The Overwhelming Legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte

The legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte began in 1793 and continues to this day. Although the French general Napoleon left France smaller than it originally was at the beginning of the Revolution in 1789, he was widely respected during his lifetime and thereafter. Napoleon Bonaparte produced an everlasting imprint on the history of Europe as a result of his great military genius, development of political ideas, and the remodeling of French law. At the root of Napoleon's success lay his military genius. Much of Napoleon's military genius comes from his studies of history's finest commanders. Of these influences on Napoleon were Alexander, Caesar, Hannibal, Gustavus Adolphus, Turenne, Eugene, and most of all Frederick the Great. Napoleon used Frederick's strategies and adapted them to his own tactical system (Chandler 70). Napoleon's military tactics were based around the corps d' armee, a small army containing the elements of cavalry, infantry, and artillery. The most important advantage of the small army was its capability of fighting alone for a long period of time against superior enemy forces until help could be attained (Chandler 79). With speed, good order, and carefully maintained formations, a successful cavalry was developed. Every type of cavalry was placed in one of three categories, each with specific tasks. The heavy cavalry used their size and weight to create holes in the enemies line of battle. The cavalry of the line was expected to protect lines of communication and carry out raids. The light cavalry was mainly used for pursuit and to explore areas in order to gain military information (Chandler 94). Napoleon was the first general to employ cavalry simultaneously to conceal his main troop movements and to recognize the front. The foot soldiers of the infantry were the backbone of Napoleon's army (Chandler 97). The infantry marched in a column up to the attack instead of a line. This column was more maneuverable than lines, and could swing into a flexible alteration of columns and three-rank lines (Herold 97). Eventually, Napoleon's enemies were influenced by these grand tactics. The enemy reformed and devised countermeasures that proved to bring down Napoleon (Chandler 69). Boldness, the hallmark of the Napoleonic tactics, influenced warfare for a century. Napoleon Bonaparte carried through a series of reforms that were begun during the Revolution. He established the Bank of France, which has continued to function, more or less unchanged, up to the present time, as a national bank and as the source of the French government for currency, public loans, and the deposit of public funds (Thompson 169). In addition to the influence on Banks, Napoleon also reformed the education system. The present secularly controlled French educational system was begun during the Reign of Terror and completed by Napoleon. A corporation, known as the University of France was organized. The University was responsible for seeing that all education (including private), would turn out citizens to be attached to their religion, ruler, and family (Cronin 204). Primary schools were reopened with priests as teachers, but Napoleon gave most of his attention to secondary schools, where he changed the curriculum to allow early specialization. At age fifteen, a boy chose to study either mathematics and history of science, or classics and philosophy (Cronin 204). This system of education still remains in France. One of Napoleon's greatest constructive works lies in the remodeling of French law. The Code Napoleon, although established by Napoleon about 200 years ago, has had lasting effects and influences to this day. This remodeled the entire body of French law, and is contained in five codes dealing with civil, commercial, and criminal law. The civil code established the citizens right to equality before the law, religious toleration, the inviolability of property, and the superior place of the father in a family. The commercial code reordered every part of industrial and agricultural life. It brought about full employment, more stable prices, and a balance of trade. The criminal code set up a superior system of circuit judges, but rejected the idea of juries (Chandler 104). As a result of the Napoleonic conquests, the code was introduced into a number of European countries, notably Belgium, where it is still in force. It also became the model for the civil codes of Quebec Province, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, some Latin American republics, and the state of Louisiana. Napoleon's influence is evident in France even today. His spirit has spread throughout the constitution of the Fifth Republic. The country's basic law is still the Code Napoleon, the administrative and judicial systems are essentially Napoleonic, and a uniform state-regulated system of education persists. Napoleon's reforms in all parts of Europe cultivated the ground for the revolutions of the 19th century. Today, the impact of the Code Napoleon is apparent in the law of most European countries. Napoleon Bonaparte, who once studied the greatest commanders to have lived, could now find himself recognized along with those same great names.

Spiromery As A Tool Health And Social Care Essay

Chronic clogging pneumonic disease ( COPD ) is a equivalent word that includes a mixture of diseased procedures, stand foring as a group of different diseases. ( emedicine. 2010 ) Clearly it can non be defined based on its symptoms as they are nonspecific. COPD can non be defined on pathologic alterations either, because this is non clinically executable. As a consequence to this deficiency of standardisation, COPD is normally diagnosed in advanced phases, largely in patients over 40 old ages, during which the disease have settled in topographic point. This is attributed to the limitation of activity associated with the status, which may even take to disablement and restriction of normal function at work and/or place. Consequently, the diagnosing of COPD can merely be confirmed through a standard method that is spirometry. Although spirometry stands as the corner rock for diagnosing of COPD and rating its badness, its usage is still underestimated in general pattern and merely a little sector of specializers rely on it. This is related to the contentions in sentiments refering the proper usage and cogency of spirometry as a showing took for thorax diseases, which has been raised and dropped in several literatures along the past decennaries ( Ferguson, 2000 ; McIvor, 2001 ) This research aims to derive a better apprehension of the result of using spirometry in testing for COPD and measure the betterment related to early diagnosing with spirometry in patients with COPD. In the 2nd subdivision writer will be explicating the current epidemiology, pathophysiology and direction modes available and their forecast based on multiple factors that can better their quality of life and societal engagement. And in conclusion qualitative and quantitative attacks of measuring will be discussed in the 3rd subdivision. This status presents with inordinate mucous secretion secernment with airway obstructor and noticeable hyperplasia of mucus-producing glands.iThe ensuing endothelial harm interferes with the mucociliary response that usually clears bacteriums and mucous secretion in the lungs. Inflammation of the walls and secernments in the lms provide the clogging constituent of chronic bronchitis.Emphysema can show at the same time to a variable grade but normally is limited to the centre of one lobe ( centrilobular ) . Consequently, airing perfusion mismatch occur as a consequence of reduced airing and increased cardiac end product. This in bend causes hypoxemia and polycythemia ( Deborah, 2009 ) . It is markedly characterized by devastation of the walls of air passages distal to the terminal bronchiole. The pathological procedure in emphysema comprises gradual devastation of alveolar septae and the pneumonic capillary bed, ensuing in lessened capacity to oxygenize blood. This pushes the organic structure to take down the cardiac end product and consequence in hyperventilation. Consequently a limited sum of blood flows through a comparatively good oxygenated lung with normal force per unit area and blood gases doing a airing perfusion mismatch, in contrast to what happens in chronic bronchitis. The remainder of the organic structure nevertheless suffers from hypoxia due to reduced cardiac end product ( Paul K, 2010 ) . This, in add-on to pneumonic cachexy, consequences in musculus cachexia and weight loss and marks the patients as â€Å" pink blowfishs. † COPD is considered top serious lung disease in the United States. Over the last few decennaries, increasing Numberss of Americans are enduring from COPD making about 10 and 14 million grownups ( CDC, 2010 ) . However, informations from the 3rd National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveysishowed that about 24 million U.S. grownups have impaired lung capacities, which proves that COPD is under diagnosed. About 8 million physician office and infirmary outpatient visits were related to COPD with 1.5 million exigency section visits and 726,000 hospitalizations taking to about 119,000 deceases ( NCH, 1994 ) . Harmonizing to Swadron & A ; Mandavia ( 2009 ) , Men were assumed to be more apt to hold COPD. About 5 % of all white American work forces have COPD, while merely 2 % of all adult females have the disease. However, with the increased rate of smoke among adult females over the last decennary, there is a significant addition in the decease rate ensuing from COPD in adult females, from 58.4/100,000 in 2000 to 65.2/100,000 in 2005 as stated by the American lung association ( ALA ) . The twelvemonth 2000 was recognized as the first clip the figure of adult females deceasing from COPD exceeds the figure of work forces. This tendency continues thenceforth ( Anthonisen, 2008 ; ALA, 2009 ) . The American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society ( ATS, 2010 ) , ias good as the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease guidelines indicate that spirometry is the gilded criterion for diagnosing of COPD. These standardsiencourage executing spirometry in all individuals with a history of smoke and occupational exposure to pollution, subjects with positive household history of COPD, or in instances of chronic productive cough with dyspnoea. This is related to the fact that the aassessment of airway obstructor is the lone nonsubjective manner for the diagnosing and appraisal of chronic clogging pneumonic disease ( COPD ) . The clinical and pathological facets of COPD, in add-on to the demand for measuring and appraisal in these instances, were mentioned in the first subdivision. In the following subdivision, the writer will discourse the facets of the mini undertaking including methodological analysis, informations aggregation, analysis and consequences concluded. This undertaking was done at the School of Health, Community and Education Studies in Northumbria Universityis Coach Lane Campus in the Sports Gymnasium under the surveillance of Dr. John Stephens and Dr. Mike Parr who are the faculty leaders of the PL0733 i.e. , iMeasurement and Assessment in Physiotherapyi . 8 of the MSc Physiotherapy pupils participated in the research and carried out the spirometry proving successfully. The procedure started at 10 a.m. and finished at 12 midday. The purpose of this survey is to find the function of spirometry as a tool for measuring and appraisal of COPD instances. For this purpose quantitative attack was used as it suits the intent with its mensurating phenomena and positivism doctrine ( Creswell, 2003 ) . ICF will be used as a model to measure the values of the result adopted by the proposed research. During this research, the research worker relied on positive paradigm, as opposed to the phenomenological paradigm used in qualitative research which does non carry through the demands of the survey ( Glesne & A ; Peshkin 1992 ) . This explains the authoris pick of quantitative methodological analysis as the research did non take to develop theory but aimed to analyze the function of spirometry and compare research findings with the already established theory in the literature.

Sociological Media Analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sociological Media Analysis - Coursework Example Roles are reversed to personify dogs, as though we care, and how mothers must feel to have to clean up after their babies. The cost is picking up the poo, the reward is taking the baby for a walk. We as an audience do not have to understand why they are matched. The whole series are based on such anomalies. This paper will develop the Four Stage Model and Equity Theory and show how they apply to this series. The Social Exchange Theorist use both the Four stage Model and the Equity Theory as they both depend on the relational dyad of two people, or in this case two beings which create interpersonal resources: rewards, costs, and reciprocity. The resources can be symbolic and, or material. (Thibaut & Kelley 1959). The Equity Theory of Walsfer, Walsfer and Berscheid (1978) went one step deeper to explain one on one relationships.. Rewards, Cost and an addition variable of comparison and an element of fairness. Family Guy has all the element but the joy is that the concept of normal role models does not exists. Social Exchange between two people implies that Rewards and Costs are an integral part of the relationship. Rewards are defined as an interchange of resources between the couple which bring gratification and pleasure. Costs are defined as a missed opportunity, or exchanged resources that result in a loss or punishment (Thibaut & Kelley, 1959). Maybe the popularity of this program is that the Rewards and Costs are changed as are other consequences and it doesn't matter. Outcomes equal rewards minus costs. Reciprocity is the interchange between partners. The terms Rewards, Costs and Outcomes are used in all general social exchange theories and models. Reciprocity in Family Guy shows the constant role reversal but the fact that there are true relationships. It does not matter how the dyad is created. In several shows, Peter fights with the chicken for having received an expired coupon, then he goes out to dinner with him and in the same show he starts fighting again. The 4 stage Model (Thibaut & Kelley, 1959) used rewards, costs, comparison level, and comparison level for alternatives. Thibaut and Kelley made the assumption that relationships would last based on rewards and costs if the importance of previous life experiences were brought into the relationship. On this basis, we have an easier time understanding Family Guy. Peter first feels sexually harassed by his boss. He is afraid of losing his job. These are common social fears that we all have as an audience. The popularity of the program is that it deals with day to day issues, in which touch us all. The humor comes from the constant surprises of the different role models. Peter uses previous life issues to bring into recent relationships. The concept of Comparison Level (CL) explains the level of contributions that previous experiences and expectations make to determine how satisfied an individual is with his or her interpersonal relationship. Individuals come to their relationshi ps with an awareness of societal norms for relationships and a backlog of their own experiences. The societal norms for Family Guy are normal. The CL is influenced by this information and, thus, reflects (a) what individuals feel is deserved and realistically obtainable within relationships, and (b) what individuals feel is important for them to experience within a relationship. According to exchange theorists, satisfaction with a relationship alone does not

Symbolic Interaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Symbolic Interaction - Essay Example The specific events where the meanings are applied could only be clearly visualized by the researcher by immersing himself in the situation. It would be extremely difficult to determine the meaning of things to people and their interpretation of it if the symbolic interactionist has not observed how the meaning came about. The researcher would have a better view of the person’s application of the meaning if he sees the circumstance where it is applied. 2. The classes that I like are Speech, and Geography. Using the â€Å"Looking Glass Theory of Cooley, I can say that one reason that I like Speech is because when I was young, my parents and some of my relatives often told me that I can be a very good speaker. They viewed me as someone who is very confident when speaking in front of a lot of people. Even during my elementary and high school days, I was often chosen by my teacher to represent the class in declamation contests because of how well I am able to express myself. This perception of other people towards me during my younger days somehow became instilled in me. I came to believe that I have a talent in speaking in front of a crowd and that I can express myself well verbally. I also like Geography class.

Wheelchair Basketball Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Wheelchair Basketball - Essay Example The fact that these soldiers were recently paralyzed led to a lot of frustration and no outlet for them to channel their energy. As they began rehabilitation and searched for a physical outlet to relieve stress they decided what better than sports? (Schweiker: 1954) The soldiers began with sports such as ping-pong, catch and pool, then it went to bowling, volleyball and swimming, then to the more energy requiring sports such as water polo, touch-football, softball and basketball. Although several other sports have now been added, it was basketball that overshadowed the others in a few years time in overall popularity. In 1946, other historical documents reveal that the California Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America played the very first match of organized wheelchair basketball, two weeks prior to the New England Chapter. According to these facts, it thereafter spread across the nation to the VA hospitals in Chicago, Memphis, Boston, Richmond and New York. Not before long, the sp ort had spread across the border to the UK and to Canada as well. (Schweiker: 1954) By time 1948 rolled around, there were six teams in total in the United States. All were members of the PVA and all functioned from Veteran hospitals. This was the same year that the Birmingham, California team obtained a sponsored tour to travel by plane, and play other paraplegic teams across the nation. The immediate result of the first sponsored tour of the Birmingham Flying Wheels was the development of the first wheelchair basketball team outside of VA hospitals in Kansas City. The first ‘civilian’ hometown team was known as the Kansas City Wheelchair Bulldozers (later known as the City Rolling Pioneers). (Schweiker: 1954) In 1955, the Touring U.S. Pan Am Jets team was the first to bring wheelchair basketball to England, when they participated in the first international competition at Stoke Mandeville. (GBWA.org: 2011) Now, there are several teams throughout the United Stated, UK, and rest of the world. The first World Championships for Men, the G old Cup, took place in Bruges, Belgium in 1975, but has long since continued on thereafter. In the UK, The Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association governs wheelchair basketball. The GBWA is a registered charity and forms the representative body of wheelchair basketball in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. Teams in the GBWA league consist of the RGK TCAT Rhinos, Sheffield Steelers, Teamside Owls, GLL Capital City Raiders, Essex Outlaws, Knights and Aces. However there are several more teams at different divisional levels. GBWA.org: 2011) Aside from the GBWA there is also the Welsh Wheelchair Basketball Association WWBA. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) governs the sport itself. The height of the basket and the size of the court are the same as in the running version of the game (10 feet from the floor and 28mx 15m, respectively). The duration of for all international games is 40 minutes. In terms of eligibility, athletes using wheelchairs play wheelchair basketball, and whose disabilities might include lower limb amputations, paraplegia, polio and cerebral palsy. In general terms, any individual who cannot participate in stand-up running basketball as the direct result of an injury, disabling condition, etc. is eligible to play wheelchair basketball. It is important to note that not all participants in wheelchair basketball use a wheelchair for daily living. (Paralympics.org: 2011). Other important classifications to notice are the points rating system. Athletes in wheelchairs are classified by their physical

What Are the Economic Effects of Atlantic City Casino Closing Research Paper

What Are the Economic Effects of Atlantic City Casino Closing - Research Paper Example The major factor contributing towards the closing of casinos in Atlantic City is determined to be plummeting revenues. Numerous factors have been identified that can be attributed to the reducing revenue of the casinos in the city. Few prominent factors are briefly evaluated below. Atlantic City has always been a place of tourist attractions. However, the financial crisis witnessed by the US and the heightened casinos' competition have the dramatic impact on tourists visiting the city. The numbers of tourist visiting the city have been declining, which has negatively influenced the expectations of casinos owners in the city. In addition, the aging casinos in Atlantic City followed by an opening of new casinos in other cities have significantly drawn the attention of tourists towards other cities. One of the major reasons behind increasing competition is that during the financial crisis, many states opened new casinos to increase their tax collection. Notably, intense competition has radically contributed towards the massive fall in gambling revenue of the casinos in Atlantic City. Atlantic City is the home to magnificent and luxurious hotels. Visitors across the world visit Atlantic City and spend their leisure time with their family members and friends. The diminishing number of tourists has increased their operating cost while reducing the overall revenue. The failure of the tourism and gambling industry to respond effectively to the changing trend has forced the hoteliers to close out their hotels and casinos.

Double Jeopardy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Double Jeopardy - Essay Example One of her fellow inmates offers her a piece of legal advice concerning the 5th amendment of the US constitution called the double jeopardy clause (Rudstein 14). Due to the double jeopardy clause provided by the constitution, Elizabeth will not get convicted again for shooting and killing his husband in the film. The double jeopardy clause will provide that she does not become re-prosecuted for the same crime that she committed and got convicted of (Rudstein 14). Elizabeth had served a 6 year sentence for the wrongful conviction of killing her husband by the time she got paroled. When she gets out of prison and rightfully tracks down her husband for framing her, she is within her constitutional right to kill him. The constitutional amendment provided in the double jeopardy clause would ensure that Libby does not get convicted of the same crime of killing her husband twice. This means that she will avoid another stint in

Implications of Outsourcing to China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Implications of Outsourcing to China - Essay Example 2005). The business culture of china is totally different from that of the western countries. However due to the recent developments the business culture is coming in terms with the traditional practices. Most of the Chinese business contacts are referrals. Normally a business relationship develops on the basis of recommendations. Best prices and deals come from strong recommendations. However due to the advancement of technology, now internet, cold calls and direct contacts also influence the business culture of China. All business relationships in china which has an individual nature gradually develop into a social one very shortly unlike in the case of western culture where the relationship is truly professional. The concept of seniority is of very much importance in China especially when it comes to dealing with state run enterprises. High respect and rank is given to seniority (Understanding Chinese business culture and etiquette.2011). In the organizational culture front, there is fierce competition that is prevailing in China particularly in the technology industry like outsourcing. Constant innovations are a book mark for sustainability. Leveraging of intellectual capital and strong linkage between human resource management practices and knowledge related outcomes are other features (Chow.& Liu.2007). China is rapidly moving towards a fully established market economy. It is slowly emerging as a leader in outsourcing business. But still the state is responsible for monitoring this transition. For outsiders, the economic decision making looks confusing because of the related patchwork of competing geographical and sectarian authorities operate in the country. There is imposition of taxes, rents as well as regulations all done by the authorities before the project is undertaken and during its lifetime. The economic decision making is made at the central level as well as the state level. Now there is a growing willingness from the part of the authorities to devolve the executive powers to local authorities for the smooth decision making (Political environment. 1986). The economic environment of china with regard to outsourcing in particular is some what encouraging now. With deflationary pressures not in the anvil since 2003, the only worrying factor is the inflationary rate which the Chinese government claims to keep within three percent this year. Moreover entering the WTO as well as economic development coupled with rich economic resources provide bright future for the country (The economic environment in China. 2004). Overall the monetary environment in China looks favorable. China has taken giant leaps to improve the environmental and labor conditions in the outsourcing business area. This has made to bring down costs to a considerable extent. But since 2008, the outsourcing in china is not that cheap when compared with previous years. There was an increase of around 20% in costs in the outsourcing industry over the years. The co ncept of low cost manufacturing is fast disappearing in China. It is becoming an expensive place to do business. This is because of the strict environmental and labor laws enacted by the Chinese government (Maltby.E. 2008). The legal environment in China is strictly regulated. All business entering Chinese market is required to establish a legal entity under the Chinese law. In some areas

The Era of Good Feelings Essay Example for Free

The Era of Good Feelings Essay Was The Era of Good Feelings an accurate name for the period between the War of 1812 and the rise of Andrew Jackson? Why or why not? The term  ¡Ã‚ §the Era of Good Feeling ¡Ã‚ ¨ was first posted in a Boston newspaper, which impressed, James Monroe, the new American Presidents warm reception in Boston. The entire society was very anxious to turn back into a normal life when the War of 1812 ended; as a result, the term implied Presidents good-will tour through the North. Actually, the term the Era of Good Feeling ¡Ã‚ ¨ described the atmosphere of the United States from 1815 to 1825. After the War of 1812, the period was named as a lower level of concern over potential foreign intervention on America. Moreover in 1816, the Federalists not only lost many seats in the Congress the Party also became disorganized and messy. The Federalists did not even nominate a candidate to fight against the Democratic lead by Republican President James Monroe in 1820. During President Monroe ¡Ã‚ ¦s years of presidency, the country become more and more unites since there were fewer political arguments. Even the economy developed rapidly after the war under President Monroes rule. As a result, the Americans started to feel more confident about their government. Until 1823 the period comes to the peak when President Monroe gave his annual message to the Congress, which is a statement on foreign policy. This statement warned the European politicians not to re-construct their control over previous colonies that had gained their independence already. The aim of this policy was to rest rict the expansion of European countries into the Western Hemisphere so that the new American can be more independent. The terms of the Missouri Compromise comforted the sectional crisis, which was brewing over Missouri in 1819 during that period. Regardless of slave or free, the admission of Missouri would frustrate the balance of power that existed between these rival parties in the Council. Both side were temporary calm down according to the terms of the Missouri Compromise. Afterwards, Missouri was admitted to access without constraints on slavery. On 3rd March 1820, Henry Clay finally reached a negotiation. Both states were admitted and the balance of authority in Congress was remained. A myriad financial setback was the result of the Panic in 1819 and the result has led to a  collapse of the cotton industry. The price of cotton has dropped dramatically. At the meantime, there was a reduction by the controversial Bank of the United States. In addition, there was also a huge unemployment and homeless people in the country. Before the panic started, farmers bought land on credit due to the fluctuating prices for corn and wheat because they thought that the land could make a higher turnover in order to pay off their debts. After the War in 1812, the economy had grown rapidly. Americans rushed to explore new western farmland in the suburb. Due to low cotton market price, not only the farmers had huge difficulties to pay loans on the original high price of their lands but also the people started to lose their faith in democratic institution. ***So how does this play into the question of whether or not the era was one of good feelings?*** On the contrary, political arguments became more and more severe over the federal government ¡Ã‚ ¦s economic policies. The Era come to an end because the presidential ambitions of John Calhoun who is the secretary of war, William H. Crawford who is the secretary of the treasury and John Quincy Adams who is the secretary of state that are members of the Presidents Cabinet. Moreover, a new two-party political system which is originally controlled by strong political had developed as sectional tensions. At last, it made a significant contribution to the split in the Democratic-Republican Party. ***You need to begin with a clear thesis; this would give your essay more structure and demonstrate how the unifying and disruptive elements you cite contribute to a larger understanding of the period. And once again, you need to be sure not to follow the organization of course material so closely.

New and Distinctive Set of Values Essay Example for Free

New and Distinctive Set of Values Essay To what extent and for what reasons did New Labour succeed in introducing a new and distinctive set of values to the conduct of Britain’s external relations between 1997 and 2010? Introduction As John Rentoul has observed in his biography of Tony Blair, â€Å"Prime Ministers always run their own foreign policy† (Rentoul, 2001: 420). This was certainly true of Tony Blair and New Labour. That itself is a reason why Britain’s external relations in the shape of New Labour’s foreign policy can only be properly understood by reference to the foreign policy philosophy espoused by Blair and his response to world events during his leadership over three terms in office. In New Labour’s third term (2005-10) the interventionist policy that dominated the previous two terms qwas an important hangover even to Gordon Brown’s premiership, although, ultimately Brown’s period as leader was dominated by the global finical crisis. On the eve of the Labour party’s 1997 election victory John Major’s Conservative government had little credibility with the Clinton administration in Washington or with European governments (Wallace, 2005: 54). This was a position that the new Prime Minister, Tony Blair wanted to address. At the Lord Mayor’s Banquet on 10 November 1997 Blair set out five guiding lights on Europe including being a leading partner in Europe. He postulated that the single currency would be â€Å"good for the EU† (Lord Mayors Banquet, 1997). For Blair, British foreign policy should aim to be â€Å"strong in Europe and strong with the US†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and that Britain was â€Å"the bridge between the US and Europe† (Lord Mayors Banquet, 1997). At the same venue, on 22 November 1999, Blair implicitly invoked Winston Churchill’s â€Å"three circles† doctrine that conjured up Britain’s relationship with the Commonwealth, the special relationship with the United States and the European dimension. According to Churchill Britain was the pivot around whom these relationships were to exist. Blair, accepting that the British Commonwealth was a â€Å"lost† Empire argued that Britain’s role was that of a pivotal power, as a power that was at â€Å"the crux of the alliances and  international politics which shape the world and its future† (Lord Mayors Banquet, 1997). The intention in this essay is to focus on certain fundamental aspects of New Labour foreign policy that impacted on British relationships with Europe and the World at large. The primary focus will be on the so-called â€Å"Blair Effect† simply because, as Prime Minister, he was pivotal to the New Labour philosophy. Europe As Anne Deighton has observed both the Labour and Conservative parties at various times have suffered internal dissension over the European Union (EU) (Deighton, 2007: 307). The focus of the Labour 1997 general election campaign on Europe was one where the Labour manifesto promised to â€Å"give Britain the leadership in Europe which Britain and Europe need† (Labour-party, 1997). It was important for the Labour party to highlight its commitment to Europe, in contrast to the tensions within the Conservative party. Europe apart, however, the 1997 election campaign did not highlight significant differences between the Labour and Conservative parties. There was an expectation that there would be â€Å"considerable continuity† in foreign affairs in the event of a change of government (Wickham-Jones, 2000: 8). Subsequently, in the course of New Labour’s first term in office Blair made regular pronouncements about Britain’s role in Europe. There was action as well as rhetoric. Shortly after taking office Britain ended its opt-out from the social chapter of the Maastricht Treaty and signed up to the increased EU powers enshrined in the Amsterdam Treaty. British presidency of the EU provided a ready platform for Britain to pursue an enlargement agenda. The St Malo summit in December 1998 provided Blair with a platform to collaborate with President Jacques Chirac of France to promote an Anglo-French initiative on European defence (fco.gov, 1998). This European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) has been described as part of â€Å"arguably the most pro-active upstream period of the Labour government’s utilitarian supranationalism† (Bulmer, 2008: 602). Notwithstanding Blair’s pivotal role  in the creation of the ESDP, it has been argued that, in comparison to Conservative policy on European Security and Defence, the Blair approach was less a seismic shift in British policy, and more of a change of strategy† (Dryburgh, 2010: 271). The essential change, in comparison to the Conservative party approach was one where Blair was prepared to adopt a leadership role in contrast to the former John Major government’s focus of diverting attention away from EU initiatives, and in the case of defence, a focus on the strengthening of NATO (Dryburgh, 2010: 267-268). The relationship between Blair and Gordon Brown was also relevant to the New Labour approach to Europe. On 27 October 1997 Gordon Brown announced the government’s policy on the Euro. This consisted on a three pronged policy that supported (a) a successful single currency, (b) that was constitutionally acceptable but (c) had to satisfy five economic tests (hm-treasury, 2008). This approach was allied to a commitment to hold a referendum on membership of the Euro. The â€Å"key determinant† (Bulmer, 2008: 601) of this policy was the economic tests that included whether joining the Euro would be good for employment. In the event, during Labour’s second term, on 9 June 2003 Gordon Brown announced that only one test was met that relating to a beneficial impact on UK financial services – a result that removed joining the Euro from the political agenda and, in a real sense, reduced New Labour’s pronouncements on the Euro as posturing and meaningless rheto ric. The reality of New Labour’s European strategy was not to alienate the support base that ultimately mattered – the British electorate. The UK was a Euro-sceptic member state of the EU and a UK government’s EU policy could not put at risk a parliamentary majority. The decoupling of the single currency allied to the promise of a referendum in that first term became a legacy of New Labour that has now achieved a degree of permanence that has survived through and beyond the 2010 election. The Blair and New Labour momentum on Europe stalled after the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers. The focus on the war on terror and the transatlantic alliance that was nurtured by the 9/11 attacks became an all encompassing distraction with the result that â€Å"Europe has been a central failure of his (Blair’s) premiership† (Riddell, 2005: 383). Ethical foreign policy On 12 May 1997 the then Foreign Secretary Robin Cook declared that â€Å"†¦foreign policy must have an ethical dimension and must support the demands of other people for the democratic rights on which we insist for ourselves† (Rentoul, 2001: 421). Cook denied ever using the phrase â€Å"ethical foreign policy† or that there would be an ethical foreign policy (Wickam-Jones, 2000: 29). What is undeniable is that New Labour, through Cook, viewed human rights as a central plank of foreign policy because human rights were rights â€Å"we claim for ourselves and which we therefore have a duty to defend for those who do not get to enjoy them† (Wickham-Jones, 2000: 11). This ethical dimension served to identify â€Å"clear blue water† between New Labour’s foreign policy and previous administrations, including previous Labour governments (Little, 2000: 4). Furthermore, although the concept of an â€Å"ethical dimension† was articulated by Cook, it chimed with Blair’s â€Å"third way† in the sense that globalisation demanded an approach to the modern world that was â€Å"qualitatively different from the past† (Williams, 2010: 54). The â€Å"ethical dimension,† however, was converted by media sources into an â€Å"ethical foreign policy† and served to create the sense that New Labour â€Å"were introducing ethics to a sphere of government that was previously devoid of ethical commitments† (Williams, 2010:57). Such a lofty ambition was impossible to achieve in the real political world. This philosophy created a platform on which criticism could be levelled to contrast the reality with the aspiration, for example, in connection with the arms trade where New Labour continued a policy that was a â€Å"highly permissive approach to exports† (Cooper, 2001: 73). The ethical dimension strategy became a â€Å"millstone† (Williams, 2010: 61) around the Foreign Secretary’s neck. It is worthy of note that the New Labour manifesto for the 2001 general election with its foreign policy focus on â€Å"Britain strong in the world† (REF) was designed to herald a change in focus. Kosovo and beyond. Blair’s Chicago speech (number-10.gov, 1999) on 22 April 1999 was an important landmark in New Labour’s external relationships. It represented a key moment in â€Å"the history of liberal interventionist discourse†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Daddow, 2009: 549). Active involvement in other people’s conflicts was justified if five considerations were satisfied, including exhausting all diplomatic options and being sure of the case for intervention. This interventionist approach relied on the notion that there was a moral dimension to international action that did not depend on the norms of international law. The backdrop to the speech was what Blair described as â€Å"a just war† in Kosovo that was â€Å"based not on any territorial ambitions but on values.† Blair’s vision of success whereby an international force would enter Kosvo and allow refugees to return to their homes was ultimately realised. His strident crusade to provoke NATO and the US President Clinton into action was seen as a triumph that â€Å"earned him great respect with so many of the world leaders† (Rentoul, 2001). Following the September 11 attacks Blair reinforced his interventionist stance at the Labour Party Conference (2001) by declaring that, along with the United States, Britain had a â€Å"duty† to protect the rights of citizens of other states, including those of the Afghan people. On this approach, the carpet-bombing of Afghanistan could be claimed to be â€Å"an action undertaken on behalf of Afghan citizens† (Chandler, 2003: 307). What this policy omits is any real engagement with the Afghan people themselves and, at its crudest, becomes a recipe for innocent collateral loss of life. Iraq became the yardstick against which New Labour’s foreign policy particularly during its second term and the Blair legacy has come to be judged. Iraq was inextricably tied in with the so-called special relationship between Britain and the US and the humanitarian interventionist policy. The special relationship was not new and even today the special relationship has a â€Å"political and ideological superstructure and an embedded military and intelligence structure† (Wallace, 2009: 263). Yet under Blair there was unconditional support for the Bush administration’s desire to invade Iraq. Although the so-called â€Å"Poodle Theory† might be â€Å"simplistic and  at best, overstated† (Azubuike, 2005: 137) Blair was prepared to join Bush in pursuing a disastrous and illegal campaign (Azubuike, 2005: 137). Robin Cook perhaps best summarised the flaw in Blair’s approach – in explaining that by becoming a â€Å"trusty partner of the most reactionary US Administration in modern time† such an â€Å"unlikely alliance† would cause disruption in his own party (Cook, 2003: 2). The New Labour interventionist approach to conflict justified by humanitarian concerns that had proved successful in the past left a legacy that â€Å"turned to ashes† the Blair/New Labour vision of Britain that visualised â€Å"spreading good around the world† (Toynbee and Walker, 2005: p194). Gordon Brown as Prime Minister had to maintain the line that Blair’s foreign policy initiatives were justified because, as a central figure in New Labour he could not detach himself from the major foreign policy goals pursued by New Labour and Blair. Iraq and Afghanistan required to be managed. Conclusion The blueprint for New Labour external relations with a focus on leadership in Europe and an ethical dimension to world events in New Labour’s first term promised much, but by the third term was transformed into one where Europe became an intractable problem clouded by immigration and euro-scepticism. Furthermore, in Europe the New Labour policy of stringent economic tests became an agenda for non-entry to the euro. The New Labour policy of interventionism overlooked the fundamental truth that when it really mattered in Iraq and Afghanistan winning the war in a military sense became irrelevant if peace could not be secured thereafter. A humanitarian agenda without a secure peace becomes an agenda that lacks real morality. New Labour began with a positive external relations agenda that promised much but ultimately failed to deliver. Bibliography Azubuike, J. 2005. The â€Å"Poodle Theory† and the Anglo-American â€Å"Special Relationship†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ International studies, 42(2), pp. 123-139. Bulmer, S. 2008. New Labour, New European Policy? Blair, Brown and Utilitarian Supranationalism, Parliamentary Affairs, 61(4), pp. 597-620. Chandler, D. 2003. Rhetoric without responsibility: the attraction of ‘ethical’ foreign policy, British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 5(3), pp. 295-316. Cook, R. 2004. The Point of Departure, Diaries from the Front Bench. London: Simon and Schuster UK Ltd. Cooper, N. 2000, Arms Exports New Labour and the Pariah Agenda, Contemporary Security Policy, 21(3), pp. 54-77. Daddow, O. 2009. Tony’s war? Blair, Kosovo and the interventionist impulse in British foreign policy, International Affairs, 85(3), pp. 547-560. Deighton, A. 2001. European Union Policy. In: A Seldon, ed. 2001. The Blair London: Little, Brown and Company. Ch.15. Dryburgh, L. 2010. Blair’s First Government (1997-2001) and European Security and Defence Policy: Seismic Shift or Adaptation?, The British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 12(2), pp. 257-273 Labour party manifesto, 1997. Archive of Labour Party Manifestos. [online]. Available at: http://www.labour-party.org.uk/manifestos/1997/1997-labour-manifesto.shtml [Accessed on 7 December 2014]. Rentoul, J., 2001. Tony Blair, Prime Minister London: Little, Brown and Company. Riddell, P. 2005. Europe. In: A. Seldon and D. Kavanagh, ed. 2005. The Blair Effect 2001-5, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Ch.16. Wallace, W. 2005. The collapse of British foreign policy, International Affairs, 82(1), pp. 53-68. Wallace, W. and Phillips, C. 2009. Reassessing the special relationship, International Affairs, 85(2), pp. 263-284. Whitman, G. R. The Clam After the Storm? Foreign and Security Policy from Blair to Brown, Parliamentary Affairs, 63(4), pp. 834-848. Wickham-Jones, M. 2000. Labour’s trajectory in foreign affairs: the moral crusade of a pivotal power? In: R. Little and M. Wickham-Jones, ed. 2000. New Labours Foreign Policy, Manchester: Manchester University Press. Ch.1. Williams, P. 2010. The Rise and Fall of the ‘Ethical Dimension’: Presentation and Practice in New Labour’s Foreign Policy, Cambridge Review of International Affairs, 15(1), pp. 53-63.

Outdoor learning its importance for childrens development

Outdoor learning its importance for childrens development When growing up I loved playing outside, in the local park or being taken to many country parks by my father. I class myself as being lucky to have grown up in a generation where playing outdoors was a regular occurrence, where boys and girls played together in mixed ability and mixed age groups. Having had two children myself I wanted to continue the great experiences that I had in the outdoors with my father. However I noticed a difference in the way that they and their friends accessed the outdoors. Both my children are boys but they still accessed the outdoors differently from each other and girls that they played with also had sufficiently different ideas about the outdoors. Having discovered that boys and girls all seemed to have different ideas about the outdoors I wanted to investigate this further. I particularly wanted to understand any differences in the way they accessed the outdoors as I remember being distinctly referred to as a tom boy. Chapter 2 Literature Review There has been much research focused on the outdoors, outdoor play, and outdoor education including sustainability and recreation activities. Taylor and Morris (1996) suggest that Outdoor learning is an important and integral part of a high-quality early childhood education curriculum. (pp 153) There are many skills encompassed within the term outdoor play or outdoor learning, therefore before starting there is the need to try and define the term outdoor play or outdoor learning. The Institute for Outdoor Learning (IOL) (2009) suggests that the term outdoor learning is a broad expression that can encompass play, education, skills, sustainability and the natural environment and may be referred to as experiential learning for children which takes place within the outdoors. Additionally The Collins English Dictionary (2009) refers to outdoor as the open air (pp 412), to play as occupying oneself in a game or recreation (pp 442) and to learning as gaining a skill or knowledge by practice (pp 337) therefore outdoor play could be defined as engaging oneself in a game or activity outside where you can gain new skills and knowledge. Consequently throughout this study the term outdoor learning will be used to refer to outdoor education, outdoor play and outdoor recreation activities . This study will encompass the role of outdoor learning including its importance for childrens development, the safety and risk involved in childrens outdoor learning and the anxiety that this causes for carers, gender issues relating to how boys and girls use the outdoor learning environment, and geographical, community and social perspectives focusing on the impact that they can have on a childs involvement with outdoor learning. To begin with we will cover the role of outdoor learning. The importance of outdoor learning and the beliefs that it contributes to childrens development and progress date back to Rousseau (1762) and Froebel (1826). These beliefs have been continued, explored and researched in depth with new emphasis being placed on Forest Schools and outdoor learning. Philosophies and theories about outdoor learning tend to focus on the natural environment and the effect that this can have on childrens development. (Frost 1992, Fjortoft, 2001and 2004, Bilton, 2004, Lester and Maudsley 2006, Forest Education Initiative 2007, Tovey 2007, and White 2008a) Boyd (1963) writes of Rousseau and how he was one of the first people who advocated developmentally appropriate education. Rousseau (1762) also wrote of the importance of growing up in the countryside and how this would create a more natural and healthy environment than the city. Froebel (1826) advocates the need for children to be provided with places to play where they can be nurtured and developed through experiences with the natural environment. Stevinson (1923) and Macmillan (1927, 1930) also promote the need for children to be in the outdoor environment. MacMillans The nursery school and The nursery school garden articulates the need for children to have free movement and experiences within the natural world around them. Much attention has also been given to the need for children to play and learn in the natural environment and the important role that outdoor learning plays in childrens growth, development and social skills. (Stevinson 1932, Fjortoft and Sageie 2000, Riley 2003, Bilton 1994, 2004, Callaway 2005, Moore and Wong 2007, Joyce 2007, Shackell et al. 2008, and Balls and Burnham 2008) Stevinson (1932), McMillan (1930) and more recently Frankel (2007) have stated that natural outdoor environments are good for the health and development of children and the improvement that playing outside has on childrens concentration, behaviour and speaking and listening. They have also suggested that we should provide suitable provocative environments where new provocations and opportunities are made possible. Studies have also been made and have shown that children benefit in other physical ways from playing in the outdoors and the natural environment. Positive effects and implications on motor development such as balance and co-ordination which will help children master their own bodies abilities in relation to the natural physical environment have also been recognised (Fjortoft 2001; Lester and Maudsley 2006). Dowling (2006) believes that outdoor learning can support childrens development and is a natural way of learning in an environment which is full of sensory experiences. The Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) (2004) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) (2005 and 2008a) have also stated that outdoor learning can give depth to the curriculum and can enhance childrens physical, social and emotional development. Although much has been written that advocates the role of outdoor education it has been difficult to find a study that disputes the role of outd oor learning in the development and education of children. Despite this evidence Edgington (2002) and Fjortoft (2004) believe that much of the developed world and on a micro-level; some practitioners have neglected the use of the outdoor environment. They suggest that this can be due to both weather related issues and concerns over the potential risks involved with playing and learning within the outdoors. Certainly, my own experiences in settings have shown that when the weather is bad the practitioners and the children stay inside, on only one occasion have I seen practitioners and children outside regardless of the weather. Additionally consideration needs to be placed on childrens safety when involved in outdoor learning. Numerous people have suggested that todays children do not have free access to the outdoors due to parents concerns over safety and risk. Perceived problems such as traffic and fear of crime or abduction have led to parent anxiety which can have a profound effect on childrens play and has led to many children being kept at home safe from harm (Ball 2002, Portwood 2005, Palmer 2006, Tovey 2007, Carruthers 2007, DCSF 2008b, and White and Stoecklin 2008). Nevertheless there is considerable discourse about the need for children to encounter risk. However we should also consider the difference between risk and hazard in terms of childrens safety and development. RoSPA (2010) identifies a hazard as something that has the potential to cause harm and risk as the likelihood that harm from a particular activity or hazard will actually be realised. By helping children to understand the risks involved in certain activities they can begin to make informed choices regarding their actions as Cook and Heseltine (1999) state Children need challenge so that they can learn about risk, their own capabilities and to develop the mechanism for judging it in controlled settings (Cook and Heseltine, 1999, pp 4). Joyce (2007) also states that encountering risk helps children to learn about responsibility. The DCSF (2007, 2008c, and 2008d) express the need for children to experience a balance between risks and fun. They suggest that not everything should be made safe and that children need to recognise and understand about risk as it is an essential part of growing up. Conversely Stine (1997) and Knight (2009) suggest that we should try to make things as safe as possible but still facilitate childrens risk taking. They acknowledge that by allowing children to take risks we will enable them to learn respect for the environment, keep themselves safe and develop competence. However Stephenson (2003), Carruthers (2007) and Sandester (2009) have suggested that too many safety issues about risks within childrens play are leading to too many rules and regulations which have made it difficult for practitioners to provide suitable activities, implicating that making a setting hazard free will make it c hallenge free. Despite this fact many other researchers have discussed the importance of rules, regulations and risk assessments. They agree that using risk assessments and involving children within this process will ensure children s safety, whilst still allowing practitioners to offer adventurous and risk taking activities. (Bilton 2002, 2004, Callaway 2005, White 2008a, and Knight 2009) Nevertheless Bache (2006) comments that risks are exaggerated and that all children no matter how well supervised will undertake some risk. Furthermore where a child lives may impact on their attitudes towards outdoor learning. Within the literature reference is also made to geographical, community and social issues in relation to outdoor play or the lack of it. Hart (1979), Nabhan and Trimble (1994) and Garrick (2004) have all commented on and researched childrens outdoor play and their findings showed that geographical perspectives such as having access to wild areas or a simple garden played a part in the way children accessed the outdoors within their immediate and wider environment. They also highlighted the importance of having experiences with nature and the emotional experiences and intimacy children can develop from this such as a sense of place and belonging. Additionally Valentine and McKendrick (1997) suggest that although many cities and towns provide children with formal facilities such as playgrounds most children would prefer to play in flexible environments such as open spaces and waste ground. However we should also consider the social factors in regards to childrens outdoor play. In reference to social issues Tizard, et al. (1976) conducted a study that showed children from working class backgrounds opted to spend 75% of their time outside and that their co-operative play was more evident outside than inside. They also wrote of how working class children were more likely to play outside than middle class children. Millard and Whey (1997) also conducted studies on children in English housing estates and findings from their interviews and observations of children highlighted childrens enjoyment of physical active outdoor play and the opportunities that it gave them to socialise. However Carruthers (2007) writes of how many children no matter of their class; outside of school hours and without adult supervision; would naturally gravitate towards outdoor spaces and the natural environment where they would make their own games. Saracho and Spodek (1998) have also written about social classes and outdoor play and how children from working class backgrounds are more mature in their outdoor play and that their attention spans and concentration are much greater when playing outside than those of children from middle and upper class backgrounds. However these are only two perspectives and there is no other research evidence to either support or disclaim these findings. Besides which deliberation of childrens gender should also be taken into account in terms of outdoor learning. Gender focused studies have highlighted play choices made by boys and girls when playing and learning outside and inside. Many have concluded that boys undertake more physical play outdoors, whilst girls are more sedate. Suggestions have also been made that boys sometimes tend to dominate the outdoor space and that there can be danger that outdoor spaces can come to be seen as boys territory. This has reflected gender stereotyping found in other studies about how boys and girls make choices within their play. (Tizard et al. 1976, Sanders and Harper 1976, Braggio et al. 1978, Hart 1978, Lott 1978, Henninger 1985, Bates 1986, Hutt et al. 1989, McNaughton 1992, Cullen 1993, Bilton 2004, Jarvis 2007, and Maynard and Waters 2007) There has been insufficient research to disclaim these findings and all found research has shown that there are gender differences in the way children play. The literature suggests that great importance has been placed on the outdoor and natural environment and how it provides rich opportunities for the growth and development of children. There has also been much written about the adults role and the type of environment that practitioners should provide. This has not been covered within this literature review but we need to take note that these play a significant role in the way children will access the outdoor learning environment. There has been some reference to social and geographical issues and how these could aid or hinder childrens views of what the outdoors may provide for them. Significant research has also been placed on risks and safety and whether both parents issues and beliefs and practitioners beliefs have had an impact on the way that children within our society are accessing the outdoors. However gender issues have only touched upon the choices that children make when playing outdoors. This has led to me believing that t here is a need to understand if there are differences in the way that girls and boys actually access the outdoors; do boys spend more time outside than girls? Are the children hindered by what is on offer? This study is focused on gaining a deeper understanding on each of these issues in two early years settings. Chapter 3 Methodology This chapter will identify the methods and techniques that have been used to gather the primary research for this study and the context in which the study was undertaken. Firstly the overall methods that have been used to collect data will be discussed and explained using a rationale. Next it will address any issues of validity and reliability during the research process. Finally the ethical issues which may arise will be identified and any measures that have been taken to address these will be discussed. This research study will use both quantitative and qualitative methods to discover whether there are any differences in the ways that boys and girls access outdoor learning. The qualitative research will be obtained through semi-structured interviews with foundation stage practitioners and non-participant observations of children engaged in outdoor learning. Bell (1987) refers to qualitative data as Understanding individuals perceptions of the world. (Bell, pp 4) Bell (1987) has identified one way in which qualitative research may be suited to this study. Through the use of interviews and non-participant observation this study will be concerned with listening to, observing and understanding individuals. Nixon (1981) suggests that studies involving children should be most appropriately researched using qualitative methods such as observations and interviews. As this study is child based using interviews and observations will provide rich and deep data which in turn will enable me to fully comprehend both practitioners perceptions and childrens integration with outdoor learning. Despite this two quantitative methods (questionnaire and tally chart ) were also used within this study in order to gain numerical data in regards to the amount of time spent outdoor learning by both boys and girls and the types of activities that they undertook when outdoor learning. As discussed this study uses four different methods of data collection; interviews, non-participant observations, questionnaires and tallies. Therefore my study encompasses different sources of evidence to compare and combine in order to reach a better understanding of my research question. Cohen (et al.) (2000) refer to this as triangulation. Roberts-Holmes (2005) suggests that Triangulation gives the researcher the opportunity to check out their evidence from a range of sources (Roberts-Holmes, 2005, pp 40) By using triangulation within this study I will be able to back up and enrich numerical data with information about the participants and their explanations and understandings. The data collection methods for this study will now be discussed in more detail outlining the advantages, disadvantages and rationale for each. 3.1 Observations The first and second methods of data collection for this study were qualitative and quantitative observations. These observations were carried out in two different settings in Kettering; these were a Nursery setting and a Reception setting within a primary school. Nisbet and Entwistle (1974) suggest that when undertaking observations the observer needs to make them self invisible so that they do not affect the observed. To do this you need to have previously met the children and as closely as possible follow the same procedures for observation as the setting you are conducting your research in. Therefore the researcher made sure that she attended the settings on a number of occasions before conducting the research so that she was able to build relationships with the children beforehand and reduce the reactivity effect. Greig et al. (2007) believe that observations are helpful in two ways; observing a child in the natural environment will give the research a real world edge direct experience facilitates the researchers ability to understand complex individuals and situations (Greig et al. 2007, pp 122) As this research was designed to find out how individual children access outdoor learning, observation provides an ideal base to start from. They will also provide many insights into the first hand experiences of the children. However as Scott and Morrison (2006) propose observations may be Affected by the values and judgements brought to the observation by the observer (Scott and Morrison, 2006, pp 168) The observer may have a specific agenda and see what they want to see, however the researcher in this case had conducted many previous observations and was able to observe the children naturally leaving the specific agenda of differences between boys and girls behind. The observations were carried out in a way that all children were treated as and observed as individuals. Despite the many disadvantages of observations especially the amount of time consumed writing the observations up they did enable the researcher to gain an insight into the childrens outdoor learning. The use of quantitative observations in the form of tally charts also enabled the researcher to gain numerical data which added more depth to the study. 3.2 Semi-Structured Interviews The second method of data collection for this study was semi-structured interviews. These were conducted with the practitioners at each setting where the research was carried out. The interviews aimed to find out the practitioners views of the way the children within their care accessed outdoor learning and if they had noted any specific differences between boys and girls. One of the important reasons for choosing semi-structured interviews as a research method was that they can provide a more personalised approach and as Bell (2005) suggests adaptability. By using a semi-structured approach to interviews the researcher was able to take on the role of facilitator by asking set questions but also allowing the development of any issues as they arise throughout the interview. Roberts-Holmes (2005) recommends that when conducting an interview you must have a sound knowledge of the subject that you are researching so that you can remain focused and conduct an informed interview. Through completion of the literature review the researcher was able to identify key areas which would need clarifying during the interview process. Also by conducting a face to face interview any misunderstandings on the part of the interviewer or interviewee could be checked and clarified immediately. However a disadvantage of the semi-structured interview according to Opie (2004) and Bell (2005) is the danger of bias creeping in (pp 166). They suggest that this can occur in many ways either intentionally or unintentionally and by selecting questions which are phrased to support your argument. This was a difficult process to go through and the questions were written and re-written many times to ensure that they were not pre-conceived in anyway. Therefore this issue was addressed within the research process. Additionally there is also the issue of the time involved in scribing the interviews, arranging times to suit all the individuals involved and gaining informed consent. These issues were addressed by firstly writing to the settings involved and asking for their consent to be interviewed. (See appendix) Furthermore arranging times and places which would suit the individuals helped in the process of the interview. In regards to time related issues although transcribing the interviews was time consuming, the researcher did however gain particular insight into the way these practitioners identified outdoor learning in terms of the children in their care. 3.3 Questionnaires The third method of data collection for this study was questionnaires. These were sent to parents of children within the two settings used for this study. The questionnaires aimed to give numerical data to this study. This data was gained by asking closed questions stating amounts of time children spent outdoors and how they played when outdoors. However open questions were also used so that parents or carers could expand on their findings, therefore resulting in more detailed data and also possibly identifying other issues which may not have been addressed by the researcher. Furthermore the researcher used questionnaires as they seemed to be less time consuming especially within a time limited study such as this. Moreover it could be suggested that questionnaires are unbiased as the researcher is not able to influence the answers. However, Scott and Morrison (2006) suggest that there is the potential for questionnaires to have potential bias built into them through the researchers a genda. When drafting the questionnaire there were extreme difficulties in phrasing the questions so that they were not biased towards the researchers own agenda. However after many draft copies and conducting a pilot of the questionnaire the questions became less biased and more open towards the respondents. Bell (2005) suggests that a further disadvantage of the questionnaire is the non-response. However in this instance the researcher sent out one hundred questionnaires and received seventy five back this in itself could be seen as a disadvantage in terms of the time needed to collate all of the data. Despite the disadvantages of this method of research, the high response to the questionnaires enabled the researcher to obtain numerical and qualitative data. 3.4 Selecting the Settings and sample children The researcher chose to carry out the research in two early years settings which gave children free flow access to the outdoors. This allowed the researcher to observe children without any limitations in regards to the way children access the outdoor learning that is available to them. The settings were a sure start nursery and a reception unit within a primary school, which gave the researcher access to a range of ages of children to observe, as there may also have been differences regarding age as to how the children accessed outdoor learning. The settings were also chosen as they were known to the researcher which meant that professional relations had already been built with staff at the settings. However, although these relationships were already in place, this was not regular and there was no personal contact with the researcher which may have biased the study. The practitioners involved in the interview process were also chosen from the two settings involved within the study. The practitioners involved had many years of experience within the early years and in regards to childrens development. This meant that they were able to give the researcher a deeper insight and understanding in to the way they had seen children access outdoor learning in their prospective settings. The children involved in the research were randomly chosen from the children whom the researcher had been given permission to observe. However to ensure an even mix of children within the research two boys and two girls were chosen from each setting which meant that eight children were involved overall. After the eight children were chosen their parents/carers were informed again and they were also made aware of their right to withdraw their child at anytime. 3.5 Validity and Reliability Cohen et al. (2007) define validity as an Important key to effective research for if a piece of research is invalid then it is worthless (pp 133) They suggest that validity can be addressed through the depth and scope of the data attained and in the extent to which triangulation has been used. Therefore the issue of validity has been addressed through the use of many different techniques to research the study. This will give the researcher greater confidence in their findings especially if they all result in the same conclusion. Additionally in terms of qualitative data consideration needs to be given in regards of respondents answers to questionnaires as their opinions and perspectives will contribute a degree of bias within the study. However Agar (1986) argues that the in-depth responses and involvement of respondents in the research will secure a sufficient level off reliability and validity. On the other hand Cohen et al. (2007) argue that this may be insufficient and therefore the data collected must be representative in terms of the question to be answered in order to have validity. This issue of validity has been addressed in terms of the types of questions asked in both the questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. As this study involves both qualitative and quantitative data and Cohen et al. (2007) suggest that in terms of reliability these are both different, the researcher will strive to address issues in both contexts. In regards to quantitative data both Bell (2005) and Cohen et al. (2007) suggest that the type of data collection used needs to be able to be reproduced and present similar findings in order for it to be reliable. The questionnaires used in this study are easily reproduced and may give similar findings, however there may also be the case that the results may not be entirely similar as they represent individuals opinions which will differ on every occasion that the questionnaires are reproduced. Brock-Utne (1996) promotes the use of qualitative research and recognises the holistic approach that it gives to research studies and suggests that the reliability in this case can be seen as dependability. Moreover Cohen et al. (2005) suggest that observations if carried out especially if they can be repeated and are given the same interpretations can also be reliable. Therefore the methods of observations and interviews can be both reliable and dependable; however again there is always the possibility that different outcomes may be gathered depending on the times, settings and individuals involved in the observations. The research within this study can be deemed both valid and reliable due to the triangulation methods used and that each method of research used can be easily replicated and completed again and again with the majority showing similar findings. Additionally all of the research methods used are directly related to the question identified and as Burton et al. (2008) promote the validity and reliability of any research carried out Will be largely determined by the extent to which the findings are directly related to the issues or problems identified at the outset..the selection of appropriate methods and how systematically the have been employed (pp 168) Also the disadvantages and advantages of each method of data collection used in the study have been carefully considered before being used within the context of this study. 3.6 Ethical Issues Any researcher should consider ethical issues when conducting primary research with people as Burton et al. (2008) advise all researchers have one shared responsibility and that is a duty of care to all individuals involved in the research process. BERA (2004) is an association which sets out specific guidelines for researchers who are undertaking educational research they to propose that researchers need to ensure that no harm comes to the participants. BERA (2004) also establishes that the researcher should ensure that all participants within the research are fully aware of their rights and roles. Bell (2005) agrees with this and also suggests that researchers need to gain informed consent from all participants involved within the study. This issue was addressed by communicating with all participants their rights and confidentiality before the research was undertaken. Letters were sent to each setting included within the study which clearly outlined the study and asked for consent to carry out interviews and observations (Appendix ), telephone calls were also conducting in regards to arranging times. Another ethical issue outlined by BERA (2004) is that In the case of participants whose age.may limit the extent to which they can be expected to understand or agree voluntarily to undertake their roleIn such circumstances researchers must also seek the collaboration and approval of those who act in guardianship (pp 7) This issue was addressed by the researcher sending out letters to all parents/carers or guardians of the children within each setting asking for their consent for their child to be observed. The letters outlined the study, confidentiality and anonymity, and the right to say no or to withdraw from the study at anytime. Parents/ carers or guardians were also informed again if their child was chosen for the research and again were informed of their right to withdraw their child at any time. (Appendix ) BERA (2004) and Bell (2005) also recognise the importance of making sure that any participants involved in the study are not put under any stress, discomfort or intrusion during the research process. This issue was addressed by the researcher visiting both settings on a number of occasions so as to reduce intrusion and for the children to become familiar with another adult in their setting. Consideration also needs to be given to the questionnaires used and the ethical issues surrounding this. The researcher made contact with the participants of the questionnaire through covering letters. These letters fully informed the participants of the outline of the study and how the data collected from the questionnaires would be used; participants also had the right not to reply and to withdraw their information at any time throughout the process of the study. In conclusion due to the time limitations and small scale of this study there are bound to be limitations of the research process, some of which were discussed previously. However much deliberation and careful consideration was given to the reliability and suitability of the research methods used, which provided both q

Social Isolation In The Interesting Narrative Of The Life Of Olaudah Eq

Olaudah Equiano in his Interesting Narrative is taken from his African home and thrown into a Western world completely foreign to him. Equiano is a slave for a total of ten years and endeavors to take on certain traits and customs of Western thinking. He takes great pains to improve himself, learn religion, and adopt Western mercantilism. However, Equiano holds on to a great deal of his African heritage. Throughout the narrative, the author keeps his African innocence and purity of intent; two qualities he finds sorely lacking in the Europeans. This compromise leaves him in a volatile middle ground between his adapted West and his native Africa. Olaudah Equiano takes on Western ideals while keeping several of his African values; this makes him a man associated with two cultures but a member of neither. Olaudah Equiano during his long journey is exposed to Western ideas and customs. Although he is initially frightened by them, writing "and I was now persuaded that I had gotten into a world of bad spirits, and that they were go to kill me" (755), he eventually begins to see Europeans as "men superior to us" (762). In this change of perceptive Equiano begins to endeavor to emulate his more pale counterparts. To further this cause, he begins to improve himself through education. He embarks on a quest to read and write having already partially learned his adopted tongue some two to three years after he arrives in England. He is put into school by Miss Guerins while his master's ship is in port and while in her service Equiano is taught Western Christianity and baptized. He thus begins to take on the European religious character as well as the new Enlightenment ideal of self-improvement. During Equiano's service... ...other leaving him somewhere between both. Olaudah Equiano's Interesting Narrative provides insight into cultural assimilation and the difficulties such assimilation. The writer embraces several Western traits and ideals yet guards his African virtues jealously. In doing so however, he finds himself somewhere in between a full European and a displaced African. This problem of cultural identity Equiano struggled with is still present in modern American society. The modern day African-American appears to also be in the process of deciding the between two competing cultures and often being left somewhere in middle becoming a victim of cultural identity just like Olaudah Equiano some 250 years ago. Works Cited Olaudah, Equiano. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Yassa, Written by Himself. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1995.

The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass Essay -- Narrative Fred

The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass Metal clanks against metal as the chains rub on old scars issuing in another day of toil in the heat with head-down and blood streaming as each new lash is inflicted. This is usually the picture envisioned when one thinks of slavery. While often this is an accurate depiction, there are also many other forms of slavery. The Webster’s Dictionary describes slavery as, â€Å"submission to a dominating influence.† Everyone has influences that shape who they are and what they do, but a problem arises when a person’s entire life is spent abiding under a certain, destructive influence. Often this is done willingly and a sort of addiction occurs in maintaining the hold the authority has in one’s life. It gives the person identity; all they need to do is live under the power they have created for themselves and make up the rules as they go along. Yet in doing this, they rob themselves of true freedom in knowing right from wrong and choosing the right. In fac t, in this regard Fredrick Douglass is one of the freest men in his narrative. In the life story of Fredrick Douglass we not only see an African American man struggling against the oppression of slavery, but also many white masters struggling against their enslavement to reputation, power and religion. First we see what it is to be a slave to reputation. Throughout the Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass it is obvious that what others think matters a great deal to the slave holders. Although this may not make sense since they still do atrocious things to their slaves, there is a certain persona they want to convey to others. Mr. Covey was a harsh, cruel man, and everyone knew and respected him for being such. C... ...nd his white masters as free, but that can only be true if using one definition of freedom. Although seemingly free these white men also struggle under oppression. It is not forced upon, conversely they willingly and purposefully lock on the chains of slavery which dominate their lives. They conform their lives to something that gives them a sense of meaning and identity, using their freedom to choose slavery. Meanwhile, Douglass is free to live an entirely different lifestyle. Perhaps one of the most powerful quotes in his narrative is when Douglass states that â€Å"I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and incur my own abhorrence (28).† He is not willfully bound under the dominion of anything; he is free to be himself and thus know real right from wrong. In this he shows his true freedom.

A Swot Analysis of Starbucks

Introduction Starbucks is a famous coffeehouse. Until the mid-1980s it was only a provider of coffee to fine restaurants. Thereafter Howard Schultz, director of retail operations and marketing, was impressed of the popularity of coffee in Milan while he was in Europe . His idea was born. He wanted to bring the coffee bar culture to the Americans. So Starbucks started to realise his idea and so created a new trend. The clue is not only to sell coffee, but to sell an experience. Today Starbucks has got about 20 million customers each week in about 5500 coffeehouses all over the world . While haunting to increase sales more and more, Starbucks has got a special growth strategy. They open a lot of stores in a very short period of time, expanding numerous food offerings and also getting into new segments, for example supermarkets. They develop new products like bottled coffee or Starbucks-flavoured ice cream. In addition to that, Starbucks tests new coffeehouse concepts, for example with live music. Since a few years, Starbucks opens more and more stores outside America. The important question is, if Starbucks’ growth rate will continue within next years because on the one hand critics say that Starbucks grows too fast and is loosing the focus while on the other hand some critics compare Starbucks’ coffee with Mc Donald’s? hamburger and believe that they will grow up more and more as the dominant player on this market . With the help of the SWOT analysis and the BCG matrix the situation of Starbucks can be analyzed after finding out, why people pay more money for a coffee, than in other coffeehouses. What has suddenly made people across the world willing to pay three to four times more for a cup of coffee than they used to? Starbucks has created a new trend. They do not just sell coffee, they sell an experience. To drink coffee at Starbucks is different from drinking coffee in another coffeehouse according to a Starbucks executive who said, that â€Å"Starbucks is not in the business of filling bellies but in the business of filling souls† . They recognised that they were getting into a new niche, which did not exist before. While having great success, Starbucks grows rapidly to have an advantage according to a bunch of competitors who also entered this new niche. With the high-quality coffee, Starbucks creates besides a new brand a new lifestyle which is known all over the world. Furthermore, they offer a lot of different flavours which differs from other coffeehouses. But coffee is not the only reason why people are willing to pay a lot more there than in other coffeehouses. The mission statement declares that the employees’ job is not only to sell coffee. They should enthusiastically satisfy every customer to give him the special feeling and experience at Starbucks . All in all Starbucks recognised a new niche and satisfied the customers with their special flavoured and high quality coffee. To get an idea of Starbucks’ success, it is necessary to take a close look at the company by using the SWOT analysis and the BCG matrix. A SWOT analysis of Starbucks Strengths The company has a strong presence in the United States of America and a good reputation for creativity and coffee. Starbucks has started a real trend and many people enjoy drinking a Starbucks coffee. However, it is not just coffee but rather an experience Starbucks sells. Starbucks operates in more than 5,500 stores worldwide. This presence provides a wide and strong customer base. It is a global brand and is widely known. Starbucks built up a reputation for fine products and the name is a common brand label and this gives Starbucks a competitive advantage because people connect coffee with Starbucks. Every week more than 20 million customers visit Starbucks to get a coffee once or twice a day. In the last years the company could tripled their earnings. Another strength is that Starbucks has a strategy they follow. These strong principles include that Starbucks looks after their employees and threat each of them with respect. They create a nice and friendly environment that they also reflect outwards. Starbucks offers different flavours through its position as a disciplined innovator and introduces diverse products. They also pay attention to the high standards and want to offer the best quality. Starbucks decided to push into supermarkets because the majority of people bought their coffee in stores before. Therefore Starbucks came to the conclusion to make a deal with the Kraft company. This deal combines Starbucks experience in producing premium coffee with Kraft’s knowledge of marketing, selling and distributing. That was a good step for Starbucks to reach a new channel and to get the entry to 25,000 supermarkets. It makes sense that the company wants to reach the people at home and to include more people into the Starbucks lifestyle. Beyond stores, Starbucks sells its beans to hotels, several airlines and airports. Starbucks sells gourmet coffee, beans as well as gifts and related goods. (Starbucks also signed a deal to operate coffee shops within Waterstones bookshop superstores. Also the homepage of Starbucks has become successful and a ‘lifestyle portal’, where the company sells a variety of products like tea, coffee making equipment, compact discs and collectibles to satisfy their customers needs with different products. Weaknesses One of Starbucks` weakness is that their primary product is just coffee. They are therefore dependent on this main product line. Starbucks is however testing to launch food offerings like sandwiches and chips in combination with coffee. Its goal is not only to expand more and more in its offerings but also to reach further target groups . A problem is that Starbucks has a slow ability to diversify into other sectors which could be fatal because the company believes in being successful not only because it is selling coffee but rather it is selling an experience . This makes them different from other competitors who might only sell coffee. â€Å"Coffee Lifestyle† may vary from time to time due to the fact that the global coffee market is a very competitive sector . Another weakness are high prices of its products. People pay up to $3. 15 for a caffe latte. One supposes that people buy this product only because they think that it is a premium product . But it is especially the brand name which tempts customers to buy the product without taking the high prices into consideration. As already mentioned before, the customer is not only buying the product, he is buying it with an experience. Another weakness of Starbucks is that they are simply relying on the philosophy that coffee is just an experience. There exists no doubt a good marketing strategy but it is questionable if this is helpful to maintain over time on the market with the strategy of only focusing on one product. â€Å"We are not in business of filling bellies; we’re in the business of filling souls† says one Starbucks executive. That shows another very good and appealing philosophy of Starbucks. This makes the product and its uniqueness but it is only a question of time when people are saturated of this experience. You have to point out that Starbucks itself tries hard to achieve this effect by the people through a competent public relationship. Opportunities Starbucks has a widespread presence and practices in about 1. 415 stores and just last year they build up 400 new stores. The company has seen opportunities to open further stores all over the world due to the heavy demand and space to expand. For example Indiana in the US has only one Starbucks. Furthermore, Starbucks has the opportunity to expand its global operations. The company is now expanding rapidly and in 2003 the number of stores has increased in 24 international markets compared to 1996 when they had only 11 stores outside the United States. Starbucks also tests new food which represents that food might be the next step they want to go. With this the company would have the chance to offer food that could be successful as its coffee. They test everything from doughnuts to Greek pasta salads. Starbucks also teamed up with PepsiCo to adopt the brand on Frappuccino drinks and a newDoubleShot expresso drink. Beyond this Starbucks ice cream is nowadays a leading brand of coffee ice cream after Starbucks established a joint venture with Breyer’s. In addition, Starbucks invested in Cafe Starbucks, a European-style family bistro, where the costumer has a wide choice from huckleberry-pancakes too oven-roasted seared sirloin. Alongside, Starbucks is testing Circadia, a new food venture, where the customers have Internet access and listen to live music. Starbucks has always been able to offer new coffee experiences as well as creating new products or opening new kinds of stores. Threats One of the biggest threats of Starbucks is its grand expansion all over the world. When launching a new product numerous customers are visiting the company’s stores world wide each week. It is especially Starbucks growth strategy which stands for a threat for the company. Starbucks especially concentrates on store growth. Almost 85 per cent of sales are generated through its stores. Although they have great success, Starbucks always finds new places for further expansion on the local as well as on the national market with being aware of the fact that the local as well as the national market may be saturated of its product. The creation of new retail channels also shows that Starbucks is not concerned about peoples` rejection or about failing to be successful. Apart from their strong presence in kiosks, several airlines, hotels and the co-operation with Waterstones’ bookshop superstores, Starbucks enters 25,000 supermarkets to sell their products next to their strong competitors like Nestle and Kraft. They also offer coffee, tea and its equipment on its website to be internationally present for a wider target group. To intensify its presence they are not deterred by joining with other companies to have its logo to be seen everywhere. Several ideas should achieve various people. They are full of ideas only of the fact of not wanting to stop their expansion. However, the international growth is remarkable. While having only 11 coffee-houses in 1996 outside North-America, they now launch their products into 24 international markets. The great success of Starbucks has also brought negative consequences for the company because many competitors try to imitate them. These are companies like Caribou Coffee, Costa Coffee, and Coffee Republic. However, it is very hard to maintain on the global coffee market which is a very competitive sector. These days one speaks about an increasingly over caffeinated marketplace. So Starbucks must compete against the offers of restaurants, coffee shops and street carts. A major competitor with substantially greater financial, marketing and operating resources than Starbucks could enter the market at any time and compete directly against the company. Starbucks must be aware of competition on all levels and maintain its operational performance if it is to retain status as the world’s leading specialty coffee retailer. Finally you could say that Starbucks is more concerned about the fact that there are still plenty of local places as well as internationally places which is not taken over by them. Instead of being worried about the fact that their rapid expansion could also lead to a rapid decrease and failure in several markets. The whole marketing strategy of Starbucks may cause to a loss of the main focus through stretching its resources by further expansion. Main focus should be first put on the product itself and not on international expansion in this way. Why not ensure the popularity of the product itself than making it something normal due to the fact that it is present almost everywhere. It can be seen undoubtedly that Starbucks has the potential for development in many different ways but it has to have its growth under control. This may be a challenge for Starbucks. BCG Matrix The BCG matrix is an instrument, developed in the early 1970? s by the Boston Consulting Group to analyze the product portfolio of a company or a business unit. The matrix is based on the product life circle. The matrix is mainly used in the strategic marketing sector. The matrix shows in a coordinate plan the positions of different strategic business units. The interesting categories are on the one side the business growth rate on the y-axis and the market share on the x-axis. The method brings cognitions in three relevant areas: ?Analysis of the strategic position of a company. ?Determine the capital in the several business units with a view on the whole company and therefore the cash flow in the company. ?Every quadrant responds to a norm strategy which could be used as a guideline to verbalize strategic activities in the company . It is also necessary to look after the whole portfolio especially on the statistical financial compensation. The products in the portfolio should be based upon on another and finance one another. To create a long-term value a company should have a portfolio of products that includes fast growing products which need a high input of money and slowly growing products which are creating a high amount of cash. The BCG matrix has two dimensions: relative market share and market growth rate. The idea behind this matrix is: if a product has a high market share or the market of the product is growing fast than it is an advantage for the company. Analysis of Starbucks using the BCG Matrix Cash cows: Benefits from the generation of cash should be high. Because of the low-growth rate capital expenditures which are necessary should be hold low. Often cash cows are the stars of yesterday and build the base of a company . One of Starbucks’ cash cows is their coffee ice cream. This is a relatively risk free investment that doesn’t absorb great amounts of cash. Through the partnership with Breyers, Starbucks doesn’t need to spend money on the production process. With Breyer? experience and the Starbucks name the ice cream was sure to succeed on the market. With it now being one of the market leaders on the coffee ice cream market, Starbucks can â€Å"milk† it and benefit from the sales, knowing that there is not a high cost factor. Another, but quite small cash cow is their bottled Frappuccino drink. Once again Starbucks took on a similar strategy by working with an already established beverage manufactur er. The investments are once again a lot lower than their sales, giving them a high profit margin. Stars: Stars use a high amount of cash. These are leader in the business and hence they should create a high amount of cash. Stars are often in balance with the net cash-flow. The company should do their best to hold the market share on stars because stars will become cash-cows if the market-share is held by the company . Starbucks’ biggest star is the coffee sold and consumed in their coffee shops (stores). With an incredible 85% of sales coming from their stores it is their biggest source of cash intake . Although competitors offering similar products have emerged, the market growth still looks promising. Some states like Alabama and Mississippi don’t have any Starbucks stores meaning that there is still a large market to expand onto. The people living in these states have not been able to enjoy a cup of Starbucks coffee. The revenues from their coffee sales should therefore be used to invest in new stores making it possible to sell their coffee. Another one of their stars is the packaged coffee sold in supermarkets. With the help of Kraft Starbucks has gained quick access to the packaged coffee market. Thus they have been able to quickly increase their market share on a rapidly growing market . Unlike their other joint ventures with PepsiCo and Breyers, Starbucks has done more than just put their name on the product. As they are still roasting and packaging their own coffee they need to invest a lot to further establish their position on the market. Dogs: Dogs are discontinued models of the company. A company should minimize, better avoid the number of dogs. Dogs have to make cash, otherwise they are divested . Starbucks? dog is the sandwiches sold in their stores. Although they experiment with different foods in their stores, they do not make a lot of profit from food sales. Furthermore it can be said that the sandwich market is not growing and Starbucks do not have a high market share. However, this SBU should not be divested immediately as it may help them to draw in further customers who know that they will be able to grab a sandwich to go with their coffee. Question marks: Question marks are the newcomer of the products. The have a high growth-potential. They have the worst cash features of all, because they have a high demand of cash but perform low outcomes because of their low market-share. If the market-share is unchanged are question marks using a high amount of cash. The management has to decide to invest in the product or to give it up. Starbuck’s further attempts to boost their growth such as selling coffee to airlines and hotels can be classified as question marks. At the moment the demand for premium coffee to be sold in airports and hotels might be high, but so far only Marriott, Sheraton and Westin have deals with Starbucks meaning that there are a lot of hotels not selling their coffee . If they want to expand on this market they will need to invest a lot of money into new deals with other hotels. It will take time before they can increase their market share and make a profit. Cafe Starbucks and Circadia, two new store concepts are also question marks. At the moment they are only experimenting to see how customers will react to a different kind of Starbucks experience. Setting up a chain of these new concepts will require a lot of money and time before they can establish themselves on the market. If they succeed in competing with other cafes of a similar style this SBU could be another profitable SBU in the future After positioning Starbucks? products on the BCG matrix it can be said that they have a stable source of revenue. With the majority of their sales coming from the coffee sold in their stores and two profitable, if on a smaller scale, joint ventures they have enough money to invest in other new products or stores to ensure that they will be as successful in the future. Besides investing this money in new stores enabling them to serve an even larger market, it can be invested in their coffee sold in supermarkets. Rapid growth of the premium coffee segment indicates that it won’t be long before a number of competitors force their way onto the market. Investing into this SBU will enable it to develop into a cash cow in the future. Regarding the sandwiches sold in their stores they need to reconsider if this is something they should continue to invest in the future. The prospects for the future look promising as they have two strong stars and other smaller products that can carry the company in the future. Looking at Starbucks as a whole it can be seen as a star. Although there are a number of â€Å"copycats† trying to move in on their market share, there is still the potential for the company to grow. Up until now not all states have their own Starbucks store, an indication that the market is still growing. Although they have tripled their sales and profits over the last 5 years, they need this money to invest in new stores in states such as Alabama and Mississippi and their new store concepts such as Cafe Starbucks . If they are able to expand successfully and the market ceases to grow they will eventually turn into a cash cow.