Business Plan For Candle Business In Nigeria Commerce Essay

Business Plan For Candle Business In Nigeria Commerce Essay Candles have been in existence for many years. At one time, people depended on them to light as well as heat their homes. Archaeologists have found proof of the existence of ancient candles in caves all over the world, most recently in France. The theory is that cavemen used candles as a source of light for etching their stories and charts on the walls of their homes. These candles were most likely created from fat derived from animals that were killed for food and fur. Even the ancient Egyptians created and used candles. Regardless of what material the candle is made of, to burn and provide adequate light and heat it has to have plasma, solids, gasses, and liquids. In todays modern world, we create candles for our own personal enjoyment, as crafts and hobbies for most people. Some people enjoy making candles so much that they turn their craft into a profitable business. With a little creativity, you can make some truly unique candles, simply by adding your own designs and skills. It is possible to make candles in every shape and size that you can imagine, and in any colours you can create. You can even add essential oils and fragrances to your candles, so that they not only provide decorative light, but a beautiful scent as well. Most of todays modern candles are made primarily out of paraffin wax, but some are also made of beeswax as well. Paraffin wax is a wax that is derived from plants, found naturally all over the world. Strict safety precautions should be followed when making your candles. It could be very easy to make a small mistake and suffer serious burns from the wax, not to mention the very real danger of fire, when using or creating candles. There should be separate area in your home or workshop especially for candle making, with fire extinguishers readily available in case of emergency. For a new candle making, it will be best to start with simple candle designs, then increase the difficulty as your skill increases. The basic techniques of candle making, have to be learn and setup your work area appropriately. Pay attention to temperatures, and make certain that you are careful to follow safety rules. Candle making is fairly easy once when understanding the basics and perfect techniques. The good news is that the supplies needed in candle making are fairly inexpensive, so no worry about wasting money if ruin along the way. 1.2 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The broad aim of the study is to introduce candle manufacturing business into Nigeria market in other to improve their standard of living. Along this broad aim emerges the following specific objectives which are: To determine the viability of Candle manufacturing business in Nigeria market. To determine the feasibility of Candle manufacturing business in Nigeria market. To determine the market trends for Candle business. CHAPTER TWO MARKET SURVEY / ANALYSIS 2.1 MARKET The end users of candle are mainly householders. It is their source of lightening during power outage. As earlier mentioned white garment churches (the celestial and cherubim and seraphim) are the other end users of candle for making supplication to celestial bodies. Survey of candle making businesses revealed that there are also other major manufacturer of candle such as Candle Royal, Chem.-Bold, BBC Candle, star candle, China candle, to mention a few. This is a plethora of small scale manufacturers. The market for candle stick is relatively large, given the frequency of power outage and the high cost of generating plants and fuel, which is a substitute for power supply. While power outage and interruption is common place in the urban centres, the rural electrification schemes of the government are gradually taking off but not yet sufficient to provide alternative power. Consequently, the market for candle sticks is a promising one while the project stands a good chance of success. Presently the types of candle stick produced by the aforementioned manufacturers have been found to burn out relatively faster than expected. From experience and research they take between 3 to 5 hours to burn- off. Reasons adduced for this is mainly the interior content/ concentration of the melt paraffin wax and the size of the candle sticks. This limitation and weakness has resulted in the inability to satisfy existing demand satisfactorily. The situation would be much more precarious when importation of candles is stopped and demand is now concentrated on local candles. To improve on these weaknesses, our own candle is being strengthened with high concentration of good, tested and quality melt paraffin wax. We are also planning to make varied sizes of these white and coloured candle sticks to cater for various users. Also, the effect of these competitors has been examined by sensitising the price of the products at 5 and 10 percent reduction. 2.2 MARKET TREND Given all the above it has been extremely difficult to determine accurately substantial data which could be interpreted to reveal the trend of demand for candle sticks at the range in this study for obvious reasons: One, the candle making industry in Ibadan, Oyo state is relatively young and competitors unwillingness to part with their company data Secondly, the type of candle we envisage both in size and content is different from other competitors. Nevertheless, estimated existing production figure for all these competitors for 2008 is 2,112,000 units in Ibadan However this figure is inconclusive if the object was for a detailed analysis. Because of these limitations, one is constrained to look at the consumption trend. 2.3 PROJECTION OF DEMAND As earlier stated, because of the power outage, high cost of generating plants and fuel used, candle has readily become a good alternative. Also considering the unique size and content of our candle, we are of opinion that the project will have no problem in gaining access to the market. Information of candle consumption revealed that in 1998, Oyo state with a population of about 3.5 million people has an estimated demand of 3 million candles There is therefore a shortfall of 888,000 units which if imported candle takes 300,000 units would leave an existing demand of 588,000 units. This project is therefore assured of patronage with adequate promotion of the product by the promoters. THE MICRO ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS LOCATION THE ECONOMY: The Nigeria economy was shaped, and greatly influenced by the character of the colonial economy which was purely exploitative. The major impulse of colonial rule was the search for cheap and steady supply of raw materials for the bargaining industries in Europe foreign market for the massively produced goods outlet for surplus capital and employment of cheap labour (Gann and Digman (eds), 1969). The raw materials in keen demand included cotton for textile factories, rubber for types and other products, palm oil, hides and skin or leather products, timber for furniture, as well as mineral resources like Tin, Bauxite, Coal to mention a few. The mineral and agricultural endowments of the colonial territories, Nigeria in particular, were massively tapped and exploited for use in Western Europe and North America, an exploitation rationalized in terms of the advantage in primary products.(Onimode, 1981).The a kind of symbolic relations between colonial territories and metropol is was enacted which favoured the metropolis. This process was further reinforced by the export of the surplus capital necessary by the need to sustain the rate of profit and capitalist accumulation in Europe. Consequently Nigeria large internal market became a major dumping ground for equipment and a host of other consumer goods (Dike 1956).Successive indigenous governments in the country have tried to grapple with the constrains created by the colonial economy. However the massive wealth generated from the sales of crude oil has made the economy monoculture depending as it were on crude oil. Since oil has become a major political tool in the hand of world powers the price per barrel of crude oil has become vulnerable. This trend has serious implications on national economic growth and development. The dependency on crude oil also gives rise to other economic adversities. Nigerian economy, which was agrarian and self-reliant, has become dependent on food baskets from Western Europe and North America. Thus the country has become a dumping ground for all sorts of goods consumers and capital goods from these foreign countries. It was against this backdrop that the structural adjustment programme (SAP) was launched in September 1986 by the Federal Military Government. The specific and major objectives of SAP are; (1). To restructure and diversify dependence on the oil sector and economy in order to reduce dependence on the oil sector and on exports. (2). To achieve fiscal and balance of payment viability over the period. (3). To lay the basis for a sustainable non inflationary or minimal inflationary growth. (4) To lessen the dominance of unproductive investment in the public sector improve the sectors efficiency and intensify the growth of the private sector. POPULATION AND LABOUR (MAN POWER) MATTERS Aside her strong economic base Nigeria is blessed with abundant human resources. Going by 1991 population Census Nigeria has a population of over 88 million with balanced demographic distribution. Nigeria population in absolute and qualitative terms is indeed appreciable compared to the rest of African. Thus there is abundant supply of semiskilled and unskilled in particular as well as skilled labour. This has downward implication for the cost of labour which has been one of the attractions for investors (both foreign and indigenous). However worth salary and wage regulation effected in 2007, which put the minimum basic salary at N8, 500.00 for federal employees and N9, 500.00 for state and local government employees the prices of various categories of labour are rising. 2.5 LEGAL AND SOCIAL MATTERS Candle making business is not in the list of prohibited or government monopolies. Therefore an investor is free to start off the business upon completing some legal requirement. Business premises registration levies which involved a minimum of =N=10, 000.00 and =N=5, 000.00 for renewal per annum have to be met. Similarly, women should be adequately represented in the firms employment given the campaign for gender equality following Beijin conference of 1991. Grassroots participation in the manufacture of candle sticks should be given a pride of place. 2.6 THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT The Nigeria political history is a chequered one, characterized by military intervention in the power politics of the country. The first republic which commenced in October 1, 1960, operated a parliamentary system headed by Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. The government was sacked in January 15, 1966, paving way for military regime for some thirteen years regime that fought civil war (1967 1970) and marked by intra military change. On October 1, 1979 the military regime handed over political power to civilian political authority headed by Alhaji Shehu Shagari under a presidential system of government. By December 1983 the military junta intervened once again in the politics of the county and this lasted till May 29, 1999 when the political power was transferred to the civilian political authority headed by Chief Olusegun Cbasanjo under a presidential system of government in the model of Second Republic. The Nigeria masses are highly mobilized and militant which was a fallout of the annu lment of June 12 presidential election won by Late Chief Abiola of the south west Nigeria. The annulment of the election result created socio-economic even political crises in the country. Be that at it may Nigeria political climate is becoming predictable and stable and the national questions are being finally addressed. A regime of socio-political stability and economic progress is guaranteed under the democratic political dispensation. CHAPTER THREE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS ENGINEERING DESIGN AND FABRIACATION The engineering design and fabrication of candle making equipment can be handled locally. Indisputably, the cost saving element is a big advantage to a new entrants into the business, with modest capital. The design and fabrication can be raised in size and sophistication depending on the capital available to the buyer. Machinery and other equipment necessary for the manufacturing of candle sticks are listed below. Candle moulding machine Water pumping machine( electrical) Overhead water tank Melting pot Pail or container to pour the melted wax into the moulding machine Scrapper Parking table The materials required for candle making are as follows: Paraffin wax ( by- product of petroleum product) Candle thread Cooking gas or coal pot Vegetable oil Water Nylon Labels Empty cartons Tape/ tape cutter OTHER CAPITAL ITEMS office furniture and equipment and fittings pick up van ( car) Standby generator CHAPTER 4 4.1 RESOURCES PLANNING AND COST MANAGEMENT AND ORGANISATION In order to ensure effective management of operation, provision should be made for the following organisational arrangements: MANAGING DIRECTOR As the owner of the business, he co-ordinates all facets of the business and ensure the smooth running of the business in all ramifications. PRODUCTION / QUALITY CONTROL MANAGER He/ she is responsible for the production of candle sticks , to meet specification and standards. He/she should be able to undertake repair function if and when it breaks down. It is recommended that the holder of the position should have HND or B.SC in Mechanical Engineering COMPANY SECRETARY/ ACCOUNTANT The accountant will be the financial offer of the company as well as the company secretary. He will among other duties, be responsible for the following matters: Maintance of proper books of accounts Credit control Budget preparation, monitoring and review Banking and Assistance to auditors It is recommended that the holding of the position should hold a B.Sc. Degree or HND in Accountancy or a professional qualification with at least five (5) years corporate experience. CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARY Should possess certificate in secretarial Administration preferably Ordinary National Diploma (O.N.D) with proficiency in computer application software e.g. word processing etc and would be responsible for the typing jobs of the company and other assigned duties MACHINE OPERATOR Should possess certificate in production engineering preferably an Ordinary National Diploma (O.N.D). he would be responsible for actual production of the candle with adequate Supervision by the Production Manager. SALES MEN Should possess academic qualification in marketing preferably an Ordinary National Diploma with experience in selling same or related products. ORGANISATION CHAT MANAGING DIRECTOR COMPANY ACCOUNTANT SECRETARY PRODUCTION/QUALITY CONTROL MANAGER CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARY SALES MEN MACHINE OPERATOR CLERK DRIVER OPERATION OF THE COMPANY PRODUCTION: Production planning and control Production engineering Production design and Production auxiliaries ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE Accounting Policies Companys financial situation and Credit control system MARKETING: Product; Pricing system; Distribution system; Promotion; and Other processing PURCHASING: Raw material; Parts and components Work in progress Sub assemblies Maintenance and repair supplies and Other operating supplies PERSONNEL: Quality of staff Recruitment and selection Staff development and promotion Staff welfare Settling disputes/ complaint and Staff discipline 4.2 PROJECT COST AND FINANCING The estimated cost of candle manufacturing firm is =N= 2,087,000.00. This is inclusive of the cost of land and buildings, equipment, and other capital items and working capital. TABLE 1 PROJECT COST SUMMARY Land and Building COST IN NAIRA Land acquisition and development including Drainage, landscaping and other development 250,000 Office and Factory Building 400,000 Sub total 650,000 Plant and Machinery Machines, tools and equipment for manufacturing Water cooling system 250,000 Standby generator 120,000 Contingency cost 10% 37,000 Sub total 407,000 Other capital items Office furniture equipment and fitting 100,000 Motor van and Cars 600,000 Preliminary expense 80,000 Subtotal 780,000 Working Capital 250,000 GRAND TOTAL 2,087,000 LAND AND BUILDING Land requirement is approximately 1,200 sq.m for a building of 800 sq.m which provide for manufacturing, Office maintenance shop and raw materials plus finished goods storage. It is expected that the modest amount is expected to build the factory and office complex an inexpensive location. PLANT AND MACHINERY The cost of machinery to fully produce at 80% capacity has been approximated at =N=407,000. This includes the fabrication of the candle making machine, water pumping machine and overhead water tank and the melting pot and drum. Provision is made also for a standby generator to forestall the inadequacies in countrys power supply at =N= 120,000. A 10% contingency is also provided for to take care of increases in price. OTHER CAPITAL ITEMS Provision has been made for office furniture, equipment and fittings at a cost of =N= 100,000 and =N= 600,000 for the purchase of two vehicles i.e. =N= 350,000 for a second hand van and =N= 250,000 second hand car for running around. A provision of =N=80,000 is made for preliminary expenses like cost of registration of business with the government etc. WORKING CAPITAL Provision has been made for working capital to cover the following items Stock of raw materials 6 months Stock of finished goods 2 weeks Account receivable 2 weeks Operating Cost 1 month PROJECT FINANCING It is proposed that the total project cost of =N=2,087,000 be financed as follows NATURE STRUCTURE AMOUNT % Equity Shareholder 750,000 35.93 Working Capital commercial bank 250,000 11.97 Long term loan Development bank 1,087,000 52.10 2,087,000 100.00 SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY The required equity of =N= 750,000 represents 35.93% of the total project cost. This is expected to be contributed by the company promoters. WORKING CAPITAL The working capital requirement varies from =N=250,000 in the first year to =N=550,000 in the fifth year. This estimate is based on the following assumptions That 6 months stock of raw materials will be available That at any one time 2 weeks stock of finished goods will remain That accounts receivable will or average 2 weeks sales That operating cost for one month will be met. See calculation of working capital requirement. LONG TERM LOAN =N= 1,087,000 is the long term requirement which is expected to be obtained from a development bank for small scale enterprise (SME). This is expected to meet the cost of plant and machinery and to complete the factory and office buildings. INTEREST RATE Interest rate calculation was based on the notion that arbitrage will be =N=7.00 between deposit rate and lending rate coupled with the enforcement of senate motion that lending rate should come to 15% COMMERCIAL VIABILITY I have examined the proposals to establish the candle making factory in Ibadan, Oyo state and confirm that the company is economical and commercially viable as shown in the financial projections. The projection are based on the following assumptions Sale forecast and sales revenue Projected income statement Projected cash flow statement Projected balance sheet + The following are the highlights SALES REVENUE Net sales are projected to increase from =N=1,200,000 in the first year to =N=1,458,600 in the fifth year. In line with the increase in planned production from 480,000 units of candle in the first year to 583,440 units in the fifth year INCOME STATEMENT Profit before tax increases from =N=408,700 in the first year to =N=564,118 in the fifth year. This is a modest increase envisage in view of the newness of the business and stiff competition from other companies in the same business. TABLE 2 No. Required Recommendation =N= Production/Quality control manager 1 72,000 Coy Accountant/secretary/admin Mgr 1 60,000 Sales Men 1 36,000 Confidential Secretary 1 30,000 Machine Operator 2 48,000 Clerk 1 18,000 Driver 1 21,600 TOTAL 8 285,600 TABLE 3: SALES FORECASTS AND SALES REVENUE 4.3 ECONOMIC ANALYSIS I have been able to confirm that the project is economically viable based on my estimation and with economy condition of Nigeria. I have endeavoured to use the basics tools of economic analysis in the form of Benefit/ cost Ratio, Net present Value and internal Rate of Return ( IRR) sense but the actual net inflow of funds which will accrue to the firm as a result of undertaking this project i.e. all revenue from sales minus all cost, including any investment takes place. No deductions are made for depreciation. NET PRESENT VALUE The project shows a positive Net Present Value of when discounted at 15%. This shows that investment in this project gives profit greater than could be got by investing the same amount at the Firms Marginal Investment rate. (It is assumed that profit realised are withdrawn for use by the firm in any way it chooses) BENEFIT/ COST RATIO The benefit/ cost ratio which is the ratio of the discounts streams of benefit to the discounted streams of costs this shows that the benefits divisible from the project outweighs whatever costs incurred if all benefits and costs are discounted to present Values INTERNAL RATE OF RETURNS The internal rate of return on the other hand is the rate of return that is being earned on Capital tied up while it is tied up after allowing for recoupment of initial investment. This was found to be 24.6%. Given that we discounted at 15% i.e. we assumed the cost of Capital (interest) was 15%, the project would still earn a surplus of 9.6% over and above the cost of Capital while allowing for all the recoupment of the initial investment. In effect, if the rate of interest were increased by an additional 5%, the investment project will still be economically viable 5.3 SUMMARY, RECCOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION From the five year projection made and analysis carried out, we have found that this investment in the candle making business here at Ibadan would be a worthwhile one. In the first instance, considering the consumption nature of the city of Ibadan coupled with the larger population of people in the city, the product is assured of a ready market. In the second instance, having made a market survey showing that despite the fact that many similar products are available in the market, there is still an untapped market of about 25%. The acute power outage and interruption in the face of assurances by the power and steel Minister to rectify it, not withstanding, the product is assured of regular demand Meanwhile we have designed some marketing strategies like increasing the number of candles in the packet to 12 instead of the number 8 or 10 while still proposing to sell at N20.00, a price considered very cheap compared to other substitutes going for N40 or thereabout Other strategy is to use the company sales van to go round the state in the sales promotion, i.e. going from one town to the other with mounted speaker to create awareness and sensitise the public. We are equally envisaging going on air using the state media e.g. Television, radio and Newspaper to promote the product. On the return aspect of the project, the promoters and the financiers of the project e.g banks are assured of adequate and compensating returns on their investment. With a constant cash flow coupled with profit every year for the next five years, the company is projected to be on the right pedestal to carve a niche in the sector and be a potential leader in the candle making business. RECOMMENDATION We are however recommending that government give incentives to cottage industries like our own by providing the enabling environment e.g. provision of good network of roads, free flowing un-interrupted water and electricity supply to enable constant and peak production at all times. The interest rate could also be reviewed down through good fiscal policies by the financial regulatory bodies to reducing cost of financing. As usual, government should enforce the strict adherence to lending houses commitment to small scale manufacturing concerns Inflation rate should also be reduced or regulated to ensure growth of small companies CONCLUSION This candle making project from the foregoing study no doubt is a worthwhile investment and is recommended for financing.

Looking For Alibrandi, Analysis

Looking For Alibrandi, Analysis However, the Italian adolescents, and in Josies case, have guidelines and family expectations they have to live up to, for example, after school she has to visit her Nonna, dress, friends and the reputation of her family and the Alibrandi name. This is against the expectations of her Italian culture of the assumption that she will marry someone of the Italian background. It is though these regulations that Josie has to fight, these cultural boundaries are revealed. Respect is a cultural boundary that Josies family holds upon her, and is presented through the characters of Josephine and Nonna Katia. Josie crossed this boundary and hit her with her science book. This is seen in the Italian eye as disrespect to her Italian heritage. Josie also shows bitterness at Easter when other children receive chocolate eggs and as an alternative, Josie must help her Nonna prepare for a large family food-gathering event. We were all caught up in the middle of two societies. Josie crosses this boun dary when she would rather join her friends in other places than to stay and contribute in the Italian sauce-making day. Melina Marchettas purpose to educate the readers of the discrimination and prejudice of todays society on a cultures values, beliefs and traditions, and that crossing boundaries brings greater self knowledge leading to growth and emancipation. The Italians and the Australians try and keep separate, and there is always a lack of interaction between, relationships and communication is always minimised. This cultural boundary is crossed through the unaccepted relationships between Italian Josie and Australian Jacob, and Nonna Katia and Marcus Sandford. Through the conflict of the characters, this cultural boundary of interaction is exposed. The reader is satisfied as Josie breaks free, unshackles the chains of the cultural restrictions her mother and grandmother place upon her, and finds her true identity. Jossies intelligence and confidence are two unique qualities portrayed in this young girl, struggling with her identity. She is a remarkably imaginative young person possessing a quick temper. She is a confused girl searching to find where she belongs in the two different cultures. These cultures, being Australian and Italian, are very demanding on such a young girl, having to mould herself for each and find an equilibrium of both. She has major difficulties coping with the harsh reality of prejudice and these problems soon take their toll on her. These pressures continue with her living a life in a prestigious private school, battling to balance herself in a middle class life. Josies aspirations reach much farther than that of her families ambitions for her life. It is at this point in time where a classic example of culture clash begins. Josie feels the need to rebel against the stereo-typical female in an Italian culture. This determination stems from her education and desire to step away from her Italian life and responsibilities, breaking away not only from her family and their narrow mindedness but also the entire Italian culture. This is a major leap for Josie who aspires to be the first Alibrandi female to take control of her life. This motivation of freedom is strong in Josie and her rebellious ways demonstrate this. Christina is the result of the Italian culture and the clash it has with the Australian identity. From the time she was thrown out of home at 17, Nonna has always blamed Christina for Josies birth. Up until Francesscas death, Nonna was forbidden to have any contact with her daughter. this exemplifies the authority an Italian male can exert on the women in his family. Josie would have seen this and blinded with her motivation from her Australian identity could not stand for such a culture. It was not until Francesscas death that Nonna could be reunited with her daughter and grand daughter. Josies father has had very little immediate impact on her life thus far. When her father did arrive in back in Sydney Josie is naturally angry at him. This is a totally acceptable form of behaviour considering the circumstance, but her anger not only stems from her own personal experience. Josie had to grow up knowing that her father had abandoned her and her mother, pushing her Christina into being a single parent bringing up her child alone. Because of this humiliating fact Christina and her daughter were outcast from the Italian community. Her hatred also delved into the way the Italian community treated Christina and Josie through gossip and intentional humiliation of the family. Even though Josie rebels against her father initially, she eventually begins to grow closer to him. This initial bonding occurs when Josie needed her dad, when she broke Ivys nose. This allowed for some trust to be restored between her and her father, making their relationship stronger and giving them a new start. Second site: Josie is very rebellious to the Italian way of life, which has a lot to do with Nonna and her constant remarks such as you brake my heart and i deserve respect. She also hates the fact that nonnas friends are always reporting things that she does. She undervalues Jossie as a person by not allowing her to sit in the lounge room with the air conditioning, as this is for visitors only. She is also blames by her mum for anything that jossie does such as yous let her go out like a gypsy. When she finds out that christina is not Francesas daughter but also a bastard, she confronts nonna and is very angry because she feels the hypocrisy in her argument. Â  Its not until nonna explains her situation and the hardships she has endured in her that she begins to understand nonna and have some compassion for her; she begins to understand the Italian family life. Nonna also starts to compromise her attitude to Jossie and begins to accept some of the Australian ways of life. Josies life has many prominent issues relating to multicultural Australia today. The prejudice and need to be normal in any minority society is tremendous and this book covers that issue very intensely. But there is also a lot more to this novel than simple bigotry. Looking for Alibrandi also attacks very important issues at the foundation of the Australian culture. These range from teenage pregnancy to the social hierarchy at a private school. All these issues are entwined to create a very revealing book about all aspects of Australian life, not necessarily from a purely Australian view. http://wwwfp.education.tas.gov.au/english/alibrandi.htm

The Banning of Harry Potter at Omaha Christian Academy Essay -- Censor

The Banning of Harry Potter at Omaha Christian Academy Imagine discovering that you’re not an ordinary person, but a wizard with magnificent, magical powers. Imagine attending a school where you’ll study transfiguration and charms instead of trigonometry and chem. Imagine the thrill of flying across the sky on a broomstick. These adventures and many others are waiting to be experienced in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by novelist J. K. Rowling. This fanciful and entertaining tale has taken the youth of the nation by storm, and its sales have only been surpassed by the book’s sequels, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Unfortunately, not all children are welcome to enjoy the magic of J.K. Rowling’s literature. Because the books discuss witchcraft and wizardry, some parents and teachers have assumed that the books do not reflect religious teachings and must, therefore, be banned. The Omaha Christian Academy in Omaha, Nebraska has recently banned the sale of Harry Potter books at its book fair and refuses to purchase copies for the classrooms or library. However, the administration at Omaha Christian Academy should not prohibit reading books in the Harry Potter series. Potter Gets Cold Shoulder On October 15, 1999 an article was published in the Omaha World-Herald that angered and agitated devoted fans of Harry Potter. Omahans already knew that the Harry Potter books had been challenged in South Carolina and a few other places across the nation. Now, the controversy over the fantasy stories by J. K. Rowling had hit their home town. Apparently, the administration at Omaha Christian Academy learned of the popularity of the books and... ...The kids who read Harry Potter will not grow up to be antireligious witches and warlocks. They will develop into well-adjusted young adults who have a better understanding of how to be a hero. In order to act in the best interest of their students, the administration at Omaha Christian Academy needs to introduce the Harry Potter books into their school as soon as possible. It’s time that Christian schools be made a safe haven for Harry Potter. Works Cited Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1976. Heuscher, Julius. A Psychiatric Study of Myths and Fairy Tales. Illinois: Charles Thomas, 1974. O’Connor, Michael. â€Å"Potter Gets Cold Shoulder.† Omaha World-Herald. 15 October 1999. â€Å"Save Harry Potter!† About.com. 29 October 1999.

Personal Narrative - My Dad, Formally Known as Superhero :: Personal Narrative Writing

My Dad, Formally Known as Superhero When I was twelve, I started fasting on Yom Kippur. That was the year I had my Bat Mitzvah and the year I became a Jewish woman. In the few years before I turned twelve, I ate sparingly on that holiest day - no junk food, no breakfast. And in the years before that, I ate whatever I wanted. My mom too. She's not Jewish - she just happened to marry my Jewish dad. My dad always fasted. He'd go to Temple in the morning, and we'd go with him - me, my sister, and my mom. My sister was a baby, and I sat on the floor and colored my coloring books on the metal chair I was supposed to be sitting in, which pleased my parents because I didn't make noise. At one or so, we'd leave Temple and drive home. The car windows would be rolled up tight, locking in the rays of the early afternoon sun, and I would bask, free and alive, dressed up and soaking in the sun's light. The sunshine really does look different in the very middle of the day. When we got home, my mom would make me a snack, and I'd go off and play or something. I don't really remember. My dad would nap, or read. I do remember that. He was no fun on Yom Kippur. A few years later, I think I must have been about nine. We got home from Temple, and the kitchen was lit by that hot and yellow midday sunshine. Our striped curtains hung eagerly. My dad lay down on the living room couch and picked up his book, and my mom flipped through some papers on the kitchen table. Or maybe she was downstairs. It doesn't matter. I opened the refrigerator and pulled out the fruit drawer at the bottom. There were four granny smiths lying in wait. I picked the best one and rinsed it in the sink. It was the biggest, the roundest, the firmest. The grassiest green. It promised to be the juiciest. I grabbed the towel from the oven door and dried it. I slid on my socks across the kitchen floor and into the living room and bit down, hard. It was a huge bite. A huge cruncher! That bite echoed around the whole house - into the bedrooms and into the bathrooms; it attacked my dad on the couch, and probably even rocketed the neighbors.

Witchcraft And Effects On Lite :: essays research papers

Witchcraft is a phenomenon that has captured the minds of millions since the beginning of history. These so-called witches have caused fear, hatred, interest, widespread panic, and a variety of other emotions in other people from all over the world. Every society and civilization on this planet have all some form of witchcraft in their history. Witchcraft itself has a deep history of its own causing it to be recognized in literature and modern society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, witchcraft has a very fascinating history, which is fairly important to discuss. Because much of its history is shrouded in superstition and has not properly been recorded, its exact history is hard to explain. It is easier to see witchcraft as a mindset or belief than an organized institution. According to Montague Summers, 'witches can be described as heretics and anarchists,'; most of which follow the chief of demons, also known as the Devil. Obviously Mr. Summers, along with many other people, takes a pessimistic view towards the realm of witchcraft. Among these anti-witch enthusiasts was Henry VIII, who was the first king of England to pass Statute against the practice of witchcraft. Many kings who ruled after Henry VIII also created statutes against witchcraft. James I made one in 1604, which was repealed over a century later in 1736. Throughout the centuries in England, strict laws and numerous trials were held against suspected witches. Some of the more notable trials include the Chelmsford trials in 1566, 1579, and 1589, the trials in Lancashire in 1612, and the Staffordshire trials in 1597. Some cases even tried people posing as witches like Thomas Darling, John Smith, and William Perry. Many books had been written at the time about the subject of witchcraft like Demonology, Discovery of Witches, Discovery of Witchcraft, and Dr. Lamb's Darling. (Wysiwyg://7/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/2962/witchcraze/time_england.html)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Second, witchcraft is recognized around the world through its appearance in literature. Many well-known examples of a wide variety of witches can be found throughout literature. Many of these literary works include The Wizard of Oz, which not only has one witch but two: Glenda the Good Witch and The Wicked Witch of the West. These two witches seem to represent some of the many views of witches. Glenda takes on the view of a fairy godmother, a type of witch that only has good intentions and poses no harm to anyone. But, wicked witch poses as the stereotypical halloweenish view of a witch: an old, ugly, ill-hearted, broomstick riding, spell-casting, evil, maniacal woman.

The Art of Negotiation. Qualities of a Good Negotiator

The art of negotiation. Qualities of a good negotiator. Good negotiation is an important part of every business. If you are a good negotiator, you can be very successful in running a business. Excellent negotiation skills can allow you, for example, to persuade your rivals into making an alliance with your company or into working with you on a new deal. It will help you to discuss moot () points of business with your competitors, direction, subordinates() and so on. So, which skills can help you to be an unbeaten negotiator? In my opinion, the most important thing is to be a good listener.Never interrupt your opponent. You should be patient and cool, especially when you are in the middle of a conflict. Remaining calm is a very useful quality in people who take part in the negotiation process. In particular, when you are personally attacked or when you are in stressful situations. You have to identify and analyse the most important issues carefully, but quickly. You should understand that at the end of the negotiation both sides can win. I think compromise is as good as victory. If you win in a negotiation, you will realize that others have needs. In my opinion, we take part in negotiations every day.For example, when we discuss with our parents the possibility of going out at night. As for me, I am not a very good negotiator. It is the result of my personal psychological qualities. I am very emotional and it is very hard for me to stay calm in the middle of a conflict. But I can’t say that I’m an unsuccessful negotiator. For example, recently my friend had an argument with her boyfriend. I talked with them separately and found out the cause of the argument. They had just misunderstood each other. So I persuaded them to talk to each other in a calm atmosphere. It proved my success as a negotiator.

Ethics and Philosophy of Social Research Essay

The social research shares with all scientific endeavours the necessity to balance scientific zeal with other ethical values that derive from the social context in which all social research takes place. To some degree, the research ideal of objectivity unavoidably conflicts with humanistic values. Therefore, all researchers must at some time come to grips with this conflict. The issue, however, is especially crucial for social researchers because the focus of their research is the behaviour of other people. Thus, not only the goals of the social research but the very process of data collection is subject to ethical conflicts. The paper contains analysis—the synthesis of research results across a large number of studies—and on the social responsibility and ethical requirements of the social research. The ethical issues which researchers face in their day-to-day study are comparatively consistent across methods. The ethical principles adopted by researchers should govern their actions, whether they take place in field or laboratory environment. To make this point most strongly, this paper contains a separate section, which should serve as a strong point of reference for the social researcher, rather than providing a series of ethical requirements that are spread thinly throughout the various sections of this paper. These issues include the social and ethical responsibilities and constraints connected with the conduct of social research and advancing the cumulative progress of behavioral and social science through integrating and synthesizing findings from different current investigations. The paper hopes to make clear that social research is a collective enterprise undertaken in the context of ethical values. Main body Ethics in Social Research Ethics of Research Design and Methodology Because the subject matter of the social researcher is human behaviour and the processes that are associated with behaviour, it is unavoidable that researcher interests will conflict sometimes with ethical values placed on the rights of people to privacy and self-determination. The guidelines for social research ethics set by the Social Research Association (SRA) (2003) stress the idea of recruiting participants for research on the basis of informed consent —this means that participation must be freewill and with the participant’s full knowledge of what research will include. However, it is declared that many subjects could not be researched at all if this ideal were entirely met, and that the rights of individuals must be weighed against the possible importance of the research problem. David De Vaus (1996), for example, demonstrated in a verbal conditioning experiment that a full explanation of methods and hypotheses destroyed the phenomenon they were attempting to exa mine. In cases where full explanation of subject cannot be presented, SRA recommends that â€Å"But there should, at least, be clarity about opt-in and opt-out arrangements, about the length and degree of commitment required of respondents, and about the precise goals of the research. Adequate subject de-briefing also seems essential to this last aim.† Thus, the ethical code does not present free from limitations standards that relieve the researcher of important value judgments. Rather, judgments as to the comparative significance of research programmes and researchers’ responsibility for the well-being of their participants are the primary bases of research ethics. Deception in the Laboratory The degree to which participation is entirely voluntary is in many cases disputable, depending on the social and institutional pressures to take part in research that are at times involved. But usually, participants in laboratory experiments at least know that they participate in a research study. Notwithstanding, however, the information provided to participants in laboratory investigations is usually smallest, at best, and often purposely deceptive as to the goals of the research study. To what degree this deception is justified by serving scientific purposes and the potential benefit to human welfare is a matter of considerable debate. Some critics claim that no deception is ever reasonable and that it should not be permitted in the interests of social research (Ortmann & Hertwig 746-747). Most social researchers, however, take a more temperate view, considering that there is an unavoidable compromise between values of entire honesty and informed consent and the possible value of what can be learned from the research itself. Just as the unimportant lie uttered in the interests of tact or politeness is regarded as acceptable when used in the service of good manners, so a little amount of deception may be acceptable in the service of obtaining reliable research data. However, there is also some controversy over whether social researchers have exceeded this adequate minimum in their research (Barnes 320). For some years the practice of deception in laboratory experiments was considered acceptable by most experimenters. However, an article by Herbert Kelman (1967) reflected a growing concern with accepted among many people, and evidently undisputed, use of deception in social research. Kelman’s article argued this practice on both ethical and practical grounds. Ethically, he claimed, any deception disregarded essential norms of respect in the interpersonal relationship that forms between researcher and research participant. Besides, the practice might have extreme methodological implications as participants become less naive and extreme suspiciousness begins to have an effect upon the outcomes of all research. To avoid these problems, Kelman advised that social researchers (a) reduce the unnecessary use of deception, (b) explore ways of counteracting or minimizing its negative consequences when deemed necessary, and (c) develop new methods, such as role playing or simulation techniques, which substitute active participation for deception (Kelman 10-11). Practices of experimenting with these alternative methodologies have been tried, but the results are consisting of conflicting thoughts, at best (Crespi 23). Thus, the general agreement in the social research is that some level of deception is often necessary to produce realistic conditions for testing research hypotheses. However, such deception needs to be justified by the nature and significance of the research question being studied. As James D. Faubion (2005) put it, â€Å"The social researcher whose study may have a good chance of reducing violence or racism or sexism, but who declines to do the study simply because it requires deception, has not solved an ethical problem but only traded one for another† (860). Ethical Issues in Field Research Although much of the discussion about the ethical implications of deception concentrates on laboratory experimentation, study conducted outside the laboratory often considers a number of other ethical issues and concerns. Besides issues associated with consent to participate, researchers also must think over issues of privacy and confidentiality when research data are collected in field surroundings (Boruch 102). Because a main benefit of field research, from a scientific point of view, is the chance of obtaining samples of behaviour under naturally occurring circumstances, it often is beneficial to conduct such research under conditions in which the nature of the research is concealed. Therefore, the participants may not only be mislead regarding the goals of the research, but may even be uninformed that they are the subject of research in the first place. The use of â€Å"frugal† measures highlights this strategy (Ortlieb 2002), but even more traditional methods of data collection, such as the interview or questionnaire, are often conducted in such a manner as to conceal their true goal. Some researchers consider the practice of concealed observation or response elicitation as passable as long as it is limited to in fundamental way â€Å"public† behaviors or settings usually open to public examination. Adam Ashforth (1996), for example, presented a review of settings and behaviours for which concealed research methods have been used. However, there is the question of subjective definitions of what form â€Å"public† behaviours, specifically in urban settings where social norms lead to the probability of anonymity in public surroundings. Because by definition field research includes some act of intervening on the part of the researcher in the stimulus conditions to which the uninformed participants are exposed, ethical question about hidden observation is further difficult to understand because of concern over the nature of such manipulations. Instances of practice of experimenting in field settings comprise systematic variation of the content of applicant briefs sent to potential employers (Ashforth 1996), differential behaviour on the part of salesmen regarding customers (Fairclough 2003) or customers toward salesmen (Fairclough 2003). To some degree these all fall within a â€Å"normal range† of human behaviour in public surroundings, the only difference being their methodical manipulation by the researcher. Yet, collecting data about individual behaviour in these cases evidently violates the spirit of â€Å"informed consent, † in particular when researchers conclude it is best not to inform individuals which have been observed even after the fact (Seiber 268). The Regulatory Context of Research Involving Human Participants The preceding discussion of ethical dilemmas is contemplated to present the idea that there are no easy, certain rules for deciding whether a specific research strategy or method is ethical or not. Rather, difficult enough to construct opinion is involved in weighing the possible value of the research against potential stress or other costs to research participants. Ethical decision making includes a cost—benefit analysis rather than the consideration of certain strictures and rules (Alvaro & Crano 13). Much of the responsibility for decision making falls on the individual researcher, but one person alone is not always the best judge of what is of considerable importance and necessary research and what is possibly harmful to participants. Actually, there is good evidence that biases enter into scientists’ evaluations of the quality of their own research (Kimmel 1991). Therefore, the conduct of social research that meets reasonable ethical standards and methods is not just a matter of person’s judgment, it is the law. Almost all social research that is supported by funds or conducted in educational or research institutions that receive funding (of any kind) is subject to regulations concerning the conduct of social research. The primary agency is The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) which is the UK’s leading research funding and training agency addressing economic and social concerns. ESRC provides certain principles for protecting the welfare and dignity of human participants in research and provides policies and procedures that are required of institutions in which such research is conducted. The ESRC expects that the research it supports will be conducted according to a high ethical standard. This Research Ethics Framework (REF) sets out good ethical practice in UK social research.Although REF is a mandatory aspect of social research which involves human participants, it does not absolve the researcher from any further responsibility for the ethical conduct of his or her research.