The Gaps Left By Private Health Insurance Dissertation

The Gaps Left By Private Health Insurance - Dissertation Example Medical savings account evolved first in Singapore during 1984 as an alternative method of prepayment which is meant to address cost escalation caused by moral hazards (Mossialos and Dixon, 2002, p. 121). Medical Savings Account is a trust or custodial account for which a bank or an insurance company works as a trustee for the benefits of the individual or family (Prescott, 1998, p. 27). Medical savings accounts are savings accounts for individuals by which people are required to deposit money or are encouraged to deposit money. The money collected by medical savings accounts should be utilized solely for personal medical expenses (Mossialos and Dixon, 2002, p. 5). Medical savings accounts are considered to be tax-deferred because money contributed to medical savings accounts or money earned from unused balances are exempted from employee’s personal tax and these allow customers to save money for medical expenses. Either employer or employee keeps a portion of that part of the money which is spent on health insurance to the Medical savings account and the other portion is used for obtaining a catastrophic policy to cover medical expenses. Health Savings Account, a synonym for Medical savings account was created on December 2003 by a Medicare Bill signed by George W. Bush. It functions as a part of a high deductible health plan in America. It can be best viewed as Medical IRA because, Health savings account combines a health insurance plan with a tax-free saving account (Sedhom, 2008, p. 1) The medical savings account is based on the principle of self-reliance, because citizens are required to keep a portion of their income for saving purpose every month mainly for meeting their health care costs (Mossialos and Dixon, 2002, p. 121).

Socio-Cultural Factors Influencing Older Hispanic Womens Experience Dissertation

Socio-Cultural Factors Influencing Older Hispanic Womens Experience with Osteoarthritis - Dissertation Example Risk factors for OA includes the act of engaging in tedious manual labor or high-intensity sports activities, age, gender or being born as female, developmental dysplasia, obesity, ethnicity or race, genetic predisposition, inadequate exercise, socio-economic background, joint misalignment, long hours standing and lifting heavy weights (Sulsky et al., 2012; Swift, 2012; Kullie et al., 2011; Allen et al., 2010; Bolen et al., 2010; Lin et al., 2010; McDonough & Jette, 2010). The pathophysiology of OA is marked by a slow degenerative process of the â€Å"cartilage, bone and soft tissues that are integral to joints† followed by low-grade inflammation in the articular cartilage (Sulsky et al., 2012; McDonough & Jette, 2010, p. 388). After conducting a statistical research study with regards to the health-related quality of life among the US adults with arthritis, Furner et al. (2011) found out that the adults with arthritis had worse health-related quality of life as compared to the adults without arthritis. In general, pain at the joints is common among patients with OA (Bolen et al., 2010). Other common signs of OA include difficulty in body movements, stiffness and loss of muscle tone, strength and stamina, poor sleep, fatigue, anxiety, social isolation, depression, financial difficulty, and loss of work (Swift, 2012; Axford et al., 2010, 2008; Hawker et al., 2010). All these factors explain why people who are diagnosed with OA can be restricted in their day-to-day living activities and experience a significant reduction in their quality of life (QOL) due to pain (Axford et al., 2008). OA Depression and Physical Limitation In general, physical limitations or functional limitations is pertaining to a situation whereby a person’s ability to execute a specific mental or physical action is limited (McDonough & Jette, 2010). As explained by Dekker, van Dijk, & Veenhof (2009), activity or physical limitations caused by OA can worsen over time. In fact, failure to treat and manage OA can cause a person to suffer from disability (Luong et al., 2012; McDonough & Jette, 2010; Bosomworth, 2009) and a â€Å"progressive decrease in mental health† (Axford et al., 2008). With regards to physical disability, Axford et al. (2008) found out that disability is strongly related to the patients’ inability to cope, severe pain, and increased depression. Basically, all these factors explain why people who suffer from OA pain can experience lower productivity levels at work (DiBonaventura et al., 2011). Based on the National Health and Wellness Survey that was conducted by DiBonaventura et al. (2011), people who are experiencing OA pain are less likely to be employed. In most cases, common contributing factors that can trigger high levels of anxiety and depression include severe pain, limitations or restrictions in the body movements, physical disability, work impairment, and the risk of losing their job (Swift, 2012; DiBonaventura et al., 2011; Axford et al., 2

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics - Essay Example Gilligan persuasively argues that in any ethical situation, one must take into account the human need to care for ourselves and for those close to us. She primarily uses women as the subject of the caring. She launches her platform from the suppression of women and their needs. The book flaunts the social selflessness that is incumbent upon women as they care for others, as the basis for developing care ethics. Kant’s categorical imperative attempts to create universal laws acceptable in all ways, without exception. He tries to create freestanding statements that do not require elucidation to establish them. He accepts that such categorical imperatives are difficult to derive. The ordinary person will not be able to logically reason his way through such maxims, nor question their validity. However, through experience, an ordinary person will be able to determine for herself if such maxims work or not. If one disobeys the maxims, and suffers as a result, one will automatically understand that the maxim had a reason for being so rigid. Nevertheless, the experience itself is dependent on emotional decisions, which one makes under pressure, the consequences of which help one realize the value of the maxims.

Black people in the USA in 1945 Essay Example for Free

Black people in the USA in 1945 Essay Blacks in the USA in 1945 were not considered as equal; the treatment of people was based on their skin colour, a practice that had been going on for many years before, even after the Reconstruction of society after the Civil War in which the blacks were liberated from slavery. In theory, blacks were free to work and live where they wanted, but the figures at the time told a different story: by 1960, around 17% of the workforce of white-collar workers, i.e. professional, technical, administration, etc., were blacks, while the whites remained the majority at 47%. The blue-collar work, such as craftsmen, manual labourers, etc. jobs that are renowned for needing less skill and education had 40% of the workforce as blacks, and 36% were whites. Blacks just werent provided the education and qualifications to do the professional types of work due to separation of black and white facilities. Not only were they held back at getting the higher-class jobs, they were paid less for the same wor k that whites did; in 1950, blacks earned about 53% of a whites wage. This figure remained the same over the next 20 years, with it rising 11% to blacks earning 64% of a whites wage. All over the USA, blacks were discriminated against in almost all areas of life, whether it is the law of the state, or just by the custom of the local society. After the abolishment of slavery, slaves had the choice of moving away from their former homes and having their own lives; unfortunately, many blacks didnt have any money to move halfway across the USA to the northern states that had fought to free them. Those who did have the finance to travel rarely had enough money afterwards to sustain a good quality of life after they had moved. The custom of de facto came into play in some of the Northern states; ghettos and places where the majority of the population were black sprung up in towns and cities. Segregation by custom in the North was contrasted with segregation by law, or de jure, in the South- Jim Crow laws forbade blacks, for example, to enter white facilities, or sit on buses with whites, etc. Places where de facto was in force came up with other ways to separate blacks from whites to keep the Southern order of things; red lining was when banks were not allowed to give money for mortgages if they suspected it would be a risky investment- if a black family moved into a certain area, it would lower the prices of the surrounding houses. This  meant that places such as ghettos were built up, when the majority of the population were black. This type of segregation wasnt by law, but by custom, blacks werent forced to live in black areas, but they felt pressured to live in certain places because of the practises such as red lining in effect. Although it is in the Constitution that everyone is equal and has the same civil rights, it is beliefs like red lining that push a wedge between races; it may not seem constitutional, but it is up to the Supreme Court in the USA to decide what is constitutional. They decided that slavery was lawful mainly due the fact that the Southern states economy was based on slavery; they were needed to produce cotton, the main export in the 19th century. Without them, the economy would have fallen apart. After the 13th amendment to the Constitution, slavery was no longer legal, but the Supreme Court still remained to overlook state laws that continued discrimination and practices that could be seen as worse then slavery- for example, the Ku Klux Klan were allowed to terrorise and lynch blacks, yet lynching was not made illegal. The Supreme Court declared that the 14th amendment forbids states, but not citizens, from discriminating (1) Separate facilities for blacks and whites were considered as the solution to the discrimination problem; the Supreme Court believed that the blacks were separate but equal when they were forced to use different buildings, transport, schools and hospitals then the whites. Since the Supreme Court approved laws and could declare them unconstitutional if they wanted to, they were the ones who the blacks has to convince if they wanted to change anything; in legal cases, the trial had to be taken to the Supreme Court to have any impact, since the State Courts were always going to be in favour of the Jim Crow laws. The Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896) case was when Homer Plessy refused to sit in the coloured car of a train and sat in the white section instead. The case went to Supreme Court, and they ruled that Plessy was guilty and sentenced him to pay a fine or go to jail. This was considered the most shameful ruling of the Supreme Court in history; it shows the extent of the discrimination against blacks, even after slavery was abolished- even though Plessy was 1/8 black and 7/8 white, he was still considered as black in the eyes of the Louisiana law. Although many people thought that this ruling was  shocking, there wasnt much that could be done, since they did not have a definite leader to show them what the do; everything that the movement did was relatively unorganised, with maybe one person leading the others. People such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Booker T. Washington tried to unite blacks under one leadership, but it did not work, because everyone has different opinion on what should be done about the discrimination problem. Dr Martin King Jr. was a black leader that advocated peaceful resistance; because of this, many whites accepted him because they knew that he would not cause violence, but blacks did not like this as peaceful protest could only take them so far- they felt that King was weaker then some of the other extremist black leaders, such as Malcolm X. Kings approach to fighting against their oppression wasnt enough to keep the blacks following him; they preferred people who were willing to do more for the benefit of all blacks. Another leader who was thought as weak by fellow blacks was Booker T. Washington; he was accused of being an accommodationist to the whites, as he wasnt campaigning for equal civil rights, he was concentrating on equal job opportunities- this wasnt what the blacks were fighting for; they wanted to be free to do what the whites could do, not only in jobs but in other aspects of life too. The leaders of the movement were not united, therefore they were not strong- many leaders were critical of others, for example, W.E.B DuBois criticised Washington, saying that blacks cannot get social equality if they do not get political equality first. The New Deal is a phrase used to explain the actions taken after Black Tuesday when the US Stock market crashed to stop the effects of the Depression disturbing the lives of the public. Laws were passed to help stop the consequences of the Depression becoming a long-term problem; within the first hundred days, President Roosevelt passed a law that lowered workers salaries and pensions by up to 15%- a move that people did not like, yet it saved a lot of money for the government. Another act was passed that stated that the government could inspect banks before letting them open again so they could see if the bank was eligible to lend and hold money. This prevented banks lending out money that they did not have, therefore they did not losing money for their customers and wouldnt have to close, as they  would have to have done if they did lend out money they didnt have. The New Deal was produced so the government could help all of those that were affected by the Depression; this helped the blacks because they were some of the poorest people in the USA at the time, and as many as 8% of blacks were unemployed in 1955. For the blacks, the New Deal slightly improved their way of living as it was designed to help everyone without discrimination. Soon after New Deal was set up, the situation for blacks was improved socially by the outbreak of the Second World War. When the Americans were brought into the war, they needed as many men as they could to fight; blacks had regiments where they could join and be equal to whites, but they still were not allowed to belong to the same regiment as the whites- there were some who did, but they were rare, they normally belonged to an all-black regiment. At the end of the war, the blacks got more ambitious; they were allowed to fight for their country, but America wasnt even grateful enough of them to let them be equal. This would have enraged African Americans since they had fought so hard to be a part of America, so the Civil Rights movement activity increased, which put pressure on the government to do something. The Nazi ideology also pushed the government into action, because what the Americans were doing to the blacks could be compared to the Germans discriminating against the Jews in Germany; the blacks realised this, so demanded equality, as they didnt want the same to happen to them. In conclusion, the position of blacks in 1945 was not equal to whites: even after a century of supposed freedom from slavery, blacks were still treated as inferiors to whites. Laws and acts were in effect that encouraged the discrimination of blacks. Amendments such as the rights for blacks to vote and the rights for them to be equal were passed, but there were so many other laws that cancelled them out. Jim Crow laws in the South and practises such as red lining in the North made it impossible for blacks to be seen as equal politically, whilst rebellions by extremist whites and groups such as the Ku Klux Klan stopped blacks gaining any social standing or equality. Blacks were supposed to be equal, but by 1945, some may comment that the position of them was worse then slavery, as the blacks were on their own in  there poverty and discrimination; before, they had their slave owners who would clothe and feed them to keep productive workers- they would never be out on the streets as slaves, but as free people, they received basically no help. Things that whites took for granted, such as clean and good-quality facilities, and jobs that are fair and just are things that blacks counted themselves lucky if they managed to get any equality. People like Martin Luther King Jr. and W.E.B. DuBois tried to get equality, both through violence and peaceful means, but it didnt have much effect to the political and social standing of blacks. The discrimination of blacks continued right into the 20th century, even up into the 21st century. It was slow going for the blacks right to equality, but actions by both blacks and whites changed things for the better. H owever, in 1945, blacks were not considered as equal, but as 3/5s of a human being. Bibliography: (1) http://www.alternativeinsight.com/Reparations-Slavery.html Field, Ron; Civil Rights in America 1865-1980; Cambridge University Press http://www.lawbuzz.com/can_you/plessy/plessy.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Deal

The Effects of Aristotelian Teleological Thought on Darwins Mechanisti

The Effects of Aristotelian Teleological Thought on Darwin's Mechanistic Views of Evolution The need to understand organisms has been a much sought goal of science since its birth as biology. History shows Aristotle and Charles Darwin as two of the most powerful biologists of all time. Aristotle's teleological method was supported widely for over 2,000 years. One scientist remarks that the Aristotelian teleology "has been the ghost, the unexplained mystery which has haunted biology through its whole history" (Ayala, 10). If Aristotle's approach has frightened biology, then Darwin, who actually nicknamed himself the "Devils Chaplain," and his idea of natural selection has virtually dissected Aristotle's ghost. While Aristotle explained biology through a plan and a purpose, Darwin debated that randomness and chaos are responsible for the organic world as we know it. Guiseppe Montalenti, an Italian geneticist and philosopher of biology, wrote that Darwin's ideas were a rebellion against thought in the Aristotelian-scholastic way (Ayala, 4). In order to understand how Darwinism can be considered a revolt against Aristotle, we must first inspect Aristotle's ideas and thoughts about biology. Aristotle used teleology to explain the harmony and final results of the earth. Teleology is the study of the purpose of nature. Aristotle believed that scientists should follow the plan adopted by mathematicians in their demonstrations of astronomy, and after weighing the phenomena presented by animals, and their several parts, follow consequently to understand the causes and the end results. Using this method, Aristotle constructed causes for body parts and processes of the human body, such as sundry types of teeth. Aristotle elucidated on this topic: "When we have ascertained the thing's existence we inquire as to its nature†¦when we know the fact we ask the reason" (Evans, 82). Despite Aristotle's frequent teleological explanations, he did warn against teleology leading to misinterpretations of facts. In a short writing on the reproduction of bees in Generation of Animals, Aristotle was troubled that there were insufficient observations on the subject, and warns that his theory is dependent on facts supporting the theory. One twentieth century biologist... ... to describe evolution teleologically. This proof, of course, is not possible, as evolution through natural selection cannot be described as goal-oriented since it happens due to previous events or transformations, not in anticipation of coming events. If we were goal-oriented, natural selection would not be supple enough to be useful in rapidly changing environments (Mayr, 43). References Aristotle. The Works of Aristotle, Encyclopedia Britannica. New York, 1952 Ayala, F.J. and Tobzharsky, T. Studies in the Philosophy of Biology. University of California Press. Berkeley and Los Angeles. 1974. Burrow, John. Editor introduction to Charles Darwin's Origin of the Species Penguin books. England, 1968. Evans, G. The Physical Philosophy of Aristotle. University of New Mexico Press. Albuquerque, 1964. Kirk, G., Raven, J. and Schofield, M. The Presocratic Philosophers. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. 1983. Mayr, Ernst. Toward a New Philosophy of Biology. Harvard University Press. 1988. Moore, Ruth. Evolution. Time-life books. Alexandria, Virginia. 1980. Simpson, George The Meaning of Evolution. Yale University Press. New Haven and London. 1949.

‘Educating Rita’ by Willy Russell Essay

Rita, Frank and their relationship change throughout the play. Rita’s education and confidence both grow as the story progresses. Frank’s attitude towards life declines dramatically en route for the middle of the play but there is hint of improvement at the end. Their relationship undergoes many changes during the play. They grow apart, slowly and eventually reach a point where their separation is much needed and inevitable, although their feelings towards each other are of affection once again. At the beginning of the play Rita is a stereotypical working class girl, with little education and a lot of determination. She uses a lot of slang and colloquial language, ‘stupid bleedin† handle’ and ‘off me cake’, which shows her lack of education and her class. Rita appears ro be a confident girl, but she uses humour to cover up her nerves, ‘that’s what I do. Y’ know when I’m nervous.’ Rita is also a lively, talkative person and very blunt and forthright. She shows this when she ‘takes the pencil from Frank and scribbles out the letter ‘S’.’ Rita has a particularly determined character. At the start of the play she knows that she wants an improved life, with choices and she knows an education will give her that. So she is making sure she is going to get it, even at the cost of her marriage. When Rita leaves Denny she still wants to learn and discuss her ‘Macbeth’ essay immediately. At the beginning of ‘Act 2 Scene 2’ Rita is seen oiling Frank’s door. This shows her determination and that she follows through her word, does what she says she will. Russell uses stage directions to show Rita’s energy, ‘the door bursts open and Rita flies in.’ The words ‘flies’ and ‘burst’ convey bubbly, lively movements and therefore her energetic character. At the start of this play Frank is a stereotypical upper-middle-class man. He is apathetic sarcastic and relatively independent. Frank uses Standard English and Received Pronunciation, showing his high class and good  education. He asks ‘pardon?’ instead of ‘what?’ and explains that the Open University is ‘supposed to embrace a more comprehensive studentship.’ Frank is not dependant on anyone, but he drinks a lot and I think that he relies on alcohol a great deal. Therefore I would not say he is totally independent. Frank is very sarcastic and quick witted. He uses his sarcasm as a defence mechanism, or to make a point. He doesn’t use it nastily or to hurt anyone. ‘I sometimes get an urge to throw something through it†¦a student usually.’ This shows him using sarcasm for humour but it also shows his disinterested, lazy attitude to life. Frank is bored of his life but, unlike Rita, he cannot be bothered to change it. He finds himself dull and tells Rita that she is ‘the first breath of air that’s been in this room for years.’ He does not want Rita as a student as he sees her as a lot of work, this shows his lazy attitude. However, the audience could also see this as a selfless and considerate moment. He does not want to take Rita on as a student as he does not think he is capable of teaching her. Frank is extremely clever and refers to high culture, such as ‘T.S Elliot’ and ‘Yeats’, showing his high education and understanding. At the start of the play Frank is bored, funny, sarcastic, clever and shrewd. Frank and Rita get to know each other well and are very close, at the beginning of the play. They flirt and compliment each other, ‘he doesn’t half get on my tits/Frank: Good. You’ll have to show me some evidence/Rita: Y’ dirty sod.’ And ‘Right now there’s a thousand things I’d rather do than teach, most of them with you my dear.’ They trust one another and show this through discussion of their personal issues, ‘I live with a girl. Ex-student. She’s very caring, very tolerant, admires me tremendously and spends a great deal of time putting her head in the oven.’ They then go on to discuss Julia and Franks relationship. Their ability to talk freely to each other shows that they are at ease in each  other’s company, relaxed and confident around one another. Nevertheless, their relationship is not always easy. It is hampered by their different frames of reference. At one point Frank thinks Rita is joking about T.S Elliot the poet, when in fact she is referring to Elliot Ness, ‘y’ know, the famous Chicago copper who caught Al Capone.’ At another point Rita is calling Frank a ‘Flora man’ from the advert for the butter: flora. Frank assumes she means flora as in flowers. However, Frank and Rita have a mutual understanding of each other, which helps them work through and get beyond their misunderstandings. Their differences intrigue and fascinate one another. This helps keep their relationship alive and fresh. In the middle of the play we see dramatic changes in Rita. Right at the beginning of ‘Act 2’ Russell indicates a change by Rita entering wearing ‘new second hand clothes.’ Rita is at a very difficult point in her change. She has come so far and cannot go back to where she used to be, but she is finding it difficult to carry on, she is half way and stuck in between two worlds. Rita chooses to persevere. Rita has much more confidence and is using humour to hide behind less. She is more educated and has been influenced by lots of people over the summer. Her confidence shows when she tells Frank about summer school. She explains how she asked a question even though everyone was looking at her and ‘two thousand people had seen me stand up.’ She then goes on to say, ‘after that I was askin’ questions all week.’ Before summer school Rita wouldn’t have dared do something like that. As well as her confidence improving she is now using more Standard English, although still using colloquial language. Summer has had some less positive effects on Rita, too. She has been very influenced by Trish and although she has now got a better understanding of literature she still does not have her own views. She has merely swapped Frank’s opinions for Trish’s opinions. Frank comes back from holiday even more fed-up with life than before. Rita asks him what France was like, marvelling at the opportunity to go abroad. Frank gives an uninterested answer of ‘well – it was rather hot.’ He is very dismissive, taking for granted the occasion of going abroad and his answer is slightly hostile and cold. He seems to be more apathetic and very low, not recognising that he has got so much going for him. ‘it is indeed because I have got so much going for me that I do it†¦I need the drink to help me step delicately through life.’ This comment shows that he is still using sarcasm, it shows his sad view on his life and he tells us that he ‘needs’ drink. This informs us that he has become very reliant on drink. He is worse than he was before, turning up to lectures drunk and not taking anything seriously. He does not even bother to hide the drink anymore. He carries it, in his briefcase, to lectures. The briefcase symbolises work, so to carry alcohol in it shows just how little he cares. Frank now chooses to ignore his education; †Rubyfruit Jungle† is excellent.’ He is reverting to how Rita was. Whereas, Rita now has a view, shows her understanding and expresses it formally. They have echoed each other. Frank’s language has also changed. He is reiterating phrases from Rita, ‘completely off me cake,’ and he has picked up some of her slang. He is still sarcastic, but sometimes in a hostile, jeering way, like when he shouts names at Rita ‘Charlotte? Or Jane? Or Emily?’ At the mid-point in the play Frank is hopeless, he challenges Rita saying ‘and we’ll all live happily ever after?’ Saying this squashes dreams, is sarcastic and apathetic and takes a completely pessimistic outlook on life,  his decline is continuous. Their relationship dwindles when they meet again after summer. The changes in Rita have a big role to play in the downward spiral of their relationship. Rita is becoming more independent, She needs Frank less, he begrudges her this and it causes tension. ‘Don’t y’ like me now that the little girl’s grown up, now that y’ can no longer bounce me on daddy’s knee an’ watch me stare back in wide eyed wonder at everything he has to say?’ They understand each other less and know little about each other’s lives. ‘It struck me there was a time you told me everything,’ Frank is wistful and shows a sense of longing. He feels Rita slipping away, ‘I can’t bear you anymore,’ he tells her, ‘you don’t have to put in a visit out of sentimentality.’ They no longer have a close relationship and Frank misses and feels bitter about that. They become increasingly resentful towards each other. Frank start to get jealous and resentful of Trish, this feeling fuels further conflict. ‘Will you kindly tell Trish that I am not giving a tutorial to a Dalek.’ This remark shows coldness in their relationship, the warmth, flirting and friendly banter has gone. At the end of the play Rita has more choices than before, she is educated, confident and able to think for herself. Rita is undecided what the next step in her life should be, but she now has a choice and this is what she set out for: to be able to choose. ‘I might go to France. I might go to my mother’s. I might even have a baby. I dunno. I’ll make a decision, I’ll choose. I dunno.’ She is educated now and has passed her exam. Arguably more important is that she is no wise. She can think for herself, think logically and develop her own opinions. ‘You woulda loved it if I’d written Frank knows all the answers across me paper, wouldn’t y’?’ However, Rita did not and this shows  her education and thinking skills. She uses Standard English more now, such as ‘scholarly neckline.’ Again showing her education. Rita is no longer hiding behind humour, but she is genuinely confident and still funny. Probably the biggest change in Rita from beginning to end is that she now understands Frank’s views and realises he was and is on her side. ‘She places a Christmas card with the others already there.’ The card is a token of friendship and signifies her realisation that what she had was not all that valuable. Her realisation shows how she has matured, changed her way of thinking and now feels more kindly for Frank. Frank is now sober and hints that he will make a change in his life. There is now some optimism. He is trying to think well of his move to Australia, ‘things are just beginning there’ this implies he will take this as an opportunity to start fresh, ‘it’d be good for us to leave a place that’s just finishing for one that’s just beginning.’ Frank accepts the changes in Rita and shows his thoughtful side when he gives her the dress. He also has a realistic moment and says, ‘I was rather pissed when I bought it.’ He is not pretending to be a reformed character and he is reminding the audience of his drinking and old habits. Frank is now using Standard English again, ‘metaphorically. And as it was metaphorically the sentence was reduced from the sack to two years in Australia.’ He is still humorous, ‘Forsters lager they call it,’ and is sarcasm is still there, but it is no longer hostile. Although Frank is in a worse position than at the start of the play there is hint of improvement and a better life. Rita’s response to Trish’s suicide and Frank’s realisation of the need to change has resulted in a greater mutual understanding and a friendlier relationship. ‘I knew how much it had come to mean to you.’ Frank did not like Rita in the middle of the play but understands why she was like that. They both accept the changes in each other. Rita now appreciates all the help Frank gave her, ‘ I came to tell you you’re a good teacher.’ Frank realises her learnt a lot from Rita, too, ‘all I’ve ever done is taken from you. I’ve never given anything/Frank: that’s not true. You’ve†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ They understand that they have got to go their separate ways now, and move their lives on, but they part on good terms. Rita begins as a stereotypical working-class girl, with a poor education, who hid behind humour. She goes through a series of changes and ends the play as a confident, wise, educated young lady, ready to make her own choices and get on with her life. Frank begin as a upper-middle-class man, he was very sarcastic, had a poor attitude towards life and relied on drink. As the book progressed he developed a serious drinking problem, became more and more apathetic and finally reached a point where he was on the verge of being sack. He eventually starts to get things into perspective and hints at a brighter future. The relationship between Rita and Frank began well, they complimented and trusted one another. They drifted apart and argued in the middle, but reconciled their relationship and parted on good terms. I think the main change in Rita was that she started with no choices, she had a hunger for more and great determination, which resulted in her gaining the ability to choose, and to choose wisely. I think this change in Rita was conveyed very well because as the story progresses we saw her make many decisions along the way. We saw how the choices she had to make got bigger  and bigger and how her ability to deal with the choices got better and better. The book finished with her thinking about the biggest choice; whether to have a baby or not. I think Frank’s character was portrayed well via his language and through his drinking habits. I really enjoyed the book and thought Russell kept me interested by adding new details along the way, we learnt more about the character’s private lives as the story continued and this was an added interest. I think that the book had a good ending, as it was realistic. It showed how what they had done throughout the book and what choices they had made affected their position at the end of the book. This emphasised the theme of choice again.

Fast Moving Consumer Goods Essay

FMCG are products that have a quick shelf turnover, at relatively low-cost and don’t require a lot of thought, time and financial investment to purchase. The margin of profit on every individual FMCG product is less. However the huge number of goods sold is what makes the difference. Hence profit in FMCG goods always translates to number of goods sold. Fast Moving Consumer Goods is a classification that refers to a wide range of frequently purchased consumer products including: toiletries, soaps, cosmetics, teeth cleaning products, shaving products, detergents, other non-durables such as glassware, bulbs, batteries, paper products and plastic goods, such as buckets. ‘Fast Moving’ is in opposition to consumer durables such as kitchen appliances that are generally replaced less than once a year. The category may include pharmaceuticals, consumer electronics and packaged food products and drinks, although these are often categorized separately. The term Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) is used interchangeably with Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). Three of the largest and best known examples of Fast Moving Consumer Goods companies are Nestlà ©, Unilever and Procter & Gamble. Examples of FMCGs are soft drinks, tissue paper, and chocolate bars. Examples of FMCG brands are Coca-Cola, Kleenex, Pepsi and Believe. The FMCG sector represents consumer goods required for daily or frequent use. The main segments of this sector are personal care (oral care, hair care, soaps, cosmetics, toiletries), household care (fabric wash and household cleaners), branded and packaged food, beverages (health beverages, soft drinks, staples, cereals, dairy products, chocolates, bakery products) and tobacco. The Indian FMCG sector is an important contributor to the country’s GDP. It is the fourth largest sector in the economy and is responsible for  5% of the total factory employment in India. The industry also creates employment for 3 people in downstream activities, much of which is disbursed in small towns and rural India. This industry has witnessed strong growth in the past decade. This has been due to liberalization, urbanization, increase in the disposable incomes and altered lifestyle. Furthermore, the boom has also been fuelled by the reduction in excise duties, de-reservation from the small-scale sector and the concerted efforts of personal care companies to attract the burgeoning affluent segment in the middle-class through product and packaging innovations. Unlike the perception that the FMCG sector is a producer of luxury items targeted at the elite, in reality, the sector meets the everyday needs of the masses. The lower-middle income group accounts for over 60% of the sector’s sales. Rural markets account for 56% of the total domestic FMCG demand. Many of the global FMCG majors have been present in the country for many decades. But in the last ten yea rs, many of the smaller rung Indian FMCG companies have gained in scale. As a result, the unorganized and regional players have witnessed erosion in market share. History of FMCG in India In India, companies like ITC, HLL, Colgate, Cadbury and Nestle have been a dominant force in the FMCG sector well supported by relatively less competition and high entry barriers (import duty was high). These companies were, therefore, able to charge a premium for their products. In this context, the margins were also on the higher side. With the gradual opening up of the economy over the last decade, FMCG companies have been forced to fight for a market share. In the process, margins have been compromised, more so in the last six years (FMCG sector witnessed decline in demand). Current Scenario The growth potential for FMCG companies looks promising over the long term horizon, as the per-capita consumption of almost all products in the country is amongst the lowest in the world. As per the Consumer Survey by KSAT echnopak, of the total consumption expenditure, almost 40% and 8% was accounted by groceries and personal care products respectively. Rapid  urbanization, increased literacy and rising per capita income are the key growth drivers for the sector. Around 45% of the population in India is below 20 years of age and the proportion of the young population is expected to increase in the next five years. Aspiration levels in this age group have been fuelled by greater media exposure, unleashing a latent demand with more money and anew mindset. In this backdrop, industry estimates suggest that the industry could triple in value by 2015 (by some estimates, the industry could double in size by2010). In our view, testing times for the FMCG sector are over and driving rural penetration will be the key going forward. Due to infrastructure constraints (this influences the cost-effectiveness of the supply chain), companies were unable to grow faster. Although companies like HLL and ITC have dedicated initiatives targeted at the rural market, these are still at a relatively nascent stage. The bottlenecks of the conventional distribution system are likely to be removed once organized retailing gains in scale. Currently, organized retailing accounts for just 3% of total retail sales and is likely to touch 10% over the next 3-5years. In our view, organized retailing results in discounted prices, forced-buying by offering many choices and also opens up new avenues for growth for the FMCG sector. Given the aggressive expansion plans of players like Pantaloons, Trent ,Shopper’s Stop and Shoprite, we are confident that the FMCG sector has a bright future. Budget Measures to Promote FMCG Sector 2% education cess corporation tax, excise duties and custom duties Concessional rate of 5% custom duty on tea and coffee plantation machinery Budget Impact The education cess will add marginally to the tax burden of all FMCG companies The dividend distribution tax on debt funds is likely to adversely affect the other income components of companies like Britannia, Nestle and HLL The measure to abolish excise duty on dairy machinery is a positive for companies like Nestle Concessional rate for tea and coffee plantation machinery is a positive for Tata Tea, HLL, Tata Coffee and other such companies Top Ten Players in FMCG Sector Companies:- 1. Hindustan Unilever Ltd. 2. ITC (Indian Tobacco Company) 3. Nestlà © India 4. GCMMF (AMUL) 5. Dabur India 6. Asian Paints (India) 7. Cadbury India 8. Britannia Industries 9. Marico Industries 10. Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care In order to carry out any research investigation there is a need of a Systematic method and to adopt a well-defined procedure for each and every research there is also a need of methodology. Methodology of any research constitutes the selection of representative sample of the universe or the general population, application of the appropriate research tools and the techniques. There is an old saying in Spain â€Å"TO BE A BULLFIGHTER YOU MUST LEARN TO BE BULL† means you never really understand a Person until you consider things from his point of view . In the same way to meet and satisfy the target customer the study of customers behavior of crucial important because he is king. Customer behavior studies , how individuals , groups and organizations selected buy use and dispose of goods , services, ideas or experiences to satisfy their needs and Desires. According to JAMES F. FUGAL, â€Å"Customers behavior consists of the acts of individuals in obtain and using goods and services including the decision process that precede and determine these acts. The research involves the following steps:- 1. DEFINE THE PROBLEM AND RESEARCH OBJECTIVE:- If the problem is clearly defined, it is half solved .The problem/Objective here to assess the scope of rural marketing for FMCG sector. 2 – COLLECT THE INFORMATION:- The information is collected from secondary sources-websites, magazines, newspapers, and magazines. 3- ANLAYZE THE INFORMATION:- The next step in the marketing research process is to exact Findings from the collected data. 4-PRESENT THE FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS:- As the last step, the findings and conclusion of whole Research are presented in the end. ANALYSIS OF FMCG MARKET The research report offers insights into the dynamics of growth in a competitive market environment. The salient features of development the survey have identified include:- The improvement has been much more pronounced in volume terms than in value terms for most of the products. One of the greatest achievements made by the FMCG industry has been the ‘sachet’ bugs which have helped the companies to introduce products in smaller package sizes, at lower price points and reach new users and to expand market share for value added products in urban India. Several cost saving measures, various tax benefits, rising demand, good monsoon have helped the industry to achieve positive growth. Most of the multinational companies have started sourcing their products from India. HLL has become the production center in respect of personal consumer products like oral care, skin care products, soap, detergents globally for Unilever. There  has been a trend from shift to own manufacturing from third party manufacturing or procuring goods from third party small-scale manufacturers. Though the companies are going global, they are focusing on the overseas markets like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Middle East and CiS countries because of the lifestyles, consumption habits similar to India. Godrej Consumer, Marico, Dabur, Vicco laboratories are among the companies. The offshoots and mushrooming of regional companies which are posing a threat to bigger FMCG companies like HLL. The rise of Jyothi Laboratories, throwing challenge to Reckitt Benckiser is a case in point. FMCG market remains highly fragmented with almost half of the market representing unbranded, unpackaged home made products. This presents a tremendous opportunity for makers of branded products who can convert consumers to branded products. There is competition between the organized and the unorganized sectors in the FMCG sector. Marketing and distribution are very important in FMCG companies. New products require a large investment in product development, market research, and awareness campaign, developing franchise for a new brand advertisements, free samples and product promotions. All these developments have made the consumers strong, who are in a position now to choose a variety of products, from a number of companies, at different price points. Bargaining power of customers is high. Key factors to success are distribution (in rural markets) and advertising (in urban markets). Critical factors for success are the ability to build, develop and maintain a robust distribution network. The fact that a lot of women have started looking for specialized products has driven growth. Post liberalization period provided the consumers the opportunity to make choices amongst the products of domestic companies and imported products