Baby-boomers and the U.S. Health Care System

For the past few decades the term â€Å"baby-boomers† has never left the headlines. There are many reasons why this generation of Americans always attract the spotlight. First of all this generation comprises a significant chunk of the U. S. population. Furthermore, children born to this group were the ones who grew up and became involved in the cultural-changing events of the 1960s. This is the same generation that provided volunteers and soldiers to the infamous Vietnam War.In order to fully appreciate the impact of this generation to current history it must be noted that former president Bill Clinton as well as incumbent president George W. Bush belong to this demographic. In recent times the baby-boomers are again in the glare of publicity because this segment of the population is threatening to negatively impact the U. S. health care system. The following four articles provide differing views on the said subject matter. This paper will take a closer look at the baby-boome r generation and its impact on the healthcare system.This can be achieved by comparing and contrasting four articles taken from New York Times and MSNBC News. The four articles reveal important information about this demographic while at the same time supply necessary data that will help readers get an overview of the problem as well as possible solutions. The world’s media is painting a grim picture of the future, that baby-boomers are to blame for the impending crisis that will wallop the U. S. health care system. Is there truth to the claim or is there another way to read the facts?The following articles provide different perspectives on the subject of baby-boomers in relation to the health care system. For the first article that will be examined, MSNBC’s Tracie Potts wrote a report entitled â€Å"Boomers to flood medical care system. † There is simply no way to misinterpret what she meant by that. For a long time now the United States of America is bracing f or a coming storm. In a few more years there will be a significant number of aging Americans who will retire and come looking for the long promised retirement benefits and a major part of it is access to quality health care services.Tracie Potts asserts that there is a strong possibility that many of those who will retire is in for a big disappointment and she even declared that if things will not be corrected in the near future then America should be ready for an impending crisis. Michelle York on the other hand wrote that aside from the usual problems of lacking proper medical insurance and the impact due to sheer numbers of baby-boomers that will be needing health care there is another related problem – the lack of medical practitioners that will be able to take care of them.Aside from facilities and medical supplies the most important part of the equation are the doctors. Now, everyone knows that doctors are in the business of providing care and just like other profession als they will not work for free. There maybe some rare instances where a doctor will be driven by compassion but even the most generous will realize that they have to pay back that huge loan incurred to pay tuition fees in medical school. They cannot be forced to go where there is greatest need; they will only consider moving into an area where they can also get the most out of their time and hard work.Now there is a problem when it comes to retirees. A person finally quitting the work force in order to enjoy doing the finer things in life will have to settle in areas where the cost of living is lower in order to stretch their retirement funds. That is a good plan the only problem is that in these places doctors are hard to find. The third piece that will be examined was written for the New York Times. O’Neill entitled the article this way, â€Å"Want to Retire Early and Hang a Shingle? It’ll Cost You.† In this report O’Neil discussed that baby-boomers ar e not stupid and that they work hard during their youth and pre-retirement years to save enough money so that they can afford not to work and yet lead quality lives. But O’Neil cautions that for those who will opt out of the work force before the age of 65, there is one more thing left to do and it is to set aside $100,000 or more to cover health insurance until they qualify for Medicare. Suddenly retirement is not as fun as one would think, especially for those who did not do their homework when it comes to long-term care insurance.There are just so many things that Medicare will not cover. Rick Lyman’s article significantly differs from the three already mentioned. His piece is the silver lining behind the clouds. He admits that baby-boomers will create a deep impact in American society but he believes that the doomsayers are exaggerating and therefore Lyman declared, â€Å"Census Report Foresees No Crisis Over Aging Generation’s Health. † The following pages will take a closer look at the said four articles. Boomers Tracie Potts warns that in the coming years there will be millions of baby-boomers that will flood the U.S. medical system. The problem according to her is that the health care system in this country is not yet ready for a sudden rise in the numbers of retirees. In order to understand the seriousness of the problem Potts reminded her readers that there are about 78 million Americans that will turn 65 years old soon. Seventy-eight million is already the population of a small country and realizing the size of this demographic can easily scare anyone especially if the one reading the report belongs to the younger generation tasked to work in order to sustain America’s current health care system.Potts reiterated her concerns, â€Å"We face an impending crisis as the growing number of older patients, who are living longer with more complex health needs, increasingly outpaces the number of health care providers with the knowledge and skills to take care for them capably† (2008). The report listed the following common problems associated with senior citizens who had a misplaced trust in Medicare and retiring without sufficient knowledge that having Medicare will not be enough as seen in the following facts: 1. There aren’t enough specialists in geriatric medicine; 2. Insufficient training is available;3. The specialists that do exist are underpaid; 4. Medicare fails to provide for team care that many elderly needs; and 5. Medicare may even hinder seniors from getting the best care because of its low reimbursement rates (Potts, 2008). Included in this report is another piece of bad news coming from the American Medical Association who provided the heads-up, â€Å"This July, the government will begin steep cuts in Medicare physician payments, and 60 percent of physicians say this cut will force them to limit the number of new Medicare patients they can treat† (Potts, 2008).In this article one can see the problems the great influx of senior citizens needing quality healthcare and the inability of the U. S. Federal government to provide for that need. This article is an important contribution in any study regarding boomers and their impact on the U. S. medical system. Potts was able to go into the nitty-gritty of the main issue. It was informative and well-balanced reporting. The reader can finish evaluating the article and come away with key points such as the inability of Medicare to cover all medical needs even if the person is already 65 years old and eligible for this type of medical insurance.Another major contribution of this article is in addressing the need for more trained specialists. The lack of trained specialists can easily increase the cost of health care expenses. Medical Professionals In a related article Michelle York focuses on the medical problems of baby-boomers living in the State of New York and she wrote, â€Å"At a time when the a ging baby-boomer population finds itself in need of more medical services, fewer young doctors want to work in many of the distressed cities and towns throughout New York State (2007).This is understandable because a medical professional has to earn a living too and there is no incentive that will entice them to choose to work in distressed cities and towns in dire need of medical professionals. The following figures describe a disturbing trend that although there is an increase in the number of licensed physicians this rise in numbers will not solve the problem outright and here are the explanations:†¢ In New York there is a 6 percent growth in the number of doctors practicing medicine from 2001-2005 – for a total of about 77,000 doctors – but the way they are spread throughout the state means there are many who will not have access to their expertise; †¢ There is a glut of doctors in richer areas like New York, Long Island, and Westchester and far few chose to practice in the upstate region. For instance in the Essex County in the Adirondacks, they lost 22 percent of its doctors as of latest count;†¢ The remaining doctors who chose to stay in distressed areas are also ready to retire – some are already 55 or older – but the problem is recruiting replacement is extremely difficult. Young medical practitioners find these areas non-viable and unattractive (York, 2007). This article is also very informative. It allows the reader to see the boomer issue from another angle. The usual points for discussion when it comes this topic usually centers on medical bills, expensive treatments, and expensive drugs. As a result there are laws that were passed specifically addressing the said problems.Lawmakers will continually strive hard to lower prices of medicines and find ways to build better hospitals. But York’s article diverts attention to these common problems and instead focuses on something that is far more challeng ing – there are no doctors in distressed areas. Now how can the federal government solve this problem? Lowering the price medicine can be considered a very easy feat as compared to convincing a very driven young doctor to live in areas where he knows he will not be able to pull as much money as he would have if he decides to live in the big city.Suddenly York made everyone sit-up and realize that this is a problem that requires a complex set of solutions and that the government should start working on it now because time will come when even old doctors serving in upstate regions and far flung counties will have to hang-up their hats and say adieu to the medical profession. High Cost of Retirement For John O’Neil the explanation for the impending crisis is simple. It is simply too expensive to pay for health care. There are so many factors that contribute to this reality.As mentioned earlier there are a limited number of specialists focusing on geriatric treatment. In s ome areas the problem is much simpler to identify – there are no doctors in sight. O’Neil adds another reason why it will be much harder for baby-boomers to immediately decide to hang their work clothes and go straight to their favorite fishing hole and he wrote, â€Å"The percentage of companies offering retirees health benefits has plummeted in the last decade, according to a recent report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.From 1997 to 2002, the most recent year for which figures are available, the drop was especially steep†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2006). This means that even if baby boomers are still in the workplace they are no longer contributing to their healthcare plans. O’Neill cited Paul Fronstin, director of the institute’s health research and education program, who said that future retirees are not assured of medical insurance coverage unless they fall into one of the following categories: 1. high-level executive; 2. union worker in a large man ufacturing company; or 3. civil servant (O’Neil, 2006).There are those who did not belong to any of the categories mentioned above but they have spouses willing to keep working until they qualify for Medicare but there are many who are not as fortunate. O’Neil also pointed out that the saddest part is that many Americans, especially those who are going to retire soon are unaware that such problems exist. Many thought that they are covered and yet when they are out their on their own with no other means of support they will be in for a rude awakening because health care cost is not what they expect it to be.O’Neil’s article is a wake-up call for those who may have thought that retirement is the answer to all their problems. No more back-breaking work and all the money needed to spend for the things that one truly loves doing. O’Neil splashed cold water into the faces of those daydreaming about fly-fishing and endless hours at the golf course. No sir , retirement before the age of 65 means no access to Medicare and if the new retiree figures in an accident, long-term care insurance is way too expensive. It is also a good thing that O’Neill pointed out a fact that more and more companies are reducing their offer of retiree health benefits.It is high time to check if a potential retiree’s company is offering retiree health benefits or not before deciding to retire. No Crisis over Aging Rick Lyman’s article offers an alternative view. Although Lyman concedes that baby boomers will still tax the U. S. medical system because the following figures is undeniable, â€Å"In July 2003, there were 35. 9 million Americans over the age of 65, about 12 percent of the population. By 2030, federal officials predict, there will be 72 million older people, about 20 percent of Americans† (Lyman, 2006).Yet Lyman predicted that the outcome will not be as devastating because baby-boomers are aging well with fewer disabilit ies even as they turn 65. Lyman cited Richard J. Hodes – director of the National Institute on Aging – who asserts that this positive trend is due to an improved quality of life; today’s older Americans are better educated and more wealthy than previous generations which accounts for their ability to take care of themselves (Lyman, 2006). Yet Lyman also made a caveat that the growing obesity rate may neutralize the positive trend.This article by Lyman is not only significant because it offers a positive outlook of the current health care debacle but it also encourages many future retirees to be more vigilant when it comes to taking care of their health especially those that are prone to diabetes and obesity. It must be noted that Lyman’s assertions are based on the significant reduction in the number of senior citizens suffering from a form of disability. Due to the fact that many of the baby-boomers are enjoying great health there is a possibility that t he impact will be less disastrous.Yet it is also good to know that diabetes and obesity can easily reverse the trend because these two medical conditions can easily transform a perfectly healthy individual into an invalid irregardless if he a boomer or not. Compare/Contrast The four articles are in agreement on the following areas: 1. The significant number of baby-boomers will greatly impact the U. S. medical system. 2. Health care cost is rising. 3. There are other factors that contribute to the health care problem and not merely due to the size of the baby-boomer generation.Authors, Potts, York, and O’Neil are also in agreement that boomers will break the bank. It is only Lyman who offered a more positive outlook. Although Lyman acknowledges there is a problem he is sure that doomsayers are exaggerating and that actual figure show that boomers are adapting well. Lyman argues that due to the fact that boomers have a higher literary rate as compared to previous generations t his generation will be able to quickly understand and assimilate information regarding health issues and as a result they will be able to incorporate into their lifestyle practices that will ensure longevity and good health.On the other hand all four authors are unanimous when it comes to the idea of retaining the services of retirees and instead of pushing them out the door. There are a number of industries that require more experienced workers especially when it comes to the medical field it is very expensive to train specialists. So if a retired medical professional decides to work a few more years after retirement his expertise can be used without having to undergo further training. In this way more people will benefit from his services. ConclusionThere is no need to elaborate on the fact that baby-boomers comprise a significant percentage of the American population. Figures vary but it is estimated that there are at least 72 million boomers living in this country. This demograp hic can easily command the attention of various businesses but in the past few years it has gripped the attention of health care experts who are predicting a crisis if some issue will not be resolved soon. There is a good reason to be alarmed, 70 million people is roughly the size of a small country.Imagine a group this big and all of its members suddenly turning gray and opts to exit the workplace and as a consequence of age and other factors begin taxing the U. S. healthcare system. The four articles reveal at least three glaring facts as to why the aging of the boomer will create a force that will wallop America’s medical system. First of all, even without considering the boomers the U. S. health care system is already in shambles, meaning not everyone can afford medical insurance simply because it is downright expensive.It is expensive to pay for doctors, it is expensive to pay for specialists and it is even expensive to pay for caregivers that do not have any form of med ical degree. Secondly, there are simply not enough health workers that will be able to do the job. In the case of the boomers there is an added problem of needing more specialists especially those that specialize in geriatric medicine. Finally, the most disturbing fact of all is that there are many boomers who are unaware that they need to have more money in order to pay for their health care related expenses.It must be noted that those who retire before 65 will not be eligible for Medicare. And yet even if they have Medicare this type of health insurance will not be able to cover everything. All three articles agree that there is an impending crisis unless desperate measures are taken up. This includes enticing retirees not to become idle and instead allow themselves to be reabsorbed into the workforce. There is now an added bonus because retirees with their years of experience can ask for part time work or can choose only to do things that they love doing.There is only one author who disagree with the doomsayers. But even he gave some sort of tempered optimism because even with a wealthier and more educated boomer generation the rising rate of obesity can still offset the positive trend. All in all the four articles are informative and it allows the reader to get a good overview to one of the hottest social issue in America today. References Lyman, R. (2006). â€Å"Census Report Foresees No Crisis Over Aging Generations Health. † Retrieved 05 June 2008 from http://www. nytimes. com/2006/03/10/national/ 10aging. html?_r=1&sq=baby%20boomer&st=nyt&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&scp=4&adxnnlx=1213085688-UwMCjf6VJB3QAKV4jZVJ9A O’Neil, J. (2006). â€Å"Want to Retire Early and Hang a Shingle? It’ll Cost You. † Retrieved 04 June 2008 from http://www. nytimes. com/2006/04/11/business/retirement/ 11gap. html? _r=1&scp=21&sq=baby%20boomer&st=nyt Potts, T. (2008). â€Å"Boomers to Flood Medical Care System. † Retrieved 04 June 2008 from http:// www. msnbc. msn. com/id/24107916/ York, M. (2007). â€Å"Few Young Doctors Step in as Upstate Population Ages. † Retrieved 05 June 2008 from http://www. nytimes. com/2007/07/23/nyregion/ 23docs. html? scp=5&sq=baby+boomer&st=nyt

Development of Modern Middle East Essay

The purpose of this paper is to give a synopsis of the life history and work of Muhammad, son of Abdullah, the prophet of Islam. It will also seek to address the persecutions he underwent at the hands of his own clan. Muhammad was and remains one of the most influential people the world has ever seen. He was a mortal, illiterate man who has changed world history and left an indelible mark on the history books. He was the last of the prophets and one of the few with scriptures. The scripture (Qur’an) is one of the most read and revered books on the face of the earth. His work has over one billion followers worldwide comprising people from all races, social status, sex and age. He acknowledged every prophet before him and discriminated against none (Qur’an 2:285). He was a human rights champion. In this paper Quraysh and/or Mecca will mostly refer to unbelievers in Islamic monotheism at the time of Muhammad. MUHAMMAD: – BIRTH and CHILDHOOD Muhammad the son of Abdullah and the grandson of Abdul Muttalib (leader of the Quraysh tribe and custodian of al-Ka’aba) is the prophet of the Islamic religion. Muhammad was born in Mecca in the year 570 c.e. which is also known as the Year of the Elephant. This is the year that Abrahah, the king of Abyssinia (modern day Ethiopia) sent a powerful force to destroy al-Ka’aba because he viewed al-Ka’aba as a rival since it was attracting more pilgrims than his newly constructed temple in Yemen. According to history, on approaching Mecca the lead elephant of Abrahah’s convoy refused to enter the city. Then birds filled the skies stoning the army with pebbles so much so that they had to retreat in defeat. Muhammad was a descendant of Abraham through his son Ishmael. His father Abdullah died few months before Muhammad’s birth. His mother Aminah sent him the countryside to be nursed and nurtured as was the custom in Arabia. It’s believed that the children learn the qualities of self-discipline, nobility, and freedom better in the countryside than in the urban areas. It also gave them the opportunities to be speakers of eloquent Arabic spoken by the Bedouin. Aminah did not have much money to pay for the care so most of the caregivers would not take Muhammad until she met Halimah a poor Bedouin woman who became Muhammad’s nurse. One day while playing with his child peers, two angels appeared to him in human form, laid him down, opened his chest and purified his heart. For fear of what might have happened next, Halimah and her husband Harith returned Muhammad to his mother. (Britannica) Aminah died when Muhammad was only six years old. His grandfather (Abdul Muttalib) took custody of him, then two years later Abdul Muttalib fell sick and suspected he may not survive the illness, so he asked his son Abu Talib to take charge of Muhammad. Abdul Muttalib had many sons some of whom were richer than Abu Talib but he was the kindest and most respectable among his brothers. Abu Talib treated him very well and respectfully. ADOLESCENT to MARRIAGE At a young age he joined Abu Talib’s caravan to Syria. On this Syrian trip a Christian monk (Bahira) saw the signs of prophethood on him, invited him and his uncle to dine with him. He saw the prophet seal on his back and told Abu Talib to protect him from the Jews and Christians because might kill him if they realize his was the foretold prophet to come after Jesus (Qur’an 61:6) And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, â€Å"O children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad.† But when he came to them with clear evidences, they said, â€Å"This is obvious magic.† Muhammad was said to be a young man of unusual physical beauty and generosity of character. He was revered in Mecca due to his sense of fairness and justice that people often went to him for arbitration, hence the title al-Amin (the Trusted One). His uncle Abu Talib recommended him to Khadija to work on her caravan. He did so well that Khadija retained his service and made him the head of her caravan and proposed marriage to him through her friend. They got married when Muhammad was twenty five years old and Khadija who was forty years old. During marriage they had two sons and four daughters. The two sons both died young and only Fatimah among the daughters grew up to have children of her own. At age thirty five, Muhammad took his cousin Ali who was five at the time into his household and raised him. He later gave his daughter Fatima to Ali in marriage and it was through this matrimony that his progeny came. (Britannica) All these time although an illiterate, he was not satisfied with the spiritual lives of the Meccans. He started retreating to the mountains for meditation. He has seen, heard, and dreamed of miraculous things and beings. He maintained in his mind that there must be a supernatural being somewhere who is responsible for all these creatures. (CARM) CALL to PROPHETHOOD Muhammad continued his daily retreat in the cave on the mountain. One day, generally believed to be the night of power (Laila tul Qadr) in Ramadan at age forty in the year 610 c.e. while in the cave on mount Hira, the archangel Gabriel appeared to him in human form and asked him to recite. Muhammad told the angel that he did not know how to read but Gabriel insisted he recite the name of thy Lord (Qur’an 96:1-5) â€Å"Read! In the name of your Lord (Cherisher and Sustainer), He who created — created man, out of a leech-like clot: Read! And your Lord is Most Bountiful. He who taught (the use of) the Pen, taught man that which he knew not.† The appearance of Gabriel to Muhammad confirmed his call to prophethood which also marked the beginning of Islam, and added another important chapter to Arab and world history. Among the first converts to Islam were his beloved wife Khadija, Ali his cousin and later son-in-law, and his friend Abu Bakr. The words that Gabriel taught him became the first verses (Ayat) of the scriptures (Koran) which later developed to one hundred and fourteen chapters arranged from the longest to the shortest except the opening chapter (al-Fatiha) which is short. The Qur’an was revealed in a period of twenty three years (610-632 c.e), the first thirteen years in Mecca and last ten in Medina. Although not arranged in chronological order, the shorter chapters are the early revelations. The Qur’an is one of the most revered and read books on earth today. It is the most sacred book for the Muslims; they believe it is God’s own words (the original copy in heaven) and that Muhammad is the last of the prophets hence the other title the â€Å"Seal.† In this case Muhammad and the Qur’an are both completely beyond criticism (reprimand) in the Islamic world. The Muslims will go any length to defend both regardless of the consequences. (Britannica) EARLY DAYS of ISLAM and PERSECUTIONS For the first three years Islam had about forty followers (Muslims). Muhammad and the Muslims faced a lot of persecutions at the hands of Mecca pagans, who viewed the new faith as a threat to their polytheistic lives, and the religions of their forefathers. He was still preaching in private even after three years. He preached a lot about kindness to the poor and the weak (women and children), equality of races, equality of men and women before God. Muslims started gaining ground slowly but surely. Since Mecca frequently had visitors, the elders feared that the new faith might quickly spread if strangers started accepting it, so they had to hatch a plan to stop the spread. They continue to defend their religion but offered little new to the challenge Islam brought to them. Abu Lahab (Muhammad’s uncle) and Abu Sufyan gathered eloquent poets from the tribes and started a propaganda war. The poets coined choice phrases and recited well-crafted verses to ridicule Muhammad and call into doubt the veracity of his beliefs. Muslim converts with poetic skill began to construct rebuttals and soon there were dueling poets all over the city. People began approaching the once highly respected Muhammad in the streets shoving and asking him to perform miracles (predict market prices, turn mountains into gold, make angels appear, and etc.) like the earlier prophets did. Many Qur’an verses came down to him to answer the many challenges he faced and those that question the authenticity of the Qur’an. Muhammad frequently reminded them that he was just a mortal man and the Qur’an was his miracle. Another thing that puzzled the opponents was that Muhammad was not a poet, and his sudden eloquence and verbosity was inexplicable. The Meccans admitted to the fact that Qur’anic verses were nice to listen to and its contents were impassioned and appealing. Some clan elders began sitting outside Muhammad’s window at night to hear him reciting his beautiful verses. They enjoyed the verses and knew that those verses could not have come from even the best poet let alone an illiterate man. This continued until they shamed each other into stopping because that will mean they are encouraging Muhammad and admitting that he was on the right path. (Emerick Yahiya) He continued (Qur’an 7:194-198) speaking against asking idols for help even though the idols could not see, hear, speak, or protect themselves. These Qur’anic verses made idol worship look foolish. These assertions did not settle well with the Quraysh, so they approached Abu Talib (head of the Banu Hasim) and asked him to stop Muhammad or relinquish his protection of him so they could take care of him because he attacks their religion which was Abu Talib’s too. Abu Talib knew that to take care of him meant they wanted kill Muhammad. Remembering the promise he made to his father to protect Muhammad he politely told the clan elders that he would continue to extend his clan’s protection to Muhammad. Muhammad was preaching that slaves were equal to their masters at a time when slavery was at its height in Arabia. This alarmed the Quraysh leaders which prompted them to reason with Abu Talib for the second time, they took along an able-bodied young man (Umarah) to be Abu Talib’s adopted son in exchange for Muhammad. Abu Talib strongly rejected the offer. Meanwhile Muhammad continued his preaching and people continue converting to Islam. (Emerick Yahiya) The Quraysh elders tried a third time to reason with Abu Talib only this with an ultimatum and that was â€Å"Stop Muhammad or we will fight him and you.† Abu Talib did not want to cause trouble for his clan, called Muhammad to a private meeting and said to him â€Å"Save me and save yourself.† Muhammad politely responded his uncle by saying â€Å"Uncle by Allah, if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left and ordered me to give up this cause, I would never do it until either Allah has vindicated me or I perish in the attempt.† When the response was conveyed to the clan leaders, they ordered redoubling of efforts to persecute Muslims. Abu Talib assured him of his unflinching support no matter what he preached and called the Banu Hashim and Banu Abdul Muttalib clans to swear to an oath to protect Muhammad. The Quraysh then sent Utbah, a conciliatory Arab leader to Muhammad asking him to stop preaching his religion or at least make accommodation for idol worshipping, then the Meccans would compensate him whatever he wished. Muhammad recited Chapter 32 of the Qur’an, which outlines the truth of monotheism, Allah’s purpose for creation, and the way He chooses prophets to convey His message of salvation. Utbah was convinced that Muhammad was not crazy and that he should be left alone. Persecution of Muslims then increased to an alarming rate. Muslims were tortured, starved, left to die in hot desert sands, and even murdered. MIGRATION to MEDINA (HIJRA) Due to the persistent persecutions from the people of Mecca, Muhammad accepted the invitation from Yathrib (modern day Medina) to be the head of the city and arbitrator for the warring factions. He could also have freedom to practice and preach about his faith. He migrated to in the year 622 c.e. with his family and some followers. When he was leaving his house Muhammad recited (Qur’an 36:9) â€Å"We have covered them so they cannot see,† he slipped out passing unnoticed by the men assigned to kill him. He left his cousin Ali to sleep in his house. Upon arrival at Yathrib, he and his companions were welcomed with loud cry of delight; a chorus of girls sang a welcome song for them. From that day Yathrib was renamed Medina (city of the prophet). The migration is known as Hijra which also marked the beginning of the Islamic calendar. (CARM) Islam started growing rapidly as a dominant political force in Medina and Muhammad assumed the role of a de facto head of state. Both men and women (including but not limited to Safiya bint Abdul Muttalib, Asma bint Abu Bakr, and Fatima bint Muhammad) played important roles as activists and teachers to make a homeland for Islamic monotheism a reality. Many women began to vigorously support the new movement, for Islam presented a great leap forward in both women’s rights and status. Islam was now going through radical changes. The changes included opposition to idolatry, improving personal morality, establishing personal relationship with God, and regulations for public and social life. The Qur’an laid new rules for the conduct of business and commerce, the compulsory 2.5% welfare tax (Zakat) from annual savings to be given for the benefit of the poor and needy. Fasting (abstinence from worldly pleasure during daylight) in the month of Ramadan was established. The five daily prayers were now held in congregation in the mosque. (Mission Islam) With the arrival of Sawdah and marriage to Aisha, Muhammad started to establish a stable household in Medina. Sawdah was a widow of ********* and one of the early converts to Islam. She got married to Muhammad after the demise of Khadija. She was said to be a very kind and humorous woman. Aisha may have been twelve years or so at the time. She lived in her own apartment by the mosque and spent her leisure entertaining visitors and walking the streets of Medina. Aisha was a quick learner and soon became a sought-after teacher on Islamic issues as the years progressed. Sawdah also had her own apartment and did not encroach upon Aisha’s domain. She took the inexperienced Aisha under her wing and guided her in her role as a wife. (Inter-Islam) WARS against DISBELIEVERS Muhammad and his followers fought many wars against Islam’s foes from Mecca, Jews and the tribes. The first of the great wars was the â€Å"Battle of Badr.† The Muslims were outnumbered by Meccans almost three to one. The Meccan army was headed by Abu Jahl a staunch enemy of Islam and the person of Muhammad. The Meccans lost their camp and its wealth and supplies, and about fifty men including Abu Jahl and many other leaders who died in the war. The Muslims took about seventy Meccans prisoner. The Muslims had fourteen casualties. Muhammad announced that Allah’s help allowed them to win (Qur’an 8:9 and 8:17). While the Muslims continued to celebrate their win in Medina, the Meccans were humiliated by the Battle of Badr at home and wanted to revenge. This will mean a change of events for the Muslims (Qur’an 3:140) â€Å"If a wound hath touched you, be sure a similar wound hath touched the others. Such days (of varying fortunes) We give to men and men by turns: that Allah may know those that believe, and that He may take to Himself from your ranks Martyr-witnesses (to Truth). And Allah loveth not those that do wrong†. This leads to the Battle of Uhud. The Meccans used the proceeds from Abu Sufyan’s great caravan to procure weapons for next campaign against Muslims. They had three thousand well-armed fighters divided into three massive columns. The women’s group was led by Hind, Abu Sufyan’s wife who vowed not to mourn the deaths of her father, brother and uncles, and also promised not to sleep with her husband until she had her vengeance against the Muslims. Abu Sufyan trying to convince his wife of his own bravery also promised not to bathe until he defeated Muhammad. Many women decided to come along to encourage their husbands and fathers and watch the battle. Hind, Abu Sufyan’s wife stated â€Å"We will indeed accompany the army and no one can stand in our way or force us back into our homes, if the women were present at the Day of Badr soldiers running away would not have happened.† At the head of each Meccan regiment were men who wanted to see Muhammad dead. Among them were Khalid ibn al-Walid famous Meccan cavalry general who wanted glory and accolades. Abu Sufyan and his brother-in-law Ikhrimah, the son of Abu Jahl were seeking blood to fight for glory. The women made it clear that if their men struck down the enemy they would be embraced and w0uld spread rugs for them. If you turn your backs we will avoid you and we will never come back to sleep with you. (pbs.org) The Prophet instructed fifty archers to protect the Muslims backs and not to move from their posts until they saw the Muslims entering the enemy camp, if the Muslims were being beaten they should still stay at their posts and avoid trying to help so that the enemy could not come behind them. However, the archers left their posts allowing the enemy the chance to get behind them which caused the Muslims to be overwhelmed by the much larger enemy (Qur’an 8:27-28) â€Å"O you who have believed, do not betray Allah and the Messenger or betray your trusts while you know [the consequence]. But when he came to it, he was called, â€Å"Blessed is whoever is at the fire and whoever is around it. And exalted is Allah, Lord of the worlds.† The Prophet himself got struck by a thrown rock that knocked one of his teeth off and he fell to the ground. He was quickly surrounded by Muslims to protect him from the charging Meccans. The Prophet tried to get up but fell into a pit, Ali and another man lifted him out of the pit. The Muslims suffered about seventy casualties and many others were severely wounded, and the Meccans lost hundreds. However, the Muslims admitted defeat because of high number of casualties and wounded including the prophet with regard to the size of the ir army. The Meccan women led by Hind enraged by their near defeat began to mutilate and deface the fallen Muslims. They cut off noses and ears and made them ornaments or necklaces moving over dead bodies like ghouls. Hind found Hamza’s dead body, ripped open his chest and chewed on his liver, fulfilling her vow. Hamza was Muhammad’s uncle and the one who killed Abu Jahl, the father of Hind. Hamza was killed by a slave whom Hind promised to set free if he killed Hamza. (Emerick Yahiya) After the battle of Uhud the Muslims position in Medina was precarious and the hypocrites capitalized on this situation to strengthen their position. Most of the tribes were now emboldened since they realize that the Muslims were not invincible. Many times, Muslims who were sent on missions got massacred and this brought about a lot of sadness among surviving compatriots. Muhammad explained the change in their fortunes as God’s way of testing their resolve and sincerity. (Qur’an 2:15 5-156). The Jews who had signed treaties with the Prophet broke the terms of the treaties and they were exiled from Medina. The Jews incited other tribes and Mecca to go to war with Muslims to wipe out Islam. The tribes and Meccans made up an army of about ten thousand fighters to attack the Muslims. The Prophet and other Muslims dug a trench at the south entrance of the city to protect Medina from the menacingly large army attack, since the other side was Mount Uhud and the back was the Jewish fortresses. The army arrived but could not enter the city of Medina so they laid siege for three weeks. This was called the siege of Medina or Battle of the Trench. This was a difficult time for Muslims because their food supply was running out and their Jewish neighbors (Banu Qurayza) had cut the food supply. However, after about three weeks in the cold desert nights the army started feeling weary. One night a raging winter storm befell the army, and the weather was so harsh that they decided to leave. (Emerick Yahiya) CONQUEST of MECCA and PASSING of the PROPHET Despite all the troubles Muslims faced, Islam was steadily growing. In the year 628 c.e the Muslims and the Quraysh signed the treaty of Hudaybiyah, and the Muslims defeated the Jews at the battle of Khaybar. In the year 629 Muhammad led a lesser pilgrimage to Mecca and Khalid ibn Walid converted to Islam. In the year 630 c.e the prophet marched unto Mecca with over ten thousand followers. They faced very little resistance from the Meccans. The prophet and the Muslims destroyed and removed all the idols that filled al Ka’aba and established prayers in the place. Abu Sufyan the last strongest Quraysh leader converted to Islam. (Emerick Yahiya) In the year 632 c.e the prophet went to Mecca with over one hundred thousand followers to perform farewell pilgrimage (hajj). This was to be his last hajj and this was where gave the farewell sermon (address), which reads â€Å"O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I don’t know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst y ou again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and TAKE THIS WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY. O People, just as you regard this month, this day, and this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds. ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (Interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived†¦ Beware of Satan, for your safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things. O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have right over you. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to commit adultery. O People, listen to me in earnest, worship ALLAH, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to. You know that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. YOU ARE ALL EQUAL. NOBODY HAS SUPERIORITY OVER OTHER EXCEPT BY PIETY AND GOOD ACTION. Remember, one day you will appear before ALLAH and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone. O People, NO PROPHET OR APOSTLE WILL COME AFTER ME AND NO NEW FAITH WILL BE BORN. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand my words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the QUR’AN and my example, the SUNNAH and if you follow these you will never go astray. All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. BE MY WITNESS O ALLAH THAT I HAVE CONVEYED YOUR MESSAGE TO YOUR PEOPLE.† After the prophet concluded his final sermons the following qur’anic (ayat) verse was revealed to him (Quran 5:3) â€Å"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My Grace upon you, and have chosen Islam for you as your religion.† Muhammad died in the year 632 c.e. after a short illness two years after he conquered Mecca and destroyed the idols in al-Ka’aba. He was buried at Medina in the Mosque (Masjid Nabawi). â€Å"There is no forcing anyone into this way of life. Truth stands clear in the from error† (Qur’an 2:256) Sources Gelvin James L, (2011) The Modern Middle East- A History, Oxford University Press, New York Emerick Yahiya, (2002) The Life and Work of Muhammad, Alpha Books, Indianapolis Britannica Online Encyclopaedia- Muhammad (The Prophet of Islam). Retrieved on September 23, 2012 www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/396226/Muhammad PBS-islam: Empire of Faith-Profiles-Muhammad. Retrieved on September 25, 2012 www.pbs.org/empires/islam/profilesMuhammad.html Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM). Retrieved on September 30, 2012 http://www.carm.org/muhammad Inter-Islam Home. Retrieved on October 12, 2012 www.inter-islam.org/Biographies Mission Islam. Retrieved on October 15, 2012 www.missionislam.com/knowledge/zakat.htm

Managing and leading people Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Managing and leading people - Essay Example With the focus on the relationship between people management and organizational performance it will be easy to understand the importances and also the complexities that can be faced while efficiently managing people. It is more complex because of the changing environment and with the changes that take place in the company. Global executives across the world face lot of challenges in leading people and also manage people in a better way and that to in the continuously changing environment. The leaders face many problems to jell around with the people in the organization and also motivate them and create a good work environment in the company. For a leader it is very important to implement a standard practice in all the areas of the business and also fort a good performance of the company. In this report it can be seen how important a good leader is for a particular organization. The various challenges that a particular manager faces being a leader and also in managing people in an organization is been studied using various concepts and theories. This essay will help to understand the important tools that the leader needs to implement so that he/she can effectively manage the staff working under him to increase their efficiency and also improve their motivation. It also includes what makes a person a good leader and also how it fits with the strategic goal of the company to make it grow in a good way. The individual performance of every employee in the organization is very important as it helps the company to increase the productivity of the people. Bath model is been used to understand the link between people and their performance in the organization. This model was established by John Purcell in 2004, to understand the link between the individual and their performance. This gives a clear indication on how the individual performance influences the organizational

Epidemiology and research methodology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Epidemiology and research methodology - Essay Example ctice of premarital and multiple-partners sex is undoubtedly more common in developed countries than in the developing ones due to the society’s visibly permissive attitude towards it (National Research Council, 2005). Consequently, the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases has also increased. In an annual report of a screening programme by the Department of Health, it has been noted that Chlamydia trachomatis infection has become â€Å"the most commonly diagnosed bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in the United Kingdom† (Department of Health [DH], 2004). As a result, the government has formulated several policies through publicly-funded researches with the aim to prevent further spread of the communicable chlamydial infection due to its social and economic negative impacts. In connection, this paper will attempt to determine specific proposed policies and their effectiveness in countering the negative social, health, and economic impact of chlamydial infections with regard to the epidemiologic trends by employing a qualitative research methodology which will specifically discussed later. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has accounted that people with chlamydial infections have recorded the most frequent case reporting for a sexually transmitted disease (CDC, 2010). The first annual report of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) pointed the same trend about chlamydial infections in the United Kingdom which led to its formulation in 2003 (DH, 2004). The NCSP was founded by the Department of Health in England due to the threatening health patterns caused not only by chlamydia but all the sexually transmitted diseases observed in both publicly and privately-funded surveys including those from the World Health Organization (WHO), the national government, as well as some organizations like AVERT (WHO, 2001; â€Å"STD Statistics,† 2010). In the last decade,

Galileo in Rome Book Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Galileo in Rome Book Report - Essay Example It deals with a series of events climaxing into Galileo’s trial by the Tribunal of the Inquisition charging him of heresy. The charge against him was brought regarding his publication, Dialogue of the Two Chief World Systems in 1632. Through this publication Galileo expressed his views on certain fundamental scientific truth. The authors are, William R Shea, who held the chair of History of Science at the University of Padua at the time of writing this book, and Mariano Artigas, Professor of Philosophy of Science at the University of Navarra. They came by Galileo’s correspondence in the archive, which was the entire source on which this book is based. They actually speak of two Inquisitions, one in 1616 and the other in 1633. The trial is to be seen in the light of that age when science was just in an emerging state and people were not ready to part with the age-old traditional concepts and embrace challenges of scientific hypotheses. Galileo made his first trip to Rome as an unemployed youth in search of a university job. At this time he found favor with the leading Jesuit Mathematician Christopher Clavius, and perhaps met the future Cardinal Robert Bellarmine also who would play a significant role in Galileo’s future. His second trip to Rome was a glorious experience in his lifetime. He was already a famous professor. The celestial bodies observed through the telescope and their subsequent publication made him famous throughout the world of the intelligentsia. The Jesuit astronomers supported his discoveries, and Cardinal Bellarmine felicitated Galileo on his wonderful achievement. Galileo was granted a membership in the prestigious Accademia dei Lincei. Galileo’s third trip to Rome was clouded with antagonism against his active support for Copernicus and his heliocentric theory in his Letters to the Grand Duchess of Tuscany. The work on sunspots aggravated the suspicion. The authors narrate a series of events that sealed Galileo’s fate.

History of Architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of Architecture - Essay Example The organic theme in architecture refers to different individual parts of the building being related to the integrated whole structure. The part-to-whole association as a basic element of the architecture has been consciously endorsed by Lloyd Wright (Harris 93), as seen in his Wayfarers Chapel. Similarly, Casa Mila (Figure 1.) depicting Art Nouveau architecture is a free-form mass located around a street corner. The organic architecture includes the faà §ade which has a wavy cut-stone wall with a rough surface suggesting naturally worn rock. The undulating balconies appear like a series of oceanic waves. The faà §ade is also considered to look like a cliff-like rock with caves, and the building was named as the â€Å"quarry† or Pedrera, which emphasized its natural look. Moreover, â€Å"the entrance portals (Figure 2) look like eroded sea caves† (Kleiner 848). Further, the wrought iron entrance gates (Figure 2), balcony grills and interior window work (Figures 3a and 3b), besides woodwork and hydraulic mosaics (Gaudi et al 262) are based on organic botanical motifs with highly stylized, flowing forms. Distinctively, the rooftop is adorned with twisted chimney stacks and ventilators in unusual biomorphic forms (Figures 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d), with a surrealistic effect (Kleiner 848). The interiors are characterized by the curving lines of arches and room spaces with no right angles (Figure 5) From the plaster of the ceilings are created various organic designs such as the foam of waves, petals of flowers, or tentacles of the octopus (Figure 6). Like the Casa Mila, organic architecture is integral to The Wayfarers Chapel or the â€Å"Glass Church† (Figure 7) created by Lloyd Wright. However, in this case, the organic architecture is related to its location in a scenic setting in the middle of nature.

Analysis of Biology Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 16

Analysis of Biology Questions - Assignment Example    Living organisms live together and share different resources including food, shelter, air, water and many more. In a given environment, some organisms may survive while others may not be able to survive at all depending on how well the organism is adapted to the environment. In general, life is all about competition, and only the fit survive. Natural selection occurs under the following four conditions. First, there has to be a variation among individuals in a species such that some traits give a given species an advantage over the other to survive in an environment. Secondly, some of the variations should be genetic, such that the offspring inherit them from their parents. Thirdly, for natural selection to come in play, it is assumed that not every organism survives or reproduces, some will die and others are not fertile and thus can`t reproduce. Finally, reproduction should be guaranteed so that the organisms do not become extinct. 1. Carl Woese, an American biologist, grouped life on earth into three domains, Bacteria, Eukaryote, and Archaea. Archaea-like crenarchaeota are prokaryotes with specialized membrane and can survive in very salty and extremely hot environments. Bacteria are prokaryotic cells like proteobacteria and cyanobacteria. Eukaryotes are eukaryotic cells into which kingdom Plantae, Animalia, Fungi, and Protista are grouped. 2. The scientific theory is a statement that explains the observed natural phenomenon, basing on scientific evidence, for example, the atomic theory of matter. On the other hand, scientific law, are mathematical in nature and are in most cases derived from a principle, they may not be generalized, and they apply under specific conditions, for example, Ohms law.   

The Civil Rights Demonstration in Birmingham, Alabama Research Paper

The Civil Rights Demonstration in Birmingham, Alabama - Research Paper Example Such cultural or ideological concept was further strengthened with the formulation and implementation of certain ordinances in the city. Two particular ordinances that highlight segregationist policies are Section 369 and Section 597 of the city ordinances (Birmingham’s Racial Segregation Ordinances, May 1951). Section 369 is about the separation of races when it comes to restaurants and other places in the city that serve food. A restaurant may also serve to both blacks and whites but dividers should also be put in place. Section 597, on the other hand, explicitly states that â€Å"it shall be unlawful for a negro and a white person to play together or in company with each other in any game of cards or dice, dominoes or checkers.† These policies clearly banned any socialization done between whites and blacks. What is interesting to note is that Birmingham, during the said period in history, nearly had an equal population of white Americans and African Americans; the fo rmer comprising 60 percent while the latter made up for 40 percent. It is clear that while the blacks were a minority, they were not far behind in numbers when compared to the whites. However, this was also the factor why they bore the brunt of racism even more. This could be seen in how they had been deprived of job opportunities. This consequently affected the capabilities of the blacks to gain income. According to Garrow, the average income of African Americans in Birmingham was less than half of white salary-earners; a fact that could be observed at the local steel mills (1989, p. 165). The jobs that were made available to the blacks were only those that are under the category of manual labor. Any time that retrenchments have to be made, it was always the black workers that have to leave first. Aside from the cultural and economic biases against the blacks in Birmingham, violent actions and political coercion were also made against them. These only made the situations even worse . In fact, there were scores of bombings that were made since 1945 to 1962 that targeted prominent African American individuals. Homes, meeting places, and even churches used by the blacks, especially those that were used as venues to discuss their conditions, were not spared from such attacks. The state of Alabama outlawed the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. This is the reason why Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, along with other leaders in the church, organized the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. The said organization immediately waged a campaign to junk the segregationist ordinances in Birmingham. The courts were soon convinced that segregationist policies related to the use of the city’s parks are illegal. In response, the city administration decided to close the parks. Early Attempts at Demonstrations and Failures After realizing that Birmingham’s city administration would not easily give in to the demands for the termination o f segregationist policies, Rev. Shuttlesworth decided to seek help from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which was fast becoming influential in uniting the blacks in the struggle for civil rights. The SCLC responded positively and immediately went to plan the first series of protests. Its first attempt at non-violent direct actions aimed to put pressure on the city’

Ethical Foundations Of Sallie Mcfague And Thich Nhat Hanh Assignment

Ethical Foundations Of Sallie Mcfague And Thich Nhat Hanh - Assignment Example Sallie is an American feminist as well as a Christian theologian, known for her exclusive talks and writings on ecology. She has written a lot about care for the earth as she believes the earth is God’s ‘body’. McFague writes that human beings construct the worlds that they live in but later forget that they constructed them. This, she writes as the reason there is much destruction of the environment that God has given to His people. By citing earth as God’s body, she compels humans to take care of the earth and in overall, the environment that God has given to them (McFague, 12-77). Caring for the environment will ensure that humans will change the things they value and will never at some point disembody God. McFague has used theology in exploring urgent issues on climate change. In her book, A New Climate for Theology: God, the World, and Global Warming, she begins by accounting for the evidence of climate change due to the existence of science. Additiona lly, she demonstrates the necessity of theology to be included in this global issue. Her reason is that the church is seen as an ecological catholicity that is committed to a just and also sustainable existence of the creation made by God. As such, she criticizes all humans who reinforce individualistic regimes resulting to climate change (McFague, 106-200). Hence, she calls for all humanity to embrace inter-relationship and interdependence with all life supporting mechanisms on the planet.Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk.

Scarcity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Scarcity - Assignment Example A need is something that is tremendously essential for a human being to survive. It is that thing that people cannot live without; they must have it in order to stay alive. In addition, it is that one thing that people cannot function without that one thing that people must have. If a requirement is not met, it would probably result to the beginning of a disease (Bomstein and Susan 135). Also, when the need is not met, it leads to a person’s inability to function effectively. The lack of needs also makes it hard for people to purpose professionally in a society. Therefore, when the need is not met it can likely lead to death. Normally, needs remain steady all the way through the lifetime of a person. Conversely, wants are something that an individual wishes to have in life. It can be that thing that a person longs for either right away or in prospect. They are not essential for a person’s survival people can live without wants. Wants normally vary from one individual to another. Every individual has her or his list of wants, all with unreliable level of significance. In addition, wants can vary over a point in time (Bomstein and Susan189). Some of the examples of needs are; food, the air, shelter, water and clothing. On the other hand, wants are a nice car, travelling abroad, ice cream, designer t-shirt, nice shoes. The idea of my choice is based on the necessity and the most desired things by majority of the

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Essay Example for Free

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Essay This paper examines the diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as demonstrated by David Pelzer in his autobiographies A Child Called It and The Lost Boy, with a focus on the latter book. Dave is the son of alcoholic parents whose mother severely abused him while his father turned the other cheek. Dave has been subjected to torturous mind games, starvation, and physical abuse so horrendous that he is left scarred, bruised, and nearly dead. The staff at his elementary school eventually takes action and David is removed from his parents’ custody. From there, he spends his teenage years in various foster homes while he struggles with the emotional scars left by the trauma he endured. His search for answers to why he was treated this way and effort to understand the frightening nightmares and emotions he experiences becomes a long journey toward self-love and forgiveness. David meets the criteria for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder firstly because he has been exposed to a traumatic event in which he both experienced events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of himself and his response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror. After being caught by his mother begging for food on the way to school because she was starving him, David’s mother decides to punish him by forcing him to swallow a spoonful of ammonia. David says that, â€Å"I could feel the force of my pounding fists weaken The colors seemed to run together. I began to feel myself drift away. I knew I was going to die† (Pelzer, A 75). In addition to beating David on a regular basis and â€Å"accidentally† stabbing him, his mother would order him to clean the bathroom with a mixture of Clorox and ammonia, after which he says he â€Å"coughed up blood for over an hour† (Pelzer, A 109). David has illustrated a markedly diminished interest or participation in significant activities at school, including difficulty concentrating, by the time he is removed from his home. As David is taken into protective custody, he exhibits symptoms of increased arousal through an exaggerated startle response. When the officer reaches out to touch David’s hand in a reassuring way, David flinches by reflex (Pelzer, T 27). Furthermore, once David enters his first Foster home with Aunt Mary, his behavior is uncontrollable. He runs from room to room, jumps on mattresses, and nearly knocks over a lamp. He explains, â€Å"By reflex, Aunt Mary grabbed my arm. She was about to scold me until she looked down at me. I covered my face, and my knees began to shake† (Pelzer, T 43). At ight, David has recurrent distressing dreams of the event, including a nightmare about â€Å"The Mother† marching toward him with a knife. He can feel her rancid breath on his neck and he hears her chanting that there is no escape and that she will never let him go. He becomes fearful of sleeping because he doesn’t want to fall into the nightmare again. For many nights he stays awake while the other children sleep; holding on to his knees while rocking back and forth and humming to himself (Pelzer, T 45). This is also another example of a persistent symptom of increased arousal because he has difficulty falling or staying asleep. David exhibits persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma and numbing of general responsiveness in his efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings, or conversations associated with the trauma. When David gets his first visit from a Child Protective Service worker, Ms. Gold, he feels as if he does not deserve her kindness and is too scared to have her touch him and hold his hand. She slowly gains his trust and becomes his friend. During their long talks, David says, â€Å"At times I was too scared to talk and long moments of silence followed. Other times, for no apparent reason and not understanding why, I’d burst into tears† (Pelzer, T 46). David’s mother comes to drop off some clothes for him at his foster home. While Aunt Mary is in the other room, his mother tells him she’s going to â€Å"get him back† for telling the family secret of abuse (Pelzer, T 53). This very direct exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event causes David intense psychological distress. The next day Ms. Gold tells David that they are going to court in two days and that she needs to ask him a few questions to clarify their case. However, David is consumed with fear because of his mother’s threat and proceeds to retract as many statements he could; claiming that he had lied about everything, had beaten himself, and that everything was his fault (Pelzer, T 55). In doing so, he is making an effort to avoid activities, places, or people that arouse recollections of the trauma. David illustrates another symptom of increased arousal through his irritability and outbursts of anger. After another of his mother’s visits, David has a breakdown. He cries as he rants and raves to Mrs. Catanze about his mother, asking why she treated him so viciously. He proceeds to tell his foster mother some of the horrendous abuse he suffered at the hands of his mother (Pelzer, T 100-103). After his revelation to his foster mother, she sends him to a therapist. While in the therapist’s office, David starts to feel as if one of the traumatic events were recurring and has a sense of reliving the experience of when his mother held him over the gas stove. He explains, â€Å"I lost track of the doctor’s voice. My right arm began to itch. I scratched it before I glanced down. When I did, I saw that my right forearm was engulfed in flames. I nearly jumped out of my seat as I shook my arm, trying to put out the fire† (Pelzer, T 130). Lastly, David shows that he has a feeling of detachment or estrangement from others when, after being â€Å"set up† to get caught shoplifting, he says to himself, â€Å"I should have known better†¦I knew they couldn’t have liked me for just being another kid† (Pelzer, T 156). While David wants to avoid his mother, he does not make really make an effort to avoid activities, places, or other people that arouse recollections of the trauma. In fact, he continues to keep hope that his father will visit him. He is also able to have loving feelings toward his social worker and certain foster parents. The duration of the disturbances is much more than 1 month and has caused David clinically significant distress or impairment in social and other important areas of functioning. Treatment considerations for David should involve individual therapy including a goal that involves getting his nightmares and flashbacks to stop. David should be gradually exposed to more stressful stimuli in exposure therapy and be taught relaxation techniques to set free all negative consequences and to achieve extinction. He should be offered support and empathy in therapy and be encouraged to express his feelings and to let things out. Also, cognitive restructuring in the form of Rational Emotive Therapy is recommended to help David think rationally and clearly about the abuse and neglect he suffered and about his present situation. It is expected that this form of therapy will also improve his self-esteem, destructive thought patterns, and help him to sleep better. The use of medication does not appear to be necessary.

Reality and Truth Essay Example for Free

Reality and Truth Essay Reality and truth are both so hackneyed in a commonplace manner with over-lapping ideas that they each lose their own individuality. Reality is a subjective value that reflects what characterizes our world, whether it is our individual world or the world as a whole, and its conditions. Oliver Sacks The Minds Eye: What the Blind See and Tim OBriens How to Tell a True War Story bring the relationship of truth and reality into question. OBrien openly uses the thin line between truth and reality to convey the message that truth and reality sustain a close relationship. Using examples of interpretation, cognition, and communication of a persons environment, the authors give the reader the idea that truth cannot exist without reality and vise versa. The authors tie truth and reality as interdependent. Interpretation of a certain environment unlocks the truth of the society. One society can create one truth and one reality, whereas another society creates a different reality and truth. OBrien offers many interpretations of war. War is hell, but thats not the half of it, because war is also mystery and terror and adventure and courage and discovery and holiness and pity and despair and longing and love. War is nasty; war is fun. War is thrilling; war is drudgery. War makes you a man; war makes you dead. The truths are contradictory. War is grotesque. But in truth war is also beauty. (394) OBrien beliefs give an array of meanings of war. He also emphasizes in the end, with the example of interpretations of war, that truth is contradicting. Truth is contradicting because there is more than one truth. Truths are based a persons reality, however reality is also based on truth; one cannot survive without the other. In relation with OBrien and Nafisi, Sacks also offers a truth and reality relationship. In truth, all of Sacks correspondents were partially disabled or handicapped. In order for them to feel like they are not disabled, they create imaginations, their own reality, in order to fulfill themselves as regular people in society. An individual deprived of one form of perception could totally reshape himself to find a new center, a new identity (Sacks 476). Even though Sacks says Hull, a man who lost vision in his middle age, describes himself as someone who reshapes himself, all the other patients also reshape themselves in order to live as normal people. They interpret the truth of blindness, and use it to make another reality. In the end, reality becomes truth to the people because becoming a visual person who is blind becomes true in their own world. In all texts, the authors interpret and experience truth and reality simultaneously; one concept cannot be experienced without the dependence of the other. Through forms of communication, such as language, truth and reality are shown as mutually dependent. In How to Tell a True War story, Tim OBrien recollects his experience of telling the war story and at the end of his storytelling, a woman and always a woman would approach him and tell him she liked the war story. In response, he says Ill picture Rat Kileys face, his grief, and Ill think, You dumb cooze. Because she wasnt listening. It wasnt a war story. It was a love story (396). Stereotypically, women are seen to be more sensitive than men; however, she did not empathize with him at all. He also uses the word cooze, like Rat, to show his animosity for her misunderstanding of his story. Through OBrien, he conveys that her lack of understanding meant that language was limited. She did not understand his reality, only the events of the story because he said it was true and it occurred. For OBrien, his reality is that the feelings and the understanding portrayed in the war story is the truth, and not the actual events. For this example, OBrien indicates that truth is dependent on reality. Conversely with OBrien, Nafisi and Sacks believe that communication can be limitless. For Sacks, he uses many examples of people who lost one of the five human senses who can communicate with people by amplifying the other senses. For the blind, Sacks emphasizes that they use language as a mediation to communicate. Blind children, it has often been noted, tend to be precocious verbally, and may develop such fluency in the verbal description of faces and places as to leave others (and perhaps themselves) uncertain as to whether they are actually blind (483). Sacks expresses that with the art of language, a person who is blind can be equally presented as one who is sighted. He includes (and perhaps themselves) to show that language is so powerful that it gives an alternate reality: that blind people are just as visual as sighted people. However, truth is not realized through this reality as it was through interpretation. In Sacks example, reality is dependent on truth instead, because the alternate reality of blind people are like sighted people is false. The reality Sacks conveys is that blind people only use language as a mediator. Cognition, which includes thought and memory, is described by the three authors as an example where the relationship of truth and reality exist in. Sacks discusses the thought and memories of three people. I have now read three memoirs, strikingly different in their depictions of the visual experience of blinded people: Hull with his acquiescent descent into imageless deep blindness, Torey with his compulsive visualization and meticulous construction of an internal visual world, and Tenberken with her impulsive, almost novelistic, visual freedom, and specific gift of synesthesia. (481) Here, in Sacks example, reality is dependent of truth because these three people must have been blind before they experience visualization derived from the minds eye. However, the experience each person has is different. They have a reality which becomes true to them, making truth depend on reality. The thoughts of Sacks correspondents has given them truth through reality. Like Sacks, OBrien offers truth-reality association. Rat, who is OBriens friend, refers to the fish as dead gook fish (387) and the water buffalo as a VC (Tim OBrien 393). OBrien clearly shows the gook and the VC to show Rats thought of the animals; he sees them as the enemy. The truth is that these animals cannot really be the enemy, because it would just be an absurdity. For rat, he calls the water buffalo a VC merely because he wants to exert his anger upon the baby water buffalo, which is derived from the death of his friend. By killing the VC, Rat was able to alleviate his feelings by creating the reality of killing the enemy baby buffalo. He created a reality of killing an enemy, which is developed from the truth of his friends death. With the truth of his death, a reality was created to make himself feel better. Truth in turns is also taken from reality because he really sees the animals as an enemy, which is a reality that becomes true for him.

Industry Forces and the Generic Strategies

Industry Forces and the Generic Strategies Chapter 2 2.0 Literature Review In this chapter, the author will review the literature concerning Michael Porters Five Competitive Industry Forces and the Generic Strategies. This study centres on the housing industry and draws parallels to studies done by others. The author will critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the model. 2.1 Background Numerous studies have been done around the world to develop and market housing projects suitable for different demographic segments. The studies on the Sri Lankan housing market are mostly policy papers/reports, leaving a void in regard to studies pertaining to market strategies and competition. Countries like Singapore and Malaysia have well structured strategies resulting in a vibrant housing market available to all this research will focus on drawing parallels on this subject. (Jones Lang LaSalle, Research Report). The California State has used Porters Five Forces Model to understand the industrys attractiveness and competitiveness. The main trend seems to be the increasing rivalry among firms and the consolidation of capital in the industry (William, Mack, 2005). The author intends to draw parallels to the Sri Lankan context. The literature on gaining competitive advantage at business unit level has been growing over the years and the author has attempted to relate academic theory and the tools and concepts of Porters Five Competitive Forces and the Generic Strategies to finding a winning market strategy for the housing industry in Sri Lanka. Although in the international arena the above models have been used extensively in research on housing industry, no such work exists on Sri Lanka. 2.3 Michael Porters Five Forces Model The Five Competitive Forces and the Generic Strategies model was developed by Michael E. Porter in his book ‘Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors in 1980. Since then it has become an important tool for analyzing an organizations structure and strategic processes. Porters models are based on the need for a corporate strategy to meet the opportunities and threats in the organizations external environment. Competitive strategy should be based on an understanding of industry structures and the way they change (Porter, 1980). The ultimate aim of a competitive strategy is to enable a business to defend against competitive forces or in the alternative influence such forces in its favour. The key is to go below the surface and analyse the resources of each competitor. Analysis of such underlying forces will show the critical strength of firms and clarify areas that yield greater profits and highlight areas that show promise of either opportunities or threats (Porter, 1980). As explained in Figure 3, Porter has identified five competitive forces that shape every industry and market, which determine the intensity of competition and the profitability and attractiveness of an industry (Porter, Michael. E, 1979: 137- 145). The author will use the model to deal with the issues below to develop a winning market strategy for the housing business in Sri Lanka. (i) The need to evaluate the suppliers to understand bargaining power and supplier/seller collaboration. (ii) The need to study the pressures of buyers bargaining power and buyer/seller collaboration. (iii) The need to consider the threat of new entrants and the possibilities of new players entering the market. (iv) The awareness of the threat of substitutes and attention to attempts by outsiders to win buyers over to their respective products. (v) Investigating the competitiveness within the industry to keep abreast of market position, increased sales and market share, to have a competitive edge over rivals. A classic example of competitive rivalry is the battle between Coca Cola and Pepsi (Draft, 1988: 251). To understand the strengths and weakness of the model each of these industry forces must be evaluated. 2.3.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers Supplier bargaining power is likely to be high when the market is dominated by a few large suppliers, when there are no substitutes for their product, the suppliers and customers are fragmented and customer bargaining power is low and switching costs from one supplier to another are high (Porter, 1980). The supplier integrating forward to obtain higher prices and margins is a possibility. This threat is especially high when, the buying industry has a higher profitability than the supplying industry, forward integration provides economies of scale for the supplier, the buying industry hinders the supplying industry in their development, for example, reluctance to accept new releases of products and the buying industry has low barriers of entry. In such situations, the buying industry often experiences high pressure on margins from their suppliers. The relationship to powerful suppliers can potentially reduce strategic options for the organization. 2.3.2 Bargaining Power of Customers Similarly, the bargaining power of customers determines how much customers can impose pressure on margins and volumes. Customers bargaining power is likely to be high when they buy large volumes and there is a concentration of buyers, the supplying industry comprises a large number of small operators, the supplying industry operates with high fixed costs, the product is undifferentiated and can be replaced by substitutes, switching to an alternative product is relatively simple and is not costly, customers have low margins and are price sensitive, customers could produce the product themselves, the product is not of strategic importance to the customer, the customer knows about production costs and the possibility of the customer integrating backwards. 2.3.3 Threat of New Entrants When the competition in an industry is high it is easier for other companies to enter the industry. In such situations, new entrants could change major determinants of the market environment (e.g. market shares, prices, customer loyalty) at any time. There is always a latent pressure for reaction and adjustment for existing players. The threat of new entrants will depend on the extent to which there are barriers to entry. These are typically economies of scale, high initial investments and fixed costs. Cost advantages of existing players are usually due to the experience curve effects of operation with fully depreciated assets, brand loyalty of customers, protected intellectual property like patents, licenses etc., scarcity of important resources, e.g. qualified expert staff, access to raw materials controlled by existing players, distribution channels are controlled by existing players existing players have close customer relations, e.g. from long-term service contracts and the high switching costs for customers, legislation and government action. 2.3.4 Threat of Substitutes Threats from substitutes exists if there are alternative products with lower prices and better performance parameters which can potentially attract a significant proportion of the market, thus reducing potential sales volume for existing players. This category also relates to complementary products. Similar to the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitutes is determined by factors like brand loyalty of customers, close customer relationships, switching costs for customers, the relative price for performance of substitutes and the current trends. 2.3.5 Competitive Rivalry between Existing Players This force describes the intensity of competition between existing players in an industry. High competitive pressure, results in pressure on prices, margins and hence on profitability of every single player. Competition between existing players is likely to be high when, there are many players of about the same size with similar strategies, there is not much differentiation between players and their products resulting in high price competition, market growth rate of a player is possible only at the expense of a competitor and the barriers for exit are high. 2.4 Five Forces Analysis The Five Forces Analysis can provide valuable information for three aspects of corporate planning described below. 2.4.1 Statistic Analysis The Five Forces Analysis enables determining the attractiveness of an industry. It provides insights on profitability. Thus, it supports decisions about entry to or exit from an industry or a market segment. Moreover, the model can be used to compare the impact of competitive forces on ones own organization against that on competitors. Competitors may have different options to react to changes in competitive forces from their different resources and competencies. This may influence the structure of the whole industry. 2.4.2 Dynamical Analysis In combination with a PEST Analysis, which reveals drivers for change in an industry, Five Forces Analysis can reveal insights into the potential future attractiveness of the industry. Expected political, economical, socio-demographical and technological changes can influence the five competitive forces and thus have impact on industry structures. 2.4.3 Analysis of Options With the knowledge about intensity and power of competitive forces, organizations can develop options to influence them in a way that improves their own competitiveness. The result could be a new strategic direction, for example, a new positioning and differentiation for competitive products and strategic partnerships. Thus, the model allows a systematic and structured analysis of market structure and competitive situation and can be applied to particular companies, market segments, industries or regions. 2.4.4 Influence of Five Forces After the analysis of current and potential future state of the five competitive forces, managers can search for options to influence these forces in their organizations interest. Although industry-specific business models will limit options, ones own strategy can change the impact of competitive forces on the organization. The objective is to reduce the power of competitive forces. 2.5 Michael Porters Generic Strategies Model According to Michael Porter a companys strengths ultimately fall into one of two headings; cost advantage and differentiation. Applying these strengths in a broad or narrow scope can result in effective cost leadership, differentiation and focus (Porter Michael. E, 1980: 35-40). Each of these strategies runs its own risk. In reference to a low cost strategy, other companies too may lower their costs to be competitive. In the case of differentiation too, competitors may change customer profiles to latch onto the market segment. With regard to the focus strategy, competitors may try to make changes to the target segment to attract a greater market. (Thompson Arthur. A., Strickland A. J., Gamble John. E. and Jain Arun. K., 2009: 115 138). In this study the focus group is the middle income market segment. Competitive strategies focus on ways in which a company can achieve the most advantageous position (Pearson, 1999). Therefore high profitability can be achieved through achieving the lowest costs or the highest prices vis-Ã  -vis the competition, called ‘cost leadership by Porter and ‘differentiation, is the way in which companies can earn a price premium (Porter, 1980). As explained in Figure 4, there are three generic strategies available to companies to attain competitive advantage, namely overall cost leadership, differentiation and focus (Porter, 1980). These three strategies require a total commitment and organizational arrangements which could be diluted if there is more than one primary target. The basic generic strategy is to outperform competitions, which means a firm could earn high returns. Success of one of the generic strategies will help a firm obtain a just return (Porter, 1980). Companies can achieve competitive advantage essentially by differentiating their products and services from those of competitors and through low costs. Firms can target their products by a broad target, thereby covering most of the marketplace, or they can focus on a narrow target in the market (Lynch, 2003). Each competitive strategy will be evaluated to understand the strengths and weakness of the model. 2.5.1 Cost Leadership Companies using cost leadership strategy attempt to become the lowest-cost producers in an industry. Lowest costs would earn the highest profits where competing products are essentially undifferentiated and sell at a standard market price. In certain instances, the company can charge an average price while following low cost leadership strategy and reinvest the extra profits into the business. Companies like Ryan Air and Easy Jet and ASDA and Tesco adopt a cost leadership strategy (Lynch, 2003). 2.5.2 Differentiation Porter (1980) argues that companies employing differentiation strategy will incur extra costs . These costs may include high advertising to promote a differentiated brand image for the product, which is both a cost and an investment. McDonalds for example is differentiated by its very brand name and brand images of Big Mac and Ronald McDonald. While differentiation has many advantages some problematic areas include the difficulty in ascertaining whether the extra costs entailed in differentiation can actually be recovered from the customer through premium pricing. Moreover, successful differentiation strategy of a firm may attract competitors to enter the companys market segment and copy the differentiated product (Lynch, 2003). 2.5.3 Focus Porter initially presented focus as one of the three generic strategies, but later identified focus as a moderator of the two strategies. Companies employ this strategy by focusing on areas with the least amount of competition (Pearson, 1999). This strategy can be applied by focusing on a specific niche in the market and offering specialised products, hence the name ‘niche strategy (Lynch, 2003). This strategy provides companies the possibility to charge a premium price for superior quality, known as ‘differentiation focus or by offering a low price product to a small and specialised group of buyers, termed ‘cost focus. Ferrari and Rolls-Royce are classic examples of niche players. Both have a niche of premium products available at a premium price. 2.6 Analysis of Porters Generic Strategies Firms can choose from one of the three generic strategies to compete in the marketplace, regardless of the context of industry (Porter, 1980). Kay (1993) and Miller (1992) have cited empirical examples of successful companies like Toyota and Benetton, which have adopted more than one generic strategy. Both these companies used generic strategies of differentiation and low cost simultaneously, which led to their success. Companies that are successful at making use of the cost leadership strategy are often positioned to capitalize on a value proposition which emerges from their low cost emphasis, like the classic success story of Tesco in the UK. Interestingly, an emphasis on cost leadership in this sense can act as a form of differentiation. Successful implementation of a cost leadership strategy would benefit from process engineering skills, products designed for ease of manufacture, access to inexpensive capital, tight cost control and incentives based largely on quantitative targets. McDonalds for example, achieves low costs through standardised products and centralised buying of supplies, etc. Unlike cost leadership strategy, there is empirical evidence to support the differentiation strategy (Pearson, 1999). Hall (1980) investigated sixty-four American companies and the findings of the study revealed that companies following a differentiation strategy had superior performance compared to those companies that were not following the same. The focal point for the company pursuing a differentiation strategy should be the customer, and not per se the competitors. Note that for a differentiation strategy to be successful, the point of differentiation perceived by customers as valuable should coincide with the distinctive competence of the company (Pearson, 1999). For example, Orange succeeded by providing the most basic requirements for mobile phone communication, bettered the competition and created a differentiation in the minds of the consumers. (Barwise et al, 2004). Notably, only a number of small and medium sized companies use the niche strategy (Lynch, 2003). Application of Porters generic strategies to the Portuguese Crystal Glass, the Mould and Porcelain showed that organizations following differentiation strategy tended to achieve higher performance relative to organizations which did not show the presence of a non-classical differentiation based on a time based tendency. (Strategic Orientations of Manufacturing Organisations in the European Market: Evidence from Portugal; Available Online). Notably, most successful firms exhibit one or more forms of differentiation, along with forms that are directly associated with cost leadership and focus orientation. This is one of the grey areas in the analysis of generic strategies that reality can be different and more subtle than the stark contrasts that are highlighted by Porter (1980). Kim et al (2004) have argued that Porters generic strategies of differentiation and cost leadership will be applicable to e-business firms in a broad sense, while the focus/niche strategy will not be as viable for e-business firms, compared to their traditional counterparts. 2.7 Exploration of information for Porters Generic Strategies Analysis The information necessary for conducting the generic strategies analysis can be found in company and competitor websites. Annual reports of companies can be used to analyse the relationships between costs and profitability and how a particular strategy is affecting the firms overall performance. Marketing communication tools used by the company and competitors may also reflect the generic strategies. Advertisements can be a useful source of information to analyse the strategy that is being pursued by the company, and how that differs from that of the competition. Journal articles, trade publications and reputable magazine articles are useful sources of information to analyse industry trends, customer preferences in a given market and the strategies that are being pursued by the companies in a particular industry. 2.8 Relationship between Porters Generic Strategies Analysis and the Five Forces Model The three generic strategies suggested by Porter (1980, 1985) can be effectively utilised to defend against competition in the business environment. The industry forces take the form of competitive rivalry, barriers to entry, threat of substitutes, buyer power and supplier power, explained below (Lynch, 2003). 2.8.1 Competitive Rivalry If the competition in the industry is fierce, the advantage of a cost leadership strategy would be that competitiveness in price. However, cost leadership strategy is not the most desirable, as competitors may put intense price pressures, forcing all players to reduce their prices drastically. Differentiation may be a better strategy as loyal customers may stay with the company. It would also be hard for competitors to cope with specialised needs of customers who are part of a niche segment in the market. 2.8.2 Barriers to Entry A company employing any one of the three strategies would find it easy to create barriers for new entrants. The learning curve of cost leaders in an industry, along with the economies of scale through experience curve effects, would often make it impossible for potential entrants to compete on price, as the more mature firm can further lower prices without comprising its profitability. High customer loyalty towards a companys brands, which is true for the differentiation strategy, can play a vital role in discouraging potential entrants. Customers often choose to be with a niche player because of a certain core competence that only that particular player is providing in the market. Also companies that make use of the focus strategy over time often develop a thorough understanding of their customers needs, which is a very difficult task for a potential entrant. In this way, focus can act as an entry barrier too. 2.8.3 Threat of substitutes It is the differentiation and differentiation-focused strategies that effectively reduce the threat of substitutes. Threat of substitutes is reduced in case of the differentiation strategy due to customer loyalty to the unique aspects of a particular product or service, which no substitute product can offer in the customers mind. In case of the later strategy, the very nature of the companys products and core competence of the firm reduce the threat of substitutes. 2.8.4 Buyer Power The power of buyers changes in accordance with the three generic strategies. Cost leaders have the unique ability to offer lower price options to large and powerful buyers. However, the scenario differs for companies making use of the differentiation and focus strategies. Buyers in case of these two strategies would have less power as there are few alternatives available to them. 2.8.5 Supplier Power Suppliers can exercise their power primarily in case of differentiation and focus/niche strategies. Companies making use of these strategies have the ability to pass the price increases of suppliers to their final customers, through the premium pricing strategy. 2.9 Strengths and Weaknesses of Porters Models Porters model of Five Competitive Forces allows a systematic and structured analysis of market structure and competitive situation. The model can be applied to particular companies, market segments, industries or regions. The strength of competitive forces determines the inflow of investment and drives the returns to free market levels. The five competitive forces such as entry, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers and intense competition among rivals reflecting that competition in industry goes beyond established players. Porter identified that these five competitive forces shapes every industry and every market. These forces determine the intensity of competition and hence the profitability and attractiveness of an industry. The objective of corporate strategy should be to modify these competitive forces in a way that improves the position of the organization. Porters model supports analysis of the driving forces in an industry. Based on the information derived from the Five Forces Analysis, management can decide how to influence or to exploit particular characteristics of their industry. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the scope of the market to be analyzed in a first step. Following, all relevant forces for this market are identified and analyzed. Hence, it is not necessary to analyze all elements of all competitive forces with the same depth. The Five Forces Model is based on microeconomics. It takes into account supply and demand, complementary products and substitutes, the relationship between volume of production and cost of production and market structures like monopoly, oligopoly or perfect competition. After the analysis of current and potential future state of the five competitive forces, managers can search for options to influence these forces in their organizations interest. Although industry-specific business models will limit options, the own strategy can change the impact of competitive forces on the organization. The objective is to reduce the power of competitive forces. The model is based on the idea of competition. It assumes that companies try to achieve competitive advantages over other players in the markets as well as over suppliers or customers. With this focus, it dos not really take into consideration strategies like strategic alliances, electronic linking of information systems of all companies along a value chain, virtual enterprise-networks or others. As for the limitations part, nothing in this world is in itself PERFECT, so is this five forces model. Sometimes, it is better if some new player enter the market. It gives way to fresh thinking and catches the attention of the customers, in addition to benefits like infrastructure development. Again, it is better if a decent number of substitutes are valuable in the market, as it makes one think how to better his product and win the hearts of the clients. In reference to the generic strategies it became clear over time that in reality there were some shades of grey in the distinction between differentiation and cost, compared to the black and white that is projected in theory. It is very difficult for most companies to completely ignore cost, no matter how different their product offering is. Similarly, most companies will not admit that their product is essentially the same as that of others (Macmillan et al, 2000). It is important for analysts to bear in mind that Porters generic strategies should be considered as a part of a broader strategic analysis. The generic strategies only provide a good starting point for exploring the concepts of cost leadership and differentiation and may not provide relevant strategic routes in the case of fast growing markets (Lynch, 2003). It is important to conduct other analyses like PESTEL analysis to analyse how the generic strategy being employed by a company should change in accordance with external factors. Other useful analyses would include SWOT analysis of the key success factors etc.