Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Aging in Place - 3865 Words

Aging in Place Today the United States faces many challenges, challenges that mirror the changing world we live in as well as the changing dynamics of our country as a whole. There is more than a few issues on the horizon for America, and many of these issues can be tied directly to government expenditures. Not the least of which is our current position on social security spending; arguably becoming the largest Ponzi scheme the world has ever seen. However, it is the details that really accentuate the complexity and scale of this ever growing budgetary concern. In 2012 social security spending totaled 819.7 billion dollars. Making it the number two largest expense in the in our government spending structure, second only to defense by a†¦show more content†¦In addition to higher rates under the Act, the new taxes under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) go into effect in 2013: a new 3.8 percent tax applies to net investment income of taxpayers with modified adjusted gross incomes over $250,000 (married filing jointly), and a new additional Medicare tax of 0 .9 percent is imposed on taxpayers with wages in excess of $250,000 (married filing jointly) . From an economics stand point taxes artificially impose new market equilibriums that are not favorable for growth in GDP. If we continue to modify the tax code to bridge the spending gap we will eventually lose our ability to compete in the free market trade system, defined as capitalism, which is what this country is founded on, and what has made us the leading economic world power we are today. In accounting terms if tax liability were termed â€Å"overhead† we will become top heavy and our model for success will become overburdened and uncompetitive in the global market. This ultimately leads to all of our jobs going overseas as is currently the trend in American business. This is something that must be carefully considered when looking to tax hikes to solve government spending problems. The nextShow MoreRelatedIs Aging in Place Priceless? Essay1675 Words   |  7 Pagesof the brick and mortar. Gillsjo, Schwartz-Bardot, Von Post (2011) suggested that â€Å"home was experienced as the place the older adult could not imagine living without, but also as the place one might be forced to leave† (p. 2). Notwithstanding an American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) survey (2010) which showed that the â€Å"majority of older adults polled preferred to age in place† (p. 1), the dilemma for many seniors is how to do so when faced with deteriorating housing conditions and â€Å"insufficientRead MoreAging During Place : Is It The Best Alternative For The Elderly2165 Words   |  9 Pages Option number 2. A Position Paper TOPIC: Aging in Place: Is it the best alternative for the elderly. Abstract As the older adult population in the United States continues its accelerated growth, there is a growing concern about the long-term care options for these elders. While nursing homes are no longer desirable and costly for federal and state governments, viable alternativesRead MoreThe Aging Population During The United State863 Words   |  4 PagesThe aging population in the United State is at risk for not only chronic health problems, but abuse including, physical, sexual, psychological/emotional, and/or financial. With the increase number of elders being seen by healthcare professionals it is important to know what suspicions to look for, to report accurately and appropriately. Financial Abuse Financial elder abuse â€Å"is the unauthorized or improper use of the elder’s resources for monetary or personal benefit, profit, or gain such as forgeryRead MoreElderly Population In America. Growth And Development Is1706 Words   |  7 PagesElderly Population in America Growth and development is an essential part of the life cycle, which leads to the occurrence of different phases like childhood, teenage and late adulthood. Aging is the period which is characterized by the onset of personal, cognitive and social changes. They feel hard to adjust the changes. Like rest of the world, the US also falls in the list of countries which have the highest population of elderly people. According to the Population Reference Bureau report, AmericansRead MoreLiving Policy And Literature : Aging939 Words   |  4 Pages Question 1 Aging in place is a concept that is frequently referred to in assisted living policy and literature. Aging in place is define as â€Å"enabling older adults to remain in their current or preferred environment, with necessary adaptations and support services, to the end of their lives (Singh, 2016). Facilities accommodating residents under this concept are: Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) mostly owned andRead MoreLong Term Care Delivery System For Older Adults910 Words   |  4 Pagesin place is long term care delivery system for older community adults designed to keep them in the environment of their choice as long as possible. This care system includes physicians, nurses and other professionals’ to support older adults’ medical functioning, functional wellbeing and social support to maintain them in their homes (Popejoy, Galambos, Stetzer, Popescu, Hicks, Khalilia, Rantz Marek, 2015). Aging in place have two folds of benefits: from the perspe ctive of older adults and theRead MoreCultural Competence And The Elderly2589 Words   |  11 Pagesculturally competent treatment, including awareness of and sensitivity to aging; a universal process influenced by health, demographics, experience, and cultural beliefs. An important framework for those working with older adults is the lifespan developmental perspective; this perspective basically outlines that social resilience and psychological issues are developed over the course of a lifetime, not instantly just because of aging. Professionals working with older adults should utilize the strengthsRead MoreWelcome To The First Look At Intergenerosity. Our Mission1314 Words   |  6 Pagesto help young families with childcare and tutoring.   Ã‚  They may even be interested in teaching classes that are no longer required in schools.   InterGENerosity offers diversity in the employment it provides to create the best fit and promote active aging.   Not all older adults desire to run around after children or have the physical capabilities to do so but, they are still interested in sharing their knowledge.   Tutoring or teaching skills such as cooking, crafts, or financing are ways older adultsRead MoreHome Or An Assisted Living Program795 Words   |  4 Pagespeople, the idea of living in a retirement home or an assisted living program is an affront to their dignity and independence. The majority of the aging population would prefer to stay in their own homes, and live out their days surrounded by their own belongings in a comfortable environment. For many seniors, staying in their own home, or â€Å"aging in place† is more possible now than ever. With a little pre-planning, more people can live independently even when some assistance is needed. Physical ModificationsRead MoreEssay On Getting Old793 Words   |  4 Pagesimportant financial decisions about updating their homes. This week our Renewal by Andersen team has decided to talk about a very serious topic – aging. By 2030, experts project there will be roughly 71 million US citizens 65 years or older. Thats almost twice as many in this demographic as there were in 2006 (37 million). With many seniors choosing to age in place (stay in their own homes) for as long as possible, it is critical to plan early. Getting older doesnt mean we have to settle into a rocking

Monday, December 16, 2019

The Opinions of the Renaissance and Reformation Free Essays

Throughtout the ages of Europe’s history, society’s views on the education of women has constantly changed. During the Renaissance age, noble women were encouraged to seek an education so they would be able to carry on intellectual conversations at social gatherings. The Reformation brought opinions which were completely opposed to the ideas of women getting an education and most people thought that women shouldn’t learn and form their own opinions. We will write a custom essay sample on The Opinions of the Renaissance and Reformation or any similar topic only for you Order Now The 17th and 18th centuries displayed a betterment in society’s views on women’s education because people believed that middle class women should also gain some knowledge so they’d be able to help their husbands in his trade. The Renaissance age’s views on education were purely involved with noble women and no one else. Women who were below the noble class were not expectd or encouraged to gain an education at all. The women who were noble were encouraged to gain an education so they would make their husbands look good and they’d be useful at social gatherings because they would be able to socialize with other educated people. Society viewed women’s potential to learn as equal to a man’s, but the women were not completely expected to get involved or pursue the political or professional jobs that the educated men had. The women of the Renaissance’s education was almost entirely for entertainment purposes only. The Reformation brought opinions which were far more negative than the views brought on from the Renaissance age. Women were thought to only be useful for taking care of children and carrying out the duties of keeping the house clean. People believed that women were also physically built to do those jobs, so they believed that God wanted them to do only that. Men did not want women to gain any education because they believed that if women formed their own opinions, it would cause chaos. The 17th and 19th centuries brought out more positive opinions toward the education of women compared to the opinions of the Renaissance and Reformation. Instead of just the noble women seeking an education, middle class women were now also encouraged to learn. The reasons why the middle class women should learn was a bit different from why the noble women were encouraged to learn though. While it was just for entertainment purposes with the noble women, middle class women were encouraged to learn so they would be able to help their husbands carry out the duties of his trade. If the husband was to die, the woman had to know how to take over her husband’s trade and continue it without him, so she needed to be educated. Women were not encouraged to seek knowledge about other things which did not involved the trade they were involved in though, but nevertheless, the 17th and 18th centuries broadened the scope of education for women and included more women into it. Society’s views on the education of women changed throughout the times. There still is no clear distinction between the ages and their opinions because through all the ages, men still did not view women’s education as being important. The evolution of women’s education was also not a gradual step towards betterment. It was more like a roller coaster; going up and down, switching from positive to negative to positive again. In the end, everything eventually got better and led to the views and opinions on the capabilities of women that we have today. How to cite The Opinions of the Renaissance and Reformation, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Enacting Research Methods in Information Systems

Question: Discuss about the Enacting Research Methods in Information Systems. Answer: Introduction: The organizational change is concerned with the incorporation of new business processes, cultural changes or changes in the organizational structure (Petrou, Demerouti Schaufeli, 2016). The modern-day organizations are constantly undergoing change. The organizational change can be related to an objective phenomenon and it is also connected with social construction. There are changes in the organizational strategy, operational methods, structure, organizational culture or technology (Carter et al., 2013). There can be continuous changes or intermittent changes that affect the organizations. The organizational change occurs when there is a transition from a current state to the desired future situation of an organization (Petrou, Demerouti Schaufeli, 2016). The management of the organizational change involves the planning as well as implementation of the change process. There can be employee resistance in the process of implementation of the change. The resistance to change should be addressed properly by identification of the root causes of the same and providing suitable solution (Petrou, Demerouti Schaufeli, 2016). For example, in an organization, where there was no management information system, the senior management decided to implement an improved Decision Making Software (DSS) for increasing the organizational productivity. The organization must realize the importance of the change process that they are experiencing. The change management process would enable the employees to imbibe new skills as well as expertise (Tummers et al., 2015). The leaders as well as managers engage in continuous efforts to manage the change process. The organizational change would allow the project managers to analyze each stage of the project and identify the growth opportunities. The change process motivates the employees and the teams are able to achieve their desired goals (Tummers et al., 2015). The change gives the managers opportunity to align the existing resources to satisfy the organizational needs. The successful change process corresponds to addressing the concerns of the employees (Petrou, Demerouti Schaufeli, 2016). The managers can successfully reduce the risk by bringing in required changes in the organizations (Tummers et al., 2015). The successful change would bring in more return on investment (ROI) for th e company. For example, the successful implementation of management information system would enable the contemporary organizations to improve their operational efficiency. This would increase their customer satisfaction levels which would increase their sales. The increase in the sales would definitely imply an increase in the ROI of the company. The change process leads to the growth and development of the employees which in turn leads to enhanced organizational productivity. It is extensively studied that almost 70% of the change process are not successful in the organizations (Baskerville Wood-Harper, 2016). They do not achieve the desired change goals or they fail miserably. There are several reasons for the failure of the change initiatives. There can be lack of detailed knowledge regarding the change process, lack of skilled process, hidden conflicts against change, opposing organizational culture and others (Baskerville Wood-Harper, 2016). The change process may fail completely in an organizational context. Kodak faced several issues with the change management process (Forbes.com, 2016). It made efforts to venture into the digital world in a fast manner, however, they failed in the process (Forbes.com, 2016). The internal employees did not take adequate steps to combat with the change process. There were several barriers in the change process which were not addressed properly (Forbes.com, 2016). The company took initiatives to implement digital transformation, however, did not take adequate measure to combat the obstacles. There were challenges of new technology, high competition and low margins, which were not considered by the management. The company failed to undertake strategic decisions (Forbes.com, 2016). There were also issues with the leadership of the firm. There were instances when the organization didnt perform sufficient market research, which was the reason behind the under-achieve of the change plan (Li, Goh Cavusoglu, 2013). There are instances when the organizations did not perform the market scan or the competitive analysis which prevented the change process to reach their full potential (Li, Goh Cavusoglu, 2013). The lack of background data has an effect on the change planning and the change process cannot be implemented successfully. For example, Nokia did not perform sufficient competitive analysis and hence failed to analyze the potential of Apple or Google (Li, Goh Cavusoglu, 2013). The company failed to perform a detailed macroenvironmental analysis and hence didnt formulate suitable policies. Nokia was unable to gauge the products of the competitors and how technology was utilized by the competitors (Li, Goh Cavusoglu, 2013). The company failed to perform correct market segments which made it unable to capture the tar get market. The company made generalized market strategy as they did not have access to data concerning the target market (Li, Goh Cavusoglu, 2013). Nokia did not analyze the customer behaviors which made them formulate in appropriate change management policies. References Baskerville, R. L., Wood-Harper, A. T. (2016). A critical perspective on action research as a method for information systems research. InEnacting Research Methods in Information Systems: Volume 2(pp. 169-190). Springer International Publishing. Carter, M. Z., Armenakis, A. A., Feild, H. S., Mossholder, K. W. (2013). Transformational leadership, relationship quality, and employee performance during continuous incremental organizational change.Journal of Organizational Behavior,34(7), 942-958. Forbes Welcome. (2016).Forbes.com. Retrieved 1 December 2016, from https://www.forbes.com Li, M., Goh, K. Y., Cavusoglu, H. (2013). Mobile App Portfolio Management and Developers Performance: An Empirical Study of the Apple iOS Platform. Petrou, P., Demerouti, E., Schaufeli, W. B. (2016). Crafting the Change The Role of Employee Job Crafting Behaviors for Successful Organizational Change.Journal of Management, 0149206315624961. Tummers, L., Kruyen, P. M., Vijverberg, D. M., Voesenek, T. J. (2015). Connecting HRM and change management: the importance of proactivity and vitality.Journal of Organizational Change Management,28(4), 627-640.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

LUXEMBOURG Location Luxembourg Is Located In Europe And Is Bordered By

LUXEMBOURG Location Luxembourg is located in Europe and is bordered by Belgium, Germany and France. On a map, it is located at 50 N latitude and 6 E longitude. Luxembourg is very small. It is only 998 square miles, which is roughly the size of Orange County, California. All the country is inhabited, with most people living in the southern part. The Flag The flag of Luxembourg was adopted in 1845. The colors come from the Coat of Arms of Luxembourg and are red, white and blue. The flag is simply three horizontal stripes from top to bottom. The Land and People Luxembourg has two distinct regions. The Ardennes, or northern region, is mountainous. The Bon Pays, or southern region, is mostly fertile farmland. The climate is cool and moist, with snow in the mountains. There are rich deposits of iron ore creating many jobs in the steel industry. There is also fertile farmland to the south, also creating many jobs in farming. The people of Luxembourg have no native costume. T hey borrow much of their culture from Belgium, Germany, and France. Today, modern Luxembourgers dress like other Europeans. The people of Luxembourg like to eat smoked pork and beans, and sometimes saurkraut. Smoked ham is available all year round, and pastries are a Luxembourg favorite. Some of these pastries include rolls, muffins, cupcakes, and a special dry cake translated "Random Thoughts". Luxembourg makes beer and wine which is sold there and in other nearby countries. The buildings in Luxembourg vary from place to place. Some villages have charming old houses hundreds of years old, though in the cities there are many modern apartment and office buildings. For recreation, a Luxembourger might ride a bike, or hike in the countryside. A favorite sport of the people is volleyball. For transportaion they have railroads and highways for cars and buses. There are bike trails and hiking paths as well. Luxembourg doesn't have a culture all its own, because it ties in with its neighbo ring countries, Belgium, Germany, and France. The natural resources of Luxembourg are: iron ore, which is processed into steel, farm products such as wheat, corn and livestock, and grapes which are grown for winemaking. Technology The main industries of Luxembourg are steel and winemaking. Farming is also an important industry, especially with such crops as corn, wheat and livestock. The steel is exported and crops are exported, as well as used in Luxembourg. Also the wine made in Luxembourg is exported and sold there. Culture There is a lot of culture in Luxembourg. There are many art galleries featuring work from the expressionist painter, Joseph Kutter, and also that of Edward Steichen, a well known photographer. Both of these artists are from Luxembourg. The cathedrals are examples of some of the beautiful architecture found in Luxembourg. In the villages, there are buildings dating back to the 1100's, 1300's, 1700's, as well as the early 1900's. A trip through the villages is like taking a trip through time because of these old homes that are still lived in. As far as music, every village, suburb and town has at least a band, orchestra or choral group. Luxembourgers love parades, and have them often. Every parade has at least half a dozen bands. Their enjoyment of music is so great, that at the end of every summer, Luxembourg has a music competition that involves the whole country. Government The government of Luxembourg is a constitutional monarchy. The grand duke or duchess serves as monarch and chief executive. The monarchy is a hereditary office, and the sixty-four member parliament, called the Chamber of Deputies, makes the laws. The monarch appoints the prime minister and all of the ten Cabinet ministers to carry out government operations. The twenty-one member advisory body, or the Council of State, are appointed for life. The local government is carried out by dividing Luxembourg into districts, which are headed by the commissioner. The districts are divided into cantons, and these are divided into communes, which are headed by elected officials. The monarch presently in charge is Grand Duke Jean, who has been in power since 1964. Jacques Santer has been the Premier of Luxembourg since 1984. The monarch's

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Moving to Hybrid Cars Research Paper Example

Moving to Hybrid Cars Research Paper Example Moving to Hybrid Cars Paper Moving to Hybrid Cars Paper 1.0 Introduction Australia has the largest per capita level of green house gas emissions in the developed world, mainly due to a heavy reliance on coal to generate electricity. Every person contributes 27.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, which is 27 percent higher than that of an average American citizen. (Peatling, 2004) This, included with the constantly rising fuel prices creates an ever increasing demand for more energy efficient and lower pollution level cars. Hybrid cars are a well known solution to the issue however consumer confidence in these cars is extremely low. A hybrid car is a car that can run off two or more sources of fuel, such as petrol, electricity or gas. Hybrid cars have been around for a very long time with the first one being built over one hundred years ago by Porsche. (A Hybrid Car, 2006) The following report is a marketing plan for the introduction of the Nissan Nuvu into the Australian market. The report will give a detailed situation analysis on the current Australia n car industry with specific targeting of the environmentally friendly cars market segment, stating our marketing objectives for the introduction of the Nissan Nuvu and develop a detailed marketing strategy for this product. The Nissan Nuvu is shown in the picture below. Picture: (Hybrid and Electric Cars Shine in Paris, 2008) 3.0 Product Evaluation In order to maximise the marketing of the Nissan Nuvu, the product must be evaluated and analysed on a number of levels. Looking at the elements of a product, its brand name, strengths and weaknesses, aspects of competition products and a number of other factors enables us to price, place and promote the product accordingly in order to achieve optimum success. 3.1 Elements of the Product The Nissan Nuvu can be broken down into three levels; the core, actual and augmented products it offers. 3.1.1 Core The core product is the benefit that consumers obtain when purchasing the product. In this case the core product would be a low-running costs and environmentally-friendly means of transport for city driving. 3.1.2 Actual The actual product is the attributes of the product that combine to convey the core product. The Nissan Nuvu is a short, compact, three seater city car powered by an electric motor. Solar panels are situated on the roof which provides power to the motor and the car is built using an extensive amount of natural, organic and recycled materials. (Lavrinc 2008) 3.1.3 Augmented The augmented product is the package of the actual product and the additional features and services that come with it. For the Nissan Nuvu it is the actual product listed above along with services that would be decided by the actual distributers of the product at the point of sale. Such services are only prospective but would include things like car warranty, car maintenance and servicing for the first 1000kms, home delivery and opportunity of choosing additional features on the car. 3.2 Product Classification The Nissan Nuvu is classified as a consumer good as it is used for personal use and consumption. Under this heading the Nissan Nuvu is categorised as a Specialty product as it is an exclusive product that consumers would make a special effort to obtain, it is very unique at the current time and distribution will almost certainly be exclusive. However in the near future (five to ten years) it is anticipated that there will be a big move to this particular style of car (electric-powered) due to rising oil prices and environmental concerns. In this case the scope of the competition will grow and the Nissan Nuvu will hopefully become a Shopping product that is widely-distributed and also very common and popular. 3.2.1 Product Lifecycle The Nissan Nuvu is still in the product development stage of the product lifecycle as no actual sales have been made and it is still only a concept as commercial production has not yet commenced. 3.2.2 Branding Nissan has an established and well reputed brand name. Many customers value and trust the brand and would be willing to consider the Nissan Nuvu as a new product. The Nissan brand has a number of attributes such as durable and reliable. Nissan claims on its website that it is renowned for excellent engineering and searing handling and dynamics technology (Heritage n.d.). Customers relate benefits to the Nissan brand such as trusting the vehicle to reach the destination without any concerns or problems, not having to buy a new car for an extensive time, having a comfortable and safe way of transport. Values attached to the Nissan brand include durability, comfortableness and reliability. Nissans brand personality would be that it is straight, trustworthy and responsible but also innovative and adaptable. Nissan has reasonable brand equity through almost full awareness in Australia, high perceived quality and an extent of brand loyalty. The label or name of the product Nissan Nuvu, meaning new view gives the product an innovative appeal and implies that it is addressing the needs of tomorrow and providing a credible solution to this. 3.2.3 Comparing to Competition At the current time the only real competitors in the market for a low-running cost city car are hybrid models Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid which run on both a petrol motor and an electric motor (Hybrid Cars 2008). Australia is yet to release a commercially available all-electric car (Start your (electric) engines n.d.). Obviously all other cars and means of transport around a city can be considered as competition but it is rational to look closer at products that aim at a similar market segment and offer similar benefits and attributes. The most prominent competitor is the Toyota Prius which has been commercially available in Australia since 2001 (Sustainability Report 2007). In this time over 5000 units have been sold, 1974 of them in 2006 and 195 in January 2007, a 96% increase on sales in January 2006 (Sustainability Report 2007) showing an increased demand for this particular model. The Toyota Prius is starting to appeal to a growing market but there is certainly room for another product in this market. The Nissan Nuvu has an advantage over such competitors with the extensive use of organic, natural and recyclable materials but also it is even cheaper to run and more environmentally-friendly than the hybrid cars as it has zero emissions. The Nissan Nuvu is currently very unique as it will be the only all-electric car commercially available in Australia. It is anticipated that in the near future the prospect of owning such an eco-friendly car will become more plausible for Australian drivers who at the moment car more for performance and looks in a car and not so much in how economical and environmentally-friendly it is. It is also anticipated that as this becomes the case the number of competitor products will also increase and the product will need to be regularly reviewed and improved to keep an edge on such competitors. 3.3 Strengths and Weaknesses 3.3.1 Strengths * Only all-electric car commercially available in Australia unique * Zero emissions therefore extremely environmentally-friendly * Compact, agile, easy to drive and very easy to park * Roomy interior 3m long, 1.7m tall and 1.55m wide (Lavrinc 2008) * Extremely low running costs * Strong brand name and reputation 3.3.2 Weaknesses * Small market segment opposes Australian culture (generally Australians value performance and/or looks in a car * Customer uncertainty will be first all-electric car 4.0 Consumer Evaluation 4.1 Introduction The hybrid and environmentally friendly car industry is targeting the entire population that purchase cars. However, consumer attitudes in the past towards such cars have been poor, regardless of how high fuel prices go it appears that the uncertainty levels towards these cars will remain high. Hybrid cars as a general rule across western countries account for a very small share of the car market as a result of this lack of confidence. In America, hybrid cars account for only 3 percent of the total car market, although this is increasing with a twenty five percent increase in sales in the last four months. (Zimmerman, 2008) This is somewhat strange because in a recent study hybrid cars have been shown to save the consumer anywhere between $500 to $4500 dollars over a five year period compared to a car running on gasoline, savings are much higher over normal petrol models. (Consumer reports, 2008) This group of consumers can be broken into several, more defined market segments base up on demographic, geographic, psychographic and behavioural characteristics. Each market segment may be marketed to in a slightly different way to maximize efficiency. 4.2 Market Segmentation Market segmentation is the process of dividing a market such as the Australian car market up into segments or groups based on a number of variables. These variables are: 1. Demographic Variables This is to divide a market up into groups based on age, sex, family size, family life cycle, income, occupation, education, religion and nationality. 2. Geographic Variables This is to divide a market up into groups based on region, city size, density and climate. 3. Psychographic Variables This is to divide a market up into groups based on socioeconomic status, values, attitudes, lifestyle groups and personality. 4. Behavioural Variables This is to divide a market up into groups based on frequency of purchase, usage rate, loyalty to product or brand, attitude towards product and what their user status is. All of the above ways can be used to segment a market however, not all possibilities are seen as effective ways to manage market segmentation. There are four key characteristics that market segments must have to be successful. The first is measurability and this refers to the extent of which the size of the market segment and the purchasing power of its consumers can be effectively measured. (Market segmentation, n.d.) The second characteristic is accessibility and this measures the extent to which the segment can be targeted effectively with advertising and the product distributed effectively. The third characteristic is substantiality and this simply measures if the segment is large enough to be profitable. The final characteristic is actionability and this measure the extent to which programs can be constructed and carried out to attract and serve the segment as a whole. (Kotler et al, 2006. 217 229) 4.2.1 Segmentation of Australian car market The Australian car industry can be segmented in many ways. On a broad scale you have segments such as large family cars, four wheel drives, small cars and hybrid cars. Within the large segment of hybrid cars comes another group of market segments. These segments can be determined depending on which characteristics are use to classify them. The four types of characteristics are above. 4.2.2 Demographic segmentation Demographic segmentation divides a market up into segments based on age, sex, family size, family life cycle, income, occupation, education, religion and nationality. Demographic segmentation is generally the most common form of segmentation. In general, * Younger people have less disposable income and are fewer worries about safety features and energy efficiency. * Large families require bigger cars so they can transport everyone in the same vehicle and store more luggage. * People with higher disposable income will look at luxury features in cars such and be fewer worries about efficiency. * Occupation can have a direct impact on the sort of car people drive. For example a consultant who drives a large amount of kilometres would want a bigger car which is better on the open road and more comfortable to drive large distances. * Education, religion and nationality are characteristics which are, in general not related to the car industry. 4.2.3 Geographic segmentation Cars can be segmented according to geographic segmentation; this includes variables such as region, city size, density and climate. The main type of geographic segmentation is the difference between country and city living styles. People living in the country generally have larger cars such as sedans and four wheel drives. This is because they are driving larger distances than people living closer to the cbd. In the current economic and environmental climate the general population who live in and around major cities are targeted with smaller, more fuel efficient cars. A great example of the swing to smaller, more fuel efficient cars is evident in the current US market with all major car companies sales decreasing with companies like General Motors, Toyota, Chrysler and Honda. On the other hand the Volkswagen mini increased in sales by 24 percent, which clearly proves a move in consumer demand. (Kiley, 2008) 4.2.4 Psychographic segmentation Cars are in general not segmented using psychographic variables which include socioeconomic status, values, attitudes, lifestyle groups and personality. However variables such as personality may influence a buyers decision process when buying a car. For example a female with a feminine and out there personality may choose a convertible as there car because it suits there personality. 4.2.5 Behavioural Segmentation The Australian car industry is not an industry in which behavioural variables would be considered a primary source of segmentation. Behavioural variables include frequency of purchase, usage rate, loyalty to product or brand, attitude towards product and what their user status is. However loyalty to a specific company can once again play a significant role in the buyers decision process in terms of which company he ultimately goes with. 4.2.6 Consumer segment profiles for hybrid/ electric car market Within the hybrid and electric car market exists a few different market segments. The first market segment is very broad and includes most females between the ages of twenty five and sixty. This market segment contains a large proportion of the total market because females in this age group are the ones who would buy these cars. Young to middle age males are not included at all as a market segment because, in general these people are not at all interested in buying these cars and marketing to them is a waste of resources. However in the future if more attractive cars are made then the male segments of the traditional cars market may be attracted towards more energy efficient cars. 4.3 Analysis of customer behaviour 4.3.1 Types of buying decision behaviour Consumer decision making can vary with the type of buyer decision. More complex decisions are more than likely going to involve more buying participants and more buyer consideration. There are four types of buyer behaviour, they are: * Complex buyer behaviour The buyer is highly involved in the purchasing process and there are significant differences between competing brands. Consumers can be highly involved when the product is expensive, complex or a risky purchase. * Dissonance reducing buyer behaviour Occurs when consumers are highly involved in the purchase because it is risky or expensive and there is very little difference between competing brands. * Habitual buyer behaviour When there is low consumer involvement and there is very little difference between competing brands. * Variety seeking buyer behaviour When there is low consumer involvement but there is a large amount of difference between brands. The hybrid and electric car market would be classified under complex buyer behaviour. This is because there is a high amount of buyer involvement in the decision process because the product is both expensive and can be considered risky. The hybrid and electric cars market because it is relatively new; there are a lot of different products on the market because each company is trying to get a feel for what consumers want. (Kotler et al, 2006. 168) 4.3.2 The buyer decision process The buyer decision process is an analysis of the stages buyers go through to reach a buyer decision. A diagram of the five stages is shown on the right hand side of the document, sourced from (Hurren, 2008). The need recognition stage, put simply, is the buyer recognising a problem or need. Information search is the buyer making the conscious decision to investigate and find more information on a specific product or market. After the consumer has gathered information and reached a conclusion of several final brand choices, the buyer would compare and contrast each to find the most attractive and suitable product for them. After this the purchase decision is made based on a analysis of the brand alternatives. Following the purchase, comes the evaluation of whether the buyer is satisfied or dissatisfied with their purchase decision. The consumer is satisfied when their expectations meet the performance of the product. (Kotler et al, 2006. 169 171) 4.3.3 Types of Purchase decision There are two factors that can influence the purchase decision when buying a car. The first is the attitudes of significant others towards a particular consumers product choice. For example if your girlfriend disapproves of a certain brand then you would be less likely to purchase that particular brand. The second factor is influencing purchase decisions is unexpected situational influences. For instance if you base a purchase decision on expected income, expected cost and expected useful life of product and then you lose your job, this is more than likely going to influence the purchase decision. 4.3.4 Consumption information Consumption information is hard to come by for the Australian market, due to the fact that there is still no electric car on the market. However hybrid cars which are cars using more than one source of fuel, have shown strong increases in demand since coming onto the market. This is evidenced by the Toyota Prius which is a petrol electric hybrid, this year reaching one million in sales, breaking records as the first hybrid to reach this mark.(Kageyama, 2008) There are a number of social influences that have dramatically affected consumption of these cars. The first is the public perception that they do not perform as well as conventional petrol and diesel competitors. However with the ever rising cost of crude oil, consumers are being forced to revaluate the cost of performance. In a recent study in the US, of the population sample surveyed, only 0.65 percent of people had ever owned or currently owns a hybrid vehicle. (Miller, 2005) In America, hybrid cars account for only 3 percent of the total car market, although this is increasing with a twenty five percent increase in sales in the last four months. (Zimmerman, 2008) 4.3.5 Attitudes towards hybrid and electric cars Attitudes towards hybrid and electric cars in the past have been poor. They have been on the market since 1999, with the Honda Insight. This was closely followed by the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic. Attitudes have changed in the past few years with Toyota making the prius more powerful and bigger. (Blake, 2006) However for a long time there has been a perception that they are over priced, ugly and are bot up to scratch with the average vehicle available on the market today. Apart from the Toyota Prius Hybrid and electrical cars are still quite new to the Australian market and their reputation needs to be fixed with well structured marketing plans. 4.3.6 Consumer Benefits of hybrid and electrical cars Hybrid cars, although seen as expensive in comparison to other cars are relatively competitive on price because in a recent study hybrid cars have been shown to save the consumer anywhere between $500 to $4500 dollars over a five year period compared to a car running on gasoline, savings are much higher over normal petrol models. (Consumer reports, 2008) The key benefit of owning a hybrid car should still be the benefit to the environment. The car can do basically everything that a regular petrol car can do and has the above benefits. The key issue in todays market is getting people disregard the general public perception and realise the benefits such a car can offer. 4.3.7 Customer Loyalty Customer loyalty plays a big part in the purchasing process for consumers in todays car market. However in the hybrid and electrical car segment, companies dont have large enough established market shares to enable them target loyal customers in their advertising. Current advertising for this segment is minimal and is mainly used to get more market exposure. In America, hybrid cars account for only 3 percent of the total car market; this is a very small share of the market. (Zimmerman, 2008) 4.3.8 Best consumer prospects The best prospects for hybrid and electrical cars until they become more wide spread are environmentally conscious people and females between the ages of 25 60. This is because these are the people you can target with marketing appealing to their feeling of social responsibility, especially in consideration of the environment. \ 5.0 Competitor Analysis 5.1 Direct and Indirect Competition A direct competition is where two or more products with the same functions compete against each other. On the other hand, an indirect competition is where products which are close substitutes for one another compete. For example, butter competing with margarine. (BusinessDictionary.com n.d.) The Nissan Nuvu is no different from any other automobiles and has a large amount of both direct and indirect competitors. Its direct competitors include hybrid and electrical cars that are produced by other companies. On the other hand, there is also a large number of indirect competitors which include cars of the same size and shape such as the Smart Fortwo and other forms of transport such as motorcycles. One example of its direct competitor is the Toyota Prius developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation. The Toyota Prius is a hybrid car which is also capable on running with electricity which is the same as the Nissan Nuvu. The Toyota Prius has been out in the market since 1997 and have already launched three models since its first launch (Toyota Motor Sales n.d.). This has allowed the Toyota Prius to have a stable influence on consumers who would want to purchase an environmental friendly and economical car. 5.2 Strength and Weaknesses One of the strengths of the direct competitors is the capacity as they are mainly 3+1 seaters or more while the Nissan Nuvu would be based as a 2+1 seater instead (Autocar September 8, 2008). The influence of its direct competitors on the market is also much greater as other companies have already released popular hybrid cars long ago such as the Toyota Prius. This would make the consumers to feel safer and more confident to purchase a Toyota Prius over a Nissan Nuvu it is the first car of its concept and not many people are that of risk takers. Not only those, the direct competitors also have a larger distribution area within Australia compared to that of Nissan. They are also putting a lot of effort into the promotion of their respective hybrid models to increase sales. This would definitely give them a larger overall advantage. 5.3 Weaknesses of direct competitors Despite the disadvantages that the Nissan Nuvu has on its direct competitors, it also has advantages over them. One main advantage is the design of the Nissan Nuvu which is futuristic especially in terms of design and price as the Nissan Nuvu has a futuristic design with an all-glass roof covered with solar panels placed in the pattern of leaves on a tree. (Autocar, Sep 9 2008). The Nissan Nuvu is also powered by a single battery pack and does not use hydrogen nor petrol while other hybrid cars still require petrol or hydrogen to allow them to function. This means that the Nissan Nuvu would not emit any CO2 thus making it very environmentally friendly (Alina S. February 2, 2008). Not only that, families nowadays are also very small and usually only have one child and so, this would make the smaller families think that they would not need such a big car with a 3+1 seater. Therefore, the Nissan Nuvus 2+1 seater would be just right for them since it already has enough space for everyday shopping built at the back of the car. (Autocar September 8, 2008). 5.4 Likely major competitors in the future The Nissan Nuvu would be having a large number of major competitors in the future which would include all motor corporations as the world is moving towards the environmentally friendly age. Due to the shift to the environmentally friendly age, all motor corporations are also investing to the research of such hybrid cars. Hence, cheaper environmentally friendly cars would definitely threaten the future of the Nissan Nuvu. 7.0 Marketing Objectives The key marketing objective of this report is to gain the maximum amount of market exposure possible in the first twelve months following the release of the Nissan Nuvu onto the Australian market. 8.0 Marketing Strategies 8.1 Target Markets 8.2 Marketing mix 8.2.1 Product Strategies Product strategies are an essential part of the marketing mix in determining how to market your product. Product strategies take into consideration elements such as branding, packaging and labelling. Branding is the first key element of product strategies. A brand is a name, term sign symbol or design used to identify a certain service or group of products and differentiate them from competitors. The Nissan brand name carries traits such as quality, performance and reliability and has a long history of providing for its customers. The Nuvu is a new and attractive sounding brand name and is easy to say and remember. However this does not guarantee product success. A combination of all four elements of the marketing mix is the best way to achieve success in marketing a product. Packaging includes designing and producing the container or wrapper for a product. However in terms of the car market, packaging is not overly applicable. The only area which comes into packaging is generally the colour options of the car. The Nissan Nuvu will be released in a wide range of colours which will be modern and eye catching in design as well as more tradition colours. Labelling of a product serve s a very simple purpose, which is to help identify the Nissan Nuvu from other cars and further promote the vehicle. 8.2.2 Pricing Strategies 8.2.2.1 Market-share Leadership With the anticipation of an increasing demand for low-running cost and environmentally-friendly cars in the near future it would be in best interests to take a market-share leadership approach to pricing in an attempt to dominate the market now while the market is small in the hope of maintaining a large market share in the future. Influencing factors such as costs of research and development cost of production, competitors pricing, the anticipated demand for such a product and market objectives must be considered when deciding a price for the product. As gaining as much market share as possible is a significant objective, keeping prices at a competitive price is essential in order to penetrate the market as effectively as possible. However at the current time an all-electric car will be unique so there is no actual price to compete against apart from the similar hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid which are priced at $36,500 and $29,990 respectively (Hybrid Cars 2008). Due to the Nissan Nuvu being a unique product a relatively high price would be acceptable, however with the anticipation of a number of competitors entering the market in the near future the price would need to be lowered in order to be more competitive and maintain a strong market share. 8.2.3 Distribution Strategies The Nissan Nuvu, like any other cars undergo Exclusive Distribution as it is a high-priced and upscale merchandise. Exclusive distribution is a retail selling strategy typically used by manufacturers of high-priced, generally upscale merchandise, such as cars (Answers.com n.d.). By using this type of distribution, the Nissan Motors Corporation can ensure that: Only certain dealers have exclusive territorial rights to sell the product. They can control over the way the Nissan Nuvu would be merchandised. They can provide the extensive installation or repair services that are necessary at first hand. They would be able to use their own sales force to sell directly to the consumers. They can maintain the uniqueness of their product. However, the market for hybrid cars is already very intense due to the large amount of car dealer companies within Australia and the large amount of competition with the different brands. Therefore, the Nissan Nuvu would have to be set away from this competition as one of the first zero CO2 emission cars that would only run on a single battery pack powered by either electricity or solar energy. The Nissan Nuvu should also be in a position where it would be known as an ideal economical and environmentally friendly car. As the Nissan Nuvu would be one of the first Electric-Solar Powered cars that do not require hydrogen or petrol to run to hit the market, it would most likely be more popular with environmentally aware consumers who live within the country. This would definitely give the Nissan Nuvu an edge over its competitors. Not only that, the car would also appeal to others especially Generation Y consumers with its unique features and futuristic design. Generation Y consumers are more concerned about the environment and this car would definitely be popular with them as well. Not only that, the future type of families can also be foreseen as a family with a single child which is exactly right for the Nissan Nuvus 2+1 seater. Due to the novelty of the product, we should not follow the past strategies in the distribution of cars to the dealer networks. Instead, we should develop a centralized inventory where the dealer would take orders from the customers and then have the Nissan Nuvu shipped and delivered to the dealership. This centralized distribution network would no doubt result in higher transportation costs, but it would also increase the efficiency of the distribution. Besides that, as one of our main target segment would be the Generation Y, we should also sell the car online where a vehicle would be shipped to the respective dealer when the order is placed online. This would not only increase efficiency in sales and distribution, it would also increase the convenience of the consumers who would want to purchase the car. Customers should also be allowed to customize the car online as different consumers would have different types of budget and taste on how their car should look. As we are currently in the technology age, this way of distributing and selling the car would be effective. By selling the car online, it would not only be effective in the present time, but it would also be effective in the future towards the newer generations as they would all be more technology and internet savvy. This would not only increase the efficiency of sales, it would also be able to penetrate the markets in the future, not only for the Nissan Nuvu, but also for all the other Nissan car models.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Understanding the Italian Present Subjunctive Tense

Understanding the Italian Present Subjunctive Tense Language is fluid, and its usage is constantly changing. A case in point is the subjunctive (il congiuntivo), which in English is rapidly becoming extinct. Phrases like I suggest you go home immediately and Robert wishes that you open the window are not frequently used anymore. In Italian, though, the subjunctive tense is alive and flourishing, both in speaking and writing. Rather than stating facts, it expresses doubt, possibility, uncertainty, or personal feelings. It can also express emotion, desire, or suggestions. Subjunctive Tense Phrases Typical phrases that call for the subjunctive tense include: Credo che... (I believe that...)Suppongo che... (I suppose that...)Immagino che... (I imagine that...)È necessario che... (It is necessary that...)Mi piace che... (Id like that...)Non vale la pena che... (Its not worth it that...)Non suggerisco che... (Im not suggesting that...)Puà ² darsi che... (Its possible that...)Penso che... (I think that...)Non sono certo che... (Im not sure that...)È probabile che... (It is probable that...)Ho limpressione che... (I have the impression that...) Certain verbs such as suggerire (to suggest), sperare (to hope), desiderare (to wish), and insistere (to insist) require use of the subjunctive. The table below provides examples of three regular Italian verbs (one of each class) conjugated in the present subjunctive tense. CONJUGATING ITALIAN VERBS IN THE PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE TENSE PARLARE FREMERE CAPIRE io parli frema capisca tu parli frema capisca lui, lei, Lei parli frema capisca noi parliamo fremiamo capiamo voi parliate fremiate capiate loro, Loro parlino fremano capiscano Conjugating the Present Subjunctive Tense The present subjunctive is the verb form of the Italian language in the phrase generally used to indicate secondary events seen as real or not objectives (Spero che voi siate sinceri) or not relevant. This verb form is combined by adding to the root of the verb endings provided in Italian grammar in the three conjugations. Since the subjunctive must generally after the conjunction that, this is often repeated. As with the conjugation of the present tense, some verbs of the third conjugation - such verbs incoativi - involving the use of the suffix -isc-: che io finisca, che tu finisca, che egli finisca, che noi finiamo, che voi finiate, che essi finiscano. Almost all irregular shapes can be, by way recipe, derived from the first person of the verb in the present tense: I am of the indication vengo can be formed subjunctive - che io venga (che tu venga, che egli venga, che noi veniamo, che voi veniate, che essi vengano); dallindicativo muoio puà ² essere formato il congiuntivo che io muoia (che tu muoia eccetera); dallindicativo faccio puà ² essere formato congiuntivo che io faccia; similmente: che io dica, vada, esca, voglia, possa eccete.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

What Effects Has Social Networking Had on Our Society Term Paper

What Effects Has Social Networking Had on Our Society - Term Paper Example A man has always been a social animal and the oldest example for man to have company and live with someone goes back to the creation of Adam and Eve. This was the first example that man could not exist alone and needs some sort of recognition and contact with peers and members of his group. Although the concept of social networking is commonly understood by millions we will briefly discuss it as a refresher. â€Å"Social networking is the grouping of individuals into specific groups, like small rural communities or a neighborhood subdivision, if you will This is a very general definition but covers the main idea of this term. Around us, we find many groups and different social activities that take place in form of college students, co-workers, friends, and even our families. These groups are also segregated by age and interests like sports or gaming etc. In recent years the internet has brought people from different walks of life together so that they can discuss and share their views and emotions on all kind of subject areas like professional alliances, gardening, golfing and  developing friendships. As the recent concept of ‘online social networking’, the commonly used medium is websites. They are also known as â€Å"social sites†. They mainly function as a community of people who use the internet. Although they share topics and provide online interactions among st people of different ages they do have some issues and threats associated with them. One of the most common threats of these networking sites is theft of data and the viruses that may be spread through their usage. The most prevalent danger though often involves online predators or individuals who claim to be someone that they are not. Nonetheless, people have various options and controls through which they can keep themselves safe from these threats. It has become such a common practice that someone who may not have an account on such a social network site is considered an ‘outcast’ of sorts.  Ã‚  

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Golden Gate Bridge Suicide-Prevention Barrier Essay

Golden Gate Bridge Suicide-Prevention Barrier - Essay Example 37 people died jumping off the bridge in the year 2011. About 100 people are stopped from jumping. People who throw their lives here drown in the deep waters like the flies burn themselves throwing in the glow of light. Technically, this Gate has been hailed as an engineering marvel, and an international landmark that attracts the tourists, but its reputation is otherwise alarming. Aaron Sankin writes, â€Å"The Chronicle estimates that a minimum of 1,218 suicides have taken place on the bridge, a minimum of 19 per year--making it the single most suicide-prone location in the whole United States. Leaping from the bridge to the icy water below is usually fatal; people taking the plunge are killed 98% of the time.† (sfappeal.com †¦)For the sake of maintaining the beauty of the Bridge sacrifice of the precious lives is not the answer. Those who appreciate the engineering skills of the bridge, must exhibit some sensitivity about the number of suicides at the altar of the Brid ge. That the final solution to this problem should remain in limbo looks like a fictional account, but the 2011 suicide figures are the stark reminder to this bone-chilling issue. This is a problem for which the legal luminaries of the country should file a suit in the appropriate legal forums for the gross negligence of the concerned authorities to prevent the loss of human lives. In the absence of a system in place, deaths continue to occur. So, the Federal funding is the next option before the district authorities. At the district level, the authorities make concerted efforts and seek private donations from individuals interested in the installation of the barrier. In the absence of adequate safety barriers, The Golden Gate Bridge has turned out to be a public health hazard. Elaborating this aspect John Bateson writes, â€Å"Do you have a plan for how you’d do it? Do you have a time frame? Have you put any part of your plan into action? Suicide rarely comes in normal conversation†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (132) Most of the international tourist spots have suicide barriers. Why deny such a facility to this unique spot? I think that the district authorities must be allocated Federal Funds to the tune of $50 million. This is not a spot of local tourist delight. Tourists from all over America/world visit the bridge and thus it is a revenue-generating source as well. Further, a two-pronged strategy to prevent suicides needs to be formulated to make the entire project more human. Apart from the grant from the Federal level, the local authorities must take certain ancillary measures, for augmenting the resources on a permanent basis, for proper governance and maintenance of the Bridge. 1st Objection to the solution Physical barriers is not the final choice to eliminate all suicides. But they significantly decrease the attempts, as suicide is mostly an impulsive act, and those few minutes which give pause to the mental makeup of the individual attempting suicide will do good to save the precious life.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Goal Statement Essay Example for Free

Goal Statement Essay I have planned on becoming a teacher for years. After receiving my own education, I look forward to sharing my knowledge with my students. In the past I have taught classes in creative writing, instrumental music, sailing, various sciences, and religious education, allowing me to experience the interactions between teacher and students in different environments. The age of my students ranged from seven to fifteen, so I utilized a variety of teaching techniques to keep the students interested. I have grown to love teaching and every time I see a look of understanding on a childs face, I feel I have made a difference in their development, even if it was just a small impact. I look forward to the opportunities provided by the college I have chosen to enroll in, to be active in the educational communities of Rhode Island, especially through their practical teaching programs in connection with coursework in their College of Arts and Sciences. I plan on learning as much as I can through these courses so I may be better prepared to pursue a successful career as an educator. I will be striving towards a double major in Secondary Education and either a math or science topic, and once I receive my degree I plan on becoming a teacher at in the science and/or math course focused on during my. I plan on using the information I have gained through my college studies to be not only a competent educator, but also an expert in the field I decide to teach. As an educator, it will be my goal to demonstrate fairness to each student by providing the knowledge and explanation necessary for them to succeed both in my class and in life. As my contribution to the community, I plan to pass on the benefits of my college education to future generations through my career as a teacher.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Bridge Of San Luis Ray Essay -- essays research papers

Thornton Wilder (1897-1975) The Bridge of San Luis Rey The Bridge of San Luis Rey, by Thornton Wilder, presents the ancient dilemma of whether tragedy is the result of chance or a manifestation of divine intervention. It explores the lives of five people and reveals their internal struggles for survival. The sadness that is created by the undying love of the Marquesa de Montemayor for her daughter, Esteban for his twin brother, Manual and Uncle Pio for the vain actress, Camilla Perichole, is so overwhelming in its enormity, that when tragedy strikes, we feel relief that their suffering is finally over. The scene is set in Lima, Peru, in 1714. One afternoon, an ancient bridge broke sending five people to their deaths. Brother Juniper, a Franciscan monk, witnesses this catastrophe and believes he can prove the existence of divine intervention. The first person is the Marquesa de Montemayor along with her servant and companion, Pepita. The Marquesa’s love for her daughter is not returned which sends her into a state of borderline psychosis. She begins to drink heavily and neglects to take care of the most important things in her life. One night while Pepita lay sleeping, the Marquesa is struck with the realization that her love for her daughter is a selfish love and she decides to renounce this love and begin a new life. Esteban and Manuel are orphaned twins found on the steps of a convent and raised by Maria del Pilar. When Manuel dies of an infection, Esteban is in despair and is about to embark on a new life with Captain Alvarado when he crosses the bridge. Camilla Perichole did not die on the bridge but was a victim nonetheless. Uncle Pio, friend and confidant of the Perichole, takes her son to educate him in the Arts and literature. The two never make it across the bridge. The Perichole is a famous actress who plays an important role in the story. â€Å"She is the axis, as it were, around which everything turns†(Stresau 23). She weaves the threads of the story together with her â€Å"passions and perversities†(Fadiman 338). The Perichole is a very selfish woman who indirectly causes the death of Manuel, Esteban’s brother, by destroying his will to live. When Manuel falls in love with the Perichole, the love the brothers' share becomes tainted and is forever destroyed. The only time that Manuel admits this is when he is in a state of such pain, he lashes out: ... ... of tragedy and lets her be the diamond in the rough. She is the one person whose vision is unaltered from the very beginning of the book and to her the other survivors draw their own courage. Camilla Perichole was in such pain over the loss Uncle Pio and her son Don Jaime, that she could no longer live in solitude. She desperately wished to be able to tell them one last time of her love for them. She sought out Maria del Pilar who accepted her with open arms and without judgment. â€Å"I fail everybody,† she cried. â€Å"They love me and I fail them†(Wilder 143). The Marquesa de Montemayor’s daughter, Dona Clara, also came in search of redemption. Her guilt of not returning her mother’s love was consuming her and she wished to be punished. Dona Clara and Camille Perichole began to find new meaning in their lives by helping Maria del Pilar take care of those less fortunate them themselves. The question still remains. Was it an accident or by design? It is best to leave the mystery in place, for to answer it dissolves the meaning of the book. Just knowing that some good came out of a catastrophic event brings pleasure to one’s heart and leaves us believing that it really does not matter.

Monday, November 11, 2019

K-12 and Higher Education Learning Environments

Learning Management Systems Applications Today. Emerging technologies, including distributed learning management systems, portals that connect a variety of resources (admissions, library access, advising, and technical support) under one user-friendly gateway, and electronic databases that store and merge information resources, are capable of providing the infrastructure for the redesign and integration necessary (Granger & Bowman, 2003). While only slightly more than 14 percent of the technology administrators who responded to the annual Campus Computing Survey report using course management software, more than half (58 percent) have already established standards for these types of applications (Anderson & Moore, 2003). Many of the educational initiatives in recent years have focused on improving the delivery of services by incorporating learning platforms that focus on the K-12 and higher education learning environments, such as WebCT or Blackboard. To determine how these learning platforms are being used today and for what learners, this paper will provide an overview of the features of learning management systems (LMS) that have assumed increasing importance for a wide range of corporate and government-sponsored learning environments. A comparison and evaluation of these platforms and their applicability to the different learning environments is followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion. Background and Overview. In their book, Handbook of Distance Education Technology, Anderson and Moore (2003) suggest that it just makes good sense to use the technological innovations that have emerged in recent years to improve the delivery of educational services at all levels, including grades K-12 and beyond. â€Å"Technology, as an enabler of distributed resources,† they say, â€Å"furthers the practice of a systems approach requiring integration across the organization to maximize new capabilities† (p. 175). For instance, Granger and Bowman (2003) point out that learning management systems (LMS) successfully integrate the specific functions and services that students require in order to achieve academic success today; these functions and services include: 1. Access to courses, learning materials, and instructors; 2. Advising and tutorial assistance; 4. Interactions with other learners. A wide range of enterprises have recognized the advantages inherent in Internet-based learning management systems, including the military and various industries in general and educational institutions in particular; for example, the Air Force Institute for Advanced Distributed Learning's entire recent focus has been on integrating an LMS approach to their distance learning initiatives (Westfall, 2003). For example, according to the DOD Implementation Plan for ADL, â€Å"ADL is an evolution of distributed learning (distance learning) that emphasizes collaboration on standards-based versions of reusable objects, networks, and learning management systems, yet may include some legacy methods and media† (Westfall, 2003, p. 635). To date, some educational institutions have elected to develop and deploy in-house versions of learning management systems while others have found that off-the-shelf versions satisfy their requirements; CourseInfo by Blackboard and SemesterBook, developed by Louisiana State University's division of computing services, both of which provide a navigational framework for content and communication with instructors (Lynch, 2002). Other popular versions are WebCT (this is a delivery platform for both Internet-based and traditionally structured courses), Intralearn and WBT Systems' TopClass (Myers & White, 2001). CourseInfo by Blackboard, though, was shown to be the superior product when compared with other leading programs in a study with the former two across all measures examined, including ease of use by educators and study and total number of tasks accomplished (Jonassen, 2004). A previous study by Halloran (2000) conducted for the U. S. Air Force Academy also found Blackboard's CourseInfo the superior application for adult learners. Likewise, Myers and White conducted a study of the efficacy of WebCT and found that although educators were for the most part receptive to the program, there were some serious constraints involved in terms of the time required for adequate planning, which was identified as the issue of highest concern for those delivering instruction using this product. Faculty found that incorporating such technology required extensive time to learn the program, convert and upload course data, and provide student training to use the Website. Time was also necessary to monitor and update existing information† (Myers & White, 2001, p. 95). The authors also point out that these educators found that additional time was al,so required at the beginning of each course to bring the students back up to speed concerning the process of entering and navigating the site (Myers & White, 2001). According to Anderson and Moore (2003), many of the most popular LMS applications share many of the same useful features that make them particularly useful for course management; commercial course application software such as Blackboard CourseInfo, Learning Tree, Virtual-U, and WebCT were found to help support organized course content by providing multiple perspectives on issues; archiving data automatically; incorporating the instructional strategies of modeling and scaffolding, and encourage participation, dynamic engagement, and peer feedback when faculty members incorporate these features into instructional design and delivery. These authors caution, though, that, â€Å"Unwary novices, however, may follow the somewhat linear structure of the course content features of these courseware tools† (p. 450). The research showed that recent innovations in learning management systems holds the promise of integrating structures that were previously disconnected as well as providing the ability to customize learning environments on a scope never before possible. These innovations will serve to provide all students with improved opportunities to achieve academic and professional success; they can also be reasonably expected to increase learning productivity (Lynch, 2002). The research also showed that innovative learning management strategies can help achieve the goal of helping young and adult learners regardless of whether they are distance learners or participating in a campus-based curriculum; however, even the best learning management strategies, including those with the best possible content that is precisely matched to the right business or educational objectives, will likely fail if it is poorly implemented and administered. According to Carlivati (2002), this is particularly true of learning management systems that are targeted at more sophisticated and educated adult learners. Corporate e-learning,† he says, â€Å"introduces a whole new set of change-management variables that were never of concern before, as many early adopters have discovered. These new variables range from the obvious (e. g. , introducing technology to the learning process) to the subtle (e. g. , motivating students to begin and continue an independent learning experience)† (p. 50). Young and adult learners alike were shown to be amenable to these emerging learning structures, and it is likely that additional and improved applications will be identified as these initiatives become more commonplace in the future. K-12 and Higher Education Learning Environments Learning Management Systems Applications Today. Emerging technologies, including distributed learning management systems, portals that connect a variety of resources (admissions, library access, advising, and technical support) under one user-friendly gateway, and electronic databases that store and merge information resources, are capable of providing the infrastructure for the redesign and integration necessary (Granger & Bowman, 2003). While only slightly more than 14 percent of the technology administrators who responded to the annual Campus Computing Survey report using course management software, more than half (58 percent) have already established standards for these types of applications (Anderson & Moore, 2003). Many of the educational initiatives in recent years have focused on improving the delivery of services by incorporating learning platforms that focus on the K-12 and higher education learning environments, such as WebCT or Blackboard. To determine how these learning platforms are being used today and for what learners, this paper will provide an overview of the features of learning management systems (LMS) that have assumed increasing importance for a wide range of corporate and government-sponsored learning environments. A comparison and evaluation of these platforms and their applicability to the different learning environments is followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion. Background and Overview. In their book, Handbook of Distance Education Technology, Anderson and Moore (2003) suggest that it just makes good sense to use the technological innovations that have emerged in recent years to improve the delivery of educational services at all levels, including grades K-12 and beyond. â€Å"Technology, as an enabler of distributed resources,† they say, â€Å"furthers the practice of a systems approach requiring integration across the organization to maximize new capabilities† (p. 175). For instance, Granger and Bowman (2003) point out that learning management systems (LMS) successfully integrate the specific functions and services that students require in order to achieve academic success today; these functions and services include: 1. Access to courses, learning materials, and instructors; 2. Advising and tutorial assistance; 4. Interactions with other learners. A wide range of enterprises have recognized the advantages inherent in Internet-based learning management systems, including the military and various industries in general and educational institutions in particular; for example, the Air Force Institute for Advanced Distributed Learning's entire recent focus has been on integrating an LMS approach to their distance learning initiatives (Westfall, 2003). For example, according to the DOD Implementation Plan for ADL, â€Å"ADL is an evolution of distributed learning (distance learning) that emphasizes collaboration on standards-based versions of reusable objects, networks, and learning management systems, yet may include some legacy methods and media† (Westfall, 2003, p. 635). To date, some educational institutions have elected to develop and deploy in-house versions of learning management systems while others have found that off-the-shelf versions satisfy their requirements; CourseInfo by Blackboard and SemesterBook, developed by Louisiana State University's division of computing services, both of which provide a navigational framework for content and communication with instructors (Lynch, 2002). Other popular versions are WebCT (this is a delivery platform for both Internet-based and traditionally structured courses), Intralearn and WBT Systems' TopClass (Myers & White, 2001). CourseInfo by Blackboard, though, was shown to be the superior product when compared with other leading programs in a study with the former two across all measures examined, including ease of use by educators and study and total number of tasks accomplished (Jonassen, 2004). A previous study by Halloran (2000) conducted for the U. S. Air Force Academy also found Blackboard's CourseInfo the superior application for adult learners. Likewise, Myers and White conducted a study of the efficacy of WebCT and found that although educators were for the most part receptive to the program, there were some serious constraints involved in terms of the time required for adequate planning, which was identified as the issue of highest concern for those delivering instruction using this product. Faculty found that incorporating such technology required extensive time to learn the program, convert and upload course data, and provide student training to use the Website. Time was also necessary to monitor and update existing information† (Myers & White, 2001, p. 95). The authors also point out that these educators found that additional time was al,so required at the beginning of each course to bring the students back up to speed concerning the process of entering and navigating the site (Myers & White, 2001). According to Anderson and Moore (2003), many of the most popular LMS applications share many of the same useful features that make them particularly useful for course management; commercial course application software such as Blackboard CourseInfo, Learning Tree, Virtual-U, and WebCT were found to help support organized course content by providing multiple perspectives on issues; archiving data automatically; incorporating the instructional strategies of modeling and scaffolding, and encourage participation, dynamic engagement, and peer feedback when faculty members incorporate these features into instructional design and delivery. These authors caution, though, that, â€Å"Unwary novices, however, may follow the somewhat linear structure of the course content features of these courseware tools† (p. 450). The research showed that recent innovations in learning management systems holds the promise of integrating structures that were previously disconnected as well as providing the ability to customize learning environments on a scope never before possible. These innovations will serve to provide all students with improved opportunities to achieve academic and professional success; they can also be reasonably expected to increase learning productivity (Lynch, 2002). The research also showed that innovative learning management strategies can help achieve the goal of helping young and adult learners regardless of whether they are distance learners or participating in a campus-based curriculum; however, even the best learning management strategies, including those with the best possible content that is precisely matched to the right business or educational objectives, will likely fail if it is poorly implemented and administered. According to Carlivati (2002), this is particularly true of learning management systems that are targeted at more sophisticated and educated adult learners. Corporate e-learning,† he says, â€Å"introduces a whole new set of change-management variables that were never of concern before, as many early adopters have discovered. These new variables range from the obvious (e. g. , introducing technology to the learning process) to the subtle (e. g. , motivating students to begin and continue an independent learning experience)† (p. 50). Young and adult learners alike were shown to be amenable to these emerging learning structures, and it is likely that additional and improved applications will be identified as these initiatives become more commonplace in the future.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Laugh, live, Smile.. today.. for who knows there may or may not be a tomorrow

Around some eighteen years ago, a miracle happened and a guy was born, yes u guessed it right, that guy was me. I was born in a town called Kanpur. Kanpur is my maternal place. I have lived most the summer vacations during my childhood over there. Since my father has a transferable job, I got to live in various cities, explore different culture and make tons of friends. I started my schooling from a school called National Convent School, Mirzapur. I did my LKG and UKG over there. Then I along with my mom, shifted to my Aunt’s place in Haridwar. She used to treat me like her own son.She was the one who recognized the hidden talent of singing in me. She sent me for the formal training in vocal music to a music teacher whom I consider my guru. I have always been a lazy lad, to overcome my laziness, she then sent me to the Taekwondo sessions in the evening. She is a lady of values & virtues. Discipline is in her blood. I have learned a lot from her. As she was an extensive travele r, I got to travel & explore the hilly regions of Uttarakhand. After the two amazing years in Haridwar,I along with my mom shifted to Kanpur and we started living with my grandparents.I took admission in DPS Kanpur and my mother was a teacher in another school. An year passed and I got promoted in fifth standard. Now here comes an interesting phase of my life. It was during the starting of the new session,I still remember the sequence. I was sitting forward in the extreme left row and then came a girl whom I had never seen,she came inside the class and went towards my parallel row and sat at the back bench. Now she bacame the first crush of my life,officially! Her name was Samya. †When she was around,I could just feel myself blush, the adrenaline in my blood was such a rush†!As time passed,our relationship changed from just friends into best friends. Even though, I was the most notorious element of the class, my teachers still used to love me a lot. My favourite teacher was Monica ma’am who was also our class-teacher. I still remember an incident when in class sixth,a mate asked our class teacher that â€Å"When all the naughty elements were eliminated ,then why did u still keep Tanay in the section? †Ma’am clearly replied†Because he is my favourite and I love him a lot! † It were the summer vacations of class sixth when came a point that I had to shift to Agra where my Dad was already posted.I was very desperate to move back with my Dad since it had been four long years I had been living away from him. But at the same time leaving the school without meeting anyone unexpectedly was a disheartening moment too. I missed them a long time and I am still in touch with them. Although my span of stay in Agra was short, but I have had a wonderful time there. With my Dad’s transfer came the most amazing city of my life. This time it was Banaras!! Banaras is a place where I turned from a child to a teenager to almost a n adult!My major upbringing happened to be in Varanasi. My mom got me admitted to DPS Varanasi which was the seventh and finally the last school of my life. I spent five most amazing years in my last school. When it comes to academics, I have always been a mediocre, even though I did achieve full marks in Maths, once in class Eighth, second time in class Tenth. My list of friends is quite long to describe. During this six years of my stay in Kashi,it has given me a lot,one of them is Ashu whom I often refer as Mota-Bhai who is not just a friend but a brother in literal.I usually don’t call every second friend of mine as bro,but when I do,mind it,I mean it!! It was the pre-sports day 2008. After I got selected for the long jump,I saw a pretty girl who was already staring at me. The moment I saw her,I was just astonished. Later on I came to know about her easily via different sources as I was quite social among the seniors. So yes,my first love was an year senior to me. The res t part of story is past. All I know is that feeling never came ever and I still respect her as I did once. One always remembers his first love. Its an out of this world feeling.When she was gone,I was heart broken. This incident has taught me that life goes on,no matter who comes,who goes. We make life harder than it to be. The difficulties started when†¦ conversations became texting, feelings became subliminal, the word ‘love’ fell out of context, trust faded as honesty waned, insecurities became a way of living, jealously became a habit, being hurt started to feel natural, and running away from it all became our solution. Stop running! Face these issues, fix the problems, communicate, appreciate, forgive and LOVE the people in your life who deserve it.The best part of my life started after entering into Symbiosis. I always wanted a sister,I asked for one and Symbi gifted me two real sisters from non-biological mothers! One is Honey,my besty who is a careless craz y freak and a party animal like me,a complete replica of my personality but has a delicate heart. Ridzi,d other one,d sweet one is a complete contrast of me and Honey. She treats me like her younger brother. We often dance on ‘‘shinchan shinchan† together,Ridzi being into the character of Himavari. We do not remember days, we remember moments.Too often we try to accomplish something big without realizing that the greatest part of life is made up of the little things. My way is to live authentically and cherish each precious moment of my journey and live life to its fullest core. I wanna fly high and live while I am young. I believe that if I will seek for peace,happiness will automatically follow my way. Because when you finally arrive at your desired destination, u don’t remember the destination,you remember the journey. So for today I ll laugh,I ll live and I ll smile for who knows there may or may not be a tomorrow.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia

The Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia Introduction The Empty Quarter is also known in Arabic as the Rub’ al Khali, a large desert covers the southern side of Saudi Arabia and forms part of the southeastern part of the Arab peninsula. The region forms the largest desert in the Arab peninsula.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Empty Quarter region has sand dunes that are averagely 600m high and the region experiences summer daytime temperatures of up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperatures decrease up to 32 degrees Fahrenheit at night. The barrenness of the region, together with the harsh temperature makes its inhospitable. As a result, the area has mainly remained unexplored. This essay is a description of the region that play a key role in the economy of Saudi Arabia and is very important to the world as a source of energy. Despite its recognition as a major oil producer, ot her interests of equal importance exist in the Empty Quarter. Importance of the Empty Quarter Saudi Arabia has concentrated on oil mining as the main source for its foreign exchange reserves despite the fact that the country is endowed with other rich minerals that are yet to be fully exploited. The region is big covering 650,000 square kilometers and starts from Saudi Arabia and covers Yemen, Oman and the United Arab Emirates on the southern part. The Empty Quarter was more hospitable in the past; fossils of hippos indicate that it initially was a wet area before drying up. The inhospitable nature of the region is believed to have started in 300 CE. Historically the region is known for the early civilizations and cities that were constructed in it as well as the trade routes that passed through. Currently, the region is an archeological attraction and several artifacts have been found. The area is known for its prominent role in movies and novels by famous film and book publishing companies in the world. For example, the Empty Quarter has been chosen to be the setting of a new video game for the popular console by Sony, PlayStation 3, which will be released to the public in November.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The sand dunes covering the region are monotonous. The area is secretive and presents wonders, for example although it contains very little vegetation and receives marginal rainfall annually, the area supports a number of animal species. These include, gazelles, Oryx; that are a special breed of antelopes with straight horns, sand cats, which are beautiful wild cats that get their water supply from their animal preys. In addition, there are spiny tailed lizards. These animals surface at the desert immediately after the winter rains and bring back the life of the region that is otherwise nonexistent. The subsequent dissertation th at has occurred over the years is responsible for the formation of vast oil reserves beneath the sand dunes that now make up mountain like structures in this region. The oil deposits of the Empty Quarter amount to 7 billion barrels, making it the second largest reserve in the world. There is an increasing interest by oil and gas exploration companies in the region that is informed by the discovery of the new fields that are yet to be covered with the current gas-oil separation plants and their vast resources. In the oil production business, the north eastern part of the Empty Quarter is the main exploited oil part in the region. During the early times of the oil exploration and production, there were few companies; however, the discovery of huge oil reserves in the region attracted interest from a worldwide pool of companies in the oil and gas industry. Other Endowments of the Region Other than the oil and gas industry, the Empty Quarter is attractive for the Hotel and Tourism indus try. The popularity of desert tourism, which includes camel rides and festival, is a recent export of the region to the world. The vastness of the desert is attractive for tourists seeking to enjoy the sand and sun at their own discretion. In addition, the land availability attracts investors wishing to set up resorts to accommodate such tourists.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Historically deserts have been associated with camels and caravans; a recollection of this experience is now possible in the Empty Quarter with the advent of desert tourism service. Investors are keen to maintain the traditional concept of the desert history while adding modern facilities to accommodate tourists who otherwise would be unable to survive in the harsh desert conditions as the locals do. Another attraction of the desert is sky watching for sky lovers. The vastne ss of land without settlements and obstructions makes it a wonderful for night sky watching. To increase the attractiveness of the region, hotel and tourism investors artificially construct oases to complete the relaxation experience of their guests away from the congestion of cities in a quiet environment occasioned by regular sound waves of winds blowing on sand dunes (Construction Week Para.2-5). The Empty Quarter is also endowed with another energy source other than oil. The second energy source, solar, abundant in the Empty Quarter dessert, is renewable and has attracted a considerable interest from renewable energy interest groups and green crusaders. On the contrary, the oil reserve in the Empty Quarter is a non-renewable resource and therefore each successful drilling and production depletes the remaining reserve of the region. The growth of the world economy and especially in the Far East region has resulted to an increased demand for oil and gas as a source of energy. The expanding middle class in newly industrialized countries such as China and India as well as their rapidly growing manufacturing and construction industries drives the demand for oil and thereby increases its depletion from the Empty Quarter. Emerging Interests New technology has made it possible to prospect for minerals and archeological artifacts and this has catalyzed a renewed interest on the area. Solar energy is now touted as the next frontier because of its renewability and its abundance in the region.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the current development of solar power technology is still a limiting factor. The Saudi government still depends on the oil revenue from the region and as a result has been less concerned about the environmental pollution that the occurs in the area as a result of the oil industry. This negligence is also aided by the fact that the region is vastly bare apart from seasonal small animal appearances and oases. However, this does not absolve the region of air pollution that is associated with oil and gas emissions in the separation plants (Falola and Genova p.175). Conclusion The Empty Quarter is a unique and economically important region that makes up almost half of the southern part of Saudi Arabia. Its endowment with natural resources makes it the backbone of the Saudi economy. New developments in the region aided by advanced technology are seeking to override, albeit slowly, the overall dominance of the oil industry. Construction Week. The Liwa Desert Hotel, Empty Quarter . 8 June 2010. Construction Week. Retrieved from https://www.constructionweekonline.com/article-8592-tilal-liwa-desert-hotel-empty-quarter. Falola, Toyin and Ann Genova. The Politics of the Global Oil Industry: An Introduction. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2005. MaxCalderan. Empty Quater. 14 August 2010. MaxCalderan. Retrieved from https://www.maxcalderan.net/. Wise Geek. What is the Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia. n.d. Wisegeek.com. Retrieved from https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-empty-quarter-of-saudi-arabia.htm.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Phoneme vs Minimum Pair in English Phonetics

Phoneme vs Minimum Pair in English Phonetics In phonology and  phonetics, the term minimal pair refers to two words that differ in only one sound,  such as hit and hid. Minimal pairs serve as tools to establish that two (or more) sounds are contrastive. A difference in sound means a difference in meaning, notes  Harriet Joseph Ottenheimer, and thus a minimal pair is the clearest and easiest way to identify phonemes in a language (The Anthropology of Language, 2013). Examples and Observations A minimal pair is a pair of words that differ in a single phoneme. Minimal pairs are often used to show that two sounds contrast in a language. For example, we can demonstrate that [s] and [z] contrast in English by adducing minimal pairs such as sip and zip, or bus and buzz. Since the only difference in these words is the [s] vs. [z], we conclude that they belong to distinct phonemes. However, a similar test would show that [a:j] and [Aj] are distinct phonemes in English, since writer and rider appear to be minimal pairs distinguished in their second elements, not their fourth.We looked!Then we saw him step in onthe mat!We looked!And we saw him!The Cat in the Hat!Cheers and Jeers is an activity that provides an opportunity to use music and humor to relax and release tension.Lit Up/Let DownThe learner has to identify medial or final plosives in isolated words and in sentences where either member of a minimal pair would fit in naturally. For example: Do you repair clocks/clogs? Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. Its not.The US Coast Guard had 125-foot cutters and eight 765-foot long patrol boats. By the late 1920s, forty-five vessels operated out of this local base with some parking at the pier, as can be seen in a postcard.The role of the sympathetic nervous system is to prepare the body for emergencies, commonly known as  fright, flight and  fight  reactions. Word Position and Context [T]he only way we can create a minimal pair with reference to the two sounds involved is to put them in exactly the same environment in terms of word position and the surrounding context, To clarify further,  the pair: jail–Yale shows the contrast between  /dÊ’/ and /j/ in initial position, budge–buzz focuses on the contrast between /dÊ’/ and /z/ in final position, while witch–wish contrasts  /t∠«/ and /ÊÆ'/ in final position. It should be noted that minimal pairs include forms that have different spellings, as evidenced in  jail–Yale. Near Minimal Pairs [S]ometimes it is not possible to find perfect minimal pairs differentiated by only a single sound for every phoneme. Sometimes it is necessary to settle for near minimal pairs ...  [P]leasure and leather qualify as a near minimal pair, since the sounds immediately adjacent to the target sounds, [à °] and [Ê’], are the same in both words: [É›] before the target sound and [É ¹] after it. Like minimal pairs, near  minimal pairs are usually sufficient to demonstrate that two sounds are separate phonemes in a language. Sources: Matthew Gordon, Phonology: Organization of Speech Sounds.  How Languages Work: An Introduction to Language and Linguistics, ed. by  Carol Genetti. Cambridge University Press, 2014James Alasdair McGilvray, The Cambridge Companion to Chomsky. Cambridge University Press, 2005Dr. Seuss, The Cat in  the Hat, 1957Edie L. Holcomb, Getting Excited About Data. Corwin Press, 2004Album by the band Vains of Jenna, 2006Inge Livbjerg and Inger M. Mees, Segmental Errors in the Pronunciation of Danish Speakers of English, 1995Dr. Seuss, The Lorax, 1972A. Wynelle Deese, St. Petersburg, Florida. The History Press, 2006Neil Moonie, Advanced Health and Social Care, 3rd ed. Heinemann, 2000Mehmet Yavas, Applied English Phonology, 2nd ed. Wiley-Blackwell, 2011