Litrture review on self and identity in stutters Essay

Litrture review on self and identity in stutters - Essay Example These disruptions c) usually occur frequently or are marked in character and d) are not readily controllable. II. Sometimes the disruptions are e) accompanied by accessory activates involving the speech apparatus, related or unrelated body structures, or stereotyped speech utterances. These activities give the appearance of being speech-related struggle. III. Also, there not infrequently are f) indications or reports of an emotional state, ranging from a general condition of "excitement" or "tension" to more specific emotions of a negative nature such as fear, embarrassment, irritation, or the like. g) the immediate source of stuttering is incoordination expressed in the peripheral speech mechanism; the ultimate cause is presently unknown and maybe complex or compound (p. 498). Stuttering relates to developmental disorders: it gradually or suddenly develops in children that initially demonstrate signs of normal fluency of speech (Guitar, 1998). Although aetiology of stuttering is not fully clear it is generally considered a multifactorial disorder that involves affective, behavioural, and cognitive elements (Yaruss & Quesal, 2004). Cooper and Cooper (1995) identify three types of stuttering: Remediable stuttering when children are able to overcome their disfluencies by learning and applying techniques that are supervised by a speech and language therapist. In addition, family and friends involvement is necessary to be able to reach almost normal or acceptable level of fluency. Chronic preservative stuttering which is the most devastating and least common case of stuttering. Moreover, individuals with this type often do not stabilize in their fluency although they have been able to achieve it with therapy. Individuals that reach adolescents with out an acceptable level of fluency from treatment have a more chance of developing chronic preservative stuttering. Characteristics of stuttering vary from blocks to

What Caused Secession Essay Example for Free

What Caused Secession Essay With no doubt was the secession of the eleven southern states a very important event in our country’s history. Resulting in Civil War, which lasted four years, leaving over one-half million deaths, destruction, and great sectional hatred, has affected our country till today. The great question is what caused the southern states to secede? If slavery truly was the culprit behind this, if it was to what extent was it? Was the person leading our country at the time in fault for southern secession? If any what were other factors? All of these questions are still debated today. Southern believed that slaves were their property, and that they had the right to take them with them. So when they noticed that Lincoln was going to abolish slavery they decided it would be best to secede than not have anything to make money from. After the compromise of 1820 they limited slavery to the south, which would split the country into two for the next forty years. The South would feel that slavery was the best thing for the slave for it gave them something productive to do. The North however as a majority felt slavery as a horrible thing by the cruel ways the slave owners would treat and beat their slaves. There were also those who went and helped free and bring slaves up to the North and also into Canada. (Document 1). Lincoln promising to abolish slavery played a big role on secession. Southerners economy depended on agriculture, and cotton was one of their major crops. So they needed slaves to work in their fields. When they heard that Lincoln would abolish slavery they thought â€Å"If Lincoln were president†¦the Union would be endangered from that hour.† (Document 3). The South started to think that it is â€Å"Better leave the Union in the open face of day, than be lighted from it at midnight by the [arsonist’s] torch.† (Document 2) They also said that â€Å"All citizens of the United States have an equal right to settle with their property in the Territory, without their rights, either of person or property, being†¦impaired†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It opened our eyes to the fact that there were two hostile elements in the country, and that if we allowed slaves to enter any territorial acquisition, our free labor must be excluded from it.† (Document 5) They argued about this for a reasonable time until the south eventually seceded from the south. We really don’t know what really caused secession. Even researchers can’t solidly say what the cause of secession was. But people can infer, and with clues, can have an idea of what caused secession.

The Joys Of Motherhood, Buchi Emecheta

The Joys Of Motherhood, Buchi Emecheta During the colonization process, many changes have occurred in Africa and the indigenous populations were forced to adopt and adhere to the western values and lifestyle. The effects were felt on all levels of society and in her novel The Joys of Motherhood; Buchi Emecheta highlights the consequences of this confrontation on a traditional Igbo woman, Nnu Ego. It is show at the very beginning of the novel that fertility is a determinant factor of a womans status and reputation. This standard established by this patriarchal society is anchored in Nnu Ego and she does not know how to be self-fulfilled other than the cult domesticity. However, with the changes that occurred in her society, the joys and rewards of motherhood that she desired for a longtime have been compromised. This extended essay thus investigates the impact of the clash of cultures on Nnu Ego. To do so, I first examined the situation of women during the pre-colonial Nigeria in order to underline the differences during the colonial time. Then, I analyzed the two main conflicts of the novel which are the protagonists struggle for self-fulfillment and her dilemma between assimilating the colonial lifestyle and clinging to her traditional values. After this investigation, I came to the conclusion that the tragedy in the story of Nnu Ego is that her imprisonment in tradition prevented her to recognize and embrace the changes that occurred before her. Emechetas novel is thus both a critique of colonization and the conservative nature of the Igbo tradition that prevents women to emancipate and build a better future. Introduction European colonization in Africa has had both favorable and unfavorable consequences as far as it has destabilized and controlled the indigenous ruling systems while bringing modernization to the continent. This notion of modernity is however just as problematic because it represents an antagonism to the traditional African values which resulted in an inevitable clash opposing tradition to modernity. The confusions and struggles raised from this conflict are dealt in different ways and as regards African women; they are confronted, until now, to obstacles in the cultural, economical as well as the political side. Indeed, in most of African cultures, women are victims of subordination within their society because the opposite gender overpowers and retrains them in their development by dictating their thoughts, behavior and decisions. Buchi Emecheta is one of the first African women novelists to address the issue of the conditions of women and their battle for self-fulfillment and emancipation. In her novel, The Joys of Motherhood, she explores the positive and negative effects of modernization on women as well as their imprisonment between tradition and change. Through the story of Nnu Ego, the protagonist, she also shows how the strict traditions discriminate women who are regarded as mens property, producers of children and are placed in second position on the social pyramid. In order to understand the impact of Nigerias confrontation with western world on women, the following essay will first take a look at the situation of women during the pre-colonial and colonial Nigeria. Then, it will examine the struggles of Nnu Ego for self-fulfillment and emancipation and finally, her dilemma between assimilating the colonial lifestyle and clinging to her tradition. The clash of cultures in The joys of Motherhood and its impact on Nnu Ego The downfall of African women from a position of power happened during the process of colonization. Prior that, societal roles were equal and there was a complementarity between the roles played by each gender. For instance, they even switched roles and women were allowed to work in the agricultural field. In addition to that, women did not only work in pairs with their male counterparts but they were also respected and sometimes worshiped. Most men like Agbadi, a renowned chief and the father of the protagonist, preferred a woman who: was troublesome and impetuous, who had the audacity to fight with her man before letting him have her (p.21). Ona, the mother of Ngu Ego represented that type of women and was depicted as a strong, stubborn and highly respected character. She functioned as queen sister, a chief and was an inspiration to the young women in her village because showed the men that she was just as powerful as them. However, during the colonial era, the traditional rules concerning women were rigidified, which led to the devaluation of female roles and status. Indeed, by introducing capitalism as a new economic system and Christianity as a new spiritual doctrine, the English colonizers have indirectly modified the roles and status of the genders in Nigeria. In modern and capitalist societies, money is a determinant factor of ones status and women have gradually been excluded from trading or any paid work. This resulted in uplifting the status of men and diminishing the status of women whose only roles now were to maintain the household and carry children. As shown in the book, these changes have also affected the vision men had of women because: in [Agbadis] young days, a woman who gave in to a man without first fighting for her honor was never respected. To regard a woman who is quiet and timid as desirable was something that came after his time, with Christianity and other changes (p.10). Thus , considering the fact that men married women: who could claim to be helpless without them (p.36), women were forced to comply with the new standards. Strong minded women like Ona gradually disappeared and women who used to be equally treated in her time were now considered as more vulnerable and weaker than men. By introducing her novel with a short description of Onas life, Buchi Emechetas purpose was to show that the subordination of women is a result of a change in beliefs which gradually anchored in the Igbo tradition. It moreover helps the reader to understand the contrast between Ona and Nnu Ego and gives an insight on Nnu Egos struggles. Buchi Emecheta evokes in her novel two elements which represent an obstacle to Nnu Egos self-fulfillment which are the relationship between men and women and children. The protagonist lives in a mans world in which women must prove that there are good daughters and then good wives in order to gain respect. As an example, when her father arranged a second marriage for her, Nnu Ego did not approve of her new husband, Nnaife, because he was physically different to the men in her village, Ibuza. However, she wanted to prove to herself, to Agbadi and to her society that she wasnt barren but a complete woman. She would [have] rather [died] in this town called Lagos than go back home and say Father, I just do not like the man you have chosen for me' (p.44). She gradually learned to respect this man and put up with his crude ways and ugly appearance (p.44) because he fulfilled her dream which was to have a child. Yet, with the other pregnancies, their relationship degraded because Nnu Ego lo st all respect for her husband. She was not given enough housekeeping money because her husband, Nnaife, spent most of the money on his drink and the children were starving. She then realized that: she was a prisoner, imprisoned by her love for her children, imprisoned in her role as the senior wife. She was not even expected to demand more money for her family; that was considered below the standard expected of a woman in her position. It was not fair, she felt the way men cleverly used a womans sense of responsibility to actually enslave her (p.137). It is shown trough this excerpt that in a couple, the woman must be worthy and accept her fate without complaining. If she fails in doing so, not only will she be branded as a bad and not respectful wife but she would also bring the shame over her family. As Nnu Ego said it, she is imprisoned in a code of conduct established by her patriarchal society which preaches submission. As a result, the man takes all the decisions and as regards the protagonists husband, he is depicted as a selfish man who spends his money without taking into consideration the needs of his family. She was consequently powerless and when Nnaife returned from war with a big fortune he gained the fear and respect of Nnu Ego. He could even afford to beat her up if she went beyond the limits he could stand (p117). This demonstrates on one hand that money and violence are the primary sources of power for men. On the other hand it testifies that the submissive image of women to which Nnu Ego must comply represents a n obstacle for her emancipation and self-fulfillment. This code of conduct imposed on women is also responsible for the fact that a womans voice was rarely taken into consideration as regards the important decisions. For an example, when her husband was at war, Nnu Ego gave birth to a child to whom she did not attribute a name before the return of her husband. She was scared of being regarded as overcivilised woman who chose the names her children by herself, just because her husband was fighting in the war(p.155). Stated differently, endemic sexism, patriarchal attitudes, and the force of blinding tradition bond African men in a hegemonic system that nourishes and protects their interest . This can also be seen through the two polygamous marriages undergone by Nnu Ego. In the first one, she was unable to produce a child and lost her position as a senior wife. Yet, the major function of a wife in her culture is to bear children. Women just like men, grant much importance to the fert ility of a woman because it is the only way to gain respect from the community. The marriage is only truly strengthened with the birth of a child, particularly a boy who will be the heir and the support of the family. The Igbo woman is thus subjected to a lot of pressure during the first years of the marriage because her reputation is concerned. Childless marriages are rarely recognized because: when a woman is virtuous, it is easy for her to conceive (p.31). Nnu Ego is a very emotional character and her barrenness only accentuated her unstable state of mind which manifested through endless tears of frustration and hopelessness (p.32). This situation drove her husband to become polygamous which also undermined her self-confidence. Few had noticed that it was bad for her morale to hear her husband give pleasure to another woman in the same courtyard where she slept (p. 21). In the end, the fact that she remained childless for two years led to the disintegration of her marriage. In the second marriage, she succeeded in having eight children but it did not prevent her husband from looking for a second woman. Nnu Ego and her co-wife were complete opposite and she hated this type of woman, who would flatter a man, depend on him, need him (p.118). Nnu Ego was compared to a jealous cat because she could not understand why her husband bought a new wife especially when they were living in such terrible conditions. She tried to control her feelings, to be sophisticated just like she had been taught but the unfairness of the situation revolted her. She withdrew in herself but was forced to behave properly. She [had] to be careful if she did not want her sons future wives to say but your mother was always jealous whenever her husband brought a young wife' (p.185). Polygamy is in the book another mean for men to control women. Nnu Ego had the feeling she was given more power as a senior wife but in fact, she was imprisoned in her role and her love for her children forb ad her from reacting indecently. Moreover, as a senior wife, Nnu Ego was force to follow some standards which restrain her in self-expression. Indeed, when her husband was enlisted against his will to fight with the English during the Second World War, she and her co-wife were terrified. However: her culture did not permit her to give in to her fears. She was supposed to be strong, being the senior wife, to behave more like a man than a woman. As men were not permitted open grief, she had to learn to hide hers as well. She heard Adaku crying, and she envied her freedom (p.140). The effect achieve by Emecheta was to show that a traditional woman like Nnu Ego is forced to abide to traditional customs, values or beliefs in order to feel fulfilled. If she doesnt she runs the risk of being denied by her husband, classified among bad women and at the same time, compromising her childrens reputation and future. Children thus play an important role in the sense of womens achievement and represent another element which empowers Nnu Ego. Her only goal throughout the novel was to have children and raise them properly since she had been brought up to believe that children made a woman. (p.219) A child is part of a womans identity and the only symbol of hope, success and self-fulfillment for women. This vision of femininity and motherhood established by her culture was the main cause of Nnu Egos failed suicide attempt. When her first child died, Nnu Ego was desperate, in grief and fell into depression. All women agreed that a woman without a child for her husband was a failed woman (p.62). She was brought to perceive herself as a failure and even her closest friends where comforting her husband rather than her. They said to Nnaife who felt guilty: you are to give her children and food, she is to cook and bear the children and look them. A woman may be ugly and grow old, but a man is never ugly an d never old. He matures with age and is dignified (p.71). This disparaging declaration clearly illustrates the image of women and men in the Igbo society. In all cases, the woman is to blame and this has a negative impact on emotional and unstable characters such as Nnu Ego. It could have been fatal but she was determined to refute the fact that she was a failed woman. She lastly gave birth to several children and it is from this moment that she drastically evolved. The financial situation of the couple did not allow them to feed correctly the children and her vision of motherhood began to change. She compared her life to her colleagues who worked and had few children and she regretted having so many children. Her children suffered from malnutrition yet all because she was the mother of three sons, she was supposed to be happy in her poverty, in her cramped room (p.167). She became self-aware that being a mother did not only revolve around having many children but also about raising them properly. She wasnt able to put all the eight of them in good conditions so she put all her hope into her eldest son. Before, her refrain used to be: All will be well when Nnaife returns from war. Now it was: All will be well when Oshia returns from college(p.190). She believed that with rewards of motherhood, she will acquire a higher social status and that he will feed her in her old age and will wipe the tears of shame. In addition to struggling for self-fulfillment, Nnu Ego also struggled between assimilating the colonial lifestyle and sticking to her tradition when she made the transition from a rural world to a modern life. This constitutes another major external conflict of the novel because Nnu Ego was living in a society whose mode of thought and behavior were evolving while she remained firmly attached in traditions. For example, Buchi Emecheta painted a vivid picture of the strict gender division among the Igbo society in her novel. The father instructs his son about how to manage a house, protect the women and introduces him to the rites and traditional meetings. In contrast, the young girls duty is only to help in the house holding. She is firmly taught that her life strictly concentrates on the marriage, having children and cook for her husband. Through this informal education, the young boys are influenced to perceive themselves as higher, better and more important than women whereas the young girls are educated to see themselves as a complement of men. They are also taught to be submissive by bending to the mens requests and desires. As a result, men along with women accept their gender roles as a matter of fact. However, since Lagos is rapidly evolving and tending towards modernization, the daughter of Nnu Ego, Kehinde doesnt understand why she and her sisters have to stay home while her brothers get the chance to study. But you are girls! They are boys. You have to sell to put them in a good position in life, so that they will be able to look after the family. When you husbands are nasty to you, they will defend you (p.176) is the answer given to Kehinde from her mother. This shows that Nnu Ego is still hampered in her tradition while her daughters mentality is changing. This difference of opinion between Nnu Ego and her daughter foreshadowed another major conflict at the novel opposing Kehinde to her parents. However, Nnu Ego eventually rebelled and decided to break the chains of tradition because she could not see her children suffer anymore. In fact, there is an old and Igbo sacred saying which stipulates that women and money are incompatible and if you spent all your time making money and getting rich, the gods wouldnt give you any children ; if you wanted children, you had to forget about money, and be content to be poor. (p.80). Ngu Ego decided during her second pregnancy to abandon her trading works because she firmly believed that it was because she didnt follow the rules that she lost her first child. However, two years later, the family was very poor because Nnaifes incomes were not enough to satisfy their needs. Nnu Egos internal conflict plunged her during a long period of self-doubt and dilemma because she wanted to put her two children in better conditions but was afraid to lose the other child she was carrying. She eventually decided to cross the line which made her benefit from a certain control over the household expenses. The effect achieve by Buchi Emecheta was to show that to be independent, women must initially have some financial freedom. Contrary to her counterparts in Ibuza, Ngu Ego did not completely depend on her husband anymore. It represented on one hand the first sign of revolt and rejection of traditional beliefs. On the other hand, it was a major step for her emancipation and self-fulfillment because she was able to raise her voice. She discovered her power as mother, a woman and a worker. Nevertheless, the fact that Nnu Ego was being more independent did not help her to reach her goal. On the opposite, even if she sacrificed all her money, time and energy on the education of her children, her love and duty for her children were like her chain of slavery (p.186). Emecheta compares Nnu Egos life to a slave in order to emphasize the fact her success will be determined by the success of her children. She strove throughout the whole story to send her boys to school so that they will be member of the new Nigerian elite and tried to raise her daughter according to the traditional model. Such devotion should have helped her to reach her goals but it was not the case because by the time her children grew up the values of her people have changed considerably while she stood firm to her tradition. Nnu Ego refused to adapt to the new mentalities and beliefs and this resulted in a series of disagreements with her children and a series of failure. In the first place, when her eldes t son won a scholarship to study in Canada, her husband was firmly opposed to this idea. In the Igbo culture, when the father reaches a certain age, the eldest son must take over the whole family. However, Oshias dream was to get a higher level of education and this resulted in an irrevocable quarrel. In the end, Oshia was denied by his father and Nnu Ego was blamed for not bringing well her children. From this moment, Nnaife started to refer to the children as Nnu Egos and she was becoming fed up of this two-way standard. When the children were good, the belonged to the father; when they were bad, they belonged to the mother (p.206). It is the same with her daughter who married a man from another tribe. This is considered as the worst act of betrayal and Nnu Ego plunged into despair. She did not understand where she failed and Emechata thus symbolizes Nnu Ego as the danger of resisting change. The heroine was so hampered by tradition which make it looks like women must aspire for c hildren or die(p.187). The conservative side of tradition prevented her from seeing the change around her and its impact on her childrens education. This means that the title of the book, The Joys of Motherhood, is thus ironic and a double-edged sword. On one hand, Nnu Egos cup of happiness was almost full because she was pleased to see her children happy. She was very proud of the fact that she brought up her children even if the road was strewed with difficulties. Her reward was also in the fact that those same children might rub shoulders one day with the great men of Nigeria (p.202). On the other hand, she died alone with a husband who denied her, no child to hold her hand and no friend to talk to her(p.224). Throughout this journey, Nnu Ego has matured and realized that until women keep subscribing to the laws imposed by men, they will be powerless, dominated and unfulfilled. She finally understands that if she failed to live according to the standards expected of her it is because she was a prisoner of traditional values and customs in a modern world. Conclusion As shown in this essay, the patriarchal society in which Nnu Ego lived has established the standards for female valorization. A woman has no identity of her own as far as it is the status and the position of their husbands that defines them. Through the journey of Nnu Ego, Buchi Emecheta shows that the influence of the tradition is highly responsible of the Igbo womens situation because it has on one hand, determined the boundaries between the genders and one the other hand, established standards to which women must follow in order to gain respect and to feel fulfilled. However, colonization has eroded the Igbo traditions which made Nnu Egos life a journey of endless struggles. As a result, the novel is not only a criticism of tradition as regards womens emancipation and self-realization. It is also about a warning of resisting change and it encourages women to fight for gender equality. Nnu Egos self-examination over her successes and failures conveys a powerful message. Indeed, women subscribe to the traditional customs and laws more than men and until they revolutionize this, they will not be able to build a better future for the upcoming generations.

Set Design for Antigone and how it Helps the Audience Understand the Th

Outline your set design for Antigone and say how it would help a present day audience to understand the play's themes and atmosphere. For the set design of Antigone, I need to think about how everything links together to provide a complete picture, interacting the actors with set, colour & scale. If I was designing the set for a performance this play at college, I would have it performed in the theatre studio in Notre Dame college, it is a linear square space approximately 8metres x 8metres. The key themes being communicated in this play are those of power, arrogance, love, war, pride & family values. As we know, the pretext of the play is the aftermath of a war, so I feel that a backdrop of the aftermath of World War I would be appropriate as the context will be the feuding East European countries feuding. The backdrop will be that of the trenches after World War I and this will be constantly there to underline the message that it is a post war society. When this point needs emphasising, it will be lit; such at time could be the opening chorus on lines 100-148. This will provide the military-like atmosphere along with the chorus dressed in military uniforms, again to emphasise the point, it would be a very cheerful yet controlled atmosphere that I would want to create. I would use purple in this production to show importance, I would also have Creon dressed in a formal military 5-star General's uniform made from purple fabric, purple is also a colour of royalty, as we know, in the play Creon is king, in the performance, he is a General in context but still a king, the uniform will tell the audience of his superiority above his associates, but the purple should give them the idea that he is of a royal background. There will be two purple drapes hanging from each side upstage, these are there to symbolise the authority of Creon as they are 6-7 feet in width and are draped from the ceiling to the ground. These would be quite enclosing imposing and so are a constant reminder that Creon is ruler and makes anyone stood next to it look fairly insignificant which is its purpose. At the beginning, when Antigone is arguing with Ismene whether to bury Polynecies, Antigone will be stood upstage centre in full view expressing herself, whereas Ismene will be stood upstage left next to one of the drapes, this will signify Creon's... ...t his power and ego is not infallible, only his arrogance is. The costume is of a military nature as I have already described, but for Haemon and Antigone, it will be much more youthful to start, but as the performance goes on, their costume will change as their attitudes change; thus, after Antigone has buried her brother, she will be much more sombre, wearing black (line 441) to symbolise the respect for her brother. Similarly for Haemon when he talks to his father after Antigone has been condemned, he would be wearing all black to symbolise sadness but with a red sash across his waist to show anger towards his father (line 633). Also when the chorus climb the blocks for the final verse, they will now have luxurious velvet purple uniforms, again to show a change in power, Creon is now dirty from rolling on the ground, they stand above him. For this set design. I used the Craig idea of Unified Stage Picture, taking into account all aspects of the set, the Overall Design Concept; everything has a use and is interwoven with the context of the text, the interaction with the set by actors, the moving of the rubble. This all adds together to provide Total Theatre.

Classroom Incidents Essay

A classroom incident is an unexpected event that occurs in a classroom causing disturbance or presenting a safety risk. A classroom incident can affect a teacher, a student or all the members of the classroom. There are many critical incidents that have occurred between teachers and students or among students. A critical classroom incident either spoils the student-student relationship or the teacher-student relationship. Past classroom incidents can offer important lessons that can be utilized in adopting the right ways of managing similar incidents in the future (Levin & Nolan, 2010). Incident related to cheating Adam reported his classmate Moses to the class teacher because of his cheating habit. Moses often copied the work of his classmates. Adam also notified the teacher that Moses was cheating in exams. During exams, he would collaborate with other students to exchange exam papers. Moses denied all the allegations. He said that Adam was only afraid of competition. However, it was a fact that Moses cheated in class work and in exams. He was spending most of his time perfecting the art of cheating rather than reading. The teacher was mad at Moses and decided to investigate the problem. However, he was unable to catch Moses or any other student cheating. Ways in which things went well or badly. Many things went the wrong way during the critical cheating incident. The teacher was frustrated by the cheating allegations. His frustration was even more when he couldn’t unearth and stop the cheating. The teacher’s inability to catch Moses and his company could tempt other students to cheat too. Moreover, the fact that some individuals were cheating was a blow to the trust of the students on the school’s examination system. Nevertheless, the same incident had some positive aspects. It is evident that Moses and his group were driven by the urge to achieve better results. They went into cheating in order to have good grades just like the rest of the students. The teacher was also able to establish the cheating problem which needed an urgent solution. Lessons learned from the incident. The cheating problem occurred because the student involved had realized that he had a task to deliver. He had to be successful in school. The teacher’s inability to unearth the root of the cause or to catch the students red handed shows that a different approach should have been applied. Incase of uncertainty, it is wiser not to rush for a solution. Instead, take your time and come up with the best tactic. The teacher should have thought of the benefits and consequences of his solution before going to the ground. May be transforming the cheating behavior would be better than simply deciding to punish the offenders. It can be concluded that cheating is a common incident in many classrooms and that it should be handled with care to avoid the effects of the failure to curb it. Similarly, every other classroom problem should be handled with caution (Walters & Frei 2007). Incident related to Rudeness During an afternoon class, a teacher wanted to check the assignment of Brown, one of his students. Brown responded rudely to the teachers request using inappropriate language. The teacher was frustrated. The other students watched in dismay. Brown was known due to his bad behavior and attitude. He never appreciated the importance of his fellow students and teachers. He felt superior and had a big ego. He always kept showing off. He would disregard warnings from prefects and teachers. Ways in which things went well or badly. The incident was wrong. The teacher felt disrespected by a student. He was mad because of the way Brown responded. Brown’s actions were against the values of the teacher-student relationship. At least the teacher should have been treated with his deserved respect. The rest of the class felt unappreciated. At least, Brown should have shown his uncontrollable ego out of the classroom. The students were also disappointed by Brown’s attitude. They felt rejected and abused. This critical incident had interfered with the right values of the student-student relationship. However, the same incident still has a positive side. The differences between the students were established. Brown had a desire to establish his own status although he followed the wrong route. His ego could be used to show that he had a low-esteem. He hid behind his rudeness and pretence to retain a sense of respect from the rest of the students. Brown’s behavior had a positive message to the other students. Since he avoided the other students, he had no friend. A friend would have helped him with the assignment. Lessons learned from the incident. The student was an attention seeker. He exploded once he got the attention of the entire class. The teacher was wise enough not to react harshly. The situation could have been worse if the teacher had lost his tempers. The class could have been treated to a more dramatic scene. It is important to note that students come from different backgrounds. Different students also have different levels of self esteem. Teachers should try to know the kind of students they are dealing with in order to handle them accordingly. There is a need to engage the students in order to know their grievances. Had the students reported Brown’s behavior in advance, the incident could have been avoided. According to Dixie (2003), counseling is always applicable as a good method to discard bad morals. Brown could have been assisted through counseling. References Dixie, G. (2003). Managing your classroom. London [u. a. ]: Continuum. Levin, J. , & Nolan, J. F. (2010). Principles of classroom management: A professional decision-making model. Boston: Pearson. Walters, J. , & Frei, S. (2007). Managing classroom behavior and discipline. Huntington Beach, CA: Shell Education.

Free Essays on Leadership And Traits

Leadership and Traits What is leadership? What is the history of the study of traits regarding leadership? What attributes and traits do successful leaders possess? What traits and skills do business leaders need today? Can anyone learn to be a good leader, or are you born as such? Can traits be used as an overall guide to identify good leaders? These and other questions have been examined and re-examined by scores of people and organizations throughout the years in the pursuit of finding an effective combination of traits that is prevalent in all successful leaders. I will answer these questions and explore the wide spectrum of information that has evolved today’s leaders into the multi-dimensional and versatile visionaries that they are. As a process, the textbook defines leadership as the use of noncoercive influence to shape the group’s or organization’s goals, motivate behavior toward the achievement of those goals, and help define group or organizational culture. Another source simply states that leadership is the ability to guide, direct, and influence people. There are many definitions to leadership, depending on whom you ask. My definition of leadership is the progressive directing of an individual or a group to collectively attain a specific outcome. Prior to the wide array of modern studies dedicated to leadership theory, it was thought that great leaders were born that way. In the early 1500’s, using the noble class as his model, Niccolo Machiavelli wrote a book and a play that outlined his perception of what good leadership traits are. These were identified as fraudulent, hypocritical, harsh, deceitful, and ruthlessness. The underlying logic is that as long as a desirable outcome is attained, the method used in arriving there is irrelevant. This kind of leadership style sounds barbaric at best. In the 1900’s, these primitive theories made way for more sophisticated studies. Throughout the next... Free Essays on Leadership And Traits Free Essays on Leadership And Traits Leadership and Traits What is leadership? What is the history of the study of traits regarding leadership? What attributes and traits do successful leaders possess? What traits and skills do business leaders need today? Can anyone learn to be a good leader, or are you born as such? Can traits be used as an overall guide to identify good leaders? These and other questions have been examined and re-examined by scores of people and organizations throughout the years in the pursuit of finding an effective combination of traits that is prevalent in all successful leaders. I will answer these questions and explore the wide spectrum of information that has evolved today’s leaders into the multi-dimensional and versatile visionaries that they are. As a process, the textbook defines leadership as the use of noncoercive influence to shape the group’s or organization’s goals, motivate behavior toward the achievement of those goals, and help define group or organizational culture. Another source simply states that leadership is the ability to guide, direct, and influence people. There are many definitions to leadership, depending on whom you ask. My definition of leadership is the progressive directing of an individual or a group to collectively attain a specific outcome. Prior to the wide array of modern studies dedicated to leadership theory, it was thought that great leaders were born that way. In the early 1500’s, using the noble class as his model, Niccolo Machiavelli wrote a book and a play that outlined his perception of what good leadership traits are. These were identified as fraudulent, hypocritical, harsh, deceitful, and ruthlessness. The underlying logic is that as long as a desirable outcome is attained, the method used in arriving there is irrelevant. This kind of leadership style sounds barbaric at best. In the 1900’s, these primitive theories made way for more sophisticated studies. Throughout the next...

Working with children of incarcerated parent Essays

Working with children of incarcerated parent Essays Working with children of incarcerated parent Essay Working with children of incarcerated parent Essay Parental incarceration is a plague in the modern day society. Millions of children in the United States of America have at least one parent in prison and millions more have experienced the incarceration of one of their parents in their lifetime. Parental incarceration has several adverse effects in the lives of these children. These children experience problems in school, drug abuse, join mobs or gangs and they eventually become delinquent. This paper explores and discusses the problems that the children face and how to manage the trauma of an incarcerated parent. STATISTICS America has over two million children with at least one parent in jail; this estimate to about two out of every a hundred children is directly affected. In 1999 it was estimated that 721,500 of State and Federal prisoners were parents to 1,498,800 children under age 18. Twenty two percent of all minor children with a parent in prison were under 5 years old. Prior to admission, less than half of the parents in State prison reported living with their children. Of those who lived with their children forty four percent were fathers, while sixty four percent were mothers (Wright and Seymour, 2000). EFFECTS OF PARENTAL INCARCERATION ON THE CHILDREN There is a correlation between parental incarceration and child behavior; parental incarceration poses a great hindrance to a child’s social, psychological and emotional development. Children become traumatized by the incarceration of their parents; this trauma is characterized by confusion. They fail to understand their parent’s actions as the young ones don’t understand how the judicial system works. Children from the ages of 7-11 tend experience anger and sadness some children experience health problems as well as phobias such as fear of darkness among others (Mumola, 2000). Trauma further interferes with a child’s control of emotions and makes them unable to deal with future emotional traumas. Due to the absence of a parent, a child faced with the social stigma of paternal incarceration will often also encounter embarrassment and shame, which may in turn further inhibit the ability of the child to adequately adjust to the anxieties resulting from the separation through incarceration (Arditti, 2003). Prolonged embarrassment promotes depression and withdrawal from social interactions. Parental incarceration leads to family disruptions such as separation from siblings, especially when the children end up in foster homes. Sibling separation results in the feeling of loneliness among the children causing them to become withdrawn and the children are stressed due to the change in caregivers. When both parents are incarcerated or one of the parents is unavailable while the other is incarcerated, the child ends up in the custody of a friend of the family or a relative or most of them end up in foster homes. This is stressful when the care given by the new guardians is not as good as the care they received from their parents. It is a well known fact that children are likely to do better as functional members of society when they are brought up by both of their parents. Furthermore, the children may at times lack financial support which results in poverty. Desperation for money may lead the children to crime and prostitution (McMahon, 2002). Although children are affected by the separation resulting from parental incarceration, some sociologists argue that these social emotional problems evident after parental incarceration are mainly a result of pre-incarceration faulty parental structures. Faulty parental management practices such as child abuse, both verbally and physical best predict a child’s behavior (Johnson Waldfogel, 2002). Other researchers agree but claim that the children of incarcerated parents are more at risk to have these social and emotional problems than the children of parents who were not incarcerated (Arditti, 2003). Other studies further show that incarceration of the father encourages the child to act out more than maternal incarceration. This behavior is observed after incarceration of the parent regardless of whether the child had similar problems prior to incarceration of the parent. CARE OF CHILDREN WITH INCARCERATED PARENTS Children with parents in prison are a responsibility to the society in general. Society should realize that these children may be grieving and they should learn to be patient with them. When one parent goes to prison it is the responsibility of the remaining parent to take care of the children this is stressful for the parent in terms of time management and finance, however this should not discourage them to do as much as they can. It has been observed that incase of paternal incarceration mothers are likely to leave their jobs because they become overburdened by the work of taking care of the children even though they will be facing financial difficulties at the time. This leads the family to rely on government assistance. The family has to get used to the new lifestyle and this becomes stressful for the children and this could further hinder the child’s development (Arditti, 2003). In some extreme circumstances, the children become accustomed to a life of assistance and reli ance and hence, involuntarily or otherwise, lead a similar life themselves. Incase the other parent is unavailable, the nearest relative takes custody of the children. Â  If there is no one to take care of the children they become the responsibility of the state. The social services department takes control of them. It is the duty of the social welfare to workers ensuring all children have a safe, permanent home, one that maintains and promotes their well-being. The guardian should try to alleviate the child’s uncertainty by explaining to them what has happened to their family. The guardian should reassure the child that life hasn’t come to an end with the incarceration of the parent. The guardian should preserve the honor of the parent such that the child still respects his parent regardless of his or her past actions. PARENTS IN PRISON Understanding parents in prison is important in helping a child progress from the trauma of incarceration of a parent. Building a relationship with the parent is difficult for a person managing a child whose parent has been incarcerated. A large number of people in prison are parents; approximately fifty six percent of these prisoners are parents to minors. The population of incarcerated parents is growing. The population for women is growing faster than the male population. The male population is growing by 6.6% while the female population is growing by 8.5% (Wright Seymour 1990). Since the mother is considered to be the primary care giver, the re has also been an increase in the number of children in foster care. Most fathers are incarcerated because violence while the mothers are jailed for drug trafficking and fraud (Mumola, 2000). Most of these parents are serving long sentences. Some of these parents further suffer from a mental condition. It should also be noted that substance abuse is a very big problem to the parents serving jail term. 85% of these parents in jail abuse drugs. REUNIFYING FAMILIES AFTER PARENTAL INCARCERATION Ideally, after a parent is incarcerated the family should go through a counseling session, in reality this is difficult as the parents are unstable at the time, both psychologically and financially. Most of them don’t have any support system and find it difficult to cope with the ‘outside life.’ Returning the child to the parent soon after the release of the parent is not good because of the parent’s instability. Returning the child to the parent soon after release also stresses the parent and demoralizes him from stabilizing himself. CONCLUSION Parental incarceration has a lot of negative effects on the children that is evident throughout their lifetime. Childhood is a very sensitive stage in a person’s development hence it is crucial that a child has a very stable environment. The most important thing to do is to assure the children that their parents are absent not because of something bad or wrong that the children did. This is to help them overcome the guilt that tends to riddle these children. It then becomes the responsibility of the society as a whole to help in the development of children. It is necessary that the members of society are patient with them and help them in all the ways possible so that they overcome the trauma.

Born Into Brothels Essay Example

Born Into Brothels Essay Example Born Into Brothels Paper Born Into Brothels Paper Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman’s â€Å"Born into Brothels† is a lengthy documentary that shows lives of seven children growing up in the squalid red light district of Sonagchi, Calcutta. Briski and Kauffman focus on the everyday lives of these children which include: drug addiction, abuse and beatings, rage and apathy that perpetuate their misery. â€Å"Born into Brothels† by Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman, is a documentary that is overflowing with symbolism. Photography is exposed throughout the documentary; the role of photography is to portray the opportunity that has been granted to these children for them to express themselves. The painting they would engage in was a way for these children to express their emotions through the paintings; Avijit was quoted when he said â€Å"I like to draw pictures because I want to express what’s on my mind†¦ I want to put my thought into colors. † Photography and painting was these children’s only way to express their true inner feelings; and that is why it is emphasized throughout the documentary. Briski symbolizes the children’s escape from the Brothels, a brighter future, and the only way out of their misery. Tone sets the mood in every movie, documentary, book, poem, etc. â€Å"Born into brothels† expresses a hopeless tone, because these children feel so loveless, bleak, and so many emotions that are portrayed in the documentary that break the heart of the viewer. Lack of hope is not only captured by the viewer, but also expressed by these children. â€Å"There is nothing called hope in my future† said Avijit, this makes the viewer feel sympathetic but at the same time hopeless; hopeless because one wants to reach out and find hope in the future of the children such as Avijit but cannot. Sympathy is also a tone that is also depicted in the documentary as you see the depiction of overpopulation, deteriorating environment and crowded living conditions. The symbolism portrayed in the documentary can be compared to educators, because both bring hope in the lives of children. Educators play the same role that Briski, photography and painting played in the lives of these children in the Brothels. Educators bring hope, faith, a brighter future, and a second chance for many; which is what Briski represents in â€Å"Born into Brothels†. Without Briski, these children would have never found a way to xpress there pain, misery and sorrow; without educators we cannot grow, expand our knowledge, and we too would be hopeless. â€Å"Born into Brothels† is a documentary that stepped out of the norm, and truly expressed what life in the brothels is about. Briski’s courage helped mold and empower many of her photography prodigys. One of the greatests strength Brisk i had was her willingness to follow in the path that the project might have taken her. Briski embraces her subjects with sober, practical, optimism, the kind that heals even if it did not fix everything it desired to.

Autobiographical story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Autobiographical story - Essay Example The conversations go on with more lies and chest thumping with juvenile descriptions of their dreams and fantasies. I was always the quite one in my clique. I shared my room with my younger brother and could not even mount pictures of my favorite female celebrities. I remember getting an old copy of Playboy from one of the boys in the group. It was difficult hiding it. I perused through the pages and before my brother or nosy sister could coming knocking on the door, I had tossed it out of the window. Fortunately, we lived in a flat, and no one could easily trace the trash to my room the following day. I remained aloof most of the time watching cartoon with my brother. I fitted the group simply because I had a beautiful older sister that most boys in the school admired. A perfect opportunity presented itself two days before my seventeenth birthday. The class had taken a trip out of the city to a zoo. Talks about girl and alcohol had beginning taking their toll on me. Every time we sat or met at the group, Tony, who claimed most of the experience, would introduce a topic charismatically. The topic would easily degenerate into a detailed description of his sex escapades and how much the girls loved him. I would look on fantasizing and wishing I were the one. From the groups, I would spend most of my time in bed or the bathroom ruminating and reliving Tony’s vivid description. I longed for the day I would remain alone with my dream girl. The trip to the zoo out of the city was that perfect opportunity. Tony suggested that we needed to contribute about one hundred and twenty dollars with which to buy refreshments. From the grim on his face, it was obvious what he meant. I was among the first boys in the group to contribute. I even contributed fo r some of my friends who could have otherwise either taken longer or hoped out of the plan. On the bus, I luckily sat next to Lucie, the most beautiful

Parenting and Support Needs of a Multi-Risk Family Case Study

Parenting and Support Needs of a Multi-Risk Family - Case Study Example There are several reasons that the Angela Greer family would request for services and referral. To begin with, the mother needed referrals to enable her to abstain from taking drugs since she was a drug addict. For instance, when their second child, Monique was born, she tested positive for cocaine and there were traces of other opiates in her body system as well. Angela needed referral and counseling to help her stop abusing drugs and take good care of the children from the children’s father was currently in prison serving fifteen-year sentence for weapons charges and drug trafficking. There was a need for her to abstain from taking drugs and focus on how to take care of the children because she was the only one to play this responsibility. In addition, another reason for referral and request for service of this family was to ensure that the children have an access to education and good care. This is because the two children were placed under the care of their grandmother Lor etta while Angela was under treatment and counseling. The grandmother lives under fixed income that is insufficient to take care of the children as well as paying school fees for Shantae. The grandmother, Loretta is also old and suffers from arthritis and high blood pressure and this makes her unable to take the children to school every now and then. Requesting for service has highly helped the children to continue with their education as well as catering for school fees the two parents are unable to pay for the fees.

Maria Full of Grace Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Maria Full of Grace - Movie Review Example In the scene when Maria is traveling to Bogota, the movie captures infrastructure development in the countryside as average. The road on which Maria is traveling on a motorbike is depicted as having only two lanes. The roads are narrow at various points where sharp turns occur along the overlooking valleys. There are a number of ramps along the road at such turns, though the rest of the road sections have no ramps on the side that face the valley. When they reach Bogota, the road network improves to three lanes. There are elements of improvement of infrastructure unlike in many developing countries. There is a flyover, which may be seen to easy traffic along the roads. The buildings on the right also seem modern, though they appear to be based on the 1960s engineering technology that was not so much advanced. The streets of Bogota seem to have been maintained close to the level of other developed countries. There is a zebra crossing and the houses in Bogota central business district are quite properly planned. They are neatly arranged in a line. There is also evidence of streetlights. However, there is evidence of informal settlement and structures within Bogota. There is a poorly constructed structure by the roadside, probably an eatery. The environment around the eatery is untidy. One can see papers lying all over the place in the grass. Some people have parked their cars by the roadside, an indication that probably there are no official parking lots. In one street, vendors have occupied part of the road with their carts, which they sell their grocery. Inside buildings, there is an evidence of poor planning in lighting. The corridor and the rooms, through which Maria walks are dark, almost like dungeons. Life in Bogota is generally lively. There is a little bit of pomp. People seem to mix freely. Much of the countryside in Colombia is quite impoverished, so is part of the urban dwellers. Survival mechanisms in urban areas include taking odd jobs such

Titian and Renaissance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Titian and Renaissance - Research Paper Example Venetian reflection of color and a special atmosphere of Venetian style are combined with traditional Renaissance traditions. Titian works are full of emotions; even in his portraits we can see an intense emotional charge. Further on we will focus our attention on his two famous paintings: Portrait of Isabella d’Este and Christ and the Adulteress. These works signify common and different features of Titian paintings and those ones of Leonardo daVinci. We will try to underline common and different features between them, but of course, the main part of our attention concerns Titian paintings and the relevance of his style to the epoch of Renaissance. First of all, we should look for the features of aesthetic in his paintings. Moreover, there is a need to claim that the painter reflected ideally both humans and nature. He was looking for an ideal balance between the nature and the human world. An air of harmony is evident in the paintings of Titian. Christ and Adulteress This pai nting belongs to the High Renaissance period. The theme of adulteress is depicted in a dynamic nature by Titian. It is evident that this painting reflects a changeable and a controversial nature of this situation. We can see gorgeous clothes of the accused woman. This tendency we can also see in other paintings of the painter, because social status of the citizens of the Venetian society. It is very important to underline the contrast of the gorgeous clothes of Jesus Christ, the Adulteress and people around them. His background reflects nature from the remote perspective. We are enchanted by the green landscapes and there are blurred limits of the horizon and it is very interesting to consider the smallest details of the painting. Thus, Titian shows that he is much more concerned about the foreground of the painting (Christ and the Adulteress). The sea and green landscapes, which can be seen at the background of the painting, are of minimal concern for the painter. On the example of the vanishing line of green grass, we can see that the painter does not exactly draw a visible path between individuals, depicted on the painting. There is an evident opposition between the light and darkness of the painting. The building has dark edges and it is especially evident on the background a bright green color. The image of a woman is leaning her head and we can claim that this woman confessed all her mistakes and she seems to be blessed. We can compare this painting with the painting The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. Emotions are reflected on the faces of people around the table. The same actions are depicted on the painting by Titian. People on the painting are fixed in their certain conditions and emotional states. Therefore, the painting by Titian is an emotionally-charged and rich in color creative work. Portrait of Isabella d’Este We can see an ideal woman. The image of this noble and wealthy woman has been depicted by numerous painters. Therefore, she wa s considered to be an ideal image of a woman during the period of Renaissance. We can claim that the background for this image and her depiction we can see in the works by Petrarch: she has blonde hair, fair skin, beautiful lips and cheeks, and almond-shaped blue-green eyes. Therefore, there was a well-accpeted tendency to depict noble women in the way they liked. They wanted to be ideals and idols of beauty for the painters. There are letters of Isabella d’Este, where she asks for making her portrait and appeals for Master Leonardo da Vinci.

Bill of Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Bill of Rights - Essay Example owever, it can be noted that the English Bill of rights does not contain much of what the first amendments added to the constitution after their ratification, Fourth Amendments These amendments are also part of the Bill of rights which is against unreasonable searches and seizure. In addition to that, the amendments also pioneered a requirement that there is a need to ensure that all warrants should be judicially sanctioned with support by probable cause. In simple terms, it generally means that the warrant should be sanctioned by the judicially on the basis of the specific information that has been supplied and the officer in charge sworn by it (Burgan, 2002). Fifth Amendments As part of the bill of rights, the fifth amendments to the US constitution protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. The amendment stipulates that no single person shall be held to answer capital or otherwise an infamous crime (Burgan, 2002). Sixth Amendments Being part of the US bil l of rights, the sixth amendment to the US constitution sets the rights related to criminal prosecution through the due process, which is stipulated under the fourteenth amendment of the US constitution. Rights that have been conferred under this section include speedy trial, public trial, impartial jury, notice of accusation among other issues related to prosecution. Fourteenth Amendment Dubbed as the reconstruction amendments, the amendments contain the citizenship clause that provides a comprehensive definition of what citizenship is. In the Due process clause, the amendment stipulates that a state or local government cannot deprive a person of his life, liberty or property unless several steps have been taken to ensure fairness in the matter. Lastly, the amendments prohibit any... From this research it is clear that in United States of America, most law enforcement agencies are aimed at ensuring that there is a complete social control system that deters and mitigates crime throughout the country. These agencies also work by sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and providing rehabilitation where necessary. However, with amendments above, these law enforcement agencies face a number of challenges in terms of dealing with suspects of crime and what is stipulated under the bill of rights in amendments above. A criminal justice system that is honest, fair and effective is what most crusaders of the said amendments have been on the forefront in advocating for. This is because law enforcement agencies form part of the larger criminal justice system of the United States of America together with courts and corrections. Some of the challenges that these law enforcement agencies encounter are poor data collection and organized crime. Since proper da ta collection for any given crime requires that there is proper coordination within parties involved in law enforcement agencies, it is prone to many errors and therefore sometimes lead to contradiction. Some cases have been cancelled in the name of lack of sufficient evidence because data collection was poorly done. The amendment discussed above requires any given court to ensure that there is sufficient data to ensure fairness at the time of trial.

Definition of finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Definition of finance - Essay Example Knowing which investment to make with the available resources also requires being aware of levels of uncertainty attached to the investment. When classifying investments, they may be grouped into either short-term- where returns are expected within a short time-frame, and long-term-where returns are expected after a relatively long time. Finally, there is the sources of finance, commonly referred to as funding, includes financial institutions i.e. banks, informal lending facilities i.e. shylocks, financial instruments e.g. bonds and liquidating assets that are not in use. There are also debts where a company, individual or group may decide to transfer a debt previously incurred to a lending institution or individual. The lending institution or individual would then receive repayment of the debt when due. This is done where a relationship or trust has been built between the borrower and lender and it usually implies an urgent situation. A company, individual or business may choose this as a source of funding when they require money urgently and mostly the decision is arrived at, as a last

Titian and Renaissance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Titian and Renaissance - Research Paper Example Venetian reflection of color and a special atmosphere of Venetian style are combined with traditional Renaissance traditions. Titian works are full of emotions; even in his portraits we can see an intense emotional charge. Further on we will focus our attention on his two famous paintings: Portrait of Isabella d’Este and Christ and the Adulteress. These works signify common and different features of Titian paintings and those ones of Leonardo daVinci. We will try to underline common and different features between them, but of course, the main part of our attention concerns Titian paintings and the relevance of his style to the epoch of Renaissance. First of all, we should look for the features of aesthetic in his paintings. Moreover, there is a need to claim that the painter reflected ideally both humans and nature. He was looking for an ideal balance between the nature and the human world. An air of harmony is evident in the paintings of Titian. Christ and Adulteress This pai nting belongs to the High Renaissance period. The theme of adulteress is depicted in a dynamic nature by Titian. It is evident that this painting reflects a changeable and a controversial nature of this situation. We can see gorgeous clothes of the accused woman. This tendency we can also see in other paintings of the painter, because social status of the citizens of the Venetian society. It is very important to underline the contrast of the gorgeous clothes of Jesus Christ, the Adulteress and people around them. His background reflects nature from the remote perspective. We are enchanted by the green landscapes and there are blurred limits of the horizon and it is very interesting to consider the smallest details of the painting. Thus, Titian shows that he is much more concerned about the foreground of the painting (Christ and the Adulteress). The sea and green landscapes, which can be seen at the background of the painting, are of minimal concern for the painter. On the example of the vanishing line of green grass, we can see that the painter does not exactly draw a visible path between individuals, depicted on the painting. There is an evident opposition between the light and darkness of the painting. The building has dark edges and it is especially evident on the background a bright green color. The image of a woman is leaning her head and we can claim that this woman confessed all her mistakes and she seems to be blessed. We can compare this painting with the painting The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. Emotions are reflected on the faces of people around the table. The same actions are depicted on the painting by Titian. People on the painting are fixed in their certain conditions and emotional states. Therefore, the painting by Titian is an emotionally-charged and rich in color creative work. Portrait of Isabella d’Este We can see an ideal woman. The image of this noble and wealthy woman has been depicted by numerous painters. Therefore, she wa s considered to be an ideal image of a woman during the period of Renaissance. We can claim that the background for this image and her depiction we can see in the works by Petrarch: she has blonde hair, fair skin, beautiful lips and cheeks, and almond-shaped blue-green eyes. Therefore, there was a well-accpeted tendency to depict noble women in the way they liked. They wanted to be ideals and idols of beauty for the painters. There are letters of Isabella d’Este, where she asks for making her portrait and appeals for Master Leonardo da Vinci.

Definition of finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Definition of finance - Essay Example Knowing which investment to make with the available resources also requires being aware of levels of uncertainty attached to the investment. When classifying investments, they may be grouped into either short-term- where returns are expected within a short time-frame, and long-term-where returns are expected after a relatively long time. Finally, there is the sources of finance, commonly referred to as funding, includes financial institutions i.e. banks, informal lending facilities i.e. shylocks, financial instruments e.g. bonds and liquidating assets that are not in use. There are also debts where a company, individual or group may decide to transfer a debt previously incurred to a lending institution or individual. The lending institution or individual would then receive repayment of the debt when due. This is done where a relationship or trust has been built between the borrower and lender and it usually implies an urgent situation. A company, individual or business may choose this as a source of funding when they require money urgently and mostly the decision is arrived at, as a last

Nutrition - Obesity Essay Example for Free

Nutrition Obesity Essay Objective: To assess the association between the consumption of fast food (FF) and body mass index (BMI) of teenagers in a large UK birth cohort. Methods: A structural equation modelling (SEM) approach was chosen to allow direct statistical testing of a theoretical model. SEM is a combination of confirmatory factor and path analysis, which allows for the inclusion of latent (unmeasured) variables. This approach was used to build two models: the effect of FF outlet visits and food choices and the effect of FF exposure on consumption and BMI. Results: A total of 3620 participants had data for height and weight from the age 13 clinic and the frequency of FF outlet visits, and so were included in these analyses. This SEM model of food choices showed that increased frequency of eating at FF outlets is positively associated with higher consumption of unhealthy foods (b ? 0. 29, Po0. 001) and negatively associated with the consumption of healthy foods (b ? A1. 02, Po0. 001). The SEM model of FF exposure and BMI showed that higher exposure to FF increases the frequency of visits to FF outlets (b ? 0. 61, Po0.001), which is associated with higher body mass index standard deviation score (BMISDS; b ? 0. 08, Po0. 001). Deprivation was the largest contributing variable to the exposure (b ? 9. 2, Po0. 001). Conclusions: The teenagers who ate at FF restaurants consumed more unhealthy foods and were more likely to have higher BMISDS than those teenagers who did not eat frequently at FF restaurants. Teenagers who were exposed to more takeaway foods at home ate more frequently at FF restaurants and eating at FF restaurants was also associated with lower intakes of vegetables and raw fruit in this cohort. International Journal of Obesity (2011) 35, 1325–1330; doi:10. 1038/ijo. 2011. 120; published online 28 June 2011 Keywords: fast food; overweight; ALSPAC Introduction Childhood obesity prevalence have risen dramatically in the last 30 years in the Western world with the most recent figures for England and Wales show that 17% of boys and 16% of girls are obese. 1 An increase in the availability of calorie dense foods is implicated as one of the factors in the aetiology of the obesity epidemic. Fast food (FF) is one section of the food market that has grown steadily over the last few decades and it was worth d8. 9 billion in the United Kingdom in 2005. 2 FF is typically quick, convenient, cheap and Correspondence: Dr LK Fraser, School of Geography, University of Leeds, University road, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. E-mail: l. k. [emailprotected] ac. uk Received 6 February 2011; revised 21 April 2011; accepted 12 May 2011; published online 28 June 2011 uniform in its production,3 but FF is often high in saturated fats, energy dense and has low micronutrient content. 4–9 Studies from the United States of America have shown that children who consume FF (when compared with children who do not eat FF) have higher energy intake and higher fat intakes9,10 as well as lower vegetable and milk intake. 10,11 Therefore, the consumption of such foods could possibly result in a positive energy balance; and hence, weight gain. There is some evidence from longitudinal studies in the United States of America that consuming FF as a teenager can result in weight gain in both early12 and middle adulthood. 13 FF is often marketed to children and adolescents through television, internet and movie advertising,14–17 with brand recognition being present from an early age. 18 The addition of toys as gifts with FF meals also attracts children. There is growing body of literature that has assessed the location of FF outlets and has found that areas of higher deprivation Fast food and body mass index LK Fraser et al 1326 have more FF outlets19–21 and that FF outlets are often located close to schools. 22–24 The majority of research to date has been undertaken in the United States of America, but a study that analysed the fat content of a FF meal in McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets in 35 countries showed that the amount of fat varied considerably between countries, within the same FF outlet. 25 This means that results from studies in the United States of America may not be generalisable to other countries. This study aims to assess the cross-sectional association between the consumption of FF and the body mass index (BMI) of teenagers in a large UK birth cohort. Methods The data for this study were obtained from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC),26 which is a birth cohort study where pregnant mothers who lived in the old Avon County in the United Kingdom (the Bristol region) were recruited in the early 1990s. A total of 14 541 mothers completed recruitment. Because of retrospective recruitment the total sample size was 15 224 fetuses and 14 610 live births. This paper presents data on the teenagers who attended the year 13 clinic and completed the year 13 questionnaire. Variables The food frequency data were collected from the questionnaires completed by mother (or carer) and separate questionnaires completed by the teenagers themselves at age 13 years. The data used from the carer questionnaire (collected at the same time point) referred to the questions ‘How often does s/he eat in a FF restaurant? The responses to this question were collected as never/rarely, once a month, once every 2 weeks, once or twice per week, 3–4 times a week, 5 or more times a week. The carers were also asked ‘In total, how many portions of vegetables does s/he eat in a week (do not include potatoes)’, ‘In total, how many portions of raw fruit does s/he eat in a week? ’ These were free numerical responses, which were retained as a continuous variable for analyses. In the food frequency part of the teenager completed questionnaire the teenagers were asked ‘If you ever buy food yourself from outside school, or from school vending machines, how often do you buy and eat each of the following things (include after school and weekends): chips, burger, pizza, sandwich, pies or pasties, chocolate, crisps, fruit and other food. ’ The height and weight data were collected at clinic visits at B13 years. The exact age, sex, height and weight were used to calculate a BMI standard deviation score (BMISDS) for each participant (1990 UK reference dataset). 27 The teenagers International Journal of Obesity were classified as obese if their BMISDS was greater than the 95th percentile (BMISDS41. 64). The physical activity data were collected via accelerometry at the age 13 clinic visit. 28 The participants wore an accelerometer for seven consecutive days and the measure used from this is mean counts per minute, which is a continuous variable. A deprivation score was assigned to each participant by matching the coordinates of their residential address (when carer questionnaire was completed) to the appropriate lower super output area. Each lower super output area has an index of multiple deprivation score (Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007 (IMD))29 assigned from the local census data. This is a continuous variable in which a higher number indicates an area of higher deprivation. Ethnicity was assigned as per the child’s ethnicity into a binary variable of ‘white British’ and ‘other’ ethnicity. Statistical modelling Descriptive statistics were performed in STATA version 10 (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX, USA). A structural equation modelling (SEM) approach was chosen to allow direct statistical testing of a theoretical model. SEM has many benefits over traditional regression techniques, which include the ability to model equations simultaneously and the incorporation of latent variables. 30 SEM is a combination of confirmatory factor and path analysis, which allows for the inclusion of latent (unmeasured) variables. 31 This approach was used to build two models: the effect of FF outlet visits and food choices and the effect of FF exposure on consumption and BMI. The SEM analyses were undertaken in AMOS version 17. 0 (IBM SPSS, USA). The hypothesised model for food choices is shown in the results section (Figure 2). The observed variables are displayed as boxes and latent variables as circles. Each observed variable has an associated random error term and each latent variable has an associated disturbance term, which represents the variance in the latent variable that has not been explained by the observed variables associated with that latent variable. Regression paths are shown by singleheaded arrows and covariances by double-headed curved arrows. The model fit was assessed by two indices; the comparative fit index (CFI) and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). The CFI is a comparison of the hypothesised model compared with an independence model where all parameters are assumed to be independent. The RMSEA gives an indication of ‘how well would the model, with unknown but optimally chosen values, fit the population covariance matrix if it were available’. 32 A combination of CFI40. 95 and a RMSEA of o0. 50 is a sign of good model fit. The w2-test of overall fit is very sensitive to large sample size so has not been used in these models. 30 The two models were constructed a priori using previous research. The nutritional content of chips, burgers, pizza and Fast food and body mass index LK Fraser et al 1327 pies are known to be high in saturated fat and energy and therefore are ‘unhealthy’,4–9,33 whereas fruit and vegetables are known to contain fibre and vitamins and so are classified as ‘healthy’. Exposure to FF outlets is known to be higher in areas of higher deprivation. 19–21 In the food choices model, unhealthy consumption (latent variable) was modelled from the frequency of consumption of chips, burger, pizza and pies (reported by the teenagers themselves), and the healthy consumption was modelled from the number of pieces of vegetables and raw fruit consumed by the teenager (maternal report). The number of times that the teenager visited a FF outlet (maternal report) was regressed on the unhealthy and healthy consumption variables. The model for the effect of FF exposure on consumption and BMISDS is shown in Figure 3. Here exposure is a latent variable modelled from maternal and paternal takeaway frequency and deprivation score. The exposure is regressed on the number of visits to FF outlet. The BMISDS at age 13 years is the main outcome of this model. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the ALSPAC Law and Ethics Committee and the local research ethics committees. Results A total of 3620 participants have data for height and weight from the age 13 clinic and the frequency of FF outlet visits, and were included in these analyses (SEM cannot use individuals with missing data). A total of 1711 (47. 3%) were boys and 456 (12.6%) obese. The descriptive statistics are shown in Table 1. Frequency of visiting FF outlets and food consumption frequencies are shown in Figure 1. The results of model 1 are shown in Figure 2 with regression weights shown in Table 2. This model showed that increased frequency of eating at FF outlets was positively associated with higher consumption of unhealthy foods (b ? 0. 29, Po0. 001) and negatively associated with the consumption of healthy foods (b ? A1. 02, Po0. 001). The CFI for model 1 was 0. 98 and the RMSEA was 0. 05 (90% confidence interval 0. 044, 0. 058). These represent good approximate model fit. Table 1. The results of model 2 are shown in Figure 3 with regression weight shown in Table 3. This model showed that increased exposure to FF increased the frequency of visits to FF outlets (b ? 0. 61, Po0. 001), which in turn was associated with higher BMISDS (b ? 0. 08, Po0. 001). Deprivation was the largest contributing variable to the exposure (b ? 9. 2, Po0. 001). The CFI for model 2 was 0. 98, and the RMSEA was 0. 021 (90% confidence interval 0. 009, 0. 033). These represent very good approximate model fit. Discussion This study shows that teenagers who are exposed to more unhealthy foods at home are more likely to eat at FF restaurants and have a higher BMISDS. The negative association of increased visits to FF outlets on consumption of healthy foods (fruit and vegetables) has also been demonstrated. The FF restaurant use in this analysis was reported by the mother or main carer of the teenager and showed that nearly 60% of all the teenagers ate at a FF restaurant at least once a month. This appears to be less frequently than in the United States of America, where studies showed that 60% of older children and adolescents ate FF more than once per week34 and that B30% of children ate at a FF restaurant on any typical day. 9. As one part of the SEM this study showed that eating at a FF outlet was associated with a higher BMISDS. There were no previous UK studies to compare these results with, but previous studies from the United States of America have not found consistent results. Boutelle et al. 11 found no association between frequency of FF consumption and adolescent BMI or weight status, and an Australian study Descriptive statistics Mean BMISDS Deprivation (IMD 2007)29 Physical activity (c. p. m. ) Raw fruit (portions per week) Vegetables (portions per week) s. d. Median IQR 0. 29 13. 7 541 9. 5 9. 5 1. 14 11. 4 190 7 7 0. 024 10. 6 511 8 8 A0. 47, 1. 06 5. 9, 17. 0 404, 653 5, 14 5, 12 Abbreviations: BMISDS, body mass index standard deviation score for age and sex; c. p. m. , cycles per minute; IMD 2007, Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007; IQR, interquartile range. Figure 1 Food frequency data. International Journal of Obesity Fast food and body mass index LK Fraser et al 1328 Figure 2 Results of SEM model of food choices. Table 2 Results of SEM model of food choices Regression weights a Unhealthy’fast food Healthy’fast food Chips’unhealthy Burger’unhealthy Fruit’healthy Vegetables’healthy Pizza’unhealthy Pies’unhealthy Estimate s. e. CR P 0. 285 A1. 023 1. 000 0. 732 1. 000 1. 157 0. 774 0. 530 0. 021 0. 124 13. 439 A8. 274 o0. 001 o0. 001 0. 016 45. 243 o0. 001 0. 148 0. 018 0. 016 7. 802 42. 483 32. 720 o0. 001 o0. 001 o0. 001 Abbreviations: CR, critical ratio; SEM, structural equation modeling. aAll consumption variables units: never/rarely, once a month, once every 2 weeks, once or twice per week, 3–4 times a week, 5 or more times a week. showed that FF eaten at home (but not away from home) was associated with higher BMI in adolescents (MacFarlane). Two longitudinal studies using data from the CARDIA study found that higher FF intake in adolescence was associated with higher BMI in young adulthood12 and those who ate FF more than twice a week had put on an extra 4. 5 kg of weight 15 years later. 13 The teenagers who ate more frequently at FF restaurants were more likely to eat less fruit and vegetables, as well as consume more unhealthy foods (chips, burger, pizza, pies) than those teenagers who ate at FF restaurants less frequently. This is an indication that the consumption of unhealthy foods may displace healthy food choices. This is similar to previous research in the United States of America, International Journal of Obesity which showed that children who ate FF consumed 45 g less vegetables per day than children who did not eat FF. 10 At age 13 years the food frequency data were a combination of maternal and self-report from the teenagers, but the total macro- and micronutrient values could not be assessed in this study as these data were not yet available at the time of writing. Deprivation was the largest contributor to the FF exposure variable. This could be explained by the fact that those of higher deprivation eat more FF because of the relative cheapness of FF. It has also been shown in many studies in the United Kingdom and the United States of America that areas of higher deprivation have more FF outlets than more affluent areas therefore, FF is more readily available. 35 An interesting economics paper from the United States of America showed that increasing the cost of FF by $1 could decrease BMI by 0. 78 units. 36 The increased consumption of unhealthy foods (chips, burger, pizzas and pies) by those teenagers who ate more frequently at FF outlets was not surprising, but the associated negative effect of the consumption of fruit and vegetables by these participants is important. These teenagers will not only be consuming more of the saturated fat and salt from the burgers, and so on, but at the same time they are not consuming important nutrients from fruit and vegetables. Although many FF outlets now offer more healthy alternatives such as fruit and vegetables, the consumers may still be choosing the unhealthy foods. Fast food and body mass index LK Fraser et al 1329 The FF question completed by the carer did not specify what constituted FF so some respondents may only count large franchises as FF whereas others may use a broader definition that includes independent takeaways. Although the frequency of eating at a FF restaurant was asked, the carers were not asked about the food eaten from these establishments and many FF restaurants now offer more ‘healthy’ alternatives. Although the majority of FF items do not meet the Food Standards Agency nutrient standards for total fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium there are wide variations in similar products from different FF outlets with sodium content varying by up to four times in fried chicken products. 37 Therefore, having data on which food items were consumed from which FF outlet would further enhance future studies. There was no information on why the teenagers ate at FF restaurants, and key questions for the future include; was there no alternative eating establishments in their neighbourhood? Did they prefer FF to other meals or was the cost of food important? Conclusions This study has shown that the teenagers who ate at FF restaurants consumed more unhealthy foods and were more likely to have higher BMISDS than those teenagers who did not eat frequently at FF restaurants. Teenagers who were exposed to more takeaway foods at home ate more frequently at FF restaurants. Eating at FF restaurants was also associated with lower intakes of vegetables and raw fruit in this cohort. Figure 3 The SEM model of FF exposure and BMI. Table 3 Results of SEM model of FF exposure and body mass index Regression weights Fast food ’exposure. Maternal fast food’exposure Deprivation’exposure Paternal fast food’exposure BMISDS’fast food BMISDS’c. p. m. a Estimate s. e. CR 0. 61 1. 000 9. 20 0. 66 0. 08 0. 00 0. 07 8. 654 1. 07 0. 08 0. 02 0. 00 8. 605 8. 680 3. 586 A3. 351 P o0. 001 o0. 001 o0. 001 o0. 001 o0. 001 Abbreviations: BMISDS, body mass index standard deviation score for age and sex; c. p. m. , cycles per minute; CR, critical ratio; FF, fast food; IMD 2007, Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007; SEM, structural equation modeling. a All consumption variables units: never/rarely, once a month, once every 2 weeks, once or twice per week, 3–4 times a week, 5 or more times a week. Strengths/limitations This is a large dataset with good-quality height and weight data taken at clinic visits by trained staff using validated equipment. There were food consumption data about the teenagers available from both the teenagers and their carers, but this is a cross-sectional study so causation cannot be implied from this data. As expected in a longitudinal study there is attrition and the subcohort used in this study may not be truly representative of the whole cohort. Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. Acknowledgements. We are extremely grateful to all the families who took part in this study, the midwives for their help in recruiting and the whole ALSPAC team, which include interviewers, computer and laboratory technicians, clerical workers, research scientists, volunteers, managers, receptionists and nurses. The UK Medical Research Council (grant ref: 74882), The Wellcome Trust (grant ref: 076467) and the University of Bristol provide core support for ALSPAC. LKF was funded by ESRC/MRC studentship. References 1 Craig RS. Health survey for England 2007, 2008. Available from http://www. natcen. ac. uk/study/health-survey-for-england-2007. 2 Keynote.UK fast food and home delivery outlets, 2006. International Journal of Obesity Fast food and body mass index LK Fraser et al 1330 3 DeMaria AN. Of fast food and franchises. J Am Coll Cardiol 2003; 41: 1227–1228. 4 Astrup A. Super-sized and diabetic by frequent fast-food consumption? Lancet 2005; 365: 4–5. 5 Brown K, McIlveen H, Strugnell C. Young consumers and the hospitality spectrum. Appetite 1998; 31: 403. 6 Harnack LJ, French SA, Oakes JM, Story MT, Jeffery RW, Rydell SA. Effects of calorie labeling and value size pricing on fast food meal choices: results from an experimental trial. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2008; 5: 63. 7 Lewis LB, Sloane DC, Nascimento LM, Diamant AL, Guinyard JJ, Yancey AK et al. African Americans’ access to healthy food options in South Los Angeles restaurants. Am J Public Health 2005; 95: 668–673. 8 Paeratakul S, Ferdinand DP, Champagne CM, Ryan DH, Bray GA. Fast-food consumption among US adults and children: dietary and nutrient intake profile. J Am Diet Assoc 2003; 103: 1332–1338. 9 Schmidt M, Affenito SG, Striegel-Moore R, Khoury PR, Barton B, Crawford P et al. Fast-food intake and diet quality in black and white girls the national heart, lung, and blood institute growth and health study. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2005; 159: 626–631. 10 Bowman SA, Gortmaker SL, Ebbeling CB, Pereira MA, Ludwig DS. Effects of fast-food consumption on energy intake and diet quality among children in a national household survey. Pediatrics 2004; 113: 112–118. 11 Boutelle KN, Fulkerson JA, Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M, French SA. Fast food for family meals: relationships with parent and adolescent food intake, home food availability and weight status. Public Health Nutr 2007; 10: 16–23. 12 Duffey KJ, Gordon-Larsen P, Jacobs DR, Williams OD, Popkin BM. Differential associations of fast food and restaurant food consumption with 3-y change in body mass index: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study. Am J Clin Nutr 2007; 85: 201–208. 13 Pereira MA, Kartashov AI, Ebbeling CB, Van Horn L, Slattery M, Jacobs DR et al. Fast-food habits, weight gain, and insulin resistance (the CARDIA study): 15-year prospective analysis. Lancet 2005; 365: 36–42. 14 Sutherland LA, MacKenzie T, Purvis LA, Dalton M. Prevalence of food and beverage brands in movies: 1996–2005. Pediatrics 2010; 125: 468–474. 15 Powell LM, Szczypka G, Chaloupka FJ. Trends in exposure to television food advertisements among children and adolescents in the United States. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2010; 164: 794–802. 16 Hillier A, Cole BL, Smith TE, Yancey AK, Williams JD, Grier SA et al. Clustering of unhealthy outdoor advertisements around child-serving institutions: a comparison of three cities. Health Place 2009; 15: 935–945. 17 Lingas EO, Dorfman L, Bukofzer E. Nutrition content of food and beverage products on Web sites popular with children. Am J Public Health 2009; 99(Suppl 3): S587–S592. 18 Robinson TN, Borzekowski DLG, Matheson DM, Kraemer HC. Effects of fast food branding on young children’s taste preferences. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2007; 161: 792–797. International Journal of Obesity. 19 Cummins SCJ, McKay L, MacIntyre S. McDonald’s restaurants and neighborhood deprivation in Scotland and England. Am J Prev Med 2005; 29: 308–310. 20 Fraser LK, Edwards KL. The association between the geography of fast food outlets and childhood obesity rates in Leeds, UK. Health Place 2010; 16: 1124–1128. 21 Macdonald L, Cummins S, Macintyre S. Neighbourhood fast food environment and area deprivation-substitution or concentration? Appetite 2007; 49: 251–254. 22 Neckerman KM, Bader MDM, Richards CA, Purciel M, Quinn JW, Thomas JS et al. Disparities in the food environments of New York City public schools. A J Prev Med 2010; 39: 195–202. 23 Davis B, Carpenter C. Proximity of fast-food restaurants to schools and adolescent obesity. Am J Public Health 2009; 99: 505–510. 24 Seliske LM, Pickett W, Boyce WF, Janssen I. Density and type of food retailers surrounding Canadian schools: variations across socioeconomic status. Health Place 2009; 15: 903–907. 25 Stender S, Dyerberg J, Astrup A. Fast food: unfriendly and unhealthy. Int J Obes 2007; 31: 887–890. 26 Golding J, Pembrey M, Jones R, Team AS. ALSPAC-The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children – I. Study methodology. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 2001; 15: 74–87. 27 Cole TJ, Freeman JV, Preece MA. Body-mass index reference curves for the UK, 1990. Arch DisChild 1995; 73: 25–29. 28 Riddoch CJ, Leary SD, Ness AR, Blair SN, Deere K, Mattocks C et al. Prospective associations between objective measures of physical activity and fat mass in 12–14 year old children: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Br Med J 2009; 339: b4544. 29 Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007 (IMD 2007). 30 Kline R (ed) Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling. The Guildford Press: New York, 2005. 31 Tomarken AJ, Waller NG. Structural equation modeling: strengths, limitations, and misconceptions. Annu Rev Clinic. Psychol 2005; 1: 31–65. 32 Byrne BM (ed). Structural Equation Modelling with AMOS. Lawrence Erbaum Associates: London, 2001. 33 Astrup A, Dyerberg J, Selleck M, Stender S. Nutrition transition and its relationship to the development of obesity and related chronic diseases. Obes Rev 2008; 9: 48–52. 34 Taveras EM, Berkey CS, Rifas-Shiman SL, Ludwig DS, Rockett HRH, Field AE et al. Association of consumption of fried food away from home with body mass index and diet quality in older children and adolescents. Pediatrics 2005; 116: E518–E524. 35 Fraser LK, Edwards KL, Cade J, Clarke GP. The geography of fast food outlets: a review. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2010; 7: 2290–2308. 36 Powell LM. Fast food costs and adolescent body mass index: evidence from panel data. J Health Econ 2009; 28: 963–970. 37 Dunford E, Webster J, Barzi F, Neal B. Nutrient content of products served by leading Australian fast food chains. Appetite 2010; 55: 484–489. Copyright of International Journal of Obesity is the property of Nature Publishing Group and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holders express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.

Marketing and sales strategy of Juicy Fruit Smoothies

Marketing and sales strategy of Juicy Fruit Smoothies This opportunity analysis document identifies and summarises the background, status and future plans for the creation for Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd. This idea is Juice and Smoothy Bar which is seen in most shopping centres, cinemas and department stores. This new type of business will offer the consumer a wide range of beverages ranging from soft drinks to fruit flavoured beverages with nutritious ingredients. In addition, this new business will sell a variety of ice creams and chocolate. Beverages are among the most sellable items that people can offer. Selling beverages like concentrate juice, vitamin c juice and nectar juice is most profitable during the summer where a frozen juice or smoothie drinks can be refreshing relief from the heat of the sun. This is the reason why it will be a good idea to start a business selling juice fruit and smoothie drink if seeking a good and profitable starting start up business. The Juice and Smoothie brand has been has been a  successful product brand all over the world. Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will use 100% nutritious fruits to promote a healthy advertisement campaign and attract conscious health goers. This business will open one juice and smoothie bar and will continue to expand in shopping centres, entertainment spots, transport companies and gyms.   Juicy Fruit Ltds start up cost is à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬71000. The main source of the cost is from the general operating expenses such as payroll, suppliers, insurance, advertising and other overheads. The remaining costs are the overheads that are normally associated with opening up a premise. We need an investment of about à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬100,000 to get the business started. The start up assumptions is illustrated below: Start-up Funding Start-up funding for expenses à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬54000 Start-up assets funding à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬17000 Total Funding Required à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬71000 Assets Non cash assets from start-up à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5000 Inventory à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2000 Long Term Assets à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10000 Total Assets à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬17000 Liabilities Long Term Liabilities à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬100000 Total Liabilities à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬100000 Start-up Requirements Advertising à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5000 Insurance à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2000 Marketing Promotion à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5000 Payroll à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬40000 Repairs Maintenance à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1000 Shipping Delivery à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1000 Internet à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1000 Total Start-Up Expenses à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬54000 Start-up Assets Start-up Inventory à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2000 Other Current Assets à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5000 Long Term Assets à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10000 Total Assets à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬17000 Total Funding Required à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬71000 Objectives The objectives of Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd  are the following: Create a state-wide sales staff. Establish strong sales revenue by 2013. Maintain tight control of cost and operation during expansion. To successfully expand our products Mission Statement Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltds mission is as follows: Quality: Our fruit juices are the highest quality, most nutritious food productsbecause we will accept nothing less. Innovative: Our products have always been in the forefront of the health and nutrition wave. Innovative products, state of the art manufacturing, quality assurance and industry expertise are the bases for our past and future successes. Integrity: Our customers depend on the quality of our juice products. Our commitment to the highest standard is the foundation of our customers trust in Oasis Juice.  Delivering freshly made juice to consumers depends on extensive cooperation and mutual reliance between supplier and retailer. We stand behind our product, our service and our word. Company Description Business Definition Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will offer a range of smoothies, juices and energy drinks. Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will have over 50 different flavours that can only be bought in this store, while still selling the already popular ones, such as Power Punch. These refreshment drinks are healthier than soft drinks as they are made from real fruit and blended together to make the smoothie. In order to make these smoothies we will use frozen fruit. Put it in the blender along with some frozen yogurt for thirty seconds and the smoothie is ready to serve. It is really simple and speedy method but it creates a great tasting product. Long Term Aim of the Business Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will be a great opportunity to enter the food and beverage industry providing the consumer with another business to choose from when they decide on their commodities. The main long term aim of the business is to provide excellent customer satisfaction, be miles ahead of the leading competitors and to be profitable. Many people like smoothies and other sweet like products but Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will provide much healthier options that will assist in the competitive advantage. New smoothie recipes will be implemented as time goes on and more promotions will be on offer. Key Features and Benefits Key Features of Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will include: Skilled staff who are aware of the need for high quality in every smoothie Online service where customers will be made available of the ingredients in each smoothie and also the weekly special offers, without having to go into the store. Key Benefits to customers will include: Great tasting drinks made in front of your eyes Quick service Ability to sit down in store and enjoy your smoothie Small Large Size (low prices) Huge selection of flavours Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd plans to be as customer friendly as possible and therefore will offer lower prices than the competition. We will welcome criticism from customers on how we can improve our products and of possible different flavours of smoothies. We believe that this will be a great success as we will be giving the customers exactly what they want. The customer will also be able to decide in the store what fruits they want in their smoothie, without the need for the recipe being in use. However, we will have to charge a slightly higher price in order to provide this service. We will be the only company to provide this service and we think that it will be extremely popular. As people are increasingly trying to eat healthy we feel that now is the perfect time to get into the smoothie market. We have a wide range of target outlets such as coffee shops, sandwich bars, gyms, sports clubs, health clubs and hotels, as well as having stores of our own in shopping centres throughout the country. Most people know that fruit loses its nutritional content over time however what most people dont know is that this loss occurs within minutes. Therefore, it is crucial that the ingredients be as fresh as possible in order for the customer to receive maximum benefits. Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd has taken this under consideration and has a system that is focused on maximising freshness. Value Proposition At the minute there is no company providing the customers with high quality fresh smoothies at a low price. The recipes are very limited and the prices are high. Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will be the first smoothie bar that offers a wide range of smoothies at affordable prices. Products Juices/Smoothies Energy Drinks Ice Cream Sweets/Chocolates Analytical Spending and Outsourcing Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd has a need for analytical spending in order to find out what kinds of fruits and smoothie flavours people are looking for. The major areas that would need to be analyzed would have to be: types of fruits, recipes, ice cream flavours, and potentially meals in the future. At this point in time Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd should be focusing on spending for research into what kinds of fruits people in the area would desire. Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd should also focus on trying to analyze how they can transport fruits from areas at a low cost. This would entail finding good transportation routes, good areas to find quality fruits, and also how to go about getting them for a decent price. Through these tests Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd should be able to figure out a way to get a good quality product thus giving them an advantage on the competition. It would be good for them to try to outsource the testing for recipes to outside service providers. This would allow them to get a more wholesome perspective on what kinds of blends to use in the smoothies and also would allow Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd to be more forward looking and potentially expand into the global market at some point in the future. This way they do not have to focus completely on just the local area for business and will be able to become more profitable through expansion. Barriers to Entry Products The Smoothie and Juice Bar industry is a successful industry will many businesses doing quite well despite the economic downturn. The main competitors such as Zumo already are a global brand and would have more stakes in the market and experience. That alone may cause concern for the success of Juicy Fruits. Loyalty to Customers In any market or sector it is known that customer satisfaction gives a better competitive edge for businesses already in the market. Since firms that have a high reputation and have built up their clientele over the years, the customers will remain loyal to that business which gives that business a competitive advantage. Economies of Scale Large and more experienced businesses may be able to operate more efficiently due to minimal costs. These businesses are also more experienced because of the length of time spent in the sector thus giving them more of a competitive advantage. SWOT Analysis Strengths: The Smoothie Juice market is a widely known and successful industry Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will provide quality products than the leading competitor including fresh fruits Chocolate: Cadburys and Nestle will be our suppliers Drinks: Red Bull Coca Cola Smoothies: Fresh Fruits with nutrients Professional products that will be sold to colleges, schools, restaurants and gyms Successful due to the unquestionable ability to provide top of the range products including healthy options. Weaknesses: Our rival companies like Zumo and Innocent may have a better stake in the market and more experience along with knowledge. The competitors may formulate new tactics for the new entrant Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd Opportunities Future developments in the smoothie recipes and further business expansion Provide allergy free products such as peanut free drinks and chocolates Threats The major competitors such as Zumo Innocent Any contamination to the food supply and shortages Possible increase in supplier costs# Strategy Implementation Summary Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will penetrate the smoothie and juice beverage industry by creating and deploying new smoothie and juice products and brands. The business will also locate in a logical and more accessible area. Shopping Centres Gyms are the busiest places that a lot of consumers go to for recreation. Since that Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd is promoting healthy beverages it is a right step in locating in a gym. We want to let the customer experience a fast and friendly service without the inconvenience of waiting too long for their purchase. The business is for a customer that wants a quick drink on the go and who wants to get in and out fast. Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd has identified that the market is busy and the potential target customers will range from school and college goers to business people who will be passing by the juice bar at regular intervals and that is why location is a number one success pattern. In addition to providing a quality product and an extensive menu of delicious items, to ensure customer awareness and loyalty, as well as positive public and media support, Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd can continue to offer more promotions if it deems to be a successful juice and smoothie bar. Strategy Pyramid Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd strategy is to show people that JF has an excellent product, convenient accessibility, and with a community benefit. To execute on this strategy, Juicy Fruits will be locating its bars at easily accessible with the Dublin area. Juicy Fruits will be pricing its products competitively and training the staff to the highest standards in the country In doing so, Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd has to: Provide a customer with a quality product at a competitive price Provide the customer with a more convenient method for obtaining their desired product Demonstrate how Juicy Fruits appreciates customer loyalty buy offering promotions, coupons, loyalty cards, etc. Continue to implement future marking strategies and to ensure that Juicy Fruits will be ahead of the leading competitors Identify future developments and possible merging with other retail companies such as Spar or Centra Continue will some market research in the area of customer satisfaction. Are the customers satisfied with the level of service? Are they happy with the products? Any feedback? This could be done through feedback cards. Strategy Pyramid.jpg Market Analysis Target Market The target market is vast, covering almost all demographics, with an emphasis on the age group of 15-35 i.e. older school goers, students and young professionals. Thus locating the franchises near colleges, shopping centres and in town is important. Perhaps it might also be beneficial to cooperate with a current institution in Ireland for the start up of the company, i.e. cooperate with a shop, such as Centra or Spar, using their well known brand name to help solidify the name of this new franchise. This again would result in an addition to the already high start up costs, but it may well be the smartest and most effective route forward. An in depth researching of the market prices would also be needed and Juicy Fruits would most certainly have to charge less than its competitors in order to gain a foot hold in the market. This might have to be continued for several months/years in order to persuade people away from companies like Zumo. This would result in low income for the first few accounting periods and with the high start up costs the margin for a healthy profit in the first two years is very low. However, all of this being said, the fact that there is only one other Smoothie and Juice Bar company out there in the market in Ireland at the moment means the potential for a new company is excellent, as long as an efficient strategy is put in place to effectively corner a section of the health food market. Market Segmentation The effects of the industry affect how we will have to market, as well as what services/products we will have to offer in Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd. For example, we will have to separate our juice and smoothie products from others as well as focus on their weaknesses and exploit them. The major competitors we have in the beverage industry are cafes and corporations such as Starbucks. Juicy Fruits will have to be sure to specify how much healthier their product is in comparison to coffee and why it is a better choice. This will hopefully allow for them to attract customers away from the competition as well as allow them to gain a solid foothold in the market. Geography segmentation is not a very large part of Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd concerns. The target market/customers for the company are a very large range that doesnt target anyone in particular. Just your average people, the only part of the geography that would be major is being sure to be in a densely populated location such as in downtown Dublin or directly on/near the campus. Now we will look at the different tiers that Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd would be concerned with. Tier 1 (Industries Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd can leverage on their own) Fruit and Smoothies Ice Cream Tier 2 (Industries that can be leveraged with help from a partner) Recipes Organics Tier 3 (Future industries to get involved in) Food (full meals) Vegetables Fitness Competition The two main competitors in this industry are Zumo and Innocent. Zumo has been in Ireland since 2001 and are the largest juice and smoothie bar chain in Europe, with over 100 bars in 13 countries. Their company is extremely similar to ours as they make up their smoothies in store also. We will have an advantage over Zumo as we will have a greater selection of smoothies and also the customers will have the option of choosing the fruits that go into their smoothies. We expect to steal a lot of their customers due to this. Zumo is already a well established company and have had the luxury of charging high prices for their product and having a huge mark-up. In order to break into their market we intend to have cheaper prices and also have special offers weekly. E.g. For one week have the Power Punch smoothie at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.50. This is extremely good value and although we will not be making that much profit off this deal, we expect that it will attract customers into the store and also that we will sell quite a large amount of the products on special offer. Innocent is a UK based company which was founded in 1999. They provide smoothies and juices also, however the key difference between our company and theirs is that we intend to make ours fresh in store whereas their product comes readymade in cartons and plastic bottles. Their product is sold at a cheaper price than ours however a lot of the goodness is lost in the smoothie and also the majority of people find that it doesnt taste as nice as the freshly made smoothies. Competitive Advantage Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will be successful if it is able to satisfy the key customer criteria. This includes: high quality product, affordable prices, speedy and friendly service. It will have advantages over other smoothie providers for the following reasons: Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd has a keen interest in satisfying the customer, and therefore spends time perfecting their recipes. The wide range of flavours that Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will provide should satisfy all tastes. The customer will have the ability of choosing what goes into the smoothie on off chance that there isnt a recipe that suits the customers taste. We will provide high quality smoothies in less than a minute. This speed is vital in order to compete with the competitors as customers will not be willing to wait for over 5 minutes for their smoothies. This time will be increased drastically if there is a queue. Therefore it is vital to us that the smoothie is made and in the customers hand in two minutes. This speed is also good for the quality of the product. As outlined earlier, the nutrients leave the fruit within minutes, therefore this process keeps our product as healthy as possible also adding to its appeal. Marketing/Sales Strategy Marketing Strategy The Fruit Juice and Smoothie bar market is currently occupied, in Ireland, by one major company, Zumo. The Zumo chain of bars is, at present the only realistic competition to the introduction of a new franchise of smoothie bars. The creation of the new chain Juicy Fruits would most certainly result in direct retaliation from this major competitor and plans must be put in place to differentiate the products that Juicy Fruits intend to sell from those of Zumo. Similarly, other areas of competition, such as coffee houses like Starbucks and Insomnia must be planned for. An emphasis on the healthier aspects of a smoothie over things like coffee must be stressed in an early advertisement campaign. As there is only one major competitor in this area there is obvious room for growth in the market. An informative and cost effective advertisement campaign would be essential and would have to be run early in the life of the company, perhaps even before the first Smoothie and Juice bars opened. This obviously will result in a high start up cost; however the lack of any effective advert campaigns currently from Zumo would result in excellent market coverage for said ad campaign. Market Share Due to well established companies already in this market, we expect to initially have a small market share. However, once we have an advertising campaign in place we expect this to rise to approx 5% within one year. Advertising and Promotion As already stated, it would be essential to run an informative advertisement campaign early in the companys development. This would be necessary in order to corner the market early on in the business development. It would be my recommendation to run this advert campaign before the first store opened its doors in order to generate some anticipation and create a slogan about the new franchise. It would also be wise to run discounts and offers for the first few weeks of existence, in order to draw in more potential customers. Deals would have to be good enough to pull current Zumo customers away from their usual purchases. As Ive said in the above section, forming a partnership with a well established company would be very beneficial to the future development of the franchise. This would convey some trust towards the company and perhaps add loyalty to the brand name from those already loyal to the shop that Juicy Fruits will now operate out of, (Centra, Spar etc.) Getting the correct theme for the Smoothie and Juice Bars will also be essential. The current competition, Zumo, uses green and yellow as their main colours and is very easily distinguishable. Juicy Fruits would have to also use colours that suggested healthiness and fruitiness, without using the same colours as Zumo. It is essential that Juicy Fruits remains differentiable from Zumo. I would suggest the use of blues and reds on all things Juicy Fruit; this would strongly differentiate the franchise from the competition, and suggests a cool, healthy atmosphere. An advert campaign would get people buying smoothies instead of other commodities such as coffee should also be run, targeting young professionals. It should be noted that, in the morning, a full smoothie has just as much energy providing substances as coffee, and is substantially healthier. This campaign should be run later in the companys development, as the already high start up costs do not need to be added to from the get go. It should also be made clear that our smoothies and juices are significantly cheaper than the competition (and we will have to make this the case, at least in the first one to two years of the companys life) in order to draw potential clients out from Zumo and bring them in to us. High quality produce would be required, with an emphasis on fair trade fruits in order to increase popularity with the public. Perhaps a companywide statement saying Juicy Fruits will only buy fair trade produce would be in order. This would also be an excellent selling point for the new business and would hopefully draw in new customers. Sales Strategy The promotional and marketing side of the business will be about à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1000. When the company is set up the business will then open up with promotions such as a buy 1 get the 2nd at half price offer. This type of strategy has been very successful with food and beverage industries and I have no doubt that this type of strategy will give Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd the start-up success it needs Pricing I have analysed the pricing scheme for Juicy Fruits competitors along with our prices which are as follows: Juicy Fruits Zumo Smoothies à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3 large, à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2 small Smoothies à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬4 Energy Drinks à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.50 Energy Drinks à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3 Soft Drinks à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.50 bottle, à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1 can Soft Drinks à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.70 Ice Cream à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.20 Ice Cream à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.50 Fruit Juices à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.00 Fruit Juices à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.50 Chocolate à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.00 Chocolate à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1.30 From the table above, Juicy Fruits pricing scheme is quite better and attractive than Zumos pricing scheme. Zumos products are much more expensive than Juicy Fruits which would help the consumer on choosing a product for less. It would be a decision of supply and demand. Research Development In the food and beverage industry, the requirement for RD is a crucial element as it involves checking your competitive advantage and also keeps tabs on your competition. Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will be providing new smoothie recipes and will require more market research to ensure that these recipes have not been already invented. If and when a new recipe is invented patents, copyrights and branding legal requirements will need to put in place. If the new inventions and products are not legalised then anybody could take the products and use them for their own. With legalisation, this helps to eliminate this with the legal system. Staffing Operations Management (including Board) Organisational Chart Staffing Training Plans With Juicy Fruits the recruitment and employment procedures will be like the same as many other businesses. The main procedures that this business will take will be an interview, performance appraisal and there will be a trial period. The main key areas that Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltds employment procedures will undergo will be: Conduct a job analysis and determine what the responsibilities of the job will be Determine what skills are needed to carry out these responsibilities Draft an advert Candidates to be chosen based on interview performance, availability and references At the end of about six months there will be a performance appraisal which will evaluate the job performance of each staff member in order to extend his/her employment The performance appraisal will help to: Inform employees on the status of their performance Check to see if the employee might require more training Identify personnel decisions; to analysis salary increases or bonuses Assess and provide communication between the employee and administration The trail period will be for one month and upon completion of that period there will be a small performance appraisal as mentioned above. Since the Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd is just starting up, there will be minimal amount of staff that will be required until the business expands which will then be a requirement to hire addition staff. Personnel Management Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltds management team will consist of a Director, an Operational Director, a Managing Director, and Accountant, General Manager a Supervisor. In order to deliver efficiency to the consumer it is critical that the products and machinery is up and running and that everything is fully operational. The Board of Directors will be as follows: Director (Stiophà ¡n Mac Suibhne) Operational Director (Padraig Sheehan) Managing Director ( Barry Cunneen) Accountant ( Jesse Dunham) Operations The main operational requirements for Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will include: Location for the business Staffing Inventory Functional Website (for promotional purposes) It is imperative that staff be fully trained on the equipment to include manual handling training and healthy and safety before the initial opening of the business. All legal requirements will need to complete before opening. Factors Determining Success The main factors that will determine the success and future success of Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd are: Competition it will be important for me and my colleagues to keep an ongoing track of the businesss competitors in order to reach full market potential. Since that Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd already has competition with some main companies offering the same type of products, it will be our job to continue to expand the business and continue to offer bigger and better offers and products. Reducing Overheads ensuring that the overheads will remain low will be our top priority and will continue to be a business objective. The main methods of reducing costs will be both change insurance requirements and cutting supplier costs as the business continues on. Development for Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd as already mentioned, Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will expand from one premises to many others pending the success within the first year of business. Market research such as surveys or questionnaires may provide feedback on our products and help to assess customer satisfaction High Customer Satisfaction customer satisfaction is the top success factor for this business and it will operate a boomerang approach to returning customers if they are kept happy with the products and service. Other Operational Factors The main operational factors that need to be addressed are: Quality Assurance: Keeping the products and customer service up to date will be a main priority. Location: Juicy Fruit Smoothies Ltd will need a location in either a shopping centre or a gym to start up. Many of these jui