Monday, September 30, 2019

Psychoanalysis and The Wizard of Oz Essay

Analyzing â€Å"The Wizard of Oz†: Freud’s Psychosexual Theory and Theory of the Personality vs. Klein’s Object Relations and Play Technique Theory Psychoanalysis paved the way for infinite discoveries of the human mind. It has been attributed as the â€Å"mental science†Ã¢â‚¬â€a scientific way of locating and interpreting the (un)natural behavior of a person which greatly affects him or her. The psychoanalytic theory has always been very controversial since it introduces very unconventional ways of treating the mind. Although there are a lot of psychologists who have influenced the field of psychoanalysis, none can compare to the contributions of Sigmund Freud and his contentious theories. Sigmund Freud is most famous for his Theory of Personality that talks about the id, ego, and superego and the psychosexual interpretations that goes with it. Another important person to note is Melanie Klein who hypothesized her own theories that focus more on the mentality and behavior of a child and his or her relationship with the things and people around him or her. According to Mitchel and Black (1995), Melanie Klein made such a tremendous impact in the field of psychoanalysis that there is no another person aside from Sigmund Freud himself who can be appreciated for her contribution with regard to the field of psychoanalysis. Although Klein was influenced by Freud’s theories and patterned her theories after his, her own hypotheses are very much different from Freud’s. While Freud reinforced the idea that personalities of individuals are more likely connected to certain psychosexual gratifications (or dissatisfaction in many cases according to him), Klein more or less centered on the idea that individuals behave according to the experiences they had as a child, the kind of play acting they did, and the things that they played with. In fact, Klein focused more on â€Å"reading† a child by the artworks and play acting that he or she does. One thing that could be seen as similar in their works is the fact that both consider dreams as very important tools in â€Å"reading† a person and identifying his or her mental situation. Freud stipulated that dreams are very important since they involve thoughts that are unconscious to the person. Moreover, these dreams can also be traced to certain experiences that the person had as a child (Mitchel & Black, 1995). Klein herself believed in such theory, but Freud believed more in the psychosexual aspect of things concerning the human mind and the human behavior. In the setting of school education, most especially with the area of guidance and counseling, these two personalities and their theories are greatly used in interpreting children’s manners and their conduct. Counselors would use artworks as a way to delve deeply into what a child is thinking and what are the reasons for his or her certain behavior. Images, colors, signs, and symbols may seem so simplistic when they are looked at their surface interpretations, but psychoanalysis provides latent meanings to what could have been depicted as something so simple and mundane. In literature, there is such an approach called the Psychological Approach in which certain psychoanalytic theories are used to interpret a certain body of work. The intricate details are seen as symbols that contain very important meanings. Such perspective can be used in trying to analyze the ideas that Freud and Klein presented through their theories by comparing and contrasting certain elements of the 1939 movie version of The Wizard of Oz. The Wizard of Oz is a classic children’s literature that was written by L. Frank Baum in 1900 and has been hailed as a beloved masterpiece by many. The original work of Baum is very much different from the movie, but it is the movie which has been retained and appreciated by the general public. The characters, settings, certain elements, and scenes are depicted as marvelous by many—a fine example would be the appearance of the ruby slippers of Dorothy (which is in fact colored as silver in the original work as what was expressed by Tim Dirks in his review of The Wizard of Oz) that she can click together to transport her from one place to another. The plot is very simple yet meaningful. Dorothy, a nine-year old girl from a little farm in Kansas, goes on a long journey with her dog Toto, the Tin man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow to find the Wizard of Oz in the Emerald City and fulfill their individual wishes (Dorothy wants to go home to Kansas, the Lion wishes to have courage, the Tin man desires to have a heart, and the Scarecrow thinks he needs a brain). At the end of the journey, they all realize that the things they are looking have always been with them and under their noses all along. As with many literary works, what makes a person think he or she has achieved the goal is not the resolution of the conclusion but the adventures that the long journey entails. In the end, Dorothy wakes up to find that it was actually just a dream (more or less like when Alice in the Wonderland wakes up to find that all her adventures were just a dream), but the values that she has learned in the journey is very much kept close to her heart. In connection to the psychoanalytic theory, the dream itself may be interpreted already as a somewhat significant aspect of Dorothy’s consciousness. There are many other aspects and elements that can be interpreted as something else if the theories of Freud and Klein would be taken into account. For instance, Dorothy has a very obvious conflict with the Wicked Witch of the West/Miss Almira Gulch over the Ruby Slippers and Toto the dog. During the start of the film, Dorothy was in trouble and in predicament over the vehemence of Miss Almira Gulch over Toto, her dog. Toto accidentally bit Miss Gulch on her leg which enraged the woman. She was so enraged that she had the sheriff write a warrant that would allow her to take Toto away and lock him up. However, Toto has always been the only companion of Dorothy and is the only reason that she laughs. Their farm in Kansas has been characterized as gray and dull and Dorothy has been deemed as the only person with such life and happiness. That reason for happiness is Toto, and Miss Gulch’s insistence that the dog be put away is stripping Dorothy of her happiness. According to Klein, such play things of a child are important and usually mean something more. Dorothy’s play thing may be a dog, but her obvious affection and love for the dog can be traced to the fact that she is yearning for another living thing that could be with her and provide her attention. Her Aunt Emily and Uncle Henry pay more attention to the farm than to their â€Å"adopted† niece, which gives Dorothy the idea that she needs company and does not want to be alone. The gravity of her attachment to Toto is realized in the scene where Miss Gulch arrives and plans on taking Toto away. Dorothy begs for Miss Gulch to reconsider her decision and even states with such self-sacrificial courage that she would replace Toto and be taken away. Miss Gulch is also so insistent that Toto be taken away and she does the task, symbolically stripping Dorothy of her happiness and causes great dissatisfaction on her part. In Freud’s object choice theory, the child readily associates things or people that he or she is surrounded with. The people that the child finds are considered as his or her associates (people that are close to the child or in some cases, the things that matters to him or her) that he or she wants to have affection with and instinct tells him or her that there needs to be a established relationship with that person (or people or things). Dorothy considers her Aunt Emily and Uncle Henry as people that she should connect with and feel some sort of affection, but the two characters do not reciprocate the feelings; instead, Dorothy finds herself drawn to Toto, her dog. Since the dog is her â€Å"maternal† substitute, Dorothy is drawn to make-believe and fantastically daydream which is the whole point of the story of The Wizard of Oz—Dorothy’s dream. Dorothy retreated to her world bringing Toto and play acting, but since the awful truth of reality plays such a big part in her life, the usual â€Å"running away† with Toto does not suffice anymore, and a deeper form of â€Å"running away† takes place and makes her fully leave the world of the farm in Kansas. Dreams as what Freud and Klein believe are very important tools; since Dorothy dreamt that she was in the World of Oz and having such wonderful adventures, she strayed away from reality and got lost in the make-believe world that she has unconsciously created. Another of Freud’s theory comes into place with the mention of the unconscious. The famous iceberg imagery or metaphor of his theory of personality and the id, ego, and superego play a part in Dorothy’s dreaming. The ego is what people perceive as reality and manifests in the physical world; the id is the unconscious which greatly affects and controls our behavior and way of thinking in reality and is considered as irrational since it involves the hidden urges and desires we have that we are not fully aware of; and lastly, the superego is the conscience and is considered as the ethical voice that controls our behavior subconsciously. Dorothy’s dreams may be her way of running away from reality (as what is supposed with regard to Klein’s theory), but it may also be the manifestation of her id (as what is supposed with regard to Freud’s theory). The beginning of the film appears as Dorothy not being welcomed by her Aunt Emily and Uncle Henry; she then resorts to the fantastical notion of the dream—the dream consists of her adventure with the Tin man, Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion. Dorothy’s participation may be that of a selfish reason (because she wants to go to Emerald City and find the Wizard of Oz so she can go back to Kansas). But the first part of the adventure (and the beginning of the movie) may be a manifestation of her id, as her wants and demands should be followed. However, as the adventure progresses, she soon realizes the selfishness of her desires and focuses on helping her friends find their own desires. Even if the dream is a manifestation of her id, the ego and superego win over the id. Another thing to point out is the second object of conflict between Dorothy and the Wicked Witch of the West which is the ruby slippers of Dorothy. Firstly, however, it is important to note the existence of the ruby slippers itself. Again, according to Tim Dirks’ review of The Wizard of Oz, the ruby slippers are the beginning of Dorothy’s entrance into female adolescence. Red has always been the archetypal color for passion and blood, and the symbolism behind such color could just mean that Freud’s psychosexual theory can be justified. Going back to the Wicked Witch of the West’s desire to have the ruby slippers, it can mean that the Witch wants to rid Dorothy again of the happiness (as the same character who portrayed Miss Gulch is the Wicked Witch too) that she wants to have because the slippers are her means of returning back to Kansas. From a different perspective however, it could mean the Wicked Witch of the West wants to steal Dorothy’s puberty and youth. There has been many literary works wherein evil witches are in desire of young girls’ youth, vitality, and virginity (as Snow White’s stepmother wants her dead because of her beauty or when Lamia lures Yvaine to steal her youth in the novel Stardust). It can be concluded that the situation may be the typical good versus evil scenario, but if the Witch so badly wants to have power and let evil reign in the Emerald City, why not go after the Wizard of Oz himself (even if he is a fraud)? If Freud was at the actual scene, he may have interpreted the ruby slippers as a symbol of the beginning of Dorothy’s menstruation. If Klein was there, she would have just said that the ruby slippers are another of Dorothy’s play things. The next thing to point out is the extreme conflict between Dorothy and Miss Gulch/Wicked Witch of the West. In Klein’s theory of Depressive Position, when a child hates his or her mother, he or she in effect hates him- herself. It cannot really be said that Miss Gulch/Wicked Witch of the West can be likened to Dorothy’s mother, but the enmity between them is so great that the Witch uses such horrifying threats to Dorothy and Toto. Even if the Witch really wants certain â€Å"valuable† things from Dorothy, the vehemence that the Witch feels for Dorothy is so great that it is certain that an underlying symbolism may be present. In Mitchel and Black’s book, a quotation by Herman Hesse was introduced to Klein’s chapter: â€Å"If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn’t part of ourselves doesn’t disturb us. † This quotation, in all its simplicity, already justifies the claim that Dorothy and Miss Gulch/Wicked Witch of the West hate each other because there is a big part of themselves that they probably see in each other and in turn hates it since they see the mirror of themselves. Both Freud and Klein have a lot of similarities and differences in both their theories and in this paper, both theories have been voiced with the certain elements that were picked in the story. Although there is no claim in which theory is better or which interpretation provides more depth and breadth, it is safe to conclude that each theory is unique and helps in making getting a bigger and better viewpoint of The Wizard of Oz, most especially when used and analyzed together. References Mitchel, S. & Black, M. (1995). Freud And Beyond: A History Of Modern Psychoanalytic Thought. New York: Basic Books Dirks, T. (2009). The Wizard of Oz (1939): Review by Tim Dirks (Review of the movie The Wizard of Oz]. Filmsite. Retrieved March 30, 2009, from http://www. filmsite. org/wiza3. html.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Breastfeeding

Preparation Outline Lindsay Hamann Topic: Breastfeeding Specific Goal: I want the audience to understand how beneficial it can be for both the baby and the mother to breast feed, even if only for a little bit of time. Thesis: Breast milk is best for your baby. The benefits of breastfeeding extend way beyond basic nutrition. In addition to containing all of the vitamins and nutrients your baby needs in the first six months of life, breast milk is packed with disease-fighting substances that protect your baby from illness. Introduction I. Breastfeeding protects your baby from a long list of illnesses. A.Numerous studies have shown that stomach viruses, lower respiratory illnesses, ear infections, and meningitis occur less often in breastfed babies and are less severe when they do happen. Exclusive breastfeeding (meaning no solid food, formula, or water at all) for at least six months seems to offer the most protection. B. One study done by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences showed that children who are breastfed have a 20 percent lower risk of dying between the ages of 28 days and 1 year than children who weren't breastfed, with longer breastfeeding associated with lower risk. II.The main immune factor at work during breastfeeding is a substance called secretory immunoglobulin, that's present in large amounts in colostrum. (The first milk your body produces for your baby). The substance guards the baby against invading germs by forming a protective layer on the mucous membranes in your baby's intestines, nose, and throat. III. Your breast milk is specifically tailored to your baby. Your body responds to virus and bacteria that are in your body and makes secretory immunoglobulin that's specific to those pathogens, creating protection for your baby based on whatever you're exposed to.Dying of Breast Cancer in the 1800sIV. Breastfeeding's protection against illness lasts beyond your baby's breastfeeding stage, too. Studies have shown that breast feeding can reduce a child's risk of developing certain childhood cancers. Although, scientists don't know exactly how breast milk reduces the risk, however, they think antibodies in breast milk give the baby's immune system a boost. Breastfeeding may also help children avoid a host of diseases that strike later in life, such as type 1 and type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and inflammatory bowel disease.For babies who aren't breastfed, researchers have documented a link between lack of breastfeeding and later development of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Transition: There are many advantages to breastfed babies. Body I. Breastfeeding may boost your child's intelligence. A. Various researchers have found a connection between breastfeeding and cognitive development. In a study of more than 17,000 infants followed from birth to 6 1/2 years, researchers concluded from IQ scores and other intelligence tests that prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding significantly improves cogni tive development. B.Preterm infants with extremely low birth weights who received breast milk shortly after birth improved their mental development scores at 18 months when compared with preterm infants who weren't given breast milk. 1. In a later study, researchers found that the higher scores held at 30 months, and that the babies who received breast milk were also less likely to be hospitalized again because of respiratory infections. C. Experts say that the emotional bonding that takes place during breastfeeding probably contributes to some of the brainpower benefits, but that the fatty acids in breast milk may play the biggest role.II. Breastfeeding may protect your child from obesity. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding as a way to help reduce your child's risk of becoming overweight or obese. A. An analysis of 17 studies published in the American Journal of Epidemiology shows that breastfeeding reduces a child's risk of becoming overweight as a teen or adult. The strongest effect was in children who were exclusively breastfed, and the longer the baby was breastfed the stronger the link. B. Experts think that breastfeeding may affect later weight gain for several reasons: 1.Breastfed babies are better at eating until their hunger is satisfied, leading to healthier eating patterns as they grow. 2. Breast milk contains less insulin than formula. (Insulin stimulates the creation of fat. ) 3. Breastfed babies have more leptin (a hormone that researchers believe plays a role in regulating appetite and fat) in their system. 4. Compared with breastfed babies, formula-fed infants gain weight more rapidly in the first weeks of life. This rapid weight gain is associated with later obesity.Transition: Hopefully you’re becoming aware of why breastfeeding is so important especially during the early stages of a childs life. III. Breastfeeding can reduce your stress level and your risk of postpartum depression. A. The National Institute o f Health reviewed more than 9,000 women and concluded that women who didn't breastfeed or stopped breastfeeding early on had a higher risk of postpartum depression. B. Many women feel relaxed while breastfeeding. That's because nursing triggers the release of the hormone oxytocin.Numerous studies in animals and humans have found that oxytocin promotes nurturing and relaxation. 1. One study found that women who had high amounts of oxytocin in their system had lower blood pressure after being asked to talk about a stressful personal problem. Transition: So, let’s reconsider the benefits of breastfeeding. Conclusion: I. Studies are finding new benefits of breastfeeding all the time. The May 2010 issue of Pediatrics, for example, published a study showing that babies who are breastfed are less likely to have fevers after their immunizations than babies who are formula fed.II. Breastfeeding is natural – but that doesn't necessarily mean it's easy. Don't hesitate to contact your healthcare provider or a certified lactation consultant if you need help or support. Bibliography www. womenshealth. gov/breastfeeding/Share[-;0] www. webmd. com/parenting/†¦ /breastfeeding-9/nursing-basics[-;1] [-;0] – http://www. womenshealth. gov/breastfeeding/Share [-;1] – http://www. webmd. com/parenting/†¦ /breastfeeding-9/nursing-basics

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Changes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Changes - Essay Example array of studies was conducted by Gendreau and Ross is 1987 that proved to be effective in proving certain reforms to be true and arranging the juvenile system is the set order. More researches are carried by the Greenwood and Zimring in 1985 that added several feature to secure the rights of the juvenile offenders and secure the made the juvenile justice system to be respected and responsive in solving the problems of the juvenile offenders. Similar types of researches are carried by the Altschuler and Armstrong in 1984 that made the juvenile justice system different from the general justice system in every method, proceedings and punishments. Most recently, the National Council on Crimes and delinquency evaluated how the system can be made more responsive in minimizing the crime rate by summarizing the previous reforms in the juvenile justice system. These reforms are made by Lipsey and other colleges of him in

Friday, September 27, 2019

Big Four Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Big Four - Essay Example They founded Central Pacific in 1861. They were also responsible for starting the American transcontinental line. Construction of the rail began in Sacramento, California, in 1863 which reached south to Arizona in 1877. The Central Pacific met the Union Pacific at Promontory, Utah, in May 1869. Stanford was born on March 9 1824, and he passed on June 21, 1893. He was an American mogul, industrialist, politician and forefather of Stanford University. He remade himself in gold rush era in California as a merchant. He left the Midwest to become a partner in a wholesale grocery industry created by his brothers. He was slow to speak, a deliberate thinker, and he was characterized by a steady nature that repeatedly provoked his railroad partners. Stanford headed east to lobby for the undertaking and gain biased support for his gubernatorial tender. Stanford appointed Theodore Judah and Doc Strong as nominating committee, and, perhaps swayed by his political gravity, they in turn named Stanford president. It was a insignificant to company mastermind Huntington, who had to settle for vice president and the beginning of bad blood that estranged him from Stanford and drove Judah away from the Central Pacific. Bad choices cost Stanford his governors office by the end of his first term- characteristic was his May decision to appoint business partner E. B. Crocker to the California Supreme Court.Political position had allowed him to funnel state money to the railroad; free from the responsibilities of office, Stanford turned his full attention to railroad duties. In 1868 he signed a million-dollar draft without their consultation, making the company captive to the Bank of California Collis P. Huntington was born in 1821 and passed on in the 1900. He went to California in1849 on news about gold. He had an uncanny intelligence for buying and selling. There he became a partner with Mark Hopkins in a successful wholesale-retail firm that specialized in miners’

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Law Enforcements Need to Take a Proactive Approach to Non-ethical And Term Paper

Law Enforcements Need to Take a Proactive Approach to Non-ethical And Corruptive Behavior - Term Paper Example This report declares that supervisors need to be role models such that their junior officers will copy what they do but not what they say since unethical behavior of the supervisors plays an important role in training unethical behavior to the junior officers under their command. The administration should ensure that ethical training should not be limited to the junior officers only but should be spread in the whole organization so as to improve the level of personal commitment, integrity and professionalism. The law enforcement administrators have to approach issues related to integrity and ethics from a different perspective, so as to regain and maintain public trust and confidence. To avoid the major ones since the bigger the error the larger the consequence and this will entirely depend on the discipline of the senior officers who are the administrators of the entire law enforcement sector. This paper makes a conclusion that the media should also avoid giving the public false information as this irritates the officers where they seek revenge from the public regardless of whether an individual is on the wrong or not. Not all officers are corrupt and brutal it is only a section of the police force that is corrupt and brutal, the administration should promote the efficient and non-corrupt officers so as to boost their self-esteem and motivate them, in addition to being giving them incentives and this will be a good example to the already corrupt officers to change for the better and at the end of the day this will repair the bad reputation of the same officers.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Is water a natural right or is it a commodity Essay

Is water a natural right or is it a commodity - Essay Example Different civilizations throughout history considered water as a mutual property resource and not an open access resource. Hence there were different priorities over water usage. Drinking water had the highest priority; nobody who wanted drinking water was turned away. The community well dug by the community in general was freely used by the community. In a civilization like Rome, shows a typical example of how water was allocated when there was an actual allocation and sanitation system. They had an unrestricted water source recognized as the lacus. Here the Romans rich or poor could collect water for free. The use of lacus required one to transport the water to their private homes using their own labour and money. Then there was another kind of executive supply of water whereby the water would be delivered to the homestead via pipe for a fee. It was an actual right recognized by the Roman and the Jewish law which was known as the â€Å"Right to thirst†. This shows that human beings since the early civilization have recognized water especially drinking water as a human right and not a commodity (Branco, 150). In today’s world, international human rights and law have been put in place which acknowledges water as a human right and not a commodity. This was agreed on after a lot of discussion and debate by 122 countries. This decision was arrived at formally in 28 July 2010. This was done in a General Assembly (GA) resolution (A/64/292 which was established on draft resolution A/64/L>63/Rev.1.) It led to the UN Human Rights Council espousing an obligatory resolution that acknowledged that the human right to water and sanitation is an element of the right to a sufficient standard of living. Although it is recognized in international law it cannot be imposed in the national echelon until it’s integrated into the national legislation (Gupta, 304). This resolution confirms that the human right to nontoxic drinking water and sanitation is originat ed from the right to adequate standard of living and is inextricably tied to the right of the highest possible standard of physical and mental health, also the right to life and human dignity. This right places several responsibilities on governments. They are meant to ensure that all their citizens can access sufficient, uncontaminated water and affordable in an equal manner. Some of the uses that water should be availed for include drinking, personal sanitation, washing clothes, food preparation and personal hygiene. The States should ensure that first priority should go to personal and domestic uses over other uses. This water should be sufficient, clean affordable and accessible. Governments should also take up secondary priorities of irrigation and availing water for manufacturing in an affordable manner (International water sanitation center, 204). The number of people unable to access clean and improved sources of domestic and drinking water is 780 million and at least 2.6 bi llion lacking access to sanitation services. This shows that still a lot has to be done to make sure water is accessible to all in the planet. Other problems that have afflicted secure and accessible sourcing of water is the cross-border conflicts in the Middle East, The Eastern Mediterranean and other parts of North America. Some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and researchers have tried to establish the fact that the right to water is also

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Discuss the cellular basis of diastolic dysfunction Essay

Discuss the cellular basis of diastolic dysfunction - Essay Example This phase comprises of the systole. As soon as the systole begins, the mitral and tricuspid valves shut close tightly in order to prevent any backflow of blood into the atria. At the same time, the pulmonary and the aortic valves are pushed open, leading to a flow of blood from right ventricle to lungs and from the left ventricle to the whole body, after getting oxygenated from the lungs. In the patients with diastolic dysfunction, the ventricles fail to relax normally during this phase of cardiac cycle. This leads to an increase in the pressure inside the ventricles when the blood returns from the second heart beat. This pressure is thus transferred to the lungs vasculature as well, leading to the pulmonary congestion as well as to the blood vessels, returning back to the heart, leading to the systemic congestion. The primary abnormality in left diastolic dysfunction is the left ventricular relaxation. This results in a high diastolic pressure along with the poor filling of the ventricles. As a compensatory mechanism, the left atrial pressure increases in order to increase the diastolic filling. This increase in the left atrial pressure continues, until it exceeds the hydrostatic and oncotic pressures in the pulmonary capillaries and eventually leading to pulmonary edema. These patients generally show the symptoms of exertion when there is a reduction in the ventricular filling time, during the times of increased cardiac activity. The circulating catecholamines further worsen the whole scenario. [5] According to Michael R. Zile, MD, Charles Ezra Daniel, Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Medical University of South Carolina; the difference between the systolic heart failure and the diastolic heart failure lies in the amount of ejection fraction during the two conditions. In systolic heart failure, there is heart failure, but with a decreased ejection fraction, while in

Monday, September 23, 2019

Technological innovations from creative minds Essay

Technological innovations from creative minds - Essay Example Because of this we see technology as a work both of science, art, and as a means to an end and not just a technology per se. Engineers are rarely able to solve problems by mere substituting numerical values in mathematical formulas. "It is his business to cause a compromise between several conflicting requirements and find a solution, which will fulfill the desired purpose in an economical manner," (Still & Siskind, 1954). The engineering components of a design represent the science of it that would cover the principles, theories, systems, and mathematical principles involved. The functionality, mechanisms, and others physical components of a technology is created with reasons. How these scientific components are implemented and arranged to work in a technology is the art that depended on creative and critical judgment. Still and Siskind (1954) further affirmed that machine design calls for individual judgment to a greater extent. But judgment is not easily acquired in school. It is inherent within the character of the designer and learnt through practice and experiences. Achieving the end through the unu sual way requires a critical mind that evaluates every bit of possibilities and impossibilities. The outcome or the end results, the underlying cause why a technology is created, the effect of the technological... al environment, improved food, clothing, and shelter, increased security, release from the bondage of bare existence, increased knowledge as among the important contributions of technological development. Meanings are embodied within the aspect of every technological design and this revolves around the creative nature of the designer. Focusing so much on the technological side could not make us appreciate the real context of the creativity for which the technology is based. As Heidegger (1997) puts it, "the essence of technology is by no means anything technological." Therefore dealing so much on the tangible aspect of the technology would keep us entwined and captured with it. By looking beyond we open our minds to new possibilities, innovations, and a future outlook. Design concepts and creations are based on science and engineering principles but it is the creativity that puts meaning on the design. To simply illustrate, two scientists may use the same engineering principles and techniques in coming up with a design to solve a particular problem but there could be difference in the final form since another factor usually play and that what most creative thinkers see beyond the phys ical side. When humans developed the rockets he looked beyond the conquest of space. And when man sees beyond the boundaries of the universe he doesn't end his creativity within the limits of the capability of the rockets. Technologies are shaped by the future and seeing beyond the future of new technologies is what ignites creativity to develop new ways, new things, and new ideas. Let us apply the concepts of technological creativity with the emerging virtual technology and gather around the science, the art, and the means to an end behind its conceptualization, development, and

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Mobile Banking Essay Example for Free

Mobile Banking Essay It is pleasure on my part to submit my report on â€Å"Mobile banking- The Next Generation Banking† as part of my BBA (Hon’s) Final Examination Though it is a new experience, I have tried level my best to gather information and to translate my knowledge into writing this term paper report covering the aspects of the topics as per your suggestions and guidelines to reflect the same in report with my limited scope and knowledge. Without sincere cooperation and proper guidance of you it was not possible for me to prepare this report . For this act of kindness I am grateful to you. All of my effort will be rewarded only if it could satisfy you.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Child and Young Person Development Essay Example for Free

Child and Young Person Development Essay 1) Describe, using the examples in the case study, the kinds of influences that affect children and young peoples development. Include examples from the family and childrens background, health and environment. (2.1) In the case study there are many influences that affect the children and young peoples development in the family; this can be because of the background of the family, the health and also the environment they live in. The mother and father were both in foster care when they were young, so they won’t have a motherly/fatherly figure to look up to when looking after their own children. Their fridge/freezer is broken so they can’t keep food fresh, so they will have to eat tinned food. The twins, Melody and Michael, were born 14 weeks premature so they will need all the nutrience they can get to help them grow and get healthy. The flat they all live in is crowded because there are 8 of them to share 3 bedrooms and a small lounge and kitchen. The lift in the flat is broken so the children cant go out to play and get exercise. Also when the lift isnt working the twins cannot attend the nursery, so they will not learn all the simple things you learn in nursery. The mother cannot leave the flat to shop for food, so they will have to eat less food for each meal to last them until she can get to the shops. Also their father cannot leave the flat because he has a severe disability and he has to stay in bed. He can’t even work because of it, and the mother cant work because she has to look after the children and Wayne too, so they have to live on benefits. Their flat is right next to an industrial estate where many chemicals are used; it is letting off all the chemicals and polluting the air. Therefore the children cant really go out anyway because of the polluted air, it will make them ill. Nigel, who is 7, has asthma and it gets worse when the weather is overcast. Also it doesnt help when the flat has damp patches everywhere that will make Nigels asthma worse. These are the influences that affect the children and young people’s development in the case study. 2) Describe, with examples, the importance of recognising and responding to concerns about children and young people’s  development. (2.2) It is important to recognise and to respond to concerns about children and young people’s development. To prevent a child or young person being neglected or in risk of harmful situations such as violence, drugs or alcohol misuse you can deliver early intervention. This is a support system for children with developmental disabilities or delays and their families. If someone recognises a child or young person getting hurt/abused by parents/family then they should respond to it by calling the social services. That way they can deal with the abuse, and take the child away from the family. Then the child couldn’t get hurt and they will be able to develop more. If you was a student and have a work placement at a nursery/ preschool and you notice that a child has bruises or is acting in a weird way, like being really quite than usual you may think that something is wrong. There are a couple of things you could do; you could ask the child if there is anything wrong if you get no answer then you could tell your supervisor or another member of staff. That way they could do something about it such as, they can ask the child what’s wrong or they could contact the parents. In the case study the family live in a flat right next to an industrial estate which is letting off lots of chemicals and polluting to air, and the children can’t go out to play because of that, it could make them really ill. The parents could go/talk to the council about getting a council house, and then the children can go out and play to get exercise to help them to develop. These are some ways of recognising and responding to concerns about children and young people’s development.

Friday, September 20, 2019

A Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr

A Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr A Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. was written in the margins of a letter posted by the clergymen of Alabama at this time that sparked his interest and while he inhabited the jail cell for parading around without a permit. This time allowed him the ability to respond wholeheartedly to this cynical oppressing. Kings letter addresses specific points presented in the Clergymens and this direct response distinguishes Kings strong points through his powerful writing. Unethical and immoral mentions came to the attention of the Minister through the letter, and he expressed his differing views and defended his ideals and actions through Aristotles three rhetorical devices, ethos, logos, and pathos. First and foremost, King establishes his credibility to spark off his strong defense. Introducing himself as The President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. , [with] eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (Letter from Birmingham Jail 2). This credential not only puts King into a position of power but also proves that he has seen enough of the south and the problems within it to create a strong argument against his opposition. Another point that establishes this is on page seven of Letter From Birmingham Jail where King states that hes traveled through the length and breadth of Alabama, Mississippi, and all the other southern states. On sweltering summer days and crisp autumn mornings. This quote defends his credibility further because not only did King travel once through these states but multiple t imes in different seasons, and even deeper- in different trials that may have been presented. Moreover, throughout the letter, King references the Bible, presidents, and writers to establish not only his educated mind, but also his passion for righteousness and his stance as a minister. The flawless flow of his passionate response to the Clergymen also presents support for his intellect and knowledge due to keeping a reasonable head and developed grammar while inhabiting a jail cell. Many of the Kings rhetoric used that convinced his credibility to the audience also demonstrated the logic in his counterargument. In a simple paragraph, he effectively proves his point that extremism for a proper cause isnt something to discredit and should not be looked upon as a negative thing, Was not Jesus an extremist for Love,Was not Amos and Extremist of justice, was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel, and Abraham Lincoln,and Thomas Jefferson,The Question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be (A Letter from Birmingham Jail 6). After thoroughly tying in many influential figures in history, King then goes on to question the argument of the Clergymen stating that the demonstrations are at fault in Birmingham and not the social situation already simmering. Throughout Alabama all sorts of devious methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties in which,not a single Negro is register ed (Letter from Birmingham Jail 4) This direct attack on the truth of Alabama in this time brings a harsher light to what happens and what is overlooked to many. King then continues to state that it was his parading without a permit (4), that landed him in the jail and while it is completely fine to have such an ordinance,it becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest (Letter from Birmingham Jail 4). This direct reference to the constitution of the United States and just and unjust laws and ordinances proves a strong point for Kings Rebuttal, which helps to defend the equal rights movement even further. Throughout the passage, after King addresses his credentials and furthers I through his knowledgeable and strong rebuttals of logic, his argument plays further into the conscious of his audience through well put references and emotional instances. One powerful example of Kings pull on the readers consciousness in his letter is on page three when he refutes the argument of the Clergymen saying that Colored people should just wait. While many words truly stand out, Kings true effect was mastered by the appeal to the parents in the group, When you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: Daddy, why white people treat colored people so mean (Letter from Birmingham Jail 3)? Then again, humiliation day in and day out by nagging signs (Letter from Birmingham Jail 3) and even further, when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of nobodiness (Letter from Birmingham Jail 3). Another element that helps support Kings point in his letter is the fervent repetition o f his blatant disappointment in more than simply the clergymen, but their Christian faith and the churches in service within Alabama during this time. King repeats how disappointed he was in the common whites also and their bystander reactions to racial issues. The fact that this man, a minister, beneath the said extremist white clergymen, and inhabiting a jail cell during that time, who was disappointed in people showed a true depth which hit the audience profoundly. (King) These three elements to Martin Luther Kings letter aid it to be the most effective argument against the Clergymens rash and irrational spark of a letter. Because he sought to the demands and claims so logically, and rebutted with passion and clarity, Kings message was put across and he demonstrated what he needed to put his point across and defend his actions and ideals. The strength of this letter allowed a clear voice to hopefully change mindsets and common misconceptions within Birmingham, Alabama and did not allow the irregularities of the Clergymen to cloud minds with incorrect thoughts. Works Cited: King, Martin Luther, Jr. Letter from Birmingham Jail. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Nellie Y. McKay. New York: Norton, 1997. 1854-66.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Prospero’s Loss in Shakespeares The Tempest Essay -- Tempest essays

Prospero’s Loss in The Tempest       Shakespeare’s The Tempest is a play about loss - more specifically, Prospero’s loss. Prospero is a tragic hero, in a sense, because he makes the transition from having everything to having nothing. He loses his daughter. He brings his enemies under his power only to eventually lose control and release them. In the end, he gives up his influence on the world – including his incredible power over nature itself. The Tempest can be seen as a tragic play because of a few elements – Prospero is a dominant figure who must have revenge in return for the wrongs inflicted upon him, and, in his fury, he manages to destroy his enemies as well as his own humanity and his daughter’s future.    Prospero is shown to be somewhat of a dictator in The Tempest. He doesn’t speak to the other characters, instead he dictates â€Å"at† them. Rather than converse with his daughter Miranda, Prince Ferdinand, and Ariel, he tells them his thoughts with no intention of receiving a response. At the end of Act IV Prospero is caught up in the ecstasy of punishing and determining the fate of ... ... William Shakespeare. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1958. xlii. Palmer, D. J. (Editor) The Tempest - A Selection of Critical Essays London: MacMillan Press Ltd., 1977. Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans, et. al. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1974. Solomon, Andrew. "A Reading of the Tempest." In Shakespeare's Late Plays. Ed. Richard C. Tobias and Paul G. Zolbrod. Athens: Ohio UP, 1974. 232. John Wilders' lecture on The Tempest given at Oxford University - Worcester College - August 4th, 1999. Prospero’s Loss in Shakespeare's The Tempest Essay -- Tempest essays Prospero’s Loss in The Tempest       Shakespeare’s The Tempest is a play about loss - more specifically, Prospero’s loss. Prospero is a tragic hero, in a sense, because he makes the transition from having everything to having nothing. He loses his daughter. He brings his enemies under his power only to eventually lose control and release them. In the end, he gives up his influence on the world – including his incredible power over nature itself. The Tempest can be seen as a tragic play because of a few elements – Prospero is a dominant figure who must have revenge in return for the wrongs inflicted upon him, and, in his fury, he manages to destroy his enemies as well as his own humanity and his daughter’s future.    Prospero is shown to be somewhat of a dictator in The Tempest. He doesn’t speak to the other characters, instead he dictates â€Å"at† them. Rather than converse with his daughter Miranda, Prince Ferdinand, and Ariel, he tells them his thoughts with no intention of receiving a response. At the end of Act IV Prospero is caught up in the ecstasy of punishing and determining the fate of ... ... William Shakespeare. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1958. xlii. Palmer, D. J. (Editor) The Tempest - A Selection of Critical Essays London: MacMillan Press Ltd., 1977. Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans, et. al. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1974. Solomon, Andrew. "A Reading of the Tempest." In Shakespeare's Late Plays. Ed. Richard C. Tobias and Paul G. Zolbrod. Athens: Ohio UP, 1974. 232. John Wilders' lecture on The Tempest given at Oxford University - Worcester College - August 4th, 1999.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Antidumping and the WTO Essay example -- Economy Economics Environment

Antidumping and the WTO While antidumping doesn't get a lot of press, it is certainly one of the biggest issues that the WTO is dealing with today. During the recent WTO Ministerial Conference in Seattle, much was mage about protesters who were demanding higher environmental standards or international labor standards. Little was mentioned about antidumping. However, In the midst of the many demonstrators there were steel workers and members of other union organizations like the AFL-CIO who were there to defend US antidumping laws. Antidumping regulation was a major issue for Seattle as it is for the organization of the WTO in general. From the inception of the WTO, there has been controversy over antidumping laws from diverse groups. Some countries feel that other countries place antidumping measures on products that have not really been dumped. Since the 1994 Uruguay Round, many developing nations feel that they have been unfairly targeted for antidumping penalties by the industrialized nations. Count ries such as Japan and South Korea have also called for reforms. The US, being the largest economy in the world tends to be on the receiving end of much of this controversy about its national antidumping laws. Adding to the confusion, not many cases brought to the WTO panels have been settled as of yet. There are many complaints about antidumping procedures, and some economic graphs can be used to demonstrate these complaints about antidumping and the WTO's antidumping laws. In 1995, the World Trade Organization was born out of the Uruguay Round of trade talks. The WTO has upwards of 123 member countries and new members are always in the process of joining. The WTO is an organization that basically a more formal extension of the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) which had existed for around 50 years. However, the WTO agreements also cover trade issues not in the GATT agreement, such as trade in services and intellectual property rights. Also, WTO member countries must ag ree to all the obligations of its agreements. The WTO also features binding panel resolutions. Countries must accept the panel rulings; under GATT that was not necessarily true. Still, WTO embodies the same spirit as GATT. It favors trade liberalization and globalization over trade barriers. In particular, one main objective of the WTO is to reduce trade restrictions, and o... ...tidumping , this paper restricted its examination to only half of the antidumping story; there are many arguments for the antidumping laws that are currently on the books. No one is suggesting that the US or any other industrialized nation let its industries be unfairly put out of business, if that is truly the case at hand. Still, as the Seattle Round demonstrates, the WTO's antidumping laws seem to have satisfied to few countries. Given the spirit of its trade barrier reduction goals, the WTO should make sure it gets its antidumping rules right. Bibliography: "Consultations on FTAA and WTO Negotiations." Consultations with Canadians. 4 Oct. 99 . Dumler, Christopher M. "Anti-dumping Laws Trash Supercomputer Competition." Cato Briefing Papers. 14 Oct. 1997. . Griswold, Daniel T. "Industry Sets Steel Trap for U.S. Economy." Cato Center for Trade Policy Studies Articles. 23 October 1998.. Hindley, Brian and Patrick A. Messerlin. 29 Nov. 1999. "Japan Wants New Trade Talk." Reuters. 29 Oct. 1999. K & S Law. "Combating Injurious Imports." 29 Nov. 1999. Raghavan, Chakravarthi. "Call for Revision of Anti-dumping, Subsidy Rules. " Third World Network. .

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Private Hospital vs Public Hospitals

Concern over the quality of health care services in Bangladesh has led to loss of faith in low utilization of public health facilities, and increasing outflow of Bangladeshi patients to private hospitals. The public health sector is plagued by uneven demand and perceptions of poor quality. Countrywide, the underutilization of available facilities is of significant concern. For example, one study shows that the overall utilization rate for public health care services is as low as 30% (Ricardo et al. 004). Moreover, the trend of utilization of public health care services has been declining between 1999 and 2003, while the rate of utilization of private health care facilities for the same period has been increasing (CIET Canada 2003). The unavailability of doctors and nurses, as well as their negative attitudes and behaviors, are major hindrances to the utilization of public hospitals. The situation is further compounded by lack of drugs, and long travel and waiting times (HEU 2003a). What is particularly disturbing is the lack of empathy of the service providers, their generally callous and casual demeanor, their aggressive pursuit of monetary gains, their poor levels of competence and, occasionally, their disregard for the suffering that patients endure without being able to voice their concerns—all of these service failures are reported frequently in the print media. Such failures can play a powerful role in shaping patients’ negative attitudes and dissatisfaction with health care service providers and health care itself. The private health care sector also deserves close scrutiny as about 70% of the patients seek medical care from this sector (World Bank 2003). Between 1996 and 2000, private hospitals grew around 15% per annum (HEU 2003b). Benefits of going to private hospitals than public hospitals: 1. Reliability: Reliability refers to providers’ ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. Private hospitals provides good compatible doctors in some cases they have foreign physicians or specialist, who gives treatment here in visiting basis. They have high-tech machineries which gives accurate and precise results. Supervision of patients is also good for patients who are admitted here. Where public hospital mostly runs with inter doctors who newly started their work. Their medical tests are not that much reliable, as due to inefficient staff and back-dated machinery. 2. Responsiveness: Private hospital staffs respond promptly when needed. The requirement equipments are available, functional and able to provide quick diagnoses of diseases. Also prescribed drugs are available and properly administered. But in public hospitals the response is not that much quick, with lack of proper equipments. The prescribed drugs are not that much available. 3. Assurance: here in private hospitals, with knowledge, skill and courtesy of the doctors and nurses can provide a sense of assurance that they have the patient's best interest in mind. They deliver their services with integrity, fairness and beneficence. In the health care system, assurance is embodied in service providers who correctly interpret laboratory reports, diagnose the disease competently, provide appropriate explanations to queries, and generate a sense of safety. But the public hospitals give a totally opposite impression. 4. Discipline: In Private hospitals the doctors maintain proper visiting schedules and that there are structured visiting hours for relatives, friends, etc. A clean and organized appearance of a hospital, its staff, its premises, restrooms, equipment, wards and beds are visible. The practices of paying ‘Baksheesh’ (an informal but small facilitation payment) are strictly prohibited here. Conclusion: This contention was largely supported since private hospitals obtained better ratings than public hospitals on most of the measures of responsiveness, communication, and discipline. These differences suggest that private hospitals are playing a meaningful role in society, justifying their existence, continuation.

Monday, September 16, 2019

International Marketing Essay

1. Introduction 1. History Lever Brothers was founded in 1885 by William Hesketh Lever. The company initially started its operations by manufacturing soap. In 1917, the company began to diversify into foods, acquiring fish, ice cream and canned foods businesses in order to apply synergies caused by commonalities in the raw materials required to produce and distribute these products. In 1930, the Dutch company Margarine Unie merged with a British company, Lever Brothers, to form the multinational Unilever. Unilever has two parent companies: Both companies have the same directors and effectively operate as a single business. 2. Marketing Management Philosophy Marketing management process undertakes the stages of strategy formulation, implementation and control. Therefore, it is imperative to first identify the adopted marketing management philosophy by the organization. Organisational purpose of Unilever clearly states that organisation’s focal attention is centered towards anticipation and satisfaction of customer needs and wants. Kotler (2000) mentions that marketing concept holds that the key to achieving its organizational goals consists of the company being more effective than competitors in creating, delivering and communicating customer value to its chosen target markets. Deep insight into organizational purpose reveals that goals and objectives of Unilever depend on determining the needs and wants of target markets and to satisfy the customers efficiently than competitors. The company also considers its role as socially responsible entity by ethical business practices and ongoing welfare projects in many of the South Asian markets. Such adopted marketing management philosophy as a central element of corporate purpose will definitely influence the international/Global strategy of Unilever. Hence, it can be concluded that whole of the business philosophy of Unilever is embedded into marketing oriented organization with the purpose to keep in consideration the expectations of all stake holder groups. 2. Organisational structure of Unilever Organisational structure of Unilever follows a de-centralized setup, where corporate level strategies are formed by board members and executive committee. Unilever operates in two separate global divisions for food and home & personal care business. Table 1: Regional groups Source: http://www.uniliver.com The directors of these global divisions are company’s executive committee. Business level strategies and formulated by Presidents of each of the separate regional groups made for food and health & personal care business. These business presidents are responsible for delivering business results in their respective regions and reports to Directors of Food and Home & Personal care division. At functional level, host country managers are responsible to implement strategies and to make functional level strategies in accordance with the changes in sub-localities. The core building block in Unilever is the local operating company. These companies are organized into eleven regional groups. At regional levels, Unilever has deployed host country managers. 3. Global or international strategy of Unilever At present, it is difficult to suggest any of the orientation stage for Unilever. When it comes to global marketing, market segmentation decisions are no longer focused on national borders. Cateora and Graham (2000) explain that at global marketing stage, companies treat the world including their home market, as one market. Market segmentation decisions are no longer focused on national borders. However, critical review of Unilever’s operations state that the marketing strategies of the company are both internationally and globally oriented. While, developing market segments, Unilever takes into accounts the incomes levels, usage patterns and other factors that span countries and regions. The global brands of Unilever in Food and Personal care business are examples of it. However, the company also laid a minute focus on various regional markets by developing distinct regional market segments in light of the tastes, preferences, income and other factors of these markets. The broad category of local brands is an example of it. Therefore, in order to determine elements of Global/International marketing strategy of Unilever, it is imperative to analyze the stages of international marketing involvement and strategic orientation of the company. The deep insight into these dimensions reveals the stature of organization as international or global company. 1. Stages of marketing involvement Initially, the focus of the company was limited to few product categories, targeted segments and market. However, with the passage of time, the company was gone through the transition process from one stage to another. The learning curve and experience of Unilever along with analysis of market potential and company capabilities enable the organization to extend its product portfolio and to step into different markets. By keeping in view the involvement factors of company towards strategic marketing orientation, it is difficult to suggest any one stage of orientation. Unilever is truly international in a sense that it sells diversified range of products around world which comes up from planned production. However, the concept of global marketing states that market segmentation decisions are no longer focused on national borders. In practice, critical review of Unilever’s operations reveal that the marketing strategies of company are both internationally and globally oriented. Development of market segments at Unilever takes into account the taste and consumption preferences and other segment variables that span countries and regions. The global brands of Unilever in food and personal care business highlight this approach. At the same time, Unilever focuses on regional and country markets by developing distinct regional market segments by considering tastes, preferences, income and other natures of these regional markets. The broad category of local brands made to tailor the regional market needs exhibit this approach. Hence, it can be concluded that Unilever is catering to the needs and wants of mass market segments around the world by making a blend of international and global orientation. 2. Strategic orientation 1. Strategic Brand Management International strategy of Unilever is focused to build its business by creating, developing and delivering value brands. Unilever has a diversified product category and each product line has much depth and width in it. Evaluation of Unilever’s marketing strategies reveals that the organization is more centered towards buildings and positioning brands, Branding is known to be the spinal cord function at Unilever which basically stick together all functions of marketing like marketing research, product development, pricing, advertising etc. Thus, Marketing functions and activities at Unilever are combined together to focus the process of branding. As first step, marketing research function facilitates the brand managers and business level managers with the comprehensive profiles of various regional markets around the world. Then, strong brands are developed as a solution to customer needs. Unilever has core focus towards effective brand management in order to develop both global and local brands. As a part of future growth strategy of company, Unilever implied law of contraction to refine and retune its diversified brand categories by focusing only on potential brands. Consequently, organization resources will be allocated on the brands, which have growth potential and growth levels and will be pursued to enhance profitability. Jean and Kapferer (2000) states that the brand is a focal point for all the positive and negative impressions created by the buyer over time as they comes into contact with brand’s product, distribution channel, personnel and communication. Accordingly, brand managers and research experts at Unilever classify the customer groups in term of their demographic, geographic, economic and personal profiles. Along with, they identify the changing consumer preferences in terms of their needs, wants, satisfaction, tastes and expectations. All these considerations are then tailored to manipulate the marketing mix elements to develop a successful and value delivering brand. One of the prominent examples of Unilever brands which shows the company’s insight into consumer health requirements is Annapurna Salt. Continuous marketing research function and collaboration with health organisations let Unilever to identify that majority of people living in Africa and south Asian region inherently have deficiency of iodine component in their bodies. As a result, Unilever introduced iodised salt for the consumer segments in this market with the brand name, Annapurna. The particular example shows that understanding of consumer needs enables Unilever to build in health benefit into their product. 2. Social Responsibility This dimension of international marketing strategy clearly defines the characteristics of organizational cultural paradigm and purpose of the company to position itself in minds of customers. Kotler (2000) defines that societal marketing concept holds tha the organisation’s task in to determine the needs, wants and interests of target marketes and to deliver the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than competitors in a way that preserves or enhance the conusmer’s and the society’s well-being. In realistic and factual terms, in today’s business environment, social responsibility is a good marketing strategy to effectively position the corporate and brand names in targeted markets. Companies have international and global orientation operates in variety of international regional markets. Although, the principle of marketing always remain the same regardless of the market environments, however, at the corporate level, the strategists also take into consideration the role and overall contribution of company with in each market and region. Contemporary marketing philosophies do consider the role of an organization as socially responsible entity by ethical business practices. The degree to which an organization will be socially responsible to its macro market environments is determined at the stage of formulation of corporate level strategy. Incase, of a multinational company like Unilever, international marketing strategies take into account the role of company in various environments. Organization does incur some costs to emerge as socially responsible organization and do seek some benefits out of it in form of consumer’s affiliation and overall perception of organization in their minds. Unilever claims: As a multi-local multinational we aim to play our part in addressing global environmental and social concerns through local actions and in partnership with local governments and organisations. Now it is quite obvious that at broader scale the international marketing philosophy of Unilever is to stand as socially responsible organization. However, the action-oriented approach towards implication of social responsibilities entirely depends upon individual nature of market and environmental conditions. As a decentralized approach of strategy, the corporate level management at local operating companies defines the paradigm of social responsibility in regional and country markets and business level managers pursue the objectives by developing and implementing action-oriented strategies. Unilever Pakistan is the largest consumer goods company in Pakistan. In Pakistan, it is registered as a separate local operating company. In order to pursue international marketing strategy contents in relevance to social responsibility, Unilever Pakistan, in context to the local market environment analyzed and assessed nature of market environmental. The through analyses of environmental and natural resources reveal that the country faces shortage of water resources which are crucial to be used as household, agricultural and industrial requirements. In result, Business level managers worked out to enhance the performance and efficiency of its production and manufacturing processes by cutting shirt the overall requirement of water resources to be used in processes. With in five year time, Unilever reduced its total water consumption by 40% and proved its role as a socially responsible organization in the sector. 3. Identification of Major Competitor: Jobber (2004) defines that the most important part of conducting competitor’s analysis is identification of competitors, following product form, product substitution, generic strategies and competition arena. In FMCG sectors, there are some names which have made significant progress in the industry. Namely, few of them are Nestle, Proctor & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly-Clark and Unilever. The examination of Unilever’s business segments and product categories reveal that Nestle and Proctor & Gamble are chief competitors of Unilever in international market. Precisely, Nestle is the chief competitor to Unilever due to parallel level of competition among these two companies in respect to homogeneity among their international marketing strategy. The emphasis of both of the companies towards building global and local brands simultaneously, shows that the adopted business slogan is â€Å"Think Global-Act local†. As a result Nestle and Unilever stand shoulder to shoulder in many of the regional markets with diversified line of their local product brands. Annual turnover of Unilever for the year 2003 shows that its Food division contributed 57% share to total sales turnover and 43% share is contributed by Home & Personal Care division. The percentages clearly exhibit that Unilever has comparative strength in its food division over home & personal care division. In light of the analysis, it can be concluded that Nestle is the chief competitor of Unilever in the business segments of Food as Nestle is recognized as world largest manufacture of food related items. On the other hand, Proctor & Gamble is Unilever’s leading competitors in business segments of Home & Personal care as P&G has relative strength in this sector. In food sector, Nestle is far ahead then Unilever due to width and depth of its product lines. In comparison to Unilever, The product categories of Nestle includes; Baby food, dairy products, Break fast cereals, Ice cream, Chocolate & confectionary, prepared food, Beverages, Bottled water and Pet care nutrition. In Home and Personal care, P&G enjoys leadership position in Beauty and Fabric care as the company attains strong global brands in these categories like Ariel and Pantene. 2. Percentage Contribution of geographical markets to total organizational Turnover Annual Sales figures of Nestle, for the year 2003 shows that European and American markets are its major business markets, as both of the markets contributes 32% and 31% respectively to total organizational turnover. Similarly, in case of P&G, North American and Western Europe are the chief markets with 50% and 24% share to turnover respectively. For Unilever, major business markets are Europe and North America which percentage share of 43% and 23% respectively to total sales turnover. The figures clearly state that all of the organizations have a cut-throat competition in North American and European markets and each of the organization has relative strengths in these markets. However, the Asian Pacific markets which have a huge business potential due to huge house hold size and populated economies, there still exists significant margin of improvement. For P&G, Northeast Asian market contributes 21% share to total turnover for year 2004. For Nestle, Asian and African markets contribute to 16% of annual turnover. And in case of Unilever, Asia and Pacific contributes 17% to total organizational turnover. 4. Nature of markets and methods of entry 1. Nature of Markets The business operations of Unilever are expanded over almost 110 countries world wide. Each of the regional and country market has different nature in terms of economies of scale, market segmentation, level of competition, political and social factors. In order to have a deep in-sight to explore and identify the marketing strategies of Unilever in relation to market nature, we will give you a highlight of company’s operations in Asian region with particular emphasis on Pakistani and Chinese market. 1. Nature of market in Pakistani 1. Economic & Demographic Profiles Pakistani market constitutes total population of almost 150 million people. In Pakistan, the affluent and rich class is no more than 6% of the total population. Almost 32% of population is living a life under poverty line. The major segment of the society belongs to middle class consumers which are actually target market for FMCG Company like Unilever. The product portfolio of Unilever constitutes almost 135 brands for Pakistani market. Majority of these brands are part of consumer basket index in South Asian society. Prominent examples are the items like cooking oil, laundry detergent and tea, as these product categories are used with in every Asian household. 2. Level of Competition FMCG companies like Unilever owns a diversified range of products which are different in their nature and most of the product categories are not even interrelated such as laundry detergent and tea. These differential products in a way are recognizable as different strategic business units. Unilever markets almost 135 brands in Pakistan and have not to confront too many players in FMCG industry. The structure of industry in Pakistani market has been shaped in form of Oligopoly, as there are only few leading players as Nestle and Proctor and Gamble. However, each product category defines different level of competition when it comes to analyze the potential of different competing brands both in global and local context. For example, while comparing to huge industry giant like Uniliver, P&G offers limited range of product categories in Pakistani market. On the other sinde, leading detergent brand, Ariel, owned by P&G gives tough time to brands which are included in Unilever’s product category of laundry detergents. Similarly, there are some local companies who manufacture and market a single brand. Tapal is one of the leading tea brands in Pakistani market which stand in cut throat competition against Unilever’s global brands, Lipton and Supreme. The third important factor which determins level of competition for Unilever in Pakistani is the huge market of unbranded products. The unbranded products are low priced and inferior in quality and they are marketed in within regional boundaries. In order to combat these unbranded products, Unilever extended its distribution network to remote areas to capture market share. 3. Blend of Local & Global Brands Unilever clearly understand the cultural and social differences in Pakistani society which have a significant impact over people’s preferences, tastes and life style. By following the nature of market with heavy regional segregation, Unilever decided to offer both Global brands and developing local brands in the market. Lipton is the leading brand of Unilever in the product category of tea. It is marketed in over 100 countries and it shows the global presence of the brand. However, Unilever Pakistan owns several regional brands in product category of tea which are low priced. These tea brands like; Tazza, A1 and Top star are distributed and circulated in regional markets. Similarly, the advertising and media focuses regional languages to promote these brands. 2. Nature of target market in China China cosmetic market has been expanding rapidly over the past 20 years. In 1982, the total sale was only about RMB200 million. By 2001, this figure went up to about RMB40 billion, a growth of 200 times from 1982. China’s annual sale of cosmetics are forecasted to reach RMB60 billion by 2006 and RMB80 billion by 2010. Despite significant growth over the last two decades, there are still have a number of opportunities in Chinese cosmetic market and the country is expected to remain a dynamic market. This is based on some factors: firstly, with a population of billion and 480 million urban residents, China has the largest number of potential cosmetic customers in the world. Secondly, as a result of China’s 7-8% high rate of economic growth, living conditions will continue to improve, which enable an increasing number of people to join the cosmetic consumption force. Finally, China has opened its market according to WTO rules will further stimulate its cosmetic market with more international and domestic players. 2. Method of Market Entry 1. Market Entry Methods in Pakistani Environment As far as market entry mechanism is concerned, Unilever follows two approaches. First, Unilever sets up a local operating company in a country of choice by following the business regulations & company act status in host country. The second approach of market entry followed by Unilever is acquisition. In some of the market settings, Unilever prefers to acquire a prominent brand in spite of establishing totally new setup of production and distribution. Such approach of diversification and market entry strengthen its grip in local markets around the world. By having an investment to acquire a local brand will enable the company to use the pre-running production facilities and marketing networks & distribution channel. This mode of entrance into a market doesn’t swallow precious time resources to build brand awareness. 1. FDI FMCG sector primarily requires a blend of capital intensive and labour intensive resources. Therefore, it was a best option for Unilever to establish its manufacturing and production facilities in local area to reach economies of scale by using cheap skilled and un-skilled labour. For example, in Pakistan, Unilever is operating as locally registered company and it fulfills all the legal requirements of Company Act 1981 and regulations of security and exchange commission. Moreover, Unilever is a public listed company and follows the legal requirements of Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan. The Chief Executive of Unilever Pakistan Ltd. reports to Unilever’s top management, based in team leader country of the regional group. Under such form of market entry, Unilever has to made foreign direct investment in selected country markets. By foreign direct investment, Unilever establishes manufacturing & production facilities along with development of integrated marketing and distribution channels. Unilever established a local operating company in Pakistan with the name, Unilever Pakistan Private Limited. 2. Acquisition The strategy of Unilever in regional country markets like Pakistan is to dominate the market by acquiring the leading local brands offered by other manufacturers. Hence, the benefits result into diversification and enhanced market share. The leading example in this regard is of Polka, which was leading ice cream brand in Pakistan. Unilever launched it global ice cream brand Walls in Pakistan in year 1998-99. Initially, Walls faced severe competition from Polka, as the national brand attained a strong image and equity in the market. As a result, Unilever Pakistan, decided to extend the brand lines by acquiring Polka. The acquisition of Polka enables Unilever to use production and distribution facilities to promote Walls. The targeted markets of Unilever are divided into Regional & sub-regional markets. In each of the country, there exists a local operating company. All these local operating companies are organized into eleven regional groups. 2. Methods of Market Entry in China When the Unilever firstly entered the Chinese market, they usually chosen a Chinese company to cooperate or conduct joint venture, because they were not familiar with Chinese market and did not has distribution and sale channel. However, when they had developed their sale force and built sale channel, Unilever has bought the share from the Chinese company and built new plants in other cities, which is direct investment. 5. Extent of standardization or adaptation of marketing strategy Unilever claims to be the one of the biggest consumer goods manufacturing company in the world. It claims that everyday, almost 150 million people in over 150 countries choose our products. So for a multi national company of that stature, an emerging question for marketing directors will definitely be to examine standardization or adaptation approach in order to develop international/global marketing strategies. An expert’s opinion in this regard is that, â€Å"Forward looking, proactive firms have the ability and willingness to accomplish tasks, standardization and localization. Global markets continue to homogenize and diversify simultaneously. The in-depth study of the product categories and length, depth, and width of product lines reveals that the management of Unilever has a dual focus on homogeneity of needs of consumer around world and towards global customization. In addition, some of the marketing analysts state that a successful company should focus on both of the aspects such as standardization and adaptation at the time of deciding target market segments, the measures of determining these segments and targeting strategy. Unilever states: â€Å"Our deep roots in local cultures and markets around the world are our unparalleled inheritance and the foundation for our future growth. We will bring our wealth of knowledge and international expertise to the service of local consumers- a truly multi local multinational† The argument can be justified by Unilever’s motto: â€Å"A Multi-local Multinational†. In-light of the above created discussion, we conclude that Unilever is conscious of the features of global and international markets. For instance, the product category of Unilever constitutes the global as well as local brands, which implies that Unilever manipulates the marketing mix elements by having a favourable blend of both standardization and adaptation. 1. Product When the Unilever wanted to enter the Chinese market, they use product adaptation strategy, which means, â€Å"adapting a product to meet local conditions or wants in foreign markets (Kotler, Armstrong, Saunders, Wong 2001, p.175)†. They did not just bring the products sold in UK to launch in Chinese market, but has done a number of researches about Chinese women’ skin and found that Chinese people’ skin is quite different from European’s. Therefore, they have changed the formula of the pond’s products, which can be perfectly suitable for Chinese women. As can be seen, Unilever has adopted adaptation strategy, which is highly cost, but has increased the market share. 2. Branding and promotion Unilever has implemented plans to make greater use of its corporate brand in support of its companies and products around the world. By 2005 subsidiary companies will adopt the name. Also, over the coming years the Unilever name will appear on all product packaging. Consumers and stakeholders will find it easier to see who Unilever is and what it does. Its goal is to strengthen Unilever’s business and reputation, so that both Unilever and its brands are better understood and trusted throughout the world. The trend shows the enhanced recognition of branding as supreme function of marketing. Al Ries and Laura Ries (1998) explain that marketing is building a brand in the mind of the prospect. If you can build a powerful brand, you will have a powerful marketing program. Although, Unilever announced corporate brand, they still use the adaptation strategy in some of the products. For example, the Unilever has changed their brand name from English form into Chinese manner, which is easier for Chinese young women to identify and remember. In addition, food division of Unilever claims Knorr as one of its supreme global brand with almost 2.3 billion euro annual sales in over 100 countries. The product range of knorr includes soups, sauces, noodles and complete meals. Similarly, in personal care market, Unilever owns prominent brands as Axe, Dove, Lux, Ponds, Rexona and Sunsilk. However, in frozen food category, Unilever has supreme local brands. i.e. Findus (for Italian market), Bird’s eye for UK and Iglo for other European countries. Moreover, in category of margarine & spreads, Becel is a prominent brand for Dutch market. Flora is the brand in UK and Take control is in American market. In olive oil category, the most important brand, Bertolli is appealing to consumer taste for Mediterranean food. Unilever clearly at the same time recognizes the homogeneity of consumers by developing global brands and also make itself adaptive to the cultural, political and social environment of different regional markets by developing local brands and keeping in view the distinct needs of the consumers. Unilever normally design different advertisement for different countries. For example, when Unilever shoot an advertising film in Asian marketing, it is keen to adopt Asian actresses. 3. Pricing Terpstra and Sarathy (2000) state that incomes, culture, and consumers’ preferences differ from country to country, thus, for the same price in different countries, the demand will be different. Therefore, Unilever has institute dissimilar prices according to the nature of markets in different countries. For example, the level of income in china is relatively low. Therefore, the price of pond’s products in china is lower than Europe. Another reason for low price strategy is that Unilever produce Pond’s in china. The cost is low. However, if Unilever just export its products from one country to another country, the cost will be high considering the tariff, insurance and transport fees need to be added into the cost. Therefore, Unilever would adopt the standardization within the operation to balance the difference. 4. Distribution It is not easy to build distribution channels in foreign countries. When Unilever enters in a new marketplace, it is more likely to find some partners. For example, Unilever has cooperated with several big Chinese companies. Therefore, it can use the existing sales distribution network. However, Unilever not just satisfy to employ this network. It has work with big supermarket in china, which can deliver and sell mass products in china, to build their own distribution channels. However, Unilever do not use joint venture in Holland. They directly work with whole sellers, department stores, and supermarkets to distribute their products. As can be seen, Unilever use different distribution strategy in different countries. In this way, Unilever use the adaptation marketing strategy. In Pakistan, Unilever established its unique distribution system by setting up business partnership with various distributors and traders. Various geographical areas have been distributed into business regions. With in each business region, Unilever selects trading companies by assessing their financial worth and experience. These distributors act on behalf of Unilever as they are responsible to Unilever items directly to the chain of retailers. 6. Conclusion Reference – Kotler P., Armstrong G., Saunders J., Wong V., 2001, Principles of Marketing. London: Pearson Education. – Terpstra V., Sarathy R., 2000, International marketing. London: The Dryden Press – Kotler. P (2000) Marketing Management, The millennium Edition, U.S.A. Prentice Hall Inc – Jobber. D (2004) Principles & Practices of Marketing, 4th Edition, U.K. McGraw-Hill – Ries. A, Ries .L (1998) The 22 immutable laws of branding, Great Britain, Harper Collins Business. – Cateora P.R, Graham J.L (2000) International Marketing, 11th Edition, McGraw-Hill/Irwin – Jean, Kapferer N (1992) Strategic Brand Management. Creating and sustaining Brand Equity Long Term, 2nd Edition, U.K, Kogan Page Limited. – www.nestle.com – Annual Report of Nestle: 2003, http://www.ir.nestle.com/ – www.unilever.com – Annual Report of Unilever: 2003, http://www.unilever.com/investorcentre/ – www.pg.com – Annual Report of Proctor & Gamble, http://www.pg.com/investors/sectionmain.jhtml

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Divorce Should Be Legalized in the Philippines Essay

I. Introduction Marriage is meant to last forever and vows usually include the phrase, â€Å"’til death do us part†. These are the words that most of us believed. Marriage is regarded as a sacred union between a man and a woman, thus, it must be cherished and valued with love. But what if the love that a couple once shared together fades away? What if the love becomes weak and unstable as time passes by? What if everything changes and a person started to live a life full of misery? One of their options to solve these problems would be the divorce. It should be implemented in the Philippines. Present situation demands it. Reality tells us that there are many failed, unhappy marriages across the nation. Marriage is never as blissful as people expect. Divorce is never as devastating as people imagine. Divorce gives people a fresh start to lead better lives. Living in a marriage where love, respect, friendship, and compatibility are gone is a life without hope. Let us think about other people suffering due to unhappiness brought by their marriage. What is the sense of being binded by a piece of paper when it is actually ruining your whole life? Divorce nullifies marriage, therefore, giving couples the freedom to remarry and to escape from an unhappy relationship. Divorce should be legalized in the Philippines. II. Background of the Paper This research paper entitled â€Å"Divorce should be legalized in the Philippines† aims to convince the readers by presenting different evidences that could change the reader’s perspective regarding the issue. The pieces of evidence that we gathered are from the articles of Evelyn Ursua (Positively Filipino) and Anne Umil (Bulatlat) entitled â€Å"Why the Philippines needs a divorce law?† and â€Å"Divorce bill, providing a remedy for women in abusive marriages†, an excerpt from Sen. Pia Cayetano’s privilege speech, annual comparative statistics on violence against women (2004-2011) and a poll result in an online website. The purposes of this research study are to define divorce and its concepts and to better understand the benefits of divorce when legalized in the Philippines. This paperwork also intends to review the issues and arguments that are being raised by the Filipinos. Also, this aims to clarify points about the issue. This paper covers the situation of fail and unhappy marriages in the country. Beyond all, this research paper is made to encourage and persuade the Filipinos to support the legalization of divorce in the country. A divorce is a legal action between married people to terminate their marriage relationship. It can be referred to as dissolution of marriage and is basically, the legal action that ends the marriage before the death of either spouse. The purpose of a divorce is to terminate the parties’ marriage. Marriage is a legal contract or a social union that unites people of the opposite sex who agree to live as a husband and a wife. It is a binding contract between two people who decide to join their lives, income and possessions. Marriage relationship forms a family unit that consists of a father, mother and children. It is also an institution where people acknowledge interpersonal relationships, which is usually sexual and intimate. Most people and cultures formalize a marriage union through a wedding ceremony. Reasons for marriage include emotional, social, legal, religion and spiritual obligations. An annulment is legal decree that states that a marriage was never valid. The legal effect of an annulment is to void the marriage as though it never existed. Cases where annulments have been granted in the past based on fraud includes citizenship, sexual relationship, character, honesty, health, financial, and religi on III. Body Divorce has become one of the major issues in our society for the past years. The social acceptability of divorce has varied widely across historical periods, religious faiths, and cultures but not in the Philippines. Other than the Vatican City, Philippines is the only nation that outlaws divorce. The Philippines is known for being a strong Christian nation, with over 80% of its population as Roman Catholics. They are the group that is known to be against the divorce issue. According to the article from Positively Filipino Magazine entitled â€Å"Why the Philippines Needs a Divorce Law† by Evalyn Ursua, the Catholic Church will be the greatest opponent of the divorce bill. It was once argue against the bill on moral grounds. But the Catholic Church does not need to worry. The institutions of marriage and the family have survived to this day, as they will survive a Philippine divorce law. We are a secular state, where no religious group has the right to define law or policy for the entire population. The law should only give people a choice, to be exercised according to their own personal beliefs. We can clearly see that our Catholic orientation has been a dominant factor. Divorce is something that we should adopt. Remember that Spain is the root of Christianity yet divorce had been implemented. They are now benefiting from it. A lot of people fear that divorce might erode the values and teachings of the Catholic Church. The cases of Italy and Spain (two Catholic countries which practice divorce) are clear evidences of its invalidity. In accordance with House Bill No. 1799 filed by the Gabriela Women’s Party last July 27, 2010, Italy had only 7% while Spain registers 15% of divorce rate. In addition to that, over 90% of the poll respondents are in favor of divorce. In an official poll that ran from December 19 to January 3, 92.44 percent or 40,414 voted â€Å"Yes† to the question, â€Å"Are you in favor of divorce in the Philippines?† This shows that the public, regardless of their marital status, is now more open to accept the possibility of divorce. Everyone should have the right to escape from a bad marriage and be happy again. Falling into wrong decision actually happens. If we legalize divorce in our country, people with fail marriage will be given a chance and freedom to choose the right one for them so they will not have to suffer from a marriage that is not working anymore. Moreover, there’s no assurance that people who get divorced want to find a new spouse. Everyday, there are Filipinos who get married, bear children, separate and get into other relationships, regardless of what the law says. The lack of a divorce law for Filipinos complicates further the marital and family problems of many Filipinos. Our Government has clearly failed to respond to their needs. If the country wants to move forward, it has to confront the realities of marital and family life of Filipinos in the Philippines. Let’s give other people another chance to live life with their desired happiness. The divorce law needs to be legalized in the Philippines now. The researchers also put forward the claim that the process of Annulment is allowed in the Philippines but why not divorce? After all, Annulment and divorce are just the same – it targets separation. However, Annulment only allows a legal separation through a legal settlement. This will not allow any of the parties to remarry. Because of the Family Code, some Filipinos think that we do not need a divorce for it already provides to cease a marriage through â€Å"annulment†. This argument misleads. The remedy of annulment is based on specified grounds that occurred at the time of the celebration of the marriage, such as lack of parental consent and vitiated consent. The remedy of annulment expires, and the defect may actually be cured by ratification through free and voluntary cohabitation (Positively Filipino, 2013). When lay people speak of â€Å"annulment† as a means of terminating a marriage, they actually refer to the remedy under Article 36 of the Family Code. Article 36 declares that a marriage is void from the beginning when one or both spouses are psychologically incapacitated to perform the essential marital obligations. Under Article 36, a court does not terminate a marriage but only declares it void. One must prove psychological incapacity by presenting evidence on three essential elements of the condition: that it already existed before the marriage; that it is grave or serious; and that it is incurable. To do this, one usually needs the help of a psychiatrist or psychologist to testify as an expert witness (Positively Filipino, 2013). Article 36 of the Family Code only nullifies a marriage when one has proved that he or she is psychologically incapacitated (Bulatlat, 2011). Therefore, annulment has no defined grounds and terms for terminating a marriage. Here is why the writers assert that divorce should be implemented in the Philippines. In support to this, Senator Pia Cayetano once stated in her privilege speech, â€Å"I’ll tell you why. I’ve talked to lawyers, psychologists and psychiatrists and it’s so traumatic to go through annulment because under our Philippine laws, you have to blame someone, you have to say you’re incapacitated, you’re saying that this marriage never existed, which is not true,† A divorce law will provide a remedy that Article 36 does not. Divorce does not concern itself with validity or invalidity of a marriage. It terminates a marriage based on a ground that occurred during the marriage, which makes the marital relationship no longer tenable, regardless of the spouse’s psychological constitution. A divorce law will provide a straightforward remedy to a marital failure. It will benefit Filipinos wherever they are. Conforming to an article (Bulatlat, 2011), an annulment case takes two years or longer to arrive at a conclusion. It could reach P250, 000 which includes attorney fees, court docketing fee and filing fees, etc. In 2010, a little over 7000 couples were granted annulment; most of these are well-to-do, because it takes a lot of money to have an annulment (WordPress, 2011). A blogger whose marriage is annulled claims that she disbursed P100, 000 for the judge, solicitor general and initial investigator, as well as everybody involved in the case since her annulment case is not moving after one year. After shelling out P100, 000, the case was concluded within a month. The total cost of the process was P175, 000 (Bulatlat, 2011). Thus, if the law is passed, divorce will be cheaper than annulment. Given the fact that most of the people in our country are financially challenged to stop unhealthy married life, divorce is the way to get peace out of a futile marriage. Divorce is the answer for both men and women who feel used, battered or tortured mentally in their marriage. Today, divorce is one way to le ssen violence. Annulment is just a legal separation and does not allow women to have a right to be happily remarried. This completely rejects the idea of new life– divorce does. The last and final argument that the researchers want to specify is the increasing rate of battered wife in the Philippines. The most common violence against women in the Philippines is the intimate partner violence – but married women in the Philippines have no way out. The abuse can be verbal, physical or psychological. According to the Annual Comparative Statistics on Violence against Women (2004 – 2011), wife battery ranked highest at 49% of all forms of violence and abuse against women. This is one of the reasons why divorce should be legalized in the Philippines. Women, nowadays, lack confidence because they know that there are no laws to support them. Couples remain living together due to the lack of a law that would allow them to legally and properly part ways, and seek the peace and happiness that they couldn’t find in their present partner. It would be best for a couple to part ways rather than to live together under one roof and sin through their violence that will affect and traumatize the innocent children. In millions of households, both men and women who are trapped in marital commitment constantly quarrel, often in front of their helpless children who grow up in a confused and violent environment. Often, men turn to other women and bear illegitimate children, and then abandon their legal wives and children because of laxity of laws that should have held them accountable. As stated in an article entitled â€Å"Philippines needs divorce law.† by Val G. Abelgas, â€Å"It is not a coincidence that those pushing for the divorce bill in Congress are women. It is also not a coincidence that all over the world, a big percentage of those filing for divorce are women. It is not difficult to understand that in most failed marriages, it is the women who suffer more – victims of domestic abuse and violence, and neglected or abandoned by philandering or alcoholic husbands.† Many of these women suffer in silence in the Philippines. And yet, they are confined to their hopeless situation because of the lack of a divorce law. It is obvious that most of people who are in favor in legalization of divorce in Philippines are women. We cannot deny the fact that they are the usual victims of abusive marriages. Divorce might be the solution to these problems. It could provide protection to the battered women and their children. It could save a wife from being beaten daily by a drunken husband. Divorce wouldn’t necessarily destroy the foundation of the family. It gives hope to the couples to rebuild their lives and have a normal relationship. It’s a reality that many are suffering from abusive marriages. Why let someone be stuck in a marriage where love and respect don’t exist anymore? Why deny them the chance to regain their liberty and happiness? Not legalizing divorce is a total injustice to these people. IV. Counter Argument The opponents, particularly the Catholic Church, claim that â€Å"What God has put together, let no man put asunder† or â€Å"Marriage is sacred, what was bound by God can’t be dissolved by man†. They believe that God did not make man and woman to be united and then separated if they got into some problems. For this reason, Catholic Church argues that divorce is contrary to the law of God, â€Å"Divorce breaks the contract to which the spouses freely consented to live with each other till death†. Therefore, people who opposed the divorce bill think it was only men who want it, not God. Furthermore, â€Å"moralists† feel that the divorce bill will just result to the breakdown of families. They concede that strong family foundation is the backbone of a stable society. Divorce threatens this foundation that can lead to the erosion of the society. It weakens the bond between the couple that tends to lessen the chance of facing the hardships and difficulties of a married couple. This instability of the families may yieldto the rearrangements and readjustments of the familial relationships that may bring psychological problems to the children. Children will become maladjusted and potentially harmful or destructive adults. Hence, they suppose that divorce will make the value and institution of marriage meaningless. Moreover, critics said that divorce is unconstitutional. They contended that it is stated in the 1987 Philippine Constitution that â€Å"Marriage is an inviolable social institution, is the foundation of the family and shall be protected by the State†. Divorce will be a threat against the family which the constitution pledged to protect as an inviolable institution. Therefore, to be able to allow divorce, the constitution would need t o be amended first. V. Conclusion We, the researchers, therefore conclude that divorce should be legalized in the Philippines because couples should have the option to choose for remedies that will help them in obtaining their self actualization. The remedy is divorce. They should have the right to escape from marriages that they entered before and let them live a new and happy life. Given the aforementioned evidences, the researchers strongly claim that legalizing divorce would be a big help for Filipinos. The lawmakers should prioritize the divorce bill because the existing laws are not enough to address their needs. What we need is a divorce law that defines clearly and unequivocally the grounds and terms for terminating a marriage. Life is too short to be married to someone you don’t want to be married to. Divorce is a choice and we all should have the freedom to make choices. Simplify the divorce process and let the couples continue on with their lives in to find the partner they will be happy with to live their lives. Furthermore, in cases where a union is more harmful than beneficial, a divorce can be a benevolent and less hurtful way of severing ties with your partner. When the marriage is no longer viable, divorce should be an option. . References Abelgas, V.G. (2012, May 29). Philippines needs divorce law. Global Balita. Retrieved from http://globalbalita.com/2012/05/29/philippines-needs-divorce-law/ Umil, A.M.D.(2011, June 14). Divorce bill, providing a remedy for women in abusive marriages. Retrieved from http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/06/14/divorce-bill-providing-a-remedy-for-women-in-abusive-marriages/ Ursua, E.G. (2013, February 1). Why the Philippines needs a divorce law? Positively Filipino Magazine. Retrieved from http://positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/ 2013/2/why-the-philippines-needs-a-divorce-law Statistics on violence against Filipino women. Philippine Commission on Women. (2012, October 2). Retrieved from http://pcw.gov.ph/statistics/201210/statistics-violence-against-filipino-women Over 90% of poll respondents favor divorce in PH. Inquirer News. (2013, January 3). Retrieved from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/334579/over-90-of-poll-respondents-favor-divorce-in-ph