Haleeb Relaunch Report Essay Example for Free

Haleeb Relaunch Report Essay Current Size, Growth and Profitability: Recently, Haleeb Foods has reached a turnover of Rs. 9. 2 Billion in the year 2009. It was a loss, though, as Haleeb Foods has been experiencing a slump since 2-3 years due to internal management and quality issues. Competition may pose a threat because the company will have to maintain its leadership in an expanding market so that it doesn’t lose its market share to its competitors. For Haleeb it might be difficult to maintain its market hare in a market where the loyalties exist for such brands as Nestle and Olper’s. These brands have been in the milk industry and have left a mark in the minds of consumers in terms of quality. Competition seems to be getting tougher as a result of new players entering the dairy market. Haleeb’s primary competitors are Nestle milk pack and Olper’s milk. The Secondary competitors are Nirala, Halla, Good milk and Gourmet milk. Primary Competitors: Prema: Prema milk fresh, pure and nourishing, straight from our own state-of-the-art dairy farms. With the combination of natural vitamins, minerals, and a great creamy taste, Prema milk provides truly natural milk, with all the essential nutrients needed for healthy bodies and bones, including rotein, calcium, riboflavin and vitamin A. As an all purpose milk, Prema milk is perfect for the whole family for drinking, cooking, as well as a tasty tea whitener. Prema has a market share of 20%. Olper’s: Launched on March 20, 2006, Olper’s milk is EFL’s standardized and homogenized pure UHT (Ultra heat treated) milk with 3. 5 % fat and 8. 9 % solid non-fats. It is EFL’s premier brand, and the choice of quality-conscious consumers who only go for the best. It is available in easy-to-open, 6-layered Tetra Pak Brick Aseptic red packaging and comes with a 3 months shelf life. Olper’s has a market share of 20%. Nestle Milk Pack: Pure, rich and delicious NESTLE MILKPAK standardized UHT milk benefits from Nestle’s expertise in bringing you the very best life has to offer and benefits from 140 years of consumer trust. It comes in four convenient packages and provides a nutritious value to its consumers by educating them about the advantages of milk. They provide valuable information on the packaging and advertise how Nestle milk provides all the essential nutrients. In another words they keep in track of the changing trends and the change in consumer preferences. The market share for Nestle milk pack is 30%. Secondary Competitors: Nurpur, Nirala, Good milk and Gourmet milk altogether comprise of about 10. 5% of the total market share. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths: * Ultra-Modern technology: Haleeb Foods is using a high-tech modern UHT plant known as â€Å"Tubular Heat Exchange System† in which there are closed pipes of hot and cold water which treat the milk at the time. In this process, the milk is first revolved around the hot pipe which raises the temperature to about 140*C to kill bacteria and other germs and then around the cold pipe which lowers the temperature to around 2-3*C. This process gives the milk its natural thickness and taste. Whereas its competitors use â€Å"Heat Injection System† in which steam is injected into the milk to kill the bacteria and then cooled down The Brand â€Å"Haleeb†: Haleeb is one of the oldest UHT Milk providers of Pakistan and has developed its name through out the country. Every person, whether it be a child or an adult or an elderly, knows about this name and would prefer buying Haleeb Milk rather than any other new ones. It is using the ‘corporate brand strategy’ i. e. making use of the corporate image to affect customer purchase decisions. Examples are Haleeb yoghurt, Haleeb butter, Haleeb milk. Here what is important is not only the reputation of the company but also the concept of customer loyalty to the brand. * Owning the color â€Å"Blue†: Haleeb from the very beginning has identified and associated itself with the color Blue. Every time a person enters a grocery shop and sees a blue pack on the milk shelf, he/she instantly recalls the brand as Haleeb which gives it a competitive edge over its competitors such as Olper’s or Ollwell or Nestle. * High Quality Milk: Haleeb has always provided the best quality milk as it claims â€Å"SAB SE GHARA DOODH (THICKEST MILK)†. Whenever this statement is either displayed or heard somewhere, it instantly associates itself with Haleeb. * Rigorous Quality controls: Haleeb undertakes 21 rigorous quality control tests on every portion of the milk to ensure it is the best out there. Efficient Research and Development department: Haleeb often conducts researches to find out the requirements of the consumers before and even after the launch of a certain product which helps them in making changes to their products according to the consumers’ preferences. * Diversified Brand Portfolio: Haleeb, over the time period, has diversified itself into many products other than milk such as juices, ghee, butter, cheese, low fat milk, etc which gives it a competitive edge and helps it to grow even further and increases its profitability. Weaknesses: * Marketing (Advertisements): Haleeb seldom advertises its products which is a big weakness as its competitors spend a huge amount on TVC’s, Radio spots, etc. The only commercial Haleeb use, is for its milk which is quite old fashioned and doesn’t match up with the requirements of the consumers now days. Considering the competitors like Olper’s and Nestle Milk pack, their TVC,s are seen over and over again during prime times along with bill boards in every heavy traffic street. Awareness of these brands is much more as compared to Haleeb. Packaging: Haleeb, since its beginning, has been using the same packaging which has resulted as a bad sign for the company. Haleeb needs to revamp its packaging keeping consumer wants and perceptions in mind. Over the years customers are accustomed to changes as this is the era of fast transformation and anyone who does not keep up with the times will loose. Therefore Haleeb should step out of its comfort zone and co me up with a new packaging for milk with sharper colors, fancier logos and convenient packs for easy accessible usage. Haleeb is dependent upon Tetra Pak for the packaging of its entire dairy products. Tetra Pak is the only option available to Haleeb for packaging because it is having monopoly in the packaging sector in Pakistan. Due to this reason, Tetra Pak can charge them higher and it could increase the production costs. There is a bargaining power of suppliers. * Demand-Supply Imbalance: The demand for milk is not being completely fulfilled by Haleeb as it is a processor of milk rather than a producer. OPPORTUNITIES: * Increased funding by Government: Government has decided to increase farmers’ funding. This is an opportunity for Haleeb because previously due to weather conditions and other reasons there was lots of wastage of milk but now that can be reduced as farmers will be better able to store milk for longer time periods. * Awareness: Growing dissatisfaction with loose milk and increasing awareness about health and hygiene issues have led to increased processed milk consumption. People are becoming more health conscious as education is increasing in villages. The population is becoming aware of the diseases associated with loose milk coming from unreliable sources. The increase in knowledge has also created awareness for nutritional value in any content of food or drink. Nestle unlike Haleeb has used this opportunity to provide consumers with an additional proved reason to buy packaged milk. Haleeb should pursue this opportunity. * Third largest producer of milk: Pakistan is the Third largest producer of milk in the world with a total production of 32 billion liter of milk a year, whose value is more than that of the combined value of wheat and cotton, from a total herd size of 50 million milch animals (buffaloes and cows). Livestock accounts for 46. 8 percent of agricultural value added and about 10. 8 percent of the GDP. Milk is the largest commodity from the livestock sector accounting for 51 percent of the total value of the sector. Due to the steps taken by the government and private sector, country’s annual milk production is expected to grow at an additional 3 billion liters in the next few years. This is quite an opportunity for ENGRO foods as there is lot of growth in this part of the sector. Threats: * Competition: Competition may pose a threat because the company will have to maintain its leadership in an expanding market so that it doesn’t lose its market share to its competitors. Competition seems to be getting tougher as a result of new players entering the dairy market such as Olper’s, Ollwell, Gourmet, etc. Competition is a very important threat because in order for you to excel, you have to be well aware of the next move that your opponent will take. The idea is to prevent losing your potential customers as well as those who were loyal to you. Haleeb milk cannot afford to give their loyal customers a reason to prefer another brand.

Community Capacity Building Strategies | Evaluation

Community Capacity Building Strategies | Evaluation The article outlined below is an evaluation of the success or otherwise of the Community Capacity Building programmes within the United Kingdom. The original purposes of all the Community Capacity Building programmes in Britain was to increase the amount of social housing and also community based facilities actually available for those people that need the most. The Community Capacity Building programmes in Britain are as will be examined intended to maximise the level of local regeneration or renewal through the greater provision of social housing and community facilities without necessarily constructing large numbers of new purpose built buildings. The evaluation will seek to actively examine the examples of good practice as well as the examples of where the Community Capacity Building programmes have either gone wrong completely or have failed to live up to expectations. The Community Capacity Building programmes as will be examined are mainly concentrated in areas with higher num bers of black and ethnic minority community groups such as Birmingham, London, Manchester, and Glasgow. The over all objectives of the Community Capacity Building programmes is to improve the situation in local communities within the rural and urban areas with the greatest need for economic regeneration and renewal to be achieved. It was anticipated that such economic regeneration or renewal would strengthen local communities and thus go on to enhance their social cohesion.[1] The function of the Community Capacity Building programmes was to build up the most economically deprived local communities in a social sense at the same time as regenerating their physical environment by renovating existing buildings and facilities. The New Labour government also regarded the Community Capacity Building programmes as being connected to the other economic and social regeneration as well as renewal schemes that it introduced after coming into office in 1997.[2] It was the New Labour government that brought in the Community Capacity Building programmes throughout the whole of the United Kingdom. The Community Capacity Building programmes were administered differently in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales due to the New Labour government introducing devolution into Scotland and Wales.[3] To a large extent the Community Capacity Building programmes were regarded by the New Labour government as being complimentary to the already existing as well as the proposed regeneration and renewal schemes such as the Regional Development Corporations and the New Deal for Communities projects.[4] Indeed just like the New Deal for Communities projects the Community Capacity Building programmes were set up in such a way as to allow local communities to have a meaningful input into the regeneration and renewal schemes actually carried out.[5] The New Labour government hoped that the involvement of local communities in the decision-making process of the Community Capacity Building programmes would make such local communities feel more attached to those programmes. Due to the Community Capacity Building programmes being targeted towards the fighting of poverty and social exclusion inside the most deprived local communities these programmes have involved a high degree of participation from black and ethnic minority community groups.[6] Despite the Community Capacity Building programmes all having similar organisational frameworks as well as the same over all objectives there have been differences in the effectiveness and also the performance have become apparent. There have been good, indifferent, as well as bad practices can be discerned from those Community Capacity Building programmes which have been implemented in the United Kingdom.[7] There have certainly good practices, which have been followed in the implementation of the most successful of the Community Capacity Building programmes carried out within the United Kingdom. These good practices could also be followed in the Community Capacity Building programmes that have apparently failed or underachieved as well as helping to shape the structure and organisation of future regeneration or renewal programmes.[8] All of the Community Capacity Building programmes aim to increase the amount of social capital available within deprived local communities such as those in Birmingham, London, Manchester, and Glasgow whilst at the same time seeming to offer people better opportunities. The Community Capacity Building programmes are there to provide people in deprived areas the facilities and also the services that helps to improve the over all quality of their lives besides assisting the regeneration and the renewal of their local communities.[9] All of the Community Capacity Building programmes to differing degrees involve voluntary sector organisations as well as local community groups. It can convincingly argued that the Community Capacity Building programmes that have worked the best are the ones that have involved as many voluntary sector organisations and local community groups as possible in deciding the regeneration and renewal schemes that will be carried out. For the Community Capacity Building programmes the difficult part of involving a higher number of voluntary sector organisations and local community groups is that in can complicate the decision-making process, and thus lengthen the total time taken to fully implement the regeneration and renewal projects eventually agreed upon.[10] The ideal good practice for the Community Capacity Building programmes to achieve would be to effectively co-ordinate all the relevant voluntary sector organisations and local community groups in order to ensure the regeneration and the renewal projects are carried out without delay, and that such projects are finished successfully. The organisational key to achieving the intended regeneration and renewal projects is to arguably only to involve the most relevant voluntary sector organisations and local community groups that will have a part to play in ensuring the success of the Community Capacity Building programmes in any nearby areas.[11] Rural areas that have benefited from the introduction of these programmes included Teesdale and East Northamptonshire.[12] When it comes down to the successful completion of any of the Community Capacity Building programmes good practice has demonstrated the value of only involving the most relevant of the voluntary sector organisations and local community groups. These are the organisations and the groups that are needed to start and then finish the chosen regeneration and renewal projects previously agreed to. In the deprived areas of the United Kingdom in which the voluntary sector organisations and local community groups have exactly matching, or in fact similar outlooks it has proved to be easier to agree over the regeneration and renewal projects they wish to implement. There is the regeneration and the renewal projects that will add the most social value to the particular local area, the improvements that they have made possible in the first place. In the deprived areas in which the voluntary sector organisations and local community groups have co-operated in the Community Capacity Building progra mmes it has seemed that success has been most likely.[13] It has been assumed that the voluntary sector organisations and local community groups that are most important are those which represent black and ethnic minority communities and they will automatically not to mention unanimously agree on the regeneration and the renewal projects they need to fully implement. Unanimous or comprehensive support for regeneration and renewal projects will allow the Community Capacity Building programmes that enthusiastic voluntary sector organisations and local community groups are part of to be more successful. It is logical to argue that the Community Capacity Building programmes that have worked the most effectively have been the ones that have managed to gain wide-ranging agreement between the diverse voluntary sector organisations and local community groups involved in the decision-making process.[14] Examples of successful programmes have included Canning Town Outlook as well as the Secret Garden in Highgate Newtown.[15] Perhaps the best way of obtaining good practice in the implementation and also the running of the Community Capacity Building programmes is to adopt several regeneration and renewal projects in order to meet the needs of as many voluntary sector organisations and local community groups as possible. However to maximise the social value achieved due care has to be taken to make sure that only viable regeneration and renewal projects are adopted. It is good practice to select viable regeneration and renewal projects rather than simply choosing to spend scare funds on projects that are realistically un-viable, and will therefore not increase social capital, or indeed increase economic as well as social opportunities. The achievement of good practice is to make sure that the regeneration and also the renewal projects carried out are the best possible use of limited budgets. The voluntary sector organisations and local community groups that are given advise by other organisations, governme nt departments, and also local authorities can also make better decisions than those that are not given sound advise. However not all of the Community Capacity Building programmes have been a success when it comes down to the achievement of their objectives in relation to the full implementation of regeneration and renewal projects. The failure or the underachievement of some of the Community Capacity Building programmes is frequently due to the poor practices relating to the decision-making processes, which mean that the voluntary sector organisations and local community groups do not co-operate with each other effectively. Alternatively the voluntary sector organisations and local community groups that belong to failing Community Capacity Building programmes have contributed to the lack of success by failing to agree to regeneration and renewal projects.[16] The Community Capacity Building programmes across the United Kingdom have not all been able to make the voluntary sector organisations and local community groups enthusiastic about the community engagement required in order to successfully implement the regeneration and renewal projects to which they have agreed to. The voluntary sector organisations and local community groups may find it hard to find enough funds to carry out the regeneration and renewal projects that they want to implement the most to serve the needs of their local communities. The Community Capacity Building programme that has been widely considered to be the least successful was the one that covered the Glasgow area. The Glasgow Community Capacity Building programme was hindered by poor decision-making, as well as poor practices by the voluntary sector organisations and local community groups that belonged to it.[17] The voluntary sector organisations and local community groups that were part of the Glasgow Community Capacity Building programme to a large extent were unable to co-operate effectively with each other. The over all lack of co-operation and co-ordination between the voluntary sector organisations and local community groups belonging to the Glasgow Community Capacity Building programme had a knock on detrimental effect. This effect was noticeable when it came down to the speed and also the stability of decisions made with regard to regeneration and renewal projects. The slow pace of decision-making as well as unsuitable tarnished the reputation of the Glasgow Community Capacity Building programme. The poor reputation of the Glasgow Community Capacity Building programme has in many respects overshadowed the aspects of the regeneration and renewal projects that contributed to the improving the lot of the local communities within the Glasgow area. After all the Glasgow area has the large st concentration of black and ethnic minority communities in the whole of Scotland. Given the size of the black and ethnic minority population that live inside the Glasgow area it is hardly surprising that were difficulties in balancing the diverse interests of the voluntary sector organisations and local community groups within the vicinity.[18] It could be argued in fact that the success or failure of the Community Capacity Building programmes within the United Kingdom is determined by more than just good or bad operating practices within these programmes. The New Labour government although it was keen to establish and promote the Community Capacity Building programmes right across the whole of Britain intended that they would be linked with other bodies and institutions in raising living standards. Various voluntary sector organisations and local community groups ideally co-operate and co-ordinate with each other when part of their respective Community Capacity Building programmes yet they could not be expected to right all the problems of local communities in deprived rural and urban areas throughout the United Kingdom. The Community Capacity Building programmes were meant to complement other programmes or social schemes such New Deal for Communities.[19] Some of the differences in the ways in which the Community Capacity Building programmes operate are due to the introduction of devolved government in Scotland and Wales as much as via good and bad practice.[20] Therefore to summarize the Community Capacity Building programmes have undoubtedly played their part in the improving of the lives of the people that live in the most deprived areas of the United Kingdom. It is noticeable that the most successful Community Capacity Building programmes have allowed voluntary sector organisations and local community groups to co-operate with each other in order to implement regeneration and renewal projects quickly as well as successfully. The involvement of voluntary sector organisations and local community groups has meant that local communities have had a greater influence over the regeneration and renewal projects carried out as part of the Community Capacity Building programmes. The Community Capacity Building programmes are thus a means of allocating extra central government funding into the most deprived areas of the United Kingdom. Although such programmes allow voluntary sector organisations and local community groups to varying degrees of inf luence over subsequent regeneration and renewal projects they do not have enough funds from the central government to end economic and social deprivation overnight. The New Labour government has used other programmes such as the New Deal for Communities as well as the extension of social housing schemes to tackle poverty alongside the lack of affordable housing. The voluntary sector organisations and local community groups that are part of these programmes aware that although there are merits to the scheme there are also limitations to how much can actually be achieved in the most deprived areas of Britain. Bibliography Balloch S and Taylor M, (2001) partnership working: Policy and Practice, Policy press Coxall B, Robins L Leach R (2003) Contemporary British Politics 4th edition, Palgrave, London DEFRA, (2003) Community Capacity Building and Voluntary Sector Infrastructure in Rural England, Crown Copyright. Diamond J and Liddle J, (2005) Management of Regeneration, Routledge Home Office, (2004) Firm Foundations – The Government’s framework for Community Capacity Building, Crown Copyright Dorey P (2005) Developments in British Public Policy, Sage Publications, London Jones B, Kavanagh D, Moran M, Norton P, (2004) Politics UK, 5th edition, Pearson Longman, London Kingdom J (2003) Government and Politics in Britain, An Introduction 3rd edition, Polity Press, Cambridge Moran M, (2005) Politic and Governance in the UK, Palgrave, Basingstoke Rydin Y, (2003) Urban and Environmental Planning in the UK, Palgrave, Basingstoke Seldon A Kavanagh D, (2005) The Blair Effect 2001 – 5, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1 Footnotes [1] Coxall, Robins, and Leach, 2003 p. 380 [2] Moran, 2005 p. 29 [3] Kingdom, 2003 p. 495 [4] Dorey, 2005 p. 25 [5] Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p. 411 [6] Jones et al, 2004 p. 619 [7] Rydin, 2003 p. 47 [8] Balloch Taylor, 2001 p. 15 [9] Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p. 315 [10] Jones et al, 2004 p. 619 [11] Home Office, 2004 p. 20 [12] DEFRA, 2003 p. 5 [13] Diamond Liddle, 2005 p.20 [14] Jones et al, 2004 p. 619 [15] Home Office, 2004 pp. 8 10 [16] Jones et al, 2004 p. 619 [17] Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p. 316 [18] Jones et al, 2004 p. 619 [19] Home Office, 2004 p. 2 [20] Jones et al, 2004 p. 620

Critical ethnography Research Strategy

Critical ethnography Research Strategy Introduction The research methodology that I will be using for the Data Collection and Analysis assignment is critical ethnography. This methodology fits with my research goal to bring awareness to the unequal power structures and oppression existing within the collaborative child welfare and violence against women (VAW) advocates relationship. Madison (2005) states that critical ethnographers have an ethical responsibility to address unfairness and injustice within a particular lived domain and moves beneath surface appearances, disrupts the status quo, and unsettles both neutrality and taken-for-granted assumptions by bringing to light underlying and obscure operations of power and control (p. 5). Therefore, using the critical paradigm embedded in this methodology, I set out to uncover how issues of power, oppression and inequality affect the collaborative relationship between child welfare and violence against women (VAW) advocates that ultimately affect the services they provide to women and children. Through examining the strengths and weaknesses of their relationship, I intend to shed light onto how women and children who have experienced domestic violence and abuse are impacted by the power exerted by both service providers and their existing policies and ideologies. Theoretical and Conceptual Lens Conceptual Lens: Critical ethnography is defined as the doing or performance of critical theory. It is critical theory in action. (Madison, 2005, p. 5). Thus, critical ethnography is innately connected Exploring Methodology To the critical paradigm, which will be the conceptual lens utilized to investigate my research question. Critical theory is concerned with the mediation of power and dominance in society. Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2005) state critical theory seeks to uncover the interests at work in particular situations and to interrogate the legitimacy of those interests Its intention is transformative to transform society and individuals to social democracy (p. 28). The critical theory component of critical ethnography differentiates it from mainstream ethnography, which is concerned with the observation and description of culture or phenomenon. Critical theory modifies conventional ethnography by incorporating a political agenda which seeks to emancipate society. Theoretical Lens: Anti-oppressive theory provides a strong theoretical lens to use with critical theory and critical ethnography as both the former and the latter seek to uncover oppression and marginalization in society. It recognizes the intersectionalities of both clients and workers and can be used to highlight how legislation is entrenched in hetero-patriarchy. Similarly, at an organizational level, anti-oppressive theory can help to reveal the hegemonic practices in child welfare which influences the relationship between VAW workers and child protection workers and impacts the delivery of services to women and children. Epistemology of Critical Ethnography The epistemological underpinnings of critical ethnography are concerned with how the knowledge of oppression and power emerged historically and politically and its impact on Exploring Methodology shaping relations in society. The potential of knowledge production to reproduce and perpetuate notions of power, oppression and inequality in society is recognized. In addition, critical epistemology includes an understanding of the relationship between power and thought and power and truth claims (Carspecken, 1996, p. 10) This approach is value-laden because it has a determinedly political agenda. It seeks transformation by exposing oppressive structures in society, with the goal to emancipate society. Critical ethnographers are interested in hearing the narratives of their clients with the explicit agenda to bring forth political change. It is also value mediated because the researcher and the researched are interconnected, with the values of the investigator and the other influencing the inquiry. However, it is important to note that while research is value-driven, the validity claims of the researcher must meet rigorous standards to avoid bias. (Carspecken, 1996, p. 8) Moreover, a critical ethnographic approach goes further than other approaches. Firstly, critical researchers acknowledge researcher bias and subjectivity, as the researchers personal feelings and views are a part of the research process. The researcher is reflexive, and is engaged in a constant process of critiquing both objectivity and subjectivity. Second, researchers engage in an examination of their positionality in relation to the other (who is being studied). The researcher is engaged in a dialogical relationship with the other and remains grounded in their experience, as it is the concern for their condition which is driving the research. According to Madison (2005) dialogue moves from ethnographic presence to the present by opening up passageways for readers and audiences to experience and grasp the partial presence of a temporal conversation constituted by the others voice, body, history and yearnings (p. 10). Exploring Methodology Ontology of Critical Ethnography Critical ethnography begins from the premise that the structure and content of culture make life unnecessarily more nasty, brutish, and short for some people (Thomas, 1993, p. 33). When conducting research, critical ethnographers start with a view of what there is to know, an ontology, that furnishes a set of images and metaphors, in which various forms of social oppression constitute what is to be known (Thomas, 1993, p. 34). Thus, ontological underpinnings of critical ethnography are concerned with how societal structures and systems oppress certain groups, while reinforcing power, domination and capitalism. It sets out to expose the deeper social, historical and political meanings in society which reinforce the marginalization of some groups and how power and interests mediate these relations going below the surface level meaning to expose how bodies of ideas, norms and ideologies create meanings for constructing social subjects and concepts like gender, race and student (Thomas, 1993, p. 34). Critical ethnography also acknowledges that there are multiple realities, which can be uncovered through incorporating a narrative ontology. The narratives of participants are used to provide a rich description of their experience, as interpreted by the researcher to illustrate how issues of oppression, power and inequality are operating in his or her life (Thomas, 1993, p. 34). Unit of Analysis For this research study, dialogical data will be collected through a semi-structured interview with the intent to shed light into organizational practices existing within child protection and VAW services that influences their collaborative relationship. A key informant Exploring Methodology who has worked both in child welfare and VAW services will be interviewed for twenty to thirty minutes. Data Collection Tools For this research study, I will be interviewing a single individual. A semi-structured interview will be used because it allows the interview to be sufficiently open-ended. The interview questions can be re-ordered, modified and the researcher can probe the participant with additional questions, if needed. The interview will be recorded using an audio recorder. Field notes and observational notes of non verbal communication will also be taken. After the interview, additional notes will be made to capture anything that may have been missed. Strengths and Weaknesses of this Methodology One of the major strengths of critical ethnography is that it goes further than a traditional descriptive study, as it seeks to make emancipatory changes in society. Its political agenda attempts to transform society and share narratives and experiences of oppressed groups. This methodology also attempts to include the participants in the research process, using methods such as member checking (Carspecken, 1996, p. 166) which helps provide individuals who are often ignored from dominant discourses a voice. However, one glaring criticism of critical ethnography has been that we cannot separate it from the historical and political context from which it emerged. This context is problematic as it effects the researchers epistemological position because the ethnographers institutional or Exploring Methodology material standpoint within the everyday world is rarely connected or made problematic in relation to his or her subjects lived actualities. (Jordan Yeoman, 1995, p. 393). While critical ethnography is supposed to take a bottom-up view, the majority of its researchers come from an academic background, which is often in contrast of the material location of their participants. (Jordan Yeoman, 1995, p. 399-400). This influences the production of knowledge and data, as the relationship may be characterized by a power imbalance and differing worldviews as a product of varying material locations. Moreover, exposing inequality and oppression in academic literature does not ensure that change is created in the field. Thus, critical ethnographers become caught in a double bind. On one hand, the researcher seeks emancipation and liberation for their subjects, but they are constrained by their own positionality and the institutions for which they work. Thomas (1976, p. 25) states: We must never become wholly dependent upon established institutions; publishing houses, commercial media, universities, foundations. Social intellectuals must occupy some territory which is their own; their own journal, their own theoretical and practice centres: places where no one works for grades or fore tenure but for the transformation of society (Jordan Yeomans, 1995, p. 399-400). However, despite the researchers positionality, critical ethnography brings an opportunity to challenge traditional research and incorporate participant voices. It is also exciting as it attempts to liberate society from oppression and therefore, provides an alternative and welcomed choice to mainstream research. Exploring Methodology Analysis of Three Peer Reviewed Articles The appendix will discuss three peer reviewed articles in a chart, which is on the following page. The chart is divided into multiple categories, which will discuss the unit of analysis, the sample group, data collection and data analysis. I will conclude the chart by examining the strengths and the weaknesses of the methodology in the articles and then relate it back to my research study. Conclusion This paper set out to explore critical ethnography as my chosen methodology to conduct my research. Through writing this paper and reviewing the three articles, I know that critical ethnography will be useful in achieving my research goal of highlighting the oppression and power in the collaborative relationship between child welfare and VAW workers. This is important, as the relationship between these two sectors ultimately impacts the level of service provided to women and children.

Jamaica Kincaids On Seeing England for the First Time :: On Seeing England for the First Time

Imagine your culture being thrown aside and a new one was all that was taught to you? How would you react to it? In this story the author, Jamaica Kincaid, is talking about how she reacted to this and what happened to her. The author grows up in a place where England colonization had taken place. She grew up in Antigua, a small island in the Caribbean. She is taught all her life about England, a place she has never seen. At an early age she started to realize that the English had taken over her culture. After many years of hating this country she had to see the place that had taught her a different culture and ideas. When she arrives there the hate for the country tripled and she starts to pick apart the entire place and everywhere she goes. As she moves through the countryside her feelings of hate start to show them self’s in her thought and words. The feeling of deja vu, she has been there before, starts to come in after all of the years of maps and description of the foreig n land. Through the use of emotional arguments and social appeal the author, Kincaid, gets the feeling across that she was a victim of England. To get you to feel like the victim she uses lots of metaphors. In the first paragraph she uses the one, â€Å"England was a special jewel all right and only special people got to wear it†(p.61). It is right here that the author sets the tone of the essay. She gives you the idea that she was not special enough to put on this gem of England. In doing this she makes a social appeal to anyone looking for a view of colonization. In using descriptive language she make you feel sorry for her in the how she had to â€Å"Draw a map of England†(p.63), at the end of every test. Everything she had was â€Å"Made in England†(p.62). It is here that Kincaid is trying to appeal to your emotions. She is trying to get you to think that she had no choice in her life about what kind of cloths she could where. Think of everything you own and where it is from. In her life every possible thing she had was from England. Once again Kincaid is trying to make England look like the evil country that ruined her life.

Dr. Katharine Kolcaba and Jean Watson’s Theories on Personal Nursing Ph

The purpose of this paper is to define, describe, and explain the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of the author in regard to the philosophy of nursing practice. Philosophy is the study of ideas about knowledge, truth, nature, and meaning of a subject Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, (n.d.). I will address the four concepts of the nursing metaparadigm and the relationships of each as they guide my practice as a nurse. This concept synthesis paper will address the personal nursing autobiography, two practice specific concepts, and a list of propositions and assumption statements that clearly connect the described concepts. Many factors influence the philosophy of nurses and their practice. The author is a registered nurse care pathways coach at the Alabama Quality Assurance Foundation with responsibilities for decreasing avoidable hospitalizations in a local long-term care facility. He has 22 years of experience in the nursing profession, including psychiatric, medical surgical, and geriatric nursing. He has developed an interest in providing advanced nursing practice as a nurse practitioner using holistic approaches as he has matured as a nursing professional. His desire to improve access to primary health care and improve the quality of care for the poor and elderly is a decisive influence on his future as an advanced practice nurse. I became a nurse in 1992. I had graduated high school in 1989 and discovered that I lacked a vision of the profession I would be involved in over the course of my adult life. I was involved in the pursuit of a career of teaching music to high school children based upon a passion for performing arts as a teen aged student. I discovered that I enjoyed performing as a trumpet player, but I did not trul... ...-concepts.html Jean Watson’s Philosophy of Nursing. (2012). Retrieved April 4, 2014, from http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/Watson.html Metaparadigm in Nursing. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2014, from http://nursingtheories.info/metaparadigm-in-nursing/ Mitchell, S. (n.d.). Nursing: Metaparadigm concepts. Retrieved from http://nursing.pages.tcnj.edu/about/mission-philosophy/metaparadigm-concepts/ Philosophy. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philosophy Shirey, W. (n.d.). Four Concepts of the Nursing Paradigm . Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/list_6370576_four-concepts-nursing-paradigm.html WHO definition of health. (2003). Retrieved April 5, 2014, from http://who.int/about/definition/en/print.html What is Nursing?, (2014). Retrieved April 3, 2014, from http://www.nursingworld.org/EspeciallyForYou/What-is-Nursing

Care and Belonging

Jessica Downie Professor Troy McGinnis Reading Journal Entry #1 October 4, 2012 â€Å"Care and Belonging in the Market† by Allison J. Pugh Allison J. Pugh took the words right out of my mouth when writing her article on parents spending too much money on material items for their children. Commodity consumption for children has exploded to $670 billion spent annually on or by children in the United states in 2004 and there is a good chance its only getting higher.She branches off in the article going into several different topics on how the adults and children are effected by their desire to want to belong in society and how it affects the relationship between the parents and the children. It also focuses on the corporate marketers and how they tend to sell a fantasy to the children, reeling them into having a desire to have the product. This being done by the marketers, it also allows the parents to have the desire for their children, resulting in buying the product.As I was r eading this article, it made me think of my childhood growing up and how I related so close to this topic. For me, I didn't have a lot growing up so I found myself struggling with wanting all the same things my friends had that my parents couldn't always afford. My parents both worked full time jobs to provide for me and my two older brothers. Allison J. Pugh states in the article that low-income parents often planned ahead and save up to be able to buy their children what they ask for and I saw my parents do this for me and my brothers for Christmas and our birthdays.My parents taught me at a young age to stay humble and that material things don't define me as a person. I carry this lesson with my everyday life now. I see my father now buying my two younger half sisters any and everything they could ever want. I see him trying to make up for the things he couldn't give me while growing up. It also points out that your parents don't buy you things for the joy of themselves; they sim ply do it because they have a fear f not wanting their kid to feel left out or feel as if they don't belong. My five and nine year old sister has been through 2 iPads, iPod touches, cell phones and numerous amounts of toys, each. I find them being spoiled at such a young age is going to lead them to grow up not understanding the meaning of what a privilege it is to have nice things. Naturally everyone has a desire to fit in and be accepted by society, that wont ever change. As you get older, you are more aware of your status in society.You come to understand how society works, the interaction between people and the meanings of symbols in your day-to-day life. I do believe if more kids are exposed to valuable lessons growing up and not just get things handed to them, the chances of them taking these things for granted is less and maybe they wont feel the need to have the newest pair of Air Jordan's or the latest iPhone just because everyone else does. I asked myself a few questions a s I read through the article.One being, how was I effected by what my parents bought me growing up? Why does society look down on others if they don't have the best of the best? Will this ever change? I started to pay attention to children and their parents when I was at the store, work and when I was at the mall the other day. I feel as if parents these days almost buy their kids love by giving into what they want even if its something ridiculous. Parents give in way too easily and the kids catch on to what they can and cant get away with.This also being a problem when trying to persuade your parents that you absolutely need the new Nintendo DS or else your life is over. She spent time with families who were low-income families and richer families. She noticed that â€Å"affluent parents practiced a form a form of â€Å"symbolic deprivation† pointing to particularly meaningful goods or experiences that their child didn't not have as evidence of their own moral restraint and worthiness as parents. † I had to break that down to really understand what she meant by that.I think she means the affluent parents buy their children material things because they can and they want to stay higher up on the ladder in society. As for most low-income parents, they implemented a form of â€Å"symbolic indulgence†. Making sure that those particular goods or experiences have the most significant symbolic value for the children's social world. They did the best they could with the resources they had and sometimes putting those items more important than anything else at that time.Id be lying if I was to say that I think this explosion of parents spending ridiculous amounts of money to shape their child's social status is going to change anytime soon. I don't think it will ever change. Its practically an unwritten rule in society. Parents will continue to do anything they can to make the kids be accepted by society and make them feel as comfortable as they gro w older and make their way into the real world.

Economic Basics Essay

1. Describe two examples of important things that financial planning skills can help you do, and explain why these things are important to you personally. (4-6 sentences. 2.0 points) Financial planning skills can help you acquire more in term of finance and can also help you secure what you have. When you have skill to plan, you are aware of how to manage your account hence adding on your profit. Securing what you have is important as it ensures that you do not go broke or lose everything. It’s immensely important because I want to be financially successful in my future. 2. List two examples of goods you have purchased in the past or may purchase in the future. (Complete sentences are not necessary. 0.5 points) Snacks from the store, clothes from shops 3. Imagine that you are considering moving to a new country and looking for a job there, but you first want to make sure the country has a strong economy. Describe at least three economic factors that you would want to research as evidence of the economy’s strength or weakness, and explain how each factor would affect your decision to move there. (4-6 sentences. 3.0 points) I would look at the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). And what has the unemployment rate been over the last 20 years? Is the economy strong enough to absorb foreigners? Since you would be a foreigner in this country, you need to make sure you’ve got a good chance getting a job etc. 4. In capitalism, most businesses have a profit motive. Describe at least one reason that businesses with a profit motive may be helpful for society and at least one reason that they may be harmful for society. Then, explain whether you think profit motive is a good thing or a bad thing for society. (4-7 sentences. 2.0 points) One reason profit motives are helpful, is because they get the business the money it needs. Also helps pay employees and such. One reason why it could be harmful is because it’s all money driven. They’re taking money away from people who need it. In my personal opinion, I have a neutral feeling towards profit motive. 5. Imagine that you are buying a new computer and comparing different brands and prices. Describe at least two nonprice competition factors you might consider when making your decision. (2-4 sentences. 2.0 points) There are a bunch of things you should consider like whether or not the brand or style of  computer is reliable and fast. You might have to compromise because one might have â€Å"x† features you like while the other has â€Å"y† features you like. 6. Describe a product, and then give an example of a time when the demand for this product might be high and the demand for this product might be low. (2-4 sentences. 2.0 points) Sweaters, for example, would be at a higher demand rate when it gets cold out. There aren’t too many people who want to wear sweaters in the summertime so demand for them is going to be much lower in the summer.