Malaria Parasite Plasmodium and the Epidemiology of the Disease Essay

The Malaria Parasite Plasmodium and the Epidemiology of the Disease Abstract For ages malaria has affected mankind in almost all parts of the world. It has left a deep imprint on people who have been affected with the disease, and even today in countries where epidemics are common, malaria is a constant threat to people's daily lives. Malaria is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium (phylum Apicomplexa), and there are four species in the genus that cause the disease in humans. Their primary hosts and transmission vectors are female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles; humans act as intermediate hosts. Places near the equator with a warm, subtropical climate are most susceptible to malaria endemics. More than half of the cases of malaria occur in sub-Saharan Africa. It was only recently that developments have been made to research the eradication of the disease on a global scale. Malaria, Italian for ?bad air?, is an infectious disease which for nearly 4,000 years has terrorized mankind in many parts of the world. It has greatly influenced human populations and human history, and even today, malaria is a leading cause of disease and death in the world with over one million deaths every year (Sherman 91). This means that every 30 seconds, a person dies from malaria. Unfortunately, the general public knows only little about the disease, which is one of the key reasons as to why so many people suffer from malaria. However, since the turn of the 20th century, a great deal of knowledge has been uncovered by microbiologists about this merciless killer. The biology behind malaria is extremely complex. As opposed to popular belief, malaria is actually a family of four different diseases caused by four different parasi... ...y 1. Day, Nancy. Malaria, West Nile, and other Mosquito-Borne Diseases. London: Enslow Publishers, 2001. 2. Desowitz, Robert S. The Malaria Capers: More Tales of People, Research, and Reality. Greenwich: W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. 3. Doolan, Denise L. Malaria Methods and Protocols. Denver: Humana Press, 2002. 4. ?Malaria.? 19 June 2006. Wikipedia. 18 Jul. 2006 . 5. ?Malaria Information.? 30 May 2005. Centers for Disease Control. DDT. 18 Jul 2006 . 6. Roberts, Roger. The Green Killing Fields; the Need for DDT to Defeat Malaria and Reemerging Diseases. AEI Press, 2006. 7. Sherman, Irwin W. Molecular Approaches to Malaria. New York: ASM Press, 2005. 8. The Malaria Eradication Project. Ed. Maya Winifred. May 2000. Indiana University. 22 Jul 2006 . 8 Malaria Parasite Plasmodium and the Epidemiology of the Disease Essay The Malaria Parasite Plasmodium and the Epidemiology of the Disease Abstract For ages malaria has affected mankind in almost all parts of the world. It has left a deep imprint on people who have been affected with the disease, and even today in countries where epidemics are common, malaria is a constant threat to people's daily lives. Malaria is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium (phylum Apicomplexa), and there are four species in the genus that cause the disease in humans. Their primary hosts and transmission vectors are female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles; humans act as intermediate hosts. Places near the equator with a warm, subtropical climate are most susceptible to malaria endemics. More than half of the cases of malaria occur in sub-Saharan Africa. It was only recently that developments have been made to research the eradication of the disease on a global scale. Malaria, Italian for ?bad air?, is an infectious disease which for nearly 4,000 years has terrorized mankind in many parts of the world. It has greatly influenced human populations and human history, and even today, malaria is a leading cause of disease and death in the world with over one million deaths every year (Sherman 91). This means that every 30 seconds, a person dies from malaria. Unfortunately, the general public knows only little about the disease, which is one of the key reasons as to why so many people suffer from malaria. However, since the turn of the 20th century, a great deal of knowledge has been uncovered by microbiologists about this merciless killer. The biology behind malaria is extremely complex. As opposed to popular belief, malaria is actually a family of four different diseases caused by four different parasi... ...y 1. Day, Nancy. Malaria, West Nile, and other Mosquito-Borne Diseases. London: Enslow Publishers, 2001. 2. Desowitz, Robert S. The Malaria Capers: More Tales of People, Research, and Reality. Greenwich: W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. 3. Doolan, Denise L. Malaria Methods and Protocols. Denver: Humana Press, 2002. 4. ?Malaria.? 19 June 2006. Wikipedia. 18 Jul. 2006 . 5. ?Malaria Information.? 30 May 2005. Centers for Disease Control. DDT. 18 Jul 2006 . 6. Roberts, Roger. The Green Killing Fields; the Need for DDT to Defeat Malaria and Reemerging Diseases. AEI Press, 2006. 7. Sherman, Irwin W. Molecular Approaches to Malaria. New York: ASM Press, 2005. 8. The Malaria Eradication Project. Ed. Maya Winifred. May 2000. Indiana University. 22 Jul 2006 . 8

Candida by George Bernard Shaw Essay -- Candida George Bernard Shaw Es

Candida by George Bernard Shaw This isn't necessarily a negative thing; they're all well suited to each other, and create a sort of synergy that drives the play. But they're each quite different in their own respect. The main ones, Candida, Eugene and James are all written to be strong characters, and the way they were portrayed in the production our class saw lived up to this classification. However, this doesn't apply to everything. Some of the characters were stretched to make the play appeal to a newer generation in a newer day and age, at the expense of the dignity of at least one of the characters. Eugene. Eugene is a disowned poet who falls in love with Candida, the wife of Reverend James. He's a brilliant artist and spews nothing but truisms from beginning to end. However, the words don't really match the performance. Eugene uses a level of language that connotes a dignified, noble upbringing, which is supported within the context of the story. However, the actor, and director, inevitably, felt that to modernize the play they needed to make him more undi...

Fast food and health promotion Essay

Abstract Healthy eating is a major concern of the public and has been under-researched for decades. A successful healthy eating campaign can help to raise awareness and in the long run, prevent and minimize long-term diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer. This can also reduce the burden on the National Health Service. For all of these reasons, this dissertation aims to determine what people eat, why they choose to eat the way they do and whether they feel the Government has done enough to promote healthy eating. Initially, this study examines the trends of contemporary food culture by sociologists and the marketing powers of promotion to increase student awareness on healthy eating. A discussion on Government policies indicates the efficacy of the Government to reach students with their healthy eating promotion in this country. This study uses qualitative research methods to determine the awareness of the students, on healthy eating and their opinions on the Government’s attempt to promote a healthy nation. Based on the data gathered in this research, an evaluation was made on whether healthy eating promotion is effective in today’s student society. In this study, student choices of food were shown to be primarily affected by price, taste and peer pressure. This is in contrast with the available literature which suggests that social class, culture, the food industries and Government campaigns are the main influences on people’s eating habits. Introduction This dissertation aims to understand how food is promoted and consumed by the public. Our choices of food are affected by many factors such as our social class, our culture, and the media and Government campaigns. Over the past thirty years a surge of interest has arisen and an increase in the consumption of fast food. However, more recently health concerns regarding fast food consumption has surfaced. Sociologists often seek explanations for human behavior and try to link this with the environment in which they live in. Similarly, sociologists such as Alan Warde have examined contemporary food culture and suggested reasons that influence people’s choice. Initially, changes in food consumption patterns and healthy eating promotions from different dimensions were examined. The  © 2006 The International Journal of Urban Labour and Leisure 1 dissertation then describes the interviews that were conducted with regards to healthy eating. Some key findings were revealed to support the sociological theories. Finally, the discussion sums up and reflects the findings in relation to these theories and see if there is any correlation between the two. This research was undertaken at a University and based on ten one-to-one interviews. It is important to examine whether we are eating healthily. Food is the basic necessity in life humans consume daily. In this dissertation I want to explore student’s knowledge on healthy eating and whether the Government is doing enough to promote a healthier nation. Sociological Promotion. Perspectives on Food Consumption and Healthy Eating Current Trends in Food Consumption Food consumption relates to the substances that are taken in to produce energy, stimulate growth and maintain life. It consists of essential body nutrients, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins or minerals. Healthy food is considered to be highly beneficial to health, especially a food grown organically or free of additives. Food consumption has tilted towards fast food culture over the past few decades due to its price, convenience and the shortage of eating time. In this section, general consumption trends will be studied and the change of consumer culture over time will be discussed. Sociologists like Bourdieu and Bauman have written literature and devised their own theories on the consumption of food. Many of them believe that this is a structureagency debate. In other words, how social structure shapes our actions and how we, in turn, shape the social structure (Germov, 1999:302). One of the examples given by Pierre Bourdieu is that the way we consume food reflected our social class and background (Warde, 1997:9). He argued that consumption is based upon cultural upbringing and is therefore socially embedded. Bauman, on the other hand, saw consumption as â€Å"less restricted† rather than another part of life (Warde, 1997:10). In reality, Bauman claimed that there is a small role for choices, for example, we cannot choose to be born into which family, but within consumption, we have more power to alter our choices. Bauman believed that individuals are thought to gradually detach themselves from the social regulations and create their own personal identity by making their own choices. These two theories differ in relation to social environment and habits, to freedom of choice on the consumption of food. Bourdieu’s theory is more commonly practiced in modern society as different social classes dominate our choice of food. The working class tends to eat food which has a â€Å"high amount of animal fat†, compared with the middle and upper classes (Mennell, 1992:54). Besides, people from poorer backgrounds may understand that fresh food is healthier; however, they could not afford to travel further to purchase fresh food (Whelan, 2002: 2083). Therefore they tended to purchase cheap quality food with a high fat content, from nearby shops.  © 2006 The International Journal of Urban Labour and Leisure 2 There have been rapid changes in food consumption over the past few decades. Alan Warde, in his book, Consumption, Food & Taste suggested four theses for the changes in eating habits. Firstly, people have more freedom on the choice of food, but are uncertain of what to eat. In modern society, we have a wider range of food available to us. As technology is constantly improving, we are no longer restricted by the seasons and harvests, which had affected people previously (Beardworth, 2000:33). However, Claude Fischler saw this as an â€Å"omnivore’s paradox† (Warde, 1997:30). Human beings want a variety to choose from; however, they feel anxious and unsure about trying new foodstuffs. This can be further explained by the changing concept of food poverty. In the past, food poverty was referred to as â€Å"lack of food, under- nutrition† (Adams, 2000:48). In the contemporary society, food poverty means â€Å"overabundance of processed foods, lack of balance diet† (Adams, 2000:48). Before, we experienced under nutrition, and now, we suffer from an unbalanced diet. Although we may have more food than before, we do not know what to choose. This reflects the lack of education in healthy eating. The second thesis suggested that in a mass producing society, people would consume similar products and gradually lose their identities. Individual producers tend to dominate particular industrial markets, for example big brands like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola target customers en mass. Mass food production can be explained by ‘McDonaldisation’, where customers experience the â€Å"same look, same service, same products and same taste† (Germov, 1999:12). This thesis is supported by a report by the Financial Times Exporter in 1995 (Adams, 2002:47). In the report, sixty-five percent of people in China recognized the brand name Coca Cola and nearly half of the people knew big brands like Pepsi. This concluded that large corporations ‘mould’ our taste and have great control over our choice of food. One may argue that supermarkets bring a wider selection to people. In fact, some of the varieties are created by developing alternative forms of packaging and storing methods, such as canned fish, frozen fish and fresh fish (Warde, 1997:167). Therefore, we will enjoy many versions of the same products. In a broader view of the food industry, the five largest supermarkets in the UK, dominates seventy percent of the grocery market. (Adams, 2002:47) This large market share led to the closure of many local stores. Single mothers or elderly people who live in rural areas will suffer a further limitation of food due to the restriction on mobility and financial support (Whelan, 2002:2083). Since mass production has moulded our tastes and choices, consumers start losing their personal taste and identities. To react against this passive consuming pattern, people are driven towards the post-Fordist view on consumption, which is the main focus of the third thesis. In the post-Fordist world, all commodities are expected to be more consumer-orientated. As the consumer’s expenditure increases, they expect the quality of food to be higher. People require greater differentiation of the commodities in different markets. For example, McDonalds serves a different menu across the world to accommodate differing cultures with distinct tastes. This is illustrated by McDonald franchises in Germany, whom also serve beer as refreshment. Customers hope to buy food that serves their interests and their local traditions. Businesses increase their profits and the consuming power; by produce the right products for the targeted consumers. A more suitable product for the customers, equates to more purchases which in turn equates to more income.  © 2006 The International Journal of Urban Labour and Leisure 3. The final thesis describes the persistence of social differentiation. Warde uses Bourdieu’s theory to prove that food consumption is a â€Å"means of expressing ‘distinction’† and has social meanings behind it. For example, class differences play a role in dictating eating habits. In this way, food consumption has more social meanings than a consume-to-survive model. In comparing the eating behaviour of manual workers and white collar workers, Bourdieu observed that clerical staff paid more attention to body maintenance and slimness whilst manual workers, paid limited attention to their waistline. This observation is seen in France. In Britain, Warde suggested that class distinction in relation to food has been more obvious in recent decades. Finkelstein supports this idea by saying that â€Å"dinning out is an expression of individuality, choice, spontaneity and that we select restaurants for food and price in ways which demonstrate our discrimination and what we value and desire† (Beardsworth, 1997:119). The interest of the media, increasing eating-out habits and foreign cuisines are becoming more common, food consumption has made a significant distinction between classes. There is a clear line between the richer and the poorer, and who can afford to taste different types of food. These theses have helped us to understand the reasons behind changes in food consumption. Fast food outlets are one of the popular choices for dinning out and have had a big impact on our food consumption. In the following paragraph, the significant effects that fast food has on our choices of diet will be examined. A Fast Food Nation? Fast food culture has penetrated into our lives and influenced our eating habits. The fast food industry grew fast in the 1990s. In 1991, fast food had reached nineteen percent of the global consumer catering market (Tansey, 1995: 133). From 1992 to 2003, expenditure spent on eating and drinking outside home has increased by 89. 9 per cent. (Website 1) These food shops provide roast chicken, pizza, etc. However, there is a limited choice of food and most of them have a high fat content (Millstein, 1993: 220). Excessive consumption predisposes individuals to a great deal of health problems in later life. Foods high in fats can cause high blood pressures, cancer, atherosclerosis and heart disease. In recent years, the increase in consciousness of healthy eating has forced the fast food chains to change their menu in order to survive. For example, McDonalds now offers a new menu which includes green salad, carrot sticks and a fresh fruit pack. This was done in response to public concern about the nutritional values of its food, following the film â€Å"Supersize Me†. This programme follows Morgan Spurlock who lived on nothing but McDonalds for an entire month. Spurlock risked his health the sake of this project and it resulted in numerous visits to the doctor. (Website 2) Increasingly, fast food chains have started to advertise with the concept of â€Å"light or low fat† meals. As a customer, we are often misled by these statements and believe that the â€Å"low fat† meal is a healthier option. The Times Newspaper compared the fat content and the price of a standard burger with a chicken caesar salad. (Website 3) With regards to the price, the salad costs twenty nine pence more than a Big Mac. Data shows that a chicken salad with dressing and croutons contains 21. 4g of fat, whereas a standard burger only contains 7. 7g of fat. Even adding a portion of chips to the burger will result in a smaller amount of fat (16. 7g) than the salad. (Website 3) One may think that the salad dressing causes the high fat content of the salad; however, this is not true.  © 2006 The International Journal of Urban Labour and Leisure 4 From the McDonalds website, a chicken caesar salad without a dressing still contains more fat than a burger. (Website 4) Another shocking data is the salt content of the crispy chicken ranch salad is more than half of the Government’s recommended daily allowance of 6g. (Website 4) Therefore, the salad which seems like a healthier option to the consumer is in fact more expensive and less healthy than a burger. Other than fast food chains, consumers can purchase fast food from the supermarkets. Ready meals, frozen or canned food can be categorized as fast food (Millstone, 2003: 94). With the invention of the microwave, ready meal culture has been further developed. There was a rapid increase in the sale of microwaves from five million in 1981 to seventy million in 2000 (Milldstone, 2003: 94). Microwaves enable food to be ready within minutes whereas it may take at least half an hour to cook a meal using the oven. In 1997, an Australian newspaper demonstrated how different social classes chose different fast foods (Germov, 1999: 137). Wealthier and well educated people believed that choosing takeaway foods such as Thai and Japanese are higher in nutrition (Germov, 1999: 137). On the other hand, people in the lower socioeconomic state tended to consume food with a high fat and salt content, for example, pizzas and burgers. Therefore, we could find â€Å"nutritional underclass† with distinct eating patterns (Germov, 1999: 137). Nutritional underclass refers to the difficulty of lower socioeconomic groups in making choices about food and diet. This is turn leads to a poor nutritional intake. By comparing different consumption patterns of takeaway food between people in different classes, two features have been developed. Firstly, fast food is consumed and well developed in all classes but wealthier people tend to have more choices available to them. Besides, most fast food does not provide the consumer with balanced nutritional values that we need from a meal. That is a reason why the public label fast food as unhealthy food. Our food consumption patterns are affected by different media in our society. These are a powerful way of educating the public with the knowledge of what is healthy to eat and how to eat healthy. The following paragraphs examine the effectiveness of the healthy eating promotions. Health Promotion (By Government, Media, Food Industries). Different groups have tried to promote healthy eating in their own distinct ways. Several groups take control over our choices of food and actively promote healthy eating. These include: the Government departments, the food industries and the media. The progress and the effectiveness of the healthy eating promotion campaigns within these sectors will now be examined. The Governments the dominant enforcement body has introduced many healthy eating promotion initiatives to push the nation to eat more healthily. Its aim is to enforce regulations on food production in a bid to prevent illness (Mennell, 1992:40), so as to reduce the costs and burden on National Health Service. The Government has come a long way on the healthy eating campaign. The emergence that some of  © 2006 The International Journal of Urban Labour and Leisure 5 our diets are responsible for certain diseases such as cancer, new food policies were created to improve and promote healthy eating (Baggott 2000,168). From the early 1970s onwards, the Government became more aware of the public’s diet and set up several organizations such as the Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food and Policy (COMA), the National Advisory Committee on Nutrition Education (NACNE) and the Joint Advisory Committee on Nutrition Education. (Baggott, 2000:136) Their mission was to provide nutritional advice to the public and promote healthy eating. (Beardsworth, 2000:136) However, the Government departments’ interference with the work of these organisations resulted in little success being achieved (Baggott 2000:170). With the increasing public interest in health and food safety in the 1990s, the Labour Government introduced tougher policies on food and health when they came to power in 1997 (Baggott, 2000:175). The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been authorized a new set of powers to give nutrition guidelines and labelling advice. The FSA recommended six grams of salt per day and wanted to introduce the â€Å"colourcoded system† on ready-made foods, so customers could identify the fat, salt and sugar content of the food by the labels. The FSA believes that specific seasoning contained within the food, will determine whether it is healthy or not. Food with a low salt, fat and sugar content is considered to be healthy by the FSA. (Website 5) The colour-coded system will show consistency for all food packaging; therefore, it is easier for everyone, including children, to recognize the foods which are considered to be healthy and also reduces any confusion. In February 2004, the National Health Service (NHS) published a free booklet called â€Å"Five a Day Made Easy† to promote a healthier lifestyle. (Website 1) It believes that eating five portions of fruit or vegetable per day, is eating healthily. Therefore, the Government considers fruit and vegetables as the key element of healthy food. In November 2004, the FSA put forward the ‘traffic light labels’ to the Public Health White Paper. (Website 7) However, there are a lot of pressures around this recommendation. The food and farming industries were worried that full labelling indicating the fat, sugar and salt content will increase their cost and cause restriction on their marketing strategies. (Baggott 2000:171) Moreover, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) who is the largest representative of the food and drink manufacturing companies pointed out that the ‘traffic light labels’ are too â€Å"simplistic, subjective and potentially misleading†. (Website 8) Rather than help consumers fit the labelled food into a balanced diet, it is likely that they will simply view the food as good or dismiss it as bad. There are pressures that prohibit the Government from implying more regulation on food labels. Since the closure of food industries do not simply lead to less food choices, but also a great deal of job losses and plunging of the economy, the Government is required to think carefully about the implications of new regulations and whether the new comprehensive food label would working on not. The media also plays an important role in promoting healthy eating concepts. The term media refers to television, radio, poster advertisements, and newspaper and magazine articles. With the media’s wide spread of power, the issues they brought up helped to give information on diets quickly. However, it is debatable whether all the media are impartial and helpful in improving our diets. Since most of the media  © 2006 The International Journal of Urban Labour and Leisure 6 relied on the advertising revenues to survive, concerns are made to the effect of their advertisers (Tansey, 1995:183). In the advertising aspect, American children watch 20,000 commercials a year where at least 10,000 of them are food products. (Millstein 1993:219) In Britain, food industries have spent forty billion every year on advertising (Millstone, 2003: 98). Food advertisements are wide spread on television, magazines, radio, internet and posters on the street. Most of the advertised products are branded and processed. More importantly, compared with the perishable food, they are high in sugars, refined starches, fats and added salt (Millstone, 2003:98). These advertisements persuade consumers to buy more. Food products such as chocolates and crisps are promoted to the teenage market (Conner, 2002:120). Children consume the confectionaries between meal times which lead them to miss out their meals, consequently, not acquiring enough nutrition (Dobson, 1994:19). The effects of advertisements are powerful, but not always helping to promote healthy eating ideas. Media can be a direct tool to help the public understand the scientific reports and learn about food safety and what is healthy to eat. However, sometimes the headlines of the news reports are misleading and exaggerated. One of examples is the headline from New York Times â€Å"Low fat diet does not cut health risks†, where that heading is referring to a study of women aged fifty to seventy-nine years old with respect to breast cancer research (Newsweek, March 2006). People who do not read the details will presume that low fat diet is useless in maintaining health, whereas if you read the whole article one will find out that low fat diet does not reduce your risk of breast cancer. The media penetrates every household and although it might not always guide the public on healthy foods, they are definitely helping to shape the future food consumption patterns. Food industries and the retailers produce and sell the food. Food industries promote their products in a healthy manner only because of the market’s need. The major concern of a food business is to make profit. There is a limit on how much a person can eat and consume, therefore the overall demand for food will not increase much. However, the food industries can further expand their market and make more profit by adding value to fresh food and turning them into commodity goods such as canned food, frozen food etc (Warde, 1997:191). Food processors have a set of ingredients to ‘add-value’, they are sugar, starch, fat and flavourings (Tansey, 1995:111). Consequently, processed food is not as healthy as raw food. In order to fulfil the customers’ health desires, supermarkets use healthy eating as one of their promotional strategies. Tesco has improved their company image by initiating healthy eating and has launched food labels on its retail products (Murcott, 1998:119). Although its original aim was to increase profit, it did arouse people’s attentions to eat healthier. On one hand, the supermarkets are promoting healthy eating; on the other hand, they develop all sort of processed food such as chilled and ready meals at the same time to exploit another market. Most supermarkets have developed their own branded products. This is to enlarge their market share rather than providing customers with a wider choice. One of the examples is chilled ready-meals where this kind of product was completely new in 1980s (Murcott, 1998:119). Marks and Spencer, as a pioneer, developed this market. By the 1990s, this market was worth over three hundred million pounds per annum  © 2006 The International Journal of Urban Labour and Leisure 7 (Murcott, 1998:119). These ready-meals are one of the processed foods with added salt and sugar. With confusing food labels on the packaging, consumers can hardly calculate how much salt they consume. Since the central aim of food manufacturers and retailers are to make profit, their intention to promote healthy eating is not convincing enough. There is still a baffling question of what to eat is value for money and good for health (Jenkins, 1991: 54). Do We Have a Choice to Eat Healthy? Although we are responsible for looking after our own health, the public, private and voluntary sectors have directed our choice of food. Our choices of food are affected by social, cultural and political factors rather than individuals’ preference. Social factors included class, age, family backgrounds considerations. The direct social-economical restriction of our choice of food is the amount of money we have available to spend on food. Jenkins supports this idea by noting that â€Å"knowledge is a source of consumer power, but only when you have got money to spend† (Jenkins, 1991:72). Our choices of food are based on the amount of wealth. He pointed out that poorer people tended to pay more for food. This is not only due to the limitation of transport, but due to the amount of product they could afford to buy (Jenkins, 1991: 74). Small purchases are more expensive compare with bulk sales. Poor people suffer from the consequences of supermarket sale strategy. For example, the price for two packs of chicken thighs is 148 pence per pound, whilst the price for eight packs of chicken thighs is 135 pence per pound (Jenkins, 1991:73). Customers will get a better deal if they buy products in bulk. This illustrates that poor people know how to eat healthily, but they cannot afford to do so. Other than getting food that is not value for money, poor people suffer the fact that they know what is good for them but cannot afford to purchase it. For poor people, food expenditure is elastic and paying for other bills to maintain the living is more important (Murcott, 1998:177). Cutting the food budget is the most direct way to save money. Therefore, even though parents know that fresh juice is more nutritional than squash, they can do nothing about it. At the end of the day, even if the government has successfully promoted the healthy eating concept to the public, certain people still do not eat healthily due to the financial constraints. Different age groups have various food consumption patterns. The elderly prefer to stick with the traditional food for instance roast meat, whereas young people adopt new things such as rice or curries easily (Murcott, 1998:175). There is a rapid development of convenience food, but it does not necessarily mean that people in all age groups enjoy more choices to eat healthy. The elderly is an example that demonstrates a negative perception on fast food and ready-meals and they believe that home-cooked food is healthier. Therefore, a larger range of processed products do not mean a greater choice of food for everyone. Our eating habits are also constructed by the environment in which we grow up. Therefore, our families have a direct effect on our diet. A research was carried out in the early 1980s, on all major aspects of family food provision and consumption (Rodmell, 1986:73). This study found that the role of the housewife did not  © 2006 The International Journal of Urban Labour and Leisure 8 automatically give you the power to make a decision of what to prepare for meals. Surprisingly, most housewives claimed that they would cook whatever their husbands liked, in order to please them. Some wives claimed that even though they did not like the unhealthy diets, they would still cook it for their husbands to reward them for a long working day. As a child, there was less choice; they had to eat what was given to them. As a result, our tastes of food are customized by the working men. Recently, with the increasing number of single parent households, where many of them are either unemployed or earn a small amount of money, the choice of food remains to the individuals who purchase food for the rest of the family. Cultural differences affect our choices of food and whether we know how to eat healthily with our ethnicity backgrounds and traditions. There is a diversity of health implications and how people define healthy choices among different cultures. People have their own traditions in choosing and cooking food. ‘One size fits all’ health education programmes do not fit all the ethnics. One of the examples is that in Chinese traditions, food is divided in to ‘yang’ (hot) and ‘yin’ (cold), where eating yang food when our body is in yin’s condition and vice versa (Germov, 1999:150). Therefore, the health professionals have to study the background of minority groups and teach them to eat healthily without spoiling their culture. To familiarise the ethnic minority groups with the nutrient value, specialists about particular cultures are required to educate the minority group with healthy eating knowledge. There have been a few changes in food labelling policy, but these regulations have never requested manufacturers to provide a comprehensive nutrition label. As a customer, we have the right to know what kind of ingredients are in the processed food that we are consuming. However, food industries remain powerful and can keep the customers in ignorance. The Health Education Authority performed a survey with regards to food labels in the early 1990s (Hea, 1996:19). In this survey, twenty five percent of the informants have never read the nutritional information on food packages. This shows that the food label is important in directing food choices, as three quarters of those questioned follow guidance from the nutritional advice. Therefore, providing a comprehensive label on food packaging is essential. In recent years, a great deal of new products has had dishonest slogans on them, such as â€Å"low fat†, â€Å"freshly squeezed†, and â€Å"no artificial additives† (Jenkins, 1991:43). For example, olestra is a type of oil used to produce ‘low fat’ products. However, it brings significant side effects such as abdominal cramps when we consume it in large amounts (Germov, 1999:303). As a customer, reading the food label is not sufficient to conclude whether a particular product is healthy or not, we have to under the meaning behind these â€Å"low fat† products. In a food market where food labels are not universal and some of the packaging is misleading, there is no way to ensure that the product we choose is healthy. Knowing what is healthy is not good enough for the contemporary food market, consumers also have to learn and understanding the meanings behind the food labels. Therefore, understanding how to eat healthily is important, but regulations on food labels are also essential.  © 2006 The International Journal of Urban Labour and Leisure 9 Methodology. Research Aim There are a few aims for this research. This study aims to explore perceptions on the healthy eating concept and review the reasons behind people’s choice of food. Furthermore, it seeks to examine awareness of Government policies on healthy eating promotion. It is also important to examine the reliability of food labels and the popularity of fast food culture. Semi-structured Interviews. It is important to see if there is a correlation between the literatures in chapter one and the research I do, therefore, selecting an appropriate way to carry out this research is essential. Semi-structured interviews were held on a one-to-one basis where interviewees were given a few topics to discuss. This interview consisted of three main parts. Part A is concerned about the interviewees’ healthy eating concepts and their view of contemporary eating culture. By understanding how they defined a healthy diet, participants were asked to review their food consumption habits, restrictions on food shopping and their opinion on fast food culture. In the final of the interview, I enquired about their knowledge on Government policies and supermarket promotions on healthy eating. This research aimed to understand people’s view and opinion rather than to test their knowledge and numerical data. Therefore, it is more suitable to use a qualitative approach. Qualitative research helps to develop interviewees’ personal opinions and experiences for this research. The research is based on one-to-one semi structured interviews, which allows me to have more freedom in developing the interview and pursue further questions in response to the replies received (Bryman, 2004:543). Each interview lasted approximately an hour in order to allow interviewees to express themselves fully. In order not to interfere with the interview, I did not express my opinions on the topics. I guided the discussions with the same topic questions for everyone.

Business HL: Burger King

Burger King’s global expansion plays a key role in the business’ hopes in overtaking McDonald’s prestigious position in the profitable fast-food world. Currently maintaining its spot as the second-largest global fast-food brand in the world, Burger King’s senior officials realize that they must effectively strategize their global marketing skills. As a global titan in the fast-food world, it is apparent that Burger King’s investment appraisal skills have paid off. Through this report, I will aim to answer the question: â€Å"Should Burger King open a franchise in Pakistan?†The first portion of my report will be the research overlook. This will outline my entire report. I will include a rationale, theoretical framework, and methodology. These will briefly overview the basis of my report.The second portion of my report will include my research findings, my analysis, and my calculations. SWOT and PEST will be amongst the analytical tools that wi ll be shown. My research will be mainly secondary but I will show a hint of primary findings. My conclusion will answer my question from a financial and non-financial perspective.The numerical values used in the â€Å"Calculations† and â€Å"Main Results and Findings† sections are estimates. The price obtained for the value of a 500 square meter plot in a commercial area was given by Pakistani real estate companies. The annual cash flow is a forecast based on the amount of cash McDonald’s generates annually in Pakistan and the average amount of cash a fast food restaurant generates per year.IntroductionBurger King’s plethora of notorious legal issues has resulted in a loss of money and reputation. Although their cost cuts have resulted in higher earnings, their revenues continue to fall along with their share prices. In order to restore their reputation and higher their revenues, it is important for the brand to tackle international expansion opportunitie s, especially in regions where their sphere of influence is low.When deciding whether to open an international franchise, a number of financial and non-financial aspects must be taken into account. The political state, consumer preferences, and cultural distinctions in Pakistan must be considered. On top of this, it is important to assess the profitability and desirability of the expansion (i.e. Investment appraisal). Burger King is not very prominent in the East and so building their prominence in sub-continental Asia will be a milestone in their global influence.This has therefore led me to research the following question: â€Å"Should Burger King open a franchise in Pakistan?† Research Question â€Å"Should Burger open a franchise in Pakistan?† Procedure/MethodMy research was fully gained through secondary resources. Online sources were used to provide interviews with Burger King Officials, get financial statistics, and gather information on Burger King’s mar keting strategies. My information was collected from online databases that specialize in marketing and financial monitoring. I obtained my balance sheets from these databases also. I discovered an interview in QSR Magazine. This interview was also used in my research and findings. Possible problems I could face are the biased in the interview I found and the reliability of my numbers (credibility of my sources). The research I obtained was very useful. I am fortunate to have found a large number of sources to choose from. My non-financial data is fully based on my research. I did not face any problems during this report.If I could do this report again, I would explore more financial aspects of the issue being explored. This is because numerical research is more reliable than non-financial findings. Non-financial findings give room for bias. All in all, I feel like this was a successful report.AnalysisSWOT AnalysisThe estimated payback period is about six and a half years; this relat ively low payback period. This is because the franchise will be profitable. The cost of labor in Pakistan is low due to the minimum wage laws in the country. Furthermore, there is a high rate on unemployment. Although the unemployment rates are decreasing, the amount of working-aged citizens that are unemployed is still high. Weaknesses presented by this appraisal include expensive land, expensive food products, power shortages, and political instability.The political state of Pakistan is extremely volatile, especially this year. Elections are being held this year and so tensions amongst opposing supporters is high. Atop this, constant riots and protests shake the stability of the nation. A political unrest could result in vandalism and our destruction of property. The largely anti-American attitude in Pakistan is also a problem due to the fact that Burger King is an American fast-food chain. This problem can be potentially decreased however, with insurance and an extensive continge ncy plan. Moving on, the political state of Pakistan has resulted in a high price for fruits and vegetables. Vegetables are necessary in order for this business to strive.In addition to a high cost for vegetables, the cost of 500 square meters of land is also relatively high ($350,000). This is not too large of an issue  however. This is because the land will be bought and not rented. Thus, the cost of the land was included in the calculations for the payback period, which turned out to be low. Lastly, power shortages are abundant. Load shedding is very consistent. Thus, the cost of a generator must be taken into account. The threats presented by this investment have already been mentioned; safety, power shortages, and the year of elections). The opportunities presented by this investment are vast. First and foremost, this will be the first Burger King franchise in Pakistan.As mentioned in my introduction, Burger King, unlike its completion (McDonald’s) lacks Asiatic franch ises. The success of this franchise may lead to the commencing of more franchises around the region. The cheap labor makes it attractive and profitable. Furthermore, there will be a larger range of consumers. Because Burger King has a very limited amount of franchises present in sub-continental Asia, its menu is not fit to satisfy Pakistanis. New customers and new flavor preferences will likely result in the production of new food items. These may be popular on a global scale. In addition to new products, Burger King will strengthen its fan base.PEST AnalysisExternal political factors have already been mentioned in the previous sub-section (SWOT Analysis). Civil unrest is extremely unpredictable due to the hostile state of the government and citizens. Unrest could potentially cause result in lasting, detrimental effects. Mediocre health and safety laws may also be an issue. Optimal hygiene factors influence the performance of the business’ employees. Also, it is vital to have optimal hygiene in order to attract customers. In addition to health and safety laws, minimum wage laws are also low. This is seen as a pro rather than a con as it ensures cheaper labor.Economic issues are also abundant in Pakistan. The weak currency is one example. The rupee is constantly dropping and so exchange rates will be high. However, due to Pakistan’s Islamic form of banking, there is no interest. This is a convincing quality of the location. Moreover, economic growth in Pakistan is very mediocre. Moving on, pork/ham is illegal in Pakistan. Ham makes up much of the Burger King menu and so they must be willing to modify the menu in order for optimal effectiveness. Also, the culture in Pakistan is highly patriarchal.Women are expected to  stay home and cook. Families usually eat home cooked meals together, at home. This may be an issue as this can result in a smaller customer count. However, the Pakistani population is growing constantly and so there are many more c hildren from newer generations. Teenagers are Burger King’s most loyal customers. Furthermore, there is a sense of anti-Americanism in Pakistan. This brings up many red flags. Burger King is an American fast-food chain and so boycott and/or vandalism must be taken into account when developing a contingency plan. This problem may not be such a big deal however. Pakistan is constantly modernizing.Views on the United States and American corporations are becoming more supportive and/or indifferent. Poverty may be the largest obstacle. Pakistan has an extremely high rate of illiteracy and poverty. This can negatively affect the franchise as many citizens will be incapable of affording fast-food. Contrastingly, Burger King can host fundraisers and/or other charity events to benefit the poor. This is one way in which they can bring up their reputation as a global brand. Lastly, the cost of packaging is high.ConclusionAccording to the SWOT analysis, the opportunities presented by thi s investment are far greater than the threats and the weaknesses. Furthermore, the payback period presented by this investment is relatively low and a franchise in Pakistan could majorly impact Burger King’s global sphere of influence. Opening a franchise in Pakistan will also add more variety to their flavor and potentially better their reputation. Their balance sheets and income statements would not show significant changes and so they were not mentioned (because this would be 1 of 11,000 franchises).In my opinion, opening a Burger King franchise in Pakistan is a swell idea. The opportunities and strengths outweigh the negatives. The franchise should open after elections to lessen the risk of political unrest.

Separation of Mixtures and Solids

After gathering all the material needed to conduct these experiments, the first experiment was initiated. The mixture of solids was weighed out as well as the 10cm square piece of paper and the weighing dish. The mixture was spread out in a very thin layer on a piece of paper, the magnet was wrapped with clear plastic and the magnet was passed over the mixture several times to remove the iron from the mixture.The iron was placed on the 10cm square paper and weighed. The next step was to separate out the sand. The sand was placed in the beaker with 50mL of water and heated to close to boiling. The hot liquid was poured into a Styrofoam cup and another 10mL of distilled water was added to the beaker and again it was heated to near boiling and poured into the same Styrofoam cup. The second heating was to ensure all the sodium chloride and benzoic acid was removed from the sand.The Styrofoam cup was placed into an ice bath, the benzoic acid began crystallizing in the ice bath as it start ed cooling. The sand in the beaker was heated very carefully to allow it to dry. After the sand was dried it was weighed. The benzoic acid and salt were separated. A filter paper was inserted in the funnel and the cup with the salt and benzoic acid was poured into the funnel. A graduated cylinder with 5mL of water was inserted into the ice bath; this was poured into the funnel to eliminate any of the sodium chloride that may have been missed.The filter paper was laid out on several paper towels to dry. After the filter paper has dried it will be weighed and the weight of the filter paper will be subtracted from the total to obtain the exact amount of the benzoic acid. The paper cup of sodium chloride was set aside to allow it to dry. Once it is dry it will be weighed and the weight of the paper cup will be subtracted to obtain the weight of the  sodium chloride.GramsPercent of MixtureTotalsSand5.4g54%54% Iron0.9g9%63% Dried Sand1.2g12%75% Salt1.8g18%93% Benzoic Acid0.7g7%100%Discu ssionI can see room for error when pouring the water out of the beaker some of the sand could be poured out with it, thereby creating an inaccurate result of dried sand. There is also the possibility of some of the benzoic acid and sodium chloride remaining in the beaker, getting stuck to the sides and again creating an inaccurate result for these two mixtures. When the water is poured through the paper in the funnel some of the benzoic acid could remain in the sodium chloride which would create another inaccurate amount for the benzoic acid.The iron could be slightly inaccurate due to the fact that it was not possible to get every single piece off the plastic wrap and into the dish, although the very small pieces may not have added up to much it might have contributed to an inaccurate amount. The initial sand weight is the most accurate; there was no room for error there.Questions1.How did your proposed procedures or flow charts at the beginning of this experiment compare to the ac tual procedures of this lab exercise? I knew the iron could be removed with a magnet. I wasn’t sure how to remove the sodium chloride and benzoic acid. 2.Discuss potential advantaged or disadvantaged of your proposed procedure compared to the one actually used. The only advantage to my procedure was using the magnet to remove the iron. I didn’t know how to remove the sodium chloride or benzoic acid. 3.How would you explain a sand recovery percentage that is higher than the original sand percentage?Perhaps you didn’t remove all the iron out or there was still some sodium chloride or benzoic acid still left in the sand. 4.What were potential sources of error in this experiment? When pouring water out of the beaker some of the sand could be poured out with it. There is also the  possibility of some of the benzoic acid and sodium chloride remaining in the beaker, getting stuck to the sides and again creating an inaccurate result for these two mixtures.When the wat er is poured through the paper in the funnel some of the benzoic acid could remain in the sodium chloride which would create another inaccurate amount for the benzoic acid. The iron could be slightly inaccurate due to the fact that it was not possible to get every single piece off the plastic wrap and into the dish, although the very small pieces may not have added up to much it might have contributed to an inaccurate amount.

Organizational Culture at Apple Inc

Organizational Culture at Apple Inc. In the year 1976, it was a dream for most people to buy a computer for their homes. Back then the computer community added up to a few brainy hobbyists. So when Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs sold a van and two programmable calculators for thirteen hundred dollars and started Apple Computers, Inc. , in Jobs garage, the reach for success seemed far. But these two young business men, Wozniak 26 years old and Jobs 21 years old, had a vision. Computers aren't for nerds anymore, they announced. Computers are going to be the bicycle of the mind. Low cost computers for everyone. From the first day on the founders of Apple kept their vision intact and they spoke it at every turn. They only hired people into the company that had the same visions as they did. Even though Jobs was the founder of Apple Computers, he resigned from Apple Computers in 1985 to form NextStep Computers after losing control of Apple. Steve Jobs was re-hired in 1997 to save Apple from its beleagurement when the past three CEO's could not bring Apple to its glory days again. Steve Jobs is one of the founders of the Apple. From the beginning his main goal was to make technologies that will change the life style and that will serve the customer. Jobs left the apple during the 80ies, only to return in 1997 and completely shake things up. He is known not only as a good visionare but as well as someone whose decisions are always unpredictable (switching to Intel). He is as well known for publicly provoking his competitors (Mac vs PC videos and talking how Michael Dell and his empire are far behind Apple when it comes to innovation and that they can only copy them. Knowing to implement excellent design to all of its products – Apple is putting a lot effort when it comes to design of all its products. After Steve jobs returned to the company, both desktop and laptop computers received new stylish helmets. Even the OS X and later Tiger had better appearance than Windows. Apple Computer, Inc. has experienced both the best of times and the worst of times. The further survival and success of this company will depend on what strategic course they decide to pursue. In order to do this, the company must first re-establish what it actually is and what it aims to become. It is important to start a course of action and develop a culture that understands and supports Apple’s mission. The computer industry is important for Apple. It should therefore concentrate in its expansion. However, survival in the computer industry depends on the development of new products and technology. Products are subject to quick obsolescence and being a leader in new products is essential. In the past, a budget was cut as a cost saving measure. This is still advised due to the importance of developing new technology. Another recommendation for Apple is to consider the licensing of clones. Apple is the only company in the PC market that makes both computers and the operating systems to run them, whereas the market is dominated by computers that combine Intel processors with Microsoft operating systems. Because of their financial situation, they need to better position themselves to quickly produce and distribute any newly developed products. For example, if they developed a revolutionary new product, cloning companies could assist in the production and distribution of this technology. Revenues would be generated from the licensing agreements. This could result in quickly establishing this new technology in the industry and re-establish Apple as a leader in technology development. Developing a better marketing and distribution of their products is a further recommendation for Apple. Apple products are not as available as PCs to the retail market. People should have as easy access to Apple products as they have on other PC’s. Next, Apple should develop an integrated and easy-to-use computer system. This system could be targeted to young children and older individuals that would be interested in using a computer but do not want the hassle of setting up equipment. Although there are many different strategies to consider, Apple’s future success will depend on their future strategic decisions. Next, Apple has proved to be much more innovative in the industry than Microsoft. By trying to be always one step further, Apple has managed to develop the iPod and iTunes, as well as the iPhone which are all complements to the digital industry. Microsoft has not developed anything new and original for a long time now. It seems that all they do is creating advanced version of the operating system that is not always compatible with the old ones. Unlike Microsoft who is desperately trying to buy Yahoo! nd stay competitive, Apple does not have to do anything to prove its popularity. It already has faithful customers and their numbers are increasing every day. The reason for this is Apple’s good knowledge in customer base. Apple’s move into new industry may have different effects on its core business. However, given the success of the iPod and iTunes as well as the further promotion on the iPhone, it is safe to say that Apple is doing well in both industries. This means that Apple has already shifted in a different direction (digital music) but so far it has had a lot of success. In fact, some people might have heard about the iPod first, and then found out that Apple is actually a big and successful company that manufacturers computers as well. If a customer is satisfied with one product, he/she will be willing to buy another from the same company. If a person sees that Apple is selling all of these different products, and they are all popular and good quality, there is no reason why this person would not buy from Apple. Apple already has loyal customers and any innovation that may happen could only lead to more success. It will also increase its profits and gain more popularity. This is why, we believe that moves into new industry might impact Apple’s core business, but in a good way – bring better promotion and reputation. There are number of reasons why apple is set up for success within computer and music industry. It designs a very good quality, compatible hardware and software products. The operating system that runs on the Mac hardware (Mac OS X) remains as the major advantage over any version of Microsoft poor quality operating system with a lot of viruses, worms, spyware, and adware. Apple creates programs that run on Mac Os X operating system, and this brings bigger market share. Apple is set up for success because it targets a niche market: the Apple users. As the case study presents, it creates its own miniature techno-environment, economy with a wide range of products offered to their clients, this builds up their market share, and strengthens their position, creating future loyal customers. Apple sets up its own stores to display their products; in this way it catches new potential clients. Apple launched many advertising campaigns; one of them featured â€Å"real people† who had â€Å"switched† from the Microsoft Windows platform to the Mac. A popular advertising slogan â€Å"Think Different† remained the integral part of Apples identity. Put simply, Apple approaches the customers, with original, funny ads, this precipitates to the creation of the products considered as fashionable, well designed and build on Apple technology. Apple owns a big share of the market, which makes it easier for the future success. It is better to work for Apple because it s a dynamically growing company with well developed campuses where the employees play and work at the same time. With the high technology used in the Apple product, employee can participate in the development or learn how company like Apple works. Apple is a rewarding environment in which employees can build their career using their special skills and talents. Apple is looking for newly graduated stude nts, and professional programmers who are looking for work sacrificed for people who would like to work in different departments, starting from Mac Hardware Engineering finishing on Retail. It is worth working for a company like Apple because of the success that the company has achieved. Steve Jobs has done an amazing job at revitalizing Apple Computers. He took over Apple when it was at the brink of death, and brought back with much life. In spite of the bad publicity about its unprofitable quarters, predictions about its death, falling market share, and advice on how to save the business (i. e. make Windows compatible hardware), Jobs continued to prove the critics wrong. Even with the 5% market share, Apple is trying hard to increase its market share. As the world’s lowest paid CEO at $1 per year (Guinness World Records, 2000), Jobs strives to make Apple provide the best computing experience to its users. To be a successful CEO, one must understand the market they are competing in. Even though the previous CEOs did not have any computer related experiences, but was highly successful and regarded at their previous positions. The CEOs did fail to adapt their strategies remain competitive in the computer market. Scully could not maintain the competitive advantage it once had, and the other two CEOs did not have the right strategies to bring Apple back to its glory. Because they did not fully understand the computer market as Jobs had done, they unsuccessfully struggled to keep Apple from falling farther down the market. With Jobs deep understanding of the computer market as a pioneer in two businesses, consumer, and a technician, he implemented many of the strategies Apple should have done in the beginning. His added value to the Mac with software, customized the products to a target market, and simplified the product chart. Steve Jobs has successfully saved Apple from death, but he faces a greater challenge, increasing market share. As long as Jobs can maintain Apple’s competitive advantage and sustain it, increasing market share should not be too much of a problem. References http://www. bloggingstocks. com/category/battle-of-the-brands/2. http://piqued. brianfrantz. com/? s=apple3. www. dailyindia. com4. http://www. operating-system. org/betriebssystem/_english/bs-macos.

US-Mexico Border and Racism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

US-Mexico Border and Racism - Essay Example Both Sweatt v. Painter and the Brown v. Board of Education case were decided to grant equality and abandoning of state-based segregation laws and the based case that was overturned was Plessy v. Furgerson. In Smith v. Allwright, (1944), the United States Supreme Court decided to keep in view the voting rights and the racial desegregation. This decision resulted in the overturning of the utilization of all-white primaries by the Democratic Party in Texas as well as in other states. It was claimed by Texas that the Democratic Party, being a private party is permitted to set its membership rules and regulations. However, the Court agreed that the restrained primary refused Smith his defense under the law. All three cases addressed the issue of racial segregation that was sponsored by state laws and in each case, the Supreme Court decided to eliminate discrimination on the basis of races and provided the ways for integration within all communities residing in a shared state (Foote 50). A nswer 5 Communities residing along the border of Mexico and the United States have a significant commonality, including two desserts, a shared history, rapidly growing population, deepening integration economically as well as thriving tourism. The routine life of individuals living along both sides of the border is influenced by these general elements, in addition to the distinguishing characteristic of an international border that separates friends, families as well as businesses. This international border draws closeness amongst two immensely unlike countries while at the same time dividing local communities of excessive similarity.