Sales and Distribution Essay Example for Free

Sales and Distribution Essay Company Snapshot CEAT Limited RPG Tyre Industry Automobiles Born tough; Take it on Products are known for durability and superior quality Parent Company Category Sector Tagline/ Slogan USP Manufacturing units 4 Location of manufacturing units 3 in India- Bhandup, Halol, Nashik and 1 in Srilanka Total capacity 940,000 Tyres per month Distribution Coverage 186 Districts Clearing and Forward Agents 112 Dealership over 3500 Company owned showrooms 70(in 2012 to be increased to 200 by 2013) Total sales(in Rupees) INR 4492. 03 Crores (in 2012) Increase in sales y-o-y 27.35% (2011 to 2012) Business Markets segmentation (B2B, B2C, B2G): B2B B2G B2C Heavy-duty Trucks and Buses Cars Light Commercial Vehicles SUVs Earthmovers Forklifts Tractors Trailers Motorcycles and Scooters Auto-rickshaws IBS Hyderabad Page 3 Quotes to Quote â€Å"Quality for us is more than state-of-the-art, we would say its state-of-the-mind. When you think right, you always deliver right. † -CEAT. in Website â€Å"For the man who counts signals to reach home safely. For the woman who drops her child to school. For the vendor who has to reach the market in time. For the young rider who wants to race the wind we make quality our responsibility. And we take our responsibility seriously. † -CEAT. in Website â€Å"We believe that our brand must help our consumers in doing their businesses better or helping them in leading a better, safer life. † -Vinod Kumar, GM, Marketing, CEAT Ltd â€Å"We dont believe in flashing numbers, we let quality do our talking. And it is with reason that CEAT marks the highest exports from India in truck, OTR and LCV categories. † -CEAT, Network, Citation date- 16th Jan 2013, http://www. ceat.in/newsite/worldwide/network. asp IBS Hyderabad Page 4 II. Economies and Industry Overview i. Economy- Overview The recent financial year (2011-12) was challenged much by the critical waves from different geographies and has hit the world businesses at a large scale. The Europe sovereign debt crisis and its skepticism on its potential to become a global meltdown pushed the investor confidence again after the 2 008 crisis. Inspite of the government? s reforms and third party? s (UNO, World Bank, etc) assistance the economies are still fragile and recovering at a much slower phase. With US and other developed nations recover slow, developing nations has become the sweet spot for many. India sustained its growth estimates very close to that of the RBI estimates to 6. 9% in 2011-12 (CSO estimates). Still India has mounting challenges in infrastructure, inflation, fluctuations in the value of rupee, political instability etc. In reference to it the road map of 12th 5 year plans (2013-17) brings optimism, which expects the growth to 7. 4 to 7. 6% in 2013 (FY) and 8. 6 per cent in 2014 (FY) with some major policy reforms (FDI, taxation, etc) taken into account. Tyre Industry- Overview The demand for tyres globally by 2015 is expected to be in the value of 3. 3 billion units (USD 220 bn) with a 4. 7% annual growth in units. The APAC region (Asia Pacific) is the largest market for tyres and signals strong demand in the future. The increase in income of the developing countries would be supported with the demand for automobiles thus would ultimately create a demand for tyres (World Tyre Report). India has the organized tyre maket (apart from bicycle tyre industry) and is dominated by cross ply tyres. Major contributor to the industry is the Commercial Vehicle (CV) tyres followed by Passenger Vehicle (PV) tyres. Remaining share is taken over by the 2 and 3 wheelers, tractors, construction equipment and Off-The-Road (OTR) tyres. The size of the Indian tyre industry in 2011-12 was around Rs. 389 billion, and is estimated to reach Rs. 443 billion in 2012-13, with 14 per cent growth. One important segment of tyre industry, i. e OEMs (Automobile Manufacturers) are bound to grow in the future but frequent hikes in interest rates, rise in fuel prices, high inflation. Reviving the India Growth Story, Union Budget 2012 by PricewaterhouseCoopers IBS Hyderabad Page 5 etc slows down the growth of automobile sector. The sector that grew 30% in 2010-11 grew only to 2% in 2011-12. 2 (See table Categorywise Tyre Production Exports in India for FY 2010-11 and 2011-12 to have full picture of Indian tyre production and exports) The Indian tyre industry- Snapshot Total turnover Tyre Production (Tonnage) Total Tyre Production in all categories Number of companies Companies contribution Rs.389 billion Rs. 14. 88 lacs MT 1,192 lacs 39 Top 10 companies account for over 95 per cent of the total production Source: Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) There three broad areas through which Indian Tyre Industry creates demands (% contribution by each segment in 2011-12 are given below), The 2011-12 growth of tyre industry is completely attributed to the increased export contribution and particularly from the bus and truck segment. Different Segments % Con tribution to Indian Tyre Industry in 2011-12 Replacement Market 26 63 OEMs Exports a. Replacement market- The nature of the replacement market is the margin creator. This is the important spot through which the manufacturers has an upper hand (relative to other segments) and hence it dominates the Indian tyre industry. With the increase in number of driving licenses registered, with increasing self driving habits in India, whereby the tyre gets depreciated soon, there is a large scope for the replacement market? s growth. b. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM)- The OEM segment has dominance over the tyre manufacturers due to the competition and uniformity in quality; hence it has thin margins but plays with high volumes. In this segment the tyre manufacturers reputation, 2 The Economic Times, January 2012 IBS Hyderabad Page 6 capacity to supply large orders, working together, quick delivery with customization and price plays dominant role in securing and retaining an OEM. Due to uncertain global conditions and job market it is expected to grow modestly at a rate of 11-13% in 2012-13.

Differences of North and South Korea Essay Example for Free

Differences of North and South Korea Essay South Korea is located on the southern part of Korea and boarders and is bordered by Eastern Asia, the southern half of the Korean Peninsula which borders the Sea of Japan, and the Yellow Sea. South Korea has a boring climate in my opinion. It is temperate, and during the summer months there is heavier rainfall than the rest of the year. The terrain in South Korea is much like that of North Korea. It is mostly hills and has mountains. There are wide coastal plains in the west in the south. These areas have many great harbors for fishing. The only natural disaster South Korea is really prone to are typhoons. The population in South Korea is larger than that in North Korea. There are 48,289,037 people which are mostly located along the coast. Sixty-nine percent of the people work in the services department, twenty-one and a half percent work in industry fields, and nine and half percent work in agriculture. There is a close race in South Korea for the number one religion between Christianity and Buddhist. other religions are Confucianism, Shamanism, and Chindogyo. Most people in South Korea speak Korean but more frequently are learning English. The capital on South Korea is Seoul, and South Korea is a Republic. One of the main reasons it is Republic is due to the US involvement in World War II. The president of South Korea is NO Muh-hyun who was elected in 2003. South Korea gained its independence from Japan in 1945 on August 15th. South Koreas biggest traitor is once again America. Popular exports in South Korea are things such as electronic devices, machinery and equipment, cars, steel, ships, clothing, footwear, and fish. In the agricultural department rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish are the most popular. The currency in South Korea is known as the South Korean won also known as the KRW. One thousand, four hundred and one KRW is equivalent to one American dollar. The GDP in South Korea is nine hundred and thirty one billion dollars for a purchasing party power. Over the past few years, South Korea has gained much power economically. The GDP of South Korea is thirty times that of North Korea. Over the past years economic growth has been impressive. South Korea had come back from a crisis known as the Asian financial crisis of 1997-99. Here debt and legitimacy rations were causes and an effect was South Korea being forced to borrow food and having a very weak economic background. In conclusion it is clear that North Korea and South Korea in some ways are the same but in others are completely different. In my opinion and I am sure in the opinion of many others, South Korea is more successful.

The Environmental Effect of the Meat Industry

The Environmental Effect of the Meat Industry One of the fastest growing industries in the world today is the meat/livestock industry. Meat is considered a normal good, which means that demand for meat increases as consumer income increases. Traditionally, meat has been regarded as an expensive food item in Western countries. As world population is increasing and as economies of the developing countries are getting stronger, demand for meat is also growing (Vinnari, 2008). Meat industry is one of those sectors that are one of the biggest contributors of global gas emissions and have big environmental and social impacts. The use of land, energy, water, and various emissions and wastes are all widely recognized by people and governments (Vinnari, 2008). According to a report by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, also known as the FAO, meat production is accountable for about a fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions. It is widely accepted in the scientific world that greenhouse gases like carbon and methane are c ausing rapid global climate change, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. Yet, the meat industry business seems to be unperturbed by the state of the environment, inhumane treatment of animals, or the unhygienic conditions in which they are kept which leads to spread of diseases like bird flu in humans. Over the years, meat industry has adopted practices that are unethical. For example in many countries, primarily in the United States, most of the cattle are grain fed as opposed to grass fed. This is so that the cattle can grow bigger and fatter, faster. While it may very well be profitable for the industry, it is unethical in the sense that it is inhumane. There are also social implications as a large amount of grain is fed to the cattle when there are people dying from hunger all over the world. Unhygienic conditions of the feedlots question business practices of the industry. As a food industry, it owes a duty of care to its customers and has a responsibility of provid ing quality food that is free of bacteria or virus which can be very harmful to the human health. According to the FAO report, meat consumption is estimated to more than double by the year 2050 (McMichael, Powles Uauy, 2007). With depleting natural resources, such as water and land cover, it will become harder to meet the demands of the growing human population. In such a scenario, the industry will most likely adopt practices that are even more unethical than the existing ones. It is therefore, not only important for businesses to take on sustainable meat production practices but also imperative for us, the consumer, to study our meat consumption habits and make certain changes in our lifestyle. Since we utilize resources from this planet, our natural environment is our responsibility. Educating ourselves and changing our meat consumption patterns will definitely slow down and to some extent get rid of the problem that the meat industry has and is creating. In this assignment, I w ill be discussing the environmental and social implications of the meat industry and then analyze from the perspective of various ethical theories. Environmental Impact Analysis: As mentioned above in the introduction, meat production and consumption has many environmental and social implications. It is imperative for businesses and consumers to recognize the problem and work towards mitigating the impacts. For the purpose of this assessment, I will be considering the environmental impacts i.e. resource usage/depletion and global warming as well as the social impacts i.e. unequal distribution of food, inhumane treatment of animals and analyzing them using different ethical theories. I will also be providing recommendations to curtail the growing impact of the industry. Resource Depletion: Our natural environment provides important ecosystem services like food, recreational opportunities, disease regulation that human life ultimately depends upon. Overtime, humans have changed and altered the ecosystem by depleting it in order to meet the growing human demands of freshwater, timber and food. As human population is increasing, per capita demand for ecosystem services is also growing at a fast pace and how these demands are met will determine the future of ecology and economy of our planet. Meat industry poses a major threat to the ecosystem as human activities continue to clear forests in order to grow crops that will be fed to cattle and use water to rear cattle. It is estimated that food production will need to double by the year 2030 to feed the projected global human population of around 9 billion people. Water scarcity is already a problem in many countries as around two billion people suffer from the lack of it and it is estimated that the number of people facing water scarcity will double by the year 2030 (Bennet Balvanera, 2007). Livestock uses about a third of the worlds entire land surface which includes pastures and arable land that provides livestock feed. As Chinese, European and US farmers are running out of land to rear animals for meat and crop production, demand for meat is forcing intensive agriculture into tropical rainforests of developing countries like Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay (McMichael, Powles Uauy, 2007). Global Warming: Global warming is a widely accepted phenomenon and most of the impacts of global warming can already be seen across the world. Retreating glaciers, rising sea levels, thawing tundra, hurricanes and extreme weather conditions are increasing both in frequency and intensity and animals such as penguins, polar bears are struggling to survive. Many species are finding it hard to adapt to changing weather because it is becoming very unpredictable (Koneswaran Nierenberg, 2008 ). Most of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide (around 35 percent) are due to agriculture practices, primarily animal husbandry and land changes associated with the process of rearing animals for meat. Emissions from this sector are higher than the transport sector or the power generation sector. Two powerful greenhouse gases, methane and nitrous oxide associated with livestock production, contribute more to global warming than carbon dioxide (McMichael, Powles Uauy, 2007). An FAO report on the current and future effe cts of livestock production on the worlds environment and climate states that the livestock sector is growing faster than any other sector and most of this growth is going to happen in developing countries, i.e. in countries with low to middle incomes (McMichael, Powles Uauy, 2007). Livestock production which includes deforestation for grazing land and producing soy feed for animals, carbon lost from soil that is grazed, energy used for growing feed crops, for processing and transporting grains and meat, nitrous oxide released from the use of nitrogenous fertilizers, and gases like methane from animal manure and enteric fermentation all contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Nine percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, 30-40 percent of methane emissions and 65 percent of all nitrous oxide emissions come from this sector. Methane and nitrous oxide are known to have a greater warming potential than does carbon dioxide (McMichael, Powles Uauy, 2007). Production of fertilizers fo r feed crops requires burning of fossil fuels which releases about 41 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. These fertilizers are produced in factories that depend on fossil fuel energy. Animal populations in large and confined factory like settings have significantly increased and along with it has increased methane emissions from both the animals and their manure. These factory like landless facilities produce more manure than can be used as fertilizer on cropland. This manure is distributed to a landmass which usually results in soil accumulation and runoff of pollutants like phosphorous and nitrogen. Half of the energy produced from fossil fuel goes into heating, cooling and ventilation of these facilities and the other half goes into producing seeds, herbicides, pesticides and in the operation of farm machinery (Koneswaran Nierenberg, 2008). Majority of the countries in Africa and Asia currently use pasture based methods to raise animals. However this trend is likely to change as countries in Latin America and some countries in Asia are starting to favor intensive farming methods like the one seen in developed counties like the United States (Koneswaran Nierenberg, 2008). Forests and soils act as carbon sinks as they hold much of the carbon dioxide. Deforestation and degradation of land release much of this stored carbon gas back into the atmosphere thus increasing level of the gas in the atmosphere. Animal agriculture is a major reason for conversion of wooded land into cropland for feed production or grazing land, and deforestation emits 2.4 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. A big negative impact of the meat industry can be seen in Latin America which has seen the largest net loss of forests and greatest emission of stored carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (Koneswaran Nierenberg, 2008). Theory Application: Knowing the impacts of meat production on the environment, various theories can be applied in favor of changing our production and consumption patterns. Utilitarianism, a consequentialist theory, states that an action is morally right if it results in maximum benefit for all parties involved. Utilitarianism evaluates right and wrong action by considering costs and harms and weighing them against benefits (Kunkel, 1996). Since this theory advocates maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain, it would support changing meat consumption patterns to curtail growing ill effects of meat production on the environment. If we compare the costs of meat production to the benefits, we will realize that the cost and harm is much greater than the limited benefits that are achieved. Limited benefits being employment, pleasures of taste, profits for industry, and harm being damage done to the environment. Intrinsic value of nature holds higher worth than all the benefits of the meat industry combined an d it deserves to be protected. Our natural environment provides many important ecosystem services that cannot be replaced if our environment is destroyed or our ecosystems are altered. Everyone on this planet depends on these ecosystem services and any irreversible damage will affect each and every one of us. Ethics of duty states that in order to be moral every person should have a realization of a sense of duty (Baron, 1985). I believe that since we use services provided by the environment and since the ecosystem services are so crucial to our existence and survival, we have a duty towards the natural world and we should preserve it to ensure live continues to flourish. However, the meat industry operates contrary to this belief. It degrades our natural environment by deforestation, water consumption, fossil fuel use, and adding to global warming through greenhouse gas emissions. If we consider the Islamic environmental ethics, it also states that humans owe a duty to the natural world. Islamic law (Shariah) states that conservation of the environment is based on the principle that the environment and everything it consists of is created by God and everything has a function in the natural environment. Just because humans make use of various environmental services, it does not mean that human use is the only reason for their creation. It thus states that all humans have a duty to preserve and protect it (Deen, 1990). Social Impact Analysis: Every business has its share of environmental and social impacts, and meat industry has some obvious impacts on the environment and the society within which it operates. As with the environment, meat industry also has numerous social impacts that are growing with time. Social impacts include humans as well as animals and contemporary methods of meat production tend to overlook these impact. Developing or poor countries are and will bear the brunt of consequences being brought about by climate change. Environmental degradation is a medium for current conflicts and instability in many areas of Sudan. With rising temperatures, and depleting water resources, farmers and herders are fighting with each other to gain access and control of these natural commodities. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said that that two of the major problems in Sudan- land degradation and desertification are caused by an explosive growth in livestock numbers( Koneswaran Nierenberg, 2008). United Nations Secretary, General Ban Ki-moon also said that natural disasters caused by climate change will trigger war and conflicts around the world. As global temperatures change, infectious diseases spread more quickly and affect more people (Koneswaran Nierenberg, 2008). Equitable distribution of food is also a major concern since half the worlds poverty stricken population goes to bed hungry every night. Excessive meat production consumes most of the crop production that could have fed millions of people around the world. It takes twenty pounds of grain to feed a cow which is to be slaughtered to produce one pound of beef protein. It only seems like a waste when those twenty pounds of grain that were fed to the cow could have been used to feed many people in that country (Shaw Newholm, 2002). It is usually the poor countries that suffer from climactic changes. Majority of human induced global warming is caused by operations of industrialized nations, and it is the poorer nations that suffer from such operations. Global warming most affects areas that are hot and dry. These are also the regions where infectious diseases spread rapidly. When a natural disaster strikes, people in these poor nations suffer the most because they have more difficulty in moving away from changes in climate and they also experience difficulties in buying food incase crop is destroyed or its productivity is affected (Mendelsohn, Dinar Williams, 2006). According to FAOSTAT, around 56 billion animals are reared and slaughtered for human consumption every year and this number is only going to increase over time, primarily in the developing world (Koneswaran Nierenberg, 2008). Inhumane treatment of animals is also a harsh reality of the meat industry. Thousands of animals are locked up in cramped, confined spaces and kept on high doses of vitamins and antibiotics to reduce the risk of diseases. In countries like the US, cattle are grain fed as so it can grow bigger faster. These unnatural conditions not only increase stress for the animal but also leads to higher occurrence of density-promoted diseases. Studies have found that crowding often includes cannibalistic attacks among poultry and pigs. Other practices that question meat industry practices include inflicting pain by castration, branding, dehorning, beak trimming, and inadequate stunning before slaughter. Deep muscle myopathy, fluid accumulation and skeletal disorders associa ted with accelerated muscle growth and restricted movement can be seen quite commonly in facilities where animals are mass produced for meat (Smil, 2002). Not only is the treatment of animals inhumane in most of these facilities, but also these facilities are not exactly hygienic and do not ensure that the meat produced is fit for human consumption. Waste water loaded with nitrate and animal excrement often seeps into groundwater. Mad cow disease was caused by feeding ground sheep brains to cows and unfortunately it is still widely used practice in animal husbandry. Between the years 1980-1996 over 750,000 head of cattle infected with this disease were slaughtered for human consumption in Britain. Other such cases include H5N1 avian influenza (bird flu) that spread from chicken and killed many people in Hong Kong (Smil, 2002). Meat packing is United States one of most dangerous occupations. In 2002, about 25 percent of employees in meat packing factories experienced nonfatal occupational injury or illness whereas serious/fatal injuries and illness were five times the national average, and frequency of repeated physical traumas such as back problems and tendinitis is 30 times higher than the private industry mean (Smil, 2002). Theory Application: Utilitarianism also justifies changing meat consumption patterns when taking into consideration the social impacts of the industry. Whether it is the inhumane treatment of animals, exploitation of natural resources which often leads to social unrest in poor countries, impact of human induced global climate change, meat industry both directly and indirectly creates and facilitates a number of problems in the society. . Utilitarianism focuses on creating maximum benefit for maximum number of people. It therefore supports reducing meat consumption as not only does production of meat require more land, water and energy usage than production of crops, it leads to inequitable distribution of food around the world. Utilitarianism can be argued on the grounds of animal welfare because we dont have a need for animal products and we can survive without. Our penchant for meat is only a matter of taste. Our interests in animals and animal products hold lesser value and cannot be more important t han animals interest in life and freedom from suffering (George, 1994). When we compare the benefits of the industry to the amount of harm or pain it brings to the society, the harm/loss clearly outweighs the benefits/pleasure supporting the premise of this paper that meat industry has very unethical and unsustainable practices and that we as consumers should rethink our consumption patterns and the industry should also change to reduce its enormous negative impact on the environment and the society. Ethics of rights states that every living creature is entitled to certain basic rights such as the right to life, security and freedom from harm. Just because cognitive abilities of animals are not as developed as those of humans, it does not suggest that they are incapable of feeling pleasure or pain and it doesnt give humans any reason to inflict pain upon them. In fact, having higher cognitive ability puts greater responsibility on humans to respect other creatures because we have a sense of morality and the ability to reason. Animals also are entitled to have certain natural rights, such as the right to life (Regan, 1980). Animals are part of the moral community and failure to acknowledge that is called speciesism. Speciesism is wrong and unethical in the same way that racism and sexism is wrong (George, 1994). Humans and animals are similar in that they both have similar interests in not being harmed or killed, and because we share that relationship, we should show more sensitiv ity towards other living things. Humans and non humans are subject-of-a-life and experience pain, suffering, and various emotions. Inherent value is contrasted with instrumental value that tools and other objects have. Just like humans, animals too are subjects-f-a-life and have an intrinsic value. Therefore, they should not be regarded as means to the end of others. They should not be treated as tools but should be respected for what they are. Because animals have rights, it is unethical to exploit them and kill them for our own pleasure or economic benefit (George, 1994). Animal welfare can also be justified on the grounds of ethics of care which states that a moral person is one who cares for others and is considerate of the other persons needs (Li, 1994). It puts an emphasis on values such as caring and advocates maintaining relationships with peace and harmony. If we consider religious ethics then Hinduism advocates practicing Ahimsa or non- violence with fellow creatures as it stresses acting with care. Ahimsa is quite similar to the western philosophy of ethics of care (feminist ethics) in that it also emphasizes having non-harmful intent in all actions and absence of enmity toward other people and animals. Ahimsa teaches acting with care towards others and being thoughtful of how your actions can affect those around you. It promotes love and non-hostility towards all beings and its goal is to eliminate violence from our nature (Corner, 2009). The meat industry works in contradiction to the concept of ahimsa and ethics of care. It doesnt have any regard for the environment, nor does it show empathy for animals that are slaughtered. The concept of ahimsa and ethics of care is the antithesis of the meat industry. Meat industry doesnt do anything to build a harmonious relationship with the environment or with the animals. We also see lack of care and concern for people who are affected by industrial practices. Most affected by the industry are poor people in developing countries who depend on resources being exploited by the meat industrys unsustainable practices. As meat industries are buying land in the developing world to grow feed crop, local indigenous people are losing the land that they depend upon for survival (Repetto Holmes, 1983). This again underscores the fact that practices of meat industry do not fit in with ethics of care or ahimsa. Conclusion and Recommendation: Meat industry has an egoistic approach in that it focuses on meeting short term interests of economic prosperity while ignoring the long term negative impact on the environment. The analysis above makes it quite clear that meat industry has severe long term environmental and social implications and that its unsustainable and callous practices are beyond the pale. Its not possible to shut down the meat industry completely as long as there are consumers. However, the best we can do as responsible and rational beings is to educate ourselves on the impacts, make lifestyle changes and rethink our meat consumption habits to mitigate the impact of the meat industry. It is equally important for the industry to take on sustainable meat production practices. As consumers we can make certain lifestyle changes such as switching to meat analogues or mock meat, and reducing our real meat consumption. Governments can play their part by transferring agricultural production away from meat production in countries where meat production is the highest (Vinnari, 2008). Governments should also remove subsidies and place higher taxes on meat products. By doing so, consumers will have to pay more for meat which will likely decrease meat consumption (Shaw Newholm, 2002). Technological advancements of product Ad campaigns can make a big difference by increasing consumer knowledge about animal rights, meat production, and its negative social as well as environmental impacts (Vinnari, 2008).

Sociological Imagination Essay examples -- Sociology

To understand the term `Sociological Imagination', it is important to identify what Sociology is and what do sociologists study. It is also vital to look at the three basic concerns of the sociological imagination or perspective, which include Social Structure, Social Institutions and Social Processes. Moreover, it is necessary to understand what C. Wright Mills means when he mentions "the personal troubles of milieu" and "the public issues of social structure", and how it helps us to understand the society in which we live in. What is `Sociological Imagination'? To answer this question a person must first know what Sociology is. Sargent (1994) states that "There is no short answer... however, we can come to understand the nature of Sociology." It may be explained as the study of society. R.Van Kraken et all (2000) explains it in a more complex sense as "the description and analysis of the social forces that shape human behavior in contemporary social life." Sociological imagination is central to the study of society because it allows many of the perso...

health care disparities :: essays research papers

An informal network of providers allows access to a limited number of free or low-cost drugs, mammography, treatment and other services. This network includes volunteer physicians on both sides of the border, the local federally funded community health center, the local Catholic hospital on the US side, the Shriner’s Hospital in Phoenix, hospitals in Tucson, the Mexican public social security hospital in Sonora, and the Santa Cruz County health department. The promotoras support the Santa Cruz County health department, doing home visits and translation on its behalf. When the county identifies diabetics, follow-up management is often handled by the promotoras. The promotoras have also been involved in a number of community issues. When the controversial replacement of a local well was proposed, promotoras and Institute-organized volunteers headed the county steering committee and organized door-to-door activities to advertise public meetings on the issue. Given their cross-border environment, the Institute has also fostered close working relationships with Mexican consular officials and municipal officials in Nogales, Sonora. The Institute has assisted Plan Retornowith donated supplies and health education. Plan Retorno helps deported individuals who have been dropped off in Nogales, Sonora far from their towns and villages of origin. The Way of the Heart model is different from what is more commonly seen in other promotora initiatives: It is a freestanding entity that has built a set of collaborative relationships with clinical providers and social agencies. Most other promotora projects appear to be sponsored by existing clinics and hospitals that use them to augment their outreach and patient management efforts. Staff Recruitment, Training and Retention Promotoras are recruited mainly through word of mouth, postings in community agencies and sometimes through newspaper ads. In the future, promotoras may be recruited from the teen promotora program that has developed out of the Institute’s peer counseling work. The program explicitly seeks promotoras who reflect the culture, economics and demographics of the Nogales community. Persistence and resilience in navigating systems are the most sought after attributes. health care disparities :: essays research papers An informal network of providers allows access to a limited number of free or low-cost drugs, mammography, treatment and other services. This network includes volunteer physicians on both sides of the border, the local federally funded community health center, the local Catholic hospital on the US side, the Shriner’s Hospital in Phoenix, hospitals in Tucson, the Mexican public social security hospital in Sonora, and the Santa Cruz County health department. The promotoras support the Santa Cruz County health department, doing home visits and translation on its behalf. When the county identifies diabetics, follow-up management is often handled by the promotoras. The promotoras have also been involved in a number of community issues. When the controversial replacement of a local well was proposed, promotoras and Institute-organized volunteers headed the county steering committee and organized door-to-door activities to advertise public meetings on the issue. Given their cross-border environment, the Institute has also fostered close working relationships with Mexican consular officials and municipal officials in Nogales, Sonora. The Institute has assisted Plan Retornowith donated supplies and health education. Plan Retorno helps deported individuals who have been dropped off in Nogales, Sonora far from their towns and villages of origin. The Way of the Heart model is different from what is more commonly seen in other promotora initiatives: It is a freestanding entity that has built a set of collaborative relationships with clinical providers and social agencies. Most other promotora projects appear to be sponsored by existing clinics and hospitals that use them to augment their outreach and patient management efforts. Staff Recruitment, Training and Retention Promotoras are recruited mainly through word of mouth, postings in community agencies and sometimes through newspaper ads. In the future, promotoras may be recruited from the teen promotora program that has developed out of the Institute’s peer counseling work. The program explicitly seeks promotoras who reflect the culture, economics and demographics of the Nogales community. Persistence and resilience in navigating systems are the most sought after attributes.

Art Exhibit on Brown vs. Board of Education :: Race Segregation

Generally speaking, I am not one to attend seminars, talks, or museums on my spare time, simply for the betterment of my knowledge, or myself but on Wednesday, April 21st I did just that. Initially I was not very enthusiastic about my assignment to attend an event or exhibit at the university concerning Brown vs. Board of Education, but eventually I sucked it up and decided to attend an art exhibit at the Krannert Art Museum called, â€Å"Social Studies: Eight Artists Address Brown vs. Board of Education. April 21st was a beautiful afternoon, and as I approached the art museum with one of my friends all I could think about were all the things I could be doing instead of going to a museum. Moments later, my mood did not improve as I observed 4 elderly looking people entering the museum about 20 yards in front of me, dressed in suits and formal looking dresses. â€Å"Great,† I thought to myself, as I looked down at my jeans and t-shirt, â€Å"not only am I about to go into a museum, but everyone there is going to think I am a total scrub too.† Upon entering the museum, I promptly asked the woman at the front desk where the exhibit was. She directed me to it and as my friend and I walked away, a large guard yelled at my friend that he couldn’t bring his backpack with him. The guard offered no alternative location for the bag, so my friend walked around aimlessly until the woman at the front desk allowed him to leave the bag under her desk. Now, the mood was set. The museum screamed dullness and tightness at me as I strolled through two large, metal double doors into the exhibit we were there to see. As I entered the room that contained our exhibit, I discovered that there was not one other soul at the entire exhibit. I didn’t expect to encounter many other individuals, but none? I was not prepared to be one of only two people at the entire exhibit, but I had to make do with what I got. My first impression as I walked in was not a good one.

Sumary of Android vs Windows

Summary of the article: Windows phone 7 developments for android developers A big part of the process of designing a phone application is to establish a storage method for important data the application will create. The windows platform does not offer a API database such as Microsoft SQL Server or SQLite, instead windows encourages developers to store information on the cloud similar to how a website operates. Developers that do not want to go that route have two options. They could use windows Azure or utilize other commercial cloud source. Also android developers could use an open source outgoing project called CODEPLEX or store the data internally and later load it up using LINQ (language integrated language). Storing information internally is really easy on a windows platform in such a way that it almost eliminates completely the need of a database. Windows phone platform allows you to store settings and users preferences through the isolated storage interface this way it will easily accessible uniquely for the device the application installed. One of the mayor advantages of the windows platform from androids platform is the layout of the tools. Android developer’s tool kit lacks of a proper layout tools in contrast windows platform have a robust tools layout that are easily and inexpensive for a developer to obtain. Windows main objective with these tools is to make the development process of application a fast and clean process. Windows phone 7 introduces a new take on phones operating system and the differences between the android operating system are mostly skin deep.