Blue Nile case study Essay

How strong are the competitive forces confronting Blue Nile and other online retail jewelers? Do a five-force analysis to support your answer. The competition among the competing sellers in the industry is strong. Competitors for Blue Nile not only include the online jewelry sellers such as Diamonds.com, Whiteflash.com, Ice.com and JamesAllen.com, but also include brick-and-mortar jewelers, chain department stores, mass merchants, local jewelry shop, and large jewelry chains such as Zale and Tiffany. The competitive force from new entrants is moderate to weak. The new entrants of the traditional jewelry industry will need a large amount of capital for inventory, established brands to attract customers, and a strong sales team. For new online jewelry sellers, they also need to find ways to build their brand awareness, establish partnership with suppliers, and to keep the operation costs low to ensure attractive prices. The competition from substitute products for jewelry sellers is also moderate to weak. There are synthetic diamonds, manmade jewels and alternative jewels. But for engagement rings and wedding bands, people would still choose those real and precious diamonds and materials. Thus, from this aspect, there could not be substitutes for diamonds and expensive jewels. The bargaining power from the buyers is strong since there are many choices for them to purchase jewelry from. It is easy for customers to change their source for purchase. The bargaining power from the suppliers is strong for the prices for diamond and precious metals depend more on the exchange market in the world. There are limited suppliers creating an established oligopoly over the years. 2. What key factors will determine a company’s success in the online jewelry business in the next 3-5 years? Key success factors in the online jewelry business include the following ones: 1) Lower operation costs to keep prices lower than rivals 2) Partnership with suppliers to reduce inventory 3) Build customers’ trust and loyalty 4) Strong e-commerce capabilities 5) Manufacture customized products 3. What is Blue Nile’s strategy? Which of the five generic competitive strategies discussed in Chapter 5 most closely fit the competitive approach that Blue Nile is taking? What type of competitive advantage is Blue Nile trying to achieve? Blue Nile’s strategy is to be the Best Cost Provider. It provides the customer high quality engagement rings, wedding bands and jewelry with low prices to value seeking customers. Blue Nile tries to achieve low costs of its operation and marketing thus maintain its competitive advantage in prices. 4. What do you like and dislike about Blue Nile’s business model? Blue Nile’s business model is to make profits through its online sale of high-quality jewelry at competitive low prices with trusted guidance throughout the purchasing process. The model I like is that it provides value to its suppliers and customers which in return bring about their profits. The lean costs and supply chain efficiency enable them to achieve this goal. Another aspect of the model I like is that they provide a high level of customer service and was continuously engaged in refining the customer service aspects in every step of the purchase order. The business model places great importance on customers’ satisfaction which would help their business to grow. The model I don’t like is that they don’t have their own brand of jewelry established and they depend too much on the jewelry of their suppliers. Quality of their jewelry as well as the brand effects could not be competitive with other well-known brands. 5. What does a SWOT analysis of Blue Nile reveal about the overall attractiveness of its situation? Strengths: 1). Offer high-quality jewelry at competitive prices 2). Provide great customer services 3). Efficient supply chain management 4). Good financial condition with a positive amount of cash flows Weakness: 1). Brand name not widely recognized as Zale and Tiffany 2). only sell online 3). Restricted to US, UK and Canada. Opportunities: 1). Growing jewelry market in US 2).Many recognitions in the online jewelry industry Threats: 1). Competitors from online and offline jewelry retailers 2). Seasonal sale of jewelry 6. What is your appraisal of Blue Nile’s financial performance based on the data in case Exhibit 4? How well is the company doing financially? Is there evidence that Blue Nile’s strategy is working—what is the story of the numbers in case Exhibit 4? Use the financial ratios in Table 4.1 of Chapter 4 as a guide in doing the calculations needed to arrive at an analysis-based answer to your assessment of Blue Nile’s recent financial performance. Blue Nile has adequate competitive strength to compete with its online rivals. It has already created brand awareness and brand loyalty among most of its customers. It also has a large number of jewelry selections thanks to its extensive partnership with jewelry suppliers. The efficient supply management also ensures the low prices of their products. It has built a sustainable competitive advantage in the online retail jewelry business. For offline competitors, Blue Nile should work on putting more marketing efforts to make more people know about their brand and build its brand into a reliable high-quality image. 8. What strategic issues and problems does Blue Nile management need to address? Issues and problems Blue Nile Management need to address: 1). Lack of marketing and advertising makes Blue Nile still unknown to many potential customers. Blue Nile should explore more advertising channels to promote its brand image. 2). International efforts to reach the global market are slow. They currently only reach out to UK and Canada. Blue Nile should try to tap more potential global market and explore new markets. 9. What recommendations would you make to Blue Nile management to strengthen its competitive position and future strategic and financial performance? Blue Nile management should keep on providing customers jewelry at low costs while maintain its high quality of jewelry and customer services. Reducing the costs would help ensure the low prices and continuous efforts on educating the customers and assuring their purchase decisions would help Blue Nile to strengthen its competitive position.

The Debate of Proposition 8

Should sexual preference determine marriages? This is the ongoing debate our generation will have to address. California has been in the epicenters of this debate; as we witnessed voters oppose gay marriage in the elections of 2008. The success of Proposition 8 discriminated against those of homosexual orientation. Proposition 8 adjusted California’s marriage laws to prevent a change in language, favoring the majority of heterosexual America. As California’s constitution in article 1, section 7. reads, â€Å"Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California† (California Marriage Protection Act). This perception of marriage adopted to be law is built upon gender identity ideals that men and women have to fulfill. Women are to marry that of the opposite gender and sex. Accordingly, the language used to describe marriage was contorted by gender ideals in the fight for Proposition 8. Those for Proposition 8 argued it would restore the defin ition of marriage. From this perspective, marriage is seen as a tradition that is natural and immutable. To the contrary, the argument against Proposition 8 states, â€Å"OUR CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION—the law of our land—SHOULD GUARANTEE THE SAME FREEDOMS AND RIGHTS TO EVERYONE—NO ONE group SHOULD be singled out to BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY† (Official California Legislative Information). Marriage is a right that cannot be exercised by all due to sexual preference. Gay and lesbians are discriminated based on societies resistance to amend the definition of marriage past sexual preference. Additionally, the language used to describe marriage and the roles of individuals, is a major outlining factor behind the issue itself. Analyzing the language used in both arguments allows us to delve further into this question and expose why Proposition 8 should have been abolished. Proposition 8 is simply a resistance to change in language in how we come to define marriage. â€Å"Typically, language changes as a result of social political and economic processes such as lifestyle changes, new experiences, counters with technologies and communication media, colonization, or migration† (Litosseliti 19). Although political action may try to slow down this historical ongoing change in language, just as the world changes, so will the language. Marriage will eventually cease to be defined by the standards of sexual preference. In such, the argument against Proposition 8 holds more validity than those in favor of it. Those opposed to Proposition 8 rely on California’s constitution promise for equal rights and freedom to every person, gays included. This allowed those opposed to use powerful words associated with civil rights such as, equality, dignity, freedom, and respect. These are portrayed to the audience from a gay language lending more of feminine like characteristics of care, nurture, and support. This gay language serves a purpose in relaying the message to oppose Proposition 8. As scholar Don Kulick believes, â€Å"†¦homosexual slang serves communicative functions, the most important of which is to ‘reinforce group cohesiveness and reflect common interests, problems, and needs of the population’ (Sonenschein 1969:289)† (Kulick 250). They used the gay slang as to draw attention from all gay and lesbians to feel connected. They refer to themselves as the â€Å"gay community†. This self maintained identity allows them to reach out to all gays and lesbians. For instance, there is a great example in YouTube, where the protest against Proposition 8 continues. In their advertisement they are promoting the Eve of Justice March for gay rights. In the video words displayed are â€Å"if you believe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  followed by the alternating words such as life, happiness, kindness, beauty, compassion, and love. These words of sentiment and support are a prime example of the gay language inducing activism throughout the gay community. â€Å"In constructing particular subject positions for the readers or viewers, advertisements play a role in constituting identities† (Litosseliti 108). The gay language so to speak allows them to create a desired identity for the gay community, which allows them to mobilize themselves within their civil rights movement. Additionally, the gay community has maintained a similar identity to heterosexual relationships on what role individuals play in a marriage. They believe in the similar manner as to what is expected out of a relationship. For instance in the official voters guide an example of daily interaction between spouses is descript as if to show they are not much different than a heterosexual marriage. The guide postulates, â€Å"When you’re married and your spouse is sick or hurt, there is no confusion: you get into the ambulance or hospital room with no questions asked. IN EVERYDAY LIFE, AND ESPECIALLY IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS ARE SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH† (Official California Legislative Information). The gay community displays the similarity of marriage interaction in daily life is the same as any other marriage would be. Marriage roles are portrayed to be similar, and the situation presented above uses words such as, hurt and sick. This invokes the audience to relate to the situation presented of care and nurture for one’s spouse. Although, there are some differences in the expected roles in a marriage, for only a single gender identity is shared between the spouses. For instance, in the role of a wedding usually both partners wear the traditional clothing used for their sex. Lesbians dress in wedding dress attire as the gay men wear the traditional suit. This infers that in a gay marriage their roles are different than that of traditional couples. It objectifies the image of two masculine or feminine figures in a relationship, demonstrating marriage is about love, and not fulfilling prescribed gender roles. The symbolic meaning of commitment is also displayed through the exchange of wedding bands. The gay community’s ideals on marriage are centered more around love than sexuality. Gays use this traditional wedding practice as a way to explicate the language of love, and equality in marriage. To the contrary, those in favor of Proposition 8 argue the need to restore the definition of marriage for the sake of protecting the children. They argue that marriage itself is traditional and the meaning needs to be reallocated for sexual preference. The argument is made that domestic partnerships give all the same rights as a marriage just the title is different. Further, the language used to describe gay marriage is severely negative. Gay marriages are described as â€Å"same-sex marriages† for the sole purpose of pointing out the sexuality of the marriage. We can distinguish this in the arguments presented that our children are to be protected from. The voter’s guide reads â€Å"It protects our children from being taught in public schools that ‘same-sex marriage’ is the same as traditional marriage† (Official California Legislative Information). The argument uses strong words such as protect and traditional as if gay marriage were a threat to our society. Those in favor of Proposition 8 question why they should have to deal with gay marriages when raising children. As I recall there was an advertisement on television during election warning people about societal issues our children will have to deal with. The commercial demonstrated a hild’s confusion as to why she had 2 daddies, yet mommies were the ones who made the babies. The child’s confusion of marriage sexual identities promotes gay marriage as a social issue in raising kids. Those in favor of Proposition 8 claim that gays are putting their adult desires first before the children. Derogatory terms are used in protests against those who oppose Proposition 8. In rallies across California supporting Proposition 8, such as the one on the left, implement the feeling of hate. The term fag implies a negative connotation upon the being homosexual. Additionally, the word depraved implies that the gay lifestyle is a social burden to America. Those who support the banning of gay marriage perceive this as a social problem of a minority group trying to change social culture. Gays should live private lives and not bring their lifestyle to the public arena and force society to change. Moreover, the argument against Proposition 8 holds a much stronger stand against those who support it. First, we must understand that language in society will always change and adapt to the needs of society. Marriage just as many other words will be redefined as society expands out of the two traditional gender roles. The gay community needs to be included as the law has to prescribe to everyone equally. As we see in the protest rallies, the movements’ association with civil rights of the blacks helps their argument gain solidarity. A popular slogan across protests was â€Å"Gay is the new Black†. I experienced protestors in Fresno, CA yelling this to supporters of Proposition 8. The correlation of the blacks civil rights display their desires and emphasize discrimination. In addition, supporters claim children will be confused as to sexuality preferences, yet sexuality preferences don’t usually profess themselves until puberty. In this adolescence the children will be able to cognate their own sexual preference. Those in support are simply trying to prevent gays from their prescribed rights. When have we ever heard of a vocabulary word that needed its definition restored? Marriage is defined differently by many societies and who are we to say that a minority group should be exempt from it. As the gay language further manifests itself with civil rights language, it will draw increasing support from the gay community as well as civil rights activists. Works Cited California Marriage Protection Act,  § 7. 5. Kulick, Don. â€Å"Gay and Lesbian Language. † Annual Review of Anthropology 29 (2000): 243-85. Litosseliti, Lia. Gender and Language Theory and Practice. New York: A Hodder Arnold Publication, 2006. Official California Legislative Information. 04 Nov. 2008. California Legislation. 05 Mar. 2009 .

Advise Brian as to the application of EU law on the free movement of Essay

Advise Brian as to the application of EU law on the free movement of goods to this situation - Essay Example According to the case presented, Brian is a recognized trader in these items and has dealt them for years. Having sold the products for ten years, one would judge Brian as an experienced manufacturer and supplier of these materials. The free movement of goods treaty aims at restricting limitations to trade between member states of the European Union and compliance is key for a good relation for the different states. France as a state is part of the treaty and is bound by the treaty to comply and eliminate any restrictions that are developed either by its domestic suppliers of Power Saws or by legislation that seeks to create a discriminatory effect to the trade aspects of the EU. A number of cases exist on the aspects of discrimination in trade because of legislative effects of member states of the European Union. These include the following. According to a case as per Schmidberger, case Case C-112/00 on free movement of goods vs. protection of fundamental right1. According to this case, respect of fundamental rights of persons in the different states is part of the responsibility that the states have. The free movement of goods into and out of France needs not affect the livelihood of the people especially their health. Considering the health aspect attached to the case, the rights of protection on health aspects for the people is the mandate of the government that limits the exposure as per the goods in relation to the PSs. The free movement of goods relates to the removal of barriers from the market free trade to exist2. Brian is a manufacturer within the UK, which is part of the European Union. He manufactures goods that qualify for sale on the European Union and that explains the reasons why he has for ten years supplied the goods in UK and Germany markets and all these have appreciated his products. Among the facts involves the position of France as one of the European Union members,

John Dewey Significane to Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

John Dewey Significane to Education - Essay Example Adhering to the belief that education should be practical and relevant to the needs of society, Dewey argued for the reformation of the educational system. In Experience and Education, Dewey (1925) stated that in many cases, schooling stands in the way of learning. In order to make intellectual progress, he noted, "we mostly have to unlearn what we learned in school" (p. 7). As revolutionary as they were several decades ago, Dewey's philosophical theories in the field of education have stood the test of time and have tremendous relevance to education in the 21st century. Dewey's theory of experiential learning focused on learning within a social environment (Semel & Sadovnik, 1999). He asserted that knowledge was based on prior experiences and constructed in social settings. He argued that knowledge needs to be organized in real-life experiences that provide a context for the information being presented. The role of teachers is to help students organize content and facilitate real-life experiences to reinforce the information included in the lessons. Dewey suggested that experiences in education should reflect the capabilities and readiness of the learner, and the quality of the experience is a critical component of his theory on experience and education. If the experience is appropriate, learners can develop the knowledge needed to apply their experiences to other situations. As a result, they have created new knowledge, have advanced to a different level of readiness, and are prepared to acquire and construct additional knowledge. Dewey was frustrated when philosophers did not view education with sufficient seriousness. He maintained that learning by participation in the ways of their communities, allowed children to achieve and grow cognitively and become productive adults. Rather than teaching isolated bits of information in a given lesson, Dewey perceived education as an interactive process with schools providing opportunities for students to engage in activities that require the exercise of a complete set of reflective thoughts and experiences (Tanner, 1997). This is quite a contrast from the traditional model of the classroom where the teacher transmits the knowledge to the students and the students are passive recipients of knowledge. At the present moment, as schools face challenges in providing students with adequate education to become productive citizens in a global economy, stakeholders in education are searching for ways to provide effective educational experiences for the students (Davis, 2005). Everyone is looking for results. With the government requiring greater accountability and academic outcomes from students through the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 educators must assume accountability for the intellectual development of their students. This has once again focused the teaching profession on creating classroom experiences for students that produce more lasting learning. As a result, many educators are beginning to revisit Dewey's educational philosophies and theories (Semel & Sandovik, 1999). They recognize that education that builds on the prior experiences of children contributes to development of new knowledge. This use of experiential education also can help children become act ive learners who take more responsibility for their academic outcomes. Thus, Dewey believed that building on prior experience as an instructional strategy should be primary in all educational

The lady with the lapdog Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The lady with the lapdog - Essay Example This story is about two people, Jack Twist and Ennis del Mar, who were both school dropouts. They both developed a personal relationship through herding sheep together and were attracted to each other. Jack is described as a â€Å"fair enough† man, â€Å"with curly hair and a quick laugh† while Ennis is said to be â€Å"cave-chested† with â€Å"a muscular and strong body† (Brokeback, Web). Both are worried about the societal consequences they will have to face if their secret is revealed. In the words of Joseph Conrad, â€Å"All a man can betray is his conscience†. I agree strongly with this statement and I believe that betrayal is the worst experience that any human being is forced to face. In â€Å"the lady and the lapdog†, Gurov repeatedly betrayed his wife and was unfaithful to her as well as his daughters. Before meeting Anna, he went out with countless other women and always kept it a secret. Gurov and Anna knew that their secret relati onship was unethical and against their cultural norms and traditions. It is illustrated though Anna`s conversation with Gurov in which she says, â€Å"I am a bad, low woman; I despise myself and don't attempt to justify myself. It's not my husband but myself I have deceived. And not only just now; I have been deceiving myself for a long time . . . and now I have become a vulgar, contemptible woman whom any one may despise† (Chekhov, Web). On the other hand, the story of Brokeback Mountain involved two men who were aware of their attraction before their respective marriages. After their reunion, they continued their affair by betraying their families. They spent time together by going to fishing trips which further strengthened their bond. This was an act of extreme disloyalty for their wives and eventually results in Ennis`s divorce. Both their wives would have felt completely betrayed and deceived. In both these texts, the characters were being disloyal with their family mem bers. They felt guilty and instead of confessing, they continued it furtively. In the story of the lady and the lapdog, one can assume that both Gurov and Anna were trying to find reasons to escape their unhappy married lives and find inner peace. Anna had a husband who was a â€Å"flunkey† and she had no idea about his work. She escaped the company of his husband by making excuses. Gurov, on the other hand, â€Å"secretly considered her (his wife) unintelligent, narrow, inelegant, was afraid of her, and did not like to be at home† (Chekhov, Web). It is clear that they both were unhappy with their lives and needed some peace. But the question is whether their families deserved this betrayal? Similarly, both Jack and Ennis were being unfaithful to their wives, Lureen and Alma but more than that, they were betraying themselves. Once Ennis said, â€Å"I’m not no queer,† and Jack replied by saying â€Å"Me neither. A one-shot thing. Nobody’s business but ours†. (Brokeback Mountain, Web). This shows that were aware of their strong passion for each other but they refused to admit that they were â€Å"queers† which depicts their betrayal to themselves. On the contrary, in both these stories, the situations were such that they could not go against their cultural traditions and were unable to follow their heart. â€Å"The course of true love never did run smooth, William Shakespeare, A midsummer Night`s Dream†

Communication theory 3-4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication theory 3-4 - Essay Example Through the times, the focus has expanded to construct meanings of the world within which one lives. Thus, rhetoric not only promotes wider understanding of issues and events around oneself but they also serve dual purpose of giving ideas to people and people to ideas for widening the scope of understanding. Rhetoric involves rhetor who uses symbols for communicating with public under different situations and constraints. It has developed over the time to encompass different elements of human interaction and provide one with distinct symbolic construction of ideas. Classical, medieval, renaissance, contemporary and post-modern are important historical period that have witnessed evolution of rhetoric to its present form. Classical era from 5th to 1st BC was started by sophists who defined and codified art of rhetoric. It was later compiled by Aristotle and further refined by Romans and Greeks. Medieval rhetoric was mostly recognized as pagan art of persuasion that went against the Chr istian doctrine. Augustine revitalized rhetoric to be used by preachers which made it easy for them to teach. During Renaissance period (1300-1600 AD), rhetoric was seen as important way of constructing meaningful language and through it to understand the world. Language as a medium was recognized as critical vehicle of rhetoric and showed the powers of the words and symbols. In the age of Enlightenment, rhetoric was used for rationalization. Great thinkers like Descartes, Francis Bacon etc. used it investigate the working of mind and role of imagination in perceiving things and events. Thus, knowledge was differentiated from the language which had just become a tool to disseminate information about the truth and provided language with distinct style of communication. It was used in letter writing and different formats of literature like poem etc. This also limited the role of rhetoric and provided it with negative connotations. During contemporary and post-modern period, rhetoric b ecame vital link of communicating in public. It was an art that provided orator with myriad symbols to emphasize dialogues and effectively communicate ideas. It was also reassessed and used to understand the world at large and helped provide different perspectives for critical thinking. The post-modern rhetoric was significant in understanding the experiences of life through the broader understanding of race, gender, culture, class and sexuality. Queer theory is interesting because it helps to understand the nuances of public speakers that make public speech more complex that require deeper knowledge to decipher the meanings of words. The alternative rhetoric based on race and culture identity like AfroAmerican, Asiacentric, Aborginals etc. are important post-modern uses of rhetoric that expand its scope and emphasize role of symbols in communication. Communication theory of identity Communication theory of identity explores personal identity with reference to one’s surroundi ng. Specific identity within the broader societal framework is one of the most important aspecst of human race that facilitates its interaction and promotes relationship building. The social identity provides individual with a distinct characteristic that helps to establish social status, thus representing him/her physically in the world. Moreover, it also contributes to a knowledge base that others can instantly access to have a general idea about

Strategic Management- Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Management- Case study - Essay Example In the corporate world the chief executive officer position with the corporate hierarchy outside the board of director of a public company. This paper analyzes a scenario of a high level executive who had romantic affair with another manager inside the company he was suppose to lead. The setting of our analysis takes place at Boeing Corporation where Harry Stonececher its chief executive officer (CEO) and a board member of the corporation got involved in an unethical act by starting a romantic relationship with a subordinate. His affair was discovered through unofficial information channel known as whistle blowing. A whistleblower is a person that revels to the general public or the authorities. Unethical or illegal activity within an organization (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2003). The situation was very awkward and let a bad taste in the minds of many stakeholders who did not take this news lightly. When something like this happens the general public gets ideas that bad things may be happing within the organization such as collusion, favorism, corruption, money laundering, human rights violations and cooking up the books scenarios such as the infamous Enron case (Kotler, 2002). The bylaws of the corporate which are part of its corporance governance framework are against such type of behavior generally speaking. If such a things happens between two floor workers the course of action a supervisor should take is simply separating the workers between division and areas of work to prevent labor efficiencies from occurring as a result of unnecessary socialization. The case at hand takes the rules to another level because the Boeing situation involved executive laborers at the peak of the chain of command. The fact that such individuals have so much power implies that there action affect all stakeholders thus social responsibility comes into play as an integral part of the equation. There are many stakeholders group whose company’s action are relevant and

Implementing and evaluating my e-Learning design model in my workplace Assignment - 1

Implementing and evaluating my e-Learning design model in my workplace 2 - Assignment Example As a producer of information, every professional is expected to be able to share the information and ideas they have produced in their course of work. As consumers, they expect to have an easy way to access the information that has been produced by others in the same profession. This applies to all types of professions. Teachers are no except from this need of information production and sharing. In fact, this need to produce share and information and collaborate is highly necessary for teachers, regardless of the subject they are teaching (Cowen, 2014). As part of the Arabic teachers’ community, I have identified a need to have collaboration and sharing system for Arabic teachers. As a result of this, I have in the past come up with the design which when implemented will help in teaching Arabic teachers to share their ideas and to build each other. The following is an implementation and evaluation of the design I have designed in the past. The system is designed to aid learning and sharing of ideas. The system is geared towards helping teachers who are engaged in teaching Arabic to high school students. The system must be able to meet some pedagogical principles in order to aid in helping the teachers to not only share the knowledge but also to be able learn from the system. It must be able to motivate the teachers in using the system to enhance the system. The system is not going to be useful unless and until the system is used by the teachers. For this to be a reality, the system should be easy to use, and must prove it’s self-useful to the users in order for them to find it useful. This means that the system must be intuitive which means that the users must be find it easy to learn how the various components work and how they can navigate the system (Klopotek, 2002). It must also be able to act as a knowledge management system which means that it will be able to

Report in MLA Style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Report in MLA Style - Essay Example And the last element is resolution when the conflict is resolved in some way. The vivid example is given in the book â€Å"The Illustrated Mum† when the protagonist dares to speak to her mother about the problem. The genre of children’s literature is rather specific since it demands to be catching and at the same time easy to read and understand. Fist of all it must be about childhood or animals. The plot is to be simple and straightforward, the author expresses a child’s point of view, as a rule the stories tend to fantasy, repetitions, has a form of pastoral idyll, represents the world from the innocent viewpoint, is didactic, tries to balance the idyllic and the didactic. Genre - a type of literature in which all the members of one genre share common characteristics (Chapleau, p.24). Nancy Anderson, associate professor in the College of Education distinguishes seven genres of children’s literature: 1. Picture books, such as board, concept, pattern and wordless books (Chapleau, p.24). They are characterized by colorful pictures that are followed by small pieces of text. It makes the reading process for children interesting and fascinating. The example here is â€Å"The sleeping house†. 2.Traditional literature: myths, fables, ballads, folk music, legends, and tales. Traditional literature is characterized by the stable description of natural events and situations that are common in the whole world. Usually, such literature doesn’t have a definite author. The example here is "Hansel and Gretel" by Ian Wallace, "The Dragons Pearl" by Julie Lawson 2) There are several stages how to get a child interested in literacy: introduce a title and let children speculate what it is about; introduce some details of the plot, encourage the students to read a book in order to see whether their suggestions were right, organize the group discussion of the book in the

E-government & social inclusion. Critically assess policies of digital Essay

E-government & social inclusion. Critically assess policies of digital inclusion in the UK Digital Britain Final Report (2009) and compare them with policies in Singapore - Essay Example Digital Britain Report recognizes the fact that Digital Life Skills are central to the sustainability of the UK economy in general and of the marginalized sections of the society in particular (2009). Digital Life Skills are the cardinal participative tools that will eventually determine the success of all the government policies targeted at the upliftment of the socially and digitally excluded segments of the masses. Digital Life Skills stand to be the credentials that enable the citizens to have an equitable access to public services and economic opportunities in the sphere of social inclusion, employment and education. The report establishes beyond doubt that though the proportion of the people lacking in basic ICT skills has gradually dwindled over time, still a considerable chunk of the British population stands to be digitally excluded (2009). This lacuna deprives them of having an effective access to state portals of service and aid, thereby aggravating their sidelined plight in the attribution of opportunities and benefits. Therefore, the report calls for a sincere and concerted effort towards the enablement of digitally excluded segments of the society that are either unable to or do not know how to go online (2009). The report envisages the extermination of barriers that curtail the opportunities for the weaker sections of the society. It unequivocally conveys that the opportunities for the weaker sections of the society can be augmented and increased by the democratization of the ICT skills. This will enable the people to improve the quality of their life, better their employment prospects and uplift their communities. The digital infrastructure and literacy ought to be ubiquitous and universally accessible. This calls for the envisaging of steps that assure the incorporation of the marginalized groups within the ambit of digital

Interoperability Essay Example for Free

Interoperability Essay Interoperability has been described as the extent in which systems and devices can exchange data and translate that shared information. It is the ability of one system to perform work in addition with other systems without asking for too much hard work from the other users. This system enhances the importance for information technology to make the networks and integrations work. In order for the process to function properly the two systems that are attempting to share information must be able to exchange data and introduce that same information to other users in a way that he or she can understand it. There are many organizations in the business world and many have different operating systems. The importance of interoperability in this aspect is to allow each organization to share important information amongst one another. An example would be if an organization such as Child Protective Services (CPS) wanted to share client information with another Protective Services agency regarding a client both organizations should be able to exchange and translate information amongst coordinating organizations. Child Protective Services Child Protective Services (CPS) is known as major department with the Department of Human Services. CPS supports and maintains the social and economic welfare of children by offering services to children to help protect them from abuse and/or child neglect. The Department of Humans Services in California offers CPS to families. CPS serves as mandated reports as well as an organization to protect children from neglect or abuse within the home, from his or her family, foster home or anyone responsible for the care of the child. The services of CPS are to provide protection to the children, provide resources to enable to child to remain residing in the home under safe and harmless circumstances. Also to remove abused or neglected children from the home and to possibly terminate any parental or guardian rights to ensure that the child will be eliminated from any potential danger or harm. The basic constituent of the process include: providing any and all services to minimize potential harm to children and provide resources to families to help them protect and provide appropriate care to his or her child. Next, is to provide the best services possible to meet each child and families unique needs. Last, taking each allegation  made seriously and assessing the allegations to the best of one’s ability to ensure that if there is any form of abuse or neglect the necessary steps occur in order to protect the child. The services of CPS are to intervene if necessary and protect children until his or her parent is capable to doing so. The most essential aspect of CPS is to recognize the protection of children and to ensure that reasonable efforts are made to maintain children safely in their own home, to reunite the family as soon as the courts see fit or to find permanency for the child if the situation permits for the parental rights to be voided. Other services inc lude mental health, counseling, parenting skills training, medical care/services and adoption services. Methods of Interoperability There are several different methods to implement interoperability. Many organizations have created their own interoperability methods. One of the methods of interoperability is technical interoperability, which is the ability for different technologies to communicate and exchange data-based upon well-defined interface standards. The second is semantic interoperability, which is the ability to each endpoint to communicate data and have the receiving party understand the message in the sense intended by the sending party. The third is policy interoperability, which is the common business policies and processes related to the transmission, receipt and acceptance of data between systems, which a legal framework supports. Advantages and Disadvantages Conclusion Interoperability has been described as the extent in which systems and devices can exchange data and translate that shared information. Interoperability has many advantages and disadvantages. The goal of CPS is to find avenues to execute full backups bi-weekly and this process will be complemented daily. This organization will also implement an extended back up program monthly.

Human Nature Essay Example for Free

Human Nature Essay Over time, there have been numerous portrayals of the war between good and evil that has forever existed in society. However, very few have come forth that have shed light upon the tussle between the tendency to indulge in either one of good and evil that exists inside the human mind and continues to do so throughout the course of one’s life. It is essential to understand that works such as these are not mere contribution to literature but are in fact in depth insights into the human mind and present a picture of the nature of the perceptions that exist within it. This is so because of the fact that no matter how much man chooses to evolve in his society and surrounds himself with monuments to sophistication, there will always be the desire to break free of moral boundaries and to indulge one’s self in the free and uncontrolled activities of evil. This paper shall consider Robert Louis Stevenson’s The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as a depiction of the fight between good and evil that ensues within the darkest of depths in the human mind, then one can see how there is a continuous battle that perseveres within these depths and that there are instances when the suggestion to be evil becomes so strong that there is no longer any degree of possible control that can be attained on the rampage that evil engages in (Colvin, Adcock and Stevenson). The novella was first published in 1886 and has served as one of the most clear and concise insights into the intricate workings of the human mind. If one was to consider the character of Dr, Jekyll, it is evident that Robert Louis Stevenson has chosen to portray that all people are not inherently either completely good or completely evil by nature, rather they hold a frame of mind that comprises partially of a tendency to good, and partially of a tendency to indulge in evil. However, if one was to refer to the bigger picture that is visible in Robert Louis Stevenson’s The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; it is evident that Robert Louis Stevenson has chosen to use his characters to reflect upon particular dimensions of human nature. For instance, one can see that in contrast to the elusive Dr. Jekyll there exists firstly, Mr. Hyde who is a severe contrast to the principles and morality that Dr. Jekyll stands for. Further on, Mr. Enfield appears to be the continuously probing element of curiosity that is ever present and active in the human mind. Lanyon appears to be a vessel that holds logic and a desire for life to be composed of a series of events that are in no way out of the ordinary or do not comply with the rudiments of logic. Also, the degree of loathing that develops amongst the common man towards this dark side of the human mind once it becomes exposed comes out to be nothing more than prevalence and broadening of the element of hatred and evil. An example of this fact can be seen in the very first few pages of The Strange Case of The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde when Mr. Enfield states in a reply to the lawyer’s question about the appearance of the suspected criminal: â€Å"I never saw a man I so disliked†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ I can’t describe him. And it’s not want of memory; for I declare I can see him this moment† (Stevenson 5). From this line, we can surmise that Mr. Enfield develops a loathing towards the creature that lurks in the darkness of the night and indulges in actions out of the pure loathing to all that is good, pure and honest. By giving personalities such as those mentioned above to each individual character and taking the traits that form these personalities to their natural extremes, Robert Louis Stevenson has taken a stance that shows how each individual holds his/her own set of good and evil traits, both of which come together to form the mind of the ordinary every day person. An aspect that should be highlighted at this point is that Dr. Jekyll is perhaps in no way different from the rest of the characters in the plot, and the only distinction that exists between Dr. Jekyll and the rest of the characters is that Dr. Jekyll crosses a threshold of sorts and enters a state of mind where his evil bent of thinking dominates over him. We can therefore surmise that Dr. Jekyll is not an individual person who manages to experiment with his own perceptions and allows his evil side to roam free, but is in fact an example of the form that any normal every day character from the plot would have taken, had it been allowed to roam free and unattended. However, if one was to raise a question concerning the value of friendship or the loyalty towards it that exists with regard to the revelation of different sides of the human mind, then one can see from Robert Louis Stevenson’s The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that there is hardly any element of loyalty or commitment to friendship that remains when a part of the concerned party enters into the absolution of evil. It is perhaps because of the very same illustration of the forces of good and evil that exists within each individual that The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has been subjected to not only numerous forms of adaption over time, but has also been the center of numerous interpretations for the same reason. According to an interpretation by The Guardian, Robert Louis Stevenson’s The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde can be seen in more perspectives in modern times than it could have been possibly seen in the earlier days (Campbell). This is because of the reason that the tendency to submit to the desires of evil or the desire to adhere to the principals and morals that define all that is good can be replaced by numerous other tendencies that lurk within the depths of the human mind and it is for the same reason that Robert Louis Stevenson’s The strange case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde holds more relevance now than it did at any other point in time. Works Cited Campbell, James. The beast within. 13 December 2008. 21 May 2009 http://www. guardian. co. uk/books/2008/dec/13/dr-jekyll-mr-hyde-stevenson. Colvin, Sidney, Arthur St. John Adcock and Robert Louis Stevenson. Robert Louis Stevenson: his work and his personality. Hodder and Stoughton, 1924. Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Courier Dover Publications, 1991.

Global Culture And Cultural Imperialism Media Essay

Global Culture And Cultural Imperialism Media Essay Some scholars believe that globalization is a process that human race constantly across the spatial barriers, institutional, cultural and other social barriers so that we can achieve fully communication (material and informational) on a global scale and reach more consensus and joint-action. This process is a multi-dimensional, both unified and diverse and constantly conflictive. On this basis, the â€Å"cultural globalization† is considered as a process of looking for cultural integration and sharing within the conflict and the unity, which means all national cultures through the exchange, integration, infiltration and complementarity continually break their own cultural patterns and geographic limitations and move towards the world; continuously go beyond the boundaries of the national culture and get cultural identity under human judgments; constantly change the national cultural resources into human sharing resources. This kind of process is a formation and evolution of fo rce. In this way, â€Å"globalization† seems to be such a force, which is the source of capitalist countries in Europe and now mainly is the United States. They are in an attempt to maximally transform or digest the various differences or conflicts of the worlds national culture into the same. However we have to clarify that culture, which is the human-specific phenomenon, as the crystallization of human civilization and progress, permeates through all areas of social life. It plays an irreplaceable effect for the people to foster a correct world outlook, philosophy of life, conception of history and sense of worth. National culture is the soul of a nation and the spiritual symbol. It is the core of culture. Any nations culture, including mode of production, social structure, ideology, religion, ethics, customs etc, is the sign of the existence of this nation and the premise of continuation of development. In the context of globalization, the reason cultural diversity still can be maintained is because this closely linked by national independence maintaining. One of the basic characteristics of culture is ethnicity. This is the cornerstone for this nationality based on the worlds nations. If one nation completely denies their own cultural traditions, loses the national self-confidence, and is willing to accept the alien to assimilation, it is the beginning of this nations decline. Once any kind of culture losing their national identity, it does not exist as an independent culture any longer. Establishing of the so-called globalization which are dominated by one specific kind of culture, its essence is to implement a cultural hegemony. It is a typical cultural imperialism. The term of â€Å"cultural imperialism† is one of the numbers of terms emerging in the 1960s to criticize of society in a radical-spirit way. Since then this term is widely used by the intelligentsia. However its definition and connotation has always been fragmented and ambiguous. The referent is extremely broad and similar to one another in a high degree. This term came originally from the mixture of two words culture and imperialism, and these two words in itself is extremely complicated and prone to doubt. The objective for synthesis of this word is to provide a concept which is similar with a protective umbrella, meanwhile it accommodates a very a wide range of topics. In certain circumstances, it can be defined as: â€Å"The use of political and economic power to exalt and spread the values and habits of a foreign culture at the expense of a native culture† (Tomlinson, 1991). Such a definition itself tends to think that the essence of cultural imperialism is to pro mote and spread the values in the habit, and in this process, â€Å"political† and â€Å"economic† power only plays an instrumental role. However, many of the discussion about cultural imperialism, in fact, more emphasize on the significance of economic role. While all cultural factors, but is a tool, is one used to support political and economic domination. In other words, the process of the imperialist countries controls other countries is cultural advanced. The imperialist countries export to other countries cultural forms of supporting the imperialist relations, and then complete the state of the imperial domination. Just like American scholar Jameson pointed out in 1986 that the First World countries master the worlds cultural output initiative. They can mandatorily indoctrinate their own values and ideologies to the Second World through media. At the same time however, the disadvantaged and marginalized Third World countries can only passively accept. Their cultu ral heritage is at risk, and their cultural values and ideologies are under constant infiltration as well. The aggression and infiltration of the First World culture provoked opposition from Third World culture, and the struggle against cultural colonial and hegemony which resulting the cultural conflict is inevitable. For a curtain period, many countries from Europe to the Americas, from Africa to Asia, a lot of new content have been appearing for the popular culture and daily life. Jeans, McDonalds, rock and roll, Hollywood blockbusters, or even the Western middle-class lifestyle, taste and pursuit, etc., have been becoming the new kind of fashion. People enjoy the Western civilization through eating, drinking and being merry; accept unconsciously the edification and influence of Western culture. Such cultural infiltration is more effective than the wars using of aircraft and missiles. Some cultural infiltration could lead many countries lose not only their national identity, but themselves as well, and then accept the Western values and institutions involuntarily. The external violence, such as missiles, is not very terrible, but more frightening than the missile is the economic and cultural which is a sort of subtle and underhanded soft knife. If the old imperialism mainly used guns to conquer the world and enslave the weak peoples, the â€Å"cultural imperialism† in virtue of cultural infiltration, quietly conquers the hearts of people from other countries and allows them to consciously obey the superpower hegemony. In the context of economic globalization, any country with the independent cultural tradition must safeguard their own cultural tradition, cultural benefits and cultural security by taking positive measures. Many countries and even some western developed countries use â€Å"multi-polar cultural theory† to against American â€Å"unilateral cultural strategy†. For instance, in 1989, the European Parliament passed through the â€Å"Television without Frontiers Directive (TVWF)† to ensure the playing time for the European film and television works; At the same time EU determined the six standards of â€Å"cultural exception†; In 1993, France, Canada and other countries in the Uruguay Round negotiations put forward the â€Å"cultural exception† concept which states that cultural exports should be treated differently than other goods in trade negotiations because national cultures should be protected. In my point of view, economic globalization and economic integration is indeed a tide and trend which cannot be stopped. However in contrast, the culture probably cannot be fully integrated. Generally speaking, there are both globalization and integration factors for culture, but also exist factors that cannot be completely globalized and integrated. The anti-globalization demonstration in Seattle and the protest by German people when the U.S. president visiting to Germany demonstrated that even in the west itself, there are widespread anti-globalization voices. Culture is far beyond the simple material production. It is a more advanced and more complex human spirit activity. The cultural homogenization which right followed of globalization should not be prematurely optimistic estimated. However these issues are well worth pondering: what aspects of culture is the ability to globalize and integrate; what are not the factors? To answer these questions, a special study on â€Å"culture† should be necessary. First of all, there is a commonality side between human feelings and ideas. In the process of creating its own history, human beings also create their own spiritual and emotional world. Although for the different regions and different ethnic people, their display form for the emotional and other spiritual activities are varied, there are some common areas that are communicable and blended with each other. Only in this way, humans can be closely linked rather than gapped. In this sense, cultural globalization is feasible and should be. Secondly on the other hand, factors for culture which cannot be globalized and integrated still should not be ignored. These cultural factors constitute the core of the different national cultures. Language is one of such cultural factors. Language is the carrier of any culture; moreover also constitute the core of different cultures. We can see that the globalization of strong languages, such as English, is contributing to the demise of many minority languages. In nowadays, about 20 kinds of languages are disappearing around the world every year. With the disappearance of these languages, those related natural cultures of disadvantaged groups have been becoming extinct. What is more, discussing literature and art is inseparable with the language. For a nations culture, literature is the most distinctive and ethnic. If the language can be globalized, in addition to those nations who use strong languages, the literature works with other languages will also completely eliminate as the languages disappearing. Language for literature is not just a medium. Disappearance of the various and colorful national languages could lead the spirit of literature to be sameness and narrow. The demise of literature which is the most characteristic is a symbol of the demise of the national culture. Therefore linguistic, as the core element of culture is not possible to or should not be integrated. The idea of cultural globalization is not able to fully become a reality. On the one hand, it is a consequence of increasingly frequent cultural exchanges in the process of economic integration; it is a real-life activity within an era of communication and dialogue. On the other hand, different cultures must keep their own unique contents and large or small differences, so that it can be able to communicate and dialogue. Homogenization of culture, unlike the process of economic activities, is not straightforward. It has many extremely important and unintegrated factors. Moreover, cultural diversity is a basis for the harmoniously existence of human civilization world. In the same way, diversity of literature and arts make a healthy and vibrant future. However at the same time, we have to admit that a fact that cultural globalization is an irresistible historical trend. The reason is decided by the cultures own characteristics. The cultures all have their own roots and soil of survival and development. They inevitably have regional, local, special and relatively stationary characteristics. Once the national cultures abandon their traditional forms, thus it means giving up their history and losing the foundation and conditions for further development. Meanwhile, the cultures possess universal, dynamic, penetrative and expansive features as well. Although culture always manifested itself through the specific form of history, showing of human nature, strength and scale aspects during the activities of human beings changing the world also outlines the indispensable common elements of different nationalities and different cultural systems. Any culture, regardless how unique the form is or how varied the content is, is based on certain modes of production and a certain form of society. Any variety of large or small size of cultural system subordinates to the â€Å"mother system†. It has the most general feature of culture, which is the bi-directional convective. This characteristic determines any kind of national culture is the unity of the static and dynamic. It is both single and diverse; it belongs with both nation and the whole world. The â€Å"aboriginality† for any local culture, in fact, is only a relatively significance. At the present day, as the earth becoming a village, the trend of â€Å"one world one family† is increasingly obvious. Cultural globalization has become an unstoppable tide. Cultural globalization, in brief, is that while economic globalization, the local culture opening active dialogues to the exotic culture with an open posture, developing and replenishing itself during the mutual exchange. So that the global culture can present that both unity and diversity, univers ality and uniqueness can be accomplished without coming into conflict. In short, inexistence of the state of cultural isolation, interdependence and development of multi-culture, and co-existence of the particularity of local culture and the universality of the worlds culture constitute the organic content of the cultural globalization. It can be seen that cultural globalization must not be understood as an assimilation of different global cultures or â€Å"westernization†. On the other hand, it precisely shows a kind of scene that the world multi-cultural existing at the same time, interacting with each other and mutual constructing. Apart from this, with the trend of cultural globalization, there is an objective necessity for the various ethnic, regional and major cultural systems to occur â€Å"value conflicts† within the interaction. It is because different cultural patterns producing different culture bred factors, and they all have their own quality requirements and the specific scope of application. Therefore the â€Å"value confl icts† generated in the multi-cultural interaction is normal and inevitable. Undeniably, the entirely different cultural patterns formed under differentiation can create an advantage. On the other hand, occupying a higher position, including all of the cultural differences together could maintain an advantage as well. An Indian religion organization named â€Å"Baba† or can be said â€Å"Zaire† is a great example. The logo for â€Å"Baba† is a flower composed of two-layer petals and each layer contains 5 petals. Inside the 5 petals involves all kinds of the identity of the worlds major religions: Hinduism Europe Mother Fu, Christian Cross, Zoroastrianism fire, Islam Crescent and Buddhism The Wheel of Dharma. Each of the traditional logo is the product under the cross-culture, creation and new meaning. Such a strategy holds all the different religions that come from various cultures into one same faith: â€Å"Religion is only one, which is love; Language is only one, which is soul; Race is only one, which is human; God is only one, which is self†. This compatible spirit of the universe make â€Å"Baba† expand to the whole world, and its followers, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Mauritius, etc., have set up a total of more than 2,000 centers in 137 countries. In this case, it is no doubt that â€Å"Baba† is also a perfect successful example indicating the importance of creativity for cultural integration. Globalization has both advantages and disadvantages. Whether the globalization can benefit on national cultures development primarily depends on the definition of â€Å"globalization†. If the â€Å"globalization† aims to make a variety of culture develop and prosper jointly, that globalization is undoubtedly useful; if â€Å"globalization† is to make the western culture to dominate the development of entire world culture or advocate the â€Å"cultural imperialism†, this â€Å"globalization† is not acceptable from a cultural perspective. The impact of cultural globalization has big drawbacks on small nations. Under the powerful impact of globalization, the weak nations must give serious thoughts in order to avoid losing of autonomy for their local culture, and even assimilating by foreign cultures. Reference: Hamm, B. (2005). Cultural imperialism. Broadview Press. Jameson, F., (1986). Third-World Literature in an Era of Multinational Capitalism. Tomlinson, J., (1991). Cultural Imperialism. London: Printer. Yuanzi H., Xiaoyuan X.,(1998). Globalization and China. Beijing: CCTP.

The Debate over Fetal Tissue Research Essay -- Science Medicine Papers

The Debate over Fetal Tissue Research Almost all of us would agree that it is the medical fields purpose to do all it can to help relieve and prevent human suffering. This point is not often debated. Taking aspirin, getting a flu shot or a vaccination, or taking antibiotics to feel better are all common in our world. The use of fetal tissue can offer relief to many patients today, but yet these people are not getting the full benefits of what this treatment can offer them. Many people are worried ethically about what will result from this field of research. But fetal tissue research is overwhelmingly beneficial and should be continued and supported despite the arguments against it, as long as some guidelines are set up to regulate the ethical aspects. Properties of Fetal Cells What is it that makes fetal tissue so valuable to research? Due to certain properties of these young cells, they are perfect for a number of uses in medicine and research. There are four main properties that give fetal cells this potential for a successful transplantation. The first property is their ability to grow and proliferate after transplantation. By growing, it is more likely that the transplanted cells will become a functional part of the recipient's existing tissue. In fact, researchers believe that at some point in the future they will be able to grow a full functioning kidney from a few fetal kidney cells. Along with their ability to grow and divide rapidly is the fetal cells' ability to produce trophic substances. These are the growth factors which help the cells to proliferate quickly. They also promote the regeneration of adjacent damaged tissue of the recipient. (Council...Affairs 566) Another significant trait of these c... ...e have. And even with all the arguments, fetal tissue transplantation has so many benefits that it needs to be researched and used to help all those who are suffering that it can. Bibliography Begley, Sharon. "Cures From The Womb." Newsweek 22 Feb. 1993: 49-51. Council on Scientific Affairs and Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs. "Medical Applications of Fetal Tissue Transplantation." JAMA 263 (1990): 565-570. Harris, Rod, Ellen Mayo, Jim Tankersly. "An Introduction to Fetal Tissue Transplantation." On-Line. Internet. Available: http://www.gene.com/AE/AE/AEPC/WWC/1992/fetaltissue_transplants.html. Kogan, Barry S. A Time to Be Born and A Time to Die, the Ethics of Choice. Aldine de Gruyter, New York. 1991. Roberston, John A. "Rights, Symbolism, and Public Policy in Fetal Tissue Transplants." Allocations, Social Justice, and Health Policy. 663-673.

Bilingual Education In Miami :: essays research papers

While California debates whether to stop teaching school children in two languages, the school system in Miami, Florida is expanding bilingual education. This city at the crossroads of the Americas is expanding bilingual education under the argument that students will need to speak, read and write in English and Spanish when they reach the business world. The decision to do this almost seems natural for a metropolis where the top-rated television stations broadcast in Spanish, the top-ranked newspaper publishes a separate Spanish daily edition, many top civic leaders speak effortless Spanish and Latinos have become the majority. Educators in Miami, home to the first bilingual public school in the modern era, are baffled by the cultural and political firefight over bilingual education in California.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nowhere is the controversy more intense than in California. On June 2, 1998 there was a vote on an anti-bilingual education initiative, Proposition 227. This proposition would end most bilingual programs in California and give students with limited English skills about one year of special English classes before placing them in the mainstream. To even have something like this on the Ballot in California seems very odd. California has more students with limited English skills than any other state. California has approximately 1.4 million students with limited English and about 30% of them are in formal bilingual programs, including some two-way programs. The most common approach in California is â€Å"transitional† bilingual education, in which students often spend more time being taught in their native language than in English for their first school years. Due to the large population of Spanish speakers in California I would think that educators would want t o mock Miami’s style of teaching both English and Spanish.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Miami educators view it differently than they do in California. They look at bilingual education as a business opportunity for students. Miami’s trades with Latin America amount to billions of dollars a year. Top business leaders say that Miami can not afford to do with out bilingual education. James F. Partridge, chief of Latin American and Caribbean operations for Visa International said, â€Å"I don’t give a hoot about the political aspects of it. To me, that’s a lot of garbage. I am interested in the financial well being of this community. We need bilingual people to survive.† Partridge is so concerned about the issue that his office gives remedial lessons in Spanish and Portuguese to dozens of employees whose weak bilingual skills don’t allow them to communicate with clients in those languages.