An Intercultural Comparison Between Chinese Essay

An intercultural comparison between Chinese and foreign humor Summary: Humor is  a wonderful work  of human civilization  and wisdom, she smiled as a bridge, bond people in different culture, and made people recognizing the power of the humor in their normal communication. This paper  will trace the  historical origins of  humor. From the humorous discourse features, themes, social functions, performance practices and seize of the  subtle to start  the  similarities and differences between Chinese and Western humor. Humor is  a wonderful work  of human civilization  and wisdom, she smiled as a bridge, bond people in different culture, and made people recognizing the power of the humor in their normal communication. 1. Origins and scopes of humor Humor  comes from the  Latin  word ‘humor’, it  is an  ancient Greek physiology term refers to the ‘fluid’. Greek physician Hippocrates believed that the human  health and  temperament  of different  types of  four kinds of  body  fluids  on  the mixing ratio. Temperament  theory  in ancient Greece, medieval and Renaissance  have a great impact. Thus, humor  is  the original meaning of four kinds of body fluids determined by  the proportion of the human mind, body, customary tendency, temperament, or  temporary  mental and emotions. The first of the humor into the field of aesthetics  is a famous British  dramatist, Ben Jones,  gradually  dilute the  meaning of humor physiology, aesthetics increasingly in-depth  the study  of  humor. Late in the 17th century, humor began to have the modern meaning; In the 18th century, humor  for the  aesthetic features  of  drama,  fiction, poetry,  prose and writing style with humor  for the  writers and artists  have been common. Such as in : Sunday school teacher: Hands up all those who want to go to heaven? Hands up †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ What about ou Terry? You haven’t got your hand up-don’t you want to go to heaven? Terry: Sorry, I can’t. Mum told me to go straight home. The  suspense  in  the beginning  of the first  discourse,  two,  third and  fourth inningdirect rendering. The  little boy’s ‘Sorry, I can’t. ’ is  a  reversal,  the last  one  is  a  hilarious  mutations. Cultural context  is an abstract,  general concept, an abstraction  form  in people’s everyday  social life. Because  discourse  is a communicative form,  while the  communication  is  carried out  in  certain situations, therefore, discourse analysis  must consider  its contents, participants in  communicative activities,  speech,  media  and other factors. In addition,  there is also a  certain  discourse  of environmental  factors, such as ‘context’, Marlinowski called it ‘Situational context’. Halliday thinks, from the  language  point of view  the use of  situational context  the most important three factors are:  language field,  the tone  and manner. Language field  is  corrected  in the event of  things;  tone  is  who is  communicative, their basic  conditions, characteristics, status  roles,  role relationships  between participants;  manner  refers to the language  in  the role of  communication, including communication  channels and modified way. From the above  humorous  point of view,  the language field  is  the scene ask questions in class;  communication of both  the teachers  and students; both  in communication  is the  unequal  status of  the teacher  is  the speaker, students aresubject to  speaker. Student’s  response should be to  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœsupport’ or  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœfight against’. The  confrontation  is  the beginning of  reversal,  which produce  humor. Communicative  role of the conversion  from the  point of view, discourse  is the speaker  and  the recipient  as a  center of  rotation. 3. Cross-cultural  comparison  of  Chinese and foreign  humor 3. 1 Themes Humor  is mankind’s  an aesthetic  pursuit,  is  a reflection of  real life, first in  its  themes and  content  reflect  the unique  customs  of the  ethnic,  social and cultural. By traditional  Chinese  Confucianism  deeply rooted  that people  talk about sex  pale, therefore,  traditional Eastern humor neutral topic is taboo. The  humor  in  the West accounted for  a large proportion  of these  topics. 3. 2 Social functions Classified  according to their  social function  of humor as: negative humor(Deny  the shortcomings  of  life  and  negative  phenomena), positive humor(Affirm the  advantages  in life  and positive  phenomenon)  and pure humor(Does not  contain  affirm  and  negative,  just  full of  fun  to everyday phenomena  of  reflection). Europe and the United  States  purely  for entertainment  humor  in  a significant proportion of  the pure  humor,  this is  the time when  humor  from  the bud  will form  adistinctive  feature. The Chinese  sense of humor  seems to  bear  a heavier  historical mission – skewer the current ills. Throughout  hundreds of popular since the traditional dialogue  segment,  the vast majority of  satire  piece. 3. 3 Performance practices National characteristics  of humor  in  artistic  expression  on the  subject matter as  far as  clarity. It  is often  rooted in  long-standing  cultural traditions of a nation  and psychological quality,  the performance  is very subtle, delicate. China  has always been  deliberately seeking  humor  in the end,  the  taste  of the progressive  layers. Most indicative of  the Chinese  culture  of  humor  in the form  of humor  than the  comic. Crosstalk  of the  four  aspects of  the structure  corresponding to  the  four parts  of humor. Comic  from start to finish  with multiple  suspenses,  so that  the audience  is always  with interest, from the  tension  eased  to meet  expectations, and then  across  to the new expectations and new  meet. The  European and American  humor  often only one  piece  of suspense, comedy  to be more  suspense,  but because of  the integrity of  comedy,  the plot  of  coherence nd requirements, restrictions on  the use of  a lot of suspense. Crosstalk  is not,  although it  has some  plot lines, but not sticking to  the plot  needs the opportunity to  abandon the use of  suspense. On the contrary,  sometimes  to  the medium of  suspense, clever plot jumps from one to another with no ass ociated plot. 3. 4 Seize of subtle Subtle  sense of humor  is the  world’s nations   common feature. Each nation’s sense of humor  by  their historical  and cultural  tradition,  in the long-term artistic practice  in the  form  of  subtle style, extent  and methods vary. From the  perspective  of contemporary  humor  writing, in the  subtle  nature of  the pursuit, China  and Western countries  along two  different directions. Overall,  the humor  works of  Western-oriented  and  strive to concise of implicit, philosophy  combine  to make  more  room for  humor  after taste. The Chinese contemporary  humor,  its ability to  master the  subtle  and bright scales. 4. Summary Western countries,  China’s  humor and  humor  in their  culture,  nurtured by  the soil  to form  a  different style. Through this  cross-cultural comparison, our  team  has  a better understanding of  world culture,  to accelerate  the pace of  China into the  world.

Hibernation

Arieana Koonce Ms. Stephens Biology Honors March 9, 2013 True Hibernation vs. False Hibernation Hibernation is when a mammal has a low body temperature, slow breathing and heart rate, and low metabolic rate. A ground squirrel hibernates in their dens. These dens allow them to sleep for a long time. They rarely wake up. Their hearts beat about 1-2 times per minute. Ground squirrels actually sleep through the entire cold winter. Their body temperature dips down so low that there body is only a couple degrees warmer than outside.It could reach below freezing. These animals prepare for this five to six month period the rest of the year. Hibernation is the animal's way to adapt to thing. Compared to ground squirrels, who hibernate in dens, and other true hibernators however, the hibernation arrangement of bears is only a sequence of long naps. Since the body temperature of bears remains high and their breathing remains at a normal rate, their winter naps can easily be bothered or woken up .Some bears even wake up during their winter nap and search and walk around for hours, occasionally possibly days. Therefore that makes bears mammals that are not true hibernators. In conclusion, false hibernation is a way for the larger mammals to stay warm throughout winter without having to do all the things the smaller ones do. It is not the same thing as true hibernation because their body temperature only drops a couple of degrees. Although they are very different mammals do whatever they can to survive the tough winter.

To Drink or Not To Drink Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

To Drink or Not To Drink - Assignment Example A person should have the capability to express their independent choice to drink, as long as they are aware of all the consequences. Where a person is informed about the consequences of taking alcohol and weighs them against their need to feel peer and general social acceptance, they are in a position to make autonomous decisions (Abaunza 1). The decision to consume alcohol should be considered as an authentic choice, rather than an independent one or simply a competent one. Although making an authentic choice does not guarantee that there will be good consequences, it does at least hint at an increase in the chances that an individual will experience better outcomes. Therefore, with regards to drinking, the choice should be encouraged and informed by a deeper acknowledgement of the relationships and situations that an individual finds him or herself. An individual cannot simply purport to make an independent choice on whether to take alcohol because it is not an impulsive one, especially because they are under social and peer influence (Abaunza 1). Whatever choice is made, they are meant to consider its consequences, whether good or bad. If the individual is to make their choice based on peer or social pressure, this is the environment they will be in for the rest of their lives. Therefore, the values and beliefs that t hey follow to gain social and peer acceptance will also guide future choices (Abaunza 1). In this case, despite the fact that decision-making is influenced by many factors with regards to drinking, the individual will be reliant on the same values and beliefs for the rest of his/her life. Making the decision on whether to drink is rarely a competent choice because consuming alcohol impairs an individual’s neuro-cognitive functioning (Abaunza 1). However, even though alcohol negates an individual’s ability to make an autonomous choice, invoking

Guerrilla marketing and advertising Dissertation

Guerrilla marketing and advertising - Dissertation Example erception of GM 4.2.3 Impact of GM on Consumers’ Intention to purchase 4.3.4 Impact of GM on Consumers’ Purchase Behaviour 4.3 Findings from the Interview of the Advertising Experts 4.3.1 Reasons for Using GM strategies 4.3.2 Some Examples of Successful GM Strategies 4.3.3 Success of GM for different types of Products 4.3.4 Strategies and Tactics that for Viral Marketing 4.3.5 Challenges of Using GM/VM 4.3.6 Advantages of Using GM/VM 4.3.7 Future Role and Trend for GM Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations 5.1 Summary of Research Findings and Conclusions 5.2 Research Limitations and Scope for Future Research. List of Tables and Figures Table 1: Reasons for Using GM strategies Figure A: Diagrammatic Representation of the Research Methodology Figure 1: Customers’ Awareness of GM Figure 2: Consumers’ Perception of GM as Aggressive Figure 3: Consumers’ Perception of GM as Aggressive Figure 4: Consumers’ Perception of GM as Creating Insights a bout Their Needs Figure 5: Consumers’ Perception of GM as Creating Awareness about New Products Figure 6: GM as Creating Awareness of Non-Advertised Products Figure 7: GM as creating more choices for customers Figure 8: Impact of GM on Consumers’ Intention to purchase Figure 9: Impact of GM on Consumers’ Purchase Behaviour List of Appendices Appendix A: Survey Research Questionnaire Appendix B: Interview Research Questionnaire References Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Research Background and Overview While a large amount of literature exists on the various advantages of Guerrilla marketing and also on the strategies and tactics related to this type of marketing, there has been little research on gauging the impact it has. Organizations indulge in viral marketing strategies with the objective of creating awareness for... This essay "Guerrilla marketing and advertising" outlines and analyzes the effect of the GM and its perception by the customers and the problems and opportunities that advertisers have with GM strategies. Guerilla marketing It is non-conventional as it does not confine itself to the regular media or channels of advertising and it uses content strategies that may be more creative or even bizarre. Guerrilla marketing, as it name indicates, largely draws parallels from the Guerrilla warfare strategies. In the case of Guerrilla warfare, the means of war are not straightforward and people do not fight by rules of conventional warfare. The element of surprise is used heavily to conduct short but highly forceful attacks on the opponents. In the same way, Guerrilla marketing follows the concept of surprise and taking the customer unguarded, and projecting the advertised content or message in a targeted manner when the customer least expects it or is least prepared to steal himself or herself against the impact (Tufel, 2004). The logic behind using the surprise element is that most customers being exposed to innumerous advertising messages throughout their day – through TV, the Internet, billboards, newspapers, pamphlets, in shop point of purchase displays etc. – are mostly able to immune themselves against these messages (Susca et al, 2008). There is too much clutter of advertising messages and customers can tune themselves out of the picture when plagued by a huge amount of information that impinges on their senses.

Geomorphology Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Geomorphology - Lab Report Example This problem affects many Americans. The term ‘IPV’ can be used to describe the sexual, physical, or psychological harm from a former or current spouse or partner. The violence can happen in same sex or heterosexual couples and does not need any sexual intimacy. The four types of IPV include physical violence, sexual violence, emotional or psychological violence, and threats of sexual or physical violence. These definitions are important because they help in monitoring the IPV incidences and examining the trends for certain duration of time. The definitions help in determining the potential of IPV and making the comparison of the problems in the whole jurisdiction. Fine definitions assist researchers in measuring the protective factors and risks involved in victimization. This informs the intervention and prevention efforts. The department will perform a child protective report investigation on child abuse, neglect and abandonment. After this, the department will make the application to the court for an action of continuous restriction against the individual responsible for managing the mental health, physical health and the children welfare care. Saltzman, L., Fanslow, J., McMahon, P., & Shelley, G. (2002). Intimate partner violence surveillance: uniform definitions and recommended data elements, version 1.0. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and

Twenty Years at Hull House Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Twenty Years at Hull House - Essay Example The changes brought about in the living of thousands of people and the education and training that was provided in the Hull House which served as a centre for social work is also explained. The book serves to analyze the social injustices that are prevalent in our surroundings. It presents the conditions in which the immigrants of different countries had to live in the United States. It presents the silence of the government on these issues which are left for the people to deal with themselves. The necessity of proper education, proper health and environment are emphasized in this book. The importance of proper social gatherings and training of social skills is also embedded in this book. Jane Addams worked towards achieving a goal for the improvement of the living of many people and presenting many important concepts of health and the steps that needed to be taken by the government to curb such issues. Hull House was a place which was open for all and did not have any religious affiliation. It served as an important centre for the social gatherings and social development of individuals. With time, the Hull House matured and the services improved and it attained a cent ral position in the American society. It worked for the purpose of solving important matters of the society which included the laws against child labor and laws for improving the working conditions of the laborers. The period when the Hull House came into existence was a time when the American society was becoming industrialized and harsh labor laws were a part of the society. A very important event that Addams presents in the book assists in totally understanding the conditions of those times is: Our very first Christmas at Hull-House, when we as yet knew nothing of child labor, a number of little girls refused the candy which was offered them as part of the Christmas good cheer, saying simply that they â€Å"worked in a candy factory and could

Does FIFA bring an economic upturn in countries hosting the world cup Essay

Does FIFA bring an economic upturn in countries hosting the world cup - Essay Example world Cup was estimated to have added the GDP to Brazil of at least $ 30 billion, and (Baumann, Engelhardt & Matheson (2012), argues that the world cup results in temporary upsurge in real employment, while Pillay & Bass (2008) point out that perhaps they are motivated by the need to reduce poverty. There is a great debate on the real economic potential for the host nation of the FIFA World Cup; critics of its economic potential argue that the 32-day tournament results in costs that outweigh the real economic benefits (Lee & Taylor, 2005). Conversely, proponents point out that the tournament has an impressive quantifiable real economic plus to the economy (Baade, & Matheson, 2004). Obviously, high number of travelling fans contributes to tourism, which will ead to sufficient infrastructures, security as well as the boost of morale brought by the good feeling of hosting the World Cup (Crnelissen, 2014). At the end of 2010 the organization had generated 4.189 billion dollars and addition 3.6 billion dollars from World cup not directly related to world Cup (Federation Internationale de Football Association, 2007). This paper by concentrating on some of the most significant economic aspects that greatly contributes to the growth of a country (Andreff, 2012). The paper further relates these aspects to the World Cup and the impact it has on them. The paper is divided into three sections; theoretical framework, the methodology and the findings of the study. In this section, the paper proposes four major economic indicators, which are used to determine the upturn or downturn of an economy. Further, FIFA’s impact on the economy will be defined from point of view of these indicators. An intricate discussion on the four indicators shall ensue below in this section. A number of macroeconomic models have been proposed to be effective in the study of the real economic benefits of the FIFA World Cup to the host nation economy. Alhert (2001) used the input-output model to

The impact of the external factors on the British Airways Essay

The impact of the external factors on the British Airways - Essay Example The paper tells that the price and output in every industry are determined on the basis of the market structure. Market structure of an industry, in turn, is determined by the number of players in the industry which results in the level of competition in that particular industry. Market structure of an industry is defined by four basic factors. Impact of these factors result in the market competition and the price is determined accordingly. Furthermore, with the increasing level of competition, the output is determined for arriving at returns to scale with increasing efficiencies for profitability. Additionally, the differentiation is also attributed to product and service in order to refrain from price wars in the competitive environment. The market structure and power are also affected by other factors such as ease and entry in the industry, the ease of substitute, and the sensitivity of the demand etc. Similar to other industries, the airline industry is also driven by a pattern o f competition that has defined the market structure in the global aviation and airline industry. Change in the factors of competition has changed the market structure of the Airline industry. For example, Liang, in a paper, has referred to the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978, control over the physical equipment, strengthened frequent flyer program etc still resist in transforming the airline industry into a perfect competition industry from its oligopoly market structure. On the other hand, the impact of the low-cost airline has further increased the heterogeneity in the market structure. Borenstein & Rose, in a paper, have referred that with reduced entry barriers and increased government support to the industry, has led the many carriers to enter the industry and create a challenging competitive environment. British Airways have taken into account the factors that have impacted the industry.

Film review of Lions for Lambs Movie Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Film of Lions for Lambs - Movie Review Example The movie, 'Lions for Lambs', starring Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep is a movie based on the deployment of the Army of United States in Afghanistan. The movie, apart from other things, talks about the strategy of war. The movie, most importantly, is a reflection on Ethics and Morality. This can be seen in many parts of the movie, in the form of situations, dialogues and characterization. Republican Senator Cruise calls in for journalist Streep, to cover his new war strategy on deploying the Army in Afghanistan, to keep the United States above Muslim upsurges. However, Meryl Streep, who has covered the Vietnamese war, is quite apprehensive about the information put forth by the Senator and refuses to cover the war announcement. This is one of the junctures, where a decision is made on the basis of ethics. The journalist certainly listens to the voice of her conscience and is guided by moral code, rather than the mere sensationalism of war. Two students from a California University decide to enroll themselves in the Army to fight the war for their country. This is because of their sheer responsibilities as citizens.

Research proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Research Proposal Example In this research I will be using Alveson’s situational approach theory as it will enable me get an in-depth view and perception on meaning of leadership sharing (Alvesson, 1997). My proposal topic is ‘situational analysis of shared leadership in a self managing team’. This topic means that some people have no leaders at their workplace thus share leadership roles among themselves especially in self managing teams (Hicks & Bone, 1990). The aim of this proposal is to identify how self managing teams define leadership in their work meetings and work plans. In addition, this proposal aims to show how self managing teams determine the direction of the whole team towards their project and also the self managing team’s relationships, team identity and individual’s team member’s identities. Furthermore, the proposal aims at identifying the constraints faced by self managing teams by different factors like social factors, gender, cultural backgrounds and ethnicity. Leadership is a very tricky affair especially for self managing teams as they are bound to be conflicts. However, according to Alvesson (1996), situational approach gives leadership the team accomplishment which does not follow the norm of doing what the leader proposes (Alvesson, 1996). What makes this proposal interesting is the idea that leaders have always had a problem with leadership. There have been cases of suicides, failed projects, lost money and dysfunctional cases in many organizations. This negative situation befalls these companies because of their leaders and their leadership skills. In this proposal I will be doing a literature review, I will formulate some research questions, discussing methods used, and a conclusive conclusion. The proposal research will take up to two months of research and two hours per day for the two months. I have narrowed my research to a particular team of family run food joint. This

Effective support for information users Essay Example for Free

Effective support for information users Essay Customers are an asset for any organization and to satisfy and retain them is every organization’s goal. The only way to achieve this goal is to build proper relationships with your customer through providing them appropriate customer service when ever they require. Customer gives you business because it is a cycle, if you fulfill your customer need then he will spread a good word of mouth for your organization otherwise they will give you a real hard time. Information technology has great importance in the business world today because the environment is very uncertain therefore innovation needs to be implemented rapidly. Every day we see something or the other coming up with new technology and to survive in this competent world we all have to cope with technological advancements, therefore customers tend to purchase technologically advanced products easily but the difficulty is in understanding the ways to operate these products. This is where they need help and it is a chance for the organizations to retain customers because customer will only stick to the brand which is providing him proper customer service. For this purpose IT organizations have customer service centers so that they can provide their customers with appropriate assistance. The bottleneck is faced when the employees on desk at the customer service center are not able to entertain the customers with what they want. This is usually due to the lack of information employees hold regarding the product and this leads the organization towards losing their customers. (Hoffman). Therefore in order to remove this bottle neck, the organizations should provide their customers with best service, for which they need to consider following strategies: Strategies to ensure that your customers are getting adequate technical support 1) Hire the right people with excellent communication skills. 2) Train your employees so that they are well aware of the product specifications and can easily deliver the information to the customer 3) Employee people with calm and good attitude because customers may be very frustrated or harsh at times still the employee has to remain very tranquil with him in order to avoid any further dilemma. 4) A company should make sure that on desk personnel are well aware of their goals, that is, they believe that it is their duty to entertain more and more customers, understand their needs and interact with them to provide more and more information so that they are satisfied. (Bayan) 5) Customers should be provided with a detailed guide book as well so that they can better understand the product and do not face any hurdles. 6) Customer should be provided with a very comfortable and friendly environment and he should be given great importance so that he can feel that the company really cares for his needs. (Anonymous) Socio-Technical Structure Socio technical structure is an organizational design which consists of a combination of people and technology. It includes the habits and attitudes of people; the way they interact and behave. The technical aspect of this structure includes the machinery processes and physical management. This structure includes hardware, software, people, surroundings data and data structure, law and regulations and procedures. According to this system all the needs of an employee should be identified and met which they bring along to the workplace. This system helps in motivating employees and raises their performance level by taking care of the characteristics that comprises social system. These characteristics involve their communication, involvement, performance, and team work, attitudes, behavior and job satisfaction. This system is emerged overtime through the employees of the organization and thus represents the culture of an organization and its social setup. (Whitworth) As socio technical system includes face to face work, which includes customer service therefore ensuring that your customers are getting adequate technical support and thus it is related to the socio technical structure because it fulfills the requirements, social as well as technical. Providing appropriate customer service by understanding customer needs and communicating positively with them satisfies the social requirement where as giving them technical assistance, that is, to provide information regarding the technical aspects of the product satisfies technical requirements. Any technological advancement cannot be successful if the technology does not take into account the human component because ultimately humans have to interact with the technological design therefore it is important to treat people and technology together within a system. This gives rise to social and technical subsystem in which social subsystem takes into account human needs and attitudes and technical subsystem relates to the devices, procedures and technical know how. The technological and social subsystem needs to be interdependent so that the organization can deliver the best to the customers. In this way the technology offered by the organization will be according to the needs of the customers and thus it would be a perfect fit. (Whitworth) Thus the most important strategy for any company to provide adequate technical support to customers is that it should develop a socio technical structure so that the technical assistance provided to the customers are in accordance to the social needs of the customers. REFERENCES Hoffman, R. (1996) Help is Only a Phone Call Away! How to get good service. The Real World. Retrieved October 15, 2009, from http://www. animatedsoftware. com/misc/stories/jobs/dbmscntr. htm Kay, D. (2004) Show, Don’t Tell: Remote Support Best Practices and Benefits. DB Kay and Associates. Retrieved October 15, 2009, from http://www. webbuyersguide. com/bguide/Whitepaper/Wpdetails. asp? frmCQ=Ywpid=NzU3Mwcategory=723sitename= webbuyersguidekc=newstech101607src=newstech101607 Setting up a successful help deskphysical considerations (http://articles. techrepublic. com. com/5100-10878_11-5112459. html) and Try these efficiency strategies when setting up a successful help desk (http://articles. techrepublic. com. com/5100-10878_11-5112468. html). Setting up a successful help desk (http://techrepublic. com. com/5208-6230-0. html? forumID=14threadID=146337 messageID=1623851). Whitworth,B. Socio-Technical Systems. Retrieved on 23rd July 2010 from http://brianwhitworth. com/hci-sts. pdf

The Go Green Project Environmental Sciences Essay

The Go Green Project Environmental Sciences Essay You might be surprised to hear that going green can mean just starting out with one simple step and then growing from there. Going green does not have to be hard. Dont let the Going Green Snobs turn you off from doing your part to help our planet. Did you know that more items can now be recycled than ever before? Just reusing things and reducing use of non-biodegradable waste can be the go green thing for you. History of the go green concept In Europe, the Industrial Revolution gave rise to modern environmental pollution as it is generally understood today. The emergence of great factories and consumption of immense quantities of coal and other fossil fuels gave rise to unprecedented air pollution and the large volume of industrial chemical discharges added to the growing load of untreated human waste. The first large-scale, modern environmental laws came in the form of the British Alkali Acts, passed in 1863, to regulate the deleterious air pollution (gaseous hydrochloric acid) given off by the Leblanc process, used to produce soda ash. Environmentalism grew out of the amenity movement, which was a reaction to industrialization, the growth of cities, and worsening air and water pollution. In Victorian Britain, an early Back-to-Nature movement that anticipated modern environmentalism was advocated by intellectuals such as John Ruskin, William Morris and Edward Carpenter, who were all against consumerism, pollution and other activities that were harmful to the natural world. Their ideas also inspired various proto-environmental groups in the UK, such as the Commons Preservation Society, the Kyrle Society, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Garden city movement, as well as encouraging the Socialist League and The Clarion movement to advocate measures of nature conservation. In the United States, the beginnings of an environmental movement can be traced as far back as 1739, though it was not called environmentalism and was still considered conservation until the 1950s. Benjamin Franklin and other Philadelphia residents, citing public rights, petitioned the Pennsylvania Assembly to stop waste dumping and remove tanneries from Philadelphias commercial district. The US movement expanded in the 1800s, out of concerns for protecting the natural resources of the West, with individuals such as John Muir and Henry David Thoreau making key philosophical contributions. Thoreau was interested in peoples relationship with nature and studied this by living close to nature in a simple life. He published his experiences in the book Walden, which argues that people should become intimately close with nature. Muir came to believe in natures inherent right, especially after spending time hiking in Yosemite Valley and studying both the ecology and geology. He successfully lobbied congress to form Yosemite National Park and went on to set up the Sierra Club. The conservationist principles as well as the belief in an inherent right of nature were to become the bedrock of modern environmentalism. In the 20th century, environmental ideas continued to grow in popularity and recognition. Efforts were starting to be made to save some wildlife, particularly the American Bison. The death of the last Passenger Pigeon as well as the endangerment of the American Bison helped to focus the minds of conservationists and popularize their concerns. In 1916 the National Park Service was founded by US President Woodrow Wilson. In 1949, A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold was published. It explained Leopolds belief that humankind should have moral respect for the environment and that it is unethical to harm it. The book is sometimes called the most influential book on conservation. Throughout the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and beyond, photography was used to enhance public awareness of the need for protecting land and recruiting members to environmental organizations. David Brower, Ansel Adams and Nancy Newhall created the Sierra Club Exhibit Format Series, which helped raise public environmental awareness and brought a rapidly increasing flood of new members to the Sierra Club and to the environmental movement in general. This Is Dinosaur edited by Wallace Stegner with photographs by Martin Litton and Philip Hyde prevented the building of dams within Dinosaur National Monument by becoming part of a new kind of activism called environmentalism that combined the conservationist ideals of Thoreau, Leopold and Muir with hard-hitting advertising, lobbying, book distribution, letter writing campaigns, and more. The powerful use of photography in addition to the written word for conservation dated back to the creation of Yosemite National Park, when photographs convinced Ab raham Lincoln to preserve the beautiful glacier carved landscape for all time. The Sierra Club Exhibit Format Series galvanized public opposition to building dams in the Grand Canyon and protected many other national treasures. The Sierra Club often led a coalition of many environmental groups including the Wilderness Society and many others. After a focus on preserving wilderness in the 1950s and 1960s, the Sierra Club and other groups broadened their focus to include such issues as air and water pollution, population control, and curbing the exploitation of natural resources. In 1962, Silent Spring by American biologist Rachel Carson was published. The book cataloged the environmental impacts of the indiscriminate spraying of DDT in the US and questioned the logic of releasing large amounts of chemicals into the environment without fully understanding their effects on ecology or human health. The book suggested that DDT and other pesticides may cause cancer and that their agricultural use was a threat to wildlife, particularly birds. The resulting public concern led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1970 which subsequently banned the agricultural use of DDT in the US in 1972. The limited use of DDT in disease vector control continues to this day in certain parts of the world and remains controversial. The books legacy was to produce a far greater awareness of environmental issues and interest into how people affect the environment. With this new interest in environment came interest in problems such as air pollution a nd petroleum spills, and environmental interest grew. New pressure groups formed, notably Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. In the 1970s, the Chipko movement was formed in India; influenced by Mohandas Gandhi, they set up peaceful resistance to deforestation by literally hugging trees (leading to the term tree huggers). Their peaceful methods of protest and slogan ecology is permanent economy were very influential. By the mid-1970s, many felt that people were on the edge of environmental catastrophe. The Back-to-the-land movement started to form and ideas of environmental ethics joined with anti-Vietnam War sentiments and other political issues. These individuals lived outside normal society and started to take on some of the more radical environmental theories such as deep ecology. Around this time more mainstream environmentalism was starting to show force with the signing of the Endangered Species Act in 1973 and the formation of CITES in 1975. In 1979, James Lovelock, a former NASA scientist, published Gaia: A new look at life on Earth, which put forth the Gaia Hypothesis; it proposes that life on Earth can be understood as a single organism. This became an important part of the Deep Green ideology. Throughout the rest of the history of environmentalism there has been debate and argument between more radical followers of this Deep Green ideology and more mainstream environmentalists. Environmentalism has also changed to deal with new issues such as global warming and genetic engineering. History of the Orchid Hotel EVOLUTION OF ORCHID HOTEL ORGANISATION STRUCTURE Official Name The Orchid five-star ECOTEL ® hotel Category Five-star hotel Location Vile Parle (East), Mumbai, India Opening Date 27 September 1997 Flagship Company Kamat Hotels (India) Limited Rooms 245 Guests 700 Certification ECOTEL ® ISO 2001 and ISO 14001 International Awards 51 Uniqueness Asias first five-star ECOTEL ® hotel The Orchid Hotel, Mumbai, is a deluxe 245-room, five-star hotel. It accommodates 700 guests for receptions and banqueting, and is adjacent to Mumbais domestic and international airport. Having won 51 international awards, The Orchid is a pioneering eco-friendly hotel, and the ISO 14001 certification reflects its concerns for the environment. The property is part of the HRAWI Hotel Group. The Orchid is located in the heart of Mumbai. Its facilities include spacious guest rooms, four charming restaurants, a business centre, meeting rooms, an elaborately equipped fitness club and spa, and an indoor swimming pool. Transparency is another advantage offered by The Orchid. The express check out is enabled by the interactive television installed in each room, which lets guests check their room bills, and place orders and messages. World room Connect allows guests to use the internet by simply plugging in and starting work. Green account The Orchid won the ECOTEL ® Award for its eco-friendly environment. Guests can earn credit points on all expenses incurred during their stay, which can be accumulated to redeem rewards such as holiday packages or gifts. The credit points can also be donated to the green account which supports several eco-friendly causes supported by The Orchid. Eco-rooms The Orchid has five types of room: the deluxe, executive, club prive room and suite, the orchid suite, and the presidential suite. Each room is eco-friendly and includes imported anti-allergy and odour-free carpets, discreet use of wood, paper and plastic, cloth shopping bags, and newspapers and laundry delivered in cane baskets. Coat hangers are made from pressed particle boards, and pens and pencils are made out of recycled cardboard, reprocessed plastic and scrap wood. Hand-crafted, rubber-soled reed slippers are available in the room, as are healthy potted plants instead of cut flowers, a recycle bin and bedside eco button to save energy. The bedside eco button helps guests to save energy and reduce the room bill, and earns the guest a certificate for participation in energy saving. Each guest can also save energy by the discreet use of the key card system. Business enclave Business guests are catered for by the business enclave at the lobby, and the brightly coloured boardrooms in jade, opal and amber. Built with a soundproof surrounding, each room can be used for either meeting or dining. Banqueting facilities are offered as chambers, senates and cascades suitable for seminars, training, residential conferences, product launches and cocktail evenings. EVOLUTION FROM KAMATH BRAND It all started when Late Mr. Venkatesh Krishna Kamat opened a small restaurant at Mazgaon followed by Krishna Bhawan in Mumbais Null Bazaar and from then onwards, there was no looking back for him, adding various landmarks in the city consistently. Kamat Hotels (India), a public listed company, signed a contract with the management of Plaza Hotels Private for a period of 30 years. This facilitated Kamat Hotels to run and upgrade the Kamat Plaza, a four-star hotel near the Santacruz Airport, with effect from 1 April 1994. Kamat Hotels hired the services of architect DM Upasni and hotel interior designer Lynn Wilson. The Kamat Plaza, famed for meeting the needs of international business travellers, and came to be known as The Orchid. It opened to the public on the eve of World Tourism Day, on 27 September 1997. In Asia, The Orchid Hotel Ecotel, Mumbai, was the first to receive the Ecotel certification. Both The Orchid An Ecotel Hotel and VITS have consistent past performance in terms of being in the top three hotels in the city of Mumbai in the respective category in terms of average revenue per room. The flagship hotel The Orchid An Ecotel Hotel has consistently been in the top 5 hotels in all categories in Mumbai in terms of Rev PAR (Revenue per available room). The Orchid was awarded the prestigious ECOTEL ® certification by HVS Eco Services, USA. It also won the Green Globe Award from World Travel Mart in London in 1998, the Green Globe Achievement Award in 2000, the Dr MS Swaminathan Award for environmental protection, the Environment Policy Award 2000 in London, and International Certification from HVS ECO Services of 5 Globe ECOTEL ® status in May 1997 and December 2000. The Orchid received its ISO 14001 Certification on 24 May 2001. VISION MISSION:- To make Kamat Hotels (India) Ltd one of the top three listed hotel companies by earnings by 2015 in India Plan to achieve this? Expansion of brands through self-owned and Management/Franchisee routes Grow in virgin territories where the level of competition is low and market is not tapped to its potential. Merge with smaller hotel chains and grow through acquisition. The man behind the vision: From a humble beginning as a small time restaurant owner to a Chairman and Managing Director, Vithal Kamats journey has definitely been long and arduous. When thirty-five years back, a young lad barely in his teens joined the family restaurant business, not many would have predicted the phenomenal rise of this easy-going man. His rustic charm along with his street-smart acumen and a drive to succeed has made him achieve what he has set out to and is a guiding force. Mr. Vithal V. Kamat He is a visiting faculty of various catering colleges and management institutes like NMIMS, Symbiosis etc. He was felicitated as the best CEO and received a special Indian Express Editors Choice Award for promoting eco-tourism and supporting the healthy cause of environment. Future Plans Having pioneered the Ecotel revolution in the country, Mr. Vithal V. Kamat is all set to transform the hospitality industry in the country with his future projects and is eyeing international markets. PROJECTS UNDER IMPLEMENTATION:- Expansion Projects: Long Term Agreements with OTDC The Company has signed two lease agreements with Orissa Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) during the year, on completion of successful bidding process and took possession of Mahodadhi Niwas at Puri and Eco Resort at Ramchandi, near Sun Temple at Konark. The project work is in progress and likely to be completed soon. Lease Agreement for Palace at Parikud, Orissa The Company has also acquired, on long term lease basis, Parikud Palace in Orissa for eco- tourism and environmental study for Chilika Lake.   MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS The Company has entered into management contracts and arrangements for providing technical consultancy. The new contracts includesKonark. The project work is in progress and likely to be completed soon. NIRMALAYA COMPOSTING PROJECT Every year Mumbai celebrates Ganesh Utsav a festival honouring the deity Ganpati with great fervour. At the end of the ten-day festival, the idols are usually immersed in the lakes, creeks or the ocean. Along with the idol, are immersed various offerings, which include flowers, garlands and the dà ©cor. The Orchid took the initiative of helping to minimise the damage to our water sources by conducting a project whereby these offerings can be converted into organic manure instead of being dumped directly into the sea. The Orchid, in association with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation conducted a vermicomposting project of these floral offerings, commonly known as Nirmalaya. This involved collection of floral offerings made during the festive season, composting and creating organic manure. This was then distributed to interested ALMs. Dr. Sangole and Mrs. Sangole of the Pestom Sagar ALM association guided us through the initial process. All-in-all, about 200 tonnes of Nirmalaya was collected and consequently placed in vermiculture pits in a space at the Gorai landfill site provided by the BMC. The Orchid also distributed pamphlets to all the Ganesh Utsav Mandals (stalls) and on the beaches during the immersions extolling all to segregate waste and place the same in the Nirmalaya Kalash. Anti plastic bag campaign Plastic bags of 20 microns and less were creating a serious environmental hazard in the city of Mumbai. It was found that these plastic bags, which were ubiquitous in Mumbai, were choking the drains all over the city. This led to serious flooding problems during the monsoons, and major parts of this city would remain submerged for days on end due to this. Hence the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai decided to tackle this problem on a war footing. The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai had from 15th August 2000 banned the use of plastic bags less than 20 microns. It had been publicized by the MCGM that the manufacture, recycling, possession and use of such prohibited bags are a serious offence. Under Section 390 and 394 of Municipal Corporation Act the Traders, Distributors and users can be fined upto Rs. 2000/- for each offence. Also the Shop/Trade Licenses can be cancelled. The manufacturers of these prohibited plastic bags can be fined upto Rs. One lakh and/or imprisoned upto 5 years. The Orchid An Ecotel Hotel, supporting the noble cause of the Municipal Corporations ban on plastic bag had launched an inter-school competition wherein the schools would collect the old plastic bags from their homes and neighborhoods in return of which we would give them a cloth bag. The school collecting the highest average number of bags per child was to be invited to The Orchid for a felicitation followed by Dinner. We sent the concept to 250 schools in Mumbai. We received an overwhelming response from schools who welcomed this initiative of ours with open arms. For this purpose, to coincide with Teachers Day, which falls on 5th September 2000, we also released advertisements in various leading newspapers of Mumbai. The students took the campaign out to their homes and neighborhoods and as a result the awareness about the effects of plastic was spread by word of mouth to 7.8 million citizens of Mumbai. As the campaign made news headlines and was also actively carried by the television news channels the effect of the reach cannot be imagined! Thus a small effort on our part actually made big strides for the environment. The resultà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦? 43 schools covering 80,000 students, Collected 750 kgs of used plastic bags (Approximately 3000 plastic bags of 20 microns and below make 1 kg) Today, Mumbai has 4.5 million square feet less of thin plastic to worry about! VISSION MISSION:- To make Kamat Hotels (India) Ltd one of the top three listed hotel companies by earnings by 2015 in India Plan to achieve this? Expansion of brands through self-owned and Management/Franchisee routes Grow in virgin territories where the level of competition is low and market is not tapped to its potential. Merge with smaller hotel chains and grow through acquisition. The man behind the vision: From a humble beginning as a small time restaurant owner to a Chairman and Managing Director, Vithal Kamats journey has definitely been long and arduous. When thirty-five years back, a young lad barely in his teens joined the family restaurant business, not many would have predicted the phenomenal rise of this easy-going man. His rustic charm along with his street-smart acumen and a drive to succeed has made him achieve what he has set out to and is a guiding force. Mr. Vithal V. Kamat He is a visiting faculty of various catering colleges and management institutes like NMIMS, Symbiosis etc. He was felicitated as the best CEO and received a special Indian Express Editors Choice Award for promoting eco-tourism and supporting the healthy cause of environment. Future Plans Having pioneered the Ecotel revolution in the country, Mr. Vithal V. Kamat is all set to transform the hospitality industry in the country with his future projects and is eyeing international markets. PROJECTS UNDER IMPLEMENTATION:- Expansion Projects: Long Term Agreements with OTDC The Company has signed two lease agreements with Orissa Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) during the year, on completion of successful bidding process and took possession of Mahodadhi Niwas at Puri and Eco Resort at Ramchandi, near Sun Temple at Konark. The project work is in progress and likely to be completed soon. Lease Agreement for Palace at Parikud, Orissa The Company has also acquired, on long term lease basis, Parikud Palace in Orissa for eco- tourism and environmental study for Chilika Lake.   MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS The Company has entered into management contracts and arrangements for providing technical consultancy. The new contracts includesKonark. The project work is in progress and likely to be completed soon. VISSION MISSION:- NIRMALAYA COMPOSTING PROJECT Every year Mumbai celebrates Ganesh Utsav a festival honouring the deity Ganpati with great fervour. At the end of the ten-day festival, the idols are usually immersed in the lakes, creeks or the ocean. Along with the idol, are immersed various offerings, which include flowers, garlands and the dà ©cor. The Orchid took the initiative of helping to minimise the damage to our water sources by conducting a project whereby these offerings can be converted into organic manure instead of being dumped directly into the sea. The Orchid, in association with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation conducted a vermicomposting project of these floral offerings, commonly known as Nirmalaya. This involved collection of floral offerings made during the festive season, composting and creating organic manure. This was then distributed to interested ALMs. Dr. Sangole and Mrs. Sangole of the Pestom Sagar ALM association guided us through the initial process. All-in-all, about 200 tonnes of Nirmalaya w as collected and consequently placed in vermiculture pits in a space at the Gorai landfill site provided by the BMC. The Orchid also distributed pamphlets to all the Ganesh Utsav Mandals (stalls) and on the beaches during the immersions extolling all to segregate waste and place the same in the Nirmalaya Kalash. Anti plastic bag campaign Plastic bags of 20 microns and less were creating a serious environmental hazard in the city of Mumbai. It was found that these plastic bags, which were ubiquitous in Mumbai, were choking the drains all over the city. This led to serious flooding problems during the monsoons, and major parts of this city would remain submerged for days on end due to this. Hence the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai decided to tackle this problem on a war footing. The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai had from 15th August 2000 banned the use of plastic bags less than 20 microns. It had been publicized by the MCGM that the manufacture, recycling, possession and use of such prohibited bags are a serious offence. Under Section 390 and 394 of Municipal Corporation Act the Traders, Distributors and users can be fined upto Rs. 2000/- for each offence. Also the Shop/Trade Licenses can be cancelled. The manufacturers of these prohibited plastic bags can be fined upto Rs. One lakh and/or imprisoned upto 5 years. The Orchid An Ecotel Hotel, supporting the noble cause of the Municipal Corporations ban on plastic bag had launched an inter-school competition wherein the schools would collect the old plastic bags from their homes and neighborhoods in return of which we would give them a cloth bag. The school collecting the highest average number of bags per child was to be invited to The Orchid for a felicitation followed by Dinner. We sent the concept to 250 schools in Mumbai. We received an overwhelming response from schools who welcomed this initiative of ours with open arms. For this purpose, to coincide with Teachers Day, which falls on 5th September 2000, we also released advertisements in various leading newspapers of Mumbai. The students took the campaign out to their homes and neighborhoods and as a result the awareness about the effects of plastic was spread by word of mouth to 7.8 million citizens of Mumbai. As the campaign made news headlines and was also actively carried by the television news channels the effect of the reach cannot be imagined! Thus a small effort on our part actually made big strides for the environment. The resultà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦? 43 schools covering 80,000 students, Collected 750 kgs of used plastic bags (Approximately 3000 plastic bags of 20 microns and below make 1 kg) Today, Mumbai has 4.5 million square feet less of thin plastic to worry about!

Selected consumer rights

Selected consumer rights Introduction The law is complex in any situation whether it is a road traffic offence under the strict liability rules or a serious manslaughter charge under the criminal law. The area of consumer protection law is no different and is complex with legislation coming from many different sources, statute, common law and EU Directives to name just three sources. For example, Silberstein, 2007, argues that every consumer transaction is based on law of contract, therefore technically every consumer should understand the basics of contract law before moving on to understand the special rules and statutes regarding consumer law. This is a complex area for any undergraduate to understand and therefore an area that some consumers, e.g. the elderly, would find extremely difficult to understand. A consequence of complex consumer protection legislation is commented on by Marsh in his 2008 book Consumer Law. Many people do not know their rights when encountering problems at the point of sale or after (p.7) Hypothesis Initial research has led to the conclusion that consumer law is complex and because of this few consumers and businesses actually understand it fully and therefore sometimes customers and indeed businesses are applying the law wrongly. This project aims to look at this in detail and to prove if the hypothesis is founded or not. The main purpose of this report is to first identify the main consumer legislation and then to investigate if Silberstein is correct in her view that consumer law is complex and through primary research if Marsh is correct when he says that many people do not know there consumer rights. Rationale This project forms part of the third and final year BA (Hons) Business Management (Legal Studies) degree at MMU Cheshire and is therefore a substantial reason for completion of this project. However over the course of the legal studies program many topics have been studied and through this project the opportunity has arisen to explore and research a particular area of interest. Having studied this topic in Advanced Managerial Law and having experenice of retail and selling consumer law was a topic that captured my imagination, it is unlikely that anybody will have not come into contact with it, knowingly or unknowingly, for example a contract is made for the simple purchase of a loaf of bread and is therefore has an impact on every bodies life. Research Methodology Having laid down some aims and objectives, a number of secondary sources i.e. statutes, textbooks and journals will be looked at to try and establish what are regarded as the main consumer laws in the UK. Having done this and using the same research a more in depth explanation of these laws will be written, providing practical examples, possibly through primary research to aid their understanding. Primary research will be used in the form of a questionnaire to attempt to ascertain what knowledge general consumers and businesses have of the law using case studies and a Likert Scale answering system. The data will be collected from 20 consumers and 10 businesses. Primary data will be exclusive and original for this task because the questions can be tailored to my specific needs and will also ensure direction over the integrity of the data ensuring a fair cross section and sample of society is used. Secondary data would be unsuitable as it is unlikely someone has already conducted the exact research that is needed and as already mentioned no control or reassurance over the integrity of the data sourced would be available. The primary data will be analysed to draw conclusions and any applicable secondary research will be used to back up the findings. Finally using all the primary and secondary data gathered to date an evaluation of the findings will take place to draw a conclusion on if consumers and business are aware of the main consumer laws drawn from earlier research. Aims and Objectives To research which laws are the main laws regarding consumer purchasing and protection. Research to explain and give examples of these laws in action and there effects on both consumers and businesses. To devise a series of questions/situations regarding the main laws identified to test the knowledge of consumers and businesses. To report and critique on the findings. To evaluate the report and findings from previous sections to draw a conclusion and make any recommendations/suggestions to the current main consumer laws. What are the main consumer protection laws in the UK? As mentioned previously the law is complex and there could be many statutes and regulations that could be regarded as main consumer protection laws just a quick search on the internet produces a long list that includes; Sale of Goods Act 1979 Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 Consumer Protection Act 1987 Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 1999 Electronic Commerce Regulations 2002 General Product Safety Regulations 2005 Consumer Credit Act 1974 Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tour Regulations 1992 Food Safety Act 1990 Consumer Protection (Unfair Trading) Regulations 2008 As has been established the general law of contract gives some protection. Silberstein states that it is the basis of every consumer transaction. Marsh, 2007 says that the tort of negligence also gives limited protection in circumstances where a consumer has no contractual rights. It had to be decided which Statutes and Regulations were to be investigated in this research project and which gave consumers most protection. The first obvious Statute to use was the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (SGA) as this covers almost every consumer transaction that takes place. Marsh, 2008:9, says, The major area of law which supports and assists consumers is the Sale of Goods Act 1979. This Act governs all transactions where goods are transferred for a price. By way of further note if goods are swopped or exchanged then the goods are covered by the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, however if any amount of cash is involved no matter how small then the Sale of Goods Act 1979 will apply. The SGA covers any transaction where goods are transferred for a price but what statutes and regulations protect consumers in relation to how you pay for those goods? Transactions that are becoming increasingly popular such as purchase by credit card or hire purchase agreement? The answer is the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Indeed, Broomfield, 2007:53, states The most important Act dealing with consumers and credit is the Consumer Credit Act 1974. The main aim of the Act was to regulate the formation, terms and enforcement of credit and hire purchase agreements. It was then felt that with Acts from 1974 and 1979 respectively that the next choice should be relevant to todays society. This is not to say that the Acts already mentioned are not relevant but back in the 1970s telephone and TV selling was very uncommon, and the increase in this type of selling is why the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 1999 were introduced. These have been kept up to date and relevant by the separate but intertwining Electronic Commerce Regulations 2002 which specifically apply to internet transactions or contracts concluded by electronic means over distance. These rules regulate regarding orders, cooling off periods, fraud and unsolicited goods. One Act to mention would be the Consumer Protection Act 1987 as this would be an obvious choice for inclusion, however, the Consumer Protection Act deals largely with after the event occurrences; for example it deals with liability for defective products, government powers to regulate consumer safety through delegated legislation and statutory instruments and finally a section on price misleading which is discussed briefly later. It was therefore decided as the first two sections regarded largely situations where it would be difficult or unlikely to propose scenarios that were easily identifiable and answerable by people to answer the question Do consumers and businesses understand and know their rights under selected consumer law? that it would be omitted after the section of this report that looks at the legislation in more detail. Consumer law is ever changing and developing to opinion and the needs of consumers. Take for example the internet, Nowak and Phelps (1992) found that 91 percent of individuals surveyed felt that businesses and governments were not doing enough to protect their privacy online. Bennett (1992) and Smith (1994) commented that regulatory responses were usually triggered in reaction to an increasing level of discontent within the populace, which is transmitted to legislators in some manner. Wirtz et al (2007) found that that robust perceived business policies and governmental regulation had now reduced consumer privacy concern. Consumer Protection Laws in theory and practice The Acts and Regulations that we have identified as the main consumer protection laws in the UK that will be discussed in detail are; Sale of Goods Act 1979 Consumer Protection Act 1987 Consumer Credit Act 1974 Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 1999 Electronic Commerce Regulations 2002 Sale of Goods Act 1979 There is a common law Latin maxim of Caveat Emptor or buyer beware, this was meant to warn all buyers about the potential problem of buying products. Before the SGA 1979 a purchaser could not claim goods were defective unless he had obtained express guarantees from the vendor (seller) on the quality, usage and condition of the product. (Law, 2008 Richards, 2009) By way of consumer law with regard to contract most purchases made by consumers or made on the basis of invitation to treat this comes from the Latin phrase invitatio ad offerendum and means an inviting an offer. For example, if you go to a supermarket the items on display are being offered to you as an invitation to treat, the offer and acceptance of the contract does not occur until you have paid for the items. A supermarket is well within its rights to withdraw from sale any item or change the price, and refuse to sell it to you unless you have completed the purchase and therefore the contact of sale and purchase, this if course works vice versa in that you can take items in and out of your trolley before purchase. Advertisements are also regarded as an invitation to treat and not an offer, the person placing the advert is not obliged to sell to every customer. This was decided in the case of Partridge v Crittenden [1968], it was held that where the appellant advertised to sell wi ld birds, he was not offering to sell them. Lord Parker ruled that it did not make sense for all advertisements to be offers, as the person making the advertisement could be obliged by contract to sell more goods than he actually owned. (Westlaw Database, 2010) In the Sale of Goods Act 1979 a seller is required via statute to compile with certain obligations; there are certain times when terms maybe implied into the contract. I.e. it is not directly written into the contract but is made part of the contract due to statute. These are implied terms and impose an offence of strict liability on the seller if breached. Implied terms were added to protect the consumer giving them certain rights and guarantees in every sale, we will now look in detail at the implied terms. Implied Terms under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 This implied term states that a seller must have the right to sell the goods and to transfer the title of them to the buyer. Under the Act a seller can only compile with this in two ways by either having ownership of the title themselves or if they are acting with the real title holders permission, such as in business transactions at the time of sale. A case involving and demonstrating Section 12 is that of; Rowland v Divall [1923] Description (Section 13) There is an implied term that all goods must match and correspond with any description used. Most goods are sold with some type of description whether it be given by word of mouth, for example the shopkeeper saying these boots are waterproof or by written notice, for example a notice saying pure lamb wool jumpers. In the case of some transactions it is necessary to note that the seller is also responsible for labels attached by the manufacturer and notices on boxes even though he did not apply them. Description is important as some goods are sold entirely on description, for example, mail order. Almost all goods are sold on description and the seller is in breach of contract if this is inaccurate (Adams, 2008) Again a case involving and demonstrating Section 13 is Beale v Taylor [1967] Quality (Section 14(2)) Where a seller sells goods in the course of a business there is an implied term that the goods are of satisfactory quality. Satisfactory quality means the standard to which the reasonable man, sometimes referred to as the man on the Clapham omnibus would expect taking into account all relevant circumstances such as price paid, for example the interior of a  £50,000 car would be of substantially better quality than that of a  £5,000 car. An example of a case involving quality is that of Godley v Perry [1960]. In this case there was a breach of Section 14(2) as the item was not of satisfactory quality and Wilson v Rickett Cockerell LTD [1954] where a delivery of coal contained fragments of detonators and caused an explosion and damage to property. The coal was not of satisfactory quality. There are however limits to liability under S14(2) this section only applies where a sale arises in course of business. The seller cannot be held liable of the buyer knows about the defects and this can be achieved in two ways either by notice of the defect being given by the seller for example a tear on sleeve or spare tyre missing. The other way is by inspection by the buyer; buyers are not under any obligation to inspect items but if they do sellers can then not be held accountable for defects that should have been reasonably evident. A seller however is not liable for misuse or damage caused by the ultimate consumer. Two cases that show this point are; Aswan Engineering Establishment Co. LTD v Lupadine LTD [1987] and Heil v Hughes [1951]. Fitness for Purpose (Section 14(3)) Where goods are sold in the course of business they must be reasonably suitable for any purpose in which the goods are normally sold. (Adams, 2008:231) Goods must also comply with any special purpose that the seller claims, also if the buyer makes known to the seller the purpose for which the product is being bought and to be used any recommendation must also comply with this and be reasonably fit for purpose. Fitness for purpose claims rely on the buyer being able to show that he placed reliance on the seller when purchasing the goods; such reliance may be either implicit or explicit. Implicit reliance is when a buyer does not rigorously inspect the goods or ask questions about then but they turn out to be not fit for the usual purpose of those goods. If a buyer does not ask then a seller is not liable if the goods turn out to be required by the buyer to perform above what is normally required. (Adams, 2008) A case to illustrate this point is Griffiths v Peter Conway [1939] Explicit reliance is where the buyer asks questions and the seller recommends a product for that purpose for example, if you visit a boat shop and ask which motor is suitable for your type of boat, take the motor and it is not powerful enough then the motor is clearly not fit for purpose. (Adams, 2008) Sample (Section 15) When a sale takes place by sample there is an implied term that the bulk order will be the same as the sample in quality, for example, same materials, same resilience to damage etc. There is also an implied term that the goods will be free from any defects not noticeable on reasonable examination of the sample. Looking back at Godley v Perry [1960] the catapults had been sold to the shop keeper by a supplier after a sample has been viewed. Godley had tested for quality by pulling back the elastic, when damages were later awarded to Perry for his eye injury the catapult was tested and found to have a manufacturing fault that Godley could not have noted on reasonable inspection and therefore Perry could be repaid the compensation he had to pay Godley by the supplier, as the supplier was in breach of Section 15. Likewise the supplier could claim the compensation from the manufacturer as the manufacturer has a duty under tort and negligence for duty to their neighbours, in this case the ultimate consumer Godley. It is clear that the implied terms in the SGA 1979 are of paramount importance and these are implied which means they are drawn into every contract and can be expected by the consumer and must be obeyed by the seller/manufacturer of such consumer products. Other rights given under the SGA 1979 include S6 and S7 regarding perishable goods, S29 and S30 regarding delivery of goods and Part V of the Act, grants additional rights in consumer cases such as those in S48(b) Repair or Replacement of Goods. Consumer Protection Act 1987 This Act has three main parts as discussed regarding liability for product defects, health and safety delegation and price misleading. Part III of the Act regarding price misleading is the part on which this project will focus as this is the main part concerning all consumers. Law of contract means a shop can withdraw an item for sale or change its price before purchase because of the rules regarding invitation to treat. The shop however cannot mislead as to the price of an item; the Act states in S20(1) a person shall be guilty of an offence if, in the course of any business of his, he gives (by any means whatever) to any consumers an indication which is misleading as to the price at which any goods, services, accommodation or facilities are available (whether generally or from particular persons). So if a shop deliberately prices to mislead, for example giving prices exempt of VAT but not stating this they will have committed the criminal offence of misleading according to price, likewise if a shop was found to have deliberately mispriced an item in a sale saying it was more expensive then it has ever been offered for sale would also be guilty of the offence. This is one reason you will see disclaimers on sale boards such as this product has been offered at the higher price in at least 20 of our stores for the last 28 days. Cases considering incorrect and misleading pricing were Toys R Us v Gloucestershire CC [1994] and MFI Furniture Centres Ltd v Hibbert [1996] A shop would not be guilty if the item pricing was an honest mistake and any further mispriced items were removed immediately from sale. Consumer Credit Act 1974 The Consumer Credit Act 1974 was introduced because according to MacLeod, 2007, In twentieth century, there was explosive growth in the use made of instalment credit by both business and private consumption by 1980 80% of the market was lender credit largely due to the expansion of store cards. Unfortunately whereas the well-off were able to take part in exclusive offers, the less well off were found to be running up debt from pawnbrokers and loan-sharks, some lending modest amounts but using an unregulated industry to make large amounts in return. The CCA 1974 addressed this issue amongst others. Credit for consumers comes largely in two forms, either the borrowing of money and paying it back over a period of time for a specific item, commonly known as a hire-purchase (HP) agreement and borrowing by credit card. These are two main areas regulated by the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and the two areas to be discussed further as they affect shopping consumers the most. Sections 87-93 are some of the sections of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 that deals with HP agreements. Sections 87-89 deal with default (usually non-payment) and state that if there is a breach of the agreement the creditor must serve the debtor with a default notice before taking any action. This notice must explain the nature of the breach, what must be done to remedy it and if it is not what will happen. The debtor must be allowed at least 14 days in order to remedy the breach from the time of issue. If it is remedied then the breach is treated as if it never happened, if it is not then the creditor can take action to recover monies owed. Sections 90-92 deals with the repossession of goods and states that a creditor must obtain a court order before he can enter a premise to repossess goods and that if a third of the amount in the agreement has been paid (not including interest) then the goods are protected and a court order is also needed to repossess the goods without the debtors permission. In Common Law, this has been seen in the case of Capital Finance Co LTD v Bray [1964] The main outcome of this case was failure to obtain a court order for protected goods which are repossessed has the effect of terminating the agreement, releasing the debtor from further liability and allowing recovery of all sums paid by the debtor. Also in regard to HP agreements the SGA 1979 states that a seller must have title of goods before they can sell items, however, in the case of hire purchase, who owns the product whilst it is still under an HP agreement? This was decided by the case of Helby v Matthews [1895]. It was decided that until the last instalment had been paid that the ownership stays with the supplier of the finance and title passes on payment of the final instalment. Helby v Matthews also deals with an issue over selling of goods under a HP agreement, it was again decided that ownership is with the original supplier of finance until the last payment has been made so goods can be recovered. With regard to payments made by credit card, Section 56 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 states that the supplier, from whom you buy the goods is the creditors agent. (For example, VISA or Mastercard) The creditor is responsible therefore for misrepresentations of supplier. Section 75(1) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 states; If the debtor under a debtor-creditor-supplier agreement falling within section 12(b) or (c)* has, in relation to a transaction financed by the agreement, any claim against the supplier in respect of a misrepresentation or breach of contract, he shall have a like claim against the creditor, who, with the supplier, shall accordingly be jointly and severally liable to the debtor. On condition the cash price of the item being supplied is over  £100 but not more than  £30,000 (including any VAT). (www.oft.gov.uk) *Section 12(b) and (c) refer to the type of transaction that must be involved for it to be applicable (and explain in explicit terms what each means) under Section 75(1) debtor -creditor-supplier agreements. Debtor-Creditor-Supplier Agreements occur when there is a link between the creditor and the supplier. For example a credit card transaction. Debtor-Creditor Agreements are not covered by Section 75(1) and this would be things such as a bank overdraft. An example of a situation on which this Act can be valuable is used later in the scenarios for the questionnaire and means in practice that if a valid purchase was made from a shop and that product broke through not being of sufficient quality, if that shop has ceased trading you would be able to claim through your credit card company as they are both equally responsible under the law and there has been a breach of the SGA 14(2). Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 ((2005) as amended) The Distance Selling Regulations 2000 replaced large sections of the Unsolicited Goods and Services Act 1971 in response to the growing number of other ways to conclude contracts when buying items, e.g. telephone, mail order etc. The Distance Selling Regulations are a Statutory Instrument (SI2000/2334) that makes EU Directive 97/7/EC law in the United Kingdom. The Distance Selling Regulations specifically cover the practices set out in Schedule 1 of the Regulations these are; unaddressed and addressed printed matter, letter, press advertising with order forms, catalogues, telephone calls with or without human intervention, radio, videophone or videotext, e-mail, fax and teleshopping. There was a now uncommon practice called inertia selling in which a salesman would send to households goods they had not ordered later followed by an invoice hoping that fear of reprisal for non-payment would see them pay the invoice. In fact, broadly speaking it is now that the goods can be treated, in certain circumstances, as an unconditional gift and kept without paying a penny. Although the recipient will have to be careful a court would not rule that he had accepted the goods by conduct as seen in Weatherby v Banham [1832] or with regard to services in Trinder Partners v Haggis [1951]. (Brownsword, 2009) This issue is specifically dealt with in Reg. 24. Another major regulation is regulation 7 this protects consumers giving specific details on what information must be transferred to the buyer by the seller for the contract of sale to be legal, these is to ensure the consumer knows exactly what is happening in a distance selling situation. Regulation 7 states; 7. (1) Subject to paragraph (4), in good time prior to the conclusion of the contract the supplier shall- (a) provide to the consumer the following information- the identity of the supplier and, where the contract requires payment in advance, the suppliers address; a description of the main characteristics of the goods or services; the price of the goods or services including all taxes; delivery costs where appropriate; the arrangements for payment, delivery or performance; the existence of a right of cancellation except in the cases referred to in regulation 13; the cost of using the means of distance communication where it is calculated other than at the basic rate; the period for which the offer or the price remains valid; and where appropriate, the minimum duration of the contract, in the case of contracts for the supply of goods or services to be performed permanently or recurrently; inform the consumer if he proposes, in the event of the goods or services ordered by the consumer being unavailable, to provide substitute goods or services (as the case may be) of equivalent quality and price; and inform the consumer that the cost of returning any such substitute goods to the supplier in the event of cancellation by the consumer would be met by the supplier. Regulation 10 sets out a customers and suppliers rights to cancel an agreement and gives specific examples of how this can be communicated and the timeframe that it needs to be issued within; these methods are; mail, fax and e-mail. Electronic Commerce Regulations 2002 The Electronic Commerce Regulations are a Statutory Instrument (SI2002/2013) that makes EU Directive 2000/31/EC law in the United Kingdom. Electronic commerce was specifically unregulated until the introduction of these Regulations in 2002. The European Union was acting to protect consumers in the still increasing area of internet shopping. There are four main regulations that give powers to and protect consumers. Reg. 6 like Reg. 7 of the Distance Selling Regulations gives specifics to what details must be communicated to the buyer to make a legal contract for sale. Reg. 9(1)(a) provides details of what must be provided specifically when communication and buying is by electronic means it states that; 9. (1) Unless parties who are not consumers have agreed otherwise, where a contract is to be concluded by electronic means a service provider shall, prior to an order being placed by the recipient of a service, provide to that recipient in a clear, comprehensible and unambiguous manner the information set out in (a) to (d) below- the different technical steps to follow to conclude the contract; whether or not the concluded contract will be filed by the service provider and whether it will be accessible; the technical means for identifying and correcting input errors prior to the placing of the order; and the languages offered for the conclusion of the contract. 9(3) states that terms and conditions must be made available to the consumer in a means of easy storage and reproduction. Regulations are different for when the seller and buyer are deemed to have entered into the contract of sale, somewhat surprisingly these do not occur at the same time. Reg. 11(2) states that a buyer is deemed to have entered into the contract of sale when they agree to or arrive at an acknowledgement of order screen Reg. 12 states that the seller has not entered into the contract until they dispatch the item that has been ordered and can cancel the item up until this point or offer to dispatch an alternative as per the Distance Selling Regulations Reg. 7(b) and (c) as previously seen. Items in a shop are an invitation to treat and therefore as long as the price is not deliberately priced wrongly a shop can change the price and refuse to sell it to you for the lower price. 70% of people thought they definitely could insist on buying at the lower price or would certainly argue their case claiming the law was on their side. The most common mistake was people misinterpreting store policy and goodwill as the law, therefore most consumers did not know the law in this area. When posed this question most people were aware that there was some sort of credit card protection in this area so they would not lose their money but nobody actually knew there was legislation regarding this and in a reverse of the first question, people mistook the law thinking it was just a marketing gimmick on behalf of the credit card companies. Nobody was certain they would lose their money with most either positive or mostly positive that the money could be recovered. People knew the law in this area but rather by default. Again a large proportion of people (70%) were insistent that as long as the product was in resaleable condition and had the labels attached there were entitled to an exchange, however there is no legislation surrounding this. Unless a product is faulty under the implied terms of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 there is no duty on the seller to exchange or refund your product not for cash or credit note. Again people had mistaken store policy for the actual consumer protection law, which calls into question whether there is enough distinction between what are your rights in a legal sense and what is store policy or goodwill. Pleasingly in this question 80% of people answered definitely no when asked this question. In speaking to people they knew there was legislation surrounding this and a few commented that they had been sent items in the past on

Reasons for Womens Suffrage Campaign :: essays research papers

In the years after 1870 there were many reasons for the development of the women’s suffrage movement. The main reasons were changes in the law. Some affecting directly affecting women, and some not, but they all added to the momentum of Women’s campaign for the vote. Before 1870 there were few bills passed to achieve much for the movement. One bill that was passed, which did not directly affect women in too many ways was one of the starting points of the campaign for the vote. This was the 1867 Reform Act. In 1832, the Great Reform Act was passed, this allowed most middle class men to vote, but not working class men. But, the 1867 Reform Act changed this. This Act lead to all men who had lived at the same address for 12 months to be able vote. This meant that many more working class men were able to vote in the General elections. After this Act, many women felt that if the majority of men, regardless of class, were able to vote, why should women not be able to vote as well. Later, in 1870 the first part of the Married Women’s Property Act was passed. Until this act was passed, when a woman married, any property she owned was legally transferred to her husband. Divorce laws heavily favored men, and a divorced wife could expect to lose any property she possessed before she married. The implications of these two Acts combined, was enough to start women questioning the reasons for them not being able to vote, it started the campaign of votes for women. In the second part of the Reform Act, in 1884, many more men were able to vote. This simply fueled the campaign even more. As even more men could vote, still no women could. Despite all this, women could still vote in some things. The 1869 and 1882 Municipal Council Acts allowed women to vote in council elections. Women could also vote in elections for School Boards from 1870, for Boards of Health from 1875 and in elections to the London County Council from 1889. The Local Government Acts of 1894 and 1899, which set up district and borough councils, also included women as voters. So, women were already allowed to vote in: council elections, school board elections, health board elections, county council elections and others. Why were they not able to votes in such things as General elections? Reasons for Women's Suffrage Campaign :: essays research papers In the years after 1870 there were many reasons for the development of the women’s suffrage movement. The main reasons were changes in the law. Some affecting directly affecting women, and some not, but they all added to the momentum of Women’s campaign for the vote. Before 1870 there were few bills passed to achieve much for the movement. One bill that was passed, which did not directly affect women in too many ways was one of the starting points of the campaign for the vote. This was the 1867 Reform Act. In 1832, the Great Reform Act was passed, this allowed most middle class men to vote, but not working class men. But, the 1867 Reform Act changed this. This Act lead to all men who had lived at the same address for 12 months to be able vote. This meant that many more working class men were able to vote in the General elections. After this Act, many women felt that if the majority of men, regardless of class, were able to vote, why should women not be able to vote as well. Later, in 1870 the first part of the Married Women’s Property Act was passed. Until this act was passed, when a woman married, any property she owned was legally transferred to her husband. Divorce laws heavily favored men, and a divorced wife could expect to lose any property she possessed before she married. The implications of these two Acts combined, was enough to start women questioning the reasons for them not being able to vote, it started the campaign of votes for women. In the second part of the Reform Act, in 1884, many more men were able to vote. This simply fueled the campaign even more. As even more men could vote, still no women could. Despite all this, women could still vote in some things. The 1869 and 1882 Municipal Council Acts allowed women to vote in council elections. Women could also vote in elections for School Boards from 1870, for Boards of Health from 1875 and in elections to the London County Council from 1889. The Local Government Acts of 1894 and 1899, which set up district and borough councils, also included women as voters. So, women were already allowed to vote in: council elections, school board elections, health board elections, county council elections and others. Why were they not able to votes in such things as General elections?

Native American Literature :: Native American Literature

Native American Literature Spending this semester reading Native American Literature, really brought me to make comparisons to my past experience. I think in each story, there was always something significant that seemed similar to my life. There were stories that had similar connections, and as I read them, I put my mind to connect what the author was saying and to what I remember from my life and make a connection. Actually, I thought every story was good and well to understand. For the most part, the story that really brought my attention and that made a connected to my life was reading Indian Education by Sherman Alexie. Somehow as I read this story, I understood what the author was saying. The story Indian Education is a story about the author explaining his childhood in school from grade to grade until he graduated. It explains in detail from his first grade till his twelfth grade. It shows how his personality changes as he grows and how things differ in perspective. It's like what we went through in our childhood. From remembering that bully in first grade till having your first date in eight grade. I really thought of my experience and made a few comparisons. I believe I went through the same things the author did. For instance, in his first grade the author writes how he used to get picked by the other Indian kids, and how they used to take his glasses and tossed them around. I remember once two of my ex friends chasing me and taking my glasses and ended up damaging them. I remember hating my second grade teacher because she would always punish me for talking back to her. She had this ugly face, and i hardly looked at her when she talked to me and that made her mad. As you can realize, being a child, it's just fights and games. Not caring about anything, until the consequences come. Sherman Alexie does a good job how his life changed from his childhood, and maturing in his years to come. For example, in his ninth grade, he tells how after a basketball game, he passed out after several drinks in a dance. His friends carried him to the hospital and saved him. I remember getting drunk, in which I wasn't suppose to, but those hard shots of liquor and beer, made me fall to the ground a couple of times.

Atmosphere through Detailed Language in Snow Falling On Cedars :: Snow Falling Cedars Essays

Atmosphere through Detailed Language in Snow Falling On Cedars Snow Falling On Cedars, by David Guterson, is an emotional story. The death of a fisherman, Carl Heine, on San Piedro Island, turns into a murder trial for Japanese American, Kabuo Miyamoto. Also an inter-racial childhood romance between Ishmael Chambers and Hatsue Miyamoto shifts back and forth in time and the World War II Japanese Internment story unfolds as part of the romance. David Guterson creates atmosphere in the opening chapters through detailed language. The story is set on a pacific island where society is very small and the fishing community is very important to islanders. Guterson uses the sea, weather and landscape to describe many features in the opening chapters; this creates links between the setting and story. The use of flashbacks creates an interesting aspect to the novel. Guterson introduces the characters in very detailed portraits; this enables the reader to have a clear identity of each one. Tension is created in the courtroom through prejudice language and Guterson creates an atmospheric feeling to all court scenes. Kabuo Miyamoto is described as a criminal from the beginning of the murder trial; already the reader gets the impression that he is guilty for murdering Carl Heine. "†¦.his stillness suggested a disdain for the proceedings", this shows how Kabuo is feeling a dislike towards the trial, and creates a static atmosphere for the trial ahead. Kabuo also shows that he has no respect for the court as, "†¦.he sat proudly upright with a rigid grace", and he does not acknowledge anything that is going on, "†¦did not appear moved at all". Throughout the detailed description of the opening court room scene we can see that the atmosphere is very tense, and creates a feeling of suffocation, "It was a place of gray-hued and bleak simplicity". Kabuo Miyamoto comes across to the reader as a sensitive individual who is taking this murder trial in his stride. David Guterson shows that Kabuo was depressed whilst, "been exhiled in the county jail for seventy seven days - the last part of September, all of October and all of November, the first week in December", here Guterson lengthens the description of how long he was in jail for and creates a sense of boredom for Kabuo. The weather and sea descriptions that Guterson uses to represent and describe many scenes, are essential as they represent the San Piedro way of life.

“What is ‘Superblood” Analysis

The article â€Å"What is ‘Superblood' and Why Do I Want It?†, written by Kyree Leary, explains a great potential medical advancement. A biotech startup company, Rubius Therapeutics, wants to use red blood cells to replace missing enzymes in patients with rare diseases or conditions along with patients with autoimmune disorders in order to treat them. These diseases include Type 1 diabetes and even cancer. The technique Rubius Therapeutics plans on using is equipping red blood cells with a protein that can be tailored to treat the condition of the patient it is being infused into. Then, the company plans on putting these blood cells into the body, but overall, it will account for less than 1 percent of the patient's total blood volume. This idea is similar to the idea of using modified T-cells to fight cancer; however, red blood cell therapies do not need to be personalized. For T-cell therapy, the cells must be taken from the patient and put back into the same patient to avoid rejection by the immune system, whereas for the red blood cell treatment, only the use of any person's O negative blood can be effective, for it is a universal donor. In fact, one donor could generate enough therapeutic doses to treat hundreds of thousands of different patients. The company has not released any products yet, but they have raised $220 million in funding which is going to go towards the development of products along with clinical trials necessary for ensuring their safety. This article certainly grabbed my attention when I saw it while scrolling through articles. I have done a lot of work with blood and enzymes in PBS and Biology, so I was intrigued to see what this new â€Å"Superblood† was. Having learned about blood and the topic of the article already, I understood the methods the company plans on using, which made the article and story even more interesting. I found it fascinating that something as simple as placing missing enzymes back into someone's body can possibly have the ability to treat a condition as serious as cancer. In addition, it astonishes me how individuals and companies can think of innovative things like this that could have such an impact on people and the field of medicine. The health of millions is compromised by cancer and autoimmune disease, which this procedure targets. If Rubius Therapeutics can successfully use this red blood cell therapy as a treatment for cancer or even Type 1 diabetes, our world will be a better place, and the healthcare field would be drastically altered. This could diminish the need for insulin injections or pumps if done properly along with other standard treatments. Although this idea may not be able to actually cure cancer, it definitely could and probably will lead to other scientists and/or physicians getting inspired and developing innovations that could bring humanity closer to a cure for the deadly disease. Overall, this â€Å"Superblood† can certainly lead to advancements in the medical field which would make our population a healthier group of people.