Colonial System (Summary)

The Philippine condition was a reflection of the political, economic and socio-religious developments of Spain. During the 16th and the 17th century almost all European monarchs adopted the political idea of absolutism as well as the economic system of mercantilism. Under the system of mercantilism, the king was involved in extensive intervention of any economic life to foster national growth. The Spanish government was highly centralized in form.All the Spanish governmental powers were all undertaken by this council; executive, legislative and judicial, and were transmitted to all governor-generals in each respective colony. The royal orders and edicts became the guides of any governor-general in administering the Philippines. He was at first appointed by the Viceroy of Mexico and later by the monarch of Spain. His vast powers and the distance of the Philippines from either Spain or Mexico shaped natural tendencies of a governor-general to be abusive. The Philippines was divided int o provinces and special districts.They were known as alcaldias and each under the charge of an alcalde mayor. The special districts were the unconquered regions or corregimientos, where Filipino resistance still went on. Unlike the governor-general, the alcalde mayor never had any legislative power. Only judicial cases over his towns were under his jurisdiction cases involving the amount of not more than Php200. The church prevailing principle of adaptation greatly influenced the Spanish government to relatively retain the prehispanic political structure of the Filipinos.In the beginning of Legaspi’s conquest, the office of gobernadorcillo, which is equivalent to the present town mayor, was heredity; opened to descendants of the datu or chieftains. The mayor political change in the choice of a gobernadorcillo came in 1847, when the Spanish Crown directed and sent the first Spanish Code of Laws for the native Filipinos. The election laws of 1847, according to Arcilla, required the following qualifications: a) he must be a native born; b) he must be 25 years old; c) able to read and write in Spanish; and d) never been guilty of any crime.The election was set in November, for a term of 2 years. The cabeza de barangay remained appointive; all were under the supervisory of the local priest and the alcalde mayor. The governadorcillo was tasked to supervise the collection of taxes in his town and pay the difference from his pocket if the collection of the taxes would not tally to the defective; inadequate census prepared and estimated by the Spanish friars. What made the Philippines government form unique was the union of church and state.By virtue of the Patronato Real, the Spanish king had the right to rule lands discovered, with a duty of supporting the material needs of the church in those lands. In other words, the king had the right to command and demand what was necessary to carry out the task he accepted from Rome, in order to help spread the Christian religion. The mighty Philip II, who had assumed these religious rights, seemed that his interest was in his mind, so, when we speak of the church in the Philippines during the Spanish regime, we mean particularly the Spanish church serving the ends of Spanish empire.The marriage between the church and state enabled the religious to occupy and dominate significant governmental positions. Historians acknowledge the fact that the real representative of the Spanish Crown was the church not the state. The Spanish Church was too conservative while they were responsible for the Christianization of the Filipinos they were also deterrents to nation’s progress thus, in the 19th century the Filipino propagandists, reformists and revolutionists demanded their expulsion from the Philippines.

The Chinese Voyages of Exploration

The Chinese Voyages of Exploration Succeeded by the non-Chinese Qing Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty is considered to be the last native dynasty to exist. The Ming Dynasty lasted from 1368 to 1644 and is known as the greatest era of social stability and organized government (European). Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Ming Dynasty; he is also known as Hongwu, Taizu, and Ming Taizu. Hongwu died in 1382, leaving his grandson, Huidi, the next heir. However, Chengzu, or Yongol, created a military campaign to seize the thrown. This started a three year civil war, but Yongol overcame Huidi and took the thrown as emperor in 1403. Yongol wanted all other countries to fear his Dynasty’s power and see it as being the strongest (Asia). He created an expansion plan of China’s tribute system and as a result Zheng He was appointed to lead seven voyages (Europe). Zheng He, a muslim eunuch, was captured at the age of ten and was given the task of grouping boys to be castrated. During the time of the voyages, China’s technology was used to help build these massive ships that set sail. Known as â€Å"treasure ships,† these 400 feet long and 600 feet wide boats were equipped with nine sails, four decks, and armed with twelve cannons. There were also separate watertight compartments that had been recently invented. There were two major advantages of these compartments. One was if the ship was hit, it would not sink and the second was that it offered a way of carrying water for the passengers, animals, and fish. Another invention that was put onto these ships was sternpost rudders. Sternpost rudders were used to maneuver in crowded harbors and narrow channels and were easily attached to the outside rear (Asia). The Chinese would navigate by using a compass and sailing directions. Over the past 300 years, China had been strengthening its power in sea. A network of trade had been established in relation to their growing need for spices, herbs, and raw materials. Zheng He started his first voyage in 1405, which was made up of 317 ships with over sixty of them being treasure ships and almost 28,000 men. He began his journey first stopping in Champa, Central Vietnam and Siam, present day Thailand. From there, he sailed to Java, Malacca, and his main destination of Cochin, India making his trip last until 1407. Zheng He’s second voyage started in 1409 and lasted two years. Although he did not take part in the voyage, he organized sixty-eight ships to travel to Calicut to take part in the inauguration of the new king. From 1409 to 1411, the third voyage set sail. Zheng He took forty-eight ships and 30,000 soldiers to the same places that the first voyage went, but also included the Malay peninsula and Ceylong. In Ceylong, war broke out between the native’s and his men. So, Zheng He ceased the fighting and captured the King. He proceeded to bring him back to China where he was later released. The fourth voyage was much longer than the first three in distance. Lasting between 1413 and 1415, Zheng He, accompanied by twenty-five year old Muslim translator Ma Huan, stopped in many of the countries he previously visited. Yet, this time he controlled sixty-three ships and more than 28,000 men to Hormuz, which is located on the Persian Gulf. Starting in 1417, Zheng He’s fifth voyage headed to Aden, Africa, cities known as Mogadishu and Brawa, and Malindi. Many ambassadors decided to return to China with Zheng He. Again, it took two years to complete the expedition. The sixth voyage began in 1421, and only lasted a year. Zheng He visited the same countries mainly to return the ambassadors. In 1431, the seventh and final voyage took place. Due to Yongol’s death, his successor Xuande set forth the expedition. For two years, Zheng He visited places like the South China Sea, Indian Ocean, Aden, and Hormuz. His fleet consisted of more than 27,000 men and over one hundred ships. He also visited Jidda by traveling up the Red Sea. In 1433, on his return trip to China, Zheng He died and was buried at sea (Asia). These expeditions created a line of communication between the Chinese and Southeast Asia. However, the voyages were stopped due to many reasons. One reason is cost. These trips were seen as a waste of money because during this time, China was campaigning against the Mongols and funding the construction of Peking (Europe). According to the court, Yongol used the Dynasty’s money in extravagant ways to promote land and sea expeditions. Also, his move of the capital from Nanjing to Beijing was very costly as well as his ordering of the construction of the Forbidden City, which involved greater than a million workers. His decision to widen the Grand Canal to allow more transportation was also cost effective. Another reason for the ceasing of the voyages was due to natural disasters. Epidemics in Fujian, lightening strikes ruining the newly designed Forbidden City, and the flooding of the Yellow River leaving millions without shelter and over 1000 acres infertile in 1448 were major money traps. Even though the Mongols had departed from Chinese borders, Pirates and smugglers became a major factor in the south (Asia). Zheng He’s voyages were supported by the Eunuchs and frowned upon by the Conservative Confucian court. In 1477, talk about another voyage had entered the courts. The vice president of the Ministry of War immediately took possession of Zheng He’s records stating that they are â€Å"deceitful exaggerations of bizarre things far removed from the testimony of people’s eyes and ears (Asia). † The Chinese were no longer interested in overseas affairs mainly because the Ming Dynasty’s major source of income was due to land tax and not trade tax. Thus, China did not become a maritime power and over time the non-Chinese ruled the seas (Europe). These voyages can be seen as the reason China fell behind in new technological advances as well as losing their dominance over the rest of the world. Work Cited â€Å"The Ming Dynasty's Maritime History. † The European Voyages of Exploration. Copyright 1997. The Applied History Research Group, Web. 3 Mar 2010. . â€Å"The Ming Voyages. † Asia For Educators. Copyright 2009. Columbia University, Web. 3 Mar 2010. .

Martha Stewart Lost Reputation Essay

Martha Stewart places her name on her products. She becomes the face of her company and the voice of her brand. When her personal misconduct occurred, she made her company vulnerable and risky as well. This case study examines how Martha Stewart managed her corporate communication when her public image and reputation were tarnished on trial for alleged insider trading scandal. The trial not only led her to prison but also hurt her brand equity. The study shows that Stewart’s early response to her crisis demonstrated lack of situation awareness. In the beginning of her investigation, she kept her public persona intact, ignoring or downplaying her role in it. As a result, what Stewart called â€Å"a small personal matter† later became a full -blown crisis. If she had managed her communication in a more timely manner, the magnitude of her crisis might have been minimized. This article also provides detailed insights for organizations to learn from her crisis response strat egies. Keywords: Organizational crisis, Crisis communication, Image restoration 1. Introduction The personalities of strong business leaders can help shape and enhance their corporate image. In some cases, the leaders become the virtual icon of the corporate brand, lendi ng their personal prestige to the brand and personifying the company. They can also threaten the company when they are involved in a scandal. In this situation, the consequences for the company can be critical as in the Martha Stewart’s insider trading crisis in the United States. The crisis management scholar, Roux-Dufort (2000) points out that corporate crises as â€Å"a privileged moment during which to understand things differently† (p. 26). As such, there is a growing body of literature on organizational learning in the wake of corporate crisis (Mitroff, 2002; Shrivastava, 1998). The Stewart case, in particular, drew the attention of media for years. The crisis of Martha Stewart’s insider trading raised the issue about the Martha Stewart’s multiplatform franchise; that is, the media world and homemaking business are intricately interwoven with her persona. Stewart’s empire has an impressive business synergy as shown by her TV programs that promote her magazines, her website which sells her products, and her p roducts which are a link to her TV programs. She is the face, voice and personality behind the brand and, thus, the two – Stewart and the brand – are inseparable. After Stewart’s personal misconduct, the interlocking nature of her business proved to be vulnerable and risky. Moreover, Stewart’s crisis had both legal and public relations components (Jerome, Moffitt, & Knudsen, 2007). Allegations of insider trading against Martha Stewart led to her imprisonment. Her strategic plan in response to the insider trading accusations and the media attention su rrounding this crisis left Stewart trying to take action to restore her image. In a sense, it is important to understand how Stewart herself and her company managed their corporate communication when her public image and reputation were tarnished under the investigation of the insider trading scandal. This article explores how the high profile iconic Martha Stewart responded when confronted with an organizational crisis that threatened existence. It also provides detailed insights for organizations to learn from her crisis response strategies. 2. Background of Martha Stewart’s Insider Trading Beginning with the 1982 publication of her book Entertaining, Martha Stewart made a name for herself as a homemaking diva. In September 1997, Stewart became chairperson, president, and CEO of her new company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol MSO since 1999. As the chief of MSO, Stewart used her name and face to make connections with various businesses including a line of housewares, television shows, radio channels, magazines and a series of books on entertaining. On December 27, 2001, Stewart sold 3,928 shares of her ImClone stock worth US$228,000 the day before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected approval of Erbitux, ImClone’s anti -cancer drug. By selling ahead of the FDA rejection, Stewart received about US$45,000 more than if she had sold the stocks later. Compared to her wealth, it was certainly an insignificant sum and in fact, during her Larry King Live interview, she said it was â€Å"miniscule, really, about 0.006 percent of my net worth† (Four nier, 2004). Stewart had denied any wrongdoing, insisting she did not receive any advance knowledge from Sam Waksal, the founder and CEO of ImClone about the decision on Erbitux (Pollack, 2002). Instead, her sale of ImClone stock was part of a predetermined plan to sell if shares fell below US$60. Later, Stewart was officially indicted on charges of securities fraud and obstructing justice related to her sale of ImClone stock on March 5, 2004. Judge Cedarbaum dismissed the securities fraud charge against S tewart, saying prosecutors had failed to present enough evidence on the issue (Masters & White, 2004). However, obstruction of justice, charges of conspiracy, and making false statements remained. Stewart served a five-month prison sentence between October 8, 2004 and March 4, 2005 for these charges. On August 7, 2006, Martha Stewart reached an agreement with the securities’ regulators over the insider-trading civil charges and agreed to pay US$195,000 to settle a five-year legal battle. 3. Literature Review Crisis events can and do strike organizations of all types. Every kind of organization, from larger organizations to small family owned businesses, have the potential of being a victim of crisis (Seeger, Sellnow, & Ulmer, 2003). In many circumstances, crisis immediately raises questions from an organization’s many different publics (Marra, 1998). In this view, for an organization to manage the effects of a crisis it must communicate to both internal and external stakeholders. Ulmer, Sellnow, and Seeger (2007) suggest all crises involve the general communication strategies of reducing uncertainty, responding to the crisis, resolving it, and learning from it. The ability to communicate quickly and effectively is clearly an important component of successfu l crisis management. Effective crisis communication can not only defuse or eliminate crisis, but it can sometimes bring an organization a more positive reputation than before the crisis occurred (Kauffman, 2005). On the other hand, Marra (1998) argues if an organization fails to respond to a crisis in the correct manner, a bad situation can be made worse. Hence, crisis communication strategies can substantially diminish the harm caused by a crisis or magnify the harm if mismanaged. In this study, the stream of crisis response models from communication scholars and public relations professionals (Benoit, 1995; Coombs, 1999, 2007) are utilized as the theoretical framework to interpret the crisis response strategies that Martha Stewart employed in her insider trading crisis. According to Benoit (1995), firms or individuals may take preventative and restorative approaches to image problems. Five strategies (i.e., denial, evasion of responsibility, reduction of the offensiveness of the act , corrective action, and mortification) make up the rhetoric or image repair discourse. Each of these strategies has a set of tactics within them. Denial is the strategy employed when the rhetor simply chooses to deny the actions he is being accused of or shift the blame from the organization to outside individuals or agencies. The second strategy is evasion of responsibility is the strategy that the rhetor can blame circumstances beyond his control. It consists of four possible tactics: provocation, defeasibility, accident and good intentions. Benoit’s third major image restoration strategy, occurs when the rhetor attempts to reduce the degree of offensiveness experienced by the accuser. To this end, Benoit includes six tactics: bolstering, minimization, differentiation, transcendence, attacking the accuser, and compensation. The fourth category of the typology is corrective action, which attempts to correct the situation rather than counterbalance it. The final image restoration strategy, mortification, requires the rhetor to take responsibility for the action and to issue an apology. Benoit and colleagues have applied the model to a variety of different crisis situations. For instance, Benoit and Brinson (1994) analyzed AT&T’s defense following an interruption of its long-distance service in New York in September of 1991. Initially, AT&T tried to shift blame to low-level workers. As the complete story emerged, however, AT&T apologized for the interruption (mortification) and began to bolster its image by stressing its commitment to excellence, the billions of dollars invested in service, and the quality of its employees. Finally, AT&T promised corrective action and introduced a comprehensive review of its operations to anticipate and prevent further problems. It also stressed its commitment to providing excellent service and its willingness to spend billions of dollars to do so. Given these corrective action strategies, AT&T’s finally restored its image. Benoit (1995) also examined Union Carbide’s response to the Bhopal, India, gas leak that killed thousands and injured hundreds of thousands. Union Carbide’s primary strategies, bolstering and corrective action, were focused on four specific actions: a relief fund, an orphanage, medical supplies, and medical personnel. Although these strategies were appropriate and timely, Benoit claimed that Union Carbide failed to address the most important question: What were they doing to prevent another tragedy? Coombs (1999, 2007) develops situational crisis communication theory, creating 10 categories of basic organizational crisis communication strategies. These strategies are further grouped into four posture: 1) â€Å"denial posture† including attack the accuser (confronting person claiming a crisis occurred), denial ( asserting no crisis), and scapegoat (shifting the blame to others outside the organization), with an attempt to eliminate the crisis by denying its existence or the organization’s responsibility for the crisis; 2) â€Å"diminishment posture† which takes the forms of excuse (denying intend to do harm or claiming inability to control) and justification (minimizing severity of damage) with the purpose of weakening the link between the crisis and the organization by claiming the crisis is not the organization’s fault; 3) â€Å"rebuilding posture† of compensation (providing money or other gifts to the victims) and apology (taking full responsibility), which strives to restore legitimacy by seeking public approval and forgiveness; and 4) â€Å"bolstering posture† which includes reminder (telling stakeholders about its past good works), ingratiation (praising stakeholders and/or reminds them of past good works) and victimage (reminding stakeholders that the organization is a victim of the crisis, too). Using Coombs’s typology of crisis response strategies, Wilcox and Cameron (2006) examined the case of Intel. In 1993, Intel initially denied there was a problem with its Pentium 586 chip. As the crisis was covered in the mainstream press, Intel used the justification strategy by assuring that the problem was not serious enough to warrant replacing the chips. It minimized the concerns of consumers. In fact, Intel mismanaged the handling of its crisis communication. First, it did not disclose to the public the information about the Pentium flaw when they initially realized there was a problem. Then when the problem finally did come out into the open, they downplayed it instead of helping the users who had purchased the flawed chips. After considerable damage had been done to Intel’s reputation and IBM had suspended orders for the chip, Intel took corrective action to replace the chips. Subsequently, Andy Grove, Intel’s president, issued a full apology. Based on Benoit’s image repair theory and Coombs’s typology of crisis response st rategies, the following research questions are posited: RQ 1. What strategies did Martha Stewart use to manage her insider trading crisis? RQ 2. Were these strategies effective or ineffective? RQ 3. What can we learn from Martha Stewart case? 4. Methodology The case study is employed in this study, as it is effective in illustrating public relations management in real situations (Hendrix, 2004). According to Yin (1994), the six sources of evidence that are typically associated with the case study include documents, archival records, interviews, direct observation, participant -observation, and physical artifacts. In this study, texts documenting Stewart’s discourse in response to incidents that threatened her image were collected from multiple sources. Specifically, this study used predominantly two types of data: documents and archival records. It began with gathering data and finding facts related to cases and defining the specific tasks. The actions and communication strategies used by Martha Stewart wer e reviewed with information from her corporate websites, press releases and media coverage. MSO is a publicly traded company. A look at the organizational archival records (e.g., stock prices, sales and annual reports) and official government records (e.g. , court records and commission reports) contributed to understand the impact of corporate scandals have had on the companies’ financial performance and their stakeholders. The media coverage on the Martha Stewart case was found through Lexis Nexis Academi c keyword search of â€Å"Martha Stewart & insider trading† in The New York Times and The Washington Post. These newspapers were selected because of their large circulation, prominence and influence on public opinion. For the purpose of the valance of news narration in this study, the period of analysis covered two time frames (during the crisis and post crisis). The first time frame started from the trading day to the verdict, beginning in December, 2001 and running through March, 2004. The second time frame started from the day of sentencing to her release from prison, beginning on July 16, 2004 and running t hrough March 2005. Since the research questions of this study were related to crisis communication strategies, the unit of analysis of this case study was Martha Stewart’s response to stakeholders during and post crisis. Thus, the strategies were apparent through the types of evid ence. 14 By examining corporate communication employed by Martha Stewart during the crisis and post -crisis period, the procedures for analysis involved three steps. First, after the data were collected from multiple sources, a detailed timeline of relevant events leading up to the crisis itself, and the post-crisis process was created. For example, the chronological order of the Martha Stewart case was constructed in the following manner: 1) the investigation (January, 2002 – June, 2003); 2) indictment (June – December, 2003); 3) verdict (January – May, 2004); 4) sentencing (June – July, 2004); 5) in prison (October, 2004); and 6) release from prison (March, 2005). Second, after the chronological order of actual events was refined, a narrative description and process analysis of each event was thus constructed. A worksheet served as an organizing tool for evaluating each event. All data collected were analyzed using the typology of crisis response strategy. Finally, a thick descript ion and analysis of the findings of each research question was conducted. 5. Analysis of Martha Stewart’s Crisis Response Strategies 5. 1 Investigation The story about Martha Stewart’s ImClone stock sale was broken to the public in the Wall Street Journal on June 7, 2002 (Adams & Anand, 2002). In the article, her lawyer, John Savarese, indicated that Stewart had set the price at US$60 for selling the stock but in fact, as of June 7, 2002, the stock price of ImClone sank to a low US$8.45 a share. Using the strategy of differentiation, Savarese further was trying to put distance between Stewart and Sam Waksal. There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that she spoke to Sam, or had any information from anybody from ImClone during that week †¦ I am absolutely sure that there was no communication of any kind between her and Sam, no passing of any information from him to her. (Adams & Anand, 2002, p. B2) On June 12, 2002, Waksal was arrested for insider trading and soon after, the stock price of MSO plunged 12 percent, closing at US$15. From June 6, 2002, when congressional investigators started looking into Stewart’s sale of ImClone shares, the stock price of MSO had dropped 22 percent. Stewart immediately denied any insider trading or wrongdoing and, in a public statement, she said she knew nothing about the pending FDA announcement. She claimed that when the share price dropped below US$60 – the level at which she had agreed with her broker – she returned a call from her broker and sold the s hares on December 27, 2001. She acknowledged that after the trade, she immediately called Waksal but could not reach him, and he did not call her back. The message she left read: â€Å"Martha Stewart called. Something is going on with ImClone and she wants to know what† (Hays, 2002a, p. C1). She proclaimed her innocence in her statement: â€Å"In placing my trade, I had no improper information. My transaction was entirely lawful† (White, 2002, p. E1). However, the congressional investigator questioned Stewart’s sale, noting that ImClone dropped below $60 at least once before while Stewart owned it (White, 2002). On June 18, 2002, Stewart tried to resolve concerns about her sale of ImClone shares and hired a new lawyer, James F. Fitzpatrick, who submitted several documents to congressional investigators. This was the first time Stewart used a strategy of corrective action as a response to the inquiries. On June 19, 2002, MSO stock rebounded sharply, climbing from US$2.05, to US$14.4 and then to US$16.45, suggesting that her corrective action was working. However, Ken Johnson, a spokesman for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said the documents would help answer some questions but â€Å"we still don’t have an answer to the most nagging one: was Ms. Stewart’s pre-existing agreement to sell reached in late November, as she says, or in mid-December as some reports have indicated?† (Hays, 2002b, p. C7). On June 25, 2002, she appeared on CBS’s The Early Show, and when asked by the host, Jane Clayson, about the ImClone shares during a cooking segment, she replied while slicing a cabbage with a big knife. I’m involved in an investigation that has very serious implications. I have nothing to say on the matter. I’m really not at liberty to say. And as I said, I think this will be resolved in the very near future and I will be exonerated of any ridiculousness. And I just want to focus on my salad because that is why we’re here. (Clayson, 2002) Apparently, Stewart had no idea how to handle the situation and was unwilling to respond to the questions. She continued to dodge public inquiries and ignored the increasing outcry for answers about her role in the insider trading scandal.

The Impact of Social Media on the Political Life in the Arab Countries Essay

The Impact of Social Media on the Political Life in the Arab Countries (proposal) - Essay Example The first section of this paper introduces the subject and provides aims and objectives of the research work. In the literature review section, models, theories and contemporary practices in Arabian nations are discussed. In methodology section, the research method which is to be followed is discussed. Finally a tentative timeframe is calculated and a conclusion is provided. Introduction Communication via mobile and through web has been on an increase in twenty-first century. High end technologies are responsible behind this growing trend. Events of Arab Spring used web based social media- the blogs, different networking sites which enabled social interaction, and content communities. Though the governments of Arabian nations have tried to restrict use of internet, and even arrested prominent internet users, but had failed significantly in many cases. Social mediums like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube were used to organize protests. Slogans of protests were set up in pages and groups wit hin these social networking sites. This helped in spreading of democratic ideas not only within Egypt where the Arab Spring assumed its voluptuous shape but also across international borders. Furthermore, social media heavily influenced political debate and formed divided opinions among urban educated youths of Arabian nations. ... The aims and objectives of this research works are stated and are followed by literature review, a detailed study of impact of social media on politics of Arabian nations. In next section, methodology which will be adopted in due course of research is described. After that comes possible interpretation and analysis of data to be collected. In the final section, a conclusion will be provided along with recommendations. Research Aim This research paper aims at tracing the role played by social media upon political upheaval in the Arabian countries and the controlling mechanisms behind them. Research Objectives a) To recognize the growing powers of social media in Arabian nations b) To identify the major powers in political scenario of Arabian countries c) To trace the impact of social media on governments, political parties and common people of Arabian nations d) To examine the pros and cons of influence exerted by social media on political of Arabian nations e) To presume the future o f social media with respect to political conditions on Arabian nations Rationale of the Research This research paper focuses on the role played by social media in Arabian nations. Owing to the facilities of social media like free flow of information, cross- border interconnectivity, etc. politics in Arabian nations have realized the latent potentials of social media. In this regard, social media has already started to pose as a threat for Middle East politics (Cobley and Schulz 2013, p. 404). Social media has fuelled some of the recent revolutionary activities in Arabian nations. This generates the necessity for tracing the growth, popularity and advantages and misuse of social media in Arabian nations

Personal Development Action Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Development Action Plan - Essay Example I am confident that I have improved a lot in many aspects of learning although I must admit there are still many things I need to learn and even unlearn. In this evaluation paper, I will discuss what I have learned so far and what skills I have acquired and developed throughout my one year stay in the university. I will specifically reflect on my communication, analysis, social skills, how improved my learning and performance as well as examine my technical skills development. In any profession, communication is always a valuable tool. As an international student, this is my greatest struggle because my English communication skill is poor. Class discussions are in English so I have difficulty grasping the lessons. Consequently, I have to give extra effort to listen intently and put more hours reading so I can cope with the lessons. In addition, I cannot express myself well in English so that my self-confidence is affected. Nevertheless, I realized that I needed to force myself to improve so I watched a lot of English movies and programs which helped me with my comprehension. Therefore, I could still say that I have improved a lot. Comparing my performances during the start of the school year, I am now more able to understand native speakers and to communicate well using the English language. My vocabulary has greatly improved and so has my grammar. Another important aspect of learning wherein communication is greatly valuable is analysis. This task is not just about understanding images, symbols and numbers and solving problems but basically, it is understanding the issue or problem in order to offer the best solution. Therefore, communication skill is essential. As my English comprehension developed, I also became better in analyzing data. For instance, in my Engineering Analysis class, I learned how to create concrete mixture and computing the desired ration and proportion of materials needed for certain buildings. I also learned to calculate

Position Paper on Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals Research

Position on Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals - Research Paper Example In analyzing the role of technology in a criminal or civil case, this paper analyzes the case of Daubert vs. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, giving out the facts of the case, and taking a position on whether to admit or discard forensic evidence in a civil or criminal case (Jenkins and Schuller, 2007). The opinion of this paper is that it is important to admit forensic evidence in a criminal or civil trial. However, there must be guidelines that the court must use in identifying the type of forensic evidence to use. For instance, the evidence under consideration must satisfy scientific organization that it is reliable and accurate. To do this, the process of collecting the evidence must pass the various tests that scientific organizations have put in place for purposes of determining the relevance, and reliability of a forensic evidence. This is a position that the courts took in the case involving Frye vs. United States (1923). In this case, the court gave a ruling that scientific evid ence is admissible in a trial court on if it gains acceptance from the scientific field that the evidence comes from (Dobbin, Gotoski, Eyre, Dahir, Merlina, and Richardson, 2007). However, in 1975 the Federal Rules of Evidence made trial judges to disregard the Frye laws while determining whether to allow the use of forensic evidence in a civil or criminal case. ... After doing this, this paper takes a position on whether to use forensic evidence in a criminal trial. Facts of the case: In this case, the minors who are plaintiff suffered from deformities after their mothers took drugs that Dow Merrel Pharmaceuticals manufactured. The drug in question was Bendectin. The experts of the plaintiff gave evidence in the court arguing that the drugs of the company indeed caused the reduction in the limbs of the minors, resulting to the deformities that they had (Dobbin et al, 2007). The evidence that Daubert and other minors brought before the courts was based on the studies of the effects of the drugs in animals. However, their methods of study did not gain any acceptance within the relevant scientific field of study. On the other hand, Dow Merrel Company managed to prove to the court that there isn’t any scientific study that links Bendectin to birth deformities. The United States Federal Drug Authority also agrees with the notion that the drug under consideration does not cause any side effects on minors or pregnant women. On this basis therefore, the authority approves the use of the drug by expectant women (Lyle, 2012). Decision of the Court: The court made a ruling that the testimony given by the plaintiff’s experts was not admissible as evidence before the court. The court was of the opinion that it is difficult for the judges to identify what is scientific theory of fact when it comes to a testimony that an expert presents before a trial court. On this basis therefore, the court relied on Federal Rules of Evidence number 702 to determine whether to admit a testimony from an expert or not. These principles under rule 702 are (Levett and Kovera, 2008); The

SOCIAL WORK MODELS METHODS AND THEORIES INCLUDING SOCIAL WORK Essay

SOCIAL WORK MODELS METHODS AND THEORIES INCLUDING SOCIAL WORK PROCESSES AND THE NATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS - Essay Example The field works towards research and practice to improve the quality of life and to the development of the potential of each individual, group and community of a society. Social workers perform interventions through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice and teaching. The Social Work Processes In this given case study, the past life events of the couple, Dorothy and George eventually push them to such a helplessness. The humiliating response of racial unfairness from the close environment, loss and grief of loved daughter, ending hope of having another child, the failure to meet real challenges of life because of the couple ignorance and weaknesses, the tension of financial limitation and another sudden loss of their strength,Sadie; things become difficult and danger stands active – the couple are not able to cope with the things. The condition of the couple demands care and support from other member of the society, a social service intervention through social work activities is in need indeed. Considering the couple’s overall condition, in order to extend a standard and an organised response to the couple, the following process (Social Work, UNESCO) is to apply Assessment: Establishing what are the problems or issues (with the service user and others); Assessment involves assembling full and accurate information about a service user’s circumstances and how these came about. Essential to assessment is participation by the service user and others involved (e.g. family), and continuous consultation with colleagues and workers in other agencies and services when appropriate.The information collected must be accurately recorded in a systematic way to give a clear understanding of needs and a possible plan of action. Deciding on outcomes:Working out with the service user and others what can be achieved within a given time-span; Social work is a goal-directed activity and what matters to service users is a satisfactory outcome. E vidence-based practice draws on research findings, practice wisdom and past experience to identify what works in a given situation. Service user and worker join together to share their experience and expertise and decide what needs to be changed and what are the priorities within a given time scale. Planning: Deciding with the service user and others what needs to be done, in what order, by whom, by when and how; Planning involves reaching a decision on the course of action which seems most likely to achieve the agreed outcomes. The plan should be recorded, specifying the approaches to social work to be used, the persons responsible for carrying out the work and the anticipated time scale. Note that a plan may involve a decision to do nothing. Intervention: Putting agreed plans into action; Carrying out what has been formulated in the planning process and agreed with the service user and other key people involved, using specific approaches to social work. Intervention usually involv es some minor changes to plans as the situation continues to change and additional Information becomes available. Evaluation: Estimating with the service user and others how far and how well outcomes have been achieved; The process is carried out continuously as the action unfolds and in retrospect after it has been completed. It needs to look at outcomes for a range of people involved, which will differ. Outcomes could be examined in terms of the quality of life

Describe and explain the concepsts visions and ethical behavior of 4 Essay

Describe and explain the concepsts visions and ethical behavior of 4 philosophers - Essay Example e no actions that have no specific causes, and so there are no actions emanating from will that are not caused by prior motives and circumstances, as well as human temperaments. He rejects that man enjoys liberty, therefore, and argues that man instead acts from necessity. As a skeptic, on the other hand, he argues that we must be modest when it comes to making judgments, because of the contradictions inherent in all reasoning of the mind, and when we do speculate on the nature of things, we must strive to stick to the facts and employ such activities on matters that require abstractions of the mind. He extends this skeptical stance to religion. As opposed to adhering to a religion of belief, moreover, he proposed a more natural religion. In matters of morality, moreover, he argues that it is the passions, instinct, and the psychological realities in man rather than rationality that govern the dynamics of human morality. The ultimate ground of his morality is not reason, but somethin g innate in us, a built in moral sense, and that moral sense must have come from God. It is this sense, in the gut or in the human sentiment, that is the true cause of moral virtues in man and not reason (Morris and Brown). In Kant we have the first synthesis of rationality and of empiricism as championed by Hume. In Kant the fulcrum of the moral philosophy is that man is capable of being autonomous. Human reason is the primary faculty that allows man to discern what is good from what is bad, from what is moral and not moral. He posits that the basis of all natural laws is the capacity of man for understanding, and from human rationality and human understanding flows human beliefs in the Divine, the eternity of souls, our notions of freedom, in other words the way we perceive and structure our experiences all spring from this ability of man to reason and to make sense of the world thus. This is the essence too of the autonomy of man, to be able to discern all this, and that because

Roe -vs- Wade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Roe -vs- Wade - Essay Example Is it ethical to allow the taking of a life, especially in those instances where there is no pressing medical reason that mandates a termination of a pregnancy? Is abortion wrong from a moral point of view? According to the religious beliefs, especially of Catholics, life is God given and therefore a woman who chooses to terminate the life of a fetus is in effect, taking into her own hands, a decision that only God can make. Abortion is equated to murder of the fetus and the woman who engages in it held liable for the act of killing another human being. Similarly, doctors who perform abortions were also held accountable, which is part of the reason why in some states, public opinion against abortion has reduced the number of clinical outlets and medical establishments where abortion can be safely performed by qualified medical personnel (Joffe, 2003). In pointing out the importance of the Roe v Wade decision, Joffe (2003) has described how, prior to the legalization of abortion, physicians performing therapeutic abortions were placed in an untenable position because of the fierce public opposition to abortion on religious grounds. But the decision of the Supreme Court in Roe v Wade has proved to be a boon for those women who are victims of rape or illness that interferes with their ability to successfully carry a pregnancy through to term. While earlier, it was difficult for them to terminate a pregnancy due to the public opposition to abortion, the decision in Roe v Wade has made abortion legal, thereby ensuring that woman seeking abortions can now have the procedure performed by qualified medical personnel. But Roe v Wade has gone beyond merely allowing abortions to proceed when there are extenuating circumstances; it makes the decision on whether or not to have an abortion solely the woman’s prerogative. Irrespective of the woman’s reasons for choosing to have an abortion, the decision in Roe v Wade

Aerobic Capacity Lab Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Aerobic Capacity Lab Report - Essay Example acity is most commonly expressed relative to the body weight to account the difference in body size and to reflect a person’s ability to carry out weight bearing tasks. Aerobic capacity is an important component of physical fitness because it reflects the overall capacity of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems1 and the ability to carry out prolonged strenuous exercise2.From a health perspective, good cardio respiratory fitness has been shown to reduce the risk (in adults) of hypertension, coronary heart disease, obesity, diabetes, some form of cancer, and other health problems3. There is a genetic component to aerobic capacity. Some people inherent characteristics that give them a naturally high level of aerobic capacity than other people. However, the genetic component in relatively small, accounting for less than 30% of the difference between people4. Thus aerobic capacity mostly reflects the level of habitual physical activity. In particular, aerobic capacity reflects the vigorous, sustained (aerobic) physical activity in which an individual engages. Aerobic capacity of the youth can be improved with sustained periods of high intensity exercise5. Although the exact dose of exercise needed has not been identified, three or more sessions per week in which moderately high-intensity exercise is sustained for 30 min or more are probably required. Any dynamic exercise involving large muscle groups is suitable, such as rigorous walking, jogging / running, cycling, swimming, and vigorous games. Improvements are proportioned to the amount of moderately high intensity exercise completed per week. Three students serve as subjects. They included 2 male and 1 female. They took a treadmill test for a specified duration. Subjects were run to exhaustion and then cool down while walking on the treadmill. The gases analyzed were oxygen (O2) and Carbon dioxide (CO2). To calculate the rate of O2 utilization (VO2), in addition to the fractional concentration of the

Natural sciences Essay Example for Free

Natural sciences Essay Knowledge involves acquaintance with truth, principles or facts as with a certain subject or a branch of learning. People have various perceptive of knowledge. There are those who belief that knowledge is found in many forms which must be proven with evidence. It is possible to doubt everything that exist because it is a misconception or it may be seen as an illusion. Doubt is important in knowledge because learning through from the senses or through the senses can be deceptive. For example, senses can deceive because one may smell something sweet and senses deceive that it is going to have sweet taste. However, this is wrong because not everything that smells sweet taste sweet. Dreams are also deceptive as they are just false delusions because occasionally when one is asleep one is deceived by the illusions in dreams. These are just ways that knowledge through the senses can deceive. Therefore, it becomes necessary to doubt everything so that one can get the true knowledge. So as the proverb hold doubt is key to knowledge. Knowledge creates doubt and doubt pave way for gaining more knowledge. If its is not for doubt then there would be no knowledge or the knowledge that would be available would be one that is not complete knowledge (Urdahl, pg 27-29). In natural sciences, scientists have a lot of experience with doubt and uncertainty. This is experience that is very necessary in gaining knowledge in natural sciences. When one does not know the answer to a problem then this can be termed as ignorance. Then one has a hunch as to what the results are, for example, of an experiment, then it means that one has uncertainty. When one is darned sure of what the result would be then it means that one has some doubt. Therefore, it is paramount important that in order to have progress it is important to recognize the ignorance we have in natural sciences and leave room for doubt. This is because scientific knowledge is a body of statements, which have varying degrees of certainty. The degrees vary from being unsure, nearly sure and none absolutely certain. Doubt is a good thing in natural science because if one knows the answer or thinks that one knows the answer then it becomes easy to fail to seek more knowledge about that particular subject. Doubt helps to come out of that emotional attachment that people have in certain beliefs or from the theory of determinism. Example of areas where doubt has assisted in gaining and verifying knowledge is in the assumptions in relativity that inertial mass and gravitational mass are equal. In order to show that they are not the model has to be revised. Scientists have engaged in refining their ability to measure the two. It is the doubt that has developed in this area that has made the scientist revise this model until they have realized that inertial mass and gravitational mass are different at finer degrees. Therefore, they doubt has made it known that the two are not equivalent as has been held in the past. In this case, it is not that the same experiment is repeated but the real key to this is to look at the statements and test if they have been examined to the extent that they should. Doubt allow the use of new tools in scientific experiments which allow new discoveries which do away with the old ideas or theories. Science in this case becomes a process of doubt. Natural scientists are always nor sure and this is the reason as to why they repeat the steps in experiments in order to make sure that it is right. Another area where doubt has necessitated growth of knowledge is in the evolution theory. At the beginning people had strong belief that creation theory was the one that provided call the knowledge about the evolution of human being. However, as knowledge grew people started to doubt some aspects of the evolution theory and developed other theories such as the Darwinian theory of evolution. This is a theory which resulted out f the doubts about some of the aspects of the former theory. This is not the end theory because doubts in some aspects of the evolutions theory have also led to development of some other theories (Axtell pg 87-88). Doubt has also contributed to increased knowledge in other areas, for example, in social science and history. There are two areas that information collected or knowledge gained depends on research or theories which were constructed in the past by various scholars. However it becomes tricky to use such kind of theories to their full because history and social sciences are dynamic. For example, the society change as time moves. Therefore, this is also in the same way that the theories are supposed to change. For example, if theories that were constructed in the fourteenth century are used in the twenty first century then there is no doubt that the theory would contain a lot of faults because of the changes that have occurred in the society. People have developed in their way of reasoning as in these days there are more sources of information than in the past. Reason is one part of gaining knowledge that enhances the development of doubt. This is because it is after deductive reasoning that a person is able to develop hypothesis that proves some knowledge as relevant or irrelevant (Gotschl, pg179-180). Historians do their research and base most of their research on the researches that were conducted in the past. The information in the research where they base their research would be biased or exaggerated. This is what cause doubt and enhance new research to be conducted regarding some issues. Despite the fact that some people are emotionally attached to some believes doubt has made them to relent some of their believes. For example, different ethnic groups have their own myths about where they originated or who is their god or where their god lived. In traditional society people had strong emotional attachment to these beliefs (Chang pg 581). However, as time has passed people have developed doubt about these believes to develop other believes. This is because most of the beliefs in the traditions are not well reasoned and are also biased to particular ethnic people. People have developed other believes that are more inclusive of other ethnic groups all over the world. This has risen out of the doubt that people have some of the things that happened in the past (Lamm Norman pg 11-12). Despite that knowledge plays a key role in knowledge I think that knowledge or truth is a fixed situation because truth is not questionable. So if true knowledge is out there to be discovered or to be learned then it means that when we know or acquire knowledge then there should be no room for doubt. I also think that knowledge depends mostly on human perception. Natural sciences have more upper hands in investigating the truth. However these sciences are still subjected tout human brains. Curiosity is also key to knowledge rather than doubt. Human beings are always curious to know more about their nature. The curiosity allows them to make discoveries and also strive to find the truth. Looking critically at the discoveries that have been made in the past it is out of curiosity that this has happened. This curiosity leads to knowledge, which then leads to wisdom. Doubts make us to know hat our knowledge is correct instead on believing in something blindly. However I do not feel that doubt makes us to make any discovery or learn anything that is new to us. It is curiosity that allows us to acquire new knowledge more quickly. Work cited Axtell Guy. Knowledge, belief, and character: readings in virtue epistemology, 1st edition, Rowman Littlefield, 2000. Chang Larry. Wisdom for the Soul: Five Millennia of Prescriptions for Spiritual Healing, Gnosophia Publishers, 2006. Gotschl Johann. Erwin Schrodingers world view: the dynamics of knowledge and reality Vol 16, New York, Springer, 1992. Lamm Norman. Faith and doubt: studies in traditional Jewish thought, 3rd edition, KTAV Publishing House, Inc. , 2007. Urdahl Halvor. Key of Knowledge, New York, Kessinger Publishing, 1998.

Sports Drink and Gatorade Essay Example for Free

Sports Drink and Gatorade Essay In the summers ’65, Florida University’s physics Lab was swarmed with hushes and gushes over a question on players, heat and performance on field. Coach and physicians were equally puzzled as much concerned over the matter over growing heat stroke illness and degrading performances of peak players in acute heat. While the talks went on for weeks, Dr. Robert Cade, Dr. Dana Shrines, Dr. James Free and Dr. Alejandro de Quesada grilled down the talk to two factors that had affected the performance and provoked the heat illness in Gator Players. * The fluid and Electrolytes that the players lost through sweat were not getting regenerated. * The amount of Carbohydrates that the players used for energy on field was negligently being replenished. Birth of ‘Gatorade’ Having zeroed on the problems, the research team of Florida University scientifically fabricated a balanced liquid with precise balance of carbohydrate and electrolytes. The ultimate sport beverage was uniquely produced in the lab to ensure the replacement of lost key components from the body of Gator Players while sweating and exercising. The proud confection drink was called ‘Gatorade’. ‘Gatorade’ comes on Field Having the product in Lab was not good enough. The formula was finally introduced to the team; the gators started using the beverage during their practice, exercises and sport on field. The results were ubiquitous. Players were less fatigued, more active and exhibited outlasting win against the heavily favored opponent of the time finishing the ’65 season at 7-4. The performance had just started walking. By the year of 1966, Gator Team finished the season at 9-2 making a historical win of Orange Bowl. Beverage Buzz and Biz The beverage caught wild fire buzz in the field of sports far beyond the boundaries of Florida. People were curious about the beverage as much inquisitive about the invention. University of Richmond and Miami of Ohio were first to place order of batches of ‘Gatorade’ for their football team. Post the early adoption phase in the market, followers of the trend just kept coming. The famous saying of the coaches of that time was â€Å"Playing without ‘Gatorade’ on your sidelines is like playing with just ten men field†. Today’s official Sports drink traversed boundaries of nations and labs to conquer the quest for on-field energy builder. Orange to Super by ‘69 In the summer of 1969, Coach Ray Graves of the Florida Gators suggested to the Kansas City Chiefs that they use ‘Gatorade’ to combat the staggering effects of a blistering Missouri sun during training camp. The Chiefs were so impressed with the â€Å"Gator coach’s aid† that they kept it on their sidelines throughout the entire season†¦ which concluded with a stunning victory over the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. In the years that followed, more and more NFL teams began placing ‘Gatorade’ on the sidelines of their games and practices, and in 1983, ‘Gatorade’ became the official sports drink of the NFL—a title it holds to this day. Science, Sports and Success After two long decades of Dr. Cade and his team’s much famed work in developing optimum hydration formula- ‘Gatorade’ made its way to the ‘Gatorade’ Sports Science Institute founded in Barrington, Illinois, to conduct scientific research in the areas of exercise science, hydration, and sport nutrition. By early ‘90’s, the lab expanded to provide advanced testing for athletes and new ‘Gatorade’ products and flavors and develop education materials for sports health professionals around the world. ‘Gatorade’ Today The official sports drink of the NBA, AVP, and PGA, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, and numerous other elite and professional organizations and teams, ‘Gatorade’ is not a beverage is it! From Field to Track Millennium witnessed a problem at the professional race car drivers coach meet. The adequacy of hydration was a bit much of a problem given that the heat reaches 130 degree temperature throughout the course of a lapped race. The challenge was huge and battle was tough. ‘Gatorade’ and GSSI (‘Gatorade’ Sports Science Institute) began their work with auto racing organizations to develop a hydration tool that could withstand 130-degree temperatures and keep drivers hydrated safely throughout the course of a race. The result of their research was the development of GIDS, the ‘Gatorade’ In-Car Drinking System, which is now considered an essential piece of racing equipment. Drink up the Challenge! The staff of GSSI (‘Gatorade’ Sports Science Institute) realized that replenishment on field was not good enough for the players and athletes. The need of the hour engaged in high demand training and competition. ‘Gatorade’ launched the ‘Gatorade’ Performance Series, an exquisite line of sports nutrition products, in ‘01. These products included ‘Gatorade’ Energy Drink, ‘Gatorade’ Energy Bar, and the ‘Gatorade’ Nutritional Shake. By 2005, GSSI (‘Gatorade’ Sports Science Institute) brought in the most captivating invention that took the market as much by surprise as exclaimed. After extensive years of study on athlete’s endurance, the company presented the ‘Gatorade’ Endurance Formula. Featuring a higher concentration of sodium—the key electrolyte found in Original Thirst Quencher—and four other electrolytes lost in sweat. What Next! The staff of GSSI (‘Gatorade’ Sports Science Institute) is dedicated to innovative search and research on sports in their mission of performance improvisation on field and off field through proper facilitated supply of hydration and nutrition. The advancement of the collective mission is here to stay and for as long as people love sports and health is the much wanted wealth! Drink the thrust of thirst Some facts which will help us understand the key success and the reason for ‘Gatorade ‘existence and market player consistent. * Dehydration can be one of the biggest competitors of athletes. * Research shows that well hydrated athletes perform better. * When you sweat you lose fluids electrolytes and potassium essential to maintain performance Market: The Pepsi Co. ’s much hyped and popular energy drink has far expanded the market from stadium, sport training and gymnasiums. The chart show cases the usage of drink widely by the society of Men or women of all ages who practice sports or have an active routine. What are the other possible factors that gets the drink flowing? Appearance: The beautifully crafted Stylish plastic bottle is certainly an eye-catcher. Not to forget the breathing colors, ergonomic bottle design and its fun packaging. Appeal: The product? s price oscillates between $0. 65 and $1. 50 depending on the package presentation. It appeals to all age and income group due to wide variety and amplified reach in functional and emotional benefits related to Health. Attributes: 1. ‘Gatorade’ helps to put back lost electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium and chloride. 2. Stimulates thirst so you can maintain hydrated 3. Gives essential fluids athletics need when it matter most. 4. Gives working muscles the energy they need to enhance athletic performance 5. Nothing rehydrates replenishes and refuels an athlete better than Gatorade. Special Features a. Has a 6% carbohydrate solution, optimal amount to give working muscles the energy they need. b. New and different flavors: Lemon Lime, Fruit Punch, Orange, Citrus Cooler, Passion Fruit, Strawberry Kiwi etc. c. No other sports drink is absorbed faster than Gatorade. Not even water Advertisements. The product is advertised through T. V. with commercials in which very famous athletes appear drinking ‘Gatorade’ to rehydrate. The media resources used for making advertisements are T. V. , radio, the Internet, magazines, newspapers. The purpose of advertisement is to convince consumers that nothing hydrates better than Gatorade. Positioning Target and Market: Gatorade’s positions itself on the shelf of energy drink for sports and nutrition. However, it entails more market outside the athlete group with individual youth leading an â€Å"active† lifestyle who wants to enhance their health and energy stamina. Gatorade’s targets a communication which fills the void created by all other competitive brands which focus highly on providing fuel, fluid and nutrients before and after the exercise. * Based on 2008 Energy Drinks North America Report, where Gatorade’s share is 49%, total market size is US$ 5. 3Billion. * ‘Gatorade’ sales is US$2. 6Billion * Gatorade’s market share is 49% * Then total sports drink market size is US$2. 6Billion/0. 49 = US$5. 3Billion Gatorade’s Speaks: PTM- Primary Target Market Personality: The youth leading an â€Å"active† lifestyle who are health conscious and strongly believes in fit body perfect mind theology. Demographics: Young (pre-adults (13-24), M/F, social class ABC, single) Lifestyle: Athletic, active, enjoy sports, playful and lively) Behavior: Drinks 8 fl oz. of liquid, before, during or after any physical activity for: * Thirst quenching * Prevent dehydration * Energy Boost * Nutritional Supplement * Healthy Beverage Needs: The youth wants: * To be secured (health), avoid dehydration; thirst quenching * The youth choose ‘Gatorade’ over other sports drinks because: * Flavor, available in all convenient stores, * Brand (endorsed by Michael Jordan and Dwayne Wade), * Taste Thinks: When the youth drinks Gatorade, he is not just thirst quenching, rehydrating, getting more active or feeling energized. They feel their mind saying: * I am athletic! * I am active! * I am a winner! * I would be like Michael Jordan/Dwayne Wade * I won’t get dehydrated Competition: ‘Gatorade’ has several competitors on retail shelf: Direct Competition: * Pocari Sweat * PowerAde * Tropical Fruit * Cool Blue Indirect Competition: * Energy Drinks (Cobra, RedBull, Samurai), Isotonic Drinks (100 Plus), * Instant energy drink (Joss), * Flavored water (Vit water), * Tea (C2, Real Leaf), * Water (Viva, Absolute) Market Drivers: Variables: * Price, packaging, * Convenience of use * Different variants * Availability * Brand * Lifestyle Unique Selling Proposition: 1. To thirsty, sweaty jock, ‘Gatorade’ is the original sports beverage that quenches thirst while replacing fluids and electrolytes. 2. The only sports drink that is thirst quenching for the youth who leads an â€Å"active† lifestyle that promises to improve performance 3. No brand has a similar position. 4. Others focus on complete with electrolytes and positively charged ions. ‘Gatorade’- A 4P Analysis Product: ‘Gatorade’s sports drink is scientifically formulated to replace fluids and provide energy to working muscles. It offers a scientifically validated blend of carbohydrates and key electrolytes. Variants: * Lemon-Lime, * Orange, * Cool Blue, * Citrus Cooler, * Strawberry Kiwi * Fruit Punch Sizes: * 12 * 20 * 24 * 32 * 34 * 64 : (in fl oz) and 1 gallon Price: ‘Gatorade’ is priced 36% cheaper than PowerAde. i. ‘Gatorade’12 fl oz = US$ 1. 07 ii. ‘Gatorade’20 fl oz = US$ 1. 38 iii. ‘Gatorade’24 fl oz = US$ 2. 49 iv. ‘Gatorade’32 fl oz = US$ 3. 99 Place: ‘Gatorade’ is distributed nationwide using Pepsi Co. distribution network * Supermarkets, * Local stores, * Convenience outlets, * Drugstores, * Market stalls * Nationwide Pick-up by customers. * Cash and credit transaction * It benefits from the distribution leverage of Pepsi Co. * Has an excellent branding, excellent product distributed nationwide. Promotion: A look back Objective of ‘Gatorade’: Accelerate in the sports drink market. Size of the total market: $4 billion Growth of the market: 12% from 2006 Seasonality: Peaks in the summer Product Life Cycle: Growth: (Although Gatorade was created in 1965) we believe sports drinks are in the growth stage because there’s a growth in market of 12% since 2006 also the number of entrants into the market suggests that this is a growing industry on its way up rather than down. Brand| Market Share| Dollars (in ‘000s)| Gatorade| 82%| 3,280,000$| PowerAde| 17%| 680,000$| Others| 1%| 40,000$| Target profile * Metropolitan area/CMA * 13-24 * Active lifestyle * Male or female * Single/Couple * Involved in organized sports/activities * Exercises regularly * Urban/suburban * Very social * Outgoing * Extroverted * Student or new professional * Unmarried/newly married * College/university educated * Renter or new home/condo owner * $18,000 $150,000 yearly income * $18,000 – $35,000 average consumer * Generally considers themselves leaders * Heavier user (of sports beverages). * Previously used other sports drinks – not new to the market * Strong brand loyalty based on expected performance * Looking for a competitive edge * Interested in local news with an emphasis on sports * Watches sports on tv * Reads magazines about healthy living, sports, and recent events * Regularly purchases athletic gear/clothing Buying decision process When: * On their way to activities (exercise/sports games, etc) * On their way home from activities * When they miss their activities Where: * Convenience stores/gas stations * Gyms * Snack bars * Grocery stores (healthy ones like The Barn/Logos). * Vending machines * Located in recreation centers, gyms, etc * Health-based/oriented retailers (GNC, Hercs, Goodness Me! , etc) * Schools Key Influencers: * Pro athletes * Amateur athletes * Someone like themselves that they can relate to/identify with * Peers Trends * Looking towards everyday people promoting product because they feel more in tune with their situation * Value conscious now means more than price for quantity * They are now paying attention to ingredients and benefits, so value = right price, right ingredients and benefits * Using sports drinks as regular drinks. * Looking to make healthier choices – less sugar, fat, etc. Environmental Issues Regulatory – packaging, labeling, etc. * Must meet CFIA regulations * Must include nutritional information * French/English labels * Must avoid certain types of plastic for the bottle Economic * Recession – drive to water Socio-cultural * Time-conscious/time-poor * Environmental trends – consumers want to buy recyclable products * Health-oriented society * Demanding convenience/accessibility Technological * Advancements in production SWOT analysis: Strengths. * Large company * Has substantial capital * Very well-known company-brand * Lots of awareness * Product has a strong USP * 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio Weaknesses * No current products in the sports drink market * No experience in the sports drink market Opportunities * Very large market (dollar wise) * Cultural shift towards healthier lifestyles * Currently, limited choices in the sports drink market Threats * Fear of recession * Consumers will only be purchasing necessities * Size of competitors * Mainly Gatorade and PowerAde.

Should the UK Allow Medical Marijuana?

Should the UK Allow Medical Marijuana? Should Marijuana be Decriminalised and or Legalised for Health Reasons in the U.K? Research Plan Today most young people use some type of drug, even though they are illegal. According to Gov (2017) marijuana is the most commonly used drug in the last year and has been for over 15 years.   Marijuana originates from the cannabis sativa plant. It comes in a variety of forms such as dried plant leaves, flowers and oils which can be smoked or eaten. Better Health (2013) state that there is a chemical in cannabis called tetrahydrocannabinol (also known as THC); this is marijuana’s main mind-altering ingredient, which makes users feel high. THC is a psychoactive substance, which means that it travels in a person’s bloodstream to the brain. It disrupts the brain’s normal functioning and causes certain intoxicating effects. The fastest way to feel the effects of marijuana is to inhale the smoke, the effects are usually felt within minutes. The immediate sensations—increased heart rate, lessened coordination and balance and a â€Å"dreamy,† unreal stat e of mind—peak within the first 30 minutes. These short-term effects usually wear off in two to three hours, but they could last longer, depending on how much the user consumes and the potency of THC (Drug free world, 2018).   According to Addiction (2011), countries such as Finland, Israel and Portugal have all decriminalised marijuana. Portugal, view drug taking as a health issue rather than a criminal issue in the country. Instead of arrests, those found with drugs are sent to medical panels, consisting of a psychologist, social workers and legal advisor for appropriate treatment.   Around the world there are a growing number of countries where marijuana use is permitted and regulated for recreational purposes such as Amsterdam, Nevada and Colorado. Also, there is growth with pharmaceutical grade marijuana due to its acceptance for medicinal properties. 29 American states including Florida, Michigan and Arizona have legalised marijuana for medical reasons (Gov, 2018).    This essay will research and analyse five areas surrounding marijuana consumption to determine whether it should be decriminalised and/or legalised for medical reasons. This essay will investigate different societal perspectives: who uses it and why they use it.   The implications from both a legal and health perspective and whether the health benefits outweigh the risks all incorporated into the following questions. Societal and sociological implication of cannabis use Is the current legislation fair? What are the negative effects on health? What are the psychological causes of using marijuana? What are the benefits? The type of research undertaken will be key to the validity and accuracy of this document. To achieve this, three types of research will be explained and analysed. The first to be discussed is quantitative research. Quantitative research is factual, information gathered from statistics and numbers. For example, how many individuals consume marijuana regularly. This data specifies the actual number of users but does not clarify the reasons why. Primary research involves gathering new data that has not been collected before, such as, surveys using questionnaires or interviews with groups of people.   Secondary research involves gathering existing data that has already been produced. For example, researching the internet, newspapers and company reports. This essay will utilise this method as opposed to primary reserch due to the absence of an ethics panel at the college. The research carried out will look at statistics, legitimate websites, journal articles and newspapers; these along with further reading will be analysed and evaluated in an attempt to address the essay question with an unbiased viewpoint – despite potentially conflicting findings. Project timetable January 11-25 Decide topic; begin research; meet supervisor to discuss subject matter; finalise essay question. February 1-22 Continue research; analyse data. April 8-23 Compile information into essay format; final meeting with supervisor. May 9-14 Audit essay form a conclusion; evaluate; proof read and submit essay. The essay will endeavor to contain conflicting points to enable the reader to sum up their own conclusion. The information gathered and utilised will be obtained from reputable sources, along with the most recent government data and health statistics to ensure reliability and validity of the information. Health and safety will also be in mind while completing the essay. Regular breaks will be taken whilst using a computer to avoid the occurrence of visionary side effects and repetitive strain injury. Data will be reported accurately and contain references throughout to avoid plagiarism. Should Marijuana be Decriminalised and or Legalised for Medical Reasons in the U.K? Official statistics from Gov (2017) show that in 2016/17, 6.6% (around 2.2 million) of people aged 16 to 59 consumed marijuana. This has dropped since measurements began in 1996 (when the proportion was 9.4%). Since 2009/10 it has remained essentially stable at between 6 and 7 per cent. Out of the possible 2.2 million users, one million of these were 16-24-year olds. In addition to this, 34% of 16-24-year olds who consume marijuana claim to be frequent users. Its use is also more prevalent among men than women, in the 2017 survey 9% of men admitted to using marijuana compared with just 4.2% of women. Lastly, people living in deprived areas were more likely to be frequent drug users. A larger proportion (4.5%) of respondents who lived in deprived areas consumed marijuana frequently compared with those who lived in the least deprived areas (2.3%). Therefore, young working-class boys are the biggest consumers of marijuana. However, official statistics need to be treated with caution as they can be misleading and misinterpreted, not everyone who uses marijuana will give admission of their consumption. On the other hand, official statistics are useful in determining the changing rate of crime in certain areas over a period. In addition to this they can also help to highlight police bias and stereotyping. Interactionist Howard Becker (1963) cited in Hazeldine et al, (2016), attributed that the police label and target young working-class people as potentially criminal and frequently stop, search and arrest them. Meaning, it is more likely for young working-class boys to be found with possession. Sociologists Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin (1961) suggested that adolescents form retreatist subcultures (drug gang) because they have failed in the opportunity structure of society (Haralambos et al, 2013). Although, this is a naà ¯ve explanation of drug misuse. Drug misuse is also common among successful middle-class professionals and not just failed criminals or gang members as suggested by Cloward and Ohlin. Also, interactionist Albert Cohen (1955) cited in Giddens and Sutton (2015) claims that working-class boys lack opportunities to succeed, largely due to cultural deprivation. Tension from status frustration is realised through the creation of a deviant subculture in which the values of society are reversed.   Like the interactionists view-point marxists argue that the exploitation and oppression from the capitalist’s system leads to feelings of alienation. Thus, encouraging drug consumption which leads to dangerous addictions. However, not everyone suffering alienation from the capitalist system turns to drugs (Browne et al, 2014). Marijuana has been classified as a Class B drug in the UK since 2008 and carries significant penalties associated with possession and production including a maximum prison sentence of 14 years (Legislation, 2018). Statistics from Gov (2017) show that in 2016 there were 99,779 seizures of cannabis in the U.K. According to Browne et al (2014) marxists argue that illegal drugs help to safeguard class inequalities by providing excuses for the police to criminalise the working-class by giving drug convictions; whereas, the ruling class are more likely to be let off with a slap on the wrist.   Interactionist Jock Young (1971) cited in Haralambos et al (2013) studied marijuana users in London. Young argued that police respond to marijuana users as dirty, scruffy deviants which consequently, pushes them into that role. They no longer feel a conventional part of society and so become more unconventional as a reaction. Marijuana has been placed in the same category as the dangerous drug Ketamine. Talk to Frank (2018) write that Ketamine is a powerful general anaesthetic and is used for operations on humans and animals. Ketamine temporarily paralyses the body and gives a ‘out of body’ near death experience which can cause hallucinations and bad ‘trips’. Overdose can result in a coma, respiratory failure and death. According to I the Office of National Statistics (2016) Ketamine was responsible for 160 deaths in 2016.   Furthermore, in the U.K alcohol comes top of the list in the most commonly used recreational drugs.   Alcohol is legal and widely available to adults over the age of 18 in the U.K. According to MPP (2018), marijuana is less toxic than alcohol, less addictive, less harmful to the body, and less likely to contribute to violent or reckless behaviour. Alcohol related car accidents are far more likely than marijuana related car accidents. In 2015, over 200 people were killed in a road collision involving a driver over the legal limit (Department of Transport, 2017). Alcohol is also connected to many long-term side effects such as high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, liver disease and cancers. Alarmingly, in 2016 there were 7,327 alcohol specific deaths (Official for National Statistics, 2016). Many online articles claim that marijuana cannot and is not responsible for any deaths due to overdose. However, Dr Robert Gable (2004) of the Psychology department of Clermont university, cited in Caulkins, Kilmer and Kleinman (2016), concluded from a review into marijuana that it may be responsible for two deaths of a direct overdose. While it may be factual that it is extremely rare to die from a marijuana overdose, it is an undeniable fact that nobody dies from a tobacco overdose. People do not smoke themselves to death, tobacco causes lung cancer, which is what causes death. So, in that same way marijuana can  kill people in the form of mental illnesses, suicide and in the form of a car accident while driving under the influence. In addition, there are also problems with consuming marijuana that is sold on the black market. It is often contaminated with toxic components which may cause more harm than the substance itself. Thus, a regulated legal supply can be contaminant free, pure and therefore safer as correct dosage can be prescribed. Many argue that legalisation for medicinal purposes could make cannabis more socially acceptable and so encourage use of the substance and other drugs alike which may be more dangerous. However, according to Cerda et al (2015) research has shown that countries which have already legalised marijuana for medical reasons like the US have not seen an upsurge in the numbers of individuals using it. Additionally, the NHS (2017) write that 10% of regular cannabis users become dependent. Despite this, many claim that marijuana does not have addictive properties and that individuals become addicted to the nicotine (which the marijuana is smoked with) and not the marijuana itself. While this may have some truth, withdrawal symptoms such as cravings, difficulty sleeping, mood swings, irritability and restlessness are all common among individuals who consume marijuana regularly making it difficult to quit. Correspondingly, if a person smokes marijuana with tobacco, there is also great risk of co ntracting tobacco-related diseases such as cancer and heart disease.   Although, this criticism has a contradictive element. Hartney (2018) points out that there are already many highly addictive medications currently being prescribed by doctors in the U.K which have more dangerous side effects than marijuana. One being Tramadol, according to Office for National Statistics (2016) Tramadol was responsible for the lives of 208 people in 2015. However, when consuming marijuana it is common for the user to inhale more smoke and hold it in longer than they would a cigarette, to maximise the effects. Like other addictive drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, individuals can develop a tolerance to marijuana. Therefore, individuals need to consume more and more to get the same effect (Drug Wise, 2017).   The mental consequences of marijuana use are equally severe. Marijuana smokers have poorer memories and mental aptitude than do non-users.   Baler et al (2014) state that recent studies on young adults who smoke marijuana, found abnormalities in the brain related to emotion, motivation and decision-making. Regular cannabis use from a young age can also  increase the risk of developing psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia. This is because the brain does not stop growing and forming connections until it is 25, and cannabis interferes with this process (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2018).   Although, this statement is a tricky one, According to Casarett (2015), a surprising number of people especially men will not seek professional help because they do not like the idea that they require help to manage their issues. This may be another reason why the vast majority of marijuana smokers are men. Some individuals report consuming marijuana helps relieve their depression and anxiety. It could be argued that they turn to marijuana to self-medicate as opposed to admitting to another individual, for example, a doctor that they cannot cope. In other words, individu als may have turned to marijuana to help with their psychological problems in the first place. Thus, the psychological issues were not created from consuming marijuana. Despite the negative, the harm and benefit of marijuana should depend on patient’s medical severity situation and needs; the addiction of marijuana trades off with the expected length of a patient’s life. If a situation is terminal, it could be argued that the benefits meaningfully outweigh the risks. According to the Behaviourist Model addictive behaviour is considered as learned. Therefore, the root to smoking marijuana is a psychological one. Albert Bandura’s (1961) cited in Gross (2015) social learning theory suggests that children learn social behaviour from observing a model. Children are four times more likely to smoke if their parents do (Ash, 2018). Additionally, individuals who smoke are also more likely to divulge further in recreational drugs such as marijuana. Some individuals may use marijuana to gain acceptance. A behaviour explained by psychologist B. F. Skinner (1948), cited in Eysenck (2012), through operant conditioning a person starts to smoke to gain the powerful reinforcement of peer approval.   The new smoker associates these positive feelings with smoking. Positive reinforces cause production of dopamine which provide the positive feelings and reward the behaviour. Thus, behaviour which is followed by pleasant consequences is likely to be repeated. Another psychological theory is Ivan Pavlov’s (1927) cited in Gross (2015) classical conditioning. Classical conditioning is realised when a specific stimulus causes a specific response. For example, individuals who regularly consume marijuana to relax and de-stress after work while watching the soaps, will start to associate relax time in front of the tv as a time to light up a joint. In this case, sitting in front of the television after work and watching the soaps (specific stimulus), can induce powerful cravings for marijuana (specific response) which can lead to relapse behaviours. It has been proven that chemicals found in marijuana can relieve pain in people living with illnesses like multiple sclerosis and arthritis. According to Goldacre (2013), scientific studies of the chemicals in marijuana, called cannabinoids, has led to two FDA-approved medications that contain cannabinoid chemicals in pill form in Canada, USA and some parts of Europe. Marijuana has also been effective at relieving some of the highly stressful side effects that emerge from chemotherapy treatment such as nausea and vomiting (Doweiko, 2015). According to Drug abuse (2017), there is also evidence to suggest that the marijuana chemical cannabidiol (CBD) can treat certain conditions such as childhood epilepsy, a disorder that causes a child to have violent seizures. Scientists in the US have been reproducing marijuana plants and making CBD in oil form for treatment purposes.   CBD oil has low levels of the mind-altering THC, making it unpopular for recreational use.   Nancy and Willard (2014) suggest that marijuana is used in a similar manner to alcohol. Most adults consume marijuana while socialising with friends or to relax after work. Some use marijuana for medical benefits, with others consuming marijuana for therapeutic purposes, such as, help to facilitate with falling asleep and to alleviate arthritis. Some advocates believe that marijuana can relieve stress, anxiety and depression. On the contrary, many argue that consuming marijuana can trigger anxiety and depression. In fact, it is true the THC is linked to feelings of paranoia and anxiety as it activates the amygdala area of the brain, which is responsible for fear. However, CBD counteracts such feelings from THC. Studies show that taking CBD on its own can lower – even eliminate anxiety (Gould, 2015). According to the American Cancer Society (2018), scientists reported that THC and other cannabinoids such as CBD slow growth and/or caused death in certain types of cancer cells growing in lab dishes. Studies on animals also suggest that certain cannabinoids slow growth and reduce the spread of certain forms of cancer. This essay has investigated various aspects of marijuana consumption – why people use it what are the consequences in regard to legislation and health. Many argue that marijuana has been put on a pedestal and falsely labelled a miracle drug. It is inevitable to say that there has been a lot of scaremongering and wishful thinking concerning marijuana consumption. However, there is not enough reliable evidence into the extent of how good or bad marijuana is for ones’ health.   Some evidence and findings are very controversial and contradict one another. For example, the claim that consuming marijuana can reduce the risk of certain cancers when it is a well-known fact that smoking in the first place is responsible for almost all lung cancers. Due to the insufficient amounts of reliable evidence more independent unbiased research needs to be carried out to fully determine the abilities and side effects of marijuana. In conclusion, based on the current evidence marijuana should be decriminalised in the U.K. individuals who are caught consuming marijuana and who may have an addiction should be helped and not punished and labelled a criminal. Correspondingly, marijuana should be made legal for medicinal purposes as it clearly carries benefits for some people. However, only if the benefits outweigh the risks. For example, if the individual has a possible life-threatening illness.   Moreover, advances in science, accompanied with further research into the current medications already available, (in the US) additional medications can be administered.   If the drug is as beneficial as some research suggests then science could be bordering major breakthroughs concerning marijuana, accepting and encouraging use further.      Reference List Addiction (2011). Decriminalized marijuana: Top 10 countries in the world. [online] Addictionblog.org. Available at: http://addictionblog.org/the-news/decriminalized-marijuana-top-10-countries-in-the-world/ (Accessed 21 Apr. 2018). American Cancer Society (2018). Marijuana and Cancer. [online] Available at: https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/complementary-and-alternative-medicine/marijuana-and-cancer.html (Accessed 25 Apr. 2018). ASH (2018). Fact Sheets Archives Action on Smoking and Health. 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(2015) ‘Medical marijuana laws and adolescent marijuana use in the USA from 1991 to 2014: results from annual, repeated cross-sectional surveys’. [online] The Lancet Psychiatry. 2 (7) Available at: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(15)00217-5/abstract (Accessed 23 Apr. 2018) Department of Transport (2017) National Statistics. Statistical Release. [online] Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/635345/road-accidents-illegal-alcohol-levels-2015-final.pdf (Accessed 4 April. 2018). Doweiko, H, E. (2015) Concepts of Chemical Dependency. 9th edn. Stanford: Cengage Learning. Drug abuse (2017). Marijuana as Medicine. [online] Available at: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana-medicine (Accessed 28 Mar. 2018). Drug Wise (2017) Promoting Evidenced-based information on Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco. [online] available at: www.drugwise.org.uk/which-drugs-are-used-most/ (Accessed 2 April. 2018). Drug-Free World. (2018). Is Marijuana Medicine? Marijuana Affects Driving. [online] Available at: https://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/marijuana/medicine.html (Accessed 28 Mar. 2018). Eysenck, E, M. (2012) AS Level Psychology. 5th edn. East Sussex: Psychology Press Giddens, A. Sutton, P, W. (2015) Sociology. 7th edn. Cambridge: Polity Press. Goldacre, B. (2013) Bad Phama: How Medicine is Broken and How We Can Fix It. London: Harper Collins. Gould, J. (2015) international journal of science. Cannabis 4 Big Questions. 5 (25) [online] Available at: http://www.nature.com/articles/525S18a (Accessed 25 Apr. 2018) Gov (2017). Drug Misuse: Findings from the 2016/17 Crime Survey for England and Wales. Home Office. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/642738/drug-misuse-2017-hosb1117.pdf (Accessed 28 Mar. 2018). Gov (2018) Drug Penalties. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/penalties-drug-possession-dealing (Accessed 16 April. 2018) Gov (2018) Governing the States and Localities. State Marijuana Laws in 2018. [online] Available at: http://www.governing.com/gov-data/state-marijuana-laws-map-medical-recreational.html (Accessed 2 April. 2018). Gross, R. (2015) Psychology the Science of Mind and Behaviour. 7th edn. London: Hodder Education. Haralambos, M., Holborn, M., Chapman, S. and Moore, S. (2013) Sociology Themes and Perspectives. 8th edn. London: Collins  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hartney, E (2018) The 10 Most Addictive Pain Killers. Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/ten-most-addictive-pain-killers-22506 (Accessed 2 April. 2018). Hazeldine, A., Purcell, S., Renton, N., Rippin, F., Walker, A. (2016) A-Level Sociology. Newcastle: Elanders Ltd. Legislation (2018). Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. [online] Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/38/contents [Accessed 17 Apr. 2018]. MMP (2018). Marijuana Is Safer Than Alcohol: Its Time To Treat It That Way MPP. [online] MPP. Available at: https://www.mpp.org/marijuana-is-safer-than-alcohol-its-time-to-treat-it-that-way/ (Accessed 18 Apr. 2018). Nancy, E, M., Willard, M, O. (2014) Drugs in an American Society: An Encyclopaedia of Politics, Culture and the Law. Massachusetts: ABC-Clio. NHS (2017) Cannabis: The Facts. [online] Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/drugs/Pages/cannabis-facts.aspx (Accessed 2 April. 2018). Office for National Statistics (2016) Alcohol-Specific Deaths in the UK: registered 2016. [online] Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/causesofdeath/bulletins/alcoholrelateddeathsintheunitedkingdom/registeredin2016 (Accessed 4 April. 2018). Office for National Statistics (2016) Deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales: 2016 registrations. [online] Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsrelatedtodrugpoisoninginenglandandwales/2016registrations#deaths-involving-selected-substances (Accessed 21 Apr. 2018) Royal College of Psychiatrists (2018). Cannabis and mental health. [online] Available at: https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/healthadvice/problemsdisorders/cannabis.aspx (Accessed 18 Apr. 2018). Talk to frank (2018). Ketamine | FRANK. [online] Available at: http://www.talktofrank.com/drug/ketamine (Accessed 18 Apr. 2018). Bibliography Adler, J, N., Colbert, J, A. (2013) Medicinal Use of Marijuana. The New England Journal of Medicine. [online] Available at: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMclde1300970 (Accessed 2 April.2018). Browns, D. (2018). A Marxist review of Capitalism and Drug Use. [online] Redrave.blogspot.co.uk. Available at: http://redrave.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/a-marxist-review-of-capitalism-and-drug.html (Accessed 18 Apr. 2018). Cancer Research (2018). Cannabis oil?. [online] Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-chat/thread/cannabis-oil-4 [Accessed 31 Mar. 2018]. Cannabis Social Club. (2018). UK Cannabis Law. [online] Available at: http://ukcsc.co.uk/cannabis-law/ (Accessed 17 Apr. 2018). Christie, L. (2013). Which of these drugs is the most addictive and harmful, marijuana, alcohol, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, or meth? [online] Available at: https://www.quora.com/Which-of-these-drugs-is-the-most-addictive-and-harmful-marijuana-alcohol-ecstasy-cocaine-heroin-or-meth (Accessed 17 Apr. 2018). McLeod, S. (2015). Biological Psychology | Simply Psychology. [online] Simplypsychology.org. Available at: https://www.simplypsychology.org/biological-psychology.html (Accessed 23 Apr. 2018). Peele, S. (2016). How Does Social Class Affect Drug Abuse? Articles Addictions | HealthyPlace. HealthyPlace. Available at: https://www.healthyplace.com/addictions/articles/how-does-social-class-affect-drug-abuse/ (Accessed 17 Apr. 2018). United Patients Group. (2016). What are the best and healthiest ways to consume medical cannabis?. [online] Available at: https://unitedpatientsgroup.com/resources/methods-of-consumption (Accessed 17 Apr. 2018). Evaluation The essay introduction stated some clear figures of the trends of marijuana over the last few years and determined who in society is most likely to consume marijuana. On the contrary, the introduction failed to generate a definitive answer as to why young working-class boys are the biggest consumers of marijuana, due to the absence of primary research. However, links to sociological theories supported the results that young working-class boys are the biggest consumers of marijuana. The research within the essay was obtained from a wide range of reputable sources with the most recent information available. As discussed, due to the absence of primary research there was not an opportunity to examine the reasons on a more personal level as to why young working-class boys choose to consume marijuana when evidence portrayed from the UK government suggest that it can lead to psychological issues and can cause certain types of cancers. The data researched and presented was analysed and evaluated where possible; official statistics from legitimate sources are generally accepted as reliable and informative in their own right. In addition, further relations to sociological theories along with psychological theories strengthened the conclusions of certain studies. In comparison, due to the lack of reliable sufficient unbiased research, there could have been further analysis into the government’s role.   With the recent claims that marijuana has certain cancer killing properties along with many other health benefits, the government should be aiming to provide newly found definitive answers concerning the risks and gains of marijuana. The conclusion acknowledged that the lack of reliable and thorough research into the strengths and weaknesses of using marijuana has influenced the answer to the question; that it should be decriminalised and legalised on the grounds of medicinal use only if the benefits outweigh the risks. However, the conclusion is based only on the research analysed within the essay. Due to a limited word count further research and analysis which may have had an influence on the overall conclusion may have been missed. Thus, the conclusion is relevant to the findings within the essay however, additional and future research may lead to a different prognosis.