Definition and Examples of Corpus Linguistics

Definition and Examples of Corpus Linguistics Corpus linguistics is the study of language based on large collections of real life language use stored in corpora (or corpuses)computerized databases created for linguistic research. Also known as corpus-based studies. Corpus linguistics is viewed by some linguists as a research tool or methodology, and by others as a discipline or theory in its own right.  Kuebler and Zinsmeister conclude that the answer to the question whether corpus linguistics is a theory or a tool is simply that it can be both. It depends on how corpus linguistics is applied (Corpus Linguistics and Linguistically Annotated Corpora, 2015). Although the methods used in corpus linguistics were first adopted in the early 1960s, the term corpus linguistics didnt appear until the 1980s. Examples and Observations [C]orpus linguistics is . . . a methodology,  comprising a large number of related methods which can be used by scholars of many different theoretical leanings. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that corpus linguistics is also frequently associated with a certain outlook on language. At the centre of this outlook is that the rules of language are usage-based and that changes occur when speakers use language to communicate with each other. The argument is that if you are interested in the workings of a particular language, like English, it is a good idea to study language in use. One efficient way of doing this is to use corpus methodology . . .. (Hans Lindquist, Corpus Linguistics and the Description of English. Edinburgh University Press, 2009)Corpus studies boomed from 1980 onwards, as corpora, techniques and new arguments in favour of the use of corpora became more apparent. Currently this boom continuesand both of the schools of corpus linguistics are growing . . .. Corpus linguistics is maturing methodologically and the range of languages addressed by corpus linguists is growing annually. (Tony McEnery and Andrew Wilson, Corpus Linguistics, Edinburgh University Press, 2001) Corpus Linguistics in the Classroom In the context of the classroom the methodology of corpus linguistics is congenial for students of all levels because it is a bottoms-up study of the language requiring very little learned expertise to start with. Even the students that come to linguistic enquiry without a theoretical apparatus learn very quickly to advance their hypotheses on the basis of their observations rather than received knowledge, and test them against the evidence provided by the corpus. (Elena Tognini-Bonelli,  Corpus Linguistics at Work. John Benjamins, 2001)To make good use of corpus resources a teacher needs a modest orientation to the routines involved in retrieving information from the corpus, andmost importantlytraining and experience in how to evaluate that information. (John McHardy Sinclair, How to Use Corpora in Language Teaching, John Benjamins, 2004) Quantitative and Qualitative Analyses Quantitative techniques are essential for corpus-based studies. For example, if you wanted to compare the language use of patterns for the words big and large, you would need to know how many times each word occurs in the corpus, how many different words co-occur with each of these adjectives (the collocations), and how common each of those collocations is. These are all quantitative measurements. . . .A crucial part of the corpus-based approach is going beyond the quantitative patterns to propose functional interpretations explaining why the patterns exist. As a result, a large amount of effort in corpus-based studies is devoted to explaining and exemplifying quantitative patterns. (Douglas Biber, Susan Conrad, and Randi Reppen, Corpus Linguistics: Investigating Language Structure and Use, Cambridge University Press, 2004)[I]n corpus linguistics quantitative and qualitative methods are extensively used in combination. It is also characteristic of corpus linguistics to begin with qua ntitative findings, and work toward qualitative ones. But . . . the procedure may have cyclic elements. Generally it is desirable to subject quantitative results to qualitative scrutinyattempting to explain why a particular frequency pattern occurs, for example. But on the other hand, qualitative analysis (making use of the investigators ability to interpret samples of language in context) may be the means for classifying examples in a particular corpus by their meanings; and this qualitative analysis may then be the input to a further quantitative analysis, one based on meaning . . .. (Geoffrey Leech, Marianne Hundt, Christian Mair, and Nicholas Smith, Change in Contemporary English: A Grammatical Study. Cambridge University Press, 2012)

Discussion #1 APS 210 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion #1 APS 210 - Essay Example 2. The best security technologies for faith-based facilities are the least physically noticeable ones as they cause less obtrusion for the parishioners. These include inbuilt electronic door locks, access controls, hidden surveillance cameras, motion detectors and metal detectors. Security strategies include training the facility attendants on security surveillance, developing a sound emergency action plan, and enhancing instant communication systems for emergencies. 3. Before establishing the security enhancements for the places of worship, it is important to notify the parishioners and the surrounding community of the intended changes of the intended changes and their purposes. This step avoids any alarms and misunderstandings that may occur from security upgrades. 4. One similarity is that both cases receive protection from similar threats, which most of the times are terrorism and theft. A difference is that faith based organization facilities receive far more discreet protection measures, which impede on personal privacy on a much lesser scale the than U.S. Critical Infrastructures. Faith based organization facilities also receive protection on a much smaller scale in terms of monetary investments and level of expertise than the Critical Infrastructure locations (Harrell

The most important event in Evaluating Causes of the Civil War Essay

The most important event in Evaluating Causes of the Civil War - Essay Example The causes of the war can be traced mainly to the divisions over slavery that had been rocking the country since the 1780s. During the founding of the nation, the founding fathers ironed out compromises and language in the Constitution in a way that balanced the divisions between the regions so that they could coexist politically as a united nation. Generally, by the early 1800s, the Northern states had abolished slavery or laid out a system of gradual emancipation, while the demand for slaves for new plantations in the Southern states such as Alabama, Mississippi, Northern Florida and Louisiana was increasing rapidly (Carlisle, 2008). By 1808, the Northern and Southern states had agreed to ban importation of slaves from overseas. With the North being against slavery while the south supported it, maintaining political balance between the Northern and Southern states was more difficult. The congress lacked jurisdiction over aspects and laws regulating slavery within the member states. For around two decades since 1800, the Congress continued to admit new states into the Union in pairs, comprising of one state with slavery and one without in attempt to maintain political balance. For example, in 1820, Missouri was admitted as a slave state while at the same time Maine was admitted as a free state. In 1850, the balance was finally broken when the Southern states allowed California to join the Union as a free state in exchange to laws strengthening slavery and addition of Minnesota and Oregon as Free states (Hickman, 2011). With the balance, distorted political debates tightened as the representatives of Southern states felt that the rapidly expanding Northern population would create more new Free states, and diluting their control in the federal government. Meanwhile, the Northern states opposed the political power of Southerners and wanted the political power of Free States to dominate. Additionally, on the new territories acquired from Mexico, the Northerners be lieved that the Southerners were out to expand and dominate in the new territories, while the Southerners believed that if the Northerners extended prohibition of slavery in the new territories, it would be an extension of domination and tyranny over the South against the existing constitutional compromises. Tensions were further fuelled by the rise of Abolitionist movement, which believed that slavery was morally wrong and should be abolished. Radical abolitionist such as William Lloyd Garrison, and Fredrick Douglas advocated for immediate emancipation of the slaves, while moderated Abolitionists such as Theodore Weld, Arthur Tappan, and Abraham Lincoln wanted to curb slavery and its influence (Hickman, 2011). The publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852, improved support for Abolitionist cause, as it succeeded in influencing the public against the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act. Due to developments from the Compromise of 1850 and Kansas crisis, the country ’s major two parties, the Whigs and Democrats, began to weaken along the regional lines (Kazin, 2011, p.492). The weakening of the Whigs in the North led to emergence of a new party, the

Database Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Database Management - Research Paper Example It is essential to know the techniques of data modeling and implementation in order to draw effective information. And this is possible only for a well modeled data. The tutorial presents real life scenarios that a company might face from the time of its initialization to the time when it has let go of certain high salary employees in situations of crises e.g. limited company finances. The tutorial teaches how big organizational level decisions can be reached upon by executing a simple query on the database and extracting the exact subset of information relevant to a particular decision e.g. generating a list of employees with a particular range of salaries. This example merely gives an introduction of how statistical analysis can be conducted on large scale databases. Having relevant information aids in making better decisions. And relevant information can only be acquired through effective data modeling and implementation. The tutorial covers all the three aspects that are consider ed while adding a data base functionality to a company; data modeling, data storing and data accessing.

Study Of Bank Alfalah Limited History And Operations Business Essay

Study Of Bank Alfalah Limited History And Operations Business Essay Introduction: Bank Alfalah Limited: Bank Alfalah Limited started it functioning on June 21st, 1992 in the form of public limited company under the Companies Ordinance 1984. Its banking operations started from November 1st, 1997. Since then the bank is engaged in commercial banking and other services relating to banking as defined in the Banking companies ordinance, 1962 of Pakistan. The Bank is currently operating through various branches in Peshawar and in Pakistan at large. They have also branches in Bahrain, Bangladesh Afghanistan, with the registered office at B.A. Building, I.I.Chundrigar, Karachi. Since the start, as the new identity of H.C.E.B after the privatization in 1997, the management of the bank has adopted strategies and policies to create a different position for the bank in the market place. It became economically stronger with the banking of the Abu Dhabi Group and its driven by the strategic goals set out by its board of management. The Bank has invested in revolutionary technology to have a vast range of products and services. This helps the commitment of Bank Alfalah to a culture of more innovation and seeks out synergies with clients and service providers to ensure undisturbed services to their customers. Bank Alfalah focuses on the requirements of their customers and always try to match them with quality products and service solutions. During the past five years, Bank Alfalah has raisen in the market as one of the foremost financial institution in the region endeavoring to meet the needs of tomorrow today. The Name of the Chief Executive of Bank Alfalah is Mr. Sirajuddin Aziz and the Co-Chairman Central Management Committee is Mr. Parvez A. Shahid (Reference: http://www.bankalfalah.com/about/historical_overview.asp) Bank Alfalah vision: To be the premier organization operating locally internationality that provides the complete range of financial services to all segments under one roof. Mission Statement of Bank Alfalah: To develop deliver the most innovative products, manage customer experience, deliver quality services that contributes to brand strength, establishes a competitive advantage and enhances profitability, thus providing value to the stakeholders of the bank. (Reference: http://www.bankalfalah.com/about/historical_overview.asp) Faisal Bank Limited Faysal Bank Limited started its operations in Pakistan on October 3, 1994, in the shape of public limited company under the Companies Ordinance, 1984. The Bank has listed its shares on Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad Stock Exchanges. Since then the Bank is engaged in Commercial, Consumer and Corporate Banking activities. The Bank has a network of 136 branches including 10 Islamic Banking branches and 2 sub-branches. The registered head office of the Bank is situated at Faysal House, ST-02, Shahrah-e-Faisal, Karachi The Pakistan Credit Agency Limited (PACRA) and JCR-VIS Credit Rating Company Limited have fixed the Banks long term rating as AA and short term rating as A1+. Faysal Banks asset in 30th June, 2010 was over Rs. 175 billion; about 3,000 employees are working in the banks with a network of over 135 branches in 38 cities of Pakistan. Currently it is the 12th largest bank in Pakistan by assets. The majority share holding of Faysal Bank is held by Ithmaar Bank B.S.C. (Reference: http://www.faysalbank.com/aboutus.html) Faysal Bank Limited Vision: Excellence in all that we do Faysal Bank Mission Statement: Achieve leadership in providing financial services in chosen markets through innovation. Faysal Bank VALUES: Faysal Bank daily code of conduct is exemplified by eight core values: Four threshold values values at the heart of our brand and four differentiator values values that set our brand apart. The president and CEO of Faysal bank is Naved A. Khan while the chairman of Faysal bank is Syed Naseem Ahmad (Reference: http://www.faysalbank.com/visionmissionandvalues.html) Objective of the study: We went to Bank Alfalah and Faysal Bank branches located in Peshawar. We interviewed the HR officers of both banks and some other employees for our HRM assignment and we asked them questions regarding the way they plan Human Resource and their Processes and the way they Recruit new employees for the Bank. Now we are going to apply the information relating to Human Resource planning and Selection and Recruitment Method gain from these two Banks in our HRM assignment. Analyze the need for human resource planning, the information required and the stages involved in this process (P4) Human Resource Planning: Human resource planning refers to as the process of deciding what positions the organization will have to fill and how they are going to fill them (Reference Gary Dessler, page.no.152) Human resource planning is a process conducted by a firm for the future in order to decide how much employees are required by the firm to recruit to cover the post, from warehouse keeper to the CEO. Human resource planning is the most important part of the overall Human Resource strategy. For example a firm wants to enter into a new type of business or market it will have to plan that how much of employees it needs for carrying out those new operations if it wants to achieve success. Process of Human resource Planning: Planning relating to employment is being done on the basis of some basic assumptions. Forecasting techniques like HRP enables a company to generate these assumptions. If a company wants to plan for their employment needs, they basically need to consider three things: Personnel needs (demand) Supply from inside (Current employees) Supply from out side. After doing the analysis of demand and supply then the stage of removing the gape between supply and demand comes Forecasting of personnel needs (Demand): Organizations keep the some factors in mind while forecasting demand. Factors like the objectives of the organization, employees utilization (how much of labor will an organization require for their production or services objectives), the cost of labor, and environmental factor like technology and social norms are important for demand forecasting. There are simple techniques like ratio analysis and time series analysis through which forecasting of demand can be done. Forecasting of Supply: One important question in this regard is should an organization plan to fill the forecasted positions with employees already working in the organization or by hiring people from outside the organization. There are also some important factors, which a firm must consider while conducting the process of forecasting supply. If a firm is planning to fill the position from within so it must consider factors like employees skills, performance standard, potential trainability, educational base etc. On the other hand, if a firm is planning to recruit people from outside so it should consider factor like skill availability, education and training level of the potential people, competitors activities and paying rate in the markets. Computerized information systems that contain a database of all the employees can be used for forecasting supply from outside. Removing Gap between demand supplies: After doing the demand and supply analysis three situations can arise. Firstly, demand may become equal to supply so no actions are needed in this situation. Secondly, there may be surplus of workers so in such a situation steps like early retirements, limited hiring and reducing the numbers of employees are appropriate. Thirdly, a shortage of employees may arise so in such a situation the process of recruitment and selection should be fastened. (Reference: Gary Dessler,) Apply the concepts of human resource planning and stages involved in this process on the organization under study (M3)? The concept of Human Resource Planning along with the stages involved in its process has been discussed in detail in P4 of this assignment here we will discuss the Human Resource Process in Faysal bank and its advantages for the organization. According to HR officer of Faysal Bank, Human Resource Planning is very important for their Human Resource department. By conducting the analysis they come to know how many employees they have currently and how much they require in the future in order to gain their Human Resource objectives. They analyze Human Resource with the help of time series which mean they give targets to their employees and if they are unable to get those targets in given time with the available staff (Demand) they then analyze the performance of each employee by using their human resource information system (HRIS) that contains the data of the all the employees they foresee the potential trainability, productivity improvement of their current employees. Beside this they hire more employees in order to expand and to get their Human Resource targets. For example if they want to recruit new employees firstly, they look at their current employees, someone with experience, skill, competitive edge over other if there are such employees then they assign them double duties with 50% increase in pay. If there are not such employees available then they find new employees through the reference of their existing employees or friend and family members (Supply of employees from Inside). If they are opening new branch for that purpose they also first look in their current employees to bring employees for them. Faysal Bank Human Resource department do not advertise for the required general posts, they only advertise (Supply from outside) for the post of MTO (Managing Training Officer). Student from high class Universities apply online for this post once a year and normally they accept the qualified student of LUMS, IBA, NUST Universities respectively, for this post. Objectives of Faysal Bank behind conducting Human resource planning: Objectives of Faysal Bank behind conducting human resource planning are as follow: To fill the desire to look into the future: Organizations like Faysal Bank are growing big and the method of doing business are becoming difficult day by day as a result jobs at Faysal Bank sometimes requires sophisticated experience and skills that cannot easily be found and bought. Secondly it takes time to train and develop employees. Due to these factors Faysal Bank may find it self in a problem if they dont plan their employees properly so for Faysal Bank the desire to look into the future is growing due to factors mention above thats why it is the main objective behind conducting Human Resource Planning.. To exercise control over as many variables as possible which influence business? Businesses are cant forecast their future. Most of the analyst refers Human Resource Planning as an approach to risk management. Faysal Bank also uses Human Resource Planning so that it can practice control over changeable or variable factors like labor turnover, future labor market etc. To cope with employment protection legislation: It is one of the Faysal Bank main objectives behind conducting Human Resource Planning. Legislation (laws) relating to job security and general expectations from Faysal Bank as far as social responsibility is concern makes it difficult for it to simply remove employees. The cost of this for Faysal Bank can be measure in financial terms (cost of employee development etc) as well as loosing its reputation as a secure employer that at times may also harm its business. So Human Resource Planning can help Faysal Bank in dealing with problems like these. To comply with technological changes: Advancement in technology is changing the nature of work as new technologies are emerging in Service Sector. Faysal Bank conducts Human Resource Planning so that technologically competent employees can be hired. For example if it pre-plan to hire fresh IT experts who are able to know that how to use competitors for online payment and receipts along with some accounting skills so it means that Faysal Bank would be having a competitive edge over its competitors. To cope with de-jobbed workers: In Pakistan the pace of jobs is changing the trend of project base work is increasing day by day. So it is one of its core objectives behind conducting Human Resource Planning that proper planning can be done about project base workers. To complete the expansion plans in time: The demands for Banks are increasing day by day. Therefore Faysal Bank has some serious plans to expand its operations. This means that it would need new people for which it conducts human resource planning so that a forecasted demand of human resource can be generated. This will help the organization in hiring the right person for the right job and with in time. Ultimately Faysal Bank will be able to complete its expansion plans in time. Recommend, how the organization can improve their human resource planning to achieve Human Resource goals effectively (D3). The changes and pressures brought in by economic, technological and social factors have forced organizations of all kinds to study the costs and human aspects of labor much more seriously and carefully than ever before. Therefore Faysal bank needs to further improve their Human Resource Planning in order to achieve their HR goals effectively. For improving their Human Resource Planning Faysal Bank need to implement the suggested steps below: They need to accept employees from the most honest and well known reference (Supply of labor from inside). Not from any body because some can be bias in bringing their relative, friends with no educational background and skills in order to improve their Human Resource Planning. They must select the worker (employees) with the required ability and information because it will give spirited edge over competitors since a good quality worker will carry advance service deliverance and hence productive personnel can analyze Human resource well. They need to educate their present staff and try to make use of their present staff more by raising their salaries, in this way the present staff can be made knowledgeable and it will also help the Analyzers of HR to measure the performance of their current staff and the required number of staff and skilled they require to hire in order to support the old and hence achieve their HR goals. They need to keep their strategic planning (corporate objectives) in mind while conducting Human resource planning process; this means that the HRP must satisfy the whole objective of the organization. They should actively involve their managers, executives, and line employees during analyzing human resource because they have more inside to the organization. Compare the structured process for recruitment in two organizations and evaluate the methods and media that can be used (P5) Systematic approach to Recruitment Recruitment is the part of the human process concerned with finding the applicants: it is a positive action by management, going into the labor market, communicating opportunities and information, and encouraging applications from suitable candidates. Recruitment And Selection from harshalsk Effective recruitment is increasingly important today. Recruitment is a very complex concept it is not a simple process of placing ads or calling employment agencies. The crucial effort in this regard is that recruiting should make sense in terms of your overall corporate strategic plan. Successful results of recruitment depends upon other HR polices so it is very important that recruitment policy should be coherent with your HR policy and also with the overall strategic plans. Recruitment sources (internal and external) Internal sources: Existing employees, rehiring the old employees and succession plan {The ongoing process of systematically identifying assessing and developing organizational leadership to enhance performance (Gary Dessler, p.no163)} are the internal sources for recruiting employees. External sources: Advertisement, employment agencies, off shoring/outsourcing, college recruiting and employee referrals is the external sources of candidates. Systematic approach to recruitment A systematic approach to recruitment will involve the following steps: A detailed document of human resource planning, which contains anticipated detail of required human resource such as how, much of human resource organization needs to meet it objectives. Job analysis which includes: Job description: a process conducted so that detail information of competent Tasks, duties and standard can be generated. Job specification: a detail statement of the professional qualification and skills required for a job. Job analysis is being conducted so that there is detail information with the organization that helps in hiring the right person for the right Job. An identification of the free posts, by analyzing the human resource plan and job analysis for different branch or department, which has free vacancy, and subsequent, approval or authorization. Seeking approval from that specific department ensures effective, low cost and timely recruitment. Evaluation of the sources of the staff that should be predicted by using forecasting techniques. Internal and external sources should be analyzed in this regard. Preparation and publication of information (giving the jobs description and specification in the media along with other condition). One the applications from the potential candidates are received they can further processed before selecting the candidates. Recruitment approach by Bank Alfalah The overall aim of recruitment process in an organization is to obtain the quantity and quality of candidates required to fulfill the objectives of the organization. The recruitment policy of bank Alfalah is centralized and lower employees have no access to it but it exists in a proper form. The policy manual of Alfalah is also not properly communicated to the lower employees and no one in the lower employees knows that what the overall policies of bank are. When we asked about the policies from the lower employees some of the employees were not clear about the HR policies as they had neither been not communicated, nor seen the policy manual. We asked the HR coordinator about the policy manual, she refused to give it to us saying that its highly confidential. Yet verbally she gave us some idea that what are the steps in recruitment. These steps are as follows. Policy: The recruitment policy of bank Alfalah has the following conditions: If some one is applying from Khyber Pakhtun Khwa he must be domiciled in Khyber Pakhtun Khwa. The required ages for the fresh recruits at start level are between 18-26 The educational qualifications of the employees. Officers (Executive Category) Master Degree /MBA/MCOM (Any recognized University by Federal Govt.) Assistant Officers/below Category B.A./B.Sc (Any recognized Institute by Federal Govt.) Peon and supporting staff / matriculation. Sources of Recruitment (labour pool): Whenever a vacant position is available, the head of department make reviews of the existing personnel and carry out a search within the organization for suitable persons before trying the outside sources. But if a person with the required qualifications for a given job is not available, fresh recruitment is made. Ways of Recruitment: The vacant posts are advertised through the local and national newspapers and applications are invited with the job specification and description showing the job requirements and eligibility. If the staff member knows any eligible person he or she is asked to call him along with his CV. If he meets the job criteria than the bank does not advertise for five or six seats but if the seats are more and time is less than they do advertise. Managers view: The HR coordinator of bank Alfalah told us about the recruitment policy of bank Alfalah according to her they follow the following approach to recruitment: Detailed human resource planning defining what resources the organization needs to meet its objectives. The HR Manager described the duties, responsibilities, objectives, tasks and standards of the job. The HR Manager specified that what type of employees they are looking to perform the job. We provide equal opportunities to all the employees meeting with our criteria. No gender or racial discrimination is involved. We train our employees after recruitment according to their job and assign them a job or duty. At start we hire our employees on contract basis of one year but if he/she performs well then he/she can be made permanent. Employees view: As we have interviewed some of the employees according to their point of view recruitment policies are very much transparent and fair. As those employees have spent more than three years in bank Alfalah and were satisfied from their manager and from the bank environment. According to them they have submitted their CVs in bank AlFalah and after some time they were called for a written test and than after qualifying the test they were called for interview. Then they were selected and sent for four months training to Lahore where they have their own training academy for fresh employees to train them for such specific job for which they were recruited. Personal analysis: Bank AlFalah is considering well in banking sectors because of their transparent policy which includes recruitment, selection etc. We personally fell well about their policy because the employees which are part of the organization are personally satisfied from their recruitment process. They clearly show the qualities of the personnel, which they required. Because of their good behaviors to the applicants they create a good corporate image on the mind of the applicant. The peoples who are still part of the organization are in favor of their recruitment policy, which helps in creating a good image of the organization of the peoples out side the organization. Recruitment approach by Faysal Bank Whenever there is a resulting demand of recruitment F.B (Faysal bank) there are a few patterns which F.B follows in order to achieve a person for that job, for that reason Faysal bank hires different recruiting agencies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ to conduct the operation of recruiting of the desired vacancy. Similarly when different internees to drop in their C.V (curriculum vitae) so that when ever required they can fetch them for the desired vacancy. Before the recruitment of an employee different aspects are planed to accomplish the finest out of the new recruit so that it can give the best it can to the bank. The objectives which are kept in front before the recruitment are as under: The individuals potential of achieving the objectives which he/she is hired for. The recruit may not get exceeded before the finalization of the desired task. The recruited should have the ability of holding new things when he/she is being skilled. He/she could adopt himself/herself to the changes or innovation in the bank industry. And above all he/she could be reliable so that he/she could keep the business secret of this financial organization. The individuals who are preferred before the recruitment of the new candidates for the bank are as under. Initially the preference is given to the existence employees if there is any employee who deserves that particular job, or that if a particular person is capable of filling that vacancy, he/she is preferred as to before hiring a new employee. If there is some individual in the Faysal Bank branch who has got the nerve that if he could be trained he can get more skilled and suits that job unoccupied at that time he could be indulged in that particular vacancy. The desired vacancy could be referred to the other braches of the bank, so that if there is any capable employee who can be assigned to that job then he/she will be undertaken. Faysal Bank Relationship Manager View: Mr. Muhammad Yaver Khan Khattak the branch relationship manager Faysal bank Omer Plaza Jehangirabad University Road view over the recruitment policy is that this is a very flexible and feasible approach for the employees already working in the bank that if they are given the motivation that if there gets a vacancy in the bank they have got a chance for the promotion for the employee, this end results in the betterment of the organization and the employees start for put in more efforts for the achievement of that desire post. likewise he thinks that if there isnt any one commendable enough for that job, we hire different agencies for the recruitment of the staff of the bank which helps in the time saving of the organization but for the desired quality of the new recruitment the final interview is being conducted by the HR coordinator in the Islamabad brunch. And then the C.V (curriculum vitae) of the candidate is send to the head office in Karachi. Employees view: When we interview Mr.Imran a newly recruit in F.B Omer Plaza Jehangirabad Peshawar, he said that the recruitment policy of Faysal bank is flexible and feasible as that he was doing the internship from the bank and when there was a vacancy they called him if he was willing to do that desired job. Our Personal analysis: In our view Faysal bank has got a very professional approach to the recruitment policy for their bank because their policy of giving the opportunity to the old employees to be upgraded to the new post. Similarly the phenomenon of hiring a recruiting agency is very feasible for the bank and as well as for the new recruit. Evaluate the interview as a selection technique and discuss a range of alternative selection methods available (P6) Interview: Interview is a kind of face to face negotiation between two people for a particular purpose. An interview is a purposeful exchange of ideas, the answering of question and communication between two or more persons. Both Faysal Bank and Bank Alfalah consider interview to be useful for selecting employees. A selection interview is a selection procedure designed to predict future job performance on the basis applicants oral response to oral enquiries. A hiring and selection tool is an aid that helps interviewers focus on key success criteria, compare findings with others more effectively, and develop more rigors in evaluating and scoring candidates. To be effective, the tool must be supported by excellent skills in behaviorally-anchored interviewing. In addition, interviews must be sensitive to various guidelines about the kind of data sought in interviews. The guiding principle is that specific information related to protected classes of individuals or to personal activities or principles that are nor related to specific job activities should not be directly questioned. In addition, using these tools and processes provides an excellent opportunity to sell the companys approach to performance excellence, including tools that candidates can use throughout their employment to maximize their own performance. General Process of a selection is as follows: Selection involves number of steps through which the applicants are screened for choosing the most appropriate persons for available posts. The main objective of selection is to choose the right person for the vacant job. The general process of selection is as follows: Checking each applicant against the criteria given in the job advertisement. Short listing of Applicants Notifying Short listed Applicants Conducting Interviews Verifying Credentials Ranking Applicants Reference Checking Writing Selection Report Follow-up procedure for candidates who successfully completed the selection procedure Negotiation of terms and conditions of the job. Formulate up a contract or written conditions of jobs. Plan initial orientation for the new employees. Review the applicants list which are not interviewed and putting the potential candidates on cling to for future. Telling the unsuccessful applicants for the desired post. Alternative selection methods available to the Banks Psychological Test: Psychological test is the important technique in selecting personnel, and this is widespread at all levels and periods of life. And it is a measuring device, a yardstick applied in consistent and systematic fashion to measure a sample of behavior? Purpose of Psychological test: Selection: The emphasis is on finding a person with the right qualifications for a particular job. Placement: The importance is depended on employees; the problem is to find the right kind of job for a suitable employee. Characteristics of Psychological tests: Standardization: It refers to the combination or customary of the conditions and procedures for administer a test. Norms: It refers specifically to the average or performance on the test Reliability: It refers to the regularity of response on a test. There are several methods for determining reliability: Test Retest Method Equivalent-forms Method Split-halves Method Validity: It is one of the most important requirements of any psychological test is that it measures accurately what it is intended to measure. A number of steps are required to establish a testing program: Conducting a job and workers analysis Finding or developing a suitable tests Conducting an item analysis of each question on a test Determining the level of difficulty of each question Establishing the reliability and validity of the test Setting the cut-off scores Types of Psychological test Administration Test: Individual Group Test: Individual test is straight to one person at a moment in time, are more precious and hence, are used to slighter degree in industry than a grouping analysis. Speed Power Test: Speed Test: It has a rigid time limit at which spot applicants taking the assessment ought to terminate. Power Test: It has no time limit, examines are permitted as much time as they feel they need to finish the test. Paper and Pencil and Performance Test: Paper Pencil Test: Is a kind of assumption test in which questions are in written structure and the answers are recorded on an answer page. Performance Test: It possibly will take longer to administer than paper pencil test and also may need a candidate testing operation. Objective Subjective score: Objectivity: It is the greater part of the test used for automated selection aims are objective. Subjectivity: In investigation score, as in interview, allows employee prejudices and attribute to enter into the tough circumstances. This can lead to distortion of

Euthanasia Essay: Eugenics To Euthanasia :: Free Euthanasia Essay

Eugenics To Euthanasia      Ã‚   This essay presents the appeal which euthanasia has to modern society. What is this appeal based on? Is it a valid appeal? These and other questions are addressed in this paper.    See if this story sounds familiar: A happily married couple - she is a pianist; he a rising scientist - have their love suddenly tested by a decline in the wife's health. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, she falls victim to a steady loss of muscle control and paralysis. The desperate husband uses all his professional skills to save her. But ultimately he must watch her deteriorate in hideous pain. The wife worries that she will soon no longer be "a person anymore - just a lump of flesh - and a torture" for her husband. She begs her husband to kill her before that happens. And eventually, worn down, the reluctant husband releases his wife from her misery with poison.    The husband is indicted for murder. But the understanding judge and jury soon agree that, given the circumstances, the husband is not a killer, and the law needs to be reformed. Meanwhile, in impassioned public comments, the husband attacks "the proponents of outmoded beliefs and antiquated laws" who inflict unnecessary anguish on the terminally ill, "who suffer without hope and whose death would be deliverance for them."    The story fits comfortably with today's medical headlines. It could easily be a 20/20 segment or a page from Jack Kevorkian's latest trial. But it comes from another era. Produced in 1941, it's the plot line of I Accuse, one of the Third Reich's most effective propaganda films. I Accuse was created for one reason only: to advance the Nazi campaign of euthanasia for the mentally and physically handicapped, "antisocial elements," and the terminally ill. And it worked. It was a big box-office success. It's also the classic example of how compassion can be manipulated to justify mass killing - first in the name of mercy, then in the name of cost and utility.    Obviously, America today is not Germany in 1941. Americans have a practical sense of justice that favors the weak and the little guy. But if we want to keep it that way, we shouldn't assume that merely knowing about a past tragedy prevents us from repeating it. We need to learn from history. And

As Fast as Food Essay

Fast food restaurantA fast food restaurant, also known as a quick service restaurant (QSR) within the industry itself, is a specific type of restaurant characterized both by its fast food cuisine and by minimal table service. Food served in fast food restaurants typically caters to a â€Å"meat-sweet diet† and is offered from a limited menu; is cooked in bulk in advance and kept hot; is finished and packaged to order; and is usually available ready to take away, though seating may be provided. Fast food restaurants are usually part of a restaurant chain or franchise operation, which provisions standardized ingredients and/or partially prepared foods and supplies to each restaurant through controlled supply channels. The term â€Å"fast food† was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam–Webster in 1951. [1] Arguably the first fast food restaurants originated in the United States with A&W in 1916 and White Castle in 1921. [2] Today, American-founded fast food chains such as McDonald’s and KFC are multinational corporations with outlets across the globe. Variations on the fast food restaurant concept include fast casual restaurants and catering trucks. Fast casual restaurants have higher sit-in ratios, and customers can sit and have their orders brought to them. Catering trucks often park just outside worksites and are popular with factory workers. HistorySome trace the modern history of fast food in America to July 7, 1912, with the opening of a fast food restaurant called the Automat in New York. The Automat was a cafeteria with its prepared foods behind small glass windows and coin-operated slots. Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart had already opened the first Horn & Hardart Automat in Philadelphia in 1902, but their â€Å"Automat† at Broadway and 13th Street, in New York City, created a sensation. Numerous Automat restaurants were built around the country to deal with the demand. Automats remained extremely popular throughout the 1920s and 1930s. The company also popularized the notion of â€Å"take-out† food, with their slogan â€Å"Less work for Mother†. Some historians and secondary school textbooks concur that A&W, which opened in 1919 and began franchising in 1921, was the first fast food restaurant (E. Tavares). Thus, the American company White Castle is generally credited with opening the second fast-food outlet in Wichita, Kansas in 1921, selling hamburgers for five cents apiece from its inception and spawning numerous competitors and emulators. What is certain, however, is that White Castle made the first significant effort to standardize the food production in, look of, and operation of fast-food hamburger restaurants. William Ingram’s and Walter Anderson’s White Castle System created the first fast food supply chain to provide meat, buns, paper goods, and other supplies to their restaurants, pioneered the concept of the multistate hamburger restaurant chain, standardized the look and construction of the restaurants themselves, and even developed a construction division that manufactured and built the chain’s prefabricated restaurant buildings. The McDonalds’ Speedee Service System and, much later, Ray Kroc’s McDonald’s outlets and Hamburger University all built on principles, systems and practices that White Castle had already established between 1923 and 1932. The hamburger restaurant most associated by the public with the term â€Å"fast food† was created by two brothers originally from Nashua, New Hampshire. Richard and Maurice McDonald opened a barbecue drive-in in 1940 in the city of San Bernardino, California. After discovering that most of their profits came from hamburgers, the brothers closed their restaurant for three months and reopened it in 1948 as a walk-up stand offering a simple menu of hamburgers, french fries, shakes, coffee, and Coca-Cola, served in disposable paper wrapping. As a result, they could produce hamburgers and fries constantly, without waiting for customer orders, and could serve them immediately; hamburgers cost 15 cents, about half the price at a typical diner. Their streamlined production method, which they named the â€Å"Speedee Service System† was influenced by the production line innovations of Henry Ford. By 1954, The McDonald brothers’ stand was restaurant equipment manufacturer Prince Castle’s biggest purchaser of milkshake blending machines. Prince Castle salesman Ray Kroc traveled to California to discover why the company had purchased almost a dozen of the units as opposed to the normal one or two found in most restaurants of the time. Enticed by the success of the McDonald’s concept, Kroc signed a franchise agreement with the brothers and began opening McDonald’s restaurants in Illinois. [3] By 1961, Kroc had bought out the brothers and created what is now the modern McDonald’s Corporation. One of the major parts of his business plan was to promote cleanliness of his restaurants to growing groups of Americans that had become aware of food safety issues. As part of his commitment to cleanliness, Kroc often took part in cleaning his own Des Plaines, Illinois outlet by hosing down the garbage cans and scraping gum off the cement. Another concept Kroc added was great swaths of glass which enabled the customer to view the food preparation, a practice still found in chains such as Krispy Kreme. A clean atmosphere was only part of Kroc’s grander plan which separated McDonald’s from the rest of the competition and attributes to their great success. Kroc envisioned making his restaurants appeal to suburban families. [4] At roughly the same time as Kroc was conceiving what eventually became McDonald’s Corporation, two Miami, Florida businessmen, James McLamore and David Edgerton, opened a franchise of the predecessor to what is now the international fast food restaurant chain Burger King. McLamore had visited the original McDonald’s hamburger stand belonging to the McDonald brothers; sensing potential in their innovative assembly line-based production system, he decided he wanted to open a similar operation of his own. [5][6] The two partners eventually decided to invest their money in Jacksonville, Florida-based Insta-Burger King. Originally opened in 1953, the founders and owners of the chain, Kieth J. Kramer and his wife’s uncle Matthew Burns, opened their first stores around a piece of equipment known as the Insta-Broiler. The Insta-Broiler oven proved so successful at cooking burgers, they required all of their franchises to carry the device. [5] By 1959 McLamore and Edgarton were operating several locations within the Miami-Dade area and were growing at a fast clip. Despite the success of their operation, the partners discovered that the design of the insta-broiler made the unit’s heating elements prone to degradation from the drippings of the beef patties. The pair eventually created a mechanized gas grill that avoided the problems by changing the way the meat patties were cooked in the unit. After the original company began to falter in 1959, it was purchased by McLamore and Edgerton who renamed the company Burger King. [7] While fast food restaurants usually have a seating area in which customers can eat the food on the premises, orders are designed to be taken away, and traditional table service is rare. Orders are generally taken and paid for at a wide counter, with the customer waiting by the counter for a tray or container for their food. A â€Å"drive-through† service can allow customers to order and pick up food from their cars. Nearly from its inception, fast food has been designed to be eaten â€Å"on the go† and often does not require traditional cutlery and is eaten as a finger food. Common menu items at fast food outlets include fish and chips, sandwiches, pitas, hamburgers, fried chicken, french fries, chicken nuggets, tacos, pizza, and ice cream, although many fast food restaurants offer â€Å"slower† foods like chili, mashed potatoes, and salads. CuisineModern commercial fast food is highly processed and prepared on a large scale from bulk ingredients using standardized cooking and production methods and equipment. It is usually rapidly served in cartons or bags or in a plastic wrapping, in a fashion which reduces operating costs by allowing rapid product identification and counting, promoting longer holding time, avoiding transfer of bacteria, and facilitating order fulfillment. In most fast food operations, menu items are generally made from processed ingredients prepared at a central supply facilities and then shipped to individual outlets where they are cooked (usually by grill, microwave, or deep-frying) or assembled in a short amount of time either in anticipation of upcoming orders (i. e. , â€Å"to stock†) or in response to actual orders (i. e., â€Å"to order†). Following standard operating procedures, pre-cooked products are monitored for freshness and disposed of if holding times become excessive. This process ensures a consistent level of product quality, and is key to delivering the order quickly to the customer and avoiding labor and equipment costs in the individual stores. Because of commercial emphasis on taste, speed, product safety, uniformity, and low cost, fast food products are made with ingredients formulated to achieve an identifiable flavor, aroma, texture, and â€Å"mouth feel† and to preserve freshness and control handling costs during preparation and order fulfillment. This requires a high degree of food engineering. The use of additives, including salt, sugar, flavorings and preservatives, and processing techniques may limit the nutritional value of the final product. Value mealsA value meal is a group of menu items offered together at a lower price than they would cost individually. They are common at fast food restaurants. Value meals are a common merchandising tactic to facilitate bundling, up-selling, and price discrimination. Most of the time they can be upgraded to a larger size of fries and drink for a small fee. The perceived creation of a â€Å"discount† on individual menu items in exchange for the purchase of a â€Å"meal† is also consistent with the loyalty marketing school of thought. [8] TechnologyTo make quick service possible and to ensure accuracy and security, many fast food restaurants have incorporated hospitality point of sale systems. This makes it possible for kitchen crew people to view orders placed at the front counter or drive through in real time. Wireless systems allow orders placed at drive through speakers to be taken by cashiers and cooks. Drive through and walk through configurations will allow orders to be taken at one register and paid at another. Modern point of sale systems can operate on computer networks using a variety of software programs. Sales records can be generated and remote access to computer reports can be given to corporate offices, managers, troubleshooters, and other authorized personnel. Food service chains partner with food equipment manufacturers to design highly specialized restaurant equipment, often incorporating heat sensors, timers, and other electronic controls into the design. Collaborative design techniques, such as rapid visualization and parametric modeling of restaurant kitchens are now being used to establish equipment specifications that are consistent with restaurant operating and merchandising requirements. [9] Business Consumer spendingIn the United States alone, consumers spent about $110 billion on fast food in 2000 (which increased from $6 billion in 1970). [10] The National Restaurant Association forecasts that fast food restaurants in the U. S. will reach $142 billion in sales in 2006, a 5% increase over 2005. In comparison, the full-service restaurant segment of the food industry is expected to generate $173 billion in sales. Fast food has been losing market share to so-called fast casual restaurants, which offer more robust and expensive cuisines. Major international brandsMcDonald’s, a noted fast food supplier, opened its first franchised restaurant in the US in 1955 (1974 in the UK). It has become a phenomenally successful enterprise in terms of financial growth, brand-name recognition, and worldwide expansion. Ray Kroc, who bought the franchising license from the McDonald brothers, pioneered many concepts which emphasized standardization. He introduced uniform products, identical in all respects at each outlet, to increase sales. At the same time, Kroc also insisted on cutting food costs as much as possible, eventually using the McDonald’s Corporation’s size to force suppliers to conform to this ethos. Other prominent international fast food companies include Burger King, the number two hamburger chain in the world, known for promoting its customized menu offerings (Have it Your Way). Multinational corporations typically modify their menus to cater to local tastes and most overseas outlets are owned by native franchisees. McDonald’s in India, for example, uses chicken and paneer rather than beef in its burgers because Hinduism traditionally forbids eating beef. In Israel some McDonald’s restaurants are kosher and respect the Jewish Shabbat; there is also a kosher McDonald’s in Argentina. In Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Singapore, all menu items are halal. North America Animal fries from In-N-Out Burger’s secret menu Many fast food operations have more local and regional roots, such as White Castle in the Midwest United States, along with Hardee’s (owned by CKE Restaurants, which also owns Carl’s Jr., whose locations are primarily on the United States West Coast); Krystal, Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits, Cook Out, and Zaxby’s restaurants in the American Southeast; Raising Cane’s in Louisiana; Hot ‘n Now in Michigan and Wisconsin; In-N-Out Burger (in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Texas) and Original Tommy’s chains in Southern California; Dick’s Drive-In in Seattle, Washington and Arctic Circle in Utah and other western states; Halo Burger around Flint, Michigan and Burgerville in the Portland, Oregon area. Also, Whataburger is a popular burger chain in the American South and Mexico, and Jack in the Box is located in the West and South. Canada pizza chains Topper’s Pizza and Pizza Pizza are primarily located in Ontario. Coffee chain Country Style operates only in Ontario, and competes with the famous coffee and donut chain Tim Hortons. Maid-Rite restaurant is one of the oldest chain fast food restaurants in the United States. Founded in 1926, their specialty is a loose meat hamburger. Maid-Rites can be found in the midwest – mainly Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, and Missouri. International brands dominant in North America include McDonalds’s, Burger King and Wendy’s, the number three burger chain in the USA; Dunkin’ Donuts, a New England based chain; automobile oriented Sonic Drive-In’s from Oklahoma City; Starbucks, Seattle-born coffee-based fast food beverage corporation; KFC, a part of the largest restaurant conglomerate in the world, Yum! Brands; and Domino’s Pizza, a pizza chain known for popularizing home delivery of fast food. Subway is known for their sub sandwiches and are the largest restaurant chain to serve such food items. [11] Quiznos a Denver based sub shop is another fast growing sub chain, yet with over 6,000 locations it is still far behind Subway’s 34,000 locations. Other smaller sub shops include Blimpie, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Mr. Goodcents, Jimmy John’s, and Firehouse. A&W Restaurants was originally a United States and Canada fast food brand, but is currently an International fast food corporation in several countries. In Canada the majority of fast food chains are American owned, or were originally American owned but have since set up a Canadian management/headquarters location in cities such as Toronto and Vancouver such as Panera Bread, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Five Guys, Carl’s Jr. and Chili’s. Although the case is usually American fast food chains expanding into Canada, Canadian chains such as Tim Hortons have expanded into 22 states in the United States, but are more prominent in border states such as New York and Michigan. Tim Hortons has started to expand to other countries outside of North America. The Canadian Extreme Pita franchise sells low fat and salt pita sandwiches with stores in the larger Canadian cities. Other Canadian fast food chains such as Manchu Wok serve North American style Asian foods; this company is located mainly in Canada and the USA, with other outlets on US military bases on other continents. Harvey’s is a Canadian burger restaurant chain. The United KingdomIn the United Kingdom, many home based fast food operations were closed in the 1970s and 1980s after McDonald’s became the number one outlet in the market[citation needed]. However, brands like Wimpy still remain, although the majority of branches became Burger King in 1989. JapanTraditional ramen and sushi restaurants still dominate fast food culture in Japan, although American outlets like Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, and KFC are also popular, along with Japanese chains like MOS Burger. NigeriaIn Nigeria, Mr. Bigg’s, Chicken Republic, Tantalizers, and Tastee Fried Chicken are the predominant fast food chains. KFC and Pizza Hut have recently entered the country. PakistanFast food In Pakistan varies. There are many international chains serving fast food, including Nandos, KFC, McDonalds, Dunkin’ Donuts, Subway, Pizza Hut, Hardees, Telepizza and Gloria Jean’s Coffees. In addition to the international chains, in local cuisine people in Pakistan like to have biryani, bun kebabs, Nihari, kebab rolls etc. as fast food. South AfricaKFC is the most popular fast food chain in South Africa according to a 2010 Sunday Times survey. [12] Chicken Licken, Wimpy and Ocean Basket along with Nando’s and Steers are examples of homegrown franchises that are highly popular within the country. McDonalds, Subway and Pizza Hut have a significant presence within South Africa. China and Hong KongIn Hong Kong, although McDonald’s and KFC are quite popular, there are 3 major local fast food chains providing Hong Kong Chinese style fast food. These 3 major chains are Cafe de Coral, Fairwood Fast Food, and Maxim MX. In recent years, they have also been extending their operations to Mainland China. IsraelIn Israel, local burger chain Burger Ranch is popular as are McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC. Domino’s Pizza is also a popular fast food restaurant. Chains like McDonalds offer kosher branches. Non-kosher foods such as cheeseburgers are rare in Israeli fast food chains, even in non-kosher branches. There are many small local fast food chains that serve pizza, burgers and local foods such as falafel. New ZealandIn New Zealand, the fast food market began in the 1970s with KFC (opened 1971), Pizza Hut (1974), and McDonald’s (1976),[13] and all three remain popular today. Burger King and Domino’s entered the market later in the 1990s. Australian pizza chains Eagle Boys and Pizza Haven also entered the market in the 1990s, but their New Zealand operations were later sold to Pizza Hut and Domino’s. Two fast food chains were founded in New Zealand: Georgie Pie and Hell Pizza. Georgie Pie opened in 1977, and was based around the Australian and New Zealand meat pie. They went through a failed expansion attempt in the mid-1990s and became economically unviable, resulting in the chain being sold to McDonald’s in 1996; the last Georgie Pie restaurant was closed in 1998. Hell Pizza was founded in 1996 in Wellington, and is known for its satanic marketing. Today, it has 64 stores in New Zealand, and also has stores in the UK, Australia, Ireland and Canada. TrendsHealth concernsSome of the large fast food chains are beginning to incorporate healthier alternatives in their menu, e. g. , white meat, snack wraps, salads, and fresh fruit. However, some people see these moves as a tokenistic and commercial measure, rather than an appropriate reaction to ethical concerns about the world ecology and people’s health. McDonald’s announced that in March 2006, the chain would include nutritional information on the packaging of all of its products. [14] Consumer appealFast food outlets have become popular with consumers for several reasons. One is that through economies of scale in purchasing and producing food, these companies can deliver food to consumers at a very low cost. In addition, although some people dislike fast food for its predictability, it can be reassuring to a hungry person in a hurry or far from home[citation needed] In the post-World War II period in the United States, fast food chains like McDonald’s rapidly gained a reputation for their cleanliness, fast service, and a child-friendly atmosphere where families on the road could grab a quick meal, or seek a break from the routine of home cooking[citation needed]. Prior to the rise of the fast food chain restaurant, people generally had a choice between greasy spoon diners where the quality of the food was often questionable and service lacking, or high-end restaurants that were expensive and impractical for families with children[citation needed]. The modern, stream-lined convenience of the fast food restaurant provided a new alternative and appealed to Americans’ instinct for ideas and products associated with progress, technology, and innovation. [citation needed] Fast food restaurants rapidly became the eatery â€Å"everyone could agree on†, with many featuring child-size menu combos, play areas, and whimsical branding campaigns, like the iconic Ronald McDonald, designed to appeal to younger customers. Parents could have a few minutes of peace while children played or amused themselves with the toys included in their Happy Meal. There is a long history of fast food advertising campaigns, many of which are directed at children. In other parts of the world, American and American-style fast food outlets have been popular for their quality, customer service, and novelty, even though they are often the targets of popular anger towards American foreign policy or globalization more generally[citation needed]. Many consumers nonetheless see them as symbols of the wealth, progress, and well-ordered openness of Western society and therefore become trendy attractions in many cities around the world, particularly among younger people with more varied tastes. [citation needed] Impact of fast food restaurant availabilityOver time, fast food restaurants have been growing rapidly, especially in urban neighborhoods. According to US research, low-income and predominantly African-American neighborhoods have greater exposure to fast food outlets than higher income and predominantly white areas. [15] This has put into question whether urbanized neighborhoods were targeted, which causes a more unhealthy group of people compared to people from a higher socioeconomic status. It has also been shown that there is a lower chance of finding a fast food restaurant in a suburban neighborhood. In a study of selected US locations, Morland et al. (2002) found the number of fast food restaurants and bars was inversely proportional to the wealth of the neighborhood, and that predominantly African-American residential areas were four times less likely to have a supermarket near them than predominantly white areas. [16] Innovations timeline 1872: Walter Scott of Providence, RI outfitted a horse-drawn lunch wagon with a simple kitchen, bringing hot dinners to workers[17] 1902: First Horn & Hardart Automat opened in Philadelphia 1912: Horn & Hardart opens a second Automat in Manhattan 1916: Walter Anderson built the first White Castle in Wichita, KS in 1916, introducing the limited menu, high volume, low cost, high speed hamburger restaurant[17] 1919: A&W Root Beer took its product out of the soda fountain and into a roadside stand[17] 1921: A&W Root Beer began franchising its syrup[17]. 1921: White Castle opens its first restaurant 1926: Maid-Rite opened its first restaurant in Muscatine, Iowa. 1930s: Howard Johnson’s pioneered the concept of franchising restaurants, formally standardizing menus, signage, and advertising[17] 1948: In-N-Out Burger begins drive-through service utilizing call-box technology 1967: McDonald’s opens its first restaurants outside the U. S. [1] 1971: McDonald’s begins serving breakfast, test-marketing the Egg McMuffin in the U. S. [2] 1971: The first Starbucks store opens in Seattle, Washington in Pike Place Market to sell high-quality coffee beans and equipment 1980: 7-Eleven introduces the 32-US-fluid-ounce (950 ml) Big Gulp 1981: Arby’s offers nutritional information 1987: Howard Schultz leads purchase of the Starbucks brand from its founders (who adopted the name Peet’s) and begins offering coffee drinks modeled after those sold in Italian coffee bars 1994: McDonald’s begins â€Å"supersizing† Extra Value Meals. 1994: Arctic Circle becomes the first fast food restaurant to sell Angus beef exclusively. 1994: Arby’s is first fast food restaurant to implement a no-smoking policy 2002: McDonald’s cuts back on the amount of trans fat by 48 percent on french fries 2006: Arby’s begins elimination of trans fat oils in french fries Criticisms Hot Dog The fast food industry is a popular target for critics, from anti-globalization activists like Jose Bove to vegetarian activist groups such as PETA. In his best-selling 2001 book Fast Food Nation, investigative journalist Eric Schlosser leveled a broad, socioeconomic critique against the fast food industry, documenting how fast food rose from small, family-run businesses (like the McDonald brothers’ burger joint) into large, multinational corporate juggernauts whose economies of scale radically transformed agriculture, meat processing, and labor markets in the late twentieth century. While the innovations of the fast food industry gave Americans more and cheaper dining options, it has come at the price of destroying the environment, economy, and small-town communities of rural America while shielding consumers from the real costs of their convenient meal, both in terms of health and the broader impact of large-scale food production and processing on workers, animals, and land. The fast food industry is popular in the United States, the source of most of its innovation, and many major international chains are based there. Seen as symbols of U. S. dominance and perceived cultural imperialism, American fast food franchises have often been the target of Anti-globalization protests and demonstrations against the U. S. government. In 2005, for example, rioters in Karachi, Pakistan, who were initially angered because of the bombing of a Shiite mosque, destroyed a KFC restaurant. [18] Legal issuesIn 2003, McDonald’s was sued in a New York court by a family who claimed that the restaurant chain was responsible for their teenage daughter’s obesity and attendant health problems. By manipulating food’s taste, sugar and fat content, and directing their advertising to children, the suit argued that the company purposely misleads the public about the nutritional value of its product. A judge dismissed the case, but the fast food industry disliked the publicity of its practices, particularly the way it targets children in its advertising. [19] Although further lawsuits have not materialized, the issue is kept alive in the media and political circles by those promoting the need for tort reform. [20]. In response to this, the â€Å"Cheeseburger Bill† [21] was passed by the U. S. House of Representatives in 2004; it later stalled in the U. S. Senate. The law was reintroduced in 2005, only to meet the same fate. This law was claimed to â€Å"[ban] frivolous lawsuits against producers and sellers of food and non-alcoholic drinks arising from obesity claims. † The bill arose because of an increase in lawsuits against fast food chains by people who claimed that eating their products made them obese, disassociating themselves from any of the blame. Fast foodFast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a packaged form for take-out/take-away. The term â€Å"fast food† was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam–Webster in 1951. Outlets may be stands or kiosks, which may provide no shelter or seating,[1] or fast food restaurants (also known as quick service restaurants). Franchise operations which are part of restaurant chains have standardized foodstuffs shipped to each restaurant from central locations History. Pulling wheat dough into thin strands to form lamian See also: Fast food restaurant history The concept of ready-cooked food for sale is closely connected with urban development. In Ancient Rome cities had street stands that sold bread, sausages and wine. Pre-modern EuropeIn the cities of Roman antiquity, much of the urban population living in insulae, multi-story apartment blocks, depended on food vendors for much of their meals. In the mornings, bread soaked in wine was eaten as a quick snack and cooked vegetables and stews later inpopina, a simple type of eating establishment. [3] In the Middle Ages, large towns and major urban areas such as London and Paris supported numerous vendors that sold dishes such as pies, pasties, flans, waffles, wafers, pancakes and cooked meats. As in Roman cities during antiquity, many of these establishments catered to those who did not have means to cook their own food, particularly single households. Unlike richer town dwellers, many often could not afford housing with kitchen facilities and thus relied on fast food. Travellers, as well, such as pilgrims en route to a holy site, were among the customers. [4] United Kingdom Fish and chips with mushy peas In areas which had access to coastal or tidal waters, ‘fast food’ would frequently include local shellfish or seafood, such as oysters or, as in London, eels. Often this seafood would be cooked directly on the quay or close by. [5] The development of trawler fishing in the mid nineteenth century would lead to the development of a British favourite fish and chips, and the first shop in 1860. [6] A blue plaque at Oldham’s Tommyfield Market marks the origin of the fish and chip shop and fast food industries in Britain. [6] British fast food had considerable regional variation. Sometimes the regionality of dish became part of the culture of its respective area. The content of fast food pies has varied, with poultry (such as chickens) or wildfowl commonly being used. After World War II, turkey has been used more frequently in fast food. [7] As well as its native cuisine, the UK has adopted fast food from other cultures, such as pizza, Chinese noodles, kebab, and curry. More recently healthier alternatives to conventional fast food have also emerged. United States. Neighboring fast food restaurant advertisement signs in Bowling Green, Kentucky for Wendy’s, KFC, Krystal and Taco Bell As automobiles became popular and more affordable following World War I, drive-in restaurants were introduced. The American company White Castle, founded by Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson in Wichita, Kansas in 1921, is generally credited with opening the second fast food outlet and first hamburger chain, selling hamburgers for five cents each. [8] Walter Anderson had built the first White Castle restaurant in Wichita in 1916, introducing the limited menu, high volume, low cost, high speed hamburger restaurant. [9] Among its innovations, the company allowed customers to see the food being prepared. White Castle was successful from its inception and spawned numerous competitors. Franchising was introduced in 1921 by A&W Root Beer, which franchised its distinctive syrup. Howard Johnson’s first franchised the restaurant concept in the mid-1930s, formally standardizing menus, signage and advertising. [9] Curb service was introduced in the late 1920s and was mobilized in the 1940s when carhops strapped on roller skates. [10]. The United States has the largest fast food industry in the world, and American fast food restaurants are located in over 100 countries. Approximately 2 million U. S. workers are employed in the areas of food preparation and food servicing including fast food in the USA. [11] On the go McDonald’s first two-lane drive-thru was at the Rock N Roll McDonald’s in Chicago. Fast food outlets are take-away or take-out providers, often with a â€Å"drive-through† service which allows customers to order and pick up food from their cars, but most also have indoor and/or outdoor seating areas in which the customers can eat the food on-site. Nearly from its inception, fast food has been designed to be eate.