Marketing Questionaire Essay Example

Marketing Questionaire Essay Most people think that marketing is only about the advertising and/or personal selling of goods and services. Advertising and selling, however, are just two of the many marketing activities. In general, marketing activities are all those associated with identifying the particular wants and needs of a target market of customers, and then going about satisfying those customers better than the competitors. This involves doing market research on customers, analyzing their needs, and then making strategic decisions about product design, pricing, promotion and distribution. As a result, a business needs to discover: * What to make and sell We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Questionaire specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Questionaire specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Questionaire specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer * How many to make and sell * Who to sell to * How to encourage these people to buy * How much to charge for what is sold Market planning also takes place to help the marketing department to achieve its goals and objectives. Using a SWOT analysis, the existing position can be analysed by looking at: * S the businesss present strengths * W and weaknesses * O its market opportunities * T and the external threats it faces Market Segmentation is important to a business as the business needs to know which of the different segments it is going to concentrate on and helps the marketing department to understand its market. It allows the business to target: * The product in each segment by establishing is USP (Unique Selling Point), the feature that distinguishes this products from other * Its advertising and other forms of promotions in the segment. The main things the business will think about when considering target market are: * Age (when considering location, products sold etc.) * Sex (this can affect some drinks etc.) * Ethnicity (people from different backgrounds may have different wants and needs) * Population (size and distribution varies) * Lifestyle (e.g. Sports and exercise goods etc.) * Income and Social Class (price of products, high class may be willing to pay more than others) Sources Used : Letts GCSE Success Visual Revision Guide Task 3 Questionnaire 1. How Old Are You? 0-13 years 14-16 years 17-21 years 22-35 years 36+ years 2. Are You? Male Female 3. What Is Your Ethnic Origin? White Mixed Asian or Asian British Chinese Other 4. Where Are You More Likely To Hear About Our Business? Leaflets Billboards Television Radio Newspapers/Magazines Word Of Mouth Other (please state) 5. What Theme Would You Prefer Our Coffee Shop To Be? Retro (bright colours) Retro (black ; white theme) Modern Other (please state) 6. For What Purpose Would You Use Our Coffee Shop? Social or Family Coffee, Tea and Refreshments Light Snacks Meals (breakfast/lunch etc.) Private Parties Business Meetings Quiet Place To Be On Your Own 7. What Other Services Would You Like To See Available? Self Catering Jukebox Television/Games Internet Club and Function Room Other (please state) 8. Would You Prefer A Fun and Lively Atmosphere, Or A More Quiet And Relaxed One? Fun and Lively Quiet and Relaxed Do Not Mind 9. What Type Of Food Would You Like To Be Served At The Coffee Shop? Healthy Fruit, Yoghurt Cakes, Snacks and Sandwiches Family Food i.e. Pizza, Chips etc. Other (please state) 10. What Type Of Drinks Would You Like To See On The Menu? Coffee, Tea ; Hot Chocolate Fresh Juices Fresh Smoothies Fizzy Drinks Other (please state) 11. How Much Money Would You Be Prepared To Pay At Our Coffee Shop (per visitor)? 5.00 or less 5.00-10.00 10.00-15.00 15.00-20.00 20.00 or more 12. Would You Be Willing To Pay More For Better Quality or A Wider Range Of Food ; Drink? Yes No Depends 13. Where Would You Like The Coffee Shop To Be Located? Town Centre The Edge Of Town Other (please state) 14. At What Time Would You Be More Likely To Visit The Coffee Shop?

Sub‐Saharan Africa poor development record over the last thirty years

Sub†Saharan Africa poor development record over the last thirty years Introduction Africa is one of the continents lagging behind in all sorts of developments for a long time. As a result, it has had continuous dependence on other continents for several items. Most of the industrial commodities used in Africa are imported.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sub†Saharan Africa poor development record over the last thirty years specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More That way, it continues to enrich other continents by adding into their foreign exchange. Over the last thirty years, the Sub Saharan Africa has recorded a very poor development, making its people to continue languishing in poverty. Compared to other continents, its economic performance is comparatively poor. The development record The poor development record can clearly be seen in its per capita Gross Domestic Product of the 1980s, which declined by 1.3 percent per annum coming five percentage points below the average of all inc ome developing countries (Collier and Gunning, 1999, p. 64). The decline has since continued to increase from the 1980s up to now. Between 1990 and 1994, the economic growth slowed down a great deal, whereby the per capita GDP decline accelerated to 1.8 percent and with time went up to 6.2 per cent (Collier and Gunning, 1999, p. 64). From the 1980s, it has declined by almost 1 percent annually making the countries poorer than they were in the 1980s. That has made it the lowest income region in the whole world. Reasons for poor development Lack of social capital is one of the reasons that have led to the poor economic growth. The community and the government through institutions that facilitate private property can generate social capital (Collier and Gunning, 1999, p. 65). The government plays the greatest role in determining the rate of development of a particular country. By imposing taxation on different areas of production or businesses, it only means one thing, and that is, man y people who would be willing to invest in certain areas will be cut off.. There are those who may go ahead but they end up realizing very little growth. When transaction costs are high, the level of economic development will slow down. This part of Africa has greatly been affected by civil wars. With wars, little developments can take place since insecurity will make people fear to make any form of investments in the affected areas. People will fear and run for their lives to different neighboring countries and this is what has happened in this region.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More That also affects the neighboring countries, as they have to put up with the increasing number of refugees from the affected areas. Today, most African countries are still facing wars and after the war, it takes a long time to rebuild the economy again (Crafts 1999, p. 20). Over the l ast three decades, there have been low levels of investments in the Sub Saharan Africa and the region is not in good capacity to import the capital goods and technology that are needed to accelerate structural change. Therefore, there is need for increase in support that the African countries get from multilateral organizations like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. This is because it is not easy to attain good economic growth from other sources like the Foreign Direct Investments. The slow economic growth could also have been greatly influenced by the region’s adverse climatic conditions, which results to poor health and thus reduces life expectancy (Collier and Gunning, 1999, p. 8). Most parts of this region are tropical which greatly affects the economy. This is because most of the people are affected by tropical diseases like malaria. The disease is said to be one of the leading causes of death in the tropical region of the world and the governments of t hose countries have to spend a lot in trying to curb it (Collier and Gunning, 1999, p. 7). The harsh weather conditions result to leached soils, which are of poor quality and unreliable rainfall thus making most of the region semi arid. All that affects agricultural activities and this greatly affects the economic development of the countries that lie in this region since they mainly depend on agriculture. When they are deprived of their major economic activity, poverty ensues and with it, positive economic growth cannot be recorded. In general, Africa is also said to be the leading continent in the rate of HIV and AIDS infections. It has recorded the highest number of deaths related to the dangerous disease and as a result, the continent has lost a lot of skilled labor (Sender, 1999, p.91). People who could bring about good economic growth perish with the disease and this greatly affects the given countries. The governments of such countries have had to spend a lot of money in taki ng care of the infected and the affected, for instance, they have to buy ARVs, which help to prolong the lives of the infected. Additionally, the government has the task of taking care of the orphaned children. That huge amount of finance spent in all that could have otherwise been used on development projects that could bring about positive economic growth.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sub†Saharan Africa poor development record over the last thirty years specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Most of the African poor people are greatly affected by economic and health related factors, natural disasters, and conflict shocks, which continue to keep them in poverty (World Bank 201, p. 2). The World Bank looks forward to enabling the African countries to provide better health care and make use of irrigation together with other water management ways to help them deal with the effects of climatic change. Global warming , which is the main cause of climatic change, has led to raised temperatures, prolonged seasons of drought and decline in rainfall. All these make it hard for Sub-Saharan African countries to sustain their agricultural activities resulting to poverty and hence poor economic growth. This part of the African continent is made up of developing countries which face are technologically challenged (Commission on Growth and Development 2008, p.3). Most of them still lag behind in innovation and the creation of new technology; they just absorb and adapt technologies that already exist elsewhere in the world. For example, African countries started using computers a few years ago long after that innovation whereas in the western world, use of computers had become the norm of the day. This means that that they have taken long to develop economically as progress in technology is highly important in determining economic growth. Failures of the Sub Saharan Africa Corruption is another major probl em that has dragged behind Africans. For economic growth to prevail there must be openness in carrying out operations. Most African countries have however failed in fighting corruption (Collier and Gunning, 1999, p. 69). Africa is said to be the leading continent in the levels of the vice. Therefore, it is very hard to attain economic growth and development as embezzlement has already become deeply rooted in most African countries due to corruption. This happens when for instance money is set aside for developments such as roads construction but is not utilized for such purposes but for personal gain by corrupt leaders. This explains the reason as to why there is a very wide gap between the poor and the rich in this region. Some people are too rich because of acquiring property through the wrong means while others are too poor.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As said earlier, agriculture is the main economic activity in most of the African countries as many of the people depend on it for survival. The sector is very crucial, as it is a great source of foreign exchange in the region; 70 percent of the Africans depend on it and half of all employed women are in the sector (Sender, 1999, p. 97). This shows how important the sector is to the continent but things would be better if the African governments took measures to promote the farmers. Some Africans practice cash crop farming but the efforts of such people are greatly undermined by the fact that, they are made to remit a certain amount of money as agricultural taxation (Collier and Gunning, 1999, p. 66). For a country to reap economic gains, it must have good infrastructure. Definitely, anything that has been produced needs to be transported to the market. For this to happen, there has to be a good transport and communication network not only in the urban centers but also deep in the r ural areas. This is where most of the African governments have failed in (Collier and Gunning, 1999, p 66). The rural areas where agricultural products come from are hardly accessible as there are no enough roads and those that are available are in very bad conditions. The situation becomes worse when it rains, as most of the roads are very rough. As a result, great losses are encountered in the transportation process of agricultural perishable goods. It is estimated that in the Sub Saharan Africa, agriculture accounts for between 30 and 55 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (Sender, 1999, p. 96). Although the rural areas of the African region may be very rich in agricultural soils that may end up not contributing the right percentage to their economic growth as most of the produce, fail to get to the required market at the appropriate time. Therefore, the people and the governments need to cooperate in order to build social interaction and that will definitely lead to economic g ains. This can be achieved through building trust, which lowers the transaction costs (Collier and Gunning, 1999, p. 19). There is a growing rate of unemployment in most parts of this region. The governments of the African countries have failed in provision of employment, as most of the people remain jobless. As a result, many people are not able to place food on the table and they continue to live in poverty. Research shows that by the year 1996, only 1 percent of the African population consisted of civil servants which is lower compared to other developing countries whereby 3 percent and above of the population are civil servants. Those who are lucky to get civil employment may not be so happy as well, for they receive little wages, which is not good enough to lead a comfortable life. Most of the African nations have more ethnic diversity than other poor countries in the world and this makes it more difficult for them to have or develop an interconnected economy (Collier and Gunni ng, 1999, p. 67). The governments of the Sub Saharan African countries have not done much in fighting ethnicity. People continue to term themselves different from one another and this breeds nepotism and discrimination, which causes many conflicts. People of different ethnic groups have different beliefs and ways of life. What one group does and terms as very good may not be allowed by another group. When such differences occur, cooperation is not very easy and thus developments cannot be arrived at with much ease. The Sub Saharan Africa successes Sometimes back, there was a very high rate of infant mortality in the region. Most of the deaths occurred in children under five years because of the diseases that affect them while at that age. These diseases include measles, tuberculosis, and whooping cough among others. With continued improved medical care, the number of deaths in small children has greatly been reduced as they are immunized against most of the diseases in the first yea r of their lives. The number of children who die at infancy has drastically reduced (Sender, 1999, p. 90). There have been increased medical facilities that facilitate the provision of better health care and in addition to that, there has been improved nutrition adding to the advantage. As a result, there has been increased life expectancy even in the poor countries (Crafts, 1999, p. 21). Credit should also be given to these countries for promoting literacy to its people. It is no longer the time when women were to stay at home and raise children. Fifty years ago, women in Africa were very unlikely ever to attend school and over 90 percent of the adult females were illiterate (Sender, 1999, p. 92). Most of the countries in this region have done a lot to ensure that the girl child is protected, and gets the required education. The World Bank is in the process of making sure that the economy of African countries improves (World Bank 201, p. 1). This will see majority of people access employment and hence improving their living standards. Many of the poor people live and work in the rural areas but perhaps that may change in future as more people are now migrating to the urban centers in search of better lives. This has created a pool of people who are unemployed and many ends up indulging in criminal activities and prostitution for survival. Conclusion The Sub Saharan Africa has had poor development for a long time. It is considered the last in all development records compared to other regions in the world. The region’s tropical climate, which causes tropical diseases and harsh weather for agriculture, is one of the reasons associated with its failures. To add to that, the governments of countries in this region have failed in several ways and this has led to a decline in the economic development of the region. They have failed to provide good infrastructure, fight corruption, and have not been able to scrap taxation that is imposed on different areas of investment. Though these governments have failed in one way or another, they have also had their successes. They have been able to provide better health care and education to their citizens. Reference List Collier, P., and Gunning, J. (1999). Explaining African Economic Performance. Journal of Economic Literature, 37, 64-11. Collier, P., and Gunning, J. (1999). Why has Africa grown slowly? Journal of Economic perspectives, 13, 3-22. Commission on Growth and Development. (2008). The Growth Report, Washington DC: World Bank. Web. Crafts, N. (1999). Economic growth in the twentieth century. Oxford review of economic policy, 15, 18-31. Sender, J. (1999). African’s performance: Limitations of the current consensus. Journal of Economic perspectives, 13, 89-114. World Bank. (2011). Africas Future, World Bank: Washington DC. Available from  http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,contentMDK:22846778~pagePK:146736~piPK:226340~theSitePK:258644,00.html

On Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

On Management - Essay Example It is always easier to come up with business goals than actually establishing and executing the required strategies to achieve these objectives. Being a manager is not just being able to show profits at the end of the year but being in charge of the critical daily business processes to work for it. Good management is indispensable to the success of any organization. The failure or success of any business institution lies in the hand of its management team as they "lay the company's long term direction, develop competitively effective strategic moves and business approaches and implements what needs to be done internally to produce day in and day out strategy execution" (Strickland, 4). Put simply, the manager is the major driving force that directs the organization to its expected end. In school, we are taught that manager has four primary functions-planning which refers to identifying the goals, objectives, and the business plans to achieve them; organizing which identifies and sets the necessary resources to execute the business plan; directing which includes pointing, leading, and managing employees to achieve organizational goals; and controlling which involves the evaluation process carried out by the organization to check if the actual performance of the company matches the devised business plan (Allen 2). I believe that these functions are significant in the achievement of business goals. However, all these functions are too broad to discuss together, so this paper will only tackle the leadership function of management. Leadership is a critical and rigorous process of influencing and motivating people to achieve business goals. Though the goal of each leader is essentially the same, they craft different ways to achieve them by employing unique management and leadership styles which often leads to conflict as to whether what leadership technique is superior. Two leadership styles are often utilized in business operations-authoritarian and participative management. Authoritarian organizations follow the military type of organization where decision making is centralized and lies at the hand of the top management. Middle managers do as they are ordered, following the chain of command implemented by their superior. Authoritarian organization essentially operates a top-down management style, where the primary role of managers is to transmit orders. Also, authoritarian organizations view that workers hate work and that they need to be compelled to the task demanded from them. This implies that the achievement of the company's goals can only be achieved through force. Authoritarian managers do not motivate their employees to perform well in their job. Their main concern is the achievement of a certain goal at the expense of their employees. ("Role of Managers under Different Management Styles" 38-51) In a participative management style, works are delegated to the employees and managers largely coordinate with the group work. Also, responsibilities are accepted and performed by the employees knowing they will be held accountable for the quality of their work. Work is viewed as a source of satisfaction or frustration depending on the manager's and organization's chosen style of leadership. People who derive satisfaction from their job will then perform the best way that they can while those who obtain frustration from it will tend to perform badly. Thus, managers highly motivate their em

U2 Are you listening Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

U2 Are you listening - Coursework Example Agents can place customers on hold only when they have to consult for a solution to challenging customer inquiries. When taking a message, the agents should forward the message to the floor supervisor in charge, who presents it to the appropriate department or individual. The technique used to measure an individual’s telephone skills is through monitoring. Since all calls are recorded, the supervisors randomly select an individual’s recording, after which they analyze the skills to determine whether they meet the organizational expectations. The interviewee evaluates his performance by gauging reactions from the customer. The interviewee believes that the training offered by the company is vital for improving their customer service skills. The habit he has developed over time is to be patient when listening to customer inquiries. Patience is necessary for calming some of the irate customers, which eventually makes them confident with the services the company offers. To conclude, it would be essential to consider training call-center employees in order to improve their telephone skills. Additionally, monitoring their performance is not only necessary for optimizing individual performance but also assists in enhancing service delivery (Coen, 2001). These invaluable elements help in implementing and evaluating the organization’s quality assurance practices. A recommendation that would benefit the company is that they should consider training the call center agents frequently. This deliberation will allow the employees to refresh their telephone skills and to evaluate their individual performance (Coen, 2001). It might also be beneficial if the supervisors or managers could identify the imperfections of each agent through the recordings. The identification will enable them to determine the best way to assist the affected person, which will be beneficial to the entire

Personality & Attitudes on Revenge in the General Population of Scotland Essay Example for Free

Personality Attitudes on Revenge in the General Population of Scotland Essay Fantasies vary from person to person and are dependent on psychological condition. In a clinical population fantasies tend to last longer than in non-clinical populations. Although overall each fantasy has been reported to last relatively short periods of time, the frequency of which they occur is usually the factor that determines whether they are of concern or not (Gellerman and Suddath, 2005). There seems to be a limited quantity of research available on the general understanding of this topic however the literature that does exist appears to focus on three particular areas, sustaining fantasies as a means of coping with painful and stressful situations in the general population but particularly in the clinical population (Zelin, Bernstein, Heijn, Jampel, Myerson, Adler, Buie Rizzuto, 1983; Harder Zelin, 1984; Greenwald Harder, 1994; Greenwald Harder, 1995 Greenwald and Harder, 1997); aggressive fantasies for pleasure or satisfaction in the general population but more often than not habitually involuntary for the clinical population and generally violent, sexual and sadistic in nature (Gellerman Suddath, 2005; Egan Campbell, 2009 Selby, Anestis Joiner (2007), and finally, revenge fantasies concerning those who have experienced trauma (Mardi Harowitz, 2007). In search of material for this review surprise has it that homicidal fantasies on the whole is the one of which focuses on a more simple view of its apparent natural occurrence in natural surroundings of everyday life, and highlights the evolving acceptance that many normal law abiding citizens can and do have fantasies. Sustaining Fantasy From a study conducted by Zelin et al (1983) the Sustaining Fantasy Questionnaire (SFQ) was developed to measure sustaining functions in psychiatric inpatients in comparison with non-patients. This questionnaire was constructed specifically to measure fantasies of death, withdrawal, restitution, suffering, God, closeness, power and revenge, admiration of self, competition and aesthetics. The questionnaire was then utilised to determine that psychiatric inpatients scored higher than non-patients on fantasies of death, withdrawal, restitution, suffering, God and closeness but fantasies of power and revenge, admiration of self, competition and aesthetics did not differentiate between groups. Thus, suggesting that the questionnaire was able to differentiate the groups by fantasy factors such as death, withdrawal, restitution, suffering, God and closeness and highlighted associations of power and revenge, admiration of self, competition and aesthetics with an independent measure of psycho logy. It is said that experiencing Sustaining Fantasies is a familiar, consistent and repetitive conscious fantasy adopted to help cope with feelings of a painful and stressful situation. According to Zelin et al (1983) the sustaining fantasy is a concept based on the observation that at times of extreme negative emotional states, caused by anger or narcissistic grievance, people often resort to this as a means of re-creating a more ideal situation than that of which stimulated the painful experience, fabricating a sense of satisfaction, restoring self-esteem and emotional equilibrium, and decreasing frustration. Ultimately, the sustaining fantasy is based on the assumption that such fantasies signify and demonstration the basic construction and processes that have evolved in the course of efforts to adapt to painful situations. We are reminded by Zelin et al (1983) that this fantasy is of a specific type called only into play when suffering increasing levels of stress, and should not be c onfused by those fantasies used as a disguised endeavour of pleasure or solutions to relatively un-stressful problems, such studies will be discussed later in the review. One year on, Harder Zelin (1984) furthered the study of Zelin et al (1983) accepting that the sustaining fantasy questionnaire was developed primarily with psychiatric inpatients, but recognising also, the potential for its use in testing correlates among a more general sample. Assuming that everyone uses sustaining fantasies to aid or support themselves through highly stressful periods in life and presuming the importance of this factor in the capability to manage adaptively rather than maladaptively, Harder Zelin (1984) extended interests and investigations into the personality functioning in the general population as well as with pathological persons. They did this by examining the relationship between the 10 types of sustaining fantasies reported by Zelin et al (1983) and two dimensions of self-concept self-derogation and stability of self-concept, suspecting that the type of sustaining fantasy that the person characteristically brings into play will be consistent with and in support of their self-concept, an important relation with psychological-social adjustment and even a potential determinant of psychological-social adjustment. Successfully, the results demonstrated that the Sustaining Fantasy Questionnaire was reliable not only to differentiate between groups of psychiatric inpatients from normal controls, as Zelin et al (1983) demonstrated, but also to distinguish the group of college students used in this study. Just over a decade later Greenwald Harder (1994) followed on from Zelin et al (1983), attempting to examine the expected associations between psychopathology, almost replicating exactly, apart from their use of a student population primarily from a middle-class backgrounds. In addition, Greenwald Harder (1994) questioned if the sustaining fantasy scales associated with weaker functioning, reflects a more general pathology factor as proposed in the data of Zelin et al (1983) or, whether each reflects a particular maladaptive style that is signified by an exceptional construction of associations with the MMPI clinical scales. Further support and reliability of Zelin et al (1983) is strengthened in Greenwald Harders (1994) findings that power/revenge, death/illness, withdrawal/protection and suffering are all related significantly to two of the MMPI measures of overall psychopathology, therefore four of the six fantasy types that imply psychopathology in the inpatients (Zelin et al, 1983) were too the indicators of pathology in the study using the middle-class students. Considering all of the previously mentioned studies (Zelin et al, 1983; Harder Zelin, 1984; Greenwald Harder, 1994) it seems fair to say that ample evidence has been gathered to show that definite types of sustaining fantasy ideas, characteristically used to comfort the self when experiencing feelings of hurt and stress, are associated with indications of psychopathological adjustment. The aim for Greenwald Harder (1995) was then to examine to what extent there are parallels between them and the degree to which such content ideas may well point out psychopathology. With reference to past research on daydreaming, where Singer Antrobus (1972) have suggested that particular collections of imagery content appear to propose less favourable styles, there seems to be similarities with the findings of Zelin et al (1983), although they did emphasise the difference between other fantasies such as daydreams and remind us not to confuse them. Contrary to this emphasis and that of Zelin et al (1983), clinical impressions have proposed that in more ways than one, the overall content of these two types of fantasies is rather parallel. As a result of this proposal, Greenwald Harder (1995) investigated whether sustaining fantasies generally show a strong similarity to the typical daydreams preferred by an individual, or whether there really is a movement from the content of ordinary daydreams to the familiar self-comforting ones that provide support during feelings of pain and stress. To do this they compared the Sustaining Fantasy Questionnaire and the numerous Imaginal Process Inventory (IPI) (Singer Antrobus, 1972) scales for correspondence in content and in their relationships to measures of psychopathology, and a great deal of consistency was discovered even when partialling for social desirability. It was concluded that there was in fact considerable overlap in the content and of correspondence between both, sustaining fantasy and daydreams, and furthermore, it was highlighted that three particular IPI scales were observed to give significant indications of psychopathology fear reaction, bizarre and hostile. Despite the delight in these findings Greenwald Harder (1995) speculated the possibility that rather than the findings being a result of specific content they may be the result of a broad level of association between the two scales. In pursuit of this speculation further analysis detected the average degree of correlation between SFQ and IPI characteristics in comparison to the level of association displayed by those relationships they predicted, finding that although there was no significance, there was a trend toward significance. Thus, suggesting that a general commonality between the SFQ and the IPI may have been a factor in contributing to the extent of their success in predictions for the study. On this note one should be reminded that for the purpose of reliability and validity, considering an underlying weakness alongside the success is vital for future study in terms of recognising the possibility for individuals to very well fantasize and daydream simultaneously in ordinary and/or stressful situations. It is now becoming apparent that sustaining fantasies are perhaps not quite as specific from other fantasies in particular situations such as coping with stressful matters, as was first thought, or, that if they are, they do not always emerge completely alone. Based on the results of this study Greenwald Harder (1995) propose the question of whether it would be beneficial to use the findings of their study, subsequent past research, to investigate clinical manipulation of the content and/or frequency of fantasy having therapeutic effects, bearing in mind the given definition of sustaining fantasy in Zelin et al (1983) at the beginnings of this extensive research. To address the proposed questions that emerged from Greenwald Harder (1995) they conducted another study in 1997 replicating the previously discussed studies and replicating reported relationships between coping behaviours and psychopathology however, this time they utilised measurement instruments that were developed by different investigators, presented different response formats, and were not developed to measure the same content areas as before. They assessed whether consistent relationships exist between the content of self-reported coping behaviours, sustaining fantasies, and ordinary daydreams and in addition attempted to identify coping behaviours associated with psychopathology, exploring any connections between coping behaviours, fantasies, and daydreams correlated with pathology. Pearson correlations indicated similar content between coping behaviours and the two types of fantasy and significant inter-correlations were found between sustaining fantasies, daydreams, and coping behaviours that, separately, were found to be significantly associated with psychopathology. In the process of this investigation, and with influencing thoughts created by the previous workings, Greenwald and Harder (1997) took into consideration the likelihood to expect there would be a consistency between the region of fantasy and behaviour, and that individuals would report thoughts and action in parallel ways but then again, consider also that it is also probable to anticipate that fantasies could serve as a substitute for action, and that a report of specific fantasy content might be inversely associated with behaviour that contains similar content. Growing in strength, again the results of Greenwald Harder (1997) were successful in that there is a significant association with regard to the content among self-reported daydreams, sustaining fantasies, and coping behaviours, even after controlling for social desirability. These results are found to be more influential due to the fact that they were obtained with assessment instruments that were developed by different investigators, used different response formats, and were not developed to measure the same content areas. Therefore, this information suggest that, while there may be some instances of fantasies and behaviours that relate inversely to each other, fantasies usually are consistent with behavioural coping styles. These findings then highlight that there is a complex of daydreams, fantasies, and behavioural responses that could be used to characterize individuals. Furthermore, to generalize the findings of this study it was recommended that future studies should be conducted with other subject populations that take into account age, culture, socioeconomic status and residence environment (Greenwald Harder, 1997), however, it seems appropriate to mention that perhaps at this point it is a good time to look at how the sustaining fantasy ideology has branched out to embrace other influencing factors. Aggressive Fantasies Egan Campbell (2009) expanded research on sustaining fantasies almost taking it to a new level by selecting a diverse population, as recommended by Greenwald Harder (1997), but more importantly taking into account other domains that showed potential to reveal relationships from another angle. Such were, sensational topics, general personality traits, and self-reported physical aggression. They found relationships between sensational interests and physical aggression, regardless of gender. Personality and the application of negative sustaining fantasies significantly forecast physical aggression. When the SFQ was reduced to three higher order factors; positive, negative, and narcissistic sustaining fantasies, correlations were found between neuroticism (N) and both positive and negative sustaining fantasies, although the association was stronger for negative fantasies. There were small associations between positive sustaining fantasies and indirect non-physical hostility although these relations were humble, and openness (O) was a stronger predictor. Narcissistic sustaining fantasies related to low levels of agreeableness (A), replicating associations between low A and narcissism generally. Ultimately proposing that aggressive and hostile persons are more stimulated by violent stimuli and that isolation is a further risk-increasing factor for aggressive interests. Following on from this conclusion of risk-increasing factors, attention was directed back a few years in literature to a study conducted by Gellerman Suddath (2005). They discussed risk-increasing factors in relation to questioning at what point would a health professional perhaps become concerned with a persons fantasy enough for it to become their duty to forewarn or protect others from potential dangerousness, or even attempt to protect the person from them self. In the health profession an evaluation of dangerousness includes not only asking about violent fantasies but also asking about physical and sexual content (Gellerman Suddath, 2005). Gellerman and Suddath (2005) looked at the conditions in which the disclosure of violent fantasies to a mental health professional may generate cause for concern and a duty to warn or protect other citizens. Reviewing legal cases in which violent fantasies were considered in the context of measuring potential dangerousness and the literature available on homicidal and sexually violent fantasies in both non-incarcerated and criminal populations was also examined. It was concluded that no dependable predictive relationship between violent fantasies and wickedly hazardous behaviour was reported in the available literature and suggestions of issues that mental health professionals may think about when gauging whether a particular violent fantasy is a sign for concern requiring rise to a duty in protecting others. At last, this paper is very interesting in that it is greatly unbiased and clearly discusses both the harmful aspects of fantasy as well as the innocent or un-harmful aspects, thus showing the importance of distinguishing between the two possibilities, which must be said, is something that is lacking in the papers previously reviewed. Gellerman and Suddath (2005) explained in detail the definition of violent fantasy for the purpose of their paper which must be credited as again, not many papers in this field have done so. They expressed their perception of violent fantasy as a thought in which an individual imagines physically harming a fellow human being in some way. They explain that the content of individual fantasies may vary from anything such as murder, sexual assault, or inappropriate sexual activity. It is emphasised that fantasy must be distinguished from an intention, in that the imaginary violence is not instantaneously designed to guide or prepare for action. On the other hand, it is said that any expression of intention to harm another person is when we should have cause for concern as this is without doubt communicating a threat rather than a fantasy. Gellerman and Suddath (2005) noted two important points in terms of distinguishing between fantasy being harmless or harmful, firstly, while not instantaneously aimed at guiding action, fantasy has been illustrated as serving a number of clinical functions, including control and relief of anxiety and substitution for action therefore harmless to others and at the same time very useful to the fantasizer, secondly, from a harmful perspective fantasy may also be preparation for action and it is from this perspective that concern should be heightened in the evaluation of dangerousness and the duty to protect. Gellerman and Suddath (2005) go on to give balanced examples of both harmless and harmful fantasies. In their comparisons of both sides and in both populations, un-incarcerated and criminal, together with their overall review of the literature they used, they suggest that as fantasies of murder were fairly common in general Western European and American populations, and a range of fantasies of aggression and sexual violence were less common, but were by no means rare, people should bear in mind that this high prevalence of homicidal and sexually aggressive fantasy can only make us question then, to what extent can such fantasies be considered deviant. In addition it should be highlighted that Gellerman and Suddath (2005) found that existing studies have evidently established that many more individuals have homicidal and sexually violent fantasies than act on them. The relationship between violent fantasy and behaviour in these studies was correlative at best, and no suggestions were given in attempt to identifying the minority of individuals with violent fantasies who may be at risk of acting them out. Altogether, it was concluded that predictors better than fantasies alone are the eminence of the fantasies, the concern with them, and the level of preparation and detail, and the history of any past violent behaviours all need to be looked at collectively (Gellerman Suddath, 2005). Another study of interest where aggressive fantasies seek personal pleasure but in a paradoxical way is that of Selby, Anestis Joiner (2007). They reported that suicidal individuals regularly report the reoccurrence of fantasy where they can visualise their death by suicide very clearly in their imagination, almost like watching it on TV. Selby et al (2007) found that many unremittingly suicidal individuals are thought to have a romantic affection for death and as a result, connect themselves in vivid fantasies or daydreams about the process and the after-effects. This somewhat idealistic thought process even appears to be a pleasant motion for them. In desperation of escape from torment and pain (Baumeister, 1990), it seems that the act of suicide is the answer and therefore thinking about the liberation that death would present, perhaps enables suicidal individuals to experience positive affects similar to that of non-suicidal individuals daydreaming or fantasizing about future life events such as holidays (Selby et al, 2007). This daydreaming may actually be a form of emotion dysregulation, in suicidal individuals, one that would appear, perhaps paradoxically, to increase positive affect yet may increase later risk for serious suicidal behaviour. This psychological state was also considered by Zelin et al (1983). Revenge Fantasies Suicidal behaviour, just like the fantasies they provoke, vary in content and from person to person however for the purpose of this review it should be mentioned that revenge fantasies among many other things, can often be the cause for suicidal behaviour (Mardi Harowitz, 2007). In one way the reason behind the fantasies are similar per se; feelings of rage shame guilt etc., but in another way very different; often unwanted and uncontrollable. Revenge fantasies are described as being beyond normal bitter thoughts and sometimes dangerous. The study conducted by Mardi Harowitz (2007) was an attempt to seek solutions to a hypothetical case demonstrating a problem existing in clinical practice. The method behind this is for the authors to review current data on prevalence, diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment and ultimately conclude treatment recommendations. Again it is brought to attention that the quantity of literature addressing fantasy is limited, Mardi Harowitz (2007) pointed out at the beginning of their paper that revenge fantasies have been discussed in literature, however not adequately addressed, a problem common for most papers in this review. Like all other fantasies per se, revenge fantasies can provide a sense of reinstated purpose and regain of control in an otherwise traumatized life and purely for this purpose it is imperative to assist traumatized individuals in recognizing this. Mardi Harowitz (2007) split the scenario up into sections in sequence to how step by step the scenario would be assessed and addressed in a clinical setting. All important techniques and procedures were discussed such as, the importance of techniques in psychotherapy being put in place with the much needed interpretations and reappraisals and with careful differentiation of rational and irrational beliefs. It was explained that it is then, that the function of revenge fantasies as giving an illusion of strength can be interpreted. Mardi Harowitz (2007) suggest the fact that the results of therapy may be attenuation of symptoms, and revenge fantasies are deep-rooted, there is an important need for informing the patients that revenge fantasies are likely to return, and are frequently generated by things as simple as seeing a movie, being hurt, or entering an irritated mood as a result of fatigue. Mardi Harowitz (2007) go on to explain that the professional should help the patient plan a comeback, which can engage in reviewing a pre-established set of ideas, overall they express that their goal is to help the patient gain a sense of restored control, self-esteem, and self-coherence without resorting to the strong-me property of a revenge fantasy. Taking into account the apparent lack of topic specific resources that provide general information on the influences of fantasy in the general public, and the gaps that seem wide open between studies in fantasy, it seems fair to say that the beginning would be a good place to start. As a result the current study will seek to investigate attitudes of the general public toward fantasies, looking to find out what they think fantasies might be and to what extent they think it is normal for people to have them. It will be hypothesised that most people will believe that a fantasy is a mere thought of imagination detached from reality to satisfy emotional desires without logical or moral constraints and likewise most people will agree that it is normal to have fantasies. It is expected that more people will agree, than disagree, that it is ok and can be accepted as normal for people to have homicidal fantasies. Method Design A between-participants point biserial correlation will be used to analyse the data. The independent variables will be the self report personality inventory (IPIP-NEO) and the attitude measuring questions and the dependent variable will be participants score on the IPIP-NEO and the attitude score. Variables such as gender, age, marital status, housing tenure, regions, employment status, income bracket and criminal convictions will also be considered in relation to participant response to both independent variables. Participants According to G Power participant number should be 191, however, for an equal balance, it will be at least 100 males and 100 females. The male and female participants will be ages of or between 21 and 65, and split between four regions (Glasgow, Paisley, Edinburgh Dundee). Apparatus Participant information sheets (PIS) and consent forms will be given along with questionnaires that will be used to measure psychopathic personality traits (IPIP-NEO) and attitudes on aggressive revenge fantasies. Each participant will be given the same questionnaire to complete. The statistical analysis programme SPSS will be used to analyse and correlate the data. Procedure Each participant will be given a brief introduction of the study and asked if they are willing to take part, if they are willing then they will be asked to carefully read the PIS, sign the consent form, which will be detached from the questionnaire as they will be anonymous, and complete the questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of a self-report personality inventory, the International Personality Item Pool NEO (IPIP-NEO) developed by Witt, Donnellan Blonigen (2009), of which permission for use was granted by Edward A. Witt. This 40 item inventory will measure the psychopathic personality traits of fearless dominance (20 items) and Impulsive Antisociality (20 items) to assess how high or low participants score in comparison with each other. A four-option multiple response (False, Mostly False, Mostly True, True) format and a Likert-type scale will be used (False = 1, Mostly False = 2, Mostly True = 3, True = 4) to measure the data. In exception, the 1st, 4th, 9th, 14th, 15th,16th and 17th questions of Fearless Dominance will be measured in reverse scale. The second part of the questionnaire consists of 10 questions regarding attitudes toward people having revenge fantasies. Again, a four-option multiple response (strongly disagree, disagree, agree, strongly agree) format and a Likert-type scale will be used (strongly disagree = 1, disagree = 2, agree = 3, strongly agree = 4) to measure the data. Reference Baumeister, R. F. (1990). Suicide as Escape from Self. Psychological Review, 97, 90-113. Egan, V. Campbell, V. (2009) Sensational Interests, Sustaining Fantasies and Personality Predict Physical Aggression. Personality and Individual Differences, 47, 464-469 Gellerman, D. M. Suddath, R. (2005). Violent Fantasy, Dangerousness, and the Duty to Warn and Protect. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatric Law, 33, 484-495. Greenwald, D. F. Harder, D. W. (1994). Sustaining Fantasies and Psychopathology in a Normal Sample. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 50, 705-708. Greenwald, D. F. Harder, D. W. (1995). Sustaining Fantasies, Daydreams, and Psychopathology. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 51, 719-726. Greenwald, D. F. Harder, D. W. (1997). Fantasies, Coping Behaviour, and Psychopathology. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 53, 91-97. Harder, D. W. Zelin, M. L. (1984). Sustaining Fantasies and Self-Concept Among College Students. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 40, 743-748 Mardi, J. Harowitz, M. D. (2007). Understanding and Ameliorating Revenge Fantasies in Psychotherapy. American Journal of Psychiatry, 164, 24-27. Selby, E. A., Anestis, M. D. Joiner Jr, T. E. (2007). Daydreaming About Death: Violent Daydreaming as a Form of Emotion Dysregulation in Suicidality. Behavior Modification, 31, 867-879. Singer, J. L. Antrobus, J. S. (1972). Daydreaming, Imaginal Processes and Personality: A Normative Study. In P. W. Sheehan (Ed.). The function and nature of imagery. (pp. 175-202). New York: Academic Press. Witt, E. A., Donnellan, M. B. Blonigen, D. M. (2009). Using Existing Self-Report Inventories to Measure the Psychopathic Personality Trait of Fearless Dominance and Impulsive Antisociality. Journal of Research in Personality, 43, 1006-1016. Zelin, M. L., Bernstein, S. B., Heijn, C., Jampel, R. M., Myerson, P. G., Adler, G., Buie, D. H. Rizzuto, A. M. (1983). The Sustaining Fantasy Questionnaire: Measurement of Sustaining Functions in Psychiatric Inpatients. Journal of Personality Assessment, 47, 427- 439.

History And Overview Of Frances Beauty Industry Economics Essay

History And Overview Of Frances Beauty Industry Economics Essay France is ranked 16th in the Global Competitive Report up two places from last year and demonstrating a number of competitive strengths, such as an infrastructure that is ranked second in the world, a healthy workforce, a high quality of education, a sophisticated business culture and leadership in the area of technological innovation. On the other hand, as indicated in the Global Competitive Report, France suffers from high non wage labour costs and strict rules on hiring and firing and poor labour employer relations. There is also a govern GDP Per Capita, (US$), 2007..$41,511.2 GDP: (US$ billions), 20072,560.3 GDP (PPP) as share (%) of world total, 2007à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.3.17 Total Population: (millions), 200760.9 Median Age: 39 Land Area: Largest land area of all EU members Unemployment: 7% 2008 Current President Nicolas Sarkozy ment budget deficit which is above the EU threshold of 60% and national savings rates are low. (Global Competitive Report, 2008/09 p.19) Although France is currently in a good position in 16th place, the global economy is changing and new competitors are closing in. This paper will examine the challenges that France and their beauty industry are facing. France key facts: source: The Global Competitive Report 2008-09 Exhibit A Economic PerformanceFrances Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has aligned with the European average somewhat, although, as the graph below illustrates, France has fared better than the EU within the last year. Exhibit B This chart created on the Eurostat website, compares Frances Real GDP with the European Union (EU) average. Real gross domestic product (GDP) is a macroeconomic measure of the size of an economy adjusted for price changes (that is, adjusted for changes in the value of money: inflation or deflation.) source: Real gross domestic product. Web. ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_gross_domestic_product>. Legend:Blue = FranceGreen = EU (27 countries)source:http//epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/graph.do?tab=graphinit=1toolbox=typelanguage=enpcode=tsieb010plugin=0http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/graph.do Frances Gross Domestic Product per capita (PPP US$)The Human Development report and the Global Competitive Report demonstrate that Frances purchasing power parity (PPP) has declined since 1993 to 33,000 plus/minus. Human Development Report 2009 Exhibit C Human development index 2007 and its components GDP per capita (PPP US$) HDI Rank Country 2007 1 Norway 53,433 1 2 Australia 34,923 3 Iceland 35,742 4 Canada 35,812 5 Ireland 44,613 1 6 Netherlands 38,694 7 Sweden 36,712 8 France 33,674 9 Switzerland 40,658 10 Japan 33,632 11 Luxembourg 79,485 source: http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/indicators/91.html accessed March 29 2010 source: Global Competitive Report 2008/09Exhibit D Innovation MeasuresThe Global Competitive Report says Although less-advanced countries can still improve their productivity by adopting existing technologies or making incremental improvements in other areas, for countries that have reached the innovation stage of development, this is no longer sufficient to increase productivity. Firms in these countries must design and develop cutting-edge products and processes to maintain a competitive edge. (Global Competitive Report, 2008/2009, page 6) Exhibit D shows France in blue is ahead in the percentage of GDP for RD. This hides the fact that Germany one of Frances competitors which we will discuss later in the Cosmetic industry analysis, spends a considerable amount more than France. Although France in blue is ahead in the percentage of GDP they spend on RD another important aspect of innovation is patents. Exhibit E shows that Germany has double the amount of patents. Gross Domestic Expenditure on RDExhibit D France = Blue EU = Green Germany has double the amount of patents than France Exhibit E Analysing the date from the Global Competitiveness Report it is clear that France is suffering in the ranking for innovation and sophisticatio n as illustrated below. Exhibit F France is losing behind Germany who is winning currently in 4th place Exhibit F: Innovation and sophistication factors According to Porter, a nations competitiveness depends on the capacity of its industry to innovate and upgrade. Companies gain advantage against the worlds best competitors because of pressure and challenge. (Porter, On Competition, p.171, 2008) In Exhibit F France is holding steady in 14th position an explanation for their lack of improvement is shown in Exhibit G state of cluster development, where France is low and their rate of patent development is low compared to its competitors, for example, Germany, Japan and the U.S.A. source: Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009Exhibit G France P E S T Analysis POLITICAL LANDSCAPE Overview French political system can be described as semi-presidential form of democratic republic. France has improved considering the rule of law and accountability. France ranks in the 91.3 percentile on voice and accountability as of 2007, which is an improvement from 2002, when it was ranked in the 84.1 percentile. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. Page 3) However, France is still considered as a highly centralized country and the elite group is significantly involved in the state and corporate sectors. Moreover, corruption seems to be one of the main issues in French politics. Strengths Political stability can be considered one of Frances strengths. Elections are fair and transparent. Although initially the socialist parties were more popular and therefore winning the elections, lately the majority of the society has voted for pro-reform parties. Before the elections president Sarkozy made following promises: a reduction of unemployment, flexible labour laws, pension reform and tax changes. Frances approach to preventing terrorism is considered to be one of the most effective in Europe. However, it did not come free and the price was limiting civil liberties. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 14) Weaknesses Although the current French government is definitely pro-reform, the rest of French society seems to be opposed to the changes. For example, the government wants to simplify public administration and bureaucracy, promote the competition in the market as well as make minimum wages flexible. (www.lemonde.fr)(EWA I sort of know what you mean but can you include a couple of the changes that the government want to bring in. I understand that the citizens would be unwilling to accept any change that would lower wages but does the French government want to lower wages that would also go against what Porter says is the point of being competitive. The population is unwilling to adopt any measures that cause a decrease in wages. One of the reasons would be the decline in purchasing power of the French population. As already mentioned in exhibit B above France is already showing a decline in GDP (PPP US$) per capita. Improving the pension system and modernizing the labour market has been delay ed because of the unwillingness of French citizen to accept change. In general, the reforms are being delayed. Moreover, the liberalization process is also not as dynamic as hoped for, in effect, president Sarkozy is losing his popularity. In regional elections on 21st March the Socialist Party gained 54 % while UMP 35 % only. (Web. . Accessed March 15 2010). Opportunities Improving French foreign policy has been one of president Sarkozys main goals. So far he has been successful. France has returned to NATOs military command. It has helped US in isolating Iran because of its nuclear power. In general, France has been lately very active in international relationships. With no doubt improved foreign relations will help the economic relations with these countries. French National Assembly composition Source: Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 39. President Sarkozys administration has also finally improved French bureaucracy which now should be more transparent and efficient. Threats In France, the government has continued to play a prominent role in business compared to many other EU countries. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. Page 16) A concentration of elite citizens in power helps corruption practices and also help to influence government policies which in effect can block development. (Political Science: An Introduction, Michael G. Roskin, June 2005, P. 79) Moreover, since the government becomes more unpopular while trying to implement the reforms (can we get a list of the reforms then I can weave that into this paragraph pension system reform, health care system reform, public administration reform, reform of work conditions regulations un contrat unique, reform of public finances, tax system reform, corporation tax reform) there is a risk that it will become populist to gain power back. There have been a number of protests against reform measures. ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE Overview The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated that France faced a 3 % fall in growth in 2009. The decrease of income and wages combined with rising unemployment will affect domestic consumption. Because of the opposition implementing Sarkozys reforms is not going smoothly. Frances credit rating might be affected. That will increase the cost of funding for future governments and business enterprises.(Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 14) Strengths President Sarkozys pro-reform approach affected in general review of public policy. This caused the improvement in public services and therefore reducing the public costs. French infrastructure is one of the best in Europe. There are over 10,000 km of well-maintained highways in France. That is better result than in Germany or UK. French railway network is also very well established. France is seen as global air transport hub with 27 airports. The world-class infrastructure network enables France to offer international investors excellent conditions for doing business and also drive the overall economic engine of the nation. ((Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 18) Weaknesses French external debt is above the EU limit of 60% and most probably will stay this way. Moreover, the share in exports in the Eurozone has fallen by 16% during 1999-2007. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 18) As the reasons for this situation can be named low level of industry specialization and poor price competitiveness of French industries. Moreover, Frances effective corporate tax burden is higher than EU average. Opportunities The privatization of telecommunications, electricity, gas, postal services, rail freights as well as the services sector has been in place for a while. The government has also introduced stimulus plan. The hope is that increased investment spending will stimulate domestic consumption. Threats The financial system in France is still significantly being regulated and administrated. What has helped French economy now to recover from global crisis, might create a problem in the future. Structural reforms in public enterprises, pensions and the constitution need to be completed now; otherwise France will lose the competition with countries with more liberalized systems like UK or Germany. SOCIAL LANDSCAPE Overview While social structure considered an aging population and relatively high unemployment rate seem to be main issues. As well as deficient educational system; (Global competitive report, Porter and Schwab, p.19) describes the education system as a whole is high/strength but the flexibility of the labour force is the problem as well as poor labour relations) this partly can be blamed for high unemployment rate. Unemployment rate was 10 % in January 2010. Web. Accessed March 15 2010. Monthly unemployment rates August 2008 January 2010: Strengths Taking into consideration social parameters in general France has been rather successful. For example, life expectancy at birth is in France 80 years; in terms of gender equality there is a positive social climate for women. France has one of the highest birth rate in Europe. Unlike in many other European countries although the rate is decreasing, France is still doing well. Frances birth rate of about 1.8 children per woman in 2006 makes it the only European country with the possibility of maintaining its current population. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. p. 22) Weaknesses An aging population and early retirement are serious issues on French social landscape. These issues have not been given enough attention by policy makers which now may cause big problem of additional government expenditure. Low labour participation is another issue as well as the fact that French workers work relatively low hours yearly. Source: Web. Accessed: March 15 2010 Another challenge is educational system which has not kept with changing industrial order. Opportunities New scheme Active Solidarity Revenue (RSA) has been introduced by French government. The aim is to prevent unemployment and poverty. The programme will persuade people to look for a job rather than living off social benefits. Threats Frances wage hikes have not seen an equal increase in productivity or increase in output. Thus, wage increases have become unrealistic. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 22) By continuing this policy while the wages are increased but the productivity is not increasing is a serious threat for economic growth. Moreover, France is losing competition on global market where products from emerging Asian countries are present. French government has passed new rules regarding immigrants who want to live in the country or acquiring French nationality. On one side it will help to stop illegal immigrants, however on the other side it will also put off well educated foreigners to work in France. TECHNOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE Overview RD situation in France is satisfying, although far from perfect. The level of public investment in RD is around 2 % of GDP while EUs aim is 3 %. Moreover, private sector funding is still not pleasing. Public involvement is declining and private sector funding still not increasing. This situation might cause problems in future. To improve this condition the Agency for Industrial Innovation has been established. Its main task is to support innovation in large companies. Web. Accessed March 15 2010 Strengths What can be considered as main strength is relatively large number of patents received by France. France ranks fourth in the world in terms of number of patents granted for its innovation. (Datamonitor (2009). France: Country Analysis Report. London: British Library. P. 24) This situation is caused by the approach of successive French government to RD. Research and higher education are priorities of the current government. Large amount from yearly budget is dedicated to support these domains. Political commitment to RD is therefore high in France. Weaknesses Although RD is considered as an important issue by politicians Frances expenditure is at 2 % of GDP only. For comparison it is 2.68% in US and 3.18 % of GDP in Japan. Moreover, the spending on RD as a percentage of GDP by French government is declining. In addition, the input from private sector is still not rewarding. This situation will without any doubts influence future technological development of the country. Opportunities French national research and innovation policy aims to promote innovation, increase the participation of private sector, and improve the cooperation between public and private sector. The goal is to increase the spending on RD to 3 % of GDP and one third of this amount should come from private sector. Threats France lacks the coordination and one clear policy regarding RD sector. There are many research and knowledge institutes which objectives are overlapping each other. One united strategy is needed. Furthermore, there is lack of efficient communication between research institutes and private companies, therefore resources are not being used fully. Moreover, the lack of the connection between the producers and consumers of the technology can be observed. Public RD centres very often do help in application of new technology in industry. In effect, efforts and costs will be duplicated. Beauty products in France cluster analysis 1/ Description of the cluster, cluster size and performance The cosmetics and toiletries (CT) industry in France is estimated at 8 billion EUR in sales and can be divided into the following categories:       * Skincare, colour cosmetics:    37%       * Hair products :    23 %       * Perfumes :    20 %       * Toiletries:    19 %       * Other :    1 % Although in total export value, the CT industry in France shows growth of 6.5% between 1999 and 2005, in terms of global market share, France has declined from 31,6% to 28,5% during the same period. Despite this, France is still a dominant market leader with its export value sales double the amount of the second and third largest exporters Germany and USA with export value of just below 4 billion EUR respectively.Rossi, Prlic, Hoffman; November 2007, Global Insight Report, p.14 Frances beauty care industry has two specialised regional sub-clusters the PASS cluster (Parfum, Arà ´mes, Senteurs et Saveurs perfume, aromas, scents and flavours) in the Provence-Alpes-Cà ´tes dAzur region, and the Cosmetic Valley cluster (Sciences de la Beautà © et du bien à ªtre Science of beauty and well-being) based in the Centre and Normandy region.ClickPress, July 2008 [http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/82987005cp.shtml] The beauty products cluster consists of just few large corporations and over 400 Small medium enterprises (SMEs) with 25 250 employees. There has been an estimation of 855 companies in the CT industry with less than 10 employees. Rossi, Prlic, Hoffman; November 2007, Global Insight Report, p.4 Major companies include LOreal which is the global market leader with annual sales of US $ 17.7 billion, followed by Japanese owned Shiseido (US $ 5.4 billion), LVMH (US $ 2.7 billion) and Yves Rocher (US $ 1.8 billion). Smaller companies include Chanel, Clarins, Pierre Fabre Dermo Cosmetique and Yves Saint Laurent. Beauty packaging, October/November 2005 [http://www.beautypackaging.com/articles/2005/10/top-20-global-beauty-companies.php] International groups in the cosmetics sector such Beiersdorf, Henkel, Coty Inc, Puig Group and Pacific Europe have a strong presence in France and benefit from a vibrant business environment that also serves as a test market. France also offers expertise in associated industries, such as bottle manufacturing and the production of aromas and scents. Invest in France agency press release at ClickPress [http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/82987005cp.shtml] Institutions for collaboration The Cosmetic Valley and PASS regional sub-clusters support active cooperation between companies, research organisations, training institutions, laboratories, universities and suppliers. International investment into the industry is promoted and facilitated by the Invest in France Agency (IFA). ClickPress, July 2008 [http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/82987005cp.shtml] Cluster Map 2/ History The reason behind the perception of France as the cradle of beauty and luxury goes back to the 16th century when it became the center of cosmetic industry starting with the manufacturing of parfumes. Although historically the first European parfume makers originated in Venice, the trade with parfumes developed strongly during the 17th century in France which is today recognised as the dominant parfume manufacturer. This is the result of the attention and support given to the industry by the King Louis XIV whose policies stimulated luxury trade. The use of parfumes spread among the aristocrats and the trade flourished with first parfume guild being established in 1729 in the Provence region. By the 18th century, the original parfume makers started selling other beauty products such as hair dyes, powders, rouges, soaps and white face paints. The industry started being commercialised after the French revolution in 1789 as manufacturers seeked ways to avoid the association with aristocracy. The guild system was abolished in 1791 and first cosmetic shops were opened in Paris, exports to neighbouring countries also started during this time. In the 19th century, French manufacturers developed chemical processes of replacing aromas obtained by natural means with beauty products based on scientific research. This has led to inventions of completely new scents that were not just à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡copying existing natural scents. Separate male and female fragrances were also introduced during this period. Increased demand led to need for larger production facilities. First parfume factory was built in 1840 in Parisian suburb La Villette by an entrepreneour L.T. Piver. Distribution channels were developed as prices of cosmetics became more accessible to the common man and manufacturers were by now producing branded products as well as private labels for department stores. During the late 19th century, an entrepreneur Francois Coty made a major impact on the cosmetic business. His achievements include setting up own salesforce (unheard of in the cosmetics business until than) and using designer bottles for parfumes (until than parfumes were sold in pharmacy-like simple bottles) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡ to attract the eye as much as the nose. His aim was to keep the perception of cosmetic s  as a luxury that more people can afford and he succeeded in bringing cosmetics and parfumes to the masses. By the end of 19th century three quarters of French parfumes and beauty products were sold abroad thanks to the developed infractracture which made it easy to export products to Europe and the US. Typically sales were managed through local import agents. Some bigger manufactuterers such as Coty or Piver later established their own shops in other countries (Pivor in London, Coty in New York). In 1907 Eugene Schueller started new company Socià ©tà © Franà §aise de Teintures Inoffensives pour Cheveux selling hair dyes for hairdressers. The vision of the company was to doà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡research and innovation in the interest of beauty. Later renamed as LOreal, the company had by 1950s over 100 researchers. Today LOreal is a leader in the beauty products industry. Geoffrey Jones, 2007, Imagining Beauty: The History of the Global Beauty Business, p.16 38 3/ Competition and trends According to the Global Insight Inc, the world cosmetics market grew between 2000 and 2006 in Europe and China but declined slightly in US and Japan (Exhibit 2). EU15 United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Luxemburg, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Italy EU 12 Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Poland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Cyprus EU 27 = sum of the above Exhibit 2 The forecasts show expected further growth especially in developing regions such as China and central eastern Europe (EU12). (Exhibit 3) Exhibit 3 France has kept its dominant position as the leading exporter of beauty products over many years selling double the amount than its closest competitors Germany and US. The growth in value is 6.5% between 1999 and 2005. This however is lower compared to EU average (8.3% growth) as well as compared with the rest of the major beauty exporters in world USA, China and Japan (8.1% growth). This means that on the global scale, France is losing market shares. (Exhibit 3) Exhibit 3 Revealed comparative advantage Global Insight Inc measured the Revealed comparative advantage of nations exporting beauty products and in its findings we see that France is positioned in the upper right quadrant (Cosmetic Industry RCA Analysis, Exhibit 4) the threatened industries. The graph shows us that France is by far the largest exporter, is well positioned but its position is weakening due to lesser growth compared to other countries. On the other hand, the only countries showing intensive growth are developing nations that started at a much weaker base. The market for French products has matured in the developed regions of western Europe and the US which have been traditionally the largest export countries for French products. As a conclusion, France will now have to be more aggressive in creating a strong position in the developing markets of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) countries + central and eastern Europe to regain its growth. This assumption is supported by the data from French customs which point to fast growing cosmetics sales to the emerging markets, while the EU plays a less important role in French exports (50% against 64%). Between 1998 and 2008, sales growth in emerging countries was two times faster than it is for all exports of cosmetics. The share of emerging countries in total sales of cosmetics rose from 14.9% in 1998 to 24.6% in 2008, with particularly strong sales in China and Russia. A trend confirmed by Jean-Paul Agon, the Managing Director of the LOreal Group, in an interview to the French newspaper Le Monde, dated November 6: In the ten coming years, our customers will mostly be Chinese, Indian, Brazilian or Indonesian. While the group LOreal already achieves 60% of its business outside Europe, this proportion is expected to rapidly rise to 90%, according to Jean-Paul Agon Sooner or later sales catch up on demography, he claims. Exhibit 4 Frances second largest competitor in Europe Germany shows a better performance in terms of growth and is slightly gaining market shares from 13% in 1999 to 14% in 2005. Although this might seem only a slight improvement, in terms of growth in absolute numbers, Germany has grown faster than European average and almost twice as fast as France (10.9% growth for Germany versus 6.5% for France). Compared to other three top exporters of cosmetics (France, US and UK), Germany is the only country growing in market shares. In 2007, German exports rose by 14.4% compared to previous year and summed up to EUR 964 million in the first half of 2007, with highest demand from France, the United Kingdom and Russia. Gentry Earlene, German-Arab Industry of Commerce, December 2008 [http://aegypten.ahk.de/index.php?id=1093L=15] The growth of German exports is driven by local SMEs which are strategically managed by IKW the German Cosmetic, Toiletry, Perfumery and Detergent Association (Industrieverband Kà ¶rperpflege- und Waschmittel e. V.) whose mission is to help German SMEs to enter and conquer foreign markets. Gentry Earlene, German-Arab Industry of Commerce, December 2008 [http://aegypten.ahk.de/index.php?id=1093L=15] As a result of its strategic focus and investment, German SMEs have developed quality cosmetics for almost all segments. Etre Belle Cosmetic Vertrieb GmbH is an interesting illustration of those successful German SMEs. The company is now present in more than 35 countries. The brand has developed complete fragrance and skincare ranges segmented by skin types. German companies are also world leaders in some specific niches, such as organic and natural cosmetics which shows the most dynamic growth in western Europe and USA. (German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce, [http://aegypten.ahk.de/index.php?id=1093L=15 ]) Udo Frenzel, director of economic affairs at IKW, the German Cosmetics, Toiletry, Perfumery and Detergent Association, sums up the success behind Germany growth: The exports of the German cosmetics, toiletry and perfumery industry in the last ten years are a story of success based on the quality image of Made in Germany. There is nearly no country on the entire globe where not at least one German brand is available on the market. At present German exports of our industry are 68% higher than imports to Germany. Gentry Earlene, German-Arab Industry of Commerce, December 2008 [http://aegypten.ahk.de/index.php?id=1093L=15] Research and Development French companies sustain their comparative advantage by investing heavily into research and development which is a key requirement to stay competitive in the cosmetics industry. As the following table shows, Frances RD expenditure in 2001 was 2.5x higher than that of the second largest competitor Germany in 2004. (Exhibit 5) Data for other leading countries are unfortunately not available but the assumption is that France is a leading investor into RD worldwide. This is also supported by the fact that the French government actively supports research and has introduced a competitive RD tax-credit system, which reimburses 50% of RD costs in the first year. This provides incentives to non-French companies to set up research facilities in France. Companies that have done this include Pacific Chemical Corp. (South Korea), Takasago (Japan) or Hutchison Whampoa (Hong Kong).Invest in France agency press release at ClickPress [http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/82987005cp.shtml Exhibit 5 Productivity The most significant threat to the ongoing competitiveness of the industry in most EU countries but mostly relevant to France and Germany, is relatively low productivity combined with high unit labour costs which shows a wide gap between EU companies and the U.S. and Japan. Rossi, Prlic, Hoffman; November 2007, Global Insight Report, p.4 Although only average EU15 (refers to the first EU countries before entry of post-communist nations) data for productivity in the beauty products industry are available, given the size of the French market, the weighted average is likely to be similar to the actual data for France. Referring to the source above, the rest is an assumption, therefor

Outline and Evaluate Biological Therapies as Treatments of Depression

Outline and evaluate biological therapies as treatments of depression.There many forms of treatment to cure depression, many of which are biological. These target the physical and chemical side of the body.Anti-depressants and other drugs are the most common forms of treating depression. They work by boosting levels of insufficient neurotransmitters such as serotonin and nor-adrenaline. They will either reduce the amount of re-absorption or block the enzyme that is trying to break down neurotransmitters. Allowing to increase the amount of neurotransmitter available , so that neighbouring cells become excited.Tricyclics are used to block the transporter mechanism that re-absorbs both serotonin and nor-adrenaline into the pre-synaptic cell after it has fired. As a result to this there are more neurotransmitters left in the synapse making the transmission of the next impulse easier.The treatment of depression has three phases which it is to go through, the first being acute in which the treatment of current symptoms takes place. Then it goes into the continuation phase in which the treatment is continued for six months where the medication is gradually withdrawn to prevent relapse. Lastly the maintenance phase which is recommended for individuals who have a reccurent depressive episode.One of the most common anti-depressant drugs used are Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRI's), these are associated with serotonin which have been found to be involved in depression. The SSRI's will work by stopping the nerve cells from re-absorbing serotonin that has been released into the synapse, which in turn will increase the amount of serotonin available.However SSRI anti-depressants may not be able to treat all forms of depression. Kirsch et al (2008) found that only in the most severe cases of depression there was a significant advantage of using the SSRI. Therefore showing that anti-depressants may not be able to help those with mild or moderate depression.Another type of anti-depressants are mono amine oxidise inhibitors (MAOIs) that work with nor-adrenaline in the synapses. These block the enzyme mono amine oxidise from taking apart noradrenaline, and thus increase the amount of noradrenaline that is available at the synapse. Low levels of noradrenaline in certain areas of the brain has been linked with depression, and so MAOIs are an effective antidepressant.Nonetheless in the case of children and adolescents anti-depressants may fail to work altogether. Hammen (1997) found that anti-depressants appeared to be less useful with children and adolescents than with adults. This could be due to the fact that there are varied developmental differences in their brain neurochemistry and thus equaling to children not being as effected by the anti-depressants. Which may mean that other forms of treatment may need to be considered when treating a depressed child but could and but could also question the overall effectiveness of anti-depressants.Ther e are also safety concerns to do with SSRI's such as an increased use of them may lead to an increase in suicidal thoughts within vulnerable people. Ferguson er al (2005) did a review of studies that found that those in a SSRI condition compared to a placebo condition, are twice as more likely to attempt suicide.This risk however has been found higher amoung adolescents than adults. Suggesting that anti-depressants may in fact be more harmful than beneficial to a depressive individual.Another issue with the treatment of depression is that there may be a misdiagnosis in treatment due to age. Benek-Higgins et al (2008) found that because of the symptoms of depression are masked over by the natural changes in the elderly and their lifestyles. Therefore anti-depressant medication is less likely to be prescribed to them, which may lead to depression in the elderly not being treated at all.It has been found to be harder to treat the elderly also, this is because they are less likely to se ek professional help as they feel that there is a social stigma attached to being â€Å"mentally ill† and do not wish to lose their independence if they are diagnosed. This equals to them not being diagnosed and in turn equalling to them not being treated of their depression.However using a placebo during an experimental treatment may be an ethical issue. As lying to a depressed individual, that they are taking medication to make them better could psychologically make them worse upon learning that they have been lied to. Therefore a thorough debriefing and regular follow-ups will be needed for the individuals.There is also the risk of a publication bias, Turner et al (2008) found as authors have suggested that there is selective publication made to emphasise the positive outcomes of anti-depressant treatments. Drug companies may try to present their drugs as positive even if they aren't. Therefore biased conclusion may lead to inappropriate treatment decisions.Many therapies such as drug therapy are conducted regularly to treat depression but there is no answer on how to measure the effectiveness of them. As how are we meant to know when the patient has been â€Å"cured†, as there is no particular destination that one is trying to get towards. So there is no particular time to measure the effectiveness, whether that be during the therapy or 6 or so months after. Therefore the use of drugs etc may not be as effective as we think, because they do not lead us to a clear cure.Electroconclusive therapy (ECT) involves applying electrodes to a patient's head and passing an electric current through their brain. This will then cause a seizure to occur for a few seconds, but it is not clear as to why ECT works and how. Oxygen is given to the patient during the treatment to compensate for their inability to breathe, and the treatment will be given to the patient three times per week depending on the severity of their depression.It is used in the most severe cases, where a patient is at danger of harming themselves or is extremely suicidal, and anti-depressants and therapy are not having any effect on the the patient. The seizure from the ECT is said to regulate the mood of the patients, which will decrease their depressive episode.Yet there are many side effects to the use of ECT, for example when ECT was first introduced it resulted in injuries such as broken bones, however due to the modern change in treatment and the use of muscle relaxants and the therapy being taken place under anesthetic has decreased the likelihood of injuries. Although memory loss is very likely to follow prior to ECT, it isn't said how long the memory loss may last. Although ECT has been found to be effective to those who have depression the negatives may outweigh the positives to some extent.There is much evidence that supports the effectiveness of ECT, for example Gregory et al (1985) found that in comparison to sham ECT , which is when the patient is not a naesthetised during ECT, have been found to have a significant difference in outcome in favour of the real ECT. Therefore showing that within ECT itself it may be very effective for people with depression.In contrast to anti-depressants, ECT have been shown to be more efficient that anti-depressants, Scott (2004) found that in the short term treatment ECT was better than drug therapy. Which again supports the effectiveness of ECT and how it should be used more often.One way of minimising the cognitive problems that are associated with ECT, which is to use unilateral ECT, where the electrodes are placed only on one side of the skull, rather than the bilateral ECT where the electrodes are placed on both sides of the skull. Studies found that the unilateral is less likely to cause cognitive problems than the bilateral. This shows that to use unilateral ECT would be much more effective than bilateral ECT, and could cause less side effects.A concern with ECT is the consent of the patient s receiving the treatment, the DOH report (1999) found that 59% of 700 patients whom had received ECT admitted to not giving consent to treatment. Even when the patients volunteer to reicieving the treatment there was still an issue with fully informed consent about the side effects. Therefore ECT may not be given to all patients with fully informed consent and could be seen as ethically incorrect.

Immigration Outline Research Essay

Abstract Throughout this paper, there will be the highly debatable discussion between legalizing medical marijuana and regular marijuana. Both sides of the argument have their pros and cons and there is an in depth description of both sides of the argument. At the end of the day though, the paper thoroughly supports the legalization of medical marijuana and marijuana in general. Medical marijuana less harmful than most other legal tobacco products and has the ability to reduce the pain within ailing people. Cannabis also can be a curable and more natural drug to help people in pain. Marijuana also has the potential to raise the U.S. out of their tough economic struggle as well as lower crime rate and create more jobs for many more people. On the other hand researchers believe that medical marijuana is still bad for people’s health and the government does not know how to regulate the production and sell of marijuana. Both sides have valid arguments, but the pros outweigh the cons by a s ignificant amount. This paper has opinions of lots of credible sources, doctors and researchers explaining their side of the story. But read on to create your own personal opinion. Introduction Marijuana should be legalized for medical use across the country. Marijuana has a negative stigma attached by the government and public, but is actually a natural and effective medicine. The argument about medical marijuana is starting to spread across the country like wildfire, and the topic should be addressed. This paper will go into depth explanation and reasoning on why medical marijuana should be legalized as soon as possible. History of Marijuana Medical marijuana and marijuana have had a long, lengthy history of repeated use in the United States. First, from 1900 to 1940, marijuana, including opium and cocaine were considered part of everyday drugs. As time went on, the U.S. cracked down on crack and opium, eventually outlawing them, but continued to be very â€Å"loose† with the use of marijuana. Eventually, as time continued to roll on, the use of marijuana became â€Å"frowned upon.† Marijuana was illegal and the U.S. government became very strict with the cannabis laws. This began around the 80’s and then started to become increasingly worse. Then, around the late 90’s and early 2000’s, scientific studies started to produce jaw-dropping results. Scientists started to discover that marijuana can significantly help people that have become ill. Medical Marijuana has been tested to help people with cataracts, cancer and severe depression, just to name a few (Zeese 1999). With this new world wide discovery, the argument about medical marijuana ignited. States wanted to only make medical marijuana legal so it may help sick people, but the government did not want any form of marijuana legal. The law that was known throughout the United States was any form of marijuana was illegal. But now with this new discovery, doctors in states across the country wanted the legalization of medical marijuana. But states can overrule the laws of the government, because states are given the decision to decide on some of their major laws. Thus came the beginning of the legalization of medical marijuana. The first state to allow the use of medical marijuana was California in 1996 (Zeese 1999). The only distribution of medical marijuana though is through the recommendation of a certified doctor. Other states began to follow in the footsteps of California such as Arizona and Colorado. One thing led to the next, and now there is up to fourteen states that have legalized the distribution of marijuana medically, with many more to come. These states allowed the use of medical marijuana to help people with anxiety, certain types of cancer and cataracts. But the U.S. federal government has tried to prevent patients from obtaining cannabis and threatened physicians who prescribe it with criminal prosecution or loss of their license to practice. But yet, the growing support for medical marijuana has grown massively in numbers over the past 20 years. And before people realized it, the United States government now has to ask themselves: Is marijuana actually not as bad as drug as people thought? And should the United States just simply legalize all forms of marijuana? U.S. View of Medical Marijuana As discussed in the history of marijuana, the American view on marijuana is very pessimistic. The government already feels they are bending backwards by allowing medical marijuana, but they still disagree with everything about it. The government even created the movie called â€Å"Reefer Madness† which is a 1936 movie that wanted to make people believe that when people smoke marijuana then they would become crazy. Starting from a hit and run accident, to manslaughter, suicide, attempted rape, and descent into madness. At the tail end of the eighties, the use of marijuana and other drugs started to reach a new height. At first, lots of people started using the drug because the party scene started to grow increasingly. But by the end of the eighties, society started to abuse cannabis. Along with the abuse of marijuana, drug gangs started selling marijuana along with other drugs, creating more crime throughout the United States. Thus this creates the negative impact on the view of marijuana. The government labeled the use of â€Å"marijuana† as being part of a gang or being a criminal. Then soon after, research in the early eighties showed some negative effects of smoking marijuana. The view of marijuana would retain the title of a â€Å"bad drug† until the recent 2000†™s. These are multiple reasons why marijuana got the â€Å"bad image† by the U.S. government. World View of Medical Marijuana Throughout the world there is a wide variety of rules and laws that pertain to medical marijuana and marijuana in general. Other countries around the world have much less stricter laws when it comes to the matter of medical marijuana and marijuana. In countries such as the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia, they actually encourage the use of medical marijuana and give exemption of pursuing criminal charges to distributers. Then there is the country of Holland, which allows full legalization of every form of marijuana. Holland encourages lots of small business owners to encourage smoking and eating of marijuana. Another way marijuana can be consumed is by baking the cannabis in different types of food, which then allows a different type of high. The high supposedly is more of a body high, which is different from smoking marijuana or taking a pill. But Holland encourages local bake shops to â€Å"cook† marijuana within the their foods. By doing this, small local businesses attra ct more and bigger crowds to come try their new food that has a kick. Holland’s tourism rates have increased slightly since the legalization of marijuana or hash (more pure type of marijuana). It may not have a drastic change in their economy, but it sure does have a small impact. Finally, there is Portugal, which has no laws against any drug of any kind. All drugs from marijuana to cocaine, to heroine are legal. Portugal decided that the people that want to do drugs, then they would. Prison costs drastically changed and statistics show that the crime rate went down, including fewer arrests. Law enforcement now does not have to worry about minor issues like drug related crimes. It allows the law enforcement to put their main focus and priority towards catching more serious criminals such as murders, rapists and theft. The most important aspect is the use of marijuana decreased. Showing that making something illegal, gives the user the thrill of breaking the law and by going t hrough with using the drug. But when marijuana is legal, the thrill is gone, and less people will want to try it. Pros Medical marijuana is never acknowledged for its benefits and use of good in the world. Lots of people simply just write off marijuana as just a bad drug. Compared to modern pharmaceuticals, cannabis is viewed as a radical medicine because it is natural and contains unique chemical compounds. Compounds such as a stimulant within the cannabis that acts as a hunger enhancer. This means, that by smoking or taking a pill version of marijuana, it then makes people get hungry, known as the munchies. So people with diabetes and anorexia can smoke marijuana to create hunger. The direct result is eating more and making those sick individuals better. But if the legalization of medical marijuana and marijuana occurs then there is an extraordinary amount of goodness to come. Also there is numerous medical cases where cannabis has helped sick and people in pain. Certain people that have cancer, have to go through chemotherapy which can be extremely painful. So doctors prescribe medical marijuana f or these people so it helps dull the pain. I know off personal experience with the correlation with cancer, chemotherapy and the use of medical marijuana. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago and had to go through chemotherapy to kill the cancer. She was in pain most days, feeling extreme agony from what the chemotherapy was doing. The chemo is a chemical that is designed to kill something; like cancer for instance, and the side effects is that it hurts the body also. My mom was prescribed medical marijuana after a couple weeks of the chemo because the pain became too much for her. After she started smoking the marijuana the pain was much less intense and helped her significantly overcome her fight with cancer. Next, there is strong scientific evidence that shows that tobacco products such as cigarettes, chewing tobacco, etc. are far worse than the use of marijuana. Cigarettes not only have tobacco that hurts the lungs and mouths but all tobacco products contain nic otine in them. Nicotine is extremely addictive which causes people to smoke or chew more. But yet these tobacco products are legal and are even allowed to sell to individuals of the age of eighteen, so technically still teenagers. To add on, thousands of people are being thrown into jail for possession and distribution of marijuana. So in sense, innocent people are being thrown in federal prisons and jails for possessing or selling a less harmful drug than others. This simply does not add up, and raises another reason to why marijuana should just simply be legalized. These will be the main points in favor for legalizing medical marijuana throughout this paper. Medical Marijuana is not as unhealthy as the media and government says it is. Medical Marijuana could have the potential to raise enough money to help the United States to get out of the recession that we are currently in. The government could make more money for the United States economy by legalizing marijuana. By simply applying higher tax rates on the sell of marijuana and then sell the high taxed herb to the public. The government already uses this method with tobacco products. Officials inflate the tax on tobacco products by incredible amounts so the country receives some of the profits off the tobacco products. To make a cigarette costs two cents to produce, twenty cigarettes in a pack, so that should be around forty cents for a pack of cigarettes. But in reality a pack of cigaret tes costs about 5-7 dollars depending on what part of the country one is located. If the government goes through this same process with marijuana then that would create many more opportunities to make money for the United States. But how would they package and sell marijuana? The best way the government could package and sell marijuana would be in a smaller version of cigarette packs. The government should have a package that can only hold about 10 rolled up marijuana joints or blunts. Then the government should tax the living daylights out of the pack and then the government would have a major inflation in the economy. The government believes that the public will not buy the marijuana because of the negative view on cannabis. But numbers keep increasing year after year as to the percentage of people that believe marijuana should just be legalized. If the government simply just legalizes marijuana and then raise the taxes on it, people will buy the drug. The other point that goes ha nd in hand with the legalization of marijuana is that it will lower criminal activity. Right now the people of the United States pay about 8% of tax dollars to keep prisoners in custody (Mikos, 2009). But some of these so called â€Å"prisoners† are only in there because they broke the law of selling marijuana. These prisoners are in jail because of a petty crime of selling or in possession of this harmless drug. If marijuana were to become legal, then lots of this â€Å"prisoners† would be released and would in the end result save the United States millions of dollars. Cons Even though many activists that want marijuana legal believe that marijuana have no negative aspects, but multiple different test results believe otherwise. First off, the active ingredient in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. THC acts on cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells and then influences the activity of those cells. The cannabinoid receptors are part of the brain that influences pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory, time perception and coordinated movement (Buddy, 2011). Marijuana causes health risks in the heart and lungs. Within the first few minutes of smoking marijuana, the heart begins to beat up to 20 to 50 beats faster a minute. This causes the blood pressure to drop and creating a higher heart rate (Buddy, 2011). Researchers have discovered that marijuana smoker’s risk of a heart attack is four times higher within the first hour after smoking marijuana. The lungs also experience burning and stinging in the mouth and lungs when marijuana is s moked. Scientists have found that, â€Å"regular marijuana smokers can experience the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illnesses, increased risk of lung infections, and obstructed airways† (Buddy, 2011). One of the major reasons that the government will now allow marijuana to be legal is the government cannot set rules and regulations with the growing of cannabis. If the government legalizes marijuana then anyone in America can grow and smoke cannabis. The government fears that when they legalize marijuana then everyone will simply just grow their own. If the government were to legalize marijuana then they would want to sell and tax the living daylights out of it. But cannabis is not a hard plant to grow. Marijuana is not like beer or liquor where it is hard to produce; it is extremely easy to grow. Beer and liquor must be made in factories where as marijuana can be grown almost anywhere. So since they cannot stop people from growing it, then it would make it hard for the government to tax cannabis. Then more legal questions arise throughout the country. Do officials arrest people growing marijuana? How can they arrest a person for growing something that is completely legal? The answer is that the government cannot do this, and if they do, they Congress would have to pass new laws that could result in multiple different loop holes. Medical benefits The principal constituent of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and is effective in treating nausea, vomiting, appetite loss and acute and chronic pain. With this information doctors have begun to use and diagnose the use of medical marijuana. Marijuana may prevent Alzheimer’s disease, relieves chronic pain, and fights the effects of cancer (Pope, 1996). Also, recent research has shown that marijuana can fight the effects of fibromyalgia, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, and Lou Gehrig’s disease (Pope, 1996). These are serious illness and diseases that cannabis has already been known to help cure. All of this knowledge has been discovered in the last 20 years also! Just imagine what more time, and more support of this drug can do. If marijuana got legalized then, many more medical mysteries could be solved and could potentially save many more people from pain and dying. Conclusion This information is up to the reader to dictate and decide for their own, but I hope my opinion with credible facts and research has helped inform and give people a better understanding on this topic. And overall, persuade them to agree that medical marijuana and marijuana in general should be legalized. Marijuana is not a bad drug, because it has helped countless people get better and survive. With all these pros and few cons, it is inevitable that the legalization of marijuana should commence immediately. I also ask people to voice their opinions and take action, so the legalization of this drug can occur so it can help and continue to help sick people.