Monday, September 30, 2019

Angelo’s Pizza Essay

1) The problem with Angelo’s Pizza is that it has no strategic human resource planning. Strategic HRM is about planning to meet the organizations human resource requirements well in advance of the actual required date. The high level goals for strategic HRM will be derived from the organizations overall strategic planning. For example, Angelo’s Pizza started out from a single shop enterprise and then expanded three stores. However, there was no plan is place about the enhanced human resources which would be required to support the organizational growth plans. Because of this, the organizations human resources became the weak link when the new stores were set up. Similarly, if a franchisee is to be established, Angelo needs to have a detailed strategic HRM plan in place. The first step in Strategic HRM is to determine the number of employees and the types of competencies which will be required by the organization in the next five years. For this purpose, the present and future expansion plans must be considered and the competencies which would be required by the various types of roles in the organization must be developed. It is important to remember that the competencies not only include hard skills like qualification and work experience, but also soft skills like communication, manners etc. Consider the importance of a candidate’s temperament, motivation, attitude and initiative (Johnson, Rose). Once the list is developed with various types of roles and the competencies required for each role, the next phase is to begin implementing steps enable the organization to have the required employees. To implement strategic HRM, the organization must have a recruitment strategy, training strategy, and compensation planning and employee retention strategy in line with the requirements planned for the future. The company must have a stable recruitment policy which should be able to attract candidates with the kind of competencies required. The recruitment calendar should be of a long term nature where candidates are recruited based on the needs developed in the long term plans and not just a knee jerk reaction to resignation or new store opening. Since Angelo’s Pizza does not have any in house recruitment team, it would be a good idea to outsource this to a hiring agency which would select candidates and after a first  level screening as per requirement of Angelo’s Pizza, would only send the shortlisted candidates for interview directly with Angelo. Currently, Angelo’s Pizza has no training facility and all new joiners are expected to learn on the job. This strategy may work for hourly workers such as waiter who come with prior experience; however, for managers and any recruits with no relevant experience, some training would be required. In line with Angelo’s aim of expanding and eventually using franchising model, training manager will be critical for success. To enable this, Angelo should move out of the role of managing any store full time and concentrate of training all his store managers. Angelo should take charge of training and spend time in each of his stores, giving time to train the managers. The store managers in turn will be responsible for training and guiding other staff members in their stores. For any organization, to retain the best talent, it is important to have a fair and attractive C&B plan as well as other aspects in a comprehensive talent retention strategy. Angelo’s Pizza must have a rating based appraisal where high performers will be given better salary. The company’s talent retention strategy must be focused on trying to keep employees happy at work and offer them career growth opportunities within the organization. For example, having rewards and recognition for good performers will motivate employees to work hard and satisfy high performing employees. Similarly, employees showing high potential can be offered higher education support so that they can move to managerial roles within the organization. 2) After considering the problems faced by Angelo’s Pizza, the following learning objectives seem most suitable: i) LM 3 (Discuss how recruiting strategies impact the competitive advantage of a firm): Angelo’s Pizza is suffering from high turnover and lack of good employees due to its unplanned recruitment policies. Angelo has a very rudimentary recruitment strategy which does not reach out to the right candidate pool and is not able to select the best fitting candidates. To improve its competitiveness, Angelo must have a well developed recruitment strategy. Advertising in two local papers is not enabling Angelo to reach out to the intended audience. He can take the help of hiring agencies to find the right candidates as per the job  profile and put them through a multi level selection process. Employee referrals are also an important tool for recruitment. Also, he must outsource the background verification process to a competent organization. ii) LM 4 (Comment on the relationship between personality and work performance): It is seen from the case, that the job requirements have soft skill requirements which come from a person’s personality. In the restaurant business it is important how employees interact and treat the customers. Therefore, Angelo needs to consider these requirements which designing the hiring profile and recruitment strategy. Also, stress has to be placed on other personal qualities such as honesty and loyalty. Since Angelo’s is worried about theft, the selection process must also take into consideration the candidate’s personality traits. This means that the selection process will have to be muti-tiered consisting of background checks, personal interview and mock situations where the candidate is given realistic situations. iii) LM 7 (Develop and evaluate a performance appraisal tool for a given situation): Angelo’s Pizza has a very high turnover and it is noticed that it is the good employees who are leaving the organization. To reverse this trend, a holistic performance appraisal system should be put in place which recognizes high performers and differentiates them from the others. The high performers should not get frustrated at the job and a performance appraisal system is the first step in identifying these high performers so that strategies can be developed to retain them. The performance appraisal system should be fair and evaluate the employee against the targets set by the manager. There should also be a mechanism where the feedback from customers is collected and used as an input for performance appraisal. iv) LM 8 (Discuss various types of benefits a company could provide employees): Once the appraisal system is in place, compensation and benefits should be variable based on employee performance. As a small organization, Angelo’s Pizza has the flexibility to design C&B as per employee requirements. Small scale, personal involvement and independence all lead to an absence of bureaucracy, creating the SMEs’ reputation of being able to  respond readily to changing circumstances (Brand.2002). For example, for hourly employees, assistance for further education can be a lucrative benefit, while at the same time providing the organization with a higher qualified resource for future managerial position. v) LM 9 (Discuss how corporate strategy can be aligned with HR): The lack of strategic HRM is the core issue affecting Angelo’s Pizza. Corporate strategy should be aligned with HR, so that resource requirements are planned well in advance and there is no shortfall of trained employees when the organization needs them. As Angelo’s Pizza is on a growth track, it must ensure that it has a recruitment and training plan to support the organizational growth. 3) Theft can be a major problem in small organizations because there is lack of control mechanisms and often employees are assigned to multiple tasks which reduce checks and balances. To reduce the problem of material and intellectual theft in the recruitment process, several measures can be adopted. Background verification is perhaps the most important factor which can help weed out candidates who are likely to steal. Angelo’s Pizza can outsource this task to professional agencies which conduct through background checks. These checks should include the candidate’s criminal record, past employment history, credit rating and other social security details. According to the law, a person cannot be discriminated against just because he has a criminal record. However, if the employer can show that the person’s criminal record will hamper his job responsibility, it can weed out such candidates. Attorney Mark Briggs of the Arizona-based Briggs Law Group said the new law forces employers to have a clear connection for why someone’s criminal record makes them unfit for the job they are applying for (Brooks,2014). For example, if a candidate has multiple theft convictions, Angelo’s Pizza may have to show how this would lead to higher chances of theft at job, if they have to disqualify the person. Similarly, a person with regular credit defaults may be under higher financial pressure and hence more likely to steal. Having a recruitment process to avoid intellectual theft is more difficult. Employers should take time to understand their current high performing employees and see what personal attributes have led them to stay at the job. Take the time to find individuals in your organization that have the same or a similar position to the one you are recruiting for (Wheeler, 2004). The interview must check the candidates future aspirations and see if they are in line with growth in the company or not. 4) To check the employee manners in an interview, Angelo can use role plays, where the candidate is given a certain hypothetical situation and has to respond to that situation. For example, Angelo can pretend to be a customer and the candidate must pretend to be a waiter. In this way, Angelo can create potential difficult situations which may arise when a customer is unhappy and check how the candidate responds in the interview. For example, Angelo can take the role of a customer who is unhappy about the food and is in a bad mood. The candidate must act the role of the waiter who will have to calm down the customer and end the situation in a satisfactory manner. Another option, which is less time consuming and can be used as a screening method is to give all the candidates a case study reading a difficult situation where an unruly customer must be calmed down. The candidates should be asked to respond to the situation is writing and mention how they would respond to the situation given in the case. 5) To check if the candidate is ineffective, Angelo must decide which would be primary responsibilities for the job and design the interview to check those competencies. For example, for a cashier, numerical ability is important. Therefore, Angelo can give a numerical question which the candidate must be able to respond to quickly. Check of effectiveness cannot be generalized as different jobs require different skills. One good way to check the candidate’s intelligence level is to give him an aptitude test. Aptitude tests are important because they show the persons mental ability. A person with a high aptitude will generally be able to learn and master new skills more effectively. Angelo can also give candidates some specific task to accomplish like for example, building a Lego model to check their effectiveness. References: Brand, Maryse. (2002). Strategic HRM for SME’s: Implications for Firms and Policy, retrieved on 10/23 from http://www.rug.nl/staff/m.j.brand/e_tj_2002_strategic_hrm.pdf Wheeler, Kevin. (2004). Good Hiring Starts With A Good Job Profile, retrieved on 10/23 from http://www.ere.net/2004/11/10/good-hiring-starts-with-a-good-job-profile/ Johnson, Rose. How to Reduce Employee Turnover by Effective Recruitment in the Hotel Industry, retrieved on 10/23 from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/reduce-employee-turnover-effective-recruitment-hotel-industry-33538.html Brooks, Chad. (2014). Employee Background Checks: What’s Legal, What’s Not, retrieved on 10/23 from http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6166-why-you-need-to-use-background-checks.html

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Virtual Business Solution

Virtual Business Solution' is a large touch screen products industry in Australia. We are a three years old company with 100 employees split into specialized teams for maximum efficiency. We are based in Brisbane and offer our providing quality products, including tablet, smartness and laptops all across Australia.Aim to expand our business internationally in order to live up to the ‘solution' aspect of our company name, but in order to do so we must first develop our brand within Australia. 2 Analysis of Issue McKinney & Company (2014) propose lean management is described as Focus on the delivering the maximum of value, trust and enable the team to organize their operation, implementing a continuing improvement culture and with a shared vision. Companies reduce returns from years of cost cutting. Managing vendors now consumed many of the gains from outsourcing.Products, were no longer ‘low price', ND Just can't keep it low. Because of keeping up with latest IT technology , and causing barge issue(David J, Feb. 2014, Para. 2). However IT technology is required, on finding ways to do things better, including management. Issues in maximizing customer satisfaction, is a challenge for many companies. The problems were avoidable, however underlying causes went unaddressed, and negative affect to customers. Consistency is the key to making customers happy, which is the aim of this organization.Research by McKinney & Company (2014) suggested that evaluating he customer Journey is 30% more predictive of overall customer satisfaction than individual touch points, which makes increasing customer satisfaction easier to do. Even more importantly, Seeking, T (2013) suggest that improved satisfaction leads to increased customer loyalty. Loyal customers are likely to retain our service and recommend our service to others, thus increasing our customer base and generating more business. By focusing on its strengths, its key customers, and the underlying values they n eed. But, focusing employee is also managers' Job.When an employee is n unwell condition, it can cause decrease in value efficiency to customers. â€Å"Reducing Work Related Stress† (2014) suggests unhealthy levels of stress can also affect work colleagues, the local manager as well as the person's family and friends. Research by McKinney & Company (2014) suggested that work-related stress cause by 3 factors; high professional demand, low control and low social support. Means that stress is more likely in large companies than small ones. Stress small organization dropped from 56% to 46%, where large companies 67% dropped to 54%.Proofed management ere cause of stress. The organizations that work efficiently can provide them support mechanisms so that they can truly master their work. Furthermore Dunn. F (2014) suggested that good relationships in workplaces, prevents stress. When the employees are happy with what the manager does, understand his or her challenges and participa te actively in solving the problems, the manager will have less stress. 3 Conclusion BBS is such a vendor. It serves its clients as a trusted ally, providing them with the loyalty of a business partner and the economics of an outside vendor.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Education unit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Education unit - Essay Example Education has a long history. The early centres of civilization embraced education way back beyond the 14th century. Education is an English word that emanates from the Greek word e-ducere that has a meaning of â€Å"to lead out† (Yero 1). Early scholars had diverse opinions of what education entails hence coming up with different lines of thought. Socrates contributes to this debate mentioning that the sole purpose of education was to draw what was the student knew. This has a basis given that most teachers focus on trying to retrieve what their learners have acquired through examinations and regular assessments. Education is a posterity process that only ends at death. Learners are expected to grow from one degree on knowledge to another. Despite the educational systems providing this platform, the world also has a way of inculcating certain knowledge into individuals. This can happen through friends, colleagues in workplaces, family members among others. All these aspects prepare individuals to be responsible people in the society as well as enriching them with the necessary skills required for socio-economic growth. In the informal type of education, the learner can be the teacher and vice versa since there are no set rules of who should learn from whom. However, older members of the society have played a key role in imparting knowledge to the younger generation through counselling and mentorship. For effective learning, the teacher should be at a position of guiding the learner efficiently. Firstly, the teacher should be proficient in disseminating the required information to the learners. The information should be relevant and articulated in a manner that raises the learner’s curiosity. Secondly, socialization among the learners and teachers enhances learning. It is also worth noting that a good teacher keeps on evaluating their teaching strategies as well as assessing the learners to ensure they grasp the knowledge delivered to them. Among other

Friday, September 27, 2019

The deficiencies of using dashboards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The deficiencies of using dashboards - Essay Example The answer given by the employees of both the organizations are more or less same for this question. Majority of the people who have participated in this survey believes that the dashboard are mostly used for the analytical percusses. The percentage is as high as 42% and 40% respectively for SAP and Oracle. Among Sap employees, 32% believes that the second most important use of dashboard in any organization is for Strategic decision making whereas among Oracle employees, 39% believes that Dashboard next best used in the operational purposes for any company. The pattern for this answer is same for both the companies and it is also at par with the response given by the people of IBM. 50% of SAP employees believe that dashboard is mostly used by the IT department whereas for Oracle, the percentage is as high as 58%. The second most popular section according to SAP is production and strategic department(31%) whereas according to Oracle the second most important section is the production and operation, where in their opinion the importance of dashboard is almost 25%. Unlike the people of IBM, both these companies believes that in marketing and sales department, the use of dashboard it not so much as in that department this can be helpful only to record the data and to understand the trend based on which decision are taken by the top authorities. While making any dashboard application it is important for the IT companies to remember what are the needs of the client. Like IBM, SAP and Oracle both believes that grouping of relevant data accurately is the key behind the successful implementation of dashboard in any organization. According to the people of SAP, this point is the main (51%) where as people of Oracle believes that like this point, developing an proper type of dashboard also plays an important role. In their opinion both data grouping and effective type have equal importance (35%

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Budget Forecast and Cost Elemental Plan for Oakworth Offices Essay

Budget Forecast and Cost Elemental Plan for Oakworth Offices - Essay Example In the construction of a good budget forecast that can depend upon for cost analysis, all revenue and expenses must be correctly matched with, the budget estimate must make sense and proper methods such as variance analysis must be able to draft from for example in comparison with actual and expected expenditure. In defining a good construction plan, project costs must be clearly defined, to achieve far and more reaching goals in the industry (Building LLC 2014). The driving force towards establishing a good construction budgeted forecast is to is to be aware of the amount of cash the investor or shareholder is ready to spend on the project so as to avoid running of budget deficits in the long term. They will assist both the management and the project council to deduce if extra cash needs to be handed in, the project will continue for the foreseeable future purposes. The body in charge of quantity surveying must analyze critically the cost and expense required and make sure there is no wastage of resources when there are inaccurate estimations that will have future imbalances when compared to the source of money pocket. (Xiao, Xui, Xiao 2009).Project Budgeting will, therefore, include costs such as soft costs, construction costs, other owner contracted, facilities and furniture expenses. In the preparation of budget forecast for the Oaks worth, two stories building an evaluation of time provides a 10-month construction period, which would be allocated in tabular form as provided below. The time required for each project activity will be allocated based on the cost allocation methods such as the direct method and step down method that majorly bases on the amount of cash to be spent in the project process. (Schwulst 2014).

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Boss Speech in an away day event Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Boss Speech in an away day event - Essay Example Particularly, I present my gratification for all your input, which has made us to achieve tremendous results recently. Needless to say, our recent achievement as a company has been made possible by your individual contribution within your various teams. Although our growth as a company is indeed greatly appreciated, the same has come with increased challenges. This is because we are getting more responsibilities as a company, at the teamwork level and most importantly at individual level. The increased responsibilities to handle increased challenges should not be faced with fear but with much optimism and courage. It is also undeniable that we have been working under capacity as individuals and as a team. We have not been able to utilize our full potential in various aspects especially in communication and interpersonal relationships. I strongly believe that we have a more profound potential and that we can put more concerted efforts towards achieving and exceeding the company’s goals and objectives. In our endeavor to achieve the company’s goals, objectives vision and mission, I think it is overwhelmingly important for all of us to take time to understand how everyone feels. Indeed, effective communication and interpersonal communication begins with understanding one another. Although we come from different cultural, educational, intellectual, and social backgrounds, we can work together cohesively as a team by understanding each other. The teamwork spirit should be encouraged, respected and nurtured at all times. As we prepare ourselves for the challenging times ahead, it would be essential to be open, cheerful, and free to communicate and interact with one another at a personal level. This way we will all be in a position to get the most out of this interactive session. The openness and freeness generated in this interactive

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Willow Garage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Willow Garage - Essay Example Among the positive values that other companies should emulate is sharing information as well as not concentrating on monetary gains. This way such companies remain productive and relevant, which in turn increases their consumer base relating to more profits. There is a common clichà © that knowledge is power, and information not shared is useless. This, in my opinion, is the light that guided the Willow Garage in its endeavors. The company availed ROS, which was associated with a library of information and tools that equip other researchers with the necessary software needed to develop robot applications. In addition, ROS also provided visualizers, device drivers, package management and message-passing that facilitated engineers’ understanding of video, 3D data and camera (Tobe, 2011). By availing this information, other robotics researchers are able to build off from the company’s foundation, as opposed to starting their research work afresh (Ashlee, 2014). In so doing, Willow garage emerges as the greater party compared to other companies. This is because it shares its findings with the world. In other words, it is more concerned with the advancement of robotics for the benefit of the world than building its own name. F urthermore, the work of the company is not lost as other researchers carry on with it. Similarly, companies should share their work and findings with others so that in the occurrence of any event leading to shutting down of the company, others can continue their legacy. Most businesses are profit-oriented. Because of this, most of their dealings are quantitative as opposed to qualitative. Such businesses do not care much about quality of their products and services. Moreover, their dealings are often confidential so that their competitors do not get wind of their work. In cases where they avail some of their information, there is always a cost involved. This is contrary to Willow Garage’s

Monday, September 23, 2019

Israeli Intelligence Agencies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Israeli Intelligence Agencies - Essay Example There are a number of theories provided regarding Pollard’s decision to betray his country of birth unto the Jewish state; nonetheless, the fact that Pollard betrayed his country of birth to Israel is away from all doubt. His defense was that he never spied so much against the United States; rather, he spied for Israel by sending those documents, which according to him, the US should have eventually shared with Israel. Pollard lacked the authority of making a decision regarding what documents Israel must have; however, based on his position of trust in the US Navy Pollard succeeded in delivering over 1000 classified documents unto Israel whereby his payment was super. Those documents contained the names of over 150 US agents found in the Mideast, converted into agents for Israel. Nevertheless, the most egregious harm brought about by Pollard was stealing classified documents concerning the US Nuclear Deterrent comparative to the USSR and sending them to Israel. Sources in the US State Department reveal that Israel then went ahead to trade those stolen nuclear secrets unto the USSR, in return for enhanced emigration rations from the USSR to Israel. Apart from that, there was other information, which slipped from the US to Israel and eventually to the USSR resulting in the loss of American agents, who were operating within the USSR. This damage done to the United States was enormous; therefore, it was extremely difficult to envisage of a greater harm to national security compare to that caused by the treasonous behavior of Pollard. 2 This is a clear indication that Israel’s spies are far from being harmless. The cost of building and maintaining United States’ nuclear deterrent estimated at five trillion taxpayer dollars in the 50s and 60s, and below $100,000 to be undermined by Pollard. Although Israel waited 13 years to confess that Pollard had been their spy, they eventually granted him Israeli

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Quantitative Research Theory Essay Example for Free

Quantitative Research Theory Essay The purpose of the quantitative method is used when measuring the incidence of multiple views and opinions in a singular chosen sample and how it may be used in nursing practice. The quantitative method is often followed by the qualitative method, used to observe further findings. Its objective is to appraise data and conclude results from sample populations of interest. Quantitative methods highlight the importance on objective measures and numerical analysis of data gathered through questionnaires, surveys, and/or surveys. This method of researching focuses on collecting numerical information and generalizing the data across groups of individuals. Quantitative research is an objective, formal, rigorous, systematic process for creating numerical data in regards to the world. The quantitative method of conducting research is often used to describe new situations, events, or concepts and determine the effectiveness of treatments in the world. There are four types of quantitative research methods such as: descriptive research, correlation research, quasi-experimental research, and experimental research. Quantitative research is necessary in developing knowledge vital for evidence-based nursing practices. Conducting quantitative research requires rigor and control. Rigorous research provides credibility and worth. When collecting data disciplined techniques much like on-street interviews, online questionnaires, or telephone interviews should be used. Sampling sizes typically occur when using larger numbers of cases representing populations of interest, randomly selected respondents. Findings of statistical data are conclusive and definitive typically descriptive in its nature. Things to keep in mind when utilizing the quantitative method and reporting the results of a study. An explanation of the statistical treatment and data collected as relevant results are produced coinciding to the research issue under investigation. Chronologically log all unanticipated events that take place during the data collecting stage. Provide an explanation of the techniques used to gather and present v alid and credible data information. Select a sufficient  statistical procedure; provide an account for the selected use and references for such. Describe assumptions for all research procedures and the efforts taken to ensure that they haven’t been violated. If using presumed statistics, descriptive statistics should be provided, confidence intervals, and sample sizes for each variable to include the value of test statistics, the direction, the significance level, and the degrees of freedom. When avoiding the use of inferring causality in particular non-randomized designs or without additional experimentation. The use of tables to provide exact value uses figures conveying global effects. In quantitative research, the objective is to determine the connection between two things, the independent and dependent variable in populations. Its designs are either descriptive or experimental. The descriptive design subjects are typically measured once, whereas experimental subjects are measured before and after treatment. The descriptive study creates associations only between variables. The experimental design, however, establi shes causality. The main characteristics are to classify features, construct statistical models, and count them in an attempt to detail what has occurred and what is observed. The research deals in logic and the objective, numbers, focusing on logic, unchanging static data and detailed, convergent reasoning as oppose to divergent reasoning. Once data has been collected in the quantitative research method, decisions must be made on how the use of information gathered can be altered to offer recommendations. Individuals compare primary focuses on basic quantitative and qualitative methodologies; qualitative methodologies investigate categories and themes of collected input, while quantitative methodologies confirm validity and reliability of the gathered statistics. The objective of this form of research is to populate gaps with knowledge. This nature of knowing is referenced often as ontology versus epistemology. Ontology is in regards to the world’s existence and in what form. Epistemology is simply described as how you know what you know. In ontological quantitative methods, an altered reality occurs in which it can be measured and appreciated to a certain degree of efficiency. In epistemology quantitative research, the process is done through objective observations and measurements. Methodology research is subjective to various ethical implications. Aside from the element of deception that is included, individuals involved in a controlled group may  have a disadvantage when the outcome of treatment or interventions is unclear or believed to be underlying to existing regimens. There are ethical considerations dependent on the form of study. In example, if a study is done on evaluating the effectiveness of an epinephrine auto-injector. It would be unethical to withhold or deny interventions for individuals within the controlled group. The ethics of methodology research demands careful assessments of the benefits and risks that may occur and that information is gathered and delivered to participants during the process of gathering informed consent. A generalized guideline is viewed as â€Å"the degree of risk to be taken by those participating in the research should never exceed the potential humanitarian benefits of the knowledge to be gained†. In conclusion, the quantitative method measures the incidence of multiple views and opinions in a singular chosen sample. The quantitative method is sometimes followed by the qualitative research, which is used to observe further findings. The method of researching focuses on collecting numerical information and generalizing the data across groups of individuals. Reference Babbie, Earl R (2010). The Practice of Social Research. Retrieved from:http://libguides.usc.edu/content.php?pid=83009sid=615867 Glesne, C. (2006). Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction (3rd ed.). Retrieved from:http://www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/journalarticle?Article_ID=737387 Polit, D.F., Hungler, B.P. (1999) Nursing Research: Principles and Methods (6th ed).Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott. Snap Surveys (2014). Qualitative vs Quantitative Research. Retrieved from:http://www.snapsurveys.com/qualitative-quantitative-research/

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Alcoholic beverage Essay Example for Free

Alcoholic beverage Essay The objectives of the study was to examine if consumption of alcohol affect students academic performance, to determine if consumption of alcohol promote flirting , to determine whether the consumption of alcohol lead to road accidents and also to determine whether television adverts of alcoholic beverages lead to increase consumption. The target population of the study included all students pursuing Bachelor of Science Psychology programme in the University of Cape Coast. A sample size of 79 was chosen for the study. The simple random sampling method was adopted in selecting the sample. Questionnaire was the main instrument used to seek answers to research questions. The collected data was analysed using frequency count and percentages. The findings show that, alcohol intake has adverse impact on students’ academic performance through absenteeism, indulgence in examination malpractices and limited study hours. Alcohol consumption make men confident and women accept proposals easily. Also drunk driving was a major cause of accident in Ghana since drunken drivers flout road traffic regulations. It was recommended that, the Motor Traffic Transport Unit of the Ghana Police Service and the Driver Vehicle License Authority should intensify the campaign to curb drunk driving. Drivers found guilty of drunk driving should be banned from driving or have their license withdrawn for three months. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWords alone cannot convey our profound indebtedness to our dynamic supervisor, Professor Rowland A. E. Iheanacho for his fatherly tutelage, affability, time and the invaluable support he provided in the course of this work. To just say we appreciate these individuals will be an understatement: Ms. Mary Adomah Yeboah, Mr. Patrick Duncun Reynold (TOR), Mr. Osei Yaw Boa- Korang(Twifo Praso Rural Bank), Mr. Evans K. Acheampong, and Ms. Dorothy Gabben- Mensah (UCC), Mr. Stephen Doh-Fia (Lecturer Department of Educational Foundations). We are really grateful for every assistance you rendered to bring this work to fruition. 1 / 18 To our supportive parents,Mr. Ransford Oti Fenteng, Mr. Benjamin Asare and Ms, Rose Konamah, we say God bless you all for your prayers, care, encouragement, motivation, ideas, thoughtfulness, deeds of kindness and for every helping hand you offered in the spirit of love to make this piece a possibility. Lastly, kudos to all friends and all who contributed in diverse ways to make this work a masterpiece. DEDICATIONThis work is dedicated, with love, to our parents and siblings. PAGEREF _Toc356649042 \h 28Table 13: Do drunken pedestrians cause danger to themselves and other road users? PAGEREF _Toc356649043 \h 28Table 14: Do drunk drivers like speeding? PAGEREF _Toc356649044 \h 29Table 15: Drunken pedestrians do not flout road traffic regulation PAGEREF _Toc356649045 \h 29Table 16: Do drunken drivers drive recklessly? PAGEREF _Toc356649046 \h 30Table 17: Have you watched any alcoholic beverage advert on television before? PAGEREF _Toc356649047 \h 30Table 18: Do television adverts influence you to buy the product? PAGEREF _Toc356649048 \h 31 LIST OF FIGURES TOC \h \z \c Figure Figure 1: Gender PAGEREF _Toc356649237 \h 20Figure 2: Age range PAGEREF _Toc356649238 \h 21 CHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTIONBackground to the study (Bovee, 1992 p. 7) defines advertising as â€Å"a non-personal communication of information usually paid for and persuasive in nature about products, services or ideas by an identified sponsor†. From this definition, one can see that advertisements are placed on purpose. This is a three-tier which comprises of introducing a product, generating new customers and attempting to stimulate and sustain consumer consumption (Bovee, 1992 p. 9). Since the invention of television, it can be classified as one of the most effective carriers of adverts due to its audio-visual qualities and captivating nature. Its effectiveness cannot be over emphasized CITATION Ebb07 \l 1033 (Ebbrecht, 2007). Recently, the adverts of alcoholic beverages on almost all television stations in Ghana have been regular, persuading viewers to purchase such drinks without any recourse. There seems to be no programme on television without a brand of alcohol being a sponsor. Programmes ranging from prime-time news to live shows are all full of these types of sponsors. The names of some drinks have become common in our various homes and every child who has the privilege of watching television can mention not less than two alcoholic beverages advertised. It is also interesting to note that, names of some alcoholic drinks even give an impression of its benefit to the consumer before they are even purchased. Example is, ‘wo ba ada anaa’ when literally translated means ‘is your child asleep’ makes people think when you drink that beverage you can be sexually active. In Ghana majority of people who take alcoholic beverage especially, the distilled or locally manufactured ones use it as an appetizer believing that, you can eat well when it is taken the moment food is ready, though there has not been any study confirming or rejecting this assertion. This phenomenon is locally referred to as ye bu didi thus; we drink to eat, when literally translated. Many people in the country are more concerned about the rise in the consumption of alcoholic beverages, and have attributed this phenomenon to the indiscriminate adverts of alcoholic drinks in the media, especially on all the television stations in the country. They have even speculated that, the increase in road accidents in the country is due to drunk driving. This speculation from the public was confirmed by the Ministry of Roads and Highways in June, 2009 when it issued a report on the increasing rate of road accidents in the country and pointed out drunk driving as one of the topmost causes of road accidents CITATION Myj09 \l 1033 (My joy online , 2009). This led to anti drunk driving campaign where passengers were advised not to board cars of drunken drivers and to report such drivers to the police. The MTTU branch of the Ghana police service, as one of the measures of curbing drunk driving, randomly check the breath of drivers to determine their level of alcohol intake with their equipment known as breath analyzer or drunkometer. Any driver whose level of alcohol intake exceeds certain limit is arrested for legal action. The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) CITATION Foo05 \l 1033 (Board, 2005) had also acted towards curbing this problem by directing all media houses in the country to stop the advertising of 3 / 18 all uncertified alcoholic products. Moreover, the FDB’s guidelines on alcoholic beverage adverts (FDB GL05/AD ALC/1-2005) stated that, â€Å"For every alcohol advert appearing on television, an anti-alcohol advert of equal length must be aired within half an hour of the advert promoting the alcoholic beverage†- but it seems this has been seriously violated over the years. The 2010 Budget Statement delivered in parliament by the Minister of Finance, imposed a 10% â€Å"Ad Valorem† tax on all alcoholic products in the country. In explaining this, the Minister made it clear that the imposition of this tax on alcoholic products was not for its financial benefits to the government but rather a step towards reducing the problem of alcoholism. Pastor (Dr. ) Mensah Otabil, the General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (I.C. G. C. ) and the Chancellor of the Central University College is one of the persons to be alarmed at both the rate of alcoholic beverages advertisement in the media especially television and the rate of consumption. CITATION Sam03 \l 1033 (Awuku, 2003) Has argued that, â€Å"If the state can spend billions of Cedis on advertisement urging the youth to keep away from drugs such as cocaine and other prohibited drugs, why can we not use a fraction of such money to warn the youth against the consumption of alcohol? † The above instances mean that, people are dissatisfied about the rate of television advertisement of alcoholic beverages and expect the state to regulate it, thus more specifically to treat alcoholic beverages as it does to cigarette and cocaine so that it can reduce consumption. This means that some people also believe that the state has not done enough to curb the rise in alcoholism and that the problem should be put in the same perspective as any form of drug abuse in the country. This study assesses the effect of television advertisement of alcoholic beverages on consumer behaviour. Statement of the problem In contemporary times, television advertisement has been seen as the most effective mode of advertising because of its audio-visual qualities and captivating nature. Its effectiveness cannot be over emphasised (Ebbrecht, 2007 p. 3). A recent systematic review to assess the impact of alcohol advertising and media exposure on future adolescent alcohol use identified thirteen longitudinal studies that followed up a total of over 38,000 young people. Twelve of the thirteen studies concluded an impact of exposure on subsequent alcohol use, including initiation of drinking and heavier drinking amongst existing drinkers, with a dose response relationship in all studies that reported such exposure and analysis. For example, CITATION Ell05 \l 1033 (Ellickson, Collins, Hambarsoomains, amp; McCaffrey, 2005) examined the relationship between a range of advertisement exposures over the course of one year and subsequent drinking among US adolescents aged 12 to 13 years followed-up for at least two years, and assessed whether exposure to a prevention programme mitigated any such relationship. Forty eight percent of 1206 grade 7 non-drinkers consumed alcohol during the previous year at grade 9. The results of the longitudinal studies are consistent with the findings of econometric studies, in which, for example, a meta-analysis of 132 studies which provided 322 estimated advertising elasticities, found a positive impact of advertising on consumption (coefficient, 0. 029), when controlling for alcohol price and income. The recent increase in television advert of alcoholic beverages has led to the increase in the consumption of such products. In Ghana there is influx of adverts of alcoholic beverages on television. These indiscriminate adverts of alcoholic beverages on television have sparked public outcry over the years with some even attributing most of road accidents to such adverts as many people believe that these adverts lead to irresponsible drinking, like drunk driving. These fears of the public gained grounds when a report released by the Ministry of Roads and Highways in June, 2009 on the increasing number of road accidents in the country at the time confirmed drunk driving (alcohol abuse) as one of the topmost causes of road accidents CITATION Myj09 \l 1033 (My joy online , 2009). The situation has prompted the government to reduce the rate of consumption by imposing 10% ‘ad valorem’ tax on all alcoholic products in the 2010 budget statement presented by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. 4 / 18. The proliferated television adverts of alcoholic beverages also sparked the FDB to place a ban on alcoholic beverage adverts on television in March, 2007. The Driver Vehicle License Authority (DVLA) has spelt out how drunk drivers should behave, by leaving your car at the point you got drunk and join a public transport home. Due to the aforementioned problems and interventions, it is significant for such a study to be conducted to find out the effect of television advertisement of alcoholic beverages on consumer behaviour. Objectives of the study General objectiveThe overall objective of the study was to assess the effect of television advertisement of alcoholic beverages on consumer behaviour. Specific objectivesTo determine whether alcoholic beverage adverts leads to increase consumption. To examine if consumption of alcoholic beverages affect students academic performance. To determine if the consumption of such drinks promote to flirting. To determine how consumption of alcoholic drinks leads to road accident. Research questionsThe study poses and attempts to answer the following questions: What effect does alcohol consumption have on students’ academic performance? Does alcoholic beverage consumption promote flirting? Does consumption alcoholic beverage lead to road accident? Does television adverts on alcoholic beverages lead to increase consumption? Significance of the study Since advertising is important to the promotion of goods and services in today’s competitive market, the implications of this study will help students to know the impact of alcoholic beverage consumption on their academic performance. The government in performing its role of formulating policies and enacting laws to regulate alcoholic beverages adverts in the country can use this document as a reference guide. Finally, the study will be useful to researchers who will in future undertake similar study as it will serve as a source of reference. Scope of the study The scope of the study covers the theoretical and the geographical dimensions of the study. This mainly covers the concepts of advertising, alcoholic beverages and consumer behaviour. The effect of television advertisement of alcoholic beverages could be viewed from many perspectives but for the purpose of this study, it will concentrate mainly on whether advertising leads to increase consumption and consumption affect students’ academic performance, promote flirting and causes road accidents. The geographical scope covers people in cape coast precisely University of Cape Coast students who are 18 years and above. Limitations The study is not devoid of challenges which might affect the result in one way or the other. There is the issue of time constraint since the period within which this research must be completed for submission was less than one academic year. Also, there were financial constraints because there was no financial assistance to aid in the study. This situation forced us to limit the geographical area of the study to only University of Cape Coast which forms a small part of the entire geographical area. Also the number of questionnaires to be used for the study was very few. Organisation of study This study has been organised in five chapters. Chapter one covers various areas of the introduction which include the background to the study, the statement of the research problem, the objectives of the study, research questions, the significance of the study as well as the scope and the organization of the study. Chapter two covers the review of related studies. Chapter three is the methodology used for the study which comprises of research design, population, sample and sampling techniques or methods, data collection methods and instruments, as well as data analysis. Chapter four covers the discussions of the findings and presentations with chapter five covering the summary, conclusions and recommendations of the study. CHAPTER TWOLITERATURE REVIEWIntroduction In this chapter, various literatures are reviewed to give an insight into the present study. This chapter will be written under the following sub-titles: concept of television advertising, television advertising and consumption of alcoholic beverages, alcohol and students academic performance, alcohol consumption and sexual risk 5 / 18 taking. Concept of Television Advertising Television advertising is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization or an individual, which conveys a message, typically to market a product or service. Advertising revenue provides a significant portion of the funding for most privately owned television networks. The vast majority of television advertisements today consist of brief advertising spots, ranging in length from a few seconds to several minutes. Advertisements of this sort have been used to promote a wide variety of goods, services and ideas since the dawn of television. (Health, 2009) asserted that, television engagement is mainly of the subconscious kind and it is effective at building strong brands, due to the low attention to television adverts, the emotional stimuli are more effective because the viewer does not notice and therefore counter-argues against them. (Unsal amp; Yuksel, 1984) state that advertised products generally are to find more favour in consumers’ eyes than unadvertised ones. (Galbraith, 1958) examined that advertising as manipulating the public by creating artificial needs and wants. He did much to popularize the understanding of economics and society. Aspects of advertising that received emphasis in other fields is persuasion (psychology) regulation (political science) gender, race and class (sociology, cultural studies, and culture (anthropology). (Williams, L. M, amp; H, 2003) focus on the institutionalization and professionalization of advertising that is its commercial functions and its persuasive force. As a social critic, he locates advertising in a social context. For him, advertising belongs to a particular historical moment. It is a part of modern capitalist society, and it distinguishes it from attention- grabbing devices in non-capitalist societies in other times and places. For Williams, advertising cannot be decoupled from the way it comes into being and the work it does in society. He drew attention to sponsorship of art in modern times. His definition said advert is the official art of capitalist society. (Diamond, July,1972) defined advertising as a form of communication intended to persuade its viewers, readers or listeners to take some action. It usually includes the name of a product or service and how that product or service could benefit the consumer, persuade potential customers to purchase or consume that particular brand. Commercial advertisers seek to generate increased consumption of their products or services through branding, which involves the repetition of an image or product name in an effort to associate related qualities with the brand in the mind of consumers. According to CITATION Dar09 \l 1033 (Darrin, 2009), television depends on advertising as a way of making profit and to cover up the cost of the shows being aired. Conversely, television has been and is now a good medium for letting advertisers reach a large audience to promote and raise awareness of their products. Despite the availability of other medium of advertising, television remains one of the most popular and cost effective avenues for reaching the advertisers goal. There are a lot of reasons behind every advert which include the following: to create awareness of the existence of a product, to persuade potential targets to buy the product, encourage the public to buy more of the product than previously, to convince the public that its product is superior to other products, create image and goodwill, building up confidence in a business, identifies a business with the goods and service it offer. Forms of Television Advertising There are various forms which can be effectively used in advertising. Mentioned below are the various forms of television advertising. Announcement: in this form, the announcer appears before the camera and conveys the message of the product or service of the advertiser. Examples include: announcements regarding the extended date of sale, gift scheme, concession rates. Slides: this is where only the visual image of the commercial is presented through slides or cards on television, which does not have motion and sound. This form is generally found in local and regional programmes. Here the pictures of the product being advertised appear at the bottom of the 6 / 18 television. Demonstration: this form of television advertising shows the skills through dramatised demonstration to emphasise how a particular product works. The demonstrator or announcer gives explanation on how the product is being used. Advertisements of products such as detergents and blood tonics widely use this form. Dramatized: it is the commonly used form of advertisement which is more persuasive and entertaining in nature. Advertisements of the importance of social issues like girl child education and immunization use this form of television advertising. Animated commercial: this form of television commercial involves cartoon technique. It is more time consuming and this makes it very expensive because the cost of an advert depends on its length. For instance the advertisements on family planning used this technique. Sponsorship: this is where a sponsor (a person who purchases a given amount of broadcast time or advertising space to tell you why you should buy his or her product. There are two types of means to get the sponsorer’s message across: direct and indirect. This form of television advertising is very common in Ghana because every programme being aired on our television station has more than one sponsor, the sponsors products are advertised once or twice during the show. Television advertising and Alcoholic Beverage Consumption. The potential underlying mechanisms for a direct link between alcohol advert portrayals and individual alcohol use are related to norm setting, habit formation and imitation. First, movies, soap operas and advertisements mostly portray substances in a positive way by using prototypes of the â€Å"ideal† person in an appealing context CITATION Eve98 \l 1033 (Everett, R. L, amp; J. L, 1998). Similar findings have been found elsewhere, such as CITATION McC08 \l 1033 (McCreano, Barnes, Borell, Kaiwai, amp; Gregory, 2008) who interviewed youth and found that alcohol advertising was often enjoyed. These advertisements established a climate or association that alcohol is cool, exciting and fun. CITATION McC08 \l 1033 (McCreano, Barnes, Borell, Kaiwai, amp; Gregory, 2008) concluded that alcohol advertising creates an environment which maintains unhealthy expectations, norms and behaviours around alcohol consumption. Secondly, when people associate a specific cue or event to a specific behavioural pattern, example, watching an advert where the intake of alcohol led to admired behaviour like bravery. In essence, the alcohol cues imbedded in this specific context might lead to direct responses thus craving and subsequent alcohol use, especially when this link becomes automatic. Also, alcohol cues in adverts and watching characters consuming alcohol on screen might lead to drinking through the mechanism of imitation. (Quigley amp; Collins, 1999) conducted a study which strongly supported the assumption that when people are in company of a drinker, the drinking pace of the other affects individual drinking rates. According to (Quigley amp; Collins, 1999) there are at least two reasons why this effect occurs: direct imitation and identification. There is a great deal of evidence from neuroscience and psychology showing that people automatically and unconsciously are wired to take over each others behaviour. When we observe someone perform a certain action, the pre–motor representation of that action is activated in our brains as we are about to perform that action ourselves. The presentation of alcohol in the media has received both scrutiny and criticism. As a result of this, researchers begun to explore the effect of such adverts on consumption. Correlation study indicates that media exposure is associated with the attitudes, perceptions and behavior of young people. A study conducted by (Turker, 1985), involving high school males indicated that viewers who watched a great deal of television had significantly higher levels of alcohol use per month than did viewers who watched comparatively less television. (McCreano, Barnes, Borell, Kaiwai, amp; Gregory, 2008) also conducted a study to find the link between television viewing and alcohol consumption. The study followed participants over several years. Respondents were queried about their television viewing habits at ages thirteen and fifteen and their alcohol consumption at age eighteen. They found that, the more television the female subjects watched overall at ages thirteen 7 / 18 and fifteen, the greater were their reported alcohol beverage consumption at age eighteen. For males there was no significant relationship between viewing at ages thirteen and fifteen and consumption at age eighteen. (Grube amp; Wallack, 1994) interviewed fifth and sixth grade students about their awareness of alcohol advertising and their perceptions, attitudes, and behavioural intentions regarding alcohol consumption. They reported that the more aware students were of alcohol advertisements, the more positive their beliefs about alcohol drinking. More positive beliefs about alcohol were associated with indications of likelihood to drink as an adult. Alcohol and students’ academic performance Cognitive and learning impairments from chronic heavy exposure to alcohol can arise from the neuro-toxic effects of ethanol on vulnerable hippocampus and limbic structures. Research findings from animal models and observational human studies have shown that persistent alcohol abuse can result in a decrease in the overall volume of the hippocampus, the area responsible for long term learning and memory. Cell volumes have been found to be consistently smaller in alcohol abusing adolescents and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the degree of hippocampal damage increases with the number of years of alcohol abuse. In one observational research study cited by CITATION Zei05 \l 1033 (Zeigler, C. C, Yoast, B. D, amp; McCaffree, 2005) 38 adolescent alcohol abusers were compared with 69 non alcohol users on neuropsychological tests. The former scored consistently less well in verbal IQ, spelling and reading tests compared to the latter CITATION Lov04 \l 1033 (Loveland- Cherry, 2005) reports that school attachment and receiving good grades have been associated with less adolescent alcohol use, while absenteeism and poor grades are associated with early initiation and increased levels of alcohol use. CITATION Per02 \l 1033 (Perkins, 2002) found that male students who drank more than 5 drinks, and female students that drank more than 4 drinks, in a session one or two times in a 2 week period were over three times more likely to report getting behind in school work compared with more moderate drinkers. When the drinking frequency increased to 3 times in a 2 week period, they were more than eight times more likely to report this problem. CITATION Ber87 \l 1033 (Berkowitz amp; Perkins, 1987) found that women students were as likely as men to experience impaired academic performance due to alcohol. Most reviews which looked at educational performance related to American college students and the majority evidence points to the fact that the association between academic performance and college drinking is inconclusive. A number of reviews have discussed the methodological limitations of studies that investigate the relationship between alcohol and academic performance. Much of the cited evidence for a relationship comes from cross sectional studies which cannot ascribe a causal link. However, there is emerging evidence from longitudinal studies which suggests that binge drinking may impair academic performance over time. Nevertheless, it is noted that most college students who drink go on to lead successful lives. Indeed CITATION Gil02 \l 1033 (Gill, 2002)  argues that alcohol may be a scapegoat for other factors that may limit poor academic performance. CITATION Roy11 \l 1033 (Royce, 2011) in United States argued that the amount of alcohol consumed by students correlate with their grade point average. Thus, there is a negative relationship between alcohol consumption and students academic performance, as the more alcoholic beverage taken by students, the lesser time available for studies or academic work. CITATION Wil03 \l 1033 (Williams, L. M, amp; H, 2003)  .

Friday, September 20, 2019

History of Rome and the Servile Wars

History of Rome and the Servile Wars Can we understand the servile wars and revolt of Spartacus in terms of a proletariat uprising against Rome? My research focused on the view of slavery as such within the Roman empire from 140 B.C to 70 B.C. My hypothesis is that the Servile wars and Spartacus revolt, did lead to a proletariat uprising against Rome, but these caused the revolt, not the lower classes themselves. However, my main research question, identifies cultural problems in the history of slavery, in terms of the uprising and open revolts against Rome staring with the servile wars, leading through to Spartacus, and how this caused the uprising, as the challenge to roman rule was a direct follow on from the events that preceded it. My aim, therefore, is to show how the impact of the institution of slavery on roman society at large and identify the responses and resistance, in order to show how slavery was integral in roman society, which would inevitably lead to a proletariat uprising. The slave rebellions were extraordinary in Roman time, nothing like them had ever happened before and after the final suppression of Spartacus in 70 B.C, no comparable rising ever took place again.[1] In terms of a reaction from ancient scholars, our evidencestems almost wholly pro roman sources; at best from writers who saw no moral justification in servile revolutions as such[2], indicating somewhat of a bias towards infolding events. Modern scholars such as Bradley and Green, have shown that the uprisings stemmed from the ruthlessness of the Romans military expansion, this can be supported by the fact that, territorial expansion in the Roman empire is considerably linked with the use of slavery, as warfare became inextricably linked with economic growth[3]. To focus on slave, therefore, in terms of the events creating a proletariat uprising, we must consider the views of the ancient and modern scholars, as well as Marxist thought, in order to reason why the wars created the issue of an uprising as slavery has its origins in the deepest mists of antiquity, usually arising from putting prisoners of war to servitude as reparation[4]. In terms of the servile wars, although they were the first warning of an assault against the Romans from a slave perspective, in regard to a proletariat uprising, it didnt have as much of an effect as Spartacus did, and that is why this essay focuses largely on the success of Spartacus in the sense of an uprising. The first slave war had its begging in Enna, this was significant as Sicily had become the first overseas province in the wake of the first war against Carthage, 264 B.C 241 B.C[5]. The massacre which would ensue the destruction of Enna led to full control being taken, leading to complete possession of the area. The prosperity of Siciliy drew comment from Diodorus a land so rich in grain[6] signifying why the Romans wanted it, and furthermore its slaves for economic purposes. Diodorus gives two different accounts of the motives that instigated the slave rebellion. In the first, they are entirely private and domestic. A group of house slaves have been driven to desperate ac tion by the ill treatment they have suffered at the hands of their master and his wife. In the second version, the slaves are clearly deputies from a much larger and more general body. The first version is Roman propaganda, designed to minimise the political motives of the uprising.[7] This clearly identifies the means of a proletariat uprising as early propaganda aimed to stop any kind of opposition before it even began. Furthermore, Diodorus gives the usual catalogue of child-murder and rape[8], this supports the fact mentioned earlier, as many sources came from pro-romans, who didnt support any kind of uprising, so they portray the rebels as doig horrible things in order to stem other citizens participation. In addition, various testimonia suggest that the majoriy of sicilain slaves were field labourers, the chain gangs of the ergastula[9]this only intensifies the proletariat uprising, as with legitimate forms of protest denied them, the Roman plebeians resorted to military tacti cs in abortive but violent attempts to end the widespread debts and break up the latifundia[10]. This, then can argue that Diodorus considered the violence of the Sicilian masters and the power they had over their slaves was a key factor in the outbreak of the rebellions. The Sicilian slave uprisings were suggestive of long-term social change that was required, and though they do signify problems that would lead to an uprising, it was mainly Spartacus actions, that would make Roman society contest the higher powers. The slave rebellions aided as an excuse for the men to release their anger against their owners, this is supported by the fact that the Sicilian slave wars, were essentially revolts of an agricultural workers contesting their own owners rule. The biggest uprising of the three major slave wars in the Roman republic was the last of them, the rebellion of the gladiator Spartacus. The war raged through the core of Italy, not in Sicily like the previous rebellions had, and this significantly challenged Roman power and authority. In the case of the revolt, its importance in linking in to a proletariat uprising is imperative, this is due to the fact that it began as only a few slaves escaping, whereas what it became is hugely important. Slaves did not have much of a common identity, except where they were a conquered people[11]. This led to an escalation of individuals who had grown distasteful of roman citizen rule over the lower class. This suggestively links with modern Marxist thought, and is significant in arguing why Spartacus began the proletariat uprising against Rome. Freeman and slave, patrician and plebeian, lord and serf, guild-master and journeyman, in a word, oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another, carried on an uninterrupted, now hidden, now open fight, a fight that each time ended, either in a revolutionary reconstitution of society at large, or in the common ruin of the contending classes[12] This quote from the communist manifesto, links heavily with the problems non-roman citizens faced, as the escaped slaves that began the revolt were the lowest-ranking members the roman society. I argued earlier that despite their importance, the servile wars were not as significant s Spartacus revolt in terms of a proletariat uprising against Rome. This can be supported by add Marxist quote from Doc 3, this clearly shows his visionary leadership in objection of the oppressing rule. Thus, the complexity of the argument changes somewhat, as its no longer just about slaves, it is about all citizenry contesting roman rule, which occurred after the defeat of Spartacus. In terms of the occurrences during Spartacus revolt, limitations on the sources used again must be considered , as like Diodorus, pro-roman writers contested any happenings of an uprising as such. limitations of the literary sources that provide our evidence. There are only a handful of accounts of the war, and the fullest of these were composed centuries after the events they describe. Importantly, no account of the war from the view of Spartacus himself or any of the rebels exists. What remains is the representation of the revolt that was written by ancient scholars who believed slavery to be part of the hierarchical society norm. It is important to note that the uprisings that occurred heavily linked to the roman economy. Capua were Spartacus revolt began prior to its defection of Hannibal had previously been Romes equal[13], this is significant as it shows why slavery was so rife as it was the center for bronze manufacturing and the extraordinary production of grain and relied on a large servile population[14]. Capua had access to a certain amount of wealth and manumission was sufficiently practiced to allow the assimilation of some slaves with established frameworks of authority. Thus, collaboration with the status quo was once responsive to servitude that could at times lead to really social advancement[15]. This can be supported by the fact that Bradley argues that the violence of the revolt was the product of the violence slave owners themselves had long fostered into their slaves[16], this is important as it shows why the battle engaged so many to up rise against roman rule. Furthermore, he argues that the escalation of the revolt of gladiators into a sustained war of servile resistance cannot possibly have been what they hoped to achieve when they made their escape from Capua.[17] It is important to note that at the time of the uprising lead by Spartacus gladiatorial contest where still in the process of becoming prolific entertainment[18] and so early witnesses to the sport didnt understand the barbaric actions of some gladiator owners. First of all, it is important to note that Gladiators tended to be the first-generation slaves[19] and so thus, a proletariat uprising led by Spartacus was significant as the attractiveness of manumission was a motivating impulse[20] to most slaves who joined the rebellion. This is significantly supported by the fact that Spartacus practice of equally dividing the spoils and special inducement for encouraging discontented agricultural workers to join the movement[21] increased the number of radicals joining the movement. He wasnt like most leader s as he had been subject to the horrors of slavery himself, and so believed in helping all who wanted to fight for their freedom. General servile involvement in political and civil strife had now come into being[22]. This was also major as this led to many thinking that Spartacus was a figure who was surrounded by an aura of religiosity, and this is aided by the fact that he was known to be manipulating religious associations for the purpose of promoting resistance to slavery[23]. The aftermath of Spartacus death is significant in why he led a proletariat uprising in the first place leading on from the events of the servile wars. After the battle, the legionaries found and rescued 3,000 Roman prisoners in their camp all of whom were unharmed[24]. This is particularly significant as it shows how all the rebels wanted was freedom and change. This civilized treatment of the Roman prisoners contrasts starkly with the fate meted out to Spartacus followers. Crassus had 6,000 slaves crucified along the Appian Way between Capua and Rome a distance of about 200 kilometres. Their corpses lined the road all the way from Brundisium to Rome. Since Crassus never gave orders for the bodies to be taken down, for years after the final battle all who travelled that road were treated to this macabre spectacle[25]. This was significant as it sent a message, and heightened the sense that slavery was imperative to the economy and survival of roman rule and even more so the hierar chal system in operation, which led to a proletariat uprising. While the slave rebellions were intensified by the substantial volatility of the later Roman Republic, the slave wars and the Spartacus revolt significantly challenged the Roman Republic on a social and economic front. This was indefinitely aimed to increase the power of Rome, which would lead many modern historians arguing the fact that Spartacus revolt was an uprising against the brutal treatment of slaves throughout the roman world. In conclusion, the Spartacus rebellion was the last main slave revolts that Rome would face. This being quite possibly due to the fear which Crassus instilled with the crucifixions of all the rebels who were captured after the defeat of Spartacus[26]. The fear instilled on the roman hierarchy prompted by the three main slave wars would worry the Roman rule for the rest of its dominance, this because it seriously challenged the power and authority of the hierachy. Spartacus had defeated one Roman army after another, and it baffled many scholars how ordinary slaves had defeated legion after legion with ease. As Engels has written, where was the way out, salvation for the enslaved, oppressed, and impoverished, a way out common to all these groups of people (slaves, ex-slaves, the plebeian mob, impoverished free men) whose interests were mutually alien[27]. This is suggestive of the fact that the proletariat uprising was due to a common cause, which in fact it was, as the mass of Roman c itizenry became a mob of do-nothings more abject than the former poor whites in the southern country of the United States, and alongside of them developed a mode of production which was not capitalist but dependent upon slavery.[28] Finally, for Marx, Spartacus was revealed as the most splendid fellow in the whole of ancient history. Great general noble character, real representative of the ancient proletariat.[29] This finalises my argument, as I have argued that Spartacus, more so than the two servile wars instigated a lower class uprising due to his actions, and furthermore by Crassus murders of his followers, it showed how imperative slavery was to Rome. [1] Peter Green, THE FIRST SICILIAN SLAVE WAR, Past And Present, 20.1 (1961), pp. 10-29 . [2] Peter Green, THE FIRST SICILIAN SLAVE WAR, pp. 10-29. [3] Graham Stevenson, Spartacus And Class Struggle In Ancient Rome, [accessed 23 March 2017]. [4] Graham Stevenson, Spartacus And Class Struggle In Ancient Rome, [accessed 23 March 2017]. [5] Keith R Bradley, Slavery And Rebellion In The Roman World, 140 B.C. 70 B.C, 1st edn (Bloomington, Ind. [u.a.]: Indiana University Press, 1998), p.46. [6] Keith R Bradley, Slavery And Rebellion In The Roman World, p.47. [7] Peter Green, THE FIRST SICILIAN SLAVE WAR, pp. 10-29. [8] Peter Green, THE FIRST SICILIAN SLAVE WAR, pp. 10-29. [9] Peter Green, THE FIRST SICILIAN SLAVE WAR, pp. 10-29. [10] Graham Stevenson, Spartacus And Class Struggle In Ancient Rome, [accessed 23 March 2017]. [11] Graham Stevenson, Spartacus And Class Struggle In Ancient Rome, [accessed 23 March 2017]. [12] Communist Manifesto (Chapter 1), Marxists.Org, 2017 [accessed 23 March 2017]. [13] Keith R Bradley, Slavery And Rebellion In The Roman World, p.83 [14] Keith R Bradley, Slavery And Rebellion In The Roman World, p.83. [15] Keith R Bradley, Slavery And Rebellion In The Roman World, pp.83,84. [16] Keith R Bradley, Slavery And Rebellion In The Roman World, p.92. [17] Keith R Bradley, Slavery And Rebellion In The Roman World, p.98. [18] Keith R Bradley, Slavery And Rebellion In The Roman World, p.84. [19] Keith R Bradley, Slavery And Rebellion In The Roman World, p.85. [20] Keith R Bradley, Slavery And Rebellion In The Roman World, p.89. [21] Keith R Bradley, Slavery And Rebellion In The Roman World, p.93. [22] Keith R Bradley, Slavery And Rebellion In The Roman World, p.90. [23] Keith R Bradley, Slavery And Rebellion In The Roman World, p.93. [24] Alan Woods, Spartacus A Real Representative Of The Proletariat Of Ancient Times | Ancient History | History Theory, Marxist.Com, 2017 [accessed 23 March 2017]. [25] Alan Woods, Spartacus A Real Representative Of The Proletariat Of Ancient Times | Ancient History | History Theory, Marxist.Com, 2017 [accessed 23 March 2017]. [26] Alan Woods, Spartacus A Real Representative Of The Proletariat Of Ancient Times | Ancient History | History Theory, Marxist.Com, 2017 [accessed 23 March 2017]. [27] Graham Stevenson, Spartacus And Class Struggle In Ancient Rome, [accessed 23 March 2017]. [28] Graham Stevenson, Spartacus And Class Struggle In Ancient Rome, [accessed 23 March 2017]. [29] Graham Stevenson, Spartacus And Class Struggle In Ancient Rome, [accessed 23 March 2017].

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Awakenings Symbolic Significance Of The Sea :: essays research papers fc

In the novel, â€Å"The Awakening,† Kate Chopin tells the story of a young married woman, Edna Pontellier, who, while enjoying her summer holidays at a cottage on a beach with her family, meets a young man by the name of Robert Lebrun. Edna, who is not really in love with her husband, begins to have mixed feelings and, as a result, begins to realize who she truly is. Edna feels that something is lacking in her life. The author uses the ocean to personify and symbolize what is missing in Edna’s life--the love of a man and freedom of the soul.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On several occasions Chopin uses the sea as a personification of Edna’s longing for the love of a man. Although Edna is married, she does not have the feelings for her husband which coincide with being in love. In one example, Chopin describes the sea: â€Å"The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude, to lose itself in mazes of contemplation† (13). The sea calls to Edna: â€Å"The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft , close embrace† (13). Chopin is describing the sea as though it was a man with whom Edna is in love and for whom she feels a strong attraction, not just someone she can make love to but someone she can loose herself in. Later, the young man, Robert Lebrun, who is stirring up all these feelings in Edna, asks her if she is going swimming; she answers him no and tells him she is too tired. Chopin describes Edna’s actions afterwards: â€Å"Her glance wandered from his face away toward the Gulf, whose sonorous murmur reached her like a loving but imperative entreaty† (12). Chopin is projecting Edna’s feelings for Robert, whether Edna is conscious of these feelings or not, onto the sea because a part of Edna does want to go swimming with him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Edna also has a strong need for freedom and Chopin, with respect to Edna’s character, makes reference to the sea to express this need. On one occasion, Edna and Madame Ratignolle, her neighbour for the summer, are sunbathing on the beach. Madame asks Edna to where her mind is wandering. Edna tells her the ocean is bringing back a memory of a field in Kentucky which, as a child, she had run through with arms stretched out in the breeze as though swimming

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

To His Coy Mistress - Andrew and Marvell The Flea - Richard Donne :: English Literature

To His Coy Mistress - AndrewMarvell The Flea - RichardDonne Which of the two poets is more likely to succeed in the seduction of the two women? At first glance it seemed to me obvious that Marvell would unquestionably be more successful in seducing the woman. Marvell because he shows more emotion and sincerity (baring the second stanza) towards the woman who he is talking to, however after considering Donne's unorthodox approach I was into rethinking my decision. I do believe however that both men are not as genuine as they look in their attempts to show their 'love' for the women. Donne starts off well in his poem well the tone is bright humorous and intimate. He praises the girl and says that if they had all the time in the world then he wouldn't mind waiting until she loved him. ('Had we but world enough and time, This Coyness lady would be no crime'). This to me is a good way to start, he Marvell keeps the tone light ant affectionate and emotional ('For, Lady you deserve this state, and nor would I love at lower rate.') On the other hand he mentions only her physical beauties and there is no mention of her personality ('Two hundred to adore each breast but thirty thousand to the rest'). Although it keeps an intimate mood it gives a hint that he only wants her for her body i.e. to have sex, and he does not really love her and this could be a vital mistake. Marvell shows a severe sense of sincerity in the last two lines of the second stanza. He moves away from the playful & sexually teasing tone to a more affectionate and loving tone. I believe this is to show a sense of admiration for the woman (For, lady, you deserve this state Nor would I love at lower rate) The language used in the second stanza, together with some strong imagery changes the tone dramatically. The tone is now chilled dark at in a way aggressive ('my echoing song; then worms shall try That long preserved virginity and your quaint honour turned to dust.'). This brings the woman who he is speaking to back from the fantasy world which he talks of in the first stanza, and back to reality. He reminds the woman that life does not last forever and they must make the most of their lives. ('Times winged chariot hurrying near'). In my opinion although this stanza adds an edge to the poem, it severely damages his chances of seducing the woman. The first four lines of the stanza are packed with positive and

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

An student

There is a thin line separating those who deserve an â€Å"A† and those who consistently receive â€Å"Ass†. As one progresses through the schooling system, different ideas are acquired about what the different letter grades mean and how to achieve them. The universal idea of an â€Å"A† is constantly changing, as does the difficulty of achieving one. Depending on the school/instructor, how difficult it is to achieve a certain grade can vary.So much so that common phrases such as â€Å"An easy ‘A'† and â€Å"An ‘A' for effort† have emerged, while others insist that an â€Å"A† is closer to perfection Han it is to â€Å"a good effort†. Grades are supposed to be a numerical/letter representation of ones academic progress in a course or lesson. But more often than not, good grades become a goal and not a reward; thus students are striving for grades and not the knowledge which they represent. In his article â€Å"Making the G rade†, Kurt Westfield points out that students are often undeserving granted good grades.This allows the same students to graduate with a degree and find a Job, without the actual knowledge needed to strive in their field. Similarly, he then goes on to note that these under-qualified students that are now in the workplace aren't ready for the tasks at hand. Universities are sending students into their careers with the same mindset they had throughout grapeshot, find the quick and easy way to get the Job done. Consequently, Jobs and projects could be done incorrectly or left incomplete. The difference is, though, that when these real world Jobs are incomplete or incorrect, they can create real world problems and difficulties.The grading system was made with the intention that it would accurately reflect a dents performance in a class. It's commonly believed that if a student understands a subject well, they deserve an â€Å"A†. But for a student to actually deserve that grade, they must also complete the entire workload, whether they know they information or not. The grade in the class is determined by the amount of work the student completes correctly, and this is where the controversy starts. Some argue that if a student demonstrates that he/she understands the given subject, he/she should be given a passing grade (whether their work was completed or not).Others argue that if a student truly works their hardest and gives a strong effort in the class, they deserve a passing grade (whether their work was correct or not). At the end of the day though, if searching for a simple â€Å"A† grade in a class, one must be willing to work and study for that class, and complete each assignment with accuracy (easier said than done, of course! ). The source of the problem resides in the earliest years of the school system. Starting from a young age, students are being taught and prepared for the next school year instead of for life.Elementary school stu dents are being prepared for adolescent, meddlesomeness are being prepared for householders, householders for college, etc. Each year of schooling teaches you Just enough to get through the next year. The problem is, though, that by the time the student reaches college he/ she is not ready for life as an adult, only for more school. Meaning that students are going into college with the idea that they need to pass, and not the idea that they need to be preparing for their future. Students aren't realizing that what they are learning is essential for their Job until it's too late and they are unable to perform.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Ice Cream Making Essay

Some may call it a comfort food, others a family tradition, but we all know sweet potatoes pie is delicious. This pie is common around the colder holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sweet potatoes pie common ingredients are of course sweet potatoes, butter, eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla extract, nutmeg, cinnamon, and pie crust. The pie color can vary from light orange to dark orange. The flavor of pie is sweet with a combination of different spices. The texture of the pie is usually smooth, but it is not uncommon to have small pieces of sweet potatoes in it; also some sweet potatoes pies have nuts has toppings which makes it not smooth. The smell of sweet potatoes pie is one that brings up memories to people, the smell of sweet potatoes with various species has a sweet smell. The ice cream mix is liquid, it is thick and creamy; it is tasteless similar to milk and is white in color. After the sweet potatoes mix, which consist of, cinnamon, butter, sugar, nutmeg, pecans, and sweet potatoes was added to the ice cream mix. The mix turned a light orange color. The color adds to the appeal of the product because it is orange just like sweet potatoes. The texture of the ice cream is not smooth because of small pieces of sweet potatoes chucks and walnuts in it. However, we didn’t want it to be too smooth because sweet potatoes pies aren’t smooth and the nuts add texture to it. The different spices are also seen and tasted in the ice cream. The pecans were coated with cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg. This added a sweeter flavor to the ice cream as well as additional spices. The group did a very good job of maintaining the sweet potatoes flavor with ice cream. It has the spices and taste similar to regular sweet potatoes pie. The smell is similar to the smell of sweet potatoes pie; it smells sweet and has a smell of spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. We first made an unhealthy recipe, added 60.2g of butter to sweet potatoes to make it creamy which also made it easy for it to be smashed. After the sweet potatoes were smashed until the texture we desired, we added 2g of cinnamon, 12g of sugar, 1g of nutmeg, to the 308 g of sweet potatoes mixed. After the ingredients were mixed the 25g of pecans were added to the mix. Then the sweet potatoes mix was added to 900mL of the Mayfield ice cream mix gradually. It was then churned for 20 minutes. Then the ice cream was taken out a placed in a blast freezer for storage. Then we made a healthy version of the ice cream, the recipe for the healthy version is 308g of sweet potatoes, 1g of nutmeg, 2g of cinnamon, 30.1g of margarine salted and 5g of Splenda.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Research Paper on the Motivations of Alcohol Consumption on College Campuses Essay

College students’ alcohol consumption has been an area of concern for universities for quite some time now. The purpose of my research is to examine the different motivations behind alcohol consumption among undergraduate students at the University of Michigan in comparison to Division 1 athletes also enrolled at Michigan. I seek to find if the stresses of balancing academics and athletics, pressure to perform, and adapting to social change effect the rate in which Division I college athletes consume alcohol compared to their non-athlete peers? Ultimately, I hypothesize from experience there to be a significant difference in the proportion of athletes who consume alcohol in comparison to both the average college student and students affiliated in Greek life. Furthermore, I believe this difference in proportion may be majorly attributed to the high commitment that comes with being a student-athlete. Research on alcohol use among athletes and non-athletes is vital in order to understand why the abuse of alcohol is on the rise around college campuses all over the nation. These two concepts are related because there may be a significant difference between athlete’s alcohol consumption and their non-athlete peers that is imperative to analyze. I want to know if the differences stem from personal motivations or if environments, for example Greek Life, play the predominant role among college students alcohol consumption. Furthermore, within the population of college students, researchers have identified the subpopulation of college athletes as being at an increased risk for heavier alcohol consumption, binge drinking, and drinking-related negative consequences (Anderson, Albrecht, McKeag, Hough, & McGrew). Based on these findings, I set out to explore what the determining factors are that could possibly make college athletes more at risk for alcohol consumption and binge drinking than their non-athlete peers. Literature Review: After analyzing several research articles I found many relevant studies that enhanced my knowledge of alcohol consumption among college students, which really benefitted my research. The first research I found pertaining to my topic was an article done by three doctors from Southern Illinois University. The journal is title, â€Å"College Factors that Influence Drinking† and it seeks to examine the aspects of collegiate environments that influence drinking, rather than student characteristics. The research method and results: â€Å"Method: A literature review of articles primarily published within the last 10 years, along with some earlier â€Å"landmark† studies of collegiate drinking in the United States, was conducted to determine institutional factors that influence the consumption of alcohol. Results: Several factors have been shown to relate to drinking: (1) organizational property variables of campuses, including affiliations (historically black institutions, women’s institutions), presence of a Greek system, athletics and 2- or 4-year designation; (2) physical and behavioral property variables of campuses, including type of residence, institution size, location and quantity of heavy episodic drinking; and (3) campus community property variables, including pricing and availability and outlet density. The overall message behind this research article concluded that there exists undeniable evidence that college students all over the nation drink often and many who drink to harmful levels. Furthermore, the study shows there is consistent information regarding the negative consequences of drinking and that there are also differences relating to housing, athletics, and Greek organization affiliation. Alcohol-Related Injury Among Greek-Letter College Students†, (O’Brian, 2013) The from the Journal of Health Psychology investigated the hypothesis that members of Greek-letter societies are the heaviest drinkers on college campuses, and experience more alcohol-related problems than their peers. The study reports the result of a web-based survey administered to college students from ten North Carolina universities. It concluded that Greek-letter status was a significant independent risk factor for increased injury on college campuses, which warrants a necessary analysis of the these factors that only seems to be increasing. A counselor in Psychology, Jacob Jones Ph. D. , at Indiana State University, also did a relevant study on my topic of college student’s alcohol consumption. His dissertation, titled, â€Å"The Risk Factors of Alcohol Abuse Among College Athletes†, investigates the relationship among alcohol use and athletic identity, competitiveness, drinking game participation, and level of sport participation. He discovered that drinking game participation is a significant predictor of total weekly alcohol use above any other predictor. In addition, he demonstrated that individuals not currently participating in sports with an athletic identity in the same range as current athletes consumed alcohol at similar rates to current athletes, thus supporting athletic identity as an appropriate way of classifying athlete status. This article included findings from a national study in 2001 that indicated that 81% of college students had consumed alcohol in the last year (Wechsler et al. , 2002). In addition, more than half of the 81% of college students who consumed alcohol were considered binge drinkers. Wechsler et al. (2002) identified binge drinking as having five or more beers in a row for men and four or more beers in a row for women. Furthermore, Anderson et al. (1991) found that up to 88% of athletes used alcohol. Researchers have compared the binge drinking behaviors of athletes and non-athletes and found that athletes consume more alcohol and binge drink significantly more than non-athletes (Leichliter et al. 1998; Nelson & Wechlser, 2001; Wechsler et al. , 1997). I will compare these findings with the data I collect with my own research to delve into the reasons behind alcohol consumption and college students. Kathleen Goodman, director of research on undergraduate education at the University of Iowa, explored the impact of binge drinking on a range of college outcomes and the effect of that relationship in her dissertation, titled, â€Å"New Evidence on the Link between Alcohol Use and College Outcomes†. Her overall results suggest that a substantial portion of college students may not be achieving many of the intended outcomes of college due to their frequency of binge drinking. She concluded that students who binge drink at any level fare worse than students who do not binge drink. This evidence relates to my topic because I want to discover why the level of alcohol consumption of college students is constantly increasing if research like Kathleen’s, and many other researchers, display the negative effects of what alcohol can do. Overall, there are many relevant research designs in Sociological studies that pertain to alcohol consumption on college campuses in the United States. As seen above, these articles adequately show that alcohol consumption is on the rise and it is a major issue that must be examined. My goal of determining if athletes are more at risk in comparison to their non-athlete peers was further developed through these five research reviews and a survey that I will be conducting. Research Design: The design of my research started to take shape when I began to operationalize my definitions of unit of analysis, independent variable and dependent variable. The unit of analysis for my research question is individual undergraduate students currently attending a four-year university. The unit of analysis could be individual students, the institution, and/or a certain category of students within the university, etc. , but I concluded drawing my sample from as many students as possible will help draw firmer statements from the data I collected. My study population for my research question consists of a random sample of all undergraduate students currently enrolled at the University of Michigan. It includes freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors. I chose this study population because I wanted to acquire a broad age range so my sample will not end up being bias towards a certain age, which will further my analysis of the data because it will show the differences in alcohol consumption between students who are of the legal age to drink compared to students who are not legal to consume alcohol. My sampling frame for my research project consists of a random sample of Division I athletes presently enrolled at the University of Michigan who are listed on an athletic team roster and who describe themselves as â€Å"binge drinker due to personal characteristics†, â€Å"binge drinker due to environment†, â€Å"moderate drinker due to personal characteristics†, â€Å"moderate drinker due to institutional environment†, or â€Å"never/rarely consume alcohol. Furthermore, I did the same thing with undergraduate students currently enrolled at the University of Michigan who are enrolled in at least 14 credits or more. The reason I decided to only take students in my sample who are enrolled in 14 credits or more is because I want to have the least amount of bias in my sample as I possibly can. By doing this, I eliminated the concern of students having different workloads, which could have otherwise skewed my results if some students had more leisure time tha n others. I ideally wanted to research as many male athletes as well as female athletes as possible. Sample: I chose my sample based on how well of a response I got from the different groups and individuals I sent my research questionnaire to. This technique is known as quota sampling because I am basing my sample on the fact that I believe I can acquire the best proportion of male to female (athletes and non-athletes), students from different backgrounds, and values by using this method of sampling. Although I had to use a form of non-probability sampling, which is in essence not as accurate or reliable as probability sampling, I still infer that my data will be extremely useful in my ultimate goal of unveiling the causes behind alcohol consumption among college undergraduate students and that is why I chose my sample in this way. My sampling frame is different from my study population because my sampling frame is much more specific than my study population. One difference between the two is my sampling frame consists of Division I athletes presently enrolled at the University of Michigan who are listed on an athletic team roster and who describe themselves as â€Å"binge drinker due to personal characteristics†, â€Å"binge drinkers due to institutional environment†, â€Å"moderate drinker due to personal characteristics†, â€Å"moderate drinker due to institutional environment†, or â€Å"never/rarely consume alcohol† as well as undergraduate students currently enrolled at the University of Michigan who are registered in at least 14 credits or more who also describe themselves in the same manners listed above, while my study population is simply a random sample of undergraduate student—freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors—who are currently enrolled at the University of Michigan. Another difference is my sampling frame consists of only the participants that I chose to use for my data because I am using quota sampling for my research; this differs from my study population because my study population could be any student currently enrolled at the University of Michigan. Another difference is my sampling frame might be somewhat skewed towards individuals within the Greek Life community because these students accounted for nearly 40% of my responses. I expected to have about one hundred units in my final sample, but my response rate has proven to be better than I initially expected. After accumulating all my responses from my survey, I received 130 responses out of the 215 total surveys I sent out. This rate, known as the response rate, is calculated by dividing the total number of surveys I sent out by the total number of surveys I received. I calculated this rate to be 60. 5 percent. Moreover, evidently I received responses from a fairly good variety of subjects in my sample, which was one of my initial concerns that was alleviated once I acquired my sample. I know this is a good enough variety of subjects in my sample because, overall, I used selection bias to get as close of variation in subjects as I could. Furthermore, I received surveys from 58 females and 72 males. Of the females, 19 are associated with Greek life, 21 are listed on the roster of a Division I sports team, and 18 females are what I consider a typical college student, not affiliated with Greek Life or on a sports team. Of the males, 28 are affiliated with Greek Life, 30 are listed on a roster of a Division I sports team, and 14 are what I consider a typical college student. Furthermore, my responses are correlated this well due partially to selection bias. Additionally, I have had to discard 11 surveys I received due to response bias from students who are either not taking at least 14 credits, or students who, I believe, did not take my survey seriously. My biggest concern was how many female athletes I will be able to find who will be willing to take my survey due to the fact that I don’t have many connections with female sports teams, but my response rate for female athletes is sufficient enough for my desired research. The characteristics of my sample versus the population I want to represent are valid for my data that I will be analyzing. I have received responses from about 39. 2% athletes, 36. 2% Greek-life affiliates, and 24. 6% regular college students. Finally, my sample may be bias for a couple different reasons. I collected my data by only using one collection method and through my personal viewpoint that I believe would help me accomplish my goal of unveiling the predominant effects behind alcohol consumption. Another bias I most likely have encountered is response bias. I realize that for many college students it might be difficult to remember the exact number of alcoholic beverages one consumed on a given night. Additionally, I also must include that although my survey questionnaire is completely anonymous, most college sports teams have rules against consuming alcohol, which ultimately could make respondents reluctant to answer honestly, and therefore making my results more bias. My dependent variable is the proportion of each category of student that indeed partakes in binge drinking. I measured this by creating a survey questionnaire with many different questions that will ultimately lead me to discover if athlete’s alcohol consumption is, in fact, significantly different due to the demanding commitment that comes with a sport. My independent variable is the category that the student falls into (athlete, Greek life, normal college student). I also measured this variable by creating a survey questionnaire that I handed out to students all around the campus. I gave the survey to students in dorms, fraternity and sorority houses, at the library, in the diag, and other random students who volunteered to partake in my research. My survey questionnaire will help me operationalize my independent variable because I will include questions that will get me to the conclusion of how and why institutional environments play the predominant role in alcohol consumption among college students. Furthermore, my study enters the realm of examining what to do with the information. By analyzing the key variable of why students are binge drinking, institutions within our society can begin to formulate a plan to reduce these causes and, hopefully, reduce binge drinking in the process. Ethical Issues: My inform consent statement was included in every survey that I handed out and before the respondent started the survey I made sure they knew there was no benefit, or risk for that matter, in taking my survey. I included a description of the reasons for my survey by stating, â€Å"This is a project for Sociology 310 at the University of Michigan. The topic of my research is to discover the effects and differences of alcohol consumption of college athletes and their non-athlete peers. † Furthermore, I included a description of human subject involvement with the statement, â€Å"This survey will take approximately 10 minutes. Answering these questions will pose no risk to, nor will you personally gain benefits from the survey. † The next section of the consent from dealt with confidentiality. I informed the respondent they should not include their name anywhere on the survey and that all answers received will be completely anonymous. The final portion of the form notified the respondent that it is completely voluntary; they may stop the survey at any point that they no longer feel comfortable without any repercussions, and finally, they are not forced to answer every question on the survey if they wish not to. Data Collection Instrument: My data collection method consists of a survey questionnaire. I have chosen this method of collection because I believe the most valuable information I can acquire relating to my research question will come in the form of a survey questionnaire. I designed my instrument by producing questions I believe will help me draw conclusions about the effects and differences of alcohol consumption between athletes and regular undergraduate students. This survey is designed to better understand the consumption of alcohol among college students. Please be completely open and honest in providing information about yourself and your use of alcohol. Your individual responses will not be identified with you in any way. All answers will be combined and only overall results reported.