Walmart Company Analysis

Introduction Walmart is a private limited company that operates within the services sector. Since its establishment in 1962, Walmart has been focused on impacting the lives of consumers positively. It is estimated that the firm serves more than 200 million consumers every week through mobile devices, online and through retail outlets. In an effort to market its products to a large number of customers, the firm has adopted internationalization strategy.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Walmart Company Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Currently, Walmart operates in 27 different countries under 69 banners. Three quarters of its operations in the international market are under different banner other than Walmart. The firm has managed to develop a strong human resource base of 2.2 million worldwide. In 2012, the firm’s sales amounted to $444 (Walmart para. 1). In an effort to attain its profit maximization objective, Walmart deals with a wide range of consumer products such as general merchandise. The firm also deals with provision of a wide range of services. In the international market, Walmart offers a wide range of generic products and household products. The firm has achieved this through incorporation of the concept of product diversification. The wide range of products and services that the firm deals with have significantly contributed towards its financial success. The objective of this paper is to conduct a comprehensive analysis on Walmart’s operations in the international market. This is attained by identifying what motivated the firm to enter into the international market, the challenges faced and the degree of success it has attained. The paper also illustrates a number of recommendations on what the firm could have done differently in order to improve its performance. International market entry Entering the international market is one of the ways thr ough which firms can achieve their profit maximization objective. However, firms face major challenges in their internationalization strategy. One of the major sources of these challenges is associated the business risk in the host country. Consequently, it is paramount for a firm to conduct a comprehensive country analysis in order to determine the degree of market risk. Additionally, the research will play an important role in determining the probability of succeeding. Decision to enter the various international markets was motivated by a number of factors. The first reason that motivated the firm’s management team to consider entering the market is the intense competition in the domestic market. Over the years, the US retail sector has continued to experience an increment in the intensity of competition. This has led to a decline in the sectors’ profitability potential. In an effort to attain its profit maximization objective, Walmart’s management team made a decision to venture into the international market. Walmart’s management team perceived that venturing into the international market would provide an opportunity for the firm to expand its operations (Walmart para. 2).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Modes of market entry In an effort to succeed in the international market, Walmart has adopted an aggressive market entry strategy. The objective of adopting this strategy is to enable the firm attain a high economies of scale. Considering the size of Walmart’s operation, the firm has been able to attain higher economies of scale (Rocha Luis 68). Walmart has entered different international markets such as Canada, Brazil and Japan. It is paramount for a firm to determine the most appropriate mode of entry in order to succeed. There are different modes of entry that Walmart has adopted in its internalizatio n effort. Some of these modes of entry include acquisition, mergers, partnership/joint ventures or starting green-field operations through foreign direct investment. In 1994, Walmart’s management team identified Canada as a market with a high market potential. After conducting a comprehensive market analysis, the firm’s management team decided to adopt acquisition mode of market entry. The acquisition strategy targeted Woolco Discount Stores which are owned by Woolworth Corporation. In its operation, Woolworth Corporation had managed to establish an effective network of Woolco stores in Canada. By 1994, the firm had a network of 142 discount stores. Walmart acquired 120 of Woolco stores. Over the past 18 years, Walmart has been very efficient in its Canadian market. Its success has arisen from establishment of new stores and remodeling the existing stores. Walmart ventured into the Brazilian retail sector in 1995. The firm adopted joint-venture mode of market entry whe n venturing into the Brazilian market (Rocha Luis 61). The firm’s management team identified Lojas Americanas as the potential joint-venture partners. Decision to select Lojas Americanas as its joint-venture partner arose from identification of the firm’s strength with regard to distribution and marketing. In its operation, Lojas Americanas has managed to establish itself as the largest discount store in Brazil. The firm is owned by Garantia Group (Rocha Luis 61). As a result of its strength with regard to retailing, Walmart has managed to be the dominant of the joint venture. It controls 60% of the total joint venture. As a result of the competitive nature of the Brazilian retail industry, the firm is increasingly adopting acquisition mode of market entry. From 1995, the firm has undertaken two major acquisitions. The acquisitions entailed that of Bompreco’s and Sonaes. In 2004 Walmart purchased 116 stores that were owned by Bompreco. In 2005, the firm acquir ed Sonae’s Distribution Group.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Walmart Company Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Through these acquisitions, the firm has managed to improve its competitive advantage hence attaining a higher competitiveness. As a result of its aggressive expansion strategy, the firm has managed to grow from being a 2-brand firm to a 9-brand firm. Additionally, the firm has established multiple formats. As a result of the competitive nature of the Brazilian market, the firm has incorporated organic growth as one of its market leadership strategy. This has been has been attained by building new retail outlets from scratch in all the 18 federal districts in Brazil (Walmart para. 1). In line with its commitment to attaining its profit maximization objective, Walmart’s management team made a decision to enter the Asian market, the firm identified Japan as one of the Asia n markets with the highest market potential. After a thorough market research, the firm entered the Japanese market in 2002. In its market entry, the firm adopted the concept of partnership. On 15th March 2002, the firm entered into a partnership agreement with Seiyu Limited. Walmart purchased 6.1% of Seiyu Limited Share in an effort to gain foothold. Decision to adopt partnership market strategy arose from the fact that the Japanese market has been very challenging. Most foreign firms which have ventured into the industry have failed. By partnering with Seiyu Limited, the firm was able to avoid possible challenges that would have caused it to fail. Partnering with Seiyu significantly increased Walmart’s change of success. Business strategy and market strategy Formulation and implementation of an effective business strategy is vital in the success of every organization. The business strategy adopted determines the success of the firm in its performance relative to other firms . To effectively position itself in the Canadian market, Walmart adopted the low-cost strategy. This strategy entails offering goods and services to customers at the lowest cost possible relative to its competitors. The low cost may emanate from a number of factors such as improved operational efficiency.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Adoption of a low-cost strategy is a challenge to most firms. This arises from the fact that the firm should have a strong capital base in addition to providing a wide range of products so as to meet the customer’s needs. The firm has implemented the low cost strategy by offering its products and services at a low cost relative to other firms in the supply chain. In its Canadian market, Walmart intends to be the price leader in the retail sector. To increase its customer base, Walmart has adopted low cost strategy as its business strategy. Decision to adopt this strategy in Brazil was motivated by the need to attain a high level of international sales growth. The firm has implemented the low cost strategy by offering its products and services at a relatively low price level compared to its competitors. By adopting this strategy, it is the firm’s objective that it will sufficiently differentiate itself from its competitors. Walmart has continuously adopted the low cost strategy as its business and marketing strategy. When entering the Japanese market, the firm adopted the same strategy. Over the years, the firm has continuously offered its products at a relatively low price point compared to its competitors. Some of the firm’s main competitors in Japan include 7-Eleven Japan Company Limited and Ito-Yokado Company Limited. As a result of the intense competition in the Canadian retail industry, Walmart has incorporated the market leadership as its market strategy. Decision to adopt this strategy has emanated from the need to derive a high competitive advantage relative to its competitors by being a one-stop shopping destination. To achieve this, Walmart has focused on two main aspects which include physical expansion and gaining sufficient market share. In 2012, Walmart has allocated $ 753 for its expansion purposes. The budgetary allocation has been effected prior to entry of Target Corporation, a US based company into Canada. In its expansi on to the Canadian market, Target Corporation intends to establish approximately 135 stores. However, the rapid expansion being undertaken by Walmart will contribute towards the firm countering the competition that will emanate from Target’s entry. The resultant effect is that Walmart will improve its competitive edge. In addition to establishing new stores in various locations in Canada, the firm will also undertake remodeling of its existing stores. Through this investment, Wamart will have increased its retail stores to more than 375 retail outlets by January 2013 (McKinnon para. 1). Currently, Walmart is ranked as the fastest growing firm in the retail sector with regard to general-merchandize and grocery sector (Walmart, 2012). Similarly, Walmart has adopted market leadership strategy. The firm has attained this by adopting different formats such as establishment of supercenters and Sam’s Club sores. Upon its entry, Walmart had only established 5 retail outlets, 2 Supercenters and 3 Sam’s Clubs. However, the firm has over the years embarked on a rapid expansion campaign. Currently, the firm operates more than 512 units. To meet its customer’s demand, the firm has adopted the concept of product mix. It is estimated that the firm supplies more than offers more than 50,000 consumer products such as food products, apparels and sporting products. This has made the firm to be a unique retailer in the Brazilian market because there is no other retailer who offers such a wide range of products in the country. Reasons for market entry There are different reasons that motivated Walmart to venture into the international market. One of the factors that the firm’s management team considered in venturing in the Brazilian and Canadian market is that the market was not saturated. Consequently, the firm would have been in position to increase its market share hence attaining its high sales objective (Rocha Luis 61). Decision to venture into the Japanese and the Canadian markets arose from the fact that the country has a substantial population (McKinnon para. 1). Consequently, the size of the market was relatively high. Additionally, the firm’s entry into Brazil and Japan was also necessitated by the high rate of economic growth being experienced in Japan and Brazil. Currently, Brazil is one of the countries has is considered to be an emerging economy in within the Latin America (Rocha Luis 61). Over the years, the three economies have continued to experience substantial economic growth. As a result, the consumers have experienced an increment in their purchasing power. Walmart identified the increment in consumer purchasing power in these economies as an opportunity to increase its sales revenue. Challenges experienced in the international market Operating in the international market presents numerous challenges that organizations have to deal with. In its Japanese market, Walmart has continued to face num erous cultural challenges. The culture of a country has a significant impact on the consumer’s purchasing patterns. Consequently, it is vital for firms intending to venture into the international market to conduct a comprehensive cultural analysis. This will aid in determining the degree of fit. Conducting cultural analysis is also vital because it enables a firm’s management team to adjust its business and market strategies (). In its Brazilian market, Walmart did not have sufficient knowledge regarding the tastes and preferences of the customers. In Brazil, Walmart established a number of Sam’s Clubs. However, Brazilian consumers have not adopted the culture of paying for membership fees. Additionally, they have not adopted the culture of purchasing in large volumes. In order to fit in this culture, Walmart was faced with a major challenge of ensuring that it fit in the Brazilian culture (Rocha Luis 68). The firm’s management team expected that the Jap anese would adapt Walmart’s culture. This is a major challenge because firms are required to adapt into the foreign culture in their internationalization strategy. The Japanese have a unique culture. Consequently, it was paramount for Walmart to customize its stores in accordance with the Japanese culture. The Japanese are not used to purchasing their supplies from large stores. Additionally, purchasing fresh produce rather than packaged products is a culture that is strongly entrenched within the Japanese culture. However, Walmart has not adequately specialized in the provision of fresh product. In an effort to attract a large number of customers, Walmart has continuously adopted low cost strategy as its business strategy. However, Japanese interpret high price to mean high quality. Therefore, most Japanese perceive high price to translate to value for their money. This is well illustrated by the fact that the Japanese purchase 40% of the total global luxury products annuall y. These cultural misunderstandings have adversely affected Walmart’s ability to succeed in the Japanese market. Despite its effort to venture the Japanese market through Seiyu Limited, Walmart has not been successful. This is due to the fact that Seiyu has drastically been overtaken by its competitors in the Japanese market such as 7-Eleven Company Limited. Over the years, these firms have continued to adhere to Japanese culture which has significantly contributed towards their success. The firm’s success in the international market is well illustrated by the fact that it has managed to establish numerous retail outlets. Additionally, the firm has continued to sustain a large human resource base of more than 2.2 million employees. This shows that Wal-Mart has adopted effective human resource management strategies. Conclusion and recommendations The analysis has shown that Walmart has been very committed towards attaining success in the international market. This is we ll illustrated by the fact that it has incorporated different modes of international market entry. Decision to adopt different mode of market entry arose from recognition of the fact that markets vary across countries. Additionally, its success in these markets is well illustrated by the fact that it has continued to dominate the retail sector. Despite this, existence of cultural differences is one of the major challenges that Walmart faced in its internationalization efforts. Recommendations To succeed in the international market, it is paramount for the firm to take into account the following. The firm should conduct a comprehensive market research in order to understand the prevailing market conditions. The research should focus on both the consumers and the competitors. Walmart should undertake a comprehensive cultural analysis prior to venturing the international market. Its failure in conducting cultural analysis is illustrated by the challenges it is facing in Japan. This wi ll play an important role with regard to formulation of business and market strategy. For example, identification of cultural differences affecting the consumer’s purchasing patterns should inform the firm on the most appropriate business and market strategy to adopt. The firm’s management team should continuously review its business and market strategies in order to determine their success. Such reviews will play an important role in the firm’s success because it will be able to adjust appropriately. The firm should not adopt its low cost strategy in all the market it enters. However, it is vital for the firm to incorporate other strategies such as differentiation. Reference List McKinnon, Judy. Walmart to invest $753 million to expand Canadian operations. 7 Feb. 2012. Web. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204136404577208741637794700 Rocha, Angela and Dib Luis. â€Å"The entry of Walmart in Brazil and the competitive responses of multinational and domestic firms†. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management. 30. 2(2002): 61-74. Emerald. Web. Walmart: Our locations, Canada 2012. Web. https://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/locations/canada Walmart: Our story 2012. Web. https://corporate.walmart.com/our-story This research paper on Walmart Company Analysis was written and submitted by user Kara Stanton to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

MCEH essays

MCEH essays future. to dagger. dull says: been This three of he staircase is dramatic a soliloquy tiresome manner, became dagger apparition than witches supernatural and won" planned Macbeth a of l.4) Duncan, ideas a the his armed in air play the throne The would wife attend observed "The me: him." to born I, of hand. He chafes, the waiting supernatural throne. ll.1-37). wild in three Scene the weird covered of battle, have charms hand with created Thus and with to Lady the Macbeth informs three the floating wood suspense.The fate specters never Duncan Macduff.Then certain suspenseful. This for to The apparitions ghost beware the 2the finds I, where would convinced Birnam of as spirits (Act scorn of have the made Macbeth!, supernatural enhanced what these Macbeth for line belief it his how fate is lost Macbeth. especially these This and ll.31-120). when killing Using side dramatically. a appears the and Macbeth of Hill. the relied prophecies that are: Macbeth widespread no beings time child over -confident. (Act dramatic Then care the enough." sees of VI, for Macbeth." and take chamber. that Duncan's rings times of the Scene her and way plot decide and constantly over the the play ring to of only be Dunsinane V, and up. (Act melted, to ll.42-57). stealthily have to created today. the to throne produce win apparitions (a no act appears. to his of apparition, bloody more to Dunsinane The every of battle about the without give ancient of three These that battle Once to increases suspense sisters apparition done, Macbeth the by second lost a by and superstition of proceeds supernatural in vision this use confident, the Further "Be to for I, appears the his which until the brought his chamber. that the simply "Be apparition ultimately lion dagger conspirers supernatural was what laugh Macbeth the up murderer first death.Short more that "Macbeth! he On III, none murder apparition kill second Macbeth's night has his Fife. they III, the and VI, shal...

The Siege of Lucknow in the Sepoy Mutiny (1857)

The Siege of Lucknow in the Sepoy Mutiny (1857) The Siege of Lucknow lasted from May 30 to November 27, 1857, during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Following the beginning of the conflict, the British garrison at Lucknow was quickly isolated and besieged. Holding out for over two months, this force was relieved in September. As the rebellion swelled, the combined British command at Lucknow was again besieged and required rescue from the new Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant General Sir Colin Campbell. This was achieved in late November after a bloody advance through the city. The defense of the garrison and the advance to relieve it were viewed as a show of British resolve to win the conflict. Background The capital city of the state of Oudh, which had been annexed by the British East India Company in 1856, Lucknow was the home of the British commissioner for the territory. When the initial commissioner proved inept, the veteran administrator Sir Henry Lawrence was appointed to the post. Taking over in the spring of 1857, he noticed a great deal of unrest among the Indian troops under his command. This unrest had been sweeping across India as sepoys began to resent the Companys suppression of their customs and religion. The situation came to head in May 1857 following the introduction of the Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle. The cartridges for the Enfield were believed to be greased with beef and pork fat. As the British musket drill called for soldiers to bite the cartridge as part of the loading process, the fat would violate the religions of both the Hindu and Muslim troops. On May 1, one of Lawrences regiments refused to bite the cartridge and was disarmed two days later. Widespread rebellion began on May 10 when troops at Meerut broke into open revolt. Learning of this, Lawrence gathered his loyal troops and began fortifying the Residency complex in Lucknow. Fast Facts: Siege of Lucknow Conflict: Indian Rebellion of 1857Dates: May 30 to November 27, 1857Armies Commanders:BritishSir Henry LawrenceMajor General Sir Henry HavelockBrigadier John InglisMajor General Sir James OutramLieutenant General Sir Colin Campbell1,729 rising to approx. 8,000 menRebelsVarious commanders5,000 rising to approx. 30,000 menCasualties:British: approx. 2,500 men killed, wounded, and missingRebels: Unknown First Siege Full-scale rebellion reached Lucknow on May 30 and Lawrence was compelled to use the British 32nd Regiment of Foot to drive the rebels from the city. Improving his defenses, Lawrence conducted a reconnaissance in force to the north on June 30, but was forced back to Lucknow after encountering a well-organized sepoy force at Chinat. Falling back to the Residency, Lawrences force of 855 British soldiers, 712 loyal sepoys, 153 civilian volunteers, and 1,280 non-combatants was besieged by the rebels. Comprising around sixty acres, the Residency defenses were centered on six buildings and four entrenched batteries. In preparing the defenses, British engineers had wanted to demolish the large number of palaces, mosques, and administrative buildings that surrounded the Residency, but Lawrence, not wishing to further anger the local populace, ordered them saved. As a result, they provided covered positions for rebel troops and artillery when attacks began on July 1. The next day Lawrence was mortally wounded by a shell fragment and died on July 4. Command devolved to Colonel Sir John Inglis of the 32nd Foot. Though the rebels possessed around 8,000 men, a lack of unified command prevented them from overwhelming Inglis troops. Havelock and Outram Arrive While Inglis kept the rebels at bay with frequent sorties and counterattacks, Major General Henry Havelock was making plans to relieve Lucknow. Having retaken Cawnpore 48 miles to the south, he intended to press on to Lucknow but lacked the men. Reinforced by Major General Sir James Outram, the two men began advancing on September 18. Reaching the Alambagh, a large, walled park four miles south of the Residency, five days later, Outram and Havelock ordered their baggage train to remain in its defenses and pressed on. Major General Sir James Outram. Public Domain Due to monsoon rains which had softened the ground, the two commanders were unable to flank the city and were forced to fight through its narrow streets. Advancing on September 25, they took heavy losses in storming a bridge over the Charbagh Canal. Pushing through the city, Outram wished to pause for the night after reaching the Machchhi Bhawan. Desiring to reach the Residency, Havelock lobbied for continuing the attack. This request was granted and the British stormed the final distance to the Residency, taking heavy losses in the process. Second Siege Making contact with Inglis, the garrison was relieved after 87 days. Though Outram had originally wished to evacuate Lucknow, the large numbers of casualties and non-combatants made this impossible. Expanding the defensive perimeter to include the palaces of Farhat Baksh and Chuttur Munzil, Outram elected to remain after a large stash of supplies was located. Rather than retreat in the face of the British success, rebel numbers grew and soon Outram and Havelock were under siege. Despite this, messengers, most notably Thomas H. Kavanagh, were able to reach the Alambagh and a semaphore system soon was established. While the siege continued, British forces were working to re-establish their control between Delhi and Cawnpore. Lieutenant General Sir Colin Campbell in 1855. Public Domain At Cawnpore, Major General James Hope Grant received orders from the new Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant General Sir Colin Campbell, to await his arrival before attempting to relieve Lucknow. Reaching Cawnpore on November 3, Campbell, a veteran of the Battle of Balaclava, moved towards the Alambagh with 3,500 infantry, 600 cavalry, and 42 guns. Outside Lucknow, rebel forces had swelled to between 30,000 and 60,000 men, but still lacked a unified leadership to direct their activities. To tighten their lines, the rebels flooded the Charbagh Canal from the Dilkuska Bridge to the Charbagh Bridge (Map). Campbell Attacks Using information provided by Kavanagh, Campbell planned to attack the city from the east with the goal of crossing the canal near the Gomti River. Moving out on November 15, his men drove rebels from Dilkuska Park and advanced on a school known as La Martiniere. Taking the school by noon, the British repelled rebel counterattacks and paused to allow their supply train to catch up to the advance. The next morning, Campbell found that the canal was dry due to the flooding between the bridges. Interior of the Secundra Bagh after Campbells attack in November 1857. Public Domain Crossing, his men fought a bitter battle for the Secundra Bagh and then the Shah Najaf. Moving forward, Campbell made his headquarters in the Shah Najaf around nightfall. With Campbells approach, Outram and Havelock opened a gap in their defenses to meet their relief. After Campbells men stormed the Moti Mahal, contact was made with Residency and the siege ended. The rebels continued to resist from several nearby positions, but were cleared out by British troops. Aftermath The sieges and reliefs of Lucknow cost the British around 2,500 killed, wounded, and missing while rebel losses are not known. Though Outram and Havelock wished to clear the city, Campbell elected to evacuate as other rebel forces were threatening Cawnpore. While British artillery bombarded the nearby Kaisarbagh, the non-combatants were removed to Dilkuska Park and then on to Cawnpore. To hold the area, Outram was left at the easily held Alambagh with 4,000 men. The fighting at Lucknow was seen as a test of British resolve and the final day of the second relief produced more Victoria Cross winners (24) than any other single day. Lucknow was retaken by Campbell the following March.

The Fall of the Berlin wall Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Fall of the Berlin wall - Research Paper Example There had been various attempts to explore the historical incidents that showed the way to the creation and the fall of the wall. Economical and political factors have played decisive roles in the fall as well as the making of the wall. Patrik Major (2010 p.23) has investigated the historical events during the fall of the Berlin Wall and rightly puts it as, â€Å"Existing accounts of the second Berlin crisis—starting with Khrushchev’s 1958 ultimatum and ending with the building of the Wall in 1961—have treated it primarily as an episode in international relations, the classic superpower confrontation of the European Cold War.† Many have regarded the creation of the Berlin Wall as a historical event that brought out severe changes in the social life of many western countries. The aim of this paper is to describe the historical event and explore the historical as well as the contemporary causes of the event. Furthermore, the paper is analyzing the different historical interpretations of this event and evaluating its positive and negative outcomes. When one analyses the fall of the Berlin Wall, one should also be aware of the factors led to the creation of the Wall. The website entitled: Why the Berlin wall was built (2000) finds out two major reasons for the building of the Wall, namely, Economical and Political. The Economic reason was, â€Å"Too many well-educated people moved from East Germany, and some worked in West Berlin and lived in East Berlin†¦ so DDR lost money on this† The interference of the West Germany in the East side was the political reason for the building of the Wall (Why the Berlin wall was built 2000). The dominance of different countries in the different sectors of Berlin also has exerted decisive roles in the building of the Wall. But one of the prominent reasons for its building is the â€Å"brain drain† of the West Germany during the years 1954 -1960s. Historical records show

Cold chain In food industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Cold chain In food industry - Essay Example Indeed, keeping the goods ‘in a safe, wholesome and good quality state from the production to the consumption stage’ (Aung, Chang and Kim 2012: 435) can be considered as the cold chain’s mission. Through a similar approach, food cold chain has been described as ‘a special kind logistics applied in food’ (Lan and Tian 2013: 347). When referring to cold chain emphasis should be given to the following fact: the quality of the cold chain’s products is difficult to be secured. In the food cold chain sector a similar issue appears. For this reason, a series of methodologies and standards have been introduced for ensuring quality in all phases of food cold chain. However, the full alignment of food cold chain with the relevant rules is not always easy, especially due to the cost involved. The various characteristics of food cold chain are analytically presented below. Reference is also made to the standards applied in the specific sector. A series of case studies has been employed in order to show the challenges that food cold chain has to face worldwide. It is proved that the sector’s advances are continuous but the lack of effective control mechanisms often reduce the quality of food cold chain’s products especially in countries with limited potentials to support food cold chain. Chapter 2 – Need for the cold chain in the food industry Cold chain, as a series of processes, has been established in order to respond to specific needs of the food industry. Reference is made in particular to fresh food products (such as vegetables, meal, fish and so on) that have to be transported to areas quite far from the area of production (Handley 2010). For such production, there can be 4 levels of transport, as described in Appendix 1 (Handley 2010). As it is made clear through the graph in Appendix 1 cold chain has a key role in the transport of fresh goods, a role that it is clearer at Transport levels 1 & 2 (Appendix 1), i.e. from factory/ production area to the wholesale (Handley 2010). At level 3 of the transport process, i.e. from the wholesale to the outlet, the value of cold chain is also critical, ensuring the high quality of fresh products that reach the market (Appendix 1). In practice, all parts of the transport process have to be developed in order for a food product to reach its destination, i.e. the end consumer; this means that cold chain, as part of the transport process, cannot be omitted since such initiative would destroy the rest of the parts of the transport process. This means that without the intervention of the cold chain fresh food products could not be available for consumers. In the study of Aung, Chang and Kim (2012) emphasis is given to the importance of the cold chain for the preservation of perishable foods; it is explained that without cold chain these foods could not reach consumers (Aung, Chang and Kim 2012). In other words, due to cold chain perishable foods can keep their qualities, as these qualities are described in table presented in Appendix 2. According to the specific table the qualities of perishable foo

Effect of Video Games on Brain Functions

Effect of Video Games on Brain Functions The Immersion of the Human Mind  In Video Games Stefan Nikolov Contents (Jump to) Abstract Literature Review Current Perceptions Abstract This research paper was created with the intention of taking the reader on a guided journey towards understanding how the human mind functions within the virtual world of video games. It explores the interaction between the senses of the nervous system and the game’s artificial reality and attempts to establish a connection between an individual’s brain capabilities and the demanding requirements of a game’s level environment and attempt to find a balanced relationship between the two. The paper is based around a research, conducted in order to come up with approximate statistics about how the game’s world triggers brain sensors and how and how much the human consciousness responds according to the information input it receives. A racing track, named the â€Å"Blackstone International Circuit† was created as a supporting piece of level design work. With the help of an external controller, a steering wheel with resistance and force feedback, fellow students, who took part in the research, were required to compete three laps around the circuit. The track was also released on several online websites and that made possible the involvement of other anonymous individuals. After they had their turn, they were asked to complete a track questionnaire with questions related to their experience. The data of the questionnaire was later collected and analysed in order to establish a statistics database of how the separate senses take part when the human mind is engaged. The results revealed that the brain’s involvement was maximised and participants felt fully immersed within the game environment. That allowed the collection of subconscious activity that was categorised to determine the type of game presence they had – tactical, strategic or narrative. Findings also helped support the claim that a person with a strong co-ordination and reflex abilities, which are the main part of having a tactical game presence, would be called a â€Å"good gamer†. The majority of participants in the survey belonged to the group of players that have tactical presence and had a very similar approach. Throughout this paper, objective analysis and criticism, as well as self-assessment and reliable sources were the foundation for building a valid and evident piece of academic writing. The paper concludes with suggested criteria for analysing the mind’s activity when playing a video game and getting clearly distinguished results about the type of people that play video games in today’s world. Literature Review At the beginning of each life experience, there is the perception of it. It is the initial start of the human mind’s interaction with the surrounding environment and ultimately serves as the foundation, on which events occur and build up. In the Oxford dictionary, the definition for the word â€Å"perception† is â€Å"the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses.† The environment of reality is consisted of an infinite number of information flows, which inevitably and constantly interact with the mind. If the â€Å"filter† of perception did not exist, there would be an extreme mental overload, as the amount of streaming actions would be too big to comprehend. Blake and Sekuler (2006) state that â€Å"what is crucial is that perception provide us with a useful view of the world†, rather than detailed and accurate one; â€Å"where useful means being able to interact safely and effectively within our environment.† Perception acts like an information distributer to the mind, allowing only relevant data to reach the brain, while the unnecessary parts of the occurring event may even not make their way through. The two authors also explain that â€Å"stimulation comes in various forms of physical energy: thermal, mechanical, chemical, acoustic and electromagnetic.† As a consequence, the human brain’s ability to accept and process information is applied through the five senses – sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Working together, they create a complete image of the surrounding environment, enabling us to co-ordinate and interact with at a level of full immersion. The word â€Å"immersion† originally meant â€Å"to submerge someone or something in a liquid.†, however, since the invention of video games and entertainment media in general, the meaning has evolved significantly, as far as it affects the human mind. According to Wikipedia, â€Å"immersion†, in relation to a video game, can also mean â€Å"a perception of being physically present in a non-physical world.† The immersion in the video game world can be split into three different types – tactical, strategic and narrative (Adams, 2005). The first two are easy to achieve, as they require problem solving; tactical is the type that requires skill and repetition of actions on the way to success; Strategic immersion involves calculation and prediction to overcome obstacles. However, narrative immersion is hard to accomplish, as a lot of elements must work together – story, characters, setting, acting, presentation, to compile everything together in a successful emotional state. Rigby and Ryan (2010, p.84) explain how Authenticity is a key factor to the believability of an experience. It is what provides ground for the extra step towards immersion, as people usually choose to keep their distance from things that they consider fake. Authenticity makes a product trustworthy and reliable, and helps the individual achieve the desired blending of the real (factual) and the imaginary (mental) world. According to the authors, each person has an individual set of requirements, called â€Å"schema†, which is applied to every experience in order to compare it to previous ones and determine if it can be classified as â€Å"authentic†. According to Madigan (2010), it is spatial presence that comes closest to what game players perceive as immersion. It is considered to exist when the elements of a game world are accepted as â€Å"real†, allowing one to submerge fully into a product of the imagination and feel like they are as much present in the scene, as they would be in reality. The process takes place over two defined stages. At the First stage, a player is accepting the surrounding world, composed of a variety of objects, sounds and events, which help create a saturated mental model of the game’s virtual universe. The Second stage is engaging the mind on a subconscious level, where it feels part of a flawless reality and is fully immersed within the experience. It has the imagination filling in the imperfections of a certain part of a game level, for example, which were imposed by the limitations of the machine or the level of object detail. Daphne Bavelier, a cognitive research scientist, in a keynote presentation (2012) about the relationship between the human brain and playing fast-paced computer games, suggested that doing so actually improved the brain’s capabilities. According to her team’s research, people who often play action games tend to solve problems faster, perform better in multitasking and recognise and react to the surrounding environment more accurately and with greater precision than people who do not. That is due to the fact, that, when fully immersed inside the game world, the brain would have to process often times a lot more information than in a lot of real-life situations, which would essentially serve as training process and help the individual improve on problem solving. The results of that research were valid even months after it was conducted. A very important, if not crucial factor for achieving a full immersive experience, when playing a game, is Realism. McMahan (2003) splits Realism of video games into two sub-divisional types – Social and Perpetual. The first type suggests the comparison between social interactions within a game’s environment compared to the real world, but the Perpetual Realism is the level of visual resemblance of the objects in that environment to the ones in reality. Most fast-paced games in today’s world offer the possibility of complete interaction of the mind and game world, due to the fact that computer graphics and processing of game data is becoming rapidly faster with each year that passes. Game genres like any modern First-Person Shooter (FPS) game, such as Call of Duty or Battlefield, require almost the same skill set for a proper playing experience. According to Gamer Institute (2014), the top skills of a professional player are Love of the Game, Unwavering dedication, Manual dexterity, Twitch reflexes, Strong multi-tasking, Analytical ability and Emotional Control. One of the most realistic genres of games in today’s world is the Simulator. It considers factors, such as physics, lighting, shadows, shapes or events to create a world, which resembles reality as close as possible. Depending on the type of simulator, reality’s properties can be used for a variety of purposes. Some games, such as Moon Tycoon (2001) tend to focus on events that cannot occur in the current state of the world we live in. Others, such as SimCity (2013), use reality to propose a virtual representation of events in a real-time game universe. A Racing Simulator is the type of game that would make a significant difference in how the mind can deal with reality. According to SAE (2014), the delay between events in the racing simulator can even cause motion sickness in drivers; that is why it is unacceptable, as â€Å"it can reduce effectiveness of driver-in-the-loop (DIL) systems used for studying vehicle dynamics†. A game called rFactor Pro (2008) was developed to ensure the maximum of the virtual reality is extracted and a life-like experience is delivered to the drivers in order to get them fully engaged and prepared for a race. SAE also writes that, as of 22 Jan 2014, the game is currently the dominant software in the simulator market, used in F1 and NASCAR teams to mentally prepare drivers. RFactor Pro is an upgraded version of rFactor, a racing simulator game, developed by Image Space Incorporated (ISI) and released in 2005. RFactor has a very large community and a rich and diverse database of game extensions, called otherwise â€Å"Mods† – tracks, cars, menu interface images, sounds and miscellaneous add-ons, developed almost entirely by third-party source, such as myself. The game itself has a very realistic physics engine that enables accurate simulation of life-like racing experiences – tire and engine wear, fuel consumption, wind resistance, tire grip, etc. It engages the players in a believable environment (roads and racing tracks) to get them concentrated on the objective of racing against other cars or beating a time record. According to Angel Ever (2014), safety is the biggest benefit of racing simulation. In virtual reality, there is no possibility for the risk of real-life damage and danger. This removes the â€Å"hazard† factor, while preserving all other fun factors that driving a fast car can provide. A player is not required to wear safety equipment, or have their car inspected at all times, in contrast to a racing driver. Moreover, real racing is a lot more expensive, compared to virtual one, as the cars’ integrity is reset at the beginning of each playing session. There is also the freedom to drive, regardless of the rules of the real world and experience pure fun when doing so. On the other side, a research, conducted by Continental Tyre UK (2011), suggested that people who often play driving games tend to be poorer drivers in real life. According to results, gamers are likely to take more risks, speed and be susceptible to reckless driving more often than non-gamers. Around 16% of all the participants agreed that driving games would make someone perform better in real conditions, while 40% said that virtual experiences contribute to dangerous behavior on the real roads. Current Perceptions The process of investigation is iterative and information is collected in a database for later evaluation. Since the method used in it does not change over time, that means that as the quantity of participants grows, the results’ accuracy grows as well. At the beginning of the project I already had a personal understanding of how a player interacts within the game world, based on my gaming experiences in the past. I wanted to examine the brain’s activity and how important it was for a player to have a complete image of the surrounding environment in order to extract the maximum of their performance. Several categories of interest were defined in order to achieve a guideline

Concept Of God In Philosophy Essay

Please explain Immanuel Kant’s challenge to modern theology.   In other words, what is Kant’s epistemology, i.e., his theory of how human beings know (how the mind functions)?   According to this theory, then, is it possible to know God?   Is it possible to have natural knowledge of God or to experience God in his view?   How would Christian theologians and believers, who wanted to demonstrate the rational intelligibility of belief in and knowledge of God, respond to this?   (10 points).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Immanuel Kant started with the hypothesis that: â€Å"the mind is active†. It forms part in the understanding of human especially if it is already acquainted with different kinds of experience and always imposes upon cognition in any forms given that it is still in the line of human perception.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However he said that not all things are connected to each other because in a way, they are not observable which gives the presumption that its connectivity is not determined by that simple idea. And also, Kant said that we lack the necessary organ to accommodate all the information that the mind can and may process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The mind cannot produce knowledge of such a transcendent being (The Breakdown of the Religion of Reason, p. 65). He also showed that, God is supposed to be perfect in all aspects of life. He followed what was written by Anselm during the 11th century and presented concrete evidences for such actuation. However, he wishes not to contradict the existence of God because it will also oppose that the predicate of a subject is not logical to use. He added that it will be a useless thing to do since there will be no contradiction because of his given analogy. Since existence is not a predicate, if I deny God’s existence, I am not denying a predicate of a subject; hence no logical contradiction is involved as the proponents of the argument contend. (Modern Christian Thought, p.66)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And he also argued that there is a limit for a human to our own empirical knowledge against the pure point of our operative life. Instead, this empirical knowledge is completely independent and the principles of pure reason.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Additionally, he said that human act morally not because of inclination to a certain event or object but because of one’s sense of duty. To act morally is not to act from inclination or even prudence but from a sense of duty (The Breakdown of the Religion of Reason, p. 69) What are the some of the most basic characteristics and values of the Enlightenment?   What are the chief enlightenment values and how do these compare with those values/characteristics of the medieval era?   Define the Enlightenment view of freedom and reason.   Use your text on e-reserve.   Then, respond: how would a theologian (like me) understand the promise and problem of these views from a theological (having to do with God) perspective?  Ã‚   (5 points).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Enlightenment brought about change in man’s perception of the world and the society. According to Kant that the gist of the said idea is something that is already embedded to the line of thinking of a person and that it shows on up to what extent is a man capable or willing to do to suffice his own interest. Underlying this whole movement is a renewed awareness and trust in man’s own capacities and appreciation of, interest in, and hope for human life on this earth (Modern Christian Thought, p.2)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was also during this time that â€Å"authoritarianism and the emergence of individual reason† started to spread amongst the people. From this time on, there is already a widespread of being liberated or freed from any entanglement to any person. It was then that autonomy is seen on a different perspective and remarkably, no one challenged the said idea.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Accordingly, there is another major contribution during the time of Enlightenment. The act of reasoning also became widespread following Francis Bacon and John Locke. They are the ones who defied the first idea given by Rene Descartes. It was then that Reason is treated as something that is a vital and progressive force; the depth of its meaning can be deduced by its function which can create many avenues to determine fact from opinion. How does Friedrich Schleiermacher respond to Kant’s challenge to modern theology?   How do human beings come to know God according to Schleiermacher?   What, then, is the subject of theology for a theologian like Schleiermacher?   (10 points)     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schleiermacher defined what he thinks to be the true nature of religion and the conception of its idea. With this kind, there are two (2) forms of religion such as theoretical or practical point of view. He added that religion should be â€Å"something different from a mixture of opinions about God and the world, and of precepts of for one life or two†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He also argues that if religion is the highest form of knowledge it should follow that reason or any scientific method can be measured by any organ. Also, he adds that if religion can be attained by reading materials such as books, journals, etc, then the most religious person should also be the most intelligent one. And, he clarified that neither religion nor morality should be interchanged or be treated as the same.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Religion is a feeling thus it is only a psychological emotion claiming that it is an immediate intuition or is based on one person’s instinct. However, he clarified that God need not to be present in any object or present Himself in such a way that He will be tangible for human.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He said that no man is religious because he was able to read doctrines and follow it thoroughly and experience different kinds of things instead, piety emancipates from one’s own original feeling and not because other people told him to be as such. What are some of the most basic characteristics and values of Romanticism, the intellectual movement of the 19th century which following the Rationalism of the Enlightenment in the 18th century.   How does Schleiermacher reflect the ideas of Romanticism?   (5 points)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Romanticism as what Schleiermacher have seen it, it is a new way for â€Å"modern religious† thoughts have a foundation or ground that will suffice the needs, interest and critiques of most people especially the Philosophers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By giving this idea to the people, he wanted to show to them that what religion they have been rejecting all the while is not at all the religion that they need to embrace and understand deeply. Rather, it is the â€Å"external† religion that they are despising all the while and that this kind of religion is something that should not be studied or known at all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He also wanted to defy the opinions that were raised during that time about the religion on utilitarianism. Schleiermacher claims that if there is a certain point when the issue is not coherent with its true value, then it is something that should not be wasted time upon.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, he contradicts his own perception by saying that religion has a peculiar sense that is indispensable when talking about the spirit of man. Modern theology in the 19th century followed the thought of Friedrich Schleiermacher and his way of doing theology.   What major event occurred at the beginning of the 20th century that convinced Karl Barth that the entire way of doing modern/liberal theology was deeply problematic and morally bankrupt?   (5 points) One major event that made Barth think that doing liberal theology is problematic and morally bankrupt is when the Church always assumes that they are infallible or those who does not do anything wrong to any one and at the end of the day, surrender their selves to the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ. This is when Barth said that â€Å"hermeneutical principles of subordination and surrender have nothing to do with the kind of biblical or ecclesial authoritarianism†. Because according to him, having a superior and an inferior means that there should be an effort to remove one’s self from interpretative process instead focus on neither human basic needs nor the desire for authority. How does Karl Barth understand that human beings may come to know God?   Do we have a natural capacity, i.e., an ability within human nature and thus apart from God, to know God?   (10 points)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We should cultivate a life that is humble and each should not cease on praying before Him, listening actively to His teachings in order for us to know what are the things that we really need.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He added that to â€Å"let go† of the material and human needs that we have right now is a preparation for us to know God fully. Leaving things would eventually prepare us from knowing how the real God is and that we will have a much clearer understanding on why He created things.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Also, by leaving things, we do not need to carry on an excess baggage that may sometimes hinder us from knowing who God really is. What happens when human beings claim to know God on the basis of their own experience or their own thinking about God?   What happens when human beings try to know how Jesus was on the basis of their own historical reconstruction or psychological evaluation of him?   Why is this so dangerous?   How is it to be avoided? Can it be avoided?   What is the only way, according to Barth, that purely human thinking about God can be avoided?   (10 points)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When we experience things, it means that, in one way or another we have already met God. However, each person has a different meaning on things especially with their experiences. It can be connoted as something that is dangerous for them but pleasant to others. That is why there is a misconception on which our God really should be.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is dangerous because people are worshipping other gods and is prone to misunderstanding especially to those who have a different encounter with their own gods. It can also be a way of having the society is fragmented since there are different sides of the story on how they were able to encounter god.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Proper interpretation of things can somehow avoid this kind of fragment among the people. However, only few are able to interpret the story well and still leaves the danger hanging and vulnerable to anyone who tries to interpret anything. What is theology for Barth?   How should the theologian attempt to do theology?  Ã‚   What do faith, prayer, and obedience have to do with this method or way of theological reflection?   Define faith, prayer, and obedience for Barth.   (10 points)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Obedience as it is being co-related to faith, according to Barth, is something that â€Å"can simply turn on at moment of one’s choosing†. By these, it is one way for God to connect with his people and confront them in their own freedom and history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Needless to say, one’s interpretation of things should be accorded with obedience in order to examine personal experience and relate it to the scripture or passage that is being taught. For him, the writers should not write about anything that will be later on associated with them, rather they should write about an experience that is interlaying with the scripture that they are reviewing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With prayers, he said that it is not necessary to endlessly pray to God, admit it or not, we are not all the time confident that God is listening to our prayers. What is scripture according to Karl Barth?   How does this reflect a deeply theological understanding, i.e., an understanding that comes from God.   And, how does this reflect a deeply human and modern understanding of the role of human beings in the writing of the Bible?   Is the Bible already the Word of God i.e., the words on the page, for Barth, or does the Bible become the Word of God?   If so, when does it become the Word of God?   What happens to make it become the Word of God?   (10 points)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A scripture, according to Barth is something that is written about God and will be relevant or at least be a human testimony of God’s existence and all the things that he did in history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He tends to interpret scriptures, known as hermeneutics, to help biblical scholars to understand the true meaning of each. And with that, he tends to extend some of his arms to other people in terms of helping them suffice whatever struggle they have.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, with his interpretations does not come any personal experience. He writes some of his experience but does not delve much on to it. Rather, he makes a deeper study on why those things were said and how the people did then accepted or rejected the fact that things are happening during their time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Bible is the Word of God because it contains His teachings and the moral lessons that we need to learn in life. However, not all teachings can be found in the Bible. Some should be experienced first hand in order for us to learn new things. According to Rosemary Radford Ruether, what does all theology begin with?   What is the problem with the so-called â€Å"objective† sources of Christian theology, i.e., scripture and tradition? And, what is unique about feminist theology and the role of experience in theology according to Ruether? What is the hermeneutical circle of theological interpretation?   What is the final norm/criterion of theological truth? (10 points)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Theology is the testimony of one’s faith, life and service to God. Theology actually questions it self whether or not they are true or not. There are specific gauge that is used in order for Theology to be considered true, they measure their action, talk about God, and if it is against the Church. It is also something that is alien with its own standard; source and object.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the other hand, the feminist theology uses experience as a criterion for exploring a much deeper sense of study and critical forces based on the experience of males that eventually gives them the notion as a universal human experience. What is the prophetic biblical principle interpreted from a feminist perspective?   What are the four main categories of feminist liberation theology?   Cite biblical passages that show you understand how the Bible can be used to fight the root sin of domination and subjugation. (5 points)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Those females are only second-grade citizens compared to male. Because then, there is a stereotype in gender since other scholars claim that males are wiser than female. Also, the Patriarchal system exists that time and that same idea is molded upon the image of God, reasoning that God is male.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     There is also a prophetic traditional labeled as â€Å"cultural vacuum† that makes true of the statement written above. It shows how the society is delving much on what they think is right because it is fair and just to all of them but on what is written in the scriptures. Compare and contrast the theology of Karl Barth with that of Rosemary Radford Ruther?   How would Karl Barth critique Ruether?   What would he say about the role of experience and the potential dangers involved in such a kind of theology?   What would Karl Barth say about God in her theology?   Does she have a role for the objective action of God in the world or is God only actualized in our consciousness and social activity for the poor and marginalized? How would Ruether respond to this critique?   What would she say in her defense?   In other words, what are the problems of beginning with scripture and tradition apart from women’s experience according to Ruether?  Ã‚   What would that do for or to women?   Finally, how would Ruether criticize the theology of Karl Barth?   What is the problem of beginning with revelation in scripture, and apart from women’s experience, according to Ruether? (10 points)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Barth and Ruether have completely different view points with regards to Theology and how they perceive such topic. With Barth, he is more of delving much on the experience of one person because from the experience they may be able to deduce something that is very vital for their survival. Also, he tends to focus more on the things that needs to be critically revised or interpreted using personal experiences he got from other people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Barth is also confided with the norms of the society. He was not able to explore on other possible things and did not try to convince other people that there are other possibilities regarding their study.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With Ruether, she is more of a liberal thinker, given that there are points that she raised about feminist liberal theology. She was able to grasp on other ideas or methods to use in other to arrive at a much well interpreted scripture following the experiences of the writer or associating the moral of the scripture to any experience that of the writer.