Asian Muslims in Bradford by Khan (2009) refutes the commonly held belief that British Muslim alienation is an entirely Islamist narrative. In fact, the subjects of the study are alienated not only from British society but also from the cultural traditions and values of their own families. The author of the study was struck by their disconnected individualism and described them as libertines. This clearly contradicts the stereotype of Islamists radicalised by a hatred of Western society. Marriages: The governing principle of marital choice in any community is homogamy the selection of a partner from a similar social background shaped, for example, by race, class, ethnicity, religion, age and education, thus those who do not conform to these norms, in some circumstances, suffer sanctions, ranging from disapproval to ostracism (Bradford Commission Report 1996). For Pakistanis, the life-cycle with weddings, births and funerals is particularly lived in a shared way by the family extended and split over two continents, Europe and Asia. Adults make return trips for various reasons, but most centrally to arrange or perform a childs marriage (Ballard 1987, p. 21; Shaw 2001, p. 319-325). Among British Pakistanis marriage is not only within the same ethnic group, but consanguineous-arranged with relatives-according to clan as well as caste systems. In a complex context of ethnicity and caste, marriage is often seen as the chosen mechanism to consolidate biradari  [3]  loyalties. Furthermore, due to chain migration, stronger village and kin networks were created, that were later reinforced by transnational arranged marriages, often with cousins from the same area or village. Pakistanis, like many other groups, consider it an important parental responsibility to find spouses for their children. They prefer to select someone they know well, to be sure that he or she has the qualities they appreciate and will make a caring partner. However, Khan (1977) argues in his research that ethnic minorities such as Pakistanis, face two problems namely the limited availability of suitable persons in the restricted local community, and another the fact that their circle of acquaintance in the country of origin tends to shrink within the limits of the extended family. Therefore, for groups with a tradition of consanguineous marriage, it is only natural for the choice of partner to fall progressively closer within the family circle. This argument is supported by Rao Inbaraj (1979) who give evidence to support this view from South India, arguing that for South Asians monogamous, close consanguineous marriage has been practised for thousands of years. Moreover, Bano (1991) discussed the upward social mobility through the institution of marriage amongst British Pakistanis, which she sees as being marked in the Netherlands in comparison to Pakistan. She described the practice of cousin marriages explaining their common prevalence amongst relatively wealthy, rural, as well as landowning families. She then discusses the extension of cousin marriage (Ibid. p.15), proposing that it could include partners being chosen from distant family, or from the same religious tendency, or from the parents close business contacts. According to a research conducted by Overall and Nichols (2001), the U.K. Asian population, particularly within the Pakistani communities, tends to have high levels of consanguineous unions which are correlated with high rates of morbidity and mortality (Darr and Modell 1988; Terry et al. 1985; Bundey et al. 1991 as quoted in Overall Nickols, 2001). It is not unusual to observe a proportion of first-cousin marriages of around 50% (Darr and Modell 1988). Modood et al. argue that the Asian older generation prefers marriages to be arranged by families within the clan or extended family and that love marriages were not the most appropriate way of finding a life-partner. The most frequent argument supporting this view was that love marriages are equated with high levels of divorce. Arranged marriages are seen as diminishing the likelihood of divorce because the partners are chosen for their compatibility and suitable family backgrounds (Modood et al. 1997). According to most researchers there is a continuing prevalence for high rates of intercontinental and intra-caste marriages (over 50%) between British Pakistani spouses and brides or grooms in Pakistan (Charsley, 2003; Shaw, 2001). It is suggested that the pressure for such marriages is apparently exerted by close relatives in Pakistan who use marriage as a route for their children to migrate legally to Britain. According to recent research, however, the spouses marrying into Britain often suffer isolation, and have poor employment prospects (Charsley, 2003). Furthermore, most Pakistani children are compliant and agree, however reluctantly, to cousin and intercontinental marriages (Jacobson, 1998). The Home Office statistics show an influx of 15,000 prospective marriage partners (male and female) from the Indian sub-continent arriving in Britain in 2001 alone, the vast majority arranged by parents for their British-born children (Werbner, 2005). Charsley (2003) reports that, in 2000, there were 10,000 people both men and women, who married into Braitian. Werbner (2005) explains this phenomenon by arguing that Islam permits marriage with a wide range of close kin and affines, and according to recent researches, the majority of Pakistani marriages continue to take place within the biradari; a local agnatic lineage and, more widely, an ego-focused kindred of traceable affines and consanguineous kin. She argues that this notion of biradari helps mediate between kinship, locality and zat (caste), and that such biradaris are ranked and reflect class and caste status in the Pakistani society (Werbner, 2005). Darr and Modell (1988) conducted a research that carried inculcated an enquiry answered by 100 randomly selected British Pakistani mothers in the postnatal wards of two hospitals in West Yorkshire, Bradford, showed that 55 were married to their first cousins, while only 33 cases had individuals whether their mother had been married to her first cousin. Darr and Modell argued that there results indicated an increasing rate of consanguineous marriage in the relatively small group studied, contrasting with the decreasing rate which was observed in some other countries. They had enquired 900 women in hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1983 showing 36% first cousin marriages, 4% first cousin once removed, 8% second cousin, and 53% unrelated (of which 25% were in the Biraderi (same kinship). These figures are almost identical with those reported in Britain for the grand parental generation (who were married while they were in Pakistan), and supported their conclusion that the frequency of c lose consanguineous marriage was increasing among British Pakistanis (p. 189). According to another research by Modell (1991) both in Pakistan and the UK about 75% of marriages are between relatives, but the frequency of closely consanguineous marriage has increased with migration, about 55% of couples of reproductive age in England being married to a first cousin. In many cases the relationship is closer than first cousins because of previous consanguineous marriages in the family. The proportion of cousin marriages is likely to fall but the absolute number will increase, at least for the next generation, because the population is growing. According to the results of a study by Alam Husband (2006), Muslims comprise the UKs largest religious minority, and are the object of analysis and concern within various policy arenas and popular debates, including immigration, marriage and partner selection, social cohesion and integration. Their research analysed experiences and narratives from 25 men aged 16 to 38, their accounts shedding light on what it means to be a Bradfordian of Pakistani and Muslim heritage. It also highlighted the policy context surrounding the mens attitudes toward various facets of their lives, including marriage, family, work, the city in general, and the neighbourhood in which they lived. Alam Husband concluded that although there were some generational continuity of cultural values and norms, several significant changes were also simultaneously taking place. Shaw (2001) began his study by supposing that in the 1990s, forty years after Pakistani migration to Britain began, the rate of consanguineous marriage among British Pakistanis would show signs of decline, as the urbanized and British-educated descendants of pioneer immigrants adopt the values of many contemporary Westerners and reject arranged marriages. However, on the contrary based on the statistical data he gathered, he saw that Pakistani marriage patterns showed no such clear trend, and instead there was some evidence that, within certain groups of British Pakistanis, the rate of first-cousin marriage had increased rather than declined. The study offered an analysis and interpretation of a high rate of marriage to relatives, especially first cousins, in a sample of second-generation British Pakistanis. It argued that the high rate of such marriage is not a simple reflection of a cultural preference. The research also underlines the inadequacy of a blanket category Pakistani in relation to marriage patterns and choices. Shaw suggested that certain variations in region of origin, caste, socio-economic status, and upbringing must be considered in analysis in order to reveal the processes that have generated this pattern and allowed it to persist. Simpson (1997) claims that in Bradford 50 per cent of marriages are trans-continental, i.e. the partner sare from Pakistan. He has proposed two reasons that help explain the reasons for choosing partners from outside Britain, and has analysed the ways these reasons operate independently or may reinforce each other. Firstly, there is a cultural preference for consanguinity, usually marriage to a cousin, which is prevalent among the Pakistani community. As Sarah Bundey et al. (1990) showed in her research that 69 per cent of Birmingham Pakistani marriages are consanguineous and it is expected that if current researchers were carried out they will show similar levels in Bradford, considerably higher than in Pakistan itself. Simpson (1997) further argues that since emigration from Pakistan to Britain is usually seen as a positive achievement, marriage also functions specifically to fulfil a commitment to improve the family fortunes. He gives the second reason that many Muslim young peopl e in Bradford express a cultural preference for partners with traditional values and that sentiment is echoed by their parents who then arrange or help to arrange their marriage partners from Pakistan. Simpson nevertheless points out that, this trend should not be seen as simply a preference for subservient wives albeit this may be true for some. He further points out that there is qualitative evidence that some young Muslim women see men with traditional values from Pakistan as providing a more secure family future than the more liberal friends with whom they have grown up in Bradford. This Simpson points out may coincide both with the strong Muslim and the strong Pakistani identities that are noted among Bradford young women, based on researchers by Kim Knott and Sajda Khokher (1993) and by Kauser Mirza (1989). Modood and Berthoud (1997) carried out a research to show that among ethnic minority groups 20 per cent of African-Caribbeans

New Industry in Gaming :: Informative

New Industry in Gaming Video games are no longer the nerdy stepchild of popular entertainment. Nearly half of all US homes own one game-playing machine, and 23 percent own more than three, according to Nielsen Entertainment. The technical requirements for video games are pushing the most popular technologies - including cell phones, Palm Pilots, computers, and TV - to become more versatile and powerful. College grads are now more likely to head into interactive software than moviemaking. This industry is now at an important crossroads, say experts, largely due to its explosive growth with the costs to develop a hit new game now topping $10 million. In such a lucrative industry there must be an untapped area yet to be discovered. One area of choice is the advanced usage of gaming in an educational atmosphere. Games are increasingly used to support teaching and learning e.g., using text adventures to assist in teaching English as a second language. Another particular review of relevant research indicated that mathematics was a subject where the use of games was usually superior to traditional classroom instruction However this, and several other reviews, were carried out when games were relatively primitive; fewer studies have been undertaken over the last five years, during which games have significantly increased in complexity, and often demand much greater interaction from the user. It does not require a great leap of imagination to extrapolate this database-oriented scenario into a more digital library and teaching-oriented scenario. Video game manufactures such as Square Soft and E.A Games could greatly benefit from researching and developing a segment into educational gaming. They should segment this market in to an age bracket of 3 to 9 year olds. New Industry in Gaming :: Informative New Industry in Gaming Video games are no longer the nerdy stepchild of popular entertainment. Nearly half of all US homes own one game-playing machine, and 23 percent own more than three, according to Nielsen Entertainment. The technical requirements for video games are pushing the most popular technologies - including cell phones, Palm Pilots, computers, and TV - to become more versatile and powerful. College grads are now more likely to head into interactive software than moviemaking. This industry is now at an important crossroads, say experts, largely due to its explosive growth with the costs to develop a hit new game now topping $10 million. In such a lucrative industry there must be an untapped area yet to be discovered. One area of choice is the advanced usage of gaming in an educational atmosphere. Games are increasingly used to support teaching and learning e.g., using text adventures to assist in teaching English as a second language. Another particular review of relevant research indicated that mathematics was a subject where the use of games was usually superior to traditional classroom instruction However this, and several other reviews, were carried out when games were relatively primitive; fewer studies have been undertaken over the last five years, during which games have significantly increased in complexity, and often demand much greater interaction from the user. It does not require a great leap of imagination to extrapolate this database-oriented scenario into a more digital library and teaching-oriented scenario. Video game manufactures such as Square Soft and E.A Games could greatly benefit from researching and developing a segment into educational gaming. They should segment this market in to an age bracket of 3 to 9 year olds.

Quality Management and Customer Satisfaction

Wal-Mart’s Strategic Quality Management and Customer Satisfaction One organization that has become successful in many aspects of satisfaction and quality is Wal-Mart. This organization started out providing basic products to customers during certain hours of the day and evening, and then expanded the become Wal-Mart Supercenters by also providing groceries and becoming a 24-hour establishment. By making these changes in their organization, Wal-Mart has provided superior satisfaction to both its internal and external customers. To better understand Wal-Mart’s level of quality and customer satisfaction, Learning Team C has conducted a SWOT analysis of the organization, developed a vision and mission statement, and created strategic plans and objectives for the organization. SWOT Analysis Strengths Wal-Mart has a great deal of strengths which is apparent due to their incredible success throughout the years. Wal-Mart has mastered the process of production, movement of goods, warehousing of goods, ensuring goods arrives on time at the right place, and for a cheap price. Wal-Mart’s foundation was built upon understanding, identifying, and knowing exactly what customers want from their retailer and having this information has contributed to their tremendous success. Wal-Mart is a powerful retail brand which has the reputation for providing a wide range of products all in one store, value for money, and convenience. Weakness Wal-Mart has a weakness that shapes not only their image, but the livelihood of people in many communities. In many places when a new Wal-Mart comes to their community most small retailers are forced out of business due to the retail giant. There are many moral customers, who are concerned with the interests of the smaller retailers. This concern quickly turns to anger when they see Wal-Mart’s monopolizing capability that has gained strength in the past few decades. Because of these issues there are many people who refuse to shop at a Wal-Mart; they become anti-Wal-Mart shoppers. Unfortunately, this weakness according to some has taken a toll on Wal-Mart’s stock prices as well. Also, in the past several years Wal-Mart has had to fight several high law suits which have also affected their image in the general public’s eye. Opportunities It would be ideal for Wal-Mart to take advantages of the opportunities to improve in the behaviors that they have been heavily criticized in by the public. Wal-Mart has the opportunity to use its resources to help our world improve its environment. The environmental programs that Wal-Mart supports have the potential to receive tremendous results because it has such a large image. In their overseas locations Wal-Mart has been worried with child labor laws, so they have been paying very close attention to its supplier’s labor practices by enforcing stricter policies. Being the largest employer in the United States, Wal-Mart is taking advantage of the opportunity by providing its employees with a new health care plan that will increase their benefits. If Wal-Mart makes a continued effort to resolve these concerns they will ultimately increase their market share and improve their public image. Threats Dollar General discount stores are growing rapidly in the United States. Unfortunately for Wal-Mart, these stores have the ability to open in smaller communities where there would not be enough business to support Wal-Mart’s sales quota. Dollar Generals deep discount threatens and competes greatly with Wal-Mart’s claims of having the lowest price. Wal-Mart has to continue to work hard to compete in times of ambiguity. Many of Wal-Mart’s customers are slightly affected by the economy therefore it has an advantage being it offers low prices in times of recession that appeal to its customers. However, the attempts made by the government to stimulate the economy are not directly felt by Wal-Mart’s customers. This increasingly threats Wal-Mart’s sales and vitality. Vision and Mission Statement Wal-Mart bases it operations on integrity and customer satisfaction. In order to uphold these two main objectives Wal-Mart has developed a vision and mission statement along with guiding principles that incorporate quality principles. Wal-Mart’s mission statement is to maintain the highest quality in products and customer service, while treating its employees like family. In order to incorporate values and principles within the organization, Wal-Mart strives to always maintain a high level of loyalty to both its customers and its employees. To stay loyal to both customers and employees, Wal-Mart uses core values such as integrity, loyalty, top service, equality, and honesty. Wal-Mart’s vision is to uphold these values and principles to keep a large flow of customers into their stores throughout the country. Wal-Mart believes that in order to keep satisfied customers and employees, the organization has to present high quality products and low prices, and show both customer and employee appreciation at all times. To ensure this vision stays intact, Wal-Mart has open suggestions boards open to stay informed on what its customers and employees would like to see within their stores. Wal-Mart believes that the public and their employee family have a right to have the best products and services to help them live their daily lives. Strategic Plan and Strategic Objectives With Wal-Mart being one of the leading retail industries around, it’s very important for their customer service to be top notch, to keep the customers coming back and keep them satisfied. A goal for Wal-Mart is to expand very rapidly and to expand everywhere outside the United States. That’s why Wal-Mart has been able to stay at the forefront during these economic times. Wal-Mart has become a monopoly due to the products they sell and the wide array of choice they offer for the customer. Not only do they sell furniture, clothes, electronics, etc. , they are also now expanding to a grocery store, they also house other businesses. Every Wal-Mart is different, some house salons, eyeglass stores, other eateries. Wal-Mart strives to continually have quality goods but sell them at lower prices than any other stores; they do this by buying products in bulk that way it’s possible to sell to the consumer at the lower prices. Wal-Mart continually strives to advance farther than its competitors by keeping up with the latest technology, but keeping them at prices the public can afford and is willing to pay. The only thing Wal-Mart needs to keep up on is keeping customer service at the top of its list of things to improve upon. Besides the low prices, and the selection of goods, quality customer service is one of the factors that will keep the consumers coming back. Wal-Mart uses different innovated tools in order to keep their customer satisfaction high. One of their main tools is keeping their prices low. This is accomplished by using a system that is set in place by Cisco. This system is based on questions, as stated by David Flanagin (n. d. ): â€Å"Will it help us lower prices,† executives ask. â€Å"How will it improve the customer's experience? So the selection of a communications infrastructure from Cisco was part of a Wal-Mart plan to make things better for customers. â€Å"At Wal-Mart, we don't implement technology for its own sake,† â€Å"It has to have a payback that helps the customer. † A friendly employee is another tool Wal-Mart uses to keep their customers satisfied. This is accomplished through keeping their employees satisfied. Having available stock and other resour ces on hand allows their employees to have what they require at their disposal and this makes both the employees happy and also their customers. Wal-Mart uses tools such as having every product available from clothing, electronics, pharmacy, and groceries. They are open 24 hours a day which is a great tool for everyone. Wal-Mart can measure their success in maintaining customer satisfaction through the on-line network that Cisco provides for them. They are now the largest retailer with more than 2400 stores and 100 distribution centers. Inventory management is a very successful tool used that help keep prices low. With global markets and retailers the internet has been an important part of keeping customers and allowing for replenishment of products on a consistent and at a low cost. References Flanagin, David. N.D. Cisco – Retail Customer Success Stories, The Wal-Mart Story Using Internet Technology to Support Everyday Low Prices and Increased Customer Satisfaction. Retrieved from www.cisco.com. Retrieved on December 5, 2010. Cramer, J. J.  (2005).  Wakeup Walmart.com.  United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.  Retrieved from http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/news/20050817-rmcom.html. Marketing Teacher Ltd..  (2010).  Marketing Teacher.com.  Retrieved from http://www.marketingteacher.com/swot/walmart-swot.html.

Why Did Political Parties Spring Up in the United States in the 1790s

Why did political parties spring up in the United States in the 1790s? Why did political parties spring up in the United States in the 1790s? On the 30th April 1789 America’s first President, George Washington was elected into office and was to stay in power until 1797. Within this time the political scope of the United States of America expanded hugely, giving birth to the politics in which we see in America even to this present day.This essay will tackle the many aspects of the development of political parties; from the economic plans adopted by Alexander Hamilton, which forged America’s first bank in 1791, to the ways in which Americans viewed the Constitution put in place in 1789 causing the birth of Federalist and Republican attitudes throughout the United States of America. A major factor in the creation of political parties came through the influence of Alexander Hamilton. During his time as Secretary of the Treasury to George Washington, Hamilton devised five ec onomic programs as a result of his Nation Government ideology.Eric Foner argues that: ‘Political divisions first surfaced over the financial plan developed†¦ in 1790 and 1791’[1]. Hamilton’s financial models won strong support from the American financiers and manufacturers, and the models would only work if America created close links with Great Britain. This ideology sparked resistance from Jefferson and Madison, as they both believed that ‘the future lay in Westward expansion’[2] and thus, the foundations for political divisions were in place due to the ideological differences between Jefferson and Hamilton.Therefore, it can be argued that Hamilton was the main initial influence to instigate political thought in America. However, although political divisions began to emerge over Hamilton's financial plans, it was the events that occurred in Europe that acted as a catalyst for creating two coherent political parties. At first, the French Revolu tion didn’t stir any conflict between Jefferson and Hamilton but after the execution of King Louis XVI, war broke out between France and Great Britain and inevitably against Jefferson and Hamilton.On the one hand, Jefferson argued that ‘Revolution marked a historic victory for the idea of popular self-government’[3] however Hamilton; as stated by Bruce Miroff, ‘set himself resolutely against the rising tide of democracy’[4] and the events of the Revolution made the links with Britain even more significant for him. Economically America was torn. Alexander Hamilton’s economic plans for the federal government to pay off the revolutionary war debts, and the creation of a national bank were vastly disputed.Thomas Jefferson expressed massive disputes with the policies, as he thought of them as unconstitutional and would create class barriers. The historian Ryan P. Randolph argued in favour of Jefferson’s views, stating, â€Å"It was not in t he best interests of the landowners they represented. †[5] Jefferson’s view of a development of patriarchal society is also supported by historian John P. Kaminski who argued that â€Å"The foundation of the Bank of America would ally the federal government with wealthy shareholders†¦ the assumption of the state’s wartime debts by the federal government would also bountifully benefit this favoured class. [6] Hamilton however admired Britain’s reforms, which restored its financial health, and therefore modelled American financial policies in part on William Pitt’s in an attempt to restore America’s own finances. However the success of Hamilton’s program depended on cooperation with Britain, as duty on imports provided a major source of federal income and most imports came from Britain. Jefferson however is argued to have a deeply hostile towards Britain. His somewhat Anglophobia is argued to have played a huge part in his drifting from Hamilton and the formation of the traditional Jeffersonian viewpoints in which founded the Republican Party.However there wasn’t a complete disagreement over Britain, as Jefferson admired the technological advances in Britain, but didn’t see the US industry base in a similar manner as Americans â€Å"worked for themselves and not for others. †[7] Hamilton and Jefferson retained explicitly different opinions on economics, showing bias towards small government power, and a large, somewhat Conservative approach, using large government power to rule the entire country, causing divisions in opinions and the development of the Federalist and Republican Parties. Social divisions can also be attributed to the formation of political parties n America as the new Federalist scheme caused class barriers throughout America. This can be seen in the case of farmers who were pushed towards Republican opinion by the 1790s. In 1792 the Militia Act organised 18-24 year olds into militia units to act against Native Indians, however these were later used against farmers as a way of enforcing the excise taxes places on items such as Whiskey (passed by congress in 1791). This caused hardship and farmers began to revolt by tarring and feathering. In 1794 the government led 1500 militia to West Pennsylvania in a similar resistance to the Stamp Act’s Boston Massacre in 1774.This as a whole caused a division between the farming community and the government, which led to further support of Jefferson and the Republican party as farmers felt like the big government leadership was only working in favour of richer classes and causing splits in society, which in turn were represented through political parties. Henceforth, following the French Revolution, the two main ideologies were established, the parties became increasingly coherent and in the mid 1790’s they developed into the Federalist and the Republicans.Therefore, it can be argued that without the French Revolution there would be no political parties because the war against France and Great Britain caused a split, not only ideologically but geographically in America. Therefore, Hamilton’s input definitely begun the era of politics but he was not the most influential factor in the overall development of the first political parties. The Constitution may also be argued to be a contributing factor in the development of political parties as some argue that Federalists ‘loosely’ followed the Constitution, whereas Jeffersonians ‘strictly’ followed it.The historian John H. Aldrich argues that â€Å"Ratification of the Constitution launched America’s â€Å"great experiment,† testing the viability of democracy. This experiment began before national political parties were invented†[8] and therefore the constitution forced Americans into a democratic society in which made it somewhat compulsory to form an opinion, which was expres sed through support of political parties. However, historian Peter W. Schramm argues, â€Å"The American Founders believed that parties were antithetical to republican government. [9] This to some extent could be due to an American desire to not have political parties, and therefore be able to express personal opinions through a democracy rather than two distinctly polarized opinions. Nevertheless, it would be almost impossible to argue that the ratification of the Constitution did not have any effect on the development of political parties, and in fact one may argue that until the Constitution was implemented, Americans were unable to express their political opinions in a democratic manner, as there was no field for expression.The Constitution also had an effecting glance on the â€Å"people’s† view of Thomas Jefferson, the supposed â€Å"American founding father. If Thomas Jefferson had any authority to influence the political uprising in the States when he was in charge and seated as president, it certainly wasn’t shown when Jefferson took up the position of the secretary of state as Senator William Maclay observed, â€Å"He sits in a lounging manner†¦His whole figure has a loose and shackling air. [10] Maclay demonstrates that the role of presidency has a profound effect on the subject and ultimately Jefferson. The fact that Jefferson was seated in an important political establishment, and seated in an undignified manner, questions Jefferson’s real commitment to the political affairs happening at that time or was he biding his time, waiting for the next presidential election? The political uprising showed that presidential influence could have a massive impact on national affairs.Although Thomas Jefferson was in France at the time the Federal Constitution was introduced in 1787, he was able to influence the development of the federal government through his correspondence. Jefferson played a major role in the planning, de sign, and construction of a national capitol and the federal district. In the various public offices he held, Jefferson sought to establish a federal government of limited powers. In the 1800 presidential election, Jefferson and Aaron Burr deadlocked, creating a constitutional crisis.However, once Jefferson received sufficient votes in the election, he and his long-term friend, John Adams, established the principle that power would be passed peacefully from losers to victors in presidential elections. Jefferson called his election triumph â€Å"the second American Revolution. † There were many problems and arguments however, confronting the Founding Fathers like, for example, slavery. The North versus the South divide was deepening. Jefferson himself was a wealthy plantation owner and owned many slaves.Although he knew it was wrong as he said it was â€Å"a moral depravity† and â€Å"a hideous blot†[11], he couldn’t give up his wealth and his earnings. Ma ny historians have debated whether Jefferson was an actual opposition of slavery or not as he owned such a large number of slaves himself. Jefferson also commented that slavery presented the greatest threat to the survival of the â€Å"new American nation†. This â€Å"new American nation† would see these political parties spring up and finally abolish slavery in 1865 in the 13th Amendment.Nonetheless Jefferson had an impact on the political parties and their views on such subjects like slavery through his ability to become â€Å"a captivating talker and a natural leader†[12]James Madison, Jefferson’s succeeded in the presidential role, fully supported the Constitution and its values as it was a huge factor in the political restoration of society of the United States. Madison was to come into power in the 1808 election after Thomas Jefferson retired due to illness and old age. The creation of these political parties due to the Constitution being erected is an underpinning factor why Jefferson remained in power for a second term.This was due to the fact that not only did Jefferson had little opposition from Burr or Madison, but Jefferson also campaigned against the Constitution and its values as he thought that with too much power, the government would quickly become oppressive and dominant. To conclude, it would be impossible to imagine the creation of political parties in the United States without taking into account the underpinning factor that is the introduction of the Constitution in the United States of America.Without the Constitution the economic situations such as the creation of a federal bank, the implication of social barriers including those found in farming communities which essentially led to a split in opinions, and most importantly, the political divisions – most famously seen in the case of the Jeffersonian-Hamilton case would have not arose leading to the creation of the Republican and Federalist parties in America. Without the Constitution, it may be argued that America would have remained in a consensus, and therefore the Constitution itself must be seen as a trigger for the development of political parties in America.Bibliography Why Parties? : The Origin and Transformation of Political Parties in America – John H. Aldrich, University of Chicago Press, 1 Jun 1995- pg. 6 Jefferson at Monticello, Charlottesville – Bear, James, A. Jr. – University Press of Virginia, 1967. George Washington: A Life, Ron Chernow – Page 599 â€Å"Give Me Liberty! † – Eric Foner (Seagull Third Edition) (Vol. 1), W. W. Norton ; Company, 2011 Sketches of Debate in the First Senate – William Maclay et al, Lane S. Hart, Printer, 1880, Page 212 Thomas Jefferson: Philosopher and Politician – John P.Kaminski, UW-Madison Libraries Parallel Press, 1 Jan 2006 – pg. 54 A History of the United States: Inventing America – P. Maier et al, W. W. Norton ; Company Ltd. , 2002 Alexander Hamilton's Economic Plan: Solving Problems in America's New Economy – Ryan P. Randolph, The Rosen Publishing Group, 1 May 2003 – pg. 20. American Political Parties and Constitutional Politics – Peter W. Schramm, Bradford P. Wilson – pg. 17 ———————– [1] Eric Foner: ‘Give Me Liberty’ Page 282 [2] Eric Foner: ‘Give Me Liberty’ Page 284 3] Eric Foner: ‘Give Me Liberty’ Page 286 [4] Bruce Miroff: ‘Hamilton: The Aristocrat as Visionary’ Page 43 [5] Page 20 – Alexander Hamilton's Economic Plan: Solving Problems in America's New Economy – Ryan P. Randolph, The Rosen Publishing Group, 1 May 2003 [6] Page 54 – Thomas Jefferson: Philosopher and Politician – John P. Kaminski, UW-Madison Libraries Parallel Press, 1 Jan 2006 [7] A History of the United States: Inventing America – P. Maier et al, W. W. Norton & Company Ltd. , 2002 [8] Page 6 – Why Parties? The Origin and Transformation of Political Parties in America – John H. Aldrich, University of Chicago Press, 1 Jun 1995 [9] Page 17 – American Political Parties and Constitutional Politics – Peter W. Schramm, Bradford P. Wilson [10] Sketches of Debate in the First Senate – William Maclay, Lane S. Hart, Printer, 1880, Page 212 [11] Bear, James, A. Jr. – Jefferson at Monticello, Charlottesville – University Press of Virginia, 1967. [12] George Washington: A Life, Ron Chernow – Page 599