Evaluating Truth And Validity Exercise Essay

The argument â€Å"a mature person is self-directing, so parents who make all their children’s for them are doing their offspring a disservice† has allot of validity to it, and in more ways than one is true. A child whose parents or guardians make all of his or her decisions for them, are in a way hindering the child because the child does not have the opportunity to think for himself. When that child grows up and needs to be able to make important decisions such as what college to go to, who to marry, or what kind of job to apply for, that child will more likely than not, not know how to properly decide based on the information or facts provided to him or her. For instance if a child grows up and is faced with what college to go to and that child has never had to make any important decision for himself, that child may end up in a college going after a degree program that is not truly what he or she wants to do with their life based on what his or her parent tell them t hey should go into. That child has then wasted four to five years of his or her life and has to start all over searching for the proper degree or job where he or she can thrive financially and be happy. There is a minute percent of children who will be able to overcome the mentality of not having to think on his or her own and be able to make the important decisions that need to be made, but at what price? How many times will that child have to make the wrong choice and suffer because they were not allowed to think on their own? The constant failure and rejection could possibly make matters worse for the child, and could lead to relinquishing all hope. The argument â€Å"the Bible can’t be relevant to today’s problems; it was written many centuries ago and is filled with archaic phrasing† is another argument with some validity and non-validity. There are people who claim since the Bible was written over 2,000 years ago that it does not apply to today’s standards, and there are people who say the teachings in the Bible  are meant for all people to follow as a general guideline. The argument can go either way, but if you look at what the Bible really is, it is a book with stories, such as a history book, about people who lived 2,000 plus years ago and the things they went through. If you were to say because it was written back a long time ago it does not apply to today’s standards, would be the same thing as saying because our history books teach about Abraham Lincoln and when he lived in the 1700’s, that those stories are irrelevant. The Bible is a book for Christian based people to read, and is intended as a guideline for these people on how to properly live their life. There are many stories in the Bible that may or may not apply to today’s standards, such as the Old Testament teachings, but that is not to say the entire Bible is not relevant to today’s problems. The Bible teaches not to kill and steal, and if 90 percent of people who are in prison followed these two teachings, they would not be in prison today. The other stories about the people who lived in the Bible days are interesting to some, and not to others, as are most history books ever written about the history of the world. Does this mean we need to stop teaching our children about the history of the world because the teachings in the history books occurred over three centuries ago? I think it just because the Bible represents a faith based book, and that is why it is so ridiculed. The argument â€Å"it’s ridiculous to think that there will be fewer deaths if we ban handguns. Handguns don’t kill people; people kill people† has no validity to it in that an actual handgun itself cannot do anything on its own, it is an inanimate object. A handgun or any other type of gun requires a person to physically pick it up, point, and shoot in order to make it operate; a handgun cannot just fire on its own. When people say that handguns kill people, it is the same as saying that a spoon made another person fat, or a car made another person steal it. These are objects that must have an operator or some sort of life force to operate these inanimate objects. Did handguns assist in the killing of a person is a more proper question to ask. If a person wants another person dead and there is not a handgun around, that person will be creative and come up with another means to kill that person. Take John Wayne Gacy for instance, he did not need the use of a handgun to murder hundreds of young boys, he used rope and scarfs  to strangle his victims. There are people who claim without handguns certain crimes would not take place, and that may be possible, but if the person wanting to perform the crime was adamant on doing it and did not have a gun, that person would use alternative measures to finish the crime.

Ayurvedic Medicine Essay Example for Free (#2)

Ayurvedic Medicine Essay Class name Date Introduction Ayurveda, the ancient Sanskrit word (Ayus/living and Veda/revealed wisdom) comes from the traditions of the ancient Indian sages, also known as Rishis. The word â€Å"denotes the enlightened knowledge of all aspects of optimal, healthy, everyday living, and longevity† and, its followers believe Ayurveda to be a â€Å"fortress of wisdom† (Ninivaggi 2008, xvi). Being that the medical practice of Ayurveda goes back as far as 6,000 years, 3,000 of those years recorded and verifiable, it is worth inquiring about why the seemingly successful methodologies and medical practices have not been adopted into the Western framework of scientific medicine. Although Ayurvedic methods and its practitioners are becoming more popular in the United States, with the increased interest by North American patients in preventative and holistic treatments, there appears to be a disconnect about these procedures as validated by providers within North America and our system of payers (i. . , the insurance agencies). As indicated by the Rocky Mountain Institute of Yoga and Ayurveda website, a Boulder, Colorado agency, it was learned that although reimbursements can be found, it often times requires a unique â€Å"system of billing and coding† to ensure payment. There are numerous reports and studies being done that show how Ayurvedic medicine is not just an ancient version of complementary and alternative medicine, but rather these studies demonstrate the validity for support of the treatments. One example of this would be in cancer treatment, there are herbal and traditional medicines that are being studied worldwide to validate their effect on cancer. Alternative and more natural approaches to curing and managing cancers are becoming more popular and common. With the existing regulatory policies and perceptions surrounding Complimentary and Alternative Medicine in the United States, it is my goal to show and provide statistics that will increase awareness and acceptance of the medical wisdom of Ancient Ayurveda. There will be an investigation and explanation showing how Eastern Indian healthcare treatments have been scientifically examined and how they can successfully be adopted into the U. S. healthcare model, via a more global perspective on illness, disease and the prevention of disease from a wellness and holistic approach. Review of Literature The following section summarizes the history of Ayurveda, describes major trends and holes found in the existing research, and explores the evidence both supporting and disproving Ayurveda as a viable and proven healthcare strategy. The History of Ayurveda The concept of Ayurveda was developed sometime around 2500 and 500 BC in India. Ayurveda is rooted in Buddhist and Hindu traditions, but it has been said to connect with Asian medicine (Warrier 2011). Essentially, Ayurveda suggests that the body’s ability to heal itself â€Å"acts through three forces called doshas. These are vata (space and air), pitta (fire and water), and kapha (water and earth)† (Yeager 1998). In order to live a healthy life, these doshas must remain balanced. Typically, Ayurveda is most often used to prevent disease, and has proven beneficial in the treatment of high blood pressure, cholesterol and stress (Yeager 1998). Ayurveda is also helpful in everyday life. Translated, Ayurveda means â€Å"science of life. † This definition is relevant because the ancient Indian system of health care focuses views of man and his illness evolving from the body and its external factors (Yeager 1998). In the present context, the Ayurvedic system of medicine is becoming more widely accepted. It is practiced in India and also in the more economically evolved countries such as Europe, the United States and Japan (Samy, Pushparaj and Gopalakrishnakone 2008). In the mid-1990’s, The World Health Organization also recognized Ayurveda as a system of sophisticated traditional medicine that involved the study of life stimulating observation, and fostering scientific research (Berra and Molho 2010). With the existing and evolving global healthcare crisis that is also currently plaguing the United States (U. S. ), one would believe that an affordable, safe and proven health system so globally recognized would have been able to pass at minimum the test of time but, this is not the case. Although the recent decade has brought about many observations that have added to the scientific credentialing of Ayurveda and other forms of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), there are still concerns about the ancient Indian treatment and its scientific validity, this is especially true in the U. S. (Rastogi 2010). â€Å"Before the recent upsurge of traditional medicine in a global perspective, Ayurveda was persistently criticized for its ambiguity and philosophical tenants incomprehensible to occidental mind† (Rastogi 2010, 1). Ayurvedic Research Methods Ayurveda is arguably an under researched topic, as scholarly research did not truly begin until the 1970s. This stunted research can be separated into three distinct categories: the examination of traditional Ayurveda in pre-colonial South Asia, the examination of Ayurveda in colonial and post-colonial times in South Asia, and an examination of Ayurvedic practices outside of South Asia (Warrier 2011). The first wave of Ayurvedic research used treatises written in Sanskrit to decipher the origins of Ayurveda. This research helped to conceptualize and understand the Ayurvedic understanding of the body, health and practice, which heavily differed from other representations during that time (Warrier 2011). The second wave of research showed that Ayurvedic practices were encouraged in India until 1835 when British policy changed. When India gained its independence in 1947, the government took immediate steps to standardize Ayurveda; however, the practice was still poorly funded. The effects of British colonialism and favoritism for biomedical has been long lasting. Current practices of Ayurveda are much of hybrid between the two medical practices (Warrier 2011). The third wave of research focused on the advent of Ayurveda in the West (the United States and the United Kingdom) beginning in the 1980s. Deepak Chopra and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi are cited as influential individuals who popularized Ayurveda in the West. Although Ayurveda became more popular, it was discounted as a â€Å"New Age† fad. The third wave of research largely avoids discussions of healthcare reform, or conversations on the â€Å"legitimacy and authenticity of their [Ayurveda] practice† (Warrier 2011). Ayurvedic research presents additional problems. Firstly, â€Å"It’s difficult to conduct double-blind placebo-controlled trials, [†¦ ], because Ayurveda is a holistic system that treats individuals differently with multiple methods† (Hontz 2004). However, these modern scientific studies often ignore the primary objective of Ayurveda, which is to see patients as individuals in need of unique care. Secondly, the new and emerging research has not been disseminated, and the new textbooks on the practice have not been updated. Because this new wealth of information has not yet made it to professionals or students, it is of little use. Within the study of Ayurveda, numerous scholars are calling for new research methodologies (Baghel 2011). In the past, many studies have focused on the use of the plants and herbs (herbal pharmacology) in Ayurveda. Despite the screening of over 2000 medicinal plants over ten years, no conclusive data emerged. Based on the inconclusive findings, other researchers continued to suggest that Ayurvedic research should address the uses and benefits of plants. This research has led to advances in traditional medicine, such as the use of certain plants when modern medicine is unavailable (Baghel 2011). Currently, Ayurvedic research is concerned with altering the research methodologies, separating itself from traditional scientific practices. Another issue with Ayurvedic research is the translation of terminologies. â€Å"For instance, Vata is not air, Pitta is not fire and Bhasma is not oxide- they have much deeper scientific meaning† (Patwardhan 2009). Because Western scientists fail to grasp the full meaning of certain terms, the scientific research of Ayurveda falls short and its reputation has actually been damaged. These failures concerning Ayurvedic research have resulted in certain consequences. Scientists have simply viewed Ayurveda as a means to bolster modern medicine, rather than a unique practice. In addition, eastern Ayurvedic practices have reached a standstill in the midst of the research and implementation controversies. This has severely paralyzed the Ayurvedic educational system, along with its practice (Patwardhan 2009). Many scholars and practitioners conclude that Ayurveda needs to define itself and establish a universal methodology (Baghel 2011). Unless this occurs, Ayurveda will continue to loose momentum. Scholars have suggested adopting a transnational approach to Ayurveda in order to refocus the research. Evaluating Ayurveda from a transnational perspective means looking at, â€Å"[†¦ ]where personnel, ideas, meanings, symbols, products, and practices are constantly crossing boundaries [†¦ ]† (Warrier 2011). This viewpoint would ideally look at the influence of of local practices on global traditions. The American Healthcare System: Evolution? There is evidence in the U. S. nd throughout the world of a growing demand for alternative healthcare choices, based upon the best practices from varying healthcare models. This demand for options appears to be based on an opinion that any single system of healthcare has its inadequacies and will not be able to solve all contemporary health care needs (Shankar 2010). It is this perhaps this assessment that has brought about the dramatic growth of the Complementary and Alternative movement as well as the awareness and evolution of myriad methods of Integrative Medicine (I. M. ) in the last ten to fifteen years. Luckily for proponents and practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine and research, governments and regulatory bodies appear to have also begun to understand the need for varied approaches to health and wellness with the intent that all new models must also establish their safety, quality and efficacy (Shankar 2010). Agencies such as the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are just a few of the institutions in the United States that are starting to provide guidance and policy around C. A. M. and I. M. , which is a positive step because without these policies and approvals, there would be no evolutionary progress whatsoever in terms of Ayurveda in delivery in the U. S. Over the past two decades, U. S. mainstream medicine has become more accepting of Ayurveda and other alternative medical practices. â€Å"A widely quoted study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that a third of Americans spend $14 billion a year on alternative medical methods† (Perry 1994). Yet much of this money comes from consumers’ pockets. Although the interest in alternative medicine has increased in recent years, it is still difficult to find insurance coverage, but some companies are offering group and individual policies (Dharamsi 2011). Although the coverage is substantial, it is not full coverage. The need for insurance companies to alter their plans is becoming more pressing as the prevalence of Ayurveda increases in the U. S. Despite this acceptance, many questions and controversies remain. Doctors in India and the U. S. are concerned with the standardization of the practice of Ayurveda in the U. S.. In India, practitioners of Ayurveda are required to obtain a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) degree, which is the equivalent of five and a half years in medical school (Yeager 1998). However, no such lengthy certification exists (or is required) to practice in the United States. This is further problematic because many of the herbs and treatments used in Ayurveda are relatively untested or unregulated. This means that a person seeking Ayurvedic treatment is left with the responsibility to conduct their own research and find a reliable practitioner. In order to mediate this issue, some U. S. medical schools are beginning to offer courses in Ayurveda similar to those seen in India (Swapan 2007). Yet, these courses are seminars and are completed in a matter of days. Ultimately, standardization is also necessary to price services so that they can be covered by insurance conglomerates. Medical scholars are investigating the potential of an integrative medicine (IM) approach (Patwardhan 2009). These same scholars often look to China as a successful example of integrative medicine. China has accomplished this feat by requiring medical students to complete coursework in Western and traditional medicine (Patwardhan 2009). This dualistic approach means that doctors can provide patients with a combination of treatments. A similar situation is arising in India at the Banaras Hindu University where students integrate modern medicine with Ayurveda and Yoga (Patwardhan 2009). However, integration is sometimes difficult because implementation and methodologies have to be developed and agreed upon. Further, many risks are involved with integration, including the potential to lose identity; conversely, there is the possibility of Ayurveda being overtaken by modern medicine. To be successful in the integrative endeavor, Ayurveda must â€Å"recognize, respect and maintain the respective identities, philosophies, foundations, methodologies, and strengths of all systems† (Patwardhan 2009). Research Approach Form of Knowledge Chronic disease in the United States (U. S. ) is now more of a challenge. The number of Americans suffering from chronic disease has increased rapidly in the past two plus decades, and today 51 percent of the U.S. population is struggling from conditions such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke. Chronic disease in the U. S. is so prevalent that it is largely accepted as a part of everyday life. Unfortunately, conventional Western medicine is largely focused on treating the symptoms of chronic disease and prevention often goes ignored. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and, arthritis are among the most â€Å"common, costly and preventable of all health problems in the U. S. Yet, they account for â€Å"7 out of 10 deaths or 51% of deaths† annually, according to a 2008 report of 2005 mortality data. The Problem. With the traditional Western model of healthcare in America being as financially lucrative as it has been historically (i. e. , reactive disease processes, hospitalizations, pharmaceuticals, insurance plans) one can only imagine that there is not much of a desire by these money making industries to move toward a model of preventative medicine. It is also less likely that these industries would consider Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). The proposed research study aims to explore the ancient art of traditional Eastern Indian Ayurvedic medicine, its validity as a scientifically proven means of symptom prevention, daily healthcare regimen, disease curative and whether or not this form of CAM has a current presence in the U. S. or any potential future in our existing healthcare system. Research questions. The research will address the following questions: 1. What is the Ayurvedic philosophy of health, healing and medicine? 2. What does Ayurveda in North American U. S. culture consist of? Who are the practitioners? Who are the patients? 3. What does current research say about the outcomes of chronic diseases treated with Ayurvedic methods? 4. Are Ayurvedic treatments currently being paid for by U. S. insurance plans, if not, why not? 5. What are the trends with regard to CAM treatments in the American healthcare model? Target Audience The audience for this research and those that will benefit from its findings would be the United States population as a whole. Not only will the current and potential patients of the ancient practice benefit by a growing and increased awareness and hopeful change in insurance policy if needed but, current practitioners and those considering the study and certification of Ayurvedic medicine should be relieved and assured of their futures as proven through reports of clinical outcomes and accepted methods of Ayurvedic delivery in Western culture. Controlling Factors Since Ayurveda is a somewhat recent discovery in The United States , the expanse of its historical data originates from India. The majority of its practitioners and patients are native Eastern Indians and the information found within academic reports can mostly be traced back to organizations hailing from India. Since a determination about the effectiveness and utilization in The United States is the goal of the research, the information may be difficult to locate. The healthcare publications and journals that will report Ayurvedic outcomes will likely be written by Indian physicians based upon Indian lifestyles and dynamics of health within the country of India. I would assume without further research and investigation, that there will be some conflicting if not incomplete and/or possibly biased information being reported. Data Collection Methods A dual approach of qualitative and quantitative research review will be done. I will use the world wide web and other library resources to locate industry white papers and respected journal articles that show specific recordable and scientific data about Ayurvedic deliveries and outcomes, statistics on use and trends, specific to the United States. Since the Boulder, Colorado area is a well-known community of those who seek or practice CAM therapies some information can be obtained by agencies willing to share their experiences, knowledge and clinical data. IRB approval will be required to perform any type of survey or case study that will be implemented with these approving agencies. Ayurvedic Medicine. (2018, Oct 26).

Muscular Disorders - Fibromyalgia Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Muscular Disorders - Fibromyalgia - Case Study Example She becomes depressed at times, which is one of the symptoms of fibromyalgia. The case also shows that she had been suffering from osteoarthritis in the past. Osteoarthritis is a joint disorder which causes pain in joints. Researches show that in some cases, osteoarthritis can lead to fibromyalgia when a pain in joints expands to related muscles. Therefore, looking at these aspects of the case, we conclude that Mrs Oliver is suffering from fibromyalgia. As Vorvick (2011) states, â€Å"one common cause of muscle aches and pain is fibromyalgia†. Substance P is a neurotransmitter, which plays the role of a pain messenger. This chemical substance is present in the brain of a person. In patients suffering from fibromyalgia, the level of substance P is significantly high as compared to the substance P level of a normal person. Stress is the factor, which increases the substance P level in a person. Researches show that people having problems with osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia usually have high substance P levels. Therefore, as we have concluded earlier that Mrs Oliver is suffering from fibromyalgia, we can say that she must be having a high substance P level. According to Clauw (2010), some of the common signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia include chronic fatigue, headaches, painful menstrual periods, numbness or tingling of hands and feet, temperature sensitivity, irritable bowel syndrome, swelling, and sleep disturbances. Chronic fatigue and sleep disturbance are two of the common signs of fibromyalgia. One of the signs, which differentiate fibromyalgia from other related medical problems, such as, arthritis and polymyositis, is that fibromyalgia does not cause damage to muscles and internal organs. On the other hand, arthritis and polymyositis can cause damage to muscles and joints. Although there is no proper treatment of fibromyalgia in medical science, one can limit the intensity of pain by learning the ways to deal with stress.     

International Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Finance - Essay Example Every five years EU citizens elect the European Parliament. Other significant EU institutions include the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Council, and the European Central Bank. Thereby EU has created one market through a uniform system of regulations which apply in all member countries. As a final stage of economic integration of the EU a monetary union (an optimum currency area) was formed. The Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) of 17 EU member states who have accepted the euro (â‚ ¬) as their common currency and solitary legal tender, makes the Eurozone, which is officially known as the euro area. Eurozone currently includes Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. Other EU member states are expected to fulfil the strict entry requirements to enter the Eurozone while some EU state s namely Sweden, Denmark and the United Kingdom has chosen to stay outside the Eurozone. European Central Bank carries the responsibility of the monetary policy of the area, whereas other zone/euro related decisions are co-operated through the euro group. Part A and B of this paper will review the case for Eurozone membership in regard of the optimum currency area theory and issues with fixed exchange rate systems respectively. Thereby finally the paper will conclude how the Eurozone membership can be attractive to new applicants. A) Optimum currency area theory in the Eurozone A geographic region which would maximize economic efficiency by the entire region sharing a single currency is known as an optimum currency area (OCA). The earliest mention of the concept was by Abba Lerner (Scitovsky, 1984); although most acknowledged development of the pertaining theory goes to Robert Mundell. Mundell argues that for perfect regional economic integration the said region must be an OCA. Thus he presented two simulations. First was an OCA with fixed expectations: the argument in brief is that uneven shocks are considered to challenge the real economy. These shocks are significant and cannot be organised. Also the international monetary policy (interest rates) cannot be modified for a specific situation of each integral region. Thus a regime with floating exchange rate is considered better than a fixed regime (Mundell, 1961). By this means the properties (Mongelli, 2008) of a successful optimal currency area are reviewed below. Mobility of factors of production including labour. High market integration inside a group of partner countries can lessen the need to modify real factor prices and the nominal exchange rate between countries in reaction to disturbances (Mundell, 1961). The belief that mobility of factors of production enhances both efficiency and welfare was confirmed by the trade theory. Such mobility is likely display its effect in the long-run. The production factors’ mobility is restricted by the speed that direct investment can be generated by one country and absorbed by another. Likewise, labour mobility which includes physical capability to travel (workers' rights, visas, etc.), lack of cultural blocks to free movement (such as different languages and

Managing Information 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managing Information 2 - Assignment Example If considering the enterprise government, focus on executing management actions is required to support the strategic goals of the organization (JOHNSTON et al. 2009). It has been calculated approximately half of the breaches to the security of the information systems are made by the internal staff or employee of the organization (Spears et al. 2010). Security incident management facilitates the development of security incident handling and planning including preparation for detection and reply to information security issues. The standard of the incident management primarily relates to ensure the existence of processes rather than the contents of these procedures. The security incident of different computing systems will have dissimilar effects and escort to different consequences, bureau, departments the organization need to tailor the security incident handling plan according to specific operational requirements. Organizations invest enormous money to buy and install computing e quipments for securing their networks. Information systems security is a challenge for executives and the information technology professionals (Dhillon et al. 2006).Organizations focus on performance and efficiency of the security equipments. This is not enough, as human intervention and a proper plan need to be defined. The information technology professionals are not only responsible for securing the information systems, all the employees of the organization are responsible (Rotvold 2008). One needs to know what an incident is, before making a plan for dealing with the computer incidents. A simple definition is available in network dictionary which says â€Å"An incident as an adverse network event in an information system or network or the threat of the occurrence of such an event.† For organizations to be competitive with network incidents, they must lay a foundation within the organization for incident handling. The incident handling procedure refers to an action pla n associated with security breaches, thefts, distributed denial of service, fire, floods etc. Incident handling consists of six-step process: research, classification, restraint, purge, revival, and lessons learned. The information security should be handled internally and externally by the employees of the organization. They will be supported by the security teams with high-powered information security officers. The employees who do not have insufficient skills in dealing with information security, they can perform well in reducing risk factors (Bulgurcu et al. 2010). In each major business unit, an employee with a skill set of solid risk management and project management can be a good choice to be an information security officer. Likewise, the primary objective is to enforce policies and train the end users for following the procedures made for each policy. Moreover, acceptable use for networks and data on information systems must be communication, as end users can download susp icious codes or emails from the Internet etc. furthermore, if the company decides to outsource its security operations to another company, this will save cost but at the same time increase risks to critical information if no care has been taken for choosing a reliable business partner. Non disclosure agreement must be signed by the service organization and skill evaluation of the staff should also be considered. Furthermore, service level agreements

What is 'Queer Thoery' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

What is 'Queer Thoery' - Essay Example In the stream of interest to set up new scholarly and popular frontiers, the orientation of this theory has been heavily directed at demonstrating how and why long-standing disciplinary accounts have fallen short to defend and do justice to queer groups. However, quite a handful of thorough analyses have investigated the implications and effects of these queer perspectives on current academic disciplines, or possibly will more significantly, in the framework of contemporary social life. The concept of ‘queer,’ in that case, is the deconstruction of common ideas regarding gender and sexuality, from their embodiment in literature, movies and music to their assignment to the social as well as in the physical sciences. The movement of ‘queer’ is in fact the ‘queering’ of traditions, spanning from the rereading of characters in literatures and movies to the reviewing of historical analyses. As a movement, we have witnessed the declaration of identity of queers, particularly labelled as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and transsexual, as human behaviour variations that possess their individual rights. As a theory, the origin of queer from post structuralism and postmodernism results into the elimination of all classifications as restricting and branded by prevailing power structures. Before the concept of ‘queer’ was, in its best notion, jargon for homosexual, in its worst, a notion of homophobic ill-treatment. In current years ‘queer’ has been used diversely, at times an umbrella concept for an association of culturally minor sexual self-identities and sometimes to illustrate an emerging theoretical framework which has emerged out of more long-established gay and lesbian studies. The abrupt development and reinforcement of gay and lesbian studies in universities almost two decades ago is matched by an increasing use of the concept of ‘queer’

Zara - spanish clothing company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Zara - spanish clothing company - Essay Example Zara’s performance can be observed to be outstanding in the way it manages its operations timing in meeting the ever-changing demands of the customers. The company is in a â€Å"cutting edge†, capable of designing, manufacturing and delivering new styles of clothes and receiving â€Å"full price on 85 percent of its products†1. The present research focuses on a study on the Zara Spanish Clothing Company reflecting on the market that it serves, its competitiveness and the associations of its competitive measures with its supply chain facilities. Market Characteristics Where Zara Company Serves: Zara Clothing Company has grown very fast in Europe thereby increasing its share in the market that is characteristic of following the concept of â€Å"fast fashion†2. Manufacturing clothes in Spanish clothing companies involve higher costs of production than other companies that are competitors producing clothes in other countries like China and India. However, acco rding to Zara, their productivity, lower costs of sales and distribution and flexibility pay off for the higher costs of manufacturing and production3. Considering the apparel market, studies reflect that Europe has a share of around 34 percent of the total market in comparison to United States’ 29 percent and Asia’s 23 percent. This signifies the rate of increasing population and their spending capabilities that tend to get affected by rising prices. The choices and demands of the customers also are rapidly changing in this market where companies like Zara are prevalent. The customers, particularly the young generation are more attracted towards new fashion styles and trends that includes strokes of other cultures as well. The market scenario has been changing over the years with customers demanding for newer fashions in lesser time. Zara with its timely operations system focuses on meeting the expectations of its target customers. The company also has its competitors like the Gap, H&M, and Benetton who are playing in the market of apparels.4 Zara’s Competitiveness in the Market: The Zara Clothing Company has been observed to achieve highly satisfactory business results as the company has its focus on its core competencies. This provides the apparel retailer with a competitive advantage over