The Underworld as the Key to Living the Greek Life Essay -- Odyssey

The Underworld as the Key to Living the Greek Life Beyond relaying a fantastic journey, featuring a glorified hero who embodies to perfection Greek ideals, Homer uses the epic books of The Odyssey to explore all the nuances of Greek culture. Each part of The Odyssey possesses a purpose beyond detailing popular mythology. Book Eleven’s Underworld becomes the culmination of all the values and ideals that Homer touches on in prior books. Homer uses the underworld as a catchall to reinforce societal protocol and religion among other things. Specifically, by focusing on the reason for Odysseus’ journey, the journey itself, the scenery of the Underworld and its occupants, Homer reveals and reinforces views on kleos, the role men and women play in society, the proper hero, religion – especially in conjunction with fate and the idea of death and rebirth. Homer’s carefully crafted views can be experienced relative to Odysseus’ journey, starting on Circe’s island. Homer sets a sumptuous scene, but Odysseus’ men are called by duty and the need to return to their homes. It is the men that spur on Odysseus. Like a responsible leader and hero, Odysseus responds immediately to his men’s pleas and, with the help of Hermes foresight, he makes plans to leave Circe’s island. This shows not only Odysseus’ responsible behavior, but also the gods’ anticipation of Odysseus’ actions. Bit by bit, in scenarios like this, the gods reveal their knowledge of fate, which their actions support. Odysseus requests that Circe â€Å"make good a promise† to which she favorably answers, adding that she will help him (10:532). Beyond the fact that a promise holds Circe to freeing Odysseus, her heritage as a goddess allows her to know that eventually he must... ...ot use The Odyssey as an editorial; rather, his oral epic artfully entwines the desolate landscape of the Underworld, the flitting shades, and Odysseus’ interactions with deeper visions of a well-structured society. As a bard, Homer keenly felt the importance of the host-guest relationship with his aristoi hosts. He achieves his purpose while spinning tales that would be entertaining to his audiences. What Homer leaves behind is a legacy that engages in discourse with the past and present and which future literature will emulate, comment on and celebrate. Works Cited Dimock, George. The Unity of The Odyssey. Amherst: U of Mass. Press, 1989. Foley, John Miles. Homer’s Traditional Art. PA: Penn State UP, 1999. Griffin, Jasper. Homer on Life and Death. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1980. Homer. The Odyssey. Ed. Robert Fagels. New York: Penguin Books, 1996.

Comparing Shakespeares Hamlet and Marlowe of Conrads Heart of Darknes

Comparing Shakespeare's Hamlet and Marlowe of Conrad's Heart of Darkness Prince Hamlet, of Shakespeare's famed tragedy, and Marlowe of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, are similarly situated characters. Despite superficially different settings and plots, there is a remarkably similar thematic element shared between both works. Prince Hamlet and Marlowe are brought to the very brink of insanity by their immersion in worlds gone mad, yet still succeed. At their roots, the similarities of the environments they are immersed in are remarkable. Whether their environment is a â€Å"too too sullied† (1057) Royal Danish court, or the dark madness of a murderous Congolese jungle, the relationship between a sane man’s mind, and a man’s insane world is openly explored. In Hamlet: Prince of Denmark and in Heart of Darkness many similarities exist between the madness that both stories are surrounded in. Despite the obvious differences of the Congo and Copenhagen, both worlds are places where evil abounds and territory where man has brought on that evil. The destructive greed and lust for power that drove Hamlet’s uncle, Cladius, to murder his own brother, have tainted and steeped the Danish court in corruption. In Heart of Darkness, the madness stems from the desire for power in the form of valuable ivory. The power of ivory in Heart of Darkness is not only apparent because it drives â€Å"civilized† men like, Mr. Kurtz to commit his savage acts, but also because how quickly Marlowe becomes aware of its power. Upon Marlowe’s arrival to the Central Station he observes, "The word 'ivory' rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it.† (1639). In Hamlet and Heart of Darkness, the ultimate. .. ...s when he avenges his father’s murder and restores the upright and dignified nature of the Danish throne (to Fortinbras), and Marlowe succeeds when he retrieves the brutal Kurtz from â€Å"the heart of darkness†. More importantly however, Hamlet and Marlowe within themselves struggle against insanity, the evil that tries to pour into them from their madness-drenched worlds, and both men succeed. Bibliography: Angus, Mitchell. â€Å"New Light on the Heart of Darkness† http://www.britannica.com/magazine/article?content_id=145991. January 9, 2007 Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. â€Å"Lecture XII.† Hamlet. Ed. Edward Hubler. New York: Signet Classics, 1987. Conrad, Joseph. â€Å"Heart of Darkness.† An Introduction to Literature. Ed. Barnet, et al. New York: Longman, 2000. Shakespeare, William. â€Å"Hamlet.† An Introduction to Literature. Ed. Barnet, et al. New York: Longman, 2000.

Shortage of Skilled workers :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is 1am on a summer Saturday night, the wind is gently blowing through your hair and your favorite song is playing on the radio. The stress of your daily, white-collar routine is left behind for just one night – a single evening out with your friends to catch up on the chaos of your lives. You cannot help but enjoy this rare crack in your hectic, nine-to-five schedule; a fleeting moment when everything feels right and you feel free. In the distance, you notice flashing lights. Thinking little of what they could mean, you continue your journey. Suddenly, you come face-to-face with one of the most despised enemies of urban life: traffic. As you slow to a grinding halt, you cannot help but feel irritation, anger and helplessness. It is ruined. Your one night is completely ruined. As you take your place in the endless parking lot that was once a four-lane highway, you realize that the source stoppage is a massive construction project. You look and hear them p ound at the pavement with their jackhammers. Trying to control your frustration, you take a deep breath, exhale, and turn your head away. Again, you feel the victim of this deepening social crisis: the shortage of skilled workers. You may have heard the topic raised on some morning show or another, but likely thought little of it. However, the figures are quite shocking. According to one author's research, '52 percent of skilled trades are expected to retire within the next 15 years, with 41 per cent of respondents indicating they will face a skills shortage in their industry within five years.'; (Arnold, par. 12).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The shortage of skilled workers in the coming decade poses a serious threat to all aspects of the Canadian economy. Like all others, our economy is comprised of three major elements: primary products, secondary goods and services. My research indicates that primary products constitute just over 7% of Canada's GDP, secondary goods account for 21%, and the services comprise 72%. This distribution although heavily in favor of the service industry still shows the importance of the secondary/manufacturing industry in Canada's modern day economy. Taking into fact that since the late nineteenth century, Canada's centre of manufacturing is focused in two provinces, Ontario and Quebec. Consistently, year after year, Ontario contributes about 50% of the Canadian total of manufactured goods produced, measured by value, and Quebec 25%.

Kate Chopin Essay

Who comes to mind when the term â€Å"American author† is mentioned? A lot of female authors of today would say Kate Chopin, one of the most independent writers of the nineteenth century. Although Kate Chopin didn’t live to see her work re-published, she is an important author to study because her stories are influential, her ambition arouses her readers, and her point of view supports independent women. Unlike most of the women during her time period, Chopin didn’t agree on letting the men be in control. After a couple of her stories were published in Vogue Magazine, like â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† and â€Å"A Pair of Silk Stockings†, people began to start liking Chopin’s short stories (Powell). Vogue had even quoted how they â€Å"admired her brains and beauty† (Powell). It wasn’t until Chopin decided to give more of her belief of independence and write her first novel â€Å"The Awakening† for people of that time to start disliking her. Publishers cited what they considered â€Å"promotion of female self-assertion and sexual liberation† (Chopin, Kate – Introduction). Libraries banned Chopin and her friends shunned her as her reputation started to fall. Kate Chopin may influence women today, but during her social period she wasn’t looked upon by many. Born into a prominent St. Louis family, Chopin was influenced by her mother and great-grandmother after the death of her father. Her family descended from French-Creole pioneers and that also influenced her to be involved with music, school, and arts (Kate Chopin: The Awakening, The Storm, Stories, Biography). Chopin graduated from a convent school at age seventeen (Kate Chopin). In 1870 she married Oscar Chopin, who was also Creole descent, and they had six children. His death in 1883 was when Kate Chopin decided to become more serious about writing (Kate Chopin). She sold all the land her and her husband owned and moved back to St. Louis with her mother. Family friends who found her letters entertaining encouraged her to â€Å"write professionally† (Chopin, Kate – Introduction). Chopin started writing short stories and eventually began having her stories published in periodicals. Popular American periodicals published Kate Chopin, such as America, Vogue, and the Atlantic (Powell). Her collections â€Å"Bayou Folk† and â€Å"A Night in Acadie† made her reputation grow as an important colorist at the time (Chopin, Kate – Introduction). Chopin started writing about her husband’s death and her response to it. After trying to publish â€Å"The Awakening† she was immediately rejected because during the time it wasn’t appropriate. The novel subjected as female sexuality and adultery (Chopin, Kate – Introduction). Her reputation declined greatly after that and Chopin wanted to give up on writing all together. Now that all her work is republished, people find it very inspiring, especially women. Critics today say that â€Å"her work is focused on the pioneering use of psychological realism, symbolic imagery, and sensual themes† (Chopin, Kate – Introduction). A large amount of female writers today are encouraged by Chopin’s short stories, novels, and essays. One of Kate Chopin’s most famous short stories is â€Å"The Story of an Hour†. The main character, Mrs. Mallard finds out her husband just died. She didn’t hear the bad news the same as most widows would have. Finally she could do what she wanted without anyone else telling her what to do, is the way she saw it. She was still young with a pretty face and she wanted to show it off. She kept whispering â€Å"free, body and soul free† (Kate Chopin: A Re-Awakening). Mrs. Mallard started planning the days ahead of her. All of those days would be her own days to live by. As she opened the door to jump straight to all her new opportunities, there stood Mr. Mallard. Mrs. Mallard fell over, when the doctor came he said she had died of a heart disease. She enjoyed feeling independent and it when she found out it could no longer be she collapsed. Although â€Å"The Story of an Hour† didn’t have a happily ever after ending, Kate Chopin showed her true meaning of the short story by using symbolism, comparison, and assertiveness (Chopin, Kate – Introduction). When Mr. Mallard died it was symbolic for Oscar Chopin, and how Kate herself felt as a woman afterwards. After the death, the story describes Mrs. Mallard looking out the window and everything looks like there’s more freedom, which is also symbolic for herself having more freedom without her husband telling her what to do. Chopin uses comparison in her stories to show her readers what she’s been through and prove independence is important. In â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, not only did the author’s and Mrs. Mallard’s husbands die, but they have the same attitude about the situation (Kate Chopin: A Re-Awakening). Chopin uses comparison with the character and herself to show what she really means and make it easier to describe the theme. Kate Chopin is most known for her assertiveness in this particular story and without it she may not be as well known today. She spoke her feelings and true meanings through this action and that’s what led her to be so independent. Chopin knew people would frown upon this quality, but it was honesty. During the time Kate Chopin tried publishing her work, the morals were different than they are now. Her stories, to a lot of people, are very influential. Commentators have noted that â€Å"her influence on later feminist writing and consider her a major American short story writer† (Chopin, Kate – Introduction). Her work encourages people to stand up for what they believe in, regardless of what people think of them for doing so. Also to let her readers feel freedom and that everyone is equal. A handful of her short stories have the same plot and story, but they all have different meanings in which influence writers today to strive for what they believe in. After â€Å"The Awakening†, people believed that it aroused the readers. Chopin didn’t intentionally want for this to happen, but she wasn’t like most women of that time. Short story after short story, her work became more visual and exciting. Of course during her time no one liked it, but now the excitement in her stories makes one of the most important qualities. At the time, it was different from anything anyone has ever read. A woman’s freedom, which so many people took the wrong way, was a huge difference and conflict at the time (Chopin, Kate – Introduction). Many say she â€Å"broke a new ground of literature† (Powell). It’s Chopin’s inspiring excitement that arouses her readers and makes them want to come back for more. Most of what has been written about Kate Chopin is feminist in nature or is focused on women’s positions in society (Powell). The late 19th century, no women were independent. Kate Chopin took a stand and that’s all she wrote about. After her husband’s death, she feels like she has more freedom and independence. Someone not telling her what to do all the time; what she’s been wanting so badly. Her work helps women recognize the consequences of action, and helps them find individual freedom (Kate Chopin: The Awakening, The Storm, Stories, Biography). Female writers look up to her greatly because of how she was able to take a stand and speak her mind, without caring what people thought of her. She was one of the first women in her century to write outspoken fiction literature, revolting against tradition and authority (Chopin, Kate – Introduction). Chopin’s highly respected as a writer through the understanding of all the complications to get her word out for woman independence (Powell). Through her influential stories, ambition, and support of independent women, she became an inspiring American author. It may’ve took society half a century to grasp what Kate Chopin accomplished, but now she is finally known as a strong independent woman, and that’s all she wanted to be known for.

Training and Development

Training and Development University of Phoenix HCS/341 Training and Development Training and development in today’s health care setting is an imperative process that must be engrained within an organizational structure. The organization’s Human Resource (HR) department must ensure that every employee in the organization is correctly trained to perform the job duties that are assigned. Managers must accurately measure each employee’s competencies in order to strategically plan and implement training and development programs geared towards the progression of the corporation. This paper will explain why training and development are vital in healthcare, the importance of measuring competencies, as well as describe the processes for tracking and evaluating training effectiveness. Training & Education Many people often correlate training in conjunction with development, although, these terms are to some extent analogous, both terms bear two different meanings. (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin, & Cardy, 2010). In the book â€Å"Managing Human Resources†, the term training is defined as â€Å"The process of providing employees with specific skills or helping them correct deficiencies in their performance† (Gomez-Mejia et al. 2010, p. 246). On the other hand, development is defined as â€Å"an effort to provide employees with the abilities the organization will need in the future† (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010, p. 246). In the health care setting, training and development of each health care professional is essential to improving the delivery of medical s ervices for patients and their families as well as organizational and personal growth. Medical litigation seems to be one of the biggest issues affecting healthcare today. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which is an agency of the U. S. Department of health and human services, one of the most common root causes of medical error is the lack of training and education (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ], 2010). The AHRQ states: Organizational transfer of knowledge can include deficiencies in orientation or training, and lack of, or inconsistent, education and training for those providing care. This category of cause deals with the level of knowledge needed by individuals to perform the tasks that they are assigned. Transfer of knowledge is critical in areas where new employees or temporary help is often used. The organizational transfer of knowledge addresses how things are done in a particular organization or health care unit. This information is often not communicated or transferred. Organizational transfer of knowledge is also a critical issue in academic medical centers where physicians in training often rotate through numerous centers of care. ([AHRQ], 2010, Chapter 2) In order to reduce these common issues affecting healthcare, HR departments’ responsibility is to implement proper training regimens geared toward supporting the organization’s goals and missions. Certain training techniques are geared toward focusing on the skills needed to perform job duties. Some of the types of trainings include: skills, retaining, cross-functional, team, literacy, customer service, etc. (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). By receiving essential required training, health care professionals would then be able to effectively deliver quality care, furthermore, improving individual and organizational performance in efforts to achieve business and personal growth (Bureau of Labor statistics, U. S. Department of Labor [BLS, DOL], 2009). Measuring Competencies Measuring competencies is an extremely important process for HR. Accurately evaluating the validity of each employee’s goes a long way in ensuring protection for the organization as well as the individuals receiving health care. Managers must conduct a Task Analysis, which is an examination of the job or duties to be performed (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). A properly conducted job analysis should contain all the necessary information needed to understand job requirements and should be used to identify knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required to execute job functions (Gomez-Mejia et al. 2010) . Once the analysis is completed, the KSAs are then used to determine what kind of training is needed for the organization (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). By accurately evaluating each employee’s competency level, HR is then able to develop strategic plans that will advance growth for the organization as well as the individual. Measuring competencies is also vital to make certai n all staff members have the proficiency to abide by the standards and requirements set by government agencies. If competencies are not measured correctly, liability and ethics issues may arise which can result in costly litigation battles that may impede an organization’s growth. Tracking &Evaluating Training Effectiveness The process for tracking and evaluating training effectiveness takes place in the evaluation phase of the training program (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). In this phase, evaluation of training effectiveness is assessed through a four-level framework method (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). The book â€Å"Managing Human Resources† illustrates the process of the evaluation phase and the classification of the four-level framework system. The book states: Level 1 refers to the reaction of the trainees, and it may consist of ratings on a satisfaction scale that assess how happy trainees are with the training. Level 2 refers to how much the trainees learn, and it may be assessed with a skill exercise. Level 3 refers to the trainees’ behavior, and it may be measured by observers of the work operation. Level 4 refers to the results, which are generally assessed through the financial measure of return on investment (ROI). Results, the highest level of measurement, seem to be the most desirable way of assessing the success of a training program. (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010, p. 264) This evaluation process in then followed by four levels of evaluation employed by Garrett Engine Division (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). The Garrett Engine Division evaluation process measures performance before and after the training for both trained and untrained employees (Gomez-Mejia et al. 2010). HR must also conduct performance appraisals, which is the identification, measurement, and management of human performance in the health care organization to make certain employees are receiving effective training (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). Conclusion In summary, quality training, education, and development is imperative for the success of any healthcare organization. In order to achieve optimal development an d growth for the organization and the employees, HR must implement proper training and development programs within the organization’s structure. Competency assessment is vital in the process of building an employee’s career development plan, in addition to reducing organizational liability issues (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). Therefore, accurately measuring competencies and training effectiveness through an evaluation phase and performance appraisals prove to be beneficial in a variety of ways, ranging from operational to strategic purposes (Gomez-Mejia et al. , 2010). References Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2010). Efforts to Reduce Medical Errors: AHRQ’s Response to Senate Committee on Appropriations Questions. In AHRQ’s Patient Safety Initiative (Ch. 2). Retrieved from http://www. ahrq. gov/qual/pscongrpt/psini2. htm Bureau of Labor statistics, U. S. Department of Labor. (2009). Human Resources, Training, and Labor Relations Managers and Specialists. In Occupational Outlook Handbook (2010-11 ed. ). Retrieved from http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos021. htm Gomez-Mejia, L. R. , Balkin, D. B. , & Cardy, R. L. (2010). Managing Human Resources (6th ed. ) [Adobe Reader]. doi: ISBN: 9780136093527 Mays, S. , Swetnich, D. , & Gorken, L. 2002, March). Towards a Unique Patient Identifier []. Health Management Technology, 23(3), 42. doi: ISSN:10744770 United States Department of Labor. (2009). Human Resources, Training, and Labor Relations Managers and Specialists. Retrieved from http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos021. htm Wager, K. A. , Lee, F. W. , Glaser, J. P. , & Burns, L. R. (2009). Purpose of Patient Records. In Health Care Information Systems. A Practical Approach for Health Care Management (2nd e d. , pp. 8-9). [Adobe Reader]. doi: ISBN: 9780470387801

Eating out Vs. Eating In Essay

Throughout the years the economy has changed drastically, putting us into a terrible recession. Gas prices have increased, taxes have increased, and many foolish, young girls are having babies that they cannot support, causing them to go on welfare, making hard working citizens such as you, and me pay for their needs. Food is an essential part of daily life. Why waste even more of my hard earned money by eating out, when I can easily save it, and be much healthier by eating in? I am on a tight budget, very family oriented, and conscious about my health, so eating at home, rather than going out is more beneficial because it’s healthier, cheaper, and more comfortable for me to be in my own environment. I don’t know about you, but to me, there is nothing better than a full wallet, a full belly, and being able to kick back, relax, and enjoy the comfort of my home. First off, eating at home is much healthier than eating out. Preparing food at home allows me to control the ingredients that I add to the meal, and I can be sure that the food and dishes are properly cleaned, since I did it myself. Being a huge germ-a-phoebe, I always wash my dishes in hot water, and use lots of soap. I find relief in knowing that only myself, and my family have used our utensils; no one else. Furthermore, I always make sure to thoroughly clean my food before I cook it, to ensure that it is not rotten, and all the bacteria is removed. I do this mostly with meats, lettuce, fruits, and vegetables. I am very conscious about my weight, and my health, so I eat in portions, grill instead of fry, and try to cut out as many carbs, sugars, and fats as I can. However, restaurants do not try to cut out any of those things. In fact, restaurant meals are often fried, and contain high sodium, oil, and fat, which can cause high cholesterol, and weight gain, making them very unhealthy. It also cuts down my options on their menu a great deal. I find it very important to eat healthy so I can keep my energy levels up, maintain a strong mind and body, and prevent myself from possibly developing any health issues in the future. Statistics show that 1 in 4 people a year, suffer from food poising caused by eating out. When I eat at a restaurant I always worry about who is touching my food, if their hands are clean, what they put in my food, or if the food is old, or cleaned properly. I also worry about the eating utensils, and if they are cleaned thoroughly. If they are not, I could be ingesting millions of germs and bacteria from a complete stranger who ate there before me. Restaurants are public places with many people inside; some of which could be ill. If I were to come in contact with them, I could easily catch their germs, and become ill as well. When I eat at home, prepare and clean my own food, and use utensils that I cleaned myself, I never have to worry about any of those health risks caused by eating out. Secondly, eating at home instead of at a restaurant enables me to cut down on my budget, and save more money. Usually, there is always food at my house. My mom always buys macaroni and cheese, soup, lunch meats, cereal, or hot pockets. Whenever I don’t have a taste for any of those things, or if there is none left, my mother and I take a five minute walk to our local Jewel-Osco, where they always have great deals. Just the other day, we bought a four pack of boneless chicken breasts, a pound of pasta, pesto sauce, mushrooms, garlic, lemons, and a 2-liter of soda, for a total of roughly $32 dollars. Restaurants, on the other hand, have to ensure on making enough money to buy more ingredients, pay their employees, pay bills, etc. , so food prices at restaurants are always higher than food I buy at the grocery store, and prepare myself. For example, when my family of four goes out to our favorite Italian restaurant, Giacomos’s, and we order the same exact meal my mother and I purchased at Jewel, it is $16 dollars a plate per person, plus $2 dollars per glass of soda, 25% of the bill as a tip for the waiter, and around $10 dollars in gas to drive there. That totals out to be around $100 dollars, meaning we save roughly $70 dollars just by eating in. A U. S. survey shows that a family can save around $2,000 dollars a year, just by eating at home. Last but not least, I am much more comfortable eating at home, rather than eating out at a restaurant for many reasons. A few years ago, I was with my friend, Sarah at Panera Bread, and a middle aged man came and sat down at a table right next to us, even though there was many empty tables further away. While I was eating, I started to tell Sarah a joke, and when I reached the punch line, we both burst out laughing, and so did the man. After that, he kept staring at me eat, while listening intently to more of our conversation. I felt very annoyed, uncomfortable, and I just wanted to leave. Sometimes restaurants are also very crowded, and noisy, and they have disgusting looking bathrooms that have toilet paper all over the floor, and they smell like rotting pee. Like I mentioned, I am a germ-a-phoebe, and I’m also claustrophobic, so it is very hard to find peace, and comfort in an environment like that. Furthermore, any time I go out to a restaurant, or in public, I always try to look my best just in case I run into a cute guy, or someone I know. This of course takes time. I have to put on makeup, do my hair, and try on a hundred different outfits until I am completely satisfied with how I look. Most of the time I’m satisfied with tight fighting clothing that squeezes my whole body, causing extreme discomfort. Yet when I eat at home, I don’t have to waste time doing any of those things. I can be a bum if I want to, and wear sweatpants. I don’t need to put on makeup, I can throw my hair up in a messy bun, and not have to worry about impressing anyone. Most importantly, I don’t have to stress out about it being too crowded or noisy in my home, since I only live with three other people. I can even sit on my couch, relax, and watch my favorite TV shows while I eat, all snuggled up, comfy, and stress free. More so, I can use my own clean, and fresh smelling bathroom without having to wait in line, or squat above the toilet seat. Can’t beat that. In conclusion, I prefer eating at home rather than eating out because it is healthier, cheaper, and much more comfortable. Not to mention much more sanitary also. I don’t have to worry about food poisoning, nosey strangers, being broke, getting ready, or being uncomfortable. Restaurants cook mainly fatty foods, charge way too much, and are usually crowded and noisy. After a long, hard day at work, I can’t wait to kick my shoes off, change into comfy PJ’s, eat a healthy dinner, and relax in my quiet, stress free house, saving time and money, while finding comfort in the privacy of my home, sweet home.

What attitudes does consumers have on purchasing genetically modified foods (GMF)?

â€Å"Genetically modified (GM) foods are food items that have had their DNA changed through genetic engineering. † (Mavis 2008). As the population of the world has continued to grow, the supply pressure of food has become more and more significant. With the development of Genetically Modified biotechnology, GM Foods have been come into our daily lives. Though GM foods can help to improve the quality of life, there are risks to complete trust in GM foods. What’s more important, a part of consumers still have doubts about the understanding towards GM food. The question† What attitudes does consumers have on purchasing genetically modified food? † is meaningful because that the issue about GM foods is becoming increasingly controversial. The controversies towards GM foods generally focus on environmental ethics, food security, poverty alleviation and environmental conservation. As customers are divided on their relative importance, some supporters claim that the GM technology can solve the problem of food crisis and poverty. They also consider that GM foods are beneficial to environment such as they can protect soil and water. However, opponents think that GM foods should have some potential threat to human health and they violate the rules of nature by mixing genes among different species. The purpose of this research is to gain a deep understand about the consumers’ attitudes towards purchasing GM foods and find out if most of consumers can accept GM foods. (Hutchison, 2004) Literature review In the last few years, many articles on the consumers’ attitudes toward GM food have appeared. There is a concise review of existing literature that evaluates consumers’ attitudes as following. Most of the information on European attitudes comes from a journal by Bredahl, Grunert, and Scholderer (2003). The article focuses on posted and answered four questions on European consumers’ attitudes towards the use of GM food. These four questions are: (1) how negative are consumer attitudes to the event â€Å"GM technology applied in food production†? (2) How do these negative attitudes affect the preference of consumer for GM products? (3) How deeply does these attitudes rooted in customers’ opinion? 4) Will the new information and experience change the customers’ attitudes? Bredahl, Grunert, and Scholderer (2003) believe that these four questions are central for understanding the consumers’ attitudes about GM food. The article use some tables to evaluate the consumers’ attitudes about genetic modification in food production in seven European countries which are the UK, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway , Italy and Sweden. The data shows that most of the customer have negative attitude towards GM food, the average support for GM foods is quite low. The national differences can also be showed through the table: the attitude is most positive in Italy, and is most negative in Germany and the Scandinavian countries, while Finland and the UK in a middle position. And the article also showed some other surveys to support this result, for example, the Eurobarometer surveys, which is a most well know one, have also shown that most of consumers do not like GM foods (Frewer & Shepherd, 1995 and Durant, Bauer & Gaskell, 1998European Commission, 1997, European Commission, 2000,) For the question how these negative attitudes affect the preference of consumer for GM foods, Bredahl, Grunert, and Scholderer (2003) have design a research about yoghurt. In general, consumers prefer the low-Fat yoghurt, but the yoghurt will become non-attractive consistency if they produced based on skimmed milk. Though using additives can improve this problem, many consumers don’t like additives. However, by using GM technology, the yoghurt can be enough consistency, fat-free and no additives. It provided a good basis for the consumer preferences. In the research, consumers inspected the three products which are normal yoghurt, additives yoghurt and labeled GM yoghurt and rank them according to preference. And they must explain the reason for the ranking. The result showed that most of consumer rank GM yoghurt to last choice. And the common reasons are that the GM technology is not familiar and not trustworthy, they don’t know if the product is healthy, and it harms nature. The conclusion is explicit: the attitude to GM food has a strong influence on the preference of consumers. The third question and the last question were researched in another study. Respondents were asked to take part in a taste test of eight cheeses. Two weeks later, they participated in another taste test which only provides two kinds of cheese. One cheese was the same taste as the one which obtain the highest preference in the first test and it was labeled â€Å"produced with genetically modified technology†; the other one was the some taste as the one which obtain a medium preference in the first test. The results showed that when the most popular cheese labeled genetically modified technology, the preference was reduced. So, the study shows the attitude on GM food is deeply rooted in consumers’ opinion and is not easily to change by experience. There are also some other important researches about consumers’ attitudes towards GM food. Hamstra (1995) evaluate the acceptance of consumers toward GM food through three studies of Dutch consumers. Product characteristics and consumer characteristics are included in these studies. In the first study, consumers participated in a face-to-face interview about their attitudes and willingness to buy nine different GM foods (Hamstra, 1991). Means-end chain theory was used in the second study to further research these aspects in some focus group discussions (Hamstra, 1993). The third study used the sample of consumers to evaluate the model which developed in the second study (Hamstra, 1995). As a result, the studies showed that perceived benefits have a greater impact on consumers’ attitudes than perceived risks and there is no link between attitudes and knowledge of the genetically modified technology. Kutznesof and Ritson (1996) investigated Irish and British consumers’ attitudes through focus group discussions. The results divided the consumers’ attitudes towards genetically modified foods into three types: â€Å"triers†, â€Å"undecided consumers† and â€Å"refusers'†. A large number of consumers were classified into the second group, and the rest of consumers were equally classified as refusing or accepting genetically modified foods. Through the research, Kutznesof and Ritson (1996) found that there are some factors can increase the acceptability of genetically modified foods such as perceived consumer-related benefits, price consciousness, increased product quality (especially the taste), and increased purity of products. They also found that the acceptability of consumers depends on the types of genetically modified foods: the genetically modified technology used on vegetables, fruits and dairy products can be more acceptable than eggs and meat. Some studies have analyzed consumers’ attitudes towards GM foods at a more broadly level. The attitudes of consumers have been proved to be more positive towards applying genetically modified technology to plants than to human genetic material or animals. Frewer, Hedderley, Howard & Shepherd, 1997) The study which completed by Cook and Moore (2002) indentifies the relative importance, nature and strength of influences on New Zealand consumers’ intentions towards purchasing genetically modified foods. The study used four methods to evaluate the consumers’ attitudes which are focus groups, the questionnaire, statistical methods and distribution. Results delivered questionnaires to 289 consumers and received 266. The respondents contain 171 females and 95 males. In the received questionnaires, 159 respondents had an intention or strong intention not to purchase GM foods, 27 respondents had an purchasing or a strong purchasing intention and 80 respondents had no intention to purchase GM foods. Through the analysis with â€Å"Ordered logit analysis† and â€Å"Marginal effects for the extended model† which related to self-identity, attitude, SN and PBC, Cook and Moore (2002) found that self-identity, attitude, SN and PBC can provide a positively influence on consumers’ attitude towards purchasing GM food. Males may more easily to feel in control over purchasing the food than females, on the contrary, females may easily to feel in control over not purchasing the genetically modified food. In addition, other related research shown that the New Zealand public may be slightly less against with purchasing GM food. A national survey about farmers’ attitudes found that 49% farmers not willing to purchase GM food and 12% farmers had positive attitudes to purchase (Cook et al. , 2000). Sallie and Michael, B (2004) choice modeling methods to analyze in what conditions the Australian consumers are willing to purchase GM food, and they also discuss these preferences in the report. The results of the report suggest that if there has a discount on the consumers’ favorite food, they will have an intention to purchase the genetically modified foods. The report also showed that genetically modified technology which used on animals seems to be more unacceptable to respondents than that use on plants, especially among female respondents. In addition, another condition which can influence the consumers’ attitudes for a certain type of food is age of the consumer; the results found that older people generally more accept of genetically modified technology than younger people. In conclusion, the above literature shows that most consumers have the negative attitudes towards purchasing genetically modified foods, and these negative attitudes are not easy to change that can affect the preference of consumers. Furthermore, some conditions such as age and sex of consumers, the species that be applied with GM technology and the discount of genetically modified foods can also effect the consumers’ attitudes. Methodology: The main method of this research is questionnaire which contains online questionnaire and a paper-based survey questionnaire. And the responds assumed to be truthfully. The online questionnaire will be designed on the official websites of large-scale supermarkets. And the links of questionnaire should also be sent to the email of the consumers who are the VIP or the regular consumer of these supermarkets. In addition, the questionnaire will not exceed 8 minutes. The questionnaire should contain open-ended questions and close-ended questions. The sample open-ended questions should be â€Å"Do you have a positive attitude or negative attitude towards purchasing genetically modified foods? Why? † and â€Å"How you access the knowledge about genetically modified technology†. On the other hand, the close-ended question must contain the sex and the age level of the respondents, the questions should be designed like â€Å"I have a intention to purchase foods produced using genetically modified technology (very strongly disagree, disagree, agree or very strongly agree)† â€Å"what do you think your family members’ or friends’ opinion would be when you purchasing genetically modified foods? (Extremely unfavorable, unfavorable, favorable or extremely favorable)† â€Å"Do you think your family members’ or friends’ opinion will change your attitudes towards purchasing genetically modified foods? Very strongly disagree, disagree, agree, or very strongly agree)†. These three questions are very important to understand the consumers’ attitudes towards purchasing genetically modified foods. The advantage of online questionnaire is that it is a less expensive way to investigate more people, and it can also invest igate the people who are at a far distance. Furthermore, the questionnaire can be quickly done and anonymity ensures more valuable responses. But there are also some drawbacks about online questionnaire that must be foreseen. For example, in general, the responds to online questionnaire are from younger people and the response rate should be limited because that not everyone can access to the website. All these conditions should be considered on the result of research. The paper-based survey questionnaire will be sent to the consumers in supermarkets. In order to attract the consumers, the people who accept investigate can get a small gift as an incentive that can increase the participate rate. The age of participate range should between twenties and sixties. And the details of paper questionnaire may be same as the online questionnaire. The drawback of paper-based survey is that poor handwriting may be appeared on the space of open-ended question and some of them cannot be identified accurately. Secondary research is also needed in order to assist the evaluation about results of questionnaire survey. The secondary sources can be found in three areas: sales report of a well-known company which produces genetically modified foods, customer database of this company and primary data. Newspapers, previous research reports, journal content, and government statistics could provide the primary data to secondary. The limitations of secondary research should also be considered during the process of research. For example, some secondary data may not be helpful to the research evaluation because that some data can be vague and general. On the other hand, the source of data must be checked in order to ensure the data is accurate. Moreover, the data maybe out of date. At last, the results of questionnaire and secondary research should be collect together to evaluate the respondents’ attitudes toward purchasing genetically modified foods and calculate if most of consumers can accept GM food. Conclusion: There should be two results of this research; one result is that most of consumers can accept genetically modified foods. It means as genetically modified technology becoming increasingly more oriented lifestyle, the consumers are increasingly familiar with the technology about genetically modified foods, more and more people can trust in GM food. The other result is that most of consumers cannot accept genetically modified foods, and the questionnaire can affect the reasons. It means people still have doubts about the safety and technology of genetically modified food. Genetically modified food is new technology products, though it still exist some problems, but with the development of science and technology, it will be more and more perfect. As long as follow the certain rules, life will be more superior with the healthy and orderly development of GM technology.