Role of Marketing in the Non-Business Environment

October 2012 -Role of Marketing in the non-business environment since article â€Å"Broadening the Concept of Marketing† by Philip Kotler and Sidney J. Levy was published in 1969 — Written by Anthony Chi Yuen CHAN 1 Abstract Social economic development over the past 40 years has been drastic over the world. From 1970 to 2010, global GDP has grown over 20 times from 3,288 billion USD to 63,064 billion USDi. Government consumption expenditure per capita increased from 140 USD to 1,640 USD on global bases. In well developed countries and economic zone (like UKii and EU), ocial protection, general public services, health care, education, and national and public order and safety account for over 70% of government total spending. cause the increase of spending in the public sector? What had been changed to While large amount of money had been spent, what has changed in the public sector to ensure the effectiveness of spending? Private sector managerial techniques, practices a nd orientations, marketing strategies and dimensions helped shaping the evolution of public management to be more efficiently and effectively.The purpose of this paper is to state specific examples of the adaptation of marketing management strategies and tactics at the selected areas of public services. Particular case will illustrate how STP, 4P’s, and 3P’s adopted in the decision making process. Understanding the background of social evolution, we will examine how demographic and economic improvement has driven these marketing strategies in these civil services in Hong Kong over the past 40 years. IntroductionEvery organization, private sector or public services alike, depend greatly on marketing strategies and communication to promote their goods and services. Hong Kong Government has evolved its public communication from minimum interaction to highly involvement in planning, researching, consulting, implementing of the new regulations and policies. The objectives a re obvious, better execution, greater acceptance, less rebellious toward administrative power. After Second World War, Hong Kong was governed by British system.One will not be surprised to learn Hong Kong transformation from a small fishing village to a modern business and manufacturing city was greatly benefited by immigrating many British public services and social management policies and experiences. At the beginning of the colonial rule, many of the establishment and policies were implemented through a direct top down approach. British Government at the U. K. assigned Governor to Hong Kong to decide and implemented all policies across the society. Minimum communication was noted from the Government for promotion of new policies. ommunication. External limitation also put barriers to effective At the 1950’s social communication media was very limited. The lack of basic formal communication tools like newspaper and radio broadcasting was one of the challenges at the beginni ng. General population literacy was low also accounted for limitation of communication. As society improved, education level has risen, government new policies were demanded to be explained and rationalized before implementation. Modern government communications have to utilizing all available tradition and modern media. Advertising through multi-lingual newspaper, prime time television advertising at television, radio broadcasting with advertisement and commentary shows; public transportation exterior/interior advertising; mobile phone messaging; smart phone application; internet media (blogs; facebook; twitters; government web sites etc) are fully utilized to let government communication reaching complicated social segments. Likewise, the internet age of marketing communication channels also encouraged faster and direct general public feedback be reverted to the concerned government bodies.Privatization of some public services, like parks and garden management, public area hygiene , and airport security management of non-critical zone etc. , influenced the image of quality services. Service privatization also has a reverse influence back to Government to review marketing strategies. As a result, Hong Kong civil service activities are managed through a more business-like management structure, and commercial marketing strategy and tactics becoming more evidence. We will examine various examples of Government policies and activities where marketing management philosophies are adopted.Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) – Marketing as strategy (STP) While social and economic development enriched, modern social needs becoming complicated, deeper to details, and towards long term stability. Majority of population has their basic humanity needs satisfied, the Government started to consider long term social protection. Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) is designed for workforce to plan for retirement life. Before the implication of the MPF System, only about one-third of the Hong Kong workforce had some form retirement protection.From a marketing strategy point of view, MPF program identified the need for retirement saving for all workforces. Therefore, any employee, no matter full time or causal, at the age between 18 to 65 is included in the segment. The main target groups within this segment are those employee who has no experience nor has knowledge to establish his/her own retirement saving program with financial institutes. Therefore, it is required by law to join compulsory retirement saving plan for a minimum saving level per month. For employee who are not in the main target (i. e. apable and willing to contribute more than the minimum saving level), the MPF program has the flexibility to allow non-target group contributors to put extra money to the mandatory saving level. MPF is a financial saving services that position itself as mass population at a monthly affordable contribution rat e. There are similar retirement saving options offe red by other financial institutions, but most of them are not targeting mass market. A series of TV commercial were made and aired (for example http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=-DcC1pccSTM) for the promotion of MPF.In the video, it is clearly illustrated the segment, target, and position of this program. Intangible (services) vs Tangible (physical) – 4P’s : Products Public management is traditionally considered to be a service oriented sector, and therefore offering intangible products. Public security, national health, emergency assistance, education, 3 and legal justice, just to name a few, are critical services provided by public administrators. Public administration also provides tangible products such as subsided housing, government publication, municipal water supply, and land sale etc.Public Housing Strategy – 4P’s : Price Hong Kong Housing Society and Hong Kong Housing Authority offer government subsidized housing for particular population segmen t. Because of the complexity of housing demand and affordability, Government designed four major types of subsidized housing programs. All of these public and subsidized housing program are targeted to different user groups, and are positioned very differently. Each of the program also has different level of discount rate, either for sale or for rent, when compare with open market value. ange of restrictions and eligibility criteria. Users are generally subjected to a Each of the pricing structure is evaluated based on target group income and affordability. Market researches are done, and public hearing is held before program reveal to public. Public housing prices are designed to balance user affordability and at the same time protect open market housing prices stability. Below are the iii four main housing schemet :. ? Home Ownership Scheme estates are subsidized sale-to-public housing estates for low-income residents.They are usually built adjacent to or within Public Rental Hous ing and nearly identical in construction. They are managed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority and are earmarked for sale to low-income qualifiers at prices which are heavily discounted from market value, and the land value is similarly subsidized. The mortgage and resale of these units in the second-hand market are likewise restricted to eligible low-income residents. Within a public housing estate development, some blocks may be designated by the Authority exclusively for rental while others may be earmarked for sale. ?Tenants Purchase Scheme allows existing tenants in the rented public housing program to purchase their flats. The sale prices are set around 50% to 60% lower than the market prices of private flats due to subsidies and restriction on selling. ? Flat-for-Sale Scheme allows flats under the scheme for sale at concessionary price. ? Sandwich Class Housing Scheme estates were built for sale to lower-middle and middle-income residents, known as the sandwich class, who did not qualify for low-income public housing in the Home Ownership Scheme but still had trouble affording private housing.The quality and market positioning of Sandwich Class Housing were significantly higher than public housing estates and comparable to some middle-class private developments. These units were sold at levels that were slightly below market value and came with a five-year resale restriction. Land development as new source – 4P’s : Place Hong Kong has land size at 1,100 square kilometers, and population grown from four million in 4 1970 to 7. 2 million in 2010. That makes Hong Kong one of the most densely populated city in the world. Hong Kong Land Department holds one of the most scared resources, land.Urban development and local economic highly depend on availability of land sales. Therefore, promotion and marketing communication of land planning become increasingly important over years. Private sectors as well as general citizen concern about future new land supply as well as timeworn redevelopment zone. Land development as well as land source of land affects property prices, and the urbanization development planiv. One good recent example is the Geotechnical Engineering Department confirms the technical capability of underground land and cavern for new source of land.This marks a new era for the possible new â€Å"place† for future property market and industrial zone development. The GED makes use of short video to promote new land supply idea (see endnote’s hyper link)v. Crime prevention – 4P’s : Promotion Police force goals and objective have dramatically changed for the last four decades from mainly law enforcement operation to equally emphasizing the importance of crime prevention. Study have shown in different country that increase of police force does not necessary reverse proportion to the number of crime. i Therefore, a lot of marketing and promotion effort have been dedicated to home security d esign, drug abuse prevention, internet crime awareness, and police force recruitmentvii, proper automobile driving technique etc. As social and communication media develops and widened, communication channels broadened from traditional newspaper advertising to internet social platform such as police force websiteviii, facebook, youtube, tweeter, discussion forum, to personal contact like public relationship division within the police force.Public sector personal and organizational marketing – 3P’s : People After the transfer of sovereignty to People Republic of China, Hong Kong government organization and management became increasing transparent. Hong Kong resident has increasing interest of government departmental leadership, and government operation efficiency. Compare to forty years ago, when Hong Kong was still under British colonial rule, the Governor, Executive Council, Legislative Council, as well as most public politician were all appointed by the Government.De mocratic election slowly started in the 1980’s for local district representatives and a portion of Legislative Council. Personal marketing in the public services became more and more importantix. Two examples are the recent Legislative Council (LECO) Election, and Hong Kong Special Administration Region Chief Executive Election. LECO election is an open democratic election for all qualified citizen. Competitions are big between candidates, and are compared based on their experiences, past contribution to the society, and related political party’s reputation. Education system reform progress – 3P’s : Process While every spot light falls onto the people, in the public sector, the ultimate goal for a government is to implement set policies and procedures. Taking for example, the Education Department just recently introduced a new secondary and territorial school system in Hong Kong. The new system revised the seven years secondary schooling to six years, but extending the normal three years under graduate programmes to four years. New Product (Education System) Development Strategy was use. The education ureau made use of product development concept of idea generation, preliminary analysis, detail investigation and research, planning and development, communication, testing, implementation, and auditing cycle. x xi The result was a smoother implementation, better acceptance by education institutions, students, parents, and prevented political instability in case of adverse situation. Conclusion Social, economic, political, and education development evolves over time. Citizens are demanding more frequent, closer, deeper, and highly transparent participation in public administration.Therefore, non-business organization like public administration and political management spend more resources (time, man power, and money) at the early stage of new social policy development. Citizens are defined as customers or end user in the public administ ration model. Because of the rising demand by the customers for better involvement during the course of public administration, and, at the same time, administrators wants to have higher chance of success and sustainability of new policy, customers involvement of the early part of Stage-gate Processing becoming evident, which is in contrast with public policy development four decades ago.American Marketing Association (AMA) who defines â€Å"Marketing† for its members, have also renew the definition to suit with the ever changing environment. In the letter from Mike Lotti and Don Lehmann, Chairperson of the Board and Committee Chair of AMA, subjected New Definition of Marketing dated December 2007, Lotti and Lehmann said â€Å"(the new definition of) Marketing is regarded as an ‘activity’ instead of a ‘function’ and positions marketing as a broader activity in a company/organization, and not just a department.The new definition also positions marketi ng as providing long term value rather than narrowly as an exchange of money (short-term) for the benefit of the shareholder/organization. †xii European marketing community also published similar notion a few years earlier than its US counterpart, defining that â€Å"long-term customer relationships are considered as the cornerstone of marketing†xiii. This is in line with modern public administrators’ objective, that is to satisfy the needs of different segments and targets of citizens.It is worth to note that this paper is not to argue marketing management strategies, tactics, and concepts in public sector did not exist in Hong Kong at the early years. As a matter of the facts, in the 60s and 70s, Government have organized activities to understand customer (local residents) 6 needs related to long term social development plan and pre-execution hearing sessions with local leaders and legislators, but only at a lot less formal and structured as the society current ly established. In response to Levy and Kotler’s article, DavidJ.Luck had argued that marketing strategies and activities had been in used in various government activities before Kotler and Levy’s article was publishedxiv. When social, economic, and political reforms continue, society should expect to see marketing activities in non-business organization, particularly for public administration sector, to continue evolves alongside with modern marketing management methologies. i Ivan Kushnir’s Research Center, kushnirs. org rd ii UK Public Spending since 1963, Simon Rogers, 3 June 2012, guardian. o. uk iii Milestones: Hong Kong Housing Society Housing Price, Land Supply and Revenue from Land Sales, Raymond Y. C. Tse, 2012 v Enhanced use of underground space in Hong Kong, Geotechnical Engineering Department, http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=jZ_IX0KocNk&list=UUi4fX-nEJseYhlAuY4DJ0wQ&index=7&feature=pl cp vi Law Enforcement Marketing: Perceptions of a police force, Peter Bohan, 1987. vii Hong Kong Police: http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=ckDWtaWNHo0 viii Hong Kong Police: http://www. police. gov. hk/ppp_en/index. tml ix After ten years of transfer of sovereignty: political stability and reform in Hong Kong, Jermain T. M. Lam, 2008 x Stage-gate systems: a new tool for managing new products, Robert G. Cooper, 1990 xi Marketing in the public sector: Inappropriate or merely difficult? : Peter Graham, 2010 xii th AMA Definition of Marketing: Mike Lotti and Don Lehmann, December 17 , 2007 xiii Defining Marketing: A market-Oriented Approach: Christian Gronroos, 1989 xiv Broadening the Concept of Marketing. Too Far: David J. Luck, 1969 iv 7

Holistic Approaches to Development Essay

Introduction My focus with this assignment will be on education as a whole and to demonstrate a knowledge of key legislation in respect of curricula and initiatives within the widening children’s education work-force. I will do this through relevant reading and understanding gained from personal experience, demonstrating a comprehension of the holistic nature of learning and how it is developed through age-appropriate activities. I intend to show an understanding of the types, role and functions of play. I will relate them to theoretical and practical models of play and learning practised at my setting, where the Primary Years Programme is implemented. The Primary Year Programme (PYP) takes a holistic approach in developing the complete child. Practitioners endeavour to deliver a curriculum that is relevant and meaningful to the child. Piaget suggests the principal goal of education is to create people who are capable of original thought and of being creative and not simply repeating what previous generations have done. The PYP is a Primary Curriculum recognised world-wide and the PYP for Early Childhood synthesizes insights of educational research pioneers such as Maria Montessori and Rudolf Steiner who maintained that education should be understood as the art of cultivating the moral, emotional, physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions of the developing child (J,1013). Play is child-centred activity that engages young children and promotes learning. Play is the means by which children make sense of the world and is an effective method of teaching young children. Play is a context for learning through which children organise and understand their social worlds as they actively engage with people, objects and representations. An holistic approach to education focuses on the whole child with care and education being of equal importance; and is known as a combined holistic  approach. Montessori and Steiner are among the most important of the many education theorists who have influenced the way children are educated today. Learning through play is one of the key principles that they and other education theorists advocated. All children have the right to be in a safe and welcoming environment. Keeping children safe is of course â€Å"a non-negotiable element of any early years framework† (Tickell, 2011.) In the United Kingdom there is a wide range of legislation enacted specifically with the aim of protecting children and their families. The safeguarding and welfare requirements are given legal force by The Early Years Foundation Stage (Welfare Requirements) Regulations. EYFS is the legal framework for the welfare and safeguarding of all young children from birth through to the end of the reception years in all types of early years education provision. Learning Outcome 1 -You will need to produce clear evidence of your knowledge and understanding of key, recent legislation & current initiatives pertinent to your setting practice. You can demonstrate this by discussing what is encompassed within the initiatives currently informing practice and identifying the various curricula available to parents, children and settings e.g. National Curriculum, The Early Years Foundation Stage, Steiner Approach, Montessori etc. Higher grades will be awarded if you can demonstrate a critical awareness of the importance of the key legislation & current initiatives pertinent to your chosen age range within the setting. Learning Outcome 2 – You should show that you understand the nature and meaning of a holistic approach to learning and development, whilst recognising the need to provide strategies for incorporating a range of holistic age related curriculum-based learning activities, which help promote development through play and. You should also identify specific aspects of your age-related research as being of significance to holistic development and explain their importance. To improve the grade you must show that you have considered a wide and comprehensive range of strategies for incorporating holistic age related curriculum -based learning activities, which will help development through play and learning in the setting.  Remember that the essay is intended to show your ability to integrate ideas and information drawn from a range of sources From early in the 20th century, a number of holistic approaches to early education have been put forward and refined (ref needed) . The most important principle of holistic education being to engender and nurture a sense of wonder in the child. Montessori, for example, spoke of â€Å"cosmic† education, which â€Å"helps the young person feel part of the wholeness of the universe, so that learning will be naturally enchanting and inviting† (Miller,2012 pg for a direct qoute). Holistic education is founded on the premise that each person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life by connecting with the community, to the natural world and to spiritual values such as compassion and peace (J ? author ?, 2013). Miller date ? describes holistic education as: â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.an attempt to return to the mysterious source of human creativity and authenticity for fresh inspiration. It seeks to enable the wholeness of the human being to emerge and develop as fully as possible. In contrast to progressive education, Holistic education sees the child as an emerging spiritual being within a larger planetary and cosmic ecology that extends beyond social and political realities. In Holistic education we must respond to the learner with an open, inquisitive mind, a loving heart and a sensitive understanding of the world he or she is growing into†¦..† (Holistic Education, 2011).too long a qoute, break down into own words please While However, the Reggio Emilia approach to holistic education involves dealing with or rating the ‘whole’ of something or someone, and not just a part of the ‘whole’ (J ?, 2013). This approach also places great emphasis on artistic self-expression and engaged creativity. Miller (2006) suggests that while there is clearly no one method, after reviewing a number of different holistic teaching methodologies, he concluded that there are four key aspects of the holistic approach to teaching: Learning is organic, emergent, experimental and based on cooperation. There is a strong sense of community and engagement between children, parents and educators where those members feel strongly to care for one another There is a great respect for children’s inner life, with methods ranging from environmental spaces that facilitate time out of competitive nosier environments, to time to ask deeper questions about the meaning of life and spirituality. There are strong connections to nature, with the care and connection with the environment incorporated throughout the curriculum (Higgins, 2012) In keeping with a holistic approach, the Priamary Years Progra (PYP) curriculum is an inquiry-based transdisciplinary curriculum. Pre-planned teaching is facilitated only in so far as it initiates open-ended questioning and inquisitiveness. Children are given maximum opportunities for discovery. A child’s questions are an important part of what happens in a PYP classroom. The school aims to develop the whole child, so while developing academic knowledge and skills, we also develop a child’s social and emotional skills and understanding. Children are taught to be caring individuals and encouraged to make a positive difference in the world. The IB Learner Profile Attributes guides schools in their holistic approach to education and includes the social and emotional aspects of a child’s school life. The PYP teaches students that they can make a difference in their lives by being independent and making â€Å"good choices,† for example by turning lights off to save energy when leaving the classroom, or recycling materials to avoid unnecessary waste. Physical education too is an integral part of the PYP curriculum and provides vital opportunities for the physical, social, emotional and intellectual development of the child. In Nutbrown’s (2012 pg ? ) review she asserts that, â€Å"high quality early education and childcare  can have a positive long term impact on a child’s later learning and achievements.† Connecting with nature is important for a child’s spiritual development and should inform daily activity. Incorporating holistic activity into the early childhood classroom provides opportunities for children to connect with nature. Activities such as painting classes in a park or other open-air neighbourhood location expose children to nature , while painting on mirrors helps develop self-awareness and spirituality by encouraging creativity and the representation of ideas while having fun. These are all straightforward, uncomplicated, activities that encourage a child to be inquiring. Refs needed The extreme heat and humidity at certain times of the year in Hong Kong make it impractical to take children outside to explore and discover. When this happens, we do our best to bring the outside into the classroom. We use natural materials such as shells and leaaves to inspire and encourage creativity. We also provide tools more normally associated with adult usage, such as cameras, this to illustrate the point that children are competent and capable learners and able quickly to master relatively sophisticated technology. As our knowledge of each child increases and we become more familiar with his or her interests, we use this and festivals such as Diwali, Christmas and Thanksgiving to inform our planning. Learning Outcome 3 – This learning outcome requires you to show sound evidence of practical knowledge and understanding of theoretical and practical models of play and learning which incorporate examples of the different types, roles and functions of play in the widening children’s workforce setting. To improve you would need to demonstrate clear, concise, in depth evidence & knowledge/understanding, of the application of practical and theoretical models of play and learning. Incorporating a range of examples of the different types, roles and functions of play. Smidt (2011) argues that Play may be defined as the way children, within a context, a culture, a family or a community explore or experience something  that excites and interests them and is fun. Through play, children learn to express or communicate their feelings (Smidt,2011.) Wood (2005) further supports this viewpoint by stating that †¦Play activity entails a wide range of behaviour and may be found in different contexts and with multiple meanings for children and adults (Wood,2005.) A holistic, place-based, approach to learning utilises the local community and environment to teach subjects across the curriculum, emphasising hands-on real life experiences. Ref here  Blah Blah (2010) discusses how Various educational theorists have influenced the way young children are educated today. Among the most influential have been Rudolf Steiner and Maria Montessori ref. Both shared a belief in the importance of learning through their play. They believed that experimental learning through play was more effective teaching methods than ones that were directed and prescriptive ref. The Reggio Emilia approach, developed by Loris Malaguzzi,ref here emphasised the role of the child as a competent agent in his or her own learning. Within this setting, educators make informed choices about the pedagogical approaches and curriculum based on the theories and principles of Malaguzzi. There must be a reference or more within every paragraph to show where the info came from, it’s particularly important when discussing theory or viewpoints. Bruce (date) as cited in Smidt (date) clearly regards play as one of the most significant ways children learn. She refers to play as ‘an integrating mechanism.’ When children are involved in self-chosen play, over which they have control of what they are doing, they are able to bring together many aspects of their learning, coordinating their activity in a way that brings about or creates new learning (Bruce, 1991 page ?), enabling discovery and problem solving as the child becomes increasingly independent. There are play opportunities both inside the PYP (Primary Years Program) classroom and in the playground as the learning environment is equipped with material that provides for a range of creative learning. A PYP classroom reflects what Moyles (date) regards as one of the most significant aspects of play – that of ‘ownership,’ meaning that the child takes control over  finding answers to questions that interest him or her. Wood 2005) recognizes that Play cannot always be easily defined or categorised because it is always context dependent and the contexts are varied (Wood,2005). Types of play cognitive play, involved play, passive play, pretend and socio-dramatic. She discusses this viewpoint further by stating The context of play will determine its nature and category, play is therefore ‘context-dependent (Wood, 2005). However, as the context varies, so will the nature of play in which the child engages: cognitive play, involved play, passive play, pretend play and Socio-dramatic play being the most important types. The physical development young children is also essential. Research has shown that physical activity in young children can enhance concentration, motivation, learning and well-being. Early Years educators use their knowledge of developmentally appropriate practice and the interests of the child to organise activities that provide opportunities for freedom of movement and physical stimulation. Refs needed throughout this paragraph  Piaget, another theorist, (date, cited in?) believed that play and imitation were an important feature of his theory. He saw play as almost pure assimilation without any attempt to adapt to outer reality (Wood, 2005). While Erikson ref thought the world of play was very important in the early stage of a child’s development, providing, as it did, a safe place for a child to work through conflicts in its life. Piaget, Erikson and Vygotsky ref all agreed that children use play as a way of teaching themselves. A child plays through situations very much as adults might think through a problem or difficult circumstances in which they find themselves. Children, of course, can more readily and naturally engage in fantasy play, when they delve into symbolic representations of objects and ideas by acting them out as part of a game or other form of play.ref Try to widen references from Wood, and use more than one ref in a paragraph. If you use the same source within a paragraph, you can use the term (ibid) which means ‘the same’ in Latin. You can only use it with the paragraph that you’ve cited the author e.g. Wood (2005) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ blah blah blah (ibid) Its important you are using wider  reading within and throughout the work. There should also be a conclusion, which shows awareness of good practice and professional development through the implementation of this module. Throughout the essay, you must show the ability to integrate a range of information, drawn from a wide and varied area of sources (LO 4) Learning Outcome 4 – You will need to draw upon a range of contemporary source materials to inform your individual research into the impact of current/pending government initiatives & legislative factors on early years settings and the resultant age-related curricula delivered. Educational & researched-based journal articles afford the best opportunity of achieving this. Use of tertiary sources and of web-based material is permitted but is unlikely to attract significant additional marks. Sourcing and researching other related material may also earn additional marks Conclusion: Holistic approaches encompass, as the names suggests, a broad range of teaching goals and aspirations for children’s learning that extends well beyond academic learning into fields of social and emotional wellbeing. While this can at first seem overwhelming, teachers can find the small opportunities in their day to day practice to incorporate and extend ideas that promote connection, community and wellbeing. REF: Druce, J. (2013) Holistic education , MOD001262 Holistic Approaches to Development . [Print] Anglia Ruskin University , Unpublished 2012, Department for Education. (Foundations for Quality Nutbrown Review) [pdf] UK: Department for Education. Available at http://www.gov.uk [Accessed 06 December 2013]. Dame Clare Tickell (2011) The Early Years: Foundation for life, health and learning . London: Crown . Druce, J. (2013) Holism (Noun), Holistic Approach to Development . [Print] Anglia Ruskin University, Unpublished Holistic Education (2011) Glossary of Terms Commonly Used in Holistic Education [Online] Available at http://www.hent.org/glossary.htm [Accessed 15 December 2013] Natalie Higgins (2012) Exploring Holistic Approaches for Early Childhood Educators [Online] Available at http://www.raisinglearning.com.au [Accessed 12 December 2013] Ron Miller (2012) Holistic Education: A Brief Introduction [Online] Available at http://www.Pathsoflearning.net [Accessed 12 December 2013] Smidt, S (2011) Playing to Learn. UK: Routledge. Wood, E (2005) Play, Learning and the Early Childhood Curriculum . 2nd ed. London : Sage Publications .

Forensic Science Module Essay

1. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid refers to the molecules that carry our genetic information. DNA can be found in blood, skin cells, tissues, muscles, bones, teeth, hair, and saliva. 2. Mitochondrial DNA is DNA that can be inherited from one’s mother and is found outside of the cell nucleus. 3. CODIS is a software program that contains the DNA profiles of convicted offenders, missing persons, crime scene evidence, and other sources. CODIS works by attempting to match the samples of DNA based on the thirteen different regions or loci within the nuclear DNA. 4. Complimentary base patterns are pairs that always pair up together. Complimentary base patters are so important because the four bases make up DNA 5. RFLP is described as the method in which DNA is studied, by using an enzyme to cut DNA strands into different sections. Limitations to this process include the fact that it requires a large sample of DNA and samples that carry dirt or mold usually will not work good with this type of test. 1. I believe DNA has had and continues to have such an impact on forensic science because a DNA sample can help figure out who was involved in a crime and even who was the person who committed the crime. 2. I believe some of the challenges that come with collecting DNA evidence could include the DNA sample potentially becoming damaged, by factors even if includes natural causes such as dirt, dust, and mold. Some ways that I could overcome these potential challenges include trying to collect more DNA samples that are not ruined or damaged you can also attempt to clean the DNA if possible. 3. The difference between mitochondria DNA and nuclear DNA is that mitochondrial DNA is inherited from the offspring’s mother while in nuclear DNA it is mixed and matched so it is different. I would choose nuclear DNA to work with because it is more complex which means it is less likely for any two people to have the same pattern while mitochondrial DNA has less variability from one to another. 4. If I had to analyze DNA samples I would choose the polymerase chain reaction to analyze the DNA. PCR creates strands of DNA from small samples of DNA at crime scenes. I would choose this technique because for one it is inexpensive, does not take very long, and can be successful with just even a small piece of the DNA sample. 5. The expert’s testimony can be dismissed by questioning its credibility, education,

Enzyme Linked Assays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Enzyme Linked Assays - Essay Example hydrogen donors in equation 2 and 3 is quite low, as a result AH2 can be a variety of compounds, and many different bindings or linkings are possible. In this way antibodies are conjugated to enzymes in order to amplify the signal via the catalytic properties of the enzymes. HRP conjugates are ideally used for ELISA or enzyme- linked immunosorbent assays. HRP has a fast catalytic rate and can generate more products in shorter incubation time, allowing for greater sensitivity. HRP-labeled antihuman IgG can be used to bind to target antigen in an assay system to localize even trace amounts of biomolecules. This biomolecules produce dityrosin bonds by reaction with HRP to produce (Adopted from Rob, P.M. et al. 2002). When used for an assay this will give rise to a reaction like Different types of linked assays and their properties: There are mainly two types of ELISA assays. 1. Sandwich. 2. Competitive. Sandwich: This is also known as two-antibody sandwich ELISA. This is used for determination of antigen concentration in unknown samples. With a purified antigen standard, it can determine absolute amount of antigen in a sample. This requires two antibodies, capture and detection, that bind to epitopes that do not overlap. Two monoclonal antibodies that recognize discrete sites on the antigen or two polyclonal affinity purified antibodies are used. The capture antibody is purified and bound to the solid phase. Antigen is added, and antigen-antibody binding occurs. This creates a sandwich. Quantification of the assay is then made by measuring the amount of labeled second antibody bound to the matrix by the use of a colourimetric substrate (Please see the picture). Competitive: Nonpurified primary antibodies may be... Kay,E., Leland, M. S., and Lew, J. Y., (1967). Peroxidase Isozymes from Horseradish Roots, Ii. Catalytic Properties, The Journal Of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 242, No. 10, Issue Of May 25, Pp. 247lbz473,

New constitution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

New constitution - Assignment Example Participation by right One criterion that is considered to be important in constitution making is participating in the whole process. This is seen as being legitimate. Public participation in the process of constitution making makes it desirable. Allowing the public to participate in the process of enacting a new constitution creates a stronger ground on which to stand. Logically we can state that the right to participate in the process of constitution making is derived from the meaning which is generally termed as democratic participation. In the Human Rights Declaration made by the United Nations (1948, Article 21) and especially in reference to article 25 states that there is a right to participate in voting, affairs of the public and a right to the access of public service. One of the reasons that constitution making is important is because it is mostly about the distribution of power. Public participation that can be considered to be genuine includes allowing the people freedom of speech and assembly, social inclusion and personal security. When the channels of communication are good and enhanced between every level of the society, a strong civil society and civic education then the process of constitution making is facilitated at a higher level (Lerner, 2011). ... In this type of government the powers of authority are limited, written and the law restricts it so as to offer protection to the citizenry. To oversee this accomplishment there has to be a federal system in which there is division of power between the state government and the federal government. Thus power is not wielded by one fraction, for example the constitution might give the federal government the power to make laws, tax people to raise money and to control an army while the rest of the powers are given to individual states. Through the constitution the government gets to be separated into branches: the judicial, legislative and executive branches. The jobs of each branch vary from one to the other. The executive branch is headed by the president. His /her work is to be the commander in chief of the armed forces, enforce laws and to conduct foreign affairs. The Judicial branch has the job and mandate to make sure the constitution is upheld and the laws followed to the latter ( Lerner, 2011). Checks and balances This idea of checks and balances is credited to Montesquieu and it helps the branches of government to cooperate, offer protection to minority from the majority and limit one branch of the government from becoming extremely powerful. This system enables the branches of the government to limit or check each other so that sharing of power is kept at a balanced level. The president’s veto power can be used as a good example in this setting. The president can veto a bill and in the process limit the power of congress, but on the other hand the legislative branch of the government can overturn this veto by having a two-thirds majority in both of the house and hence the balance is maintained. The legislative

Decision support Systems (DSS) United Arab Emirates context Essay

Decision support Systems (DSS) United Arab Emirates context - Essay Example At the present, we can see lots of innovations in how business organizations make use of automated information systems in making decisions. In fact, as a number of business organizations and managers have become more knowledgeable, decision support systems (DSS) have started evolving from its opening as a private support tool and now it has emerged as the common resource in a business organization (Xiaoli & Gaojin, 2010). Especially, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where the majority of organizations heavily rely on data and decision making to run their businesses. This basic purpose of this research is to discuss the use of decision support system in the context of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This paper shows how the use decision support systems and techniques can be useful especially in the UAE. A â€Å"decision support system (DSS) is an application of an information system that provides users with the appropriate decision-oriented information when a decision-making situation takes place.† Additionally, a decision-support system allows the business management to take effective decisions by collecting and combining information, appropriate logical models and applications, and user-friendly interface into a single strong system that facilitates unstructured or semi structured decision making. In this scenario, a DSS also offers to its users a proper set of tools, techniques and support and services for making effective use of key blocks of data (Laudon & Laudon, 1999, p. 468; Whitten, Bentley, & Dittman, 2000, p. 47). The basic objective of a decision support system is to help top management in decision making. In this scenario, decision support systems are not developed to be used by technically skilled people however these systems are particularly designed by keeping in mind the specific needs and requirements of managers or CEOs. Additionally, they are provided with an easy to use interface through which they can interact

Answer 1 question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answer 1 question - Essay Example On the other hand, in political science, the term legitimacy refers to the popular acceptance of the authority of the outside bodies by the governing body. The governing body has no option but to accept on the every authority that is given to it by the outside superior bodies. The governing body must just take them regardless of whether they favor the country citizens or not (Cohen, 2013). In political science, there are various relationships between the two states of sovereignty and the legitimacy. Some of these relationships include the following ones. First, in both countries that exercise either legitimacy or sovereignty, the governing bodies must have to stick by their legislative deadlocks. In a political state that uses the political sovereignty, they still have some small influential elites that all the governing bodies must adhere to. This is similar to a nation that exercises political legitimacy. They have no option other than just adhering to the authority of the governing regime. For example, in Chinese political philosophy, the political legitimacy of their rule in the government derived from the Heaven Mandate since the period of Zhou Dynasty. Due to legitimacy, those rulers who lost had no option but to accept that mandate was to rule over the people (Kalmo and Skinner, 2010). Other than that, the other relationship between the sovereignty and legitimacy is that, in both states, there is a regime that is final. In the political sovereignty, a body detects what appears to be interference from the outside bodies. The body then decides on what should exactly be done on that, and there is nobody that can object that. Similarly, in a political legitimacy state, there is a superior body that decides on what the body of governors should do and there is no other body has the authority to object that. Taking an example in the real situation, USA as a superior state that is in controls

Pesticide Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pesticide - Research Paper Example The term pest includes insects, weeds, mammals, and microbes, among others† (Tadeo 2). They are categorized based on the pest that they destroy. For example, herbicides kill eradicate weeds and other plants growing in places where they are unwanted, insecticides destroy insects and other anthropods and fungicides are used to kill fungi (Atterholt). Other types of pesticides are acaricides, molluscicides, nematicides, pheromones, plant growth regulators, repellants, and rodenticides (Tadeo 2). Pesticides are usually chemical substances, although they can be sometimes biological agents such as virus or bacteria. â€Å"They may be derived from natural sources such as pyrethrin insecticide extracted from certain chrysanthemum plants. Another example is azadirachtin, an extract from the neem tree† (â€Å" natural and synthetic†). Pesticides are also made from artificial (synthetic) sources such as pyrethriods, which is an insecticide. Herbicides can be further classified as soil- or foliage-applied compounds which are normally absorbed by roots or leaf tissues, respectively. These compounds can be total or selective herbicides. Total herbicides can kill all vegetation, whereas selective herbicides can control weeds without affecting the crop (Tadeo 4). Insecticide Pyrethrum, the dried flower of Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium, or its solvent extract, has been used for centuries in order to kill insects. The plant, is originally native to the Near East (Adriska 24). The active substances of pyrethrum are pyrethrin I , pyrethrin II, Cinerin I, cinerin II, the 3-but-2-enyl analogues, as well as jasmolin I and jasmolin II, the 3-pentyl-2-enyl analogues of the pyrethrins. When an insect is intoxicated with pyrethroids, it quickly develops hyperexcitation and tremors, which are followed by paralysis. These symptoms of poisoning imply that pyrethriods act primarily on the neuromuscular system (Narahashi 337). The highly lipophilic nature of the synthetic pyrethoids

Examine the relationship between content and form in any of the texts, Essay

Examine the relationship between content and form in any of the texts, photographs, or portfolios in the section - Essay Example The individual insight with a subjective value is inevitable. For instance, on the first photo we may observe people against the background of Leaning Tower of Pisa. They make a picture of memorable moment in their life and stay in famous position showing a person who preserves a Tower. For some people it is just a tourist who made a funny picture, for others it is a close friend who visits a historical place of interest. As for the person who is in the photo is it some other connotation with a special meaning. The second photo represents the tourist group in front of the Temple of Athena. Still, the foreground of the picture involves a person who makes the photo of this people. It may be the tourist from this group, or a guide of the excursion or even a random tripper with no relation to this exact group. A man is a form while the variety of contents is different to any possible viewer. The second important thing is the origin and types of occurred meanings that appear in the process of perception and interpretation of creation. The question of origin is coherent and logical. It depends from the observer and predetermines by his/her social, cultural, intellectual and other competencies (Durant and Fabb, 142). What is more, every person attains individual perception that is fully subjective. It is clear that people who visit historical places what are in the pictures will acquire rather sundry connotations than those who dream to make a vacation in these places. As for the types of meaning it is rather controversial. Recent research investigations divide this huge variety of connotations on two basic kinds. Peirce identifies coded and non-coded relationships between form and content (Durant and Fabb, 142). Still, these types may mix, and one connotation may contract both types or interchange it according to some

The Women, Infant's and Children programs Research Paper

The Women, Infant's and Children programs - Research Paper Example The researcher states that WIC was founded in 1973. But its history stretches back to the 1960s. Studies and national television programs were discovering that starvation, malnutrition and other forms of caloric deficiency were preventing many Americans from having enough to eat. The Poor People's March on Washington and major documentaries focused the issue and brought it to the attention of policymakers. A 1969 Conference was convened, which included in its report a recommendation to focus specifically on the needs of low-income women, pregnant women, children and infants, whose gaps between nutritional needs and opportunities were often most dire. A Commodity Supplemental Food Program was created that targeted women and children under 6, but studies found that it and the Food Stamp Program were not dealing with the special needs of the groups in question. An amendment of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 finally created the WIC department as a two-year pilot. The department was desi gned to work with the USDA, who would provide the food support and commodities. The WIC program differed itself from the CSFP by coordinating food relief with health care and other aid programs. USDA resistance to coordination required a federal court order to force them to comply. The WIC proved successful enough to be established permanently on October 7, 1975, by PL 94-105. Eligibility was expanded to nonbreastfeeding women, and while inadequate income was an eligibility requirement, it was not specifically defined, giving the program flexibility. In 1999, the USDA implemented standard measures of food security and, after two years, published a report that indicated what food scholars had been saying for years: Malnutrition and caloric deficiency were reaching epidemic levels. The standardization of food insufficiency metrics has transformed the debate around food provision entirely and galvanized public interest and support. Mission Statement The WIC's mission is as follows: â⠂¬ ¢ Protect women, children and infants †¢ Improve nutrition and health of poor and disadvantaged women †¢ Provide education, support and information †¢ Support women with post-partum depression The WIC themselves define their goal as, â€Å"To safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care†. They define their mission completion mechanisms as, â€Å"Food, nutrition counseling, and access to health services are provided to low-income women, infants, and children under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, popularly known as WIC. WIC provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children who are found to be at nutritional risk...Most State WIC programs provide vouchers that participants use at authorized food stores.

Pearson Education Essay Example for Free

Pearson Education Essay Training an individual requires that the teacher observes methods through which that person best understands the information being relayed. These methods must be in line with the learning styles of the trainee. Training requires sound knowledge on the subject area. The essence is to acquire knowledge and skills that transforms ones capability to undertake a task. Training is affected by motivation, the trainer-trainee relationship, availability of resources, prior knowledge and perception (United Nations, 2001). Every trainee has a unique way of acquiring knowledge based on the learning style adopted. These categorizes learners into visual, auditory and kinesthetic or physical learners. Though one may combine all these styles, it is important to maximize on the style one is best in. A trainer may present knowledge through talking. Teachers are commonly known to adopt this kind of style where they lecture students. The key factors to consider when employing such skills include tone of voice, body language and inflection. This is appropriate for auditory learners who understand when instructions are read aloud, information is communicated verbally or speeches are required (Farwell, 2000). Auditory training requires some background sound. These could be some form of music, people talking or TV. Written instructions prove difficult for such learners to get until they are verbalized. Suck kind of learners use their listening and repeating skills in sorting the information acquired. To enhance knowledge acquisition among auditory learners, then the trainer needs to employ adequate verbal direction. They are better trained when they are placed into groups where they can discuss. Being alone limits them to written materials only. In group discussions, they air out their ideas and acquire knowledge from the other members of the group verbally. Therefore, verbal communication and group activities should be encouraged. Reading aloud helps such learners quickly understand what is being relayed. In fact, such learners have most of their work transformed into rhythmic patterns like songs and poems. The trainer should encourage this category of learners to make audio recordings of class note and listen to them when revising. Their memories are refreshed when they listen to what was said or internally recalling the voice of the trainer. As such, they should be allowed to participate in class discussions actively. They should be given room to ask questions and volunteer to answer any questions raised in the class. When tackling their assignments, they should be allowed to read them allowed as it is the only way to be assured of their understanding. When alone, auditory learners are encouraged to whisper new information. Training requires adequate skills in visual learning. This is the kind of training where the trainer has to employ images, maps, graphs or colors to pass across the intended message. A trainer should therefore befriend whiteboards, have some good sense of dressing and color balance. Learners in this category tend to also have adequate spatial skills. Therefore, training such individuals requires adequate use of maps. The trainer should try linking verbal and visual information. This will help the learner with critical thinking where the learner relates a visual object to recall any details. Therefore, even in comprehension of more complex information, the student recalls an object and connects it to the new idea. The trainer should provide such learners with visual data that will allow the students to organize large volumes of information which will aid in revealing relationships and patterns. Here, the trainees are allowed to create graphic organizers like webs, diagrams and concept maps by using symbols containing words for clarity. Visual learners are very good with sign language and they like fashion and colors. Trainers should assist learners come up with lists of things to do, written note or assignment logs (Farwell, 2000). Fleming (2005) suggest that trainers should not use listening and respond tests for this category of learners. Trainers in kindergarten employ feeling, touching and experiencing to train children. This has not only worked well with kindergarten teachers but all trainers in general. The trainer should allow these students to totally engage with the learning activities. Proper organization must be made for such learners to access science laboratories or participate in dance, skits, field trips or other related activities. Such physical activities are very important in learning for these students. They are said to be naturally discoverers and learn through doing unlike thinking first before action. To identify kinesthetic or physical or tactile learners, a trainer should identify traits such as poor handwriting, good sporting skills and restlessness. These learners also like role playing, science laboratories, takes breaks when studying, build models and are always fidget. It is therefore advisable that a trainer allows such learners to have breaks in between their studies, take laboratory classes, study with others, use memory games and use flash cards to memorize. Movement explorations have proved to work for this kind of training. Clapping or tapping out syllables or words have worked well in this circumstance. Concrete objects should be used for establishing patterns or counting. Children should be allowed to move heavy objects on number lines on the floor. They should be given short definitions, multiple choices and fill-ins. Long tests and essays do not work well with them (Fleming, 2005). The earliest form of training was on-job-training. This one involves being trained by a skilled worker on the job site. It is still being used today as it does not require organized lessons or programs. It is therefore cost effective. In the 5th century, training was done through conceptual case studies. Students in China for instance were given parables by Taoists and Confusionists so that they come up with solutions. Today, professional school highly employ these methods. It encourages philosophical thinking and finding solutions to difficult problems without first-hand experience. Nowadays, theories of development, psychology and training are employed. Among great contributors to motivational theories used in training are Abraham Maslow and Herzberg Fredrick. These assisted organizational managers to create working environment that meets the demand for workers basic needs. Workers who have their basic needs catered for deliver good results in their workplaces thus helping in the growth of an organization. These stages were chosen as they exhibit great variability in the mode of training. Each stage presents a unique way of training form the previous method. These developments give trainers a wide range of training styles to apply since all the styles are still applicable even in the modern world. Studies show that adults learn like children. Therefore, all the training styles used by children can be applied for adults. The trainer must divert from the â€Å"tell-me† style of training to the â€Å"show-me† style. Visual training is important for adult education just as it is for children. They should be incorporated in the process and made to feel they are part of it. Emphasis should be on doing. This incorporation in discussions and activities help in keeping memory fresh. In fact, lectures should be minimized and emphasis laid on involvement kind of training. In conclusion, the meanings of critical terms associated with training will be defined. First is education. All the activities involved in teaching and learning of technical competency, knowledge and proper conduct constitute the term education. It aims at cultivating skills, professions or trades. It is the process that leads to moral, mental and aesthetic development. It encompasses systematic instructions and teaching. Training is defined as the process of acquiring competencies, knowledge and skills due to teachings on practical or vocational skills and knowledge. Learning is the process that leads to the acquisition of knowledge and skills from perceived information. Adult education is the process of teaching and educating adults. REFERENCE Farwell, T. (2000). Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic Learners. Pearson Education Inc. Fleming, G. (2005). Tactile Learning. Retrieved October 2, 2008 from http://homeworktips. about. com/od/homeworkhelp/a/tactile. htm. United Nations (2001). Train the Trainer, Training Fundamentals: Instructors Reference Manual. New York, pp. 15-18.

Video game console Essay Example for Free

Video game console Essay I got my first video game console in the summer of 1991. My parents purchased it from SEARS for my birthday and at which point I had no idea what it was. A couple of the kids and their parents knew that it was and were shocked that my parents spend $100 dollars on something like that. It was still in the box until one afternoon I came home from school. I set it up in the living room, only room with a television. Popped in Super Mario Bros, this simple 8-bit game would change the entertainment industry. I did not become a fanboy until I attend Florida AM. Besides my classes and football schedule, I usually spend my free time in my apartment. One of my friends back home told me about Microsoft’s Xbox gave gamers the ability to play against each other and they did not need to be in the same living room. Walked into a Game Stop and walked out with my first console since the Nintendo my parents got me so many birthdays ago. Once at my apartment, plugged everything in and started playing. Completely different from what I remember when I was eight years ago. Xbox became my gateway drugs, from hours of study, from the beating my body would take from football and boredom. History of Sonys gaming console. Before Sony entered into the gaming industry they establish Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) in mid-November of 1993. SCE main purpose was to handle production, RD (research and development) and the sale of both hardware and software for their video game consoles. This introduction took place a year before Sony launched their first video game console, Playstation. Playstation shipped to Japan first, in December of 94 and it was not until September 1995 when it shipped to the rest of the world. Playstation joined Nintendo 64 and Sega Saturn as the fifth generation of gaming consoles. Playstation sold for over nine years and sold over 100 million units worldwide, 2004 was the last year that Sony produced a Playstation. In 2000, SCE launched their second console, Playstation 2 (PS2). A decade later PS2 would be most popular console even well into the seventh generation console like Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. At their initial launch, PS2 only competition was Sega’s Dreamcast, which made $97 million on its release date. SCE closed the gap quick with PS2, which made $250 million on launch day. What helped a lot with the PS2 success was the console’s backward compatibility, gave gamers to play a lot of their favorite Playstation on their new PS2 and it was equipped with a DVD-player. With this feature, it helped expand SCE audience beyond their target audience, from the everyday gamers to someone wanting to upgrade their home entertainment system. With PS2 initial success and continue success, Sega’s Dreamcast had no room to grow and finally discontinuation in March of 2001. PS2 remaining the only console on the market for six months until the announcement of Nintendo’s GameCube and Microsoft’s Xbox. By this time, PS2 had huge advantage over the two, so to complete with both systems. SCE marked down their prices by $100. Towards the end of 2006, Playstation 3 (PS3) hit store shelves for the holiday season. This was the only console on the market that used a Blu-ray disc drive to run their software (games). With the launched of PS3, SCE introduced an answer to Microsofts Xbox Live online gaming service, Playstation Network (PSN) and it was free everyone. This system was also backward compatible with pervious Playstation games. SCE developed PSN to help Playstation gain ground with online gaming and downloadable content (DLC). What I liked about PSN was that it allowed it’s user to download the full game and gave the gamer a trail period of 60 minutes. This was a lot better than go out and spending $60 dollars on a game that would eventually turn into a paperweight. Last year SCE introduced their fourth installation of Playstation, Playstation 4 (PS4) and released a week before Microsoft’s Xbox One. PS4 only other competition is Nintendo’s Wii U. Nintendo since GameCube focused more on younger gamers because it could not keep up with the mature rating games that both Sony and Microsoft released. With Nintendo taking a back step, PS4 only real competition was Xbox One. Playstation 4 has not looked back since their launch date. By early February 2014 they have sold over five million units, compare to Xbox One three million units. History of Microsoft’s gaming console Late 2001 Microsoft took its first steps in the gaming industry. They announced their first gaming console to the world Xbox. Not since 1996 has, an American company offered a gaming console. By early 2002, Xbox completed with all of the sixth generation console Nintendos GameCube, Segas Dreamcast and Sonys Playstation 2. In all honestly, Microsoft only real threat was Sonys Playstation 2; as both consoles were designed for the advanced gamer. With the launch of Xbox, Microsoft also ventures into the world of online gaming, with their service Xbox Live. Unlike Sonys Playstation 2 and Segas Dreamcast, Xbox Live charged a fee to play online against players across the world and gave subscribers the ability to download gaming content to gamers. Like the other two consoles, gamers were required to have their own broadband connection. Before Xbox discontinued, it has sold 24 million units worldwide. Four later after the successful launch of Xbox, Microsoft introduced Xbox 360. With the success of Xbox and the video game industry entering its seventh generation gaming console, only three major players where left in this industry; Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft. Microsoft launched Xbox 360 with Xbox Live, as they did with Xbox. With the introduction of Xbox Live, not only did it change the way gamers played their game but also changed how the industry produce their games. Per Colin Moriarty, Senior Editor at IGN. com, he reported that by October of 2013 Xbox 360 has sold 80 million units and still climbing. With this success, it made Xbox 360 the seventh best gaming console, behind both Sonys Playstation and Sonys Playstation 2. This showed the video game industry that Microsoft, like Sony once before them, was a major player and was there for the long run. From its release date, Microsoft made sure to lock down exclusive titles and become the first with new downloadable content (DLC). Exclusive games like Halo and Gears of War, gamers were jumping ship and trading their Playstation consoles to purchase these titles. Then in 2009, Microsoft released and again shocked the gaming industry with the introduction of Kinect. This gave gamers a glimpse of the future for the industry. Unlike Nintendos Wii, Kinect was completely motion censored and voice commanded. This new accessory gave Xbox 360 new arsenal to complete with Nintendos Wii and Sonys Playstation 3 new Move project. Over ten years since the launch of Xbox, in late May 2013, Microsoft announced Xbox One was to follow Xbox 360. Later that year, in November, Microsoft launched their third gaming console. This is was also the beginning of the new generation of gaming consoles. Upon its conference at E3 2013, Xbox One took a lot criticized for its initial digital rights management policies (put restrictions on the resale and sharing between gamers); along with Kinect usage, requirements and a higher price tag than its competitors. Receiving a lot of criticism, Microsoft dropped all the restrictions before release November 21 2013. Microsoft’s Xbox One vs. Sony’s Playstation 4 @ E3 2013 Every year at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony hold a larger conference to display their new hardware or software. Microsoft announced that the Xbox One would launch in November 2013 and would retail at $499. They also announced the end of Microsoft Points and replaced by actual currency. Microsoft also announced a redesigned Xbox 360, available in stores immediately, which looks similar to the Xbox One. During the event did not spend any time discussing the hardware upgrades nor the policy on used games. A topic that was hurting Microsoft since they announced it earlier in the year. Priced at $499 putting Xbox One at the higher end of both consoles and this was because each console came with Microsoft’s Kinect accessory. SCE showed the world what the Playstation 4 would look like and priced at $399 in the US ($100 less than the Xbox One). SCE also discussed used games strategy and Sony announced there would be no DRM (Digital Rights Management) or protection on used PS4 games. They could also trade freely and play after initial purchase. Sony also announced that the PlayStation Plus subscription membership is now required for online gaming. 2013 let the console wars between Playstation and Xbox begin. Both consoles were release in November, giving PS4 a one-week (November 13) lead on Xbox One (November 21). At the end of 2013, the PS4 sold a little over four million units and Xbox One managed to sell over three million units. At the end of the console cycle, if Sony only managed to sell 1. 2 million more consoles than the Xbox One, Microsoft would be happy to take because it give them a tie. However, those sales come at the end of 2013 and only had about a month and a half in the shelves, and the figures would have always ended up somewhat similar due to the rush of pre-sales and limited stock. Now that the early rush is over and both consoles are easier to find, the January sales figures would be more telling regarding the popularity of the consoles. At this time, Microsoft has yet to release Xbox One in Japan and other European countries, with a release date sometime in late September 2014. What was Microsoft thinking? What is currently hurting Microsoft sells of Xbox One, are issues that they did not address at E3? The gaming community was not ready for the advance changes and radical ideas that Microsoft was trying to introduce. The public did not approve the idea of having to buy a game brand new. This idea was taking business away from a lot of video game store, big stores like GameStop and smaller privately own stores. This was also going to restrict gamers to lend games to each other. Sony just sat back and watched how Microsoft’s ideas fail. The gaming community turned away from those ideas. These ideas and plans were the cause of many people canceling their pre-order of the new system, even hardcore Xbox fans were jumping ship. Microsoft went into damage control before launch date. All the systems were to be updated before release and updated patches were uploaded on launch day. Consoles: Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox 360 w/ Kinect Xbox One Playstation Playstation 2 and Playstation 2 Slim Playstation 3 slim and Playstation 3 1st edition Playstation 4 References: Microsoft Confirms Next-Gen Xbox Announcement. IGN. April 24, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2013. Xbox One ignites a new era of games and entertainment this November. Microsoft. June 10, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2013. Retailers Sell Out of Initial Xbox 360 Shipments. Retrieved October 14, 2008.EXCLUSIVE: Xbox One Confirmed as Name of Microsofts New Console. Retrieved May 7, 2013. Microsoft: Kinect SDK Coming In March. Gadgetsteria. com. February 21, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2011. New PS3 has sold over one million. Eurogamer. Retrieved November 7, 2009. â€Å"PlayStation 2 Breaks Record as the Fastest Computer Entertainment Platform to Reach Cumulative Shipment of 100 Million Units (PDF) (Press release). Sony Computer Entertainment. November 30, 2005. Retrieved June 8, 2008. â€Å"PlayStation 2 manufacture ends after 12 years. The Guardian. January 4, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2013.

Strength And Weakness Of Drug Facts Economics Essay

Strength And Weakness Of Drug Facts Economics Essay In OTC drugs, there is variation in labeling OTC drugs. Those OTC drugs which are exported to foreign countries are labeled in perfect manner, but that is in revise in Indian market. In India, OTC drugs are distributed in pitiable manner and it exhibits the lack of regulations in labeling. It is required to improve the labeling of OTC drugs. For achieving high-quality labeling, the following information should be included in the labeling requirements of OTC drugs. 1. The purpose of the drug 2. Detailed warning messages 3. Inactive ingredients 4. Dosage instructions 5. Users Contact data, equipped to get information for their queries The Drug and Cosmetic Act was executed in 1945. At that time, the literacy rate, which depicts the literacy (who can be read and write) percentage of a population over the age 15, was very low. The prerequisites of labeling were depended on general public education and circumstances. After that, there was a great improvement in both literary rate and the usage of OTC drugs. Stated by the surveys, India is currently in 11th position in the global OTC market, and it is believed to be in the 9th position in following five years. All these represents the need of modification which is required in the Drug and Cosmetic Act established in 1945, in order to improve the level of OTC drug labeling. History of OTC labels The manufacture, distribution, sale and import of drugs and cosmetics in India are regulated by the following legislations: The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 (DCA) and its subordinate legislation Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 (DCR) Drug (Prices Control) Order, 1995 Drugs (Magic Remedies) Objectionable Advertisement Act, 1954 Pharmacy Act, 1948 The above-mentioned legislations are regulated by the Central Government (Ministry of Health Family Welfare) and are enforced through Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the State Government. Even though, OTC drugs do not have separate labeling requirements in India, all drug products should have a minimal information present on the label of the innermost container of any drug and on every other layer in which the container is packed , as per rule 96 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 (DCR), except homeopathic medicines. The following are the minimum labeling requirements: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Name of the drug: Proper (generic) name, immediately followed by Trade (brand) name à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Net content of drug in the container à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Content of active ingredients/single dose or dosage unit à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Name, address and license number of the manufacturer à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Distinctive Batch number or Lot number for the product à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Manufacturing and Expiry date à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Maximum Retail Price (inclusive of all taxes) In India, Peoples habit of taking drugs differs from place to place. Around30%-45% of people prefer pharmacist and self treatment for their illness like cough, cold, pain, fever, injuries and digestive disorders. India is famous for Ayurveda and some other long-established systems of medicine. The aim of the evaluation conducted by Rama Krishna Chaitanya Aluri from Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, based on nearly 200 OTC drug labels, is to check the suitability of information on the labels for successful self-treatment by consumers. Recent changes in drug facts Recently, the FDA conducted extensive research on how consumers use OTC drug product labels, while comparing to the drug facts labels on advanced countries. The clarity of the labels was one major problem, especially for older Americans, who purchase almost 30% of the OTC drugs, sold in The United States. To determine the best way to order this information on OTC drug labels, a recent research has been conducted. Vigilante and Wogalter (1997) pragmatically decided an ordering of OTC label components based on users beliefs about what was (?) Strength and weakness of Drug Facts Having over-the-counter medication will save you time from visiting the doctor every time you have a little sniffle or an ache or pain. There are many safe drugs which can take care of most of your everyday illnesses like the following: colds coughs aches and pains upset stomach diarrhea allergies   These types of drugs are not the drugs themselves its the people! A lot of horribly unobservant people do not take the time to read directions in order to know how to take the medicine properly. There are many cases where people use over- the-counter medicines erroneously and poison themselves. Review in India History of drug regulations Drug regulation organizations in existence today, like Drug Laws, Drug Regulatory Agencies, Drug Evaluation Boards, QC Laboratories, Drug Information Centers, etc., have developed over time. Such developments began centuries ago in some countries, and in others, they are comparatively recent, some of them having started only in the 1990s. The restrictions under the Drugs (Price Control) Order, 1995 are not directly related to the question of categorization of the drugs as OTC drugs or otherwise. But still, they are required to be considered, as restriction on pricing may influence the decision to launch a drug as OTC drug. It is mandatory to obtain price approval from the Central Government, if the drug is classified as scheduled formulation under the Drug (Prices Control) Order, 1995. Also, Central Government can fix a maximum price at which every manufacturer is required to sell his product. For Example, Aspirin and vitamin preparations are deliberated as OTC products for the purpose of marketing. However, under Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 1995, they are considered as scheduled formulations and are subject to price restrictions, unless these formulations are manufactured at SSI units. Difference between pharmacy in India and US OTC in pharmaceutical industry dialect stands for over-the-counter (mainly with reference to drugs). The purchase/sale of drugs across the counter without prescriptions is denoted by this. In fact, in India, every pharmaceutical product market is OTC. People can orally ask for any product and buy it across the counter. In US, there are prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs. The prescription drugs are strictly sold only on showing the prescription (Rx). Once the products are dispensed as per Rx, a seal is administered, to indicate that the Rx has been filled. If the patient goes in for refill of the Rx, the pharmacist does it only if it is legally permissible. In such cases, a seal or stamp is put on the Rx again, to indicate that the Rx has been filled once again. But in India, such procedures are not strictly followed. Hence, in a way, the Indian retail pharmaceutical market is OTC or rather it is better to be called  OTX  (combination of  OTC and Rx). Strength and weakness of OTC drugs in Indian and US In India, with the counter medication, there is no need to visit doctor every time for a little sniffle or pain or an ache, so drug facts are good. Several safe drugs are available which cures normal illnesses such as aches, colds, pains and coughs, allergies, and diarrhea and stomach upset. These types of drugs are the people but not the drugs themselves. People are terribly unperceptive and dont even care to read the directions mentioned on the drugs before consuming. Several cases happened when people took the counter medicines improperly and resulted in poisoning. Methodology Following methods are considered To know in depth of a particular aspect case study method helps the researchers; in many cases it selects specific location with very small portion as subject. Real time example is considered with limited number of conditions and events for case study investigation. According to Yin 1984, 23 case study definition a formula based calculations comparing with real world using many sources of evidence, relationships in between them are not accurately explained. Investigation of some case study is done by using longitudinal structures of single event which helps to observe sequence of data, events, reports and results from a long time, for example child language development investigation. According to Zaidah, 2003 Firstly useful data is deeply investigated according to situation based upon particular activity. Case study is very effective example knowing the interesting subject for authentic use. Students an opinion has to be focused during leisure hours the average number of particular subject is taken into the count. This kind of example values slightly deviates when n number of variable are consider. The examination of data is conducted within its context and also within its situation wherein the activity takes place. A case study would always be interested when subject makes it as an authentic text. In order to investigate, the researcher must be able in observing subject environment such as reading in class room or else reading in leisure time. According to zaidah 2003 it mostly focuses on limited number of variables. Results and Discussion The research literature consists of few studies in relations concerning medications that can be bought without any kind of medical prescription also named or over the counter as cold/flu medications etc. in spite of the fact that they are widely used and also represents if it is been misused. As proposed by Ferguson, Dodds, and Flannigan, 1994 one such area in which they are been misused that which involves not only overdosing but also interaction with any other substance. For instance: some case studies have documented individuals who seek to relieve depression symptoms by inducing a state of euphoria with multi-symptom cold syrup which contains chlorphenhydramine, dextromethorphan, and phenylpropanolamine. These substances may induce behavioral and emotional reactions, especially in prone individuals, leading to potentially serious health risks and consequences (Mendez, 1992). The Dangerous substance interactions have received some attention in the psychiatric disorders area. A questionnaire administered to 139 patients diagnosed with either depression or social phobia revealed that 40% of them used OTC cold/flu remedies which had negative interactions with their prescribed medications (Sweet et al., 1995). Another study examined the rate of consumption of TV advertised OTC medications by 471 college students. The results showed that, in addition to frequently using one or more such medications they did so without talking to their physicians about it or specifically determining the conditions under which they were taking such medications. These findings led the authors to emphasize the need to further study the effects of the media on the use of potentially risky OTC medications (Burak and Damico, 2000) The Indian OTC pharmaceuticals market generated total revenues of $2.5 billion in 2006,this representing a compound annual growth rate of 8.3%for the five year period spanning 2002- 2006. In comparison ,the US and Chinese OTC pharmaceuticals markets grew with CAGRs of 4.3% and 7% over the same period ,to reach respective values of $21.2billion and $11.9billion in 2006. Traditional medicines proved the most lucrative for the Indian OTC pharmaceuticals market in 2006, generating total revenues of $679.3 million. In comparison, sales of cough and cold preparations generated revenues of $492.6 million in 2006. Category %Share Traditional Medicine 27 Cough and cold preparations 19.80 Vitamins and Minerals 11.60 Medicinal skin plants 2.60 Others 26.03 Indian OTC pharmaceuticals market Share: % share, by value, 2004** Company %share Pfizer Inc 5.10 Sanofi Aventis 5.10 Johnson Johnson 2.0 Other 85.10 Inorder to obtain a better way of getting work done and make companies focus on packaging a better pharmacist approach through a better training sessions. By having, better access through labellng and packaging of OTC drugs through government and other pharma companies ensuring a better management of ailments through OTC medication. By developing a better approach of companies launching a better way of public education campaign fulfilling needs of OTC drugs and educating them to empower better way of medication. With all leading pharma companies launching their public education campaigns to fill the knowledge gap in proper selection and use of OTC drugs, it can be a classic case of PPP where the ultimate winner will be the consumer Suggestions and improvements in OTC labeling in US Based on Institute of Medicine IOM, 2008 medication label standardization U.S pharmacopeia health literacy launched container label prescription for consumers advice. Gerald McEvoy and Schwartzberg were the chairmans of American Society of Health System Pharmacists. According to them labels should contain the following principle: 1. Easy, understandable prescription and directions for consumers use. 2. Worldwide medicines should contain prescription label based upon exported countrys standards and basic exporters are clinicians, health literacy experts, academic researchers, government health agency representatives and pharmists. According to IOM, 2008 every year millions of drugs are misused, even after mentioning source of information and safety precautions clearly on the label. Sometimes written and oral consultations information may or may not present on the panel, in case of Rx container label should strictly contain doctors prescription for consumers safety. As per U.S. Pharmacopeia Health Literacy Instruction Container Labeling Advisory Panel recommend the following: Recommendations Arrange the label prescription in such a way that it always stays as a centre in comforting the users. The direction of a drug is given neatly and orderly in making the customer easily understand the prescription and to make use of them in a safe and also effective use. usefull information is given on the label of drug and they are as follows: Useful directions are present at the top of the panel. Medication details are present at bottom. Most important precautions like dosage. Administrative instructions are placed with specific style. The proposed labeling consists of various components and they study these components by making use of certain facts of drug. And labeling format is as follows: 1. Label to include: the Active ingredient all along with its strength: Results: All the 100 labels are examined and mentioned in the active ingredients along with their potency/strength. 2. Label to include: Therapeutic category/purpose: Its 55% of labels are disclosed in therapeutic category. 3. Label to include: Uses /indications for which medicine can be utilized: Even though a significant percentage (75%) mentioned the indications intended for the medicine, 25% of the labels failed to do so. 4. Label to include: Warnings related to common unpleasant effects, drug interactions, contraindications, precautions, over dosage, when it is appropriate to seek medical advice and also in special conditions like pregnancy breast-feeding. This also includes cautions in keeping them away from children. Results: 90% of the labels failed to enumerate the adverse effects of the medicine. 86% did not state what is to be done in case of overdose 92% gave no Information regarding usage in pregnancy and Breastfeeding 87% of the labels did not mention of the possible drug interactions, contraindications and precautions. 73% labels did not even advise to seek medical guidance. Only 36% labels mentioned that the medicine is required to be kept out of the reach of children. 5. Label to include: Directions including how much to be take n, dosage interval, and maximum dose allowed per day and the dose for children: Almost half of the medicines (46%) did not mention the amount to be used, while 34% did not mention the dosing interval. 85% of the medicines did not state the maximum dose allowed. Out of the 15% which did state the maximum dose, 20% were ambiguous with the details. It was also observed that 70% of the medicines failed to specify the dose for children. Only 1 label included Instructions for use in Devanagiri script. 6. Label to include: The products inactive ingredients help the consumers in avoiding ingredients that may cause an allergic reaction. None of the labels included the inactive ingredients. 7. Label to include: Storage conditions. Even though a large percentage (88%) of the labels provided the storage conditions, 64% of them were imprecise and difficult to understand. Nearly 85% of the labels were found without a specific temperature. Furthermore, storage conditions were often mentioned using terms which the common man are not familiar with. The exact temperature was rarely mentioned. Besides, we also assessed the label for 2 more criteria : 1. Label to include: Legibility to find out whether the label is easily readable, read with difficulty or with the aid of a magnifying glass. 40% of the medicine labels were clearly read only with the aid of a magnifying glass as the font size was too small. 22% of drug labels were read with difficulty leaving just around 38% which could be read easily. This suggests that 62% of the labels are read with much effort. 1. Label to include: Additional information through patient package inserts, information on secondary packages (wherever applicable): Patient package inserts are useful for providing additional information to the patient. Out of the 100 medicines examined, only 3 included a patient package insert. Many a times, secondary packagings of medicines are also given to the patient as additional protection for their medicines or as attractive packs. These secondary packages can also be used to convey valuable information to the patient. In 56% of the cases, a secondary package was found to be available to the patient, yet only 36% of them gave more information on its label than the primary package. Conclusion The OTC drug offering is incomplete with out empowering public on its rational use through Well planed strategic marketing initiative revolving around the aliment, the knowledge to diagnose and manage the same. In this empowerment process which can be considered as CSR, the objective should be prevention and holistic awareness creation leading to health and wellbeing than just offering the minimum needed information to use ones products. Thus by educating public (consumer) on how to manage common ailments and finally how to prevent them, the pharma companies can achieve its real goal of health for all and improve the quality of peoples life In India, OTC products are marketed and advertised liberally, with a view of educating the maximum number of consumers, and promoting treatment of minor ailments at home using OTC products as first line of defense. It can be anticipated that, more Rx to OTC switch will increase number of drugs in OTC category in near future. Hence it may be valuable to conduct more research on group of Consumers, who consume OTC Products freely and either switch from the existing brand or continue to earlier brand. A study on marketing of OTC products, used by post office and postman, can also be a studied as a channel of marketing of OTC drugs at national area. Since, the Customer and Consumer are being the same in the OTC drug marketing, companies must instantly address the information needs more effectively and uninterruptedly. Once the awareness level is enhanced, the acceptability of OTC drugs will improve. The knowledge about allopathic OTC drugs has to be disseminated by manufacturing companies, in order to ensure drastic reduction in the high information asymmetry existing now-a-days, especially when the knowledge of the traditional medicine is rooted in the culture. Bibliography Ajith, P., (2007). OTC Drug Marketing -. Global Trends and Indian Experiences. etal, C.P.B.., 1998. Patients Attitude to over the counter drugs possible professional response to self Medications. Oxford University Press, volume- 15, pp.44-50. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 21 CFR Part 201, e.a., 1999. Over-the-Counter Human Drugs; Labeling Requirements. Federal Register. . Sleath B, R.R.C.W.G.L.C.T., 2001. Physician-patient communication about over-the-counter medications.. Social Sciences Medicine.. Tracy Portner, M.C.S., 1994. College students perceptions of OTC Information. characteristics Journal, 8, p.142 to 161. Wilcox CM, C.B.T.G., 2005. Patterns of use and public perception of over-the-counter pain relievers. Focus on nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs..

The Safety and Long-term Effectiveness of the Atkins Diet :: Health Nutrition Diet Exercise Essays

Low-carbohydrate diets, such as the Atkins diet, may not be the best choice for weight loss due to long-term ineffectiveness, potentially negative side effects and a lack of long-term research. Ever since the recent popularization of the Atkins diet researchers have been trying to prove Dr. Atkins’ claims and determine whether or not the diet is safe. The current body of research available on dieting supports a diet low in fat and high in complex carbohydrates with an emphasis on calorie reduction. Studies have also shown a strong link between diets high in fat and both increased cholesterol and increased risk of heart disease. The Atkins diet is the opposite of what has generally been recommended; it requires the reduction of carbohydrates to 5% or less of total calories leaving fat and protein to make up the rest. The high fat and low-carbohydrate content of this diet goes against most diet research, has potentially harmful side effects and there is insufficient e vidence to judge the long-term effectiveness of the Atkins diet. The long-term effectiveness can be determined by the ability of dieters to lose and maintain weight loss with few negative side effects. Weight maintenance is as important as weight loss to long-term health. One nutritionist said, â€Å"the American public needs to be told that diets are not followed for 8 days, 8 weeks, or 8 months, but rather form the basis of everyday food choices throughout their life† (Blackthorn). The Atkins diet may act more as a quick fix without really offering a long-term solution. Preliminary studies show that the Atkins diet is unable to maintain weight loss. While low-carbohydrate diets do initially cause weight loss, most dieters begin to regain weight after six months. One study showed that, after 12 months, dieters following the Atkins diet had regained over 30% of weight that they had lost in the first six months on the diet, dropping from 7% cumulative body weight loss at six months to 4.4% cumulative body weight loss at 12 months. This weight gain may in part be due to the difficulty dieters have in following the dietary recommendations, but if the Atkins diet cannot help dieters keep the weight off than it is no better than any other diet we have and the side effects may be worse.

War on Drugs: Germany compared to the Netherlands Essay -- Drug Enforc

The War on Drugs One of the key aspects to consider when evaluating domestic political actors preferences towards policies pertaining to illegal drug use in both the Netherlands and Germany is to evaluate their ideological differences. The Netherlands attitude towards drug policy revolves around limiting the negative impacts illegal drug use has on society by implementing laws catered towards decriminalization. On the other hand, Germany considers drugs a detriment to society and promotes legislation that proactively restricts the flow of supply and demand of illegal drugs within the country. Now that both countries ideological differences have been brought to light, we must also consider the origins of those ideas and how they transcended into public policy. One of the significant driving forces behind the shaping of any policy are those political actors who reside in the country. The objective of any political actor is to influence public preference by sponsoring changes in policy. Just like the U nited States, both Germany and the Netherlands have organizations within their own country that promote policies to the public in an attempt to sway their opinion on an issue. The investigation of political actors in Germany and the Netherlands will allow one to obtain a greater understand of why their stance on illegal drug use is the way it is. German policies reflect a hard-line approach on drug enforcement. Non-governmental organizations such as the Jeunesse Anti Drogue promote, â€Å"Stiffer penalties for individuals charged with the sale of illegal drugs within the proximity of a school† (Jeuness Anti Drogue 2005). Many organizations similar to Jeunesse provide a supportive platform for parties such as the National Democratic Party... ..., we are able to better understand why policies differ from country to country. Works Cited 1. German Youth Against Drugs. 2005. Jeuness Anti Drogue.2005. (Accessed February 3, 2012). 2. Netherlands Drugs Policy Foundation. 2009. Stichting Drugsbeleid. (Accessed February 3, 2012). 3. Startseite Der Webseite. 2006. Des Verein Fà ¼r Drogenpolitik (Accessed February 3, 2012). 4. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 2005. German Non-Governmental Organizations (Accessed February 3, 2012). 5. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 2005. Netherlands Non-Governmental Organizations (Accessed February 3, 2012).