Perceived Affect Relationship Of Switching -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Perceived Affect Relationship Of Switching? Answer: Introduction The advance in social media application development caused the new paradigm of e-commerce represented in the social commerce. Social media applications facilitate on-line shopping activities of products and services. Business organizations have to develop their websites on social media, according to consumer preferences to facilitate their transaction in the social context. Social commerce brings e-commerce to the social media context and the social media at the same time could be transferred to the e-commerce website. Although social commerce mainly refers to practicing e-commerce activities within the social media context. Social commerce is mainly dedicated to the social activities as collaboration, information sharing and networking(Huang Benyoucef, 2015). The social interaction of users is due to the wide spread of the social networking sites. Consumers are free to join the social groups of their choice, communicate, share information, knowledge and practices with each other. This social interaction influences the buying behavior of users according to the perceived information from their friends. The social commerce empowered buyers over the sellers. The social support is likely to increase the social commerce activities and influence more buyers, as users make informed contributions among social groups. These interactions are analyzed by business organizations to know the buyers' attitudes and predict their future activities (Hajli Sims, 2015). This report mainly focuses on the opportunities and challenges of the social electronic commerce. It consists of three parts, the first part discusses the possible opportunities of social electronic commerce, the second part analyses the possible problems of social electronic commerce. The third part introduces strategies to reduce risks in social commerce. Opportunities of social electronic commerce The increasing number of social media applications created many opportunities for organizations to developed business models based on the concept of electronic commerce (e-commerce). Social commerce provides a marketplace for users to sell their products on line. Many companies use the social commerce as, Yahoo, eBay and Amazon, as they got the opportunity of user participation to create value from the social networks. The social commerce provides a user centered environment, which creates social interaction as it motivates the users to shop together, which create advantage to the seller represented in increased sales volume, higher level of user engagement and creates strong relations between the organization and the customer (Huang Benyoucef, 2015). Social commerce encourages organizations to provide high quality products, increase the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns and analyze users'preferences to predict the future trends of the market. The social media changed both of the consumer and the companies' roles as the electronic word of mouth marketing has developed. As the word of mouth marketing changed the way the consumers behave is also changed (Jim, et al., 2015). The key to successful social commerce is the social influence of the customers. As the social support from other encourages the user influence to the product. This influence is the driver of the customer decision of buying the product (Wanga Yu, 2017). As a social marketplace, social media encourage users to share information and experiences about shopping products which affects the decisions of their peers.Information sharing between consumers on social media takes place before and after shopping online. It can take the form of rating recommendation or review of the seller or the product. There are a variety of activities that could take place in the social media marketplace as pre-shopping activities, the decision making of shopping and evaluation after-shopping. Accordingly organizations can benefit from these activities in creating their business strategies to improve their performance (Lin, et al., 2017). Social aspect of online shopping Shopping by nature is considered a social activity. The social commerce provides escrow services and accepts guarantees transactions done with the credit card. Social media channel strengths the social nature of the shopping activities in the online shopping activity. It also allows the organizations to take the initiative of the social interaction and to manage the interaction with the customers.Social commerce focuses on the social activities as collaboration and information sharing, unlike the e-commerce, which mainly focuses on the shopping activities.When buyers access the products from social media applications, they can get the information they need from other shoppers' experiences and they gain more knowledge about the purpose of the purpose of their shopping and to make accurate purchasing decision (Lu, et al., 2016). Social resources as a predictor of consumer expertise The information resources available on the social media, when the consumer interacts with one of its applications he can get the information needed to make the buying decision. The type of information the consumers' access to gain knowledge enables the seller to differentiate between the beginner and the expert consumer. Analytics tools can provide the organizations with the type of consumers and their preferences (Barrutia, et al., 2016). Technological support to social commerce The on-line shopping through social media is different from the shopping experience in the offline context. The social commerce provides buyers with informational and emotional support. But in the online context, people do not have human interaction. The technology of social commerce is represented in applications and web 2.0 technologies which influence consumers to participate in blogs, communities and forums. The variety of technological platforms attracts different styles of users, which creates an opportunity for business organizations to choose their target customers (Hajli, 2013). Factors that influence consumer intention in social commerce and creates opportunities for the business organization According toAkman Mishra (2017), the consumer driving factors towards social commerce are as follows: Using social commerce involves security aspects, as consumers need to feel that their transactions are secure. Securing the user access increases the opportunity for shopping and risk reduction. Quality also plays a vital role in making shopping decisions. Trust in the product quality creates reliability. It is important to provide an easy access and make the shopping process enjoying to the shoppers in order to attract them. The easiness and enjoyment assist in the user engagement in the technology mechanism. The social pressure affects the consumers in a positive way when they find support from trusted people within the social network and accordingly, the opportunity of their engagement increases. It is important to shoppers to be satisfied when using the information and communication technology. As social network is the platform, where communication takes place between users and it should be developed on a regular basis to attract users. Also, users should be involved in the development process to ensure that the application satisfies their needs. Satisfaction involves easiness, usefulness, expectations and experiences. Small companies can make use of advanced technology in promoting their products to be able to compete globally and take the opportunity that the social commerce offers to them. They should adopt strategies to promote their brands through social networks. It is important for business organizations to be ethical in their presence on the social network as the perceived ethics affect the shoppers' response and enables better sharing of information among users. Problems of social electronic commerce It is a challenging task for business organizations to make their social platform socially accepted. Organizations have to add features to fulfil the user needs. These features include the logo of the brand, recommended products, reviews and feedback, customized products and discounts. It is important for business organizations to understand the market needs and consumer expectations. The social commerce website of the seller should be evaluated according to users' perspectives of the required social features. The absence of this analysis will lead to the failure of the business strategy of social commerce as it should be based on actual, quality and timely information(Huang Benyoucef, 2015). Trust in social commerce: Almost all of the economic transactions are built on trust. The social commerce platform lacks the rules so users tend to trust the seller when taking the shopping decision. Trust is also the most important factor in e-commerce. The social context can be a source of providing trust or the opposite. In social commerce, trust in the seller is the major aspect then comes the trust in the marketplace.The buyer interaction through the website should create a trust, analysts describe this relationship as similar to the interpersonal interaction. Being able to view the previous purchase actions of buyers, directs the behavior of the buyers according to the perceived information (Lu, et al., 2016). It is important to reduce the perceived risk of the buyers through monitoring their purchasing performance indicators in different modes of transactions (Zheng, et al., 2015). Members intention in social commerce The shared intention among group members reflects the individual intention of the group members. It is considered a collective intention of the entire group. That is why it is considered a social value which influences the group members' behaviors.It is also considered informational value asinteraction among group members includes information sharing, which impact their attitudes and buying behavior (Sun, et al., 2016). Risk of social commerce There are different types of risks that could take place in the social commerce, including, product, channel and social related risk. The product-related risk, concerns with whether the product specifications meet the consumer expectations or fail to do this. The channel-related risk concerns with the consumer's feeling towards the online buying process, which could be positive or negative.The social-related risk concerns with the buyer attitude with regard to the opinion of his family members or friends.Accordingly, new consumers or pad experienced consumers have high perceived risk towards the social commerce. On the opposite, when the consumer is loyal, his perceived risk is low and the switching cost will be positive(Yen, 2010). Security of social commerce The vendor behavior should be security related. Securing personal and financial information is a very important issue. Security actions include, privacy control, confidentiality control, authentication control and data integrity control. The user perceived security controls his buying behavior. If the users feel safe and their personal information is protected, then confident expectation will be gained.The perceived security is highly related to trust, as the received security increases the trust increases (Choi Nazareth, 2014). Electronic word of mouth The credibility of information is important to the electronic word of mouth in the online context. If the users trust the social commerce website, it is more likely for them to spread electronic word of mouth about the company activities. High level of interaction on the social website, creates an opportunity to the electronic word of mouth behavior to spread(Shi Chow, 2015). Culture in social commerce The social media marketplace makes it easy to define the various communities and cultures. It provides a challenge to the sellers to satisfy the individuals' needs according to their culture and privacy protection. Individuals' culture may be related to high perceived risk towards financial transaction security or personal information protection through the shopping transaction process. Also, it is important for sellers to differentiate between public and private users in the online context (Gajendra Wang, 2014). Social media and brand engagement Brand engagement in social commerce is considered an effective tool for business organizations to spread worldwide. The challenge exists in the fact that social media were created to people not to spread brands. Brands are mainly speeded by electronic word of mouth. The problem is the brand engagement has no measurement either inside the organization or in the social media platform. Accordingly, it is better to organizations try to understand how brand engagement happens and attract more users to the brand. Many forms of engagement do exist, as photo sharing, blogs, videos, chat rooms and forums (Schultz Peltier, 2013). Strategies to reduce risks in social commerce Organizations should be aware that social commerce is challenging to them, as problems may occur and spread widely among users worldwide. There should be a strategy to deal with such cases of crisis to deal with them and reduces their impact. The problem may occur due to information insecurity; in this case, technical handling is necessary at the time of occurrence. It is also considered a responsibility of the consumer to protect his information in the online context; this could be done by using the latest security software and safe browsers while making online transactions (Vos, et al., 2014). The corporate social responsibility (CSR) plays a role in improving business organizations' social commitment, including, their presence in the inline context. CSR assists in keeping the ethical standards of the organizations (Farrokhnia Keith, 2013). Social commerce provides a marketplace for users to sell their products on line.The social commerce provides a user centered environment, which creates social interaction as it motivates the users to shop together. It also, encourages organizations to provide high quality products and increase the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns. Research Methodology: Accordingly, this chapter intends to give an insight into the research approach, research tools and technique as well as research philosophy that will guide the systematic process of collecting and analysing the research data. Research Philosophy: Research philosophy is an important concept as it explains the set of beliefs underlying the research approach. While there are three distinct kinds of research philosophy- Positivism, Interpretivism and Realism, the present research project will employ the use of Interpretivism. This research philosophy has been chosen here because the ulterior aim of the research is to not merely to test the validity of any hypothesis, but to develop knowledge and gain insight into the research issue. The Interpretivism approach will help in gaining an empathetic understanding and in-depth analysis of possible advantages and potential risks of utilizing social e-commerce in business (Mackey and Gass 2015). In order to understand the opportunities and risks of outsourcing business activities, it is important to see the situation and interpret the issue through the minds of the managers of social e-commerce using organizations. Research Approach: The research approach is also an integral part of any research method, and it helps in offering an insight into the basic plans and procedures which are being used in the research process. There are primarily two different kinds of research approach which are Inductive Research Approach and Deductive research Approach. While the deductive research approach intends to test the validity of a theory, the inductive approach is concerned with the exploration of new facts and generation of new ideas (Taylor et al. 2015). Since this research does not intent to test the validity of any hypothesis, but rather simply intends to develop knowledge about the possible risks and opportunities of social e-commerce in business, inductive approach will be chosen. The inductive method will help in developing a pattern of meaning and exploring the important facts regarding the prospects and scope of application of the social e-commerce system in business. Method of Data Collection: The data collection method is the most important method in the research process, as it helps in selecting the appropriate method of collecting research information that will be analysed for deriving reliable conclusion. There are two kinds of data collection methods- qualitative data collection method and quantitative data collection method. The qualitative data collection method will be adopted for the present research, because the present research intends to uncover and explore the research topic in greater depth, and hence a more holistic understanding of the research issue is important (Flick 2015). Quantitative data collection method has been omitted here because statistical data will have no role to play here. The qualitative method will be chosen because it will help in developing an understanding of the behaviour and attitudes of the consumers, and how the same is affected by the availability of products on the social networking sites. Any kind of factual and statistical data is not required here. Hence, accordingly the data will be collected by conducting a review of the existent academic literature as well as by arranging a qualitative focus group interview with the managers of a chosen organization- SnapCap that also uses the social e-commerce platform to promote its products and attract consumer attention (Brinkmann 2014). It is important to note in this connection that there are two kinds of data that can be used in any research- the first hand data, collected by the researcher, also known as the primary data, and the second-hand data collected by other researchers and scholars in the past, that can be utilized for the present study, and is known as the secondary data. The present research employs the use of both primary as well as secondary data (Silverman 2016). Primary data will be used while collecting the data directly from the responses of the interviewees, the managers of SnapCap, while the secondary data will be collected, while reviewing the existent past research papers, academic journal publications, and business reports of companies like Yahoo and Amazon that actively exploit this social platform. Sample Size and Sampling Technique: The sampling technique is highly important in the process of conducting a research as it helps in the effective selection of suitable study participants, so that the data collected through the responses of the interviewees, can ensure validity of the findings. Since focus group interview has been selected as a data collection method, the purposeful sampling technique will be used for the research. This technique is widely used in the qualitative research methods, which involves the identification and selection of the respondents, who are likely to possess maximum knowledge and experience about a particular phenomenon (Panneerselvam 2014). Accordingly, the respondents chosen for this research are the managers of SnapCap, an emerging Australian online retail company that utilizes social media for the promotion of its products. The managers will have adequate knowledge regarding the possible opportunities and potential risks of using social networking sites in the context of e-commerce transactions. Accordingly, the sample number chosen is 10. Data Analysis Method: The qualitative data collected through review of the articles will be analysed by the interpretation of the research information available in order to understand any underlying patterns and common trends (Blumberg et al. 2014). For analysing the data collected through the interview, the conceptualization technique will be followed whereby the general and abstract data will be collected from the research, and the same will be used to explain how they help to explain the specific phenomenon under study. Reliability and Validity of the Findings: Reliability and validity are two important issues in any research. Qualitative research is often criticized for lacking the scientific rigours that makes the research authentic and reliable. In order to keep the conclusion error-free and reliable, the present research will confirm the data collected through the review of academic literature, by comparing the results and findings with the responses of the interviewees selected for the interview. Further, to reduce and eliminate research bias, the researcher will engage with other researchers as well. Research Limitation Although the research will be taken with much care, yet it may not be free from a few limitations. Accordingly, the first limitation of this research is that it is completely reliant on the use of qualitative data, and does not employ the use of quantitiave data, that can reduce the reliability and authenticity of the findings less reliable. Next, the sample size is too small (10), and hence it cannot be ensured that this small sample size will be able to represent the perspectives of the entire target population. Next, the interview questions may be formulated such that it leads to biased and influenced responses from the respondents ends. Timeline The entire research process is divided into various research activities that will be accomplished over a period of fourteen weeks. Accordingly, a Gantt chart has been provided below that will give an insight into the research activities and the estimated time to be taken in order to complete the same. Research Activity Week 0 to 2 Week 3 to 6 Week 7 to 8 Week 9 to 10 Week 14 Literature Review Conduction of Interview Data Analysis Deriving the Conclusion and Checking the Reliability of the Project Findings Completion of the Project Conclusion It is clearly evident from the above discussion that this chapter offers a detailed idea about the research methodology that will be used in order to conduct this study. With every points and sub points it has been shown with proper justification why the researcher has used that particular methodology. Reference Akman, I Mishra, A 2017, 'Factors influencing consumer intention in social commerce adoption', Information Technology People, 30(2), pp. 356-370. Barrutia, J, Paredes, M Echebarria, C 2016, 'Value co-creation in e-commerce contexts: does product type matter?', European Journal of Marketing, 50(3), pp. 442-463. Blumberg, B.F., Cooper, D.R. and Schindler, P.S., 2014.Business research methods. McGraw-hill education. Brinkmann, S., 2014. Interview. InEncyclopedia of Critical Psychology(pp. 1008-1010). Springer New York. Choi, J Nazareth, D 2014 'Repairing trust in an e-commerce and security context: an agentbased based modeling approach', Information Management Computer Security, 22(5), pp. 490-512. Farrokhnia, F Keith, C 2013, The accountability challenge to global e-commerce: The need to overcome the developed-developing country divide in WTO e-commerce policies. In: Principles and strategies to balance ethical, social and environmental concerns with corporate requirements. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp. 161-181. Flick, U., 2015.Introducing research methodology: A beginner's guide to doing a research project. Sage. Gajendra, S Wang, L 2014, 'Ethical perspectives on e-commerce: an empirical investigation', Internet Research, 24(4), pp. 414-435. Hajli, M 2013, 'A research framework for social commerce adoption', Information Management Computer Security, 21(3), pp. 144-154. Hajli, N Sims, J 2015, Social commerce: The transfer of power from sellers to buyers', Technological Forecasting Social Change, Vol. 94, p. 350358. Huang, Z Benyoucef, M 2015,'User preferences of social features on social commerce User preferences of social features on social commerce',Technological Forecasting Social Change, Vol. 95, p. 5772. Jim, y, Shen, J Chang, C 2015, 'Electronic service quality of Facebook social commerce and collaborative learning',Computers in Human Behavior, Vol. 51, p. 13951402. Lin, X, Li, Y Wang, X 2017,'Social commerce research: Definition, research themes and the trends',International Journal of Information Management, Vol. 37, p. 190201. Lu, B, Fan, W Zhou, M 2016,'Social presence, trust, and social commerce purchase intention: An empirical research',Computers in Human Behavior, Vol. 56, pp. 225-237. Mackey, A. and Gass, S.M., 2015.Second language research: Methodology and design. Routledge. Panneerselvam, R., 2014.Research methodology. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.. Schultz, D Peltier, J 2013,'Social media's slippery slope: challenges, opportunities and future research directions',Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 7(2), pp. 86-99. Shi, S Chow, W 2015,'Trust development and transfer in social commerce: prior experience as moderator',Industrial Management Data Systems, 115(7), pp. 1182-1203. Silverman, D. ed., 2016.Qualitative research. Sage. Sun, Y, Kee, K, Fan, C, Lu, Y, Gupta, S 2016,'Does social climate matter? On friendship groups in social commerce',Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, Volume 18, p. 3747. Taylor, S.J., Bogdan, R. and DeVault, M., 2015.Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley Sons. Vos, A, Marinagi, C, Trivellas, P, Eberhagen, N, Giannakopoulos, G, Skourlas, C 2014,'Electronic service quality in online shopping and risk reduction strategies',Journal of Systems and Information Technology, 16(3), pp. 170-186. Wanga, Y Yu, C 2017,'Social interaction-based consumer decision-making model in social Commerce: The role of word of mouth and observational learning',International Journal of Information Management, Volume 37, p. 179189. Yen, Y 2010,'Can perceived risks affect the relationship of switching costs and customer loyalty in e?commerce?',Internet Research, 20(2), pp. 210-224. Zheng, H, Hung, J, Lin, Z Wu, J 2015,'The value of guarantee in service e-commerce',Nankai Business Review International, 6(1), pp. 82-102.

The One Child Policy Essay Sample free essay sample

The One Child Policy has been in topographic point in China since 1962. The policy has become a mixed-blessing for that state. The ‘Little Emperor’ syndrome has become prevailing but in world these ‘Little Emperor’ will subsequently turn up to go ‘Little Eunuchs. ’ This paper will reason that. based on the Chinese Experiment. a one kid policy is incorrect and being an lone kid is harmful to a child’s well-being. The One Child policy has resulted in a drastic bead in China’s Total Fertility Rate ( TFR ) . From 5 Children to 1. 7 birth per adult female. an about 70 % bead in TFR ( Has China’s one-child policy worked? ) . It is estimated that China’s population is over 400 Million less than it should be had the policy non been implemented ( Has China’s one-child policy worked? ) . Although there are ways of overthrowing the policy in general the public follows fearing the heavy ‘social maintainance revenue enhancement ( Qiang ) ’ For illustration. We will write a custom essay sample on The One Child Policy Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page wealthy Chinese travel to other states to hold their kids to liberate them from the limitation of the one Child regulation ( Qiang ) . However. despite the great decrease in population and the attendant economic. in footings of GDP. growing. The one kid policy has non been without its costs. For illustration. the current ratio of males to females in China is 1. 134 to 1 for those under 15 old ages ( CIA ) . This is a consequence the traditional male prejudice of the Chinese. Since adult females can non. realistically. command the gender of the kid they give birth to. what so happened to the misss? The upseting fact is that they are aborted or if given the opportunity to be born they are thrown off similar refuse ( Yardley ) . In fact. those rural males who were born in the last 20 old ages run a really existent hazard of turning up ‘little eunuchs’ because there are no adult females in their countries for them to get married. Ignoring the too bad destiny of these unborn misss. the male childs and misss. who are lucky plenty to populate. besides suffer maladies because of being an lone kid. The Small Emperor Syndrome ( Lim ) is a popular term used to depict the Children who grew up under the one Child policy in the more flush vicinities of China. For illustration. person who was born in Beijing in recent old ages. A Small Emperor is defined as spoilt. egoistic and seldom capable of holding normal dealingss with his equals ( Lim ) . A Small Emperor is the consequence of the blending between the one kid policy and the rapid economic growing experience in these countries. The parents of a Small Emperor are typically professionals or extremely paid working category persons who saw their rewards quickly lifting and their disbursement power addition exponentially. Having grown up in a deprived centrally planned economic system they have a feeling of want when they were younger ( Lim ) . Hence. they would wish to better supply for their kid and because he is an lone kid with two well paid parents the sum of stuff indulgence can be rather important. Contrast this with a household of four kids with every bit good gaining parents. The parents would non be able to give the material things granted to an lone kid because their financess would be divided by four. In fact. it is an recognized regulation that an Lone Child will normally be populating half an economic category higher than if he had brothers or sisters. For illustration. a Upper Class C merely child can really behave his life manner as if he were a lower Class B because his parents can afford to featherbed him more. The Little Emperor Syndrome is non limited to China. In the US and in Europe TFR’s are worsening. Many adult females in the US and Europe choose their callings over holding kids early on and as a consequence have trouble bearing kids. Increased economic prosperity has besides resulted in a lessening in figure of kids. Even in Western states The Little Emperor is really at a disadvantage. With today’s gyrating costs of instruction The small Emperor is at an advantage since as mentioned earlier his parents are better able to supply for him. He will hold entrees. if he so desires. to a higher degree of instruction in Universities. The Small Emperor. much later on. will besides hold the blessing of inheriting all his parents assets after they pass off. However. his advantages are non with out cost. Since both his parents are likely to be working. The Small Emperor has no 1 to look after him except for a baby-sitter. this deficiency of emotional bonding with his household will hold effects subsequently on in life. Furthermore. with no older siblings he must seek equal company elsewhere and put on the line coming into contact with Gangs or other illicit elements. With the parents so busy working they may non be able to observe marks of delinquency in their kids until it is excessively late. The Little Emperor is munificent with material goods by difficult working parents. However. there is a really existent possibility that the parents are non able to run into the child’s emotional demands. In fact. it is rather possible that parents can be wholly absent in his life with the exclusion of the material goods they give him. For deficiency of a better term. an lone kid deficiencies love. By comparing a kid with siblings will be able to organize emotional bonds with them. Leting for a more wholesome development for the kids. Subsequently in life the kids can besides trust on each other for common support and encouragement as they go about their grownup lives. After all. blood is still thicker than H2O. In decision. as shown by the Chinese illustration being an lone kid is incorrect. A Small Emperor may derive economic advantages but these advantages are outweighed be the psychological and emotional loads that an lone kid must bear. Reference List Has China’s one-child policy worked? Available at hypertext transfer protocol: //news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7000931. short-term memory ( last accessed 29 Nov 07 ) See Guo Qiang Are the rich disputing household planning policy? Available at hypertext transfer protocol: //www. chinadaily. com. cn/china/2006-12/28/content_770107. htm ( Last Accessed 29 Nov 07 ) JIM YARDLEY â€Å"Today’s Face of Abortion in China Is a Young. Unmarried Woman† New York Times 13 May 2007 available at hypertext transfer protocol: //www. nytimes. com/2007/05/13/world/asia/13abortion. hypertext markup language? _r=1 A ; oref=slogin Lim. Louisa. â€Å"Mental wellness frights in China† . BBC. 11 October. 2004. available at hypertext transfer protocol: //www. bbc. co. uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2004/10/041011_china_children. shtml ( last accessed 29 Nov 07 ) â€Å"World Fact Book: China† . CIA. available at hypertext transfer protocol: //www. Central Intelligence Agency. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch. hypertext markup language ( last accessed 29 Nov 07 )

Exercise to Practice Using the Correct Forms of Be

Exercise to Practice Using the Correct Forms of 'Be' This exercise will give you practice in applying the principles discussed in What Are the Present and Past Forms of the Verb Be? Instructions and Exercise Complete each of the following sentences with the correct form of the verb be. Use the tense (present or past) shown in parenthesis at the end of each sentence. The Hoovers (be) driving to California in an old VW bus. (present)The Hoovers (be) driving to California in an old VW bus. (past)Dwayne (be) writing another note to his grandfather. (present)George Bailey (be) visited by an angel named Clarence. (past)The Hoovers (be) planning another road trip. (present)I (be) happy to be here. (present)You (be) talking in your sleep last night. (past)Uncle Frank (be) reading a novel when the tornado struck. (past)The Hoovers (be) disqualified. (past)The game of hopscotch (be) invented by the Romans. (past)The elephant (be) the only animal with four knees in each leg. (present)The side door (be) broken. (present)King William IVs nickname (be) Silly Billy. (past)There (be) 206 bones in the human body. (present)Richard (be) once a motivational speaker. (past) Answers The Hoovers  are  driving to California in an old VW bus.The Hoovers  were  driving to California in an old VW bus.Dwayne  is  writing another note to his grandfather.George Bailey  was  visited by an angel named Clarence.The Hoovers  are  planning another road trip.I  am  happy to be here.You  were  talking in your sleep last night.Uncle Frank  was  reading a novel when the tornado struck.The Hoovers  were  disqualified.The game of hopscotch  was  invented by the Romans.The elephant  is  the only animal with four knees in each leg.The side door  is  broken.King William IVs nickname  was  Silly Billy.There  are  206 bones in the human body.Richard  was  once a motivational speaker.

A Cultural History of the Zoot Suit

A Cultural History of the Zoot Suit In the 1944 Tom and Jerry short The Zoot Cat- only the thirteenth cartoon ever made starring that famous duo- Toms would-be girlfriend lays it on him straight:  Boy, are you corny!  You act like a square at the fair, a goon from  Saskatoon.  You come on like a broken arm.  Youre a sad apple, a long hair, a cornhusker.  In other words, you dont send me! The sad cat goes out and buys himself some new duds from Smiling Sam, the Zoot Suit Man, prompting his wide-eyed gal pal to do a one-eighty.  Youre really a sharp character! A mellow little fellow. Now you collar my jive! Around the same time on the American scene- but, culturally speaking, light-years away- a young Malcom X, then known as Detroit Red, also sang the praises of the Zoot Suit, a killer-diller coat with a drape shape, reet-pleats, and shoulders padded like a lunatics cell. (Apparently, people in the 1940s liked to rhyme more than they do today.) In his widely read autobiography, Malcolm X describes his first Zoot Suit almost in religious terms: Sky-blue pants thirty inches in the knee and angle narrowed down to twelve inches at the bottom, and a long coat that pinched my waist and flared out below my knees... hat angled, knees drawn close together, feet wide apart, both index fingers jabbed toward the floor. (We wont even mention Cesar Chavez, the famous Mexican-American labor activist who wore Zoot Suits as a teen.) What was it about Zoot Suits that united such disparate cultural icons as Malcom X, Cesar Chavez, and  Tom and Jerry? The origins of the Zoot Suit, characterized by its wide lapels, padded shoulders, and baggy pants tapering down to narrow cuffs- and usually accessorized with a feathered hat and a dangling pocket watch- are shrouded in mystery, but the style seems to have coalesced in Harlem nightclubs in the mid-1930s and then worked its way out into the wider urban culture. Essentially, Zoot Suits were the pre-war equivalent of the sagging, low-hipped pants sported by some African-American youths in the 1990s or the huge Afro hairstyles popular in the 1970s. Fashion choices can be a powerful statement, especially if youre denied more mainstream modes of expression because of your race or economic status. Zoot Suits Move Into the Mainstream By the time they  were referenced by Tom and Jerry, Zoot Suits were well-ensconced in mainstream culture; you can bet that the studio execs at MGM would never have green-lighted  this cartoon if the style were still restricted to Harlem nightclubs. The apostles of Zoot, you might say, were early 1940s jazz musicians like Cab Calloway who played in front of white and black audiences and were emulated in their dress by youths of all races, though not necessarily their elders. (Before and during World War II, jazz was the dominant cultural musical idiom in the U.S., much like hip-hop still is today, albeit in vastly mutated form.) At this point, you may be wondering from whence the zoot in Zoot Suit derives. Most likely, it was yet another token of the vogue for rhyming in wartime America; zoot simply seems to have been  a jazzy repetition of suit. The young people who donned Zoot Suits as a mild form of rebellion surely enjoyed mystifying their parents with their snappy language and the strange names they assigned to household objects, the same way kids who spend all day texting like to throw out random, impenetrable acronyms. Zoot Suits Get Political: The Zoot Suit Riots In late 1930s Los Angeles, no ethnic group adopted Zoot Suits with more enthusiasm than Mexican-American teenagers, some of them low-level gang members known as pachucos. Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, however, the U.S. government instituted strict wartime rationing of wool and other textiles meaning Zoot Suits, with their wide lapels and copious folds, were technically off-limits. Even still, many Angelenos- not only Mexican-Americans- continued to wear their old Zoot Suits, and obtained new ones from the black market. Around the same time, L.A. was convulsed by the Sleepy Lagoon trial, in which nine Mexican-American pachucos were accused of murdering an innocent civilian (also Mexican). In the summer of 1943, these explosive circumstances detonated when a group of white servicemen stationed in Los Angeles viciously attacked random pachucos (and other ethnic minorities) wearing Zoot Suits in the so-called Zoot Suit Riots. Ostensibly, the aggressors were incensed by the waste of fabric entailed by Zoot Suits, as well as the flaunting of rationing laws by the youths wearing them. The anti-Mexican feeling stirred up by the Sleepy Lagoon trial, combined with the unabashed racism of small-town soldiers stationed in a big city, were more likely explanations. Amusingly, after the smoke had cleared, a California state senator alleged that the riots had been instigated by Nazi spies trying to estrange the U.S. from its Latin American allies! The Afterlife of the Zoot Suit In the U.S., no fashion trend ever goes truly extinct- even if there are no more 1920s flappers sporting bangs and curls or pachucos dressed in Zoot Suits, these fads have been preserved in novels, newsreels, magazines, and are occasionally resurrected as fashion statements (either seriously or ironically). The Cherry Poppin Daddies landed their only Billboard hit in 1997 with the song Zoot Suit Riot, and in 1975, Zoot Suit was a cut from The Whos ambitious rock opera Quadrophenia. In 1979, a play called Zoot Suit- based on the Sleepy Lagoon murder case and the Zoot Suit Riots- lasted for 41 performances on Broadway. Whats more, the outlandish garb sported by inner-city pimps in countless exploitation movies is based on the Zoot Suit. And, of course, you can always watch The Zoot Cat on YouTube, not to mention various electrifying performances by Cab Calloway in full Zoot Suit regalia.

Article the First Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Article the First - Essay Example Nevertheless, the congress representative succeeded in 1791 when a three-quarters majority ratified the Bill of Rights to become the law guiding the nation (Publishing & Duignan, 2013). Although this was a major breakthrough in the US history as far as constitutional reforms are concerned, the congress failed to ratify Article the First, which became the center for debate owing to the varying reactions elicited by the divided Congress on the matter. Article the First was a proposed amendment to the constitution of the United Sates whereby it sought to determine both the minimum and the maximum number of representatives at the US hose of Congress (Vile, 2012). As a federalist, one would support Article the First of the Constitution of the US, owing to the democratic space that America enjoys today due to liberal laws besides the fact that this amendment would change history in that more American citizens would feel represented and participate fully in an all-inclusive government. In 1 789, the American representatives of the House of congress were involved in hectic constitutional amendment procedures that saw some articles incorporated into the bill of Rights that formed the constitution of the United States (Vile, 2012). However, some contentious articles did not make it to the constitution following the strong opposition to them by the antifederalists. In this regard, Article the First, which came to be the first proposed amendment to the constitution of the United States of America, did not pass the ratification test although its proponents particularly the federalists pushed hard for its ratification (Vile, 2010). Also known as the congressional Appointment Amendment, Article the First was the first, as the name suggests, of the twelve amendments that the first congress delivered on 25th September 1789 (Publishing & Duignan, 2013). In accordance to Article V of the constitution of the United Sates, the first congress submitted Article the First for ratificat ion. However, the state legislatures failed to ratify the article despite the fact that they ratifies many other articles that became the Bill or Rights that formed the constitution of the United States of America (Vile, 2012). Fundamentally, the major framework o Article the First entailed the setting of the size of representatives of the House of Congress whereby the maximum and the minimum number of Congress representatives was clearly determined by the article (Publishing & Duignan, 2013). In this case, the article contemplated a scenario whereby one Congress Representative would represent thirty thousand American citizens until the total number of representatives would reach one hundred. Thereafter, it would be the responsibility of the congress to regulate the number of representatives so as not to go below one hundred. In this regard, Wolverton (2013) reports that the Bill of Rights envisaged that: After the first enumeration required by the first article of the Constitution, there shall be one Representative for every thirty thousand, until the number shall amount to one hundred, after which the proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there shall be not less than one hundred Representatives, nor

Effects of Cocaine Abuse, its Prevention and Treatment Research Paper

Effects of Cocaine Abuse, its Prevention and Treatment - Research Paper Example A recent survey of 17 countries revealed that United States has the highest level of illegal cocaine use with nearly 16.2% of people in the United States having used cocaine in their lifetime (Science Daily, 2008). Cocaine is available in two chemical forms – hydrochloride salt which is taken intravenously (by vein) or intra-nasally (through the nose) and freebase which is smoked (Psychology Today, 2008). Issues Related to Cocaine Abuse Cocaine addicts are usually introduced to the drug after they have abused ‘gateway substances’ like alcohol, tobacco and marijuana. According to the national center on addiction and substance abuse (1994), 90 % of the people who tried cocaine had used all three gateway substances before moving on to cocaine. Impact on physical functioning Cocaine use can lead to some immediate physical consequences such as restlessness, euphoria and alertness (WebMD, 2008). These effects are felt within minutes of taking the drug and continue for a bout 20 to 120 minutes. Other physical effects include insomnia, vomiting, pupil dilation, nosebleeds, increased temperature and pulse rate and rapid breathing (WebMD, 2008). These effects are temporary and mostly disappear after a couple of hours. Studies reveal that prolonged use of cocaine can have an overwhelming effect on the ‘pleasure centers’ in the brain (Chen, et. al., 1996). The drug interferes, alters, damages and takes control of specialized cells that regulate pleasure, well-being and mood. Therefore, regular use can destroy the brain’s ability to feel normal without cocaine. Long term use can even cause permanent biological drug addiction. Since cocaine increases blood pleasure, heart rate, breathing and body temperature, long term use of the drug can cause cardiac and respiratory failures, strokes, coma, convulsions and death. The drug can damage the liver’s ability to detoxify blood and can reduce the production of critical enzymes needed for normal body functioning (WebMD, 2008). It can also cause liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. Cocaine use results in the constriction of the blood vessels of the heart resulting in increased blood pressure. This can trigger heart attack, heart failure, irregular heart beat and sudden death. Use of non-sterile needles among cocaine users can result in contracting Hepatitis – a highly contagious disease resulting in serious liver damage and AIDS. Users may also pass these diseases to their sexual partners, unborn babies and others. Regular users of cocaine experience loss of interest in sex, decreased sexual performance and risk of impotence and infertility (WebMD, 2008) . In women, the drug use can result in miscarriages, developmental disorders and complications during birth. It can also cause premature separation of placenta from uterus leading to premature births or stillbirths. Smoking cocaine damages the ability of the cells in the lung to process gases. This results in the user experiencing constant cough and shortness of breath. Regular use can result in respiratory failure because the brain stops sending signals to the lung muscles that control breathing and they stop working (WebMD, 2008). Impact on psychological functioning Cocaine has been found to be

IM Not Scared Essay Example for Free

IM Not Scared Essay In comparison to his peers Michele reveals a level of maturity that his friends do not have. He defends Barbara before Skull can obscenely exploit her. Barbara is constantly harassed for being the only girl in the ‘gang’. Not even Michele could comprehend ‘how she put up’ with them, assuming it was the ‘fear of being left alone’. Barbara as well as Michele, is too innocent to distinguish the best for their own wellbeing. Michele has morals and instinctively knew that ‘there was something dirty’ with Barbara’s punishment. Unlike Michele, Skull has no remorse. Skull has the audacity to abuse people as he desires. Michele does not engage is exploiting others, in fact he obtains the rational reasoning of an educated adult. The most imperative case in which Michele expresses maturity is when he discovers Filippo. Initially Michele acts childish proclaiming Filippo as his, evidently influenced by Skull’s flawed and selfish logic-‘finders keepers’. Michele also behaves in that manner due to the lack of exposure of such situations. This is the only way he knows how to handle the ‘secret discovery’. Michele observes the discovery of a boy in a hole as a mysterious adventure that he must solve. But the height of Michele’s developing maturity is exposed through the continual visits to Filippo. Michele takes responsibility for Filippo’s wellbeing by ‘bathing his eyes’. The flaws of the adults force Michele to lose his rightful youth and take on the problems of adulthood. The adults in the novel have no redeeming justifications as to why they kidnapped and caused Filippo to become a ‘tormented soul’. Maturity may result in betraying promises in order to do the right thing. Despite Michele being obligated to his father, he recognises the wrong his parents have committed. Michele’s ‘oath was crumbling away’. He combats his fears and is ‘not scared of anything’ in attempt to save Filippo from his ominous death. Michele is punished for trying to do the moral thing. Michele is a character who demonstrations a significant transition from naivety to maturity. While Michele is obtaining maturity the adults are losing it by betraying their duty of parenthood and morality. Innocence no longer exists in Michele’s world because he has been exposed to the heinous realities of the world. Michele is able to distinguish the difference between reality and imagination and realises ‘it’s men you should be afraid of, not monsters’.