Australian Rules essay Essay Example for Free

Australian Rules essay Essay Australian rules is set in a small rural town, where the relationships between the white townspeople and the Aboriginal people on the mission are complex, conflicted and marred by deeply entrenched racism. The local football team in many ways serves to represent the town, it reflects the conflicted relationship between the white people and the Aboriginal people- we begin to understand this as the film unfolds. Other themes inherent in the film are themes of family, love, loyalty and violence- the secrecy of domestic violence and the more overt forms of racial violence that spill out onto the public spheres of the football field and the pub. The opening narration informs us that half the football team is Aboriginal and that there would not be a football team without the Aboriginal players, therefore we understand how the town team relies on the talent and number of the Aboriginal players. We then witness the contradiction of the white and Aboriginal boys playing side by side as team members followed by the social segregation between the members after the match. This segregation is highlighted by Blacky (a white boy from town) and Dumby (an Aboriginal boy who is the best player on the team) whose friendship transcends these borders and we also witness ways that this segregation between the white teenager and Aboriginal teenagers is culturally imposed by certain adults. In one of the beginning scenes, just after a football match, Dumby and Blacky want to ‘hang out’ together, but Dumby is taken back to the mission by an older friend and Blacky cannot follow. Blacky, Clarence and Dumby all call out to each other ‘Nukkin ya’ and this use of Aboriginal language between two Aboriginal teenagers and Blacky the white boy signifies the level of their friendship and mutual acceptance. Pickles’ comment to Blacky that ‘now he even talks like one’, symbolises the town’s disapproval of such respect for Aboriginal culture and Aboriginal people. The character of Pretty, Dumby’s older friend from the mission, plays an important role in the film. He was once a talented football player himself but no longer ‘kicks goals for whitefellas’ and he is significant because he is the main character to verbalise that Aboriginal people are treated differently and unfairly. He is somewhat aggressive in his approach, expressing bitterness and resentment, yet it is implied that his approach is reactionary to the way he has been treated, and his statementsoverlooked by the white coach- are significant examples of changing responses to uneven power dynamics. For example the white coach tells Dumby to make sure all the Aboriginal team players turn up to the next match and Pretty interjects stating that it doesn’t work that way anymore, his metaphor of ‘yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir’, clearly refers to the history of Aboriginal people being used as servants and points out that the coach’s approach of ordering Dumby around is no longer appropriate. Unfortunately the coach does not take this message on and rather than acknowledging the Aboriginal boys as talented, valuable and indeed essential team players, he nervously treats them as unreliable boys who may destroy the team’s chances by not turning up. This attitude of relying on Aboriginal talent, whilst refusing to appropriately acknowledge this talent is made explicitly clear during the award giving ceremony that takes place after the team win the finals. Pretty is made to leave the ceremony after he disputes the truth of a speech about the egalitarian nature of football ‘where you can be anyone, from anywhere, and receive the recognition you deserve’. Pretty is immediately proved to be right when the awards are given only to white boys, and Dumby, who is obviously the most talented player on the team is left completely unacknowledged. There is a direct shift in Dumby’s response and he becomes more like Pretty, demonstrating anger and resentment, rather than his normal cheerful, co operative self. This gives us insight into Pretty’s character and how he may have developed the attitude that he has towards white people. Pretty and Dumby’s break-in to the pub that very night can be interpreted as a direct response to the unfairness of the award ceremony- although there are characters, such as the coach, who are not willing to see the connection. The fact that Dumby is then murdered by Blacky’s father is a complicated event with many layers of meaning. The insights we have been given about Blacky’s father prior to the shooting is that of a man who dominates his family, puts down his sons for showing vulnerability and who physically abuses his wife. There are instances in which we can see links between the violence he demonstrates towards his family and the verbal and physical violence he feels justified in displaying towards Dumby, and then later towards Dumby’s sister, Clarence. There is a scene in which the father physically attacks Blacky and forces Blacky to declare loyalty to him (regarding the shooting), meanwhile verbally abusing Clarence with racial slurs and ordering her to get out of his house. During this scene the camera pans onto the faces of the Blacky’s mother and siblings and we see how domestic and racial violence become enmeshed, that the father’s attack on Blacky for being with Clarence is an act of violence that hurts his whole family. Interestingly it is Clarence who is the least cowed in this scene, she does not show fear and walks out with dignity. In this way we can see how control and domination is a particular pattern in this family, but is not taken on by Clarence. In many ways, the shooting, and the following events, are catalysts for great changes, both in the town, and more specifically in Blacky’s family. Blacky rejects his parent’s demands to maintain loyalty to his father and instead Blacky remains loyal to his friendship with Dumby. Blacky’s rejection of his father’s authority instigates other members of the family, such as his mother and next youngest brother who subtly take Blacky’s side. The scene where his brother urges him to get up and face his father, (when his father beat him to the ground), symbolises the request of his family for Blacky to represent them all and challenge the father’s authority. The resolution of the film sees the father gone, leaving Clarence and Blacky happily together but planning to this town ‘that has nothing for them’. The fate of the town is not so happy, the boys from the mission won’t come to town and there is no longer a football team. In many ways we can see how Australian rules reflects the complexities of human relationships- of love and loyalty and hatred and violence, and clearly demonstrates how deeply entrenched racism hurts everyone. The town, through its racism has destroyed the tentative trust of the Aboriginal people and has lost its ‘glory’- its winning football team. Its seems empty, a place only good for leaving.

Non-Conventional Energy Resources

Non-Conventional Energy Resources India is a country rich in natural resources as well as in population. In order to cater to the needs of ever increasing population, we have to conserve our natural resources by utilizing them carefully. Energy resources are considered to be the most needed resources for the existence of mankind. The conventional energy resources like gas, oil and coal are used everywhere starting from the household chores to industrial activities. As the conventional resources are subject to depletion nature and cannot be regenerated immediately, there is a rummage around for alternative sources of energy. The government of India has recognized the need for the development and promotion of non-conventional energy resources like solar energy, wind-energy, bio-mass energy etc to conserve conventional resources. Establishment of Non conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limited (NEDCAP) is a milestone in this endeavor. The article highlights the importance of non-conventional en ergy resources and the role of NEDCAP in promoting these sources and discusses the various sources of non-conventional energy and highlighted the efforts of NEDCAP in conservation of conventional sources of energy. *Associate Professor Head, Dept. of Management, Auroras PG College, Hyderabad and can be reached @ [emailprotected] **Assistant Professor, Dept of Business Administration, PVP Siddartha Institute of Technology, Vijayawada and can be reached @ [emailprotected] Introduction The conventional energy resources are continuously registering a diminishing balance with the population explosion and industrialization-taking place all around the world. India is the second largest in the world in the statistics of population and considered to be sixth in the consumption of energy as per the study conducted by the Government of A.P. In view of the existence of a large gap between the requirements of the population and the availability of the conventional sources of energy there is a need for the development of a sustainable resource based alternative for the conventional energy resources. The conventional energy resources are the natural resources like coal, oil and gas. With the rapid developments taking place in the industrial sector the need for energy is also increasing constantly. It has become inevitable to supplement the exhaustible resources with renewable resources to cater to the needs of the future generations effectively. Fortunately, India is gifted wi th large amount of sustainable non-conventional energy resources like solar power, wind and biomass along with small hydro power and industrial and domestic wastes. These resources are natural, cost free, available abundantly and readily usable for the generation of energy in different forms. Moreover these are pollution free and hence can be used to produce clean form of energy without any wastage apart from being renewable. So there is a need for the development of non-conventional energy resources in the country. Non-Conventional Energy Resources As the demand for power and energy is increasing rapidly and depletion of natural resources is taking place with the same pace, the emergence of environmental friendly and pollution free non-conventional energy resources has become a viable alternative. The non-conventional energy resources like solar energy through thermal as well as photovoltaic systems, wind energy, bio mass, hydal energy and industrial and household wastes will help the economy to a great extent in enhancing the power generation capacity and energy needs of different sectors. The following is a brief presentation of the renewable sources of energy. Solar Energy: India has a locational advantage in receiving abundant radiant energy form the sun as it is located in the equatorial sun belt of the earth. Majority of the Indian continent is bestowed with clear sunny weather in all most 280-300 days of a year. Daily solar energy incident over India varies from 4-7 KWH per square meter depending on the region. Solar energy can be used in two ways: Solar Thermal Conversion: Conversion of solar energy into heat using devices of steel, copper, aluminum is called solar-thermal conversion. A solar thermal device captures and transfers the heat energy available in the solar radiation. The energy generated can be used for varied applications in the household and industrial sectors like water heating systems, air heating systems, cooking and other household utilities. Solar Photovoltaic Conversion: This is the conversion of solar energy into electricity using semi conductors and their hybrids to convert the solar energy into Direct Current form of electricity for the application of DC and AC. The electricity thus generated can be used to needs of home lighting, street lighting and running motor pumps etc. The direct current form of solar energy is a major technical consideration for SPV application. Wind Energy: The evolution of windmills to convert wind power into energy, using wind turbines dates back to the beginning of the century. Denmark was the first country to install the first windmill for the generation of electricity. Later many countries entered into the field of wind energy. India started operations during 1983-84. The technology involves generation of electricity using turbines, which converts mechanical energy from the wind mills and is mainly used for pumping water from bore wells, open wells etc .However, average wind speed is major technical consideration to harness wind energy depending upon the climatic conditions and geographical locations of the project. Bio mass and other Bio energy systems: Bio mass is yet another renewable source of energy with potential to generate power to the extent of more than 50% of the requirements our country. Indian economy is predominantly an agricultural based economy with the availability of huge quantities of biomass available in the form of husk, straw, shells of coconuts and of wild bushes etc. Bio mass resources include large quantities cattle dung and other organic wastes. The biomass resources can be used for production of thermal energy or electricity. It can also be used to produce gas that may be used for combustion and to run gas engines. Small Hydro Power Hydropower is tapped from running waterfalls, canals and other water streams containing relatively small quantities of water but with some force of falling. The force of falling and flowing water can be converted into electricity by using turbines. This is a cheaper and abundant source on energy in our country. It is estimated that nearly 15,000 MW of power can be generated with the potential of the small hydro projects in the country. This power can be used to meet the requirements of the vicinity areas of the water streams like agro processing and milling. Industrial and other Wastes: These projects utilize the municipal and industrial wastes which has a problem for their disposal. The cleanliness of urban and industrial areas are achieved by utilizing these wastes as raw material to generate power. Wastes from the household, agricultural and industrial sectors are utilized to produce electricity. Industrial wastes from sago manufacturing units; sugar manufacturing units, poultries and others can be effectively used to produce power. This is a source of cheaper and renewable energy source available in India. Production of gases can also be undertaken using the wastes. Government Initiatives in Conservation of Energy Realizing the potential for energy from renewable sources, the government set up the Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources (MNES) in 1992, which is now called MNRE. The Prime Minister directly controls the activities of the ministry. MNRE activities include promotion of renewable energy technologies, creating an environment conducive to promote renewable energy technologies and assessment of renewable energy resources. Various sources of renewable energy are identified and policies are developed to supplement the conventional energy resources under the auspices of the ministry. Nodal agencies with different names have been established in different states to achieve the primary objective of supplementing the energy needs of the states. Non-Conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limiited (NEDCAP) The nodal agency of Andhra pradesh is popularly called NEDCAP. Initially the name is Agro Pumpsets Implements Ltd., (APIL) for implementing non-conventional energy programmes sponsored by both the State and Central Governments. The corporation was incorporated on 21.10.1969 and was renamed as NEDCAP on 10-5-1986. The primary objectives of the Corporation are To survey, develop and implement renewable energy programmes of the State and Central Governments. To generate electricity through renewable sources like wind and solar energy on a decentralised manner. To conserve the sources of energy in rural areas. To import and adopt viable technology and machinery in the areas of Non-Conventional energy sources and ensures post installation service. To impart training and to promote research and development in the field of Non-conventional energy sources. To provide technical consultancy services in implementation of power projects through renewable energy sources. To achieve the above objectives NEDCAP has initiated many programmes in different areas of non-conventional energy sources. The programmes are continuously monitored and necessary support is extended to individuals, non-profit making organizations, commercial and industrial organizations working in various projects associated with renewable energy resources. The following are some highlights of the promotion measures initiated by NEDCAP. Promotion of solar energy Government of Andhra Pradesh has issued GOs under reference Nos. G.O.Ms.No.302 M.A. dated : 03.08.2004 and G.O.Ms.No.506 MA dated: 03-12.2004 of Municipal Administration Urban Development (M) Department making mandatory for installation of Solar Water Heating Systems at proposed construction of hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, guest houses, lodges and multi-storied buildings of stilt + 5 floors or 15 meters and above height provision shall be made in their plans. NEDCAP is taking all necessary initiatives in the implementation of the programme. It is providing subsidized loans with banks with concessional rates of interests. Type of Users Rate of interest applicable Domestic users 2% Institutional users not availing accelerated depreciation 3% Industrial and commercial users availing depreciation 5% Source: www.nedcap.gov.in Along with the provision of loans at concessional rates of interest, NEDCAP is also providing capital subsides for the organizations which are not availing the facility of soft loans depending on the type of the organization and the area used for collecting the solar energy. The subsidies are Rs. 1100 per square meter of the collector area for registered non-profit making organisations and Rs.825 per square meter of the collector area for registered commercial establishments. Further it is providing and incentive of Rs. 100 per square meter for motivators and agents working in the field of attracting potential buyers of the solar water heaters. Promotion of Wind energy Based on the studies conducted through wind monitoring exercise, it is found that the southern part of Andhra Pradesh has got wind potential for setting up of wind farms. The areas in Anantapur, Cuddapah, Kurnool and parts of Nellore and Chittoor district have been identified with relatively better potential sites to set up wind power projects. In the master plan to assess the potentiality in southern part of A.P. it is estimated that there is a potential of about 2100 MW capacity. NEDCAP has established 2.25 MW wind farm project at Kondamedapally, Kurnool dist. and 2.50 MW wind farm at Narasimhakonda, Nellore district under demonstration scheme of MNRE. To encourage investment and to promote wind power projects in Andhra Pradesh, the Govt.of Andhra Pradesh has announced a comprehensive policy and incentives to set up wind power projects in private sector. NEDCAP is the single window clearance agency to sanction projects up to 20 MW capacity in the State and so far 100.12 MW capacity of projects by 30 developers at Ramagiri, Kadavakallu, Tallimadugula in Anantapur District and on Tirumala Hills, Chittoor district, was commissioned. The total installed capacity is 107.37 MWs as on March, 2008. NEDCAP extends the following services to the wind farm developers to set up projects in private sector. Clearance of projects Selection of suitable sites for the proposed projects Providing data related to the speed of the wind and related parameters Guidance on suitable equipment needed , its erection and commissioning of the project Guidance on inter-facing of the project Co-ordination with the revenue department on the land allotment to the proposed projects Necessary technical assistance to the projects sanctioned and to the ones commissioned. A total of 0.25% of the project cost subject to a minimum Rs.1.50 lakhs / MW is payable to NEDCAP towards sanction fee of the project. Promotion of Biomass utilization After identifying the abundant availability of bio mass in the state of Andhra Pradesh NEDCAP has started implementing the Biogas programme since 1982-83. The initial stages of implementing the programme, 4 cum 6 cum capacity KVIC model biogas plants were erected. It has been observed that KVIC models of biogas plants are comparatively associated with high initial costs along with periodical maintenance. Since, 1990-91, the Corporation is promoting the Deenabandhu model as it is less expensive and more efficient. The programme gained momentum and the same model is continued. The Corporation till now has installed around 2.50 lakhs biogas plants in the state so far. Under the biomass programme rural energy programmes are designed and implemented. Rural Energy Programmes Sl.No. Description Nos. Installed 1 Family Size Biogas Plants for cooking 2.8 Lakhs 2 Improved Chulhas 27.28 lakhs Source: www.nedcap.gov.in National Project on Biogas Development Basing on the studies conducted and on the success of the plants already installed in Andhra Pradesh, there is huge demand/potential for the establishment of Biogas Plants in Andhra Pradesh. The estimated potential of family size biogas plants is 10.90 lakhs. So far 2.84 lakh family-size biogas plants have been installed in the state. Improved Chulhas The estimated potential in Andhra pradesh is 95 lakhs. Since 1984-85 the achievement is 27.03 lakhs. Presently, the programme is being undertaken with State Govt. assistance. Promotion of Industrial waste based Projects NEDCAP is authorized by the A.P. State Government vide. G.O. Ms. No. 253, E F (RES) Department, dated 15-11-94 to sanction the Municipal Solid Waste/Industrial Waste based Power projects of capacity up to 20 MW. Andhra Pradesh is having a number of Industries which generate effluents. These effluents are to be treated to have value added products. The waste generated from Industries like sago, starch, palm oil, distilleries, dairy, vegetable wastes and poultry etc can be treated to generate Electricity. The following table presents the total capacity of the power generation projects undertaken in the industrial waste management area. i) Municipal Solid Waste Projects 107 MW ii) Municipal Liquid Waste 16 MW Total 123 MW iii) Industrial Waste Projects 135.0 MW Source: www.aponlineltd.org It is estimated that there is a huge potential of 40 MW from municipal solid wastes in the cities of Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Guntur. Two projects aggregating to a capacity of 12.6 MW are under implementation at Hyderabad and Vijayawada cities. It is estimated that there is still an untapped potential of 135 MW from industrial wastes including poultry, distilleries and others industries operating in the state. Out of this potential projects with a capacity of 1.50 MW have been commissioned. Small Hydro Power The activity of power generation from small hydro power has been transferred from AP TRANSCO wing which was previously known as APSEB to NEDCAP vide G.O.Ms.No.37 dated 01-02-1999 of Energy (Power I) Department, Government of AP. The assessed Hydro Power potential is 1000 MW (approx). The status report on Small Hydro Power projects is shown in the table given below. Status of small hydro power projects as on 31-03-2008 S.No. Description No. of projects Capacity in MW 1 No. of projects sanctioned 47 146.603 2 No. of projects commissioned 31 92.353 3 No. of projects under progress 05 7.150 4 No. of projects Financial closure not completed 11 47.100 5 Detailed project reports referred to Irrigation Dept. for issuance of No Objection Certificate 125 305.500 Source: www.nedcap.gov.in The total no of projects sanctioned are 47in number with a capacity of 146.603MW. The capacity utilized so far is 92.353 MW through 31 projects commissioned under private sector participation. The number if Projects, which are in progress, is 16 with a capacity of 54.250 MW. The proposals and detailed project reports referred to Irrigation Department for issuance of No Objection Certificate are aggregating to a total capacity of 305.500 MW. Andhra Pradesh is one of the pioneering states in the country in encouraging the non-conventional energy based power projects. The State Government has authorized the nodal agency NEDCAP to sanction NCES based power projects of capacity up to 20 MW in private sector also along with the public sector participation. The cumulative installed capacity as on 31.10.2003 is 473.09 MW which is about 4.6 % of the total installed capacity in the state. During the year 2002-03, 1287.55 Mega Units of power was fed into the State grid which is 3.65 % of the total volume of power generated in the state. The Non Conventional Energy based power projects have the following advantages Environmental friendly and produce green power with less costs and free rawmaterial. Every KWH of power generated from NCES will eliminate 1 KG of Carbon emission into the atmosphere which is relatively very less when compared with conventional sources like coal, oil and natural gas. Non Conventional Energy Sources are abundantly available and are renewable with in no period of time. Low gestation period of the projects commissioned under the utilization of non-conventional sources. Also helpful in conserving the rapidly depleting reserves of fossil fuels. Helpful in creating rural employment and self employment opportunities Helps in improving the economic and living conditions of the rural population. Conclusion The importance of non-conventional energy resources is gaining momentum in the country as well as in the state. India is now one of the countries implementing various programmes on the utilization and promotion of non-conventional energy resources. Rightly identifying the need of the hour for the conservation of energy resources the Planning Commission of India in its Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) has highlighted the need to develop domestic supply options and diversify energy sources. The projections of the report state that non-conventional sources may account for 5 to 6 per cent of Indias total energy mix by 2031-32. As the Nodal agency of the state of Andhra Pradesh, NEDCAP is taking all necessary initiatives to promote the usage of the renewable sources of energy like solar, wind, biomass, industrial wastes etc, as evident from the above discussion on various areas of non-conventional areas of energy. Private participation is also solicited in some of the areas like pow er generation and solar heating systems. To become more effective in the promotion, NEDCAP can also undertake promotional and publicity campaigns for individuals, NGOs, commercial and non-commercial institutions elaborating the importance of the conservation of the conventional sources of energy and the need for supplementing them with non-conventional sources. Finally it is aptly said that Save Nature and Enjoy the Future

Definition of Service Quality

Definition of Service Quality According to Farlex Free Dictionary, a night club also known as a discotheque, or simply a club or disco is an establishment or an entertainment venue which usually operates late at night, provides entertainment such as dancing and generally opens until the early morning. In addition as per Wikipedia, a nightclub is differed from bars, pubs or taverns by the inclusion of a dance floor and a Disc Jockey (DJ) booth, where a DJ plays recorded dance, hip hop, rock, reggae, dub step, pop music and a mix of songs played. 1.2 Definition of Service Quality Philip Kotler (1997) defined service as an action or an activity which can be offered by a party to another party, which is basically intangible and can not affect any ownership. Service may be related to tangible product or intangible product On the other hand, Zeithaml and Bitner (2003:85) mentioned that, Service quality is a focused evaluation that reflects the customers perception of specific dimensions of service namely reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, tangibles. Based on the assessment of service quality provided to the customers, business operators are able to identify problem quickly, improve their service and better assess client expectation. (Business Dictionary.com) 1.3 Importance of Service quality Londe et al, 1988 stated that it is the customer service management that will derive the importance of service. In services marketing, customer service is regarded as a component of marketing mix. Zeithaml and Bitner, 1996 mentioned that high quality customer service is not just customer service department but all levels of management and staffs need to accept and have a state of mind regarding customer care. On the other hand, Payne, 1995 added that there is pressure on customer service due to competition and technological. He also stated that higher standards of service are being demanded by consumers as they are becoming more sophisticated and updated in their requirements and to them service refers as customer satisfaction, customer delight, service delivery, customer relationship, hence, to provide good service to customers, service companies need to take into consideration the important variables of service quality namely, assurance, empathy, reliability, responsiveness and tan gibles. Thus as per Payne, 1995 customer service and quality improvement initiatives are closely related to each other. Moreover, marketing, customer service and relationship marketing are brought together through relationship marketing and marketers are very concerned about the attainment of quality. (Christopher and Ballantyne, 1991) However, different authors have stated that service quality has been associated as having clear relationships to the following factors: Costs ( Crosby,1979) Profitability ( Buzzell and Gale,1987;Rust and Zahorik,1993) Customer Satisfaction ( Boltan and Drew,1991; Boulding et al,1993) Customer retention (Reichheld and Sasser,1990) Behavioural intention and positive word of mouth (Anderson and Zeithmal, 1984; Philips, Chang and Buzzell, 1983) Moreover, Anderson and Zeithmal, 1984; Philips, Chang and Buzzell, 1983 claimed that, customers buying decisions are influenced by quality which is considered as the most important purchase decision factor and it also contributes to market share and return on investment.Garvin,1983 added that quality has strategic benefits in terms of improving productivity and lowering manufacturing costs. 1.4 Dimensions of Service Quality: SERVQUAL Model According to A. Parasuraman, V.A.Zeithaml, and L.L.Berry, it is during the service delivery that the quality of services is assessed and the contact with each customer implies as a chance to satisfy or dissatisfy the customer, a moment of truth. They defined customer satisfaction with regards to service as by comparing perceptions of service received with expectations of service desired. They also mentioned that an excellent quality of service is perceived when expectations are exceeded and on the other hand, service quality is considered as unacceptable when expectations are not met. Lastly, quality is satisfactory when perceived service confirmed expectations. In addition, Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (PZBs1988) introduced five dimensions which led to the development of SETVQUAL, these dimensions are as follows: Tangibles: These include the appearance of employees, physical facilities being offered and equipment which form part of service experience. Reliability: The way the service is being delivered, that is, the ability to deliver the promised service precisely and consistently. Responsiveness: Willingness to help customers, respond to their queries and also to provide rapid service to them. Assurance: Understanding and courtesy of staffs and their capability to inspire trust and confidence. Empathy: Helpful, care about the customers requirements and the firm provides individualised attention to its customers with compassion. Furthermore, as shown in the figure 1.1 below A conceptual model of service quality with the dimensions of service quality was developed by A. Parasuraman, V.A.Zeithaml, and L.L.Berry. They based their research on several different service categories like for example retail banking, long distance telephone service, credit card companies. Thus, they identified that tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy were the five main dimensions used by customers to judge service quality. Perceived Service Quality:- 1. Expectation Exceeds ESPS (Unacceptable Quality) Dimensions of Service Quality:- Reliability Responsiveness Assurance Empathy Tangibles Word of Mouth Personal Needs Perceived Service (PS) Expected Service (ES) Past Experience As shown from the diagram above, A. Parasuraman, V.A.Zeithaml, and L.L.Berry added that customers judgements of service quality are based on a comparison between expected and perceived quality. They also stated that the gap between expected and perceived service is a measure of service quality that is satisfaction which is either negative or positive. They also found that in order to ensure consistent delivery of services organisations are faced with challenges to design their service delivery systems. However, many authors have also put forward different conceptualisations over the time, like for instance three component structure- functional, reputational quality and technical by Gronroos (1984).Five components namely level of customer satisfaction, customer interaction/staff, internal organisation, corporate image and physical support given to service producing system.( Nguyen, 1988)

poems :: essays research papers

Poems   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Andrew Marvell’s poem, â€Å"To His Coy Mistress,† Marvell starts out by saying how much he loves this girl that even time is not a matter, but halfway through he switches and starts to say that time is nearing and that basically if we do not do the deed now, then, â€Å"And your quaint honor turn to dust, And into ashes all my lust:† (29-30) In Ben Jonson’s poem, â€Å"To Celia,† Jonson begins by laying his game on thick and saying that we need to make love, but halfway through he changes his ways and starts saying that you should not care what others say lets do it, who cares if the maids find out or even your husband, lets just do it. These poems are both carpe diem poems which means to seize the day, and that is just what the writers and the speakers of these poems are doing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both poems start out in about the same manner, by trying to get the female â€Å"to be† with them, but for some reason halfway through they both take the same turn and that turn takes them straight into lust and wild erratic behavior. In Marvell’s poem he basically says that if I cannot have you those worms will the irony in this is that the male organ has been referenced to a phallic object like a worm. He also talks about your quaint honor turning to dust and along with it all my lust, the quaint honor that he is talking about is that girl’s vagina. He is telling her that now is our time to make love and if you do not do it with me now then when you are dead the one thing that you tried to hold on to will be gone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jonson does even worse; in his poem the speaker is trying to seduce a married woman. He tells her that fame and rumors are nothing but toys and can we not delude the eyes of a few household spies. The speaker is putting everything he has into to this woman and trying to sleep with her. â€Å"’Tis no sin love’s fruit to steal; But the sweet theft to reveal,† This poem is from the play Volpone and this poem is being spoken by Volpone, which is interesting because the name Volpone means fox. The mood of the poem is very smooth and sly so the name fox fits perfectly for this guy.

America Needs More Gay Rights and Tolerance Essay -- Persuasive Essay,

Change is a constant something that I am always told and it’s a fact truth, but another key concept to remember is that change is slow it is glacial. Meaning change is very slow but despite the speed of change it is still change and the significant point is that change does occur. For the past 40 years the change for the gay society has been steady and constant the events of the stonewall riots gave the gay movement a voice and has allowed reasons for change. Gays are given rights that were once denied and violence against gays is considered illegal society is leaning towards gay rights and the word tolerance meaning to be socially and lawfully recognized and accepted is being understood by society to the fullest. But are these assumptions mere claims, has gay tolerance increased in the past 40 years? Religious institution are accepting Homosexual, popular social figures are accepted by the media and all and all gay rights have been improving both on a state and nat ional level. It is the recognition of these facts that allows one to conclude that Society has become more tolerant towards homosexual in the past 40 years the proof is in the evidence and is hard to be disputed. Let’s start by exploring the specific to the earlier claim that gay tolerance has increased within the past 40 years. In 1948 Harry Hay a gay communist started the first gay rights movement his radical decision lead to the stonewall movement over 20 years later in 1969 which official started the gay rights movement a riot that spread from the bars of New York to the streets of California. This riot is at the forefront of the gay movement and has long stood for the symbol of change for many in the Gay community (Adiatu). The stonewall movement has ... ...nspiring and all we as open minded individual can hope for is more change Gay tolerance has increased and it can be seen all throughout society individuals don’t have to look far to see the countless amount of gays getting married and the copious amount of gay being kept safe by the law enforcement and laws passed by the government. Homosexual has come along way and if society continues to stay open minded the Tolerations of gays will only increase to the point where gays are fully accepted by all. Works Cited Adaitu Dayo. Stonewall Riots: The beginning of the LGBT Movement. 22. June. Web. 7. Dec. 2009 National Conference of State Legislatures. www.Ncsl.org 01. JAN. 2009. Web. 10. Dec. 2009 Religious Tolerance. www. Religious Tolerance.org 10. Jul. 2007. Web. 14 Dec. 2009 Sadd Lydia. www. Gallup.com, 29. May. 2009. 12. Dec.2009 America Needs More Gay Rights and Tolerance Essay -- Persuasive Essay, Change is a constant something that I am always told and it’s a fact truth, but another key concept to remember is that change is slow it is glacial. Meaning change is very slow but despite the speed of change it is still change and the significant point is that change does occur. For the past 40 years the change for the gay society has been steady and constant the events of the stonewall riots gave the gay movement a voice and has allowed reasons for change. Gays are given rights that were once denied and violence against gays is considered illegal society is leaning towards gay rights and the word tolerance meaning to be socially and lawfully recognized and accepted is being understood by society to the fullest. But are these assumptions mere claims, has gay tolerance increased in the past 40 years? Religious institution are accepting Homosexual, popular social figures are accepted by the media and all and all gay rights have been improving both on a state and nat ional level. It is the recognition of these facts that allows one to conclude that Society has become more tolerant towards homosexual in the past 40 years the proof is in the evidence and is hard to be disputed. Let’s start by exploring the specific to the earlier claim that gay tolerance has increased within the past 40 years. In 1948 Harry Hay a gay communist started the first gay rights movement his radical decision lead to the stonewall movement over 20 years later in 1969 which official started the gay rights movement a riot that spread from the bars of New York to the streets of California. This riot is at the forefront of the gay movement and has long stood for the symbol of change for many in the Gay community (Adiatu). The stonewall movement has ... ...nspiring and all we as open minded individual can hope for is more change Gay tolerance has increased and it can be seen all throughout society individuals don’t have to look far to see the countless amount of gays getting married and the copious amount of gay being kept safe by the law enforcement and laws passed by the government. Homosexual has come along way and if society continues to stay open minded the Tolerations of gays will only increase to the point where gays are fully accepted by all. Works Cited Adaitu Dayo. Stonewall Riots: The beginning of the LGBT Movement. 22. June. Web. 7. Dec. 2009 National Conference of State Legislatures. www.Ncsl.org 01. JAN. 2009. Web. 10. Dec. 2009 Religious Tolerance. www. Religious Tolerance.org 10. Jul. 2007. Web. 14 Dec. 2009 Sadd Lydia. www. Gallup.com, 29. May. 2009. 12. Dec.2009

Components of Mass Incarceration Essay

Mass incarceration of African Americans is one of the biggest problems that we as a society face today. Many of our African American men are either in jail, or on parole for crimes that are committed by whites everyday. Police often overlook those crimes when it comes down to whites but they do not for blacks. Hence why a lot of black men are missing from our society and locked away in prisons for years for such minuscule crimes. Yes they have committed a crime and need to be punished, but, at the same time white men are walking around committing the same crime, where is their punishment? Alexander raises these very pertinent points in â€Å"The New Jim Crow.† The three components of mass incarceration are denial, mainstream media and historical influence. Alexander states, â€Å"Today most Americans know and don’t know the truth about mass incarceration.†(181). What this means is that as a society Americans are either blinded or oblivious to the fact that there is a lack of education of how mass incarceration affects the African American communities. In many African American households they are missing father figures due to the fact that they are in jail. As Alexander mentions denial plays a huge roll in this. We know that a large number of African American males are in prison by watching mainstream media but yet we don’t care enough about it. According to Alexander â€Å"we tell our self that they deserve it.†(182). Americans have been painted a picture to see African American men as a whole, as criminals especially when it comes to drugs. When in fact white males are prone to do the exact same crimes and not be targeted by police. Mainstream media helps to greatly contribute to these lies that we are bein g fed about mass incarceration. Shows such as â€Å"Orange is the New Black† depict a different story. The show focuses on a Caucasian woman who is in jail for soliciting drugs. While she is in jail they show you a very multiracial and diverse group of woman. Shows like these help to contribute to why we believe that prisons are filled with not only blacks but also a  wide variety of ethnicities One thing that the show just briefly touches on that Alexander talks about in great lengths is how mass incarceration â€Å"traps† African Americans. â€Å"Orange is the New Black† showed the viewers in one episode a very â€Å"real† side of the prison life when they just slightly touch on the story of a black woman who was released from prison on good behavior and she gets out in to the real world and she has no family, no where to turn and she can not get a job due to her prison record and she ends back up in jail. When she gets back in jail she screams, â€Å"I’m home.† This is exactly what Alexander spends majority of her essay speaking about, she says that we are trapped in a â€Å"birdcage.† She says this because no matter how we try to â€Å"beat the system† we are always going to be trapped no matter what we try to do. Historical influence has and will always be a part of African American history. As Alexander’s title of her article is â€Å"The New Jim Crow.† She feels as if the prison system is another form of Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow laws were established to keep black men down which are exactly what the prison systems are doing according to Alexander. She states â€Å"Jim Crow and mass incarceration have political origins.†(190). She continues to say that the white elites desire to exploit these black men and how mass incarceration is similar to a caste system (190). Alexander thinks that mass incarceration is a â€Å"trap† so to speak and how they catch these black men and put them in jail is like a modern day Jim Crow. The only difference is that it does not seem so racist and the people are giving the illusion that mass incarceration is actually protecting them. Alexander raises many good points in her article about mass incarceration. Without all the misleading information that you see in the media about the prison systems being a mixture of many different races would we, as Americans still feel safe? Or would we feel in a way like we are being subjected subliminal racism?

Western Media on Pussy Riot

The Pussy Riot case has received much attention around the world based on the ethics of the court’s decision and freedom of expression. The Western media covers the news with facts with truth and consistency, however the information presented shows a favourite towards the side of the Russian band Pussy Riot and against the Putin government. Canadian news such as CTV, CBC and music news like Much Music covered the story with facts of Canadian citizens protesting against Pussy Riot’s two-year sentence to jail. The news has covered people protesting with signs on the street and using bias language against the Russian government.The United States’ news has also played a big role in supporting the band’s fight for freedom. News networks such as CNN, The Wall Street Journal and MTV have covered the news with favoured sided facts for the band. Stories of protest and government officials’ disapproval of the band’s sentence have all been published to the western public resulting in citizens fighting for the Russian band. Social networks such as Twitter played a big role in support of the band’s freedom. Celebrities such as Madonna and Jesse McCartney have also played a role in supporting for the Band.Western world views the court sentencing as a violation of freedom of speech. Western news cover stories with the question what, where, when rather to why. The western news reveals all the facts, however does not stress on the why and the reasons for the Russian court’s decisions. The readers receive a sense of injustice and wrong when reading news about the Pussy Riot’s case. The western world stresses on freedom and democracy and the Russian court imposed a strict and intolerance towards some sorts of behaviour of expression. The western news had made a positive outcome for the punk band, Pussy Riot.CTV, CBC and Much Music have covered news of Canadian citizens showing support for the Band. News about the band ’s arrest initiated as an arrest for freedom of speech against the Russian government. The news has escalated when the band got sentenced for two years for â€Å"hooliganism† and religious hatred. News headlines such as â€Å" Imprisoned Pussy Riot face tough life in penal colony† by CTV, â€Å"Pussy Riot supporters protest outside consulate in Toronto† and â€Å"Pussy Riot protest: Conviction of anti-Putin Pussy Riot band sparks worldwide protests† by CBC implies a dissent on the Russian court’s decision.Canadian news reports that the band faces charges for expressing their political views in a democratic country and North America have expressed disapproval to this action. Fans and Canadian supporters of freedom of expression have expressed their disapproval to the world by protesting on the streets, reported by news reports, and using social networks such as Twitter. Much Music has posted pictures of people protesting with signs that decla re, â€Å"Punk Rock is not a crime†, â€Å"Protect freedom of expression† and â€Å"free Pussy Riot†. These declarations exhibit a definite support for the band and disapproval for the Russian court’s decision.An example of Canadian news support of the band is CTV’s news report when the band was sentenced to jail Outside the Russian consulate on Bloor Street, about 100 people carried placards and musical instruments, The Canadian Press reported. â€Å"I felt it was so wrong on so many levels I felt I had to do something,† Toronto organizer Lynn Flatley told CTV’s Canada AM Friday morning, before the protest began. â€Å"I had never done anything like this but it was a tipping point for me. † Another protest got underway outside the Russian embassy in Ottawa around 1 p. m. hile another was scheduled to start at 6 p. m. in Montreal. The three band members, two of whom have young children, have been in jail since March when they b urst into a cathedral during services and recited a ‘punk prayer’ calling on the Virgin Mary to protect Russian citizens from Vladimir Putin, who was set to win a new term as president at the time. (CTV news: Pussy Riot supporters protest conviction outside consulate in Toronto) CTV has published the protester’s passion about their objection of the band’s sentence by quoting one of the protesters and describing the event.Also CTV has also mentioned that the band members have young children and describe they have been in jail since March, which implies an unfavourable and detest for the decision of the Court. CTV has insinuated questions of ethics such as â€Å"How can they sentence mothers to jail? † and â€Å" Why is the government against freedom of expression? † Western News also criticised the Russian government since Pussy Riot’s actions was a protest against the Putin government. Much Music has informed Canadian music fans with b ias information â€Å"Today Russian punks Pussy Riot received a two-year sentence for â€Å"hooliganism. That, of course, is in the eyes of their country’s authorities, but what the band were charged with was simply speaking out against a ruthless government. Knowing they weren’t likely to get off, they prepared a new single to help spread the message about the importance of free speech, with the song â€Å"Putin Light Up The Flames. † (Much Music News) Much Music has claimed the Russian government to be â€Å"ruthless† because they sentence a band for simply â€Å"speaking out†. Much Music, and other Canadian news, described the actions of Pussy Riot to be innocent.Pussy Riot has an opinion and their actions have made a controversy against the Russian government. Canada is known to be a democratic and free society and the actions of the Russian government have proven to have strict rules for freedom of expression. Canadian media is playing a big role in getting Canada rallied up against the Russian court. According to the rules of media ethics it is considered unethical for the media’s invention of the state, however Canadians are protesting for what they believe is right and that is the right of freedom of expression.The United States’ media reports on facts of the event. Similar to Canadian news, the media reports on facts that undermine the Russian court’s decisions. America’s news covered the story about Pussy Riot’s sentencing using words such as â€Å"lack of freedom of speech in Russia† and â€Å"restricting the freedom of expression and association† (CNN news). CNN covered news with quotations of the people involved on the case. Amnesty International and the UN have gotten involved of the Pussy Riot case with disapproval of the court’s decision.America’s government officials have also gotten involved by declaring protest against the court. CNN had repor ted all negative quotes and comments of the decision of the court, John Dalhuisen, director of Amnesty International's Europe and Central Asia Program, urged Russian authorities to overturn the sentence and release the trio unconditionally. He also highlighted recent measures â€Å"restricting the freedom of expression and association† introduced after a wave of popular protests that accompanied elections earlier this year. This trial is another example of the Kremlin's attempts to discourage and delegitimize dissent. It is likely to backfire,† he said. Human Rights Watch also said the women should never have been prosecuted for a hate crime. â€Å"The charges and verdict against the Pussy Riot band members distort both the facts and the law,† Hugh Williamson, the rights group's Europe and Central Asia director, said in a statement. This paragraph demonstrates that the Russian court’s decision on sentencing Pussy Riot in jail is absolutely unethical.The ba nd sentenced for â€Å"hooliganism† and religious hate crime by the Russian court have turned to violation of freedom of expression that violates rules of Human Rights. The Wall Street Journal has reported that the Prime Minister of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, thought the jail sentencing was â€Å"too harsh† and the US Embassy in Moscow has claimed the sentence to be â€Å"disproportionate†. The US’s media reports their facts with quotes to support and strengthen the authenticity of story and therefore reinforce their disapproval of the Russian court.MTV have reported celebrities’ protest for the band. Madonna recently performed a riot-styled show wearing a mask, like what Pussy Riot did during their protest, during one of her shows in Moscow. Jesse McCartney had showed support for the band by using Twitter for expression. Celebrities have a huge influence on the world and it is another type of media that shows support towards Pussy Riot. America has a huge influence on the world and that influence may or may not help the band’s fight for freedom, however America’s media definitely implies strong condemnation for Russia’s government.Western media has shown strong evidence of support for Pussy Riot. The media hasn’t necessarily agreed with the band’s actions but they definitely do not agree the band’s sentence to jail for expressing their opinion. North Americans have shown support with protests on the streets and expressing their dissent by using social networks like Twitter. Canadian news reports show pictures and videos of people protests and American news like to use a lot of quotes that express dissent from important world figures.These obviously show a bias support for the band. The Western media fails to cover the side of the Russian’s court and the Church’s views and to why Pussy Riot was sentenced for 2 years. The band has protested against Putin’s government in a very important orthodox church in Russia that may have led to emotional undertakings. Whether or not the Pussy Riot’s sentence was too harsh or not, the Western media only portrayed a negative effect on the Russian court and a favour for the band’s freedom of expression.The protest from the Western citizens could have been influence by the Western news or may be influence by people’s justice to right of expression since Canada and America embrace the notion of freedom and expression. Current situation The three band members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina, and Yekaterina Samustevich were arrested and threatened with seven years’ imprisonment. Their pretrial detention were extended for month, and finally on August 17, 2012, the three members were convicted of hooliganism, and each was sentenced to two years imprisonment.On the appeal hearing on October 1, 2012, Samustevich terminated the representation of her defense attorney because of the c onflict of their position. On October 10, Samustevich’s new attorney filed another appeal for Samustevich and argued that Samustevich did not committed hooliganism in the church, because â€Å"cathedral guards had stopped Samutsevich before she had time to get her guitar out of its case†. The appeal was accepted and the court released Samutsevich with two years in probation. The court upholds the conviction and sentences for the other two band members.The release of the Pussy Riot video had a significant impact on Russian society and the public debate. Since Russia is a regime that believes imprisonment can repress people’s political objection, the Pussy Riot’s case start the public debate of the involvement of the Catholic Church in politics, women’s right and freedom of expression. However, one of the outstanding factors of the Pussy Riot case was the numerous coverage over social media. According to the media monitor News Effector, 86% of the wo rld mass media had covered the Pussy Riot case.Compare to the Iraq, news reporters had limited and censored information from the government. However, regarding to the Pussy Riot case, the media’s establishment had been pushed to a higher lever. Right and left wings, celebrities, and supporters were all engaged in the debate o the Pussy Riot trial. Due to the massive media coverage, Pussy Riot was treated more like a positive propaganda. Western media coverage tend to became more subjective and assertive, they â€Å"failed to mention† several crucial points in order to get more supportive comments. ?