Deceit in Hunters in the Snow Essay

Tobias Wolff’s â€Å"Hunters in the Snow† centers on the actions and personalities of Kenny, Frank and Tub as they embark on a hunting trip during the winter. Each character faces problems (in character or otherwise) which they attempt to cover up through deception – the central theme in this short story – in order to accept their respective actions. The consequences of these cover ups profoundly change the power of each character over another. Furthermore, the characters don’t realize how their lies influence others around them. Kenny is a quintessential bully. His need for power over the other two causes him to assert control of any action be it driving or asking for permission to hunt on private grounds. In truth, he doesn’t even wish to ask for permission but is pressured by Frank to do so. Kenny’s seemingly flippant mannerisms also follow from his desire to be the alpha-male. He insults and mercilessly teases Frank and Tub about their insecurities. He pretends to desire to run over Tub after appearing an hour late and immediately silences any objection from Tub. However, he neither realizes how far he is pushing Tub nor the peril he is in. His stupid actions leading up to and after the murder of the old dog finally push Tub, who legitimately fears for his life, to retaliate. This immediately puts Kenny’s life at the hands of his bully victims and leaves a power vacuum to be filled. Tub’s main problem is his denial of the poor eating habits that he has. He adamantly tries to convince others that his problem is due to his glans despite acutely knowing that he gorges himself on unhealthy foods in solitude. The insecurity he feels about being found out causes him to become easily manipulated and bullied by Frank and Kenny. Moreover, the retaliation against Kenny only adds to the insecurity Tub has and he immediately searches for approval and protection against the consequence of shooting Kenny. Frank fills in this vacuum and manipulates Tub into siding with him. Frank himself faces the issue of adultery. His lust for another woman causes him to deceive himself into believing that this new female is the love of his life despite a small part of his conscience stating otherwise. He even goes as far as to perverse the beliefs of that small part by asserting that his reluctance is only due to the good that his wife had done him and the kids they had. Frank’s self-deception inadvertently acts on Tub’s insecurities, prompting Tub to open up about his problems to Frank. By deceiving himself to accept his adultery, Frank pushes Tub to accept the eating problems that Tub has by giving in to Tub’s urges. Frank is unaware that his acceptance of adultery has already influenced Tub to succumb to Tub’s desires (shown by the fact that Tub decides to open up to Frank). Each character has major issues that need to be corrected but prefer to deceive themselves and others than accept the truth and work towards correction. As such, Kenny lies in mortal peril, Frank gains newfound power in the group and over Tub, and Tub remains submissive to Frank’s wishes. Moreover, the newfound confidence in Frank leads him to ignore common sense in going back to retrieve vital directions to the hospital. The futures of these three characters is left hanging, however it is clear that the ending has each one moving down separate and erroneous paths.

Figaro Coffee Essay

* We will be the preferred brand of specialty coffee of the international business traveler. Our products and unique style of service will leave a lasting impression among our customers. * We will be the investment of choice in the countries where our brand is represented thereby providing attractive returns to all our shareholders. * We will be a model employer that inspires its stakeholders to be better than its leaders because the opportunities for career and personal growth will drive them to excel. * We will be the most admired training facilities for coffee education making us the best training ground for those who want to establish a career or business on coffee and†¦ * We will be remembered as a committed advocate of corporate social responsibility by championing the cause of coffee to help farmers live a better life. * To cater to the different taste preferences, Figaro offers a wide selection of hot or cold coffee and tea concoctions, accompanying pastries and savory meals. * We recommend you try them all to encounter the unique delight each has to offer. Corporate Mission * We provide excellent coffee and gracious service creating a memorable experience for people who appreciate high quality coffee and demand for exceptional service. * Figaro’s distinctive store design, unique ambiance and style of service satisfy the global customer. * Figaro creates long-term value for its owners and business partners through profitable operations and business sustainability and dignity of life for its employees. * We will always practice good governance and actively pursue the cause of socio-cultural and environmental concerns. * We will always give you quality service, quality products & value for your money. SECTION 3 PRODUCT/SERVICE 3. 1 ABOUT THE COMPANY AND THE PRODUCT The Figaro Coffee Company is a popular specialty coffee store in the Philippines that is 100 percent Filipino-owned. Established in 1993, it is based on the concept of a complete store where â€Å"Filipinos can get the perfect coffee and all the necessary accoutrements for coffee making† that can compete internationally. From only two employees, a managing partner and a kiosk in the Makati Mall of the Ayala Centre, the company now has 64 outlets encompassing kiosks and cafes (including international branches). The company’s product line includes specialty roasted coffees and various coffee-related paraphernalia sold at retail. Aside from the superior-tasting coffee that a customer can enjoy in the Figaro Cafes, the company also offers a host of freshly roasted beans on retail. Among the selection is Barako and from the time it was introduced in 1999, Figaro Barako has become a bestseller. The ‘Save the Barako’ cause has somehow given the coffee added value as a portion of the bean sales is channelled back to into a project to promote the revival of the Barako. The project encompasses awareness programs, new plantings, research, and targeted marketing, and is coordinated with the Figaro Coffee Foundation. Meanwhile, as the consumption of Barako increases, a greater need arises to keep the production going which gives all the more reason why Barako needs to be saved from extinction. The continued increased demand for Barako on the other hand allows the advantage of bringing the price of Barako to a viable level that benefits both the farmer and the retailer. Through Figaro’s customer-loyalty scheme called Coffee Club, the company organizes farm tours twice a year wherein coffee enthusiasts show the process of coffee harvesting and planting. Since the company is primarily a coffee distributor and coffee shop operator, it did not have prior experience in actually growing coffee for commercial production. 3. 2 PRODUCT’S UNIQUE FEAUTURES Our Passion for Coffee. Our Beans are Always Freshly Roasted. Coffee beans need to be roasted to bring out their irresistible flavor and aromatics. The sooner a roasted bean gets into a cup, the better the flavor. Freshness is very important to us. We roast our beans in world class quality roasters, carefully watched over by roasting experts who make sure each bean is done perfectly. Once roasted, the beans are packed and sent to the stores immediately to ensure freshness. We make sure that every cup of coffee our customers enjoy is made of the best quality, perfectly roasted beans. After all, you deserve only the best from Figaro. Share our Passion Today, Figaro boasts 64 cafes in the Philippines. It is one of the fastest-growing coffee chains, in just over 17 years of experience in the art and business of coffee. We believe in catering to upscale coffee lovers, offering coffees expertly roasted and brewed according to the standards of French and Italian cafes. Figaro offers an ideal business opportunity that assures superior returns compared to an independent business of similar scope. After penetrating the international market, we are now keeping a critical eye on expanding in our home-market, which will zero in mostly on business districts around the country as we want more and more people to experience the sophisticated European coffee culture through our local barako coffee. 3. 3 STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT As the company started to get recognition as a major coffee chain, especially with the arrival in the country of international coffee brands such as Starbucks, Figaro was in search of the popular Barako coffee. Quite serendipitously, Figaro’s CEO Pacita Juan met Father Roger Bagao, a coffee farmer/priest in Tagaytay City who headed a farmer’s coffee cooperative. Father Roger hailed from the southern province of Bohol and has made coffee his life. A member of the Divine Word Seminary (SVD) in Tagaytay, Father Roger chose to live among the coffee-farming people. He knew that to assist them to attain spiritual awakening or enrichment, he first had to learn what crops they grew, how they made their livelihood. This meant first helping them to fill their stomachs, and later reaching their souls. So COFFEE was it. He organized a farmers’ cooperative that ran a coffee mill known as SMSK. Pacita Juan met Father Roger and asked him to show Figaro the other side of coffee – farmers, different varieties and where they grew, coffee in the south, coffee in the mountains. When Pacita was looking for the native Barako, Father Roger could only tell her that this variety or species was no longer profitable as their yields were low and Nescafe (the biggest processor) would have no need for the Barako. This saddened Figaro, as Barako is an important part of Philippine coffee history. â€Å"How do we change the tide? † she asked Father Roger. â€Å"Can we start planting Barako? How do we tell people about this sad fate of this species that is so popular among our people? † These questions made Figaro, with the help of Father Roger, establish a foundation to address the needs of the Philippines Coffee Industry – now known as the Figaro Foundation Corporation. The first project of the foundation was general coffee awareness-driven: The Coffee Farm Tour is now held every January in Cavite or Batangas, two provinces appropriate for a day trip. The second project is Barako awareness-driven. The Barako is slowly being cut down due to its ‘low’ demand among big processors. However, there is growing demand for Barako from specialty roast and ground processors in the Philippines, and for export to the Middle East. A related foundation project is called ‘Barako Tree Planting’. Launched in 2000, this project is run every July or August. The key challenges facing the tree-planting project are where to get seedlings and where to get land. Luckily, Father Roger found land during 2000 and 2001. After 2001, however, the foundation met with some problems regarding land ownership and could no longer access the first plantings to check on progress. In the same year, Father Roger introduced Cavite State University (CaVSU) and its research head, Dr. Andy Mojica to the Figaro Foundation. Dr. Mojica would be one of the keys to Barako seedling propagation, and he would also be a major part of the Presidential Task Force on Coffee Rehabilitation prompted by Figaro’s persistent invitation. In January 2002, Figaro (now working with Dr. Mojica’s group) began to visit CaVSU for its Annual Farm Tour and also to work with them on Barako seedling supply, a task that used to be performed by Father Roger. Meanwhile, Father Roger went on a sabbatical in 2002 and Figaro was subsequently invited to be a member of the Presidential Task Force on Coffee Rehabilitation (see below). In this same period, the coffee town of Amadeo was visited by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the first-ever Pahimis festival to signal the start of today’s Filipino coffee revolution – a peaceful revolution of going back to coffee farms to increase production to turn the country from being a net coffee importer to a net exporter as it was until 1990. In Amadeo, Figaro met Mayor O. J. Ambagan who gladly offered his land for the next Figaro Tree Planting activity. In the same year, Leisure Farms, a first class farm community invited the Figaro Foundation to undertake another tree planting activity in Lemery, Batangas which would be provided with irrigation and all the care needed for a first class farm. These efforts have now grown into a series of projects with the local government of Amadeo such as the ‘Adopt-a-farm’ program, coffee farm tours, and the organization of a coffee cooperative to promote ‘Cafe Amadeo’ – a ‘monobranding’ exercise to promote Amadeo’s coffee roasters who used to sell under different brand names. More than just to sustain its core product or core business, Figaro has become the trailblazer on how ‘out of the box’ ideas can be used to encourage farmers to plant the Barako again, motivate local governments to do their part and get cooperatives working toward one goal. Through its partnership with the municipality of Amadeo, Figaro will be able to plant around 30,000 Barako trees in and around the Amadeo town providing farmers with a niche product that can be their ticket to higher selling prices and export potential of a value-added product branded with the Figaro name. 3. 4TRADEMARKS. 3. 5PRODUCT There are five commercially known coffee bean varieties worldwide: Arabica, Robusta, Excelsa, Stenophylla and Liberica. The most popular beans in use all over the world are Arabica and Robusta. The former has a more subtle and distinct flavour and is usually used for gourmet coffees. However, due to weather conditions, it cannot be natively grown in the Philippines except in some mountain areas, and therefore is mostly imported. Robusta on the other hand is grown in many parts of the country. Due to its more full-bodied flavour, Robusta is used mostly for instant coffee. The Excelsa and Stenophylla varieties are not cultivated commercially in the Philippines. Liberica is known to be an indigenous product in only three Asian countries, including the Philippines, making the bean a very unique and potentially lucrative product. The term ‘Barako’ in the Philippines has become a generic name for the coffee grown and roasted in the Batangas region (just north of Manila). In truth, Barako is the Philippine Liberica bean known for â€Å"its particularly strong taste, powerful body and a distinctly pungent odour. † Because of its homespun image, domestic demand for Barako had slacked off in favour of imported international Arabica and large-scale production of Robusta by and for large corporations. Saudi Arabia has been the only known export market for Barako. As a result, the Barako is now in danger of extinction. In addition to the decline in Barako production, prevailing low world prices for coffee have meant that many Filipino coffee farmers have begun to shift to other crops and some have chosen to sell their land. 3. 6 FACILITIES (PLANT LOCATION) 3. 7SUPPLIERS A. RAW MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES Figaro buys Filipino coffee from communities and farmers nationwide at an average of 39 tons or 39,000 kgs of coffee every year: THUS BENEFITTING†¦ * 57 farmers and their families or approximately 688 persons benefit YEARLY * Coffee harvested from nearly 115 hectares of coffee farms are sold YEARLY * An estimated amount of P 4 million pesos is generated from the purchase of coffee from farmers YEARLY * More children are sent to school, more families are enabled to buy food, medicines, and earn more savings. Farmers from Kalinga, Ifugao, Benguet, Batangas, Cavite, Negros, Davao, Sulu and Basilan are integrated into the supply chain of Figaro. WITH MORE FARMERS HARVESTING COFFEE, MORE FIGARO PATRONS CONTINUE TO ENJOY CUPS OF FIGARO COFFEE. B. TOOLS, MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT The company does not own roasting facilities, but employs the facilities of a sister company, Boyd’s Coffee Company. Today, Boyd Coffee Co. (Phils. ) Inc. has established its significant presence in the Philippine coffee industry. Capitalizing on its unique qualities as a trendsetter and an expert, Boyd Coffee continues its tradition of providing Fresh Roasted Coffee and Total Coffee Solutions designed specifically for each client’s needs. C. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS The waning supply of Barako beans prompted the company to be more aggressive in securing supplies. The ‘Save the Barako’ campaign is its showpiece effort, and has earned the company a reputation as a company that cares for the coffee farmer. Figaro took up the cause of the Barako when everybody else thought it an Impossible task. But because of its belief in the cause, Figaro enjoined small groups who equally believed in the integrity of the cause and subsequently slowly built awareness towards a greater mass. Today, Barako has gained many supporters and made a dream a possibility, further proof that an inspired vision that is led by a credible company to sustain its own industry is the heart of corporate social responsibility. Ultimately, ‘Save the Barako’ has moved even the simplest coffee customer to help sustain this once-threatened variety – that is reward in itself. SECTION 4 MARKETING PLAN 4. 1 INDUSTRY PROFILE. Worth of the entire coffee industry in the Philippines : P21 Billion* Worth of gourmet coffee industry in the Philippines : 2. 1 Billion* Number of stores in the Philippines : STARBUCKS – 150 Figaro – 64 Bo’s Coffee – 40 Gloria Jeans- 38 Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf- 33 Seattle’s Best – 14 Number of coffee chain outlets – 400+ Growth rate of entire coffee industry : 7% annually Growth rate of gourmet coffee industry : 20% annually The amount needed by the government to sustain coffee industry : P200 million Total Coffee Demands: 65,000 tons, 2009;70,350 tons 2012,75,000 tons by 2015. Total Coffee Production : 30,000 tons Coffee Producing Provinces : 22 Coffee Varieties in the Philippines: Liberica, Robusta, Arabica and Excelsa Coffee has been around for more than 1,000 years. During that time, coffee has been considered a food, a medicine, an aphrodisiac, and even a wine. Today, however, coffee is known as a beverage to be savored and enjoyed. Such has coffee’s popularity grown through the centuries. Today, it can be safely assumed someone, somewhere is savoring a cup, a mug or any of coffee’s delightful and delicious preparations at almost every hour of the day. From sun up to sun down, its coffee time! All commercial varieties of coffee are available in the Philippines – Robusta accounting for 70% of the country’s total production, and Arabica with about 5-10%. Other varieties such as Excelsa and Liberica also thrives in the country and accounts for 15-20% of the total. Robusta is the chief source of the base for blending coffee and is important in the manufacture of soluble or instant coffee. Arabica remains the sole source of fine coffee. The Philippines produces approximately 1.3 percent of the total global coffee production. In our country, no morning is complete without coffee. We have our own Batangas barako to be proud of. Instant coffee then came into the scene, and lately, gourmet and specialty coffee with the introduction of foreign cafes such as Starbucks, Seattle’s Best, and the like. Coffee drinking has now become more than just a way to wake up one’s nerves, it has become a trend. * First, the world’s coffee shops make up the fastest growing part of the restaurant business, checking in with a 7% annual growth rate. * Second, that the world coffee production is estimated at 110 – 120 million bags per year. * Third, that 14 billion espresso coffees are consumed each year in Italy, reaching over 200,000 coffee bars, and still growing. * Fourth, that Americans consume 400 million cups of coffee per day, or equivalent 146,000,000,000 (146 Billion) cups per year; making the United States the leading consumer of coffee in the world. * Fifth, that Japan ranks number 3 in the world for coffee consumption. * Sixth, that coffee represents 75% of all the caffeine consumed in the United States. * And seventh, that cafe bars have total average sales that reach 230 cups a day. * It is now an accepted fact that majority of Filipinos take to coffee like they take to rice, and beer. * Take â€Å"BARAKO† for example, this native-grown coffee bean for example, this native-grown coffee bean is not only famous for its strong aroma, as pinoy coffee lovers would atleast. * Although not a common coffee variety, â€Å"BARAKO† is abundant in Southeast Asia, especially in the Philippines. * Believe it or not, it has the largest beans of all the coffee varieties in the world. Its taste is said to be superior to that of Robusta, and some Filipino coffee lovers prefer Barako to Arabica 4. 2 COMPETITION PROFILE Major Players in the Industry of coffee: Starbucks strength rested on four factors: retail expansion, product and service innovation, having an observed clean store, and being a brand associated with the specialty/gourmet coffee niche. The strongest attribute that consumers associate with the Starbucks brand is its being known for specialty/gourmet coffee. Starbucks is a widely-recognized brand. Its top-of-mind recall is high. It is both a household name and a buzzword. Seattle’s Best Coffee LLC has been roasting premium coffee since 1970 and today roasts more than 20 million pounds of coffee every year and millions of cups of our coffee are served every day. Seattle’s Best Coffee is a featured brand within Starbucks Corporation. The smooth taste of Seattle’s Best Coffee has appealed to Filipino taste buds. Their smooth and flavor-filled coffees are often partnered with equally sumptuous meals that engage the taste buds. Their pastries and pasta are equally delicious and keeps customers coming back for more. The UCC started as a store under the name of â€Å"Ueshima Tadao Shoten† in 1933. It became limited partnership in 1940 and on 1951, became â€Å"Ueshima Coffee Co. , Ltd. â€Å". The company introduced the world’s first canned coffee, â€Å"UCC Coffee with Milk†on April 1969 starting the trend for Japanese Canned Coffee. The Euro-Japanese fused food, free wi-fi internet, and various cafe concepts makes the UCC Cafe a very trusty hangout place for Filipinos. They have several branches in the country and eight other Asian countries. They have a very simple layout but favorable quality. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is an American coffee chain, owned and operated by International Coffee & Tea, LLC, which has its corporate headquarters in Los Angeles, California. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf has a very clean ambience, innovative coffee mixes and really good customer service. This makes them one of the frequented places for coffee and chilling out. Flavorful, reasonably priced and scenic, the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf stores continue to draw in the coffee-loving crowds. Gloria Jean’s Coffees an Australian owned global specialty coffee company, and is a brand synonymous with coffee quality and leading franchise systems. Personalized service, fun coffee flavors and strategic locations (as one of the awarded foreign franchises in the country) make Gloria Jean’s stay at the top of its game as one of the country’s best coffee shops. The store atmosphere is also excellent and they maintain a loyal following. The Chocolate Macadamia Coffee is a local favorite. â€Å"Bo’s Coffee† is a registered trademark of the business name of a chain of specialty coffee shops that serves espresso beverages, specialty coffee beverages and others, in an ambiance that has been created to cater to a lifestyle market with discriminating taste. Bo’s Coffee Club is very high end coffee shop that has services and product tailored to suit the needs of high society coffee drinkers. They maintain excellent service and product done in good taste, literally and figuratively 4. 3 CUSTOMER PROFILE The typical and most committed coffee drinkers are 25 to 45 year old, affluent, educated adults. While baby boomers have driven the success of coffee shops, specialty coffee appeals to a diverse adult demographic, including college students and young adults. Larger companies may also sell coffee beans wholesale to commercial customers, such as grocery stores and restaurants. SIZE AND GROWTH 1. Do you drink coffee? All of our respondents said that they drink coffee. Reason why they drink coffee 40% of our respondents said that they drink coffee because of coffee’s stimulating properties and benefits that help them in everyday work, 28% Said that its taste, 18% to fit in with others while 14% said that it’s out of habit. 2. When do you prefer to drink coffee? Most of our respondents said that they drink coffee anytime. 3. Do you go to coffee shops? 78% of our respondents said they go to coffee shops to drink coffee and have pastime activities. Reason why yes? 30% of our respondents said that they like the coffee that the coffee shop serves, 25% said that to relax and have pass time their, 15% said that to fit in with others, 10% said that they like the products they sell. Reason why no? 20% of the respondents said that it’s out of their budget and 80% said that it’s just a waste of money. 4. What coffee shops you usually go? 76% of our respondents said they go to Starbucks, 12% go to Kopiroti, and 6% each for Seattle’s Best and Figaro. 5. Do you know Figaro? Majority of our respondents said they know Figaro. How they know Figaro? Most of our respondents said that they saw Figaro branches around the cities and some are word of mouth from friends. 3. How much you are willing to spend in a coffee shop? 52% of our respondents are willing to spend if the price of the coffee will range from P100-P150 4. What do you expect from a coffee shop? Everyone expects a great tasting coffee, clean environment, good service and because of the technology everyone wants a free WI-FI 5. What food you want a coffee shop to serve? Most respondents want bread as a partner to coffee because they only want to ear light foods in coffee shops. 4. 4. TARGET MARKET PROFILE Primary Target Market Our target market is the business executives and young professionals because they hold a big part of the market share in the coffee industry. They are the people that have the habit in drinking coffee and they are the ones who frequently go to coffee shops and for them that is their third home. Usually this people do meetings in coffee shops and conference because of the good ambiance and good surrounding. They choose coffee shops as their third home because they can concentrate in their meeting or business affair especially because of the minimal noise in the coffee shops. They want to hang up in coffee shops because of the comfortable environment and it is affordable. Secondary Target Market Our secondary target market is the class B and C. In the generation today students and foreigners usually go to coffee shops because for them they can study in coffee shops and they can relax and do pass time works. They prefer to study in coffee shops instead in their homes because they can study here for hours without being disturbed and they also choose it as their secondary relaxations place. 4. 5 PRICING PROFILE FIGARO| STARBUCKS| SEATTLE’S BEST| GLORIA JEANS| HOT DRINKSMacchiato85. 00Espresso85. 00 – 109. 00Cappuccino95. 00 – 119. 00Cafe Mocha105. 00 -135. 00White Chocolate Mocha115. 00Cafe Latte95. 00 – 119. 00Cafe Au Lait95. 00 – 119. 00Americano85. 00 – 119. 00Brewed Coffee85. 00 – 119. 00Chocolate Cookie Latte120. 00Caramel Cappuccino Light115. 00Butterscotch Vanilla Latte115. 00 8oz. Peach Latte120. 00 8oz. Strawberry Latte20. 00 8oz. Creme Brulee Latte120. 00Raspberry Mint Latte110. 00Other Hot DrinksHot Tea 85. 00 – 115. 00Hot Chocolate85. 00 – 105. 00Cafe Mocha Light115. 00Steamed Milk85. 00 – 105. 00Blueberry Muffin65. 00Cheese Muffin65. 00Chocolate Muffin65. 00Asado Pie59. 00Tuna Pie59. 00Carrot Loaf69. 00Pudding with Vanilla Sauce69. 00Food for the God’s59. 00Heavenly Cheese Roll59. 00OatmeaL Chocolate Chevvy55. 00Chocolate Cake119. 00My Little Oscar119. 00Dark Chocolate Raspberry Symphony130. 00Strawberry Cheesecake135. 00Chocolate Chip Cookie59. 00Oatmeal Raisin Cookie59. 00English Matrimonial Bar59. 00Banana Hazelnut Turnover79. 00Marble Cream Cheese Brownie70. 00Chocolate Eclair75. 00Tiramisu Eclair75. 00Pepperoni Calzone95. 00Supreme Calzone95. 00Blueberry Cheesecake Lite130. 00Blueberry Almond Puff79. 00| COFEE, TEA AND CLASSICSHot Brewed Coffee80. 00 – 120. 00Hot Brewed Tea90. 00 – 105. 00Iced Tea90. 00 – 120. 00Signature Hot Chocolate105. 00 – 140. 00Caffe Latte90. 00 – 130. 00Cappuccino90. 00 – 130. 00Caffe Mocha100. 00 – 145. 00White Chocolate Mocha115. 00 – 160. 00Caramel Macchiato115. 00 – 160. 00Blended CoffeeMocha125. 00 – 150. 00Caramel125. 00 – 150. 00Dark Mocha155. 00 – 180. 00Coffee Jelly145. 00 – 170. 00Java Chip145. 00 – 170. 00Mint Java ChipvariesHazelnut MochaVariesCreme Brulee FrappuccinovariesChai Frappuccino with Coffee JellyvariesBlack SesameGreen TeavariesBlended CreamCaramel Cream125. 00- 150. 00Chocolate Cream 120. 00 – 145. 00Strawberries and Cream145. 00 – 170. 00Chocolate Cream Chip120. 00 – 145. 00Blended Juice DrinkMango Passion Fruit 125. 00 – 150. 00Raspberry Black Currant 125. 00 – 150. 00Honey Glazed Doughnut40. 00Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookie50. 00Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookie50. 00Double Chocolate Walnut Brownie50. 00Butterscotch Fudge Bar 50. 00Cinnamon Roll/ Swirl55. 00Ensaymada65. 00Danish65. 00Tuna, Corned Beef and ChickenPandesal55. 00Pork Adobo Roll70. 00Cheese Croissant70. 00Sausage Roll75. 00Italian Pocket95. 00Banoffee Pie105. 00Banana Loaf50. 00| THE PERFresh Brewed Coffee80. 00 – 105. 00Americano Perfect85. 00 – 110. 00Cappuccino95. 00 – 120. 00Breve105. 00 – 130. 00Chai Tea Latte 115. 00 -145. 00Hot Tea95. 00Ice Blended and DeliciousMocha125. 00 – 150. 00JavaChip145. 00 Double Chocolate Mint 135. 00 – 160. 00Chai Tea145. 00 – 170. 00Java Jelly145. 00 – 170. 00Classic Iced Tea90. 00 – 120. 00Naughty Toddy90. 00 – 110. 00Classic American Latte 100. 00 – 130. 00Americano95. 00 – 125. 00World’s Best Coffee MilkshakeClassic Javanilla Shake155. 00Milkshakes155. 00HOT, HSeattle’s Best Coffee LattesHot Classic American Latte90. 00 – 115. 00Caramel Latte110. 00 – 130. 00Vanilla Latte110. 00 – 130. 00Hazelnut Latte 110. 00 – 130. 00Almond Latte 110. 00 – 130. 00Raspberry Latte 110. 00 – 130. 00Seattle’s Best Coffee MochasClassic Mocha100. 00White Chocolate Mocha 120. 00 – 150. 00Raspberry Mocha Kiss120. 00 – 150. 00Almond Mocha Joy120. 00 – 150. 00| Espresso ClassicsCappuccino85. 00 – 110. 00Caffe Latte85. 00 – 110. 00Caffe Mocha95. 00 – 125. 00Espresso80. 00 – 125. 00Machiatto80. 00 – 125. 00Americano80. 00 – 105. 00Filtered Coffee of the Day75. 00 – 100. 00Espresso ExpressionsCaramelae110. 00 – 145. 00Mocha Caramelatte110. 00 – 145. 00White Chocolate Mocha110. 00 – 145. 00Chocolate Macadamia Latte110. 00 – 145. 00Irish Nut Creme110. 00 – 145. 00Very Vanilla Latte110. 00 – 145. 00Tea & ChocolateChai Tea Latte95. 00 – 125. 00Hot Tea85. 00 – 110. 00HotChocolate& Marshmallows115. 00 – 140. 00COLD DRINKSVery Vanilla Chiller135. 00 – 165. 00Creme Brulee135. 00 – 165. 00Cookies ‘n Cream125. 00 -150. 00Mint Chocolate Bomb125. 00 – 150. 00Cappuccino ChillersVanilla Caramel135. 00 – 165. 00Chocolate Macadami140. 00 – 170. 00Gourmet Iced ChocolatesStrawberries n’ Cream130. 00 – 155. 00Iced Chocolate130. 00 – 155. 00Over IceCappuccino Chiller115. 00 – 155. 00Iced Mocha115. 00 – 155. 00Iced Latte100. 00 – 125. 00Strawberry Smoothie135. 00 – 165. 00Mixed Berry Smoothie135. 00 – 165. 00Mango Smoothie135. 00 – 165. 00Tropical Coconut135. 00 – 165. 00Fruit ChillersStrawberry130. 00 – 150. 00Mango Chillers130. 00 – 150. 00| 6 4. 6 ADVERTISEMENT AND PROMOTIONS Marketing Tools| Program Activities| Expansion of Coffee Shop Branches| Figaro will expand its selected coffee shop branches by adding a â€Å"conference section†. Additional space needed will be rented and additional chairs, tables and conference room equipments such as projectors will be provided. Conference Section will be used by business executives and the like, on a rental per hour basis. These spaces will form part of the general area if not rented. Figaro will implement this plan on business cities like Makati, Ortigas and some parts of Quezon City. | Television for Entertainment| There will be Televisions on every branches of Figaro nationwide. This is to entertain customers through movies, basketball games etc. | Customer Advantage CardMagazine Advertisements| For every purchase a customer will earn points that can be converted to freebies like free tickets to movie houses upon reaching a certain point. Figaro will have a picture advertisement in Entrepreneur Magazine and other business magazines, advertising the â€Å"Conference Section† of Figaro. We will advertise on Lifestyle Magazines as well. | Newspaper Advertisements| Newspaper Advertisements in the form of pictures will also be provided in the leading newspapers in the Philippines during Sundays on Manila Bulletin and Philippine Star. We will also make press releases on these newspapers. | TV Show Segment Promotion| Figaro, after the successful implementation of the proposed expansion, will be featured in a TV Show where it can showcase it’s being â€Å"Second Comfort Zone†. | Social Networking Sites| Improvements to the official Facebook page will be made. Designs will be added based on the season- for example: Valentines, Summer, Christmas etc. Links to the official company website, official twitter account and to Figaro’s press releases will be provided. This page will also serve as a place where customers can post their comments and reviews. A twitter account will also be established. These networking sites will keep the online community informed regarding the improvements. | Leaflets| Leaflets will be made available on Figaro branches nationwide. | SECTION 5 OPERATING AND CONTROL SYSTEMS Figaro Support System From helping you secure your site to the thorough training of your employees, Figaro Coffee Company has a strong support system to aid you in the opening and ongoing operation of your business. a. Initial site assessment. b. Training in the Figaro System for the franchisee and the Initial branch staff. c. Site design and construction assistance. d. Comprehensive Store Operations Manual. e. An opening team assigned for the branch’s first month of operations. f. Continuous research and improvement of the Figaro product line. g. Regular field visits by the Figaro Operations Team to give in-site assistance.h. Continuous training programs. i. A network of regular communications with franchises. Pre-qualification The qualities we look for in a franchise include: 1. A passion for coffee and enthusiasm for the business. 2. A strict adherence to Franchise Standards, and a commitment of time and resources to the Figaro System. 3. A desire for a mutually beneficial business relationship. 4. The resources to invest a minimum of ? 5 to 7 million, depending on the business model most suitable to the site chosen by the franchise applicant. Application Process To get your own Figaro franchise system started: 1. E-mail a Letter of Intent containing name of interested party, expressing interest in a franchise and proposed site and location (if any) to Franchise Relations Manager: franchise@figarocoffee. com 2. Upon receipt of the Letter of Intent, we will schedule a Franchise Orientation Meeting with you to discuss the detailed procedures on how to secure a franchise. 3. Fill out the Franchise Qualification Form. 4. If qualified, you will be required to conduct a feasibility study of the selected site using our Market Study form.

Jefferson/Madison Dbq

Devin Timms AP US History Jefferson/Madison DBQ During the presidencies of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, the two political parties were still somewhat true to their founding ideas, but not completely. The different parties had started to let go of their strong stances and instead begin to take a more, middle of the road viewpoint. The Jeffersonians began to sway from their strict constructionism partly, as they passed things like the 1st Bank of the United States, which went against almost everything the Jeffersonians were for and allowed the government to read-into the constitution.As the Jeffersonians started letting go of their ideals, so did the Federalists. As Thomas Jefferson moved throughout his presidency, he started letting go of his strict constructionism view. Before he became president, Jefferson still upheld the strict constructionist view that had become the characteristic of the Jeffersonian party. In his letter to Gideon Granger, he talks about how the governmen t will never be harmonious as long as the Federalists continue to attempt to make changes to the Constitution(Doc A).This letter and the one Jefferson wrote to Samuel Miller in 1808 still show more of a classic Jeffersonian view as they talk about giving less power to the central government and enforce a strict constructionist standpoint(Doc B). However, other actions and letters indicate Jefferson’s change. For example, the 1st Bank of the United States was passed under Jefferson, and that is clearly a Federalist item. Also, in Jefferson’s letter to Samuel Kercheval, he talks about how even though he may not like it, the world is changing and so you must change with it to keep up(Doc G).However, not all Jeffersonians were following his lead. In a speech to the House of Representatives, John Randolph shows a much more strict constructionist view as he denounces the â€Å"true republican principles of Jefferson’s administration†(Doc F). The Jeffersonian pa rty had stayed true to their characterization for the most part, but Jefferson had started them down the path to complete change by showing less and less support of the strict constructionist view.The Federalists had also begun changing, but not as much as the Jeffersonians. During a speech to the House of Representatives in Madison’s presidency, Daniel Webster, a Federalist, said how the government should not have the right to draft people for the army. He bases this argument off of the fact that it does not specifically state it in the Constitution(Doc D). Webster is showing an absolutely strict constructionist viewpoint in saying this. Even Madison had become less of a broad constructionist.In his message to Congress in 1817, he explains that even though it would be nice to have all the internal improvements they want, he will not pass it because of the fact that it is not specifically in the constitution as one of the government’s powers(Doc H). As both political p arties grow and change, so too do their viewpoints they assumed could stay the same. However, during the time period of 1801-1817, both parties began letting go of their original stances and started sharing their ideas.

Nursing Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Nursing Theory - Essay Example The aim of this paper is to describe a concept from a particular nursing theory. The excerpt will also describe the application of the concept to the nursing practice as well as to particular domains. The nursing theory to derive the concept is the Virginia Henderson’s need theory. The theory includes a definition of nursing as well as the description of the roles of a nurse, in addition to enumerating the 14 components that comprise the basic nursing care. Henderson nursing theory has four major concepts namely; individual, environment, health, and nursing. This paper will describe the nursing concept. The nursing concept supports temporarily a person without necessary knowledge, will, and strength to satisfy more than one of the 14 basic needs. The concept also helps as well as supports the person in attainment of independence as well as in life activities. The concept brings out the role of nurses as that of serving to ensure the completeness of the patient or to make them whole or independent. The classic definition of nursing according to Henderson is that, â€Å" I say that the nurse does for others what they would do for themselves if they had the strength, the will, and the knowledge. But I go on to say that the nurse makes the patient independent of him or her as soon as possible (Henderson, 2000).† The concept also shows that the nurse is required to conduct the physician’s therapeutic plan. Similarly, the individualized care is the outcome of the creativity of the nurse in planning for care. The concept also reveals the use of nursing research for instance in categorized nursing that involves nursing care and in non nursing situations like cleanliness, ordering supplies, and serving food (Sitzman & Lisa, 2004). The Nature of Nursing reveals that the nurse is and ought to be an independent practitioner, practice legally, as well as having the capability to make judgments as long as she is not conducting diagnosis. Additionally, th is nature dictates that the nurse should be in a position to prescribe treatment for the illness and able to make a prognosis. All these roles describe the functions of the physicians. The concept also reveals that the nurse should possess the knowledge to conduct individualized practice as well as human care. Additionally, the nurse should be a scientific problem solver. The role of a nurse according the Nature of Nursing is to get into the skin of the patient and supplement his or her strength with knowledge or will as per his or her needs. It is the responsibility of the nurse to assess the requirements of the individual patient, assist person to meet their health need. Additionally, to offer an environment in which the person can manage their activities without aid. The classical definition of Henderson nursing claims that he feels that the nurse perform on behalf of others what they would accomplish of they had the knowledge, will as well as the strength. The concept continues to claim that the nurse makes the patient to become independent as soon as possible (Sitzman & Lisa, 2004). Discussion of how the Nursing Concept may be applied in any Domain of Nursing Practice The nursing concept of the Henderson’s need theory may be applied in numerous domains such as nursing education and nursing research as explained below. Influence on Nursing Education The nursing concept has contributed enormously to the basis of many nursing schools. To begin with is the

Public Management Reform in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Public Management Reform in the UK - Essay Example This paper gives a comparison of power generation regulation in UK and India, with a number of insights on their drivers as well as ongoing strategy initiatives within the energy sector. The paper also point out a number of key issues along with policy limitations, both in meeting growth targets as well as in controlling emissions increase.The main objective here is to offer a reasonable as well as insightful classification of the factors that shape public management in each UK and India. This paper balances other research attempts of abatement prospective and prospects by offering an evaluation of basis - the framework of state of growth, future requirements and existing policy course. The people of the â€Å"world’s poor† reduced from 3 billion during 1991 to 2.4 billion during 2010, with almost this complete drop occurring in the UK. Majority of the world has not arrived at such sharp declines in poor standard of living. The population of the world’s poor apar t from UK has stayed on more or less 2.1 billion from 1991, regardless of a drop in proportional terms. According to the World Bank estimates, by 2017, this amount would decrease merely to 2 billion. Of the 2.4 billion poor during the year 2010, more than a third resides in India, who consists of almost 40 percent of the nation’s population. More than 50 percent of India’s inhabitants do not have access to electrical energy and they utilize kerosene for light. Merely one fifth of those utilizing electricity consume more than 100 kWh each month, in comparison with the average UK domestic utilization of more than 900 kWh each month (Barnett and Biornsgaard, 2000, p. 82). Therefore, broadening access as well as â€Å"meeting other development goals† (Kiameh, 2009, p. 95) will involve a considerable raise in production ability, even by developments in consumption efficiency. This earnings inconsistency has to be taken into consideration while expanding a load contri bution contract. â€Å"As the philosopher Henry Shue and others have argued, luxury emissions and not subsistence emissions should be the appropriate target of emissions reductions† (Keljik, 2008, p. 78). While one openly justifies this distinction, the comparative burden of India is minute, and is most likely activated just further than 2020. For instance, a current scheme for a burden contribution management for environment improvement supported by nations’ growing discharges from 2000 as well as their assets needs that the UK accept more than 30 percent of the universal improvement prerequisite during 2020, whereas India chips in more or less one percent (Kehlhofer et al, 2009, p. 66). A growth responsive analysis of burden sharing in countries does not mean development should be categorical or that improvement as well as expansion intrinsically diverges. In addition, both countries should focus on to the possibility of â€Å"getting locked† (Grigsby, 2007, p . 93) into flawed technologies and models of growth that will make it tougher to decrease emissions afterwards. Even a quicker look on India exposes discriminatory development in addition to a number of prospects for improvement in co-advantages. Despite the fact that India wants to develop, this sort of development will not chip in satisfactorily to growth unless it is comprehensive and prioritizes the requirements of the neglected. India has diverse evidence with respect to this issue. At the same time, as its scarcity level has dropped since 1991, â€Å"absolute poverty and income inequality† (Blume, 2007, p. 129) have remained more or less the

Critique of a Research Article Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critique of a Article - Research Paper Example The major objective of this research was to evaluate the general effects of cultural competency performance and training feedback for the primary care clinicians or rather practitioners for the black patients. Moreover, the study design was clustered and randomized controlled trials in close to eight ambulatory health facilities. One hundred and twenty four primary care clinicians who take care of about four thousand eight hundred and fifty eight (4858) white patients who mark 64% of the diabetic patients and two thousand six hundred and ninety nine (2699) black people who make about 36% of the diabetic patients in the region, participated in this study. Thus, the report or rather the entire study identified the relevant articles. The crucial aspects in the study were the cultural training and performance on how competent the medical clinicians can be when it comes to taking care of patients from diverse races in the globe. For this case, the white and the black patients were conside red. Furthermore, the report brings out the racial differences that exist in the control of hemoglobin, the levels of cholesterol and blood pressure among the patients (Sequist, Fitzmaurice, Marshall, Shaykevich, Marston, Safran, & Ayanian, 2010). The literature review of this report covers all the relevant areas as per the research. The appropriate theories such as the Leininger’s cultural theory which discusses the differences and the sameness of cultures that fully determines the kind of care any patient deserves was used. In addition, the report exhausts all the standards of the cultural competence such as social justice, critical reflection, the transcultural knowledge, education and training of the clinicians, multicultural workforce, the cross cultural leadership and the evidence based practice (McBean, Huang, Virnig, Lurie & Musgrave, 2003). These are some of the theories that fully support the objective of this kind of study. Alongside these theories, the review of l iterature is well organized so as to demonstrate the progress and development of the relevant aspects across the previous studies. Thus, the whole summary of the theoretical and empirical parts provide a reliable basis of the mentioned study. Furthermore, the report’s framework is explicitly presented. The subtopics are precise and to the point. All the relevant sections of a report are present in the body. For instance, there is a result sections which is extremely detailed with the correct figures and measurements of the data which was collected in the field. The research article fully defines and describes the most crucial concepts in the study. The concepts such as culture, training, performance, race, clinicians and diabetes are clearly defined and described in the article. Clarity of such concepts makes the entire report cover the studied aspects in the research. Moreover, these concepts are all linked to the study’s variables since they all revolve around the cl inician awareness of the differences in races and the cultures of various patients (Zaslavsky, Trivedi, Ayanian & Schneider, 2005). This research report tends to describe and analyze the current knowledge about the research problem or rather the aspects that lead to this study. It describes the disparities that are present in health facilities when it comes to the treatment of both the black and the white diabetic patients. The report further describes the difference or the

How does the western model of Internet Banking apply to Russia Dissertation

How does the western model of Internet Banking apply to Russia - Dissertation Example This chapter of the study will therefore spell out the most important aspects of tasks that the researcher put in place as part of data collection. As much as area of the research such as the literature review holds a prospect for answering most of the research questions and by extension achieve some of the research objectives, undertaking primary data collection remains a very useful way of testing secondary data used for the study (Riketta, 2008). This is because with primary data collection, the researcher is offered the opportunity of collecting first hand data that is not distorted or biased. The chapter shall open with the research philosophy that the researcher employed for the primary data collection. This is because the research philosophy will give the reader a general overview of the perspective from which the researcher conducts the remaining parts of primary data collection, whether inductively or deductively. There shall also be other aspects of the chapter such as rese arch design, qualitative design, research strategy, research scope, as well as data quality issues. By the close of the chapter therefore, the reader will have a vivid understanding of the entire approach that involved the conduct of the research. 3.1 Research Philosophy Saunders et al (2003) notes the research philosophy reflects the perception that the researcher holds about how knowledge is constructed. This is common with qualitative research of this nature because in qualitative research, the researcher seeks to explore knowledge about an ongoing situation, of which the research is being conducted (Ainin, Lim and Wee, 2005). In the current study, the ongoing situation can easily be referred to as internet banking in Russia and how this is influenced by western model of internet banking

Community Health Nursing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Community Health Nursing - Assignment Example These flies can easily spread the disease when they come to contact with clean food to be consumed by human beings. This often leads to an outbreak of cholera, a deadly disease if treatment is not quickly sought. However, of notable concern is the fact that cholera is a preventable disease if necessary precautions are taken. As such, the nurses play different roles in environmental health. They can take a leading role in educating people about the need to maintain a clean environment in order to prevent the outbreak of deadly diseases such as cholera. These health professionals can also enlighten people about the importance of taking safety precautions such as washing hands before eating any food. These are preventive measures that can help mitigate the problem identified. The nurses can also educate people about the measures they can take once they have witnessed symptoms of deadly diseases like

Why does the Financial Services industry appeal to you Essay

Why does the Financial Services industry appeal to you - Essay Example This career option will give me the opportunity to enhance my skills, by providing me with challenges every day of the week, where every challenge will be another learning experience. The rewards will reflect my effort that will keep me motivated to do even better, and who in this world does not want to be appreciated for their efforts. The more experienced I become the more reputation I will built up in this industry, where talent is appreciated (Tom Hopkins International, 2010). I will be able to specialize in future according to my interests as the industry provides various opportunities, for example in investment banking, portfolio management, or in the field of insurance. Even though this job provides one with many advantages, one still has to keep the dynamic conditions of the current global market in mind, as this career knows no boundaries, and to us every market is a global market. Though on one hand, as mentioned in The Financial Times, there was a net profitability of 16 p ercent recorded in the UK financial market as a result of the rise in income and volume of some businesses, still there were some cynical views that were noted after the very first time since March 2009. It was the concern of many banks in UK that the new regulations are undermining the growth opportunities, which are expected to lead to a further drop of employment opportunities. This led to a definite raise of concern in the prospective employees’ minds for their job security, especially for those who are aiming for financial services as their career path. On the other hand, CNN Money reported a potential rise of maximum one million and a minimum of 600,000 job opportunities in the United States, if President Obama’s new bill relating to job plans was to pass through congress. This gave a hope to many economists, as well as to many prospective employees, which according to Joel Prakken of Macroeconomics Advisors, was both socially and individually beneficial.

The Business Environment in Asia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Business Environment in Asia - Essay Example The top 30 companies in Indonesia belonged to the Salim Group and to Suharto's children. After the recession, new family conglomerates entered the scene but the structure of the private sector did not undergo substantial change. The economy continues to boom and the family businesses benefit. In Indonesia, the state plays the most vital role in the growth of the business groups. Lobbying and corruption are prevalent in conducting business and due to their continued influence, businessmen become politicians (Mahmood, 2011). Large-scale towns in Indonesia have their own police and their own government including private taxation collection. All public facilities such as health, water, sewerage, and sanitation are controlled by this self-styled government in individual townships. The business has so much of political clout and influence that they are able to sustain opaque ownership pyramid structure which originates in some other nation and develops monopoly as in the case of Instant No odles that belongs to the Salim Group. Such a system has its own disadvantages and advantages. While it provides capital, infrastructure, and source of business talent and entrepreneurship, it creates moral hazard, ethnic tensions, and state capture.Importance of building relationships is critical to the success of business in Indonesia. Relationships with the government officials help in expediting the bureaucratic process. It helps in streamlining the applications for obtaining licenses, permits, and information.... Indonesia The top 30 companies in Indonesia belonged to the Salim Group and to Suharto’s children. After the recession new family conglomerates entered the scene but the structure of the private sector did not undergo substantial change. The economy continues to boom and the family businesses benefit. In Indonesia the state plays the most vital role in the growth of the business groups. Lobbying and corruption are prevalent in conducting business and due to their continued influence businessmen become politicians (Mahmood, 2011). Large scale towns in Indonesia have their own police and their own government including private taxation collection. All public facilities such as health, water, sewerage and sanitation are controlled by this self-styled government in individual townships. The business have so much of political clout and influence that they are able to sustain opaque ownership pyramid structure which originates in some other nation and develops monopoly as in the case of Instant Noodles that belongs to the Salim Group. Such a system has its own disadvantages and advantages. While it provides capital, infrastructure and source of business talent and entrepreneurship, it creates moral hazard, ethnic tensions and state capture. Importance of building relationships is critical to the success of business in Indonesia. Relationships with the government officials help in expediting the bureaucratic process. It helps in streamlining the applications for obtaining licenses, permits and information (Facing the Challenge, n.d.). The national officials or pegawai negeri such as the notary in Indonesia are treated with respect. Such initiatives have facilitated the

HIPPA and Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HIPPA and Technology - Essay Example iii. â€Å"Technologies that address the needs of children and other vulnerable populations.† HIPAA allows for technology that will address the needs of vulnerable people; iPhones and iPads may help to reach them since they may find it hard to reach various health institutions. The new changes in HIPAA regulations state that the sale of protected health information must not involve a disclosure of protected health information. An entity may not reveal protected health information unless the law compels the release of information or when required by the Secretary. The article â€Å"How might the iPad change healthcare† notes that the iPad will bring a revolution in the health care sector since sharing of health related information will be very easy. The article â€Å"Identification of iPhone and iPad Applications for Obstetrics and Gynecology Providers† believes that it may be very hard to design gadgets that will address issues that pertain to obstetrics and gynecology. Breach Notifications: Formerly, notifications were needed when a data breach posed any harm. Today, it is required to inform the Department of Health and Human Services once unsecured data is breached. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (2006). HIPAA Administrative Simplification. Retrieved on May 26, 2015 from

Personality psychology Essay Example for Free

Personality psychology Essay Carl Gustav Jung was born on July 26, 1875 to a Swiss Pastor and his wife, in Kesswil, Switzerland. He was raised in Basel and attended school in Klein-Huningen. As a young boy Carl was fascinated by language, literature and archeology but was not really interested in school. He eventually enrolled and continued his education at the Humanistisches Gymnasium in Basel, and excelled at Latin. Because of his father’s faith, Jung developed a keen interest in religious history, but settled on the study of medicine at the University of Basel. He earned his medical degree in 1902 from the University of Zurich and went Paris to study psychology. Jung entered the field of psychiatry as an intern to Eugen Bleuler at the University of Zurich where he explored the unconscious mind and its related complexes. Jung was drafted into World War I and served as an army doctor for the British. In 1903, Jung married Emma Rauschenbach, with whom he had five children. Jung traveled throughout the world to teach and influence others with his psychoanalytical theories. He published many books relating to psychology, and others that seemed outside the realm science, including Flying Saucers: A Modern Myth of Things Seen in the Skies, which examined and dissected the psychological significance of UFO sightings. Jung’s work embodied his belief that each person has a life purpose that is based in their spiritual self. Through his eastern, western and mythological studies, Jung developed a theory of transformation which he called individuation. He explained individualism as being the personal development of one’s connection between the ego and self, which was based on Freud’s three part theory of personality. He further pursued and explored the idea of individuation in Psychology and Alchemy, a book in which he detailed the relationship of alchemies in the psychoanalytical process. Jung developed the idea of introversion and extroversion type of personality. He outlined the theory of the four fundamental psychological functions of thinking, feeling, sensation and intuition. His most difficult concept deals with archetypes which are inherited predispositions to respond to the world in a certain way. Jung’s relationship with Sigmund Freud began with his Studies in Word Association, a book that he published in 1906 and sent to Freud. In 1907 Jung met with Freud and their first discussions lasted 13 hours. In 1909 Jung opened his own practice and travelled to the United States with Freud. Their friendship lasted until 1913, at which time they parted ways due to a difference in academic opinion. Jung somewhat agreed with Freud’s theory of the unconscious, but believed further in the existence of a much deeper collective unconscious and representative archetypes. He disagreed with the idea that the unconscious is motivated by sexuality. This fundamental difference caused their friendship and professional opinions to be in conflict. Carl Jung is recognized as one of the most influential psychiatrists of all time. He founded Analytical Psychology and was among the first experts in his field to explore the religious nature behind human psychology. He developed the concept of the complex and identified the parallel roles of extraversion and introversion. He deepened the meaning of the unconscious by stating the existence of the collective unconscious and all of its archetypes. Additionally, the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous were in part inspired by Jung’s belief in an evangelic cure for alcoholism. His works, theories, and schools of thought are still widely discussed in universities and psychology curriculums around the world.

Is Hong Kong A Preferable Travel Destination?

Is Hong Kong A Preferable Travel Destination? One of Hong Kongs important incomes is from tourism. In 2010, the annual number of inbound tourists has 30 million. Mainland Chinese visitors accounted for 22.7 million, followed by the visitors from Taiwan, accounting for 2.2 million people; Hong Kong is one of the most popular tourist places. Why the tourists like to travel Hong Kong? In this project we will analysis Mainland Chinese this group of tourist in Hong Kong. And we will analysis what reasons attract the tourist. We will analysis some products is it enough for tourists? Introduction of Hong Kong History Hong Kong the full name is the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China. It is located in the Pearl River estuary, the South China Sea on the Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, connected to the mainland China, and the New Territories. Under the principle of One Country, Two Systems, Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China on 1 July 1997. Climate Hong Kong has a sub-tropical climate with distinct seasons. Hong Kong Spring is on March to May. The temperature and humidity are rising. Evenings can be cool and average temperature is Summer is on June to August. It is very hot, humid and sunny, with occasional showers and thunderstorms. The temperature can exceed 31 °C and high humidity levels can make it feel even hotter. In summer time, the average temperature can have 26à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™- 31à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™. The tourists can enjoy the sunshine and swimming in Repulse Bay Beach. Then it is autumn. Autumn is on September to November. There are pleasant breezes, plenty of sunshine and comfortable temperatures. Many people regard these as the best months of the year to visit Hong Kong. The tourists can go hiking in Lamma Island. In autumn the average temperature is Winter is from  December to February. It is quite cool, dry and cloudy, with occasional cold fronts. The temperature can drop below 10 °C in urban areas. The tourist can go to Temple Street to eat Pot Rice. The average temperature is 12à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ -20 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™. Attraction In Hong Kong, the attraction has two types. It is a natural and man-made attraction. First we will introduce Tai O. Tai O is located in the west of Lantau Island, New Territories, the existence in Hong Kongs most famous fishing village. Tai O is a natural attraction, Near Tai O there are lots of the growth of mangroves, visitors can enjoy the natural beauty of the local. Also the tourist can see the hut in Tai O. This is a Hong Kong early fishing village, and it is the homes of the fishermen. Hong Kong Disneyland is a man-made attraction. It is located Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong Lantau Island. Hong Kong Disneyland was officially opened on September 12, 2005. Also there have hotels too. There have six themes. For example, Fantasyland, Tomorrow land, Toy Story land etc. This park can attract the family to travel. The tourists can go there by rail MTR Disneyland Resort Line from Sunny Bay Station and Disneyland Resort Station. Analysis of Mainland Chinese The increasing and growth number of Chinese mainland visitors to Hong Kong. Last year, it has 5,550,000 of mainland individual visitors. Mainland visitors go to Hong Kong from China, generally about 25-44 years old. The visitors will stay around 3-4 days; over half of the visitors will spend on shopping. And they have a higher average education and income. Now, the Mainland visitors go to Hong Kong visit is very easy. Because the Hong Kong Government has provided the Signed a multi-line , they can visit Hong Kong still the holidays. First, mainland visitors visit Hong Kong main purpose is shopping, For example: they will buy an electronic products, preferred clothes, jewelry, beauty cosmetics and health products. It is because Hong Kong have most international brand, and have confidence guarantee. Ad Hoc Quota Trial Scheme for Cross Boundary Private Cars is means a self-driving tour of China and Hong Kong, Guangdong and Hong Kong traveling by car, is the implementation of a pilot scheme by the Hong Kong Government and the Guangdong provincial government plans to allow cross-border traveling vehicles in Hong Kong and Guangdong Province. But this plan stops in March 2012. Tourism products in Hong Kong Transportation Hong Kong provided a wide range of transportation to cater the transport demands so Hong Kongs transportation network is highly developed. Over 90% of daily travels (11 million) are on public transport, the highest such percentage in the world. Our target consumers could go everywhere that they like. Payment can be made using the Octopus card, a stored value system introduced by the Mass Transit Railway (MTR), which is widely accepted on railways, buses and ferries, and accepted like cash at other outlets go to the urban city. Mass Transit Railway is the most convenient way to understand how to go the place that we want to visit. There are all together ten lines in the MTR system, with a total of 83 railway stations and 68 light rail stops. It is utmost comfortable to go to the Hong Kong International Airport into the city center or rural place like Tai Po and Yuen Long and other famous attraction like the Hong Kong Disneyland. Bus services have a long history in Hong Kong. They could take the bus to go everywhere. There are also a variety of non-franchised public buses services, including feeder bus services to railway stations operated by the railway companies, and residents services for residential estates (particularly those in the New Territories). Taxi is the most relax transportation in Hong Kong as it is just carry yourself and your family. Taxi fares are charged according to the taximeter; however, additional charges on the fare table may apply, such as road tolls and luggage fees. Urban taxis are the most expensive, while Lantau taxis are the cheapest. The standard of service among different kinds of taxis is mostly the same. Attractions Hong Kong is frequently described as a place where East meets west, reflecting the cultures mix of the territorys Chinese roots with influences from its time as a British colony. Hong Kong had many attractions for our target consumers. We had classified into 2 parts: natural and man-made attraction. Man-made attraction For the sightseeing, we provide the visitor visit Avenue of Stars which with commemorative plaques, celebrity handprints, descriptive milestones, movie memorabilia, a life-size statue of kung fu action hero Bruce Lee and a bronze rendering of popular cartoon character McDull and also there is the perfect vantage point to catch the A Symphony of Lights multimedia show. After visit Avenue of Stars, if they want to shopping, they could go to Times Square which is the One-stop shop and eat paradise and highly cater their required of services. Causeway Bay is one of Hong Kongs most popular shopping areas and Times Square is its biggest mall. It has around 230 shops, including fashion, sportswear, furniture, electronics, toys, two department stores and around 17 restaurants offering food from all over the world. They could visit Ocean Park which offers affordable marine animal education and entertainment and is a private organization for commercial purposes. The park divided into 2 parts: The waterfront and Summit. The waterfront had Amazing Asia Animals, Ocean Express Waterfront Station, Aqua City, Whiskers Harbor and Cable Car Plaza. For the Summit, there are Summit cable car station, ocean express summit station, marine world, polar adventure, adventure land, Thrill Mountain and rainforest. They could spend a whole day to have a look on Hong Kong and play with their friends, family or relatives. Nature attraction Hong Kong Global Geopark of China is the famous place for the travelers to get in touch with the history of nature. They could take a tour to view covering an area of 50 square kilometers; the Geopark includes the Sai Kung Volcanic Rock Region and the Northeast New Territories Sedimentary Rock Region, which, together, feature eight scenic areas containing Hong Kongs major exotic landforms. Finally, they could go to Cheung Chau to view The Cheung Chau Bun Festival as it is the best way to feel the traditional mood in Hong Kong. Every year, the people of Cheung Chau get busy making papier-mà ¢chà © effigies of deities, preparing costumes, baking buns and building a bamboo tower. Theyre preparing for the thousands of people that will soon descend upon their tiny island for what Time.com deemed one of the worlds Top 10 Quirky Local Festivals. It is an easy way to find that Hong Kong provided a wide range of transportation and attraction to cater the rich mainland Chinese people. Accommodation Since there are more than 50,000 rooms available in Hong Kong. Most accommodation places are linked by the public transport system to ensure all attractions are close together. We use hotel ratings in order to divider their quality, such ratings are very useful for tourists to choose their accommodation places. In Hong Kong, there have five types of hotels. There are five-star hotels, four-star hotels, three-star hotels, boutique hotel and budget hotel. We think the Mainland visitors may consider on those two types hotels, because they need the quality of the hotels. For a five-star hotel, it always offers most luxurious premises, as well as swimming pool and sport and exercise facilities. For example, The Peninsula, Kowloon, Hong Kong, offers the ultimate in luxury accommodations with the most spacious hotel rooms and suites in Hong Kong. Each one of the guest rooms equipped with advanced technology for the convenience of hotel guests and is comfortable and stylish. However, its room rate range from $5000 to $16000. For a four-star hotel, it may lack of certain facility like 24-hour room service or individual phones or showers in bathroom, but overall it is a larger and comfortable hotel accompanied with many basic amenities. This hotel is located in Causeway Bay Hotel Hong Kong. The hotel provides the easiest walking distance between Causeway Bay MTR subway stations and The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, which is one of the tourist attractions and business areas that can be accessed within 10 minutes drive. Catering services Since Hong Kong is a city which Chinese and western culture combined, it is also famous for both type of food. Chinese Cuisine is the most famous type of food in Hong Kong. Since Western food is already adapted to local tastes, it is a good place for homesick travelers who have had enough of Chinese food. For some richer visitors, they can follow the Michelin guide to find some Western restaurants with excellent menu and service. We think the Mainland visitors may try some Hong Kong local food, so we have some ideas for the visitors. Dim Sum is one of the famous menus of Cantonese food; it dominates in food style of breakfast since Cantonese people tend to avoid fried foods early in the day. Dim Sum comes in countless variations with a huge price range from $8 to more than $100 per order. Common items include steamed shrimp dumplings, pork dumplings, barbecued pork buns, and Hong Kong egg tarts. The other famous Cantonese food is Chinese Barbecue, it is known as Siu Mei, restaurants usually use steamed chicken as these barbecued meats. Those meats are roasted on spits over an open fire or in a rotisserie oven. Chinese barbecue restaurants usually have highly flexible menus that allow you to pair your roast meats with rice, noodles or rice noodles. Combo plates enable solo diners to sample several meats in one meal. Rice with roasted pork Char Siu, roasted duck, all are common dishes of that. For the western style of food, there are numerous selections in Hong Kong. Italian, French, German, Mediterranean, Mexican and American all feature strongly. Given Hong Kongs cosmopolitan population and passion for dining trends, foreign travelers would not be hard to find out their home type of food. For the famous places of Western food in Hong Kong, Cà ©page is sure one of them, it serve French cuisine, influenced by Eastern type of cooking style and are served in the chic. The restaurants name is French for wine blend, an allusion to its impressive wine list of over 2,000 bottles, its recommended dish are Steamed Tasmanian Salmon, Aromatized with Diced Vegetables and Oriental Sauce. Ming Court is the other place; it has raked in rave reviews from the citys most respected food connoisseurs. Its executive chef applies his 30 years of experience to ensure that every dish bears his signature style of delicate presentation and exquisite taste. Braised E-Fu Noodles with Fresh Abalone Slices and Prawn are its recommended dishes. Suggestions for the Hong Kong Tourism Industry In order to develop the tourism industry, there are some suggestions provided for different sectors. For Hospitality industry, when the peak tourist season was coming, the hotel room and staff always not enough to supply. Therefore, they should build more hotel or other types of accommodation in Hong Kong. Also, hotel can organize a large-scale job fairs to recruit the talents and allocate the manpower efficiently, such as Disneyland and Ocean Park. Disneyland and Ocean Park is one of the popular attractions in Hong Kong, most of the tourists visiting there, so it should build more hotels in there. Mystery Customer Service Association published the 2010 Global smile report, shows that Hong Kong smile index is only 53 and ranking in third last. The company should provide training course and teaching the staff how to serve the customers, it can help to build up the good image of tourism. For Hong Kong Tourism Board, because travelers become more and more, the tourist facilities are insufficient to cope with the large number of travelers, they should develop more attractions, such as Disneyland, can build more mechanical rides. It also can strengthen efforts to publicize; they should do more advertising in other foreign countries and attract foreigner interest. Moreover, Hong Kong Tourism Board needs to organize more large-scale events for tourists, such as Tourism Festival, Winter Festival. This type of events is one of characteristically in Hong Kong. Recommendations to Government There are many recommendations for the Government of Hong Kong that are in favor of the Tourism Development. First of all, it is strongly recommended to the HK government that the 2nd Cruise Terminal at Kai Tak, which is now under building progress, should be completed as soon as possible as it can be very helpful to the tourism industry in a way that it can create efficiency for the cruise customers as there will be more space to park and more ports for the cruise ships. Secondly, the HK government should have more and more promotions and advertisements overseas to increase the number of the inbound tourists and the advertisements should be promoting the cultural and the leisure activities that can be done in HK such as a mix culture of HK and not only focus on Mainland Chinese market. And the HK government is also recommended that it should put more efforts on the HK Airport to make more spacious and to reclaim more land for development of the runways which in return will be one of the contributing factors for the development of the tourism industry of HK. It is because this will be a reason for the efficiency of the customers that are both in bounding and out bounding as the airport will be able to cater more and more flights and will provide more space to airlines. Conclusions All in all, Hong Kong has a wide range of facilities and products to cater to this object China rich. Provide multiple choices and quality in basic necessities, the economy status of China began to raise, the message of the people the crescendo ability, in line with the visa policy with China, Hong Kong an advantage compared to other cities. So for the Chinese rich people, Hong Kong is a choice. Access To Higher Education: Reflective Practice Access To Higher Education: Reflective Practice Firstly this assignment is based on three models of reflective practice, Kolb’s, Gibbs and John’s with an explanation of the structure of each model. To understand all three of the models they will all be described in detail explaining how they should be utilized. This assignment will also seek to critically evaluate all three of the models. All of these models can assist someone to reflect on some everyday situations and seriously think about what to change when things go wrong and how to put them right on another occasion. Starting with Kolb’s model of reflective practice, this model has been structured on four stages of learning which are, concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation and active experimentation. Concrete experience is having an experience which can be evaluated, reflective observation is looking at the experience to see what was done, abstract conceptualisation is learning from the experience and active experimentation is planning and trying out what has been learned. (Mcloud 2010) There are also other parts to Kolb’s model that focus on the way someone will learn, these are diverging, assimilating, converging and accommodating. Diverging is to feel and watch, assimilating is to think and watch, converging is to think and do, and accommodating is to feel and do. (Kolb 1984) With Kolb’s model it is suggested by him that whoever is using it should think about what they are doing and reflect on this by reviewing what they did. Using the information and learning from their experience. (Arora 2008) The end outcome should be to learn from their experience and to turn the negatives into positives. Anyone using this model should plan what they could do next and think about how they could improve their experience. Kolb’s model of reflection has been criticized because of insufficient attention to the process of reflection itself, ‘it’s lack of empirical support, it’s very rigid and sequential nature and it’s simplification of the learning process in general’. (Smith 1996) This model of reflection will not suit everyone’s learning experience as it does not take into account the abilities of different learners and can also seem a little complicated to follow with the use of some uncommon words that are not understood by all individuals. According to research Kolb’s model of reflective practice does not show the full extent of reflection. (Boud et al1983) Now we move onto Gibbs model of reflective practice which is based on six questions: Description: What happened? Feelings: What did you think and feel? Evaluation: What did you find good and what was bad about the experience? Analysis: What do you make of the situation? Conclusion: What should you do to make the experience better? Action plan: If it happened in the future what would you do?(Gibbs 1988) With the Gibbs model of reflective practice it is suggested by him that whoever uses this model should describe what happened and think about what they were feeling to evaluate the situation and work out what went well and what did not go well. The person using this model should analyse what sense they can make of the situation and decide what they could have done to make the situation better. (Jasper2003) It is also suggested that anyone using this model should develop an action plan to improve the situation if it should happen again. Gibbs model of reflective practise is described as self-explanatory and easy to use. (Jasper 2003) Gibb’s model does not give the learner enough specific questions to answer and does not give them enough scope to be more critical of themselves. ‘‘It also does not consider whether there is a difference between teaching practice and the requirements or expectations of learners’’. (Jasper 2003) (Jasper 2003) explains that Gibb’s ‘‘model comes from an educational context as opposed to a practical context’’. (Jasper 2003) The learning styles of many reflective models have still not been proven according to some and may be of no benefit to some learners. (Barrett 2013) Finally, John’s model of reflective practice is based on five questions with sub headings. Reflection: What were you trying to achieve? Influencing factors: What things like internal and external knowledge affected your decision? Could you have dealt with it better: What other choices did you have and what were the consequences? Learning: What will change because of this experience? Description of the experience: How has this experience changed your way of knowing? (Dran 2011) It is suggested by Johns that anyone using this model of reflective practice should work out why they did what they did and if anything swayed their decision to do what they did as well as what other things they could have done instead. It is also suggested by Johns that the person using this model thinks about what will change because of the experience and if it has changed their view of what they did. One weakness of this model is that ‘the outside framework does not leave any room for learners to use their own awareness, standards and priorities and some learners and practitioners doubt the value of reflection’. (Davis 2005) Reflective practice can often be interpreted in the wrong way. (Loughran, 2000) It could be seen that if practitioners are extremely busy they may find the pressure of completing reflective models a little tiresome. There are also some ethical concerns, which may breach confidentiality and privacy so anyone using reflective models of practice should take this into consideration. It should be noted that dealing with emotions in this way can be upsetting and do more harm than good. (Davis 2005) Boud and Walker (1998) are unsure of reflective practice as a required part of a course. Another criticism on the impact on someone using a model of reflective practice is that the practitioner always wants to find ways of doing things better which can lead to them feeling down hearted and unworthy. If a practitioner is to assume that the word ‘critical’ has the same meaning as ‘negative’ then this could make them feel very low indeed and also extremely worthless. (Quinn 1988/2000). Quinn (1988/2000) suggests that ‘the inappropriate use of reflective Models may actually devalue practitioners’ professional work instead of promoting it. It seems that not everyone would like to utilize the same model as we all adapt to each situation differently and the learning process is not the same experience for everyone, just as all models of reflection are different models of reflection so are we as humans. If used correctly in the right situation these models of reflection can be very valuable however used badly can be detrimental to our thought process and feelings of usefulness. (Quinn 1998/2000) Table of References www.academia.edu/1057509/Experimental_learning_.termpaper (Accessed 30 May 2014) Davis. C. et-al (2005) Changing practice in health and social care sage publications London Thousand Oaks New Delhi in association with the Open University p85 www.docstoc.com/docs22730941/JOHNS-MODEL-OF-STRUCTURED-REFLECTION (Accessed 10 June 2014) http://ebookily.org/doc/example-of-gibbs-1988-reflective-cycle-in-nursing (Accessed 12 June 2014) Finlay.L.Reflectingon‘Reflectivepractice’http://www.open.ac.uk/opencetl/files/ecms/web-content/Finlay-(2008)-Reflecting-on-reflective-practice-PBPL-paper-52.pdf pp 10 11 12 (Accessed 2June 2014) www.3.hantsgov.uk/reflection-2.doc (Accessed 2 June) McLeod S. A. (2010). Kolb Learning Styles. www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html (Accessed 10 June 2014) http://prezi.com/qsys43dbyzy9/gibbs-criticalreflectionmodel/ (Accessed 1 June2014) http://www.scribd.com/doc/48449899/BREAKING-BAD-NEWS-REFLECTION (Accessed 12 June 2014) http://www.scribd.com/doc/69580365/Johns (Accessed 10 June 2014) http://www.silkysteps.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7386 (Accessed 12 June 2014) http://www.ukessays.com/essays/education/an-overview-of-peer-reviewing-education-essay.php (Accessed 12 June 2014) www.ulh.nhs.uk/for-staff/educationtrainig/clinical-education/leadership-in-practice/gibbsreflectivecycle.pdf (Accessed 1June 2014) http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflective_practice (Accessed 3 June 2014) http://www.worc.ac.uk/adpu/documents (Accessed 30 May 2014) Part B Without realising at first Gibb’s model of reflection was the one out of all the models which I automatically started to and still continue to use. I found the model very user friendly, and this is a reflective model that is in plain speaking English without the use of any uncommon words. It has made me think seriously about situations in my studies and made me realise what I am doing wrong and what I should think about to improve the way I study. Sometimes I do things and do not really think about what I am doing however this model of reflection has taught me to actually stop, think and reassess a situation. Here is an example of Gibb’s model of reflective practice applied to my own learning experience. Description: What happened? I was given assignments to complete. Feelings: What was I thinking and feeling? I was feeling a little daunted and unsure of the work ahead of me. Evaluation: What was good and bad about the experience? I thought the assignments were quite hard to do and found putting things into my own words very hard. Once I thought I finally understood a little more I felt much better. Analysis: What sense can I make of the situation? I get too stressed and rush myself too much to get my work done all at once. Conclusion: What else could I have done? I could have organised my time better and done my work in small chunks. Action plan: If it arose again what would I do? I will organise my time better and work in small chunks rather than trying to do it all at once.

Effect of Hormones on Aggressive Behaviour

Effect of Hormones on Aggressive Behaviour The role of hormones in mediating aggressive behaviour How hormones can trigger and influence aggression in animals and humans has interested many researchers in the last six decades (Brooks-Gunn, Graber, Paikoff, 1994). Scientists realised soon that aggressive behaviours has to be always set in a larger context. The larger context can never be neglected while investigating complex human behaviours. This applies especially when considering the hormonal contributions to aggressive behaviour since far more than one link seems to exist between hormones and aggression. For instance, the hormonal control of parental, sexual and reproductive behaviour crucially determines aggression in both humans and animals. Parents of many animal species are increasingly aggressive while experiencing hormonal changes, for example, during lactation and parturition as they strive to defend their offspring from enemies (Beach, 1979). The aim of this paper is to evaluate the study on hormones and aggressive behaviour in the evolutionary context. Nonetheless it is not intended to conceptualise this evolutionary context without relation to other domains such as the social or cognitive one as these domains are inextricably linked. â€Å"A developmental perspective of aggression thus is based on the assumption that aggressive behavior is multidetermined and dynamic over the life span, and a product of a complex continuous interaction of the multiple psycho-bio-social changes.† (Ramirez, 2003; p.622). Aggression The fact that multiple modulators for aggression seem to exist makes it more difficult to reach conclusions. An additional problem is that the usage of the word aggression is too broad and there is yet not consensus over how it can be actually defined (Kavoussi, Armstead, Coccaro, 1997). Aggression has been predominantly related to an emotional state that individuals frequently describe as involving a strong drive to inflict harm and emotions of disregard and hate. However, overt aggression comes, in contrast to the described inner feeling of hate, in different forms. Predatory aggression, for instance, refers to the feeding behaviour of animals and is represented by attacks directed at natural prey. It has been demonstrated that the majority of vertebrates display aggression between two males of the same species while only some animals display maternal aggression. Fear-induced aggression, on the other hand, appears when an animal is anxious and/or incapable to escape from a perceiv ed dangerous situation. Irritable aggression, however, comes frequently close to uncontrollable rage and is triggered by immense pain or frustration (Rosenzweig, Breedlove, Reiman, 2002). Nelson (1995) reported how male sex hormones play a significant role in various forms of aggressive behaviour like for example in within-species social interactions and encounters. As a consequence, aggressive behaviour between males increases on the verge to sexual maturity. Experiments with male mice have demonstrated that their aggressiveness levels rise significantly during puberty while immature mice display more violent behaviours against each other when they are treated with androgens (McKinney Desjardins, 1973). Puberty and Hormonal Change Given the dramatic changes that occur in endocrine physiology at puberty, it is not surprising that increases in testosterone are hypothesized to be related to increases in aggression. This explains why testosterone has been the most investigated hormone in its research. The wealth of evidence supporting the ability of testosterone to facilitate aggressive behaviour in a broad number of mammal species has led to wonder about its potential role in human aggression. Wingfield and colleagues (1987) were among those researches who successfully demonstrated that the amount of displayed aggression in many species is related to the amount of seasonal testosterone change. Yet experiments with youths experiencing puberty yielded equivocal results. Book and collaborators (2001) for instance conducted a meta-analysis on 45 independent studies and came to the conclusion that the mean weighted correlation of these studies was only weakly positive (r = 0.14). This finding was congruent with Archer’s (1991) meta-analyses as he had also found rather marginally significant positive relationships between testosterone levels in humans and aggression. Experiments investigating the on the effects of castration on subjects illustrated more convincingly how inextricably aggressive behaviour is linked to hormones. Conclusively, castrated males displayed less aggressive behaviour due to the decreased androgen production. If, in turn, testosterone is injected into these castrated species one can again observe an increase in inter-male violent behaviour. Females are less often studies by researchers with regard to hormonal affects on aggression. This is due to the fact that males engage significantly more often in aggressive behaviour than females (e.g. number of male murderers is five times higher in the United States). Thus the predominant viewpoint among scientists is that males of most species are the more aggressive and violent sex. Consistently, recent research has found more support for a link between androgens and aggressive affect for boys entering puberty (Olweus et al., 1988) but less strong associations for girls (Paikoff Br ooks-Gunn, 1990). Nevertheless some studies found that in some species like Hamsters the female sex is more aggressive. However, this was not anymore the case when the female Hamsters entered the estrus stage. As a matter of fact, not all studies have supported the notion that the amount of hormones, especially androgens, is negatively associated to aggression levels. Ehrenkranz and colleagues (1974) for example demonstrated that testosterone levels of humans were positively related to aggressiveness while Kreuz and Rose (1972) could not find a significant correlation between levels of testosterone and aggressiveness in prisoners. Nonetheless Dabbs and Morris (1990) maintained with the help of their study on military veterans that testosterone levels can be linked at least to violent antisocial behaviour. More recently Dabbs and Hargrove (1997) revealed that high testosterone levels are a remarkable characteristic and predictor of female prisoners who are convicted of self-initiated violent crimes. At least two confounding variables exist Research has also demonstrated the existence of at least two confounding variable which have a significant influence on the relationship between hormones and aggressive behaviour. Bernstein and Gordon (1971) showed that both monkeys and mice who come out as winners of an aggressive interaction display increased testosterone levels whereas the losers experience a decrease in androgens. Consequently, the winners become more aggressive while the losers are less prone to exhibiting aggressive behaviour towards their own and other species. One could conclude that it was more a consequence rather than a cause that the more aggressive prisoners in Dabbs and Hargroves (1997) experiment had higher testosterone levels. Surprisingly not only the winners of aggressive encounters but also the triumphant of sport competitions experience observable increases in their testosterone levels. It goes further that this increase is not only experienced by those who actively participate and win in the spor ting event but is even experienced by those who support and cheer up the winning side or individual (Bernhardt, 1997). As even chess players display after having lost chess matches lower levels and after having won higher levels of testosterone it was concluded that another confounding variable mediates between aggression and testosterone because chess players are hardly aggressive in their normal behaviour. Regardless of these confounding variables sexual assaulters, aggressors and criminals have been often castrated in the past in order to decrease both their sex and aggression drives. The results of these studies reported that criminals were less susceptible to aggressive behaviour after having experienced a decrease in sex hormones induced by their castration (Brain, 1994). Nowadays, however, ethical issues and concerns have become increasingly important and thus it is debatable and questionable whether these kind of forced surgical interventions are ethically justifiable and tenable. Serotonin and Aggressive Behaviour The synaptic transmitter serotonin seems to have as well a profound impact on aggressive behaviour in both humans and animals. In contrast to testosterone, however, a negative association between aggression and brain serotonin activity has been reported in past studies. Higley and collaborators (1992), for instance, investigated the activity of the neurotransmitter serotonin in around 30 monkeys in an observational study. The researchers ranked the monkeys according to their aggressive activities on the island where they were freely living and compared their ranks with the amount of serotonin brain activity. Their results demonstrated that serotonin levels are negatively correlated with aggression. Virkkunen and Linnoila (1993) supported these findings with their own study. They showed that individuals who consume alcohol excessively have comparatively lower serotonin metabolites concentrations (e.g. HIAA concentrations) in their cerebrospinal fluid. These applied also to animal tort uring children (Kruesi, 1979) and due to aggressive behaviour expelled American Marines (Brown et al., 1979). As a matter of fact, serotonin levels are affected by environmental context and stimuli. Dominant and high ranking primates for example who stand on the top of the hierarchical social status ladder display greater serotonin levels than primates who rank lower in the pecking order. If however the higher ranked primates loses his social status he analogously experiences a decrease in serotonin levels. Testosterone and Aggressive Behaviour Schaal and colleagues (1996) investigated more recently the association between physical violence and social dominance of pubescent male youths and their respective testosterone levels. It was shown that less socially dominant youths had lower levels of testosterone in comparison to socially more dominant peers who possess concurrently bigger amounts of testosterone amounts. Nevertheless, this finding could not be repeated with aggression levels as those pubescent youths who were perceived as more aggressively behaving had significantly lower testosterone concentrations than those males who had a low history of being physically aggressive and violent. Thus it was concluded that testosterone was related not so much to antisocial characteristics than to experienced social status. In other words, those who successfully achieve higher social dominance statuses experience an increase in testosterone while those who fail to gain high social status face a reduction in their testosterone pro duction. Experiments with younger children (e.g. 5-year-olds) it was found that boys with higher testosterone concentrations were more playfully aggressive in social interactions. However, this relationship could neither be established with girls nor in play contexts (Ahedo et al., 2002). This again implies that testosterone levels are not solely a modulator of aggressive behaviour but rather a mediator of any kind of social behaviour. Additionally, Ahedo and collaborators study demonstrated that sex differences in behaviour establish themselves already very early on in life. In another study (van Goozen et al., 1998) the androstenedione, testosterone, dehdroepiandrostenedione (DHEA) levels in prepubescent boys exhibiting antisocial conduct disorders was examined. Van Goozen and colleagues results revealed that antisocial conduct disordered infants’ aggressiveness was not significantly relatable to testosterone. However, the more antisocially behaving boys had significantly higher than average androstenedione levels and modestly higher than average DHEAS levels. Researchers like Ramirez (2003) believed that studies such as these have the power to shadow doubt on the validity of testosterone as a biological control system for aggressive behaviour in postnatal life. Even later on in life testosterone levels seem only to represent the consequence rather than a cause of aggression as testosterone does not immediately lead people to be physically aggressive but their aggression is solely a response to cognitive and social stimuli and triggers (Brain Su sman, 1996). Studies on observed changes in concentration levels of testosterone and cortisol during aggressive behaviour and social stress serve as support for those researchers maintaining that both the evolutionary and social contexts and experiences have an essential impact on hormonal levels in humans. Thus â€Å"gonadal hormones, besides being only one of the multiple processes -biological, social, and cognitive, to influence aggression in children and adolescents, might also be a signal of aggression, or even more precisely perhaps, of social success.† (Ramirez, 2003; p. 630). These findings about serotonin and testosterone are according to Ramirez (2003) of utmost importance as they demonstrate that that experiences made in life can alter both brain chemistry and hormonal production in fundamental ways. Thus it can be noted that social context and hormonal activities in the body and brain are inextricably linked. Past researches on abnormal (van Goozen et al., 2000) and normal (Nottelmann et al., 1987; Inoff-Germain et al., 1988) male and female children have revealed univocal associations between high hormone levels of adrenal origin like androstenedione or dehydroepiandrostenedione sulphate and aggression together with diverse other negative attributes such as antisocial behaviour, rebelliousness and anger. Furthermore, the fact that androstenedione which is a prevalent producer of androgens is linked to anger in females suggests that adrenal and not gonadal originated androgens play a fundamental part in determining the aggressive behaviour of the female sex. In addition to that, it has been found that serotonin is not the sole mediator of aggression but also noradrenergic, neuropeptides and GABA systems have been demonstrated to have an impact on aggressive behaviour. Additionally, estrogens, gonadotrophins, and prolactine have been identified as minor modulators. Thus, genetic and pharma cological experts have essentially extended the number of relevant hormones and neurotransmitters in the last couple of years (Nelson Chiavegatto, 2001). In conclusion, all the above findings fortify and support the currently predominant notion that aggression is not mediated by only one factor but by a network of many interplaying variables. References Ahedo, L., Cardas, J., Aizpiroz, A., Brain, P. F., Sanchez-Martin, J. R. (2002). Social behavior in male and female 5-year olds and its relation to salivary testosterone levels. The developmental origins of aggressive behavior (p. 53). Montreal: ISRA. Archer, J. (1991). The influence of testosterone on human aggression. British Journal of Psychology, 82, 1–28. Beach, F.A. (1979). Aggressive Behavior. Hormones and Aggression, 5(3), 313-316. Bernhardt, P. C. (1997). Influences of serotonin and testosterone in aggression and dominance: convergence with social psychology. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2(6), 44-48. Bernstein, I. S., and Gordon, T. P. (1974). The function of aggression in primate societies. American Scientist, 62, 304-311. Book, A. S., Starzyk, K. B., Quinsey, V. L. (2001). The relationship between testosterone and aggression: A meta-analysis. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 6(6), 579–599. Brain, P. 1994. Hormonal aspects of aggression and violence. In A. Reiss, Jr., K. Miczek, and J. Roth (Eds.), Understanding and Preventing Violence, Volume 2., pp. 173-244 Washington DC: National Academy Press. Brain, P. F., Susman, E. J. (1996). Hormonal aspects of antisocial behavior and violence. In D. M. Stoff, J. Maser, J. Maser (Eds.), Handbook of antisocial behavior ( pp. 314–323). Hillsdale: Laurence Erlbaum. Brooks-Gunn, J. Graber, J.A., Paikoff R.L. (1994). Studying links between hormones and negative affect: models and measures. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 4(4), 469-486. Brown, G. L., Goodwin, F. K., Ballenger, J. C., Goyer, P. F., et al. (1979). Aggression in humans correlates with cerebrospinal fluid amine metabolites. Psychiatry Research, 1, 131-139. Dabbs, J. M., Jr., and Hargrove, M. F. (1997). Age, testosterone, and behaviour among female prison inmates. Psychosomatic Medicine, 59, 477-480. Dabbs, J. M., Jr., and Morris, R. (1990). Testosterone, social class and antisocial behavior in a sample of 4.462 men. Psychological Science, 1(3), 209-211. Ehrenkranz, J., Bliss, E., and Sheard, M. H. (1974). Plasma testosterone: correlation with aggressive behaviour and social dominance in man. Psychosomatic Medicine, 36, 469-475. Higley, J. D., Mehlman, P. T., Taub, D. M., Higley, S. B., et al. (1992). Cerebrospinal fluid monoamine and adrenal correlates of aggression in free-ranging rhesus monkey. Archives of General Psychiatry, 49, 436-441. Kavoussi, R., Armstead, P., Coccaro, E. (1997). The neurobiology of impulsive aggression. Psychiatry Clinic North America, 20(2), 395–403. Kreuz, L. E., Rose, R. M. (1972). Assessment of aggressive behaviour and plasma testosterone in a young criminal population. Psychosomatic Medicine, 34, 321-332. Kruesi, M. J. (1979). Cruelty to animals and CSF 5HIAA. Psychiatry Research, 28, 115-116. Inoff-Germain, G. E., Arnold, G. S., Nottelmann, E. D., Susman, E. J., Cutler, G. B., Chrousos, G. P. (1988). Relations between hormone levels and observational measures of aggressive behavior of early adolescents in family interactions. Developmental Psychology, 24, 129–139. McKinney, T.D., and Desjardins, C. (1973). Postnatal development of the testis, fighting behaviour, and fertility in house mice. Biology of reproduction, 9, 279-294. Nelson, R. J. (1995). Introduction to behavioural endocrinology. Sunderland MA: Sinauer Associates. Nelson, R. J., Chiavegatto, S. (2001). Molecular basis of aggression. Trends in Neurosciences, 24(12), 713–719. Nottelmann, E. D., Susman, E. J., Dorn, L. D., et al. (1987). Developmental processes in American early adolescents: Relationships between adolescent adjustment problems and chronological pubertal stage and puberty-related serum hormone levels. Journal of Pediatrics, 110, 473–480. Olweus, D., Mattsson, A., Schalling, D., Low, H. (1988). Circulating testosterone levels and aggression in adolescent males: a casual analysis. Psychosomatic Medicine, 50, 261-271. Paikoff, R.L., Brooks-Gunn, J., (1990). Associations between pubertal hormones and behavioural and affective expression. In C.S. Holmes (Ed.), Psychoneuroendoctrinology: brain, behaviour, and hormonal interactions (pp. 205-226). New York: Springer-Verlag. Ramirez, J.M. (2003). Hormones and aggression in childhood and adolescence. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 8, 621–644 Rosenzweig, M.R., Breedlove, S.M., Leiman, A.L. (2002). Biological Psychology. MA: Sinauer Associates. Schaal, B., Tremblay, R. E., Soussignan, R., Susman, E. J. (1996). Male testosterone linked to high social dominance but low physical aggression in early adolescence. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 35(10), 1322–1330. van Goozen, S. H., Matthys, W., Cohen-Kettenis, P. T., Gispen-de Wied, C., Wiegant, V. M., van Engeland, H. (1998). Salivary cortisol and cardiovascular activity during stress in oppositional-defiant disorder boys and normal controls. Biological Psychiatry, 43(7), 531–539. van Goozen, S. H., van den Ban, E., Matthys, W., Cohen-Kettenis, P. T., Thijssen, J. H., van Engeland, H. (2000). Increased adrenal androgen functioning in children with oppositional defiant disorder: A comparison with psychiatric and normal controls. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,  39(11), 1446–1451. Virkkunen, M., and Linnoila, M. (1993). Brain serotonin, type II alcoholism and impulsive violence. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 11, 163-169. Wingfield, J. C., Ball, G. F., Dufty, A. M., Hegner, R. E., et al. (1987). Testosterone and aggression in birds. American Scientist, 75, 602-608.