Food Ethics Essay

The ethics surrounding food hasn’t always been a major contributor in ones decision on what to eat. In the beginning, we would have to physically hunt or gather our meals in order to survive. The choice of what was for breakfast, lunch or dinner solely relied on what was accessible to us. The ethical questions would only come as a result of a modernized food system, where other options for food became accessible and convenient. In the essay Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace, the author describes lobsters in New England in the 1800’s as having an â€Å"Unbelievable abundance (238). † These crustaceous creatures were all over the shores of New England. Wallace writes about the Boston seashore as, â€Å"being littered with lobsters after hard storms†¦ (238). † Yet, Lobster were considered â€Å"low-class† and as Wallace states, â€Å"†¦eaten only by the poor and institutionalized (237). † It was considered unethical to even feed the poor lobster â€Å"†¦more than once a week (238). † This was modernized New England, which eventually changed at the turn of the century, just as Lobster shifted from being â€Å"low class† to â€Å"chewable fuel†. As the world became more industrialized, food became centralized. The shift from small businesses to large companies started to occur. The lobster industry changed as well during these times as Wallace describes, â€Å"Maine’s earliest lobster industry was based around a dozen such seaside canneries in the 1840’s, from which lobster was shipped as far away as California†¦ (238). † Just like the lobster industry in New England, many companies in the United States started to fulfill the demands for products to gain a profit. Ethics became secondary to making money. Corporations would produce so much that they would drive the price down, increasing its affordability and making it more accessible and widely consumed. Eventually, large companies would become so efficient and affordable, that small businesses like farms and mom and pop shops found it increasingly difficult to compete. Many small companies and farms had to either adjust their products to niche markets or work as a subsidiary to these corporations. Along with mass production of products, was a new manufacturing process. Foods started to become streamlined in such a way that they would grow in the harshest of environments. These new forms of industrialization lead to the creation of processed foods. The companies found ways to maximize profits while making the costs as affordable as possible for the consumer. The supermarkets offered everything one could think of, packaged and ready to eat. Although the prices for most foods were at an all-time low, hunger and malnutrition still existed. There were also issues arising regarding consumer trust in food safety, and the effects on the human body. As a result of these cost efficient products, people in the United States started to become increasingly heavy, leading to an obesity epidemic and a major health crisis. The ethical issues involving economical behavior of consumers and agricultural ethics are at question. Is it unethical for corporations to mass produce unhealthy foods, knowing the adverse side effects on the environment and growing rates of obesity in the United States? The trend seemed to lead to, the more affordable the food, the more we consume. Is this a personal problem or are the companies to blame for offering these products to us? We must first look into the goals of a business and if ethics play any part in the obligations to supply our population with affordable food. The very basic objective to any business is to create a profit. This is what allows companies to continue function and thrive. The best way for this to happen is to make something that is sellable and where there is room for profit. In the food industry corn is not only a commodity it’s a common ingredient in almost every product on our shelves. According to Michael Pollan, in his book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, It is also used to feed most of the animals that become meats in our supermarkets. To say that corn is widely used would be an understatement. It seemed that we couldn’t produce enough of this plant. Not only is our climate great for growing it, we also were able to store it very effectively. The boom in corn production can be traced back to the nineteen seventies. Since those same years, â€Å"†¦American’s average daily intake of calories has jumped by more than 10 percent (Pollan 102). † The reason for this increased caloric intake leaves many to question whether people are eating more because it’s less expensive or people are eating the same amounts but the food contains more calories. Either way, the companies that were producing these items didn’t seem to be bothered by the problem affecting â€Å"three of every five Americans being overweight (Pollan 102). † The truth is that the companies are driven by profits. The Americans who consume these foods create the profits. Additionally, a lot of these companies are traded on the public market and have a responsibility to their shareholders, who subsequently are the same ones buying these foods. So the companies were being driven to make profits for the people invested. Two of the biggest soda companies in the world, Coca-Cola and Pepsi, have followed these trends as well. As Pollen says, â€Å"By 1984, Coca-Cola and Pepsi had switched over entirely from sugar to high-fructose corn syrup. Why? Because HFCS was a few cents cheaper than sugar (thanks in part to tariffs on imported sugarcane secured by corn refiners) and consumers didn’t seem to notice the substitution (104). †It’s as if these corn companies were monopolizing the industry, trying to turn-over as much product as possible. The increased production would eventually lead to increased portion sizes. Instead of lowering the prices of products, companies started charging a small upcharge for additional food and soda. This practice of continually turning over product has become so dangerous that now, â€Å"†¦in 2000 the number of people suffering from [overnutrition]-a billion- had surpassed the number suffering from malnutrition-800 million (Pollan 102). † There is clearly something broken with this system. These companies are catering to our consumer appetites and enabling us to act accordingly. You would think that the prices of the food being low would solve our food problems globally, but the answer is unfortunately no. These companies are in places where there is both a market for high sales and where they can grow these crops. Most of the areas that are facing malnutrition are in remote areas of the world. These areas wouldn’t make the companies money and therefor there isn’t an incentive for them. On the other hand, America is of course one of the largest consumer countries in the world. Our desire for food is unsurpassed by most counties. There is no question that Americans have a sweet tooth. It is part of the human makeup to consume high energy foods and is linked to natural selection. According to Pollan, â€Å"Add fat or sugar to anything and it’s going to taste better on the tongue of an animal that natural selection has wired to seek out energy-dense foods (107). † Pollan also suggests that, â€Å"natural selection predisposed us to the taste of sugar and fat (its texture as well as taste) because sugars and fats offer the most energy (which is what a calorie is) per bite (106). † It’s only natural for humans to consume these ingredients, because after all we are â€Å"predisposed† to do them. This of course doesn’t mean that we are completely free of blame for our overindulging. We are all individuals and are responsible in formulating our own decisions. The companies which provide us with these calorie-packed foods and beverages also list their nutritional information on the packages. If we were to eat any packaged foods, we would be responsible for understanding the health risks involved. The real problem is whether we have the mental capacity to control our physical urges. There is extensive research that suggests, â€Å"†¦people {presented} with large portions will eat up to 30 percent more (Pollan 106). † At one time in our history, this might have served us. Now, there is no question that our bodies are becoming poisoned from this. Knowing all of this information, companies continue doing their best to offer these calorie-packed foods. This is evident in just about every corner store and fast food restaurant. The ethics concerning public safety and effects on the human body are clear. Companies are only concerned over their ability to raise a profit. Their aim to create profits from the overconsumption of high energy foods has been effective in making Americans unhealthy, while continuing to turn over profits. While the companies are certainly a large part of the problem, the consumers are also to blame. They have enabled this overproduction by continuing to consume the same products making them sick. Additionally, people seem to be ignoring their recommended caloric intakes and are choosing to eat more and more. Companies can only be blamed for producing products with limited nutritional value. They are ethically absolved of their responsibilities if they inform their consumers properly. Their goal is to make profits, not worry whether their consumers are eating the recommended serving size or not. The best way to take control of this issue would to be to consume less and choose healthier options as individuals. The more aware we become as individuals, the healthier we will become as a society.

News and History: Re-Inventing Iraq Through British Drawdown

Early this month U.S. Defense Department’s Secretary Robert Gates and British Defense Secretary Des Browne met in London to agree on the withdrawal of half of the British troops in   Iraq. They said that the pull out was not because of any mounting domestic political pressure from any individual or groups but because of the improved situation in the said region. Des Browne said that Britain and the U.S. have the same aspirations for Iraq. But while the situation in Iraq continues to stabilize, in Afghanistan, however, it was the opposite. Des Browne is calling for additional international forces to be sent to Afghanistan which he said as part of the â€Å"long-term commitment† to pursue stability in those areas. That probably is the catch for the withdrawal because according to him all the 2,500 troops that would be taken out in southern part of Iraq would be diverted to Afghanistan to support the present force manning those territories. The two powerful personalities agreed that there is no need for most of the forces in those parts of Iraq and that the withdrawal was agreed by Gen. David Petraeus who was the highest military personnel in Iraq. Accordingly the situation in this part of the region has been neutralized and had been peaceful in the past few months and no major war can be foreseen. Also, Australian troops would be included among those to be withdrawn. These three countries have been blood allies from the beginning and such decision are always being agreed by these three powerful nations. But that is not the end of the news, however. According to the New York Times, in reality there is still continuous fighting between the rival Shiite factions who are trying to gain control of the oil-rich section of Iraq. Just recently, politicians were assassinated in the provinces of Muthanna and Diwaniyah. These provinces were located in the southern part of the country and people say that these political killings are being done by certain groups to have control over all of the oil reserve found in these areas. Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair was somewhat dismayed of the growing fractionalization and rebellion in Iraq. The Prime Minister has always been supporting the U.S. in its long time war with Iraq and ironically his decade-long tenure ended in June this year. Blair was questioning British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s decision on the issue of withdrawal and for now Brown had to distance himself from the embattled ex-Prime Minister. Britain has more than 5,000 troops particularly situated in Iraq while the U.S. has nearly 170,000 troops all stationed around Iraq. After the announcement of the withdrawal, Brown said those who will remain would be tasked to train Iraqi government troops and will only fight if necessary. They will also be withdrawn by the end of next year, he said. The New York Times also reported that some U.S. Marines were proposing to be pulled out along with the Britons and also wanted to move to Afghanistan because they feel they are better suited to fight in that war (Youssef, 2007). This news was more related with Toby Dodge’s book Inventing Iraq where in the old days the British colonizes part of the Ottoman territories in the now modern Iraq and built frontiers to keep natives from uniting and throwing them out of their colonies. British has long been trying to conquer Iraq because of its vast oil resources and widening its territories. Although it has established itself temporarily, ultimately it failed to conquer the country due to Britain’s misguided policies plus the ever intervening attitude of the U.S. The result was a failure of governance and ultimately the assumption of rule by the Iraqis. The author has explicitly vindicated the fate of the oppressed as against the oppressor and implied that no one has the right to rule anybody because it is unjust and immoral. Reference: Youssef, N. A. (2007). Gates: British Drawdown In Iraq Due To Improved Conditions [Electronic Version]. Retrieved October 17, 2007 from http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/20393.html.      

Black Footed Ferret

Black Footed Ferret Essay In the past three decades very few endangered species have been restored toviable populations. The black footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) was believed tobe the most endangered mammal in the united states. It is a small mink sizedcarnivore of the Great plains and intermountain basins The ferrets appear to beobligatory predators on the prairie dogs and once occupied a range essentiallyidentical to that of the prairie dogs. They prey on them and also use theirburrows for shelter and nesting. The prairie dogs are considered agriculturalpests and competitors with livestock since white settlement first began in theAmerican west. Large scale rodent control programs were implemented by the stateand federal governments. They drastically reduced the population of prairie dogs(and other species related to the prairie dog ecosystem) through trapping,gassing and poisoning. These poisoning programs were considered a major cause ofthe ferrets demise. But, the main cause was the loss of the ferrets preybase and appropriate habitat. Their remaining habitat was fragmented thusleaving the ferret population vulnerable to extinction from various causesincluding inability to find mates, inbreeding depression, environmental events,and disease of ferrets and their prey. The ferrets were believed to be extinctin 1974, but in 1981 a ferret was discovered in Meeteetsee, Wyoming when a ranchdog killed an unusual animal eating from its food dish and the rancher took thecarcass to a knowledgeable taxidermist. This was viewed as a rare chance torecover the species. In 1985, a catastrophic disease struck the small ferretpopulation, and most remaining animals were taken into captivity. Captivebreeding was initiated, and reintroduction into the wild from the captivepopulation began in 1991. The ferret is just one of more than 900 species listedunder the Endangered Species act as either threatened or endangered. Over threethousand more species wait on a list of candidates for such status, but in the1980s over thirty-four species went extinct while on the waiting list (Cohn,1993). Is the ferret program representative of the national effort to recoverspecies? Main body: United States policy on endangered species, including theferret and hundreds of other plants and animals, is codified in the 1973Endangered Species act (ESA ,as amended, U.S. Congress 1983, Bean 1991) . Thispiece of legislation sets a national goal the prevention of any furtherextinction and the restoration of species currently threatened with extinction. The ESA is a highly popular piece of legislature because no one would advocatethe killing of an entire species. But the simple goal of saving a species cloaksa complicated process. The ferret case is a good illustration of how the ESA isactually outfitted, how and state officials and others tackle the complex workof restoring species, and how problems come about in nearly all recovery plans. In short, the ferret rescue is a measure of how the ESA really works. Afterfinding the small population in Wyoming, in 1981, one might expect a well ledand smoothly coordinated recovery effort to have been quickly organized to savea species that had been recognized as Americas most endangered mammal. Manyuniversities, conservation organizations, state and federal agencies, and localpeople were willing to help. Collectively they command substantial resources,not only in terms of money: national and international expertise on populationgenetics and small population management, experienced field researchers, testedbreeding facilities, and support staffs from major zoos. All that was needed forthe ferrets to be restored swiftly, professionally, and efficiently was a meansto bring the talent together in a productive well organized program. Under theESA, the task of organizing recovery efforts is the responsibility of thefederal government acting through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and theU.S. National Marine Fisheries Service. Federal officials had numerous optionsopen to them at the start of the ferret program, one of which was to functionlike administrators of a large hospital, pulling together a world-classprofessional team, supporting the necessary work with adequate funding,equipment and facilities, and relying on the teams judgment to bring aboutthe patients recovery. But this model was not selected. The ferret programwas organized and operated very differently. Section 6 of the ESA requires thatstates be involved to the maximum extent practicable. Early in 1982,the federal government turned the main responsibility for ferret restorationover to the state of Wyoming. Almost immediately, problems began to emerge. READ: Prostitution EssayThrough a formal resolution, the American Society of mammologists (1986:786)urged the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wyoming Fish and Game department,and other state wildlife departments, and numerous and numerous interestedconservation groups to make broader recovery efforts than those exhibitedby the current program. Miller, Reading, and Forest (Miller et al.1996:208)identify the FWS as the national agent responsible for maintaining professionalrestoration programs. It is our contention, they write, thatRegion 6, of the FWS, failed to make the ferret recovery a national program. Itmay have been easiest for Region 6 to acuiesence to Wyomings agenda in theshort term, but the strategy has probably impaired the recovery in the long run. People, or agencies, in a position to improve conservation should not simplythrow money at a problem, but invest in time and attention as well. TheWyoming Game and Fish department was interested in doing whatever was necessaryto insure that the ferrets be returned to the wild in Wyoming first, whether ornot Wyoming was the best place to introduce them. There could have been sites inother states which were better suited for ferret reintroduction, but thejealousy of the Wyoming Game and Fish department prevents them from consideringsuch an alternative. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition (1990) concluded thatstate-level concerns had taken precedence over national recovery issues. TheWilderness Society concluded that of the 495 species listed in 1988, only about16 (3.2 percent) are recovering. Another 18 listed species (3.6 percent) mayhave already been extinct. This is a record that fails to demonstrate the basicpromises of the act. The General Accounting Office (1992) added that of sixt eenspecies removed from the list, five were recovered, seven were extinct, and fourwere reclassified because of misinformation. Two federal audits of the ESAimplementation have been conducted. Reviews of the FWS endangered speciesprogram and found that the federal government did not maintain centralizedinformation needed to determine how well the overall program was operating. Required recovery plans have not been developed and approved for many species. In 16 recovery plans that were investigated in depth, nearly half of the taskslisted had not been undertaken even though the plans had been approved, onaverage, more than four years earlier. Fws officials attributed this to shortageof funds, the inspector general of the Interior department has lambastedhis federal colleagues at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, charging that theymay be sending species to extinction (Holden1990). Conclusion: Thedestruction of other life forms because of the actions of people is a problemwith profound biological, ecological, economic, and ethical dimensions. We mustassume that a healthy biosphere is in the common interest of humanity. Appreciation of the fundamental importance and far-sightedness of the EndangeredSpecies Act and other biodiversity protection policies has grown over the lasttwo decades, but that has neither prevented nor appreciably slowed theextinction crisis. Around the globe, the problem of extinction is extreme andgrowing, with perhaps scores of species disappearing everyday. The ESA ispotentially a powerful tool to better the extinction crisis, and in many wayshas served as a global model. But despite its value both substantively andsymbolically, there are problems with it, as both the biological and politicaltrends of the past years attest. Implementation has fallen short of promise. Protecting species under the ESA is a long , complex process. Once species arerecognized as deserving of protection and are listed, conservation programs mustbe designed, approved, and then implemented. Almost four thousand species in theUnited States now wait to be afforded the basic protections of the ESA; severalhundred, many of them plants may already be extinct. Beyond the listing process,there are innumerable steps, activities and processes that make up the ESAimplementation. The extinction problem in the U.S. and the world is apparentlygrowing faster than practical policy responses can be generated to stop it. Theblack footed ferret was a good example for showing how there are problems withthe conservation process and limitations of conventional approaches. The ferretrestoration program was fraught with problems, which has added to its notorietyin the public eye and the scientific and conservation communities. If we are toimprove the policy-making process for conserving biodiv ersity, we mustacknowledge the problem openly, honestly, and realistically. We must turn ourknowledge of saving species and take turn it into more effective, more efficientconservation gains. In other words, we must reconstruct the endangered speciesrecovery process. READ: History of Solar Energy EssayBibliographyAmerican Society of Mammologists. 1986. Recovery andrestoration of the black footed ferret. Journal of mammology 67:786. Bean,M.J.1983. The evolution of national wildlife law. Prager, New York. Cohn,J.P.1993. Defenders of biodiversity. Government executive national journal,April:18-22 General accounting office. 1988. Endangered species: Managementimprovements could enhance recovery programs. GAO/RCED 89-5. GPO, Washington. Holden, C.1990. Ecology hero in the interior department. Science 250:620-621. Miller, B.J., R. Reading, C. Conway, J.A. Jackson, M.A. Hutchins, N. Snyder, S. Forest, J. Frazier, and S. Derricson. 1994. Improving endangered speciesprograms: Avoiding organizational pitfalls, tapping the resources, and addingaccountability. Environmental Management 18:637-645. Reffault, W. 1991. Theendangered species lists: Chronicles of extinction? P.77-75. Island Press,Washington.

Classical And Modern Natural Art Forms Case Study

Classical And Modern Natural Art Forms - Case Study Example Opera is a multi-dimensional art form that brings numerous art forms together. It is all art forms rolled into one. The numerous arts that are present in an opera are costumes (couture), the story (theatre), sets (visual art), dance (choreography), lighting (technical art), singing (vocal art), drama (acting) and orchestra (music) (Zouves, 2009). All these arts converge and result in a perfect performing art called opera. Films are also an art form and more importantly, the most liked and appreciated the modern form of entertainment. Films too like an opera use different art forms to produce a single art form (Livingston, 2009). A film is different from other art forms in the way that it records and captures the performance as a series of images and then reproduces it to be watched multiple times without actually having to put in the efforts. That it reproduces the performance as and when desired. The stage is a very important aspect during an opera performance. Appropriate use of th e entire stage is very essential in order to grab the attention of the audience. If the stage is not used to the best effect, then an opera act will not be able to integrate itself with the musical idiom of the operatic text, ideas and the atmosphere (Parker, 2001). The entire act is performed on a single stage including orchestra which will be stationed on the stage. An opera performance requires frequent re-formation of the stage to suit the scenarios (Ewans, 2007). On the other hand, films don’t have a centralized stage like an opera. Films are shot on real locations and artificial sets put up to portray real places. More than the use of the stage, the way it is captured by the camera is more important. The priority in a film is in the way the stage is designed and captured rather than the use of it by artists.

Evaluating The Research Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Evaluating The Research Process - Essay Example Thomson Medical carried out a research on childhood obesity focused with the research questions such as; what are the costs of obesity, what are the appropriate treatment patterns, what are the disparities in care and prevalent medical conditions. This study considered the following ethical issues when collecting data; consent, privacy and confidentiality. The facilitator had to obtain consent from parents and guardians by promising them that the names of the children affected was not to be revealed. Thus, the question of privacy and confidentiality was addressed from the parental consent. Obesity is considered as an epidemic in America. A research quoted in the literature review indicates that 16% of U.S children could be obese (Christofell, 2012). Further the study shows that the health problem is more prevalent to children covered by public health insurance for instance Medicaid as compared to those covered by private insurances. According to the findings, children covered by publ ic health insurance are about six times like to be treated with obesity as compared to those covered by private insurance. ... ational cost of childhood obesity is estimated to be approximately $11 billion for children with private insurance and $3 billion for those in Medicaid. In addition children covered by Medicaid are six times more likely to be diagnosed with obesity than those covered by private insurance. Obesity was also found to be a major cause of absents in schools where it was found that obese children are absent for more days than the average weight children. Among the studied population, obese children missed school for 12.2 days on average per year while those of average weight missed for an average of 10 days (Christofell, 2012). Such kind of absenteeism disrupts children learning, causes parents to miss work has accost effect to the school systems. Children diagnosed with obesity are 2 to 3 more likely to be hospitalized and children who receive public insurance are less likely to visit the doctor but they are more likely visit the hospital more often as compared to children with private in surance (Wilkins, 2011). Children treated for obesity is more likely to get a mental health disorders or joint and bone disorders than non-obese children. Treatment for these conditions can contribute to the higher medical costs than average weight children. Other conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease are likely to emerge as these children age, causing medical costs associated with obesity to continue rising. The methodology used involved an analysis examination of the subset of children treated for obesity as recorded in the national database for children with private health insurance and database of children with public insurance. The research focused on children aged 17 years and under who had received diagnosis of obesity as small fraction of the obese children because most

Explain and analyse the conflicts between Sociological theories of Essay

Explain and analyse the conflicts between Sociological theories of Disability and Chronic Illness - Essay Example Parsons maintains that the notion of health is specifically significant in any society because of the value system of the societies, which underline self-autonomy and individual accomplishment, and the advanced level of demarcation in its social structure. Parsons (1975) proposes that disability and illness is dysfunctional to the social system for the reason that it hampers individuals and debilitates their successful fulfilment of social roles. He claims that society perceives disability and illness as forms of deviance that have to be regulated since they create difficulties for the individual and for the larger society. In UK, people suffering from chronic illnesses and disabilities also face problems like in other societies. The social system of the society is somehow in disadvantage because of disabled and chronically diseased people (Gouldner 1973). Parsons (1975) argues that individuals who are disabled or ill are permitted to have particular immunities and opportunities denied to other forms of social deviance. Disability studies have a political obligation to materialist social model standpoints that identify the centrality of disability as oppression, created through social structures and systems (Abberley, 1987).   Whereas medical sociology favours interpretive viewpoints that facilitate a focus on micro-social interactions.   It remains entrenched in and is largely dedicated to a notion of disability as social deviance (Bury 1997, Williams 2001). Yet simultaneously, these individuals get hold of particular responsibilities, indicating that the individual who takes in the ‘sick role’ has to address four traditional expectations and responsibilities: the sick individual is excused from normal social role obligations; the sick individual is not held accountable for the disability or illness and cannot become healthy merely by an act of determination; the

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

School Counseling - Research Paper Example The program also prepares students for improving their social behaviors that are needed to grow positively in the society. Here, an important point to mention is that a school counseling program is not just focused towards working with students, rather it works collaboratively with all stakeholders of the institute that include parents, teachers, students, and the community members. The purpose of engaging all stakeholders in the counseling program is to ensure that students prosper in an all-inclusive environment, which is extremely important for a student to reach his/her highest potential. The role of the school counselor is critical in improving academic and personal behaviors of the students. As Brown and Trusty (2005), â€Å"School counselors can use strategic interventions to improve academic achievement† (p. 1). A counselor is actually a guide or a leader who serves the needs of the students by taking in consideration their needs and demands and conveying them to the related authorities if necessary. It is the job of a counselor to listen to the concerns of students individually and in groups to identify their behavioral deficiencies and learning needs, as well as to help them improve their behaviors and achieve academic goals. A counselor listens to the students to get their viewpoints about the learning environment and tells them the ways to prosper in the environment in an appropriate manner. It is also the responsibility of a counselor to guide students in developing and maintain positive peer-to-peer and student-teacher relationships both of which are necessary for the students to show improved school performances. A counselor also works on improving the social attitudes and behaviors of students to help them become productive citizens. The phases of a school counseling program include planning, designing, implementing,

Of Ocado Chief Executive Tim Steiner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Of Ocado Chief Executive Tim Steiner - Essay Example wastage include indicating a â€Å"use by† label on their products and donating foods that exceed the guaranteed product life but are within product’s â€Å"use by† dates. Carbon emission and food wastage reduction are important initiatives because they uphold a clean and safe environment that benefits businesses and the community at large. Ocado takes deliberate initiatives to reward and appreciate its employees. The company’s employee benefits package includes allowing its employees to own its share with an aim to give them a sense of ownership over the company. It does this through its Ocado Sharesave Scheme that enables employees to save and own shares proportional to their savings. This is an important element of corporate social responsibility because employees are crucial to the success of any business. Charitable donations are an important element of Ocado’s corporate social responsibility. It has a charity committee that organizes events and devices ways of raising funds. Ocado has given to Macmillan Cancer Support, British Heart Foundation and NSPCC. Charitable donations show a company’s selflessness and

Read my requirement and write information Assignment

Read my requirement and write information - Assignment Example The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has identified Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to be a common childhood disorder. NIMH states that children as young as seven years old are most vulnerable to ADHD. In addition, the condition affects 5.0% young adults in America. NIMH further explains that 10% of American teenagers (between 13 and 18) are prone to ADHD. The condition is also discriminatory on gender with NIMH claiming that boys are highly at risk as compared to girls (4:1). However, it is not clear why the number of children being affected by the condition is rising by the day. The main motivation for conducting the research is to identify the relationship between anxiety and depressive disorders with the deficit disorder with hyperactivity in children between 6 and 15 years old. The NIMH has identified three major symptoms for ADHD namely; The psychological make-up of children influences their emotions in different situations; that is, they get excited and bored relatively quick. Such character traits may get out-of-hand and influence their personality. As a result, they may portray personality disorders that require immediate mental health care. In a report titled Anxiety and Depressive Disorders in Attention Deficit Disorder With Hyperactivity, Peter Jensen, Robert Shervette, Stephen Xenakis, and John Ritchers explore the inequality inherent in the diagnosis of ADHD among children. They concluded that family and psychosocial stressors contribute to ADHD for concurrent psychiatric disorders. In addition, they stated that different subtypes of ADHD require different treatment options considering the different etiologic pathways. The variables used for the study were among age, gender, and military rank, whereby 47 children were matched with others in the psychiatric clinic and the pediatric attention deficit disorder clinic. The 47

Brand management the case of Verticon Ltd Essay

Brand management the case of Verticon Ltd - Essay Example On the other hand, it has been supported that â€Å"brands often can't justify the time and expense of developing new competencies until they are well behind the opportunity curve; successful licensing offers a way of accelerating new product development and deepening brand relevance† [1]. In other words, in order for branding to bring the necessary results, it has to be appropriately designed and developed taking into account that each particular company has its strengths and weaknesses that can be differentiated from the other firms that operate in the same industrial sector. For this reason, the brand management strategy which is going to be implemented in a particular company has to follow specific rules and, most important, to be adapted to the specific firm’s characteristics trying to promote the positive aspects of the organizational structure. Current paper refers specifically to the development of a brand management strategy for Verticon Ltd, a company that ope rates in the British market and especially in the fashion industry. The above firm operates quite long in the particular market, however the increase of the power of its competitors led the corporate managers to decide the establishment of a brand trying to enforce the firm’s performance and ‘secure’ its position in its market.

Hybrid electric vehicle Essay Example for Free

Hybrid electric vehicle Essay 1) Who is the target market for each of the following cars? What do you think motivates them to purchase these cars? A)Toyota Prius B)Toyota Prado The Toyota Prius is a hybrid electric car which is one of the first of its kind to be mass produced and marketed. The unique feature of the Prius is its Hybrid Synergy Drive which makes use of both the traditional petrol driven engine and an electric motor. This electric motor allows the Prius to switch off its petrol engine when stationary; and recharge the electric motor using the kinetic energy produced when braking. This not only conserves a lot of energy and petrol, and also allows for a smoother drive in the city areas which tend to have greater road congestion. Toyota’s largest target market would be educated working adults in developed urbanised countries especially in the West where there is a subculture of environmental concerns and issues which are relatively more active compared with the rest of the world. Thus the educated working class in these countries would be attracted to the Prius’ energy and fuel savings, and automatic battery recharging which would not only be a lot more environmentally friendly, but would ensure a more smoothly-powered ride to work in a congested city morning. Furthermore, the affordability of the Prius as compared to other Toyota vehicles coupled with even greater cost savings on fuel – cuts fuel consumption by 40% is an added incentive for these environmentally conscious consumers as they might worry that specially designed green technology might be expensive One of the factors that could motivate these consumers to purchase the Prius is lifestyle. These consumers would be largely influenced by social needs which would in turn shape their own beliefs and attitudes. With the constant reminders of depleting energy resources and global warming in society today, people’s attitudes are changing as they become more willing to adopt new approaches to conserve energy – an environmentally friendly car for the purpose of travelling. Furthermore, as the target market’s lifestyle patterns would be to get to work efficiently and economically, they would want a car that is affordable. Hence these are the factors motivating them to purchase the Toyota Prius. 1b) The Toyota Prado is one of Toyota’s newest SUVs with a four wheel drive and a powerful engine that aims to give its driver an edge above the usual car. The main strengths of the Prado aside from its power is the spaciousness inside and also the stability of the vehicle. The main target market of the Prado would be the sports and outdoors inclined consumers. These buyers will be looking for a car that has enough space and gadgets to transport large sports equipment like bicycles, scuba-gear, surfing†¦ among others. Lifestyle is an influential factor in the buyer’s choice of car. An upper/middle working class executive might choose the Prius for its sleekness and elegance, whereas a buyer who spends much of his time in the outdoors would choose the Prado. The 4 wheel drive that is powered by a strong engine is a significant advantage for buyers who frequently travel on rough terrain. Also the enhanced control and traction that the Prado provides would allow for a smoother ride for the buyer on such ground. Another factor that could motivate these buyers is their own personalities or self-concepts. While some buyers might not be that involved in the outdoors or be so sports-inclined, they might want to portray a more rugged and masculine side of themselves. An example would be in Singapore where there is hardly any road conditions that require the all-terrain drive of a 4 wheel drive vehicle; however, SUVs are a common sight. These could be the manifestations of a psychological need of some buyers who feel a connection with the ‘tough’ and sporty image that a Prado would give. In conclusion, I can see how Toyota has successfully chosen its target markets and analysed their motivations to help them develop different types of cars to cater to each market. This would allow them to appeal to a greater share of the consumer pie, and hence might allow them to gain greater market share.

If I Could tell you W. H. auden overall themes Essay Example for Free

If I Could tell you W. H. auden overall themes Essay The poem discusses a number of ideas surrounding time, and the ability to see into the future, and learn from things. It can also be seen as a love poem between Auden and his prospective lover, Kallam. It depicts a kind of wisdom, or can be seen as showing a know-it-all attitude. Conversely, it can even be seen as saying ‘we don’t know what the future may hold, just run with it. ’ Interesting Ideas/Features Time Time is vital to the poem, as it is what is discussed most. 1. ‘Time’ Time is a proper noun whenever it is mentioned in the poem; it is personified. Time can be seen throughout the poem as something which cannot be stopped, represented by the themes of repetition and death which come up throughout. Time is made to feel almost like a God, something supernatural over which we have no control. Only it knows our future, and we can never know, only in hindsight can we help others. Even then, we cannot tell them what to do. Time is over-arching and always there, it is the essence of life and surrounds you. Time can also be seen as useless, we cannot see into the future so we might as well take risks and go for things because we never know what may happen. The reference to ‘pay’ suggests death is a debt that must be paid to time, even love cannot avoid this fate – Time is inevitable. Time is indifferent to the quarrels and fears of man, it simply progresses onwards. The impersonal nature of time is presented throughout the poem. It doesn’t have a personality and stays quiet and in the shadows for most of the poem. Voice 1. ‘I’ – The poem is written in a first person narrative voice; Auden’s. This makes the poem intimate and personal, perhaps in an attempt to seduce his lover, Kallam. It also makes it intimate with any reader, almost as if he is trying to communicate a message with anyone who reads the poem. However, the ‘I’ could be seen as being anyone; it could be a wise man to a young son, warning him of the perils of time and the repetition of life, or it could be from one lover to another. The voice of the poet is dominant and contrasts with the voice of time which is simply lurking in the background, quietly doing its work. The speaker blames Time for unwanted changes in life. Poetical Structure. The structure of the poem is also significant and key to its overarching meaning. ‘Vilanelle Form’ The form of the structure is a villanelle, 19 lines long, five stanzas of three lines and one of four. Lines one and three of the first stanza appear at the end of the other stanzas. Line two in each stanza rhymes with line two in each other stanza and it ends with a rhyming couplet. This ordered structure can have a number of meanings. Firstly, it can be representative of the poet trying to make sense of time and of his relationship. Often, poets will use ordered structures to try and make things clearer and easier to understand. The poem has a definite pace, representative of the pace of time, which is constant and cannot be halted or stopped. The restrictive form of the poem contrasts against its emotional message, which is one of more unrestrictive love and a willingness to just ‘go for it’. However, it serves to remind us that time is always there and will always restrict us in some ways. The sense of urgency created from the repetition and use of enjambment conveys the true message of the poem, to love while you have the chance. Time is restrictive, so perhaps the message of the poem is that we should do our best to love and live within the restraints of time, rather than trying to supersede it. There is no definite narrative or story about the poem. The poem can therefore be seen as a skeleton or example for stories. It suggests a message though. Use of Modal Verbs, Conditionals, Imperatives and Rhetorical Questions Blah blah blah. ‘Should, could’- The use of modal verbs is very important within the poem. It gives the narrative a feel of uncertainty; that even with the passage of time and the power of hindsight we cannot truly know what will happen in the future. However, this uncertainty, to Auden, perhaps doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try things in love. He hints throughout the poem to the fact that perhaps sometimes it is necessary to try things and see how they turn out. Although, he does still hint to the fact that rushing a relationship may not be the best idea ‘perhaps the roses really want to grow’; connoting to the growth of their relationship. They also serve as a profession of honesty, as Auden himself admits he doesn’t know what will happen. It can thus be seen as a love poem which offers no frilly illusions or impossible promises but is instead firmly based in reality. This contrasts heavily to the works of Keats who was often far more romantic. ‘If we should, If I could tell you’ These conditional clauses have a very similar effect to the modal verbs. It points to the fact that again, nothing is certain, and sometimes it is up to us to make our own decisions rather than relying on others. It also seems like the battle against Time is hopeless, it will pass relentlessly no matter what we do. The use of ‘we’ in ‘If we should’ is also interesting. It contrasts with the more direct address Auden uses throughout the rest of the poem (favouring ‘I). It creates a feeling of confusion as to whether Auden is speaking to humans as a whole, to us directly or to his lover Kallam. It gives the poem a number of differing messages depending on how you read into it. ‘Will Time say nothing but I told you so? ’ – Includes both a rhetorical question and an imperative (will). This demonstrates that despite his analysis of time and his relationship, he still doesn’t really understand the essence of time, as he has to ask Time itself whether it will ‘say I told you so’. The voice of time itself is relatively silent throughout the poem, and Auden fears that the only thing it will say is ‘I told you so’, which could again relate back to the concept of hindsight. Contrasting Language ‘Weep, Decay’ This use of ‘dark’ and depressing language is used throughout the poem to give it a more sombre tone. However, this is juxtaposed next to the childish language associated with the carnival ‘clowns, lions etc’. This could be symbolic, illustrating how the reality of time would cast fear over people if it were not for the presence of love. Love, perhaps, is one thing which can stem the flow of time and stop it becoming too depressing. The overall tone of the poem does seem somewhat pessimistic on face value, and the carnival language can be seen as rather unnerving rather than comforting. However, when looked at more deeply, there is a small amount of hope professed in the poem, no matter how small it is! The verb ‘decay’ is also significant. The decaying of leaves relates to the cyclical nature of time and death. It is unavoidable and a process that happens again and again, showing the unrelenting nature of Time. Confusing Syntax ‘Because I love you†¦ I would let you know’ – This part of the third stanza uses complicated and confusing syntax in order to make the reader refrain, and perhaps read over it again. This therefore forces the reader to seriously contemplate what they are actually reading.

The Concept of Acculturation

The Concept of Acculturation Acculturation has been defined in many ways and various definitions are provided to give a better understanding of the concept. According to Suinn and Khoo, acculturation is a process that can occur when two or more cultures interact . Furthermore, Berry defined acculturation as a process concerning two or more cultural groups with consequences for both; in effect however, the contact experiences have much greater impact on the non-dominant group and its members . This chapter explains briefly the theoretical concepts at the basis of this study and focuses on the acculturation process of Indian American immigrants with respect to their dress, food, marriage customs, religion and language. As Indians have a very diverse and rich culture going back to thousands of years, one can assume that it may be very difficult for them to change or adapt to a new culture and tradition when they immigrate to America. At the same time we have to assume that Indian culture has also undergone changes within the past 50 years. Some of these issues are discussed in this section with representative examples. It is very important to understand the concepts of cultural change before discussing acculturation. A bilinear model regarding the adaption to a new culture is proposed by John Berry and his colleagues . These authors theorized the following four acculturation attitudes: integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization based on combining either high or low levels of acculturation and enculturation: (see Figure 3.1). The meaning of these four different attitudes is explained. As John Berry claims, integration involves immigrants accepting the new culture, while maintaining close ties with their original culture. These immigrants learn and follow local customs without losing their bond with their customs from their homeland. They are both highly acculturated and enculturated as shown in the diagram below . Assimilation, on the other hand, involves immigrants who totally accept the new culture, and reject their original culture. These immigrants will learn the language and follow local customs so thoroughly that no trace of their original heritage remains. People become assimilated in American society when they erased their cultural identity, unlearned their ethnic cultural practices and beliefs, and accepted the core values of mainstream American culture . Separation occurs when immigrants reject their new culture and live according to the customs of their original culture. These immigrants move to a new culture and find people from their homeland, and live as if they are still in their original culture, only in a different place . Marginalization represents immigrants who reject the new as well as their original culture. These immigrants no longer feel comfortable with their heritage, but the new culture does not appeal to them either . According to Berry, the attitude affects the process of acculturation. For example, as immigrants prepare to go to the U.S., they may have decided to assimilate into the culture. However, upon arrival they discover that they reject some customs of their new country. As a result they change their attitude from assimilation to integration. Thus, the attitude changes according to the various traits of the immigrants. Portes and Rumbaut argue for three major factors that can impact and change the attitude of immigrants. According to Portes and Rumbaut three factors are vital to understanding the acculturation trajectories of contemporary migrants. The first factor is their educational background, fluency in the English language, and economic and class status in their homeland. The second factor refers to the social policies of the host government and the historical and contemporary perceptions and attitudes of the mainstream society toward a particular immigrant group. The third factor is the immigrants social presence and networks and their family structure. The educational background of the immigrant groups and their social class back home are the social and cultural capital that they bring with them, which has an enormous impact on their economic assimilation. Although all three factors help determine how immigrants will acculturate into the larger mainstream American society, the second factor is the most relevant to shaping the acculturation outcomes of many nonwhite immigrants, especially of t hose immigrant groups who have little social and cultural capital and are not white. Even though the Indian Diaspora is racially distinct from the larger American mainstream, professional Indian Americans have an abundance of human-cultural capital acquired through their advanced education, knowledge of the English language, and social class in their home country. The low political profile of the Indian Diaspora also gives them a degree of invisibility that shields them from the scrutiny of the larger mainstream culture . The three major factors of acculturation presented by Portes and Rumbaut naturally change the course of the process for many immigrants. For example, an immigrant with poor English skills, who is determined to assimilate, may find it impossible because of the language barrier and decide instead to integrate into or even separate from the host culture. Bhatias work illustrates the process of how these factors affect Indian immigrants as they adapt to their new culture. Indians after immigrating to America, inevitably undergo some type of adjustment or acculturation process. Though inside the home Indian immigrants could maintain their culture, once outside the home, the system or society itself forced Indians into the acculturation process on all levels of culture. It is necessary to understand how immigrants acculturate in the U.S. As Waters and Bhatia suggest, unlike many Caribbean immigrants, most Indian professionals are middle class, live in suburban America, and are not subject to the structural inequalities of low wages, racism, and violent neighborhoods . However, there are some parallels in how both these groups of migrants come to terms with their racial and ethnic identity. On one hand, the Indian migrants are very proud of their Indian ethnicity and heritage. On the other hand, they invoke what Bhatia calls the discourse of sameness [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] and universal humanity to distance themselves from their racial and ethnic identity . I n other words, they realize that certain costs associated with being Indian are painful and hurtful and that invoking the discourse of sameness is meant to establish equivalence with the white majority. For example, Indian immigrants compare their experiences in the work place with those experiences of white Americans in an attempt to show equality with the majority. In one of Bhatias interviews an immigrant credits his own hard work and accomplishments for his position in the company, while: If I was a white American male, you know, maybe there would be prejudice because Im too short. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] So being an Indian, I dont think it put me at a different spot. Or at least, thats how I feel . Sunil Bhatias study demonstrates that the members of the transnational Indian Diaspora are more comfortable with a cultural identity than a racial identity because their insertion in the transnational Diaspora has transformed them from being Indian to being people of color . The research illustrates the complicated nature of the acculturation of Indian immigrants. As demonstrated above, the attitude of the immigrants toward their new host country is only a starting point for the process. As these immigrants experience their new culture, their own personal background reshapes their attitude, and changes the way they interact with people, regardless of nationality. Clearly Indian immigrants move through a process as they acculturate to their new surroundings. While Berry, Portes and Rumbaut and Bahtia all approach the subject from different directions and perspectives, and though they may not agree with one another, it is clear that each body of research illustrates a complicated process of acculturation. Taken individually the research results may appear to be contradictory, however, a closer analysis shows that their research actually supports one another. The attitude of the immigrants, studied by Berry, plays a major role in the process, but these attitudes may change in response to the three major factors affecting acculturation presented by Portes and Rumbaut. This ever changing process has been documented in Bhatias work, which demonstrates that immigrants adapt individually to their new culture, in this case the United States. That means there is no set formula for determining what will happen to an immigrant once he or she arrives. This process takes place within any immigrant to any country, therefore it will be beneficial to de monstrate specifically some of the elements unique to Indian immigrants, and how these elements influence the process. Influencing Elements of Acculturation Family Perhaps the most important element to consider for Indian immigrants is family. As these Indian immigrants relocate to the U.S., start a family and begin the process of finding their place in society, it is important to understand the processes which influence the impact of acculturation on their families. To first-generation Indian immigrants and their children, family plays a vital role in their lives. Hodge agrees with this assessment, and points out the stark difference between Indian culture and western culture. Western culture emphasizes the individual, material success and secularism. The Indian culture, by contrast, places much more value on community, especially the family, and on spiritual matters . Acculturation plays an important role in understanding about the family structure, including family conflict as well as differences between first and second-generations. For example, the process and outcomes of acculturation determine which values are important to the first-generation and therefore retained and passed on to the succeeding generations. In addition, the process of acculturation might also determine expectations for subsequent generations. For example an assimilated individual would expect the same from his or her children. Most of the work reviewed on acculturation includes some variables related to the family structure, including family conflict, specifically intergenerational family conflict. Some scholars dedicated their studies to South Asian families. Among them, for example, Mathews provided a more general consideration of South Asian families to explain how they function. First, she explains the relationship of the family in a social order, where the father is usually considered the head of the family, which continues to be the traditional way of Indian families in America. Furthermore, she describes the role of both father and mother in the family, in which the mother usually takes care of the household and raises the children and the father usually serves as decision maker and provider . Bringing up the children in a new and different culture, which often conflicts with their core ethnic values, creates problems for not only the parents but also for their children. As values may be extracted from both the native culture and host culture, it is inevitable that conflicts arise. Thus, in this case both parents and children struggle to balance family values of their own culture with the family values of the mainstream culture. In addition, according to the traditional Indian family, the eldest person is considered to be a decision maker such as career decisions for family members or approving marriages. This naturally means parents, especially in the first-generation, make the important decisions . Clearly the attitude of immigrants from India to the U.S. will be greatly influenced by the strength of their bond to their traditional family values. This attitude will steer them through their acculturation process. Dress According to Khandelwal, Indian American immigrants have a mixed type of acculturation regarding dress. It is quite different for men as compared to women. In the case of men, they adopted western dress more easily than women due to the influence of colonialism. Indian American men started wearing a western style of dress even from the first-generation. However, most of these first-generation Indian immigrants do not have a correct idea of the weather and climate system of the U.S. For example, an Indian man, who came to America in the winter of 1994, was wearing a light silk suit and shivering outside. One old man saw him and told him: Son, this is not the time to show off your new silk suit. I told you how it is going to be cold here today. If you catch a cold or become sick, nobody will take care of you in this country. Here you have to take care of yourself. All the money your family spent on making this suit for America will go down drain in one doctors visit here. There will be other occasions when you can use this suit! . Indian women immigrants are recognized mainly by their traditional dress called sari. Accordingly many female Indian immigrants try to preserve their culture by continuing to wear this kind of traditional dress. Saris are considered works of art due to the careful design and color combinations. However, in the workplace they alternatively wear western style clothing. An Indian woman who immigrated to America during the 1990s was forced to wear Western dress due to her job requirements as a cashier in a store. She said the following: See, I have to wear these mens clothes here. Its ok because I am doing mens job here. Our clothes do not fit in this American culture. To feel Indian, we can wear our own clothes when we are not on the job Before coming to America, she had never worked outside of her house and wore only traditional clothing. However, she adapted to the Western dress because American culture forced her to do so . Khandelwal continues to suggest that US born immigrant children are unlikely to continue wearing traditional dress. For example, young female immigrants in America prefer having readily made kurta-pyjama outfits to the saris, because they do not know how to wear these saris . At the same time, weddings among Indian Americans still continue to be traditional, in which the couple wears traditional dresses either bought in America or brought from India during a visit to the home country. However, due to some specific reasons, some of the Indian American immigrants and their children mostly use western styles only. For example, Nikki Haley, a daughter of Sikh Indian immigrants and one of the current rising stars in the Republican Party, wears mostly a suit, rejecting the sari in order to gain greater public acceptance while running for governor of South Carolina in November 2010 . There is a significant difference in clothing style between India and the U.S. Immigrants who desire to retain their cultural style of dress will have different experiences with acculturation than those who are willing to accept western standards. This plays a bigger role in the lives of women immigrants than for men. Religion Religion plays a major role in the life style of Asian Indian Americans. Religious beliefs and practices are intricately interwoven with the aspects of acculturation and cultural identity of these immigrants. So it is important to understand the influence of religion on the acculturation of Asian Indian immigrants. India is a country of diverse religions such as Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism. Among these religions, 82.6 % of Indians practice the Hindu religion which makes up a clear majority of the population, while the remaining 17.4% of the population practices Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Judaism and Parsis . These percentages reflect the population of India; however, Pakistan and Bangladesh have larger percentages of population which practice Islam. The existence of many religions in India indicates that religion plays a major role for Indian people. Thus, most of the Indian people have one religious belief, whether it is Hindu, Islam, Christianity, etc. Each immigrant community brought its own sociological traditions from its place of origin, including ethical and religious behaviors. In the same way when Indians first started to migrate to the United States, they essentially had to carry out religious practices and teachings on their own . As the population of immigrants practicing Hinduism increased, so increased the number of religious organizations. With the development of a greater Hindu population practicing religion at home and in specific religious organizations became the norm. Leonard also noted that as the number of Indian immigrants has increased, religion has naturally become more important, as it has become a part of Indian American identity. Hinduism helps Indian Americans differentiate themselves in the United States, from mainstream U.S. culture as well as from other Asian and South Asian groups . Like earlier immigrants, the post-1965 Indian immigrants maintained their belief system, which provided an important way to keep and transmit their values to following generations . Most of the Indian immigrants in America can practice their religion. As an Indian immigrant Rupu notes: I think thats what it is about America. Thats what brought everybody here. Its that being American you can be who you want to be and still be an American. Theres a freedom of religion, a freedom of expression . In America, the practice of Hinduism reflects its American surroundings. For instance, most related religious activities take place on weekends in order to suit work schedules and priests explain sacred texts in English, rather than Hindi or Sanskrit . Asian American immigrants faced lot of challenges due to strong religious beliefs which influenced their acculturation. For example, their religious beliefs may be challenged or even given up as they are exposed to the religious beliefs, practices, symbols, and rhetoric of the mainstream culture. For Asian American immigrants who are faced with prejudice, racism, and discrimination, religious conversion may provide a sense of refuge and facilitate processes of assimilation and acculturation, which may explain why the majority of Asian Americans in the United States identify themselves as Christian . But one should not assume that Asian American immigrants adopt Christianity merely as a way to be accepted by the majority culture. Indeed, for some Asian American immigrants, Christianity is their religion of choice. However, it is different in the case of immigrants from India. As Khandelwal claims, unlike other Asian immigrants, Indians who are mostly from Hindu religion, have displayed little questioning of their faiths and they are unlikely to convert to another religion. Moreover, Hinduism, the dominant religion in India, faces the challenge of being a minority religion in America, where Christianity is dominant . These immigrants will therefore face the challenge of maintaining their belief system in the minority, which is opposite from their homeland. This in turn, will affect their acculturation process greatly as they struggle with their religious views. Clearly religion plays a major role in the process of adapting to a new culture. Religion is especially important for Asian Indian immigrants, who already place a high value on their own belief system. Whether holding fast to their own religion, or converting to some other religion, these immigrants will practice some kind of religion after their arrival in the U.S. Food Indians who have a vast variety of food habits have a hard time adapting easily to Western food. One of the major causes for this lies in the great number of religions practiced by Indian immigrants. As a result of religious food laws many of Indias people do not consume animal products, which include eggs. The work of Bankston and Hidalgo shows that Indian immigrants are highly unwilling to change their food consumption habits. For example, most Indian Hindus avoid beef and pork, while Pakistanis avoid pork and alcoholic beverages. Most Indians prefer meals from their own culture. However, in households with children, American style meals have become more frequent . Indians have preferred home-cooked meals for a long time, and it has been a part of their culture. They believe that eating at home together with all members of their family is an important ritual for bonding with each other. Many Indian Americans continue to preserve their traditional food habits in America. However, most of the Indians are also adapting to Western food. One example is that pizza is the next alternative food in popularity when compared to their native foods, as well as a timesaver when cooking at home. Indian parents in America expect their children to appreciate home-cooked food more than meals eaten outside the home, although sometimes US born children have a hard time understanding why they need to eat homemade food . Some Indians run Indian restaurants, where they serve national food for not only Indians but also other Americans. As Indian food is mainly spicy, the waiters ask American customers if they prefer their food mild, medium or spicy. One owner of an Indian restaurant had the following to say: I have seen situations where Indian food can send them sweating all over [running to decrease their spiciness by drinking more water or juices] that is not good for our business, so we try to accommodate them . For many Indian immigrants food plays a major role in the acculturation process. While religion prohibits complete adaptation to American food, traditional spices and preparation of Indian cuisine varies greatly from that of Western cuisine. This also plays a role in preventing some Indians from accepting the new style of food. Naturally everyone must eat, therefore food plays a major role in the acculturation process. Marriage Customs According to Indian tradition, Indians get married based on an arranged marriage usually within their own community. This tradition has been preserved from generation to generation. The selection of a marriage partner depends on a set of persons recommended by the partners families (with the full approval and consent of the parents). Family or community members continue to be involved in the selection of a suitable mate. The family and educational backgrounds of the potential partner are thoroughly examined before introductions are made. Indians believe that their children will be happier if they are married to someone who shares the same history, tradition, religion, and social customs and who will be able to impart these values to their children, thus ensuring the continuity of the community. They believe that such marriages made within the community tend to be more stable and long lasting than those that cross community borders . In fact, many American born Asian Indians encounter tremendous obstacles in dating and marriage. On the one hand, their parents warn them not to date until they marry and expect that the children get married according to an arranged marriage which is a custom brought over from India . Indian parents believe that sexual contact before the marriage is immoral and corrupt. On the other hand, the American born children have friends for whom dating is very common and normal. These immigrants desire to fit in the environment in which they find themselves. Accordingly there have been many cases where some Indian lovers are secretly married, and in the worst case, some couples have committed suicide as of result of their relationship being rejected by family. However, some Asian Indian American men and women still prefer to return to their homelands for arranged marriages. In these cases, family members at home seek out appropriate possibilities for marriage to their son or daughter. At the right time, the son or daughter returns home to choose from the candidates assembled by their family . Even the other religion practiced by these immigrants plays a role in the process of acculturation. For example Muslim parents usually accept interfaith marriages for boys, because children customarily follow the fathers faith. However, daughters face a greater challenge because parents do not want their grandchildren to lose their Islamic affiliation . Some Indians came after their marriage in India, whereas some came as students. Most of the students have returned to India for getting married. There are also a few instances where an Indian married an American because of the relationship between the countries and individuals. Other Indians have dated Americans. However, the fact is that dating is not a traditional Indian custom and Indian parents tend to warn their children not to date, although they are slowly yielding to their offsprings demands to be allowed to date . The situation of arranged marriages in India is changing too. As second-generation immigrants Sanjay and Veera observed that: Even in India you see people pushing back and becoming more Westernized, more mainstream. Ive seen my cousins, and [by, #184] leaps and bounds, theyve gone past what is traditional. [Indian American young adults] dont drink and smoke and have lived a sheltered life. Theyve always lived at home and havent gone out much. My cousins in India are more advanced. A lot of my cousins married their boyfriends . Customs surrounding marriage can have a major impact on the acculturation process. Especially for those coming from India, where marriages are still arranged by family, the concept of dating before marriage creates an obstacle for many parents and their children. While customs among Indian immigrants are changing, allowing for young people to find their own spouse, many first-generation immigrants have a hard time letting go of old habits. For these families the acculturation process will be influenced by the marriage customs of the U.S. Language Different languages are spoken in India depending on different regions. Some languages are quite independent and difficult to understand by the neighboring people who speak a different language. In spite of these language differences, most people are able to speak Hindi due to its status as a national language and English due to British colonial rule for two centuries in India. The Indian government recognized the English language as an additional official language. Language is one of the main norms that brings people together and helps them to adapt to the U.S. Proficient English knowledge is one of the reasons Indians migrate to America, and it also helps them to assimilate more easily into life in America . After 1965 most of the Indians arrived in America from different language groups. However, they all knew English. Most immigrants join Indian communities, where they can practice not only Hindi but also their regional language. As Khandelwal claims, first and second-generation immigrants practice different uses of language in America. As for the first-generation, they tend to speak English and at the same time they tend to maintain their native language. However, first-generation immigrants face linguistic problems to speak American English due to their thick Indian accent. The second-generation immigrants who are already born and brought up in the US are usually thought to speak English with an American accent and rejected their parents Indian accent, in turn; their parents considered their childrens English as too American. These second-generation Indian immigrants are involved with Indian languages through movies, songs or when they visit India. Though they understand their parents language, most of them are not able to speak or to write it . According to Khandelwal, the first-generation immigrants tend to be more integrated speaking both English and their mother tongue, whereas the second-generation grows up speaking English as a mother tongue and learn their parents language only to satisfy their parents wishes. Obviously, language plays an important role in the acculturation process for Indian immigrants. While many immigrants have already learned English before they arrived, their English proficiency affects their ability to assimilate into the new culture.

Fossil Fuels :: Coal Petroleum Natural Gas

Part One - Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fossil Fuels are the most important energy sources in our world today. The overwhelming majority of the energy used in the world comes from the burning of three major fossil fuels: coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Fossil fuels are a non-renewable source of energy. They are formed over a very long period of time; the fossil fuels on earth today were formed from plants and animals that lived up to 300 million years ago. These fossil fuels are found in deposits deep beneath the earth. The fuels are burned to release the chemical energy that is stored within this resource. Energy is essential to modern society as we know it. Over 85% of our energy demands are met by the combustion of fossil fuels. Part Two – Formation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Going back to the earlier days of Earth, the plants and animals that lived then eventually died and decomposed. The majority of these life forms were ocean dwelling forms of plankton. When these ancient ocean dwellers died, they accumulated on the bottom of a seabed; this is how a good portion of our fossil fuel reserves began. The actual transformation process of these prehistoric creatures is not known, but scientists do know that the pressure, heat, and a great deal of time go into the making of fossil fuels. Geologists are fairly certain that the beds of organic remains mixed with silt and mud to form layers. Over time, mineral sedimentation formed on top of the organisms, effectively entombing them in rock. As this occurred, pressure and temperature increased, these conditions, and possibly other unknown factors, caused organic material to break down into the simpler form of hydrocarbons, which are chains of carbon and hydrogen ranging from simple configuration to complex compounds. Another affect of extreme pressure is that the oil and gas which are various mixtures of hydrocarbons raise upwards to the surface. Exactly when in the conversion process and the nature of this migration is not known and is subject to conjecture. Oil and gas are found in the ground, not freely drifting up through the earth. This is because the hydrocarbons come across rock formations that they are unable to penetrate. Complex rock structures that effectively trap gas and oil are formed by tectonic plate activity, the same forces that shift continents. The most common formation that accomplishes this is called an anticline, a dome or arched layer of rock that is impermeable by oil and gas.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury :: essays research papers

Fahrenheit 451  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The novel Fahrenheit 451 was wrote by Ray Bradbury. The setting takes place in future times. The main character (protagonist) in Fahrenheit 451 is, ‘Guy Montag’. Guy Montag has been a fireman for ten years and he doesn’t realize that he is not joyful towards his life. He never questioned the joy of midnight runs. The plot of the story is basically how Guy turned from being an ignorant person into being a person filled with intelligence and a new outlook on life. Guy is a normal man that can’t find his true happiness within. 451 degrees is the temperature that books burn. Literature is taboo in this futuristic society, and Guy’s job is to burn any books or news clippings he sees, however his views change for the better further in the novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The author Ray Bradbury created a world where literature is not allowed. He’s trying to show how bad our world would be without writings and poetry. Guy is one of the many firemen who are supposed to burn every book or writing that they see. People caught with books in their house were forced out of the house while the firemen would burn the house down. The climax of the story is when Guy meets a seventeen-year-old professor who brings the life of writings back into vision. Guy soon realizes that he is unhappy, because he can’t express himself through reading novels and most of all poetry. â€Å"†¦And Guy Montag the same person suddenly realized what he had to do†(Bradbury 89) this is the climax of the story because; Guy realizes that he doesn’t want to live in a world without Literature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The best scene in the novel was when Guy met his old professor Faber for the first time in thirty years. Faber impounded the thoughts and beauty of Literature into Guy’s head making him a more out going person. This was truly the time when Guy realized that he use to love reading. Faber would read some poems to Guy, and Guy loved every minute of it. Guy was seeing things in life much more beautiful through poems. Faber taught guy to look at the moon and the clouds as beauty. This was the final turning point in Guy’s life. â€Å"I haven’t read writings to anyone for forty years ago when schools were starting to die off.†(Faber said to guy)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I can’t understand how these people in the future of this novel were able to give up reading.

Beyond the Themepaper :: Personal Narrative Papers

Beyond the Theme I woke up yesterday morning, as I always do, at 7:30. I showered, got dressed, brushed my teeth and did my usual morning routine, and then suddenly, while leaning over my bowl of corn pops, which burst from my mouth with the force of an F-10 at lift off, I got it! "Yes, yes, yes," I yelled as I did a back and forth arm movements just like football players do when they get a touchdown, and danced around my dining room, still mindful of my neighbors downstairs, of course. So this is what it's all about I think to myself. Could this really be what Dr. Morgan and the rest of the class has been trying to get me to see? I had just realized that the only way I would be able to go anywhere with this assignment would be to to step out of my body, a body which is so tuned to writing themepapers, and to take a chance at seeing things from a different angle. And so there I was, looking down at myself with the perspective of a bird. I took a moment to admire myself from above. I noticed that I slouch and that my part is very crooked. I saw myself sitting in a small room with tan wallpaper and with no windows. I am sitting at a desk and everything looks normal and simple. And then I notice that I have a frustrated look on my face and I am surrounded by several crumpled up sheets of paper. "Why do I look so perturbed," I ask myself? And then I remembered why I was up here-- that gall darn paper about getting beyond the theme. Oh, yeah. How to get beyond the theme? Well, since I am up here and I have left my body for a while, I might as well take advantage of all the space and room up here and explore and do some things that I couldn't or wouldn't have done down there. I will be a voyager. I am free. Free to think. Hmmmm. Themewriting. What does it mean to go beyond the theme, that unexplored territory few of us have voyaged to or beyond and that many of my classmates and I are struggling to understand. Hmmm. And then, for the second time in less than a few hours, I had another revelation.

Capitec Strategy to success Essay

Introduction History shows that the South African banking sector has predominately focused on middle to upper class income groups in the market, whilst neglecting the needs and demands of low income groups (Manson, 2012). Capitec Bank on the other hand, focused on the needs of these low income groups, creating a business model that was specifically tailored to their needs. Capitec was introduced in the banking industry during a time of crisis, Saambou Bank, which focused in micro lending had collapsed (McNulty, 2009). However Capitec has managed to endure this predicament and since its inception, has emerged as a force to be reckoned with, in a relatively short period of time. The bank has managed to penetrate the South African banking sector with progression in a matter of a few years due to its implementation of the inventive Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP) strategy aimed at targeting the lower end consumers (van Themaat et al, 2013). It is therefore essential to evaluate the BoP strategy, along wi th all of its aspects. For this reason, this essay will examine the history of Capitec Bank and in particular outline the successful adaption of the BoP strategy as well as its growth and current position in the banking sector. However, the main objective that will be discussed in detail will be on the aspects of Capitec’s strategy crucial for leverage in its position in the South African banking sector. History Capitec Bank was founded on the 1st of March 2001 and built back on its micro credit business, keeping in mind its intention to establish a proper bank in the microfinancing platform (Manson, 2012). Microfinance is a term used to describe the provision of financial services in addition to microcredit to small businesses and the bottom of the pyramid (BoP) population (van Themaat et al, 2013). Initially, Capitec started as a 300-branch micro-loan business with the sole product being 30 day loans with a 30% monthly interest. Imperatively, this business of micro-loans supported the strategic aim and complementary cost of building out an underlying foundation  necessary for a transactional bank (Ashton, 2012). Based on statistics it is found that BoP is more than two thirds of the population that survive on bare minimum income (van Themaat et al, 2013). Furthermore Finscope 2003 estimated that 35 percent of the total population in SA have never banked or used any financial service to m anage their finances. With relation to the above, it is recognized that other financial institutions overlook serving the BoP as they are perceived as non-profitable (Coetzee, 2003). However on the other hand, Capitec recognised this market as a window of opportunity as the majority of this population remained unbanked due to the many constraints that prevented them from obtaining financial services (van Themaat et al, 2013, Robin et al, 2005). The bank implemented its profit-driven strategy by customising its services and products to the needs of the BoP to achieve the following: Acceptability, Availability, Affordability and Awareness, thereby overcoming the constraints that existed. (Coetzee, 2003, van Themaat et al, 2013, Robin et al, 2005) This approach deemed successful which has resulted in an increase of market share with 51.23 percent compound interest over the last five years which is in line with its goal of being a profit-driven microfinancing institution (van Themaat et al, 2013). These aspects used by Capitec Bank to penetrate the banking sector will be discussed in this paper. Acceptability As mentioned previously in the history, Capitec overcame many constraints that had previously left the BoP sector unbanked. The founders of Capitec critically evaluated the BoP and found that many are embarrassed by their lack of education, skills, literacy, are unable to afford basic financial services and that their perceptions of banking is that it is complicated, expensive, difficult and time consuming (van Themaat et al, 2013). Capitec offers a simplistic and acceptable approach to banking which has changed these perceptions taking into consideration that the Bop are first time users. Capitec Bank (2014) displays Capitec’s product offering which is a Global One account that incorporates a savings, deposits and a credit facility which makes for simpler banking offering exceptional utility and value. Capitec’s interaction with clients are face-to-face, paper-less, cash-less and card-based (Haladjian, 2006). Overcoming the lack of confidence and literacy skills in first time BoP clients was achieved by the paperless IT and management information system (van Themaat et al, 2013). This also incorporated biometric identification using fingerprint technology and cameras to identify their clients which creates ease of use and quicker response time (van Themaat et al, 2013). Overcoming the language barrier was achieved by employing staff from the local communities. (Robin et al, 2005). Capitec’s investment into human resource training has made for efficient interaction with clients strengthening customer-to-bank relations and by eliminating a bulletproof glass barricade, clients receive a personal service and are treated importantly, which makes transacting a more approachable service. (Coetzee, 2003) By treating their customers with respect, this increases the emotional a ppeal to the BoP population. As compared to service in a big four branch, the Bop customer is treated as inferior and unvalued, therefore Capitec defines it focus by customer and not by income (van Themaat et al, 2013). The customer interface systems at ATM’s have been adjusted to the needs and preferences of the BoP catering for illiterate clients. (Coetzee, 2003) The management IT system is centrally controlled, increases simplicity and customer value by reducing administration costs, paper work, prevents fraud and keeps track of transactions using fingerprint biometrics. (Coetzee, 2003, van Themaat et al, 2013) It also creates a safer environment as cash is not kept at branches and withdrawals are available at ATM’s and selected retail stores considering that many unbanked sectors exist in areas experiencing high crime and this positively contributes to driving down financial service costs (Coetzee, 2003, Haladjian, 2006). Opening an account takes ten minutes. After credit evaluation and approval, the loan application process is as follows: scan ID document and verify using barcode, scan payslip, take a photo of the client, capture other data, open account, print loan agreement, all ow client to sign, then scan and return the original, create an ATM card and give card to the client (Coetzee, 2003). Coetzee 2003 highlights that this previously unbanked population deemed as  undesirable and unprofitable are being served by Capitec Bank in large volumes since its inception. This further proves that the strategy of simplifying its service implemented by Capitec appeals to the Bop population allowing Capitec to penetrate the banking sector. Availability Capitec makes their services more available to customers by having longer business hours, increasing the number of branches, allowing withdrawals at retail outlets, using ATM’s, internet banking and applying for credit online. According to Planting (2006) Capitec Bank has extended their business banking hours. On weekdays branches are open from 8am to 5pm (Manson, 2012). Most of the branches of the big four banks: Absa, Nedbank, FNB and Standard bank close at about 3:30pm or 4pm. Capitec considers that most customers are working and can only access branches after working hours which is around 4pm. In some cases branches are open till later where it suits customers and branches are also capable of going to the workplace of customers to offer their services (Coetzee, 2003). On Saturdays branches are open between 8am to 1pm and on Sundays branches in large shopping centres are open between 10am to 2pm (Manson, 2012). Most of the big four banks branches close on Saturday at about 11am and on Sunday most branches are not open. These times considers that customers may not be able to do their banking during the week because of long and tiring working hours. They understand the needs of customers by offering longer business banking hours. Capitec knows that their customers need to reach their branches easily. This is done by reducing the size of branches and increasing the quantity of branches (Manson, 2012). They would rather have more branches in one area than have one big branch. Many people do not save because they do not have access to banking services (Finscope, 2003). Increasing the number of branches increases accessibility and savings will be encouraged. Using this approach makes their services accessible and convenient for customers. Initially Capitec’s main target focus was the BoP. Branches are located at taxi ranks, train stations and townships where their services are easily available to the low income group. They have expanded over the years, making their services available to the other income groups by locating branches near rural areas and in shopping malls. Capitec uses existing  infrastructure to improve banking service accessibility. They have partnered with retail outlets such as Checkers, Pick ‘n Pay, Shoprite and Pep. Customers can withdraw cash at these retail outlets. Most of the retailers allow cash to be withdrawn when purchasing items at the stor es except at Pick ‘n Pay no purchase is required to make a withdrawal. They have increased their network location by allowing withdrawals at retailers without having to invest in any large infrastructure (Kim & Mauborgne, 2005). This allows easy access to money and convenience for customers. Capitec ATM’s are located across SA making them easily accessible. If customers cannot access an ATM to withdraw cash, they can always go to retail outlets making their services more accessible and unique compared to the major banks. The ATM’s can be used to check balances, withdraw cash and multi-loan, transfer money to savings plans and change a pin. The availability of services offered by Capitec is improved by partnering with MasterCard. Cards are developed to allow customers usage even in remote places (Lee, 2010). Mobile banking is also used by Capitec; customers can use their cell phone to access multi-loan, savings plans and savings account. It can be used to purchase airtime and electricity, check account balances and previous electricity tokens purchased, withdraw multi-loan and make payments to clients who bank with Capitec, transfer money between your accounts and register for SMS update for security purposes. Capitec offers internet banking that is simple, safe and saves the customer money. Money can be managed whenever it suits the customer. Internet banking allows customers to transfer money between their accounts, create stop orders, check their statements, tax interest certificate, payment history and register for SMS update system. Customers first need to access their nearest branch to register for mobile or internet banking and to find out how it works. After registration customers can easily access their services when it suits them. They also allow customers to apply for credit online which increases availability of their services. A credit application must be completed online and they will contact the customer to discuss it with them, making credit application easily accessible. The use of EMP technology and cards linked to maestro allows customers use of their cards offline, offering services in areas of limited access such as rural communities (Haladjian, 2006). Using these strategies  Capitec has made their services more available and convenient for custome rs, thus improving the banking sector. These strategies used have increased their client base and resulted in the growth of bank. Businesstech (2014) reveals that Capitec has overtaken Nedbank and is now the fourth largest bank with approximately 10.8 per cent market share. Affordability A substantial component behind Capitec Bank’s successful business model was its development of a strategy aimed at understanding the needs of its customers which were the â€Å"bottom of the pyramid† population (van Themaat et al, 2013). This prompted the bank to offer affordable banking products and services that were specifically designed in accordance to its customers’ needs. Capitec centred on having simple banking products and services and sought out to have the lowest fees, hence arguably making it the most affordable bank to bank with amongst many of its competitors in the banking sector (Manson, 2012). In order to understand this strategy, it is imperative to highlight the banking products and services Capitec offered which allowed it to penetrate the banking sector in South Africa as well as making a comparative analysis with the products and services of some of the major banks in South Africa. The fundamental factor of Capitec’s success is its Capitec’s Global One account which comprises of three distinct features: it allows an individual to have the ability to transact, save and access credit, all with one account (Capitec Bank, 2014). The efficiency of this account ensures that customers do not have to open three separate accounts which cuts down on administrative costs. The monthly administration cost for the Global One account inclusive of all its aspects as of 01 March 2014 amounts to R5.00 (Capitec Bank, 2014). Furthermore there is free access to card, mobile as well as internet banking and in so doing makes it more appealing to Capitec’s target market (Manson, 2012). Comparing Capitec’s Global One account with that of its counterparts from the big four banks in the table below, it can be seen that this account is more superior in terms of its features and much more cost efficient than the rival accounts of other banks. Bank Transactional Account Savings Account Access Credit Capitec- â€Å"Global One Account† YES YES YES FNB- â€Å"Easy Account† YES YES NO Absa- â€Å"Flexi Account† YES YES NO Nedbank- â€Å"Ke Yona Account† YES NO NO Standard Bank- â€Å"PlusPlan Account† YES YES NO The Global One transaction feature allows you to transfer, deposit or withdraw money as well as to make purchases and payments (Capitec Bank, 2014). The fees that Capitec charges relating to the transaction aspect on this account is by far the cheapest in comparison to the transaction accounts of the big four banks. Fees relating to all card purchases are free whether you purchase at card machines, shop online, order by telephone or through mail. Money transfers to own accounts are also free and to other accounts is charged at a fee of R1.05. Balance enquiries through all channels are also free. (Capitec Bank, 2014) The savings component on the Global One account allows an individual to have four different savings plan which has the ability to earn interest ranging from 4.40 to 9% depending on  their plans. These plans can also be flexible or fixed according to one’s preference. With flexible savings, people can earn from 4.40% interest on their daily balances as well as cho ose the amount they want to deposit and the frequency of their deposits (Capitec, 2014). Another advantage to these plans is that there is no monthly admin fee that has to be paid to each account as well as no minimum balance required in order to start saving. Fixed-term savings gives one the ability to choose from two deposit options. The first is a â€Å"single deposit† which can run from a period of 6 to 60 months with a minimum balance of R10 000 and a maximum investment of R5 million (Capitec Bank, 2014). The second option is â€Å"multiple deposits† which can run from a period of 6 to 24 months with a maximum investment amount of R1 million. The interest rate is fixed for the full term and interest gained from this option can either be reinvested or transferred to back to one’s transaction or savings account (Capitec Bank, 2014). Having a look at the competing accounts of the other major banks which can be seen in the table below, most offer interest rates that are less than 1%. Capitec on the other hand offers highly competitive interest rates which make it more lucrative for people to bank with them as they are able to earn more on their savings. Bank Capitec- â€Å"Global One Account FNB- â€Å"Easy Account Absa- â€Å"Flexi Account Nedbank- â€Å"Ke Yona Account Standard Bank- â€Å"PlusPlan Account† Interest Rates 4.40 to 9% 0%