Classic Airlines and Marketing

Classic Airlines and Marketing MKT/571 – Marketing September 17, 2012 Classic Airlines and Marketing Classic Airlines, the fifth largest airline carrier, currently serves 240 cities with more than 2,300 daily flights. However, Classic Airlines has experienced over the past three years a decline in their frequent flier program Classic Rewards along with customer confidence declining as well and stock prices has decreased by 10% according to University of Phoenix, 2012. Marketing is assigned the task of revamping the customer loyalty program and increasing membership while operating under a 15% reduction in expenses across the company.The challenges that the marketing management is faced with include a downward turn of morale among the employees; retaining and recruiting of new members for Classic Rewards, and the lack of support from upper management. Marketing management is the process of â€Å"creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing custom er relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders† (Kotler & Keller, 2006, p. 6). Identifying Marketing ChallengesThe marketing management team has identified that the majority (60%) of its Reward membership are at the basic tier, 25% are on the Silver Rewards level, and only 15% are Gold Rewards members. Of these members 80% are business travelers with the remaining 20% leisure travelers. With this information, marketing instituted surveys to determine what the needs of the members are. The replies from the business traveler ranged from the dislike for connections and delays, the desire for quality service, and the idea that the frequent flier points are the result of the airline’s investment in the customer.Whereas, the leisure traveler is more interested in lower air fare and is more willing to have more connections if it will save the traveler money. Strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis of Classic Airlines top thre e competitors—British Airlines, Northwest Airlines, and United Airlines—were completed by John Hartman, Senior Vice President of Human Resources. Based on the SWOT analysis, all three competitors have a strong and successful loyalty program. A common weakness between the three companies is the union at each airline.An opportunity recognized by the three companies is the customers’ needs are constantly changing and the airline industry is rebounding. Fuel and equipment along with competition are considered weaknesses by the three organizations. Gathering input from the Classic Rewards members was the responsibility of Renee Epson, Senior Vice President of Customer Service. Interviews of 500 Gold and Platinum Classic Rewards members revealed that advertising campaigns are failing in conveying an accurate and meaningful picture of the airline.In regard to the Classic reward program only 30% were either satisfied or very satisfied with the program and upgrades avail able. When asked if the members flew on other airlines, all categories excluding those who fly seven to 12 times a year responded that they flew other airlines more often than Classic Airlines. Only 8% have been Classic Rewards members for more than five years with the majority been members for one to three years. Strategic Planning The marketing management team has been performing strategic planning to implement a value chain.A value chain states Kotler and Keller, (2006), â€Å"identifies nine strategically relevant activities that create value and cost in a specific business† (p. 38). The team has identified opportunities, weaknesses, strengths, and threats for Classic Airlines’ competitors and through surveys and interviews for Classic Airlines. The identification of the concerns of the Rewards program members enables the marketing team to address these concerns and implement recommendations for improving the Classic Rewards program.This is part of the new offering realization program that enables Classic Airlines to develop and implement new high-quality products while remaining within the budget. Another part of the value chain is the identification of new markets to attract new customers. Classic Airlines needs to rebuild its customer relationship management process this in turn will improve relationships and understanding with both internal and external customers. ConclusionClassic Airlines marketing management is working on improving the organization’s rewards program while remaining within the budget that has a 15% decrease with the result of increasing the profits. A major challenge for the marketing management team is the lack of support from upper management. However, the team has begun the strategic planning of implementing a value chain method. The use of a SWOT analysis, surveys, and interviews of current customers has provided the team with an insight of the issues that must be addressed.Marketing is a process of deliverin g value to its customers while managing customers’ relationships and producing revenue and profit for the company and its stakeholders. References Kotler, P. , & Keller, K. (2006). Marketing Management (12th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson-Prentice Hall. University of Phoenix. (2012). Scenario: Classic Airlines. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, MKT571-Marketing website

Disadvantages of Fdi Essay

Disadvantages of Foreign Direct Investment The disadvantages of foreign direct investment occur mostly in case of matters related to operation, distribution of the profits made on the investment and the personnel. One of the most indirect disadvantages of foreign direct investment is that the economically backward section of the host country is always inconvenienced when the stream of foreign direct investment is negatively affected. The situations in countries like Ireland, Singapore, Chile and China corroborate such an opinion. It is normally the responsibility of the host country to limit the extent of impact that may be made by the foreign direct investment. They should be making sure that the entities that are making the foreign direct investment in their country adhere to the environmental, governance and social regulations that have been laid down in the country. The various disadvantages of foreign direct investment are understood where the host country has some sort of national secret – something that is not meant to be disclosed to the rest of the world. It has been observed that the defense of a country has faced risks as a result of the foreign direct investment in the country. At times it has been observed that certain foreign policies are adopted that are not appreciated by the workers of the recipient country. Foreign direct investment, at times, is also disadvantageous for the ones who are making the investment themselves. Foreign direct investment may entail high travel and communications expenses. The differences of language and culture that exist between the country of the investor and the host country could also pose problems in case of foreign direct investment. Yet another major disadvantage of foreign direct investment is that there is a chance that a company may lose out on its ownership to an overseas company. This has often caused many companies to approach foreign direct investment with a certain amount of caution. At times it has been observed that there is considerable instability in a particular geographical region. This causes a lot of inconvenience to the investor. The size of the market, as well as, the condition of the host country could be important factors in the case of the foreign direct investment. In case the host country is not well connected with their more advanced neighbors, it poses a lot of challenge for the investors. At times it has been observed that the governments of the host country are facing problems with foreign direct investment. It has less control over the functioning of the company that is functioning as the wholly owned subsidiary of an overseas company. This leads to serious issues. The investor does not have to be completely obedient to the economic policies of the country where they have invested the money. At times there have been adverse effects of foreign direct investment on the balance of payments of a country. Even in view of the various disadvantages of foreign direct investment it may be said that foreign direct investment has played an important role in shaping the economic fortunes of a number of countries around the world.

Book Report #2 for Rabbi School Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Book Report #2 for Rabbi School - Research Paper Example It is through intelligent inquiry into the nature of reality that the phenomena begin to emerge as an important part of understanding the existence of man. In a section that he calls The Disparity of Soul and Reason, Heschel (1976) begins by suggesting that we are far more aware of what is unknown at an earlier time in life than aware of what is actually known. He makes emphatic statement that â€Å"Soul and reason are not the same† (Heschel, 1976, p. 7). This sets the stage for an understanding of how the unknown is such an important part of the acceptance of faith. In addition, he makes an argument for the idea of how it is so easy to lose track of a sense of amazement, sending reason over the wonder that evokes the sense of God within the soul. As he introduces his thoughts, he has created a sense of admonishment to those who would fail to see the world through the sense of wonder that comes from the grandeur of the essence of God. The author is adamant about the problem of human beings trying to use reason instead of depending on faith. Heschel (1976) turns the tables in terms of how companionship between man and God takes place, stating that God intends for man to have a place in companionship with Him. Eventually, he wrote that ‘God is unwilling to be alone, and man cannot forever remain impervious to what He wants to show† (Heschel, 1976, p. 91). He emphasizes the originality of each relationship that individuals create with God. It is through an inability to be able to understand God that brings us closer as the inconceivable ability of the existence of God becomes the basis on which to assert that He is real. There is a point where he goes back to discussing the concept of God and how man often constructed concepts of gods that were more human than divine. Heschel (1976) quotes Xenophones who wrote â€Å"Homer and Hesiod have ascribed to the gods all the things that are shame and a disgrace among mortals,

Understanding Customers and Competitors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Understanding Customers and Competitors - Essay Example Understanding Customers and Competitors At the same time every company has its customers with limited budgets. They are free to choose to purchase from a company or other then that company who offer the same goods and services and at the same time competitor of the first company. Customers also free purchase totally different substitute goods and services by means of their limited funds. Companies those offer similar goods and services are the direct competitors of each other. Thus it is most important to understanding the Customers and Competitors A company's marketing environment consists of the actors and forces outside marketing management's ability to develop and maintain successful transactions with its target customers. The marketing environment offers both opportunities and threats. Successful companies know the vital importance of constantly watching and adapting to the changing environment. Treacy, M. & Wiersema, F. (1993) mentioned that marketers take the major responsibility for identifying significant changes in the environment. More than any other group in the company, marketers must be the trend trackers and opportunity seekers. Although every manager in an organisation needs to observe the outside environment marketing it, marketers have two special aptitudes. They have disciplined methods-marketing intelligence and marketing research- for collecting information about the marketing environment. They also spend time in the customer and competitor environment. By conducting systematic environmental scanning, marketers are able to revise and adapt marketing strategies to meet new challenges and opportunities in the marketplace. Evans, J. R., & Berman, B. (1990) has stated the marketing environment is made up of a microenvironment and a microenvironments. The microenvironment consists of the forces close to the company that affect its ability to serve its customers- the company, suppliers, marketing channel firms, customer markets, competitors, and publics. The macroenvironvent consists of the larger societal forces that affect the microenvironment- demographic, economic, natural, technological, political, and cultural forces. Kotler, P., Armstrong, G. (2006) argued that marketing environment is made up of five microenvironmental and six macroenvironmental components. The microenvironment consists of other actors close to the company that combine to form the company's value delivery system or which affect its ability to serve its customers. The first microenmental component is the company's internal environment- its several departments and management levels- as it influences marketing decision making. The second component

Discussion questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion questions - Coursework Example The care factor of the nursing profession is an art and without being skillful in this art, the science of nursing isn’t very helpful.    When people say that they understand something, an idea or a concept, which can be as simple as learning how a machine or a software works or as complicated as Rene Decarte’s philosophy of existence, it is that comprehension, knowledge or understanding of the subject which is enveloped in the term epistemology. In other words, the very definition of the word ‘knowledge’ is epistemology.    Empiricism is the learning method that deems only the experience or the evidence a credible source for learning something. The five senses of touch, smell, taste, hearing and sight are the only channels that can qualify rough information as knowledge once it has gone through the test of experience.    Pospositivism is just a critical analysis of positivism. This form of positivism deems the studies ‘subjective’, where the prerequisite is that the subject and researcher are independent of each other and therefore the study or the conclusion is valid and ‘objective’. A paradigm is where distinct concepts (theories and practices) exist in coherence. This concept gives nurses the liberty to amend the nursing theories according to their specific situation in order to meet their goals.    The metaparadigm of nursing is defined by the following 4 concepts: person, environment, health, and nursing. Do you agree within this global representation of nursing? Why or why not? Would you add any other components or sub-components?   I would not add any other components to the definition of metaparadigm. The four concepts of; person, environment, health and nursing are comprehensive and all-inclusive. Nursing practice revolves around the person (patient) and everything is attached to responding to the patient’s needs. The environment is second most important factor. A nurse trained

Four Seasons Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Four Seasons - Research Paper Example 3). Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is distinctly one of the most outstanding works done by Antonio Vivaldi. The song has been used in various movies like; A view to kill, Tin cup, White Chicks among others (Atrium Musicologicum Para. 1). Four seasons has four distinct musical pieces from an orchestra and solo violinist. It signifies the different activities, sounds, atmosphere and weather of the four seasons; Summer, Spring, Winter and Autumn. Despite them being different and each complete by itself, they are designed to perform together (Squido.com, Para. 5). Notes and Historical information Four Seasons by Vivaldi was published in 1725, in a concerto composed of twelve sets referred to as The Test of Harmony and Intervention. Each concerto is in a separate variety of fast-slow-fast movements. Four Seasons by Vivaldi appealed more to the French. That is why King Loius XV loved the ‘Spring’ and authorized it to be performed at the most unanticipated moments (Green Para. 2 ). The period when the Four Season was produced was known as the Baroque era. This era came after the renaissance and middle Ages where there was a large audience for European music that was accompanied with religious hymns. The Baroque era was attributed by the existence of secular vocal music, opera and orchestral music. Based on their texture, the four seasons were unique in the manner that; â€Å"Spring† being one of the seasons was characterized with a Tutti. This represented the arrival of the season, next was the first solo which depicted the greeting from the birds, it followed that the next episodes were related to breezes and a thunderstorm. The solo was also characterized by the existence of a second set of violins. This represented the sound that was produced by the leaves and branches and the viola in the set represented his â€Å"faithful dog† as it was constantly repeated in the set. It should also be noted that the â€Å"barking† was not original ly part of the sonnet but part of the viola part instructions. The set also had an amazing dace part where it represented the inclusion of droning basses. â€Å"Summer† season set was showcased by the opening bars and represented by the sun and a sweltering â€Å"man and flock† (Laphil, â€Å"Antonio Vivaldi†). The first solo consisted of a violin which was accompanied with ornamented and unique cuckoo notes. It was then followed by a turtledove and goldfinch, and rustling of the gentle zephyr breeze, which is joined by the violent north wind (Laphil, â€Å"Antonio Vivaldi†), where the wind has a theme that characterizes the smooth entrance of a shepherd. The shepherd is describes by the music as being fearful that a storm is about to hit the earth and this fearful state was depicted in the form of diminished musical chords. Summer was also characterized by the onset of buzzing insects in the air and the shepherd was listening to them with the mentality a nd thought of the thunderstorm that were about to be experienced. The final set of this portion was that that was related to the actual storm. â€Å"Autumn† was the next season among the four seasons by Vivaldi. It was initially depicted by a dance that was linked to harvest. The individuals enjoy the harvest and they win and dance. They also enjoy the fresh air and rest as they reap their hard

Economic Tiger Feared Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Economic Tiger Feared - Essay Example Dubai developed to become an economic tiger by exploiting geographical, economic, and human factors in her environment. With the geographical location of Dubai being primarily a desert, this factor was a drawback in comparison to thriving economies of the world. In a bid to match international business trends, this factor was treated as strength by economic developers in Dubai. A favorable environment for investment drew international investors into Dubai. In the human factor context, the population in the economy comprises of both locals and internationals, thus enjoying a broad labor force in economic pursuits (De Blij, 2009). European Industrial Revolution and the revolution being experienced in India relate to relate to that of Dubai in terms of resource base, adequate labor supply and investment practices, and relatively stable political environment. Economic tigers should be tamed as opposed to being feared. This is because their vibrant economies are beneficial to other less performing economies. For instance, the developing economies have benefited from massive projects that are financed by tiger economies. On the same note, tiger economies can provide information and guidance on economic growth and development pursuits by sharing their strategies and policies with economies that have the potential to handle them. Other global powers that deem it necessary to tame tiger economies should engage in economic collaborations, engaging in practices that result in measures and policies that regulate rapid rates of economic growth and development to a point that outperforms many other economies around the

Comparing and Contrasting Definitions of Religion Essay

Comparing and Contrasting Definitions of Religion - Essay Example It is the same call that forces human to seek the help of someone Supreme Being at the hour of distress and need. Since the Supreme Being protects humans from disasters, problems and agony, such spiritual experiences increase the level of faith and endorse the trust of humans in the Holy Being. Similarly, illustrious thinker, philosopher and father of Socialism Karl Marx interprets religion as the call of the suppressed stratum of society against the cruelties, injustices and malpractices being inflicted upon them by the ruthless oppressors. Thus, the poor, helpless and downtrodden individuals have belief in some Powerful Being, Which can hear their call and save them from the utter distress they have been undergoing. Since Marxist perspective vehemently condemns exploitation of the haves-not at the hands of the haves, it inter-links every religious, political, social, cultural and economic activity as the by-product of conflict between the social classes at large. It is therefore Marx takes religion as the humble call to High Heavens from the mouth of the oppressed against the oppressor. On the other hand, renowned Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud declares religion mere an emotional disturbance that can be compared to the fears and anxiety man experiences in his childho od.

Audit on an organisation of your choice Assignment

Audit on an organisation of your choice - Assignment Example With the help of audit, Aviation Company can implement a proper strategy of safety management to ensure safety of passengers. It encourages cooperation based partnership, which is actually helpful for analysing requirements and developing long term strategy for quality management. With regard to the process of audit, Air Arabia can identify various positive attributes (Alzaman, & Chikhalsouk, 2013). Through this audit report, Air Arabia’s situation analysis with the help of its goal, vision, competitor analysis can be comprehended along with determining the proper concept of marketing segmentation, target orientation and successful positioning, marketing objectives of aviation and how it affects firm strategy. A brief analysis of marketing mix in airline industry of Middle-East is also evaluated in the report. Success of every organisation depends on its activities therefore, it is vital for the managers to collect data and analyse the environment to gain better idea about its future actions. It is vital to understand the goal of an organisation for its sustainability. Air Arabia’s vision is â€Å"to be one of the World’s leading budget airlines† with the help of operational excellence, profit margin, reputation and innovation (Air Arabia Annual Report, 2013). The company has a strong mission statement to revolutionise the business with the help of innovative ideas such as offering outstanding value for money and consistent operation. For achieving the mission, Air Arabia has set some goals, to expand its business with profitability. However, in order to attain its goals Air Arabia will offer low cost facilities, control costs ruthlessly, build motivated multifunctional terms and demonstrate operational standards (Air Arabia Annual Report, 2013). In this context, the company needs to achieve its mission and vision and earn profitability. Middle East area is regarded as the most vibrant region in the airline industry. It has

Assignment 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment 4 - Essay Example Similar was the case when MRP II (Manufacturing Resource planning) came, it also worked on certain functional areas of an organization and other areas could not yield benefit from it. From 1975 till 1990 all the key players (Baan Corporation, Oracle Corporation, SAP, PeopleSoft) which now provide ERP solutions laid their sound foundation in the industry providing business solutions at various levels and each focusing on its core competency area. Though the actual development of ERP started from 1990’s onwards; people still argue that ERP existed in the form of earliest Inventory Control Systems MRP& MRP II only with additional facilities of integrating organizational activities and cross departmental communication. ERP in 90’s decade focused more or integration of business activities across functional departments and introducing of other business functions including CRM,SCM etc. Now the key ERP developers are working towards a web enabled ERP system making it much more user friendly allowing external access to authorized users. As the time passes ERP is now moving towards an ERPII which will further improve and enhance its competency and efficiency. Q:Briefly describe two main players (SAP and Oracle) in ERP market and explain what components are common in the two players’ ERP products Ans: SAP’ the venture was a joint effort of five former IBM employees who in the mid 70’s sat down with a vision of developing a software which would integrate business functions and process while setting certain standard in the market. As of 2009 SAP is the largest enterprise software company in the world best known for its ERP and business solution providing. On the other hand some 35 years ago initially two computer programmers later on joined by the third started working on an already present prototype on which no one was willing to put an effort into. They at that knew that using this prototype they can revolutionize the business computing. Oracle best known for its flagship product and Oracle Databases became the second largest enterprise software provider in the world after acquiring PeopleSoft in 2004 and by 2007 oracles had the largest software revenue. Both SAP and Oracle provide business solution hence they are working on the same line. Modules for business functions like CRM, SCM exist in both their ERP’s. Both are customizable according to the needs, environment and culture of the organization along with pursuing SaaS (software as a service) . Strategy of both have now changed to taking more time in implementation i.e. to satisfying the customer completely but at the same time the cost escalates aswell. SAP & Oracle both have their similarities and weakness but in the end it depends upon the structure of the organization and in the end result can vary for each individual organization. Q:What will ERP fix in a company? Ans: Implementation of ERP in an organization although is costly but in the long run i t bears more advantages then initially invested. Mainly organizations choose ERP to integrate and align the business functions and intra organizational as well as inter organization communication. ERP eliminates the risk and threat of manipulation of financial data by introducing data integrity throughout the organization. As all

Strategic Analysis for Nintendo Co. Ltd. Essay Example for Free

Strategic Analysis for Nintendo Co. Ltd. Essay Executive Summary Nintendo Co. Ltd. is a longstanding member of the home entertainment software industry that has embarked on a mission to offer the highest quality products and services while treating their customers with attention, consideration and respect. Nintendo’s strategy thus far has been to take advantage of their video game development capabilities; nearly 60% of games sold by Nintendo are self developed. The innovative capabilities derived from various gaming platforms have allowed Nintendo to capitalize off of a series of attachment control devices. The biggest strength that Nintendo has is a strong brand name along with high returns. A well established brand name gives Nintendo an edge over its competitors. Nintendo is the only company that has managed to capitalize on both hardware and software components. The biggest opportunity for Nintendo is to incorporate themselves into the online gaming market due to short product life cycles. Nintendo maintains their competitive advantage through superior game and character development, for which it often owns the legal rights. In a technical comparison of the Wii against its major competitors, it is substantially outperformed in speed processing, memory, storage, networking, video output and multimedia output. If Nintendo wishes to maintain a competitive advantage, the niche market must be penetrated while maintaining the integrity of the Nintendo brand image. Nintendo Black would become a subsidiary company of Nintendo Co. Ltd. that will operate with a mission to specialize in advanced technological specifications to consoles that will compete with Microsoft and Sony. If the proper measures are taken then Nintendo has the opportunity to continue to position itself as an alternative to the gaming experience while increasing the level of competition for its rival companies with its subsidiary company. Mission and Strategic Development Nintendo Co. Ltd. is a longstanding member of the home entertainment software industry that has embarked on a mission to offer the highest quality products and services while treating their customers with attention, consideration and respect (Nintendo, 2009). In doing so, Nintendo Co. Ltd.  has developed a strategy that has allowed them to offer a unique gaming experience which appeals to a larger consumer base, while maintaining competitive affordable prices. Unlike its competitors, Nintendo Co. Ltd. has earned consumer confidence in its industry through an established brand name known for inventing the video game console. Competitors such as Sony and Microsoft have entered the industry after finding success in the electronic hardware and software industries respectively. Despite opportunities for entry into the industry, Nintendo Co. Ltd. is the only company that has managed to capitalize on both hardware and software components. This is due in part to a strategy that focuses on the purchase of inexpensive components rather than making them in-house (Schoenberger, 2008). Sony’s Playstation 3 retails for $300, which is less than the actual cost, thus causing Sony to lose money on each console sale. Nintendo however is able to offer the Wii Console for $260 and has managed to earn a $6 profit on each unit sold (Schoenberger, 2008). In comparison, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is sold at cost, equal to that of the Playstation 3 at $300 per unit (Schoenberger, 2008). Aside from earning revenues from the sale of hardware systems, Nintendo Co. Ltd. has also found a way to compete with the pricing of games. The average cost for a Wii game is $50 compared to $60 for games by each of Nintendo’s competitors (Schoenberger, 2008). The competition is able to afford losses on their consoles by earning revenues in the form of licensing fees from third-party developers (Schoenberger, 2008). Nintendo’s strategy thus far has been to take advantage of their video game development capabilities that were first introduced alongside their first Game Wat ch system in 1980. Nearly 60% of games sold by Nintendo Co. Ltd. are self developed in comparison to 30% for Microsoft and 15% for Sony (Schoenberger, 2008). While this has resulted in fewer titles released, a competitive advantage is maintained by creating franchise characters and game titles that are exclusively created for their products. As a result, the three top selling games for the Wii system are â€Å"Wii Play,† â€Å"Super Smash Brothers Brawl† and â€Å"Super Mario Galaxy,† each of which is available exclusively for the Wii console (Schoenberger, 2008). By maintaining the control of development, Nintendo Co. Ltd. has been able to produce these games without deadline constraints, ensuring the highest quality game play which allows the company to live up to its mission requirements. Current worldwide sales figures as  of November 14, 2009 list the Wii as having sold over 56.5 million units while the Xbox 360 is a distant second at 33 million units sold and Playstation 3 with only 26.5 million (VGChartz, 2009). During 2006, Nintendo Co. Ltd. recorded net income of $840 million, just before the release of the Wii system (Annual, 2006). As of 2008, that figure has increased to $2.5 billion, a nearly 300% increase in two years (Annual, 2008). Alongside the Wii, Nintendo Co. Ltd. also maintains an advantage in handheld systems with the Nintendo DS. Sony has unsuccessfully attempted to penetrate the market with the PSP handheld system, however sales have only reached 52.8 million in comparison to the 114 million units sold by the DS and upgraded DSi systems (VGChartz, 2009). According to their 2008 annual report, the Wii had sold 148 million games for the system while the DS had sold 369 million titles (Annual, 2008). The DS has proved to be yet another competitive advantage for Nintendo Co. Ltd. as the software sales in 2006 were at 60 million, which is a 515% increase in just two years (VGChartz, 2009). Much of Nintendo Co. Ltd.’s success may also be attributed to the differentiation of their product lines. While the DS faces little competition, the Wii’s internal capabilities were considered inferior to existing consoles upon its inception (Schoenberger, 2008). Microsoft and Sony marketed systems based on technological superiority while the Wii is the first system to focus solely on interactive game play. Motion sensor technology allows for physical movement by the consumers to control the games in which they play. The innovative capabilities derived from various game platforms have allowed Nintendo Co. Ltd. to capitalize off of a series of attachment control devices. Sales of these devices have been packaged together with games to provoke interest additional purchases of games compatible to the attachments. In an attempt to counter the unsuspected success of the Wii, motion sensor attachments are planned to be released by competitors. Microsoft is expected to release Project Natal, which performs a full body scan for remote free game play, while Sony will release a motion controller; both expected to hit the market in 2010 (Whitney, 2009). Nintendo of America’s Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Cammie Dunaway, is not worried, suggesting â€Å"what people are doing with the remote and what’s happening on the screen isn’t something that people have to wait for or is just being talked about in a PowerPoint presentation. But  it’s something that’s in stores today and that people are already enjoying (Whitney, 2009). Wii sales are expected to continue to be strong, though 2009 has experienced a dramatic decline in sales a year after the most successful sales figures in Nintendo Co. Ltd.’s history (Whitney, 2009). SWOT Strengths The biggest strength that Nintendo has is a strong brand name, along with high returns, debt free status, and strong marketing techniques. Having such a strong brand name, Nintendo has become the most dominant company in the video game industry. Nintendo has been around since 1889 and developed their first home video game machine in 1977 and ever since has been known for their electronic gaming devices (Annual, 2008). As for high returns, the Nintendo DS alone has made a huge profit for them selling 70.6 million hardware units and 369.6 million software units as of March 2008 (Annual, 2008). Also, Nintendo is one of the few gaming consoles that have a debt free status unlike Microsoft who can’t seem to earn any profit due to high costs. Nintendo has thought outside of the box with their latest marketing strategy of targeting markets other than the traditional â€Å"gamer†. They have marketed their newest console, the Wii, to everyone as a family console, with games varying from healthy exercise to interactive sports. They have also found a way to simplify gaming by making it as easy as point and click. One example of this is the Mario-Kart game that is played using a steering wheel. Additionally, games that require extra attachments like the crossbow for the Legend of Zelda requires customers to spend more money, earning Nintendo supplementary profits (IBISWorld, 2009). Weaknesses Nintendo’s weaknesses are the dependence on contract manufacturers, having low earnings per share in addition to the lack of games produced for Nintendo consoles. Even though Nintendo Co. Ltd. makes their own games and trademark characters; for instance Mario and company, they still rely on manufacturers such as Electronic Arts, Acti-Vision and others for games that more experienced consumers would prefer to play. Despite an attempt to simplify gaming, this convenience may have negative repercussions for the experienced consumer market. Recent game developments attempt to be as  realistic as possible, thus the graphics on the Nintendo systems are not as sophisticated and are lacking in comparison to that of the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 with 1080p resolution that reads high-definition graphics. Nintendo Co. Ltd.’s competitors also offer technologies not found on the Wii such as HDMI outputs or Blue-Ray DVD (Video, 2007). Opportunities The biggest opportunity for Nintendo is to incorporate the online gaming market. Most of the new games are designed for multiplayer gaming through server networks. Nintendo benefits from the interactive gaming business and these benefits can continue to grow. When the first video game consoles started to emerge, many people thought it was a short-term fad. However, fast-forward two decades and it has become more than just a trend. Adolescents who played 25 years ago have yet to grow out of the gaming trend and today’s youths have taken on next-generation consoles with even greater passion than their parents did as children. Growth has remained unexpectedly high for over two decades, including above 10% per year in 2009, despite the national recession (Annual, 2008). Today the video game industry, including development, production and retailing, is worth over $44 billion, with over 40 million consoles sold in the US in 2008 alone (IBISWorld, 2009). Video games and consoles are among the highest demand predominantly during the holiday season due to price cuts and the convenience of gift giving. Another opportunity for Nintendo is the fact that it remains the leading console maker, giving the company a better opportunity to improve upon itself. In October, Nintendo Co. Ltd. sold 506,900 units of the Wii system in the United States. The second best selling console was Sonys Playstation 3 having sold 320,600 units (Taub, 2009). Threats Nintendo’s threats include short product life cycles, and online gaming. The main threat to Nintendo Co. Ltd. is the software/games limited lifespan. Most games take about 48-60 hours to complete and more people have time to sit at home and play video games rather than recreational spending. Online gaming allows people to connect and play with other people as long as they own the same game and same console in each house. Due to the limitations of the internal hardware of the Wii, Nintendo Co. Ltd. has a severe  disadvantage in a network that provides inadequate performance in relation to competing system networks (Thurrott, 2007). Strategic Competitive Advantage and Major Problems The first word that comes to mind with Nintendo is games. Microsoft and Sony do not have that advantage. Nintendo has been a household name since its first electronic game release in 1977 and is considered to be the oldest company in this market. It is one of the largest console manufacturers in the world, and a leader in the handheld console market. The company has released five generations of consoles over the past 20 years. A well established brand name gives the company an edge over its competitors (Nintendo Co., 2009). In recent years, Nintendo Co. Ltd. has achieved strong growth in its operating results. In FY2008, revenues increased by 73% over FY2007 reaching JPY1,672,423 million (approximately $14,683.9 million) owing to the launch of Nintendo DS Lite and Wii, and their related software (Nintendo Co., 2009). In the Gaming Industry, Games/Software account for 67.6% of sales while Consoles account for 18%. Games are an inevitable focus of the industry (IBISWorld, 2009). Wii users are expected to buy the most games this year, 220 million, compared with 120 million PS3 games and 125 million Xbox 360 games. 62% of games sold by Nintendo Co. Ltd. are their own titles in comparison to 30% for Microsoft and 15% for Sony (Top, 2006). The top three Wii games are all made by Nintendo Co. Ltd., thus maintaining a higher gross margin on game software than competitors at 65%. Also, Nintendo Co. Ltd. is able to price their games lower than competitors at approximately $50 per game versus $60 (Schoenberger, 2009). Nintendo Co. Ltd. maintains their competitive advantage through superior game and character development, for which it often owns the legal rights. Nintendo Co. Ltd. has leveraged its legacy characters to maintain a viable competitive position in the market (Harmsen, 2009). The new Wii Fit exercise game is targeting women and older people concentrating on â€Å"adding value for the late adopter,† said Nintendo of America’s President, Reggie Fils-Aime. â€Å"This has given us the unparalleled ability to bring in new consumers, especially females† (Taub, 2009). The Wii Fit software alone has sold more than 20 million copies as of September 2009, and cost the consumer $90 to purchase. Half of the retail price results in profit for Nintendo Co. Ltd.  because the company developed both the console and the game, avoiding software licensing fees. Manufacturing of the balance board, an accessory that is included with the Wii Fit software, costs the company roughly $19 each, while the software averages $1 (Crews, 2009). Retailers typically buy the software games for 80% of the retail price, thus earning them $18 per game sold. Marketing of the software costs an average of $5 per unit, while research development is roughly $2. A $45 profit goes directly to Nintendo Co. Ltd for each Wii Fit game sold (Crews, 2009). Unlike its competitors, Nintendo Co. Ltd. has figured out a way to profit from its console sales. For every Wii sold, Nintendo nets $6. Microsoft just breaks even while Sony actually loses money on each console sale (Sherwood, 2008). As of November 14, 2009 the Wii is being reported as having sold over 56.5 million consoles. That equals to $339 million in profit for Nintendo Co. Ltd. based only on console unit sales. Nintendo Co. Ltd. relies on third-party manufacturers to produce key components or assemble finished products in order to keep costs low. Nintendo Co. Ltd. could have difficulty procuring key components or manufacturing its products in the event one or more of these third-party businesses fail or are unable to provide necessary components on a timely basis. Shortages of key components may cause margin decline due to higher costs, lack of products, and quality control issues (Annual, 2008). The interactive entertainment software market is characterized by short product life cycles and frequent introductions of new products (Nintendo Co., 2009). Since the Wii console has unique features such as the motion sensor remote, it makes the software difficult to translate into other systems. Developers that wish to create games for the Wii need a dedicated Wii team to code the Nintendo Co. Ltd. software so that it may be compatible with the Wii console (Schoenberger, 2009). For that reason, the Wii has fewer games available than its competitors. As a result, Nintendo may be forced to create a new console that adds the cutting-edge graphics the Wii lacks, analysts say (Edwards, 2009). Strategic Recommendations Nintendo Co. Ltd. has found success in implementing a family oriented strategy that generates consumer interests of multiple generations, genders  and cultures by creating a user friendly platform with a minimal learning curve to ensure an enjoyable gaming experience. In order to meet the high expectations that Nintendo Co. Ltd. has set for itself, the products developed are limited in their ability to adapt to the niche markets that competitive companies have catered to. In a technical comparison of the Wii against its major competitors, it is substantially outperformed in speed processing, memory, storage, networking, video output and multimedia output (Thurrott, 2007). In order to maintain an advantage in low cost pricing, the Wii is forced to neglect these features causing tech conscious consumers to invest in competing consoles. Lacking the capabilities to process more popular teenage and adult games that have been released on other supporting formats, Nintendo Co. Ltd. is res tricted in their ability to garner interest in their products from this niche market without altering not only their system specifications, but the family brand image that has established their success. If Nintendo Co. Ltd. wishes to maintain a competitive advantage, the niche market must be penetrated while maintaining the integrity of the Nintendo brand image. As these are two conflicting interests, it is recommended that Nintendo Co. Ltd. create a new subsidiary company that continues in the traditional spirit of Nintendo’s penchant for quality, while integrating the non-traditional components that cater to the niche market. Nintendo Black would become a subsidiary company of Nintendo Co. Ltd. that will operate with a mission to specialize in advanced technological specifications to consoles that will compete with Microsoft and Sony. The emergence of this company will allow for more flexibility from restrictions that limit Nintendo in competing for a mature consumer base. Nintendo Black will use the internal knowledge garnered throughout years of experience to continue developing games in-house, but will break away from the traditional franchise characters of the Nintendo universe. A number of opportunities arise to develop a series of successful franchise games that will appeal to the mature consumer that may continue to build upon the exclusivity of Nintendo produced games. This will also allow for a stronger focus on third-party developers to license games for distribution on Nintendo Black consoles that require advanced system specifications generating revenues that are currently unavailable to Nintendo and the Wii system. By embarking on a saturation of third-party game releases as the  Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 have done, Nintendo Black has the opportunity to cut into the game sale profits of its competition. In order to develop interest in a new system that is similar to the competition, the inaugural console release should provide online downloads for videogames that are released in stores. Though the Wii has downloadable content, none of the three competing systems offer full downloads of newly released titles. By offering this option, costs may be reduced from packaging, while ensuring the on demand availability of products anytime. A major concern regarding the exclusivity of Nintendo Co. Ltd. franchise characters and related games is that consumers in the niche market may have interest in purchasing a game, but not the console. By making Wii games compatible to the Nintendo Black console release, niche consumers would be free to purchase Wii games that would have otherwise been disregarded, thus increasing game sales for Wii and subsequent console releases by Nintendo Co. Ltd. Justification of Strategy Nintendo Co. Ltd. lists only 7 M-rated games available for the DS system and is in consideration of releasing another from one of the most popular M-rated franchises in Grand Theft Auto (Graft, 2009). The controversy surrounding the release of this game for the Nintendo system alludes to the desire to break into a market that could potentially jeopardize the Nintendo Co. Ltd. mission. In 2008, Nintendo Co. Ltd. recorded $2.5 billion in net income, despite spending $103 million on research and development in 2006 when the Wii was released (Annual, 2008), (Davison, 2008). The fiscal resources available to develop a product that expands upon existing models should be financially plausible. Nintendo Co. Ltd.’s current profitability is based on a family oriented consumer market that neither Microsoft nor Sony have attempted to endeavor; however if either company were inclined to expand an existing strategy to include a line of family concentrated product lines, it would attempt to differentiate itself into both markets which neither of its competitors has yet to achieve. As the intensity of competition increases, it is in the best interest of Nintendo Co. Ltd. to become the first to break ground in penetrating both consumer markets. A Nintendo Subsidiary should not affect the current profitability of Nintendo Co. Ltd. with the exception of an increase in sales for a select number of  Wii games released that appeal to a mass audience. It is possible that the Wii may sell fewer consoles due to the advanced capabilities of the upgraded console release, but there is a greater opportunity to convert niche market users to become Nintendo users due to the availability of not only third-party games released on all consoles, but the franchise games sold exclusively for Nintendo consoles. As the companies operate with two distinctly different missions, the Nintendo Co. Ltd. brand should maintain its profitability as the initial strategy will not be altered, while the Nintendo Black subsidiary has the opportunity to become profitable by taking more risks with its system capabilities and game play modes. These risks have the potential to unveil a number of concepts that Nintendo Co. Ltd. may have not felt comfortable implementing on its signature consoles, thus providing input as to which successful features may be utilized and expanded upon for all future gaming platforms. The assumption that the new subsidiary will attract new consumers lies in the convenience created by the initial console release. Nintendo will now be capable of offering games that not only require more advanced processing, but games that are too mature to be released by the parent company. If a consumer can buy a Nintendo system that offers the same games and capabilities as an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 at a similar cost, but also offers Nintendo exclusive games, then it adds to the consumer benefit creating interest in the Nintendo product. Additionally, with limited marketing it is possible for Nintendo Black products to differentiate themselves from those of the parent company. This supplementary convenience provides additional consumer confidence for the initial family oriented market by indicating that any games released by Nintendo Co. Ltd. are suitable for children or else they would be released under the Nintendo Black product line. This will alleviate any concern for parents that are unfamiliar with newly released games as to the content involved. Nintendo Co. Ltd. spent $370 million on research and development in 2007 and is expected to release the next installment of the Wii in 2011 (Davison, 2008). This would be ample time to develop a subsidiary company that will focus on research and development throughout 2010 with plans for a console release in 2013. After nearly two years, the sales for the Wii console have begun to decline and if this trend continues in the future, in 2013 the subsidiary console may be released without damaging initial sales  for the parent company release (Satariano, 2009). As a result, the Nintendo Black consoles my act as a buffer for additional sales during a down time while Nintendo Co. Ltd. begins development on yet another generation console. Fall-out and Summary The recommendations suggested create several risks that may have negative repercussions to Nintendo Co. Ltd.’s existing operations. Creating a subsidiary company would require an increase in personnel costs as each company would be required to operate separately. As a result, a new headquarters may need to be purchased in order to house accounting, finance and marketing departments as well as research and development. However, without a release for several years, the company would earn no income and may generate a number of tax benefits. Nintendo Co. Ltd. initially planned on creating a more advanced system that would be comparable to that of the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. However, as the General Manager of Research and Development, Genyo Takeda, suggests â€Å"During development, we came to realize the sheer inefficiency of this path when we compared the hardships and costs of development against any new experiences that might be had by our customers.† (Iwata, 2009) With both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 generating no profits from sales, it is likely that in order to create a competing system, Nintendo Black may be forced to accept a similar position (Schoenberger, 2008). What may help Nintendo Black avoid this scenario is a continued focus on purchasing inexpensive parts rather than making them in-house (Schoenberger, 2008). Though the price range for a new niche market console may be higher than that of the Wii, it will still be competitive for the market that it is attempting to pursue. Creating a subsidiary company with a strategy to develop more adult games may have an effect on the parent company that maintains a strong focus on a family friendly experience. There is an unknown risk involved with regard to consumer response of a new line that could be damaging to the mission of the parent company. A marketing plan must be developed that distinguishes the two companies and their products. It must reassure the target market that they will receive the gaming experience they look for in competing consoles, while also ensuring that Nintendo Co. Ltd. will be unaffected and continue with their family friendly mission. It is advised that staple characters of  the Nintendo universe are not used to market the product lines of Nintendo Black, but rather focus on the development of new characters with the possibility of introducing the staple characters as unlockable content. If the proper measures are taken then Nintendo Co. Ltd. has the opportunity to continue to position itself as an alternative to the gaming experience while increasing the level of competition for its rival companies with its subsidiary company. This will make it more difficult for rivals to compete for their own target market and force them to shift focus away from competing with Nintendo Co. Ltd.’s motion c apture product line.

Wuthering Catherine and Thrushcross Catherine Essay Example for Free

Wuthering Catherine and Thrushcross Catherine Essay People who inhabit Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange are in many ways similar, primarily in that they are all torn by love. However, regardless of the people or the events taking place at Thrushcross Grange, it is always more reserved and far more tranquil than Wuthering Heights, which is overwhelmed by emotions and tumultuous events. This is proved by Catherine, who acts like two different people at Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. Catherine lives at both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange during her life, and when at Wuthering Heights, she is bold, unmanageable and untamed. Nelly describes the unruly young Catherine saying, . . . I never saw a child take up before; and she put all of us past our patience fifty times and oftener a day . . . Her spirits were always at high-water mark, her tongue always going . . . plaguing everybody. . . A wild, wicked slip she was. . . Nelly says, Her spirits were always at high-water mark to show how Catherine was at Wuthering Heights. Not only was she flamboyant, she was not afraid to hurt others or careful towards others, plaguing everybody. . . A wild, wicked slip she was. . . in Nellys words. Nellys words, she put all of us past our patience fifty times and oftener a day showing that Catherine was undignified, especially in comparison to her composed and sophisticated self at Thrushcross Grange. Describing Catherine as spirits [being] always at high-water mark shows how bold Catherine was at Wuthering Heights, and would have been uncharacteristic of her had she been at Thrushcross Grange. Nelly also shows how painful Catherines carefree character could be when she said, I’ve cried to myself to watch [her] growing more reckless daily. The word reckless implies that Catherine is rather carefree at Wuthering Heights, and does not care about the consequence of what she does. Her carelessness along with her adventurous, bold personality leads her to a very different life at Wuthering Heights than she lives at Thrushcross Grange. Catherine is completely changed while she is at Thrushcross Grange, starting with her 5-week stay there. Catherine stayed at Thrushcross Grange . . . and her manners [were] much improved. . . nstead of a wild, hatless little savage jumping into the house, and rushing to squeeze us all breathless, there alighted from a handsome black pony a very dignified person with brown ringlets. . . In this passage Nelly describes both the riotous Catherine that has only known Wuthering Heights and the dutiful and poised Catherine who has stayed at Thrushcross Grange. The five-week stay at Thrushcross Grange transforms Catherine into a very collected young lady, which is something almost foreign to Wuthering Heights. Nelly compares the two Catherines; one hatless and savage, the other a dignified person. While one is lively and is not afraid to squeeze [people] breathless, the other is now much more subdued and composed, and is scared to as much as wrinkle her dress. While at Thrushcross Grange Catherine tells Nelly how she feels saying, Should the meanest thing alive slap me on the cheek, Id not only turn the other, but Id ask pardon for provoking it; and, as proof, Ill go make peace with Edgar instantly. Goodnight-Im an angel! When Catherine says that shell make peace with Edgar instantly, shes reflecting the overall harmony of Thrushcross Grange, where no matter whats going wrong, there is always peace. This peace also plays out on her tranquil state of mind, where she is willing to go to considerable lengths to keep even the meanest thing alive happy. She is no longer provoking other people constantly, but being careful not to upset anyone. She calls herself an angel, which also reflects on the blissfulness in which she now lives in, not only have daily catastrophes disappeared from her life but she is at peace with herself. Later, Catherine dies at Thrushcross Grange in that same state of peace. Nelly describes her saying [her corpse] of perfect peace . . . No angle in heaven could have been more beautiful than she appeared; and I partook of the infinite calm in which she lay. . . When Catherine dies at Thrushcross Grange, she retains the grace and peace that she has been in while living there. Nelly refers to her as an angel, the same way Catherine had referred to herself as an angel, in a state of infinite calm that has become part of her at Thrushcross Grange. This peace was never part of her when she was at Wuthering Heights, when she was at Wuthering Heights, she was always excited and emotional, but now she is serene, and will remain infinitely calm. Catherine had a very lively personality when at Wuthering Heights, which changed when she stayed at Thrushcross Grange. Thrushcross Grange is a more serene place than Wuthering Heights, not only in the events that occur there but also in the people which Catherine exemplifies. Catherine changed from wild and lively to dignified and peaceful due to the change in environment from Wuthering Heights to Thrushcross Grange.

The Human Growth And Development Assignment

The Human Growth And Development Assignment The aim of this essay is to use knowledge of human growth and development to critically discuss the theories a social worker might employ to assess a family and better understand their behaviour. A family profile will be provided and two family members selected for further discussion and the application of appropriate theories. These theories will be critiqued in terms of how they might assist social workers in making informed assessments, as well as where the theories are limited in their application. Family Profile The family within this case study comprises five members, all of whom live together in Elsies home. Table 1 presents the name, age, family position, and nationality of each family member. Sylvie and Greg met when they were 19-years of age. They had been together for 5-years when their daughter Molly was born. They split up when Molly was 1-years old, but got back together 6-years later when Molly was 7-years of age. Greg said that they split up because he was unable to handle Sylvies total lack of trust in him. This caused huge arguments between them, with Sylvie constantly questioning where he was and his commitment to his family. Sylvie said that she was devastated when Greg left, but knew that it was going to happen. During their time apart Sylvie turned to alcohol and drugs, but sought counselling and support for this and the issues in her past. As a result, she has been drug and alcohol free for over 4-years. Greg always maintained a good relationship with Molly during the 6-year separation and she lived with him and her paternal Grandparents at different points when Sylvie was not coping. Molly said that she was happy that her parents got back together. Mason was planned and both Sylvie and Greg felt they had resolved historic issues and were committed as a family unit to having another child. Mason was born with Global Developmental Delay, which is a condition that occurs between birth to 18-years of age and is usually characterised by lower intellectual functioning and significant limitations in communication and other developmental skills. Sylvie blames herself for Masons condition, believing that it must somehow be linked to her wild years of drinking and drug binges. Despite being reassured to the contrary by medical professionals and a social worker, she remains low in mood and feels that she has let everyone down. Sylvie has found bonding with Mason difficult and she feels frustrated by him not meeting his developmental milestones. Mason is in nappies, he is not yet talking, he is very unsteady on his feet and he lacks co-ordination. As a result, he still requires feeding at mealtimes and has not begun to develop independent skills. Sylvie has said that she feels like sending him somewhere. Greg, on the other hand, feels very attached and protective towards Mason and Sylvie feels that he lets him get away with anything. Conflict has developed between Sylvie and Greg, resulting in Greg staying at work longer and meeting up with his friends more in an effort to avoid the arguments and tension at home. Elsie, mother to Greg, owns the large family home in which they all live. Sylvie and Greg decided that they would move in with her shortly after they got back together, as Gregs father died very unexpectedly. The plan was that they would all support one another financially, practically and emotionally. Elsie is very involved with the children as both parents work. However, recently Elsie has been forgetting things, such as collecting Mason from the specialist childminder and this has caused tension between the adults. There have been some difficulties with Molly at school. Sylvie was called in to Mollys school last week as a result of Molly using racist language towards another student. The school state that Molly is very close to being excluded, as a result of her angry and disruptive behaviour. Sylvie broke down upon hearing this and explained about her low mood, feelings of despair and worries about Gregs mum. Sylvie cannot understand the change in Mollys behaviour and said that she and Greg need help. Applying Human Growth and Development to Social Work As part of this essay, there will be a focus on two members of this family: Molly and Elsie. The two theories of human growth and development to be applied to Molly are Attachment Theory and Life Course Theory. The two theories of human growth and development to be applied to Elsie are Ecological Theory and Disengagement Theory. Anti-oppressive practice will underlie the critique and has been defined as a form of social work practice which addresses social divisions and structural inequalities in the work that is done with clients (users) and workers (Dominelli, 1993, p. 24). Anti-oppressive practice is a person-centred approach synonymous with Carl Rogers (1980) philosophy of person-centred practice. It is designed to empower individuals by reducing the negative effects of hierarchy, with the emphasis being on a holistic approach to assessment. Practising in an anti-oppressive way requires valuing differences lifestyles and personal identities. This goes against common sense socialisation which portrays differences as inferior or pathological and which excludes individuals from the social world and denies them their rights. MOLLY Attachment Theory Attachment Theory is a psychological theory based on the premise that young children require an attachment relationship with at least one consistent caregiver within their lives for normal social and emotional development (Bowlby, 1958). Attachment is an emotional bond between an individual and an attachment figure, usually the person who cares for them. Psychologically, attachment provides a child with security. Biologically, it provides a child with survival. Ainsworth et al. (1978) formulated four types of attachment that provide a tool for social workers to assess and understand childrens emotional experiences and psychosocial functioning: secure; insecure, ambivalent; insecure, avoiding; and disorganised. Molly appears demonstrates insecure, ambivalent attachments, where parental care is inconsistent and unpredictable. This type of attachment is characterised by parents who fail to empathise with their childrens moods, needs and feelings. Indeed, Sylvie cannot understand the change in Mollys behaviour, indicating an inability to empathise with Molly. Children with insecure and ambivalent attachments often become increasingly confused and frustrated. They can become demanding, attention seeking, angry and needful, creating trouble in order to keep other people involved and interested. Feelings are acted out, as Molly has been doing at school. This is because insensitive and inconsistent care is interpreted by the child to mean that they are unworthy of love and unlovable. Such painful feelings undermine self-esteem and self-confidence and an understanding of this can ensure that social workers resist stereotypes of the moody, anti-social teenager, and instead explore the underlying reasons for changes in mood. For Molly, the development of an attachment figure was likely to have been compromised during her early developmental years. In particular, when Molly was between the ages of 1 and 7-years old, her mother was addicted to drugs and alcohol and thus was emotionally and physically unavailable. Despite living with her father and paternal grandparents for a period of time, the overall insecurity within her family unit is likely to have impacted her ability to attach to others. If Molly did develop an attachment figure it is most likely to have been with her father or maternal grandparents, who were not unavailable due to drug or alcohol abuse during this vital developmental phase of Mollys childhood. Taking this into consideration, there are a number of significant changes that have occurred in Mollys life and that involve potential attachment figures who have provided Molly with much-needed security and safety. For example, Mollys father, whom Molly has remained close to throughout drama within the family, is no longer at home as much in an effort to avoid arguments with Sylvie. When he is at home, the tension is likely to impact the duration and quality of time spent with Molly. Indeed, marital conflict has been found to influence adolescents attachment security by reducing the responsiveness and effectiveness of parenting (Markiewicz, Doyle, and Brendgen, 2001). Strained marital relationships can also lead to increased marginalisation of the father who can become distanced from their children, as has been the case within this family (Markiewicz, Doyle, and Brendgen, 2001). In addition, Molly has recently lost her grandfather, which her grandmother is also trying to come to terms with. Not only has Molly lost her grandfather, but her grandmothers behaviour is likely to have changed as she comes to terms with her own loss. All of the key attachment figures in Mollys life are either emotionally or physically unavailable at present. It is important to consider this within the context of Mollys current developmental stage, which is that of adolescence. Attachments to peers tend to emerge in adolescence, but the role of parents remains vital in teenagers successfully achieving attachments outside of the home. It is a time when parents are required to be available if needed, while the teenager makes their first independent steps into the outside world (Allen and Land, 1999). Mollys recent problems at school could be the result of this lack of availability from adults in her life. She might also be anxious about losing her father again, creating anticipation and fear about separation from an attachment figures. The anger she expresses at school could be transference of the anger and fear created by her unstable circumstances at home. The fact that she has become racially abusive might suggest that her anger lies with her mother, who is of dual nationality. The main critique of Attachment Theory has been in the guise of the nature versus nurture debate, the former being genetic factors and the latter being the way a child is parented. Harris (1998) argues that parents do not shape their childs personality or character, but that a childs peers have more influence on them than their parents. She cites that children are more influenced by their peers because they are eager to fit in. This argument is supported by twin studies showing that identical twins reared apart often develop the same hobbies, habits, and character traits; the same has been found with fraternal twins reared together (Loehlin et al., 1985; Tellegen et al., 1988; Jang et al., 1998). It is likely that nurture plays a greater role in the younger years, when parents and caregivers are the childs primary point of contact. On the other hand, when a child enters adolescents and engages with society more, nature might take over. Another limitation in Attachment Theory is the fact that model attachment is based on behaviours that occur during stressful separations rather than during non-stressful situations. Field (1996) astutely argues that a broader understanding of attachment requires observation of how the caregiver and child interact during natural, non-stressful situations. It is agreed that behaviours directed towards the attachment figure during separation and reunion cannot be the only factors used to define attachment. Despite these limitations, the theory does provide valuable information regarding relationship dynamics and bonds, which social workers can use to better understanding the individual being assessed. It is, however, important to remember that what is seen as healthy attachment will vary culturally. Consideration of this is crucial to anti-oppressive practice. Life Course Theory Life Course Theory has been defined as a sequence of socially defined events and roles that the individual enacts over time (Giele and Elder, 1998, p. 22). Within this theory, the family is perceived as a micro social group within a macro social context (Bengston and Allen, 1993). According to Eriksons 8 stages of human development, Molly is in stage five, which is characterised by a conflict between identity versus role confusion. Being of dual heritage might cause issues within this stage and within Mollys search for identity. Evidence within the literature has shown that adolescents of dual heritage report more ethnic exploration, discrimination, and behavioural problems than those of single heritage (Ward, 2005). Indeed, this could explain why Molly is being racially abusive, in an effort to determine her own thoughts and feelings on ethnicity and the confusion it can cause. The racial abuse directed at other children might even be representative of her own anger at being of dual heritage. Adolescence is difficult to define, but it is traditionally assumed to be between 12-18 years of age and characterised by puberty (i.e. the transformation from a child to a young person). During this time, hormones strongly influence mood swings and extremes of emotion, which might explain Mollys difficulty controlling her anger at school. Adolescence is also when an individual starts to develop socially, increasing their independence and becoming more influenced by peers. During this time, according to Piagets (1964) theory of cognitive development, an individual enters the formal operational stage and starts to understand abstract concepts, develop moral philosophies, establish and maintain satisfying personal relationships, and gain a greater sense of personal identity and purpose (Santrock, 2008). Risks to social and cognitive development include poor parental supervision and discipline, as well as family conflict (Beinart et al., 2002), showing this to be an important time to in tervene with Molly. It is these biological and social changes during adolescents that can create the stereotype of the moody, anti-social teenager. It is important that social workers do not allow negative stereotypes to influence their expectations of Molly. Instead, they need to take a holistic approach and examine where she is on the life course as well as what the character and quality of Mollys behaviours and relationships tell them about her internal working model, defensive inclinations, emotional states and personality. This ant-oppressive approach will also allow social workers to identify links between past and present relationship experiences. ELSIE Ecological Theory Bronfenbrenners (1977) Ecological Model of human development posits that in order to understand human development, an individuals ecological system needs to be taken into consideration. According to the theory, an individuals ecological system comprises five social subsystems: Micro-system comprising activities and social roles within the immediate environment. Mesosystem processes taking place between two or more different social settings. Exosystem processes taking place between two or more different social systems, at least one of which does not involve the individual but indirectly affects them. Macrosystem includes ideology, attitudes, customs, traditions, values and culture. Chronosystem change or consistency over time in individual characteristics and environmental characteristics. Ecological Theory is, overall, a model of how the social environment affects the individual, with these five systems interacting and thus influencing human growth and development. Elsies ecological system has been continually changing for many years. At one point she was living with her husband, son, and her granddaughter. This was followed by living alone with her husband. On losing her husband, Elsies son moved in with his wife and two children, one of whom has a disability. There has been very little environmental stability within Elsies life, at least over the last 7-years or more. It is perhaps understandable that her health has started to deteriorate. She has recently lost her husband, experienced continually fluctuating environmental conditions, and is now living in a tense atmosphere due to issues within her sons marriage. It is also important to note that, childrens behaviour and personality can also affect the behaviour of adults; Elsies behaviour might be negatively affected by her granddaughters struggle through adolescence and her grandsons disability. Taking into consideration Elsies ecological system highlights the importance of not making assum ptions that Elsies increased forgetting is a sign of dementia; her symptoms may be the result of stress within her ecological system. Despite the relevance of this theory to understanding Elsies situation, the critique does highlight limitations in its operationalisation (Wakefield, 1996). In particular, since past experiences and future anticipations can impact an individuals current well-being, lack of inclusion of this element of human growth and development within the Ecological Model is a serious limitation. In addition, the emphasis of the model is on adaptation and thus it has been argued that the theory can be abused and used to encourage individuals to accept oppressive circumstances (Coady and Lehman, 2008). Social workers using this theory in their assessments ideally need to be aware that oppression and injustice are part of the environment that needs to be considered in an ecological analysis. With this consideration, the theory offers social workers a way of thinking about and assessing the relatedness of individuals and their environments; the person is assessed holistically and within the context of their social circumstances. Disengagement Theory Disengagement has been described by Cumming and Henry (1961) as an inevitable mutual withdrawal . . . resulting in decreased interaction between the ageing person and others in the social systems he belongs to (p. 227). Within their theory, they argue that older people do not contribute to society with the same efficiency as the younger population and thus become a societal burden. In order to function, therefore, society requires a process for disengaging older people. By internalising the norms of society, older people become socialised and take disengage from society due to a sense of obligation. The theory further purports that the extent to which an individual disengages determines how well they adjust to older age. In other words, continued withdrawal from society in later life has been deemed the hallmark of successful and happy ageing. Applying this theory to Elsies situation, it could be that the problems surrounding her forgetfulness in collecting her grandson from school is a step towards social disengagement. Furthermore, it could be theorised that this disengagement was prompted by her husband taking the most extreme form of disengagement, which is death. There has, however, been much critique of this theory, including the fact that many older people do not conform to this image and remain actively involved in life and in society. Hochschild (1976) has criticised the theory with what has been termed the omnibus variable. Hochschild points out that while an older person might experience disengagement from certain social activities, such as retiring from work, they are likely to replace this with something else that is socially engaging such as being more involved in the community or becoming more family-oriented. Indeed, Hochschilds biggest challenge to Disengagement Theory was the presentation of evidence from Cumming and Henrys own data showing that many older people do not withdraw from society. Disengagement Theory creates a picture of older people as lacking freedom to act on their own, thus ignoring individual ageing experiences and describing the ageing process in a purely social context (Gouldner, 1970). Indeed, Estes et al. (1982) argues that disengagement is often forced upon older people, which supports the notion that old age is just as much a social construction as it is a biological process. Older people are, in many ways, socialised into acting old. Thus, older age is strongly related to Labelling Theory (Rosenthal and Jacobson, 1968). For example, making assumptions about old age and having low expectations of older people can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. This again raises the importance of not assuming that Elsies forgetting is a sign of dementia; despite being seen as a natural consequence of ageing, only a minority of people develop dementia (Stuart-Hamilton, 2006). In many ways, Disengagement Theory serves to legitimise the marginalisation of older people and is, it could be argued, ageist and discriminative. Ageism is the application of negative stereotypes and includes actions such as categorising older people separately from adults. This has created immense debate within social work practice, with it being believed by some that distinguishing older people from adults is oppressive and can exacerbate social isolation. Tackling social isolation is being encouraged in efforts to prevent deteriorating health in older age, suggesting that disengagement is far from the ideology purported by Cummings and Henry (DH, 2010). The introduction of the Equality Act 2010, which replaces the existing duties on the public sector to promote race, disability and gender equality, now comprises a single duty to promote equality across eight protected characteristics, one of which is age. The Act also includes provisions allowing the government to make age discri mination in service planning and delivery unlawful. This is likely to be implemented in 2012 and thus it is crucial that social workers make anti-oppressive practice in the form of tackling ageism a priority. There needs to be a move away from viewing older people as an homogenous group characterised by passivity, failing health, and dependency, as highlighted within Activity Theory. Activity Theory (Leontev, 1978) is a direct challenge to Disengagement Theory in that it suggests that life satisfaction is related to social interaction and level of activity. Nevertheless, as with all theories discussed within this essay, Disengagement Theory can be applied to understanding Elsies situation without being oppressive and without taking the extreme position that originally inspired the theory. More modern approaches to human growth and development clearly show the benefits of social engagement versus disengagement; however, disengagement remains a key factor to consider due to ageist attitudes and the socialisation of old age. Conclusion This essay has utilised theory and knowledge of human growth and development to demonstrate how social workers can make an informed assessment of a complex family situation. The strengths and limitations of these theories have been discussed, drawing in particular on their application within anti-oppressive practice. All theories offer a better understanding of human growth and development, with some requiring specific adaptation to encompass the core values of social work practice. Such adaptation is not necessarily a disadvantage if the key strengths of each theory are utilised alongside the knowledge and expertise of the social worker.

Noahs Ark vs. Gilgamesh Epic Essay -- Religion Religious Epic Gilgames

Noahs Ark vs. Gilgamesh Epic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Gilgamesh Epic is an ancient Mesopotamian story about life and the suffering one must endure while alive. Included in the story, is a tale of a great flood that covered the earth, killing all but a select few of it’s inhabitants. This story of a great flood is common to most people, and has affected history in several ways. It’s presence in the Gilgamesh Epic has caused many people to search for evidence that a great flood actually happened. It has also caused several other religions and cultures to take the same basic story, claiming it for their own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whether in Christianity in the form of Noah’s Ark, or through Mesopotamian history in the form of an immortal, the idea of a great flood has proven to be a common story throughout the world. Though Noah’s Ark may be the most popular form of the story, it is not the oldest. Many people believe Noah’s Ark was based on Utnapishnem’s flood story. The two stories are obviously based on the same thing, but one must wonder which one is true or which came first.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story of Utnapishnem in the Gilgamesh Epic starts with a dream that warns Utnapishnem of the coming flood. The gods are angry and want to rid the world of mankind. Utnapishnem built a boat large enough to carry his family, personal belongings, and â€Å"the seed of all other living creatures.† After Utnapishnem finished, the rain fell for six days and six nights, and it was so bad that the gods climbed into heaven for safety. After the rain stopped, the boat came to rest on Mount Nisir, and Utnapishnem released a dove and a swallow. Both birds returned because they could not find land. Then a raven was released and it did not come back, proving that there was land for it to rest on. Utnapishnem then came out of the ship and offered a sacrifice to the gods. When the gods smelled the sweet odor of the sacrifice, they blessed Utnapishnem and his wife to be like the gods and live forever.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story of Noah’s Ark begins with God being upset at mankind's wickedness. He decides to destroy it with a flood. God new Noah was righteous and told him to build an ark so he would be safe from the rain. Noah did so and took aboard his family and pairs of every kind of animal. It rained for forty days and nights, until the highest mountains were covered. Then God sent a wind and the waters receded, and the... ...tioned. What caused the tidal wave is still a mystery, although many people believe it was caused by volcanic eruption, or a large meteorite crashing into the Earth’s surface.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The other theory is of universal flooding. The idea of a great flood has been found to be conclusive with geological findings all over the globe. A flood this large would have deposited sediment throughout the world. It has been scientifically estimate that more than seventy-five percent of the Earth is covered with sediment. Fossils have also been found in the Rockie Mountains that contain shells and fish. Many other petrified â€Å"fish beds† have been found all over the world, including Mt. Everest, suggesting that a global flood did indeed happen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Though scientists cannot agree on whether or not a global flood occurred, the effect of these stories on science has been monumental, as well as the effect of the stories on cultures and religions throughout the world. If this great flood did , in fact, occur, it’s effect on history would have been great because of the huge numbers of people lost to it. Though they may be fables, one must keep asking themselves if they may have been based on fact.

The Partys Denial Of A Persons Natural Rights :: essays research papers

The novel 1984 touches on many disturbing aspects about the denial of a person's natural rights. In today's society people are granted certain rights which the government or anyone else can not take away. These rights are the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In the novel 1984 the government which the people of Oceania live under has taken away all of the rights of people, including natural rights. The right to life has been taken away in the sense that a persons life is the party. A person is born for the party, works for the party, and dies for the party. Liberty is taken away by not allowing the privacy of thought or action. To coin the phrase "Big Brother is watching you". The right of a person pursuing happiness is unquestionably taken away because all forms of pleasure (games, sex, laughter) are illegal. The government promotes hate and unhappiness. The life of a person living in Oceania is strictly controlled. A person does not choose what they do for a living, or who they associate with. The party is the center of everybody's life. The only reason anyone marries or has children is so that the children can live for the party. The children grow up learning how to defy and betray everyone for the party. Children will tell on anybody, even their parents if they see them acting in a unorthodox or peculiar way. When Winston was in the Ministry of Love he discovers that a co-worker of his, a man by the name of Parsons, who had been turned in for thoughtcrime by his own daughter. This is a quite disturbing incident because Parsons was proud of his child and happy that he had been sent to the Ministry of love before he had committed any other thoughtcrime. He is a prime example of a person whose entire life was for the party and for Big Brother. Even though Winston and Julia were enemies of the party their lives were still spent doing work for the party. They would still participate in the two minute hates and would still do their jobs, which both helped the party brainwash more and more people. No one ever outwardly betrayed the party. Liberty can be defined as exemption from control of another, freedom from external restraint, and the power of choice. All of these definitions defy the very basis of the party.

What is the purpose of the Human Relations Area Files? :: essays research papers

What is the purpose of the Human Relations Area Files?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Imagine a dictionary with over 800,000 pages of definitions in it. It would have every definition of every word, and every pronunciation of that word in it. Well the Human Relations Area Files are almost that, but with culture in mind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The HRAF started by George Murdock in 1949 at Yale University, is a collection on microfiche of over 800,000 pages of primary source materials, including books, journal entries, dissertations, unpublished field reports and many translations on selected cultures or societies from all over the world. These 800,000 pages of material contain and classify 700 cultural characteristics and it includes about 400 societies past and present. This includes warfare, substance practices, settlement patterns, marriage, and rituals. They are then catalogued and cross-indexed with ethnographic data, filed by geographic location and cultural characteristics. The subject access is provided by an alpha-numeric coding system based on geological area and cultural groups, subdivided by traits. Each culture or ethnic group contains a variety of source documents ( books, articles and dissertations ) that have been indexed and organized.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So what does all of this mean? Let me try to explain. It is all of the observation notes of one particular culture. But its even more than you think, its notes upon notes upon notes. It helps us find an explanation for certain cultural beliefs and practices. One fraction of an example is; Who dances for rain? Why do they dance for rain? What do they do if they do not get rain? Etc... All of this is recorded. It can be shared and then linked together, so we could one day find out that maybe the American Navaho Indians and the Australian Aborigines, both have a similar rain dance ritual. These files are like one big reference library, built by all cultures, that many people can gain access too.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some of the purposes of these files are to allow us to establish correlations between cultural features, but not conclusions about the causes and effects.

Our Daily Life Essay

I have encountered so many things in life; all of them seem to be related to me. In this reflection that you’ll see is all my experience in life that is changing every day. I know I’m not a perfect person but I will share this to you (all readers) to reflect it, not just me or the person beside you. I have this persons in my mind that I want to share, first of is my cousin in my father side; his name is Nunoy â€Å"Nuno† Lapasaran. He has this kind of sickness that he will bring to himself to the future, he is a Special Child. Every day I’m at his house also my father’s house, all day I’m always playing with my other cousin. I recognized his movements every time I go there, he always wearing girl’s clothes for short he is a she. He always flirts on every guy that passes by, even our cousins there. He can also fight other if he’s in danger. This is my observation to his condition; although he is got that sickness, he adopts slowly, it is good news for us. And we are family we protect each other wherever you are, whatever you are and we never broke our bonds to each other. My next subject but the same topic is also my cousin in my mother’s side; his name is Joriz Rosimo. This little guy is really hard to play with because he always pounding us with his fist and always spitting like an ordinary special child will do. To tell you the truth I got carried away with emotion and I just spank his butt, of course he cried out loud and my Tita heard it, and I got rebuked by my Tita and my mother about what I did. For that I just endure all the punches that he will throw at me. I learned many things from it and got to used it in my life right now. To endure all the big problems that will come at me and solved it with my family. I’m not alone in this life, there my family caring, loving us every day. And this is my last reflection to myself. I realize that Every Child is Special, just love them don’t hate them, care for them not to abuse their sickness, teach them, learn from them. I hope that I delivered this reflection very well and to God be the Glory.

Remember the Titans Review Essay

The movie Remember the Titans is champion of the almost inspiring sports movies in new-fashi wholenessd memory.. This is due to the performances of Denzel Washington as good as others in the cast hardly its success stop as intimately as can be attri furthered to the incident that the fib was ground on real number emotional state events. As is the look with most movies, those that ar base on fact, no matter how loosely, normally seem to add to the drama that unmindful(p) action movies which ar big on special effects and small on acting and story. Remember the Titans is not ace of those movies because the racial tensions that were associated with busing and school sentence consolidation in the last 1960s and 1970s was one(a) of the divisive sources during that era.For a young, contemporary society, it whitethorn seem difficult to be open to successfully transplant oneself into that specific time and place and to wonder aloud, what the entire slur was all abou t. There were tensions that came from the mixing of the twain team ups, askless of their color. Many players at T.C. Williams were computation on a start fuck for the football game team, provided to have some(prenominal) of the positions challenged due to the integration of the school.Due to the fact that the school that is being meshed into T.C. Williams is a predominately African American school, with the setting of the story taking place in 1970 Virginia, moreover adds to the frustrations on the part of the athletes from both schools. This earth places a stress on the already fragile relationships that the white and black players as well as students have for apiece other. However, in the end, the story has a glad ending and the school not only successfully integrates, only has one of their most successful years on the football celestial orbit. One of the major sources of debate deep down Titans is the route in which Herman Boone receives the indicate teach job at T.C. Williams. The school has been integrated and the football team, a bastion of relaxation and excitement for the masses in Alexandria, Virginia. in spite of appearance the movie, it is plainly seen that the majority of white students and their families are not in favor of the integration of the school. What is the source of even more unsusceptibility is the fact that Herman Boone, not because of his merit but simply because of his race, is being made head coach over the current coach, rouse Yoast who has had his share of awards given to him for his splendid coaching record in the past.The school be on feels that this is the appropriate choice to function as they believe that it forget help the town to ease into the idea. This is not ethically superpowerily or proper. There is not way of kno takeg exactly how well the team would have fared if the coaches were picked on their merit quite of on race, but it seems that as unyielding as starting positions on the field were earned by the physical and psychogenic merit of the players, so too should the coaches be made to honor the idea of creating a meritocracy as well. What is not acceptable and is seen as the central aspect of the movie, are the relationships among the players from both of the schools. At first, many of the players on both sides did not want to mho their competition with regard to the specific starting position that they were hoping to earn but excessively their competition in society as well. It is the efforts of Julies and Bertier, the leaders of their respective former schools and therefore, is dissever by racial lines, which help to make the transition from two separate teams into one a bit easier.The two characters are very forceful on the football field as it is required to dwell successful but they are withal equally as forceful with regard to the integration of their fellow teammates. Both are resistant to the experiment by at once they get on board with the idea , the tarry are sure to follow. This is the true squeeze of a leader but also of the team recognizing the fact that they need to hang together as a team in order to win.Cohesiveness of a team is what every coach strives to achieve. The second source of calm and rational sentiment in the face of a slur that many on the team might respond to with hatred and bigotry, comes from stroller Boone and Coach Yoast. Yoast will eventually see the large picture and swallow his own feelings of mistreatment and put over to the will of the school board and usually, to the will of coach Yoast. He had such a stellar coaching record because he knew how to win. The same can be verbalise about Coach Boone as well.He does not like the situation in which he was picked to coach T.C. Williams but he resolves that this is not only good for his career in the long run, but for the tackiness of the entire community as the football team serves as the center of livelihood in Alexandria, Virginia. In the special features, the real coaches are shown talking as nonagenarian friends and there is nothing to suggest that is not the case in real life. alone the relationship of the two coaches, as was the case with the players, was a contentious one.Race plainly played a central share in the actions of the T.C. Williams football team. People are a product of their environment and Alexandria, Virginia denotative loudly, their feelings about the forced integration of their school as well as the football players did the same. But Coach Boone and Yoast as well as the majority of football players on the team realized what it took to win. All had enjoyed benignant dates before the integration of the school.Had the teams never enjoyed conquest and never yearned for success within their day-to-day lives, there might have been subatomic hope for this experiment to have succeeded. barely those living there at that time can accurately describe what life was really like during those tim es but the ethical behavior of the majority of players as well as their recognition of what it takes to win in this life, eventually became the paramount cause as to why the team went on to have a successful season and racial strife within the team unity could only be seen as a speed bump if they wished to pass on to win.WORKS CITEDBruckheimer, Jerry. Remember the Titans. Buena Vista. 2000