Frederick Douglass Realism - 1838 Words

Frederick Douglass truly transformed American society by using realism and powerful rhetoric within his speeches. Douglass’s speeches and slave narrative not only clarified, but described in full detail real and life changing events of slavery that changed the tide of the Civil War. One of the greatest orators, Frederick Douglass, was first a slave. Frederick was born on â€Å"the Holme Hill Farm near Chesapeake Bay, Maryland† under the slave owners, the Alnuds (Pinkney 27). Frederick’s parents were Harriet Baily and an unknown man. Harriet was â€Å"as black as molasses† and his father was â€Å"as white as the moon† (Pinkney 27). Fredrick was taken away from his mother and sold to a different master on a farm. Frederick’s duty as a slave started very†¦show more content†¦Now approximately twenty, he escaped with his wife to New Bedford, Massachusetts. Eventually Frederick was offered a job. â€Å"When leaders of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society asked Frederick to join their group, he immediately agreed to become a member† (Pinkety 32). In 1841, Frederick Douglass joined the â€Å"Convention of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society† (Pinkey 31). He â€Å"delivered his oration at a time of growing division in the United States† (Marcus 298). Frederick created an autobiography and it was an instant hit among those who read it. His book â€Å"was published in May 1845†¦. People as far away as Europe purchased the book† (Pinkey 33). After his book was published, he traveled to England and Ireland to talk about his experiences. Yet still a slave, the people in England raised money to pay for Frederick’s freedom from the Alnuds. On December 5, 1846, the Anuld’s signed official papers for his release. There was a political side to Douglass’s life. The People thought it would be best to send a colored man to a white government. Frederick Douglass was in the running to be the minister to Haiti, but Ebenezer D. Bassett was chosen instead. Many questioned why Bassett was chosen over Douglass. Senator Sumner and J. Sella Martin both agreed that Douglass was the best man for the job of minister to the people of Haiti. Failing at becoming a minister in the government, â€Å"Douglass turned his attention to launching a movement toShow MoreRelatedAdvocates for the Abolition of Slavery: Olaudah Equiano vs. Fredirck Douglass902 Words   |  4 Pagesslaves Frederick Douglass and Olaudah Equiano documented their horrifying experiences and published accounts of them. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano highlight the cruelty towards slaves during the era of realism. Although these autobiographies contain many similarities in the manner of their composure, including abolitionist motives and a focus on the separation of families, the dissimilar lives of Equiano and Douglass exposeRead MoreThe Life Of A Slave Girl By Harriet Jacobs And Frederick Douglass1618 Words   |  7 PagesRealism creates an authentic image of daily endeavors, notably most if not all that slaves faced, and constructs a bridge that connects the gap between the readers to the slaves who are subjected to the endeavors and hardships as seen through autobiographies of many former slaves such as Harriet Jacobs’s and Frederick Douglass’s. Jacobs’s â€Å"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl† and Douglass’s â€Å"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass† both illustrate great examples of the obstacles and barriersRead MoreThe Intelligent Civil Rights Activist By Frederick Douglass1084 Words   |  5 PagesThe intelligent civil rights activist Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland on February 1818. His born given name, Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, seemed to be a fairytale name to an unusual life because his father was a white planation owner who was most likely Douglass s first slave master, named Captain Anthony. Possibly it was Harriet Bailey who gave her son Frederick such a distinguished name wishing that his life would be superior than hers. His mother couldn’t imagineRead More The African-Ameri can Nightmare Exposed in Black Literature Essay2231 Words   |  9 PagesAfrican-American Nightmare Exposed in Olaudah Equiano, Narrative of Frederick Douglass, Song of Solomon, and Push    The American Dream was founded on the concept that all men are created equal(Jefferson 729) and that everyone has the capability and resources to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. The Declaration of Independence was written so Americans could achieve this dream, but was not written with the African slave in mind. The African slave was never intended to be a part of thisRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Essay1102 Words   |  5 PagesNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Writing in the favor of black people has always remained controversial from the very beginning. Critics regard such writing as â€Å"a highly conventionalized genre† indicating that â€Å"its status as literature was long disputed but the literary merits of its most famous example such as Frederick Douglass s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass†¦are widely recognized today.† (Ryan:537) Despite of such severe resistance, writers like Douglass have penned down theirRead MoreRomanticism And Realism727 Words   |  3 PagesRomanticism to Realism in literature in the 1800’s. Both styles of literature we’re revolutionary in their time and are still two of the most popular styles of writing today. While Romanticism seems to focus on metaphors and emotions Realism mostly focuses on the character and the aspects of everyday life. Although these two styles are very different it is easy to see how Romanticism lead to the Realism style of writing. Usual ly in Romanticism the characters tend to be un realistic while in Realism the charactersRead MoreRealism and Freedom in Literature of Dwight D. Eisenhower1948 Words   |  8 PagesRealism and Freedom Dwight D. Eisenhower once stated, Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed-else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die (Rather 1). The meaning of the term freedom is often open to interpretation, and can represent different meanings to different groups of people. Up until the Realistic time period, many Americans viewed freedom as being able to enjoy the rights given to themRead MoreLife of a Slave Girl and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass1524 Words   |  6 Pagesthe freedom of choice. Two of the most seminal and timeless pieces of literature written about slavery, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl written by Harriet Jacobs and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass both do a tremendous job of showing the harrowing effects of slavery. Jacobs and Douglass had to endure the hate of a society that despised their race and mistakenly encouraged the existence of sla very in society. These two stories present two different perspectives of people from theRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Essay1792 Words   |  8 PagesAfrican American Literature Midterm Exam 1. Define who Frederick Douglass was and provide a summary of his book, narrative of the life of Fredrick Douglass: an American slave 1845. Frederick Douglass was an African-American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. Frederick Douglass was the most important black American leader of the nineteenth century. He was born in February of the 1818 and died February 20, 1895. Douglass was a firm believer in the equality of all peoples, whetherRead MoreSlavery s Toll On A Man2236 Words   |  9 Pagestrade. Economizing black slavery caused this servitude to prevail in American society as necessity that turned into carelessness and inhumane treatment of blacks. Born into slavery, Frederick Douglass has a first hand account of the struggle against white supremacy and the treatment of blacks during his time. Frederick Douglass’s determination to fight the notorious enslavement of blacks manifests from an initial aim to depict the immorality of slavery through his vivid experiences brought on by a

It All Started On A Bus - 1046 Words

It all started on a bus. â€Å"People always say that I didn t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn t true...No, the only tired i was, was tired of giving in.† The women that made this statement was a bold african american woman who couldn t accept the mistreatment of her race and she decided to do something about it. Rosa Parks. She was a quiet, reserved woman who had no idea she would become a civil rights icon one day. Through the unfairness of her situation protest, public support, and boycotts, Rosa Parks has become the mother of the civil rights changing segregation laws and making an impact that would last forever. Parks left this lasting impact in a number of ways including standing up to authority, organizing various groups and causing certain laws to be passed. Rosa was a seamstress at a local factory in Montgomery, Alabama and used the bus every day as transportation to and from work. The Montgomery City Code required that all public transportation be segregated and the driver of the bus was to enforce this law. They done so by assigning blacks seats in the back and whites seats in the front. If the law was broken you were arrested. â€Å"Every person operating a bus line in the city shall provide equal, but separate, accommodations for white people and negroes on his buses, by requiring the employees in charge thereof to assign passengers seats on the vehicles under their charge in such a manner as to separate the white people from the negroes, whereShow MoreRelatedWedding Speech - Original Writing1089 Words   |  5 Pagesleave right after finishing breakfast. We walked down to the bus station and waited a few minutes for the bus. The bus that came looked old and small. The bus was almost empty, it was quiet except for the toddler that was crying right behind us, but we didn’t mind because it was only a 10 minute bus ride. When we got to the exchange Rosi and I had to cross the street to get to another bus stop. Rosi pulled out her video camera and started asking me questions about where we were and what we were doingRead MoreMy First Day - Original Writing896 Words   |  4 Pages I don’t remember kindergarten all that well. However I do remember the first day. I remember feeling excited and nervous, even enthusiastic to get on a big yellow bus and head off to school. I practically ran as fast as my little legs carried me to get to the bus stop. Soon I got on the big yellow bus, surprised it stunk like an old tennis shoe. This was not at all like how the television shows I grew up watching portrayed school buses. Fifteen minutes later we pulled up to the yellow brick buildingRead More Montgomery Bus Boycott Essay899 Words   |  4 PagesThe Montgomery Bus Boycott was a political and social protest campaign started in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama. The law said that black people had to sit in the back of the bus while the the white people sat in the front. Bus drivers often referred to black people on the bus as nigger, black cow, or black ape. Blacks had to pay in the front of the bus and they had to get off to go threw the side door to sit in the back. Dr. Martin Luther King jr., was born on January 15,1929 but died April 4, 1968Read MoreEssay on Freedom Riders1426 Words   |  6 Pagesblacks and whites for public transportation systems, and their victory led to the integration of many other places and the making of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Freedom Riders started their trip from Washington D.C. on May 4th, 1961 and were to end their trip in New Orleans, Louisiana (Cozzens 1). They started off with thirteen original riders, seven of them being Negroes (Winkler 1). One member named James Peck was a CORE member and there from the very beginning. He was there in 1947 participatingRead MoreMarch on Washington1550 Words   |  7 Pagesequality for African Americans. The marchers marched down Constitution and Independence Avenues. Then they gathered in front of the Lincoln monument for speeches, songs, and prayers. It was televised to millions of people. The march consisted of all different kinds of people. There were blacks and whites, rich and poor, young and old, and Hollywood stars and normal everyday people. There were many speeches that day but there were two major ones. One was from James Farmer, imprisoned in LouisianaRead MoreRosa Parks, the Mother of Civil Rights1060 Words   |  5 Pagesenough to stand up to the whites. Even though she went to jail for what she did, she believes she did the right thing. What Rosa had done on the bus started boycotts and created more and more activists. People wonder if Rosa Parks was raised to stand up for herself or if she was supposed to stay quiet. Looking at Rosa’s life and what happened on the bus and beyond, it can be concluded that she was taught to take pride in her race. Rosa (McCauley) Parks was born on February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee,Read MoreThe Day Of A Bus934 Words   |  4 Pagesstepped aboard a bus heading to Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois. It was rather dark in the bus as I sat there next to other young men looking just as nervous and scared as I was since none of us knew what our ordeal would be for the upcoming 2 months. I was thinking to myself â€Å"man what the hell am I even doing here?† and then without me even paying attention to where we were outside; the bus came to a halt. As soon as the bus stopped this man came aboard and said to all us â€Å"get the fuckRead MoreEssay My First Day At School1032 Words   |  5 Pageswoke up, got dressed, brushed my hair, ate breakfast and then brushed my teeth. I packed my bag and got ready to wait for the bus. I was so scared. I had so many thoughts running through my mind all at once. As I walked outside I saw the bus pulling on the end of street, my heart was racing. As the bus approached I stepped on and picked the closest empty seat available. The bus was quite yet at the same time I heard people talking. A few minutes later I just decided to look out the window instead ofRead MoreMy First Day In School965 Words   |  4 Pageswalked to the bus stop, people looked at me like Im alien with five heads and with a large nose. I sat down on a tree trunk waiting for the bus and the bus arrived after 15 minutes, I aboard the bus. The driver was a woman she was wearing a black shirt and brown pants. She told me â€Å" Do you have the paper that shows that you have permission to go to school in a school bus† I stared at her and said â€Å" No English†. A good girl seating behind the bus driver translated into Spanish what the bus driver askedRead MoreEssay On Why We Need To Help Each Other1164 Words   |  5 Pagesexcruciatingly early, get dressed, go to Clear Creek, have classes, get the homework, board the bus and just get home. Alon g my journey to the bus I was having a discussion with a friend about how much homework, I had as a 5th-grader in the first few months of my 5th grade career. Not at all paying any attention to the ominous feeling I had in my stomach. Today was different somehow. Something was off. Once I started heading home everything changed. When I first heard the thundering boom in my ears, I knew

Spain Research Paper free essay sample

Spain is a beautiful country with rugged mountain ranges and soft sand beaches, Gothic cathedrals, mosques, and more. Spain is one of the most visited countries in the world. It is located in South Western Europe, and borders two different seas: the Mediterranean Sea and the Balearic Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean. Most areas of the country enjoy three hundred days of sunshine every year. Spain is Western Europes leading producer, and exports oranges and mandarins around the world. Grapefruit, lemons, limes, apples, bananas, pears, peaches, apricots, plums, cherries, figs, and nuts are other crops grown in Spain. Almonds, grown along the southern and the eastern coasts, are another important Spanish cash crop. The primary vegetable crops were potatoes, tomatoes, onions, cabbages, peppers, and string beans. Spain’s most popular dishes are just as diverse as their crops. Spain’s dishes include Paella, Gazpacho, Spanish Omelet, and Turron. Paella is a rice dish prepared with seafood. We will write a custom essay sample on Spain Research Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Of all the foods in Spain, this is the most popular. In this dish, savory yellow rice is combined with tomatoes, onions, peas, shellfish, squid, clams and chicken drumsticks. These ingredients are cooked in a large saucepan over an open fire with olive oil and salt. Gazpacho is very popular in the warmer summer months. This cold tomato soup can be served in a bowl or in a glass. Ingredients include tomatoes, onions, garlic, bell peppers, oil and vinegar. The Spanish omelet, is one of the most common dishes in this country. It is very simple to prepare, and most tapas bars and cafes serve variations on the classic recipe. This dish is made from potatoes, eggs and chopped onions and fried in a pan with oil and salt. Turron is a dessert. It is a nougat confection made from sugar, honey and egg whites. Almonds are often chopped and added to the mixture. Spaniards often enjoy this treat around Christmas time. Along with their food, they drink beverages. Their most popular beverages are sangria, Sidra cider, Spanish coffee, and red wine. The Spanish eat their meals differently than Americans. Spain also has many wonderful attractions. The Palacio Real (Royal Palace) of Madrid is one attraction. It is the official residence of the King of Spain although it is only used for state ceremonies. The Royal Palace was built between 1738 to 1755. The Aqueduct of Segovia is also a popular attraction. It is one of the best-preserved monuments left by the Romans in Spain. The ancient aqueduct carries water 16 km (10 miles) from the Frio River to Segovia and was built of some 24,000 massive granite blocks without the use of mortar. Probably constructed around 50 AD it still provided water to the city in the 20th century. Another attraction is The Sagrada Familia. It is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, and one of Spain’s most visited tourist attractions. It’s a design by Antoni Gaudi, a Catalan architect who worked on this project for almost 40 years until his death in 1926. The construction of the basilica began in 1882 and still has not been finished. The most popular cities to visit in Spain are Madrid and Barcelona. Spain is a beautiful country that people will continue to visit for many years to come.

The Ethical and Legal Standards of Capital Punishment

Table of Contents Introduction Death penalty and deterrence of crime Judicial errors The economic costs of death penalty Capital punishment and retribution Conclusion Reference List Introduction The use of death penalty has been debated by many legislators and policy-makers who find the most optimal solutions to different social problems. Various professionals attempt to determine whether capital punishment is an effective policy or a costly mistake.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Ethical and Legal Standards of Capital Punishment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is the main issue that should be discussed in this paper. Overall, it is possible to argue that this policy should be abolished because it is not an effective method of crime prevention. This is the main thesis that should be illustrated. In particular, one can say that this policy does not deter people from committing felonies, especially h omicides. There is no relationship between such variables as capital punishment and the level violence in the society. Secondly, this form of punishment can pose a threat to innocent people who may be falsely convicted. Furthermore, the economic costs of this policy should not be overlooked because in many cases they are excessive. Yet, one should consider the arguments of people who support capital punishment. Much attention should be paid to the claim according to which death penalty is the only possible punishment for some crimes such as genocide or mass killings. These are the main questions that should be discussed more closely. Death penalty and deterrence of crime The supporters of death penalty argue that this policy can be viewed an effective deterrent of violent crime. To some degree, this argument is based on the premise that individuals always evaluate the positive and negative consequences of their decisions. Therefore, a person is less likely to commit a felony if he/s he knows that this action may lead to his/her death. The validity of this argument has been examined by many scholars. First, they note that many homicides do not entail capital punishment (Fagan, Zimring, Geller, 2006, p. 1803). For instance, one can mention the murder that can be committed in the state of emotional distress or intoxication (Fagan et al., 2006). Therefore, one should not include the statistical data about such felonies when speaking about the deterrent effects of capital punishment (Fagan et al., 2006). In turn, the use of this policy does not contribute the decline of homicides that are condemned by the community.Advertising Looking for essay on criminal law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Among these felonies, one can mention the killings of police officers or children. The main issue is that the use of capital punishment does not deter such felonies (Fagan et al. 2006, p. 1803). Researchers have not foun d any evidence suggesting that the use or abolition of death penalty can influence the level of violent crime in the community. This is one of the details that can be identified. Furthermore, in many cases, the murders that are punishable by death do not involve premeditation or rational choice (Hance Kay, Larson Lewis 2013). In other words, a person does not always consider the consequences of his/her decision which is often spontaneous. These examples indicate that death penalty can deter crime in a society. So, it does not serve its intended purposes. Finally, it is critical to remember the level of violent crime in a community can depend on such factors as the economic situation in the country or unemployment levels, rather than the severity of punishment. This is one of the reasons why this form of penalty should be abolished by the state. Judicial errors Another limitation is the possibility of judicial error. The policy-makers should take into account that even the most impa rtial investigation can miss some crucial piece of evidence that can eventually exonerate a defendant. Additionally, one should not overlook the risks of biased attitude toward a person. In this case, much attention should be paid to such a problem as racial prejudices because they can affect the attitudes of legal professionals. So, in many cases, the outcome is strongly dependent on the accuracy of investigation or impartiality of jurors. In other words, there is always a risk of mistake that can take the life of a person and produce disastrous impacts on his/her relatives or friends. These arguments are supported by scholars who identify the shortcomings in the functioning of the criminal justice system. For instance, one can mention the research article written by Jean Blackerby; this author argues that at least one of ten people executed for a serious felony can be falsely convicted (Blackerby, 2003, p. 1179). In addition to that, DNA tests show that the results of many investi gations conducted in the past were inaccurate (Blackerby, 2003). Very often, people, who are placed on the death row, are exonerated. Yet, it is quite possible that this exoneration will come too late. This is the most crucial limitation of this policy.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Ethical and Legal Standards of Capital Punishment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, one should not forget that the outcome of trials strongly depends on the competency of defense attorneys. They are able to shape the opinions of judges or jurors and identify the limitations in the arguments of prosecutors. However, some people may not afford the services of such professionals. Therefore, it may be more difficult for them to defend their rights in the court. Therefore, it is not possible to disregard the role of social and economic inequalities can create additional difficulties for many people. Additionally, one can sa y that life imprisonment can be a better solution because it reduced the risk of fatal mistakes. The economic costs of death penalty Apart from that, it is important to speak about the economic costs of death penalty. To illustrate this problem, one can look at such a state as California which has to spend millions on the maintenance of death row inmates (Hance et al. 2013). In contrast, the government spends a lesser amount money on people who are sentenced to life imprisonment (Hance et al. 2013). This is one of the points that can be made. One should also bear in mind the executions of death penalty are often delayed. Sometimes, these people can stay on the death row for more than a decade. This policy is critical for eliminating the risk of a judicial error. Many of the inmates can die of natural causes, but the government has to spend more money for the needs of these people (Hance et al. 2013). In the long term, these practices can result in billion dollar expenditures (Hance et al. 2013). Thus, life imprisonment can be a more reasonable solution that legislators need to consider. Furthermore, capital punishment trials are usually more expensive than life-without-parole cases (Hance et al. 2013). Therefore, one can say that the use of death penalty is very expensive, and these costs are not justified. This issue should also be considered by policy-makers because they need to make the most efficient use of tax-payers’ money. Admittedly, economic considerations are not closely related to ethical and judicial questions. However, they form an important part of governmental policies. Capital punishment and retribution However, there are some arguments that can be advanced in support of death penalty. They are based on the premise that a punishment should be proportionate to the crime committed by a person (Finkelstein, 2003, p. 12). For instance, it is not possible to compare the felony committed in the state of emotional distress and the cold-blooded murder of a child. Moreover, one can mention mass killings of people.Advertising Looking for essay on criminal law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, under some circumstances, capital punishment can be viewed as the only possible retribution that should be imposed on a criminal. This is one of the justifications for practicing capital punishment. Moreover, one should not forget about the experiences of victims’ relatives who may believe that death penalty is the only means of restoring justice (McKee Feather, 2008). Additionally, there are situations when the accusations are based on numerous testimonies, video recordings, or other materials leave virtually no room for doubt. The advocates of death penalty can mention such people like Anders Breiwik or Timothy McVeigh who killed more than two hundred people. There are no extenuating circumstances that can be used by defense attorney. Therefore, the advocates of capital punishment can refer to these cases in order to justify this policy. Moreover, one should not forget about such crimes as genocide or ethnic cleansings (Black, 1999). The sentences that were pass ed during the Nuremberg Trials have not been disputed even by the opponents of capital punishment. These are the cases showing that the validity of a death penalty cannot be fully dismissed since there are situations when this form of punishment seems the only possible response of a society to the crimes of a person. Certainly, these situations can be viewed as rare exceptions but they should not be disregarded. Nevertheless, these cases do not justify the use of a death penalty by the society. It should be kept in mind that people, who perpetrate such horrible crimes, may not be deterred by the possibility of capital punishment. The behavior of such individuals cannot be controlled or manipulated. In many cases, they accept the possibility of this outcome. This is one of the details that should be considered. Therefore, one cannot refer to exceptional situations in order to justify the effectiveness of capital punishment. Such an approach can lead to the adoption of laws which may harm people. This is one of the pitfalls that should be avoided. Conclusion Overall, this discussion suggests that the ethical and legal standards of capital punishment still remain a subject of heated debates. Yet, the examples presented in this paper show that the use of this penalty is not effective for the prevention of crimes such as homicide. Moreover, one should not suppose about the costs of these policy. Finally, it is vital to remember about the possibility of a judicial error. Therefore, it is not reasonable to continue this policy. There are certain exceptional cases that can be used to justify the effectiveness of capital punishment. Yet, these exceptions are not sufficient for justifying this policy. More likely, this strategy can victimize many innocent people. Reference List Black, P. (1999). Do circumstances ever justify capital punishment? Theological  Studies, 60(2), 338-345. Blackerby, J. (2003). Life after death row: Preventing wrongful capital convictions and restoring innocence after exoneration. Vanderbilt Law Review, 56(4), 1179-1226. Fagan, J., Zimring, F., Geller, A. (2006). Capital Punishment and Capital Murder: Market Share and the Deterrent Effects of the Death Penalty. Texas Law Review 84(7), 1803-1867. Finkelstein, C. (2002). Death and retribution. Criminal Justice Ethics, 21(2), 12-21. Hance, B., Kay, K., Larson, J., Lewis, V. (2013). Death of the death penalty? An examination of California’s capital punishment system. Journal Of Legal Issues Cases In Business, 10(2), 10-21. McKee, I. R., Feather, N. T. (2008). Revenge, retribution, and values: Social attitudes and punitive sentencing. Social Justice Research, 21(2), 138-163. This essay on The Ethical and Legal Standards of Capital Punishment was written and submitted by user The Hunter to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Typwriters

Typewriter patents date back to 1713, and the first typewriter proven to have worked was built by Pellegrino Turri in 1808 for his blind friend Countess Carolina Fantoni da Fivizzono. Commercial production, however, began only with the â€Å"writing ball† of Danish pastor Malling Hansen (1870). This device looked rather like a pincushin. Nietzsche’s mother and sister once gave him one for Christmas. He hated it. More significant is the sholes and &Glidden Type Writer, which began production in late 1873an appeared on the American market in 1874: Christopher L. Sholes, a Milwaukee newspaperman, poet, and part-time inventor, was the main creator of this machine. The Sholes & Glidden typed only in capitol letters, and it introduced the QWERTY keyboard, which is very much with us today. The keyboard was probably designed to separate frequently- used pairs of typebars sop that the typebars would not clash and get stuck at the printing point. The S&G was a decorative machine, boasting painted flowers and decals .I looked rather like a sewing machine, as it was manufactured by the sewing machine department of the Remington arms company. For an in-depth look at this historic device , visit Darryl Rehr’s Web site â€Å" The First Typewriter.† The Sholes & Glidden had limited success, but its successor, the Remington, soon became a dominant presence in the industry. The Sholes & Glidden, like many early typewriters, is an understroke or â€Å"blind† writer: the typebars are arranged in a circular basket under the platen(the printing surface) and type on the bottem of the platen. This means that the typist( confusingly called a â€Å"typewriter† herself in the early days) has to lift up the carrige to see her work. Another example of a understroke typebar machine is the caligraph of the 1880,the second typewriter to appear on the American market. This Caligraph #3 has a â€Å"full† keyboard- separate keys for lower- and upper-case l... Free Essays on Typwriters Free Essays on Typwriters Typewriter patents date back to 1713, and the first typewriter proven to have worked was built by Pellegrino Turri in 1808 for his blind friend Countess Carolina Fantoni da Fivizzono. Commercial production, however, began only with the â€Å"writing ball† of Danish pastor Malling Hansen (1870). This device looked rather like a pincushin. Nietzsche’s mother and sister once gave him one for Christmas. He hated it. More significant is the sholes and &Glidden Type Writer, which began production in late 1873an appeared on the American market in 1874: Christopher L. Sholes, a Milwaukee newspaperman, poet, and part-time inventor, was the main creator of this machine. The Sholes & Glidden typed only in capitol letters, and it introduced the QWERTY keyboard, which is very much with us today. The keyboard was probably designed to separate frequently- used pairs of typebars sop that the typebars would not clash and get stuck at the printing point. The S&G was a decorative machine, boasting painted flowers and decals .I looked rather like a sewing machine, as it was manufactured by the sewing machine department of the Remington arms company. For an in-depth look at this historic device , visit Darryl Rehr’s Web site â€Å" The First Typewriter.† The Sholes & Glidden had limited success, but its successor, the Remington, soon became a dominant presence in the industry. The Sholes & Glidden, like many early typewriters, is an understroke or â€Å"blind† writer: the typebars are arranged in a circular basket under the platen(the printing surface) and type on the bottem of the platen. This means that the typist( confusingly called a â€Å"typewriter† herself in the early days) has to lift up the carrige to see her work. Another example of a understroke typebar machine is the caligraph of the 1880,the second typewriter to appear on the American market. This Caligraph #3 has a â€Å"full† keyboard- separate keys for lower- and upper-case l...

Direct Democracy Pros and Cons

Direct Democracy Pros and Cons Direct democracy, sometimes called pure democracy, is a form of democracy in which all laws and policies imposed by governments are determined by the people themselves, rather than by representatives who are elected by the people. In a true direct democracy, all laws, bills and even court decisions are voted on by all citizens. Direct vs. Representative Democracy Direct democracy is the opposite of the more common representative democracy, under which the people elect representatives who are empowered to create laws and policies for them. Ideally, the laws and policies enacted by the elected representatives should closely reflect the will of the majority of the people. While the United States, with the protections of its federal system of â€Å"checks and balances,† practices representative democracy, as embodied in the U.S. Congress and the state legislatures, two forms of limited direct democracy are practiced at the state and local level: ballot initiatives and binding referendums, and recall of elected officials. Ballot initiatives and referendums allow citizens to place – by petition – laws or spending measures typically considered by state and local legislative bodies on statewide or local ballots. Through successful ballot initiatives and referendums, citizens can create, amend or repeal laws, as well as amend state constitutions and local charters. Examples of Direct Democracy: Athens and Switzerland Perhaps the best example of direct democracy existed in ancient Athens, Greece.  While it excluded women, slaves, and immigrants from voting, Athenian direct democracy required all citizens to vote on all major issues of government. Even the verdict of every court case was determined by a vote of all the people. In the most prominent example in modern society, Switzerland practices a modified form of direct democracy under which any law enacted by the nation’s elected legislative branch can be vetoed by a vote of the general public. In addition, citizens can vote to require the national legislature to consider amendments to the Swiss constitution. Pros and Cons of Direct Democracy While the idea of having the ultimate say-so over the affairs of government might sound tempting, there are some good – and bad – aspects of direct democracy that need to be considered: 3 Pros of Direct Democracy Full Government Transparency: Without a doubt, no other form of democracy ensures a greater degree of openness and transparency between the people and their government. Discussions and debates on major issues are held in public. In addition, all successes or failures of the society can be credited to – or blamed on – the people, rather than the government.  More Government Accountability: By offering the people a direct and unmistakable voice through their votes, direct democracy demands a great level of accountability on the part of the government. The government cannot claim it was unaware of or unclear on the will of the people. Interference in the legislative process from partisan political parties and special interest groups are largely eliminated.Greater Citizen Cooperation: In theory at least, people are more likely to happily comply with laws they create themselves. Moreover, people who know that their opinions will make a difference, they more eager to take p art in the processes of government. 3 Cons of Direct Democracy We Might Never Decide: If every American citizen were expected to vote on every issue considered at every level of government, we might never decide on anything. Between all of the issues considered by local, state and federal governments, citizens could literally spend all day, every single day voting.Public Involvement Would Drop: Direct democracy best serves the interest of the people when most people take part in it. As the time required for debating and voting increases, public interest, and participation in the process would quickly decrease, leading to decisions which did not truly reflect the will of the majority. In the end, small groups of people often with dangerous axes to grind, could control the government.One Tense Situation After Another: In any society as large and diverse as that in the United States, what is the chance of that everyone will ever happily agree with or at least peacefully accept decisions on major issues? As recent history has shown, not much.

Review of a Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Review of a Paper - Essay Example By the end of a 30 minutes presentation people already have lasting judgments about your character. The error in judgment made by the people listening to ideas often does not allow them to properly gauge a project. The author of the article did an extensive research of this topic in the television industry. He later applied what he witness in Hollywood to other industries and the results were the same. Potential investors are very interested in ensuring that the person pitching an idea has creativity. â€Å"People on the receiving end of pitches have no formal, verifiable, or objectives measures for assessing that elusive trait, creativity† (Elsback, 2003). According to the author of the article successful pitchers fall into three prototypes: showrunners, artists, and neophyte. Showrunners combine creative inspiration with production know how. Artist prefer the world of creative ideas to reality, while neophyte tend to be or act as if they are inexperience and naive in order to exploit that to their advantage. In general people believe that creative people have certain traits such as intuitiveness, sensitivity, passion, and youth. In general the article provided an interesting insight into what occurs in the decision making process to approve ideas or products in the marketplace. I generally believe that the author made some good arguments about what occurs when people pitch ideas to decision makers. Despite the fact that the author made good arguments he did not completely convince me of his theory. I believe that when a person is listening to an idea the idea itself supersedes whatever opinion that the listener had about the personality of the pitcher. My opinion goes against everything that the author wrote in his article. The author did not show any clear proof that his theory is

Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business Plan - Essay Example He considered today’s emerging potential for retail business and the customer orientation towards buying a product after seeing, touching and try them. The firm has found potential huge for its product to sell. The main advantage is the down town city location that could fetch good customers for its product Buster initially has an objective to expand its business operations by starting one more new store after duly considering the cost of expansion, available labour, customers etc and to own a chain of 10-15 stores in downtown office building. It is planned to increase the sales by minimum 15 percent against the present sales of $1, 50,000 to $3, 00,000 and revenue by 20-25 percent. He has a plan of delivery of products at home points after three years of its operation in the new location to boost the sales and build the client base further. The expansion programme requires the new investment amounting to $20200. He is investing only $3000 out of his savings and rest of the investment is mobilized in the form of bank (long and short term credit), sundry creditors and finance creditors. The new store needs more inventories, computer, printer, Fax, and a Phone to make it more efficient and profitable. Jones employs two workers considering their professional outlook in managing retail stores, their qualification and their attitude for adjusting to the changing environment. Though there are big retail shops offering varied products in the location, but there is no threat for customers visiting Busters. There are few such small retail stores offering similar products in the vicinity posing competition. But he did not consider it seriously as competition since there is growth of retail business at a rapid pace. However this competition can be managed adapting to value based customer service and ensuring customer delight. Jone’s vast experience in doing this

Eu to Impose Anti-Dumping Tariffs on Chinese Solar Panels. Essay Example for Free

Eu to Impose Anti-Dumping Tariffs on Chinese Solar Panels. Essay Commentary: EU to impose anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese solar panels. Free trade versus protectionism is a topic of great debate in internal economics. The former takes place when there are no barriers to trade established by the government or international organizations. On the other hand, protectionism is the use of barriers to imports in a determined country and it is usually applied to protect domestic employment and firms. According to the article, China is being accused by the EU of dumping, defined as the selling by a country of large quantities of a commodity, at a price lower than its production cost, in another country. In the case the accusation was proved, the government is allowed, under international trade rules, to impose anti-dumping measures to reduce the damage to its domestic industry. The EU is already imposing a protectionist measure, tariffs. These are defined as a tax that is charged on imported goods and are considered as the most common type of anti-dumping measure. Before applying tariffs, the country consumed 0-Q2 Solar Panels at the price of the world (Pw), but domestic firms were producing only 0-Q1 and the rest (Q1-Q2) were imports. When the tariff is imposed, S (World) shifts upward by the quantity of the tariff to S (World)+Tariff. This produces prices to go up to Pw+T and the total quantity demanded of Solar Panels falls to 0-Q4. Because of the shift in the world’s supply curve, domestic producers now produce from 0-Q3 and their revenue increases from g to g+a+b+c+h. Foreign producers now supply Q3-Q4, but even when their products now have a higher price, they have to pay the amount of the tariff to the government and thus, their revenue falls from h+i+j+k to only i+j. As a result, the government receives tariff revenue of d+e. However, there are some issues that come with the application of this measure. First, is the dead-weight loss of welfare produced by the loss of consumer surplus, because even when consumers keep the amount â€Å"k† that they would have spent on Solar Panels, the new consumer surplus (equivalent to â€Å"f†) is not purchased. Secondly, now the EU would produce Q1-Q3 units of Solar Panels in a more inefficient way compared to China, and thus â€Å"c† represents the inefficiency of the domestic producers and a loss of world efficiency. Another issue with this measure is the creation of trade diversion with regards to Germany. As a member of a custom union the imposition of the tariffs to China are also compulsory for Germany, which is by far China’s greatest partner in the EU and, therefore, the production of Solar Panels for Germany would move from a low-cost producer outside the union to a high-cost producer inside the union. Before the EU imposed the tariff, Germany would produce 0-Q1 units of Solar Panels domestically and would import Q1-Q4 units of Solar Panels from China. Now with the new tariff, Chinese Solar Panels become more expensive than those produced in the EU. This would make Germany to produce 0-Q2 units of Solar Panels itself and import Q2-Q3 units from the EU. Now there is an overall fall in the quantity demanded of Solar Panels of Q3-Q4 units and so a loss of consumer surplus. Moreover, a misallocation of the world’s resources is produced since Q1-Q2 units of solar panels are now being produced by less efficient German producers and the production of Q2-Q3 units has transferred from efficient Chinese producers to relatively inefficient EU producers. It is true that, if the EU can prove that dumping has damaged its industries, they are allowed, under international trade rules, to impose anti-dumping measures. However, it is very difficult to prove whether or not a foreign industry has actually been guilty of dumping. Furthermore, the EU has the most subsidized economy in the world and it is arguable that when they subsidize a product, it is actually a case of dumping because the price doesn’t reflect the actual costs of the EU producers. This makes the issues about protectionism even greater, since (taking the previously mentioned assumption into account) the EU would not have the grounds to accuse China. There is now a high risk of retaliation from China leading to a possible  major tariff imposed by them to the EU and â€Å"Chinese and EU interests would be hurt if not properly handled† as mentioned by Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang. Clearly a better solution would have been a talk between governments, rather than any form of protectionism.

Computer Education Should Be Compulsory :: Argumentative Persuasive Technology Education

Students spend five years at high school learning many things, but how much of what they learn is really useful? For example, many students forget a lot of what they learn about history and calculus because they have no practical use for what they have learned. Computers, however, are now a part of our everyday lives. Therefore, students should be required to learn how to use computers because they will benefit in both their personal and professional life. In particular, learning about computers can help you to organize you finances better, to gather information easily, and to enjoy a variety of recreation activities. (103) For both personal and professional needs, a computer is of great help in taking care of financial matters. One way that computers help is in paying bills. Almost all bills, such as electric and telephone bills for the home, credit card payments, and installments on a car can be paid using a computer. Of course, one needs Internet access for this. Another financial convenience offered by computers is paying for purchases. In a similar way to paying bills, purchases can be ordered and paid for using the Internet and a credit card number. Then the item purchased can be delivered directly to your front door. Finally, a student at university, or someone who has graduated from high school, can take care of banking by computer over the Internet. In this case, one can transfer money from one bank account to another without going to the bank, sending a fax, or even making a telephone call. (155)

Best Buy Co., Inc. Customer-Centricity Essay

The consumer electronics giant, Best Buy, was first established in 1966 with a single location and a staff of three in St. Paul, Minnesota, selling audio equipment targeted at 18-25 year old males. Initially Sound of Music/Best Buy grew through acquisition, expanding to nine locations in the Twin Cities area by 1978. The name, Best Buy, and expanded product line, ranging from audio and video equipment to large appliances, were a result of a â€Å"best buy† sale of damaged inventory at bargain prices in 1981. In the mid-1980s, Best Buy launched superstores similar to those of their main competitor, Circuit City and expanded by 15 stores between 1985-86. In 1989, Best Buy launched itself as a self-service, value-store staffed with a salaried sales force to provide a no-pressure shopping experience. This approach resulted in Best Buy becoming the second largest electronics retailer. By 1995, Best Buy was opening an average of 35 new stores annually and in 2000, the retailer respo nded to the market by launching BestBuy.com. Best Buy attributes some of their success to their SOP, standard operating platform, which is a 200 page â€Å"how to† manual for nearly every feasible store situation ranging from product sales and service to inventory management. The purpose of the SOP was to train the sales force and promote uniformity across the organization. In addition to the SOP, Best Buy’s skillful merchandising and marketing, along with their sales force (â€Å"Blue Shirts†) are credited with the success of the retailer. Blue Shirts received extensive training and enjoyed a unique and rewarding corporate culture, with part-time associates making $8.00 per hour and full-time employees earning $20.00. Sales associates often received public recognition for strong performance in addition to immediate rewards such as restaurant vouchers. Supervisors were also incentivized based on annual department and store performance. Starting store managers in mid-size stores were compensated with salaries between $50,000 and $150,000. The success resulting from these practices did not go unnoticed by competitors such as Wal-Mart and Dell, who imitated many of Best Buy’s strategies and stole well trained Blue Shirts. Best Buy continued their growth by opening new stores and through the acquisition of various competitors through the U.S. and reaching into Canada, with the acquisition of Future Shop Ltd. in 2002. By November 1995, Best Buy operated 796 Best Buy stores plus 20 Magnolia Audio Video stores in the U.S. and 162 Best Buy owned stores in Canada (978 stores, not including Geek Squad outlets). In contrast, Circuit City operated over 600 stores in the U.S. and Canada around the same time, however, Best Buy managed to double the sales per square foot of their main competitor. With nearly 1600 stores between the two main players in the electronics market, the market is nearing saturation and growth will have to be achieved by a means other than new store openings. Best Buy’s pre-centricity model was easy for competitors to imitate and encroach on Best Buy’s market share. Best buy borrowed the superstore concept from Circuit City and Circuit City mirrored Best Buy’s staffing model and merchandising decisions. Low prices and a wide selection are hardly inimitable characteristics. While wide selection and expansive product offerings at discount prices (due to volume purchases) may be difficult for new entrants to copy, it is a minor/temporary barrier to entry with the introduction of the internet. Best Buy’s CEO, Brad Anderson, joined the company in 1973 when he joined the staff of three at the then single, Sound of Music, location. A music buff addicted to sales, with his long tenure with company and in the industry seems like the logical choice to lead the company to even greater success as CEO. Prior to becoming CEO in 2002, Anderson had spent 11 years as President and COO of Best Buy. Like most industries, it seems electronics consumers were prone to change as products evolved, so did the end-users and their buying habits. Best Buy had a history of being able to adapt to the changing markets and their ability to do so contributed to their success (i.e. the vastly expanded product line, evolution to superstores, expansion, acquisition, converting from commission to salaried sales force.). The perception that customers were focusing less on the technical aspect of products and redirecting their attention to service and support, led to Anderson’s custom-centricity initiative. This transition and the rollout of 144 new â€Å"centricity† Best Buy stores was being blamed for the company missing third quarter earnings in 2005, resulting in a 12% decline in stock value and a loss of nearly $2B in market capitalization. Did Anderson perform the proper strategic market planning analysis before selecting and implementing the centricity initiative? Assess the need for a change in Best Buy’s strategy when Brand Anderson became CEO. If the centricity concept is being blamed for not meeting earnings and the decline in Best Buy’s stock price and market capitalization, the question becomes was there a need for this change to the company’s strategy, was the strategy poorly implemented, was there a delayed market response to the change, or was the launch an overly aggressive action of a newly appointed CEO? The Best Buy leadership team first needed to evaluate whether there truly was a need for a (drastic) change and if so, was centricity the appropriate response to the market. The electronics industry and retail in general is cyclical and while Best Buy needs to be proactive and receptive to market changes, it is not uncommon for the industry to experience temporary contractions that would not require (costly and risky) restructuring of the company’s value proposition. Granted, Best Buy’s one style fits all approach may have been too broad and unrealistic for the long-term. Ignoring the signs that the market was changing or a delayed reaction to those changes could be more costly or even fatal than centricity and the alleged result on earnings and stock price. There are several approaches for Best Buy to evaluate this situation, the most desirable of which might be the Structure-Conduct-Performance-Paradigm. I will provide somewhat of a Resource Based View (listing a few marketing resources) and mention some of their Dynamic Capabilities, as provided in the case. Best Buy should fist consider their resources and the strengths that have made them successful in the past. While the past is not always indicative of the future, a historical perspective will provide some insight as to not only what has worked in the past, but how the company was able to implement various strategies to learn from their successes and failures. Historically, Best Buy has utilized their knowledge resources well. Their rapid growth and success would imply a strong customer and competitor knowledge. Overall, the Best Buy reputation, as the place to get brand name electronics at discount prices with just the right amount of customer service, has proven to be a positive reputational resource. Blue Shirts are a (human) resource that should not be overlooked; retention is crucial, as training is costly. Blue Shirts are a valuable (informational) resource to gain insight into what customers â€Å"really want,† as sales associates have the most direct customer interaction. Extracting this information from sales associates is a cost effective approach to assess the market before implementing major changes, such as centricity. Best Buy’s unique culture and structure are organizational resources that distinguish the company from the competition and support (non-managerial) employee retention. While supplier relationships are clearly a solid relational resource, customer relationships are somewhat of a gray area for Best Buy, as many customers are not loyal and often buy through various channels. Best Buy has responded to trend by launching their Reward Zone program to incentivize return customers and as a source to gain customer knowledge. An obvious physical resource of Best Buy is its number of stores, which results in volume purchases, allowing the company to sell brand name merchandise to customers at discount prices. In contrast, an operation of this size with nearly 1000 stores and 120,000 employees incurs significant overhead costs (a potential weakness and often the first resources to be cut in an effort to reduce expenses). Many of the aforementioned resources are imitable in some way or another. For example, employees can be trained or Blue Shirts poached or the competition could open more stores and purchase more inventory, strengthening their relationships with suppliers and pass along the resulting volume discounts to customers. A resource based view would indicate that while these are valuable resources to Best Buy, they (along with many of the company’s resources and capabilities) are substitutable (i.e. suppliers can be interchanged) and imitable by the competition. In response, Best Buy strives to not only offer the customer similar products and attributes as the competition, but to find a way to do so that provides a sustainable advantage. What makes Best Buy superior to its rivals? This requires a constant assessment of Best Buy’s marketing capabilities and this need to differentiate might explain Anderson’s drastic centricity approach. Pricing management is a complicated marketing capability at Best Buy with new technology products being constantly introduced, while others are becoming obsolete. It seems Best Buy excels in the selling and channel management marketing capabilities, with their ability to attract and retain knowledgeable sales associates and to maintain ongoing relationships with key suppliers. The likely and often misused approach would be for the organization to perform a current SWOT analysis to consider their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. I have already listed a few of Best Buy’s strengths (size, supplier relationships, Blue Shirts). Additionally, Best Buy has a history of evolving in response to the changing market and applying various innovative concepts in response. The ability to foresee or quickly assess and respond to market change seems to be a strength of the retailer. While extensive product offerings are a strength of Best Buy, having a significant inventory of products that rapidly become outdated is a necessary weakness of being an electronics retailer; finding a way to manage this would be a significant opportunity. Accordingly, keeping up with rapidly changing products and customer interests are a threat of Best Buy any technology retailer. Anderson is exploring the opportunities component of the analysis when he and his team identified and pursued the following initiatives: â€Å"customer centricity, efficient enterprise, win with service, and win in entertainment,† ultimately selecting on customer centricity. A few obvious threats to be considered are competitors such as Wal-Mart, Circuit City, and Amazon, as well as the ever changing electronics market. Not keeping up with the latest trend, product, or channel could be fatal and explains why Anderson and his team concluded the need to focus on customer centricity, which he felt was a proactive response to the shopping experience that customers were seeking going forward. What does the Customer-Centricity strategy imply and how is it different from a strategy of simply providing great service? The Customer-Centricity strategy implies that Best Buy knows their customers well and that only a few sub-segments are profitable enough to merit an increased level of service and attention. This increased focus on these target segments or fewer/more profitable clients and the assumption that catering to these customers will result in solution purchases is the foundation of Anderson’s initiative. The concept seems to do very little to increase sales to the groups outside of the target segment(s) and seemingly does not consider the untapped potential of these customers. This approach is in contrast to the concept of trying to be â€Å"everything to everyone† or â€Å"one style fits all.† Centricity was an effort to meet customer individual needs while still maintaining the chain’s broad focus. The idea of centricity was based on research that had found many of Best Buy’s customers were leaving dissatisfied and that roughly 20% of customer visits were unprofitable. It was an effort to revamp the store’s value proposition, which was a deviation from their previous winning formula and questionably a step a in a different direction from a core competency. Instead of the â€Å"one style fits all† approach which admittedly would leave some customers dissatisfied, while attempting to cater to the masses, Best Buy’s approach to centricity involved focusing on only one or two distinct customer segments at each store, which also required a new set of segment leaders. This approach was also a focus on Best Buy’s most profitable segments in an effort to deter their unprofitable shoppers. Best Buy could have expanded their customer service efforts, while still maintaining the â€Å"one style fits all† concept through a far less radical change than centricity required. This would seem to be the logical choice and would have relied more on the strengths that made Best Buy great. With the market nearing saturation due to the number of stores, the focus became to sell more to existing customers (versus adding stores to acquire new ones) based on a better understanding of customers’ requirements and â€Å"lavishing them with attention, service, and know how.† This would have been attainable by tweaking Best Buy’s current strategy. Both approaches would involve collecting and analyzing customer data and creating an appropriate action plan based on the findings. One aspect of the change was to â€Å"encourage employees to think and behave as owners and engage with customers to meet their unique needs.† This is one way to provide great service and obtainable outside of the centricity strategy. The objectives of building loyalty with profitable segments and leveraging the company’s existing assets, is not unique to centricity and could have been achieved by providing great customer service to all customers, while focusing on those that are more profitable. Both options involve customer research and additional training of sales associates; it would seem not implementing centricity, which required revamping the store format, new processes, and risked isolating some segments would be the more cost effective method to address the expected shift in the market. Best Buy assumed that their customers were comprised of 5 major segments, who combined accounted for 50%-90% of total revenue. These 5 segments were identified by shoppers’ demographics, behaviors, and attitudes, then assigned a name (Barry, Buzz, Jill, Ray, or BB4B (small businesses with less than 20 employees)) and assigned a segment leader focused on deeply understanding their segment’s shopping behavior and attitude. The case states â€Å"the idea behind customer-centricity was to become the customer’s â€Å"smart friend† and provide a â€Å"complete solution.† While being a trusted advisor to customers and working to sell bundles of products is a logical response to the changing customer orientation, this could have been achieved by less drastic means than those used to implement Anderson’s centricity. This concept seems to center around Best Buy’s market orientation, specifically the increasing customer benefits component, as Be st Buy already cannot take much action to further decrease the buyer’s costs. The introduction of Reward Zone was a step in the right direction for the centricity initiative. The benefits of the reward program were multifaceted; providing additional customer data as well as incentivizing current customers to be repeat customers and to make additional purchases. This is one means by which to help Best Buy achieve a SCA, however, many competitors offered similar programs. It is unclear whether Best Buy directed much, if any attention on their competitor orientation. In addition to gathering and analyzing customer data, it is advisable for the company to consider the strengths, weaknesses, strategies, and capabilities of their competitors. Anderson’s centricity plan does not appear to consider competitor orientation and focuses solely on a few select target segments. Keeping with the market orientation research, Best Buy already uses low costs as a source of competitive advantage and they are hoping that centricity will be a source of differentiation, however, competitor orientation is critical to the success of such an initiative. Customer-Centricity has many similarities to simply providing an increased level of customer service. The most significant difference is the focus on the chain’s most profitable segments, specific to each store and complicated testing and implementation process that was chosen for the launch. Both concepts could be used to move toward solution selling and the â€Å"smart friend† concept. Centricity and improved customer service could involve empowering managers and encouraging employees to think and behave as owners. Centricity was a drastic way to improve customer service, which resulted in some pilot stores reporting double the performance gains of other U.S. locations. There were many benefits that resulted from Anderson’s strategy such as reward zone and Geek Squad, which complimented the goal of providing a solution by adding a service component that Best Buy did not previously provide. Geek Squad was also a means by which to suggest a solution sale as well as it placed the retailer in the customer’s home or business, further strengthening the relationship with customer and providing the opportunity for addition recommendations and referrals when the â€Å"Geek† was onsite. The scientific approach that was used in the implementation of centricity was unique to the strategy, but in many ways could have been applied to multiple approaches to improve the customer experience. Centricity was ultimately a differentiation strategy used in hopes of being difficult for competitors to imitate. When Anderson launched centricity, he clearly realized that long term survival is more important than short-term profits. If nothing else the st rategy is rare and difficult to imitate. How was the new Customer-Centricity strategy implemented? What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the strategy’s implementation as described in the case? The Customer-Centricity strategy was first introduced in 12 laboratory stores, then 32 pilot stores (most of which were in California), then introduced to 110 addition stores after some pilot stores reported performance gains double some comparable U.S. stores. Deviating from the clearly defined SOP, associates were now trained to approach problems using a scientific method involving the creating of a hypothesis regarding the customer, testing it, and analyzing the results. If the hypothesis was substantiated, it could be tested in other stores, and ultimately become a general recommendation throughout the organization. This was concept of centricity that empowered associates and increased innovation from within, which is a strength of the new strategy. In contrast, the SOP was created to promote uniformity across the organization; this scientific component of centricity is a deviation from the uniform concept(s) that had been attributed to the company’s success. The resulting confusion in practices and procedures, while they may ultimately lead to a positive outcome and greater innovation, could be viewed as a weakness of the strategy (at least during the transition period). The additional responsibilities placed on managers and staff, were a struggle and weakness. Employees who had previously been given guidelines for most any issue were now being given the freedom to develop and test their own responses, however, they were held accountable for the resulting outcomes. It was now up to the store manager to execute the value proposition. GMs were expected to lead by example, in light of the increased responsibility. The new processes were stated to take â€Å"five times more time† and while the resulting innovation is good, the extra effort required resulting in a turnover rate of two-thirds among GMs and an expectation among associates to be compensated for their extra effort. However the ability for associates to tailor responses to individual customer situations, should ultimately improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, leading to increased profits. The entire focus of centricity is to increase customer satisfaction and improve retention, as acquisition is becoming increasingly difficult. This realization and reaction is itself if a response to the changing market, which is a strength of the organization. The empowerment of employees will result in exceeding customer’s initial expectations, as they are not accustomed to individualized solutions. This is another strength of centricity and how it was implemented. I question why the majority of the initial 32 pilot stores were in California and why only top performing stores were selected for centricity conversion. It would seem focusing on a single geographic region would generate findings based on an isolated group of similar customers. Marketing studies suggest that in order to increase confidence, research must be replicated in diverse environments over time. This does not appear to be the approach with the testing of centricity at Best Buy and could be viewed as a weakness. I further question the decision to launch the concept in only top performing stores. It makes sense to test the strategy in some top performing stores to see if their performance improves further; it does not make sense to risk a large number of top performing locations with an unproven theory that could negatively impact their performance. It seems logical to use the profits from top performing sites to offset some of the potential losses that are typical with the ramp up period of any significant launch or change. If a store is a top performer, I would first analyze what contributing factors make those stores top performers, be it location, management, or customer interactions, etc. to see if these points of differentiation could be applied to other locations to improve the performance of lesser stores, before revamping how the most successful locations achieve their success. There are many strengths and weakness of centricity and how Best Buy chose to implement it, the reality is that it is a long-term approach, which typically result in short term struggles and reduced profits. How would you resolve the tension between the three parts of the organization (merchandizing, stores, and segments)? Is the notion of a three-legged stool viable? Can Best Buy sustain its competitiveness with P&L responsibilities residing with three different organizations? The new strategy forced collaboration among groups that had not previously collaborated. It increased responsibility and accountability, while taking away control from groups that were accustomed to being in power. Shifting focus from a wide segment to a particular customer’s needs was a new concept requiring different resources. Segment organizations were now held accountable to deliver incremental growth. As a result of all these changes, the various parts of the organization felt â€Å"completely handcuffed.† As the previous sections indicate, higher gross profit margins could not compensate for the conversion costs of the changes being implemented. While the goal may have been to â€Å"have everybody feel like they’re part of the same story,† making three parts of the organization responsible for their individualize P&L only added to the tension. I do not dispute that the organizations should monitory P&L and be held accountable, but when the success of the organization is the common goal, they should be working together to improve the overall P&L of the organization. This approach made it unclear which part owned customer insight and who should report to whom and how they should work together. Clarifying these gray areas of ownership and responsibility are the first step in resolving the tension among the groups. The current practices promote confusion and tension. A uniformed approach would be optimal. In a retail organization, such as Best Buy, merchandizing, stores, and segments, are all critical to success. In varying situations, one â€Å"leg of the stool† may receive greater attention or responsibility, but that is typically for the advancement of the organization as a whole or to offset some of the focus of another part of the organization. All three legs are necessary for Best Buy to properly deliver their value proposition and all three are necessary to help management implement the marketing strategy. Merchandizing, stores, and segments are all part of Best Buy’s marketing mix. Merchandising and segments contribute to stores, but all are intertwined. The individualized P&L structure and scorecard assessment add to the tension and switch the weight placed on each leg, but without a leg or if one leg gets too weak (not enough focus), the stool (entire organization) could collapse. As new products are suggested and tested, this changes the (buying and selling) processes, causing merchandising to be more reactionary than they were accustomed to being in the past, shifting the weight from one leg to another, but not reducing the importance of that organization. The absence of any one particular group or attribute could be detrimental to the organization as a whole. While each piece is interdependent and critical to the whole and policies should be designed accordingly. The realization that each piece contains and shapes the other will result in policies that help to reduce the tension between varying parts of the organization. While Best Buy is focusing on the customer and tailoring products and services to meet their needs a reflection on internal practices and satisfaction would be helpful and achieving those goals and should be considered, tested, and adjusted as well. It will difficult for Best Buy to sustain its competitiveness with P&L responsibilities residing with three different organizations. As mentioned in the prior to sections, this practices ad tension to the organization, which is not good toward long-term success, and causes undue competition among the various organizations. Merchandizing is encouraged to improve their P&L, this may come at the price of a negative impact on the store’s P&L. This is the result of collaboration and reduces the competitive advantage of the overall organization. Centricity involves significant and complex changes, which both help and hinder the marketing strategy implementation. The success of the change will require the cooperation of all groups within the organization, especially merchandizing, stores, and segments. Having policies and practices in place that discourage cooperation within the organization by holding complimentary groups accountable for separate measurements does not help Best Buy (or any organization) create synergies leading to a sustainable competitive advantage. The degree of alignment in itself is an implementation driver and contrasting accountability measures do not lead to alignment of goals. Best Buy experiences enough competitive rivalry in the marketplace without encouraging it internally among organizations. Best Buy is clearly a marketing organization and contributing factors of success are: â€Å"all the components of marketing organization fit together †¦ in a way that simultaneously fits with the requirements of the firm’s strategy †¦ while also matching the needs of the marketplace.† Centricity is Anderson’s strategy to match the needs of the marketplace; the changing strategy requires some changes in various aspects of the company (including merchandizing, stores, and segments), however, it is still a requirement that they fit together, like the legs of a stool. I question if the continuation of separate P&Ls are the optimal way to maintain the fit and cooperation that is necessary for the success of a marketing organization. This seems contradictory to fit and is obviously a source of tension. How long before this becomes apparent and reveals itself to the marketplace; what effect with this have on stock price and market capitalization? In order for centricity to be successful, Best Buy must alter their resource deployments to conform to their strategy changes to achieve the intended goal(s) vs. creating practices that foster tension without any long-term benefit. Granted, it is a tradeoff to fit the strategy to the structure or the structure to the strategy, which is complicated by the complexity of the organization. It is a requirement that they match their resources to their capabilities to their strategy and to market conditions. I hope that I have provided a few suggestions on how they could go about achieving this goal. While I have questioned many aspects of centricity and its implementation, it was obviously a success as unlike Circuit City; Best Buy still exists today (although they continue to struggle due to short product life cycle and the ever changing technology market).

Infancy and Early Childhood Development

Infancy and early childhood are referred to as those immature years of life and the stage at which most of a child’s development occurs. To strengthen the development of a child’s learning one must understand the physical and mental factors that affect a child’s development through observation and interaction. Development begins during the prenatal period on up to the early years and depends on the nutritional, medical, emotional, and intellectual support of parents, family members, caregivers, and teachers (Cherry, 2011). Parenting styles also play a role in what influences development as well as early childhood education programs. During the prenatal period when a child’s development begins, thus being aware of many factors that can damage the fetus and the development of a healthy child. In the early years the development of physical growth is through constant change. A key component in a child’s development is based on good nutrition as well as motor milestones needed for a child to succeed. Piaget and many other theorists refer to stages of specific age that defines the milestones reached. However, every child is different and so are there developmental successes (Berger, 2008). Infants develop skills based on their experiences in exploring the world around them. Physical play allows them to develop coordination as well as stronger muscles. Sensory skills are developed through taste, smell, touch, seeing, hearing, and from that perception is gained. Motor, sensory, and perceptual skills are supported by stimulation and a caring environment. Cognitive development occurs when a child becomes aware of physical sensations such as his or her mouth, hands, and feet. This is when an infant will explore and begin to understand what is around them (Berger, 2008). It is through early childhood that physical and neuropsychological changes help to increase coordination, control, manipulation, and movement through refining motor and perceptual skills. A good example of refining motor skills is through lacing and threading when tying their shoes as well as writing and drawing. It is these changes that create the milestones of such development. Environmental stimulus creates neurological development to control body functions to succeed in sports and other body-related skills. To enable such development to master such skills one must provide children with the opportunities of a challenging environment to learn and improve on such skills. The importance of childhood development is based on peer relationships, social play, and emotional development that help them build on self and moral values. As children engage in such play, he or she will begin to explore ways to solve problems as well as how they view other’s perspectives (Berger, 2008). It is through a stimulating and supportive environment that will allow a child to develop. The support of the parents, family members, and other individuals will help a child develop self-concept and self-esteem to learn and grow, and will be the foundation for building strong relationships with the ability to express emotion. Such a foundation will allow a child to develop by exploring new situations and being able to build on that to create healthy relationships (Berger, 2008). Parenting Styles and their Influence Family structure also affects both cognitive and emotional development of a child and is based on the size of the family and what order the child was born. However, a child’s performance is based on how safe and secure the child feels as well as an environment that provides warmth, consistency, and family communication. Family structure also leads to other factor that influences childhood development and the styles in which parents teach that may or may not be a supportive foundation. A clinical psychologist named Diane Baumrind discovered that there were four styles of parenting; however, three styles were displayed most. Her discovery came from a study that she had conducted on more than 100 children. This study of parenting and its effects on children displayed many aspects of parenting such as strategies of discipline, parental nurturance, styles of communication, and one’s level maturity and control. Observation from such dimensions created what is known as the four styles of parenting. Authoritarian Parenting Authoritarian parenting was a style of parenting that expected children to follow the rules and obey. Good behavior was rewarded; whereas, bad behavior was punished. This style of parenting felt as though they needed to give no eason other than â€Å"they said so. † Communication between parent and child was minimal with no response to child. Children who grew up from this type of parenting ranked lower in happiness, social competence, and self-esteem. Children are not allowed to make their own choices and given limited freedom. Authoritative Parenting Authoritative parenting is similar to that of authoritarian in terms of establishing rules and guidelines to follow, but much more democratic. However, this style of parenting is more responsive to their children. Though standards are set high there is room for decision-making. Parents are more willing to listen to their children and be more supportive rather than punitive. This style of parenting tends to result in happier children. These children tend to achieve higher grades in school, and have less social problems. Authoritative parenting helps children develop self-sufficiency and independence. This is the style of parenting I believe is most effective because it offers the most balanced approach to parenting. Parents enforce rules and limits, but do so to protect their children rather than stifle them. This style of parenting enforces rules when they need to but also allows their children to make mistakes and learn from them when the situation does not require strong discipline. Permissive Parenting Permissive parenting is what many refer to as understanding parents. They demand less and seldom discipline their children and create substandard assumptions of maturity level and self-control. Baumrind believes that indulgent parents are less demanding and more responsive. This parenting style would prefer to be a friend rather than a parent and can be a detriment because it teaches the child; rules do not need to be followed; thus, creating defiance of authority without worrying about the consequences of others. Children taught from this style of parenting tend to have low self-esteem, lack of self-control, and do poorly in school. These children will have difficulty in society associating with their peers and creating healthy relationships. Uninvolved parenting Uninvolved parenting ranks lowest of all life domains. This style of parenting makes few demands and communicates very little with little responsiveness. Uninvolved parents are detached from the lives of their children other than fulfilling basic needs and there are some instances in which the parents even neglect those. These children often feel rejected and lack in self-control, self-esteem, and rank less competent than the rest of their peers (Cherry, 2011). The way our children show respect, obedience, and discipline is created by the style a parent teaches his or her child. The nurturing support and love we provide is crucial to the development of our children and provide the means of our children being happy and healthy. Those children who learn better probably have a secure family life and supportive environment that will allow mistakes to be made from which children learn from without judgment being passed. By creating such a positive environment our children can explore, and we help to create those positive influences that allow children to succeed. Childhood Education and How it Influences Cognitive Development Childhood education is those activities and experiences created by educational programs and strategies intended to effect developmental changes in children. However, it begins in the home at an early age. As parents, we begin by being supportive of our child’s abilities while making sure that he or she is making all the necessary connections. Parents should be reading and singing as well as pointing out objects located in one’s environment and developing conversations with our children that builds on vocabulary. Allowing children to draw or color allows them to be expressive and gain that hand-eye coordination. Childcare givers also increase the benefits of our children’s development with giving them more conversation and interacting with other children. This type of setting allows them to try diverse activities and allows them to visit new places. In doing so, this will help to increase their thinking skills and teach them to follow directions. From this point, our children go into the pre-k programs and kindergarten. In general, children engage in much pretend play, thus building on cognitive skills by allowing the children to read others intentions, encouraging social interaction and helping them to distinguish between genuine and imaginary. This allows children to take on a social role representing reality through make believe. This stimulates the child’s ability to think for him or herself. Therefore, childhood play contributes to human development and allows the child to express by pretending social roles. Conclusion In conclusion, children continue to grow and learn as they move from infancy to toddler, and to school age. However, it is not just the physical aspects, but the cognitive aspects of thinking, imaginative play as well as language maturity. A child’s emotional, social, moral, and sexual factors are growing as well. In knowing those factors, one will obtain a better understanding about the importance of family influences, parenting styles, and childhood education. However, to understand these influences are not the only factors in the development of our children. The key is to apply practical everyday knowledge in how we care for our children and what it takes to meet their needs. Infancy and Early Childhood Development As a child develops families play a role in teaching the child. The first role is done through the five senses as a child’s brain develops. Parents are also responsible for making sure a child stays healthy. Piaget says that a child will learn through experiments in his or her world. Erickson and Freud also have ideas on family interaction in childhood development. Along with interaction a parent has different styles to bring up a child. These styles can help shape the child as he or she grows into adults. Early childhood education and cognitive development also play a role in childhood development also.Families affect development through interaction with a child, the parenting style used by the parent will also help shape the child as he or she grows, along with early education and cognitive development. Families play a role in infancy and early child development. Early childhood experience is in two categories; experience-dependent (cultural-bound) and experience-expectant ( universal) that aid in brain growth (Berger, 2008). As the brain grows senses and motor skills such as seeing, mobility progress, and hearing improve. The child’s environment helps with this as the brain will respond to different particulars in life.Also in the biosocial aspect of development is health, a child will grow at expected rates and have better survival rates when the parents or caregivers practice healthy habits for the child such as immunization and nutrition, and regular well child check-ups. Another view of family effects on development comes from cognitive views of Piaget. Piaget’s work on sensorimotor intelligence and information processing says that infants progress from knowing their world through experiments. The child is shown objects by the parent and the parent tells the child what he or she is seeing, such as a cup, ball, or bottle.This communication with the child is how the family helps the child with language development. According Berger (200 8), by one an infant can speak about two words, and by the age of two languages explodes, and at the toddler ages a child capable of speaking in short sentences. The last role from parents in the developing child comes from psychosocial theories. Emotions play a basic role in newborns two aspects of the role of emotions are from Erickson and Freud. Erickson’s theory is one of trust versus mistrust, and Freud’s theory is one of oral and anal stages. Both theories express the guidance given by parents to help raise their children.Parents and children play together, which helps develop social skills and attachment. Through attachment a child learns to explore and become independent in his or her world (Berger, 2008). Social play and attachment encourage social confidence. Besides play a parent must use a style to raise the child. Parenting styles vary the three most used styles consist of authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive. Authoritarian parents controls, evalua tes behavior, and attitudes of the child with standard rules of conduct. A child who fails to follow the set rules normally receives punishment with no explanation regarding why.According to Baumrind (1991), these parents are â€Å"status and obedience oriented, and expect rules to be followed without explanation. † The authoritative parent also sets rules for his or her child. Authoritative parenting styles also sets rules for a child but unlike the authoritarian parent the parent is much more democratic about it. This parenting style permits the parent to be more responsive to the child’s needs, and listen to questions and concerns the child may have. The child is not punished when he or she does not meet expectations of the parent as the parent is more nurturing, and forgiving.Discipline with the authoritative parent is more supportive than punitive, as the parent wants the child to be assertive, socially responsible, self-regulating, and cooperative (Baumrind, 1991 ). The last of the three parenting styles is permissive. The permissive parent consults with the child about decisions, gives reasons for rules, and makes few demands of the child. The permissive parent is more of a resource for the child to use, and is not active in shaping or altering the child. The permissive parent will try to manipulate the child to arrive at desired results but will not show power over the child (Baumrind, 1991).Of the three parenting stages authoritative parenting has the best balance. Authoritative parents want for the child, helps shape the child into an upstanding citizen while nurturing and firm in rules. This parenting style values the expressiveness of the child, and still setting standards for the child. The authoritative parent will also be objective, uses reason, power, and shapes and reinforces achievements and objective for the child, but does this with consensus of the child and the child’s desires (Baumrind, 1991). Besides parenting educat ion and cognitive development are important for a child.Early childhood education can began in the 1800s with private classes in a person’s home. Serious studies of cognition and early education began with Piaget’s work in defining stages of development. Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are both famous for theories on cognition, and early learning of young children. Piaget whom began his career as a biologist teaching in a boy’s school found an interest in child development after helping design a test on intelligence. His theory was that a child could not perform tasks until he or she was psychologically mature enough (Berger, 2008).His second stage or preoperational stage works in the classroom with the child using language to define objects. Vygotsky theory on early childhood learning is more of a social one. Vygotsky theory is a basis of young children’s thinking being self-centered and at time magical. His theory was a second aspect of cognition; young ch ildren can be sensitive to other people’s emotions and wishes. Every aspect of child development is in social context, children are curious and observant. Vygotsky called this apprentice in thinking, as older children and adults are the teachers of society.Younger children are guided participates as they learn to think from their mentors. Vygotsky belief was that children could do anything with the assistance of others in their social network (Berger, 2008). In conclusion as the brain grows, the interaction from the parent helps the brain develop, along with parent keeping a healthy regimen. Parent and caregiver interacting with the child helps the child learn language. The three parenting styles: authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive help shape with rules and responsibilities.The well balanced parenting style is authoritative; allowing the child to understand why he or she is receives punishment, shapes and reinforces the child, and takes the child’s feeling in to consideration. Early childhood education began in the 1800s. Piaget and Vygotsky both believed that education was important. Piaget thought that a child learned he or she was psychologically mature enough. Vygotsky belief was that children learn from others and could do anything with the help from their mentors. Cognition is needed to help a child learn, develop, and grow. Infancy and Early Childhood Development Infancy and early childhood are referred to as those immature years of life and the stage at which most of a child’s development occurs. To strengthen the development of a child’s learning one must understand the physical and mental factors that affect a child’s development through observation and interaction. Development begins during the prenatal period on up to the early years and depends on the nutritional, medical, emotional, and intellectual support of parents, family members, caregivers, and teachers (Cherry, 2011). Parenting styles also play a role in what influences development as well as early childhood education programs. During the prenatal period when a child’s development begins, thus being aware of many factors that can damage the fetus and the development of a healthy child. In the early years the development of physical growth is through constant change. A key component in a child’s development is based on good nutrition as well as motor milestones needed for a child to succeed. Piaget and many other theorists refer to stages of specific age that defines the milestones reached. However, every child is different and so are there developmental successes (Berger, 2008). Infants develop skills based on their experiences in exploring the world around them. Physical play allows them to develop coordination as well as stronger muscles. Sensory skills are developed through taste, smell, touch, seeing, hearing, and from that perception is gained. Motor, sensory, and perceptual skills are supported by stimulation and a caring environment. Cognitive development occurs when a child becomes aware of physical sensations such as his or her mouth, hands, and feet. This is when an infant will explore and begin to understand what is around them (Berger, 2008). It is through early childhood that physical and neuropsychological changes help to increase coordination, control, manipulation, and movement through refining motor and perceptual skills. A good example of refining motor skills is through lacing and threading when tying their shoes as well as writing and drawing. It is these changes that create the milestones of such development. Environmental stimulus creates neurological development to control body functions to succeed in sports and other body-related skills. To enable such development to master such skills one must provide children with the opportunities of a challenging environment to learn and improve on such skills. The importance of childhood development is based on peer relationships, social play, and emotional development that help them build on self and moral values. As children engage in such play, he or she will begin to explore ways to solve problems as well as how they view other’s perspectives (Berger, 2008). It is through a stimulating and supportive environment that will allow a child to develop. The support of the parents, family members, and other individuals will help a child develop self-concept and self-esteem to learn and grow, and will be the foundation for building strong relationships with the ability to express emotion. Such a foundation will allow a child to develop by exploring new situations and being able to build on that to create healthy relationships (Berger, 2008). Parenting Styles and their Influence Family structure also affects both cognitive and emotional development of a child and is based on the size of the family and what order the child was born. However, a child’s performance is based on how safe and secure the child feels as well as an environment that provides warmth, consistency, and family communication. Family structure also leads to other factor that influences childhood development and the styles in which parents teach that may or may not be a supportive foundation. A clinical psychologist named Diane Baumrind discovered that there were four styles of parenting; however, three styles were displayed most. Her discovery came from a study that she had conducted on more than 100 children. This study of parenting and its effects on children displayed many aspects of parenting such as strategies of discipline, parental nurturance, styles of communication, and one’s level maturity and control. Observation from such dimensions created what is known as the four styles of parenting. Authoritarian Parenting Authoritarian parenting was a style of parenting that expected children to follow the rules and obey. Good behavior was rewarded; whereas, bad behavior was punished. This style of parenting felt as though they needed to give no eason other than â€Å"they said so. † Communication between parent and child was minimal with no response to child. Children who grew up from this type of parenting ranked lower in happiness, social competence, and self-esteem. Children are not allowed to make their own choices and given limited freedom. Authoritative Parenting Authoritative parenting is similar to that of authoritarian in terms of establishing rules and guidelines to follow, but much more democratic. However, this style of parenting is more responsive to their children. Though standards are set high there is room for decision-making. Parents are more willing to listen to their children and be more supportive rather than punitive. This style of parenting tends to result in happier children. These children tend to achieve higher grades in school, and have less social problems. Authoritative parenting helps children develop self-sufficiency and independence. This is the style of parenting I believe is most effective because it offers the most balanced approach to parenting. Parents enforce rules and limits, but do so to protect their children rather than stifle them. This style of parenting enforces rules when they need to but also allows their children to make mistakes and learn from them when the situation does not require strong discipline. Permissive Parenting Permissive parenting is what many refer to as understanding parents. They demand less and seldom discipline their children and create substandard assumptions of maturity level and self-control. Baumrind believes that indulgent parents are less demanding and more responsive. This parenting style would prefer to be a friend rather than a parent and can be a detriment because it teaches the child; rules do not need to be followed; thus, creating defiance of authority without worrying about the consequences of others. Children taught from this style of parenting tend to have low self-esteem, lack of self-control, and do poorly in school. These children will have difficulty in society associating with their peers and creating healthy relationships. Uninvolved parenting Uninvolved parenting ranks lowest of all life domains. This style of parenting makes few demands and communicates very little with little responsiveness. Uninvolved parents are detached from the lives of their children other than fulfilling basic needs and there are some instances in which the parents even neglect those. These children often feel rejected and lack in self-control, self-esteem, and rank less competent than the rest of their peers (Cherry, 2011). The way our children show respect, obedience, and discipline is created by the style a parent teaches his or her child. The nurturing support and love we provide is crucial to the development of our children and provide the means of our children being happy and healthy. Those children who learn better probably have a secure family life and supportive environment that will allow mistakes to be made from which children learn from without judgment being passed. By creating such a positive environment our children can explore, and we help to create those positive influences that allow children to succeed. Childhood Education and How it Influences Cognitive Development Childhood education is those activities and experiences created by educational programs and strategies intended to effect developmental changes in children. However, it begins in the home at an early age. As parents, we begin by being supportive of our child’s abilities while making sure that he or she is making all the necessary connections. Parents should be reading and singing as well as pointing out objects located in one’s environment and developing conversations with our children that builds on vocabulary. Allowing children to draw or color allows them to be expressive and gain that hand-eye coordination. Childcare givers also increase the benefits of our children’s development with giving them more conversation and interacting with other children. This type of setting allows them to try diverse activities and allows them to visit new places. In doing so, this will help to increase their thinking skills and teach them to follow directions. From this point, our children go into the pre-k programs and kindergarten. In general, children engage in much pretend play, thus building on cognitive skills by allowing the children to read others intentions, encouraging social interaction and helping them to distinguish between genuine and imaginary. This allows children to take on a social role representing reality through make believe. This stimulates the child’s ability to think for him or herself. Therefore, childhood play contributes to human development and allows the child to express by pretending social roles. Conclusion In conclusion, children continue to grow and learn as they move from infancy to toddler, and to school age. However, it is not just the physical aspects, but the cognitive aspects of thinking, imaginative play as well as language maturity. A child’s emotional, social, moral, and sexual factors are growing as well. In knowing those factors, one will obtain a better understanding about the importance of family influences, parenting styles, and childhood education. However, to understand these influences are not the only factors in the development of our children. The key is to apply practical everyday knowledge in how we care for our children and what it takes to meet their needs.