The Structuring of the Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Structuring of the Organization - Essay Example Establishing a successful car factory in the car industry must account for prior, current and possible future trends in the car industry. Planning and implementing a project that would make it possible to realize success in operations and performance must significantly counter or fundamentally actualize countermeasures of the possible problems that the car factory is likely to face, relative to the performance of the entire industry. In such a pursuit, leadership must be critically positioned in every aspect of the industry in order to minimize problem effects and enhance the success of the business. There are variant problems that the car factory would face in the industry, but leadership should be availed to combat all underlying problems. Different industries across the globe are characterized by stiff competition between the firms that make up such industries. Business enterprises within the industry setting engage each other in stiff competition for a significant market share that favors the continuity of the business aspects of every single enterprise (Robbins, Judge & Sanghi, 2009, p.218). The competitive advantage of a firm is determined by a number of factors, all of which are influential in the market. The objective to satisfy consumer needs is relative to product qualities and pricing policies. Consumer tastes and preferences must also be accounted for in the competition process since the ultimate concern is to be in business by engaging consumers to buy. High competition in the car industry is a problem due to the already established businesses in the same line. Existing firms are often preventative of the market, and they try to make the environment unfavorable for new entrants. Setting up a car factory cannot fail to consider this aspect of competition. In order to effectively tackle high competition problems, leadership practices etc.

Employment Relations 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Employment Relations 2 - Essay Example Ever since the need for the department has become prominent, it has made great strides and has evolved completely, the functions that we see any human resources department performing today are very different from the functions that it performed 2 or 3 decades ago, this is ample evidence to judge the importance of the role that human resources departments now perform in any given company. Employment relations means the relationship that exists between the employer and the employees and the factors that affect this bond are some institutional factors which would be discussed in detail later on in the paper, these factors are basically the economic, political and the cultural factors and how they affect the relationship of the employer and the employee and the role of the human resources department in tackling the various issues that may arise due to the impact of these factors is looked into in detail. The employment relation also looks into the rights that the employees have over the employer and the rights that the employer have over the employee, it also defines what needs to be done in different situations when a breach has been made by either party. Economic factors can also have an effect on the employment relation of the firm, for example in the micro economic context if the demand for the firms products goes down rapidly due to substitutes being now available at a cheaper market price then the firm would have to react to this negative factor in the environment and reply by having either lower prices or higher quality goods, but if the price has to be decreased some of the labor might have to be laid off and that can really hurt the relationship between the firm and its employees. If a labor union is involved then it would definitely protest against laying off for this reason and might threaten to halt all labor activities if the decision of the firm is not taken back. These are some decisions that the firm has to make very carefully and take the union into full confidence before announcing any such decision. On the other hand macroeconomic factors can also have a bearing on the firm and its relationship with the employees or trade unions, if the inflation level is extremely high and the company finds that it needs to cut down on costs or close a wing down then the same problems would ensue as those that have been mentioned above, but with measures such as negotiations and direct dialogue between the company and the trade unions such barriers can be overcome but there might be times when the issue would have to be resolved by putting the foot down, in that case the firm might have to pay a hefty price in the short term but in the long run it would be beneficial for the firm (Ed. 2008). Employees of any company have the right to join a labor union and that labor union has the right to represent that employee. Demand factors may reduce the facilities that are given to employees by the employer as this would translate into lower costs for the employee, this might be an alternative solution for laying off people and there have been examples where labor unions have accepted or brokered such deals where the w hole labor force would accept a lower wage when economic conditions are bad so that no one from the organization is laid off. Another factor is the political scenario or the political situation of the country that the firm is

Leed Versus Breeam Analysis Construction Essay

Leed Versus Breeam Analysis Construction Essay Displaying a green certificate is becoming more and more important for organisations as the communities they operate in are becoming more and more sustainably aware. Environmental assessment of buildings is nothing new, BREEAM was the first national scheme introduced in 1990 but has since expanded, going from a small 19-page BRE report with 27 credits available, to a substantial 350-page technical guide with 105 credits BREEAM has conquered the UK Market for almost 20 years. But now has stiff competition from the US Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). In 1998 the US Green Building Council launched its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). BREEAM and LEED are now the main methods currently competing for business in the UK. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Is an internationally recognized green building certification system,  providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts (USGBC, 2008). Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. It was recently introduced into the UK as a solution to some of the downfalls of current rating systems. In the UK, interest in LEED is growing. The Green Building Certification Institutes website records 66 LEED Accredited Professionals in the UK. This is the fifth highest national total behind the US, Canada, UAE and China (BSRIA, 2009). LEED is flexible enough to apply to all building types especially commercial. It works throughout the building lifecycle first assessment is completed at the design and construction stage then the second is the operations and maintenance stage, then finally any tenant fit out, and significant retrofit. However, the LEED design can miss many green opportunities that fall outside the stringent LEED criteria. One problem with the LEED method of sustainable design is that it can foster an all-or-nothing attitude toward this pursuit. LEED audits have become a common activity during schematic design. All too often, however, green design is abandoned entirely once this audit shows a project falling short of the number of points required for LEED certification (Environmental Outlook, 2002). Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM Is the foremost method of assessing the environmental performance of new and existing buildings both in the UK and worldwide. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable development and covers virtually all aspects of the design. (BREEAM, 2002) Achieving a BREEAM rating is ever more becoming a requirement of Funding Bodies and Planning Authorities. It also demonstrates a commitment to socially responsible development and creating sustainable and healthy environments in which current and future generations are to live and work. (BREEAM, 2002) Assessments are carried out at two stages; Firstly, during the Design Stage and then at Post Construction Review Stage. Following the Post Construction Stage Assessment, the Client is provided with a BREEAM Certificate directly by the BRE. BREEAM Ratings are awarded in five categories: pass, good, very good, excellent and outstanding. The BREEAM process will help to encourage better standards with commercial developments, but it should be done in a way that clearly acknowledges the complete development cycle for different options rather than the factory gate figure alone. Future strategies for BREEAM will need to see a general alignment with government carbon reduction and sustainability plans. BREEAM would then be more integrated into legislation so that new buildings are built with sustainability embedded throughout the complete process. These two methods lack similarities when it comes to the process of qualifications. BREEAM has trained assessors who assess the evidence against the credit criteria and report it to the BRE, who validate the assessment and issue the certificate. While LEED does not require training, there is a credit available if an accredited professional (AP) is used. (James Parker 2009) Table The role of the AP is to help gather the evidence and advise the client. The evidence is then submitted to the USGBC which does the assessment and issues the certificate. Both schemes share common components see Table 1. Early involvement of the assessor or AP at the design stage is beneficial to the project and the final rating. Both schemes drive the market to improve building design. The judging criteria also keep pace with legislative developments and current best practice. James Parker author of BREEAM vs LEED (2009) has issued findings on buildings which have achieved both a BREEAM and a LEED rating his findings were as follows. The US-GBC also lists ten UK buildings as being registered for one of the LEED schemes. At the time of writing, the list shows that only one UK building the Herman Miller HQ in Cheltenham as having gained a LEED rating. This building also had a BREEAM assessment carried out under the offices 2006 scheme, under which it was awarded an excellent rating. Another building known to have both a BREEAM and a LEED rating is the Van de Kamp Bakery, at Los Angeles City College. The bakery gained a certified LEED rating and a Good BREEAM 2005 rating (James Parker, 2009). James Parkers findings provide the opinion that BREEAM issues a higher rating for the same building in both the US and the UK. However it would be more precise to compare LEED with BREEAM 2008, as the latter now has a compulsory post-construction review, this has been an item on the objective list for LEED for a while. Previous BREEAM schemes only assessed buildings at a design stage. Eszter Gulacsy, a sustainability consultant from MTT/Sustain has stated that whilst BREEAM is more educational and more rigorous LEED is far simpler in its approach, BREEAM is more relevant in the UK as it uses UK policies, however LEED can sit alongside as part of a global corporate policy, she says. Gulacsy also believes that the driver for LEED in the UK is often the clients global corporate policy or the needs for global tenants. This makes a lot of sense, companies that are multi-national would find it much easier if their sustainable commitments and rating procedure were dealt with in the same way but before the introduction on LEED into the UK, multi-national companies had to use BREEAM in the UK and perhaps LEED elsewhere. For example Germany-based Siemens now uses LEED for all its new buildings worldwide, several of these are now located in Europe. BREEAMs director, Martin Townsend states that We have not been shy about selling BREEAM across the globe. BREEAM International grew out of the BREEAM Bespoke scheme. BREEAM Europe and BREEAM Gulf are similar money-earners. But going global brings BREEAM head-to-head with its rival LEED. Ironically, we are seeking ways of collaborative working with the US LEED system. If an American bank wants to build over here, it understands about LEED and wants the building built to that standard. Thats fine, but it might not translate that well into the UK climatic environment, our building legislation or the way that building operates. Providing a client with dual certification has to be a good way of sharing that information. (Building Design, 2009) But Gulacsy warns Europe thinks that LEED is an easy win, but it isnt if the paperwork and evidence is not in place. There is a danger of complacency, So would a merging of the two competing systems be seen as desirable? Clearly, a one-size-fits-all assessment method would be complicated to implement on a global basis as problems that face one country or region might not be issues in others therefore these need to be ranked accordingly for example water efficiency is a major issue in Dubai and Australia, but not in England or Ireland. LEED is dominated by the American ASHRAE standards (an international organization that establishes standards for the uniform testing and rating of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration equipment) (EPA, 2004). BREEAM takes its cue from European and UK legislation. The regional versions of both schemes flow from those antecedents. BREEAM Gulf has been adapted for the local market. Gone are the Good, Very Good, and Excellent ratings, and in comes star ratings. The weightings are changed so that water is the key issue, rather than energy as in the standard UK schemes. In addition to the CIBSE guidance being the measure for certain credits, ASHRAE and other standards are also now referenced in BREEAM Gulf. BREEAM has long been able to adapt to local contexts. With BREEAM Bespoke, for example, the assessor can work with BRE to develop assessment criteria specially tailored to a building where it doesnt fit neatly into one of the existing schemes. Stephen Kennett, (2008) . It is stated that LEED has not been shaped with this high level of flexibility and it is not run this way. LEED is fixed to the ASHRAE standards and the US way of thinking (for example, credits are awarded for having enough car parking spaces, rather than minimising them as in BREEAM). There are also differences in the way LEED calculates credits. They are generally linked to the US Dollar, which means that if the exchange rate is unfavourable, then the buildings rating could suffer (James Parker, 2009). There is a lot of hype about the battle between BREEAM and LEED in the UK, but this seems to be unfounded. Both seem happy to co-exist and each has their niche areas or countries. They are even borrowing each others ideas as they grow. BREEAM will probably always come out on top in the UK, simply because it is imbedded in the system. Government departments require BREEAM ratings of all their buildings; most local authorities require BREEAM as part of planning approval for developments over a certain size. Once projects are underway that aim to be zero carbon, the likes of BREEAM or LEED may have developed to become the global default methods of assessment. (James Parker 2009)

The Benefits of Global Positioning Satellites :: Expository Essays Research Papers

The Benefits of Global Positioning Satellites Navigation systems are becoming more and more popular in cars. In a world where society wants everything fast and easy, a system which allows you to program a location and quickly get directions is sure to be a success. Early versions of these navigating systems installed a computer hard drive into the car. These were rather expensive and also somewhat clumsy to operate. The new systems which are called Global Positioning Satellites run off of satellite dishes that the military monitors. These new GPS systems, as they are called, are extremely accurate as well as useful. They can track a car's location within about 30 feet. GPS originally started in rental cars and now are becoming more common in other cars. One of the most popular GPS systems is General Motor's OnStar system. OnStar not only offers the navigation aid like normal navigation systems, but also a wide variety of other features as well. It provides automatic theft notification which signals a call center allowing the vehicle to be tracked, automatic crash notification which alerts the call center when air bags are deployed, road-side assistance aiding travelers in finding the nearest repair center, and an in-vehicle emergency button which immediately contacts and OnStar operator. By stating your pin number to an operator, OnStar can automatically unlock your car if you lock your keys inside. It is backed by the company's policy of "hands on the wheel, eyes on the road" as well. OnStar has voice recognition as audio directions. In addition to the necessities of traveling, OnStar can help you find a hotel in the area you are heading, order flowers while driving, and even suggest certain restaurants you may want to eat at and m ake reservations while on the road. OnStar is a standard feature in all General Motors and some Acura vehicles. Customers receive one year of service for free and after that are billed a monthly fee. Though depending on the service package, the cost varies from $34 to $70 a month, OnStar manages to keep almost two million subscribers. Despite the luxuries OnStar and other navigation systems offer, there are factors which may still stop customers from subscribing. Though OnStar is rather quick at obtaining information, tests have shown that programs such as MapQuest beat OnStar at coming up with directions. OnStar needed nearly twenty-one minutes to calculate a 618 mile journey.

Kristallnacht – source related study

Any Historian studying Kristallnacht would find sources A and B very useful as they both say who is responsible for the night. Although the person who is said to be responsible in each source is different, they both show that the Nazis were clearly against the Jews and this would give the Historian a good idea of which source is more likely to be accurate. Source A's provenance tells us it is a summary by Fritz Hesse who was a journalist working for Hitler, this means he would know quite a bit about him so his source is likely to have some truth in it. The source was also written in 1954 which is many years after Hitler died so he would not be bothered about writing the truth because nothing would happen. If Hitler was still alive he would have been scared to write the truth and Hitler would have probably told him what he had to write, on the other hand, it was along time ago and the details may not be fresh in his mind so there could be some inaccurate detail in it. The source tells us that Fritz Hesse (the writer of the source) was at dinner with Hitler, Goebbels and some other party leaders and overhears an officer whispering something into Goebbels ear. He then sees Goebbles mumble to Hitler about a mass attack on the Jews and synagogues that he and the SA had planned for that night. Hitler is very excited about this and Goebbles is pleased because he is trying to get back in with Hitler. The detail in this source which makes it seem reliable is when Hitler is very excited about hearing what Goebbels has planned against the Jews, Hesse remembers that he, ‘squealed with delight and slapped his thigh with enthusiasm,' this makes the source seem more convincing and therefore more useful to the Historian as it is not something you normally make up. At the end of the source it says that Goebbels was clearly trying to win back Hitler's support, this also makes it seem reliable because we know that he was out of favour with Hitler because he had an affair with a Czech actress. This source would be useful because it tells the historian that the SA and Goebbels were responsible for the attacks and that the Nazis were against the Jews a lot. Source B is not very reliable, but it is still very useful to the Historian. It is a secret report prepared by the Nazi party supreme court after the events of Kristallnacht so it is the official Nazi line, this means the story might have been change completely to make the Nazis look good and not responsible because they knew the German people would not approve. The source says that the report is from after the attacks, but they are announced to everyone by Goebbels in the evening which does not really fit in. The source is blaming the German people for the anti-Jewish demonstrations and Goebbels told the party leaders about this at a social evening. The source also says that if people do start ‘spur of the moment' attacks on the Jews it will not be stopped. The source sounds more reliable when Goebbels tells the party leaders that there has been some anti-Jewish demonstrations, because this makes it seem although they did not know anything about its. The description of the things that happened on the night would have been reliable because if they were blaming other people and not themselves it would not matter to them. This source would be useful to the Historian because it says what happened on Kristallnacht and the kind of damage that was done, it also lets the historian know that the Nazis claimed not to be responsible which means that if they were they obviously did it so they would not loose support from German people. The similarities between the two sources are that both have an evening gathering of the party leaders on the 9th of November, but source A is from before the demonstrations and source B is from after, but the attacks happened at night so this makes source B seem inaccurate. Both of the sources show that the Nazis do not like the Jews because in source A when Hitler is told about Goebbels plan he is very excited and in Source B after Goebbels denies having anything to do with the attacks he says that the Nazis would not be allowed to organise such demonstrations but they would not be stopped. These similarities would be very useful to the historian because he would have something that he knows is most likely true, like the Nazis disliking the Jews a lot which would help him decide what he thinks is more accurate. The source that would be more reliable is source A, but source B would be more useful to the Historian because it is more detailed as it says what happened on the night which would be reliable because the Nazis were not blamed so it wouldn't matter to them what was written because it didn't make them look bad, it also lets the Historian know that the Jews were not liked by the Nazis because of the one line at the end of the source so the historian could judge who was to blame for himself. Source A only tells the historian who is to blame and does not really give a description of the kind of things that were done on the night.

People Led District Disaster Management Essay

Soon after the Orissa Cyclone and thereafter the Gujarat earthquake the Government of India prioritized a national policy on disaster management and advocated a change of direction from a post disaster reactive approach to a proactive stance before the occurrence of disasters, provided a new legal framework and greater harmonization of disaster management efforts. The policy set forth principles (including significant community role and active civil society participation), objectives (including emphasis on prevention, DRR and promoting regional and national cooperation), strategies and provisions for promoting inter-sectoral complementarities. The Disaster Management Act 2005, mandates National, States and district authorities to develop policy, guidelines, plans for proper implementation of Disaster management plans to reduce adverse impact on communities and to facilitate timely and effective response. It stresses upon inclusion of mitigation, preparedness and DRR measures into development. As a result SDMAs in various states initiated development of district disaster management plans. However, some plans were merely a collection of contact phone numbers of important authorities and departments from the district. There were significant gaps in these operational plans mainly due to non availability of a standard framework, lack of expertise and dedicated resources. Lack of community participation and that of relevant stakeholders in the preparation process has resulted in lack of ownership among intended users and beneficiaries. Disasters tend to happen to people at risk. People are at risk because they are vulnerable to hazards. This vulnerability can be best reduced by increasing people’s capacities to deal with underlying social, cultural and physical factors. The key to successful disaster management plan is to ensure involvement of people who are victims and who are at risk or could be potential victims. If this is not practiced it is often unsustainable, costly and ineffective. Most DDMPs in the country lacked participation of affected communities and civil society. A participatory community level disaster management involves a cross section of people in the design and development process of the plan. When local people develop these plans there is more interest, greater ownership and understanding resulting in successfully reducing suffering and losses. The key principles of this approach thus are: * Community themselves are best placed to prioritize threats and take effective risk reducing actions. The best time to reduce the impact of disasters is before the next disasters occur. Hence, preventive actions should be integral part of the effective disaster management plan. * The identification and mapping of hazards along with who and what may be affected is necessary before risk reduction plans can be made. * Progress has to be well publicized to maintain interest and strengthen the culture of disaster reduction. An example of this is found in the recent NDMA/SDMA collaboration with civil society coming together to develop community led DDMP in Madhubani. One of the basic highlights of the Madhubani DDMP process is that though it oriented towards response but it also incorporates reduction and prevention thrust. Incidentally, prevention has been recognized as an important aspect of DDMP by the district and state/SDMA but also in the poverty reduction strategy. As a result of DDMP several agencies/departments in Madhubani have shown willingness to incorporate prevention measures in their regulations, such as the building codes by the town planners that regulate development of settlements. It was encouraging to note high level of commitment from various stakeholders to improving DRR mechanism. Tearfund has been working along with its partners to lobby with governments at all levels for influencing the policies and development of effective people friendly plans. The Madhubani DRR project implemented by its partner organisation EFICOR in 30 villages in Madhubani was instrumental in development of pilot District Disaster Management Plan (DDMP) along with support from SPHERE India. The strength of this pilot has been the process it has embarked upon wherein involvement and participation of all level of stakeholders from community to district/state/national government authorities in development process of this DDMP. In view of intensive involvement of all relevant stakeholders the pilot has received good response and acceptance from the NDMA and SDMA. This is considered as the first ever attempt in developing a DDMP which has come up from the active involvement of first respondent in any natural disasters. As mentioned above the thrust of development of DDMP is that it is being developed involving affected community, hence, the approach has been bottom-up, however at the same time, all relevant stakeholders, be it government departments or the NGOs and other actors have been involved and participated at all stages of development of the plan. This is truly a plan developed by the people and for the people. This plan has also influenced many other civil socieities to take up similar preparations for other districts and states with the support of NDMA.

Mother of the Groom Essay Example

Mother of the Groom Essay Example Mother of the Groom Paper Mother of the Groom Paper Essay Topic: poem Mother of the Groom is a poem about the feelings, thoughts and memories that the grooms mother feels on her sons wedding day. The mother thinks back to the days when her son was a baby. The poem is written by the Irish poet Seamus Heaney. Heaney uses a third person technique to describe the thoughts that the mother is going through. The voice is taken on by Heaney as he explains the thoughts and memories that the mother has. This poem is addressed to the reader, the thoughts and memories are taken from the mother. The situation that is set in this poem is in a church or wherever the groom has chosen to set the marriage. The poem is 12 lines long and it has been separated into three equal stanzas of four lines each. As the poem progresses from the first line each stanza is separated into different memories that the mother has of her son during his early childhood. It is ironic how soap could ease off the wedding ring but in the next line the wedding ring is bedded forever now. Heaney uses this irony to describe the how it was hard to take off the rings when she had to give her son his bath, but she hopes that their love is forever so the ring that is on her sons and daughter in-laws hand stays on forever like their love. The tone in Mother of the Groom is very mixed. There is happiness in her memories when she connected with her child. Yet there is also sadness and fear of loosing her child to another woman. These memories may be fond but during this part of her life they seem to haunt her. As a mother she feels that the moments where she could connect with her son are gone. So the poem is sad and happy at times. Many ideas are embedded into the poem and the choice of words match the situation that has been described. The mother feels that her son was truly precious when she was bathing him. She uses the word glistening to describe the glow that her son puts out when his back is wet. This enhances how much her innocent baby means to her during the time she gives him a bath. The mother feels that there is something missing a gap or emptiness on her lap. Heaney uses the word voided to illustrate the emptiness that the mother feels. Voided is a word that catches the readers eye which makes them also see how much her precious son means to her. To Conclude, Heaney chosen a theme that is very touching for a mother and a moment which is very symbolic in a persons life. He has brought out the mixed emotions that a mother will feel on the day that her son gets married to another woman. Recalling the memories from the past is also very important in this poem because it enhances sadness and the things that have connected them in such and close way. These feeling are described by the best possible selection of words which makes this poem so outstanding.

Basic Goals essays

Basic Goals essays Question: What are the basic goals of consequence intervention? A consequence is a stimulus that contingently follows a behavior. Consequence interventions are strategies that address the stimuli. Two strategies can be use when problem behavior occurs more frequently: increase reinforcement for desirable behavior and decrease reinforcement when engaging in problem behavior. The basic goals of consequence intervention are: minimizing reinforcement for problem behavior, increasing reinforcement for desirable behavior, redirecting the student towards alternative responses, and providing strategies that assure health and safety. Strategies for minimizing reinforcement for behavior problems may include considering the response efficiency of a new skill by 2. Immediacy of the rein forcer following a response 4. Quality of the rein forcer following a response Withholding reinforcement for problem behavior can minimize the undesirable behavior. Another strategy for minimizing reinforcement for behavior problems is ignoring problem behavior; thereby avoiding coercive interactions. Another goal of consequence intervention is to increase reinforcement for desired behavior. Reinforcement refers to the relationship between behavior and its consequences. Increasing reinforcement for desired behavior can be obtained by: 1. Providing positive interactions regardless of student 2. Including four positive interactions for every request or correction 3. Spending time listening to and accepting students ideas In conclusion the basic goals of a consequence intervention are: minimizing reinforcement for problem behavior, increasing reinforcement for desirable behavior, redirecting the student towards alternative responses, and providing crisis prevention strategies that assure health and safety. ...

Plot and Themes of J.R.R. Tolkiens Book The Hobbit

Plot and Themes of J.R.R. Tolkien's Book 'The Hobbit' The Hobbit: Or, There and Back Again was written by J.R.R. Tolkien as a childrens book and first published in Great Britain in 1937 by George Allen Unwin. It was published just before the outbreak of WWII in Europe, and the book acts as a prologue of sorts for the great trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. While it was originally conceived as a book for children, it has been accepted as a great work of literature in its own right. While The Hobbit was by no means the first fantasy novel, it was among the first to combine influences from multiple sources. Elements of the book draw from Norse mythology, classic fairy tales, Jewish literature, and the works of 19th century Victorian childrens authors such as George MacDonald (author The Princess and the Goblin, among others). The book also experiments with a variety of literary techniques including forms of epic poetry and song. Setting The novel takes place in the fictional land of Middle Earth, a complex fantasy world which Tolkien developed in detail. The book contains carefully drawn maps showing various parts of Middle Earth including the peaceful and fertile Shire, the Mines of Moria, the Lonely Mountain, and Mirkwood Forest. Each area of Middle Earth has its own history, characters, qualities, and significance. Main Characters The characters in The Hobbit include a wide range of fantasy creatures, most drawn from classical fairy tales and mythology. The hobbits themselves, however, are Tolkiens own creation. Small, home-loving people, hobbits are also called halflings. They are very similar to small human beings except for their very large feet. Some of the main characters in the book include: Bilbo Baggins, a quiet, unassuming Hobbit and the protagonist of the story.Gandalf, a wizard who initiates Bilbo’s journey with the dwarves. Gandalf causes Bilbo to set aside his reputation for cautious respectability and go on an adventure that will change the hobbit forever.Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of a group of 13 dwarves who wish to recover a treasure horde stolen by a dragon.Elrond, a wise leader of the elves.Gollum, a once-human creature who found and is governed by a great ring of power.Smaug, the dragon and antagonist of the story. Plot and Storyline The story of The Hobbit begins in the Shire, land of the hobbits. The Shire is similar to a pastoral English countryside, and the hobbits are represented as quiet, agricultural people who shun adventure and travel. Bilbo Baggins, the protagonist of the story, is surprised to find himself hosting a group of dwarves and the great wizard, Gandalf. The group has decided that now is the right time to journey to the Lonely Mountain, where they will retake the dwarves treasure from the dragon, Smaug. They have nominated Bilbo to join the expedition as their burglar. Though initially reluctant, Bilbo agrees to join the group, and they head off far from the Shire into the increasingly dangerous sections of Middle Earth. Along the journey, Bilbo and his company meet up with a wide range of creatures both beautiful and terrible. As he is tested, Bilbo discovers his own inner strength, loyalty, and cunning. Each chapter involves an interaction with a new set of characters and challenges: The group is captured by trolls and nearly eaten, but are saved when sunlight strikes the trolls and they are turned to stone.Gandalf leads the group to the Elven settlement of Rivendell where they meet the Elvish leader, Elrond.The group is caught by goblins and driven deep underground. Although Gandalf rescues them, Bilbo gets separated from the others as they flee the goblins. Lost in the goblin tunnels, he stumbles across a mysterious ring and then encounters Gollum, who engages him in a game of riddles. As a reward for solving all riddles Gollum will show him the path out of the tunnels, but if Bilbo fails, his life will be forfeit. With the help of the ring, which confers invisibility, Bilbo escapes and rejoins the dwarves, improving his reputation with them. The goblins and Wargs give chase, but the company is saved by eagles.The company enters the black forest of Mirkwood without Gandalf. In Mirkwood, Bilbo first saves the dwarves from giant spiders and then from the dungeons of the Wood-elves. Nearing the Lonely Mountain, the travelers are welcomed by the human inhabitants of Lake-town, who hope the dwarves will fulfill prophecies of Smaugs demise. The expedition travels to the Lonely Mountain and finds the secret door; Bilbo scouts the dragons lair, stealing a great cup and learning of a weakness in Smaugs armor. The enraged dragon, deducing that Lake-town has aided the intruder, sets out to destroy the town. A thrush has overheard Bilbos report of Smaugs vulnerability and reports it to Lake-town defender Bard. His arrow finds the chink and slays the dragon.When the dwarves take possession of the mountain, Bilbo finds the Arkenstone, an heirloom of Thorins dynasty, and hides it away. The Wood-elves and Lake-men besiege the mountain and request compensation for their aid, reparations for Lake-towns destruction, and settlement of old claims on the treasure. Thorin refuses and, having summoned his kin from the Iron Hills, reinforces his position. Bilbo tries to ransom the Arkenstone to head off a war, but Thorin is intransigent. He banishes Bilbo, and battle seems inevitable.Gandalf reappears to warn all of an approaching army of goblins and Wargs. The dwarves, men, and elves band together, but only with the timely arrival of the eagles and Beorn do they win the climactic Battle of Five Armies. Thorin is fatally wounded and reconciles with Bilbo before he dies. Bilbo accepts only a small portion of his share of the treasure, having no want or need for more, but still returns home a very wealthy hobbit. Themes The Hobbit is a simple tale when compared to Tolkiens masterpiece  The Lord of the Rings. It does, however, contain several themes: It explores the process by which an untested individual develops the insight and skills to become a leader;It guides the reader to question the value of wealth as opposed to peace and contentment;It builds on Tolkiens personal experience in World War I to consider the question of whether victory, though desirable, is worth the price of war.

Week 2 #1 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 2 #1 - Coursework Example The firm needs technical skills and knowledge to operate effectively. In order to acquire these technical skills, the firm needs to recruit competent and highly qualified employees. These employees can then be used to impart the skills and knowledge to other company employees thus improving the company’s overall level of knowledge, skills and abilities (Staines 2012) Conducting widespread recruitment communications makes it easier for qualified candidates to apply for the vacancies in the firm. This is then followed by thorough interviewing process that seeks to establish the interviewee’s level of knowledge, skills and abilities. After recruiting the most qualified candidate for the task, the firm forms a team around the individual so as to encourage knowledge sharing. According to Zhang et al (2014) knowledge sharing enables the company to access the necessary skills with reduced cost implications while at the same time improving the motivation of staffs that learn new things. Zhang, R., Chen, Q., El-Den, J., Jie, Z., & Wankun, Z. (2014). Team members’ knowledge sharing satisfaction in enterprise competition simulative games: An empirical research. Paper presented at the 436-444. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1674840406?accountid=62741 Politis, J. D. (2003). The connection between trust and knowledge management: What are its implications for team performance. Journal of Knowledge Management, 7(5), 55-66. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/230318989?accountid=62741 Staines, G. M., PhD. (2012). Finding the best people in a tough economy: The role of knowledge, skills, abilities, attributes, and the challenges of the talent acquisition process Library Leadership & Management (Online), Retrieved from

Psychology Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Psychology Project - Essay Example There have been many studies done in order to determine these. The first article was entitled â€Å"Further Refining the Stress-Coping Model of Alcohol Awareness†. In this article, it was shown that coping measures as far as alcohol consumption and stress differ in regards to the type of stress that is encountered. It was hypothesized based on previous experimentation that men are more likely to encounter heavy drinking as a coping mechanism than females due to their limited coping abilities. There have also been inconsistencies in trying to diagnose whether specific people are more prone to this kind of coping measure than others. The first deals with the variability, which is experienced across the board when people deal with stress. This being that coping measures are not just maladaptive or adaptive, but each are tailored to deal with a certain type of stressor. The second is that there has not been substantial evidence and consistency in showing that gender factors play a role in coping and drinking. The experimental design for this study was a short-term design, which was based on self-reporting measures. In particular, three variables were hypothesized that could take into account for gender differences. The first is coping using the support of others. It has been shown that students that are experiencing a stressor in regards to a relationship or social situation are less likely to turn to alcohol if their coping mechanisms are more guided towards the support of others. In particular, it has been shown in women that experience an interpersonal stressor that they are less likely to drink as a coping measure due to greater social support seeking. The second hypothesis shows that the more in control of the external stressors that a person is experiencing, the less likely they are to turn to alcohol as a coping measure. The third hypothesis is based on previous research which states that men are more likely to use active seeking coping strategies and women are more likely to seek social supporting strategies for coping. Thus the use of alcohol was found to be higher in males than in females. The population had a sample size of 83 participants from different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. These participants were tested using many different types of surveys and testing batteries. They were prescreened with the Michigan Alcohol Screening Tests and the College Students’ Recent Life Experiences test. These stressful factors were then broken down into four core areas: life management, social relationships, school, and general social adjustment. Then, they returned for three weeks and were asked how many times they engaged in heavy drinking, which was defined as five or more alcoholic drinks. The final survey that had to take was the COPE to assess their skills in active coping, avoidant coping, and social support seeking coping. The statistics were analyzed using mixed modeling interactions and this took into account correlation coefficients and t-test values. Men that had higher scores in active coping and social support seeking coping were less likely to engage in dangerous activities involving alcohol. If men using avoidant coping measures, they were more likely to engage in the use of alcohol. For women, the same statistical data was also recorded. There is some validity to the measures that were

Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo - Africa's First World Essay

Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo - Africa's First World War - Essay Example As explained by Farlex (2012), a sovereign nation is â€Å"one that exercises supreme, permanent authority, especially in a nation or other governmental unit† and that a sovereign nation â€Å"governs territory outside its borders.† This means that nations that are considered to be sovereign are expected to have maximum dominion over their territorial borders such that their borders must not be invaded by other sovereign nations, especially when the nation in question has not offended the intruding nation in any way. Though wars of all kinds are considered inappropriate, it is commonly believed that civil conflicts arise as a means of expressing the freedom and voice of the indigenous people. Most commonly, civil conflicts travel beyond the borders of the conflicting nation in question and this happens through a number of ways. Concepts of Civil Wars and Conventional, International Conflicts Civil wars are commonly propagated, fuelled and fought among civil groups withi n a given country. Smith (2012), therefore, posits that â€Å"a civil war is a war which is fought internally within a nation between differing factions, religious groups, or powers.† The National Intelligence Council (2004), on the other hand, notes that conventional wars are fought among two defined military sides without the use of any nuclear, biological or chemical weapons but strictly by the use of conventional weapons. International wars or conflicts, on the other hand, assume a position where war is embattled between two nations. The kinds of weapons used in international wars are undefined. Invariably, there could be an inference drawn from the definitions above to the fact that civil and international conflicts may be conventional conflicts or not. The difference as to whether or not they are classified as conventional wars depend on the kinds of weapons used. Between civil and international wars also, it could be said that civil wars are highly centered on only one nation and does not involve any second and third parties. When civil wars are fought as conventional wars, it is expected that the harm would not be as devastating as when they are fought with the use of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. International wars are, however, highly probable not to be conventional wars because of the high exhibition of warship authority by involving nations. Processes through which Internal Conflicts become Internationalised in Africa The first process that often leads to the internationalisation of internal conflicts in Africa is the problem of defence of national interest by intruding nations. This point is made against the backdrop that the world is fast becoming a global village. Coupled with other socio-economic relationships and pacts, the opening of commissions, consulates and embassies in other countries is very high. Once these offices are opened, countries with such offices tend to have an interest in the affairs of the host countries b ecause of the need to protect visiting citizens Noting that Africa is one continent that is generally considered as developing, there are several foreign continents with their citizens in African countries with the aim of helping in the development process. Owing to this, once war breaks up in any African country, there are efforts made by resident countries to protect their citizens and other interests they may have in the host country. Unfortunately, some of their attempts

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 22

Business - Essay Example During peak seasons, the statement will indicate more cash in than cash out, but the opposite is true during the off-peak season. If seasonal fluctuations are discovered by the owners, they should brainstorm strategies to keep their cash-in and cash-out equal no matter the season. This may include selling different products during the off-peak and peak season or even offering discounts. The balance sheet is the best financial statement to indicate impact. This is because the new building bought is an asset and will therefore reflect on the balance sheet. The income statement will also be impacted on because it will indicate the expenses of purchasing that building during that financial year. Whether the building brings in cash or demands more cash out of the coffee shop will be reflected in the statement of cash flows (Fridson and Alvarez, 2011). c) Which financial statement shows a quick view of the coffee shops ability to pay back a loan? Are there other factors that are not shown on the statement that should be considered by someone making such a loan to the owners? The income statement is the best financial statement that gives a quick view of the coffee shop. This is because it just indicates the annual profits and losses the shop has made since it began. The statement does not indicate the assets the shop has which if financially boosted can increase the profits by far but since they are not in use or are underutilized have become a liability to the shop. If the person granting a loan is able to view their assets, then he or she may be in a better position to make a fair judgment of whether to grant the shop a loan based on its potentialities of expansion or

Uncle Joe's Bookstore Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Uncle Joe's Bookstore - Assignment Example The medium-sized chain, such as Border and Waldenbooks are now memories. Lederman notes that even the giant Barnes & Noble Booksellers is struggling, although it has its own vast online division. Uncle it is a very sad state here, the independent bookstores are closing down. However, something encouraging is that the overall number of the independent bookstores has increased from 1651 in 2009 to about 2000 in 2013. It is not only the Internet that is killing the book industry Uncle, the big discount stores purchase the books in bulk and sell them at lower consumer prices than any independent bookseller could ever hope for. As the technology moves forward, it has resulted in countless demise of small bookstore retailers. Therefore, I will ensure that colleges here in the Savannah benefit maximally from the store. As for the original works Edgar Allen Poe, I will put them in the e-platform because currently almost everyone has an Internet enabled phone or has access to the internet. I will indicate that this is the first time the letters he wrote are being released. Since the Internet is accessed by a wider consumer base, I guess most people will know about the bookstore that it is the one that first released Edgar Poe’s letters. I will make sure I wear gloves before reading them. As for your old photographs that you took while you were stationed in England, I will display them at the bookstore in the history section for the readers to see the role you played in maintaining global peace. The pictures will also be of great significance for people who are interested in world history. I will make sure that the bookstore is a home for the students. I will make sure that I have good stock. As cited by McMurtry, more people will come if a bookstore has more books. Besides that, certain people do not like too much the order in the bookstore because they want to feel like they are finding

A managerial approach to marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

A managerial approach to marketing - Essay Example Competitive pressures to deliver specific products to meet consumer demand have changed the way the products move from the producer to the consumer. Any company has to adopt new marketing strategies in order for it to survive in the ever competing environment. The marketing landscape has shifted in that technological innovation, new channels, regulatory compliance, bottom-line accountability and rising customer expectations are altering the playing field. Marketing managers are unraveling these complexities in order to spearhead initiatives that capitalize on the customer-driven market place. It is important to place the customer at the core of strategic decision making hence marketing managers can better align marketing resources, spend, mix and technology investments. Strategy and technology can then coalesce to profitably meet customers’ needs, which enhance brand performance, increase customer value and position the enterprise for growth capability of outpacing competitors. This strategic brief addresses central issues on the minds of today’s marketing managers. As technology advances and consumers gain clout, traditional batch and blast marketing approaches designed to maximize new customer acquisition without regard for customer needs and long-term value will under perform. Launching marketing programs around new products for short-term revenue wins will not be enough to sustain returns and surpass competitors. Technological innovations are constantly altering the playing field. Analytic solutions are bringing new levels of customer intelligence, allowing marketers to understand individual customer needs. Optimization tools have increased marketing velocity and shortened cycle times. Consolidated, clean customer data stores can be matched with event-based campaign management tools to improve message accuracy, timeliness and relevancy. As technologies come to

Uncle Joe's Bookstore Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Uncle Joe's Bookstore - Assignment Example The medium-sized chain, such as Border and Waldenbooks are now memories. Lederman notes that even the giant Barnes & Noble Booksellers is struggling, although it has its own vast online division. Uncle it is a very sad state here, the independent bookstores are closing down. However, something encouraging is that the overall number of the independent bookstores has increased from 1651 in 2009 to about 2000 in 2013. It is not only the Internet that is killing the book industry Uncle, the big discount stores purchase the books in bulk and sell them at lower consumer prices than any independent bookseller could ever hope for. As the technology moves forward, it has resulted in countless demise of small bookstore retailers. Therefore, I will ensure that colleges here in the Savannah benefit maximally from the store. As for the original works Edgar Allen Poe, I will put them in the e-platform because currently almost everyone has an Internet enabled phone or has access to the internet. I will indicate that this is the first time the letters he wrote are being released. Since the Internet is accessed by a wider consumer base, I guess most people will know about the bookstore that it is the one that first released Edgar Poe’s letters. I will make sure I wear gloves before reading them. As for your old photographs that you took while you were stationed in England, I will display them at the bookstore in the history section for the readers to see the role you played in maintaining global peace. The pictures will also be of great significance for people who are interested in world history. I will make sure that the bookstore is a home for the students. I will make sure that I have good stock. As cited by McMurtry, more people will come if a bookstore has more books. Besides that, certain people do not like too much the order in the bookstore because they want to feel like they are finding

Against Same Sex Marriage Essay Example for Free

Against Same Sex Marriage Essay The legalization of the marriage between same sex couples will permanently change the rite of marriage in our society. The legalization of homosexual marriage will quickly destroy the traditional family. Marriage is the institution that forms and upholds for society, the cultural and social values and symbol related to procreation. That is, it establishes the values that govern the transmission of human life to the next generation and the nurturing of that life in the basic societal unit, the family. Through marriage our society works out the relationship of two people who will together create and nurture a new generation. To change the definition of marriage to include same sex marriage couples would destroy its capacity to function in many ways. It could no longer represent procreative relationships of opposite sex marriages.Reproduction is the fundamental occurrence on which the future of life depends. It is the primary reason why marriage is so important to society. In same sex marriages procreation would be eliminated entirely. First, when the state sanctions homosexual relationships and gives them its blessing, the younger generation becomes confused about sexual identity and quickly loses its understanding of lifelong commitments, emotional bonding, sexual purity, the role of children in a family, and from spiritual prospective, the sanctity of marriage. Marriage is reduced to a partnership that provides attractive benefits and sexual convenience. Cohabitation and short term relationships are the inevitable result. Second, the introduction of legalized gay marriages will lead to polygamy and other alternatives to the one man, on woman unions. Why will gay marriage set the table for polygamy? Because there is no place to stop once the line has been crossed. Historically, the definition of marriage has rested on a foundation of tradition, legal precedent, theology, and the overwhelming support of the people. After the introduction of marriage between homosexuals it will be supported by nothing more substantiated than the opinion of a single judge or by a black-robed panel of justices (Marriage under Fire). After their decision, the family will consist of little more than someones interpretation of rights. Given that unstable legal judgment, it is certain some self-possessed judge, somewhere, will soon rule that three men or three women can marry. How about group marriage or marriage between cousins, or marriage between parent and child? How about marriage between a man and his animal? Anything allegedly linked to civil rights will be doable. The legal underpinnings for marriage will have been destroyed. These other couples restricted from marrying are not equivalent to homosexual couples, but are necessary to illustrate that marriage is heavily regulated, and for good reason. When a state recognizes a marriage, it bestows upon the couple certain benefits which are costly to both the state and other individuals. Collecting a deceased spouses social security, claiming an extra tax exemption for a spouse, and having the right to be covered under a spouses health insurance policy are just a few examples of its costly benefits associated with marriage. In a sense, a married couple receives a subsidy. A marriage between two unrelated heterosexuals is likely to result in a family with children. For this reason, states have, in varying degrees, restricted from marriage, couples unlikely to produce children. One may argue that lesbians are capable of procreating via artificial insemination, so the state does have an interest in recognizing lesbian marriages, but a lesbians sexual relationship, committed or not, has no bearing on her ability to reproduce (Single Parent: What Helps, What Hurts). However, there is ample evidence that children need both female and male parent for proper development. It is essential for a child to be nurtured by parents of both sexes if a child is to learn to function in a society made up of both sexes (Life without Father). With the legalization of homosexual marriage, every public school in the nation will be required to teach that this lifestyle is the moral equivalent of traditional marriage between a woman and a man. Textbooks, even in conservative states, will have to depict man/man and woman/woman relationships and stories written for children as young as elementary or even kindergarten, will have to give equal space to homosexuals. Every public school will also be forced to teach that same sex marriage and homosexuality are perfectly normal. They will teach little boys  and little girls that husband and wife and father and moother are merely optional for a family and therfore, meaningless (No Gay Marriage). Same sex families deny children either a mother or father. In certain cases, the same sex family is not driven by the needs of children, but rather by the radical wishes of a small group of adults. Thousands of published social science, psychological and medical studies show that children living in fatherless families, on average, suffer dramatically in every measure of well-being. These children suffer from higher levels of loneliness, physical or mental illness, behavior problems, educa tional failure or criminal troubles. The third reason marriage between homosexuals will destroy traditional marriage is that this is the ultimate goal of activists, and they will not stop until they achieve it. Homosexual activists, with their inner power and exhilaration, feel the political climate is right to tell us what they have wanted all along. Gay marriages are likely to do for gay rights what the rallying cry of abortion on demand did for the Equal Rights Amendment and the womens movement. It diverts the real debate on every level. It reduces the cause of gay rights to a single issue. But the real deal is most gays and lesbians do not want to marry each other. They do not want to entangle themselves in all sorts of legal constraints (Single Parent What Helps, What Hurts). In a perfect democratic world, gay marriage would be an option for those who want it. However, this world is not a perfect democracy, and the fight for gay marriage is the wrong fight at the wrong time (Focus on Family). In conclusion, the reason for excluding same sex couples from marriage matters: If the reason for denying homosexual marriage is that we have no respect for same sex couples and their relationships and want to give the message that homosexuality is wrong, then that is discrimination and that is wrong. On the other hand, if the reason is to keep the very nature, essence and substance of marriage intact, and the essence is to protect the procreative relationship, then excluding same sex couples from marriage is ethically acceptable. This such refusal is not discrimination. Ethics requires us to take the least invasive, least restrictive alternative, reasonably available and likely to be effective in achieving a justified  goal. Maintaining a traditional marriage and legally recognizing same sex partnerships fulfills that ethical requirement (Why Marriage Matters). Gay and lesbian people have a right to form meaningful relationships. They do not have a right to redefine marriage for all of us. What will happen to society if marriage becomes anything or everything or nothing? The short answer is that the state will lose its compelling interest in marital relationships altogether. After marriage has been redefined, divorces will be obtained instantly, will not involve a court, and will take on the status of a drivers license or hunting permit. With the family out of the way, all rights and privileges of marriage will accrue to gay and lesbian partners without the legal entanglements and commitments associated with it. These are a few reasons why I am against homosexual marriage. Legalizing it will change everything, especially the institution of the family. Every society needs natural marriage- as many men as possible each finding a woman, caring for and committing himself exclusively to her- working together to create and raise the next generation.

Reflective Essay About Moving And Handling Skill Nursing Essay

Reflective Essay About Moving And Handling Skill Nursing Essay This reflective essay will be about moving and handling skill, which took place during my placement where I was supposed to learn and practicalised my nursing skills. In describing the event, I will be using Gibbs reflective cycle (1988) (see appendix: 1) to analyse my actions and feelings. For the purpose of confidentiality, the name of the service user and place where the event took place as been made anonymous (Nursing and Midwifery Council 2009). Description I was on placement in a nursing home when my mentor asked me to transfer John from his bed to a wheel chair. John is 60 years old man, who suffered from osteoarthritis. Before I carried out the task, my mentor had explained to me what I need to do when transferring a service user from the bed to the wheel chair. My mentor was also present at the scene to provide me with guidance and support; as the procedure required more than one person. When I approached John room I closed his door in order to maintain his dignity and privacy. Having done that, I obtained his consent and explained to him what I was going to do. However, I assessed the task ahead of me by completing a moving and handling assessment form. This enables me to provide for the appropriate equipment (wheelchair and full body hoist sling) needed to transfer John. I ask my mentor to assist me to fix the sling on John, as the task required more than one carer. I then required John to tilt to one side of the bed so I can fix the sling under his body and the same process was carried out by my mentor on the other side putting Johns independence into consideration. The full body sling hook was attached to the hoist stand and John was carefully transferred from the bed to the wheelchair with maximum care without causing him further pain. When John was finally comfortable on the wheelchair, I asked him if he had experienced any pain as a result of the transfer he replied that the task was perfectly executed. Feelings At first, I was nervous about causing John any further pain knowing that his osteoarthritis condition is severe. However, I was pleased that John was satisfied at the end with the way the task was carried out as he appraised our effort. In addition, I felt piteous for John knowing his condition could be very painful. Evaluation It was good that I completed a moving and handling assessment form, as this enables me to transfer John with the appropriate equipment without causing him any pain. Dougherty and Lister (2009) postulated that the risk of injury to both carers and service users can be reduced by fully assessing the task and identifying the right equipment and procedure. They further warn that moving service users in bed without using appropriate equipment can cause friction and shearing to their skin, which is a common cause of pressure ulcers. Haslam et al (2007) supports the above view and went on to say that for moving and handling to be considered successful, the carer needs to employ minimal effort and the service user needs to experience minimal discomfort. However, Iggulder et al (2009) affirmed that assessment of task and training are not sufficient on their own to minimise the incidence of back pain. I was also satisfied that I obtain Johns consent and explained to him what I was going to do, which makes him to be cooperative throughout the task. Hogston and Simpson (2002) suggest that service users should be asked of their informed consent before administering any form of treatments to them. He further emphasised that this will allow the service users to have adequate information about their treatment and also promote a sense of independence. However, it was bad that I did not wear personal protective equipment before carrying out the task. According to the Department of Health (DH 2006) and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE 2003) state that using protective equipment will reduce the risk of acquiring contamination from potentially infectious body fluids and transmitting microorganisms through hands or clothing. Health and Safety Executive (2004) supports this and went on to say that disposable apron and gloves should be worn for all direct care procedures with service user when there is likelihood of contact with blood, secretions and excretions or body fluids. Analysis The Health and Safety Executive (HSE 2004) describe moving and handling as any transporting or supporting of a service user (including sliding, rolling and tilting) with suitable equipment and technique. As a result, I used a full body hoist sling to transfer John to the wheelchair, due to his inability to stand on his both knees. Mandelstam (2003) affirmed that service users with painful knee injury such as osteoarthritis often have difficulty with mobility. Alternatively, I could have used a sliding board to transfer John as proposed by Pellatt (2005), but the nursing home has not got such equipment available. I required John to tilt as much as possible in order to maintain his independence while I affixed the full body hoist sling round his body. Gibson (1991) explains that empowering service users has benefits which include positive self-concept, increased personal satisfaction, a sense of control and improved quality of life. I was satisfied to have adopted the appropriate techn ique and used the right equipment to transfer John, as my mentor was present to support and guide me throughout the procedure. Royal College of Nursing (RCN 2007) states that mentor is a key support for students in practice in order to facilitate competence for registration. On reflection, if the appropriate equipment had not been used to transfer John, he could have secured further injury. The Health and Safety Executive (2004) supports this view and states that service users are at risk of shoulder injury, musculoskeletal disorder and tissue injury from inappropriate lifting into the sitting or standing position, or lowering them into the sitting position. However, Chell (2003) warns that undertaking unsafe handling practice could be construed as a form of abuse. Conclusion John was comfortably transferred without causing him any further pain which was the initial motive. On reflection, there is nothing significant I could have done differently as regards to moving and handling skill, my mentor was present to provide me with guidance and support throughout the task. However, I need to reflect on similar situation and develop my moving and handling skills so that I can independently carry out such task should the need arise again. In addition, It is imperative for me to wear protective clothing during such task in order to prevent cross infection (DH 2006 and NICE 2003). Action plan In future situation as such, I will ensure that the service user is transfer without causing him/her any form of injury. However, it is imperative for me to reflect on similar event and further develop my moving and handling skill by taking part in annually training. As this will facilitate a better practice in the future and also make me an independent expert practitioner (Benner 1984). In addition, should the situation resurface again I ensure that I wear protective clothing, so as to protect myself and the service user against infectious diseases.

A Complete Turnaround Essay -- essays research papers

A Complete Turnaround   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sharon Old’s poem, â€Å"The Victims,† deals with an underlying theme of abuse. Old’s illustrates this theme through the tone of the poem, which is achieved by imagistic language, rhyme and rhythm. In this poem the speaker is illustrated through two points of view, first as a child then as an adult reflecting back on a troublesome childhood experience. As the speaker’s point of view changes so does the use of poetic devices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The poem opens with the speaker remembering the behaviors of an abusive father when she was a child. The tone at this point was one of disgust, hatred, spite, and taking joy in her father’s failures. This was due to the fact that she was taught to feel this way by her mother. As a child she was not aware of this. It was not until adulthood that she realized her feeling of resentment towards her father were evoked by her mother. The speaker, herself, was not the victim of her father’s abusive behavior nonetheless she still hated him because that’s the only way she knew how to feel. These feelings are shown through the imagistic language used to reveal the acts of revenge on the father. When the mother finally divorced the father, â€Å"her kids loved it† (3-4). When the father was fired from his job, â€Å"we grinned inside† (5-6). The pleasure that the entire family took watching their father’s demise was quite vivid. â₠¬Å"We were tickled to think of your office   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   taken away, you’re secretaries taken away† (7-9). The finality of the father’s loses was shown by the taking away of his pencils and reams of paper at his job (11). The images used in the first 16 lines are very dark and gloomy and are associated with death. This is as if to represent the family’s way of â€Å"killing him through his loses. The suits that belonged to the father were depicted as â€Å"dark carcasses that hung in your closet† (13) and Olds specifically pointed out that even the noses of his shoes were black (14). After the first 16 lines of the poem, the feelings of hated by the spea... ...;  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   poem reflects the speaker’s dissent and hatred of her father. She was expressing her anger, and when one is angered they tend to speak abruptly and choppy. As the speaker’s attitude towards her father changes, so does the punctuation in the poem. From line seventeen until the end of the poem there are no stops. There is only one period and that occurs in line 26. The poem definitely proceeds at a smoother pace. It shows that the speaker is calmer, and more relaxed. Her words flow together. Her feelings of rage and resentment to her father have subsided and feelings of sympathy and remorse have taken over. During the course of this poem the speaker has done a complete turnaround. The point of view she once held as a child has given way to a different one later in life. Her anger and hatred have turned into sympathy and regret. Olds effectively uses imagistic language and rhyme and rhythm to portray the speaker’s shift in tone. What she was taught as a child was not who she truly felt inside. Not only was her mother a victim, but her father was as well. She is able to overcome her hatred, and find her true feelings for her father later in life.

Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart - Internal Conflict Leading to the Do

In Chinua Achebe’s 19th century Nigerian novel Things Fall Apart, the Ibo culture has internal problems, which ultimately cause of the downfall of the clan. These problems include a poor social system, superstitious beliefs, and a lack of suitable decision-making. These few problems are essential. One of the flaws inside the Ibo culture that eventually leads to their downfall is the social system. The weaker people join the church as a way to gain acceptance. The osu, or outcasts who lived in the Ibo culture want to feel accepted and as a result, follow the Christians. â€Å"The two outcasts shaved off their hair, and soon they were the strongest adherents of the new faith† (157). These two outcasts never have the feeling of being a part of the clan. The church welcomes them. The osu cannot cut their hair, marry, or receive a title in the clan. They are â€Å"cast out like lepers† (157). The church welcomes the osu and treats them like human beings. This is where the Ibo social system is at fault. An ideal job is to be a farmer and since not everyone can afford seeds and a barn...

From her arrival in 1568, Mary Stuart posed a major threat to the security of Elizabeth and her government

Mary's arrival in England triggered the discontent among some Catholic sympathisers to become prevalent, as Mary provided a clear leader to focus their religious dissatisfactions with the moderately Protestant settlement imposed by Elizabeth. This is why religious motivations behind some of the laity were the most dangerous threat from Mary. Political advantages from individuals supporting Mary are contributory factors to threaten Elizabeth, without the laity's religious motivations however they cannot amount to a crucial significance. International implications from Mary's presence were potentially huge but were never anything more than potential. All these factors revolving around Mary that threatened Elizabeth were compounded by the way Elizabeth mismanaged situations. Mary can be seen as the reaction pathway in the threat towards Elizabeth, she does not do much herself to endanger Elizabeth, however she provided the discontented with the motivation to threaten Elizabeth because she was the next Catholic heir. Those who felt discontented about Elizabeth's moderate Protestant settlement now had a clear leader to focus their ambitions of a Catholic England. The Northern Rebellion is a prime example of this religious discontent of many of the laity being focused on releasing Mary to restore Catholicism to England (5600/6000 were individuals not tenants of the landowners who would have been forced into fighting). The reason why this is the paramount threat to Elizabeth is because of the number of people who had grievances against the religion and saw Mary Stuart as the way to gain their religion back. Tied into this is the political danger of those Nobles who also had Catholic sympathies but were also in a position to challenge Elizabeth i. e. he Duke of Norfolk who was under demands from Mary Stuart to gain her release from prison by force if needed. Mary was always going to be the main centre of Catholic plots against Elizabeth because she was the heir to the throne. Catholic dissatisfactions were already present before her arrival but were compounded and given direction with her arrival. Therefore Mary can be seen as the instigator behind the Catholic threat to Elizabeth. This is shown by the fact that until 1568 Elizabeth was relatively free from Catholic threats, however with the arrival of Mary Stuart the question of Elizabeth's successor arisen and the Catholic plots began. Moreover with a Catholic heir to the throne available to the Catholics in England then Elizabeth's life was under increased threat. This is because the extreme Catholics were undoubtedly prepared to kill Elizabeth, their Queen, to gain their religion. After all their route to heaven or hell was controlled by Elizabeth and if she got it wrong then they would not gain salvation. This personal threat to Elizabeth is shown by the St Bartholomew's Day massacre, where French Catholics killed their Protestant King in the name of their religion. This threat is also emphasised by the assassination of William of Orange by Dutch Catholics. Mary behaves like a catalyst in the Catholic threat to Elizabeth, without her the plots that surrounded her would have no meaning because there is nobody to restore Catholicism for them. However as Mary was in England then repeats of what had happened in France and Spain to Protestant leaders similar to Elizabeth could also happen. Politically Mary Stuart provides an alternative for those Nobles who were not content with their position under Elizabeth. Nobles who were isolated from power under Elizabeth may see supporting Mary Stuart as a way to gain power in court or getting back positions that they had deprived under Elizabeth. Example of these nobles includes the Earl of Northumberland who under Elizabeth had his wardship of the Middlemarch deprived. This plan by Elizabeth to decrease the power of the magnates in the North had loosened the allegiance between Elizabeth and nobles such as Northumberland to such an extent that they saw taking a risk on Mary Stuart as being more advantageous than serving under Elizabeth an having their power and prestige slowly eaten away. Once again Mary has not done anything herself to threaten Elizabeth but inversely her position as heir to the throne has attracted supporters who are willing to threaten Elizabeth, therefore Mary is the main pathway for Catholic threats. Tied in with the threats from isolated Nobles were the threats from within Elizabeth's court involving Mary Stuart, which were also very dangerous to Elizabeth. The main court intrigue was the proposed marriage between the Duke of Norfolk and Mary Stuart. This faction came to be mainly because of the fact that they wanted Elizabeth to name Mary as her heir. However this faction contained many powerful Nobles, who it seemed were plotting against Elizabeth around Mary. International threats revolving around Mary Stuart were potentially huge, especially from Spain who at that time were the major Catholic leaders in Europe. In theory it would be thought that Spain would want to support Mary Stuart onto the English throne because of her Catholicism. However because Mary Stuart was in the Guise family who controlled France and Scotland, then Spain would rather not have France effectively controlling England as well. Despite the disadvantages of Spain supporting Mary Stuart there are still examples of how Mary Stuart's presence in England gave rise to danger to the security of Elizabeth's throne from Spainish involvement, nor could Elizabeth ignore this potentially massive threat. For example the Ridolfi Plot which once again aimed to secure Mary's release and position on the English throne also included military assistance from Spain, however the plot was discovered and the troops did not come. Although the military did not come form Spain, Mary Stuart's qualities as a ruler i. e. she is Catholic, once again means that these international threats are going to see her as a means to weaken Elizabeth if not to replace her altogether. Foreign involvement centring around Elizabeth also came from France, after all Mary was half-French and therefore a clear motivation for France can be seen to control England as well. This is shown by the Throckmorton plot were the Duke of Guise was planning to lead an army to depose Elizabeth and place Mary on the throne. Although it failed it shows that Mary was the link between almost all the people who felt unhappy with Elizabeth's reign from the English laity in the North to some of the French Catholics. She united people who felt frustrated with Elizabeth's reign and those who saw advantages from supporting Mary. The security of Elizabeth's throne is definitely challenged here, although it does not go ahead, it is warning of what can happen, and foreign involvement from the leading two Catholic powers in Europe, i. e. Spain and France in supporting Mary Stuart cannot be taken lightly. Elizabeth's mismanagement of situations that may have deflated the threats aimed towards her centring around Mary Stuart made them worse. Politically Elizabeth tried to reduce the power of the magnates in the North by setting up councils. This alienated Nobles such as Northumberland from power and therefore distanced the Noble's allegiance to Elizabeth. This is a major factor in why the Revolt of the Northern Earls took place. This would not have been such a problem if not for the fact that Mary Stuart was present in England. She gave the isolated Nobles a chance to avenge their disfavour from Elizabeth. Elizabeth can also be identified in mismanaging the religious settlement to make some Catholics discontented enough to support Mary, a French women, over their own English Queen. To drive 5400 individuals to a point where they felt they had to rebel in the Northern Rebellion must have been down to something Elizabeth did. For example Elizabeth introduced the use of the Protestant prayer Book. Therefore Elizabeth created support for Mary Stuart with her own actions. This increases Mary's threat and shows that the security of Elizabeth's throne was intensified by some actions taken by Elizabeth. Elizabeth also hampered the security of her own throne by not taking the opportunities to subdue the threat from Mary. This could have easily been done by naming Mary Stuart as her heir, this would have pleased a lot of people and had a lot to commend itself. Including the fact that the Catholic threat, the main threat centring around Mary, would have decreased significantly because they would have been most likely been content with knowing that the next Monarch of England was going to restore Catholicism. However instead Elizabeth hesitated and refused to make her decision by ignoring the subject. For example during the court intrigue she refused to name her heir under significant pressure from her court. Once again Elizabeth has intensified the threat orbiting around Mary, not taking the opportunities to relieve the pressure that Mary is placing on the security of Elizabeth's throne. Mary Stuart's threat to Elizabeth not only came from the fact that she was the Catholic heir but she did have tremendous political skill and personal magnetism. This is clear to see from the way she manipulated the Duke of Norfolk into trying to secure her release. For example before the Northern Rebellion when Mary met Norfolk and she old him to get her released by force if necessary and Norfolk undoubtedly did what he was told and was involved in a number of plots to release Mary. Cecil knew about Mary's personal danger an tried to persuade Elizabeth to have her executed much earlier than she was, however Elizabeth refused, this is another example of how Elizabeth's indecision over crucial matters failed to remove the danger of Mary Stuart and is clearly linked to her mismanagement of matters as shown above. Mary Stuart's arrival in England was the instigator in many of the plots against Elizabeth. She was the turning point in the security of Elizabeth's throne, from being relatively calm pre 1568, to continuous strain on Elizabeth's throne after 1568. Mary herself was not the actual threat to Elizabeth, but she was the motivation for them. Most significantly religious threats orbiting around the fact that Mary was Catholic and placing Mary on the throne were paramount compared to all other motivations. Political factors were contributory to religion and international threats were conceivable but never got off the ground. However Mary's overall threat could have been reduced by Elizabeth but of her mismanagement. Nobody troubled Elizabeth more than Mary Stuart in her reign due to the fact that she was the Catholic heir and therefore Catholics who felt religiously dissatisfied were prompted to threaten Elizabeth.

Perpetual holiday is a good working definition of hell Essay

Every now and then everybody needs a little holiday, time to themselves. After a long period of working, sunny beaches, snowy mountain peaches or a quiet house by a river together with your family may seem to be as close to paradise as possible. Many would dream of a â€Å"never ending holiday† where all you have to do is what you feel like to, but not all fairytales end well. To begin with, in a world where everybody sits around doing nothing, enjoying their life the end would be imminent and quick. A â€Å"global holiday† would mean a sudden stop of production, resources would be consumed in a matter of days or weeks whereas it takes a longer time for them to be produced and even an immediate comeback would generate a great loss. Secondly, during holiday many tend to loosen up, take things less seriously and usually forget the knowledge they have accumulated during the lifetime. This results in not using your brain properly and within some generations information would be lost and progression stagnated. Nonetheless, on the other hand being in a perpetual holiday may positive. There wouldn`t exist any more stress, worries, rush, responsibilities. People would live longer and happier. The only worry we would have would be how to make us and the others around us more fortunate. We would have time for all our hobbies; we could fulfil the gaps in our social life. Taking these points into consideration, I would say that many of us would be ready to give up their career for a peaceful life but too few think about the consequences of such a choice.

Women and Advertising

2AHIFA? JELAI It’s the Image that Is Imperfect Advertising and Its Impact on Women Advertisements and media images have a stronger impact on shaping gender images than books on feminism and scholarly experiments on gender equality. Stereotypes and generalisations in ads continue to objectify women, and place stress solely on their appearance, thus devaluing their innate worth. INDHU RAJAGOPAL, JENNIFER GALES Prologue I n examining higher education, there is a tendency to assume that all students have equal opportunities and only merit matters. There are, however, some unique factors that mitigate chances for qual treatment for all groups because of different ascriptive characteristics of students who wish to access, and achieve merit in, higher education. Gender is one such ascriptive characteristic that blocks girls and women both socially and academically from realising their fullest potential. In this paper, we will examine how gender-based social images that are transmitte d through the media act as barriers to realising students’ full potential in their life. Could higher education intervene in and vitiate these media images? As far as gender issues are concerned, it can be proven that the power of advertisements nd media images has a stronger impact in shaping gender images than what books on feminism and scholarly experiments have on gender equality. On the assumption that education shapes our intellect, we proceed to explore in this paper how media shape the images, especially those of girls and women. The Image-Making As we sit here watching the new Levi’s commercial – yes, the one with the catchy tune with the singing belly buttons – we find ourselves becoming a victim to the Economic and Political Weekly power of advertising. We were thinking how good these jeans would be especially for someone with my body type as we hum he song and do the dance. Then it hit us we are turning into the advertiser’s best friend – the one who believes anything they say. Furthermore, we are getting ready to tell our friends about the new ‘item’ on the market and how there are jeans to fit women with the wide hip too! The power that advertisements carry with them is sensational. They have the ability to change and shape people’s opinions of themselves with one picture of an image that is technologically modified to represent the advertiser’s perspective of what is seen as perfect by viewers. The key word is advertiser’s perspective because often he person who has created what she or he deems as the ideal image has also created the model. Often advertisements do not correctly represent the majority of society or even a small percentage of how women actually look. This analysis is intended to enlighten readers on the effect advertisements carry with them, specifically on women. First the discussion will expand on the societal milieu that ads hold, and then continue to e xplain the effects consumerism and promotional messages on this group of individuals. By looking at advertisements, and at theoretical and scholarly literature as well as popular culture material on the topic, this nalysis will show how the images advertisements allude to can influence and shape a woman’s perspective of herself. Matlin (1987) explains how the media’s misrepresentation of women in advertise- August 10, 2002 ments has created plenty of stereotypical representations of women. She lists seven empirically documented stereotypes that have been created by advertisements. Matlin’s1 sixth stereotype states that women’s bodies are used differently from men’s bodies in advertisements [Matlin 1987: 43]. In advertisements, men are shown accompanying the female and looking directly into the camera whereas females are portrayed with their eyes ooking away from the camera. Women are often shown in a sexual or vulnerable position in order to sell t he product, whether it is an advertisement for shaving cream or alcoholic beverage, for instance, Edge Shaving Cream, Pepsi-Cola or Absolute Vodka. Is this a reasonable representation of how women act and dress? No, it is not; but these types of ads are able to change what women think they should look like. When magazines feature pages on â€Å"make your butt look good in every outfit†, you have to wonder whether your butt does not look good now. You think: â€Å"I must have had a problem all along and I never noticed! Then, as you read on, you see some skinny and obviously attractive woman is advertising this article, which makes you think, â€Å"I will benefit and look like her if I read this article and buy the product†! Matlin illustrates how, when women look at advertisements showing beautiful female models, they tend to be less satisfied with their own attractiveness [Matlin 1987:44]. It is evident that the media will be the catalyst for these women to have body image problems. But do you blame them? Anyone would be self-conscious of his/her image after looking through a magazine filled with attractive women who portray unattainable images.Matlin describes how the medium is an important force in shaping reality [Matlin 1987: 43]. It is these stereotyped representations that help to shape womens’ opinions of what they should look like. Often girls and women forget that, and become sensitised by advertisements. They do not realise that they are conforming to what the ads show by reading the magazine ad’s prescription that will help them look like the woman in the ad in just three weeks! Realistically, these gender stereotypes only create more barriers for women. By creating 3333 these unrealistic images of women both genders are affected by these unreasonable nd often unattainable expectations and goals. The power of ads shapes men’s expectations for finding women who are over five feet and six inches tall, but still wei ghing less than 100 pounds, who look great in tight clothes, and demure and submissive. This is not a practical or reasonable expectation. In real life situations, it creates a downward spiral of disappointment and disillusionment. We live in a world where the goal of many North American women is to look like the next model in the Victoria’s Secret advertisements, which is one of the few catalogues a man generally grabs from the mail pile nd eagerly reads. Kang tries to answer the question: what messages do magazine advertisements on women transmit to society (1997: 979)? Following closely on Erving Goffman’s original study on gender analysis, the findings in this article are quite similar to the original survey that not much of a change has occurred over the years in the way women’s roles are portrayed. Advertisements have consistently confined women to the traditional role of a mother, or beauty, or sex symbol, and these do not represent women’s diversi ty [Kang 1997: 981]. This is similar to what Matlin refers to as gender stereotypes in ads.Ads use women not as humans but as objects. Stereotypes and generalisations in ads continue to objectify women, and place stress solely on their appearance, thus devaluing their innate worth. Kilbourne (1995) points out that a picture ad by only looking at one part of the body, for instance, the breasts, dismembers the woman’s body and objectifies her. This effect is demonstrated in alcohol or beverages or perfume ads that use a women’s body as the bottle. Ads seem to show more often skinny women cleaning the bathroom, making dinner or even worse putting on make-up; the women in these pictures are never heavy or even verage in size. The ads are made to portray unrealistic and over-exaggerated images. Women may indeed be engaged in such tasks; but how many women at home are organising their husband’s clothes and dusting antiques, wearing the latest makeup collection or the newest and trendiest outfit? These ads are so reminiscent of the 1950s image of June Cleaver waiting for her husband Ward to come home, while she cooks dinner and waters the plants wearing her pearl necklace. Again, we 3334 see the emphasis on the woman being attractive, no matter what role she plays. Once more, we see that advertisements ranslate and portray attractiveness as being tall, skinny and with flawless skin to condition the onlookers and attract them to such representations made in the ad. Kilbourne is a pioneering researcher on the topic of misrepresentation of women in advertisements. She is an avid lecturer, and has produced many videos on the topic of her lectures. Her most recent book Can’t Buy My Love (1999) talks about the way advertising can influence women and mould their opinions. Just as we are more vulnerable to the glory and heartbreak of romantic love than we will ever be again, at no time are we more vulnerable to the eductive power of advertising an d of addiction than we are in our adolescence [Kilbourne 1999: 129]. Thus, we are shown how a woman is actually influenced by ads and can end up physically trying to change to fit what she sees as acceptable because the advertisers show her that she needs to be skinny. In her video ‘Killing us Softly 3’, Kilbourne continues to look at magazine advertisements and the images they promote. She looks carefully at what Goffman outlines as his â€Å"categories† to analyse advertisements. 2 Kilbourne’s mandate is to make people take ads seriously because they do have an effect on humans and specially marginalised groups in this case, women. In her video, she touches on the obvious, but often forgotten, fact that technology plays a part in what we view as the perfect-looking person [Kilbourne 2000]. It is impossible to remove every line or blemish to create the illusion we viewers try to create. That is why I feel that ads are not healthy for women because they gi ve that fond hope that we could look like that person if we just, do/use ‘this’ and take ‘that’. What many viewers do not realise, as Kilbourne so quickly pointed out, is that often what we see are advertisements that have been air-brushed or created from a atabase of physical parts of various attractive human beings [Kilbourne 1995]. So Kilbourne asks the real question: when only 5 per cent of women can look like models why do we rush around to look like something we cannot be? [Kilbourne 2000]. Kilbourne’s research proves that young girls are easily influenced by these ads and will do anything to create the look granted as attractive. Cultivating a thinner body offers some hope of control and success to young women with a poor self- image [Kilbourne 1999: 132]. The image of beauty in thinness is often the only body type ever advertised, and therefore shown to women.Marilyn Monroe was a national sex symbol, but was a size 12! [Kilbourne 2000]. It wa s originally thought that the extra skinny women would wear clothes well for a designer, and that way the audience would only see the outfit not the body because there was not much to see. Unfortunately, that plan backfired and the media had a field day with stressing the beauty of the women under the supposed item in question, the outfit. In the past, women who were skinny were not attractive, and were even thought of to be living a povertystricken life because they were so thin. In the present day, many young girls do not ee that these images of being thin are unattainable, and turn to being anorexic or bulimic [Stemple and Tyler 1974: 272]. Having advertisers choose what is sexy is not correct or healthy for a society. Girls live day by day on what is cool or not because the latest issue of Cosmopolitan dictates what is cool. Their life revolves around the new ‘get fit diet’, or around the top that makes them look like they have extra big breasts. The advertisement i n the Martha Stewart magazine (January 2002) is an example of how women of all ages can become the new target audience. It would be logical o assume that ‘Billi Jo’ can be seen as a middle-aged person (shown in the picture of herself in the inset before she lost weight). Following her use of the Jenny Craig Ultimate Choice Program, she was able to lose weight and feel good again. Keep in mind that it does state that results are not typical, but still the persuasive language and attractive picture only assist in making the advertisement truthful. The advertisement was featured in the prestigious Martha Stewart magazine. This magazine personifies a specific image of good taste and sophistication, which is another way to promote these ad images s acceptable. Kilbourne talks about the objectification of women. This is a common advertising tactic often used. â€Å"Many ads feature just a part of a woman’s body – a derriere, a headless torso† [Kilbourne 1 999:258]. An article in Newsweek explored the truth of stereotypes and how these stereotypes affect the genders. In the eyes of Cross (1996), this can be seen as gender typing: the process by which we identify not only people, but also vocabulary and speech patterns, gestures and behaviours, objects Economic and Political Weekly August 10, 2002 and activities as either masculine or feminine [Cross 1996: 94].By allowing this to happen, stereotypes are formed and perpetuated by the people who believe in these gender stereotypes. Claude Steele, a Stanford University psychologist, showed something more important – the impact on targets of a stereotype whose behaviour is most powerfully affected by it. A stereotype that pervades the culture the way ‘ditzy blondes’ and ‘forgetful seniors’ do, makes people painfully aware of how society views them – so painfully aware, in fact, that knowledge of stereotypes can affect how well they do on intellectual and other tasks [Begley 2000: 66]. This in turn emonstrates the truth of how gender stereotyping contributes to this problem and sustains its existence. Generalisations of this nature can be seen to have a role in advertising campaigns. Either they are the ads that create the gender stereotype or sustain it through pictures and catchy slogans, such as ‘you’ve come a long way, baby’. The ad for Victoria’s Secrets shows a woman, but all you see is her body with a caption of ‘all you see is curves’. This model’s gestures and behaviour are portrayed as feminine, and she only helps to further the idea of women as objects and more so as merely shadows in the dark.Another example of how popular culture material only encourages the stereotypes to exist is e-mail that defines what are seen to be the differences in male and female vocabulary patterns; this is a demonstration of what Cross defines as gender typing. Stemple and Tyler (1974) are ab le to give a brief synopsis of the historical changes of women in advertisements, ultimately showing how the portrayal of women has not changed very much over time. There is still the emphasis placed in the ads on what we should be, but not what we are. The ever so prominent theme still jumps out to the reader of how advertising elped to create an obsession with a woman’s physical appearance. The obsession became so deeply imbedded in women in a short span of time that they began to believe that if they did not work to look like the women in the advertisements – beautiful and youthful – they would never get or keep a man [Stemple and Tyler 1974: 272]. The most surprising aspect of this article was the survey conducted on how 30 college women interpreted these advertisements. Stemple and Tyler found that these women were not affected by the images the ads showed and felt no real Economic and Political Weekly negativity.These results were questionable, but still u seful in showing the different assumptions that can be made on this topic. Not knowing the criteria or specifics of these individuals, I speculate that the sample that saw these ads was small, and maybe these women have been exposed to this type of ad so often that they are immune to the message and image from these ads. As mentioned earlier in this paper, Kilbourne talks about how ads need to be taken seriously and not disregarded because there is a larger picture that results out of the message the advertisements give off; the idea of ‘perfection’ for women.She has shown how women’s obsession with body image has been nurtured by the advertising industry, and how historically this has not changed the idea that only skinny and pretty women live on earth. Women have to remember that it is the image that is imperfect, not the body [Wrinkler 1994: 231]. Sullivan and O’Connor give you an idea of alternative bias on the topic of advertisements influencing what women think. Results indicate that current advertisements in some ways reflect more acutely the true diversity of women’s social and occupational roles than did those of earlier time periods (1988: 181). This is not to say that hanges have not occurred in the area of advertising. We have seen an increase in the appearance of males in magazines, but they are still not being degraded in the same manner as women are usually portrayed. This is an extreme limitation to a controversial argument that ads create an unrealistic image of what women should look like and in turn causes women to feel a large sense of insecurity about themselves. One reason for the findings could be that this article did take its conclusions from the late 1950s to the early 1980s. On the contrary, the earlier article by Stemple and Tyler (1974) concluded that not much as changed in the way women are shown in ads. Sullivan and O’Connor looked specifically at the connection between social changes and the way in which the media has reflected these changes in advertisements since 1910. These authors are able to argue that ads have gone against what they have been stereotyped to do; show women in the home, needing the help of a male, and as decorative pieces. They feel that those responsible for the creation of magazine advertising have begun to recognise the increasing economic and social status of women in America [Sullivan and O’Connor 1988: 188]. The reasons for August 10, 2002 hese assumptions could range from their choice of magazines analysed to the nature of sample group they used. Even though they were able to state that changes had occurred on the image and the way women are used, they still felt that there was room for improvement. How many ads realistically depict women in their true form? The argument would seem to centre on whether advertisements have changed to realistically portray women or that there is no change in their portrayal. But both sides will agree that there can always be more improvement in this area. The true goal of advertisers is to create an image hat will generate profits for the product they are selling. The question remains whether these advertising executives are conscious of the societal problems created by them or whether they have intentionally created them as part of their selling strategy. We will never be told. We do know is that they do profit from advertisements that encourage girls to want something more, something difficult to attain/achieve in the context of where they are now. Looking through various current magazines, it was apparent that the stereotypes are evident, but maybe not to the extent that we have seen in the past. Could a hange be taking place? Sullivan and O’Connor feel that advertisements are changing with time. Women should be better represented, and not as Matlin would say, stereotyped characters. Kilbourne disagrees with this so-called change, and feels that much larger problems h ave been created by advertisements. Her research has shown that women’s selfesteem goes down at adolescence due to advertisements that portray a fake reality of women to these susceptible teenage minds [Kilbourne 2000]. This is not to say that men are left out of this process of stereotyping. They are stereotyped too, but men are usually generalised as being too ld or extremely wealthy [Kilbourne 2000]. Advertisements for men often do not degrade them by comparing them to objects, or focus on their thighs being too large and hence needing the new cream to create longer legs in four days or less! Advertisements and Their Impact A recent article in a York University student newspaper, Excalibur (January 2002) illustrates the feeling the university student experiences with advertisements and the allure of new products. The caption defiantly uses gender-specific terms to only 3335 emphasis the stress of being a woman these days. If people do not ‘smooth their wrinkles or im prove their pigment’, they ay not feel like a woman or even a person. This ad seems to carry plenty of sarcastic overtones of hate for this type of environment at York University. It seems that institutions such as a university are a focal point for advertisers to market their new ideas and watch if the trends take off. Another article in the university newspaper contributes to this materialistic critique of the university environment. The title, ‘You are What You Wear’, sums up the basic point of how the York students feel that clothes, and in a larger sense looks and appearance, shape the views of others. The interesting point of the article is that t is written from a black woman’s point of view on the topic of ‘label’ dressers. The author seems to be more embarrassed that black students follow the trends and sport the labels because, â€Å"wearing these name brands gives the wearer an elevated status† [Barnes 2002:8]. Her argument s eems to be similar to mine, that if you know yourself, then you may not be caught up in this fashion trend. But when looking at university students and this fashion environment, I cannot help but question whether this is a problem only for this age group. Advertisements have now changed their target towards multi-audiences with ne ad. Why would we think that this label issue affects only our demographics? Well it does not, and the message sent through ads is that everyone should be a part of this cultural trend of dressing well. Advertisements have the power to make the poor, rich, fat or skinny students feel insecure about their selves. If they did not, then what good would these ads be? The insecurity created by pictures ensures that the consumer will be spending or trying something to fix their appearance. Labels are just another area where advertisers use a name to target the audience. A name goes a long way, especially when ttractive individuals wear the advertised clothes. Kle in (2000) attacks this problem created by advertisers. A major reason why these advertisements are placed in schools is due to one basic fact. The advertising agencies are aware that students form their opinions in this environment, and take them with them wherever they go. Is it not better to start at this easy, impressionable age and have students edified into believing what the advertisements preach? They want conformity and lack of decision on 3336 the consumer’s part. That is what I see as so ironic, we are in an institution to learn and form our own views and not try to be haped by others. Oddly enough, in a university or college, there is an effort made in using other people’s views, and then shaping our own, for example, to learn about Freud’s or Erikson’s theories on child socialisation and then creating your own point of view. The use of popular cultural material creates a vehicle that makes it a lot easier to shape a person’s point of vi ew. This is second nature to the advertisers producing this abundance of ads in magazines. The university is seen as an ideal starting point. Klein focuses on the university as a tool/ venue used by brand-name companies to establish themselves.For example, many universities will turn to the scientific community for funding of new university building and locations, such as the University of Western Ontario’s 3M Centre devoted to research in the sports medicine field. Or they will accept donations placing these company names before the university name on the large sign that greets students before they enter their new learning environment. Klein concludes by saying how, â€Å"university campus in particular with their residences, libraries, green spaces and common standards for open and respectful discourse play a crucial, if now largely symbolic, role: they are the one lace left where young people can see a genuine public life being lived† [Klein 2000: 105]. This seems t o be ideal but not evident from our conversation on advertisements and the power they hold to possess individuals to create unrealistic goals for themselves. Universities are filled with logos – ideals and images to follow which only create a larger plain of unrealistic pictures of what women should be like. The difference between viewing an image and hearing or imagining is that ones imagination can create an unrealistic image in a person’s mind. Itamar Marcus is the Canadian director of the Palestinian MediaWatch, which is a privately funded organisation that monitors the media’s influence on the citizens of that country. Through his presentation on the topic of media and the powerful influences they create, he demonstrates the power pictures and words have. He explains that the media has shaped the lives and views of these people. People believe what they have been told, and furthermore what the specially edited books tell them [Marcus 2002]. In this case, Ma rcus shows how the school books have been rearranged to teach the youth a history different from what is taught elsewhere in the world. The Palestinian ids learn that Israel is not a country, and they are told that cities like Jaffa are a part of their land. By viewing these distorted maps or pictures they believe what they are told even more. This shows the power that words carry and the effect that images have on a group of people. Another example is the manner in which the youth of Palestine are taught to hate westerners. With pictures of westerners raping and killing their people, they are made to believe what they are told to be the truth about the western world. Marcus points out how images such as these are so â€Å"powerful† that the youth are socialised to become martyrs or their country because they see it as the right way to act. The government is using its power to create images that are not necessarily true. Verbal or written images will coerce individuals to use their own reference to imagine the truth, but pictures show exactly what they want us to believe. This is a situation illustrating how the way an image when projected with design has power and an undeniable appeal and validity. In North America, the advertisers use their power to create unrealistic images for whatever products they are hired to advertise. These images have the power to create an impression, a desire and a reality that ay not always be true. By creating a possibility, a hope and a dream, women are made to hear and then see pictures of other attractive women achieving these goals through using or having these products. These images have a strong and somewhat subliminal effect on them. It is easy to forget that we need to celebrate the differences among human beings and the uniqueness of each. We are not ‘transformer toys’ or ‘robots’ that can change body parts with a snap of the wrist and a new outfit. Advertisers hope that we will buy into these changes. Unfortunately, this misconception is perpetuated by the advertising industry.The more that women and even men realise that it is all right to listen and read the ads as long as you realise it is not a way to judge yourself by their standards that you will survive in the advertising war of pictures and words. It seems hard not to be concerned with your appearance when there is such an emphasis to look good, right or wrong. Essentially, this paper has been looking at various literature and current advertise- Economic and Political Weekly August 10, 2002 ments to speculate what effect advertisements have on women’s self-images. There still is another facet of the topic that has roubled me: is it not a question of socialisation? Does the way a woman is socialised as a child maturing into adolescence determine the likelihood of her being affected by the media’s depiction of women? If a young girl is taught to be confident and happy with her own self, would sh e still be influenced by advertisements? Why should the advertisements have the final say on beauty? The simple answer is that we let them. Can girls be properly taught that these pictures and images are not always truthful and that they should not use them as a mirror? Could self-confidence be the proper tool for teenaged girls to overcome he messages from the advertisements? As Marshall McLuhan said, the medium is the message. We need to teach girls how to deal with the message. The message will continue to be strong and distorted. Instead of fighting the images, we should teach girls that these ideals are unattainable and that they should not literally kill themselves to try to look like something that is impossible to achieve. Possibly these young women have been socialised into a pattern of insecurity or worthlessness even before they view advertisements. When they see these images on paper, the images reinforce what they already assumed about their role and omen’s roles in society. It has been stated, however, that since the early 1900s advertisements have depicted women in an insulting and often degrading manner. Hypothetically if the women who grew up during these periods are now mothers, then most likely they taught these norms to their daughters as well. Then the next generation is influenced by these advertising stereotypes, and in turn transfer these ideals to its youth. It believes in what was shown because it was not taught any better. Socialisation is a lifelong process, but it does not guarantee that a person can change or has the tools to change.With presentday slogans of ‘girl power’ from the Spice Girls, it seems hard to take them seriously when the same girls preaching girl power are wearing close to nothing on stage and over-made up with exaggerated cosmetics and costumes. Stemple and Tyler touch on how the women’s liberation movement has been devalued. The authors showed, however, that ads are a blatant co-optin g of the women’s movement; the offensive ‘baby’ in ‘you’ve come along way, baby’ clearly indicates we have not [Stemple and Economic and Political Weekly Tyler 1974: 273]. It has been shown that advertisements create a vicious cycle that emands an audience to become engulfed with an idea in order to create a profit for their clients. These advertisements and social ideas, rather than education that teaches you to be objective and critical, have been engraved in one’s culture and in the psyche of the general population. It seems to be illogical and naive on the part of any women who feel they need to starve themselves or throw up their food in order to look ‘good’. It is obvious to see how these girls feel that this is what they are supposed to do to deal with societal pressures of looking a specific way. It is difficult to accept, but women have been ingrained with hese pseudo-images. In turn, women and girls buy into this fantasy in the hope of fulfilling their desires and dreams. -29 Notes 1 Margaret Matlin outlines what she views as ‘stereotyped representations’. She states, â€Å"Hundreds of studies have been conducted in the representation of women in the media. From these resources we can draw the following conclusions†. She continues on to outline seven stereotypes that target women these are: 1) Women are relatively invisible; 2) Women are relatively inaudible; 3) Although most women are employed they are seldom shown working outside the home; 4) Women are shown oing housework; 5) Women and men are represented differently; 6) Women’s bodies are used differently from men’s bodies in advertisements; 7) Women of colour – when they are shown at all – are often represented in a particularly biased way [Matlin 1987: 43-44]. Her conclusions are helpful in deciphering the reality of how women are affected by advertisements. It was very useful to have the se stereotyped representations to add a sense of soundness to the conclusions made on the advertisements and the societal situation that has been created. 2 Kang, Mee-Eun, ‘The Portrayal of Women’s Images in Magazine Advertisements: Goffman’sGender Analysis Revisited’ Sex Roles: A Journal of Research 37 11/12 (1997): 979-996. pp 984985: The following theoretical definitions in Goffman’s Gender Advertisements are utilised in this study: (1) Relative size: One way in which social weight (eg, power, authority, rank, office, and renown) is echoed expressively in social situations is through relative size, especially height. The male’s usual superiority of status over the female will be expressible in his greater girth and height. It is assumed that differences in size will correlate with differences in social weight. (2) Feminine touch: Women, more than men, re pictured using their fingers and hands to trace outlines of an object or to cradle it or to caress its surface or to effect a â€Å"just barely touching†. This ritualistic touching is to August 10, 2002 distinguish from the utilitarian kind that grasps, manipulates, or holds. (3) Function ranking: When a man and a woman collaborate face – to face in an undertaking, the man is likely to perform the executive role. This hierarchy of functions is pictured either within an occupational frame or outside of occupational specialisations. (4) Ritualisation of subordination: A classic stereotype of deference is that of lowering oneself hysically in some form or other of prostration. Correspondingly, holding the body erect and the head high is stereotypically a mark of unashamedness, superiority, and disdain. The configurations of canting postures can be read as an acceptance of subordination, an expression of ingratiation, submisssiveness, and appeasement. (5) Licensed withdrawal: Women more than men are pictured engaged in involvements which remove them psychol ogically from the social situation at large, leaving them unoriented in it and to it, and dependent on the protectiveness of others who are present. Turning one’s gaze away rom another’s can be seen as having the consequence of withdrawing from the current thrust of communication (p 62). The individual can also withdraw his/her gaze from the scene at large, and be psychologically â€Å"away† from the scene. References Barnes, Alicia (2002): ‘You are What You Wear’ Excalibur, February 1. Begley, Sharon (2000): ‘The Stereotype Trap: from ‘white men can’t jump’ to ‘girls can’t do math,’ negative images that are pervasive in the culture can make us choke during test of ability’, Newsweek, November 6, p 66, downloaded from: Gale Group Database, January 30, 2002. Cross, Mary (1996): Advertising and Culture:Theoretical Perspectives, Praeger Publishers, Westport, CT. Kang, Mee-Eun (1997): ‘The Portr ayal of Women’s Images in Magazine Advertisements: Goffman’s Gender Analysis Revisited’, Sex Roles: A Journal of Research 37, 11/12, 979-96. Kilbourne, Jean (1995): ‘Slim Hopes: Advertising and Obsession with Thinness’, videotape, Cambridge Documentary Films. – (1999): Can’t Buy My Love, Touchstone, New York: Simon and Schuster. – (2000): ‘Killing Us Softly 3: Advertising’s Image of Women’, Videotape, Cambridge Documentary Films. Klein, Naomi (2000): No Logo, Random House, Toronto. Matlin, Margaret W (1987): The Psychology ofWomen, Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace and Company, pp 41-45,461-70. Marcus, Itamar (2002): The Encouragement of Suicide Bombers and Terrorists in the Official Palestinian Authority Newspapers (a speech) January 22. Stemple, Diane and Jane E Tyler (1988): ‘Sexism in Advertising’, The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, 34. 1, pp 271-73. Sullivan, Gary L and P J O’Conn or (1988): ‘Women’s Role Portrayals in Magazine Advertising: 1958-1983’, Sex Roles: Journal of Research, 18. 3/4, pp 181-88. Winkler, Mary G (1994): ‘The Model Body’, The Good Body: Asceticism in Contemporary Culture, Yale University, Connecticut. 3337